toronto – Page 9 – Tiana Feng

Emma’s Country Kitchen

April 16, 2016Food, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a Comment

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This morning I went for brunch at Emma’s Country Kitchen. My friend and I arrived before the 9am opening time and there were already locals in line. It’s a super popular spot on the weekends for brunch and also appeared on Jon Catucci’s You Gotta Eat Here.

I ordered the Emma’s Benny. Warm and fluffy buttermilk biscuit was topped with house cured peameal bacon, poached eggs and a generous amount of in mousselline sauce (like a hollandaise with whipped cream). It was served with a side of griddled red skin potatoes. The sauce was buttery and delicious and I dipped everything in it. The peameal bacon was not too salty or hard. The eggs were a perfect poach. This dish was heavenly and I washed it down with some freshly squeeze orange juice.

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My friend had the Cornbread and Pimento Cheese French Toast. A house made corn bread, dipped in a creamy custard and griddled until golden brown. It’s opped with melted pimento cheese, 2 over easy eggs, avocado, crema and finished with a smoked paprika salt. I stole a bite and it had a heat to it that was balanced well with avocado cream.

This place, even if you have to wait, is well worth it.

Sushi Inn

April 15, 2016April 23, 2016Food, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a Comment

I recently went for dinner with my friend in Yorkville at Sushi Inn. Though it is the prime location for pricey restaurants, this place is very affordable. I ordered a plate of sashimi of all types: salmon, hokkagai, scallop, octopus, tuna, shrimp and more for around $20.

The quality of the sushi wasn’t bad and mostly fresh though the shrimp was a bit limp. I’m not entirely sure why they have to lump a bunch of carrot shavings there. It seems like a waste of carrots to me!

The meal came with classic staples of miso soup and salad. Those things are very hard to get wrong!

My friend and I also split the Beef Sashimi which was served with green onions and ponzu sauce. Look, there are damn carrot shavings again! I think the beef might have been sitting on top of ice for a little too long because it was the tiniest bit frozen but still tasty with the sauce.

We were very full by the end of the meal (she ordered a sushi set) and the bill didn’t break the bank. Sushi Inn is a good place to go if you’re looking for affordable sushi in the middle of Yorkville and the quality and selection is more than you would expect for the price.

Maple Porter, Seagram Apple Cider, Hopsta La Vista

April 7, 2016Drinks, FoodLeave a Comment

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I had the pleasure of visiting the Summerhill LCBO, which is like the biggest LCBO I have ever seen. It even has a huge craft beer alcove dedicated to located craft beers. They even have growlers. I decided to pick up a few tall cans I had not seen anywhere else. First I tried the Maple Porter made with real Canadian maple syrup. It really lived by it’s name as there was a hint of maple in every sip. Fans of darker beer may enjoy this one for it’s sweetness. Not sure why I started the evening with this one as it is a heavy hitter.

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Anyways, next was this Seagram apple cider. It was sweet and not dry.

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I legitimately bought this India Pale Ale because it had a dude that looked like my friend’s face on it. It contained nice hops but was very smooth and light at the same time. It had sweet notes but also had a malty side.

Peace Collective: Toronto vs Everybody

April 5, 2016Fashion1 Comment

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Don’t know how to show support for Toronto sport’s team? Maybe too lazy to buy a jersey for every team when they are doing well? Well, a great alternative is this Toronto vs Everybody shirt created by the Peace Collective.

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The sweater is super soft and comfy, just how I like them! Another great plus is that in purchasing this sweater the Peace Collective donates $4 to Breakfast for Learning, which can feed a Canadian child two healthy meals and a healthy snack at school.

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Being fashionable while supporting a cause makes for a proud wardrobe.

Mr. Tonkatsu

April 4, 2016Food, Restaurant Reviews1 Comment

On my way home one night alone, I went into Mr. Tonkatsu for dinner. I ordered the Pork loin katsu set with soba. The soba came first with some pickled vegetables.

There was also a bowl a sesame seeds to squish for my tonkatsu sauce. My other food didn’t arrive for about 25 minutes which kind of sucked since I wanted to eat it with my soba but instead it had turned cold by the time the rest of the food arrived. I felt a little bit ignored because I was eating alone. The restaurant seems to have a lot of waiters just hanging around giggling to each other but only one cook.

The tonkatsu itself was very delicious. They use housemade breadcrumbs. The pork was nice and moist. It’s a shame that the service wasn’t up to par because it was enough to stop me from going back.

