The Whippoorwill Revisited

I have nothing but praises for The Whippoorwill. Recently named both Best New Restaurant and Best Burger Over $10 by NOW Magazine, The Whippoorwill (Twitter: @WhippoorwillTO, Facebook: The Whippoorwill Restaurant & Tavern) is doing everything right. From its cozy, retro/vintage decor, friendly service, to bar manager Japhet Bower's (@jollyinebriate) artfully crafted cocktails and chef Tyler Cunningham's (@ChefCunningham) globally inspired comfort plates, it's no surprise why this Bloordale restaurant is currently one of the most talked about restaurant in the city. 

I had to the pleasure to visit The Whippoorwill a couple of weeks ago for their new fall/winter menu. I remember leaving the restaurant very content with a very full belly much like my first visit there three months ago (click here for my first post on The Whippoorwill).

Dinner started off with a very appropriately named cocktail called Blogger Love (Japhet named it on the spot for us haha). As the evening progressed we were served the Diablo Verde and This Little Piggy:

COCKTAILS (left to right):

1. BLOGGER LOVE (off the menu): Cava, aromatic bitters, brown butter

2. DIABLO VERDE - Tromba blanco tequila, green chartreuse, lemon, house-made poblano syrup, maldon, scrappy's grapefruit bitters

3. THIS LITTLE PIGGY - Napoleon cortel brandy, grand marnier, briottet chestnut, sage, lemon, scrappy's celery bitters

Chef Cunningham prepared for us the following dishes from his fall / winter menu:

WINTER SPICED BEET SALAD

Walnut pesto, muscatel vinaigrette and Thornloe Stilton

BEEF CARPACCIO

Shaved mushrooms, chives and tahini

ROSEMARY CURED COHO

Creamed horseradish, puffed quinoa, salted cucumber and mustard oil

Touhenboku Ramen

Touhenboku Ramen (Twitter: @TouhenbokuRamen, Facebook: Touhenboku Ramen) is the newest of the new when it comes to ramen shops in downtown Toronto. Opened officially just yesterday on 261 Queen West at Duncan, I had the opportunity to taste their noodles on Wednesday before their big opening day.

Right off the bat Touhenboku Ramen differentiates itself from its countless competitors by offering a chicken broth base as opposed to the traditional pork broth. Continuing with the chicken theme, Touhenboku's chashu, prepared by rolling the meat into a log and then braising it at a low temperature, comes in both pork and chicken. I'm sure these two options alone immediately garner nods of approval from all the non-pork eaters out there. In addition, Touhenboku has four small donburi rice bowls on the menu with a variety of toppings (i.e. sauteed pork, grilled / roasted / fried chicken) which you can order as an appetizer or as part of Touhenboku's lunch sets. Last but not least, dessert! Unlike most noodle shops where they either have no dessert or at best, green tea ice cream,Touhenboku has six desserts on the menu. From an airy chiffon cake and a light cream puff to a dense chocolate cake, Touhenboku claims that their Japanese pastries are not overly sweet and are perfect after a bowl of their ramen.

Owner Zuimei Okuyama named Touhenboku after his bar in Ueno; a suburb of Tokyo. The name, Touhenboku, means "blockhead" in Japanese and is an homage to a cafe of the same name that he used to frequent when he was young. Zuimei decided to open a ramen restaurant in Toronto after being dissatisfied with the current offering. "I want people to know the true taste of ramen and have it be fresh. So I make my own noodles in house from scratch without preservatives. The taste is just better." Zuimei says the long, slow process in creating the chicken broth draws out the collagen to create a mizutaki broth that is considerably lighter than the regular tonkotsu (pork bone) with much less fat. Zuimei also claims that the broth is great for your skin and complexion (bonus!) Zuimei trained at the Shokuno dojo, a ramen school in Chiba.

Touhenboku uses custom-made porcelain bowls imported from Japan. These Arita bowls supposedly does a better job in keeping the noodles hot. Their chopsticks are also imported from Japan.

Made from chef Keiichi Machida's special blend of high-protein flour, noodles are churned out daily from this $40,000 ramen machine.

