Spirit Tree Estate Cidery (Caledon)

Posted on Saturday, October 10, 2015 by

Spirit Tree Estate Cidery

If you’re in the mood for a picturesque winery scene and an adult beverage, but don’t want to traverse all the way to Niagara, Caledon may satisfy your desires. The Spirit Tree Estate Cidery’s stone building and manicured orchards is just as scenic; they have plenty of ciders to satisfy adults and children; and you can easily spend an afternoon there through having lunch, doing a tour and buying groceries in their quaint store.


Purchased by Tom and Nicole in 2005, the estate wasn’t opened until 2009, with their first batch of cider served a year later. The building was constructed with straw bales grown down the road with lime stucco surrounding it. The dense straw acts as a great insulation and the lime has natural anti-microbial properties, both great environmentally friendly alternatives.  

Attending the restaurant as part of a Culinary Historians of Canada event, we were treated to a special family style menu. Renditions of these dishes are available on their regular menu: a sandwich and soup combo costs $14.

To start, the butternut squash was thick and vibrant, with a hint of curry to add interest. The thick wedges of the stone ground country bread accompanying it was a perfect pairing for dipping.


With a combination of baby greens and cranberries, I expected the salad to be sweet. But, the dressing was actually a tangy mustard vinaigrette with a horseradish kick, which was more up my alley.


Of course, we had to try Spirit Tree’s star product … the cider! A lovely amber hue and intensely flavoured, it’s made on site with the apples grown using a combination of targeted pesticides and natural remedies to ensure there’s as little chemicals as possible. Additionally, they use UV light to pasteurize the product to retain the nutrients present in cider.
Cider

To go, I also picked up a 6-pack of their alcoholic canned ciders that have a bright apple taste without being overly sweet. Deciding on what to buy may be hard with their various varieties (sparkling, ice and also pear) so attending a tasting or indulging in their tasting flight may be a good way to start.

Before the guided tour and tasting, we set a base with sandwiches. The apple brie and squash with ricotta versions were too neutral and couldn’t stand up against the inch-thick yeasty bread. The chicken and lettuce version was better, adding heartiness and much needed moisture to the sandwich.


Personally, I think one of their fresh oven-baked pizzas would be a tastier choice. Sadly, we weren’t served any, but they seemed to be a popular choice.


The platter of baked goods was a great way to end the meal (normally about $1.75 each). Being pretty full from all the carbs, I still tried half a butter tart and it was heavenly … generously filled with the buttery sweet syrup embraced in a crunchy crust.  

What a journey it’s been for the North American cider, that’s as old as the Stone Ages and recently has made a come-back in popularity. Plus, it’s a great way to support Ontario fruit farmers and a gluten-free alternative for those who want a lager. If you’re in the mood for a quick drive just north of Toronto, Spirit Tree is a great getaway this fall.


Overall mark - 7 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Caledon, Canada
 Address: 1137 Boston Mills Road

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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!



Bang Bang Ice Cream (Toronto)

Posted on Wednesday, October 07, 2015 by



Hearing the phrase “bang bang”, images of fire arms, promiscuous activities or maybe Jessie J’s tunes would go through your head. For Torontonians its different – ice cream sandwiches and small batch concoctions come to mind.

Over the summer, images of Bang Bang Ice Cream’s Hong Kong waffle cone ($8) have flooded Instagram, taunting me to enjoy two of my childhood treats together. Therefore, I was elated when I found myself in the neighbourhood, wanting dessert, and the line was only just out the door … at last the treat would be mine! Only to find, after waiting 15 minutes, that it’d be at least another half-an-hour for the waffle cone – their machines simply doesn’t produce them quick enough.

As a business major, thoughts of poor operations management and bottlenecks flashed through my mind. Ultimately, it was decided that I wouldn’t reward inferior planning by subjecting myself to a wait – after all, if a business wants to miss out on selling a higher margin product, that’s their prerogative.

Instead, I settled on a double scoop ($5.35) with the two I had painstakingly decided on. With over a dozen to choose from (prominently featured on paint cans), it’s not an easy decision. Not only do you have to narrow it down to two appealing flavours, but they also need to work together as they’re bound to start fusing!


Since the beginning, the London Fog beckoned with the delicious combination of floral Earl Grey tea and creamy vanilla. But, then would beer ‘n’ brown bread (a popular choice) or Totaro add to it? After trying a taste of the first, Totaro ended up prevailing.

As a pun, the flavour is named after a popular Japanese cartoon character and pays homage to the light purple root vegetable. Vibrant with a mellow earthy taro flavour, there were also flecks of what may be egg rolls to add texture and slight almond twinge. London Fog and Totaro proved to work well together!

