Montana's Cookhouse

The other night we were treated to a nice dinner at Montana's Cookhouse in the heart of Scarborough.  This place has been around for quite some time now and boasts some of the best ribs in all of Toronto.  Naturally I went with their famous Smokehouse Pork Back Ribs.

Smokehouse Pork Back Ribs

The ribs arrived within 15 minutes of ordering.  I went with their customary BBQ sauce and mashed potatoes.  The ribs were nice and hot and had about 9 to 10 bones to the rack.  I took one bite into the meat and I could tell right away why these guys are famous for their ribs.  The meat was laced with BBQ sauce on every bite, was very, very soft and juicy and it literally fell right off the bone.   I have to admit it was one of the best ribs I have had in quite some time.  Needless to say the entire meal was completed without any problems.  The mash potatoes was nicely whipped as well.  It was soft, a little bit creamy but nonetheless pretty good. They also dug a hole in the centre of the mash potato to hold the gravy which I thought was quite neat.  There were also some corn cooked with some butter and red peppers which gave it a spicy taste to it.  Everything on this plate was just perfect.  The entire meal was well worth the money. 

Overall, everything was well organized and service was good considering this place was packed on a Friday night.  Our server had checked on us regularly that night to make sure our food was good or whether we needed more drinks.   I was told the only blemish was that my wife's steak was slightly overcooked as she had ordered a medium rare but instead got a steak that was closer to medium well done.  Otherwise, there were no other complaints from others.  With plenty of free parking and the restaurant located just within eye shot of Scarborough Town Centre, it certainly would make it a great place following a long day of shopping or right after a movie.  Overall I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

Montana's Cookhouse
41 Milner Avenue  Toronto, ON M1S 3P8

416 321-5684

Zen Japanese Restaurant

I have eaten at a lot of Japanese restaurants but this one has far exceeded many of my expectations.  I was told that this restaurant had very fresh, very authentic sushi and sashimi dishes.  For food that doesn't need to be cooked one has to wonder how much "better" can one be.

This restaurant located in south Scarborough is tucked in a small strip plaza but inside the restaurant it has definitely has the appeal of an authentic Japanese restaurants.  They even have two designated stalls where you can sit on the floor and enjoy their tasty meals.

Chef's Omakase Sushi Special

We didn't bring the stroller this time around but there was certainly a chance to do so if one wished to.  There was free parking in the parking lot out front and we were able to park right in front of the restaurant.  We were given menus but we knew ahead of time from our peers to try the Chef's Omakase Sushi AND Sashimi Special.  It comes with special types and more expensive types of fish.  We also ordered a black sesame ice cream, raw beef and a couple of spicy tuna rolls.

Chef's Omakase Sashimi Special

We were served a courtesy dish of edamame beans which was yummy as they did not have a whole lot of salt on them as how some of the other places serve them.  Only one miso soup arrived and that was for the Chef's Sushi Special.  The sashimi special did not come with a miso soup.  The plates came next and it looked delicious.  There was no salmon on either one but no need to.  It included toro, scallops, red snappers and tunas to name a few.  I tried the scallop first and one bite into the scallop sashimi and I knew why this place was a must go.  The scallop was very "sweet" tasting.  It tasted so fresh it was like the scallop was fresh out of the ocean.  It was not frozen or cold.  It was soft, tender and just simply perfect.  Needless to say the rest of the sashimi on the plate was just the same.  It was absolutely different than all the other places I have been to. The fish didn't appear to have been stored for a long period of time.

The raw beef was beautifully made. Lightly seared on the outside and purely raw on the inside the very thin slices of beef were absolutely delicious.  The meat certainly was not too fatty.  The dish was 7 dollars only and it came with 9 slices. It also came with its special sauce, minced radish and minced green onions.  To get the perfect taste, you should put all 3 together to give it that amazing zangy taste.

Spicy Tuna Roll

Raw Beef

Toro Sushi Roll

The spicy tuna rolls were spicy but not to the point where it was too spicy that your mouth was numb.  It had a sweet taste to it but the tuna one can tell was very fresh.  Absolutely no complaints here.  The surprise of the night was the Toro Sushi Roll.  We thought that the Sushi and sashimi's were done but after they had cleared our plates out came this toro sushi roll.  Unlike a California roll where it is triangular in shape, it is actually rolled up into a long cylinder.  The toro roll was very good from start to finish. 

