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O&B Canteen

September 8, 2010 by kle

Simple menu. Local ingredients. Attention to detail. Casual charm. Canteen.

O&B’s newest restaurant with a home in the TIFF Bell Lightbox…yep, just in time for film fest.

Defying the notion that simple fare can’t be done well, Canteen’s menu is centered around familiar, comfort foods. Pasta (gnocchi, tagliatelle), pizza (calabrese, al parma), pressed sandwiches (chicken BLT, prosciutto), steak frites, mussels etc. with a weekly chef’s menu that changes based on seasonality.

Two encounters in the past two weeks. Our first was complete with C listening to me lament over forgotten camera every time a new dish was brought out… plated with care and served in beautifully heavy French cast iron cookware…we were all over the presentation. I’m partial, can’t help it.

A feast for the eyes, and our first indication of Chef Jason Bangerter’s influence. Second indication? Housemade ketchup. Seriously, try with the handcut fries…addicting. Third indication? Edible flowers. Try the Soma brownie. Could keep going, but he really does have his hand in everything. A little touch here and there…exceeding your expectations for casual dining.

Imagine spending eight years at Auberge and then making the leap to Canteen/Luma (higher-end lounge, opening Sept 12). Worlds apart and difficult to believe…unless you’ve experienced his personality. Warm, engaging and incredibly personable – he’s just as passionate about creating the finest French cuisine or $7 beef brisket sandwich and $11 mac & cheese.

Returned this eve, with camera in hand, and enjoyed a handful of new dishes. No repeats. Yet.

Stand-outs so far: the salads (thai coleslaw, beet root, israeli couscous), chicken liver parfait and desserts (soma brownie, lemon posset).

New challenges, exciting launches…and if both restaurants survive TIFF (Sept 9 -19), they’ll survive anything. Including the noise on King St.

Canteen: handcut fries & housemade ketchup

Canteen: chicken liver parfait

Canteen: gallo mussels

Canteen: lemon posset w/ chantilly & berries

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Guu Setup

August 16, 2010 by kle

A life-changing experience. Well, for two weeks at least.

There’s no greater satisfaction than introducing friends to a new restaurant, where their enthusiasm surpasses yours (a difficult feat, mind you), and their appreciation for food knows no boundaries.

The three of us seized the evening, took off for Guu and miraculously, managed not to wait an hour and a half in line…a sign for a good night ahead. Walked in to a room filled with loud, boisterous greetings, sat down, ordered sake and rubbed our hands in anticipation. K&K poured over the menu, scanned every dish, finally looked up, and said “order for us”.

Should’ve seen the grin on my face.

Although…it could have been disastrous.

berry sakegria!

Thankfully, it wasn’t! Suspenseful, this blog is not. May even claim greatest success to-date.

Matched up a couple with a restaurant. High five!

Their infatuation has since waned (1 of 2 will dispute that claim), but for fourteen days, it was glorious.

Outstanding dishes:

As the raw egg was deftly mixed into our salmon natto yukke & spooned on to a square of seaweed – held my breath, this was a favourite – if K&K didn’t enjoy, setup was gonna fail…miserably.

Seconds later, we had ourselves vigorous nods & incoherent ramblings. Yes.

salmon natto yukke

Honourable Mentions:

Tuna tartare & avocado. Layer 1 of happy. Layer 2 of happy.

Special of the night…hope it re-appears again.

B.C tuna tartare & avocado w. sesame oil, teriyaki sauce

Scallop sashimi was our hero. Fresh & citrusy with the yuzu, another ceviche knocked off the list!

scallop, prawn, squid ceviche

ceviche + deep-fried octopus balls

It pains, but easily forgettable:

Take a look at this pic. Something I’d want for breakfast. But shockingly – and note, you’ll never hear me say this again – too much of a good thing.

grilled avocado & prawn topped w. mayo & panko crust

Riding our high of good food, good company…we were also determined to get the best farewell.

Finale of a tweet: SUCCESS! the chefs screamed goodbye & our waiter ran into a table opening the door for us #guu

Try it, you may also find a compatible match ;)

http://www.guu-izakaya.com/toronto.html
398 Church St.
416.977.0999

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Home-made pho

July 18, 2010 by kle

Fragrant broth. Rare beef. Rice noodles. Steaming bowl of home-made pho.

