My 2nd Visit...lunch at Lucullus

 

It‘s rare that I buy lunch on a weekday but I found myself without a lunch one day last week and needed to eat out.  Lucky for me, I had a place in mind...Lucullus Bakery.

 

Let's be honest, I really wanted to pick up a green tea red bean sticky ball (pictured on the right hand side) and since they also served lunch, I thought it would be good to try.

 

Lucullus serves sandwiches and soups but also serves some traditional Chinese lunches like steamed rice dishes.  They have 3 options for steamed rice: chicken and mushroom, black bean spare ribs, and chicken curry but they only had the spare ribs left when I arrived.  For $5.95 which includes a small drink, this was not bad.  Changing to a cold drink would add $1.50 more to your bill (which afterwards I realized is actually a little more than the price difference between a small hot and medium cold drink on their general menu).  I opted for an iced milk tea.  Cold water is also available and is infused with cucumber which is a nice touch.

The steamed black bean spare rice dish tasted okay but not outstanding.  Fits the bill when you're looking for a basic Cantonese dish though.  The downside is the portion is a bit small.  When I finished, I was satisfied but I can see others having to eat 2 to be full simply because the rice portion amounts to probably no more than one cup of rice.  If you get take-out from other Chinese establishments downtown, the steamed rice portion is a lot bigger.  I would have liked to see some veggies too, like a couple of florets of broccoli or strands of Chinese greens (like 油菜心 or "you cai xin" in Mandarin pinyin), but I understand veggies are usually an after-thought when it comes to take-out meals like this and adds extra labour.

Green tea red bean sticky ball

I also had dessert picked out, a green tea red bean sticky ball.  Besides the sticky rice balls, they had a tapioca red bean sicky ball which I might get next time.  Unfortunately, I was a bit underwhelmed with this though.  The rice ball was nice and soft but the green tea flavour did not come out.  The coconut shavings on the outside may have masked the green tea which I was a little sad about.  The red bean paste was ok and not as sweet as Japanese red bean paste.  Also, HK style sticky/glutinous rice balls are not as chewy as Japanese or Taiwanese versions I've had. 

 

For me, I think I would have liked a little more green tea flavour or the outside dusting could be done with green tea powder.  Alternatively, a green tea with red bean combo filling might be nice.  Anyway, I think I'd still go back to try the other sticky rice balls (sesame walnut and mango) as they do satisfy a craving for mochi at a reasonable price.

 

The cold HK style milk tea was okay as well, but surprisingly I think I like their hot just a tad more.

 

All in all, I still enjoyed my meal and would revisit just to enjoy the quiet ambience and try out a few more of their offerings!  Wifi is also available :)

 

 

 

 

Sharetea - Yonge and Dundas

Another Sharetea bubble tea place has opened downtown; they're really popping up everywhere!  This one is located on Dundas St. just east of Yonge.  If you've ever been to Santouka Ramen, it is right across the street. 

Sharetea is definitely one of the tea places I'll pick up a drink at, but like the other locations, it's not a hang-out place unfortunately.  They have 3 counter type seats and 1 table for 4 at this location but I think most patrons would just get take-out.  Free wifi is available.

I ordered an oolong tea with fresh milk (half sugar/half ice).  When I see fresh milk options, I tend to gravitate towards them unless I have a craving for a specific flavour.  Fresh milk teas I think are great because you get the benefits of tea and a good dose of fresh milk. There was enough tea flavour in my drink so I was happy.

They are relatively new and I noticed a poster advertising their grand opening is this weekend May 29-31.  Buy one get one free will be offered but the details are unknown.  This location also offers daily specials where the drink of the day will be 20% off the regular price - sweet!

  

Ten Ren's Tea Time Meals

Osmanthus Steamed Fish

In the past couple of months, I was at Ten Ren's Tea Time (Times Ave. location) multiple times for birthdays and gatherings.  Simply because it's spacious, accommodates families and young children (a.k.a. has high chairs and a baby changing station), and we could leisurely enjoy our meal and drinks.  And, I suppose it's because my friends and I also like bubble tea.

Although I posted about Ten Ren's before and how sometimes they might be considered "pricey" for the food, I was thoroughly impressed by the above dish so I knew I had to post about it.  It's a steamed fish dish that I ordered as part of the rice combo (but is available separately). 

