Showing posts with label shrimp toast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shrimp toast. Show all posts

Bar Goa (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, August 03, 2024 by

Tucked away in a downtown office building, the buzzy atmosphere of Bar Goa seems out of place. I would have easily walked past the entrance if it weren’t for the a-frame sign on the sidewalk. Even then, I hesitantly entered the quiet tower, not knowing whether to go downstairs (cold) or keep walking into the lobby (hot) where I soon found Bar Goa’s door ajar on the right.

The restaurant seems so lounge-like that my expectations for their food was low. Another surprise, their 3-course Summerlicious menu ($55) was actually good… and they don’t hold back on the spices. 

The prawn balchao toast looked rather tame, until I bite into the soft bread and was greeted by the diced shrimp covered in a tangy fiery chili. Luckily, there were cold shots of beer to help soothe the tongue, which we’re told to have a sip of with every bite. Um yes, you’ll need it.

For those who don’t love the spice, their lamb chop was delicious, cooked to medium and covered in a salty herb crust. Accompanied with three sauces (fenugreek mint, strawberry chili chutney, and Bengali mustard), they were all very different condiments. Personally, I found the meat was flavorful enough and tasted best without any sauce.

The lamb chop was better than the charcoal smoked tandoori steak, which was overdone and the salan (a peanut and chili curry) so spicy that I just couldn’t enjoy the beef. Despite trying to savour the sauce’s elements, I had to reach for cold ice water after the first bite. Bar Goa should consider putting chili ratings on their menu to warn customers.

Thankfully, the branzino fish curry was tasty without the overwhelming heat. Its flavours stem from the aromatic ingredients used in the coconut curry and finishes with a touch of spice. I loved slathering the sauce on top of the basmati rice, almost finishing the entire bowl. You’ll want the rice for the sautéed greens as well; on their own it was much too salty.

Unlike the steak, the branzino was cooked well, left flaky and as a full filet. Still, it needed something acidic, even a simple squeeze of lime, to bring a freshness to the dish.

The mango lassi panna cotta was a popular choice for dessert. At first bite, it reminded me of a mango pudding found in Chinese restaurants, except rather than being doused in evaporated milk, the dairy was already incorporated into the panna cotta, so it tasted creamier. It was a hit for our group.

Being called Bar Goa, I wasn’t surprised that they offered a host of cocktails. They’re certainly unique, so you’ll want to bring a group to experiment. The royal yacht club Goa ($25) was refreshing from the peach, lemon, and mint despite having a host of alcohols (gin, Hennessey, and champagne) that had me feeling good after one. More up my alley than the panni puri martini ($23), which was too salty and water down tasting for my liking. At least the drink arrives with panni puri for snacking.

There’s a quirkiness to Bar Goa that’s humourous but endearing. Such as their washrooms, which are the public ones used in the office building… that also have a shower in it. The night just seemed to consist of a series of surprises that made it stand out. Here’s hoping customers can see past the restaurant’s exterior and find the place so they too can experience its quirkiness, flavourful dishes, and unique cocktails.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
Is Summerlicious worth it (based on my meal selection)?
Summerlicious - $55
Regular menu - $68 - lamb chop ($19), branzino moilee ($25) and panna cotta ($10)*
Savings - $13 or 19%

* Dessert price is unknown, just assumed $10 

How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 36 Toronto 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!

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The LC Café 老朱餐廳 (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, March 30, 2024 by

As Asian plazas pop up across Scarborough, I am marvelled by how some older ones re-invent themselves to attract new patrons. Tucked amongst two new sparkling plazas is the unnamed 3290 Midland Avenue, an institution that I’ve visited throughout my lifetime. Still bustling like in the 90’s, this area is now home to The LC Café, a bright and contemporary Hong Kong café.  

Their deep-fried HK style shrimp toast ($12.99) was an ideal seafood to bread ratio, the toast topped with shrimp paste and a butterflied shrimp. Indeed, the toast was slightly greasy (expected from this dish), but it was well drained so that it remained crispy and wasn’t overly oil logged.

The starter was a better than the LC lobster roll ($22.99), which my husband described as mostly mayonnaise with little chunks of lobster. Its only saving grace, the bun was at least fresh and well toasted.

Feeling hungry, the striploin steak with lobster tail on iron plate ($42.99) seemed like a good choice with soup and salad included to complete the meal. LC Café’s Russian borscht follows an Eastern European recipe and includes chunks of beets, so the soup is sweeter than normal. It’s also thicker while still having the slight kick of spiciness. Call me old fashioned, but I still prefer the tomato, cabbage, and beef version any day.

Still, the soup was better than the green salad, which was essentially a handful of spring mix tossed in watered down balsamic vinegar. Without other vegetables or even olive oil, it was a harsh and disappointing salad.

The hot plate was really hot, which means that if you don’t want your steak over cooked, I’d recommend getting it less done. You’ll also want to start tucking into the vegetables and fries as they will start to burn. Scoop some onto a side plate to avoid having them getting overly done.

Not surprisingly, the striploin wasn’t the greatest quality and needed more seasoning so that its flavours didn’t rely so heavily on the Lyon black pepper sauce. It’s strange as the pork chop with lobster tail ($36.99) that my mom ordered was marinated so much that it was too salty. Sadly, there seems to be little consistency on the flavouring of meat.

Even though the dinner arrives with plenty of fries, I wish the restaurant offered a choice of sides as I would have preferred rice instead. At least the lobster tail was a decent size but would be easier to eat if left whole and pulled out of the shell to make it easier to cut.

The LC Café offers pleasant service and comfortable tables, which is a plus. They also didn’t rush customers out of the restaurant, many sitting there after their meals were complete. Long live the older Asian plazas. 

