Aji Sai Plus Resto Lounge

Last night, a small group of us got together at Aji Sai Plus Resto Lounge, located at 637 Yonge Street for drinks. Six girls and we were all thirsty. We started off with mojitos - which were VERY good - and then moved onto sake sangrias and spiked lemonade (also good, but alas, my heart has a special place for the mighty mojito). 

Kimchi beef fries

To break up the drinks, we ordered an array of appetizers, ranging from kimchi beef fries (the toppings were yummy, but the fries would have been better if they were fresh cut and not frozen, though to be honest, I picked at it until it was all gone), to baby mushroom beef rolls to bbq squid (SO good) to takoyaki (I think squid balls) to chicken skewers (meh) and crab cakes (intriguing). And of course, you cannot go to a Japanese restaurant without having sushi, edamame beans and vegetable tempura (yum!). 

But the most surprising treat of all? The freshly shucked malpeque oysters. From 3:00 - 7:00 p.m., Monday-Wednesdays, Aji Sai offers $1 oysters, half-price appetizers and $10 pitchers of mixed drinks (see above). It's definitely an affordable choice for a week-night get-together.

What started as after work drinks turned into a two-and-a-half hour dinner filled with laughter and great conversation with very good friends. 

Special thanks to JW for organizing. Looking forward to the next one!

Restaurant rating: Would go back occasionally.

A hidden gem: Utopia Cafe

The back seating area at Utopia

A few weeks ago, 2 of my foodie friends (C &S) and I went to Utopia Café , located at 586 College Street West, in Toronto. S promised an evening of amazing nachos and delectable poutine. Lucky for us, he did not disappoint.

Tofu Cream Croquettes

Small and very unassuming, Utopia looks like it would fit perfectly in an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Canadian edition, anyone)? From poutine to burgers to their version of Tex-mex, Utopia boasts a huge menu with lots of variety. Normally, I find big menus don’t always deliver, as most places only have a few dishes they really excel at.  Randomly trying a few dishes (and because S INSISTS that anything and everything he’s ever had has been pure genius), I was pleasantly surprised that Utopia does deliver.

We started the meal off with Tofu Cream Croquettes, crispy panko croquettes of fresh tofu and cream cheese served with a spicy chipotle BBQ sauce.  We ordered (well, I may have demanded) these on a whim, after all, tofu and cream cheese have drastically different textures…which means the croquettes had to be amazing or a complete train wreck. Luckily, they were amazing. The texture was soft and the taste mild, while the bbq sauce added just the right amount of zing.

Veggie Nachos

We then ordered the Veggie Nachos (freshly made corn tortilla chips piled high and topped with a blend of melted cheeses, spicy salsa, jalapeño peppers, white beans, tofu, corn and sour cream) – they didn’t disappoint either. The freshly made chips were definitely the star, and while I’m not a fan of white beans, they were actually quite tasty. Even the texture couldn’t weird me out.

Gourmet Poutine

By this point, we were full (but not FULL), so we pushed our luck and ordered one more dish: the Gourmet Poutine (sautéed mushrooms, goat cheese and veggie gravy). Now, I’m not a fan of goat cheese (or strong cheeses in general), but the cheese was very mild and gave some great flavour and texture contrast (I’m not a food snob at all).  It acted almost like a sour cream.

Let’s just say we made quick work of the poutine and then some.

S swears that everything on the menu is delicious…I cannot wait to go back and help prove him right.

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym. 

County General

Cinnamon ketchup

Foodie friends are the best because you get to try new things together and break the dishes apart without fear of judgment (yes, this is actually when the words, "these flavours meld perfectly because of the cumin" actually make sense).

Tonight, lil' bro C and I went to County General (a.k.a Splendido's little sibling) on Queen Street West. Small, unassuming, but incredibly busy, Country General serves up some amazing fare. The menu is inspired by Asian and Southwest flavours, but with familiar comfort foods. C's been quite a few times (they knew him by name at the door!), so we ordered what he recommended.  And MAN, OH, MAN was it good.

