Showing posts with label large groups. Show all posts
Showing posts with label large groups. Show all posts

CLOSED: Power Up Bar (Toronto)


I don’t know why, but I felt the need to warn Christopher Venutolo, owner of Power Up Bar, that the last console I owned was a Super Nintendo. He immediately puts me at ease, explaining that Power Up Bar is all about socializing: everything is out in the open (you can even play while sitting at the bar) and they don’t have headsets to encourage people to actually interact with each other.

Immediately, his statements of playing together brings back childhood memories. Every Saturday, I’d go over to my cousin’s house and between causing mischief and running Camp Caribou in her backyard, we’d stop and play Double Dragon, Super Mario, or Zelda – depending on our mood. The games had pixelated graphics and there was little to no storyline, but what made them fun was playing with someone, being able to cheer or throw your hands up in frustration together.

Venutolo has had this idea for eleven years! What if people can just come into a bar, enjoy quality drinks and food, but then get to play video games (something they may do at home alone) as well? Why play by yourself when you can challenge your neighbor to Mario Kart, or compete at something more obscure like Runbow (from Canada’s 13AM Games) where I became the Color Master?

Unlike some lounges where it resembles a meat market and people are standoffish, at Power Up Bar patrons arrive with open minds. Even I met someone new that evening, playing a couple rounds of Runbow together and exchanging wings – chicken and duck wings that is.

And their food is good – decently sized plates that can easily be shared. The aforementioned chicken wings ($14) are lightly coated in a salt and pepper dredge before being deep fried until crispy. Something that’s a little messier (have a wet nap ready) are the duck confit wings ($18) – tender and flavourful covered in a sticky rosemary orange honey glaze. These are decadent and satisfying, my favourite dish of the evening.


The mini bacon cheese burgers ($15) are sure to be a crowd favourite, the sliders’ patties thick and juicy slathered with melted cheddar, bacon, and horseradish mayonnaise; arugula and a pickle adding a touch of crunch and freshness.


While the crispy bocconcini and rosemary risotto balls ($14) could stand to be hotter (the cool tomato sauce really chills it), the mild cheese inside remains molten and gooey (a great contrast against the crispy crunch). With a tad more salt or parmesan cheese mixed into the risotto itself, these would have been fantastic.


When there’s big sporting events, such as the finals of the World Series, Power Up Bar will be showing the games amongst their various screens. During these nights you’ll want to score a seat at the bar where you can watch the game and still grab a controller and play amongst the other television sets. Playing MLB Baseball while watching the Jays win? What a great combination.


If you have a group of five or more people, they also have a second room with booths that are generally first-come first-serve. Each one is set up with a Wii, Playstation and a large screen so you can battle your friends and neighbouring booths on any of those two consoles.


For me, my favourite area is the huge screen to the right of the bar. A place generally opened to everyone (or can be reserved for very large groups), it’s for those who like to move rather than smash buttons. With plenty of songs, Just Dance is a great option to let loose and party, especially with the help of some liquid encouragement.


After a few cocktails ($9 each until end of October and $12 thereafter), I felt ready to showcase my moves. Not being a fan of overly sweet drinks, mixologist Jess explains that they’re careful to create balanced cocktails. She was right, despite the descriptions incorporating strong spirits, there were no harsh flavours – rather you get a taste of something and then it’s replaced by another.

The Dark Sign, a concoction of made with Old Mount gay rum, Averna and Chartreuse sounds and looks like it’d be bitter, but is sweetened with raspberry syrup and ends with an interesting hickory smoked bitter. Even the Maker’s Mark bourbon in the Snake Eater is neutralized but a crème de cocoa and a splash of Ancho Reye adding a light spiciness in the background.

As pink as they come is the Fan Boy, the hue from a muddled watermelon cube mixed with Boodles gin; a drink that’s sweeter on account of the Aperol and Campari, but balanced with lemon and topped with creamy egg white.


Cosplayer Holly Wolf and notable YTV personality DJ Phil, will be attending Power Up Bar on October 15 for the Unplugged Expo after party. I’m more interested to visit on Friday to Monday of the Halloween weekend to see who else will be dressing up – what a perfect excuse for people to bust out their best Marvel or Sailor Moon costume.

Just imagine the fun you’ll have watching Superman dance to Soulja Boy and if anyone’s going to be Ariel from the Little Mermaid, here’s a dare for you – try Just Dance’s Under the Sea.

Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10
Disclaimer: The above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 38 Wellington Street 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!


Power Up Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


CLOSED: The Boiling Harbour (Vaughan)


Wow how things have changed in Vaughan! Normally I only visit the city, a short drive from Toronto, when going to Wonderland so it’s shocking to see how developed and thriving the area’s become. Even the culinary scene is growing – aside from the chain restaurants and authentic Italian joints, a wealth of diversity is springing up. This summer, a new entrant joins them: Boiling Harbour brings the Louisiana boil to Vaughan!

In the Southern states, a seafood boil is not merely a dish, but rather a social event bringing together communities, friends and families. You should definitely keep with the tradition and arrive in a group so you can try numerous items.

During the opening event, we sampled skillfully prepared snow crab legs ($18.95/lb), large meaty mussels ($10.95/lb) and head-on shrimp ($12.95/lb) so you can really enjoy the seafood essence. The Harbour sauce (a mix of garlic butter, lime, pepper and Cajun spices) was just spicy enough at the medium level and thankfully not overly salty or oily to detract from the seafood.


Some of the add-ins are a tad pricy (corn for $1 or sausages for $6.50 apiece), but the sweetness of the corn goes so nicely with the hot spicy broth and I like that Boiling Harbour used fresh ears (at least during our summer visit) compared to the chewy frozen variety.  

Having had gumbo ($9) in New Orleans, the hearty flavourful stew at the restaurant is impressive. In particular, it was a smart idea to cook the shrimp separately so they didn’t turn rubbery and there was enough okra to thicken the broth but not turn it slimy. The gumbo is fantastic and is better than the ones I sampled in Louisiana.


The lobster mac & cheese balls ($15.95 for three) are huge and great for sharing. Although the mixture doesn’t contains tons of lobster, the pasta was cooked well and there’s enough sauce so that the insides are gooey when the crispy crust is broken.


Once you see an order of the loaded lobster fries ($28.95) go by, you’ll want it. It’s a serious dish with an entire boiled lobster that’s flash fried and drizzled with garlic butter and aioli. There’s definitely enough lobster to share, but it’s so good that it’ll be hard not to devour the other half. As if it weren’t enough, the crustacean sits on a bed of hot Cajun fries – perfect for dipping into the boil sauce.


Dinner at the Boiling Harbour was delicious and I truly love the experience. It’s a shame, as the one thing that keeps me from frequenting these restaurants is the amount of waste generated – the boil is served in food safe poly bags, other items in Styrofoam or paper plates, and all the utensils are plastic. Every person even received a small plastic container of salt and pepper … the barrel of them on display really doesn’t go with the seafood friendly theme.

I understand, disposables are easy: there’s nothing to wash and little up-front investment. To be fair, Boiling Harbour isn’t the only restaurant that relies the ease; competitors do this as well. Although I’m not an environmentalist, I still care about what we do to the Earth – after having a delicious meal, the worst feeling is the guilt felt while staring at all the waste you’ve created.

So, I’d encourage restaurants to gradually improve their impact: like those individual salt and pepper containers? That can easily be replaced with shakers that’s given when requested – seriously, the food is already well-seasoned, I don’t see why it would be needed anyways. Then as cash flows allow, start purchasing utensils, re-usable plastic serving platters, cups, and transparent pails to serve the boil in (the photographs would turn out much better than bags).

If only the entire experience wasn’t so wasteful, I’d certainly go back more frequently. I already have a hankering for another helping of boiled crab legs, loaded lobster fries and gumbo. Maybe next time I visit there will be real utensils, then I can leave feeling full and guilt free.

Overall mark - 8.5 out of 10
Disclaimer: The above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 3175 Rutherford Road
 

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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The Badali Bar & Cucina (Toronto)


I don’t know when it happened, but the previous Joe Badali’s has been re-branded as The Badali Bar and Cucina and with it the dining room modernized. The numerous banquettes and four top tables have been replaced with sleeker models and if you’re looking to host a large group, there’s a huge table along the wall that could easily hold twenty.

