Johnny's Hamburgers

There's nothing like a juicy, hot and freshly made hamburger at 2 in the morning, am I right? One sunny afternoon, my friend and
I decided to visit the popular burger joint, sandwiched between two busy plazas on Victoria Park Avenue just south of Sheppard. It was right about lunch time and
the place was already jam packed with hungry patrons waiting for their orders. With a variety of burgers on the menu such as the Banquet Burger and veal on a bun.

We decided to go with the Lunch Combo special which included a Hamburger, fries and a large soft drink. For only $5.75, it was well worth it. The Hamburger (3/5), featured a somewhat juicy patty that was grilled to perfection. Flavour wise, it was average, and with the plethora of toppings it made the
bun soggy. The Fries (3/5) were
fairly average as well. Just in
 between slighty crispy and soggy.
The 'Large' drink was more like
a small, but decent for the price.
Johnny's Hamburgers is definitely
the go-to place to satisfy a good,
cheap burger craving. The place
almost reminds me of Square Boy
in the Danforth, minus the quarter
chicken meals and gyros.

Asian Kitchen

After visiting the Cellphone
Hospital in Toronto, aka Pacific Mall, to get my phone repaired, I was given the task
of choosing where to eat. Sigh...so many options to choose from, so little time. I totally forgot there
was a plaza nearby on Silver Star Blvd , with a massive
food court.

Craving Chinese
Food, we ventured
our way over to the plaza and to be honest we all took awhile to
decide on what to eat. The glowing green sign from Asian Kitchen caught my eye. With a large menu    
consisting of rice, noodle and set meals to choose from we all decided to get something different to share.

For $4, the Sweet & Sour Pork on Rice (3.5/5) was pretty decent with a generous amount of rice topped with saucy, but still crispy Sweet & Sour Pork. The sauce was a bit too sour for my liking but the crisp veggies made up for it.        

My favourite had to be the Soya Sauce Chicken on Rice (4/5), which was topped with again, a generous amount of tender and juicy chicken. Each piece had a nice rendered skin, that was very flavourful and not overly salty. The accompanying Veggies were a tad chewy but I was fine with that. Unfortunately, they did not have the Ginger and Onion Sauce to dip the Chicken in, which would've made the chicken stand out.

We couldn't be without a noodle dish, so we went with the Fried Rice Noodle with Beef (2.5/5). The first thing I noticed about this, was how incredibly greasy it was. Not a good first impression, as many Chinese Restaurants can master this dish without leaving this much grease behind. Just looking at it gave me a little tummy ache. The beef was tender and the noodles were soft. Although the flavour was great without being too salty, sadly we really couldn't finish this due to how greasy it was.

Our visit to Asian Kitchen was okay, especially it being a fast food joint.
The prices were great and all
the dishes we had came with a Soup
or Soya Milk.  

Ocean Seafood Restaurant

I have a fear of driving to Richmond Hill. The busy Highway 7 during rush hour, and minimized 2 lane traffic...It's a nightmare. However, when it comes to eats, I will do absolutely ANYTHING. Yes, i'm that serious. One beautiful Sunday afternoon, we decided to head to Ocean Seafood Restaurant. Tucked inside a fairly big plaza located by Hwy 7 & Leslie, this place is not hard to miss. The parking was indeed a
nightmare, due to the limited
spots and busy restaurants
that share the same plaza.

 We were given an afternoon tea lunch menu which featured some Hong Kong Style Favourites, Congee, Sandwiches, and snacks that came with your choice of HK Style Milk Tea, Coffee or Iced Tea. The first item that caught my eye immediately was the Baked Pork Chop on Rice (4.5/5). We had the choice of Black Pepper, Cream or Tomato Sauce. Don't let the size of that plate fool ya, this was massive! Although I had no intentions of sharing haha, I had to because it was so big! Topped with cheese, the sauce had a perfect tangy and sweetness to it that wasn't overpowering but left you craving for more. It complimented the rice which was a tad bit undercooked
well, and the pork was juicy.

My sister was craving some Fried Chicken Wings (3.5/5) and these were great. Crispy, Juicy and flavourful, easy on the grease! It was a steal in my opinion, especially because it came with a drink!

We got an order of the Shredded Pork and Vegetable Chow Mein (3.5/5) which was loaded with crisp veggies and tender shredded pork. The addition of bean sprouts added a nice crunch and the sauce had the right consistency.

The Malaysian Style Minced Beef Fried Rice (4/5) was one of the best fried rice I ever had. Not only was beef tender, the rice was flavourful
without exhibiting much MSG and grease. I loved the
addition of the diced Gai Lan,
as it added a nice crunch.



We enjoyed the Singapore Style Fried Vermicelli Rice Noodle  (3.5/5). The spice level of the curry wasn't too overpowering, but it
was still a tad bit salty in my opinion. Again, I love the addition of the crisp veggies as it balanced the dish well.

The dishes we tried this visit were
above average in our opinion,
and we would definitely come back
again, especially to check out
their dinner offerings. The service
was average, but the food and drinks
came out fast which was good. This
is a great place to satisfy your
HK Style favourites cravings for
a decent price.

Costco

My family absolutely loves Costco. I mean, how can you not like free samples and wonton noodle soup sold in bulk? Seriously, those must've been the worst wontons I've ever tasted, by the way.
After our weekly shopping trip at Costco, we would ALWAYS stop by for a snack.



We decided to get the Poutine (4/5), as we were craving their fries.... and what's not to love that's covered in hot gravy? The fries here at Costco are absolutely delicious. If you have not tried the french fries at Costco, I suggest you immediately catch the next flight to the closest destination with one. Crispy, piping hot, these are #1 on my list. These aren't the fries that get soggy after 30 minutes or so. They retain it's extra crunchy exterior while being fluffy on the inside. The gravy on top was nice and hot, and it wasn't salty at all. Definitely went great with the fries. The cheese curds on top could've been melted a bit more, but these squeaky curds were a delight.

 We also decided to have the Chicken Strips & Fries (4.5/5). For $5.99, this was a heck of a deal. There were 5 big pieces of crispy fried chicken strips in this massive portion, along with their ever so tasty fries. The chicken strips were juicy and crunchy, not dry at all. The fries were hot and potatoey, just the way it's supposed to be done.







Costco's Food court is definitely a place to check out, if you like a decent and quick bite. Their hotdogs are quite tasty too, for only $1.50 and a fountain drink. If you want to satisfy your sweet tooth, they also have a selection of sundaes and ice cream which are creamy and smooth.