Review: Milestones

July 3rd, 2008 § 0 comments § permalink

After an exhausting shopping marathon, my friend and I decided to visit the Milestones in Masonville Mall. The decor was very elegant and modern, just what you’d expect from Milestones. The lighting was dim but not dark, the atmosphere was intimate but not quite romantic (probably due to the straight edges and black furniture of the modern decor), and the service was impeccable.

Milestones interior - from their website

As soon as we sat down, we were introduced to the “wish list,” which was filled with imaginative cocktails and mouth-watering desserts. My friend and I immediately knew what we wanted for dessert, and decided to order our entree with that in mind. I had the recommended Milestones Original Bellini, which was a colourful mix of premium white rum, peach liqueur and sparkling white wine, topped with Boone’s sangria. The peach liqueur with sparkling white wine was what drew me to this drink, but the sangria was the real topping on the cake.

Milestones Original Bellini

I ordered Thai chicken tacos, which were a huge platter of three Indian flatbreads with slaw, three skewers of chicken, and two dipping sauces. One dipping sauce was a mango vinaigrette, which was refreshing and only slightly sour. The other was a peanut satay sauce, which was not very peanut-y at all and not viscous enough. The satays were grilled to perfection, but were not marinaded in the traditional Asian style. The slaw was filled with coriander, which I detest, so I could not have very much, but what I did have was crunchy and fresh. The Indian flatbreads were warm and fluffy, but quite tasteless. I had very little of my entree because everything was covered in coriander, so the platter was still as full when it left as when it arrived.

My friend and I each ordered a dessert and split it (though I’ve now forgotten the names and it’s not on their website). One was a chocolate cake with vanilla gelato and whipped cream on top (I think it was called Ibana), covered in caramel. The caramel tasted in-house, in a good sort of way, and the vanilla gelato tasted amazing with the rich chocolate cake. The other was a dark chocolate pie with a pecan crust. The dark chocolate was an interesting experience, since it was still rather creamy and milky, but it was less sweet with subtle bitter undertones. The pecan crust was the real masterpiece. I’m not a huge fan of pecan but this was quite a treat. Unfortunately, the dessert is not made in-house, so I can’t give Milestones credit for that.

Ibana Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Overall, the experience was relaxing and enjoyable. The entree was memorable only because I could not eat most of it due to the coriander, but the dessert and the bellini more than made up for it.

Rating:

Review: Thai Basil

June 25th, 2008 § 0 comments § permalink

Thai Basil is a bustling Thai eatery on Bloor that’s trying to gain sophistication but is still a student eatery as far as my school mates and I are concerned. It is usually busy, so be prepared to wait half an hour for your food (or longer, depending on how much you’ve ordered). The interior decor reminds me of a modern cafeteria, and the food is unspectacular. The Fried Satay Noodles ($8.95) and the Thai Fried Rice ($7.95) are too oily. The satay chicken skewers ($2.25 per skewer) are too thick, and always over-grilled or under-grilled. The Pad Thai ($8.95) is not sweet enough, and the spring rolls ($3.50) are too bland. The curry chicken is too watery and not enough chicken. What it keeps me coming back is the affordable prices and hearty serving sizes.

Rating:

467 Bloor St. W.
Toronto, ON
(416) 840-9988
Website

Review: EAST!

June 25th, 2008 § 0 comments § permalink

The menu at EAST! is a smaller version of the one at Spring Rolls, but it is much more sophisticated-looking. Unfortunately, the maitre d’ were very hesitant to seat us, being casually-dressed and clearly students, unlike their normal audience of businessmen on lunch break from the nearby office buildings. Very bustling, but decent service, great decor and ambiance. The “Unique Satay Pad Thai” is a perfect mix of street-style with sweetness, and a decent ratio of noodle to everything else (chicken, egg, tofu, bean sprouts, and peanuts sprinkled on top), and only $7.95 for lunch. The “Tango Mango Chicken” ($8.95) is very saucy and has a strange taste to it, but the strips of mangoes are sweet, instead of the traditional sour thai mangos. I’d definitely recommend the “Grilled Marinated Chicken with Mango Salad” if you’re looking for a decent chicken meal, balanced with sweet, succulent mangoes. All the entrees are fairly large servings, but reasonable. Drinks are the usual price for Toronto restaurants, and the martini I tried was not particularly pleasant.

Rating:

240 Queen St. W.
Toronto, ON
416-351-EAST

Website