Why?

Well, it just seemed so healthy and flavourful!  The fish fillet was thick (possibly basa) and to my surprise, tofu was layered underneath.  The tofu actually soaked up the juices and provided an extra element of texture and taste.  Besides the surprise tofu, the capers (or at least I think they were capers) added a nice briny taste to the fish without being overpowering.  It really elevated the sweetness of the fish and the saltiness of the seasoning in the dish.  I think this might be a dish I'll order regularly, I definitely recommend!

Layer of tofu at the bottom and the round olive coloured balls were what I think were capers.

And, a quick note on the drinks.  As I've mentioned before, the tea drinks here are stellar.  Here is a apple high mountain oolong drink, upsized to large.  Besides the taste, I wanted to highlight the amount of froth that is generated and noticeable at the top of the drink.  This is one of the few places that shakes the tea drink enough to produce such a volume of froth.  Heavily shaking the drink is supposed to aerate the drink to allow the flavours to mellow and combine, kinda like a cocktail that uses fruit juices.

Here are some pics of other items I had:

Salt and pepper crispy chicken, surprisingly they changed the batter which I wasn't as fond of... :(

Chicken cutlet noodle

I only can comment on the food at the Times Ave. location but have been meaning to try the new renovated Empress Walk location...definitely wonder how the quality stacks up.  But, sadly the steamed fish does not look like it's available at Empress Walk.

 

Red Bean Waffle House - Such a Sweet Little Treat!

Across the parking lot from North Restaurant, I noticed a sign with the word waffle and instantly wanted to take a closer look!  When it comes to dessert shops or cafes, I'm usually quite keen on spotting them out.  Anyway, we had just finished dinner and the notion of dessert came up.  So, we went to check it out and it was a Korean waffle place making the fish shaped waffle cakes.  I believe the Korean term is Bungeoppang.  Very similar to Taiyaki which is shaped like a fish as well but it seems like Taiyaki is thicker and uses regular pancake or waffle batter while traditional Bungeoppang uses a rice based batter. 

It's a small place offering the fish shaped cakes, korean style pancakes (never had before), Korean iced dessert, and also savory snacks like dumplings.  I definitely wanted to try a red bean fish waffle and was not disappointed!

The batter is crisp on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside, not too doughy and a nice amount of red bean filling was enclosed.  It tasted like glutionous rice flour was used in the batter to make the waffle part (which I'm a fan of), but I'm not sure if it is mixed with other flours. I tried looking up recipes and most recipes use regular wheat flour for the bungeoppang which I guess is because the Japanese Taiyaki version is more well known.  Here is a post that notes it traditionally uses rice flour but provides a recipe using cake flour.  If anyone is interested, the H-Mart Housewares Store in Toronto has stocked the fish shaped pan before.

Best eaten warm, they are very delicious with just the right amount of sweetness and chew.  You could definitely just finish one while only walking a few steps out the door!

The list of teas sounds like a good variety, interesting that they have toasted rice.

It may be slightly smaller than other red bean fish shaped cakes I've seen but their price is also very inexpensive. One is $1 and 6 for $5 is a pretty good deal!


There is very little seating but the shaved ice would be great on hot summer days!





They also advertised nutella filled waffle cakes but had already run out.  Nutella seems to be the craze these days.  Next time I guess.

May - I'm Dreaming of...

May is proving to be a very busy month.

My baking momentum had stalled, started again with a sputter, and was quickly quieted with a power outtage and illness.  I made the above tart shell (with my new rectangular tart pan from Williams Sonoma!) and a load of lemon curd during Mother's Day weekend, but never got a chance to put it together.  It was so sad when I had to compost the shell and the very creamy lemon curd. 

I've been dreaming about baking for most of this month and May is almost over without as much as a small batch of cookies.

BUT, I think there is one word that I would have liked May to be or to be more precise, I'd like to have been a Flâneur, which according to Wikipedia means "stroller", "lounger", "saunterer", or "loafer".  I came across this term from Anthony Bourdain's Layover Paris episode and if it's anything I love to do on a lazy afternoon, it's to stroll around.

