Gyu-Kaku: Japanese BBQ Dining

Gyu-Kaku is a chain of Japanese yakiniku (barbeque) restaurants. Since their first Japan location 20 years ago in 1996, the chain has grown to a staggering 688 locations in 11 countries. There are now over 600 restaurants in Japan, with worldwide locations in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Taipei, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.

Gyu-Kaku's Toronto location opened last month on 81 Church Street. It took them 20 years to get here but I guess better late than never! My friend and I went on a busy Friday night, and thank goodness we made reservations because it was an hour-and-a-half wait otherwise.

A charcoal grill is installed in every table at Gyu-Kaku, and if you're worried about the smoke, don't be. The chain restaurant is known for their smokeless roaster, where with its down draft system, smoke is sucked in to the bottom of the table. The air was never smoky or stuffy when I was there.

Gyu-Kaku (Instagram: @gyukakujbbq, Facebook: Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ) offers a wide range of ready-to-grill beef, poultry, pork, seafood and vegetables. On the menu are also a ready-to-eat appetizers, salads, soups, noodles and rice dishes. 

Although this was my first visit at Gyu-Kaku in Toronto, my first Gyu-Kaku experience was six years ago in Huntington Beach, California. I even dug up the blog post for it!

SAPPORO DRAFT MEGA MUG ($11)

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.

A Globally-Inspired Sunday Brunch at Marben

After taking over the helm at Marben a year ago and replacing Carl Heinrich as executive chef, Rob Bragagnolo (@RobBragagnolo) has successfully reinvented the previously meat-centric restaurant on 488 Wellington St. W. into one that offers diners a more sophisticated Mediterranean fare. Bragagnolo, a Torontonian with an Italian background, has spent the last 10+ years working in Spain and travelling across the world. With an impressive stint in Mallorca and a passport full of stamps under his belt, Bragagnolo is determined to share his love for international cuisine at Marben.

I visited Marben (Twitter: @MarbenResto, Facebook: Marben) two Sundays ago. It was a last minute decision (as well as a very late one) so the Sunday brunch rush was already over when we arrived.

 The Marben's brunch menu begins with the following statement: "A collection of my favourite brunch dishes from my travels around the world". I was excited just from reading that.

My brunch consisted of the following four dishes (it's a bit excessive I know):

TANGIERS ($14)

2 poached eggs on spiced cauliflower, quinoa salad, beetroot humus, baby kale & parsley

French Dining at Le Papillon on Front

Nestled in an Old Town Toronto building, Le Papillon on Front (Twitter: @PapillonOnFront, Facebook: Le Papillon on Front) provides a relaxed yet sophisticated bistro setting in which to enjoy causal French food. The restaurant's menu calls on classic French favourites such as French onion soup, crepe and duck confit alongside contemporary seafood, steak and pasta dishes. Here's a fun fact: Did you know Le Papillon opened Toronto's first creperie in 1974? That's 40 years ago! Knowing that countless restaurants open and close within a year's time these days makes this tidbit even more fascinating.

Le Papillon on Front's large interior is warmed by its cozy warm tones.

My friend May and I went for dinner before the Christmas holidays (hence all the festive decorations).

BLOODY CAESAR ($7.25)

Pukka: Modern Indian on St. Clair West

Located at 778 St. Clair W., I was invited to Pukka's (pronounced "puck-a") media tasting a couple of weeks ago. Pukka (Twitter: @pukkatoronto, Facebook: Pukka Toronto) which opened in mid-October is the newest modern Indian restaurant to hit the city. Rather than serving traditional Indian cuisine that can oftentimes pack a bit too much heat (for most anyway) owners Harsh Chawla and Derek Valleau of Pukka aim to provide their diners with a twist on the traditional by focusing more on flavour instead of the fiery hot. Seasonal and local ingredients are used in Pukka's family-style menu with offerings that are generally much lighter, fresher and less "cream-heavy" than your classic Indian. Although the food is contemporary - ranging from Indian subcontinental to modern fusion - chefs at Pukka still make their own naan in an authentic clay tandoor oven as well as their own curries and chutneys.

Business partners Harsh Chawla (pictured left - a restaurant-industry consultant) and Derek Valleau (pictured right - former operations manager at Crush Wine Bar).

And as for the restaurant name...why "Pukka"? Pukka is actually a Hindi word literally meaning "cooked, ripe" and figuratively "fully formed", "solid" or "permanent". Valleau explained Pukka, popularized by chef Jamie Oliver, can also mean "genuine" or simply "very good".

