Tako Sushi

This past evening a dozen of us decided to go out for a night out and just go crazy at a sushi place.  Most of us were starving so we needed a good sushi place with good service.  We decided to head out to Tako Sushi located in North York.  When we got there this place was packed even though it was a weeknight. There were at least 3 tables of 10 people sitting so we knew there was going to be a slight wait. 

Half an hour later, we were finally seated.  To be honest, I have been here a few times.  Their teppanyaki is one of the best and certainly something we will try again.  We had mixed feelings about the sushi and sashimi only because before we always found it to be not as fresh as some of the other places, however we were certainly not going to say no tonight as I am always up for giving a second and third going around before not ever going again to a restaurant.  

Beef Rib Dinner

Pork Dinner

Spider Rolls

Shortly after we ordered, we were given complimentary miso soup.  It was definitely a good start for the empty stomach.  We decided to order a little bit of everything since we had so many adults and many of us were hungry.  This included 2 large size boats of sushi and sashimi, a couple of spider, red dragon, dynamite and spicy salmon rolls.  We also ordered some cooked food as not everyone was into the raw stuff.  For that we ordered a pork dinner, salmon teriyaki dinner and a beef rib dinner. 

Boat of Sushi and Sashimi

Spicy Salmon Rolls

Teriyaki Salmon Dinner

The two large boats arrived first.  Filled with tuna, salmon, butterfish and California rolls to name a few, it certainly was a huge boat.  I believe there were about 65 pieces of fish in each boat.  As I sank my teeth into the first piece of tuna fish I knew tonight was going to be a good night for sushi and sashimi.  When people ask me how can you tell if the sushi is good or not, one can tell simply tell by the texture of the fish.  Sometimes, when the fish is still “icy” or extremely cold, this is usually because the fish has been sitting in the fridge for way too long and has unfortunately been overexposed to the cold.  Likewise if a fish has been placed out too long, it can become mushy and stale.  Tonight the fish was just perfect.  Texture and taste were bang on so certainly no complaints here.

 

Dynamite Rolls

Red Dragon Rolls

The cooked dinners came afterwards and all three came at once.  The ribs were tender and good.  The pork might have been slightly over fried as it was a little chewy.  The salmon was done perfectly.  Thinly sliced, it was not over cooked and certainly tasted very good. 

The rolls arrived last and all looked pretty good.  The red dragon and dynamite rolls were similar in taste and appearance.  Each had shrimp tempura sticking out of them along with the avocado inside of them.  The spicy salmon tonight was not too spicy. It tasted like ordinary salmon.  Adding the wasabi certainly kicked it up a notch to the spicy level.  Last was the spider roll.  This is like a shell crab tempura type sushi. It came with its own special sauce.  Crunchy it actually tasted better than the shrimp tempura in the red dragon and dynamite rolls. 

To top it all off there was complementary red bean, mango or green tea ice cream to choose from. 

All in all it was a decent night.  Every piece of fish was finished tonight.  The tab for all of this food was just a shade over $200.00 which also included 6 drinks as well.  That equated to roughly twenty dollars per person.  Certainly a lot less than some of the other places I have blogged in the past but the food was good for the price we paid.  There is plenty of free parking in the back and front of the restaurant.  As I said in the beginning if you get a chance , try the teppanyaki as well . You will be just as easily pleased. For the night we give a strong 4 out of 5.

1300 Don Mills Road
Toronto, Ontario M3B2W6
Tel: (416) 391-9188

Ippai Japanese Fusion Cuisine

Today we decided to visit a ramen place up in Markham.  Located in a newer plaza just north of Highway 7 on Woodbine Avenue, this restaurant offers a unique combination of Japanese ramen noodles and sushi.  When you first enter the restaurant, you will notice that a few Chinese celebrities have also ventured into this restaurant and have offered their views on black tiles located at the entrance.  The restaurant is very clean and seats roughly about 50 people.  We brought our little one in and were offered a booster seat however our little one is still too little to sit in one.  The gesture was appreciated however.

