Morimoto Restaurant Waikiki

Food for Thought went on vacation for the past couple of weeks hence the relatively quietness on its site.  But not to worry, I’m back and I’m happy to share some of my experiences with some of Hawaii’s best.  To kick it off, we had dinner over at Morimoto Restaurant during our second evening in Waikiki.  Located in a luxurious hotel, this restaurant has seating both inside and outside of the restaurant where colorful lights reflect off the side of a pool giving the exterior a grandeur and majestic feel to it.  This is also the home base for one Iron Chef American. Mr. Chef Masaharu Morimoto whose expertise and talents brought home the restaurant’s 1^st Michelin star. 

Sushi Appetizer

There were about 12 of us that evening and of course it would be impossible to go through everybody’s meal that evening.  We did however order three appetizers amongst all of us and I ordered the Surf and Turf ($48.00US) as my own personal entrée of the evening. 

Tuna Pizza

 One of the three appetizers we ordered was the Tuna Pizza ($18US).  Sprinkled with some jalapenos, anchovies and olives, this pizza will give you a bit of a kick in its spiciness.  It also offers a bit of Hawaii exoticness as you are munching down on it as the one is taking in the tuna and jalapeno at the same time.  Presentation wise, it looked like a stop sign that had been graffitied on.  What a liked however was how thin and crispy the bread and crusted layers were and how nice and fresh the tuna was. Truthfully every restaurant that we had visited in Hawaii had a fresh serving of tuna and fish.   I was told that they actually use a grilled tortillas base as the bottom to keep the bottom layer nice and thin so that every bite is focused on what’s on top of the pizza and not what’s on bottom. The only thing that might have brought it down a notch or two was the strength of the jalapeno.  Unlike wasabi, jalapenos are quite spicy and it can overwhelm the taste of the fish to the point where you just don’t taste the fish anymore.  The addition of the olives and anchovies gave the pizza a very exotic and unique feel and taste to it.  It was well worth the price and the medium to large size of it allowed everyone to get a good sample out of it. 

Takoyaki

Another appetizer we tried was the Takoyaki.  I don’t believe this was listed on their menu as it was one of their special appetizers being served for the evening.  Having had this at other restaurants before, I knew what to expect but I had to admit these pieces were some of the best I have ever had.  Most of the insides of these balls contained flour, octopus bits, onions and grinded up tempura.  The outside was gently fried or baked and the inside had a smooth creamy texture to it.  There was also a small amount of mayonnaise placed on the outside of the ball.  The inside of the ball almost tasted like taro pudding.  The creamy texture made it easy to digest and despite all the ingredients, the takoyaki was not overly salty tasting at all.

Chirashi Sushi

The last appetizer to arrive was the sushi roll.  Filled with crispy tempura and avocado, this sushi was pretty good.  The rice was nice and fresh and the tempura was crunchy and not soggy at all. Other than filling up our stomachs some more, there was really nothing extraordinary about it as it was pretty much on par with some of the other great restaurants that we have had in the past.

Surf and Turf

Once all the appetizers were done, the Surf and Turf and the rest of our entrees began arriving in unison.  My 6 ounce meat looked amazing and after it was set on the table, the waiter proceeded to poor a gravy sauce of sorts on top of the meat which caused the whole dish to sizzle pretty good.  I had asked for medium rare and this was exactly what I got.  The meat was nice and soft and juicy and it was able to absorb most of the gravy juices.  What was equally impressive was the Marimoto Style Poke.  Raw tuna that was placed in soya sauce was then placed alongside some sort of wasabi sorbet.  Although this sounds nothing more than a piece of sashimi placed with wasabi, the taste of the tuna was enhanced and the sorbetness of the wasabi gave the wasabi more credence in such a dish.  It’s hard to describe it but trust me when I say it was much better than just wasabi with sashimi tuna.  There were about eight cube pieces of tuna on my plate and each one with the wasabi sorbet was absolutely amazing.  The dish also had some salted crusted fingerlings which to me where insignificant.  The best part of this dish was meat and the poke. 

