[Toronto] Smith

Location Review
533 Church Street
Toronto, Ontario
(416)926-2501
Website

Unassuming from the outside, this Church Street establishment is well known by locals for its brunch. When you enter Smith (@SmithToronto), you almost forget that this is Toronto. It is quaint and cozy, and felt like an elusive secret spot for only those in the know. But judging by the number of people who were already seated when we arrived, as well as the abundant 3 floors of seating, this most likely was not the case.

Everything about this restaurant feels intimate. The warm oak fixtures, candle lit ambience, freshly cut flowers, porcelain plates, and elegantly aged silverware; almost makes you feel like missed putting up some sort of white picket fence outside. Despite this, Smiths was unintimidating, relaxed, and perfect for the cordial catch-up brunch I was about to have.

Smith

[Event] Ontario Oyster Festival 2014

You know we're deep in the heart of summer when there are too many festivals happening and not enough time to attend them all. Hopefully not to get lost among all the summer buzz is the upcoming Oyster Festival. Aside from combining pretty much the two best things on the planet (Come on, oysters and beer!!), all proceeds of the festival's ticket sales goes to Environmental Defense - a charity with a worthy cause. Notably, their Blue Flag Canada initiative is an international program striving for safer, cleaner, and more environmentally friendly beaches and marinas.

The 2014 Oyster Festival, hosted by Rodney's Oyster House.

THE DETAILS
What: The 26th Oyster Festival
When: July 20th, 2014, 2-10pm
Where: Rodney's Oyster House (469 King St W, Toronto)
How: Admission is $32, or $40 at the door (Purchase tickets HERE.)

[Toronto] The Forth

Location Review
629 Danforth Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
(416) 465-2629
Website

Aptly named after it's location in Greektown Danforth, The Forth (@TheForthTO) is a new comer on the block, opening April earlier this year. Unlike its peers of close proximity, it is anything but a Greek restaurant, headed up by Brassaii's former executive chef Chris Kalisperas (@ChrisKalisperas). With a contemporary Canadian menu, inventative cocktail list, and a beautiful 8,000 square feet, multi-level dining area (yes there's an elevator!), The Forth is one that will impress all the senses.

The Bar

[Vancouver] Vij's

Location Review
1480 W 11th Ave
Vancouver, BC
(604)736-6664



When it comes to the city of Vancouver, what type of cuisine stands out as the best the city has to offer? My answer to that question has always been "Seafood" or "Japanese" due to it's close proximity to the coastline. Never in a million years would I imagine myself changing my answer to "Indian", but after a visit to Vij's (@Vijs_restaurant) for some modern Indian cuisine, I am a believer.

[Toronto] Harbour Sixty Steakhouse

Location Review
60 Harbour Street
Toronto, ON
(416) 777-2111



Habour Sixty has been on my list of restaurants to try for a while, but seeing as it's not an inexpensive meal I've been holding off. To a point where I almost forgot that I wanted to try it. That is until a month ago when I wrote up my review on Jacobs and Co. People started asking me how it compared to  Habour Sixty, and it was like a lightbulb lit-up in my mind. I thought to myself "I must make time to try this!" And so I did, and the rest is history.

[Toronto] Jacobs & Co Steakhouse

Review Location:
12 Brant Street
Toronto, ON


I actually considered not blogging about my dinner at Jacobs & Co Steakhouse (@jacobsandco) because it was that one odd day where I didn't have my camera on me. And anyone that knows me, knows that it almost never happens. But my experience that night was so unforgettable that I thought it was worthy of a post; even if I didn't have the perfect pictures to do it justice. A big thank you to my boyfriend for taking these pictures on his phone, knowing that I might change my mind and need photos afterall. You know me too well! :)

Let's keep this intro part short so we can get to the part where I get to talk about the food. Jacobs & Co Steakhouse is probably one of the best steakhouses I've been to.

