Ciao Wine Bar

I came to Ciao earlier this month, to try out their Summerlicious menu. This Italian restaurant is located right in the heart of Yorkville. I love the interior of this place. The lighting is perfect, it has great ambiance and a modern feel. I have been to Ciao before, and I usually enjoy my meal. However on this trip... not so much. Everything was just O.K. Nothing to rave home about. Here's what I had:

 Complimentary bread basket (came with olives, a jar of hot peppers, oil and vinegar)

Shrimp in a tomato sauce. This didn't wow me. It was a pretty standard dish. The toasted bread that came with this was cold, and quite hard. 

Braised short ribs, with polenta and crispy onions. This was a better dish. I liked the ribs. However, the whole dish was screaming for more of the jus (the juicy liquid from the ribs that they put on the bottom) so we asked for more. I am a big fan of polenta. And although this one had good flavour, it wasn't the proper creamy texture a polenta should be. This was clumpy and mashed potato like. 

Chocolate Budino. This is similar to a chocolate mouse. I liked the light texture in each bite. It was a descent desert. Nothing spectacular. 

Overall, the food wasn't too memorable. I did enjoy the ambiance of the restaurant and could appreciate the catchy designs and decor.

I have had better experiences at Ciao restaurant, and I hope you do too if you go there.

Happy Eating!

Gelato Simply Italian

Gelato Simply Italian is a new place I recently discovered in Yorkville that makes excellent gelato. 

I tried the fig (which actually tasted JUST like fresh figs) and lemon (of course). They both were incredibly delicious. 

My friend had stracietella and mojito. Both tasty. 

It's quite simple, Gelato Simply Italian makes good gelato. Go try some.

Happy eating!

Guu Izakaya

I LOVE Guu Izakaya. This restaurant is one of my favourites in Toronto. The food is excellent, the atmosphere is so fun and interactive, and the drinks are great! I recently came to Guu to celebrate my sister's birthday. Myself and some friends dined on a memorable selection of eats and drinks! 

This is the Nama Gure Sour. They bring you half a grapefruit to juice and then you add the juice to vodka and soda.

 Me, at work, getting every last drop of grapefruit juice :)

 Final drink product. It was very refreshing.

This is deep fried brie cheese with mango and blueberry sauce. The cheese just oozed out, and the crunch on the outside was perfect.

Maguro tataki (seared tuna sashimi with ponzu sauce and garlic chips). This was devine. The tuna was so velvety and full of flavour. This was a favourite of the night.

Salmon tataki (salmon sashimi with garlic chips and and wasabi mayo). Just like the tuna above, the salmon was perfect in texture and had bold flavours.

Takoyaki (deep fried octopus balls). I have tried this style of octopus balls at other restaurants, and no one seems to do them as good as Guu does. 

Kakimayo (baked oyster, with mushroom, spinach, garlic mayo and topped with cheese). This oyster is  packed with cheesy, creamy flavour. We ordered 3 orders of them and everyone at the table gobbled them up! They were fantastic. 

Gyu Carpaccio (seared beef sashimi with ponzu sauce, wasabi and garlic chips). The beef was delicate and just melted in your mouth. 

Deep fried calamari with spicy ketchup sauce. Every time I come to Guu, I HAVE to order the calamari. The sauce on these suckers is finger licking good. They are spicy but also a little sweet. Perfectly balanced.

Udon noodles, with a creamy sauce topped with a poached egg. I didn't think I would enjoy this as much as I did. It tasted similar to a spaghetti carbonara. The poached egg on top (after being mixed with the noodles) gave the dish a creamy richness. 

Deep fried shrimp with spicy mayo. mmm mmm good!

Kimchi Udon. This was the only plate of the night that I didn't really enjoy. I found it was far too fishy tasting for my liking. 

 Edamame. A classic light nibble to end the meal.

Tower of birthday shots for the birthday girl! Not only were the shots fantastic, but the servers came to the table and sang 'Happy Birthday' to my sister with such enthusiasm! 

I'll say it again:  I love this restaurant. Everyone working yells hello and goodbye as you enter and exit, which makes you feel welcome. The food is well priced and the drinks are delicious and fun. If you have not yet tried this restaurant...GO....now. You won't regret it!

http://guu-izakaya.com/toronto/

Happy Eating!

Sushi on Bloor

Sushi on Bloor has arguably some of the best sushi in Toronto, and is definitely my go to spot when I need my Japanese food fix!  Located in the Annex, this relatively cheap Japanese restaurant is usually packed with people, and waiting 20-30 minutes is expected during their lunch/dinner rush hours. Is it worth the wait? DEFINITLEY!

All the fish is fresh and tastes delicious. After frequenting Sushi on Bloor many, many, many, times, I am familiar with the menu and some dishes I simply must order. 

