CLOSED: Estrella Taqueria (Toronto)

Posted on Tuesday, November 26, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 4899 Yonge Street
Type of Meal: Dinner

Estrella Taqueria isn’t located on Dundas, Queen or King West but rather in North York at Yonge and Sheppard. Taking over the former Smokey Joe’s, it’s a big restaurant occupying over 4,000 square feet and seats 280 inside and another 130 on their rooftop patio. Unfortunately, we visited in the winter so we couldn’t see the patio, but will be interesting to see how this outdoor oasis is updated next year.

From the moment we entered, the staff was friendly and efficient. Frederik, our waiter was great - very friendly, attentive and generally smiles at all times. Service was definitely not an issue at Estrella as everything came as ordered and we were in and out in less than 40 minutes. What they were lacking was good food, the most important part of any restaurant. In reading the few reviews available, people noted the guacamole was plain and in general the appetizers a disappointing, so we decided to play it safe and ordered six tacos to share. 
Of the bunch, the short rib taco ($5.50) was the best.  The beef was a decent size, pretty tender from being braised in cola and fairly flavourful. The addition of chimichurri and chipotle aioli provided a good balance of heat and freshness.  Topping the taco were slivers of yukka chips, which would have been even better if they were crispy to add some contrasting textures.


Even the elote de tortitas ($4.95) had some promise. Being the sole vegetarian option, it consisted of a big corn fritter flavoured with black bean puree, pico de gallo and chipotle aioli.  If only the fritter was shaped evenly, cylinder rather than football, it would have allowed the fritter to cook uniformly.  Unfortunately, the middle of our fritter was underdone so you could taste raw batter, whereas the sides were cooked well and enjoyable.


Sadly, anything that’s worth eating stops there.  The oyster taco ($5.50) was dismal and made from such small oysters that they could have been clams for all I know - the cornmeal batter was more plentiful than any actual seafood.  Overall, it was rather tasteless despite it having a miso/celeriac remoulade; the sauce simply has to be stronger (or at least saltier). The thought of pairing it with green tomatoes is commendable since if the oysters were big enough this condiment would let them retain dominance while still adding some freshness to the taco.  
The taco de panza’s ($4.95) pork belly, although described as being slow braised, was pretty tough and should be classified as boiled at best.  The fat wasn’t rendered enough so that it was still white and hard which made it inedible.  Despite the menu noting the taco containing guajillo sauce, cilantro and queso panella, nothing really stood out except for the large portion of cabbage (also quite bland) on top.  I actually had to resort to squeezing the lime on it hoping to add some taste. 
On the other hand, the baja fish taco ($4.95) was extremely spicy (likely on account of the pickled chilis mixed with chipotle aioli).  This would have been nice if the deep fried snapper wasn’t so small and dried out. There was no flakiness at all and appeared to be frozen based on the crumbly consistency and slight fishiness. Sorry for the somewhat dim picture quality, but should give you an idea of how small the fish is. Usually, most competing tacos I’ve had the fillet is longer than the shell; at Estrella you could hardly see it under the slaw.  Let’s be honest, snapper is a pretty inexpensive variety of fish, with a $5.50 price tag they could easily offer a larger piece using fresh fish and still make a profit.


The last taco I tried, duck confit ($5.50), ended the meal on a low.  Normally, I expect duck confit to be tender and flavourful on account of slow cooking duck in its fat.  Estrella’s version was shredded and dry so it’s almost like eating rehydrated duck jerky mixed into coleslaw.  The flavours were also pretty lacklustre and needs something (maybe a sweet and spicy bean paste) to wake it up.  Estrella should consider slicing the duck rather than shredding to help retain some moistness and allow the customer to actually taste the duck’s essence.  
In general all the tacos were pretty small and about the size of a cd or dvd (readers younger than 20, you’ll likely have no idea what these are so please refer to google images for a photo and description). Thankfully, they do use corn tortillas, rather than the softer wheat ones, but when the taco didn’t have enough sauce on the base they ended up cracking and falling apart – especially the taco de panza. Usually, other taquerias would use two layers and more sauce to prevent this from happening, so this is something Estrella should consider.

