It’s been over a decade since I last stepped into Cho Sun Ok and on a rainy weeknight it’s as busy as ever. Thornhill is an area that’s stocked with Korean restaurants, but somehow this place continues to draw a crowd since opening in 2004.

Having tried a host of the “individual” dishes on my first visit and finding none of them impressive, this time I switched gears an opted for a jeongol or Korean hot pot, which occupies a quarter of their menu.

For $50.95 the price of the gamjatang jeongol may seem steep but it’s the equivalent of three (if not four) pork bone soups. Even though the menu states it serves two, the dish is enough for four people if you add an appetizer and extra bowls of steamed rice. In fact, when the metal platter first arrives with uncooked glass noodles sitting on top, it’s so full that our server removes two bones and soup into a separate bowl to make room for the noodles to cook down.

The pork bone was boiled long enough so that they easily broke apart, allowing us to get to the meat without much work. Yet, the broth just wasn’t flavourful enough. Yes, it satisfied but didn’t contain enough spice to really whet the palette.

Luckily, Cho Sun Ok’s kimchi had more than enough heat to make up for the tame gamjatang broth. Combining a hunk of meat, a scoop of rice, and a piece of the crispy fermented cabbage made for a great bite. I was so impressed by the side dish that I got a small tub to go ($11.99).

The meal arrives with a nice selection of banchan including fish cake slices, kimchi (cabbage and daikon), sesame oil laced bean sprouts, and chewy gelatin slivers. It was more than enough for our duo, but they regularly came by to see if we needed anything else anyways.

If anything, what stood out most about this visit was the attentive service. Despite being packed and us sitting in the far corner of the dining room, food arrived quickly and there were always people walking by at regular intervals, so no one felt ignored.

It’s taken me a while to return and while I can’t say that I’ll become a regular of the restaurant, their kimchi is so good that it may have me stopping by for a grocery pick-up.

This is going to sound strange, but Lucie’s hospitality reminds me of an immigrant parents’ love towards their children. The care they show may not be excessively warm, attentive, or frequent, but deep down you can sense they care and will nurture where it matters most.

For example, they ensure you don’t make any rash decisions while hungry. Before you’re even presented with a menu or asked about drink preferences, Lucie ensures you’re hydrated with water and fed.

A structure of canapés is presented that pays tribute to Chef Arnaud Bloquel’s grandfather who tended to the family farm. After his morning tasks, he’d sit under an apricot tree enjoying the fruits of his labor. And hence, our first bites contain ingredients that could be found on a farm:

• A tube made from crispy potato filled with duck terrine and tartare. It’s a bite mixed with flavours and textures, awfully delicate but hearty as well.
• The thumb of toasted brioche with radish and cheese wasn’t as great but offered an earthy rustic flavour that screamed of rural life.
• And lastly, a sweet pea tart that looks light but covers a bed of herring mousse, so you’re greeted with a smoky briny punch. If your interest and taste buds weren’t present, they will be after these first bites.

Now let’s start talking menus. Once I saw the words ‘beef Wellington’, I knew the L’Experience Pithivier tasting menu ($160 per person) was the way to go. We decided against the wine pairing ($80 for half pairing and $130 for full) and treated ourselves to a glass of champagne instead ($45 for a glass of Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut).

The champagne cart was pushed over and the glasses poured with efficiency and without fan fare. Once whisked away, I looked down and was delighted by the procession of bubbles that rose from the specially dimpled glasses. The sommelier didn’t need to point out the feature, like an immigrant parent he allowed us to discover the special touches ourselves.

Not long after ordering an amuse bouche arrives: a dome filled with refreshing trout tartare topped with a vibrant basil sorbet that’s unexpectedly creamy and adds a wonderful element to the dish.

With a choice of two starters, the l’asperge verte offered me a taste of hopefully the first fruits of Ontario asparagus. The tender spears were lightly barbecued and adorned with a rich egg yolk sauce and lemon foam. On the side, a tart that’s described as being hazelnut based and topped with caviar - an atypical combination that works and was flavourful but light.

