The Kathi Roll Express (TKRE) opened half a year ago on Yonge St and aims to bring a slice of Indian street food to Toronto. Their namesake, the kathi roll is a protein filled wrap using Indian flavours and housemade paratha, an Indian flatbread. I was invited to sample their special butter chicken menu items being featured as part of their Butter Chicken Festival running from Dec. 11th to Dec. 24th.

Disclaimer: All food sampled were provided free of charge by the restaurant. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

Atmosphere: Walking into the restaurant is like leaving downtown Toronto. The restaurant is decorated with a lot of natural wood elements and a gorgeous graffiti mural constantly draws the eye. Each table is hand painted with a different motif in bright colours. Pendant lights hang over the counter and Indian music videos were projected on the far wall. A bar is set up with a DJ booth ready to liven up the atmosphere, but on a Monday night like when we visited many of the customers were grabbing a family dinner or bite to go. This would be a great lunch spot or late night food stop for university students in the area.

Food: Our meal started with Indian lemonade and mango lassi. The mango lassi was rich with a hint of yogurt taste. After a couple of sips of the lemonade, I knew there was something different about it. The BF’s tastebuds realized the special ingredient was salt!

Each kathi roll starts with a paratha warmed on the griddle. A layer of egg is fried up along side and the paratha layered on top. The protein filling is then added and the whole thing wrapped up and served with a mint, coriander sauce. The butter chicken roll wasn’t greasy at all, had big chunks of meat and lots of sauce. I loved the coriander sauce which comes in mild and spicy (still not all that spicy) varieties.

Next was the Butter Chicken Toastie, essentially a triple decker butter chicken grilled cheese sandwich loaded with grilled peppers. This was a heavy dish and I’m glad I had help. Again, there was a healthy helping of butter chicken sauce and it soaked through the grilled bread. From the normal menu, we tried the shami (lamb) kebab roll. A spicy lemon chili paste was included and this was the first real kick of the night. It was hot, mango lassi chugging hot and so good.

By this point I was happily full and there was still the Butter Chicken on Curried Rice to come! I asked for a half portion and was glad I still had a bit of stomach real estate. TKRE makes a solid butter chicken and the curried rice had a great fried flavour.  

I didn’t have any room left to try their signature fusion rolls. Next time though, I need to have the Kung Pao Szechwan Roll and Chicken Tikka Mexican Rolls. TKRE likes trying new menu item, events and has something on the go every 4-6 weeks. In January, they’ll be throwing a kebab event. Until then, the butter chicken festival is running until Dec. 24th.

Earlier this year Guu began offering a lunch menu at both their Bloor and Church locations. I lamented not working close to either location. Luckily, a work event brought me to the Church and College location right before lunch time. My foodie fairy godmother had finally heard my wishes.

Atmosphere: I had talked a friend at work into stopping by Guu with me and we arrived promptly at 11:30, when doors opened. The restaurant was a lot calmer during the day and even as tables filled up, the ambient noise stayed mellow.

Service: The one word to describe our server at Guu that day was eager. He was really friendly, a lot of smiles and came to check on us often. I don’t think the intention was to make us feel rushed but I did feel some pressure to have my plate cleared each time he stopped by. I think he was actually trying to help because our table was crowded with everything we had ordered and I in turn wanted to help him. It was an awkward circular thing.

Food: I knew I was ordering the Uni Cream Udon, it was the perfect example Guu’s spin on traditional Japanese foods that I loved. In addition, my friend and I split the Hirekatsu set meal and a bowl of Takoyaki. Oddly, I had been craving takoyaki for days beforehand so when I saw it on the menu, it was a must have.

The udon was covered in the creamy uni and scallop sauce. You could easily taste the sweet, buttery uni and none of the unique aftertaste. There were chunks of scallops and the udon was cooked to a still firm texture. Served alongside the pork katsu with ponzu and tonkatsu sauce were side dishes of pickles, a small salad, miso soup and rice. The panko crusted pork tenderloin was soft and juicy inside with a great crispy exterior. I loved the tonkatsu sauce and was happily eating spoonfuls of steamed rice topped with it. My takoyaki craving was well satiated at Guu. The pan fried balls of dough had the hot gooey interior and a hefty chunk of octopus that I was looking for, all smothered in sauce and bonito flakes.

