Naan and Kabob (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, December 31, 2016 by

In Toronto, we’re blessed to be able to eat cuisines from so many cultures. Up until recently, I’ve never experienced Afghan dishes: the spiced meats, herbed yoghurt or fruit studded rice. The tastes are familiar – Persian, Indian, and Middle Eastern – but it’s still unique and the spices balanced and not quite as overwhelming for a virgin palette.

You have to try the mantu (5 for $6.99 or 10 for $10.99), they’re fantastic. Square shaped dumplings filled with sautéed onions and ground beef pinched into an ultra-thin wrapper. Generally, I find dumplings need to be piping hot to be at their peak, however, mantus are topped with a light garlicky yoghurt, stewed split peas and mint making it equally delicious cold.

For a heavier appetizer, the bolanee’s ($6.99) potato filling wrapped in a thin pan fried naan will satisfy. The mixture is studded with green onions and herbs, but there’s also a hit of heat that sneaks up on you. Since they don’t use a lot of fats at Naan and Kabob, the bolanee is rather dry; a dip into yogurt or the “magic sauce” really helps.


You can’t visit the restaurant without trying their namesake kabobs. Each is served with salad and fresh naan (more like a thick dry crusty flatbread than the flakey soft Indian counterparts). It’s worth paying the extra $1.50 to add rice, the long grains are perfect for mixing with pieces of meat and the accompanying sauces. For another $1.50 the rice can be topped with qabli, a mixture of re-hydrated raisins and slivered carrots, which keeps the rice moist and adds sweetness.


Having tried two pieces of the classic chicken breast kabob ($9.49) throughout the evening, it was a hit or miss. The first piece was the typical dry unappealing chicken – the output of something skinless and boneless. Meanwhile, a later piece was juicy and tender. 


If you’d rather stick with chicken (lamb is a more popular Afghan protein), I’d go with the tandoori breast kabob ($9.99) instead, which was succulent every time having been marinated and cooked at a higher temperature. Moreover, the tandoori spices adds flavour so you don’t need to rely on the hot or magic sauce for taste.


Their shish kabob ($8.40) takes ground beef and a house blend of Afghani herbs and spices then forms it onto skewers before grilling. It’s a tasty combination of seasoning and the sprinkling of lentils (?) put into the meat helps to seal in juices.


You can tell the kids that the chaplee ($9.49) are burgers with the naan substituting for the bun. The ground beef patties are more flavourful than the North American version, but also leaner and thoroughly cooked through.


Naan and Kabob only has one dessert, a firni ($2.49), but it’s a delicious one. After a heavier meal of rice and meat, it’s nice to end with a lightly sweetened rosewater milk dessert, its texture a cross between pudding and mousse, oh so silky.


There’s also a mango smoothie ($3.49) available, it’s a thinner consistency that makes it more like juice. For something really different try the doogh ($2.29), a water and yoghurt drink topped with dried mint. It takes some getting used to as the drink is salty, so works better when you’re eating the kabobs.


A portion of Naan and Kabob’s proceeds is given to Covenant House. But, they don’t stop at just donating money; the restaurant also provides youth job opportunities so they can get culinary training and develop their skills. A commendable endeavor the four-restaurant chain has implemented to give back to their GTA community. 

 Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10
Disclaimer: The above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1780 Markham Road
 Website: http://nandk.ca/

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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!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Naan and Kabob Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Grandeur Palace 華丽宮 (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, December 24, 2016 by
Grandeur Palace’s early bird pricing certainly brings a crowd with anything selected from the small, medium or large category costing the same as small (after 11:00 am it’s $2.90 for small, $3.90 for medium, and $4.90 for large). Also added to the bill, regardless of whether you actually drink the tea, is $1 charge per person. However, with the deal comes a long queue and it’s even longer at Grandeur as they have a lot of friends and family who end up skipping the line. Just be warned, be patient, you’re in for a wait.  

The house special shrimp dumpling (L) or har gow seems to continuously get bigger - a golf ball size at Grandeur and incorporating ample amounts of large crunchy shrimp. The wrapper, although thin, was sticker than normal, but given they use large bamboo steamers they were kept apart.


Although there’s a longer wait for the shrimp siu mai (L), the other traditional favourite, it’s plump and juicy with a large shrimp and fish roe on top.  


The steamed beef ball with cilantro (S) is harder than most (not necessarily a bad trait, just depends on your preference of texture) and studded with ample amounts of cilantro so you can really see and taste it. For those who detest the herb, most are in large enough leaves that you may even be able to pick them out.  