Finally we had the black sesame ice cream.  Although we have had this dish before at other places, the black sesame ice cream was surprisingly different.  For example, it was wonderfully mixed with the milk and very well evened out within the ice cream. Again, the ice cream certainly was not "frozen" nor did it have a frozen taste to it  I personally believe that the black sesame ice cream is freshly made and made only when an order has been placed and not pre-made.

Black Sesame Ice Cream

Overall, this is one of the best sushi places I have ever been to..  I can't speak for some of the other dishes on the menu but the ones on the chef's special is definitely a must try for any sushi and sashimi lover.  On a personal note,  each chef's special set course was $49.50.  The difference between the two is that the sushi obvious comes with fish on the rice while the sashimi special all had at least 2 pieces of fish.  Given the price and me as a personal fish lover, the sashimi special was more worth while simply because you get an extra piece of fish as oppose to getting an extra piece of rice.  However for a much bigger person, the sashimi meal might not be able to satisfy a very hungry stomach.  My recommendation would be to order one of each and yes although it comes out to $100 plus tax and tip, it will definitely be well worthwhile.  It is a great place to bring a special date too and making reservations prior to going certainly would not hurt. Highly recommended and definitely earns my first 5 out of 5.

Zen Japanese Restaurant
http://www.zenjapaneserestaurant.com/

2803 Eglinton Avenue East,
Scarborough, Ontario.
M1J 2E1
(416) 265-7111

Yoko Japanese Restaurant

The other night we went to Yoko Japanese Restaurant to have some Japanese sushi.  This restaurant was recommended by our company lawyers as they had been there recently and said it was pretty good.  We decided to make reservations just in case it was busy.  There were 6 of us and upon entering the restaurant  we were given one of the private booths on the side.

We decided to order a large size sushi and sashimi boat, grilled mackerel  a seafood udon, shrimp tempura, spider maki and a dolsot bibimbap for the evening.  The boat and sashimi boat arrived first and at first glance of this huge boat, it was like a sea of orange.  If you love salmon, there was certainly plenty of it on this boat.  The majority of it was salmon.  Although there were some pieces of red and white tuna in it, I personally think that there should have been a few more variety of fish.

Shrimp Tempura

The seafood udon was good however the dish itself was small.  It was done on one of those teriyaki grills rather than in a bowl.  Appearance wise it looked pretty good however I think I would prefer it in a bowl where the portions could have been bigger. The noodles were big and there were pieces of squid and vegetables in it as well.  It was tasty despite a lack of a real soup base. 

The shrimp tempura was okay.  Nothing remarkable about this dish compared to all the other sushi places where we had the shrimp tempura.  The shrimp was fresh and was not mushy at all which was good.  

Sushi and Sashimi Boat

The dolsot bibimbap arrived next which is really assorted beef and vegetables cooked in a traditional Korean stone bowl mixed with rice, spicy sauce and topped with a fried egg.  The picture shot was actually a picture of the whole dish after we had mixed all the ingredients together.  Personally it was my favorite dish of the night as it was hot, tasty, and all the ingredients mixed really well together.  The spicy sauce gave it that extra bit of zing to it but not to the point where it was too spicy to eat.  For $10.95 it was a great dish for a great price. 

Seafood Udon

The spider maki arrived next which contained fried crab, cucumber, avocado and sweet potato or yam in it.  This was probably the best sushi or maki that we had all night.  It was crunchy and definitely quite filling as each pieces were quite big.  There were like 10 or 11 big pieces of maki which certainly made this dish worthwhile.  This dish was like $15 bucks but the size of each piece certainly made it a dish worth having.

Dolsot Bibimbap

The mackerel arrived last however this was not the fault of the kitchen.  We made an extra order after all the other food had arrived.  The mackerel was a little salty but was quite delicious.  It was perfectly grilled but not charred.  There were small pieces of bone left and although the mackerel was like $9.99 it was worth the price.  If you do order the mackerel, I would recommend that you get it with some rice because this fish is quite salty and does require some extra side to go with it. 

Fried Mackerel

Spider Maki

Overall it was a decent night.  My only complaint was that there were just way too many pieces of salmon on the boat.  As my fellow readers know, I go to a lot of sushi restaurants in and around the city and when we order a medium or large size boat we expect variety.  Service was good and the staff was nice.  Overall I give this place a 3.5 out of 5.

