Lobster Clam Jam Giveaway - CLOSED

I'm giving away 5 PAIRS of tickets to the first annual Lobster Clam Jam Food Festival taking place on Saturday May 20th & Sunday May 21st at Cabana Pool Bar. Each pair of tickets is worth $50.

Lobster Clam Jam (Instagram: @lobsterclamjam, Facebook: Lobster Clam Jam (Toronto)) is a highly acclaimed outdoor food festival. Not just for seafood lovers, this affordable culinary showcase offers guests the opportunity to experience the creations of a variety of renowned local chefs and restaurants. Already a must for fans of Montreal’s world-class food and festival scene for the past four years, and deemed “One of the Top Canadian Food Festivals to Visit This Summer” by Food Network Canada, Lobster Clam Jam will feature delicious creations from well-known restaurants from Toronto and Montreal such as Patria, Weslodge, Oliver & Bonacini, Jae Anthony of Seasoned Dreams, Blowfish, Notre Dame Gourmet, Queue de Cheval Steakhouse and Raw Bar, Buster’s Sea Cove, The Food Dudes, Bac Ky Pho, Buonanotte, Boehmer and Cherry Street Barbeque, plus many more. Guests will be treated to a culinary experience by each restaurant along with a freshly shucked oyster station. The Festival will also feature their very own signature whole or half lobsters. Mixologists will offer signature flavoured Mojitos, Bloody Caesars as well as a wide assortment of beer, wine and other libations.

Lobster Clam Jam is a family-friendly event, with a variety of activities for children to enjoy, including bouncy castles, face painting and caricature artists. Free admission for children 12 years of age and under. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to SickKids Foundation.

Event: Lobster Clam Jam Food Festival

Date: Saturday May 20th & Sunday May 21st

Time: 12:00pm - 9:00pm

Place: Cabana Pool Bar, 11 Polson Street, Toronto, ON.

Prize: Two tickets, each ticket valued at $25.

What is included: Your tickets include complimentary entry. Food coins not included. Winners can only redeem for one day.

HOW TO ENTER

1) You MUST be following me (@foodieyu) on Twitter

AND

2) Tweet the following sentence, exactly as shown, nothing before or after it: 

Please take me to #lobsterclamjamto at @cabanapoolbar @foodieyu! http://bit.ly/2qDsWns #fjclcj #lobsterclamjamto

1. For your entry to be valid, you need to tweet the above sentence exactly as shown.

2. You may tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Re-tweeting others do NOT count as a valid entry.

3. Contest is tracked by the #fjclcj hashtag. If you don't see your tweet in the hashtag stream it means there is no entry from you. Read this to find out the possible reasons why your tweets are not showing up.

CONTEST DURATION

Contest starts on Saturday, May 13th, and ends on Thursday, May 18th at 12PM. 

Five lucky winners will be chosen randomly from www.random.org and I will announce the winner shortly after.

GOOD LUCK!!! ^_^

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.

Berrylicious. Farm Fresh - An Interactive Culinary Workshop with #CanolaConnect

Last Wednesday, I was invited to Berrylicious. Farm Fresh., one of eight FARM TO FOOD canola oil inspired culinary workshop series presented by Canola Eat Well, a joint partnership between Alberta Canola and Manitoba Canola Growers. The interactive event, hosted by Joey Salmingo and led by chef Cory Vitiello of The Harbord Room and Flock Restaurants, provided guests with an opportunity to connect to the farm, learn more about canola oil, and get inspired in the kitchen. This #CanolaConnect culinary workshop took place at the Bosch Luxe Studio on 334 King St. E., a beautiful, posh kitchen featuring professional Bosch appliances.

Chef Vitiello (right) uses canola oil everyday in his roast chickens and salads at Flock, as well as in his famous burger served at The Harbord Room (click here for recipe). Chef Vitiello taught us two recipes that evening: romesco sauce and hush puppies.

Romesco is an almond and red pepper-based sauce that originated from Tarragona, Catalonia, in Northeastern Spain. Ingredients include tomatoes, roasted red peppers, shallots, onion, espelette pepper, almonds, garlic, paprika, sherry vinegar, salt and canola oil. Placed in groups of two, we were encouraged to make the sauce without a recipe, so we all just went with it. We used our instincts, experimented with the flavours along the way, and hoped for the best. After chopping up all the ingredients, we placed everything into a pot to simmer away. I was happy to learn that there is apparently no right or wrong romesco sauce because many variations of the sauce exist out there. Whew!

