On a heaty summer night, we waited in line for 50 minutes at the famous Dutch Dreams Ice Cream Parlour. I couldn’t get over that we would wait for 50 minutes for ice cream, but I kept convincing myself that if this many people would wait in line for ice cream – it’s gotta be good!

So after we got that whopper of an ice cream for a whopper of a price, I still tried to convince myself that it had to be good if that many people would wait in line for it. So what’s the verdict? Well, by the time it was my turn to order – there weren’t any flavours left for me to order! I went through my list of preferences, and it was only up to my 7th where I found that they finally had what I wanted. After 50 minutes in waiting in line, you would think they should only settle for my first preference! Sigh. This was not the case, however.

But I must say, the flavours that I did settle for (despite being my 7th preference) was pretty good. I didn’t need the cream towering my ice cream without my consent however – but I guess this was the signature Dutch Dreams experience. The fruits were nice, but I dislike melon. I really wish they had’ve asked me… but back to the ice cream. It was great, delicious, yummy, lovely, yada yada.. but I am never going to wait 50 minutes for ice cream again no matter how good it is! Plus, it wasn’t that good. I really wanted my sorbet flavour, dammit!

Dutch Dreams Ice Cream Parlour Review

I recently had the opportunity to take a cooking class at Great Cooks on Eight. It was such a wonderful experience where I believe every single person truly had a great time. It was so enjoyable to let loose and learn to cook a dish with the help of a professional and learn some culinary art. But most importantly, it was so good to eat up all that awesome food we cooked without having to clean up the kitchen!

We made Bruschetta, Thai Spring Rolls, Grilled Peach Salad for appetizers, a steak for the main and a chocolate cake for dessert. Mmm!

It was amazing to cook at this place with such a great view too. If the classes weren’t so pricey, I would sure do it again.

Great Cooks on Eight Photos

L’unita Restaurant Review in Yorkville, Toronto, Canada

In the spur of Summerlicious 2011, we decided to visit L’unita after reviewing the favourable reviews on Urbanspoon. It is a little boutique Italian restaurant located in Yorkville on Avenue Road. Because of all the positive reviews and squeezing in a reservation on Saturday at 6pm (anything later was all booked out), I was convinced we would be walking into a crowded restaurant but we were proven wrong. There were hardly anyone else there, and there wasn’t that many until almost 7:30pm. It was fine for us, because it meant faster service but it did some a little eerie and also they stuck us in the front of the house, which was probably the worst table available. Initially, we accepted it but then realized even when we were eating dessert there was still hardly anyone else there. I admit, was a little annoyed. 

Nevertheless, the place was cute and I think with a bit more atmosphere it could be a lovely intimate and romantic restaurant. As for the food – well it was presented beautifully. The olive oil provided with the bread was fresh. The cucumber and arugula salad was full of flavour and crisp. The salt cod on the other hand, was not so much. The ontario fish was made beautifully, though I may be biased as I love lemon flavoured fish. However, the pasta was bland and stale. I found it hard to believe I wouldn’t like a seafood pasta. The pasta tasted like it either had not been cooked properly or it had been sitting out to dry for too long. There was hardly any clam taste either.

The desserts were probably the best course – though they weren’t that good either. The panna cotta had a lovely smooth consistency, while the orange mascarpone was a perfect combination to go with the espresso flavour. The strawberry conserva was packed full of sugar, which made it full of flavour and the lemon merengue was delish. Mmm. I’m glad I was able to leave the restaurant with the sweet strawberry goodness still on my tastebuds.

In all, I won’t go back to L’unita. We enjoyed the experience to dine in Yorkville and it wasn’t a bad downtown restaurant but we weren’t too delighted with everything. We walked away a little disappointed.

L’unita Restaurant Photos

L’unita Restaurant Interior Set Up

L’unita Menus

L’unita Bread and Olive Oil

Cucumber & Arugula Salad with Shaved Bottarga & Lemon Olive Oil

Baccala Montecato (Salt Cod over Fried Polenta & Spinach)

Ontario White Fish ‘In Saor’ with preserved lemon, swiss chard, farro & capers

Tagliatelle Pasta Con Vongole with clams, saffron, fennel & peperoncino

Espresso Panna Cotta with Dark Chocolate Crisps & Orange Mascarpone

Niagara Strawberry Conserva with floating lemon meringue & basil oil

Salad King Restaurant Review

The infamous Thai Restaurant re-opened this year bigger and better. It is still located in the Yonge/Dundas area but is now situated across the street from its old location. The devastating incident whereby bricks collapsed over the old Salad King location probably gave them the publicity they deserved. They now have a much larger and modern location and is jam packed full of hungry people no matter what hour you visit.

