Arirang

I can't believe it's been a year since I last posted.  I mean to post more, and I have posts that are saved as drafts, but I just never got around to actually posting them.  Last year I didn't get to check out many places locally, but I did get to visit some pretty awesome places in Australia.  Since it was a while ago, I'm not sure what the best way of posting would actually be.

Anyways, locally, yesterday I took a friend out to lunch for a super belated birthday.  Due to her strict one hour lunch break, we had to stay super close to work.  The restaurant that we had both wanted to go to and was craving turned out to be closed Tuesday and Wednesdays.  So we went next door to Arirang.  Arirang is a well known Korean BBQ restaurant in Mississauga (from what I hear at least).  Since it was lunch time, we didn't go for the Korean BBQ option and ordered just a bulgogi bibimbap, and a soontofu with pork.  The first thing that arrived was a small, almost teacup sized cup of congee.  Tasted ok.  The banchans came next.  There were only 5 items, there was fried fish paste, kimchi, seaweed, bean sprouts, and potato.  Mostly ok, nothing special.  I would have preferred the kimchi to have been fermented a bit longer as it was still a bit too 'raw' for my liking.  Friend devoured her bibimbap, which came steaming hot in the stone bowl.  My soontofu came second.  The tofu that came in my stew seemed way firmer than what i'm used to seeing in the stew.  Then as i stirred i noticed there was seafood in my stew, which was one of the options of soontofu you can choose from.  I waved the waitress over and told her I didn't order seafood soontofu, and that I ordered pork.  She looked at me funny and said "You can't eat seafood?".  No lady, the problem isn't that I can't eat seafood, I don't want to eat seafood.  I did't order seafood because I don't want it.  She took it back without any apologies and later on brought what I had ordered.  No real complaints taste wise, just really not that special either.

We were too rushed to eat for me to remember to take any pictures, sorry!

Arirang
1177 Central Parkway W,
Unit  72
Mississauga, ON
L5C4P3

Phone: (905) 804-1880

Hours:  Monday - Sunday 1100a - 1100p

Fritter King

I have found it!  Far, but I have found it!  Ever since my favourite congee restaurant closed a few years back, I have been on the search for the perfect bowl of congee, steamed rice noodle, and fritter. Many have suggested Sam's Congee Delight, would be the go to.  However, I was disappointed.  Not only is it super busy, but it just didn't hit the spot for me.  But now my go to spot has been found.  Fritter King in Mississauga.  Yes it is far from home, but close to work.

While Fritter King is no fancy place, you may not necessarily want this to be a date night restaurant, it's great for when you want comfort in a bowl.  We ordered chicken congee, fritter, plain steamed rice noodle, and rice noodle with beef and enoki mushrooms.  The congee is the real deal, slow cooked, homey rice flavour, like your mom made it on the stove.  Good amount of chicken.

Chicken Congee

The fritter, one of the main reasons why I wanted to come.  There are few restaurants that make their own fritters.  Most just order from a factory that makes these fritters, and just  refries when ordered.  Their fritters are so fresh, and greaseless!  As i'm eating, I see people come in and to buy bags of them to take home.  I did the same a few days later, and my mom couldn't stop raving about them.

Dough Fritter

Of course we ordered steamed rice noodles.  It's the perfect meal companion to congee!  My favourite is the plain steamed rice noodle where you would douse with sweetened soy sauce, sesame sauce, hot sauce and sesame seeds.  So thin, soft and silky. They also make these fresh to order here as well.  You can watch them make them, as they make them in their open kitchen near the entrance.  As you eat it's like a mini show (they make the dough fritter and steamed rice noodle at the front of the restaurant, stir fried dishes are made in the back kitchen).  I have to say I didn't like the beef enoki rice noodle as much, the rice noodle was thicker.  I guess to hold up to the filling?

Plain Steamed Rice Noodle

Steamed Beef Enoki Rice Noodle

Fritter King
1177 Central Parkway W. Suite 9,
Mississauga, ON
L5C 4P3

Phone: (905) 268-0938

Hours: Monday - Thursday 800a - 900p
Friday - Saturday 800a - 1000p
Sunday 800a - 900p

Bertos Cuisine

This is only the second time I've ever tried Filipino food.  The first was at Casa Manila, which I found was meh and expensive.  This time, my attempt at Filipino food, is their breakfasts.  We had their breakfasts, for lunch.  I'm not quite sure how people can eat that amount and type of food for breakfast,  so heavy!

Whats included in these meals is that they all come with a beef broth as a starter.  It was very flavourful, but reminded me of the beef broth from the Nissan instant noodles.  The meats are then served on top of a garlic fried rice (sinangag), and eggs (itlog).  Usually the egg comes sunny side up.  We requested the eggs to be cooked through, and the cashier looked at us funny but obliged at our weird request anyways.  For our lunches (breakfasts), we ordered the beef pares silog, tosilog, and the longsilog.  The beef pares is a beef brisket, which was very tender, but my complaint is that the pieces were too small.  I guess maybe it's because it helps the beef cook down faster that way?  The tosilog, had tocino, pieces of fried pork.  Kind of reminded me of a cross between a pork chop and pork jerky.  There was a bit of sweetness in it as well.  The longsilog had longanisa which is a sausage.  While I didn't expect to like it, because I'm not a fan of sausages, I did actually like it quite a bit.

