Gyu-Kaku: Japanese BBQ Dining

Gyu-Kaku is a chain of Japanese yakiniku (barbeque) restaurants. Since their first Japan location 20 years ago in 1996, the chain has grown to a staggering 688 locations in 11 countries. There are now over 600 restaurants in Japan, with worldwide locations in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Taipei, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.

Gyu-Kaku's Toronto location opened last month on 81 Church Street. It took them 20 years to get here but I guess better late than never! My friend and I went on a busy Friday night, and thank goodness we made reservations because it was an hour-and-a-half wait otherwise.

A charcoal grill is installed in every table at Gyu-Kaku, and if you're worried about the smoke, don't be. The chain restaurant is known for their smokeless roaster, where with its down draft system, smoke is sucked in to the bottom of the table. The air was never smoky or stuffy when I was there.

Gyu-Kaku (Instagram: @gyukakujbbq, Facebook: Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ) offers a wide range of ready-to-grill beef, poultry, pork, seafood and vegetables. On the menu are also a ready-to-eat appetizers, salads, soups, noodles and rice dishes. 

Although this was my first visit at Gyu-Kaku in Toronto, my first Gyu-Kaku experience was six years ago in Huntington Beach, California. I even dug up the blog post for it!

SAPPORO DRAFT MEGA MUG ($11)

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.

It's a Bao Time

It's a Bao Time opened its doors a week ago on Friday, November 6, at 230 Commerce Valley Drive in Markham. Serving steamed baos, banh mi sandwiches, tacos and fries, it's certainly a bao time that uptown gets their very own modern Asian street food joint (sorry I couldn't help it...too easy!) Being the keener that I am, my friend and I went to check out the place last Saturday for lunch.

 The 40-seat restaurant was quite empty when we dropped by; I wasn't surprised though since it was only their second day. Not only that It's a Bao Time mostly cater to the weekday lunch crowd - there are a lot of corporate offices nearby so it's an ideal spot for a quick grab-and-go lunch (in case you still have no clue as to its whereabouts It's a Bao Time basically took over part of the former Go For Tea space). Having said that, more and more people trickled in as we started eating.

The It's a Bao Time (Twitter: @itsabaotime, Instagram: @abaotime, Facebook: It's a Bao Time) menu is divided into three categories:

1) Bao - Steamed Chinese rice bun with daikon radish, carrots, cucumbers, and coriander;

2) Banh Mi - Demi French baguette with daikon radish, carrots, cucumbers and coriander; and

3) Taco - South American soft wrap with daikon radish, carrots, cucumbers and coriander

From there you can choose Pork Belly, Japanese Fried Chicken, Korean Beef Bulgolgi, Veggie, Grilled Chicken, Beef Brisket, Battered Fish or Duck Confit. All these options are available for the Baos but only selected ones are available for the Banh Mi and Tacos. It's a Bao Time offer three sides - french fries, kimchi bulgolgi fries, taro fries - and a selection of pop and bottled drinks. Feel free to click here to view the whole menu.

I always choose Boylan Sodas over regular pop ($2.50 ea).

Below is what happens when I want to try everything on the menu:

PORK BELLY BAO ($4.69)

Roasted pork belly, lettuce with hoisin mayo

TABASCO® - Feed Your Original With The Original

TABASCO® - the hot and spicy legendary pepper sauce that's made exclusively from tabasco peppers, vinegar and salt. I don't think there's anyone on earth that haven't heard of the household name; it's almost like saying you haven't heard of McDonald's, or Coca-Cola, or Disney. Yeah, I went there, only 'cause I see TABASCO® Sauce as the king of all hot sauces. It may not be the hottest hot sauce out there but TABASCO® is the real deal. It's the "original" pepper sauce that everybody knows of and I bet that almost every single home and restaurant owns a bottle of it in the kitchen. Damn, the fact that TABASCO® was founded over 100 years ago in 1868 is incredibly impressive too. That in itself says something, right?

When you think of TABASCO® Sauce, or even just hot sauce in general, it's usually an afterthought in that one would usually add a dash of it to a dish that's already been prepared and ready to eat. However, that perception went straight out the window when I was invited to the exclusive TABASCO® Feed Your Original With The Original event last week.

Here, let me put all this into context for you. It all started when TABASCO® (Instagram: @tabascocanada, Facebook: Tabasco) sent Canada's hottest Chef collective, The Group of 7 Chefs, down to Avery Island, Louisiana, the birthplace and home of TABASCO®, to immerse them in the culture and heritage of the island, and inspire them as they planned their original dish, one that uses TABASCO® Sauce as an ingredient. I suggest you take a few minutes and watch this short film documenting the Chefs' amazing adventure in Louisiana!

