Bar Reyna

Serving Middle Eastern and Spanish-inspired fare, Bar Reyna is the newest restaurant on the stylish Yorkville strip. The two-story Victorian house - completed with a gorgeous enclosed back patio - is an elegant and cozy location. Chic, yet not pretentious in the least, Bar Reyna (Instagram: @barreynato, Facebook: Bar Reyna) is an excellent spot for date night, or cocktails and snacks with friends.

The glamorous cocktail bar is the focal point on the first floor at Bar Reyna.

The window faces Bar Reyna's front patio on Cumberland Street.

The second floor is the main dining room. Everybody, myself included, took advantage of the few remaining days left of summer and opted for the patio instead. I'll check out the second floor next time I'm at Bar Reyna.

Bar Reyna exudes a rustic, sophisticated charm.

Tasting Menu at Canoe

Canoe is so good it's ridiculous.

To be fair, my last couple of visits at Canoe were all tasting menus at the chef's rail, which is, in my opinion, a very different experience than ordering a la carte from their dining room. The thing is, if I'm at Canoe, I'm gonna go all out since I'm most likely there to celebrate a special occasion anyway. Needless to say, I do hope that I can call Canoe a "regular spot" one day. I'm definitely not there *yet* but one day :) #Lifegoals, am I right?

 Canoe's tasting menu blows me away every single time, and I feel like the Canadiana-focused restaurant just keeps getting better and better. Sounds almost impossible given that Canoe (Twitter: @CanoeRestaurant, Facebook: CanoeToronto) has been around since September 1995, which is more than 20 years ago! But I truly believe that one can never get bored of eating at Canoe. The restaurant is so innovative, and constantly strives to create new and ambitious plates. It's contemporary Canadian cuisine at its finest.

 This post is, regrettably, two months late. I contemplated just not blogging about it but I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I didn't since the food was so good. The one reason why I thought of not writing about the dinner is because Canoe changed their tasting menu like two days after my visit, which means most of the dishes you see on this post is not even served at the restaurant anymore :( Oh well, bad timing. I still hope you guys will enjoy this post, though!

 My friend took me here for my birthday and we reserved two seats at the chef's rail. Seriously, why would anyone want to sit in the dining room when you can get front row seats to the kitchen? The only "bad" thing I can think of was my constant urge to reach over the counter for oysters the entire night.

The Boil Bar

Put a bib around your neck, roll up your sleeves, and prepare to get messy at The Boil Bar (Instagram: @boilbar, Facebook: The Boil Bar). The concept at this Scarborough restaurant is simple. First, you decide exactly what you want to eat - choose from Crawfish, Dungeness Crab, King Crab Leg, Snow Crab Leg, Lobster, Shrimp, Mussels, and Clams - then, you have to decide what flavouring you want with your seafood choice. You can order Lemon Pepper, Cajun, Garlic, Curry, or what they call House. The House Sauce is a mixture of all the sauces. Last, but not least, you pick your level of spice. You can go A Bit Spicy, Mild Spicy, Medium Spicy or Super Spicy. That's all there is to it at The Boil Bar.

The concept of seafood boils is believed to have originated in the American South, a staple of both Louisiana Cajun cuisine and low-country cuisine. It first began from the crawfish boil, which eventually expanded to include other shellfish seafood. The live seafood is boiled together in a large stockpot until cooked, usually with no set recipe as cooks like to add their own seasonings and ingredients. Families and large parties often host seafood boils where everyone eats from the communal pot(s).

As far as I know, The Boil Bar and The Captain's Boil are the only two places in Toronto serving seafood boils. I've been asked several times now how the two restaurants compare. Sorry, can't help you there, I've never been to The Captain's Boil.

Bibs and paper towel. The essentials at any seafood boil.

