Date: Monday, May 26, 2014
Location: 330 Bay St (north of Adelaide), Financial District, Toronto
Website: http://www.mercatto.ca/
Cuisine: Italian
Meal: dinner
My thoughts:
Had dinner here with MT and blech. This is easily one of the worst restaurants I've been to in Toronto - and especially at this price point! While the service was good, the food does not merit such atrocious food.
We ordered the risotto balls ($12) to share. We were a bit perplexed when our server brought us a huge plate with only 3 tiny risotto balls. The 'balls' themselves were very hot (good) but bland. We would find out as the evening progressed that this was the highlight of the meal.
LINGUINE - bay scallops, calamari, PEI mussels, filetto di pomodoro, peperoncini / $18. My friend ordered this, and I had a taste. Save for the meager supply of seafood bits, this dish was largely tasteless. But still, this was a far cry from how horrible my dish was.
RAVIOLI - ricotta and pea filling / $20. This is easily the worst pasta dish I have ever had. The filling was hard and grainy, and to make matters worse, it only had FIVE pieces of pasta (which considering how bad it tasted, I guess this might've actually been a good thing). I kid you not.
All in all a horrendous food. Never. Coming. Back.
Monday, 26 May 2014
Friday, 23 May 2014
La Casita Chinese Eatery
Date: Friday, May 23, 2014
Location: 405 Dundas St W (east of Spadina), Toronto
Website: http://www.lacasitachineseeatery.ca/
Cuisine: Chinese
Meal: lunch
My thoughts:
Finally took DQ here for lunch for some cheap, tasty Chinese food. We each ordered a lunch combo, which was $5.95 + tax.
DQ got the black bean beef on rice, chicken balls and a soup.
I got the beef with vegetables on rice, spring rolls and a soup.
I've ordered the black bean in the past, and while the beef and mixed vegetable is solid, I prefer the black bean. A great spot to hit up for lunch if you're in the area!
Location: 405 Dundas St W (east of Spadina), Toronto
Website: http://www.lacasitachineseeatery.ca/
Cuisine: Chinese
Meal: lunch
My thoughts:
Finally took DQ here for lunch for some cheap, tasty Chinese food. We each ordered a lunch combo, which was $5.95 + tax.
DQ got the black bean beef on rice, chicken balls and a soup.
I got the beef with vegetables on rice, spring rolls and a soup.
I've ordered the black bean in the past, and while the beef and mixed vegetable is solid, I prefer the black bean. A great spot to hit up for lunch if you're in the area!
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Cafe en Passant
Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Location: 10133 Yonge St, Richmond Hill
Website: http://www.cafeenpassant.ca/
Cuisine: French
Meal: lunch
My thoughts:
I had the day off and came here with my mom and aunt, who had a Groupon voucher that she needed to use because it was expiring soon. She paid $52 for two 3-course meals (two appetizers, two entrees, two desserts and a bottle of sparkling water). Our server agreed to allow us to use the voucher for a group of three.
For starters:
Mussels with toasted garlic bread ($11.99): Mussels were small. We were given a choice of creamy garlic or marinara sauce, and opted for the former. Cream was delish but heavy.
Warm goat cheese in a raspberry sauce & toasted almonds ($11.99): This was even heavier than the other appetizer, but I liked this one better. The creaminess of the cheese with the sweet raspberry sauce made an excellent pairing. An app that is best shared.
For mains:
Crêpe St. Jacques with sauteed bay scallops & baby shrimp ($19.99): I've had this before on a previous visit and remember really liking it. But today I found the sauce to be too heavy for a crepe. (I packed up what I couldn't finish to go and used the sauce in a pasta for my sisters, and they loved it.)
Triple A New York Steak ($25.99): This is another repeat order, and this was a good choice today for everything else that we had because it had some greens and wasn't full of cream. Also, steak was very tender.
For dessert:
Crêpe framboise ($8.99): Crepe with raspberry sauce and whipped cream. This was another welcome break from all the cream in our dishes! Crepe was fresh.
Warm apple pie ($8.99): Pretty standard apple pie. Not warm enough for my liking, but we were too full anyway to finish the entire thing, so we didn't bother sending it back to the kitchen.
I used to think this place was good. I've been coming here for over 5 years and have tried most things on their menu. I can tell you first hand that they've got far more hits than misses. But their prices, which were steep to begin with and are continuously getting expensive, don't justify the food. I seem to not be alone on this on the basis that every time I've been here, the majority of patrons used a Groupon voucher. Now that prices are getting steeper, I'm seeing fewer people even though deals continue to be featured on Groupon. Also, their wait staff changed about a year or two ago. I have never seen the new staff (have only ever seen one server) crack a smile, and she's just generally not very friendly. Their website is also in dire need of a makeover. If the owners don't make some major changes, I'm not sure this place will be around for much longer.
Location: 10133 Yonge St, Richmond Hill
Website: http://www.cafeenpassant.ca/
Cuisine: French
Meal: lunch
My thoughts:
I had the day off and came here with my mom and aunt, who had a Groupon voucher that she needed to use because it was expiring soon. She paid $52 for two 3-course meals (two appetizers, two entrees, two desserts and a bottle of sparkling water). Our server agreed to allow us to use the voucher for a group of three.
For starters:
Mussels with toasted garlic bread ($11.99): Mussels were small. We were given a choice of creamy garlic or marinara sauce, and opted for the former. Cream was delish but heavy.
Warm goat cheese in a raspberry sauce & toasted almonds ($11.99): This was even heavier than the other appetizer, but I liked this one better. The creaminess of the cheese with the sweet raspberry sauce made an excellent pairing. An app that is best shared.
For mains:
Crêpe St. Jacques with sauteed bay scallops & baby shrimp ($19.99): I've had this before on a previous visit and remember really liking it. But today I found the sauce to be too heavy for a crepe. (I packed up what I couldn't finish to go and used the sauce in a pasta for my sisters, and they loved it.)
Triple A New York Steak ($25.99): This is another repeat order, and this was a good choice today for everything else that we had because it had some greens and wasn't full of cream. Also, steak was very tender.
For dessert:
Crêpe framboise ($8.99): Crepe with raspberry sauce and whipped cream. This was another welcome break from all the cream in our dishes! Crepe was fresh.
Warm apple pie ($8.99): Pretty standard apple pie. Not warm enough for my liking, but we were too full anyway to finish the entire thing, so we didn't bother sending it back to the kitchen.