If I worked closer to the area, Guu would easily become by new go-to lunch spot. Even now, working a handful of TTC stops away…I seriously contemplate the commute.

Continuing my quest to try every xiao long bao in Toronto, the BF picked Ding Tai Fung as the venue for his family birthday dinner. This was my first visit to the restaurant, who it would seem borrowed their name from a famous restaurant in Taiwan.  Since I’ve never visited Din (no “g”) Tai Fung before, I didn’t really have any preconceptions for the Markham version.

Atmosphere: The restaurant was busy with a considerable crowd waiting at the entrance. Luckily we had reservations, which were honoured and allowed us to get a seat quickly. I liked how a portion of the kitchen was fitted with a glass window. This allowed diners to watch the chefs as they prepared dumplings and other baos to be steamed. I’m always a fan of watching how dishes are prepared.

Service: Service ranged from unmemorable to sub-par and generally seemed unorganized. At one point a girl tried to clear our steamer trays with “xiao long bao” still left! I understand being efficient but really? Other than that, dishes arrived uneventfully.

Food: We started with two cold dishes, sliced pork belly with chilli sauce and marinated beef tripe. For me, the tripe needed just a touch of salt that would have enhanced the other flavours in the sauce. The pork belly was good, sliced thin and evenly. This isn’t my favourite way to eat the cut of meat though. I prefer it charred or grilled, which caramelizes the fat.

The xiao long bao was freshly steamed and each bao was filled with a spoonful of sauce. We had a tray each of the crab and the pork fillings. With the crab, you could taste the seafood but it was light and not overwhelming. I would rank Ding Tai Fung among the top choices for xiao long bao in Toronto, just behind Shanghai Dim Sum. Sadly, the shengjian bao was not what I was looking for. Again, they were more steamed bao and not fried nearly enough, even the bottoms weren’t that crispy. The search for an authentic shengjian bao in Toronto continues.

My favourite dish of the night was the scrambled egg whites with fish. The yolk is served raw in the centre of the scrambled egg whites, which mimics crab meat, all over a bed of rice. Each bite was savoury, rich and a great combination of textures. This is a dish that I would definitely order again especially as it’s difficult to replicate at home.

Located in J-Town on Steeles north of the city, Izakaya Ju is a popular izakaya for those who live in the Markham and Richmond Hill area.

Atmosphere: I was surprised walking into the restaurant how small it was because they accepted reservations. We had a big group and took up about ¼ of the chairs. Ceilings are high and the interior has an unfinished, industrial decor. A large chalkboard, with the specials written out,  occupied an entire wall. The kitchen is open to the dining area so at times the smoke from the charcoal grill did get heavy, however the high ceilings helped ventilate.

Service: Nothing stood out particularly for service. For a busy night, it did take some time to clear empty dishes off our table and we often had to rearrange plates ourselves. During the time we were there, the dining area stayed packed. There were no long lines outside but guests did have to wait and some decided not to. While getting our bill, our server had a bit of a confusion separating it out for us but she figured it out with some help.

Food: As is typical of izakayas and large groups, we ordered a lot of dishes and were able to taste the bulk of the menu. I’ll start by going through what’s pictured and then list my must-try dishes. I missed photographing the skewers. They had a nice smoky flavour and charred coating.

Marinated mackerel with daikon and scallions is a dish I always order at izakayas. This was well marinated and on par with other restaurants. The Teba Gyoza, a deep fried, boneless chicken wing stuffed with pork was very intriguing. We didn’t really know what to expect but it was exactly as the menu described, a dumpling using a chicken wing as the wrapper. Amazing concept, good execution. I don’t recall what the dish on on the right was (sorry!).

The Summer Cold Noodles was a special menu item and is served cold with bamboo and soft boiled egg topping. The broth was savoury and the noodles were a good chewy. We also ordered the Osaka omelette from the special menu that was delicious. The eggs were cooked to just solid and covered with okonomiyaki sauce, bonito flakes, mayonnaise, seaweed and pickled ginger.

The fried fish cakes, soba noodles and agedashi tofu were pretty standard. It was nice that the agedashi tofu was served with  a lot of sauce. I really enjoyed the grilled pork cheek and we ordered multiple plates. The meat was flavourful, fatty and still tender.