New Café Boulud (Lunch)

I've written about Café Boulud a total of four times on Food Junkie Chronicles. No other restaurant, besides Splendido, holds that kind of record (FYI I have five posts on Splendido). Now that Splendido is *sadly* shuttered, Café Boulud (Twitter: @CafeBouludTO, Facebook: Café Boulud Toronto & d|bar) will soon take over as "the most blogged restaurant" on Food Junkie Chronicles because I got this lunch post up now plus a dinner post scheduled soon (that post will be fairly long since it'll combine my three dinners there).

In any case, all this clearly indicates one thing, that I'm a big supporter of Café Boulud. I was already a fan of the "old" Café Boulud - I had countless meals there with my friends and family - and not surprisingly, I'm now an even bigger fan of the "new" Café Boulud ever since its "transformation" last September.

Located at the Four Seasons Hotel, the new Café Boulud features a stylish redesign by London-based designer Martin Brudnizki. The ribbed wraparound banquets upholstered in jaguar green and the 1950s-shaped chairs in ruched leather mixes classic with contemporary. The dining room is elegant and sophisticated, yet warm and inviting.

If this doesn't scream "French brasserie" I don't know what does. I love the retro-modern look of this dining bar counter which is constructed in wood panels painted in a high gloss lacquer and topped with marble. It features a bronze and glass gantry, and eight leather bar stools.

Café Boulud's new menu highlights both bistro classics and contemporary dishes inspired by Chef Daniel Boulud's family growing up in Lyon. Deeply rooted in French tradition, the menu was created in collaboration by Chef Boulud and Chef de Cuisine Sylvain Assié.

My friend and I went for lunch two Saturdays ago to celebrate his birthday. It was my first time ever having lunch at Café Boulud and this visit marks my fourth time at the new Café Boulud.

When you're at the restaurant, whether it's for lunch or dinner, make sure you start off with a cocktail! My favourite cocktail there is the Led Zeppelin with tequila, amaro nonino, aperol and lime. It's so delicious! Cocktails I also enjoy includes Watermelon Smash, Elderflower Fizz and Sazerac.

MARTIN BRUDNIZKI ($14)

Gin, jack rudy special batch tonic, lemon

ELDERFLOWER FIZZ ($15)

St. germain, chambord, lemon, prosecco

Genghis Khan Mongolian Grill [VIDEO]

Genghis Khan Mongolian Grill is an all-you-can-eat restaurant located at 900 Don Mills Road just north of Eglinton in North York.

The buffet-style restaurant, now in its 10th year, is sectioned into two parts: the Buffet and the Mongolian Grill. 

The Buffet consists of a variety of soups, seafood, meat and vegetable dishes, fried foods and desserts.

The Mongolian Grill is where you build your own bowl by picking your own raw meats, vegetables and seasonings. You then hand your bowl over to one of the cooks and they'll stir-fry your food on a large flat grill. 

Tasting Menu at Buca Osteria & Bar (Buca Yorkville)

16-Course Tasting Menu at Buca Osteria & Bar (Buca Yorkville)

Rob Gentile (chefrobgentile), Executive Chef

Ryan Campbell (bucachefcampbell), Chef de Cuisine

Kris Lee (krisokgunlee), Sous Chef

STUZZICHINI (appetizer)

BOTTARGA - Sea urchin bottarga, senape yogurt

Look at the size of that truffle...we better be gettin' some!

YESSSSSSS!

Buca Osteria & Bar (Buca Yorkville)

Buca Osteria & Bar at 53 Scollard Street (or the Four Seasons condo tower) is the newest addition to the King Street Food Company's group of restaurants. With an already impressive list of successful restaurants in its portfolio such as Jacobs & Co. Steakhouse (2007), Buca Osteria & Enoteca (2009), The Saint Tavern (2012) and Bar Buca (2014), owners Gus Giazitzidis, Peter Tsebelis and chef Rob Gentile are certainly doing everything right. After all, world renowned chef Jamie Oliver doesn't just partner up with anybody to open a restaurant (in case you've been living under a rock Mr. Oliver will be collaborating with King Street Food Company to open North America's first Jamie's Italian at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Spring 2015). According to the press release, the establishment "will feature pasta and pizza made fresh daily on-site, an antipasti station with cured meats and an open kitchen, bringing the Italian family-style of dining to life." I'm excited, how 'bout you?

