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.

Real Sports Bar & Grill: New Menu Tasting II

The Toronto Blue Jays' World Series dream is over for this year but wow, what an incredible season. I've never been a fan of baseball but it was tough not to join in on the craze and jump on the bandwagon. In fact, I was so "bandwagoned" I actually went to two Jays games at the Rogers Centre last month. Ah, how I surprise myself sometimes! But then again this was the Jays' first trip to the playoffs since 1993, a whopping 22 years ago...so yeah how can anyone not cheer them on?! Anyway, what's done is done and all we can do now is wait for spring training. So, shall we now switch our attention to basketball? ;) The Toronto Raptors open the regular season tomorrow night at the Air Canada Centre ("ACC") against the Indiana Pacers and I have to admit I'm pretty stoked that the NBA season is starting. I've always loved watching the fast-paced high-scoring game and every year I look forward to catching some of the action at the ACC - that is, if I can score some cheap seats. But if that doesn't work out I know the next best thing would be catching the games at Real Sports Bar & Grill! Oh and if you're a Leafs and/or a Toronto FC fan then all this applies to you as well obviously (sorry for my lack of enthusiasm there but I'm just not a really into hockey or soccer).

Voted as the #1 sports bar in North America by ESPN, Real Sports (Twitter: @RealSports, Facebook: Real Sports) located beside the ACC broadcasts every sport played on the pitch, court or ice on 39-foot HD big screens and 199 HD TVs (you may think having all those screens is ridiculous but when two or more games are happening at the exact same time you're gonna think otherwise!) The 25,000 square foot space also offers five private dining rooms for business meetings and private events.

Executive Chef Matthew Sullivan of Real Sports recently launched a new menu which offers a twist on traditional sports bar classics by incorporating fresh, seasonal and locally sourced ingredients where possible. Sullivan, who joined Real Sports a little more than a year ago, has since reduced the menu from 121 items down to 85, and only four of those 85 dishes remained the same from day one (click here for last year's new menu tasting at Real Sports). This is a positive change in that a smaller menu enables the kitchen to focus more on quality and consistency.

 I was invited by Real Sports to a lunch tasting last month that featured several of Sullivan's signature dishes from the new menu. We started off with a delicious Lemon Pepper Caesar, the most popular cocktail at Real Sports (they sold 300,000+ Caesars last year). The lemon pepper rim gives a unique acidic and spicy tang to the classic cocktail. I like it!

Photo Credit: Real Sports

Not into Caesars or cocktails? Sports fans at Real Sports can also choose from a selection of 36 beers from over 126 draught taps and an extensive wine list with over 14 wines by the glass.

Below is a look at some of the dishes I tried from Real Sports' new menu (#RSBGUnrealfood):

SPINACH RICOTTA DIP ($13)

Served cold with roasted tomato & toasted focaccia

 The cheese blend, sourced from cheese boutique, contains equal parts fresh sheep's milk ricotta, mascarpone and stracciatella. The cheeses are mixed with a cold pressed olive oil and topped with a spinach and herb pesto, blistered tomatoes and onions cooked in Tabasco sauce. Served with hot toasted focaccia, this spinach ricotta dip was one of my favourite dishes on the new menu.

Accord-Ing to Stella: A Weekend in Montreal

Squeezing in a road trip before winter was the best idea ever! Two weeks ago, Jon and I took a road trip to Montreal for three days - Friday to Sunday - where we filled our tummies with food and drinks...a lot of food and drinks. I gained almost five pounds! No regrets though because every calorie we consumed was worth it; we didn't have a single bad meal there.

Thanks to Honda Canada (Twitter: @HondaCanada, Facebook: Honda Canada) we took the 2015 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring to Montreal. This was my first time driving a hybrid and I hope it's not my last. Truth be told I really didn't want to give it back, not only because it was such a nice ride but it was so good on gas.

I'm not sure if you know but aside from being into food I'm also really into cars. I've loved cars ever since I was little. From gawking at cars on the street, spending hours building Tamiya models and watching Initial-D at home, to learning how to drive manual, attending car shows and making the trek up to Shannonville and Mosport with friends, cars have always been a big part of my life. As corny as it sounds I have a special place in my heart for Hondas too. I think it runs in the family! Right now my dad drives an Accord (his third one), my mom an Acura RSX, my brother a CR-V (he drove a Civic and a Prelude before too). As for me, I have a 2003 Civic Si-R. It's an oldie but a goodie.

