Showing posts with label ceviche. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ceviche. Show all posts

Agua (Grand Cayman)

Posted on Saturday, May 21, 2016 by
Auga Grand Cayman

Agua’s menu sounds like the United Nations of the food world: tons of Peruvian specialties, European influences, dishes incorporating Asian ingredients and comforting Italian pastas. The all-encompassing commonality between the selections is the predominantly seafood-based choices, which isn’t surprising for a restaurant named as ‘water’.

Their ceviches (CI$13.50 each) are popular, it seemed every table was graced with one. With five choices, the two we selected were pretty similar: you would think a classic Peruvian (clasico Peruano) and Thai recipe would be different, yet both incorporated the classic lime juice base, red onion and cilantro. The coconut milk added to the Thai version did give that dish an edge, resulting in the ceviche having a lovely creamy finish.

Auga Grand Cayman: cevicheAuga Grand Cayman: ceviche

Both were good: tender large cubes of fish incorporating enough flavour without being overpowering – you could taste the citrus without a lingering burning sensation. The lackluster wonton chips could use some improvement: not crispy enough to really withstand scooping and much too oily leaving a sheen on your tongue that detracts from enjoying the ceviche’s tastes.

I had my doubts when reading the description of the tuna tartare (CI$14.50) … sweet and sour sauce AND truffle oil? Two very different ingredients that in my mind had nothing to do with tuna. Admittedly, the truffle oil was a tad overpowering, but overall everything worked. The tuna itself was left in large enough pieces to not drown in sauce and the mixture ended up being slightly sweet with a mild chili finish.

Auga Grand Cayman: tuna tartare

The tower was also pretty, the tartare perched perfectly on a bed of diced creamy avocado. If only there was a taro chip for scooping; with all the flavours something salty and crunchy to tie everything together would have been nice.

We moved into warmer waters for the mains, my Peruvian mixed grill (CI$28.50) consisting of a perfectly cooked fillet of mild white fish topped with shrimp and calamari rings. Yet it was the buttery aji panca pepper sauce that made the dish: the Peruvian pepper offering a mellow heat, smokiness not unlike chipotle and a slightly sweet finish. If I weren’t feeling full from the rather large appetizers, I would have eaten every drop of the sauce with the steamed rice.

Auga Grand Cayman: Peruvian mixed grill

I was glad to see that Agua’s lobster and shiitake ravioli (CI$27.95) was more than a handful of pasta. There were about a dozen, each filled with a mushroom mascarpone and also containing broth so the stuffed pastas had an almost dumpling quality. On top was a healthy portion of cubed lobster finished with a chive butter sauce.

Auga Grand Cayman: Lobster and shiitake ravioli

The first meal of the Cayman Island’s trip was delicious and the restaurant’s prime location along Seven Mile Beach a convenient draw. Thanks to our host for introducing us to the place, Agua set the bar high for the other meals to come…

Overall mark - 8 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman
 Address: West Bay Road (in the Galleria Plaza)
 Website: http://www.agua.ky/

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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!

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Milagro Cantina (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, November 17, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 5 Mercer Street
Website: http://www.milagrorestaurant.com/Welcome.html
Type of Meal: Dinner

Before the expansion of taquerías there was Milagro Cantina, one of the first Mexican restaurants that deviated from tex mex in Toronto. At Milagro, jalapeno laced cheese isn’t sprinkled liberally on top everything, but rather flavours are added with smoked peppers, creamy avocados and freshly made salsas. It’s my go-to location for tacos and burritos, since I can make reservations, am not required to share a table with strangers and actually get plates and cutlery to go with the meal. 


Having visited all three locations, my favourite is the uptown Yonge site (pictured in this post. Update: this location has since closed) but each has their own appeal.  The Mercer location is by far the largest and best for large parties and its proximity to the entertainment district. Meanwhile, Queen West is intimate and quieter so good for casual meals where conversation is key.  The Yonge location is the happy medium – still fairly large (with two floors) and a nice vibe (bustling bar but not so loud that you can’t carry a conversation).    
At all the restaurants, complementary house made tortilla chips and salsa is handed out after ordering.  Although delicious, the salsa is rather small and never enough to last past 10 chips, so we added on an order of guacamole ($11.50 for large) to satisfy ourselves (so much so that we had to get a refill of chips).  The guacamole is simple with the tomatoes and onion, muted so that the fresh creamy avocado shines through with some salt and citrus.  A bit of serrano peppers is scattered throughout but sparingly so there isn’t much heat.


