Dazzling Cafe in Toronto

For months I could only see a glimpse of the distinct pink and white front signage for Dazzling Cafe from afar but never confirmed what it was till recently.  In Taipei, Dazzling Cafe is well known for it's desserts and specifically honey toast.  When they first opened, line ups would be so long that on my last visit to Taiwan, I didn't attempt to go.  But upon realizing they have opened a Toronto location just down the street from where I am, I decided it was time to try this dessert cafe.

The decor is very cute and feminine; typical of some places in Taiwan where girlfriends love to gather for brunch or dessert.  It definitely makes you feel quite "girly" and although I'm past the age of baby doll dresses and reading ViVi magazine, I still love the dining experience of something so cute.

Chairs with bunny ears :)

We had gone for dinner despite knowing the food options were not going to be plenty nor were portions going to be large.  I figured we'd make up the calories with dessert!  :)

Ordered popcorn chicken, came heavily seasoned with five spice powder and pepper, not bad.

I had the bacon and poached egg pasta which looked and tasted good but portions were small for North America.  Very normal for Taiwan though.  You also don't get much in the way of bacon but the egg was poached well.  The pasta wasn't very heavy, if you're used to rich sauces you may not enjoy it as it was more light and pleasant.

My partner had the pork jowl baked rice.  Tasted good as well but very small portions.

We each got a milk tea which tasted fine, nothing spectacular though.  We did ask for reduced sugar and ice.  Too bad they didn't have any special set meals where the drink is at a discount.

Dessert...

Hazelnut chocolate honey toast was a mountain of bread, ice cream and whipped cream.  It was good but definitely lacked enough ice cream and had too much whipped cream to really make it an extraordinary dessert.  And I think I was disappointed that the ice cream was vanilla.  They cut the inside of the toast into cubes and the hazelnut choocalate part was a small amount of nutella piped into each cube.  In the end, we had quite a bit of the toast shell left over.  If they made this with even just one more scoop of ice cream it'd be much better.

Service was great which always makes the experience better.  They have a small upper level and I noticed a few high chairs were available for those bringing little ones.  Overall, it is expensive for what you get, but I'd consider coming back again for a bubble tea and/or dessert with friends.


Dazzling Cafe

37 Sheppard Avenue E
Toronto, ON M2N 7K1

T:  647-723-7300

http://dazzlingcafecanada.com/

Mabu Generation

Mabu Generation, a Taiwanese bubbletea restaurant and bar (yes bar) at First Markham Place has been open for a few months now.  I believe they are the same owners as Mabu Station at Yonge and Finch who have decided to expand and include alcohol on their menu of drinks and more food options.  This definitely sounded intriguing and with the modern design, I wanted to try it out even though I'm not drinking right now.

Besides offering Taiwanese food like Mabu Station, they also offer a number of Japanese dishes and hot pot for one.  Their dessert selection also is a bit different and includes a variety of matcha items.  However, this next generation is also more expensive than Mabu Station.

I was disappointed.  Well actually, the service was quite good but the food...ahhhh, needs much improvement!

Unfortunately the place is dim because of the hipster lighting so the pictures didn't turn out very good.  My meal was a Grilled Chicken Donburi (or House Special Don) but looked nothing like the photo in the menu.  The chicken tasted good but there just wasn't enough meat or seasoning for the rice; the presentation was quite poor, like someone just slopped it together.

Braised Taiwanese beef noodle...poorly done as well.  Meat was not tender and the noodles were too soft and the soup was not up to par.  Given that Taiwanese beef noodle is almost like the national dish, I would have expected at least average but sadly it wasn't.

My friend ordered the curry pork cutlet and she said it was okay but very salty.  Nothing to rave about.  Nor was the mini hot pot another friend had ordered.

I also had the mochi waffle with ice cream pictured above.  This was better than my meal.  The waffle was entirely mochi, a good size and tasted okay, soft and chewy.  Part of me expected a wheat based waffle stuffed with mochi filling though...I guess I've been seeing too many pics from cafes in Taiwan that make a mochi waffle but the mochi is a filling inside so you still get a nice crisp exterior and a chewy centre.  

