Friday, August 5, 2011
Mom visits me in Toronto. a 4 day culinary adventure alright! Stay tuned for reviews/pics of it all!
In celebration of my mom (the equally as excited.. and pick foodie as I) coming to visit me from Montreal, I've got all sorts of cool dining experiences planned for us. I will be blogging some short reviews of each one. Lots of surprises along the way. Let's see if I, and my little blackberry camera can keep up with the hustle and bustle of the days to come! Included will be some thoughts from both mother and daughter, as we both don't always agree on the same things, yet both are very vocal on our opinions! Should be exciting! Stay tuned.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Ruby Watchco...one word...AMAZING!
Last weekend I had the delightful fortune of being invited out by a couple of dear friends to one of Toronto’s most well known restaurants – and boasting one of Canada’s top chefs - Lyne Crawford, who I was lucky enough to meet. She incidentaly also happens to be just as cool and friendly on a full house packed night as she appears to be on her food network tv show. She was always out there, even clearing tables and making sure all the clients had everything they needed. This to me is the true sign of a passionate and dedicated chef.
Our “reservations” were for 9pm, and although we didn’t get seated until 10:30 pm, I must note there had been a miscommunication between the reserver (Murray - yes that's you) and the restaurant. Regardless, all was good. We were well taken care of while we waited. We decided to take this time to chat over one of their cocktails, which made me discover their very impressive drink menu. The 3 of us opted for the safe but always wise choice – the oh so classic cosmos! Those who know me know I love my cosmos when they’re well done (no lime cordial nono...) And these were definitely top notch – only fresh ingredients in this one!
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| Chillin' waiting for our table over a round of cosmos |
As we were seated at a corner section of the very cute rustic looking bar, we were greeted by our waiter with the most delicious basket of homemade biscuits. We were all so famished at this point that we asked for a double portion..and were granted that wish. Those definitely hit the spot before the feast to come.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the very unique menu formula at Ruby Watchco, well there is no real menu per-se. It is a prix-fix menu meaning we are all eating the same thing - 4 courses to be exact, which change every day but the format remains the same – 1 appetizer (usually a type of salad), 1 main dish with it’s sides, a cheese plate, and a homemade desert. The idea Chef Crawford was going for was as if we were being invited into her home where she would serve us a homecooked meal. Even the courses are brought to your table family style, in a communal cast iron dish where we pick serve our portions our. And, since each day boasts only 1 menu, you are assured that the items were very carefully picked, all the attention is being focused onto the choice at hand, and in turn we are treated to the best of the best. Not to mention this takes away from the hastle (at least for me) of debating with what may be the best choice on the menu. Now I know that choice is made for me ...love it! I just know I’m coming in and will be served a top notch homecooked meals by those who are passionate about food and want to share their night’s creation with us.
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| Menu...next to my glass of red wine of course ;) |
The menu started off with one of the tastiest and freshest salads I have had in a long time - Marinated eggplant and couscous salad. This salad was loaded with all sorts of fresh greens, herbs and lightly (key for success) tossed in a simple dill dressing. The flavours were very straightforward and complementary and nothing overpowered anything else – which to me, is a sign of successful salad.
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| Salad and homemade buscuits |
Then came the main attraction – the slow roasted beef sirloin with red wine jus with sides of mixed grilled vegetables as well as potatos and brisket. The meat was perfectly pink and tender. The portions brought to us were extremely generous.
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| Beef and it's sides..sorry couldn't wait to dig in before taking a pic |
On to the 3rd cours - the cheese plate - simply put: It was great. I love to mix of a sharp cheese with something sweet and this dish offered just that. We each got a slice of eweda cru cheese with a yummy orange marmalade. But even more interesting, was the sweet crispy cracker it came on, almost boardering on a cookie. The perfect marriage of sweet & salty and soft and crunchy. I loved the contrasts in each bite.
