Tag Archives: Toronto

~ Summerlicious 2013: My Top 10 Picks ~

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1) One
Price: $25 Lunch/$45 Dinner
Info: 
http://goo.gl/HIAit

Note: Good reviews and has a nice patio. Owned by McEwan Group who also owns Bymark and North 44. 

2) Nota Bene
Price: $25 Lunch/$45 Dinner
Info: 
http://goo.gl/OdNgE

Note: Good reviews and very well-known. Ex- Prime Minister Jean Chrétien dined here! 

3) Parts & Labour
Price: $35 Dinner
Info: 
http://goo.gl/uneiZ

Note: Hearing buzz about it. Low-key atmosphere and has a dance floor downstairs. 

4) Mildred’s Temple Kitchen
Price: $20 Lunch/$35 Dinner
Info: 
http://goo.gl/POh5f

Note: I’ve meant to check this place out for the longest time but it’s a bit far west of central downtown area. I would still recommend checking it out though, they host many foodie events and have good reviews as well. 

5) Stock
Price: $25 Lunch/$45 Dinner
Info: 
http://goo.gl/db9CU

Note: Located in Trump Tower, this would be a good chance to check it out! A friend went and mentioned it wasn’t bad. Interior looks really nice as well. 

6) Prohibition Gastrohouse and Oyster House
Price: $15 Lunch/$25 Dinner
Info: 
http://goo.gl/Ucnc0

Note: Located a bit far out east of central downtown area..this resto seems very popular and has good reviews. 

7) Rosewater
Price: $20 Lunch/ $35 Dinner
Info: 
http://goo.gl/YZV3a

Note: Misjudged this place! A relative told me they had a mediocre experience so I have been kind of avoiding this resto for a while. However, I gave in and visited for Winterlicious and on a regular evening as well. Food was good and service wasnt bad either. Love the interior. I would recommend this place, especially since $20-35 is very reasonable for 3 courses. Only placing this low on my picks because I have already tried it. 

8) Splendido
Price: $45 Dinner
Info: 
http://goo.gl/4pVf0

Note: Another resto I have been meaning to check out and on my wish list for the longest time. I am not too excited about the Summerlicious menu but if you like it, be sure to try this place out. Reviews are still pretty good. 

9) Canoe
Price: $25 Lunch/ $45 Dinner
Info: 
http://goo.gl/MqhfC

Note: Only low on my list since I’ve been there so many times. If you haven’t and like the menu, move this to the top of your list! I definitely recommend it and suggest a table near the windows. 

10) Biff Bistro
Price: $20 Lunch/$35 Dinner
Info: 
http://goo.gl/CxWsz

Note: Haven’t tried this one yet but I think it is a solid resto under Oliver & Bonacini..their reputation speaks for itself.  

RUNNER UP PICKS

1) PURE SPIRITS Oyster Bar
Price: $20 Lunch/$35 Dinner
Info: 
http://goo.gl/Hqvaq

2) Sassafraz
Price: $25 Lunch/$45 Dinner
Info: 
http://goo.gl/nl8x2

3) Le Societe
Price: $20 Lunch/$35 Dinner
Info: 
http://goo.gl/wTo8b

4) Domani Restaurant & Wine Bar
Price: $25 Dinner
Info: 
http://goo.gl/cRpTs

5) Rodeo Brazilian Steakhouse
Price: $35 Dinner
Info: 
http://goo.gl/YQl4d

I’m Back!

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Hi readers, I’m back in Toronto!

Sorry for the late posting but for followers on Facebook and Twitter, you should know I have been back for a few weeks already. I will resume posting again during the first week of August.

I wanted to say thanks to all the readers who stayed with me during these past two months. I really appreciate it and am ever thankful for your continued support. As a special treat and an attempt to engage more of my loyal readers, I will be adding a few things for the upcoming month of August such as:

- An email interview with noted FoodPorn.net
- Coverage of TOFoodFest.com  and my thoughts on the event
- Foodie reviews from a guest blogger and my personal foodie friend, Helen. She has great taste and sometimes even I go to her for foodie recommendations. Haha. More details on her later…

Hope you enjoy reading about my foodie escapades. Keep up the foodie love~

Danthanh =)

Sicilian Sidewalk Cafe

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Price: Under $10

Known for their ice creams, I recommend this café purely based on my childhood memories. Why you wonder? I actually had ice cream here on and off throughout my childhood. I recall Sicilian Sidewalk Cafe when I was still in junior school, my aunt would treat my cousins and I to their desserts in the summer. We probably visited only a handful of times when I was younger but it makes me reminisce a bit when I pass by the café. It’s still as popular as ever though, especially in the summer time.

