One evening my friends and I needed a quick dinner and found the line at Kinton Ramen way too long. Luckily, Pho 88 was just doors away and held promise for the same thing we craved – a big bowl of noodles and broth. Until this occasion, I’ve only been to Pho 88’s Scarborough location, which has always satisfied me. But, after eating at the North York location I wonder if they are even related given their menu and taste differs so much.

The spring roll platter ($11) was an enticing starter. Included were a good selection of the traditional favourites: deep fried chicken spring rolls, deep fried shrimp rolls and fresh cold shrimp rolls. On the side, a trio of sauces: peanut & chili, sweet chili Thai and a Vietnamese vinaigrette.

We weren’t impressed with the platter. The two fried versions could have been hotter. It’s either because it wasn't cooked long enough or there being too many layers of wrapper, but there was a doughiness to the roll’s inside. Additionally, there was too much filler (taro and yellow beans) such that the chicken was barely recognizable and even the shrimp rolls contained some. The cold roll was worse – the noodles were hard and the shrimp not at its freshest.

My pho, the plain rare and well-done beef ($6.75 for the small shown below; $7.75 for medium or $8.75 for large), was a touch better. But, it was really was just a hair better. The broth was a tad watery lacking that deep beef bone essence you’d expect. The beef was decent and lean but there was but a few slices and for a bowl that’s supposed to contain rare and well-done it arrived looking the same. The noodles were fine and the one saving grace to the meal.  

So, yes, I love pho. But, I’m definitely not in love with Pho 88’s North York location.

Sushi Moto is a spacious place, there’s large booths and tables in the centre perfect for bigger groups.  Having been there before, my husband and I dropped by for more of the delicious sounding rolls they offered.

Being a little adventurous we ordered the spicy killer maki ($9.95). Sure the name sounds deadly and makes you sweat in anticipation of the spice but it ended up being bearable. Essentially a spicy tuna roll with red chillies (although the menu notes jalapeño) and avocado which is then deep fried so there's a crispy crust and the tuna cooks. The crunch is nice and the heat augments the spiciness. Luckily, the avocado helps to neutralize it a bit so you can still enjoy the flavours. The spicy killer is filled with flavour but is meant to be shared as quite heavy.

We also had our normal purchases the spicy salmon ($6.95) and dynamite ($9.95) maki. The spicy salmon is average with big chunks of salmon rolled with tempura bits and spicy mayo. Sushi Moto leaves the salmon in big pieces rather than chopped up into tiny bits, which I personally like.

The dynamite is large and filling with tempura shrimp, avocado, julienned cucumber, and fish roe. Also a decent roll it could have been even better if the shrimp were freshly fried.

Craving something hot and meaty we also ordered the kalbi ($9.95). Arriving on a sizzling plate with plenty of onions it's fragrant and hot. The thicker cut and sufficient marinade was appreciated but for the price I did expect more than two pieces cut up into smaller pieces.

Additionally, Sushi Moto provides complementary Japanese noodle soup (not quite sure what the soup base would be). And if all the television screens can’t keep you entertained their tea cups offer an interesting read.

Compared to our first experience, Sushi Moto has improved slightly with their food’s flavours. Personally, I feel it’s worth it to pay a bit more for their "special" maki as they tend to have more fillings and often offers a different take on the normal rolls. Other ones that sound interesting include the erotica, tataki attack and the pink lady, which I’m sure we’ll go back one day to try. 

In the past, all my visits to Asian Legend were at their Scarborough location (read more about it here). But, my husband and I were craving soup filled dumplings, so decided to drop by the closer North York location instead. Not quite as large, it still has ample seating and was very busy during our weekend visit (make reservations if you’re planning to go with more than two people).

Of course we had to get what we came for - the steamed soup filled pork dumplings ($5.99). These tasted the same - decent wrapper thickness and a good amount of soup encapsulated in each one. But, we also opted to try the steamed soup filled crab and pork dumplings ($7.99) as well. I didn’t bother taking a picture of both because they look exactly the same.

