Nagoya Japanese Restaurant

 Almost everyday I pass by this place. Sure, I've heard about it on the radio and seen it's ad in the newspaper, but I've never really had the intention of trying it. No reason at all, but due to the many other places that offer AYCE, I totally forgot about this place. We were shopping at the fairly close Pacific Mall one day, and once again I was given the task of choosing where to go for dinner. The first place that popped up in my head was Nagoya. I guess the foodie gods thought it was about time we tried this place out.

It was only about 5:30 pm and the small
restaurant was already jam packed. When I
mean jam packed, I mean jam packed like a can of sardines. There was barely any room for the servers and patrons to get by. Anyways on to the food. They were having a Lobster Sashimi (3.5/5) special.

The lobster was sweet and tender and our whole party enjoyed it. The tobiko added a nice crunch. We got an order of Takoyaki (3/5) and it was fairly average with a bouncy piece of octopus inside. The Sashimi was decent, our favourite being the Ika (Squid) (4/5).


It had a nice buttery and bouncy texture which we all enjoyed. The Salmon Sashimi (2.5/5) was cut thick but unfortunately, it didn't taste very fresh.




There was a slight fishy taste, which sucked because it was cut properly. The Octopus (3/5) made up for that in a way as it was  decently chewy with a snap. The Crab Meat (2/5) and Surf Clam (2.5/5) were both average.



We got 4 different rolls, such as the Spider Roll and California Roll. When it arrived to our table, we were immediately confused as to which roll was which. It was poorly constructed as piece was falling apart. I understand that I'm at a AYCE, but this was honestly very disappointing. We noticed other patrons weren't exactly satisfied with their rolls either. The Spider Roll (2/5) had no sauce on top which made it really dry. The California Roll (2.5/5), was topped with a little too much tobiko, and fell apart really easily.

We ordered the Salmon and Avocado Handroll (2.5/5) and there was no avocado to be found.
It was stuffed with so much rice which was gummy. At this point, we were quite unhappy,
especially because the service was lacking as well. For a small restaurant, it was super hard to flag down one of their 5 servers and they mostly forgot to help us check up on an order.


I did like their system of us telling which dishes to order instead of patrons writing it themselves on little sheets or scrolling through an ipad, but unfortunately some orders did not come through.

 
Their desserts were pretty typical for a Japanese AYCE. They had the Mango Yogurt (4/5) which was the highlight of the night due to it's creaminess and slight mango flavour. The Green Tea and Red Bean Icecream were creamy but tasted average and nothing special. The Coconut Pudding (3/5) had a faint coconut taste, but was enjoyable because it was creamy and silky.
Overall, our experience here was not the best, and since there are so many more new AYCE places, I would suggest trying those before coming here.

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.

Gourmet Vegetarian Restaurant

Located in a busy Chinese Plaza, tucked away in
the far left corner, Gourmet Vegetarian Restaurant can easily be missed, so keep an eye out, but first keep an eye out for a parking spot
as there aren't many.

Other than eating Dimsum in Scarborough and Markham most of the time, my grandma brought up a place she used to go all the time. With limited seating, suitable for about 50 people, this place did get really busy both times we were here. You can order straight from their Dim Sum menu or their menu which offers a variety of noodles, fried rice, soups and vegetarian dishes.




We started off with the Deep Fried Taro 
Patties  (4/5), which were wrapped in
beancurd. If you love Taro, you will absolutely LOVE this dish. As a Taro fan myself, these were fried to a  perfect crisp and were loaded with Taro that was piping hot. There was
definitely no absence of Taro here. These were even better dipped in the Sweet & Sour Sauce that came with the dish.

We saw a few other fellow diners ordering the Vegetable Fried Rice Noodle (4/5) and we immediately knew why. Although it may look fairly simple to make, it was delicious. Loaded with tons of crunchy bean sprouts, chinese mushrooms, parsley, carrots and green onions, the colours and taste of this dish were vibrant. The sweetness of the veggies were a perfect
compliment to the soft rice noodles.


The Fried Dough Fritter Stuffed Rice Noodle (1/5), was just sad. I was disappointed at the
fact that they would even serve such a poorly executed dish to anyone like that. The whole thing was more like a deconstructed rice noodle than a supposedly stuffed one. The rice noodle
was very thick and slimy for some reason, possibly the reason why it was falling apart. Such a shame, as the dough fritter was crispy.







