 
Tried this new restaurant for Winterlicious lunch ($23). Very busy and packed; good food, small portions; room for improvement in the cleanliness of their dishes (sugar/cream set). I loved the Ginger Carrot Soup and I'm really into wine these days - Ruffino Pinot Grigio. The garlic shrimp on toast was good too.
Grilled Atlantic Salmon
Sweet Potato Puree, Caponata and Smoke Chipotle Aioli
Crackling Roasted Cornish Hen
Candied Apples, Root Vegetables, Spinach, Pan Jus
I never order chicken but this was the best/most special main - crispy outside, moist inside.
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Wedge Salad (nice plate)
poached shrimp, fennel, orange, pickled onion, radish, buttermilk dressing
Roasted Trout (local)
celery, beans, legumes, lemon crème fraîche, cashew brown butter
Chèvre Noir
pear compote, gingerbread
I was so hesitant to return to Luma for Winterlicious because a) the first time wasn't that great and b) the gimmick is not really exciting for me anymore. But because our first choice Adega was full and it was time for a girls reunion, I booked Luma again for the $35 dinner - average food, but pretty good environment for small group dinner. And actually, I was pleasantly surprised by my choices. The poached shrimp looks plain, but it was pretty good in texture, very smooth (滑 &爽) and pretty big portion. Trout dish was pretty natural and healthy, not a fan of the white beans. And the dessert - a very strong cheese, toned down with the pairing of gingerbread crisp and sweet pear compote. Overall not the best menu on paper, but turned out to be a pretty good night with good company.
Came here for Summerlicious 2015 lunch. Mmm.. the Kung Pao Cauliflower was hands down the best dish – deep fried and spicy. Brussels sprout was good too, with a soft poached egg. The fish I think was trout, served with greens and thin chips.
A warm, cozy, dim lit space. Kind of has an "underground" feel. Came here for F's birthday last week.
I ordered the Smoked Beetroot Risotto with Scallops. Two large scallops, a little charred taste, medium rare inside. The risotto is a bright red from the beet, but doesn't taste like beets. Creamy but not heavy, with bits of tomato, hazelnut and dark chocolate (couldn't taste/see?). I liked it but wish it was warmer.
Came here for B's birthday - somehow ended up at another tapas place. A very minimalist, no-frills decor - bare walls, wood floors, light wood tables, black chairs. Food was light with Philipino influences. The broccoli salad and tuna ceviche were the most unique. Plating choices were interesting as well.
Started with anchovies toast - 2 tiny toasts for $6! But it was good, very flavorful anchovies & red pepper spread on a too-crispy toast.
Albacore Tuna - a ceviche in coconut mik, served with cassava chips. Surprised that the tuna chunks were quite big enough for a good bite, and worked well with the coconut milk - a different take than the usual lime juice.
Broccoli Salad - blanched and fried broccoli (couldn't see or taste the fried part?), with serrano ham (my fav) and crispy fried shallots in a mustard seed dressing. Very refreshing take on broccoli.
Brussels Sprouts - a warm dish, I like how it was cooked so that you couldn't taste the usual bitterness from brussels sprouts.
Adobo Chicken - my least favorite; the fried chicken, while juicy, wasn't crispy as i expected and it was served as 3 mini burgers in a lunch box. Brioche bun was a bit dry.
Dessert - poached pear. Great ginger icecream with a dry cake. Thank you Hudson Kitchen for this complementary dessert for my boyfriend's birthday!
$25 Lunch
Canadian (New)
188 University Ave
For my final Summerlicious, I went to Bosk for lunch with family & B. Located in the lobby of the beautiful Shangri-La hotel, the restaurant itself is quite simple for a five star hotel, with light wood for a comfortable and organic feel. Service could be improved (eg. reception was rude and unfriendly, bus boy) but I was pleasantly surprised with the food quality.
Foccacia with fennel seed and garlic aioli
- Super soft and delicious. I loved this by itself and with the aioli. Not served hot, but still one of the best bread I've had.
Seared Albacore Tuna
- Great soft tuna with lime dressing
- Not a fan of the peanuts pairing or rice noodle though
Other appetizer was Heirloom Tomato Soup
- Had a few sips and wow! bursting with tomato flavor! It was very good and surprisng; not sour, but rather the fresh taste of natural tomatoes
Flat Iron Steak
- Nice salty crust on the steak and cooked to medium rare, juicy
- Fan of polenta fritter (although the batter was a bit thick for my personal taste)
- Love the daikon in the sweet sauce
- Again, oriental fusion with the green onion
Lois Lake Steelhead Salmon w couscous, tomato
- Salmon was bland
- Couscous was ok though, again with the fresh, flavorful heirloom tomatoes
Mango Pudding w sago, lime sorbet, coconut crisp
- Mango pudding was dense, but good paired with the sour lime sorbet (warning: very sour! But refreshing pairing so I didn't mind)
Dark Chocolate Mousse w chocolate soil, coffee granite, condensed milk syrup
- Beautiful presentation, looked like a plant in a glass, added touch with the purple flowers
- Not a fan of chocolate mousse but this was well balanced with the crumbles and I really enjoyed it!
