Succotash (Washington)

Posted on Saturday, August 03, 2019 by

Washington may lie in the north east corner of the United States, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get soulful Southern food in DC. As you walk into Succotash, it doesn’t feel like you’re in the South. Open and airy, the building was home to a former bank and the ornate details still shine through. Perhaps the second floor balcony, ringed in a wrought iron divider, pays a bit of homage to New Orleans. If it weren’t so fancy, I’d almost expect people to pelt me with plastic beads

Then you take a bite of their smoked chicken wings ($11) and you’re hit with the flavours. Arriving fairly dark, due to the spice rub, it looks almost burnt but isn’t. The chicken is tender and there’s a nice crispy skin despite seemingly being roasted. Yet, it’s the flavours that impress the most. As Colonel Sanders says, it’s finger licking good.


Succotash also offers some interesting nibbles like the deviled eggs, ordered by the piece ($1.50). The snack starts off like any deviled egg, with creamy yolk piped into egg white. But, they you’re met with a refreshing green tomato relish in the cup between the two. Whose genius idea was that?


The hush puppies ($6) are a bit denser than I expected. But, the batter was flavoured nicely and more of the green tomato relish arrives on the side, making a great condiment for the warm savoury bites.


You may want to consider sharing the chicken and waffles ($23), which arrives four pieces to an order. While the portion size is certainly impressive, the dish itself contained good and bad elements: The chicken had a lovely crispy coating and was fairly moist, but the thigh pieces were over floured leaving soggy parts and the batter could use more flavour. Luckily, we thought to ask for hot sauce.


The dish’s condiments were also a hit or miss. While the pickled okra, something I didn’t think I’d like, turned out surprisingly delicious, the waffles were too dense and mushy. I also could have done without the sprinkling of aged manchego over the chicken, it really detracted from the bourbon infused maple syrup.

Nothing quite shouts out being in the south than a side order of bacon mac ‘n’ cheese ($10). Succotash’s version is bang on in terms of flavours and the pasta isn’t overcooked. Sure, the side is decadent, but it’s not overly oily so doesn’t leave you too glutinous feeling.



You really can find a diverse mix of cuisine in the nation’s capital. At Succotash, you get a great taste of Southern food. 

 Overall mark - 8 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Washington, USA
 Address: 915 F St NW

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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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Succotash Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

The Feast of St. Lawrence (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, July 28, 2019 by

Just imagine dining outdoors on Front Street with two hundred fellow guests. That's two long tables tucking into a six-course meal prepared by some of the best restaurants the St. Lawrence neighbourhood has to offer. Better yet, indulge in all this food and drink and support Second Harvest, a leading charity that rescues food that would otherwise go to waste and diverts it to shelters and food banks. A noble foundation that not only helps the hungry but also helps the environment.

If this sound like a cause you can get behind, than you can't miss out on the Feast of St. Lawrence. Taking place on August 9, 2019, the evening begins with oyster and charcuterie stations to wash down drinks as you mingle and listen to a jazz band performing in Berczy Park. 

Restaurants will also be serving hors d'oeurvres, such as Hawthorne's sous vide trout with Ontario saffron velouté topped with caviar. The bit of smokiness in the fish with the salty finish from the caviar makes this a great pairing with white wine. And yes, you heard right, there is a farm in Ontario that cultivates saffron!


Batch's beef tartare arrives in its own container, a crunchy shrimp chip that's deep fried until fluffy. Inside, the Korean inspired tartare is mixed with kimchi and Asian pear so that you get a bit of heat and sweetness. They say it's the perfect bite to pair with their IPA, which cuts the fat from your tongue. Wine, beer, and that cute dog fountain? What a way to begin.


Afterwards, the feast consists with six courses, all paired with Ontario wines. Having sampled four of the six dishes, there is certainly variety as chefs pay homage to the local ingredients Ontario offers in the summer.

Farm'r starts their salad with thick slices of roasted peaches that will just be hitting shelves in August. The bits of mint, salty feta, and peppery arugula helps balance out the sweetness and makes a delicious combination with quinoa. 


Trust me, you're in for some good food. Having tucked into a sample of Cantina Mercatto's smoked corn sugo cavatelli, the light cream base with chewy pasta, which is almost reminiscent of a tiny gnocchi, is absolutely delicious. There’s meaty chanterelles, a bit of heat from birds eye chilies, sweet corn kernels, and refreshing pea shoots. The dish is so good I went back for a second sample.