Yoko Japanese Restaurant

490 McNicoll Avenue
North York, ON M2H 2E1

(416) 502-9750

Spring Rolls

The other night we went out for a  function out at Spring Rolls located just outside Fairview Mall in North York.  We had reserved a long line of tables and it was ready when we got there.  When we sat down, we were originally given the regular menu however afterwards, a waitress had come by to take back the menus and given us a special menu. Tonight I decided to go with a coconut fried shrimp, a chicken pad thai and a mango creme brulee. 

Coconut Shrimp

The coconut fried shrimp came first.  There were three of them inside a cup suspended on top of some salad at the bottom of the cup.  There was also a special shrimp sauce placed beside it.  The shrimp itself was quite bland.  It was crispy and nicely battered however the shrimp's taste was all but gone.  One really needed the sauce to give it some flavor.

The chicken pad thai arrived next and at first glance it looked pretty good.  However as one sank their teeth into it, the goodness of it stopped right there.  The pad thai was quite gooey and the lime juice added to it really made it quite sour.  The roasted peanuts helped it a little but the tofu was not good at all. The tofu were hard and stale.  I had to push it to aside in order to continue with the meal.  Needless to say, I was only able to finish half the plate. 

Chicken Pad Thai

Last to arrive was the mango creme brulee.  The creme brulee was nice burnt on the top but the bottom of it lacked the true zing in the mango.  In other words, you taste the mango but there was nothing spectacular about it. 

Mango Creme Brulee

Overall, I was a little disappointed with the whole meal.  I also surveyed one of my friend's sushi and sashimi dishes and he said it was just not that good.  Personally although it is appreciative of the fact that they try to have a little bit of Asian on their menu, I think that they would be better off at focusing on one or two particular culture's food rather trying to have a little bit of everything.  Quantity does not always equal quality.  As well, their specialty menu was littered with spelling mistakes including the name of the event.  That is bad.  Overall I give this a generous 2 out of 5. 

Spring Rolls
1800 Sheppard Avenue East  Toronto, ON M2J 5A7

(416) 756-7655

Ruby Watchco

Tonight we went to visit celebrity chef Lynn Crawford's restaurant Ruby Watchco out in the eastern part of Toronto.  Located on the corner of Queen's Street East and Broadview Avenue, this restaurant boasts some of the best foods and staff in the entire city of Toronto.  We were there for a function so we ended up booking the entire second floor for the evening. 

We got there around 6:00 tonight and they served us with a bunch of appetizers.  There were some cooked butternut squash, salmon beets and fried scallops and lobster meat to name a few.  The portions were small however they were then again meant to be served as appetizers.  They were all tasty but we were told that the best was yet to come. 

Next to arrive was their special $49 dinner for the evening which included Carron's Farm Red Beet and Orange Salad, Ruby's Brick Chicken With Mushroom Bits, Canadian Artisanal Cheese and Dark Chocolate Cheesecake. 

The salad was the first to arrive.  It was a combination of cucumbers, romaine heart's, living greens and gouda cheese.  The entire salad was then tossed with vinaigrette sauce.  The salad was very tasty and the addition of the orange and the vinaigrette sauce gave it a surperb tangy taste.  It was an excellent salad to have as starters. 

Ruby's Brick Chicken With Mushroom Bits

Next to arrive was a four-plate main course meal.  The chicken was cooked with small mushroom bits.  The skin of the chicken for those who like to eat the skin had what looked like little bits of black pepper mixed in with it.  The white meat was perfectly cooked. It was not overly done where the meat would be rough and tough. Although the meat was slightly dry, the meat was soft and tender but the combination of the juicy skin with the white meat made it a dynamic combination which when together, melted nicely in one's mouth. 

There was also a plate of brown butter and walnut roasted brussel sprouts that came with the chicken.  The brussel sprouts were a little hard however it captured all of the brown butter taste so when one sank their teeth inside them, the taste of the brown butter coated the vegetable very well and brought out much of the flavor of this dish.

A plate of crushed potatoes mixed with chive sour cream were also placed on the table. The potatoes were a mixture of mashed and cooked potatoes and with the addition of her specially made chive sour cream sauce, it was an amazing dish to have. Also to arrive was the spliced butternut squash.  This dish was also amazingly done.  Each piece were sliced into huge pieces and they too were very, very tasty. 

After such a filling dinner, we were introduced to three different types of cheese.  This was to serve as a break between the main course and desert.  I don't know much about cheeses but I think one of them was goat cheese.  All three had a very strong flavor to them as the odor of the cheese would go right through the nostrils as one bit into it. 

