Showing posts with label brunch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brunch. Show all posts

Capra's Kitchen for brunch (Mississauga)

Posted on Saturday, February 16, 2019 by

If you’ve ever flipped through Canada’s television networks sometime over the last two decades, you’ve likely seen Chef Massimo Capra cooking or judging something to do with food. Big smile, small glasses, and the signature bushy curly mustache, he has the bubbly and booming personality that’s hard to forget.

To try his creations off screen, viewers used to visit the famed Mistura in Toronto. Then in 2016 he left and went back to his native Mississauga to open Capra's Kitchen, a more casual family-friendly restaurant.

Their weekend brunch menu has so many options that it makes it hard to decide between breakfast and lunch. But something about the eggs Massimo ($16) called to our table; three out of four of us decided it’d be our main and we weren’t disappointed.


A hot skillet arrives containing a fragrant tomato sauce topped with two poached eggs, which were thankfully cooked long enough so the yolk was molten but not too runny. A piece of bread dipped into the egg and then topped with thick tomato sauce and sweet caramelized onions was exactly the start to the day I needed.

The sausage and tomato sauce also works remarkably well. Capra’s coil is nicely roasted, the meat lean but flavourful. A piece speared with some of the breakfast potatoes and, of course, dipped in the low-acid tomato sauce makes for another tasty bite.

While we all barely finished the eggs Massimo, a bressert (brunch dessert) for the table was a must. The ricotta pancakes ($14) were a great choice, three fluffy thick pancakes smothered in a refreshing blueberry sauce, crunchy almonds, and lightly sweetened whipped cream. As if it wasn’t enough, maple syrup arrives on the side so you can really make the dish a dessert.


Mississauga isn’t my neighbourhood, but if it was, Capra’s Kitchen would be the spot I’d visit regularly. Breakfast is an important meal of the day, and when you want it hearty, you’ll want eggs … Massimo style. 

 Overall mark - 8 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Mississauga, Canada
 Address: 1834 Lakeshore Road 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!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Capra's Kitchen Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Maha’s Egyptian Brunch (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, January 05, 2019 by

It’s a common joke amongst people over 30 that waiting for brunch is the new line for clubbing. For Maha’s Egyptian Brunch, they are that tiny exclusive place that everyone wants to get into. On a nippy day, in the early winter, my friends and I waited one and a half hours (a common occurrence), before we could secure four of the twenty two spots in the dining room.

As soon as I saw the line of about 20 people, I questioned whether we should stay. But, there’s little choice in the area and we decided to wait a bit to see how quickly the line moves. The turnover gradually happens and after waiting for 45 minutes we’re stuck… we’re waiting for the long haul. When I finally walked through the door and the heavenly aromas enveloped me … I knew it was worth the perseverance.

You didn’t wait so long for traditional brunch plates like omelettes, eggs benny, and pancakes. Glancing at the menu, the first dish - the Cairo classic ($16) – already promised a meal of exotic items. The classic is a plate of foole (creamy fava beans stewed with tomatoes, onions, and spices) that’s topped with boiled egg slices, tomato feta, and a light falafel. It’s a lovely messy dish as you try to squish as much of the beans and other items into the soft fluffy toasted balady bread. Then when everything’s about to burst, you bite into it to find an eruption of flavours and textures.


Then add some of the tangy crispy balady salad to the mix and all the flavours change - the acid of the cold pickled vegetables cutting through the hot thick foole. Just be warned, family style dining at Maha’s is a must as there’s so many things to try and dishes are rich, so it’d be too heavy to have one thing on its own.

The Egyptian falafel ($16) is akin to the Scotch egg where soft boiled eggs are encapsulated in a crispy falafel. What an inventive dish! Biting into the golden brown sphere, I’m greeted with a combination of creamy yolk, moist spiced chickpea, and a bit of crispy coating. The eggs sit on a pile of home fries, which at Maha’s are tossed in cumin so they’re earthy and aromatic.


Even the scrambled eggs get a boost of flavours: the Basturma scramble ($15) incorporates pieces of beef cured with fenugreek, garlic, and spices. Their menu describes it perfectly, “an incredibly savoury combination is unlike anything you’ve tasted before”. As you taste a forkful, you’re met with a wave of rich tastes before it finishes with the fluffy egg texture. Who knew the tried and true scrambled eggs could get this yummy.


After all the fantastic egg dishes, Maha’s mind blowing chicken ($16) seemed less mind blowing. Indeed, the mountain of roasted chicken pieces (reminded us of shawarma), had enough spices and garnishes (tabbouleh¸ mayo, and generous drizzles of tehina) to entice taste buds. But it was almost too much as the small toasted egg bun was so tiny that it merely melted into all the juices. The chicken would be better served as a platter with some of the charred balady bread so diners could make your own wraps. That soft toasted bread would be better matched with the salty saucy meat.