Somewhat of a disappointment as well,
the Pan Fried Bean Curd Roll Stuffed with
Vegetables (3/5) were lacking veggies on the inside. There were a few strands
of carrots, chinese mushrooms and pieces
of celery, but overall it was too thin in my
opinion, resulting in a very chewy and
slightly crispy exterior.








 We enjoyed the Pan Fried Vegetable Stuffed
Bun (3/5), but felt like it should've
been called a Mushroom stuffed Bun, as
it was stuffed with a plethora of Mushrooms
ranging from Shiitake and WoodEar resulting
in a satisfying crunchy interior. The Bun itself
was a tad too greasy, but nonetheless it
was definitely tasty!

The Vegetable Spring Rolls (4/5) were
definitely one of the best ones I've ever
had. Stuffed with mushroom, carrots and
cabbage, these were super crispy without
the wrapper being too thick.

I did enjoy my visit and I will come
back to try their other vegetarian dishes.

RECIPE: Corned Beef Hash

While I enjoy going out in search of
good eats, I also enjoy cooking!
I will start posting a few of my favourite recipes to share with you all so stay tuned!


This week's dish is one that I grew up eating, whether for Sunday morning brunch, or for dinner. It's simple and easy to make, and super delicious!


This Recipe serves more than 5 people and takes less 45 minutes.












Ingredients:

• 5 Yukon Gold Potatoes (Any type works fine, I prefer Yukon as they taste sweeter)
• 1/2 Can of Corned Beef (Any Brand works fine)
•  Salt
• Cracked Black Pepper 
• 2 Tbsp Oil

Directions:

• Wash & Peel Potatoes
• Boil Potatoes until they are fork tender. Add a pinch of salt.
• Drain Potatoes
• Preheat a large pan, and add Oil
• Add 1/2 of Corned Beef & mince using Spatula
• In another Bowl, mash potatoes until they are in small chunks
• Once the Corned Beef is golden brown, add in Potatoes.
• Mix the Corned Beef with the Potatoes and flatten using spatula.
• Add Cracked Black Pepper and Salt to Taste.
• To ensure crispiness, mix the Corned Beef and Potatoes again and flatten the mixture.
• Once the mixture is golden brown, it's ready to eat!

Great when eaten with eggs and avocado!

Da Fu Seafood Cuisine (Best Dim Sum in Scarborough?)

Yes I know, I did a review back in July about my Dim Sum experience at Da Fu. Ever since then I probably
have gone back more than 20 times..
and yes 20!! When your Grandma
and Uncle calls you every Saturday
for Dim Sum, oh you can't possibly
reject!

One item that we always order first, well actually the waiters carry these around, are the Portuguese Chicken Pies (3.5/5). Filled with tender pieces of chicken in a creamy curry like sauce, these are not to be missed. The flaky pie pastry is oh so buttery, but can easily fall apart.

Another go-to item of ours is the Da Fu Vegetable Spring Rolls (4/5). Packed with shredded taro, carrots and bean sprouts these are a delight especially dipped in Worchestershire Sauce. The colouring might look off, but these are fried to a nice crisp.







Occasionally, the waiters can be seen holding plates of food that are most likely not found on the Dim Sum menu, like the Portuguese Chicken Pie. During one of our visits they were walking around with
plates of the Deep Fried Chicken Cartilage (3.5/5). These don't sound appetiting at all, but trust me I'm not a fan of cartilage either, but these were very tasty. Piping hot, these were fried with Chili's as they exhibited a little bit of heat. The cartilage was not too hard where it was inedible, and the batter was nice and crispy.





 An absolute favourite of ours, would be the Steamed Chiu Chow Dumplings (4.5/5) , also known as Fun Gor. Loaded with minced meat, Chinese mushrooms, bamboo shoots, toasted peanuts, celery and cilantro these literally explode in your mouth with the first bite. These are honestly that good. The filling isn't too salty while the dumpling skin isn't too thick. The celery and bamboo adds a nice crunch. One tip while eating these morsels of goodness. USE A SPOON! 




Speaking of explosions in your mouth, the Steamed Salted Egg Yolk Custard Bun (5/5) is something that'll you'll definitely have to eat with caution! Man these are amazing! The bun is nice and soft and filled with Salted Egg Yolk goodness! These aren't too sweet and honestly I could eat a whole order of these. It is recommended that you eat these as soon as possible as the custard will sit and cool eventually making it somewhat dry. Not alot of Dim Sum places offer this dish so I'm glad this was on the menu!