A friendly competition among us naturally occurred since the winner of the best romesco sauce wins a dinner for two at The Harbord Room! Despite learning that there are many variations of romesco, I also learned that an excellent romesco sauce is one that balances the following three flavour components the best: smokiness (paprika), heat (peppers), and acid (sherry vinegar).

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.

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

Cresta (formerly Pastizza)

New year. New menu. New name.

At the beginning of January, Pastizza - located on a cobblestone street adjacent to the historic St. Lawrence Market - was renamed to Cresta. I was told by Cresta's general manager, Dimitri Petropoulos, that the reason behind the change was because the owners thought the name "Pastizza" was conveying an inaccurate impression of the restaurant to Torontonians. As in, the name "Pastizza" sounded like a fast-casual Italian eatery serving only pizzas and pastas. Since that was far from the case, the owners of Pastizza decided to rename the restaurant to Cresta, after Cresta Ridge vineyard of Thomas George Estates, a California vineyard owned by Cresta's co-owner, Thomas Baker.

Despite the name change and menu overhaul, the interior of Cresta (Twitter: @cresta_TO, Facebook: cresta) remained pretty much the same (I didn't see any noticeable changes anyway).

Compared to Pastizza, Cresta's new menu offers a wider variety of appetizers and seafood options. The menu, overall, also carries a higher price tag than before. For example, the carbonara and lasagna I had at Pastizza were both priced at $13, whereas all the pastas at Cresta are now $20+. Another example would be the entrees; the guanciale di manzo (or braised beef) I had at Pastizza before was $25, all the mains at Cresta now are $34+.

I was invited by Cresta to try their new menu. As usual, we started off with cocktails. As you may have guessed, the cocktail menu was also revamped.

THE CRESTA NEGRONI ($13)

Bombay sapphire gin, campari, dolin dry vermouth, sparkling brut, grapefruit

ISLAY HOLIDAY ($14)

Tromba tequila blanco, bowmore 12 scotch, grapefruit, lime, grapefruit bitters

WHISKY SOUR

Morton's The Steakhouse

Morton's The Steakhouse has been sizzling up steaks ever since 1978. Founded by Arnie Morton and Klaus Fritsch, the restaurant chain now has 74 worldwide locations in the U.S. and in major cities worldwide such as Toronto, Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei, Shanghai, and Macau. Morton's (Twitter: @Mortons, Facebook: Morton's The Steakhouse) prides itself on quality service and serving the best USDA prime-aged beef (which are aged for 23-28 days and custom-cut per Morton's specifications). I've been to Morton's in the States once but never in Toronto, so when the kind folks at the steakhouse invited me in for dinner I jumped at the chance. Who can say "no" to steak?! Vegetarians, yes, but certainly not me!

Located in the trendy Yorkville neighbourhood, Morton's at the Park Hyatt Hotel offers a classic dining experience. Get ready to step into the past with their white tablecloths, wood paneling, hanging lights and booths buffed to a serious shine. 

The old-school traditional steakhouse charm at Morton's is as good as it gets.

My friend and I started the evening off with cocktails. The drinks come strong and deep at Morton's, and I love that.

DEATHS DOOR NEGRONI ($17.50)

Death's Door Gin, Campari, Sweet Vermouth garnished with an orange wheel and a lemon twist

DOUBLE CROSS VODKA MARTINI ($21.95)

Back at The Spoke Club

Dinner at The Spoke Club is always a treat, especially when you have Executive Chef Rob Klunder (Instagram: @rkbones) cook for you. I was all set for another visit since the last time I was at the members-only restaurant was more than six months ago (truth be told, I heard through the grapevine that chef Rob had a new menu out so the eager beaver in me wanted to check that out ASAP).

Seeing that my brain is usually fried by the end of the work day I knew doing a tasting would be my best bet because at times, deciding on what to order can be a very strenuous process for me. I'm sure questions like "What should I order?", "Should I have this, that, or both?", "Can't I just order everything?", or "Is this too much food?" have killed plenty of brain cells. Considering that I'm not getting any younger and keeping my brain in top shape is priority, I usually get around this by asking the chef whether he/she can prepare a tasting for me; a smaller, tasting portion of selected dishes from the menu (sometimes the chef may bring out several off-menu dishes too). Some chefs do this, some chefs don't. Either way, if you're ever interested in doing a tasting you can always ask when you're making a reservation. Anyway, having chef Rob tell me "I'll keep on bringing food out until you tell me to stop" was literally music to my ears. Just make all the decisions for me, please and thank you, chef! I'm not sure about you but I always trust that the chef knows best. After all, it's their food and they're in charge of the kitchen. They are in their element so they must know what's good.