[Toronto] The Black Hoof

Location Review:
938 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, ON
416-551-8854


So I haven't been very diligent in the past month with this blog, and as a result I've had a backlog of restaurants to write up. So much that I ended up visiting the restaurant of today's review:  The Black Hoof (@theblackhoof) twice before I got a chance to review it. But the good news is, that is a good indication of how much I liked it.

When I went to Chicago, I visited a restaurant named The Purple Pig. My brother in law Nelson mentioned that it reminded him of  The Black Hoof, with both restaurants serving the most obscure parts of the animal. It's pretty ironic how these internal organs and far-fetched body parts which I thought only Chinese cultures would consume are so mainstream in Western cuisine now a days. But when you have someone like Jenn Agg (@theblackhoof) behind the restaurant and Brandon Olsen as head chef (@King_of_ginger), it's no wonder how the most obscure ingredients can become such a culinary delight. It's also been highly regarded as one of the best restaurants in Toronto!

So anyways, for simplicity's sake I've just decided to dump both of my visits into one post.

[Toronto] Fin Izakaya

Location Review:
55 Eglinton Ave E
 Toronto, ON M4P1G8

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Whenever I think about going to an izakaya, there really is only one place that consistently pops up in my head: Guu Izakaya. And so when someone suggested  Fin Izakaya (@FinIzakaya) in the Mount Pleasant area of Eglington as an alternative, I was delighted when I finally went with Carmen (@carmenhungry), Justine (@foodigatorJ), and Vickie (@kiki_BFF).

Banana Mafia Asian Street Market Party

So I'm a little behind on this post, but I figured a great event deserved at least a mention, even if it is a tad late. But hey, better late than never, right?

So this aforementioned great event is the inaugural Banana Mafia Asian Street Market. It's a bit of a mouthful to say , but the concept is simple. Five great chefs of the Asian culinary world: Chef Nick Liu (@Ninjachefnick) of GwaiLo, Chef Robbie Hojilla of Ursa, Chef Leemo Han (@Limohan) from Swish by Han and Oddseoul, Chef Jeff Claudio of Yours Truly (@YoursTruly229), and Chef Jonathan Poon of Chantecler (@chanteclerTO) gather at Toronto's Amsterdam Brewery with the objective to serve delicious dishes in a Singaporean night market inspired setting.

[Toronto] Banh Mi Boys

Review Location:
392 Queen Street W
Toronto, ON M5V 2A9

Homepage

Continuing on my first food crawl with Andrew (@_aneb), Justine (@foodigatorJ), and Chieu (@chieunghi), we ventured to Banh Mi Boys (@banhmiboys), after having stuffed our faces at El Trompo Taco Bar.

[Taiwan] Taiwanese Beef Noodles @ 建宏牛肉麵

Location Review:
Wan Hua District, No. 45-6 Luo Yang Street
台北市萬華區洛陽街45-6號







I've always thought that noodles are one of the most cultured items in Chinese cuisine. Most noodles being made from similar ingredients, it's mind blowing how different geographical regions and cultures can put their own spin and preparation techniques to transform it into a different eatting experience. It can be boiled, steamed, fried, deep fried, pulled, knife sliced, the list goes on.

In Taiwan, noodle soup is very popular, and it is commonly paired with braised beef brisket.

Lucky for me, I stayed in an area where there was an entire street of beef noodle soup spots close by. Luo Yang Street is filled with noodle vendors cart, and beside it are portable tables and chairs to eat at.

[Toronto] Guu Izakaya

Location Review:
398 Church Street
Toronto, Ontario
(Major Intersection: Church St. and Gerrard St. E)

MENU

Guu originated from our friends on the West coast of Canada, in British Columbia. With their bountiful fresh fish and lively atmosphere, they were able to create an izakaya so popular, that there are now two locations in Toronto. The name of the restaurant is supposed to resemble the sounds of a rumbling stomach, which is definitely how I recommend you should feel going into Guu. I've actually been here a couple times now, but never actually got around to posting up a review. After multiple visits, I've come to gather a lot of pictures, so hopefully you can bear through this visually long long post!

