Golden Regency Restaurant

Today we had a chance to enjoy a ten-course meal at Golden Regency Restaurant.  It is located in Pacific Mall in the south Markham which is also home of hundreds of Chinese stores in the area.  There were about 15 of us and we were here to celebrate a birthday so as a result we decided to go big or go home. By the way sorry about the bad quality of the pictures.  Lots of food not a whole lot of space.

The first dish to arrive is of course the meat dish.  It comes with the usual pork for one to consume.  However this time around, there was something a little different.  Tonight it came with pork’s feet.  Now normally you wouldn’t see this type of thing on the first dish and I have to admit it wasn’t all that great tasting. 

The next thing to arrive was the winter melon soup.  The melon soup is a huge tradition in Chinese culture.  They will cut the melon top off and take some of the meat out.  They added mushrooms and dried scallions to give it that extra flavor.  The melon looked like a decent size and it was more than enough to serve all of us.  There was so much in fact that some of it had to be brought home for consumption. 

Chicken

Meat Combination

Next came the shark fin soup.  This controversial soup was okay although it was lacking slightly in taste and flavor.  I don’t know if it was wise to serve this back to back with the winter melon soup as I think the winter melon soup took away some of the taste.  Plus after drinking two bowls of the winter melon soup it was difficult to down another 1 or 2 bowls of shark fin soup. 

Next came some of the vegetables.  The chicken, scallops in beans and carrots were to arrive.  The scallops were soft and juicy and nicely done.  The chicken was chicken.  The beans and carrots were unremarkable.  Overall the dish was good but nothing special.

Then came the shrimp and beans in egg white.  Interesting dish.  Again on its own it probably would have been remarkable but given the similarity to its previous dish I thought it was odd that they would serve a dish so close to the previous one.  I am not a big egg white fan so I really couldn’t tell you whether it was great or not.  I can tell you that there was a lot left behind. 

Winter Melon Soup

Chicken, scallops and Beans

Shark Fin Soup

Next came the fried fish.  With some seafood and broccoli on top of the dish it provided the dish with an interesting contrast in texture.  The crunchiness on the bottom with the softness on top provided a good contrast.  Of importance, it was good that the food was served right away as the fried fish would have easily become soggy and soft. 

I believe the next one to arrive was the scallops in cucumber dish on top of bok choy.  I liked this dish only because it was somewhat refreshing of sorts.  Not a whole lot of MSG and not too bland, it was almost cooked as is.  Sure there was sauce and all but it tasted good and healthy. 

There was also a lobster in there as well. I have to admit was gently surprised of how this dish was made.  It could have easily been made with just simple garlic on lobster.  However, this one came with vermicelli and the lobster’s membrane and brain matter mixed in one.  This is something quite unique as I have had it only once one other time not here at this restaurant.  Very nicely done and when served hot, this dish was excellent. 

Bean and Shrimp in Egg White Sauce

Chicken Feet with Mushroom

Beans and Meat

Scallops in Cucumber on top of Bok Choy

Fried Fish

Last but not least was the chicken.  It was fried well and sprinkled with some spices to add to the flavour.  The meat was half dried half juicy.  Personally I have always enjoyed the juicier chickens because the dry chickens are very difficult to swallow and are often flavorless. 

There was also the traditional rice and noodles and red bean dessert.  The red bean dessert soup was somewhat nasty.  It was very water downed and had absolutely no taste to it.   Not too many of us ate it.  It was just unfortunate that it had to be the last meal of the night although by then thank goodness all of us were full. 

Lobster

With plenty of free parking and space, this restaurant can see almost 250-300 people.  It is also very popular for weddings and there was even one going on when we were there.  Loved the lobster, hated the first dish and the last.  Of importance, if you want the winter melon soup the way we had it one has to call in and order a few days in advance because it takes almost a day to make it.  If it wasn’t for the lobster it could have gotten lower marks.  I give this a 3.25 out of 5. 


Golden Regency Restaurant
4300 Steeles Avenue E
Markham, ON
(905) 948 - 8811

Vietnam Noodle Star

This afternoon we strolled into a nicely recently renovated restaurant in Vietnam Noodle Star.  Located in North Scarborough this place has been in existence for well past 10 years.  With plenty of free parking at the front and facing Finch Avenue, it can be easily located if you are driving along Finch.  

Malaysian Curry Chicken on Rice

Fried Chicken Wings

 We got there just around noon hour and ordered quickly as there were plenty of patrons in the restaurant and a crowd had started to form at the front.  I ordered the Malaysian Curry Chicken on Rice.  We also order a side dish of chicken wings for everyone.  Others order a Pho, Pork Chops on Rice and Fried Shrimp Rice.

