Professor Crunchy

Marlowe

2011-10-13T23:44:00.001-04:00

This Seafood Crepe is SO GOOD!!!

Me and two friends went to Marlowe for dinner and dancing, just in time for their lobster and seafood festival. I am not a big fan of savoury crepes but I decided to give this one a try. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my crepes were thin, crispy, sweet, and packed with a variety of seafood in a yummy cream sauce. The rice was nicely seasoned and clean, perfect for picking up all of the extra sauces. If this is offered on the menu again next year, I'm getting it again!

As far as uptown clubbing goes, I like the dance floor at Marlowe just fine. The music is great for uptown standards, and there is even a live drummer that plays along to the hits!

Location: Hwy 7/East Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill
Price: $15-$30
Review: 5/5

Niagara Falls - Boston Pizza

2011-10-13T23:36:00.001-04:00

Perogi pizza: This was my second time eating this pizza and I enjoyed it a lot more this time around. There seems to be more cheese and bacon, making the pizza more salty than I remember.

Smokey Mountain spaghetti and meatballs: The garlic bread was the best. It was crunchy outside, soft inside, drenched in garlic butter... mmm. The meatballs are huge and moist. The spaghetti is overcooked and the bolognese sauce is a bit plain. I added tons of cheese and some chilli flakes. It was about as good as Boston Pizza can get...

This was a bit more expensive than I expected... $3 is a very expensive slice of pizza...

Location: Niagara Falls (Morrison/Dorchester), Canada
Price: $15-20 for most entrees
Review: 3/5

TanChiKee 艇仔記

2011-10-13T20:59:00.000-04:00

菜遠走地雞飯 Chinese chicken with rice is the lunch special for about $7. It comes with soup of the day and choice of lemon tea or milk tea. I thought this was really nice. Really enjoyed it.

Location: Hwy 7/Chalmers, Richmond Hill
Price: $5-10 for lunch
Review: 4.5/5 for this dish

Man Doo Hyang

2011-10-13T20:47:00.002-04:00

2 kinds of pickled radish and kimchi for appetizers

and free wontons! These are the best.

Giant dumplings and noodles. The noodle soup at this restaurant is wonderful. I can taste that the noodles are hand made and fresh by how soft and chewy they are at the same time. The soup is also very flavourful and comforting.

Location: 6068 Yonge Street, North York (North of Cummer)
Price: 47
Review: 5/5

Kaori

2011-10-13T20:29:00.003-04:00

Sushi at Kaori is just okay. There's not a lot of variety as you can see... and the quality is normal.

Location: Yonge/High Tech Road, Richmond Hill
Price: under $15
Review: 3/5

Boston Pizza

2011-10-13T20:27:00.000-04:00

Rob is crazy about this perogi pizza, which is more like baked potato pizza. I thought it was ok at first, but the potato and sour cream made me feel a bit sick after 2 slices. It's not my thing.

Sweet potato fries are totally my thing! These were hot and crispy!

Location: Interchange Way near Highway 7/Jane, Thornhill
Price: under $20 each
Review: 3/5

Hung Fook Tong 鴻福堂

2011-10-13T19:46:00.000-04:00

Mel came with me to grab some dinner after a visit to the gym. For under $10 I got a 3-course meal with drink! It starts with a glass of 火麻仁 which is a drink made from hemp seeds. This one had a very strong dried orange peel flavour to it and I didn't like it that much.

The soup of the day was a very satisfying chicken feet soup.

I could do without the toe nails, but this was very soft and yummy..!

My 章魚肉餅飯 (Octopus and pork patty) was big enough to feed two girls.

The bowl of rice was also pretty giant.

Since it was end of day, I was lucky enough to get one of each pudding flavours! Here is red bean and green tea. They were very enjoyable :)

Mel's tea egg 茶葉蛋 was all defected and dried up on one side.

Our waitress laughed and offered a replacement. Mel ended up eating both. :)

She also had a 楊枝甘露 (Mango Pomelo Sago) which was watery and disappointing.

