Ni-Ji Japanese Restaurant

For lunch, we decided to head out to NI-Ji Japanese Restaurant in the heart of Scarborough.  This small Japanese restaurant has been in existence for at least ten years and serves most of your basic sushi and sashimi combinations.  My wife and I decided to split a couple of bento boxes this afternoon so that we can get a little bit of everything here at this restaurant.  Shortly after we ordered, they gave us a few appetizers including a small bowl of congee, edamame and miso soup (not picture).  Shortly afterwards they also gave us some tofu and seaweed for us for starters.

The food was average.  Nothing extraordinary and very small in proportions.  As they are appetizers, they do do the job in getting you ready for your entrees.  I ordered the sashimi and tempura bento box.  A couple of shrimp, sweet potato and vegetables were part of the tempura set.  The fish included butterfish, tuna and salmon.  Honestly, the overall meal was average to above average.  Again, eating sashimi I usually look for the freshness of the fish since they is not much more.  The sashimi was not frozen and not too mushy which usually means that the fish was just about right on the freshness scale.  One can also tell that if a Japanese restaurant is busy and it was on this day, the turnover is much higher and therefore the fish is less likely to sit and therefore more fish.  There were about 10 pieces of sashimi in the box and the price was $13.95.

Sashimi and Tempura Bento Box

My wife ordered the BBQ Gal Bi, which is BBQ beef.  I have to admit the meat was nicely cooked and quite tasty.  The sauce was done nicely as it was not too salty and spicy.  The meat was not chewy and all and the meat slid off the bone quite well.  The price was $8.95.

BBQ Gal Bi

Overall it was a decent meal.  No wow factor but no real disappointments either.  It was a good lunch experience and it does fill you up.  It provides you with a little of everything for a very affordable price.  A good place with plenty of free parking I give this a 4 out of 5.

No-Ji Japanese Restaurant
1095 Ellesmere Road
Scarborough Ontario
M1P 2X2
416-755-3335

Stonegrill on Winchester

This past week we had a fabulous chance to eat at a special fine dining restaurant in Stonegrill on Winchester.  Located in the heart of Cabbagetown, this restaurant offers some unique meats for one to consume.  Price wise it can get be quite expensive however it provides a chance for people to try something a little bit on the rarer side. 

Tonight we decided to go with both a meat and game combination.    The meat combination allows one to choose four different meats while the game combination allows one to choose three types of meat. 

Appetizers arrived first and what arrived appeared to be a special pate on garlic bread.  The pate was unbelievably smooth and quite good.  I was wondering allowed whether it was freshly made only because it was so soft and literally melted in one’s mouth.  We also order their sweet potato fries.  The potatoes were sprinkled with spicy apricot and wasabi aioli.  The waiter said it was the best sweet potato fries in the city.  Upon tasting it, they were definitely sweet however it was a little difficult tasting the spices on top of the fries. 

Appetizer Bread with special pate

Sweet potatoes with spicy apricot and wasabi aioli

 Both combos arrived soon afterwards.  With the meat combo, we went with striploin, bison rib-eye, tenderloin and sirloin.  With the game combo, we went with kangaroo, venison and wild boar.  All dishes came by raw and one needs to separate the meat and cook them on these super hot stones.  How long you cook them for will determine how rare or well done your meat is going to be.  We are all medium rare lovers so all the meats were only cooked for about 10 seconds on each side.  That is all you need because there stones are hot!!!!! While the striploin, tenderloin and sirloin are probably meats many of you may have had before, the bison rib eye was certainly different.  Bison meat tasted like a little like lamb.  It actually has a very distinct taste to its meat.  Definitely very different.

The game combo was also very interesting.  The kangaroo meat was chewy.  We did cook it raw and maybe that wasn’t the best thing to do.  The meat became chewy as it was a little difficult to swallow.  The taste was fine but the rubbery feeling made it difficult to enjoy.  The venison surprisingly did not taste any different than regular beef.  I was expecting a bit of difference but it really didn’t have much difference to it.  The wild boar tasted like cooked pork chops. 

Game Combination

Meat Combination

Bread Pudding with an Irish cream sauce

We finished the night with some dessert.  We went with the bread pudding with an Irish cream sauce.  Not too heavy and definitely a perfect way to end off the night.  There is plenty of free parking on the side streets. Cost was a little high but if you keep an eye on red flag deals you may get a discounted coupon for the meal.  It certainly has a great atmosphere and the place is very clean.  Staff was very courteous as we all had a good night out.  I give this place a 4.75 out of 5, a loss of 0.25 on the sweet potatoes. 

Stonegrill on Winchester

51 Winchester Street
Toronto, ON M4X 1R7
(416) 967-6565

Oro

Today after a long day of meeting we had a chance to venture into the city and go to Oro Restaurant.  This upscale restaurant is located in the heart of downtown Toronto.  Located across the Delta Hotel and very near the Marriott and other various hotels, this restaurant is one of the definite places to be if one is on a special date and if for a social gathering following a meeting. 