The modern and industrial decor at Pukka aligns perfectly with its contemporary take on Indian cuisine. After all, have you seen white exposed brick and reclaimed barn wood at any other Indian restaurant before? Certainly not me.

Pukka boasts an impressive selection of wine - its current wine list consists of 25 international wines...which is much more than what you would typically find at an Indian restaurant. Pukka aims to triple / quadruple the number of labels down the road.

CNE Toronto 2013 Media Day

CANADIAN NATIONAL EXHIBITION

AUG 16 - SEP 2

18 days of fun, food, rides, games and great entertainment at Canada's largest fair

Yup! It's CNE time~ I know it's sorta bittersweet. Whenever CNE (Twitter: @LetsGoToTheEx, Facebook: Canadian National Exhibition) starts it essentially means summer is over :( but to me it also means it's time for GAMES and FOOD! GAMES as in "I don't care how much money I spend I want a MINION!" and FOOD as in "I want to eat everything that will potentially clog my arteries!" Don't believe me? Check out my deep fried adventure at the CNE two years ago.

This year, I was invited to CNE's Media Day. I arrived at Princes' Gate bright and early yesterday morning and whoa was it chilly! I was so glad to see Gourmet Gringos serving hot coffee and breakfast for us :) Gourmet Gringos will be one of the many food trucks participating in CNE's Food Truck Frenzy on August 23, 24 and 25.

Gourmet Gringos' hot breakfast burrito totally warmed me up.

Welcome remarks from CNE General Manager, David Bednar. 

Kicking off our media tour was husband and wife buskers, Mr. Spin & Pandora Pink.

A-OK Foods

When Yours Truly on Ossington stopped serving its snacks menu to make the switch to an all tasting menu, I admit I was a bit bummed. I liked their snacks. But you know how the saying goes - that "all good things must come to an end" - I guess it totally applies here and sadly, life must go on (I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one bummed about this okay?!) 

So when the owners of Yours Truly opened A-OK Foods (Twitter: @AOKfoods, Facebook: A-OK Foods) I couldn't wait to check it out. With a menu that emphasizes on Chinese, Korean and Mexican flavours, the small restaurant on Queen West has a variety of unique snacks such as KFC or "Korean Fried Chicken", Bulgogi Torta and Goya Champuru etc. However, what really sets A-OK apart is their house-made ramen, made from their very own special ramen machine imported from Korea. 

Really diggin' the decor at A-OK - the aluminum lamps, green picnic tables and benches and the wood tiled walls all give an illusion of eating at an outdoor street food vendor (you'll see later that drinks are served in disposable red tumblers.)

Nome Izakaya

Restaurants outside downtown Toronto are not my forte. Nothing against them but there's just not enough of ME to go around (I also blame the stupid traffic, can't get anywhere at a decent time.) It would be perfect if I can replicate myself - I would love to have one "me" in downtown, another "me" in midtown / uptown (i.e. anything north of Eglinton), a third "me" in the west-end and also a fourth "me" that just stays home for my Mom's cooking. Heck, spread me around the world (ok that sounds weird) but imagine the possibilities! Think of all the hidden gems in the world, all the food you can stuff your face with! Incredible. *SIGH* A girl can dream, right? 'Cause yeah these are totally the things I dream about. 

Sorry, I digress. Back to reality. Back to TORONTO. 

My foodie friend Alex (@tsangzillavs) introduced me to Nome Izakaya a couple of weeks back. Nome, on Yonge just north of Sheppard, is practically Alex's second home (helps that he lives two minutes away from it.) He's always there so this obviously peaked my interest. Izakaya? Midtown? Highly recommended by a fellow foodie? I'm down. Even if it meant driving (more like crawling) on the 401 doing 60 km/hr in the rain two Saturdays ago. OK I'm exaggerating. It wasn't that bad. But close enough.

From Nome's website:

"Nome Izakaya is a Japanese tapas restsaurant and lounge located at 4848 Yonge Street in Toronto. Specializing in the freshest sashimi delicacies and boasting the city's best oyster bar, Nome will surely impress you."

Once we sat down, I let Alex do all the ordering. It was a nice change :)

NIGORI SAKE ($19)

ONIKOROSHI JUNMAI ($35)

Glas Wine Bar

Glas Wine Bar (Twitter: @glaswinebar, Facebook: Glas Wine Bar) is a cozy, 20-seat wine bar in Leslieville headed by chef and owner Danny Pantano. Pantano, who has worked in Italy for over nine years (including in several Michelin-starred restaurants) followed by stints in London, England and Montreal, cleverly boasts his refined technique, elegance and finesse at Glas, which opened its doors less than a year ago in June 2012. With a constantly changing menu coupled with an increasingly popular, weekly four-course vegetarian prix-fixe dubbed "The Green Glass Affair", chef Pantano devotes his precision and talent on local and seasonal ingredients that is showcased on an array of small sharing plates. 

