Fisherman Villa

One place that I had not been to in quite some time was Fisherman Villa.  Located on Glen Watford Drive in the heart of Scarborough, this location has been the home of many restaurants for the past 30 years.  After many owner changes, the place is now called Fisherman Villa and on this particular evening, we were invited to join them on a 10 course meal.

Meat Platter

The first thing to arrive was the assorted meat platter.  I have to admit I was impressed with the amount of food that was on the plate as well as the colorfulness of it all.  There were certainly more than 2 pieces of meat per item per person on the plate.  The quality of the food was pretty good as the pork, the sausages and the squid were all very tender and fresh.

Crabmeat Balls 

The crabmeat balls  looked nice and big as they sat at the table. It appeared that the chef also added some small dried fish on the outside of the crab meat ball to give it some extra flavor.  The outer shell was nice and crispy and many and the inside was burning hot.  Unlike some places, the claw was taken out and only the crab ball remained.  

Scallops with Assorted Vegetables

The popular scallops with assorted vegetables dish arrived next and looked just as colorful and artistic on presentation.  Although this is a simple dish to stir fry and make, the chef certainly gave it some extra effort to make it more presentable.  The scallops were again fresh and tender and all the vegetables blended well with the seafood.  The entire dish was too salty and actually provided some of that pureness of what great Chinese food was all about.

Shark Fin Soup

No ten course traditional Chinese meal could be complete without its shark fin soup and in this case it sure did not disappoint.  There was plenty of shark fin inside the soup and the broth tasted very, very good. Again, the amount of saltiness was just perfect although one could simply add some red vinegar to further enhance the taste.  I did not hear a single complain from any of my fellow peers who were enjoying this meal with us.

Chicken

The steamed chicken tasted just as good.  This golden color chicken was steamed to perfection with no traces of rawness in it.  There was also three bowls of ginger onion sauce to go with the chicken.  It tasted great with each piece having plenty of skin, just the right proportion of fat to meat.

Mushrooms with Vegetables

The ten course meal really covers all its bases and for those who don't like meat or seafood then the next dish is for you.  The mushroom and vegetables plate looked juicy and tasty.  With two types of mushrooms and plenty of vegetables immersed in a nicely made broth, this dish was great to have to absorb all the fat that one had been eating up until this point.  The mushrooms were all nice and soft and had absorbed much of the broth which made them even more tastier.  A good dish to have and a good alternative to all the meat and seafood that had been served.

Fish

Two pieces of steamed talapia were next to hit the table.  Again, the chef steamed it to perfection with the meat sliding off the bone and not a trace of rawness was in the fish.  There was plenty of soya sauce to go with the fish.  Again, another great dish to have that was made to near perfection.

Lobster

One of the last things to arrive was the stir fried lobster and this was made like most typical stir fried lobsters. With some ginger and green onions mixed with the lobster, the lobster tasted pretty much like any lobster at any Chinese restaurant.  The only problem I had was that it was pretty much the last major dish to be served for the evening and by the time that it got to here, most people were pretty much done.  The food for dishes 1-7 had done its job as everyone was pretty much waving the white flag by the time the lobster had arrive.  I had a piece of the tail and a piece of the claw and they were fantastic.

Despite all the changes in ownership, this place can still rock out a good meal.  It was pretty quiet even though it was a weekend evening however much of it could be the fact that many have passed through those doors before and many feel that once the past is gone, the past is gone.  I have to admit that the meal was pretty decent and everyone left pretty happily.  There was also the traditional rice and noodles and red bean dessert which most people just nibbled on as everyone was pretty full.  Overall, pretty happy with the meal and with its service.  I give it a 4.25 out of 5.


Fisherman Villa
25 Glen Watford Road
Scarborough, Ontario

416-321-1625

Ming's Cuisine

One could say that Ming's Cuisine is one of those upscale Chinese cuisine restaurants that very few people know about because it is tucked and hidden in a plaza in Richmond Hill.  However, those who have been there before know that once you eat there once, you will definitely want to eat there again.  The restaurant itself serves a number of special Chinese dishes but the area they seem to favor the most is the seafood side of the business.  On this wonderful occasion, we had decided to celebrate my mother in law's birthday at the restaurant.

