The Royal 避風塘小炒 (Toronto)

Location: Scarborough, Canada
Address: 3587 Sheppard Avenue East
Type of Meal: Dinner




The Royal is the old school style Chinese restaurant with minimal décor, tightly packed tables and brightly lit neon signs proudly showcasing what customers can expect to eat – fresh seafood. At the very least, be thankful they kept their walls white so all the colours don’t become too overwhelming.

Following the traditional family style restaurants, The Royal also posts bright hand written dishes along the walls. Some of these items are on their menu, with the paper acting to further entice customers, while others added later so are left off the printed menu. Unfortunately, for some dishes we ordered that night it was the later so not all pricing is include below.

A big bowl of complementary pork bone soup is brought out and served. Having been boiled for hours the broth is flavourful but could be hotter.


Afterwards, dishes are presented in quick succession. The sweet and sour pork ($8.95) was delicious containing big chunks of juicy pork, fried crispy and encased in a nice strong sauce.


You really can’t visit this place without having some seafood. Since we had a larger table we ordered their big lobster which was on special for $11.99 a pound; we asked for a smaller one but it was still five pounds. The Royal can prepare it a number of ways – stir fried with green onions & ginger, steamed with garlic or deep fried with chili and salt. We opted for the “bay fung tong” style which is deep fried and then stir fried with a spicy ground beef mixture. All in all, the dish had good flavours and the lobster was plump and sweet.

                                                                                                                                                                   
With the tomalley, the flavourful gooey mixture found in the lobster’s head, a second dish was made by steaming it with egg. This is great for mixing into steamed rice to give it a silky richness. I only wish there was less ginger as the Chef went a bit overboard with it causing me to have to pick some out before eating.


The XO-sauce stir fried fish fillet with vegetables ($9.95) appeared to be a popular dish. The fish may have been frozen as I found the texture a tad soft and not the best quality, but the XO flavours was pronounced and had a great heat to it. Tossed with it were crispy snow peas and celery. A decent dish but for the price I’d suggest going with the seafood bird’s nest instead.


There is more seafood within the bird’s nest ($15.95) - shrimp, squid and scallop. All were in fairly big pieces simply stir fried with more of the customary snow pea and celery. Thankfully, at Royal they still make their bird’s nest with slivers of taro (some restaurants are taking the easy way out and using wonton wrappers instead). But, the taro needs to be shredded thinner as the nest was a tad hard.


For greens we ordered the baby bok choy with enoki mushrooms ($7.45). In the saucy mixture on top there were also slices of Chinese black mushrooms and grated carrots. In all, it was good but could benefit from more salt.


Although arriving piping hot, the deep fried pork chop with chili and salt ($8.95) was only average as the spice mixture didn’t stick to the meat. So, the dish became somewhat lackluster unless you made the effort to spoon some of the spices back on.


Not being a huge fan of the next dish, I skipped with deep fried oyster with green onions in hot pot, but it was happily enjoyed but the rest of the table.


To end, the complementary dessert. Sometimes you’ll get a sweet red bean soup but during our visit it was a plate of sliced oranges – I guess a boost of vitamin C never hurts in the winter time.


The Royal isn’t very big; so, if you don’t make a reservation or arrive early expect a queue. During our Sunday dinner there was a fair amount of patrons waiting for a table. However, food comes out quickly and service is friendly and efficient so no one seemed to have waited long.

In my opinion, it’s by no means the best Chinese restaurant you can go to. So, if you’re going to travel a long distance to eat here save yourself the time and effort. But, it’s a great family friendly location with affordable prices. When in the area, it doesn’t hurt to check it out.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10

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____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • - 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!



Kingyo (Toronto)

Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 51B Winchester Street
Website: http://kingyotoronto.ca/
Type of Meal: Lunch






Success! I’ve finally made it out to Kingyo! It’s been on my list of restaurants to visit for two years and at last a perfect opportunity for a meal presented itself. Situated on a quiet street off Parliament, the restaurant is unexpectedly large on the inside. Unlike most izakayas, the dining room is open concept and the tables, thankfully, aren’t packed too closely together.