The meal was all washed down with a honey cardamom latte ($5.75 for the large), which was warm, rich and fragrant. Because it was a fairly decadent latte, I really should have just gone for the small size. Sitting beside the bar, we were able to watch the drinks being prepared - a painstaking process where the inside of the glass gets painted with a dark honey before any liquids are added. It would explain why each drink arrives separately and it took half the meal for our table of four to get all the lattes.


Brunch at Maha’s was absolutely delicious and it’s certainly worth all the hype. But like clubbing, you may want to bring a roadie, except in this case filled with a hot beverage, as you’ll need something to fuel the wait.

 Overall mark - 9 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 226 Greenwood Avenue

 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:

Maha's Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Planta (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, July 29, 2018 by

As an animal and food lover I feel torn: indulging in food seems to mean harming my other love. While I admire those who are vegetarian, it’s a dietary change that swings too far to the left for me. For now, my concession, to alleviate some guilt, is to go meat-less Monday to Thursdays, with some exceptions. Having done it for a few weeks now, it’s not difficult to accomplish. Especially since Toronto has been graced with several meatless restaurants over the last few years. 

Planta opened back in 2016, making news as it was started by Chef David Lee, who’s other restaurants Nota Bene and Carbon Bar (the later he has since split ties), don’t exactly scream vegetarian. It was one of the first of the first meatless restaurants that was trendy, with the higher price points to match. Their menu consists of sharable options, also main plates and salad bowls for those who want their own meal. Most dishes are very small, so for a table of two, you’ll want two mains plus a couple smaller dishes.


To get to the citrus soy used in the watermelon poke ($13.95), you really need to dig to the bottom; without the sauce the dish merely tastes like you’re having watermelon salad with avocado. Even with a bit of the soy it doesn’t seem poke-like - ours arrived missing the shredded nori, a pretty but stale rice paper chip substituted instead. Perhaps with crispy shredded nori, some seaweed salad, and sesame seeds the dish would be more reminiscent of poke. For now, it’s best described as a refreshing watermelon salad.


Having had coconut ceviche ($14.25) at a second location now, it seems strange that no one cuts it into cubes, which would be closer to how actual ceviche is made. Instead, the young coconut is served in slices making it difficult to combine with other ingredients. While I enjoyed the restrained acidity and dusting of corn nuts in the dish, there was way too much cucumber on top that it felt like I was eating a cucumber and coconut salad versus ceviche.


A must-order dish is Planta’s cauliflower tots ($10.50). They are fantastic crispy hot nuggets of cauliflower mixed with a truffle nut “parmesan” with a truffle almond cream on top. If you’re a fan of arancini, these are similar bite-sized tastes of creamy heaven.


The heart of palm used in the “crab” cakes ($20.50) gives the dish that flaky consistency you’d expect from crab cakes. Of course, they didn’t have the seafood essence of real crab, but still delicious with the light crispy panko crust and delicate texture. A lovely creamed lentil mixture sits at the bottom, infused with coconut milk for a hint of richness.


While the smoked tofu ricotta sounds interesting in the eggplant lasagna ($22.95), the smokiness throws the entire dish off. Moreover, it had a strong licorice flavour along with an earthy spice (perhaps cinnamon or cloves) that wasn’t called out on the menu. Having a distain for licorice, this is one dish I’ll pass on in the future.


The awful seasoning aside, the lasagna could have been good, the dish switching out noodles for thinly sliced eggplant and the tofu does mimic the ricotta texture with cashew crema added to smooth out the texture. I also enjoyed the tendrils of zucchini noodles, providing a refreshing crispy texture to the dish.

A healthy brunch calls for a healthy drink. Sadly, I think I went too far with the fields of green ($8.95) cold pressed juice. The menu notes it contains apple and lemon but the entire mixture really tasted like a salad in drink form – one that has tons of celery and could even pass as a Bloody Mary. Next time, I’ll stick with the suggested Planta punch instead.


With plant-based dishes as good as Planta, I could make do without meat. Alas, it’s impossible to eat at the restaurant for every meal; but at least it makes Monday to Thursday (and even an odd weekend) much tastier and saves an animal friend.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1221 Bay 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:
Planta Toronto Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Drake Devonshire for brunch (Prince Edward County)

Posted on Sunday, July 08, 2018 by

Brunching in the County. The phrase brings to mind a carefree meal … one filled with nature, tranquillity, and of course, wine. It’s an unhurried affair, a meal shared amongst friends. In fact, to date, every trip to Prince Edward County has been with friends.


To prep ourselves for a day of drinking, our first stop was for sustenance at Drake Devonshire. Their menu contains many breakfast favourites – eggs, bacon, and benny. But, it was the semi-lunch options that called out to us. From the chicken and waffles ($21) that swap out the syrup for peaches and cream to the popular Drake burger ($23), which is transformed for breakfast by adding a fried egg with hollandaise and exchanging fries for hash.


