Hawksworth Restaurant (Vancouver)

I finally had a chance to visit Vancouver last month, a city I haven't been to in more than 20 years (I blame the ridiculously expensive airfare). I spent one very chill week in and around Vancity just eating, drinking and hanging out. It was exactly what I needed; I came back home very well rested (7 lbs heavier!) and I didn't feel like I needed another vacation from my vacation (I hate that feeling). Anyway, researching which restaurants to check out naturally became my main mission before the trip. My final list consisted of around 7-8 places, with Hawksworth being on the very top of my list.

Hawksworth Restaurant (Instagram: @hawksworthrest, Facebook: Hawksworth Restaurant) has received an impressive number of awards and accolades since it opened in 2011, some of which include Best New Restaurant from enRoute Magazine, Canada's Restaurant of the Year from Maclean's Magazine, Second Place in Canada's 100 Best list, Chef of the Year, Sommelier of the Year, and Best Upscale Restaurant from Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, etc, etc. The list goes on and on (click here for the full list of awards). So, to say I was "excited" when my friend Mijune of Follow Me Foodie snagged a reservation there is clearly an understatement.

Located in the gorgeous Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Hawksworth serves contemporary Canadian cuisine. The restaurant's menu is seasonal and features local Canadian ingredients. We left it up to Chef de Cuisine, Chris Stewart, to feed us that evening. It's always better that way, trust me.

PUFFED BEEF TENDON (amuse)

Iberico ham, liquefied fat trimmings

Take a look at that iberico. Thinly sliced with a dark-ish red hue and some natural fat infiltration, the 48-month old iberico had a sharp flavour and an oily texture (amplified by the liquefied fat trimmings). The fried beef tendon puff had an intense crunch that quickly dissolved on the palate. Yum. I couldn't have asked for a better way to start the meal.

Wine Director, Bryant Mao, leads the award-winning wine program at Hawksworth. Here is Bryant pouring Mijune and I our first glass.

HALIBUT

Buttermilk poached halibut, fresh peas, pea puree, pea veil, pea tips, pea powder, edible flowers, puffed rice.

Pairing: Little Farm Riesling 2015, Mulberry Tree Vineyard, Cawston, BC. 

So much yes for pea season! Nothing symbolizes the sweet, light, and freshness of spring quite like peas. Underneath the velvety pea puree, the poached halibut was soft and flaky, and the puffed rice added just the right amount of texture to the plate (or bowl). Beautiful flavours, textures, depth and colour. This was a wonderful representation of the terroir of Vancouver, with land and sea uniting to form a perfectly made dish. 

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.

Touring The 6ix #FiestaFoodie [VIDEO]

Follow me as I embark on an urban foodie adventure touring The 6ix in my 2016 Ford Fiesta! Thanks to Ford Canada, I had the opportunity to take the #FordFiesta out over the Canada Day long weekend to visit some of my favourite spots in The 6ix:

1ST STOP: CHEESE BOUTIQUE - 45 Ripley Ave. Etobicoke, ON.

The Cheese Boutique has it all. Where do I begin? Actually, I think their website says it best:

"At Cheese Boutique the epicurean wonders never cease. Prosciutto hangs from the ceiling, truffles are available in season, foie gras is a staple, beef is dry aged a minimum 40 days, olive oils are available from 80 different terroirs, jams are made with green walnuts, pastries are baked in-house and chocolate truffles are flavoured with chipotle and bacon. But above all one must visit to experience our astounding selection of cheeses from around the globe, for which “best before” dates do not apply."

I love this place! Every time I'm at the Cheese Boutique I pick several new cheeses to try. My friend and I chose three different cheeses for our wine, cheese & salumi dinner that evening, which looked something like this:

Valdeon - A Spanish blue cheese

Applewood Cheddar - A dense smoky cheddar

Delice de Bourgogne - A French cow's milk cheese

2ND STOP: RANDY'S TAKEOUT - 1569 Eglinton Ave W. York, ON.

Anyway, after our stop at the Cheese Boutique we headed to Randy's Take Out for some beef patties.

We shared one chicken patty and one beef patty at the store, and purchased 12 frozen beef patties to go. So YUMS.