Although Badali’s prices are generally reasonable, during Summerlicious, their lunch menu is a steal at $18. Moreover, it’s one of the few that offers two vegetarian options (something I look for when planning work lunches).  The meat-free arancini is a lovely golden brown and crispy, but could benefit from being hotter inside. Pretty flavourful to begin with, I did enjoy the flecks of sun dried tomatoes mixed into the rice, but the consistency could be creamier.


The gemelli spiral pasta was cooked perfectly covered in a tasty white wine tomato sauce. The Calabrese salami was served as three small thin slices thrown into the middle - if you’re not paying attention you end up with a mouthful of salty spicy meat. Personally, I would have preferred it cut into slivers or cubes so the salami could be evenly dispersed. Overall, the pasta was good but with the musky mussels, the dish would have been better with chicken or grilled vegetables instead.


It’s a shame that the earl grey steeped panna cotta was covered in a berry compote, as the panna cotta itself was delicious. However, the mild tea flavour wiped out by the strong fruit topping; Chantilly cream topped with shortbread crumbles would surely be a better fit.


Although my last visit was over five years ago, this experience was still the same: great location and warm friendly service, but the food wouldn’t make your nonna proud.

Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10
Is Summerlicious worth it (based on my meal selection)?
Summerlicious - $18
Regular menu - $28 - arancini* ($8), pasta* ($18) and dessert* ($8)
Savings - $16 or 47%

*None of the items are part of their regular menu, so prices based on the soup, lunch pasta and dessert is a wild guess by me

How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 156 Front Street 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:


Joe Badalis Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

CLOSED: Jamie's Italian (Toronto)



Excuse my management consultant side, but thankfully Jamie Oliver put more thought into forming a well-linked relationship when entering the Canadian market. Partnering with King Street Food Co., owners of Toronto’s Buca restaurants, my recent lunch at Jamie’s Italian in Yorkdale was unequivocally better than Edinburgh (consequently, still holds Gastro World’s lowest rating to date).

Why you ask? Firstly, we were seated at a table once (a small feat that stumped the hostess in Edinburgh) and our server was friendly and welcoming (albeit needs to trim down the specials spiel to under 1.5 minutes). Already off to a good start. Then when the food isn’t the size of Happy Meals and actually tastes good, my hesitation for returning to the chain subsided.

Sure the pre-split arancini ($8.50) was a little strange, but it did remind us that these risotto balls were stuffed with molten mozzarella and to proceed with caution. The crispy rice nuggets were hot and crispy, the creamy risotto inside not overly seasoned so the spicy arrabbiata marinara allowed to shine. 

Jamie's Italian Toronto: arancini

Although the polenta chips ($6.95) are marketed as a “side”, they also make for a great starter and nibbling on. The nuggets of silky polenta arrive with a crackling crust and topped with tons of rosemary and parmigiano reggiano. It’s salty and hot, just one more piece.

Jamie's Italian Toronto: crispy polenta

Remembering that Jamie’s pasta was good (just the accompany fingernail sized clams a dismal disappointment), I opted for their famous prawn linguine ($19.95 for main-sized portion). I can see why this is one of their top selling dishes: the fair-sized prawns cooked nicely, the pasta slightly al dante and the garlicky tomato sauce thinned out with fish broth and fennel to keep it from becoming too acidic. Hiding in the background is a bit of spice to give it warmth but not overpower.

Jamie's Italian Toronto: prawn linguine

Jamie’s Italian seats over 200 hundred diners, but can still get fairly busy, so make reservations. It’s a rustic heavenly smelling space, with a charcuterie bar complete with hanging cured meats (we couldn’t tell if they were real or fake), which backs onto a large bar leading into their patio. It’s a large restaurant, yet the various areas keeps it comfortable and cozy.

Mr. Oliver, you have started to redeem your reputation after the horrendous Edinburgh dinner. Bold flavours with simple fresh ingredients, that’s what I expected the first time.     

