The Lobster Trap

LISTEN UP! 

There is only ONE DAY LEFT to get your $30 for $70 worth of Lobster & Seafood Voucher at The Lobster Trap from buytopia.ca.

The last time I was at The Lobster Trap was close to 2.5 years ago, precisely when the seafood restaurant had a promotional coupon going on. Hey what can I say, I love deals and I love seafood. I'm Asian after all. 

Our server came over to show us what a 4 lb live lobster looks like. 

East End Dinner Club

The East End Dinner Club is a new Dinner Club created for the purpose of showcasing and supporting the vibrant dining community in Toronto's East End. Spawned partially from Globe and Mail's food critic Chris Nuttall-Smith's negative perception on restaurants in the east end / Leslieville (i.e. from CNS: "It was excellent for Leslieville. But for the rest of the city, just good, and only by a thread" , the East End Dinner Club strives to serve their neighbourhood by bringing to light their many memorable destinations and local talents. 

Consisting of a collaborative group of restaurants, business owners and chefs, the East End Dinner Club (@EastEndDinners) hosted its inaugural "East SideTill We Die" dinner on Monday, April 29th at Skin + Bones (@skinandbonesTO). For $100 per person, guests were treated to a six course dinner prepared by six different chefs alongside wine / cocktail pairings.

The evening's wines were all generously donated by Profile Wine Group, The Vine - Robert Groh Agency, and Norman Hardie.

Mark Bolduc from The Vine.

 All proceeds raised at the dinner supports FoodShare's School Grown Project and Field to Table Schools to bring vegetable gardens to two local schools and employ high school students in agricultural jobs. 

Justin Nadeau and Kate German from FoodShare (@FoodShareTO).

Chefs getting ready (L to R):

Jesse Chingcuangco - Skin and Bones (@skinandbonesTO)

Sean Simons - Goods and Provisions (@GoodsandProvis) / The Comrade (@ComradeToronto)

Dan Patano - Glas (@glaswinebar)

John Sinopoli - Table 17 (@table17) / Ascari Enoteca (@AscariEnoteca)

Deron Engbers - The Curzon (@TheCurzon) / Timeless Food (@timelessfoodto)

Popchips Snacker's Paradise Sweepstakes

You are missing out if you haven't tried popchips yet. 

Not fried nor baked, popchips (@popchips) are popped! They are tasty and healthy with 0 cholesterol and 0 trans fat~

Here's an old picture of me (i.e. w/ long blonde hair) with my favourite popchips flavour :D

If you are a fan of popchips and random beach vacations (who isn't?!) you will be thrilled with this incredible giveaway:

popchips and Esperanza Resort (@EsperanzaResort) have teamed up to bring Metro shoppers across Ontario a chance to win a trip for TWO to the world-renowned Esperanza Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico!

How to enter: 

With the purchase of any 2 bags of popchips for $5, shoppers can swipe their AIR MILES card which will automatically entered them in the contest! That's it! 

What the popchips #snackersparadise giveaway includes:

- Airfare for 2 guests

- 3 nights, 4 days at the Esperanza Resort with an ocean view

- Two 60-minute massages at their award-winning spa

- Complimentary fitness classes

- Daily breakfast

- $500 USD in spending money

Total value of the giveaway is approx. $7,000!

The contest is already underway and ends at 11:59:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on May 30, 2013.

See complete contest rules and regulations: snacker's paradise

The Guild Restaurant

Has it been only two months? Two months since The Guild opened? I was wondering about this the other day because the restaurant, located at 1442 Dundas St. W., seemed to have successfully integrated and established itself as a friendly and popular neighbouhood spot already (it is a packed house there every weekend). I double checked and triple checked. Yes, I'm right - it hasn't even been a full two months, technically speaking.

The Guild (Twitter: @guildresto, Facebook: The Guild Restaurant) served its first weekend brunch on Sunday, March 10th. Dinner service quickly followed a week later on Wednesday, March 20th. Saturday and Sunday brunch, plus dinner from Wednesday through Sunday? Methinks that's pretty impressive for a brand new restaurant. Well chef and owner Mani Binelli (formerly of Centro, Canoe, and Auberge du Pommier) didn't just stop there 'cause a couple of weeks later, he further expanded his restaurant's menu to include a $2 snack menu (with half priced wine) every Wednesday and Thursday, as well as a $30 prix-fixe menu on Sundays. 