Verdict: Great food (taste, presentation, innovation). Worth checking out for $25 Summerlicious!
Canadian (New)
188 University Ave
For my final Summerlicious, I went to Bosk for lunch with family & B. Located in the lobby of the beautiful Shangri-La hotel, the restaurant itself is quite simple for a five star hotel, with light wood for a comfortable and organic feel. Service could be improved (eg. reception was rude and unfriendly, bus boy) but I was pleasantly surprised with the food quality.
Foccacia with fennel seed and garlic aioli
- Super soft and delicious. I loved this by itself and with the aioli. Not served hot, but still one of the best bread I've had.
Seared Albacore Tuna
- Great soft tuna with lime dressing
- Not a fan of the peanuts pairing or rice noodle though
Other appetizer was Heirloom Tomato Soup
- Had a few sips and wow! bursting with tomato flavor! It was very good and surprisng; not sour, but rather the fresh taste of natural tomatoes
Flat Iron Steak
- Nice salty crust on the steak and cooked to medium rare, juicy
- Fan of polenta fritter (although the batter was a bit thick for my personal taste)
- Love the daikon in the sweet sauce
- Again, oriental fusion with the green onion
Lois Lake Steelhead Salmon w couscous, tomato
- Salmon was bland
- Couscous was ok though, again with the fresh, flavorful heirloom tomatoes
Mango Pudding w sago, lime sorbet, coconut crisp
- Mango pudding was dense, but good paired with the sour lime sorbet (warning: very sour! But refreshing pairing so I didn't mind)
Dark Chocolate Mousse w chocolate soil, coffee granite, condensed milk syrup
- Beautiful presentation, looked like a plant in a glass, added touch with the purple flowers
- Not a fan of chocolate mousse but this was well balanced with the crumbles and I really enjoyed it!
Verdict: Great food (taste, presentation, innovation). Worth checking out for $25 Summerlicious!
Summerlicious $15 Lunch
Canadian (New)
401 Bay St / Queen
A quick summerlicious lunch with B at yet another O&B restaurant. Didn't expect it to be so casual cafeteria style, but food was decent!
Salt-Baked Beets - split and sweet pea hummus, grapefruit, grenadine
Fresh, soft red & golden beets with nice presentation. Love the hummus and the kick from the grapefruit and seeds.
Roast Peameal Bacon Melt - bannock sauerkraut, cheddar, smoked tomato marmalade
Bacon and flatbrad (bannock?) was tough, but I loved the sauerkraut and tomato marmalade - the sweet and spicy combintation reminded me of kimchi! Served with taro chips - my favorite!
O&B Artisan Croissant Bread Pudding- spiced chocolate, peanut butter, kaffir lime
This was more of a dense/eggy cake, not the moist custard-drenched bread pudding I like, but I did like the chocolate sauce.
Cortland Apple Fritter - maple and cider dulce de leche
Like giant timbits! I like the berry compote and dulce de leche.
Overall, I enjoyed my lunch here. Great Canadian classics with a twist.
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| details in the glassware/plating / decor / can't go wrong w raw oysters & raw beef |
I’ve been wanting to try Richmond Station ever since I saw polenta fries on the menu.. too bad it was no longer on the menu when I went a few weeks ago but nonetheless it was a great dining experience.
I had imagined a very dim lit place but when I walked in it was brighter than expected (natural light from the glass entrance), yet still cozy. White walls, dark tables and chairs, with more seating at the back. We sat at the bar with a view of the wine selection. Absolutely love the style of this restaurant – simple, trendy, sophisticated. I adore the glass water bottles, the beautiful wood serving plates and small white plates which the servers change after each dish. Service was excellent. The two servers were so friendly and attentive, always filled our water and introduced the dishes, not pretentious and not always pestering.
We started with oysters, pretty good, forgot the name. Didn’t really like the deep fried scallop, couldn’t taste the scallop. I’m a fan of raw beef and usually order carpaccio but beef tartar was the special that night. It was good, mixed with egg, arugula and homemade hickory sticks. Halibut was thick white fish, a bit overcooked.
Overall food was okay but definitely love the ambiance and service!
