Lobster Port (Markham)


In late 2024, Lobster Port became the “go-to” restaurant for family dinners with my dad. It’s centrally located for our clan, parking is easy, the food is good, and it doesn’t take too long to get through a multi-course dinner (about an hour and a half on most visits). Service is fairly friendly, albeit not the most attentive. They’re not perfect, but hits most of the elements we look for in a place to gather.

And since we generally visit as a large group, their set meals are a staple order. The Peking duck and lobster menu ($528) easily feeds ten and begins with one of our favourite dishes, a Peking duck. It’s carefully sliced table side and presented with a host of garnishes: traditional hoisin, cucumber, and green onion, but also cantaloupe and plum sauce as well.

The duck was lean but tender and the skin crispy without being too fatty. Their wraps are on the smaller site – so it’s difficult to put more than a slice of duck if you’re a fan of garnishes - but they did provide ~16 wrappers, so it was enough for most people to get a second.

Restaurants tend to offer either lettuce wraps or chopped up duck for the second course of the Peking duck. At Lobster Port, they switch it up by cutting the carcass into bite sized pieces and stir frying them to create a sautéed duck with scallion in soy sauce. It radiates wok hay, and the sweet soy makes the bony duck so tasty that we finished the dish.

During busy weekend visits, you may have to serve the fresh crab meat and fish maw thick soup yourself, as was the case with our table. In this instance, I would have preferred the soup in a deep bowl as the large shallow dish makes spooning difficult. Nonetheless, the soup was good, a nice consistency with tons of seafood scattered throughout and enough flavour.

Of course, most patrons visit Lobster Port for lobster and the stir-fried lobster with Maggi sauce didn’t disappoint, all six pounds of it. Rather than providing one large lobster, the dish was made from three smaller ones. Personally, I don’t mind this combination as I find the shell isn’t as thick and the meat more succulent. Plus, there are more claw and tail pieces to go around.

Their lobster was lightly dusted before being flash fried and then stir fried with the ideal amount of Maggi sauce, it was flavourful without being overly saturated with the sweet sauce that can sometimes overpower. It was also cooked well so the lobster remained sweet and tender.

While I’m not a fan of sea cucumber, their stir-fried king mushrooms, fresh abalone, and sea cucumbers had the ingredient chopped into small pieces, so they soaked up the satay sauce without becoming mushy. Some people found the dish salty, but it was perfect for me, especially paired with the abalone that would otherwise be tasteless.

The crispy salt and pepper beef bites looked weird arriving heaped into a bowl with fried King mushrooms and asparagus on the side. Did they run out of serving platters, so they had to present them separately? Still, the lightly battered beef bites were tasty, tender with a slightly crunchy coating. If you like popcorn chicken, you’ll love this dish.

Their steamed green bass with green onion presents the soy sauce in a separate vessel so it remains hot. Poured on table side, you can customize how salty you want the fish, which was steamed well – just cooked through so it’s flaky and moist.

With all the heavier dishes, I would have preferred a lighter vegetable dish, such as a simple snow pea shoot with garlic. Rather the meal comes with stir-fried pork jowl and green beans, which would be okay if the green beans weren’t flash fried so that they feel a little greasy and heavy. It’s not a bad dish, at least the pork jowl slices were tender and meaty and the seasoning well balanced.

While the garlic seafood fried rice lacked colour, it wasn’t missing any aroma. The dish smelled incredible and was a solid finish. The best part was it didn’t too long to arrive, a common occurrence with set meals where the final dishes sometimes get forgotten and put on the back burner.

Fully sedated after the filling meal, I forgot to take a picture of dessert: a white fungus and date sweet soup. It was surprisingly hot containing a generous amount of ingredients. I don’t always like this dessert, but during the winter it does feel soothing on the throat. A platter of delicious lychee and goji berry jelly and crumbly butter cookies also arrive for one last sweet bite.