For a filling finish, a pot of the steamed rice with spare ribs and chicken feet (L) is in order. It’s a smaller size but certainly brimming with meat on top. It’s smart to serve the fisherman congee (L) in the same casserole pot. Yes, it’s smaller, but at least resists getting cold. Unless you’re familiar with this congee, the name isn’t descriptive and would lead someone to think it’s filled with seafood. Indeed, there are pieces of rehydrated squid, but you’ll also find non-sea items such as pork rind, pork stomach, lettuce and peanuts. Trust me, they’re not stingy with their ingredients.


If you’re like me and generally like the sticky rice in lotus leaf with chicken and dried scallop (L), the version at Grandeur is respectable and delicious. However, their eight treasure preserved meat glutinous rice dumpling’s (L) filling contains a lot of ingredients, rather than the skimpy amounts at other restaurants. It’s worth trying despite being harder to share.


The green onion dried shrimp rice roll with Chinese cruller (M) didn’t have much within the silky rice noodle and even the accompanying sesame and hoisin sauces were minimal. If you like seafood, the shrimp ball rice noodle roll (L) is a better choice and even incorporates a bit of snow pea shoot leaves for interest.


Grandeur has a lot of pan fried dishes available. The green onion flower roll (M) looks nice but is bland. Aside from the green onion there’s shrimp paste smeared onto the soft flour roll but nothing is salty – you just get whiffs of the aroma.  


Something flavourful is the Chinese chives pancake with lunch meat (L) or better known as Spam, which also arrives shaped like a tasty meaty fan. The pancake uses a glutinous flour base so it’s chewy and thin, the edges immensely crispy.


The crispy eel pastry (L) was flavourful and if cooked longer could be really tasty. However, on our visit the pastry was under cooked so still soft, pale and slightly floury.


Despite its long description, the red bean sticky rice cake coated with shredded coconut and black sesame would be better described as glutinous black sesame sticky rice cake with red bean paste and covered with shredded coconut. They tasted fresh with a nice soft texture and plenty of sweet paste in the centre.   


The peanuts sweet pancake (L) is rather delicious, a thicker version of the chewy glutinous pancake rolled with crushed peanuts, shredded coconut and sugar in the middle. After a quick kiss with an oily pan it’s piping hot and had a nice golden crust.   


For larger groups the sweet tofu pudding (M) is a great deal coming in a large container and would fill at least six of the smaller bowls.


Grandeur’s food is good, but I can’t see this being the restaurant I frequent weekly because of two re-occurring issues:

  1. A long delay for final dishes: after the first succession of dishes, there’s always one or two straggling ones that seem to not come until you finally flag someone down to follow-up with it.
  2. Possibly one of the reasons that causes the long wait, which is exacerbated by their leniency with letting in walk-in friends and family. Certainly, other Chinese restaurants also have this practice, but it’s generally not as blatant: most will time it better by calling a series of table and then sneaking in one relative. At Grandeur, you can see them standing along the side and bar area and simply being led to empty tables so only one or two numbers are called despite hoards of patrons leaving.
Be warned now: if you hate waiting don’t go during the early bird special. Or if you want to protest against their practices, don’t go at all. However, if want to visit and aren’t patient, head there after 11:00 am – you’ll pay more, but the frustration just isn’t worth it. 

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 2301 Brimley Road (in Cartwell Centre)

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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!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Grandeur Palace Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

CLOSED: Paradise Fine Chinese Cuisine 世外桃園 (Toronto)

Posted on Friday, December 23, 2016 by
If waiting to score a table for dim sum is something you detest, Paradise Fine Dining has you covered. Hidden off of a quiet street behind a bustling plaza, the parking lot was busier than the actual restaurant. Since they offer a special prices before 11am, we thought we should arrive before 10am to avoid a lengthy wait. What a pleasant surprise to find the dining room only half full – you could likely arrive for 10:30 and still meet that special ordering timeline.

Particularly for larger tables, the early bird deal of $3.10 for small, medium or large dishes can save you a fair amount given they’re normally S for $3.10, M for $4.50 and L for $5.50. Paradise’s tea charge is higher than most at $1.60 per person, but it’s a small premium for not having to wait. Moreover, they’re friendly, accommodating to families, and the dishes are presented in a well-timed succession so you don’t feel rushed.

Overall, their dim sum are respectable versions of the dish, but unfortunately nothing stands out. Everything is just a touch under seasoned, so I found we relied heavily on the condiments to add flavour.

At least the two most popular dishes are done well: there’s plenty of shrimp within the har gow (L) and the wrapper thin and not overly sticky. If it were steamed just a tad less, the dumpling would be better as the shrimp was starting to reach the point of getting hard. Meanwhile, the sui mai or mince pork and shrimp dumpling (M) were much better – juicy and flavourful comparably.