As I said, decor was really nice (too many people to take a picture of the inside, sorry) and I think for an evening with friends it would be an okay place to chat with friends over tea and dessert.  I say this because our experience with service was good so could be worth giving them a try if you're in the area.  But for lunch or dinner I would pass, there are much better places.

Wall mural of the popular tourist and day trip town Jiufen.

Mabu Generation

Unit #23-26, 3235 Hwy 7 E.  (First Markham Place)

Markham, ON L3R 3P3

T: 905-604-8358

http://mabugeneration.com/english

Mabu Station 麻布小館

Large portion of grass jelly!  那份燒仙草超大啊!!

Mabu Station is a bright and cute space with comfortable seating.  A huge menu of food, desserts and drinks is available. When deciding on a place to meet up with some friends, both the menu and space made it a good choice.  Meeting up with girl friends for a late night bubble tea or dessert has been something I have missed and I'm glad a few Fridays ago (yes, it's been a while!) we headed to Mabu Station.

Shared the grass jelly dessert - one huge dish!  And I also had a milk tea.  Milk tea was average, but I quite enjoyed the toppings and grass jelly.  The bowl costs $9.99 now (used to be $6.99), but it can easily be shared by 2 or 3 people.  Another friend got a sago, purple glutinous rice and mango dessert and I would say it was really lacking in the mango department, needless to say she was pretty disappointed.

Service was also quite nice and quick when needed. We also weren't rushed, I think we were there for 3 hours!  Maybe during regular meal hours it may be a little more chaotic, but if you go after 9 pm, it's pretty laid back.

Mabu Station 麻布小館
5457 Yonge St (there are 2 sections)
Toronto ON M2N 5S1
http://mabustation.com/

Why the occasional duplicate sentence written in Chinese?  

One of my goals starting in 2016 is to improve my Chinese language skills so this is one way I'm going about it.  
Please comment if you noticed I've totally messed up!  Thanks!

Jule Tea House

House special noodles ($7.49)

Jule tea house started out as just a bubble tea and dessert shop, but over the last few months to half a year (?), they started offering Taiwanese style meals which I was curious to try.  From the menu I think they say they named their tea house Jule because it resembled the pronunciation of the word 'to gather' together (聚) in Mandarin.

The tea house has really nice seating and is quite spacious so it's definitely a nice place 'to gather' with friends.  Soft music plays in the background and on the back wall they also have a nice green wall to add to the comfortable feeling of the space.
這個茶館很寬敞, 是一個很好的地方和朋友聚集在一起. 音樂播放輕輕的, 後牆有綠色植物給人以舒適的感覺.
I ordered their House Special Rice Noodle which was a spicy mala rice noodle with pork ribs.  The meal was decent and it was indeed spicy, but portions were a bit small.  If you were a big eater, you'll need to add a drink and a dessert to be full. Otherwise it's good as a light meal.  Too bad there isn't a drink special if you order one of their meals.



Jule does have a number of desserts on offer that makes them a little unique, but I wasn't up for trying them so I can't comment.  The bubble tea we ordered was the regular milk tea and on a previous visit I had ordered the same but with tapioca.  Both occasions the milk tea was good but the tapioca could have been better, they were not all soft and chewy.

Overall, the food and bubble tea didn't blow me away, but it's a good place to hang out with friends as the seating is nice and service was decent.

  

MaMa Beef Rice Noodle (soup was a little lacking in flavour)

Jule
20 Carlton St.
Toronto, ON M5B 2H5
T:416-509-7888
https://www.facebook.com/JuleToronto/

Why the occasional duplicate sentence written in Chinese?  

One of my goals starting in 2016 is to improve my Chinese language skills so this is one way I'm going about it.  
Please comment if you noticed I've totally messed up!  Thanks!

Lunch AND dinner at ZenQ

ZenQ near my place had started offering food and I've been meaning to give them a try for some time now.  The brand started out trying to establish itself as a dessert and tea place, but the expansion into Taiwanese meals is welcome.  From 12-9 pm they offer a selection of their dishes + drink (a select few) for $9.50.  (I think the Markham location is a little cheaper for their combo?)  ZenQ is actually owned by the same parent company as Chatime, La Kaffa International which I found interesting because I'm sure they must be sourcing the same tea.