So, was I stoked that Honda lent me an Accord Hybrid Touring (#AccordHybrid) for my road trip? Hell, yeah! Especially because I know the Hybrid will be amazing on gas The car achieves its excellent fuel economy by basically using three drive modes: EV, Hybrid and Engine. EV drive draws solely from the power of the lithium-ion battery  Engine drive utilizes the 2.0-liter DOHC i-VTEC® Atkinson cycle 4-cylinder engine, sending power directly to the front wheels for medium to high speed cruising. Hybrid drive blends the two for powerful acceleration and more efficient driving in stop and go traffic than Engine drive.*

*from Honda.ca

With our bags packed and the navi all set up we were ready to hit the road. But first, McDonald's! Every road trip should start with breakfast at McDonald's :) Mad love for their hash browns.

&Company Resto Bar

Looking for a place to wine and dine with your friends then party late into the night? If your answer is a resounding "Yes!" then you should check out &Company Resto Bar (Twitter: @AndCoRestoBar, Facebook: &Company Resto Bar). Located across from Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga, &Company Resto Bar is a bar, a restaurant, and a club all in one. 

The supper club was opened in December 2011 and has now become a popular local hotspot.

As &Company Resto puts it: "Go for dinner and stay for the party!" The full experience at this Mississauga hangout begins with dinner with friends and transitions into bustling nightlife at 10pm.

A few shots I took of &Company Resto Bar before dinner. The venue can host up to 300 guests for dinner and 800 guests for cocktails comfortably and seamlessly (great for corporate events and private parties).

Tasty Tours' Farmer's Market Sweets Tour + 15% Promo Code!

Like chocolate? Love sweets? If your answer is "YES!" then Tasty Tours' new Farmer's Market Sweets Tour at the Distillery District is not to be missed!

Tasty Tours offers fantastic sweets & chocolate walking tours in the city (i.e. take a look when I joined their special Canada Day Sweets tour). With the Kensington Sweets Tour and the Trinity Bellwoods Chocolate Tour already in its portfolio, Tasty Tours (Twitter: @tasty_tours, Facebook: Tasty Tours Toronto) has upped its game this summer with the addition of their newest tour: the Farmer's Market Sweets Tour. 

The Distillery Sunday Market at the Distillery District (left), Audrey Ooi, founder of Tasty Tours (right).

Working with the Distillery District Sunday Market, Tasty Tours' Farmer's Market Sweets Tour is Toronto's only farmer's market tour, and the only tour in Canada dedicated exclusively on Canadian and local sweets. I've managed to condense this 2.5 hour tour into one blog post highlighting the unique stops and treats I enjoyed the most. 

By the way, I couldn't have asked for a better day for a walking tour; the sun was out and not a cloud in the sky. Just gorgeous!

The tour began at the Distillery District Sunday Market where we sampled some local, fresh, and unique products.

Spade and Spoon (@Spade_and_spoon) from Ayton, Ontario

Couple Adam and Blyth brings the latest products of their farming, market, and preserving adventures straight from their Ontario family farm to our table. Expect to find endless jars of irresistible, original and organic preserves. Here we sampled some lovely dark, medium and light grades maple syrup.

Adam of Spade and Spoon

Haute Goat (Twitter: @HauteGoat, Facebook: Haute-Goat) from Campbellford, Ontario

In the fall of 2007 the owners of Haute Goat left the city to find their own little piece of heaven just outside of Campbellford, Ontario – a big, rambley old farmhouse on 25 rolling, wooded acres and a herd of Nigerian Dwarf Goats. These goats give milk with the richest butterfat content of all of the goat breeds.

