Cafe Hollywood 荷里活餐廳 (Markham)

Posted on Saturday, March 18, 2017 by

Café Hollywood is glitzier than the traditional Hong Kong-style café: the mega wattage signage that makes the restaurant a breeze to spot while driving or the two huge Oscar statutes flanking the doors. Their food, on the other hand, is merely the same with an extensive menu of inexpensive and plentiful options.

If you ever need a cheap date night, Café Hollywood has you covered. For under $20, the dinner combos include a soup, salad, accompanying starch (either rice, spaghetti, or French fries) and coffee or tea.

Sure, the small handful of spring mix with tart soy vinaigrette is a sad excuse for a salad … if you can even classify it as a salad, but the soup as bad – especially since it comes with a hot dinner roll that’s a pillow of sweet doughy goodness. Excuse me while I inhale the best part of the meal.  


To be fair, the “Russian” borscht is a far stretch – there’s no beets, caraway seed or onions in the soup. Rather, the Chinese version is tomato based and has a spicy kick to it, with the only common ingredient being cabbage. At Hollywood, theirs doesn’t even incorporate potatoes so it’s a rather watery affair aside from the oddly oily sheen (perhaps from chili oil) on top. There’s also a simple cream version made with chicken soup and dairy. No hearty soups here.


Yet, no one’s going for the starters. What patrons are waiting for is the main: a humungous plate of food that leaves you wondering if you can finish it and how you’ll feel the next day, if you did. Take the Hollywood mixed grill ($15.95) - it’s a mountain of meat: a pork chop, chicken thigh filet, slice of Korean beef rib, hot dog, and bacon. Having had a bite of my friend’s beef rib, it was good and I could easily have a plate of these on their own. Her only complaint was the uneven temperature of the proteins, some tepid or cool, likely from being mass produced for other dishes.


The same could be said for the Angus sirloin steak ($19.95), which arrived completely rare in the middle. Although I take my steak medium rare, it was still too undercooked for my taste, so a portion was left uneaten. Of course, I could have asked for it to be re-fired, but getting someone’s attention isn’t the easiest and since it was already smothered in gravy, putting it back onto the grill isn’t the easiest affair.

Nonetheless, the outer ring I ate was decent for the price. Obviously, the Angus flavour wasn’t as rich as dry aged versions. However, even undercooked it was relatively tender despite the dull useless steak knives given. In hindsight, my friend made a good point that it’s likely a miscommunication due to how we ordered: generally Chinese customers will request their meat’s doneness based on a percentage – so I should have requested it to be 50% done (rather than medium rare).

Luckily, there were plenty of fries to fill me up – once again, the run-of-the-mill frozen variety – but, warm and crispy enough to be satisfying (especially dipped into gravy). I only wondered how their frozen vegetables could be so dry, when these normally arrive water logged and soggy. Even the gravy couldn’t save these.

Café Hollywood isn’t going to bring home an award for Best Hong Kong-style café in Toronto anytime soon. Yet, there’s aspects of the restaurant that’s commendable: the large dining room that allows them to take reservations and their unhurried attitude (we stayed for almost two hours on a Friday – an unheard of time compared to competitors). Next time I’d stay with the traditional dishes – the baked rice looked delicious and baskets of fried wings seem popular. When it comes to a Hong Kong-style café, the glitzy offerings may be a poor choice.

Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Markham, Canada
 Address: 7240 Kennedy 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:

Cafe Hollywood Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

29 Février's Don't Forget the Date Event

Posted on Monday, March 13, 2017 by

Thoughts of maple syrup, for me, always revolved around its taste (a rich complex sweetness), how it’s made (collecting the sap of maple trees during cold months and painstakingly boiling it until it reduces many times over), or its tie-in to Canadian cuisine.