Aside from the waffle cone, Bang Bang also offers ice cream sandwiches (ranges from $4.40 - $9 depending on whether you want a half/whole cookie or vegan ones). Somehow these didn’t sound appealing as the cookie tends to overpower the ice cream (or it could the awful messy childhood memories of me attempting to bite through the cookie without squishing the ice cream). There are also cream puff ($4.75 - $5.00) and macaron ($5) versions as well.

So, although my picture isn’t the most Instagram worthy, the dessert was nonetheless delicious. 
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 93 1/2 Ossington Avenue

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CLOSED: Rundles (Stratford)

Posted on Sunday, October 04, 2015 by
There’s something about Stratford that’s calming. Maybe it’s abundance of green space or the river that runs through the city centre; there’s a tranquility about the place. Perhaps best known for their arts and the Stratford festival, the town attracts many out-of-towners over the spring and summer. And where there’s art, you’ll often find delicious food – after all, what’s better than a dinner and a show?

Rundles is a fine dining establishment, which has been a part of the scene since the late 1970’s. Offering a 3-course prix fixe menu for $99.50, there are a sufficient options to make deciding difficult. But, before the meal started, a shooter of tomatillo gazpacho arrives: thick and bright with a punch of spice. Over top were kernels of sweet corn and flora, a refreshing start.


Both the B.C. side-stripe shrimp and scallops were fresh and had a delicate sweetness to it. Topping the seafood was shaved fennel adding an acidic crunch, while the silky sea urchin sauce and yuzu gelee cubes gave the dish interest, yet worked well with everything else.  


My husband’s sweet corn soup may look plain but was full of flavours with a savoury balance against the corn’s sweetness and the crispy cracker adding contrast.


My favourite cut of steak is the rib-eye, so to see a lamb version on the menu was appealing. My first experience with this cut of lamb was heavenly … cutting through the meat was as easy as getting through pork belly! There’s the flavour of a lamb chop but the tenderness of a loin. Spicy pieces of lamb sausages and roasted vegetables finished the dish.


For such a thick cut of lean meat, the noisettes of venison was tender and richly flavoured without being gamey. The beluga lentil ragout, celery root and parsnip confit made the dish hearty in a refined manner.


Skipping on the sweet desserts, I opted for the cheese plate instead. Consisting of three soft French goats’ milk cheeses, it was right up my alley, each one lusciously creamy. Spread on hot cranberry and walnut bread with pistachio oil, it was delicious.


Although the blueberry crumble tart didn’t look esthetically pleasing, with the pale crust and being presented upside down, it was chocked full of fresh blueberries encapsulated in a thin pastry crust. The brown butter ice cream on the side was tasty, but in my opinion, didn’t really combine well with the fruit tart … sometimes plain vanilla is just the way to go.


Rundles’ menu also has tempting vegetarian options. Although I didn’t try the following dishes, they smelled and looked appetizing. As a starter, a warm salad of grilled baby leek, shimeji mushrooms and vericots. Or a main of plump squash tortellini filled with wild mushrooms and an aromatic smoked carrot juice broth poured tableside.



To end the evening, the meal includes coffee or tea to end - I had a lovely floral green tea for a $4 supplement. The drinks are a perfect excuse to sit and chat; to enjoy tranquility of Stratford for just a bit longer.


Overall mark - 8 out of 10

Disclaimer: A 50% discount was provided on the above meal. Rest assured, I will always provide my honest opinion as noted in Gastro World's mission statement. 
How To Find Them
 Location: Stratford, Canada
 Address: 9 Cobourg Street


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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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SOCO Kitchen and Bar (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, October 03, 2015 by


SOCO Kitchen and Bar

 While the weather’s nice, taking advantage of patio dining is one of my top priorities. Located in the Delta Toronto Hotel is the SOCO Kitchen and Bar. And the best part, is that with their sizeable patio, scoring a table on a weeknight is generally not too difficult. 

The menu curated by Chef Daniel Craig changes slightly with the seasons – some of the summer options in this post have already morphed to incorporate heartier fall sides. But, it’s great to see that their hand-cut bison tartare ($16) is still available. The meat is cut into fine pieces but not overly pulverized and is tasty with peppery spices, a creamy egg yolk emulsion and pickled onions.


Softer pieces of lighted grilled pita accompany the tartare in lieu of crispy crostini, which works with the dish. However, with the decent portion of bison, a couple additional pieces of pita would definitely help.

Off of their daily specials the skewers of lamb speducci ($8; normally $12) were calling our names. The meat is moist and has a lovely greasy saltiness. A splash of lemon and vinegary chimichurri helps to cut through the fattiness while enhancing the flavour.


With a lovely crust, the roasted sea bass ($27) was cooked well, retaining the moisture from the leaner fish. Being such a neutral fish, it could have used a tad more seasoning, especially since the lightly curried lentils with vegetables and yoghurt was relatively bland as well.