For the quality and size, the tacos were significantly over-priced so really you’re paying for the surroundings more than food.  I’ll admit, the atmosphere is nice and an improvement from the former tenant. There’s a large bar on the bottom floor and a section with two ping pong tables in the back (no one actually playing on our Saturday visit). Conceivably, all this space that is non- revenue generating would need to be subsidized by food and drink sales; so, the tacos are a poor value if you’re only going to eat.  

In the end, Estrella is only a superficial improvement from Smokey Joes. It’s disappointing as I frequent the area and was hoping for a good non-chain restaurant. Who knows, maybe I’ll return for drinks in the summer and check out their rooftop patio.  But, it’s doubtful that food would ever be a big draw to visit again.

Overall mark - 4 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: Estrella Taqueria (Toronto)

Posted on Tuesday, November 26, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 4899 Yonge Street
Type of Meal: Dinner

Estrella Taqueria isn’t located on Dundas, Queen or King West but rather in North York at Yonge and Sheppard. Taking over the former Smokey Joe’s, it’s a big restaurant occupying over 4,000 square feet and seats 280 inside and another 130 on their rooftop patio. Unfortunately, we visited in the winter so we couldn’t see the patio, but will be interesting to see how this outdoor oasis is updated next year.

From the moment we entered, the staff was friendly and efficient. Frederik, our waiter was great - very friendly, attentive and generally smiles at all times. Service was definitely not an issue at Estrella as everything came as ordered and we were in and out in less than 40 minutes. What they were lacking was good food, the most important part of any restaurant. In reading the few reviews available, people noted the guacamole was plain and in general the appetizers a disappointing, so we decided to play it safe and ordered six tacos to share. 
Of the bunch, the short rib taco ($5.50) was the best.  The beef was a decent size, pretty tender from being braised in cola and fairly flavourful. The addition of chimichurri and chipotle aioli provided a good balance of heat and freshness.  Topping the taco were slivers of yukka chips, which would have been even better if they were crispy to add some contrasting textures.


Even the elote de tortitas ($4.95) had some promise. Being the sole vegetarian option, it consisted of a big corn fritter flavoured with black bean puree, pico de gallo and chipotle aioli.  If only the fritter was shaped evenly, cylinder rather than football, it would have allowed the fritter to cook uniformly.  Unfortunately, the middle of our fritter was underdone so you could taste raw batter, whereas the sides were cooked well and enjoyable.


Sadly, anything that’s worth eating stops there.  The oyster taco ($5.50) was dismal and made from such small oysters that they could have been clams for all I know - the cornmeal batter was more plentiful than any actual seafood.  Overall, it was rather tasteless despite it having a miso/celeriac remoulade; the sauce simply has to be stronger (or at least saltier). The thought of pairing it with green tomatoes is commendable since if the oysters were big enough this condiment would let them retain dominance while still adding some freshness to the taco.  
The taco de panza’s ($4.95) pork belly, although described as being slow braised, was pretty tough and should be classified as boiled at best.  The fat wasn’t rendered enough so that it was still white and hard which made it inedible.  Despite the menu noting the taco containing guajillo sauce, cilantro and queso panella, nothing really stood out except for the large portion of cabbage (also quite bland) on top.  I actually had to resort to squeezing the lime on it hoping to add some taste. 
On the other hand, the baja fish taco ($4.95) was extremely spicy (likely on account of the pickled chilis mixed with chipotle aioli).  This would have been nice if the deep fried snapper wasn’t so small and dried out. There was no flakiness at all and appeared to be frozen based on the crumbly consistency and slight fishiness. Sorry for the somewhat dim picture quality, but should give you an idea of how small the fish is. Usually, most competing tacos I’ve had the fillet is longer than the shell; at Estrella you could hardly see it under the slaw.  Let’s be honest, snapper is a pretty inexpensive variety of fish, with a $5.50 price tag they could easily offer a larger piece using fresh fish and still make a profit.


The last taco I tried, duck confit ($5.50), ended the meal on a low.  Normally, I expect duck confit to be tender and flavourful on account of slow cooking duck in its fat.  Estrella’s version was shredded and dry so it’s almost like eating rehydrated duck jerky mixed into coleslaw.  The flavours were also pretty lacklustre and needs something (maybe a sweet and spicy bean paste) to wake it up.  Estrella should consider slicing the duck rather than shredding to help retain some moistness and allow the customer to actually taste the duck’s essence.  
In general all the tacos were pretty small and about the size of a cd or dvd (readers younger than 20, you’ll likely have no idea what these are so please refer to google images for a photo and description). Thankfully, they do use corn tortillas, rather than the softer wheat ones, but when the taco didn’t have enough sauce on the base they ended up cracking and falling apart – especially the taco de panza. Usually, other taquerias would use two layers and more sauce to prevent this from happening, so this is something Estrella should consider.

