Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Address: 16A Queen St
Website: http://www.bramblebar.co.uk/
Type of Meal: Drinks  











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Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 97 Harbord Street
Type of Meal: Dinner

THR & Co. (short form for The Harbord Room & Company) is situated two doors down from the first restaurant with a slightly larger dining room and menu.  The food offerings are similar (pastas and proteins); but, in the place of the iconic burger are pizza pies (three on the menu and usually a daily special as well). All pastas include an option of a half or full size, which makes it great for trying multiple ones or having as an appetizer (coincidentally what I did).

My husband opted for the beef heart tartare ($12) which sounds off putting but is actually very delicious.  Not as chewy as normal beef tartare, the heart is much lighter and allows the dish to become almost pâté like while still retaining some distinctive pieces.  The beef was very well flavoured with salty green olive relish, a light espelette (type of pepper) mayonnaise, a dusting of cured duck yolk and drizzles of Banyuls vinegar (a French wine vinegar).  With all the different flavours you can’t even taste the beef heart!  Served with a light fried chip (which may be the crispy tendon that’s noted on the menu?) rather than bread the texture is a great smooth and crispy contrast.  The crispy chip is light and airy; the consistency a mix between pork rind and a shrimp chip (without their flavours).

Continuing with the carbs, I had the dandelion and ricotta pizza pie ($14) as my main. It arrives with a fried egg in the middle, which the server breaks with a spoon and smooths over the hot pizza to allow the egg yolk to cook. Salty pieces of pancetta, thinly slice potatoes and white cheddar shavings top the pizza – all nice simple flavours.  I particularly like the rosemary leaves sprinkled on top along with smoked salt giving the pizza a wonderful earthy essence.  The dandelion is broken down into the oil based sauce spread onto the dough and along with the ricotta are neutral tasting letting the other ingredients shine through.  The crust is thin, crispy and has a great corn meal crusted bottom that you can actually hold in your hand without it drooping.  Each pizza is served with a pair of scissors making it a breeze to cut and share.

The rib eye’s ($28) chimichurri sauce was delicious and helped cut through the fattier cut of steak.  Alas, both steaks ordered at our table arrived extremely overdone.  The over doneness is likely done to the steak being cut too thinly (less than an inch thick).  Normally, if a cheaper cut of beef like a flat iron or skirt steak is used, the thinner cut may be warranted.  However, the rib eye is such a well-marbled cut that a thicker cut can be withstood.  Nonetheless, the steak was still tender and well flavoured from the sauce and pat of marrow butter.

My husband ordered a side of summer succotash ($6) to accompany the otherwise unadorned steak.  It was a great side for the warm weather made up of kernels of sweet corn, zucchini, pearl onion and grape tomatoes.  Unlike the other dishes that are very strongly flavoured, the side was minimalistic with the natural flavours of the vegetables.  It also had a small square of grilled corn bread that I never had a chance to try as my husband gobbled it all down.

Each day THR & Co. offers a selection of home-made ice creams and sorbets ($5/scoop).  During our visit, we sampled beautifully adorned coconut, strawberry, buttermilk and dulce del leche scoops.  They were all delicious with each person at the table liking a different flavour.  My favourite was coconut, which had a nice light taste.  My husband’s favourite was the creamy buttermilk drizzled with honey. The strawberry sorbet was topped with savoury bits giving it a nice sweet and salty combination. 

Served with the dessert was a shooter of home-made lemoncello ($7) which has a splendid citrus smell that is so refreshing after a heavy dinner.  With just a hint of lemon and sweetness, this is a very easy drinking.

I also tried the Tall Confession ($12) made from gin, mint syrup, cucumber soda and fresh lime juice, topped with blueberries and a wedge of cucumber.  Despite it being a brilliant pink colour, it’s not like a girly cosmo – the Tall Confession is light and refreshing, a great summer cocktail.

Overall, THR & Co. appears to be a place that offers something for all.  During our visit, there was an eclectic crowd of patrons of vary ages and cultures.  Perhaps what draws people in is the friendliness of the staff and their laid back attitude – we saw them joking and helping each other and got the sense that they genuinely liked working there.  Even though there’s a finer dining flair to the place (as noticed by the cutlery change with each course), things are still down-to-earth and comfortable.  The postcard below arrived with our bill, cute but must have a hidden message – can someone please tell me what this means?!

 

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Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Address: 55 Thistle Street
Website: http://www.bonvivantedinburgh.co.uk/
Type of Meal: Dinner

Located on a small street, The Bon Vivant is a restaurant you may miss unless you know the look for it down the cobblestone laneway.  Inside the restaurant, the dining room is much larger than expected but still small enough to provide a cozy intimate feeling. With dim lighting, candlelit wine bottles and tables placed in cozy nooks this is a great date place.



First up were the vegetable fritters (£3) which had a great golden brown colour.  The crust was outstanding with a crispy texture without being overly hard.  The inside consisted of shredded carrots,   zucchini and salsify (?) which in itself are not strong flavours but offered some nice contrasting colours. I found the batter to be a bit lumpy - it wasn't unpleasant just unexpected. A spinach pesto topped the fritters giving it a bit more flavour. Not a bad start and a favourite amongst the table. 