Finally the dark chocolate cheesecake desert was last to arrive.  Although I am not a huge fan of dark chocolate, this cheesecake was one of the best cheesecakes I have ever had.  Mixed with cranberry caramel sauce, the cheesecake was extremely soft.  The entire cheesecake was so soft one felt like they were eating melted marshmellows.  It was sweet, but not too sweet. To me, the desert alone was worth the asking price.  
Overall, the night was a smashing success.  The food, the staff and the atmosphere were absolutely amazing.  It was 9:15 on a weeknight and people were still lined up outside the door to get into the restaurant.  I am very happy that I had gone to have dinner tonight at this wonderful restaurant.  Kudos to chef Lynn and to their staff Melissa and Jeremy.  Class acts and true professionals.  Overall I give this place a 5 out of 5. 

Ruby Watchco
730 Queen Street East  Toronto, ON M4M 1H2

(416) 465-0100

PF Chang's

I have been to the PF Chang's in Niagara Falls a couple of times however I have never put pen to paper.  A couple of weeks ago I was in Miami and at that PF Chang's.  Truthfully both of them were very good and the one in Miami certainly was no exception.

We went with a huge group while we were down there so we all decided to order individual dishes.  I went with a share dish of Seared Ahi Tuna and a personal dish of Crispy Honey Chicken. 

The Ahi Tuna arrived first and there were about 8 pieces of tuna.  The middle was raw while the surrounding tuna were all nicely seared but not burnt.  The tuna was fresh and tasty.  There were also some salad and cucumber laced with black pepper salad dressing sauce.  The tuna also had its own sauce as well.  The entire dish was delicious and a great appetizer to start off with. 

Seared Ahi Tuna

Crispy Honey Chicken

 My main lunch arrived soon afterwards.  The Crispy Honey Chicken were only a small handful of dishes that did not have any spicy chicken in it.  Since I had my little one with me who for sure would want a piece of chicken or two, I thought it was imperative that I get something that was tasty but not spicy.  At first glance it looked like quite an ordinary dish.  There was really nothing to it.  There were chicken balls and fried rice on the plate.  I took a bite of the chicken and the meat sank into my teeth.  It was very soft ad the honey was a perfect compliment to the chicken.  The chicken was lightly battered and not overly done but still had that crispy texture.  One did not get this deep fried feeling when consuming the meal.  It was a wonderful lunch meal.

Overall it was a very good lunch at PF Chang's.  Whether I was in Niagara Falls or Miami the standards were there.  The prices are reasonable and now that there is one in Toronto, I would encourage all to go try it one day if you haven't done so yet.  I will leave at the bottom the address of the PF Chang's for the local folks here to try.  Overall, a wonderful restaurant and service was great.  Overall I give it a 4.75 out of 5.

PF Chang's Restaurant
O'Neill Road, Toronto, ON M3C 0H1
(416) 510-8838 

Princess Cruise (summary)

Food For Thought was away for a week and a half while cruising on the high seas of the Atlantic Ocean while visiting places like Bahamas, Curacao and Aruba.  While it will be virtually impossible to go through every food we had, it might be better just like the past to go through the highs and lows of the whole experience.  While on the cruise ship, we went through almost each diner section including the buffet station, the traditional night diner, a specialty restaurant and the International Cafe centre.

Prior to going on this cruise, we did a quick research and was told that the food on this ship was pretty decent.  The best place to start would probably be where we had dinner for the majority of the time which was in the traditional dining section. We had the early dinner section which was like 6:00.  Each dinner they would have about a dozen appetizers, entrees and deserts to choose from.  We would have the same waiters each night.  Each night the menu would change but the main staples of seafoods and meats would always be there.

I have to admit the first few days were a bit of a disaster with the staff.  By day three things were much better.  I surmised that the waiting crew was either new or had just hopped on board as they seemed confused and disorganized at where things were placed and orders just took forever for it to arrive.  In the beginning even asking for a glass of water took 35 minutes to arrive!!  The waiting staff didn't even know where the cups were placed and we could see they needed other staff members to help them out.  The food wasn't much better.  Twice we asked for medium rare meat only to got well done meat.  By the end of the week, it was only slightly better.  Some of the sushi they had served was par at best.  I was told that this ship actually won awards on this ship for their sushi but I can truly tell you that as a sushi lover, the sushi was hard, almost borderline stale and quite mushy.  My guess is that because they have to serve so many people that many of it was made ahead of time and it literally sat in a refrigerator.  You can certainly taste the fact that it was not fresh.  On the plus side, their appetizers were not bad.  Some of their soups including the French Onion soup do deserve some praise.  Some of their deserts also lacked the necessary wow factor.  The shrebets and the apple crumble pie were descent however the creme brulee, although it looked good, did not taste as good as it looked.

