Showing posts with label Drinks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Drinks. Show all posts

CLOSED: Regulars Bar (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, November 11, 2018 by

The former Blowfish has undergone a transformation: from a restaurant offering sushi to an establishment with a casual vibe and a menu so varied you’ll find something to try. On Friday, their social hour specials makes it difficult to resist the offer of $1 an oz wine. In this case, the house red (Caleo Primitivo) is better than the white (Scarpetta Pinot Grigio) as cheap white wine really needs to be frigidly cold.

A selection of snacks, normally $6, decreases by a loonie so you can start off with a nibble for only $5. As the avocado bruschetta was presented, we tried our best to look past the presentation of what looks like a green pile of dung on a rice crisp. Sadly, it doesn’t taste better than it looks.


The Jamaican patty is a much better option, stuffed with a generous portion of Red Stripe braised oxtail in a flaky crust. While it’s already flavourful on its own, add some of the neon scotch bonnet pepper jelly sauce and it gets even better. Just be careful, although it looks like sweet and sour sauce, it really has a kick!


In terms of mains, the poke wrap ($18) could be better described as make-your-own tacos. Except, the three toasted flour wraps are not nearly enough for the sheer amount of soy marinated salmon spiked with pickled mushrooms and jicama & edamame slaw. While there are a ton of great flavours, tanginess from the pickled mushrooms and sweetness from the sesame seaweed salad, the dish is too watery and difficult to eat. On a high point, the shoestring fries that arrive with the “wrap” are fantastic.


The teriyaki salmon soba ($19) is similar to the poke wrap, using many of the same ingredients except the salmon is cooked and in lieu of the seaweed salad there’s ginger and soy tossed Asian vegetables instead. The soba noodles were too mushy, but at least the fish was just cooked through and the overall dish easier to eat.


All the lackluster food aside, Regulars does have a great vibe: spacious soaring ceilings and a palette of cash lying in the corner under a sign boldly declaring that “Money doesn’t buy happiness.” 


My eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to all the neon fixtures along the walls, in particular the “Fuck social media, I’m dope in real life”. Perhaps, that’s already their response to this post. They’re so cool they just don’t care.

Overall mark - 6 out of 10

How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 668 King Street West


 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!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:


CLOSED: The Lockhart (aka the Harry Potter inspired bar) (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, September 01, 2018 by

The Lockhart’s connection to Harry Potter has been blown out of proportion by the media … they are not a “Harry Potter bar”. Even the owners warn visitors they are merely a bar with elements inspired by JK Rowling’s famous story – a tribute or theme bar it’s not.


Sure, you’ll find Pop Toys of the characters amongst a lot of other references on the walls. The downstairs washroom area is decorated with beautiful murals, the staircase leading to the basement with pages from the book. Let’s just say you’ll be entertained if you’re waiting for a stall. Even some of the mixers pay homage to the books – a shot of marauder anyone?


Just don’t expect to see the movies playing (the only TV in the bar is actually a chalkboard) or even the movie scores to serenade you (there was an awesome 90s slow jams and R&B playlist).

Of course, it didn’t stop me from ordering the Betterbeer ($11.50), a drink that looks like a milkshake but tastes like a lightly creamed ginger beer. The cinnamon-infused toasted butter washed Sauza meant I couldn’t even taste the tequila... talk about being befuddled. Despite being creamy, the drink finishes light from the carbonated beer. I don’t get the significance of the toasted marshmallow, but it was delicious nevertheless.


Cocktails like the Botanist ($12) and Royal Tea ($10.75) are simply beautiful. While I normally love cucumber and floral based drinks, the Botanist was even too much for me. The Royal Tea is a mellower choice with no floral essence other than the sprig of Baby’s Breathe used for garnish. It reminded me of a spiked lemonade iced tea with the refreshing raspberry rooibos infused Absolut peach with lemon.


If you enjoy a savoury Ceasar ($12), you’re able to customize the spice level and I find it has a mellower finish. The generally overpowering Worcestershire is nicely restrained.


Their mixologists must be busy with potion's homework as The Lockhart also makes the syrups and infusions used within the cocktails. Creating so many of the inputs does mean their menu is condensed and carefully curated. It seems a trip to Hogsmeade is in order.   
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1479 Dundas Street West



Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:



The Drake Hotel (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, October 01, 2016 by
The Drake Hotel has a cool vibe, a varied crowd that seems chic but comfortable, and even as you make your way to the impossibly small single-stalled bathrooms, the rooftop Sky Yard catches your attention. I don’t have to go back down just yet, do I? Everyone looks like they’re having so much fun!

