Super Sushi House

Today we decided to try something a tad different with a Japanese restaurant.  We decided to order take out delivery from a nearby Japanese restaurant.  We found this place on the internet as it was close by and offered free delivery.  We decided to go for it and ordered a medium size sushi and sashimi platter. 

Sushi and Sashimi Platter

The lady said it would take approximately an hour for it to arrive however it arrived in about 35 minutes time.  A medium size platter contains about eighty pieces.  However we counted there were 82 pieces.  The platter looked good in that it contained butterfish, tuna, salmon sashimi and various pieces of salmon and cucumber sushi as well. 

The sashimi was quite good.  Each piece of sashimi was quite fresh and tasty.  The fish was not frozen and it was not mushy which indicates that the fish was probably pretty fresh.  The sushi however was a little bit more disappointing.  I am not too sure whether it was the fish or the rice.  The rice was a little sticky and mushy and may have ruined the sushi.  Assuming the fish inside the sushi was from the same cut as the sashimi then it is most likely the rice.  It felt like the rice had been cooked for quite some time before it was used for the sushi.  Whatever the case, the sushi was a little harder to consume. 

The total price was sixty dollars tax included.  Overall, if it was strictly the sashimi then it would have been really, really good.  The sushi unfortunately made the overall experience a disappointing one.  Not too sure if we will order again in the future.  If so, we might just stick with the sashimi.  In the end, this super sushi house was not very super at all. We will give this a 3 out of 5. 

Super Sushi House

1891 Kennedy Road,

Scarborough Ontario

(416) 412-6262

Phoenix Restaurant

Today I had lunch over at Phoenix Restaurant in Markham, Ontario.  They have multiple restaurants in the Toronto and GTA area and are famous for their Hainanese Chicken Rice aka Hoinam Chicken Rice.  For less than 8 dollars you can get this meal and have it fill your stomach whether it’s for lunch or dinner. 

After we order this dish, it arrived in about 5 minutes.  I imagine that they have a lot of this made ready as it is their signature dish and practically everyone in the restaurant was having it for lunch.  It also comes with some ginger sauce which goes with the chicken and roughly one bowl of rice.  

Hainanese Chicken Rice

 

The chicken meat is extremely soft and juicy.  Sure some can say that it’s more fattening especially with the oily skin of the chicken but friends this is what makes this dish so amazing.  The rice is slightly flavored which also helps really makes this a unique dish.  The only disappointing thing was the soup.  Not really sure what it is but it is always extremely light and bland but we are not here for the soup. 

Overall it was certainly well worth your money.  There is plenty of parking at both restaurants.  The restaurants are both clean and of note, the one over at McCowan Road renovated recently and actually expanded their restaurant space.  Although they have hundreds of other dishes, this signature dish is a must try when you go there.  I give this dish a 4.75 out of 5.

Phoenix Restaurant

7155 Woodbine Avenue

Markham Ontario L3R 1A3

(905) 940-1113

1 Raymerville Drive, Unit 10, 
Markham , Ontario
Tel: 905-471-6536

Applebee's

Part two of our special deal in Niagara Falls allowed us to have breakfast at Applebee’s.  This restaurant is located in the same building as the Day’s Inn and right beside Remington’s Restaurant. 

After a long night out on the town, we were quite hungry and were looking for a hearty breakfast.  We finally got up close to 10:30 a.m. and got to the restaurant around 11:30 a.m.  The restaurant was near empty as there were only 2 other tables occupied.  Having ate at other Applebee’s for lunch and dinner and having a good time, we figured the breakfast menu was about the same. 

My wife quickly ordered the hearty combo which included 2 sunny side eggs, sausages, hashbrowns and bacon.  I order the pancake combo which included 3 pieces of strawberry pancakes and 4 slices of bacon.

The meals surprisingly took about 20 minutes.  A gentlemen behind us who had arrived in before us was really starting to yell out loud as to where his food was.  Seeing that there were only 3 tables full, it was hard to imagine what was taking so long.  

