Jump (Toronto)

Posted on Friday, July 19, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 18 Wellington Street West
Type of Meal: Lunch

 Jump’s reopening brought with it an open concept dining room, the removal of much of their plush banquette seating and the addition of large stunning scotch & wine feature walls.  A new patio arriving just in time for the warm weather is also a welcomed addition and usually full.


Given Jump’s proximity to the financial district, it’s the perfect place for a lunch, especially during Summerlicious.  In line with the warm weather, I decided to start with the Ontario summer salad.  The salad was a mix of green; surprisingly, Jump decided not to mix in other colours to give it some contrast – what happened to Ontario tomatoes or cheese which could have jazzed up the salad?  Rather, it consisted of shaved asparagus, leaves of baby kale and pistachios.  The dressing was a poor choice (fennel) as there wasn’t enough flavour to do anything to the salad.  Instead, it just felt like I was eating individual ingredients with the boldest flavour coming from the pistachios. 

Pretty disappointing start to the meal, I’d suggest getting the tomato tarte tatin, which my coworker ordered and looked much tastier.  To be fair, this was also the dish our waiter suggested.  As a warning, the dish really isn’t a “tarte” but rather sits on a piece of bread. Nonetheless, a significant amount of fresh ricotta and tomatoes top the bread so the dish looked satisfying.

Sadly, my main was another let down – I ordered the BBQ sustainable B.C. Albacore tuna.  The tuna was cold, hardly the BBQ I was expecting; but, to make it worse arrived unflavoured and slightly fishy tasting.  Luckily, my coworker had ordered the same dish so I realized the tuna was missing the sauce.  After asking the waiter to bring me a side of it (a thickened teriyaki glaze with a hint of spice) the fishy taste was luckily masked. 

The menu described the dish as being accompanied by spinach and grilled king oyster mushrooms, so I was expecting warm sides and those ingredients.  The “spinach” was uncooked and unflavoured, reminding me of the lackluster first course.  Moreover, I highly suspect the vegetables weren’t spinach as didn’t taste or look like it.  The “oyster mushroom” was grilled but once again lacked any seasoning and relied solely on the sauce I luckily procured.  Like the “spinach” it was substituted with a king mushroom rather than the promised oyster, but I didn’t particularly mind the switch.  Overall, the menu did a terrible job at describing the course, which also consisted of julienned carrots and fried taro slivers.

Once again, I gazed longingly at my coworker’s crab BLT, which looked more satisfying with the large brioche bun and healthy portion of fried vegetable chips.  Alas, this meal was all about ordering remorse.

Jump’s best dish off of this Summerlicious lunch was the cannoli offered for dessert.  I’ve mentioned many times that I’m not a huge dessert fan so it’s the worse when that’s the best course of a meal.  However, the cannolis were crispy, filled with a thick delicious cream and accompanied by a nice flavourful lemon curd.  Finally, some flavour after a bland first two courses!



My past experiences with Jump, albeit ordered off their regular menu, were much better than this visit.  It’s unclear if they’ve recently changed their chef along with the revamp. But, if these are the dishes on their new menu, someone actually needs to taste it and add some flavour.  If the food quality is staying this way, Jump may become a drinks only place for me.
Is Summerlicious worth it?

As a special feature to the Summerlicious blogs, I will attempt to calculate the savings being offered (based on my meal selection).

Summerlicious - $20

Regular menu - $45 - salad* ($11.25), tuna ($24.95) and cannoli* ($9)

Savings - $25 or 56%

* All the items aren't on their regular menu; prices based on the winter salad, grilled salmon and regular dessert prices


 Overall mark - 5 out of 10


Like the blog?  You can now follow me on twitter for notifications - 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!
For further general discussions about this blog please refer to http://gastroworldblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/welcome-to-gastro-world.html



Banh Mi Boys (Toronto)

Posted on Monday, July 15, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 399 Yonge Street or 392 Queen Street West
Website: http://www.banhmiboys.com/
Type of Meal: Lunches
My first glimpse of a banh mi was in Asian supermarkets when I was younger.  They looked unappealing, an unsightly bland combination of cold cuts and slivers of vegetables in a cold bun all saran wrapped together. 

