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

Dinner at Congee Queen (Hwy 7 and Leslie Location)

Congee Queen is one of my go-to spots for lunch. With locations scattered around the GTA, they offer an affordable variety of Chinese, as well as Thai and Vietnamese options. My family and I decided that we head over to Congee Queen one night for dinner. This time, we decided to visit their fairly new (Hwy 7 and Leslie) Location, right by the 404 in Richmond Hill.

While browsing the 'Hot Picks' menu, the Tiger Shrimp tossed in Custard Sauce (2/5) caught our eye. The Shrimp wasn't 'tossed' in the Custard Sauce as advertised which made us quite disappointed as some pieces were lacking in sauce. The shrimp was nice and crispy which we enjoyed. The custard sauce drizzled on top was really just mayo.

We decided on the Two Assorted BBQ Combo (3/5) , which included Roasted Duck and BBQ Pork. The Roasted Duck was beautifully prepared in my opinion where there was little to almost no fat and the skin was not soggy at all. The meat was moist and not dry. The BBQ pork was great as well, as it wasn't too fatty or chewy. The soy sauce on the bottom made the meat taste overly salty which I didn't enjoy, as I would've preferred to have it on the side. Maybe next time I'll ask for that.

I'm a sucker for anything in a Hot Pot. Even rice in a clay hot pot. With 9 varieties to choose from, and more than 10 long minutes of deciding, I decided to go with the Chicken and Chinese Mushroom with Rice in Hot Pot (3.5/5). The large pieces of chicken were moist, but had very big pieces of bone still attached. Most restaurants I've been to, tend to use boneless chicken which would've made it easier to eat. Nonetheless it was tasty, especially the Chinese mushrooms which added a nice smokiness to the dish. The rice was aromatic from the chicken and Chinese mushrooms.

The Beef with Mushroom On a Sizzling Plate (3/5) arrived piping hot and sizzling as advertised. The large pieces of beef were tender and not chewy at all. The caramelized onions were sweet and flavourful, while the mushrooms exhibited a nice texture and weren't too soft. Oh man pair this dish with a bowl of rice...

Also on their special menu, was the Golden Milk Pudding (4.5/5). My goodness these were delicious! Creamy, Smooth and full of milk flavour, these are definitely a must try! These weren't too soft which I enjoyed. Something about the rich milk flavour makes this dish so tasty, I couldn't stop eating them. Yes Yes, I know these can be easily made at home, but something about these make them a must try.












Something that can be easily made at home that I
wouldn't have again here is the Fresh Mango Pudding (1.5/5). Texturally, it was nice and smooth, but really it was the average mango pudding you find at a dim sum spot. The taste was pretty generic and I expected some pieces of Mango as it was called Fresh Mango Pudding. For $3.99, I'd rather add an extra dollar for another order of the Golden Milk Pudding.




The food at Congee Queen can be consistent at most times which is great. It can also get quite busy during lunch and dinner hours, so be prepared for a short wait (Depending on the Location). The staff at the locations I've visited are nice which is a plus.


The Good:

• Not a long wait for Food
• Everything was at the right temperature
• Spacious

The Bad:

• Food can be inconsistent at times

Dimsum at Health Gourmet

Before I start this post off, I'd like to wish 

everyone a Happy New Year! Hope all of you

have a healthy and safe year with your family and loved

ones and most importantly eat lots of food! 

~ Tiffany.  

Saturday Afternoon Dim Sum in my family can never be missed even when there is an hour long wait for a table. When we found out our go to Dim Sum spot was renovating for the week, we quickly thought of a new place we could try. My mom suggested Health Gourmet, located in a Strip Mall by Midland and Finch. Health Gourmet prides themselves for serving food with 'NO MSG'. I guess we had to see for ourselves!

I don't often talk about the decor of the restaurants I visit in my blog posts, but man I was really questioning whether or not I was in Restaurant when I walked in. I don't even know how to describe it...mint
green walls, white curtains, odd
paintings.....Maybe I was too used to the typical Chinese Restaurant look.

The Dim Sum menu here is quite confusing as there are two set prices for let's say, the Steamed Chicken Feet. Apparently one is the regular price while the other is the price for
'VIP Club Members'. Really?!?! I guess that's one way they could get customers coming back.