Roasted bone marrow

We started off with a series of appetizers: roasted bone marrow, fries (because they were out of sausage poutine), jerk coleslaw and trio of steamed pork buns. (To be fair, the portions were REALLY, REALLY, SMALL).

The jerk coleslaw was good - I think I tasted a hint of curry and other familiar spices - but slightly warm. Great texture and flavours though. Must remember to add coriander and carrots to my own coleslaw.

And fries...how could you go wrong with fries? They were fresh cut, amazingly crispy, but the best part of it all? The homemade ketchup - flavoured with - you'll never guess - cinnamon. I NEVER would've thought cinnamon and ketchup would mix, but it does - and beautifully too.

The roasted bone marrow came with some toasted cheese bread - the marrow had strong, comforting beefy flavours, but it definitely needed the bread to cut through the fat.

Pork buns from heaven

But my favourite appetizer of all? The steamed pork buns. When I first saw it on the menu, I assumed it was similar to Chinese pork buns...but not at all. The buns are actually topped with different things: avocado chutney, kim chi and green apple slaw (I got to try the first two). But no matter the topping, the unifying theme was the pork belly that sat on each bun - which, but the way, were amazingly soft...but back to the pork belly. All I can say is: O.M.G. Never have I had such amazing pork belly. Perfect flavour, soft texture and amazing smoky flavour. I could've sat and ate another plate all by myself.

But there were still main dishes to be had. C ordered "The Verga", a sandwich served on pan fried sourdough bread, topped with scamorza affumicata, grilled poached pear, rosemary and house smoked bacon. All I can say is: mmmmmm. The poached pear balanced the cheese, and the salt from the smoked bacon balanced the sweetness of the pear. Had I not had a belly full of appetizers, I would have appreciated this dish more. As things stood, I was already full by the time our mains came.

Buttermilk chicken sandwich

I ordered the fried chicken thigh sandwich, which consists of buttermilk chicken, avocado chutney, coriander and green onion served on a milk bun. The bun was heaven and the avocado chutney brought a freshness to what otherwise would've been a very heavy dish (as things stood, I could only eat half of dinner...C stepped up and finished the rest).

But still...what an incredible dinner of comfort food. And through it all, I had nursed a drink called the "Intemperate Lass": Jim Beam, Martini Bianco, Campari Fielding Sparkling Riesling topped with a slice of orange zest. Very good, if a little on the strong side.

Food is amazing, but I also had good company, both of which when combined, made for good times and a truly remarkable dinner.

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.

George's Tastee Foods (mmmm....a meatlover's post...)

Note: apologies to my vegetarian friends.

I love meat. I can’t help it. I blame my Dad (sorry, Faja Man) for this, since Mom doesn’t really eat meat.  Seafood is great, but until recently (say, the last 5 years), neither me nor Dad have been able to get through a meal on seafood and veggies alone. Seafood at home? Add a fried egg. Chicken? A little bit better. Pork? Now we’re starting to talk.  But the ultimate meal for this meatlover and her Dad?  Beef. 

*drool*

Stir-fried beef with broccoli (it makes the broccoli eatable), sloppy Joes, burgers, roast beef…mmmm…there’s just something amazing about that beefy flavour.

Over the years, I’ve learned that different cuts of meat have a different concentration of flavour. Tenderloin is delicate and responds well to sauces. Blade roasts and chuck have a lot of connective tissue - which when you cook slowly, melts and produces a LOT of flavour (as the Food Network chefs say, fat = flavour). Brisket is a tougher cut of meet, but again, also flavourful. Bones are awesome for soups and stocks – especially ox tail. 

Not only do I find the taste of ox tail comforting, it reminds me of when I was a kid. Growing up, my Popo (maternal grandmother) used to make ox tail soup all the time. Sometimes it was tomato-based, but more often than not, there was a healthy handful of Chinese herbs added to the mix.  Either way, I loved it. Why? Because the taste is rich, warm and entirely delicious.