With such an ambitious offering, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that The Guild is gaining so much positive momentum in such a short period of time. The local spot is certainly off to a fantastic start, and this is confirmed after the very solid dinner I had at the chef's table several weekends ago, all thanks to chef Binelli (@ManiBChef) and Peter Petruniak (@ChefPeteTO), dinner sous chef of The Guild.

Kingyo Toronto

Ramen or Izakaya. Pick one. PICK ONE NOW OR ELSE!!!

Okay I kid :P There is absolutely no need to choose between the two 'cause both are equally awesome! In fact, Torontonians just can't seem to get enough of the pair - Japanese ramen shops and izakayas are popping up left right and centre. They are pretty much invading our entire city! I'm not complaining nor exaggerating. Really ;) 

Following the footsteps of Guu Izakaya / Sakabar, Kinton Ramen, Hapa Izakaya, and Ramen Raijin , Kingyo Toronto is yet another Japanese restaurant to descend upon us from Vancity. Opened last December in Cabbagetown and replacing the previous "Stonegrill on Winchester", this Toronto location is Kingyo's first outpost (side note: I'm glad Stonegrill is gone, that place was a complete disaster).

The sign above the restaurant's front entrance is the restaurant's name "Kingyo" written in Kanji (or Chinese Han characters). Kingyo means "goldfish".

Kingyo's (Twitter: @Kingyotoronto, Facebook: Kingyo Toronto) large space can accommodate up to 120 people; a welcoming change compared to other tiny ramen shops and izakayas in the city. Kingyo is spacious and cozy...thanks in part to the warm woods and tall banquettes. 

Bright and fun, Pachinko machines from Japan are used as wall decor at Kingyo.

Sunday Brunch at Splendido

I remember taking my parents to Splendido (Twitter: @Splendido_TO, Facebook: Splendido Restaurant) for Mother's Day brunch last year, which was the one and only day of the year that the Harbord landmark restaurant serves the mid-morning meal. However, that all changed a month ago when Splendido started its first ever regular brunch service in its 23-year history. From 11am-2pm, you can now indulge in Splendido's two-course brunch, dubbed "The Spread", every Sunday for $35. And if you want to do it up in style, the restaurant also offers large-format communal dishes catered for larger groups for pre-order, such as whole roasted lobes of foie gras with fresh brioche, seafood platters, caviar service and whole sides of house-smoked trout, etc., that will guarantee to tickle your fancy and enrich your favourite Sunday pastime. Oh yes, those who decide to splurge on a bottle of champagne can even put on a show and sabre it at the front of the restaurant ;)

My friends and I ordered a couple of cocktails to start.

MILANO SUNRISE - Tanqueray, Aperol & Fresh Grapefruit Juice ($12)

RUDE AWAKENING - El Jimador Tequila, Averna, Punt e Mes, Khalua, Espresso ($12)

The following assortment of pastries, charcuterie, cheeses were shared amongst the four of us:

Croissant, Scone, Country Bread

Butter, Preserves, Whipped Cream Cheese, Farmhouse Cheese, Cured Ham, Potted Parfait, Terrine & Pickles

The Winner of the AfterWorkDrinksTO Tickets Giveaway is

@nicoleroannef

Congratulations Nicole! =D You have just won a pair of tickets to the AfterWorkDrinksTO 2013 Kickoff Party + $25 in HAILO credits. Please email me at foodjunkiechronicles@gmail.com with your first and last name and we'll go from there :)

And thanks to all the contestants who participated in the contest. 

Here's a snapshot of the Excel spreadsheet where I tracked the #foodieyucontest hashtag from day one of the contest (if you don't see your tweet in the hashtag stream, it means there is no entry from you. Sorry. Read this to find out the possible reasons why your tweets are not showing up.) The tracking was done using chronological order, as in, #1 was the first person to enter the contest. To enter, the person has to tweet "Hey @foodieyu I want to win a pair of tickets to #AfterWorkDrinksTO http://bit.ly/11gYA4i #foodieyucontest". Each person may tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Once the contest was over and everybody's entries were accounted for, I checked to see if they follow me on Twitter.

After verifying, I used "True Random Number Generator" from random.org to pick three winners from the 44 entries.

Hunt Camp

My dinner at HUNT CAMP is without a doubt the BEST meal I've had so far this year. Not only was the food feast itself spectacular, the entire dining experience was INCREDIBLE.

