GENOVA & PARIS

Time for a vacation and to come back home, Italy!

PORTOFINO: Fritto Misto di Pesce, Gamberi,
Scampi, Acciughe e Totani



GENOVA: Grigliata Mista di Pesce, Gamberi,
Scampi, Pesce Spada e Ombrina



Now the most romantic city, Paris!

FRESH

Saturday brunch with friends, sunny day, a patio and a Vegan spot. The menu is quiet interesting with a large selection of salad, wrap, burger and bowl. We had the Pancake Platter with a side of sweet potatoes fries and the Buddha Bowl.

PANCAKE PLATTER: Two Pancakes, scrambled tofu
and your choice of grilled vegan sausage or
tempeh bacon

BUDDHA BOWL: Thai Peanut Sauce with Marinated
Tofu Cubes, Tomato, Cilantro, Cucumber, Bean Sprout,
Chopped Peanut, herbs & Spices. Choice of Rice or Noodle

Experience: $ 75,00

• 3 Pancake Platter
• Buddha Bowl
• Sweet potatoes fries
• Water

I absolutely loved my bowl, tasty, crunchy and big! I am not a big fun of pancake, but it looked very good as the sausage, all the comments were positive, the scrambled tofu? delicious. I can't wait to try another vegan restaurant.

NOTA BENE

First month in Toronto and we are celebrating at Nota Bene, one of the best new restaurant in town in the past years. You can tell when a restaurant has an Italian influence when you find oil instead of butter, that's for me it's heaven, even better if the bread has a wood oven taste. We tried the signature dish Crisp Duck Salad: Sumac-dusted Green papaya, Slaw, Cashews and I had the Octopus with Spanish Chorizo, we followed with the Jennifer Stilton's Beef Brisket Burger and the Beef Tenderloin and finished with Sticky Toffee Pudding and Apple Tarte Tatin.

 

OCTOPUS WITH SPANISH CHORIZO:
 Baby Cucumber, Sun dried Tomatoes

JENNIFER STILTON'S BRISKET BURGER:
Pommes Frittes (NB Signature Dish)



APPLE TARTE TATIN: Vanilla Ice Cream

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING: Pecan Praline,
Spotted Dick Ice Cream



 

 

 



Experience: $157,00

• Crisp Duck Salad
• Octopus with Spanish Chorizo
• Brisket Beef Burger
• Beef Tenderloin
• Apple Tarte Tatin
• Sticky Toffee Pudding
• 1 bottle of water
• 1 glass of Verdicchio

The Duck salad was very nice, as it was the Octopus even if I just got 6 thin slices of it. The Burger was supposed to be the signature dish, it was a good burger but not a great one. The dessert was probably the best part of the meal, the Tarte Tatin super sweet but very good. On the bad note, we had a glass of Riesling that wasn't very good but our server was nice enough not to charge us for it.


DAISHO'

This relative new restaurant is located in a glass cube in the heart of downtown Toronto on the third floor of the Shangri-La Hotel. We were welcomed with Seasonal Pickle then had a snack, the Pretzel Bread: Kozlik's Mustard, Pork Fat, Sea Salt. We shared a bunch of different dishes like the Chicken Wing Bun, the Sausage and the Buck Wheat Noodles: Black Garlic, Champignon, Raisins. We followed with the Sunchoke: Salt Cod, Walnut, Clay Pepper and between the meet we opted for the Hanger Steak: Kimchi, Onions, Bibb lettuce then the Chicken Tight and to finish the Pork Chop: Burnt Onion, Cabbage and Mustard.

CHICKEN WING BUN: Dill, Hot Sauce, Crudite'
SAUSAGE: Orange, Cabbage, Nori Mayo

CHICKEN TIGHT: Sriracha, Shiitake, Bibb Lettuce

Experience: $ 244,00

• Pretzel Bread
• Chicken Wing Bun
• Sausage
• Buckwheat Noodles
• Hanger Steak
• Chicken Tight
• Pork Chop
• Sunchoke
• 2 glasses of wine
• 3 cocktails

We were lucky enough to share dinner with some of our friends, a couple of them are Asian so we let them choose from the menu. The Pretzel was tasty, the Sausage interesting as it was the Sunchoke and all the meat ok. Overall our meal was good but I am finding myself to write about this place just because located at the Shangri-La...

UNO MUSTACHIO

After a long walk in Downtown what is better than a quick bite of Italy at St. Lawrence Market. Long line waiting to be served but absolutely worth it: melanzane fritte, cotolette di vitello, polpette al sugo and much more to make your mouth watering while choosing the perfect sandwich.

MEATBALLS, BREADED EGGLPLANT, EGGPLANT SANDWICH

Experience: $ 19,00

• Veal sandwich, green pepper and mushrooms
• Eggplant focaccia, onions
• Small bottle of water

Big portion, homemade taste: the best!

SPICE ROUTE

The door at Spice Route opens on an Asian Fushion relaxed atmosphere till when behind the door a long line is waiting to enjoy a loud and fun lounge.

While choosing our meal a welcome Cocunut Bread was waiting for us on the table, Wok Fried Brown Rice: spiced kim chi - Mandarin Sizzled Fried Rice: bbq roast pork and sweet peas, to start with. Followed by a Lemon Glazed chicken: crispy wanton with Thai citrus sauce, and Sweet & Sour pork: grilled pinapple and sweet peppers.

