After a wonderful dinner experience at Toca, I was very excited to be invited to the launch of their new Italian Saturday Brunch buffet. Even more so after seeing the menu, which included Canadian lobster tails, oysters, crab legs, cheeses from their cheese cave and smoked salmon. Also, bottomless mimosas and bellinis. Yes yes and so much yes.

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

Priced at $64 per adult Saturday brunch was served from 12pm-2pm at Toca, the main restaurant inside the Ritz-Carlton Toronto hotel. Buffet stations were set up in the centre of the dining area and around the entrance. There were tables of charcuterie, cheese and crackers, desserts, a salad bar, cooked breakfast fare (i.e. eggs benedict and ricotta pancakes) and pasta but the main attraction was definitely the East Coast Seafood Bar.

Sitting on a bed of crushed ice were freshly shucked east coast oysters, lobster tail halves, plump shrimp, crab legs and an assortment of accoutrements. Needless to say, Stephen knew where to find me for the rest of the morning. Oysters were the first to disappear and the kitchen had a hard time keeping them stocked. There was no short supply of lobster tails or crab legs, which were fresh, tender and flavourful.

Of the cooked offerings, my favourites were the pasta and ricotta pancakes. The eggs benedict had a perfect poached egg but the english muffin was a touch hardened, difficult to keep warm in a buffet situation. Both the charcuterie and cheese platters had nice opposing selections (a soft cheese, a hard cheese) and I finished my meal with a decadent creme brulee.

Overall, the Saturday Brunch buffet at Toca was an indulgent treat. The seafood bar was one of the best I’ve seen in the city in terms of quality and selection and there was a wide assortment of other stations to make the entire meal a worthwhile outing.

A few weeks ago, Stephen and I met up with friends in Markham for an afternoon of board games. Before diving into hours of dice rolling and strategic meeple moves, we met up to grab brunch at Alchemy Coffee. The popular Unionville spot usually has a line out the door and I’ve heard great reviews about both their drinks and food menu. I was eager to try their version of my favourite brunch dishes, Fried Chicken and Waffles.

Atmosphere: Alchemy Coffee was a small shop located in a strip mall on Highway 7. Free parking was available but spots were limited. The restaurant was cozy with a rustic decor and felt more like a coffee shop than restaurant. Some diners lingered over mugs of coffee with a book while others just grabbed coffee to go. Bar seats lined the windows and one wall while the the rest of the dining room had square tables, which could be rearranged to fit any party size.

Service: Although there were tables, the coffee shop was self serve when it came to finding a seat. Our party of 5 ended up waiting for about 30 minutes with a few people in front of us. Luckily a table of 4 left as we were next in line and we were able to grab an extra chair. We placed our orders at the counter and once they were ready, each plate was brought to our table. Milk and sugar for coffees were set up at a self-service counter along the wall.

Food: Between the two of us, Stephen and I split the Fried Chicken and Waffles and Eggs Benny with Peameal Bacon. First the good, I really liked the eggs benny. The poached eggs had the perfect runny yolk and the hollandaise sauce was glossy and flavourful. A touch more sauce would’ve been nice. I also liked how crispy the house fries were and the seasoning on them.

As for the Chicken and Waffles, I felt like the thought behind the dish was great but the execution wasn’t. The plate came with three drumsticks, great I like dark meat, but they were small. A drumstick and thigh would’ve been much more appetizing. The batter on the chicken was also mildly seasoned and not all that crispy. Not bad, but not on par with other spots in the city. The waffles were fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, a good bite but I would have liked them to be a touch sweeter. A dallop of the spicy syrup served alongside was needed to add some dimension.

In addition to food, I had a flat white and Stephen opted for an americano. My drink was creamy and smooth. While some of the dishes were disappointing, Alchemy Coffee’s espresso drinks were very well made.

The idea of a boozy buffet brunch is pretty much heaven to me. A never ending flow of mimosas, perfectly runny eggs bennys and a selection of the flakiest pastries. Some of my fondest memories from travelling are actually of the decadent hotel breakfasts Stephen and I have enjoyed, especially at the The St. Regis in Bali. At Ricarda’s Jazz Brunch we were able to relive those memories, indulging in seared to order foie gras and freshly shucked oysters. For me, while a wide selection of dishes is important, the quality of ingredients is still key. Ricarda’s delivered on both, easily justifying the higher price tag. The Jazz Brunch would be perfect to celebrate any special occasion from birthdays to Mother’s Day.

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

Our reservation for 4 was at 11am, just as the restaurant opened. The live jazz band was already set up in a corner of the dining area and performed throughout the morning. There were plenty of large booths to accommodate groups of 6-8 with space to pull up high chairs. Natural light poured in from the many large windows adding to the open, airy feel of the space. Pendent lights and modern dark furniture added a touch of elegance.

After settling at our table and ordering a few Americanos (which were smooth and delicious), we set out to explore the food stations, and there was really so much to explore. There were flat breads, a salad bar, charcuterie, cheese, a whole table of seafood and baskets of freshly baked bread. This was just the “cold” stations. There was a also a made to order omlette station, two carving stations (lamb and ham), made to order pasta, curries and tucked away by the desserts, a pan seared foie gras station. I will admit now, I may have visited the foie gras station more than once. The seafood section featured east coast oysters, plump shrimp and mussels with a variety of sauces. From the salads, I especially enjoyed the caprese and smoked salmon. A few more drops of balsamic and slices of red onion respectively, would’ve made the dishes even better.

I loved how kid friendly Ricarda’s was. The restaurant offered a monitored kids play zone and had a kids buffet corner that was kids’ height with healthy and easy to grab foods. For the most part I stuck to drinking americanos. Ricarda’s does serve Champagne, Prosecco and a colourful Bellini. A bottle of fresh watermelon juice did catch my eye, which was incredibly refreshing.

In addition to the food stations, Ricarda’s also offers an a la carte menu with classic brunch items like eggs benedict and warm oatmeal. I couldn’t resist trying the Classic Eggs Benedict with peameal bacon. The egg was perfectly poached and the hollandaise sauce an excellent texture and consistency. My friends split the Cinnamon Roll French Toast, which was thick and flavourful without being overly sweet.

Overall Ricarda’s Jazz Brunch was a true treat. I had heard mixed reviews when the restaurant first opened last year but they’ve clearly stepped up their game.

Royal Teahouse was one of the first dim sum spots in Markham that I ever visited and I still remember their adorable hedgehog buns. I went to high school in Mississauga and and never ventured into the York region until university, where I met a group of friends all from Markham. During summer breaks, I made the drive east every few weeks and I’d get a taste of what the suburb had to offer. Today, Stephen and I are in Markham often to see his parents or to eat. We re-visited Royal Teahouse recently in search of fluffy hedgehog buns.

Atmosphere: We arrived at the restaurant around 10am on a Saturday and the dining room was mostly full. Small and large round tables were full with families enjoying the weekend tradition of morning dim sum. Royal Teahouse is on the smaller side and we were worried about having to wait, but my in-laws were able to grab a table for us when they arrived. The decor is a on the more elegant side and up to date compared to similar spots in the neighbourhood.

Service: Orders at Royal Teahouse were placed using ordering sheets, the restaurant was not push cart style. I found the English translation of the dish names to be a bit confusing and Stephen and I would have struggled on our own without his parents. There also seemed to be a mix up in the kitchen as steamers kept arriving before we had even handed in our sheet. Fortunately, the mix up didn’t impact any of the dishes we did order and the servers were quick to handle each error.

Food: Between the four of us, we ordered 9 or 10 dishes. While the shrimp dumplings were plump, I found the skins a bit doughy and they stuck to the parchment paper. The bowl of congee was a good portion and I liked the consistency.

My favourite dishes were the rice rolls and chicken feet. A generous bowl of sauce was served with the rice rolls along with two dipping sauces. The wrapper was thin, had a great texture and the dough fritters inside were still crispy and airy. I really enjoyed the flavour of the chicken feet and the skin fell off of the bones. A few other dishes we tried were the turnip cake, not bad but underseasoned, short ribs, savoury and tender, steamed tripe, tender but again very underseasoned.

Our meal ended with leaky sand buns that were perfect. Overall, the food was ok. Some of the plates were good, others mediocre, but nothing stood out. Hedgehog buns were no longer available. Royal Teahouse offers special pricing on weekends from 9am-11am where all plates are priced at a small size when paying with cash.

