The Citizen

The Citizen opened in 2014, which means it took me roughly two years to visit... but heck, I made it! Located at the former Brant House space, The Citizen (Instagram: @thecitizen_to, Facebook: The Citizen) is King West's version of a casual sports bar.

Inspired by the restaurant-bars of the early 1900's, The Citizen's space gives off an old school rec hall atmosphere. Patrons can catch sports games from the eight flatscreens mounted above the wraparound bar.

In a nod to Toronto’s heritage, you'll also find numerous vintage accents, including original floating beams from the historic Gooderham and Worts distillery.

Retractable screens printed with vintage photos separate the large restaurant, allowing for private parties and gatherings.

Moo Frites

Moo Frites (Instagram: @moofrites, Facebook: Moo Frites) makes hella good fries. Their fries are actually the best I've ever had so far in Toronto. It's a bold statement but I'm sticking with it!

Nestled in Kensington Market on 178 Baldwin St., Moo Frites is a small fry shop that serves up thick-cut, Belgian-style fries, accompanied by a variety of different house-made dipping sauces (there are 18 sauces to be exact). 

Owner Ambrose Lee fell in love with Belgian frites during his backpacking trip through Europe several years ago. When Ambrose came back home, he made it his mission to perfect the Belgian frites and introduce it to Torontonians. After extensive research and numerous tests, Moo Frites was born in November 2014.

I dropped by Moo Frites after work several weeks ago. It was my second time there and I knew going in that I wanted 1) Their regular Belgian frites, 2) Several different kinds of dipping sauces, and 3) One of their specialty fries (more details on my first visit at Moo Frites here).

So, first things first, Moo Frites' 18 dipping sauces:

FRITE SAUCE - Belgian/Dutch mayo, the classic

JOPPEE - Curry mayo, Dutch specialty

ANDALOUSE - Tomato & chili pepper based, Belgian specialty

SAMURAI - Belgian warrior armed with spicy Tunisian chili

GARLIC MAYO - Everyone's favourite, bad breath enhancer

CHIPOTLE MAYO - Spicy & smokey blended with smoke dried jalapeno

GEM SAUCE - Utah's favourite fry sauce

NOSY WASABI - Japanese horseradish mayonnaise

PARMESAN PEPPERCORN - Creamy mayo fighting for the spotlight

LEMON DILL - Imagine dill-pickle chips

SPICY SRIRACHA - It's pronounced "see-rah-cha"

SPICY TARTAR - Tartar sauce on fire

SPICY KETCHUP - Ketchup with a kick

CURRY KETCHUP - Sweet & sour ketchup, Dutch specialty

CHIPOTLE KETCHUP - Spicy & smokey ketchup

GINGER KETCHUP - For the ginger-crazed

PEANUT SAUCE - Indonesian peanut satay, Dutch specialty

GRAVY - Poutine gravy, eh!

With so many options, I was a bit overwhelmed. Thankfully, Ambrose helped me pick a few sauces, all of which are traditional sauces for frites in Belgium/Netherlands:

Tasty Tours' Kensington Market Sweet & Savoury Food Tour

Full disclosure. Ever since Audrey, owner and operator of Tasty Tours, invited me out to her Canada Day Sweets Tour in 2012, we have become good friends. Going on five years strong, Tasty Tours has a stellar reputation and runs affordable and intimate food tours in the city (Tasty Tours has earned over 200 reviews with a perfect 5-star rating on TripAdvisor). And if you think food tours are only for tourists, think again. After being out and about in Toronto for much longer that I would like to admit, I still managed to learn something new about the city and hit up places that I've never been to while on Tasty Tours' Kensington Market Sweet & Savoury Food Tour last week. It was a real shocker for me (in a good way) which is exactly why I think Tasty Tours is a great way to explore the city for locals.

