CLOSED: Canyon Creek for Winterlicious (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, February 04, 2017 by
Few chain restaurants are part of Winterlicious, except for Canyon Creek who has regularly made the roster. I can see why, it’s hard to argue with value - their lunch menu is a steal at $18 (refer to the end of the post for calculated savings). Plus, their “upscale casual” menu is approachable while still interesting, although mains such as pho and bibimbap seem out of place at an establishment that use to label itself as a chop house.

Hence, the Southern fried chicken sandwich seemed like a safer choice at Canyon Creek. Even though the breaded chicken breast was tender and moist, despite being a thick piece,  something was missing. Perhaps it’s the promised buttermilk jicama slaw that should in the sandwich – shouldn’t I taste a lovely refreshing crunch? Why did it seem like someone simply slathered guacamole on instead, which in itself isn’t terrible, just tired and disappointing.


Or it could be the sandwich lacked a spicy kick from the chipotle mayo or jalapeño that’s listed as  ingredients. In the end, it’s good for a “Southern fried chicken sandwich”, but weak for a “Southern fried chicken sandwich with jicama slaw, chipotle mayo and jalapeño”.

On the other hand,  the candied Atlantic salmon appetizer surpassed expectations. At first, hearing there were golden beets and “candy” in the dish, I was apprehensive whether it’d would become overly sweet. Luckily, the sugariness was counteracted with sour elements (pickled onions and crème fraiche), using smoked salmon that gave a savoury quality to the dish, and incorporating horseradish for an unexpected zesty hit.


The peach crumble is everything you’d expected from the classic dessert: warm so it was comforting, the cinnamon sugar streusel topping, and a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream that melts into the  peaches creating a caramel cream sauce. It’s a satisfying dessert, canned peaches notwithstanding.


It’s a shame that taking an hour and a half break for lunch isn’t easier on a weekday, as the Winterlicious choices offer amazing savings. You’ll leave full and satisfied … and in desperate need for an afternoon nap.   

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
Is Winterlicious worth it (based on my meal selection)?
Winterlicious - $18
Regular menu - $32.35 - candied salmon* ($12.45), sandwich ($12.95) and dessert* ($6.95)
Savings - $14.35 or 44%

* Based on the coconut shrimp and double chocolate brownie
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 156 Front Street West


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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!

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CLOSED: Weslodge (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, January 29, 2017 by

While restaurants like Cactus Club Café are known for their pretty approachable waitresses, at Weslodge, the scales tip in favour for the ladies where dapper young men sling the food instead. Dressed in tailored jean shirts, some even complete with leather suspenders, I’m guessing they’re supposed to resemble cowboys … very clean and tailored cowboys.

Despite the upscale saloon environment, their menu is more adventurous than steak and potatoes. There’s items from the sea and non-American risottos; of course, there’s still beef, but it’s braised and served with jus.  

During Winterlicious ($38), I’m happy to see their special price fixe menu includes renditions of their normally available dishes, such as the smoked trout and crisp potato cake starter. It’s a superb dish, the fish cooked through but still having the smoked flavour and aroma, which is balanced out with thinly sliced cucumbers and tangy crème fraiche. The potato base is not the shredded pancake or latkes version, rather a square of non-creamy potato gratin that flakes apart just like the fish.

The braised beef cheek was prepared to my liking: fork tender yet still has a meaty texture and just enough fat for moisture. Generally I’m skeptical about fruit sauces, but Weslodge’s huckleberry version had an appropriate level of fruitiness to cut against beef’s richness without reminding me of a fruit salad. Yet, the most surprising part of the dish was the sunchokes - cut into wedges and roasted so well they were creamy and encapsulated in a lovely crispy caramelized crust.


The meal was delicious to the end. The apple tarte tatin incorporated a thick layer of thinly sliced apples, nice and soft with crunchy butter graham clusters for contrast. With the light Ontario cider sorbet on the side, the dessert was positively refreshing. If only the tarte was warmer, it would have been perfect.