Their lunch menu looked delicious with many options to choose from. Wanting to try a bit of everything, their assorted deluxe bento ($17) seemed like a good choice. At first, I was nervous there’d be none left (they only make ten sets per day), but we were early enough to score one.


It arrives as a tray filled with various small dishes, pickled vegetables, a generous bowl of rice and miso soup. This is certainly a satisfying meal that would be great for sharing with a couple more dishes from their a la carte menu.

The seared ahi-tuna was beautifully presented and the dish that drew my attention. Thinly sliced it was topped with a chili oil that wasn’t too spicy, which didn’t cover the fish. Personally, I would have liked the addition of something vinegary and/or salty mixed into everything, but all in all a decent dish.


I’m undecided on the deep fried taro croquettes. Not knowing what they were, I bit into them expecting takoyaki (Japanese octopus balls). When I was greeted with a salty smooth paste it seemed off. The taro flavour was so subtle that there was little taste but salt. These need a contrasting texture – the crust wasn’t crispy enough and there was nothing added into the filling. In the end, it all just seemed a tad mushy for my taste.

What redeemed the bento was the chicken karaage - my favorite of all the dishes. Juicy, hot and crispy; it was nuggets of perfectly fried chicken. Kingyo’s karaage is influenced by a version served at O-Sho, a restaurant in Japan. What makes it different from most is the pepper mixed into the batter which adds a slightly elevated flavour.  


The pork belly must have been braised for hours as it simply melts in your mouth and is filled with a juicy sweet essence. Served on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes it’s a delicious rich dish that should be enjoyed in smaller portions. 

A rolled up egg omelette with a dollop of grated turnip added a lovely colour to the platter but was forgettable. It was cold and lacked any flavour. 


A refreshing addition to the bento was the tofu salad. Two slices of silky tofu was simply dressed in a soy ponzu sauce and topped with garlic chips for an added hit of flavour and crunch. 

The tempura shrimp were disappointing as they were lukewarm, over battered and lacked the fluffy crust normally expected. But, the accompanying tartar sauce was tasty. 


At first, the minced pork meatball showed promise with its tender meat and sweet sauce. The flavour reminded me of the Shanghainese “lion head” meatballs, except with a finer texture. However, in the middle of my meatball there was a big hunk of raw meat which was off putting. 

The pickled napa cabbage with carrots went well to counterbalance the fried food. While the blanched chives required more salt as it was far too bland (I ended up dipping it in the pork belly potato mixture). 


As customary for Japanese set meals there was a bowl of warm miso soup to wash down everything. At Kingyo, theirs contained slivers of root vegetables which was quite nice.


In general, I found the bento had way too many fried items and lacked the fish I was expecting. On Kingyo’s website, their bento is pictured with sashimi and grilled fish – both would have likely been much tastier than the poorly executed tempura shrimp and meatball. Sadly, my bento was a combination of dishes that didn’t highlight what Kingyo could do well in. 

My friend’s dishes that were ordered off their a la carte menu looked much more impressive. Aside, from looking beautiful, she noted they were also delicious. The aburi toro and avocado battera ($14.80) was a pressed sushi topped with tuna.


Additionally, the seared tuna with avocado ($11.80) looked like it’d be a cacophony of flavours and textures – a dish that would definitely be up my alley.


Based on the experience, the bento was marginal but the other a la carte dishes looked much more impressive. Additionally, I have heard good things about their ramen, which seems to only be served during dinner. Who knows, perhaps I would have greater success with an evening meal. Alas, it may be another two years before I have an excuse to return. 

Overall mark - 7 out of 10

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____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • - 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!



Kitten and the Bear (Toronto)

Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 1574 Queen Street West
Website: http://kittenandthebear.com/
Type of Meal: Brunch




When you hear “Kitten and the Bear”, you wouldn’t think of an artisanal preserves shop that serves great scones. However, that’s what you’ll find. Situated in Parkdale is a quaint shop and café in one. Their sitting area is small – there are two tables (one for two and the other for three) – but eating there is such a treat. Aside from the cute teapots and cups, the smell of baking scones is intoxicating, making me salivate as soon as I walked in.

