ragged25's Profile
Alphonso mango available at Price Chopper
Upon a second look, my box doesn't say Kesar...the other 3 boxes did say Kesars. My box simply says Indian Mango, on the side, there was no sticker saying which it was.
Whatever it was, it was worth the money and quite good!
Alphonso mango available at Price Chopper
They were off to the side on a cart, with no signs or price on them! I had to ask the produce clerk for price confirmation. There were 3 boxes left at around 6pm last night.
If the Alphonsoes are as good or better than Kesars, then I will need to track them down this week!
The Kesars are fairly small about the size of a closed fist. They are fairly ripe but one more day should do the trick, I ate 4 already, saving 2 for today and tomorrow!
Alphonso mango available at Price Chopper
Just came back from the PriceChopper at Warden and Finch. Didn't see any Alphonso Mangoes, but did pick up a box of Kesar Mangoes for the same price. I've been dying to try the Alphonsoes for a long time and I had no idea what the difference between the two are, but figured I went all the way there, might as well try them.
I just tried two and they are very good! They are pretty sweet but what I enjoyed most was how fragrant they are. I'm not sure if any of you have tried them both, if so what can I expect from Alphonsoes that I didn't experience with Kesars!?
I might have to make a trip to Little India for Alphonsoes!!
BC Spotted Prawns - A quick update
My fiancee bought some 'recently deceased' ones from T&T and it was a bad idea ahahah!! It was $8.99 a pound and she cooked in in boiling water. The texture of the shrimp basically fell apart and was very mushy.
I'm trying to figure out whether it was because it was dead for too long or because she dumped them in water and keep them there for a good 15 minutes.
I am thinking it's because they were overcook, but could be a combination of both overcooking and cuz they weren't fresh. I don't think it was a good idea to try and save a few bucks because we ended up pretty much throwing the pound of shrimps away anyways.
Toronto Life's 25 best burgers
I've been fortunate enough to try a few of the burgers on the list including The Harbord Room, Marben, Nota Bene, The Burger's Priest, Bymark, The Gabardine. I'm not surprised to see some of the usual suspects near the top of the list as I've enjoyed the burgers from Harbord Room, Marben and Nota Bene tremendously and on repeat visits. Bymark I tried just for the sake of seeing what the fuss was all about. Don't get me wrong, it was a great burger, but the value just wasn't there. The first time I tried the burger at The Burger's Priest (The Priest), I sworn I told myself I've never had a burger prior and they remain my top 3.
In regards to the exclusion of Goody's burger, I can only imagine it due to the fact that Toronto Life has not sent anyone out there to try them yet. With so many 'burger joints' out there, I can understand the misstep, but the writer should have done their homework and do a little background check before putting out a top 25 list. I have been a big fan of Goody's and how their business is ran and I have very much enjoyed every burger I've had their and I would rank them up there along the others I've mentioned above with the exception of The Gabardine, it was too dry and did not finish it. I think had the writer actually tried a Goody's burger, they easily would/should have made the list. If however, this isn't the case and Toronto Life feels that the 25 places are in fact better than Goody's, then it's a different story.
This list really isn't too useful to me as I knew how good the burgers at Harbord Room, Marben, Nota Bene, Goody's without someone telling me they're the best. If nothing else, this list serves as a conversation starter!
Want a 'surprisingly good' Shawarma in Richmond Hill? - Give 'Rifca's Mediterranean Kitchen' a try!
Having just seen the Avengers and Ironman's suggestion of wanting to try a shawarma, I just had to get myself one today. I decided to give RIfca a try and my overall impression is it's pretty enjoyable. I'm no Shawarma expert, but the chicken shawarma was huge and loaded with fresh toppings. The fininsh on the shawarma press gave it a nice crispy finish.
The beef shawarma dinner was also pretty good and the beef was well flavoured. Some pieces were a little tougher than others, I wonder if I can ask them to not cook it on the grill for that long next time?
I went around 6:30 and the place was totally packed. The cook/owners seem like decent people as one lady ahead of me forgot her wallet and they had no problem letting her walk out with the food with the promise of repayment at a later date. Seems like they do have a lot of regulars that go to Rifca.
I would be back if I have the craving for a shawarma!
