Picture Update

I've been taking pictures but have been quite preoccupied to post so here is a picture update of what I've been doing lately and some of the meals I've had recently...

Chrysanthemum honeysuckle tea and pineapple bun (BLB) with half slab of butter at Lucculus Bakery in downtown Markham. ..yum!

Red oolong from Thailand with a cranberry scone at home.  Enjoying the tea subscription from Thetea.pl and must do a dedicated post soon for their tea club!

Homemade gooseberry and sweet potato filled mochi/daifuku...still need practice but love the burst of tartness of the gooseberry.

Tried the Love Me Sweet chocolate cheese tart...pretty good.

Game of Cheese...a fusion pasta restaurant at Commerce Gate in Richmond Hill surprised us.  This spot has changed restaurants so many times that it seemed abnormal to see it so busy and with reserved tables!  Service was very polite.

Chicken and Duck Korean restaurant. ..enjoyed the side dishes (banchans) and the broths were comforting however the duck soup lacked quality duck pieces...mainly bones.

Lunch at home using leftovers. ..love adding pickled turnip and carrots to savoury dishes.

Aged tea....mmm.

Matcha bingsoo from The Cups on Yonge.  Thanks to my friend who came to enjoy this with me one hot afternoon! 

At the North York Centre farmers market held every Thursday. ..bought the sweetest cheddar from Monforte Dairy.

Enjoying a weekday lunch special at Ten Ren's Tea at Times Ave.

Made half decorated hedgehog cookies with some cookie cutters I bought a while ago.

That's it for now.  Hopefully I'll be able to do some more dedicated posts soon.

A Cafe named "Cafe"

 

"Cafe"
8 Glen Watford Drive (Dynasty Centre)
Toronto, ON M1S 2C1
T: (416) 321-3354

Last weekend we stumbled upon a HK Cafe called "Cafe" and was pleasantly surprised by the overall experience.  We originally were going to have dumplings in Scarborough but the parking lot was full so we drove to the nearby Dynasty Centre plaza and noticed an HK Cafe.  In Chinese, it's called "Cousin Cafe" but there is actually no English name except for the word "Cafe". 

 

Inside the decor is pretty nice (for an HK Cafe), tables are spaced well, and they have a pretty extensive menu with dinner specials under $10.  I went with one of my usuals, baked fish with spinach cream sauce on rice ($7.95).  It reminds me of Dickens, but I think a little light on the amount of fish.  Tastes very good though.  Dinner specials come with soup and a hot beverage (coffee/tea) and the usual add extra for a cold drink.  My partner got a beef and egg on rice noodle dish that tasted good and although the portion was okay, it was probably smaller than other locations.

I had a hot milk tea and it was okay but not as smooth, more astringent than other places. 

 

Staff were friendly and service was quick.  It was also nice that they asked if we wanted our beverages at the end of the meal (as would be custom at traditional cafes) or now...we opted for now.  All and all, not a bad place and because it's near Sheppard Ave E, quite easy to get to from the 401.

  

Fortune Stone - Hidden Right Under My Nose!

Fortune Stone Restaurant

7010 Warden Ave

Markham, ON L3R 0L9

905-475-0099
 

Fortune Stone is an HK Style Cafe that has been around for a number of years and only now, only now did I know it existed.  Located in the same plaza as T & T Supermarket on Warden and Steeles, I can't believe I didn't see it earlier since this is one of the T&T's I frequent.  The building is the one closest to the Steeles and Warden corner, but is on the opposite side to Ajisen Ramen.

 

First impression, huge menu!  Not sure if they do everything well but it was pretty good eats so far.

Fish with spinach cream sauce

 It was hard deciding what to get as there were so many options and all at reasonable prices ($5-10).  I opted for a fish in spinach cream sauce dish and it tasted pretty good.  The cream sauce is also not as creamy as western cream sauces (which is typical for HK cafes) but still tasty albeit a little on the salty side.  Portion size was right for me, however could be a bit on the small side for others.  My meal came with a soup and drink (had an iced milk tea) which were both decent.

Baked chicken and cream sauce.

Service was friendly and the space is quite clean and bright.  Will definitely be coming back to this place since it's fairly close to where I live and I can stop by T&T for groceries right after, haha!   