Le Baratin - French Fare on Dundas West

“You don’t need to use your line of credit to eat french!” - Chef Jean Regis Raynaud, Le Baratin

True, that is if you're eating at Le Baratin! Opened nearly two months ago, Le Baratin - which stands for "Smooth Talker" in French - is a small French bistro on Dundas West. Helming the kitchen is classically trained French chef, Jean Regis Raynaud, formerly of Le Paradis. After 18 years of cooking in France, UK, and St. Martin, Jean Regis finally realized his dream of running his own restaurant, where he is able to share his "food philosophy, L’art de Vivre- the art of life, a touch of France here in Toronto”, Jean Regis explained.

Quite often, when people hear the words "French food" or "French restaurant", they immediately think of white tablecloths, pretentious service, lavish menus, and $$$$. So, I'm thrilled to tell you that Le Baratin (Twitter: @LeBaratinYYZ, Facebook: Le Baratin) is anything but those things. The atmosphere at the small bistro is casual and relaxed, and the service is prompt and friendly. Le Baratin is a cozy French bistro, and it's somewhere I see myself going back again and again.

Le Baratin serves classic French fare, with some modern elements incorporated by chef Jean Regis. It is opened for lunch/brunch, seven days a week from 9AM - 5PM, and dinner five a days a week from Tuesday to Saturday, 5PM - 10PM. During the Day, Le Baratin serves dishes such as the Farcou (French spinach pancake), the Croque Monsieur, and the Tartifete (baked gratin with potatoes). The lunch menu offers a selection of salads, omelettes, and original sandwiches such as the Boeuf Bourguignon on a bun.

I visited Le Baratin for dinner last week, and let me tell you right off the bat that it exceeded my expectations. So much so that I've already recommended a handful of my friends to Le Baratin already.

ELDERFLOWER GIMLET (left)

SIDECAR (right)

Armagnac, Cointreau, lemon

All their cocktails are priced at $10. Cheers to that!

TORTE PROVENCALE ($9)

Baked tomato torte with goat cheese & "herbes de Provence" served w/ mixed green salad

This baked tomato tart is the perfect summertime fare, especially when paired with the light green salad. Unlike some other tarts with custard or cream, this torte really showcased the seasonal tomatoes. The crust is nice and flaky, and the goat cheese is superb; I enjoyed the crusty-brown parts on top and the warm and creamy soft inside.

Diwan's Patio at the Aga Khan Museum

Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Fumihiko Maki, the Aga Khan Museum at Don Mills is dedicated to the collection, research, preservation and display of works of art, objects and artifacts from various periods and geographic areas of the Muslim world. Opened in September 2014, the Museum's mission is to provide visitors with an understanding of the artistic, intellectual, scientific and religious heritage of communities, both Muslim and non-Muslim.

The McEwan Group, which manages four critically-acclaimed restaurants (North 44, Bymark, ONE, and Fabbrica) and two gourmet grocery stores, oversees the menu at Diwan, the restaurant at Aga Khan Museum (Twitter: @AgaKhanMuseum, Facebook: Aga Khan Museum). At Diwan, chef Mark McEwan offers a wide-ranging menu that showcases his innovative approaches to Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian cuisine. 

Diwan is participating in the upcoming Summerlicious from July 8-24. For those who are interested, feel free to click here for their Summerlicious lunch menu.

I was invited by Aga Khan Museum to dine one the Diwan patio a few weeks ago. Diwan’s patio has the capacity to accommodate 140 people with comfortable lounge seating and a view of the Aga Khan Park. New this summer on the Diwan's fully licensed patio is an added an outdoor grill, and a new summer menu featuring a variety of grilled meats, salads and a number of lighter entrees for summer, focusing on fresh and aromatic foods that explore the tastes of the Middle East.

MALIVOIRE PINOT NOIR 'MOIRA' NIAGARA 2014 ($14)
SAUVIGNON BLANC STONELEIGH MARLBOROUGH 2014 ($13)

MEZES PLATTER $28

Basturma, kalbas, labneh, olives, pickles, hummus, and naan

A generous mezes platter of Middle Eastern and South Asian delights. My favourites here are the hummus, labneh, and basturma (cured beef slices). Naturally, I was very happy to see all that naan on the platter!