Death Row Meals - Youngblood

Inspired by the 1980's hockey movie "Youngblood", last Sunday's Death Row Meals (#DeathRowMeals) dinner featured 7 courses prepared by 7 very talented young chefs in the the city. These up and coming chefs prepared a themed feast reminiscent of the iconic film starring Rob Lowe, Cynthia Gibb, Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves (his first movie appearance) and the Toronto Maple Leafs own Steve “Stumpy” Thomas. The evening also included cocktail and wine pairings from Dillon's Distillers (@dillonsdistills) and Rosewood Estates Winery (@rosewoodwine). A portion of the proceeds from Youngblood benefited Right To Play Canada, a global organization founded in 2000 by Johann Olav Koss - a four-time Olympic gold medalist and social entrepreneur - that uses the transformative power of play to educate and empower children facing adversity. 

The Youngblood dinner took place at the classy and sophisticated Hot Stove Club. Located at the Air Canada Centre, the Hot Stove Club was established in 1963 (happy 50th birthday!) and revitalized in summer 2012. The restaurant is equipped with a large dining area, three bars and a lounge.

Below is a recap of Death Row Meals - Youngblood.

ONE

PREPARING THE ICE SURFACE

Coulson Armstrong (@Chef_Coulson), Canoe Restaurant

Crudo of fluke - Gatorade, concord grapes, buffalo yogurt and caribou moss

TWO

THE SNACK BAR

Luca Gatti (@lucagatti22), Sanagans

Mini Chicago dog, house made potato chips, gravy seasoning

Milestones' Inspired Chefs' Tasting Menu

In May I was invited to a preview tasting of Milestones' Summer Chefs' menu (it was a "preview" because the menu was to launch across all Milestones locations the following day). Using ingredients influenced by global flavours, Milestones' Corporate chef Jason Rosso (@jasonrosso) prepared a wonderful six-course tasting menu which captured the chain restaurant's vision in offering diners the 'independent restaurant experience' while being a 'full service restaurant chain'.

Fast forward five months later and I found myself at Milestones once again (Twitter: @MilestonesCa, Facebook: Milestones) this time for the restaurant's Inspired Chefs' menu. Taking place at Milestones Festival Hall (or better known as "the-Milestones-beside-Chapters-at-John-and-Richmond") this fall / winter menu was inspired by seven of Milestones chefs from across the country.

Each of our six courses was paired with wines from Wolf Blass (@WolfBlassWines).

Below is my six-course Milestones' Inspired Chefs' tasting prepared by chef Rosso. 

VIETNAMESE BUN CHA

Garlic infused water chestnuts served in a lettuce wrap with ponzo sauce and vermicelli noodles

Pairing: Wolf Blass Yellow Label Sparkling Brut

BROCHETTE OF CHORIZO MOZZARELLA FRITTERS

Rounds tossed in panko breading, stuffed with chorizo sausage, Mozzarella cheese, garlic and parsley  over paprika aioli

Pairing: Wolf Blass Yellow Label Sparkling Brut

ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS & Ontario Pork

On October 21st, I was invited to an exclusive dinner at Ruby Watch Co.. ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS together with Ontario Pork (@OntarioPork) and chef Lora Kirk of Ruby Watch Co. (@RubyWatchco) teamed up for an evening of great products with great food. Prepared by chef Kirk, the evening consisted of a four-course, holiday-themed dinner using delicious Ontario pork, prepared and presented using an array of products within the ZWILLING portfolio of culinary brands. 

Wine pairings courtesy of Inniskillin (@InniskillinWine). 

ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS - A Modern Company with a Long Tradition

The history of the ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS brand starts on June 13, 1731 (under the Gemini star sign). It was on that day that knife-maker Peter Henckels from Solingen registered the "Twin" symbol as his trademark with the Cutlers' Guild of Solingen. Today, the premium German-based kitchenware manufacturer boasts a multi-brand portfolio that includes ZWILLING, MIYABI, STAUB and DEMEYERE, as well as the mass consumer brand J.A. HENCKELS INTERNATIONAL. ZWILLING Culinary Solutions ca be found in over 100 countries. This year, the company is marking its 110th anniversary in Canada.