Then, in February, 29 Février held an event to launch their Don’t Forget the Date campaign - the occasion now adds fighting Alzheimer’s to the mix. Although studies researching the prevention benefits of the sweetener is still beginning (in 2016 two studies found maple syrup extract prevented damages to certain proteins found in brain cells), purchasing maple syrup from 29 Février will benefit the cause: 5% of Maple-in-a-Tree product sales will be donated to the Canadian Alzheimer Societies.

François Décarie, 29 Février’s President, was inspired to support the cause after his mother was affected by the disease. He recognized the toll it has on their loved ones, leaving him wanting to do something to give back. My own grandmother has recently been touched by Alzheimer’s, although, thankfully, it’s still in its infancy and she’s still able to live an independent and fruitful life. Nonetheless, hearing the diagnosis was scary and my mother and her siblings have definitely re-arranged their lives to ensure their mother has additional support. I get it, I’ve experienced it, and I’m glad Décarie’s doing something to help.


Having the launch event at DISH Cooking Studio was the ideal venue to make us think outside the pail. Sure, maple syrup tastes so good with desserts, but just like any other sweetener, it can be incorporated into a plethora of recipes. Even before we began eating, the lightest golden maple syrup made its way into the cocktails: topped with Prosecco and squeeze of lemon or added to whiskey to temper down a Manhattan.       


For hors d'oeuvres, it was used to caramelize pineapples and brushed onto roasted golden beets to further enhance the ingredient’s natural sweetness. Adding savoury elements like gorgonzola and pistachio dust helped to keep the bites from getting overly sugary.


To end, Head Chef Gabriela Neda, whipped up a popular maple main: seared salmon glazed with the syrup (in this case combined with grainy mustard) and topped with a caper aioli to keep it savoury. The sweetness of the syrup just goes so well with the oily fish.


As luck would have it, the event was held on Pancake Tuesday so we also experienced the four varieties with its favourite companion. For desserts, François suggests using the amber variety that has a deeper taste, but is still light enough as to not overpower the dessert. Indeed, this is also my typical go-to syrup to have around the house.   


As you switch to the darker grades, the molasses taste starts to shine through followed with a lasting after taste. These are generally used to marinade meats or as a glaze on seafood but would also make a fantastic rich caramel sauce for some desserts. Having tasted the ‘very dark’ – the newest grade that was previously only sold to restaurants given the small quantities made – it has such an intense and almost earthy flavour that it’d be perfect for brisket and other heavy meats.

Before the event, I assumed that darker syrups were simply boiled longer causing the sugars to caramelize further. Although the dark ones are cooked a little longer, François explains that it’s really tied to when they harvest the sap: the earliest batches create the golden syrup while the last taps makes the very dark. Live and learn, who would have known that not only the terroir of the tree matters, but the timing as well?

I must admit, now that a can of the amber Maple-in-a-Tree sits on my counter, I’m more inclined to trigger the tap and use the maple syrup (rather than having in jumbled with the multitude of other condiments in the fridge). It’s a reminder of our Canadian staple and Février’s action against Alzheimer. Don’t forget the date. 
How To Find Them
 Price: $39.99 for one or $139.99 for all four
 Website: http://29fevrier.ca/dont-forget-the-date/?lang=en or through Costcos for members

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


Little India (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, March 12, 2017 by

I have doubts when visiting a restaurant and the customer base doesn’t represent the ethnic origin of the establishment. Little India is one of those places… possibly due to its central Queen West location close to the Entertainment District. Nonetheless, since they’ve been operating for years and are generally rated well, a dinner seemed in order, despite their lack of Indian clientele.

For anyone who likes chicken fingers, Little India’s chicken pakora ($7.75) is a fantastic take on the classic dish. Juicy pieces of white meat is lightly breaded in a colourful but rather tasteless batter and deep fried until it’s ever so slightly crunchy. On their own, the pakora are underwhelming; but, a dip into the sweet and spicy tangy tamarind sauce does loads to improve the starter.


