Urban Foodie

Can You Resist Bang Bang Ice Cream?

2015-06-25T15:40:00.001-04:00

There is always a long line at Bang Bang Ice Cream & Bakery for a reason. They have some of the most innovative ice cream flavours out there. Flavours such as London Fog, ginger milk, mission fig and rocky roadkill to name a few, are not only creative but delicious!

Flavour Wall!

Totaro!

On my last visit, I tried out Totaro flavour in a cup - a play on the Japanese animated character Totoro. As you can expect, it was taro ice cream but with coconut shavings! I'm a happy sucker for successful Asian marketing... :P

Uncle Tetsu Expands with New Matcha Cafe!

2015-06-24T21:25:00.001-04:00

Still with a sprawling line at Uncle Tetsu, it was no surprise to see this Matcha Cafe pop up right beside the original to offset demand. As the name entails, this cafe serves all things matcha from soft serve to madeleines. The madeleines, which are $2.99 each or buy three, get one free, have a subtle green tea matcha aroma and flavour with a nice crust. There wasn't a line in the afternoon today for the cafe but that can change in the blink of an eye especially with the ever popular cheesecake getting its own matcha version in August.

Yelp's Passport to Patios Launch Party

2015-06-22T23:17:00.001-04:00

I was at Porch for Yelp's Passport to Patios Launch Party!

What a View!

Porch is a rooftop patio with a fantastic view of the CN Tower and it was the perfect venue to start patio season! Although it rained, it didn't dampen our experience. The friendly and unpretentious Porch staff served us a never ending assortment of bites from various salads to bar favourites such as wings, fish tacos, meatballs, wraps, coleslaw fries and deep fried mac 'n cheese squares... the list goes on! The staff brought food to us with a smile and also cleared our plates in a timely fashion. Great service!

Salads

Beef with Potato Salad

Chicken Wraps

Meatballs

Coleslaw Fries with Bacon Bits

Salt and Pepper Wings

BBQ Wings

Pigs in a Blanket

Fish Taco

Deep Fried Mac 'N Cheese

The Tromba Tequila bartender dispensed us delicious margaritas consisting of lime juice, a lavender bitter, and smashed rosemary. Along with the Sol beer reps, were never thirsty!

Tromba Tequila!

Great View!

Sol Reps

Sol Beer

What a great event!

Cluny

2015-06-16T17:40:00.001-04:00

Review to come...

Avoid the Vesta Food Truck!

2015-06-15T15:29:00.001-04:00

@vestalunchto Food Truck | Bulgogi Wrap with Fries || Unfortunately, a gimmicky wrap with muted Korean flavours and diluted sauce. The sauce wasn't thick enough and dripped everywhere! They should stick with diner basics and not promote Korean fusion. ||| This food truck was parked at Bloor & Bedford, right beside the Telus Centre for Performance and Learning. It originated from the owners of Vesta Lunch Diner at Dupont and Bathurst. #VestaLunchTO #VestaLunch #foodtruck #fries #bulgogiwrap #bulgogi #lettuce #redonions #carrots #foodie #urbanfoodie #TOEats #TOFood #Toronto #torontoeats #yyzeats #lunch #Korean #KoreanFusion #KoreanNotReally

Mealshare Yelp Event at Marben

2015-06-14T22:20:00.000-04:00

Tonight there was a Yelp event at Marben promoting the worthy charity Mealshare, an organization whose mission is to end hunger in Canada and around the world. Mealshare has partnered with PARC (Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre) to provide meals in Toronto. Partner restaurants such as Marben (and others such as Khao San Road, Pizza Libretto, and Richmond Station) are giving a portion of the proceeds of certain dishes at their restaurants to Mealshare!

Here are those dishes that will be making a difference:

John's Burger
Braised Beef, Branson Pickle, Cheddar

John's Burger - I loved how this burger was served medium... The braised beef was very flavourful and melt-in-your-mouth. Great bun selection... It was fluffy and soft. The cheese brought everything together. It was a bit on the salty side though.

Fries

You gotta be fast!