 Overall, this was indeed a high class restaurant at its best.  The quality of the food was very good and the price, although high for some, was reasonable based on the types and quality of the food.  The waiters and staff were always present and accommodating.  The area where we sat was quite cool from the breeze outside and from the air conditioner up above however the staff was able to turn up the air conditioner to make it more comfortable for us to eat.  The restaurant certainly deserved its one Michelin star for quality and hospitality.  We had a great time that evening.  I’d give it a 4.5 out of 5.

Morimoto Restaurant Waikiki

1775 Ala Moana Blvd

Honolulu, Hawaii

1-808-943-5900

Rosewater Restaurant

Looking for a great place to hang out after work or for a decent meal, then one does not have to look further than Rosewater Restaurant in the heart of downtown Toronto.  This elegant establishment is located on the Toronto Street on the east side of downtown Toronto.  We had a business meeting earlier in the day and were looking in having a great time at this establishment.  There were about 15 of us and making reservations is a must especially for dinner as the place fills up fast.  When we got there, there was a line up just to get in and have drinks to this place.  We were given a private room in the basement of the restaurant which actually was quite nice with its grand table and personal bar. 

We had a preferred menu that evening and as a result I decided to go with a salad, Grilled New York Strip and Cherry, White Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding With Baileys Creme Anglaise. 

Appetizer Salad

The meals arrived rather quickly despite the number of people that were inside the establishment.  The salad looked quite colorful and looked like it had a bit of everything.  In it, were fresh roasted beets, pear shavings and truffle flavored arugula.  To give it a cheesy flavor, goat's cheese creme fraiche was added to the mix and for its crunchiness, toasted walnuts were used.  There was a small amount of salad dressing that I could see  that was used in its salad.  I guess with all the ingredients in the salad, a major dousing of dressing probably was not needed.  Otherwise, it could have overwhelmed the taste of the overall salad.   Having said that, the entire salad just felt very fresh and pure.  It lacked the "gooeyness" of all the dressing which was really good.  I thoroughly enjoyed the contrast of the beets with the walnuts as it gave it that desirable effect.  It was simple despite all the ingredients in it and served its purpose as a wonderful appetizer to have. 

Grilled New York Strip

The medium rare Grilled New York Strip was my choice of entree for the evening.  The steak was mixed with some herb and sea salt roasted potato fingerlings which if you were still hungry after eating the steak, made it a wonderful side to have.  What I really have to commend was the sauce used by the chef for this steak.  The combination of the artichoke-tomato saute and merlot jus really made this steak standout quite a bit.  It made the steak very juicy and was quite different than the usual barbeque sauce other places elect to use.  The steak itself was probably close to the 12 oz range and for someone my size, it was just the perfect size steak to have.

Cherry, White Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding With Baileys Creme Anglaise

The last dish to arrive was the Cherry, White Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding With Baileys Creme Anglaise.  Of the three things to have arrived that night, this was probably my least favorite of them all.  Although the fresh small pieces of fruit were nice to have, I wasn't too crazy with the brioche bread pudding.  I think part of the problem was that there was just too much happening with this dish.  The bread pudding didn't taste sweet at all and in fact was kinda bitter tasting.  I wasn't too sure if this was because of the Bailey that was being used or the mixture of the white chocolate with the Bailey but it just didn't do it for me.  The alternative was the Creme Brulee and that seemed to be acceptable with my colleagues.  I wanted to try something different and ended up with a bitter to bland piece of bread to finish off the evening.

Overall the atmosphere was amazing and the food was above average.  Had the dessert been slighly better, it would have been full stars from me.  As for parking, there are two paid parking lots surronding the restaurant but as I said before, this place was hopping so please make reservations if you do decide to give it a visit.  Overall I give it a 4.25 out of 5.

Rosewater Restaurant
19 Toronto St, Toronto, ON M5C 2R1

(416) 214-5888

Milestone Grill and Bar Restaurant - Markham

Normally I won’t blog about the same company restaurant twice however I thought I felt I needed to since I finally had a chance to chow down on a fish and chips special that was being offered by this one particular restaurant.  I finally found a Milestones Restaurant, which was featured here in this column not that long ago, that had their brand new Crispy Haddock and Frites order.  For some if you may recall, it was not offered at the Yonge Street location in North York due to a lack of inventory.  Interestingly enough, we were invited to a luncheon at the Milestones up in Markham a few weeks ago and it was there that I was able to order the Crispy Haddock and Frites that I had wanted to try out. 