At that point I was more than full...but I definitely wasn’t going to pass on the desert - the item on the menu which I had been eyeing from the moment we came it. It read crispin apple crumble with stracciatella ice cream. As soon as you mention apple crumble with ice cream I am sold! I am not a big desert person there is something about the combination of a slightly tart warm apple crisp with a cool sweet scoop of ice cream which just fancies my pallet. Their version was perfectly executed. I also appreciated how the portion wasn’t enormous. It was just right after our satisfying meal so we wouldn't feel like rolling out of the restaurant at the end of the night – granted I have to admit I was still pretty full by the end....But it was allll worth it!
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| Perfect Finish to the perfect meal |
In a nutshell, Rubywatchco delivered above and beyond my expectations. I knew chef Lyne Crawford was an elite in her field but this dinner blew her out of the field! Now if only I can get my parents to come into town so I can share with them one of this city's finest dining experiences.
(416) 465-0100
rubywatchco.ca
Sunday, March 20, 2011
LE ROSSIGNOL BISTRO...A new Leslieville gem?
OK so nobody loves supporting their local neighbourhood restaurants more than me. I live in Leslieville and believe we have some some of the best restaurants in the city here. Call me biased but I truly believe it's only going to get better. So of course I want to try all these places out and spread the word to all of you in order to get you guys over in this beautiful (and I think the best) neighbourhood of Toronto..So I thought I would try the relatively new Rossignol bistro on Queen east near Broadview. I work right near there so I have passed by this place many times. It took over the space of Pop bistro just a few months ago. When Pop was around, I was never too interested in trying it out as I felt it looked a little, how can i say, blaaaah. There just didn't seem to be any ambiance and the space was extremely small. But most of all, the menu didn't speak to me much. I also thought it seemed a little expensive for the type of restaurant and pretty basic choices. Albeit the new Rossignol hasn't changed much of the interior (still just plain white walls in a long and narrow space), the feel of it seemed more inviting, not to mention the menu looked a lot more interesting and moderately priced..
I don't usually go for pasta dishes at french restaurants but everytime I had walked by the place and stopped to glance at the menu I was super intrigued and by their housemade pasta dish. Described as escargot, mixed mushrooms and truffle tomato sauce, the combination of these ingredients which I love individually but have never had together, made me super intrigued at the possibilities of this marriage of flavours. I'm still not sure if the actual noodles are housemade or if they are just referring to the dish as a whole but either way, as undecisive as I am usually in restaurants there was no doubt as to what I was getting when I went there for supper with a friend last week.
Neither of us were very hungry so we both just got a main, although gotta admit it was a tough decision since they had a frisee salad on the menu as an apetizer (poached egg in mixed greens with bacon and dijon dressing), one of my all-time favorite french salads. But I figured this particular pasta dish seemed like something I wouldn't be able to get anywhere else so I was ok with my 1 course meal for the night. My friend opted for the steak-frites. This was a nice thick piece of filet mignon made with porcini jus and lemon aioli. Cooked perfectly to her liking, she thought it was one of the tastiest steaks she had had in a while. Her matchstick skinny fries were signature french and served in abundance.
As for my pasta, I think I may have built up my expectations a little too high, imagining all the great flavours that I know and love from escargots, mushrooms, and especially truffle would jump out in this perfect explosion of flavour. In the end what I got was a nicely presented bowl of perfectly al-dente linguini in marinara sauce (no sign of truffle flavour). The small pieces of snails an mushrooms mixed in were plentiful but I honestly had trouble distinguishing one from the other as they were the same size and colour. Perhaps this may say something about the lack of flavour..hmmm. It was perfectly fine, but can't say i ever distinctly tasted any of the ingredients, which for me, make up a superior dish. The portion was also a little small to my liking, especially for the price. From the picture below you can see the fresh parmesan on top actually covers most of the pasta itself. If i'd known, I totally wouldv'e gotten the frisee salad to start. Needless to say I ended up stealing quite a few of my friend's fries when I was done and she was still working on her steak...which I can't complain about cuz their were super tasty!
