Piano Piano (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2017 by

While restaurants across the world are making headlines with their no “young” children policies, Chef Victor Barry is moving in the complete opposite direction, closing the upscale and intimate Splendido and morphing the space into a brightly lit and whimsical (while still polished) space that embraces families. Although the main floor welcomes all guests, the lower level is tailored for children with its play area, a distraction allowing parents to enjoy unbothered bites of food. It’s sweet and welcoming, exactly the atmosphere Piano Piano wants to cultivate: a place where you feel like you’re dining in their home and gives you time to deepen family relations. 

Given our waitress raved about the egg yolk raviolo ($16), we felt obligated to try the appetizer portion to start. The typical spinach and ricotta stuffing is augmented with an egg yolk sandwiched between the sheets of pasta. As you break through the raviolo, the molten egg combines with the salty parmigiano shavings and nutty brown butter to create a rich savoury sauce. It’s a wildly inventive dish and absolutely delicious if it weren’t for the ultra al dante pasta edges.


Having read all the rave reviews about Piano Piano’s pizza, we opted for the Smokey Bear ($22), an uncommon combination of soft fior di latte cheese, smoked mozzarella, and salty smoked cured speck. Perhaps it’s unfair to complain that the pizza was too smoky (after all, it’s named the Smokey Bear), but with the pizza’s chewy crust already well-blistered, all the other intensely flavoured ingredients were too much. My taste buds were desparately crying out for something refreshing to balance it out – a lightly dressed arugula on top would have been a perfect respite.


The braised short rib ($28), not surprisingly, simply broke apart with a press of the fork; so tender you couldn’t even feel the distinct grains from the beef … everything seemed to meld into one luscious piece. For my friend, the soft texture almost had her thinking the beef was past its prime. After laser focusing on the taste, I can see her point – there is a slight funk. Possibly, the meat was wet-aged, which breaks down the fibers while retaining its juices, but does leave an almost musky flavour and aroma in the beef.


Despite sharing what we thought was a manageable amount of food, the richness of the dishes left us as full as dining at Nonna’s table on a Sunday. Nonetheless, the nutella tiramisu ($9) called. On top of the tea cup sized dessert was a whimsical piano keyboard made from cocoa powder. Like the other dishes, the tiramisu was surprisingly rich for the small size – there was no skimping on the mascarpone and in lieu of lady fingers a rich vanilla cake was used. Having had my fair share of tiramisu, I like Piano Piano’s rendition, a sweet and satisfying ending.



While I’m still disappointed that I can longer enjoy Splendido’s deliciously extravagant brunch, it’s nice to see better dining options for families with young children. For me, a childless diner, the playroom and separate dining area are meaningless and if anything made me hesitant to visit. Hence, it was a pleasant surprise that the play area wasn’t prominently displayed like a McDonald’s playground. 

 Truth be told, if I hadn’t read-up about the restaurant before visiting, I’d be none the wiser about Piano Piano’s family friendly nature. There were no screaming children and the atmosphere on the main floor was like any other restaurant. Thankfully, the music was at a reasonable volume so I really felt I could converse with my friend. The food may not be as stellar as its predecessor, but Piano Piano is a comfortable and welcoming environment, a place that encourages you to connect and of course, mangia.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 88 Harbord Street 

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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!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Piano Piano Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Karaikudi Chettinad Indian Restaurant (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, April 09, 2017 by

I’m not afraid to admit that when it comes to Indian food, I’m a novice. I’m not knowledgeable about which dishes originate from a particular region, the spices still meld into one on my tongue, and I haven’t a clue on how to gauge a restaurant’s authenticity. Yet, it’s a cuisine I want to get to know better. Hence, I turn to the Internet and rely on “best of” lists and crowd sourced reviews before I return to Scarborough, my childhood home, where there’s an abundance of Indian restaurants to try.

As their name may give away, Karaikudi Chettinad offers Southern Indian dishes from the Chettinad region. Wikipedia hints to me that the cuisine from this region is known for their use of masala and rice (the grain even used in wraps such as dosais). Hence, it helps narrow down my choices on Karaikudi’s extensive menu (it even includes Hakka-style dishes) to those using these two ingredients.

