Terrace Restaurant (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, July 05, 2015 by


Terrace Restaurant at the Elmwood Spa

Toronto’s Elmwood Spa allows you to dine in a robe. Whether you’re in need of alone time, a romantic meal, celebrating a bachelorette party or Mother’s Day: it’s amazing to eat in a fluffy robe and flip flops. A great treat for yourself or a present for someone.

While visiting the day spa, customers can add on a three-course lunch at the airy Terrace Restaurant ($33). They have a nice menu selection where, thankfully, not everything is vegetarian, gluten free or healthy. After all, I’m here to pamper myself and my stomach.

The “Greek style” salad was composed with cucumbers, grape tomatoes, celery, creamy feta, and olives wrapped in a cucumber ribbon - both beautiful to look at and eat. It was fresh, well-flavoured with dried olives? on the side, and topped with plenty of cheese.

Terrace Restaurant at the Elmwood Spa green salad

While the steak arrives over the requested medium rare doneness, it was nonetheless juicy and tender. The hearty plate also had hot roasted potatoes, asparagus, crispy shallots and extra jus for dipping. Admittedly, perhaps I didn’t require such heavy main before donning a bikini to relax in the baths.

Terrace Restaurant at the Elmwood Spa steak

I felt I counteracted the steak with a healthier dessert of fruit with lavender infused whipped cream. The lavender was subtle and the thick cream great for dipping berries into.

Terrace Restaurant at the Elmwood Spa berries and cream

But, my friend’s s’more fondue made me jealous: both trying to remind myself of the upcoming bikini and kicking myself for eating fruit for dessert. The house made toasted marshmallow was fluffy and satisfying and once drenched with warm liquid chocolate almost swoon-worthy.
Terrace Restaurant at the Elmwood Spa smore

What I enjoyed most was eating the meal in the tranquil environment, over glasses of sparkling wine and with great friends. Oh yeah, and doing it all in a robe was pretty sweet as well.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 18 Elm Street (in Elmwood Spa)

 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!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:


Rasa (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, July 04, 2015 by


Rasa’s eclectic menu showcases Toronto’s diversity at its best – distinct dishes each with their own origin, yet working wonderfully as a meal. With the onslaught of tourists expected to hit our city for the Pan Am Games, this restaurant is worth checking out.  

Their industry menu ($35) offers some regular items at a great price. But, in case you’re unable to visit on Mondays, the regular menu prices are listed below.

To whet our appetite, hot bite-sized corn muffins arrive sitting in a pool of melted lime and honey butter. What’s not to like about the mixture of corn, cheddar cheese and smoky poblano peppers? But, that hit of tanginess from the citrusy butter is delightful bringing it to another level.


A large bowl of chopped salad ($14) is brought out for sharing. With all the hearty ingredients, this can easily work as a main. The quinoa and kale base is further amplified with crunchy cucumbers, sweet tomatoes and grapes, creamy feta, then topped with crispy harissa laced chickpeas and refreshing mint. The oil and vinaigrette dressing isn’t overly heavy, tying everything together nicely. 


We ended up getting all the appetizers to share (the best way to eat in my books):
  • The fried jerk chicken wings were well balanced with spicy heat, tanginess and the tropical sweetness from the diced pineapples topping it.
  • If you’re looking for something healthier, the veg slate ($15) of asparagus, cauliflower, fiddle heads, smoked sunchokes, ramps and lentils is plain but allows the diner to enjoy the summer vegetable’s natural tastes.
  • Unquestionably, it was the po boy that left me wanting more. A fat crispy shrimp sits on pickled slaw and is then topped with creamy remoulade, fresh tomatillo and bird’s eye chilies. The filling-to-bread ratio is more than adequate with the slaw helping to cool down the piping hot shrimp while I devoured the sandwich.
Rasa

Rasa really knows how to make a good salad. Normally, I refrain from ordering them as a main (perhaps it’s Homer Simpson’s taunting, “You don’t make friends with salad,” the haunts me), but was glad I had the Bangkok bowl ($24).


There was not one but two proteins to make the salad substantial: slices of lightly seared black sesame and pepper crusted yellow fin tuna and lightly dusted fried calamari. The tropical salad had tons of flavours and textures with green mango, crispy jicama, carrots, mint and cilantro. This was all finished with crushed smoked peanuts and chilies.

Pieces of peanut butter and chocolate fudge accompanied the meal as the “sweet surprise”. It simply melted, coating the tongue with a great peanut flavour without being overly sweet. 


However, once we heard about the rocky road waffle ($5), a special dessert for the night, the immediate answer was “yes”. The warm waffle had a wonderful eggy smell and taste. The condensed milk ice cream was rich with an added caramel-essence yet light enough to balance the melted chocolate, chocolate chips and crushed peanuts. Pieces of toasted marshmallow studded the tips of the waffle. Overall, a wonderful combination with each element working well together.