It’s a great place for lounging and having one too many drinks. Perhaps, a pitcher of wildly refreshing white wine sangria ($35) - the cubes of watermelon, citrus, and grapefruit soda makes the wine, tequila and Cointreau go down like water.


While the restaurant satisfies with cocktails and scenery, their food is another story. My friend’s lobster tempura maki ($16) were cold, soggy and mushy… what I get for lunch from the food court under my building is better than this.

My own flat iron ($26) steak wasn’t that much better. The tougher cut wasn’t improved in any way so the beef remained chewy. Aside from the small dish of chimichurri (this was quite tasty), the meat comes alone; a side of forgettable green salad ($6) was required to round out the meal.


If I ever return, I’ll stick with the Drake burger. That I’ve eaten - it’s a burger, it’s fine. Or likely the Drake will just remain a place for drinks only.

Overall mark - 6 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1150 Queen Street West

 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!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

The Lounge - The Drake Hotel Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

CLOSED: 120 Diner (Toronto)

Posted on Friday, June 24, 2016 by
120 Diner

Based on my experience, 120 Diner should really be considered a music lounge as opposed to a diner. On Friday evening, a singer who was part of Music Can Heal, serenaded us with mellow songs which washed away the weekday worries and left us in a meditative trance. The restaurant also features jazz, cabaret, comedic acts and even karaoke nights if you want to grace the stage (here’s the full calendar). 

Similar to music lounges, they offer a variety of cocktails. Two of their in-house concocted mixes look similar but couldn’t be more different.
  • The Burning Ember ($7.10), the same signature red as the tables, is their take on a vodka cran with a splash of ginger ale for bubbles.  
  • Meanwhile, the White Freezie ($9.75) may not look like the childhood frozen treat, but one sip will bring back memories. Surprisingly, we learned it’s the combination raspberry Sourpuss and banana that gives the frozen dessert that distinctive flavour.

Even the Grey Goose Peach Mojito ($12), the least colourful of the bunch, has an element of whimsy from the skewer of candy that accompanies the refreshing drink. I don’t know about you, the anything with muddled mint makes for a great summer drink.


It’s a shame the chicken wings ($12.95 for 1lb) occupies so little of the menu’s real estate (compared to the quarter page dedicated to nachos and poutine) – I almost missed ordering them. Yet, it’d be a shame not to try their wings as they’re fantastic (certainly gives my current favourite, Real Sports, a run for its money).


Using a “jumbo” size, 7-8 arrive in a pound each having an excellent crunchy coating while retaining a succulent juiciness inside. Their in-house honey garlic sauce even incorporates cloves of roasted garlic, perfect for smearing onto the sticky sweet sauce to give the wing an additional richness.

The spicy fish sandwich ($14.95) caught my eye, an unusual sandwich that rarely graces menus … especially one that’s oven poached as opposed to deep fried. Despite the relatively blank looking fish, the sandwich has kick with its three spicy elements: firstly the sambal sauce, an Indonesian blend of chilis and fish sauce, gave it heat and rich flavours; a layer of spicy mayo for that creaminess that makes a sandwich hearty; and lastly pickled jalapenos for a sting that dances on the tongue.


With gooey melted cheese and a soft Ace Bakery ciabatta bun, the sandwich really comes together… seemingly simple but delicious. Even their fries were expertly executed using in-house cut potatoes: retaining a long length, a crispy crust encapsulating fluffy innards, and most importantly, arriving piping hot.

For those who love protein, the 120 Meatlover cheeseburger ($17.95) takes their thick lean beef patty and piles saucy pulled pork and double smoked bacon on top! Take it from me, there’s no way to eat this cleanly so ask for extra napkins at the beginning. This is a serious burger with tons of fixings including cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and crispy fried onions.


Perhaps the most notable feature that makes the restaurant a “diner” is their desserts – a selection of traditional favourites such as carrot cake, brownies, banana pudding and baked lemon squares. I suggest you enquire about their weekly special, as the cheekily named strawberry TALL cake ($7.99) was the perfect ending: pieces of dense white cake piled high with cold soft serve ice cream and tons of sweet strawberries. 


For a person who loves strawberry shortcake, it was that light but sweet enough dessert that left me satisfied. And since 120 Diner now has their own soft serve machine, expect more of these gems in the future.

A fantastic new menu for a restaurant that’s just celebrated its second year anniversary. Still the generous portions and affordable prices the restaurant’s known for, but now an even larger selection and some really interest options – spicy fish sandwich anyone?

