Food – Page 31 – Tiana Feng

Gourmet Hot Dogs @ Fancy Franks

February 22, 2014Food, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a Comment

After waiting for streetcars a couple of times in front of Fancy Franks, we finally decided to go in and try their hot dogs. They have donuts and poutines too, but we thought it would be weird if we didn’t at least order a hot dog. I had the Franko Fancy-Aano (pictured above). The sausage was wrapped in prosciutto and topped with Reggiano cheese, arugula and and balsamic dijon mustard. There were various other toppings you could choose to add with it but I opted not to tamper too much with their creations and only added olives. There was a tiny bit too much mustard on my dog so it overpowered everything else but I still enjoyed it.

Nash had The Frankophone, which was covered with cheeses: smoked gruyere, horseradish cheddar, curds and honey dijon mayo. This was definitely a cheese-lovers hot dog.

He also had a side of fries which were crispy and golden and came in a generous portion.

I guess Nash was having a feast because he also had a Vanilla milkshake.

If you’re craving street meat but afraid of how sanitized it is, Fancy Frank’s is a great alternative.

Beef Tongue Tacos @ Rebozos

January 27, 2014Food, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a Comment

The CMT show Taco Wars did an episode in Toronto putting Playa Cabana Hacienda, Rebozos and Milagro against each other. Personally, I think there are many more great taco places in Toronto and trying only three to crown the best is a little bit dumb. Anyways – upcoming spoiler alert – Rebozos ended up winning with their beef tongue taco. Naturally, I was curious and was eager to try it when I happened to be in the area.

All the tacos came in threes (for $10). I ordered the Lengua (beef tongue of course). It was presented with a side of two different hot sauces. The red was too spicy, so I put just a dab and the green one was a mild green tomato salsa, which I used up completely. The beef tongue was very tender and flavourful. I was surprised. I had ox tongue before at Korean BBQ, but I always found it stiff. This was meaty and tender.

Nash ordered the beef enchiladas which came with refried beans. He cleaned the plate. I took a bite and I actually think I preferred the tenderness of the beef tongue to the regular beef!

To drink, we both had Sindral Mundet soda in apple flavour. I thought it was funny that the bottle purposely advertised that there was less than 1% Apple Juice and artifically flavoured. Do people prefer those qualities? It was a refreshing soda.

We were happy with our meal but whether or not it is the “best taco in Toronto”, I cannot say. We still have many places to go and we’ve enjoyed a lot of the places we have visited so far. All are very different in style and taste. What I can probably say is that Rebozos probably does have the “best beef tongue taco”.

Carrot Ginger Soup

January 21, 2014Food, RecipesLeave a Comment

In one of my vlogs, I was making this Carrot & Ginger Soup and I got some requests for the recipe. I used Elise Bauer’s from Simply Recipes version as a guideline but modified a few things.

Ingredients
3 Tbsp Butter/Margarine
2 lbs carrots – peeled & sliced
2 large onions
1 Tbsp of minced ginger
2 cups of chicken stock
2 cups of water
1 chive – diced (optional for taste)
Salt

1. Melt the butter on medium heat and cook the onions and carrots for about 5 minutes. Get the onions soft, but not brown. Sprinkle some salt over the carrots.

2. Add the chicken stock, water and ginger. Bring to boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until carrots are soft.

3. Put the soup into blender in small batches. I only blended it for a few seconds. I tend to like it a tiny bit chunky, but its up to your own preferences how smooth you want it.

4. Taste it and add a little bit of salt (or pepper-optional) if required. Garnish with leeks.

Burger Socks

January 15, 2014Fashion, Food, PhotographyLeave a Comment

For Christmas Nash’s little sister @immicaylaB got me these awesome burger socks by Sock It To Me.

I actually don’t own that many pattern socks and these are totally adorable so I decided to do a mini-shoot with them.

For these photos I used the Canon 50mm 1.8 II lens. It’s difficult to use for selfies because it has difficulty auto-focusing. So basically I estimated by manual focusing and using a remote. This is the only full-selfie photo that turned out.

The Whippoorwill

January 13, 2014May 19, 2014Food, Restaurant Reviews1 Comment

Looks like I’m already getting my foodventure on this new year. After a fantastic brunch at Rose & Sons, Nash and I were even more eager to venture into new places this year. On a whim we made a last minute reservation to The Whippoorwill. We usually don’t go down that West on Bloor because it seemed sketchy but I had heard great things about the restaurant and really wanted to try it. We came for just food but the cocktail menu was just so intriguing!

Nash ordered “This Little Piggy” with Napoleon brandy, Grand Marnier, Briottet chesnut, sage, lemon and Scrappy’s Celery bitters. Despite the hilariously girly glass, it was strong and full of flavour.

I had “The Skippy Welcher” with Havana Club Amejo Rum, Briottet Hazelnut, Briottet Chesnut, brown butter, lemon, concord grape juice and maldon. It was like grape juice for adults. I loved the nuttiness. There was enough alcohol in both drinks that made it well worth the price.