350 King St W, TIFF Bell Lightbox
Canadian/Contemporary
O&B
Lunch $20
July 19 2013
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| ALBACORE TUNA SASHIMI wasabi oil, melon, cucumber and shiso |
Luma was my only Summerlicious this year 'cause all the other ones I wanted were full and this one seemed close to work for lunch. Definitely a lot more casual and louder than the other O&B ones I've been to. Tuna sashimi was soft but warm.
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| CHILLED SWEET CORN + ONION SOUP chili oil and basil |
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| SLOW COOKED LAMB SHOULDER pesto couscous, piperade and toasted pine nuts |
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| MUSHROOM + RICOTTA LASAGNA peas and pecorino cream |
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| COCONUT MILK + LEMONGRASS PANA COTTA pineapple, passion fruit and mint |
This was my favorite course of the three. Pana cotta was so soft, silky smooth!! So milky with a hit of citrus.. and all the concentrated lemongrass flavor sitting at the bottom.
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| LAVENDER PEACH cornbread and verbena |
Cornbread was dry and hard..
Overall I'd say the Mains and Pana Cotta were the best prepared..
After this lunch.. food journey continues to Magnum Pleasure Store & Butter Avenue!
Summerlicious 2011
July 24, 2011
$25 Lunch
66 Wellington St W, 54th Floor
Toronto Dominion Bank Tower
Contemporary yet warm atmosphere overlooking downtown Toronto
The complementary bread was soft and delicious plain, with butter or paired with the lemon chickpea spread.
I couldn’t resist ordering a drink ($10). It basically tasted like chocolate milk with alcohol – sweet, with a kick.
Appetizer - New Farm Green Salad: Nam Prik Cucumbers, Toasted Sesame Seeds & Avocado Dressing.
Entree - Pan Fried Great Lakes Walleye with Snow Peas, Rutabaga Slaw & Caper Horseradish Vinaigrette. It was so delicious. I enjoyed every part of the dish as it used all the ingredients I love. I was hesitant to order white fish because often it turns out dry and bland, but this one was cooked perfectly with a nice crisp skin. The texture of the fish is similar to sea bass, but perhaps with even more oil, making it moist and flavorful. The fish was paired with green beans and pea shoots, which I enjoyed since I love green leafy vegetables, but my mom thought the stems were too thick. The rutabaga slaw was crisp and gave a nice tangy flavour to complement the fish. The portion size was quite generous – I was full after one piece and it really is a good deal given the price and quality.
I had one piece of the Wellington County Flatiron Steak and it was so tender with prominent beef flavour.
Yukon Gold Potato Gnocchi
Dessert - Canoe Pecan Tart with Cherries & Crème Fraîche Ice Cream. I’m not a big fan of tarts (or their dessert selection), but the pecans were good alongside the icecream and berries. Mom and sister thought it was a bit too sweet and heavy.
While savouring my meal, I realized it definitely is worth it for $25 lunch to try more high-end and well-known restaurants compared to $20 for average restaurants. You get what you pay for and more, in terms of food quality, service and ambience. Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Canoe and it definitely lives up to its hype.
July 24, 2011
$25 Lunch
66 Wellington St W, 54th Floor
Toronto Dominion Bank Tower
Contemporary yet warm atmosphere overlooking downtown Toronto
The complementary bread was soft and delicious plain, with butter or paired with the lemon chickpea spread.
I couldn’t resist ordering a drink ($10). It basically tasted like chocolate milk with alcohol – sweet, with a kick.
Appetizer - New Farm Green Salad: Nam Prik Cucumbers, Toasted Sesame Seeds & Avocado Dressing.
Entree - Pan Fried Great Lakes Walleye with Snow Peas, Rutabaga Slaw & Caper Horseradish Vinaigrette. It was so delicious. I enjoyed every part of the dish as it used all the ingredients I love. I was hesitant to order white fish because often it turns out dry and bland, but this one was cooked perfectly with a nice crisp skin. The texture of the fish is similar to sea bass, but perhaps with even more oil, making it moist and flavorful. The fish was paired with green beans and pea shoots, which I enjoyed since I love green leafy vegetables, but my mom thought the stems were too thick. The rutabaga slaw was crisp and gave a nice tangy flavour to complement the fish. The portion size was quite generous – I was full after one piece and it really is a good deal given the price and quality.
I had one piece of the Wellington County Flatiron Steak and it was so tender with prominent beef flavour.
Yukon Gold Potato Gnocchi
Dessert - Canoe Pecan Tart with Cherries & Crème Fraîche Ice Cream. I’m not a big fan of tarts (or their dessert selection), but the pecans were good alongside the icecream and berries. Mom and sister thought it was a bit too sweet and heavy.
While savouring my meal, I realized it definitely is worth it for $25 lunch to try more high-end and well-known restaurants compared to $20 for average restaurants. You get what you pay for and more, in terms of food quality, service and ambience. Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Canoe and it definitely lives up to its hype.