My favourite tapa dish was the steak and peanut meatballs (£4) which had such a rich flavour to it.  The Bon Vivant used steak cuts of meat as the base providing a much beefier essence while still being relatively lean. The peanuts sounded like a weird ingredient but were subtle and appeared to be ground into the meat with just some small soft bits throughout.  The tomato sauce was great flavourful sauce that's a mix between marinara and gravy, nice and mellow and not too acidic.

The chorizo in cider (£4) was not my favourite, but then again I never really liked this sausage.  It’s much milder in flavour likely due to it being boiled in the cider.  The sauce was a nice mix of briny tanginess and good for dipping the bread into. Strangely, they only provided us with two wedges of bread despite there being four of us and the appetizer portion equivalent to four "bites".  It would have been nice if there was enough for one per person.  

My main was good but not my favourite.  Wanting to try something different, I opted for the seared hare loin and bridie (the leg of the hare)(£16.50).  The dish was quite a substantial portion despite the small size of the hare and the meat very tender.  The meat has a gamey flavour and is sort of like duck but stronger.  

Normally, I would have been enjoyed the dish but the accompanying ingredients, sweet potato mash and salsify, were just too sweet and similar for my taste.  Additionally the sauce consisted of chestnuts jus which also did not contrast the rest of the ingredients.  The only thing that differed was the wood sorrel but these are very light tasting mushrooms so didn't stand out.  If only there was something else - a vinegary or savoury sauce or a fresher vegetable I would have liked it much more. The empanada like pastry on top was a bit unexpected but was good with its flakey crust.  The filling, I believe was the bridie, could have been flavoured more as was sort of bland.

Without a doubt, the best dish of the night was the haggis (£9.50) which actually looked appetizing. Seriously, travel shows have done this dish injustice by showing it served in the stomach, The Bon Vivant serves theirs in a formed shape on the plate and actually looks nice.  The texture was thick and smooth but still had some pieces with bite to it.  I found it to taste like a thicker sheppard's pie mixture with richer flavours.  It didn't taste like offal at all and was actually delicious. The accompanying gratin dauphinois (scalloped potatoes) were amazing and rich, just the right consistency (soft throughout but still a bit a bite in the potatoes) and had a hint of horseradish in it that gave it a wonderful zing. The roast neeps (turnips) and leafy greens were a bit plain but I think that's necessary when the rest of the dish is already so heavy and flavourful.

We also ordered a side of triple cooked hand cut chips (£3) for the table that were some of the best fries I've had.  I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a fry connoisseur and have tried many throughout Toronto.  Up until now, I thought I like the thinner fries (my favourite being the ones served at Beer Bistro and One) and generally detested the thick and filling wedges.  My perception has changed as the ones in Scotland were still light and crumbly yet had such a great crunch and rich potato flavour to it.  Something about their potatoes are amazing, the flavour so pronounce without even using the skin.  In Canada, we often only get the strong potato taste if the skin is left on the spud, but the skin also leaves a metallic zing to it.  In Scotland, their chips have such a lovely essence without needing the skin. The Bon Vivant’s chips were simply salted and arrived burning hot … I couldn’t stop eating them because they were so delicious.

Being voted as one of the top bars in Edinburgh, they also offer are a variety of beers and wine at reasonable prices - approximately £6/glass for wine and £3.50/pint for beer. 

What made Bon Vivant outstanding was their service.  Everyone was welcoming and attentive right from the beginning. Knowing we were tourists, our waiter took the time to explain what ingredients were as many were named differently - "swede" for turnips and "tatties" for potatoes.  Another employee, Kyle, also took the time to offer pub and attraction suggestions even plotting it on a map for us.  Given this was our first meal in Scotland we had a great welcoming experience into the country – thank you to the Bon Vivant for showing us the “good life”.

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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Location: Callander, Scotland
Address: Trossachs Leisure Ltd (FK17 8HP)
Website: http://www.venachar-lochside.com/
Type of Meal: Lunch

While travelling with Discreet Scotland, our guide stopped by The Harbour Café located in a secluded area overlooking Loch Venachar.  Whether you sit inside in the dining room or on the patio, you get to take in the spectacular view, as shown from the picture below.






Their cheeseburger (£9.45) was also delicious and the first I've had in Scotland which was flame broiled – something about that charred smoky taste is what makes the burger.  Sitting on a soft toasted bun, there is a layer of tomato and onion relish which mellows everything out and adds a hint of sweetness. Accompanying the burger were some of the most amazing chips (fries) - crispy, fluffy and just the perfect amount of salt all fried up to a beautiful golden colour. 

As you walk in, you're tempted by freshly made bakery items on display. One guest got a scone and noted it was one of the best he's ever eaten.  For dessert, I had a bite of the lemon and ginger cake (£2.95) which was very moist but the frosting a bit sweet for my taste.

Venachar Lochside was a great place - beautiful views, laid back service and delectable food at a reasonable price.  Special thanks to Matthew at Discreet Scotland Tours for introducing me to this wonderful place. 

Overall mark - 9 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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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.



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!

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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).












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!

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Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

• Cheung King Restaurant
• Luckee

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Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 325 Bay St (inside the Trump International Hotel and Tower)
Type of Meal: Dinner

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.

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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.






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.  



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!

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Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

• Sushi Moto
• Zen Japanese Restaurant

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