Banh Mi Boy’s version unquestionably differs from my childhood memory.  The kalbi beef banh mi ($5.99) arrives with hot pieces of meat topped with kimchi, pickled carrots & daikon, cucumbers and cilantro all sandwiched between a warm toasted bun.  A tangy Asian sauce tops the meat, which was unanticipated as I expected the sauce to be sweet and garlicky like the kalbi sauce at Korean restaurants.
The short ribs were tender and a good portion of vegetables were placed into the bread so that the bread to filling ratio is 50/50.  The customer gets to choose the spiciness level of the sandwich (essentially how much sarachi sauce gets squeezed on).  I chose “medium” and although it didn’t seem spicy at first, the last half of the sandwich certainly had some heat as it slowly accumulates with the kimchi sauce.

Bánh mì is really the Vietnamese term for bread and is influenced by the French baguette.  I wouldn’t describe Banh Mi Boy’s bread to be baguette like, but rather softer, dryer and cased in a thin crumbly crust.  Overall, it was a decent sandwich, though I wish they pulled out some of the middle of the bread so that it didn’t get as soggy.  Although it was filled with a lot of ingredients, I still found that there was too much tasteless bread for my liking.

In my mind, they should have called the place Bao Boys, I know it really doesn’t have the same ring to it.  But, the highlight of their menu is not their namesake but rather the steamed bao ($3.49). Mine was stuffed with a substantial portion of braised beef cheek, juicy and tender and caramelized in a sweet hoisin tasting sauce.  The pickled carrots, slices of cucumber and sprigs of cilantro helped to lighten the bao. All wrapped up in a hot soft white steam bun Banh Mi Boy’s version easily rivals the one found at Momofuku at a fraction of the cost.
Banh Mi Boy’s tacos ($3.99) are also tasty and superior to their sandwich.  Their taco shell was interesting and unlike any other I’ve tried. Its texture is almost like a mixture between a tortilla shell and roti so that it was a bit chewy.  I enjoyed that they toasted it up so that the edges were slightly crispy.  The squid version I tried consisted of deep fried calamari rings topped with creamy lime vinaigrette, purple cabbage coleslaw, the customary pickled carrots and daikon and a little bit of cilantro.  There was so much filling that eating it got slightly messy.  However, since the squid is relatively it got somewhat lost is everything.  I think one of the stronger proteins such as the braised beef cheek, grilled chicken or pork belly would stand up better in the taco.



For other blog readers, you may notice one key item not reviewed here - everyone raves about their kimchi fries, essentially a poutine made from kimchi, mayo and pulled pork.  However, after reading a Toronto Star article that clocks it in at 1,180 calories and 86 grams of fat, it seemed a bit generous for one.  I should have never read the article given ignorance is bliss (sorry for ruining it for you).  But, will eventually try it if a few people agree to split it with me so that I can limit the indulgence to a quarter of the poutine.

As a warning, arrive early if you want to beat the lunch time rush and avoid Fridays at all costs if you don’t like lines.  I made the mistake of going on Friday on my first visit and found it be mayhem.  Further visits, during the beginning of the week, were much better with less than a two minute wait and actually being able to sit and dine there.

Although the initial ordering and payment line moves quickly, you then have to wait in another line to get your food which moves at a much slower pace. My visits were at the Yonge and Gerrard location and found the layout awkward.  The single trash can is placed near the cash register so that everyone leaving has to manoeuver through the line-ups adding to the congestion.  Patience and constant moving around to allow people in and out of the space is required if you’d like to survive the lunch hour here. But, if you go just before noon on a Monday, you can happily enjoy a steamed bao at Bao Boys (will that ever catch on)?


 Overall mark - 8.5 out of 10*

 *Mark is for the steamed bao and tacos, their actual banh mi would only earn at 6 for me.