Sometimes when you want something so much, you have this sense of anticipation and in some cases higher expectations for that particular item.  When we went into the Milestones up in Markham a few weeks ago, I knew right away what I wanted.  There were about the ten of us and we were able to place our orders within 20 minutes of arriving there.  Many of us were pretty hungry and many of us actually had young ones amongst us as well.  We were expecting the lunch meals to come flying out of the kitchen since the restaurant was only one quarter full.  What ended up happening was that it ended up taking a full 45 minutes for all of our meals to arrive.  So from the time we sat down till the first meal to arrive, it took over an hour for the food to be placed on our table.  We were very hungry, the kids were getting cranky, and worse of all there was no bread offered to us until we actually had to ask for it. Our server oddly enough was also no where to be found.  I actually couldn’t believe how long it took for the lunch meals to arrive.  Most of the meals ordered were of the burgers and salad types yet to take so long with no appetizers or something to chew on while we waited I thought was just a little unacceptable. 

Crispy Haddock and Frites

As for the Crispy Haddock and Frites, it was actually just average at best.  It was a little chewy, completely tasteless and the batter had gotten a little cold.  If you ever had anything battered before, having them cold is probably one of the worse ways of eating it.  The fish appeared to have been slightly over fried as well which did not help.  The rustic cut red fries were placed in a newspaper like wrapper and were acceptable and there were some potatoes placed underneath the fries.  Small bowls of tartar sauce and ketchup were also placed on the plate. 

Overall I was quite disappointed in the whole service and with the meal itself.  It is possible that when one is looking forward to a good meal, that one has higher expectations but to me the wait time plus the meal itself and the lack of service was just not satisfactory enough for me.  I have been to many of the Milestone franchises including this one before, but this was probably the worst time ever.  I hope it improves because this is the second time I have been served with bad food and this time bad service too.  Overall I give it a 2 out of 5. 

Milestones
3760 Highway #7 East, Markham, ON L3R 0N2

(905) 305-1915

Patria Restaurant

Patria Toronto is located on the west side of downtown Toronto and focuses on serving an enriching taste of Spanish tapas and paella types of food.  What makes this place so unique and so fascinating is that the chefs have the ability to gather some of the most enlightening ingredients that are out there and create some pretty interesting masterpieces. A small party of us decided to have a small birthday dinner at Patria’s as many  reviews to this place were stunning and warranted a visit. 

We made reservations to the restaurant and it was a good thing that we did.  The restaurant was pretty full and truthfully we actually took a little while locating the actual restaurant.  Although it has an address on King Street West, the entrance to the restaurant itself was actually located in an alleyway sandwiched between two or three condominiums.  Once we found the place, we were given a spot right by the glass window.  While scanning their Spanish menu, we decided to go for about 5-6 tapas-style dishes and one paella rice dinner.  If  you plan on ordering a paella rice, make sure you tell the waiter when he or she comes by asking for your drinks as it takes them 45 minutes to make your paella.  

Croquetas De Jamon

Scanning their menu, we decided to go with their Pimientos Rellenos De Buey ($14), Jamon Iberico De Bellota ($30), Croquetas De Jamon ($8) , Datiles Con Tocino Iberico ($9) , Pulpo a la Gallega ($16)  and their signature paella, the Paella Patria ($50).

The Croquetas De Jamon were the first to arrive and it looked like three fried potatoes laid on top of one another with a piece of cheese sandwiched in the middle.  Of course that’s not what it was but it was certainly something very delicious.  The middle of the croquetas were nice and soft and well-stuffed.  The outer layer was lightly breaded and not thick and heavy in oil.  What made it uniquely interesting was that there was a certain kick or spice to it.  I wasn’t really sure what extra ingredient was added by it almost tasted like there was either small onion bits or jalapenos embedded inside the rolls.  This tapas was definitely very good and certainly a must have if you attend this restaurant. 

 Pulpo a la Gallega

Next to arrive was the Pulpo a la Gallega.  This tapas was actually not on their main menu but on their separate specials of the day menu.  There were about eight pieces to this delicacy in which an octopus tentacle was chopped up and placed on top of small pieces of potatoes in which turn was immersed in olive oil.   Although, the octopus tentacle was very tender, it unfortuantely lacked any taste and placing it on top of a potato didn’t enhance it all that much further.  The addition of red paprika on the dish also for some reason failed to provide the necessary wow factor either.  It was one of those dishes that I neither loved nor hated.  