I used to think this place was good. I've been coming here for over 5 years and have tried most things on their menu. I can tell you first hand that they've got far more hits than misses. But their prices, which were steep to begin with and are continuously getting expensive, don't justify the food. I seem to not be alone on this on the basis that every time I've been here, the majority of patrons used a Groupon voucher. Now that prices are getting steeper, I'm seeing fewer people even though deals continue to be featured on Groupon. Also, their wait staff changed about a year or two ago. I have never seen the new staff (have only ever seen one server) crack a smile, and she's just generally not very friendly. Their website is also in dire need of a makeover. If the owners don't make some major changes, I'm not sure this place will be around for much longer.
Friday, 16 May 2014
Pizzeria Libretto
Date: Friday, May 16, 2014
Location: 550 Danforth Ave (west of Pape), Greektown, Toronto
Website: http://pizzerialibretto.com/
Cuisine: Italian/pizzeria
Meal: dinner
My thoughts:
I came here with some girlfriends for a belated birthday celebration. We made reservations, which proved to be a good idea given how busy it was.
We ordered the Buttermilk Fried Calamari (red pepper almond romesco sauce, libretto herb oil, $12) to share. I thought this was alright, but my friends were really impressed... so much so that they ordered a second one!
For our mains, we each ordered a pizza.
Margherita: tomato, basil, mozzarella / $14. KK ordered this one. This was the one bad (horrible) dish of the night. The cheese was sparse and one flavour that dominated the entire pizza was very, very tart. We were surprised that such a standard pizza was so bad.
Cremini Mushroom: bufala mozzarella, gorgonzola, roasted garlic, rosemary, thyme, pecorino / $17. This was what I ordered. This was, in stark contrast to the margherita, amazing! I loved that there was ample cheese, as well as the pairing of the herbs with the selection of cheese. Love.
Duck Confit - bosc pear, mozzarella / $17. JA ordered this one, and this was another stellar dish. As much as I like duck, it's not something I usually order because it tends to be fatty. But that certainly wasn't the case here. I couldn't decide between this and the mushroom pizza which was better. Really though, who cares? Both are definite must-try's.
Just a final note that the dough of the pizzas here are quite thin and airy. I will have to pay another visit to Terroni's soon to compare their crusts. Both are great places to hit up if you are a pizza fan. Just remember to make a reservation!
Location: 550 Danforth Ave (west of Pape), Greektown, Toronto
Website: http://pizzerialibretto.com/
Cuisine: Italian/pizzeria
Meal: dinner
My thoughts:
I came here with some girlfriends for a belated birthday celebration. We made reservations, which proved to be a good idea given how busy it was.
We ordered the Buttermilk Fried Calamari (red pepper almond romesco sauce, libretto herb oil, $12) to share. I thought this was alright, but my friends were really impressed... so much so that they ordered a second one!
For our mains, we each ordered a pizza.
Margherita: tomato, basil, mozzarella / $14. KK ordered this one. This was the one bad (horrible) dish of the night. The cheese was sparse and one flavour that dominated the entire pizza was very, very tart. We were surprised that such a standard pizza was so bad.
Cremini Mushroom: bufala mozzarella, gorgonzola, roasted garlic, rosemary, thyme, pecorino / $17. This was what I ordered. This was, in stark contrast to the margherita, amazing! I loved that there was ample cheese, as well as the pairing of the herbs with the selection of cheese. Love.
Duck Confit - bosc pear, mozzarella / $17. JA ordered this one, and this was another stellar dish. As much as I like duck, it's not something I usually order because it tends to be fatty. But that certainly wasn't the case here. I couldn't decide between this and the mushroom pizza which was better. Really though, who cares? Both are definite must-try's.
Just a final note that the dough of the pizzas here are quite thin and airy. I will have to pay another visit to Terroni's soon to compare their crusts. Both are great places to hit up if you are a pizza fan. Just remember to make a reservation!
Saturday, 10 May 2014
The Sushi Bar
Date: Saturday, May 10, 2014
Location: 3365 Yonge St (south of York Mills), Toronto
Website: http://www.thesushibar.ca/
Cuisine: Japanese
Meal: dinner
My thoughts:
After raving about it for so long, I finally brought my family to one of my favourite Japanese joints in the city. The place is newly renovated and much more spacious than its previous locale just two doors down.
We ordered the following things to share:
Salmon tartare ($9): This is a new item off their specials menu, and one which we were very impressed with. Little niblets of tempura with chopped salmon sashimi, rice, fish roe and spicy mayo - thinking about it is already making me salivate. The only downside is it is a very tiny portion - it's almost as small as it looks (like a piece of sushi if you ask me!)
Aji Wakame ($4.95): Standard, but fresh and yummy, seaweed salad.
Osaka Sashimi Combo ($20.95) - 3 pieces each of tuna, salmon, butter fish, white tuna. My mom, who is a bit of a sashimi connoisseur, ordered this and commented on how fresh the fish was. Score!
BBQ eel and avocado roll ($5.45 + $0.75 for brown rice): Of course I had to order my favourite roll here! My family liked this as much as I do. So good we ordered two of these.
Vegetable udon ($8.95): Delicious, fresh, thick, chewy noodles. Love.
This was some fish dish offered to us on the house. I don't remember what it was exactly, but I wasn't a huge fan anyway. It tasted like it came from a can or something.
Boston roll ($6.45) - scallop, cucumber, fish roe and spicy mayo. We ordered this for my sister who doesn't eat anything that isn't fully cooked, not knowing that the scallop is raw (it doesn't say so on the menu). I'm pretty selective with raw foods myself, so I didn't eat this.
Black dragon roll ($12.95) - BBQ eel on a shrimp tempura roll with tempura bits, fish roe, green onion, cucumber and spicy mayo. We liked this but collectively agreed that it doesn't even come close to beating the eel and avocado roll. Especially given that its double the price.
California roll ($4.95): Pretty standard. Ordered for my raw food-adverse sister.
Another complimentary dish consisting of various pickled veggies. Not bad.
Dragon Roll ($7.95) - California Roll topped with BBQ eel. Another item we ordered for my raw food-adverse sister. Pretty good, but like all rolls I've had here, it doesn't beat the eel and avocado roll.
All in all, my family liked this restaurant. But if you come here with a group, it can get expensive since portion sizes are smaller and/or prices more expensive (unless you're splitting the bill, which we obviously weren't). Quality and service are top notch, and I'm glad to see that their business seems to be doing well enough to open up in a larger, more accommodating location.
Location: 3365 Yonge St (south of York Mills), Toronto
Website: http://www.thesushibar.ca/
Cuisine: Japanese
Meal: dinner
My thoughts:
After raving about it for so long, I finally brought my family to one of my favourite Japanese joints in the city. The place is newly renovated and much more spacious than its previous locale just two doors down.