The Chefs returned truly inspired, and on Tuesday, July 7th, each of the seven chefs prepared a dish using TABASCO® Sauce in the most creative way, and guests that evening had the opportunity to be first-to-taste and savour these original creations. 

The #feedyouroriginal Group of 7 Chefs:

Dandylion

Three starters, three mains, three desserts. A total of nine dishes make up the entire menu at Dandylion. Short and sweet. This is perfect because it has never been about quantity with me; actually the more options there are on a menu the more indecisive I get (I believe this applies to most things in life.) In any case, what's more important is quality and no word of a lie, Dandylion (@DandyLionTO) has completely won me over and in doing so, it has now become one of my favourite restaurants in the city. Yep, it's that good.

Just like its menu, Dandylion on 1198 Queen St. West is small, intimate and comfortable.

The 30-seat restaurant is casual and welcoming. The potted plants are such a lovely touch.

Opened in November of last year, chef / owner Jay Carter - who worked under Susur Lee for 10 years (Susur, Lee, Madeline's) and was exec chef at the now-closed Centro - focuses on vegetables at his restaurant; he treats them not as a complement but rather the star of his dishes. But don't worry, carnivores, Dandylion is not a vegetarian spot...just don't expect huge slabs of meat there anytime soon (or ever).

The bar menu features whites, reds and beer. There's no cocktail program.

MUSCAT OF ALEXANDRIA, TERRA LEMNIA 2012. LIMNOS, GREECE ($48)

Los Colibris

Food trend or not, I'll always have a soft spot for tacos. Whether it's the tacos al pastor from El Trompo, the baja fish taco from Grand Electric or the gobernador from Seven Lives, tacos can be so damn satisfying sometimes, you know? And it's all over if there's good guac 'cause I have no self control whatsoever when it comes to good guac. It's all on cruise control: hand grabs chip, dip chip in guac, place chip in mouth, chew, swallow, and basically repeat until all the chips are gone and I have no more stomach room for anything else. This is what I call #foodieproblems.

Anyway, for a lot of people, that's where it ends when it comes to Mexican cuisine. Guacamole and tacos. After all, Toronto is saturated with fast, quick, grab-and-go taquerias. Nothing wrong with that but it begs the question: Where does one go for Mexican fine dining? A place for authentic, upscale Mexican cuisine where one can dine comfortably, spend a couple of hours over good food and drinks, and make a night out of it? Enter Los Colibris (Twitter: @loscolibris220, Facebook: Los Colibris), Toronto's first upscale Mexican restaurant.

Already home to sister restaurant El Caballito, the Mexican tequila cantina that opened earlier this year, 220 King St. W. is now also the home of Los Colibris, which occupies the second floor of the same building. The 150-seat Polanco-style restaurant distinguishes itself in the city by featuring white linen service alongside authentic Mexican, fine dining cuisine.

The decor in this grand, 3,500 square foot space follows the spirit of authentic eateries in Condesa, Mexico City. The restaurant features two private dining rooms that seat 12 and 50 respectively, allowing for both intimate private dining and private event experiences.

Sausage League 2014 - 2nd Round: The Saint Tavern vs. The Harbord Room

The fourth edition of the popular Sausage League competition is happening right now at Marben! Featuring a round robin competition between eight local chefs and restaurants for the best sausage dish, participating diners get to vote during each round to award Toronto's ultimate Sausage King.

For $25 you get to enjoy the entire Sausage League experience (2 unique sausage dishes and a Beau's lager) and cast a vote for the dish you liked the most and at the end of the evening, the restaurant that has garnered the most votes will proceed to the semifinals until one chef is left standing.

Round 1 took place on Tuesday, July 15th, between Rock Lobster and Origin St. James where Deron Engbers of Rock Lobster bested Harrison Hennick of Origin St. James in this year's first ever match. Deron’s Wild Boar and Tarragon Sausage with Fennel Slaw was the winning dish, edging out Harrison's Chicken Sausage with Tempura Cauliflower, Hot Buffalo Sauce & Yuzu plate.

I attended Round 2 the very next day on Wednesday. The battle was between The Saint Tavern (@thesainttavern) and The Harbord Room (@theharbordroom). Just so you know Jesse Vallins from The Saint has been the reigning Sausage King for the last TWO years. Will he take home the title for the third time? We will see :)

The two sausages were brought out with coloured napkins corresponding to the sausage on the voting card. This encourages diners to vote for the tastier dish rather than their favourite chef or restaurant.

"RED SAUSAGE" 

Bacon sausage, pork & cheddar pierogi, herb sour cream, caramelized onion puree

"BLUE SAUSAGE"

Pork pesto sausage, pine nuts, basil, corn polenta, buttermilk twill

Lamesa Filipino Kitchen's New Menu

I still have very fond memories of the tasting menu I had at Lamesa Filipino Kitchen a year and a half ago. I remember describing it as a "rock-solid meal" which is why, to this very day, I still recommend this Queen West restaurant to my friends whenever they are looking for something different. Something unique.