Meave of Haute Goat

Milestones' Homestyle Chefs' Tasting Menu

It is always a pleasure attending a Milestones media dinner (this is my third one). Not only do I get the opportunity to taste a bit of everything from Milestones' newest menu, I also get to order as many bellinis as I want (I know it sounds stupid but I've been a sucker for their bellinis since the beginning of time...I'm obsessed with those fruity slushies!) In all seriousness I'm always eager to try Executive Chef Jason Rosso's new creations. Ever since chef Rosso joined Milestones as corporate chef I've noticed a significant change - a very positive one - in the restaurant specifically when it comes to embracing global cuisine. Being Asian, I particularly enjoy the Asian influences in Rosso's plates. His Spicy Thai Basil Stir-fry and Grilled Japanese Tuna Tataki from last year's Summer Chefs' menu, and his Vietnamese Bun Cha and Galbi Style Rib Steak from the most recent Inspired Chefs' menu are all examples of fusion dishes done well (these dishes also demonstrate Rosso's creativity and genuine passion for exotic ingredients and flavours). In this particular Milestones' Homestyle Chefs' Menu tasting, chef Rosso took us on a culinary journey, treating our taste buds to the bold flavours of South Asia all the way to the Mediterranean.

It is somewhat embarrassing to admit this but I had two bellinis before dinner last week at the Milestones located at Dundas Square. Yeah TWO bellinis. This is what I get for arriving way too early, I mean what else is there to do besides downing cocktails? Speaking of cocktails there's word on the street that Milestones (Twitter: @MilestonesCa, Facebook: Milestones) is in the process of revamping their cocktail menu to include classic cocktails such as the Old Fashioned and the Moscow Mule. I'm so excited about this! *GASP* I foresee myself cheating on the bellini...

MILESTONES' ORIGINAL BELLINI

A frozen blend of premium white rum, peach liqueur, sparkling white wine, topped with Boone's Sangria

Along with our cocktails we were served these beautiful canapes:

APPETIZERS

CHEFS CHOICE CANAPES

Prime rib adobo poutine with smoked gouda*

Gouger of cheddar and poached egg mousseline in puff pastry

Atlantic smoked salmon rosette with tarragon goats cheese and fried capers

Wild mushroom and truffle bruschetta on parmesan cracker

Chorizo and mozzarella fritters with smoked paprika aioli*

*Available on Milestones' Homestyle Chefs’ Menu

After cocktails and apps we were ready for dinner! Below is chef Jason Rosso (@jasonrosso) giving us a brief intro about the new Milestones' Homestyle Chefs' Menu (he also came out in between courses to explain each dish).

Poutini's House of Poutine

Poutini's House of Poutine is, hands down, the place to go for poutine in the city. Poutini’s does it best by keeping their poutine simple. No fuss. No frills. Unlike their rival Smoke’s Poutinerie which offers over 20 different varieties of this Quebec dish, piling and piling on those toppings like there's no tomorrow (i.e. can I have some fries with that shaved roast beef, cheese sauce, roasted red peppers, sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions?), I personally prefer the short, focused, and straightforward menu at Poutini’s. I mean, Poutini’s does offer several "fancy" poutines so whenever I crave extravagant toppings, I get one of those. But you know what's nice? It just feels so good, so comforting, to know that I can always rely on Poutini’s Traditional Poutine to knock my socks off every, single time.

There are several things that make Poutini’s awesome. First of all, their fries are hand-cut daily (with the skin on) and fried twice in trans-fat-free vegetable oil for extra crispiness. Second, their cheese curds come in fresh every other day from Maple Dale, a cheese maker that has been around for over 100 years. Last, but not least, their perfectly seasoned gravy is made in-house daily by roasting bones and fresh vegetables, and simmered for at least 8 hours until it's nice and thick. Poutini’s dipping sauces are also made in-house with real mayonnaise.

Having said all that, it is no surprise that even Anthony Bourdain paid Poutini’s a visit in his recent episode of The Layover. Check out Poutini’s at around the 32:30 min mark:

I usually go to Poutini’s for lunch since it's close to my work. It's a cash-only joint and probably the only flaw about this place.

Aside from the Traditional Poutine and the three other variations, Poutini’s (Facebook: Poutini's House of Poutine, Twitter: @Poutini) has a vegan poutine where they use Daiya vegan cheese (it does not contain dairy, soy, gluten or any nut product) with a homemade vegetarian stock that is thickened with cornstarch and nutritional yeast flake.

