JaBistro

JaBistro's Business Card

Price: 4.5/5

Taste: 5/5 

Authenticity: 4/5

Atmosphere: 3.5/5

Service: 3/5 at the beginning but by the end it was 4/5 (I'll explain later) 

For my birthday, my boyfriend surprised me and took me to JaBistro. JaBistro serves more of a Japanese fusion than authentic Japanese food and even gives sashimi a twist! This place is so busy and popular that my boyfriend had to reserve a table a month in advance just in case. A reservation is definitely needed if you want a seat at the sushi bar. At the sushi bar, you can see the chefs break apart lobsters, taking bones out of salmon, torching sushi and much more 

JaBistro Food Menu

Just looking at the menu, you can tell that this restaurant is pricey but trust me, it's worth it! This is THE best Japanese food I've had in my entire life. Every bite from every dish gave me a food-gasm and I just wanted more and more. Everyone must try this place at least once! 

When we got to the restaurant, the hostess seated us at the sushi bar with the menus quickly and said that our server would be with us quickly. Fifteen minutes passed and no server approached us and we didn't even have water which made us frustrated. Once we flagged the hostess and told her the situation, she was terribly sorry and a server came to us right away and gave us his deepest apologies. After that, the service was amazing so though it was a slow and frustrating start, once the server recognized us as his customers, the service was flawless. 

JaBistro has a calm and inviting atmosphere and its simple and modern decorations fit perfectly with the kind of dishes they serve.

This is what we ordered:

1. Sashimi Platter ($50)

The $50 Sashimi Platter from a bird's eye view

The $50 Sashimi Platter shown from the side

• description:
• The chefs decide what fresh fish they want to serve us. 
• thoughts: 
• Every slice of fish was so fresh and delicious 
• One of my favourite things about this dish was the fried fish scales (located at the bottom left corner of the bird's eye view picture). These fish scales were deep fried and basically replicated salt. SO yummy!
•  Overall, a delicious dish that raw fish lovers would die for!

2. Jalapenocchi 

• menu description: deep fried mashed potato gnocchi, jalepeno, tianmianjing dip 
• thoughts: 
• They had a texture on the outside with the softness of the mashed potatoes within 
• It had a really good kick to it in the end 
• The tianmianjing sauce complimented the gnocchi well

3. Salmon Sushi 

• menu description: atlantic salmon oshizushi 
• thoughts: 
• It's a simple menu description but it was THE BEST DISH OF THE NIGHT! 
• We saw the chef make this dish at the sushi bar and it was breath taking! He first made a "typical" salmon sushi using fresh salmon that he had plucked the bones out of, then he added a secret chef sauce (when the waiter presented the dish to us, he said that he wasn't even allowed to know what the special sauce is and that only the chef knows), then he torched the whole roll 
• Though the salmon on the top was warm, cooked and crispy, there was a raw salmon piece inside the rice block! Because of this, you could taste and feel the contrast between the two all at once: Warm vs Cold and Flaky vs Slimy  
• The secret chef sauce was delicious 
• Conclusion: everyone has to try this dish

 4. Yukke

Creating our own "Yukki Roll" with the ingredients given on the board 

• menu description: angus beef tartar, gochujang, quail egg, nori seaweed 
• thoughts:
• The dish was presented in a unique way where you could prepare or eat it any way you'd like! So we decided to make a Yukki Roll where all the ingredients that were given on the board could be incorporated and eaten together.
• The flavours complimented each other well and the angus beef tartar was delicious. 
• The greens give this dish a nice "break" with its freshness because the tartar and raw quail egg can be heavy. 

After coming to JaBistro, it's clear why its popularity and fan base is growing. The chefs prepare each dish with great finesse and give each customer an unforgettable experience. Even if you are not a fan of raw fish, they have a variety of cooked dishes that will blow your mind! Everybody, please try this restaurant because I don't want ANYONE to miss out on amazing food. 

