Showing posts with label vegetarian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegetarian. Show all posts

CLOSED: Awai (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, April 07, 2018 by

As a person who eats meat, a completely plant-based menu generally doesn’t excite me. While I like vegetables, and know there are many ways to prepare them, I can’t help but anticipate a boring dish or worry the chefs will rely on fat and deep frying to make it taste good. At Awai, every dish is vegan and can be made gluten-free by request. After sampling eight, they were all flavourful without depending on fats. In fact, Awai’s whole cooking philosophy aims to use an ingredient’s natural flavours without manipulating it heavily.

A flatbread seems to always makes its way into the meal, thanks to their prominent wood burning oven. Ours was topped with babaganoush incorporating a healthy dose of cumin, sour tamarind (?) reduction, dressed greens, and nuts. While the flatbread was tasty, the gluten-free version, which arrives on a potato rosti, was even better with the slightly crunchy bits.


Our table couldn’t get enough of the porcini soup ... it smells heavenly! Thick and creamy (from cauliflower purée in lieu of cream), there was also a slight kick to the broth from mountain peppers. I could have easily had three more bowls of the concoction.


Of course, there was a salad. Thankfully, it was pretty tasty with the wild mustard greens and other leafy vegetables tossed in a white kimchi dressing, sprinkled with togarashi, and mixed with the fennel pesto along the plate. While the apple confit chips were a powerful pop of flavour, it'd pair better with dessert; on the salad, the hard and chewy shards stick to your teeth and was annoying to pick out amongst the greens.


I love how the kitchen draws upon so many cultures to create the menu. From India, the khichdi was a lovely warm mixture of ground rice, lentils, and potatoes mixed with spices and a bit of heat. On top, a contrasting cold sweet and tangy root slaw, gave the dish interest and a beautiful colourful crown.


My favourite dish was the truffle mushroom ravioli: the pasta soft and chewy, filled with chopped mushrooms and sitting in a lovely cauliflower puree. Underneath was another healthy portion of roasted oyster mushrooms. Between this and the soup, our table agreed that Awai knows how to prepare fungi.


While I like phyllo pastry, as a cannelloni wrapper it doesn’t work. Perhaps there was just too much of it compared to the edamame mixture inside, every mouthful just felt like you were eating crispy phyllo. While the dish was pretty to look at and their heirloom vegetables roasted wonderfully, it was passable.


Thankfully, we requested one more savoury dish and ended off on a high note with the humita, a steamed corn cake that reminded me of a tamale but with more spices. For even more flavour, it was accompanied by a lovely rich mole and crunchy bits to contrast against the softer humita. 


Personally, I could have forgone dessert for another bowl of porcini soup. The elderberry oat tart was dry and mealy while the linden berry and cherry pavlova square was only a touch better thanks to some moisture and more sugar. The soup on the other hand… perfection.


The astute Gastro World reader may notice there’s no prices above. This is because Awai runs on a pay-what-you-can concept for their food (there are set prices for liquor). It’s an interesting concept where diners are encouraged to decide on a meal's worth. While I didn’t find the experience troubling, it does make the paying process a bit awkward and longer. After our waitress explained the concept, our table strategized and agreed on $70 per person. Unbeknown to the first person paying, their machine also doesn’t have a tip feature, so make sure you ask them to add it on at the same time. 

With that said, by the time this post is out, there will be prices. In early March, Awai announced they would be ending the “experiment” as many found it confusing and stressful. Instead, they will offer a prix fixe menu. It’ll be interesting to see how much the restaurant owners value their food – for a place that makes vegan dishes tasty, it may be a lot.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 2277 Bloor 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!

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Mary Be Kitchen (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2018 by

Mary Be Kitchen is light, bright, and airy … pretty much an Instagrammer’s dream. With the sparse wooden table tops and touches of white and blue, I can just imagine the number of strategically placed purse, sunglass, book, and food photos that will soon be geotagged against the restaurant.

Something about the atmosphere makes me want a pretty drink. Normally, for breakfast, I stick with a hot pot of English Breakfast. But, after seeing the atmosphere, I switched to a latte instead … actually, on second thought, make that a lavender latte ($4.95).



