For a limited time only, McDonald's offering $1.00 for any snack sized Iced Frappés. The drinks are available in two different flavors, Coffee Iced Frappé and Vanilla Chai Tea Iced Frappé. Hurry into your nearest McDonald's as this deal is only between June 5 to June 12, 2013.
I find that dates can get expensive, and there are many things to do
in Toronto for a fraction of the price or even for free. Here are some
ideas for some cheap dates that you and your significant other can
definitely enjoy doing together.
Beach: There are several beaches, and it is always FREE to go to :) Some things that you can do at the beach are arm-in-arm stroll together, play some beach volleyball, go swimming, biking, etc ...
Centre Island: Spend an entire day exploring the island with your date.
High Park: This is one of the largest and nicest parks in Toronto that I have been to. Bring out your bike or roller blades, and just enjoy the sunny weather (summertime) with that special someone.
Kensington Market/St Lawrence Market: There are so many stores and vendors to check out at both of these popular markets in downtown Toronto.
Movie Date: An average cost of an adult ticket is usually $12.99 (+ tax) for a regular 2d movie. However, many theaters in the GTA offer reduced admission cost for a fraction of the price and it's usually under $7.00 per ticket on Tuesdays'. Also, if you're a member of SCENE (a membership club for moviegoers of Cineplex), you can also get an additional 10% off.
Picnics: I have always loved picnics, so much fun! Here is a list of some cheap picnic food that you can bring along on your date:
potato salad
patries
Vves and dip
buy hot dog from a stand (usually $2.00)
jello
lemonade
chips, popcorn, cheese/crackers
homemade sandwiches
coldcuts and bread
Watermelon
Royal Ontario Museum: Students often have more of a budget than others as some may only work part-time due to their studies. The ROM offers free general admission to those who are students (attending a Canadian post-secondary institution) every Tuesday. Don't forget to bring your student ID.
Walking: The weather is getting a lot nicer so it's always nice to take a walk down Queen St W, or even Lakeshore, with your significant other.
Beach: There are several beaches, and it is always FREE to go to :) Some things that you can do at the beach are arm-in-arm stroll together, play some beach volleyball, go swimming, biking, etc ...
Centre Island: Spend an entire day exploring the island with your date.
High Park: This is one of the largest and nicest parks in Toronto that I have been to. Bring out your bike or roller blades, and just enjoy the sunny weather (summertime) with that special someone.
Kensington Market/St Lawrence Market: There are so many stores and vendors to check out at both of these popular markets in downtown Toronto.
Movie Date: An average cost of an adult ticket is usually $12.99 (+ tax) for a regular 2d movie. However, many theaters in the GTA offer reduced admission cost for a fraction of the price and it's usually under $7.00 per ticket on Tuesdays'. Also, if you're a member of SCENE (a membership club for moviegoers of Cineplex), you can also get an additional 10% off.
Picnics: I have always loved picnics, so much fun! Here is a list of some cheap picnic food that you can bring along on your date:
potato salad
patries
Vves and dip
buy hot dog from a stand (usually $2.00)
jello
lemonade
chips, popcorn, cheese/crackers
homemade sandwiches
coldcuts and bread
Watermelon
Royal Ontario Museum: Students often have more of a budget than others as some may only work part-time due to their studies. The ROM offers free general admission to those who are students (attending a Canadian post-secondary institution) every Tuesday. Don't forget to bring your student ID.
Walking: The weather is getting a lot nicer so it's always nice to take a walk down Queen St W, or even Lakeshore, with your significant other.
On Friday, June 7th, 2013, don't forget to stop into your nearest Krispy Kreme for a free doughnut =)
There are currently three locations in Ontario, and they are:
(1) 162 McCaul Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1W
(2) 215 Harbord Street (Corner Bathurst), Toronto, ON M5S 1H6
(3) 5920 Mavis Rd. (Corner Bitannia), Mississauga, ON L5V 2P5
Come and Get It is a small sandwich shop located conveniently on Queen & Spadina. The restaurant offers five options which are available in three different varieties (sandwich, salad and poutine):
chipotle braised beef short rib
hawaiian pork belly
granny smith's chicken caesar
herbed crunchy green bean
spicy mango jerk chicken
I went with a friend for dinner, and I opted for the Chipotle Beef Short Rib Sandwich combo ($11.00). The combo comes with a choice of sandwich, fries and drink. The sandwich was filled with tender pieces of short rib, and dressed in ancho chili bbq sauce, crispy onions, sweet/sour coleslaw and Chipotle aioli. My sandwich was served on a ciabatta bun with generous portions. The meat was both tender and moist, but a little cold. The Chipotle sauce provided a little spicy kick and a lot of flavor, and the topped onions provided a good crunch.
My friend ordered the Hawaiian pork belly sandwich combo which came with the sandwich, poutine, and drink ($13.00). According to him, the pork belly was soft and tender as expected for the fatty treat. However, the crackling was rock hard and he found it impossible to chew. The hoisin and pineapple sauce did add a really good tang to the sandwich though.
The guy who took our orders was friendly, and the service was quick and efficient. The only minor problem that I encountered was that he had forgotten my fries. I brought it up and he apologized and brought the fries to our table. So the problem was quickly fixed :)
RATINGS:
Quality of Food: 4/5
Service: 3.8/5
Overall Dining Experience: 4/5
Price: $$
Address: 170 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON, M5T2C2
After reading many positive reviews on SongCook's Authentic Korean
Restaurant; I decided to come here for dinner with a friend about 3
weeks ago. The restaurant was spacious, and designed with decorative wooden pieces. What sets apart SongCook's from nearby Korean establishments was that there are two different sections; regular dining room (tables/chairs) or heated floors. We opted for the dining room.
We were seated, and our server brought small dishes of bachan; which are
side dishes that are to be eaten with your main meal. The selection of
bachan at SongCook's Authentic Korean Restaurant was rather lackluster;
we got kimchi, pickled radishes, nokdumuk (green bean jelly) and japchae.
One of their most recommended items would be the jajangmyun (black bean noodle sauce) ($7.50), which I ordered. This dish consists of a mixture of noodles, black bean sauce, and ground beef. Honestly,
I was surprisingly underwhelmed by this dish and didn't like the taste
of it too much. The noodles were fine with its chewy texture, but the paste was just too salty and I barely had any beef in my bowl.
The LA kalbi ($10.00) on the other hand was absolutely delicious and tender. The dish came with four long pieces of kalbi and a scissor was provided so that it could be cut into smaller pieces.
SongCook's does have a decent selection of dishes to choose from and their menu was pretty colorful with pictures. Overall, I thought that the service was excellent as our server was very attentive and did check up on us from time to time.
RATINGS:
Quality of Food: 3.6/5
Service: 4/5
Overall Dining Experience: 4/5
Price: $
Address: 72 Steeles Avenue W, Unit 6, Vaughan, ON L4J 1V7
Don Don Izakaya is located in the downtown core, and is steps away from St. Patrick subway station. The establishment is located upstairs, and whenever anyone arrives, they would be greeted with a loud drum roll. The atmosphere was relatively loud with chatter and overall just a lively one.
Additionally, the seating arrangements are typical like other tapas/izakaya establishments; bar-side or communal tables.
My friends and I only ordered four dishes, as they were there to basically drink (and we were also going to KBBQ after so we were saving room in our stomachs for that).
We started out with the seafood udon
($7.60) which I really enjoyed. The texture of the udon was very chewy
and the sauce wasn't bland at all. Additionally, there was a decent
amount of seafood in the dish so that was good
I wasn't too keen on trying the black croquette ($7.00) out at first as it didn't look that appetizing. However, I did try a piece of it and thought that it was a very interesting dish. The outer layer was crispy and inside contained a soft mixture of potato and cod.
The smokey hay salmon ($11.90) was fresh sashmi that is seared with hay fire to provide a smoky flavor. It tasted okay with the a slice of garlic, and salt, but was definitely not worth the price.
Lastly, we got the tako wasabi ($3.50) which was basically raw octopus and wasabi. The portion was a
lot smaller than we anticipated and it was nothing special.
One of the great things about Don Don Izakaya would be their extensive drink selection (alcoholic beverages/various sake choices). We ordered a lot more alcohol than food, that's for sure.
We only ordered four dishes so I can't really make a sound judgement on the quality of the food. I did like 2/4 of the dishes that we ordered, and thought that the service was friendly and quick. I'd probably come back here another time to try more dishes out.
RATINGS:
Quality of Food: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Overall Dining Experience: 3.5/5
Price: $$
House of Gourmet is a moderately priced Chinese restaurant located in Chinatown (Toronto, ON). It's actually one of my favorite Chinese restaurants due to their prices, consistency in the service and food, and the portions are filling.
I went for dinner with two friends about 2 weeks ago at House of Gourmet as they were craving for some Chinese cuisine. The three of us were promptly seated and given the menus. The menu itself offers a wide variety
of different dishes.
We ordered off of the combination menu (which was provided alongside the regular menu. The combo meal that we got was a lobster dish with three other dishes for $59.99, which is pretty good. The three additional dishes that we chose were seafood in a bird's nest, ribs, and fried pork chops. The items aren't limited to just those three choices, as there is a list of at least 10 items that you can choose to have along with the lobster dish.
The seafood in a bird's nest was nicely presented. Although, I think
there was a lot more veggies on the bottom compared to the amounts of
seafood that we actually got (on top). Overall, it was a pretty good
dish.
The ribs were pretty sweet but tender. The only thing that I really didn't like about this dish was the amount of sauce, it was just a little too much.
If you like lobsters but don't want to order off the combination menu, there is a special deal where you can get 2 lobsters with ginger & green onion
for $26.99. This is one of my favorite dishes at this place, which I
always enjoy.
RATINGS:
Quality of Food: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Overall Dining Experience: 3.7/5
Price: $
Address: 484 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON, M5T 1H1
I went to grab a quick bite at Banh Mi Boys located on Spadina and Queen over the weekend. The restaurant is a small trendy establishment known for their Vietnamese subs. Banh Mi Boys is actually touted as being able to provide a modern take on the traditional banh mi with an Asian twist. They also have a few other Asian-fusion items on their menu including variations of steamed bao, tacos and fries. A friend and I arrived a little after 3:30 pm thinking that the lunch crowd would have subsided. How wrong we were! The place was still packed, with line ups nearing out to the front door.
One thing that did catch my eyes was the kimchi fries ($5.99). While the idea of mixing fermented sour cabbage with french fries may
not sound the most appetizing. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try this rather interesting mixture, and ordered a box of it to share. The portion may look tiny from the picture, but it was enough for two. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised that the combination of fries, kimchi,
and pulled pork went well together, and provided an intricate taste.
My friend and I ordered the five spiced pork belly banh mi ($5.99) and kalbi banh mi ($5.99). The subs were cut in half so we had one of each. The pork belly was seasoned nicely and served on a toasted sandwich with carrots, Japanese pickle cucumbers, cilantro, and mayo. My personal favorite has to be the kalbi banh mi, as the marinated sauce that coded the sandwich provided a nice tang to the flavor. I also liked the fact that they didn't skimp out on the kalbi.
I also ordered the five spiced pork belly steamed bao ($3.49). I really enjoyed the combination of the tender pork belly and soft bun, as it created a very interesting contrast of taste. The only thing that I didn't like was that the pork belly was a little too fatty for me but overall it was good.
I also ordered the five spiced pork belly steamed bao ($3.49). I really enjoyed the combination of the tender pork belly and soft bun, as it created a very interesting contrast of taste. The only thing that I didn't like was that the pork belly was a little too fatty for me but overall it was good.
There wasn't much service as it's pretty much a takeout place. You'd need to line up, ordered your food at the cashier, and then move along down the line to grab your food when it's ready. Overall, I think that Banh Mi Boys is a great place to grab a quick lunch or dinner, and it's very affordable too for what you get.
RATINGS:
Quality of Food: 4.3/5
Service: N/A
Overall Dining Experience:4.3/5
Price: $ || Online Menu
Address: 392 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M5V 2A9
My friend, Raj, held his birthday party at The 3 Brewers back in mid-January 2013. He reserved the entire upper third floor for a party of about 20+ people. The 3 Brewers' a microbrewery-restaurant as they brew their own beer right on-site which I think is a very interesting concept. The pub was large in size, and has three floors. Given the large party, I thought that the staff was accommodating and the service was pretty good.
The menu was printed like a newspaper and offers the regular pub fare at standard prices. Overall, I enjoyed the atmosphere of The 3 Brewers, and the food was just okay.
I thought that the nachos ($10.99) could have been better as the cheese was not melted enough so it was hard to scoop it up with the nacho chips. The dish is a reasonable size for the price point so it wasn't too bad.
My personal favorite of the night would have to be their maxi fries ($5.75). The fries are dipped in beer batter and was very crispy.
I personally did not like the flammekueches ($11.99) that we ordered. The one that we got came with pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and topped with spicy olive oil. What is a flammekueches? It is a dish that resembles a very thin crust pizza. The entire thing was pretty tasteless and dry to me, which I did not enjoy.
The crème brûlée ($5.99) was good as it was creamy in texture.
RATINGS:
Quality of Food: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Overall Dining Experience: 3.7/5
Price: $$ || Online Menu
Address: 275 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M5B 2H1
It has been more than a few months since David Chang brought his Momofuku brand to Toronto. I have always wanted to try the place out since it opened but there were other restaurants on my list that I wanted to eat first. About 2 weeks ago, I finally rounded some friends and we decided to have dinner at Momofuku Noodle Bar.
The Momofuku building is adjacent to the Shangri-La Hotel and the Momofuku Noodle Bar is on the ground floor of the three-story complex. We all arrived at exactly 5:00 pm which was when they opened up for dinner, so the wait wasn't too long at all. Although, the seating wasn't too comfortable as they only have communal wooden tables with racks underneath for jackets/small bags (coat check is also available).
The menu was basically one page so the choices of food items were a little limited. There were only a few ramen options and the most staple items on the menu would be their Momofuku ramen ($15.00). Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling ramen that night so I didn't order it. However, one of my friends who did ordered it
thought that it was decent, but that she had much better and cheaper ramen at other places.
One of the most recommended items on the menu would be their pork buns with scallion, cucumber, hoisin sauce, and wrapped in a white bun. The pork buns (2 for $10) did live up to the hype for me, and was definitely a personal favorite of mine. The bun was both chewy and soft. Additionally, the pork was savory, tender and basically melted in my mouth.
Rice cakes are definitely one of my favorite Asian appetizers so I was very pleased that they offered it on the menu. The roasted rice cakes
($11.00) were cut into small pieces and topped with sesame and garnish.
I enjoyed the chewy and crispiness of the rice cakes. Although, the
portion was incredibly small for its price.
One of the guys ordered the cauliflower ($7.00) which I also did not try.
For my main dish, I ordered the chilled spicy noodles ($14.00). The dish consists of cold noodles, sichuan sausage, black bean, and topped with cashews. I was a little underwhelmed with my meal as it was more salty than spicy.
Another friend ordered the hanger steak ($18.00). I tried a piece of the steak and thought that the steak was very tender. He enjoyed his meal though.
Overall, I found that the hype surrounding Momofuku Noodle Bar was pretty overrated. The food was pretty decent, but not super memorable. Momofuku Noodle Bar is however a great place to have a casual meal with friends over some shared dishes and sake. I found the service to be very prompt and the staff was friendly. I'd come back here; mainly for the pork buns.
RATINGS:
Quality of Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Overall Dining Experience: 4/5
Price: $$
Address: 190 University Avenue (Ground Floor), Toronto, ON M5H 0A3
My friends and I decided to stop by Momiji Sushi Bar and Grill for dinner before heading off to a house party last weekend. The restaurant is located in Etobicoke, and the ambiance is more upscale.
The restaurant was not too unreasonably priced but compared to the average sushi joints; the prices are higher. The décor was more modern in design, and the dark interior provided a
very calming dining atmosphere.
I ordered the beef teriyaki dinner ($18.00) which was served with miso soup,
green salad and rice. The beef teriyaki was very tender and the sauce was noticeably flavorful. Additionally, the portion was a decent size, but there were about 2-3 pieces of pure fat.
My dish was good, and I did enjoy the atmosphere at Momiji Sushi Bar and Grill. However, I was quite disappointed with the lack of service. We were promptly seated and given the menus, but it took a while for anyone to come by to take our orders. Additionally, the food took long to arrive, and throughout the entire meal, no one came by to check up on us, and no one refilled our green tea.
RATINGS:
Quality of Food: 3.7/5
Service: 3/5
Overall Dining Experience: 3.4/5
Price: $$$ || Online Menu
Address: 2955 Bloor St W, Etobicoke, ON, M8X 1B8
East Side Marios' a chain of restaurants specializing in Italian cuisine, and there are multiple locations throughout Canada.
I ordered the budda boomers ($5.99) as a starter. The budda boomers are basically deep fried pizza
dough sprinkled with herbs and garlic. I really liked it, as it was both
chewy and cheesy.
The caesar salad ($9.49) was nothing special, but it did contain a few pieces of croutons and bacon.
The garden salad ($9.49) had a good mixture of greens. However, their "famous house vinaigrette" tasted really sour, and it was not appetizing whatsoever. I definitely do not recommend this salad.
The seafood linguine ($17.49) contained a good amounts of mussels. However, the pasta was too overcooked and tasteless.
The sausage & pepper penne ($15.49) may not look appetizing due to its messy appearance.
However, it was a decent pasta dish as it was flavorful. The grilled
Italian sausage, and various peppers were plentiful in the bowl.
If you're looking for authentic Italian food, then you should look
elsewhere as you won't be able to find it here. However, their menu does
offer a wide variety of choices, so you should be able
to find something that suits your tastes. Overall, I thought that the
prices of the pasta were way too expensive when compared to the mediocre
quality food.
RATINGS:
Quality of Food: 2.9/5
Service: N/A
Overall Dining Experience: N/A
Price: $$ || Online Menu
I had to deal with some personal issues, and therefore was unable to blog for the past 2 months. Anyways, my first review back is of my dining experience at Yuzu Sushi & Sake Bar from back in August 2012 (sorry major delay).
YUZU-NO-HANA Sushi and Sake Bar is a mid-sized Japanese restaurant located within the clubbing district in downtown Toronto. The restaurant provides a clean and contemporary atmosphere with decorative sake bottles stacked behind the sushi counter. There are also seating all throughout the restaurant, and enough spaces in between tables for those who want to enjoy an intimate dinner.
I made reservations about three days prior to the dinner on a Saturday
as we wanted the omakase (which required a 24 hours notice). The omakase
at Yuzu is $80.00 per person for a 9 course meal, and it is basically a
selection of dishes made by the head chef.
For those who are curious .... omakase is pronounced as oh-mah-kah-say.
Yuzu exemplifies all of the qualities that I look for in a great
Japanese restaurant; high quality food, the freshness of the fish,
creativity in the dishes and knowledgeable and friendly staff.
What makes a great restaurant is not only the delicious food, but also
the service and hospitality of the staff. I believe that great services
enhance customers' experiences, and it is something that I take into
consideration when deciding on tipping amounts (15% being the standard for me and it goes up from there), whether to return or
not, and also recommending to friends and readers. With that being said,
I thought that the service was excellent at Yuzu Sushi & Sake Bar,
as our main server and waitresses were very efficient, professional, and
friendly. We had the most interactions with the main server, Kaz, as he
was the one who brought out our dinner (omakase and bento box). Kaz was
friendly, personable, and was knowledgeable about the omakase dishes and fish.
As an appetizer, I ordered the calamari ($12.00) which was grilled squid with herbs, marinated in shoyu, and
salada greens. The salad that accompanied the squid was crisp and refreshing. The citrus dressing provided a very tangy taste, which I enjoyed.
For my main course, I decided upon the Yuzu Bento
($30.00) which was a two layer bento box that came with beef teriyaki,
rice, miso soup, sashimi, sushi, tempura, and some veggies as side
dishes. The beef teriyaki was really delicious as it was very moist and tender.
Now onto the omakase ($80.00 per person).
The 1st course: Oyster shooter (fresh oyster, quail egg,
tobiko, yuzu
ponzu, uni and green onion). The shooter came out in a decorative
long-tubed glass and who knew that raw oyster and quail egg would
actually taste good ... I sure didn't.
The 2nd Course: Edamame (paste). Unfortunately, I passed
upon this dish so I don't know how this tastes like at all. I did try
the edible flower though.
The 3rd Course: Assorted appetizers platter. I was impressed with both the freshness of the fish and also its presentation.
- Egg/eel
- Baby clam wrapped with seaweed
- Baked egg yolk
- Seared eggplant
- Salmon
- Japanese yam with uni (sea urchin)
The 4th Course: Assorted sashimi (chef's selection). The three pieces of sashimi were fresh and the rice had the right amount
of seasoning without being overly overwhelming.
- Yellow jack
- Suzuki (sea bass)
- Red snapper
The 5th Course: Sweet fish (ayu) with miso paste. The fish
was grilled and the sauce was made using ginger stock. The name is
quite deceiving as the fish was not sweet at all; instead it was extremely salty. According to the chef, salt is needed to marinate the sweet fish
so that it won't burn.
The 6th Course: Grilled duck. I really liked the duck as
it was flavorful and tender. The presentation of the dish was also
aesthetically pleasing. The only complaint that I really have of this dish would be the small portion as there were only three slices of duck.
The 7th Course: Assorted sushi (chef's selection). The
overall quality of the fish was excellent and the chefs did a great job
with the nice smooth cuts.
- King salmon
- Hamachi (yellow tail)
- Searobin
- Seabream
The 8th Course: Cold sōmen (white Japanese noodles)
wrapped around a thin
egg wrapper with shiitake mushrooms and shrimp. The combination of the
noodle and egg wrapper provided an unique taste. However, this was
probably my
least favorite dish of the night as I have never been particularly fond
of cold noodles.
The 9th Course: Yuzu crème brûlée. I was hoping to try
their green tea flavored one and was a little disappointed when Kaz told
me that they don't make it anymore. However, they are now serving a
traditional flavored vanilla version, so I ordered it since I absolutely
love crème brûlée. The caramelized top was good, the fresh fruits were
sweet, but I thought the custard base lacked a little sweetness.
Overall, I highly recommend Yuzu Sushi & Sake Bar for its offering of beautifully presented authentic Japanese food, and great service. Additionally, the chefs (in the kitchen and sushi) all use high quality ingredients to ensure an unique and tasty experience, especially with their omakase.
RATINGS:
Quality of Food: 4.5/5
Service: 5/5
Dining Experience: 4.5/5
Price: $$$$ || Online Menu
Address: 236 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON, M5H 1W7