To stroll, lounge is something that is awesome in the Toronto spring weather.  I love the idea of walking and then just popping into a cafe or something to rest, have a drink and chat.  Then walking to peruse some clothing shops or wandering the neighbourhood with no purpose but to see what might catch our attention.  However, most often then not, we're headed directly for a specific place/restaurant/cafe...it isn't something that you just wander upon. 

In Toronto, I find it hard to pinpoint an area that would be a "cafe hopping" neighborhood.  Kensington Market does come to mind though.  There are some independent coffee houses, little restaurants, and vintage shops where people could wander and spend an afternoon visiting a few establishments. Pedestrian Sundays is a great opportunity to wander the Kensington Market area which actually starts May 31st this year.  Queen West (Ossington area) and College Street are other areas that could be "cafe hopping" neighborhoods but I guess the length of walking to me is short and it really is one strip. 

Here are some cafe hopping areas...in Seoul, and of course I have to mention Taipei, here, and here. And just recently, a Taipei city guide that expresses the best of wandering the Taipei's streets and alleys.

Here's to hoping one of the last few days in May will be as wistfull as the word flâneur sounds and as relaxing as watching cherry blossoms drift to the ground!

A Very Relaxing HK Style Bakery in Downtown - Lucullus Bakery (Elm St.)

Lucullus Bakery (downtown)
31 Elm St, Toronto, ON M5G 1H7
T: 416-792-1886
http://www.lucullusbakery.com/

I love picking up a few HK style buns for a snack or egg tarts when I have a sweet craving.  But, working downtown leaves you with very little options...until you hear about Lucullus Bakery on Elm St. between Bay and Yonge.  I actually was looking for a cafe for a little something for the 3pm teatime cravings and came upon some Lucullus reviews.  I'm familiar with the bakery from Richmond Hill and Markham and have only had their cakes but when I saw they were located near my work, I was out the door!

I actually didn't read many reviews so I didn't expect to see a really nice exterior to the bakery.  It was very charming, European like details, and did not have the their typical signage you see in Richmond Hill/Markham.  The place is big and spacious with 2 floors (I didn't actually go to the second floor though).  I ordered a milk tea (which was my original intention for the trip), an egg tart and a bun.  The drinks were all very reasonably priced and the buns slightly more expensive than other locations but inexpensive for downtown.  Most buns are $1.35-$1.55 which is decent.

If you've been to HK style bakeries in Chinatown or the suburbs, they all have the same kind of characteristic.  Low on decor and a lot of time they‘re competing with each other on the price.  Most may offer other foods like rice dishes to get additional customers and turnover is quick.  Here, the feeling is a little different, I can see myself lingering.

Left: Walnut, raisin, coconut bun; Right: Egg tart

HK Style Milk Tea (Hot)

I liked it.  I wasn't wowed, but there were certain moments I thought I could pick out the flavour of a certain tea in their blend, which is saying a lot about the quality.  HK milk tea is usually a blend of different teas, usually ceylon and assam in varying poportions.  On the cup, they list 6 different kinds of tea leaves to make up their signature milk tea!  I'm surprised that there is green tea in the mix too! 

Sometimes HK milk tea is made too astringent (producing that dry feeling in the mouth) that no amount of evaporated milk will tame it while others are too weak in flavour. This one is moderate in astringency and the tea flavour does come out nicely.  It lacks a little on the "fragrant" part though.

As much as I love Taiwanese teas, a HK style milk tea is what I sometimes crave and Lucullus will probably be my go-to spot when those moments happen when I'm at work.

Flaky Egg Tart

It was just average for me.  The crust tasted traditionally made but was a little too thick and heavy for my preference.  The egg custard was creamy, not as wobbly as I'd like it though. 

Walnut, Raisin, and Coconut Bun

This filling combination is what caught my eye.  It's not often you see walnut so I wanted to try it out.  A very good sweet bun; lots of filling, bread is light, and the filling is not artificially coloured like other coconut buns.  The walnut taste is only very light so I would have liked more.  The sweetness of the bun is not that high which is good if you don't like things too sweet but bad if you're accustomed to the sweetness level of western desserts/pastries/sweet buns.  Overall, a good bun and I would buy again.