Patisserie Ruelo Revisit - A nice surprise!
It's nice to see this little store doing well still. There was a bit of a buzz when it first opened but has been quiet for a while. I know someone who used to work at the store and was told that the owner is very passionate about her work and is a bit of a perfectionist. I have bought a couple of small birthday cakes (Ferror Rocher flavoured) from them over the past year and loved it both times. Although my fiancee knows how to make macaroons, we stop buy when we have a craving for them and are generally very satisfied.
I think Reulo has built up a bit of a reputation with the asian community, not sure how well they will fare at their new location. I think I will check out their new location to lend my support because I hate to see little shops like this fail.
Thanks for the update and pic Charles!
Theee best crispy beef in the GTA
I went the Fairview yesterday and asked for it and they pointed me to a dish called sesame beef. It's sliced beef, fried with a bit of a sweet/spicy sauce and sprinkled with sesame. It's on the menu for $8.99 + tax.
It not bad, but it certainly wasn't cheap. I'm not sure if it's the same one you talked about though!
Chung Moi Chinese Restaurant ( Kennedy & Eglinton )
I was actually going to start a new thread about this little place. I've been there probably a half a dozen times over the past few months. As others have suggested, the food here is very good. I have tried their kung pao chicken, manchurian chicken, chilli chicken, satay beef on rice, curry goat on rice and hot and sour soup.
Out of the bunch, my go to dish has been curry goat and their hot and sour soup. The goat is very well cooked and it's quite tender and has great flavour. The curry is also delicious. As for the soup, it's unlike any other sweet and sour soup I've had in Toronto. It's pretty heavy on the peppery side with strong and well balanced sweet and sour note which I quite enjoy, it's something you have to try it's quite good.
Very reasonable prices during lunch hours around 7 bucks or so and you get a ton of food.
Goody’s Diner – Finally an Ontario candidate for Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives… and it’s in Scarborough
I don't know about others, but I usually only go on Friday so I can slack off after lunch and take off early. I've been to Goodys over 10 times and it gets better as you get more experienced handling the portion!!!
There are still quite a number of item I would still like to try, better start looking for pants a couple sizes larger!!!
Spring Villa - Seldomly mentioned, Surprisingly good!
I believe it is, but call to double check though. I do recall being dragged out there on weekends when I was half asleep at 9:30 or so!
Spring Villa - Seldomly mentioned, Surprisingly good!
If I remember correctly, they have early bird special where all orders before 10:30 were the same price (S,M, L) for $2.50 or something. The couple times I went, the place would be packed and people were given order sheets while still in line!
I agree with Charles, it's a very decent place especially if you are able to get a table during the morning madness.
Public house - Venetian?
Just returned from Vegas and ate at the Public House during lunch over the weekend. They had a promotion from Groupon and it was a great lunch.
We quite liked the ambience of the restaurant and it was a very classy place. I would imagine the bar area would be pretty jumping during a weekend night as they carry a significant number of beers from around the world and its perfect for beer drinkers.
We started our meal with crispy oysters with foie gras and it was delicious. The oysters (3) were on the smaller side, but it was a great one bite starter as the melted foie gras was pretty delicious underneath the oysters. We also had an order of pork rinds and they were great to snack on.
For our mains, we had the burger and the braised short ribs. The burger was cooked perfectly to my medium rare request and it was very juicy and had good beef flavour. The thin cut shoestring herb fries were good too. I'm from Toronto, and it ranks up there with some of the better burgers I've had here.
My gf had the short ribs and it was a big Wow for her. It was perfectly cooked and literally melt in your mouth good. It was accompanied by two fantastic onion rings on top of a bed of butternut squash puree. The short rib had great flavour and the jus it was served with made it the best short ribs dish my gf and I have ever had.
The service was very friendly and the waitress was very knowledgeble. We weren't sure whether it was mashed potatoes that came with the short ribs, but our waitress informed us that it was butternut squash puree. You'll be surprised to know how many waiters/waitresses don't fully know the menu, so bonus points for her from knowing her stuff.
With the Groupon coupon ($25 for $50) and one beer and a generous tip totally $40. So including the $25 we spend buying the coupon, it was easily one of the better lunches we had for $65. It's a great place for a relaxed lunch with reasonable prices.