I’ve tried making ox tail at home – in soups, similar to what Popo made – or as a dish on its own. The rich beefy flavour of ox tail holds up to so many herbs and spices. It is a tougher cut of meat, so for home cooks like me, this means braising and breaking out the slow-cooker (which, btw sucks energy like there’s no tomorrow). But the taste is SO worth it.

(You can get ox tail at Chinese supermarkets like T&T – beware the weekend rush though. Actually, if you go on the weekend, it’s entirely at your own peril).

However, there are times where I’m just plain lazy (I have been known to have popcorn mashed into plain yogurt for dinner…a lazy person’s take on cereal and yogurt). And yes, though it is rare (not many places serve ox tail), there are alternatives.

Ox tail on rice (Photo credit: JL)

I recently came across George’s Tastee Foods (I visited the store in Richmond Hill, at 9021 Leslie Street). And yes, they serve ox tail over rice (and other yummy things like beef and vegetable patties, but this post is all about the beef). And yes, it is delicious. The beefy flavour is awesome and the gravy that it’s served with? Mmmmm….perfect with the rice, but also amazing with all kinds of bread. The Faja Man and I are fans.

It’s a simple dish, but oftentimes, simple things are the best.  And yes, it DOES satisfy the meet craving. 

(Note: Oddly enough, I don’t eat lamb.)

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.

Carens Wine and Cheese Bar

Let me start by saying I REALLY need a new camera. The one on my beloved phone just doesn't do culinary works of art any justice - especially when it's dark. Having said this, I will post the pictures I took because they're the only visuals I have.

My work wife and I, D went to Carens Wine and Cheese Bar at 158 Cumberland Street last night for an impromptu dinner. (I completely forgot TIFF was happening, so Yorkville was hopping more than usual on a Friday night. No movie star sightings, but we did see a few strange characters).

We sat outside - Carens has a lovely patio, and for those who get chilly, each table has its own red afghan.  The menu offers a good selection of dishes - each dish incorporating at least one type of cheese. 

D ordered the Stilton Stuffed Burger (topped with cognac sauteed mushrooms and housed in an onion bun). Now, I'm not a fan of cheeses that are blue and stinky but, MAN, this burger was amazing (D gave me 1/8 of   her dinner). I find stilton cheese overwhelming - similar to how I feel about lamb - it's a bit too strong and gamey for me. But THIS burger sat on a small bed of arugula, a bitter green that cuts through the strong taste and provides a balance to the meal. I can honestly see myself ordering this dish, stinky cheese and all.

I ordered the Sticky Beef Ribs, which came with roasted corn and a side of spicy macaroni and cheese. The ribs were cooked in an orange glaze sauce, the texture: completely fall off the bone. My only complaint was that the ribs were lukewarm when they were served (but this could've been due to the fact that we were sitting outside). The corn was nicely charred and the mac and cheese...oh...the mac and cheese, despite being a side dish completely stole the show. 

Four types of cheeses - sao miguel, cheddar, Swiss and parmigiano reggiano in a spicy sauce. Mmmm...all I can say is that I savoured every single bite and was scraping the bottom of the ramekin. Not too heavy and not overly creamy, this was probably the best mac and cheese I've ever had in my life.

And then there was more...having enjoyed an amazing meal, D and I both ordered dessert. She had the chocolate lava cake - it was warm, with just the right amount of sweetness, and had a taste of orange liquer in it.

I had a cold dessert...vanilla panna cotta - which ranked right up there with the mac and cheese. I enjoyed every single bite and was actually sad to finish the last bite. 

Great company, good conversation and one of the tastiest meals I've had in a very long time. What a lovely way to kick off the weekend.

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.

P.S. I should also say that every dish we had was paired with a different kind of wine. I won't go too much into this, but my tastebuds were definitely singing by the end of the night.