Overall mark - 7 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 3401 Dufferin Street (at Yorkdale Mall)


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:





CLOSED: Joe's Crab Shack (San Francisco)


Joe's Crab Shack


With its prominent tourist location and bright signage, I wasn’t expecting superb seafood at Joe's Crab Shack. Being a cold evening, we wandered into the restaurant to escape the wind … before researching the establishment. After being seated, it seemed rude to leave so we stuck it out despite the restaurant’s 2.5 star rating on Yelp and 3.5 stars everywhere else.

The cup of clam chowder ($3.99) was lukewarm, a big pet peeve of mine, mostly filled with potatoes than clams. You’re better off ordering the bowl ($7.29) and sharing. Since they add bacon bits and small clams into the mix, the soup is cooked again and my friend’s bowl arrived piping hot.


Since most reviews warned against Joe’s steam pots, my friend and I opted to split the Dungeness crab bucket ($37.49) instead. The crab itself was decent, seemingly fresh and not overdone; the Old Bay seasoning used in the “Chesapeake style” option complimented the crab well giving it a salty seasoning without being too strong.


Yet, its shrunken size amongst a large pot was disappointing, especially when compared to our friends’ voluminous orders of steam pot and assorted crab legs. Unlike what most reviews proclaim, not everything is good for sharing, the Dungeness crab being one, since I could have had the whole dish to myself.

Each entrée is accompanied with French fries & hush puppies or an ear corn & baby potatoes. Despite not regularly eating hush puppies, I’d imagine they shouldn’t arrive cold and the texture of stale Timbits (doughnut holes for Americans). The fries were only a step better, at least warm, but lacked seasoning so I had to resort to dipping them in the crab juices.


In the end, I kept my expectations low. After all, it’s a chain restaurant and the menu has pictures on it. All in all, at least the seafood was fresh and cooked nicely. But, if sharing, I’d stick to the larger steam pots, because a few crab legs isn’t nearly satisfying enough.

Overall mark - 6 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: San Francisco, USA
 Address: 245 Jefferson 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:





Kinka Izakaya North York (Toronto)

Kinka Izakaya North York

Kinka Izakaya, formerly known as Guu, continues to churn out Japanese shared dishes amongst a jovial environment. At the North York location, the shouting becomes too much: not only occurring when people enter and leave, but also for communicating orders and announcing dishes are ready for pick-up. I’ll admit, I needed a glass of Taiheizan Chogetsu sake ($10) to take the edge off and settle into a mellower mood.


Luckily, Chef Ippei Iwata’s creations makes it worth it to suffer through the screaming. The takowasabi ($4.50), which I first had at sister restaurant Yakatori Kintori, may not look photogenic and somewhat drab, but the flavour couldn’t be further. You may be put off by the jelly like consistency of the marinated octopus, yet before you can decide if you like the dish, a powerful hit of wasabi stem washes over you. It’s shocking, but so delicious.  


Having the kaisou and tofu salad ($7) with the takowasabi would be smart – the cool pieces of tofu helping to mellow out the flavours. The sweet marinated seaweed and citrusy ponzu soy vinaigrette topping the spring mix readjusting the taste buds for the following savoury eats.


Kinka first marinates the chicken used in the karaage ($7.80) so that the meat itself is well flavoured. Coating it in enough flour to form a crust but not too much to become overpowering, the chicken is simple but tasty.


I founded the tontaro ($7.50) too salty (coming from a person who loves salt). The yuzu pepper sauce accompanying the grilled pork cheek skewer was just too well seasoned, which is a shame because the tender pork is devoid of flavours and really requires a condiment.


If you’re a fan of oysters, the kakimayo ($8.50) is the dish to order. Plump, large oysters are filled with mushrooms and spinach in a creamy garlic mayonnaise. It’s baked with cheese and served piping hot, Kinka’s version of an oyster Rockefeller.


The flaky gindara ($12) is one of my favourites: the miso marinated black cod grilled to perfection with a crispy skin but the fish’s meat still moist.


Kinka’s gyu carpaccio ($7.20) is a stunning plate, the seared rings around the beef sashimi so fine and even. Sitting in a ponzu soy and covered with wasabi mayo and garlic chips, it’s also a flavourful and refreshing selection.


With the rise in popularity of aburi offerings, Kinka’s North York location also offers blowtorched salmon oshizushi ($12.80). The pressed sushi incorporating a nice ratio of smoky salmon against rice. Personally, I prefer the typical jalapeno garnishes, but the green onion and ginger topping wasn’t bad either.