For a late (and actually quite rushed) lunch, I ordered the crispy chicken rice combo and I wasn't disappointed, actually quite happy.  The meal comes with a side dish of vegetables, a good portion of chicken and rice with some minced pork on top.  Taste was good and it wasn't greasy.  I would have liked a little bit of basil on the crispy chicken to add to the flavour but it was still ok.  The regular milk bubble tea was good as usual.  I've gotten takeout drinks from them often and it's always been pretty good. 

So...usually I'd try out a place and then move on to try another place but...



Come dinner time...I decided to try their takeout.  Yes, I do things in bunches!  The other entree I was thinking of trying at lunch was the three cup chicken so for dinner, this is what I got for takeout.  The takeout container is not a bento box style but still comes with your main and sides.  There is actually more rice in the takeout container.  Flavour was good and is very typical, could use more garlic but I was happy there was basil.  This time I had a honey jasmine green tea with my meal and it was a nice refreshing drink!

For bubble tea places, this place offers quite a decent meal combo and the hours they offer it is really great as you can have it for lunch and dinner!

  

 

ZenQ (North York)

http://www.zenq.ca/

5437A Yonge St.
North York, ON M2N 5S1
T: (647) 350-ZENQ (9367)



Leaf de Tea - one of the best bubble tea deals in Markham!

Leaf de Tea has been around for years but last weekend was my first time trying out their tea.  We were at the First Markham food court and I wanted a milk tea after lunch and noticed Leaf de Tea.  It had the shape of Taiwan in their signage so I wanted to take a closer look. 

I was really surprised to see the prices were so...I don't want to say cheap because the word also has the connotation that the quality is not there...but, you get exceptional value!  How do you beat $2 for a regular bubble tea?! 

Got a regular milk tea and the jasmine milk tea, both without tapioca.  The regular milk tea was quite good, I forgot to ask for half sugar and it wasn't too sweet.  I may ask for less sugar next time but this was definitely pretty good as is.  Tea was flavourful and smooth.  The jasmine milk tea was also good but quite a strong floral taste.

This has got to be one of the best bubble tea deals in Markham, taste and price are both very good!  It doesn't have the youth appeal or social media marketing of Chatime, but it's definitely a good option for a tea drink if you're at First Markham.  And if you're hungry they also have food, also for a great price.  One special included 10 curry fish balls and a bubble tea for $5!!  Anyway, will be back to try other teas and their tapioca for a better review...and their food!

Oh, and free wifi offerred?!  Interesting for a food stand in a food court.

 

Leaf de Tea
First Markham Place
3255 Highway 7, Unit 250
Markham, ON L3R 3P9

Green Grotto Tea Room - Now Serving Downtown

 

 A few months ago I heard that there was going to be a downtown location for Green Grotto.  If you've been reading my blog, you should know that I've been a fan of Green Grotto for years.  I've even been to their first location at Yonge and Finch many, many years ago! 

The Warden and Steeles location has been my favorite for a number of reasons but I was dismayed that the food menu and drink quality did go down the last time I was there.  So, I was hoping this location would redeem themselves.  They don't have as many food items as the Markham location and only had one special, the rice special for $9.99 on weekdays 2-5pm.

Minced pork on rice + appetizer/side dish + drink.  Nice deal, but not for big eaters.  The mince pork on rice was a very small bowl (and doesn't come with egg), I would hope not their full size when ordered a la carte!  It was smaller than the free popcorn bowl (another plus for this place)!

The pork was good, saucy but not too fatty.  I selected the fried oysters as my appetizer which was not bad, comes with seafood sauce as the dipping sauce.  I might come back for this special, but I'm not sure if I'd come for the food in general since downtown there are so many other options.

Now, food being average is kinda expected at bubble tea places so how does the tea fare?  Ordered a hot ginger black milk tea and it was perfect for a chilly fall day.  Lots of ginger flavour, maltiness from the black tea and the right amount of sugar (I did not have to ask for an adjustment in sugar). 