Before the main, we’re presented with a Campari sorbet that serves as a palette cleanser but also a mini cocktail. It’s a smart format, as I rather liked the drink before moving into a bolder red wine for the rest of the meal.

The whole wheat baguette didn’t seem exciting, just very rustic looking. Yet, as the butter cover was lifted, I could tell we’re in for a treat seeing the shiny golden hue. Sure enough, the butter’s made in-house and has a rich creamy finish, only made better when slathered onto the warm, hot, crusty baguette.

Upon seeing our empty plates, our server asks if we’d like more bread. Exhibiting some self control, I decided against it but did keep the plate in case another hunk of baguette was needed after the main. Thankfully, I didn’t fill up on more carbs as the le pithivier was huge!

Cut tableside, the golden puff pastry revealed two beef slices sandwiching foie gras. Topped with duxelles and a thin spinach layer, it’s a decadent beef Wellington. Because of the various layers and the fat from the foie gras, it was also extremely juicy and so flavourful that it really didn’t need the concentrated beef jus.

The hefty main was paired with a king mushroom salad, pickled shimeji mushrooms, and an herb custard. I really needed these blasts of acid and freshness to cut through the beef Wellington’s richness.

At this point, I was stuffed, even leaving portions of the puff pastry untouched. Yet, as the la griotte arrived, I still took a bite. At first glance, I thought it’d be a sweet I’d leave behind as chocolate and fruit (especially cherry) is detestable. But the light Morello cherry centre complimented the Armagnac foam nicely and the crispy toasted coconut nibs added a nuttiness that made it less cordial cherry and more like a boozy Eton mess.

Not only was the le citron olive oil cake pretty but also tasty with a thin cake base working  to keep the creamy citrus custard together. Lemon desserts can sometimes be too sour or too sweet, Lucie’s was nicely balanced and refreshing. On the side, a frozen lemon adorned with a lemon rosemary gelato, as if the tart wasn’t already enough.

For those who love chocolate the le chocolate noir is a firebomb of Valrhona Guanaja dark chocolate. The spiky flower encapsulating passionfruit and topped with a mango sorbet.  

The last arrival was a jewelry box of mignardises, each one deliciously different. We’re told to pop the entire chocolate ravioli into our mouth, but it doesn’t ooze out like water, rather like a luscious mousse.  The macaron was so delicate that I could hardly grasp it without it starting to crumble creating a bite that’s a cross between cake and macaron, the lightest and moistest one I’ve ever tried. And lastly, a chocolate cookie with a ganache centre and a nutty finish.

Lucie is a hidden gem I’m almost afraid to tell people about. Stumbling in with a last minute, day of reservation on a Saturday, we even saw walk-ins being seated… although the dining room eventually filled. With such delicious dishes I’m surprised it isn’t busier. Oh well, more beef for me. 

Sherway Gardens has added another restaurant, and this one also allows you to attend to your grocery errands. Like their other locations, Eataly houses a high-end grocery store, bakery, and restaurant in one. For those dining in, the complex offers casual grab-and-sit tables situated around the bakery as well as a traditional sit-down space occupying the left side of the building.

Eataly Ristorante’s menu focuses on Italian classics with an extensive array of appetizers, pasta, pizza, and main dishes. The cavolo nero salad ($17) uses a base of Tuscan kale that’s mixed with shaved Brussel sprouts for crunch. While I would have liked a bit more of the pecorino dressing on the leaves, at least it was well incorporated and went nicely with the golden raisins. The addition of crushed garlic breadcrumbs added texture that augments an otherwise common kale salad.

I was glad to see their tagliatelle alla Bolognese ($29) was heavy on the meat and light on tomato. It was just disappointingly tasteless. Having had the same dish at their Yorkville location, Sherway’s portion size was smaller and stingy on the sauce.