Barley and Rye Kernel Risotto
Fresh peas, asparagus, golden beets, puffed wild rice

Barley and Rye Kernel Risotto - This was my favourite dish of the night! The risotto was flavoured with an asparagus sauce and was perfectly "al dente." The barley, rye kernels, and puffed wild rice elevated the dish by adding a delicious crunchy texture. Terrific!

There were two options of drinks: a classic gin & tonic as well as the creative Dark & Stormy - 1.5 ounces of dark rum, 1/2 ounce of lime juice and topped up with ginger beer!

Dark & Stormy

Gin & Tonic

Go check out Marben today and support Mealshare!

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse Function

2015-06-12T17:18:00.001-04:00

Menu for the Night: Starter Salad, Petit Filet, Sides (sautéed mushrooms, asparagus, mashed potatoes), and New Orleans Style Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce

I went to this Ruth's in Mississauga for a function and I was pleasantly surprised how tender this cut of corn-fed Midwestern beef was, given the amount of people that they had to serve. We had sixty guests in our room but they were hosting other professional groups equally as large. Great quality control... my steak was medium-rare as requested. The steak and sautéed mushrooms were swimming in butter... which can turn off some, but I shamelessly condoned. The cheesecake was the star of the evening. It had a light and airy texture with a crispy crust. A more than ample serving of blueberry sauce and a few mint leaves were the finishing touches on this lovely dessert!

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
77 City Centre Drive
Mississauga, ON L5B 1M5

Date Visited: June 11, 2015

Starving for Real!

2015-06-10T07:35:00.001-04:00

B. Benny with Beans

I went back to Starving Artist (Starving4Waffle) on a Sunday for brunch because I was so impressed with their potato waffles my last visit. Not quite a latka, the potato waffles are made in a waffle maker which creates a thin crispy crust and a fleshy interior. Ingenious! My last visit, I also had perfectly poached eggs with runny yolks and a devilishly good Hollandaise glaze.

So there was no mistake that I would order the B. Benny which marries both of those elements together!

Unfortunately this visit was horrendous in terms of service! Granted we were a large group of 10 and they usually are packed on the weekends, but it should not have taken an hour to get our food. At the very least, give us an update if you are running behind. There was no apology! As expected, my eggs were overcooked. Go on a weekday if you still want to try them and and remain unscathed from this review!

Starving Artist
1078 St. Clair Avenue West
Toronto, ON M6E 1A5

Date Visited: May 24, 2015

Red Bench Rivals the Best!

2015-06-09T19:56:00.001-04:00

On Monday, I was craving an ice cream sammy. Unfortunately, my "go to" places such as Bakerbots and Bang Bang were closed. Luckily, Red Bench was there to save the day!

At Red Bench, similar to Bakerbots and Bang Bang, you are empowered to create a custom ice cream sammy with cookies as your buns!

An additional option at Red Bench is that you can also select a "mix in" which is a topping such as butterscotch chips or sprinkles that is added to the circumference of your ice cream sandwich. What an awesome idea!

The cookies I picked for my sammy were the Cookies 'N Cream (original cookie with Oreo chunks) and the Salt Flake City (triple chocolate cookie with Fleur de Sel). The ice cream was also Cookies 'N Cream with a Snickers bits mix in.

The cookies were so delicious. How can you go wrong with Cookies 'N Cream? You have a cookie in a cookie! It's no wonder it's one of the more popular picks among their customers. The real winner for me though was the Salt Flake City. The sea salt, which is hand harvested and scraped from only the top layer of salt before it sinks to the bottom of large salt pans, augments the sophisticated chocolate flavours. It's top notch!

Although I love Bang Bang, sometimes the sandwich can run too sweet. Here at Red Bench, I am impressed that the cookies are flavourful but are also have the right amount of sweetness.

The ice cream was delicious but the con here is that there was a limited selection. Out of the five flavours listed, two were not available! You also don't get as many creative flavours such as London Fog at Bang Bang.

However, Red Bench definitely has positive characteristics that define them and this establishment rivals the best.

Von Doughnuts to Close out the Doughnut Tour!

2015-06-05T22:03:00.000-04:00

A Dozen Von Doughnuts!

