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

Boom Breakfast & Co.

Open 7 days a week till 4pm Boom Breakfast & Co is the place to be whenever you're craving something casual and comforting for breakfast, lunch or brunch. With four locations in Toronto and the GTA (808 College St., 1036 St. Clair W., 174 Eglinton Ave W. and 145 Hawkview Blvd in Vaughan) and a large and extensive menu, I'm confident that you'll find something you want at Boom. The restaurant offers a variety of traditional breakfast combos, omelettes, eggs benny, pancakes, French toasts, waffles, as well as sandwiches, breakwiches, breakfast burritos, wraps, and burgers. Craving something more healthy? Opt for a salad and soup...Boom's got that covered too. No breakfast / brunch is complete without a cup of steaming hot coffee, right? Boom has cappucinos, lattes, espressos, hot chocolates, alongside a variety of smoothies, fresh squeezed juice and even booze! (Note: booze is available only at the College and St. Clair location).

 Boom's plush booths, molded wood paneling and cool blue subway tiles give off a very pleasant and modern diner atmosphere. This is their College location.

A good ol' cup of coffee for me. 

Culture.licious: Kyunga's Seoul Meal from Korea

Culture.licious (Facebook: Culture.licious, Twitter: @Culturelicious) hosts intimate cooking events at various GTA locations where guests learn how to make cultural dishes. Inspired by her backpacking days in the Far East, Wendy Chung, founder of Culture.licious, wants guests to experience a "journey to a different world and acquire knowledge of different cultures and traditions, learn about foreign ingredients and cooking techniques, as well as personal stories of our Cooks". In addition to learning how to make delicious ethnic dishes (with recipe booklets to take home) guests will also enjoy an elaborate three-course meal at the end of class that they've made together with their Culture.licious Cooks. And who are these Culture.licious Cooks exactly? They are a group of hand-selected immigrant home cooks from around the world who loves food and their heritage, and are passionate about sharing their recipes and kitchen secrets to anyone who wants to learn.

I was invited to Culture.licious' "Kyunga's Seoul Meal from Korea" cooking class last Saturday at Whole Foods Market Square One's (@WFMSquareOne) cooking studio. Kyunga, a Culture.licious Cook, is from Seoul, Korea, and was brought up with her mom's home cooking there.

The class started off with Kyunga showing us how to make haemulpahjun, or Korean chive seafood pancake. 

All of us paying close attention...

The Bellevue

My friend Cindy and I went to The Bellevue one Sunday for brunch. The Bellevue is located in Kensington Market at the corner of Bellevue and Nassau. During the week, we were brainstorming different brunch places; we wanted to go somewhere that 1) we both haven't been to, 2) was known for good brunches and 3) a place that did not have massive lineups. 


I remember when Cindy suggested The Bellevue to me she asked me if I was okay with it as it is not your typical brunch place. I didn't understand what she meant so she sent me a menu that she found online. After taking a look I was very intrigued because some stuff on their brunch menu was very...different. I told Cindy I was up for trying this place out.


When we arrived at The Bellevue the tables outside were already full. We reluctantly sat inside at a long table that faces out (we were sitting where the girl with the short blonde hair was in the picture above). Behind me was the bar and the specials were listed out on the small chalkboard. There was more seating in the room beside ours but in general The Bellevue is still very small but cute place.

After we ordered, we noticed an empty table outside so we quickly went for it =)

The Unusual - 2 eggs sunny side up, sanagan's summer sausage, kimchi, daily cheese, oven roasted beets, fruit. Woodlot multigrain ($12). This is what Cindy said about it: 

"It was certainly Unusual, kinda reminded of  me what I do when I'm at home by myself, just open up the fridge and eat whatever is in there lol.  I liked it though and would get it again.  It's a strange combination of food but it all went together oddly well.  I really liked the kimchi…dunno why, but kimchi makes everything tastier.  All of the things on the plate was of decent quality, no complaints.  It was fun and weird, I liked it." 

She also said that the sausages were on the leaner side.

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives Road Trip - Dor-Stop Restaurant

After my disappointing dinner at Primanti Brothers (featured on Man vs. Food) the night before , I was back on track with my next Diners, Drive-ins and Dives ("DDD") destination, which is a breakfast place called Dor-Stop Restaurant. I was really excited about this because I love breakfast / brunch food! It is so warm and hearty, and it has magical powers -  it makes me want to sleep / nap again! How wonderful =) But back home, I can never wake up early enough on the weekends; whatever I eat usually just turns into boring ol' "lunch", which is never as cool as "brunch", if you know what I mean.


I actually remember seeing this very DDD episode on TV. You know how the diners featured in DDD usually serve like, over-the-top portions of meat, or high-rise burgers, or just food that will make you cringe due to its pure size? Well, I remember when I saw this episode, I was like "Wow, somewhat normal breakfast food for once...pancakes!" Never did I think that one day I would be able to go and try out Dor-Stop for myself =D


Watch this episode~ Guy Fieri's parents and relatives are in it too lol!

We parked on the street, a block away from where Dor-Stop was located. It was a fairly quiet area with just few people on the street on a nice Sunday morning, so we assumed that finally, for once, we wouldn't have to wait for a table (lots of waiting at both Primanti Brothers and Grover's). Oh were we wrong, so wrong... It was so busy inside Dor-Stop; the whole waiting area was full of people with almost no room to stand.