Looking back at the evening, it was a great experience: the friendly banter, attentive service, and delectable food. It wasn’t always like this. My last visit to Weslodge, when it first opened, was a stark contrast – our group of six was crammed into a table for four, it took forever to get a cocktail (even longer for food), and the burger was just a step above Jack Astors (no offense Jack Astors). Oh, how the tumbleweeds turn for I’ll be back … and it’s not because of the hot cowboys.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10
Is Winterlicious worth it (based on my meal selection)?
Winterlicious - $38
Regular menu - $58 - trout ($18), beef ($30) and dessert ($10)
Savings - $20 or 34%
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 480 King 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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CLOSED: Peking Duck Kitchen 東成酒家 (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2017 by

In my opinion, some of the best restaurants are small family run affairs; Peking Duck Kitchen seems no different with father and son in the kitchen and mom and other son running the front-of-the-house. Food may arrive slower and dishes don’t arrive with serving cutlery, but good things come to those who wait.

Trust me, their Peking duck ($48.99) is worth the wait. Despite listing only two dishes on the menu, it actually arrives as four:

Think of the first as a paid amuse bouche: six bite-sized slices of the thickest skin served in sugar. My husband describes it as duck candy, which may sound odd, but the crisp skin and bit of oil that leaks out goes nicely with the sugar – like a duck skin timbit.


Next, the main course, where the fowl’s skin and meat is sliced and arrives with steamed flour wrappers. The duck’s skin is crispy despite not being fried (you can monitor the cooking process with their open kitchen and the oven on display) and there’s a bit of spice added to the bird so by itself there’s already flavour.


Even the wrappers are outstanding, so translucent and thin, but strong enough to withstand being pulled apart and filled with three slices of duck. Nothing fell apart and I happily bit through each sweet (thanks to the hoisin) and crispy bite. Plenty of skinless cucumber and scallions are included to help cut through the fattiness of the duck. Having had my fair share of Peking ducks in Toronto, it was one of the tastiest.

The lettuce wraps were average, there’s enough seasoning and contrasting textures, but too much fried vermicelli – a bit is good, but when there’s too much it tastes like you’re eating bits of Styrofoam.


Lastly, the duck bones. By now there’s very little meat left on them, given everything has been sliced off and even the meat around the carcass is shredded off for the lettuce wraps. Nonetheless, you can jazz them up – for an extra $4.99 the chef stir fries them with salt and pepper to give it interest. If only the restaurant has television screens playing sporting events … imagine the viewers who’d love to nibble on these while drinking cold beers (they have mini kegs available).


Peking Duck Kitchen isn’t a one dish wonder. Everything else we tried was solidly executed. I had doubts about ordering sweet and sour pork ($9.99) at a Beijing restaurant, but was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. The sauce was balanced in terms of flavours and consistency (not too thick that it became slimy but thick enough to cling to the ingredients). Each bite of pork had enough batter to develop a crispy exterior but you could still taste the meat. The bell peppers remained crunchy and even in the dead of winter the pineapples were fresh as opposed to the canned variety.


Another popular Sichuan dish is boiled fish filets in hot chili oil ($14.99). It’s one I’m generally not ecstatic about as it becomes a chore to try to pick out all the chilies – especially the smaller Sichuan pepper that releases a bitter taste and numbs your tongue. Luckily, the wire mesh helps extract the fish easier and I like that the soup underneath wasn’t a clear broth, instead incorporating something sweet (perhaps bean paste or oyster sauce) so that the fish has taste even without the peppers.


If you’re wondering what the garlic A dish ($8.99) is, the “A” denotes the A choy, a leafy green vegetable that has the whispy leaves of romaine lettuce and the crunchy stalk of Chinese broccoli (or gai lan). Sometimes the vegetable can have a slight bitterness, but this wasn’t evident at all at the restaurant, maybe due to the abundance of garlic in the dish.


