I work around Yonge and Eglinton and my husband Stephen typically travels for his job. He comes home late in the week and we spend the weekend juggling our social calendar between family and friends. This means when we do have a Friday to ourselves, we try to take full advantage of it, especially if Stephen’s working downtown. One of our favourite spots to grab an after work drink and bite is Beer Bistro at Yonge and King with their expansive beer menu and delicious mussel bowls.

Atmosphere: There are two dining areas in Beer Bistro, one in front of the bar with casual seating, and a more formal dining area that takes reservations. On a Friday night, the casual area was full of suits, boisterous and crowded. When we arrived at 6pm, the seated table area was quiet but quickly filled up. The restaurant is a popular spot and I’d recommend making reservations if planning to visit for dinner.

Service: Our server was great, she was friendly and attentive without being obtrusive. When I was choosing the beers for my flight, she answered all of my questions about each beer and made recommendations based on my tastes. She checked in on us throughout the evening to see how I was enjoying each beer and made sure we had plenty of loaves of sourdough bread to dip into our mussel broth.

Food: To accompany our beer, Stephen and I ordered just a few dishes to nibble on. Many of the menu items include beer as an ingredient from using the beverage in the marinade to beer breaded croutons. We started with the steak tartare, served with a golden egg yolk, and breadcrumbs to be mixed together at the table. On the plate were also lettuce leaves, capers, mini cucumbers and toasted crostini. The steak was well seasoned and creamy from the egg yolk. I always order the Belgian Frites at Beer Bistro. The generous cone of perfectly crispy fries is served with mayonnaise and smoked ketchup, and absolutely delicious. Even with the large portion size, I finish every last fry.

For our main, Stephen and I opted for New England Style Mussel Bowl with beer bacon, leeks, potatoes, smoked cheddar, parsley, shallots. I’ve tried every mussel bowl on the menu and also like the Belgian White (garlic, parsley, lemon) and the Brussels Mussels (smoked sausage, sweet peppers, lime, cilantro). When we’re really hungry we’ll order one bowl each, but I find sharing a single bowl filling enough. Especially since each bowl comes with a loaf of sourdough bread that can be refilled. The Staub bowl was designed with a grate that catches the mussels, granting easy access for dipping the bread in the broth. When our main arrived, and the lid lifted, the aroma was heavenly. Stephen and I dug in and even forgot to take photos until we were near the bottom of the bowl. The broth was creamy, savoury, and I loved the light beer flavour.

Overall, Beer Bistro is a great spot for casual drinks or dinner. I would also recommend their Beer Ice Cream and Cheese and Lager Fondue.

Over the past year, Iceland has climbed to claim the top spot on my list of dream vacation destinations. Many of my friends have been and every single person has raved about the beauty of the country and the delicious food. One of my good friends is there right now and her photos have been breathtaking. Northern Lights? Check. The ocean? Check. Towns that look like they came straight out of a fairytale? Check!

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

While I plan for my trip to Iceland in 2017, the next best thing was attending the Taste of Iceland festival held in Toronto this past November. The weekend festival was filled with music, literature, film and food all celebrating Icelandic culture. Of course, the aspect that I looked forward to the most was food. This year O&B restaurant Jump hosted Chef Sigurdur Helgason, one of Iceland’s premier chefs, to serve up a 4 course meal with ingredients flown in directly from Iceland the night before. Last year, two of my closest friend said “I Do” at Jump and the restaurant was a beautiful venue. For the media preview of Taste of Iceland, the private dining room was set up with long tables and an area for a live performance from Icelandic artists Axel Flovent and Ceasetone. I had the chance to experience a taste of the entire Taste of Iceland weekend in a single night and it was one filled with music, and exceptional food.

Dinner began with a lovely appetizer of Arctic Char and Char Roe, followed by Cod, then Lamb and ending on a sweet note with a White Chocolate Brownie. Both of the fish were cooked to just opaque and were incredibly flavourful and tender. Each plate played with textures and colour. The Arctic Char was a stunning bright orange and I loved the rich, creamy oyster emulsion sauce. Adding a refreshing crunch were thin slices of cucumber. The cod was served with cauliflower prepared 3 ways and a brown butter vinaigrette. I liked the thin sliced of raw cauliflower that added a crunch to each bite.

My favourite course was the char grilled fillet of lamb, served with celeriac, kale and crowberry sauce. The lamb was a rosy pink, tender and just a the right amount of gaminess for me. Dessert was a white chocolate brownie served with an Icelandic Provision Skyr ganache, a scopp of tangy bilberry’s sorbet and airy light meringue.

When The Hubby proposed, after saying yes, our first biggest decision was where to host the wedding. We knew we wanted a Chinese style banquet and with Lai Wah Heen’s reputation as Toronto’s best dim sum restaurant, they were one of our top choices. When I was invited to attend Lai Wah Heen’s Fall Tasting Dinner, I cleared my calendar.

Atmosphere: Lai Wah Heen is located in the Double Tree hotel and has been the standard for upscale Chinese food in the city for over 20 years. The classic restaurant is frequented often by Chinese celebrities visiting Toronto and is still the go to place for my parents friend when celebrating a special occasion. On a Tuesday night, the restaurant was quiet with only a few tables filled. Decor was elegant and traditional with white table cloths and warm lighting.

Food: We were treated to a 10 course meal, including 2 giant lobsters cooked 4 ways, Peking Duck carved tableside and two types of claypot rice. A few of the dishes featured more Western ingredients like foie gras, which were interesting. To me, I found Lai Wah Heen excelled more with the traditional Cantonese items, but every dish was delicious.

Our full Tasting Menu consisted of the following dishes:

• Peking Duck with shredded Scallions and Cucumbers on Steamed Rice Crepes
• Foie Gras and Seared Scallop
• Fried Truffle wonton in Clear Consomme
• Deep-fried Lamb rack with Truffle and Assorted Mushrooms
• Wok-Cooked Boneless Chicken with Fish maw in Chinese Wine Broth
• Wok-Cooked Quail flavoured with Soy Bean Sauce
• Nova Scotia Jumbo Lobster cooked 4 ways
• Claypot Rice with Quail
• