Gather a group of ten before heading to Szechuan Legend as their set meals, especially on weekdays when they are even cheaper, are an amazing deal. The $198 weeknight non-spicy menu had enough variety to satisfy.

Of course, you’ll get your seafood fix with a medium four pound lobster done “fishermen wharf” style (essentially deep fried and then stir fried with garlic and chilies). It’s a nice change from the traditional ginger and onion and adds a spicy salty kick to the lobster. Afterwards, the tomalley is used in the fried rice, giving it a sticky and rich (albeit slightly fishy) essence.

The crustacean parade continue with two Dungeness crabs simply done with ginger and onion. Both seafood dishes are decent – not overcooked and incorporates enough seasoning without overpowering the seafood.

Although it’s not really Szechuan, a large steamed golden tilapia, is also included to counteract all the fried dishes. Again, the cooking time is bang on so that the fish flakes away from the bone without the texture turning tough.

Other seafood dishes completing the meal includes a Peking style sea cucumber – a sea creature that despite its name is not actually vegetarian. Normally, I’m not a fan of its soft blubbery texture, but at Szechuan Legend it’s chopped into small pieces and quickly stir fried (rather than braised) keeping them crunchy. Lastly, a plate of vermicelli noodles containing a fair amount of seafood and vegetables; it could use more salt as it’s colourful but tepid.

A favourite for my family is Peking duck, so we were in luck when the set menu included one done three ways. Traditionally, the highlight is the slices of skin cocooned in flour wrappers. They’re fine at Szechuan legend – the skin crispy (to the point the duck may have been flash fried) and the wrappers impossibly thin. Yet, the duck needed more seasoning as without the hoisin sauce, it’d be pretty bland.

On the other hand, the lettuce wraps and duck bone soup arguably steals the show. Large chunks of duck meat is reserved for the stir-fried lettuce wrap mixture and the Styrofoam rice noodles are left out in favour of crunchy vegetables and water chestnuts. There’s little meat within the duck bone soup, but the restaurant adds soft cubes of tofu and quickly boiled napa cabbage to make it hearty. A hot boil of soup is a nice toasty way to end off the meal.

The sole vegetable dish included with the set meal is stir fried baby bok choy with shrimp… boring and rather unforgettable compared to everything else. For this reason, we added an order of the stir fried lotus root ($8.99), which has a great crunchy refreshing texture.

The execution on the crispy half chicken ($8.99) varies. Since we had a larger table, we ordered a full chicken and each half arrived separately. The first looked man-handled and was starting to border on dry, while the second better but the breast a tad undercooked. Even so, we all agreed the sweet and spicy sauce accompanying the chicken was fantastic and helped mask the flaws.

In need of more starches, the seafood fried rice cakes ($8.99) were a nice change from noodles. The chewiness of the rice cakes pairs nicely with the crunchy black fungus; pork slivers, shrimp and napa cabbage completes the dish.

On both visits, dessert consisted of red bean soup. The restaurant’s rendition incorporates what looks and smells like Baby’s Breath. Given a limited amount of sugar was used in the dessert, there was little flavour to hide the floral taste. Nonetheless, despite tasting strange, the red bean soup did have a digestive effect after a heavy meal.

Even without the lower pricing, I’d suggest visiting on a weeknight. The restaurant is generally understaffed so service tends to be slow even when the dining room isn’t full. All the same, Szechuan Legend is a respectable restaurant; for the most part, the food is tasty despite being affordable. You’ll leave full and satisfied … just with a floral aftertaste in your mouth.

• 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!

• WB Chinese Cooking
• Tsui Wah

Torontonians sometimes forget about the restaurants that populates their hotels, with the exception of those manned by celebrity chef imports. Perhaps it’s the sentiment that the restaurants are for tourists and travelers, those where expense isn’t an issue, surely not for you and I that inhabit the city daily?

At Azure, the flagship restaurant in the Intercontinental Toronto Centre, their window canopy opens up the space and offers a great people-watching vantage point. The dark wood and plush velvet furnishings helps keep the dining room cozy and comfortable – you can sit at the table for hours. Unlike the current trend of cramming small tables (sometimes communal *shudder*) together making for a horribly loud atmosphere, Azure gives you space to converse and a sense of privacy that I often crave. Ah… tranquility.

Azure certainly doesn’t skimp on portions. A huge port and black cherry osso bucco arrives with an equally sizeable marscarpone crispy risotto cake. The veal shank was braised just long enough to make the meat tender, but not overly done so that the bone marrow disintegrated (save a piece of bread to scoop the gelee marrow onto).

Is Winterlicious worth it (based on my meal selection)?
Winterlicious - $48
Regular menu - $63 - octopus ($18), salmon ($31) and dessert ($14)
Savings - $15 or 24%

• 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!

I’ve heard fond recounts of the Corner House, Herbert and Michelle Barnsteiner’s previous restaurant. Sadly, I’ve never visited the iconic establishment, so hearing the couple was back with the new Barnsteiner’s seemed like an ideal second chance. Beautifully executed meats, wonderful spaetzle, come to me now.

