A Filipino Fiesta!

Ready, set, go! You have 30 minutes, your mandate is to try a new dining experience, what do you do? Cram five hungry teachers into a caravan and vamoose across the street to Fiesta Filipino (Victoria Park and St. Clair Ave. on Victoria Park Ave), a little treasure trove of filipino cuisine. New to the cuisine, the adventurers tried out laing (taro leaves cooked in coconut milk with prawns), fried grouper, caldereta kambing (goat stew with vegetables), chicken adobo (braised chicken in vinegar/soy sauce), amidst the offerings of sisig (spicy re-fried roasted pork skin), and mungo soup with prawn (lentil soup) upon a bed of rice. There was also a generous offer of stir-fry noodles ready in FIVE minutes, however the hungry hoard was craving rice. The combo of rice and 2 dishes and a drink comes well under $10 and there are a few tables to dine in. Lee, the owner and gracious host offers delivery within a certain area with a selection of pre-made desserts: puto (steamed rice cakes), ube halaya (sweet yam paste) and ensyamada (sugar and cheese coated brioche)....

Smoked salmon on a Saturday night....

What to do, pretell if you're craving a shmancy wine and cheese but alas, the weekly budget will not allow for it? Go to Loblaws! Pillage your local grocery store for: frozen smoked salmon, cream cheese, an apple and a pack of Breton crackers. And voila! Your new comfort food! Enjoy a glass of RELAX Riesling, and a PVR episodes of CSI New York and ta-da! Classy with a "K"....

One of a Kind kind of night....

Holy yumminess.... after a blah kind of day, Hot Tamale and her motley crew: The Black Man and Perogie swept me up and plunked me down to One of a Kind Pasta (746 Queen Street W, and Niagara) and its many gorgeously delicious pasta dishes. In its latest reincarnation, Chef Raymond To has been churning out his take on Asian-inspired pasta dishes as well as his tribute to true Italian homemade pasta. Scouring the menu, go to the back page for not ten, not twenty, but THIRTY unique pasta dishes as well as a discounted dinner menu from Mondays to Thursdays, full-price on the weekend, complete with surf and turf, pork loin medallions and porterhouse steak..... oh drool, drool on the keyboard... oh where's a bounty paper towel when you need it?

Back to the pasta: this is the main event folks. Look out Pacqiao, One of a Kind's going to knock you out and overwhelm you with choices that'll keep Cotto hiding. Hot Tamale, ever the exotic diner, chose the Indigo: Squid Ink linguine with calamari, ham, shitake mushrooms and snow peas in a white wine cream sauce ($11.95) while Perogie shared his Funghi: creamy mushroom sauce and cheese tortellini but dutifully reminded us that the LAST time, the Ravioli was smashing. The Black Man feasted on one of the night's specials: Zebra Linguine with mussels in a rose wine sauce and salad ($18.95), and I selectively salivated on the King Cod Duck; Rigatoni with smoked duck breast, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes and leek in a red wine sauce ($14.95). The meal's final K.O. came with two desserts to share: a white chocolate cake AND a carrot cake (our ode at being "healthy" despite their devilish richness),each at approx.$6.

The restaurant offers delivery to a limited area as well as take-out (10% discount on cash payment) in addition to the cozy ambiance of polished wood, charming garden deco on the walls ?! and that ever-burning candle in the window. Reservations are recommended for the weekend as the restaurant seats only 30. Check it out at: http://www.oneofakindpasta.com/default.asp

I have never laughed so hard, eaten so richly and still had the time to visit Bella Regazza down the street and regale her with stories of the food, the company and of course, the gossip....this is the life!

Dreaming of the island at The Ackee Tree...