Pancakes and bacon combo

Eggs, Hashbrown and Bacon Combo

The food finally arrived.  My “strawberry” pancakes were actually plain pancakes with strawberry sauce on the side for one to pour on.  I poured the maple syrup and the strawberry sauce on top of the pancakes.  The pancakes were very “flaky”.  It actually broke apart with every slice I took into the pancake.  It was not hot and it didn’t look like it was well cooked.  I only ate two of the three pieces.  The bacon oddly enough was better.  The pieces were not fat and were nicely done. 

My wife’s combination breakfast meal was huge.  Unfortunately for whatever reason there was quite a funny taste to it all.  The sausage was difficult to eat as even I was not too sure if it was chicken or pork.  The eggs despite being eggs were not tasty at all according to my wife.  The hashbrowns were a tiny bit better but it was very odd how such a simple breakfast meal could be so difficult to consume. 

In the end it was certainly not what we were hoping for.  Actually by mid afternoon, I have never felt so bloated in my life.  My wife attributed that it could have been the half cooked pancakes.  Whatever it was it certainly did not make me feel very good.  I have to admit I was very disappointed considering the restaurant’s reputation and past meals I have had there before where the food was A1.  Today it was simply just not good at all…especially if the bacon was the best thing on the plate.  I have no choice but to give this a 1.25 out of 5. 

Applebee's
6546 Fallsview Ave.
Niagara Falls, ON L2G 3W2
(905) 356-6965

Remington's Restaurant

Spending a beautiful summer night in Niagara Falls, a visit to Remington restaurant is a must-do for anyone who is a huge meat lover and who has a penchant for great food.  We had a chance to visit this restaurant before and the one thing that makes this place stand out is the prime rib dinner. 

Signature Prime Rib Soup

This restaurant is located adjacent to the Days Inn Hotel and across the street from Casino Niagara.  This meal was part of a special that also included breakfast at Applebee’s and was a total of $$145.00. It also included a one night stay at the Days Inn. Although the Inn itself is what you can say what you pay is what you get, I am more interested in talking about the dinner we had at Remington’s. 

We got there around 9:00p.m. after spending the day in the States.  The restaurant was about 1/5^th full.  When we got there we were able to get to our seats right away.  We were given menus however we knew exactly what we wanted.  My wife also ordered a salad on the side while I had order their Signature Prime Rib Soup to go with both our 8 ounce prime ribs. 

8 ounce Prime Rib

The soup and salad arrived first.  The salad was nicely done but nothing remarkable.  The soup was okay.  There were 2 very small pieces of beef and it was loaded with barley.  The soup tasted like well….beef soup. Not too heavy the taste of the soup was about as beefy as you could get it. Being a signature dish, I would like to think that they would spice it up a little bit to make it more unique. It’s still not a bad soup at all but I was looking for something a little more.

Salad

Both my wife and I ordered medium rare prime ribs and it was bang on.  The meat was pink and absolutely not chewy at all.  If you look at the proportions I swear to you the prime rib was much larger than the advertised 8 ounces in their menu.  In my mind it was probably closer to 10 or 12 ounces.  The meat was half lean and half fatty which would please all people.  If you don’t like the fat then you can simply cut out the fat and just eat the lean part.  I ordered French fries on the side and they were perfectly fine.  After the soup and prime rib, there was absolutely no space left for the desert. 

The dinner itself was splendid.  There is 2 hour free parking in the back of the restaurant and you can take a short walk around the city after dinner.  The restaurant also employs a designated singer who will sing to everyone or to a lovely date if you so wish.  A great place and great food and the service was wonderful.  With that, I give this place a solid 4.75 out of 5.

Remington’s Restaurant

5657 Victoria Avenue
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
L2G 3L5

Phone: (905)356-4410

Ajisen Noodle

Today I had a chance to chance to have lunch out a popular ramen place in Markham.  Famous for their tasty noodles and the fact that I haven't eaten in there for quite some time I decided to venture into the popular restaurant.  When we got there, the place was pretty full.  On the left hand side are many newspaper articles that have interviewed the owners over the many years. 

We left the little one at home for this occasion.  Space is quite tight in this place and bringing a stroller who not be recommended.  We did however see a kid with crutches go through the aisle with little difficulty.

