CLOSED: Alleycatz Live Jazz Bar (Toronto)

Posted on Monday, September 16, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 2409 Yonge Street
Type of Meal: Dinner

 Alleycatz has been an uptown locale known for its live music – a variety of jazz, R&B & funk and top 40 in between sets.  Having visited twice, both times I can’t help joining everyone on the dance floor after a bottle of wine. The crowd is always an eclectic mix, but everyone seems be there for a good time making it easy for us to let loose. It’s a bonus that the restaurant is a comfortable fullness so I don’t feel like I’m packed like a sardine and still enjoy my personal space while dancing.


During my first visit, some friends and I stumbled upon Alleycatz after dinner and stayed for drinks and live music.  After my friend heard about a Groupon promotion ($25 for $50), we decided it was a great opportunity to return and try their food as well.

Admittedly, I had low expectations after reading Urbanspoon reviews and seeing its dismal score.  But, we were both pleasantly surprised with their efficient & friendly service, respectable food and a good band that night that had us staying for longer than expected.

We decided to play it safe and stick with simple dishes; with only the mussels ($10) being a bit risky given non-fresh seafood could have dire consequences.  Indeed, the mussels were frozen and a smaller size but were a passable quality.  The spicy white wine sauce was flavourful (albeit more buttery than spicy) and was great for sopping up with bread; I just wished there was more of the cooking liquid and everything arrived hotter.  Perhaps they should consider serving it in a mini pot and lifting the lid at the table so that the mussels stay hot en route.

The bruschetta ($9) was also good with a well toasted baguette base, tons of tomatoes, garlic & red onions, a decent shaving of parmesan and a liberal drizzling of sweet balsamic glaze.  I would have liked to taste more of the basil, but then I do love fresh herb flavours.  The serving size was a little disappointing with only four slices, a tad expensive for $9.  

Having looked around, we found their mains to be quite large so decided to split the sexy spaghettini ($17).  Our waitress asked if we were planning to share the dish, then took the liberty to get the kitchen to divide the portion for us which is always appreciated (note, the photo shown is only a half portion).  Alleycatz makes the pasta in house so it’s softer and chewier (almost like a ramen noodle). 


The spaghettini thankfully arrived piping hot. So, perhaps Alleycatz has a problem with serving dishes in a timely manner, causing them to sit around (our mussels would have tasted much better if the temperature was the same as the pasta).  The spicy cilantro olive oil had a well-balanced heat to it, but if there were more pieces of roasted tomatoes chopped into the sauce to give the dish colour it would look “sexier”.  My friend and I each had a large tiger shrimp that was cooked well.  There could have been more grilled chicken as it was sort of lost it everything – I think I only had two small slices of it.

All in all, although the food is acceptable, Alleycatz won’t become a go to place for dinner.  I appreciate their attentive service, so would consider it a good option if you want to enjoy some live music, drinks and light bites.   
 
Overall mark - 6.5 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!

CLOSED: Dayali Beijing Roast Duck 大鴨梨 (Markham)

Posted on Sunday, September 15, 2013 by

Location: Markham, Canada
Address: 20 Gibson Drive
Type of Meal: Dinner

I had high hopes for Dayali given the accolades it received from local food critics - #82 on Joanne Kate’s top 100 restaurants of 2013 and the Globe’s 10 best places for Chinese food in Toronto.  So, I dutifully rounded up five individuals so a reservation could be made avoiding their notorious wait times (minimum of six people required). 

Dayali is the Canadian outpost of a popular Beijing based chain. Located in a Markham strip mall, the interior is surprisingly spacious, bright and decorated in a contemporary manner.  With soaring ceilings, the surroundings would have been more comfortable if there was better ventilation and the air conditioning was higher. Surprisingly, their service was efficient and pleasant – quite professional compared to most Chinese restaurants.

Of course, we couldn’t visit without ordering their star dish… the gold medal roast duck ($38.88); their menu also offers a Peking style roast duck ($31.88).  Our waiter explained that the gold medal roast duck is a better quality and “specially selected” and more ingredients accompany it. We were sold and opted for the gold medal version with extra wraps (or on their menu called blinis) ($3.99).
The ingredients arrive in a tower with the wrappers held in a warmer in the middle.  At the top, a small dish of crispy duck skin perches meant to be a starter and eaten without wrappers.  Most people dip it in the sugar, sauce or spicy salt included in the tower; it's an opportunity to just enjoy the duck. Without any meat or fat, this skin only piece is crispy with an oily ting, a good start in warming up the palette for things to come.



