summ3r's Profile
Scarborough To-Do List - What have I missed? What SHOULD I miss?
My go-to for samosas is Rasoee & Royal East Indian Sweets at 1515 Birchmount Rd.
I haven't found a place to beat it for size and price. These are big, beautiful, tasty packages. I think they're 60 cents a piece. I dunno, I just buy a doz and hand my money over. I've tried other places, the Indian take out (whose name escapes me) that's always got a lineup on the north side of Ellesmere between Bellamy & McCowan, the so-called Sultan of Samosas on O'Connor, fresh made to order at Bombay Palace and other restos, but all of them are either way more expensive or tiny, cheap little packages with hardly any filling in them. Best is when the new batch have just come out of the kitchen!
I've also tried most of the sweets and veg take away dishes they have. They're ok. Fairly standard and acceptable for what they are. It's the samosas I go for.
"so into cupcakes" A new Cupcake place in Scarborough: Review
We had minis of the following: Red Velvet, Vanilla, Strawberry, Lemon, Coconut, Chocolate, Rocky Road, Salted Caramel, S'Mores, Cookies N'Cream, and Peanut Butter.
Everyone generally liked the cupcakes they got to taste, though of course some more than others. We agreed that we liked the lemon the best. Of the rest, we liked the peanut butter, the chocolate, and the vanilla the most. The rest were ok, but not standouts.
"so into cupcakes" A new Cupcake place in Scarborough: Review
It's called "so into cupcakes" and it's (as they say) "located just minutes off of highway 401 at Markham Road and Ellesmere". Apparently it's been open since December in the plaza on the north-west corner but the only hint that it's there is the single word "CUPCAKES" in the window that you can see from Ellesmere. There's no entrance street side and you have to drive into the plaza. You'll find it beside the Coffee Culture on the corner.
They sell both minis and regular sized cupcakes, in 13 flavours (all were available on this Friday afternoon around 3pm). We bought a dozen minis for later (passed on the mocha) but my son & I got a regular sized lemon to go.
The lemon: substantial cupcake base, like a lemon flavoured pound cake, which is nice because I was expecting a useless airy american-style cake with nothing to it, lemon flavoured cream cheesey frosting, sweet - but not too sweet, cream cheesy but not overwhelmingly so, and a blup of lemon - I think it's pie filling - on top, in the center of the frosting to identify it as a lemon cupcake. I'd have preferred lemon curd but we can't have everything.
My son gave it a 4-4.5/5. Me too. Not a full 5/5 because my eyes rolled back a little in my head while I was eating it but I didn't pass out. :D
We're planning to taste test the rest later tonight when everyone else gets home. I hope I'll have comments as positive for the other flavours.
Toronto Hungarian Restaurants
It looks like Mr. Hungarian in Markham is closed.
I tried calling to see about reserving a table and the phone number is out of service. We stopped by at 6pm on Valentine's Day and while there are tablecloths on the tables the place was dark.
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Mr. Hungarian
144 Main St N, Markham, ON L3P5T3, CA
Restaurants I love, you hate
I think I must be the only Chowhounder that can take a pass on Buca.
After reading the comments and reviews here we decided to try it out last weekend.
pffft. Never again.
It was so loud that my dining companion & I couldn't hear each other speak. The food was so-so but after all the fuss that was made with "sourcing" on the menu, it failed to impress.
There are so many other, more welcoming, comfortable (places you can have a conversation with your dining companion(s) without resorting to shouting!), restaurants around I'll take a pass on Buca.
ven if I have to miss dishes served with "Ottawa Valley Sweet Butter"! (as someone who grew up in the Ottawa Valley I had to laugh at that one!)
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Buca
604 King St. West, Toronto, ON M5V 1M6, CA
there must be one good restaurant in Niagara Falls!?
thirding AG. We ate there last summer and it was delightful!!
A perfect meal made with attention and served with care.
Wu Yi Villa (Markham) - This place is gonna get busy real soon
My dh & I went to the Wu Yi Villa last night and we quite liked it.