I had a nice glass of Jamelles sauvignon blanc, which I was I was very happily surprised to find on the menu. This particular wine has always been one of my favorite innexpensive go-to wines in Montreal and I was actually disapointed to find out they don't carry it here at the LCBO. The wine list itself is pretty limited and mostly french, to be expected. But there are quite a few choices by the glass. And best of all their bottles are priced for all budgets - one thing I have found is often not the case in Toronto, where restaurants frequently boast overpriced wine lists in comparison to the pricepoint of their food.
The service was very friendly, however quite slow, especially considering the place was practically empty and we each only ordered a single course. Perhaps they were spending all their time back there hand making each of my noodles..
As for the ambiance, it is indeed a little too quiet and bland to my liking. Saying that, I am someone who likes going to a restaurant that is going to take me away from the everyday, or the feel i could get sitting at home making my own meal. I like action, good lighting and originality. This place is very unassuming, the lighting is way too dim, and the long narrow layout makes it feel a little confined; perhaps more suited to a quiet evening for a couple who wants an affordable and straight forward french meal.
686 Queen Street East, Toronto | 416.461.9663
http://www.lerossignolbistro.com/
I don't usually go for pasta dishes at french restaurants but everytime I had walked by the place and stopped to glance at the menu I was super intrigued and by their housemade pasta dish. Described as escargot, mixed mushrooms and truffle tomato sauce, the combination of these ingredients which I love individually but have never had together, made me super intrigued at the possibilities of this marriage of flavours. I'm still not sure if the actual noodles are housemade or if they are just referring to the dish as a whole but either way, as undecisive as I am usually in restaurants there was no doubt as to what I was getting when I went there for supper with a friend last week.
Neither of us were very hungry so we both just got a main, although gotta admit it was a tough decision since they had a frisee salad on the menu as an apetizer (poached egg in mixed greens with bacon and dijon dressing), one of my all-time favorite french salads. But I figured this particular pasta dish seemed like something I wouldn't be able to get anywhere else so I was ok with my 1 course meal for the night. My friend opted for the steak-frites. This was a nice thick piece of filet mignon made with porcini jus and lemon aioli. Cooked perfectly to her liking, she thought it was one of the tastiest steaks she had had in a while. Her matchstick skinny fries were signature french and served in abundance.
filet mignon et frites....mmmm frites..
housemade pasta....plus de frites s'il vous plait
The service was very friendly, however quite slow, especially considering the place was practically empty and we each only ordered a single course. Perhaps they were spending all their time back there hand making each of my noodles..
As for the ambiance, it is indeed a little too quiet and bland to my liking. Saying that, I am someone who likes going to a restaurant that is going to take me away from the everyday, or the feel i could get sitting at home making my own meal. I like action, good lighting and originality. This place is very unassuming, the lighting is way too dim, and the long narrow layout makes it feel a little confined; perhaps more suited to a quiet evening for a couple who wants an affordable and straight forward french meal.
686 Queen Street East, Toronto | 416.461.9663
http://www.lerossignolbistro.com/
Monday, January 3, 2011
SPUNTINI - Italian Restaurant review
Hey everyone...
I know it's been a while since I've reviewed. I have been away for Christmas vacation with my family; more specifically on a glutinous, decadent cruise in the Carribean. Yes I use those terms because I ate waaaay too many lobster tails, shimp, steaks, fresh bread...as well as my fair share of good wines and champagne had.. I know it sounds like I had quite the spoiled experience but have to admit I am glad to be back to reality where I can enjoy delicious food but at a more moderate pace and amount. I realize, after this all you can eat type of service I had on the cruise, that sometimes smaller but more attentive portions make the plate more enjoyable and memorable. Not that I didn't love the food I was lucky enough to endulge in, but there is something about going to a great restaurant and being able to savour every scrumptious bite of a perfectly executed dish without getting full to excess.
So this is where I get to my next review. Spuntini's, an italian restaurant I frequented in Toronto a few weeks back. I had the honor of going with my parents as well as 2 of my best friends. And there is nothling like sharing a great meal with loved ones! So word to the wise, save your best outings for those who matter most!