Doughnuts left to right, top to bottom: Peanut Butter Jelly Time, The Sappy Pig, Crème Brûlée (x2), Triple Chocolate, Macaroon, Caramel Salt 'N' Pepa, Rhubarb, Not Your Granny's Fritter, One Night Stand, Pucker Up Sucker, Triple Chocolate (again).

Von Doughnuts celebrated National Doughnut Day by giving away a free Von Kabob (think doughnut holes on a stick) with the purchase of a dozen doughnuts. It was technically our first stop on our doughnut tour but we decided to consume them after our tour was over. Unfortunately, Von Doughnuts didn't have the Kabobs ready that early in the morning (it was 8am-ish) but we bought a dozen anyway! :D

Our Favourites

Crème Brûlée

A familiar concept that is reinvented over and over again.
It's the first time I've seen it in doughnut form... and it comes with a nice vanilla bean filling.
They actually take a torch to the top of the doughnut and create an irresistible crispy top layer!

Caramel Salt 'N' Pepa

See Jelly Modern Doughnuts... you can't go wrong with a sweet and salty flavour profile... and this one's got a bite of pepper!

Peanut Butter Jelly Time

This doughnut was true to form... it was comforting in that it made you nostalgic and recall all those childhood memories!
This doughnut showcases what you can achieve with in-house homemade fillings!

Most Creative

Pucker Up Sucker

This doughnut is a clear winner!
An awesome slice of baked meringue sandwiched in between a doughnut base that gives it that extra texture component.
The tart lemon custard and drizzle makes you crave more!

One Night Stand

You can really pick out all the flavours on this boozy doughnut containing triple sec and tequila with salt and lime as the chasers!
It's a clean and refreshing doughnut.

Rhubarb

Who would have thought acidic rhubarb would work in a doughnut?

Sappy Pig

This doughnut has a delicious savoury component in the form of crispy bacon! The dark chocolate prevents this doughnut from becoming a super salty experience though. Throw in some sweet maple and you have a match made in heaven.

Final Thoughts

Creative doughnuts with whimsical names!
They execute classics nicely.
The flavour combinations were well balanced.
One of the better doughnut shops in the city.
Although, I personally would prefer denser doughnuts... denser but also richer... not denser like a Dutchie.

Krispy Kreme on Harbord (Round 2): Stop 3 on National Doughnut Tour!

2015-06-05T17:54:00.001-04:00

This was my second stop at a Krispy Kreme on National Doughnut Day... And my third stop on the doughnut tour. That's right, I have no shame! :P

The doughnuts that I got were the Chocolate Iced Glazed with Sprinkles & Glazed Raspberry Filled Doughnuts.

The chocolate sitting below the sprinkles was a nice touch for the chocolate iced glazed doughnut and there was an amazing explosion of raspberry filling in the latter!

#noshame

Jelly Modern Doughnuts: Stop 2 on the National Doughnut Day Tour!

2015-06-05T15:54:00.000-04:00

Jelly Modern Doughnuts gave us a free doughnut sampler consisting of Coconut, Jelly, S'mores, Salted Caramel, and Chocolate mini doughnuts!

I loved the added touch of chocolate shavings on the already chocolate glazed mini doughnut. The salted caramel has always been my favourite here just because of the wondrous salty, sweet flavour profile. The coconut doughnut had coconut shavings on top but also exploded with coconut filling! The powdered raspberry jelly doughnut was good but it could have taken a cue from the coconut doughnut with respect to filling. The S'mores doughnut was tasty, but it didn't really replicate the full experience. Despite having graham cracker powder on top, there was an absence of any graham cracker flavour and texture. Also, how about blow torching the marshmallow next time, Jelly? Overall, this sampler made my day! Thank you Jelly Modern!

Doughnut Sampler

Krispy Kreme on McCaul: My first stop on National Donut Day!

2015-06-05T10:04:00.001-04:00

Krispy Kreme (@KrispyKremeCan) is offering a free choice doughnut on National Doughnut Day (Today, June 5, 2015)!

Here are the doughnuts we had:

Lemon Kreme || Strong lemon flavoured doughnut with original glaze and signature whipped cream in the middle!

Peach Pie || Love the pie crust bits on top of the doughnut! The white glaze complimented the fragrant filling! Good for summer!