The end, the hojicha brulee ($5) had a thin sugar crust, enough to add sweetness but not overpower the faint roasted green tea essence within the crème brulee.



Kinka has been having events assuring eaters that nothing has changed except for the renaming (resulting from the end of a franchising agreement). This was certainly highlighted in my experience – the food just as flavourful, menu options still abundant, and prices equally wallet friendly. Lastly, depending on your opinion, their staff just as energetic … to the detriment of my ear drums.  

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
Disclaimer: The above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in the mission statement, I will always provide my honest opinion. 


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 4775 Yonge 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:



KINKA IZAKAYA NORTH YORK Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Casa Manila (Toronto)


If you haven’t been to Casa Manila since 2010, I suggest you plan a return visit. There are new owners in town, Mila and Rizalde, and they have revamped the restaurant from fast food to fancy feast. Having the pleasure to speak to Mila, I was entranced by the passion she showed for Filipino food. She had entrepreneurship in her blood running a successful import business. After selling this, she saw a gap in the Filipino food community - too often the eateries were fast food or ready-to-eat style, providing a lackluster experience. Having resided in Canada since childhood, she saw the rise of the public’s acceptance for other food cultures … but alas for Filipino food it seemed stuck.


So, finally she took the plunge and along with Rizalde purchased Casa Manila to use as a vehicle to showcase Filipino cuisine in the way it deserved: using fresh ingredients, leaving out additives such as MSG and making it healthier (less salt, oil, leaner meats and vegetarian options). They offer a la carte options, but for those who don’t know what to order and want the full experience, Casa Manila also creates a Kamayan feast – something generally experienced on special occasions in Filipino homes.

Kamayan is essentially a family-style “picnic” that’s laid out on banana leaves allowing eaters to gather around and pick and choose morsels to their heart’s desire. Eating with your hands is an intimate event. Mila put it best by explaining that it allows you to experience food with five senses – you feel the food as well.


Before the feast began, we noshed on some adobo dusted popcorn (imagine a sweet and salty kettle corn) and sipped on refreshing calamansi mojitos ($27 a pitcher or $7 a glass). The calamansi, a Filipino citrus that’s a cross between a lime and orange, offers a tart but slightly sweet balance. Against the heavier Kamayan feast it’s quite nice.


For those who are nostalgic for the drinks from the Motherland, Casa Manila also offers Sarsi (a root beer that has a pronounced licorice flavour) and San Miguel (a lighter lager).  


A great accompaniment with the drinks was the chicharon manok and atchara (chicken cracklings with slaw). The thick piece of crispy chicken skin was dusted with adobo seasoning and well drained so it wasn’t greasy. Topped with a delicious pickled green papaya slaw it balanced out the skin’s heaviness – a dangerous dish that makes you forget what you’re eating.


To start, bowls of sinigang baka (beef tamarind soup) were brought out to warm us up. It’s savoury but also sour from the tamarind. There’s a fresh clean taste to the broth from the plethora of vegetables mixed into it (okra, bok choy, tomato, jalapeno, eggplant, etc). Add a dash of fish sauce and it completely changes the flavour profile, enhancing the savoury part of the soup.


Then with a flourish people were bringing out great rectangular swaths of banana leaves adorned with so much food! 


The star of the show was the flying tilapia holding centre court amongst all the other items. The deep fried fish was served whole with the meat filleted away from the bone to give it the “flying” description. Consequently, it also helps the fish’s meat cook faster so retaining its juiciness despite being thoroughly deep fried.  Diners are offered six different sauces to dip to their heart’s content. I found the vinegar or the adobo was great with this.


Indeed, the tinuhog na manok (chicken skewers) was probably the best way to experience the sauces. Casa Manila branched into the sauces as an add-on item and now patrons can also purchase jars of them to go ($8.99). Honestly, each sauce had its own highlights: the garlicky sweetness of the adobo, the light creaminess of the coconut ginger or the aromatic savoury peanut sauce. They all went well with the chicken so really would be a matter of taste what to use.