We ordered the Durian Custard Pastry (3.5/5) ,which was recommended to us by our server. The pastry was very flaky as you
can see from the picture. It was a tad too oily, but nonetheless the durian custard was nice and creamy. Thankfully the Durian flavour was strong and didn't taste artificial at all.


The Deep Fried Squid Tentacles (2.5/5), arrived piping hot. These looked like they were well seasoned, but boy was I wrong. Oh yeah these were well seasoned....with a whole ton of SALT! At least they had a nice bouncy texture which was a tiny bit enjoyable.


 
The Beef Rice Noodle Roll (Cheung Fun) (1.5/5), is an item that is a must for my family at any Dim Sum restaurant. To be honest, I've never had Beef Rice Noodle Roll that tasted like this...the taste was just unusual. The Rice Noodle Roll was too thick, while the beef had this very unpleasant beefy, somewhat gamey taste. Yes there was garlic and onions but oh man not even the soy sauce could hinder
 the strong gamey taste.

I was glad the Deep Fried Spring Rolls (3/5), made the appearance next as they were fried beautifully golden brown. As expected, these were very crispy and piping hot. The filling consisted of the typical ground
beef and taro which was a tad too salty,
but overall it was a dish I enjoyed.

Next up, the Steamed Beef Tendon with Garlic Sauce (2.5/5), arrived lukewarm to the touch. Ordering from a Dim Sum menu and not from Push Carts I expected everything to arrive HOT, not Warm. Sigh, at least these were nice and tender. The garlic sauce didn't really provide much flavour which was pretty disappointing.

As soon as these arrived, I was praying that they didn't use the same beef mixture to make these as they did for the Beef Rice Noodle Roll. Welp, these tasted exactly, if not worse than the ones in the Rice Noodle Roll. These Steamed Beef Balls (1/5), were massive, but I mean not matter what size you make them, the taste is all that really matters. These had the same gamey
taste except with no Rice Noodle
Roll to somewhat mask the flavour. They put bamboo shoots in the mixture for the crunch, but ultimately these were not enjoyable for me. I guess there are some people who enjoy the gamey taste, but I for one do not.

The Steamed Chiu Chow Style Dumplings (Fun Gor) (2.5/5), were a huge disappointment as well. The dumpling skin was very thick, as you can from the picture. Normally these are supposed to be transparent where you can see the filling inside.
The filling consisted of ground pork,
onions, bamboo shoots, and onions
 and once again was too salty.


The Steamed Chicken Feet (3/5),
was very flavourful and fall off the bone tender. There was no gamey taste at all, surprisingly... Thankfully these were enjoyable.

The Sui Mai (2.5/5), looked rather unappealing. I mean the tobiko on top could've been taken off if you were to use such a tiny amount. Anyways, these were quite substantial as the pork and shrimp were nice and tender and it wasn't too salty for my tastes. The Shrimp had a nice bouncy texture.

We were still quite hungry after so we ordered the Shredded Pork and Vegetable Chow Mein (2.5/5). I loved how they seperated the noodles from the sauce to ensure
that the noodles wouldn't get soogy
and would stay crispy. The sauce
was rather thin, which ended up to
be very watery at the end which we did not enjoy. The bean sprouts and carrots added a nice crunch while the pork was tender.



Claiming to have absolutely 'NO MSG' in their food, I really question
that as most of the items we tried were rather salty. Maybe their substitute for the MSG is a whole ton of salt!

Based on the items we tried, our
trip to Health Gourmet was pretty
disappointing and I definitely won't be coming back again. Not to mention, the small tea pot we had was dirty with food and sauce stains on it. The cups also had a funky dish wash/toilet smell to it as well. I know....YUCK! I really hope they step up their game ASAP as their food lacks in quality, especially if they are charging more than the average dim sum spot and charging
'VIP Club Members' a monthly amount.

The Good:

• Lots of Parking Spots

The Bad:

• Based on the items we tried, Food lacks Quality
• Pricey
• Dirty Tea Pot and Cups

Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill (Bayview Village)

A friend of mine recommended me to try out O&B Cafe Grill for quite sometime now and after doing some Christmas Shopping at the Mall, we decided to stop by their Bayview Village location.