Magazine selection again is above all other tea houses, but is slightly smaller than the Warden location.  Cafe ambience is the same as other locations with "cafe music" playing in the background. Service was quick and polite (but this is at 2pm on a weekday).

Definitely a good spot for downtowners to relax with a bubble tea and snacks or dessert.

Green Grotto Tea Room (Downtown Yonge)
35 Saint Joseph St
Toronto, ON M4Y 1J8

Bake Code (2) - Earl Grey Tea Flute & Mentaiko Baguette

Update on Bake Code Bakery - I have to admit, it is a bit of a let down when something you want to try is not there...so I was super excited when a couple of weeks ago (gosh, it's been a while!), I finally got to try the Earl Grey Tea Flute and Mentaiko Baguette. Happy to say they were very good! 

Mentaiko was savory and the baguette was crisp (be aware that it is a toasted baguette making it extra crispy).   The fish roe gave it a nice umami flavour and the butter spread has a hint of wasabi flavour (you can't tell by looking), just enough to be enjoyed.  So yummy!!

Earl Grey Tea Flute - the bread was nicely flavoured with the tea and although I was expecting the inside cream to be earl grey tea flavoured, it was actually whipped butter and sugar; still good though and worth a try. 

 

On my last visit, I did see the lemon tart and was going to get it but it was quite tiny!  I guess for $3.50 (or around that price) it won't be the size offered at French patisseries.  Anyway, can't wait to have these again or try even more breads.

 

Mama Bear Taiwanese Cuisine - Tastes and Smells of Taiwan

Salty Crispy Chicken aka Popcorn Chicken

I finally got to try Mama Bear Taiwanese Cuisine about a week ago.  Mama Bear first became popular through their sticky tofu sold at the night market festivals that happen every summer and over a year ago they opened this restaurant. It's been on my list of places to-go for ages, but has always been packed.   I think part of me had high expectations that I was also scared to be disappointed if I went.  But, we went for lunch one weekday and I wasn't disappointed.

We ordered quite a bit to my surprise.

I have to say, most items were decent.  They weren't amazing, but you can definitely get a taste of Taiwan here. 

The beef noodle (non-spicy) for the large was a big bowl and it was good.  It's not my favourite in the city, but still very good and I'd get this again. 



The "popcorn" chicken was probably the best item we tried and portion was in line with the price.  Oyster omelette was yummy and instead of lettuce that is common at night markets they used tung ho/tong ho (茼蒿) vegetables (also known as Garland Chrysanthemum which I had to look up).  Apparently some places in Taiwan use it to make oyster omelette and I think it was a really nice addition.  However, I think I would love more egg and less tapioca starch in the omelette. 

Oyster omelette

The minced pork on rice was good, could be fattier in my opinion but it did contain pork belly and wasn't dry like other places.



The "shui jian bao" or pan fried buns were freshly made and tasted pretty good as well, but I'm still debating on whether the price is worth it with this dish.





Space is actually larger than I expected and there were quite a number of booths and tables. Didn't seem cramped which is nice.  Service was good, no complaints.

 

 

If you're looking for some good Taiwanese food, this definitely is a good option.  They also had set meals where there is a main item and 3 side dishes which I think would be a great option, but we wanted to try a number of different things.  Desserts like shaved ice and some traditional drinks like Aiyu in lemon juice are available and round out the experience; we just didn't have space for these extras.  Oh, also important to note, as we were leaving, the smell of sticky tofu started to permeate the air so you are now warned that you may experience this if there are orders for sticky tofu!

 

 

Mama Bear Taiwanese Cuisine

 324 Hwy 7 E #7

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 1A6

T: (905) 597-7770

https://www.facebook.com/mamabearrichmondhill

High chair and baby changing table available.

 

Bake Code - New Taiwanese Bakery (& Chatime!)

