Ruth's Chris Steak House

I have been re-visiting many of the restaurants that I had previously posted which is why I have not posted any new restaurants recently.  However as a flashback, I had previously gone to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse which is located in the heart of downtown Toronto.

Here they boast some of the best prime steaks in the city.  We decided to order two large pieces of medium rare prime steaks.  We also got a coupon from one of their postings in red flag deals where you can get X number of dollars off for ordering 2 pieces of steak.

Prime Rib

Butternut Squash

Within fifteen minutes of ordering, out came two large sizzling pieces of prime rib steak.  They had us hold onto our napkins to cover ourselves from the splashing steak oil.  The steak were huge and it appeared the chef simply just sprinkled some black pepper on it.

I was skeptical as to whether one can get such a big piece of meat into the medium rare category but one cut in and it was picture perfect.  The taste was excellent even though the chef did not appear to have done a whole lot to it.  The meat was soft and juicy and it was equivalent to a medium rare steak.

We also ordered a butternut squash soup on the side.  It too was delicious and it was a good way to wash down the prime rib.  It was mildly creamy but not too thick at all.

When it was all said and done we were completely full.  How could one not be?  Certainly at regular price it is difficult to come on a regular basis but if you have good surfing abilities, you can always search online at Groupons or Red Flag Deals to get a deal or two to this place.  I highly recommend this place to any meat lovers out there.  I give it a 4.25  out of 5. 

Ruth's Chris Steak House
145 Richmond Street West
Toronto Ontario

416 955-1455

Blue Ocean Cafe

First of all, I would like to give out a special thank you to all of my readers who have followed my blog religiously.  It has been exactly a year since this blog went up and with over 6500 hits I think this has been a success.  Oddly based on the tracking information, readers from all around the world have hit my site and not just those from North America. 

Moving forward, I will continue to try to hit as many different restaurants in the Toronto and GTA area.  There are so many of them and although I am finding myself going back to some of my favorite old ones, with the presence of this blog, I am eager to try something new every week.

This past weekend I had a chance to go to Blue Ocean Cafe which is another one of these Chinese Hong Kong Style Tea cafés. This place was recently renovated and underwent an ownership and name change.  Although I had been to the previous place numerous times, this was actually the first time I have been back to this place since it undergone its changes. 

Hainan Chicken

The interior has been completely revamped.  The new silver sleek walls and blue interior paint really does give you that “blue ocean” feel.  They have a television that advertises many of their specialty dishes.  Today I decided to go with the Hainan Chicken and Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. 

All of the dishes arrived fairly quickly.  The Hainan Chicken had about 8 pieces, 2 pieces of cucumber and the equivalent of one bowl of rice with what appeared to be dried almonds laid out on top.  The chicken also came with its ginger sauce and red pepper vinaigrette sauce.  The chicken was juicy and the skin of the chicken was smooth as silk.  In comparison to Phoenix Restaurant, another place where I had this meal, this chicken was equally if not better than Phoenix.  As well, just those few extra pieces of dried almond flakes enlightened an otherwise bland white rice.  Overall the meal was very good and I was quite please with this dish. 

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

The other dish was the spaghetti and meat sauce dish.  It looked quite simple yet it too was surprisingly good.  It did not have that heavy grease feeling to it, it did not require any parmesan cheese and the spaghetti was perfectly cooked.  I have absolutely not complaints with this dish. 

Overall it was a good beginning.  With a HK style iced tea, this was almost the perfect lunch to have.  Located in Mong Kok shopping plaza in the corner of Highway 7 and Kennedy Road, this place is an excellent place to have breakfast, lunch or a quick dinner.  Price wise, it was about the equivalent of any other HK style cafes.  I give this place a 4.5 out of 5. 

Blue Ocean Café

8392 Kennedy Road

Markham Ontario


905-604-5200

McDonald's New Cashew Teriyaki Salad

Yes many are wondering why there is a McDonald’s listing here.  Well today for the very first time, I went out and tried a McDonald’s salad, more namely the New Cashew Teriyaki Salad.  If it wasn’t for the coupons I wouldn’t even have known about it but I only went because of the $2.00 off coupon. 

For those who know me, I have eaten a lot of McDonald’s in my days but I have always stuck with the standard meals.  I decided to go with something different today just to see what all the big fuss was about. 

The salad without the coupon is $6.99.  The cashews came in a separate pouch as did the Asian Sesame Sauce.  The salad consisted of red and romaine leaf lettuce, tomatoes, edamame, carrot strips, red onions and peppers.  You also had the choice of either grilled or crispy teriyaki chicken.  I went with the grilled chicken today. 