We enjoyed being in an atmosphere a good step up from the usual plastic sheet lined tables for a change! The wait staff were friendly and attentive and took the time to describe any dishes that we weren't familiar with. When we arrived there was a very large table being served, some kind of family party we gathered from the gifts for the kids, and two or three smaller tables, all on the left side of the restaurant. We were seated waaay over on the other side of the restaurant on the right, all by ourselves. It was a little weird being surrounded by the empty tables on our side when everyone else was on the other side but I think the staff thought we'd prefer being away from the noise. As in fact we did, since we were more interested in having a bit of a romantic dinner than a raucous fun family time.
Here's what we had:
As soon as we were seated we were brought a nice pot (seriously! a nice change from the chipped and stained pots one usually gets) of chinese tea and a small dish of sweet pickled veg. We gobbled up the veg so quickly that they asked us if we'd like another and we did!
Chicken corn soup: A decent amount of chicken, nice flavour and consistency, not thick and goopy like some we've had.
Stir-fried shrimp & veg: What a pretty dish! Glistening shrimp piled with green and lots of red peppers, and enough cashews so that even the most greedy cashew lover (ME!) was satisfied and didn't have to play "hunt the cashew". dh remarked that it was the first time he has ever been served shrimp with the tails already taken off in a Chinese restaurant. I know that some like the process of getting the meat out of the tail but we thought it made a nice change not having to deal with the shells.
Snow-pea leaves with garlic: very nice, a light dish, not greasy; tender, bite size veg
Beef with black bean sauce on noodles: I liked the taste but wished there was more sauce to flavour the noodles, and thought it could have had a LOT more beef.
Bamboo shoots: again, what a pretty dish! Bamboo mixed with all different kinds of fresh and dried mushrooms and fungus in the center of the plate, surrounded by a just-right tender-crisp ring of bright green western broccoli. We liked that one a lot.
Dessert: The waitress suggested we try something for dessert and on her recommendation we had bowls of hot red bean soup and an almond cookie each. The wait staff insisted that it was red rice but nah, it was the classic sweet red bean soup. dh didn't like it, he said it was too plain and tasteless, but I liked it a lot. Not too sweet, slightly nutty flavour, a good end to the meal.
The bill was $90, and we carried away enough soup to feed ds (a chicken corn soup fanatic) for a couple of lunches and enough of the rest of the dishes to make another meal for two.
This isn't your cheap and cheerful Chinese restaurant. It's an occasion restaurant, a place to go when you're dressed up and want to celebrate something. We'll return and try some of the fancier, more expensive items on the menu some other time when we've an occasion to celebrate.
there must be one good restaurant in Niagara Falls!?
I'd have to agree w/ several of the other posters here and say that AG at the Sterling Inn and Spa is probably what you're looking for. My dh & I went to Niagara Falls in March of last year and the AG was recommended to us by the concierge of our hotel.
It was a bit bizarre, we found the hotel, asked at the front desk and were directed down a hallway, then downstairs and were still looking for the restaurant because there was absolutely no signage. However once we were seated it was lovely.
Local ingredients, and everything prepared with attention to detail. A real dining experience for a change. Well worth it.
Help! Need restaurant suggestion Bloor & Avenue Rd. ish
thanks for all the suggestions!
The general vote was for Italian so we ended up at Fieramosca. It was ok, dh had the fettucini with mushrooms and voted it excellent saying he prefers it over Terroni and our local Italian. Daughter had the penne with mushrooms and liked it, though she prefers our local first, and then Terroni's. Son had the sausage pizza and absolutely loved it, said that it was one of the best he's had. I had the grilled fish special, two grilled fresh fillets (bream and something else I didn't catch the name of) and a large grilled prawn with lots of nicely done veg on the side. It was good. Not as good as Joso's fish (though at $37 a plate it should have been) but while expensive, it was serviceable.
Bottom line, the meal was ok but it's not going to be a destination restaurant for us. I don't think I'd go back unless I'm looking for an Italian in that neighbourhood.
Anyone been to Karaikudi Restaurant on Kennedy Rd. (just N of Lawrence) in Scarborough?
ooooo!! Anjappar Chettinad? excellent!! A new Indian to try!! Thanks for the suggestion, we'll have to get on that immediately!!
Help! Need restaurant suggestion Bloor & Avenue Rd. ish
My daughter is at the ROM this aft, we want to have dinner, and then we're seeing Alice at the Varsity at 55 Bloor - so we're right at Bloor & Avenue Rd. all aft/eve.