On this visit I’ve decided to finally try their ceviche; with five to choose from and two sizes each, we ordered the snapper ($15 for large) to share. It’s too acidic for my taste and all you can taste is lime, lime and more lime - perhaps, if they strained the mixture out of the liquid rather than serving the ceviche in it the citruses’ can be calmed. Additionally, if there was more mango the sweetness could have better counteracted the pungent lime. The dish does have a nice heat to it with more of the serrano peppers. Certainly, it was nicely presented in an oversized ice cream container – although it’s a bit messy to spoon out for the first person.


Milagro’s camarones burrito ($14) is the one dish I’ve ordered on multiple occasions and is my favourite burrito. Having eaten it at both the Yonge and Queen West locations, they were both delicious but at the Yonge location has more heat and seems saucier. It’s a substantial meal with the well toasted tortilla shell jam packed with ingredients – aside from several large grilled shrimp, there’s also thick black refried beans, flavourful rice, smoky roasted peppers, guacamole, chipotle-may, jalapenos, onion and cilantro. On the side is some spicy warm corn (at Yonge) and more rice (at Queen West).


What makes this burrito my favourite, other than the fresh ingredients, is that the shell is so nicely grilled adding a toasty crunch to it. Also, the burrito has sauce but not so much liquid that it becomes a huge mess to eat.  So, if you generally like super moist burritos, this wouldn’t be the one for you; the beans and guacamole are much thicker and there’s no sour cream or blended jalapeno sauce adding unnecessary liquid to it.


My husband ordered the tacos le perla ($18 for the entrée version).  The battered snapper wasn’t really crispy so being deep fried didn’t matter, so I’d prefer it just be grilled so that it’s healthier.  But, the fish was fresh and topped with a lot of great ingredients including a sweet tropical slaw (could be pineapple?) and chile crema that contrasts it with a spicy finish.


In the past, I’ve tried other tacos and find the capital ($11, ribeye steak, cilantro and salsa verde) and rosarito ($12, shrimp, refried beans, crema and avacado) were both wonderful.  In terms of mains, the pescado Rodrigo ($21) is good if you want something lighter as it’s a simple piece of pan seared snapper with zucchini and topped with olive oil, lime and cilantro.  Regardless, I’ve eaten at this chain five times and have loved it more each time.  Milagros is the place I head to when I need a Mexican fix, and it’s nice to know you don’t have to wait forever to be satisfied.  
Overall mark - 8 out of 10



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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!

CLOSED: Fishbar (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, May 19, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 217 Ossington Avenue
Type of Meal: Dinner

For those who don't like fish, don't let the name fool you, Fishbar has more offerings than just flounder. The menu consists of a cacophony of seafood with almost all species included with the exception of crab the night of my visit.

Like many of the West end downtown restaurants the dining room is a long narrow rectangle layout. The decor also follows a similar pattern of high/low wooden tables and a feature bar along one wall.  But, a nice difference is the storefront glass which slides open to give those near the window gets a dining el Fresco feel.

Fishbar's menu is tapas style which is always a foodie friendly option to allow trying multiple dishes.  First up was a healthy portion of New England style fried clams ($8) and hand cut fries ($6).  According to Wikipedia, New England style clams are dipped in evaporated milk prior to coating with all purpose, corn and pastry flour. The coating was fairly thin and could stand to be crispier and the clams warmer in temperature.  In my opinion, the clams tasted a bit bland and could have used a sprinkling of salt to add a taste of the sea.  Of course, it may be because they were served with the fries which were topped with nori salt and were served with a miso aioli, much stronger in flavour which could have over powered the lighter clams.




The tilapia in the Equadorian tilapia ceviche ($13) was fresh and went well with the sweet mango and pineapple salsa on top.  But, there was nothing exciting about the flavours – none of the robust citrus and spicy notes that I enjoy.  Additionally, the fish was over a tad over “acidified” as the texture began to turn rough. 




On the other hand, the tuna sashimi ($14) was topped with a liberal smear of sweet soy glaze so had a stronger savoury taste. However, I found the toasted almond slivers to be a strange mix with the tuna; but this is a matter of taste as one friend liked the hint of crunch it added. I would have preferred strips of toasted nori instead but guess that is a safer combination.




