Showing posts with label green salad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label green salad. Show all posts

RH Courtyard Restaurant for Brunch (Toronto)


RH Courtyard is probably one of the lesser-known restaurants at Yorkdale Mall. Yet, it’s a beauty. A man-made garden patio tucked into Restoration Hardware so that a trip to the toilet will have you distracted with furniture envy.

Crème fraiche was added into the RH scramble ($22), but it’s still a simple dish of scrambled eggs with chives. I’m glad our waitress warned us the eggs are cooked to a soft runniness - I increased the doneness to “medium well” and they arrived creamy and tender without any of the gross liquid yolk.

If only the menu stated the scramble comes with grilled sourdough we would have foregone the artisanal prosciutto ($25). While there was nothing wrong with the board, it was also not exciting. A bit boring in presentation, it incorporated slices of prosciutto, chunks of parmigiano Reggiano, and “seasonal fruit” that was really a bunch of grapes. At least the baguette was warm and crispy, even though there weren’t any spreads, not even a plate of olive oil for dipping.

While the price of the side green salad ($10) was a bit steep, the citrus vinaigrette really helped cut through the heaviness of the meat, cheese, and eggs. Plus, it ended up being a great complement to finish the generous half avocado that accompanies the eggs.

You’re able to customize the matcha latte ($7) to be hot or cold. The cooler version was refreshing for the spring and had a lovely deep green tea flavour.

Do yourself a favour and skip the chains when you’re at Yorkdale. Dine at a place that doesn’t feel like you’re in a mall; more like you’re in the gardens of an aristocrat’s mansion. 

In a nutshell... 
  • Must order: RH scramble
  • Just skip: artisanal prosciutto

Overall mark - 7 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 3401 Dufferin Street (Yorkdale Mall)


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!

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Can Solé (Barcelona)

It’s easy to get captured by the ocean views at the marina or the glitzy lights of a main street and decide on a restaurant where staff members beckon you with menus outside. Can Solé is not this type of establishment. In fact, it’s tucked away on a small side street with a discrete sign and no staff in sight until you enter. Having operated since 1903, they know a few things about hospitality and made us feel taken care of from the jump.

Our starters arrived quickly consisting of a surprisingly hearty green salad (9.50€). For the price, I was expecting the classic iceberg, tomato, and cucumber affair but was treated to romaine, olives, tomatoes, shaved carrots, onion, and poached white asparagus spears instead. As with most European restaurants, the dressing of oil, vinegar, and salt follows a DIY approach.

Then there was the simple grilled asparagus (12.50€), just cooked through with a sprinkle of salt. It’s not fussy, it’s done right.

But it was the glistening plate of Iberico jamon (25.50€) that elicited ohhs and ahhs across the table. Shaved carefully and thinly, the ham was wonderfully sweet and “clean” tasting compared to Canadian counterparts. Our server suggested we get an order of the tomato bread (2.50€ per two slices) to go with it: thick pieces of well toasted (some a bit over done) country bread accompanied with raw garlic cloves and halved tomatoes to rub and smash to your heart’s content.

The rice in the seafood paella (21.50€ per portion; two portions pictured below) were plump and well seasoned adorned with a generous portion of mussels, clams, calamari, bay scallops, and two shrimp and two langoustines. For my standards, I found the seafood a smidge overdone, yet Can Solé was already better than other restaurants.

Their black seafood rice (21.50€ per portion; two portions pictured below) had a depth of flavour that brought the paella to another level and was a favourite around the table - if you’re only having one paella, I highly recommend ordering the black version. Both rice dishes weren’t overly salty but had tons of flavours; since it wasn’t over seasoned, the seafood flavours could shine through.

Just go with a larger group as the paellas require a two-portion minimum and they are huge. Our table of seven shared four portions and were more than satisfied.

I’m so glad we ventured off the touristy areas and found Can Solé’s great service and atmosphere. The food was fabulous, and the cozy restaurant felt a world away from the flashy sign hawking establishments.