I have to speak about the delicious octupus dish I got as an antipasto - ok I get that not everyone is a fan of octopus (probably because of its very distinct shape and texture) but it was grilled to perfection - a la Moroccan. Very simple but fresh, and the portion was just right to not fill me up for the following courses.
And yes I say courses because we got one of their famous mozza-mozza- mozzarella plates to share for the table. We opted for the Burrata which consisted of one on my faves - speck - a smoked prusciutto - along with buffalo mozarella and lightly dressed arugula. All so fresh and delicious.
Burrata
As for mains, my mom and I both got one of my favorites (if not MY favorite) in Italian restaurants - seafood pasta. There is something about morsels of seafood in a light sauce (either white wine or marinara) and linguini together that makes the perfect match (also see my previous review of Biff's Bistro's memorable bouillabaise). I don't usually get pasta at restaurants but when go to a nice Italian restaurant that serves this dish I will endulge!
Now don't get me wrong, it was good, however not the best I have had - I have to admit I have had this dish at over a dozen different places so I am pretty picky. However remember at this point I have already had my octopus, smoked prosciutto, plenty of cheese, and my share of bread, so stomach may have already been giving me the signal that it was time to call it a night on the food lol! But it was still a nice plate with large pieces of calamari, scallops and shrimp. The main criticism I would give was the ratio or pasta to seafood was too large - as usually I prefer more of the meaty stuff and not too much pasta. As well the tomato sauce could have had a little more flavour. Regardless, I came out of my meal a very happy, and satisfied girl.
So to finish off, I love getting more smaller plates. My 2 first courses of the night were unfortgettable. The atmosphere was vibrant. Again, I can't stress this enough, I love when restaurants line the walls with wine bottles. It gives it such a warm feel. Another winning aspect was our waiter. We were treated like queens and king (my father being the brave lone male at a table of hungry women). Our family tends to be quite inquisitive and picky so kudos to our waiter for knowing everything on his menu inside and out. There is nothing worse that asking a waiter questions about items on the menu and them not knowing anything about them..
Spuntini's is a great date night spot, as well as makes for a nice family get-together. (again - open on sundays! - always a plus) Definitely make a reservation as it tends to fill up, especially on weekends.
Eat well! and savour each and every bite :)
116 Avenue Road
Toronto, ON M5R 2H4
(416) 962-1110
http://www.spuntini.ca/
I know it's been a while since I've reviewed. I have been away for Christmas vacation with my family; more specifically on a glutinous, decadent cruise in the Carribean. Yes I use those terms because I ate waaaay too many lobster tails, shimp, steaks, fresh bread...as well as my fair share of good wines and champagne had.. I know it sounds like I had quite the spoiled experience but have to admit I am glad to be back to reality where I can enjoy delicious food but at a more moderate pace and amount. I realize, after this all you can eat type of service I had on the cruise, that sometimes smaller but more attentive portions make the plate more enjoyable and memorable. Not that I didn't love the food I was lucky enough to endulge in, but there is something about going to a great restaurant and being able to savour every scrumptious bite of a perfectly executed dish without getting full to excess.
So this is where I get to my next review. Spuntini's, an italian restaurant I frequented in Toronto a few weeks back. I had the honor of going with my parents as well as 2 of my best friends. And there is nothling like sharing a great meal with loved ones! So word to the wise, save your best outings for those who matter most!
I have to speak about the delicious octupus dish I got as an antipasto - ok I get that not everyone is a fan of octopus (probably because of its very distinct shape and texture) but it was grilled to perfection - a la Moroccan. Very simple but fresh, and the portion was just right to not fill me up for the following courses.
Polpo alla Griglia (octopus)
And yes I say courses because we got one of their famous mozza-mozza- mozzarella plates to share for the table. We opted for the Burrata which consisted of one on my faves - speck - a smoked prusciutto - along with buffalo mozarella and lightly dressed arugula. All so fresh and delicious.