I don’t know what I was thinking: aside from the flora in a gin-based drink, it’s generally an ingredient I wish was left out. But, everything is so darn pretty that I felt the need to order the girliest morning drink they served. For the first half, while hot, the aromatic element went nicely with the warm milk and golden tasting espresso. Maybe I do like lavender, I thought to myself. Once the latte became cold and I’ve already had so many sips, I remember why it’s a nauseating ingredient.

Mary Be follows the fast-casual concept, ideal for the weekday lunch crowds in the Yonge and St. Clair neighbourhood. On weekends, it’s still an easy-going place: order, receive a number, find any empty table, and soon the food comes to you. Their menu consists of various salads, proteins, stews, and breakfast items that you can order separately or mix-and-match. The menu is limited to breakfast options on weekends with several other brunch choices.

The dahl and eggs ($13.95) is part of their brunch menu. A big bowl of red lentil curry where the pulse is soft and thick. Mary Be’s dahl has the customary hit of spice but also a tanginess that’s mellowed by fresh diced tomatoes. I only wish it was hotter, especially since the two poached eggs were so runny that a hot stew could have cooked them more. If you’re like me and enjoy the yolk oozing and creamy instead of leaking upon first poke, ask for them to be done medium.

With a sizeable piece of grilled organic multigrain sourdough toast and a side of leafy greens you’ll leave stuffed, but not feeling glutinous. In fact, I left feeling healthy – not in a juice fast sort of way, rather like I had a well-balanced hearty filling meal that also happens to be plant-based. Despite not having an ounce of meat, I stayed full until dinner after the 9am breakfast.

Don’t worry, for meat eaters, Mary Be does serve protein (they source their chicken, beef, and bacon from Beretta Farms). It just so happens they offer a lot of vegetarian options as well. These recipes were developed by owner Sarah Huggins, a long-time food blogger, who’s made her healthy recipes into a restaurant. Talk about living the dream. Maybe that’s why Mary Be Kitchen’s dining area is so white and heavenly.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 21B St. Clair Avenue 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:

Mary Be Kitchen Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Adrak (Richmond Hill)

Posted on Saturday, January 27, 2018 by

Adrak isn’t a place you simply stumble upon. Located at the base of an office building, in the dark you merely see their glowing sign - if you’re looking for it – then still need to drive around the block to enter the complex at the back of the building. While the restaurant doesn’t benefit from a direct view from Hwy 7, they do occupy sizeable space and is one of the poshest Indian restaurants I’ve visited in Toronto. Adrak also has a contemporary vibe: there’s no glint of red or gold, instead the comforting dark browns and cool creams that is reminiscent of a steak house … if a steak house features a huge tandoor oven in their open concept kitchen.

Diners are treated to an amuse bouche to start, a fried cheese ball that’s could be an arancini topped with a spiced curry. It’s unclear if the bite is authentic, but who cares, it's tasty.


Adrak’s menu is extensive, containing several dishes rarely found elsewhere. Feeling adventurous, we picked out a couple of unfamiliar appetizers to try such as the stuffed potato wheel ($15) where a potato is hollowed out, coated with poppy seeds, and stuffed with a cheese and spinach mixture. While it tastes pretty good, I could do without the raisins used in the filling and the coating could use more seasoning.


The soya malai chaap ($13) is sometimes referred to as vegetarian chicken in Indian cuisine, as the soy protein is molded to resemble pieces of meat. To me they look like Jerusalem artichokes (or sunchokes) covered in mayonnaise. While the ingredient has a dense texture, it doesn’t resemble the consistency of tofu. Again, the appetizer could benefit from more spice as after getting past the creamy sauce, the inside was fairly bland, except for a light smokiness from the charcoal oven. I’m glad it was accompanied by a tart chutney and plump soy bean salad, which helped give the malai chaap some flavour. Perhaps, even something as simple as including more of the sauce for dipping would help.


