Monthly Archives: October 2012

Guu Izakaya

October 29, 2012

Guu Izakaya (@GuuToronto) opened its doors back in 2009 – being the very first Japanese-pub serving tapa style dishes to open in downtown Toronto. So of course, you can understand the crazy hype over this place for the next year or 2! I’ve visited this restaurant numerous times when it first opened and finally visited recently …. Since majority of the people have been to Guu Izakaya – I’m just going to share with you a few of my favourite tapa dishes :)

B.B.Q. Pork ($6.00)

- B.B.Q style pork with yuzu honey soy sauce

Okonomiyaki ($6.80)

Deep fried Japanese pancake with sauce, tonkatsu sauce & karashi mayo

Takoyaki ($5.00)

Deep fried octopus ball with tonkatsu sauce & karashi mayo

Yakiudon ($7.80)

Pan fried udon noodles with beef, mushrooms and scallion

Kabocha Korokke {vegetarian} ($5.00)

Deep Fried Kabocha pumpkin croquette with a boiled egg inside

I have a lot of favourites here at Guu – but I’m going to only post these for now (lol). The B.B.Q Pork was really tasty – the marination on the pork definitely brought out the yummy flavours! I always order the Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki and Yakiudon – my favourite comfort food – especially good in the winter when its served piping hot!

The atmosphere here is definitely unique and lively. It’s a great hang out spot to grab a few drinks and tapas with friends and just relax! :)

Pizzeria Libretto

October 16, 2012

Pizza

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I was hesitant to visit Pizzeria Libretto (@PizzaLibretto) when it was first suggested to me. They are known for their HUGE line up keeping in mind that they do not accept reservations. Needless to say, my friends and I ended up venturing off to Libretto on a Friday evening and ended up waiting for only 20 mins! *Phew

Pizzeria Libretto is a snazzy restaurant serving real Neapolitan pizza with 2 locations in Toronto – Danforth and Ossington! I visited their Ossington location.

It’s not exactly the most spacious space here – always expect a galore of people. I really enjoyed the atmosphere here – its very casual and upbeat at the same time.

Luce del Sol ($9.00)

campari, prosecco, grapefruit
I always go for the fruity cocktails :) – this drink went down quite smoothly, very sweet and super refreshing

Bread to start:

Buttermilk Calamari ($11.00)

Romesco (a red pepper almond sauce)
Hands down – this is probably the best calamari I`ve ever had in my life – crazy addictive
Served piping hot & crispy – batter made of buttermilk was not too thick and made the overall dish that much more tastier and “smooth”

Piatto Piccolo ($28.00)

a shared sampling of cured meats, cheeses, small tastes and accompaniment for the table
This was my very first time ordering a Charcuterie Board – and indulging in some meats and cheese! It was definitely a unique experience – slowly but surely starting to love it :)

I hardly remember this sitting at our table…

Ontario Prosciutto & Arugula ($16.00)

Garlic, Tomato, Oregano, Shaved Grana Padano
The Ontario Prosciutto & Arugula is officially my all time favourite pizza
The prosciutto and tomatoes were the perfect pairing and with the addition of arugula – it really gave the overall pizza a good kick of flavour

Duck Confit ($17.00)

Bosc Pear, Mozzarella
I admit I have a soft spot for duck confit – whether its on a pizza or pasta … I always seem to end up ordering it – and this pizza was no exception!
I think I would prefer my pizza to be a tad less dry – but its understandable with all the mozzarella going on
In terms of flavour – I really enjoyed it – I expected the combination of duck confit + mozzarella to be on the saltier side – but this wasn’t the case at all.
To be honest, I don’t usually enjoy eating crust – but I tried it anyways and found them too chewy for me

Libretto Tiramisu ($7.00)

Last but not least – I knew I had to order the infamous tiramisu as many foodies have been raving about this little dessert!
I loved every bit of the tiramisu – very creamy, rich and decadent!

My verdict? – This place is great! I highly recommend the Ontario Prosciutto & Arugula Pizza & the Libretto Tiramisu – However, the buttermilk calamari is seriously a must try!
I hear Libretto offers a $15 3 course – Prix fix lunch menu during the weekdays. Unfortunately, I don’t work close to both Libretto locations so I won’t be able to check it out – but if you are, keep this place in mind! - Cheers :)

The Harbord Room

October 8, 2012

BBQ / Burgers, Fine Dining / Bistro / Bar

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A month or two ago, Vickie (@kiki_bff) organized a tweet up for a bunch of us foodies to meet up at The Harbord Room. This restaurant isn’t exactly the newest restaurant in town so why did we all agree to this particular restaurant? Well, because The Harbord Room was recently voted for having the #1 Burger in Toronto according to Torontolife.Com (check out the article here) - So stoked!

So a bunch of us: Joe (@jsinb88), Mary (@citrusblack), Mike (@chopstickhero), and Jing (@jingloh) all managed to find a time in our busy foodie schedules to indulge in some good eats! Apparently, its ridiculously hard to get a reservation here because its always so packed so special thanks to Vickie for managing to get all 8-9 of us in!