Some Chinese restaurants give complimentary soups, a custom they don't follow at Peking Duck Kitchen. Nevertheless, their menu has plenty to choose from and the prices are reasonable. We settled on the hot and sour soup ($7.99 for a medium) that was large enough for a table of six. The restaurant certainly doesn’t skimp on ingredients with plenty of slivered vegetables, tofu and black fungus.

The soup’s taste, although still enjoyable, was a little off for me. The “hot” came from adding tons of cracked black peppercorns to the broth instead of chili, so the soup tickles your throat as consumed. Meanwhile, the “sour” really wasn’t prevalent – something I personally enjoy – but could be the missing flavour for someone else.

Mom and pop restaurants always have a special place in my heart. The décor may not be picturesque and the service less polished, but I appreciate that many stick to dishes they can execute well and at Peking Duck Kitchen you can’t go wrong with the duck.

Overall mark - 8.5 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1 Glen Watford Drive


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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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Uncle Tetsu's No-Bake Cheesecake (Markham)

Posted on Wednesday, January 25, 2017 by

While visiting central Japan in April, don’t be surprised as crowds flock to green spaces to take in the sakura (cherry blossoms) blooming from trees. For anyone who’s seen them, it’s a stunning sight that makes you dream of floating on clouds, lollipop lined roads and all things pretty.

Uncle Tetsu’s Unionville location has recently incorporated the ingredient into their no-bake cheesecake ($35 for a full cake that comfortably feeds six or $8 for personal-sized cup) and the effect is equally stunning. As I lifted the lid on the box, my first instinct wasn’t to snap a picture, but rather take in the beautiful sakura blossoms – to stop and stare at the flowers one could say.


The cherry blossoms, along with translucent petals and pieces of gold leaf are secured onto the blush cheesecake layer with a lightly sweetened gelatin. The cake’s texture is a cross between a mousse and gelatin, with cheese flavour peeking through in the background alongside a sweet floral essence. The actual sakura tastes neither like cherries or flowers, rather has a kick of salty sourness having been pickled in salt and ume vinegar. Aside from the cherry blossom, the dominant flavours from the cake is the lovely graham cracker crust – it’s that buttery element that really tastes like cheesecake.


Overall, the cheesecake is delicate and light. With no overpowering flavours, it’s a safe cake for larger crowds (bridal or baby shower anyone?) or with the whimsical elements something that would delight children.

For a more robust flavour, the yuzu no-bake cheesecake ($35 for cake or $8 for cup) incorporates a potent citrusy taste, especially if you get a piece of the fruit’s rind. Launching for Lunar New Year, the cake’s refreshing and its tartness likely welcomed after a filling family meal.


Until February 10, 2017, the Toronto Gourmet Club is providing its food loving members a 20% off voucher for Uncle Tetsu’s sakura cheesecake. Simply register for free on their website and the voucher will be emailed to you. Here’s hoping the voucher will be a step at encouraging you to stop and smell (and eat) the flowers.

Disclaimer: The cakes were provided on a complimentary basis. Rest assured, as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.
How To Find Them
 Location: Markham, Canada
 Address: 158 Main Street

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Is That It? I Want More!

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Uncle Tetsu's Unionville Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Song Cook's Authentic Korean Restaurant (Thornhill)

Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2017 by
Song Cook serves up authentic Korean cuisine and a lot of it (good luck narrowing down your order from their extensive spiral bound menu). The restaurant has an equally large dining room that’s separated into areas with regular tables or tatami sitting, if you’re in for a truly authentic experience. As a warning, the tatami tables are the real deal: there’s no hidden cut out holes so your legs can dangle, therefore a meal could really be an endurance for your core and flexibility.


Luckily, service at Song Cook is speedy, so unless you want to stay for hours, food arrives quickly after placing your order. The menu lists dishes by category (noodles, saam, rice dishes, etc.), but pay attention to the prices as some are large platters best shared amongst groups of five or more. 