We ordered the following things to share:
Salmon tartare ($9): This is a new item off their specials menu, and one which we were very impressed with. Little niblets of tempura with chopped salmon sashimi, rice, fish roe and spicy mayo - thinking about it is already making me salivate. The only downside is it is a very tiny portion - it's almost as small as it looks (like a piece of sushi if you ask me!)
Aji Wakame ($4.95): Standard, but fresh and yummy, seaweed salad.
Osaka Sashimi Combo ($20.95) - 3 pieces each of tuna, salmon, butter fish, white tuna. My mom, who is a bit of a sashimi connoisseur, ordered this and commented on how fresh the fish was. Score!
BBQ eel and avocado roll ($5.45 + $0.75 for brown rice): Of course I had to order my favourite roll here! My family liked this as much as I do. So good we ordered two of these.
Vegetable udon ($8.95): Delicious, fresh, thick, chewy noodles. Love.
This was some fish dish offered to us on the house. I don't remember what it was exactly, but I wasn't a huge fan anyway. It tasted like it came from a can or something.
Boston roll ($6.45) - scallop, cucumber, fish roe and spicy mayo. We ordered this for my sister who doesn't eat anything that isn't fully cooked, not knowing that the scallop is raw (it doesn't say so on the menu). I'm pretty selective with raw foods myself, so I didn't eat this.
Black dragon roll ($12.95) - BBQ eel on a shrimp tempura roll with tempura bits, fish roe, green onion, cucumber and spicy mayo. We liked this but collectively agreed that it doesn't even come close to beating the eel and avocado roll. Especially given that its double the price.
California roll ($4.95): Pretty standard. Ordered for my raw food-adverse sister.
Another complimentary dish consisting of various pickled veggies. Not bad.
Dragon Roll ($7.95) - California Roll topped with BBQ eel. Another item we ordered for my raw food-adverse sister. Pretty good, but like all rolls I've had here, it doesn't beat the eel and avocado roll.
All in all, my family liked this restaurant. But if you come here with a group, it can get expensive since portion sizes are smaller and/or prices more expensive (unless you're splitting the bill, which we obviously weren't). Quality and service are top notch, and I'm glad to see that their business seems to be doing well enough to open up in a larger, more accommodating location.
Friday, 9 May 2014
Art Square Cafe
Date: April 25, 2014
Location: 334 Dundas Street W, Toronto (near Dundas & University)
Website: http://cafe.art-square.ca/Art_Square_Cafe/CAFE_MAIN.html
Cuisine: N/A
Meal: dessert
My thoughts:
I had convinced my sisters to go to Millie Creperie after I showed them an array of pictures on Yelp. Not knowing that the establishment closed at such an early hour of 8pm, we walked here from Playa Cabana, and to our dismay, the place was closed. (We had a hard time finding this place and had called the place. I was surprised that the staff still took our call even though they were closed. Alas though, as nice as they were, they didn't offer to serve us just one crepe, but that's understandable.)
And mildly downtrodden, we wandered eastward along Dundas, and stumbled upon a cafe across from the AGO. A quick once-over of the menu that was posted outside revealed that served crepes, and so in we went.
The layout is in interesting one. At least one that I have never come across. The establishment is half art gallery/half cafe. The gallery is small and forms the half closer to the entrance. The back half is the cafe.
The clientele was mostly seniors and artsy-looking people (not that I mind either kind). The staff were friendly and patient.
We decided on a banana walnut crepe ($9.50), which was a crepe filled with banana, honey, walnut and topped with vanilla ice cream and garnished with organic chocolate and roasted pistachio. No real complaints or anything remarkable to say about the crepe. It really was quite ordinary. I noticed that the bananas were cooked (grilled or baked maybe? Hopefully not microwaved!), which I didn't like.
This wasn't a bad experience, but I've had much better crepes elsewhere. Wish we'd made it to Millie Creperie before they closed. Oh well. Next time.
Location: 334 Dundas Street W, Toronto (near Dundas & University)
Website: http://cafe.art-square.ca/Art_Square_Cafe/CAFE_MAIN.html
Cuisine: N/A
Meal: dessert
My thoughts:
I had convinced my sisters to go to Millie Creperie after I showed them an array of pictures on Yelp. Not knowing that the establishment closed at such an early hour of 8pm, we walked here from Playa Cabana, and to our dismay, the place was closed. (We had a hard time finding this place and had called the place. I was surprised that the staff still took our call even though they were closed. Alas though, as nice as they were, they didn't offer to serve us just one crepe, but that's understandable.)
And mildly downtrodden, we wandered eastward along Dundas, and stumbled upon a cafe across from the AGO. A quick once-over of the menu that was posted outside revealed that served crepes, and so in we went.
The layout is in interesting one. At least one that I have never come across. The establishment is half art gallery/half cafe. The gallery is small and forms the half closer to the entrance. The back half is the cafe.
The clientele was mostly seniors and artsy-looking people (not that I mind either kind). The staff were friendly and patient.
We decided on a banana walnut crepe ($9.50), which was a crepe filled with banana, honey, walnut and topped with vanilla ice cream and garnished with organic chocolate and roasted pistachio. No real complaints or anything remarkable to say about the crepe. It really was quite ordinary. I noticed that the bananas were cooked (grilled or baked maybe? Hopefully not microwaved!), which I didn't like.
This wasn't a bad experience, but I've had much better crepes elsewhere. Wish we'd made it to Millie Creperie before they closed. Oh well. Next time.
Playa Cabana
Date: May 9, 2014
Location: 111 Dupont St (west of Avenue Rd), Toronto
Website: http://www.playacabana.ca/
Cuisine: Mexican
Meal: dinner
My thoughts:
I came here with my sisters tonight to celebrate my birthday and called two weeks ahead to make reservations. I read many reviews on this place and really wanted to like this place, but it fell short of my expectations on a number of levels.
Let me first start with the pretty good: the food. We ordered the following to share:
GUACA FRESCA ($8) - guacamole served in a lava rock molcajete with housemade deep-fried corn chips. Offered mild, medium or spicy. They offer it spicy, medium or mild. We chose spicy, which it wasn't, and I am not even someone who can take much heat. Very small portion of guac. Chips were good - crispy, I'll give them that much, but they were salty and seemed like they were fried multiple times. Expensive for the price. I've had much better guac at El Rinco in the Corso Italia neighbourhood.
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Now the bad. It's a very tiny place. We each had someone knock into our chair only about three dozen times that night, which was NOT annoying at all.
Location: 111 Dupont St (west of Avenue Rd), Toronto
Website: http://www.playacabana.ca/
Cuisine: Mexican
Meal: dinner
My thoughts:
I came here with my sisters tonight to celebrate my birthday and called two weeks ahead to make reservations. I read many reviews on this place and really wanted to like this place, but it fell short of my expectations on a number of levels.