During my short trip to Vancouver, dim sum was near the top of my must eats list. I reached out to a few Vancouver bloggers, and the consensus was to visit a location of Kirin Seafood, that was known to be a good balance between quality and price. My friends and I were able to squeeze in two dim sum meals over the weekend, with Kirin Seafood being the most memorable.

Atmosphere: Based on geography and scheduling, we made reservations at the Starlight Casino location of Kirin Seafood for Sunday morning, a few hours before our return flight to Toronto. Pulling into the complex, I was surprised by how many parking spots were occupied so early in the day. The majority of visitors were there for breakfast and the restaurant filled up quickly after the doors opened. The restaurant had multiple rooms and we ended up sitting in one of their regal private dining areas. While dim sum was a casual meal, the restaurant was elegant and I could see it being a popular banquet venue.

Service: Our reservation was for the very first seating of the day and the hostess directly us straight to a table. A server came by to take our tea order and drop off an ordering sheet. Being on a deadline, I was more conscious of the time than usual. Fortunately, dishes arrived promptly and we had plenty of time to savour each item and even contemplate placing a second order. There was always at least one server in the room checking on the tables, clearing plates and refilling tea. Service was efficient and professional.

Food: Usually at dim sum, I order 2-3 dishes per person. I also find going with a group of 5 perfect as most dishes have four servings, like the dumplings or baos. At Kirin, we stuck to 8 dishes, including dessert. All of the dishes were delicious and on par or better than some of my favourite dim sum restaurants in Toronto. If we had more time, I would’ve loved to try a few more their unique or special menu items.

As is, we stuck to ordering classic dishes, starting with fried turnip cake and curry tripe. The turnip cake had a great texture, held it’s shape and had a crispy fried exterior. I liked how tender the tripe was and the honeycomb texture was perfect for picking up lots of tasty sauce. For savoury items, we tried the steamed short rib and chicken feet. Both dishes were tender and had strong flavours. We also tried a steamed tripe dish that had a good texture, but I thought was a touch under seasoned. The two dumplings we tried was the classic shrimp, har gow, and one with an egg and vermicelli filling. Both of the wrappers were on point, thin, not sticky and with just a bit a chew. The tray of shrimp dumplings were plump and folded with even, pretty pleating.

The meal ended with Leaky Sand buns, baos filled with a salted egg custard. I liked the taste of the filling, which was well balanced between sweet and salty, but I wish the consistency was more leaky. Overall, dim sum at Kirin was a perfect meal to cap of my time in Vancouver.

After establishing themselves in Kensington Market, Fresco’s Fish and Chips has opened a second location in St. Clair West. At their new location, classic fish and chips with their delicious coleslaw and tartar sauce, are still on the menu but the owners are also adapting to the different neighbourhood with new ideas. One of these being the introduction of a brunch menu, which I was invited to check out by Yuki @pekopekolife.

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

Speaking to Fresco’s owner, the main difference he’s noticed about operating in Kensington Market vs St. Clair West is the clientele of tourists vs. regulars. In Kensington, many of the daily customers were stopping by for one-time visits while Fresco’s on St. Clair has quickly picked up a following of regulars. This allows the menu to be more creative and dynamic, in addition to the classic fish and chip offerings, which brings us to Fresco’s new weekend Brunch menu.

The brunch menu offers traditional brunch dishes with a seafood twist. At the menu tasting, I got to dig into every plate, including dessert!

Spicy Shrimp Burger – Fresh toasted bun with a patty made up of plump, tender shrimp, cooked to a crisp exterior. I really enjoyed the chipotle mayo and the seasoning of the burger. The kale salad was lightly dressed and the greens used super tender. .
Maple Bacon Breakfast Poutine – Going into the meal, I had best intentions not to gorge on fries but this poutine ruined me. So good, I just couldn’t stop my fork from going back for more. The crispy fries were topped with a sunny side egg, gravy, chunks of thick cut bacon and cheese curds. For just one person, the small ($8.95) would be plenty and the large ($13.45) perfect for sharing.
Soft Shell Crab Sandwich – This item wasn’t on the menu yet but can be ordered from the kitchen. Deep fried soft shell crab on a ciabatta bun.
Devilled Eggs – Simple, classic dish with smoked salmon, rye crackers and salmon roe.
Halibut Eggs Benedict – After taking bites of everything, this was the plate I chose to order for myself. My recent experiences in Toronto with hollandaise sauce have been disappointing, but Fresco’s turned it all around. Consistency, colour and flavour were all perfect. With the poached eggs, I would have preferred mine to be runnier. In between the egg and english muffin was a slab of grilled halibut that seemed out of place. The white fish didn’t stand out or add much flavour. Perhaps a different kind of fish or the halibut cooked in a different method (deep fried? flaked? some kind of patty?) would work better.