The lamb vindaloo ($15.50) had the basic hit of fiery heat you’d expect from the dish, but lacked the vinegar and herbs in the background that makes it more than just a spicy curry. The lamb itself was fine – soft enough and not gamey – however, the portion rather meagre with large potato chunks filling a third of the bowl.


What I’ve come to realize is vegetarian dishes are often better choices at Indian restaurants. There were large pieces of paneer in the tikka masala ($14.95). The creamy tomato sauce just ever so slightly spicy but not overwhelming to detract from the cheesy firm tofu texture of the paneer. The eggplant bharta ($12.50) was wonderfully fragrant and flavourful; it didn’t depend on chilies, instead relying on sweet chopped caramelized onions. It’s the perfect dish for those who can’t handle heat and goes equally well smeared onto naan or combined with pulao rice ($4.25).


Little India’s garlic naan ($4.25) is great – chewy, fluffy and has a light smokiness without tasting burnt. The salty garlicky topping goes especially well the eggplant bharta, definitely consider pairing as an appetizer.


Having tried rasmalai and gulab jamun on previous occasions and finding both overly sweet, I was delighted to find additional options on Little India’s menu. The kheer ($3.95), a rice pudding, uses a similar sweet cardamom infused milk base as rasmalai and is heavy on the sauce compared to rice (imagine a sweet congee). Despite the crystal shards in the kulfi ($4.75), it was my favourite of the two sweets. The sweetened milk ice cream is cold and hard (give it some time to melt), but after getting through the crystals finishes off creamy with a nuttiness from the finely chopped pistachio and almonds. Of all the desserts, the sugariness is subdued and ideal for those who want a lighter dessert.


Perhaps I’ve been too judgmental – if a restaurant attracts diverse clientele, they shouldn’t be penalized for the hospitality. After all, they may not necessarily “tone down” their menu; factors such as service and location matter as well. Little India’s service was impeccable – friendly and everything served quickly and correctly. Little perks like the complimentary discs of crispy papadum with crunchy carrot chutney are also hard to turn down. Give everything a chance, you’ll never know until you try.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 255 Queen Street West
 Website: www.littleindia.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:

Little India Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

CLOSED: Mio Ristobar (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, March 11, 2017 by
Mio Restobar has commanded it’s prime Scotia Plaza location, between the building and Commerce Court, for a number of years. I myself have passed the restaurant an uncountable number of times, often wondering what cuisine they served and whether it’s good. Having finally stopped to try Mio’s Italian creations, I wish I just continued walking.

The side dishes accompanying the veal scallopini ($21) were decent enough – the savoury porcini cream, thick butternut squash mash, and the crunchy spears of grilled asparagus. Yet, the veal so overcooked the normally tender meat rendered tough and dry. Luckily, the scallopini method of cooking pounds the meat thinly so my knife could saw through the chewy beef and every drop of porcini cream was used to rehydrate the dish.


The pollo pizza ($18) looked more promising with its well toasted and evenly topped crust. Overall, the kale, roasted red peppers and chicken breast slices were fine (albeit the meat once again a tad dry), but the pizza itself lacked sauce (and hence flavour) relying on the dollops of ricotta and mozzarella instead. Something, even a swipe of marinara on the crust and drizzle of olive oil afterwards, would help. Gnawing through the crust made me wish there was more of the porcini sauce left.


Maybe the kitchen was having a bad day when I stopped by for lunch. After all, how can a restaurant be in business for so long serving up rubbery, mediocre fare? Until I hear otherwise, I’ll just keep on walking by, every time I traverse from Commerce Court to Scotia Plaza.

Overall mark - 6 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 40 King Street West (in Scotia Plaza, concourse level)


 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:



One Kitchen has you covered for breakfast

Posted on Tuesday, March 07, 2017 by

Let’s be honest, I’m LAZY when it comes to breakfast. Nevertheless, since it’s the “most important meal of the day”, I’ll eat breakfast, but what I consume is pretty routine and boring: on weekdays a staple of peanut butter toast or cereal (with berries thrown in on occasion). On weekends my effort goes up a bit – scrambled eggs or pancakes sometimes make their rounds. Don’t get me wrong, I love breakfast dishes! But, it takes a while to get my creative juices flowing, so throwing together an extravagant meal first thing in the morning is difficult.