On this visit we had spicy crispy tuna roll. This is my favourite sushi roll....ever. 

This is the smoked salmon roll. It had red pepper, crab, smoked salmon and cucumber. Then deep-fried.

Classic dynamite roll. mmmm...

 Avocado Roll (simple, but light and refreshing)

 The remains of the mix BBQ set. This comes with roasted tomatoes, chicken, scallops and shrimps in a teriyaki sauce. Its very delicious.

Grilled Squid. 

Sushi on Bloor never disappoints. Not only is the food great, the prices are very inexpensive.  

I highly recommend checking out this restaurant, and filling yourself with some tasty sushi!

  

http://sushionbloor.com/

Happy Eating!

Mother's Dumplings

Mother's Dumplings is a great restaurant to come and get your dumpling crave on. I have been a couple times now, and am never disappointed with the food. Its one of those restaurants where the more people you go with, the better. It is best to order a bunch of different items and share between friends. 

Here is what we had on my most recent visit:

Da Lu Noodles. This was a yummy and soothing bowl of soup with thicker noodles to soak in flavour. The broth was rather mild, but the addition of hot sauce and some soy sauce brought out the flavour.

The green onion pancake was crispy and tasty.

Panfried dumplings filled with pork and bok choi. I enjoyed these best dipped in a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar and a touch of hot sauce. The picture below is a view of the centre of one of these panfried nuggets of goodness.

The kimchi was actually very mild compared to others I've had. I found this side dish to be a perfect balance to the dumplings. It was light and refreshing and filled with flavour.

Steamed beef and chive dumplings. These were my favourite dumplings of the night. Just delicious. Below is a picture of the filling for these dumplings. 

The vegetarian steamed bun was yummy.

Assorted dessert dumplings. These were just meh. Not overly excited about these sweeter dumplings. I wouldn't order them again.

Overall, Mother's Dumpling delivered on food, atmosphere and service. I always leave this restaurant feeling full and satisfied with the tasty food choices. Every time I have that dumpling craving, this is always the place I come to.  If you haven't been, I strongly recommend giving it a try!

http://www.mothersdumplings.com/

Happy Eating!

Fresh

Fresh is one of the most recognized vegetarian restaurants in the city. They have an extensive menu of appetizers, salads, burritos, veggie burgers, and hearty bowls. They also have an excellent selection of juices, smoothies, and supplements. This is clean eating, healthy eating and tasty eating. 

We started with the cornbread and vegan butter. I enjoyed this. The butter was rich and paired well with the sweetness of the bread. 

This was followed by the quinoa crusted onion rings, with a BBQ sauce for dipping. Let me just say, if you decide to dine at Fresh...TRY THESE RINGS!! They were so crispy and full of flavour. The BBQ sauce was sweeter than I expected, but it worked so well with the rings. These onion rings are up there in the top 5 best I have had. mmmmmmm...

 I ordered the Energy Bowl. I asked for soba noodles instead of the rice. This hearty bowl of food had tofu, sprouts, a coconut curry sauce, veggies and stewed chickpeas. 

This is a better look at the dish when I mixed everything together. I really enjoyed this bowl. It's one of those meals where you feel good about stuffing your face, because you know you are getting lots of great healthy nutrients.

My friend ordered the Big Salad. I tried it, and it was nice. Nothing too spectacular, but a clean and fresh salad none the less.

I have eaten at Fresh plenty of times, and I think it is a good place to come for a healthy meal that won't leave you feeling bloated, overly full etc. The food is light and delicious and leaves you wanting to come back for more. 

They have 3 locations in the city, you should check it out! 

http://www.freshrestaurants.ca/main.asp

Happy Eating!

M&B Yummy

This last year, I have discovered that I am a HUGE fan of Ethiopian food. I crave it often and have tried some really great spots around Toronto. I recently went to M&B Yummy (located at Queen and Dufferin) and dined on some flavourful food. The restaurant was recommended to me by a friend praising the excellent food and very cheap prices. How could I NOT check it out?

We started with the Samosas filled with lentils. They had good flavour, but I felt they really needed some sort of dipping sauce (which they didn't come with).

We shared the Vegetarian Platter (a steal at only $9!) This was really, really good! I seriously loved every bite. The injera (the spongy crepe-like bread) soaked up the flavours of everything. There was chickpea shiro wot, red lentil wot, cabbage stew, bean and carrots, collard greens, and yellow beans. Every bite had a great depth of flavour. Eating these items separately, or mixing them all together with some injera was delicious. It is the perfect amount of spicy heat; not overpowering, but enough to tickle the tongue. I will definitely be back to M&B Yummy and you should too!

http://mbyummy.com/index.html

Happy Eating!