For people with a sweet tooth, there’s the Chocolate Banana French Toast. A thick cut piece of bread, dipped, fried and drizzled with chocolate sauce, served with fresh bananas and strawberries.

During brunch, classic caesars, garnished with a deep fried shrimp, and champagne glasses of mimosa are also available. The owners are working hard to grow and adapt Fresco’s to their new neighbourhood, while drawing on their established strengths to serve up great food.

Low price, good quality dim sum is one of the few things that will get me out of bed at 9am on a Saturday. Unfortunately, many people feel the same way. This means, having to queue up before Richlane opens at 10am to guarantee a table during the first seating. From 10am to 11am, all dim sum plates are priced at the cost of small ones. We found out on this visit, the same special pricing is offered during afternoon tea, from 2pm-4pm.

Atmosphere: The building where Richlane was located looked like an office building, but the first floor was full of restaurants. Although the location was out of the way, this meant there was plenty of parking. I was surprised by how spacious and elegant the restaurant was. The main dining room had high open ceilings to the second floor and the walls were decorated with an Asian floral motif. White porcelain table settings were placed on ivory linen tablecloths. There were additional dining areas upstairs and downstairs. In the main room, there were only a few tables for large groups (8+) and they were taken up quickly. Many parties sent one or two representatives to line up for and occupy tables.

Service: With the initial rush of people and orders, there was definite delay in the kitchen at the start of the meal. Once service started though, the kitchen constantly pumped out dishes. The order sheet had two columns to keep track of multiple orders. For a busy Chinese restaurant, I found service to be average, abrupt but efficient. Our tea was refilled after waving someone down and it took some time to get the bill but overall, not terrible.

Food: Between 5 of us, we ordered 11 different dishes and egg tarts for dessert. Richlane made very good rice rolls, to the point where we ordered two, one with dough fritter and another with bbq pork. The plate was served with a decanter of sauce we could pour liberally to our content. The dough fritter was crispy and fresh.

The deep fried taro dumplings were flaky, light, with a flavourful filling and the turnip cakes had a great smooth texture. One of the main draws at Richlane are their baked BBQ pork buns. I was weary when the mostly white buns arrived but the tops were surprisingly crispy. A nice change from the regular steamed BBQ pork buns.

For steamed dishes, we tried the shrimp dumplings, beef meatballs, tripe, chicken feet and sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf. The skins on the shrimp dumpling were a touch thick and the chicken feet were under seasoned and not tender. The meatballs, tripe and sticky rice were much better and on par with most dim sum restaurants in the neighbourhood.

Dessert were milk egg tarts, which had less egg flavour than regular ones. The pastry was flakey but the filling had sunk quite a bit.

Overall, I enjoyed the majority of the dishes and can’t wait for a repeat visit, next time though I’ll be checking out the afternoon dim sum special.

My eyes light up when a new restaurant opens in my neighbourhood. While there’s plenty of Asian fare in North York, Western cuisine is harder to come by, especially brunch. I usually make the trek down to St. Clair or Dupont when the need for waffles or hollandaise sauce kicks in. Thus, I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into the brunch menu at the newly opened Union Social Eatery.

Atmosphere: Union Social Eatery has taken over the space that used to be Estrella Taqueria (who used to be Smokey’s). There was a new paint job, some of the decor has changed but overall the restaurant layout has stayed consistent. Tables were lined against the store front with doors that could be opened for fresh air, there’s plenty of booths and room for large groups. Music was loud and the atmosphere relaxed.

Service: The Hubby and I met my friend and her one year old at the restaurant. Our server could not have been more friendly and accommodating. She checked up on us often, made silly faces, and was great at taking care of our table. Unfortunately, our food took almost 30 minutes to arrive. We were the first customers that day at 11am, not early for brunch and few tables were occupied shortly after. If there wasn’t a small child keeping us busy and entertained, the wait would have been painful and far more pronounced.