They have a patio so customers can relax and enjoy themselves. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures since my last visit was before I even started Toronto Foodie! However, I will for sure try to stop by the café should I find the time to venture out to their area again.

Dress code: casual, suitable for everyone…even your boss if you think its appropriate. No dinner but lunches and after work would be a nice time to visit.

Website: 
http://www.sicilianicecream.com

Location: 712 College St, Toronto ON M6G 1C3
Telephone:  (416) 531 – 7716
Hours: Monday to Thursday – 9:00 am to 1:00 am, Friday & Saturday: 9:00 am to 3:00 am and Sunday – 11:00 am – 1:00 am

Sicilian Sidewalk Cafe on Urbanspoon

Revisit: Aji Sai ★ 1/2

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Price: Under $25 for ACYE dinner.

So I rarely make these revisit posts but felt the experience from my last visit warranted it.

I went to Aji Sai one night with a large group – about 15 or so approx. Knowing this was would be a hassle for the restaurant, I made my reservations 2 weeks in advance and even called a week before to make sure I still had my reservation. No problems so far. Well, on the day of I call about 15 minutes before my reservation to adjust my seating numbers. Only to discover they have no such reservation noted!! MY WORST FOODIE NIGHTMARE! There was nothing in their books, not my name, phone number, nothing!

I was so embarrassed, mad and baffled as this rarely happens to me (besides that time at Pure Spirits), especially since I confirmed days ago. The hostess said she couldn’t help me unless I could provide proof I called them, mentioning I could have accidentally called their other location up North instead.

I don’t think I would ever make such a mistake and fortunately I had my call history to prove it. It was crazy busy at the restaurant so I tried to be understanding but the hostess had us wait for an 1hr and 20mins before the next table was free even though she said it would be only be another 30-45 minutes. We stuck around that long because everyone was looking forward to AYCE and there were no other nearby AYCE restaurants.

I know the hostess was trying her best given the circumstances but I just didn’t like how they didn’t have any back up solutions. Whether it was offering us a greater discount or getting the manager to help, etc. All I heard was “well, what can I do?” and “I can’t do anything about it.”

They did provide a 15% discount at the end of the meal if we paid cash (something I have had before because I was a student. Saved me about $4). Still, I thought they could have done better to handle our customer service situation. We were generally cooperative and didn’t cause any trouble. Decided to just stay outside the restaurant while waiting for our table, browsing wasn’t much of an option since everything else was mainly closed in that area.

We were finally seated at 9:20-9:30pm and finished around 11pm. I guess one of our servers was tired because he seemed very lax in taking orders and was barely coherent.  Felt like he might pass out or something, very strange behaviour. The  sushi also started to look sloppy too. Some of them seemed like they were just quickly meshed together. I know its was late but it doesn’t excuse the laziness in food presentation.

In the end, I would probably still visit them again because realistically it is one of the few if not only one decent AYCE sushi restaurant downtown. However, I have been greatly disappointed with their service and will probably keep this in mind next time I suggest a sushi restaurant to friends.

Lesson learned: write down the name of who is doing reservation!

TIP: Suggest coming here in small groups.

Website:
http://www.ajisai.ca/

Location: Various locations. Review for 467 Queen St. West, Toronto Ontario M5C 2A9
Telephone: (416) 603-3366

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Aji Sai on Urbanspoon

Lim Ga Ne Restaurant ★★★

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Price: $10+

Surprised at this restaurant’s apparent anonymity as its located near Owl of Minerva and right across the famed Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu restaurant. I had to suggest this restaurant to Urbanspoon, so for further reviews try Yelp or Google reviews. If you have trouble finding it, the outside exterior has orange signage and the interior is simply decorated with wooden furnishings. It’s a bit plain but typical of a cheap Asian restaurant, where food and affordability is the emphasis not decor.