Like the blog?  You can now follow me on twitter for notifications - 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!
For further general discussions about this blog please refer to http://gastroworldblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/welcome-to-gastro-world.html







The Fifth Grill and Terrace (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, July 14, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 225 Richmond Street West
Type of Meal: Dinner


Having never been to the Fifth, other than to go to the club, we decided to try dinner there. Upon entering, I’ll admit it was strange to see the club functioning as a restaurant; where the bouncer welcomes you in and the person selling tickets brings you to an elevator. The club’s dance floor was spruced up with extra furniture and the pillars covered with white veils.  

The restaurant itself is located on the fifth floor, hence the name, and you get to it through an old fashioned elevator complete with operator.  It’s quite large with an indoor dining area and outdoor terrace. The dining room is classically decorated with white, tons of light fixtures and comfy chairs. The only odd décor was a mini disco ball hanging from the middle of one fixture which was whimsical but also tacky.

An amuse, a tomato caeser shooter, arrived as soon as we sat down.  Not being a caeser fan, I tried it nevertheless - it was thick and garlicky without the zing of horseradish but could be refreshing on a summer day.  A basket of bread arrives after ordering, soft French bread but cold so nothing crazy.

 

My appetizer, the house cured bacon and summer melon salad, was beautifully presented.  A combination of sweet melons, sour balsamic and slightly salty and smoky bacon, the salad was certainly flavourful.  I enjoyed the thick cut bacon but could have done without the balsamic glaze over it as with the citrus vinaigrette the dish was a little sour for my taste.

     

While viewing what other diners were eating, the striploin appeared to be the overwhelming favourite so I chose that as well.  A generous portion of steak arrives which dwarfs the small square of sweet potato gratin and sprinkle of French beans beside it.  The steak itself wasn’t the best cut; mine was unevenly sliced which caused half the steak to be perfectly cooked at medium rare but the other half extremely rare.  I also wish the Fifth invested in better steak knives as it became difficult to cut through the thicker rare part.

 

A pat of bercy butter - butter mixed with shallots, parley and white wine - sat on the steak.  It needed more herbs as it’s supposed to add a burst of flavours to the steak but really just tasted like unsalted butter with specks of parsley.  The beans were good, thin and crispy, I wish there were more of them!  However, the sweet potato gratin arrived luke warm and seemed like a bit of an afterthought. 

I ended with the vanilla panna cotta which didn’t really taste like panna cotta.  It was a thicker and creamier consistency than most, but I enjoyed the richness.  The strawberry rhubarb sauce wasn’t too sweet so really lightened up the dish. The dessert was the highlight dish of the night, which is disappointing for someone who likes savoury dishes more.

 

The panna cotta, in my opinion, was better than the lemon lavender cheesecake that my friend had. Although the flavour was spot on, I could really taste the citrus and lavender, the consistency was a bit lumpy.  Additionally, the batter was too watery as it arrives slightly saggy looking. 

 

Accompanying the bill was some individually wrapped chocolate chip cookies to bring home which was a nice touch.  Sadly, the cookies, although buttery, were hard and crumbly.
I was surprised the Fifth’s Summerlicious offer was priced at $45, which is normally reserved for the fancier restaurants in Toronto.  The Fifth simply doesn’t have the same polish and food quality that you would expect for a place charging $45.  It may be a strange comparison, but I felt like eating at the Fifth was similar to eating on the Niagara Falls strip – overpriced but satisfactory food.  Service was great at the beginning with the person at the entrance enthusiastically welcoming us and the attentiveness of the gentlemen operating the elevator; but the service in the restaurant seemed lack luster in comparison.  The food was decent but not amazing.

It was a bit strange they keep plates of food on tables between the elevator/bathroom and dining room before serving.  While visiting the restrooms I could see the various plates left there with slips of paper marking the table.  Somehow, it feels a little unhygienic and it certainly means the food is not under heating lamps and gets cold while waiting to be presented.

On the plus side, having dinner at the Fifth Grill and Terrace does get you admission into the club, so you avoid lines and cover.  So, it’s a good option if you’re looking to go out dancing to burn off calories afterwards. 

  
Is Summerlicious worth it?

As a special feature to the Summerlicious blogs, I will attempt to calculate the savings being offered (based on my meal selection).