Food: While we focused on the weekend brunch menu, Union Social’s full food menu was available to order from as well. Each plate was served with fresh watermelon slices and a shot of strawberry yogurt. I chose the breakfast burger ($12.95) while The Hubby had the Eggs Benedict with Pancetta ($14.95). Both dishes also came with a side of smashed potatoes.

For what was plated, I thought the menu prices were a bit high. Both dishes were satisfying but had a list of pros and cons that overall left me feeling meh. Between the two, the eggs benedict was better seasoned and stronger flavours. However the hollandaise sauce looked like it was baked, had formed a crust and was not even remotely liquid. This was pretty disappointing and wasn’t stated in the menu description. I also found the yolk not runny enough.

My breakfast burger was the more filling choice and I enjoyed each bite, but it wasn’t a dish I couldn’t cook at home myself. I would not have missed the small shot of strawberry yogurt.

Overall, I need to re-visit and try their regular menu before settling on a final opinion. On brunch alone, It feels like there are still wrinkles to be ironed out in the kitchen and the hollandaise sauce needs a facelift.

Our last stop in Montreal was at Holder Restaurant for brunch. While the space was elegant and the food simple and satisfying, I found the price a touch high. For my purposes, I would’ve appreciated a more relaxed atmosphere with heartier portions. As is, Holder would be a nice stop for a more refined meal.

Atmosphere: As stated, Holder was a nice restaurant, with a masculine, industry feel. A large coat room was available for guests and diners were seated spaced away from each other. There were a few large groups (6+ people) that day and lots of families.

Service: We had no language issues placing our order. My cousin’s still learning English and I had to translate a few terms but the waiter was patient and helpful. Our plates arrived quickly and coffees were always refilled before I ever reached the bottom of my cup.

Food: For brunch, The Hubby and I decided to split one savoury and one sweet dish. He chose crepes while I went with eggs benedict, a classic and my favourite. Really I order it for the hollandaise sauce. The two crepes were simply presented, folder, topped with fresh berries and a side ramekin of maple syrup. The crepes were thin and had a delicate texture. My poached egg duo was served on smoked salmon and and English muffin. A small bowl of fresh fruit was served alongside with a small ramekin of hollandaise sauce. Again, each element of the plate was cooked well with fresh ingredients. The sauce was rich and I liked being able to control how much I ate.

My cousin ordered the classic breakfast with bacon, two glossy sunnyside up eggs, fruit bowl and a square of what looked like potato gratin. All three plates were minimalist.

Overall, breakfast at Holder Restaurant was simple and classic, set in a nice restaurant but I didn’t find any single element to be outstanding or especially memorable.

In the midst of this long Canadian winter, a weekend food trip to Montreal was just what I needed to avert any seasonal affective disorder. Yes, technically Montreal was colder and snowier than Toronto, but the change in scenery made the snow a lot prettier. On this trip, the Fiance and I stayed at the Westin, right at the Old Port and took advantage of the great location. I even woke up early on Saturday to get in breakfast at Le Gros Jambon, my quest to fit in as many meals as possible in 48 short hours.

Atmosphere: Le Gros Jambon had the diner feel down. The narrow restaurant has two rows of bar stools, one along a wall decorated with vintage posters and ads, the other facing the open kitchen. I would not come with a group bigger than 3. We were the first customers that day at 10am but the diner filled up quickly.

Service: Since we were there quite early, the staff was relaxed and enjoying their breakfast with us. All of the servers spoke English and were friendly. Food arrived quickly and bills were settled at the front of the restaurant.

Food: The Fiance and I split one savoury and one sweet dish. Both of our meals were served on adorable pig shaped platters. I chose to go with the classic two eggs platter, over easy and side of sausage. The platter came with a hash brown, a thimble of baked beans and two slices of buttered toast. My eggs had perfect runny yolks and the toast was generously buttered (wedding diet right??). The hash browns were almost croquette like and used mashed potatoes along with smoked ham, a tasty variant.

For our sweet dish, we picked the French Toast with fresh fruit, whipped cream, pecan crumble and toasted coconut. This came with three slices of french toast, a has brown and the same thimble of baked beans. I found the toast itself pretty standard but the combination of all the toppings made each bite great. All of the fruits used were ripe and extra sweet. The whipped cream was airy and I loved the candied pecans.