Celebrate National Doughnut Day!

2015-06-03T21:46:00.001-04:00

Enjoy a free doughnut of your choice on June 5th, 2015 - National Doughnut Day! I saw this poster at one of the few remaining Krispy Kreme locations in Toronto (162 McCaul Street). This offer is reminiscent of the good ol' days when you used to get a free doughnut when the "hot" sign was on! Go claim your doughnut (at any Krispy Kreme location) for nostalgia on the "sweetest" holiday of the year!

Kekou Gelato? Yes Please!

2015-06-01T11:25:00.001-04:00

Despite the use of traditional Pozzetti cabinets (which keep out contaminants, air and sunshine) for their gelato at Kekou (@kekou), you'll still get a hit of the distinctive, pungent, and often polarizing aroma of durian when you walk through the door. Durian is one of the many unique Asian-inspired flavours of gelato that will tantalize your taste buds. No matter what your opinion on durian is, it shouldn't deter you from enjoying the other premium, true to taste flavours such as Hong Kong Milk Tea, Viet Coffee, Roasted Oolong Tea, Black Sesame, and Avocado Banana.

Unique Flavours Galore!

HK Milk Tea & Black Sesame on a Sugar Cone

HK Milk Tea has authentic intense flavours while the Black Sesame is loaded with delicious seeds. The avocado banana is lavishly creamy and contains real banana, not that artificial stuff.

A Medium Cup (2 flavours)

The sorbets such as Tsing Tao Peach, Spicy Salted Pineapple, and Sour Sop are top notch. Tsing Tao Peach captures the soul of the beer with a hint of peach while Spicy Salted Pineapple boldly plays with sweet, salty, spicy, and acidic elements. You can get your stabilizer-free gelato or sorbet in a sugar cone or in a cup. It's a must try!

Wide Assortment of Cones and Cups

Kekou Gelato
13 Baldwin Street
Toronto, ON M5T 1L1

Date Visited: May 29, 2015

Buy One Get One Free Drinks at Gong Cha North York!

2015-05-15T00:55:00.000-04:00

BOGO!

GongCha, lauded for its milk foam and unique flavours such as wintermelon, has opened up a new location in North York!

Much like ChaTime, you can choose your sweetness and ice levels, customization akin to Starbucks. You can even use your Vicinity card here just like ChaTime. It's a bit pricier than ChaTime but you get some signature drinks such as the Earl Grey Milk with 3 Jellies!

To celebrate, they will be having a BOGO sale on select drinks from May 15 to 18!

The promo drinks are Royal Milk Tea with Pearls, Wintermelon Milk Tea with Grass Jelly, Milk Foam Watermelon, and Milk Foam Green Tea.

Enjoy!

Wintermelon Milk Tea with Grass Jelly, Large 30% Sweetness Level

Gong Cha
5449 Yonge Street
North York, ON M2N 5S1
Canada

Date Visited: May 15, 2015

Delucious Korean Side Dishes!

2015-05-03T15:46:00.000-04:00

6 8 oz. Containers Featuring Delicious Korean Side Dishes

No, it's not a typo. Delucious is a new Korean side dish delivery service operating in the City of Toronto (including Richmond Hill and Markham). Out of a selection of 8 dishes, you can have Delucious deliver a 6-pack of Korean dishes in 8oz. or 16oz. containers ($17 or $25 respectively) every Thursday from 7-11pm on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis.

Subscribing to their service is a great idea for dinner parties or for busy people such as moms, students, and professionals looking for convenience when it comes to adding variety or that extra touch to their daily meals. In fact, it can be your entire meal as I created my own custom bibimbap with my side dishes. I just added rice and a fried egg on top with plenty of seasoned soy bean paste!

These fantastic preservative-free dishes are made with love by Lucy - Korean chef, Delucious owner, and mother. Eating these dishes are like going home to your honorary Korean mother's for dinner. The dishes are salted nicely and are not oily which is congruent with their mission for you to eat healthy. I loved the pickled dishes (the kimchi and radish) because they had the right balance of sweetness and acidity.

Unlike most of the dishes which can be stored for 7 days after delivery, you can keep the kimchi even longer in case your preference is to have a more pungent and sour taste. My favourite was the the seaweed stems because they had great texture and had a nice sesame seed aroma to them!

