Tsujiri Soba Bar, North York 2nd Fl Cafe

O-Matcha Platter

I finally got to try out Tsujiri's expansion into meals and it was definitely a good experience.  Located on the 2nd floor, the Tsujiri Soba Bar offers a different menu from the main floor drinks and desserts.  Although I enjoyed my meal (the broth was thick and savoury, noodles were al dente), the desserts definitely stand out in front.  My group tried out the O-Matcha dessert platter and the Mochi Mix.

Both desserts were very tasty and were not too sweet which is typical of Asian desserts.  Loved the different textures of each component within the platter and the matcha ice cream had a decent amount of matcha flavour.  The mochi mix also offered a contrast of flavours and textures however, it would be nice have a have slightly larger mochi pieces ;).

We also tried the noodles, below is the Miso Tsuke Soba, Sapporo Style.  Noodles are chilled but the broth warms them up.

Service was excellent and I liked how they offered hot or cold water as we were seated (it was pretty cold that day).  There space is very calming and it wasn't too busy for lunch on the weekend.  Next on my list - the afternoon tea set!

Visited: OCT2018

Tsujiri - North York location

Love this location!

I'm a bit biased though since I'm just a five minute walk away, and although I've moved away, it really is an upgrade from their downtown location.  The design is a bit more stylish and there is more space and seating.  When you're paying premium prices you expect a little more; a place to sit while having your matcha ice cream is much appreciated.  This post is actually long overdue as this was back when it was a balmy 18 degrees and not -30 degrees!  And I contemplated not posting because it just seemed too long ago but it was an enjoyable experience and after reading this blog post from sho & tell where she writes about preserving moments, reflecting on the past as a way to being alert, awake and aware, I decided to post.


If not for pictures, I don't think I would remember much of things that happened.  Also, I think Tsujiri is planning to open a second floor at this location which will likely serve food as there was a bowl of green tea noodles pictured on the sign hinting at the coming addition.  This post would be a good reminder to keep an eye open for this.



On my first visit I picked up a matcha latte.  The matcha was carefully whisked in a bowl with a chasen (bamboo whisk) before adding it to my latte which I appreciated.  It may take a little longer for your order because of this but they are preserving the way matcha is made and taking it a little slower is not a bad thing.  The latte wasn't too sweet nor too bitter, it was a pleasant matcha taste but I think I prefer slightly stronger tasting matcha.

 

On my second visit, my friend had ordered the hot matcha latte and also a matcha daifuku.  I'll only comment on the daifuku though.  The skin is extremely thin, I'm really surprised that it held the contents inside and didn't split open!  It's very soft and I would expect it to be somewhat chewy to be able to hold the filling in but it was on the softer side.  It was filled with matcha powder and a matcha cream filling, actually LOTS of cream filling.  I actually preferred having more mochi rather than cream. Taste was light though, and not extremely sweet which is how some people like it.

I ordered the matcha shaved ice with matcha soft serve. Nicely presented and enjoyed the flavours.  Sharable, but I could definitely finish this on my own!

I've also bought their matcha powder and sencha tea bags.  Both were on the mild side so it'll be nice if they could introduce a stronger tasting matcha. 

Here are some interior shots: 

Seating at the front

Dividing section between ordering area and more quieter seating

Back table and stools, beautifully lit.

Sasaki Pastry - Second Location

Newly opened in North York!

Sasaki Fine Pastry offers a selection of freshly made daifuku or filled mochi and they were very well made!  YUM!  The original location is in J-Town but I rarely go there so it's great they have opened in my neighbourhood.  Picked up a sakura cream and a houjicha cream mochi and both were billowy soft, had a good ratio of filling to skin and perfect as a small treat with tea.  They're not as QQ or have as much of a chew as some Taiwanese mochi but I think a lot of people prefer this soft texture.

The sakura was more subtle in flavour while the houjicha was much stronger which I liked quite a bit.  The houjicha cream was surrounded by a layer of red bean and worked well.  

I love making mochi myself but when I don't do it often, the uniformity can be a challenge.  It also takes quite a bit of time to make a small batch (cream filled is also finicky) so I'm quite happy that I can get it ready made and in various flavours.  They do cost $2.50 each but considering I haven't had much time these days and I also don't have to wash up, it's worth it!

I was in a rush unfortunately and couldn't stay to take pictures of the interior but the space is small with a few tables; this would definitely be more a take-out place.  They also have some beverages and sell dorayaki.  Service was friendly.

Sasaki Fine Pastry

112-10 Northtown Way
Toronto, ON M2N 7L4

T: (647) 349-2288

Sansotei Ramen in North York

Hello Sansotei!  Welcome to North York!

