CLOSED: La Mere Restaurant 老媽肉餅 (Toronto)

Posted on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 3278 Midland Avenue
Type of Meal: Dinner
Don’t be fooled by the name, La Mere doesn’t serve French cuisine. Rather, it’s a swankier translation of their Chinese name “Old Mom’s Meat Pie”. Tucked away in a non-descript plaza in Scarborough it’s a small restaurant that could easily be overlooked. But, locals know where it’s located and they are visiting; even arriving early during dinner service got us the last table. Luckily, with their limited menu, service is quick and tables turn over quickly as no one seemed to wait more than ten minutes.

It would be a shame to visit a place named after meat pies and not try their pan fried meat stuffed pancakes. With three proteins to choose from we went with pork ($4.99). Similar to a green onion pancake there are alternating layers of chewy dough and filling. Except, in this case, it’s less greasy and there’s a much thicker layer of tender spiced minced meat. The crust is toasted (but not that crispy) and may have been made with a grill press (similar to what’s used for burritos) judging by the even dry browning. Overall, it’s a decent dish that’s worth a try.


I thoroughly enjoyed their handmade noodle with beef soup ($6.99). The noodles were soft but still springy and went well with the flavourful beefy soy sauce based soup. With some chili oil mixed throughout it had a nice level of spiciness without being overwhelming. On top were plenty of sliced tender beef each with a marbling of collagen. And finally a sprinkling of chopped cilantro stems helped add a brightness to the noodles.  


Another meaty dish is marinated pork bones ($5.99). If you like Korean pork bone soup, this is similar with tender fall-off-the-bone meat. As a warning they are smaller in size, but with plenty of pieces there's enough to go around. They were flavourful and aromatic; I'm not quite sure what sauce they used but it may be a master stock mixed with five spice?



The boiled dumplings ($5.99 for 15) appear home made with a fresh doughy wrapper. They are a bit imperfect as some arrived split, but for those that stayed closed there was plenty of juices in it. Stuffed with pork, Chinese vegetables and black fungus they were decent dumplings.


I'm a little torn on the pork with Chinese sauerkraut in a clay pot (I believe was $7.99?). The cut of meat was pork belly, which when boiled is rather chewy, fatty and bland. But the pickled preserved vegetables and thicker chewy bean thread noodles in a flavourful broth was nice. If the dish was made without pork belly and had dumplings instead I think it'd be perfect. 



La Mere’s only downfall is their lack of vegetables – if you’re vegetarian I wouldn’t even bother visiting. The sole green offering appeared to be the mixed celery with dried bean thread and agarics salad ($4.99). Served cold, it’s a refreshing dish of crunchy blanched celery, dense bean curd sheets and crispy cloud ear black fungus. Tossed with sesame oil and some salt it’s a simple but tasty offering.


The food arrives in quick succession with the salad appearing soon after ordering. Service, although not rude, is also not the most attentive given the family run business and lack of true trained staff. However, with La Mere’s prices and their scrumptious comfort food items, the service and atmosphere is not why the locals are keeping this place busy.

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

CLOSED: Prohibition Gastrohouse (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, October 11, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 696 Queen Street East
Type of Meal: Dinner
It gets busy at Prohibition Gastrohouse. So, if you’re going on the weekend, do yourself a favour and make a reservation. Of course, it’s not difficult to see why people are drawn to the bar - their “hooch hour”, offered from 4-7pm and 10-midnight, gets you any beer (draft or bottle), house wine or liquor for only $5.09. And the bar keeps up with all the demand with ease; we quickly received each round of drinks ordered.

Their food is another matter. With “Gastrohouse” in one’s name, you’d think the food would be just as great. Of course, I wasn’t expecting fine dining but perhaps a rung above pub food would be nice.

My organic bison burger ($13) was a disaster. The first one I received (pictured below) appeared burnt on the outside but upon biting into it, the patty was clearly raw on the inside. Although the waitress had warned me that bison, being a leaner meat, wouldn't be completely cooked through, I still wanted it medium (not rare).


So, it got sent back and I received another burger about 10 minutes later (the waitress was apologetic and put in a rush order). This one was still rarer than the medium I wanted, but at least edible. Something about their cooking surface is off as this patty also had a burnt ring around it so the char masked any of the meat flavour I hope to enjoy. Luckily, they provide a pail of great artisan condiments so I resorted to using plenty of the jalapeno relish to give the burger flavour.