The service is co-owned by Lucy and her son. They are candid with their intentions to become successful so that Lucy is able to quit working 12 hour days, 6 days a week. With such a solid offering of food, why wouldn't you help set Lucy free?

Visit www.delucious.ca

Kimchi

Spinach

Crunch Bean Sprouts

Korean-style Coleslaw

Pickled Radish

Seaweed Stems

Porchetta & Co.

2015-04-28T19:41:00.001-04:00

I love the simplicity of Porchetta & Co.'s (@PorchettaAndCo) offerings: Porchetta by the pound, on a plate or as part of their famous sandwich.

The sandwich offers 4 ounces of Porchetta and cracklings (chicharron) on a bun with a handful of customizable ingredients from mushrooms to rapini to make it your own!

The House Special consists of the recommended combination of melt-in-your-mouth Porchetta, crispy cracklings, decadent truffle sauce, rich Parmesan, exploding mustard seeds and finishes with a light kick of hot sauce. It's a taste of heaven sandwiched between two pieces of crispy yet fluffy artisan bread! It's a winner!!!

The House Special

The fried chicken and smoked porchetta Reuben with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing is the alternative. Superb in its own right but the porchetta takes a back seat to the chicken and so the house special is still my favourite.

Fried Chicken and Smoked Porchetta Reuben

Despite a simple offering, Porchetta & Co. warrants multiple return visits! ;)

Mouth Watering Goodness!

Porchetta & Co.
825 Dundas Street West
Toronto, ON M6J 1V4
Canada

Date Visited: April 28, 2015

Uncle Tetsu's Japanese Cheesecake... Worth the line?

2015-04-23T15:55:00.000-04:00

Uncle Tetsu's Japanese Cheesecake shop is the first of its kind outside of Asia and opened at the corner of Bay and Dundas on March 15th with a couple hours' worth of lines all day, everyday since. I waited in line for an hour and half on a cold and windy Wednesday afternoon and this was my experience:

The Cake
In as simplest a form as possible, Uncle Tetsu's delivers a cheesecake that is delicious and aromatic without any frills or hidden surprises. There is no cookie bottom, nor is there a fruit centre and it is certainly not topped with any whipped cream. What it is, is firm enough to remind you that it's a cheesecake, light enough that you can finish the 6" cake by yourself and subtle enough with its flavours and aromas of cheese, eggs and butter that anybody can enjoy it.

I could eat this cake for breakfast, as an afternoon snack or as a dessert after dinner. I would even eat it with green eggs and ham. Many have added that the Uncle Tetsu cheesecake is better after its been refrigerated for a few hours. The cheese becomes a little more pronounced and the texture is a little firmer but I think it's also great fresh out of the oven. When fresh, the cake is feathery light, very fragrant and a bit spongy making it perfect with a glass of milk in the morning or in the middle of a weekend stroll, with coffee. After a few hours in the fridge, the cake is decadent but still light enough that you could fit it in after a three course meal. I would definitely return to Uncle Tetsu's again and again for this cake.

The Madelaines
If you're not the type of person that will enjoy a slice of cake in the morning hours (you're weird), Uncle Tetsu's also offers madelaines. While they are a different shape than the traditional French madelaine, they're baked in more of a muffin shape than seashell, they're every bit as enjoyable as their counterparts. They taste of honey and eggs, firm and glazed on the outside, soft and spongy on the inside. They're perfect as a grab-and-go snack but they are also pretty filling so, best to share!

The Experience
The experience at Uncle Tetsu's is not much different from the cake itself - simple, charming and refined. Despite incessant line-ups that ensure the staff are occupied constantly, all the workers are very friendly, everybody is smiling. When you make your purchase, the cashier comes around the till to hand you your bag with both hands and a genuine smile. Every purchase, every customer. The madelaines are made in the corner, near the front and you can watch through the window as they pour out the mix (they'll wave to you through the glass). The cakes are made at the back, where three ovens churn out twelve cakes each, every forty-five minutes.