Let me first start with the pretty good: the food. We ordered the following to share:
GUACA FRESCA ($8) - guacamole served in a lava rock molcajete with housemade deep-fried corn chips. Offered mild, medium or spicy. They offer it spicy, medium or mild. We chose spicy, which it wasn't, and I am not even someone who can take much heat. Very small portion of guac. Chips were good - crispy, I'll give them that much, but they were salty and seemed like they were fried multiple times. Expensive for the price. I've had much better guac at El Rinco in the Corso Italia neighbourhood.
PLAYA BURRITO ($14) - Burrito with choice of chicken, veggies, ancho-braised steak or pork carnitas. Served with pico de gallo and guac. We got the pork, since we were getting beef in our tacos (see below). The burrito was humongous, pretty loaded and colour-wise made for a nice photo opp (I personally thought the shape resembled a slain fish, but that's just me). The meat was braised and pulled, and most of it was pretty tender, but there were still some big dry chunks. I wish we'd ordered the steak instead. I can't lie - I love my red meat!
ANCHO BRAISED SHORT RIB-BRISKET CRISPY TACOS ($14) - AAA Ontario beef short-rib braised in ancho chiles wrapped in fresh corn tortillas and grilled. Served with pico de gallo, guac and crema. This was easily the star of the evening. It was soooo delicious. I highly recommend. The beef was tender and each bite packed a huge flavour punch.
Now the bad. It's a very tiny place. We each had someone knock into our chair only about three dozen times that night, which was NOT annoying at all.
Also, the manager on duty(?), this blond with a permanent scowl etched into her face, was very unaccomodating and clearly lacked any compassion for customer service. As I said, we made reservations, and we were seated at the bar. When I noticed a few vacant dining tables behind us, I asked the bartender if we could be moved to one. He pointed to the blond and asked me to ask her. When I did, she said in a very matter-of-fact voice that was completely devoid of empathy or sincerity, "We only make reservations for the bar, and all the dining tables are all reserved." What? She contradicted herself all in one breath. Oh well. Whatever. I'm not going to waste my energy on a dimwit. (Our bartender, though, was the opposite. Attentive, friendly, genuinely wants to make the customer's experience enjoyable. And pretty cute to boot. Keep an eye out for the one with his hair in a short ponytail.)
So in a nutshell, while there were some good dishes tonight, the service and the crampiness of the place do not warrant a return visit.
Gourmet Burger Company
Date: May 9, 2014
Location: 212 Adelaide
Website: http://www.thegourmetburgerco.com/
Cuisine: North American
Meal: dinner
My thoughts:
My coworker DQ and I were in the mood for some comfort food - namely SPF - after a long, exhausting and problem-filled week of work.
We wandered for a while and stumbled upon this place. It was 4:30 on a Friday afternoon and the place was empty - not quite peak dinner hours, but still, it should have been a sign of things to come.
We ordered a burger combo and upgraded the fries to sweet potato fries. I didn't try the burger so I can't speak to the quality of that.
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But I can speak to the customer service. After we were brought our food, we realized the fries didn't come with a dipping sauce. We had a couple of fries with the ketchup that was available on every table, but it lacked the tang that tastes so good with SPF. So then we headed to the empty counter and made several futile attempts with the same lady who had taken our order who was now in the kitchen to ask for dip. She finally waved a young girl over to help us, who gave us a tiny dollop of aioli in a paper cup. When we finished it and asked for more, the girl gave us another tiny dollop and asked us to pay $1 for it! When I questioned her why she was charging us, she made it seem like she did us a huge favour for not charging us for the first one. Cheapskates!
The fries themselves were thin and soggy. Blech. Never coming back.
Location: 212 Adelaide
Website: http://www.thegourmetburgerco.com/
Cuisine: North American
Meal: dinner
My thoughts:
My coworker DQ and I were in the mood for some comfort food - namely SPF - after a long, exhausting and problem-filled week of work.
We wandered for a while and stumbled upon this place. It was 4:30 on a Friday afternoon and the place was empty - not quite peak dinner hours, but still, it should have been a sign of things to come.
We ordered a burger combo and upgraded the fries to sweet potato fries. I didn't try the burger so I can't speak to the quality of that.
But I can speak to the customer service. After we were brought our food, we realized the fries didn't come with a dipping sauce. We had a couple of fries with the ketchup that was available on every table, but it lacked the tang that tastes so good with SPF. So then we headed to the empty counter and made several futile attempts with the same lady who had taken our order who was now in the kitchen to ask for dip. She finally waved a young girl over to help us, who gave us a tiny dollop of aioli in a paper cup. When we finished it and asked for more, the girl gave us another tiny dollop and asked us to pay $1 for it! When I questioned her why she was charging us, she made it seem like she did us a huge favour for not charging us for the first one. Cheapskates!
The fries themselves were thin and soggy. Blech. Never coming back.
Friday, 25 April 2014
Green Grotto Room
Date: April 25, 2014
Location: 7030 Warden Ave #D2, Markham (Warden & Steeles)
Website: http://greengrotto.ca/pre/ (site under construction)
Cuisine: Chinese
Meal: drinks
My thoughts:
My sisters and I each grabbed a drink to go as we were all pretty thirsty after that dinner at Izakaya Ju.
I had the black sesame black bubble tea, and one sister had a taro bubble tea, and the other a regular bubble tea.
The drinks were about $5 a pop, which is pretty standard for bbts (though expensive by my standards). I don't know why I keep making the mistake of ordering black sesame bubble teas - just like it always had been in the past, my drink tonight was gross because it was saturated with sugar. The problem is that the sugar is pre-mixed into the black sesame powder, so even if I had asked them to add less sugar (or none at all), it wouldn't have made a difference.
The taro was also gross, though I should say that I've never been a fan of taro-flavoured things. It just makes me want to gag.
The regular bbt, on the other hand, was delicious.
Now that I've formally expressed my distaste via a blog, hopefully I'll remember to never order black sesame again. Old habits die hard!
Location: 7030 Warden Ave #D2, Markham (Warden & Steeles)
Website: http://greengrotto.ca/pre/ (site under construction)
Cuisine: Chinese
Meal: drinks
My thoughts:
My sisters and I each grabbed a drink to go as we were all pretty thirsty after that dinner at Izakaya Ju.
I had the black sesame black bubble tea, and one sister had a taro bubble tea, and the other a regular bubble tea.
