Light Cafe was one of those restaurants that looked stunning on the screen. With a vibrant live wall, whimsical drinks and colourful desserts, the menu defined Instagrammable. Since we don’t eat only with our eyes, I had high hopes that my tastebuds would be equally delighted, and for the most part they were. Light Cafe proved that they were more than just visuals with fresh ingredients and creative combinations.

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

To start, our group ordered a couple of drinks including the Berry Iced Tea, a Grapefruit Italian Soda, Tiramisu Latte and we couldn’t resist the Cotton Candy Coffee. Light Cafe also offered a selection of smoothies, espresso drinks, and loose leaf teas. I sipped on the bubbly Italian soda myself and liked how many slices of fresh fruit my glass came with. Similarly, the Berry Iced Tea was topped with lots of apple slices, sliced grapes and blackberries. I really liked the Tiramisu Latte, but it was unsweetened and a little hard to add sugar without getting cocoa powder everywhere. As for the Cotton Candy Coffee, a drink designed for Boomerang, the presentation of the drink was adorable. Two small milk bottles filled, each with milk and coffee, were served with a glass mug topped with a fluffy cloud of cotton candy. Pouring the coffee and milk through the cotton candy into the mug melted it and sweetened the drink at the same time. Fun and whimsical. Personally, I like my coffee a little sweeter than the level of sweetness provided from just the cotton candy.

As for food, we tasted at least one item from each section of the menu. For myself, I ordered the Lobster Bisque ($6.50 for a single bowl) and really liked the savoury, creamy soup. The warm cup was served in a copper measuring cup and was very comfortable on the chilly day. Continuing the lobster trend, I also ordered the Lobster Roll. At $15.50 for two buns this was pricey for a sandwich but pretty good for the amount of lobster on the plate. The cold chunks of lobster, tossed with a creamy dressing, was served on two toasted hot dog buns, perfect. I still dream about the hot butter lobster rolls from Boston, one day I hope to find one in Toronto.

The next few dishes were shared at the table. The Truffle Mushroom Croissant was visually interesting with the mushroom heads spilling out and had a generous drizzle of truffle oil, adding even more earthiness to each bite. If you like mushrooms, this would be the sandwich to order. With the Smoked Duck Breast Salad, the duck was incredibly flavourful and well seasoned, but only 5 slices were included. The salad itself was fresh with greens, a few chunks of citrus, tomatoes, cauliflower and radish. When ordering a salad, diners can choose from 4 different dressings. I picked the sesame, which was creamy and fragrant. Both the Yuzu and Mustard Soy dressings also sounded interesting.

I only took a few bites of the next two plates, the Creamy Shrimp Mini Pizza and the Smoked Salmon and Caviar Baked Potato. Between the two, I preferred the baked potato. Both dishes were weak in comparison to the other items I tried that night. The texture of the mini pizza was more like a flatbread and difficult to cut through.

When it came to dessert we tried three different waffle flavours, the Strawberry Waffle, Charcoal Black Sesame Waffle and Mango Waffle. The strawberry and mango waffles were more traditional, topped with whipped cream, fresh fruit and ice cream. I liked the idea of the flavour shot inserted in the scoop of strawberry ice cream, but it was hard to drizzle out. Both waffles were crispy and a great base for the topping. The black sesame waffle was cut into individual hearts and used actual (food safe) charcoal in the batter to achieve the dark, black colour. A little pitcher of black sesame sauce was served alongside.

Overall Light Cafe would be a great place for any type of meal, from a full dinner, to coffee, to dessert.

Filipino food is one Asian cuisine whose presence has been lacking in Toronto’s restaurant scene, however that’s quickly changing. The growing popularity of all things ube (purple yam) is a testament to the great Filipino restaurants that have opened the past year. One of these new hot spots is Platito on Baldwin street, who’s serving up Filipino soul food with warm service and a great DJ. I had the chance to try out a few existing menu items and a couple of new dishes being released in the future.

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

Atmosphere: Platito took over the space on Baldwin that used to house Agave Y Agucate. The space has been completely renovated, including usable tables across from the bar and a stunning painted wall mural on the second floor. Platito also had an outdoor front patio, and a covered backyard patio, perfect for private events. Natural light flooded in from the large front windows. With a DJ on deck, the atmosphere was lively and fun.