Soup

Beef Pares Silog

Tosilog

Longsilog

Pretty good tasting meal.  And good pricing as well, $8+tax and tip.

Bertos Cuisine
1063 Dundas St. W,
Mississauga, ON
L5C 1C3

Phone:  (905) 232-0203

Hours:  Monday - Friday 9:00a - 9:00p
             Saturday 9:00a - 10:00p
             Sunday 9:00a - 6:00p

http://www.bertoscuisine.com

Hawaii Bakery & Tea House

These were the exact words I used to ask my coworker to lunch.  "Want to check out a dirty Chinese restaurant?"  My coworker gave me this weird look that you must have on your face now.  I clarified, dirty to me doesn't actually mean dirty as in dirt, grimy, or bug infested.  To me, the use of the word dirty to describe a restaurant, usually means quick, greasy, simple food.  That is what Hawaii Bakery & Tea House seemed like to me.  Hawaii is essentially a Hong Kong style cafe that serves sandwiches, simple soup noodles, instant noodles, and because they're a bakery, they're also known for their bread.  But strangely, out of all the times I've walked there with another coworker, they only have pineapple buns on the shelf, no other Chinese buns.  That part I've never figured out.

My coworker ordered corned beef & egg on instant noodles, buttered dinner roll on the side.  I ordered satay beef on vermicelli, egg & luncheon meat with buttered dinner roll on the side.  Both served with a hot drink (eg. milk tea, coffee, lemon tea etc).  We both ordered Hong Kong style milk tea.  Wasn't strong enough tea flavour in my opinion.  My memory is getting so bad, but I think these combos are no more than $5 each.  While there is nothing spectacular about each of our meals, they were truly satisfying.  I try and eat as healthy as I can, but every once in a while, a girl has her unhealthy cravings too.   My coworker said it reminded her of her childhood.  I have to say though, the best part of the meal was actually the dinner roll.  It was fluffy, slightly sweet, and just delicious with the butter.  I could eat that forever and not get sick of it.

Corned Beef & Egg Instant Noodles

Luncheon Meat & Eggs with Buttered Dinner Roll and Satay Beef Vermicelli

Hawaii Bakery & Tea House
1100 Burnhamthorpe W.,
Mississauga, ON
L5C 4G4

Phone:  (905) 277-3333

Hours:  Monday - Saturday 8:00a - 6:00p
             Sunday 8:00a - 5:00p

Lion City Restaurant

Lion City has been around forever.  All my coworkers that live in Mississauga has said that this restaurant has been around for as long as they remember.  Must be good if it has lasted that long right?  My coworkers and I have been meaning to check it out for the longest time.  When we did make a plan to go try it, I got super sick.  And knowing that its Singaporean, Malaysian type food, it would be spicy, probably would irritate me more than help, so we had to postpone it till much later.  Full disclaimer, I haven't had much in terms of Malaysian or Singaporean food, so I can't comment as to what I tried is authentic or not.  My review is based on if it agreed with my tastebuds and if I liked it or not.

We ordered 3 dishes for the 4 of us.  The only dish that I really remember is the laksa lemak.  The other dishes, I think was either a Thai style fried rice noodle or pad thai, and a chicken and vegetable stir fry.  The laksa lemak, the broth was delicious, albeit VERY spicy.  My coworkers who could eat spice couldn't handle it.  I was barely able to, so I ended up eating most of it just because I didn't want  to waste it.  The noodles I thought was different than the laksas I've had before, it was like a very thick vermicelli.  The laksas that I've had before is usually a thick yellow round noodle mixed with vermicelli.  I was told by other friends, that is  not authentic, and it should be just the thick round vermicelli.  I just wished that the broth wasn't so spicy, you couldn't taste anything in the broth aside from the spice!  What a waste.  I have to say, there was a steady stream of people coming in for lunch, and each table, there was at least 1 order of the laksa lemak.  So I assume it must be good, just not for my tastebuds.

Laksa Lemak

The fried noodle was just ok.  Spicy and well, but not as spicy as the laksa.  But nothing to write home about.  My biggest issue with this dish was how piecey the noodles were.  It was almost as if we got served all the end bits in the bag.  Would have been easier to eat the noodles with a spoon.

Thai Style Fried Noodle

The chicken with veggie stir fry was quite boring.  I told my coworker thats probably because we ordered the most "White"/"Western" dish not the menu.

Chicken Vegetable Stirfry

Lion City Restaurant
1177 Central Parkway West, Unit 70
Mississauga, ON
L5C 4P3

Phone:  (905) 281-0860

Hours:  Monday - Tuesday 11:30a - 10:00p
             Wednesday CLOSED
             Thursday - 11:30a - 10:00p
             Friday - Saturday 11:30a - 10:30p
             Sunday 11:30a - 10:00p