Congee and rice rolls, the kind of comfort food I crave during cold weather, stress, or simply when it’s been awhile. When I noticed Millstone Rice Rolls pop up on Uber Eats this year, I was checking all of those boxes and so ready to order.

Ordering: I ordered via Uber Eats for delivery and it looks like they are available on DoorDash and SkipTheDishes as well. Looking at their website today, it’s also possible to order via Snappy. A popup opens to the order link when you first load the webpage and you can refresh to get the link again. Searching on Google, I also saw the “order pickup” button on their location listing.

Food: For Stephen, Alivia and I, we ordered a Fried Dough Fritter, Street Style Offal and 3 Rice Rolls (BBQ Pork, Special Minced Pork and Pork Liver). If you can, order directly from the restaurant to pick-up to avoid Uber’s $1-$2 markup and service fees. The rice rolls were fantastic, a great texture, seasoned proteins and plenty of sauce on the side. At first glance, the Special Minced Pork didn’t look the most appetizing, but it was our favourite for taste. I liked the pork liver as well and Alivia enjoyed the BBQ pork, a safe toddler friendly option. I loved the texture of the cheung fun, not too thick, not too floury, with the perfect amount of slurp and bite. The style of cheung fun served was scrunched vs rolled with the topping inside, and I really liked it.

The Street Style Offal had a good variety and was on par with our usual dim sum spots. The chili oil that was served with it, amazing. So much heat with lots of spice. Millstone’s dough fritters are fried fresh daily. They were soft and spongy on the inside with a crispy exterior, even with the travel of delivery. Overall, lunch from Millstone was filling and flavourful. I look forward to being able to dine in.

These days, Stephen and I order take-out at least once a week. As much as we have our favourite spots, it has become a struggle to decide what to order when options in our neighbourhood are limited and with Stephen being a great cook. Eating out was starting to lose its lustre until this weekend when we were spoiled with a 5 course tasting menu by Chef Jef Edwards from Ration at Home. The meal reminded me of everything I love about dining out and how much I miss Toronto restaurants.

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

Our five course menu for two was delivered in two bags, one hot and one cold, with a note at the top to put the gelato in the freezer. Each dish was packaged individually with sauces separate and detailed plating instructions were included. Even in takeout form, it was clear each dish was packed and delivered with care and attention. The burrata was beautiful and not a grain was out of place in the risotto. The meal was designed to be served family style, but could easily be divided into courses with the Duck Tartare and Burrata as appetizers and Risotto and Confit Duck as entrees.

I was so excited to see tartare and burrata, two of my favourite dishes that I haven’t had in over a year, on the menu. The duck tartare was served with raw endive leaves that had a slight bitter taste, which paired nicely with the savoury duck. The seasoning of the tartare was on the milder side for me, but the quality of ingredients really shone through. Oh my the burrata, *chef’s kiss*. Served on a bed of greens with pickled green tomatoes, and drizzled with an herb oil and olive oil vinaigrette, every bite was heavenly. There was the creaminess of the burrata, crunch from the tomatoes and richness of the olive oil. Stephen and I devoured this dish, what lactose intolerance?

Alivia’s favourite non dessert dish was the duck confit, and there was plenty to share between the three of us. Crispy skin and sweet relish rounded out the tender duck leg. Between the burrata and the relish, the slices of sourdough bread were well taken care of. Stephen’s favourite dish was the creamy spring pea and samphire risotto. While there was the occasional crunch, the flavours and seasoning were superb with the seasonal ingredients.

Dessert was a smoked chocolate tart with truffle honey and vanilla gelato. I loved how the smoke flavour of the chocolate and the earthiness of the truffled honey was mellowed by the vanilla gelato. Again, such strong flavours, in balance with each other.

Overall, Ration at home was such a treat. A reminder for my taste buds of being blown away by combinations of flavours and textures, the delight of enjoying a fine crafted meal, with enough leftovers for the next day. To order Ration at Home for pick up or delivery, visit https://www.exploretock.com/rationathome.

During the past year, while we haven’t been able to celebrate in person, my favourite way to connect with family and friends has been with dessert. A surprise cake or box of macarons delivered on a birthday or anniversary has been a treat to send and receive. While we’ve tried a variety of bakeries in York and Peel region, Daan Go Cake Lab is my favourite. Their online ordering system is easy to use and they were one of the first bakeries to offer delivery options. My friends and I have sent dozens of their character macarons between us all.