Jamon Iberico De Bellota

The Jamon Iberico De Bellota arrived next and this was basically thinly sliced meat of a 36 month acorn fed black hoof jamon iberico.  It was very thin and salty tasting but not as salty as some of the other meats I have had before.  The meat was nice and dry, and the thinly sliced meat made it a wonderful light appetizer to have.  One could probably eat the entire dish on their own and not feel full at all. 

Their signature paella arrived next and it looked wonderful.  There were langoustine, shrimp, mussels, cuttlefish, monkfish, snap peas and saffron in the rice.  It smelled really good and really made one’s mouth watery.  You have to remember, tapas style dishes are quite small and when you are super hungry after a long day at work, a dish like this paella sure would feel nice in one’s stomach.  Having been to Barcelona twice, I do have to admit it the paella in Barcelona was a little better than the one here however it was still pretty good nonetheless.  The one thing I didn’t like was the fact that mussels had no meat in them.  The meat actually shrunk to the point where there was very little mussel meat to consume.  The meat was probably about one quarter of the total size of the shell.  Had the meat been more of a normal size in appearance, I think it would have given the dish a better presentation.  The entire rice dish itself was a little bit mushy.  It didn’t taste bad, in fact it was tasted actually really good but the paellas I had in Barcelona were more purer and not as sticky or mushy as the one that was served here.  I didn’t have any issues with the rest of the seafood.  It was a really good dish to have, well proportion for three to four people, hot when presented.  If the overall rice was just a little less mushy, it would have been a perfect paella. 

Paella Patria

The Datiles Con Tocino Iberico arrived next and this was my favorite tapas for the evening.  The datiles were wrapped with a piece of bacon and this dish had the distinction of allowing one to experience all of your taste buds all in one bite.  The datiles themselves were sweet in nature, the bacon were salty and smoky tasting, the shallots gave it that garlicky taste and my personal favorite, although I might be wrong, was that there seemed to be a jalapeno component to it as well that gave it a really good kick to it.  It had a mixture of a lot of extreme tasting foods and ingredients which when placed together made this dish a wonderful dish to have.  I was really impressed by this dish and would give full marks to the chefs in its presentation and in its overall taste.

Datiles Con Tocino Iberico

The Pimientos Rellenos De Buey arrived last and this was basically an ox’s tail immersed in a pepper and manchego type sauce.  The best way to describe this dish was that it actually felt like one was eating beef brisket, the ones that are served in Chinese restaurants, served with noodle soup.  My fellow Chinese friends would understand what I am talking about.  The meat was soft, juicy and had a string like texture to it.  It was pretty good and although I wasn’t really a big fan of ox’s tail before, I am now.  

Pimientos Rellenos De Buey

Since we were sitting right next to the coat rack, patrons kept coming up beside our table to get their jackets.  As a result, there were a few incidents where people were dropping their numbers cards, their coat hangars and even their jackets.  The owners took notice and actually served us with a couple of complimentary chocolate pudding deserts which I thought was a really nice gesture.  Although the patrons weren’t really much of a hassle, simple gestures like that really makes you feel like they care about their customers. 

Chocolate Pudding

The total bill was $200.00 total, tax and tip included.  We also order a pitcher of alcoholic sanguine to go with our dinner that evening.  The atmosphere, the waiters and the people were all very nice and relaxing.  I actually enjoyed my evening there and had a great time.  Although finding the place could be a little tricky, once found I am sure you would not be disappointed.  If you get a chance, give them a chance.  I don’t think you will be disappointed.  Overall I give them a 4.25 out of 5. 

Patria
478 King St W, Toronto, Ontario M5V 1L7

(416) 367-0505

Wei’s Taiwanese Foods

Wei’s Taiwanese Foods restaurant is a small primarily take-out restaurant that has opened quietly for the past few years in a small Scarborough plaza.  It specializes in good portion rice combinations and soups for a really affordable price.  One of my friends stumbled upon the restaurant when they were looking for some take out one evening and told us that the food at this place wasn’t that bad.  The only problem was that the place was tucked behind some other restaurants and in the corner of a small plaza and would be difficult to spot for any passer-bys. 