Sorry, I digress. My three friends and I visited Buca Osteria & Bar, or Buca Yorkville (@bucayorkville), last month for dinner. Similar to Bar Buca, this new location is open during the day from 8AM to 5PM serving specialty coffees and pastries, as well as lunch on weekdays and weekends.

I like the room here. It's spacious like Buca on King yet I appreciate the brighter lighting at this Yorkville location (it can get a tad dark at the King West spot sometimes). Modern and contemporary elements from Bar Buca, such as marble accents and concrete walls, can also be found but they are balanced with warm lighting and wooden floors here.

The 85-seat restaurant has a seafood-centric menu inspired by the coastal cuisine of Italy. You'll find a wide selection of house-made smoked and cured fish (think charcuterie but with fish), market oysters, crudo of whole branzino carved table side, whole salt-baked fish (also served table side), crudo misto platter serving a daily selection of raw sea food, fried apps such as crisp Altlantic cod tongues and crisp eel, plus Buca's signature pastas and pizzas that we have grown to love. If you love tasting menus, Buca Yorkville do those too. Limited to one seating a night, six diners get to experience a three-hour gastronomic feast at the chef's rail for $180 per person (additional $100 for wine pairings). 

A Seafood Feast at Catch

Please people. Do yourself a favour and venture north of Bloor to 744 St. Clair Ave. where you'll find Catch, one of my favourite seafood restaurants in the city right now.

Open Tuesdays to Sundays at 5 PM for dinner and Sundays from 11 AM to 3 PM for brunch, Catch (Twitter: @catch_toronto, Facebook: Catch) is a friendly neighbourhood restaurant serving high-quality, refined seafood dishes at affordable prices. Head chef Matty Cowan (formerly of Simple Bistro) is incredibly original with his menu and brings creative combinations of ingredients, flavours and textures together, showcasing seafood in new and interesting ways. Have you ever had octopus meatballs? Or an octopus-based bolognese? How about a "Fishermans Pie" - a twist on the "Shepherd's Pie" - that's made with lobster, scallops and shrimp? I certainly have not.

Ian Moores is currently making some very tasty craft cocktails at Catch.

The view from my seat at the bar. I love the space here; it's intimate, warm and cozy, and I love the modest open kitchen at the back. I'm also obsessed with that wooden ceiling.

Tasting Menu at Marben

Merely a few days after my Sunday brunch at Marben, I was back at the restaurant seated at the exact same table; this time around for a dinner tasting prepared by Marben's executive chef, Rob Bragagnolo (@RobBragagnolo). It was Friday night and the place was buzzing. A casual and relaxing atmosphere accompanied by the murmur of contented chatter, Marben's ambiance was warm and inviting. Not sure if I was imagining things but I remember seeing smiles all around me - everybody seemed to be having a great time. Was it because it was Friday night? Or was chef Bragagnolo's food the cause for all those smiles? Either way, I was about to find out by relinquishing all control to the Marben (Twitter: @MarbenResto, Facebook: Marben) kitchen.

Dinner started off with a couple of cocktails. Unfortunately, I don't remember what the cocktail in the background was but I loved "Tea & Sympathy" due to my obsession with ginger and egg white in my cocktails :)

TEA & SYMPATHY

Chamomile Infused Vodka, Ginger Syrup, Lemon, Dandelion Bitters, Egg White

Our 10-course menu opened with a number of snack sized plates before moving on to the mains:

TEQUILA CEVICHE CONES

Filled with avocado, cilantro, tobiko & jalapeño

DAILY BAKED BREADS

Rye sourdough, ‘carta de musica’, focaccia...

Bent Revisited

Despite a few minor hiccups, my first visit at Bent earlier this year made a lasting impression on me. It was an excellent meal. So when my friend Nic (@NicCanCook) suggested taking me to Bent (Twitter: @BentRestaurant, Facebook: Bent Restaurant) for my birthday, there was absolutely no hesitation on my part. I was eager to go back!