There were about a good dozen of us that went and when we got there, they had gotten our private room all setup for us.  The menu was extensive and looked like it had many things to choose from including pasta, lobster, rib eyes and fish.  Tonight I ordered the soup of the day and an Arctic Char. 

Daily Soup

Because of the size of the crowd, the food took about 15 minutes to arrive.  During this time, they brought us bread with a piece of garlic inside the olive oil,  The bread was good but of course again we did not come for the bread. 

Today, the soup of the day was I believe to be squash soup mixed with bacon bits mixed in the soup.  Now I apologize to all who is reading because even though the waiter had mentioned to me what soup it was, there is a definite memory loss on this one.  The soup was very good nonetheless.  It was slightly creamy.  It could also have been potato soup with a bit of starchiness to it.  The bacon bits gave it a bit of crunchiness that made it extra special. 

The Arctic Char was perfectly done.  It was done on top of beautifully cooked potatoes and vegetables.The salmon was seared perfectly on the outside.  It was nice and crunchy on the outside and very soft and tender on the inside.  The proportion size was just perfect fort he empty stomach, so much so that even dessert could be bypassed for the night. 

Arctic Char

Overall the food was great.  Everyone was happy with their food. I apologize for the pics.  I left my camera at home so the photos were shot with a blackberry.  There is plenty of paid parking along the street or underground parking.  Great interior and the washrooms too are very clean.  Overall a wonderful experience.  A definite 5 out of 5!

Oro Restaurant
45 Elm Ave
Toronto, ON M4W 1N6

(416) 597-0155

Golden Regency Restaurant

Today we had a chance to enjoy a ten-course meal at Golden Regency Restaurant.  It is located in Pacific Mall in the south Markham which is also home of hundreds of Chinese stores in the area.  There were about 15 of us and we were here to celebrate a birthday so as a result we decided to go big or go home. By the way sorry about the bad quality of the pictures.  Lots of food not a whole lot of space.

The first dish to arrive is of course the meat dish.  It comes with the usual pork for one to consume.  However this time around, there was something a little different.  Tonight it came with pork’s feet.  Now normally you wouldn’t see this type of thing on the first dish and I have to admit it wasn’t all that great tasting. 

The next thing to arrive was the winter melon soup.  The melon soup is a huge tradition in Chinese culture.  They will cut the melon top off and take some of the meat out.  They added mushrooms and dried scallions to give it that extra flavor.  The melon looked like a decent size and it was more than enough to serve all of us.  There was so much in fact that some of it had to be brought home for consumption. 

Chicken

Meat Combination

Next came the shark fin soup.  This controversial soup was okay although it was lacking slightly in taste and flavor.  I don’t know if it was wise to serve this back to back with the winter melon soup as I think the winter melon soup took away some of the taste.  Plus after drinking two bowls of the winter melon soup it was difficult to down another 1 or 2 bowls of shark fin soup. 

Next came some of the vegetables.  The chicken, scallops in beans and carrots were to arrive.  The scallops were soft and juicy and nicely done.  The chicken was chicken.  The beans and carrots were unremarkable.  Overall the dish was good but nothing special.

Then came the shrimp and beans in egg white.  Interesting dish.  Again on its own it probably would have been remarkable but given the similarity to its previous dish I thought it was odd that they would serve a dish so close to the previous one.  I am not a big egg white fan so I really couldn’t tell you whether it was great or not.  I can tell you that there was a lot left behind. 

Winter Melon Soup

Chicken, scallops and Beans

Shark Fin Soup

Next came the fried fish.  With some seafood and broccoli on top of the dish it provided the dish with an interesting contrast in texture.  The crunchiness on the bottom with the softness on top provided a good contrast.  Of importance, it was good that the food was served right away as the fried fish would have easily become soggy and soft. 

I believe the next one to arrive was the scallops in cucumber dish on top of bok choy.  I liked this dish only because it was somewhat refreshing of sorts.  Not a whole lot of MSG and not too bland, it was almost cooked as is.  Sure there was sauce and all but it tasted good and healthy. 

There was also a lobster in there as well. I have to admit was gently surprised of how this dish was made.  It could have easily been made with just simple garlic on lobster.  However, this one came with vermicelli and the lobster’s membrane and brain matter mixed in one.  This is something quite unique as I have had it only once one other time not here at this restaurant.  Very nicely done and when served hot, this dish was excellent. 

Bean and Shrimp in Egg White Sauce

Chicken Feet with Mushroom

Beans and Meat

Scallops in Cucumber on top of Bok Choy

Fried Fish

Last but not least was the chicken.  It was fried well and sprinkled with some spices to add to the flavour.  The meat was half dried half juicy.  Personally I have always enjoyed the juicier chickens because the dry chickens are very difficult to swallow and are often flavorless. 