Weak flavours is definitely not a description for the flammekueche pizza ($15) and might have added to why I felt the roasted sea bass was rather dull. Topped with large chunks of house-smoked bacon, piney rosemary, crème fraiche and caramelized onions there were so many tastes in each bite.


Don’t skip out on dessert – you’d be doing yourself a disservice to not try Chef Engin Tiryaki's creations. The peanut butter cream puffs ($8) are outstanding: choux pastry filled with a luscious not overly sweet peanut butter laced cream. On the side there’s a scoop of banana honey ice cream and drizzles of whisky caramel and raspberry coulis.


Evan, our server for the evening, was a delight with friendly service, great jokes and insightful suggestions. Moreover, SOCO Kitchen is centrally located to Toronto’s attractions with the Air Canada and Roger Centres within walking distance. Whether it’s for a bite before a game or just to enjoy the last sunny evenings of the year, SOCO may have the kitchen for you.

 Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 75 Lower Simcoe 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!

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Berliner Republik (Berlin)

Posted on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 by


Berliner Republik
Let’s face it – Berliner Republik is a tourist trap. However, this isn’t necessarily a deal breaker; as a tourist, they do offer convenience by being centrally located close to attractions. After an afternoon of traversing Berlin, a beer by the canal sounds like serenity, which is how I found myself enjoying a pint at Berliner.

Like their competitors, the restaurant was understaffed so patience is needed to get your order in – a 20-minute affair. Wanting something to tide us over, we decided to try Berlin’s famed currywurst (€9.90): a bratwurst (pork sausage) doused with a curry-laced ketchup-based sauce.

The one at Berliner needed more time on the grill to become hotter and bring out more of the bratwurst’s flavour … a warmed through sausage is really not appetizing. On top, the diluted slightly sweet BBQ sauce and dusting of curry powder wouldn’t be something I’d normally top my wieners with but isn’t repulsive. On the side, were fries of the frozen variety that would benefit from being double fried.

So, my experience with currywurst was a bust. But, getting to sit down and watch the Berlin crowd float by around me, while enjoying a cold beverage, still made for an enjoyable experience.

 Overall mark - 6 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Berlin, Germany
 Address: Schiffbauerdamm 8

 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!

New Northern Dumplings 新北方餃子館 (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, September 27, 2015 by



Dumplings and pan fried onion pancakes make me nostalgic about my childhood, when my grandmother would prepare them while I eagerly awaited dinner. It was a long affair starting with prepping the dough for wrappers and allowing it to rise – not unlike an Italian nonna preparing pizza. So, when I find a restaurant that makes great versions of it, they’ll have a delighted customer. With tons of options around Toronto, New Northern Dumpling’s offerings stand out.

Their dumpling’s wrappers are ultra-thin yet has an elasticity that resists picking up. Each encapsulates a decent mound of filling and plenty of juices. If you like the Shanghainese soup dumplings, xiao long bao, these are very similar and much more budget friendly.


With twelve steamed varieties, New Northern offers a mixture of meats and even vegetarian choices. Although they all look alike from the outside, their fillings were indeed distinct. The three fresh delicacies ($5.99 for 15) were the most traditional with pork, shrimp and leek. There’s something about the combination of savoury meat, succulent seafood and vegetables that makes for the perfect filling.


The pork and leek ($4.99 to 15) were also delicious and likely a better choice for those who don’t like a seafood essence. Although the pork and pickled cabbage ($4.99 to 15) sounded delicious, the tang from the vegetable was a tad overpowering for me, but for diners who normally dip their dumplings into vinegar these may naturally have the acidity they’d enjoy.

Although it doesn’t come close to my grandmother’s version, New Northern’s green onion pancake ($2.25) is the best I’ve had at a restaurant. Folded into a doughnut format, there’s more surface area to develop a crusty exterior. The thin creased layers create fluffy air pockets filled with a respectable portion of fresh green onions and is nicely seasoned.


Their braised beef noodle soup ($5.99) has amazing chewy thick noodles and a decent tasting hot broth. However, the braised beef would be more aptly described as fat than meat. For those who like a well-marbled pork belly, you may enjoy this.


Despite looking as if it lacked sauce, the minced pork and soya paste noodle ($4.99) proved to be well flavoured as even with a thin coating, the noodles were salty enough. A dish generally eaten during warm weather, the julienned cucumbers add a cool juiciness and crunch.



If you’re budget conscious, I can’t think of a better place to go, as they have plenty of filling dishes for $5. And luckily, unlike the childhood me, I don’t need to wait all day before tucking in.

 Overall mark - 9 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 633 Silverstar Boulevard

 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!

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Yasu Revisited (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, September 26, 2015 by

Yasu Toronto

Since dining at Yasu in 2014, I knew the place was special and would earn the distinction as one of my favourite Toronto restaurants. Unfortunately, the $80 per person omakase meal doesn’t permit the eatery to be a frequent haunt; yet compared to the US$300+ versions in Japan, we can also periodically treat ourselves to the sushi bar.