Responsible for putting modern Filipino cuisine on the culinary map here in Toronto are second generation Filipinos Rudy Boquila and Les Sabilano. With Lamesa, the duo has successfully combined traditional tastes of the Philippines with modern takes and local ingredients. As Sabilano puts it Filipino food, the Lamesa way, is “all about taking a regional approach to Filipino food. Each of the 7000+ islands in the Philippines has developed their own style based on their customs, surroundings and what is locally available. For us, Toronto is just another island. Our style is shaped by our environment and where and how we grew up.”

Last week, I was invited to Lamesa's (Twitter: @LamesaTO, Facebook: Lamesa) new menu launch where I sampled numerous dishes spanning their brunch, dinner and late night menus. Aside from the updated menu, Lamesa's bar also received a dramatic makeover (check out how the bar was before). I personally love the new bar especially the psychedelic glow in the background. Pretty trippy :) 

Speaking of bar, I enjoyed several cocktails that evening. My favourite would be this classic hip hop inspired Lolo Cool J cocktail which consisted of ginger, bourbon, pineapple and cinnamon syrup, lemon juice, and ginger ale.

Live music throughout the night courtesy of DATU. These guys are fantastic.

Here's a look at what I had at the media tasting (note that these are all sample sizes specially made for the evening):

CRISPY PATA (brunch / dinner)

Deep fried pork trotter with pickles and housemade dipping sauces

The Chefs' House

"We're a real-world training restaurant where the finest Hospitality and Culinary Art students from George Brown College learn from the best teacher - experience." - The Chefs' House.

Located at 215 King Street East, The Chefs' House (Twitter: @thechefshouse, Facebook: The Chefs' House) is a restaurant where George Brown students experience and learn first-hand the skills they will need in the real world of the hospitality industry. Students from the George Brown Chef School and School of Hospitality and Tourism Management work for either 7 or 14 weeks in both the restaurant's front and back of house. They come from the following Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts programs:

- Food and Beverage Management
- Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure
- Hotel Management
- Integrated Culinary Management
- Post Graduate Italian Culinary Arts

My friend and I had dinner at The Chefs' House several weeks ago. Once I walked in the restaurant I realized how large and spacious the room was. I love the dangling lights as well as the contrast between the modern, contemporary white bar & kitchen on one side and the textured brick wall on the other.

The open kitchen gives guests a great view of the students. 

There are two prix fixe options for dinner: 3 courses for $41 or 4 courses for $47.  My friend ordered the 4-course and I ordered the 3-course.

House-made bread to start. We really liked the soft focaccia (we had seconds!)

Ravi Soups (Queen West)

It's time to embrace the cold weather guys because summer is OVER *insert sad face*. How does one "embrace the cold" anyway? Well most people go shopping for fall clothes; cardigans, sweaters, pea coats, scarves, etc., because they wanna look good...gotta keep up with "fall fashion trends 2013", ya know? Nothing wrong with that at all. Unfortunately for me fall fashion is pretty much irrelevant. The problem is that when others find it "breezy" I find it "chilly". When it's supposedly "cool" I find it "cold". Hence the reason why I don't have much fall clothes - I switch from balmy summer clothes right into winter gear almost immediately (okay maybe I'm exaggerating...I'm sure there are a couple of weeks in between or something). I'm perpetually cold :( Anyway, armed with my winter jacket you'll probably see me embracing the cooler temperatures with a cup of steaming hot chocolate. Yum. You may also find me at some all-you-can-eat Chinese hot pot place in Markham or perhaps enjoying some tofu stew in Korean town. But when it's seriously cold outside, Ravi Soups is one of the best places to warm your soul.

Ravi Soups, a family-run restaurant, is the place to be for a quick and hearty meal. There are three Ravi Soups locations: 322 Adelaide St W, 1128 Queen St West, and 2535 Dundas St West. 

There's a wide variety of unique and exotic ingredients in both their soups and wraps. I'm pretty sure you won't find any of these creative flavour combinations anywhere else.

Café Boulud (Summerlicious)

Summerlicious, presented by American Express and produced by the City of Toronto, is currently taking place between July 5 to July 21. This unique culinary celebration is all about highlighting Toronto's diverse collection of restaurants and bringing unique dining experiences to life. There are over 195 restaurants participating in Summerlicious this year with numerous prix fixe menu options to choose from.