The Steamed Short Ribs in Black Pepper Sauce (4/5) will make you crave for more. Tender, succulent, and moist, these literally fall off the bone. The ribs are aggressively seasoned with Black pepper to the point where it does not over power the dish which I enjoy. It definitely adds a nice to kick to it. There wasn't alot of fat content which is good.

The Steamed Shrimp Dumplings or Har Gow (4/5) were nice and plump. The wrapper was slightly thin but no to the point where it broke easily. The shrimp filling had a good crunch texture and was seasoned with a bit of sesame oil which brought out the flavours. Very good.











 The Sticky Rice filled with Salted Egg and Pork or Jung (3/5) was slightly better than the types you would find at the grocery store. The pork wasn't too fatty and there were big pieces of the salted egg yolk which is my favourite part. The mung bean and rice to filling ratio was good so that with each bite you could get some of both. This arrived with a small plate of sugar, which according to my parents, make the dish a whole lot better. I think I'll stick to eating these 'sugarless'.



The Steamed Black Bean Spare Ribs with Pumpkin (4/5) were meaty and moist, while the soft pumpkin soaked up all the goodness. I especially liked how the pieces of spare ribs didn't have too much bone and fat content and was beautifully tender. The black bean sauce wasn't too overpowering, maintaining the flavours of the meat.










The Beef Rice Noodle Roll or Cheung Fun (4/5) is one of my grandma's favourite dishes when we eat Dim Sum. She is quite the expert when it comes to a Rice Noodle Rolls. Trust me, after one bite of the Beef Rice Noodle Roll we had at Health Gourmet (See previous posts) she didn't touch it.
You know she loves it here when she can almost eat the whole plate herself. The Rice Noodle is nice and soft but not to the point where it is soggy and loose. The tender beef filling is mixed with bamboo shoots and cilantro which add a nice crunch texture.

When you arrive early during the lunch time rush, you'll usually see the BBQ Pork Puff Pastry (4.5/5) floating around. These are a very popular and go fast so be sure you come early just for it! Trust me, these are worth it. The puff pastry is super buttery and flaky, while the BBQ Pork filling is meaty and not overly sweet. These aren't like the ones you find at a Chinese Bakery.
They make these in house like their Baked Portuguese Chicken Pies, so you bet these are hot and fresh.

The Steamed Chicken Feet in Black Bean Sauce (4/5) was perfectly cooked where they weren't hard or too soft either. The black bean sauce was flavourful where it wasn't overpowering and the addition of minced garlic was tasty. It had some chilli's in it which provided a bit of heat.










 The Sui Mai (4/5) is another must order here. Made with with crunchy shrimp and tender pork, these almost instantly melt in your mouth. These are incredibly juicy especially when you eat these hot, and the large pieces of Chinese Mushroom add a nice smoky flavour. The Tobiko (Fish Eggs) on top add a slight saltiness as well as crunch.

The Fried Donut Rice Noodle Roll (4/5) is my uncle's favourite dish at Dim Sum and Congee places. He believes the one here at Da Fu is way better than the one at Congee Queen. What?! Yup, you read that right, and I couldn't agree with him more. The fried donut is light and crispy even with the rice noodle around it. The rice noodle wasn't too thick or too thin either which we enjoyed. The addition of dried shrimp would've nice but this was great with or without.

The last dish to arrive was the Coconut Milk Pudding (3.5/5). Rich, creamy and smooth, these were a nice end to our meal. These were topped with Toasted Shredded Coconut which was texturally pleasing and added a nice smoky flavour. The texture was firm and not too soft.


After quite alot of visits, Da Fu has instantly become one of my go-to places for Dim Sum. They do not skimp on ingredients and there food is always served the right temperature. Their food is consistent from the times I've been there, and it is quite inexpensive. The wait times for a table is usually 15-30 minutes, depending on the party size and time you go (Busier during Weekends).
I totally recommend Da Fu for great
Quality Dim Sum well worth your buck.



The Good:

• Inexpensive
• Consistent
• Great overall quality

The Bad:

• Parking may be quite hectic as it is located in a mall with T&T and other surrounding establishments
• Wait times for a table can be quite long

Miller Tavern (Hogg's Hollow Yonge Location)

 Miller Tavern has been around for many years, with locations in the heart of Downtown Toronto on Bloor, and North York. After a shopping trip at IKEA that was close by, we were fairly hungry,  and wanted to catch the Leafs game so we decided to stop by Miller Tavern for Lunch.