Saturday night, after a long choir practice, fellow choristers; Hot Tamale and Mahna Mahna and dining enthusiasts: Cindy and Ira met up at The Ackee Tree 170 Spadina Ave. (Spadina and Queen St. W) Thoroughly funked up with local art work and relaxed with the musical vibe of the islands, we feasted on ox tail stew, succulent jerk chicken, stew chicken, curry chicken and bbq chicken (hehe, that's a heck of a lot of chicken) medium plates go for about $9-10 and the larger plates $11-12. Our meal, complete with cola champagne (of course!), sides of plantain and dumplings were finished off with rum cake and coconut tarts. Fanshmastic! Check out their link at: http://www.ackeetree.com/home.asp

The ox stew to the left, medium size served with rice and peas and coleslaw. On the bottom, jerk chicken and the same sides... oh yesssss... so good!

Bride talk at Brass Taps Pizza Pub...

Thursday evening saw a reunion of sorts; my girlfriend Bride-to-be has arrived from London, UK with a ring on her finger! After a second round of bridal dress shopping, B2B, myself and Ginger caught up over cheap pints, nachos and a tandoori chicken wrap ($7.95) Check it out at Brass Taps Pub at Danforth and Logan. The evening was topped off with some wine and pastries from Europa Fine Pastries and Bakery at Danforth and Pape, the best Portuguese flaky parcels of goodness in the city.

Rolling out of Rol San...

Dim Sum delights were shared with Cheeky Monkey at Rol San Restaurant at 323 Spadina Ave (Spadina and St. Andrew, across from Kensington Market) Sunday morning for the yummy feast. It was Cheeky Monkey's second go at savouring the little packets of goodness from the wooden steaming treasure baskets. The establishment is really two restaurants in one, a smaller restaurant space in the front and then a larger banquet hall-esque space in the back room near the washrooms, this was where I was surprised to find a very modern, ikea-inspired decor... a little bizarre... All in all, although not the authentic push-cart dim sum experience, as the food was brought after checking off a paper menu, it was still fantastically filling and reminded me that good laughs and good eats are a great way to start a Sunday, or any day for that matter! (Dishes start at $2.98-3.98)

Yup, that's chicken feet baby... woo hoo... sooooo gooooood!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lovely Lalibela on a Thursday afternoon....

Erin and I finally put our money where our mouths were and tried our first (of many I'm sure) daring and dining experience at Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant, located at 1405 Danforth, in between Greenwood and Coxwell.

The restaurant serves Ethiopian food; a true communal experience as we were served a large platter of the Lalibela special; gorgeous chicken curry, lentils, chick peas, lamb tib stew, dorowat, beets and salad on injera bread. Using no utensils, our hands served to bulldoze the spongy bread sopped up in every last drip of the exotic goodness into our waiting mouths.

Here is the Lalibela special at $23, a bargain for mouth-watering goodness!

And the fantastic bread that sopped up every last drop......injera, a sour and spongy flat-bread served with every meal in Ethiopia. For a better explanation, check out this link: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-injera.htm







Here, Erin and I are enjoying popcorn and the coffee ceremony. The beans are selected and roasted on premises, as they're smoking, they're sent out into the restaurant where we see them, they are then brewed together with the water and presented in this gorgeous earthen coffee pot, complete with incense (which Erin is holding). We're served two sets of cups, two ceremonial cups (where we were told it might be too hot to hold as we're drinking) and so two additional regular cups were given... as well as POPCORN?! which surprisingly goes very well with this bold, dark and extra-smooth liquid of the gods! Go to Lalibela, go to Lalibela, did I mention you should go to Lalibela? This location has been open for about 5 months, there is also another on Bloor St. W. Fantastic!

All You Can Eat Sushi... Round 2...

Surrounded by the laughs of Goldfish and Sashimi Queen, I found myself up for Round 2 of All You Can Eat Sushi shenanigans at Hachitarou (Hwy 7 and McCowan Rd)
The menu is endless and includes such flavour-filled temptations as deep-fried oysters, osaka shrimps, japanese steamed egg, and much, much, MUCH, more. The price is bearable, especially if you come often and hold a VIP discount card, thank you Goldfish!!! All in all, the best AYCE sushi around, and open late until 11pm! Check out this link for a more detailed version, as my drool is preventing me to type, check out this review at Good Food TO Blog , I'll let the photos speak for themselves... yummmmm.... http://foodto.blogspot.com/2009/03/hachitarou-japanese-cuisine.html Great Blog! Follow him!!!!