Daan Go’s new online store offers a variety of their signature cakes, whole and slices, different box sizes of macarons, cookies and even their new bottled drinks! I like being able to pick each macaron flavour in a box or choose assorted. Delivery windows are 3 hour time slots and the shipping cost is calculated by distance. Our house is a bit far from their Scarborough location, so for Alivia’s birthday I ordered macarons to be delivered to my in-law’s house in Markham. In-store pickup is also an option.

So far, in addition to their macarons, we’ve tried the Matcha Crepe Cake, 3:15 Hong Kong Milk Tea Cake and Strawberry Shortcake (an in-store exclusive). Alivia loves the character macarons, in addition to being adorable, they’re airy and all of the flavours are delicious without being overly sweet. With the cute designs though, it is sometimes impossible to guess the flavour without referencing the picture booklet (where seasonal or special flavours aren’t always included). It’s not an issue for me, but challenging when we are trying to avoid certain eczema triggers for Alivia. There’s currently 19 flavours available, from Asian inspired ones like Black Sesame and Hong Kong Milk Tea to classics such as Salted Caramel and Pistachio.

The Matcha Crepe cake was divine. Stacked perfectly with layers of light cream rich in matcha flavour, this cake reminded me of my love for this delicate and labour intensive dessert. Stephen used to bring me back slices of Lady M regularly when he worked in Boston. Until we can travel again, Daan Go’s crepe cake (matcha and Thai milk tea flavour) is a great indulgent treat.

Overall, I loved how the desserts at Daan Go are decadent yet light, aesthetically adorable and well priced. I can’t wait for their new Richmond Hill location to open this summer to try out even more of their signature cakes. Tiramisu, Peach Garden, 24K Mango, I need more birthdays in a year.

I’ve blogged about Phoenix Restaurant before and they are still one of our favourite Hong Kong cafes. Since moving to Richmond Hill, we’re closer to their Bayview location and have picked up takeout a few times during the past year. Basically whenever we’re craving Hainanese chicken.

Ordering: The first time we ordered, I called the restaurant to place my order and referenced their menu online. Since then, Phoenix has set up an online ordering system that serves 3 of their 4 locations for pick up orders. They are also available on delivery apps like Uber Eats, Doordash and Asian apps like CMEOW and F.O.D. Considering their extensive menu, the online ordering tool had lots of photos available and sections for combos similar to the dine-in menu.

Pickup: Parking was plentiful at the Bayview location, although sometimes busy, shared with other restaurants and retailers in the same plaza. While dine in was closed, the restaurant had created a one way route for pickup from one door of the entrance to the other. The area was fully enclosed with plexiglass and there were only a few employees on site. I’m not sure how the layout has changed with dine in open again, however the experience felt very safe the times we’ve visited.

Food: My usual order at Phoenix is the Yunnan Noodle Soup with ho fan noodles, while Stephen gets the Hainanese Chicken (that we share). Our first time getting those dishes for takeout though, I found the fish broth was extra fishy and the noodles didn’t quite hold up in transport even packed separately. The Hainanese chicken was still delicious, tender and flavourful with the perfect fragrant rice. Instead of my noodles, we decided to try the Beef Brisket Malaysian Curry with a side of roti. The brisket was well cooked, had a good chew but still soft, and the curry was rich with just a touch of heat.

The malaysian curry came with a side of rice but the roti was a great upgrade, flakey and soft. Neither of the dishes we ordered were available for a drink combo at the time, which was a bummer as their Hong Kong milk tea is always a treat. While at first glance, the portion of curry looked small, there was plenty of sauce and we had even enough leftovers for another meal.

Overall picking up takeout from Phoenix was a convenient and tasty experience, remaining our go to spot for Hainanese chicken.

Since going back to work after my maternity leave, finding time for just Stephen and I to connect has been a challenge. We’ve had the best intentions for monthly date nights but between work, constantly having a cold and trying to find time for ourselves, going out has not been realistic. What has worked is aligning our work from home days and going out for lunch dates! We’re exploring our neighbourhood and get a chance to feel like an adult. One such date took us to Toshi Ryoriten, a Japanese restaurant at Major Mackenzie and Leslie with a more upscale menu.

Atmosphere: Although Toshi Ryoriten is located in a strip mall next to a grocery store and Tim Hortons, the restaurant had all the trimmings of high end sushi bar. Plenty of natural wood decor, modern pendant light fixtures and a live edge counter at the sushi bar. At lunch on a weekday, the clientele was casual and moderately busy. There were seats at the sushi bar, tables at the front of the restaurant and more booths around the corner, in an almost separate dining room. Stephen and I sat at the sushi bar and next to us was an older group who sounded like regulars, greeting the chef by name and talking about catering for a private event. Cozy and familiar.