For the quality and size, the tacos were significantly over-priced so really you’re paying for the surroundings more than food.  I’ll admit, the atmosphere is nice and an improvement from the former tenant. There’s a large bar on the bottom floor and a section with two ping pong tables in the back (no one actually playing on our Saturday visit). Conceivably, all this space that is non- revenue generating would need to be subsidized by food and drink sales; so, the tacos are a poor value if you’re only going to eat.  

In the end, Estrella is only a superficial improvement from Smokey Joes. It’s disappointing as I frequent the area and was hoping for a good non-chain restaurant. Who knows, maybe I’ll return for drinks in the summer and check out their rooftop patio.  But, it’s doubtful that food would ever be a big draw to visit again.

Overall mark - 4 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!




Richmond Station (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, November 23, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 1 Richmond Street West
Website: http://richmondstation.ca/
Type of Meal: Dinner
Just a helpful piece of advice on finding the restaurant: It's not actually in the building with "1 Richmond Street W." sign.  Rather, you need to walk west on Richmond past Sunset Grill to where the public parking entrance resides.  On the left is where you'll see the glass door for the restaurant.

Richmond Station is where you go to get comfort food with a twist.  The dimly lit atmosphere is casual and laid back so you feel you can sit and relax.  Their service feels the same being unhurried but still attentive. Although the regular menu isn't extensive, they always have a few daily chalkboard additions on hand so there's more than enough choice.  Additionally, there's a changing daily price fixe lunch ($22), which is a great option if you have an hour and half to spare.  But, this post will be dedicated to their dinner menu.

Normally, I don't comment too much about the bread unless there's something noteworthy.  In Richmond Station's case the bread looks pretty plain when it arrives (a small wedge cut into slices with a large dish of oil/vinegar) but is surprisingly good.  It's warm, chewy on the inside and has a great crust. Moreover, they pair it with grape seed? oil rather that olive which was tasty and went well with the bread's existing saltiness.

My favourite dish of the night was the polenta fries ($8).  It's great for sharing (as you really can't eat it all yourself) and one of those dishes that you can't go wrong with - a combination of deep fried goodness, truffles and cheese! Sticks of thick cut polenta arrive hot and very crispy sitting on truffle oil aioli and topped with shaved asiago cheese and chives.  I enjoy the slight creaminess of the polenta mixed with the bursts of flavor from the truffle and cheese.  This is a great treat and just as good as a poutine.


The fennel and potato perogies ($22) were one of the better ones I've had.  The dough had some elasticity yet stayed soft; the seared crust adding texture, colour and eliminates any sticky feeling. They were simply filled with potato and light amount of cheese (I couldn't really taste the fennel), so that the accompanying puréed beets and thick full fat sour cream stood out. I think the sides were paired well, sautéed swiss chard and caramelized onions, which helped to lighten the meal and bring some "juiciness" against the starch. At first I was a bit turned off about the "cinnamon mushrooms" noted on the menu but really didn't taste these at all so must have blended well into the other ingredients.

For some individuals, you may find the dishes a bit salty; they were okay for me butI tend to like saltier things. To me, my friend's chilli and fennel sausage pasta ($23) was quite heavily salted, so if you're sensitive to this than you may want to request them to add less. Nonetheless, the hand-made orecchiette was a good thickness and cooked perfectly al dente.

Richmond Station does appear to use a number of different ingredients in intriguing ways.  Perhaps it's me, but I found because of this the menu description sometimes sounds unappetizing.  The empire apple posset ($9) describes the dessert as incorporating celery sorbet, grapes and fennel fronds.  In reality, any celery taste in the sorbet was slight; I couldn't remember even eating any grapes and the celery fronds were actually deep fried so they resembled the texture (but not the taste) of a shrimp chip.  This is a good dessert for those who don't like overly sweet things as the sorbet was relatively neutral, the deep fried fennel adding a touch of savouriness and really just the crème fraiche having a strong apple flavor.