Aside from the “vegetarian chicken”, we also had an actual chicken starter. The chicken seekh kebab ($18) is a sizeable portion and smelled great, but the texture took some getting used to – the consistency ground down to a paste, rather than minced. Personally, I would prefer if it contained more bite and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, more flavour.


When I picture Indian food, it’s usually something that’s packed with exotic spices. Therefore, when all the appetizers were so muted, it was a strange start to the meal. While I’m glad we branched out to try new dishes, there’s a reason why starters like samosa and chaat are popular.

Luckily, as we got to the mains, the flavour level increased … perhaps the appetizers merely were preparing the taste buds for what’s to come. The gobi aloo & peas ($16) had a strong hit of masala and heat, the roasted cauliflower adding a further smokiness to the dish. Wrapped in a thin roti this could have easily been a delicious vegetarian main.


The smoky baingan bharta ($18) was accurately named given the eggplant was grilled over charcoal adding a smoldering taste and smell. Along with onions, tomatoes, herbs, and chilies, the mixture was great for dipping bread into and could easily work as a starter. In fact, most of the bread basket ($8), for me, went towards this dish. Containing a piece of butter naan, garlic naan, laccha parantha, and tandoori roti, the bread basket was a great sampler, but the soft chewy naans stole the show.


Huge pieces of soft and tender paneer were in the saag paneer ($17)… Adrak certainly doesn’t skimp on the cheese! Along with the thick spinach base, the dish was rich and filling.


The Goan-style seafood curry ($25) incorporated interesting flavours: predominantly sweet and sour with a creaminess from the coconut milk and a light heat. Yet, it was more fish than seafood as both spoons contained flavourless white fish... where's the shrimp and scallop? It's a dish that goes well, perhaps even needs, steamed rice. On its own or even with the naan/biryani, something seemed off.


To be fair, the vegetarian biryani ($17) doesn't need any more sauce, even by itself it was moist (without relying on oil) and flavourful. With tons of vegetables (green beans, onion, tomato, and peas), in lieu of the customary chicken or lamb I normally have the rice with, it's nice to eat something lighter. 


Even on the dessert menu there were some unfamiliar choices: the dinner provided my first taste of kesar phirni ($8) a slow-cooked vermicelli pudding flavoured with saffron. While it was mushy with no distinct bits of the noodle, the cashew pieces added crunch helping to improve the texture. Once again, the raisins could be left out; Adrak should really consider calling out this ingredient on their menu as it's generally insights a love/hate relationship with people. 


Surprisingly, even with our weekend dinner the restaurant wasn’t busy – perhaps due to their hidden location. Most of the diners were large groups with 10+ people; Adrak’s long tables and open concept design is great for hosting large groups and semi-private parties. Their service was also exemplary and one of the better restaurants for accommodating dietary restrictions. In fact, it’s the closest option for a fine dining Indian restaurant I’ve visited in the city. And, if you have diners that don’t like spice, at least they can stick to the appetizers.

Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Richmond Hill, Canada
 Address: 15 Wertheim Court
 Website: http://adrak.ca/

 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:

Adrak Indian Restaurant & Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


CLOSED: The Borough (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, October 29, 2017 by

For being a British colony, Toronto, surprisingly, has a lack of good English restaurants. We’re graced with more than our fair share of pub chains, but the menus are cookie cutter and none are exciting. While searching for a quick brunch place in East York, I was happy to stumble upon The Borough - the bright white and red restaurant isn’t your typical dark dank pub, but the food would even impress Mr. Bean.

Their Borough benedict ($15) is what lured me into the restaurant… the promise of my favourite breakfast main on top of Yorkshire pudding was irresistible. After experiencing the dish, I wouldn’t want it any other way. The cheddar cheese Yorkshire pudding was airy and fresh, its crevices perfect for cupping the medium runny egg yolk and hollandaise sauce. Unlike English muffin, which can be difficult to cut through, or biscuits that are way too dense, the pudding was doughy enough to hold up against everything else but not taste heavy. The old cheddar notes also made the benedict more flavourful than the typical buttery hollandaise.


