Saturday, September 17, 2016

Stack Restaurant

It's pretty hard to find some good BBQ in Toronto or anywhere in the GTA in my opinion.  I have yet to try out the new joints that opened up though.  So maybe those new places will hopeful.  But because they're a bit farther downtown, it will definitely take some time before I will be able to check them out.  One night while browsing through Yelp, I noticed Stack Restaurant's BBQ Platter.  It looked awesome!  So I scheduled something with a few of my friends to go and check it out.  I reminded them that they need to make sure their stomachs were empty since the platter in the picture looked pretty big.

We arrived, the restaurant was pretty empty.  I have to mention that it was a weeknight though.  What I noticed even more was the lack of BBQ smells.  Who knows, maybe they have a great ventilation system unlike Korean BBQ places.  So we ordered the platter and the food arrived shortly.  There was a good amount of food that arrived.  Whats included:  baby back ribs, quarter chicken, pulled pork, brisket, smoked meat, fries, mac & cheese, beans, slaw and buns.  This platter feeds 3-5 people, and we had 4 people.  I wish I could say the food was so good, because everything looked good, but it wasn't.  Nothing here was particularly memorable.  What I do remember is the chicken being super dry (so dry to the point that my friend really didn't want to finish it, but because he didn't want to waste food, he ate it while drinking A LOT of water), the brisket having no smoke flavour, smoked meat being super salty, and mac & cheese being cold.  And for a platter that is supposed to serve 3-5 people, why are there only 2 buns?  Pretty disappointing.
BBQ Platter













Stack Restaurant
3625 Yonge St.,
Toronto, ON
M4N 2L5

Phone:  (647) 346-1416

Hours:  Monday - Friday 11:30a - 10:00p
             Saturday 11:30a - 11:00p
             Sunday 11:30a - 9:00p

http://www.stackrestaurant.ca

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Fully Loaded TO

I went to this food truck festival with a truck that I was targeting to try.  All the other trucks at the festival was pretty generic, burgers, fries, ice cream.  Fully Loaded T.O was different, and I wanted to try.  Unfortunately for me, so did lots of other people.  By the time I got there, the line up was pretty much the longest for any of the trucks, and they were already sold out of the chicken and waffles option.  What I should mention is Fully Loaded T.O is a truck that does stuffed chicken wings.  No other truck does currently, as far as I know.  We ordered Poppin' Jalapeños and Mac on That.  The Poppin' Jalapeños were wings that were stuffed with a jalapeño cheese filling and then drizzled with ranch dressing.  Mac on That were wings that was stuffed with macaroni and cheese tossed with garlic parmesan sauce and toasted bread crumbs. Orders were served with a side of regular standard french fries.  The wings were cooked through (very important, as I tend to get raw chicken a lot of the times), and outside was crispy.  The jalapeño stuffed wings didn't have that much cheese stuffing in it.  The macaroni and cheese one had more substantial stuffing.  I was under the impression that the wings would be boneless to maximize the amount of stuffing that could be put into the wings, but the way that Fully Loaded T.O does it is, that they keep the bones in tact, and then stuff some filling just under the skin of the wings.
Poppin' Jalapeno
Mac on That

Poppin' Jalapeno Insides
Mac on That Insides













Interesting and different idea for the food truck scene.  Taste was great too.  But now that i've tasted it once, I think thats enough.  Pricing was a bit high for me.  My brain isn't working right now, but it was between $10-$15 for 5 pieces (drumettes and the middle of the wing are considered 2 pieces).

Fully Loaded T.O
http://www.fullyloadedto.com

Friday, September 9, 2016

Market 707: NomNomNom, Gushi, Petit Nuage

The idea of Market 707 is pretty cool.  Its like a normal small restaurant crossed with a food truck, resulting in food being served out of a shipping container.  I would assume since it's a place with actual running water and fixed gas/electricity, food prep and storage wise would be safer than a food truck as well.  The only downside is that you end up eating the food at a picnic table with busy road traffic running down Bathurst St.

