Category Archives: Uncategorized

La Hacienda

Posted on by

640 Queen Street West
416-703-3377

 

La Hacienda was one of the few remaining restaurants on the Queen West strip that I had yet tried. This may be owing to its dark, shabby interior which is more suitable to a watering hole then a place to eat. On my roomate’s insistence, a group of my friends decided to eat here for a friend’s going away party.

We took a seat on the enclosed back patio which was almost pitch black and very “budget” in a Green Room type of way. We decided to take our time and order our meal in parts starting with a round of pitchers and a plate of nachos. The nachos did not have enough cheese as my friend pointed out to the waiter when we ordered a second round and the vegetables were still somewhat raw.

The menu consisted of the traditional Tex-Mex fare but was missing some of the more obvious favourites of fajitas and tacos. I settled on a chorizo enchillada which is a tortilla stuffed with meat, cheese, and some veggies and baked in a casserole dish. Chorizo is normally quite spicy, and though the waiter claimed the chorizo came from St. Lawrence Market, the taste of it was drowned out by the awful ragu-like salsa accompaniment.

As stated before, La Hacienda is in the same class of the Green Room or Red Room in terms of affordability, style and taste. A good place to come and talk with friends but not for a tasty meal.

Il Fornello – Brunch

Posted on by

Il Fornello- The Danforth
576 Danforth Ave.
Tel. (416) 466-2931
Major intersection: Danforth & Carlaw

Il Fornello- Yonge and St. Clair
1560 Yonge Street
Tel. (416) 920-7347
Major intersection: Yonge & St. Clair

Il Fornello- Bayviw Village
2901 Bayview Ave
Tel. (416) 227-1271
Major intersection: Bayview & Sheppard

Il Fornello- Theatre District
214 King St. West
Tel. (416) 977-2855
Major intersection: King & Simcoe

Il Fornello – Beaches
1968 Queen St. E
Tel. (416) 691-8377
Major Intersection: Queen & Woodbine

Il Fornello- Queen’s Quay Terminal
207 Queen’s Quay West
Tel. (416) 861-1028
Major intersection: Queen’s Quay & York

Il Fornello Bloor West Village
2277 Bloor St. W.
Tel. (416) 761-9222
Major intersection: Bloor & Runnymede

IL FORNELLO *newest location-opening July 2005*
491 Church St

The last time I visited Il Fornello must have been for some sort of celebratory function in junior high school when I was still too young to be treated to a real fancy restaurant. Il Fornello is a chain of faux-fancy restaurants that attempt to mimic the cuisine and ambiance of its contemporaries even though noone is really fooled by these pretensions.

My first visit to Il Fornello since that time was for a brunch party for a good friend. I had heard recent musings that the brunch at this paticular Il Fornello on the Danforth was surprisingly good so my hopes were high. The menu definitely suggested a creative touch to what my pre-conceived notions would have told me was generic, chain food (to view go to : http://www.ilfornello.com/if/menudanforthbrunch.shtml). The array of omelettes was varied and I decided on eggs that came sprinkled with smoked salmon, sour cream and chives with a side dish of mango, spinach salad. The meal was also supposed to include Belgian endives which didn’t come until I pointed out this misstep out to our friendly waitress.

I found my eggs to be dry and compared to my smoked salmon omelette at Eggstasy which came overflowing with sour cream, this one was sorely lacking in that respect. The cookie cutter image of the perfectly cooked omelette didn’t impress me much and reminded me why chain restaurants usually don’t do it for me. Luckily, I was still able to enjoy this average meal due to the great brunch company I dined with.

San

Posted on by

676 Queen West
416-214-9429

 

San is one of my favourite restaurants on the Queen West strip. My introduction to San was also the first time I tried Korean cuisine and I have returned several times since. San actually serves a mix of Korean and Japanese food with sushi dishes coming alongside more traditional Korean cuisine.

The restaurant itself is difficult to spot as the name is only written in small white letters on the front glass window . The interior is dark and slick and they always seem to be playing some cool music . On this particular visit, Michael Jackson’s Anthology seemed to find its way on to the CD player, which had more than a few people nodding their head to the pop classics.

After two delicous lychee martinis, I quickly browsed the menu and decided on the dynamite rolls. Each Japanese dish is served in a box with several sides including firm tofu, dumplings with glass noodles, salad with a delicious dressing, and a small helping of something that I assume is a Japanese vegetable but am not completely sure. The dynamite rolls were delicous and also came with shrimp tempura.