Cashew Teriyaki Salad

I have to admit that there was quite a rush when taking my first bite into a McDonald’s salad.  Since I never really had a McDonald’s salad before, I really didn’t know what to expect.  After a couple of bites, I soon realized that this was very similar to Subway’s Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich. To me it was completely identical except for the cashews as it gave it just that extra flavor and difference in texture.  It was quite juicy and the vegetables were indeed all quite fresh.  The sauce was mostly vinaigrette and gave the salad just that extra bit of zing to it. 

I was thoroughly amazed actually at the quality of the salad.  However after completing my salad, my only wish was that there was more.  If there were just a bit more vegetables, then it would have been a perfect lunch.  Still it was certainly not a bad tasting salad at all.  Overall, I would give it a 4.25 out of 5.

Station Asia Fusion Restaurant

The other day I had lunch at Station Asia Fusion Restaurant at Splendid China Towers.  We got there about 11 in the morning and the space was just starting to fill in.  Although they had a rather large menu, there was really no breakfast menu or a small special menu for one to choose from.  After being indecisive for once on what to eat, I decided to go with the Pork Chops on Rice combination. 

The meal came with a complimentary soup similar to a pork bone soup which quite honestly wasn’t too bad at all.  My main course arrived shortly afterwards. The pork chop itself was baked in a light batter. It was quite tender however there wasn’t a whole of lot of taste to it.  There was no sauce to dip it in either and the combination of a bland pork chop and white rice was a very bland combination to eat to say the least. 

The salad that came with the dish was probably the most tasty of the three.  A few pieces of lettuce and a couple of slices of tomatoes provided a slightly refreshing taste to it however it did not quite overwhelm the overall blandness of the dish.  I had also ordered an ice cold lemon ice tea from them as well to wash down the food. 

Overall it wasn’t one of the best however it wasn’t one of the worst.  I’m not too sure whether we had missed their breakfast meal or if they just maybe didn’t have one to begin with.  For people who are watching their taste buds this is probably one of the more safer meals on their menus.   The whole meal cost about eight dollars.  Service was okay nothing spectacular.  Overall, for this lunch I give it a 3 out of 5. 

Station Asia Fusion Restaurant

4675 Steeles Avenue East Scarborough,
ON M1V 4S5

Telephone: 416-321-0268

Very Fair Chinese Restaurant

The other night we went over to Very Fair Chinese Restaurant which is located on the basement floor of a fairly old strip plaza in the heart of Scarborough.  Previously we had gone to its sister restaurant not far from this one and a decent meal.  Tonight we went out for a send off and was looking for some place close to home and so we chose this place as it was a place we had not been to in quite some time.

This restaurant has been in place for at least 20 years, maybe longer.  It has gone through a couple of name changes however Very Fair Chinese Restaurant has been there for the past 5 years at least.  They offer pretty much anything you can think of for a Chinese dinner meal and has hosted many wedding parties and galas in the past.

Tonight we decided to go with the Peking Duck, Fish in Eggplant Hot Pot, Baked Oysters and Garlic Sauteed Tong Choy.

Before anything arrived there was a complimentary soup given to us.  It was mostly pork bone soup and it was quite tasty. It wasn't too salty and it was a nice appetizer to start off the evening.  Next to arrive was the Eggplant with Fish in Hot Pot.  In this dish there was also some tofu mixed with the rest of the foot.  Although the overall texture of this dish was quite "mushy", it certainly was good tasting.  This dish mind you tastes best when served hot.  When it gets colder, cold fish and tofu beings to taste like jelly so if you are interested in this dish, make sure you eat it while it still hot.

Peking Duck

Fish with Eggplant in Hot Pot

The baked oysters arrived next.  It was served in tin foil and the interesting part of this whole dish was that we could observe the waiters trying to light this dish with a match.  However they failed and just brought it out as it appears.  There was some XO like sauce on the bottom which is what I think the waiters were trying to light.  The oysters again were not overly baked or breaded.  It was actually quite tasty as all it really contained was onions and XO sauce.  I would strongly recommend it to any seafood lover as the dish was pretty well done.

Baked Oysters

Next to arrive was the Peking Duck.   I have to admit the duck was nicely done and the waitress cut the duck right in front of us.  They gave us more than enough wraps as well as cucumber slices, oyster sauce, and green onions.  The duck was not fatty at all and the meat was quite fresh.  This dish was also one of the four specials being offered by the restaurant

Garlic Paste Sauteed Tong Choy

The last dish was a simple vegetables of garlic paste sauteed tong choy.  Nicely done and a good compliment to all the meat and seafood we had for tonight.  It was mildly spicy although one could order one that had red peppers in it that would make it extra spicy.

Although this restaurant has been here for quite some time, it is certainly still one of the better Chinese restaurants in the city.  At times. I would say this restaurant is one of those forgotten places simply because of its location in a rundown strip plaza, its location in the basement and that its sister restaurant is only a block north of here.  It is still however a very decent restaurant and just like its name, the prices are quite fair.  I would certainly try it again when given a chance.  I would give this place a 4 out of 5. 