Insalata di Gamberi

Strangely the buffet section at the Horizon Court was much better at preparing their meats than the traditional dining section.  The prime rib cuts were beautifully cooked to medium rare.  The meats were juicy and the meat was very tender.  Although the night and snack choices would change on a nightly basis or at least provide more variety, the breakfast menu was always the same.  I know that this is the case for every cruise ship in the world so I can't just fault this cruise liner at all.  My only words are that it would be nice if they could try to produce something different once in a while just to throw in some variety outside of the usual ham, eggs and sausages. For example, some dim sum or dumplings would certainly give the morning breakfast a bit more variety because after seven days on a ship of having to eat the same foods every morning, it certainly is not the most appealing way to start the morning. 

 I have to admit we only tried one specialty diner section which was Sabatini's.  On this evening we had a combination of an Insalata di Gamberi special, Tris d'Aragosta and the Lombata di Vitello alla Griglia.  The insalata is basically marianted shrimp on top of white beans and a mini salad.  The jumbo shrimp was very tender and very delicious.  I'm not a big fan of white beans however it seemed to be satisfactory.  The tris d'Aragosta is the chef's way of making the lobster three different ways in one dish.  The meat made on top of a risotto was amazing.  The lobster meat was very fresh, very smooth and the risotto was made perfectly.  The chef nailed this one on the ball.  No complaints here at all.  The best was the Lombata di Vitello alla Griglia which was the grilled veal.  This was like the juiciest and the softest piece of meat I have ever had.  It was very very good.  There are no other words to describe the piece of meat that we had other than it is definitely a must try if you do come aboard this ship.

The Coral is a slightly more upscale non-specialty restaurant on the ship.  The foods they serve here are slightly better than what they serve at the buffet stations and what they serve at the traditional diner place.  I had a philly cheese steak sandwich which I have to admit was not bad at all.  The only bad part is that the restaurant appears to be located at the end of the ship and what seems to be like on top of the engine room.  You certainly will be given a pretty good shake while you are eating.  Although one can move to other parts of this restaurant, no matter where you sat it seemed to be moving pretty good. 

Tris d'Aragosta

The International Cafe is a 24 hour cafe that served mostly light food and hot drinks and is open 24 hours.  For those who are looking for a midnight snack or just want to sit in the middle of ship and relax, this is the place to be.  Nothing spectacular here as they serve mostly soups, sandwiches and cookies.  However if someone is looking for a nice light snack, this would be the place to be.

Lombata di Vitello alla Griglia

Overall, the specialty diner really stood out the most.  Unfortunately we only went to one of the four specialty diners on the ship although mind you the other three appeared to be mostly steakhouses.  The buffet will take you through the entire week as there is enough food there to keep one happy for a week.  The traditional diner could have been better from start to finish.  Having sat on my 4th different cruise ever, this was probably ranked near the middle at best.  Overall I would give Sabattini's a 5 out of 5 and the rest of the ship a 2.5 out of 5. 

Linda Modern Thai Cuisine

The other night we went to Linda Modern Thai Cuisine to have some authentic Thai food over at the Shops at Don Mills in North York.  This restaurant's interior is beautifully decorated and offers many authentic Thai dishes in their menu.  Tonight the four of us each decided to pick something from the menu since it was our first time inside this restaurant.  The four of us decided to go with the Crispy Duck with Steamed Pancakes, Thai Islamic Noodle, Pineapple Fried Rice with Mango and Shrimp, Green Curry Shrimp and Fried Fish.  For dessert, we also chose a Mango Sticky Rice and a Sweet Rice in Bamboo. 

The fried fish was the first to arrive.  Basically it was a fish that was fried in oil that also came with a vinaigrette sauce.  The fish was very crispy however there was not much taste to it.  Even with the special sauce, it lacked a strong fish taste.  It was however mostly deboned so it was easier to chew on its own.  Personally rather than using the sauce they had I would use Worcestershire sauce as it would give the fish a much strong flavor. 

