French pastries + a good cup of coffee - the perfect duo.



When I first walked in, I was immediately enticed by the aroma of freshly baked croissants! We were the first customers around 12pm on Sunday so it was nice and quiet. The space itself is bigger than I expected - about 20 seats, a middle section with tea & chocolate, and the main counter with the display of treats. Love the clean simple space - white walls, light wood and dark grey accents on the banquette, pillows, and mugs.

We ordered Almond Croissant, Apple Croissant, Lemon Tart, Matcha Latte and Cappucino for a total of $21. Then we added 2 Oolong Macarons at $2.50 each. And then after an hour, the Mont Blanc were ready so I ordered one to go, along with a Hazel and an '8' Pastry - another $18.



Almond Croissant - look at those beautiful fine lines! Quite buttery and flaky. I like the almond filling inside, wish there was more of it! And of course, I love the wood serving board.

Apple Croissant - I like the finely sliced apples



Lemon Tart - I never order lemon desserts, but the beautiful pale yellow with flecks of green caught my attention. While the shortbread crust was a bit too hard for my liking (but then again I guess it's supposed to be hard), the basil-infused lemon filling was the perfect level of sour-ness and creaminess. So simple, ended up being my favorite of the day.

To start, I had the Salmon Tartar. Fresh salmon with finely chopped apples and avocado mousse - very delicate presentation but just thought it was a bit too sour.

The grilled squid was soft with a slight crunch, and light in flavor.

A small space with seven or so tables, packed on Sunday night. There is free parking available at 500 Doris Ave! Found this out too late :(

Shared the Sesame Crepe - 2 scoops black sesame icecream (made in-house), whipped cream, cereal, sponge cake. Ice cream is great - love the strong sesame flavor and dense/hard texture, unlike some watered down versions. Crepe is good too. However I just strongly dislike the vanilla sponge cake!!  Was not aware it would be vanilla flavored.... too strong and artificial tasting.

The Strawberry Banana Sundae was cute - but just one small scoop of strawberry icecream while the rest is just whipped cream.

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!

Dinner with Sis at Portland Variety. I really enjoyed this place! Expensive but good tapas.

House-made ricotta with crostini, honey and pear - great combination, probably my favorite

Beef Carpaccio - good, thin slices with shaved cheese, arugula and some green sauce

Shrimp Pil Pil - marinated and cooked in chili oil, large and meaty pieces of shrimp, just a bit spicy for me. Served with bread.

Patatas Bravas - what a large plate of potatoes! Fresh and hot, may have burned my tongue but couldn't resist. Near the end it got too salty though. Could use more sauce.

Beignets - warm, soft vanilla custard filling.. (I thought these were donuts and was expecting timbits texture, but these are not dense!), dipped in dark chocolate sauce

Good attentive service and nice, dim-light interior for a modern yet cozy feel.

Overall was ~$35+ pp!