This first taste from the Food Dude’s empire was a successful one. My taste buds made their way through the Middle East, Jamaica, New Orleans, Canada, and Thailand. Chef Adrian Niman, dude, you make good food.   

Overall mark - 8 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 196 Robert Street
 Website: http://rasabar.ca/

 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!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:


Part 3: Going on a Roller-coaster Ride

Posted on Wednesday, July 01, 2015 by
If you've just stumbled upon this post, get an understanding of what this is about by visiting my journey to developing a career with food.
It’s been a while since unleashing the master plan, but between writing two weekly posts on Gastro World and the assignments from a food writing course at George Brown, it’s been difficult to find time for the personal blog.

Over the last three months, I’ve gone through a roller coaster ride of emotions. Not the swirly nauseating ride like the tea cups; rather the up and downs of something like Behemoth.


The Behemoth. Photo courtesy of Canada's Wonderland
Starting on a High

Like the beginning of Behemoth, as every day passed and changes started adding up, I became progressively excited about the future. Signing up for a food writing course, joining affiliate programs to try to monetize the blog, coming to the realization that money can’t buy happiness … each step raised me higher on the happiness meter and I couldn’t wait to see what was at the crest of the hill.

Starting anything is a wonderful time: I’m energized and as every step passes my goal seems that much more attainable.

Reaching the Crest

Then somewhere in the early spring I reached the top. For a brief moment I was proud of everything I’ve done. For friends who read these personal posts, we’d talk about the achievements and challenges over meals and wine.

However, reaching the crest also means plateauing. I really didn’t know what more I could do and honestly, whether there was time to do more – like cold calling restaurants and people in the food consulting industry to develop a network.

Going Through the Stomach Churning Decline

It’s the part that Behemoth riders know is coming: at any moment you plunge from the high into a deep low valley. Although it wasn’t a quick decline for me, it seemed that as things compounded I eventually hit the bottom of my enthusiasm scale:
  • Through the George Brown course, I learnt how hard it is to make a living off food writing. Unless you’re the hand full of publication writers, you’ll likely need to supplement your income with other things like editing, fact checking or writing non-food related article. 
  • Plus, I’m not a great writer – most assignments only broke the 80% mark (which is good enough to write for small publications but not the really professional ones as my teacher describes).  Certainly, it’s a mark my parents wouldn’t be proud of.
  • Realizing food consultants have some sort of culinary background. Most were executive chefs or restaurant owners. Simply having a developed palette and eating a lot doesn’t qualify me. Sure, I could use my financial background to help restaurants with budgeting and costing. But, I’d rather stick with a big corporation if I’m working with spreadsheets.
  • Even all the alternative sources of income I tried developing has failed. Sheblogs, an ad service, is “continuing to monitor” Gastro World as it doesn’t have enough monthly Canadian viewers. I’ve yet to make one sale through Amazon’s affiliate program. None of the secret diner services I’ve applied for has sent over a job – imagine what a detailed write-up I could give them!

Riding Through the Ups and Downs

Since the low, occurring somewhere in May, there’s been smaller joyful and disappointing moments. Through it all, I’m thankful for the podcasts that have helped change my perspective on the journey (Dr. Robert Puff of the Happiness Podcast is the most useful).

“Dreams are beautiful, they’re wonderful. But, they can cause suffering when you cling too tightly to them.” he suggests.

It was then I realized I was becoming too attached to the idea of developing a career in the food industry. When I first set out to do this, what enticed me was the possibility of living a happier and more fulfilling life. But, as I started working towards it, every step started adding on pressure to generate success. Simply put, the journey was doing the opposite: it was weighing me down and stressing me out.

So, I’ve started changing my attitude: I’m going to let things happen and go along for the ride. Yes, sometimes there will be a success (like being invited to try out restaurants and attend media events) but even if there are set-backs to be grateful for the opportunity and learn from it.

I refuse to let the behemoth journey of developing a fulfilling working career bring me down. This is one ride I’m going to enjoy, no matter what turn the track takes. 


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

Big Bone BBQ and Wicked Wings (Newmarket)

Posted on Sunday, June 28, 2015 by


Big Bone BBQ

With Rib Fest season set to kick off, this post on Big Bone BBQ and Wicked Wings occurs at an opportune time. If you frequent the events, you may remember the stall Purple Pig. My friend recounts that it was her family’s favourite place and was extremely disappointed when they closed. So, imagine to her delight when she realized Big Bone is the reincarnated Purple Pig from the festivals!

Since this was my first experience, the Big Bone combo ($21.95) was the smart choice to try their ribs and wings. With ½ rack of ribs, pound of wings, and tons of sides, it was more than enough to share between my friend and me.

The meat’s flavour has the chance to shine through given the ribs were covered with enough sauce without being drenched. The glaze was well balanced with hints of tangy and sweet flavours. Most of all, I liked that there was some bite to the ribs – sure they separated from the bone easily but not to the point that it simply falls off.

Big Bone BBQ

As for the second part of their name, Wicked Wings, these are intensely smoked so the flavour permeates through the chicken. We ordered ours tossed in a hot and honey sauce but really the great smoky flavour with a lighter BBQ glaze would have been more than enough.

Although the meat was fantastic the sides were less exciting: the coleslaw sickeningly sweet, the corn bread hard and cold, and the baked beans decent but tasting of the canned Heinz variety. The fries were the only redemption arriving hot and crispy but definitely not made-in-house with fresh potatoes. But then, who’s really here to eat all the fillers? Give me the meat any day.

The dining area is small and simple but we were able to score a table for four on Friday evening despite their no-reservation policy. Regulars seem to get takeout instead so the tables turn over at a good clip. However, with the constant flow of takeout, the food takes time to arrive – a test to my willpower when all I can smell is roasting meat and platters walk by looking much like my order.

After dinner, we were so impressed that we ordered takeout for our families. Between the flurry of requests, Big Bone mixed up two of my friends’ wing orders. One friend, who coincidently was the one who loved them so much, called to let them know. Lee Rombos, co-founder of Big Bone answered and apologized for the mistake. My friend wanted me to point out that he was very nice and even offered her a gift certificate to make-up for the error. Certainly a testament to their friendly service.  

If you’re like me and the crowds of rib fest seem daunting, look no further as a past contender has set-up permanent locations to serve us instead. Sure, I’ll miss out on trying five different racks, but what Big Bone is serving is pretty good. Enough to leave me wanting more and likely make the long drive up North again.

 Overall mark - 8.5 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 207 Eagle Street

 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!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:


CLOSED: Dragon Dynasty's Dim sum (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, June 27, 2015 by


Dragon Dynasty dim sum

Scarborough, in my books, is home to some great dim sum restaurants. As Toronto’s China Town expanded North in the 90’s, diners no longer had to travel to Spadina and Broadview to get their brunch fix. One of the earlier restaurants being established was Dragon Dynasty. Indeed, it seems like all my Chinese friends who grew up in Scarborough have visited the place before, if it isn’t already their family’s go-to dim sum place.

Their siu mai ($3.90) is decent following the traditional strictly pork-based recipe. Updated formulas tend to mix in chunks of shrimp and sometimes rehydrated black mushrooms adding to the flavour and the texture. Hence, you may find the siu mai at Dragon Dynasty denser and meatier compared to other restaurants.  


The spare-rib rice noodle roll ($4.90) is two dishes in one. On top, pieces of salty black bean spare-ribs that’s no different from the regular dish. Underneath are pieces of plain steamed rice noodle rolls, which soak up the spare ribs juices as it cooks and tends to be softer but also silkier.


I still prefer the traditional rice noodle rolls filled with BBQ pork ($3.90) or wrapped around a crispy dough fritter ($3.90).  There is a generous amount of chopped BBQ pork in the first and the cilantro (?) mixed into it adds a fresh element to the dish. The dough fritter could be fried longer to help resist getting soggy in the soy sauce, but benefits from the ample amount of dried shrimp on top that adds a nice seafood essence to the roll.


Their braised beef tendon ($3.90) impresses and is stewed so long that it becomes a soft sticky mess I covet. The sauce is garlicky with a light spice to it, which could be from satay?


If you’re dining with a larger group, the seafood dumpling ($5.90) and beef balls ($5.90) are great dishes to try. Both are simply boiled arriving with a sweet green onion infused soy sauce for dipping. The dense beef balls are springy in texture and comes with some refreshing watercress. The shrimp dumplings brimming with shrimp is just cooked through so it retains their crunch and sweetness.


Dragon Dynasty’s dim sum rice dishes is pricier than competitors at $7.95. But, they are the only establishment, that I’ve experienced, that cooks it in a hot clay pot so that it develops a lovely brittle golden crust on the bottom (generally this method is only found at congee places). The dish is smaller than what is found at congee restaurants, but could easily be shared amongst a table of five.


In lieu of paying for tea there is a “sauce charge” of $0.60 per person, an added cost that is common in all dim sum restaurants. Compared to other made-to-order places, prices are relatively inexpensive as most dishes being classified as a “small” (there’s usually a handful of these elsewhere). I would suggest arriving before 11am as Dragon Dynasty is popular and it does take some time to get all the dishes (especially if you’re ordering the rice).