So that's essentially what happened at The Spoke Club (Twitter: @TheSpokeClub, Facebook: The Spoke Club). Chef Rob fed me until I couldn't handle another morsel of food. Here's what I had:

TARO CHIPS

Artichoke Dip

CAST IRON BAKED BRIOCHE

Cafe Paris, Parmesan Snow, Shaved Black Truffle

VEGETABLE POT STICKERS

Marinated Tofu & Vegetables, Lime Soya Dipping Sauce, XO Sauce

CRISPY TYPHOON CHICKEN

Tender Chicken, Spicy Soya Ginger Glaze, Ripe Mango, Chilies, Scallions

Lunch at Little Fin

I made my way to the financial district a couple of weeks ago for lunch at Little Fin (Twitter: @Little_Fin, Facebook: Little Fin) located at the Dineen building. First thing I noticed was suits everywhereee! Did you know I used to be one of them? Well, not literally in a suit but I was in finance ever since I graduated from uni until two years ago. I remember the rat race from Union Station every morning, and getting lost in The Path, and climbing that never-ending corporate ladder like it was yesterday.

Ah, memories. Anyway, back to Little Fin! This small seafood shop from The Chase Hospitality Group (the same people behind The Chase, The Chase Fish & Oyster, Colette and Kasa Moto) focuses on gourmet salads, fish sandwiches, and lobster offerings such as lobster poutine, lobster grilled cheese and lobster rolls. Little Fin is very small but there's still seating available...not many but it's there (more seating in the summer with the patio). It gets really crowded during lunch so a lot of people also do take-out there.

If you're in a hurry you can always grab one of these salads and eat at your desk ;) That day Little Fin had a cumin, carrot and chickpea salad for $3.50, and a radicchio and panzanella salad for $4.

Little Fin is also partnered with UberEATS, the newest door to door delivery service launched three days ago in Toronto. 

'SHIPWRECKED' SALAD ($12)

Poached shrimp & creamy avocado dressing

I really liked this salad. The crisp greens were well-dressed with a light and creamy avocado dressing. There was also a hard-boiled egg...plenty of shrimps too!

The One Eighty (formerly Panorama)

Renowned for its spectacular panoramic north and south views of the city, what used to be Panorama on the 51st floor of the Manulife Centre has now been re-launched as The One Eighty, a sophisticated restaurant and cocktail lounge offering specialty cocktails and an innovative food menu. I remember back in the day when I was still in school Panorama was the place for a guy to take a girl on the first date. I remember the last time I was there I was on a date too...like 10+ years ago. I wasn't really into food nor cocktails back then but man, I remember feeling so "grown-up" just being there. The place was so chic and fancy, you know? Downtown Yorkville, Bay & Bloor, 51st floor, pretty desserts and drinks. Yep, 'Sauga girl in the big city! Oh, how times have changed...

Anyhoo, let's not get off track. The decor at The One Eighty (Twitter: @the51stfloor, Facebook: The One Eighty) is a mix of classic and contemporary. Modern lines with shades of grey, touches of wood, and gold/bronze accents all evoke a sense of luxury in the revamped 2,500 sq. ft. space. Actually, I'm really loving those glossy white arched ceilings.

The restaurant accommodates over 90 guests for sit-down dining and up to 250 guests for cocktail receptions and events. The One Eighty also has a 1,500 sq. ft patio offering breathtaking views of the city.

A nice semi-private nook for a small group of friends

7 Enoteca

If you're ever looking for exceptional Italian food, try venturing outside the downtown core to Oakville's 7 Enoteca (Twitter: @7Risto, Facebook: 7 Risto). Yes, I said Oakville! I know it's a bit out of the way for some of you urban dwellers living in downtown Toronto but if you own a car and don't mind driving a bit further for good food, then I highly suggest you check out 7 Enoteca (and if you're already in the Mississauga / Hamilton / Oakville then you have no excuse).

