toronto – Page 15 – Tiana Feng

Desserts @ OCHO

May 28, 2015Food, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a Comment

My friend Melody and I recently stopped into Hotel Ocho for desserts and a drink. We are strangely similar people and we managed to order the exact same thing. A Raspberry Crême Brûlée with strawberries and shortbread. It was very delicious and had a sweet raspberry sauce to dip the cookie or spoon in!

It was also half price martini night, and I couldn’t resist ordering what was called I’m Sorry Your Face. Isn’t that a hilarious name for a cocktail? Anyways it was vodka, mango juice and sprite. It went down super easily.

While we didn’t have any of the meals yet, I can highly recommend the dessert and cocktail menu!

Steak Frites @ Burdock

May 13, 2015Food, Restaurant Reviews1 Comment

I’m about to head out to Burdock for a show but last week I also had dinner there. It’s a trendy new bar with a small menu of snacks and mains. I opted for the Steak Frites (pictured above). It was buttery and delicious and I loved the sauces that it came with.

My friend and I also shared a mushroom and cheese crouton thing that was gone in two seconds.

They also had a great selection of local craft beers. I opted for an IPA called the Great Lakes Octopus Wants to Fight because who the hell could resist a name like that?

Persian Food @ The Pomegranate

May 10, 2015May 10, 2015Food, Restaurant Reviews1 Comment

I tried Persian food for the first time at The Pomegranate in Toronto. I was with Nash and my friend Karol so we ordered a couple of different things.

For my main I ordered the morasa polo (pictured above): jewelled rice – slivers of seville orange peel, almond and pistachio with diced carrots and barberries blended in saffron basmati rice served with a braised lamb shank. The lamb was heavenly and fall off the bone. The rice was very flavourful with all the berries, fruit and saffron.

Nash ordered baqali polo: dill and large green fava beans blended into saffron basmati rice, served with a braised lamb shank and persian pickles. His shank also easily fell off the bone. I thought that dill would be too heavy a flavour for rice but the amount they had seemed to work very well!

My friend Karol had one of the specials (can’t remember the name), but it was a tomato-based stew of yellow split peas, lamb chunks and dried lime topped with cinnamon. It was also supposed to have egg plant but we couldn’t find it. The most interesting part was this whole lime that was in the stew.

We also shared a few sides. They came with a delicious bread that we had 2 baskets of. The first was this maast-e saadeh which was a fresh creamy yogurt dusted with dried mint and rose petals.

The second was zeitoon parvardeh, a sort of vegetarian caviar made from a tapenade of green olives marinated in a pomegranate walnut sauce with a generous amount of fresh garlic. This was strange at first but super duper addictive!

I also had a refreshing (but salty!) carbonated Doogh.

We downed all the food. The aromas and tastes were awesome and the prices were very reasonable. We can’t wait to go back! A reservation is recommended.

#GetCurious With Fido

May 8, 2015LifeLeave a Comment

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#getcurious

A post shared by Tiana Feng (@tianafeng) on May 7, 2015 at 4:41pm PDT

Quick post again today before I head out to another day of CMW events! Yesterday I attended this mysterious event I was invited to by Fido. I didn’t really know anything besides that the hashtag was #GetCurious and I guess I was curious to make the trip to Parts & Labour.

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cool art #getcurious

A post shared by Tiana Feng (@tianafeng) on May 7, 2015 at 4:33pm PDT

There was a lot of cool art that hung about and everyone in attendance looked like they were part of the (visual) artist community.

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I wanted to take this home but didn't want to carry it to a rap show #getcurious #tianaeatsfestivals

A post shared by Tiana Feng (@tianafeng) on May 7, 2015 at 4:55pm PDT

I stuck around for one drink before I had to head out. It came in this cool mug we were allowed to take home (but I didn’t because I was heading to a show and I didn’t think it would be allowed in.)

Part of the night’s announcement was that they would be sponsoring Bestival!

We’re stoked to be sponsoring @BestivalTO! 1st we’re hitting the Road To Bestival— free tix: http://t.co/0AWJprFS2V pic.twitter.com/keCFyco1I2

— Fido (@Fidomobile) May 8, 2015

I love that brands are seeing the value of music and partnering with festivals and bands!

Sansotei Ramen

May 1, 2015Food, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a Comment

I recently stopped by Sansotei Ramen on Yonge Street by myself to have a relatively quick meal. The place was small and there were little booths and despite being alone I felt welcomed and well attended to by their staff, unlike other experiences eating alone.

I ordered the Tonkotsu ramen which had black fungus, egg and green onion. There was no swirly fish ball thing but the broth was thick and flaourful. I ordered mine with thick noodles. The serving was just right (not too much not too little). If the Dundas location is too full. I recommend this one which is not too far of a walk from there!

Dinner With Friends @ The Comrade

April 25, 2015Food, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a Comment

Before a show at The Opera House, my friends and I had dinner at The Comrade. We ended up here by chance. Our original restaurant pick was too full but this one had a nice casual atmosphere about it. I ordered the Hanger Steak ($19). It was a PEI grass-fed beef with roasted vegetables. The steak had a lovely butteriness to it.