The home fries smell and taste like chips I’ve had in the UK. There’s something about them – despite being cut larger and made of solid pieces of potatoes there’s a fluffiness to the filling. With a hefty helping of sticky warm molasses baked beans, you’ll leave stuffed.

If that weren’t indulgent enough, that day they had a special eggs benedict topped with pork belly ($18). I didn’t try it, but my friend loved the crispy crackling crust over each thick piece of meat. They also do a proper full English breakfast, which seemed popular with other tables.


Should I ever have to venture to the neighbourhood again, I’d return to the Borough for their evening meals. At last, there’s a decent English restaurant in the fray and they’ve combined Yorkshire pudding with eggs benedict – genius.

 Overall mark - 8 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1352 Danforth 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:


CLOSED: Café Belong (Toronto)

Posted on Monday, February 20, 2017 by

Nestled within the Evergreen Brickworks, Café Belong benefits from its proximity to the year round farmer’s market. Perhaps perusing the fresh food stalls beforehand influenced my meal choice, but their vegetarian dishes sounded fantastic and I didn’t miss an ounce of meat!

Replacing ham, the sautéed kale and mushrooms eggs benedict ($23) incorporated plump mushrooms that provided a meaty bite. As the poached egg oozed over everything, the molten yolk was captured into the not overly done kale’s crevices, making for a cleaner dish.  A layer of sweet caramelized onions sat on top of the doughy soft buttermilk biscuit; it was a bit sugary for my taste, but thankfully the buttery hollandaise helped to add back a savoury element.


Although the frittata ($19) is listed under the “cold kitchen” section of the menu, it still arrives warm. The cubes of roasted butternut squash at the bottom makes the egg dish heartier and I rather enjoyed the grilled red onion and wilted spinach that adds a bite and colourful contrast to the frittata. Just make sure to smear on some of the creamy goat cheese (?) purée from the plate, the tangy saltiness makes for a great addition.


A perfect “dessert” for sharing is their fluffy pancakes ($20 for three). It starts with the requisite eggy and buttery batter and is topped with ricotta, granola and stewed apples. Personally, I found the crunchy granola clusters detracted from the pillowy soft pancakes, but it did pair nicely with the large soft cinnamon apple chunks. The toppings aren’t overly sweet, so you’ll want to pay the extra $4 for warmed maple syrup – pancakes  aren’t the same without this wonderful nectar.


If you’re like me and tend to opt for meaty options during brunch, I encourage you to head to Café Belong and give our plant-based friends a try. After all, maybe Meatless Mondays could easily become Botanical Brunch Saturdays?

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 550 Bayview Avenue (at the Evergreen Brickworks)
 

 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:



Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, August 16, 2015 by

Lalibela Ethiopian franenscence

For the last class of a food writing course, we celebrated with a group dinner at Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant – an ideal place to meet vegan, gluten free and carnivore dining demands. Prior to the experience, I’ve never had Ethiopian food and knew little about the cuisine. Lalibela’s menu is rather extensive with a surprisingly large amount of meat options.

Although the tibs, a dish of sautéed meat with vegetables, sounds delicious, the meat is dry, hard and chewy.  Served on a sizzling platter, the zilzil tibs ($16) was aromatic when presented, but eating the beef was reminiscent of chewing on leather.  The rib tibs ($14.50) were better with the lamb pieces containing some fat which helped provide some much needed moisture. Additionally, the garlic onion and jalapeno tossed with the lamb was more pronounced and flavourful.

Lalibela Ethiopian zilzil tibsLalibela Ethiopian rib tibs

Personally, I’d suggest sticking with the stewed and braised meat dishes instead. The lamb stew’s ($12.50) liquid looked rather pale but was packed with flavour being made from a mixture of ginger, garlic, aromatic butter and light sprinkling of curry. If only the liquid was thicker it’d be even better as it was rather difficult to scoop the liquid with the injera.

Lalibela Ethiopian lamb stew

The special Ethiopian chicken ($16) were pieces of leg meat slow-cooked with caramelized onions, berbere (chili powder), garlic and ginger then served with hard boiled eggs. Although it was decent, it could use more berbere as the spiciness was so sedated. I’ve heard Ethiopian cuisine is known for spicy meats and rich flavourful sauces and hoped a dish with “special” in its name would be more impressive.