Being a huge fan of Mexican breakfasts - I love the combination of hearty & fresh elements without the meat - I opted for the enfrijolada ($17). My first time having the dish, it reminds me of a breakfast quesadilla; the rice, avocado, queso fresco, and vegetables are tucked into a toasted tortilla. Over top was a sunny fried egg, contrasting against black re-fried beans on the bottom. While the dish hit the spot, it needed more seasoning and herbs. Since the table was salt less, I relied on vinegary hot sauce to help add flavour.


For “dessert”, one of their blueberry scones ($11) is a great idea. Not overly large, the warm four-bite pastry with crème fraiche and blueberry jam may give you that sweet ending you need.


Having visited the restaurant previously for dinner and leaving disappointed, it still seemed like an ideal place for a group of six, especially one with dietary restrictions. To our surprise, despite being a sizeable restaurant with Toronto outposts, they were unable to cater to a celiac diner. To make matters worse, Drake wouldn’t allow her to bring in a meal so she could dine with us, citing it would start a precedent. A precedent for what exactly… to be accommodating? Alas, still no warm County charm.

Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Wellington, Canada
 Address: 24 Wharf 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:

Café Landmark 香港開飯喇 (Hong Kong)

Posted on Sunday, July 01, 2018 by

Rarely can one dine amongst names like Balenciaga, Dior, and Jimmy Cho in view. Pristine storefronts displaying items of opulence.  If that’s a dream, Café Landmark is suspended in the middle of the Landmark’s atrium; looking upon floors of luxury stores, an ideal spot for shopaholics.

If you’re about to blow thousands on a pair of stilettos, than one of Café Landmark’s breakfast sets will help pinch pennies and provide enough sustenance for the day. They’re a great deal with two “courses” as well as a choice of bread (one being a croissant), coffee or tea, and juice. I like that they even heat up the milk for your tea.

The Classic Hong Kong Set ($125) starts with scrambled eggs and ham. Perhaps it’s common in HK, but the eggs were extremely underdone, a creamy watery bite that’s off-putting for me. Shaking off the uncooked egg and sandwiching it in the hot croissant with ham made it bearable, even delicious. Most people go for the croissant. Yes, it’s a little dark looking, but hot from a warmer, it makes for a fragrant and flakey accompaniment.  


Soon after, the second course arrives – a generous portion of macaroni and BBQ pork in broth. While this may seem heavy for breakfast, a pasta with protein is a popular option in the city. Diners can choose from spaghetti or macaroni, paired with ham, beef, BBQ pork, or chicken. 


For me, the pork soup was a bit plain, as I looked longingly at the bowls filled with tomato and beef broth that regulars seemed to ask for instead. Nonetheless, it was hot, the BBQ pork plentiful (I had already gone through two slices before remembering to take a picture) and, most importantly, tasty once everything came together.

If you’re not afraid of sweating, their seafood congee ($90) arrives PIPING hot containing large pieces of shrimp, scallop, fish and shredded crab meat. It takes a while to get through as the bowl is also heated, causing it to retain its temperature throughout our 30 minute breakfast. The fried dough pieces were a tad greasy, but after being dunked into the congee for a while, it all melts away.


For both meals, I wanted to “eat local” with their Asian breakfasts. Café Landmark also offers a variety of Western-style options … the menu can take some time to get through. An omelet ($125) was also runny and forgettable, but their blueberry pancakes ($105) were decent. Although the batter could use more egg, the pancakes were very fluffy and the sauce an interesting combination of syrup and melted butter in one.

I swear it wasn’t the glittery stores that made me want to dine at Café Landmark two days in a row. Rather their Central location to transportation and comfortable surroundings at reasonable prices had us returning. I’m a girl that likes to eat: give me a croissant to a clutch, any day.

 Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Central, Hong Kong
 Address: 15 Queen's Road (inside Landmark building)

 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!

Tim Ho Wan 添好運點心專門店 (Hong Kong)

Posted on Sunday, May 13, 2018 by

How different could a har gow be? I wondered to myself after hearing about Tim Ho Wan, a dim sum specialist restaurant in Hong Kong, which has long held on to its one Michelin star. After all, in Toronto, most shrimp dumplings are similar, the wrapper sometimes stickier, but otherwise most are filled with crunchy shrimp that have little taste. They’ve become larger throughout my lifetime, some of them reaching golf ball status, but the bland crunchy shrimp has remained constant.

Therefore, to draw comparisons, we stuck with the basics at Tim Ho Wan; I wanted to see what these “specialists” could do! Getting back to the har gow ($28), they indeed differ - smaller in size, the steamed dumplings are delicate so you can taste the shrimp’s sweetness (these are also tinier) with the seafood not packed together. The wrapper is soft, but not gummy, and has an elasticity to its consistency allowing them to be easily picked up. So, I stand corrected, har gows can be different.