On display here is the STAUB line of traditional French enameled cast iron and ceramic cookware - La Cocotte "French Oven". Made exclusively in France, STAUB vessels feature vibrant coloured glazes in assorted shapes, sizes and functions. Acknowledged as the optimal platform for slow-cooking, the material density of cast iron retains and redistributes heat evenly. Its black matte enamel interior is ideal for braising and the unique spikes on their iconic flat lid provide the perfect surface to induce self-basting flavour enhancement. Each piece is adorned with a steel or brass knob and can even be accessorized with decorative figurines to provide further artistic expression. 

TASTE MTL - Taste the Best of Montreal

From Nov 1-11, 2013, the city of Montreal is hosting TASTE MTL (#TASTEMTL), a culinary festival presented by Tourism Montreal (Twitter: @Montreal, Facebook: Visit Montreal) in association with the SAQ. The second edition of TASTE MTL a.k.a. Restaurant Week, is a culinary and cultural celebration of one of the most incredible cities in the world with 128 restaurants taking part. TASTE MTL provides an opportunity for Montrealers and tourists to discover new places to eat with a host of of special events around the gastronomic city alongside fixed-price table d'hôte menus. TASTE MTL offers three fixed prices for evening meal service ($19, $29, and $39, respectively) as well as a fixed late-night menu priced at $19 (click here to see the list of participating restaurants). This year the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers joined TASTE MTL as an official partner, which means that you'll find chefs using maple on the menus at participating TASTE MTL restaurants. By the way, did you know that TASTE MTL is one of North America's 15 best food festivals according to Fodor's magazine?

I was one of five lucky Canadian food bloggers/members of Food Bloggers of Canada (FBC) chosen to cover TASTE MTL last weekend. Needless to say I was completely stoked about my trip! Not only was I thrilled about all the sight-seeing and food I was also looking forward to spending the weekend with some amazing foodies including Jess (@wherejessate) of Where Jess Ate, Vickie (@kiki_BFF) of kikis B.F.F, Jenn and Don (@foodiePrints) of foodiePrints and Janice (@KtchnHealsSoul) of Kitchen Heals Soul.

So here goes! My whirlwind TASTE MTL weekend recap!

DAY 1 - Friday, November 1, 2013

VIA RAIL

I woke up early Friday morning and headed to Union Station for my train to Montreal. This is my very first time taking VIA Rail (@VIA_Rail) anywhere! The ride was pretty comfy and relaxing - I was able to catch up on some work too with their free wifi. This sure beats driving for 5 hours! 

My lunch on VIA Rail: 

Cod with vegetables on a bed of rice served with side salad, dinner roll and a glass of white wine.

HOTEL SOFITEL

Once we arrived to Montreal we dropped off our bags at Hotel Sofitel (@SofitelMontreal) located on prestigious Sherbrooke St. I was greeted with this lovely plate of cheese and fruit in my room. What a great start! I forgot to take photos but I assure you that my room was very spacious with an enormous king-size bed with breathtaking views of the Montreal skyline and Mount Royal Park. The staff at Hotel Sofitel was also incredibly helpful and friendly.

MONTREAL PASSION VIN

First destination in Montreal: Montreal Passion Vin wine tasting event. This year marks the 12th edition of Montreal Passion Vin (@PassionVin2013). Presented by SAQ with Standard Life as the major donor partner, the event was held at the Hilton Montreal Bonaventure Hotel and is among the most prestigious wine industry events in 2013. The proceeds from Montreal Passion Vin is to support the construction of the HMR Integrated Cancerology Centre. This is no doubt the most extravagant wine tasting I've ever attended!

We tasted six wines from Maison Remoissenet Père et Fils:

- Meursault Genevrieres 1er cru 1992

- Nolnay 1er cru Clos des Chenes 1978, 1969

- Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru Combottes 1979, 1966

- Clos Vougeot Grand cru 1964

JUST-EAT.ca Campus Chompionship ft. Takeru Kobayashi

Throughout October, JUST-EAT.ca (Facebook: Just-Eat.ca, Twitter: @JUSTEATca) has been on the hunt for Canada's hungriest student. Students from 25 universities across the country have rallied their classmates for online votes and created jaw-dropping videos for the chance to travel to Toronto to meet and train with famed competitive eating champion, Takeru Kobayashi (Facebook: Takeru Kobayashi, Twitter: @FReeKobi0704)

On Monday, October 28th, the five finalist devoured pizza alongside Kobi. Hosted by You Gotta Eat Here's John Catucci at The Drake Hotel, the five students competed in a three minute eating competition to win a personal prize of $5K & $20K for their campus.

