jenc

I still haven't gone. ;_; Maybe plan an event? I tried one last minute last week before the NOW review hit the streets, but that was a no-go.

Search results: Cava thread on egullet and others, but I think they were in passing only.

Don't know if you saw it, but there is an article in Today's Toronto Star on Ontario Cheeses. They also list some associations - you might want to start by contacting them. I'd think they'd have a good resource to point you toward.

Only photo I have from either of those places right now is the fried chili turnip cake from Congee Queen. Other stapes we order is the garlic fried baby bok choi, and the salt n' pepper fried squid. We rotate noodles and rice dishes as we fancy. Asian Legend I've been to less, but the xiu long bao and uh.. fatty pork? are always yummy. Hmn. this is hard without the menu in front of me. Also note that I can't read chinese. Makes it harder to order sometimes!

Ahhh, I think I know where - it's what used to be the School House or something? At any rate, heard it was only ok - small portions, big prices. Haven't been myself, so this is only hearsay.

O_O Renka. LaBamboche. I never knew. I must go now. oh damn. I pine for the desserts from Japan - Kyoto JR station was a heaven I can't even explain. I totally forgot about Dessert Trends! I spotted it while walking down that way one day and we HAD to stop in. I have photos on my phone that I've just remembered I need to upload! Also if you're going to be at Sen5es make sure you pick up a salted caramel truffle if you've never had one. The Haas chocolates are quite yummy, but that one's my fav.

bread and pastries: We'll start from the West and cruise along for my picks: Cheese Boutique web has great cheeses of course, but also a good bread selection, (includes Thuet), and a good all-in-one shop: produce, teas, jams, meats. If you go in the mornings, they sometimes serve complimentary tea/coffee. they sell the best pains-au-chocolat in the city. So crispy and light and yummy. Quite the smorgasbord. Arguably, Clafouti (web) is one of the best patisseries. I've been meaning to return early enough to get a pain-au-chocolat to compare to the Cheese Boutique's, (gotta find out where they get it from), but I've yet to be successful in this endeavour, as I always arrive after 10am. For the love of god, if you go, go early. Moving further East, Thuet (web) isn't my favourite place to have dinner, (for the bucks, go next door to Susur or Lee), but it has gathered much love for its brunch and breads. Haven't been a-brunching myself, so maybe one of the other egulletters can weigh in on this one. Trucking along, we arrive at Bonjour Brioche (web) a staple in the Queen E. neighbourhood. Serves quiches and cakes and brunch specials. Clafouti edges out Bonjour Brioche on the croissant field. Heading North, we run up to Rahier (web), one of my favourite haunts, as it's closer than the rest and still satifies my hankering for flakey french pastries. If you want cakes however, I'd go a couple doors down to Cafe La Cigogne to eat this and other cakes. They apparently also make their own truffles, though I've never tasted. Yet. And that wraps up my top picks in the city!

Another vote for Omi - I really like his omekase. It's a fairly small place. I also liked Debu Saha's Biryani House (photos) when I went. A little more expensive than the usual for Indian, but it's worth it. Close by is Foccacia, (17 Hayden Street - photos) a really quite good Italian place. I ate here at the Summerlicous event, (prix fixe meal), and it was really quite a yummy experience. Less than 1km away from Sutton. If you'll be in North York, there's Korea-town north in the Yonge corridor between Sheppherd and Finch. Try walnut cakes! They're very yummy. You may want to hit up Owl of Minerva, a 24hr joint serving k-food. There is a location both at Bloor and Christie, (@ Clinton, actually), and one on Yonge somewhere before Finch. I forget exactly. KBBQ fav is really up north on HWY7 @ Walker Hill. But that's faaaar. Ambassador for chinese food is in the same complex, but also above avg price, (above avg food though!).

serious?! It's very rare to find Kaiseki style in Toronto. Sakura is a very generic name - do you have any other info on it? wait, did a search, found a chowhound.com thread mentioning it. (scroll to the bottom). Some info, but not a lot. I'd be willing to try sometime. It's very different from what people have had of Japane cuisine in N. America. //edit one more chowhound post says: HMN! close by to my work... might have to try it out ...

Also, for them to have been identified off of the review might have distrubed them more than anything else. Did you name them by name? Maybe you could remove that, though verbally, they seem to be more concerned with the bad review. And I think that's a silly thing to get knickers in a knot over. It's your opinion and you're more than allowed to have one!

Cali > I'd phone your airline ahead of time and ask about that situation. Foods to bring: cookies, carrot sticks, apples. I personally would bring chinese BBQ buns or something, as they're nice and compact. They usually survive well, though after five hours outside, they're getting to the end of their life. Not that I haven't eaten one after that long anyway. You could probably try steamed buns from the frozen section of the grocery store if yours carries them. 30seconds in a microwave and then store in a ziploc bag. If you don't have that, I'd do apples, carrot sticks, a chunk of gruyere, bread and some really nice dark chocolate. And maybe some cookies.

As I recall, it was the same menu. Maybe minor alterations, but the fried squid was better, and especially, the XO fried turnip was really good. The way I remember it used to be at Congee Wong's a few years ago. I just find the XO turnip dish really mushy these days, and not as savoury and tasty. Really, everything tasted better vs Congee Wong's. I went twice, once when it was busy, (better service!), and once when it was dead slow, (15 minutes to get the bill). The Congee Queen I went to is in the plaza that was across from Don Mills Centre. It's where the Pizza Hut used to be long ago. I think that Jim Chai Kee is the one on Sheppard. I should try both again soon. It's been a long while since I ate at either.

Here's my notes on the Globe list: Congee Queen - 895 Lawrence Ave East I've eaten here a few times, better than Congee Wong so far, but we guess that it's the same company that owns both. They have the same advertisements in each others' restos. Congee Queen had better service when it was busy, but the food was really quite stellar. We keep meaning to go back, but the hours are far better at Congee Wong, making the Finch and Leslie location busy straight to midnight even on weeknights. Ate there maybe 8 months ago now. Ding Tai Fung - 3235 Highway 7 East, Markham Where we would go before Asian Legend opened up at Finch and Leslie, but we still make the trek out. I don't know which I really prefer, but I'd go with AL. Ate at AL maybe three weeks ago, and DTF six weeks ago. Jim Chai Kee - 270 West Beaver Creek Road, Richmond Hill Note, this place serves only one thing really - wonton. There are some greens, but it's just to supplement your won ton meal. Used to be really REALLY good, we no longer go to the w. beaver creek one. Been about 3 or 4 years since I last ate at this location. Instead, there's one out East we go to. Been about a year since I last went. Lai Wah Heen - 108 Chestnut St. Really quite the best chinese resto to impress with IMO. Great decor, downtown location, and it's a great mix of chinese and canadian. Very unique menu. Their sister resto Lai Toh Heen, isn't as great. My review here. Ate at LWH maybe a year ago, LTH three months ago. Sam Woo Seafood - 325 Bamburg Circle Haven't eaten here in a couple years, but this place has always been good. There are a few, (two for sure - one in Mississauga), locations around too. All pretty consistent so far that I've found. I've probably eaten at the others, but I don't recognize their names. Someone mentioned Dynasty, but it's closed now and I thought it was always terrible when I went. For the money, go to Lai Wah Heen. Ambassador is really excellent as well, if expensive. Ate there maybe six months ago, if. Also ate their catering at a wedding no more than a month ago. Pearl Court, in Chinatown East used to be quite decent as well, but I haven't eaten here in years and years now. In Pacific Mall, there's the one upstairs we eat at. Nothing overly impressive, but we keep eating there over the years. Ate there no more than 6 months ago. Next door in Market Village, there's this one place I've always thought particularly good, but darned if I can recall the name of it. it's right by the main food court area. Haven't eaten here in a few years though, but I think it's owned by the Pac Mall resto people too. Librarian_chef > I've seen that "Not just dim sum" place! (I live around there), but its hilarious name just didn't make me want to venture in. I'm so happy about all the k-town foods moving more north though. It was really a trek to hit up bloor and christie. There are quite a few more I'd reccommend, but I end up getting very vague about where they are and have no idea what they're called. I think it was a few years before I got down Ding Tai Fung's name! I uh.. eat at a lot of chinese places around.

great article, thank you! I've eaten at Canoe (long ago) a couple times, but haven't been back since. Makes me want to return to see if it's something I'd enjoy again. Thought my previous visits were ok, but nothing that made me want to give them more of my money. Though, I enjoy Auberge so much, so I'd give Canoe another chance now that I'm older and have a better clue on food. Went last maybe... six years ago? Eight years ago? something like that.

I'm very fond of Maison du Japon at Woodbine and John. The sushi is decent, and their cooked food is really quite good. Maybe it's the company, but I have a good time when I'm there. Been there quite a few times as welll.

dianem > I'm totally thinking of Groucho's, not Hero's! My bad. I do like their burgers though, quite tasty. I think I'm still in love with the frozen patties from Nunzio's and tossing them on the BBQ!

I lurrrve Scheffler's. Always stop there to get some yummy treats there when I'm at the market.

might want to call up the Cheese boutique and perhaps Alex farm and cheese... I seem to recall them having red salt, but they came in one of those multi-packs as a gift set of "salts around the world" But maybe... just maybe, they'll have a source for it. I think your best bet would be Cheese Boutique.

Hero's on Bayview, right? 'cause if that's the one you're talking about, I'd totally agree with you. Best burgers I've had outside. Really enjoyed mine there. I'd also have to nominate that one burger place on the SE corner of Sheppherd and Victoria Park. Johnny Burger? Really great for a late night snack. Mmm... Onion rings.

another vote for Konnichiwa! Haven't been there in a bit, but it was a fav of mine while I was in the area. Also on Baldwin is that chinese pastry shop that is pretty much oldest one in Toronto. My mom used to tell me that was the only place they could buy dan tat (egg tarts) at the time. Very good pastries there.

uh... an over-fed lawn maybe? hee hee.

Ding Tai Fung also gets another reccommendation from me. I go there semi-frequently. The Asian Legend at Leslie is comparable right now though - it just opened so that might change as time goes on.

I've never really liked Lick's burgers. If you were in Toronto, I'd reccommend buying the Nortown 8oz burgers (frozen), and cook it up. Best in Toronto, imo.

Italian > I like Five Doors North alot! good food, relaxed atmosphere, family style dishes. I always have a good time there and it's not expensive, IMO.

I also comment that if figs are on the top and the figs aren't soft enough, the filling will smush out when people cut through with their fork. Depends on how much you cook the figs, I guess?