Freshii Frozen Yogurt

I've been gorging myself on frozen yogurt from Freshii since May. Every week, at least twice (okay, fine...3 times), I, along with some of my colleagues have faithfully made the trek to Freshii at 35 Bloor Street East (trek might be an exaggeration of distance, since it's literally downstairs in my work building).

I have to say, this is THE best frozen yogurt I've ever had in my life. It's creamy and sweet, with a texture that's similar to soft ice cream. The best part of it all? It's literally only 100 calories or so for the small yogurt. My favourite toppings are double strawberry. If you haven't tried this, I strongly recommend you do so.

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym. (But it's TOTALLY not necessary).

Applebee's

We've all been tempted by the allure of cross-border shopping. With the strong Canadian dollar, and well, the thrill of saving just a little bit of money in taxes, a friend and I decided to cross the border this weekend into OUTLET SHOPPING TERRITORY (a.k.a. Fashion Outlets, Niagara Falls, USA)

After a fairly uneventful drive, we decided to fill our bellies with a quick lunch before beginning our shopping mission. There was an Applebee's conveniently located at the edge of the outlet mall, so we decided to eat there.

The menu boasts a fairly robust salad menu. Encouraged, I settled on a steak and potato salad on spinach, while my friend had some kind of appetizer trio (sliders, boneless wings and I think quesadilla).

I have to be fair and say the service was excellent - in fact our server was extremely attentive. We really did have amazing service.

The food on the other hand was well...less than stellar. The salad was drenched in dijon dressing. I actually couldn't find any spinach without dressing. The potatoes were overbuttered...injected with butter...and since they weren't hot enough, were greasy and oily. The steak was also tough and overdone. I love salads, but this one, I really couldn't go through more than a quarter. I was actually quite queasy from the dressing.

My friend fared no better with his appetizer trio. The buns for the sliders were stale...and well...stale. Sliders are mini burgers, and something I hold near and dear. The best burgers have the best buns. This is a sacred rule. Chose the wrong bun and the entire burger experience goes out the window. And when the bun is stale? It's just plain wrong. The cheese wasn't quite melted all the way...and the quesadilla...well...soggy seems to be an understatement...

It was a mixed experience for us...good service usually accompanies good food, so for the food to be so bad...it just wastes the friendly atmosphere the great staff at Applebee's tries to create.

Restaurant rating: Run fast and run far / may cause stomach ulcers. (My friend could probably attest to this. His stomach was pretty angry).

P.S. The best deals of the day? $5 Nike t-shirt and $10 Gap cargo pants!

Izba Restaurant

Definitely worth a visit.

Izba Restaurant, located at 648 The Queensway in Toronto/Etobicoke claims to have "the BEST schnitzel in town". And in my humble opinion, it's very possibly true.

I'm a fan of schnitzel and have had many different versions of it. I've also been disappointed many, many times. Too often, schnitzel is oily and flaky - the breadcrumbs falling off and the meat (pork and veal) waaaaaay too tough. But this....THIS was amazing.

Not oily, perfectly crisp, amazingly tender and awesomely spiced (yes, I know I'm using a lot of positive adjectives, but you would too if you'd tried it).  The funny thing? I didn't even order the schnitzel (that's right, I mooched off my friend's plate).

Instead, I ordered the pork tenderloin with pierogi (I've been DYING for pierogi, but that's a story for another day). The pierogi were served with sour cream and boiled (which, I'm told by my pierogi-connoisseur friend would've tasted much better had they been pan-fried), but to my Canadian Chinese palate, tasted great. Potatoes and cheddar wrapped inside a dumpling...mmmm...but I digress...

The pork tenderloin was tender - as in fall-off-the-other-parts-of-the-meat-tender, served with a sprinkle of dried parsley (hey, it works here) and a gravy I couldn't identify. There were also roasted potatoes (which this potato-connoisseur LOVED), braised cabbage (forever ruined because of the cabbage soup diet...thank you parents...) and boiled carrots (which I didn't touch).

It was by far one of the best comfort food meals I've had in a very long time, and definitely a belly-filling one.