My friend and I settled over the tea for two ($28). Firstly, a pot of loose leaf tea courtesy of Sloane Fine Tea Merchants. There was a large selection and we opted for the “Heavenly Cream”. I suggest skipping the sugar and milk as there’s a beautiful fragrance to the tea that ends up getting drowned out. Plus, the tea contains a vanilla and honey property to it that already makes it feel sweet.


If you and your companion can’t settle on the same choice, you can also each get something different – it’ll just be served in single cups rather than an entire pot.

At Kitten and the Bear there’s only one type of scone – buttery plain scones. There’s not a single current, shred of cheese or zest of lemon added to them. Trust me, you’re not missing anything as they are great the way they are. A slightly crunchy crust that encapsulates a dense but fluffy centre.


The preserves is of course what the shop highlights. We’re able to choose three from the four available that day:
  • Black Plum and Sloane’s Earl Grey Tea: delicious, juicy and sweet. I really couldn’t get the essence from the Earl Grey but the plums were great. I ended up picking up a jar to take home.
  • Spiced Fuyu persimmon: it was described as similar to pumpkin pie. Indeed, the cinnamon and nutmeg spices were evident but the persimmon very subtle.
  • Blackberry and balsamic: we didn’t choose this as were told it is generally paired better with savoury elements (such as roasted pork) or with a cheese board.
  • Winter spiced banana: the fruit was very evident but a tad sweet for me.

The co-owner, Sophie, threw in a fourth one for good measure – pear with mulled wine. I’m certainly glad she did as it ended up being my favourite of the selection. There was a similarity to the black plum, but less sweet and the addition of mulled wine such a wonderful combination. I couldn’t help but also purchase a jar of this as well.


That’s the beauty of the tea tasting. You’re able to try out the preserves in their full glory before purchasing. We sampled each one, mixed them into the thick clotted cream and combined to our hearts content. After deciding on our favourites, we could purchase a jar to take home for $10.


Not included in the tasting, but offered for sale, were premium preserves ($14) made from unique ingredients such as red currant with fresh elderflower and mango nectarine with Linden honey.


As we didn’t want to waste any of the jams, we ended up getting another scone to share ($3). If you want to skip the tea, you can also purchase the scones to go ($4 and includes one jam. Additional jams or clotted cream for $1). But, trust me, try to get a table. That heavenly smell of baking scones and simmering preserves is part of the experience. If you get a chance, check out Kitten and the Bear – a great place for brunch. 

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CLOSED: Chalau Dim Sum Restaurant (Toronto)

Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 476 Yonge Street
Type of Meal: Lunch



In my lifetime, I’ve had a lot of dim sum. If you have no idea what that is, head over to my all about dim sum post here to learn more. Admittedly, most of my experiences with it have been at traditional locations in downtown Chinatown or in the suburbs. But, I’ve also splurged and tried contemporary locations such as Luckee as well. So, when my cousin suggested we visit another new age location, Cha Lau, I was gamed.


Cha Lau is the Cantonese saying for 'tea house', which is where dim sum is served. Historically, people would go to these places for tea and socializing, but there happened to be food available as well. Presently, individuals generally go for the food and the tea becomes an afterthought. At Cha Lau, their tea was nice and fragrant, served in beautiful dishes that look more at home in an izakaya than a Chinese restaurant.


For most families, you haven’t had dim sum until you’ve ordered har gow (a shrimp dumpling) and siu mai (a pork dumpling). The pork siu mai ($4.25) was the better of the two: plump, juicy and had a nice sweet seafood essence from the shrimp mixed throughout and scallop on top. Meanwhile, the supreme shrimp dumplings ($4.85) were far from “supreme” and pretty ordinary. Nonetheless, the wrapper was a nice thinness and the chef did take the time to remove all the gritty black innards that can be found in shrimp.


For my buck, I’d rather spend it on the shrimp, scallop and asparagus dumplings ($4.85) instead. They had a richer seafood taste to it and the asparagus added a pleasant fresh contrast to the protein.