Prohibition’s sandwiches aren’t accompanied with sides so we ordered three to share. For me, they were the highlight of the meal and if I ever return would just order a few in lieu of a main. The ultimate mac and cheese ($9) was delicious with a sharp cheddar and gruyere mixed in a rich truffle cream. The pasta are larger spirals with great crevices that holds in the fragrant buttery sauce.


The DF (duck fat) frites ($3) were also good arriving with shoestring thinness, great potato flavour and crisp crust. They are definitely not as good as Beer Bistro’s duck fat fries, which are much longer and seasoned well, but Prohibition’s fries were still enjoyable.


The organic green salad ($8) was decent with a pleasant balsamic dressing.


Two of my friends also ordered sandwiches and they looked much better done than the bison burger. The double decker club ($12) had a good helping of pulled chicken, prosciutto, grana padano cheese, basil, tomato and lettuce. My friend just found it a bit heavy as they buttered and grilled the sourdough bread instead of toasting.


The other had the pulled pork grilled cheese ($13), which actually sounded more indulgent than it looks. For this sandwich, Prohibition uses duck fat pulled pork confit, gooey cheddar and flavour it with BBQ sauce mixed with a raspberry jalapeno compote. She seemed to enjoy it.


My last friend tried the fungi flatbread ($13) which smelled fantastic from the fragrant truffle oil. It was topped with big mushroom pieces and plenty of cheese (chevre, pecorino romano and mozzarella). In the end, she thought it was okay.


All in all, Prohibition Gastrohouse has a great vibe and the drink prices are hard to beat. So, it would be a great location for pre or post-dinner drinks or maybe even a meal of mac n’ cheese with salad. But, don’t expect too much “gastro” from this neighbourhood joint.


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!

Asian Legend 味香村 (Scarborough)

Posted on Saturday, September 27, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 4452 Sheppard Avenue East
Website: http://www.asianlegend.ca/
Type of Meal: Dinner


Asian Legend is a chain specializing in Northern Chinese dishes. They’ve been around for over 20 years – likely thanks to their reasonable prices and extensive menu. In my books, they are not known to be the “best” for anything; you can get better Peking duck or stir fried dishes at other places. But, their dishes are consistent and they are always a decent version of it (I have never had a horrible one).

A popular dish is the steamed soup filled dumplings with ground pork ($5.96 for 6). Asian Legend’s is good but eat them quickly as the wrapper can sometimes split if left too long. Each dumplings holds a fair amount of soup and the dough is thin enough.


Their chicken potstickers ($4.95 for four) is a nice change from the typical pork ones. With diced black mushrooms mixed throughout there’s a bit of a contrasting texture. Although it’s not as juicy, the wrapper does seem crispier with a beautiful developed crust.

My aunt likes the rolled onion pancake with sliced beef ($5.95; two orders shown below). Personally, I prefer the green onion pancake plain. Normally, it’s pan fried so a nice crust develops and contrasts against the soft inside while making the green onion taste more pronounced. Whereas, in the wrap it’s not pan fried and thus seems a little plain. Plus, I find the beef a bit dry – not my favourite but plenty of people order it.


With a variety of cold appetizers to choose from, with larger groups we order the preserved pork ($6.95). The meat is shredded, well salted and then mixed into a savoury gelatin.  Once cooled and solidified it is sliced. It can be eaten plain or dipped into the Chinese vinegar which accompanies it. I prefer the version where the pork is compressed on the bottom and the gelatin is on top (forming two layers), but Asian Legend’s isn’t bad either.


The freshly made Taiwanese street-style deep fried tofu with garlic sauce ($3.95; two orders shown below) was delicious. I know, you may be thinking … tofu really? But it’s the combination of the crispy crust, soft airy inside and flavourful sweet soy sauce that makes it great for snacking on.


Like most places, the Peking duck ($34.95) is served two ways. With plenty of wraps (about fourteen), the main dish is wrapping the crispy pieces of skin into a thin flour crepe. I like to slather on the hoisin sauce, cucumbers and green onions, while others may like it plain. Asian Legend’s Peking duck could use more flavour as I found the skin and meat by itself was rather bland.