Take the haemul pajun ($27.99), the seafood and green onion pancake could be mistaken for a medium pan pizza. Its sheer size allows for large chunks of octopus, shrimp, and green onion to be incorporated into the batter, which is really like an omelette with glutinous flour added for a bit of chewiness. By itself the pancake can be a bit bland, but a dip into the sweet soy sauce makes it delicious.

Another platter that feeds a crowd is the jap chae ($26.99), the warm chewy glass noodles tossed in a fragrant sesame oil soy sauce with beef and vegetables. It’s a decent version of the dish but surprisingly expensive for what you ultimately receive.  


The last of huge shared plates we tried included:
  • Tang suk yuk ($24.99), a sweet and sour chicken whose sauce, although not the vibrant red variety found in Chinese restaurants, is still flavourful. However, there’s just way too much breading on the chicken itself … really the speck of meat in the middle could be anything.

  • On the other hand, the spicy don ka su ($16.99) didn’t skimp on the meat, with the cast-iron skillet holding two long large pork cutlets. The dish is best eaten right out of the fryer, when the breading hasn’t gotten soggy from the thick spicy sauce the cutlets are smothered in. Overall, the don ka su could have been delicious (I loved the kick from the sauce), but the breading had a stale aftertaste and needed more seasoning.
 

As a warning, their grilled ssam dishes don’t actually include the lettuce wraps (for this you’ll need to add $5). The sam kyup sal consisted of three slices of relatively thick pork belly ($12.99). It lacked any flavour on its own, so really required the sweet bean paste and garlic oil that’s included on the side. Without the actual lettuce and herb garnishes the dish is pretty plain. The LA kalbi ($21.99) was better given the short ribs are marinated in a sweet garlic sauce, so is still tasty on its own. Like the jap chae, the kalbi was good, but not outstanding to warrant the much higher price compared to other Korean restaurants.


Not everything at Song Cooks is overpriced; most of their noodle and rice dishes are competitively sized and priced. I loved the chewy doughy noodles used in the ja jang myun ($8.99), but would have liked a bit more salt in the thick black bean sauce and the dish served hotter.


Their del sot bibimbap ($11.99) is fantastic with plenty of toppings and the most wonderful crispy golden crust develops where the sticky rice meets the hot stone bowl. The red bean sauce it arrives with seems spicier, so use less to begin with as you can always add more.


The ddukbokki ($8.99) is stir fried in a similar spicy sauce and intensely flavoured. It’s such a simple but satisfying dish – the logs of chewy rice cakes is addicting. To make it even more filling, we added ramen noodles ($1.00), which is great for ensuring every ounce of the spicy sauce is soaked up.


Perhaps what I like most about Song Cooks is the atmosphere … the restaurant is such a great laid-back anything-goes environment. While some establishments may give dirty looks to large rowdy tables, the staff at Song Cook join in the celebration, even demonstrating and introducing us to new drinking games. It’s that friendly attitude that makes me want to return for another order of bibimbap to wash down the 'Hulk Smash'. 

 Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Thornhill, Canada
 Address: 72 Steeles 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:

Song Cook's Authentic Korean Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Pomegranate (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2017 by

I was introduced to Pomegranate after meeting a Persian women dining by herself at a restaurant. Normally, I would never intrude on someone’s quiet time, but the tables were close together and she noticed me snapping photos of my food. Always in search of good authentic restaurants, I enquired about delicious Persian restaurants within Toronto. Pomegranate, she noted, was a small place, but the food is great and one of her favourite restaurants to visit.

The colourful tapestry adorning the wall instantly put me in a cheerful mood. Despite visiting as soon as the restaurant opened, light aromas of spices were already wafting throughout the dining area, a promise of the flavours to come. The women didn’t lie, it’s a small restaurant with perhaps a dozen tables, so consider making a reservation - even with our weeknight visit, we secured one of the last unreserved tables.