Exterior of the restaurant – Mary & I actually walked past The Harbord Room a few times and didn’t expect the restaurant to be in a white town-house.

I remember that day was probably one of the hottest day in Toronto, and unfortunately The Harbord Room barely had any AC on – so we were all drenched =S

The patio is situated at the back of the restaurant

One page menu

Table Setting:

{Left} Confessin’ The Blues ($12.00) - Beefeater Gin, Fresh Lime, Mint Syrup, Cucumber & Blueberry

{Right} Sangria ($14.00) - pink wine, fresh strawberry & rhubarb juice, a splash of brandy, a medley of seasonal berries topped off with ginger ale

Bread to start: Ontario Whitefish Ceviche ($13.00)

Poblano relish, Tomatillo, Pickled Watermelon, Corn Nuts & Lime Cream
I thought this was a perfect fit for an appetizer. The whitefish ceviche was incredibly light and fresh
The combination of everything made it so tasty especially the cilantro

I forgot what this is called – one of their specials of the day

Braised Rabbit & Red Fife Tagliatelle ($20.00)

Kozlik’s Mustard, Tarragon, Mint, Peas, Leeks, Ricotta Salata & Sour Dough Breadcrumbs
The dish was very flavourful – I especially loved the overpowering mustard
Most of the time when I order braised rabbit, the rabbit itself turns out to be over seasoned – usually too salty – but this was not the case at all – it was perfectly cooked and blended in really well with the tagliatelle

Naturally Raised Beef Burger ($16.00) added bacon for $2.00

Sharp Cheddar, Caramelized Onions on an Egg Bun with Fries & a Little Salad
So of course it would be pretty obvious for everyone in the group to order Toronto’s # 1 burger!
I thought this was quite delicious, though I haven’t tried most of the other 24 burgers that has made it to the list – So I can’t compare
Overall, the burger was very tasty and juicy – but not greasy. The buns of the burger were very soft and pillow-y. The fries were so addicting and crispy – I couldn’t stop nibbling on them all night!

Fresh Ricotta Doughnuts ($9.00)

Espresso & Caramel Pot de Creme, Espresso Tapioca & Crumble Meringue Wafer

Baked to Order Valrhona Chocolate Cake ($9.00)

Peanut Butter Center with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Both the desserts I thought were very rich and decadent. Out of the two, I preferred the Valrhona Chocolate Cake more because I have a soft spot for any chocolate dessert (lol). The Valrhona Chocolate Cake was made to order – the chocolate cake was so incredibly rich drizzled in a sugar glazed nuts topped off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream – HEAVENLY!

I would love to come back in the near future; everything we ordered that night was pretty satisfying – no complaints at all. The whitefish ceviche, naturally raised beef burger & the Valrhona Chocolate cake are must orders!!! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Cheers =)

Art’s Fish & Chips

October 2, 2012

Seafood, Snacks

3 Comments

Located in a tiny plaza in Oakville, Art’s Fish & Chips is a small family owned restaurant that prides itself on doing the classic British dish of fish & chips. This hidden gem first opened back in 1979 by owners Nick and Liz. Their fish & chips are made to order – not served pre-breaded or frozen. Besides fish & chips, they also serve a wide variety of fresh goodies such as hamburgers, poutines, coleslaw and much more!

The second I walked into the restaurant, there was a huge wave of deep fried oil smell – and I knew I was in heaven haha!

The decor of the restaurant is not fancy at all, keeping in mind that it did open for more than 30 years! The restaurant is obviously decorated in fish theme – with maps and fish posters, a galore of pictures of happy customers all over the walls, nets and shark /fish figures hovering over the counter etc. Although the restaurant looks tiny from the exterior, it was actually quite spacious on the inside.

I visited Ar’ts Fish & Chips on a Tuesday knowing about their $7.00 special which is usually $9.00 on a regular day. They offer quite the variety of fish n chips and lots of side orders choices.

The wait for food wasn’t too long probably because I was busy with their cute card games set up on each table ….

When our food arrived, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to finish it and I was right (lol)

Alaska White Fish n Chips ($7.00)

The portion was incrediblely large – I literally had no room to cut my food; served piping hot!
I thought the battered was a bit thick (and greasy) for my liking but it was definitely crispy
The fish itself was amazing; fresh, flakey and moist
As for the fries, because the fries were literally buried under the fish, I didn’t get to them until after I was finished with the fish so the fries weren’t as crispy as I hoped it would be

Even so, I still enjoyed them with a side of ketchup =) I ended up only eating 1 of the 2 Fish and gave the other to my friend!

Overall, I loved my experience here – the owners were extremely nice and friendly – they made the effort to chat a bit with everyone. Although I prefer the fish n chips to be a tad less greasy – I still think its definitely a great steal especially for its price and the huge portions. I wish I had found this place earlier… I’m definitely looking forward to my next visits on Tuesdays and hopefully i’ll be able to try their poutine =)