Crab Harbour Restaurant

The Crab Harbour Restaurant is a new restaurant that just opened their doors approximately 2 months ago in the heart of Richmond Hill.  The restaurant specializes in some of the most intriguing ways of cooking an Alaskan snow crab.  Scanning their menu, there is both an a la carte section as well as a set menu which they have listed for $58.89/person.  We made reservations for the evening however when we got there, we noticed that the restaurant was only a half full.

Since there were four of us we thought it would be best to go with four set menus.  We figured it was the easiest way to go.  There was also a line on the menu that say an extra $30 per 1.5lbs.  When the server came out he said the set menu would mean we would have 6.0 lbs to spare however the first 2lbs would not count.  When he brought four crabs out (basically one per person), the total weight after the 2lbs was subtracted was 5.6 lbs. That was like 1.6 lbs over and therefore we would be charged an extra $50 for the evening.  Seeing that it was quite a significant addition, we asked the guy to find four crabs to bring it within the 4lbs difference.  After hemming and hawing for a couple of minutes, he came and said the 4 smallest crabs were 5.2 lbs in total, which means we would still be on the hook for an extra 36 dollars.  It's a tactic that is performed but some of the other restaurants in the city and I would have none of it.  We told them that if they could not find us 4 crabs for under 4lbs total then we were going to leave.  It's not a matter of being cheap or anything but why should the restaurant take advantage of us and force us to pay extra.  It's rather misleading and deceiving. If all the crabs are going to go over, either make your prices to $80.00 per person or don't price it this way.  While this was going on, the table behind us had the exact same issue and after hearing them argue back and forth with their server, they decided to leave.  A new waitress came by and said in order to overcome this juggernaut, they were going to serve us 3 crabs instead of 4 just to get it under 4lbs total.

We reluctantly agreed as the new waitress said she was going to everything right for us that night.  The first to arrive were the appetizers.  Each person oddly got something different.  I got some ginger and beets in mine, while others got seaweed and a different combination of appetizers. 

Appetizer

The Steamed Egg Custard Soup arrived and this was served inside an egg shaped bowl.  By keeping the top on, it kept the dish nice and hot.  What really made this dish standout was the beautiful taste of the Steamed Egg Custard.  It was rather smooth and went down very easily.  Although some may have found the contents to be rather salty, compared to some of the other dishes served that night, it was probably one of the more tastier dishes for the evening. 


Next to arrive was one whole Alaskan snow crab.  Basically the crab had been steamed and cooled.  The legs and claws were all individually cracked open already. Each person also got a small bowl of crab tomalley.  The crab tomalley was tasty while the crab meat itself was well, crabby.  If you ever had crab meat before, there really isn't a great taste to it.  Unless it is mixed with something else, the crab meat would taste about the same as any other crab.

Alaskan Snow Crab

Next to arrive was the Crab Legs Sashimi.  The crab legs had an interesting texture to them in that they were coarse yet soft to the tongue.  One had to literally suck the meat off the legs.  There was a sauce that also came with the legs to assist with the taste.

Crab Legs Sashimi

Next to arrive was the Grilled Crab Paste.  This was basically a mixture of the crab tomalley, crab minced meat and some green onions all served inside a crab's head shell.  Despite all the ingredients mixed together, this dish was surprisingly disappointing.  There was very little to no taste to it at all despite all the ingredients.  It also didn't help matters that the ingredients were all somewhat cold when it arrived. Even though they were only going to serve us three crabs instead of four for the evening, four crab shells arrived on a plate.  The waitress said she was trying to make it right for us so that we could all enjoy the evening so she went in and got four crabs for us instead of the three.

Grilled Crab Taste

The Shrimp Tempura arrived next.  Normally they often serve Crab Legs Tempura however we were told that they didn't have enough in stock and therefore Shrimp Tempura was all they could muster for the evening.  There wasn't anything special about the tempura.  Just simple shrimp with batter was all there was to it.

Shrimp Tempura

The Grilled Crab arrived next and this consisted of 9-10 crab legs that were grilled in tin foil and in a grill.  Again there was no special sauces that went with the grilled crab.  It was dry crab grilled in a pan.  The meat was fresh yet simple however the portions were somewhat small.

Grilled Crab Legs

Last to arrive was the Featured Crab Shabu.   To me, this was probably the best meal all night.  The mixture of lettuce, noodles, crab legs, tofu and bean sprouts mixed with a tasty soup finally hit all the right spots in my stomach.  Up until now, I was still quite hungry and felt like I hadn't anything filling all night.  All those ingredients only provided about 2 bowls per person.  In retrospect, I wish that more of this shabu was provided as it was by far the best meal of the night.

Featured Crab Shabu

I have to admit I was a little bit turned off with their whole method of trying to get more money out of our pockets.  I like people to be up front with us and not have any deception.  If the second waitress didn't come by and assist us with our orders and eventually gave us our fourth crab, we probably would have left the restaurant just like the table behind us.  The food truthfully was somewhat bland and quite simply put, too simple to be charging $60.00 per person.  There was no creativity to many of the dishes. If I was to ever come back again, I would just order the shabu and the steamed custard egg as they are the only two where I thought brought the best value.   Without the shabu and the waitress that evening, I would have given them a 2.5 out of 5. With them, I would give them a 3 out of 5. 

