Lucky Season Hot Pot

I guess the hardest part of writing a food blog is how to really evaluate a hot pot place like the one I went to the other night.  For those who don't know, hot pot is where one ends up cooking their own food in a couple of pots of boiling soup or water.  This way one can control the variety of foods being cooked and the degree of how far one should cook their meals. 

Raw Lobster

We went into this place on a weeknight and this place was half full.  From what I know, this place also serves dim sum in the morning.  They have television screens everywhere so that one can eat and watch their favorite TV programs while hot potting. They gave us a checklist menu where where we can check off all the foods that we want.  We wanted the more deluxe menu which included 2 raw lobsters, a seafood platter and of course the food from the basic menus.  The basic menu still had plenty of raw meats, fishballs and vegetables including tofu to choose from..

Seafood Platter on the left

The food appeared to be quite fresh.  We ordered two different types of soups, miso and satay.  The lobster was still moving even though it was already split in half for us. Personally this and the wine chicken were 2 of my favorite dishes.  The raw chicken was marinated well as it was rich in wine.  The lobsters were fresh and tender.  The salmon and the squid were also quite good.  For the rest of the foods, there were no issues at all as it was the standard raw beef, chicken, lamb and vegetables.  Also provided were 9 different types of sauces including chili, hot sauce and soya sauces.

The sauces

Overall, I actually enjoyed the atmosphere.  The TV, the food and the staff and of course our friends all made it a wonderful night.  We were there for over three hours yet we all had a good time. The establishment was clean and freshly squeezed orange juice was only one dollar!!  I would recommended this place to anyone looking for some hot pot.  Overall I give this place a 4.25 out of 5. 

Lucky Season Hot Pot

550 Highway 7 East
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 1B9

(905) 709-8983

Watami

I decided to spend my anniversary over at Watami Sushi and Grill at Market Village.  I personally have been here many times but this is the first time I decided to blog this place.  The restaurant has been here for quite some time and hopefully it will be here for many more years to come. 

We got there on a weekend evening and the place was half full.  It was however later in the evening and well past the usual dinner time.  We were given a table right away and several menus to choose our food from.  If one knows Chinese, one can also look at their special menu up on a chalkboard that usually serves special dishes including toro fish and kobe beef. 

Tonight we decided to go with a dinner for two menu known as the Watami Dinner in the menu and toro fish.  The Watami Dinner Menu is designed for two people and comes with miso soup, salad, 12 pieces of sashimi, 10 pieces of sushi, 12 pieces of maki, shrimp and vegetable tempura, beef or chicken or salmon teriyaki, spider hand rolls and a chef's special. 

Toro Fish

Sushi, Sashimi and Maki Platter

Shrimp Tempura

 The miso soup and salad arrived first and it was a good appetizer.  The food was tasty however it was really not any different than any of the other places we have been to.  The sushi, sashimi and maki plate came next and it looked pretty good.  With one quick glance, one can see that there was a lot of tuna, salmon and either salmon skin sushi or avacodo vegetable sushi.  Again nothing spectacular.  The fish were all fresh as was all the sushi. 

Seafood Avacado

The chef's special of the day was the seafood avacado and beef on a skewer.  The seafood avacado was a little thick as it contained cheese, butter, garlic, shrimp and mini scallops.  For those who are blood pressure and cholesterol conscious, you may only want to eat a small sample of this dish.  This dish is quite heavy and you may not want to try consuming the entire bowl.  Otherwise it is something one definitely should try.  The top of the seafood avacado has fish roe on it to give it slight tangy taste to it as well.

The tempura was descent.  There was nothing out of the ordinary.  The shrimp and the vegetables tempura were fresh.  They were all served hot and with sweet soya sauce.  No complaints here. 

The beef teriyaki arrived however we had to pack it in and take it home with us.  There was just way too much food on the table for the two of us.  Not letting it go to waste, even the manager of the restaurant noticed that we were reaching our limit so what he did was that he asked the chef to cook it only to 40% cooked so that when we recooked it at home, it would not go completely dry. That was mighty nice of teh manager.

The spider hand roll was next and it was delicious.  There was no way that we could pack this home.  Truthfully one should always try to eat as much of the sushi and raw food as quickly as possible to maintain that freshness.  I will say this, the spider roll was amazing.  The soft shell fried crab, the avacado and cucumber were all very fresh.  One can taste the sweetness of the crab.  It was quite delicious and depsite being quite full, there was no way I was going to pass this one up. 

We saved the best for last.  For twenty dollars we order 3 pieces of toro.  Yes it is not for the faint of heart when it comes to money however to eat quality fish, one needs to pay the heavier price.  The fish literally melted in your mouth however the only problem was that the "cut" of the fish was not the best so while the fish melted, the spines and tendons of the fish remained.  Still the fish was very fresh, served slightly cool and had every bit of sweetness in it. 

Overall, it was a great night with great food.  The total was over a hundred dollars however it was worth it.  The taro could have been better or they could have given us a better cut but that was really the only blemish all night.  One should give it a try at this place.  I am sure you would not disappoint.  If one does not read Chinese make sure you get the waitress or manager to read you the specials on the chalkboard.  You would not be disappointed.  In closing, I give this place a 4 out of 5.

Watami Sushi and Grill
4372 Steeles Avenue East  Toronto, ON M1V 4S5

905 477-4567

New Congee Queen

There is a new Congee Queen in town and it's literally across the street from where I live.  Having said that, even though this is my first blog about this place, we have actually been there on 4 separate occasions alreadyand this place has only been opened for 2 weeks.