Overall I was very satisfied with this place. The value is quite good, and my meal was much better than expected! I guess I would warn against the 楊枝甘露 (Mango Pomelo Sago), which is better at 許留山 Tracy Dessert at First Markham Place.

Location: Commerce Gate, Richmond Hill
Price: $5+
Review: 4/5

Lemongrass 香茅屋

2011-10-13T19:18:00.000-04:00

Lemongrass chicken skewers and spring rolls on vermicelli: Good flavours, lots of chicken, lots of peanuts, crispy spring roll... love it!

Location: 富食街 The food mall on Leslie, north of 16th Avenue, Richmond Hill

Price: $7.50

Review: 4.5/5

Destiny 緣續園

2011-10-13T19:03:00.000-04:00

I forgot what this pink fruit slush is, but Acca thought highly of it. She said it was refreshing and "complex".

My mango shaved ice was disappointing. It wasn't mango season so the mangoes were hard and sour. The shaved ice had a bit too much of the sweetened milk on it, and the mango syrup was just so-so. I wouldn't get this again.

Location: Hwy 7/East Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill
Price: $6-10
Review: 3/5 for this visit

Tracy Dessert 許留山

2011-10-13T18:57:00.001-04:00

芒果西米露 Mango Sago: At Tracy you always get tons of fruit on top of your dessert. This one was actually smaller than usual. The sago cream is thick and yummy, with lots of sago pearls, and I suppose still a lot of mango. I would recommend it during mango season.

It seems we can never get enough of this 街邊腸粉 rice noodle roll. We order it every time! The presentation is exciting, and there is always plenty of sauce. Great for sharing and for filling up!

Location: First Markham Place, Markham
Price: about $5 each
Review: 4.5/5

Alibi Bar & Lounge

2011-10-13T18:42:00.002-04:00

Romance fills the air anytime PKO and I have dinner together. Here we are having rose scented candlelit beer and wings at a new Korean owned bar named Alibi in North York. I liked that our honey garlic wings were not battered.

The staff were friendly, and very impressed that Chinese girls knew about and drank soju!

The greatest thing about this place is their unlimited carrots and celery. We polished off a few plates of these with our booze. There was also obvious concern that we couldn't handle our alcohol, so it was probably best to put more food in our tummies. What great service :)

I like this place, but whenever I pass by it seems quite empty. It would be cooler if there were more people in there. I guess I could lead :P

Location: Yonge/Northtown Way, North York
Price: <$20 each
Review: 4/5

Ichimoto 一本料理

2011-10-13T02:32:00.002-04:00

Ichimoto is still one of my current go-to Japanese restaurants. Look at all the food I eat there!

apple salad

wakame salad

beef sashimi

miso soup

squid balls

edamame

curry pork cutlet on rice

sake mussels

bacon wrapped asparagus

sashimi

Capelin 多春魚

kalbi

grilled squid

sushi

grilled hot dogs (don't order these)

sushi and sashimi

green tea and red bean ice cream combo

more sashimi

more sushi

golden shrimp

even more sushi

vegetable tempura

enoki pork roll

saury 秋刀魚

grilled eggplant

fried banana

more sashimi

spicy and plain scallop sashimi

mango sago cream

chocolate and green tea ice cream combo

Location: Hwy 7/Chalmers
Price: $12-22 depending on weekday/weekend, lunch/dinner
Review: 4.5/5

Flat Rock Cellars 2008 Riesling

2011-10-13T02:11:00.002-04:00

Flat Rock Cellars 2008 Riesling is from Ontario, recommended by Tony and his wife. It is a light fruity white wine, very yummy and easy to drink (i.e. girly). These were about $16 from LCBO, but they are not available anymore. If I could go back in time I would get it again.

Location: Ontario...
Price: $16/bottle a couple years ago
Review: 4.5/5

Ozeki Hana-Awaka Sparkling Sake

2011-10-13T02:02:00.003-04:00

Girly bubbly sake in a pretty frosted pink bottle

PKO shared this pretty bottle of carbonated Sake with me. It was very enjoyable! The alcohol content is way lower than regular sake. It was light, bubbly, mildly sweet and rice-flavoured. It's a good girly drink.

