Showing posts with label fish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fish. Show all posts

Project:Fish (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, June 22, 2019 by

The bright Scandinavian feeling dining room is perfect for sushi, I like that airy feeling of cleanliness when eating raw ingredients. Even their service has an element of Swedish efficiency and organization, if Ikea ever served sushi, it would be similar to Project:Fish.

Shortly after placing our order for the premium set ($32), a trio of appetizers arrive: warm edamame dusted with pepper rather than salt, Albacore tuna slices dressed in a light citrus soy on a bed of seaweed, and a plain cabbage salad tossed in a what seems like sugar water... the cabbage salad definitely needs an upgrade.


Before you can get through half of the starters, the efficiency kicks in and the platter of sushi arrives. With great memory, our waitress rhymes off every piece and its garnish. It’s like reciting a memorized passage and done so quickly that I retained very little. Consequently, my post will rely on their menu and guessing what the ingredients could be.

I started with the warm pieces of oshi (pressed sushi that’s then topped with sauce and blowtorched). The salmon contained too much of the mayo-based sauce, which is generally the biggest drawback of Project Fish’s oshi – the sheer oiliness that you see pool under each piece. Maybe it has something to do with the timing of placing the sauce (pre vs. post press), but the greasiness really detracts from the rice.


The shrimp oshi worked better given the seafood itself is leaner. While one piece was earthier on account of the mushroom basil mixture, the other was refreshing from the plum paste – this is a nice one to finish off with as it cuts through the oshis’ heaviness.

Project Fish can even consider changing up the sauce combo. For example, with miso topping the mackerel oshi, it worked remarkably well, the salty sweetness cutting through the stronger fish.

As much as I normally enjoyed blowtorched sushi, the traditional pieces were more enjoyable. Some pieces had similar flavour combinations without being pressed: shrimp topped with mushroom basil, but was slightly sweeter due to the shrimp; albacore tuna with the refreshing plum accent; the typical salmon with mayo, but at least it was just a small dollop; and miso again, but this time a little too strong as it was placed on a much milder fish.

The plate would be even better if they had more pieces with brighter and lighter garnishes. Sure, they used plum, but surprisingly negated green onion, ginger, and yuzu, which although are common ingredients works really well with fish. Or even adding more vinegar to the rice and wasabi under the fish would help cut through the richer pieces.

It’s a fairly filling meal as it then ends with a kaisen rice bowl with spicy sashimi (made with various pieces of scrap fish, a great way for reducing waste) and blue crab salad (actually made with real crab). Overall, the bowl was too sweet for my taste. Perhaps they meant for this to be dessert, but I would prefer it to end on a stronger savoury element: element the sugar from the crab salad, make the spicy sashimi actually have some heat, and skip all the sweet diced pieces of tamago and just have on piece on the top.


Also, maybe the Ikea-like efficiency isn’t always the greatest idea, as it does detract from the experience. Aside from waiting until people are done with their appetizers to serve the main course, Project Fish should consider plating the sushi and oshi separately to draw out the meal – consequently, it may help ensure the oshi arrives warmer. Regardless, their reasonable pricing for fairly good sushi is a big draw. In any case, efficiency does have its perks.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10

How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 16 Park Home Avenue

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
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Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

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Project:Fish Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Dinner With a View (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, April 20, 2019 by

If you asked me 5 years ago if I’d like to eat dinner under the Gardiner Expressway, a look of confusion and an adamant no would have followed. Yet, the underpass space is undergoing a revitalization, starting with this winter when it was transformed into a skating trail. Now that the ice has finally melted, a small portion of the space near Fort York plays host to Dinner With a View.

Let’s start with the latter half of the title - With a View. As you first arrive, it’s an underwhelming feeling when you find the view consists of black gauze and the metal and concrete highway. But once you settle into one of the domes ($149 and seats from 4-6 people) you start to get into the spirit.