Fried Fish

Next to arrive was the Crispy Duck with Steam Pancakes.  This is similar or equivalent to a Chinese Peking Duck.  With pieces of cucumber and what appeared to be oyster sauce, this is Thai's version of a Peking Duck.  I will say this personally I like the Chinese version better.  The duck meat is less chewy and the skin is much tastier.  The duck that came in tonight was a little rough and not as flavorable as the Chinese method. 

Pineapple Fried Rice with Mango and Shrimp

The Thai Islamic Noodle was next to arrive. This noodle had a combination of chicken, shrimp, peppers, broccoli and onions.  The combination of all these food gave this dish a very nice flavor. It was tasty, juicy and something that one should have.  It was not creamy at all and not overdone.  I actually liked this dish a lot and it's something I would highly recommend. 

Green Curry Shrimp

Thai Islamic Noodle

The Pineapple Fried Rice was also done very good.  The shrimp on the dish elevates the pineapple which is located inside a shrimp cracker.  Appearance alone would have been five stars for this dish.  the taste on this dish was delightful.  Again like the noodle, it was not heavy at all and the shrimp was tender and juicy.  I too would recommend this dish to anyone visiting this dish. 

The last to arrive was the Green Curry Rice and Shrimp.  This was mostly vegetables and shrimp mixed with curry.  It is a good side dish to have and to go with the rice and noodles. 

Mango Sticky Rice

Bamboo Sweet Rice

The desserts were the next to arrive.  Both the sweet rice and the sticky rice were okay however I was a little disappointed in that both were quite bland in nature.  Despite the sweet sauce in the bamboo sweet rice and the mango sticky rice, both dishes failed to deliver that WOW factor.  I have been to Thailand and when you go to Thailand and have their mango sticky rice and compare it to what was presented, I would say this restaurant was only half as good as what a true dessert would taste like in Thailand.

I would say that overall it was a fair night here at Linda's.  The food was a little bland to my liking however the rice and noodles were made to perfect.  Service was pretty good and they gave us a private booth in the corner of the restaurant.  Overall I would give this place a 3 out of 5. 

Linda Modern Thai Cuisine
11 Karl Fraser Road
North York, Ontario
M3C 0E7

416-642-3866

Wei's Kitchen

The other night we scampered over towards First Markham Place in Markham Ontario to try out Wei's Kitchen.  This restaurant is located outside the actual mall on the west side of the mall. There were about eight of us and we went decided to share about 7 dishes altogether. 

The first thing to arrive was a ginger, meat and vegetable soup.  As an appetizer and starter, I could certainly attest that this soup was very, very good.  The ginger gave this overall dish a good zing and the meat that they used was not greasy thereby it did not make the soup oily when drinking it. 

Shrimp Vegetable

Next to arrive was a shrimp vegetable dish.  The shrimp was nicely cooked and were fresh and tender.  The celery and the beans were nice and crispy.  Just like the soup, I found this dish to be rather pure and not as salty as some might think.  It was quite refreshing and great for people who are conscientious of their cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

Mix Mushroom

Next to arrive was the mix mushroom fungi dish.  There were at least two different types of mushroom mixed in this dish.  The chefs used a light sauce to mix with the mushrooms thereby not taking away the true taste of the mushrooms.  It again tasted quite “light” and although one could argue that extra flavor could have been added, on this night it was probably just about right. 

Meat Ginger Soup

We also ordered a salt-cooked chicken.  This was very tasty as it also came with its own sauce that one can dip it in.  The outer skin was just cooked to the point where it was lightly crisp.  The great thing about this dish was that they kept the meat nice and juicy.  Quite a pleasant surprise although we had prior knowledge this chicken dish was going to be pretty good. 

We also ordered a duck which was mixed with a sweet BBQ sauce.  This was quite different from some of the other ducks that one would order at a chop-suey place.  The sauce was sweeter however just like the chicken, they were able to keep the meat juicy and moist so again I certainly had no quarrels over the dish.

Salt-cooked Chicken

The next dish to arrive was a fried lotus root. Again this was mixed with what appeared to be a light soya sauce.  The roots were nice and crunchy and the flavor was very nice.  Again not too heavy on the MSG which was what I really enjoyed about this dish.  Again there are no significant complaints here. 

Overall, it was a good night and we were certainly quite full by night’s end.  They also served a nice hot sweet dessert soup to finish off the night.  Service was good and the food arrived rather quickly following our order.  I think everyone was quite satisfied with all the dishes and there are plenty of free parking outside.  If you are health conscious and are concerned with MSG, this might be the place for you because it certainly was not heavy in flavor.  Overall I give it a 4 out of 5.  