To drink, I had one of their lovely cocktails, Gilded Radner, which was Tanqueray gin, Fernet Branca, Peychaud bitters, lemon juice, ginger syrup, cucumber and egg whites.

If you’re expecting a meal, this is not really the place to be. The Comrade is more about having drinks and sharing food with friends.

Carls Jr. Comes to Toronto

April 18, 2015Food, Restaurant Reviews2 Comments

This afternoon I ventured into the newly opened Carl’s Jr on Queen West, the former home of HMV.

The burger joint joins the many American fast-food chains that have been making it’s way into the city. The menu was a little overwhelming looking and I was rushed by the cashiers to make a choice. I had the Teriyaki Burger with waffles fries because I can’t think of a single place in the city with waffle fries.

I liked the waffle fries, they were crispy and lightly salted. However, I found the burger very unappetizing. The patty had those weird holes like a McDonald’s burger and there was something really weird about the texture. The sauce was nice but in the end I couldn’t finish it because I couldn’t get over how unappetizing it felt.

For the price, I could’ve went down the street to any of the bajillion gourmet burger places on Queen Street, or even McDonald’s for something better.

Nordic Brunch @ Karelia Kitchen

April 11, 2015April 11, 2015Food, Restaurant Reviews5 Comments

This morning I had brunch with friends at nearby Scandinavian restaurant Karelia Kitchen. I ordered the Potato Pancake $14 which had hot smoked trout, beet and horseradish cured gravlax, and a poached duck egg. There was also a strawberry and a yellow berry. Everything on the plate was super fresh and delicious.
I also added a side of smoked strip and loin bacon. The portion was a lot bigger than I expected! The bacon was brunchy and had just the right amount of salt.

We all drank coffee with our meal. Milk and sugar came in shot glasses which I thought was funny.

I couldn’t resist the desserts in the display so I chose the oreo cheesecake topped with berries which I believe were freeze dried and added a nice crunch.

I’m excited to discover a new spot in my neighbourhood to indulge in weekend brunch!

Brunch @ Queen Street Warehouse

April 4, 2015Food, Restaurant Reviews2 Comments

This morning I had brunch at Queen Street Warehouse. It is the second restaurant in Toronto to be offering a menu where all food items are $4.95 all day everyday. Interestingly they sustain this through company sponsorships. A Redbull logo could be seen in the corner of the restaurant but I actually didn’t feel like I was being blatantly advertised to that much. The servers were all dressed like 80s rockers and the sign to the bathroom said “Free Air Guitar”. It was corny but worked for the type of establishment that catered to young university students on a budget.

I ordered the Fried Chicken Wafflewich (pictured above). The sandwich had buttermilk fried chicken, an apple coleslaw, bacon, mayo and a side of maple syrup which I happily drenched everything in. It was served with a side of “fries” which were really more like tater tots, but crunch and delicious. Everything in the wafflewich paired nicely together but I wish it was slightly bigger. Considering it was $4.95 I couldn’t really complain.

Nash ended up ordering two things because he was hungry and had a hunch that the portions would be smaller than normal. The first thing was a Baked Fritata with egg, roasted broccoli, carmelized onion, cheddar cheese, greens, pickled vegetables and green onion.

The second was The Chorizo Hash. He added extra hash for $1. It had a chipotle hollandaise, chorizo, onion, green pepper, scrambled eggs and more.

To drink I ordered the Warehouse Espresso which contained vodka, Toronto’s “Cut Coffee” beans, kahlua and cream. It was like an iced coffee with a zing in it.

I couldn’t resist getting dessert (since again it was $4.95) so I ordered the Fried Apple Pie which was served with a side of vanilla ice cream. The shape made me think of what it would look like if someone took a MacDonald’s Apple Pie and fried it. The filling was way better than a McDonald’s pie though, it was hot and fresh. The outside was crunchy with a thick breading. It was a bit messy to eat but worth getting my hands dirty.

All in all, we had a great meal at Warehouse for the price. If you’re looking for cheap eats in Toronto, this is definitely the place to go!

Brunch @ Saving Grace

March 30, 2015Food, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a Comment

On Saturday I had brunch at Saving Grace. I had previously heard that it is usually packed but we were luckily to be seated right when we arrived by a dude that looked like he hated life. There was a line immediately behind us waiting outside the small space.

I ordered french toast with gruyere, onions, mushrooms. I actually didn’t realize it was a sandwich until I received it. It also came with a side of salad and flat crispy potatos. While the sandwich was good, I felt the “french toast” part of it didn’t really add to it. It lacked sweetness for one, and the softness wasn’t my favourite for use as sandwich bread.

The price was around average for a brunch place in Toronto but elsewhere I could’ve got a fancy eggs benny for the same price. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing but I don’t know if I’d be back if I wasn’t lucky and had to wait in line!