 Thankfully on this busy Christmas Eve, they had a table for 5. My sister ordered the Fettucine Alfredo (3/5), made with egg noodles, Parmigiano-Reggiano cream and peas, topped with roasted chicken. For $16, this was a fairly decent portion. The noodles were nice and tender, but I was not a fan of the sauce as it was tasteless. The chicken was quite dry as well and the peas were hard.

Both my mom and brother had the Sunday Special [$23], which was a Roasted Black Angus Strip Loin, with Yorkshire pudding, Buttermilk mash and Pan gravy (3.5/4). The strip loin was cooked to a perfect medium rare, and was juicy and tender. As you can see from the picture there was a layer of fat that had to be taken off. You can also see the burnt baby carrot on the left, I mean this ain't no 5 star restaurant but how could you miss that ?! The buttermilk mash was nice and creamy and the Yorkshire pudding was crispy and very moist on the inside. We had to ask for more of the Pan gravy, as the dish was kind of dry.

I had the AAA Canadian Cheeseburger (3.5/5) [$17], which came with a huge pile of Yukon Gold Fries. Although I asked for it to be cooked to a medium rare, it came almost to a well done, but was still very juicy. It had a nice char on it, which I enjoyed. The fries were crispy and thick. I would've liked it if the bun was topped with sesame seeds.











My dad had the Piri Piri Half Chicken (3.5/5) [$24] with Roasted New Potatoes, Spinach, Artichokes, Tomatoes and Zucchini. There was an option for mild or spicy, and my dad opted for the spicy. The Chicken came on a sizzling hot plate, that did not sizzle at all when it arrived. The Chicken was overcooked and dry in some areas, while it was moist and juicy in others. The chicken and potatoes were both aggressively seasoned which my dad wasn't a fan of as it made him want to drink water every 10 seconds.


For Dessert, we decided to try
the Four Tasting's of Chef's Favourite Desserts (3/5) [$15.25] which consisted of a Mini S'more, Lemon Posset, Carrot Cake & little Eton Mess. My favourite out of the four would have to be the Carrot Cake as it was light without being too sweet. The Eton Mess on the top left was tasty as the Toasted Meringue added a nice crunch. The S'more was a tad too sweet in opinion, especially with the toasted marshmallow on top and the berry compote. The Lemon Posset looked very good, but I was disappointed instantly when I put my spoon in and noticed how watered down it was. Instead of a nice creamy, smooth custard like texture, this was

literally like liquid milk and I could move my spoon around no problem.
There were no traces of lemon either except for the zest on top. I would like to give it a rating of (1/5), because honestly it was that bad.

We had two scoops of the Passion Fruit Sorbet (3/5) [$7.25], which had a better consistency than the Posset did. The flavours were very strong which I enjoyed.


The food my family and I had here was quite substantial, and definitely did not wow us. For the price, we did expect a little more presentation
as well as consistency, I mean who
wants a half an inch of fat clinging on to their meat?
Or burnt baby carrots? Small fixes would've
done the job. The staff were friendly, but we did
have to ask 3 people to fill our water as they forgot.

The Good:

• Nice Vibe
• Spacious

The Bad:

• Need to be more consistent
• Food is quite average
• Pricey for the quality

Shake Shack (Theatre District, New York City)

The first place we went to, as soon as we got to New York City, was Shake Shack. We had to try it! One of the most popular burger spots in America, Shake Shack offers a variety of Burgers, Frozen Custard, Milkshakes, French Fries and even Doggie Treats for your furry friend.

The line was huge when we got there, which is not unusual especially during the lunch hour. It was so busy, we had to order our food and eat in the car. We ordered the Hamburger (3/5), with Lettuce, Tomatoes, Pickles, Onions and Shack Sauce. As you can see from the picture, only the Tomato and Onions are visible as they forgot all the other toppings we wanted! What a disappointment. We even asked for extra Shack Sauce, but sadly we didn't even get a tiny bit of that! The burger patty was very juicy and tasty and the bun had a nice sweetness and a soft texture. Pretty sure it would've been a (5/5) no doubt if it had all the toppings we wanted.

I was thankful they didn't forget our French Fries (4.5/5) as these lived up to the hype and were very crispy and nicely salted.

I can definitely see why Shake Shack is so popular, as their food is well worth the price and
executed well. Argh, just wish they included everything we wanted on our burger!!!!