Having done a quick preparation of Cirillo’s Academy’s grilled octopus, it seems like such an easy dish to create …until Chef Cirillo actually describes how they make the octopus: slow braising it with stock mixed with its own liquids, breaking it down to remove the inedible pieces, and then finally finishing sections on the grill. You’re left with meaty bites of octopus mixed with quickly seared tomatoes, chickpeas, and arugula. It’s a nice bridge between the pasta and the heavier main.


Normally, serving 200 guests lamb done two ways would be quite the feat. But, the Omni King Edward Hotel has served large numbers of guests for decades. While I would have liked the lamb belly fat rendered a bit more, the meat was so tender. Meanwhile, the lamb chop was done a perfect medium and has a lovely salty rub.


To keep the dish summery, they finish it off with a lovely pea puree and sweet charred leeks. And if you’re hesitant about having lamb due its potential gaminess, the salty spiciness from the accompanying andouille and crouton side will surely balance it out.

The night continues with whisky cocktails from CC Lounge's onsite whisky bar and if you're too full, you can just dance throughout the evening… it’s not often you can dance along Front Street.


And if you need a little post-dinner activity, try to find the birds that are part of the dog fountain. Hint: the cat is looking at it. Once you discover this hidden sculpture you'll be a St. Lawrence insider. 

 Disclaimer: I attended a media event to try the dishes above, but I'm am not being paid to promote the event. Rest assured, as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada

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The Toronto Life Garden Party (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, July 27, 2019 by

Toronto Life’s Garden party is in its fifth installment and continues to sellout as guests descend on the Toronto Botanical Garden for an evening celebrating summer. We were so lucky: the day began with rain, but stopped just before the event… even Mother Nature wanted us to party!


Quite frankly, with so much booze flowing from Belvedere, St-Germain, London Dry Gin, Diplomatico Rum, Storyteller lager, and wines care of NZLighter, most likely no one cared about the weather anyways. 


Having made my way through the vendors sampling the refreshing vodka cocktail from Belevedere; just sweet enough mojito from Diplomatico; and the crowd favourite, the St-Germain spritz, they were perfect concoctions for a garden party. As a keepsake, drinkers went home with a metal straw / stirring spoon from St-Germain.


The giddy feelings were balanced by delicious eats from Eatertainment where I indulged in panko crusted tofu in a colourful steam bao, fried chicken sandwiched between chive biscuits, and even a poke bowl.


The beef brisket with veggie mash definitely hit the spot and was my favourite bite of the evening. If there wasn’t so many things to try, I would have definitely gone back for seconds!


Aside from more drinks, the evening ended with beautiful desserts from The Tempered Room. At first, I was going for a scoop of gelato from Love Gelato, but after hearing the gentlemen describe the various tarts and puffs, I ended up trying the Love-in-idleness potion (a light lavender crème brulee tart) and the fantastic Mad Hatter, a dessert that’s magically fluffy and tasty.


The night wasn’t all about the food and liberations. We also were serenaded by Honey Jam and Jesse Gold and watched Passmore from ZimSculpt painstakingly turn a stone into an artform.


I also took way too many pictures amongst all the beautiful flora and in the photobooth, a crazy RV from Betty Loop. 

As an attempt to burn off calories, we challenged each other to beanbag tossing in the garden games area. Plus, the endless supply of sparklers to end the evening left me feeling like a child.


My friends and I left full and slightly tipsy, but not without a book of our choice from the Penguin Random House. Thank you, it’s sure to come in handy at the cottage weekend in August and remind me of a lovely evening partying in the gardens.
Want to become a Toronto Life Member? If this event sounded great, don't miss out on the fun. Toronto Life is providing Gastro World readers a $15 off discount code to become a member!

Just use discount code GASTROWORLD at the Toronto Life Member checkout and the discount will be automatically applied.
Email me if you join and let me know the next event you'll be attending. Maybe we can meet in person!
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    Daikaya (Washington)

    Posted on Sunday, July 21, 2019 by

    On the ground floor of Daikaya sits their ramen bar – a few booths and communal tables where diners can enjoy a bowl of noodles, small eats, and a drink. A process that starts and ends in about 45 minutes.

    Even as I was ordering the mugi-miso ramen ($14) I had a feeling I should just stick with the shio (where the soup is simply seasoned with salt). But, the description on the miso was so detailed heralding “savory aromatics” and reassured me that it would be “lighter than a traditional miso”. Surely, if I was only going to dine at Daikaya once, I’d have to sample their signature dish.