Santouka Ramen

Price: 2/5

Taste: 3/5

Authenticity: 2.5/5 

Atmosphere: 4/5 

Service: 4/5 

Santouka Ramen, another famous ramen place located in the heart of Toronto. It's a small but cute restaurant and when we went at 5:00 pm, it was starting to get busy already! 

One thing that I really admire about this restaurant is the fact that they understand women's frustration when it comes to their purses. When it comes to cramped spaces in restaurants and chairs with huge holes at the back, girls ultimately turn to holding their purses in their lap and reaching OVER them in order to eat their food. Santouka provides a simple solution to the predicted eating discomforts by offering a basket to put our bags in which then is placed either beside or underneath our table. It is a very simple but greatly appreciated solution! 

This is what I ordered: 

Shio Ramen

• menu description: mild and creamy soup seasoned with salt topped with a Japanese pickled plum 
• thoughts: 
• Their ramen noodles are chewier than other ramen places I've tried and I personally like the extra chewiness that comes with it. 
• Their soup was nice and cream, but there was nothing special about it; I've had better soup bases at other ramen places like Kinton Ramen or Sansotei Ramen
• There was less toppings (like beef for example) than I expected and I personally wanted more of that
• the size is SMALLER than expected and simply one bowl of ramen would not be enough for the average person 
• luckily, they offer larger sizes for the ramen AND combos that come with rice, salad and other components (but of course all of that comes with money) 

Overall, I don't think this is the best ramen place that downtown has to offer. For the price that you're paying, I would expect more in that bowl that would fill me up. I definitely LOVE the noodles here because of its chewiness but other than that, I would prefer other places. 

Prairie Girl Bakery

Price: 3/5

Taste: 4.5/5

Authenticity: 3.5/5

Atmosphere: 3.5/5

Service: 4.5/5

I decided to try a Prairie Girl Bakery after seeing many pictures of their cute cupcakes on my Instagram feed. 

When I walked in, I was amazed by their cupcakes display because they were on placed on sliding drawers for easy access and organization! 

You can order either regular sized cupcakes or mini cupcakes. I recommend ordering the mini cupcakes because the regular cupcakes are MASSIVE and I personally would be overwhelmed by the sugar by the time I get to the last bite. 

The prices are the following: 

Regular Size: 

• $2.95/each
• $16.95/half a dozen
• $31.95/dozen 

Mini Size:

• $1.75/each
•  $9.95/half a dozen
• $18.95/dozen

Here are the flavours that are available and the ones I ordered were: 

(to make things simple, all the cake bases were nice, fluffy, light, and none of them were overpowering the flavour of the icing)

1) Vanilla Vanilla

• The icing was DELICIOUS! It wasn't super heavy and had a nice vanilla bean flavour that stood out

2) Carrot Cream Cheese

• This was my favourite flavour out of the bunch. I'm a huge fan of carrot cake and I loved how they had small pieces of carrot still in the cupcake. Because the icing is cream cheese, it is a bit heavier but nevertheless, still yummy! 

3) Banana Peanut Butter

• This was also yummy but it was more on the sweeter side due to the peanut butter icing but the banana flavour in the cupcake easily stood out of the peanut butter icing. 

4) Red Velvet Cream Cheese 

• The classic Red Velvet. I think the difference between the one made here and other red velvets was the fact that their cream cheese icing was LIGHTER than other bakeries so I enjoyed it more. 

5) Flavour of the Week: Maple

• The maple flavour was a bit too strong for my liking to be honest. 

6) Flavour of the Week: Blueberry 

• I loved how the blueberry flavour was prominent and not lost in the cupcake. Much appreciated! 

Overall, these cupcakes are TO DIE FOR and now I understand why there's such a huge hype around this bakery! Definitely check this bakery out because though these cupcakes are a sinful dessert, they are worth the extra push you will be needing  at the gym the next day. 