When we got there, it was good that we had reservations as the place was pretty full when we came in.  The only thing that is very tricky is that the seats and tables are very close to one another.  People with strollers and walkers may have a difficult time navigating through some of their tight quarters.  Their menu was filled with wonderful selections however we decided to go with one of their special packages which had a little bit of everything in it.  In addition, we also order their signature Chicken in Wasabi sauce as we were unsure if we were going to be short one dish or not.

Once the special package was selected, the chefs went straight to work.  However before any of the main courses were served, they first came out with their appetizers which was a Deep Fried Diced Tofu with Fried Fish.  In addition to all of that, there were also some Grilled Taiwanese Sausages and what I will call a Chinese Salad to go with the meal.  The Chinese salad was different in that they used cold black seaweed  as part of the salad. It was certainly the first time I had it this way and remarkably with a bit of sesame oil, the salad was quite tasty.  The deep fried tofu was pretty good in that small fried fish accompanied the tofu on the outside.  That provided that extra bit of taste and saltiness to the tofu which made it extra good.

Deep Fried Diced Tofu and Fried Fish

The appetizers soon arrived and one of the first dishes to arrive was the Deep Fried Spare Pork Ribs.  This dish was presented in a long plate and had simple garnishes sprinkled on top of it.  The ribs themselves were very tender with each bite of the meat nice and soft.  There were no hard to chew pieces and there was virtually no fat visible in any of the pieces.  They were all very delicious to have with one's meal.

Deep Fried Spare Pork Ribs

One of my favorite dishes of the night had to be the Lobster meat fried in Salty Egg Yolk and Pumpkin.  This dish was absolutely fantastic.  For the cholesterol conscious people, this dish might be one to avoid or have only one small piece to have although personally, I had about 3-4 pieces of this dish.  Each piece of lobster meat was covered in large amounts of salty egg yolk and pumpkin.  By doing this,each fried lobster pieces gave one a pop each time you bit into one.  It was very, very delicious as each piece was nice and crispy and was loaded with meat and yolk.

Lobster in Salty Egg Yolk and Pumpkin

The only possible blemish of the night was the Chinese Broccoli with Sun Dried Fish.  Most Chinese people will like this dish because of its purity and that it was more or less the only vegetable to be served for the evening.  The broccoli also had some nuts and carrots sprinkled on top more for presentation although it provide that small bit of diversity in it.  Why I say it was a blemish was because the Chinese broccoli itself was a little bitter and for those who don't like vegetables with bitter taste in it, then this dish might not be best for you.  I personally like snow peas myself for vegetables and I'm sure that if asked, one could possibly substitute it for something else.

Chinese Broccoli with Sun Dried Fish

One of my favorite dishes for the evening was the Chicken marinated in Wasabi sauce.  I have never this combination before and as a chicken lover, I was eager to find out what this dish was all about.  The chicken itself is a simple steamed chicken.  What makes attractive or unattractive is that the skin gives it that bit of juicy flavor.  The amount of wasabi that they used is not that much so that it does not overwhelm the overall taste of the chicken.  Some people might find it spicy but I actually didn't find it spicy at all.  You can definitely taste the wasabi however one could still enjoy the chicken without having to grab a cup of water every two seconds.

Chicken in Wasabi Sauce

Another method for making the lobster was stir frying the lobster and putting vermicelli on top.  Oddly enough we never ordered any rice or noodles on top of the special package so this was our "rice" for the evening.  The lobster tasted very good but the vermicelli tasted extra better.  With just that bit of sauce added to the vermicelli, it provided just enough taste in that it wasn't overly salty and the entire dish had you salivating for more.  Although it didn't seem like a lot of vermicelli, there actually was enough for 7-8 people and for almost everyone to have seconds if they liked.  The lobster was brilliantly made with no complaints from everyone at the table.

Stir Fried Lobster with Maggie Sauce and Vermicelli

Steam fish was as perfect as one could make it.  With loads of soya sauce and oil, the main thing is to make sure that the fish is properly cooked and not raw and the chefs hit it right on the bullseye with this dish. Again there were no complaints with how it was made or how it tasted. Good job all around.

Steamed Fish with Scallion

Overall, a great place to have dinner and a great place to celebrate one's birthday.  The food was not overly salty and much of their deep fried seafood was not caked in batter.  Everything was more or less spot on and had the feeling of royalty when presented to you.  We were all very thoroughly impressed with their meal, and with their overall service.  The total price was $268 with a 10% discount if one paid in cash.   I certainly will go there again and I would recommend this to everyone to give it a try.  Overall, I would give it a 4.5 out of 5.

Ming's Cuisine
1 Spadina Road
Richmond Hill, Ontario

905-883-7688

Moji Japanese Eatery

A small Japanese noodle house located in centre of Markham offers some of the best noodles that one could find in that city.  Moji Japanese Eatery is a restaurant that had opened recently. Its clean and friendly staff made it extra easy for people to sit and have a relaxing time and with photos of their food popping up online looking marvelous, it sure was a no-brainer for one to come and check out this establishment. We got their on a weekend afternoon and the place was half full.  We had gotten a seat right away which was great as we were all quite famished for the day.  Their menu again looked quite appetizing so after scanning the entire menu, he four of us all decided to order something a little different.

Mixed Fruit Ginger Tea

I wasn't feeling too well that afternoon, had lost my voice and was fighting a cold and I was hard pressed to find any good ginger teas in the neighborhood but as luck would have it, Moji's actually had one on their menu.  Normally I don't talk about the teas but this one was exceptionally good.  With steam pouring off the top, this mixed fruit ginger tea was hit all the right spots.  It was not overly sweet and had plenty of ginger extract in it.  The cup was no small cup either so certainly well worth the money one is paying. 

Avocado Don

The Avocado Don was a dish that we had ordered for my daughter.  She loves avocadoes and crab meat so this dish was perfect for her.  Presentation wise it looked like a piece of art.  There were plenty of crab meat and the avocado was yellow and green with not a hint of blackness in it indicating that it was freshly cut and served.  There was again plenty of rice underneath all those ingredients and it was so yummy that my daughter actually finished the entire bowl herself.  For those who are not interested in rice noodles and would like a refreshing rice and salad, I think this bowl would certainly do the trick. 

Unagi Don

I could best describe this item as this was my main dish for the day and it was absolutely tasty and delicious.  The eel was beautifully done with the perfect texture and seasoning and with fresh seaweed, beans melons, ginger and eggs, this dish was an absolute delight to have.  The eel was not mushy or stale and one could tell it was quite fresh when it was served.  There were plenty of rice along the bottom and the bowl, even though it is difficult to see from the photos, was rather large.  I would highly recommend this dish to anyone who loves Unagi Don as this one in my mind was made to perfection. 

Gyu Donburi

I didn't really get a chance to taste this dish but I did have a taste of the soup base and it tingled on the right senses when I had it.  It was seasoned perfectly and according to my friend, the beef was very thinly sliced and it too tasted as advertised. 

Seafood Tempura Donburi

My wife ordered the Seafood Tempura Donburi and pretty much gave it a thumbs on this dish.  The soup base could have been a touch more seasoned as it was slightly bland but otherwise she was happy with her order.  The shrimp tempura was crispy and hot when served and the shrimp was not soggy and mushy indicating that it too was pretty fresh.  There was also some squid inside her bowl of noodle soup, about a half dozen pieces or so.  The squid was tender and with some corn, eggs, beans and mushrooms it was a near perfect dish for her to have.  

Overall, everything tasted amazing.  I was able to take a sample of each of the items that were ordered and I can tell you that everything was fresh and tasty and the soup bases were spot on where it was not too salty or loaded with MSG.  I would definitely come back again although parking could be crazy there on the weekends however if you get a chance to go visit New Kennedy Square at Highway 7 and Kennedy Road be sure to pay a visit to Moji Japanese Eatery.  I am sure you would not be disappointed.  Overall I give it a 4.5 out of 5.


Moji Japanese Eatery
8362 Kennedy Road
Markham, Ontario

905-479-6654