We also shared the special dessert feature, milk kulfi ($9), which consisted of a milky ice cream log, crumble topping, smoked pear and elderberries. The addition of elderberries was interesting as it had a slight bitterness that contrasted against the sweetness of all the other ingredients.  Overall, the desserts were decent but I find they're a bit of a mismatch with the rest of Richmond Station's menu and atmosphere.  The other dishes tended to be more "traditional", whereas the dessert much more deconstructed and abstract.  Conceivably, it may be that Richmond Station has a separate pastry/dessert chef, but I somehow find the meal a bit disjointed in theme.

Some chocolate wedges arrived with the bill, which is always a nice gesture.  Unfortunately, they were orange flavoured and I personally detest fruit/chocolate combinations.  But, it's the thought that counts and my friend liked it.

Despite making a reservation almost a month in advance, during the night of our visit we were sat in the table right by the door (not the greatest during winter weather).  But, the hostess and waitress recognized this immediately, was apologetic and tried to better the situation by bringing us a space heater and ensuring the velvet curtains at the door were closed.  I was impressed by this level of service as it shows genuine concern for the welfare of their customers. It's refreshing to see a restaurant go above and beyond being just friendly, attentive and knowledgeable (although these are all necessary qualities).  I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Richmond Station and hope to come back to try their lunch menu.

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!


Touhenboku Ramen (Toronto)

Posted on Thursday, November 21, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 261 Queen Street West
Type of Meal: Dinner 
As the weather starts dipping lower, the opportunity for bowls of hot soupy noodles is welcomed once again.  Luckily for us, another new option has just opened up so that the lineups will hopefully lessen if not cease. Touhenboku differentiates itself by offering a chicken soup base, perfect for those who have previously shied away from eating ramen due to the pork components.

Right away what makes this place great is their accommodating friendly service.  Sure, at competitors you’re always greeted in cheerful unison but at Touhenboku they never try to force you to wait outside (ahem Kinton) and actually talk to their customers.  From the hostess to the owner/manager (?) they reached out to ask us how we were doing, kept us informed about our position in line and ensured we were being satisfied. These little touches really add to the experience and somehow make waiting bearable (we went at about 7pm on a weeknight and were seated in approximately twenty minutes).

Their main offering is ramen ($10.50) with the following choices:
  • Soup base: white (regular chicken), red (spicy), black (garlic infused) or light (calmed down version of white)
  • Meat: lean pork, rich pork or chicken
  • Noodle width: thin or thick
  • Salt preference: shio (sea salt) or shoyu (soy sauce)

 Being my first visit, I went with the white, lean pork, thin noodles and shio flavoured ramen. The base is very different and is much like condensed chicken soup; not only is it rich but there’s a creamy smooth texture to it.  Normally, the richness comes from oil, however, in Touhenboku’s case I think it’s likely from the collagen off of chicken cartilage as you get the silkiness without seeing a layer of oil on top. My first few tastes were heavenly but soon it became too much and the saltiness became overwhelming. I certainly enjoyed the soup but need to opt for the “light” version next time.  If you generally find ramen too salty, do yourself a favour and just order the light to begin with.

The noodles are slightly softer than competitors likely on account to them making them fresh in house.  Overall, these weren’t too bad but its doughiness probably added to the fullness of the meal as the thick soup just clung onto the noodles! The meat does need some improvement and in my opinion the worse of the bunch.  Maybe it’s because I went with the lean version but it was pretty dry and tasteless.  My friends that ordered the rich version felt it was much better and to be honest didn’t really have that much fat on it anyways. But, the half of soft boiled egg that sat upon everything was amazing – I loved the fully cooked exterior and creamy yolk.
Sharing with a friend, I also had the opportunity to try the black and thick noodles version. To be honest, any difference between thin and thick is pretty slight so both were good to me.  You certainly could taste the garlic in the broth but what made it nice was they used a garlic oil/liquid rather than pieces of garlic so it wasn’t too in your face.  I even liked the small touches like the black noodles coming in a bowl with a black stripe (the red has a red stripe) making it easier for the servers to distinguish.

We decided to share the karaage ($4.50) which was great with the dark chicken meat being very tender.  The crispy coating wasn’t overly battered and was lightly salted so that it went well with the flavourful ramen.  Sometimes I find karaage very heavy but Touhenboku’s version was lighter tasting, which could also be on account of it not drowning in mayo.