I noticed their menu was out-of-date and items such as the lamb stew, rib tibs and zilzil tibs are anywhere from $0.50 - $2 higher when the bill was presented. One discrepancy I can understand, but three out of five dishes is excessive.

The best dish of the night was the vegetarian platter sampler ($20) an impressive spread of eight thick stews on a piece of injera accompanied with salads. Injera is a risen sourdough made with teff flour with air pockets giving it a light spongy consistency. All the little crevices are perfect for scooping up the chickpea, lentil, beet, spinach and other stews. Traditionally, Ethiopians break off pieces of injera and with their right hand use it to pick up food.

Lalibela Ethiopian injera

Although a full platter of injera comes with the meal, the most flavourful piece would be the one the vegetarian platter is served on, soaking up the different sauces. The jalapeno laced salad in the middle was delicious and the crunchy cool lettuce a great contrast against the soft stews.


Lalibela offers traditional Ethiopian coffee ($10 and is sufficient for 4 people). If you’re interested, order it at the beginning as it takes time to prepare. First, the beans are brought out in a hot pan to showcase the intense coffee aroma while they’re roasting. They’re then brought back into the kitchen to finish roasting then grounded.

Lalibela Ethiopian coffee

After the meal, the coffee is brought back in a beautiful clay vessel along with lit frankincense billowing out a licorice smelling smoke, which is said to go well with the coffee. The coffee is poured into quaint little cups and can be taken with sugar or salt but with no milk. It’s rich and has a strong coffee flavour but not as intense as espresso. On the side is a large platter of popcorn; our waitress explained that in Ethiopia individuals tend to have snack foods while enjoying coffee.


Finishing our writing course with a meal was a great idea! I love the light injera where you feel you can have piece after piece without feeling stuffed. The vegetarian platter is a good choice for trying a variety of stews and ideal for the summer as it’s light. Eating at Lalibela was a unique experience, opening my taste buds to a world of new flavours.

Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1202 Danforth 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!


Fresh (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, February 22, 2015 by
For those who know me, I’m not much of a vegetarian. Sure, I like vegetables and have even been known to order a salad – but there’s generally some meat with it somewhere. However, when my friend suggested Fresh one night I actually wanted to check it out. Fresh is a popular chain of restaurants in Toronto that provide vegetarian meals that still sound delicious. For those who are vegan or require gluten free options, there is also plenty to satisfy your appetites.

For me the BBQ burger ($12) felt like a safe choice. After all, with quinoa onion rings, garlic mayo, chillies and a slaw on everything it’d be hard to not be delicious. Wanting to get some fries on the side, I even ordered it “salad” style where it arrives bun less and sits on spring mix with tomatoes instead.


As I thought, it was well flavoured from the thick smoky BBQ sauce, spicy banana chillis and the creamy garlic mayo slaw. The crispy onion rings on top were also delicious, arriving piping hot and very crispy from the quinoa added to the batter. We even got an order of them for the table ($6.50).


But, the patty in the burger, made from almond and grain, was too mushy for my liking. The areas around the crust were fine, but the middle of the patty was so soft so it felt like I was eating raw meat. Perhaps adding a heartier grain like barley into it would give the patty a better consistency.

The burger also came with a small kale salad on the side which was delicious.


The French fries ($6) were nice and fresh. I liked the addition of the sprinkling of thyme and sea salt on top.


Meanwhile, the sweet potato fries ($7.50) almost felt like eating hash browns as many of the pieces on the bottom were so small. Additionally, they were lukewarm and needed more salt. Alas, not as good as the potato fries.


I definitely won’t be becoming a vegetarian anytime soon. But, if I had to eat a vegetarian meal Fresh wouldn’t be a bad choice. There were highlights (the onion rings) and flops (the sweet potato fries and burger patty) but I admittedly left satisfied and loved the copious amounts of vegetables consumed. 

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 894 Queen Street West
Website: http://www.freshrestaurants.ca/menu

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!




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