Food: It was a sweltering hot day when we stopped by and dinner began in the best way possible, with an Ube Milkshake and pitcher of Sangria. The thick and creamy lavender milkshake had scoops of ube ice cream, topped with fresh whipped cream and an ube wafer straw. In contrast, the sangria was refreshing, crisp and just the right about of sweetness, a perfect thirst quencher.

Platito’s menu consists of mostly tapas style dishes, meant to be shared family style. Between four people, we split 6 dishes, which was far too much food. The first dish out was Pork Sisig Tacos, an homage to the building’s previous Mexican incarnation. I loved the crunchy, sweet sisig with the fresh toppings and a squeeze of lemon. This is one of the new dishes to coming to the menu, and I think a great addition.

Next was a stewed beef dish in a spicy coconut sauce, Bicol Express, one of my favourites of the night. I really enjoyed the combination of shrimp paste and coconut in the sauce, which was flavourful and lip-smacking good. Those red chilis were also spicy. Each time we hit one, a big gulp of milkshake was required. The next dishes we tried were BBQ Pork Skewers and Chicken Inasal, grilled chicken served with shredded, pickled papayas. Both items were tender and had a mix of sweet and savoury.

My other favourite dish was the signature Pork Sisig, served with hot peppers and a fried egg. This was another dish where the peppers packed a lot of heat. I loved the yolky egg and creamy mayonnaise, which created a nice sauce when all mixed together with the sisig. Our last savoury dish was a pyramid of Veggie Lumpia, crispy, lightly fried and drizzled with a sweet, spicy sauce.

For dessert, we tried the Ube Waffle and Ice Cream with Macapuno. Even though I was very full, I still had room for my share.

I had the chance to chat with one of the owners at Platito’s and the restaurant was truly a family affair. It was clear their aim was to create a comfortable, fun spot to share their take on classic Filipino dishes with the city. Overall, dinner at Platito served up delicious food, the kind of recipes passed verbally through generations, great music, and a stocked bar.

For me, there are two types of Japanese sushi restaurants in Toronto, the < $10 bento box shops with decent maki and a focus on take-out or high end, fancy ones where I like to go for lunch (great deals) or celebrating and occasion. Recently, I’ve been visiting more mid-tier restaurants, those offering high quality, fresh sashimi in the $20-$30 range. Etsu falls directly in this category with a chirashi bowl priced at $21 before tax and tip. While more attention was spent on plating, I wasn’t convinced our meal was worth the higher price.

Atmosphere: Filled with sleek Ikea furniture, Etsu aimed to exude a hip and happening vibe. On a Monday night though, the restaurant was quiet and filled with diners enjoying a casual meal. There are lots of Japanese restaurants on Baldwin, from ramen to AYCE, and Etsu tries to fill the “fancy” slot. The spot for a first date, or a special dinner. I think they would’ve almost been successful if not for the general impression of not trying.

Service: Monday night was slow with only a few tables filled. However there was only one server manning the restaurant who was cold, brusque and disorganized. We sat with our menus closed for a solid 10 minutes before getting his attention. We ordered 3 beers in total, one was brought over and then 10 minutes late the other two. This was not the level of service I had expected.

Food: Our stop at Etsu was actually dinner number two that night for 4 of us. With smaller appetites, the plan was to share a few appetizers and a sashimi platter. The one girl who needed a full dinner chose to order the chirashi bowl, which was stocked with a wide variety of beautiful pieces of fish.

The two appetizers we chose to share was the tempura and soft shell crab. Both dishes were underwhelming. The tempura was limp and not crispy. The soft shell crab was fried much better, crunchy but wasn’t served with legs.

What attracted me to Etsu was their sashimi. I had been craving good quality sashimi all week and the 15 piece plate saved the night. Each piece of fish was buttery and sweet. A drizzle of sauce topped some and others had a sprinkle of crunchy bits. A small mound of wakame salad was included as filler.

Overall, Etsu doesn’t quite measure up to similar prices sushi restaurants in downtown Toronto. On baldwin though, it’s a good bet for high quality sashimi.