Crispy Chicken Rice Combination

Upon entering the restaurant, don’t expect anything fancy in there.  There are only two tables and what looked like about 5 chairs altogether.  Scanning their menu, they offered a variety of rice “lunch boxes” for the price of $5.25 per combo.  Once you pick your combo, you can also add another 2 or 3 sides to your dish to complete your set.  A complimentary soup also came along with your rice combo. 

For me, I went with their crispy chicken rice combination.  For the sides, I went with a hard boiled egg, some broccoli and eggplant.  The lady behind the counter really piled on the sides and the rice.  One thing I was concerned about was the flimsiness of the container.  The plastic was very thin and with so much rice, chicken and vegetables piled into the container, they actually placed an elastic band around the container to keep the lid from flying off. 

Tomato and Egg Rice Combination

Once we got home, I was actually quite surprised by the taste of the chicken.  The chicken was still very crispy and the amount of chicken present was more than proportional to the amount of rice and did I say there was like almost two bowls of rice there.  The eggplant and the broccoli were boiled almost as pure as it could be with little to no sauce added to them.  There was however quite a bit of oil on the bottom of the eggplant.  So much so that I used the white rice and the chicken and mixed the oil with it.  The overall taste of it all was actually pretty good but it made the meal a little bit more greasier which may or may not be a turn off for some.  My wife ordered the tomato and egg combination which she chose beans and eggplant as a side.  It was less oily but just as filing due to the amount of sides added to the dish. 

Overall, for the price one pays, it was certainly well worth the price.  Even if it was greasier with the excess oil, the taste was still actually respectable.  One was certainly quite full after eating the meal.  I think what I like the most was that with every bite, you were wanting more and more and even though I didn’t think I was going to finish the dish, you end up somehow finishing it.  I actually had the fried pork chops combo a few days later and that was just as good as the crispy fried chicken.  They can easily substitute any home cook lunch or dinner so if you’re lazy and you don’t want to cook then Wei’s Taiwanese Foods restaurant might be an affordable alternative for the night.  Overall, I give them a 3.75 out of 5. 

Wei’s Taiwanese Foods

2578 Birchmount Road

Scarborough, Ontario

416-754-4605

Milestones Bar and Grill Empress Walk

A couple of weeks ago we headed out to Milestones Bar and Grill to get some chow.  We frequent the one in Scarborough quite often however this was the first time I had been to the one located on Yonge Streeet.  When we got there, we noticed that it was actually a two-floor restaurant.  The bar for the most part was located on the lower floor while diners could eat in the upstairs.

We got there roughly around 7:00pm that evening and the place was pretty busy.  The waiter was pretty good in that he had prepared the place for not one but two kids and the other kid had come in on his stroller.  He gave us the menus and we proceeded to order off the menu.  For this evening, the six of us went to share their signature Famous Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip and I decided to go with their new Crispy Haddock and Frites.

Famous Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

 I was actually looking forward to the meal however about 5 minutes in, the waiter came back and told me that they had sold on the haddock.  A little disappointed, I went and ordered their other new product the Fire-Grilled Salmon.  Thinking that I had finally settled down on the meal, the waiter once again came back and told me that the special rice it came with actually was all gone and asked if me if I was willing to settle for some white jasmine rice instead.  Although there were other options given, I settled for the rice wondering if this would be the last change that was going to be made.

The nachos arrived first and it looked pretty good.  The dip itself was nice and creamy and the nachos were nice and hot and crispy.  Of note, rather than giving us potato nachos, they actually served us with sweet potato chips instead.  The hot spinach was not spicy hot at all and the whole dish was actually a nice dish to start off with for everyone involved including the kids. 

The Slow-Roasted AAA Prime Rib AAA

My fire-grilled salmon arrived soon afterwards and I could tell it looked for a better lack of word, unattractive.  Taste wise it was exactly as it looked, quite plain.  I actually thought the salmon was way too dry and with the white rice staring at you and with no real sauce to really mix the rice and salmon together, I thought overall it was a healthy dish to have but not really worth the price to sit down and have.  On the contrary, my friend ordered the Chili Crusted Tilapia and this was very, very good.  My wife herself actually ordered The Slow-Roasted AAA Prime Rib AAA and that too was also acceptable and very juicy.   The waiter did not really offer me a second choice so I was stuck with the salmon and rice.  He did offer an explanation in that the ice storm and lack of electricity the week before depleted some of their supplies.  Although that may very well have been the case, there are numerous ways where one can mix the rice and salmon together and make it very juicy and tasty.  The meal they served was so plain that I didn't even bother taking a picture of it.