At first I felt dubious about the addition of crab and weather it’d be worth the extra $2. But, am happy to say that you can certainly taste and see the extra ingredient. Overall, it brings an extra depth of flavour to the dumpling; an aromatic seafood essence. Since I eat mine without vinegar, I could taste the crab’s natural flavours mixed in. But, if you’re going to top the dumplings with a lot of condiments, I wouldn’t bother going past the traditional pork.

Their pork potstickers ($4.99) were not as juicy as the Scarborough location. The wrapper also could be improved as a couple were splitting apart (hence letting all the juices run out). Additionally, it lacked the more developed crust of their sister location.

The Singaporean style fried vermicelli ($10.99) had some great flavours to it with the generous dusting of curry powder. Indeed, it’s a much smaller portion than my previous experiences and found there wasn’t much of the staple ingredients of shrimp, BBQ pork and egg.

Overall, the taste of the dishes are similar as they seem to follow similar recipes. However, the execution of dishes (the potstickers) and value-for-money (the noodles) definitely falls behind their Scarborough counterpart. But, if you’re craving Shanghainese comfort food and don’t want to travel far, Asian Legend’s North York location may help tide you over.

Having only visited pho places in Scarborough, I was delighted to find on Blog.TO information about a decent establishment located a short drive from my place.  Pho Mi Asia is like many other restaurants – situated in a strip mall with sparse but functional furnishing.  None of that matter since pho is not about the atmosphere but rather tastes.

Sticking with my regular small well done beef and tendon ($5.50) it arrived looking rather small.  Admittedly, I was a bit surprised as in reading reviews most people comment on their huge portions of meat.  During my visit, I found this really wasn’t the case and the bowl was actually tinier than the other places I visit.  Nonetheless, the noodles were cooked well and not overdone, the soup base decent & not too oily and the beef lean & tender.

The spring rolls ($4) were too dense, in my opinion, due to all the yellow beans added to the filling.  So, despite the wrapper being crispy and thin, the spring roll felt heavy.  Additionally, they were very hard to find on the menu so we ended up ordering the wrong ones (rice paper rolls instead) and had to ask them to switch; luckily they were nice about it and were willing to replace the order.

Not being entirely satisfied after the bowl of pho, we decided to order a slushy drink.  I opted for the sweet red bean, coconut cream and jelly ($3.50) hoping to reconnect with the taste of my childhood.  Arriving in a plastic cup it didn’t look the most appealing on account to the green jelly and dark bottom – I sort of felt like I was eating dirt and grass.

Strangely, in lieu of the smaller Asian red beans that are normally used in desserts, Pho Mi Asia used gigantic kidney beans.  Sure, they were still soft and slightly sweet from the syrup but it was a bit off putting.  The only highlight to the drink was that they did add thick coconut cream (instead of ice cream and evaporated milk) which did care a nice luxuriant feel.

All in all, it’s an adequate establishment to visit if you happen to be in the area. But, not good enough that I’d make it the place I go to.  For all my pho cravings, I’ll still be heading to Pho Metro or Pho 88. 

Estrella Taqueria isn’t located on Dundas, Queen or King West but rather in North York at Yonge and Sheppard. Taking over the former Smokey Joe’s, it’s a big restaurant occupying over 4,000 square feet and seats 280 inside and another 130 on their rooftop patio. Unfortunately, we visited in the winter so we couldn’t see the patio, but will be interesting to see how this outdoor oasis is updated next year.

From the moment we entered, the staff was friendly and efficient. Frederik, our waiter was great - very friendly, attentive and generally smiles at all times. Service was definitely not an issue at Estrella as everything came as ordered and we were in and out in less than 40 minutes. What they were lacking was good food, the most important part of any restaurant. In reading the few reviews available, people noted the guacamole was plain and in general the appetizers a disappointing, so we decided to play it safe and ordered six tacos to share. 