The second dish is simply the remaining carcass chopped into pieces; unfortunately, not the most photogenic. There is the option to pay $8.95 and have the second dish as lettuce wraps, sautéed duck with vegetables or as a soup but we prefer to keep it simple. Plus, since we also ordered moo shu pork, no more wrapping dishes were required.

The moo shu pork ($10.95) arrives with six pancakes ($0.60/each for extra wraps). It’s one of my favourite dishes from Asian Legend. There’s a great combination of crunchy textures from the black fungus, napa cabbage and bamboo shoots. Plus, the scrambled egg works well at soaking up the various juices. All wrapped into a thin crepe with hoisin sauce this is full of flavour.


We normally don’t order the shredded chicken noodle soup ($7.95) but seemed to be a good choice for my grandmother. The noodles are doughy, soft and soaks in the thick flavourful soup. Simply accompanied with pieces of chicken and Shanghai bok choy it’s decent but not really a must-have dish.


A noodle in soup we order often is the braised beef noodles ($8.95). The dish is aromatic and although the broth looks like simple soy sauce there’s a much richer taste to it. Asian Legend’s version of this dish is decent and the beef tender and excellent quality. The chunks of pickled preserved vegetables on top are also a nice addition.


If you want a starchy dish try the stir fried Shanghai rice cakes ($10.95). It is traditional yet not normally found outside of Northern Chinese restaurants. The rice cakes are nothing like the light styrofoam version found in the chip aisle, rather they have a soft chewy texture. Stir fried with pork, shrimp, napa cabbage and a light sauce it’s well worth trying.


The Shanghai noodles with seafood ($11.95) is a safe crowd friendly dish. The thick yellow noodles are soft with a slight bite to it. Mixed throughout are crunchy bean sprouts, shrimp, scallop and a simple soy sauce. Asian Legend’s is fine but needs to be cooked longer to develop that wonderful wok essence.


Wanting some vegetables, we order the sautéed water spinach with fermented tofu and shredded chili ($10.95). In my Day and Day Soup review I’ve wrote a bit about this hollow vegetable and condiments if you want a further description. Overall, it’s an average version of the dish and could benefit from more fermented tofu.




If you plan on visiting regularly, their VIP membership ($20) could be a good investment. Valid for a year, it can be used at the time of purchase providing card holders 10% off food items.  Additionally, you earn points that can be used for future purchases. As they were celebrating an anniversary, I even received a coupon for a surprise gift. Now that I’m a “VIP” cardholder, who knows I may be returning more often.


Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10
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 ____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!



CLOSED: Montecito (Toronto)

Posted on Tuesday, September 23, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 299 Adelaide Street West
Type of Meal: Dinner
Amongst all the construction and scaffolding along Adelaide, Montecito’s window filled building is an oasis of calm. With its two stories and a covered patio there’s plenty to observe. Even the faux “windows” on the back wall kept us entertained. Each showcases a video display with footage of views from co-owner Ivan Reitman’s home in Montecito, California. Every movement is subtle and you don’t fully realize it’s a video until a bird flies by or it switches to the traffic scene.

The Californian theme continues on their menu, which has plenty of meat, vegetables and Italian creations. And Italian seems to be what they do well as the meatballs ($19) were fantastic! The dish was so nicely balanced – the meatballs fairly dense but still tender and the polenta, tomato sauce and parmesan complementing each other. Serving them with creamy and buttery polenta was such a great idea; I loved slathering it and the smooth tomato sauce onto the meatball.


The prosciutto, peaches and mozzarella salad ($14) is a nice lighter dish for the summer time. It’s simple but allows the eater to focus on quality ingredients – paper thin cured prosciutto, sweet peaches and soft fresh mozzarella. Don’t be afraid to get a bit of everything in each bite. It’s when all the tastes and textures work together; especially if you like the sweet and salty elements.


I rarely order roasted chicken ($24) at a restaurant. But, when its owner Chef Jonathan Waxman’s signature dish it’s hard to resist. What makes it so special? Well, for one it’s unbelievably juicy! My knife glided through it as easily as cutting through scallop (of course it helps that the chicken was deboned). But, the tenderness comes at a price – the middle of the chicken breast was ever so slightly pink. By no means was it raw, but being a little squeamish about under-cooked poultry, I decided not to chance it. Luckily, the portion was huge – you receive half a chicken – so leaving a bit behind didn’t matter.