The staff was quite nice to us and coming from Toronto, I could understand some of the challenges that they have faced especially in light of the recent lack of electricity in parts of the city.  However having said that, I expected a little creativity especially if one is offering me different choices outside of what was on their menu.  Just serving me white rice and a slab of salmon was about as simple as it could be and they still charged me $24.00 for it.  I'm not usually one to complain to the staff as I always say how you serve it the first time especially in the restaurant business should already be your best shot.  One should never let the customer dictate what is good and what is not.  Honestly, if you ever try Milestones, go with some of their other dishes as they seem to be more acceptable and more bang for your buck.  If you had what I had, you will wonder why you left the house in the first place.  Overall, my personal experience of Milestones was a 2.75 out of 5.

Milestones Bar and Grill Empress Walk

5095 Yonge St
Toronto, ON
(416) 225-2552

Ninja Sushi

Well, first of all happy new year to all my fellow readers.  It's been two years since I've had this blog up and running and I hope to keep on writing for a long, long time.  I hope to see more restaurants this year and try out more exotic and interesting foods across Toronto and its Greater Toronto area and I hope that you do the same as well.  Having said that, let's get on with the show.

I have driven past Ninja Sushi many times before but I have never actually ordered or eaten anything from this place.  The other day as I was surfing on the internet I noticed that a fellow blogger had named it one of the top ten take out sushi places in Toronto.   Having seen that, and the fact that I was looking for a new sushi place to try out, I decided to give it a go.  I gave them a call earlier in the afternoon and told them I needed a small sushi and sashimi tray within the hour and surprisingly they were able to oblige.  Normally most places required at least two to three hours notice however these guys said “yup, no problem.”

For those who have no idea where this place is, it’s actually located in Bamburgh mall in the same plaza island as that of McDonalds.  I got to the place within the hour and noticed that there were only two tables available for eating. The chef told me they were more known for take out which was why they didn’t have as many seats available. 

Salmon Shushi

I got my food and for about 45 pieces or so, the total came out to be a reasonable 35 dollars plus tax. Looking at the tray, it had your usual salmon, tuna, butterfish, white fish, fried shrimp sushi, egg sushi, vegetarian sushi and eel sushi. 

One thing I could tell was that the shrimp was freshly battered as you could smell the aroma coming out of the sealed tray.   The sushi pieces were still warm and many of the fish were nice and soft and really didn’t have any of that frozen texture or taste to it.  As a matter of fact, most of the sushi and sashimi were warm which also added to the notion that most of the fish were quite fresh and had not been kept in storage for a long period of time.  That's usually a sign that turnover is quite frequent here which allows more fresher fish to be served.  

Small Sushi and Sashimi Platter

I have to admit I was pleasantly surprise at the quality of the sushi and the sashimi.  As well, the chef also gave me six extra pieces of salmon sushi in a separate container.  I don’t know if it was bonus or part of the deal as the tray was over flowing with sushi and sashimi already.  If there was one type of sushi that wasn’t as good, it would have to be the shrimp sushi.  The shrimps were a little soft and mushy and didn't seemed as fresh as the rest of the fish.  However, although there was no particular wow factor with the selection of the fish, it was still in my mind, a good deal with good quality fish.

Overall for the price and the amount of fish one gets along with its quality, I thought the place was actually not that bad when compared to some of the other places that I had been to.  Other than the shrimp sushi, everything came as advertised.  One thing of note is that parking in that plaza can be a major headache.  My suggestion is that if you are just going to this sushi place for pick up, it might be wise just to park your car in the church parking lot across the street and then walk across.  It will be much faster, closer and one does not have to wait for an eternity to find a parking spot.  For Ninja Sushi, I give it a 3.75 out of 5. 

Ninja Sushi
395 Bamburgh Cir, Toronto, ON

(416) 756-4904