Having used One Kitchen for dinner, I was excited to hear they now offer breakfast options providing you a hearty start to the morning without all the prep work. With a couple dishes offered weekly, I tried their sweet and savoury selection.

Admittedly, I’ve only made pancakes with powdered mix from a box. So, when One Kitchen’s recipe called for vinegar, I was thoroughly confused. Even so, I followed directions and the cappuccino pancakes turned out fluffy and cakelike. Much more aromatic than my typical pancakes (thanks to the espresso powder and egg added to the batter), so they didn’t rely solely on the sauce for flavour. In this case, rather than maple syrup, a dulce de leche glaze was included, and was thinned out with milk so it didn’t become overly sweet (great if you’re not into overly sugary foods first thing in the morning).


Meanwhile the huevos rancheros were so filling that we took the meal for two and turned it into four. Having had the dish on a number of occasions, I expected it to be harder to prepare. However, the bean mixture was quick to whip up, the three ingredient salsa not much harder, so what ended up taking the most effort was frying the eggs without breaking them. I would have liked the beans a little saucier (so would suggest thinning it out with some water or stock), but it was still a great rendition of the Mexican staple.    


Soon they will have smoothie options for those who prefer to drink their meals. I’m normally not a liquid diet fan … there’s something about biting and chewing something that’s oh so satisfying. But, having tried the berry smoothie it’s surprisingly satisfying. The morning I had the concoction, it wasn’t until around 11:45 my stomach started warning me to get ready for lunch. Maybe it’s the thicker Greek yoghurt or chia seeds that gets added, but the smoothie ends up being fairly thick and has a chewable quality to it.


If you’ve never heard of One Kitchen, they’re a Canadian meal-kit delivery company that sends weekly customizable boxes containing all the ingredients (and recipes) you’ll need to prepare meals. You can choose between two or four people plans with three to five recipes – the more you purchase the cheaper it gets: for two people it ranges from $10.49 - $11.49 per serving, while for four people it drops to $9.49 - $10.49. Although they can deliver every week, if you ever need to stop, just put your account on hold and nothing will get sent until you start up the account again. For a fuller account of their service, check out my dinner post.  
Now that One Kitchen has expanded their offerings to breakfast, it’s even more convenient for customers to feed their families (and even caters to those who like having breakfast at dinner). Intrigued? You can try it out for yourself by visiting their website, selecting any of the meal plans (including the largest) and using Gastroworld as the coupon code. You'll see the 40% applied off the subtotal.  Get cracking!

Disclaimer: The above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.

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

STK (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, March 05, 2017 by

STK is more of a place to be seen than eat: one scroll through the Instagram photos tagged at their location reveals more breast and thighs than steak. This should have been the first hint that the restaurant focuses on its boozy atmosphere and food is secondary.

The tuna tartare ($19) was boring but respectable - a bed of mashed avocados topped with diced tuna sitting in a sweet and salty soy honey emulsion. Too bad everything was just so soft, the only crunch coming from the taro chips. It’s fine, but seems like something I could easily replicate and hardly restaurant quality.

At a whopping 28oz, the dry-aged porterhouse ($150) should be shared amongst two (it was even enough to satisfy our table of three). The menu declares the cut the “king of steaks” given the bone holds together a NY striploin and filet mignon, two cuts in one. Sadly, it wasn’t prepared like royalty. The filet mignon was grossly overcooked from the requested medium-rare, instead arriving at the cusp of medium-well. Luckily, it’s a tender cut of beef and has been dry-aged so even with the extra time on the grill the tenderloin was still edible.