I have been on a Korean food binge lately and came across Lim Ga Ne while in the area. Decided to come with my family because my mom wanted to try a variety of Korean dishes (she likes to cook). The first dish we received was a complimentary pancake appetizer, a nice yummy touch I appreciated. Then we had the bibimbap I usually love to order, which I sadly did not love it at this restaurant. Felt it was a bit bland and missing a certain “jena se quai” – Korean style. Our third dish was hot noodles, also fine but nothing I would usually order as I typically eat that at home.

It was during this food fest that the bowls of rice my mom ordered arrived, we were given black rice aka purple/jasmine rice. For those of you who haven’t tried it, it is like sticky rice and has lots of nutrients. Black rice is something new to me as well but I would recommend trying it. :)

Finally we reach my last dish, the samgapsal! For about $35, you can get this combo with a complimentary stew. I chose kimchi stew because I love kimchi and thought it might taste good but I was wrong. I would not recommend this when ordering, it tasted like kimchi and water… JUST THAT. However, the samgapsal was really good! The meat’s tender and soft, definitely filling for two or three people. Wrap up the meat with lettuce and kimchi, dip in sauce provided and let the foodie-liciousness of it take over! :D

Service was good, my table was taking a long time to order but our server was nice enough not to show her impatience. Especially since it got noticeably busier later on.

Overall, I would definitely visit again if just for the samgapsal and rice dishes. I do suggest making reservations if you plan on dining in the evening though, I think it gets busier then.

Dress code: Casual, nice for friends and family. You will particularly enjoy it if you are familiar with the Korean language and pop culture. They only play Korean shows on their Television. No subs!! Haha.

Website: N/A
Location: 692 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M6G 2T9
Telephone: (416) 535-0345
Hours: N/A

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Lim Ga Ne Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Yang’s Kitchen Sushi Bar ★★★

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Price: Adults – $14.99 for lunch and $21.99 for dinner. Children (9 or under) and Seniors (65 or over) are reduced.

Surprised I haven’t reviewed this restaurant before. I have eaten at Yang’s a few times in the past but just remembered to review them after a recent visit with my family.

For those of you who don’t know Yang’s, they’re an all you can eat (ACYE) sushi restaurant, offering service for lunch and dinner. The lunch and dinner menu are the same except with dinner you can order items from the sashimi, sushi bar and kitchen list. I prefer dinner too, even if it’s just for the extra food I can order. Keep in mind service during weeknight/weekends is slower and more hectic. So if you plan to eat then, I strongly suggest making reservations!! Otherwise, you’ll be stuck waiting over half an hour for a table. Also, except for dessert..order in one go to maximize your time. They might have a 2 hour seating time limit.

In terms of food, they are okay. I love salmon so I ordered dishes like their salmon rose sushi, spicy salmon rolls, salmon maki and sushi. All of which were fine. I would also recommend their unagi (eel) rolls, green dragon rolls, steak dishes (meat’s sliced up) and maybe fried rice if you are in the mood. Stay away from the bland cucumber sushi and overly salty miso soup though.

Yang’s a pretty popular place in Markham so I know it will have a variety of responses but I’m actually surprised at the amount of negative reviews (ie.Avoid Yang’s Kitchen Forum Post). I haven’t really experienced anything so terrible with the service as mentioned in the post but I do somewhat agree with the service complaints (whether that is because they don’t understand English or not). There have been many a time where I had to repeatedly wave my hand or just physically go up and ask for service or extra napkins/cutlery. I don’t really mind it much, its sometimes frustrating but I kind of almost expect it.

Maybe its just the Asian in me but I have more patience when it comes to Asian restaurants. I set a different pair of standards for them, not sure if this is because it is a habit from childhood, being a stereotypical Asian or both. Haha. I mean, all Asian restaurants have to do is provide the standard complementary tea, clean utensils (I wipe them again), serve food at the correct temperature within 30 minutes and I am good. :)

Dress code: Casual, good for friends and family. Possibly for socializing with co-workers if you are in the area.

Website: N/A
Location: 4261 Regional Rd 7, Markham, ON L3R 9W6
Telephone: (905) 944-0818
Hours: N/A – Please call ahead.

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Yang's Kitchen on Urbanspoon