Brick Street Bakery - In the midst of over priced art, food reigns supreme

The Distillery District, the self internationally acclaimed village full of brick-lined streets and galleries. A common stop-over for most tourists to Toronto (I have to admit, I've taken a few first time visitors to Toronto here), it is chock-full of different galleries, restaurants, shops and cafe's, among others. Within all of that, as you enter the district, is Brick Street Bakery. A small, worn floored spot that couldn't fit more than a dozen patrons at any one time. Full of sweet treats and sandwiches, any sane person could spend an afternoon pouring over the different goodies and fresh out of the oven breads..

After much deliberation, I chose the Brick Street Club, a hot sandwich with chicken, bacon, tomato, red onion, lettuce and mayo. Not much of a change from any other Club, but what made this sandwich was the bread. It couldn't have been more than 30 minutes out of the oven it was still crispy and warm as I downed it quickly.With that being said, it did take about 12 minutes to get my sandwich, and the place wasn't what I would call roomy. I wouldn't suggest coming in if you are in a rush..

Other goodies included a variety of savory dishes (sausage rolls, pies and chili's/soup's), sweet treats (croissants, brioche's, scones and cookies), hot and cold sandwiches and a variety of baked breads all fresh out of the oven. You really come to appreciate bread and baked goods after going months with only bread from the local Loblaw's.

If you have a free afternoon or evening, and you find yourself strolling through the distillery district, pop over to the Brick Street Bakery, you wont regret it...

For its natural ingredients and fresh bread, but for taking so long and its close quarters, I award the Brick Street Bakery 3.5 iron rings out of 5.

.

<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/1452406/restaurant/Corktown-Distillery-District/Brick-Street-Bakery-Toronto"><img alt="Brick Street Bakery on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1452406/minilink.gif" style="border:none;width:130px;height:36px" /></a>

Salad King - The local hotspot is back

Salad King.. Long known for its flavourful (should I say spicy - atleast for the general Caucasian demographic) interpretation of Southeast Asian cuisines re-opened this year (after that interesting 'fire' that ripped through the historic building) to great fanfare and waiting. I had the pleasure over this last year of spending numerous evenings and weekends on their unique bench chairs in front of a variety of different dishes. Curries, noodles, rice dishes, I pretty much made my way through most of the subcategories at one time or another (except for seafood and vegetarian). On any given day, the line up to this place can find itself going from the second floor all the way to entrance outside. Turnover is fairly fast, however, as it is my belief that many of the dishes, at least the more common ones, are pre-made and have a high enough turnover rate that they don't ever sit long. The setting is unique, almost industrial in nature, with long tables and benches, with a few booths. I believe this is so no party stays too long and keeps people moving in  and out.

Bangkok Stir Fry

Now, to the food. The price is right and the portions are good (although I feel that they've become smaller since I first tried a few years back), but by no means should you take any of this as 'Authentic Thai'. Its the 'white-washed' version of a Thai dish, and hey, I'm happy with that fact. Many of the dishes have that Chinese feel and lack the fishy taste that is more common among authentic Southeast Asian cuisines.. Instead of going through every dish I have had and all the different experiences, I'm just going to include a pictures of a few of the dishes and my favourites!

Thai Islamic Noodle

The dish I have undoubtedly indulged in the most would be Thai Islamic Noodle. For some reason, you will not find this on the menu. I really have no idea why that might be, but if you do find yourself at Salad King as a first timer, at least consider ordering the dish. In my opinion, it has to be a top three on any ones list. Ingredients include rice noodles, chicken and/or shrimp, bell peppers, carrots, onions, broccoli and a red curry sauce made with coconut milk.

Siam Noodles

Another favourite would have to be Siam noodles, which uses a peanut and coconut base sauce that is to die for. I've always been a huge fan of peanut sauce, on chicken, in stir fry, anything really..

Spicy Chicken

Here are a few more picks, if you get the chance the curries arent bad (I've had only the green curry thus far, although I'm sure they are all great) as well as the spicy chicken or beef! Bon Appetit!

Green Curry

WIth everything being said, I would have to give Salad King 3.5 iron rings out of 5 for its good flavourful food.

Happy Living!

<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/135083/restaurant/Downtown-University-of-Toronto/Salad-King-Toronto"><img alt="Salad King on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/135083/minilink.gif" style="border:none;width:130px;height:36px" /></a>

Deli Chenoy's - A Montreal Classic

Poutine! Who doesn't love that stuff, right? Well on a recent trip (OK, maybe it's not that recent) for my companies annual hockey tournament, we found our self in the centre of the frenchys', Montreal. I like to consider myself a connoisseur of fine poutines, and HAD to make this endeavor part of my trip.

Chenoy's has been a part of Montreal culture since 1936, and, like most deli's in the area, has a reputation for smoked meat. Needless to say, we asked the front desk at our hotel what they recommended and they said the Italian poutine, with tomatoe sauce, beef and cheese curds was to die for. So, I thought based on their recommendation, I would give it a shot. My friend, on the other hand, went with the smoked meat poutine with gravy and cheese curds. Needless to say, I had poutine envy. Although mine was good, Steven's came out pilled high with smoked meat which complimented the poutine perfectly.. I had tried Italian poutine in the past and thought we would try to go to another deli downtown to have a full smoked meat sandwich (which didn't happen), so I would go with the tomato sauce and beef variety.

All in all, not a bad experience, but I'm pretty sure you could pick up better quality poutines and different varieties closer to downtown (hey we were in the wealthy burbs, give me a break).. I would have to say, the decor is fairly outdated. This is a family restaurant, first and foremost, so please don't expect the Jack Astors or Moxies style waitress and atmosphere. Anyways, was a nice little treat and experience (my first official Quebec poutine), but a little underwhelming and I'm pretty sure there's more out there to offer!

For your smoked meat poutine success and italian poutine failure, I award you 2.5 iron rings out of 5.

Happy Living!

<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/67/1095025/restaurant/Montreal/Deli-Chenoys-Brossard"><img alt="Deli Chenoy's on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1095025/minilink.gif" style="border:none;width:130px;height:36px" /></a>

Katz Deli - The King of Deli's

Well as per my last post, I took a trip to NYC about two weeks ago... One of my biggest priorities was food. New York is know for its Deli's and Katz reins supreme. This old (and I mean old) time favourite has been serving kosher-style delicatessen since 1888 and remains the go to for any one looking for pastrami, reuben, corned beef and all the other classic's you would expect. I decided to go with what makes this place so famous, the pastrami sandwich. With layer upon layer of pastrami goodness, this sandwich lived up to it's status as the king of kings. Each sandwich is pilled high on rye bread with a Dijon mustard spread for an extra kick. There are a number of other toppings available, such as cheese, what looked like coleslaw, thousand island dressing, mayo, etc. depending on what sandwich you order. We also ended up trying the soft salami sandwich. In my opinion, not as good. Like the pastrami, it was piled high with salami, but the whole thing was a little overwhelming. I would have loved to have tried the Reuben, which was also pastrami based, or the corned beef.


Instead of paying up front, each customer gets a ticket as they enter. As you get your food from every station, the sandwich artist (this is the only place I would call the sandwich makers 'artists' - sorry Subway) puts down the running total of your meal that they compute themselves. I think in the end, however, the drink server messed up on our bill, and we only paid for the sandwiches (Cha-Ching!).

The atmosphere is loud and busy. Don't take a girl here on your first date, this placed is made for a group of three or four, looking for some hefty, greasy, quality sandwiches without the huss, fuss and highbrow attitude that has accompanied so many of these new upscale sandwich shops with chipotle aioli sauce and avocado spread. But then again, sometimes that's what you need. Think of this as the Five Guys of deli's.. Without the history.

If you happen to be in the New York area, I would definitely recommend trying this place out. It's one of those places that when you think of Deli, your mind instantly thinks of Katz and its worth the experience. I do have to say though, it is a little on the pricier side (15.50 for my pastrami, I believe). So for all of those who are short on cash, drink before you get in or maybe split it amongst two people.

For having the best dame pastrami I've had and being a tourist attraction and quite the experience itself, I award Katz Deli 4.5 iron rings out of 5. It is definitely catering to a certain crowd or feeling, and the salami sandwich could have been more exciting, but still a great meal.

Happy Living!

<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/31390/restaurant/Lower-East-Side/Katzs-Deli-New-York"><img alt="Katz's Deli on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/31390/minilink.gif" style="border:none;width:130px;height:36px" /></a>

Pho Mi 99 - Burnamthorpe and Grand Park Dr. - Mississauga

So this is a place I had been to several times and in my girlfriends sickness, decided to take her out for some warm soup. BTW if you are broke, and need lots of food, hit up any Vietnamese restaurant and get a large bowl of Pho.. For only a dollar extra, you can go from a small to a monstrous portion, which my girlfriends brother attempted to take down. Pho Mi 99 is a fairly good place, with a cozy atmosphere that always seems to be busy, but not so crazy that you have to wait for a seat. They "apparently" also use no MSG in their foods, but I have yet to confirm this fact. They seem to be a little disoriented with the whole "starters" idea, however. We ordered two plates of spring rolls, only to have the pho come out almost immediately and the spring rolls ten minutes later. They were pretty good though, I have to admit. I got a Pho with meatballs and chicken.. somewhat different then normal, the chick dipped in the hoison like sauce and what I assume to be sirachi was pretty damn good. It would have been pretty bland without, so I ended up using a lot of sauce. All in all, a nice little (and cheap) meal. If you really wanted to push the boundaries, you could probably get one large bowl per two people, and that would make for a veryy cheap meal.. Anyways here are some pics.. as always with my shitty iPhone (my bad).

I give this place 3.5 iron rings out of 5 for its inexpensive yet still fairly tasty meal..

Yum Yummmmm

So its a new year.. and I thought with a new year would come new types of food..wrong! So as you can guess, my first restaurant review will be of a Korean chicken restaurant located on Bloor Street West called Ahjookuh. Just steps from Christie station, and, therefore, within walking distance of my place. This place caters to the yum yum chicken enthusiast in all of us. I think its actually called yang nyum.. but who really cares, because this shit is delicous. Although not as spicy as its made-in-korea counterpart, its still got a little kick. At Ahjookuh you can get two different types of yum yum.. dry, which is then dipped in a salt and pepper mixture, or with sauce on. The sauce is a kind of sweet and tangy mixture with an Asian flare. You have the choice of either one or both. Of course yum yum isnt the only thing that they serve, you can get a variety of other korean dishes.. but who really cares about those.. Again, these pictures were unfortunately taken using my piece of crap iPhone, but you get the idea. the chicken here comes with a small side plate of pickeled radishes.. Its nothing to celebreate about, but provide a nice little inbetween when talking down saucy chicken.. This is also not a first date place.. the decor and atmosphere is nothing to celebrate about.. Its all about the food.. Ok, now to my take on Ahjookuhs yum yum chicken.. For any deep fried chicken lover, it will take your experience to a whole new level. After trying this stuff, you will struggle to go back to the likes of a KFC or Popeyes... Lightly breaded, extremely juicy, although it lacked that extra spice that I came to love while travelling Korea. Being a spice enthusiast, I found it a bit disappointing in that sense, but overall it was a great little bite. And hey only costs 22 bucks to feed 3 people! This did not include beer, which is something like 10-12 bucks extra for a pitcher. Anyways I give this place 4 iron rings out of 5! If it was a little spicier, could have earned more, but I think everyones tastes buds are different, and North American tastes wouldnt have necessarily been able to take it.. but hey I say if you cant take the heat.. get out the kitchen..

Jagalchi Food Market

Just watched the Canucks run show over the Flyers.. so in celebration I will continue the onslaught of blog entries. This will be my last Korea related food entry and centered around the Jagalchi food market in Busan, South Korea. So what was so special about this moment? Well if you like raw fish.. it was something else.. including the raw octopus. Although it wasn't my first time eating raw octopus, it was still interesting... usually it is eaten with a dipping sauce consisting of sesame oil, salt and pepper.. When dipping, the octopus reacts to the salt in the dip and starts to have a mind of its own.. squirming around on your chopstick making it difficult to eat for any non-asian. To continue, there was also a variety of other raw fish and things that were just crazy.. some i put in my mouth and spit right out.. It was like eating tire rubber.. Much like other Korean dinners, we also had a bunch of other side dishes... although these were more seafood oriented.. I specifically remember small crab legs in red pepper paste.. I honestly don't think there was any meat in them whatsoever.. Or maybe I just sucked at getting it out, which very well may have been the problem.. We also got to walk around the fish market where they had all these open air stalls with fresh fish.. really interesting and much unlike anything we'd have at home in the super market.. Anyways I have prepared my first recipe oriented dish tonight, Spaghetti and a Meataballa.. its really tame but delicious! So check it out later:) Here are the pics from Jagalchi though!

Trying to get a hold of the octopus... fail

Our sushi boat

Bins upon bins of fresh seafood

Going down...

Jagalchi market get 3 iron rings out of 5.. It was definately interesting and different.. but after taking down some Tokyo sushi a few weeks before, just doesnt quite make the top grade..

Korean Barbecue and Pork Belly

Korean BBQ has to be one of the most exported korean dish available.. I on the other hand, had the chance of experiencing it without the "export" part. Most often the dishes are prepared at the table and consist of an assortment of meats and side dishes. That is why I have gone ahead and combined the bbq and pork belly posts together.. They are both cooked sitting down at the table.. In Korea.. these had to be by far my favorite meals, other than Korean fried chicken or "Yum Yum" chicken.. But thats a whole other story. For anyone that has had Korean BBQ or Pork Belly you know it is delicious.. you wrap it up with a lettuce leaf and throw in a little garlic, some bean paste, kimchi and of course meat and shove that sucker right in. These dishes are accompanied by a variety of side dishes that you pick at throughout the meal.. pickled this, pickled that, some tofu.. just a bunch of different things..

Here is the Pork Belly on a cast iron cooking grill.. 

Pork Belly with garlic, green onion with hot pepper paste and bean pasta wrapped in a lettuce leaf


And here is some more at a different restaurant in Seoul.. They also had sausage too!

I give these places 4.5 iron rings out of 5..