The chicken’s skin was crispy and the salsa verde flavourful but not overpowering. Served with a frisee salad it’s good for mixing into the salsa verde oils and chicken juices that leak onto the plate. If you haven’t had the jw chicken before, it’s well worth a try.

My friend allowed me to try an ample piece of his Muscovy duck confit ($28), which would have been what I’d normally order. Also very tender, flavourful and having an extremely crispy skin, it was a good duck confit. I would have preferred less duck fat left under the skin as it was a little glutenous for my taste.


To end, we did not order the baked Alaska, which is served with a big Stay Puft marshmallow figurine (a homage to Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbuster films). Instead, we opted for a chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich ($10) which arrived quickly without the fanfare (although our friendly waiter did offer to bring us the doll anyways if we wanted).


The cookies were chewy and soft. Sandwiched in between was pistachio ice cream which became overpowered by the chocolate syrup so ended up tasting more like almond. But, it was still delicious and I liked that Montecito makes the sandwich ahead of time and refreezes it so it doesn’t melt too quickly.

All in all, Montecito is a welcomed addition to Adelaide. Prices are reasonable, the dishes delicious and portions a good size. They have plenty of different sized tables and areas to accommodate larger groups. It already proved itself to be a popular destination during TIFF.  I sense that as the holidays start arriving, it will be popular with the corporate crowd as well.


 Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10
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 ____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

CLOSED: Scaddabush on Yonge (Toronto)

Posted on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 382 Yonge Street
Type of Meal: Dinner
When I first heard about Scaddabush the name was intriguing … perhaps it's Australian or some other exotic cuisine, I thought. Much to my surprise they are an Italian restaurant and their name means “a bit of everything”. The restaurant is enormous with two floors and tons of tables – sort of like Jack Astors but with much nicer light fixtures and décor. Despite its size, it was filled and there was even a queue when we left.

All the staff members I encountered were very warm and welcoming. One person actually stopped and made sure I was served water before my waitress could arrive! A small suggestion is to encourage staff to make normal conversation. It seemed like they were all trained to ask if “it’s the first time you’re visiting Scaddabush”, which is fine, but when you’re asked three times in a span of five minutes it ends up feeling rehearsed. Perhaps limiting it to just the person serving the table is best, since it was really our waitress who ended up adding that if it is our first visit we should know that the pasta and mozzarella is made fresh in-house.

But, introducing the restaurant is important as after hearing about the pasta and made-to-order mozzarella, we couldn’t resist trying it. For the cheese, we ordered the caprese salad ($19; includes a supplementary $5 for grilled shrimp). Note, the portion size is actually slightly larger, I started eating before realizing I forgot to take a picture.



It certainly had plenty of mozzarella. Admittedly, I may have been thinking about buffalo mozzarella, which is different, but I found Scaddabush’s cheese a bit soft and lumpy. Don’t get me wrong, it was still delicious, just not to that creamy buffalo mozzarella level I was imagining. Mixed with the cheese were Campari tomatoes, baby arugula, a sweet balsamic glaze and a very liberal dousing of herbed olive oil. For the size of the salad, there was quite a number of shrimp included. If you order this with some of the charity bread, it could be a satisfying meal.

To try the fresh pasta, we ordered the pesto pollo ($18.17 for a large) made with fettuccine. Although the pasta could have been more al danté, the basil and pesto cream sauce was fragrant and delicious. It also included plenty of sautéed chicken, semi sun-dried tomatoes and sprinkles of baby spinach adding some colour and freshness to the dish. 



All in all, the lively atmosphere and large family style tables makes this a great hangout for big groups. And with their reasonable price points and big potions, this could be a student friendly place as well. 


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

CLOSED: Globe Bistro (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, August 24, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 124 Danforth Avenue
Type of Meal: Dinner 

 Meals purchased off group buying sites can sometimes be a disaster, but my experience at Globe Bistro was incredible. My friend found a $149 six-course tasting menu deal for four people (the equivalent of $37 a person).  The sample menu sounded delicious so we decided to give it a chance.