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

Magic Noodle Downtown

I didn't plan to blog about Magic Noodle. Nothing against the place but I don't write about each and every one of my dining experiences. If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter you'll know; I share photos from more restaurants there than I write about here. There are several reasons why: 

1. I didn't find the food interesting enough to dedicate a blog post on it;

2. I've written about the restaurant before so unless I went back and tried a lot of new dishes, I won't write about it again;

3. The restaurant changed its menu by the time I got around to writing about it;

4. Life got in the way, I got busy, and the restaurant got lost in the my ever-expanding draft folder; or

5. The restaurant belongs to the KINKA FAMILY group of restaurant so I wouldn't feel right writing about it (since I work at KINKA).

So, where does Magic Noodle come in? I would say it's reason #1, at least initially. It's a personal thing but I just don't find a bowl of soup noodles much fun to write about. I might be biased because I'm Chinese, since we all know I can still blog about the flavour of the broth, the texture of the noodles, the different toppings, the restaurant's atmosphere and service, etc, etc. But again, to me, a bowl of noodles is simply a satisfying meal that I can finish in less than 10 minutes. I couldn't care less about the service or the atmosphere either (unless it's really bad). It's the same thing with Vietnamese pho or Korean tofu stew - I enjoy them tremendously but I don't have the desire to blog about them. For me to want to write about those places I would have to find the food or the service to be exceptionally great or exceptionally bad, and sorry to burst your bubble but Magic Noodle belongs to "exceptionally bad" category.

I've been to the noodle house in Richmond Hill before for lunch. I though the food was good, not superb, but good enough that I remember leaving happy and satisfied, which is why I was pretty stoked when I found out Magic Noodle opened a location on Harbord Street. My first thought was "Yay! I no longer have to trek uptown for good Chinese hand-pulled noodles!"

Magic Noodle's menu is separated into cold apps, hot apps, hand-pulled noodles, hand-shaved noodles, stir fried noodles and sauced noodles. We ordered two hot apps to start:

CHIVE POCKETS ($2.99)

Garlic Chives, Scrambled Eggs, Dried Shrimp, Vermicelli

Chive pockets? More like grease pockets. Check out the pool of oil at the bottom. The tip of the chive pocket was actually submerged in it. To make matters worse, when the paper underneath shifted all the oil seeped through the woven basket and spilled onto the table. We tried wiping it with our napkins but we ended up just spreading oil all over. The napkin was also soaked by the end. Yuck.

PORK JIAMO ($2.99)

Pan Fried Bao, Shredded Pork, Magic Hoisin Sauce

Served hot, these pan fried baos were nicely browned and slightly crispy on the outside. I also really liked the finely shredded pork filling with Magic Hoisin sauce. This was the best dish of the night.

There's no question that the chive pockets were oily but at least I didn't feel deceived by them - they were just poorly made. I felt really deceived, however, by the noodles. Below is a screen shot of the "The Magic" from Magic Noodle's website. A very similar photo, shot top-down, was used on their printed menu at the restaurant. Looks incredibly delicious, right? That sunny side up fried egg, those luscious hand-pulled noodles, the bright red chili oil and the handful of fresh cilantro and scallions...who can resist? I honestly chose "The Magic" because of how enticing this photo looked.

Nota Bene - New Look, New Menu

On February 18th, one of Toronto's most notable and established restaurants, NOTA BENE, relaunched with a new look, menu and concept. After seven years in the Queen West neighbourhood, Executive Chef and Owner, David Lee, decided it was the right time to "evolve and update the restaurant from top to bottom". 

Still located on 180 Queen St. W., one of the main focal points at the new NOTA BENE is the art piece, shown below. Treated with "Shou Sugi Ban", an ancient Japanese process of preserving wood by charring it with fire, the salvaged iron wood tree trunk is showcased at the front of the restaurant with a canopy represented by a 3-D printed installation.

The bar has been extended to accommodate more guests.

We started with a few cocktails and snacks in the lounge.