I'm a fan of Sansotei Ramen and when they opened up shop in North York, a 10 minute walk away, I had to go!  They have two downtown locations, one in Markham and one in Ottawa.  I've been to all except Ottawa but downtown and Markham locations are not always convenient.  The space here is not too bad, several rows of bar height tables and at the back there were regular tables with what looked like cushioned seating along the back wall.

Started with the chicken karaage which was crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside...not really salted though.

Then I had the tonkotsu ramen pictured above which was very good! Pork belly was tender and had just the right amount of meat to fat ratio.  Other toppings were okay; the soft boiled marinated egg was done very well. The tonkotsu broth was very flavourful, rich, and not overly salty...no problem finishing the soup.

We didn't have dessert but picked up a bar of chocolate.  It was an organic and vegan dark salted caramel chocolate bar.  Made in Vancouver by Fitzys Chocolate.  Three square pieces for $4.50, it was a bit expensive but I wanted to try it out...not bad, very smooth, but I'm not sure I'd buy it again.  I guess taste wise it wasn't that special, but if you're vegan, this would be a good option.  But strange that a pork based broth ramen place offers vegan chocolate though...maybe for those that require a dairy free diet?

Anyway, I'm sure if you're going to Sansotei it's not for the chocolate but for the ramen and it is very good!

Sansotei Ramen

13 Byng Avenue

North York, ON, M2N 5R7

T: 416-901-1160

http://www.sansotei.com/

Primary Taste Yunnan Rice Noodle

This post is long overdue!  I kinda debated writing this post as my experience here was just average.  But...I figured Yunnan Rice Noodles (過橋米線) is not as common as other Asian noodles and some people might be weary of whether to try it or not, so...here's a little bit of info about this place.

The main dishes here are rice noodle soups and there is a story behind the dish which you can read about here.  The noodles are round like spaghetti or Vietnamese vermicelli (thick) and differ from flat rice noodles used in Cantonese cooking or Vietnamese pho.  I looked up Yunnan noodles and Wiki tells us that the noodles are commonly fermented noodles. Fermented?  Sounds interesting so of course I had to read more...

I found a preview of the book "Asian Noodles: Science, Technology, and Processing" on Google and under the Noodle Processing chapter, they describe the different processing steps for rice noodles, including "fermented rice noodles".  Fermented rice noodles are noodles made from rice soaked for 2-6 days vs 3 hrs for regular rice noodles.  Not sure if the noodles at Primary Taste are actually fermented and I don't know what that would taste like but it was interesting to learn. Anyway, the noodles do have a certain bounce or 'stretchiness' to it; you'll know what I mean if you try to grab some with your chopsticks instead of just dumping the whole bowl into the soup, it will stretch kinda like an elastic band.

The meal comes out with soup in an earthenware bowl to retain the heat, a bowl of warm noodles and a tray of food and condiments.  The food items include several slices of pork (hot pot style), a quail egg, one chicken wing or drum, bean curd sheet, white fungus, black fungus, and corn.  I ordered the soup with meatballs in it which comes with a tomato based broth.  The broth was nothing special, but I thought the meatballs were quite good.  The different meat balls (beef and chicken) were all filled with a seasoned meat (I'm thinking pork) that was quite juicy, not the usual that you buy from the supermarket. They are like Fu Zhou fish balls 福州魚丸 where the fish balls contain minced pork filling.  

Unfortunately there isn't much English available to describe what everything is.

The other unfortunate thing is the tables are small for what you are getting.  A bowl of noodles, a bowl of soup, a tray of items to add to the noodles, your tea cup and utensils.  If you order a side dish or an additional drink there is no space for two people to dine.  They expect you to add the items into your broth pretty quickly and then they take the tray away leaving you with more space.  It's okay for most people, but if you're ordering a side dish, it doesn't work.  And, I wasn't able to take more than one picture as I was trying to juggle space and ensure my toddler didn't grab at anything on the table, especially the hot soup!

Prices are average, the meatball one was just under $10 while the basic is $7.99.  Aside from the small tables, I would say it's worth a try.  They do have a number of spicy broths that could be better than the ones we chose and a number of side dishes.

價錢還好, 我的肉丸米線不超過十塊.  而外桌子小一點, 我覺得可試試看.  他們也有幾個辣味的湯 (可能比我點的好一點) 和小菜.


Primary Taste Yunnan Rice Noodle
109A Ravel Rd
Toronto, ON M2H 1T2
416-499-3836

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!