Service: Sitting at the sushi bar, most of our interaction was with the sushi chef. There was one server who greeted and seated us and brought us tea. Our meal was prepared quickly from the kitchen and sushi bar. I do wish the chef had listed the fish that were on the plate instead of silence. With how separate the dining areas were, it was a challenge for her to manage both areas once the restaurant became busier. We did have to wait a bit to get our bill, but not unpleasantly long. Chef Shinji Mori was very friendly and lively with the group of regulars next to us, which did create a feeling of different levels of service.

Food: Originally, I had planned to order the Chirashi Sushi Lunch ($17) but Stephen convinced me to splurge on the Premium Sashimi Platter that came with chutoro and uni ($60). My platter was beautiful and the quality of fish was top notch. The uni and chu-toro were on par with omakase restaurants in the city, not a surprise as Toshi Ryoriten does offer omakase at dinner and feature fish flown in directly from Japan. The uni was excellent in flavour, rich, creamy and tasted like the ocean with no aftertaste. It was also a generous portion.

While the quality was superb, I was a bit disappointed by the variety, only 6 types. Without any info from the chef (I’m aware I could have asked), I recognized sea bream and amberjack, but something unique or a more diverse selection would’ve taken the meal from good to exceptional. In hindsight, ordering the Chirashi Lunch ($17) and adding an order of Uni Sashimi ($16) would’ve been a better value.

Stephen balanced my splurge lunch with his Tempura lunch bento. The bento box was packed with tempura, rice, salad and a complementar bite of beans with a sesame dressing. The tempura was light, excellently cooked and fresh, not at all oily. All of the vegetable pieces were just cooked, sweet and in season.

Overall, lunch at Toshi Ryoriten was ok with glimmers of amazing. The menu is extensive and ranges from casual Japanese fare to premium sushi. They would be a good choice for a group of diners with varying paletes and budgets.

When it comes to Michelin stars, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, the few 3 star restaurants I’ve dined at have been truly unforgettable meals. On the other, I struggle with how geographically concentrated the guides are and the inconsistency of 1 star restaurants. Nonetheless I respect the Michelin rating system and still seek out their recommendations when visiting a city they cover. While in New York City, home to five 3 Michelin star restaurants, I was lucky enough to add one more to my list of memorable meals.

Atmosphere: Le Bernardin by Eric Ripert was located in the heart of Manhattan, blocks from Rockefeller centre, between Central Park and Times Square. Stephen and I sat in The Lounge to take advantage of their City Harvest Menu, 3 courses for $57 USD/person, an incredible steal to get a taste of Chef Ripert’s French cuisine and supporting a great cause. $5 from each order is donated to City Harvest, the world’s first food rescue organization. The menu is offered only at lunch in the Lounge and no reservations are taken. We arrived 10 minutes before lunch service began and had no issues securing a spot.

The Lounge had about 20 table seats and a row of stools at the expansive bar, showcasing an impressive display of bottles. Modern leather benches and armchairs provided comfortable seating around white square tables. Jackets were required in the dining room and only (strongly) recommended in the lounge.

A 3 course menu is also offered in the dining room for $90/person with a wider selection of dishes.

Service: Service was impeccable from the table side bread basket loaded with treats to the main course being sauced when served. I love when dishes are finished at the table, giving a sense that the dish was just plated and fresh. We were well taken care of throughout our meal and had seconds from the bread basket. I wanted to try everything but restrained myself to just (ha!) 4 rolls. I really liked how diners were seated spaced away from each other, offering privacy even in the tight space.

Near the end of the meal, Chef Ripert came into the lounge to chat with the diners sitting a few tables away from us. We didn’t stay to see if he knew the couple or was making his way to every table but it’s always lovely to see the Chef in person.

Food: Each course of the City Harvest menu had two choices. To start, I opted for the Hamachi Tartare with cucumber and a lemon-citrus emulsion while Stephen chose the Lobster, Saffron-Mussel Potato soup. My hamachi was plated with cucumber slices atop the disc of tartare, surrounded by beads of the emulsion and a side of crostini. Each bite had crunchy, crispy and soft elements with sweetness, acidity and savoury flavour. Stephen’s soup was rich and creamy while being light and incredibly slurpable.