Afterwards, a second larger dish of duck skin (this time with meat) is brought out for wrapping.  All in all, it wasn’t bad – the duck skin was crispy enough, wrappers nice and thin and loved the different ingredients.  Other than the typical green onions, cucumber and hoisin sauce, there were also sweet red grapes and potato chip sticks (think Hickory Sticks without the smoke).  My husband and I both enjoyed the addition of potato chips; the grapes on the other hand is an acquired taste.  

 I was disappointed with the duck meat – it lacked flavor, was a tad dry and crumbled apart from the skin when you tried to pick it up. Unless enough hoisin sauce was placed, the wrap would be pretty bland. Dayali’s duck wasn’t the worse I’ve ever had but still, it doesn't deserve the title as best – in my books Chung King Garden Restaurant provides a competitive offering.

You may find the skin not to be as crispy as other restaurants, this is because Dayali strictly just roasts the duck.  Some other restaurants will flash fry the skin prior to serving making it very crunchy.  Meanwhile, while most restaurants serve their duck two ways, at Dayali you only have the option of adding $2.88 to make the duck bones into soup. If you opt out, the carcass will arrive in a plastic bag at the end of the meal to go.

My husband was excited to see the gold medal sliced boiled fish in chili oil ($19.99) on the menu as he had a great experience with it at another restaurant.  I’ll admit the fish has a delicate smooth texture and despite the amount of chili included, if you don’t actually eat the peppers it’s not overly spicy.  But, it's harder to get past the fact that it was literally sitting in a pot of oil and had to be drained before eating. Plus, it was really annoying to have to pick out all the small pieces of pepper to avoid the sting.
Other items we tried were carb based Shanghai style dishes.  My favourite of the night was the pan fried pancakes with stuffing ($7.99).  Arriving piping hot with a crunchy crust and chewy dough it was lovely.  The “stuffing” is really the same pork mixture used in dumplings, smeared in a thin layer on the pancake, adding a nice juiciness to the roll.
The pot stickers ($6.99) were decent and tasted homemade.  They were very similar in flavor to the pan fried pancakes with stuffing, so really you may just want one.  The pancakes, in this case, were better given its use of seasoning. 
Lastly, were the spicy cold mixed noodles ($4.99) consisting of cold chow mein egg noodles topped with a spicy bean & pork mixture and cucumber slivers.  This offered a welcomed coolness in the hot restaurant. But, as a warning, it’s spicy and I found the dish's entire flavor was masked by the chili oil. Additionally, Dayali should consider serving it in a larger dish given it's difficult to mix up in the small serving plate.     
The prices listed above are regular menu prices. Diners also have the option to purchase a VIP membership card for $20 providing holders with a reduced price (typically about $2 per dish) and is valid for three years.  We opted not to purchase the membership, as although the experience was decent, there are so many other options around Toronto that gives me my duck fix. 

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!

Is That It? I Want More!

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CLOSED: Stock (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, September 08, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 325 Bay St (inside the Trump International Hotel and Tower)
Type of Meal: Dinner


Stock, situated in the Trump Hotel, is a restaurant you have high hopes for.  I’d imagine it to be plated in gold, filled with Italian suit clad men and overall be an ostentatious affair.  So, upon arriving on the 31st floor, I was a little surprised to be lead into a dining room that was more Old Hollywood glamour than gilded royalty.  With soaring ceilings and a classic white and black motif, Stock is contemporary and comfortable.  Of course, there are still some luxurious touches such as foldout purse stools and a 40-year old Bowmore scotch (approximately a $5K value) encased at the entrance.



Having heard the restaurant is known for over-priced mediocre meals, I’ve never had the urge to visit the place and and waste my hard earned money.  After all, I don’t have a Bay Street expense account to back my culinerary outings.  So, when my friend told me about Stock’s summer supper menu (2 courses for $39 or 3 courses for $49), it seemed like an opportune time to visit.
The highlight of the night was the seared yellowfin tuna appetizer.  Encrusted in corn meal, the tuna was beautifully seared to retain the raw pinkness in the middle.  The vegetables making up the salad just screamed summer with sweet corn kernels, zucchini ribbons and various herbs and sprouts.  The strange touch was the sweet butter pickles garnish – it wouldn’t have been my pick but one friend enjoyed them.  Most importantly, I loved that they stayed away from the tasteless tomato vinaigrette that seems to be gracing so many summer menus.  Stock’s dressing, a zingy and spicy lemon jalapeno aioli, was piped into the zucchini tubes so that you could customize the amount of dressing that goes into your salad.

