Glow Fresh Grill and Wine Bar

Last week a few of us decided to celebrate a friend's birthday out over at Glow Fresh Grill and Wine Bar located at the Shops at Don Mills.  We had made reservations and upon entering the restaurant we were directed to our seats.  There was a live band playing inside and the place was half full. 

Taking a look at the menu, there seemed to be a lot of elaborate dishes ranging from $6 to $18 in the appetizers column and $20-$40 dollars in the entree department.  They also had some specials for the day which came on a separate sheet of paper.  The four of us decided to go with the charcuterie board, a seafood special of the day and a roasted french veal chop. 

Charcuterie Board

The charcuterie board  arrived first and looks wise it looked pretty good.  It was served on a log and contained various organic meats, sliced parmesan wedge and preserves.  The sliced meat and cheese were very thin and very good.  When the two were combined, it provided the perfect contrast to one another.  I highly recommend this to anyone coming into this place as it was one of the best dishes on the menu.

Lobster Tail and Seafood Special

Next up was the seafood special.  On this evening there was a lobster tail served with shrimp and on rice.  Appearance wise it was certainly very interesting because there was also a piece of green onion? slapped on top of the lobster tail.  The lobster tail itself was not the greatest in that one can tell it is not fresh.  The tail my wife had was mushy in texture which often means that the lobster tail has been in the fridge for a little while.  Taste wise both the lobster and the rice were a little bland as I could not get the full taste of either one.  It might have been better had they had some special spices to it or even just at some diced garlic or onion on top of it.  The green onion was neither appealing nor did it fit with the entire dish.  I did not try the shrimp so I can not comment on that part. 

Roasted French Veal Chop

I myself had actually ordered the roasted french veal chop all to myself.  This was served on soft polenta, sauteed swiss chard and puttanesca sauce.  The sauce itself was fine however I have to admit this was probably one of my least favorite dishes of all time.  The meat itself was very tough in some parts and very rare in others.  The meat when placed in this "messy" dish made it almost impossible to cut.  I was more worried about splashing part of my dinner onto my guests as even with a very sharp steak knife, the meat was just not co-operating.  The sauce made the meat very "soggy" which compounded the problem and it was just as chewy when one is trying to chew the meat.  This was certainly not a very highly recommended dish. 

Overall the appetizer had an amazing wow factor to it however the entrees were certainly less than desirable.  There was some side parking near the restaurant which we took advantage of however on a busy night don't be surprised if you have to find parking at a nearby lot.  Certainly a restaurant of this sorts commanded top dollar however the food unfortunately did not quite match it.  Avoid the two dishes mentioned and you might have a better time.  The only good thing besides the appetizer was that wine in a glass or in a bottle was half price on Mondays.  Otherwise I certainly have had better food at other places. I give this place a 2.5 out of 5.

Glow Fresh Grill and Wine Bar
7 Marie Labatte Road  Toronto, ON M3C 0J1

(416) 384-1133

Gold Bowl Asian Noodle Soup

Last night I decided to take a shot at a brand new restaurant in Scarborough.  Gold Bowl Asian Noodle Soup just opened up 3 weeks ago in the north east corner of Kennedy Road and Sheppard Avenue.  This place has special discounts for happy hour and serves mostly snacks, ramen and Vietnamese noodles. 

I went with a medium size corn and pork ramen noodle with a cold milk tea.  I got there well before six  just to check out the place, the menu and the staff.  The place quite bright with lots of lights spotlighting down on you.  The menu is simple yet somewhat limited in its number of choices.  The staff were courteous and kept checking up on me every ten minutes to make sure I was okay.  There were about 20 tables inside the restaurant and when the clock struck 6:30, the place was suddenly three quarters filled. 

The noodles arrived shortly after it was ordered.  There were about 4-5 pieces of pork in my bowl, a soft boiled egg, a scattered amount of corn, green onions, seaweed and of course noodles.  The soup base was actually quite nice and not too salty.  A review from another site had mentioned that it was heavy on MSG but the one I had last night was absolutely perfect.  The noodles were perfectly cooked and had a good egg noodle taste to it.  The pork was thin but absorbed all the taste of the noodles and the soup.  Even the iced coffee tasted pretty good. 

Corn and Pork Ramen Noodle Soup

Overall, it was not bad at all.  While I read that some other sites had rated this place with a lower rating, I certainly did not feel that way.  I also order a ramen as a take out for my wife afterwards and she too found it to be pretty good.  My two friends who were with me last night also had no reported problems with their meals.  Parking can be a potential problem even though there is a 4 story parking garage located in the back.  Some people I have spoken to said they would not come by here because the plaza is fairly old and just getting a parking spot is a nightmare.  Although that may be true, that would certain give this new place an unfair shake.  Food wise it was pretty good and if you don't give this place a shot, then I think you might be missing out. I will certainly comeback for more that is for sure. Overall I would give this place a 4 out of 5. 

Gold Bowl Asian Noodle Soup
4002 Sheppard Avenue
Scarborough, Ontario

(647) 351-8768

Golden Horse Restaurant

The other night we went out to Golden Horse Restaurant also known as Macau Street when translated from Chinese to English.  This restaurant is similar to the Dicken's or Boston Steak House in Scarborough in that they serve a variety of "tea food hall" style foods.  Tonight I decided to go with a spaghetti pork chop in tomato sauce with a nice ice cold lemon tea.

The meal arrived rather quickly and was served on a hot plate.  The portions itself was rather large and I knew right away that if I were to finish the entire meal that I would be one very full person.  There were about two pieces of pork chops and as I was cutting into it, I could tell the meat was quite tender and soft.  The meat was neither too fat nor too lean and it was quite juicy and tasty with the tomato sauce.  There was also a slight cheesy taste to the tomato sauce and a sprinkling of carrots and peas on top of the entire meal.  the spaghetti was nice and thick and nicely cooked.  Needless to say the entire meal was quite filling and well worth the price as advertised. 

Spaghetti Pork Chop in Tomato Sauce

 Staff was very courteous and there were some familiar faces that ended up serving our meals as well that night.  Parking could be a potential problem as there are not a lot of spaces available and with the Ministry of Transportation beside them, it could pose to be a potential problem in the future.  Otherwise there were certainly many other meals available to choose from on their menu in which I would certain go back again in the future to try them.  No real complaints as it was a decent place.  Overall I give my overall experience a 3.75 out of 5. 

Golden Horse Restaurant
4589 Hwy 7 East, Unit 3

Phone: (905) 940-3288