PaiGu

I have been wining and dining in Toronto for the past month but I haven’t gotten a chance to upload these pictures until now.

My friend celebrated her birthday by giving us all an excuse to pig out on pub food and chocolate cake.

I love La Rocca cakes, and the Nut Buster is one of my favourites, but I also had a chance to try their Strawberry Shortcake, which was amazing and inspired me to make my own.

More birthday celebrations at The Old Spaghetti Factory, followed by a late night preview of Star Trek.

Another birthday celebration, this time at my favourite upscale restaurant in Yorkville: Sassafraz.

Lunch in Korea town (North York) at the much-loved Owl of Minerva, followed by bowling to work off all those delicious panchan and entrees.

Unfortunately, my camera ran out of batteries halfway through the month, so I have no pictures from:
Lettieri Espresso + Bar – their almond biscotti was good, but definitely not made in-house
Panorama Restaurant and Lounge – a disappointing coffee creme brulee
Northern Dumpling Kitchen – review coming soon
Mengrai Gourmet Thai – decent pad thai (not very flavourful, although heaped with toppings), excellent service, and a very interesting green tea creme brulee

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

The Yonge location of Spring Roll is way too busy at lunch hour, and they don’t have very big tables, so don’t go with more than four people, and be prepared to wait. The menu and interior design tries too hard to be sophisticated and trendy. The selection of spring rolls is not particularly tempting, and for a place named “Spring Rolls,” their spring rolls really aren’t anything to boast about. The “Grilled Marinated Chicken w/ House Mango Salad” appetizer ($8.95) is decent, but overpriced. The “Famous Pad Thai” (shrimp and chicken, $8.95) is only mediocre, and nothing memorable. Service is also disappointing, as we were shoved into a corner and ignored for the most part. Also, they don’t accept debit, so bring cash or credit card.

Rating:

693 Yonge St
Toronto, ON
(416) 972-7655
Website