Showing posts with label Casserole rice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Casserole rice. Show all posts

Good Taste Casserole House (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, February 12, 2022 by

In the deep of winter, cravings for clay pot / casserole rice bubbles up from the depths of my stomach and beckons. The 20-minute anticipation while waiting for the made-to-order dish to arrive, the waft of sweet greasy steam that hits the nose, and the faint crackling sizzle that gives a greeting, it's like a winter sport for me.  

The expansion of Good Taste Casserole House out of Markham and into Scarborough has made it easier for me to tuck into the comforting dish. And their expanding menu keeps the hunger growls at bay while the 20-minutes elapse. Their BBQ pork rice noodle roll ($4.70) was a great 'appetizer' to share, soft and silky with large slices of pork- even though it wasn't the most evenly spread out across the roll.


I'm perplexed how some restaurants continue to keep prices low with soaring input costs. Good Taste offers their preserved meat and chicken with rice for $11.99, which is only a dollar more than 5 years prior. They haven't skimped on ingredients - if anything there's more protein topping the rice - and it still comes with a side of boiled yu-choy and a pot of soup where the hunk of pork, fruit, and white fungus remains.  


The execution continues to satisfy: the rice a balanced moisture so that it's fluffy but still dry enough so a golden crunchy crust develops on the bottom. While I'm normally not a huge fan of the greasiness of preserved meat, it's the perfect topping in this dish and keeps the rice from getting soggy. In fact, it actually tasted better than the chicken, which was over marinated causing the texture to be too 'springy' (or song in Cantonese) for my taste.

During our lunch time visit, I was surprised by how many Uber drivers were picking up packages to go. Takeout can't do the dishes justice - the rice noodle rolls become sticky and the crunchy crust of the clay pot rice hardens. If you're trying it for the first time, you need to have it in-person. After all, it's the anticipation and the things that hit the senses that makes casserole rice so special.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 325 Bamburgh Circle


 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:


LiWan Kitchen 荔湾肠粉 (Toronto)

Posted on Monday, October 08, 2018 by

Previous rice noodle rolls and congee restaurants I’ve visited have been cozy establishments where tables are practically communal and anyone who’s claustrophobic should avoid them at all costs. Hence, stepping into LiWan Kitchen was a pleasant surprise. Despite the narrow store front, the dining room stretches far into the building and tables are spaciously placed apart. As a bonus, the air conditioning is more than adequate to hold off the heat sweats from eating congee in the summer.

With a full page of rice noodle roll options, we knew this would be a dish that is a must order. Having sampled three, they were all adequately filled and although the wrapper wasn’t as thin as some other specialty restaurants, they were still lighter than what’s generally found at dim sum.

The shrimp and snow pea leaves ($4.50) are evenly distributed amongst each roll with two large shrimp in each and half lined with the slightly crunchy leafy vegetable, which adds colour and a herby taste against the seafood. A vegetarian version replaces the shrimp with prince mushroom slivers ($4.50). While the menu describes it as multi-mushroom with snow pea leaves, there’s really only one fungi, but plenty of it is included in the roll. Plus, being a meatier mushroom with a slight bite, the prince mushroom contrasts nicely against the silky rice wrapper.


How good the dough stick in plain rice noodle roll ($4.50) is depends on the dough fritter. At LiWan Kitchen, it’s warm, very soft, and has a thin crispy crust… a good start to the dish. You’ll just need to ask for more sauce as the little dish they provide is comical (don’t worry, you’ll receive more for free).


I will never look at vegetarian congee the same again, the chestnut and pumpkin ($4) combines the stewed rice with puréed chestnut and pumpkin to give it a vibrant yellow colour and a light earthy finish. Corn kernels are thrown in for a bit of texture, but you will need to add salt as it’s fairly neutral on arrival.


In general, LiWan Kitchen keeps their dishes under seasoned, providing salt at each table so guests can add more. The fried rice with egg, BBQ pork, and shrimp ($9.99; also called yeung chow fried rice) also needed a liberal sprinkling for flavour but was nicely combined with plenty of ingredients. It’s definitely a healthier version of the dish as it’s also less oily than competitors.


If you don’t mind a 20-minute wait, their casserole rice dishes are even better. The pork pancake and BBQ pork ($8.99) topping the rice is fairly run-of-the-mill, but the golden rice crust on the bottom is beautifully crispy – the best part of casserole pot rice, in my opinion. It comes with bowl of bone broth with chayote, hence can be a filling meal for one. 


Having visited LiWan Kitchen on multiple occasions their friendly and efficient service keeps me going back. Surprisingly, customers can even request a complimentary Chinese newspaper at the end of the meal, despite their reasonable prices. I’m just glad I can enjoy these comfort dishes without being squished and leaving in a pool of sweat. 

Overall mark - 8 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 4271 Sheppard Avenue East


 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:

Good Taste Casserole Rice 知味煲仔饭 (Markham)

Posted on Saturday, January 14, 2017 by

If you’re looking for a filling meal for about $10, fast food restaurants isn’t the best choice. In the corner of a busy Chinese plaza sits Good Taste Casserole Rice. Here their combos are so large that sharing three amongst four people is perfect. Aside from the hefty pot of rice, each also arrives with soup and boiled vegetables.


The soup is piping hot after being steamed in individual pots. Inside the clear broth holds cubes of pork, papaya and white fungus. It’s unsalted so you’ll need a liberal sprinkling from the shaker at the table.

With dozens of casserole rice options to choose from, what to order depends not only on your preference but also the amount of crispy rice crust you prefer - in my opinion, the best part of the dish. Otherwise, you're really just eating baked rice with meat; why wait half an hour for that?

Although the preserved meats is normally not one of my favourite toppings, for casserole rice it's the best option as there’s less moisture resulting in a thick golden crispy crust. The assorted preserved meat ($10.99) contains lap cheung (sweet Chinese cured sausage), preserved duck, pork and fish so you get a bit of everything to sample. Good Taste doesn’t skimp on the ingredients with plenty of each.

With the salted fish and minced pork ($8.99), there's still a layer of crust on the bottom, but the thickness diminishes and isn't quite as crispy. With a fair amount of salted fish chunks, the casserole let’s off a pungent aroma – heavenly if you enjoy the ingredient, like dried sweaty socks if you don’t.


By the time you’re having a casserole rice topped with something like pork spareribs and black bean ($7.99) the crust becomes non-existent and tends to be hard and chewy. Of course, the spareribs is meatier and there’s a decent serving of it for the low price.


In the end, weather you enjoy a thick and crunchy crust or just a pot of soft moist rice, there’s an array to choose from at Good Taste Casserole Rice. Plus, the sheer amount of food you receive will be healthier and more filling than a burger combo any day.

 Overall mark - 8 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Markham, Canada
 Address: 8392 Kennedy Road (Unit A9)
                  

 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:

Good Taste Casserole Rice Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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