The atmosphere at Salad King is always buzzing, with its cafeteria style tables. It’s kinda annoying since you’re sitting much closer to strangers than you’d like and when their food comes first, you can’t help but sit there and stare with your mouth watering and listening to every word of their conversation. I find that it becomes a competition of who can talk the loudest over the person next to you, and it’s just extremely difficult to have a pleasant conversation.

A great feature is the seats they have here as they have a compartment underneath for your coat, bag, etc. It wasn’t enough for my umbrella or a thick coat however so given the tight space between your left and right neighbour, coming to Salad King on a rainy cold day was quite annoying.

But despite all of this, the food here is definitely worth it. It’s no wonder they tried to pack as many people in here as possible as there is typically long lines to get in and they do not accept any reservations. It’s first come, first served and expect to wait unless you go and beat the rush. As soon as I step inside, my tummy starts rumbling and my tongue can’t help but hang outside my mouth. The desire to bang my hands on the table and demand food now becomes irresistible as I can smell the food coming out of the kitchen.

I’ve been to Salad King a couple of times now in which I’ve tried the Green Curry, Thai Basil Noodles, Hot Thai Noodles, Siam Noodles, Pad Thai Noodles and Khao Soi Noodles. Out of all the dishes, I must say that the Thai Basil is my favourite but I just love the taste of Thai Basil. The dishes always taste fresh and full of flavour.

But my most favourite feature of this restaurant is the ability to choose how many chilli’s you want in your dish. Some dishes already have a spicy sauce so it would be even spicier than the amount of chilli’s you pick. You can choose from the options: mild, medium, 1 chilli, 3 chilli’s, 5 chilli’s, 10 chilli’s, 15 chilli’s and 20 chilli’s. The hottest I’ve tried was 15 chilli’s and it was aweeeeeeeeesome but my stomach made a few noises afterwards. It was damn hot! I typically go with 5 or 10 chilli’s now depending on whether the sauce is already spicy or not. It’s difficult to find a restaurant that will have the courage to serve their patrons a decent amount of spice so that’s why I love Salad King. Salad King is my most favourite place to go for decent Thai cuisine.

Salad King Photos

Obika Mozzarella Bar Restaurant Review in Downtown, Toronto

Obika Mozzarella Bar has opened up downtown in the middle of Downtown Toronto at BCE Place (Wellington & Bay).  It has been an extremely busy place, especially during the hours of weekday lunchtimes filled which is not unexpected given its location. I dislike however, the food-court atmosphere they have when the tables inside (to which they don’t have many at all) are full.  The seating is tight, and are exactly the kind you would find at a mall food-court. It’s loud and not very intimate at all, and the ambiance competes with the loudness coming across from Obikà at Marché. Terrific.

The table setting is modern, with interesting menu items but service is lacking. Although we came here on a weekday lunchtime we waited over 50 minutes to receive our meals, despite arriving at 12 on the dot. Poor. I realize there needs to be some allowance for such a busy time at such a busy location – but over 50 minutes? We were absolutely starving.

Nevertheless, each item here was delicious. I may not be an expert in burrata cheese (a soft buffalo milk mozzarella) but it was amazing. One taste and I was in heaven. The cheese immediately melted in my mouth and it was neither too creamy or too salty. Divineeee. The tasting plate of cheese items was interesting, but not really to my liking. I’m not a huge fan or prosciutto or pizza, but the pizza was so crisp & fresh. 5 stars for the pizza.

Overall, it was expensive and the service/atmosphere was really lacking. Initially I thought I would come back here again for the food but on the second time they really disappointed me on all levels. Sorry Obika, you didn’t come up to par.

Obika Mozzarella Bar Menu

Tasting Plate Mzarela Di Bufala Campana

Burrata, Tomatoes and Basil Pesto Prosciutto Crudo di Parma DOP, Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP, Organic Tomatoes filets, Arugula

Prosciutto Crudo di Parma DOP, Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP, Organic Tomatoes filets, Arugula

Origin is an international tapas style restaurant, in other words you can order dishes from Asian to Spanish style in small little appetizer sized plates. It is located near St Lawrence Market at 107 King St. East, Toronto.

Origin is not a large restaurant and is filled up very quickly so don’t forget to book early!

I always love to much on something while we wait for the waiter to take our order and then serve us our meal.

Origin didn’t have a hugely wide cocktail menu, but I was really delighted they served Delirium! Mmm.

I wasn’t sure exactly what to order, so I left it up to the bartender.