During lunch, a great meal for one (or even sharing) is a thali, a round platter made up of various dishes incorporating all six flavours. The chicken version ($14.99) is sparse in terms of meat (two deck-of-card sized bone-in pieces), but the curry is lovely – full of flavours and spicy enough while not overwhelming.


Still, it’s the other small bowls that draws me in; urging me to dip and experiment to my  heart’s content. By all means, I have no idea what I’m having most of the time, but it’s the different textures, flavourfuls and spiciness levels that gets me excited.


One moment it’s the lusciousness of the dal (a lentil dish) or surprising heartiness of the stewed cauliflower, then I get an unexpected bitterness from an unknown vegetable. The huge bowl of what looks like lethal green chilies turns out to be refreshing crunchy string beans, stir fried with onion and bits of egg. Crisis adverted. There are just two items to watch out for:

  • A lone spoonful of thick hot sauce, a telltale sign cautioning you to use sparingly; and
  • A light coconut and cardamom tapioca dessert. If you’re not aware this comes with the meal, you may end up spooning the sweet milky liquid over rice – I may or may not have dipped papadum into it before realizing the error.
Within the thali are plenty of options to soak up the sauces: a large bowl of airy basmati rice, a crispy papadum, and a soft wheat flour chapathi. If you’re sharing, I’d suggest adding on a couple of the parottas ($1.99 each) as well. The wrap has a soft chewy texture similar to naan, but incorporates more oil leaving lovely layers … its crevices perfect for dipping into sauces.


The chicken biryani ($12.99) looks and tastes fantastic. Somehow the rice retains a light airiness but the grains have absolutely soaked in flavours. Just scoop a forkful into your mouth and leave it there … slowly the flavours come out. Similar to the thali, there’s not a lot of chicken that actually arrives with the rice, but it’s sufficient and there’s also the customary hard-boiled egg on top.


Having heard about Karaikudi’s gigantic dosas, a crispy pancake made with a fermented rice and black gram batter, the restaurant would be my first taste of the dish. Instead of table-sized version, I opted for a regular-sized masala ($10.99) that incorporates a flavourful curried mashed potato mixture in the centre. It sort of needs the potato, which adds a heartiness to the dosa; otherwise, it would have been a mere savoury crispy crepe with chutneys and gravy.


Karaikudi Chettinad was a great stop in my journey in becoming a more experienced consumer of Indian food. It’s sizeable dining room allows for reservations and the menu seems endless – thankfully, I researched ahead of time!  You start to build an understanding of how things should taste: the biryani isn’t merely coloured rice with a faint taste of spice, rather it’s evolved into a blanket of aromatic flavours that covers the tongue.  Bite by bite, my education continues.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1225 Kennedy 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:

Karaikudi Chettinad Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Lavelle (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, April 02, 2017 by

As you enter the stairwell off King West, doubts creep in about the legitimacy of Lavelle’s supposedly swanky entertainment space. Sure, the stairwell has been jazzed up – there’s colourful walls and even artwork - but it still leads to a somewhat dank basement elevator. Rest assured, if you follow the signs and push the right button in the elevator, you’ll soon be whisked up to the rooftop that opens viewing the spacious rooftop pool. Walk along the brightly lit corridor and you’ll soon find the dining area.

Should you arrive early, take the opportunity to sit at the bar and enjoy the view - the outdoors consists mostly of cranes and developing condo buildings, but inside the bar’s copper elements pratically gleams and sparkles. Albeit pricy (a single cocktail can cost up to $30), they concoct them right – the glass is chilled with ice cubes beforehand, certain ones shaken versus stirred. 

The Puritan ($17), a classic strong drink from the 1890s, is made up of three types of alcohol: gin, green chartreuse and vermouth. Oh you’ll taste the alcohol, especially the herbal properties of the chartreuse. The only respite is the bit of ice that’s melted into it, orange bitters, and the lemon rind that lets off a lovely aroma as you take each sip.