Yoko Japanese Restaurant

Price: 3/5
Taste: 4.5/5 (for their sushi at least)
Authenticity: 3/5
Atmosphere: 3.5/5
Service: 4.5/5

This is my ALL TIME FAVOURITE Japanese restaurant (so far) in Toronto. When I say Japanese Restaurant, I'm talking about those restaurants that serve typical dishes like generic bento boxes, sashimi boats, spider rolls etc etc. For example, restaurants that I'd compare Yoko with would be Gal's Sushi or Hana-Bi Sushi (I mentioned this in an earlier post), NOT restaurants that are unique/fusion like Guu.

Why do I like it so much?
Simply because of their fresh fish and their ROLLS!!! Their spider maki rolls, spicy salmon and green/black/red dragon rolls are the best sushi rolls I've had in Toronto. 

Spider Maki

Let's take this Spider Maki for example. It's so delicious and MEMORABLE because:

1. The amount of rice:
• They give you less rice around the roll and more stuffing inside so the yummyness inside is what fills you up, not the unnecessary extra rice. 
2. The stuffing itself:
• For example, in this spider maki, the main ingredient that you taste is their crispy (and juicy) fried soft shell crab. They give you such a large portion of it. Also, I'm a HUGE fan of yam and in their spider maki, they have a nice piece of fried yam inside which pairs well with the soft shell crab. 
3. The size: 
• each piece of the roll is so large that stuffing the whole roll in your mouth is a challenge (but it is do-able if you want to look like a chipmunk) 
4. Their Special Sauce 
• Though you can't see it in the spider maki, if you ever order their Spicy Salmon, they serve it with a special restaurant sauce that is both spicy and sweet. 

Love Boat A Combo

Here is a picture of one of their Sushi Boat combos and they are delicious! You can taste the freshness of the fish and again, they limit the amount of rice for each sushi in order for the customers to enjoy the flavours of the raw fish more.

If you don't feel like eating raw fish or rolls that day, they also offer traditional Korean Dishes like Bibimbap (and others that I don't remember) and the sides dishes (edaname, sweet potato, bean sprouts etc) that come with that are delicious too!

They have great service. Each table is equipped with a bell so calling for waiters/waitresses couldn't be easier. They greet you happily when you come in and when you leave and in my past experiences, they have NEVER messed up an order or given you the wrong dishes.

Overall, I highly recommend this restaurant for their rolls. Though it may seem quiet and deserted sometimes, don't be afraid to go in! You HAVE to try this place out :)

Oliver and Bonacini Canteen

Price: 3/5

Taste: 3.5/5

Authenticity: 3.5/5

Atmosphere: 4.5/5

Service: 4/5

My boyfriend and I were wandering on King Street West trying to find a place to eat lunch. We passed by O&B Canteen and since it was lively and filled with lots of people, we decided to check it out.

It wasn't until I got home till I realized what O&B stood for: Oliver and Bonacini. These two individuals have created a fine dining restaurant empire in Toronto! They are the owners of amazing restaurants such as Canoe, Jump and Luma and this cafe definitely is an asset to their restaurant empire. 

Being in the TIFF Lightbox, Canteen is a casual cafe/bakery unlike Canoe or Jump. It is very spacious and opened with a large sidewalk patio and ceiling high windows that bring in a lot of light. The design of the restaurant is simple and clean and it also caters to busy customers with their "grab and go" counter. They have great service, fresh ingredients and unique dishes. Overall, Canteen has a beautiful atmosphere and great food! 

This is what I ordered for lunch: 

1) Grilled Chicken and Swiss Club with the side of Puree Turnip Soup ($14.00) 

• menu description: focaccia, arugula, bacon-aise, Roma tomato and includes a choice of soup, salad or fries
• thoughts: 
• The sandwich:  The chicken was nice and juicy, the bread had a nice crunch to it, the swiss cheese was not overpowering and by having the sandwich simply grilled just made me enjoy this dish more. Some complaints I have about this sandwich is that there wasn't enough vegetables in the sandwich which also contributed making the sandwich being on the drier side. The bread/any bread is on dry so having more juices like more tomatoes could have definitely helped with the ingestion of this sandwich. Also, the taste of this sandwich is more on the bland side (which I personally like) but for others, it may be a turn off. 
• The soup: The soup of the day was a Puree Turnip Soup and it was DELICIOUS! The turnip flavour was just right and the texture was nice and smooth. 

