Monthly Archives: January 2013

After a long and crazy morning of shopping at the Eaton Center on boxing day I was bummed. I was starving. I was freezing. All I wanted to do was hibernate somewhere cozy and call it a day! I’m just kidding =P Of course I would venture off somewhere to eat before calling it a day.

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is a chained Ramen restaurant that first started in Hokkaido then slowly roamed across the world. Now they have many locations overseas including many in the states, 2 in Canada etc. To be honest, I’m not a huge Ramen fan. I don’t crave for it on a daily basis so that probably explains why I haven’t been exactly running to all the 892018392018 new Ramen locations that have just recently opened up in Toronto.

The first time I attempted to eat here, I came on a lazy Saturday afternoon and the line was all the way to the end of the street. Bad timing on my end. So in light of the situation, I decided to go right when the restaurant opened. Unfortunately restaurant was packed but I was next in line!

We waited for about 10-15 minutes in line. Snapped a few photos here and there.

The menu:

Santouka Hand-Made Gyoza ($5.50)

Hand-made Fried Pork Dumplings
The Gyozas were fried to a perfect colour and ended up really crispy
I loved the thin skin

At Hokkaido Santouka Ramen, their pearl coloured Tonkotsu soup is prepared approximately 20 hours prior serving. The pork bone needs to be simmered before adding their vegetables, dried fish, kept and other special ingredients.

Shio Cha-shu Ramen ($12.80)

served with a double portion of slow simmered pork cha shu

Toroniku Shio Ramen ($15.90)

Simmered pork jowl and salt flavoured ramen
Santouka’s Toroniku Ramen comes with our special simmered pork jowl (cheek) toroniku meat and toppings which are served separately
It’s the perfect accompaniment to your noodles as a topping or a side dish

The pork here was oh-so-good. It was delicate yet extra fatty which probably explains why the pork just melted in my mouth… super tender.

The different components that went into the soup really did it for me. It was amazing. Having said that though, the creamy pork flavoured soup started tasting a tad salty after many sips. All I can say is – the soup was memorable. Most people prefer the noodles from Kinton. I honestly can’t tell the difference but I rather enjoyed the ones served here. The ramen was chewy with a very good texture.

The verdict: Hokkaido Santouka Ramen is definitely worth checking out especially if you’re craving for a bowl of creamy and rich pork-noodle-soup in this cold weather. I’m literally reliving this meal while blogging about it. The delicious fatty tender pork with the tasty soup really did it for me. Having said that, please keep in mind this place is really tiny. Either come in really early or right before closing or be prepared to wait….. Cheers!

Menu Tasting @ Kultura

January 13, 2013

Events / News, Fine Dining / Bistro / Bar

4 Comments

Back in the summer, Nicki from View the Vibe invited me along with Stella (@foodieyu) and Vicky (@momwhoruns) to a menu tasting at Kultura. To be honest, before this invitation, I had never heard of Kultura. So I decided to do something out of the norm – which was to literally do no research about the restaurant. I did not read any reviews nor did I check out their website for their online menu – I walked into Kultura not knowing exactly what to expect.

Kultura is a really gorgeous 3 story space located along King St E. The menu is very diverse and offers anything from Italian to Asian fusion, Seafood and Steaks dishes. They pride themselves for being a “social dining” spot serving tapa style dishes.

Once we had all arrived, we decided to let the staff pick out the 12 most popular dishes from their menu.

Table Setting:

Mediterranean Naan ($12.00)

Figs, Prosciutto, Roasted Garlic, Shaved Grana Padano

Palak Paneer Naan ($9.00)

Truffle Oil, Jalapeno, Peppered Honey

Chicken Samosas ($11.00)

Asiago, Sage, Spiced Apple

Ahi Tuna Cornets ($14.00)

Nori Shell, Avocado, Red Miso Flake, Shiso Cress

Hamachi Tatak ($15.00)

Sesame Ginger Crust, White Soy Sauce, Spicy Wakame Salad

Chilean Sea Bass ($25.00)

Parsnip puree, Foie Gras Foam, Beet Reduction, Brussel Sprouts

Hawaiian Garlic Lobster ($22.00)

Sweet Paprika, Thai Chilli, Corrainder

Panko Crusted Chicken Breast ($16.00)

Endive & Green Apple Slaw, Chimichum Sauce, Orange Reduction

Mushroom Orecchiette ($16.00)

Pinot Noir Pear Chutney, Aged Cheddar

Sous Vide Beef Tenderloin ($30.00)

Chipotle Demi, Moroccan Spiced Corn, Ginger Gailan

Vanilla French Fries ($6.00)

Garlic Aioli

Spiced Lamb Rack ($24.00)

Sesame Dust, Smoked Dashi, Tempura Jalapeno

Dessert: We shared a platter of Chocolate Lava Cake, Honey Sabayon Donut Bites, Lemon Grass Creme Brulee, Cheese Cake

So everything pretty much looked pretty good but that is where the problem lies….

The venue is gorgeous. The presentation was beautiful. But it didn’t deliver well in other aspects. Beginning with the service. Yes, we were invited to a tasting so obviously the service was more than attentive. They ensured that our drinks were never empty and gave us clean plates in between dishes. Now onto the food, the dishes were either mediocre or salty – the Lobster, the beef tenderloin, the mushroom orecchiette and the Hamachi Tatak all looked fantastic but the taste didn’t live up to its presentation.

On the other hand, I did enjoy 2 dishes: the chicken samosas & the ahi tuna cornet. Those were the 2 most memorable dishes for me. It’s unfortunate that this restaurant didn’t dazzle because the venue is really beautiful. Very romantic with the candles. I would consider coming back for a drink if I’m in the area.

This meal was complimentary but Foodinthecitytoronto.com remains unbiased in our content.