Anyhow, I would recommend Tasty Tours (Instagram: @tasty_tours, Facebook: Tasty Tours Toronto) to anyone because Audrey and I are pretty much on the same page when it comes to food and restaurants, so I fully trust all her tour spots :) I have to admit that her Kensington Market Sweet & Savoury Food Tour is my favourite tour so far out of all the Tasty Tours I've been to because: 1) Despite having a sweet tooth, I still prefer food tours that introduce both savoury and sweet stops, which is why I enjoyed this tour more than an all-sweets tour, 2) Audrey always does a terrific job balancing history with fun facts, which is why her tours are both educational and entertaining, 3) Sometimes we would get to meet the shop owner(s) too, so the experience is a very special and intimate one, 4) The tour was well paced with just the right amount of walking in between stops, and 5) I was actually full after the tour! I'm not sure about you, but these points are all very important to me when it comes to deciding whether a food tour is a good one or a bad one.

On this post you'll find some of my favourite spots from Tasty Tours' Kensington Market Sweet & Savoury Food Tour. I purposely left some places out because what's the fun if I told you everything?!

MOO FRITES

After travelling through Brussels and Bruges, Ambrose Lee instantly fell in love with the Belgian fries. After his trip, Ambrose decided to open Moo Frites in Kensington Market, which offers Belgian frites with a wide range of dipping sauces. Ambrose perfects his fries by first cutting them into thick strips, blanching them, then deep-fries and freezes them overnight before deep-frying them again to order. Finally, the fries are tossed with salt before serving.

We each got a Moo Frites poutine in beef gravy drizzled with maple mayo (the maple mayo was special for the tour). I can honestly say that Moo Frites probably serves the best fries I've ever had. Beautifully golden in colour, each fry was very sturdy, not limp nor soft. There's a slight crunch on the first bite, with the inside all light and fluffy. Every bite after the first still retains that satisfying crunch, and each bite just as potato-y as the first. They are just damn good fries. As for the poutine aspect of it, the curds were good but I wasn't too crazy about the maple mayo - it was a tad sweet for me. I actually just want to taste the frites on their own, which is why I'll be heading to Moo Frites (Instagram: @moofrites, Facebook: Moo Frites) tonight after work!

TORONTO POPCORN COMPANY

The Toronto Popcorn Company (Instagram: @topopcornco, Facebook: Toronto Popcorn Company) is a family business started by Joseph and Caramhel Villegas, a young family who immigrated to Canada in 2011 from the Philippines. The Villegas started introducing their popcorn in 2013, travelling to festivals around Ontario offering homemade popcorn from an old-fashioned popcorn maker. They now operate a store in Kensington Market, featuring close to 100 unique and gourmet popcorn flavours.

I had a lot of fun sampling a bunch of different popcorn flavours. Some flavours we didn't know could exist with popcorn (i.e. grape, watermelon, lemon, etc.) We ended up buying a bag of "Cheesy Caramel" which, according to Toronto Popcorn Company's website, is one of their most popular flavour. Their "Cheesy Caramel" popcorn is dangerous; the combination of savoury cheese and sweet caramel is so addictive. We've since finished the entire bag, which just means I have to get more tomorrow after Moo Frites.

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.

Paese Ristorante

"Inspired in Italy, Made in Canada"

Paese Ristorante has been serving Italian inspired food for over 25 years in North York. Owner and operator Tony Loschiavo was three years old when he moved to Canada from Southern Italy in 1965. Growing up with a passion for food and its preparation, Loschiavo’s early start in the restaurant industry was with two acclaimed Toronto restaurants of the time: Fenton’s and Noodles. In 1983, he founded L-eat Catering and in 1989 opened Paese Ristorante (Instagram: @paeseristorante, Facebook: Paese Ristorante). The L-eat Group cultivates a 3,000 square feet urban garden in midtown, producing fruits and vegetables used for their catering events, and everything from tomatoes and chili peppers for the chefs, to mint and lavender for the bartenders at Paese.

I visited Paese for some Italian cooking on a Saturday night. As usual, we started with cocktails.

PAESE COLLINS ($14)

Beefeater gin, lemon, thyme-infused syrup

OLD ITALIAN FASHIONED ($14)

Campari, Maker's Mark bourbon, sugar cube, orange

COMPLIMENTARY FOCACCIA

Tapenade made of tomato, roasted eggplant and red pepper. 

Paese's dinner menu features a selection of salads, antipasti, pastas, pizza, fish and meats, and sides.