The décor and furniture vary in the domes. As I relaxed into the comfortable wooden chair (which felt like I was getting a hug) and pulled a blanket over my legs, that feeling of experiencing something different added a sense of excitement. Interestingly, the cozy enclosure makes the dinner feel intimate, but being able to peer out into the Bentway also ensures you don’t feel claustrophobic.


I just wish they didn’t keep harping on how the items within the dome weren’t complimentary and that staff members conduct an inventory count before and after the meal. Were guests really pilfering the pots of fake plants? Way to ruin the experience.

Now the first part of the title – Dinner. After reserving a dome, guests are required to select a dinner option (additional $99 per person) within 48 hours and can choose between meat, fish and vegan mains.

Let’s just say you don’t come for the food. The quinoa salad with ranch dressing was something I could have easily whipped up myself. Moreover, the random boring garnishes thrown in – chickpeas, pitted black olives, and frisee – felt like someone was cleaning out their fridge and decided to throw a bunch of ingredients together. Seriously, is it that difficult to at least roast some beets?  


I left hungry as the paltry portion of whitefish (with many soft bones left in) barely made a dent in my appetite. Sure, they could skimp on the protein but at least load-up the plate with more sides (slivers of mushroom, turnip puree, and roasted vegetables). At the very least, give out a bread basket. Note, the beef is slightly larger – although my friends complained it was too salty.


Dessert was a minor improvement with a fancy sounding rosemary vanilla crème brûlée topped with pear tuille. While the actual dish didn’t resemble the name – there was no brûlée and somehow the rosemary was chocolate instead. At least it tasted decent.


I’m sure Chef René Rodriguez tried his best with the challenging outdoor conditions. But, the meal was a flop. They should really stop touting his accolade of being a Canada’s Top Chef winner. I’ve had better meals attending conferences.

Nevertheless, our 7:30pm dinner was the perfect seating – at the start there’s plenty of sunlight so you’re able to navigate easily into the dome; we’re treated to the descending sun for the first half of the meal; and after it gets dark, the lighting and illuminated domes creates a dazzling back drop. I loved the night-time experience and couldn’t believe the one and half hours was over … I didn’t want to leave and felt like I could party all night. You’re definitely here for the experience, not the food.


I can’t finish this post without correcting a piece of fake news – no homeless people were forced to vacate the site to make room for the domes. During the opening weekend of the dinner, OCAP made a lot of fuss that a homeless camp was demolished and people were evicted in preparation for the event. In reality, that camp was located 2km away and the City of Toronto removed the tents for safety reasons; over the winter fires have broken out killing people in the process.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not disputing there’s a growing homeless problem in the city. It’s a visible issue that’s not only confined to downtown Toronto and something that has to be addressed. What I can’t agree with is how OCAP reacted to the event. Instead of protesting something that supports the Bentway and adds tax dollars into system, they could have approached the organizers to donate a portion of the proceeds to their cause or alternatively set-up a booth outside to raise awareness and solicit donations.

In a city where there’s a growing divide between the rich and the poor, do we really want to make the chasm even larger? Instead of pointing fingers and throwing insults, wouldn’t it be better to work together to enact positive change? 
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 250 Fort York Boulevard

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Honest Weight (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2018 by

Simply prepared fresh seafood is one of my favourite meals. Sadly with pollution and over harvesting, opportunities to enjoy truly sensational sustainable seafood are decreasing. Hence, when I heard about the rave reviews on Honest Weight and their co-owner John Bil’s commitment to using sustainable seafood, the restaurant made it onto my “must visit” list.

It’s only at a reputable seafood establishment that I get raw shucked oysters ($3 each). Indeed, every table at Honest Weight seemed to have a platter of them. Deliciously clean and salty, they were served with the customary red onion mignonette and shaved horseradish. A bottle of hot sauce is also included for an extra zip, but unnecessary for me.


What I wouldn’t do for another bowl of the Honest chowder ($12) a fantastic combination of lightly creamed broth with tons of clams, a few mussels, potato, fennel, and a hint of white wine. The seafood is left whole and appear to be freshly added to the soup, so they remain plump and sweet. It all comes with warmed Forno Cultura seeded sourdough, which has a nutty curry flavour. You must start with a bowl!