The Lineup
If it's warm and sunny out, you've got nothing better to do and you've got someone to hang out with, sure - the cakes are delicious. If it's cold and windy and wet and the line is out to the entrance of the Greyhound station, maybe come back another time. Bottom line, the product and the experience are great; long line ups are not.

Peace,

Bensjammin

P.S. If you ever are wondering how long the line is at Uncle Tetsu's, follow: @tetsulineup

Uncle Tetsu's Japanese Cheesecake

595 Bay Street

Toronto, ON M5G 1M5

Canada

Date Visited: April 22, 2015

Pai Northern Thai Kitchen

2015-04-20T12:45:00.000-04:00

Pai (@PaiToronto) is a fantastic Northern Thai restaurant in Toronto that serves authentic cuisine with sophisticated flavours. Without reservations, you can wait up to an hour on weekends for a table, but it's worth it. Some opt to sit at the bar when seating is scarce in the main dining area, but others request to sit on the floor without shoes in a traditional setting and larger parties can book private dining. But, my favourite spot is a nook that offshoots from the main area where vintage vinyl album covers from the likes of Al Greene, Clapton, Queen, and Bob Marley decorate exposed brick walls.

My drink of choice has always been a Thai iced tea at Pai. It consists of a robust tasting tea mixed with plenty of ice and condensed milk, a great combination to tackle the Phet Mak Mak (Thai spicy) spiciness level that you can foolishly choose for your appetizers and mains.

Thai Iced Tea

I typically order a main as an appetizer since they are priced similarly, but my last visit, I ordered the plah nua (beef salad). It featured tender grilled beef cooked to medium with shredded cabbage and a tangy lime fish sauce. Delicious!

Plah Nua
(beef salad)

You won't find an inferior ketchup-based pad thai here (think Springrolls). Instead, you get these bouncy rice noodles mixed with a flavourful tamarind-based sauce. In addition to your choice of chicken, beef, pork or tofu and veggies, all the usual suspects are present: crunchy bean sprouts, egg, tofu, aromatic chives, fragrant coriander, roasted peanuts, shredded cabbage and slices of fresh lime. All of the ingredients mingle together to create depth and layers of complexity. I love how the dish excels by balancing savoury and acidic elements while not having to rely heavily on sweetness to satisfy "foreigners."

Chef Nuit Beef Pad Thai

Chef Nuit Shrimp Pad Thai

The pad gra prow is deceptively simple. It's just stir fried ground meat (chicken, beef or pork) on top of rice right? Wrong. First, it is essential to add the crispy pork belly, which is a delightful accompaniment to the ground meat . It's so sinfully crispy that it must be fried twice. But don't worry, the cucumber is there to cut some of the fat. The fried egg usually has a runny yolk, which is used to combine all the ingredients into a cohesive whole along with the oyster sauce. The chilies on the plate and in the tangy nam plik nam pla sauce (fish sauce, garlic, lime) give the dish a nice kick!

Pad Gra Prow

The khao soi here (with a choice of braised beef, chicken breast or chicken drumsticks) is one of my favourites in the city! The deep fried crispy noodles always tower into the sky and the tender egg noodles absorb all the exquisite flavour of the golden curry below. The curry is rich and creamy but not heavy enough to prevent me from consuming it with rice after I am done all the noodles... Why waste good curry? My only complaint is that I don't always receive mustard vegetables with my khao soi, which is essential in creating the ultimate experience.

Khao Soi with Chicken Drumsticks

Khao Soi with Braised Beef

Rice is an excellent canvas to capture all the bold and full-bodied flavours of all of Pai's curries but also their soups! The gaeng masaman tamarind curry is a terrific comfort food dish for its tender braised beef, starchy potatoes, and crispy shallots. The gaeng kiaw wan green curry served in a coconut is ordered more for its novelty than taste but you get superb taste from the kaffir lime and basil leaves. The gaeng hunglay is a sweet and sour ginger curry served with either pork belly or oxtail. The fall-off-the-bone oxtail was unbelievably tender!

Gaeng Masaman with Braised Beef

Gaeng Kiaw Wan in a Coconut

Gaeng Hunglay with Oxtail

In all, with aromatic Thai herbs and spices at their arsenal, Pai successfully finds the harmonious balance between sweetness, saltiness, and acidity in their dishes. It's a must-go restaurant in Toronto!

