Lucky Red - Asian Bar Snacks in Chinatown

Brought to you by David, Phil and Peter Chau, the brothers behind Banh Mi Boys re-launched Lucky Red six months ago in April. I went to check out the place recently and I'm happy to report that I absolutely love it there. I loved the space, the food, the cocktails, and the prices.

A bit of background for you guys. When Lucky Red (Twitter: @LuckyRedShop, Facebook: Lucky Red) first opened its doors in the summer of 2014 its set-up was similar to Banh Mi Boys - think an order-at-the-counter, street food-focused eatery that served steamed baos and noodle soup. Due to unforeseen execution issues the concept didn't work out as planned and after just a few months the Chau brothers decided to shut down Lucky Red in September. I never had an opportunity to visit Lucky Red Ver. I before it closed - so no thoughts on the place - but after hearing good things about Lucky Red Ver. II I knew I was due for a visit.

In one sentence, I would say Lucky Red Ver. II is a fully-licensed, sit-down restaurant that serves affordable and delicious Asian bar snacks and drinks :)

Lucky Red's menu is divided into six categories: Steamed Baos, Small Plates, Snacks, Veggies, Fried Chicken, and Sweets. All are meant to be shared. Other than the the 4pc and 6pc fried chicken everything is priced under $10 (click here for online menu).

New Dinner Menu at Mildred's Temple Kitchen

I made my way to Mildred's Temple Kitchen (Twitter: @mildredstemple, Facebook: Mildred's Temple Kitchen) several weeks ago for their newly launched dinner menu. Hidden in the heart of Liberty Village, the restaurant prides itself on serving flavourful dishes cooked simply and using the freshest locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible. 

"Mildred’s Temple Kitchen opened with a heartfelt philosophy. We’re here because we love food, people and the simple pleasures of life: our temple is the place where we practice our devotion. Here you’ll find seasonal fare, prepared with reverence for its source, and served with pleasure." - Mildred's Temple Kitchen.

Mildred's Temple Kitchen used to be my go-to place for lunch when I worked in the area, and I didn't realize just how much I miss the place until this very visit! That high ceiling, those beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows, the super spacious room, and the casual and relaxing ambiance...yeah, not many restaurants in Toronto can claim they have all these elements (actually a lot of restaurants these days are crammed, dark, and loud).

Mildred's open kitchen.

The Spoke Club

Dinner at The Spoke Club does not happen everyday for me. The reason is simple: The Spoke Club is a members-only establishment and I'm not a member. So yeah, I'm not gonna lie, it felt pretty great when Executive Chef Rob Klunder invited me there for a tasting the other night because let's be real, I don't think I'll ever be able to afford a $1000 annual membership fee there, at least not in the near future. One day perhaps? Never say never? *Fingers crossed*

Even if you haven't heard of The Spoke Club (Twitter: @TheSpokeClub, Facebook: The Spoke Club) I'm pretty sure you have walked by it if you frequent the King West area. It is discreetly nestled in a hundred-year-old building on the corner of King and Portland (the same building as the bier markt if that makes it any easier). The exclusive club has four floors where members can host private functions / dinners, business meetings, enjoy casual drinks and nibbles at the lounge or a nice meal in the dining room. It even has a rooftop patio with a panoramic view of the city and a screening room where members can preview films. Pretty cool, huh? I should also note that when you become a member at The Spoke Club you'll also get access to their reciprocal clubs in New York, Dublin, London, Budapest, Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong. 

Once I arrived at The Spoke Club I took the elevator to the 4th floor. As much as I would like to visit the gorgeous rooms and art galleries the restaurant is really where it's at (in other words I was starving so nothing else matters).

This simple yet elegant space is cozy and welcoming with large gallery windows letting in ample sunlight. The 50-seat restaurant is open for lunch and dinner on weekdays, and dinner on Saturdays.