Although there was sea urchin and sushi to choose from, we opted for the ramen this time around since sushi is something we consume quite a bit.  I had the Supreme Pork Bone Soup Ramen also known as Ton-Kotsu while my wife had the Tenderous Rib Ramen also known as Nan-Kotse.  It took approximately 20 minutes to arrive even though the restaurant was only a quarter full.  It is possible that the noodles were being freshly stretched in the back which could have accounted for the longer wait.

Supreme Pork Bone Soup Ramen

Tenderous Rib Ramen

When it arrives it is in a fairly big size bowl.  My supreme pork was in miso soup. There was also seaweed, broccoli and mushrooms along with the pork inside my soup.  The noodles were just a tad bit thick and sticky when I had it.  Otherwise it was very yummy.  The soup base was quite strong in flavor and taste.  For those who are more elderly or health conscious in their blood pressure they may find that it might be a tad over the top for them.  For me, it was great and surely captured the true taste of a Japanese ramen.  I found my wife's tenderous rib ramen was even more tastier and richer in flavor.  The ribs were a little fattening but none the less cook beautifully.The extra ingredients were the same as the Surpreme PorkBone Soup. 

Overall I was impressed and happy with the meal.  Each meal cost $10.95. Other than being just a tad heavy on the flavor in the soup, the ramen was beautifully made and is comparable to the ones I had eaten in Japan.  The plaza has plenty of free parking.  Of note, the restaurant closes between 3 to 5 p.m. for preparation of the evening dinner.  Otherwise a good experience and definitely warrants a second visit.  For this restaurant, I give it a 4.25 out of 5.

Ippai Japanese Fusion Cuisine
8865 Woodbine Avenue Unit D#5
Markham, Ontario
L3R 5G1

905-470-1688

Fabbrica

We had a chance this evening to spend a night over at one of Toronto's most recent upscale shopping plazas.  Over at the Shops at Don Mills sits a special Italian restaurant known as Fabbrica.  Known for its many types of prosciutto, we decided to check this place out.  Going there with 7 of our friends, the interior of the restaurant is beautifully designed with a clear view of the oven, a glass display of many of its prosciutto and parts of the kitchen.

Tonight we decided to order as many individual plates as possible and then share it amongst all of us.  We had a few appetizers to start off with.  We ordered a couple of plates of Berkshire Prosciutto and they arrived promptly.  The thinly sliced meat was not as salty as what I had tasted before but nonetheless was definitely very good quality food.  Place on top of a piece of garlic toast and a little horse radish it certainly gave it a wonderful tasting appetizer. We also ordered some asparagus and mushrooms on the side and although it was like 18 bucks each, when one goes into a restaurant like this, price must be thrown right out the door.  The vegetables were very enriching and it certainly captured all of the vegetables' tastes.

Berkshire Prosciutto

Risotto

Asparagus

Linguine

Scallops

Entrees tonight included pizzas, pastas and risottos.  Pizzas ordered included Funghi, Polpetta, and Prosciutto E Arugula.  For the Funghi, it was mostly mushroom and truffle crema.  I have never had truffle crema before but it certainly packs a bunch.  If you are a cheesy tasting lover, this is certainly the pizza for you. As for the polpetta, it was spicy hot!!!  The waitress warned me that it was like a 6 out of 10 but truthfully it was more like an 8 out of 10.  The chef certainly loaded up on the chili oil.  Everyone who ate this pizza had watery eyes afterwards.  The last one was the Prosciutto E Arugula.  This in my mind was the best one.  It also looked the best coming out of the kitchen  With multiple slices of prosciutto and arugula, it was absolutely one of the most wonderful pizzas I have ever had.

Polpetta Pizza

Prosciutto E Arugula Pizza

Funghi Pizza

Pizzas weren't the only things we ordered tonight.  The Risotto didn't look too appealing when it first came out.  Looking a little greenish, it certainly was a pleasant surprise that it actually tasted very good.  The rice was perfectly cooked and the touch of foie gras certainly gave it an interesting taste. 
My wife order the shrimp linguine.  The noodles were not too creamy and it certainly was more than enough to satisfy one's tummy.  One of our friends ordered the scallops.  It certainly didn't appear to have a lot in it as there was like 5 scallops and some ravioli in it.  Probably wonderful for someone looking for a small meal but probably not the best for a bigger person looking for a heftier meal.