We had an early seating at 6 pm on a Wednesday night.

I ordered Bent's Asian Caesar because I really enjoyed it last time. Adorned with a more elaborate tomato garnish, the cocktail was just as savoury and tasty as I remembered. Maybe I'll order a different cocktail next time...maybe.

ASIAN CAESAR ($16)

Sobieski, Clamato,chili oil, Sriracha, coriander, hoisin, soya, sesame seed, ginger, house rim, pickled radish

PICKLED VEGETABLES WITH MUSTARD (amuse)

Weslodge

Whether you love it or hate it (I personally love it) it is hard to miss these tall, glossy yellow doors at Weslodge (Twitter: @Weslodge, Facebook: Weslodge). Located on King West, this "modern saloon" opened its eye-catching doors in July offering lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch as well as an extensive list of cocktails (strong cocktails...no fruity drinks for me here!)

The decor at Weslodge is quite neat; the "traditional old west" meets "updated parlor saloon" theme can be found throughout the restaurant (not surprising really, it is Ink Entertainment after all and they always know how to make a statement when it comes to interior design) Oh and bartenders also have gun holsters on their shoulders :) In contrast to what you may think (I was also guilty of this at first) Weslodge is not all about looks, at least in my opinion - I've been to Weslodge several times for food and each time I left pretty satisfied.

Gentlemen's Quarterly - Bombay Sapphire Gin, Chartreuse, Benedictine, Absinthe, Grapefruit Bitters ($16)

Niagara Street Café with Chef Steve Gonzalez

Now that chef Nick Liu (@Ninjachefnick) has left Niagara Street Café (check out my post on his farewell dinner at NSC) and is starting his new project, Gwai Lo (@GwaiLoToronto) with Kristina Kuypers (@deKuypers) (formerly of the Black Hoof, Splendido and the Drake Hotel), guest chef Steve Gonzalez (@latino5spice) (formerly Origin, Top Chef Canada) is now manning the kitchen at Niagara Street Café until the end of this month. I strongly suggest you go and check it out. Why? Because it is a great opportunity to preview what chef Gonzalez has to offer when he opens his own Latin restaurant and ceviche bar in Toronto (once he finds a location). And seriously, who wouldn't want to be fed ceviches, whole steamed fish, sancocho, chicharron, empanadas and other delicious Latin dishes???

Chef Steve Gonzalez (Photo Credit: Swallow Food)

I did not waste any time and headed to Niagara Street Cafe last Friday night. I opted for a tasting menu with wine pairings. I'll let you know my thoughts at the end of the post.


Bread with Chili Lime Butter

Clam and Chorizo with Uni Coconut Foam

Enoteca Tasting at Buca

I was completely and utterly blown away by Buca's (@bucatoronto) Enoteca Tasting this past Saturday evening. My friend and I both agree that the Enoteca Tasting at Buca (which came into existence less than a month ago) is easily one of the best tasting menu that we've had in the city recently; it was such an memorable experience for me and I truly have nothing but praises for it. 


What made it so great was not only the food, which was phenomenal, but also our server / bartender, Thomas...he was fantastic! He did an excellent job in describing all the dishes and interacting with everyone at the bar; he was friendly, attentive, and it was evident that he was passionate about what he was doing...and I love that~


The Enoteca Tasting is exclusively offered at this eight-seat bar beside Buca's main dining room.  

Our bartender, Thomas. He took care of us the entire night.

We left it up all up to Executive Chef Rob Gentile (@ChefBuca) to bring us out various small plates and appetizers. I remember Thomas asking us at the very beginning whether we were hungry; my answer was "YES" (when am I ever not hungry?!) Sooooo get ready guys because we ate a LOT! By the way, very important, there were different wine pairings through out the night as well but I didn't get a chance to take pictures of the wines =(

Crudo - Smoked raw rainbow trout fillet with artichoke, juniper caper and liquorice bruton syrup ($18)