PaiGu

Iron Chef Japanese Steakhouse in Mississauga is a newly opened Japanese teppanyaki restaurant. The teppanyaki is set separate from the rest restaurant, so unlike many teppanyaki restaurants, it can be a quiet dining experience if you’re there just for the sushi. With a sensual but uniquely modern interior design, it is an ideal location for both dates or group outings. The low lighting makes it difficult to read the menu, however. The sushi a la carte selection is fairly extensive, with very reasonable prices. The sushi dinner ($13.95), and the sashimi dinner ($14.95) are both very satisfactory. The tempura shrimp in the tempura rolls (Deluxe Maki Dinner B – $13.95) are not very crunchy, and the california rolls are plain at best. Moreover, the ingredients of their maki rolls are very simple (avocado, cucumber, crab), which may not be attractive to those of us who like untraditional ingredients such as pickled radish, mayo, or lettuce in our maki rolls. The dinner combos include miso soup, salad, and ice cream, although the miso soup and salad were not anything memorable, to say the least. However, the servers are very attentive, speak Chinese and English, and the food arrived surprisingly quickly. Considering the lack of Japanese/Asian restaurants in east Mississauga, I would go again.

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4920 Tomken Rd. Unit 5
Mississauga, ON
(905) 212-9998

Located in the heart of Chinatown, Asian Legend is one of the more sophisticated-looking Chinese restaurants in the area after its renovation. With a large and varying menu of typical Chinese dishes, one wonders where to begin. General Tao’s chicken is generally a safe choice that will please everyone, along with some dim sum appetizer selections. The cooking is nothing to boast about, but then again, most Chinese dishes in North America suffer the same fate. Decent service and decent pricing makes for a pleasant meal. But like all Chinese restaurants in the area, it is always bustling and often noisy. Recommended for larger groups rather than intimate dates.

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Downtown Location
418 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, ON
(416) 977-3909

The Commerce Gate branch in Thornhill is a much better dining experience than the downtown location in every way. Although situated a little out of the way for some, the trip is definitely worth it for those willing to drive north of the city. After two trips to the restaurant on very different nights, I have discovered that the cooking here is infinitely better than what I remember of the downtown location. From the sizzling beef on hot plate to the tantalizing tofu and vegetable stir-fry, I can’t remember the last time I had such a satisfying Chinese meal in Canada. The luxurious flavours of northern Chinese cooking oozes out of every dish, and I am reminded of my trip to Beijing with every bite. The Northern Dim Sum are a delicious surprise, particularly the perfectly steamed dumplings with juicy pork and soup that requires some expertise to eat without leaking the soup everywhere. The Cantonese Chow Mein is also particularly savoury on a bed of golden, crisp fried noodles. The ambiance and the clean washrooms also make this a great location to bring your date, friends, and family! Just be wary: on most evenings, there is a small line-up, so get there early or make a reservation. For larger gatherings, there are bigger rooms in the back, but I prefer the small tables next to the floor to ceiling glass walls in the front room. I must say, dividing the restaurant up into a beautiful front room with bigger rooms in the back was an excellent architectural choice. I, for one, am definitely going back for another taste! Perhaps this time I will go for dim sum, which I heard is excellent.

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Commerce Gate Location
505 Hwy 7 E. #77-79
Thornhill, ON
(905)763-8211

One Up is a chic restaurant/lounge in the heart of the entertainment district. It’s categorized under “Italian/International,” but due to its attempt to be “po-mo” (post-modern), it is really just another resto-lounge with an Italian flair in its menu. The atmosphere is much like many other resto-lounges in downtown Toronto these days, with its sleek furniture and peculiar light fixtures and big glass windows and prominent bar. The actual lounge area is tucked away into a different room though, so you don’t have to worry about disturbances during your meal.
The waitress was very attentive and brought a round of drinks promptly soon after we’d sat down. The Baby Mix Greens were boring, even for a salad, and the Gazpacho (a soup, it turned out), was very strange, and we could not figure out what it was. The Penne Pesto was a delightful surprise of just enough taste, but not overdone and not too salty (like some pastas tend to be), with a healthy ratio of chicken breast to pasta. Unfortunately, the chicken breast was a bit burnt, but it still tasted good. The ravioli was rather saucy and cheesy, but enjoyable nonetheless. The best was the dessert – Ice Cream Truffle. Absolutely heavenly. And the Apple Strudel was surprisingly similar to the authentic bakery kind. All in all, a nice meal that was perfect in serving size, in a very pleasant ambience for relaxed conversation. It was a little on the expensive side though, but then again, this is an upper class restaurant.

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One Up
130 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, ON
(416) 340-6349