As for mains, my mom and I both got one of my favorites (if not MY favorite) in Italian restaurants - seafood pasta. There is something about morsels of seafood in a light sauce (either white wine or marinara) and linguini together that makes the perfect match (also see my previous review of Biff's Bistro's memorable bouillabaise). I don't usually get pasta at restaurants but when go to a nice Italian restaurant that serves this dish I will endulge!
Now don't get me wrong, it was good, however not the best I have had - I have to admit I have had this dish at over a dozen different places so I am pretty picky. However remember at this point I have already had my octopus, smoked prosciutto, plenty of cheese, and my share of bread, so stomach may have already been giving me the signal that it was time to call it a night on the food lol! But it was still a nice plate with large pieces of calamari, scallops and shrimp. The main criticism I would give was the ratio or pasta to seafood was too large - as usually I prefer more of the meaty stuff and not too much pasta. As well the tomato sauce could have had a little more flavour. Regardless, I came out of my meal a very happy, and satisfied girl.
So to finish off, I love getting more smaller plates. My 2 first courses of the night were unfortgettable. The atmosphere was vibrant. Again, I can't stress this enough, I love when restaurants line the walls with wine bottles. It gives it such a warm feel. Another winning aspect was our waiter. We were treated like queens and king (my father being the brave lone male at a table of hungry women). Our family tends to be quite inquisitive and picky so kudos to our waiter for knowing everything on his menu inside and out. There is nothing worse that asking a waiter questions about items on the menu and them not knowing anything about them..
Spuntini's is a great date night spot, as well as makes for a nice family get-together. (again - open on sundays! - always a plus) Definitely make a reservation as it tends to fill up, especially on weekends.
Eat well! and savour each and every bite :)
116 Avenue Road
Toronto, ON M5R 2H4
(416) 962-1110
http://www.spuntini.ca/
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Review of Mengrei Thai with my gals
So this weekend it was my school girls' last weekend before they all went off to their respective parts of the planet to continue their lives after we all completed Nutrition school together. Yes it was a sad weekend of farewells but it all cullminated with a delicious comfort meal of Thai food at a very quaint but busy restaurant tucked on an Ontario street corner. The restaurant doubles as a cooking school so the chef and assistants certainly know what they are doing as they educate on the art of cooking all day.
The decor is very cute as the walls are made up of exposed brick and paintings line the walls. Very clean, simple but cute. The only awkward part is that the place is divided into 3 separate rooms. 1 small room in the middle as you walk in from outside then the 2 main dining rooms at either side. I always like the more open concept type space but all in all it is a pleasant atmosphere.
As for the food, my friend and I shared the fresh cold vegetarian spring rolls to start. Filled with tofu, mango, carrots and hoisin sauce, it was light and refreshing - perfect to start the meal off.
Next the 3 of us had 3 of their top dishes. I had the green curry with shrimp. My friends had the red curry with tofu and the pad thai respectively. These were 3 of the most highly recommended dishes from both my friend who had been there before and the waiter. Both curries were delicious with the green version being slightly more spicey than the red. My stomach doesn't do too well with spicey but the steamed rice I added to the mix tamed the heat down considerably making it much more enjoyable and worry free! Large morsels of shrimp swam in the flavourful broth, finished with all sorts of veges.
Red curry
All in all the food was delish. One thing I would recommend to all my foodies wanting to dine there is to speficy in you reservation (and yes you should reserve as it gets packed) that you would like to sit in one of the 2 main dining rooms and not the lonely bar area which we were designated to since we hadn't specified..
Also, the service was a little on the slow side, although we realized we had been assigned to the 2 new employees who had apparently only been there for 2 days so who knows if they had made a mistake in the ordering....and maybe another reason why they assigned them to the small empty room were were sitting in. However, all the waiters and manager alike were very welcoming, sweet and attentive, which made up for the long wait...Buuuut of course I couldn't help but do my usual get up and ask the waiting staff if our food had been forgotten (as if they had literally lost our orders..what happens when you're desperately hungry haha)
Mengrei Thai
82 Ontario Street
416-840-2754
The decor is very cute as the walls are made up of exposed brick and paintings line the walls. Very clean, simple but cute. The only awkward part is that the place is divided into 3 separate rooms. 1 small room in the middle as you walk in from outside then the 2 main dining rooms at either side. I always like the more open concept type space but all in all it is a pleasant atmosphere.