What a shame to cover the beef juices with a sauce, but with the steak’s haphazardly seasoned exterior, depending on the slice you choose, sauce could be necessary. With a choice of two accompanying the steak, we opted for the au poivre and chimichurri. The chimichurri was so tart that someone must have substituted cider vinegar for olive oil and the au poivre so tame it might as well be gravy. After a taste of each, I decided to go back to how it should have been enjoyed in the first place – plain.

As common with high-end steakhouses, sides must be purchased separately. The Mac ‘n’ cheese ($14) could have been warmer as the cheese was congealed making the pasta spoon out in clumps rather than displaying long creamy strands that makes you salivate. Nonetheless, at least it had plenty of cheese and with its heaviness was a large satisfying serving. 


The Brussels sprouts ($14), on the other hand, sorely lacked vegetables … bacon made up half the dish. For some, this meatiness may be a welcomed addition, but since I actually enjoy roasted Brussel sprouts, the meagre portion was a disappointment. I’ve never had such gluttonous Brussels sprouts: aside from the huge cubes of hard candied bacon, it was also drenched in a sweet balsamic glaze – do yourself a favour and stick with the asparagus or broccolini. 


Despite the lackluster meal, that evening I decided to post a picture of the boring but at least pretty looking tuna tartare. Here’s your second hint that STK is really a lounge than a restaurant: a friend commented on how I was out “partying it up” … you’ve been warned.  

Overall mark - 5 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 153 Yorkville Avenue

 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:

STK Toronto Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


CLOSED: Noorden (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, March 04, 2017 by


Noorden Food Bar brings “modern Dutch” to Toronto: street food style dishes from the Netherlands combined with Indonesian influences for an extra boost of flavour. The restaurant’s hip and has a Queen West vibe, except it’s in Midtown and the music is kept at a reasonable volume.    

Described as their “most popular dish”, the patatje oorlog or war fries ($7) were a disappointment. While I appreciate crispy fries, Noorden double (perhaps even triple) kiss with the hot oil was too much, rendering the fries hard, dry and hollow. In lieu of ketchup or gravy there’s sweet soy mayonnaise and peanut sauce, creating an interesting sweet and salty combination with scallion and bird’s eye peppers for freshness.


If you’re squeamish about raw beef, Noorden’s beef tartare ($14.75) is a safe introduction. There’s plenty of sweet soy glaze that drowns out any beef flavour; the sweet pickled Asian pear and aromatic crispy shallots will cover anything else. Don’t misunderstand me, it’s a good dish – it wakes up the taste buds and the krupuk (thick crunchy shrimp chips) really holds up against the saucy tartare.


Five pieces of stick-to-your-ribs ribs arrives with the pork ribs ($15), each slathered in a sweet and tangy sambal cobek sauce. The fermented shrimp used in the condiment adds an umami essence to the meat; they sure are tasty, but also fairly salty so you wouldn’t want a full rack. Don’t forget about the small pile of slices cucumber and radishes on the side, it’s a salad and works so well at cutting against the grease and heaviness.


The sambal matah ($7.50) could be the next answer to roasted cauliflower and Brussel sprouts. The charred broccoli concentrates the vegetable’s flavour while adding a smoky nuttiness to the florets. Bringing the tried and true broccoli to the next level of tastiness, the crunchy shallots are a great pairing, but the lemon rind needs to be picked out as the bitter chewiness can be a bit of a shock.


Noorden also offers dishes like the sweet potato glass noodles and vegetable salad ($10.95) that don’t appear to have a touch of Dutch influence at all; the chewy noodles are popular in South East Asian countries and even the dressing (a white miso sambal vinaigrette) weighing heavily to the Asian contingent. Nevertheless, it was one of the better dishes. Refreshing and satisfying, the crunchy salad is tangy, spicy, savoury and sweet all at once.