Location: imported from California
Price: free for me thanks to PKO and Casey
Review: 5/5

Korbel Cream Sherry

2011-10-13T01:54:00.000-04:00

Korbel Cream Sherry = haw flakes in a bottle

Fear spread among my friends when they saw the word cream on a wine bottle. Fortunately when we poured it, it was the colour of red wine. Seems normal, right? Wrong! It smells like haw flakes (hawthorn cookies), and tastes like preserved plums. I could actually sip on it quite happily but this was quickly rejected by everyone else. Good think Casey gifted this one to me, eh?

Location: imported from California
Price: free for me thanks to Casey
Review: 2/5

Silver Patron Tequila

2011-10-13T01:48:00.002-04:00

That Patron Tequila, me and my mamacitas...!

OK I totally bought the Patron because of the songs. And now that I have tried it, I know why they sing about it! It's good!!! It's so smooth... like Grey Goose to Smirnoff. You gotta try some :)

And the bottle is so cool. The glass is hand blown and feels all organic and uneven, the neck takes the shape of a decanter which makes it so fun to pour. The cork is a big cute round knob. And then there's the label with a ribbon... It's all so awesome!!!

Someday, I'll get my hands on some Anejo and Reposado, maybe even the coffee version!

Location: purchased in Sams Club in Minnesota
Price: under $35
Review: 5/5

Scotch Whisky Experience

2011-10-13T01:39:00.002-04:00

The Scotch Whisky Experience, brought to PKO and I by Mel!

First we tried the Glayva Liquor (left), 70 proof from Scotland. It's a sweet, syrupy whisky. We liked it, but could only take small sips at a time.

Then we went for the Edradour 10 year Highland Single Malt Whisky (middle), 80 proof from Scotland. This one smelled so strong it kicked our asses before we even put it anywhere near our lips. It tasted so intensely strong that I could barely lick the rim of my shot glass. In retrospect it was a bad idea to start with the sweet one.

After that 10 year scotch *experience* we were terrified of the Balvenie Double Wood 12 year Single Malt Scotch Whisky, again from Scotland. To our delight this one was much lighter and smoother! But we still could only sip slowly.

Between the two of us alcoholics, we finished half of each bottle, and oh we felt it. We will finish it, some day...

Location: imported from Europe!
Price: free for us thanks to Mel!
Review: It was an eye opener...

Mickey's

2011-10-13T01:26:00.001-04:00

Matt introduced me to Mickey's, which = Hand Grenade = Malt Liquor. This is interesting!

Rawr! I'm a bee... on malt liquor... so hardcore!

OK, all jokes aside, I really liked this malt liquor! I expected it to be unrefined and bitter but it's light and refreshing! I'll get more if I have a chance!

Location: imported from Minnsota
Price: free for me
Review: 4/5

Ten Ren's Tea Time 天仁

2011-10-13T01:11:00.001-04:00

Frozen slushies at Ten Ren on a hot summer afternoon is a nice treat. I was feeling brave and tried a pineapple and bitter melon slush (夏日一涼). The bitter melon added a very creamy texture similar to avocado, and also a hint of minty bitterness which was quite refreshing. Being someone who doesn't like drinks to be too sweet, I liked it! This is the kind of drink that's worth my $8.

This deep fried tofu is on the daily specials menu. Both Acca and I like it very much. The pickled greens, thick sweet soy sauce, and the tofu go surprisingly well together. It's a good snack to share.

Location: Hwy 7/Valleymede, Richmond Hill
Price: $7+ for frozen drinks, $3-4 for daily special snacks
Review: 5/5

Golden Flower Cafe 金花

2011-10-13T01:00:00.002-04:00

Golden Flower has been around for over 15 years and they have barely changed... but there is a new Korean menu! Here is the dumpling and spicy ramen. The variety of toppings is nice, but it is literally a package of Shin ramen with deep fried frozen dumplings. Its not that I didn't like it, it's just that I can make this at home for much cheaper...