The Good:

• Well worth the Price
•  Tasty Burgers and Fries

The Bad:

• Can get really busy, so long waits are to be expected

East Japanese Restaurant (Midtown West, New York)

After a long day at Central Park, we were quite hungry. My mom suggested we try the sushi spot we passed by earlier in the day. Located between Broadway and 8th Ave, East Japanese Restaurant is a small (We passed by twice, until we finally found it) but cozy sushi spot, tucked in between two Italian Restaurants.


We squished our way through to the back of the restaurant which was surprising quite spacious. We started off we the Deep Fried Squid (3/5), which really were just squid tentacles. The squid was flavourful, but the texture was too soft for my liking. These were quite soggy as well.

 We ordered the Sashimi Platter (3.5/5), which included Salmon, Tuna, Toro, Scallops, Octopus and Yellowtail sashimi. I loved how each piece was nice and thick. They were all fresh tasting and didn't exhibit a fishy taste. The toro was fatty, but no the 'melt in your mouth' type, although it was still good.


 Our waiter suggested we try their Gyoza special (Chicken, Beef or shrimp). We went with their
Shrimp Gyoza (2/5), which was a huge disappointment
as the filling was literally like a mush, rather than
shrimps. But for $2.99 I can't really complain.
I would've liked the Gyozas to be crispier as they
were quite soggy. The sauce was nothing special as it was just watered down ponzu. Not a great start.



To make things even worse, the Chicken Karaage (2/5) fooled us, as it looked hot and crispy, but turned out to be
soggy like the other fried items. What a disappointment. The batter was way too thick and the chicken was dry and tasteless. 

Onto something that didn't disappoint us..The Dragon Roll (3.5/5), looked very pleasing as it arrived to our table. Topped with Avocado and Salmon Roe, the Eel on the inside was nice and flavourful and the sushi rice was beautifully seasoned. I liked how they didn't stuff the roll with too much rice, which many restaurants tend to do.


We ordered the White River Roll (2.5/5), which didn't look like a roll at all when it arrived. This was definitely a challenge to eat, let alone pick up as everything was falling apart. With the help of a spoon, which made things a tad bit easier, I was able to make out what
we actually ordered in the first place.
Essentially it was an eel and salmon roll, topped with tempura bits, pickled carrots, eel sauce and spicy mayo. This was quite tasty with all the components together, while the pickled carrots and tempura bits added a nice crunch.

East Japanese Restaurant has friendly staff, but their food is quite standard. The fried items that we had were very disappointing.


The Good:

• Friendly Staff

The Bad:

• Fried items were a disappointment
• Somewhat hard to find

Anna Maria Pizza & Pasta (Williamsburg, New York)

Prior to my trip to NYC, I made sure
I included about 5-6 pizza joints to visit during the week I was there. I mean, NY is known for it's Pizza. No? Anyways down to the food. After having been to Best Pizza twice in the past few days before, we decided to stop by Anna Maria Pizza and Pasta which was down the street from where we stayed.

Feeling somewhat guilty of breaking her 'diet', my sister went for the Vegetarian (3.5/5), which was generously topped with large slices of Avocado, Freshly Diced Tomatoes, Onions, Green Peppers and Ricotta Cheese. Even with all the ingredients and moisture from the veggies, the pizza was not soggy, and the crust was light and crispy. The sauce was pretty tasteless, but the abundance of veggies made up for it.


I went with the Buffalo Chicken Pizza (2/5), which was too salty in my opinion. The pieces of chicken were very dry and the large amount of cheese added more saltiness to it.
The pie itself was again nice and crispy.

 
On the other hand, we really enjoyed the Chicken Parm with Spaghetti (3.5/5) as the noodles were nice and tender, and the Chicken Parm was nice and Crispy even under the amount of sauce. The sauce was nice and zesty and did not overpower the dish.


Anna Maria is a decent spot for a quick snack or lunch fix, and they offer a variety of pizzas and pastas. The staff are friendly and the service was quick when we were there. They have a few tables for dining in and their decor isn't the best of the best, but for a quick slice, it'll do.


The Good:

• Great for a quick bite
• Friendly Staff
• Authentic

 The Bad:

• Space is small, especially during busy lunch hours.
• Food is average