San ends every meal with a shot of ginger, sugar and water. A delicious aperitif to end off a delicious meal.

Fisherman Villa

Posted on by

25 Glen Watford Dr.
416-321-1624

You could imagine my surprise when I heard we were going to eat dim sum at a place called Fisherman Villa. Supposedly, this restaurant used to be a seafood joint which never changed its name after switching cuisines. Or so the story goes. I find there are many Chinese places that have odd English names… or maybe they just don’t care what the English name is since the majority of their customers are Asian anyways.

Regardless of the name, Fisherman’s Villa serves traditional dim sum cuisine in Scarborough at Midland and Sheppard. The restaurant isn’t large enough to accomodate carts being wheeled around, which is too bad since half the fun of dim sum is watching the different and interesting dishes circulate throughout the room. Instead, we left the ordering to our Asian compatriots, ensuring tasty choices at the right prices.This was mostly true, as we plowed through two different dishes of shrimp wrapped in rice, breaded squid (similar to calamari but resembling fingers instead of curls), a large bowl of won ton soup, a green vegetable dish called troy sum(sp?), sticky race wrapped in a lotus leaf, and steamed ribs with rice. The only dish that I steered clear from was the chicken feet. The little toes kind of freak me out. For dessert, we had coconut and tapioca pudding in a bowl, and a more solid form of the same thing. Strange having almost the exact same dessert as a solid and a liquid.

To tell you the truth, this is only the second dim sum restaurant I have been to so it is a little unfair of me to review these places as a novice. Comparing it to Dragon Dynasty I would say it doesn’t quite live up to the aura of that restaurant; however, as far as decent food in general goes, Fisherman’s Villa does just fine.

Ameer

Posted on by

 

Ameer serves traditional Lebanese cuisine in “Little Arabia” at the corner of Warden and Lawrence. I decided to try this place for lunch after previously sampling some very good baba ganoush and hummus from here. It turned out to be one of the best middle eastern meals I’ve eaten in (greater) Toronto.

The interior of the restaurant is something you would imagine of a middle eastern restaurant. Arabic decorations, white tile, clean with soft, traditional music playing in the background. The place was empty save for a group of women celebrating someone’s birthday. Our waiter was very friendly and accomodated my desire of having a side of chicken shwarma with my vegetarian platter. My choices for middle eastern fare are quite boring and I tend to stick to the usual falafel and dips. There’s just something I love about this combination of food that always seems to be the best choice on the menu. The platter was HUGE and came with large helpings of hummus, baba ganoush, five falafel balls that were crisped to perfection on the outside but soft and warm inside, mild garlic dip, several tasty grape leaves packed with rice and assorted spices, and a large basket of pita bread. Each of these parts of the meal including the stuffed grape leaves which I do not usually care for were delicious. The extra side of chicken shwarma was tender and tasty as well. The only problem was that there was too much food.

Il Fornello on The Danforth [Brunch]

Posted on by

Il Fornello- The Danforth
576 Danforth Ave.
Tel. (416) 466-2931
Major intersection: Danforth & Carlaw

Il Fornello- Yonge and St. Clair
1560 Yonge Street
Tel. (416) 920-7347
Major intersection: Yonge & St. Clair

Il Fornello- Bayviw Village
2901 Bayview Ave
Tel. (416) 227-1271
Major intersection: Bayview & Sheppard

Il Fornello- Theatre District
214 King St. West
Tel. (416) 977-2855
Major intersection: King & Simcoe

Il Fornello – Beaches
1968 Queen St. E
Tel. (416) 691-8377
Major Intersection: Queen & Woodbine

Il Fornello- Queen’s Quay Terminal
207 Queen’s Quay West
Tel. (416) 861-1028
Major intersection: Queen’s Quay & York

Il Fornello Bloor West Village
2277 Bloor St. W.
Tel. (416) 761-9222
Major intersection: Bloor & Runnymede

IL FORNELLO *newest location-opening July 2005*
491 Church St

 

Although this restaurant is a “chain,” it truly does not feel like one. Each one is quite different in its decor, charm, and appearance. We went to the Il Fornello located right on the Danforth at Danforth near Pape. This place is usually crowded with swarms of people dining on traditional Italian dishes like pasta, pizza, bruschettam, as well as universal favourites such as grilled fish, sirloin steak, and chicken asiago. Famous for serving pizza, I was surpised to learn that they also serve a spelt crust pizza with soy cheese.