When the harissa (a spicy North African chilli paste) roasted shrimp arrived, the dish was equally colourful and visually appealing.  Sadly, unlike the tuna, the shrimp were overdone and bordering on rubbery, despite its large size. A salad of crispy green beans, sweet grape tomatoes, corn, roasted red peppers and dandelion accompanied the dish but was a bit bland as there was no dressing.  Overall, a disappointing dish after such a delicious start.    

My friend’s chicken breast was the tastier option.  Cooked sous-vide style, the chicken was very tender as you’d expect.  A generous portion of toasted späetzle accompanied the poultry with chorizo and corn mixed throughout.  The sous-vide poached egg was just heavenly when the creamy yolk was mixed into the crispy bits of späetzle and chorizo.  An olive jus flavoured the entire dish; unfortunately, not one of my favourite flavours which was why I didn’t order the chicken to begin with.  But, the olive taste wasn’t too overpowering, which made me have Orderer’s remorse.

What Stock does right is their service. Everyone we encountered that night was efficient, friendly (in a professional manner) and exceptionally attentive – my water and wine never dipped below a quarter full and after polishing off the basket of warm bread, a second arrived without even being requested. But, of course that’s what you’d expect from a restaurant situated in a luxury hotel.  However, the food still needs improvement to reach equality with Shangri-La and the Four Season’s offerings.  After all, a good starter and mediocre main shouldn’t be tolerated by a hard-hitting boss like Trump.


Overall mark - 7.5* out of 10

*Mark was increased by 0.5 due to the exceptional service.



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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!

Ni-Ji Japanese Restaurant (Toronto)

Posted on Monday, September 02, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 1095 Ellesmere Road
Website: https://www.facebook.com/ilovenijisushi
Type of Meal: Dinner

 If you read reviews about Ni-Ji Japanese Restaurant, you may be confused why some customers exclaim it’s the best sushi in Toronto and others grumble in disappointment about travelling to eat at the place.  Hopefully, I can shed some light on this disconnect.  Firstly, Ni-Ji is not the best/most authentic sushi you will find in Toronto; establishments such as Hiro Sushi and Nami or maybe even Zen Japanese Restaurant, also in Scarborough, would be better choices. 

 With that said, what brings people to Ni-Ji is its relatively decent tasting dishes offered at extremely reasonable prices. The restaurant is busy, expect waits on weekends, but keeps ingredients fresh (of utmost importance for something like raw fish).

 The spicy salmon maki ($4.95) is an explosion of salmon with tons in the roll and more topping it as well. For under $5 you’re served quite a substantial portion of fish! Besides, I enjoy the roughly diced pieces so they are still distinct pieces rather than becoming a pulverized paste mixed with tempura bits that some restaurants serve. The sauce has a nice hint of spiciness to it but not so overpowering that it makes you think that you’re dipping the sushi into sriracha.



Ni-Ji’s spicy seafood udon ($9.95) contains sufficient amounts of seafood (shrimp, squid, mussels and scallop) as well as vegetables.  I wouldn’t call this a highlight of the restaurant – the noodles are like frozen varieties found in grocery stores and the broth needs to be spicier. But, if you’re looking for something hot and hearty during the winter months, a bowl of noodle soup is one of my favourite things


Generally, my go-to are their bento boxes which provides me with tastes of everything to satisfy cravings. Bento #1 ($11.95) containing salmon teriyaki with bean sprouts, fried tofu, a California maki, rice and slivers of pickled daikon seems popular. Although there's a generous portion of salmon, it's overcooked and too dry for my taste.



Rather, I prefer Bento #2 ($11.95) which has beef bulgogi, fried tofu, a California & salmon roll and rice.  The bulgogi pays homage to the Korean options being offered at the restaurant (which of course shows the restaurant is not the most “authentic”) and is thinly sliced and well marinated.

Their sushi dinners are also satisfying. The Kyoto ($11.95; 8 pieces of sushi, 3 pieces of California and 3 pieces of salmon), Sapporo ($12.95; 7 pieces of sushi, 6 pieces of maki and 1 salmon hand roll) and the maki combo ($11.95; California, salmon and cucumber maki rolls) are fresh and palatable.  For the Kyoto and Sapporo, I found they generally include additional salmon sushi above what’s stated on the menu which is always a pleasant surprise.