Rather than serving what's normally on the menu chef Klunder (Instagram: @rkbones) prepared a special tasting menu for us. I'm pretty confident that after seeing my dinner you'll agree that it's a shame that we can't all dine at The Spoke Club:

GUANCIALE CROSTINI
Porter Stout Cheddar, Preserved Brandy Cherries and Triple Crunch Mustard

RACK OF RABBIT

Beet Salad, Blue Cheese, Celery and Candied Walnuts

SNAILS AND SHRIMP IN FILO

Garlic Butter and Pickled Red Cauliflower

Schnitzel HUB on Yonge

Can you name a few popular Eastern European dishes? I can. Schnitzel, beef goulash, bratwurst, cabbage rolls, perogies, blinis, beef stroganoff, borscht and vodka (yes I said vodka) It's certainly not an impressive list, especially coming from a self-proclaimed "foodie" but what's even worse is that I've had very little experience eating any of those dishes. I think unless your family is from Eastern Europe, it's safe to say that most Torontonians have very little exposure to Eastern European cuisine in general. Aside from the perogi, where we have a handful of popular downtown restaurants (i.e. The Saint tavern and Richmond Station) serving their take on the Polish dumpling, it's not an easy feat to find traditional or modern twists on Eastern European classics. So, does that mean we have to make a trip to Australia, Hungry or the Czech Republic for some wiener schnitzel? Nope. All you gotta do is venture north of Bloor to Yonge and St. Clair. You can do it, guys.

Aside from my meal at Hungarian restaurant Country Style on Bloor Street more than three years ago, Schnitzel HUB (Facebook: Schnitzel HUB, Twitter: @Schnitzel_HUB) is most likely the only Eastern European restaurant I've been to since then. I know, it's sad but did you know, my Country Style post is the third most popular post of all time on my blog? Amazing.

With its first location in Thornhill, owners Yan and Rita Khalfon opened their second Schnitzel HUB at 1415 Yonge Street in November of last year. I visited the new midtown bistro during the Christmas holidays.

Fall Menu Preview at Earls Kitchen + Bar

I was invited to Earls Kitchen + Bar's new fall menu tasting several weeks ago at their 150 King Street West location (@earlskingst). In case you are not aware, all of Earls' menus are designed by a group of talented, award-winning chefs called the "Chef Collective". Here's a quick introduction about this group of elites.

It all started this summer when Earls (Twitter: @earlsrestaurant, Facebook: Earls Restaurants), a Vancouver based, family owned restaurant group, opened a brand new Test Kitchen in Vancouver. Although the kitchen is not only open to the public, it asks for feedback as they test new dishes - it is the first chain restaurant in North America to let the public in on how they create unique new dishes and methods those dishes are created with. 

(Photo Credit: Earls)

Instead of working with a small team of in-house culinary development chefs with guest chefs and chef consultants contributing a menu item, or with a “celebrity chef” putting their name on the entire menu, Earls decided to hire some of those consulting chefs to work for the company, some full time, some part time, but to have all of them work together collaboratively. Their talents are vastly different, yet equal, as are their positions in the kitchen. They noticed dishes that started with a brilliant idea from one chef could be elevated even further by another, or the reverse, a complicated fine dining recipe one chef brought to the table could be simplified and reworked to make a great Earls dish. Chefs working together brought new ideas, new cooking techniques, new ingredients and new inspiration into Earls Test Kitchen, so instead of a group of chefs working individually, it was a group of chefs working collectively. 

Meet the Earls Chef Collective

A series of Earls Chef Collective videos.

These awesome chefs flew in to Toronto to join us for the menu tasting and I had such a great time chatting with chef Dawn and chef Hamid during dinner! Anyway, enough about the chefs, right? Here's a look at what I got to taste that evening:

CRAB & LOBSTER ROLL

Lobster & prawn salad, capers, parsley, lemon, aioli, grilled brioche

BBQ PORK BUNS

Hoisin hot sauce, cilantro, roasted peanuts

The WORKS Gourmet Burger Bistro - Cooking With Beer

As if 50 gourmet burgers weren't enough, The WORKS has introduced three new limited time only burgers. From October 20 through January 4, 2015, the gourmet burger bistro will be featuring "Cooking With Beer" burgers. Think root-beer BBQ glazed pulled pork, beer barbecue sauce, and beer-battered beef patty. 