I really wanted to try the black sesame and walnut sticky ball or green tea and red bean sticky ball, but they were sold out.  (They also had a mango one too which was also sold out.)  In hind sight I should have asked if they had any more.  Oh well, another reason for me to come back, lol!  There was also a red bean sticky ball that was still available, the outer wrapping is made using tapioca (or sago) which would give it a nice texture, but I wasn't feeling like just red bean.

I'd definitely come back to try the meals, other buns, the sticky balls, other teas...maybe their entire menu!  Well, actually I'm unlikely going to try their breakfast entrees since I won't be in the area on weekends but I can see myself stopping by more often.

 

The service is also really nice and polite. The ambience created with the cafe music, lots of seating, and friendly service make it a great place to relax, chat, and/or have a little treat.

  

1st Level Seating Area

Their branded coffee beans...interesting...

 

Food options...they note NO MSG

No more sticky balls...

  

David's Tea Update - Ahhh, they have a flip top!

I recently did a review of their carry travel mug and was quite impressed with it.  But, 2 things that I noted as potential negatives of the carry travel mug were addressed in their new travel mug (at least I think it's new).  I previously noted that you required both hands to open and drink as campared to flip-top versions that you can do with one hand AND the 16oz size might be too big for some if they want to carry it in their bag.  I guess others before me thought the same! :)

 

Now, upon visiting a David's Tea recently, they have a flip-top version and it's slightly smaller at 14oz!  Definitely more handy I would say.  The only negative I see is the strainer might be too small to brew oolong tea.  Right now, my oolong leaves unfurl and fill the entire strainer of the carry travel mug.  This 14oz migh actually be too small for ball-shaped oolong tea.  I think I'll go with that and just be happy with my current one.  (Ahhh, so hard to avoid the grass is always greener mentality, lol!)

Besides the new travel mug, the reason I went into David's Tea was to try an iced tea.  I originally wanted to go to Chatime but the lineup was at least 20 people long!  Didn't have time for that, so headed to David's Tea since it was something I've wanted to try.



16oz iced tea - Organic roasted gyokuro. They make any of their teas iced which is a big draw for many.

Most people would get something fruity or something like their Chocolate Macaroon but I decided to go for an iced Gyokuro.  For tea purest, I'm sure my selection to be iced would receive disappointing head shakes and they would stop reading altogether.  This is because fine green teas are best drunk hot so the nuances can come out.  Although this is true, if the iced tea is brewed hot first, the flavour profile should still come out to a certain extent.  Oolong teas is where each brew might be different so an iced version is less likely to show the nuances.  So anyway, I opted for Gyokuro because I noticed that they had a Roasted Gyokuro which I've never had before.  All hot and iced teas are $3.25 a cup (16oz).

Taste
Expected of a green tea, the grassiness came through with some buttery notes.  But, also quite a bit of bitterness was there too. Gyokuro tea, because it is shaded during part of it's growth, normally produces a umami taste; but that didn't come through. I couldn't taste the roasted quality of the tea either and maybe it was because I had it iced.  However, I've had iced roasted teas from Taiwan and that roasted quality does come out...maybe the roasting is actually very light and is only detected if it was had hot? Maybe the temperature of the water was not right?  Anyway, the taste is indeed that of strong Japanese green tea but the specific roasted and umami quality was not there.  Maybe I'll make my way there some other day and try it hot to compare.

Sugar options include agave, cane sugar, and sweetener. 

The staff will add sugar for you but it is usually a very low amount (which is good).  I actually had to ask for more which was new for me, usually I'm asking for less! 

Service
Very pleasant and eager to assist. 

Overall, I like the fact that you can choose to ice any of their teas, especially great for the summer.  Icing tea that doesn't have any other ingredients but the tea leaves also reminds me of tea shops in Taiwan...yes, yes...more about Taiwan.  Most people would get a drink that is just iced tea of some sort whether it is green, jasmine, oolong, or red/black and have their preferred level of sugar added to it.  This was incredibly inexpensive and something I miss!  For David's Tea to ice any of their teas, it does give the customer the option to try the tea and also to have something flavoured without as many calories of traditional drinks.

  

Review :: Deer Garden Signatures

Fish and vegetables noodle soup in a Laksa broth.

