Just wanted to let you guys knows, I’m currently away in Hong Kong and will probably be MIA from my blog for a little bit. So excited to be back, I haven’t been back since 2009. I’m glad to finally have some time off  from work and such to spend quality time with relatives and indulge in some yummy eats (DUH!) I started off with little ideas/ places to eat and now I officially accumulated 12 pages of restaurants to visit (lol) Most likely, I won’t be able to get to all of them but I feel so prepped! & stoked!

Anyways, I’m signing off now and heading over to dinner … in this 30 degree weather :)

Cheers!

Filed under: Events / News ]]> http://foodinthecitytoronto.com/2013/04/30/hello-from-the-other-side-of-the-world/feed/ 1 foodinthecitytoronto http://foodinthecitytoronto.com/2013/04/26/ramen-raijin/ http://foodinthecitytoronto.com/2013/04/26/ramen-raijin/#comments Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:43:01 +0000 Grace http://foodinthecitytoronto.com/?p=4116 Read More

Ramen Raijin (@ramenRAIJIN) located close to Ryerson University is a new ramen joint overhauled by owner Daiji Matsubara (owner of many popular ramen joints in Vancouver). I visited Ramen Raijin last Friday evening and as expected from what others have told me, there were no line ups but a few spots were left inside the restaurant!

One thing noticeably different about this ramen joint compared to its competitors is definitely how spacious this place is! The decor is nice & staff is plentiful – we didn’t feel rushed at all throughout the course of the meal.

I like the appetizer selections here at Raijin (because they offer poutine! =))

There’s a huge Raijin statue placed in the middle of the room with seats around it.

My friend and I shared the following appetizers:

Poutine de Japan ($4.50)

• Poutine with chedder cheese curds and teriyaki sauce, mayo topped with green onion and nori seaweed
• The flavours of the poutine were amazing…tasted exactly an Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pizza) with the combinations of teriyaki sauce & mayo – so yummy!
• The fries were a bit of a let down, was hoping for something hot & crispy but were served warm…

Kara-age (Small $4.00 / Large $7.00)

• Japanese fried chicken with a slice of lemon
• We opted for the small portion. The Kara-age was served piping hot with a thin layer of batter leaving the skin very crispy. The chicken was tender & juicy with a hint of lemon flavour

NOUKOU TONKOTSU RAMEN – Their Tonkotsu soup is made in-house with pork bone and a medley of fish dashi (Japanese soup stock) and vegetables in a pressurized pot creating a rich broth and a creamy texture.

Miso Ramen ($10.00)

• Miso flavoured ramen topped with pork shoulder, ground pork, green onion, bean sprouts, cabbage and corn
• My friend wasn’t too thrilled about her miso ramen. The broth for her was a bit tough – really thick and creamy. Everything else in the bowl was just average for her.

Shio Ramen ($9.50)

• Salt flavoured ramen topped with pork shoulder, green onion, canola flower, Kikurage mushroom (black fungus), cabbage, 1/2 a seasoned soft-boiled egg and house-made Mayu black garlic oil
• The Pork slices were not fatty nor were they dry. They offer a different selection of soup bases. The Shio ramen came with a hint of house made Mayu black garlic oil which gave a smokey flavour to the soup – not overly salty. The noodles were nice and bouncy.

close up

Ramen Raijin offers a different selection of soup bases. Depending on your personal preferences, I enjoyed my smokey broth – though I do prefer fattier slices of pork. A let down for me was the fries in the poutine but I’m willing to give it another try because I really liked the toppings on the poutine! Restaurants do have their hits and misses – I wouldn’t mind coming back to Ramen Raijin. ONE last thing to mention – Ramen Raijin have generous portions in their hearty bowls of Ramen.

Filed under: Japanese ]]>

Located on the Ossington Strip, Rock Lobster is opened by Co-owner Chef Matt Pettit & Partner Darryl Fine. Matt was really nice and made his way around to every table – just to check up on things.

Stella (@foodieyu) & I arrived on a early Sunday evening – yay to no line ups! Once you walk in, you’ll see a display of fresh seafood reminding you,  you’re in seafood land!

Rock Lobster Caesar ($12.00)

• Ketel One Vodka + Steak Spice + Clamato + Tobasco Sauce + Worchestershire Sauce + A Nova Scotia Lobster Tail
• Stella opted for their signature ceasar which was a great steal and c’mon .. it comes with a lobster tail!!!

Lobster Poutine ($13.00)

• Yukon hand cut fries, Lobster Bisque Gravy, QC Cheese Curds, Fresh Lobster & Chives 
• The poutine was covered in bisque and curds layered on a bed of fries – overall it felt a bit short due to the fact that poutine was served a bit luke warm preventing the cheese curds to melt

Lobster Roll ($14.00)

•  Yukon chip & McClure’s Dill Pickles 
• With generous portions of lobster pieces filling up the white bread, I was really satisfied with this roll. It was the perfect amount of creaminess & bits of lobster pieces.
• The chips were a bit salty for me.

Lobster Mac n Cheese ($14.00) 

• Fresh Lobster & Aged Canadian Cheddar & Panko Crust 
• The Lobster pieces in this Mac n Cheese is a bit subtle – the Mac n Cheese itself was a bit dry and chewy.

Rock Lobster is definitely something something – with your daily comfort foods incorporated with lobster chunks here & there. There were some hits and misses but I loved the vibe this place gave off. It’s a relaxing place just to grab snacks & a few drinks. Their lobster roll is something I crave for every so often haha!

Sansotei Ramen (@sansoteiramen) located near Yonge and University, is a small & narrow restaurant that joined the Toronto scene late of last year.  Sansotei Ramen strives to focus on the few popular Japanese flavours while keeping things simple.

I’ve read & have heard lots of people complain about the waiting times…My friend and I arrived later on a Wednesday evening and were seated 10 minutes or so after waiting! Not too bad…

Table seating:

Gyoza ($4.50)

• The Gyoza was perfectly cooked, the skin was thin and crisp – quite yummy 

Closer Shot

Taken from their website. Sansotei uses fresh pork bone delivered daily to make their signature broth – Tonkotsu. It takes hours to cook and they measure the concentration level hourly to ensure that the broth has reached the ideal thickness and texture.

When our server took our orders, she asked us what kind of noodles we preferred, giving us an option of thick, regular or thin.

Tonkotsu Ramen ($9.25)

• Chashu Black Fungus, Egg, Green Onion 
• I opted for their regular noodles just to be safe. I personally found their “regular” noodles to be a bit tougher but the broth was delicious and very warming – Though, after a few sips, I found it a bit salty.  I enjoyed the addition of the egg in the soup.
• The pork was rich and fatty – it slowly melted in my mouth.

Closer Shot:

Miso Ramen ($9.50)

• Chashu Corn, Bean Sprout, Egg, Green Onion 
• My friend thought her miso ramen was overall salty.

Closer Shot:

I thoroughly enjoyed this place. The Broth is flavourful, the “regular” noodles, I personally found a bit tough though they do offer thicker or thinner noodles to suit your preferences. Sansotei does indeed provide hearty bowls of ramen while keeping things simple. Lastly, just a little thought, the portions are good for one person though it was a little smaller comparing it to its competitors…. What do you guys think? :)