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In Four Beakers

Bar Isabel: Canada’s Best New Restaurant

May 4, 2014

My most recent trip to Toronto to visit a few friends over the long weekend was a blast. I got to catch up with old friends and chill. Flo recommended we hit up Bar Isabel as it is one of the hottest restaurants in town. I am not familiar with any restaurants in Toronto, so she made reservations a few weeks in advanced and we got a spot. This experience in Toronto was created in partnership with momondo.

It is highly recommended you have reservations before you come dine here or else you might be out of luck. The open everyday from 6pm – 2am.

They serve up spanish tapas and are best known for their grilled octopus. They have been named Canada’s Best New Restaurant 2013 by Air Canada’s enRoute magazine. Also, they have been named one of Toronto’s top restaurants in 2014 by Huffington Post.

The interior is pretty cool. It’s a bit dark inside and really red. It was really hard to take photos in here. To have a good time, groups of 2 or 4 are best.

Hopeless Mermaid ($16) has Elyx vodka, St.Germain elderflower liquor, fresh lime and grapefruit juice, rich ginger syrup, Angostura bitters, and grapefruit zest.

We Choose Yer Own Adventure ($15 – $20) is great for indecisive people. The server will have a chat with you to see if you like refreshing/light or bold/sturdy drinks. Then, they will choose something for you.

Roundhouse ($16) has Auchentoshan 12yr scotch, Jameson Irish whiskey, Los Arcos amontillado sherry, bad azz orgeat, fresh lime juice, Angostura bitters, and lemon oils.

All the drinks were pretty good! Pricey…but the quality was really good.

Cured Meat Plate ($16) has some pickled vegetables and you can choose 3 types of cured meats from the menu. We chose chorizo, beef carpaccio and coppa.

Bread ($4) was soft in the centre and has the crunchy crust.

Spicy Fried Squid ($8) has crispy tongue and kale on top. The squid is very soft and tender. I found that the tongue and the kale didn’t add anything special to the squid to accentuate the flavours.

Smoked Sweetbreads ($18), has raw tuna, spicy pickled green tomato, and brown butter. If you don’t know what sweetbreads are, it’s not what you think. It’s really glands from an animal. This dish tasted pretty good and the sweetbreads had a chewy spongy texture to them.

Albacore Tuna Tiradito ($14) has asian pear, celery, jalapeño and fried rosemary. It had a good assortment of ingredients that pairs nicely with the tuna.

Whole Sea Bream Ceviche ($26) was pretty awesome! It even comes with the deep-fried fish carcass and on top of that is the ceviche. Very delicious!

1/2 Grilled Octopus ($34) was my favourite part of the meal. The half-size was plenty enough for the 4 of us. Wow, this octopus was tender. When you bite into the tentacles, the suction cups just fall apart in your mouth. Hands down best octopus I’ve ever eaten. It has great flavours! I still think about this dish a few times a week. MmmMmmmm so good!

Leche Frita & Salted Dulce de Leche ($6) this was my favourite dessert. It was really delicious and the sweetness and flavours were nicely put together. It was like a churro.

Salted Dark Chocolate Ensaimada ($7) was ok, not as good as their other 2 desserts. The star here is the salted chocolate ice cream. The ensaimada didn’t add much to the dish.

Basque Cake ($8.50) has Sherry Cream all over it. The cake was moist and the sherry cream was perfect with it. So simple but so good. My other friends thought this was the best dessert.

Overall, the four of us had a good time at Bar Isabel. The food was good and I would definitely come back.

We Rate Bar Isabel:

Address:
797 College St
Toronto ON

Website:
http://barisabel.com/

In Sandwich

Insomnia Cafe: Food Worth Sleeping Through in Toronto, ON

June 9, 2012

In the Annex of Toronto, I saw Insomnia Cafe and it seemed like a super cool place to have food. It’s quite popular for brunch, but I didn’t have time to have brunch here, so I opted for dinner.