Something that didn’t require any sauces was the inihaw baka (grilled beef ribs). They were already marinated in a flavourful sweet, garlicky soy sauce and finished off with a slight smokiness from grilling. If you like kalbi you’ll love these, I personally ate five slices of these and could have easily demolished a platter.


Mila explained that Filipinos love their crunch, and with the lechon kawali (fried pork belly) crunch is what you’ll get. Having been deep fried, the pork belly develops a crunchy exterior on top of its already crunchy skin. If you’ve had Chinese roast pork, imagine this but then deep fried as well. The layer of fat between the meat and skin gets encapsulated and melts slightly so that each bite is tender and rich.


Luckily, there was plenty of hilaw manga insalada (green mango salad) to help cut through the greasiness. Its “simple” as the flavours predominantly come from the tastes of the ingredients themselves – the tart green mango, slightly sweet crunchy jimaca, zing from the onions and juiciness of tomatoes. 


At the end of the dish was more of the atchara green papaya slaw, which is outstanding! I could eat this by itself or on top of grilled meats, such a great combination of sweet, savoury and vinegar.


If you’re interested in trying the Mabuhay Collection Kamayan feast yourself, round up at least three people and you can each experience the above for $28 (plus taxes and gratuities). Additional diners can easily be added and Casa Manila will adjust to ensure there’s enough food for each added person.

I highly suggest you add on the garlic fried rice ($1.50). Stir fried sticky rice spiked with garlic … do I need to say more? Plus, rice is what helps you truly accomplish the “eating with your hands” experience. Simply take a small mound of rice (pinching it together), top it with bite sized pieces of protein and voila bring it up to you mouth and enjoy.


If you’re still hungry after the feast (go you!), Casa Manila also offers add-ons. Some may enjoy the sisig pork mask (pig head meat; $13) or sisig bangus (milk fish; $15) served in a sizzling hot plate. The small pieces of protein are mixed with a vinegar, crunchy pieces of skin and other spices. These dishes went well with the plain rice they also offer.


Personally, I found the sisag too rich after having so much protein already. But, the Lumpiang Shanghai baboy (pork spring rolls; $9 for 10) may just be that last little bite you need to round out the meal. Filipino cuisine is influenced by other countries and this is from China. However, the spring rolls have their own distinctness with the minced filling (rather than slivers), being more meaty and held together better from the egg added.


Do yourself a favour and save room for the halo halo that finishes off the feast. It’s captivating to look at comprised by over a dozen ingredients: a shaved ice base, milk sweetened with pandan syrup, fruits, various beans, custard, coconut jelly, puffed rice flakes and topped with a big scoop of ube taro ice cream.


It’s whimsical and colourful – sure to please children but excites adults alike. I’ve seen pictures of halo halo before and somehow the thought of it never appealed to me. I’m not one for eating a messy slush of ingredients as it can be disastrous if the ingredients don’t complement each other. But, the server insisted that the dessert has to live up to its name (mix mix) otherwise you’re just eating shaved ice with toppings. So, I trusted him but looked dubiously at the purple slush presented afterwards.

Admittedly, it’s rather good all mixed in together. Certainly the shaved ice goes well with the creamy yam and taro ice cream. And there’s a playful element that comes from not knowing what you’re going to try next – one bite there’s a chewy jelly, another a plump plantain or a meaty red bean.


If you’d rather have something simple, they also offer a selection of ice creams ($4 or $12.50 for a take-out container). Made exclusively for them by Marble Slab, there’s interesting flavours such as ube (yam), coconut, mango or avocado.


At last, I’ve had my first taste of Filipino food. For a while, I lived near an eatery but they seemed to only serve fried chicken and little else. Thanks to Casa Manila, foodies finally have a place to try Filipino cuisine in the way it’s meant to be served – traditional, fresh and delicious. Certainly, they have changed things up a bit, offering vegetarian and gluten-free options to allow the cuisine to be more inclusive. Filipinos have a beautiful saying “mabuhay” which encompasses welcoming, celebrating (“cheers”) and blessing (“may you live”).  Thank you Casa Manila for the lovely evening where I certainly felt all three.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10
* Disclaimer: The above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, I still offer my honest opinion.

How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 879 York Mills Road

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
  • - 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!