Little Master - a little bit of a surprise

When the old Cha Me Cha on Yonge Street closed, I noticed the space was being renovated for some time and I was eager to see what it would be.  Finally, Little Master opened.  Little Master appeared to be a noodle place but it was hard to tell what was actually on their menu just by looking at the outside.  We decided to give them a try anyway.

We were surprised that almost all the dishes had a bit of spiciness to it which meant, none for our toddler who can't handle the heat.  However, we spotted some sides like the Chinese hamburger or in Taiwan the 'gua bao' 割 / 刈包 and fried tofu.  But, in the end, they were spicy too!  Not extremely, but had just a hint.

我們發現每個菜差不多有辣味的, 如是我們的孩子不可以吃.  我們想刈包和炸豆腐就沒辣所以點了, 到頭來也是辣的!  沒有太辣, 可是有.

The saute chicken spicy noodle I got was pretty good, the noodles had a good bite to it and the portion size was decent, not huge like you'll have leftovers but just enough.  Soup was spicy and the chicken was okay flavoured but does have bones.  There are potatoes in this dish and to me it seems like a very traditional (Northern Chinese) dish that is executed quite well.  I also liked the 'gua bao' and the fried tofu.  The gua bao here is filled with a spicy minced pork and was flavourful, the buns were decent.  The fried tofu was lightly seasoned with cumin and chili pepper, a nice side (but a little pricey).

I get excited when a new place opens in the Yonge-Finch/Sheppard area, but it usually ends up being just average.  This time, I liked the place and would have loved to come back regularly, but unfortunately their menu is a bit limited for our needs.

Service  was pretty laid back, no complaints.

Little Master

5369 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON M2N 5R6

T: 647-640-5369

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!

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!

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)



Paradise Fine Chinese Dining - Not Worth the Price

House Cold Appetizer: Spicy pickled cloud ear fungus

A month ago we had gone to Paradise Fine Dining for dinner as we were in the mood for something fancier in terms of Chinese cuisine and it was close to home.  When it comes to eating Chinese food, I can be quite picky...especially if they are charging a premium price.  I'm definitely more lenient towards HK Cafes as they are what they claim to be; quick service value restaurants.  So I expect higher end restaurants to serve food and provide service according to their claim that they are "fine dining" and "higher end".

Although the food tasted okay and I was happy to have tried out this restaurant, I don't think the portions, tastes, or service match up with the price they charge. I really had a hard time writing this as I hate spending time on negative things, but I have to tell it like it is.  I did like the cold appetizer they provided free of charge, the spicy pickled cloud ear fungus but, had the prices been more aligned with the taste, I would think more highly of this restaurant. Maybe we didn't choose the "right" dishes or dim sum is much better, but all three dishes we tried just didn't justify the price. 

Steamed fish...ended up being almost $50 for an okay tasting steamed fish.  Nothing wrong with it but it wasn't the best I've had in the city.



Diced Garlic Beef Tenderloin...$22 for beef that tasted good but not spectacular.  The accompaning zucchini pieces were undercooked and lacked flavour as I assume they thought the beef would add flavour to these pieces.  The portion size could have been better.



Braised Tofu and Vegetables...$16 for blocks of tofu and shitake mushrooms that were pretty standard. 

Anyway, if you have deep pockets and want to give them a try, the decor is nice, service was more attentive when we were paying the bill, and food was okay.  They do have a set meal for just over $100 containing lobster and roasted duck (by the way, roast duck alone was $50) that might entice me to return, but right now if I want some high end Chinese food, I'll be looking elsewhere.


Paradise Fine Chinese Dining
5505 Leslie St
Toronto, ON M2H 3B6
(416) 490-8828
http://www.paradisenorthyork.com/

 

 

Tutto Pronto Ristorante - Good Food and Ambience

Polipo alla griglia (grilled octopus, cannellini beans, potatoes, EVOO pasley oil)

 

This was an invited tasting (thanks Zomato! #ZomatoXTuttoPronto), but as always, opinions are all my own.

 

Good Italian food and ambience.  Dimly lit but enough light to see your food, the candles and lighting pieces were very nice.  It feels a little rustic but very comfortable, loved it!  And if I were to sum up the dishes, I would say the sauces made the meal. The flavours were subtle but good, a nice round of dishes. 

 

Loved the lighting piece above the back bar area

 

Anna Maria (the owner) was also very pleasant and let the food speak for itself. Tutto Pronto actually started almost 12 years ago as a take-out and catering place. They still operate that portion of the business but a year into the business, the space next door became available and she took a leap of faith and opened the dining area we got the pleasure of dining in last week. Next year, they'll have an upper floor for event space/private functions and a roof top patio (love roof top patios) and I expect it to be just as well decorated as the current dining area.