We went there with a couple of our friends and decided to order a few dishes to share.  We went with the Chicken, the Snow Pea Leaves in Goji Berry with Congee, the Shrimp with Egg Sauce Rice dish, Rice Noodle Roll and Fried Vermicelli with Shrimp and Chicken in Home Style. .

Rice Noodle Roll

Chicken

The first thing to arrive was the Rice Noodle Roll and unfortunately this was one of the worse dishes ever. I get the fact that the place was packed and lined up all the way outdoors however there was no excuse really on  why such an easy dish to make was so hard to stomach.  It came with some soya and peanut sauce however no amount of sauce could save this dish.  It was mushy, "diluted" as if starch was missing and just had bad texture all around.  Very disappointed with this dish.

The chicken was next to arrive next and this was more satisfying.  There was plenty of meat on the chicken unlike some of the other places where we have eaten before where there was no meat at all on the chicken.  It was well cooked and quite tasty and the ginger and onion sauce was satisfactory.

Shrimp with Scrambled Egg Sauce Rice

Fried Vermicelli with Shrimp and Chicken in Home Style

Next to arrive was the Shrimp with Scrambled Egg Sauce Rice.  Now, I am not a huge egg fan of any sort so it was difficult for me to really judge the quality of this dish.  There was definitely a very strong egg taste to it.  It almost seemed like there was like 2 or 3 yokes  used to make this dish.  I  personally thought it was too strong of a taste of egg as it even overwhelmed the shrimp taste however my fellow peers thought that this was definitely one of the best dishes all night. 

The shrimp and chicken fried vermicelli was next to arrive and to me this was one of my favorite dishes.  The vermicelli was not over fried and there was enough peppers, shrimp, chicken and egg that blended well with the rest if the vermicelli.  It was not oily and not overly salty either.  Just a nice simple dish to serve with the rest of the food.

The last to arrive was the Snow Pea Leaves in Goji Berry with Congee.  Congee alone is boring and bland but added with snow peas and suddenly this is a congee that is a must have.  For those who love congee but can't stand the blandness in it, this is one dish that one can try.  Although it is one of the more expensive items on the menu, it certainly warrants a go.  

Snow Pea Leaves in Goji Berry with Congee

Dessert

After we finished our meals, we were given dessert by the waiters.  Now I haven't been to a Congee Queen in quite some time but this is the first time dessert was served and it was good!!!  It was a mixture of beans and grass jelly and it was not overly sweet but just sweet enough that it left a lasting impression.  The dish was lukewarm and it was not thick and gooey like a red bean dessert soup.  I loved this dessert and I hope that this not just a grand opening promotation.

Overall, my first visit inside this new Congee Queen was descent.  Subsequent meals were satisfactory.  I suggest that if you were to order take out that you place your order by phone and then pick it up as this would save you a ton of time and if one is coming during peak hours that you get there early or be prepared to wait.  I enjoyed my stay at Congee Queen.  It certainly is comparable to the other Congee Queens in the GTA.  Overall I give it a 3.75 out of 5.

Congee Queen
3850 Sheppard Ave East
Scarborough Ontario

416-321-8288

Pete's Fine Dining

Pending on which site you surf on or which website you've seen, Pete's Fine Dining restaurant is ranked the second best restaurant in Markham.  Having said that we decided to make reservations and give this place a try.  Talking on the gentleman on the phone, he was hesitant at first to book us in because we had a little one with us.  We promised him that she would be quiet throughout the dinner and that if she was going to be a dsitrubance then we would remove ourselves from the restaurant. 

We got there 15 minutes early however they had our table all ready to go.  While we were reading the menu, they brought over to us freshly baked garlic bread.  The restaurant was fully packed but the waiters made sure we were served right away. 

After looking at the menu, the four decided to split and share some of the food.  We ordered the Stuffed Filet of Sole, the 24 oz T-Bone Steak and the 24-oz Bone in Rib Steak. 

All of the food arrived at the same time and it looked pretty good.  The Tender Bone in Rib Steak was quite juicy and soft.  We asked for medium rare and we got medium rare.  The steak was sprinkled with black pepper and marinated with a touch of barbeque sauce.  It was quite delicious and definitely a must have for any meat lover.  The meat they served us looked a lot bigger than 24 oz but no one was complaining at the table.

24 oz T-Bone Steak

Stuffed Filet of Sole

24-oz Bone in Rib Steak

The Stuffed Filet of Sole was amazing to say the least.  There are two types of filet of sole.  There is one that is just the fish and there is one that is stuffed with crab meat, baby shrimp and scallops and for a couple bucks more, I am so glad I took this one over the plain one.  The seafood mixed inside the fish was absolutely delicious.  With a nice sauce added to the seafood, their stuffed filet is a definite must have for any seafood lover.  This dish also comes with rice, baked potato or french fries as a side. 

The 24 oz T-Bone Steak was just as good.  Not as soft of course as the rib steak but just as good.  With a touch of New York sauce, this too was a very nice done piece of meat.  Again we asked for medium rare and we got it to perfection.  Vegetables and a baked potato were the sides used for this dish.

Overall, this was a wonderful experience to have.  The waiters were not pushy despite being such a busy place.  THe interior is elegant and the restaurant set inside an old house gives it that old fashion effect.  These guys have been in business for about 50 years and it shows.  A great place for a romantic night or for a small party.  They also have a party room I believe in the basement of this place.  The price, although a little pricey is well worth it.  Overall I give it a 5 out of 5.

Pete's Fine Dining
5701 Regional Road 7  Markham, ON L3P 1A9
(905) 294-9039