Windsor Arms Hotel is a 4-star luxurious boutique hotel on St. Thomas Street in the heart of the Yorkville neighborhood. The hotel is synonymous with afternoon tea, but did you know that they also offer a Sunday brunch buffet? Earlier this past Thanksgiving weekend, I was invited to Windsor Arms to check out their Sunday brunch buffet. I love brunch, so there was absolutely no hesitation in accepting their warm invitation. The brunch is priced a little high at $65 per person, but it does includes unlimited mimosas, and an impressive gourmet selection of breakfast, and brunch favorites. I'd say that it's worth the splurge, simply based on the quality of the selection available, and the unlimited mimosas, and beverages (juices and caffeine).


Sunday brunch was held in the Courtyard Café; adjacent to the hotel lobby. The restaurant space of the Courtyard Café was elegantly designed with a high ceiling, bright space with natural sunlight, and filled with artworks that made the space very reminiscent of the late romantic era. I was quite impressed when I first walked into the spacious buffet area. Windsor Arms' Sunday brunch buffet features made to order omelets, and Eggs Benedict, fresh breakfast items, hand-carved meat station, assorted salads, baked goods, chilled and raw seafood, an exceptional selection of hot, and cold items, and an impressive spread of desserts including a chocolate fountain. Below are some of the standout features that's offered at Windsor Arms for their Sunday Brunch buffet.

Bread & Pastries: The bread and pastries table covers all bases in terms of carbs -  offering various kinds of bread, scones, danishes, croissants, and pain au chocolate served alongside butter, and preserves. A great start to a Sunday brunch! 


Salads/Cheese Platter/Cold Cuts: The variety of cheese was decent, but I did like their cold cuts platter. J also agreed, as he made himself a filling cold cut sandwich from the selection. My favorite item from this table was probably the quinoa salad - the hearty grain salad was light tasting.


Breakfast Essentials: The brunch spread includes popular hot breakfast items such as sausages, buttermilk pancakes, eggs, and crusted Challah French toast. I loved the crunchiness of the crusted French toast, and helped myself to two slices served with maple syrup.  

 

Seafood: The Sunday brunch at Windsor Arms recently underwent a slight change, as they now offer a larger selection of seafood. The seafood selection now includes raw oysters, shrimp cocktail, cooked mussels, smoked salmon, ceviches, and Alaskan crab legs. I was impressed with the variety, and enjoyed quite a few oysters, and mussels myself. The raw oysters were properly shucked, and tasted great with the customary condiments. I would have preferred if the oysters were traditionally served on ice, so that they're constantly kept cool instead of adhering to room temperature. However, I do believe that the staff does constantly rotates new ones out. Unfortunately, our brunch was a little on the late side, and they ran out of Alaskan crab legs by 1 pm, so I didn't get to try it. This station was probably one of my favorites after the dessert table. 


Meat Carving Station: For those wanting meat, they also had a meat carving station with roast beef, and roast lamb as the main staples. However, since it was the Thanksgiving long weekend, turkey was one of the options at the carving station. I enjoyed both options, as the roast beef was tender, while the turkey was moist, and flavorful.





Hot Entrees: There was a good selection of hot entrees from braised short ribs, potato croquet, halibut, ravioli, and butter chicken with white rice. My favorite out of the bunch was the braised short ribs as it was tender, and had a nice melt-in-your-mouth texture. 


Made To Order: The pancakes may not have been made fresh to order, but thankfully their omelets, and Eggs Benedict were. The Windsor Arms offers three classic benny options; classic Benedict (peameal bacon), Florentine (spinach), and Benjamin (smoked salmon). Our server brought us one of each, and they were beautifully presented, and well-portioned. Out of the three, I really enjoyed the Benjamin Eggs Benedict with its perfectly poached egg, smoked salmon, and rich hollandaise sauce. The next dish brought out to us from the kitchen was the lobster baked potato. It was an ingenious way to incorporate lobster to make it a brunch item. The cheesy whipped potatoes weren't as heavy as it looked, and the lobster was baked perfectly to my liking. 