I'm looking for recommendations for a restaurant in the area. We're all adventurous (not Korean live squid adventurous but certainly up to exploring anything ethnic) and are looking for something where the emphasis is on providing good food, not atmosphere, style or any of that rot.
My first idea was to go to that old, tried but always true, standby Joso's (been going there since 1979 and still love it) but I wanted to see what the other options were.
Suggestions?
Heard of D&D Poultry?
This is brilliant.
I need a good quality, real roaster and I don't want to have to drive all the way downtown to the St. Law. Mkt to get one. I came to Chowhound, typed in "Scarborough roaster" and found this thread.
I'll be trying this place out today.
Anyone been to Karaikudi Restaurant on Kennedy Rd. (just N of Lawrence) in Scarborough?
I've been driving by for awhile now and was wondering if anyone had been there. They advertise a lunch buffet for $9.99 but from the absence of a dinner menu I guess it's mostly catering?
Nasr Foods: Excellent
I was in there on Sunday, Nov 22 and it was pretty depressing compared to how it used to be. Most of the produce bins were empty. There were some dried up, mangy limes, certainly no lemons (disappointment), and lots of dates, esp fresh on the branch ones as people were just opening up the boxes and helping themselves. The usual excellent supply of really, really fresh pita. The deli counter looked reasonably well stocked but the self-serve pickle and appetizer wagon was empty. Most of the nut bins were empty.
The parking lot was almost empty. A pretty depressing sight when one thinks of what a vital part of the neighbourhood this shop used to be.
Anything decent in area of Air Canada Center?
I've got a friend coming in from Buffalo for an event at the ACC and wanted to take him for dinner beforehand. I'm not familiar with that area. I'm looking for something within walking distance that is not a sports bar.
Alternatively, I could pick him up in the car and drive a short distance but he's got to be back for the show so we can't go far.
Moderately priced. Nothing exotic or fancy - he's a plain food kind of guy. In fact, he'd probably appreciate going to The Spaghetti Factory but I'm not stooping THAT low.
Suggestions?
Tikka Tikka, our new Indian local
dh & I went to Tikka Tikka Indian Delight (Markham: Markham Rd. & 14th Ave.) last night for dinner. We usually go to Bombay Palace at Markham & Painted Post (mostly because it's convenient) but a friend had highly recommended Tikka Tikka so we gave it a go. I spent the meal comparing dishes to see which restaurant's version I preferred so I might as well do it here as well.
We ordered samosas, butter chicken, chicken biryani, raita, aloo ghobi, and naan. Bottom line: even though the restaurant was only 1/2 full it was a long wait but the food was good. I think I'd choose it over Bombay the next time we're lusting after butter chicken but dh felt that it was only on par.
The samosas were the usual/average potato goodness (although not stuffed as fully as those at the Bombay) served with the dipping sauce though these, unlike the Bombay, came dusted with masala which I thought was a nice touch. The butter chicken was really good, the sauce was creamy and rich. I thought that the chicken biryani was outstanding. It came with a generous sprinkling of fresh coriander on top and was in two layers, a lighter layer of saffron rice on top and the darker layer with wonderfully crispy bits of fried onion and chunks of chicken (a whole leg and thigh) underneath. The raita was thinner than I would have liked but it tasted pretty good with a sprinkling of fresh coriander, and bits of thinly sliced cucumber and tomato. I really liked the aloo ghobi and thought that it was much better than Bombay's. Not top heavy with potato like the Bombay version and much less greasy than Bombay's, this aloo ghobi had a nice balance of potato & cauliflower with tomatoes. The naan was ok. I wish that they hadn't given it a swipe of oil on the top (I get that it makes it look richer, i.e. "better"), I don't like having to consume the extra calories and grease, but it wasn't a show-stopper. btw, the best nan we've EVER had was at Curry Original on Ontario St. in Kingston. Those were the most wonderful, light, puffy clouds of naan goodness.... but I digress. Anyway, the naan at Tikka Tikka was ok, no complaints.
A few notes:
I think they go too heavily on the MSG or salt. I'm not sensitive to MSG and I didn't come away with a raging salt-induced thirst but there was something about the meal that was a bit too "punchy", if you know what I mean. See what you think, I'd welcome anyone else's thoughts about what it is.