THE G&T (2oz, $17)

THE GIN - Hendricks (Scotland) - Cucumber, rose, honeyed citrus, juniper

THE FEVER TREE TONIC - Mediterranean - Thyme, citrus, quinine

THE ICE - Large - Slight chill, minimal dilution 

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. 

Morals Village Hot Pot ("德莊火鍋") in Markham

What's better than having hot pot at home with friends and family on a cold winter's night? Not much. I can picture it now. My dining table - overflowing with plates of thinly sliced marbled beef, plump shrimp, fish balls, dumplings, cubes of soft and fried tofu, spinach and noodles - all fighting for space amongst strainers, chopsticks, dipping sauces, jugs of prune juice and soya milk. And of course the star of the show - the generous pot of bubbling broth in the middle of the table - cooking all night long. Ah, yes.

Alright, maybe there is one thing better than having hot pot at home with friends and family on a cold winter's night, and that's having hot pot with friends and family on a cold winter's night at Morals Village Hot Pot (Instagram: @moralsvillagehotpot, Facebook: Morals Village Hot Pot). Morals Village, with close to 600 locations in China, is an all-you-can-eat ("AYCE") hot pot restaurant with a lot to offer. Guests can chose from 12 different kinds of soup bases and six dipping sauces to get started. As for food? Oh man, so many options. Meat lovers can choose from slices of rib eye beef, beef tongue, hand-rolled pork, pork kidney, New Zealand lamb shoulder, marinated beef / pork, and 10 varieties of meat balls (you can also pay $3 extra for AYCE certified Angus beef). For everything else there's tasty stuff like fresh cuttlefish, shrimps and mussels, 20+ different kinds of vegetables, 7 tofu options, various innards, noodles...and more.

If all that doesn't impress you maybe Morals Village's space will. Unlike a lot of the dingy hot pot places in the suburbs Morals Village's interior is modern, spacious, and clean. Check out these comfy booths which are great for small groups.

So in a nutshell, you can enjoy Morals Village's AYCE menu thoroughly without ever getting bored, but if you're feeling particularly fancy you can also order from their Chef's Recommendation menu. Paying a little extra gets you premium cuts like Wagyu short rib slices and Kagoshima pork slices, seafood offerings like tiger shrimps, Alaskan snow crab legs, fresh oyster, Japanese scallops and abalone. 

In terms of drinks, aside from cold soy milk, pop, and the usual sour prune drink (a staple beverage for hot pot) Morals Village also serves freshly squeezed kiwi juice, pear juice, wintermelon tea, lemon juice and watermelon juice. I immediately opted for the juices; I've hated that prune juice ever since I was a kid >< The juices were delicious and very refreshing, perfect for hot pot.

FIGO

FIGO, offering Italian-inspired cuisine, is the newest restaurant to join the Icon Legacy Hospitality and INK Entertainment empire of restaurants including Byblos, Patria, NAO Steakhouse and Weslodge (Citta closed a few weeks ago). Located at the corner of Adelaide St. W. and John, FIGO (Twitter: @FigoToronto, Facebook: Figo) officially opened on Monday, November 2nd, and is serving lunch and dinner Monday to Sunday, with a lunch menu that offers puccia (oven-baked sandwiches) and a $19.95 three-course prix fixe.  Sunday brunch features classic brunch plates and an assortment of pastries.

The FIGO space is stylish and elegant, with an open kitchen at one end of the restaurant framed by a subway-tiled archway. The traditional wood-fired oven is for their pizzas and sandwiches.

A shot of FIGO's long dining room. This was taken from my table which was at the direct opposite end of the restaurant from the kitchen. Notice the beautiful hand-painted roses on the ceiling. I really like the interior at FIGO - the whites and pastels give a very contemporary and stylish feel to the restaurant, and it's very different compared to Byblos, Patria, and Weslodge, where darker shades dominate. The restaurant seats 13 people at the bar and 105 in total, with plans for an outdoor terrace in the summer with seating for 80.

