Pai Northern Thai Kitchen (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 18 Duncan Street
Website: http://www.paitoronto.com/
Type of Meal: Dinner
When Janet Zuccarini and Jeff Regular gets behind the kitchen and cooks Thai, people follow. I’ve been trying to get a taste of their original creations for years. From Khao San Road to Sukho Thai, it seems that every time I finally make it into the restaurant, they sneak away to open yet another place. This time I did it – I’ve eaten at Pai while the Regulars (as they are referred to by media) are still in power.

Since Khao San Road, they have realized that there is nothing wrong with taking reservations. As a person who hates waiting in lines, I’m thankful for that. And trust me, you’ll want reservations, as even visiting on a weeknight Pai was packed.

The set-up looks familiar – simple wooden tables packed close together in a long narrow restaurant. At Pai, there are a couple of cool features including a tatami sitting area and a rotating wooden barrel at the bar. Their menu still revolves around starchy Thai comfort foods, but sadly my beloved garlic shrimp is nowhere to be found.

On this visit, I took the advice of the waitress and ordered gaeng kiaw wan ($15). The green curry is served in a coconut, with an extra portion in a bowl on the side. Alas, other than being decorative the coconut doesn’t add much (I tried scraping the sides for some coconut meat but there was none to be found), but it sure does look nice.


The curry is chocked full of tender chicken slices, bamboo shoots and bell peppers, with basil and kaffir lime leaves to provide more flavour. To be safe, I went with a medium level of spiciness, so there was a bit of heat. But, the slightly sweet coconut milk was definitely more pronounced. So, I’d likely up it to the “foreigner spicy” level next time.

Keep in mind the spiciness of each dish really differs. My friend ordered her khao soi ($14) “mild” and I really didn’t find a noticeable change in heat between her noodle dish and my curry. I’ve had this egg noodles in golden curry dish at Sukho Thai and they taste similar. But, at Pai the beef arrives in much larger chunks – not good or bad but requires the eater to try to break it up with chopsticks.


Although I didn’t try it, the vegetarian pad thai ($14) my friend had smelled very good.


As a warning, food service is slow – so, you’ll likely not want to show up starving. The music is also much too loud, so I’d suggest sticking with a table of four or less if you want a chance of having a conversation. But, I’m glad for the opportunity to eat at a place Janet and Jeff are still managing; their creations do not disappoint. Well, may if Pai can add the crispy garlic shrimp to their menu… than it’d be even better.
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: Sofra Mediterranean Cuisine (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 5025 Yonge Street
Type of Meal: Dinner

Sofra Mediterranean Cuisine opened this year and looks rather unassuming from the outside. The “restaurant” is mostly a bright take-out area with a few tables scattered inside and out front. At first, I dismissed it as another fast food place, akin to Shawarma Max or Pita Pit. But, after walking by a few times and finding it busy at all hours, we were intrigued and stopped by for a late dinner.

As a warning, although you can be served while dining-in, it seems much quicker to just go inside and order at the cash register. It took less than five minutes to order, pay and pick our toppings and then brought over the finished plates to our table.

After seeing the size of the chicken shawarma laffa ($7.45; almost a foot long), my husband and I decided to share. In the end, we each still had a wrap the size of a regular Z-teca burrito. This was my first experience having laffa bread and found it had the chewiness of freshly baked naan but the thickness of a soft pita. The consistency is slightly denser, perhaps due to it being made from chickpea rather than wheat flour.



With tons of topping to choose from, we decided to let the lady put whatever she thought would be good (which ended up being everything). Unfortunately, I can’t remember all the ingredients but lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red cabbage, babaganoush, tahini, hummus, toum (garlic sauce) and skhug (hot sauce) were just a few of the things inside. The chicken was tender and there was decent portion of it. And while there were so many sauces, none of them were overpowering and worked well to complement each other. My husband and I both agreed it was one of the better shawarma wraps we’ve ever had.



Seeing a pile of baklava ($3.50) sitting on display, we couldn’t help but have one for dessert. Although it was soaked in a buttery syrup, we found it was at least not too sweet. Of course, it contained some customary chopped nuts, but Sofra’s also seemed to incorporate a fig paste as well.



With other locations across the GTA, Sofra is not exactly the one-off Mom & Pop shop we originally thought. Based on the pictures on their website, the North York site seems to be the most casual as the other locations appear to be more restaurant–like. But, even though it was small, it felt cozy, especially with the welcoming attitude of all the staff. 