There’s nothing I enjoy more than the smell of garlic butter, which is all I could smell when the Sicilian gnocchi ($16) arrived.  It had a wonderful essence mixed with the prawns, tender baby shitake mushrooms and wilted arugula. Nonetheless, it’s the gnocchi that fell short for me.  I’ve realized that I don’t like ricotta based gnocchi as it’s much too mushy for my taste.




Our final dish of grilled calamari ($12) showed some redemption as the briny olives & capers mixed with hints of citrus provided some much needed bold flavours.  The calamari was also cooked to a suitable doneness that didn’t leave it rubbery and tough.  




The Fishbar, despite not being a new restaurant, does have some kinks to work out in terms of staffing levels. The evening of our visit it took close to half an hour to get wine and a full hour before our first dish arrived.  The waiter explained they were short staffed and thanked us for being patient on many occasions but didn’t really offer an explanation as to why they were inadequately staffed to begin with. 

After reading some reviews on Urbanspoon, it appears the slow and inconsistent service is a problem they’ve been plagued with in the past.  While past patrons cited problems with “attitude”, we didn’t encounter that during our visit.  Alas, it was only the slow service that remains.  Luckily, management can easily attempt to appease customers by offering a complimentary starter – even if it were just a basket of bread which can still go a long way to curb grumpy hungry customers.

All in all, the Fishbar is good for those who like ingredients prepared simply so that the tastes of the components themselves stand out.  Personally, I prefer bolder tastes so found most dishes lacking a few touches.  A good news story for the environment is that Fishbar is part of the Ocean Wise program and serves sustainable seafood.  Of course, this also means you’ll likely not find sea bass on their menu anytime soon.   Overall, the food is satisfactory but with slow service and relatively high pricing there are better competitive options available around town.

Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10


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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!

CLOSED: Bent (Toronto)

Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2012 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 777 Dundas Street West   
Type of Meal: Dinner
It’s been years since I’ve eaten at Susur and Madeline; so, when news that Susur would be teaming up with his sons to open Bent was announced, I was excited to try his Asian fusion creations again.
Bent is much like many of the new west-end restaurants – small with compact seating where all that separates you from the neighbouring table is half a foot of space.  Much is discussed about its décor – it’s designed by Barbara Bent, Susur’s wife, and pays homage to them and their son’s childhood by including their toys and school pictures.  Indeed the family feel is interesting but what makes Bent great is the food.
As a warning, if you don’t like dishes that are strongly flavoured and a mixture of varying textures and tastes, you will not like Bent.  Undeniably, the main ingredients are often covered with so many sauces that you won’t be able to taste its natural flavour; but, it’s these distinctions that make Susur’s creations his own.


The highlight for me was their ceviche, which is surprising, as I'm normally not a huge fan of acid cooked seafood.  My favourite was the Peruvian style ceviche ($15) that incorporates tart lime juice, the heat of chili and freshness of cilantro.  All are laid on top of carpaccio slices of white snapper, pieces of mussels and calamari and a few in shell clams.  I love being able to fill the clams with the sauce and eat the clams straight from the shell.  The shaved red onions add a great crispy texture against the tender fish.
The tuna and watermelon ceviche ($15), although also chili and citrus based, has a sweetness to it from the cubes of watermelon.  The tuna is cut into cubes and more like the ceviche you’re typically used to. I actually prefer the carpaccio slices as it soaks up the flavours more and you can cut slices of the snapper and wrap it around the herb mixture.  Topping the tuna and watermelon ceviche were croutons of fried Chinese dough stick, which is an interesting play on the Asian traditions.  The croutons are great for soaking up the citrus spicy sauce.

We had many fish dishes that night, aside from the ceviches we also tried the tartare 2 ways ($10) - spicy tuna with avocado and onions and salmon with shallots, capers, gherkins and dill.  Both are served on top of a crispy sushi rice cake so it resembles eating a mini sushi pizza.  The dish was good but I found the rice cake a bit chewy and tough.  If it were perhaps thinner it may be crispier and add a better contrast to the tender fish.

Another was the smoked cod taro tacos ($15), which was personally my least favourite dish.  I liked to tomatillo and jicama salsa that topped the taco – it was refreshing and crunchy. The shells were interesting as they were made from fried taro slices; I liked the starchy crispiness.  The smoked cod mixture itself reminded me of a tuna fish salad and was okay.

