McEwan All Access 4.0 Event (Toronto)

Posted on Thursday, November 13, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: One Restaurant at 116 Yorkville Avenue
Website: http://one.mcewangroup.ca/
Group shot with Mark McEwan and Michelle Jobin (1)

 Competition within the restaurant industry is fierce. Every week it seems another handful of restaurants open (albeit some shut down as well). Indeed, one year a restaurant can be considered a best new restaurant with reservations booked solid only to cease operating a mere two years later - Yours Truly and The Grove both unfortunate examples of this.

So, to not only survive but thrive within this intense environment is no small feat. Mark McEwan's empire of the restaurants (and now supermarkets) has endured over 20 years of service since the opening of North 44. Obviously, he's doing something right. 

This McEwan All Access was very different from my first experience earlier in the year. It was more intimate and seemed calmer set in the dimly lit bar at One (much to the detriment of my photos). Of course, Mark still walked around and took time to converse with all in attendance.

Over the course of the night, I learnt more about his newest business venture - the second McEwan shop that’s expected to open April 2014 in the bustling TD Centre (also home to Bymark). The office crowd will be treated to tons of prepared food options served for all three meals (opening 6:30am and closing 7pm). Mark expects most customers will grab-and-go; but, there will be a 45-person seating area for those who prefer to eat there. And I'm sure there will be also be a catering department supplying all the office buildings.

But, I also found out more about Mark's personal life. In his spare time he cooks for his family, likes to relax at his Georgian Bay cottage and has a garden to grow fresh ingredients. He's also artistic and sometime creates dishes by sketching out the plate before sending it to the Executive Chefs to tweek and recreate in real life. 

During the evening, our $60 tickets treated us to unlimited drinks and tons of passed bites to tantalize the taste buds. A special thank you for the photos go to Jeffrey Chan courtesy of The McEwan Group. Sadly, my smartphone’s pictures would not do the food justice, I'm sure you can tell which ones were taken by me.

The tacos were the perfect filling to tortilla ratio. Each was topped with a big plump fried shrimp, red pepper jam, pickled shallots, a light ginger aoili and some greenery to tie everything together. 


Both steak and tuna tartare was available that night. The steak sitting on a crispy crostini and mixed with quail egg, arugula, pickled shallot and black truffle shavings. The tuna tartare spoons, on the other hand, was light and refreshing spiked with some Asian ingredients.  
Beef tartare (1)
The pork belly buns were a hit with a soft steam bun wrapped around juicy pieces of "cha shu" pork belly, some pickled carrot slaw, coriander and topped with a yuzu aioli. Bahn Mi Boys and Momofuku Noodle House fans would love these.
Pork belly steamed buns (1)
I love deviled eggs and glad they are now showing up more on menus. At One, theirs are made with smaller quail egg and topped with caviar, a sprinkling of chives and some sweet pickled shallot.

Italian creations were served including a fried risotto cake filled with a creamy buffalo mozzarella cheese and topped with basil and balsamic. A delicious and rich mushroom risotto was also passed around, something I could definitely have a bigger portion of. Of course, the shaved truffles sprinkled on top doesn't hurt either.
Risotto cakes (1)

Mushroom risotto spoons (1)
Seafood spoons made their way around including a blue crab with avocado sweetened slightly with a red onion marmalade. My favourite, so much so that I had three, was the plump sweet pieces of butter poached lobster. Simple but absolutely delicious.
Crab and avocado spoons (1)


There was even a couple of desserts being passed at the end including hot freshly made mini doughnuts (I tried the cinnamon sugar) and rich raspberry cheesecake bites.

We didn't leave empty handed, with a gift bag of merchandise thrown in. The best item was an autographed copy of McEwan's cookbook Great Food At Home. 

Unlike most foodies, I'm not much of a cookbook collector. Personally, I believe we should let the experts do what they do best and this means I will not be attempting dishes with 20 ingredients, take two days to prepare and require a blowtorch. While waiting for the bathroom at Alinea (there's only one stall), they had their cookbook outside to keep waiters entertained. I was shocked to see that one recipe could reference three other recipes throughout the book and a simple powder for garnishing calls for ten ingredients and has to be prepared a day beforehand.