All meals are usually served with a bowl of simple salad, Korean congee (has an interesting earthy smoky taste that I like) and green tea ice cream.  If you order any bento boxes, you’ll also be offered a bowl of mediocre miso soup as well.





 Right after ordering, two simple banchan dishes of seaweed drizzled with a sweet beany Korean chilli sauce and marinated vermicelli noodles arrive. Sometimes, Ni-Ji also serves two pieces (yes pieces) of edamame per person with the banchan as well.  


Although Ni-Ji’s dining room is small, it actually sits quite a few people.  Service is lightening quick with the staff running like a well-oiled machine; unfortunately, sometimes too efficient as they take things away when other guests are still eating and present the bill as soon as the last dish is whisked away. However, turnover is usually pretty fast and if you can’t stand to wait, you could always do take-out which seems to be a popular choice amongst locals.

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!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:


Amsterdam Brewhouse (Toronto)

Posted on Friday, August 30, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 245 Queens Quay West, South Building
Website: http://amsterdambrewhouse.com/
Type of Meal: Dinner



The Harbourfront is currently undergoing redevelopment to rid the area of its rundown seaside feel and make it into a go-to destination.   The Amsterdam Brewhouse took over its location from some forgettable restaurants including Wallymagoo’s and the Pier 4 Storehouse, which were considered to be tourist traps serving awful seafood.  The new tenant is a bit better than its predecessors but is still miles away from being a good restaurant; sadly, the food is pretty mediocre despite the pub fare menu.


One of the better dishes of the night was the duck grilled cheese ($14) where the highlight was the parmesan cheese crusted bread adding a flavourful crispy crunch to it.  Between the slices of bread is shredded duck, white cheddar, slices of tomatoes and microgreens which is an interesting combination but still gets drowned out by the flavourful bread.  The menu notes there is a Boneshaker marmalade within the sandwich but it wasn’t decipherable.  Nonetheless, it’s a decent dish accompanied by average tasting homemade fries.

The Brewmaster’s sausage pizza ($16) was also palatable with its thin chewy crust and a host of rich meaty ingredients including beerwurt sausage, mushrooms, smoked cheddar and caramelized onion.  Drizzled on the pizza was a reduced Tempest beer which added a smoky savoury balsamic like taste bringing a bit of exoticness to the dish.  Overall, it was an average pizza that doesn’t blow you away but at least doesn’t disappoint.

Featured prominently at the top of the menu is the Amsterdam pretzel ($6).  Since I was hungry, I thought it’d be smart to order this given they were likely premade and just needed to be reheated and served.  Alas, despite asking our waitress to just bring things as they were ready (since we were sharing) our request was not heeded and even the pretzel took 45 minutes before it arrived.  Sure it had a good chewy texture and was topped with flakes of sea salt but lacked that yeasty smell and slight butteriness I enjoy from the pretzels you get in New York or sporting events.  It was served with two beer based mustards (sweet Natural Blonde red currant mustard and spicy Big Wheel Dijon) and a wort reduction that were a nice touch.

An offering that you don’t normally find on bar menus was the togaroshi chicken ($12), which is a spicy zesty Japanese spice mix that you can also find at ramen restaurants.  It sure sounded good on paper but what actually arrived were ridiculously small pieces of battered chicken.  Really, I just felt like I was eating pieces of fried batter – KFC’s popcorn chicken is probably double the size of any of the pieces we had. Topped with wonton strips, chopped cucumber, green onions and a side of red cabbage kimchee most of these ingredients stood out more than the chicken.  As for the togaroshi spice, I didn’t get a hint of it.

A UK dish, the Scotch egg ($9), was featured on Amsterdam Brewhouse’s menu.  The egg’s presentation is beautiful with a good covering of sausage against the yellow egg yolk.  Alas, the egg was overcooked and the dish arrived cold without any of the crunch you expect at all.  If you want to try one of these, do yourself a favour and go to Weslodge instead.

Without a doubt, the most disappointing dish of the night was the crispy fish tacos ($13).  Having read numerous reviews that rave about this dish, I was astounded by how gross they tasted.  Fortunately, there were three other individuals with me that also tried it so I have some validation that I wasn’t just being picky.  The corn tortillas were stale and hard, the pieces of fish bland and cold and the apple fennel slaw tasting lack luster with none of the crisp sweet freshness you’d hope for.  To make it worse, Amsterdam Brewhouse chooses to pair their tacos with a bitter hot sauce which doesn’t go with the tacos at all.  Luckily, the fries that came with the duck grilled cheese had mayo with pieces of pickle in it (almost like a tartar sauce) that we used instead.