Happy Birthday to my Momma!

On hiatus today as I'm celebrating the life of the one who gave me birth, and I'm sure we're going to eat some healthy, home cooked food....yes Rude Jude, we miss you.

Confessions: I'm secretly happy to eat a little less indulgently today, I had a grease nightmare of a dream yesterday.....

Oh yeah baby... creamy and DEEP-FRIED!

What, pretell, is this fantastic concoction served in this basket of deep-fried goodness? They are DEEP-FRIED, TEMPURA BATTERED AVOCADOS... after a rousing game of, who sells the cheapest glasses with Soooshi in the East End, we ventured downtown and met up with Hot Chocolate and Pogi, where he led us to this magical Kyoto House (Dundas St W and Elizabeth) This all you can eat sushi establishment is only $11.99 for lunch and is typical of most sushi restaurants of this genre. Aside from the hair on our server, and one long piece in our food... don't get the crab sushi my friends.... all was not lost on the mere quantity of food, not quality. However, all is forgotten when one is reminded of this innovative delicacy, all together now.... DEEP-FRIED TEMPURA BATTERED AVOCADOS...mmmmmmmmmmm

Enchanted with Elvis at Disgraceland...

You would think that after eating a heck of a lot and feeling the pangs of overindulgence that would stop yours truly.... h - e - double hockey sticks no! After an afternoon spent writing a priori, superveniencely and munching on forgettable Swiss Chalet, Hot Tamale and Bella Ragazza serve me with an enticing offer of visiting Disgraceland (Bloor St. W and Dovercourt)
for drinks. Steps away from the Delaware exit at Ossington Station on the north side, an intriguing red sign beckons you into the dimly lit, clean and inviting space. Welcomed by a game of Scrabble, and hungry since brunch, Hot Tamale, Bella Ragazza and I enjoyed Nachos, Burger Jack ($10) a homemade burger with spicy chipotle aioli, red onions and monterey jack cheese with fresh home-made chips like the English do and a couple pints of ale as we ransomed the last of the weekend to employ such linguistic skills as "randing","qi" and the truly impressive, "tradesman", triple word score... eat it!

(Blueberry) JAM packed dimanche....

Oh la la! Quelle surprise yesterday was... It started off with an impromptu brunch at Barrio (Queen St. E and Carlaw) with new fellow diners, in this order, wait for it... The Black Man, Perrogie (aka the Polish Sausage) and Hot Tamale rounding out the jolly quartet. I had a delectable Neptune Benedict crab cake ensemble, heaven disguised as brunch drenched with hollandaise sauce over two perfectly poached eggs served with white balsamically dressed arugula ($13). The ambience was simple and comfortable with navy blue banquettes lining the cream coloured walls decorated with avant-garde photographs. The well-kept fashonista in green, an ode to St. Patrick's Day I'm sure, The Black Man bemoaned of a lack of toast to his meal; the omelette special with steak and cheese ($12), only to be filled by a shmancy baguette and loaf of cornbread complete with homemade blueberry jam on the side, parfait! Honourable mentions are the Canadiana ($12) Sausage and Cheddar Eggs Benedict and the veggie and tomato omelette ($11) for Monsieur Perrogie. A well balanced meal which includes various allusions to bedroom shenanigans, permanently placed t-shirts and promises of Louis Vuitton chaussures is always a treat on a Sunday morn!
For dessert, the foursome strolled down to Ed's Real Scoop (Queen St. E. and Carlaw)served by the lovely Camille. Shoutouts to Mark, the chef, the creator of such mouth-watering creations as Burnt Marshmallow ice cream and the newest addition; STOUT flavoured ice cream! Fun and fabulous.