Another typical dish to order is the steamed rice noodle rolls (cheung fun). We tried the shrimp ($5) and chicken and Chinese mushroom ($4) versions. The rice noodle was daftly made so that it was thin but still had the strength to hold in the fillings. It was also nice that they slit them apart so the soy sauce could get into all the nooks and crannies.  


The BBQ pork buns ($3) and pan seared white radish cake ($3.95) were both forgettable. There was nothing inherently wrong with them but nothing impressive as well.


The saddest dish of the meal was the spare ribs with black bean sauce ($3.85). After pushing them together a bit the photo turned out much better than expected. Cha Lau should consider raising its price and giving more pieces per dish. Somehow scrawny pieces of spare ribs swimming in a pool of clear broth isn’t an appealing sight.


The pan seared shrimp and Chinese chive dumpling ($4.85; 2 orders shown below) had some great flavours but was very over priced for its size. The menu notes their customers call it a “hockey puck”; I’d describe it closer to a flattened golf ball.


If you couldn’t tell already, Cha Lau’s serving sizes are small. Perhaps Chinese restaurants in the suburbs now super-size their dishes, but we were hungry and had to do a second round to satisfy ourselves. Luckily, we loaded up on starchier dishes like the steamed vegetable rice with chicken in a bamboo steamer ($5) and rice noodle in soup with pork chop ($5). Both were decent – I enjoyed the addition of the chopped Shanghainese bok choy in the rice and the rice noodles were silky and not overcooked.


The fried stuffed chicken wings ($6) were interesting and showed some skill. Here, Cha Lau debones a chicken wing and stuffs it with a glutinous sticky rice with small bits of lap cheung (a cured pork sausage). The chicken was hot and crispy but the glutinous rice needed further ingredients to add flavour - more lap cheung, some salt and some green onions to give it freshness. The dish did show some skill, but was a far cry from the stuffed chicken wings I’ve had as a child where the chefs would debone the entire wing (both the drum and middle parts) and serve it whole.

 

As a warning, the desserts are single size portions – these are not meant to be shared. The mango pudding ($3) was smooth but could have benefited from some pieces of real mango in it.


I was excited to see the steamed trio crystal buns ($3.65) as Ginger and Onion use to have a similar dessert where the wrapper is made from tapioca starch (sadly, it’s been displaced from their menu). Cha Lau’s arrives in little balls, filled with egg custard, red bean paste and taro paste. I only tried the taro one but everyone agreed that the fillings needed to be sweeter as the tapioca bun layer had no flavour so really dulls the dish.


Cha Lau is pricier than other locations, despite the smaller portions. But, it’s understandable with the higher rent attached to its Yonge and College location. So, if you have no means to head uptown or over to Broadview, it would be a decent alternative. But, for the mobile, I suggest branching out instead. 

Overall mark - 6 out of 10


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____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • - 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!



King Catering Holiday Pop-Up Taster Contest (Toronto)

Website: http://www.kingcatering.ca/


King Catering specializes in creating Caribbean dishes with a North American twist, offering corporate/event catering, personal chef services and participating in festival activities. Their pop-up taster events are designed to showcase some of their innovative dishes, for those who may not have had a chance to try them, within a social atmosphere. 



In December, they will be hosting a Holiday Pop-Up Taster and I'm giving away a pair of tickets for you and a guest to attend.  Get ready to fill your bellies with a 5-course meal:

  • Callaloo soup
  • Tropical bruschetta
  • Braised jerk pork ravioli
  • Deep fried breadfruit with spicy Trini meatballs
  • Coconut sorrel mousse
As well as be entertained with music by DJ Jay Dunaway. Work away those calories and dance the night away at their after party which will also include a burlesque dance show by the Toronto Raptor cheerleaders.

Details

Date: Saturday, December 27
Time: 7:30 - 10:30 (after party to follow)
Location: The Ballet 
              227 Ossington Avenue
              Toronto, Ontario

How To Enter Contest

1. Follow @Gastroworldblog and @KingCateringTO on Twitter

2. Tweet the following in it's entirety:

@Gastroworldblog, I want to eat, dance & be merry at @KingCateringTO 's holiday pop-up taster! http://www.gastroworld.ca/2014/12/king-catering-holiday-pop-up-taster.html #KingCateringContest

A winner will be chosen on the morning of December 26 and contacted via Twitter. The winner will have until 2pm that day to provide the required details to claim their prize.