RIb Tenppanyaki Ramen

I decided to try rib tenppanyaki ramen while my wife picked out the rib tendonous ramen. Oddly, ten minutes after we first ordered, the steak came in this sizzling platter and was left on our table.  The steak continued to sizzle while I waited another few minutes for my noodles.  Both my wife agreed that this was kind of strange only because I wanted to eat the steak with the noodles and not separately.  As well, because of the time difference by the time the noodles arrived, the steak was actually pretty well done.  The noodles itself and the soup base were very good.  A touch on the salty side but it complimented the noodles very well.

Tenderous Ribs Ramen

I tried the beef tenderous ramen as well.  I have to admit that my wife's noodles were much better than mine.  The beef was soft, and very very tasty.  Not to say the steak wasn't very tasty because it was, however one did not have to chew extra hard just to swallow the meat.  She also sprinkled some spices on the noodles which also brought out some more flavor in the noodles.  Overall I would have to say that her dish was by far much more tastier than mine. 

Grilled Steak/Rib

Otherwise it was a great restaurant with plenty of free parking available.  This place is always hustling and bustling.  They open late to accommodate late night snackers and the meals were reasonably priced at approximately under 20 dollars for the 2 bowls of noodles.  If the meat wasn't so chewy and over cooked I probably would have scored this a perfect five but as it stands, I give it a 4.25 out of 5.

Ajisen Noodle
2010 Warden Avenue Unit 21-22
Markham Ontario
905-470-6318

Dickens Cafe

Tonight we had a chance to go out to Dickens Café up in Richmond Hill to have a nice dinner.  Dickens Café is a slightly moderate to upper class Western style type restaurant where they serve a lot of pastas, steaks, salmon and have a variety of Western style appetizers. 

I went there with a friend of mine and we got there shortly after 6:00.  The restaurant was pretty quiet at that time so we were able to sit down immediately after we got in.  Both of us passed on the appetizers but my friend ordered the 8oz Angus Steak with Spaghetti while I ordered the Atlantic Salmon Fillet. 

Atlantic Salmon on White Rice

8oz Angus Steak with Spaghetti

We were served a complimentary bread and butter combo.  The entrees arrived approximately 10 minutes later and both meals arrived at the same time.  My friend wanted his steak to be about 70% well done.  He said that the chef was pretty much bang on with his steak.

My Atlantic Salmon fillet was pretty good.  The salmon was fried pretty well with the skin pretty crispy on the outside and very juicy and soft on the inside.  It also came with rice and its own special sauce which tasted like a lemony buttered type sauce.  Now I have to admit one thing.  I have eaten this dish at other restaurants before and my only beef tonight is that eating salmon with plain white rice is pretty dry.  Personally to make this dish really good with rice, they should try to have the salmon mixed with something like jasmine rice, flavored rice or even something like Uncle Ben rice.  It can give it that extra bit of zing which will really bring out the entire flavor of this dish.  The dish however did come with beans and carrots.

Lemon Slice Cake

After the meals, they served us with a complementary slice of lemon cake.  It was a nice end to a wonderful evening.  There was plenty of free parking outside the restaurant.  By the time we left the restaurant it was about half full.  The total cost of the meal was about fifty dollars with tax and tip included.  If they could somehow make the white rice a little more extraordinary then it could certainly make my dish a more enjoyable one and certainly get an extra half point.  As it stands, I give tonight a 4 out of 5.

6-9425 Leslie St
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3N7
(905) 237-4726

Schwartz's

Nearing the end of our Montreal trip, we decided to go to the one place where many celebrities including Celine Dion, Jack Nicholson, Hank Aaron and Pat Quinn have come and eaten.  It is a place where it has been there since 1928.  If you are an absolute meat lover, this has got to be the place to be. 

We got to Schwartz's just before the lunch hour rush.  We were told to get there early or be prepared to wait in line for a while.  Once we got in, there was a menu up on the wall and on the table.  You could tell from the waiter that he knew that it was our first time there.    He gave us one look and said you want our special.  "Everyone comes in for our special"  So both my wife and I both ordered the special. 