Despite sounding enticing, the steamed kabocha squash and scallop dumplings (L) were tasteless since both ingredients aren’t pronounced. Moreover, the earthiness of the squash doesn’t pair well with the seafood, giving the scallop a mineral-like fish taste.


The steamed shredded chicken and baby bok choy dumplings (L) doesn’t resemble the description at all. Instead, it’s more adequately described as ground chicken dumplings topped with corn. Overall, the dumpling is on the right path, with a bit more salt and another texture incorporated into the filling (crunchy celery or the earthy black mushroom) these would have been delicious.


Meanwhile, the chicken was actually shredded in the spring rolls with taro (M); they were hot and crispy, but could use more chicken.


If only the grilled dumpling with pork (L) were cooked longer so a crust could develop, these would have been some of the better ones I’ve had at dim sum. Each dumpling held a fair amount of pork and the wrappers were thin and light.


For something similar, I’d opt for the grilled shrimp patties with chive (L) instead. Sometimes these are referred to as "hockey pucks" at other restaurants and Paradise makes really tasty ones. Of all the dishes we sampled at brunch, this was my favourite.


The BBQ pork used in their steamed buns (M) and steamed rice crepe (L) had a nice balance of sweetness without becoming syrupy. Indeed, the chung fun or steamed rice crepe had the customary silky thinness you’d want with the dish, but the filling needed something else (perhaps finely chopped parsley) for interest.


Despite feeling like you’ve eaten tons at dim sum, heed my advice and make sure you order a heavier rice dish … otherwise, you’ll be hungry in a couple of hours. Paradise’s sticky rice with chicken and conpoy wrapped in lotus leaf (M) was a meagre serving with only two small pieces in an order. I could look past the small quantity if they also weren’t so plain - the ground chicken really didn’t have much else added.

The second starch we tried wasn’t any better. Admittedly, the deep fried glutinous rice with assorted meat (L) was not what I expected. Typically, these jongs are found wrapped in lotus leaf and boiled or steamed; having it battered and deep fried was an interesting twist. The crispy texture mixed with the soft sticky rice was a tasty combination, but the pork with bland yellow beans were rather flavourless so really all you taste is the soy sauce.


Paradise’s flakey baked egg tarts (M) were predominantly pastry and even then it wasn’t made very well as the tart shells had a powdery finish.


If only I knew the "soft custard centre" in the golden fried sesame balls (L) was actually salty egg yolk based, an ingredient that really needs to be called out as many either love or hate it (in my case hate for desserts), I wouldn’t have ordered the dish. Nonetheless, if you enjoy sweet and salty combinations these would be worth a try.


There are a couple of dishes priced too expensively: the steamed rice noodles with shrimp (generally L at other restaurants is XL ($6.50)) and the deep fried octopus (typically XL was considered XXL ($8.50)). Overall, Paradise has an extensive selection of dim sum with options not generally found elsewhere. Not all are great, as we found out with the kaboucha and scallop dumplings, but at least larger tables can’t complain about not having choices.

Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 5505 Leslie 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!

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CLOSED: The Uptown Pub House (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, December 18, 2016 by

Sometimes pubs are dark environments where their carpet stinks of stale beer. At other times, their dining room is like The Uptown Pub House: brightly lit and the carpetless. Their menu still has the typical pub fare – burgers, wings, Shepard’s pie and the like.

The batter on the haddock used in the fish and chips ($14.95) was thin and light, albeit a tad soggy in the centre. Thankfully, the tartar sauce isn’t the packaged Heinz variety, instead thick and zippy but would be even better with more pickles. Even though the chips weren’t the thick cut version of Scotland, they were hot and crispy … I couldn’t help eating one more.


You really can’t go wrong with anything deep fried. The crispy shrimp ($11.95) arrived blistering hot in a crunchy shell and a tangy horseradish laced homemade cocktail sauce. Similarly, the sweet potato fries ($5.50) must be some of the best in the city – keeping their length with a really light dusting of flour so the sweet starchy flavour was the most evident.


The only disappointment was the pub house chicken curry ($14.95), which didn’t hold up to its British counterparts of making excellent thick creamy curries. Instead, it’s as if the chef merely took the chicken, pea and potato mixture used in the pot pie and added curry powder. Indeed, the dish had a vibrant colour, but lacked any heat or flavour. Even the curry aroma was non-existent, it’s a passable dish.


I’d just go with the chicken pot pie ($15.95) instead. Although I didn’t taste it, at least the crust appeared flaky and as the steam arose from the chicken and gravy, it smelled like something.


Despite its gloomier exterior, The Uptown Pub House is surprisingly family friendly inside. This may be a tad disappointing for a lonely soul who wants to knock back a few at the bar and be miserable in a shadowy silence. But for those who want to eat, at least it doesn’t smell like rank beer.  