Serving authentic and inspired dishes from Italy, this upscale pizzeria in Oakville's Town Square strives to bring to their diners the authentic Italian dining experience. With many of their products flown in from Italy - from the wheat flour for their Neapolitan pizzas and cheeses, to truffles and wines - 7 Enoteca is fully dedicated in having the most authentic Italian ingredients and flavours on their menu. Having said that, the restaurant still sources fresh seasonal ingredients from local vendors whenever possible.

7 Enoteca reminds me of the restaurants in the King West neighbourhood; the crowd is bustling and lively, and the decor is modern with a touch of rustic. Those uber cool Edison light fixtures immediately caught my eye when I walked in. I want one in my house.

Notice the cowhide-lined marble bar. And FYI, those bar stools are upholstered in Lamborghini leather.

This is my first time seeing arched ceilings at a restaurant. So pretty.

Splendido Tasting III

The Tasting at Splendido

Victor Barry, Chef

POPCORN, BEET AND BLOOD MACARON, FOIE TART

CAVIAR POTATO (served in caviar tin)

Northern Divine Caviar, White Chocolate, Potato Ice Cream

POTATO DASHI

Northern Divine Caviar, Potato Croquette, Creme Fraiche

EDO-ko

I was invited to EDO-ko (Twitter: @EDORestaurants, Facebook: EDO Restaurants) last week for their mid-January media event. If my memory serves me right, this visit marks my first time ever at an EDO restaurant (little did I know the first EDO opened in 1986!) So when I received this exclusive invitation I thought it was the perfect opportunity to check it out. EDO has a total of four locations: EDO-ko on Spadina, EDO on Eglinton, EDO at Bayview Village and EDO at the Hilton. 

The dinner event was hosted by EDO CEO & Founder, Barry Chaim, and EDO Executive Chef Ryo Ozawa:

BARRY J. CHAIM - CEO and Founder

Barry Chaim, a graduate of McGill University in Montreal, received a Japanese Government Mombushu Research Fellowship to study at Tokyo University in Japan in 1973. In 1986 Chaim made a financial investment in founding EDO, a Japanese restaurant in mid-town Toronto, while in the spring of 1996 he took over direct management. In 1998, EDO received recognition as one of Gourmet Magazine's "America's Top Tables". A Fellow of the Ontario Hostelry Institute since 2002, Chaim was named Asian Restauranteur of the Year in 2012 by the Cambridge Food and Wine Society, the first non-Asian to receive this recognition. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, Toronto.

RYO OZAWA - Executive Chef

Born, raised and educated in Fukuoka, Japan, Ryo Ozawa, after 10 years of training and work in Japan, specializes in classical French cuisine (Seiyo-Ryori). Ozawa attained the senior rank of Teaching Chef and has won national and international competitions, including first place in the Canadian Culinary Cup (2002), a Gold Medal in individual competition at the IKA/World Culinary Olympics in Erfurt Germany (2012), and a Glenfiddich Award from the Cambridge Food & Wine Society as Asian Chef of the Year (2013). Ozawa combines Japanese essence and western influences in EDO's menu, and excels when challenged to present his omakase (chef's choice) menu.

Executive Chef Ryo Ozawa and CEO & Founder Barry Chaim

At the dinner, Chaim explained to us that EDO is not a sushi restaurant but a Japanese restaurant that offers sushi. He told us that cuisine in Japan is divided into two streams - Washoku and Seiyo-Ryori. Wa-Shoku is the traditional method of cooking that includes tempura, teriyaki, kaiseki, sushi, oden, and sukiyaki, etc. Seiyo-Ryori is the combination of European (mainly French) sauces and influences on Japanese methods and standards, evolving constantly into new dishes with the same or different ingredients. Chef Ozawa was trained in Seiyo-Ryori, never having professionally prepared sushi in Japan. Chaim described chef Ozawa's approach as not fusion but a "careful consideration and combination of an ever-evolving unique style".

We were treated to many dishes that evening, from cold and hot appetizers, tempura, to sushi, specialty maki rolls and grilled mains.

KYU- MAKI ($7)

Avocado, cucumber slivers & sweet inari wrapped in delicate cucumber skin, rice vinaigrette

SALMON TAR-TARE ($13)

Avocado, Tem-bits, cucumber, tobiko, green onion, nori squares, Dynamite Sauce