The portions are generous, so be sure to go on an empty stomach.

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.

(Apologies for the lack of food pictures, but it was too dark for decent pics).

Duff's Famous Wings

Mmmm...wings...

I heart chicken wings.  Truly I do.  Spicy and sour. Crispy and crunchy.  Mmmm...and while everybody knows this already, I still have to say it: Duff's Famous Wings has the best chicken wings in Toronto.

I went to Duff's back in December with my Big Brother and had a blast. Over fun conversation, we shared wings, beers and the obligatory veggie sticks.

The atmosphere is friendly and was crowded for a Tuesday night. The staff was great and well...it was a wing place. Enough said.

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.

Rosedale Diner

The Rosedale Diner is one of Toronto's oldest eating establishments, but despite being around for 33 years, I've never been. A friend and I had dinner there a few weeks back to celebrate some good news. It was a random pick for us, but am I glad we picked this place!

I had the organic beef burger with fries and then shared the poutine au canard (duck poutine) with my friend (I know, I know, double fries, but like I said, we were celebrating!) And boy was it delicious.

The burger was juicy and cooked perfectly, with just enough seasoning. Instead of a traditional bun, the patty was served in a pita.  The fries (garlicky) were made with fresh potatoes and was deep-fried to crispy perfection.  

The duck poutine was amazing as well, but by the time it arrived, my friend and I had stuffed our respective faces with the burgers, and therefore didn't give the poutine the attention it deserved (though we still finished everything).

The cafe itself is quite small and intimate - but by no means snooty. It's the perfect place for old friends to catch up and celebrate good news.

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.

New Korea Restaurant

Tucked away in the T&T Supermarket Food Court located at 5661 Steeles Avenue East in Scarborough is the New Korea Restaurant, a modest food stall offering exactly 10 menu items: one of them being spicy pork bone soup. Not knowing what to expect from a food court restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised at how perfectly spicy and delicious the soup was. The pork literally fell off the bone.

I was first introduced to pork bone soup by a friend (who is now back in South Korea). Fragrant, spicy and awesome for a cold winter day, I was surprised that something so simple could be so flavourful.

Boiling hot for a cold winter day

Now, I'm no expert on Korean food, but I have to say the soup I had today at New Korea Restaurant was good for this foodie's soul. Served with white rice (which I skipped) and a side of kimchi, the meal was really well priced ($8.95). The fact that it's easy-on-the-wallet is a definite bonus.

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.  (Not that I think you'd need it - the soup really does consist of a spicy broth).

Glammed up burgers

Ah, the hamburger...a delicious ground beef patty, layered with lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard and onions, and placed between a soft, white bun. Yum. Meat, veggies and carbs - perfection.

Or so I thought until I recently visited the Gourmet Burger Co. You walk in, and what you have to do is simple: follow the steps outlined for you on the chalk board - your options of what to put on your custom burger are laid out. And if you're up for a side, you have a choice of a number of things to choose from, ranging from onion rings to sweet potato fries (I had regular fries with vinegar).

I went at lunch with a girlfriend on a Friday afternoon...let's just say this is one place where you truly have to wait for your food.  Each burger is cooked after you place your order, so rest-assured, you're not getting anything from a heating tray (no offense to McDonald's or other fast-food restaurants...there are often times where I would absolutely kill for a Big Mac or a McChicken, but that's a post for another day).

In fact, in took nearly 15 minutes for me to get my order - which was fine with me, since I had a place to sit, but for others, it would've been a long wait. I also had a side order of fries (it WAS Friday afterall).

The verdict? Absolutely amazing. The burger was perfectly cooked and not oily (I find burgers are either dry or too oily) at all. I had lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms on my burger. Even the bun was perfectly soft and fragrant (no stale bread here). And the fries? Fresh cut and made from real potatoes.

(By the way, some of my readers know that I am also a fan of Craft Burger. In terms of a difference between Craft Burger or the Gourmet Burger Co. I have to say there isn't much of a difference, in terms of pricing, taste and popularity. Both produce an extremely delicious burger.)