To start, we had the Miller Lamb Poutine (3/5). 
Aside from the fact that the fries were crispy and
were made out of Yukon Gold Potatoes, there was
absolutely nothing special about this dish. Not that I was hoping there to be something special anyways....but for the $12 price tag..this most certainly was not worth it. The lamb was dry and chewy and and the cheese curds were not squeaky at all. The lamb gravy had no taste and was fairly bland. For $12, I could've gotten 3 even tastier poutines at New York Fries... Just Saying.....
But hey at least the Leafs were winning!

The Tenderloin Steak Kebab with grilled vegetables, pecan wild rice and avocado yogurt sauce (4/5) was a great hit. The 10 oz tenderloin steak was grilled to perfection, slightly charred on the outside, while maintaining it's tender and juicy medium rare interior. The grilled vegetables were tasty, although I would've preferred bigger pieces, as they were sliced quite thin. The pecan rice was decent, but was chewier for my tastes. Loved the avocado yogurt as it was both light and refreshing.












Both my siblings decided to go with a burger each, starting off with the Miller Burger (3.5/5), made with freshly ground beef, topped with aged cheddar, smoked bacon and caramelized onions. The patty was thick with a decent char on the outside. Although slightly overcooked, it was still juicy. My sister was not a fan of the tiny piece of smoked bacon, but the caramelized onions were nice and added a nice sweetness to the burger. she opted for the Sweet Potato Fries (3/5) instead of the regular
yukon gold fries and was quite disappointed because it was soggy and not quite crispy at all.

My brother on the other hand, went with the
Cheeseburger (4/5), which was much better than
the Miller Burger. Made with the same thick fresh ground beef patty, this was charred nicely on the grill and was cooked to a perfect medium rare making it more juicy. My brother decided to stick with the Yukon Gold Fries, and they were pretty average, like the ones in the Lamb Poutine. They were definitely crispier than the Sweet Potato Fries which are a plus.

My mom had the Chicken Penne (3.5/5), which
was quite tasty. The pasta was cooked to a perfect
al dente, and there was enough sauce to ensure it
wasn't dry. The chicken was juicy, but out of the whole dish, we only found like two pieces. This was
quite substantial, but it did the job.

My family absolutely loves deserts, especially
cheesecake, so we got two to share. The Berry Cheesecake (4/5), was creamy and smooth, while
maintaining it's soft texture. The berry compote
topping wasn't too sweet, so it didn't overpower
the taste of the cheesecake. The cheesecake itself
was light, so it wasn't very overwhelming. The graham crust was so not thick either, but still ensured that the bottom was not soggy.

The Raspberry Sorbet (4/5), was light and refreshing without being too overly sweet. It had the right amount of tartness, and was bursting with flavour. For $7.50, I would say it was quite pricey, but nonetheless it was a great way to end the meal.

The Deep Dish Peanut Butter Pie (3/5), was too sweet for our liking. Composed of a cookie crust, the pie had a Reese's peanut butter cup flavour filling which was quite tasty, but really it was one
of the sweetest deserts I've ever had. I think everyone needed an extra glass of water after this. The brown butter Bourbon Creme anglaise was light, but it didn't really add much as the whole pie itself was overpowering with it's sweetness.

The Vanilla Creme Brûlée (4/5), was much better as it wasn't overly sweet and was nice and smooth. The sugar crust on top was very well done as it wasn't too thick and cracked with the touch of the spoon. The vanilla custard had a slight bitter taste to it which I enjoyed as it balanced the sweetness.

The Banana Caramel Crunch (3/5), on the otherhand, was not that great.  Composed of popcorn and a scoop of vanilla icecream topped with bananas, caramel syrup and a layer of chocolate, this was quite disappointing. The popcorn was soggy and chewy due to the large amount of caramel syrup, and overall it did not have that crunch the way it was advertised. For $8.50 this was totally not worth it, and I am glad it is only on their seasonal menu.












Miller Tavern is a decent place for a quick bite, especially if you're looking for a nice steak or fresh seafood. Their servers are very friendly and the seating is cozy. It is quite pricey, but the ambiance makes up for it.




The Good:

• Portions are Decent
• Servers are Friendly

The Bad:

•  Quite Pricey
• Food is inconsistent at times

Congee Queen

Congee Queen has been opened for many years that I know of, and ever since they have over 6 locations around the GTA. The locations I frequent most is the McCowan/Hwy 7 and Leslie/Hwy 7 Location. Most recently they opened a new location right by Centerpoint Mall on Yonge/Steeles, so
we decided to check it out.