Of the bunch, the short rib taco ($5.50) was the best.  The beef was a decent size, pretty tender from being braised in cola and fairly flavourful. The addition of chimichurri and chipotle aioli provided a good balance of heat and freshness.  Topping the taco were slivers of yukka chips, which would have been even better if they were crispy to add some contrasting textures.

Even the elote de tortitas ($4.95) had some promise. Being the sole vegetarian option, it consisted of a big corn fritter flavoured with black bean puree, pico de gallo and chipotle aioli.  If only the fritter was shaped evenly, cylinder rather than football, it would have allowed the fritter to cook uniformly.  Unfortunately, the middle of our fritter was underdone so you could taste raw batter, whereas the sides were cooked well and enjoyable.

Sadly, anything that’s worth eating stops there.  The oyster taco ($5.50) was dismal and made from such small oysters that they could have been clams for all I know - the cornmeal batter was more plentiful than any actual seafood.  Overall, it was rather tasteless despite it having a miso/celeriac remoulade; the sauce simply has to be stronger (or at least saltier). The thought of pairing it with green tomatoes is commendable since if the oysters were big enough this condiment would let them retain dominance while still adding some freshness to the taco.  

The taco de panza’s ($4.95) pork belly, although described as being slow braised, was pretty tough and should be classified as boiled at best.  The fat wasn’t rendered enough so that it was still white and hard which made it inedible.  Despite the menu noting the taco containing guajillo sauce, cilantro and queso panella, nothing really stood out except for the large portion of cabbage (also quite bland) on top.  I actually had to resort to squeezing the lime on it hoping to add some taste. 

On the other hand, the baja fish taco ($4.95) was extremely spicy (likely on account of the pickled chilis mixed with chipotle aioli).  This would have been nice if the deep fried snapper wasn’t so small and dried out. There was no flakiness at all and appeared to be frozen based on the crumbly consistency and slight fishiness. Sorry for the somewhat dim picture quality, but should give you an idea of how small the fish is. Usually, most competing tacos I’ve had the fillet is longer than the shell; at Estrella you could hardly see it under the slaw.  Let’s be honest, snapper is a pretty inexpensive variety of fish, with a $5.50 price tag they could easily offer a larger piece using fresh fish and still make a profit.

The last taco I tried, duck confit ($5.50), ended the meal on a low.  Normally, I expect duck confit to be tender and flavourful on account of slow cooking duck in its fat.  Estrella’s version was shredded and dry so it’s almost like eating rehydrated duck jerky mixed into coleslaw.  The flavours were also pretty lacklustre and needs something (maybe a sweet and spicy bean paste) to wake it up.  Estrella should consider slicing the duck rather than shredding to help retain some moistness and allow the customer to actually taste the duck’s essence.  

In general all the tacos were pretty small and about the size of a cd or dvd (readers younger than 20, you’ll likely have no idea what these are so please refer to google images for a photo and description). Thankfully, they do use corn tortillas, rather than the softer wheat ones, but when the taco didn’t have enough sauce on the base they ended up cracking and falling apart – especially the taco de panza. Usually, other taquerias would use two layers and more sauce to prevent this from happening, so this is something Estrella should consider.

For the quality and size, the tacos were significantly over-priced so really you’re paying for the surroundings more than food.  I’ll admit, the atmosphere is nice and an improvement from the former tenant. There’s a large bar on the bottom floor and a section with two ping pong tables in the back (no one actually playing on our Saturday visit). Conceivably, all this space that is non- revenue generating would need to be subsidized by food and drink sales; so, the tacos are a poor value if you’re only going to eat.  

In the end, Estrella is only a superficial improvement from Smokey Joes. It’s disappointing as I frequent the area and was hoping for a good non-chain restaurant. Who knows, maybe I’ll return for drinks in the summer and check out their rooftop patio.  But, it’s doubtful that food would ever be a big draw to visit again.