The Yonge/Sheppard area is definitely getting a little more exciting! Bake Code is a new bakery/cafe that opened nearby and it features Taiwanese breads/pastries made by a mix of European and Asian bread making techniques.  A week ago they had a soft opening but I figured I'd wait till their grand opening week (Sept 17-23) to try their products.  Products (except beverages) are buy 3 get 1 free (lowest priced item) during this period, so go now! 

There are Chinese buns but also European like buns that have some Asian flavours to it (like taro or matcha).  Most if not all the breads I saw were the soft fluffy kind you'd find in Asian bakeries.  Their website lists baguettes but they didn't have them in the morning yet.  There are also flaky croissant items and a selection of desserts that you won't find at your typical Chinese bakery (like a Mille Crepe cake).  Samples of the breads are available and I pretty much tried all that were on offer this morning and wanted to buy a lot more loaves than I did. 

Here are the items I tried I my first visit:



Clockwise from Top L: Matcha red bean bun, Swiss Chocolate Boule, Japanese Cheesecake, Chocolate Croissant

Matcha red bean bun - filled with beans but it's not a paste, actual whole beans (that were also differing colours) which give it a different texture; nice against the soft fluffy bread.  The top, surprisingly is topped with a very thin layer of pastry crust or something of that nature that is buttery and sweet.  It's a very thin layer but does it's job, quite impressed actually.  The only thing about this bread is that the matcha flavour is not really there.  Despite this, I still really liked this bun.

Swiss Chocolate Boule - looks like a hearty and dense dark rye bread buts it's actually very soft and chewy. A hint of chocolate in the dough, little bits of walnuts (be sure to check out their website for the ingredients which is really helpful!), and little nibs of chocolate so you get an extra kick of chocolate.  It's a big bread and I could have eaten it all sitting at my desk!

Japanese Cheesecake - was just average.  It was light but too light for me, would have liked a little more cream cheese flavour so my least favourite of the day.

The chocolate croissant I have to say has pretty good dark chocolate filling inside and a good amount.  The croissant itself has a very flaky top but is not as rich in butter as I'd like.  However, I devoured it at breakfast because of the chocolate filling!

One thing to note: I believe they are baking their buns throughout the day so when I went, there were certain breads that I had read about but did not see, like the earl grey tea bread. 

On my second visit late in the afternoon, I got the red wine longan bread which I actually first heard about (this combination) from a post on the blog TravellingFoodies, where they detailed a visit to one of the Taiwanese "master boulanger Wu Pao Chun's" bakeries in Taiwan.  In 2010, Wu Pao Chun won the master baker title for bread at the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, an international invitational artisan baking competition in France. The recipe is published for this bread in his book so I wonder if they are using it or have made their own version?

For the red wine longan bread, it's a nice bread and I think the longan is soaked in the red wine before baking.  Stronger longan taste than red wine but definitely good.  Not sure how often I'd buy this one as it's one of the pricier breads, but it is quite big.  When I had the sample, it seemed like the crust was crisper but when I got home and let it sit for a bit, it was soft.  I can see myself eating it as is or slicing thin slices, toasting lightly, and topping with a little cheese.

Red Wine Longan Bread

I picked up 3 other items as well.

Lemon Boule - has chocolate and cranberry in it which was a bit of a surprise.  Didn't taste much lemon though...so was slightly disappointed.  It was light and chewy and a good amount of the cranberry and chocolate, so I can definitely eat a lot of it.  Just would have been better if there was more lemon flavour since it is called lemon boule.

Cream Puff - Mmmm, delicious!  Pastry cream was yummy and the cream puff was crispy.  Slightly different from French ones in that the top is cut off and it is topped with the pastry cream (which means less in the puff) rather than filled from the bottom.

Mr. Chocolate Bean - Got the bag of 5 which is cheaper than buying individually.  This is essentially the Swiss Chocolate Boule but in mini bun form and the mini chocolate chips are added like a filling rather than dispersed throughout the bread.



Small seating area but modern, warm, and very comfortable feeling.  Even the trays that you put your bread on are very nice. 

Chatime beverages are featured but currently they offer a fraction of the usual menu: coffees, teapressos and a choice selection of milk teas and other teas. You gotta love that you can get Chatime at 8 in the morning!  (But, 10am on weekends.)