CanuckGirl, BaguetteGirl and I headed over for dinner.

There is a good amount of seating and some lounge seating in the back of the restaurant.

The front of the restaurant looks great and is most beautiful during the summer as they open the doors and windows.

Proscuitto Wrapped Asparagus ($10) is garnished with asiago cheese and a honey pear vinaigrette and tomatoes. It tasted good, but not justified for $10! I would not order this again. Very disappointed.

Avocado Grilled Chicken ($10) has melted brie and red onions on top of the bread. You also get a side of fries and salad. CanuckGirl enjoyed it!

8oz. Black Angus Beef Burger ($9) has lettuce, red onion, tomato and garlic aioli. You can also add additional ingredients on top too. BaguetteGirl added mozzarella and sauteed onions on top. It also comes with the fries and salad.

Quesadilla ($9) contains house made refried beans, avocado spread and monterey jack cheese. You also get some mayo and sour cream to dip the quesadillas into. Just like the other dishes, you get the fries and salad too. I thought it was ok, but wasn’t anything amazing.

Overall, Insomnia Cafe was ok for sandwiches, but their dinner and appetizer menu is a bit overpriced for what you get. It’s a good place for drinks and late night chillaxing.

Words of Wisdom:

Filling sandwiches, but taste alright
Mediocre service
Nice relaxing decor
Good for drinking
Lots of drink specials

We Rate Insomnia Cafe:

Address:
563 Bloor St W
Toronto, ON

Website:
http://www.insomniacafe.com/

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In Brunch

Lola’s Kitchen: Delectable Brunch in Toronto, ON

May 30, 2012

Lola’s Kitchen is located in Yorkville in Toronto. They serve up some delicious brunch and is an excellent place to dine on the weekend. They have lots of seats inside and outside.

BaguetteGirl and FaceMan took CanuckGirl and I here for some yummy brunch.

The restaurant is in a house, but does have several floors and is cozy.

Green Tea uses the usual Tetley tea bags and there wasn’t anything special about it. The cup was quite small too and they couldn’t give us a pot of hot water to fill up ourselves.

Orange Juice

Pomegranate-green tea iced tea

Eggs Rancheros ($12) has chipotle spiced organic black beans scrambled with eggs or organic tofu in a crisp whole wheat tortilla bowl topped with cheddar cheese, guacamole, tomatillo pico de gallo & lime yogurt. You can choose between salad, fries or potatoes.

Warm Chick Pea Wrap (#12) has grilled organic tofu, warm citrus & herb marinated chick pea mash, Lola’s tomatoes, baby spinach & organic sprouts in a grilled whole wheat tortilla. You can choose between salad, fries or potatoes.

‘Shroom Benny ($11) has toasted organic whole wheat biscuits topped with caramelized onions, baby spinach, roasted mushrooms, poached eggs & our hollandaise sauce. You can choose between salad, fries or potatoes. CanuckGirl really enjoyed the benny and the potatoes.

Brunch Burger ($15) has an all beef burger with grilled peameal bacon, caramelized onions, Lola’s cheese blend, sweet pickles, sunny egg, house made ketchup aioli on a multigrain bun. I chose to have the salad to balance out the fatness of the burger.

It was a pretty meaty burger, but the sunny side egg made it a bit difficult to eat with hands. I resorted to the knife and fork technique. The flavours were good, but I think my beef patty was a bit scorched, so it had a smokey/burnt taste to it.

Lola’s Stuffed French Toast ($12) has a lemon vanilla cheesecake sandwiched in Challah French toast with seasonal fruit compote. It was so delicious! It even made some other people come up to our table to see it. It wasn’t too sweet either! It’s a must order!

Overall, pretty good brunch options here.

Words of Wisdom:

Best to make reservations for groups
Service can be a bit spotty if you are on alternate floors
Must order the french toast and bennys!