We both ordered the Barely Cooked Organic Salmon with Pea Puree and a Yuzu Butter Sauce. For me, the dish was excellent, Stephen did not agree. The thick rectangular column of salmon was true to the name and just barely opaque up the sides maintaining a perfect silky centre. The peas were sweet and tender while the yuzu butter sauce added acidity and richness. Stephen wasn’t a fan of the combination of dairy and citrus, which unfortunately threw off the entire dish for him. Fortunately for me, this meant I had double. This did affect my overall rating for this post.

Dessert was a selection of Ice Creams or “Tres Leches”, a Crispy Cashew Sponge Cake Sphere with Caramelized Goat’s Milk Mousse and Clementine Sorbet. Ice cream quenelles, heavenly. The clementine sorbet, wonderfully refreshing and concentrated flavour.

Overall lunch at Le Bernardin was a delight and I now look forward to a return visit in their main dining room.

Continuing our tradition of splurging at a Japanese restaurant for my birthday, Stephen and I headed to Jugemu last November. We booked an early dinner reservation (new parent life) and enjoyed a lovely omakase meal at the sushi bar. I was incredibly saddened to hear that the restaurant would be closing their doors at the end of June. Chef Koji Tashiro’s presence will be missed and I look forward to his next venture.

Atmosphere: Jugemu was located in Cabbagetown under their popular sister restaurant Zakkushi. When we arrived only one other table was occupied by two Japanese ladies chatting and entertaining a newborn. I love seeing restaurants downtown that not only accommodate babies out of necessity but actually welcome them. Jugemu was roomy enough for a stroller to be parked by their table and quiet, without loud music, perfect for little eardrums. The dining room did begin to fill as dinner service began and all of the sushi bar seats were reserved.

Service: After settling into our seats, we were ready to order with just a quick glance at the menu. There was only one server that evening and she expertly took care of all the tables in addition to serving soup and prepping drinks. My sake arrived quickly and Chef Koji chatted with us as he prepared each piece of sushi. Throughout our meal, he was friendly but left us to our own conversation. At the end of the meal, I was ready to order an extra piece of Hokkaido uni but he recommended sticking to the Boston that was cheaper and comparable quality. I really appreciated the honesty.

Food: The one page menu at Jugemu had three sections, sushi, tapas and soup. Each section was simple with only a few options (just one soup). Stephen and I both ordered the the ultimate 12 piece omakase, $70, and a bowl of the Fish Stock Red Miso Soup. The soup was rich and savoury with lots of fish bones, very reminiscent of the miso soup from Sushi Dai in Tsukiji market! There wasn’t any hint of fishiness, just amazing flavour.

The omakase began with an octopus salad that had a light soy based vinaigrette. The texture of the octopus was chewy but tender and there was just a touch of heat. Our 12 pieces that night included unique fish like Japanese barracuda and staples like scallop and chutoro. I liked both the marinated horse mackerel and cured mackerel, both were flavourful and fresh. My favourite course was the uni and ikura, served on a small bowl of rice. The two were a perfect combination of contrasting textures and flavour. The creamy richness of the uni was accented by aach salty pop of ikura. Other highlights of the night for me were the spot prawn and king crab with crab liver. Not pictured was the tuna handroll, simple and satisfying. I was disappointed that we missed out on shirako (cod sperm), which had been served in previous weeks, and the lack of otoro.

Overall, the omakase dinner at Jugemu was a delicious and lovely experience. As always, Stephen and I enjoyed watching each piece of sushi come together and the quiet, serene atmosphere. I’ve been recommending Jugemu to friends and family all year, they really will be missed.

From day 1 of my maternity leave, Stephen and I talked about taking a trip to Asia before I returned to work. The idea of a long haul flight was daunting but after a successful visit to Seattle when Alivia was 5 months old, we crossed our fingers and booked tickets to Japan with a three day layover in Taipei. In hindsight, we were way too ambitious (4 cities, 5 stops, 3 layovers, 6 flights and 3 train rides) and there’s lots of things we’d do differently, but one thing we got right was starting our trip at The Ritz Carlton in Tokyo.

We decided to stay in a hotel in Tokyo for ease of taking taxis, location and honestly to be a bit pampered after surviving the flight over. Using Stephen’s hotel points we booked a 5 night stay at The Ritz Carlton, which was centrally located in Roppongi and had a ton of restaurants within a 10 minute walk. I also loved that room service offered complimentary baby food suitable for babies from 6 months old to over a year. This saved us at the beginning of the trip when Alivia’s appetite wasn’t the greatest. While staying at the hotel, we had the opportunity to enjoy Afternoon Tea at the Lobby Lounge with a spectacular view of Tokyo and 14 delicious sweet and savoury treats.