Now, here’s my ritual:

Handful of cilantro, 4-6 thai basil leaves, 2-3 ngo gai long leaves.

Generous squirt of rooster chili sauce. Toss of bean sprouts. Sprinkle of green onions. Squeeze of lime.

Dash of black pepper. Another squirt of rooster.

Serious business, pho sho.

Yep. Ok, inhale and dig in! And there’s nothing quite like it.

My mother insinuates that I’ll fail at life if I don’t learn how to make pho.  Or, fail as a wife.

I gently remind her that I’m not married.

She shakes her head.

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Ruby Watchco

July 6, 2010 by kle

I had beyond high expectations.

My own silly fault… waited months to try. So, the anticipation builds and builds…and when the eve finally arrived, giddy as a schoolgirl. Thankfully, I was in good company. Me & my three best ladies. All giddy together.

Cute, I know. Go ahead, gag a little.

While you’re doing that, keep reading.

….BOOK A RESERVATION!

Premature you may think, since I haven’t described anything, but nauseating giddiness.

So, imagine this: Chef Lynn Crawford has invited you over for dinner. And she has crafted a menu just for the evening. Paying homage to fresh, local ingredients, a four-course culinary feast is being whipped up in the back kitchen. For you. Served family-styles, in heavy, red casserole dishes, think home cooking at its best. Yes, help yourself. And be generous…there’s enough for everybody ;)

During our mains, I was animatedly sharing – something fascinating, I’m sure – paused, glanced down and realized that we had devoured…everything. Every dish, every plate, licked clean. Spotless. Clearly, the girls were just pretending to be engaged. They didn’t give a sh*t. All they cared about was the food.

And what better compliment is there? None.

photo cred: ruby watchco

Overwhelming consensus. Exceptionally good food. Matched by equally impressive service. Rarely will I comment, unless it was abominable or outstanding…and it was wonderful. Ever walk in a restaurant to encounter that refined-perky-nose-in-air judgement? The worst. Not the case with Ruby.

Our hostess was charming, and our server was lovely and attentive…didn’t miss a detail…and if a crumb was left behind, discreetly taken care of by co-owner Joey Skeir seconds later. Atmosphere? Engaging, charged and lively. We had a bloody great time. Best experience in a while.

Sidebar: Unfortunately, my kick ass camera isn’t a robot who tells me how to properly adjust for low mood lighting. The shots don’t do it justice. So, I’d rather not. Use your imagination & tastebuds ;)

——–

Our menu for the eve:

ONTARIO ASPARAGUS & HARICOT VERT PANZELLA SALAD
Heirloom Tomatoes, Halloumi Cheese Croutons, Creemore Radishes, Rose Bella Cerignola Olive Vinaigrette

{we were fighting over those croutons)

GREY WEST PREMIUM TRI-TIP STEAK WITH GREEN GARLIC BUTTER
Button Mushroom & Boston Lettuce with Blue Cheese Dressing, Smashed Thompson Farm’s Yukon Gold Potatoes, Darling Honey Glazed Carrots

{um. steak. medium-rare. good. that’s all.
reduced to one word sentences good.
blue cheese. not a fan…still not a fan. and salad was salt-y. pourquoi? je ne sais pas.
best smashed potatoes you’ll ever taste. true story.}

GLENGARRY FINE CHEESE’S BIG BROTHER
Spiced Mixed Nuts & Homemade Orange Marmalade

{who loves cheese? we do! forget the nuts & marma. vino was perfect with it}

RUBY’S CHOCOLATE CHIP SLIDERS
Ed’s Real Scoop Stracciatella Gelato

{ok. our only disappointment. not rave-worthy.  expected a warm, gooey mess. minutes out of oven mess. we got hard la-gourmand-style-cookie-muffins that just confused us. we couldn’t break into it. do we pick it up? eat it with our hands? throw it back in the oven? what to do?!}

photo cred: youngstreetmedia (head chef lora kirk, owner chef lynn crawford)

FYI: The menu changes every night, every week. If you’re an obsessive planner – or simply curious – you’ll be able to see the week’s menu on their site. Other option: opt in & get daily menu e-mails. My personal choice of food porn, every morning.