The drinks were about $5 a pop, which is pretty standard for bbts (though expensive by my standards). I don't know why I keep making the mistake of ordering black sesame bubble teas - just like it always had been in the past, my drink tonight was gross because it was saturated with sugar. The problem is that the sugar is pre-mixed into the black sesame powder, so even if I had asked them to add less sugar (or none at all), it wouldn't have made a difference.
The taro was also gross, though I should say that I've never been a fan of taro-flavoured things. It just makes me want to gag.
The regular bbt, on the other hand, was delicious.
Now that I've formally expressed my distaste via a blog, hopefully I'll remember to never order black sesame again. Old habits die hard!
Izakaya Ju
Date: April 25, 2014
Location: 3160 Steeles Avenue East (east of Woodbine Ave), Markham
Website: http://izakayaju.ca/
Cuisine: Japanese
Meal: dinner
My thoughts:
Came here tonight with my sisters for a birthday celebration. This is a tapas-style izakaya specializing in grilled dishes. The place is pretty tiny and cramped, and they don't take reservations. I don't really remember what we ordered, but overall, the food was good but expensive.
The bill came to about $60 + tax and tips.
Location: 3160 Steeles Avenue East (east of Woodbine Ave), Markham
Website: http://izakayaju.ca/
Cuisine: Japanese
Meal: dinner
My thoughts:
Came here tonight with my sisters for a birthday celebration. This is a tapas-style izakaya specializing in grilled dishes. The place is pretty tiny and cramped, and they don't take reservations. I don't really remember what we ordered, but overall, the food was good but expensive.
The bill came to about $60 + tax and tips.
Monday, 31 March 2014
Gyugyuya
Date: March 31, 2014
Location: 177 Dundas St W, Toronto (near University & Dundas)
Website: http://www.gyugyuya.com/
Cuisine/Specialty: Japanese rice bowls
Meal: lunch
My thoughts:
I noticed this place on my way to work recently and was looking forward to trying it. This place specializes in Japanese style rice bowls.
I came here with a coworker, and we each ordered Gyu Cheese Curry ($12.99), which came with an egg over a beef and cheese curry with rice. While the curry was very flavourful, the beef was extremely fatty and the portion was small given the price. My coworker and I both left hungry and disappointed.
Nothing special here. Take your business elsewhere.
Location: 177 Dundas St W, Toronto (near University & Dundas)
Website: http://www.gyugyuya.com/
Cuisine/Specialty: Japanese rice bowls
Meal: lunch
My thoughts:
I noticed this place on my way to work recently and was looking forward to trying it. This place specializes in Japanese style rice bowls.
I came here with a coworker, and we each ordered Gyu Cheese Curry ($12.99), which came with an egg over a beef and cheese curry with rice. While the curry was very flavourful, the beef was extremely fatty and the portion was small given the price. My coworker and I both left hungry and disappointed.
Nothing special here. Take your business elsewhere.
Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Mean Bao
Date: March 26, 2014
Location: 275 Dundas Street W #19, Toronto (inside Village by the Grange west of University)
Website: http://www.meanbaotoronto.com/
Cuisine/Specialty: Chinese-style buns and dim sum
Meal: post-lunch snack
My thoughts:
I had already had lunch and still had a bit of room in my stomach for more, so I headed over to The Grange to pick up a small bite to eat.
I chose Mean Bao because I've been here before and can attest to the quality of their food and I also knew that they would have something bite-sized that would satisfy my hunger.
I decided to try their Tofu Mean Bao with a spicy peanut sauce. I think it came to about $3 and change. It was by far my favourite thing I've had from this place! The contrast between the spicy sauce and the calming effect of the pickled vegetables was intriguing. And of course the fried tofu was delish! And at that price point, you really can't go wrong. Highly recommended.
Location: 275 Dundas Street W #19, Toronto (inside Village by the Grange west of University)
Website: http://www.meanbaotoronto.com/
Cuisine/Specialty: Chinese-style buns and dim sum
Meal: post-lunch snack
My thoughts:
I had already had lunch and still had a bit of room in my stomach for more, so I headed over to The Grange to pick up a small bite to eat.
I chose Mean Bao because I've been here before and can attest to the quality of their food and I also knew that they would have something bite-sized that would satisfy my hunger.
I decided to try their Tofu Mean Bao with a spicy peanut sauce. I think it came to about $3 and change. It was by far my favourite thing I've had from this place! The contrast between the spicy sauce and the calming effect of the pickled vegetables was intriguing. And of course the fried tofu was delish! And at that price point, you really can't go wrong. Highly recommended.
Friday, 14 March 2014
Toro Sushi
Date: March 14, 2014
Location: 8515 McCowan Rd, Markham
Website: http://www.torosushi.ca
Cuisine: Japanese and Korean
Meal: dinner
My thoughts:
I took my mom out for dinner on a whim and chose this place based on positive reviews on Yelp. With every bite I took of the food, I began to suspect more and more that the the reviewers were either employees or friends of them. The entire experience was very disappointing, and here's why.
Prior to ordering, my mom noticed oysters on the menu. I flagged a waitress over to inquire if these were raw or cooked oysters. She did not know. I was floored that she lacked very fundamental knowledge of menu items. I mean, it's not like I'm asking about specific ingredients within a roll. Anyway..
We ordered a large sake for mom, two Kumamoto oysters, a 16 piece sashimi boat, and a pa jun seafood pancake.
The sake ($9.95), which my mom had ordered hot, came within minutes after placing our order and about 10 minutes before the banchan appetizers arrived. This is not the first time I've encountered such mindlessness. Do they expect people to start drinking the sake on an empty stomach? Or maybe expect people to want to drink it cold? No, wait a minute, if that were the case, people would order it cold in the first place! (Duh!)
The banchan appetizers consisted of potatoes, pickled vegetables and chap chae noodles. The potatoes were pretty good, not stellar, but still quite probably the best thing I had tonight, the vegetables were unremarkable, and the noodles were severely undercooked.
We were also each served a bowl of miso soup and a savoury steamed egg custard. Nothing worth mentioning for the miso soup, and the steamed egg's texture was very smooth. Both were too salty for our liking.
Then came the oysters (which came at $2.99 a pop - pricey, according to my mom, who I consider to be an oyster connoisseur, but wanting to treat my mom, I ordered them anyway.) Oh boy. Where do I begin? First, they did not have any horseradish sauce, and then they didn't give us forks. After asking for forks, we were given regular forks (I suppose they don't have the smaller forks meant for eating raw oysters.) Also, there was only a tiny little pea-sized dot of seafood sauce in the oyster. Talk about not being accommodating. These were ordered for my mom, but if I were eating them, I would've asked for a whole bottle of the seafood sauce in the absence of horseradish sauce, which is actually my sauce of choice. As for the oysters themselves, I didn't have one, but my mom said they didn't taste fresh. Stale raw oysters? Blech!