Hunter's Wine Dinner at Ten Restaurant & Wine Bar

In support of Movember, Ten Restaurant & Wine Bar (@tenrestaurant) in Port Credit hosted a Hunter's Wine Dinner this past Tuesday. The fundraising dinner brought together eight talented chefs who each donated their skills and time for a great cause. In case you live in a cave (that is, a cave with internet) Movember is responsible for the sprouting of mustaches on men during November of every year to raise funds and awareness for men's health, specifically prostate cancer. Personally, I'm not a big fan of facial hair...I like my men clean shaven...makes me kinda glad that today is the last day of Movember :D Sorry I digress...

  The Hunter's Wine Dinner was held on the second floor of the newly renovated Ten Restaurant, a perfect venue for private events and parties.

Rosewood Estates & Winery (@Rosewoodwine) provided all the wines and mead cocktails for the Hunter's Wine Dinner. By the way, I absolutely adore Rosewood! They have such great wines and they throw the best events (I attended All-Stars In The Vineyard and the Bees, Mead & Cheese class earlier this year...both tons of fun).

Krystina Roman from Rosewood giving guests a short intro about their wines and meads.

A stellar line-up of wines for the night. 

Bannock

Bannock (@Oliver_Bonacini), located at the south-east corner of Queen and Bay, is one of six Oliver & Bonacini restaurants in Toronto. Serving a menu that is "eclectic and approachably Canadian", Bannock pays homage to traditional Canadian comfort food while incorporating ingredients that are reflective of Canada's cultural diversity. A form of flat quick bread, bannock can be found integrated throughout the restaurant's menu in sandwiches and pizzas, as well as in the form of garnishes in soups, salads and main courses. Aside from being a dine-in restaurant, Bannock also has a grab-and-go café that is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week, offering an assortment of house baked pastries, breakfast wraps, salads, soups, stews, artisan sandwiches andddd bannock :) 

I was at Bannock last Tuesday night. Most of the tables were already filled before 6pm (and here I thought I was the only one that eats so early!)

Bannock Caesar - Vodka, Canadian imperial sherry, clamato, salsa, maple bacon ($9)

A Special Canada Day Tasty Tour

Tasty Tours (Twitter: @tasty_tours, Facebook: Tasty Tours Toronto) is a guided walking tour dedicated to sweets; chocolates, cupcakes, pastries and various edible delights...you name it! It is an excellent walking food tour for those with a sweet tooth.

On each Tasty Tour, you get to learn about sweets history as well as visit various bakeries, chocolatiers, etc., in a Toronto neighbourhood. Best of all, you get free samples and store discounts along the way!

I was invited by Tasty Tours to join their special 2-hour Canada Day Sweets Tour (Kensington Market Sweets Tour and Trinity Bellwoods Chocolate Tour are Tasty Tours' regular tours). Designed specifically to celebrate Canada's birthday, this tour took us around Kensington where we got to try various Canadian treats. Here is my recap of the tour:

1st Stop: The tour started at Ding Dong Bakery on Spadina. Here is Audrey Ooi of Tasty Tours giving us a brief history of sugar and sweets and their presence in Canadian history.

Chinese egg tarts for everyone after our history lesson. Nothing "Canadian" about these but I'm not complaining.

2nd Stop: Moonbean Coffee Company

West50 Pourhouse & Grille

Are you a beer drinker? A beer fanatic with a beer belly? Or maybe just someone who enjoys a pint or two after a rough day at work? I'm actually "none of the above" since I'm more of a wine drinker but still, that didn't stop me from being completely floored by West50 Pourhouse's vast selection of beers. With over 21 suppliers and importers, and currently offering 111 different beers (which changes weekly) and 115 taps,  West50 Pourhouse is the largest Pourhouse (i.e. largest selection of draught beer) in Canada. IMPRESSIVE! I think the picture below really says it all.

Totally oblivious to me, West50 Pourhouse (Twitter: @West50Pourhouse, Facebook: West50 Pourhouse & Grille) is actually only a 10-minute drive from my house. See what I mean when I say I'm never in Mississauga? If it weren't for chef Brendan Prong (@chef_prong), chef de cuisine at West50 Pourhouse, reaching out to me on Twitter, I would have never found out about his restaurant. Seriously, the power of Twitter never ceases to amaze me!