The restaurant’s theme is “traditional Italian fare with a twist of trend.” Main courses are from $12.95-$16.95, salads are from $6.95-$9.95, pizzas from $9.00-$13.50, and appetizers are between $6.95-$9.95

Known for being trendy and bordering on pretentiousness this place actually serves up a really “non-trendy” brunch.

That Sunday morning at 11:00am, the place was surprisingly not packed, but had a more laid back ambiance. The waiters were extra friendly and the one serving us had a permanent smile on his face. He always was there to pour us continuous amounts of water. Service was exceptional.

I went with four friends and was surprised to see a separate and simple brunch menu containing about ten classic “brunch” items. Most of the items were not vegetarian as most consisted the omelete of the day (add $1 for an egg white version), baked eggs with pea meal bacon, eggs salmone (smoked salmon with baked eggs), and other fancy egg dishes, all presented with artistic beauty, colour, and flare.

I enjoyed strawberries, bananas with Jenny’s famous granola [who the heck is Jenny anyway?], served in an extra large plate with a generous serving of strawberries, bananas, and granola. On my second visit I had the egg white omelete with broccoli and cheese and it was amazing. It was not greasy and the portions were decent. All omeletes of the day come with three different kinds of salad.

Brunch items include an assortment of cocktails- Bellini and Mimosa ($5.95), as well as fresh fruit Smoothies ($4.95). Il Fornello serves up an assortment of egg dishes (scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon ($8.95), Eggs Italiano ($8.95), Baked Eggs ($8.25), Vegetarian Baked Eggs ($8.25), Eggs Benedict ($7.95), Eggs Salmone ($8.95), Omelette of the Day ($8.95). For people opting for the egg white version, add $1.00

Other traditional brunch items include the French Toast with table syrup ($8.95), Belgian Waffles with fresh fruit, table syrup and fresh cream ($7.95), add a caramelized banana for $1.95 extra,
the Breakfast Pizza ($9.25- tomato sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms, red pepper, bacon and two baked eggs on a wood oven fired thin crust.), the traditional Breakfast ($8.95 -bacon, scrambled eggs, potatoes, fruit salad and buttered multigrain toast ), and Crab Cakes ($11.00)

Side orders include multi-grain Toast ($2.00), Toasted English muffin, ($1.70)
Pan-fried potatoes($1.70), Bacon ($2.50), and Fresh fruit ($3.50)

We sat in the spacious outdoor terrace by the front of the restaurant. Inside the restaurant the place is gorgeous with an open concept wood oven where you can see the chefs prepare your food before your eyes. There are little romantic corner tables, all secluded from the rest of the restaurant, large glass windows separating the restaurant from the outside, and a gorgeous country-kitchen bar with a vast selection of wines and beers. Service is prompt and exceptional. we were happy overall with our meal, the ambiance, and the presentation of the meal. Accepts all cards. 10 Locations across Toronto

Olive and Lemon

Posted on by

119 Harbord St. Toronto
416 – 923-3188

 

Judging by its name, I was not particularly enthralled to dine here for my brother’s and his girlfriend’s birthdays. Not that there is anything wrong with these two ingredients per se (the olive and lemon NOT my brother and his girlfriend!). It’s just that the combination doesn’t sound particulary interesting either. If the restaurant was called Chili and Chipotle that would be a different story…. though that sounds too much like a cheesy Mexican rip off a la Carlos and Pepe’s.

Regardless of the food and service which were both decent; sitting outside on the patio on a beautiful late summer Sunday evening was what made the meal enjoyable. Our waiter started off very well, recalling a long list of the specials of the day with a certain panache that left everyone at our table gushing over him. The menu was extensive, featuring many pasta dishes and a few meat and fish dishes. There were several appetizers, and we decided to share the usual family fave, grilled calamari as well as the shrimp crostini special. Both dishes were tasty yet meagre. The lack of shrimp is not surprising; however the amount of squid was dissapointing.

For my main, I had the grilled salmon served on a bed of arugala with grilled pears adorning the side of the plate. I don’t recall exactly what the salmon was seasoned with but it was fine and was grilled just about right. I found the pears to be the only creative part of the evening and a successful addition to an otherwise typical entree. I should not forget to mention the wine which we ordered; the cheapest on the menu but quite good nonetheless. For dessert, we shared a triple decadent chocolate cake which was not anything special at all.

I found the service, which started off excellently, to get worse as the meal progressed. At one point we asked for a refill on waters which took about 10 minutes. Also after our meal was finished and taken away I had to ask another waiter to send ours to tell us about dessert.

I found everything about Olive and Lemon to be average. From the name to the food to the service.