After hearing the name of the Dutch beignets, oliebollen ($6), the dish already sounds cheerful. Indeed, one bite into the warm yeasty dough studded with currants and ginger and a smile spreads across my face. Their milk chocolate buttermilk pudding ($6) is the consistency of crème caramel and ever so slightly sweetened. Keeping the pudding neutral, the dessert’s flavours predominantly stem from the dark chocolate ganache layer on the bottom and the airy whipped cream. I particularly liked the crunchy cocoa nibs pieces sprinkled on top, which goes so well with the smooth pudding.


Chef Michael van den Winkel and Jennifer Gittins also operates Indonesian restaurant Little Sister, just a few doors south on Yonge. With the sambal, chillies and peanut sauce touches, there are similarities between Noorden and Little Sister. Up until dining at Noorden, I didn’t even realize Dutch cuisine gels so well with Indonesian ingredients.

As a warning, portions are rather small; heed the restaurant’s advice of sharing five to six dishes amongst two people. Nonetheless, the strong robust flavours lends itself to being served as small plates … I can only imagine the gluttonous feeling if I ever consumed a full-size portion.

What is most memorable about Noorden is the laid back Dutch hospitality - the smiles, attentive service and even the bartender steps up to offer an extra seat when we bumped into others. As blogTO reported, the restaurant’s lease ends mid-2018. So, if you want a taste of Dutch friendliness, you better oliebollen over there soon.  

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 2110 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:




Cluck Clucks Chicken & Waffles (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, February 26, 2017 by

Maybe it’s the fried chicken or perhaps it’s the whimsical cartoons adorning the wall, but Cluck Clucks makes me happy. Located at the base of a building, the restaurant’s located on the intersecting small street (not directly on the Esplanade); the surrounding environment rather tranquil as you don’t get the rush of street traffic going by. I can finally relax for a second, while I tuck into the chicken.


The playful theme continues on their menu. Sure, you can call something a fried chicken sandwich, but where’s the fun in that? Instead, at the restaurant, it’s referred to as the Cluck Yeah! ($12.79 for the sandwich or $14.99 for a combo). Comprised of a juicy marinated chicken breast that’s lightly battered and fried, the crispy exterior is loaded with chipotle aioli, dill mayo and creamy coleslaw - there’s no shortage of sauce (I used my fair share of napkins). Yet, what makes it so good is the jalapeno and cheddar infused waffle that replaces a bun – it’s slightly sweet and when you get a bite with jalapeno everything just seems right in the world.


If you’re feeling particularly hungry, the Mother Clucker ($12.79 for the meal or $14.99 for a combo) will satisfy. Arriving with three pieces of deep fried bone-in chicken (two drumsticks and a thigh), it also sat on a jalapeno and cheddar waffle. In this dish, the chicken is king. Every piece oozed moisture encapsulated within a crispy coating. The batter itself was kept neutral; so, if you find fried chicken too salty, Cluck Clucks would be good for you. 

For those who want to enhance the flavours, Cluck Clucks offers five house-made sauces for you to dip into. Their signature ‘Cluck’ sauce fools the eyes as it looks creamy but after tasting you’d swear it’s a sweet and sour glaze with a light hit of spice. For something a little stronger, the chipotle aioli has that nice spicy kick that goes especially great with the fries, but I found a tad strong for dunking a drumstick into. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the dill mayo, much mellower compared to the other sauces, and had a refreshing quality against the hot chicken. 

Patience is key: Cluck Cluck’s chicken so good because everything is fresh and made-to-order – they’re not pre-cooking the chicken and then finishing it off with a quick fry after you order. Consequently, I had to wait 15 minutes sitting in a room filled with heavenly fried aromas … but it was worth it. While scouring the surroundings I realize they offer Ritual; next time I’ll just place my order at the office using the app before heading over. After all, don’t we all just need some time to relax and get greasy?

Overall mark - 8 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: 222 The Esplanade

 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!

Cluck Clucks Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)