Off on the streetcar I went to visit with Cheeky Monkey at Future's Bakery and Cafe (Bloor St. W and Brunswick Ave), an old favourite from my undergrad haunts. Great vibe, sometimes too full, and teeming with idealistic minds discussing theories. Stuffed from the morning, I passed on the eye-drool fest of cakes and settled for a peppermint tea as Ms. Monkey and I laughed about the meaning of life and all its weird complexities....

An Ode to Toronto Yard Sale Snoop, lover of fine food and finds...

There once was a teacher named Erin,
Who could not stand to have her shelves barren,
Enchanted by Value Village galore,
She hopped on her bike once more,
To claim forty-nine cent shot glasses from Darren (sorry, couldn't think of a word that rhymes!)

Tiny tea cups and plates,
Oversized Elvis busts and decoupage crates,
All a sight to be hold
In her classroom that breaks all stuffy moulds!

Okay, sorry Erin, this does not obviously encapsulate how fantastic you are as a person, a teacher and now as a fellow diner! Join Erin and I this week as we venture in the realm of dangerous foods since we are off, off, off for March Break... yippee!

Introduced to Anthony Bourdain by Mahna Mahna, Erin and I have discussed many of his finer qualities; great writer, adventurous foodie and a penchant for finding himself in the most uncomfortable and awkwardly entertaining of circumstances....

This is the woman who inspired me to blog! Check her out at: http://torontoyardsaler.blogspot.com/ Yee haw!

East vs West...

Now Magazine has its feature this week on East vs West, where East-Enders vs West-Enders of the city have it out on everything from shops, trinkets, street-car lines and more importantly: FOOD! Check it out at: http://www.nowtoronto.com/guides/eastwest/2010/index.cfm

As an east-ender, I love the west end also.... can't we all just get along?

Mahna Mahna and Bubble Gum Steak at the wilted Tulip...

Oye! Service, service, service could make any horrifically awful food ten times better as pity for the poor earnest shmucks serving the shlop; this always translates in a decent tip, to say the least. Thus, the equation: poor service + shlop ultimately results in = awful dining experience. Mahna Mahna (names changed for anonymity and an excuse to embed this video ) was paying for parking, a lesson learned from brunch last week and a surprise $60 parking ticket...eep! but I digress... so I ventured in to The Tulip on Coxwell Av and Queen St. E. farely comfortable as a "rough and tumble" dive (from http://www.urbanspoon.ca/) familiar from 2 other uneventful visits. 'Twas busy in ye olde restaurant, so I waited patiently to be seated, I asked for a booth and was told to sit even without the table being cleared from the previous diners who had left. Mahna Mahna arrived and we scoured the menu for their famous Steak and Eggs breakfast ($10) and I settled for the Spanish Omelette($9) marinara sauce and sauteed vegetables...how can you go wrong, you ask.... After 15 min of waiting for the bloody table to be cleared, I piped up and asked the server who had seated me to please clear the table and we are ready with our orders, clearly this was not allowed and the gentlemen waiter (who looked about 13 and was matched with the manners of a tween) greeted us coldly with, "If you had waited to be seated like we told you, we would have cleared the table for you, what do you want..." EXCUSE ME, IF YOU WANT PEOPLE TO COME BACK TO YOUR ESTABLISHMENT THERE'S SUCH A THING CALLED, UM, RESPECT!!!! Double ugh! The steak was chewy, home fries boiled and then crisped and the Spanish Omelette reminded me of Campbell's vegetable soup with an overhelping of celery?! enveloped in milk-diluted eggs. Please, oh please, if you can go somewhere else, please do! Next!