Udupi Palace

Posted on by

1460 Gerrard Street East
416 – 405 – 8189,
416 – 405 – 8138,
416 – 405 – 8384

Located right in the heart in Gerrard’s India Bazaar (Little India), this place has locations in Queens, NY plus a bunch in southern California, this place serves South Indian vegetarian dishes. The decor is all white and sterile. It resembles a large hospital waiting room. Decor is minimalist and waiting staff are friendly and informative. This place only serves South Indian vegetarian items. The place is very noisy and most of the clientele are Indian.

This place lacks the ambiance but has high quality, affordable, vegetarian, healthy meals. The portions are huge and meals are highly spicy and very flavourful. Plates are metallic and not fancy. Presentation is colourful and attractive. I ordered a simple vegetable curry with potatoes, varied vegetables, and it came with pappadum and chapati-like bread (like roti) with a cool yogourt dip. My friend had a complete vegetable medley meal containing a spicy tomato Indian soup, three vegetable curry dishes with rice, green beans, peas, potatoes, and cauliflower. The dessert consisted of a rice noodle dessert with rice noodles, raisins, nuts, sugar ,cinnamon, and boiled milk. Both our meals were very saucy and soupy, unlike North Indian cuisine.

Both dishes came with chapati (whole wheat paper thin bread), rice, and yogourt with tomato chunks. Both dishes were highly flavourful and very spicy. Meals were under $10.00 and they accept Interac and VISA. The only drawback is that it is very noisy and since the restaurant is in the basement, it’s not that bright.

Mercatto

Posted on by

15 Toronto St.
(416) 366-4567

 

For several years, Mercatto has been attracting the “see” and “be seen” crowd of young, downtown urban professionals. There is plenty of eye candy to scope out here, and the food ain’t half bad either. If not nearly as well known, Mercatto is comparable to Terroni’s in terms of a gourmet lunch serving up a variety of fancy paninis and pizzas. The dining room is larger and more lit than Terroni’s and there is a small patio out front. The kitchen is visible behind a food display counter. I believe they do catering as well but I am not 100% sure.

I have frequented this restaurant several times for lunch, and on my most recent visit, I stuck to the typical yet delicious grilled vegetable sandwich. Served on a large, ciabatta roll, this sandwich is equipped with grilled zuchinni, red pepper, spanish onions and some creamy goat cheese. A salad accompanies the dish with a tart and tasty vinagrette. My “lunch buddy” ordered the most expensive item on the menu: a grilled calamari salad ($13.95). I had a taste of this dish and it was fantastic. Four large pieces of calamari placed in a clock like formation around the salad, with smaller pieces in the centre. Grilled and seasoned to perfection.

Though, I do not work in this area anymore, I still try to come down to this lunching spot to look just as much as to eat.

Ban Vanipha

Posted on by

 

From the outside, there seems something a little off putting about this Thai/Laotian restaurant. Perhaps it is the immediate area on Dundas West that it encompasses, not quite apart of Chinatown or Kensington Market but comprising its own little mini area with two other restaurants to the west. After dining here twice; however, all of my doubts have been neatly put to rest due to the delicious fare and thoughtful service that is provided.

My first visit, I was taken here by a friend for my birthday. I had never tried Laotian food before and I couldn’t even pronounce any of the items on the menu. Thankfully, my friend had recently been to Laos and knew exactly what to order. We took our time by sharing several appetizers , a chicken, vegetable and seafood main, and dessert to finish. I don’t recall exactly what each dish was but we were both duly impressed. The atmosphere of the restaurant is completely laid back and serene which is a nice respite coming off the busy Dundas strip.

My second visit here was different from the first. Instead of sitting and “dining”, we ordered and ate quickly. The staff were quite attentitve to our needs and sensed that we did not desire to have a long drawn out meal. The quality to sense what pace the customer wants to eat is difficult for wait staff to master but can be crucial to enjoying a meal.

This time around I remember we ordered the Khao Glum for an appetizer which was black sticky rice and beans wrapped in a banana leaf with a side of spicy sauce. A tad difficult to share, but tasty nonetheless. For our main course we shared two dishes. A chicken dish called Ping Gai, was, according to the menu, spiced “Laotian style”. I’m not sure what that means exactly but it was very well seasoned and came with a delicious coriander sauce. We also had a shrimp dish called “ping gou yai”. The tiger shrimp were huge and juicy and came with grilled zucchini and a grilled tomato. I would have preferred to take my time, but my friend was in more of a rush. Despite this, it was still an enjoyable meal and I will be happy to return here again.