Pai Northern Thai Kitchen
18 Duncan Street
Toronto, ON M5H 3G8
Canada

Date Last Visited: April 17, 2015

Free Tall Starbucks Blonde Roast Coffee!

2015-04-14T17:25:00.001-04:00

This promo by twula.com is easy to redeem:

1. Text "blonde" to 81818.

2. Click on the link in the reply text.

3. Press the "Redeem Now" button.

4. Enter the Starbucks store # provided by your barista.

5. Give the resulting code to the barista and enjoy!

Open to Ontario residents and available until May 31, 2015.

Mr. Tonkatsu: Dedicated to its Craft

2015-04-12T18:35:00.003-04:00

Interiors of Mr. Tonkatsu

Have you ever had trouble deciphering the difference between tonkatsu and tonkotsu? Well, you're in luck because Mr. Tonkatsu will set you straight. It's a shrine that worships the Japanese fried pork cutlet (tonkatsu), not the milky broth of ramen (tonkotsu) that some, the unfaithful, would confuse it with. Their pig mascot dressed in Japanese garb and armed with a sword is yet another subtle hint that pork clearly is their specialty, but you are welcome to choose other fried Panko-battered cutlets (or "katsus") such as chicken, beef, or fish as part of your set.

The Tonkatsu Sampler
(From left to right: pork sirloin, pork tenderloin, chicken)

The tonkatsu sampler consists of pork sirloin and tenderloin katsus as well as chicken katsu, a great set for the indecisive. The waiter explained that the pork sirloin is the most popular katsu and also has the "softest" texture. As expected, the pork tenderloin was "firmer" but it was still quite tender in its own right. Regardless of preference, both cutlets were juicy. The chicken cutlet was on the bland side but there was a sweet and sticky sauce in a teardrop vessel to remedy that. As an added novelty, you grind your personal supply of sesame seeds with a mortar and wooden pestle to give your sauce extra flavour and aroma.

Salad Dressing and Sesame Seeds

How to Enjoy Tonkatsu

The best feature of the katsu is still the crispy and far reaching deep fried Panko batter exterior. Admittedly, although tasty, the batter holds a good amount of oil. It's not as light as it could be but at least the katsu sits on a metal rack to allow excess oil to drip through and to preserve it's crispiness.

Accompanying the katsu is a bowl of miso, shredded cabbage and steamed rice, sides which are all refillable. The shredded cabbage is incredibly dry and bland, perhaps to absorb all the grease from your katsu? It's a moot point though, because you end up drenching the cabbage with sesame oil dressing anyways.

The Fish Katsu Set is accompanied with Tartar Sauce

Nevertheless, the wait staff are friendly and attentive. Without even looking up, our waiter replenished our sauces by squirting them directly into our bowls!

Japanese Style Deep Fried Chicken

You can't say Mr. Tonkatsu is not dedicated to their craft but be prepared for a heavy meal. It's a relatively good option when you have a craving for fried food but it can be off-putting otherwise as everything on menu, including the appetizers, is deep fried. Unfortunately, the cabbage doesn't help...

Mr. Tonkatsu

520 Bloor Street West

Toronto, ON M5S 1Y3

Canada

Date Visited: March 30, 2015

NOLA Day 1: Muriel's Jackson Square

2015-03-11T11:47:00.000-04:00

My first dinner in New Orleans was at Muriel's (@MurielsNOLA), a contemporary Creole joint, in the heart of Jackson Square. The interiors on the first floor had an elegant and historical feel to it with antique frames and mirrors lining exposed brick walls. For much of the seventeen and eighteen hundreds, the property was primarily a residence to the likes of the Destrehan and Poydras families, which explains its homey character.

I can describe the service as charming and accommodating. Our wait staff were also very knowledgeable with the food and drink menus making various recommendations throughout our meal.

Many of us took advantage of the table d'hote menu which essentially is a 3-course prix fixe (appetizer, entree, and dessert) for $39.95.