My Plates of Food:

Social Media

Facebook: http://facebook.com/windsorarms

Instagram: http://instagram.com/windsorarms
Twitter: http://twitter.com/windsorarms
Website: http://www.windsorarmshotel.com/dining/courtyardcafe/

The Ritual app aims to eliminate the amount of time needed to wait in lines, and to make the overall takeout process more seamless. You can read more on my write-up on Ritual here. Food isn't necessarily cheap these days. Sometimes, it can be difficult to find a filling meal for under $10. Good thing that there's the Ritual app for that. For one week, I used the Ritual app to find myself meals under $10 in the 5 different neighborhoods that the app services.

Entertainment District @ Maki My Way (293 King St W, Toronto, ON)

The prices of the sushi here are a little expensive, since you have the option to customize your own sushi rolls. Instead of that, I opted for the price-friendly udon soup ($8.50) - served with your choice of shrimp, tempura, beef, chicken, veggie, or pork belly. The udon had a nice chewy texture, and there was a good helping of beef.

[Cheap Eats Under $10] 💰 Looking for some cheap eats in the Entertainment District? Thanks to @ritual_co, I was able to pre-order at Maki My Way, and avoided the lineups #myRitual #bestofritual. ・・・ 📷: Udon soup ($8.50) - served with your choice of beef, chicken, veggie, or pork belly

A photo posted by Sandi ~ Foodaholic! (@foodaholicblog_) on Oct 11, 2015 at 7:42pm PDT

King West @ Banh Mi Boys (392 Queen St W, Toronto, ON)

I have been to Banh Mi Boys several times before, as it's very close to my yoga studio. Many of the items on their menu are under $10, so you can definitely have a full meal here for cheap. Both of the items featured in the picture are under $10 each; kimchi fries ($6.50) - crispy golden fries loaded with smokey pulled pork, spicy kimchi, green onions, and creamy mayo, and kalbi beef banh mi ($7) - baguette with mouthwatering short ribs, pickled carrots, cilantro, cucumber, spicy kimchi, and Asian BBQ sauce. This cheap meal was super satisfying! 

[Cheap Eats Under $10] 💰 Looking for some cheap eats in King West? Thanks to @ritual_co, I was able to pre-order at Banh Mi Boys, and avoided the lineups #myRitual #bestofritual. ・・・ 📷: Kimchi Fries ($6.50) - crispy golden fries loaded with smokey pulled-pork, spicy kimchi, green onions, and creamy mayo // OR fill yourself up with a Kalbi Banh Mi - baguette with mouthwatering short ribs, pickled carrots, cilantro, cucumber, spicy kimchi, and Asian BBQ sauce ($7) . .

A photo posted by Sandi ~ Foodaholic! (@foodaholicblog_) on Oct 12, 2015 at 4:29pm PDT

Liberty Village @ Booster Juice (128 Atlantic Ave #128, Toronto, ON

I wanted a quick, yet cheap lunch while hanging out in the Liberty Village Area, and came across Booster Juice. Now, it's actually more expensive when you buy the items individually, but with the combo, it came up to a mere $9.99 (before tax). I got the Pineapple Freeze (710 ml) ($5.65), and smoked BBQ steak wrap ($4.34) combo, which was more than filling as a lunch. I particularly enjoyed the pineapple drink, as it was rather refreshing on a warm day.

Discovery District @ Mean Bao (275 Dundas St W #19, Toronto, ON)

I can always count on Mean Bao for a cheap meal. They specialize in steamed baos, but they also offer dim sum, dumplings, and tofu pockets on their menu. I got two pork belly baos ($3.95 x 2) - cucumber, hoisin sauce, and they were filling.

St. Lawrence Market @ Ichiban Sushi (58 Wellington St E, Toronto, ON)

Willow’s Eat to the Beat – Roy Thomson Hall – Tuesday, October 27 – 7pm



More information or purchase your ticket(s) at Eat to the Beat


Sixty top female chefs have signed up to lend their support to make the 20th Anniversary of Willow’s
Eat to the Beat an evening not to be missed.  The event, which will take place on Tuesday, October 27, 2015 at 7 pm at Roy Thomson Hall (60 Simcoe Street, Toronto) benefits Willow Breast & Hereditary Support, a not-for-profit organization that offers free peer support to anyone coping with breast cancer. Tickets are $175 (with a tax receipt) and include all food and beverages.

“Willow’s role in a person’s journey with breast cancer and other hereditary forms of cancer is undeniably important in making sure caring and compassionate support and valuable information is there when they need it most,” states Karen Malone, Executive Director of Willow Breast & Hereditary Cancer Support.  “Proceeds raised from Eat to the Beat go directly to our programs and services that Willow offers which are vital in ensuring that women and their families are supported throughout every stage of the individual’s diagnosis and treatment.” 