[Markham] Al Dente

Review Location:
39 Main Street N,
Markham, Ontario

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The term "al dente"  is an Italian expression to describe pasta, rice, and even vegetables that are cooked to a firm but not hard texture. So if you haven't made the connection, today's post is about Italian food. From just the address listed above, one might think that this restaurant is located in the romantic historic gem of Unioniville. Well, I know I did at least. Turns out this was on Main street Markham, and not Unionville (who knew there was a difference?). Being a bit lost, I called the restaurant to ask for directions only to be greeted by an abrupt and rude lady. Aside from repeating the address she made no effort to help me navigate my way there. She sounded impatient and just wanted to hang up. Not the best first impression.

[Toronto] Copacabana Brazilian Steak House

Review Location:
150 Eglinton Ave E
Toronto, Ontario
(Major Intersection: Yonge St. and Eglinton Ave)

When I found out that I would be going to an all you can eat Brazilian BBQ for dinner one night, my carnivorous side got pretty excited. I don't know of too many places like this, but Copacabana is definitely the most well known Brazilian BBQ that I know of. Everyone who's been there had great things to rave about, so that just added to my anticipation. Bottomless meat for a fixed prix of $35? YES PLEASE!

Sofra Grill

Location Review:
8707 Dufferin St
Vaughan, Ontario
(Major Intersection: Dufferin Street and Highway 7 Road)

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Out of all the places I've reviewed so far, Sofra Grill wins the award for the most visits from me! This restaurant is located in the rarely crossed upon city of Vaughan and is relatively close to Rob's house, so it's a frequent go-to place for dinner. I probably eat here once a month at least. You'd think eating here so often I would grow weary of it, but this is hardly the case. Yes people, it IS that good! 

[Ottawa] The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro

Review Location:
2525 Bank Street
Ottawa, Ontario
(Major Intersection: Bank st & Hwy 417)

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Hopefully you all aren't bored of reading about Ottawa, but I promise this is the last from this trip!

For lunch on the Victoria Day Monday that we were there, we decided to go to The Works. We were actually supposed to go here the night before for dinner, but it was so packed, so we went somewhere else. In a way, this place reminds me of Craft Burger in Toronto, except with even crazier burgers.

Mill Street Brewery Pub

Review Location:
55 Mill Street, Building 63
Toronto, Ontario
(Major Intersection: Lakeshore Bvld E & Cherry St.)

 MENU

My family and I were in the Distillery District the other day and despite raining we had a pretty good time. Kind of sucks that everything except the restaurants close at 5pm on the weekends. Because of that we ended up having an early dinner. Since it was my parent's first time at the Distillery, I felt it would be appropriate to eat at the brewery!

[Markham] Fancy Chinese Cuisine (李嘉誠)

Review location:

7750 Kennedy Road

Markham, Ontario
(Major Intersection: 14th Ave. & Kennedy Rd.)

First off, I would like to commend this restaurant for their English name selection. I would then also like to commend this place more on their Chinese name selection, which is essentially named after the wealthiest business man in all of Asia. Not that it has anything to do with anything, just point it out.

Me Va Me

Review Locaiton:
9302 Bathurst Street
Thornhill, Ontario






This location is relatively new that opened less than a month ago. That being said, the inside is fairly modern and nice. Right when you enter, there is a circular shaped bar on the right side so people can grab drinks while they wait for their tables. While this is a real space killer, it was probably a good idea since they don't take reservations. We waited for quite a bit and ended up getting some beers to pass the time. This is actually the second Me Va Me restaurant location. There is one other restaurant location, and another express location that just offers take out. I've only had the express and have never been to the original restaurant, but from what Rob tells me the food is amazing! People would line up over an hour for it. We came with a table of 10+, so we got to try lots of different dishes!