I ordered a Lobster Croquette which was one of the specials of the day and not on their regular menu. The presentation was very festive and the croquette itself had a nice crunch. The lobster was fresh and paired well with the creamy sauce.

Nash had the burger, which was recently voted one of the Best Burgers over $10 by Now Magazine. It was a messy juicy burger with a buttered bun, melted cheddar and russian dressing but whatever was in that dressing was worth the sticky fingers. As you know we eat a lot of burgers and this was definitely a great one.

So the croquette was a bit small, so I ordered their other deal of the day a “Deli Sandwich” that was only $6. I half expected a slider for that price but this was seriously a full on sandwich. A great deal, Nash almost ordered a second to take home. It was a mortadella with an egg, peppers and cheese. It was delicious. The meat was flavourful and it was so filling I couldn’t finish. However, Nash made sure there was no leftovers and ate the rest.

Our bill was attached to a paper bag filled with popcorn. It was a lovely surprise and great palate cleanser. I still can’t figure out what was on the popcorn. It was sweet and salty at the same time. I think it was rosemary among many other spices.

From beginning to end it was a lovely meal and we can’t wait to be back!
*Update from 05/19/2014*

We tried some more items that were worth talking about!

Dungeness Crab in spring radish, grilled butter and dijon icecream. This was a very interestingly presented dish!

Fried toast with duck egg, chorizo and vegetables.

Chicken fried rabbit with kale salad. It was better than fried chicken.

iPad Menus @ 168 Sushi Buffet

January 10, 2014Food, iOS, Restaurant Reviews, Technology1 Comment

Mom’s favourite thing is AYCE sushi so for her birthday we took her to 168 Sushi Buffet where they took on the new trend of iPad menus. We went for lunch and I don’t think they took reservations so we waited over 20 minutes for a table. It was one of those cold Polar Vortex days but people kept coming in and were all eager for a table at this relatively small restaurant.

Lunches at the restaurant are cheaper but do not have sashimi, so if you want the raw fish without all the rice than dinner would be preferred. They did have a large assortment of non-japanese items. There was Thai, Korean and Chinese dim sum dishes that were available in addition to the Sushi and included in the lunch price ($14.99 – I think).

This was my first experience ordering off an iPad menu. It had this large case screwed on it to prevent the user from pressing the home button and going outside the menu. I felt it accommodated the large food selection well and had lovely photos that made all the food look very appetizing. The annoying part was that sometimes we would order something and it wouldn’t come. I enjoyed this salmon salad a lot and ordered more but it didn’t appear. I tried an additional time and the screen told me it was coming, but never did.

In my opinion the iPad was a tool that enabled the workers to be lazy. They could blame complicated orders not coming on technology. Waitresses only came when you confirmed an order on the iPad or when they were delivering food. There was often many empty plates waiting on our table to be taken away. I eventually figured out how to call a person by confirming an empty order.I curiously wonder what it must be like to work in the kitchen that deals with the receiving end of these iPad orders. I feel like the whole idea is a bit of a marketing gimmick.

The food was decent and there was a large selection of it, but it was not particularly memorable. Soups were a bit cold for my liking. However, the fried pudding dessert is recommended.

Candy Sushi By Poppin’ Cookin’

January 6, 2014Candy, FoodLeave a Comment

One of my Christmas goodies from my sister Livia and her boyfriend Paul was this Poppin’ Cookin’ candy sushi kit. I’ve posted about a few of these kits previously but this is the first I’ve bought that is supposed to resemble real food. There’s another one out there that looks like ramen but I haven’t been able to find it ever again.

Inside the box there are various powders in coloured packaging and a plastic dish to mix all the ingredients. The instructions on the back are all in Japanese so if it weren’t for the colour coding, I would have no idea what I was supposed to be doing. Luckily the pictures were clear enough. The plastic wrap for the container also had molding guides for shaping the “seaweed” and “rice” elements.

My sushi didn’t look as appetizing as the ones on the box but it was a lot of fun to make. The most interesting part was dropping one liquid into another to create the fishballs. In terms of the taste of the actual candy, it was very sweet.

Every colour was a different flavour so if you took a full bite of actual sushi it would be like eating a fistfull of different colour gummy bears. There was even fake soy sauce which I thought was hilarious. The fishballs resembled those fruit balls you can get at Froyo places.

These kits are such a fascinating idea. I must hunt down the ramen one and see if there are any others. I’m not a fan of eating them but making them is a lot of fun. I wonder if there are other brands or even the American equivalents.

Brunch @ Rose & Sons

January 2, 2014Food, Restaurant Reviews1 Comment

For New Years Brunch Karol, Nash and I went out for brunch at Rose & Sons. Originally we had planned a return to Big Crow (the restaurant in the backyard) but it was closed for recovery from the night before. Understandably, it’s such a small space to hold any sort of big party. Luckily the main restaurant was open for brunch and we arrived early enough to grab the last table before it got too busy. Those unfamiliar with the place might accidentally pass it since outside it still sports the “Food” and “Hamburger” signs that were part of the former People’s Foods. The place is very small and snug so a reservation or wait may usually be required.