Guests will have access to 60 female chefs, who are donating their time and talent for the event, and will tantalize guests by personally preparing their delectable specialties on-site.  Mouthwatering sweet and savory delicacies, premium beers, wines and spirits will prove irresistible temptations for Toronto’s foodies and Willow supporters and will be set up around Roy Thomson’s Hall’s outer lobby while Toronto band Arden & The Tourists perform.


“Celebrating 20 years is a significant milestone in the history of Eat to the Beat and we are so grateful to our participating chefs, sponsors and supporters who have helped to make Eat to the Beat Toronto’s must-attend culinary event and fundraiser over the years,” says Barbara Track, Eat to the Beat Co-Chair.

Chefs that have signed up to date include:  Sandra Abballe (Succulent Chocolates); Wanda Beaver (Wanda’s Pie in the Sky); Renée Bellefeuille (Art Gallery of Ontario); Arvinda Chauhan (Arvinda’s); Kyla Eaglesham (Madeleines Cherry Pie and Ice Cream); Alexandra Feswick (The Drake Hotel); Bonnie Gordon (Bonnie Gordon College of Confectionary Arts); Kimberly Humby (East & Main Bistro/Pomodoro); Anna Janes (Cocomira Confections); Leyla Kizilimak (Art Square Gallery and Café); Jacqueline Lo (Ruelo Patisserie); Kimberley Lugsdin (Catering by Kimberley); Joshna Maharaj (Ryerson University); Erin Marcus (Ace Bakery); Joan Monfaredi (Park Plaza Hotel); Catherine O’Donnell (Willow Cakes and Pastries); Angela Panigas (The Sultan's Tent & Café Moroc); Jennifer Perusini (BerBer Social); Karen Rachlin (Bite Catering); Emily Richards (Professional Home Economist); Dufflet Rosenberg (Dufflet Pastries); Trista Sheen (Crush Wine Bar); Lili Sullivan (Waupoos Winery); Karen Viva-Haynes (Viva Tastings);  Vanessa Yeung (Aphrodite Cooks); and many more.

“Our participating chefs, many of whom have been with us from our early days, are planning exquisite culinary treats to commemorate our 20th anniversary of women helping women in support of Willow,” adds Cathy Park, who is co-chairing Eat to the Beat.

Started 20 years ago by Lisa and Abby Slater, Eat to the Beat has raised more than $3.7 million for Willow. In keeping with tradition and adding a bit of sass with class, the event will also feature breast cancer survivors modelling original food-inspired corsets that they have created. 

About Willow Breast & Hereditary Cancer Support

Willow Breast & Hereditary Cancer Support, founded in 1994, is a national not-for-profit organization that provides free support, insight and information to anyone affected by breast or hereditary cancer, including those at high risk. From the individual diagnosed, to family and caregivers, Willow endeavours to ensure that no one needs to face it alone. For more information please visit www.willow.org.  



 

** Photography provided courtesy of Willow’s Eat to the Beat **

 I've mentioned this in an earlier post before, but there is a serious lack of options in Mississauga other than tons of chains. I was craving for some fried chicken one night, and my options were either Popeyes, or K-Pocha. Of course, I chose K-Pocha, as I wanted to try a new place. K-Pocha is a late night Korean restaurant & pub in Mississauga that specializes in Korean style chicken. I have been a fan of Korean fried chicken since I first had it at The Fry. The menu was of course heavily concentrated on fried chicken, but they do offer some standard Korean dishes like bulgogi, rice cakes, pork belly, etc ... In regards to the prices, I would say that their food was fairly priced, as it was definitely cheaper than both The Fry, and Home of Hot Taste.



 

In order to ensure the crispiness of the skin, Korean fried chicken are deep fried twice. This way of deep frying also creates a lot less grease all over the chicken. Looking through the menu, we decided to order the half spicy, half fried option ($21), and an order of crispy french fries ($5). The chicken took a bit of time to come out, but that was understandable as they are made fresh to order. In terms of presentation, both chicken were plated together with a few pieces of crispy fries. Nothing too special, but it was piping hot (just the way I like it). The fried chicken at K-Pocha had a nice crispy skin, and the meat itself was juicy. It wasn't heavy, or greasy at all, which was a great alternative to the greasiness of western chicken. I preferred the fried chicken over their spicy chicken, which I didn't think was spicy enough. I liked the taste of the sweet glaze, but I wished that it had provided a little more kick.