FIGO's cocktail list includes shareable beverages, like this Punch Americano, a four-person cocktail served in a crystal decanter:

PUNCH AMERICANO ($15/ glass, $60/decanter)

Cocchi americano + cocchi rosa + bacardi superior + vino bianco + white cranberry + fresh lemon + peychauds + angostur

Nothing against Sangrias but it's nice have another shareable cocktail choice. This punch didn't seem boozy until five minutes in....that's when you will feel it :) 

FIGO's dinner menu is divided into eight sections: House Ricotta, Salads, Starters, Pizza, Pasta, Seafood, Meat, and Sides. Below is what I had for dinner last week at FIGO:

SEA BREAM CRUDO ($14)

Chili, basil 

With less than a handful of ingredients, the delicate sea bream was allowed to shine on its own. This plate was very light and fresh.

MissFresh: Ready-to-Cook Meal Delivery

I eat out often. Very often. But when MissFresh asked if I would be interested in trying their ready-to-cook meal delivery service I didn't hesitate one bit. Contrary to what you guys may think I actually like to cook - I just don't do it often because I don't need to. And part of the problem is me being too lazy to go grocery shopping and, let's face it, eating the same thing three days in a row is not that appealing (it's also very frustrating to have to buy a bunch of basil when you only need like, two leaves!) With MissFresh, all those problems are no longer problems. 

Founded in Quebec, MissFresh (Twitter: @missfreshinc, Facebook: MissFresh) is a Canadian company that inspire people to lead a healthier lifestyle by cooking at home rather than eating out. This is how MissFresh works: they plan a menu, shop for products, measure the ingredients, and every week they would send a new box of pre-portioned fresh ingredients and recipes to your door step. 

MissFresh uses a recyclable and insulated box which keeps everything inside fresh several hours after the delivery so it's not an issue if you get your box delivered at the office or when you're not at home.

A shot of the ingredients after removing the ice packs. I like how the produce and meats are placed in separate compartments. By the way, MissFresh takes care of everything except for olive oil, salt and pepper. Those are on your own.

Even though I like how the produce and meats were separated it would have been even better if the ingredients were either labelled or bagged separately for each recipe (there were ingredients for three different recipes inside the box). I understand the reason why MissFresh doesn't separate the ingredients by recipe - some ingredients may be used in more than one recipe. And I know that in the grand scheme of things I shouldn't complain about spending a few minutes to sort out ingredients, but if ingredients are "pre-portioned" they really should be pre-portioned for each individual recipe. So basically, before cooking anything, I had to check the ingredient list from each of the three recipes and portion off any pre-portioned ingredient(s) that'll be used in more than one recipe.

KAKA All You Can Eat Japanese

I don't go for Japanese all-you-can-eat ("AYCE") often but that doesn't mean I don't like it. I have to be in a particular mood though (a ravenous one, obviously) and I need to crave it - I have to be in a I-want-everything-in-my-belly-now! state of mind and want nothing else but to stuff my face with large amounts of uncooked raw fish. Don't judge, OK? Because there's a time and place for everything, food included. Sometimes I long for fancy omakase, and at other times a standard sashimi and maki "love boat" will do. When I'm in no mood to deal with people I'd get a take-out party tray and call it a night. It all just depends.

 When it comes to Japanese AYCE though I feel like I have a love-hate relationship with it simply because I'm ridiculously happy once my craving is satisfied; I feel like I can conquer the world with all that yummy goodness inside me ("conquer the world" usually means "get a really good night's sleep"). But shortly after, more like the moment I walk out of the restaurant, I would hate myself for wasting my precious calories on sub-par, run-of-the-mill quality AYCE food. Life is hard, guys.

But that's all about to change. I no longer have to feel like crap from mediocre AYCE food with KAKA All You Can Eat (Instagram: @kakaallyoucaneat, Facebook: KAKA All You Can Eat) in Markham. I know KAKA doesn't have the most appealing name but heck, if you're looking for a "premium" Japanese AYCE experience then this is the place to be.

Opened for only three months, KAKA located in First Markham Place has already made a name for itself in offering the best AYCE Japanese around. KAKA is packed on most nights so make a reservation to avoid disappointment (by the way, they also offer an a la carte menu during weekday lunch).

KAKA has one of the most upscale and modern decor I've ever seen at an AYCE Japanese restaurant. The sushi bar at the back is particularly impressive and it's definitely a focal point in the 84-seat restaurant.