Wei's Kitchen

3229 Highway 7, Unionville, ON L3R0J5
Phone: (905) 947-9388

369 Shanghai Dim Sum

A couple of weeks ago we decided to head out to 369 Shanghai Dim Sum and grab some Chinese dumpling and noodles.  This place is located in a large plaza on the corner of southwest corner of Kennedy Road and Highway 7 in Markham, Ontario. 

When we got in, there was a table waiting for us.  They brought us a couple of high chairs as we had a couple of kids with us that day.  We had to mark on a piece of paper what we wanted so we went with some Dan Dan noodles, Hot and Sour Soup Noodles, Fried Pork Chops, Meat Dumplings and some Chinese Steam Buns. 

Hot ans Sour Soup

All the food arrived quickly as the service was quick despite how busy the restaurant was.  The Dan Dan noodles were amazing.  Some places have this dish caked in peanut butter and sesame sauce however this place had just a minimal amount of peanut sauce and mild to moderate amount of spiciness to its noodles.  The level of spiciness was just enough to give you a perfect amount of zing to the taste buds but not overwhelm it to the point where you could not enjoy the rest of the meal. 

Dumplings

Fried Pork Chops

Next to arrive was the Hot and Sour Soup noodles and just like the Dan Dan noodles, again it was not the most spiciest tasting noodle in the world.  Where some places would have it extra spicy, these guys make it so that it is still spicy but not overwhelming.  Again it was nicely made with the soup not being too hot nor too sour. 

Glutinous Rice Rolls

The fried pork chops also were very nice.  The small pieces made it easy for one to it.  The meat was not deeply fried as minimal batter was used in the frying. As well, this dish comes with a hard boiled egg cut in half as well as vegetarian food. The only thing I didn't like about this dish was just the overall dryness of it all. Taste wise however, it was a little salty but tasty. 

Chinese Steamed Buns

Dan Dan Noodles

The dumplings were quite big and the inside of the dumplings were juicy.  They was certainly a mild amount of soup inside each dumpling which made it that much tastier.  The meat inside was nicely cooked and the dumplings were nice and hot when served.  A must have if you are here at this restaurant. 

We also ordered some Glutinous Rice Roll which is basically ground pork wrapped in sticky rice which is wrapped by seran wrap.  By doing so, it keeps the pork and rice nice and moist so that you don't end up having to chew your head off trying to eat this dish.  Again a very nice meal to have as it is quite filling.  

The Chinese Steam Buns were the last to arrive and this "twisted" figure bun was very very good.  Mixed with some condensed milk, it provided an excellent "dessert".  It was quite filling and smelled delicious.  It is always one of my favorite dish as it is quite pure and tasty.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience to be in.  The place is not that big so go early so that you can find a table and a parking spot.  I would say it definitely brings out the best of Shanghai food here.  Overall I would give this place a 4 out of 4. 

Shanghai Dim SUm 369
8380 Kennedy Road
Markham, Ontario

(905) 305-7713

Golden Prince Seafood Restaurant

The other night we went over to Golden Prince Seafood Restaurant in Markham.  This restaurant is located in a quite plaza and the end of a residential neighbourhood.  There is plenty of free parking all around and usually there is no wait time for tables. 

We were ushered into the back VIP room when we got there.  The boss was nice enough to give us a back room.  We decided to order 4 dishes for the night including sweet and sour pork, roasted crispy chicken immerse in oil, snow peas in garlic and a pork bone congee.

Sweat and Sour (sweet) Pork

Garlic Snow Peas

The sweet and sour (more like sweet) pork is very good here.  They make it slightly different compared to other places I have been.  Other places are made in the bright orange sauce that is common in our places.  Here they don't use that sauce.  It's almost a honey garlic sauce that they use.  As a result, the pork is crunchier.  It tastes very good as it is not as "cake-like" with all the sauce. The texture is very similar to popcorn chicken.  Definitely a must try for anyone visiting there. 

The next dish to arrive was the roasted crispy chicken immerse in oil.  The waitress said it was one of their specialty at their restaurants.  The difference between this crispy chicken and the ones from other places is the chicken is immerse in oil to make the chicken meat very juicy and then the chicken skin is still fried to make it crispy.  It makes the meat less dry and the entire chicken very juicy.  For someone who hates eating dry meat, this is something very nice.  People may be weary of the oil however it is not as if the oil is dripping as one is eating.  The fact that the meat is very juicy and the skin is still crispy makes it a very contrasting tasty meal.  It also comes with traditional fried salt in case the chicken is not salty enough for you although truthfully it was flavored enough. 

