Lunch at a Chinese restaurant near work.

I didn’t get pictures of our first dinner, which was at Jumbo Seafood Restaurant and included such memorable dishes as the jumbo chili crab, deep-fried beancurd, steamed fish, liang ban jellyfish, prawns with cabbage, and seafood fried rice.

Dinner at Otto, an upscale Italian restaurant, the next night.

Dinner at an Italian pizza joint.

Dinner at Stella, a fine-dining establishment on the 62 floor of a building downtown. One floor up is the world’s highest al-fresco bar, with stunning views of downtown Singapore.

I’ve never enjoyed foie gras, but these were quite good, and the pastry was unbelievably light.

These were the best maki rolls I have ever had. The combination of flavours and textures was almost overwhelming.

The scallops unfortunately tasted a bit funny to me, probably because they’re not fresh enough. The prawns in the risotto was overcooked, while the risotto itself (the rice grains) were undercooked. The cream base was quite good though.

The desserts were to die for. The creme brulee was just perfect, with bits of macadamia on top. My favourite was the hazelnut mousse, although the toffee cake and pistachio tart were both surprisingly good – both were a little bit different than the norm. I was impressed by the creative use of ingredients.

I settled on the Thai Peanut Power Bowl while my friend chose the Pate Sandwich. The sauce in my Thai Peanut Power Bowl was more like a red curry sauce than a peanut sauce. In fact, I don’t think I tasted or saw any hint of peanuts in the bowl. The chickpeas and sweat potatoes gave a nice texture to the sloppy mess, which rested on a bed of quinoa. The dish certainly could have used more kick, the sauce was bland and most of the flavour was from the sweet potatoes. I was disappointed to realize that this restaurant perpetuated the vegan reputation: blandness². Giving them the benefit of the doubt, I thought that perhaps they did not want to put in too much sodium – you know, being health-conscious and all.

On the side, I had ordered a sweet potato cornbread, which turned out to be dry and tough and tasted nothing like sweet potato. I took half of it home in a paper bag, and when I got home, the paper bag was soaked through with oil. So much for the health-conscious defense.

For dessert, we shared a velvet chocolate cake. It was slightly more dry and crumbly than I’d have preferred. It was not too sweet, like the cakes of the “good ol’ days.”

Service was hit and miss. Sometimes the server would check on us twice in ten minutes, other times she wouldn’t come by for a stretch of 30 to 40 minutes. The washroom was small and cramped, but not anymore cramped than the rest of the restaurant. It has a homey feel, and the staff are certainly very welcoming. Unfortunately, I suspect the chef of this restaurant is also a family cook.

Rating:

1. Jambalaya is now at 119 Dundas Street.
2. Blandness is not something that vegan restaurants have to suffer from. I have had plenty of vegan dishes that were just as flavourful, if not more so, as non-vegan dishes.

When I am not frequenting Summerlicious restaurants, I will be eating my way through the local/organic food joints of the city. I also have a list of vegan restaurants that I am dying to try.

Finally, I am still on the lookout for the best brunch and best Thai in the city.

How will I fit all this eating into the next two months of summer? We’ll see!

Affordable:
Big Mamma’s Boy – 554 Parliament Street
Il Fornello – 491 Church St., 214 King St. W., 207 Queen’s Quay W.
Edward Levesque’s Kitchen – 1290 Queen St E (very far east)
Czehoski – 678 Queen St W
Magic Oven – 360 Queen St E, 6 Wellesley St W
Live Organic Food Bar – 264 Dupont St.
Fresh – everywhere
Fressen – 478 Queen St W
Urban Herbivore – 64 Oxford St.
Fresh Wood Grill – 197 Baldwin St
Jamie Kennedy at the Gardiner – 111 Queen’s Park
Pulp Kitchen – 898 Queen St. E.
Trapper’s – 3479 Yonge St. (between Lawrence and York Mills station)
Pizzeria Libretto – 221 Ossington

Not as affordable:
Cowbell – 1564 Queen St W (very far west)
Conviction by Thuet – 609 King St. W.
Pangaea – 1221 Bay St.
Epic – 100 Front St. W.
Globe Bistro – 124 Danforth Ave.
Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar
Veritas – 234 King St. E
Harbord room – 89 Harbord St.
Sequel – 3362 Yonge St. (Yonge and Lawrence)

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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Rating:

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

As usual, the ambience was dark and moody¹, as was our waitress. For a party our size, she really should have been more amicable if she was thinking about her tip. Not only was she cold and unhelpful, she was rather snotty².