Wedged in between two pieces of bread was a ton of meat.  Well not exactly but it was a lot of meat.  We had mustard and black pepper sprinkled in the meat just to add more flavor to it.  I can tell after the first bite why people love coming here.  I have to admit the mustard masked some of the taste of the meat, however without it the meat would not be as juicy.  The meat was dry, shredded into small edible pieces and tasted like raw beef.  After taking about 10 minutes to eat, although there is only one sandwich, believe me you will be quite full.  My wife was only able to finish half of it the first time around. 

In conclusion, it certainly was quite tasty.  For those who are fat conscious or weight conscious, you can request a fattier pieces of meat, leaner pieces of meat or a bit of both.  The waiter said that the majority orders the in-between one.  Although there were other meats available there, the restaurant was full of patrons eating their "special".  It was indeed special and definitely a place one needs to go to if they are ever in Montreal.  They also have a diner right next door to the sit in and take out order place.  At 6 to 7 dollars a sandwich it will very easily fill you stomach. A no-doubter for any meat loving person I give it a definite 5 out of 5. 


Schwartz's 
3895 Saint-Laurent Blvd 
Montreal, Quebec H2W 1X9, Canada

514-842-4813

L'Academie

Continuing our trip over in Montreal, we decided to stop by at L'Acandemie to have a lunch at this wonderful restaurant.  We had done some reveals at this place and we were told that it houses one of the best seafood places in Montreal. 

We got there right at noon hour just as it opened.  The restaurant has open doors and windows and access to a patio where you can eat outside and enjoy the downtown Montreal settings.  There was plenty of paid parking on the side streets and we were able to get a spot right outside the restaurant. 

As we sat down, the waitress and the waiter were both friendly.  They took our order and gave us complimentary bread.  Although we thought about eating clams and mussels for lunch as it was one of the best in the city, we went with the lobster, which was the meal of the day, and liver.  My wife also ordered a cauliflower type soup for starters. 

Cauliflower Soup

The soup arrived almost immediately.  It was very tasty and a little creamy but overall a very good starter soup.  I had a salad as my starter.  The salad was refreshing and a good way to start the lunch.

Starter Salad

Our entrees arrived roughly fifteen minutes later. The lobster also came with fries while the liver came with corn and asparagus.  My wife loves liver and although it is not one of my favorites, I decided to have a piece as well.  The liver in its own sauce was actually quite good.  Not chewy and definitely a very strong taste of liver in my mouth, it was actually quite good. 

The lobster was unbelievably good.  It was thirty dollars and it was absolutely worth it.  The meat fell out nicely and was tender.  It was mixed with a butter-garlic sauce and every part of the lobster meat was perfectly done.  Although some restaurants remove the membrane/brain part of the lobster, it was left in the lobster meat which added extra flavor taste to the lobster.  For someone like me who loves that stuff, it was a definite bonus and made it one of the best lobsters I have ever tasted.

Lobster

Liver

Overall it was a wonderful experience.  As we continued to eat, a busload of people came into the restaurant.  Thank goodness they also have an upstairs part to accommodate on their customers.  Great restaurant and fair prices.  The total was around 60 dollars Canadian.  No complaints here.  Both my wife and I were so full, we had to pass on dessert.  I give this restaurant a perfect 5 out of 5.

L'Academie

4051 Rue St-Denis, Montreal, QC -

(514) 849-2249

Vertige

Continuing with our out of town theme, we headed out for the second night in a row to a Montreal cuisine that served French and Italian cuisine.  We were in the mood for foie gras and we were told that in a certain part of Montreal, there were a few good restaurants that served them.  Tonight the little one, my wife and I went out to    .  Although it was 9:00 p.m., there was a small line up still waiting to get in.

Chilled Tomato Soup

We got in rather quickly and gave us a cushion seat since they did not have any high chairs in the restaurant.  We were told that the foie gras in any of the restaurants in this area were excellent.  

After we placed our order, we were served complimentary bread and cold tomato soup.  Although it was a little surprising to be served chilled tomato soup, it certainly was a very good tomato juice.  There was a bit of celery taste in the soup and a tiny bit salty but it may an excellent appetizer. 