Dessert was certainly entertaining and well worth the wait.  Again we order a variety of desserts including the Tiramisu d'Fabbrica, Pistachio Gelati, Basil and Blackberry Sorbetti, Pear and Prosecuo Sorbetti.  The latter sorbetti tasted like champagne ice cream but it certainly was delicious.  The Basil and Blackberry was certainly one for the ages.  This mixture of spicy and sweet tasting ice cream certainly one of a kind.  I have never had an ice cream like this before and it certainly provided a variety.  As for the Pistachio, many of my friends swear that they could taste the pistachio in it.  I could taste some of it but again this could be because when you eat two other ice creams, it cancels out the taste of the third one.  The tiramisu was a slab of sugar tiered upon one another.  Interesting display and design.  The tiramisu was rich in the coffee taste and rich in sweetness.

Tiramisu

Basil and Blackberry Sorbetti

Pear and Prosecuo Sorbetti

 Overall it was a wonderful evening.  The food was great.  Service was a tiny bit slow as there was only a couple of waitresses manning the whole floor.  There is plenty of free parking on the side street and in the parking lot.  They also have complimentary valet parking.  If you have kids, a stroller would fit nicely through this spacious restaurant.  The washrooms are funky with the washing basins outside of the stalls.  We also had a bottle of red wine split amongst the group. It was about 70 dollars per person.  Pricey but for the food you are getting well worth the money.  I give this place a 4.5 out of 5.

Fabbrica

49 Karl Fraser Rd.
Toronto, ON M3C 0E5

Thai Basil

The other night I had the opportunity to go out and eat at Thai Basil.  This restaurant is located in the heart of Richmond Hill.  We entered the restaurant around 6:00 p.m. and it was somewhat full as there was a constant stream of people coming and going.  Our friends had arrived ahead of us and decided to order for us.  As we sat down the food was already arriving at the table.  I have to admit I was pretty hungry that night and seeing the food fly out of the restaurant was definitely a welcome sight. A couple of friends also ordered a couple of coconut milks.  They carve the coconuts for you and from the looks of my friends' faces it certainly looked like it was worth the money.

One of the first dishes that arrived was the Baked Fried Rice in Coconut. Appearance wise the dish was well presented.  When first tasting the rice, I have to admit it wasn't too "fried'.  If anything it was lightly fried which is okay since I tend not to like my rice too fried. You can actually taste some of the coconut milk that I am sure was used to make this rice.  There were extra pieces of chicken as well although the chicken itself was not as tasty.

Pumpkin Seafood mix

Baked Fried Rice in Coconut

That Basil Chili Noodle

Red Thai Curry with Tiger Prawns

Tung Choi

Since Thai is known for its curry, our friends ordered a few dishes of curry mixed with meat or seafood.  One of them was the Thai Green Curry with Pork.  The pork was delicious and although the curry was spicy it was not too hot.  Personally, I have never find Thai curry to ever be too spicy.  The smell of coconut curry will always make me salivate and wanting for more.  Served with white rice, it certainly makes it a more complete meal.  The pork was tender, not too chewy and certainly blended well with the curry.  We also had a Tung Choi which was an enriching experience.   The vegetables were served I believe to be on black bean sauce. It can be served with garlic or with shrimp paste sauce. Sticking with the curry theme of the night, we also ordered a Red Thai Curry with Tiger Prawns.  The shrimp were nicely pealed and were quick tender.  The only problem with so much curry and spicy foods at once is that sometimes one does not fully appreciate the taste of each of the curry dishes because after a while everything somewhat blends in with one another and tastes the same.  To me, the red curry was spicier than the green curry however I am sure that others tell you the other way around.

Thai Green Curry with Pork

We also had a Pumpkin Seafood mix.  I apologize as I don't really know the official name of this wonderful dish.  Served in an actual pumpkin, this dish comes in a curry sauce mixed with a variety of seafood.  The last thing that arrived was the That Basil Chili Noodle.  Deliciously made, the noodles were mixed with red and green peppers, basil leaves, baby corn, chili and onions.  A little spicy but nonetheless very, very tasty.  All 6 plates arrived within 15 minutes of one another.