As for the food, my friend and I shared the fresh cold vegetarian spring rolls to start. Filled with tofu, mango, carrots and hoisin sauce, it was light and refreshing - perfect to start the meal off.
Next the 3 of us had 3 of their top dishes. I had the green curry with shrimp. My friends had the red curry with tofu and the pad thai respectively. These were 3 of the most highly recommended dishes from both my friend who had been there before and the waiter. Both curries were delicious with the green version being slightly more spicey than the red. My stomach doesn't do too well with spicey but the steamed rice I added to the mix tamed the heat down considerably making it much more enjoyable and worry free! Large morsels of shrimp swam in the flavourful broth, finished with all sorts of veges.
Red curry
All in all the food was delish. One thing I would recommend to all my foodies wanting to dine there is to speficy in you reservation (and yes you should reserve as it gets packed) that you would like to sit in one of the 2 main dining rooms and not the lonely bar area which we were designated to since we hadn't specified..
Also, the service was a little on the slow side, although we realized we had been assigned to the 2 new employees who had apparently only been there for 2 days so who knows if they had made a mistake in the ordering....and maybe another reason why they assigned them to the small empty room were were sitting in. However, all the waiters and manager alike were very welcoming, sweet and attentive, which made up for the long wait...Buuuut of course I couldn't help but do my usual get up and ask the waiting staff if our food had been forgotten (as if they had literally lost our orders..what happens when you're desperately hungry haha)
Mengrei Thai
82 Ontario Street
416-840-2754
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Classic french cuisine at Biff's Bistro avec maman
Sorry guys it has been a while since I've posted...school's sort of taken over my life...regardless, I've been very excited to finally blog about my most recent entry...Biff's Bistro.
My mom came to visit me last weekend from Montreal so she asked me where I wanted to go eat while she was here. Knowing I'm a real foodie, she trusted me to make some stellar picks. Of course I was so caught up in school work that I waited until the last minute and all the places I was thinking about were of full all weekend :( I'm telling you if you want a get a table at one of the new trendy places in Toronto on a Friday or Saturday you better make sure to get a reservation well ahead of time...or you may be greatly disapointed. My mother then suggested a place I had never heard of... a place she had been a couple years earlier on a prior visit to Toronto...called Biffs Bistro. I wasn't too sure about it cuz I had never heard of it and I'm always on top of knowing what's best out there!! But, in the end i must give her all the credit because it was the best place we went to eat out of all 3 nights she was here.. Way to go mom!! I know where I get my good taste in food from ;)
This is one of the restaurants owned by the Oliver and Bonnicini group. First of all the service was attentive and top notch throughout. True we were pretty much the only ones there in this great big open space and it was still early for supper on a sunday since I had to get my mom to the airport (we were told the restaurant just started being open for supper sundays so it hadn't caught on quite yet..) However my mom assured me the last time she was here it was packed. I can only imagine the amazing vibe this place must have on a full night. Such great ambiance in this place...and for my me and family, that's half of what makes or breaks a restaurant!
Now to the foooooood....So consistently good. I made sure to take more than just 1 pic this time for you guys. I was super excited to show you guys what we ate. Too bad I can't have one of those fancy cameras cuz I really don't think my blackberry camera does justice to the quality and presentation of the food.
As an appetizer I had this perfect salad that combined all the right flavours of sweet, salty, crunchy, chewy.. It was a roasted beet, spiced pecan and cheese salad. I had never heard of Ciel de Charlevoix cheese. It's a Quebec cheese that my mom assured me was terrific, and since my mom is as quebecois as you get, and is a cheese fanatic on top of it, I took her word for it. I was not disappointed. It had a bit of a bite but not as strong as a blue cheese and was firm yet melt in your mouth delicious. Complemented the sweetness of the
beets.