We Rate Lola’s Kitchen:
Address:
634 Church Street,
Toronto, ON
Website:
http://www.lolaskitchen.ca/

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In Dessert

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt: Cant Resist Froyo in Toronto, ON

May 29, 2012

Menchies Frozen Yogurt is another Froyo store on Bloor Street. There are 3 different froyo stores within a block or so away from each other…. but I ended up going to all 3 for some reason. It was close to BaguetteGirl’s place and we always felt like eating froyo.

It’s also a chain store and they recently opened one in Vancouver too. I was actually excited to go to this location since I haven’t been to the one in Vancouver yet.

The interior is very open and has a few seats and lots of space to walk around to create your froyo. The instructions are very basic – mix, weigh, and pay.

Everything basically has their mascots face on it, even their lamps.

Apple Tart froyo and original tart froyo with fruit toppings ($0.55 per oz). I enjoyed it!

More froyo.

I love their cute mascot! It makes eating froyo very enjoyable at Menchies because of the cute characters and bold colors.

Overall, they do have a large list of flavours and similar concept to the other froyo places on the block. Their consistency between each flavour is slightly different, so that could be improved. Nonetheless, it’s still a healthy dessert option! No matter which froyo place you go to on Bloor St. … it’s all about the same.

Words of Wisdom:

Similar prices to the other froyo places on the same street
Fun and unique spoons
Can try all the flavours before deciding which to get
Friendly helpful staff

We Rate Menchies Frozen Yogurt:

Address:
511 Bloor St W
Toronto, ON

Website:
http://www.menchies.com/

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In Four Beakers

Buca: One of Toronto’s Top Italian Restaurants

May 26, 2012

Buca is an Italian restaurant in King West area of Toronto. It was recently named one of Canada’s Top 50 restaurants. The food is simple, but is known for the amazing flavour and quality.

We were originally going to Lee, but they are closed on Sundays. BaguetteGirl decided to take us to Buca instead and it was not disappointing at all.

The interior is quite rustic and has some cool interior decor. They even have cured meat hanging in certain places of the restaurant.

It’s usually busy and its hard to get a reservation for weeks apparently. Fortunately, without reservations, we were able to get a table for 3.

Their menu changes daily depending of their ingredients that they have on hand.

Orecchio Di Maiale ($8) is crispy pig ears with wild fennel salt. It was very crispy and most delicious! It also wasn’t too oily too. I would highly recommend this item!

Pomodoro E Tartufo ($29) has preserved tomatoes, basil and truffled burrata cheese finished with scorzone truffles. It’s a simple pizza, but it is incredibly thin and super crispy. They even give you scissors to cut it up into pieces. You must get pizza here!

Spaghetti Al Nero Di Maiale ($22) has hand cut blood pasta with n’duja, soffruitto and wild leeks finished with burrata cheese. The pasta was surprisingly spicy, but if you can stand the extra kick of spice, you’ll like it. The burrata cheese gives the pasta a nice creamy texture.

Orecchiette ($27) has hand-made pasta with basil fed snails, soffrietto, brussel sprouts and fresh fava beans finishes with butter and crisp pancetta. The pasta was soft and the snails contrasted nicely with the salty pancetta.

Overall, it was a great dining experience at Buca. I can see why they are one of the Top 50 restaurants in Canada. Their pizza is to die for and I’ve never had anything close to it in Vancouver. The service was sparse and it would be hard to get the attention of the waiter.

Words of Wisdom:

Pizza and crispy pork ears is a must!
Make Reservations

We Rate Bucca:
Address:
602 King Street W.
Toronto, ON
Website:
http://buca.ca/

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In Dessert

Yogurty’s Froyo: 16 Unique Froyo Flavours in Toronto, ON

May 24, 2012

Yogurty’s Froyo is another self-serve yogurt shop on Bloor Street in the Annex. There are tons of yogurt shops near by, such as YoYo’s Yogurt Cafe and Menchies within a few blocks of each other. I thought it was strange, but all of them were packed at night.