It's a place I would recommend for a pint and a burger without hesitations. They have a few other items that I would be interested in trying including the poutine, friend quails and waffle and etc.
Full review [Le Select]
I've been to Le Select a few times and it is more than possible to leave with a $200 bill tax and tips in. In terms of quality, The first couple of times the food has been okay to above average, but the last time I went their mussels were extremely overcooked and was loaded with garlic. I do have a feeling that the quality has gone down a little. I don't mind the ambience, but it does get loud at times. I enjoyed dining at the bar though.
I do agree that there are a number of places in Toronto where $200 would get you better food. But if you're in the neighbourhood and want a quick casual bite, it's still not the worst place to go.
Chowhounds best 10 Resturants in GTA - 2012 version
Dean,
When was the last time you've been to Focaccia? I used to love this place but kind of stopped going because there were a lot of other places I wanted to check out before going back there, but unfortunately never did. I'm interested to know why you would rate them as your top 10!
Zen Japanese Restaurant update please...
I"ve only ever been there for lunch and their food is always fresh and tasty. The place is always busy during peak lunch times so perhaps dinner times tell a different story. Let's hope they don't go bust as where I work, Zen's the best luch option around.
Goody’s Diner – Finally an Ontario candidate for Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives… and it’s in Scarborough
Seems to work okay for me:
This weeks specials: (ending Fri. Dec. 2)
Soups: Roasted squash, apple n' onion &
Cream of Broccoli
Entrée: Chickpea falafel and soup combo
($10.95)
Burger: "The Polish" - Mustardkraut, grilled
kolbassa, onions, perogies, & garlic provolone
cheese
Pizza: Roasted lamb, tomato, onion, spinach,
black olives, feta cheese
Goody's 1st anniversary special: burgers are $5
Great lunch today and size and quality was the same which speaks volumes to the way the family runs their business. They were totally rammed today but the burger was as good as ever. Good for them!
Goody’s Diner – Finally an Ontario candidate for Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives… and it’s in Scarborough
Lamb Shank as special this week? Talk about beating the cold with this dish!! If anyone's tried this, please post and let me know how they are. Thanks.
Chicken Wing Prices - RIDICULOUS!!!
I concur with your rant...that's why I would only go for wings when it's wing nights. Nowadays, it seems like every restaurant is doing wings and for some reason the restaurants feel that it's arbitrary to charge the same amount (8.99 to 10.99 a lb) relative to other mains on the menu. It seems like 8.99 is more or less the standard nowadays and it's kind of shameful especially when you end up with 7 or 8 tiny tasteless wings.
Help me with my Richmond Hill food tour
One haha...it's pretty damn good!!
I believe they come in 2 sizes with the larger one being 6 or 7 dollars more. You typically order some bread/rice with the crab because you don't want to waste any of the sauce. So given the extra carb, I would say it feeds 3 for a large. Because it's so creamy it does fill you up fairly quickly. I've shared a large with my SO once, but I don't recall us ordering anything else that night, maybe some spring rolls. So it really depends on what other dishes you order along with the crab.
Btw, the crab really isn't that cheap, I think mid to high $30s for small, maybe $40 something for a large.
John's B-B-Q : Verdict after a simple dinner - Food is still good!
I've been to John's for dinner before and if I remember correctly, the special BBQ pork dish Charles ordered was written on a bristol board and stuck on a wall/post. I think it was only in chinese and I think an order of the pork costs either $18 or $19, so it wasn't cheap. As stated earlier, you can order the regular BBQ pork that's substantially cheaper but not nearly as good.
So if you don't recall paying $20 bucks for the pork, then you likely didn't get the right one.
Goody’s Diner – Finally an Ontario candidate for Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives… and it’s in Scarborough
What is in the Surf and Turf Burger?
Goody’s Diner – Finally an Ontario candidate for Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives… and it’s in Scarborough
I guess your description is much more accurate, I do recall apples and onions and 3 types of cheese on top of two beacon wrapped 'meatloaf' patties. I think it was bacon wrapped sausage for one, and bacon wrapped peameal the other!!!