Their steamed pork dumpling with shrimp ($28) or sui mai follows a similar recipe for success: big chunks of pork (as opposed to being pulverized) and shrimp combined loosely so there’s a juicy succulence to the dumpling. Oh, how I want more. 


The wrapper for the vermicelli roll stuffed with BBQ pork ($25) is impossibly thin, yet withstands the large pieces of BBQ pork stuffed in it. Personally, I like the bigger pieces of meat and full springs of cilantro placed throughout - you can taste the ingredients.


Tim Ho Wan’s glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf is the old-school format arriving as one gigantic package: a thick layer of chewy sticky rice stuffed with chicken, Chinese sausage, and mushrooms. The longer cooking time helps the lotus leaf essence seep into the rice, but having this dish again makes me realize I prefer the new miniature versions. The rice is softer and overall the dish more flavourful because of the gravy minced meat mixture used. Of course, the traditional way of making the dish requires experience (as you need to ensure everything is cooked throughout) and there is more filling, but you end up with one or two pieces of protein and big hunks of rice. 


Forgetting we already ordered the glutinous rice, the steamed rice with spare rib and chicken feet ($27) was too much; sadly, the rice was wasted. Frankly, unless you’re with a large table, this is a forgettable dish, the spare ribs and chicken foot both fairly average.


A dish that graced every table was their signature baked bun with BBQ pork ($21). Fresh from the oven, they are piping hot and the thin bun containing a large piece of BBQ pork. There’s a sweetness from the sauce and pineapple crust you’d expect, but it’s well balanced with the meat’s savouriness. For those who like it sweeter, allow the bun to cool down and the flavours intensify.  


The pan-fried pork and chives dumplings were also delicious, the meat cut into pieces (rather than minced) with enough vegetables to create a lightness to the dim sum. It’s wonton wrapper was so thin that it’s barely there, merely forming a fantastic crispy crust over everything.  


With only four desserts to choose from, we decided against the signature tonic medlar & petal cake, instead going for the tried and true deep-fried sesame dumpling ($18). At Tim Ho Wan, aside from the red bean paste they also add a piece of banana, which when heated turns into a creamy consistency. 



In the end, what makes Tim Ho Wan so good? From my experience: thin wrappers, ingredients left in chunks, and well-balanced flavours. If you don’t want to wait, head their as soon as it opens on a weekday, you’ll walk right in and find a seat at a number of tables. It’s a quick meal with dim sum flying out of the kitchen, which runs like a tasty, dumpling-making, well-oiled machine.


Overall mark - 9 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: North Point, Hong Kong
 Address: 2 Wharf Rd (Seaview Building, GF)

 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!

Kost (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, April 22, 2018 by

Even on a chilly Spring day, the atmosphere in Kost is warm and sunny – the bright palm tree dining room a taste of Miami when you can’t hop on a plane. The restaurant is inspired by the Baja Peninsula, the land that brought the city amazing fish and shrimp tacos. Kost’s menu has a similar vibe; the dishes filled with vegetables, bright colours, and vibrant flavours.


Leaning more towards lunch than breakfast at brunch, the Ahi tuna steak sandwich ($21) was calling me. The sandwich was fantastic: the fresh soft brioche bun studded with sesame seeds; the Ahi tuna incorporating a lovely seasoned seared ring; and there was plenty of crunch and flavours from the pickled red onion, a Baja slaw, creamy avocado, and lemon mayonnaise. Each bite was an explosion of tastes. The dish would have been perfect if they didn’t run out of fries by noon. The substituted home fries were fine but denser and heavier; not nearly as good as thin fries.


In terms of breakfast, the Kost breakfast ($16) is a hearty choice. It arrives with the customary two eggs, bacon, and potatoes. The Baja influence comes through with the green chorizo, toasted tortilla, and pico de gallo.


Given the mains aren’t overly large, you’ll have room for dessert. Our table thoroughly enjoyed the pineapple upside down cake ($10), the cake nice and moist. On the side, the rum anglaise and sour cream ice cream adding an extra creamy sweetness to the dessert.


Surprisingly, the tres leche cake ($10) was fairly dry and bland for something that’s supposed to be soaked in three different types of milk. Nonetheless, it’s good if you think of it as a caramel sponge cake and with the toasted almond ice cream it gets better.  


I was so comfortable in Kost that I didn’t want to leave. If only our table could transform into a large hammock, I could lie there all day and down more Prosecco. Alas, we stared at Lake Ontario one more time being leaving… if I squinted to blur the view of the naked tree branches, I could have sworn we were somewhere tropical.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 80 Blue Jays Way, 44th floor

 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:

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


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