Sushi Bong (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, March 25, 2018 by

If you live in the Yonge and Finch/Sheppard area, chances are you’ve heard about Sushi Bong, a small eatery that’s attached to the base a condo complex. To call it a restaurant would be a stretch, there’s three tables that could fit 10 people total so most customers will just get takeout. Online reviews generally credit the place for great food at cheap prices; I’ve been meaning to go for years but never made it in during their limited weekend hours. On a chance weekday lunch, the opportunity finally presented itself… an opportunity I wish never happened.

Being a first visit, I decided to “go big” with the Sushi Bong Special ($10.62), a dish that turned out to be a behemoth platter filled with a California roll, 4 pieces of salmon roll, and 5 pieces of sushi. The salmon looked a bit soft, but otherwise everything was presented nicely.


Then, I noticed a stack of boxes from a delivery that just occurred. On the bottom, sat two big boxes marked with ESCOLAR. If you don’t know why I have such an adverse reaction to seeing this word, pick up a copy of Larry Olmsted’s Real Food Fake Food, a must read for every food lover. Or you could just refer to Wikipedia that describes the escolar’s wax ester content, which can cause “fish poisoning” with symptoms ranging from “stomach cramps to rapid loose bowel movements, occurring 30 minutes to 36 hours following consumption.”


To make matters worse, they began unpacking the boxes of frozen fish, hoisting the vacuumed pack fillets on the table behind me. Aside from the queasy feeling in my stomach, I also felt the ominous chill escaping from the unpacked fish. I gulp down an entire cup of hot tea.

I managed to get down the California roll and a couple of pieces of the salmon roll, but had to leave the rest – especially the white fish that was sure to be escolar. There was a sense of guilt from wasting food and seeing them look over at my half-eaten plate, but I couldn’t do it - each bite became harder and harder to swallow.

In reality, how was it? The rice to toppings ratio, if you don’t factor in the quality of the toppings, is great. Sushi Bong’s California roll is much heartier than other restaurants, even incorporating a piece of salmon - in my case, more of disappointment than joy. While everything looks good, the fish tastes terrible – a soft spongy texture that’s a telltale sign of dethawed frozen fish. If it weren’t for the crunchy cucumbers in the California roll, the experience would be even worse.

In reading recent the online reviews, most people still comment on Sushi Bong’s big portions and low prices, both accurate descriptions. Just remember, there’s a reason for it, and that icy escolar chill is one that I won’t forget.  


Overall mark - 3 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 5 Northtown Way

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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!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:
Sushi Bong Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Francobollo (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, March 24, 2018 by
Francobollo Toronto

While there are tons of Italian restaurants in the York Mills/Lawrence area in North York, Francobollo stands out with their fancy contemporary décor … it’s the place to go to for a nice date night or a swanky evening with the ladies. The restaurant is also about the little touches - like the soft focaccia accompanied by a mini bottle of warmed olive oil. While storing the oil in a warm place causes it to spoil faster, this wasn’t a problem at Francobollo as the golden oil tasted bright and vibrant.


Sitting by the kitchen we could smell the arancini ($16) as it was prepared, how intoxicating the aroma can be for deep fried, smoked provolone smothered products. The arancini’s coating was thin and after breaking through we're greeted with soft risotto rice flecked with wild mushrooms and laced with truffle oil. The starter was good, especially with the hearty tomato sauce that’s thick enough so the crispy balls don’t get soggy.


The burrata ($23) was a sizeable portion, the cheese’s lovely creamy consistency going well with the juicy heirloom tomatoes dressed with basil, thickened balsamic, and olive oil. However, I could have done without the plum pieces, which were hard and somewhat sour and detracted from the dish.


First introduced as a special of the day, the lobster pappardelle ($29) has become a permanent fixture. I can see why the dish was popular: the thick egg noodles are done perfectly and the spicy rose sauce adding just a hint of heat and the perfect consistency to completely cover each noodle. Moreover, Francobollo doesn’t skimp on the lobster; with the concave dish, it’s sizeable portion of pasta as well.


Assuming the restaurant has access to fresh fish daily, they should consider adding the grilled whole orata ($39) to the menu as well.  While the kitchen will filet the fish for you, there’s something about having the meat stay intact on the bone that makes it juicier and more flavourful. So, I asked for it to be left whole and did the work myself.


The orata was nice and flaky, but since the plate was very hot, the bottom of the fish became overcooked by the time I got to it. To be fair, the kitchen already placed it on top of garlic smashed potatoes, roasted parsnips, asparagus, and rapini (to keep it from directly touching the plate). Short of removing the fish and putting it another plate when served, it’d be difficult to stop it from becoming overdone – something that would happen if you’re sharing the fish, especially since it’s a significant portion.