Next to arrive was my mom's sushi boat ($15.95). Again, nothing remarkable. Like the oysters, the fish was not particularly fresh.
Finally, my pa jun seafood pancake ($13.95) came. I was so excited to try this, but was left feeling empty and disappointed after my first bite. With all that was apparently in it, the pancake had a lot of potential. But alas, the batter needed some/more seasoning and had the texture of rubber. Don't be fooled by the nice presentation!
Adding to the disappointing food and the obvious fact that the waitresses clearly required additional training on their menu items, the service was spotty. Stay away!
Location: 8515 McCowan Rd, Markham
Website: http://www.torosushi.ca
Cuisine: Japanese and Korean
Meal: dinner
My thoughts:
I took my mom out for dinner on a whim and chose this place based on positive reviews on Yelp. With every bite I took of the food, I began to suspect more and more that the the reviewers were either employees or friends of them. The entire experience was very disappointing, and here's why.
Prior to ordering, my mom noticed oysters on the menu. I flagged a waitress over to inquire if these were raw or cooked oysters. She did not know. I was floored that she lacked very fundamental knowledge of menu items. I mean, it's not like I'm asking about specific ingredients within a roll. Anyway..
We ordered a large sake for mom, two Kumamoto oysters, a 16 piece sashimi boat, and a pa jun seafood pancake.
The sake ($9.95), which my mom had ordered hot, came within minutes after placing our order and about 10 minutes before the banchan appetizers arrived. This is not the first time I've encountered such mindlessness. Do they expect people to start drinking the sake on an empty stomach? Or maybe expect people to want to drink it cold? No, wait a minute, if that were the case, people would order it cold in the first place! (Duh!)
The banchan appetizers consisted of potatoes, pickled vegetables and chap chae noodles. The potatoes were pretty good, not stellar, but still quite probably the best thing I had tonight, the vegetables were unremarkable, and the noodles were severely undercooked.
We were also each served a bowl of miso soup and a savoury steamed egg custard. Nothing worth mentioning for the miso soup, and the steamed egg's texture was very smooth. Both were too salty for our liking.
Then came the oysters (which came at $2.99 a pop - pricey, according to my mom, who I consider to be an oyster connoisseur, but wanting to treat my mom, I ordered them anyway.) Oh boy. Where do I begin? First, they did not have any horseradish sauce, and then they didn't give us forks. After asking for forks, we were given regular forks (I suppose they don't have the smaller forks meant for eating raw oysters.) Also, there was only a tiny little pea-sized dot of seafood sauce in the oyster. Talk about not being accommodating. These were ordered for my mom, but if I were eating them, I would've asked for a whole bottle of the seafood sauce in the absence of horseradish sauce, which is actually my sauce of choice. As for the oysters themselves, I didn't have one, but my mom said they didn't taste fresh. Stale raw oysters? Blech!
Next to arrive was my mom's sushi boat ($15.95). Again, nothing remarkable. Like the oysters, the fish was not particularly fresh.
Finally, my pa jun seafood pancake ($13.95) came. I was so excited to try this, but was left feeling empty and disappointed after my first bite. With all that was apparently in it, the pancake had a lot of potential. But alas, the batter needed some/more seasoning and had the texture of rubber. Don't be fooled by the nice presentation!
Adding to the disappointing food and the obvious fact that the waitresses clearly required additional training on their menu items, the service was spotty. Stay away!
Friday, 7 March 2014
The Works
Date: March 7, 2014
Location: 2245 Bloor St W (Bloor/Runnymede), Etobicoke
Website: https://www.worksburger.com/
Cuisine: burger joint
Meal: dinner
My thoughts:
My friend HF and I originally had our hearts set on going to Buddha Pie, but after walking for about 20 minutes, we were dismayed to find that it was closed. We arrived at 5:17pm, and according to the sign posted on its front door, its hours of operation are Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm to 9pm. This is the second failed attempt I've made to come here. Needless to say, I was disappointed.
Our Plan B was to head back to Bloor Street and my friend suggested The Works. We were promptly seated by a young, friendly host who was able to provide us with a table by the window.
HF and I decided to share a burger and an app so that we could each try more things. This is what we got:
Tower-O-Rings ($10) - Crispy breaded onions rings served with 2 dipsticks (aka dipping sauces). There were literally 10 onion rings, which if you think about it has is crazy markup. That's not even a whole onion, for crying out loud! The batter was good though, just expensive.
Grills Gone Wild (about $12) - Grilled eggplant, avocado, salsa loco & feta cheese. Comes with a side, which we paid $1.50 to upgrade to sweet potato fries. The toppings complemented one another well and the burger itself was very good. The sweet potato fries were not bad, but were nothing memorable. The dipping sauce though, was a really disappointment. It was very spicy but didn't really offer much in terms of flavour. I'd rank the fries as one of the worst ones I've had recently.
All in all, this is a nice place to hit up if you're in the mood for burgers as there are lots of options and there is surely something to suit every taste. But if you're also in the mood for some good sides, you won't find them here. Very limited apps (there were maybe 5 or so when I went).
Location: 2245 Bloor St W (Bloor/Runnymede), Etobicoke
Website: https://www.worksburger.com/
Cuisine: burger joint
Meal: dinner
My thoughts:
My friend HF and I originally had our hearts set on going to Buddha Pie, but after walking for about 20 minutes, we were dismayed to find that it was closed. We arrived at 5:17pm, and according to the sign posted on its front door, its hours of operation are Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm to 9pm. This is the second failed attempt I've made to come here. Needless to say, I was disappointed.
Our Plan B was to head back to Bloor Street and my friend suggested The Works. We were promptly seated by a young, friendly host who was able to provide us with a table by the window.
HF and I decided to share a burger and an app so that we could each try more things. This is what we got:
Tower-O-Rings ($10) - Crispy breaded onions rings served with 2 dipsticks (aka dipping sauces). There were literally 10 onion rings, which if you think about it has is crazy markup. That's not even a whole onion, for crying out loud! The batter was good though, just expensive.
Grills Gone Wild (about $12) - Grilled eggplant, avocado, salsa loco & feta cheese. Comes with a side, which we paid $1.50 to upgrade to sweet potato fries. The toppings complemented one another well and the burger itself was very good. The sweet potato fries were not bad, but were nothing memorable. The dipping sauce though, was a really disappointment. It was very spicy but didn't really offer much in terms of flavour. I'd rank the fries as one of the worst ones I've had recently.
All in all, this is a nice place to hit up if you're in the mood for burgers as there are lots of options and there is surely something to suit every taste. But if you're also in the mood for some good sides, you won't find them here. Very limited apps (there were maybe 5 or so when I went).