Overall mark - 7 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: Uncle Betty's (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 2590 Yonge Street
Type of Meal: Brunch

You’ve likely seen Uncle Betty’s cheerful blue and orange building if you’ve explored the Yonge and Eglinton area. When the Food Network’s You Gotta Eat Here featured them in their program, Uncle Betty’s became known outside of the Midtown crowd.  My friends and I dropped in for brunch (available weekends until 2pm) and didn’t wait more than five minutes for a table.

Their ultimate grilled cheese ($14) is one of the dishes featured on the show. Personally, I don’t think the sandwich is properly named – it’s really more of portable meal than a simple grilled cheese. If you ever felt inclined to have a thick slice of meatloaf, slab of mac ‘n cheese and melted cheese on the go, than this sandwich is for you.


Thankfully, we decided to share this, as having one to yourself would feel gluttonous (we also added bacon for an extra $1.50). It had sweet and savoury elements, with the sweetness coming from the ketchup on the meatloaf. The meatloaf and mac ‘n cheese needed to be hotter to really make this dish better - they were just barely warmed through. Some diners complain that the bread is “toasted” rather than “grilled”. Personally, given the sandwich is so decadent already, I actually preferred that the bread wasn’t soaked in butter.

Betty’s big breakfast ($10) is for those who are indecisive. Comprised of three eggs, toast, choice of meat (bacon, sausage or peameal bacon) a pancake and a side (home fries, fresh-cut fries or green salad) you can have exactly what you want. We opted for scrambled eggs (fluffy but too bland), bacon (nice long strips and crispy) and fresh-cut fries (not particularly convinced these are fresh) with ours. The pancake, what originally drew me to this dish, was way too doughy – thankfully, I had some tea available to wash it down. Strangely, they don’t offer any condiments for the toast, they weren’t even pre-buttered. Luckily, we were too full anyways so ended up leaving the dry sourdough slices behind.


The stuffed French toast ($13) was quite nice. Thick slices of egg bread filled with a ricotta and blueberry preserve mixture. It naturally had a nice sweetness to it so we didn’t even require syrup. Not needing syrup is ideal, as Uncle Betty serves the Aunt Jemima variety. Maybe it’s the Canadian in me, but nothing but maple syrup will do. 


What I may have to come back and try one day is their ice cream donut sandwiches. Made with fresh donuts and all natural ice creams in a variety of flavours, I could just imagine how delicious it’d be. Overall, it’s a good neighbourhood joint, but wouldn’t consider it to be a destination restaurant.


Overall mark - 6 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: Thoroughbred Food and Drink (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 304 Richmond Street West
Website: http://www.tbto.ca/
Type of Meal: Dinner
Hidden in a corner behind a construction, you’ll find Thoroughbred Food and Drink by their black circular sign with a horse emblazoned on it. Located directly across from the Scotiabank Theatre, it’s conveniently situated if you’re grabbing a bite before or after a movie. In fact, that’s what brought me and my friends to the restaurant.

Thoroughbred’s cocktail menu is short but effective. I started with the Art Vandelay ($13), a fancier gin and tonic. Made with Hayman’s London Dry gin and Dr. Van Nostrand’s tonic, there’s also the addition of sage leaves, lime juice, hop and grapefruit bitters and a smooth egg white to top it off. Refreshing and light it reminded me of the Most Unusual Drink I enjoyed at Bramble Bar in Edinburgh.


Their dinner menu, on the bottom floor, is fairly limited with three sandwiches and about ten small plates. Given the sandwiches don’t arrive with sides, Thoroughbred’s menu should be expanded to add more items that better pairs with burgers.  Sure, they offer a Waldorf grain salad and a squash & watermelon one, but if you’re not fond of the mayonnaise or fruit with your greens than the choices are limited. Really, I would have just wanted a simple kale or spring mix instead.

My friend and I decided to split the duck confit nachos ($9) as our side – the furthest thing from a healthy green. Admittedly, it was good with tender pieces of full flavoured duck confit, topped with pickled onions, bird’s eye chilies, micro greens and large pieces of queso fresco (a soft Mexican cheese). Dots of tomatillo sauce, salsa roja and sour cream surround the nachos and add visual appeal to the plate. The nachos were a great combination of flavours (savoury, salty and even a slightly sweet property from the pickled onions) and textures. Just don’t expect to be full after an order as there’s only about eight tortillas per plate.


The B.L.T. ($12) was another flavourful dish that I loved. The slices of pork jowl car siu (roasted pork) definitely stole the show adding sweet and sticky elements to the sandwich. The bacon was incorporated into the soft challah bread so you get the faint aroma of it as you bite through the bun. Some delicious sauces (relish and a tomato aioli?), pickled onions and a few chicharron (pork rinds) rounds it all off. The B.L.T. was absolutely delicious and worth trying.