Being at Congee Queen, we must order a bowl of
Congee. Our go-to is the Pork Meatball and Liver Congee (4/5). The Congee itself had a nice consistency as it was neither too thick or too watery. It was flavourful, with the addition of Pork Meatballs and Liver which are great for dipping in Soy Sauce. They do not skimp on the ingredients as you can see in the picture.

A favourite of ours when we visit Congee Queen would be the Fried Chili Turnip Patties (4/5). These are pretty popular at Congee Queen as you can see them on almost every table. I've tried these at 4/6 locations, and I honestly have to say there are some differences. One chef let's say, might be heavy on the chili's while another isn't. Although there are differences, they are small and these tasty patties are always executed properly. At this particular location, this was done right, as the Turnip Patties were Crispy and there was a decent amount of Chili's, meat and egg. This wasn't very spicy which was nice and it was seasoned well.

Another favourite of ours, would be the Deep Fried Crab Claw (4.5/5). This isn't like the average crab claw you would have at Chinese Weddings or events. These are HUGE! I have pretty big hands and all I can say is these are are big as my fist. These always arrive crisp and piping hot!











They do not skimp on the shrimp and crab meat, which is always tender. Add a little Vinegar and you're good to go!

The Beef Brisket and Tendon Lo-Mein (4/5) is another must order here at Congee Queen. With a choice of Thick or Thin Noodles (We usually pick the Thick), these go great with the succulent and tender brisket. The noodles were cooked to perfection as it wasn't chewy or mushy. The tendon is not overly soft or chewy and is always flavourful. The accompanying Wonton Soup was not overly salty.

 The Malaysian Fried Rice (3.5/5), smelled really good as it arrived to the table. The ingredients such as the minced beef and vegetables added a nice textural contrast as well as flavour, as the dish was not too salty. The taste reminded me of Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice, minus the salted fish. It was a bit on the oilier side, but nonetheless this was good.











Congee Queen is a great place for decent Chinese Food. They also have items such as Pho and Pad Thai which are definitely worth a try next time. Their service is quick and friendly and seating is usually always available, depending on which location you go to. (Centrepoint Mall and Hwy 7/ Leslie Locations are more spacious).


The Good:

• Great place for Decent Chinese Food
• Congee is not too watery or thick
• Quick and Friendly Service

 The Bad:

•  

Vietnam Noodle Star

It was a cold, summer night....Yup, you read that right! Cold!
This 'Summer' hasn't really felt like Summer to me. I love the Sun, heat warnings and warm nights...not the cold! Anyways, I was craving for some Pho and being right by one of my favourite places to get some, you know I HAD to stop by!
Located in an Asian Strip Mall on Finch/Midland Ave, Vietnam Noodle Star, has been in the business for almost 3 decades. That's when you know there is something special about the place.
Vietnam Noodle Star features a fairly decent menu, composed of
Vietnamese and Thai favourites such as Pho (Which I came for), Lemongrass Chicken,
Bian Hoi, Satay, Pad Thai and variety of snacks. With many tables and seats, the wait
is usually pretty short, depending on what time you go. Usually busier later on at night,
as they close at 12am. Let's get to the food shall we :)

With a variety of toppings and noodles to choose from, we decided to go with a bowl of Lemongrass Chicken Pho. Burning my tongue hot, the broth was rich and mildy sweet. The broth wasn't very salty and exhibited a nice aromatic taste. The Lemongrass chicken was tender and  still maintained it's crispiness and displayed a nice lemongrass flavour. We got the fresh noodles, which made this even more amazing as it was not overly soft and it went well with the broth and chicken.

Next up, we got one of my favourites, that being the Sliced Cooked Beef Pho. Arriving scorching hot,
the broth was just as good with the right level of rich and mildy sweet flavour. With a generous amount, the sliced cooked beef was deliciously tender and flavourful. We ordered the same fresh noodles, which once again, went well with the broth and the beef. The green and white onions add a boost of flavour to the broth which makes it even more tasty!










Vietnam Noodle Star is a great place for Pho and other Vietnamese and Thai favourites. I love how they don't skimp on the toppings and noodles, and really, it's a bang for your buck. The service here is okay, I mean it's a busy restaurant and the people just keep on coming! I know I'll be back for sure to try some other items on the menu!