After many months of reminiscing about the delicious meal, my husband and I decided we waited enough and it was time to return. Securing a spot wasn’t difficult – a simple process of using their online reservation and booking a few weeks out. But, a reservation is key, as Yasu only serves 24-28 diners per night (at 6pm and 8:30pm sittings) and during both visits all spots were occupied.

Similar to the first, the meal consisted of 18-pieces and a dessert. Since Yasu uses seasonal ingredients, about a third of the offerings were new this time. Starting off with a lighter fish to warm-up the palette, the striped jack (shima aji) had a firm clean texture and was gently glazed with a sweet soy.


Next, a piece of seabass (suzuki) was elevated with a dollop of Hokkaido sea urchin (uni) on top. The uni’s creaminess covers the tongue before the meaty sea bass comes through.


A sprinkling of salt is added to the Hokkaido scallop (hotate) for crunch. It’s fleshy but sweet and a splash of lemon wards off any fears of fishiness. That evening we learnt Chef Yasuhisa Ouchi is from Osaka, which may explain his affinity with using Hokkaido ingredients.


The fluke (hirame) is so delicate that what shone through the most was the ponzu laced soy sauce.


In contrast, the sardine (iwashi) was saltier and had a stronger flavour but still tasted great, especially when combined with the green onion. Additionally, I could see the improvement in knife skills – more accurately sliced with precision edges compared to the first visit.


A shiso leaf was sandwiched between a slice of red snapper (tai) and warm well-vinegared sticky Japanese rice. I preferred the leaf under the fish, rather than placed on top, as the rice helped release the citrus mint taste of the herb further. 


Although the snow crab (zuwai gani) still wasn’t warm, it was better drained and not as watery, yet still retained a wonderful oceanic saltiness. 


The amberjack (kanpachi) was another light fish and acted to cleanse the taste buds for the next piece - marinated fish roe (ikura no shoyu zuke). Served with a square of freshly toasted nori, I couldn’t inhale the salty juicy roe fast enough after remembering how good they were.


It’s the piece that’s always the fishiest, but Yasu does try to help cut the horse mackerel’s (aji) gamiest with green onion. Slits are carved into the fish to help the thicker sweet soy penetrate the sushi deeper.


The shrimp (ebi) was grilled just before serving and the smell filling the dining room was absolutely glorious. What hit my mouth next was just as heavenly as the smell – a light smokiness that blends into the shrimp’s sweetness and ending with the rice’s faint vinegar.  


My excitement compounded when I realized Chef Ouchi was going to serve three tunas together next. For a person who loves comparing ingredients, it was a dish that allowed me to see and taste the tuna’s differences.


First the leanest one, akami maguro, cut from the sides of the fish revealing a brilliant red hue and a concentrated flavour. The centre chutoro maguro, is a medium fattiness derived from the sides of the belly; it’s lighter with an alternating meat and fat pattern. Lastly, the underside of the belly or the fattiest otoro maguro, that instantly reacts like butter as it enters the mouth. When the otoro started melting, all I could do was savour the essence – it was bittersweet when it finally dissipated.


A lighter mackerel (aji) followed with green onions and a glossy slice of pickled daikon to add a refreshing crispness to the soft fish.


The charred bonito (katsuo) is so picturesque: the dazzling red colour, thin evenly seared ring, contrast of the dark rub and pop of green. Its taste is equally as varied – flavourful fish, peppery taste and the wasabi’s zing. 


Chef Ouchi, if you ever read this post – please make sure the braised sea eel (anago) is served every night! It’d be a shame if anyone didn’t have the opportunity to taste this sushi. The eel is braised in a soy and sake stock giving it so much flavour and rendering the eel to another level of softness. Once it entered my mouth I didn’t want to swallow – my husband was asking me questions but I couldn’t pay attention or answer – it was seriously a sad moment when the experience was over.


When you see the egg omelette (tamago), it’s an indication that the meal is coming to the end. The tamago was much better than the first visit – fluffy, light and creamy with a consistency reminiscent of an Uncle Tetsu cheesecake.


To end, a scoop of intensely flavoured ice cream. Rich and creamy, whole black sesame is sprinkled on top for textural contrast and further pop of flavour.


Yasu has improved since my last visit: the wine-by-the-glass menu has expand beyond Chardonnay and incorporates Riesling (if they add a Sauvignon Blanc I can finally order something); the beer glasses no longer have a faint fish smell; and the quality of the presentation has increased. What an amazing second experience … there were times I fell into to a food coma. Alas, now I just have to wait another year, to enjoy the sushi bliss again.

Overall mark - 10 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 81 Harbord 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:



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