derekw's Profile
Affordable tasting or prix fix menus in Toronto
I was at Enoteca this past Sunday for the $50 pp meal!! We were six sitting on the main floor but they kindly let us get the prix fixe, too. What a satisfying family style meal. We got some 10 items selected by the chef from the menu. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed every course.
Looking for a birthday party venue in Yorkville
Ciao's food is not bad. (Il Posto is easily better though.) The thing you need to watch out for in your case is that Ciao is young and trendy, i.e. dark lighting and possibly clubby music (if I recall).
Looking for a birthday party venue in Yorkville
Try Il Posto and Courtyard Restaurant (121 Yorkvile Av at Old York Lane). Both are older people friendly (as opposed to young and trendy). Il Post has better food, great 'old school' service. Courtyard is more budget friendly, so-so food, still good service. Both have semi-private area or room, but not sure exactly how many they fit.
Wow Suhi on Charles and Yonge
Indeed, it's a top notch sushi resto in toronto.
you may not guess it from its front entrance, or its deco, or its ambiance. but 'wow', indeed, the fish quality is superb. it's more modernized sushi, a la japango/yuzu, then traditional. a lot of blowtorch action, which i love, and uni sauce, etc. in the yorkville area, i would put its fish quality on par or above yamoto, which means they are at the tops. dinner price is not cheap. but i think it's worth it. lunch may be better value, but dinner is still worth it if your focus is on the food.
seems they have two kinds of wasabi. when we ordered higher end stuff like sashimi we were given the better kind (handmade? fresh made?). the rolls came with the regular type. overall, small-ish menu, but what's there are all good, judging by the 10 or so items we ordered.
Chiado question
That's another interesting bit. There's a menu printed just for Groupon. And the menu states the tax and tips to be added on. The tax applies to the Group value, $79. Tip was 15% at $25. That's odd, 'cos that would mean the principle value was $167, when the Groupon's stated value was $200. Anyway, that's a little odd, but not a big difference. This didn't affect our experience one way or another.
Chiado question
It was not full, but rather busy for a Tues night, although they only opened their "east wing". My guess, roughly half were Grouponers. Think about it ... 2000 coupons bought, they expire in 6 months. That works out to be around 10 Groupons per night on average! The service was still excellent, I must say.
I think we felt rushed because of our expectation. It is a 5 course tasting menu with partial wine pairing at the wonderful Chiado. We expected an extended evening of culinary experience. But we got the opposite. Some might call it efficient? A few bites cleared each dish, the dish was rapidly cleared away and the next dish arrived.
I'm not recommending against it. Chiado is a great restaurant. You just need to know what you are in for. Groupon ($40 pp) + drinks, tax, tip ($30 pp) = $70 pp. Some may see this a reasonable deal, but a steal it's not. Personally I would go back after the Groupon period and pay regular prices, which is pretty much the same way I deal with Summerlicious.
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Chiado
864 College Street West, Toronto, ON M6H 1A3, CA
Chiado question
Was at Chiado tonight for the Groupon deal, $79 5-course tasting menu for 2. We simply didn't get the regular Chiado experience.
The night was rush. We were in and out in 1.5 hour, for a 5-course meal! The ambiance was not the same, it's a different clientele that feels more like Jack Astors. The food portion was not generous like usual. All dishes were small to very small, except for the dessert which was normal. No way was the menu worth $100 pp. At $40 pp, may be ... barely. We added wine pairing for 2 of the 5 courses for $5 per glass.
In a way it's similar to Summerlicious ... If you already knew the restaurant, then going there for the deal will be disappointing 'cos it's simply a lower grade experience. But if you normally couldn't afford such a place but go there with the deal, you may be satisfied 'cos you have a different expectation.
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Chiado
864 College Street West, Toronto, ON M6H 1A3, CA
Summerlicious 2010 edition
biff summerlicious dinner - $25
great value if u pick the right dishes.
cured albacore tuna + baked salmon would be a great choice.
chicken liver pate + steak frites would be an ok choice.
desserts are all weak.
overall, it's a very satisfying and great value 'licious offering.
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Biff's Bistro
4 Front St. E, Toronto, ON M5E 1B2, CA
Ciao Wine Bar Opens Tomorrow
this place is not bad, judged within the context of yorkville where restos of solid quality and value are hard to come by.
the martini was good. beef capaccio (sp?) was good, too. and the pizza was also pretty good. not outstanding, but certainly respectable quality. and their prices are considered within reason. you can easily find places in yrokville that serves lower quality food at higher prices.
this is a fine choice if you are choosing within yorkville. there are obviously many better choices elsewhere.
Guu is Guu(d) – review + pics
great reviews! thanks
- approx. how much per person (excl. drinks)?
- do the waitstaff speak japanese?
The return of Kenzo Ramen
my first visit to the dundas location on sunday, aug 23 ... MAJOR disappointment!
the entire bbq menu, as shown on their website, is no longer available. the waitress said they removed it because they are too busy and they will not be bringing that menu back. well, how about taking that menu off their website so that i won't be led into such expectation?!
ok, let me just have the oyako don or the katsu don as displayed on their street window then. sorry, they are also taken off the menu. but we didn't take the window display down. WTF?! have they heard of false advertising?!
alright, i normally prefer ramen in the winter but since there are not many choices left, i will order a ramen then. hummm ... ramen prices are not that cheap here. asked the waitress if they have tonkotsu ramen? answer: no. ... well, just one of the basic ramen then. $6.
i don't recall seeing smaller portion anywhere. and the noodle is so tasteless and lifeless i honestly think the noodle packs from T&T taste better. the nori is also very close to tasteless. to say the soup lacks depth is a gross understatement. i was just shocked how bad it was. it's as if some amateur trying to make ramen for the first time based solely on a photo. because what i was served was a bowl of items in a typical ramen arrangement and yet tasted nothing like it!
iNoodles on bloor wasn't super great, but they were MILES ahead of kenzo.