My friend’s burger ($12) seemed a little “lighter”. But, it’s still substantial with a beef patty that’s almost the same size as the brioche bun.


Little did I realize that this new restaurant has a dining room on the second floor that offers more substantial fare. Given the delightful experience I had with their “casual” creations, I can’t wait for the opportunity to return and try the chef’s menu.


Overall mark - 7.5 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!

Society of Beer Drinking Ladies Bevy 009 Event

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: The Jam Factory Co.
Address: 2 Matilda Street
Website: http://ladiesdrinkbeer.com/

Over the last year I’ve been trying to acquire the taste for beer. Indeed, a trip to London helped spur the desire where pubs are plentiful and ordering wine when everyone is enjoying a pint seems wrong. So, when I heard about the Society of Beer Drinking Ladies (“SOBDL”) and their craft beer events (held the last Friday of every month), I rounded up a group of like-minded girlfriends to try it.

Tickets are sold online for $20 and includes one drink and a “hangover” kit upon leaving (essentially a mishmash of food items but no painkillers). Additional beers can be purchased for $6 (cash only) on location.

Attending their Bevy 0009 event, I was intrigued by the diverse group of women who were in attendance. You can visit their site to see more pictures, but there were individuals from different age groups, dressed in whatever made them comfortable and generally just enjoying music, conversation and of course beer.

At each event, SOBDL offers a selection craft beers and at Bevy 0009 also had a special “Bevy Brew”. The Sawdust City Brewing Company made an exclusive brew for the event, a vanilla rooibos stout that was delicious. It smelled great and tasted even better – the vanilla and tea flavours shone through. It’s a heavier beer, so you likely wouldn’t want pints of it, but a small cup as a dessert drink would be amazing.


I also tried the Mill Street Brewery’s Frambozen, which is a great summery drink served ice cold and had a light raspberry flavour, without being overly sweet like Fruli. The Great Lakes Brewery’s pumpkin ale would be ideal for Thanksgiving with the pumpkin aroma coming through more than the taste. Only the Long Slice Brewery’s Hopsta La Vista was the miss for me given the excessive bitterness of it.


Overall, the event did open my eyes to the different flavours available with Canadian beers. If only the event was more professionally run, I would consider returning in the future. Unfortunately, the haphazard logistics made the Type A personality in me cringe – taps that refused to work leading to excessively long line-ups. Also, I didn’t like the fact that not all brews were offered at once – the second batches only start once the first ones are depleted.  Unfortunately, with the slow service this meant after two hours we still couldn’t try the other flavours and decided to leave.

But, I guess the SOBDL events do draw a certain personality, despite the diverse women in attendance. You’ll need to be patient, laid-back and flexible with only drinking what’s working. So, if you meet these criteria, you may consider attending a future Bevy and expanding your beer sipping taste buds.
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The Beaconsfield (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 1154 Queen Street West
Type of Meal: Dinner
The Beaconsfield makes me feel young. A dimly lit bar turned supper club, the music is way too loud and hipsters are everywhere. Indeed, they’re likely there for dinner and drinks prior to going to the Drake Hotel, which is right across the street. It reminds me of the nights my friends and I danced the night away at the Drake. Alas, I’m older now and happy to just have drinks across the street, away from the crowds.

Despite what their website promotes, the restaurant no longer offers a prefixe menu. But, prices are reasonable and portions huge so one really doesn’t need three courses. Instead, my friends and I decide to share a few appetizers to go with our mains.

The spring rolls ($6) needs more vegetables, as I found the glass noodles and wrapper overpowered everything. Also, the filling could benefit from the addition of soya sauce, sesame oil and pepper to give it flavour, rather than relying solely on the hoison or spicy thai sauce that accompanies it.


The grilled calamari ($14) was decent with two portions and plenty of grilled vegetables. It’s perfect for the health conscious as there’s no sauces. Despite being simply salted, the dish was still good.


But, the best was definitely the spicy southern mac n’ cheese ($13). Prepared traditionally with macaroni and cheddar, there’s a subtle hint of heat from sriracha added to it. The dish is topped with crushed Corn Flakes which gives it crunch, but also soaks up a bit of the sauce creating a lighter gratin topping.  