The Prosciutto e rucoloa pizza ($28) incorporated too much mozzarella. I know what you’re thinking: can there ever be too much cheese?! Yes, if starts to congeal into a globe than there’s too much cheese. The timing of when the arugula was added to the pizza also was poorly chosen, causing the leaves to be bound into the mozzarella. And even though there wasn’t too much tomato sauce, somehow the crust was still soft and soggy at the centre.

Something also seemed off about the Prosciutto… it didn’t taste fresh. Don’t get me wrong, it was likely fine as I had no stomach issues after the meal, but there was a slight odour or taste that just didn’t resemble the typical 18-month cured ham. 

With the glowing review our waitress gave the tiramisu di Eataly ($15), I was excited for the dessert as it incorporates a special mascarpone cream not found at the bakery version. And I’ll admit, as the cream is poured tableside, and the plastic barrier is removed so it oozes over the cake, there’s a showmanship to the presentation… whether it really added that much to the cake? I can’t tell.

Firstly, the tiramisu was extremely sweet - possibly because of the additional crème sauce - and lacked espresso flavours. The lady fingers hardly seemed “soaked” in espresso as noted on the menu. Still, it wasn’t a terrible dessert. I liked the cake to crème ratio. If only they decreased the sugar and increased the caffeine.

I’m not a fan of chocolate, especially not chocolate pudding, but must admit that if I did like that dessert Eataly’s budino al cioccolato ($12) would be wonderful. Thick, creamy, and rich the budino satisfies like a truffle by the spoonful. The layer of crumbled Devil’s food cake on the bottom was great for texture and they should consider incorporating more of it. And the sticky chocolate glaze on top not only helped with presentation but gave a fudgy swirl to the dessert. Alas, it was cloyingly sweet so that a teaspoon was all I could handle.

Eataly contains tons of tables so you wouldn’t think it’d be difficult to score a spot for a weekday lunch. Yet, with only two hostesses expect a wait just to be shown to an empty table. The time to placing an order and getting our food improves, but when it comes to paying trying to find someone is like hunting for Waldo.

In the end, the restaurant is just hopelessly understaffed, so lunch easily goes 2+ hours causing table turnover to grind to a halt. If you’re in a rush, I recommend asking for the bill as food’s presented, you might as well walk out of there on your own timing. After all, we got errands to get to.

Overlooking the outdoor “square” in the Shops on Don Mills is Añejo, a low-key Mexican restaurant that was surprisingly empty during a Saturday lunch. It’s a shame as they have a nice vibe, especially while seated in the enclosed heated patio where there’s a great indoor/outdoor feel even during colder weather.

If you’re going to start with chips and dip, I’d recommend the house salsa tasting ($16) over the tableside guacamole. Firstly, it includes more than just salsa, containing a small portion of guacamole and salty silky refried black beans, which is a great way to get a taste of everything. Of course, there’s also three salsas ranging from a mild pico de gallo, a medium salsa roja, to the spiciest salsa verde. They’re all lovely and fresh with the only drawback being the lopsided chip to dip ratio.

So, if you’re visiting during lunch, you should consider the speedy Gonzales lunch special ($16) along with the starter. Offered from 11am to 3pm daily, half the plate is filled with tortilla chips… more than enough to finish off the salsa.

With a choice of two classic tacos and a decent portion of guacamole, it’s a satisfying combination that kept me filled until dinner. The tacos are bland on their own but come with a crate of sauces for diners to customize to their own tastes.

The garlic mayonnaise goes well with the crispy fish taco, especially topped with pico de gallo and salsa roja to help cut through the oiliness of the over-battered fish. Meanwhile, all the hot sauces seemed to pair nicely with the braised beef taco. My favourite combination was with the spicier sauces as they held up against the beef, while the pickled radish helped to calm down the heat.

And what’s an amazing patio without a relaxing and friendly vibe? Since Añejo wasn’t packed, they also allowed us to sit around and graze through the chips and dip. It an establishment for those who want to chat and catch up over a leisurely long lunch.