Location: 16th Avenue/Valleymede Dr., Richmond Hill
Price: about $5
Review: 3/5

Lucky Season 福臨 - closed!

2011-10-13T00:49:00.000-04:00

My grandma, my aunt and I were regulars at this restaurant. Unfortunately it closed down recently. We all miss these regular orders...

shrimp and chive dumplings (with sweet and sour sauce)

steamed chicken bun

Chiu Chow style dumpling (with chilli oil)

They had awesome shrimp dumplings!!!

Mango Mochi was soft and refreshing

beef rice noodle roll

My grandma's favourite deep fried shrimp dumplings (with mayo)

My favourite durian pancake!!!

And the vegetable & mushroom rice noodle roll that only I liked...

Lucky Season was awesome. The staff were friendly, we have kind of known them for years, and the dim sum is good and cheap! Who can beat $2.20/ea. across the entire menu? Maybe that's part of the reason why they are now closed... I wonder if it will resurrect?!

Location: Times Square, Richmond Hill (now closed!)
Price: $2.20 per dish!
Review: 4/5

Yan's Cook 顏記 @ FMP

2011-10-13T00:34:00.000-04:00

Maybe it's just me but Yan's is like the anchor store of the entire FMP food court. They have a big counter, lots of food, and lots of customers.

I stupidly ordered these deep fried wings as my entire meal. They are good... hot, crunchy, salty... but I felt pretty gross afterwards. Good thing I ordered herbal tea to counteract the heat. It was refreshing.

Location: First Markham Place, Markham

Price: about $5

Review: 3/5

Goldsor Cafe 金莎餐廳

2011-10-13T00:26:00.000-04:00

Goldsor at Times Square has been around for years. A typical lunch or dinner set starts with Russian Borsch or cream soup of the day, and a toasted sweet dinner roll. I am a sucker for sweet dinner rolls and always eat it all.

Here is their clam fusili in tomato sauce. It's on the plain side, and the pasta is cooked too soft.

This is the Japanese fried (fake) scallop fusili with tomato sauce. I thought this was lame too. Despite the huge portion there isn't much apart from plain pasta.

Their iced lemon teas are always so good, and so appealing!

I know I just dissed up their food but I do generally like Goldsor. They have good afternoon tea and late night menus at very reasonable prices. My favourites are their french toast, smoked salmon pasta with cream sauce, and spaghetti bolognese. I would warn against lunch though. There are only four lunch specials to choose from each day. It doesn't leave you with a lot of choice, which is why I ended up with fusili...

Location: Times Square, Richmond Hill
Price: $5-$20
Review: 3.5/5

Ichiban Sushi House

2011-10-13T00:08:00.002-04:00

Ichiban Sushi House inside Empress Walk in North York. It's a surprisingly big restaurant.

Typical salad and soup. The salad dressing was salty.

Sushi tower: rice, avocado, edamame, crab meat, and sushi stacked together, garnished with four kind of tobiko! This was yummy and exciting, but the edamame seemed a tad out of place, and the dish turned out to be messy for sharing. Each tobiko had a different flavour, the black one was especially good with a salty flavour.

PKO's Korean style chirashi didn't appeal to me. She said it was too much salad.

My sushi was pretty good. I like it when the fish drapes all the way down the rice ball. I was satisfied, but not wowed.

See what PKO has to say!

Location: Empress Walk, North York
Price: $8-$20
Review: 3/5

Kelsey's

2011-10-12T21:38:00.001-04:00

Popcorn shrimp with thai chill and cilantro lime dressings: Over-battered and crunchy, but not bad otherwise.

Pitcher of Canadian for PKO and I, yes, in the afternoon.

PKO's lunch size lemon pepper shrimp pasta looked a bit small to me but was probably the perfect portion. It had good flavour.

My fish and chips was nasty. The batter was soggy and the fish was fishy and a bit dry. The fries were fine. The coleslaw was bland. I regretted this one.

I don't like Kelseys'. But they do have good wings...

See PKO's take on things...

Location: Yonge Street/High Tech Rd
Price: $10+ per item
Review: 2/5