Estrella Taqueria isn’t located on Dundas, Queen or King West but rather in North York at Yonge and Sheppard. Taking over the former Smokey Joe’s, it’s a big restaurant occupying over 4,000 square feet and seats 280 inside and another 130 on their rooftop patio. Unfortunately, we visited in the winter so we couldn’t see the patio, but will be interesting to see how this outdoor oasis is updated next year.

From the moment we entered, the staff was friendly and efficient. Frederik, our waiter was great - very friendly, attentive and generally smiles at all times. Service was definitely not an issue at Estrella as everything came as ordered and we were in and out in less than 40 minutes. What they were lacking was good food, the most important part of any restaurant. In reading the few reviews available, people noted the guacamole was plain and in general the appetizers a disappointing, so we decided to play it safe and ordered six tacos to share. 

Of the bunch, the short rib taco ($5.50) was the best.  The beef was a decent size, pretty tender from being braised in cola and fairly flavourful. The addition of chimichurri and chipotle aioli provided a good balance of heat and freshness.  Topping the taco were slivers of yukka chips, which would have been even better if they were crispy to add some contrasting textures.

Even the elote de tortitas ($4.95) had some promise. Being the sole vegetarian option, it consisted of a big corn fritter flavoured with black bean puree, pico de gallo and chipotle aioli.  If only the fritter was shaped evenly, cylinder rather than football, it would have allowed the fritter to cook uniformly.  Unfortunately, the middle of our fritter was underdone so you could taste raw batter, whereas the sides were cooked well and enjoyable.

Sadly, anything that’s worth eating stops there.  The oyster taco ($5.50) was dismal and made from such small oysters that they could have been clams for all I know - the cornmeal batter was more plentiful than any actual seafood.  Overall, it was rather tasteless despite it having a miso/celeriac remoulade; the sauce simply has to be stronger (or at least saltier). The thought of pairing it with green tomatoes is commendable since if the oysters were big enough this condiment would let them retain dominance while still adding some freshness to the taco.  

The taco de panza’s ($4.95) pork belly, although described as being slow braised, was pretty tough and should be classified as boiled at best.  The fat wasn’t rendered enough so that it was still white and hard which made it inedible.  Despite the menu noting the taco containing guajillo sauce, cilantro and queso panella, nothing really stood out except for the large portion of cabbage (also quite bland) on top.  I actually had to resort to squeezing the lime on it hoping to add some taste. 

On the other hand, the baja fish taco ($4.95) was extremely spicy (likely on account of the pickled chilis mixed with chipotle aioli).  This would have been nice if the deep fried snapper wasn’t so small and dried out. There was no flakiness at all and appeared to be frozen based on the crumbly consistency and slight fishiness. Sorry for the somewhat dim picture quality, but should give you an idea of how small the fish is. Usually, most competing tacos I’ve had the fillet is longer than the shell; at Estrella you could hardly see it under the slaw.  Let’s be honest, snapper is a pretty inexpensive variety of fish, with a $5.50 price tag they could easily offer a larger piece using fresh fish and still make a profit.

The last taco I tried, duck confit ($5.50), ended the meal on a low.  Normally, I expect duck confit to be tender and flavourful on account of slow cooking duck in its fat.  Estrella’s version was shredded and dry so it’s almost like eating rehydrated duck jerky mixed into coleslaw.  The flavours were also pretty lacklustre and needs something (maybe a sweet and spicy bean paste) to wake it up.  Estrella should consider slicing the duck rather than shredding to help retain some moistness and allow the customer to actually taste the duck’s essence.  

In general all the tacos were pretty small and about the size of a cd or dvd (readers younger than 20, you’ll likely have no idea what these are so please refer to google images for a photo and description). Thankfully, they do use corn tortillas, rather than the softer wheat ones, but when the taco didn’t have enough sauce on the base they ended up cracking and falling apart – especially the taco de panza. Usually, other taquerias would use two layers and more sauce to prevent this from happening, so this is something Estrella should consider.