Walking into the restaurant I was surprised by how spacious it was – there was a whole second dining area in the back. With its dark décor and natural wood elements, Globe has laid-back vibe. On the whole, the seats were comfortable, so much so that we didn’t realize our meal lasted three hours!

Our waitress advised the six-course tasting menu changes daily and that it would be tasted blindly (essentially, you do not see a menu ahead of time). Of course, we were gamed for anything and happy to go along with whatever Chef Ed Ho wanted to serve. Before any dishes arrived, some warm soft whole wheat sour dough bread  was brought out. Accompanied by a delicious fragrant truffle butter with black pepper it was great.

Next, an amuse bouche of crispy pork belly bites. As soon as the cube of meat hit the palate I knew I was in for a treat. Covered with salt & a spicy togarashi spice mix and topped with a pickled mustard, it was a delicious combination of varying flavours. Hot and crispy, it was a superb start to the meal.



Afterwards, the first course, a soup of zucchini purée. A brilliant green colour, it was more intensely flavoured (had almost a seafood essence) than expected. Topped with a drizzle of olive oil and crispy tempura zucchini blossoms the soup was a great use of squash.



The composed salad course was one of my favourites of the night. Rather than the typical bed of lettuce, the salad’s base was a thick tomato purée. Sprinkled over top were sweet spring peas, crunchy pea pods, sweet heirloom cherry tomatoes and a crumbly goat cheese. It was another dish that expertly combined different textures and flavours without losing the natural essence of the ingredients themselves.



For the fish course the Chef presented a pan fried pickerel with a great crispy skin and was done well. Served with a carrot purée and more sweet crispy spring peas it was a light summery take on fish. I would have liked there to be a bit more salt but all in all not a bad dish.



Before the main course, a peach sorbet palate cleanser was brought out. Creamier than expected, it was also topped with a drizzle of honey that was produced on the Globe’s rooftop … so it appears the Royal York is not the only downtown building with beehives on top.



The main was a lovely thick piece of Wellington County 60-day aged strip loin.  Done to a great medium rare, it would have been even better if it were served warmer. I thoroughly enjoyed the accompanying blanched kale, sweet corn and plump mushrooms.

Before dessert was a cheese course, a great transition between savoury and sweet. Globe served a stilton style cheese (I believe it was a Thornloe Casey blue cheese) with white balsamic macerated red currants and crostini. Normally, I’m not a fan of pungent cheeses, but this one wasn’t too bad and rather creamy. Given Globe has a rooftop of beehives, it would have been ideal if the cheese was paired with a piece of honeycomb instead (something about honey and blue cheese, what a great combination). Apologies forgot to snap a picture.

To end, a dessert of warm chocolate brownie topped with lemon custard and raspberry coulis. Again a dish that I normally wouldn’t like (I personally think chocolate and fruits do not mix) but was rather enjoyable. The brownie was a great soft dense consistency and because it wasn’t too sweet, the lemon and raspberry complemented it well.
My friends and I were very happy with the experience and appreciated the great friendly service we received. Without a doubt, we lucked out with an amazing deal on Globe’s tasting menu; regularly it would be $70 (which is still a fair price). Should you want something smaller, they also offer 4 courses for $50 or 5 courses for $60. All in all, price points for everyone – go try Globe out, I think you’ll like it. 

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!




SukhoThai (Toronto)

Posted on Thursday, August 21, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 52A Wellington Street East
Website: http://www.sukhothaifood.ca/
Type of Meal: Dinner
Having heard much about Sukho Thai, when they opened the new Wellington location (accepting reservations), I rounded up a friend to try their Thai classics. Housed in the former Hernandos Hideaway, the second restaurant is much larger and during our visit scored a table on the raised level right by the window – great for people watching!  SukhoThai was founded by the husband-and-wife duo that later started Khao San Road (also since departed) and is now being run by the husband’s parents.


The garlic shrimp ($10) is incredible and I highly recommend if you ever visit. Aside from the flavourful breading (garlicky with a slight sweetness) and crisp crunch, the shrimp itself is just cooked so well.  You have to taste it as it’s hard to describe, something about the texture is how I imagine all fried shrimp should taste like.

SukhoThai offers two types of pad thai, we went with the “SukhoThai” version ($14). The noodles were not overly saucy (how I enjoy it) and cooked well allowing them to retain a slight springiness. But, something about the sauce’s flavours weren’t for me – too sour and nutty. Possibly, it’s the tamarind paste base they use, which adds a tang that ruins the pad thai. A plus is that the tamarind does give the dish a wonderful dark brown colour without having to resort to using fake colouring.