Sadly, the gyoza ($4.50) was not as successful.  The wrapper was hard and pork filling dense and dry.  Some scallions or green vegetables are needed in the filling to give it some juice and the wrappers definitely need to be reformulated to allow them to become thinner. Additionally, there was either a thin layer of oil on the dumplings or in the soy sauce making it impossible for the sauce to actually stick onto the gyoza – we had to resort to biting into it and then pouring some into the middle.
A pretty extensive dessert menu was available but sadly on the night of our visit only three were actually on hand.  The restaurant prides themselves by offering Japanese desserts made by a pastry chef from a Japanese Hotel.  Nonetheless, the chiffon cake ($5.50) we had was pretty lackluster and store bought tasting.  The cake was airy and light but lacked any flavours (even some vanilla bean would be nice), while the whipped cream came out of a can and the glaze just drizzles of syrup.

In the end, I liked their ramen (but likely will opt for the light, rich pork option next time).  But, what really makes me want to go back is Touhenboku’s friendly all female staff (at least on the evening we visited).  I heard Tonhenboku sometimes means a person who pretends not to understand to get their way.  So, maybe the gyozas need work and the desserts aren’t as great as they claim, as long as the ramen is good and people keep coming back, isn’t that all that matters anyways?
Overall mark - 7 out of 10


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 ____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Milagro Cantina (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, November 17, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 5 Mercer Street
Website: http://www.milagrorestaurant.com/Welcome.html
Type of Meal: Dinner

Before the expansion of taquerías there was Milagro Cantina, one of the first Mexican restaurants that deviated from tex mex in Toronto. At Milagro, jalapeno laced cheese isn’t sprinkled liberally on top everything, but rather flavours are added with smoked peppers, creamy avocados and freshly made salsas. It’s my go-to location for tacos and burritos, since I can make reservations, am not required to share a table with strangers and actually get plates and cutlery to go with the meal. 


Having visited all three locations, my favourite is the uptown Yonge site (pictured in this post. Update: this location has since closed) but each has their own appeal.  The Mercer location is by far the largest and best for large parties and its proximity to the entertainment district. Meanwhile, Queen West is intimate and quieter so good for casual meals where conversation is key.  The Yonge location is the happy medium – still fairly large (with two floors) and a nice vibe (bustling bar but not so loud that you can’t carry a conversation).    
At all the restaurants, complementary house made tortilla chips and salsa is handed out after ordering.  Although delicious, the salsa is rather small and never enough to last past 10 chips, so we added on an order of guacamole ($11.50 for large) to satisfy ourselves (so much so that we had to get a refill of chips).  The guacamole is simple with the tomatoes and onion, muted so that the fresh creamy avocado shines through with some salt and citrus.  A bit of serrano peppers is scattered throughout but sparingly so there isn’t much heat.


On this visit I’ve decided to finally try their ceviche; with five to choose from and two sizes each, we ordered the snapper ($15 for large) to share. It’s too acidic for my taste and all you can taste is lime, lime and more lime - perhaps, if they strained the mixture out of the liquid rather than serving the ceviche in it the citruses’ can be calmed. Additionally, if there was more mango the sweetness could have better counteracted the pungent lime. The dish does have a nice heat to it with more of the serrano peppers. Certainly, it was nicely presented in an oversized ice cream container – although it’s a bit messy to spoon out for the first person.


Milagro’s camarones burrito ($14) is the one dish I’ve ordered on multiple occasions and is my favourite burrito. Having eaten it at both the Yonge and Queen West locations, they were both delicious but at the Yonge location has more heat and seems saucier. It’s a substantial meal with the well toasted tortilla shell jam packed with ingredients – aside from several large grilled shrimp, there’s also thick black refried beans, flavourful rice, smoky roasted peppers, guacamole, chipotle-may, jalapenos, onion and cilantro. On the side is some spicy warm corn (at Yonge) and more rice (at Queen West).


What makes this burrito my favourite, other than the fresh ingredients, is that the shell is so nicely grilled adding a toasty crunch to it. Also, the burrito has sauce but not so much liquid that it becomes a huge mess to eat.  So, if you generally like super moist burritos, this wouldn’t be the one for you; the beans and guacamole are much thicker and there’s no sour cream or blended jalapeno sauce adding unnecessary liquid to it.