NomNomNom
Known for their poutine and crepes.  I wasn't feeling for crepes that day, so was looking at their poutines.  They have lots of options on their menu, but because of the purist that I am, I ordered the plain or regular poutine.  Portion was quite big!  The fries, cut in house, and fried fresh, topped with real squeaky cheese curds and gravy that wasn't overly salty.  Love their poutine.  Probably one of my faves in the city now.
Poutine













http://nnncrepes.com

Gushi
This is a place I knew the hubby would be interested in checking out.  One of their best sellers is the chicken kaarage.  We got a large order of Original Gushi Chicken on Rice.  We probably shouldn't have ordered the large, but the hubby always has an issue with thinking we can eat more than our stomachs can handle.  So in the end, he stuffed his stomach.  I loved how the rice was a purple rice rather than a white rice.  Just something different, and I think purple rice is supposed to be healthier right?  The kaarage was good, a piece or two was a little fatty for me, but the hubby didn't notice, i'm probably just pickier about food having hunks of fat on it.  I have to say that there quite a few pieces of kaarage in the order.  Worth the price paid for sure.
Original Gushi Chicken on Rice













https://www.facebook.com/gushitoronto

Petit Nuage
Last but not least, saved some room for dessert.  I got 2 macarons, and a cream puff.  To be honest, I don't remember which macarons I bought, and I don't remember if they were good or not.  But, I LOVED the cream puff.  I've never had a cream puff like this before.  The outside, pastry, was like the normal pastry crossed with the top of a pineapple bun.  Amazing!  The inside cream filling was a matcha filling, that filled the pastry to the brim!
Daily Selection
Matcha Cream Puff













http://www.petitnuage.ca

Market 707
707 Dundas St. W.,
Toronto, ON
M5T 2W6

Hours:  Spring & Summer (April to September) Tuesday - Saturday 11:30a - 7:00p*
             Fall (October to December) Tuesday - Saurday 11:30a - 5:00p*
             Winter (January - March) Hours vary depending on the vendor
* Hours of individual vendors may vary

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Alchemy Coffee

I have been complaining about the lack of independent coffee shops in the York Region in almost forever.  I always think to myself that if I won the lottery, I would love to open small coffee shop/cafe just to pass time.  So when I heard about Alchemy Coffee, I was super excited to give it a try.  Just nice to have a choice/option of not having to go to Starbucks or Timmys.

When we arrived at Alchemy Coffee, it was pretty full in there.  The tables were all taken, and people were sitting at the counter seating overlooking the parking lot.  All of the people sitting down were eating breakfast/brunch consisting of eggs, bread and french fries alongside a cup of coffee.   Good thing I was just looking for a cup of joe to go.  Trying to get a table to sit, wouldn't happen anytime soon.  So I ordered my usual latte, and the hubby I think got a flat white or a macchiato.  I can't remember, and apparently I only took a picture of my drink.  We ordered and had to wait a LONG time for our drinks.  I don't know if it was because they were still new at doing what they do, but for coffee, I think it was way too long.  I got my latte first, and then still had to wait to get the hubby's drink.  I took a sip, and my latte was at best room temp.  I didn't want to make a stink, so I just sucked it up and didn't say anything.  A few minutes later, hubby got his drink, steaming hot.  After getting in the car, I told my hubby that my latte wasn't as hot as 'normal'.  My hubby noticed that the barista made my latte with 'leftover' steamed milk.  I'm sure it wasn't leftover like sitting on the counter for hours, but it was made for someone else's drink and I got the remnants.  The hubby's drink took longer and was hotter because it was freshly steamed.  Aside from the leftover milk incident, I didn't find their latte better than others.  Hubby didn't like his drink so much.  I asked him if he wanted to go back and give them a second chance (i'm giving them the benefit of the doubt that they worked out their kinks), and he said no, that he would rather go to Starbucks instead.  And this is coming from the guy that usually has no opinion, and most things taste "ok".
Latte










Alchemy Coffee
4361 Highway 7E, Unit 1
Markham, ON
L3R 1M1

Phone:  (905) 604-6622

Hours:  Monday - Thursday 7:30a - 6:00p
             Saturday - Sunday 8:00am - 6:00p

http://alchemycoffee.ca

Burlington: Son of A Peach Pizzeria, Tamp Coffee Co.