Mango Sticky Rice

Before we left we had to try the Mango Sticky Rice.  We ate this everyday and every moment that we could when we were in Thailand and when you are in Thai restaurant, it is definitely a must have.  As it arrived, it was beautifully shaped in the shape of a heart.  However upon eating the dessert one can tell this was certainly not from Thailand.  The mango was not as sweet and the black and white sticky rice just didn't stick very well.  I was a little disappointed but it certainly didn't ruin the night.

Overall, we were pretty content with the food.  Our friends ordered a variety of curries mixed with meat and seafood.  The only complaint I had with the food was the proportion sizes were quite small.  Great for two people, terrible for five.  It seemed everyone could only take 2-3 bites each.  The total price was about 120 dollars for all the dishes.  Service was great and there was plenty of free parking.  Certainly a place to go again.  I give it a 4 out of 5.

University Club Of Toronto

Tonight I had the opportunity to eat at the University Club of Toronto.  This restaurant is located in downtown Toronto in a very historic building on University Avenue.  When you walk into this place, you see wonderful old paintings, lots of history in the building itself and a sense of grandeur.  Although the rooms are reserved for dinners following meetings, one can certainly organize weddings and birthday parties. They even have an actual restaurant in the building as well.

Tonight we had a 4 course meal.  I ordered a Carrot, orange and ginger bisqur with a fleurons garnish, a Baby mesculn greens with blue ermite cheese and roasted pine nuts served with a herb vinaigrette, Roasted angus AAA striploin with peppercorn sauce and a Warm UCT Apple Pie with Ice Cream.

When the bisque arrived, I said to myself that it sure looked like butternut squash soup. If i didn't know better I could have sworn that this was butternut squash.  The soup was warm but as for taste you really couldn't taste the orange or the carrot. It just tasted like squash!! 

Carrot, orange and ginger bisqur with a fleurons garnish

Next came the salad.  It looked nice with a variety of exotic vegetables mixed in with some nuts and tomatoes, however when one bites into the salad it sure was bitter and when I mean bitter it was bitter.  Not too sure what made it that way but it was really difficult to eat.  I noticed many of my colleagues only had a small sample of their salad.  I tried to mix the salad and the dressing thoroughly but the only thing that tasted normal were the baby tomatoes on the side.  The guy sitting beside me took one bite and he was done.

Baby mesculn greens with blue ermite cheese and roasted pine nuts served with a herb vinaigrette

The steak came out next and here's the funny part about this order. As I was placing my order to the waiter, i asked him to make the steak rare.  The waiter's response was "well we can't do that" and that if I didn't like the steak then I was told to "just send it back to the kitchen."   Quite frankly. I was a little stunned by the waiter's response.  Not looking to stir up crap at the dinner table, I reluctantly agreed.  The steak arrived and for whatever reason my piece was about 3 inches smaller in diameter compared to guy next to me!! Looking around the table, and there were about 20 of us, everyone steaks varied in size.  Some had a piece as small as mine and some had gigantic pieces.  The size of my steak was equivalent to the size of the Angus burger in a McDonald's restaurant.  The entree also had a piece of broccoli, a piece of burnt cucumber and buttered up asparagus as vegetables.  The steak itself was half medium and half well done.  Some would say it was closer to being well done but as you can see in the photo, there is a patch of red where it was a little more rare.  For a rare loving meat eater, this was by far quite disappointing.

Roasted angus AAA striploin with peppercorn sauce

Since the first three meals were rather disappointing, I turned my attention to the apple pie.  For those who don't know I absolutely love apple pies.  I can eat an entire apple pie on my own.  When it arrived, it looked good.  It had red cherry decoration surrounding the apple pie. However looks could be deceiving.  I took a couple of bites and truthfully it was one of if not the worst apple pie I have ever had in my life.  It was absolutely bland, the apples were actually stale, it was lukewarm and worse of all, it was flaky.  I only took 2 bites of it.  Like seriously, McDonald's have way better apple pies than these guys.