Kinton Ramen Tasting

April 3, 2016Food, Restaurant Reviews1 Comment

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On Wednesday, I was invited to a tasting at Kinton Ramen’s 5th location on Church Street. We were allowed to have a full bull of ramen with 2 additional toppings, an appetizer and a drink. I’ve been to Kinton many times but I’ve never actually tried the Miso broth so I did the Pork Miso with pork, thin noodles and added a seasoned egg and vegetables. The broth was rich and garlicy but not too salty and a nice variation from the original pork.

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Nash had the Original Chicken broth with chicken breast. His already came with a seasoned egg so he added bean sprouts and…

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.. a giant pile of swiss cheese. If you’ve never added cheese to ramen before it can seem weird but it adds a whole new layer of textures and tastes. We’ve done it a couple of times now at Kinton and if you’re feeling extra hungry I highly recommend it.

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We split our sides and I chose the Tofu Furai, which were fried tofu nuggets which were as delicious as chicken nuggets.

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The Hot Karaage was also tenderly fried and had a decent kick.

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A calpico, a milky non-carbonated soft drink actually helped to tone down the spice between bites of karaage.

If you’re in the neighbourhood, Kinton Ramen 5 is well worth a visit and bound to become a regular spot!

This meal was complimentary but views are my own.

Rosedale Diner

March 31, 2016Food, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a Comment

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I don’t venture North of Bloor that often, but recently I had dinner with my friends at Rosedale Diner. I went for their Prix Fixe menu and started with the Duck Liver Paté served with pickled red onions, delicious fruit chutney that I spread on crostini. I think I could keep eating that chutney!

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To pair with my meal I had the Paloma: grapefruit, tequila, soda, lime and salt.

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My main was the Steak Frites: a flat iron steak, compound butter and asparagus. I loved the garlicy butter and the steak was very tender. The fries had just the right amount of salt.

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My friend Karol had the Duck Poutine which was made with duck confit, Quebec cheese curds, duck gravy and crackling.

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The prix fixe came with dessert and I opted for the creme brûlée, a classic finisher.

The Prix Fixe starts at $29, and with a large selection of flavourful entrees and mains, the Rosedale Diner is both a satisfying and value meal.

Ride the Tempo Presents Partner @ CMW

March 22, 2016March 22, 2016Entertainment, MusicLeave a Comment

I am proud my second Ride the Tempo show! This time in partnership with NeXT and The Silver Dollar at Canadian Music Week. The show will feature Sackville’s Partner as the headliner along with all female-fronted rock acts. It’s going to be a night of fun!

Join the Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1533164910320368/

Cresta Tasting

March 20, 2016Food, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a Comment

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Last week, I attended a tasting party for Cresta located right beside St. Lawrence Market. Cresta is an Italian restaurant with an open kitchen and specialize in wine pairings with their cuisine. Enjoy some photos from the party below!

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The Cresta Negroni: bombay sapphire gin, campari, dolin dry vermouth, sparkling brut, grapefruit

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Amaro Express: amaro averna, frangelico, espresso, aztec chocolate bitters

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Brussle sprouts: crispy in a balsamic glaze.

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Beets: roasted, lemon thyme marinade, sautéed beet greens.

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Black Tiger Shrimp: empty ravioli, red onion, tomato salsa

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Scallop Crudo: coriander, garlic chips, citrus

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Steak: Tenderloin, roasted potatoes, cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic, beef jus

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Heirloom Tomato Pizza: tomato reduction, red onion, shaved parmasean, basil.

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Octopus: grilled, fingerling potatoes, braised cipollini onions, harissa

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Mushroom Risotto: truffle oil, shaved parmesan.

All the bite-sized foods packed punches of flavour. The most memorable for me was the beautiful jus in the steak.

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When we left, we were given delicious muffins to take home. I ate my caramel one the next morning and it was delicious!

I Went To The Dentist

March 19, 2016Health, LifeLeave a Comment

Had a lovely visit to @nowsmileTO. Teeth all clean 😬 pic.twitter.com/JcMUEDeue4

— Tiana Feng (@tianafeng) March 19, 2016

For the past 3 years, I’ve ignored going to the dentist because I was in that limbo period between being cutoff from my Dad’s insurance and figuring out what to do with life. Even after I was hired full-time, I had no idea how to go about finding a dentist that was friendly and clean-looking in the city. That is until I was reading fellow blogger Casie Stewart’s personal blog and she happened to be writing about a relatively new place called NOWsmile that opened up in the past year on Bloor & Bathurst.

It checked off all the boxes, and most important of all it was opened on a Saturday! Clayton gave me a thorough check up and tooth cleaning while I watched Cash Cab and Much Music on the TV! Now my teeth are beautiful again and I already booked my next appointment.