Despite discrepancies between the menu prices and actual charges for their appetizers (actual prices shown in post), they’re a fair sized portion and could work as a light meal when paired with salad. The steak tartare ($21) is a flavour bomb with a zesty kick from the spicy ketchup and horseradish. Finely chopped hazelnut and cucumber add a bit of crunch and bite that’s a nice contrast against the soft beef. Luckily, Lavelle doesn’t skimp on the crostini so there’s enough pieces to get through the heaping portion of tartare.


I’m torn about the cod cheek & leek ($19) starter. On one hand, it’s beautifully plated and certain elements on their own are delicious: the baby purple potatoes so creamy, the lightly dusted fried smelts a nice touch, and the nori cured duck egg a lovely custard consistency … oh wonderful salty yolk jelly. But then the smoked buttermilk foam sort of detracts from the dish and the cod cheek is seriously over salted. Although it looks like a pretty breath of spring air, for me, the elements together is more compost than bouquet.


A better seafood option is the Fogo Island cod ($29). The flakey neutral fish went nicely with the thick flavourful squid ink risotto (it stains the teeth, but tastes so good). Unlike the cod cheek starter, the other decorative elements actually enhance the dish – the small matane shrimp adding a contrasting sweetness and the pea shoots a refreshing element. For what seems like a light dish, it has a rich creamy finish that’s just as satisfying as any meat dish.


Although I was a little disappointed with the “frites” accompanying the steak frites ($29) – where are thin crispy stringy fries and why have they been replaced with these dense hunks of potatoes? - the flat iron steak was cooked perfectly and the rub on the outside already flavourful enough that the red wine jus wasn’t even required. For such a lean cut of meat, it was also surprisingly tender (probably on account of being aged), while retaining the full beef flavour.


Another fitting spring plate is the lychee and hibiscus dessert ($12). Pieces of cake soaked in a flavourful hibiscus syrup, a cool refreshing lychee sorbet, and crispy hibiscus meringue pieces have enough sweetness to be satisfying while still remaining light. I can see the citrusy floral fruit elements being a hit-or-miss with some guests, but the dessert is different and more interesting than just another cheesecake.


On weekends, Lavelle is party central. However, on a weeknight, it’s an oddly serene and calming environment - the half full restaurant offers a lot of personal space and service is attentive but not pushy (feel free to sit for three hours and chat, no one will bother you). It’s nice to go earlier and watch the sun set: from the dining room the view improves and soon the sky glows and the CN Tower lights up.


The restaurant was right to describe the rooftop as an “escape” from the city. High above the bustle you start to forget about the traffic and commotion. “What schedule?” you start to think, for now that doesn’t matter and another glass of bubbly is all you need.  

Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 627 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:

Lavelle Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Good Catch Boil House (Markham)

Posted on Saturday, April 01, 2017 by

Compared to the first Louisiana boil chain that opened in Toronto, Good Catch Boil House is practically palatial. The high ceilings, modern décor and ample room makes it a place you can actually go and hang out at. Sports fans will love the restaurant since there’s plenty of television screens – who doesn’t want to suck back seafood while watching basketball?

Sticking with only one Louisiana boil-type dish, we decided on the snow crab legs ($18.95 a pound) with corn ($1 for two small pieces) thrown in to nibble on. Generally, the signature blend of flavouring is a good choice as the restaurant mixes a few sauces into one. At Good Catch, theirs also incorporates curry … tasty if you like it, but doesn’t really sing ‘boil’ to me. Although, I did use the sauce for dipping soft garlic bread ($3.95) into. Note to self: next time stick with the Cajun blend.


Nonetheless, the medium spicy level was the perfect amount of heat and the crab was prepared nicely. I was surprised by how quickly it arrived (less than ten minutes after ordering) and soon I was digging into succulent crab legs and juicy ears of corn.


For those who don’t like the messy and time consuming act of nibbling through savoury pieces of seafood, Good Catch also has an abundant variety of non-boil dishes. With a raw bar, where oysters are shucked to order, the fried oyster basket ($14.95) seemed like a safe choice. Indeed, we were treated to two-bite nuggets of plump, clean tasting mollusks … I don’t normally even like oysters and I couldn’t help reaching for a few more.

Thanks to Parv for a non-blurry version of the fried oysters
For a more complete meal, the hot lobster roll ($22.95) is a good choice. Aside from the Cajun fries, it also arrives with a simple green salad and lovely oniony coleslaw. Good for sharing or a meal for one.