Summerlicious - $45

Regular menu - $62 - salad* ($12), striploin ($38) and panna cotta* ($12)

Savings - $17 or 27%

* The summer melon salad and panna cotta aren't on their regular menu; prices based on the chopped salad and chiffon cake
Overall mark - 6 out of 10

Like the blog?  You can now follow me on twitter for notifications - 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!
For further general discussions about this blog please refer to http://gastroworldblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/welcome-to-gastro-world.html







Teroso (Collingwood)

Posted on Tuesday, July 09, 2013 by
Location: Collingwood, Ontario
Address: 18 Schoolhouse Lane
Website: http://www.tesororestaurant.ca/
Type of Meal: Lunch
During a trip up to the Blue Mountain’s Scandinavian Spa, we stopped off in Collingwood for a nibble.  We decided to try Tesoro, which my friend heard about through a poll of the top restaurants in Collingwood - it was voted first place.  Tucked in a quiet lane way off the main road, Tesoro has a nice patio area lined with greenery; perfect for dining on a sunny day.
While at an Italian restaurant, you can’t go wrong with carbs. Since we were outside, it felt too hot for pasta so I opted for their 8” lunch pizza ($11.95) instead.  Chosen from a selection of approximately a dozen choices, I selected “Roberto” which had a tomato-based sauce with mozzarella, Sicilian meatballs, mushrooms, garlic and parmagiano.  The home-made meat balls were enjoyable; not too fatty or salty and really made a meal of the pizza. A ton of garlic was sprinkled over everything and added a fragrant aroma. However, the crust needed some work. Although it was an adequate thickness and had a decent crispy yet chewy texture, too much flour covered the bottom of the pizza.  So, the first thing you tasted is powder when it hits your tongue.  If the chef used corn meal instead, at least a nicer crust would have formed on the bottom of the dough.


The pizza is accompanied by your choice of green salad or soup. Strangely, if you prefer Ceaser salad over garden an extra $1.50 is required. But, since I had a hankering for it, I ordered it anyways and requested it to be lightly dressed as I detest soggy dressing soaked lettuce.  Alas, when it arrived, my request was ignored so I had to scrap off the dressing myself.
Although I'm by no means a regular diner at Collingwood, I'm surprised Tesoro won the top spot on this poll. Obviously, I’m not privy to knowing how many people voted and who the audience was, but having been to a couple of other restaurants in Blue Mountain, I would not consider Tesoro superior to them.

Nonetheless, the prices are reasonable and the surroundings quaint - the patio had European music piping out the speakers which made it a quiet and relaxing environment.  And to be fair, although we were having a later lunch, a steady stream of customers was still visiting Tesoro so it must be a popular destination.  So, perhaps it’s not the food quality that will bring you here but rather the peaceful environment away from the buzz of Blue Mountain.  
Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10

Like the blog?  You can now follow me on twitter for notifications - 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!
For further general discussions about this blog please refer to http://gastroworldblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/welcome-to-gastro-world.html

Café Boulud (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, July 07, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 60 Yorkville Avenue (inside the Four Seasons Hotel)
Type of Meal: Dinner

After reading the disappointing critic reviews about Café Boulud, my excitement to try the Toronto output of the NYC’s celebrity chef’s restaurant waned.  Since they were part of Summerlicious this year, it was the perfect opportunity to try them and the experience was surprisingly wonderful.