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.

Unionville Arms Pub & Grill

I've been living in York Region most of my life and sadly, I have only been to Main Street Unionville once (yes, there are times when I am a country mouse). J and I were both bored and decided to go to Starbucks for a coffee - from there, we sat and brainstormed where to go for dinner.

The problem I've always had with living in the suburbs is the lack of food selection. No, wait - it's the lack of non-Asian food selection.  If I were craving Chinese/Korean/Japanese food, I'd definitely hit up the 905. When I'm craving anything else, the options are far more restricted. Sure, there are franchises and chain restaurants, but there are times I just want something different - be it food or atmosphere.

After much hemming and hawing, J and I went to Main Street Unionville and settled ourselves into a booth at Unionville Arms Pub & Grill. The atmosphere was great. For a Sunday night, I was surprised to see the restaurant full. It was warm, friendly and had a variety of people - families, couples and everyone else in-between - including other single gals like us.

The menu is typical pub fare, so J had the roast beef dip and I had the roast beef dinner (alert: I was NOT counting calories today) with Yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and asparagus.  

And this is how it went...the Yorkshire pudding (which, BTW, is one of my most FAVOURITE things to eat, even though it's probably 1,000 calories a piece) was disappointing. It was cold and dense. The roast beef was good enough, and the mashed potatoes were amazing (if the mashed potatoes weren't good, this would've been an angry post). The corn was sweet, but undercooked, while the asparagus was limp and overcooked.  

I didn't try J's roast beef dip, but she said it was bland.

The service was friendly (however, our server wasn't at the top of her game). Having said all this, this is one of those rare times where I'll actually go back to the restaurant in spite of the food.  

The mood and atmosphere counted for a lot and really contributed to the experience - which, overall, was a really positive one. I would go back because of the vibe, but the food really was part of the background, and definitely not the main attraction.

Restaurant rating: Would go back occasionally.

Karoon Resturant

I'm a huge fan of trying new things, so a friend and I decided to try Iranian food for the first time (well, for me it was). We went to Karoon Restaurant in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

The experience was...interesting...

We arrived shortly before 7:00 p.m. on a long weekend.  It occurred to us that we were really early, as the restaurant was nearly empty (an Iranian friend later confirmed dinners don't usually get started until later in the evening). We were quickly seated at a table for 2. Unfortunately, there was a dirty spoon in my place setting.  We pointed this out to the server, who very quickly replaced all the plates and utensils on the entire table (I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing).

The server arrived with the equivalent of fresh bread to get us started while we looked over the menu. Warm pita bread was served in a basket alongside a plate of onions, radish, cucumber, parsley and goat's cheese. Who knew something so simple could be so delicious? My friend and I quickly constructed mini pita sandwiches and devoured them. 

Encouraged by this, we looked at the menu, anxiously trying to decide on our mains. We asked the server what was most popular, and he recommended the combination platter for 2.  We ordered the platter with two skewers of kabob koobideh (skewered ground beef), 1 skewer of lamb chop kabob, and 1 skewer of chicken thigh kabob. Two plates of saffron rice would accompany the platter.

After a 20 minute wait, our server returned with an iceberg lettuce salad with cucumber, tomatoes, and some sort of store-bought dressing. Perhaps because our main course was running late? Two bites of this room temperature salad was more than enough. 

Our main course finally arrived around the 35 minute mark.  The arrangement on the plate was a pleasure to look at - it looked like dinner was going to be worth the wait, and the salad was just a blip on the screen. 

The portions were EXTREMELY generous. The taste?  It depended on what you ate.  The chicken and lamb, though nicely seasoned were burnt and dry. The koobideh however, was amazing. Well-seasoned and moist, it went deliciously well with a mouthful of saffron rice. The platter was also accompanied by two grilled tomatoes...which turned out to be even better then the koobideh - ripe and juicy, and charred just enough to give a deliciously smoky flavour.