Warm UCT Apple Pie with Ice Cream

In closing, all I can say is that this was by far one of the worse meals ever.  After a long day of meeting, I was really looking for some really good food.  The location, the landmark and the place looked like something only a king and queen would go there to eat but the food served was certainly not food that was fit for a king.  I was extremely disappointed and so were many of my colleagues.  Rumor had it that a hefty deposit was needed to secure the venue and its food.  Since I was not in charge of the bill, I don't know if that was true or not.  Personally after eating a meal like this,  I rather take my money and go anywhere but here.

For this place I give it a 1.5 out of a 5 and that would be a very generous 1.5.

University Club Of Toronto
380 University Avenue
Toronto, Ontario

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Chiu Chow Boy Restaurant

Today i am writing about my experience at Chiu Chow Boy Restaurant.  Located in North Scarborough, this "chui chow" restaurant has been a staple in the area for quite some time now.  If your idea of an easy going night with a nice Heineken and good food, this is one of the places to be.  We arrived at the restaurant approximately 6:00 p.m.  There were about 10 patrons in the restaurant.  We ordered quickly as we know that the longer we waited, the more likely we were going to run into the 6:30 crowd which would probably mean a longer wait period for our food.  Sure enough, shortly after we ordered, the restaurant began to fill up and by 6:30 p.m. the restaurant at the front was near capacity.  The great thing about this restaurant however is that there is also a back part where it seats about another 10 tables or so. So if you are late, no worries, there's always the back!!

Tonight we had the opportunity to order 5 dishes.  We ordered Minced Pork and Oyster Congee, Duck in Marinated Sauce, Fried Intestines, Sliced Chicken with Kale in Satay Sauce and Braised Garoupa with Tientsen Cabbage in Hot Pot.  To top it off we had a Chinese Green Bean Sweet Soup dessert. 

The duck and chicken came within 5 minutes.  I know that these 2 are some of the more popular dishes at this restaurant so quite often it is made ahead of time.  The chicken is served cold while the duck is lukewarm.  The chicken when you dip it into the satay sauce gives you this gingerly-coarse texture in your mouth.  The contrast as always hits all the right spots.  The chicken for some may find it fattening however for those who dare, they leave the entire sliced chicken there so for those who are more into the fatty pieces, they can eat the skin and those who are more health conscious can certainly just eat the meat part.  The duck came with some tofu in the centre.  The marinated sauce is not too salty while the duck meat was juicy and tender. 

Duck in Marinated Sauce

Sliced Chicken with Kale in Satay Sauce

Next came the fried intestines and I know many of you will have the first reaction as Ugh!  But one bite into this and you will say Wow!  The fried intestines are fried crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.  It is almost like tasting a Chinese spring roll.  Slightly marinated, the taste is left with the original intestines itself.  It actually tasted very good. 

Fried Intestines

The garoupa came next and the fish did not disappoint.  Large chunk sizes of meat dominated the pot.  By placing it in the pot, it absorbs many of the cabbage flavor and makes the fish taste even better.  Finally we ordered a congee.  Tonight many of us were not in the mood of eating white rice so we spiced it up a little bit with a pork and oyster congee.  The oyster flavor gives it that extra seafood taste, and with a little bit of salt and white pepper it provides a wonderful congee.  It is certainly a great alternative to a bowl of white rice.

Braised Garoupa with Tientsen Cabbage in Hot Pot

Minced Pork and Oyster Congee

Lastly we had the dessert and it was good!  Despite it being "yellow" it is actually cooked from green beans.  Other than sugar there are no other additives.  It certainly is a wonderful dish to cap off a wonderful evening of food. 

For a group of five (not including the little one) it was a perfect meal for the night.  Everyone was full and there was none to take home.  It is an excellent place to take the family out for dinner.  We also had a side green vegetables as a 6th dish.  The total cost for 6 plates, 2 beers and a dessert came out to be a shade under 85 dollars taxes and tips included.  Of importance, this place does not take credit cards so please bring CASH.  There was no trouble from the waiters and waitresses and the food was great.  Overall I give this a place a 4.5 out of 5.

Chiu Chow Boy
3261 Kennedy Rd
Toronto, ON