Some of the meat dishes we had included the rare beef ($14), thin slices of what seemed like tenderloin beef that’s quickly seared and sits in an olive oil and ponzu sauce.  I’m normally not a carpaccio fan but, found this to be quite good, perhaps because the raw beef was masked with so many flavours.  The menu states it’s served with a crispy rice cake but on that night arrived with a parmesan crostini instead.  I didn’t mind the substitute but found the strong parmesan overwhelmed the delicate beef.

The Shanghainese steamed pork belly ($19) is marinated in Shao Hsing wine, although it was really hard to distinguish. It’s likely due to the Romano bean & turnip puree and poached apple sauce being so sweet that it covered up other flavours. In the end, the pork belly ended up tasting like any other braised meat, which isn’t necessarily bad, but just not very Shanghainese. I liked that the dish came with a mixture of fattier and leaner cuts to give variety to patrons.  I had the leaner slice and because of that it was a little tough. The poached apple, although to me tasted like pear, was too sweet for my taste and could be left out.

If you were going to get one hearty meat dish, I’d suggest the braised spiced short ribs instead ($22).  The meat is tender and went really well with the thick demi glace (?) and the silky truffled parsnip puree.  Even the roasted baby potatoes accompanying the dish were great.  Crisp on the outside, yet tender and light on the inside, with just a hint of rosemary; all baby potatoes should be prepared like this.

To balance out all the proteins we ordered the vegetarian roll ($10).  It had a good mix of flavours – sweetness from the braised daikon and eggs, earthiness of the shitake mushroom, saltiness from soy sauce and the bitterness of the legume on top.  However, overall nothing remarkably different from a typical futomaki roll you’d get at a sushi restaurant.

The duck salad ($14) was an interesting mix of tender shredded duck and vegetables dressed with a sweet and salty sesame dressing which reminded me to having cold sesame noodles. The coleslaw type mixture was topped with crispy taro slivers and served in a fried vermicelli bowl. Given the mixture of ingredients it was difficult to taste the duck itself unless you specifically pick it out.  The duck was surprisingly tender and I wish it was served in a slice format, rather than shredded, so it could be better appreciated.

 A salad I shockingly liked better was the kale and tofu salad ($10). I know, it sounds very healthy and bland so how could it taste good?  But, I loved the soft tofu and crunchy kale mixture.  Domino sized slices of tofu are marinated in a miso soy sauce and sesame dressing, so even when eaten by itself was wonderfully flavoured. Topped with large amounts of chopped kale coated with a sweet dressing (similar to the Japanese seaweed salads but less sugary), the dish was refreshingly light.

At Bent, all tables receive a complementary dessert, which pays is similar to getting fortune cookies, sliced oranges or red bean soup from Chinese restaurants. Given there was four of us, we got to try all four desserts (guests get one per person). 
  • The lemon curd was a welcomed addition after feeling so full as it was nice and light.
  • The coffee pannacotta with foam was nice and rich a favourite of my friend. 
  • The chocolate mousse with crispy cocoa rice bits was good and tastes just like it sounds.
  • The fried sesame ball with red bean filling in a rum caramel sauce was a bit tough as it’s likely made ahead of time and gets cold and stale.
We ended up ordering 11 dishes for four people and we were very full; likely a better number is five dishes for every two people.
Service was good – the staff were pleasant and checked in to make sure we actually liked the dishes. But, what could have greatly enhanced the dining experience are some simple cutlery improvements:  
  • After some of the saucier dishes, Bent should offer to change the patron’s dish.  My plate ended up having such a mess of sauces after 10 courses that flavours blended together. I’d like to enjoy the dishes as they were meant to taste; 
  • Given Bent encourages sharing dishes they should offer serving utensils – some simple like chopsticks, a spoon and a fork for the table would suffice; and 
  • A utensil holder, similar to the chop stick and spoon rest some Chinese restaurants use, would be helpful given Bent provides four utensils and it’s very difficult to ensure everything is balanced on the small plate once used.
In 2014 I returned to Bent for their Winterlicious menu. Unfortunately, I didn't think it was as successful as their regular menu.  To read about the Winterlicious offering please go here to read about it.

Overall mark - 8.5* out of 10

 * Mark could have been a 9 if Bent had a bit more polish in terms of servicing customers. The food was good but it’s the small things (like the recommended changing plates and having serving utensils) that scores higher marks.

____________________________
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!
For further general discussions about this blog please refer to http://gastroworldblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/welcome-to-gastro-world.html
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