We saw the Osaka cha-han on another table and just had to try it based on the presentation. This was a fried rice with octopus, shaped into a giant ball and topped with the same toppings as the Osaka omelette. This was a great portion, great flavours and a hint of seafood. Lastly, the clam sashimi that was served in a shell. The presentation was cute and the sashimi was lightly seasoned.

The dishes that made Izakaya Ju stand out for me were the Teba gyoza, the grilled pork cheek and the Osaka cha-han. Their varying special, seasonal menu also offered some great choices that makes each visit worthwhile.

Koyoi is a Japanese izakaya situated near Yonge and Bloor. I first visited back in 2010 when they were still under a year old and I am surprised it’s taken me this long to make my way back.

Atmosphere: Since I was the first of my party to arrive and the weather was clear and crisp, I opted for a patio seat so I could spot everyone else as they showed up. Koyoi has a great wooden patio furnished with benches all along the sides facing Irwin Ave. There’s little to no car traffic and you can people watch pedestrians strolling Yonge St. I think there’s as much square footage outside as there is inside the restaurant. This would be a great place for after work drinks in the summer.

Service: While I waited, our server checked in on me periodically and didn’t rush for an order. We were cutting it close though to the end of happy hour (5pm to 6pm, Tues – Thurs), which offers five popular menu items for $5 each with a drink order. Our server was happy to let me order one of everything, combined with the Tuesday drink special of $5 Sapporo pint on the cuff at 5:55pm. Food arrived quickly, we were able to add items to our order. Once our table was complete, we were left to chat undisturbed. I did have to go inside and track someone down to get our bill at the end of the night.

Food: To start, we ordered each of the items from happy hour special. The dishes are normally priced from $5.50 (karaage) to $7.99 for the beef tongue. The Koyoi salad is a surprise hit. The sauce is miso and lemony topped with paper thin slices of fried potatoes and seaweed.  The beef tataki is fresh, topped with shredded daikon, a generous portion of scallions and ponzu sauce. This dish is sweet with a touch of wasabi like taste from the daikon. The sizzling plate of beef tongue was served hot and the meat was tender, not rubbery.

The udon and karaage are fairly standard. Well cooked noodles and crispy fried chicken, low on the batter. From the normal menu, we ordered the fried gizzard and okonomiyaki. The gizzard was topped with a sweet and spicy sauce, like the tongue, this dish was cooked to just the right texture. For those who haven’t had gizzard before, the meat is chewy as it’s mostly muscle but cooked correctly, the centre should be soft and easy to bit through. I liked the okonomiyaki. The flavours were all there but the consistency was more batter than cabbage and it didn’t stand up to being split.

Wrapping up my Summerlicious 2013 reviews is a dinner visit to Parts and Labour in the Parkdale neighbourhood.

Atmosphere: I’m on the fence about communal tables. If I’m expecting them and am with a large group of friends, they’re great. If I’m not, sharing a table can strain my introvert bubble. Seating along the bar is also available. The light fixtures, decorated with fluorescent light bulbs were an interesting fixture and added to the industry feel of the decor along with bare, painted brick walls.

Service: The service was friendly and their twitter account is well maintained. I tweeted a question about parking early in the day and had a response within a few hours. During our meal the service was okay, available when needed and otherwise unobtrusive.

Food: From the $35 set Summerlicious menu, I ordered the steak tartare to start, halibut with braised white beans, herb leaf salad and soft boiled egg for my main and the lemon marshmallow pie for dessert. I also took a bite from my friend’s order of the mackerel with dill and fennel.

The steak tartare arrived with the yolk already spread on the plate and a small serving of hand cut chips and pickles. I like steak tartare and the dish was solid. The mackerel was the more unique choice and had complex flavours with a strong dill presence. For my main, the halibut was cooked to a nice tenderness, I loved the soft boiled egg and the herb salad had a great bite to it. The beans weren’t memorable, but added a filling component that one could take or leave. My favourite course was the dessert. The lemon marshmallow pie was tangy and sweet, creamy filling on top of a nice crust.

For medium to large groups, I’d readily recommend Parts and Labour as an option in the neighbourhood. The food was on point and atmosphere was relaxed and casual. For myself, I’d like to check out their brunch menu, I just wish Parkdale wasn’t such a trek from home.

My second Summerlicious stop this year was at the new signature restaurant of the Shangri-la hotel, Bosk.  What caught my eye about Bosk’s menu was that between the $25 lunch and $45 dinner offerings, I was more interested in their lunch. This was an easy decision to make and one of my best Summerlicious experiences to date.