 

 

LEMONGRASS CREME BRULE'


         

Experience: $ 163.00

• Wok Fried Brown Rice
• Mandarin Sizzled Fried Rice
• Lemon Glazed Chicken
• Sweet & Sour Pork
• Lemongrass Creme Brulee'
• Brownie
• 1 bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand)

 

This affordable Asian Bistro' Bar offers a good Indo-Chinese cuisine, sharing style plates in a eclectic Asian decor, the Lemongrass Creme brulee' was delicious.

MILDRED'S TEMPLE KITCHEN

My parents are in town, where to go? Liberty Village is our choice, a modern and ticklish urban eatery with a Marylin Monroe movie an the wall.

We started with Bread & Olives: Thuet's sourdough bread, hand rolled crackers & a garlic Tuscan bean dip then my love for Morocco took me to the Lamb Tagine: Roast squash, orange cardamom, scented cous cous & pickled dates served with olive oil and for the traditional Steak Frites: 4o days aged striploin served with a heap of frites, garlic spinach & horseradish jus.



BOLLY CAULI: roasted curried cauliflower tossed with quinoa,
 caramelized onions, wilted spinach & green grapes,
topped with a dollop of yogurt

HANDMADE GNUDI: your Italian nona made this from ricotta, egg, a little flour, a hint of nutmeg & a lot of love served with sage butter & shaved Sovrano 



CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING: coffee cream

 



Experience: $ 152.00

• Bread & Olives
• Bolly Caouli
• Homemade Gnudi
• Lamb Tagine
• Steak Frites
• Homemade bubble water
• 2 glasses of Sauvignon Blanc (California)



For lovers of spices and interesting flavours, Grandma made a good job with the Gnudi (said the Italian dad) and the Tagine was a tasteful mind journey to the Medina.

WESLODGE

A saloon in the city? Yes, illuminated sign, massive yellow doors, a trophy room and servers with leather holsters to make you feel in a modern saloon right in downtown.
The menu offers American cuisine with a western twist, we started with the Scotch Quail Eggs - the Bison Ribeye: Juniper Rub, Green Olives Tabouli - the Baked Black Cod: Broccoli puree, Buckwheat Noodle, Citrus Vinaigrette and Squash Tater Tots with chorizo.
Last but not least the Sticky cake and the Chocolate Gold Bar.



                

                    SCOTCH EGGS: Chorizo, Tomato jam,
             Black truffle



BOURBON GLAZED CORNISH HEN:
 Malted barley, Romanesco, Jus

CHOCOLATE BAR: Gold leaf

Experience: $ 219.00

• Scotch Eggs
• Bourbon Glazed Cornish Hen
• 2 Bison Ribeye
• Baked Black Cod
• Squash Tater Tots
• 2 Sticky Cake
• Chocolate Gold Bar
• 2 glasses of Astrolabe, Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand)

We were so fascinated by the surreal hunting atmosphere around us that we did not pay so much attention to the just right size portion of our plates. The Slow Roasted Ontario Lamb shoulder caught our attention but our waiter advise us the portion was about 5 pounds, we definitely have to come back! The Hen and the Squash were deliciously well made.



SCARAMOUCHE

Scaramouche is a romantic historical novel by Rafael Sabadini published in 1921, the novel opens with the memorable line: " He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad".
This old style restaurant with white tablecloth offers an amazing view of downtown Toronto,
we have been offered a welcome olive tapenade and home made pecan bread, just delightful.

QUEBEC DUCK: foie gras terrine,duck pastrami,
 fig confit, pickled leeks, grapes maple cider jelly,
 hazelnut, sourdough toast and vincotto

SEA BASS: artichokes, roasted fennel,
oven-dried cherry tomatoes, black olive grilled chili pepper,
shellfish tomato nage, smoked paprika aioli



VENISON: bacon wrapped loin, sour cream spaetzle,
candy cane beet, leeks forelle pear,
walnuts, watercress pesto,
red wine jus and triple crunch mustard cream

SOFT PISTACHIO MERINGUE: rhubarb ginger beer sorbet,
pistachio cream, poached Ontario rhubarb

 

Experience: $ 190.00

• Quebec Duck, appetizer
• Sea bass, entree
• Venison, entree
• Soft Pistachio Meringue, dessert
• Half bottle of Astrolabe, Sauvignon Blanc ( New Zealand)

The meal was very good, one of the best I ever had and the dessert absolutely outstanding. Scaramouche is the perfect spot for an old style celebration.

THOMPSON DINER

This was my first official night in Toronto, we just decided to walk and have and easy but yummy dinner.                                                  

We have been welcome by Anna, our waitress: "feel free to wave at me or scream my name".  

                                          

We had a foot long hot dog, The Works: with grilled onions, Swiss cheese & bacon - All Canadian Burger and the Warm Gingerbread. 

Must try the brunch burger with french fries, beef burger with fried eggs, melted cheddar & bacon served on a powdered donut... sounds funky delicious!                            





Warm Gingerbread, handmade salted caramel gelato

All Canadian Burger, cheddar & peameal bacon

Experience: $ 42.00

• The works, hot dog
• All Canadian, hamburger
• Warm ginger bread
• One free refill soft drink

Located at the Thompson Hotel, the diner is open 24/7 perfect for a midnight snack or a simple and quick meal. The french fries were absolutely delicious and the dessert quite interesting, it was a nice and fun experience that thanks to Anna made the food even more tasteful!