While waiting for our mains, we shared an order of the kashke-e bademjaan ($7.95), which wasn’t big, but rich enough to satisfy our table of four with a couple tablespoons each. A bed of soft charred eggplant is topped with Persian whey, garlic, walnuts and caramelized onions. The starter comes with a basket of hot lightly toasted soft pita bread that’s perfect for scooping up a bit of everything to get all the flavours and crunch. The whey had a light creamy consistency and when mixed with the garlic almost had a tahini feel to it.


I’m always partial of lamb dishes when visiting a Persian, Indian or Greek restaurant. Hence, immediately the queymeh ($15.50) called to me. The hearty stew is great for spooning over the basmati rice where the tomato saffron sauce could mix with the long grains of rice - oh if only I had saved some of the pita bread to dip into the stew as well!


The dish had a surprisingly sour finish due to the sun-dried lime added to the braised lamb and yellow split peas. It took a couple of forkfuls to get used to it, but afterwards I rather like the citrusy finish that helped mellow out the otherwise heavier stew. Yet, I wished all the sides accompanying it wasn’t also sour:  the shirazi salad was finely diced vegetables tossed with citrus; even the mixed greens had a vinegar and oil dressing. Anything, even a reduced balsamic vinaigrette with the mixed green, would have helped to provide contrast within the platter.

To end, a cup of the Persian chai ($2). The black tea isn’t as strong as its Indian counterpart, lacking the lovely cardamom scent (it just smelt like orange pekoe) and the spices steeped with the tea is evident but muted. If you prefer a weaker tea, the Persian chai may be a good choice. For me, I’d just stick with the tried and true mint version next time.

City dwellers are often guarded and like to exist within their own bubbles. Admittedly, I’m no different, not one to strike up conversations with a stranger. Sometimes, it’s nice to break through our comfort zone and get to know someone. Sure, we may never see them again, but what we learn from them could be interesting, useful, and delicious.

 Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 420 College 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:

The Pomegranate Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

The Burger's Priest (Toronto)

Posted on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 by

When I heard about the line-ups (and disappointment when patties run out) at the Burger’s Priest, I knew I’d want to try the establishment, but the hype would have to die down first. Now that multiple locations have opened across Toronto and even Uber Eats delivers their product, my desires are fulfilled.    

My first bite was into the California classic ($8.87 with an extra $5.62 for a combo) after an evening of drinking by their Adelaide location. Luckily, there was no queue (compared to lunch hour) and within twenty minutes I was biting into a soft juicy meat patty.


The burger was decadent, the relatively thick patty sandwiched between a buttered and toasted bun resembling grilled cheese bread. Although the beef patty didn’t have that lovely char and smoky barbeque taste I love with burgers, there was still a strong beef flavour to make it standout. Containing cheese, sautéed onion, lettuce and tomato, the burger had all the classic toppings. However, the “secret sauce” noted on the menu became lost. Altogether, a delicious burger.

My second experience with Burger’s Priest was a delivery through Uber Eats from their North York outpost. The wait was understandably much longer, so long that I was a bit worried the sandwich would arrive cold. However, the regular hamburger ($6.83) was still warm, albeit the “smoke” ($1.79) or slices of deep-fried panko crusted jalapenos became soggy.


With the regular bun, you could taste the beef patty more although the burger didn’t standout compared to other premium fast food eateries – the buttered and toasted bun really makes it special. The four small rounds of jalapenos was a bit disappointing adding a light heat but no crunch or smoke.

Their fries, although somewhat expensive to add on, is a huge portion and can easily be shared. The fresh cut potato is soft with crispy edges (very similar to Swiss Chalet’s fries) and salty enough that no condiments are required.


All in all, you’ll get a good meal at the Burger’s Priest, their product is good. However, would I ever wait an hour to have it? Never … it’s not that good. Luckily, for you and I, the hype has died down. Long live the Priest.  

Overall mark - 7 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 212 Adelaide 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:

The Burger's Priest Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato The Burger's Priest Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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