TGIF celebrates wine and some good ol' fashioned Chinese Take-out

With the weather being as glum as it was tonight, a night on the town clubbing was axed and replaced by some good wine, good company and great take-out! South central Scarborough is where we find, Chopstick Foods one block east of Pharmacy at Danforth. On the way to author's very own apartment did we wine (Masi, one bottle in one hour... hehehe) and feast on sweet and sour ribs. The neon reddish glow to the meat care of the sauce kind of gives you that warm feeling that, yes sir, this is greasy Chinese food at its best. The only disappointment amongst the Cantonese Chow Mein, Fried Rice, Sweet and Sour Ribs, Chop Suey and Beef and Broccoli was that there was no broccoli to be found! Sadly, the broccoli was replaced by bok choi, and really, if the dish is called Beef and Broccoli, stick to the ingredients, no substitutions please! I know what you're thinking.... isn't that a lot for only two people? Not if you're hungry, inebriated and roaring with good stories to share with a friend. (Besides, tonight has definitely given me a chance to dust off ye old gym membership card!!!) Now ladies and gentlemen, if you braved clubbing, then a few suggestions come to mind: the classic Pho 88 in the Spadina Chinatown, Fran's home cooked comfort food: Eggs Benedict at 3 am? Yeah! Yonge and College (only the original), Seven (Yonge and Charles) wine bar and cafe fare and further in Scarborough East T-Bones where you can get the fastest cooked 16 oz steak served on charming cafeteria trays in a converted Wendy's establishment (although amongst shady characters, I promise you will not get shot) and Perfect Restaurant Midland and Sheppard, dim sum specials!!!! All these fine establishments are open either 24 hours or until 4am. MMMMM MMMMM GOOD! Nothing beats trans fats camouflaged as food at 3 in the morning....

Dress Room Divas Dine....

Okay, okay, enough with the alliterations you say.... after a stunningly tiny Heather sashayed (spell?) her way in and out of wedding gown bliss on the Danforth last night, her entourage ended up at Astoria Greek Restaurant at the corner of Chester and Danforth. With the bright pinky red light as a beacon for all good things skewered, we were quickly ushered into a thoroughly packed restaurant and seated at our friend Erin's favourite table. Hearty greek salads were served with gracious portions of feta (mine looked like snow covering Mount Fuji Iceberg lettuce peaks) followed by a chicken and pork souvlaki dinners (small around $11). Do not be fooled by the label "small" as the 8 oz skewers of dreamy, drippy, grilled meaty goodness are joined by your choice of roasted potatoes, mixed vegetables (although, surprise! added supplement of $1.79... huh?) rice and fries. Check it out here at: http://www.astoriashishkebobhouse.com/ Opa!

Kelsey's, oh Kelsey's

As to why I'm even commenting on Kelsey's here, I really don't know as the food is pretty common place and "diverse" in the most generic Metro/Loblaws supermarket sense, only to say this people, "DON'T GO THERE!" if you want decent service and a glass of wine... relaxed after work atmosphere and delayed wine service is not a good combination..ugh... next! http://www.kelseys.ca/index.aspx You'll notice the tagline, "Cheers to Good Food!".... riiiiiight....

Goat Roti and Cola Champagne...

Monday last, Hot Tamale and I went to The Real Jerk at Queen St. E. and Broadview for dinner (2nd one for me that evening, yes, the sad stir-fry I made was uneventful and saturated in oyster sauce) to be followed by a romp at Ed's Real Scoop further east on Queen St. The groovin' atmosphere, complete with dark lighting, vinyl red, yellow and green sticky tablecloths and various rasta paraphernalia hanging from the ceiling were matched by the well-organized menu and our pleasant server Leo. Dreaming of sandy beaches, my girlfriend ate Ackee and cod fish ($13) which she claims was, "pretty good" as I quickly ate my goat roti ($6.99), although with bones and very large potato chunks, was still savoury. As a worthy comparison, there is Cool Runnings at Main St. and Gerrard St. to try with high recommendations (an old hang out after work with friends). Unfortunately, Ed's was closed 15 minutes before aforementioned closing time (don't do this people!) and we settled for Dairy Queen Mint Oreo blizzards on the way home, no comparison!!!!!!

Je suis GUTOM! Wha?....

Je suis GUTOM was born out of a suggestion by my friend Heather to chronicle my two favourite things: ranting and eating! It means, I am hungry in a mix of french and tagalog; my two Canadian identities! Join me: a single, twenty-something canadienne, as I adventure around the gastronomic trails of Toronto and its environs to do what I do best... whine and dine. Bon appétit!