Baldwin St. is home to some great restaurants. Over the past 5 years, several new restaurants have opened (Agave Y Agucate, Ryu’s Noodle Bar) alongside long time residents. The latest newcomer is Ramyun, a restaurant specializing in elevating a simple block ramyun (Korean instant noodles).

Disclaimer: All drinks and dishes were provided free of charge by the restaurant. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

When I make instant noodles at home, I love making it healthier by adding a poached egg, bok choy and whatever protein I have around. Ramyun has a similar concept. Starting with a block of instant noodle, fresh ingredients are added to create a more balanced bowl of instant noodles. Personally, while the bowls of noodles looked good, I wasn’t sold on the price of $9-$14 per bowl. Instead, the menu section of fusion pub food drew my attention.

We started with an order of Fried Gyoza and half a pound of Ramyun Wings. The gyoza were crispy and was accompanied by a light vinegar dipping sauce. The wings were covered in crushed ramyun and deep fried. An interesting concept but not my cup of tea. I found the ramyun crust thick and hard to bite through.

Next up was the Kimchi Ramyun Poutine. This dish was a perfect example of fusion done well. The base of the poutine was fries and cooked ramyun, topped with rice cakes, bugolgi, kimchi, cheese and plenty of gravy. The plate was huge and would be perfect to share with friends, washed down with a cold beer. The gravy was rich, the kimchi added heat, the fries were crispy and the rice cakes chewy.

Harry, the owner of Ramyun came by our table to introduce a new special dish, coming soon to the menu: Spicy, Cheesy Pork Ribs. Super tender ribs, slathered in a spicy bbq sauce was served with hot, gooey, melted cheese and corn. We were supplied plastic gloves and encouraged to pick up a rib and then dip it in the cheese. The sauce was incredibly spicy, which the cheese helped mellow out. When ordering, customers can specify the level of spice. This was another great dish that just begged for a beer. I am curious to see how this dish will be priced.

Ramyun has an ambitious goal, to make instant noodles healthier, tastier and more enjoyable. The menu definitely excels with the fusion dishes where ramyun is a player but not the star. I’m eager to see how the restaurant will grow and evolve. As is, Ramyun is a good spot to start or end a night out with large portions of comfort food, perfect with a drink.

Located on Baldwin St, Ryu’s Noodle Bar opened in 2013 on the increasingly noodle-centric street. I found myself in the neighbourhood during the week and stopped by for a quick solo lunch.

Atmosphere: Ryus had plenty of seating for single diners or couples, perfect and appropriate for a noodle bar. The room was divided in two with a bar along one wall and another along the divide. The other half of the room had tables for larger groups. At lunch, the majority of customers were students and I overheard lots of exam talk. Turn over was quick and while the restaurant was busy, there wasn’t a line up and plenty of seats were free.

Service: With the restaurant being quieter, I was able to choose a seat (one with good lighting) and my server dropped off menus. I think Ryus would benefit from selling their specials a bit more. No one talked to me about the Make Your Own ramen feature or explained how I should use their special oil. My server was efficient but shy. The noodles arrived hot from the kitchen and was identical to the menu picture.

Food: It hailed the day I had lunch at Ryus, in April. Needless to say, I was craving something spicy and comforting. The Spicy Miso ramen topped with Mapo Tofu was perfect. This wasn’t a traditional ramen but the fusion of worked for me. One unique offering at Ryus is the choice of a special oil or sauce with each bowl of ramen. The oils are Seasoned House Spicy, XO sauce, Garlic and Shallot Oil, Sweet and Spicy Ginger Paste or Truffle Oil.

With the Spicy Miso, there is already house spicy oil added, so I chose the Garlic and Shallot oil as a side. I also added a marinated soft boiled egg. The oil had a strong garlic flavour and added a good touch of bitterness when I used it. I kind of dipped my chopsticks in the oil and then rubbed it over a spoonful of noodles, not sure if that’s how it’s meant to be enjoyed. It was a nice touch and a differentiator from other ramen houses.

The thick noodles were bang on, perfect texture and chewiness. For the topping, there was plenty of Chinese vegetables and soft tofu, but a serious lack of ground pork. I couldn’t find much. There was plenty of soft tofu, so the dish didn’t lack protein but for $10, I would’ve loved more ground pork.