The only highlight of the night, other than the company of course, was Amsterdam Brewhouse’s beer tasting flights ($8).  Named after street locations of their previous breweries it’s a nice homage to their business.  With each tasting flight you receive four 5oz glasses of beer to allow you to try not only their own brews but some other Ontario microbreweries as well.  They range from lighter ales at the top to the hoppy stronger beers at the bottom of the menu.  I stuck with the first half of the menu and tried the “Richmond and John” and the “King and Portland”. 

The Richmond and John flight was the lightest tasting of the bunch including the Natural Blonde (my favourite of the night), the 416, an adventure brew (essentially the House’s pick; during our visit was an orange peel-like beer that could have been skipped) and the Raspberry Wheat (has a distinctive raspberry taste without the gross sweetness of a Früli).

The King and Portland flight was slightly richer but still easy drinking. Tastes of Big Wheel, Downtown Brown, Boneshaker and adventure brew (sadly the same one in the Richmond and John) were provided.  I’ll admit, by the second flight without food it was getting harder to really decipher the tastes of the beer itself so there’s little I can add to this.

All in all, Amsterdam Brewhouse has the potential to become a good microbrewery restaurant – they are situated at an ideal location, the dining room is open and features a breathtaking look into their distilling facilities, and their menu offers a good selection but is still small enough to be manageable.  Their downfall is its size - they simply do not have the adequate management and trained manpower required to deal with the enormous operations.  Even after eating there once, I believe a couple of key things need to be done to improve its operations:

  • More training is required to ensure staff are knowledgeable about the menu - this will lead to less questions, wasted time finding answers and unhappy customers.  During our visit, my dinner companion ordered a chicken salad and when it arrived couldn’t see the chicken.  The waitress questioned whether the salad was supposed to have chicken forcing my friend to point out the description on the menu.  The waitress then noted that she’d have to check with the kitchen only to have the front house manager come by to let us know the chicken is actually on the bottom of the plate (covered by the lettuce).  If the waitress had known what she was bringing out and the oddity of having the chicken on the bottom this entire waiting around and wasted effort could have been avoided.

  • Ensure better utilization and training of food servers to avoid presenting cold food (or at least invest in a good set of warmers to keep food hot).  There were some men who were bringing out food but a few looked lost and had to walk around asking tables for orders to properly serve the dishes.  Moreover, none could hold more than a dish per hand so when they were serving a table of more than two multiple people/trips were required.  If Amsterdam Brewhouse just invests in some large serving platters (similar to what a family chain restaurant would use), each server could bring out more things and hopefully speed things up.

To sum up, TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN!  The restaurant has been opened for over a month now so learning pains can no longer be used as an excuse for their inexperienced staff.  A lot of reviewers complain about the poor service.  I’ll admit, we didn’t have the most happy looking waitress, but I can imagine if I had to run around all night and have people complain to me the whole time I wouldn’t be in a smiling mood as well.  Better customer and employee satisfaction can be achieved just by ensuring staff are knowledgeable about their roles, the menu and the company they are working for.  Ensuring staff is happy or at least satisfied with their jobs is important as they are who customers see (and a grumpy looking waitress doesn’t make me want to order more beer).  After all, unhappy staff can lead to turnover which means the uninformed staff problem will perpetually continue.    

In the end, Amsterdam Brewhouse is a good place to go with friends to have drinks, maybe eat a salad (since it’s already cold) and enjoy the outdoors (if you can score a seat on one of its three patios).  I would advise against going there for just dinner unless you’re going during a non-peak time or with a group of two. So, maybe Wallymagoo’s is now gone but the replacement is still looking like a bit of a tourist trap.
 Overall mark - 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!

  



CLOSED: Rock Lobster Food Co. (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, August 24, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 538 Queen Street West
Type of Meal: Dinner

After two failed attempts to visit Rock Lobster’s Ossington location, I finally secured a table in the Queen West outpost without being subjected to a wait.  Despite being double the size of the flagship restaurant, the Queen West site is still relatively small; its only saving grace is the patio at the back which will be of no use in the winter months.  As soon as you walk in a “Fish Market” is set-up consisting of a small display case of on ice seafood items for you to take home and enjoy at your leisure.  But really, you don’t come here for take-out.
Patriotic Canadian themed insignia adorn the walls of the dining room (think caribou antlers, paintings of fish,etc.) and continue onto the patio with the back wall featuring a beaver and large Canada lettering.  I love it and hope a tourist visiting Toronto has the opportunity to visit this little spot and enjoy a bit of what our sea has to offer. 