While my husband and I were both stuffed, we continued with dessert to keep the evening going. The mille-feuille ($9) crispy pastry and custard layers were well-balanced, but the dessert could have forgone the raspberry coulis. Meanwhile, the tiramisu ($12), although very creamy, was too sweet and didn’t incorporate enough espresso to balance out all the mascarpone.


Despite the average desserts, the rest of the meal was delicious and Francobollo has now joined the rotation for date-night dinners in the neighbourhood.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1959 Avenue Road

 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!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Francobollo Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Tabule Middle Eastern Cuisine - Bayview (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, March 17, 2018 by

Mezze are to Middle Eastern cuisine what tapas are to Spain: small plates generally accompanying drinks. They’re nibbles to start on or could be an entire meal in itself. They’re the dishes that draw me to Middle Eastern food and are ideal for sharing amongst friends.

Tabule has a variety of hot and cold options to choose from. Most tables share their sampler platter ($15.95), which gives diners a choice of three cold mezze from four options. Their hummus is thick and lightly laced with garlic, the babaganuj incorporating tons of roasted eggplant but could use more spices, and the tabule fantastic with a zippy lemony kick that’s goes well with meaty mains or tossed into hot rice.


To eat the dip, you will need an order of their regular pita bread ($0.50) or the gluten free laffa ($3.75 and pictured below). The latter is worth the extra money as it’s made-to-order, arriving hot, giving off a lovely smoky aroma, and incorporates a lovely chewiness in the dough.


For a vegetable that’s known to be a sponge, the fried eggplant ($7.95) isn’t overly greasy. In fact, get through the lightly crisped coating and you’re greeted by a soft almost creamy eggplant. Our dish arrived without the lemon garlic dressing, but it was still tasty and I ate my plain, not wanting the vegetable to get cold.


The sole disappointing mezze was the warak enab ($10.95), the layers of grape leaves too thick and the inside a plain lemony rice. Where was the tomatoes, garlic, and spices that were promised on the menu? Moreover, the yoghurt dipping sauce, reminding me of the Indian raita, didn’t exactly go with the dish. A warm spicy tomato sauce may be better suited.


Tabule’s falafel salad ($11.95) is hearty enough to be a main with a third of the plate occupied by crispy fluffy falafels. Generally, I shy away from these chickpea nuggets as they’re often dense and dry – Tabule knows what they’re doing, they’re one of the best I’ve eaten!


While the lamb chops ($30.95) were cooked way beyond the requested medium rare, the aged lamb was still tender and moist. Each piece had a great charbroiled flavour and arrives with plain chunks of sautéed vegetables. Sadly, the rice wasn’t substituted with müjaddara (extra $1.50), as ordered, instead in its plain form topped with onions – fine, but nothing special. Lucky for me there was still some of the tabule and babaganuj left, both went wonderfully with the rice.

Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 2901 Bayview Mews Lane (at Bayview Village)

 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!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Tabule Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Amalfi Coast Ristorante (Thornhill)

Posted on Saturday, March 10, 2018 by
Whenever I’m asked about the best pasta consumed, I’m transported back to a pier in Positano. Tired from hours of walking along the hilly landscape, we settled into a random restaurant and decided to split a seafood spaghetti and drinks. My expectations were tempered, given we were on the pier where cruise ships drop off guests, thinking it’d be a tourist trap. One swirl of the pasta in the light flavourful sauce and I was in heaven. The meal was before my blogging days so the exquisite pasta was never documented, a distant memory that I’d love to experience again.

Hence, when I heard about Amalfi Coast Restaurant, I could taste the al dante pasta and garlicky tomato wine sauce right away. Of course, there were some differences: the restaurant is in Canada, the dining room more opulent, and I didn’t need to walk for hours before dining.

Then again, the chittarra pasta allo scoglio ($25.50) wasn’t even close to the quality of the Positano restaurant. While the spaghetti noodles were homemade, it’s also means the pasta is too soft and doughy. Perhaps, it sat too long at the pass, but the dish could be hotter and there was little left of the olive oil and wine sauce. The pasta needed more salt and didn’t contain any clams (as noted on the menu), but at least what was included was cooked decently.


If you’re ordering pasta, stick with the scialatielli allo stile amalfitana ($22). The creamy tomato vodka sauce is thicker so doesn’t soak into the thick homemade egg noodles and the flavours go well with the plump tiger shrimp.  


Their burrata di bufala ($15) was creamy and buttery, but served too cold and didn’t incorporate enough olive oil or salt. Nonetheless, for the price, you received a surprisingly large portion of the burrata, which also arrives with ample slices of cured bresaola and a simple arugula and torn radicchio salad.


Amalfi’s margherita pizza ($14.50) incorporated enough toppings – sweet tomatoes and a relatively thick layer of cheese – which also has the downfall of rendering the centre of the pizza soggy. Luckily, the crust had a nice smoky essence and a nice chewiness.