 Situated in the new Four Seasons Hotel the lobby is opulent and a great improvement from the old Yorkville location.  Located on the second floor, Café Boulud’s dining room is much larger than I would have imagined and toned down compared to the hotel.  Paintings and artwork adorn the walls and shelves amongst an eclectic mix of “natural” materials such as wood, stone and glass.  A mishmash of chairs, some a reminder of ones you’d find in an office, are sprinkled throughout the restaurant.  Somehow the hodgepodge of décor works, although a bit busy for my taste.    
Alas, it’s really the food that matters and the night started off on a high with the seared Digby scallops.  Two large Nova Scotia scallops arrived sitting on a sweet corn succotash and avocado mousse, with a flavourful shrimp chip topping it all off.  The scallops had a beautiful caramelized sear on them and were perfectly cooked - warmed and barely cooked throughout.  Sadly, what I loved most was the humble sweet corn succotash which was a rich stew of large corn kernals in a buttery sauce.  I simply want to slather that over everything – fish, bread, rice, you name it!
The roasted Cumbrae beef was laid out in a beautiful fan topped with a generous dollop of salsa verde.  Tender and lightly seasoned, the tenderloin allowed the salsa’s fresh herbs and hint of vinegar and chilies to shine through.  Large sticks of fries accompanied the dish making this a great alternative for meat and potato lovers.  The fries were amplified with fried salted rosemary which is my new favourite combination for potatoes.
My husband’s Mediterranean daurade (a fish that’s also known as sea bream or orata) was good – the fillet’s skin was crispy and meat flakey – but wasn’t a match for the beef, in my opinion.  The boulliabaisse sauce was deliciously thick and deep tasting; almost like having lobster bisque, but without the bisque’s creaminess.


For dessert I opted for the tonka bean sundae, which my patrons agreed was the best of out the three offerings.  I loved all the flavours and textures that were in the sundae.  The ice cream was maple caramel and had a hint of coffee to it so gave the sundae a deep butterscotch smell.  You really need to dig into the bottom of the sundae as sitting on the bottom are pieces of chopped pecans, cubes of brownie and crushed chocolate cookies.  Surprisingly, where the tonka beans, the namesake of the sundae, comes in is in the dollop of Chantilly cream topping everything.  After some research on Wikipedia, I now realize they are essentially like a vanilla bean.  Sadly, not being a whipped cream fan I had scooped it out so really can’t comment on the “tonkaness” of the dessert.



You certainly won’t leave hungry given the respectable dish sizes and a generous bread basket and plate of savoury cheese puffs given before the meal.  Unfortunately, I was hungry and dove into the carbs before snapping a picture.  If you order the daurade, save a slice of the bread so you can dip it into the delicious sauce.   
Overall, my experience with Café Boulud was thankfully much better than the critics.  My husband and I agree that we’ll likely return to try out their regular menu where tasty sounding dishes are abound.  If you’re looking for a Summerlicious choice, try out Café Boulud.  With $45-$55 bottles or a $25 pairing option, now is the perfect time to try out the restaurant at a decent price.  
Is Summerlicious worth it?

As a special feature to the Summerlicious blogs, I will attempt to calculate the savings being offered (based on my meal selection).

Summerlicious - $45

Regular menu - $63 - Scallops* ($16), beef ($36; although on normal menu is a "duo") and sundae* ($11)

Savings - $18 or 29%

* The scallops and sundae aren't on their regular menu; prices based on the octopus appetizer and panna cotta

Overall mark - 8 out of 10

Like the blog?  You can now follow me on twitter for notifications - 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!
For further general discussions about this blog please refer to http://gastroworldblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/welcome-to-gastro-world.html


CLOSED: Day and Day Soup 百家小廚 (Richmond Hill)

Posted on Friday, July 05, 2013 by
Location: Richmond Hill, Canada
Address: 280 West Beaver Creek Road, unit 20
Type of Meal: Dinner
Day and Day Soup is likely the smallest Chinese restaurant I’ve ever been to with only seven tables located in a square non-decorated dining room.  It’s certainly a family affair, with the husband working as the chef and wife & mother acting as servers.  So, although the surroundings are unimaginative – plastic table cloth, multi-coloured tissue paper menus taped along the wall - I can look past that since there’s something appealing about a family making dreams happen.

 Given it was a large family dinner, we preordered the partridge soup which is cooked for hours with a plethora of other ingredients including chicken feet, snow fungus, sea coconuts, dried orange peels and other herbal ingredients.  The soup literally arrived in a huge pot and was easily sufficient for thirteen of us to have two bowls each.  After hours of boiling the broth is infused with a deep fowl flavour but still light.  Chinese people prefer partridges to chicken as it’s much leaner so the resulting soup isn’t as oily and believed to be healthier.