The staff cheerfully greets me at the door and within minutes of entering grab my drink order - at last I’m here! If only they could turn down the music to a decibel so I don’t need to shout across the table at my friends the experience would be perfect.  
Without a doubt, Rock Lobster’s feature drink would be their Caesar; however it’s the one Canadian concoction I haven’t acquired a taste for despite trying it on multiple occasions.  Instead, the hot summer evening calls for a tomba-grantia ($10) which arrives looking like a margarita with an ice burg floating in it.  While ordering, I was asked if I’d like to add a $1 to make it “El Diablo” which makes it sweeter.  I can safely say that is not required as my non-El Diablo version was sweet enough.  After chipping away at the huge ball of crushed ice to let some of it melt, the cocktail diluted enough to make it refreshing.  I can’t say it was something I really enjoyed so on return visits may opt to go with the $1.50/oz on tap pinot grigio instead.
The lobster devilled eggs ($7) arrived within minutes of placing our order.  Surprisingly, the egg whites were a light rose pink coloured (from food dye?) which was unexpected, but gave Rock Lobster’s version of these come-back treats its distinct look.  The egg yolk filling was creamy, smoky and just had the slightest essence of shellfish to it.  Each egg was topped with a small piece of lobster - a good start and promise of things to come.
We had to try their famous lobster roll ($14; the only dish on the menu with an anchor beside it).  The hot dog style bun was toasted grilled cheese style and filled with a decent amount of lobster salad.  Sadly, this was my least favourite dish of the night.  Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t horrible and would still be considered a good meal.  It’s something about the thick buttery bun, mayo and undrained oily chips that made it all too heavy and ruins the lobster itself.  Given this is my first experience having a lobster roll; perhaps my palette just doesn’t like it.  Until I have the opportunity to eat one of these in Nova Scotia I’ll reserve judgment.


On the other hand, the fish and chips ($12) was amazing.  Normally, this isn’t something I’d order as oily bursts oozing out of thick batter is not my thing.  Luckily, Rock Lobster’s Guinness beer batter is thin so that it coats the fish with a light crunch but still lets the haddock and its juiciness shine through.  When fish is fresh like this you shouldn’t ruin it by covering it with too much stuff.  The hot hand-cut fries and tangy & creamy home-made tartar sauce rounds everything off.   
Finally, the Mack daddy of the night, the reason why I was so excited to visit – the Steam Whistle steampot ($39) arrives.  The large black pot brings back memories of an East Coast road trip I went on with my parents as a young child.  Although I don’t remember much about the provinces themselves, a self-made hotel meal will forever be ingrained in my memory.  Having arrived in PEI by about 8pm that night, we found the restaurants in the area were already closed (keep in mind this was over 20 years ago so I’m sure service levels have improved by now). 


Not knowing what to do, my parents spoke to the front desk who suggested we go visit the docks or try out the convenience store across the street.  My parents do exactly that and at the docks are greeted by some fisherman and purchased some lobsters right out of their traps that just came from the sea.  At the convenience store, they picked up butter, bread and some vegetable (perhaps corn?) and returned to our hotel which luckily had a stove complete with pots, dishes and cutlery.  The lobsters were AMAZING and something I’ve never been able to have again.  The meat, so tender and juicy, was actually larger than the shell and burst through everything.  Having just been pulled out of the ocean, the briny scent of the sea still clung to the meat naturally adding some saltiness to the otherwise sweet meat.  I may have been young but I still remember this meal, probably one of the tastiest I’ve had in my life.  Alas, I digress, but wanted to explain why I love pots of shellfish so much!
The steampot we ordered this night didn’t contain lobster (much less one pulled right out of the ocean) but did have a 1lb of snow crab legs, 12 large sized shrimp and ½ lb each of mussels and clams.  Not to mention four pieces of corn, a couple handfuls of quartered baby red potatos and wedges of spicy sausage.  This is a dish that is meant to be shared – especially with good friends where you’re not afraid of using your hands and getting dirty.
Its flavours are simple, some Old Bay seasoning, slight spiciness from the sausage and a hint of the Steam Whistle Pilsner.  But, the shells from the crustaceans already give off such a great aroma and flavour that I like it when it’s kept simple.  All the seafood was fresh and cooked well.  What would have made everything perfect (and perhaps elevated Rock Lobster’s final mark to a 9) would be to have some of the cooking liquid and toasted bread to dip it in.  Of course, the steampot is “steamed” so makes sense that the ingredients arrive without any water; so, next time I’ll have to try the lobster boil instead and hope for some liquid.
Rock Lobster definitely has potential to become one of my favourite restaurants in Toronto with its seafood focus and down-to-earth approach.  They offer decent portions of fresh seafood at a reasonable price.  So grab a few friends and head down for the steampot or boil dishes, just arrive early to avoid having to wait.  
Overall mark - 8.5 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!

Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu (Toronto)

Posted on Tuesday, August 20, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Type of Meal: Dinner
Address: 5445 Yonge Street
Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu is a popular destination location in the Yonge and Finch area.  On the weekend, it gets pretty busy, so expect to wait. But, this no frills restaurant is packed with tables and due to the limited menu, patrons turn over quickly so the wait is never too long.

 Soondubu jjigae (aka soon tofu soup or soft tofu soup) is Korea’s version of chicken noodle soup (without the chicken or the noodles).  It’s hearty and comforting, with the broth having such a depth of flavor, which is hard to describe – it’s spicy (depending on what type you choose) and savoury with an umami essence.  After doing some research online, the soup base appears to be made from anchovies, kelp and mushrooms giving you an idea of how the earthy savouriness of the soup comes about.  Then the soup’s spiciness is created by using kochujang (Korean chili paste) and/or red pepper powder. Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu specializes in this dish and dominates their menu.

If you’re not a fan of tofu you still need to give this a try.  The tofu used in the soup is silken egg tofu which has a very light taste and smooth custardy texture. Since the soup is very flavourful the tofu is never bland.  This may be the dish that makes you rethink your perspective of tofu.  

 Before the main arrives you get four banchan (sweet soybeans, bean sprout, kimchi and kimchi turnip) and an egg (which is raw and meant to be broken into the hot soup and stirred).  Use of the egg is a matter of preference – it makes the soup thicker and more stew like.  Generally, I leave out the egg as I prefer the soup to retain its wateriness.  

All the tofu soups are $7.53 and provide you with the ability to choose the type of ingredients accompanying the tofu and level of spiciness. In terms of types, I’ve tried the combination, seafood, dumpling and kimchi (kimchi is the one pictured below).  Really there is not a huge difference between the offerings since the soup base is the same.  I don’t particularly like the combination or seafood options as I find overdone rubbery seafood unappetizing.  My go to choice is the dumpling which consists of thinly sliced beef and a couple of average tasting dumplings.  On this visit I ordered the kimchi version (also has slices of beef and pork) as I’ve heard it’s their most popular one.  After trying it, I’ll continue to order the dumping version as the kimchi one is too salty.
You also get a choice of having the soup white (no spice), mild, medium, regular or spicy.  I can handle some spice and generally go with the regular one which has a good heat but doesn’t leave you chugging water.  However, if it’s your first visit you may want to try the medium and go from there. 

To retain the comforting heat of the soup, it’s served in a stone bowl.  Sadly, on this visit mine didn’t arrive bubbling away; something about the crazy bubbling makes the experience seem better.  Nonetheless, the soup was still hot and remained so throughout the meal.  
Don’t let the word “soup” fool you; this is still a hearty meal.  Each order also comes with a bowl of Korean black rice, which actually is a beautiful lavender colour once cooked.  Studded with a few green peas, the rice is served in its own stone bowl and is scooped out by the waiter in front of you.  Generally, the waiter will pour water into the stone bowl and let it soak with the remaining rice.  I tried it during my first visit and found the concoction disgusting.  Rather, I ask them not to add water and just leave the rice in the bowl so I can scrape off any of the crispy bits and eat them with the soup.

As a warning, just because there’s tofu in the title doesn’t make this a “healthy” meal.  According to the Toronto Star, the vegetable version of Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu’s soup contains 4,200 mg of sodium (which is 1,900 over the recommended daily intake). If that’s the vegetable version, I can only imagine how salty the kimchi variety would be. To be fair, the Toronto Star did test the meal with the side of kimchi and bean sprouts accompanying the meal; normally, these side dishes would be shared amongst the table so you wouldn’t eat the entire serving.  Additionally, I’ve never finished all the soup as I will stop drinking it after the other ingredients are finished which also cuts down on the ultimate consumption of sodium.

If Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu’s soup is full of salt, than their bulgogi ($8.85) should be tested for its sugar content.  The dish was ordered once to share amongst the table and found to be extremely sweet.  It’s certainly a dish I’d never order again.  My suggestion, stick with what they are known for – soon tofu soup a delicious dish that leaves you oh so satisfied.

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!






Ja Bistro Revisited (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, August 17, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 222 Richmond Street West
Website: www.jabistro.com
Type of Meal: Dinner   

 This post is my second visit to the restaurant where I've had enough new dishes that I felt an update was warranted.  To read about my first experience and general thoughts of the restaurant please head over to my first review.
At last, we return to JaBistro to visit their new rooftop patio.  Although not very big, the layout isn’t crowded with tables so the patio feels rather spacious.  Additionally, we went for a late dinner so the after work drink crowd had already left leaving the middle bar stool seating area empty.  Given the surroundings were dark; I didn’t want to take pictures and annoy tables around us with large flashes of light.  So, for this post I’ve sourced the pictures from the internet and thus may not look exactly like the dishes we ordered.

Given my love for the JaBistroll ($22) on this visit we had to get the full order of it.  Luckily, they didn’t stock out of the snow crab again and by the time it arrived we were salivating!  Although still delicious, it wasn’t as good as the last visit.  Likely, it’s due to our proximity to the sushi chef on the first visit where we sat right at the sushi bar. When you sit on the patio, it takes time for the food to be brought up, so the JaBistroll lost the heat and smokiness from the blowtorch.  So, if you’re going for the taste - ask for sushi bar seating.  However, if you rather enjoy eating outdoors, be prepared to sacrifice the essence of the dish.

JaBistroll (1)

During this visit, the focus was more on the bistro side of the menu.  After noting they updated the kani ($15) to use coconut curry sauce we decided to try it again.  The soft shell crab was just as fresh and delicious as our last visit, but I did notice they have shrunk the dish and it now only includes 3 pieces (1.5 crabs) rather than the 5 pieces (2.5 crabs) we had the first time.  To be fair, the pieces were larger so perhaps the amount of soft shell crab is the same, it just makes sharing in large groups harder.

Kani (1)

The coconut curry sauce was an improvement to the chili and complimented the seafood well.  Unlike the curry crab dishes you may have at Malaysian restaurants, JaBistro’s sauce is a bit thicker and creamier.  Instead of pita chips our dish included fried shrimp chips.  Sadly, they were the regular run of the mill Chinese restaurant variety.  Rather, the chef should consider using the Thai/Malaysian version instead which is thicker (to help pick up the sauce) and is more flavourful.

My husband’s a huge fan of beef tartare so we decided to try their yukke ($11), which is essentially beef tartare with a quail egg on top. I was interested to see how they would add the Japanese twist to this normal steakhouse appetizer.  JaBistro’s adapation was served with pieces of toasted nori, in place of bread, and flavoured with ponzu and gochujang (a Korean red chili powder) to give it tons of flavour and heat. Topped with sprouts and green onion this was the best beef tartares I’ve had (although to be honest I’ve only had three so that doesn’t mean much).
Yukke (1)


Lastly, the gindara ($22) had to be tried given black cod is normally one of my favourite Japanese dishes.  I’ll admit I was turned off by the description on the menu, which noted the dish had bacon in it.  Unlike most individuals, these pieces of crispy smoked pork are sometimes good on its own with eggs but not something I like added to dishes it can be overpowering.  Fortunately, it was used in moderation and only speckled into the coating that crusted the cod and offered an interesting smoky saltiness to the fish. 


The fish itself was a nice thick piece and cooked well so that it flaked apart.  Thin pieces of crispy salty shrimp toast accompanied the cod; they were okay but didn’t really complement the fish.  In the end, there were just too much heavy ingredients and flavours used with the fish and just not my cup of tea. However, it’s a matter of preference, because my husband loved the gindara. But then again he loves bacon and I don’t so this dish is meant to be enjoyed by bacon lovers.  Alas, JaBistro, when will you make a version to suit people like me?!

All in all, the second visit was still a good experience and solidifies the 9 being given to JaBistro.  It’s good to see their quality hasn’t gone down and there continues to be a changing menu to provide some new excitement.

Overall mark - 9 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
Photo Sources:
  1. JaBistroll, kani and yukke - JaBistro's Facebook site (https://www.facebook.com/jabistro222)


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