I saw an empty seat at the bar so I sat there to wait but had to give it up eventually too.

Potato Pancakes

I'm not a huge potato fan. Actually no, let me clarify, I think the only kind of potato (preparation wise) I don't like would be mashed potatoes - it's a bit too bland for me...well unless it has lots of butter in it. And if I'm having a baked potato, it needs to be "loaded" with sour cream, bacon bits, cheese, green onions, etc., basically the "works" you know? With lots and lots toppings piled up high. Oh, I also love fried potatoes (as in french fries, chips) or pan-fried potatoes pancakes or fritters. Basically, I like all unhealthy ways of preparing potatoes. 


I bought this BIG BOOK of BREAKFAST long time ago, several years back probably. Haven't really used it at all because the book has no pictures. OK I admit it, I only got it because it was on sale for super cheap. If it was selling for regular price, I probably wouldn't have got it. Recipe books without even one picture in them will not inspire nor motivate me to make whatever is in it. Go ahead, judge me!!!


Anyway, I digress. My boyfriend has this huge bag of potatoes at his place which he doesn't know what to do with (the bag of potatoes were given to him by his mom, don't know why, so don't ask haha). I decided to to flip through this book in hopes of finding a recipe with potatoes, I mean since it is a breakfast book . I found this potato pancakes recipe and it was perfect because he also had green onions and yellow onions at home. 


I like this recipe because it is quick and easy, and it doesn't necessarily have to be eaten for breakfast (we ate it during dinner with other dishes). And most importantly, it is PAN-FRIED! I truly believe that if you put together a bunch of seemingly boring ingredients together, combine them together, fry it or pan fry it, there's a pretty good chance that it will come out at least decent - that's my theory lol!


Oh, this recipe is also good for all of you out there that had once wanted to just buy maybe 5-6 potatoes for dinner, but opted for the big 5lb bag instead because it was a "better deal", and is now stuck with it, forever.

A Tongue and Rabbit Brunch at The Hoof Café

I went to The Hoof Café with Cindy back in January. It's been, what? 4 months now? Geez, how time flies. Anyway, since it's been so long, please don't mind my lack of details in this post. Maybe just enjoy the pictures? There are a few things I remember about The Hoof Café: 1) the place is tiny 2) the food is awesome 3) I want to go back. 


I went there on a Sunday afternoon for brunch. In case you didn't know, I love brunch. Also, if you have read about my experience at The Black Hoof (The Hoof Café's sister restaurant across the street), you would know I am quite carnivorous in nature, and I dig food that is out-of-the-ordinary (especially the artery clogging kinds!). The Hoof Café, originally opened so that people waiting for a table at The Black Hoof has a place to go, combines my love for brunch and unique foods in one place. FYI, The Hoof Café doesn't only serve brunch, it turns into a bar with a snack menu at night, with a cool offering of dishes like crispy beans and grilled beef heart.


Cindy and I didn't get table right away. I had to leave my name and phone number, and the lady suggested we go get a coffee around the corner until she calls. We walked around for maybe 15-20 minutes and got a call back. We sat at the bar (my favorite!)


The decor is pretty simple but artsy. It gives a bit of a farmhouse feel due to the wooden bar, but yet it has a cool tin ceiling, whitewash cupboards (old windows as cabinet doors), and a stainless steel counter. All this gives a modern yet rustic feel (I notice I'm using a lot of juxtapositions here).

The School Gets an A+

I like school (yes even the ones that involve studying), but I have another thing going with School and Bakery Cafe. I like their concept, I like their decor, and most importantly, I like their food!  I've been there 3 times now, and I would go again in a heart beat. It is one of my favorite spots for brunch.

I have read reviews where people claim that the food is mediocre, and the waiters are terrible. Well, obviously I can't say I agree since I just said School is one of my favorite brunch places. First of all, I like their food. If you check their menu, there is certainly a wide variety - fresh bakery goodies, fruit, crepes & waffles, french toast & pancakes, and savory plates. The portions are just right, and I don't think their prices are unreasonable at all. As for the bad service, maybe I need to go a 4th time to experience it? Not sure, because for the 3 times I went, I really didn't find a problem at all. It can get really packed and very busy during brunch there too, so I don't know about anybody else, but given those circumstances, I don't expect waiters to be standing around doing nothing, waiting to serve, or be able to appear right at your side when you need them - they are going to be roaming around trying to keep up with taking orders, bringing out food, bringing in plates, and other waiter duties. In my point of view, cut them some slack! This is not fine dining! Also, if you are in a hurry to go some place on a Sunday morning, have you considered that maybe brunch is not your thing? Weekend brunch is meant to be a relaxing meal, and not part of a hectic schedule where you only allot 30 minutes for it. You must enjoy brunch without a time constraint. Better yet, you should take a nap afterwards too. Ok, rant done. Moving on.

I have included pictures from all my 3 visits to School (some have no captions because I forgot what they are). Seeing these pictures again make me want to go back right now.


These yummy looking pastries were all on the counter to the right of the waiting area. I just want to grab and eat everything