Indeed, their food is delicious, but the kitchen’s consistency is a problem. Gordon Ramsey would throw a temper tantrum seeing the state of the dishes being served side-by-side. Take the charred Brussels sprouts Caesar salad: while some guests had what you’d expect the salad to be (about ten halves of roasted Brussels sprouts with other fixings), my friend and I both received a plate of what looked like a regular Caesar.

After foraging around the romaine and endives, I finally found a single split sprout. To be fair, what I could salvage was delicious with a wonderful caramelized crust and the creamy dressing not overly rich with a heavy hand on the garlic. Aside from the greens, there were also large pieces of smoky bacon and plenty of shaved pecorino … just don’t expect to actually get Brussels sprouts. It felt like I was playing Where’s Waldo? with the salad.

The black angus striploin’s consistency improved a bit – we all at least received two slices of the requisite beef and it was cooked beautifully (a perfect medium rare; juicy and meaty). Everyone even received similar portions of the creamy squashed roasted fingerling potatoes and crispy vericot beans. Yet, the red wine jus was a miss: one (unpictured) dish looked like someone cleaned the plate with Bounty and absorbed most of the sauce with it.

While the menu describes the espresso and hazelnut pannacotta as “tiramisu-ish”, aside from the espresso and perhaps some cream, it’s not tiramisu. Nor does it need to be, as the dessert is delicious on its own. The shallow mason jar may look plain (actually all the desserts were not picturesque), but the flavour is bang on. The pannacotta has a luscious consistency and the creamy espresso sauce on top adds a wonderful flavour. It really shows, sometimes looks don’t matter.

Barnsteiner is a great traditional bistro, but also has an old school mentality towards service. Sure, the staff are professional and things arrive as ordered, but there’s a utilitarian frankness to their service – good luck getting a smile or joke from anyone.

Their technology also seems outdated – when we requested separate bills, we were advised that it can be done, but we should have put in the request while ordering. Maybe I’m succumbing to the millennial mindset, but other restaurants actually ask whether we want individual bills while paying … if it’s such an easy request for them, why is it such an arduous task at Barnstainer? Tip to the restaurant: if splitting checks takes preparation, consider telling staff to warn customers at the beginning the meal - a simple “and will you need separate invoices tonight?” would suffice. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love old school restaurants – their private dark atmospheres, spacious seating, and even mains that arrive with all the sides. There’s something comforting about them and the dim lighting means less technological distractions – why bother taking a zillion photos when they’ll be grainy anyways?

It’s a shame, as Barnsteiner could have been a place I’d really enjoy – but having inconsistent food and unaccommodating service doesn’t make me want return. Maybe it’s the old-fashioned attitude or the Barnsteiner’s are comfortable relying on their previous Corner House clientele, but can a restaurant occupying a convenient location serving decent food be enough? If invited for a meal, I’ll still happily eat there, but recommend it to others? Not so much. 

Overall mark - 6 out of 10

Is Winterlicious worth it (based on my meal selection)?
Winterlicious - $38
Regular menu - $50 - salad* ($12), steak ($27) and dessert* ($11)
Savings - $12 or 24%

* Price based on Barn Caesar salad and other desserts

• 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!

• Browne's Bistro
• The Shore Club

The day I heard Monk Kitchen was being shuttered was a sad day. Course after course of what Chef Roberto Fracchioni was churning out at the Chef’s table was fantastic – everything tasted great, for sure, but it was friendly behind-the-scenes view of the kitchen (and bantering) that made the experience incredible. I’ve since tried Flor de Sal, Fracchioni’s new restaurant; everything about the dinner is fancier, but the magic isn’t there.  

Hence, after hearing the initial reviews on Parcae, which now occupies the former Monk Kitchen digs, I had reservations already … the use of offals in a brilliant manner, but ultra-small portions. It sounded hoity toity, nothing like the warm hearty creations of its predecessor.    

It wasn’t until Winterlicious that I decided to give Parcae a chance – even if the dinner wasn’t fantastic, I’d be out $38, a manageable sum. On this visit, the restaurant was much easier to find (firstly, there was a board with the restaurant’s name out front) and I knew go to the left of the lobby and down the stairs to actually get to the dining room.

Our waiter, tatted with gorgeous geometric forearm tattoos, was just as friendly as the Monk Kitchen chefs. I took a deep breath… maybe this will be amazing, why had I waited so long to try Parcae? Certainly, the $7 glass of wine (another Winterlicious special) helped, the balanced Syrah coaxing me into comfort.

Then a bowl of house fried bread arrived – a genius concoction – balls of hot crispy goodness. The hard crust cracks to let you into the soft but chewy dough in the middle. Each morsel is covered with salt and grated pecorino crotonese cheese to give it a strong savoury burst. It even sits in a pool of olive oil, which thankfully doesn’t soak into the bread. The only “healthy” element is the thyme leaves dotted within the batter. Give me two bowls of these with wine and I’d be happy.