FaceMan, Batman, BaguetteGirl, CanuckGirl and I came here after dinner to finish off the day.

There are lots of space inside, but it’s super busy at 11pm.

Since it is self-serve, you just pay for the weight of what you put in your cup. The cup is only one size, but it’s a big cup.

Yogurty’s has about 16 flavours! It’s quite a large selection! You can taste test all the flavours before choosing what you want.

After you fill up the cup, you can add candy toppings or fresh fruit.

Wafer and Peanut Butter swirl Froyo ($0.55 per oz.) I added some brownies, cheesecake bits and cookie dough on top. Yummy.

There’s a good amount of fresh fruit to add on top too!

Overall, Yogurty’s does have a lot of flavours and good consistency between their yogurt. They also have lots of toppings to choose from too.

Words of Wisdom:

Try out a majority of the flavours before filling up your cup
Go place to chill and hangout
Wifi

We Rate Yogurty’s:

Address:
527 Bloor St. West
Toronto, ON
Website:
http://www.yogurtys.com/

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In Downtown/University of Toronto

Guu Izakaya (Toronto): Still got it Guu’d

May 23, 2012

Guu Izakaya is the first Guu location in Toronto. It is much smaller than its other location – Guu SakaBar, but it is very very popular. BaguetteGirl, CanuckGirl and I waited 1.5 hours for a table of 3. That’s quite nuts, but I have a goal of going to all the Guu’s in the world. It’s my favorite restaurant, so it just seemed like I needed to go. No line up will stop me. I’m just glad Vancouver has 6 Guus so I don’t have to wait so long.

The interior has bar seating, a few long tables and some patio seating. It’s quite hard to get a large table unless you come here early.

We sat at the bar watching the chefs cook up some delicious food and we saw this super cute cat!

Big Mug Sapporo ($9.50) is similar size to a ‘Mega’ Sapporo in Vancouver. It’s quite large…a liter of beer! I couldn’t finish it….but if I did…I probably wouldn’t be able to get home.

Gomae ($3.80) is blanched spinach with black sesame sauce. I liked the spinach, but I think there was too much sesame sauce.

Gindara ($9.80) is grilled black cod with Saikyo miso and white wine sauce. It was a bit small for the price, but it was very tender and flaky.

Karaage ($6.80) has deep-fried soy sauce marinated chicken served with a mayo sauce. I had the karaage at Guu SakaBar and they karaage does differ slightly. It seems like this one has a bit more battering to it. Nonetheless, it still delicious and tender on the inside.

Okonomiyaki ($6.80) is a deep-fried Japanese pancake with squid, tonkastsu sauce and karashi mayo. It comes in 4 pieces and quite delicious! It is topped with bonito flakes and seaweed! The bonito flakes move around as heat is emitted from the dish. It looks alive, but it isn’t.

Gyu Carpaccio ($6.50) has seared beef sashimi with ponzu sauce. It is topped with scallions, radish, garlic chips and mayo. It’s one of my favorite dishes! You take the slices of beef and put a little of everything on it.

Kimchi Udon ($7.80) has udon noodles with spicy cod roe and kimchi. It is topped with dried seaweed and scallions. You mix this together with your chopsticks to get everything incorporated. It’s not spicy at all! Very delicious and savory. Usually when you cook kimchi, it softens up and the spiciness disappears. Very yummy!

Overall, the items between all Guus in the words are quite similar. They have very similar items, so no matter where you are in the world, you can have their delicious karaage, sashimi, and udons.

Words of Wisdom:

Super long waits
If you hate waiting, go to Guu Sakabar for a shorter wait
Under $10 per dish, but can add up if you drink

We Rate Guu Izakaya:
Address:
398 Church St
Toronto, ON

Website:
http://www.guu-izakaya.com/toronto.html

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In Dessert

Loblaws Maple Leaf Gardens: Gelato Time

May 22, 2012

The newest Loblaws in Toronto is located in the old Maple Leaf Gardens near Ryerson University. It is very very large, but has everything you ever wanted from a grocery store. It has a very large selection of ready to eat food and deli section. I was so amazed by the sheer size and modern interior.