As a "Roving Reporter" for American Express, I had the opportunity to dine at Café Boulud (@CafeBouludTO) last week. Here's a recap of what we had:

ASSORTED BREAD

NEO-NEGRONI ($18)

Bombay Sapphire Gin, Campari, Green Chartreuse, Dry Vermouth, Lemon Twist

THE YORKVILLE ($18)

 Forty Creek Reserve Rye, Marsala Fine, Amaro, Kirsch Cherries, House Star Anise Bitters 

TELMO RODRIGUEZ 'LZ', RIOJA, SPAIN ($45)

APPETIZERS

SEARED DIGBY SCALLOP

Sweet Corn Succotash, Avocado Mousse Shrimp Cracker

New Menu at The Fuel House

When Fuel House (Twitter: @FuelHouseTO, Facebook: Fuel House) took over the former "Olivia's" in November 2011, co-owners Mackenzie Chiu and Mike Dolegowski envisioned their cozy, quaint space in Little Italy as a neighbourhood sandwich shop. With a variety of sandwiches, burgers and banh mi on the menu, swiftly followed by the addition of a snacks menu, Fuel House quickly established itself as a friendly and casual spot. Whether you wanted a quick bite to eat or a comfy place to grab a couple of beers with friends, Fuel House is the place to be. When it's a nice day out, you can even choose which patio you want to chill at - the smaller patio at the front where you can people watch, or the larger more private patio at the back, totally up to you.

Last month, Mack and Mike decided to overhaul Fuel House's entire menu. With Rob Julen as the new chef, Fuel House has since then taken on a completely different direction. Sandwiches are now gone and have been replaced by pub-style snacks and sharing plates. From now on, you can expect to see fried chicken, fries, pork ribs, burgers as well as healthy vegetarian options such as salads and slaws at Fuel House (they even have a seafood basket with crab legs!) A larger selection of beers and an updated cocktail list accompanies the menu makeover. Excellent. Just in time for summer :)

Below are some items from Fuel House's new menu: 

LAZY SUMMER 

OLIVES

PORK RILLETTE & BREAD

InvASIAN: GwaiLo's Pop-Up Finale

GwaiLo and Senses Restaurant wrapped up its month-long pop up dinner series on Monday night with a bang. Sponsored by Senses with all proceeds going to the Stop Food Community Centre (@TheStopCFC), the event, dubbed InvASIAN, brought together six distinguished modern Asian chefs (two of which are from New York) for a one-night only fundraising dinner. A unique culinary collaboration of Toronto and New York, each chef created one course for InvASIAN. Below is a short bio of each chef who showcased their skill and creativity that night:

Chef Nick Liu (@Ninjachefnick), GwaiLo (@GwaiLoToronto)
As Executive Chef and owner of GwaiLo Asian Brasserie, Chef Nick Liu's merging of Asian influences with French techniques has garnered local and international accolades. His dishes have been enjoyed by dignitaries and royalty, as well as at the esteemed James Beard House.

Chef Danny Bowien (@dannybowien), Mission Chinese Food (@Missionstfood)
Chef Danny Bowien launched with Mission Chinese Food in San Francisco and then in New York. His whimsical, responsibly sourced Chinese food has garnered accolades and awards from Food and Wine and People. He is also a James Beard finalist.

Chef Andy Ricker, Pok Pok (@pokpokpdx) 
Chef Andy Ricker is a James Beard award-winner and owner of Ping, Portland, Oregon and Pok Pok, Brooklyn, New York. He has been recognized by the likes of GQ Eats: Top Ten Best New Restaurants (Pok Pok) and the Oregonian as 2009 Rising Star (Ping).

Chef Nuit Regular, Khao San Road (@khaosanroadTO)
Chef Nuit Regular is the culinary talent of Khao San Road. Stemming from Thailand, Regular has won the hearts of local foodies and critics with her authentic and fiery Northern Thai Cuisine.

Chef Cheska Ang (@CheskaZarah), Actinolite (@actinolitefood)
From British Columbia to Ontario, Chef Cheska Ang has established herself in some of Canada's best known kitchens and is currently sous chef at the recently opened Actinolite.

Chef Robbie Hojilla (@RobbieHoho), Mr. Pong's Bar (@Mr_Pongs)
Chef Robbie Hojilla is the chef behind the Asian-Canadian cuisine of Mr. Pong's Bar. He draws his inspiration from Filipino cuisine and delivers using Canadian ingredients to create unique Asian-inspired dishes.

Tickets for the six-course dinner was $95 per person, with optional cocktail and wine pairings at $35 per person. Pairings were developed by Christina Kuypers (@deKuypers), co-founder of GwaiLo, and sponsored by Ponte Wine and Spirits.

Once seated, each guest enjoyed a Hayman's Sloe Gin Sweet & Sour.

Without further ado, here is what I had at the InvASIAN dinner:

OYSTER & PEARLS - Nick Liu 

Scallion, egg custard, steamed oyster, smoked beurre blanc, soy lime pearls

Buerre Blanc Bowmore Islay 12yr