Atmosphere: I loved the interior decor of Bosk. The use of light woods like bamboo and a soft colour palette with touches of green was a refreshing and welcome change from the usual dark woods and industrial materials found in many restaurants today.  The dining room was open, airy, full of natural light and accentuated with delicate woodwork details in the ceiling. I loved the spherical glass pendant lights over the bar and have been eyeing a similar lighting arrangement for my own dining area. Bosk is a space that I would recommend for a nice lunch, special event or romantic dinner.

Service: The service was refined and friendly. Our water was refilled using elaborate tusk like glass vases and during the entire meal the service was unobtrusive yet constant. We never had to flag anyone down, servers appeared at the table right when we needed something. Food arrived quickly and each plate was beautifully presented with descriptions offered for each component. I felt well taken care of the entire meal and the service really did enhance my experience.

Food: My friend and I shared all of our courses so I was able to sample even more of their menu. We started with the chilled pea soup and country pate, followed by the pacific salmon and slow roasted chicken for entrees and the Niagara peaches and bittersweet chocolate for dessert. While waiting for our food to arrive, we nibbled on the basket of herbed bread paired with the light whipped butter.

The pea soup was sweet and light, a great choice on a hot day. I expected the country pate to be less chunky, but it was a nice surprise and I liked the smattering of apricot jam. The assembled dish had a hint of sweet and tart flavours and a mix of crunchy and chewy textures. The salmon was cooked to a flaky pink and complemented by the sweet corn and citrus emulsion. My chicken entree was moist, lightly baked with little oil and plated beautifully. The cheese fritters were gooey and melted deliciousness inside. I loved the smoked vinaigrette with the vegetables. Again, this was a very balanced dish with all flavours thoughtfully presented. The entree portions were on the smaller side but filling enough for me. I do know that the BF would have been hungry though.

Dessert was the highlight. The whipped chocolate was airy, not overly sweet and I loved the dulche de leche ice cream.The Niagara peaches was honestly amazing. At first we weren’t sure how the fruit was the highlight but after the first spoonful they shined through the dish. The brown butter crumble and bourbon syrup was to die for and topped with a moist citrus cake. This was one of the best desserts I’ve ever had and a high note to end a truly great meal.

A few months ago I missed out on a brunch outing to The Guild for a girlfriend’s birthday. Researching their menu I was intrigued by the “bits and bites” selection that’s available Wednesdays and Thursdays. $15 for a bite of 6 dishes that included crispy pig ears and chicken heart, I was sold.

Atmosphere: The decor inside was meticulous. Whimsical details included the tiled ceiling, burlap upholstery and mason jar terrarium centerpieces that each housed a special surprise.  I liked the splash of red on the walls and the features using worn down wood. The restaurant feel ranked fairly high on the hipster scale. This was cemented when I overheard another table ask the server about the “flavour profile” of a dish.

Service: Our server was super friendly and identified each dish that was being served. She answered all of our questions about portions for the bites and checked up on us frequently. It also feels like the chef was more than generous with our food portions and we received quite a few bites with each small dish.

Food: The plan that night was to start with the “bits and bites” menu, one of each kind for $15 and then wing it based on how full we were. Of the 6 dishes offered that night, there was a wide range of safe to more unusual fare.

I liked the chicken hearts, they had a great texture but wasn’t still chewy and the kimchi flavour was a nice kick. The chimichurri steak was good but not memorable, likewise for the fried smelts and fried pickles. The mole beef heart was good and I wouldn’t have know what I was eating without being told. My favourite was the crispy pig ears. I do like pig ears in general with the crunchy layer of cartilage between layers of chewy skin. Frying the ears brought out the difference in texture and was a great snack alongside a drink.

We were still nursing our drinks after clearing these dishes so we added an order of the house smoked andouille and diver scallops. The sausage was juicy and flavourful, for me though the most memorable component of the dish was the pickled mustard. I enjoyed the scallops but again it wasn’t a stand out from any other restaurant.

For dessert we had the foie gras, hazelnut, caramel chocolate bar and the coffee cake. I loved the coffee cake, it was moist full of coffee flavour and topped with a creamy caramel ice cream. The presentation of the chocolate bar was very straightforward. The texture was more granola bar like and not what I had expected. I was expecting more like a Dairy Milk instead of a Mr. Big.