And he served me a lovely citrus-y summer drink which I really enjoyed. Mmm :)

Origin has 5 sections of their menu: Snacks & Sides, Raw Bar, Mozzarella Bar, Chilled, Hot

Spicy Spanish fries + Chorizo + Manchego $9
It was served fresh & hot which was really nice, but it was a little bit too salty. I enjoyed that there were some crispy sections and some soggy (soft) sections. Mmm. Cooked just the way I like it! I especially enjoyed the tangy mayonnaise.

Bufala Mozzarella + Pear + Rosemary Oil + Pinenuts + Honey $16
The mozzarella was so soft and fresh and the pear, pinenuts and honey was an interestingly sweet combination.  I absolutely loved it on top of the bread, it was so crispy!

Hamachi Ceviche +  Chilli + Mustard + Sweet Potato + Corn Nuts + Yucca $19

Beef Sizzling Hot Plate + Mushrooms + Onions + Truffle Butter + Ponzu Sauce $27
I just love sizzling hot plates! It was served with potatoes and it had a gingery taste. The beef was cooked medium-rare, as requested but it was a lot chewier than I would have liked. I enjoyed the smoky taste and the juicy mushrooms.

Chinois Duck Wrap + Pickled Cucumber + Hoisin + Sriracha + Sour Cream $15

Frozen Raspberries + Dulce De Leche + Lemon Sponge + Sea Salt
It was served with a cold topping of frozen raspberries which had a hard and crispy texture. The sweetness of the raspberries balanced out the creamy and warmness of the milk caramel centre and the textred lemon tangy sponge which was found right at the bottom of the cup. It was a delight to consume! Mmm.

Origin had fantastic atmosphere, with an open kitchen which is a delight to watch if you’ve got front row seats to the action!

Origin may be on the pricy range, but it was definitely an experience. The service and atmosphere was fantastic but I probably would have enjoyed it better if we had’ve gotten an actual table instead of had to sit at the bar to eat. Overall, I would recommend it to others because of all the unique types of dishes that were available but I probably wouldn’t come back very often.

For Elliott’s birthday, I decided to take him to Rodney’s Oyster House because I knew that he loves oysters and every time I walk down King West, someone will mention to me that Rodney’s Oyster House has some of the best oysters in town. Rodney’s Oyster House is so well known and popular, you need to make sure that you make your reso early so you beat the rush of people (especially on a Friday night!)

Above are both the New England Clam Chowder (right) and the Manhattan Clam Chowder (left). The New England Clam Chowder was beautiful and creamy and the Manhattan Clam Chowder had a really satisfying tomato base.

We then feasted over a selection of oysters. They have a wide selection that they were able to cater quite specific to your likings. There were two from East Coast Canada, One From Vancouver and one from Ireland (this one being the most strongest in taste). Sorry I don’t remember the names! They were quite tasty, especially with the sauces available. Mmm!

After that, we were so full.. We couldn’t fit anymore food in. It might be because we caught a look at this humongous 9lb lobster! Isn’t it absolutely MASSIVE! What an amazing beast..

These also looked so tasty! Too bad we didn’t have much of an appetite because from the food we already had here, we were sure that these would’ve been cooked up quite nicely. But it didn’t matter so much – I was quite satisfied with the selection of oysters we received :)

Rodney’s Oyster House

(King West, Entertainment District, Toronto, Canada)

469 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1K4
http://www.rodneysoysterhouse.com/

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For my birthday, we went to Niagara on the Lake for some wine tasting but we ended up leaving Toronto much later than we planned and arrived at Niagara in the mid-afternoon. Because of this, we only managed to visit two wineries at Peller Estates and Jackson Triggs.

Also, because we rushed over to Niagara we didn’t have a proper lunch so we were starving by 4pm! Unfortunately, the restaurant at Peller Estates was not open until 6pm but they recommended that we visit Grill on King which is located on 233 King, Niagara on the Lake. The lady at Peller Estates mentioned that the place made excellent steaks! Mmm… Driven by our hungry stomachs, we rushed over and was lucky to have the entire restaurant to ourselves (because we were so early!). It was a lovely setting though.

Muscles: these were soooo delicious. I couldn’t get enough of the tomato sauce that these were cooked in. It was so tasty and the muscles were cooked to perfection!

Grilled Calamari: this was another lovely tasting dish.

This is my shrimp skewer with roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and zucchini. I loved the peppery seasoning they put all over this. So yummy!

Check out the size of Elliott’s steak.  It’s gigantic! The potato mash was smooth and creamy and the steak was cooked perfectly and was nice and juicy! The vegetable side was cooked very similar to the way mine were.