The large art pieces at Glas adds a lot character to the otherwise simple space.

Daily Bread's Ultimate Food Challenge 2013

I had the pleasure of attending Daily Bread Food Bank's 2nd Annual Ultimate Food Challenge (#ufchallenge) last Wednesday, May 8th. Sponsored by Campbell's, Canadian Pacific, Corus Entertainment and Nutella, the "Foodie Fundraiser" was held at Corus Quay and featured live entertainment, a silent auction, and of course the highlight of the evening - a friendly culinary battle between three celebrity chefs. Over 250 guests had the opportunity to sample gourmet hors d'oeuvres served and prepared by trainees and graduates from Daily Bread's Catering Kitchen as well as signature dishes made by the three competing chefs.

Proceeds from the 2013 Ultimate Food Challenge goes to supporting Daily Bread’s Kitchen, which will provide 170,000 nutritious meals this year to shelters, schools and other meal programs serving low-income children and adults at more than 100 public and social service agencies in neighbourhoods across Toronto.

Below is a recap of the 2013 Ultimate Food Challenge:

COCKTAIL RECEPTION

Over 50 items were being auctioned off at the silent auction.

Bent

Last August, two of Susur Lee's sons, Kai and Levi Bent-Lee, opened Bent on the corner of Dundas and Markham (near Bathurst). Named after Susur's wife Brenda Bent (who designed Bent with business partner Karen Gable), the restaurant has the two sons managing the front of house while Susur (@susurlee) takes the reins in the kitchen (alongside chef de cuisine Bryan Gunness, formerly from Lee). Speaking of which, I've never been to Lee; I remember going to "Susur" once close to 10 years ago and "Madeline's" maybe twice before it closed in 2010. Yeah, there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it, I was thrilled about my dinner at Bent (Twitter: @BentRestaurant, Facebook: Bent Restaurant).

Lacquered wooden tables with long benches placed horizontally in a shiny, white-tiled room, Bent is quite a looker.

A very, very long sushi(?) bar.

You will find whimsical, childhood toys throughout Bent, like this mouse, for example, which I find rather creepy looking (the mirrored menu is very pretty though!) 

Guu Sakabar Never Disappoints

Guu Sakabar's menu and specials posted outside

When it comes to izakaya (i.e. a Japanese drinking establishment which serves food to accompany drinks), I always default to Guu. Although there are several newly opened izakayas in downtown Toronto, I somehow find myself at either Guu SakaBar or Guu Izakaya whenever I have a craving for izakaya. And because these 'izakaya cravings' do not happen that often, when they do, I want to make sure that I will be completely happy and satisfied after my meal, which is is precisely why I always end up at Guu (@GuuToronto) - I've never left Guu disappointed. The food there is consistently good, their awesome vibe never ceases to amaze me, the staff is always friendly and cheerful, and last but not least, I find myself practically rolling out of the restaurant, beyond full with a grin on my face, every single time :)

This time was no exception. I took a friend to Guu SakaBar recently. He has never been to Guu before (I know, shocking!) so I felt that it was my duty, as a friend, to take him there (OK I admit, I was also having an izakaya craving at the time).

To experience the full "Guu experience", I find it best to sit at the bar. Despite the fact that it can get a bit loud, I strongly encourage those who haven't been to Guu to try it out (you can always sit in the tatami room next time...only available at Guu SakaBar though!)

I had the GUU CAESAR (obviously) with Yuzu pepper infused vodka, clamato ($6.5) 

My friend had ASAHI ($7)

Between the two of us, we had the following: 

KURAGE - Marinated jellyfish ($4.5)

Maizal Quesadilla Café

In June, Maizal Quesadilla Café (Facebook: Maizal Toronto, Twitter: MaizalToronto) quietly took over the space previously occupied by Liberty Belle Bistro. Although serving Mexican street food, you will not find any tacos at Maizal (I know, shocking!) Rather, the café focuses on handcrafted, artisanal corn quesadillas which owners Gabriela Ituarte and Ivan Wadgymar make fresh from scratch every day. Let me tell you straight off the bat that Maizal's quesadillas are so good that you will completely forget about tacos when you are there :)

Maizal's menu is short and sweet, ideal for a quick sit-down lunch or takeout. 

The owners use this Nixtamex corn grinder (left) to grind corn every morning. Fun and educational information about corn, tortillas and the quesadilla café can be found on chalkboards.