Hong Far Cafe vs Dickens Cafe at Richlane

Dickens Cafe: Chicken steak lunch special (very tender)

Hong Far Hong Kong Cafe
Phone: (905)-770-9236

Dickens Cafe
Phone: (905) 237-4726   

Located at Richlane Mall
9425 Leslie St, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3N7

I've been eating at a lot of HK Style Cafes recently, two of the most recent ones (they've been around for awhile though) were located in the same mall or building; Richlane Mall at Hwy 16 and Leslie.  One was called Hong Far and the other Dickens.  They are definitely 2 different styles of HK Cafes so I can see both doing well and given their number of years of operation, I think they have a loyal customer base.

Dickens is your upscale HK cafe that serves some typical cafe dishes like baked rice but also has steak dishes with sets that include garlic bread and a soup.  Hong Far is the more Chinese fast food/noodle and rice bowl cafe type establishment.

I actually like both places as each establishment has their own character and really depends on your mood.

Dickens is noticeably more pricey but the dishes are presented in a nicer fashion and it did taste a little better than other cafes.  I ordered a baked fish dish (a standard for me) and it was covered with a spinach mushroom sauce which was quite good.  You often don't get mushrooms in these places so i was surprised.

Dickens Cafe: Baked fish on rice with spinach and mushroom cream sauce (afternoon tea special)

The unfortunate part is the service near the end was lacking.  In this western style HK cafe, they serve the accompanying coffee/tea drink after the meal, very much like an English establishment would do.  They don't tell you this.  We waited for someone to ask us what we'd like but no one did and then it took a while to get someone's attention to put in our drink order.  It's also pricier to upgrade your drink to cold here.

Hong Far is definitely friendlier and the one reason I'd give it an extra star is because they offer a little bit of veggies with their dishes.  I ordered a fried pork chop with fried fish skin udon noodle soup.  Most other similar HK restaurants will serve you a bowl of noodles, without any greens except for a few bits of green onion, if that.  But here, I have a small amount which was really appreciated.  The pork chop was also tender and the amount of noodles was decent.

Hong Far Cafe: Pork chop with fried fish skin udon noodle

 

Hong Far Cafe: Hainan Chicken Rice (rice is actually fried rice)

Hong Far Cafe: Left- Hot milk tea, Right- Iced lemon tea (extra charge for iced drinks)

The beverages were okay.  If you get a hot beverage it comes in the classic HK cafe cup and saucer that you see often, definitely cute if you're into nostalgic tableware.

 

I'd definitely go back to both.  

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 :)

 

 

 

 

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...

  

Elite Congee & Noodle - What an Unexpected Surprise

Baked Fish on Rice with White Cream Sauce

Elite Congee & Noodle
5651 Steeles Avenue East
Toronto, ON M1V 5P6
T: 416-321-6868

Yes, this is another congee and noodle place.
We're always eating lunch late or having HK afternoon tea on the weekends.  So, congee and noodle places often meet our needs.  We'll often shop at T&T supermarket before or after lunch depending on our midday meal and sometimes we go to the Middlefield and Steeles location. In the same plaza, we noticed a congee and noodle place and decided to give it a try.  Didn't expect much since it's located in a not so busy plaza and there weren't many people there when we walked in, but it was actually pretty decent!

Our meals tasted quite good and portion size for the price was about the same or better than other HK style cafes.  My baked fish on rice with cream sauce was good.  Taste was as expected but I liked the fact that they added a few pieces of peppers to the top.  Most places don't give you any veggies.  The fried rice underneath was also done well. 

  

Salt and Pepper Pork Chops

The pork dish was also quite good, seasoned and fried very well.  But, it wasn't actually something my partner was thinking of getting, they ran out of beef brisket already so it was a bit disappointing and this was the next best thing.  How could they run out so early in the day we wondered?!  Anyway, maybe the beef brisket is so good, the lunch crowd had ordered it all out!  We'll have to get there earlier next time I guess.



Cold HK Milk Tea

I think the one thing that was so-so was their HK milk tea. Not sure if it was an off day but it wasn't cold enough and the flavour seemed a bit off... almost seemed like cocoa was added to it??

If you arrive at 3pm you'll have your choice of afternoon tea specials, lunch specials (they run until 5:30pm), and all day specials.  Lots of options!  Of course, you can also order from the regular menu but the specials usually come with a drink of some sort.  Interestingly, a red bean drink is offered with the afternoon tea specials, something different than the usually coffee or milk tea (which is also available).

Exterior

Interior

Service was okay and polite. The interior was clean and seating was fairly spacious.

Now, for the price.  Both dishes were under $7!!  Deal!  And comes with a drink, even better! If you want to change your drink to something that is not part of the special, it's an additional $0.75. 