Pork Chops on Rice

Pho

 

 

Fried Shrimp Rice

The food arrived quickly and promptly.  My curry chicken smelled delicious and having had this here at the restaurant numerous times before, I knew I would not be disappointed.  Although the level of spiciness is subjective, on a scale of 1 - 10 as to the spiciness of this dish I would give this a 6.  It is not too spicy but just enough to give you a pretty good tingle.  If you are not into it, you can always order the Thai curry which I heard is less spicy here.  You also have a choice of garlic bread and roti.  I have tried having this dish with the garlic bread and for what reason, it certainly increases the level of spiciness.  The chicken wings were good.  There were nicely fried and hot when they arrived.  Nothing extraordinary but in my mind better tasting than KFC .

The fried shrimp rice looked good.  Asking the person who ordered the dish, he found it to be quite filing and enjoyable.  It is also quite large so he only ended up eating half of it and packed the rest home.  With the pho, you have many options to choose from.  You can have up to 3 types of toppings inside your pho.  You get to choose and on a couple of them, you can also change the soup base if you like. 

The last one was the pork chops on rice.  Other than the meat being a little dry, it was okay.  Overall it was a good experience. We stayed there for an hour but it was a busy place.  There is a medical building in that area so I am sure there are a lot of people go down there for munch and dinner afterwards.  A good place to eat and relatively clean, I give this a 4 out of 5. 

Vietnam Noodle Star
4188 Finch Avenue East
Scarborough, ON M1S 4T6

(416) 609-9796

Shiso Tree Cafe

Another Japanese restaurant one might ask?  Yes however this restaurant doesn’t serve sushi or sashimi but Japanese style pasta.  Located in the heart of J-Town in Markham, Ontario, this restaurant serves a lot of different types of pasta.  I have to admit, I usually don’t eat a lot of pasta however I was told that this place was absolutely amazing. 

A half a dozen of us went there on a Friday night.  The place is small but has this very cozy feeling.  We brought our little one there and although we didn’t bring our stroller, a family behind us did and they had plenty of room in doing so. 

 

 Salad

Butternut Squash Soup with Garlic Bread

 We sat down and ordered our food.  For an extra seven dollars, for any pasta we ordered we could get a butternut squash with garlic bread soup plus dessert.  We all figured it was well worth the investment so we went for it.  All of us ordered a different type of pasta tonight so we had a chance to sample each one. The soup was unbelievably good.  I never thought that adding garlic bread to a soup like this would make the soup so much better.  A definitely must try when I try to make this dish at home.

I took a shot at one of the specials on the board.  It was called the Fresh Wild Grown Tomato Sauce Spaghetti with Prawns and Prosciutto.  When it arrived it smelled really good.  I took a bite into it and it was one of the best spaghettis I have ever tasted.  The tomato sauce was quite authentic in that it was made from scratch.  The noodles were soft and the overall sauce was not thick or creamy.  The prawns and prosciutto added that perfect contrast and the taste was excellent.  

 

Tarako Prawn and Corn -Pasta with Sauteed Garlic Shrimp and Corn

Tarako

Shrimp Okonomiyaki Pasta which is spaghetti sautéed with bacon, onions and shrimp

Sukiyaki

Fresh Wild Grown Tomato Sauce Spaghetti with Prawns and Prosciutto

Shiso Fries

My wife ordered the Tarako Pasta with Sauteed Garlic Shrimp and Corn.  This pasta was very creamy.  If you are a fan of creamy pastas, then this one is perfect for you.  I thought it was a tad too “heavy” to my liking but my wife absolutely loved it.  Different people have different tastes. 

One of our friends ordered the Shrimp Okonomiyaki Pasta which is spaghetti sautéed with bacon, onions and shrimp.  This dish was almost the same as the Tarako Pasta with Sauteed Garlc Shrimp and Corn in taste, appearance and texture.  Another one ordered was the Simple Tarako which contained cod roe, garlic and shimeji mushrooms garnished with nori and shiso.  I did not personally try this dish but the person who ordered it says it was fantastic. The last one was the sukiyaki which is a Japanese soy based sauce based pasta with thinly sliced rib eye beef, enoki, king oyster and shimeji mushrooms. 