The vibe in the back is slightly different from the front; a little closer to the heart of the action. Plus, all the better to admire the Ruby Watch Co. sign, which is by far, the most arresting fixture in the restaurant. That, or Chef Lynn, herself.

So if she’s inviting you over for dinner, you can’t turn her down. Nor, would you want to ;)

http://rubywatchco.ca/
730 Queen St. East
416.465.0100

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Gandhi Roti

June 29, 2010 by kle

I eat Gandhi’s roti 4 times a year (probably more, but let’s just pretend).

Craved it last night. One of those spontaneous let’s get fat decisions. And wanted to try something other than the butter chicken.

So I called in, and the sweet man humoured me over the phone & listed out all the vegetarian options… finally settled on a mix – the eggplant/channa roti! Love eggplant. Love chickpeas.

Had to be good, right?

No.

What I craved (after the fact, of course) was…potatoes. and peas. and chicken. and creamy & rich.

Yep, the medium butter chicken…with peas.

It was one of those turn-back-time moments. Re-do! Do-over!

But, I’ll be feeling adventurous again. So, if that happens, what should I order?? Can’t face that disappointment again.

Hoping passionate Gandhi roti fans will enlighten. Also looking at former co-workers, who religiously order every Thurs. Yep, every week…without fail. I know, right? Commitment at its finest.

Wait, did that one count?!

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Harlem Crawfish

June 26, 2010 by kle

First crawfish experience. Messy. Spicy. Delicious.

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My neglected child

June 25, 2010 by kle

…how I’ve missed you. It’s been 24 days since last update. For shame! And trust me, no good excuse.

I’ve been eating like a fiend.

At some fantastically good places, too. With good friends. With new friends! So, the need to air my dirty laundry in public is a vow to myself and anyone who reads this…<hi dad>…to be more committed. No more neglecting. If I can eat, I can write.

New mantra. Kinda like a second-wind resolution. A taste of the last few weeks…yep, read it like a menu.

—————

{Brunch}
Lady Marmalade, Fire on the East Side, Insomnia

{Lunch}
Pure Spirits Oyster House & Grill, Lola’s Commissary

{Dinner}
Foxley, Oyshi, Harlem, Kokoro, Nyood, Masa, O&B Café Grill, Starfish, RubyWatchco (sweet lord, just wait ’til I get to this one), Seafood for Thought, Guu Izakaya

{Sweets}
Soma Chocolatemaker, Sweet Escape, Nadège

—————

See, Gowalla’s good for something! You folks on 4sq are lucky…would’ve turned off your notifications long ago. And yes, I wear these like badges of honour. Rather…badges of GLUTTONY.

We’ve got some home-cooking thrown into the mix as well, by some special ladies in my life. My mama, for one. My bestest, for another. Think I also tried a new recipe this month. Notice, singular. Will regale you with stories & pictures, promise.

Warning: It’ll be out of order. sigh. Breaking every rule in the book. Since I couldn’t get my sh*t together, this is what happens. And some, simply need to be aired out first… like my first media event!!! And Ruby. And Seafood for Thought. And Guu. And home-made pho.

In other news! Next week, if I’m so lucky…will be checking out a new restaurant w/ a certain someone ;)

Cue Julie & Julia. Except. I’m not cooking. And, not being interviewed. And, not channeling Julia Child.

Hmm. Not the greatest analogy, was it? But damn it, will be JUST as exuberant as that red-head.

And with that, will leave you hanging… ’cause I kinda want you to come back ;) This wknd. Me. MacBook. Balcony. Writing.

BBQ anyone? Just head south of the barricade.

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Origin

May 31, 2010 by kle

I get excited, really excited, about trying new restaurants. You all know I do ;) And Origin topped my excitement list. Heads up, this is a raving post. Comfort zone. Scathing…not so much.

I have a long-standing affair with tapas-style restaurants. Reminds me of Spain. A lot of people, however, are on the fence…dishes are too small, expensive, half-satisfied bellies etc.

Pigs.