Pork Bone Congee

Oil Immerse Crispy Chicken

The pork bone congee was amazing.  There were five big pieces of pork bone in the congee.  The meal it self was salty enough and the bones itself provided more than enough flavor.  Some people will choose to add a bit of white pepper to add extra flavor although truthfully there is more than enough flavour rom the pork bone already. 

Finally the snow peas mixed with garlic was comparable to the other ones that I have eaten in the past.  Nothing spectacular but certainly was a nice complimentary dish and refreshing from all of our meaty dishes. 

Overall it was a descent night.  We were all full and desert was sweet tofu on the house.  Total cost was about $70.00 tax and tip included,  Strongly recommended if you just want to come out with your family and have a simple but descent meal.  Overall I give it a 4 out of 5.

Golden Prince Seafood Restaurant
4855 14th  Markham, ON
L3S 3L6

905-513-9233

Rodney's By Bay

My daughter's godfather and godmother decided to take me to Rodney's By Bay for the celebration of my birthday.  We all love raw oysters and seafood and since we had never visited the new Rodney's in the heart of downtown Toronto, we thought it would be a great idea to do it.  We had been to the old Rodney's before located on the west side of downtown Toronto however we decided to go to the new one at Bay and Adelaide. 

Raw Oysters

We made reservations to be there for 6:45 pm and it was probably a very wise decision.  The place filled up very quickly and people who showed up without reservations were turned away at the door. 

Crab Cake

Amongst the four of us, we went with three dozen raw oysters, crab appetizer, tuna tartares, fries lobster poutine and seafood ravioli.  The raw oysters arrived first and we went with a combination of east coast and west coast oysters.  We chose Raspberry Points, Mallepeque, Lameque, Village Bay and Kusshi oysters.  As well we went with a special order of Kumamoto oysters which cost more because they are from Japan. 

Seafood Ravioli

The oysters were opened before us by one waiter.  After opening them, he placed them in an ice basket to make them colder.  After ten minutes of chilling, the waiter brought them out for us to eat. It is hard to really tell you which one is good as it is of course different from one person to the next.  Truthfully the Raspberry Points and the Kumamoto oysters were my favorite.  The Kumamoto was creamy and very tasty.  Then again all the oysters were very tasty and were quite fresh. 

Tuna Tartare

The crab cake arrived next and it was made on top of a salad.  The salad had a slight mixture of vinegrette sauce added to it and with the addition of the crab cake, it was certainly a refreshing appetizer.  The crab cake held together pretty good and was not overly flaky.  One can certainly taste the crab meat inside of it.  It also came with 4 pieces of crab immerse in a cup full of ice.  The meat was tender, fresh and chilled to perfection.   

The seafood ravoli was very rich in taste. Made in a curry sauce, this dish contained 4 raviolis in it.  Although the raviolis were tiny, they were packed with seafood and it was amazing.  It was not sticky at all and the curry sauce, albeit mild, provided that extra zing to this dish.

Next to arrive was the tuna tartare.  This was absolutely amazing.  I probably could have ordered 4 or 5 of these on my own.  It was just that good.  The first one was just a regular tuna tartare.  The middle one was immerse in sesame oil and the last one was marinated with jalapeno sauce.  All three were absolutely amazing.  It was probably one of my most favorite dish.  

Lobster Poutine Fries

The last thing to arrive was the lobster poutine fries.  I had never had a dish like this before.  I pictured this dish to be very heavy since many poutines are thick, heavy, most likely high in fat and/or very cheesy.  This lobster poutine was from it and surprisingly was very good. Although it probably has a bit of fat content to it, one certainly can not seem to taste it when one is eating this dish.  It actually had a very light taste to it.  I don't know whether it was me but I really couldn't stop eating this dish.  Normally when I eat fries or poutines for that matter, I usually stop after about 10 fries however this was so good that I really couldn't stop. 

Overall, it was one of the best night's ever.  Certainly for those who are budget conscious, it is not for the faint of heart.  The food was amazing and I would recommend it for anyone out for a special night.  For some reason, I think this place is better than the one on King Street.  I think it provides slightly more variety although that could be open for debate.  Overall it is definitely another must go.  I give it a 5 out of 5.

Rodney's By Bay
56 Temperance Street
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

416-703-5111