The Beaconsfield burger ($18) is a full meal! Served with a takeout container of average tasting fries and a bowl of mixed green salad (plain but well dressed), there are plenty of sides. Meanwhile, the burger contains a nice thick beef patty. Despite being cooked through, it’s still juicy and tender and topped with sweet oven roasted tomatoes, sharp cheddar and caramelized onions. All in all, a delicious and great value main.


My friend’s pan seared rack of lamb ($24) is worth noting, adorned with a flaming sprig of rosemary releasing a great aroma as it’s brought to the table.


In the end, growing up isn’t that bad. No longer do I have to deal with waiting in lines, crowds and aching feet at the end of the night. After all, enjoying a burger and wine with friends is a pretty nice alternative.


Overall mark - 7 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: Hudson Kitchen (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 800 Dundas Street West
Type of Meal: Brunch



Hudson Kitchen, an airy but cozy two-roomed restaurant along Dundas, has had its share of celebrity sightings. During TIFF, Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt and Colin Firth dropped by and on a weeknight Adam Sandler stopped in for dinner. But, on a day-to-day basis, non-celebrities like you and I can visit and now that the hype has died down, reservations no longer need to be made weeks in advance.

Their brunch menu is a limited selection but covers the crowd favourites. The Spanish omelette ($11) smelled so good when it arrived. It may have something to do with the thinly sliced potatoes on the bottom being cooked in butter. Then finished off with some onion (?) and eggs, it’s a simple but flavourful omelette. On the side, some aioli (personally didn’t use with anything) and a thick tangy tomato soffrito on baguette.


Not remembering that Spanish omelettes contain potato, I also ordered a side of duck fat roasted potatoes ($4). Arriving piping hot with a golden crust these were delicious and well-seasoned.


In hindsight, the dark greens salad ($4) my friend ordered would have likely been a better choice. It’s a surprisingly generous portion topped with walnut brittle and champagne vinaigrette.


I particularly enjoyed the tarte cider vinegar that glazed the chorizo ($13), which cut against the greasiness of the plump dense sausage. This dish is a full meal served with roasted potatoes, a slow poached egg and braised apple.


The buttermilk pancakes ($12) are fluffy, light and has a great rich egg flavour. Unlike most pancakes, there’s no syrup but rather served with a peach caramel compote, almonds and bourbon whipped cream. I loved the addition of mint slivers over everything which really lightened up the pancakes.


Although we didn’t see any A-list celebrities during our brunch, I was nonetheless pleased with the meal and service. The traditional dishes are prepared with simple but fresh ingredients and are seasoned perfectly for my taste. A return visit may be warranted to experience their full leaf to root philosophy.


Overall mark - 7.5 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!




Corks (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 15 York Street (inside Longos)
Type of Meal: Dinner

Unless you live around Maple Leaf Square (or know someone), you probably haven’t heard about Corks. When my friend suggested going there before heading to a show at ACC, I was intrigued – there’s a sit down restaurant inside Longos? Indeed there is! Once you get off the escalators, go left past the cash registers, look for a Starbucks and to the right of that you’ll find Corks.

If you’re looking for an affordable meal, fast food isn’t the only answer. At Corks there are plenty of tables available - just find a seat and someone comes over to you shortly. You will find a variety of pizzas, sandwiches and other shareable eats for $10 or less. They also have daily specials – on Thursday it was half a dozen oysters and a beer for $10.

We opted to share glasses of wine ($7-$12 for a 6 oz glass), a cheese board and two pizzas amongst the four of us. The “Sinfully Soft” cheese board ($10), contained:
  • A creamy and buttery la sauvagine from Quebec;
  • The Devil’s Rock from Thornloe. It was creamy with the sharp tang that’s synonymous with blue cheese;
  • A lovely Saint-Andre triple cream cow’s milk cheese from France; and  
  • On the side a plate containing plenty of crostini, sweet fig compote, dried apricots and almonds.

The 10” stone oven pizzas ($8) won’t beat the ones you’ll find at Mangia and Bevi, but are still tasty and filling. The meat lover’s had big chunks of pepperoni, Italian sausage, bacon and chicken breast. With plenty of cheese, I was glad it wasn’t overly oily despite the sheer amount of meat.


The pesto primavera pizza ($8) was more up my alley with mushrooms, tons of artichokes and blanched rapini mixed with cheese and a flavourful pesto paste. The crust is a fair thinness, chewy and a toasted well on top but could use a bit more time on the bottom.



Service is friendly and efficient at Corks. As the food arrives, we were offered a variety of toppings (olive oil, sriracha and chili flakes) for the pizza. Of course, there’s no beautiful bottles of chili soaked olive oil here, but with such great prices that can be overlooked.


Overall mark - 7 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!

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