Overall dinner wasn't bad.  But it wasn't great either. (Oh...and for your convenience, a 15% gratuity is automatically added to your tab. Which is funny because it was a challenge to even find our server.)

Restaurant rating: Meh. Would go back if everything else was closed.

Another butter tart haven - Le Pain Quotidien

So maybe I lied when I said butter tarts are only for bad days.  They can be for good days too.  Maybe it's the type of butter tart I have on bad days.  On bad days, I like ooey gooey goodness - even if it's slightly too sweet.

On good days, I want small butter well...tarts?  Cue an example of a good day: my Big Brother and I went out to lunch and decided to have some dessert.  We stopped at Le Pain Quotidien for dessert.  And there, in the display window, was a somewhat Parisian version of a butter tart.

We both had one each and split a pot of green tea.

And boy, am I glad we each had our own.  The entire thing was lighter and much less sweet than other butter tarts I've had. Despite the fact that I know it was loaded with calories, it didn't taste like it was loaded with calories.

Now, the picture I posted with this entry doesn't do the tart justice.  I'm not in the habit of carrying a camera with me, so I had to rely on my Blackberry (and as much as I love this phone, the camera on it just isn't that great).  The tart shell was a golden brown, and the filling was actually not dark brown, but a sunny yellow colour - very different from a traditional butter tart.  And the taste?

Heaven on Earth.

And you know what?  It actually tasted buttery.  Silly, but I've never had a butter tart that tasted buttery.  The shell, yeah, but the filling?  Never.

Would I go back again for another butter tart?  Oh yeah.  Can I go back often?  Not if I'd like to fit in my pants.

(Le Pain Quotidien also serves an awesome sandwich and other baked goods.  It's a favourite lunch spot of mine.)

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.

Brunching with little ones

I live in the suburbs, so finding a decent place for brunch can be a bit difficult.  Enter Chez Cora. Totally geared towards family, Chez Cora is great for taking the little ones.  I took my two little cousins recently (and again this morning), and they love the experience.  The food is fairly good, and the service isn't bad - the most important thing for me (in this case) was for my cousins to enjoy the experience.

Chez Cora has a good kids menu and lots of (relatively) healthy options. From bacon and eggs, to fruit platters to crepes and waffles (even oatmeal for those of us watching our waist lines), there are lots of options.  Plus, the kids get to leave with balloons.  What's not to like when you're looking for an easy weekend family brunch?

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.

Restaurant review: Ferraro 502

This past weekend, a friend took me to Ferraro 502, a cute, family-run Italian restaurant at 502 Eglinton West in Toronto. I've never been, and when it comes to Italian restaurants, my favourite has been Grazie for the last 10 years.

However, Ferraro gives Grazie a run for its money - the food is just as good, if not better, and in terms of a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, I prefer Ferraro. (Grazie is great if you're looking for a busy night out...but it's definitely not what I would call relaxed or intimate).

Foods sampled:
- Carpaccio: I love beef carpaccio, but so few places do it well. Ferraro does it well. The lemon juice balances out the salt, and the olive oil and parmigiano reggiano went well with the roasted red peppers. Mmmm...carpaccio...

- Pizza portobello: The mushrooms were cooked perfectly - normally, I find pizza on mushrooms too dry. I'm not a fan of gorgonzola cheese, but it seemed to work here. Definitely yummy.

- Pizza calabrese: Sausage, mozzarella, onions and hot peppers on a thin crust. What's not to love?

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.

Restaurant review rating system

Since I love eating as much as I love cooking, I thought it might make sense to start providing feedback and (dare I say) reviews of restaurants I eat at.

What makes me qualified to provide restaurant reviews? I haven't received professional training, but I do recognize good food when I eat it.

For the most part, the places I'll try will range between $25-$100 for two people, though I will specify if the restaurant goes beyond that price range.

Restaurant / Food Rating System:
- Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.
- Would go back occasionally.
- Meh. Would go back if everything else was closed.
- Run fast and run far / may cause stomach ulcers.