So, I was pleasantly surprised, while flipping through 'Great Food At Home', to see that almost all recipes were only a page long and many contained less than ten ingredients. They didn’t seem daunting and appears like something I can make. You can head here to get your own copy of Great Food At Home.

Not pictured, but also within our gift bag, was also a bottle of Stoneleigh sauvignon blanc. I ended up giving it to Owen, patron we met at the bar, in hopes he'll add it into his wine collection amongst the $100+ bottles. The @theuncorkedbtl and I had met him while hanging around the bar. He ended up treating us to a nice bottle of red wine and regaled us with such interesting conversation.

I had gone to the McEwan All Access event wanting to get Mark’s thoughts about the changing landscape for restaurateurs. There's so much choice for customers with restaurants opening up in every nook and cranny - some are even driven around in the form of brightly coloured food trucks! Add in social media and food bloggers (everyone has an opinion and admittedly I’m guilty of expressing mine) and customer expectations are increasing and likely becoming more demanding. Alas, in our conversations I never did get a chance to understand Mark's view on this new environment and how he stays competitive.

So, it was a lucky fluke that I met Owen, a loyal customer of One. On the Monday of the event, he had stopped by the bar just to have a couple of glasses of wine and watch football. My question to him - what was it about One that keeps him coming back?

He narrowed it down to:
  1. Location – he’s not going to travel far and valet is always a plus;
  2. Layout – he dislikes posts disrupting his (and staff members) views;
  3. Good food; and
  4. A restaurant who’s willing and able to build a relationship. For him, he has no qualms of visiting a place and spending lots of money on food and wine. But, the restaurant needs to recognize that and reciprocate with a last minute reservation if he ever requires. A win-win situation some would say.
As a blogger I visit a lot of restaurants. Indeed, many of them are outstanding and I'd like to visit regularly. But, with little resources and so many options available, I can't help but desire trying something new. Those that I consistently visit is inevitably due to its proximity (again all about location). But, it's questionable whether I'm racking up the bill totals that would be impressive enough for a restaurant to remember me (somehow I sense $50 bottles of wine won’t classify me for an elite status).

So, although it's important to maintain a positive social media presence. It doesn’t guarantee you success. Being able to produce good food and hiring the right staff who recognizes loyal customers are perhaps the most important factors for longevity. Also, locating yourself around target customers is important – for fine dining restaurants, affluent individuals tend not to trek to the city borders to eat and subject themselves to Green P parking and rustic dining rooms. In the end, it seems to come down to every business's fundamentals - know your customer, meet their needs, don't let quality slip and innovate as necessary.

And it's seems that Mark McEwan has mastered this formula. Although he will pleasantly converse with me and make me feel welcomed, it’s unlikely he’ll depend on me. Rather, making patrons like Owen feel valued so that they'll walk in on a Monday to have $40 glasses of wine and watch the game, that’s the likely secret to his success.
Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
Photo Sources:
  1. Photos were generously provided by Jeffrey Chan courtesy of The McEwan Group
One on Urbanspoon

CLOSED: Bodega (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, November 08, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 30 Baldwin Street
Type of Meal: Dinner
Bodega is a quaint bistro situated in Baldwin Village. The dining area, split into two rooms, is more spacious than it appears; swathed with traditional dark woodwork and white linens. Despite the hushed surroundings, service is surprisingly friendly and boisterous putting diners are ease to let loose.

Of course, their cocktail hour from 4 to 6:30 also helps. What a great deal of $5 pints, $6 cocktails and $7 wine. You’re allowed to choose from anything on their menu. I tried the strawberry tonic (regularly $9) a refreshing concoction with gin, muddled strawberries, grapefruit bitters, thyme and tonic water. It was delicious and I’d highly recommend.


Bodega has a fairly extensive menu with even a few Spanish dishes thrown in the mix. Their affordable $35 prix fixe dinner is hard to turn down, so the majority of our table ended up ordering from that. The rabbit terrine appetizer was a generous slab (much meatier than expected for a lean animal). It wasn’t overly gamey and went well with the pommery mustard, gherkins and plenty of pieces of crostini.