I was won over by the broth, thick, creamy, heavily seasoned and a touch sweet. Each spoonful was satisfying. Overall, I enjoyed the ramen at Ryus but it was a few dollars over priced. However, given the choice between lining up the neighbouring ramen shop or Ryus, Ryus wins no contest.

Hidden away inside The Village by the Grange, Manpuku was a bit challenging to track down.The Fiance and I circled the food court twice before spotting the restaurant under a sky night on the way to the next building south.

Atmosphere: The restaurant itself was cute and surprisingly spacious. I was expecting a ramen like shop with 10-15 seats but there was actually lots of tables and one table that could accommodate a group of 8. We arrived just before noon and were the first customers of the day. As the restaurant filled, there was an equal mix of students and office workers. In the centre of student chaos, Manpuku was a quiet lunch retreat.

Service: As we entered Manpuku, we were greeted by the smiling servers in Japanese and directed to sit wherever. When we ordered the Takoyaki, the server let us know that there were would be a 15 minute wait as they’re made to order, we hesitated but stuck with them. She then checked in with the kitchen and updated us that it would only be a 5 minute wait, score. This was great especially as the bowls of udon arrived pretty much right after we ordered.

Food: In addition to Takoyaki, I ordered the Kitsune Udon ($4.50) and The Fiance choose the Beef Curry Udon ($5.99). All of the menu items were affordable and an excellent price point for lunch. My udon had a good chewy texture and the clear broth, flavoured with smoked bonito was simple but rich in flavour. The two seasoned tofu pouches were soft, sweet and bursting with umami flavour. My bowl of udon was simple, made with high quality ingredients, had authentic flavours and was extremely satisfying.

The Fiance’s curry beef udon tasted completely different. The beef was tender and topped with a generous handful of fresh green onions. There wasn’t much heat in the curry but it was rich, sweet and homey. I stole many spoonfuls of his soup.

Manpuku’s takoyaki ($4.99 for 6) has been to date the most authentic ones I’ve eaten in Toronto. The flavours were bang on, reminding me of Osaka and more importantly, the gooey center. Each ball was beautifully crisp on the outside and the inside was just cooked and piping hot. Topped with takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, aonori and bonito flakes, the plate could easily have come from a street vendor in Japan.

If you’re in the area, Manpuku is an excellent choice for a quick, delicious, satisfying and wallet-friendly meal. In fact for the quality of food being served up, I’d happily pay more.

During university, Baldwin St. was one of my favourite places in Toronto. After a year of living on adjoining Beverley St., I basically knew every restaurant menu by heart. Since then, the street has evolved with many exciting new restaurants calling it home such as Kinton Ramen and Noodle Face Co, next to familiar favourites like Konnichiwa. My friend and I had a tough time deciding where to eat with all the new options. We settled on Agave y Agucate with no reservations, walking in around 7pm.

I also forgot my camera, apologies for the terrible picture quality. I’ll just have to go back to take better ones.

Atmosphere: Agave has taken over both the ground and top floor of a house on Baldwin St. The majority of tables are located up a narrow staircase on the second floor along with the washrooms. The layout of the first floor includes the bar and a single long bench along the wall with circular tables at intervals. The upstairs dining room was fully booked so we tried to get comfortable on the bench. It was awkward, you have to either sit on the bench, with you back on the wall and crane your neck to talk to your date or have your body twisted at the waist. I ended up sitting half crossed legged, which for a long meal would not be preferred. I loved the 90’s music that played all night and the lighting was dark. The walls were painted rich colours that added to the intimate feel.

Service: The girl who took care of our table was very professional and friendly. She recommended items on the menu, made sure our waters were refilled and was quick to clear empty plates. This was appreciated as the table surface area was small. The tapas style dishes came out in pairs, which was great as it allowed us to sample the plates concurrently and switch back and forth.

Food: To start, I need to recommend the Stiegl Grapefruit beer. It’s amazing. My friend and I split three beers that night including two Stiegl’s and if it hadn’t been a weekday, I could’ve easily drunk my weight in the grapefruit beer. It has a strong citrus flavour but not overly sweet and so refreshing. This is now the drink I will look for on any menu.