The turtle soup was one of our appetizers. I was excited to taste this dish as it was my first experience with the soup and because many reviewers of the New Orleans food scene claim that it is a must-try specialty. But, the first reason I was disappointed with the soup was because it was served relatively cold. This could have been a function of our large party (there were 14 of us) since they were attempting to serve us all at once; however, it's still unacceptable. Further, the soup was bland and flavourless despite the traditional pour of sherry on top of the soup right before serving. I'm glad this was not my only experience of turtle soup while I was in New Orleans; otherwise, it would have skewed my opinion on this delicacy.

Turtle Soup

On the other hand, the shrimp and goat cheese crepe appetizer, was fantastic. The crepe was crispy to contrast the warm goat cheese within. The goat cheese itself was quite mild, perhaps mild enough for a non-goat cheese lover to appreciate. The shrimp were fresh and tasty and the buttery cream sauce of chardonnay brought everything together. The dish was topped with onions, tomatoes and bell peppers.

Shrimp & Goat Cheese Crepes

The pecan encrusted baby drum, one of our mains, was delicious. The drum itself was cooked perfectly. While the roasted pecan crust was an ingenious idea, I thought it would be crunchier. The sauce was amazing though as it creamy yet foamy and had a lemon tartness to it.

Pecan Encrusted Baby Drum

Shrimp and Grits

The grits served in my shrimp and grits entree were deliciously creamy, airy and smooth - although I loved how some of the texture was retained. However, I wish I could say the same about the shrimp. The shrimp seemed on the edge of going bad as the flesh tasted a bit moldy to me despite being in a flavourful green tomato relish.

On to dessert! In my opinion, the desserts were the stars of the entire meal. What really stood out was the bread pudding - it's a must-have. The spongy and eggy bread was warm throughout and the candied pecans gave that crunchy element. The caramelized rum sauce had a good viscosity to it and had the right amount of sweetness!

Pain Perdu Bread Pudding with Candied Pecans and Rum Sauce

Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Ice Cream Sandwich

In all, there were definitely enough favourites to warrant a return visit. A great first dinner in the French Quarter!

Muriel's Jackson Square
801 Chartres Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70116

Fish Balls are a Great Afternoon Snack at Pacific Mall

2015-03-10T16:25:00.001-04:00

Fish and Beef Balls
($1.50 per stick)

We all know Pacific Mall (@ThePacificMall), the largest indoor Chinese mall in North America, is synonymous with retail shops selling bubble tea, phone cases & accessories, fake designer bags, electronics & DVDs, and even rims!

But I always crave fish balls when I am there. My go-to place has always been on the first floor. So you can imagine my shock when I initially discovered the space was replaced with a nail salon! But fear not, the aptly named Fish Ball Place was relocated to the second floor food court. It's a great place to stop by for an afternoon snack ranging from fish & beef balls to tripe & Taiwanese sausage!

Fish Ball Place

Pacific Mall, Second Floor

4300 Steeles Ave E

Markham ON L3R 0Y5

Canada

Date Visited: March 9, 2015

Daily Specials are a Great Value at Liberty Shawarma

2015-03-03T10:00:00.001-05:00

Chicken Shawarma

I went to Liberty Shawarma (@LibertyShawarma) on Queen East for a quick bite to eat during lunch. Walking in, it was the first I've heard of the place, but I quickly discovered that this location was one of three that existed across the city. My guess was that the Liberty Village location on Atlantic was the first, given the namesake of this Middle Eastern joint.

So three locations...this place must be good, right? Well, I can tell you that Liberty Shawarma's food is fresh, tasty, and priced well.

Nothing screams value like their Monday special: two shawarma chicken sandwiches for $9.99, especially considering their small is usually $6.99. You would think they would try to scrimp on quality and size but that simply isn't the case. They took what I consider a medium-sized pita (x2) and packed it to the brim with fresh ingredients: onions, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles with succulent pieces of chicken topped with garlic sauce and optional green hot sauce. Fantastic! There was just the right amount of sauce as the sandwich was moist but it didn't drip (this held true even with the second sandwich that I saved for dinner) - a plus if you are on the go.

If ever in the neighborhood, I would definitely go back... especially for their daily specials.

Click here to view their daily specials from Monday to Saturday.

On Sunday, all daily specials are available!

Date Visted: February 23, 2015