Delish's Profile
Best Dim Sum in downtown Toronto
I believe Sen Ming is now called Second Floor Restaurant. I don't know if ownership has changed or just the name. We enjoyed our dim sum there recently. We also ordered delivey a week or so ago, and it was only OK. Some dishes better than others.
Taste of Little Italy
We particularly enjoyed L.A.B.'s Italian nachos, rod bowers meatball slider (he is apparently opening "hey meatball" in the space vacated by a convenience store next to the gas station just west of Crawford), and some tender and flaky empanadas with a killer sauce full of chunks of garlic and other delicious bits. We actually thought the food was better this year than in years past.
Baby Friendly Restaurants
I once went to Wildfire when my son was about a year. Very baby friendly.
Burgers and wings in Toronto
Harbord House, on Harbord between Spadina and Bathurst, has good burgers and wings. The menu features good quality pub food with some twists. Don't miss the sticky toffee pudding for dessert.
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Harbord House
150 Harbord St, Toronto, ON M5S1H2, CA
Back from Trinidad... craving doubles
En route to the zoo yesterday we decided to pop in to Roti and Pulau shop for a sack of doubles. Sad to say they we disappointing and not what we remembered them to be. The bara was too chewy, perhaps overworked, and is now a far too vibrantly yellow. We think ownership may have changed. The goat roti, however, was still delicious, but less juicy than we remember.
T&T Waterfront Night Market
We were there last night at around 8:00 and were horrified by the lineups. It seemed to us they may have underestimated the size of the crowd. There should have been 2-times the space, and at least twice as many vendors to make it worthwhile.
We brought our 2-year-old, so waiting in such long line ups was not really an option. We had to settle for food with shorter or no lines; we shared oysters, thai from pi-thom, churros, Susur's "famous" cheeseburger springrolls, and some Philippine pastries. Nothing wowed us, or even came close. We were certainly not full.
A very disappointing outing for us to say the least. We finally filled up with a satisfying panzerotti and foldy-slice from Bitondo's on the way home. Yum.
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Bitondo
11 Clinton St, Toronto, ON M6J, CA
Prairie Style Pizza in Toronto?? Please??
It has come and gone. I think it closed well before bellybuster's post. The sign stayed up for a while, but now it's becoming something else. I don't know what
Waited to long to indulge in Spaghetti and Meatballs
Marinella's version is amazing. I've mentioned it here before. Except it's not spaghetti, it's spaghettoni - a thicker, chewier noodle. Delicious.
Looking for food shops in Kensington Market
I've noticed a vast improvement in the selection of cheeses at Fiesta Farms. And their selection has always been pretty good...
Quiet downtown pub for group meeting?
Harbord House has a second floor that can be used for meetings or private parties.
http://www.harbordhouse.ca/hh/?page_id=26
Good food, too!
Afternoon dim sum downtown Toronto
Our rotation currently consists of:
Yiu Wah - great on a good day, but can be inconsistent. Cart service often peters off or continuously circulates with the same cold, rubbery offerings.)
Noble Seafood Restaurant - generally very good, but some things can be one way one visit, and completely different another, for better or for worse. I guess it depends on who is in the kitchen. Atmosphere is pretty good, too. Clean.
Kim Moon Bakery - have had more good experiences than bad (but have also received a steamed bun that was ice cold in middle). Very well priced.
Mini Burgers
I've use Harbord Bakery challah rolls. They were perfect in every way. My best discovery of 2009.
Caplansky's Amazing Smoked Meat Sandwich
It was like that way back in early nov, when I was there last. Doesn't seem like they're rushing to find a solution.
where to eat pasta in Toronto?
I quite like the pasta at Marinella. If you like thick cut, try the spahettoni. Thick and pleasantly chewy. Great meatballs and sauce, too.
New place in Little Italy - NE Corner College and Grace - Marinella Simple Italian?
We love this place! We kinda wish the tables weren't covered in linen and doilies, but pretty well everything we've had has been amazing. The housemade spaghettoni and meatballs and the seafood linguine are two we keep on ordering. The fried calamari app is pretty great, too. Large, hot and crispy. Tender, not chewy.
It's been a while. I think it's time we go back.
Recs in KoreaTowen (bloor, from bathurst to christie)
The location you gave of Mul Rae Bang A is now a Tim Horton's, but I noticed the other day that they have relocated to a second floor location within the first block east of Christie on the north side.
Count Chocula and Boo Berry in Toronto
Just got back from Fiesta Farms. They have many boxes of Count Chocula. Enjoy!
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Fiesta Farms
200 Christie St, Toronto, ON M6G, CA
Dim Sum
We have had some very mixed experiences at Yiu Wah. I wouldn't ever call them consistent.
