Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant

A few months ago, I bought one of those deal coupons, $14 for $40 worth of food at Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant.  Before this, I have never tried Ethiopian food, and have heard very mixed reviews about it.  For $14, it's worth a try.

This review will be very short because we couldn't really identify what we were eating, partly because the dishes are so new, partly because the lighting was very dark.  All I know was, it was pretty good.  The injera that you are to use to pick up the food, reminded me of a cross between sour dough bread and a soggy crepe.  I usually hate sour dough, but this was good with the veggies and such.  I need to come back and try more on the menu next time.

Meat Platter with Beef 

Vegetarian Platter

Popcorn 

Ethiopian Coffee

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant
869 Bloor St. W
Toronto, ON
M6G 1M4
416-645-0486
http://www.lalibelaethiopianrestaurant.com

Hours: 10am-2am

Glory Hole Donuts

I wanted to Glory Hole Donuts, months and months and months ago.  I first read about them in the Toronto Star.  At the time, there were only 2 places that sold these donuts, Glory Hole did not have their own retail location at the time.  I stopped by that coffee shop on a Saturday afternoon, and walked out with no donuts.  Because of the Toronto Star, these donuts have been selling out early in the mornings.

After my exams, I finally had the time to make a trip to Glory Hole's Queen West shop.  The location isn't exactly convenient.  The surrounding area is kind of dumpish like.  But I guess thats what they could afford since they kind of 'begged' for donations to open up a retail store.  When we walked in, they only had 2 flavours available.  We waited for upwards of 30 minutes for them to bring out some additional flavours.  We picked up a dozen donuts to try and share with friends.  I think they charged us wrong, because a dozen donuts ended up costing us only $31.  If I remember correctly, one dozen of their donuts (pre-retail location) was closer to $50.

The flavours we picked up include:  Banana Cream, Maple Bacon, Chocolate Pretzel, Black Forest, Pistachio and some Lemon Ricotta Balls.  My fave was the Lemon Ricotta Balls.  The texture was more cake like whereas the other donuts had a fluffier bread like texture.  Hubby did not like the Maple Bacon.  I didn't get to taste all of the donuts as they were given to friends.  I would definitely recommend calling in before hand for donuts so you don't have to waste time waiting...and waiting for these donuts. 

Box O' Donuts

Banana Cream Donut

Glory Hole Donuts

1596 Queen St W

Toronto, ON

647-352-4848

http://www.gloryholedoughnuts.com

Tacos El Asador

My coworker loves breakfast foods, so do I.  One morning she had this crazy craving for beans and eggs.  To me, this sounded like the oddest combination ever.  But then again, the English have baked beans in their traditional English breakfasts, so I guess it might not be so strange after all?

So on the last day of my fall school term, we met up at one of her favourite Latin places for this Latin breakfast.  She says it's still not as good as her moms, but satisfies the craving.  Tacos El Asador is VERY small, and not a place to have a long chat.  The food must be good, it was completely PACKED!

The breakfast consists of eggs, which I was told to get them scrambled because they put in onions and peppers in for flavour, avocado, beans, fried plantains, queso fresco, and sour cream.  This whole fried bananas/plantains thing was kind of strange.  I'm used to eating bananas by themselves.  But these fried plantains were super yummy.  Just a little sweet with a tiny hint of tang (like green bananas which I love) and firm.  The combination of the eggs, beans, queso fresco, sour cream, and avocado was so good!

Breakfast

The hubby also ordered a chicken taco and a burrito.  After eating these corn tortillas, I can't go back to eating the flour ones from the supermarket.  They don't stick to the roof of your mouth!  And they actually taste like something!  The chicken in the taco was very tender, we felt like it was just missing some seasoning.  The chicken burrito in the back was very yummy!  Just the right amount of flavour.

Chicken Tacos

I need to come back and try some of the other things on the menu.  Now only if there was a way for me to figure out what the words on the menu mean.....

Tacos El Asador
690 Bloor St W.
Toronto, ON
M6G 1L2
416-538-9747

Hours:  Mon - Tues, Thurs - Sat 12pm - 9pm
             Wed 1pm - 9pm
             Sun 2pm - 9pm

Wonton Chai Noodle

Soupy noodles is the ultimate comfort food.  Somewhat light on the stomach, and just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

I have grown to be a somewhat picky eater as my parents and friends say.  I don't eat fish, and I don't eat pork most of the time.  Pork always has this 'porky' taste.  I also hate fat.  The texture of fat in the mouth grosses me out.  Usually I do a good enough job of scraping off all sorts of fat, before the meat enters my mouth.  But in the rare case that some fat does enter my mouth I usually end up spitting out the food.  This makes finding a good wonton hard.  Most restaurants put shrimp, pork AND lard into their wontons/dumplings.  I can't eat it, it's just too gross.  I know Jim Chae Kee makes awesome, gianormous shrimp only wontons and yes they're very good.  Near work, I found Wonton Chai Noodle.  Their wontons are not as big as Jim Chae Kee, which I prefer anyways, makes it easier to pop into the mouth.  Wonton Chai Noodle wontons are also made with shrimp only, which makes them edible for me.  Broth, no where as good as the two infamous wonton restaurants in Hong Kong, but I personally don't think it's possible to find anything that would compare anyways.

Wontons & Rice Noodles in Broth

Wonton Chai Noodle
4040 Creditview Rd.
Mississauga, ON
L5C 3Y8
905-232-1103

Chinese Food: A Lost Art

While I was cooking dinner tonight, I looked down at the mess of E-Fu noodles I was making.  My Chinese cooking never turns out the same as my moms.  I partly blame it on the fact that I have a crappy electric stove, and not a gas stove.  My moms Chinese food is always better than mine.  I can watch her cook to learn, but there's never any recipes to take with me to recreate.  That is because real Chinese food doesn't have any recipes.  Chinese chefs cook by taste.  My mom and grandma cook by taste.  I tried to cook Chinese food by taste, and it doesn't work out as well as me cooking Western style food by taste.

Sometimes I worry that my generation has lost a lot of the Chinese heritage, not only in cooking, but speaking, reading and traditions.  I hate using the word "Fusion"  I see that too often at those Western style restaurants who are trying to attract a Chinese customer base.  But I would have to classify my versions of Chinese dishes as "Fusion" or the "new" Chinese.  My dishes are a lot simpler, less salty, less greasy, some may just say bland.  My stomach cannot handle the grease, and my face gets swollen after eating salty foods.  As i'm getting older, i'm more conscious of what I put in my mouth.  My mom has said i'm getting pickier.  Maybe thats why my Chinese food doesn't taste the way my mom makes it.

 I need to somehow figure the lost art of Chinese cooking and soup making with the hopes that I can somehow pass it on to the future generations.

Non-Chinese Vegetarian E-Fu Noodles