Overall mark - 8 out of 10
Disclaimer: The above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in the mission statement, I will also provide my honest opinion. 
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 120 Church Street


 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!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:



Indulging in the Early Mercy Experience

Posted on Sunday, April 17, 2016 by
Early Mercy Toronto
Descriptions such as welcoming, laid-back, or whimsical rarely comes to mind when envisioning nightlife in the King West area. Rather I think back to evenings of waiting in line wearing hemlines that were embarrassingly short, hoping a stern looking bouncer or person holding a clipboard is in a good mood.

Early Mercy TorontoHence, when Early Mercy’s media invite arrived with images of its brightly lit rustic environment, I was intrigued and happy to see that it wouldn’t be another so-called exclusive and dress-code driven establishment.

The bar is huge and situated squarely in the middle of the room. With the ample frontage, the wait was never more than one person deep and I didn’t see people trying to wedge their way between others to claim real estate on the bar’s ledge.

Although I’m glad my dating days are behind me, Early Mercy would be a great venue for first dates: there are plenty of elements in the room to keep conversations flowing. For example, the word wall where sayings such as “in your wildest dreams” can be deciphered or you can start a drinking game using the portraits of Che Guevara, Mahatma Gandhi, John F. Kennedy and Winston Churchill hanging above the plaid booths (thank me later for giving you four to start).

Early Mercy Toronto - wall of sayingsEarly Mercy Toronto - famous plates

Of course, when all else fails, knocking back a few of their easy-going cocktails, named after famous personalities, can help boost your courage and keep things interesting. The Lincoln is a vodka lemonade that’s spritz up with ginger ale.

Early Mercy Toronto - drinks

Under normal circumstances, Early Mercy will have a rotating menu curated by Toronto caterers and on a weekly basis invite in local food trucks. For the event, Provisions served up small easy-to-eat bites where you could quickly pop it in your mouth and get back to mingling. Their take on popcorn shrimp (a fritter laced with pieces of shrimp and spices) and deep-fried grilled cheese (a crunchier mozzarella bite) were fantastic and had me reaching for more.

Early Mercy Toronto: Provisions popcorn shrimpEarly Mercy Toronto: Provisions deep fried grilled cheese

The venue is also available as an event space for corporate and social functions – the 3,500 square foot lounge area holding up to 400 and patio squeezing in another 150. As for the food, you’re welcomed to use one of Early Mercy’s preferred caterers or bring your own.  

Once Toronto enters into the summer months, I can’t wait to go back and check out their large street-side patio. People watching with a cold drink in hand sounds so enticing right now.

Early Mercy Toronto - patio

Early Mercy’s name stems from the establishment’s motto: sunrise forgives. With that in mind, listen to the word wall and “push your luck” and “try to forgive” when someone admits that they “crashed your party”. After all, who knows what exciting things will happen that night? Remember, if you make a fool of yourself and no one catches it on their phone, the sunrise does forgive.

How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 540 King Street West

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


Early Mercy Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


CLOSED: Krazy Corean (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, March 06, 2016 by
Krazy Corean
With a name that would irk any editor, Krazy Corean is increasing the diversity in Little Italy with their menu of Korean offerings. Their signage introduces the cuisine as fusion: although there are several blended plates, the restaurant serves a number of traditional offerings as well. Don’t worry, there’s nothing particularly “crazy” about the food, unless you count the baskets of complimentary freshly made buttery popcorn, served in lieu of bread, wild.


Of all the dishes we tried, the bul-na ($10) (bulgogi nachos) was the most crazy fusion dish. In place of typical chewy rice cakes were crispy thin warm tortilla chips. On the side, a decent pile of well-seasoned bulgogi (thinly shaved beef marinated in a sweet soy sauce), onion, broccoli and jalapeno, smothered in cheese.


The dish needed more sauce and I could have done without the small broccoli florets, which was a strange combination with nachos (bell peppers may be a better choice). Personally, I would rather have the toppings covering the tortillas to allow the flavours to meld together. There’s something about the process of searching for a chip that has the best combination of toppings that’s so satisfying – it’s almost like a treasure hunt. However, the dish is perfect for individuals who hate soggy chips and will allow people to customize the toppings on each tortilla.

Although not overly battered, the Korean style chicken wings ($8) had a nice crunch and were smothered in a tasty sweet and slightly spicy sauce. For the price, there was a fair amount of wings and each piece a decent meaty size. Pine nuts, crushed peanuts and green onion slivers top the wings providing added crunch and flavours.


I love ssam and Krazy Corean’s kalbi version ($14) was satisfying. The marinated BBQ beef short ribs were served with plenty of leaf lettuce and boiled cabbage for wrapping. Ideally, with all the vegetables, the kalbi pieces could be cut larger – two was too much to hold in the wrap but one became somewhat lost amongst the foliage. On the side, slivers of jalapeno and garlic, spicy kimchi and ssam-jang (a sweet and spicy sauce) to add into the wraps – their kimchi was crunchy and delicious. 