I sense visits to Lobster Port will continue into 2025, with the biggest dinner challenge to come… Lunar New Year. How will the restaurant fair during the most manic times of the year? More to come.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Markham, Canada
 Address: 7501 Woodbine Avenue


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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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Pho Hue (Toronto)

I stumbled upon the Pho Hue while looking for another restaurant. Ultimately, I never did find Le Pho so maybe they have already been replaced. That’s the danger of being in a plaza where noodle restaurants are a dime a dozen, it’s difficult to stand out and thrive.

Pho Hue has an extensive menu with a variety of traditional dishes along with some speciality items and sandwiches as well. Their actual pho is slightly smaller than other restaurants, but prices trend lower as well so it’s a good choice for smaller appetites. I easily polished off the large ox tail rice noodle soup ($19.95), as there wasn’t a lot of noodles. But it did have plenty of fall-off-the-bone ox tail, which was a nice change from the typical flank or brisket and easier to eat than a hulking beef rib.

The broth was satisfying - piping hot, salty enough, and relatively clear. Perhaps, not quite as nuanced in flavour as some places, it still hit the spot on a cold winter day. I enjoyed all the fresh herbs garnishing the bowl, they gave the dish a bright punch.

Their noodles were 100% better than the complimentary vegetarian spring roll (normally $7.95 for two pieces) that was given in return for posting a Google review. I’ve had better spring rolls at buffets: at least they’re not as oily and even buffet fillings are more substantial than the paltry cabbage and carrot that makes up Pho Hue’s. It’s a shame Pho Hue serves their spring rolls plain… a vinaigrette would really help cut through the oiliness.

At least service was friendly and because it’s not overly busy very attentive. During their grand opening period, they’re also offering 10% off, so the meal was at least budget friendly. Just make sure to bring something other than a credit card as they are cash and debit only.

If Pho Hue were situated elsewhere, I could potentially return for another meal. But since they’re in a plaza with so many other options, their offering wasn’t overly impressive, even though I do like ox tail. Good luck to you.

In a nutshell... 
  • Must order: ox tail rice noodle soup
  • Just skip: spring rolls

Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 2190 McNicoll Avenue, Unit 101


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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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Taline (Toronto)

When you hear the word ‘Taline’, what emotions or thoughts does it evoke? If you’re Armenian, you may find it to be a name for females, meaning “sunshine” or “rise”.  But for me, I envision a tranquil cozy environment surrounded by a feeling of warmth. 

Upon stepping into the restaurant, it partially mirrored my thoughts. The dining room, separated across two floors, was cozy and dimly lit with lighting predominantly emitted from table lamps. It just wasn’t tranquil… tables were squished together and there was loud music blaring.

At least their food was comforting. The banru ($16) was described as a three-cheese dip, in which I could decipher two – cream cheese and feta – creating a thick, smooth but textured spread reminiscent of a cheese ball. It’s salty with a ting of spice (from Thai chili jam) and was topped with three circles of charred carrots that provided a neutral finish. The spread was served with hot toasted matnakash, an Armenian flatbread that’s soft but surprisingly dense so a slice was enough.

Taline’s fattoush ($28) eliminates lettuce and uses roasted squash, cucumbers, sweet persimmon, and microgreens instead. Tossed with a well-seasoned pomegranate and shallot vinaigrette, the salad was almost salsa like – sweet, salty, tangy – all things good on a fork. In lieu of pita, chunks of toasted matnakash create croutons that soak up the salad’s juices.

Taline should consider reordering how appetizers arrive as the mante ($30) needs to be served first. Being a more neutral dish - simply seasoned with sumac, mint, and tomato consommé – it seemed bland compared to the other flavourful starters. For me, the meat screamed for seasoning and a tomato sauce (instead of a consommé) would be more flavourful and stick to the wrapper, which was a bit hard and could benefit from being softened.

Still, I liked that Taline’s mante doesn’t rely on tons of yoghurt, just a bit of it at the bottom, and instead focuses on the actual dumpling – beautifully made containing an ample portion of ground beef. Once I smeared the mante with banru and topped it with a few vegetables from the fattoush, it was delicious. So, maybe you need to eat the dumplings in conjunction with other starters.