My husband ordered the tacos le perla ($18 for the entrée version).  The battered snapper wasn’t really crispy so being deep fried didn’t matter, so I’d prefer it just be grilled so that it’s healthier.  But, the fish was fresh and topped with a lot of great ingredients including a sweet tropical slaw (could be pineapple?) and chile crema that contrasts it with a spicy finish.


In the past, I’ve tried other tacos and find the capital ($11, ribeye steak, cilantro and salsa verde) and rosarito ($12, shrimp, refried beans, crema and avacado) were both wonderful.  In terms of mains, the pescado Rodrigo ($21) is good if you want something lighter as it’s a simple piece of pan seared snapper with zucchini and topped with olive oil, lime and cilantro.  Regardless, I’ve eaten at this chain five times and have loved it more each time.  Milagros is the place I head to when I need a Mexican fix, and it’s nice to know you don’t have to wait forever to be 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!

The Dome (Edinburgh)

Posted on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 by
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Address: 14 George Street
Website: http://www.thedomeedinburgh.com/
Type of Meal: Light dinner and drinks
The Dome is an impressive building with stately columns out front and a grand entrance.  Originally, built as the Physician’s hall and later demolished to serve as the headquarters of the Commercial Bank of Scotland, it’s now home to two restaurants, lounge, tea house, outdoors patio, suites and events venue. On both visits we sat is the lounge where we were able to take in the elaborate ceiling which gives the building its name.  

 Despite the fancy surroundings, drink prices are reasonable and approximately £2 for a half pint, £4 for a pint and £6 for a glass of wine.  On one visit we shared a platter for four (£22.50) but given there were eight of everything this could easily serve more. Comprised of many fried favourites - coconut shrimp, duck spring rolls, mozzarella sticks and sweeter fried dough stuffed with cabbage - plus the lone grilled chicken skewers the platter has something for everyone.


Everything arrived crispy and hot with my favourites being the crispy fragrant coconut shrimp, the slightly gamey duck spring rolls and the tender chicken skewers.  The whimsical use of take-out chopsticks to skewer the chicken was also a nice touch.

On another night, we went back for dessert and drinks and I treated myself to an absolutely delicious mocha complete with real chocolate shavings at the bottom of the glass.  The other guests had some delicious desserts, approximately £7 each, and were substantial portions.

During both visits the Dome’s lounge was fairly busy filled with suits, couples and tourists alike. But, tables turned over quickly and we never had to wait to secure a table. The breathtaking décor, efficient service and fair pricing are definitely worth a visit.

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CLOSED: Jamie's Italian (Edinburgh)

Posted on Monday, November 11, 2013 by
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Address: 54 George Street
Type of Meal: Dinner  


I first knew Jamie Oliver as the Naked Chef, a cute looking blond British chef recognized for his down to earth shows and later his stance against processed foods in the American school system. So, although I’ve never had a desire to eat at one of his restaurants, when the opportunity presented itself I thought “his Italian food must be good, let’s do this!”  Unfortunately, I was dead wrong and eating at Jamie’s Italian was a disappointing experience.

Perhaps it all started with our dismal experience with being seated – yes something so simple left a bad taste in our mouth.  We walked in on a weeknight, after a couple of minutes of reviewing the computer system the hostess brought us to a table in a fairly empty dining room.  After settling in, another hostess approaches the table to tell us that we were seated in the wrong spot and had to be moved. So, we were ushered into the downstairs area with a more casual vibe.  Normally, it wouldn’t matter, but the situation was just handled so abruptly and awkwardly without an apology.

As we had a heavy multi-course lunch that day, everyone wanted smaller dishes.  My husband started first and requested the vegetable plank appetizer in which our waiter answered “is that all?” in a somewhat dissatisfied manner.  Certainly, I agree restaurants should sometimes try to up-sale customers to add extra items to their meal, but to be off putting about it is another story.

Usually, I could have overlooked these faux pas if it weren’t for the substandard dishes Jamie Oliver chooses to serve.  Honestly, my experiences with chains like Olive Garden and Alice Fazoolis was far better than what I had that night.   

To begin, the vegetable plank (£6.85) was pretty mediocre and something I could whip up at home.  The slices of grilled zucchini and eggplant topped with pickled peppers in the middle bowl were cold and uninspired tasting despite being “marinated”. A small piece of buffalo mozzarella was also bland despite being described as having “chilli, mint, pecorino and an amazing chilli jam”. 