I was invited to The The WORKS' 
(Twitter: @WORKSBURGER, Facebook: The WORKS Gourmet Burger Bistro) for lunch last week for a sneak preview of their "Cooking with Beer" burgers. The WORKS opened its first restaurant in 2001 in Ottawa and has now expanded across Ontario and Newfoundland. It has won numerous awards including Ottawa's best Burger for the past 13 years in a row, Kingston's / London's / Milton's Best Burger, and MacLean's Best Small & Medium Employers in Canada. The WORKS now has 25 locations across Ontario.

The WORKS is a full-service gourmet burger restaurant offering over 50 hand-prepared gourmet burgers, hand-cut fries, milkshakes and beer, which are all 100 per cent Canadian. Guests can choose from seven different patty options (beef, elk, chicken, turkey, veggie, cheese stuffed beef and mushroom cap) as well as gluten-free and vegetarian combinations. 

It was an ideal day for the rooftop patio. We didn't even need to turn on the heat lamps.

DaiLo: Restaurant & Dim Sum Bar in Little Italy

After what seemed like an eternity awfully long time, chef Nick Liu, formerly of The Niagara Street Café, finally opened DaiLo last month. Located on 502 College Street beside Mexican taco spot La Carnita, the Asian Brasserie - which was to be called "GwaiLo" initially - encountered some tough times when it was supposed to open two years ago. With potential locations falling through, investors pulling out and business partner Christina Kuypers departing the venture, Liu's aspiration to open his own place seemed increasingly uncertain. Regardless, even without a kitchen, Liu still generated a ton of buzz for GwaiLo with his creative pop-ups and dinners (write-ups on those dinners can be found at the end of this post). He successfully captivated local foodies' palettes with his modern twists on traditional Asian cuisine. The dish that made a lasting impression on me two years ago was undoubtedly Liu's Whole Fried Trout and I'm thrilled that this stunning dish has finally found a permanent home on DaiLo's menu...but more on that later.

It has been quite a journey for Liu and thankfully, all that is now in the past. With co-owners Anton Potvin (who owned The Niagara Street Café), Jen Grant and David Dattel, Liu's much anticipated Asian fine dining restaurant is once and for all, a reality.

DaiLo (Twitter: @DaiLoTO, Facebook: DaiLo) is open for dinner from Tuesday to Sunday, 5:30 PM to 2:00 AM. DaiLo is the 80-seat, main floor restaurant while LoPan is the casual, 55-seat cocktail and dim-sum snack bar on the second floor (and it's certainly not your everyday dim sum like "har gow" and "siu mai"...think Big Mac Bao). My four friends and I had dinner at DaiLo a few Fridays ago so all the photos here are of DaiLo, not LoPan.

The room is distinctively Chinoiserie with a mixture of European and Chinese artistic styles and design.

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

The Forth in Greektown

Located at 629 Danforth Ave. just south of Pape is The Forth, the newest project from chef Chris Kalisperas (formerly of Brassaii) and his investors, The Signature Group. This ambitious new restaurant is a multi-story, 8,000 square foot space decked out with copious lighting and enormous floor to ceiling windows. With two separate dining areas - one on the main floor and the other on the second floor - the entire restaurant can accommodate up to 160 seats. Suffice to say there's ample seating here.

Despite the fact that chef Kalisperas' background is Greek and The Forth (Twitter: @TheForthTO, Facebook: The Forth) is in the heart of Greektown, you won't find anything Greek on the menu. Rather, The Forth offers contemporary Canadian cuisine with Mediterranean influences. Kalisperas also emphasizes on sourcing locally and seasonally (which usually means the menu will change often). 

 A massive wine wall separates the kitchen and the first floor dining room.

Oh, and forget the stairs. Take the elevator to the second floor where you'll find more seating space and a lounge area. There's no doubt about it - you can really feel the grandeur and elegance of the The Forth once you're up here. Take note of the cool duo projection screens showing black and white historical photos of the city (they are also visible from the main floor).

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...

East Thirty-Six: New Restaurant and Bar on Wellington St. E.