GRILLED OCTOPUS ($16)

Potato, grilled escarole, mint, lemon and chill

This was a marvelous appetizer, and it's no wonder that this dish is so popular at Paese. Coupled with an impressive presentation, the grilled octopus here is soft and tender yet still had good texture and chew. The creamy sauce and the hearty potatoes were perfect accompaniments to the octopus.

Lbs.

Pronounced "pounds" - also an acronym for "Lobster, Burger, Salad" - Lbs. opened its doors last month on 100 Yonge Street at the ground floor of Scotia Plaza. 

There are two entrances to the restaurant; one is from Yonge St., and the other from the Scotia Plaza's atrium, where there's also an indoor patio.

Lbs.' 3,700 square-foot space seats 140 guests. This is the main dining room. It's casual yet sophisticated.

Lbs.' other dining area, this one facing Yonge street.

Chefs Plate: Cooking Made Easy + $80 off Throughout Your First 3 Boxes with Referral Link / Promo Code!

Since a year and a half ago when I first wrote about Chefs Plate, the meal delivery service has expanded significantly. Back then, Chefs Plate only delivered within Ontario, however, because of its amazing success, people in British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba can now also enjoy Chefs Plate (Twitter: @chefsplate, Facebook: Chefs Plate).

If you've never heard of or tried Chefs Plate, this is your chance, especially if you use my super awesome referral tag (more about that later). In a nutshell, Chefs Plate is a subscription service that delivers chef-designed recipes and fresh ingredients right to your door step each week. The best part is that there is no subscription or membership fee to join, and you can skip a week or cancel anytime. You can choose the delivery date that works best for you too, and you don't have to be at home to receive the delivery either. Their refrigerated boxes are packed with ice packs and insulated liners to ensure your ingredients will stay fresh for the full delivery day, even if you're not home to accept the delivery.

Chefs Plate's recipes begin at $10.95 per plate for the 2-Person Plan, which features 7 unique, chef-designed meals each week, and $9.75 per plate for the Family Plan, which features 4 unique family-friendly meals. New recipes created by Chefs Plate's culinary team and guest chefs are introduced every week, and feature land, sea and veggie options. For ingredients, all you need is salt, pepper and olive oil. For cooking equipment, all you need are standard pots, pans and knives. Chefs Plate will provide everything else.

Use my Referral Link / Promo Code and receive $80 off your first three boxes ($40 off 1st box, $20 off 2nd box, $20 off 3rd box)!

All their dishes are balanced and nutritious. Chefs Plate uses farm-fresh ingredients sourced from local Canadian business. Meats are antibiotic and hormone free, and ingredients are pre-portioned for each recipe so there's no waste. All of their packaging, including gel packs, is also 100% recyclable. 

Already want to give Chefs Plate a try? Then use my referral link / promo code to get $80 off throughout your first 3 boxes! If you still need convincing, then read on to see the two delectable meals I made from my recent Chefs Plate delivery. I'm confident that you'll be convinced :)

A Look at the Newly Revamped Biff's Bistro

After a two-month-long renovation, Biff's Bistro on Front Street finally reopened its doors in April. When the modern French bistro encountered a burst pipe earlier this year, the restaurant took the opportunity to temporarily close up shop to revamp itself. How so? Think new specials, new interior, new website, and even new social media handles (since we're at it, it's @BiffsBistro on Twitter/Instagram and Biff's Bistro on Facebook).

I realized my first visit ever to Biff's Bistro was a long time ago, an embarrassingly long time ago. After checking my trusty "Dining Out" page, I discovered my Biff's blog post from August 2010 when "Tweetups" were still at thing. That's six years ago, guys. This is precisely why I feel ancient in the food blogging world sometimes.

Sorry, I digress. I can't say I noticed too much of a difference in decor but then this is solely based on my very vague memory of the room from six years ago. What I do know for sure is that I love the casual French bistro vibe and furnishings at Biff's.

The bar has noticeably changed for sure. It is a lot more open and spacious now compared to before.