Afternoon trip to Burlington, for no reason other than just to eat.  I have never been to Burlington before, and wasn’t sure about what there was to see either.  All I know is that it’s near the Lake.  We left the house later than I was hoping, and traffic took longer than I thought.  Why is the traffic going there so bad?  Traffic was clogged up around the Ford plant area all the way past the mall!  But there wasn’t an accident or anything.  I asked my coworkers about that the next day and they said that’s normal.  Anyways, the two places my coworkers recommended for me to check out were Son of a Peach Pizzeria and Tamp Coffee Co.  We ended up arriving for a super late lunch, which turned out to be good timing, since my coworker said Son of a Peach is usually packed during lunch and dinner.

Son of a Peach Pizzeria
Son of a Peach Pizzeria, the name (without pizzeria) wouldn’t make you think of a pizza place would it?  They do their pizzas in a giant pizza oven that you can see from their dining space.  Great visually, and probably great in the winter too, but in the summer, made the dining area a bit hot.  They also offer things like burgers and wings on their menu.  I ordered the tomato & mozzarella pizza, and the hubby got the burger.  The burger came first and it looked great.  The burger patty was made in house using locally raised top sirloin and brisket blend (which gives it the fatty juiciness), topped with house candied maple bacon.  The bun I thought was a bit too soft for all the meaty goodness, was a house made sourdough brioche bun.  I think in general brioche buns are too soft for burgers.  I loved the salt & vinegar taro chips that were served on the side.  The hubby found them too vinegary for him. 
Burger










The pizza, was a good size, had minimal toppings on it since I ordered tomato & mozzarella.  The crust was good, thin, and had a good amount of chew and char.  I loved the amount of fresh basil sprinkled on top.  I just wish that they used fresh mozzarella instead of their house-smoked mozzarella.  That’s just a personal preference though.
Tomato & Mozzarella Pizza










Son of A Peach Pizzeria
2049 Pine St., Unit 62-63
Burlington, ON
L7R 1E9

Phone:  (905) 632-4040

Hours:  Monday - Thursday 11:30a - 9:00p
             Friday - Saturday 11:30a - 10:00p
             Sunday 11:30a - 8:00p

http://www.heypeachy.com

Tamp Coffee Co.
Tamp Coffee Co., located literally 2 stores down from Son of a Peach, small coffee shop.  Felt a little intimidating in there, their counters and stuff were so high, for a short person like me, it just felt a bit awkward.  Ordered a latte and a macchiato.  My latte was good and smooth.  Originally I thought the coffee was too weak, but after a few sips, it was great, left my mouth with a pleasant coffee aftertaste as well.  The hubby’s macchiato was too strong for me, even though he said he found it a bit weak.
Latte & Macchiato
 









Tamp Coffee Co.
2049 Pine St. Unit 65
Burlington, ON
L7R 1E9

Phone:  (416) 917-5745

Hours:  Monday - Friday 7:00a - 7:00p
             Saturday 7:30a - 7:00p
             Sunday 8:00a - 5:00p

http://tampcoffee.com

Monday, September 5, 2016

Bake Code

An Asian bakery with a twist.  I know they’ve been open a while, but I never found a big enough reason to drop by.  Parking near Yonge St. isn’t easy when you want free.  Finally after dinner along Yonge St. one night, we stopped by Bake Code.  It was busy in there, and the shelves were pretty empty.  But I was here only for one thing, a croissant that has this liquidy yolky inside.  I think I saw the croissant I came here to buy, but before I touched anything, I wanted to ask someone that worked there to confirm.  So I asked the girl at the cash.  I said “Excuse me”, and responded “Just wait!”.  Wow……treating a customer like that.  She wasn’t even really doing anything.  Not a good start.  In the end I just took a guess and bought the croissant hoping that it was what I came here for. 