As for food, we ordered 5 dishes to split. The first to arrive were the Ceviche Verde and Chile Poblano Relleno, a blistered pepper stuffed with guacamole and pineapple, topped with pickled vegetables with a tomato sauce. The ceviche that night was cod and served with avocado and tortilla chips. The texture of the fish was firm and the colour was opaque. I thought the balance between the sourness and sweetness was perfect in tandem with the chips and avocado. The pepper had a nice spicy kick but was mellowed by the avocado and pineapple. Again, each bite had components of sweetness, spiciness and sourness from the tomatoes and pineapple, that was perfect.

Next up was the Chileajo, mixed vegetables and lentils tossed in a guajillo pepper sauce, and the Tostada de Tinga, pulled poached chicken in a chorizo, tomato, piquin and chipotle pepper sauce served on a tostada with black beans, avocado cream and pickled red onions (phew). Between these two, I prefered the Tostada de Tinga more. I liked the different textures of crunchy and creamy and the layers of flavour. The lentils in the Chileajo had a nice crunch but the dish was on the saltier side. We ended the night with Albondigas Estilo Guanajuats, meatballs poached in a chipotle sauce and served over black beans. The meatballs were loosely packed, juicy and a great final dish. Five dishes between two people turned out to be more than enough and we both left with our belts feeling a bit tighter.

Guu is without a doubt, one of my favourite restaurants in Toronto. When I heard they had plans to open a restaurant specializing in ramen, it was almost a dream come true. I was eager to line up in traditional Guu fashion. My first visit though, left me underwhelmed. A friend from university was back in town for a wedding in September so I decided to give Kinton a second chance along with the BF, who’d never been.

Atmosphere: Similar to Guu, the atmosphere at Kinton is boisterous, friendly and hectic. The servers greet each customer with an enthusiastic welcome and bid them farewell with the same energy. There are tables for larger groups in the back of the restaurant but these are used to communally seat smaller groups during peak hours. Additional seats along the bar are great for individual patrons or couples. The wooden bar stools have a built in shelf to store bags or jackets. I would still keep an eye on anything valuable as the storage is out of eyesight and easy to access from behind.

Service: Despite how busy the restaurant was, service was great. The pace felt a little rushed but we were never hurried, food arrived quickly (which was great because we were starving after waiting in line) and I’m amazed at how attentive they are to Kinton “bowlers”. The concept of Kinton “bowlers” is a pretty good marketing technique to generate returning customers. Basically, if you finish your bowl of ramen, broth and all, it counts as one bowler. You get a stamp on a membership card, your picture is taken and posted on their facebook page. Collect 10 stamps and the reward levels start with a free 10pc gyoza, then a Kinton towel, then t-shirts, at 100 a Kinton bowl and by 500 stamps the reward is a $500 gift card.

It’s a pretty great idea to attract regular customers and to stand out as the restaurant of choice out of the many meal possibilities along Baldwin. If Kinton had been around when I was still at UofT, living down the street, this easily would’ve been a goal I strived for during my university years.

Food: As this was my second visit to Kinton, I opted to try a different broth than my usual miso ramen and went with the Garlic Spicy Ramen with an additional egg. The BF ordered the Extra Pork Ramen. We were both impressed with the toppings. They really mean it when they say extra meat. His bowl of noodles was topped with two large pieces of pork shoulder and another two pieces of pork belly. Both cuts were, thick, beautifully charred and tender.

Kinton’s homemade noodles had a great chewy texture and rich flavour. Two major ramen components done better than right. The key though is in the broth and I’m afraid this is where Kinton falls short for me. Their broth is rich, but somehow it doesn’t have the layers of flavour I’m expecting. With the Spicy Garlic ramen, there is a great strong garlic flavour but only a hint of savoury. A nice layer of fat rests on the top and it has all the earmarks of a great broth. The flavour though just doesn’t come through, it’s flat.

On my first visit to Kinton the ramen scene in Toronto was just beginning to evolve and the popular venues today had yet to exist. My second visit was consistent. I love the concept of the Kinton “bowler” and will finish my bowl upon any return visits (as is proper ramen eating etiquette). There’s just something missing from Kinton’s broth.