Saturday, 8 February 2014
Ora Tapas & Lounge
Date: February 8, 2014
Location: 7850 Woodbine Avenue, 2nd floor (Woodbine & Hwy 407)
Website: http://www.oratapaslounge.com/
Cuisine: tapas/fusion
Meal: dinner
My thoughts:
My aunt hosted a party here for my cousin (first cousin) as it was her 100th day birthday.
She rented the entire dining area as she had invited a lot of people, which was nice, because it really added to the cozy and intimate atmosphere. The dining area is pretty inconspicuous and is located on the far side of a darts lounge. With its dim lighting and soft candles, it really is more of a classy lounge.
Anyway, onto the food. For the first hour or so was the reception. There were apps at the bar that were self-served and included an array of things, including beef carpaccio, salmon sashimi-topped deep-fried wonton wrappers, grilled squid and corn salad/salsa and chicken wings. The wings weren't anything special, but I loved everything else. I could really taste the quality of the ingredients and there were some interesting combination of flavours.
Dinner started at around 7:30pm. Guests were asked to choose between a leek and potato soup or a garden salad for starters. I chose the salad, which was very fresh, but it was very uninteresting. Asides from the glazed vinaigrette, and what totalled to be one whole grape tomato (but really served as garnish IMO), it lacked any toppings.
My mom had the soup, which I didn't try, so I can't speak to how it tasted.
For the main, everyone was given a choice of either a lamb rack, steak or salmon. I chose the lamb and it was soooo juicy and tender.
My dad ordered the steak, which I had a taste of. We both agreed the lamb was more flavourful and more tender.
I had a great time tonight. Service was attentive and quick, and food was dee-lish. I'll have to be back on a regular night to try other things and to get a more objective review.
Location: 7850 Woodbine Avenue, 2nd floor (Woodbine & Hwy 407)
Website: http://www.oratapaslounge.com/
Cuisine: tapas/fusion
Meal: dinner
My thoughts:
My aunt hosted a party here for my cousin (first cousin) as it was her 100th day birthday.
She rented the entire dining area as she had invited a lot of people, which was nice, because it really added to the cozy and intimate atmosphere. The dining area is pretty inconspicuous and is located on the far side of a darts lounge. With its dim lighting and soft candles, it really is more of a classy lounge.
Anyway, onto the food. For the first hour or so was the reception. There were apps at the bar that were self-served and included an array of things, including beef carpaccio, salmon sashimi-topped deep-fried wonton wrappers, grilled squid and corn salad/salsa and chicken wings. The wings weren't anything special, but I loved everything else. I could really taste the quality of the ingredients and there were some interesting combination of flavours.
Dinner started at around 7:30pm. Guests were asked to choose between a leek and potato soup or a garden salad for starters. I chose the salad, which was very fresh, but it was very uninteresting. Asides from the glazed vinaigrette, and what totalled to be one whole grape tomato (but really served as garnish IMO), it lacked any toppings.
My mom had the soup, which I didn't try, so I can't speak to how it tasted.
For the main, everyone was given a choice of either a lamb rack, steak or salmon. I chose the lamb and it was soooo juicy and tender.
My dad ordered the steak, which I had a taste of. We both agreed the lamb was more flavourful and more tender.
I had a great time tonight. Service was attentive and quick, and food was dee-lish. I'll have to be back on a regular night to try other things and to get a more objective review.
Friday, 7 February 2014
Dumpling House Restaurant
Date: February 7, 2014
Location: 328 Spadina Ave (just north of Dundas), downtown Toronto
Website: N/A
Cuisine: Chinese
Meal: dinner (part IV)
My thoughts:
I hate it when restaurants don't have a website! I mean, we are currently in the 21st century.
Anyway, despite the absence of a website (and originality in their choice of name apparently), it really makes up for it in their food. I mean, this is absolutely my favourite dumpling restaurant in Toronto (and being Chinese, I have been to many over the years).
We ordered a dozen pan-fried dumplings ($6.99) in 3 different flavours: mushroom and spinach, shrimp and vegetables, and pork and chives. For the filling, I didn't really care for the first one, but the other two were very good. What really sets these dumplings apart is an ultra thin layer of crunchy dough that connects all the dumplings. See the photo below, as it will probably do a better job of explaining what these dumplings are like.
The combination of the crunchy 'crust' and the juicy filling is unbelievably amazing. So amazing that you need to get your butt there stat to find out what I'm talking about. Trust me, you won't regret it.
Location: 328 Spadina Ave (just north of Dundas), downtown Toronto
Website: N/A
Cuisine: Chinese
Meal: dinner (part IV)
My thoughts:
I hate it when restaurants don't have a website! I mean, we are currently in the 21st century.
Anyway, despite the absence of a website (and originality in their choice of name apparently), it really makes up for it in their food. I mean, this is absolutely my favourite dumpling restaurant in Toronto (and being Chinese, I have been to many over the years).
We ordered a dozen pan-fried dumplings ($6.99) in 3 different flavours: mushroom and spinach, shrimp and vegetables, and pork and chives. For the filling, I didn't really care for the first one, but the other two were very good. What really sets these dumplings apart is an ultra thin layer of crunchy dough that connects all the dumplings. See the photo below, as it will probably do a better job of explaining what these dumplings are like.
The combination of the crunchy 'crust' and the juicy filling is unbelievably amazing. So amazing that you need to get your butt there stat to find out what I'm talking about. Trust me, you won't regret it.
Yummy Yummy Dumplings
Date: February 7, 2014
Location: 79 Huron St (Spadina and Dundas), downtown Toronto
Website: http://www.yummyyummydumplings.com/
Cuisine: Chinese
Meal: dinner (part III)
My thoughts:
So this was stop #3 of tonight's foodie adventure. This place is a hole in the wall mom-and-pop shop, so don't be expecting a nice ambiance here. But what it lacks in decor, it makes up for in their prices and food.
Since we were planning on going to another dumpling place (one whose pan-fried dumplings we love) next, we decided on steamed pork & cabbage dumplings ($5.25), which came with a dozen dumplings.
Being seated next to the kitchen, we could see that everything was made to order. Our order arrived very quickly and we dug right in. While the dumplings were tasty, I found the filling to be a bit too salty and the dough to be a tad too thick.
I would still come more so because you can't beat that price than the food being tasty. I'd like to try their pan-fried dumplings next time.
Location: 79 Huron St (Spadina and Dundas), downtown Toronto
Website: http://www.yummyyummydumplings.com/
Cuisine: Chinese
Meal: dinner (part III)
My thoughts:
So this was stop #3 of tonight's foodie adventure. This place is a hole in the wall mom-and-pop shop, so don't be expecting a nice ambiance here. But what it lacks in decor, it makes up for in their prices and food.