Overall I think The Guild has some interesting ideas and twists to their menu, but it was a hit or miss meal in terms of food. The service was amazing though and I had a good time. As is I’d like to try out their brunch menu and would return for drinks.

The BF’s family discovered Restoran Malaysia about two years ago and have since added them to their regular restaurant catalogue.

Atmosphere: The interior of the restaurant featured  beautiful dark wood in both their furniture and decor. There were many rectangular tables that could easily be rearranged to fit  parties of all sizes. Colourful paintings were on display between the wood cabinets that lined the walls in the dining area. The space felt warm and also refined.

Service: Service on our visit was fairly standard. There were only a few servers working the floor that night, so it was necessary to get their attention if something was needed. Once they waved down, service was friendly albeit rushed. Each dish came out quickly and arrived with serving utensils.

Food: We ordered the Singapore Laksa, a lamb curry, fish penang curry, basil eggplant with chicken, pad thai and a side of roti. Each dish was shared tapas style. This is always my preferred method of dining, I am greedy and want to try everything. The portions were quite large, especially for the pad thai and there was a good amount of food for all the diners.

The laksa was creamy and so full in flavour. The noodles were thick and had a thick chewy texture. I’m unsure if I could finish an entire bowl myself with the rich soup but I would definitely try to and it is a must order to share. Of the two curries, the lamb edged slightly higher than the fish with a more gamey flavour and more heat. Also, the fish penang curry from Sukho Thai was still on my mind and had set the bar high. The eggplant dish was okay, it was a nice “vegetable” to round out the meal with lots of basil cooked into the dish and to garnish. The pad thai was also just okay, the noodles were cooked well and not stuck together but a little more heat would have added to the flavour.

Summerlicious 2013 rolled around in July this year and looking through the list of participating restaurants, I was excited to see many new players. Instead of booking old favourites, this year I only looked at restaurants new to the event. First up for a group lunch was Paese, an Italian restaurant located in the theatre district. The menu appealed to me with lots of options for a larger party at a great price ($20).

Atmosphere: It was a hot and humid day when we visited. Paese has a great patio right on King St, but with the heat, we opted for a table inside. We were seated at a large square table, which was great for our group and I loved being within earshot of everyone. I’m not sure if there was an issue with their A/C or it was due to the front windows being open to the patio, but it was hot and humid inside. The servers assured us they were trying to cool down the dining area and had closed off the front, it could have just needed more time. The temperature was just a tad uncomfortable but it didn’t detract from the meal at all. I loved the exposed brick wall and the black and white photography.

Service: At the time, our table was the only one seated inside. I had booked a late lunch so it was an odd timing. Our group was not punctual and arrived a few at a time. The service was patient and attentive with refilling glasses while we assembled. All dishes arrived at the table together. Each course arrived quickly and was announced with a quick explanation of the ingredients.

Food: My order was the tomato and watermelon soup to start, the trout and spelt linguine entree and the cookie plate to finish. I split everything with the BF who ordered the clams, grilled steak salad and lime sorbet.

Before we even dived into our food, the bread set the tone. It was airy, topped with herbs and accompanied by a delicious jelly. I happily reached for seconds, and thirds. Both appetizers were larger portions than I had expected. The clams were rich and the ciabatta was soaked in butter. My soup was chilled and very refreshing. All the layers of flavours, the sweet watermelon, spicy chili oil and hint of seafood, came together and complimented each other.

I liked the steak salad better than the linguine  The texture of the spelt linguine was more grainy and not as chewy as normal pasta. The trout was okay. I personally really like fish roe, pops of salty flavour but they’re not for everyone. The dressing on the salad was light and it was nice to see a heavy handed approach to the chunks of Gorgonzola cheese. The steak itself was cooked to a nice medium rare with a pink center.

For dessert, the sorbet was underwhelming with being too sour. The cookies really delivered with the breadth of assortment, two pieces of biscotti ( a fennel and a chocolate chip) and three cookies. The biscotti was flaky and crisp. All of the cookies were soft and had a great flavour. Everyone enjoyed their meal and it was more than a satisfying amount.

We did order one cocktail between the two of us. Drinks were on the pricier side, $10 – $16, and a little overwrought. Out drink took at least 5 mins to make and involved the use of liquid nitrogen. My taste buds aren’t tuned to appreciate the process yet.