Most of my friends opted for the grilled flat iron steak for their main. Adorned with shallot butter and crispy Yukon gold frites it was a satisfying portion for everyone. My friend thoroughly enjoyed the frites, but the crispy coating (perhaps from being tossed in flour?) wasn’t how I generally prefer fries made.


The grilled salmon I had was a big portion covered with rosemary, mustard and maple glaze. The maple syrup definitely stood out, to the point that it was a tad too sweet for my taste. The menu notes the dish is accompanied with fingerling potatoes and vegetables (roasted carrots and snow peas). But, it made no mention of the creamy sauce covering the sides. Personally, I could have done without it as found the creamy cheesiness mixed with the maple’s sweetness to be an odd combination. But, the salmon itself was cooked nicely.


My friend ordered the roasted pork tenderloin ($24) off of their a la carte menu. As with all their dishes, it was a hearty portion. The pork was tender and I enjoyed the sage vinaigrette accompanying it, although I must agree with my friend who found it a bit strong.


To end we shared the lemon tart and crème brulee. The tart was delicious – sour enough to taste the lemon but with some sweetness to remind you it’s dessert. The shortbread crust was also excellent, buttery enough without covering up the lemon.


The vanilla crème brulee was a deep dish portion so you get plenty of the creamy custard. The sugar crust on top was a tad thick but well bruleed and caramelized.


All in all, Bodega has the old fashioned charm synonymous with traditional restaurants. It’s an ideal location for date nights or somewhere to bring the parents (unless they of course love blaring music and sharing small plates). I’m just glad it’s a good balance and also not too stuffy.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - 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!

Encore Catering's Open House Event

Posted on Wednesday, November 05, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 5000 Dufferin Street
Website: http://encorecatering.com/



 When invited to visit Encore Catering’s state-of-the-art kitchen, I was excited to see what happens behind the scenes. It’s no secret that I love food, so the event was akin to asking an art lover to watch an artist paint. I expected a utilitarian night surrounded by stainless steel appliances. But, to my surprise, Encore’s kitchen was transformed to an event space with drapery, candles, flowers and a sparkling arch (courtesy of their sponsors Divine Furniture Rental, DT Floral & Décor and Gervais).


With various stations set across their kitchen, I had no idea where to begin. So, grabbing a drink, made by Barchef, seemed to be a good place to start. Having tried the basil daiquiri and candied orange sour, they were both flavourful and refreshing. However, what blew my mind was the Sailor’s mojito: a shot of mojito suspended in a capsule which releases as you bite into it – these would work so well for parties and dessert tables.


To begin, a trio of open-faced sandwiches. First, a warm smoked turkey sweetened with cranberry jam and topped with creamy avocado and melted Swiss cheese. Followed by a delicious caprese with juicy heirloom tomatoes, a thick wedge of fresh mozzarella and a flavourful pesto oil (albeit a bit messy if ever served as a finger food). My favourite was the stuffed yorkie (pictured in the middle), where tender slices of filet mignon, meaty mushrooms and rich gruyere cheese were all placed into a crispy and light Yorkshire pudding.


Moving onto the more substantial “tapas” station, we were in for a treat with cubes of lamb confit and a surf-and-turf of scallop with parmesan crusted filet mignon. I particularly enjoyed the watercress spaetzle that sat underneath the steak which soaked up all the delicious juices from the meat. If only they were pan fried beforehand it would be even better. 


But, it was the mac and cheese stuffed chicken wing that really got me intrigued. Looking like a plump drumstick, upon breaking through the crust you’re greeted with tender chicken mixed with creamy mac and cheese. On the side, a crispy pancake, which ended up being Caesar salad breaded and pan fried. This would be a hit with adults and children alike.


The Asian station allowed guests to customize their own cold salad roll, perfect for gatherings where there are varying dietary restrictions. With numerous toppings including Peking duck, soya chicken, lobster, jumbo tiger shrimp, mango, a variety of vegetables, dry pork floss, etc. to choose from, I made a refreshing lobster, mango and herbs version.