There was also the traditional rice and noodles and red bean dessert.  The red bean dessert soup was somewhat nasty.  It was very water downed and had absolutely no taste to it.   Not too many of us ate it.  It was just unfortunate that it had to be the last meal of the night although by then thank goodness all of us were full. 

Lobster

With plenty of free parking and space, this restaurant can see almost 250-300 people.  It is also very popular for weddings and there was even one going on when we were there.  Loved the lobster, hated the first dish and the last.  Of importance, if you want the winter melon soup the way we had it one has to call in and order a few days in advance because it takes almost a day to make it.  If it wasn’t for the lobster it could have gotten lower marks.  I give this a 3.25 out of 5. 


Golden Regency Restaurant
4300 Steeles Avenue E
Markham, ON
(905) 948 - 8811

Vietnam Noodle Star

This afternoon we strolled into a nicely recently renovated restaurant in Vietnam Noodle Star.  Located in North Scarborough this place has been in existence for well past 10 years.  With plenty of free parking at the front and facing Finch Avenue, it can be easily located if you are driving along Finch.  

Malaysian Curry Chicken on Rice

Fried Chicken Wings

 We got there just around noon hour and ordered quickly as there were plenty of patrons in the restaurant and a crowd had started to form at the front.  I ordered the Malaysian Curry Chicken on Rice.  We also order a side dish of chicken wings for everyone.  Others order a Pho, Pork Chops on Rice and Fried Shrimp Rice.

Pork Chops on Rice

Pho

 

 

Fried Shrimp Rice

The food arrived quickly and promptly.  My curry chicken smelled delicious and having had this here at the restaurant numerous times before, I knew I would not be disappointed.  Although the level of spiciness is subjective, on a scale of 1 - 10 as to the spiciness of this dish I would give this a 6.  It is not too spicy but just enough to give you a pretty good tingle.  If you are not into it, you can always order the Thai curry which I heard is less spicy here.  You also have a choice of garlic bread and roti.  I have tried having this dish with the garlic bread and for what reason, it certainly increases the level of spiciness.  The chicken wings were good.  There were nicely fried and hot when they arrived.  Nothing extraordinary but in my mind better tasting than KFC .

The fried shrimp rice looked good.  Asking the person who ordered the dish, he found it to be quite filing and enjoyable.  It is also quite large so he only ended up eating half of it and packed the rest home.  With the pho, you have many options to choose from.  You can have up to 3 types of toppings inside your pho.  You get to choose and on a couple of them, you can also change the soup base if you like. 

The last one was the pork chops on rice.  Other than the meat being a little dry, it was okay.  Overall it was a good experience. We stayed there for an hour but it was a busy place.  There is a medical building in that area so I am sure there are a lot of people go down there for munch and dinner afterwards.  A good place to eat and relatively clean, I give this a 4 out of 5. 

Vietnam Noodle Star
4188 Finch Avenue East
Scarborough, ON M1S 4T6

(416) 609-9796

Shiso Tree Cafe

Another Japanese restaurant one might ask?  Yes however this restaurant doesn’t serve sushi or sashimi but Japanese style pasta.  Located in the heart of J-Town in Markham, Ontario, this restaurant serves a lot of different types of pasta.  I have to admit, I usually don’t eat a lot of pasta however I was told that this place was absolutely amazing. 

A half a dozen of us went there on a Friday night.  The place is small but has this very cozy feeling.  We brought our little one there and although we didn’t bring our stroller, a family behind us did and they had plenty of room in doing so. 

 

 Salad

Butternut Squash Soup with Garlic Bread

 We sat down and ordered our food.  For an extra seven dollars, for any pasta we ordered we could get a butternut squash with garlic bread soup plus dessert.  We all figured it was well worth the investment so we went for it.  All of us ordered a different type of pasta tonight so we had a chance to sample each one. The soup was unbelievably good.  I never thought that adding garlic bread to a soup like this would make the soup so much better.  A definitely must try when I try to make this dish at home.

I took a shot at one of the specials on the board.  It was called the Fresh Wild Grown Tomato Sauce Spaghetti with Prawns and Prosciutto.  When it arrived it smelled really good.  I took a bite into it and it was one of the best spaghettis I have ever tasted.  The tomato sauce was quite authentic in that it was made from scratch.  The noodles were soft and the overall sauce was not thick or creamy.  The prawns and prosciutto added that perfect contrast and the taste was excellent.  