On a rainy day, the albacore tuna tataki ($17) was a welcomed ray of sunshine… if the sun is made from glorious pink tuna. The fish is seared on a low temperature so there’s only a slight ring around the tuna; the border between cooked and raw barely discernible. While the house-made ponzu could be saltier, the horseradish gives it a lovely kick and the sesame seeds and green onion simple garnishes.  


With four options for the pick yer fish ($29), the delicate local pickerel seemed like a great summer choice. Although the fish had a beautifully seared crust, it was too salty and overdone – luckily, pickerel is a forgiving fish. The smashed potatoes had such a lovely caramelized crispy crust they put hash browns to shame. Is it wrong I enjoyed the starchy side more than the fish?


A light meal calls for a light finish with a buttermilk panna cotta ($11), which was nice and creamy. There was plenty of garnishes to add flavour: macerated strawberries, candied pine nuts, basil slivers. Everything worked.  


You even get a taste of the east coast charm at Honest Weight - it’s an intimate environment and our waiter was candid and friendly. Just make a reservation; even on Sunday they were busy with patrons being turned away it they haven’t already secured a table. At least there’s a fish counter attached to the restaurant, worse comes to worse they can purchase something to go. While the dinner did take longer than normal (our waiter advised they were slammed at lunch so didn’t have adequate prep time for dinner), it’s such a tranquil environment that it didn’t matter. Just enjoy the easy breezy “seaside” dinner.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 2766 Dundas Street West

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

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Honest Weight Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


CLOSED: Doma (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, August 26, 2017 by

Doma offers an array of dishes they describe as "Korean with French inspiration or French with Korean influences". To keep things fresh, their menu changes monthly and only a few favourites from the previous month are carried forward. It’s a pretty democratic way to create a menu; as staff ask diners about their favourite dishes, the menu should be curated around the taste of customers.

Most people partake in their tasting menu where for $65 a person you try everything. In reality, for the sake of fairness, it’s really your democratic duty to sample it all so you can give a well-informed opinion on your favourite dish. If you’re not up for the task, the prices per dish have also been included in this post.

Within a short while of ordering, an amuse bouche is brought out. Being an acorn jelly, the actual jelly is neutral, so you’re greeted with a hit of spice from the finely diced kimchi and pickled onions with a slight saltiness added by the soy dashi. A refreshing summery start.


Meanwhile, the yook hwae ($18), a beef tartare that’s spiked with the spicy gochujang, is filled with flavours: of course there’s a bit of heat, but this is fairly delicate and balanced with sweet pear gel and pickled honey; black garlic aioli adds a lovely savoury creaminess. 

 The long strips of beef, instead of the customary diced pieces, takes getting used to as it’s difficult to scoop the tartare and causes the entire pile of meat to come off in one bite. Hence, you’ll need the aid of a fork and it’s best to break the rice and seaweed chips into smaller pieces to create one-bite portions. Nonetheless, the tartare tastes good and I enjoy the little pieces of cauliflower and broccoli mixed in for crunch. The chips are also kept neutral so they add texture without competing on flavours.

More than one staff member told us their grilled octopus ($20) is the sole dish that’s been on every menu since the start. In my opinion, this needs to be tweaked or retired. Sure, the slaw of cabbage, bell peppers, cucumber, pear jelly, and seaweed is good – it’s that mix of sweet, sour, and spicy flavours that’s synonymous with Korean flavours. Even the pickled grainy mustard on top really adds a pop to the salad. But then, the actual octopus, although meaty and tender is just SO sweet. If octopus can be rendered into a chewy candy, it’d resemble what Doma serves.