    The first spoon of broth was good, it was certainly rich in flavours, but wasn’t oily like some ramen bases. Then, after a handful of sips, it became too salty… by the end, I simply ate the noodles and whatever soup clung to them. The noodles also could be better. At the beginning, it starts off chewy but really softens in ten minutes. They should consider plating them less cooked so that the springy bite continues throughout the meal. To combat the softer noodles, they could have also left the bean sprouts rawer, to add more crunch.


    There’s plenty of meat in the bowl: slices of tender chashu and also ground pork strewn throughout so they end up working itself into the noodles. Bits of green onion and, strangely, white onion is added for a bit of freshness. Ramen just isn’t the same without a soft boiled egg, so it was added ($1.50) and at Daikaya arrives with the lovely lava-like orange molten centre.


    The ramen was so substantial we really didn’t need the gyozas ($5.50), which incorporates a dark crust, thin wrapper, and plenty of filling. Sampling it after the salty broth does means the dumpling tastes rather bland.
    I really need to, quite literally, trust my gut when ordering food. After hearing all the praise for Daikaya, it was a shame I may have ordered the wrong soup base that’s caused the experience to be less exceptional. At least we arrived early enough on Sunday to avoid the wait (11am for those who want to replicate). Always look on the bright side.

    Overall mark - 7 out of 10
    How To Find Them
     Location: Washington, USA
     Address: 705 6th Street NW 

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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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    Daikaya Izakaya Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


    Raku (Toronto)

    Posted on Saturday, July 20, 2019 by

    Right after my first bite of Raku’s udon noodles, I knew I would be back within a month. It didn’t matter that summer was approaching or that the appetizers were merely satisfactory, that bowl of hot comforting broth and silky chewy noodles was something special.

    For my first visit, I kept it simple with the nameko ($16) where it arrives with a clear refreshing broth that’s still richly flavoured so it’s like you’re sipping on consommé. The bits of delicate Nagasaki nameko mushrooms were perfectly paired with the soup and I finished it to the last drop.


    Adding on a poached egg ($2), it arrives on the side to keep it from cooking more but also means it’s absolutely cold. I threw it back into the hot soup to attempt to warm it up a bit, but at least it was done quite nicely where the insides were solid but still has a bit of runniness to it.


    But, it’s the noodles… oh that udon … that makes me realize I should have added an extra serving to the bowl ($3). While most udon is cylindrical, these are oval. Maybe it’s something to do with this slightly flattened shape, but it has such a lovely silky texture while still incorporating a chewiness that’s retained to the last bite.


    The broth is also amazing and what makes Raku different is that with so many options, the soup actually varies as well. Having a sip of my friend’s bowl, the niku ($20) is salty and beefy complementing the short ribs and tripe. It’s one you’ll like if you enjoy Shanghai braised beef noodles.

    On a follow-up visit, I went completely in the other direction with the kani ankake ($26) where the broth is made of a thickened egg drop soup with pieces of crab strewn throughout. It’s a bowl for those who are sensitive to salt as I found it much blander than the other soups. I was really hoping for something savoury but all the toppings – spinach, scallions, and even the crab – were also rather tepidly flavoured.


    Maybe it was the mochi ($4) I added to the bowl… it just sounded so intriguing that I had to try it! The two large rectangles of rice cake were soft and sticky, but really doesn’t go with this soup. I can see it working really well with the tan tan noodles: topping one of the cubes with my friend’s spicy miso pork really helped to give it a much needed saltiness.


    Raku also offers a great selection of appetizers to tide you over as the noodles arrive. Of course, there’s the traditional gyozas ($8). The wrapper is nice and thin and arrives with a lovely crust. However, both the vegetable and pork ones are too delicate for my liking. The vegetable filling is made from micro finely shredded vegetables that would be better if they incorporated some meaty mushrooms. Meanwhile, the pork was forgettable and needed something (chives or scallions) to give it pizzazz.


    Truthfully, it could be the ordering of the apps, since after having a piece of the chewy smoked atsugiri bacon ($8) anything could taste bland. While at first I thought it was strange to eat… literally, it’s thick slivers of well roasted slightly sweet bacon. Washing it down with a sip of Sapporo I understand the appeal – it goes remarkably well with the bubbly cold bitterness of beer.


    For something lighter, their chicken tatsuta-age ($8) is very lightly battered, a bit crispy, but mostly juicy and tender. Or opt for cubes of agedashi tofu ($7), which are so light and pillowy that it almost feels like having a savoury marshmallow. It could use a bit more textual contrast as the generous layer of bonito flakes are also quite soft. At least it’s well flavoured sitting in plenty of sweet soy and garnished with scallions.