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 3185 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!

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CLOSED: Spicy Mafia (Markham)

Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2016 by

Before the holiday season who really needs all you can eat? I don't know about you, but with a month of copious consumption ahead, I know my limits. So many hot pot restaurants drives consumers towards over eating with the promise of bringing dish after dish of whatever you want (within a two hour limit). Sure, sometimes you want to stuff your face, but on other occasions, it’s nice to just enjoy a meal without worrying about getting your money’s worth.

Spicy Mafia is a new hot pot establishment. From the owners of Morals Villages, an aforementioned AYCE, their limited portions will allow you to enjoy the bubbling pot without spending too much time or calories.

It’s a simple concept, you choose from a standard list of items. First, the all-important soup base: most are $12.99 with the exception of the ultra-hot exclusive spicy version that’s a $1 more. Having tried the milder signature “ma lat” spicy soup, it already had me downing water and soon left the tongue numb. Perhaps I’m a light weight as the waiter noted they've had to tone it down for the "north American" palette.


Personally, I prefer the house made pork bone, which consists of a strong bone broth essence and goes nicely with the noodles after being infused with the other ingredients. They also have a tomato version of the pork bone, for those who want an extra vitamin boost.

Then you have a choice of ingredients:
  • A starch - vermicelli, rice noodle, instant noodles, rice or Japanese udon (for an extra $1). The rice vermicelli is my go-to as it resists getting overly soggy;  
  • A meat - lamb, pork or beef; and
  • Two dipping sauces from a choice of eight items.
Afterwards, every person gets a standard bowl of fixings: spam, imitation crab, Hong Kong style red sausage, a shrimp, tofu puff, napa cabbage, lettuce, lotus root, a small cob of corn, seaweed and enoki mushrooms.


Overall, the meat is rather skimpy with a mere five slices, while the other proteins (spam and red sausage) fine but not the typical ones I’d choose (where are the fish balls)?


If you only order the standard package, you’ll likely leave hungry. However, there’s the option to add on additional items – most $1.50 a serving with the exception of meats that are $2.50. In the end, even if you need a few more, the meal shouldn’t be too expensive (compared to $30 price tag Morals will set you back). Plus, you won’t feel guilty about over indulging. After all, sometimes you just need to show restraint and not leave in a food coma. 


Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Markham, Canada
 Address: 20 Gibson Drive

 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:



Bar Reyna (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2016 by
With all the accolades Bar Isabel and Bar Raval have racked up, don't be mistaken, Bar Reyna is not part of the fold. While the prior restaurants are known for their excellent sharing plates, I’d consider Bar Reyna edible at best.

The mini empanadas ($6) should really just be called puff pastry triangles … the chorizo filling described on the menu was non-existent. Similarly, the sea bass ceviche ($15) lacked fish but incorporated so much sweet potato. Its most prominent flavour was citrus - somehow it drown out the red onion, mint, and jalapeno – with a hits you at the back of your throat level of acidity. 


On weekdays from 4-7pm they offer a selection of drinks and small plates for $7. The white wine, a decent sized glass of Thalia Sauvignon Blanc, is a steal. The food, on the other hand … well you get what you pay for.

The spinach and feta borek, the Turkish version of spanakopita, is really the famous Greek pastry without any garlic or herbs - basically the ingredients that make it delicious. Like the empanadas, the zucchini fritters simply tasted like crispy dough, it seriously needed more squash.


Of the specials, their French fries were the best, but much too thin if you’re not actually pairing it with steak. On the bright side, the one dish of fries seemed to last a lifetime and the yoghurt dip was quite tasty.


To be fair, not all the food was bad. The chicken shawarma ($30) incorporated large chunks of juicy chicken breast and tons of fixings (bird's eye chili, various pickles, crispy onions, cherry tomato salsa, and a lackluster tahini). The grilled soft doughy house made flatbreads were nice but we definitely needed more than three – why they’re served as an odd number is strange; after all, most tables consist of two or four people, so the three wraps is difficult to split.


The most surprising dish was the persimmon Greek salad ($10). I’m normally impressed with salad, but it was such a great idea to grill the sweet fruit and serve it warm with radicchio and kale. The poppy seed dressing was well balanced and the light feta as creamy as goat’s cheese.



Maybe I’m being too hard on Bar Reyna. For its swanky Cumberland address, the restaurant’s prices are affordable and you’re not scared to place another order. Too bad their food just isn’t that good. Oh well, maybe the few more you order is just another $7 glass of wine.

Overall mark - 6 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 158 Cumberland 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:

Bar Reyna Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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