Takeru Kobayashi in the media room before the big showdown.

Snuck in a photo! :)

CAMPUS CHOMPIONSHIP: THE RUNDOWN

ROUND 1

Call for entries

University students across the country told JUST-EAT.ca why they should be Campus Chompion. The hungry contestant with the most votes from each of the 25 campuses will go on to represent their school as a semi-finalist.

ROUND 2

Video showdown

The top-voted semi-finalists from each university created a video telling JUST-EAT.ca and Kobiyashi why they are hungry to win. The top 5 scoring semi-finalist videos went on to the final round: the Chompionship round.

ROUND 3

Chompionship

The top 5 finalists travels to Toronto where they competed with Kobayashi for the title of Campus Chompion.

Watch how many slices of pizza were devoured by the five finalists and Kobi!

The Winner of the Luxury Chocolate Show Tickets is...

@von_funk

Congratulations Jason! =D You have won a PAIR of tickets to The Toronto International Luxury Chocolate Show taking place at Roy Thompson Hall this Sunday, November 3rd! Please email me at foodjunkiechronicles@gmail.com to confirm your attendance.

Thanks to the 39 contestants who participated in my giveaway. 

Here's a snapshot of the Excel spreadsheet where I tracked the #foodieyuchocolate hashtag from day one of the giveaway (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 had to tweet "Hey @foodieyu I want to win a PAIR of tickets worth $50 to The Luxury Chocolate Show http://bit.ly/18uMJAl #foodieyuchocolate". Each person may tweet once a day for the duration of the giveaway. Once the giveaway was over and everybody's entries were accounted for I checked to see if they follow me (@foodieyu) on Twitter. Below is a list of people who qualified for the contest:

I used "True Random Number Generator" from random.org to pick the winner from the 74 entries.

The Luxury Chocolate Show Tickets Giveaway - CLOSED

I'm giving away a PAIR of tickets to The Toronto International Luxury Chocolate Show worth $50!

The Toronto Chocolate Show is the first and only show of its kind in Toronto to exclusively feature and celebrate everything chocolate under one climate-controlled roof.

The third edition of the Toronto International Luxury Chocolate Show celebrates everything chocolate under one roof in a luxuriously appointed venue. A diverse array of fine chocolates and chocolate-inspired products will be featured. Various vendors will be displaying, sampling and selling their fine chocolate products at show prices, just in time for the holiday season!

WHAT: The Toronto International Luxury Chocolate Show

WHEN: Sunday, November 3rd, 11am - 7pm

WHERE: Roy Thomson Hall at 60 Simcoe St.

Each Toronto International Luxury Chocolate Show ticket includes:

- Admission to The Toronto Luxury Chocolate Show on Sunday, November 3, 2013.
- TASTE SAMPLINGS (while quantities last per discretion of each vendor) Does not include wine, cake or savoury food that are available by individual ticket purchase.
- FREE entry for hourly draws
- FREE Chocolate Making Classes (firs come first serve basis)
- FREE Chocolate Makers Demo Sessions
- FREE Registration for the Chocolate Eating contests
- 911 CHOCOLATE RELAY

 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 worth $50 to The Luxury Chocolate Show http://bit.ly/18uMJAl #foodieyuchocolate

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

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

3. Contest is tracked by the #foodieyuchoocolate 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, October 28th and ends on Thursday, October 31st at 12PM. 

One lucky winner will be drawn randomly from www.random.org once the contest is over on Thursday, October 31st and I will announce the winner shortly after.

GOOD LUCK!!! ^_^

The Winners of the EXCEL Gumergency Kit Giveaway are...

@SadieWeinstein

@alexaclark

@hollymessana 

Congratulations Sadie, Alexa and Holly! You have each won an EXCEL Gumergency Kit (pictured below). After reading everybody's stories I felt that you three would have benefited the most from an EXCEL Gumergency Kit! Please email me at foodjunkiechronicles@gmail.com your mailing address so that I can send you your kit right away.

Thanks for playing!