Lamb chop fans must try the vochkhar ($58). Its spice rub creates a flavourful but not overly salty crust that’s delicious plain or with a smear of the garlicky herbed yoghurt sauce. Cooked to a medium/medium rare, the lamb was deliciously tender served with pearl couscous that soak up excess meat juice. Yet, at first bite, you wouldn’t know the chops are tender as the “steak knives” were so dull that a regular serrated butter knife would work better. Please Taline, switch out the knives.

As the maitake jasmine broth was poured over the dikranagerd pilav ($30), an intoxicating aroma flooded the table. And while I loved the soft flavourful mushroom studded rice, the overly thick dough wrapped around the grains detracted from the dish. It doesn’t need the dough, served with a thick smoked labneh and bright barberries the rice on its own is enough.

Dining at Taline does require patience, especially during the busy weekend dinner service. It takes a while to get a drink (our cocktails arrived after the first appetizer) and we were never asked if we wanted a second. Even water refills were slow, finally picking up after half the tables left. While not deal breakers, if you’re a thirsty table, I’d recommend ordering a bottle of wine and asking for a carafe of water.

At least the people working there are knowledgeable and forthcoming about their small but mighty menu. Taline’s not stuffy; it feels familial. And like a good family dinner, the meal was delicious and comforting, just not necessarily tranquil. 

In a nutshell... 
  • Must order: vochkhar (lamb chops), fattoush
  • Just skip: dikranagerd plav (rice)

Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1276 Yonge Street


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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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Le Lert (Toronto)

As a brunch staple goes, eggs benny still tops my list. Still, there are times I’m craving something different, even if it’s just slightly enhanced for brunch. Enter Le Lert, a Thai influenced restaurant located near College Station. Don’t worry, they still serve a plethora of egg dishes, it’s just that it’s paired with pork belly and tom yum instead.

Such as the pork belly avo ($20) where a silky scrambled egg omelette is covered with slices of roasted pork belly and placed on avocado toast, which is great for soaking up the other ingredients. The dish is drizzled with thinned hoisin creating a sweet and savoury flavour that’s so different from the traditional salt and pepper.

And for vegetarians, their vegan menu offered some of our favourite dishes of the meal. The coconut curry used in the jackfruit curry ($22) was fragrant and just flavourful enough to entice you to have one more bite. Using large chunks of the fruit, it soaked up the sauce’s flavours and provided a meaty texture to the dish. It’s not exactly brunch but add some of the omelette to the curry to create a hearty meal.

Even though it was the last dish to arrive, the jackfruit dip ($13) could be a great starter. Jackfruit is tossed with Thai salsa, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and a chili jam, creating a flavourful concoction that’s spicy, sour, and slightly sweet. It’s great spooned onto the extra-large pappadums or works wonderfully as a condiment.

You’ll want to make sure you order the jack fruit dip and pork belly avo to go with the salmon tom-yum quesadilla ($18) as there wasn’t an ounce of tom-yum in the dish. Still, the well toasted quesadilla contained a generous portion of salmon fillet, and the poached egg added a nice rich saucy element. Yet, add some of the extra smashed avocado and the jack fruit dip onto the tortilla and the dish is perfect. And for the price, it’s a very big portion.

The umami pasta ($26) sees spaghetti swimming in a creamy miso sauce liberally topped with tobiko. Topped with seaweed and scallop, Le Lert’s not kidding when they say this is an umami laced pasta. Though I’d find it too rich for a single person, instead great for sharing.

Le Lert offers an extensive drinks menu – both alcoholic and virgin. The black jack matcha highball ($14.95) could have used a bit more of the jasmine honey syrup to sweeten the whisky, matcha powdered, and blood orange juice, but it was refreshing and had a floral element from the mint syrup, yuzu, and orange blossom.

