Frankie’s Modern Diner (Victoria)

Before a day of sightseeing, we like to properly prepare ourselves with a hearty meal and Frankie’s Modern Diner seemed like the ideal spot to tuck into a traditional no-fuss breakfast. The large wooden booths provide the mood of a diner, but I can see why they describe it as being modernized with the well-spaced fixtures, whimsical touches, and the French windows that open to create a lovely airy environment.

Normally, I like to keep it simple and order off the menu, but with all the ingredient choices, I opted to create my own omelette ($10) so that I could get pico de gallo paired with spinach (additional $3). The egg was beautifully prepared to a lovely uniform thinness and was filled to the brim with the vegetable toppings.

Unsure about the asiago cream sauce & parmesan cheese the menu describes as covering the home fries, I requested it on the side and found it was more shaved cheese than cream sauce – great for tucking into the omelette for some extra decadence. And you certainly won’t leave hungry with the amount of home fries that comes with the meal, all well-toasted but also overly salted.

Yet, what cinched the meal for me was the ability to choose a pancake or toast as a side… who would pick toast when pancake is an option?! And it was a good pancake to boot – fluffy and soft (but not sticky) with a lovely crust that acted as a barrier against the pancake becoming a syrup sponge as well as creating a pleasant chewy texture. The meal was the perfect combination of an egg-based main with bressert (breakfast dessert) that I love.

Frankie’s had us thinking about lunch not long after finishing our meal as we made our way back to the entrance where their enormous cakes and pies were in full display. If only we were in Victoria for longer, I’d certainly give Frankie’s another visit. 

Overall mark - 8 out of 10

How To Find Them

 Location: Victoria, Canada
 Address: 910 Government Street

 Website: https://frankiesmoderndiner.com/

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Gastro World's Grading System

• Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
• 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
• 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
• 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
• 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
• 10 - absolute perfection!

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Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

• The Patrician Grill
• Hazel's Diner

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Café Landmark 香港開飯喇 (Hong Kong)

Rarely can one dine amongst names like Balenciaga, Dior, and Jimmy Cho in view. Pristine storefronts displaying items of opulence.  If that’s a dream, Café Landmark is suspended in the middle of the Landmark’s atrium; looking upon floors of luxury stores, an ideal spot for shopaholics.

If you’re about to blow thousands on a pair of stilettos, than one of Café Landmark’s breakfast sets will help pinch pennies and provide enough sustenance for the day. They’re a great deal with two “courses” as well as a choice of bread (one being a croissant), coffee or tea, and juice. I like that they even heat up the milk for your tea.

The Classic Hong Kong Set ($125) starts with scrambled eggs and ham. Perhaps it’s common in HK, but the eggs were extremely underdone, a creamy watery bite that’s off-putting for me. Shaking off the uncooked egg and sandwiching it in the hot croissant with ham made it bearable, even delicious. Most people go for the croissant. Yes, it’s a little dark looking, but hot from a warmer, it makes for a fragrant and flakey accompaniment.  

Soon after, the second course arrives – a generous portion of macaroni and BBQ pork in broth. While this may seem heavy for breakfast, a pasta with protein is a popular option in the city. Diners can choose from spaghetti or macaroni, paired with ham, beef, BBQ pork, or chicken. 

For me, the pork soup was a bit plain, as I looked longingly at the bowls filled with tomato and beef broth that regulars seemed to ask for instead. Nonetheless, it was hot, the BBQ pork plentiful (I had already gone through two slices before remembering to take a picture) and, most importantly, tasty once everything came together.

If you’re not afraid of sweating, their seafood congee ($90) arrives PIPING hot containing large pieces of shrimp, scallop, fish and shredded crab meat. It takes a while to get through as the bowl is also heated, causing it to retain its temperature throughout our 30 minute breakfast. The fried dough pieces were a tad greasy, but after being dunked into the congee for a while, it all melts away.

For both meals, I wanted to “eat local” with their Asian breakfasts. Café Landmark also offers a variety of Western-style options … the menu can take some time to get through. An omelet ($125) was also runny and forgettable, but their blueberry pancakes ($105) were decent. Although the batter could use more egg, the pancakes were very fluffy and the sauce an interesting combination of syrup and melted butter in one.

I swear it wasn’t the glittery stores that made me want to dine at Café Landmark two days in a row. Rather their Central location to transportation and comfortable surroundings at reasonable prices had us returning. I’m a girl that likes to eat: give me a croissant to a clutch, any day.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10

How To Find Them

 Location: Central, Hong Kong
 Address: 15 Queen's Road (inside Landmark building)

 Website: https://www.landmark.hk/dining/cafe-landmark

Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

• Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
• 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
• 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
• 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
• 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
• 10 - absolute perfection!

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CLOSED: County General (Toronto)

Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 798 Queen Street East
Type of Meal: Brunch

Upon arriving at County General Riverside for weekend brunch, I was shocked to find the place empty. Sure, we had decided to meet earlier (10:30) to avoid the rush, but for me to be able to pick wherever I wanted to sit? Well that’s just refreshing. In fact, everything about County General is laid-back from their décor, staff, mismatched plates and non-rushed service. It takes some time for the food to arrive, but once it does you realize it’s worth the wait.

Wanting to have something savoury and sweet, my friend and I decide to split their famed chicken thigh sandwich ($12) and save room for “dessert”. The thick piece of fried chicken is delicious – oozing with juices, will brined and encased in a crunchy exterior. It’s actually the closest dish to reliving my lunch at Willie Mae’s Scotch House.

Slathered with a creamy avocado chutney, tangy pickled onions and a fair amount of fresh cilantro, these lightened the sandwich so it didn’t feel too gluttonous for the first meal of the day. We substituted the regular salad for kale ($2 supplement) which is well flavoured with a creamy roasted garlic sauce, fried capers, croutons and tons of shaved Thunder Oak gouda.

I’m so glad we decided to share so we could each enjoy a butter milk pancake ($4). Firstly, I must commend County General for selling their pancakes and French toast by the piece. It really helps indecisive individuals like me with being able to have a bit of everything. Generally, I lean towards ordering savoury dishes, but pancakes and French toast are those little made breakfast items I also crave.

County General’s pancake is unique; it’s denser and without the airy pockets. However, given its thinness the pancake still feels light. But, what makes it stand out is the deep crust that forms on the bottom (it’s a deep brown colour that if given another minute could border along burnt). This crust adds a great caramelized taste and smell to the pancake. Topped with plenty of maple syrup and stewed strawberries it’s worth saving room for.

Pictured below, but I did not try, are some of their other entrees my friends ordered. The croque madame ($12) made with pulled pork (instead of ham), fried egg, mornay sauce (a béchamel with cheese) and BBQ sauce. 

And the sausage and eggs ($12) served with tomato jam and hash browns. The sausages were served in a deep fried nugget form rather than links.

I’m so glad more restaurants are starting to open in the East end of the city. Since I live Uptown, the drive down is much easier, parking is a breeze (there’s unpaid street parking around the restaurant) and everything just seems calmer. After all, brunch should be a leisurely affair – who wants to feel hurried and arrive at a restaurant only to find a line-up?

Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10

Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog

____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

• Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
• 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
• 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
• 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
• 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
• 10 - absolute perfection!

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