For the quality and size, the tacos were significantly over-priced so really you’re paying for the surroundings more than food.  I’ll admit, the atmosphere is nice and an improvement from the former tenant. There’s a large bar on the bottom floor and a section with two ping pong tables in the back (no one actually playing on our Saturday visit). Conceivably, all this space that is non- revenue generating would need to be subsidized by food and drink sales; so, the tacos are a poor value if you’re only going to eat.  

In the end, Estrella is only a superficial improvement from Smokey Joes. It’s disappointing as I frequent the area and was hoping for a good non-chain restaurant. Who knows, maybe I’ll return for drinks in the summer and check out their rooftop patio.  But, it’s doubtful that food would ever be a big draw to visit again.

Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu is a popular destination location in the Yonge and Finch area.  On the weekend, it gets pretty busy, so expect to wait. But, this no frills restaurant is packed with tables and due to the limited menu, patrons turn over quickly so the wait is never too long.

If you’re not a fan of tofu you still need to give this a try.  The tofu used in the soup is silken egg tofu which has a very light taste and smooth custardy texture. Since the soup is very flavourful the tofu is never bland.  This may be the dish that makes you rethink your perspective of tofu.  

All the tofu soups are $7.53 and provide you with the ability to choose the type of ingredients accompanying the tofu and level of spiciness. In terms of types, I’ve tried the combination, seafood, dumpling and kimchi (kimchi is the one pictured below).  Really there is not a huge difference between the offerings since the soup base is the same.  I don’t particularly like the combination or seafood options as I find overdone rubbery seafood unappetizing.  My go to choice is the dumpling which consists of thinly sliced beef and a couple of average tasting dumplings.  On this visit I ordered the kimchi version (also has slices of beef and pork) as I’ve heard it’s their most popular one.  After trying it, I’ll continue to order the dumping version as the kimchi one is too salty.

You also get a choice of having the soup white (no spice), mild, medium, regular or spicy.  I can handle some spice and generally go with the regular one which has a good heat but doesn’t leave you chugging water.  However, if it’s your first visit you may want to try the medium and go from there. 

To retain the comforting heat of the soup, it’s served in a stone bowl.  Sadly, on this visit mine didn’t arrive bubbling away; something about the crazy bubbling makes the experience seem better.  Nonetheless, the soup was still hot and remained so throughout the meal.  

Don’t let the word “soup” fool you; this is still a hearty meal.  Each order also comes with a bowl of Korean black rice, which actually is a beautiful lavender colour once cooked.  Studded with a few green peas, the rice is served in its own stone bowl and is scooped out by the waiter in front of you.  Generally, the waiter will pour water into the stone bowl and let it soak with the remaining rice.  I tried it during my first visit and found the concoction disgusting.  Rather, I ask them not to add water and just leave the rice in the bowl so I can scrape off any of the crispy bits and eat them with the soup.

As a warning, just because there’s tofu in the title doesn’t make this a “healthy” meal.  According to the Toronto Star, the vegetable version of Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu’s soup contains 4,200 mg of sodium (which is 1,900 over the recommended daily intake). If that’s the vegetable version, I can only imagine how salty the kimchi variety would be. To be fair, the Toronto Star did test the meal with the side of kimchi and bean sprouts accompanying the meal; normally, these side dishes would be shared amongst the table so you wouldn’t eat the entire serving.  Additionally, I’ve never finished all the soup as I will stop drinking it after the other ingredients are finished which also cuts down on the ultimate consumption of sodium.

If Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu’s soup is full of salt, than their bulgogi ($8.85) should be tested for its sugar content.  The dish was ordered once to share amongst the table and found to be extremely sweet.  It’s certainly a dish I’d never order again.  My suggestion, stick with what they are known for – soon tofu soup a delicious dish that leaves you oh so satisfied.