The first time we tried it we were hooked and started going back almost weekly. Then we started getting cold food and we noticed that the same dishes kept circulating the dining room over and over again. Carts were literally not refreshed or replenished the entire time we were there.. We have also been there more than once when we would just wait and wait for anything to make it's way to us. Depending on the day, it might be because of where in the dining room we were seated so that the cart ladies inexplicably bypassed us, or due to the fact that the food coming out of the kitchen suddenly comes to a halt.
We've even tried strategizing thinking maybe we've gone too early or too late which is why the experience faltered. We have tried going at all different times hoping to hit the sweet spot, but I'd say at least half of the times we've left disappointed and hungry because we just haven't gotten enough food in the amount of time our toddler allows, or when we ran out of patience ourselves fed up with the slow flow of service or less than fresh offerings.
The most frustrating thing about Yiu Wah is that we know it CAN serve great (hot, fresh, tasty) quickly - which is what dim sum is all about. Not sure if we'll keep trying at this point, or just stick to Kim Moon and Noble... but I sure do like the carts... if only they were more consistent.
Lou Dawgs - King & Portland
When did the buns change? When I was there sometime before the summer I was absolutely disappointed by the overwhelming doughy-ness of the bun. I, and my two companions, thought the bun absolutely ruined the sandwich. Would that likely have been the old or new bun?
I can't believe it is this hard to find somewhere...
I had my wedding there a few years ago. They did EVERYTHING wrong. From hiring half as many servers needed for our crowd, to giving us a buffet when we clearly stated IN WRITING, and in serveral conversations that the party was to be food stations and passed hors d`oeurves - NOT A BUFFET. They also messed up the food. They gave us wrong (and gross) toppings on our pizza, which again, were detailed in writing. We never got a tasting, despite many promises we would. I could go on, but I won`t . It`s just too depressing.
2009 closings
It's still the original owner. She hasn't found the right buyer yet, but is still looking to sell.
2009 closings
Something's Fishy is open! I was surprised to see it open for business this afternoon. I just had to give it a try. Great Belgian frites tossed in herbs and hot sauce. The fish itself was thick and fresh, but could have stayed in the fryer a minute longer. It got soggy pretty quick. Tasty tartar sauce, too.
Lou Dawgs - King & Portland
funny - i really hated the bun. found it too doughy and thick so that the meat was lost.
The Fifth
JP Challet is getting ready to open Ici on Harbord @ Manning. by the look of things, it should be soon!
Which bakery makes the best burger buns?
We've used the oblong buns from the Golden Wheat Bakery on College for our pulled pork. I think they are perfect. They are the buns used across the street at The Fish Store. They work great for pulled pork because they are soft on the inside with the slightest crispness on the outside (that can be ramped up with a couple minutes in the toaster oven). They don't overpower the pork at all.
Excellent brunch at School Bakery & Cafe
I've been to school a total of 3 times now, and obviously I've liked it enough to return, but I do have some quibbles. For one, they bake their own biscuits, cookies, etc. Yet, when you receive a biscuit with your meal it is tasty, but cold and hard. I know they're not baking to order, but I cant' help but think how much better it would be if they just warmed them slightly before serving. It would at least give the appearance of freshness.
On the subject of warmth on 2 occasions that I've had the home fries my table received were either luke warm or cold. My eggs benedict was also cold. Clearly the dish had been sitting a while.
Another issue can be with the service. One time I was there we arrived at the end of th lunch rush. We were seated quick enough, had our order taken, then waited and waited for our food. We were told several times that it was coming, but alas we waited some more (well over an hour). Turns out the people lining up for take out orders took precedence over us, and our order wasn't cooked until that line died down. WTF? We were told we'd get something from the bakery to make up for the wait, which satisfied me, until I realized we weren't able to choose our freebie. While I really wanted to try the rootbeer cake, instead I had to settle for cookies, which were good, but they were just cookies. I bake better ones IMHO.
Best Peking Duck in Toronto?
We tried to go to Peter's Chung King specifically for Peking Duck some months ago. We were told you need to order 24 hours in advance because they have to bring it in?!
Pho
I second pho my duyen. Great pho, though the spicy Hue noodle soup is my favourite thing there...
I wasn't so impressed with Pasteur the one time I tried it, and a trip to golden turtle this weekend after a long hiatus failed to impress and reminded me why we stopped going.
Crosstown Kitchens $50 Prix fixe
I had Alice's offering last week. The duck with foie gras sauce was amazing. So was the accompanying lentils with caramalized onions. I cleaned my plate. I wasn't as thrilled with the dessert, though.