Feeling adventurous, I started with the cervelo or deep fried lamb brains. Even as the server sets down the appetizer, she warns that it’s best to eat them with a bit of the vinegary greens and plump mushrooms. The first bite (with all the condiments) is actually great – since the cervelo is piping hot, all you can taste is the crunchy crust and creaminess before everything’s swallowed to avoid a second degree burn to the tongue.

Then as the temperature drops and the meagre greens and mushroom supply depletes, the creaminess finishes with a gamey aftertaste and my once gung-ho feeling starts to wane. It starts to feel heavy … the creamy bite that just slid down my throat has turned to sludge. Truthfully, I would have given up every brain fritter for just another ball of fried bread. Oh well, I’ve tried it and have briefly supported the nose to tail movement.

Continuing on the lamb journey (if I’m going to eat the head part, I may as well benefit from indulging in the meat part of the animal as well), I chose the lamb parpadelle as the main. Aside from the bread (I know quit harping on the bread), the pasta was the best dish of the evening. The ribbons were thin and silky and the sauce closer to an au jus consistency so it just clings to the pasta. Then you lift the ribbons and little strands of scamorza cheese pulls apart. It’s a great dish - if only there was more lamb and it didn’t arrive in a kid-sized portion (seriously, the kid-menu fettuccine alfredo at Earls is comparable).

I almost felt bad taking a bite of my friend’s duck raviolo; after all, the lone thing at the bottom of the dish already seemed so meagre. Yet, our friendly waiter had raved about them, so a bite was in order. Although the rest of the table loved the raviolo, something about the creamy mascarpone sauce ruined the otherwise delicious braised duck filled pasta. Maybe it was the hazelnut pieces (why ruin a hearty pasta with nuts?!) or the lack of crispy duck skin as promised on the menu. The raviolo was no parpadelle.

After an exciting starter of lamb brains, my dessert waffle seemed so safe– it’s not overly thrilling, but it’s also hard to mess up. Parcae had the requisite eggy batter and crispy edges and the waffle neutral enough that the sweet Nutella ice cream wasn’t overpowering. But then the chef adds a shaving of frozen foie gras on top: that one ingredient made the dish, adding a creamy saltiness to everything.

Following such a nicely balanced dessert, a taste of the pudding chômeur felt like someone pumped a syringe of maple syrup into my mouth. Soaking cake in syrup already makes for a sweet dessert, so adding banana and peanut butter ice cream to it seems over the top. Something simpler like an unsweetened Chantilly cream would have been better and not leave me reaching for water.

Perhaps even a spoonful of the buffalo ricotta “pannacotta” would suffice. After all, it was watery enough to melt into the chômeur. Someone must have forgotten to add gelatin to the dessert as what arrived is more fittingly described as creamy cottage cheese with poached cinnamon quince (like a firm pear), this can’t be a pannacotta?

A meal that started strongly slowly waned at the end. Parcae certainly offers interesting options, but some things are just too hoity toity for its own good: the toppings on the duck raviolo is overly fussy and desserts like the chômeur simply overpowering. And don’t think the portions have shrunk in lieu of the Winterlicious special – judging by regular reviews, it’s always this small. So, unlike other three course meals, you’ll leave yearning for something more. One guess what I was yearning … of course, those genius fried bread balls.

Is Winterlicious worth it (based on my meal selection)?
Winterlicious - $38
Regular menu - $38 - cervelo ($12), parpadelle ($16) and dessert ($10)
Savings - $0 

After contacting the restaurant to understand why there was absolutely no savings for dining there during Winterlicious (something I thought the City of Toronto requires), they responded that the fried bread served at the beginning normally costs $5. There you go: you get complimentary shared bread. Parcae is the worst value I've ever calculated for a Winter/Summerlicious experience.

• 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!

• Chantecler
• Boralia

Is Winterlicious worth it (based on my meal selection)?
Winterlicious - $18
Regular menu - $32.35 - candied salmon* ($12.45), sandwich ($12.95) and dessert* ($6.95)
Savings - $14.35 or 44%

* Based on the coconut shrimp and double chocolate brownie

• 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!

• Canyon Creek's Chef Table Dinner
• Red's Midtown Tavern

During Winterlicious ($38), I’m happy to see their special price fixe menu includes renditions of their normally available dishes, such as the smoked trout and crisp potato cake starter. It’s a superb dish, the fish cooked through but still having the smoked flavour and aroma, which is balanced out with thinly sliced cucumbers and tangy crème fraiche. The potato base is not the shredded pancake or latkes version, rather a square of non-creamy potato gratin that flakes apart just like the fish.

Is Winterlicious worth it (based on my meal selection)?
Winterlicious - $38
Regular menu - $58 - trout ($18), beef ($30) and dessert ($10)
Savings - $20 or 34%

• 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!

• Fring's
• Patria