Personally, I preferred the bruschetta ($3), each crispy piece of olive oil covered crostini topped with garlicky tomatoes, oregano and cheese.


What stops me from awarding Amalfi a 7 (out of 10), is their service. While everyone was friendly, they just weren’t attentive, despite checking in so often. Some suggestions, to the restaurant:

  • Avoid having staff remark to dinner guests, “You’re all finally here”, especially when they’re only late by 10 minutes and another employee has already said something similar. It’s awkward for everyone at the table.
  • Limit the people approaching a table with questions to two individuals. We had at least three people asking similar things throughout the meal that it was annoying being interrupted so often.
  • If someone is training, make sure someone is around to teach them. While the trainee was bubbly and nice, she was so nervous and hesitant that it made the experience awkward. Especially, stopping our conversation every time she refilled the water by asking each person whether they wanted more – just re-fill it.
  • If there’s a private event, bring in more staff or don’t take reservations. Our waiter wouldn’t let us order appetizers first (while deciding on the mains), stating that they were too busy and he wanted to put everything in at the same time. It’s a bit rude, especially since the dining room was only 70% filled.
  • Most importantly, have someone keep track of whether tables are getting what they ordered. After finishing all the appetizers, our drinks still didn’t arrive. I finally had to follow-up with someone, even with two people coming by and asking about the food. Why did no one notice we were without wine and beer?
Unfortunately for my taste buds, the Amalfi Coast Restaurant is no match to a random restaurant by the Positano pier. 

Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Thornhill, Canada
 Address: 8020 Bathurst 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!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Amalfi Coast Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

CLOSED: Crazy Don (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, March 03, 2018 by
If you’re starving and deep-fried pork products don’t faze you, Crazy Don may satisfy the hunger. Their combos offer the crispy donkatsu with either bacon kimchi fried rice or udon (both $15.95), a reasonable price for the ample portions. Aside from the main, the meal also comes with passable miso soup and a selection of crispy banchan (vegetarian side dishes). 

The namesake pork cutlet could be better: ideally served on a cooling rack so the bottom doesn’t touch the plate and become mushy; more seasoning is required so that the only flavour doesn’t stem from the thickened Worcestershire sauce; and the meat cut thinner so it’s not as chewy.    


As for what to pair it with? It’s hard to go wrong with bacon kimchi fried rice – smoky bacon and spicy fermented cabbage goes so well with rice. The side isn’t even greasy, likely the bacon fat used in lieu of oil.


However, I prefer a bowl of udon; it doesn’t feel as heavy and the hot salty katsuobushi broth a nice respite against the dry cutlet. The bulgogi version arrives unadorned with beef, but push to the bottom and you’ll find a few slices of the thinly sliced meat. The meagre protein didn’t bother me too much, since there was already a fair sized donkatsu to get through. What I did find odd was the uncooked Shanhai bok choy on top – luckily the soup is scalding hot so a few minutes in the bowl helped wilt the vegetable. Thankfully, Crazy Don doesn’t skimp on the noodles, which are lightly cooked so they stay chewy throughout the meal.


In lieu of the donkatsu, LA kalbi ribs ($18.95 with fried rice or $19.95 with udon) can also accompany combos. While it doesn’t quite have the smoky barbequed taste normally found at Korean restaurants, it’s nonetheless tender and flavourful.


Out of the two proteins, I found the kalbi was better executed than the donkatsu. Who knows, maybe Crazy Don should consider rebranding itself Crazy Kal instead.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 5175 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!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:



CLOSED: Skippa (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, February 24, 2018 by


How do I know a meal is going to be one of my top picks? It’s a twinge of sadness I feel at the end: signifying the experience is over and I’m uncertain when it’ll happen again. Oh yes, Ian and Kati Robinson’s Skippa is that good. It’s where you go for upscale sushi for under $100 (taxes and gratuities included) and the chef isn’t scary like Jiro.


In fact, Skippa’s vibe is laid back – an open kitchen so you can see what Ian and team are doing, Kati at the pass calling out orders. There’s no military responses of “yes Chef!”, instead the kitchen working as a well-oiled machine, Ian going around to answer questions and have a taste of broth when he’s not busy creating the sushi piece-by-piece.


Right after ordering, a slice of lotus root filled with wasabi infused egg yolk is presented. For something seemingly simple, it’s surprisingly flavourful and perfect for those who liked deviled eggs.


Before getting into the omakase portion of the meal, we couldn’t help but tuck into a couple of appetizers. A freshly made chawanmushi ($7) where the egg is silky and studded with shredded chicken and sliced mushrooms. While the custard was comforting and savoury, it’d be even better if the broth ratio was lowered as the custard broke apart so much that it was difficult to scoop using the small thick wooden spoons.