I'm sure we'll definitely be back as the prices are great, good variety of options, it's convenient for us, and to try the beef brisket!

Review: Ocean's Seafood Restaurant

HK Style Cafe by day, family style restaurant by night.

Ocean's is a fairly inexpensive breakfast and lunch place for those looking for HK cafe style foods.  I've been at various times of the day (breakfast, lunch and dinner).  Walking in, it reminds us of Pheonix Restaurant but there are features such as the chandeliers that give it a family dinner restaurant feel.

1st Impression:  Value meals
Several Impressions Later:  Value meals for any time of day

When talking about taste, food is okay, nothing out of this world.  But prices are great for what you get.  The first time I went was for lunch and had a baked rice dish.

Baked chicken rice dish

They offer a few lunch and afternoon specials that are under $7 like the baked rice above.  Comes with milk tea or coffee.  It was a little on the salty side but okay for the price and portions were good.  Breakfast is also very inexpensive but I would say the noodles are better than the egg-type breakfasts since you can always make eggs at home.  Note, when they say sausage on their menu they actually mean hot dog weiner...so not so good!

Simple dinner items are $7-8 and were also acceptable in taste.  As you can tell, presentation is not their forte but you can't really complain when prices and taste are good.  Surprisingly, the Peking sauce pork chops was really good.  Meat was tender (didn't need a knife), slightly crispy, and the sauce was not overly sweet and just coated the meat.

Spinach and enoki mushroom

Egg and beef on rice noodles

Peking (Beijing) sauce pork chops

I also went to try their special dinner deals.  Value is definitely there but taste-wise it's just okay again.  But, I was really impressed with our friendly server.  I messed up on the number of people we had so we had to add extra seats and they made it work the best they could.  The server was always polite and she tried to make sure we had everything.  Unfortunately, I have no pictures!  Maybe another time...

Anyway, this place is definitely a good place for lunch or dinner when you want something quick, good, and inexpensive.

Hong Kong Style Cafe

I love going to Hong Kong style cafes for afternoon tea or for a quick and cheap lunch.  And lucky for me, Toronto or actually the GTA has no shortage of them. We have a few we frequent but it's always nice to try out new places.  Stumbled across this place when I suggested going to a Hong Kong style cafe for lunch with a friend and she replied,"the one at Apple Creek"?  Well, I guess that's one way to get it Googled and to bring in customers, name your place exactly what it is...

Hong Kong Style Cafe
10 Apple Creek Blvd
Markham, ON L3R 5W9
905-474-1228

First Impression:  Clean and spacious
Second Impression:  The All-day specials are worth coming for lunch and dinner!

Food

They have an all-day specials menu with a good selection of items that include baked rice/pasta dishes(one of my favourite things to get).  Their afternoon tea menu is your typical sandwiches and fried foods.  The regular menu is actually pretty extensive with the typical rice, noodles, sandwiches and it's reasonably priced.

We've been here twice now and have tried the baked rice dishes, a curry beef on rice, and pork chop bun.  All were well seasoned and portions were good...except maybe my partner would have liked a little more beef in the curry beef brisket, but hey, that was a special.  The specials also come with a soup and hot drink while the afternoon tea items only come with a hot drink.  This is in traditional HK cafe style, not many places provide a soup nowadays.  Want a cold drink?  Add $0.75 which is standard.

Sometimes places don't add cheese to their baked dishes but I think it just makes it much more tastier.  The cheese added was on the salty side though but not overly, so it was very enjoyable.  I missed taking a photo of the breaded fish inside but it's a white fish, maybe basa, and the portion size was good.  At $6.99, with soup and a drink, it was a very good value meal!!

Regular priced item but still inexpensive.

Curry flavour was fairly strong, comes with soup and drink.

Afternoon tea item, portion size was decent and you can opt for salad instead of fries.

 But they get an extra star for their drinks because the size is quite large, even when it's part of the special, and when ordering a cold drink, they give you the sugar syrup on the side so you can add the amount you desire. Even purchasing this at regular price is a good deal.  Taste wise, it's decent but not the best Hong Kong Style Milk Tea.  We haven't tried any of the other drinks though...next time I'll order the lemon iced tea.

A 12-16oz glass?

Atmosphere/Service

Good mix of booths, tables, and 1-2 person tables.  Clean and seating is not crammed.  Wooden high chairs available for those with kids.  Service was okay, nothing special to note.

Overall

Definitely on the rotation for HK style cafe meals now!  The food is decent, selection is good, the milk tea is large, and most of all, it's good value.