Before we had dessert, we decided to order the shiso fries.  We only did this because we saw every other table in the restaurant order this.  When it arrived it was in a cone shaped appearance.  There was seaweed sprinkled on top of it and my first impression of it was that it tasted like the shake shake fries that McDonald’s use to offer it in Hong Kong.  A tad on the oily side but still very well done.  . 

Lemon Sorbet Cheesecake

Finally we had dessert and I decided to go with the cheesecake. The flavor was actually lemon sorbet and it went down well. Everyone else also had different types of dessert and each one was very good according to their accounts. 

Overall, it was a wonderful experience.  First time being there and for sure there will be a second time.  There was plenty of free parking on the side and in the front of the building. 

We give it a solid 4.5 out of 5. 

Shiso Tree Cafe

3160 Steeles Ave E
Markham, ON L3R 4G9
(905) 479-9319

Oliver Bonicini

The other night we had a chance to dine out at Oliver Bonicini.  It is a fabulous restaurant located inside Bayview Village.  I believe the place was slightly renovated recently as there appeared to fresh décor inside the restaurant.  There were about 10 of us as we were out to celebrate a birthday at the restaurant.  We ordered plenty of food and although we all order our own plates, some of us had a chance to nibble on some of our friends’ food as well just to get an overall taste of it all.

We brought a little one along.  We decided to just carry her just in case there was not enough space for the stroller.  They gave us a seat and they had a padded bench since we did not want the high chair.  The place was lightly dimmed and one had a pretty good view of the kitchen. 

I decided to order their signature Mushroom Soup for starters.  As an entrée I decided to go with the Fire Roasted Baby Back Ribs.  My wife ordered the Sesame Seared Bigeye Tuna.  Some of our other friends ordered the Fish and Chips and Ricotta and Porcini Ravioli. 

The mushroom soup arrived first for me and let me tell you it was absolutely amazing.  Not too creamy not too liquidity, the soup was perfect in texture.  I believe they used Portobello mushrooms to make this soup and it certainly did not disappoint. 

Sesame Seared Bigeye Tuna

Fire Roasted Baby Back Ribs

The rest of the entrees arrived about 10 minutes later.  The ribs looked good and delicious.  Also present was some cornbread pudding, some cold slaw and campfire baked beans but all eyes were on the ribs.  There were roughly about 8 bones of ribs on the plate.  The meat literally just fell right off the bone.  The barbeque sauce was beautiful and the meat was soft and juicy.  The ribs were excellent!  The only disappointing part on my plate was the cornbread pudding.  I also had some of the tuna that my wife had ordered and it too was beautiful.  The inside of the tuna was still raw looking and the outside of the tuna was slightly seared.  Presentation of the dish was A1.  Tasted was marvelous.  Need I say more. 

Fish and Chips

I also had a chance to sample some of the fish and chips and ravioli.  The fish and chips were nicely battered.  The fish was tasty and not too salty overall.  The ravioli was just as tasty however I have to admit I am not the biggest fan of ravioli however it was still nicely done. 

Ricotta and Porcini Ravioli

Chef’s Platter

 What is a birthday party dinner without dessert?  We decided to go with the Chef’s Platter which contained a little bit of everything on the dessert menu. The Chocolate Marquise was not that sweet, texture was great and was just light enough that it did not weigh one’s stomach down.  The platter also had in addition the cheesecake, the carrot cake and butter tart and judging from the faces of my friends it was well worth the price. 

Overall it was a wonderful experience.  Plenty of free parking and lots of high end shops to shop at over at the Bayview Village.  Everyone had a great time.  The only complain some of us had was that the proportions could have been bigger because the food was so yummy.  Otherwise a great restaurant to hang out, bring a date or throw a nice party.  Definitely a 5 out of 5.

Super Sushi House

Today we decided to try something a tad different with a Japanese restaurant.  We decided to order take out delivery from a nearby Japanese restaurant.  We found this place on the internet as it was close by and offered free delivery.  We decided to go for it and ordered a medium size sushi and sashimi platter. 

Sushi and Sashimi Platter

The lady said it would take approximately an hour for it to arrive however it arrived in about 35 minutes time.  A medium size platter contains about eighty pieces.  However we counted there were 82 pieces.  The platter looked good in that it contained butterfish, tuna, salmon sashimi and various pieces of salmon and cucumber sushi as well. 

The sashimi was quite good.  Each piece of sashimi was quite fresh and tasty.  The fish was not frozen and it was not mushy which indicates that the fish was probably pretty fresh.  The sushi however was a little bit more disappointing.  I am not too sure whether it was the fish or the rice.  The rice was a little sticky and mushy and may have ruined the sushi.  Assuming the fish inside the sushi was from the same cut as the sashimi then it is most likely the rice.  It felt like the rice had been cooked for quite some time before it was used for the sushi.  Whatever the case, the sushi was a little harder to consume. 

