For my birthday this year, my family & I went to Origin North. A trendy space (like a more upscale version of Joey) that serves Asian Fusion dishes good for sharing.


Bangkok Beef Salad - peanut, mint, mango, glass noodles, nam jim dressing
- A light dish to start with. I like the beef in the dressing.


Japanese Tuna Salad - asian pear, avocado, spicy ponzu
- Description from the website but not sure I had Asian pear in mine. Another light dish with some seaweed, cucumber and crispy rice. I prefer the beef salad.


Thai Curried Shrimp + naan bread
- Mmm I love the soft and warm naan!
- Curry was flavorful with hints of coconut, sweetness and spice
- Shrimp was big and nicely cooked; chickpeas and zucchini also in the curry


Origin Burger - smoked mayonnaise, avocado, arugula
- Very big, thick burger, not oily
- Love the fries! It has that burnt/oil flavor vs the fluffy, starchy type fries.




Rigatoni - ricotta, squash, sage, hazelnuts
- Yet another light, mild dish despite being pasta. The sauce is just a very light oil based sauce, with tiny bits of squash.
- I liked the touch of hazelnuts and ricotto cheese to give it more flavor.
- The pasta itself is al dente and very big, making it a bit difficult to chew!

 
They generously gave me complimentary dessert for my birthday! The candle came in a bowl of coffee beans to give that nice aroma.


Chocolate Crunch Bar + huckleberry sorbet
- My complimentary dessert which ended up being the best of the night! I was skeptical reading the "chocolate bar" on the menu, but it was a decadent, full flavor chocolate, almost like a mousse but more dense. Huckleberry sorbet gave it a nice berry freshness.

Overall, I had a good dining experience at Origin. The ambiance was intimate and good for special occassions and group gatherings. The food wasn't anything out of this world, but still good.

Inakaya is a small, traditional sake bar/robata grill in Willowdale. I wanted to induldge in fresh sashimi (which they have), but it's not their main focus - they offer a variety of beef grill, udon, izakaya type dishes, grilled whole fish, as well as sushi. Food was okay but I was bothered by the loud house/techno music... totally didn't fit the theme.



Amiyaki Beef
- Ordered the least expensive beef (more expensive wagyu upwards of $50?), average taste



Beef Tataki
- Fresh, but no taste. Even with the soy sauce and onions it was very mild.



Sashimi - Fluke, Tuna, Hamachi
- Ordered sashimi individually (3-4 pcs per order)
- I liked the fluke the best (something unique)





Sushi Set
- Liked the eel, hamachi with green onion, and roe the most.
- Also liked the salmon handroll (not pictured) - very generous portion of bite sized pieces of salmon.



Grilled Whole Fish (special of the day - forgot the name!!)
- Soft inside, with a salty skin. One of the best of the night. Reminds me of the Amberjack head at JaBistro.



Rice Ball in Soup
- Something warm and comforting to end the meal - another favorite
- A slightly sweet broth with hint of sesame. I think it's green tea broth but couldn't taste it.



Green Tea Cheesecake
- I like the creamy/mousse layer on top, but the rest is very frozen - like eating ice.

Overall: Some good dishes - fish, soup, handroll

One of the food stops this summer was Seven Lives, a taco place specializing in So-Cal/Baja Style seafood in Kensington Market. The shop is really small with only one table with seating and some standing area. Tacos are $5 each (tax included!) and each are wrapped in two soft corn shells (gritty texture).  They also have 3 levels of house made hot sauce and some housemade drinks.



Baja Fish - battered & deep fried mahi mahi with house sauce
- Crispy and light batter, but inside could be softer
- Very flavorful wtih the creamy house sauce , onions and tomatoes

Blackened Mahi Mahi - grilled with a dry rub of spices
- too dry for my liking,  but I liked the guac and tomatoes



Gobernador - smoked tuna, shrimp, cheese
- shrimp was a bit bland and I didn't like the texture of the tuna (like canned tuna)

Pulpo Enojado - spicy grilled octopus
- my favorite out of the 4. I loved the texture of the bite size octopus pieces - just so perfectly soft and quite spicy for me!

Overall great cheap eats, can probably be full off 1-2 tacos. I would recommend the Baja Fish and Octopus taco!!