I had a cappuccino to wake me up ($3.50).

Somehow all three of us really wanted the Grilled Brie Cornbread with brisket, fried egg, maple syrup, and chili sauce and onions ($14). Everything went together in perfect harmony. The brie was generous and made its way into the cornbread. The caramelized onions and brisket were sweet and paired well with the perfectly cooked fried egg, bread and cheese for the perfect bite. It was a hefty meal, but the three of us cleared our plates. I wish we all had varied choices so that we could’ve tried other things but that would’ve meant sharing the delicious cornbread with others! It was just that delicious and definitely worth waking up before noon on New Years to make the journey. What a comforting meal for those of us needing a recovery from the previous night’s shenanigans.

Fusion Tacos @ Barrio Coreano

December 7, 2013Food, Restaurant Reviews, VlogsLeave a Comment

Last night’s food adventure took us to Barrio Coreano, a fusion taco place in Koreatown by the owners of Playa Cabana. It was not difficult to find as you could see the flashy inside which stood out from the mom and pop Korean restaurants that surrounded it. The décor was in colourful and bright. Lights flashed. The music was loud but it wasn’t difficult to have a conversation. We were seated instantly. The place went a lot deeper than most places in the area.

The menus were written on large chalkboards on the wall. We had to stand up to read them, but it wasn’t that awkward. I liked the informal feel of the atmosphere. It was very inviting and everybody seemed to be enjoying their time. Our waiter took her time to welcome us and get us acquainted with the famous Playa Cabana hot sauces. Food was made fresh and to order so everything didn’t come together, but that was okay because it gave us breaks to recover.

As a starter, I ordered the Salmon Ceviche ($9). I thought it would come in a dinky little glass to be eaten with a spoon. That’s how much ceviche you usually get for that price at other place. I was surprised when we got a bowl of ceviche with tortilla chips. They are very generous with the portions. The ceviche was fresh, and it wasn’t fishy at all. Even Nash (who doesn’t normally like Salmon) was enjoying the dish.

I had a Soju Sangria ($9) to sip on. Soju is plum wine and it was mixed with unknown fruits. A starfruit sat on top as a decoration. It was sweet but just what I needed on a Friday night.

Two of Nash’s tacos came first. One of them was the Chihuahua and Tofu Taco ($5). Before our waiter explained it as a cheese from the province of Chihuahua, I actually thought they might have put the scrawny dog on the menu. The cheese had an interesting taste. It was a sort of like blue cheese, strong at first, but without the after taste. I liked it.

The other taco was the Korean beef taco ($5). The beef was marinated in Kalbi sauce to give it the Korean twist.

I was already getting full on the ceviche and bites of Nash’s tacos when my two tacos came. I always make a habit of trying fish tacos everywhere so I ordered the Yuzu Tuna ($5) and Chipotle Kambungki Chicken. The fish was nicely cooked and topped with a slaw that also had kimchi. I really enjoyed the Chipotle Chicken taco.

The chicken was battered (but not heavily) and flavoured sweet chili sauce. There was also jalapenos, radish and onions which made a crunchy and delicious taco.

Nash’s third taco was a Grilled Octopus Taco ($5). It was served with wasabi salsa which I thought would be empowering but totally wasn’t. The octopus was nicely cooked and not chewey at all.

We ordered a lot of food, but next time we know that it is unnecessary. The food is very well-priced and worth every cent. With delicious places like this in Toronto, I don’t know why anybody would want to wait 2 hours to get into Grand Electric. The service at Barrio Coreano was friendly and pleasant, food was exquisite and we got our money’s worth in portions. I’m already planning my next visit back with friends!

Wings @ Game Day

November 7, 2013Food, Restaurant Reviews, VlogsLeave a Comment

Buffalo Wings

Jerk Chicken Wings

Nash had a craving for chicken wings, so we Googled around until we found a place we haven’t been with good old American-style wings. We ended up at Game Day in Little Italy. It was a little dark in there so my phone photos aren’t very good but you can watch our adventure in this Vlog.

We ordered Jalapeno poppers (not pictured) to start and gobbled them up right away. For wings we opted for one dry, one sauced. Nash chose the grilled buffalo chicken wings and I chose the jerk wings. The wings themselves were big and far from dinky ones (like you’d get at Kelsey’s). They were also very flavourful and the jerk rub was generous.

The atmosphere of the place was very sporty. There were jerseys on the walls and tons of big screens to watch whatever sport you wish. They actually asked what we were there to watch, but we were really there just to eat food. The name of the place must also come from the fact they have a board game at each table. We had a faux Connect 4 but I looked over and saw Operation on another table, and a bunch of Jenga sets. It’s definitely a cool place to chill, watch the game and eat some comfort food.