Because of the warmer weather, all I want is rosé nowadays. So, instead of my usual cocktail I ordered myself a glass of sparkling rosé to start. My friend also had a lighter cocktail than usual. I guess we both wanted to start with something light and refreshing :)

BIFF’S 75 ($14)

Beefeater gin, Crème Yvette, Prosecco

SPARKLING ROSE ($11)

2014 Hinterland 'Borealis' Rose, PEC, ON

Filming at Real Sports Bar & Grill

Ever since chef Matt Sullivan took over the Real Sports kitchen in 2014, I find myself really enjoying the food there. Believe me when I say Real Sports Bar & Grill is not your typical sports bar; you'll never have to tolerate boring pub grub just because you want to watch the game with your friends. Instead, you'll find yourself wanting to order food there because dishes like their Popcorn Chicken, Southern Fried Cauliflower, RS Classic Nachos, Quinoa Salad and Fish N Chips are all pretty darn tasty. And I'm not just saying that either - I've been to Real Sports for dinner several times now, even during the off-season. This speaks volumes, guys.

It shouldn't be surprising that Real Sports serves good food; after all, it has made a name for itself by being voted "The Best Sports Bar in North America" by ESPN. Sure, the two-story, 25,000 square foot space equipped with 199 TV screens and a ginormous 39-foot HD projector (the biggest one in any sports bar in the world) is incredible, but still, Real Sports wouldn't have gotten the title of "The Best Sports Bar in North America" if it didn't serve delicious food as well, 'cause at the end of the day, it's about the entire experience. You can't possibly enjoy Real Sports if you were served mediocre food even if it has the best TV screens EVER. It is that simple.

So, what brings me back to Real Sports this time around? Lucky me, I was asked by Real Sports whether I'd be interested to take part in a shoot for their promotional video. Not only that, but I'll be fed as well. This was not a tough decision. Not at all :)

I had so much fun filming with these guys!! From left to right: Frankie, Jon, me, Mark (from Marquis of Fashion), Rob and Aaron.

There was a film crew taping us most of the night while we stuffed our faces. I'm good with that.

Cluck Clucks Fried Chicken & Waffles

Tucked away at the corner of The Esplanade and Princess Street is Cluck Clucks, a restaurant dedicated to fried chicken and waffles. The place is pretty hidden and not easy to find, so you gotta purposely look for it or know where you're going. I only found out about Cluck Clucks from my friend, who has been for dinner before and thought I should try it out.

Serving halal chicken, Cluck Clucks' fried chicken is cooked to order so all customers are informed when ordering that there'll be a wait of about 15 minutes. If you live or work in the area, you'll be happy to know that you can order Cluck Clucks (Instagram: @cluckcluks, Facebook: Cluck Clucks) via Ritual.

My friend and I went to Cluck Clucks twice so this post combines my two experiences there.

FIRST VISIT

WHAT THE CLUCK! (Solo $10.49, Combo $12.99)

2 pc bone-in-chicken, fresh waffle, choice sauce

Cluck Clucks fried chicken is on point. Crispy, golden, seasoned chicken skin with meat that's extremely juicy and tender. Delicious. As for the waffles, if you like them super soft, light and fluffy, this is the place for it. I personally like mine with a crispier exterior (i.e. crispy edges but still soft inside). The fries were seasoned well but a bit soggy. I didn't care for the Cluck Sauce; it had a sweet/tangy flavour and consistency that's similar to Italian salad dressing. Just not my thing. Thinking back I should have picked maple syrup as my "sauce", which is how fried chicken & waffles is traditionally served anyway (along with butter). The succulent union of sweet and salty, soft and crunchy, maple syrup and chicken may sound strange but it's unbelievably good.

CLUCK YEAH! (Solo $12.79, Combo $14.99)

Boneless chicken breast in between a fresh jalapeno and cheddar waffle with coleslaw, chipotle aioli, dill mayo

Other than the fried chicken, this Cluck Yeah! sandwich was my favourite item on Cluck Clucks' menu. The waffle - infused with the jalapeno and cheddar - was in many ways better than the regular waffle, both in flavour and texture (it was crispier for some reason). The chicken breast wasn't dry at all (dry chicken breast is my worst nightmare). Together with the creamy chipotle and tangy coleslaw, this waffle-sandwich was very satisfying to eat.

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