I followed that up with a seafood bouillabaisse (basically seafood stew). Coming from Montreal and having eaten at many a french restaurant, I have encountered some good and not so good versions of this dish. This one was definitely one of my favorite. What I especially appreciated about it was that they cooked the large morssels of fish and seafood seperately then the waiter added the fish broth over the whole beautifully presented concoction right in front of my eyes. The fish was topped with a cheese covered baguette crouton. I savoured every last bite..and of course soaked up the rest of the spicy broth with bread until I polished the bowl..mmmm!
My mom opted for one of her staple favorite dishes - the mussels - always a must at a french bistro. These were a la Provencal (in a tomato, garlic and thyme broth) They were huuuge! - I swear the meat in those shells were 3 times the size I'm used to. Needless to say she was very pleased by the portion...and the quality. The broth was savoury as again, we both dipped bread in it to finish off when she was done! She ordered some signature thin cut french fries which came with a side of fresh housemade rouille (also a classic french sauce made up of olive oil, chili peppers, and garlic) It paired great with the fries.
My mom came to visit me last weekend from Montreal so she asked me where I wanted to go eat while she was here. Knowing I'm a real foodie, she trusted me to make some stellar picks. Of course I was so caught up in school work that I waited until the last minute and all the places I was thinking about were of full all weekend :( I'm telling you if you want a get a table at one of the new trendy places in Toronto on a Friday or Saturday you better make sure to get a reservation well ahead of time...or you may be greatly disapointed. My mother then suggested a place I had never heard of... a place she had been a couple years earlier on a prior visit to Toronto...called Biffs Bistro. I wasn't too sure about it cuz I had never heard of it and I'm always on top of knowing what's best out there!! But, in the end i must give her all the credit because it was the best place we went to eat out of all 3 nights she was here.. Way to go mom!! I know where I get my good taste in food from ;)
This is one of the restaurants owned by the Oliver and Bonnicini group. First of all the service was attentive and top notch throughout. True we were pretty much the only ones there in this great big open space and it was still early for supper on a sunday since I had to get my mom to the airport (we were told the restaurant just started being open for supper sundays so it hadn't caught on quite yet..) However my mom assured me the last time she was here it was packed. I can only imagine the amazing vibe this place must have on a full night. Such great ambiance in this place...and for my me and family, that's half of what makes or breaks a restaurant!
Now to the foooooood....So consistently good. I made sure to take more than just 1 pic this time for you guys. I was super excited to show you guys what we ate. Too bad I can't have one of those fancy cameras cuz I really don't think my blackberry camera does justice to the quality and presentation of the food.
First they brought to our table some classic french cornichons (baby pickles) and fresh grainy mustard along with our bread basket. Made sure to get a pic...totally bistro style.
cornichons and fresh grainy mustard
As an appetizer I had this perfect salad that combined all the right flavours of sweet, salty, crunchy, chewy.. It was a roasted beet, spiced pecan and cheese salad. I had never heard of Ciel de Charlevoix cheese. It's a Quebec cheese that my mom assured me was terrific, and since my mom is as quebecois as you get, and is a cheese fanatic on top of it, I took her word for it. I was not disappointed. It had a bit of a bite but not as strong as a blue cheese and was firm yet melt in your mouth delicious. Complemented the sweetness of the
beets.
I followed that up with a seafood bouillabaisse (basically seafood stew). Coming from Montreal and having eaten at many a french restaurant, I have encountered some good and not so good versions of this dish. This one was definitely one of my favorite. What I especially appreciated about it was that they cooked the large morssels of fish and seafood seperately then the waiter added the fish broth over the whole beautifully presented concoction right in front of my eyes. The fish was topped with a cheese covered baguette crouton. I savoured every last bite..and of course soaked up the rest of the spicy broth with bread until I polished the bowl..mmmm!
bouillabaisse...I want more!!