Overall, this cafe has a wonderful atmosphere! They even serve something called The Knuckle Sandwich when the Blue Jays play at home in Toronto which I find adds to their creativity.  I'll definitely come back here if I'm in the area! 

Joey's (Part 2)

Price: 3/5
Taste: 3.5/5
Authenticity: 4/5
Atmosphere: 4/5
Service: 2/5 (during this visit)

I had a quick lunch with my cousin at Joey's at Yorkdale last week and decided to finally try the Ahi Tuna Tacos. 

Ahi Tuna Tacos ($12.50) 

• menu description: seared rare ahi tuna, toasted sesame, ginger, coleslaw and wasabi aioli
• thoughts: The dish itself is quite small, even for me! It barely made me full and I definitely wanted more. Because of it's size, I felt that being priced at $12.50 was a bit too much.  Nevertheless, it was really yummy! I loved the shell because it's not your typical taco shells that come in those Old El Paso Kits. Instead, it has the same texture and taste as fried wontons (without the shrimp inside of course)! The Ahi Tuna was seared nicely and overall, it was very good! All of the components came together and the wasabi aioli gave a nice flavour to the tacos. This dish left you wanting more and everybody should try these tacos once in their lifetime. 

The only thing I had to complain about this visit to Joey's was the fact that nobody served us until I complained to one of the waitresses. We were left with the menus and nobody gave us water or took our order until I complained and that was 15 minutes after we were seated by the hostess. After that, the service was typical. 

I would come back to Joey's (like I said in my previous post) just to try out the different dishes they offer!

Butter Avenue

Price: 3.5/5

Taste: 3.5/5
Authenticity: 3/5  

Atmosphere: 4.5/5

Service: 4.5/5

Butter Ave Macarons Box

Today, my friend and I decided to have some nice (EXPENSIVE $$$) Afternoon Tea at Butter Avenue. Though it is expensive, it was delicious and it's nice to treat yourself to afternoon tea once in a while because let's be honest, almost all afternoon tea places are pricey so might as splurge! 

Afternoon Tea Menu (the coffees were listed on the other side) 

We had to reserve a few days before hand for the afternoon tea set (my friend said that you have to make reservations at least the day before before 3pm). 

Tea Menu

We thought the tea menu was SUPER ADORABLE! The menu contained mini tea containers that were stuck onto the menu with velcro so that you could pick it up, twist the lid off, and smell each of the tea leaves! Though this was super adorable, I wanted a cappuccino drink instead :)

We ordered the Lumiere Set and this is what they served:

1) Mini Snack: Macarons 

Matcha Macaron and Earl Grey Maracon

This came BEFORE the amuse-bouche so it's not really listed on the menu. The chef served us mini macarons: a matcha macaron and an early grey macaron. Both were really good and had a nice texture; soft but still hard enough to have a little crunch and the filling inside was nice :) I really liked the matcha macaron because I love green tea flavoured things and it had the perfect amount of sweetness to it. The early grey was also REALLY GOOD (definitely want to eat this one again) though I can't really pinpoint why........Regardless, these two flavours are a MUST if you go buy macarons from Butter Ave.