Overall mark - 9 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Barcelona, Spain
 Address: C. de Sant Carles, 4


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:




Grail Springs Retreat Centre for Well Being (Bancroft)

I’ll let you in on a little secret … I turned the fabulous forty this year. For some people, it would be the beginning of having a midlife crisis, but for me it’s been really calming. It’s nice to be comfortable in your own skin and know what you want in life. Hence, to celebrate the milestone birthday, I wanted to do away with bottle service or lavish dinners and focus on wellness instead. I know, how grown up.

Grail Springs Retreat Centre for Well Being fit the bill for a tranquil weekend getaway. It’s a small property that had about 18 guests over the Victoria Day long weekend - hurrah to no lines at check-in or having to hustle to find a chair. Of course, their outdoor “spa” facilities are no where near the calibre of sites Scandinave or Vetta. The miniscule jet less soaker tubs that make up the “water circuit” and warm-up-yourself infrared sauna could resemble ones you’d find at someone’s cottage.

Yet, that’s not why you come to Grail Springs. After experiencing it for the weekend, it’s the fact that there aren’t too many things to do that makes the stay attractive. I didn’t feel like I had to go from place-to-place or task-to-task (apart from the morning breakfast, spa treatment, then yoga timetable). It’s why when speaking to other guests, they choose to go back solo for progressively longer stays. It’s not about the amenities but finding time to relax and unwind. It’s a place where if you go by yourself there are tons of other guests doing the same, so it doesn’t feel weird.

Consequently, if you’re not there for the immersion pool and sauna, what is there to do? I highly recommend the spa treatments. They’re pricey but was one of the better treatments I’ve had at an out-of-town destination. When the weather is nice and the black flies are at bay, the outdoor lake-side property and trails are also a draw. Yet, when all else fails, it’s nice to just sit in their Great Room and read or talk to people. It’s also a great place to BYOB (bring your own board) if you’re into games.

But, onto the food – my focus here at Gastro World. It’s all inclusive and there’s no choice so everyone eats the same meal (with consideration for allergies). Everything is vegan, but delicious thanks to a new chef that has recently joined the team.

Just be mindful that Grail Springs tends to serve a substantial breakfast and lunch, a small snack in the afternoon, and ends with a light dinner. We didn’t realize the progression upon checking in on Friday and proceeding to dinner, it was really scant after hours of driving. It started with a not overly exciting green salad that was nevertheless refreshing and incorporated a tasty maple balsamic dressing that was balanced and not too acidic.

Their dishes are flavourful, the main of soft tempeh crumbles tossed in a lovely spicy mix. It’s simply paired with crunchy grilled garlic broccolini and seems hardly enough when the other sides are a bit of creamy corn “pudding” and a sweet and sour red pepper purée. This could really benefit from some wild rice or even a slice of bread to make the meal more substantial and to soak up the sauces.

A cup of fluffy raspberry dark chocolate mousse finished. It was a tad sour for my taste but did have a nice rich chocolate finish. I scraped every bit of the mousse since I was still so hungry – and they do not give seconds despite what their Google replies indicate. Do yourself a favour and have a hearty lunch or make a pit stop for a pre-dinner snack before checking in.

Grail is also known for their infused water and non-caffeinated teas. Their teas were delicious with the minty cold tea being my favourite, especially when paired with chunks of frozen pineapples that gradually thawed and were a great nibble.

I’m happy to say that they do serve caffeinated beverages during breakfast a wonderful cream of Earl Grey one morning followed by a well steep Classic Breakfast blend the next. There’s also a coffee station each morning for those who need a cup of java.

The breakfasts are hearty as everything comes with a slice of well toasted buttered multi-grain bread. Day one it was paired with creamy overnight oats that had a great fluid consistency and a fresh strawberry and date yoghurt that was more sweet than tangy. Day two the breakfast was less extravagant, a simple plain coconut yoghurt topped with various fruits and nuts.

We had an equally filling lunch on Saturday starting off with a bowl of piping hot silky cauliflower volute, which was spiked with curry oil to add an unexpected element that works well with the rich cauliflower soup. It’s a dish that our entire table loved, chef please do more soups!