Day and Day also serves a large lobster ($8.50 per pound with lobsters being 5+ pounds each) that’s done three ways:
-       Its tail, yes that entire plate pictured is just from the tail, is stir fried with supreme sauce.  The lobster was cooked well and the sauce was savoury without being overpowering.


-       The claws and legs were broken up and steamed with garlic and rice wine on top on bean thread vermicelli.  This is one of my favourite ways to have lobster, mainly because I love eating the vermicelli which soaks up the lobster juices.  Sadly, Day and Day cut up it up too much and it was overcooked that it ended up being soggy and clumpy.


-       The roe was mixed into fried rice and infused the rice with such a great rich flavour.  My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this dish.

 

 The next entree, three cups duck, was another hefty portion.  It’s said to be named three cups due to the flavouring ingredients – a cup soy sauce, sesame oil and Chinese cooking wine. Braised in a clay pot with chunks of taro, hunks of ginger and loads of other Chinese herbal spices, the duck is flavourful from all the braising. Unfortunately, the presentation of the dish could be improved as the duck was chopped into such small pieces that they were indistinguishable and bony looking.
 

 Other meat dishes we ordered included free range chicken with ginger and onion.  The chicken was tender and fragrant for the ginger and onion.  It is less salty compared to other restaurants, but it is a good option for people looking for healthier alternatives. 

 

 Day and Day’s version of the beef and broccoli was tasty with the beef tenderloin stir fried with a black pepper sauce, which added some zing to the dish.  The broccoli was just blanched so a bit bland so you really need to dip it into the sauce.

 

 I’m on the fence about their sweet and sour pork.  On the plus side was the pork was extremely crispy and the sauce not overly thick but still tangy. However, the pieces of pork were much too small and unevenly cut so that the small pieces were dried out and hard.  Additionally, it was one of the most unappealing looking sweet and sour pork dishes I’ve ever seen given there was nothing added (i.e. bell peppers, onion or pineapple) to give it colour contrasts.
 

 For vegetables, we ordered water spinach (“hollow vegetable” in Chinese) with fermented tofu and chilies.  The vegetable retained its crispiness and had a hint of the fermented tofu taste without being too salty.  For those who have never had preserved tofu it’s an acquired taste and sometimes adds an alcohol smell to dishes. It’s made from soybeans brined in a salt, rice wine, sesame oil and vinegar for a long period of time.  Due to its fermentation process the tofu ends up being firm and creamy with a consistency similar to blue cheese.

 

 Another vegetable dish we had was stir fried yu choy with prince mushrooms.  It’s a very simple dish of two ingredients with salt and oil.  Day and Day provided a very generous amount of prince mushrooms.
 

 A large order of stir fried clams with black beans sauce was another seafood entree.  I was surprised with the sheer number of clams given in the dish.  The sauce wasn’t as flavourful as I like it (compared to other restaurants like Congee King), but they still tasted good and was likely better since we weren’t eating rice with our meal.  
 

 Given my uncle is an avid fisher; we brought two of our own freshly caught green sea bass to the restaurant.  Day and Day will actually cook the fish for you for only $4 per fish.  Since they were fresh, we just got them steamed with green onion and soy sauce.  It was cooked well so that it was done throughout but still tender.
 

 The last dish was the deep fried oysters in a honey sauce.  Unfortunately, I can’t comment on it as I skipped the dish but my other family members seemed to enjoy them.

 

 Overall, the chef is good and cooks everything well in terms of doneness and flavour.  Dishes don’t taste as strong as other places but are a healthier option as Day and Day uses less oil and salt.  The dish presentation needs tons of work given most arrive unadorned and haphazardly thrown onto a plate.  Additionally, they don’t provide side plates with their place settings so it’s really hard to take more than one thing at once.  But, given their low prices, Day and Day is really a no frills type restaurant that offers good value. 

Unfortunately, they were unable to provide us with an itemized bill so I can’t advise you on each dish’s price.  However, the total for all the above dishes was only $258.14 (including taxes) and our dishes were super-sized given our party size.  There were thirteen of us and we had leftovers so what we ordered could easily feed fifteen.  As a warning, you will need to go to the restaurant with someone who can read or at least speak Cantonese as the menu is in Chinese only.  Day and Day is certainly a hole-in-the-wall place that only locals know about.