The total price was sixty dollars tax included.  Overall, if it was strictly the sashimi then it would have been really, really good.  The sushi unfortunately made the overall experience a disappointing one.  Not too sure if we will order again in the future.  If so, we might just stick with the sashimi.  In the end, this super sushi house was not very super at all. We will give this a 3 out of 5. 

Super Sushi House

1891 Kennedy Road,

Scarborough Ontario

(416) 412-6262

Phoenix Restaurant

Today I had lunch over at Phoenix Restaurant in Markham, Ontario.  They have multiple restaurants in the Toronto and GTA area and are famous for their Hainanese Chicken Rice aka Hoinam Chicken Rice.  For less than 8 dollars you can get this meal and have it fill your stomach whether it’s for lunch or dinner. 

After we order this dish, it arrived in about 5 minutes.  I imagine that they have a lot of this made ready as it is their signature dish and practically everyone in the restaurant was having it for lunch.  It also comes with some ginger sauce which goes with the chicken and roughly one bowl of rice.  

Hainanese Chicken Rice

 

The chicken meat is extremely soft and juicy.  Sure some can say that it’s more fattening especially with the oily skin of the chicken but friends this is what makes this dish so amazing.  The rice is slightly flavored which also helps really makes this a unique dish.  The only disappointing thing was the soup.  Not really sure what it is but it is always extremely light and bland but we are not here for the soup. 

Overall it was certainly well worth your money.  There is plenty of parking at both restaurants.  The restaurants are both clean and of note, the one over at McCowan Road renovated recently and actually expanded their restaurant space.  Although they have hundreds of other dishes, this signature dish is a must try when you go there.  I give this dish a 4.75 out of 5.

Phoenix Restaurant

7155 Woodbine Avenue

Markham Ontario L3R 1A3

(905) 940-1113

1 Raymerville Drive, Unit 10, 
Markham , Ontario
Tel: 905-471-6536

Applebee's

Part two of our special deal in Niagara Falls allowed us to have breakfast at Applebee’s.  This restaurant is located in the same building as the Day’s Inn and right beside Remington’s Restaurant. 

After a long night out on the town, we were quite hungry and were looking for a hearty breakfast.  We finally got up close to 10:30 a.m. and got to the restaurant around 11:30 a.m.  The restaurant was near empty as there were only 2 other tables occupied.  Having ate at other Applebee’s for lunch and dinner and having a good time, we figured the breakfast menu was about the same. 

My wife quickly ordered the hearty combo which included 2 sunny side eggs, sausages, hashbrowns and bacon.  I order the pancake combo which included 3 pieces of strawberry pancakes and 4 slices of bacon.

The meals surprisingly took about 20 minutes.  A gentlemen behind us who had arrived in before us was really starting to yell out loud as to where his food was.  Seeing that there were only 3 tables full, it was hard to imagine what was taking so long.  

Pancakes and bacon combo

Eggs, Hashbrown and Bacon Combo

The food finally arrived.  My “strawberry” pancakes were actually plain pancakes with strawberry sauce on the side for one to pour on.  I poured the maple syrup and the strawberry sauce on top of the pancakes.  The pancakes were very “flaky”.  It actually broke apart with every slice I took into the pancake.  It was not hot and it didn’t look like it was well cooked.  I only ate two of the three pieces.  The bacon oddly enough was better.  The pieces were not fat and were nicely done. 

My wife’s combination breakfast meal was huge.  Unfortunately for whatever reason there was quite a funny taste to it all.  The sausage was difficult to eat as even I was not too sure if it was chicken or pork.  The eggs despite being eggs were not tasty at all according to my wife.  The hashbrowns were a tiny bit better but it was very odd how such a simple breakfast meal could be so difficult to consume. 

In the end it was certainly not what we were hoping for.  Actually by mid afternoon, I have never felt so bloated in my life.  My wife attributed that it could have been the half cooked pancakes.  Whatever it was it certainly did not make me feel very good.  I have to admit I was very disappointed considering the restaurant’s reputation and past meals I have had there before where the food was A1.  Today it was simply just not good at all…especially if the bacon was the best thing on the plate.  I have no choice but to give this a 1.25 out of 5. 

Applebee's
6546 Fallsview Ave.
Niagara Falls, ON L2G 3W2
(905) 356-6965