phoenikia
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Posts posted by phoenikia
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If anyone is going to the Evergreen Asado event at the Brickworks, I hope to see you there. Maybe those of us who attend can describe what we will be wearing that evening. I will probably be wearing a little black dress. Ha ha.
Should be a super event.
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Interesting.
I finally tried Kom Jug Yuen on Spadina on Sun for supper. Good for a cheap bite. 3 of us ate for $40, inc tax and a nice tip.
Have been enjoying Hungarian comfort food at Country Style lately, ordering off the daily specials. Cash only.
Also like the fairly cheap fried chicken sandwich at Insomnia, which is open late each night.
Still want to try Pukka and Maha. Despite the long waits for breakfast some people have described at Maha.
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Prima is alive and well here on egullet.
Has anyone dined at Alo yet?
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Are there any "NY Italian" restaurants in Midtown West or Hell's Kitchen that any of you would recommend? I'm just looking for a midweek, pre-theater meal, so decent would be good enough for this occasion.
I'm currently considering Puttanesca http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/puttanesca/menu and Trattoria Trecolori http://www.trattoriatrecolori.com/menu.html . I'm open to any suggestions.
Thanks for any suggestions or comments.
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Nice photos!
I dined at Splendido last Wed. It was the first time I've dined at Splendido. I enjoyed the breads, the amuse bouche (chickpea fritter with cauliflower soup), the scallops (my friend's 1st course), the albacore tuna (my friend's main), and passion fruit genoise, but I was underwhelmed with my hen of the woods mushroom salad and monkfish main, which were both interesting in concept, and beautifully plated, but seemed more "interesting" than delicious. The monkfish was overcooked. Service was very good.
I'll return, but I was surprised that I found the food I ordered at Splendido last Wed to be less delicious than past meals I've ordered at Scaramouche. Usually, it seems the menu at Scaramouche is a little more conservative than the menu at Splendido, but I've always found everything I've ordered at Scaramouche to be aligned with my taste buds. Splendido's menu does seem more innovative, but I didn't think the combinations of some flavours worked that well in some dishes. I like the seasonal dishes and seasonal desserts at Scaramouche.
I preferred the service I experienced last week at Splendido to the sometimes slightly stuffy service at Scaramouche. I prefer the more contemporary atmosphere and vibe at Splendido, overall, although I was surprised they were playing techno/ambiant music between 5 and 7 pm last Wed, which became slightly grating after a while.
Victor Barry is still the Chef at Splendido. He would have been the Chef in 2009/2010, afaik.
Have you been to Auberge du Pommier lately? The menu seems a little more innovative than it was 5-10 years ago. Wondering how their service compares to Scaramouche and Splendido lately.
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Has anyone had any impressive meals in Saskatoon lately? I'm hoping to visit Weczeria, Truffles, Carver's (for a group dinner) and Genesis for dim sum. What other restaurants would you recommend?
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Thanks for all the replies. It's looking very likely that I'll be going next week.
Let us know where you're staying - there isn't much around the airport. It's pretty much all condos there, with very little in the way of eating opportunities.
I'm staying near Billy Bishop City Airport, not the main Airport. Am I wrong in thinking I'm more or less downtown? I don't know the exact hotel yet (Corp people setting things up and they are sloooow) but I'd be very surprised if it wasn't one of the closest hotels to the airport because that's what they always do.
Queen & Beaver looks great, as does Le Papillon - those are both in my file now.
Any recommendations for sushi?
For sushi in the downtown core, I like the sushi at Yuzu. http://yuzutoronto.com/
I'd recommend Le Select http://www.leselect.com/ . Biff's http://www.oliverbonacini.com/Biffs-Bistro.aspx is also decent for bistro food, and it's a couple blocks east of the Royal York, which you would be able to reach by the free shuttle that runs from Billy Bishop Airport.
If you're willing to travel a little further (within a 20 minute taxi of Billy Bishop airport), Le Paradis http://www.leparadis.com/ and Pastis on Yonge are very good bistros that often attract a French-speaking clientele, for what its worth.
For upscale Greek food downtown, I recommend Volos. I really like their octopus. http://volos.ca/
Khao San Road is great, if you like Thai food. Khao San Road doesn't currently offer delivery, but they do offer take-out. http://www.khaosanroad.ca/
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Owl of Minerva is a great spot and on my short list, Thanks!
As far as Cooksville - a possibility but hoping to stay close to the hotel on Bloor, thanks as well
Isn't there an Owl on the Bloor strip? We tend to go to the Korean Village there. but, I really have no idea how it compares to similar joints around there. I've seen Susur in there a couple times at the sushi bar, if that means anything.
Swish by Han just got reviewed in one of the weeklies. Definitely not old-school Korean though. More Korean-influenced. Fusion I believe was mentioned.
Cheers,
Geoff
Yep, there is one Owl on Bloor, and there's another on Yonge south of Finch.
I like Mot Na Son on Yonge, and Seoul House on Dufferin. I especially like the Galbi at Seoul House.
I like Swish if I'm looking to eat near the Esplanade/St. Lawrence Market. I'd say it's closer to Korean than Korean-influenced, but sort of a Westernized, slightly upscale take. Maybe not spicy or garlicky enough for traditionalists, but the 5 or 6 dishes I've ordered still looked like Korean food. I thought it was a good value for what it was, considering the neighbourhood where it's located, but it is expensive compared to the equivalent dishes at Korean restaurants on Bloor near Clinton, or closer to Finch. That being said, the prices are reasonable compared to other places on the same block such as Lucien and Trevor. I like it for what it is.
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Glad you enjoyed it. Too late for your trip, but I had a lovely breakfast at Cecconi's in Mayfair on Sunday. Scrambled eggs with truffles - just the ticket. About the same price and quality as the Wolseley - different atmosphere - more continental in feel - very Italian, unsprpisingly though they do a full English. Fabulous coffee.
Thanks for mentioning your good experience at Cecconi's. Hope to try the breakfast at Cecconi's on another visit!
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Thank you for all your comments and suggestions. We had many lovely meals during our visit to the UK.
Here's my quick trip report, omitting a handful of meals or snacks that were mediocre.
London
Breakfasts
Day 1 at the Patisserie Valerie location at the corner of Picadilly and Abermaryle. Decent breakfasts. I ordered the eggs florentine with a cappuccino (milkier than what I've come to expect in Canada and the US), and my friend was happy with his porridge, toast and pot of coffee.
Day 2 at the Wolseley. I loved their fruit salad. Delicious rich canelé with a cappuccino. The cappuccino is also milkier than most cappuccini I order in Canada. Interestingly, my friend preferred Patisserie Valerie's porridge to the Wolseley's.
Day 3 early breakfast at 7 am at the Wolseley, before the neighbouring Patisserie Valerie, Napkit and Henry's Pub have opened for breakfast. I enjoyed the rich, crusts-off Croque Monsieur, which came with a grilled tomato.
Dinner
J Sheekey, post-theatre. http://www.j-sheekey.co.uk/menu/ Lovely place to dine.Loved the prawn and endive salad. My friend's Cornish seafood stew was very good. I'm glad I tried the fish pie. The menu's offerings were slightly different that the online menu I had read the day before. My friend loved the plum crumble. Will return again. Down-to-earth and outgoing manager. Our server was serious and seemed to communicate more with the regulars than the non-UK-raised tourist/traveller types (like me and the people seated at the table next to mine).
Cambridge
Breakfasts
All 3 breakfasts at the Bistro Du Vin, at the Hotel Du Vin. Very nice continental cold buffet, including fresh squeezed orange juice, and interesting hot options which are available a la carte. Day 1- kippers, Day 2- muesli and pastry, Day 3, full English breakfast.
Dinner
Very good prix fixe at Alimentum. http://www.restaurantalimentum.co.uk/ Surprisingly beautiful plating. Innovative take on "Scotch egg"- with a quails egg(soft yolk) surrounded by salt cod, breaded and deep-fried, and delicious pork cheek with pork sausage.
Exeter
Breakfasts
All 3 breakfasts at Michael Caines Restaurant in the ABode hotel, which can be purchased at a discount, in advance, when booking a room. Good English breakfasts. A Vegetarian English Breakfast with vegetarian sausage was also offered. Their eggs benedict came with a non-lemony hollandaise, and ham that was more like bacon. Would stick with the English breakfast.
Dinners
Day 1
Michael Caines Restaurant. http://www.michaelcaines.com/restaurants/exeter Tried the prix fixe offered to the hotel's guests. Very nice cod, and good strawberry parfait.
Day 2
Attempted to dine at At Angela's, The Conservatory, and Michael Caines' Restaurant as walk-ins on a Saturday night, but each restaurant was competely full. We ended up ordering a casual meal at Michael Caines' cafe in the Hotel ABode http://www.michaelcaines.com/cafe-bar/exeter/cafe-bar-menu , which turned out to be fine. I liked the pea and mint risotto with parmesan crisp, as well as the grilled asparagus with hollandaise. My friend was happy with his grilled lamb cutlets.
Day 3
Lovely dinner At Angela's. http://www.angelasrestaurant.co.uk/ First time I've tried Grouse, and very nice summer pudding. If I return to Exeter, I'd make reservations At Angela's.
Budleigh Salterton
Premier Cafe for Fish and Chips. http://www.budleighfishandchips.co.uk/ Lovely haddock and tasty chips. My friend enjoyed the sardines. Friendly service. Neat little place to visit.
Sidmouth
snack
coffee, devon cream and chocolate fudge from a fudge shop- not sure of the name, but the fudge was pretty good.
Tavistock
snack
decent Cornish (pixie-sized) pasty and a cappuccino from an Oggy Oggy location. Surprisingly good cappuccino. Very friendly people at the counter.
Plymouth
tea and cake at the Tudor Rose. http://tudorrosetearoom.co.uk/ Victoria Sponge for me, and Banoffee pie for my friend- better than we expected, and no commercial taste to the cakes, despite the Tudor Rose Tea Room's location in a tourist district. A good option if you're looking for tea and cake in Plymouth, in a nice enclosed garden setting.
Friendly service.
Penzance
Breakfasts
All 3 tasty breakfasts at The Bay, in the Hotel Penzance. Best tasting breakfast sausage I've had in an English breakfast. Lovely smoked haddock, too. Would return to the Bay Restaurant for their Cornish breakfast, which is a very good deal at 6.5 GBP if I recall correctly. The breakfast is included with the room for hotel guests.
Dinners
Day 1 at the Bay Restaurant. http://www.bay-penzance.co.uk/ Modern British cuisine made with local ingredients. Tried local scallops, European sea bass, a panache of vegetables, as well as the selection of desserts, including saffron poached pear, sultana fancler, white cholate mousse, pistachio parfait. Coffee came with a sable cookie,fudge, and a truffle.
Day 2 at Harris's Restaurant. http://www.harrissrestaurant.co.uk/ Classic British cuisine with French influences. Enjoyed the crab florentine, and the John Dory with saffron white wine cream sauce. Mixed vegetables were included with the meal. Very generous slice of treacle tart. Some small sweets were included with the coffee. Friendly service. Nice place for classic dishes and seafood.
Truro
Dinner at Saffron. http://www.saffronrestauranttruro.co.uk/ Very good deal, especially if you're in time for the early bird dinner, which runs from 5-6:45 pm during the week. Delicate summer vegetable ribollita, perfectly cooked Coley with potato, kea plum parfait for around 16 GBP. Neat little place.
St. Ives
a Cornish pasty (steak) from St. Ives Bakery http://fullofcake.blogspot.com/2008/06/st-ives-bakery.html , and a saffron bun from a small bakery near the bus station. The pasty had the nicest crust of the 3 pasties I ordered in the UK this trip.
Falmouth
Lunch of cod & chips at Harbour Lights. http://www.harbourlights.co.uk/ I didn't know fish and chips could be as tasty as what I found at Harbour Lights, and at Premier in Budleigh Salterton. Perfect cod. Friend ordered crab cakes, which seemed to have a fair amount of potato, compared to a more North American style crab cake (to which I'm more accustomed), which does not tend to include potato.
snack
a scoop of Roskilly's Cornish Fairing ice cream. http://www.roskillys.co.uk/My friend tried the Banoffee ice cream. Completely different texture than North American ice cream or gelato- more dense and sticky.
Overall, we lucked out with good food on this trip, especially in Devon and Cornwall, where the seafood and vegetables always seemed to be top quality. I was surprised to see parfaits are a very common dessert in the Southwest of England. Almost every restaurant offered a parfait of some sort each night.
If you're heading to Devon or Cornwall, I recommend making reservations in advance, especially if there are particular restaurants you'd like to visit.
I found I got much more bang for my buck (better quality food for less $) in Devonshire and Cornwall than I've usually experienced in London, Cambridge and Oxford for similar types of food (in this case, mostly classic and modern British foods, heavy on English breakfasts, pasties and seafood).
Looking forward to dining in the UK in the future. I hope to try more of the London restaurants that have been recommended on my next visit.
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re: breakfasts in London
Besides the Wolseley (where I've dined on a couple previous trips), are there any restaurants you'd recommend that are close (which for me, would be within a 20 minute walk) to Mayfair or Green Park?
I realize there are some modest, economical Cafes in/near Shepherd Market, and I'm aware of Automat (but prefer English, or at least non-American style, breakfasts when I'm visiting London). If you have a favourite place to breakfast, please share!
re: source for quality produce near Mayfair/Green Park?
Is there a place you'd recommend for nicer-than-average fruit, that would be within a 20 minute walk of Green Park? I've passed by Sainsbury's, and I guess I could look for fruit in the Food Halls of some of the nearby Department Stores within a 20-30 minute walk, but I would love to hear about any independent food shops selling good fruit/produce! Thanks for any suggestions.
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I would personally recommend either The Conservatory (no website), Angela's (http://www.angelasrestaurant.co.uk/) or the HH in Broadclyst (10 minutes in a taxi, location here: www.the-hh.co.uk/) in preference to MC Abode in Exeter. I've always found the cooking to be fantastic in all 3, although the HH is the real standout!
The Exploding Bakery on Queen St, next door to Central Station is also brilliant! (no website, but a good review here: http://www.bilbymarketing.co.uk/bites/foodie/the_exploding_bakery/)
Thank you for your recommendations and the links, JoeHarsant. Hope to try both restaurants, as well as the Exploding Bakery.
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Hope you make it to J Sheekey, and it's worth splurging a little - you don't have to go as far as the sole if you don't want.
I recommend:
- cold shellfish plateau (truly awe-inspiring)
- potted shrimp
- atlantic prawns by the quarter- or half-pint
- fish pie
- market fish: turbot if they have it
Rules is wonderful but best in game season
If you want truly mind-bending seafood, lunch, weekday & counter service only, try Sweetings in the City.
Thank you for your recommendations at Sheekey, as well as the recommendation of Sweetings. Much appreciated. Will make a reservation for Sheekey, and hope to try Sweetings if it looks like I'll be nearby during the day.
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for lunch:
a set lunch at Quilon- which vegetable and fish dishes?
I went all the way from Bristol to London on a special birthday treat to Quilon and was very disappointed. A little bit of background: Kerala cuisine is very close to my heart. I've spent a few months in Kerala and cook a lot of South Indian food at home including many dishes from Kerala. I thought Quilon was very expensive and severely lacking in terms of the taste of the dishes. The service was great yes, but I was oh so disappointed by the food - I couldn't believe we had gone all the way to London for that. Just a warning for you, YMMV of course.
Thanks for your comments, Jenni. I had read mixed reviews re: Quilon. I really like the Keralan food that I've tried, but most of my exposure has been to a Canadianized, relatively fast food version of Keralan food, so I was hoping to try an upscale Keralan restaurant while I was in London. Sorry to hear the food was a disappointment for you.
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For lunch in London, my personal favourite is "Textures", a 1-star Michelin. It is perhaps the best lunch I ever had (1 year ago).
They were willing to offer me the degustation menu (I had the fish one) even though I was by myself.
Another one I recommend is Tamarind (also offering lunch). It has 1-star too.
Good luck!
--dmg (from Victoria, BC)
Thanks for mentioning Textures and Tamarind.
Are there specific dishes you'd recommend the most at Tamarind?
I had noticed Textures mentioned elsewhere on the Web. Looks very good.
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I have never been to the Bay, but saw it when I was in Penzance in the summer and notice that the website cleverly ensures that you don't see that the view can sometimes be of mudflats when the tides's out.
If you are not tied to Penzance, have a car, or are happy to get the bus I'd recommend the Portminster Beach Café in St Ives. It's probably more casual than the Bay, and has a far better view... The food was really good when we were there in the summer, and I'd made sure we had a window seat, wich is worth doing. There are buses from Penzance to St Ives:
http://www.cornwallpublictransport.info/bus_timetables.asp
It seems no 17 is the quick one, across country. The 300 takes the coastal scenic route via Lands End, and having been along part of the route I think would be absolutely beautiful. St Ives is worth a trip - go the scenic route and come back across country perhaps as parking in St Ives is a nightmare even in the evening. Looks like the 300 also goes the quick way sometimes.
Thanks for your comments. I'll be staying in Penzance, but hope to eat in several parts of Cornwall, so I appreciate all the suggestions!
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I'm bumping this ancient thread,as I get ready to make my first peach cobbler of the season. Has anyone discovered a favourite recipe lately?
Thanks for any comments.
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Also considering Rules.
Thoroughly recommended for classic dishes. Perhaps my favourite place when visiting the capital. Great room with a real sense of history as well as good food done very well.
Excellent. I think we will dine at Rules for one of our dinners.
Harters, I believe I read on another Board that you recommend the game dishes at Rules. Would you also recommend the duck, grouse, Saddle of Lamb and Dorset crab salad, if you happen enjoy those types of dishes?
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Thank you for bakery recommendations, and for mentioning the farmers' market, lapin d'or.
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Which restaurants would you recommend for Dover sole or Dorset crab dishes
You answered that yourself
but the Dover sole will take you over your £30 budget at £38/£48 you could do the crab at 19.95 but worth a splurge I think.J SheekeyThanks for mentioning the pricing. I hadn't gotten that far into my research! I agree, probably worth the splurge. ;-)
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In London, I'd be most interested in seafood, Modern British, contemporary continental, Turkish, Spanish, Indian, Middle Eastern and Moroccan foods, and not as interested in classical French or Italian foods. Which restaurants would you recommend for Dover sole or Dorset crab dishes?
Yes to visiting sheekeys, would recommend also stopping by the oyster bar at Scotts as well - lovely at lucnhtime and always a nice atmosphere (not cheap though) Spanish - brave the queues at barrafina in Soho - 23 seater no reservations tapas bar based on Cal Pep - outstanding food, i have never been disappointed there. Second Noura for good upmarket lebanese - moro was also an old favourite too - maybe more of a lunch place than dinner though. Ottolenghi for breakfast is outstanding. If you like morroccan, stop by the mo cafe and tearooms on heddon street for some mezze at lunch and a nice glass of rose or in the evening for cocktails/snacks. Cafe Anglais is just perfection for British cooking at its best - not sure i would call it modern though - check out the menu, i love it there. Have a great trip and dont forget to report back!
Thanks nikkib. Have taken note of your sugestions. Cafe Anglais wasn't on my radar. I'm open to traditional and modern British. Have tried the Wolseley, Savoy Grill and Simpson's on previous visits, so I won't return to those restaurants, but open to other British cuisine restaurants, whether they're modern, traditional or in-between. Also considering Rules.
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midsummer house in cambridge is worth both of its 2*.
I would agree about Midsummer House in Cambridge, top quality food well worth visiting.
Andrew
Thank you, Gary Marshall and Andrew. Hopefully, we'll be able to get a reservation for Midsummer House.
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For middle eastern in London, I'd suggest one of the Noura places. Upscale Lebanese. For somewhere which manages to bridge the Straits of Gibraltar for the cooking of both Spain and Morocco, it'd have to be Moro.
Can't really help with the modern British/Euro as it's not a cuisine I'm really looking for when I visit the capital. For "deals", often lunch, you could do worse than scount round TopTable to make your reservation - you can search the site for current offers.
As for Exeter, ABode is the only place listed in the Good Food Guide. A reasonably good bet based on experience of my local one.
Thank you for mentioning Noura and Moro, Harters. Both sound very intersting to me.
I will check TopTable for deals- I haven't tried that approach on previous visits.
I will try the ABode in Exeter for 1 dinner.
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Trying to plan 3 lunches and 3 dinners in London:
Right now, I'm hoping to visit:
for lunch:
a set lunch at Quilon- which vegetable and fish dishes?
lunch at J Sheekey- any dishes you'd recommend the most?
possible lunch at Scandinavian Kitchen
for dinner:
a dinner at Nopi- what dishes have you liked the most?
What other lunches and dinners would you recommend? I'm hoping to keep lunches to less than 30 GPB per person. Might splurge on dinner, haven't decided yet.
In London, I'd be most interested in seafood, Modern British, contemporary continental, Turkish, Spanish, Indian, Middle Eastern and Moroccan foods, and not as interested in classical French or Italian foods. Which restaurants would you recommend for Dover sole or Dorset crab dishes?
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In Cambridge, looks like we'll have 2 lunches and 2 dinners. Which are the best restaurants these days?
I'm hoping to try Alimentum, and would appreciate any other suggestions.
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Where would you dine in Exeter?
We hope to try the Michael Caines at the ABode. Would appreciate any suggestions for bakeries.
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Where would you dine in Penzance? We plan to try the Bay restaurant. Are there any bakeries you'd recommend?
ISO Interesting Sandwich Places In Toronto
in Ontario: Dining
Posted · Edited by phoenikia (log)
I like Brock Sandwich on Bloor.
The open faced sandwiches at Karelia Kitchen on Bloor are good.
Locomotive has good sandwiches in the Junction.
Nice panini at Forno Cultura on King W.
Porchetta has great sandwiches on Dundas W.
Also see http://www.blogto.com/eat_drink/2014/11/the_top_30_sandwiches_in_toronto_by_neighbourhood/