Very Fair Chinese Restaurant
4002 Sheppard Avenue East  Toronto, ON M1V 1V3, Canada

(416) 332-1861

Astoria Shish Kabob House

Last night I had dinner at a longstanding Greek establishment in the heart of Greek town.  Astoria Shish Kabob House has been in existence for a number of years and offers a variety of seafood, sandwiches and souvlaki dinners. 

We were there to celebrate a friend’s birthday and were promptly given seats at the centre of the restaurant.  On a weekend this place could be packed with every table taken but on this night it was about three-quarters full. Still it was a very lively atmosphere within the restaurant.  

Since I have the opportunity to eat Greek every day, I decided to go with their grilled salmon on rice.  All of our meals also came with complementary salads which are quite big and made it an excellent appetizer.

The salads arrived immediately and were absolutely excellent.  It was the standard Greek salad which included feta cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and olive.  Even though the salad is somewhat pre-made, the turnover is so high that the salad is always freshly made.  

Greek Salad

Grilled Salmon

 The grilled salmon arrived soon afterwards and it too was amazing.  The salmon was nicely grilled on the outside and juicy soft on the inside.  There were also some vegetables that came with the salmon.  They also gave us special rice instead of just the plain white rice.  The salmon was simply done with only a sprinkle of black pepper on it.

After the meal, they even allowed us to have our birthday cake at their restaurant.  They also brought over three of their waiters to sing happy birthday to the birthday girl.  It was certainly very nice of them.  The service was great as they made sure our drinks were full at all times. 

Overall, it was a wonderful night with great food and great service.  There is plenty of paid parking in the back and on the Danforth.  The food is amazing and has all the great signatures of a real wonderful authentic Greek taste.  And since it’s close to the downtown area and along the subway line, one can take a trip into downtown Toronto afterwards within 15 minutes or take a nice stroll along the Danforth.  I’ve been here a few times and each time it has been amazing.  For this place, I would give it a 4.75 out of 5. 

Astoria Shish Kabob House

390 Danforth Avenue  Toronto, ON M4K 1P1, Canada
(416) 463-2838

South Sea Village Chinese Restaurant

The other day I had a chance to visit the reopening of South Sea Village Chinese Restaurant formerly known as Chicken and Noodles Chinese Restaurant in Scarborough.  Chicken and Noodles Chinese Restaurant was a popular restaurant for about 20 years however the owner had gotten tired and had sold the restaurant to a couple of her staff members.  The restaurant closed down for a couple of weeks as minor renovations were made within the restaurant and was reopened only very recently.

Upon entering the place, one will notice the new huge aquarium tank housing numerous seafood and fish.  You will also notice a sign at the front stating that they are in the midst of applying for an alcohol license. As well gone are the rice noodles, the chicken dishes and their ice tea and soya bean drinks.

The waitress told me most of the chefs had returned following the transition.  Although this was during the lunch time, there were only three tables taken whereas before it would be very difficult to find a seat here at the restaurant.

I ordered the Cantonese Chow Mein and the Hot and Sour Soup.  These two items I had ordered numerous times in the past so I went with what they had before so I could compare the now and the then.  The Cantonese Chow Mein came first and it was somewhat of a large dish.  It had broccoli, pork, chicken, mushrooms and squid in it.  The Chow Main was crunchy on top and soggy on the bottom.  The taste was good as it wasn't loaded with MSG however the flavor was akin to other Cantonese Chow Meins I have had before.

Cantonese Chow Mein

 The Hot and Sour Soup was more for my wife and according to her it was not that great.  Although looks wise it was similar to before, taste wise it was very different.  Although there was hotness and sourness to the soup, there was also a very sweet taste to it.  She has ordered this almost 50 times here at this restaurant before and loved everyone of them but this time she said there was a distinct difference to it.

Overall the two dishes were less than 15 dollars each.  Price wise that is reasonable.  The waitress were so free however that they kept coming over to chat.  That is one difference I definitely noticed because before there was hardly time for even the staff to sit and chat for more than 30 seconds.  I know that with any new restaurant, even if means taking over a previous establishment, that it will take weeks maybe months for people to warm up to this place.  The previous establishment was a staple in Scarborough and everyone who lived in Scarborough knows this place and has eaten there at least once. This new place wants to move towards a more stir fried Cantonese Dishes and open later in the evening.  I would give this place another shot although I admit, I do miss the chicken noodles, the ice tea and some of their other afternoon specials.  Overall I would give it a 3.25 out of 5. 

South Sea Village Chinese Restaurant
1 Glen Watford Drive
Toronto ON M1S 2B7


(416) 321-1435