2) Amuse-Bouche: Sun-dried Tomato Quiche and Croissant

Sun-dried Tomato Quiche and Buttered Croissant

Being the clueless girl I am, I had no idea what amuse-bouche meant until I went home to wiki it:

"An amuse-bouche [aˌmyzˈbuʃ] (plural amuse-bouches) or amuse-gueule [aˌmyzˈɡœl] is a single, bite-sized hors d’œuvre.^[1] Amuse-bouches are different from appetizers in that they are not ordered from a menu by patrons, but, when served, are done so for free and according to the chef's selection alone."
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amuse-bouche

So the chef decided to serve us quiche and he described what was in it but I don't remember all of it: sun-dried tomato, home made sausages, cheddar cheese, and more stuff......but those were the important ones! It was yummy and flavourful but it was kind of more on the dry side in my opinion. The croissant tasted like any other but the texture was very nice! It was flaky on the outside but very soft and doughy inside which is what I like :)

3) Mini Tarts/Cakes and Macarons

Assorted Tarts and Cakes

They served us 6 mini cakes and we were supposed to eat it in the order of front to back because it went from light citrus flavours to dark rich flavours. I don't remember what was in all the cakes but I'll try my best to descriebe them.

From front to back

1. mango mousse with pistachio tart bottom
• thoughts: I really liked this one because it was fruity (obviously) and it wasn't too sweet nor sour so to me it was just right! I think this was my favourite because by that time, I was so full from eating rich sweets (especially drinking a cappuccino) that eating something fruity was a nice change. 
2. mini dark chocolate macaron and ____ mousse with pistachio tart bottom 
• thoughts: I don't really remember much about this cake. I just remember I really liked the mini macaron. I don't think I could pinpoint what flavour that mousse was but it was nice and light to say the least. 
3. strawberry mousse, strawberry jam and kiwi filling?
• thoughts: I remember the blueberry being super sour and the strawberry jam to be super sweet, but the kiwi portion was alright. Clearly, I didn't enjoy this one as much as the others. 
4. raspberry with gold foil shavings, ground tomato, banana cream and dark chocolate crust 
• thoughts: I REALLY liked the banana cream! I thought it was really nice, smooth and had the right amount of sweetness to it. I completely ignored the ground tomato because I'm not a fan of them, especially them being on my cake >:( 
5. green tea mousse, _____ mousse and dark chocolate crust
• thoughts: I also really liked this cake but I don't have much to say about it. I just liked it because I LOVE green tea flavoured things....LOL 
6. dark chocolate cake 
• thoughts: By the end, I was super full and my sweet tooth needed to take a break so having this super rich dark chocolate cake was kind of too much for me. Nevertheless, if I was hungrier, I would have enjoyed it more because the cake itself was yummy. I was expecting and dreading something super sweet but it wasn't THAT sweet! It actually had a nice balance of sweet and bitter. 

Lime and Honey Macaron 

We got to choose a macaron to eat and I picked the lime and honey macaron because I was done with eating chocolate sweets and wanted something more.....refreshing I guess.  To be honest, I was disappointed   because the lemon filling inside was too citrusy for me.

4) Coffee: Cappuccino 

LOL I don't have much to say about this, it's just a cappuccino.....nothing special THOUGH I needed to add sugar into it because it was pretty bitter for me. 

5) Macarons To Go 

Since a lot of my friends instagram or facebook macarons from Butter Ave and say that they are the best macarons they've had so far, I decided to take half a dozen home. I chose the Blueberry Cheesecake, Strawberry Cheesecake, Matcha, Earl Grey, Dark Chocolate and of course Caramel Macchiato (this is their best seller). I haven't eaten all of them so I can't comment on them YET but I'm excited to! 

Overall, the cakes and macarons were well prepared but it was pretty pricey and I don't think it was worth the price. I think it's nice to try this afternoon tea set ONCE (or once in a few years) but I DEFINITELY don't want this for a long long long time. 

Though that is my opinion about their afternoon tea set, I would definitely come back for their macarons. They are on the pricier side (each cost $2.25.....or something like that) but they are actually delicious!

If you're looking for a meal to satisfy your sweet tooth for a LONG TIME, this afternoon tea is for you LOL! But ladies, please go on an empty....okay emptiER stomach than my friend and I; we had lunch before coming here which was NOT good idea. On the other hand, gentlemen, eat something before you go to Butter Avenue