HUNT CAMP (@HuntCampTO) is an exclusive dinner series brought to you by the folks at Farmhouse Tavern (@FARMHOUSEtavern). Owner Darcy MacDonell launched the temporary project on January 30th and since then, the dinners have been happening every Wednesday night at 7:30 pm. Running for 13 weeks until April 24th, the intimate dinners only seats six...and YES, I'm proud to say I was one of the lucky ones who managed to snatch up a reservation (it sold out extremely quick)!

Farmhouse's chef Alex Molitz is also the chef of HUNT CAMP.

 A restaurant within a restaurant, HUNT CAMP takes place in a cozy dining room in the back of Farmhouse Tavern.

AfterWorkDrinksTO Tickets Giveaway - CLOSED

I'm giving away a PAIR of tickets to AfterWorkDrinksTO 2013 Kickoff Party (valued at $40) + $25 in HAILO credits!

Brought to you by Graham (@beachrockinc) and Amanda (@AmandaBlake9), AfterWorkDrinksTO will be kicking off 2013 in style! A not-for-profit-event (with $5 from each ticket sale going to Dress for Success Toronto), you can party it up at #AfterWorkDrinksTO next Tuesday with old friends and new, along with great booze and tasty canapes!

Location: Fynn's of Temple Bar (489 King St. W.) 

When: Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013

Time: 6:00 - 9:00PM

You and your guest will each get 3 drink tickets and:

Innis & Gunn sampling

(Added bonus: Innis & Gunn special pint price thereafter for #AfterWorkDrinksTO guests)

+

Special #AfterWorkDrinksTO Mount Gay Rum cocktail prepared by Robin James Wynne (@djrobinjames), a Canadian award winning mixologist and Mount Gay rep.

+

Select Wines wine tasting

+

Great selection of canapes to pair with your drinks

+

Live band playing awesome funk and Motown music

PLUS:

Great prize giveaways & swag

Bring your business cards to the event because you'll have a chance to WIN 1 of 2 $25 HAILO credits! Draws to take place at the event. 

+

$5 from each ticket sale will go directly to Dress for Success Toronto - #AfterWorkDrinksTO charity of choice. They'll be doing a prize giveaway for the Best Dressed for Success Attendee so don't change out of your work clothes.

+

The bar will be offering the following to all guests as part of their regular Tuesday night special:

SHARE PLATE TUESDAYS: Enjoy unique share plate choices | 5-10pm.

$5 Pints of Foundry Cider all day

$5 Select glasses of wine or bubbles | 5-11pm

DINNER FOR TWO: Two can dine with a bottle of wine for $45 | 5-11pm

In addition, the lucky winner of my contest will also get $25 in HAILO credits!

 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: 

Hey @foodieyu I want to win a pair of tickets to #AfterWorkDrinksTO http://bit.ly/11gYA4i #foodieyucontest

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

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

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

CONTEST DURATION

Contest starts on Monday, April 15th and ends on Monday, April 22nd at 12PM. 

One lucky winner will be chosen randomly from www.random.org and I will announce the winner on Monday, April 22nd. 

GOOD LUCK!!! ^_^

To purchase to tickets to AfterWorkDrinksTO, CLICK HERE

Little Anthony's

Andreas Antoniou, owner of Estiatorio VOLOS, has recently re-launched Little Anthony's with a new chef and an updated menu. A downtown landmark for over 17 years, Little Anthony's is a 150-seat restaurant located in the financial district, directly across from Estiatorio VOLOS at the corner of Richmond and York.

Precisely a year ago, Antoniou worked with designer Marc Kryaciou in revamping the original  Little Anthony's (which was founded by Bob Antoniou). After a three-month complete overhaul, the restaurant reopened as the more casual, affordable Italian osteria.

I had the pleasure of attending a media dinner at Little Anthony's (Twitter: @little_anthonys, Facebook: Little Anthony's) on Wednesday night. Replacing former executive chef Aaron Foster, Garth Legree (previously of The County General) prepared for us a tasting of canapes, pasta, mains and desserts. The tasting also featured wine selection from general manager Matt Roulston's well-curated wine list.

Signature cocktail "Milano Sunrise"

CANAPES

Cheese Tortellini

Scarmoza, Saffron Bechamel, Watercress, Breadcrumb