Deer Garden Signatures
633 Silver Star Blvd Unit 125
Scarborough, ON M1V 5N1
416-609-2888
http://deergarden.ca/signature.html

Deer Garden doesn't serve deer if you're wondering. It's actually a fish noodle soup restaurant which also serves some rice dishes and side snacks.  Deer Garden is a franchise from British Columbia and is doing quite well here in Toronto.  They have 2 locations:  Leslie and Hwy 7 and Silver Star Blvd and Steeles (near Pacific Mall).

1st Impression: big bowl of noodles
2nd Impression: a hearty bowl of noodles, easily becoming a regular dining out spot

The main soup bases are fish stock and you add your choice of noodle and 2 meat/veggie items.  You also choose your broth which not all are fish based.  My first experience was a rushed one and all I remember was there was a lot of noodles! I didn't finish the bowl.  But the fish base wasn't too bad.  Important to note, they mention which of their soup bases contain no MSG which is good if you're concerned about such things.

I was looking to have some laksa soup, so this time around I ordered the laksa broth with rice noodles.

Closer look at the rice noodles.

Spicy and filling.  The fish slices that I ordered as one of my toppings didn't break down into little crumbs which was good and they provide a decent portion.  Can't really say much about the noodles as I got rice noodles which are pretty standard.  If you get egg noodles, they are actually fat egg noodles, not the kind you get with wonton noodle.  The soup base also comes with napa and mushrooms so we didn't have to order extra of those unless you want double of these.  The broth could be creamier and probably would be better with a fish base but I wasn't sure if I wanted to add the extra $1.50. 

With your soup noodle item, it comes with a drink.  Unfortunately for those that don't want a drink, there is no option to only have the noodle soup (unless you want to pay the same price and decline the drink, but I don't expect many to do this).  We didn't mind as we'll usually order a milk tea with our meal at most places.  We opted for a cold drink and it tasted decent.

Deer Garden also allows you to select some sides for an additional cost, almost like making a combo at Wendy's, lol!  I say Wendy's because it's not just 1 type of side; you can get a fried pork cutlet or chicken cutlet like us for an extra $2.  Other sides include fish, sausage, chicken wings, and ox tongue.  I think the fish cutlet is actually better than the pork as I tried a small piece my first time dining at Deer Garden.

Fried pork cutlet, a little dry but the side mayo helped.

Chicken cutlet, quite tender

The decor is also inviting and bright, with many booths.  We like sitting in booths because they are usually more spacious but the only problem is when you have a large group.  Large groups will have to wait for the section against the wall to free up as there are normally tables for 2 but can be shifted to make larger tables.

My second visit to Deer Garden definitely left a better impression. Although it's not fancy food or that difficult of a dish, I think the simplicity of the meal and the overall experience make it a good regular dining out option, especially for lunch.  I'm also unlikely going to make fish broth at home so the fish broth is a draw. There's enough variety, portions are good, seating is spacious for a small family or group, and service is decent.

Nice ceiling decor

The Best Chinese Egg Tarts in Toronto!

I'm a huge fan of Chinese egg tarts, especially the flaky ones! All Chinese bakeries in the GTA sell one or both versions of the egg tart (flaky vs shortbread type crust) and most Chinese supermarkets with a fresh bakery section also sell them. But, most are just okay. So for some time now, I've wanted to blog about these luscious treats but I always end up devouring them before I remember to take a picture.  So, here it is, the best Chinese egg tarts in Toronto! Go to Gloucester Bakery within the plaza at Leslie and Finch (131 Ravel Rd)!  Be sure to go to this location as not all locations are the same in quality (IMO anyway). 

What makes them the best?

one - Do you see the layers?! Perfectly flaky and crisp tart shell, it holds up well as you eat it.  Although traditional Chinese egg tarts use a lard puff pastry, this one doesn't have a heavy fat/lard mouthfeel to it. (So I'm not sure if they are very skilled or use different fats to make their pastry; in any case, it's very good!)

two - The egg filling has the perfect egg and sweetness level.  Texture is also wobbly and smooth...and you get a nice thick amount of egg custard filling.  Filling to pastry ratio is very good.

three - Sometimes when you have leftovers, they are still very, very good the next day.  I've experienced the custard filling at other places drying out by the end of the day, but not these ones! 

Try for yourself, you won't be disappointed!