The overall atmosphere was good for large groups, and they also had a few private booths on the side for a more intimate dining experience. The one thing that surprised me most was that they don't refill the kimchi at all. I have never been to a Korean establishment where they don't refill the bachan, or this case ... just a tiny bowl of kimchi. I just thought that was super stingy of K-Pocha, cause it was something that was unheard of. However, this doesn't deter me from returning to K-Pocha, as I did liked their fried chicken, and they are one of the few options in Mississauga that offers it.

Over the past few years, there has been an influx of ramen restaurants popping up in Toronto, more specifically in downtown. One of them was Santouka Ramen , which opened its door in late 2011, and has become a pretty popular destination for a ramen fix. Santouka Ramen is a ramen chain originating from Hokkaido, Japan, with several international locations, so you do get an authentic taste of ramen here. After an event, my friend, and I decided to drop by for a quick dinner. We waited about 10 minutes to be seated, which wasn't too bad. 

Santouka Ramen specializes in tonkotsu broth, and they have a specific method to get the pearl-colored Tonkotsu soup. Although, that sounded very tempting, I opted for their Shio Ramen (salt flavor) ($10.95) - our signature ramen which is mild and creamy soup seasoned with salt. Shio Ramen is our only ramen that is topped off with a Japanese pickled plum. There was also an option to add additional toppings for a surcharge, which I chose corn for an extra $1. Overall, it was relatively well-portioned, and there was a generous amount of perfectly cooked ramen noodles. The broth itself was light, and slightly creamy, which I enjoyed. Reviews have often stated that they found the broth to be much saltier compared to other establishments. However, I have been several ramen restaurants during my 2013 Japan vacation, and it was equally salty over there. I highly recommend Santouka Ramen for their ramen, and they offer quick, and friendly service. So next time you find yourself craving some ramen, drop by Santouka Ramen for some.

I had the opportunity to attend a tour of this lovely neighborhood called “The Upper Beaches" prior to my trip to Europe. The neighborhood had an abundance of small and indie shops, and there was a sense of belonging to a community, as shop owners and locals knew one another. I joined a small group of bloggers, and we visited a couple of the shops in the neighborhood, where we got to meet and chat with the respective local business owners. We also traveled in style - in a limo.

We made a quick pit stop to The Stone Pizza; a local pizzeria that specializes in eight house-made pizzas with customizable toppings. They pride themselves on making everything from scratch using only the freshest ingredients, as they don't even have a freezer on-site. Their menu consists of eight house pizzas that are all made from scratch daily. We tried three of their pizzas; The Apple Jack, The Margherita, and The Me-Ted. It's amazing how fresh the pizzas tasted, and who knew that grilled apples would make a great topping on a pizza. Additionally, the pizza dough was cooked properly, and there was a nice balance of cheese, and sauce.  Overall, The Stone Pizza was a nice independent pizza shop in the The Upper Beaches area, and I'm glad that we got to try it out.

Click here to read more about the Streetcar Developments Upper Beaches Tour that I had to opportunity to attend.

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

I had the opportunity to attend a tour of this lovely neighborhood called “The Upper Beaches" about two weeks ago. The neighborhood had an abundance of small and indie shops, and there was a sense of belonging to a community, as shop owners and locals knew one another. I joined a small group of bloggers, and we visited a couple of the shops in the neighborhood, where we got to meet and chat with the respective local business owners. We also traveled in style - in a limo.

One of the stops was to The Beech Tree for a quick dinner; it's a restaurant along Kingston Road offering traditional pub fare. Robert Maxwell, owner, quit his job as a former analyst, to open up his own restaurant after realizing his culinary dreams. Despite being a first-time restaurateur, he has succeeded in creating a warm space where people could enjoy "comforting and accessible food made with good ingredients and flair." The Beech Tree specializes in creating from-scratch dishes that are made with locally sourced ingredients, and providing customers with an exceptional dining experience. I liked that the menu incorporate inspirations from British, Italian, and French cuisines, but they do add a more Ontario-centric interpretations of these dishes.

Click here to read more about the Streetcar Developments Upper Beaches Tour that I had to opportunity to attend.