Since we were planning on going to another dumpling place (one whose pan-fried dumplings we love) next, we decided on steamed pork & cabbage dumplings ($5.25), which came with a dozen dumplings.
Being seated next to the kitchen, we could see that everything was made to order. Our order arrived very quickly and we dug right in. While the dumplings were tasty, I found the filling to be a bit too salty and the dough to be a tad too thick.
I would still come more so because you can't beat that price than the food being tasty. I'd like to try their pan-fried dumplings next time.
Sansotei Ramen
Date: February 7, 2014
Location: 179 Dundas St W, Toronto
Website: http://www.sansotei.com/
Cuisine: Japanese
Meal: dinner (part II)
My thoughts:
Came here with my dad add part 2 of my foodie adventure. We arrived at around 5pm and it was surprisingly quite busy.
I've been here a number of times and have learned that their tonkotsu ramen is by far my favourite, so that was what we ordered. We shared this.
Just to incorporate a little bit of variety, I chose the tonkatsu black ($9.85), which is ramen with pork belly, black fungus, egg, green onion and garlic oil. The only difference from the regular tonkatsu is the addition of garlic oil.. and 10 cents to the price. (I find it mildly amusing that they would charge 10 cents for an extra spoonful or two of oil, but okay. The pricing is at the restaurant's discretion.) Anyway, we also got extra noodles for $1.00.
My dad was surprised at how much he enjoyed this, so much so that of all the restaurants we went to tonight, he ranked this as his favourite. That surprised me even more, because this means it beat out his all-time favourite cuisine, Chinese - up until today, he has pretty much only liked Chinese food - so that's really saying something.
Anyway, the ramen was really good. Just as good as I remembered it to be. Now for the soup: which is better - tonkatsu or tonkatsu black? The garlic oil wasn't dramatically different, so I will be getting the regular tonkatsu to save myself on the extra calories. Portion size was good given that we were going to make a few stops tonight.
Just try this place out if you haven't already! Just don't go at peak meal hours.
Location: 179 Dundas St W, Toronto
Website: http://www.sansotei.com/
Cuisine: Japanese
Meal: dinner (part II)
My thoughts:
Came here with my dad add part 2 of my foodie adventure. We arrived at around 5pm and it was surprisingly quite busy.
I've been here a number of times and have learned that their tonkotsu ramen is by far my favourite, so that was what we ordered. We shared this.
Just to incorporate a little bit of variety, I chose the tonkatsu black ($9.85), which is ramen with pork belly, black fungus, egg, green onion and garlic oil. The only difference from the regular tonkatsu is the addition of garlic oil.. and 10 cents to the price. (I find it mildly amusing that they would charge 10 cents for an extra spoonful or two of oil, but okay. The pricing is at the restaurant's discretion.) Anyway, we also got extra noodles for $1.00.
My dad was surprised at how much he enjoyed this, so much so that of all the restaurants we went to tonight, he ranked this as his favourite. That surprised me even more, because this means it beat out his all-time favourite cuisine, Chinese - up until today, he has pretty much only liked Chinese food - so that's really saying something.
Anyway, the ramen was really good. Just as good as I remembered it to be. Now for the soup: which is better - tonkatsu or tonkatsu black? The garlic oil wasn't dramatically different, so I will be getting the regular tonkatsu to save myself on the extra calories. Portion size was good given that we were going to make a few stops tonight.
Just try this place out if you haven't already! Just don't go at peak meal hours.
Japango
Date: February 7, 2014
Location: 122 Elizabeth St (near Bay and Dundas), downtown Toronto
Website: http://japango.net/
Cuisine: Japanese
Meal: dinner (part I)
My thoughts:
I got this to go while waiting for my dad to meet me at Sansotei. While I was waiting, I chatted with arguably the friendliest and most polite waitress I've ever encountered.
I picked their signature Japango roll, which at $13, cost a pretty penny, but I'd heard rave reviews about it and wanted to try it. I don't remember what was in it, but needless to say, a lot of things, as you can see from the photo below.
My order was ready in about 10 minutes, and just as the waitress was packing up my order, I asked her if I could first snap a quick photo. I told her I had a blog and she took great interest in it, even asking me for the URL, and mentioned that she really takes pride in working there because she also likes taking photos of food and the chefs there put a lot of attention into the presentation of all the dishes. I could certainly see that.
While I was very impressed with the waitress's customer service, how did the food (at least the roll) taste? So-so, I'm sad to say. Maybe it was the raw scallop, which although seared, made the roll overly slimy for my liking. (I am for the most part unadventurous when it comes to consuming foods that are raw.) A sauce was drizzled over top, but clearly it did not do enough to give the roll flavour, as I found the roll bland. I do have to give them points for not skimping on quality (including the freshness) and quantity. I saved most of it for my mom, who really enjoyed it - although I suspect it may have had to do with the fact that she knew the price of the roll (i.e. it was psychological).
Will I be back? Maybe, but I definitely won't be ordering this roll again. Not for that kind of money.
Location: 122 Elizabeth St (near Bay and Dundas), downtown Toronto
Website: http://japango.net/
Cuisine: Japanese
Meal: dinner (part I)
My thoughts:
I got this to go while waiting for my dad to meet me at Sansotei. While I was waiting, I chatted with arguably the friendliest and most polite waitress I've ever encountered.
I picked their signature Japango roll, which at $13, cost a pretty penny, but I'd heard rave reviews about it and wanted to try it. I don't remember what was in it, but needless to say, a lot of things, as you can see from the photo below.
My order was ready in about 10 minutes, and just as the waitress was packing up my order, I asked her if I could first snap a quick photo. I told her I had a blog and she took great interest in it, even asking me for the URL, and mentioned that she really takes pride in working there because she also likes taking photos of food and the chefs there put a lot of attention into the presentation of all the dishes. I could certainly see that.
While I was very impressed with the waitress's customer service, how did the food (at least the roll) taste? So-so, I'm sad to say. Maybe it was the raw scallop, which although seared, made the roll overly slimy for my liking. (I am for the most part unadventurous when it comes to consuming foods that are raw.) A sauce was drizzled over top, but clearly it did not do enough to give the roll flavour, as I found the roll bland. I do have to give them points for not skimping on quality (including the freshness) and quantity. I saved most of it for my mom, who really enjoyed it - although I suspect it may have had to do with the fact that she knew the price of the roll (i.e. it was psychological).
Will I be back? Maybe, but I definitely won't be ordering this roll again. Not for that kind of money.
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