In a nutshell... 
  • Must order: shrimp toast
  • Just skip: lobster roll

Overall mark - 7 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 3290 Midland Avenue



 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:


MIMI Chinese (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, March 26, 2022 by

Gathering dishes from across the country, MIMI Chinese's menu showcases the different flavours and ingredients in China's Sichuan, Guangdong, Hunan, Shaanxi, and Canton provinces. Think of it as a crash course on figuring out what you like as you dig into the fiery chilies of Sichuan or the saucier multi-flavour dishes from Guangdong. The educational experience is held in a dark dining room on comfortable plush banquettes with dishes featuring traditional spices and preparations so you can expect to taste authentic interpretations.

The crossed arm dumplings in red oil ($26) may sound like a starter for grumpy old men, but is named after the way the  wonton wrappers are folded and the two tips meet. Having made many dumplings in my youth, this style is much quicker to prepare, compared to the pleated variety, and also allows more filling to be used.  


Indeed, each thumb length dumpling at MIMI was stuffed with plenty of the pork and scallion mixture, which could have used more seasonings such as Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, or soy sauce. Maybe it's due to the thicker wrappers or there not being much heat within the "red oil" condiment, but the dish was rather devoid of flavours despite the colourful look. The oil is described as roasted chicken oil, which leads me to believe they use the leftover oil from deep frying chickens to make this condiment, something that sounds great in theory. In reality, it doesn't add much additional flavour and really the oil could benefit from more chilies and something pungent like shallots. 

I can't recall that last time I had shrimp toast ($21 for four pieces; $5.50 for extras), but I must have been young as this dish has been removed from dim sum menus as customers become more health cautious. Pieces of soft white bread sandwich a mild shrimp paste and is deep fried and topped with a sesame crust. The crispy toast was bang on - the crunchy exterior and slight leak of oil is reminiscent of childhood memories. 


Since MIMI uses two pieces of bread (restaurants previously used an open-faced sandwich format), the carbs did drown out the shrimp taste. The toast could benefit from more filling or incorporating pieces of diced shrimp in order to give it a stronger seafood essence. 

The scallion and ginger sea bass ($59) uses white leek but lacks ginger making it a fairly neutral main. The soy sauce and scallion oil is poured table side instead of directly from wok to dish, which while nice for presentation purposes, means it lacks the "scalding" properties that crisps the skin a bit and causes the sauce to more deeply permeate the meat. All in all, it was a pretty plain tasting dish and is for those who really want to enjoy the fish's flavours - at least it was well cleaned and tasted fresh. 


For those who are afraid of bones, this dish is perfect as everything is pretty much removed (all I found was one really thin small piece). While the lack of bones makes it much easier to eat, it does mean the fish cools quicker, so be sure to tuck into it right after the sauce is poured.  

Presented at the table with a flourish was the four foot belt noodle ($26), stretched to showcase its length before being cut into more manageable two inch segments. While not a terrible dish, the noodle could be thinner as we found it a tad chewy and the sauce needed something else for interest. Although the noodle was covered with a fair amount of chili oil, a salty richer flavour like bean paste or a complex XO sauce would have been a great addition. 



I preferred the supreme fried rice ($28), filled with umami flavours thanks to the dried scallop, salted egg, and lap cheong sausage. These ingredients do make the rice a tad dry, which MIMI ties to combat by adding diced vegetables and scallions into the dish. Really, I think if there was just more rice to mix with all the other ingredients it would provided the needed moisture.


Their vegetable dishes are fairly plain (stir fried gai lan or cabbage), we decided to try the chilled pumpkin and snow melon ($10), which are ribbons of the squashes tossed with Shaoxing broth. For those who can't handle spice, this would help counteract the heat of other dishes. For us, we found it almost seemed out of place and dessert-like due to the sweet after taste.


Be sure to listen to their feature dishes, we ordered both and they were my favourite of the evening. 

The Cantonese chicken ($28) is your traditional fried chicken with shrimp chips. It was executed perfectly at MIMI: the skin delicate and crispy, the meat very juicy, and there wasn't an ounce of pink on the bone (something that can be found at Chinese restaurants and make some squeamish).


I loved how the kitchen took the razor clams ($26) and chopped it to pieces and mixed it with wine, garlic, vermicelli, and other herbs before steaming the crustacean. With each bite you get different flavours and textures, a lovely seafood special. 


Being Chinese, I'm probably more difficult to impress as I've had so many experiences in my lifetime that there's often a comparable or better version of a dish previously eaten. While some dishes were a little bland for my taste, how the ingredients were prepared and the dishes executed were fantastic. What is also great about MIMI is their approachability and friendly service, a quality that can sometimes be lacking at Chinese restaurants.   

I can already imagine the pundits' responses: there's nothing special about the dishes and you can find them cheaper elsewhere. There is truth to this statement, the dishes aren't "westernized" and presented in the traditional format, albeit with more attention to plating. And the menu prices are much higher than the casual family establishments and still more than the banquet style restaurants. However, applaud MIMI for keeping with traditions and to allow customers, who may be hesitant to visit a Chinese restaurant, to try dishes that are not the General Tao variety they might have otherwise. As for the prices, just be mindful about their Yorkville rent and the higher labour costs (there were a lot of servers, all of whom are fluent in English). 

MIMI likely won't be the place your mom, dad, or grandparents will be love, but it is where you bring your friends who want to expand their taste bud experience beyond the Cantonese-focused menus that are typical in Toronto. It's where they will be able to try items from a variety of regions and they won't need your help interpreting the menu or translating. All you need to do is sit back, relax, and eat. 

Overall mark - 7 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 265 Davenport 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:
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