Overall, I like this bakery.  It may be a little pricier than some other places, but I think there are some unique breads and it's very convenient for me.  Definitely looking forward to trying more and I gotta find out the baking schedule because there are some on the website that I'd love to try!

Bake Code

4910 Yonge St

Toronto, ON M2N 5N5 

http://bakecode.com/

 

Book Review: The Food of Taiwan by Cathy Erway

Pork Meat Sauce over Rice (Lu Rou Fan) 滷肉飯

If you know me, you know I love Taiwanese food and of course, when I first heard that this book was going to be published, I knew I had to get it! This is Cathy Erway's second published book, but first cookbook (although I think her first book had some recipes).   I miss the food in Taiwan and this gave me the motivation to make some of the dishes that I crave. 

The book contains 100 recipes, many are simple traditional dishes that you'd find at many local restaurants in Taiwan and some staple night market dishes as well. Some dishes have origins from China (as many people in Taiwan have ancestry from China), but have become more of a local dish over the years.  Erway does note in the book that she had to keep asking herself" what makes the dish distinctly Taiwanese?  Meaning, not something that's merely a riff or extension of something you'd find in some part of mainland China, nor an attempt at something from an even more far-flung locale".  I like this about her book as she really does attempt to showcase many dishes that would be considered Taiwanese.  She briefly looks at how social factors have led to the formation of Taiwanese cuisine as well as overseas influences.

It's not an indepth look at Taiwanese culture and cuisine, but does touch on many significant areas that gives some good background info about Taiwan.

The recipes I tried:

Pan-Fried Rice Noodles with Pork and Vegetables (Chao Mi Fen) 炒米粉
Noodles with Minced Pork and Fermented Bean Sauce (Zha Jiang Mian) 炸醬麵
Pork Meat Sauce over Rice (Lu Rou Fan) 滷肉飯
Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji) 三杯雞
Mochi (Ma Ji) 麻糬 - this was actually filled with peanut but I didn't use peanut (for this recipe, I have made a comment about it here)

There are still so many recipes that I'm interested in making (like one for Pepper Pork Buns (Hu Jiao Bing 胡椒餅) but just haven't had the time.


What I liked...

- Lots of interesting recipes
- Recipes aren't altered to cater to western palates but does try to present recipes where ingredients could be easily purchased in North America. 
- Each recipe is introduced with a little info or personal story
- A range of recipes from very easy recipes to more challenging ones
- Summarizes the food in Taiwan and the people very well


What could be improved...

- I wanted to love the book and find nothing that I could constructively critique, but there was something that I was unfortunately surprised to find...a number of the dishes I tried seemed too salty.  Maybe it is the brand of soy sauce I used but I had to reduce the quantity of soy sauce (by a quarter)for almost all the recipes I tried except one, the fried rice noodles "chao mi fen".  I used a Lee Kum Kee Soy Sauce but I think in Taiwan, a popular brand is Kimlan which I've used in the past.  This might be a less salty soy sauce.  Aside from this, the recipes were great in terms of method and other ingredients.

- There other thing I want to comment on is the small section on tea.  Taiwan is famous for tea, particularly oolong tea and the term "fermented"is used in the book instead of oxidized.  I don't believe this is Erway's error as I've seen the use of the word "fermented" in text from Taiwan.  Fermenting is a different process and this term was erroneously used in the past to describe the oxidation process that occurs when oolong (and red/black) tea is made.  So, some people will still use fermenting to describe the processing of tea.

Noodles with Minced Pork and Fermented Bean Sauce (Zha Jiang Mian) 炸醬麵

Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji) 三杯雞 (I forgot to take a picture right after cooking so you'll have to settle for this one)

Pan-Fried Rice Noodles with Pork and Vegetables (Chao Mi Fen) 炒米粉

Overall, I think this book is well written and does deliver on pretty authentic recipes.  Except for the quantity of soy sauce, all the other measurements were pretty good and the instructions were great.  I know that there are some foods that just can't be replicated exactly, especially when it comes to freshness of ingredients, but I think most people will find at least a few recipes that will become standard dishes in their home.