After we filled up our bellies with so much food, we drove over the border to the U.S of A for some shopping! Look how rainy and depressing it was outside though :( We made it over to the Coach outlet, bought mummy a bag and then went back home to Canada :)

Restaurant Review: Guu Sakabar

Last Saturday I got to finally check out the new Guu SakaBar that opened on Bloor and Bathurst. I love love love Japanese Food and I find fusion food Japanese food such as Sushi Samba really interesting. I’ve heard a lot of people raving about Guu so far but I had yet to experience it. What I found that I love most about Guu is that you really feel like you’ve stepped right into Japan! Just as you step inside, the entire staff (waters and chefs) all scream out (something in Japanese) to welcome you. It really was welcoming indeed! It was very cute.

Beware of Guu’s famous reputation as there is always a line. We were smart and made sure we were there before 6pm on a Saturday evening before the majority of people would generally go out to eat. Yet, we were still made to line up for about 15 minutes and when we finally left at 9pm, the line was quite long. So make sure you go early or you’ll be sorry for waiting!

We ended up getting quite an awesome table in the second dining room where we were instructed to remove our shoes and park them in their shoe shelf. I wasn’t fussed by this especially since I was keen to take off my high heels, however as we were  guided to our table I started to get worried. I looked at how low the tables were situated and saw that there were butt pads on the floor for you to sit on. I was thinking to myself, “Oh my! We have to sit on the floor?!?!”

While that would have been truly the authentic Japanese experience, as I approached our table I was relieved to discover there was a gap in the flooring so that we could allow our legs to sit like we would sit on a chair. Yes, we were sitting on the floor but not really because we did not have to kneel or sit cross legged. This was really cool but it was so hard to get out of there!

Guu is a tapas-style restaurant whereby their dishes are primarily small appetizers in which you can share. Above is the Specials Menu in which we ordered the last 3 items on this page!

Salmon Natto Yukke: Chopped salmon sashimi with five friends (Natto, shibazuke, takuan, wonton chips, green onion and quail egg). What you do is mix them up and then wrap it in seaweed!

Okonomiyaki: Japanese deep fried pancake with yakisoba noodles, tonkatsu sauce and mayo.

Filet of Fish: Filet of black cod like burger with pink tar tar tankatsu sauce in rice cakes.

Agedashi: Deep fried tofu in dashi broth topped with water eel and noti seaweed.

Almond Tofu

Roasted Green Tea Cheesecake

I thought this was a really awesome place to dine and easily understood the popularity and rave of this place. When you don’t have the time or money to fly all the way to Japan, you can definitely go to Guu for the Japanese dining atmosphere. While the food is not authentic Japanese (as I mentioned earlier, it was more fusion style), the types of food on offer are truly unique and very special. It brings back the fun and entertainment back into food and dining. In all, I had a great time and that’s what food should be all about.

Btw, thanks so much Jason for taking me!

Guu SakaBar

(Annex, Toronto, Canada)

559 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON
www.guu-izakaya.com

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History of Benihana

Benihana is a well-known Japanese cuisine franchise with nearly 80 restaurants around the world. It was founded in 1964 on West 56th Street in New York City by 25-year old Hiroaki “Rocky” Aoki. He was a qualified wrestler at the time, but did not attend the 1960 Summer Olympics and started the restaurant with just $10,000 that he earned from driving an ice cream truck in Harlem.

The first restaurant (named Benihana of Tokyo), was named after the red Safflower which was the name of his parent’s coffee shop in Tokyo. Rocky’s idea was for customers to enjoy meals around a teppanyaki table combined with some knife theatrics (which I really enjoyed!)

 Restaurant Review & Photos

We first started off my meal with a warm and satisfying miso soup.

And then began the knife theatrics! Our chef started throwing eggs in the air and catching them with his knife so that it would split exactly in half. Very skillful!

And then he fried us some Japanese style fried rice in the shape of a heart. Aww :)

Freshly served Fried Rice! Yum!

Then comes freshly cooked shrimp! Mmmm..

Our chef then proceeded to cut up some onions, stacked them, then poured some oil down the middle and it then turned into an onion volcano! Hahaha..

Here’s our teppanyaki style dinner. The meat was probably a lot more chewier than I liked (especially when I asked for medium-rare) however the whole experience was really enjoyable and the food was quite decent. I would recommend coming here more for the experience, and it was a lot of fun. Expect quite the show while you eat. Also expect to be very full though – I normally eat A LOT and I normally eat VERY FAST however I was the slowest one to eat on the table because there was just so much yummy food!

It is located at the Royal York Hotel at Front and York St, Toronto.

Benihana

(Entertainment District, Toronto, Canada)

100 Front St W, Toronto, Ontario
http://www.benihana.com/

Urbanspoon Rocks