Instead, they should keep the sam gye tang ($24), a great rendition of the French chicken roulade where medallions of dark meat is stuffed, rolled, and then baked until the skin crisps up. The Asian flavours are brought in with the stuffing: a mix of ginseng, dates, and more meat. It’s tender and flavourful, and with a dollop of fragrant ginger and scallion paste even better. White and black fungus is added for crunch and also helps to soak up the oriental herb infused chicken veloute sauce in all its crevices. Of all the dishes, this was the greatest at amalgamating the French and Asian flavours in one plate.


If Doma doesn’t keep the uhsun mandoo ($26) forever on their menu, I’ll be seriously mad. What a seafood lover’s delight with a piece of wonderfully cooked white fish (could be pickerel), a large sweet prawn, and the best part, a mandoo, which is a Korean dumpling filled with crab encapsulated in a ravioli pasta. Each of the individual proteins already have sufficient flavours, but then you smear on onion or pea puree and the ingredients change again.


While the sweet potato rice cakes ($16) were good – a base of chewy Korean rice cakes filled with a creamy sweet potato puree - it could have been the dish that French flavours are featured more prominently. The European influence was in there with a light sprinkling of parmigian, but it didn’t really add much and everything else was more Korean focused. The tofu and pork belly ragout spooned onto the rice cakes is similar to the sweet bean paste sauce found in ja jang mein. In lieu of the ragout, it would be interesting to pair the rice cakes with a creamy sauce or replace it with a thicker beef bourguignon instead.


For being glazed in gochujang, I would have expected the pork belly ($26) to be spicier. Instead, it merely tastes sweet and savoury, especially with the grilled nectarines accompanying the dish. Overall, the flavour that was missing from Doma’s dishes is something spicy. Indeed, there was a bit of it from the kimchi in the amuse bouche, but afterwards everything else was void of the taste that is so popular in Korean cuisine. The pork belly could have been the opportunity to showcase spice, even if it was merely incorporated into a side dish with the meat. 

Nonetheless, I’m glad Doma invested in using a premium part of the pork belly where the meat and fat alternates in layers (rather than having one thick piece of each), it makes the pork belly less heavy and the flavours better-rounded.

When it came to dessert, the Korean influence flew out the window. The first dessert, an ode to corn ($10) wasn’t even French and instead best described as North American. Sweet corn ice cream is combined with salted caramel popcorn, sponge cake, and corn kernels. The sweet and salty dessert was good and the honey truffle sponge cake an interesting pulled fluffy texture. Nonetheless, it was a bit disappointing that it had nothing to do with Doma’s vision.

While the apple tarte tatin ($10) is definitely a nod in the French direction, it once again has no Korean influences (unless the country loves marshmallows). The dessert was just so sugary ... when there’s caramel sauce one doesn’t need marshmallows on top. Despite looking decent, it was just too sweet and even the fruit was overpowered.


While Korean cuisine isn’t known for desserts, there are still some notable dishes. Chewy glutinous rice creations, similar to mocha, could have been filled with fruit and topped with Chantilly cream to make a Doma appropriate sweet. With so many renditions of red bean paste encapsulated desserts (whether it be pan fried, baked, or deep fried), surely something French could have been incorporated into the pastries to give it a fusion twist.

Don’t get me wrong, with the exception of the octopus and apple tarte tatin, I was pleased with the taste of Doma’s August menu. If our waiter didn’t feel the need to explain that restaurant is known for French and Korean inspired creations, I could have just accepted the dishes as presented. But, if they really want to be known for marrying the two cultures, more dedication is required at ensuring every dish (not sure some) really showcase the spirit of each culture’s cuisine. Otherwise, it’d just be another mixed continental restaurant , which are a dime a dozen.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 50 Clinton Street
 

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

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Celebrating #Canada150 at Shoushin (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, July 09, 2017 by

Aside from the beautiful land, what I love most about Canada is our diversity and that we’re generally a country that celebrates multiculturalism. Being a child of immigrants, my parents left their families and travelled here for university. Of course, it wasn’t easy – getting comfortable with the language and having to work harder to prove their worth – yet, they love their decision and would never return to Hong Kong … Canada is home.