With two grilled fish specials, we had to try one. The grilled sawara (Spanish mackerel) collar ($5) was fantastic, cooked beautifully with a simple sprinkling of salt. We’re told to add a squeeze of lemon and smear of radish to taste; the citrus was great but I ended up scraping off the too bitter radish. For those who are afraid of bones, there will be a few you need to pick out, but the tender flavourful collar meat is well worth it.

If you’re just getting into “artisanal” sushi, Skippa is a great place to try it. Their omakase ($42) is a manageable seven pieces or you can always order by the piece (prices included below) to make your own menu. Like other upscale restaurants, the sushi is served separately arriving at the optimal hand-warmed temperature. Ian requests us to use our hands; a wet towel is provided to wipe your fingers to remove any rice or sauce residue.  

If you’re not overly hungry, the omakase dinner already includes two smaller starters – a cube of nutty soft sesame tofu with freshly grated wasabi and a sweet broth; and a spoon of soba where the noodle is overdone but the rich kombu broth delicious.  

A taste of sashimi follows, a clean and meaty grouper where I appreciate they include a leaner and fattier cut so you can taste the flavour nuances. Their house made soy sauce pairs nicely given it’s slightly thicker (so coats onto the meat better) and has a slightly sweet finish.


“Each dish is served as it is ready and in no order.” Skippa's menu warns the diner. Indeed, the sushi bounces between lighter and stronger fishes and not necessarily in the order written on the menu. We start with the kinmedai ($4), a goldeneye seabream, which is a light and neutral fish. Aside from the soy, the piece allows you to focus on the sushi rice, wonderfully warm and the optimal sticky consistency, but could use more vinegar.


Chef Ian previously worked at Sushi Kaji, and you can see Chef Kaji’s influences in the Western toppings used on the sushi. The piece of madai ($4.25) reminded me most of Kaji, who also uses lemon, olive oil, and salt a lot as garnishes. At Skippa, the salt is not as powerful and ends with an almost sweet flavour.


Our second sawara ($4.50) takes the Spanish mackerel and smokes it with Japanese hay. It’s very light so the essence lingers in the background and if anything, the most prominent tastes is the kick of radish from the dollop on top. Unlike with the grilled fish starter, the smaller portion of radish works better and nicely rounds out the cool fish.


The sayori ($4.75) is such a beautiful piece of sushi, with the glint of silver skin against the crystal white fish. Also known as half beek, the fish is mild and perfect for introducing someone to raw fish without going the maki route.


I was a little disappointed the maguro ($4) on the menu didn’t arrive. However, the aji or horse mackerel it was replaced with was wonderfully executed, cleaned well so there was no hint of fishiness. Adorned with garlic, instead of the customary green onion, it worked.


Luckily, the tuna did make an appearance in the temaki ($6) handroll. Unlike the other pieces of sushi, these were whisked to each person (rather than by table) and we’re encouraged to eat it right away before the toasted seaweed, sourced from Japan’s Tsukiji Market, got soggy. Undeniably, it was crispy and the flavourful tuna mixed with a spicy sauce so you didn’t even need the soy sauce.

In terms of the use of soy, with each piece Ian either tells you to dip or not. The one flaw of needing to dip is the garnishes make it challenging to fully flip over the sushi so you’re dipping the fish rather than the rice (the preferred method to ensure not too much soy is soaked into the rice). I guess it goes with Skippa’s laid back vibe, but personally think if a chef’s going to be particular about whether sushi gets soy, he should just paint it on for the diner to make sure the optimal amount is on each piece.   

Before the final piece of tamago, we added on the wagyu ($9), the well marbled beef lightly seared so the oil mixes with the sweet glaze and covers the tongue in a rich sauce. Absolutely delicious!  

The final tamago ($2) wasn’t the best interpretation. Perhaps it was due to the thick angular chunk the sweet egg was cut into, but it was too dense and lacks aroma since it doesn’t include the seared portion of the egg on top.

While it’s out of character, I didn’t read any reviews prior to going to Skippa, just a brief “first look” type of article. Therefore, when I heard our dessert options were ice cream and sorbet, I turned it down. It wasn’t until I glanced over at the group beside us and saw them gushing over the ice cream that I flagged down our waitress in a last-ditch effort get the dessert within our two-hour seating window.

Skippa’s roasted green tea ice cream ($5.50) is made in-house and while I’d prefer it harder, the ice cream was very creamy and has the nuttiness of sesame that goes so well with green tea. It’s good, you’ll want it.    

After all that, two hours flew by in no time and our dinner was over. Yes, I felt that twinge of sadness that a delicious meal came to an end, but since Skippa is affordable, it’s also not a once-a-year-only place. I’m already excited to return in the summer. Maybe the space outside will turn into a patio, but I’ll be back at the sushi bar, amid all the action. 
Overall mark - 9 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 379 Harbord 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!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:
Skippa Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


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