Had the lobster roll been the first thing consumed, I would have thought it was delicious: there weren’t stingy with the lobster, it was lightly tossed in butter, the sprinkling of Cajun season a nice touch, and the roll freshly toasted.

However, since it was served after the intensely salty snow crab boil and oily crispy oysters, the lobster roll seemed bland in comparison. If people are sharing, Good Catch should consider serving all the ‘regular’ meals first and then end off with the powerful boil dishes. Firstly, the customer’s taste buds aren’t already inundated by the flavourful sauces, but also ensures fried items don’t sit around and get soggy and cold (after all, getting through a pound of crab legs takes time and who wants to keep taking those sticky gloves on and off)?

Aside from the comfortable bar like interior, I can happily and proudly report that they offer cutlery. For so long, the disposal nature of eating at competitors made me leave feeling guilty and resentful. Real plates, metal utensils, and an actual water glass – our environment thanks you Good Catch Boil House.

Overall mark - 8.5 out of 10
Disclaimer: The above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.
How To Find Them
 Location: Markham, Canada
 Address: 179 Enterprise Blvd

 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:

Good Catch Boil House Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Café Moroc (in the Sultan's Tent) (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, March 26, 2017 by

While walking through the St. Lawrence Market district, you don’t expect to be transported into a Moroccan café with an ornate interior, gorgeous light fixtures and soothing green palm fronds. Café Moroc, located in the bar area of the Sultan’s Tent, is calming and inviting. During weekday lunches, the hushed environment is completely different from the jovial belly dancing dinners at the adjoining restaurant. It’s relaxing and serene; I get an urge to do yoga, followed by a visit to the café for couscous and mint tea.

Unlike most downtown establishments, Café Moroc doesn’t offer a special lunch menu. Combine that with their pricy a la carte, we practically had the entire dining room to ourselves during a Friday lunch. We had our choice of tables and the gentlemen working that afternoon was so friendly and attentive that I felt like Moroccan royalty. For the price conscious, you can still visit the gorgeous space for less, just order a couple of appetizers.

The hummus and pita ($10) is a fair sized portion – the dip is thick and flavourful, with a splash of olive oil to dilute everything a bit. It would have been preferable to provide patrons a mixture of crispy and soft pitas, as the hard pita is so brittle that eating the hummus cleanly can be a challenge. Don’t worry about the skimpy portion of bread that’s presented; afterwards, our waiter brought out another plate piled high with them so we could dip to our heart’s content.

Having had the starter over a decade ago, I remembered the signature maftoul ($10) being tastier. The phyllo wrapped Moroccan ‘cigars’ are filled with ground beef, raisins and cashews before being fried. If you like spring rolls, these are similar. Perhaps my palette has matured, but the filling seems less spiced and subdued. It’s more like a crispy package of cumin infused ground beef than the ‘exotic’ dish I remembered so fondly. Nonetheless, they’re still enjoyable.



Despite the meagre portion, Café Moroc’s crab cake ($14) is delicious – it incorporates enough crab and the recipe is differentiated from the typical North American coastal creation by the stronger Moroccan spices used in the filling. The crab cake is so flavourful that you don’t even need the citrusy chermoula emulsion or spicy harissa aioli that accompanies it.

Having had a great tagine in Montreal, their short rib version ($29) seemed like an ideal choice. The meat was thankfully left on the bone (the bone provides so much flavour!) and was succulent and nicely flavoured from the thick demi-glace.

In lieu of couscous, I asked the grain to be switched with saffron rice. Despite the vibrant yellow hue of the rice, there wasn’t any saffron essence at all – that lovely almost shellfish like aroma that wafts through – what a disappointment. Overall, it was a decent interpretation of the dish, but not nearly as aromatic as it should be … somehow it seems each element is cooked separately and then re-assembled and presented in the tagine, rather than cooked in the vessel.

Café Moroc also offers a fish tagine, which changes and happened to be cod ($29) that afternoon. Its flavours pales in comparison. The protein, while moist and flakey, lacked any seasoning making the overall dish bland. Perhaps, it’s due to all the strong appetizers and my own hearty short rib, but after such an exciting start for my taste buds, the fish tagine was so boring.