Good luck and happy holidays!


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The Carbon Bar Revisited (Toronto)

Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 99 Queen Street East
Website: http://thecarbonbar.ca/
Type of Meal: Dinner


Earlier in the year, I dined at Carbon Bar when it first opened (for a description of the restaurant and to read about my experience go here). Recently, I heard on weekends they hire a DJ and the restaurant transforms into a lounge afterwards. During the winter, anywhere that minimizes outdoor travel times is welcomed, so a return visit was in order.

But, before the drinking festivities began, eating a substantial dinner seemed to be the responsible choice. Since the beef brisket ($22) was the highlight of my last meal it had to be ordered. Again, it was smoky, flavourful and tender – everything you’d want brisket to be. This time the dish was larger (albeit the price has also risen by $3) and contained various cuts of brisket ranging from marbled to lean.


The first fatty marbled slices were heaven, the meat was so soft and tender that it melted on the tongue. I didn’t even need the sweet molasses BBQ sauce as the brisket’s natural juices were so delicious. If you’ll be trying more than one slice, I suggest having the lean one first as after enjoying the marbled delight everything else pales in comparison.

More meat was in order, this time the dry-aged hanger steak ($27). Cooked to a perfect medium rare, the steak was very tender for this tougher cut of beef. Simply seasoned, the natural flavours of the beef shone through. An ample portion of hollandaise was included on the side if diners needed something saucy. The sauce itself was decent, but with so many rich ingredients donning the plate, I personally would have preferred something lighter (such as chimichurri).


Unlike the other dishes, the hanger steak had sides included. A pile of starchy smashed and fried potatoes that was tossed with some tart kimchi. Topping the mound was a fried egg whose runny yolk covered the potatoes in a gooey sauce. And a few soshito peppers as well. This was certainly a varied dish – with different cultural influences and a combination that makes it satisfying for brunch or dinner.

Not reading the menu properly, we also ordered a side of soshito peppers ($8). But, I enjoyed these non-spicy peppers so happily munched on more of them. The fire roasted eggplant dip which accompanied the bar snack was rather mild and forgettable, perhaps a dash of cayenne pepper or garlic would be a nice addition.


The TCB slaw ($4) is a side worth getting. It’s everything I enjoy about coleslaw – crunchy vegetables and a predominantly vinegar based sauce with a touch of creaminess. At Carbon Bar they also sprinkled crushed corn nuts on top which adds even more crunch to everything.


Lastly, was the side of collard greens ($5), this time simply dressed with a dollop of butter rather than stewed in a tomato sauce. There was still enough flavour to it and the leafy greens retaining some of its freshness. Another great side to pair with hunks of meat.


Perhaps it was the holiday season, but the restaurant really didn’t pick up after dinner. We moved over to the lounge area but the promised DJ and beats never happened. Nonetheless, some cocktails were sampled. The most impressive was the black mamba margarita ($16) which was set a blaze at the table. It’s a strong drink, not exactly my taste, made with charcoal infused tequila, Bowmore scotch, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, lime and a sea salt rim.


The volstead ($13) suited me better with a gin base, Amaro nino herbal liqueur, agave syrup, cucumber juice, lime and orange bitters. It was very refreshing and helped to alleviate the full feeling I had after all the meat.


A cocktail that’s perfect for the holidays is the borealis sour ($14). Despite the name, there’s nothing sour about it … if anything it’s sweet from the maple whiskey. Mixed with rye, banana liqueur and topped with a foamy egg white sprinkled with spices it’s a nice alternative to dessert.


Alas, I wasn’t able to work the calories off with music and dancing. But, the visit to Carbon Bar allowed me to have some great conversations and catch up with friends. And really, that is what the holidays is all about. Additionally, I feel the restaurant has improved since my first visit – for example, offering various cuts of brisket on one plate. So, it’s been awarded another 0.5 to round off their score to an eight.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10

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____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • - 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!