My take: you get to sample a little from a lot…flit from plate to plate, be experimental & try dishes you’d never think of trying. Life should always be this fun ;)

So, we walked in…and in that first sweep, completely smitten. Dark woods, exposed brick, unique fixtures, stainless steel open-concept kitchen. Main attraction. Inviting. Soirée ambiance. Good energy (like I’m an expert).

[insert resto pic - my shots didn't do it justice - take my word for now]

We started off with cocktails and immediately, my eyes went to the sake something something. Forgive, it’s been weeks. What I remember are two defining ingredients. Yuzu + ponzu.  Favourite à la moment ingredients. Fresh asian citrus with a sharp tangy bite…love so much that I had to try the sake. It’s like wanting to try your favourite food in any way, shape or form. You just want it. First sip. Interesting combination, clean flavours…

N ruined it when she said it tasted like soap.

Outstanding dishes:

Chinois duck wrap + pickled cucumber + sriracha :

The most lackluster presentation out of all 6 dishes. But oh, the redemption! Tender pieces of duck, smeared with great heat from the Sriracha (yep, rooster sauce), offset & cooled by sour cream, with a slight crunch of thinly sliced cucumbers…took one bite…and completely enamoured. BIG crush. Already planning next encounter.

Salmon tataki +ponzu-soy + dried miso + diakon salad :

Beautiful sashimi-styles, delicate crunch of diakon & the ponzu…this dish so did not disappoint. Not in the least. Reminiscent of Foxley. Our happy place.

Miso-glazed black cod + mushroom + jerusalem artichoke puree  + crispy soba :

Again, we both have a soft spot for black cod. Again, our happy place. And we’re so glad we ordered. Perfectly cooked, light & silky, flaking with the touch of our forks…sitting in a dark pool of serious deliciousness. Not kidding. Try it.

Honourable Mentions:

Shrimp ceviche + lime + tomato + freeze-dried corn + coconut :

Yep, you read that correctly. Freeze-dried corn. The mad scientist in Claudio Aprile making an appearance…down Colborne Lane over to Origin.

N – influenced by helping me achieve mission of trying every ceviche dish in this city – caved, and we ordered. Nice fresh citrus that ceviches call for, but didn’t wow. Lacked… something. Or too much of…something. Unnecessary liquid nitro, hmm?

And instead of shrimp, scallops or arctic char. Probably not up for debate – but hey, you never know ;)

It pains, but forgettable:

Bufala mozzarella + pear + rosemary oil + pinenuts + honey :

Least favourite. And interestingly, it was the most ordered dish.

Couple to our left, couple to our right, couple across the bar… and I wondered: did they all feel the same thing?! Disappointingly devoid of any  flavour. Muted. Beige food is boring.

However. Look at that presentation…not boring at all. You’ll likely order, based on this pic alone.

Dessert: Manchego cheese cake + saffron sorbet + marinated berries :

Waited weeks! May have spent an entire Sat morning reading menus. Food porn, don’t judge.

Patience was rewarded in the form of wee indulgence w. a side of tart… if the sorbet is home-made, kudos. Cheese cake…hmm. If spoons are clanging against plate to break through crust, it’s too hard.

Of course, did that stop us from clanging? Absolutely not…until all that remained, were freeze-dried blueberries.

High time for another Origin dinner! I hear they may have opened up a patio. Who wants the duck wrap?

http://origintoronto.com
107-109 King E.
416.603.8007

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{Sushi} redemption

May 19, 2010 by kle

After the fiasco last week, redemption came in the form of fresh salmon, fresh tuna, buttery avocado, slivers of cucumbers & tobiko in 10 tight rolls.

Also known as the B.C Special.

Thank you Kokoro for making good sushi. And for using white ginger. And for giving me 2 extra pieces. And for being so bloody close & convenient. I appreciate you.

Same goes for Sushi on Bloor. Tried for the first time on Sat. Half the city is infatuated, what’s 2 more?
{Highlights}: salmon dragon roll, spicy tuna crunchy roll & L loved her gold veg roll set.

Now, keep those fingers crossed for Shogun tonight.

Yep, woman on a mission. Scrubbing mouth clean.

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