The food took a while to come, but that may have been due to the size of our party (but 1 hour for dessert – really?). To start, I had the smoked duck carpaccio, which was quite lovely. The ground pistachios gave the arugala a nutty taste and some texture, making the otherwise bland greens much more interesting. They were quite liberal in dousing the duck meat in orange-ginger sauce, considering that the meat was already very well marinated, but in between mouthfuls of the greens and the duck meat, it didn’t seem to get in the way of the subtle smokey taste. The peppercorns were a bit strong, although they do give the dish a nice dash of colour.

I chose my entree for its interesting description. “Malibu chicken” was a dish of coconut-crusted chicken breast, with a rum mango pina colada sauce, served with basmati rice, sautéed asparagus, red pepper, red onion and baby corn topped with crispy plantain chips. In the end, the dish did not live up to its description. There’s something wrong when the crispy plantain chips, a finishing garnish, has the best taste of the entire entree. The dish failed for several reasons. The chicken breast was not marinated under the batter, the batter was fried for too long, and it was not sticking to the chicken breast at all. The last is an easy problem to solve for anyone who’s ever made fried chicken or pork. All you have to do to get the batter to stick to the meat is dip the meat in eggs before applying the batter! Surely, the chef at Crave should have been capable of such a simple addition to the recipe. The fact that the batter kept coming off meant that most of the time I was eating the (un-marinated) chicken breast and the (over-fried) batter separately. Not all that enjoyable, as you can imagine.

The sauce was also rather strange. The taste of pina colada was too strong, and quite frankly, a weird combination with the fried chicken breast. Maybe if they put more rum into the sauce, I could’ve overlooked the strange taste, but alas, the combination was simply not right. The sauteed vegetables and asparagus were rather bland, although the basmati rice was surprisingly fragrant. A last, saving characteristic for a wholly unimpressive dish.

To compliment the meal, I had a glass of Wolf Blass Riesling, which was on the dry end for a riesling (probably a 1 on the sugar scale) to my disappointment. It ended up working out nicely though, since the sauce on both the appetizer and the main were sweeter than expected.

For dessert, I had the Crav’in chocolate brownie. Dessert is always my favourite course, and this one certainly satisfied my sugar craving! The chocolate-peanut gelato was just superb, and I loved the whole peanuts hidden throughout (I always love a good crunch). The brownie was very rich and dense, so much so that I couldn’t finish it. But overall, a great way to end the night.

Would I come back? $55 (including tax and tip) for a three-course meal doesn’t exactly scream enticing to me, especially when the main was so disappointing, but maybe for a date if I’m craving (haha) over-priced food.

Rating:

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1. What’s with this trend of poorly lit restaurants? Is it like the more expensive a place is, the darker it should be?
2. When I asked my coworker what was on the side of his appetizer – something that looked like bacon – she interjected with “It’s panchetta.” “Oh, ok… Wait, I know what that is! That’s bacon!” I swear her nose was pointing to the ceiling when she stalked away.

Before I get into the details, let me just say that the moment I walked in, I felt like I was transported to Italy. The atmosphere of the restaurant could not have been more perfect. There were fake grape vines hanging from the ceiling, the walls were a rich cream colour, and there was a large party happily celebrating someone’s engagement. I could not have asked for a better scene. The restaurant was small so it was hard not to notice the noise of the engagement party next to us, but I didn’t mind at all. Just seeing their laughing faces as they bent towards each other to share some funny anecdote was enough to lift my spirits. The waiter was attentive and friendly to the perfect degree (i.e. not annoying), gave us plenty of time to make our choices, and never interrupted us in the middle of a conversation.

And the food! Oh! It was superb. We started off with the insalata di casa (house salad), which was a unique mix of fresh greens with red onions, mangoes, gorgonzola, pine nuts, and sweet Marsala vinaigrette. The Marsala vinaigrette was amazing. The best vinaigrette I’ve ever had by far. And the pine nuts were a great touch to add that subtle crunch.

Then came the entrees. Oh, my, God. My veal marsala was topped with the most amazing, juicy sauteed mushrooms. There were two pieces of veal, one of which was a little on the thick side, but overall, cooked to perfection.

My friend had a salmon entree:

For dessert, we picked tiramisu. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as good as I thought it would be. A little bit too sloppy and more cream than coffee flavour.

We were the last ones in the restaurant, and the waiter was very patient even though we were there past closing time. Conclusion: I will definitely be going back for more!