Hence, when it came time to celebrate Canada’s 150 anniversary, forgoing the typical BBQ and celebrating with Shoushin’s special Canada omakase ($150), served until the end of July 2017, seemed like the patriotic thing to do.

The first bite from the dinner is the mozuku, a refreshing start with finely cut seaweed slivers mixed with a sweet vinegar. Its consistency is a bit slippery, but since the seaweed has little flavour, it’s not off putting. Garnished with tomato pulp, grated ginger, and daikon slivers, these add a nice crunch and additional flavours to the starter to keep it interesting.

As a first experience goes, the lobster sashimi wasn’t horrible. Although it’s not something I’d want to eat again, the east coast crustacean actually had a crunchy consistency and wasn’t soft and gummy as expected. Chef Lin notes that lobster sashimi is really about the texture as it has little taste. He was right; while it was simply adorned with seaweed salt and wasabi, I still couldn’t taste much sweetness (something that seems to develop when it’s cooked).


The aroma emitted from the grilled unagi is heavenly, the perfume of sweet caramelized soy that makes you want to dig in right away. Since the eel is from Quebec, it’s much larger and hence meatier than the typical unagi found on rice or topping sushi. Glazed with mirin, soy sauce, and chocolate (if I heard correctly), it’s sweet and peppery thanks to the chilli berries on top. It would have been even better if it were cooked a touch less as I found one piece a tad chewy and dry.


Before the sushi procession begun, a bowl of nyumen arrives, the kelp and bonito infused broth swimming with silky somen noodles, crunchy snow peas, and earthy re-hydrated shiitake mushrooms. The dish is simple but wonderful, the soup ideal for readying the palette for the raw seafood that follows.


Starting light, the first piece of sushi was a Japanese flounder. While it’s a meaty fish, there’s an interesting almost fluffiness to its consistency.


Though the west coast big reef squid’s slightly sticky chewy texture isn’t the greatest, it’s not repulsive either and likely due to the thicker slice given. After getting past the consistency, it’s a nice light squid with the main flavours stemming from the swipe of soy on top.


The golden eye snapper is always a treat, even as a milder fish, there’s still a prevalent flavour to it and pairs rather nicely with the vinegar mixed into the rice. As commended in a previous post, Shoushin makes excellent rice: it’s heavier on the vinegar so that grains actually have flavour and the temperature is spot on (warm enough to enhance the fish without changing the temperature).

Shoushin also makes amazing horse mackerel sushi! Since the fish is cleaned so well any gamey fishiness is removed. On this occasion, they added a healthy sprinkle of green onion on top creating an extra zip to the sushi. It’s by far the best horse mackerel I’ve had.

Midway through the 11-piece sushi meal the tuna parade starts, following the leanest to fattiest sequence. The lean blue fin tuna has that vibrant red colour that’s so mesmerising. Meanwhile, the warmer rice with the medium chu toro was fantastic, causing the tuna taste to cover the tongue and linger even after the piece was finished.


Typically, the fattiest piece of the tuna comes from the otoro or tuna belly. In this case, Shoushin introduced me to the fattiest part of the tuna’s back, which still melts in the mouth and has a much stronger flavour.


After such lovely pieces of tuna, the gizzard shad was out of place. Having had it before, this piece was overly salty and the skin too thick – it felt like I was chewing forever when I just wanted to swallow the salty fish down.


The east coast surf clam wasn’t any better. At first it had a crunchy texture emitting a sweetness, but as chewing continued, the clam finished off with a fishy aftertaste. Take my advice: chew and swallow quickly, this isn’t one for savouring.


Thankfully, the following east coast scallop was better: with a hint of seaweed salt and lemon on top, the ingredients helped augment the scallop’s sweetness. Not having been blow torched, you could still taste the seafood in a delicate manner.


In lieu of the traditional hand roll, a piece of sushi topped with pop-in-your-mouth Canadian fish eggs arrived. With a light dusting of yuzu zest on top, it was a cold and refreshing ending.