Best 'siu mei' in Chinatown (Spadina)
'siu mei' means the meats that hang inside the display window in some Chinese restaurants, i.e. roasted pork ('char siu'), roasted duck, soya chicken, etc.
I want to know where in Chinatown (Spadina) serves the best 'siu mei'. Succulent, juicy, moist, tasty marinade, with a little bit of fat. see this photo as an example: http://www.torontolife.com/daily/daily-dish/food-porn/2009/08/10/hidden-pleasure-a-delectable-cantonese-dining-experience-thats-off-the-foodie-radar/attachment/johns-bbq-kingofbbqpork/
King's Noodles is not bad. But I am hoping there are better places. I am pretty sure there are good places up north, but I live close to Chinatown and I need my regular fix close by.
Can someone recommend a great sushi restaurant in the Yorkville area? Want something *Awesome* No price range. TIA
if yorkville is a requirement, then yamato is the best one. menu not too inventive, but the standard sushi they serve are of high quality. service and decor are excellent. prices are up there, too.
if your taste leans towards middle of the road conservative dishes, yamato may even be a great choice. if you prefer something more creative and exciting, you could do better elsewhere (outside yorkville).
Cheap eats around bay and bloor
2 rec's:
- at the upper level of the collanade is a little place called gourmet something. about $7 for a plate of real wholesome food. this is a hidden gem. they are on the same level as the chinese dynasty restaurant, right next to the japan foundation.
- also ok is china garden on bloor opposite to the ROM. even cheaper, but lesser quality. $6 for a plate of rice with a large variety of topping choices. you get real food, not especially tasty though.
moroco chocolat review (with pics!)
To each his own, indeed. We were a group of 4 and enjoyed our brunch.
Agreed that the price is on the high side and the portion on the small side. Well, this is no Fran's diner. While not a steal, we all enjoyed it and would come back.
The food and coffee were nicely made, and we all liked the decor and the music played by the DJ. Perhaps the best point is the comfy seats ... very nice and classy sofas. We actually had nice conversation in a comfy setting for 2.5 hours. And the service was excellent.
That's my first and only visit. To each his own.
Visiting Vancouver, need 3 picks for dinner
will be visiting vancouver for several days involving 3 dinners. staying downtown, but have car. once upon a time, these were my top vancouver picks (you can get an idea of my taste and price range). but i heard there are good new ones, too.
question: which 3 should i choose, either from my old list or the new ones? i can fit in a nice lunch as well. many thanks for the help!
my old top choices:
blue water
lumiere (and the a la carte sister next door)
bacchus
elixir
chiyoda
my old second choices:
c
west
shijo
kamei royale
yoshi
tojo
diva at the met
izakaya (which i love, and i will probably fit them in for late night snacks or may be even dinner):
gyoza king
guu
Cheap in Yorkville ... oxymoron or not?
i know yorkville is full of higher end places like remy's and sassafras. but are there any places that is ok and cheap? not fine dinning, but just quick and casual, for those weekdays you don't feel like cooking. more like chinatown. less than $10.
i suspect more of these may be found south of bloor, like charles st, rather than the north. i will be exploring, since i just moved in to the area, but wondering if chowers could suggest. thanks!
How much tip do u give?
just want to get a sense on common tipping range these days ...
what is your range of tipping percentage from sub-par service to very good service? (me: 10 to 20%)
do u tip different amounts in different types of restaurant (e.g. keg, splendido, chinatown)? (me: in chinatown, my range becomes 5-15%.)
Downtown TO (Royal York) recs
Scaramouche, while very good, is difficult to get to from Royal York.
Splendido should be OK on subway. Top food, top service, top ambiance, but also top price.
Can also consider Susur. Like Splendido, top food, top price, slightly lesser on ambiance. I think these two are the tops in TO. Certainly celebration worthy places.
I think Colburne Lane is overrated, but i don't think many others agree (?).
Other choices close to hotel (walkable) are Biff (French), Starfish (great for oysters and seafood), Beerbistro (great mussels and frites, beers). These have lower prices and are better value.
Eye Weekly on Ramen in Toronto
the writer seems to have tried 5 places. 2 of them were worthy of ratings.
iNoodle **
KONICHIWA ****
Ematai
Izakaya
R-Shop
the addendum added 2 more, as pointed out to the writer by 'japanese torontonians':
Tokyo Kitchen
Kenzo
http://www.eyeweekly.com/food/review/article/22023
Recommendation for Japanese Robata food
I really miss the Japanese robata type food (e.g. yakitori, all kinds of tofu, chicken skin, onion, squid, mushrooms, etc.). Eat them with beer or shoju. Really nice. Where is a good place in Toronto for that?
When I lived in Vancouver, Gyoza King is great for these tapas dishes, mainly from the roaba grill. Really miss them.