Some customers may find the font a bit hard to read but since a lot of their cocktails are card inspired (Black Jack, Queen, King, Ace, Joker) maybe you just close your eyes and pick a card. Sometimes in life you need to try something different, give it a chance.

In a nutshell... 
  • Must order: jackfruit curry, pork belly avo
  • Just skip: salmon tom-yum quesadilla 

Overall mark - 8 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 27 Carlton Street
 Website: https://lelert.ca/


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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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Modu Three Brothers 魔都三兄弟 (Toronto)

Noodle restaurants seem to be springing up along Midland monthly. Seriously, travel along the street between Finch and Steeles and there are dozens of options. Modu Three Brothers is a newcomer to the crowd offering Chongqing specialties, a large region of China that’s located in the south close to Tibet.

It’s an area where sheep are a popular source of protein. The Chongqing lamb skewers ($5.99 for two) are shallow fried slightly crisping up the crevices and dusted with cumin and chili powder. The bite sized morsels are like a flavourful popcorn lamb, tender and tasty without the gaminess.

Modu’s menu is dominated by noodles with so many choices that choosing between the soup base, protein, and noodle types can be dizzying. We settled on their signature braised beef noodles ($15.99), which reminded me of the Taiwanese/Shanghainese version of the noodles except adorned with crispy fried yellow beans and chives… I enjoyed the freshness of the chives but could do without the oily hard mini chickpeas.  

Modu uses a digitized ordering process where diners scan a QR code at the table. It is helpful for customization requests given we wanted the beef noodles to be a mild spicy level. Our instructions were dutifully followed so despite the savoury broth looking fiery red the spiciness was tame.

For those who don’t want an ounce of heat, the signature freshly boiled chicken soup with noodles ($13.99) features a spice less broth that has a rich chicken taste. It was a tad oily for me but goes well with the noodles and garnishes.

At first, it may seem like the kitchen forgot the chicken but dig to the bottom and you’ll find a handful of chopped pieces. There’s not a lot of fowl and it does include the bones, so if you’re in the mood for big morsels of meat, you’ll want an order of the fried chicken on the side. Any chicken used in this dish is more for flavour than sustenance.

Yet, you’ll never leave Modu hungry as they offer free noodle refills. Simply request an order online and in a few minutes a bowl will arrive (about a cup and a half). Personally, I enjoy my noodles with a springy texture, so I did find Modu’s too soft. If you’re like me, I’d recommend requesting the noodles do be cooked less when ordering.

Torontonians are spoiled with the noodle offerings found across the city. If you don’t want to travel extensively, make your way up to Midland in Scarborough and you can easily create a slurplicious noodle crawl.

Overall mark - 6 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 3260 Midland Avenue


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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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Evan’s Seafood (Dartmouth)

If you’re taking the ferry from Halifax to Dartmouth, Evan’s Seafood is a great lunch location. The restaurant’s patio is visible as you reach the ferry terminal and once you see their food it’s difficult to continue without stopping.

Evan’s Seafood uses a fast-casual operation model where you order and pay at the register, obtain a number, sit down, and they’ll bring you the food. Their ‘taste of everything’ platters are a great way to sample the menu. The platter for two ($35) comes with two pieces of fish (we added an additional piece for $6), clams, scallops, fries, and salad.

The fried fish was exactly how I like it prepared. Very lightly battered so there’s a delicate crispy crust encapsulating flaky fish. The moist fish was delightful and made even better with some of the zesty creamy tartare sauce, which arrives two to an order.

Similarly, the fried scallops are lightly breaded, so the scallops’ sweetness stands out and is best enjoyed au naturel. They were addictively delicious; I could easily have a full order of these on a return visit.

Only the clams were something I could have lived without. They’re a bit “fishier” tasting and greasier since it’s more battered. Still, with a squeeze of the lemon and hot sauce the flavours improved.

The fries and salad were a decent portion for sharing. And while the fries were a bit soft, they were made from cut potatoes and tasted fresh.