 

We started the night with a number of appetizers, a small portion of pasta, an entree, and ended with dessert; traditional cannolis.

 

Appetizers...

 

My favourite of the night was actually the Polipo alla griglia or grilled octopus (pictured at top).  The octopus was slightly charred and not too chewy, quite tender actually.  There isn't an overly "sea water" taste to it and the accompanying beans and potatoes went well.  I think I especially liked the parsley oil, it added nice flavour to the dish, a little bit of zing without being spicy.  It was also a little more unique.

 

Arancini (rice balls stuffed with meat ragu, mozarella, peas)

 

Pizza Fritta

These pizza fritta's really grew on me, the bottom piece is fried and there was a certain taste to it that I found familiar but couldn't put my finger on it.  (I almost want to say that it somewhat tastes a little like the fried dough sticks you order with congee but a different texture, lol!)  It was quite good.

 

Cauliflower Fritters

Seems like cauliflower is on the menu at a lot of places these days.  The cauliflower was nicely battered, but it didn't have much going on in terms of flavour unfortunately.

 

Involtini di melanzane (eggplant, ricotta, spinach baked in tomato sauce)

 Always a fan of eggplant, this was not bad.  Light on the spinach though.

 

Pasta...

 

Casarecce alla siciliana (handmade pasta, roasted eggplant, fior di latte cheese, tomato basil sauce)

This was a very simple dish but the sauce was quite nice.  Not too sour/tart and seemed like there was a natural sweetness to the sauce that I believe is also homemade. Pasta was cooked well.  I don't know what the portion size would be like if you ordered this off the menu so you might not want to use the above photo as reference.

Main Entree...

By this time we were quite full.  But, I still managed to eat most of this plate.  The veal was a little "chewy" for me, but the sauce was a nice mushroom sauce.  Like I said, the sauces were quite good here.

Scaloppine al Marsala (veal in procini sauce with marsala wine)

Dessert...

Cannoli (ricotta and chocolate filled pastry shells)

Cannolis are always nice little sweet treats that are simple and not too sweet; it ended the meal nicely.

 

This is my first invited tasting and it really is nice to experience a night out such as this.  I will admit that when you are invited to such a tasting, you get great service (we did), so I can't comment on the regular service.  I'll most likely return as the food was good with a home-cooked feel, it's close to home and also moderately priced (after peeking at their menu online). 

 

Tutto Pronto Ristorante

1718 Avenue Rd

Toronto, ON

M5M 3Y6

http://www.tuttopronto.ca/about.html

 

 

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.

 

I-migoo Tea Shop - From Zhuhai China

 Another weekend, another milk tea shop.

Whenever a tea shop opens, I'm always very eager to try it out and i-migoo caught my eye because it had a cartoon character situated outside the storefront and were advertising a BOGO offer.  They opened a couple of weeks ago and last weekend we went in on a rainy evening.  It's bright and cheery inside, not very busy though.  This franchise is actually from Zhuhai, China and according to their posted map, they have many outlets in China, even in the northwestern part of China.  My first thought...hmmm, China?  Are they going to make it in this area, an area known to have so many bubble tea places (I can think of 10) in the span of a 10 min walk? 

The more bubbletea places, the better as that means more choice and less line ups.  Unfortunately, based on the drink I tried, they are going to have to work a little harder to cut it in this area. I had an imigoo style milk tea and my partner the classic.  The imigoo is just the classic with tapioca.  The milk tea somewhat tastes like there is a bit of coffee in it which I guess if you are a fan of the Hong Kong drink "ying yang coffee" which is half tea and half coffee, you might like this.  But for me, I like my milk tea to have more of a tea flavour.  The tapioca pearls were also a bit irregular and were somewhat chewy, but more "sticky" than chewy.  Tapioca pearls normally have a good soft chew to it but it doesn't really stick to your teeth as much as these ones did. 

If I were to give them another try, I'd try the food and one of their more weird drinks...like Cheese Teas. Yes, they list a cheese creama green tea and a few others that just seem very odd!!  I wonder if it's like the salted cream teas available at places like Share Tea?  There are also a few drinks that would look good when presented like the potted milk tea which is a tea drink that is topped with oreo crumbs (to look like soil) and a mint leaf.  But, I suspect their milk tea is the standard.  Mango and cocoa are also featured throughout their menu so if you're a fan of these flavours, you'll have more options here.

They have snacks like fries and chicken wings as well, most priced at $3.99.  So if I find myself coming back, I'd try some of the food items.

I-migoo  

5418 Yonge street, Unit 5

North York, Ontario

http://i-migoo.com/ (simplified Chinese)