I have to give the turkey club a shot next time, but with weekly specials and regular favourites (steak sandwich) you more than likely won't get bored of the selection of food.
Goody’s Diner – Finally an Ontario candidate for Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives… and it’s in Scarborough
Just had the fried chicken and it was pretty damn good. It's 3 pieces of deep fried goodness accompanied by roasted potatoes/gravy and corn on the cob. The chicken was perfectly cooked and very tender and juicy. The batter was not really thick and nicely seasoned. I don't think the chicken was really marinated, but it was still very enjoyable a good item to have if you don't feel like a huge burger.
As for the bacon explosion, I believe it's a Goody's burger with two thick bacon roll slices. It's basically bacon wrapped sausage/peameal bacon on top of the normal beef patty. It looked pretty good but it's a hefty burger as it's more or less a triple decker!!!
Name these two burger places!
The one in the middle is definitely Goody's. I'm leaning towards saying both are from Goody's!!
Goody’s Diner – Finally an Ontario candidate for Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives… and it’s in Scarborough
So far I've tried the steak sandwich and a Philly Cheesesteak Burger. The burger is massive and very juicy despite being well done. They are able to cook to your liking if requested which I will try next time. But the Philly Cheesesteak Burger was delicious. The layer of steak was tender and the melted cheese made the burger just that much better. The Dad and Son team really do care about the food they put out and you likely will not encounter bad service when you are there as they are both very friendly people. They will go the extra mile to make sure your time at their restaurant is worth the visit.
There are still a number of items I want to try and this will become a regular spot for me and my co-workers.
The Beast's "Beast 120" menu: great way to snack or have an early dinner!
I've been to Beast for their 120 happy hour and I don't really have any complaints about it. On a nice summer day like today, it's a nice little patio to enjoy a few drinks and have a few dishes to share to snack on which is what it's designed to be.
I agree that the lamb ribs are a little fatty and it's very off putting for those that can't stomach the fat, but to those that prefer the flavour, it's actually not bad in terms of value. I quite enjoy their poutine as it's very different than a traditional poutine. If I'm not mistaken, it's made with gnocchi, cheese curds, beef and beef jus rather than a traditional gravy. It was unconventional, but once again, fairly good. Oysters are $2 a piece so you can easily go in there, have a few oysters, a glass of white wine and some other snacks and drinks for under $25/$30 a person all in and a good afternoon.
I think that's the expectation people should have when going for the 120 menu rather than it being the go to spot with spectacular dishes.
Just my 2 cents.
Goody’s Diner – Finally an Ontario candidate for Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives… and it’s in Scarborough
I just thought the sweet potatoe fries were not handcut as I saw them in a big clear plastic bag before being cooked. Its the same big clear plastic bag the regular fries came in as well, hence I just assumed they were purchased from elsewhere. Like I said, they were still enjoyable regardless.
Goody’s Diner – Finally an Ontario candidate for Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives… and it’s in Scarborough
Based on the reviews, my co-workers and I finally went here for lunch. We literally work 5 minutes away and have never even heard of the place before. When we drove up, we were hesitant to enter as it was in the middle of an industrial area with a jail right next to it, but we were glad that we mustered some courage to enter haha!
I ordered the steak sandwich ($9) and it was really well cooked to medium rare. As described by an earlier poster, the mushroom and sauce was tasty and the hot peppers gave it a nice little kick. I upgraded my salad/fries to their soup (Lobster Bisque) for $2. I've had better elsewhere, but it was still relatively tasty and good value.
My co-workers had the Goody's Burger and they both devoured it. It was probably one of the biggest burgers I've ever come across and they said it was delicious. No complaints about their sweet potatoe fries even though it's not hand cut. Another co-worker had the spicy crispy chicken sandwich and she said it was great as well.
There's a lot on the menu I would like to try personally including some of the breakfast items and we've already decided to add this to our regular spots. The service was great and everything is made to order and good fresh ingredients were used. Given the limited choices in our area, this definitely ranks pretty high on our list. We were very happy with the value and quality of food at Goody's and it was packed during lunch time full of regulars.
I wouldn't say this is a destination spot per se, but I do hope the little place survives in their current location. From the looks of it, their value and quality speaks for itself.