After more than 20-years, the restaurant’s décor is becoming dated. But, really does this matter? For me, it’s the food that matters most and at Dragon Dynasty their dim sum still continues to satisfy.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 2301 Brimley Road


 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!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

The Fry (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, June 21, 2015 by
The Fry

Toronto has its fair share of menus offering succulent pieces of fried chicken, but little of them exist north of Bloor – a blessing for my waistline. But then, an unassuming place popped up in North York with a simple name – The Fry. There’s no hiding what lurks on its menu; one doesn’t enter the restaurant in search of salad and poached fish. Every time I walk by, it calls, beckoning me with the promise of Korean fried chicken (“KFC”), a rendition of the tasty treat that gives Colonel Sanders a run for his money.

Once I could stand it no longer, I rounded up a friend and succumbed to the half and half chicken ($26.99). The first “half” is a basket of plain KFC. The breading is spiked with a blend of spices, which was more than enough flavour to enhance the meat. It’s hot and salty, not overly heavy and lends itself to being enjoyed plain without ketchup (or any other condiment for that matter).

The Fry half and half fried chicken

On the other hand, the second “half” is tossed into a viscous sauce reminding me of the Pandora’s box blend from All Star Wings. The sweet and salty sauce is good at first but soon becomes heavy after polishing off a larger piece. Luckily, at the Fry, baskets contain a treasure trove of cuts with the typical thigh and drumstick ones but also full nuggets of white meat, rib bone without much meat and even a neck bone thrown in for good measure. So, I soon opted for the smaller less meaty cuts instead.          

The Fry half and half fried chicken

With the meal, the Fry also throws in a couple of complimentary vegetable dishes to help counteract the oiliness of the chicken. A sizzling plate of chewy sweet corn is brought first and a great test for one’s chopstick skills. Next a platter of crunchy cubes of vinegary daikon, a simple soy salad and an overly sweet creamy coleslaw. I had my fair share of the daikon after the chicken and the cool sweet sourness did help ease the meal’s heaviness.

The Fry cornThe Fry veggies

The Fry’s dishes are huge and meant for sharing; even with two of us there was plenty to take-home. If you don’t want tons of leftovers, I’d suggest at least three (if not four) people to best tackle the meal. The Fry also has non-battered Korean dishes such as spicy rice cakes and hearty stews that may be worth a try. I’ve now answered their beckoning call, will you?

Overall mark - 7 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 4864 Yonge Street

 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!
Is That It? I Want More!
Other Gastro World posts similar to this:


Japango (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, June 20, 2015 by
Japango Toronto

As I entered, they asked the dreaded question, “Do you have a reservation?” Shaking my head, I held my breath, “It is only 11:30 on a Tuesday.” I thought, “How it is that I need a reservation?” Here I was, on a day off trying to get a taste of Japango’s sushi creations. Lunch, I heard, is good time to visit as they have an affordable menu and if you arrive before noon the wait for the small 20-ish seat restaurant would be minimal. Luckily, they had room for me and led me to a table in the middle.

The lunch menu has a selection of delicious bentos, but it was sushi my stomach was craving. Ordering “sushi one” ($15), I had but a few moments to take in the quaint preparation station and famed chopsticks in boxes held at the back (only reserved for those who eat frequently at Japango), when a bowl of steaming miso soup arrived. It was simple and salty: not a sliver of seaweed, cube of tofu or garnish of green onion in sight. But, it was piping hot and savoury.

Miso soup japango

Beautiful pieces of fish arrives shortly thereafter, so the soup was placed aside. There’s the familiar deep pink tuna, vibrant orange salmon, and cooked shrimp. The other slices, I could only guess at but not named off the top of my head. The tell-tale silver skin seemed to be mackerel and the suspicions were confirmed upon tasting. But, the last three were unknown.

The paper placemat was some help with labelled pictures so that I could guess the medium pink one to be hamachi or yellow tail. Unfortunately, the waitress wasn’t the most knowledgeable and had to ask chef before letting me know the two white pieces were butterfish.

sushi Japango

It really didn’t matter. Each piece was equally delicious with delicate tastes from the mackerel, tuna and yellow tail. The shrimp was a little over poached but still not as hard as some other places. For the soft almost creamy butterfish, a crispy garlic oil was brushed on top to enhance the neutral fish.


The California roll was a thin layer of rice wrapped around flavourful nori, crispy matchstick thin cucumbers, stringy fake crab and an adequate amount of crunchy fish roe. I tried to prolong the lunch by savouring the roll and letting the tobiko pop and release its briny oil on the tongue. 


The whole meal was over in less than half an hour with a waiter quickly bringing the bill as the dish was whisked away. I don’t blame them, they need to be quick; as by that time, a small queue had already started. And I was satisfied: not overly full, given Japango adheres to the traditional more fish than rice ratio, but comfortably filled and my craving for sushi quelled.  

Overall mark - 8.5 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 122 Elizabeth Street
 Website: http://japango.net/

 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!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)