Off to the side were pre-made spring rolls served in steamers. I tried both the pork with shrimp and the chicken with shitake. I particularly enjoyed the chicken one where the juicy meaty shitake went so well with the sauce and thin rice sheets.


You could really customize the flavours with the sheer amount of dipping sauces available. There was lime fish sauce, peanut hoisin sauce, sriracha, spicy mint mango, orange fish sauce and my favourite - lemongrass ginger soya sauce.


If all that weren’t enough, tons of hors d’oeuvres were passed throughout the night. Just when I thought I was full another tray of delicious looking eats arrives. Each time, you can’t help but think – it’s small, what’s one more bite?

The caviar cannelloni is great for parties. A bite sized crepe wrapped around gravlax and crème fraiche then dotted with briny black and red caviar.


For those who love sweet and savoury combinations, a pecan and parsley macaroon topped with foie gras pate and garnished with a sweet slice of fig and kumquat chip.


The butter chicken partha was hot and fresh, reminiscent of a samosa but with a rich butter chicken filling.


The one bite corn bread, a nod to the South, with slivers of pulled short ribs inside. A crispy Cajun onion chip is stuck in as a delicious garnish.


Not pictured, but something you need to try is the lobster clam chowder shooter. It was sinfully flavourful and creamy. Seriously something that after a sip you wanted to close your eyes and enjoy.

Encore Catering also has their own pastry department, which laid out an impressive spread of sweets that evening. Of course, there were the shower and wedding favourite macarons … sitting on and topped with chocolate pieces.


On the cake tray were a chocolate and orange torte, chestnut Mont Blanc, burnt butter cheese cake, strawberry choux caviar and kiwi sesame croquants. I loved the refreshing nature of the kiwi on sesame chip – a great combination of juicy fruit, rich cream and crunchy/chewy sesame cookies.


Pictured, but not tasted, included a coconut mango pyramids and beautiful looking opera cakes.


For those who like fruit crumble and bread pudding, Encore’s Kaiserschmarrn Emperor’s pancake is a mix of both. Instead of bread, it uses chunks of pancake mixed with a variety of warm fruit.


My favourite dessert had to be the olive oil ice cream, which was slightly sweet and rich & creamy. Flavoured with icy granite and grapefruit jelly it is just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.


I was also lucky enough to win a bag of Encore’s colossal cookies. Everyone I gave them were marveled by the sheer size and weight of the cookie. About the size of a scone, it has a crunchy crust but a soft centre – a great combination for all cookie lovers and would also work as a party favour.


Their professionalism and delicious bites explains why Encore has been in business for 35 years and is a preferred caterer for the Island Yacht Club, McMichael Art Gallery and MaRS Discovery District (just to name a few). Who knows, I’ve likely attended a wedding or gala in the past that served Encore’s creations. And after trying their food at their open house, here’s hoping I’ll attend more of their catered events in the future. 


Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog



Zomato Meetup at the Harbord Room (2014)

Posted on Saturday, November 01, 2014 by

Harbord Room
Address: 89 Harbord Street


Torontonians are lucky. We have a wealth of restaurant review platforms that inform us about where to eat. In October, our choices have expanded as Zomato launched a Toronto section - it’s first foray into North America … move over New York! Zomato's not new, they’re already part of 17 countries and serve over 30-million visitors monthly - those of us in Toronto will just add to this growing number.

So, what makes it different from Urbanspoon and Yelp? Like its competitors, users can browse/post reviews, pictures and restaurant information. But, Zomato also employs a team of people who actually visit restaurants every few months to update information. So, you’ll less likely go to a place only to find it’s already closed.  Also, I found their restaurant information more complete – listings I’ve looked at has menu pictures (often the hardest thing to find).

The social aspect of being part of their network is also more pronounced. Indeed on Urbanspoon and Yelp people can follow you and rate reviews. But, on Zomato, with the ease of use, I find people actually follow me and I get a lot of feedback on what I share. Like other social media platforms, there’s a “wall” that will show you updates from those you follow – allowing you to curate your own collection of information from those you trust and value. As a reviewer, you can also earn “expert” status by posting a number of reviews and pictures from a particular neighbourhood – I’ll soon be a North York expert!