My mom opted for one of her staple favorite dishes - the mussels - always a must at a french bistro. These were a la Provencal (in a tomato, garlic and thyme broth) They were huuuge! - I swear the meat in those shells were 3 times the size I'm used to. Needless to say she was very pleased by the portion...and the quality. The broth was savoury as again, we both dipped bread in it to finish off when she was done! She ordered some signature thin cut french fries which came with a side of fresh housemade rouille (also a classic french sauce made up of olive oil, chili peppers, and garlic) It paired great with the fries.
mussles, fries, and rouille
We shared a nice bottle of white bourgogne alligote which complemented our seafood dishes perfectly. No room for desert though.. But what a great finish to an amazing weekend with my mom. It's times like this that I really appreciate my french heritage and my family's love for good food..
....oh and did I mention that I love food?!
So just go, and try the desert for me...let me know what I missed out on!
Biff's Bistro
4 Front Street East
416.860.0086
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Asuka - Authentic sushi in the heart of Yorkville
I say sushi, when well done, should be like sex in the mouth. The distinct flavours in a maki roll should leave me closing my eyes allowing me to distinguish the independant ingredients yet savouring their harmony as a whole.
Asuka is the first sushi place I have ever been to in Toronto and still remains my favorite..for that exact reason..
Sato the chef is there every day except monday. He is completely passionate about his art, his sushi.
The best, very best roll is the red carpet roll. This original and melt in your mouth roll consists of crispy shrimp, avocado, and tempura bits wrapped in rice paper and rolled in an abundant amount of fresh tuna sashimi. (yup that's right - no rice! so a great choice for all you low carb addicts ;) And this whole concoction is topped with a delicious spicy sauce. This same roll is offered as a yellow carpet roll, where the tuna is replaced with salmon. Whenever my family and I go to Asuka we straight away order one of each even before thinking about looking at the rest of the menu.. talk about sex in the mouth!
Other great choices in include the sexy roll- consisiting of shrimp tempura, eel, spicy tuna and avocado
Their straight up sashimi also rises above the rest. Chef Sato never skimps on the portions..you'll have plenty to keep you full...and by that I don't mean rice..i mean fresh fish and or/veges.
The decor is casual yet very authentically japanese. You don't feel like you're in a pretentious sushi restautant and yet the quality may reflect top notch!
So make your way to the underground restaurant on Yorkville avenue and visit where all the NHL players and movie starts frequent whenever they are in town...just take a look at all the portraits on his wall of these celebrities posing with Sato to prove it...guessing he must be doing something right!
Asuka is the first sushi place I have ever been to in Toronto and still remains my favorite..for that exact reason..
Sato the chef is there every day except monday. He is completely passionate about his art, his sushi.
The best, very best roll is the red carpet roll. This original and melt in your mouth roll consists of crispy shrimp, avocado, and tempura bits wrapped in rice paper and rolled in an abundant amount of fresh tuna sashimi. (yup that's right - no rice! so a great choice for all you low carb addicts ;) And this whole concoction is topped with a delicious spicy sauce. This same roll is offered as a yellow carpet roll, where the tuna is replaced with salmon. Whenever my family and I go to Asuka we straight away order one of each even before thinking about looking at the rest of the menu.. talk about sex in the mouth!
Other great choices in include the sexy roll- consisiting of shrimp tempura, eel, spicy tuna and avocado
Their straight up sashimi also rises above the rest. Chef Sato never skimps on the portions..you'll have plenty to keep you full...and by that I don't mean rice..i mean fresh fish and or/veges.
The decor is casual yet very authentically japanese. You don't feel like you're in a pretentious sushi restautant and yet the quality may reflect top notch!
So make your way to the underground restaurant on Yorkville avenue and visit where all the NHL players and movie starts frequent whenever they are in town...just take a look at all the portraits on his wall of these celebrities posing with Sato to prove it...guessing he must be doing something right!
Red carpet roll and and fish roe roll
Asuka Japanese Restaurant
108 Yorkville Avenue
(416) 975-9084
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