The croissant was quite dry, and the liquidy interior wasn’t as liquidy/lava like as in those deep fried sesame balls from dimsum.  The croissant part wasn’t very buttery like what I would be looking for in a crossant.  It was more bready than I would would like.  And the price, I don’t remember what it was, but it was quite high for a croissant.  With crappy staff attitude, medicore product, and high prices, not sure I will be coming back.
Egg Yolk Croissant










Bake Code
4910 Yonge St. Unit B1,
Toronto, ON,
M2N 5N5

Phone:  (647) 346-3888

Hours:  Monday - Friday 8:00a - 12:00a
             Saturday - Sunday 10:00a - 12:00a

http://bakecode.com

Nana

I'm finding it more and more difficult to find time to write posts.  Which explains why I'm so far behind.  I've even tried to tell myself that I just need to do one post a night after dinner to get caught up.  I could do the easy way out, like I've seen on many other blog posts and essentially do a "I was here" post, but I just can't bring myself to doing that.  Whats the point of posting if I'm not actually putting any sort of opinion or thought into it right?

This post for Nana I felt like I needed to post sooner rather than later because I was super annoyed at their rules/service.  Nana is the sister restaurant of Khao San Road.  On the bottom of their menu, it says that if you have any food allergies to let your server know.  So when I was telling my waiter what I wanted to eat that night, I politely requested that my dish not include bean sprouts.  He said that cannot be done, and for me to choose something else.  So then I asked, if it cannot be omitted, can they just make sure that it's throughly cooked.  He again said no, the chef does not change their dishes so that I need to order something else.  So whats the point in me telling you I cannot eat something when you are not willing to do anything about it?  In the end, I had to change my order to something else (there weren't many options to choose from since the menu was quite small).  I hate being told what I can or cannot eat, especially if I'm paying!  I ended up ordering the pad see ew with pork, and the hubby ordered the mi ga ti with pork.  What annoyed me even more was that as I was waiting for my meal to arrive, I saw other people's khao soi, and pad thai (the dishes I wanted to eat originally), coming out of the kitchen, with just a raw handful of raw bean sprouts sitting on top of the dish.  How  hard is it to just not add that handful of raw bean sprouts to the dish before handing it off to the waiter?!  Yes I know it would change the texture of the dish because I would be missing that fresh crunch.  But if i'm asking for it to omit it, I am expecting that fresh crunch to not be there.  I felt like steam was coming out of my ears.....

Food wise, my pad see ew, was ok.  Its essentially tastes like a Thai version of the Chinese fried rice noodle with beef dish.  The noodle itself is slightly different.  Looks like a pappardelle, but tastes like a chewier rice noodle (hor fun).  The sauce, is soy sauce and oyster sauce based and cooked with chicken, egg and gai lan.  I have to admit there was some good 'wok hay'.  Hubby's mi ga ti with pork started off with a good tasting red curry base with the addition of ground pork and tofu.  Reminded me of ma po tofu, but in a soupy curry sauce.  The noodles were the thin rice noodles, and super overcooked.  Overcooked to the point where if you tried to pick up the noodles with your fork the noodles would break.  You essentially needed to eat this dish with a spoon.  The dish also came out at borderline room temperature, too cold for my liking.  My dish came out piping hot, so not sure if my hubby's dish was cooked first and left sitting until my dish was done to bring both out at the same time.   Hubby's dish included bean sprouts, and again it was just an addition of raw bean sprouts to the top of his dish, like a garnish......
Pad See Ew

Mi Ga Ti with Pork



















Due to the inflexibility of the kitchen, I would not come back.  Not to mention, Pai, my favourite Thai restaurant is in a more accessible area for me for when my Thai cravings come back.  Also, unless you are of a group of 4, you will have to share tables with others.  I think all their tables are for 4, with one table for 2.

Nana
785 Queen St. West,
Toronto, ON
M6J 1G1

Phone:  (647) 352-5773

Hours:  Monday - Tuesday CLOSED
             Wednesday - Thursday 5:00p - 10:00p
             Friday - Sun 5:00p - Late

http://www.stnnana.com/main
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