From their app, I see features such as cashless payments and ordering online will soon be added to expand their service offering. So you can easily move from reading about a place to ordering delivery and then paying.

A week after Zomato’s launch, I was invited to a meet-up where they gathered a group of fellow users to meet their staff and give feedback on our initial experience.  It was held at the Harbord Room, a place where my husband loves their burgers. Having only been there once for a quick bite (a large satisfying po-boys and the delicious freshly made doughnuts), I was excited to return and try more of their menu. 


Our meal with wine pairings was much more complex than the po-boy I had previously. So, it was a pleasure to experience the intricate dining side of the Harbord Room. To start. a chestnut and chorizo soup (paired with a 2012 Campo Nuevo Rosado). It was more akin to chili with the chestnut puree creating a thick base and crumbles of chorizo adding a spicy element to the soup. Topped with toasted pumpkin seeds and dollops of tangy sheep’s milk cheese, there were plenty of contrasting textures with the seeds adding a nutty earthiness to the soup. A bowl of this with a wedge of crusty bread would be great for the cold weather.

The grouper ceviche (paired with a 2012 Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay) was much creamier than expected from the addition of coconut milk. Combined with mint, basil, cilantro, radish, jalepeno slivers, red chili slices, cashew and crispy tortilla strips, these all helped to lightened up the ceviche and add contrast against the tender fish. There was a lot going on with the dish with papaya and avocado mixed into it as well. For me, the fish became lost in all the ingredients but the flavours came together well. If the dish were promoted more as a salad versus a ceviche, it may be more aptly described.

For our main we were each served a hearty roasted Quebec partridge pot pie (paired with the 2011 Stratus Tollgate Red). What a decadent dish with the flaky crust made from duck fat and a thick slab of foie gras on top of that! The foie gras reminded me of the wine poached version I had a Cava, where it was cool and just melts in your mouth. Inside the pot pie were chunks of partridge (similar to chicken), plump mushrooms and pearl onions. All in all, a very filling dish and would be best eaten with lightly dressed arugula or kale salad.

We also had various sides to go with the pot pie. I tried a piece of each but simply could not go back for more as by this point I was quite full. A cauliflower gratin served piping hot in a clay dish. Roasted and topped with a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese, this is a dish to order if you like cauliflower.


My favourite was the charred zucchini, which after roasting becomes soft and creamy. Topped with crunchy toasted pumpkin seeds and juicy pomegranate seeds, I was surprised how much I enjoyed the dish since I normally don’t like nuts/fruit with savoury dishes.


As well, some slices of bread (good for dipping into the pot pie juices) with a pumpkin (?), lemon hummus on the side.

To end, a stick-to-your-ribs baked pumpkin custard cheesecake (paired with the Barrbeito Malvasia Madeira 5-year Reserve). The base was creamy and rich – a mix between a pumpkin pie and cheesecake. I loved the ginger snap cookies, crunchy candied walnut pieces and unsweetened whipped cream on top. They all went well with the custard. There was also a scoop of ox blood plum sorbet on top. Admittedly, I didn’t read the menu carefully so had no idea it incorporated ox blood. Really, it tasted more like fruit than anything else. Although it was a refreshing sorbet, I would have preferred it on the side as personally didn’t feel it went well the rest of the dessert.
In the end, all the above dishes are great for the upcoming cold weather. Indeed, you may not want to eat everything in one sitting as each is rich and heavy. Based on Harbord Room’s current menu line, you can order the ceviche ($14) or charred zucchini ($9) to try. Perhaps the other dishes is a highlight of things to come and what diners can look forward as the temperature dips. 


Don’t live in Toronto? Don’t worry, over the next while Zomato is expanding to Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Ottawa. I’m sure it’s not going to end there and further cities will be added afterwards. So, I suggest you try it out. Signing up is easy and you can even just read or follow others if you don’t want to post. Of course, please considering following me, especially if you don’t have Twitter, as I’d love to hear from you!


view my food journey on zomato!

Disclaimer: The meal provided in this post was complementary, but the opinions are still my own.

Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)