Since we’ve never tried the gaeng masaman curry ($12) we felt it was an opportunity to expand our experience with Thai cuisine.  Unlike the typical red, green and yellow curries, this has a citrus tang to it from the lemongrass.  Although there’s still a hint of coconut milk this becomes secondary to the spiciness and sourness and makes it lighter tasting.  The ingredients are simple with just the protein (in our case chicken), potatoes and the sauce.

Returning one day for lunch, I tried their khao soi ($13 at lunch, $14 at dinner) intrigued by the promise of curry and noodles. The bowl was beautifully presented with fried crispy noodles on top, which when broken up and mixed into the curry sauce added a great contrasting crunch against the soft noodles.



Having gotten the “spicy” choice, it indeed had heat and kick to it – this dish would be great at warming you up during the cooler months. The soup was a delicious mix of curry, chili oil, coconut milk and something nutty giving it a great depth of flavour. Cubes of soft beef brisket were mixed throughout with the thick egg noodles.  This would be a dish I’d order again.

Honestly, I didn’t enjoy all the “new” dishes I’ve tried and next time will go back to the regular pad thai and green curry combo.  But, I always welcome the opportunity to expand my experience – some dishes that I haven’t even tried while travelling to Thailand.  Often, I believe our tastes have become accustomed to a safer and more “Westernized” version of the cuisine so I appreciate SukhoThai’s willingness to make us push past this.  If you’re looking for a non-conventional take on Thai dishes, this is the place for you.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10

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

CLOSED: Slurping Turtle (Chicago)

Posted on Saturday, August 16, 2014 by
Location: Chicago, USA
Address: 116 W Hubbard Street
Type of Meal: Dinner
As a warning, if you’re visiting for a late dinner on weekends, there may be a long line and bouncer outside their door. Not to worry the restaurant isn't that exclusive! But, they are located in the same building as some lounges. So, just head to the front and ask the bouncer to be let into the Slurping Turtle.


For a ramen restaurant Slurping Turtle is large and spacious with two tables in private boxes above the window - eating in it would be a great experience but may make you feel like you're in a display case.


My husband and I were famished after our day at Lollapalooza and needed to refuel on comforting carbs. We were in luck, Slurping Turtle is the perfect place for this. Starting off with a pork belly steamed bao ($4) it hit the spot and tied me over until the ramen could come. The bao was delicious! Two juicy pieces of tender pork belly were wrapped in a soft fluffy steamed bun taco with pickled vegetables. The pork belly was well glazed in a sweet & sticky soy-ginger and the vegetables added the right amount of crunch and lightness to brighten it up.  Accompanied with a side of daikon-arugula salad tossed in a light vinaigrette it was a great starter and if ordered in their larger size (three for $11) could be a meal in itself.



The Hamachi tacos ($10), on the other hand, were lighter but nonetheless still packed with flavours. Large cubes of tender yellow tail tuna were tossed with a truffle-soy sauce, sesame oil and diced cucumber. A good portion was then packed into a crunchy taro root shell. The dish was very refreshing and a lighter appetizer option.



You can't visit a restaurant called Slurping Turtle and not eat something you can slurp! I tried the tan tan men ($14) which was recommended by the waiter. It had enough spiciness to it; I tended to spoon the soup from the middle of the bowl to avoid the additional chili oil on the sides. The noodles are a pork lover's dream - the soup base had ground pork mixed throughout, there were three juicy pork meat balls and slices of tender roasted “cha shu” pork.



The sweet roast pork and herby sausage meat balls cut through the spicy soup quite nicely. The addition of bok choy and bean sprouts added some crunch to everything.


My husband's red miso ramen ($14) had such a great rich flavour to it without being overly salty – as miso soup can sometimes be. Topped with tender braised short rib, bok choy, scallions, sweet corn and fish slices (narutomaki) it was a hearty and filling bowl.



We both agreed that even compared to our Japan experience, Slurping Turtle was the best tasting ramen we’ve ever had. Alas, we could only try it once but I’ll forever remember each delightful spoon.



Overall mark - 9.5 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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