As we were waiting in line for Guu Izakaya a few blocks down, we decided to just roam around Loblaws and check it out.

They have a gelato section with 16 different flavours. BaguetteGirl and I were enticed by their flavours and decided to spoil our stomach before dinner.

Lemon Gelato ($2.99) was very tart tasting. The consistency was like a harder sorbet. It’s not the best gelato in town, but it was good considering it came from a grocery store.

Hazelnut Gelato ($2.99) was very fragrant and tasted really good.

Overall, it’s a strange place to go eat gelato, but we were not the only ones. A bunch of others were getting it to-go or sitting in their cafe area. What I like about the design of the store is that they still have left remnants of the old stadium and incorporated them into the design.

Words of Wisdom:

Large Selection of groceries with very modern look
Find ‘Center Ice’ in the Canned Meat section
Decent and Quick deli section and food

We Rate Loblaws Maple Leaf Gardens:

Address:
60 Carlton Street
Toronto, ON

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In Brunch

Senator Restaurant: One of Toronto’s Oldest Restaurant

May 21, 2012

The Senator is Toronto’s oldest restaurants, which can date back to the 19th century. It is located close to Dundas Square and is quite popular for breakfast. Dre from Bite Me Food Blog was kind enough to take CanuckGirl and I here. It is slightly hidden, so you need to look around for it.

The interior is very narrow, but they can still fit a decent amount of people here.

We came at around 9:30am and the place was quite packed when we arrived.

French Toast ($10.25) has thick slices of challah bread dipped in egg Batter & served with maple syrup & seasonal compote.

Senator Breakfast ($7.95 Before 11:30am) comes with bacon & eggs with challah toast, beans & home fries. Also your choice of tea or coffee. It was a good standard type of breakfast. I enjoyed it and so did CanuckGirl.

House Blend Coffee was much needed since 9:30am Toronto time is 6:30am Vancouver time.

Overall, good for breakfasts and has a cool diner feel to the interior. The breakfast selection is under $10 and has great value.

Words of Wisdom:

Under $10
Near Dundas Square
Good hearty breakfasts

We Rate Senator Restaurant:

Address:
249 Victoria Street
Toronto, ON

Website:
http://www.thesenator.com/

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In Four Beakers

Buster’s Sea Cove: Fish Sandwiches at St. Lawrence Market

May 20, 2012

Buster’s Sea Cove in the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto is very very popular and there are always long lines on Saturdays. Even though the line is quite long looking, the staff are very efficient, so it shouldn’t take too long to order and then receive your items.

BaguetteGirl, CanuckGirl, Fabo and I went here to eat lunch since we heard the fish sandwiches were to die for. Plus, there was a long lineup, so there must be a reason why they were there.

New England Clam Chowder (S- $3.80) comes with a small cup of goldfish crackers. CanuckGirl thought it was good but not very creamy.

Calamari & Salad ($9.95) was actually just a box of calamari and then a box of salad. The calamari tasted fresh, but it wasn’t very crispy. It comes with a marinara type of sauce. The salad was pretty usual but it does come with a balsamic vinegar.

Shrimp in Rose & Herb Sauce ($11.95) comes with a bed of basmati rice and slaw. Fabo enjoyed the size and freshness of the shrimp.

Grilled Salmon Sandwich ($8.95) comes with a side of slaw. BaguetteGirls usual orders the sandwiches at Busters.

I stole a bit of BaguetteGirl’s sandwich and the salmon was so tender and perfectly done! I usually hate cooked salmon, but it was just so moist and delicious.

Overall, the seafood tasted very fresh and is a great place to go for a good lunch at the St. Lawrence Market. Definitely a go-to place if you visit the market!