Rating:

As soon as I walked in, I noticed how dim the interiors were¹, and how the space occupied by the restaurant was very long and narrow. Although they put a lot of mirrors on both sides of the wall to give the illusion of a bigger area, the lack of light made it feel more like a long narrow hole-in-the-wall (literally) than an expansive and mysterious cave. There were candles on the ledges and at each table, as well as ornate frames and coat racks. However, there were strange, post-modern pictures of fire alarms and tubes on the wall, which did not suit the dark and exotic ambiance at all. Moreover, the background music were an assortment of popular trance tracks that really did not fit in with the mood.

When we arrived, there was no one in the restaurant, so the waitress was extremely attentive. We had a hard time deciding what to order, so I asked her for recommendations, and basically, she recommended we try everything on the menu. Not helpful. Although her eagerness to converse was endearing, she was sometimes talkative to the point of annoyance.

I finally decided to get a fishcake appetizer and a herb-crusted pork tenderloin with an apple, jalapeño slaw. My friend decided to get a chicken satay appetizer and a pan-seared salmon with cilantro, corn, and coconut cream.

I will first comment on the appetizers. The Bajan fishcakes were quite obviously on the salty side. The other tastes were not memorable, only that it was too salty. The fish filling was lost in a thick flour batter, and although not dense, still felt heavy. The oil used to fry it did not smell fresh, or was heated for too long. Its only redeeming quality was the sauce that came on the side, which was a creamy pepper sauce.

The chicken satays were an absolute scandal. They were basically pieces of chicken breast stuck on a skewer, without being previously marinated in curry sauce (or any sauce), as is the norm for satay skewers. The peanut sauce, which is usually the highlight of any satay skewer appetizer, was a watery disappointment of melted peanut butter and sad little chunks of peanuts, without any taste of satay or supposed “spice.”

Forty-five minutes after our appetizers were taken away, our entrees finally arrived. Although this time may not seem like a big deal, the fact of the matter is, we were the only ones in the restaurant, and we could see there were two chefs in the kitchen. When we came by later that night (because my friend forgot his umbrella), there were at least 8 customers in the restaurant, and still two chefs. How long do they expect their customers to wait?

My entree was the herb-crusted pork tenderloin, a complete tease. Topped with some variation on coleslaw, there were four pieces of thick pork resting atop three sticks of asparagus and some mini potatoes. To start off, the coleslaw was great. An assortment of cabbage, bean sprouts, apple, jalapeño, and black sesame seeds swimming in olive oil, it was the perfect blend of crisp and tart, with a spicy kick. The tart owing to the apples was a great decision, because the sweetness of the apples toned down the spicy jalapeño. After the slaw however, things went downhill.

The pork tasted like four leftover pieces of meat that had been stewed in plain boiling water. Whatever herbs were used could not be detected in the meat at all. Moreover, the meat was not soft, not juicy, and not tender at all. One side was burnt, the center was still a bit raw, and the cooked parts were hard to chew and tasteless. The entire meat experience was very bland and a disappointment.

The asparagus were fine, the mini potatoes were too salty, and by the end, the pleasant surprise of the slaw was long forgotten.

My friend’s entree, of which I tried a little, was slightly better. The salmon was tender, juicy, and cooked to the right degree. It had been marinated, with what I could not tell, but certainly not enough coconut. We had to double-check with the menu to remind us that there was supposed to be coconut in the dish, because the distinct flavour of coconut could not be detected at all. It may have been covered by the overuse of cilantro, but I’m being biased here because I have a strong preference for coconut and a slight dislike for cilantro.

When we asked for dessert, the waitress informed us that there was no dessert menu and promptly began listing out the names and descriptions of all the desserts. After short discussion, we decided to go somewhere else for dessert because we didn’t catch anything she’d said and really would’ve preferred to see a menu. The fact that we decided not to have dessert there because they didn’t have a dessert menu is an indication that perhaps it would be worthwhile to print one out. Having the waitress ramble out the names and descriptions of the desserts sounded, to us, like nothing more than verbal diarrhea.

Overall, the ambiance was intimate but too dim, the service was good, but the food took a long time to come and was mediocre at best. Kudos on their presentation style, but taste is still what I’m paying for. Also, they may want to reconsider the mood music and the pictures on the walls, and invest in a dessert menu.

Rating:

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1. There are photos of the interior on their website, but the place is much better lit in the photos. Perhaps the lighting was especially dim on the night I visited.