Strangely, nothing came with the vegetables so he decided to order the Italian bread selection (£3.75) as an accompaniment.  Although the basket looked impressive, the bread was cold and unexceptional. Especially the focaccia which is normally known to be soft airy bread saturated with olive oil – how could it be so mealy and dry? Sadly, this is when I reminisced about how good the Olive Garden bread sticks could be.
Luckily, the vongole tagliolini (£11.25) I ordered was better.  The house-made pasta was nice and al dante and the olive oil sauce providing a decent flavour (mix of garlic, white wine and hint of chilli).  But, the clams were just so small and poorly cooked - to put size into perspective the red things you see are grape tomato halves.  They were overcooked and shrivelled into the shell so the meat ended up being the size of a caper and difficult to taste.  To make matters worse there were remnants of sand at the bottom of my dish likely as the clams were soaked long enough. 

In the end, if I were just having a dish of linguine with garlic olive oil it would have been palatable, but the fact that it’s marketed as clam pasta was disappointing.  The clam linguine I generally order at Alice Fazoolis, a Toronto chain, is loads better than the mediocre fare served at Jamie’s Italian.

But, my husband and I should have counted ourselves lucky as my mother-in-law complained her dish of free-range chicken (£13.25; not pictured) was so dry and overcooked that it half of it could not even be cut into.  Normally, she’s a person who’s quite forgiving in her expectation with dishes, so a basic grilled chicken should not be what stumps a kitchen.

I’m very disappointed to review Jamie’s Italian this poorly as I can’t begin to comprehend how the delightful Naked Chef shown on TV can serve something so mediocre.  Sadly, this experience has ruined my perception of Jamie Oliver as a chef and his brand in general.  As for his philosophy about chefs feeding the masses at reasonable prices, I will happily pay a few extra pounds to not eat such substandard quality food again.   

 Overall mark - 3 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!

Anstruther's Fish Bar (Anstruther)

Posted on Sunday, November 10, 2013 by
Location: Anstruther, Scotland
Address: 42-44 Shore Street
Website: http://www.anstrutherfishbar.co.uk/
Type of Meal: Lunch
Anstruther's Fish Bar is located right on the pier so fresh fish is what you’ll expect and get.  In fact, on top of their takeaway counter sits a sign that proudly announces which fishing company caught the haddock for the day.  The restaurant is simple with a take-out area as soon as you enter (£5.90 for the haddock), a dining area with about a dozen tables in the middle and an ice cream parlour at the other end.

But, don’t let the casual interior fool you, Anstruther is serious about fish and chips and won many accolades including being recognized the Best Fish and Chip Shop in Scotland and the UK’s Fish Shop of the Year.  Discreet Scotland Tours brought us here right after our visit in the St. Andrews district and noted its popularity with visitors and students of St. Andrews University – including the infamous Prince William.

Having walked around all morning, we decided to eat in and luckily scored a table.  Everyone had to try their speciality, deep fried haddock (£8.25), although Anstruther offers other seafood such as sole, hake, cod, prawns and crab.  For those who don’t like seafood (gasp), deep fried chicken, pizza, burgers, curry chicken, macaroni & cheese and savoury rolls are also available.  

The haddock when dining in costs a bit more but does come with bread & butter (regular sliced bread), a selection of sauces (ketchup, tartare, malt vinegar or brown sauce (aka HP sauce)) and a hot drink. I went with the tartare sauce which sadly was a packaged Heinz variety that’s meritocracy actually ruined the fish – in the end I just ate it plain with some malt vinegar on the chips.
The batter is light, crispy and not greasy at all allowing the freshness of the fish to shine through.  Meanwhile, the haddock is just cooked through so that the fish retains its moistness.  Portion sizes are fairly large with the paper platter containing one and a half fillets and a significant amount of chips. The chips are ordinary yet still tasty and just needs some salt (found on the table) to give it some flavour.

Not having grown up on fish and chips, I must say this is one of the best versions I’ve tasted. Admittedly, I have had a similar calibre fish and chip in Toronto at Rock Lobster where they make a wonderful house-made tartare sauce. My father-in-law, who eats it more and has tried other UK locations, ranks this as one of his top picks as well.  In the end, I wouldn’t make a special journey to Anstruther’s Fish Bar; but, if you happen to be in the St. Andrews area you should definitely stop by.
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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