Foie Gras with Filet Mignon

Scallops

Next arrived our entrees.  My wife ordered the scallops and foie gras dish.  The scallops were very tasty and well tendered while the foie gras literally melted in our mouths.  It was very, very good.  I order the filet mignon with foie gras.  What was different between my dish and my wife’s was that hers came in two separate plates while my foie gras was on top of the filet mignon.  I can tell you that this was one A1 foie gras.  If you looked at what we ordered, it certainly did not seem like a lot of food but both of us were full after these meals.  We were so full that we even passed on dinner.  

Foie Gras

 The total price for dinner was approximately 80 dollars.  To me that was quite a fair price for the food we ate.  There was only side parking at the restaurant however we had hailed a cab to get there.   It was quite a beautiful night and the food was absolutely beautiful.  I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone traveling in the Montreal area.  I give this restaurant a perfect 5 out of 5.

Vertige

540 Avenue Duluth Est
Montreal, QC H2L 1B3

(514) 842-4443

 

Bonaparte

Food For Thought went to a different city this past weekend as we went and visited the beautiful city of Montreal.  Rich in history and plenty of restaurants that offer a good blend of French-Canadian foods, it was definitely a must-go and a must-try.  We went with our little one and used our stroller as we went through the streets of downtown Montreal.  This evening we went to Bonaparte which is located near the old ports of Montreal in the downtown area.  It is in a smaller alley very reminiscent of a Paris street. 

Lobster Bisque

We entered Bonaparte and since we had reservations we were led straight to our table.  The interior is of an older 19th century theme. The waiters and waitresses were very courteous.  One thing to note is that this restaurant is located very close to a local theatre and we were told that it is quite busy especially before 8:00 where the evening show tends to begin. 

We order from two set menus where one was $50.00 and the other was $35.00.  Each set order had 2-3 choices for each of the appetizer, entree and dessert portion.  My wife ordered the lobster bisque, home game terrine, onion confit and condiments, duck breast with maple syrup and wild berries and symphony of home made desserts.  I ordered the prosciutto and fresh melon, beef sirloin steak with flavored butter and fresh fruit salad. 

Home game terrine, onion confit and condiments

The appetizers arrived quickly.  The lobster bisque was rich in taste however there were no lobster chunks found in the soup.  The home game terrine arrived soon afterwards.  It was the first time ever for me to try something like this.  Personally it tasted like oiled up spam for lack of a better term.  It was probably a little too thick in my mind for an appetizer.  My prosciutto and melon also arrived at the same time.  The melon was very fresh and blended very well with the prosciutto.  The prosciutto was not too salty but not bland either and was very good. 

Prosciutto and fresh melon

The entrees arrived next.  My wife loved her duck breast.  Personally I have never fallen in love with duck meat.  I had a piece and I can tell you it was very strong in taste.  I guess the best way to put it is that it’s an acquired taste. Although it did not agree with my taste buds I am sure there are others out there would say it is one of the best.  My wife says that she has had better duck breast before at another restaurant.  As for the sirloin it was a perfectly made.  The butter on top of the beef melted on the very hot plate which made it a delicious beef. 

Duck breast with maple syrup and wild berries

Beef sirloin steak with flavored butter

Finally the dessert arrived.  The fruits in the fruit salad had a mixture of melons, strawberries and blueberries and they were very fresh.  The symphony of deserts consisted of four different types of small pieces of cakes including cheesecake, chocolate cake and crème brulee.     

Symphony of home made desserts

Fruit Salad

Overall it was a great night.  On top of it is two glasses of ice tea and the total was about $120 tax and tip included.  Very courteous staff and there was paid parking one small block away.  It was good start to the evening.  Although some of these places are leary of having children especially infants in their restaurant, my little one was kept quiet and the staff did not make any mention of her and were even quite helpful in accommodating us.  Definitely worth a try if you are in the downtown Montreal area.  Overall I give it a 4.5 out of 5.  

Bonaparte   
443 rue St-Francois-Xavier
Restaurant Bonaparte, Montreal, QC H2Y 2T1
(514) 844-4368