August 2nd, 2010 § § permalink
I’ve been eating extremely well in China, which isn’t difficult given that everything here is better than anything I’ve had in Canada times ten.
Let’s walk through a typical day of eating for me in Nanjing.
Breakfast starts at 5am and is usually at a xiao chi dian which is kind of like a dim sum stand with road-side aluminum furniture. Sketchy? Yes, a little. Delicious? Definitely. Luckily, I’m not someone with a sensitive stomach and I have never gotten sick from eating in China.
In the last four days, I’ve had quite a variety of breakfast items: plain steamed buns (man tou), veggie or pork-filling steamed buns (bao zi), glutinous rice buns (shao mai), fried dough sticks (you tiao), soy milk or tofu soup (dou jiang, dou nao), congee (xi fan).
Some xiao chi items can be repeated for lunch, such as steamed buns. Nanjing has the best xiao long bao in the country, many would argue.
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September 7th, 2009 § § permalink
Quince is a modern bistro in midtown Toronto opened by a couple returning to the neighbourhood after a trip to Europe. It was nominated Best New Restaurant in 2007, so I took advantage of Summerlicious to try this place out.
The architectural design of the space is ingenious. The store-front is small and assuming, but the inside feels like walking into a cavern filled with light. There is even a spiral staircase that leads down to a bar/lounge in the basement for private parties.
The Moroccan spiced lamb “bricks” came in a spring roll, surprisingly. Light and golden on the outside, the lamb inside was well-balanced and tender. The harissa dressing was a sweet after-thought.
Confit of duck leg was sparkling in juices when it arrived. The duck on bean cassoulet tasted like home-cooking; down-to-earth, bold flavours surrounded tender duck meat cooked to perfection in a crispy skin.
House-made gnocchi was equally impressive, but when has house-made pasta ever gone wrong? (Don’t answer that.) The gnocchi was chewy, with light flavours from the green olive and oregano.
Dessert was Belgian dark and white chocolate terrine in raspberry coulis and caramel sauce. Sounds impressive, tastes just like ice cream. Not that I’m complaining.
Lemon, almond polenta cake was a disappointment. The cake was not fluffy or cake-y and the almond flavours were too subtle.
Their wine selection was surprisingly poor, and service was below-average.
Rating: 
April 23rd, 2009 § § permalink
Cello Supper Club is a swanky resto-lounge in downtown London that has quickly become my favourite place for a late-night dinner and drinks. Not only is the decor modern chic, comparable to the best Toronto lounges, they also boast a menu of over 30 martinis. The first time I came to Cello, we were seated in the lounge area with leather couches and were presented with two martini glasses full of gummy worms and fuzzy peaches. I was in love.
Despite my enthusiasm for candy-themed martinis in the colour of the rainbow, the skills in the kitchen were more than adequate to get my attention. With the first bite of sweet and tender spiced lamb kafta, I knew these chefs were not banking on our inebriated state to serve us less-than-delicious food.
Normally, I avoid lamb like the plague. From my Chinese background, I knew lamb to have a distinctive “aroma” that did not sit well with me. But this lamb did not have that aroma. Instead, it was unbelievably tender, cooked until the sinews had caramelized and the meat could easily be pulled apart, marinated with a sweet sauce and a spicy rub.
The next appetizer we tried was a bruschetta, which was not as memorable. But that is a good thing in my books, because the only memorable bruschettas I’ve had are bad ones.
The catch of the day was rainbow trout, with a buttery risotto and caramelized vegetables. The dish was perfection. The rainbow trout was well-cooked and subtly seasoned. The risotto had a creamy texture, juxtaposed against the more solid, caramelized potatoes and carrots.
The lamb entree was outstanding, although comparably less seasoned than the lamb appetizer. The sauce was flavourful and very complementing to a less-seasoned meat. The meat was soft and tender, and I could see that the chefs had taken care to cook it at the right temperature to leave a golden shell with pinkish flesh.
The entree I had been looking forward to the most was duck breast, which turned out to be flavourful with a crispy outer shell. The duck was not as tender as it could have been, especially considering all the fat sitting under the skin. Perhaps it was a little under-done, or perhaps it was the way my friend ordered it. The duck was sitting on a most delicious mound of mashed potato that was so smooth it could have passed for cream itself.
The beef-phyllo entree was most unique. The beef was subtly seasoned, and sat in a mushroom and escargot sauce that reminded me of a wine reduction. The escargot, mushroom, and herbs resulted in a very interesting taste.
Their classic martini (the “dirty cello”) came with three olives and a very smooth Bombay sapphire gin. There were several cream-based martinis to select from but real dessert came in the form of cassis ice cream on creme brulee, and a banana extravaganza I can no longer remember the name of. The creme brulee was far too sweet but the cassis ice cream made up for it. The banana extravaganza consisted of several banana-flavoured components (sorbet, cream, etc.) that all tasted heavenly.
On weekends, they have a DJ and the music can get quite loud, but weekday nights are more intimate. The dress code fares on the side of club-wear, especially later in the evenings, with girls in tights and men in blazers, but there are no bouncers so it is not like you would be turned away for being under-dressed. The servers are very attentive and accommodating, and give great martini recommendations.
Overall, this place has a great vibe, whether you’re with a date or a party of friends. With attentive service, top-notch food, the most extensive martini list in London, and gummy candies galore, what’s not to like?
Rating:
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