I took a look inside West50 Pourhouse's keg fridge. It holds on average 250 kegs at a time. Because every beer has a limited shelf life, West50 Pourhouse tries to rotate in new beers, mostly seasonals, from local micro breweries as often as they can.

Much like his older brother chef Nic Prong (@NicCanCook) from Ten Restaurant & Wine Bar, chef Brendan really wanted me to try out his food at West50 Pourhouse. So, just like my fabulous tasting at Ten Restaurant around a month ago, I felt really lucky that I was invited to indulge in a tasting menu with beer pairings (new to me!) at West50 Pourhouse last week. Seriously, the Prong brothers spoil me rotten =P I'm not complaining though LOL.

Oysters - Connecticut Bluepoints

Beer: Delirium Tremens (Belgium 8.5% abv)

Fuel House

I admit it! Fuel House (Twitter: @FuelHouseTO, Facebook: Fuel House) is my second home. I'm currently the foursquare mayor of the place (it was an epic battle between me and some other guy for it but I finally took over...HA!). There was even talk before about having my name engraved on one of the bar stools just so I can legitimately claim the spot as mine (this is not just any bar stool by the way, it is a specific one). Hey, I'm not ashamed of all this because Fuel House is awesome.


Located on Clinton off of College (beside Cafe Diplomatico and across from Acadia) Fuel House took over "Olivia's At 53" in November 2011.  It is a quaint and cozy spot - a house to be exact - so it is no surprise that whenever I'm there I feel right at home. You will probably find me at Fuel House having a drink before dinner or a drink after dinner, or actually have dinner with a drink (their Caesars with horseradish are fantastic!). Having said that, it helps that Fuel House's co-owners Mackenzie Chiu and Mike Dolegowski are super chill and friendly~ Thanks guys for always accommodating me...even at times when I sit for hours on end milking that one drink.. stealing your WIFI the whole time....yupyup... thanks =D

Having said all that, this post seems long overdue, yeah? Considering I've been a loyal customer of Fuel House since its inception. So what took me so long? Well like I said , I'm always just so at-home and relaxed when I'm there, I just want to drink / eat / chat / chill...writing a post for Fuel House just didn't cross my mind, which is of course, totally selfish of me because..

EVERYBODY IN TORONTO DESERVES TO KNOW ABOUT FUEL HOUSE!!! 

Soooo to redeem myself, I decided to wake up early last Sunday (i.e. 10am) and spend a few hours at Fuel House during their lunch rush to take some pictures for this post =)

Inside Fuel House. Not a big space but it's so comfy, warm and inviting.

Fuel House serves Sapporo and Beau's on tap, and Stella, St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, and Kensington Brewery Augusta Ale in bottles (note: they will be rotating Sapporo draft and bottles throughout the summer).

In the Fuel House kitchen we have....

Chef Peter Pietruniak (@food_nirvana)

1800 Degrees [VLOG]

Back in December before I left for my Hong Kong trip, I had a lovely steak dinner with the View The Vibe (@ViewtheVibe) ladies, Nicki and Michelle (@MichelleVTV) at 1800 Degrees (Twitter: @1800DegreesTO, Facebook: 1800Degrees).  Located on Bloor West in Etobicoke, 1800 Degrees gets its name from their signature broiler that literally cooks steak at a temperature of 1800 degrees Fahrenheit (or 982 degrees Celcius). Impressive :)


Family owned and operated, 1800 Degrees have won the title of "Best Steak in Toronto" for 2010/2011 by Dine.TO as well as the "Platinum Award Steak, Gold Award Seafood" award for 2010/2011 by Bloor West Villager News. 


I was the first to arrive that night and took the opportunity to take some pictures. 

With seating on both sides, 1800 Degrees is a very spacious restaurant. It also has a modern yet warm decor; all the cushioned seating gives an inviting and cozy atmosphere. 

Chef Hugo Ferreira and his team at 1800 Degrees prepares all dishes in-house which includes their USDA Prime Steaks (aged 35-40 days) and fresh seafood.