 

Tarako Prawn and Corn -Pasta with Sauteed Garlic Shrimp and Corn

Tarako

Shrimp Okonomiyaki Pasta which is spaghetti sautéed with bacon, onions and shrimp

Sukiyaki

Fresh Wild Grown Tomato Sauce Spaghetti with Prawns and Prosciutto

Shiso Fries

My wife ordered the Tarako Pasta with Sauteed Garlic Shrimp and Corn.  This pasta was very creamy.  If you are a fan of creamy pastas, then this one is perfect for you.  I thought it was a tad too “heavy” to my liking but my wife absolutely loved it.  Different people have different tastes. 

One of our friends ordered the Shrimp Okonomiyaki Pasta which is spaghetti sautéed with bacon, onions and shrimp.  This dish was almost the same as the Tarako Pasta with Sauteed Garlc Shrimp and Corn in taste, appearance and texture.  Another one ordered was the Simple Tarako which contained cod roe, garlic and shimeji mushrooms garnished with nori and shiso.  I did not personally try this dish but the person who ordered it says it was fantastic. The last one was the sukiyaki which is a Japanese soy based sauce based pasta with thinly sliced rib eye beef, enoki, king oyster and shimeji mushrooms. 

Before we had dessert, we decided to order the shiso fries.  We only did this because we saw every other table in the restaurant order this.  When it arrived it was in a cone shaped appearance.  There was seaweed sprinkled on top of it and my first impression of it was that it tasted like the shake shake fries that McDonald’s use to offer it in Hong Kong.  A tad on the oily side but still very well done.  . 

Lemon Sorbet Cheesecake

Finally we had dessert and I decided to go with the cheesecake. The flavor was actually lemon sorbet and it went down well. Everyone else also had different types of dessert and each one was very good according to their accounts. 

Overall, it was a wonderful experience.  First time being there and for sure there will be a second time.  There was plenty of free parking on the side and in the front of the building. 

We give it a solid 4.5 out of 5. 

Shiso Tree Cafe

3160 Steeles Ave E
Markham, ON L3R 4G9
(905) 479-9319

Oliver Bonicini

The other night we had a chance to dine out at Oliver Bonicini.  It is a fabulous restaurant located inside Bayview Village.  I believe the place was slightly renovated recently as there appeared to fresh décor inside the restaurant.  There were about 10 of us as we were out to celebrate a birthday at the restaurant.  We ordered plenty of food and although we all order our own plates, some of us had a chance to nibble on some of our friends’ food as well just to get an overall taste of it all.

We brought a little one along.  We decided to just carry her just in case there was not enough space for the stroller.  They gave us a seat and they had a padded bench since we did not want the high chair.  The place was lightly dimmed and one had a pretty good view of the kitchen. 

I decided to order their signature Mushroom Soup for starters.  As an entrée I decided to go with the Fire Roasted Baby Back Ribs.  My wife ordered the Sesame Seared Bigeye Tuna.  Some of our other friends ordered the Fish and Chips and Ricotta and Porcini Ravioli. 

The mushroom soup arrived first for me and let me tell you it was absolutely amazing.  Not too creamy not too liquidity, the soup was perfect in texture.  I believe they used Portobello mushrooms to make this soup and it certainly did not disappoint. 

Sesame Seared Bigeye Tuna

Fire Roasted Baby Back Ribs

The rest of the entrees arrived about 10 minutes later.  The ribs looked good and delicious.  Also present was some cornbread pudding, some cold slaw and campfire baked beans but all eyes were on the ribs.  There were roughly about 8 bones of ribs on the plate.  The meat literally just fell right off the bone.  The barbeque sauce was beautiful and the meat was soft and juicy.  The ribs were excellent!  The only disappointing part on my plate was the cornbread pudding.  I also had some of the tuna that my wife had ordered and it too was beautiful.  The inside of the tuna was still raw looking and the outside of the tuna was slightly seared.  Presentation of the dish was A1.  Tasted was marvelous.  Need I say more. 

Fish and Chips

I also had a chance to sample some of the fish and chips and ravioli.  The fish and chips were nicely battered.  The fish was tasty and not too salty overall.  The ravioli was just as tasty however I have to admit I am not the biggest fan of ravioli however it was still nicely done. 

Ricotta and Porcini Ravioli

Chef’s Platter

 What is a birthday party dinner without dessert?  We decided to go with the Chef’s Platter which contained a little bit of everything on the dessert menu. The Chocolate Marquise was not that sweet, texture was great and was just light enough that it did not weigh one’s stomach down.  The platter also had in addition the cheesecake, the carrot cake and butter tart and judging from the faces of my friends it was well worth the price. 

Overall it was a wonderful experience.  Plenty of free parking and lots of high end shops to shop at over at the Bayview Village.  Everyone had a great time.  The only complain some of us had was that the proportions could have been bigger because the food was so yummy.  Otherwise a great restaurant to hang out, bring a date or throw a nice party.  Definitely a 5 out of 5.