 Although Krazy Corean isn’t a Japanese restaurant, I thoroughly enjoyed their volcano roll ($13); my favourite dish of the evening. Inside the maki was a plethora of delicious ingredients including shrimp tempura, crab meat, avocado and cucumber. To further augment the roll, the rice was wrapped with salmon and scallop that’s then blow torched to char the protein's fat. Even the garnishes, fried lotus root slices, were fantastic … we finished every last piece.


Despite the narrow store frontage, their dining room is well laid out and the tables easily convertible to accommodate large groups. Being opened until 2am makes the restaurant popular with the late night crowd looking for drinks. Their Tokyo iced tea ($9) is a good choice; made with rum, gin, vodka, trip sec, melon liquor, lemon juice and sprite it doesn't taste alcoholic until you give it time to settle.

 Overall, if you’re looking for outrageous creations, Krazy Corean still has a ways to go. But, for reasonably priced dishes and fairly price cocktails, it’s a good choice in Little Italy. Who knows after a few Tokyo iced teas, maybe you’ll make the restaurant live up to its name after all.


Overall mark - 7 out of 10*
Disclaimer: The above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as stated in the mission statement, I will always provide my honest opinion.
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 598 College Street

 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!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:



CLOSED: Cold Tea Bar (Toronto)

Posted on Monday, May 18, 2015 by



Cold Tea is just cool. It’s not on a rooftop, celebrities likely won’t frequent the place and in fact there’s not even a menu and they only accept cash. But, its “can only find if you’re in the know” location and knowledgeable mixologists gives the bar a Manhattan vibe, which is cool for me. There’s no frills here, the bar is essentially a room with simply painted walls and plain wooden furniture. Just do yourself a favour and try to sit at one of the five seats; it’s a treat to see all the cocktail making action.

Visiting early on a Friday evening after dinner, we were the first people at the place. But, the tranquility didn’t last long as within fifteen minutes others started trickling in. Cold Tea’s vibe is casual and the first bartender filled us in on details of the place: from its varying hours to explaining the patio is a great Sunday hangout as local restaurants come by to serve eats in the summer.
Personally, I enjoy ordering drinks without a menu. Whatever I’m craving at the time is described and voila it arrives. If you know what you want, like my husband, then simply name it. He started with a dark and stormy ($10), a strong concoction that adds hair to your chest with the black rum and ginger beer mix.


For me, I felt like something, “gin-based, not too sweet … and if there’s cucumber in there than even better.” So, he made me a gin gimlet ($10), the classic gin, lime and soda but with some cucumber puree and garnish to satisfy my craving.


You can tell the people who work here are serious about making drinks. A second Asian gentlemen arrived shortly thereafter and prepared our second round. Watching him make a cocktail reminds me of sitting in the kitchen at a Chef’s table. This time, my husband wanted something “Hendricks-based” and me a “gin fizz”. After carefully contemplating our requests he whipped up a golden vesper martini ($12) for him – suggesting that they use something other than the Hendricks as with all the other alcohols, it wouldn’t be required and why pay more? It’s this knowledge that we truly appreciate and the outcome a strong drink that starts to mellow out as it goes down. 


The gin fizz ($12) was more difficult. Remembering the Ramo’s version I had in NOLA, it felt like the perfect end to the evening: an easy sipping drink that has a dessert-like quality to it. At Cold Tea, he substituted another liqueur to eliminate the cream requirements – yet the drink still have that rich smoothness to it. Vigorously shaken along with lemon juice, sugar, carbonated water, egg whites it arrived in its milkshake glory.


But, along the way the bartender carefully refined the taste (a few drops here, another ingredient there) and siphoned off small tastes of it with a straw to make sure it was perfect. It wasn’t a mad rush of just pouring things, shaking and adding to a glass. He respected the craft of making cocktails and you could taste his care.

Cold Tea, aside from the BBQ Sundays, is really a place for drinks. A small dim sum booth, at the entrance, offers some carby comfort if you’ve had one too many for the evening. And it’s the first sign that you’re in the right place. So, if you want to also be in-the-know head down to Kensington Market and look for the Kensington Mall.


Enter the building and walk down the long hallway until you find an unlabeled door to the left with a red light above it.



Open the door and you’ll be in a dark hallway. Continue onwards, make a right and you’ll see the small dim sum cart – you have arrived! Good luck finding the place, it’s an excitingly impressive place to bring someone to. Well, maybe except for a first date … as the walk through an empty building into a door with red light thing may just creep them out. 

How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 58 Kensington Avenue 
 

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)