Of course, we were also served a piece of tamago, which Shoushin does so well. The beautiful layers and rich delicately sweetened egg is the perfect bridge between sushi and dessert.

Whenever they serve some sort of rendition of a green tea pudding, that’s what I have for dessert. The matcha flavoured jelly is generally accompanied with a sweet red bean paste (a staple in Asian sweets) and a chewy unfilled glutinous rice ball. In this case, the Canadian theme continued with the pool of maple syrup on the bottom, helping to add a sweetness to the dessert.

While not as impressive as their general Yuri tasting menu, this one was still decent. However, for something classified as a special “Canada celebration” menu, it’s disappointing that less than half of the dishes were made from Canadian ingredients.

Understandably, sourcing an entire Canadian menu for sushi may be difficult, but at least the individual courses such as the seaweed (from Okinawa) and somen noodles (presumably from Japan) should be Canadian related. Either they could be sourced from Canadian ingredients (wouldn’t we produce seaweed?) or replaced with something signifying our country (an Angus beef tataki would have been delicious).

Without a doubt, I love Canada for its diversity. Nonetheless, perhaps refined sashimi and sushi should be left for other days of the year.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 3328 Yonge Street

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

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CLOSED: Teara Lab (Toronto)

Posted on Tuesday, July 12, 2016 by


Aside from the stark modern white interior and the employees donned in lab coats, Teara Lab has little in common with science. Rather the technical nature of the restaurant’s name was inspired by their desire to keep inventing new unique menu items; their lead scientist … er head chef … Frank Liu set out to create a menu of sandwiches, which combines hearty ingredients with a Japanese twist.

The Japanese influence was entirely evident in the yuzu teriyaki fish burger ($8.49), a baked basa filet glazed in a citrusy savoury sauce that’s surprisingly tart, in a good way. Such a refreshing sandwich despite having havarti cheese and crispy onions on top. The Ace Bakery black bun makes it stand out, but still tastes like any other bread – how amazing would it be to colour the bun with cuttlefish ink instead?

On the other hand, the red wine braised short rib sandwich ($13.99) didn’t remind me of the East at all, considering it was made up of beef, caramelized onions, and cheese. Really, at first glance it could be a Philly cheesesteak without the peppers. But, as you taste it carefully, the sautéed enoki mushrooms come through … subtle, but the “twist” is there.


In the end, does it matter? The short rib was delicious and flavourful, an unexpectedly thick chunk of it accompanying the sandwich. The soft hot dog bun doesn’t stand a chance holding up against the sheer amount of other ingredients (lettuce, tomatoes and crispy onions), it’s messy but worth every juicy sticky drop.


If the sheer number of toppings isn’t enough, you can really Canadianize any sandwich by adding extra cheese ($1) or candied bacon ($1.50). Plus, for an additional $2, they’ll include hot crispy seaweed dusted fries and a pop.

With all of Teara Lab’s interesting sounding drinks, it’s hard to settle for a Coke Zero. So, my friend and I upgraded to a slush, served in a take-out cup, which made it perfect for walking around with on a hot summer’s day. A drink upgrade, with a combo, is calculated as the drink’s menu price less $1.50.

The mango slush ($4.50 for the large) is fruity and refreshing, not unlike what’s commonly found in bubble tea cafes. I particularly enjoyed the matcha red bean slush ($4.70 for the medium): the cool ice having a rich green tea flavour and sweetness originating from the thick red bean mixture.


Teara Lab’s sitting area is surprisingly elegant for a quick-service restaurant: a clean palette of white marble and simple non-purse friendly black chairs. As you enter the restaurant, place an order than grab a seat, when the sandwich is ready it’ll be brought over.


The establishment’s website predicts it’s going to be the next Japanese trend, attracting throngs of hungry customers. I don’t know if it’s going to elicit ridiculous lines, but a large sandwich stuffed with premium ingredients, surely the crowds will leave at least satisfied.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
Disclaimer: The above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 181 College Street

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

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