It’s a shame the main dishes at Café Moroc are so tame. Where are the enticing aromas or bursts of flavours to excite your taste buds? While I loved the atmosphere and service at the restaurant, you can’t help but leave feeling you’ve visited a tourist trap. If I ever return, I’ll definitely just stick with the appetizers. After all, nibbling on finger foods and digging into a plate of thick hummus would be more fitting of a Moroccan café any day.  

 Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 49 Front Street East

 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 Sultan's Tent & Cafe Moroc Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


CLOSED: The Berlin (Kitchener)

Posted on Saturday, March 25, 2017 by

Brunching at the Berlin ensures you’re satisfied right away. You’ve experienced it - the hunger pangs from a delayed breakfast; for a person who eats by 7:00 am during weekdays, waiting until even 11:00 am seems like an eternity. The Berlin gets you – they’ve set-up a harvest table with cold dishes so you can get into the meal quickly after being seated.



Soon after our drink orders were taken (a mimosa for me that’s already included in the meal price), I descended upon the table with a promise to bring back only one plate. After all, I couldn’t fill up and not eat any of the hot dishes.

With a changing menu, depending on what the local producers have in season, there was a nice combination to choose from. Half of the table was dedicated to sweets (black berry muffins, coconut chocolate scones, and an iced citrus loaf, to name a few), in the middle a make-your-own granola section, and on the other end, my kind of end … the savoury affair.



Gorgeous slices of smoked pork neck and lachsschinken (a brined cured pork loin) charcuterie and a pile of Beemster cheese. Placed onto their yeasty crusty bread, it transformed everything into an ultimate ham and cheese sandwich.

Aside from an extremely over salted shaved cabbage and green apple salad, the other options were delicious:

  • Citrusy cubes of the lightly cured rainbow trout with creamy avocado and a hit of mystery spice that gave the dish extra pep (could it be a ginger salt similar to the ginger sugar used on the grapefruit)?   
  • Despite having my fill of beets this season, the liberal sprinkling of green onions mixed into the traditional goat cheese mixture was fantastic and gave the salad a fresh spring-like quality.

Be warned, the harvest table is a test to your self-control - despite knowing I had already ordered a poached egg, I couldn’t stop myself from grabbing a slice of the leek and goat cheese frittata as it came warm from the oven. Just step away from the table and strap yourself into your seat.

Berlin’s brunch ($24 for adults and $10 for children including a beverage) is my kind of buffet. To ensure the hot items are at their peak, these are made-to-order. Order one or many and they will arrive individually plated, perfect for passing around the table so everyone gets a taste.



The medium poached egg already arrives with spiced lentils and a creamy yoghurt. But, you could easily combine it with a slice of jowl bacon and bread or English muffin to make a DIY eggs benedict. As for the bacon, meat lovers have to try it. Don’t let the thick layer of fat scare you; it tastes light in the mouth and simply melts away into deliciousness.

Put together their hot juicy garlic sausage (accompanied by a lovely grainy beer mustard) with a crispy dense potato latke and you’re in for a hearty meal.

Yet, it’s the French toast with the maple syrup that got our table in a tizzy. The thick piece of pumpkin spiced bread with pumpkin seeds (?) must have been soaking for a long time in the egg and milk mixture. Once you cut through the caramelized exterior, the middle in piping hot and has a soft custard consistency. Just take a moment to savour the French toast … it’s … just … so … good.

So delicious that once I went back to the harvest table for “dessert”, the freshly made cinnamon sticky buns and crispy sesame-poppy seed palmier seemed so normal. Forget the sticky bun, I could have had another slice of the French toast any day.



It’s a shame that the Berlin isn’t located closer to home, or perhaps it’s just a saving grace for my waistline. The meal was friendly and fantastic. Oh Chef Jonathan Gushue, how do you make the first meal of the day so satisfying? And now, for a nap.

 Overall mark - 9 out of 10
Disclaimer: The above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.
How To Find Them
 Location: Kitchener, Canada
 Address: 45 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:


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