    The yaki nasu ($8) is such an interesting starter: a thick slice of eggplant with a raw quail egg on top. Slice into the soft vegetable to allow the egg to meld into the hot eggplant and and spicy miso pork in the centre. This appetizer was not what I expected from deep fried eggplant, but delicious and really grew on me with each bite.


    Raku continues to intrigue and delight with each visit. With their extensive menu, I feel like there’s still so many things to try. Will I ever get to the don buri or cold udon?! Those will be a hard, as their bowls of steaming chewy noodles are just way too delicious to pass up. 

    Overall mark - 9 out of 10
    How To Find Them
     Location: Toronto, Canada
     Address: 456 Queen Street West
     Website: http://rakunyc.com/

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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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    Kinship (Washington)

    Posted on Saturday, July 13, 2019 by

    Kinship is a restaurant where they want diners to feel connected. There are aspects to the environment that help: a quiet atmosphere so you can actually have a conversation; and the tables are narrow enough that you’re physically closer to each other. Of course, the act of breaking bread already creates a connection. Especially, if dishes are shared amongst the table - there’s a “for the table” section of the menu dedicated to this.

    It’s also a Michelin starred restaurant that doesn’t feel stuffy. You feel welcomed in jeans and they actually offer an à la carte menu with enough choices that you don’t feel forced into a tasting option. They’ll walk you through the menu’s layout, the dishes arrange into sections such as ingredient, indulgence, craft, tradition, and for the table. Truthfully, I don’t remember the nuances of the segments other than tradition is the historical favourites.

    The best dish of the night was a “craft” selection. The short shell crab tempura ($24) was stuffed with a bit of herb puree, delicately battered and cooked to perfection. The batter was crispy but seasoned with just enough flavour to not cover the crab. With the seafood being so hot, the coolness of the relish made from garlic chives, shiitake, chili pepper and jicama was such a great contrast – refreshing and spicy. 


    Having worked at the French Laundry and Per Se, Chef Eric Ziebold is no stranger to sauces. You’ll find a variety of them used in the spring chickpea falafel ($16) dish: a light yoghurt lebneh, rouille mousee, and a bright cucumber vierge. You’ll need these sauces as the falafel itself, albeit a fluffy texture, doesn’t stand out much in terms of taste.


    Meanwhile, the cauliflower terrine ($15) is thick and remarkably tastes like chicken liver mousse. Yet, the accompanying crunchy carrot and fennel salad was much too sweet and didn’t really add to the dish. A long lentil cracker covers the plate, but with the richness of the terrine you really needed more than one.


    The chilled ponzu braised celtuce ($16) is a love it or hate it dish, which for me fell into the later camp. The main ingredient, the celtuce (a celery lettuce) was sparse and so fried that it could have been any leafy green. The crunchy daikon slices were the most prominent taste and sadly the rice cakes were hard cubes of rice (not unlike a stale sushi pizza) instead of the chewy Korean rice cakes I was expecting.


    Luckily, the meal ended off strong with a huge slab of grilled piri piri beef ($74). With different thicknesses along the tri tip, it naturally creates a selection of meat with varying doneness. Like it medium? The middle piece is for you! A bit more well done? Go for an end piece. While the cut of meat is a bit leaner than I normally like, it’s nonetheless flavourful and tender.


    It’s stunning to look at as well, sitting on a bed of bright braised yucca studded with sweet peppers and carrots. For some extra flavour apply a liberal spoon of the red chili chimichurri, it’s delicious. A bowl of creamy polenta also come with the dish – silky and creamy it’s made even better with, you got it, more chimichurri.


    If that isn’t enough, warm house-made Parker house rolls sits on the side. They are soft and buttery, eat them while they’re hot.


    As my first dinner in Washington, Kinship was decent but lacked the well-rounded impressiveness of other Michelin restaurants. The soft shell crab was absolutely delicious, but then the celtuce is such a bipolar dish that didn’t really excite the table (except with one guest). Yet, Kinship is centrally located and as Michelin starred restaurants go, offers an affordable menu with a fair number of options. And that first meal, did make me feel more connected with my colleagues before the start of the conference. I guess Kinship achieved its purpose.

    Overall mark - 7 out of 10
    How To Find Them
     Location: Washington, USA
     Address: 1015 7th Street NW

     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:
    • Succotash
    • Oyamel Cocina Mexicana
    Kinship Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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