Crab Harbour Restaurant
280 West Beaver Creek Unit 38
Richmond Hill, Ontario

905-731-5570

Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory is more than just great tasting cheesecakes.  For many Canadians who flock down to Buffalo, the Cheesecake Factory is the one place most Canadians love to frequent.  With long lineups just to get a slice of cheesecake, patrons are willing to wait for about to 30 minutes for their slice.  Their lunches and dinners however are also worthy of a go.  Often after sitting in the car for an hour or two just to get to Buffalo, a nice afternoon lunch at the Factory certainly wouldn't hurt at all. And so, on a Friday afternoon, we decided to head on out over there.  The place was half full and there was no lineup at all to get in. If this was the weekend, I'm sure a totally different scenario would be played out.  We were given a booth right away and the server gave us our drinks and menus.  We scanned the menu quickly and after a few minutes, decided to share 4 dishes of which 1 of them was a kid's meal.

First to arrive was the Pepperoni Pizza.  This pizza was loaded with pepperonis.  You definitely got your money's worth if you are a meat lover.  The pizza itself was simple with cheese dripping off to the side mixed with the pepperoni.  The thing that impressed me the most was the size and crispiness of the pizza.  This was a "kid's meal" but I could assure you that there was no way my three-year old was going to be able to finish even half of it on her own.  Every bite of the pizza was mouth watering and crispy.  The pepperonis were a tad bit spicy to the point where my daughter actually got rid of all of hers when she was eating the pizza. Still, the pizza was better than some of the other pizzas I have had in the past, and this was right to the crust.  

Pepperoni Pizza

The Seared Tuna Tataki Salad was next to arrive and this was basically five or six pieces of perfectly seared tuna served with four slices of tomatoes and a bunch of leafy vegetables and avocado.  The tuna also came with its own dipping sauce.  The only problem with this salad was that with so few leafy vegetables that it was almost impossible to split amongst the four of us.  Even for a single person did I find the salad to be a little bit on the small side.  The dish itself was excellent however as it hit all of our taste buds in a positive way and the tuna was nice and fresh.  I just wished that it contained a few more vegetable leaves in it to make a true salad.

Seared Tuna Tataki Salad

The Da Vinci Pasta looked really yummy and appeared to be quite filling.  Mixed with garlic, onion, chicken bits, parsley and mushrooms, this pasta was definitely one of my favorites for the afternoon.  The key to success and taste to this pasta was the red wine that was also added to the pasta.  The combination of all of these ingredients really brought this pasta out to the forefront.  The colors were vibrant and one could definitely taste the red wine in the pasta.  With a small sprinkle of cheese on top, this pasta really filled you up and in a very good way.  The individual penne pastas were all well dressed and none of it was overly creamy and sticky. This pasta is a very good choice to have if you do visit the Cheesecake Factory in the very near future.

Da Vinci Pasta

Last to arrive that day was the Firecracker Salmon Rolls.  These rolls contained a chili sauce mixed with spinach and salmon pressed tightly together in a crispy roll.  The rolls were a little spicy but truthfully they were not that spicy at all.  The pepperoni in the pizza was more spicier than these firecracker salmon rolls. The lack of zip in them really took away the "firecracker" in them in that there just wasn't any wow factor to these rolls.  They tasted good however I personally was expecting a little bit more especially with a name firecracker attached to it.

Firecracker Salmon Rolls

In the end however, lunch was still very good and was quite satisfying.  We actually were so full that none of us even attempted a piece of cheesecake that day.  We've them before many times before and I can assure that the cheesecake here is some of the best.  Next time we won't order as much food so that we can save our stomachs for a little cheesecake.   Other than that, the people were very friendly and it was definitely a very satisfying lunch for all of us.  Overall I give it a 4 out of 5.  

1 Wallden Galleria
Cheektowaga, New York

(716) 685-2600

Trios Bistro

If one misses the Trios Bistro while touring downtown Toronto, one could not be fully blamed as this wonderful restaurant is not located with the naked eye.  It's location is inside the Marriott Hotel  in downtown Toronto location most closest to the Eaton's Centre. 

The restaurant is hosted by award winning chef Abraham Garcia and has a menu that is affordable and food that is dynamic, tasty and filling.  Having gone their on and off for the past 8 years for snacks, drinks, lunch and dinners, this restaurant sure knows how to treat their customers well.

I have had their Sweet Potato Fries and their Classic Caesar Salad before and they are both very good and very filling.   Their tastes are not overly strong but just enough to get you satisfied.  This past weekend we visited the place once again to have lunch and this time I went with their Beer Battered Haddock and Chips. ($18.00)

Beer Battered Haddock and Chips

The order took a little while to arrive as there were about ten of us.  While we were waiting they kept us breadsticks and bread to keep us from completely passing out.  The waiters kept filling our cups with whatever beverage we had ordered for lunch which was pleasant and nice.

My dish finally arrived and two rather large pieces of haddock were placed in a newspaper type paper.  There were also some fries and tartar sauce that came with it.  Cutting into the fish, the inside of the fish was steaming hot.  The fish was nice and white and was cooked to perfection.  The fish was soft, fresh and with the tartar sauce, a perfect combination to a very hungry stomach.  The fries were perfectly fried, not too soggy and not too burnt.  The batter on the fish was perfectly done in my mind in that it was a rather thin layer so that it did not overwhelm the fish.  I was quite satisfied with the meal and ate all the fish and ate every fry that was on the plate.

Having been here for so many years and having had so many different dishes, I don't think I have ever been disappointed coming here.  The atmosphere is perfect for conversations and meetings and the staff is always courteous and nice.  I will miss the place when my downtown meetings come to end.  If you get a chance and you want a good healthy lunch or dinner, come on over to the Trios Bistro.  You won't be disappointed.  Overall I give it a 4 out of 5.

Trios Bistro
525 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario

416-204-9018