East Thirty-Six (Twitter: @EastThirtySix, Facebook: East Thirty-Six) on 36 Wellington Street East is the newest restaurant and bar to open in the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood. The restaurant, which occupies the former Olde Towne Bistro and Oyster Bar space and before that, Lucien, is the newest venture from husband and wife team Julien and Devon Salomone of Church Street's Boutique Bar. With a strong focus on house made ingredients for cocktails and a menu of share-able dishes, East Thirty-Six's restaurant and bar concept is ideal for patrons who enjoy expertly crafted cocktails and eccentric plates. 

Although considerably "brighter" than Lucien, East Thirty-Six's interior is still on the dark side (I've never been to Olde Towne Bistro and Oyster Bar so I cannot comment about its decor). However many details have been updated with more modern touches resulting in a much more approachable space. Gone are the dated crystal chandeliers (thank goodness!) which have now been replaced with contemporary steel light fixtures. The ceiling in the main dining room also has this cool purple'ish-blue back light.

Banquette seating at the back of the restaurant is perfect for large groups (East Thirty-Six comfortably seats 70).

A semi-private, raised "purple room" occupies the northeast corner of the restaurant. 

Azure Restaurant & Bar (2013 Winterlicious)

What? Where did the time go? It seemed like just yesterday that I had my Summerlicious dinner at Azure Restaurant & Bar. Is it just me or do you also believe that the rate at which time passes becomes faster as one ages? It's really the only logical explanation! However, this theory seems to be flawed 'cause when I look back at my Summerlicious post it feels so long ago - summer itself seems so bloody long ago. It was July at the time and it was still bright out at 7pm...and get this guys: it was actually hot outside. HOT. OUTSIDE. Do you even remember how that feels like? Because with the ice storm, the polar vortex and all this damn snow I kid you not but I'm forgetting how it feels like to sweat.

*I apologize for the rant. I just came back from shoveling the driveway*

Meh, I guess what I really want to say is this: It's Winterlicious time again (Twitter: @LiciousTO, Facebook: LiciousTO)! From January 31 to February 13, foodies can explore and enjoy 3-course prix-fixe meals at over 200 restaurants in the city. It's a great opportunity to discover diverse cuisine in a variety of local restaurants (especially if you're on a budget!) A side note: It seems like Interac has replaced American Express as the official sponsor of Licious which means advance booking for AE card holders will no longer be available.

Anyhoo thanks to InterContinental Toronto Centre (Twitter: @ICTorontoCentre, Facebook: InterContinental Toronto Centre) I was once again invited to have dinner at Azure (#winterliciousatazure). If you're looking for photos of the restaurant please visit my Summerlicious post because I only took one photo this time...and it's this one:

Do you see a face? So cute, right?! This was the actual view from my seat; I couldn't help looking at "the face" from time to time and then catch myself smiling! Oh such simple pleasures (I'm such a dork).

One of the best things at Azure is their bread basket! I want it all but MUST RESIST.

For Winterlicious, Azure is featuring a 3-course lunch at $25 and a 3-course dinner at $45 (you can view their Winterlicious menu here). Their 3-course dinner for two people looks something like this:

APPETIZER

MAPLE WHISKY CURED ORGANIC SALMON

Mint yogurt, candied pecans, Ontario beets, crostini

If I wasn't made aware that the salmon was cured with maple whisky I wouldn't have picked up on the subtle flavour. I liked the mint yogurt in this dish; the fresh, peppermint flavour of the mint and the sourness of the yogurt worked really well with the salmon and beets. 

Dessert Tasting at Richmond Station

This was pretty incredible. Five courses of plated dessert from Pastry Chef Farzam Fallah (@Farzam_Fallah) of Richmond Station (Twitter: @richmondstn, Facebook: Richmond Station). Although their dessert offerings have changed since this visit in November (sorry for the late post!) I still want to share the parade of intricate and beautifully prepared desserts from that evening with you. Feast your eyes, my friends.

MILK CHOCOLATE CHEESE CAKE

Cranberry, salted chestnut, mint 

(Chocolate delice, chocolate pebbles, chocolate soil) 

BUTTERSCOTCH POACHED APPLE CRUMBLE

Ginger bread, walnuts, wormwood ice cream

HONEY AND MILK KULFI

Preserved peaches, almond cake, Tonka panna cotta, milk paper, rosemary cure