Tasty food and the beautiful Halifax skyline view aside, what made the experience excel was their friendly service. We were well looked after, with people regularly checking in on us, despite sitting on the patio. And the cashier stressed that we didn’t need to add a gratuity, although it would be appreciated. When my friend pressed her about why she’d decline a tip, she noted that it’s a tough economy and didn’t want customers to feel pressured if they couldn’t afford the extra money. How thoughtful and refreshing, I left nourished on the inside and out. 

Overall mark - 8 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Dartmouth, Canada
 Address: 2 Ochterloney Street (in Alderney Landing)


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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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Cliffside at the Muskoka Bay Resort for lunch (Gravenhurst)


It’s remarkable how Gravenhurst calms down after October. There’s less cars along the main strip, the queue in front of the bakery disappears, and lunch at the Muskoka Bay Resort can be a private dining experience. Yes, on a Saturday lunch, we had the place to ourselves. Now that’s luxury.

Being the only table that a restaurant is focused on has major perks. The centre table by their expansive windows was set to provide us with maximum sunlight. But, of course, if we didn’t like all the sun we had our pick of other tables. The water was set, we could take as much time as needed, and we could order drinks in batches to quench the thirst of those who already knew what they wanted. Indecisive guests be damned.

The food was also very fresh. From the scalding hot fries that came with the Carrick smash burger ($24), which were perfectly seasoned and had that balance of crispiness and fluffy centre. The double patty burger was also executed well, the meat pressed thinly but still moist and delicate with little crunchy bits. Soft sesame bun, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, shredded lettuce, tomato, and pickles finished it off. It was one of the best smashed burgers I’ve encountered.

While the ciabatta bun of the prime rib steak sandwich ($25) could have been fresher, the thin steak filet was still pink in the centre and the handheld full of flavour from the horseradish aioli, caramelized onion, and arugula. Arriving with a generous cup of au jus, the salty and thick dip wasn’t needed, but paired perfectly with the fries as it was essentially gravy. Even the side garden salad was zhuzhhed up with candied walnuts, cranberries, and goat cheese.

Maybe visiting the Muskoka Bay Resort is best after the summer rush. It was the perfect opportunity to enjoy an attentive and relaxing lunch. And to take up the entire Cliffside resort for a private lunch. 

Overall mark - 8 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Gravenhurst, Canada
 Address: 1217 N Muldrew Lake Road 
 Website: 


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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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Dave’s Lobster (Halifax)

One of the quintessential items to have in Nova Scotia is a lobster roll. And like every tourist, I was going to get my hand on one (erm… perhaps more than one). My first was enjoyed fresh off the plane, at the Halifax harbour, at a place that some would consider a tourist trap. Yes, I visited Dave’s Lobster.

Their half n’ half ($29 based on the market price) was the ideal way to sample two of their creations, a roll made with cold and warm lobster fillings:

  • The chilled version, dubbed the local, was tossed with mayonnaise, celery, and chives. I found it was refreshing for a hot day and given the ingredients were less flavourful, the lobster’s sweetness was more pronounce.
  • Yet, there’s something about the some fancy or warm version that was tastier. Who doesn’t like garlic butter with lemon and chives thrown in for freshness? It was delicious, but a tad overcooked so the lobster was chewier than the cold version.

If you’re hungry, one roll will not be enough. Luckily, it comes with a quarter spear of pickle and bag of chips (they were out of coleslaw and potato salad by the early afternoon). Not necessarily filling, but enough to leave you satisfied.

If you can hold off on diving into the roll, I recommend walking further down the harbourfront to find a table away from the main food area. While there was tables available in The Salt Yard, it’s also a seagull pit. Finding a clean table can be difficult and you’ll have to watch out for a wayward wing brushing close to your head. Not exactly the most relaxing way to have lunch, even if the lobster roll is good. 

Overall mark - 7 out of 10



How To Find Them
 Location: Halifax, Canada
 Address: 1549 Lower Water 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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