 Overall mark - 7 out of 10


Like the blog?  You can now follow me on twitter for notifications - 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!
For further general discussions about this blog please refer to http://gastroworldblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/welcome-to-gastro-world.html

CLOSED: Aragvi (Toronto)

Posted on Monday, July 01, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 832 Sheppard Avenue West
Type of Meal: Dinner
Having never heard of Georgian cuisine, I was inspired to visit Aragvi after Chef Matt Blondin tweeted enthusiastically about his dining experience.  After some research on Wikipedia, I learnt that Georgia is an independent country located on the Black Sea coastline, neighbouring Russia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Their cuisine is a combination of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influences filled with bold flavours and fresh herbs.


Aragvi is located in a small run-down plaza off of Sheppard Avenue sandwiched between a salon and computer store.  I’ll admit, I had my doubts about the restaurant based on its appearance and less than ideal looking neighbourhood, but am glad we ended up eating there.
The most interesting section of their menu, to us, was the appetizer pages where dishes sounded exotic and offered a chance to try something new.  So, we decided to order a few appetizers and one main to share.


Our first dish, was the Georgian-style eggplant roll ($7.50), located in the cold appetizer section.  The dish was beautifully presented with deep yellow pan fried (?) eggplant rolls topped with vibrant pomegranate seeds and tons of chopped coriander.  Inside the eggplant was a flavourful paste made from walnuts, loads of garlic, more pomegranate and other spices.  To be honest, I wouldn’t have been able to tell the filling was walnut if it weren’t written on the menu; it was smooth and almost had a thick babaganoush consistency to it.  Being a garlic lover, I thoroughly enjoyed the flavourful filling and loved the contrast of the sweet bursts of pomegranate.
We had to try the adjarian hachapuri ($8), a Georgian cheese bread formed into a football shape and topped with a raw egg.  The bread arrived piping hot and just crisped up around the edges.  Our friendly waitress advised us to scramble up the egg while everything was still hot and then break off bits of the bread and dip it into the gooey mixture.  The bread tasted more like salted pizza dough, light from the air pockets, yet still had some chewiness to it.  In the middle, the bread was filled with a suluguni cheese which is the consistency of mozzarella but has the salty brininess of feta.  It’s a very heavy dish that definitely needs to be shared and was delicious but a bit too salty for my taste. 
The Georgian version of perogies is a khinkali ($1.35 each; minimum order of 5).  They are steamed and arrive looking like large versions of the Shanghainese soup filled dumplings (siw long bow).  Our waitress advised us that they should be eaten with our hands by grabbing onto the pinched top and biting into the side and sucking out the juices. Filled with seasoned minced meat (based on Wikipedia is usually beef and pork or sometimes lamb), the khinkali was delicious and one of my favourite dishes of the night.  The dough was like a thicker dumpling wrapper which kept in the lovely juices.  Meanwhile, the meat mixture is tender and well-seasoned with a hint of spiciness to it.  
Chanakhi ($12) a veal stew with potatoes, onions, garlic, eggplant and coriander arrived next in a traditional clay pot.  It can be made with any type of meat with the most popular being lamb.  Aragvi’s version was made from tender veal that was bursting with flavours.  The slow cooked stew let out such a wonderful fragrance.  Next time, I’m going to order it with their plain Aragvi bread so that I can dip and soak up the magnificent sauce.
Aragvi has a small dining room consisting of about six tables.  Unfortunately, because of the small establishment, the dining room gets a bit smoky. So, don’t make plans to go anywhere after dinner as you’ll end up reeking from the food.  Nonetheless, there is a lovely home cooking feel to the place as the women bring out the dishes and converse with you.  Their friendly hospitality was great for someone who has never had Georgian food as they were able to explain the dishes and make suggestions as to what you may prefer.  With their extensive menu there are still so many dishes I want to try that a return visit will be required.   
 
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!
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