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

The Lobby Lounge was located on the 45th floor with windows spanning two storey ceilings that offered a stunning view of Tokyo. Stephen, Alivia and I settled into a corner table with a comfy loveseat and armchairs facing the view. Our server came by to welcome us and introduce their tea selection. After taking in the aroma of each, Stephen chose the darjeeling while I opted for Royal Bouquet, a green tea with floral tones. Next, a cart was wheeled to us with a selection of artisanal jams for the delicious scones later and petit fours. I chose the yuzu jam that was more tart than sweet (I can’t resist anything yuzu) and complimented the clotted cream.

To begin, we were served a cup of the Ritz Carlton Tokyo special blend tea with our tiered serving tray of delectable treats. After which, our server brought over a cup of our personal selection. Cups were refilled but we did not have the full teapot at our table. Our server was also kind enough to find us an order of baby food from room service for Alivia. The Ritz Carlton also offers a special Kids Afternoon Tea menu for children under 12. A definite future mommy/daughter date.

As for the bites. Wow. Stunning in presentation and taste. The menu changes often to reflect ingredients that are in season but consistently includes traditional Japanese flavours like yuzu and sakura. During our visit, kumquats were in season and featured in a ham & cheese finger sandwich with chorizo and kumquat pepper jam. Other key ingredients of the savoury bites were foie gras mousse, crab, ikura and prawn. Each was paired with a sweet or acidic component that balanced and highlighted the ingredients natural flavour. Foie gras mousse with apple, prawn with pear, crab with lime. The sweets were just as delightful. I loved how they were lightly sweet, which meant I had no trouble finishing all 6 bites. My favourite was the strawberry tart with yuzu cream while Stephen liked the champagne jelly.

Overall, Afternoon Tea was a truly lovely experience from the live piano performance to each heavenly bite. I loved how flavours were present and pronounced without being overwhelmingly sweet or rich.

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.

I have to confess, after weeks of feasting on pasta and pizza throughout Italy, both Stephen and I were craving Asian flavours. We had walked around Amsterdam’s Chinatown the night before and were drooling over the BBQ ducks hanging in shop windows and the aroma of stir fry. After a quick Google search, we headed to Ramen-ya for our first bowl of noodles in weeks (basically forever for us).

Atmosphere: Located in central Amsterdam, Ramen-ya was easy to find. While the storefront was at street level, the restaurant actually occupied the basement of the building and managed to feel spacious with high ceilings and an assortment of industrial pendant lights and chandeliers. Large round leather booths occupied much of the real estate in the dining area. While bulky, the booths spaced out tables, providing privacy and comfort, a rarity in most ramen shops.

Service: English menus were available and we had no difficulty communicating with our server. While placing our ramen order, we were asked to choose the broth richness and Stephen opted for extra rich. The server warned us that their tonkotsu broth was already super thick and many customers were not used to how rich it was. Stephen stuck to his choice and was happy with the bowl that appeared. Reading reviews online, quite a few people did rate Ramen-ya poorly because they felt the broth was too heavy. I could understand the server’s concern, but if you have an option for extra rich, and someone orders it, I feel it’s odd to deter them.

Food: Stephen ordered the Miso Hakata (tonkotsu broth with chashu, menma, ramen egg, leek, nori and sesame seeds), while I chose the Kimchi Ramen (chicken broth with kimchi, chashu, ramen egg, wood ear mushroom, green onions, nori and sesame seeds), two very different bowls.

My chicken broth was rich and well seasoned with a good amount of salt. I could really taste the layers of flavours in the broth, and it wasn’t all that light. Toppings felt a touch sparse with only half an egg and extra charges for black garlic oil and homemade layu (chili oil). Each table did have a small bottle of non homemade layu. My favourite component of my bowl was the thin noodles that had a nice bite and was great to slurp. Stephen’s broth was definitely thick, but too fatty. It clung to the noodle nicely and the topping of green onion threads helped to balance the richness.

Overall, Ramen-Ya served up solid bowl of ramen with a decadent broth and authentic flavours. It was a pricey bowl, over $20 Canadian, but I love being able to eat ramen all over the world and we will continue slurping up noodles wherever we go.