After the hearty volute, we were surprised to see the baseball-sized stuffed onigiri that followed. I could have done without the orange added into the chopped kimchi and tofu filling as it was too overpowering. Once mixed with the crunchy sesame oil laced coleslaw and creamy whipped avocado the orange essence mellowed and was better. I love the inventive idea and certainly did not leave lunch hungry.


In fact, I was so stuffed that I didn’t even need the afternoon snack – an “elixir” that tasted like watered down passionfruit juice and a dark chocolate chunk cookie. I had a bite of the cookie anyways and it was surprisingly soft and fluffy for being gluten-free.

Thankfully, I left room for dinner as the broccoli salad was a delicious start, the florets cut into slices so that each was well covered with a creamy chili dressing that seeped into the broccoli’s cervices. I would forego the coconut bacon and spiced sunflower seeds as the dressing was already so savoury and flavourful that adding the other two elements made it too salty. Personally, I found the salad had a Caesar-like taste and would have paired the broccoli with vegan parm and lightly toasted still soft croutons instead.

The lemon garlic roasted tofu was surprisingly tasty and went perfectly with the stewed ratatouille base. I didn’t even mind the olive tapenade, but only used a bit of it as with the ratatouille was well seasoned already. You will not find bland tofu here.

Another dark chocolate element for dessert – a disappointment for someone who does not like chocolate. This was worse, the “brownie” resembling a crumbly and dry truffle ganache that I could only have a couple bites before giving up on. Give me a large scoop of the popcorn ice cream with crumbles any day, the highlight of the dessert.

A few letdowns aside, I was pleasantly surprised by the calibre of the plant-based dishes served at Grail Springs. After reading their Google reviews, I had braced myself for flavourless starchy concoctions that would leave me starving and in need of the protein bars I brought for back-up. Their new chef has certainly elevated their offerings, creating flavourful meals that were vibrantly coloured and plated beautifully. It was a great experience and the weekend left me feeling nourished, both in my stomach and soul.  

Overall mark - 7 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 2004 Bay Lake Road


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:



Rigoletto Bar & Grill (Tokyo)

Location: Tokyo, Japan
Address: 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato (5th floor of the West Walk in Roppongi Hills)
Website: http://www.rigoletto.jp/
Type of Meal: Lunch


Located on the in the Roppingi Hills complex, Rigoletto is one of the few restaurants with low prices; it’s also spacious and serves American favourites such as burgers, pizzas and pasta.

Despite its extensive menu and prix fixe lunch menu options, my husband and I stuck with the a la carte menu and each had a salad and 6 inch pizza (pizzas are also available in 10 inch sizes).

The mixed salad (¥400) I ordered was a simple spring mix with grape tomato, cucumber, sprouts and asparagus shavings. The vegetables were all tossed with a creamy miso dressing and topped with fried garlic chips. Although the ingredients were quite ordinary, the dressing and garlic chips added a nice Japanese twist to the salad which was quite enjoyable. 


Meanwhile, my husband’s Caesar salad (¥500) was pretty standard… I didn't bother to try it. 


Rigoletto’s menu contained an interesting sounding sour cream shrimp pizza (¥1,100). The crust was the blistered Neapolitan style, which is softer and doughier making it harder to hold slices of. With no tomato sauce but rather just the tangy sour cream it reminded me of eating naan bread with dip. Except in this case there was a liberal amount of shrimp, broccoli and capers on top. All in all, an interesting twist but wouldn’t be my go-to combination.  


The spicy diavola (¥1,100) contained various cured meats (spicy salami and prosciutto), button mushrooms and garlic chips. Once again I didn’t try it so unable to comment on its taste. But, my husband did like the spicy oil they brought for the pizza to add extra flavour.  



Overall, Rigoletto is in line with most chain restaurants you’d find in North America. It’s a cheerful environment as they shout as you enter and leave. Moreover, they have a huge open view kitchen – we sat at a booth right in front of the person shaping burger patties – so it’s entertaining. Like the North American chains it’s a good family restaurant with the louder environment, quick service and reasonable price points. If you do visit, I’d suggest trying their burgers as it seemed to be the more popular dish as we saw these flying out of the kitchen most often.

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
  • 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!