And. While the ladies bathroom was generally ok, someone had clearly made an effort, there was a bowl of potpourri with scented oil on the back of the toilet, and a cheerful bouquet of (plastic) flowers over the sink, there were used paper hand towels strewn all over the floor - maybe a child's handiwork? and both in the bathroom and in the entrance hallway outside of the washrooms THE LIGHT SWITCHES WERE BLACK. eeekkkk! and eewwwww!! SOMEBODY needs to get in there to clean up more than once a day and hello!! wipe down ALL surfaces with pinesol or something!!
Nova Scotia dining thus far...
(cont')
Cheticamp: Co-op Artisanale Acadian Restaurant. dh had one of the specialites, the stewed chicken dinner and he loved it. The chicken was falling off the bone and very tender. It was served with mashed, veg and its own gravy. The restaurant also serves regular standards but we recommend the acadian specialities.
Wonderful Meal in Cornwall, ON
dh & I stopped off in Cornwall on our way home and wanted a nice meal to finish off our vacation. I checked online and found Mangi's at 800 Cumberland had lots of good recommendations so we took the chance and went.
Mangi's doesn't look like much from the outside but don't let that put you off. Mangi's menu is "Mediterranean fusion" but we pretty much stuck with old standards.
Our meal was amazing. dh ordered the lobster bisque and Coquille St. Jacques, I had the Tomato and Bocconcini Salad and then Ravioli stuffed with chicken & sun-dried tomatoes in a pesto, cream & tomato sauce.
The lobster bisque was full of all kinds of seafood, not just lobster. There were scallops, shrimp, mussels and lobster in a thick, creamy tomato base. dh said it was so thick it was more like a stew than a soup and it was the best bisque he's ever had. He also loved the coquille st. jacques. It had the usual mashed potatoes around the edge of the dish, but also a layer of melted mozzarella cheese on top, was full of scallops and was very tasty.
The bocconcini salad was great, drizzled with some nice olive oil. The ravioli was a bit heavy and the sauce wasn't what I expected, but it was tasty and I ate it all!
There is food beyond the chains and Cornwall isn't the wasteland it used to be!!
Nova Scotia dining thus far...
(cont')
Cape North: dinner at Angie's Restaurant. We both ordered chowder; D.C. ordered a half bowl of Angie's chowder as a starter, I ordered a full bowl of Seafood chowder as a main along with a green salad. D.C. had the scallops as his main course and said they were interesting and tasty. My green salad was a nice one - a big pile of mesclun with some tomato, green pepper & mushrooms added as well. otoh, I don't recommend the chowder. I asked why (size aside) our two different (and differently priced!) chowders looked exactly the same and was told there was only one kind of chowder available - the seafood chowder. I think that we ought to have been told that when we ordered. When I asked (as politely as I could) where was the seafood in my seafood chowder (because I surely couldn't see anything except some pink flecks (shrimp flecks?) and stringy bits that might have been fish) the waitress went to the kitchen, came back and reported that the seafood was in there, it just all looks the same after it's cooked. Ah. That must be it. However, in any case what we got was a bowl full of potatoes and about a half of a bowl of creamy base and fishy bits. I know because I fished all of the potato pieces out and a big mound they made too. I get that there is potato in chowder. I just don't think it's right to charge $11 (!!!) for a bowl of what is essentially potato soup & a bun. There were 3 or 4 other tables of customers while we were eating and to be fair, they all looked as if they were enjoying their meals. I think they didn't order the chowder.
: )
Nova Scotia dining thus far...
(cont')
Fortress of Louisbourg: We ate at the "middle-class" restaurant, Hotel de la Marine (Building #44 on the Fortress map) and it was really good. We both had the veg soup which was surprisingly tasty and full of root veg. D.C. had the turkey pie - which came with real, honest-to-goodness gravy! The apple tart was ok, a shortcrust with some apple & cinnamon pie filling.
Cape Breton Island
Had lunch at the Clucking Hen Cafe in Indian Brook and I'd recommend it. D.C. had the lobster sandwich and I had egg salad. Both sandwiches were on thickly cut whole wheat bread and were full of filling. Good solid sandwiches. The bakery treats looked fantastic as well but I was saving myself for dinner.
Nova Scotia dining thus far...
I'm spending a week travelling from Lunenburg N.S., to Louisbourg and along the Cabot Trail. I couldn't find a lot of info on good eats in places outside of Sydney & Halifax when I was looking through the previous posts so I thought I'd report on my findings to help the next person along!