Words of Wisdom:

Delicious Fish Sandwiches and Fish + Chips
Long waits, but goes fast
Decent amount of seating

We Rate Buster’s Sea Cove:

Address:
93 Front Street East
Toronto,ON

Website:
http://ww.busters-seacove.com/

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In Izakaya

Guu SakaBar: Still Guu’d in Toronto, ON

May 19, 2012

Guu SakaBar is another restaurant part of the Guu restaurants. They sell Japanese Izakaya items like tapas dishes. Guu currently has 6 restaurants in Vancouver and 2 in Toronto. Since I have already been to all the ones in Vancouver, it just seemed right to visit the other two in Toronto.

CanuckGirl and I headed down to this location during our first day in Toronto. We went at about 7pm and there was already a line up outside. Fortunately, we were able to get a table in about 10 minutes.

Guu SakaBar can easily be missed if you don’t pay attention since the sign is not very large.

The interior is huge! They have 2 rooms and can fit a lot of customers. That’s probably why people say this location is easier to get a seat. The other area has the bar and more tables.

Whats great about Guu is that it has a lively atmosphere and good food. Compared to the Vancouver locations, this Guu is much larger and has better interior decor.

Pot of Tea ($4) was expensive! In the Guu’s in Vancouver, you never have to pay for tea!

Maguro Tataki ($6.80) has seared BC tuna sashimi with ponzu sauce and garlic chips. It was delicious, but I still felt that Guu in Vancouver has better sashimi.

BBQ Pork ($6) has pork belly with a honey soy sauce. It was not too fatty at all and had a delicious taste.

Kabocha Korokke ($4.80) has deep-fried kabocha pumpkin croquette with a boiled egg inside. It is coverd with a spicy mayo sauce. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Karaage ($6.80) has deep-fried soy sauce marinated chicken with a side of mayo. The chicken pieces were quite large and very moist.

Yaki Udon ( $7.80) has pan-fried udon noodles with beef, mushrooms and scallions. There was a good amount of beef! It was savory and most delicious.

Overall, we did enjoy the dining experience at Guu SakaBar. The wait wasn’t too long for a table of 2 and the food came out at a good pace. The servers were nice and could speak english quite well.

Words of Wisdom:

No Reservations
Go early or dine later since it gets super busy
Tea is super expensive, so perhaps ask for water.. or hot water

We Rate Guu SakaBar:

Address:
559 Bloor St W
Toronto, ON
Website:
http://www.guu-izakaya.com/

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In Dessert

YoYo’s Yogurt Cafe: Frozen Yogurt in Toronto, ON

May 18, 2012

Yoyo’s Yogurt Cafe is located on Bloor Street in the Annex. They currently have 5 locations in Ontario. During the day, CanuckGirl and I passed by and this place was packed! A majority of the seats were occupied, even the patio. Seeing that frozen yogurt is a better alternative than ice cream, we decided to see how this place compared to the ones in Vancouver.

The interior has a lot of space to walk around. You can sample the flavours before choosing what you want.

They have 8 different flavours to choose from and they do vary every week. There are 4 steps to make the yogurt processing easier.

Choose your flavour
Add the yogurt into the cup
Add toppings to it
Weight it and pay

They have a decent amount of toppings to put on.

I just wished there were more varieties of fruit to add on top.

You then can pay at the till. You can ask for a cup of water if you need it.

Frozen Yogurt ($0.55 per ounce). CanuckGirl and I got very different looking frozen yogurts. Unlike Pinkberry, you pay by weight and not per cup. Can you guess which bowl is mine?

I wish I was the one that ordered the full cup, but the way I can tell if I like a frozen yogurt place is trying their original flavour. Original works great with all the fresh fruit, but I wish it was a bit more tart. Mine came out to be about $5 and CanucksGirls HUGE cup was about $11.

Overall, it’s still a great place to chill with friends and eat dessert. Lots of seats to sit down. The staff were very nice and love to joke around with their customers.

Words of Wisdom: