Maman Toronto is a lovely bakery/cafe located on the mezzanine of First Canadian Place offering a taste of Southern France. It was a little tucked away in First Canadian Place (where the food court is), but it has a very rustic yet inviting ambiance. The entire cafe was adorned with cute bunny ceramics with flowers, wooden communal tables, and mosaic tile flooring, so it was very Instagram-friendly. There are already plenty of Instagram photos of their pretty coffee cups for your perusal online. Their menu also changes daily, and they offer an assortment of baked goods, coffee drinks, sandwiches, salads, and more.



Everything is baked fresh daily, and from locally-sourced ingredients. Maman recently launched tapas dishes on their menu, and I had the pleasure of attending the media preview of Maman's new tapas menu unveiling two weeks ago. The new menu was created by Michelin-starred chef, Armand Arnal, whose dishes are family-inspired recipes. Chef Armand Arnal is the head chef at the acclaimed La Chassagnette in Arles, France, and he has definitely added a lot of French flair to our city with the addition of Maman. As part of their cinq-as-sept bar program (5 pm to 7 pm); they also have a carefully curated wine and cocktail list that perfectly complements the tapas dishes served.

Herbes de Provence - calvados, lillet infused with herbes de provence,lemon juice, sugar & egg whites

Le Vert - blanco tequilla, chartreuse, cucumber, lime & matcha

The new French inspired tapas menu features a selection of small and light sharing plates called "tartinettes" (the French version of tapas). Many of the tapas are served on toasted French baguette topped off with a variety of toppings. What I liked best was that customers are given the opportunity to customize their own tartinette board, and there are a few options available on the daily menu. Each tartinette costs $2.50, and the full menu can be view at http://mamantoronto.com/aperitifs/.

There were several tartinettes available that evening for tasting, and I was delighted that many of the combinations had flavors that worked rather well together. The kitchen produces contemporary French tartinettes dishes such as smoked ham with savora mustard & cornichon, roasted cauliflower with 2 year aged cheddar, smoked salmon with red onions, lemon & dill, and truffle "croque maman". Maman Toronto's new tapas menu caters very well to those who seek to partake in unwinding after work before dinner with their friends or colleagues. Maman Toronto is open Monday through Friday for breakfast, lunch and cinq-á-sept, and Saturday for brunch (closed on Sunday). Check out their website for their daily menu, as it changes everyday.

 Sweets - chouquette, canelé, and cream puff with whipped cream and pineapple

** All photography taken by Joey Salmingo ** 

Genghis Khan Mongolian Grill is a Mongolian-inspired DIY stir-fry and Northern Chinese buffet on Don Mills Road in North York, ON. The restaurant is separated into two sections - the Mongolian grill and the buffet area that serves Chinese hot foods. It should be noted that they do not serve Mongolian food here at Genghis Khan Mongolian Grill. Rather, it's a borrowed concept from the legend of the great warrior, Genghis Khan, from the 13th century. Back then, Genghis Khan and his soldiers would prepare and cook their meals on their upturned shields over a hot fire, and would use their swords to cook the ingredients. This is pretty much where the concept originated from, and it has been popularized throughout the world.





The concept is pretty simple, as diners would choose various ingredients from the displays to combine together to make their desired bowls. Genghis Khan Mongolian Grill offers an array of meats, ingredients, vegetables, and sauces to mix and match, so there's definitely something for everyone. First up was the meat station where you have the option to choose from lamb, pork, chicken, and beef. I recommend taking more than 4-5 slice of meat, as they do shrink in size on the grill. I was impressed with the variety of sauces that they offer, as there were plenty of pre-made sauces, and oils/seasonings (chili oil, sesame oil, fish sauce, cooking wine, etc ...)  available. After choosing your meat, you would then add whatever vegetables, type of noodle, and sauces you want, and then take it to the grill to be cooked. The griddle operator/chef would then take your raw bowl, and cook it on the large, and round iron grill  (with the addition of oil and water). The grill is rather hot, so it cooks quite fast within 5 minutes time (heats up to 300 °C).




 Several sauces are available to customize as you pleases.


 
 
 
 
 

I ate two bowls of noodles from the Mongolian Grill. I opted for udon the first time around, and then switched it up to egg noodles for my second bowl. I picked the right combination of sauces, and they tasted great.

 
 

To the left of the restaurant was the traditional Chinese buffet offering things such as fried rice, stir-fry vegetables, noodles, ribs, chicken wings, dim sum etc ... The selection wasn't too bad, but was limited compared to other Chinese buffets. However, the Mongolian grill is the main attraction of Genghis Khan Mongolian Grill anyway. Price wise, I would say it's on par with buffets in the area as dinner for an adult is $23.95 (Mon to Thu) and $26.95 (Weekends/Holidays).


 

The dessert buffet table consisted of a chocolate fountain with fondue, cakes, brownies, cream puffs, and slices of fresh fruits.

Overall, it was a fun yet unique dining experience, and I really enjoyed creating my own noodle bowls. The restaurant was a little far for us (as we drove from downtown), but it's a nice place to have dinner with family or friends. 

Address: 900 Don Mills Rd, North York, ON M3C 1V6

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GenghisKhanMongolianGrill/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mongolianbbqto/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mongolianbbqto
Website: http://www.ggkbbq.com/

Disclaimer: The food provided in this post was complimentary. However, all of the opinions expressed in this review are of my own.

Cacao 70 is a popular chocolate cafe franchise from Montreal. They recently opened in the space that temporarily housed Balzac's Coffee Roasters earlier this November. The timing couldn't have been more perfect as the cafe's launch coincided with the popular annual Toronto Christmas Market at the Distillery District during the holiday season. I was invited to Cacao 70 Distillery to try a few items on their menu, and I didn't hesitate, as I have a major sweet tooth. This was actually my dinner that Thursday night (chocolate dinner FTW). Cacao 70 Distillery's space was bright with an open kitchen concept, so you could see the kitchen staff make the chocolate dishes. Open for brunch (weekend), lunch, and dinner; I would say that it's the perfect spot if you love sweets, and chocolates.

While perusing the menu, I realized just how extensive their premium chocolate offering was. They have a great chocolate collection consisting of chocolates from worldwide ($9.75 each) consisting of various cacao content. I opted for the 66% Mexico - complex aromas of subtle taste and with a long lasting taste which reveals warm, woody, spicy and tobacco flavors. Each hot chocolate arrives in a metal mug of regular hot chocolate, and a cognac glass containing the respective premium chocolate, and rimmed with the chocolate as well. You have to mix the liquid content with the melted chocolate to make your preferred hot chocolate mixture.





I started off with the Nutella and Fruit Crêpe ($11) - a thin French crepe with Nutella and fruits (choice of strawberries, bananas or raspberries) drizzled with chocolate sauce. Strawberries, and chocolate hazelnut spread are the perfect combination when it comes to sweet crêpes.




My favorite dessert of the night was the Strawberry and Cheesecake Crêpe ($15.75) - a thin French crepe stuffed with cheesecake and served with fresh strawberries, homemade berry sauce, melted chocolate and chocolate-covered ice cream. This was a perfectly decadent dessert stuffed with pieces of rich and creamy cheesecakes, and it definitely satisfied my chocolate craving.





Besides sweets, Cacao 70 Distillery also offered some savory options such as various crêpes. J ordered the Feel Good About Yourself Pressed Crêpe Sandwich ($14.25) - smoked turkey, mushrooms, tomatoes and Swiss cheese served with a green salad, which was a surprisingly light dish.




He also got a small cup of American Style Hot Chocolate (small is $5.25) - Cacao 70's classic hot chocolate served with marshmallows and drizzled with melted chocolate (choice of milk, semi-sweet, or dark).


We visited during their opening week, and noticed that there was an issue of the cafe being understaffed. Due to the media exposure, and The Toronto Christmas Market, they had a consistent amount of customers coming into the cafe to dine. This issue was relayed, and I was told at the time that they were working on getting more staff. I am assuming that by now that the issue has been resolved, and the service is more steady. It didn't completely ruin my dining experience, as I found the desserts to be quite delicious. Although, Cacao 70 Distillery specializes in chocolate-based desserts, they do have their fair share of savory options, and a full brunch menu until 4 pm. Be sure to pop by this chocolate cafe located in the Distillery District if you're craving for some sweets. It's a great place to catch up with some girlfriends, and even date nights.


Address: 28 Gristmill Lane, Toronto, ON M5A 3C4

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cacao70
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cacao70official/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cacao70_mtl
Website: http://cacao70.ca/

Disclaimer: The food provided in this post was complimentary. However, all of the opinions expressed in this review are of my own.