Lunenburg: Had lunch at Sweet Indulgence at 242 Lincoln St. The lobster roll was very good - full of lobster and light on the filler. The mushroom & orzo soup was chock-full of mushrooms and very good! I don't know how we resisted the baked goods because they all looked spectacular.
Louisbourg: The Grubsteak was highly recommended to us but we found it well, ok, I guess. I wouldn't go back. I think they were short-staffed as the waitresses were fairly harried. My dining companion (D.C.) had the meat loaf and I had a burger. There were more elaborate items (shrimp & scallop flambe) on the menu but we thought that we'd stick with the basics. The menu said that the burger came with veggies and fries but what I got were 3 pieces of greens and a half plate of fried potatoes. D.C. said the meat loaf was serviceable.
The next night we went to the Lobster Kettle. Even though it was a bit chilly we ate outside on the deck with a nice view of the Louisbourg Harbour and the Fortress. D.C. had the lobster and said that it was the best he's ever had, very fresh, juicy and tender. He also had the hamburger soup which he found disappointing. I had chowder and scallops. The chowder was one of the best I've ever had - full of tasty seafood and light on the potato. The scallops were ok, in a mushroom sauce. Both of our meals came with the all-you-can-eat salad bar which included the usual items.
Longo's
agreed on the parking lot being a disaster. I was in there some time ago trying to make my way from Longo's across the plaza to the exit at Leslie and my van (with me in it, mind!) was sideswiped by an Impatient Shopper driving a large vehicle who didn't bother to stop or slow down.
I don't go in there unless I positively, absolutely have to.
Chowfind: Marrakech (Moroccan) 1326 Danforth
We had dinner at Walima a few weeks ago and were very disappointed.
dh had the lamb shanks which he said were delicious. It was all downhill from there though. My son had the chicken kebabs, they would have been tasty but they were over-cooked and very dry. My daughter had chicken bisteeya. It was full of flavour but again, really, really dry. I almost wanted some yogurt or something to pour over it just to give it some moisture. I had the veg couscous. It was... ok. that's all. just meh. and ok.
For dessert we ordered an almond cookie - again with the dry, only this time dry and crumbly. And a piece of baklava. meh.
Overall it was just such a let down that we won't be returning. There are so many better places to go.
Julienne's pastry shop in Halifax
If I'm going to snag some, what time do I need to be there by???
Cape Breton Island: suggestions for Aug 2009?
dh & I will be driving from Halifax to Louisbourg, up to Cape North, and then down to Mabou, Port Hawksbury, Antigonish and then back to Halifax before heading home again.
Are there any not-to-be-missed places we must visit along the way?
Conversely, (and perhaps more importantly!!) any places we need to avoid at all costs???
Needed: Awesome Italian in Unionville/Markham area
It's my dd's 16th today and she's only just decided that she wants to go Italian for her Birthday dinner.
We usually go to Fratelli's in Scarborough but for logistical reasons we need somewhere in the Unionville or Markham area today. And! Just because it's always fun to find great, new places to eat!
Suggestions?
(and please, no "No, you can't have parmesan on your seafood pizza because it's not authentic" Terroni's-style pretentiousness!) (LOL)
wild Italian dried oregano on the branch-where to find?
I saw some last week in the grocery store just across from Kew Gardens in the Beach.
Looking for a country pub....
I realise this is almost a year after the original request but if someone comes across this in their own search it will be worthwhile because it needs to be said: under no circumstances go to the Shepherds Pub in Elora.
My family & I (two adults, three teenagers) spent a weekend in Elora for my birthday and the day we arrived we decided to stroll through the village and see what was on offer. We decided on the Shepherds Pub for dinner. Two of us had the fish and chips. The portions were huge but soggy over-battered fish and limp fries had us scraping off the batter to find what dinner we could in the huge plate of inedible food. I don't remember what the others had but I do remember that none of us had a decent meal.
What a waste of over $100 for a meal that didn't include alcohol.
Teppanyaki in Toronto
I am completely seconding the advice to avoid Memories of Japan. My dh took me there for Valentines dinner because our first choice was totally booked. Should have stayed home.
It was so underwhelming I actually came here today to see if I could find somewhere nice to go the next time we want teppanyaki.
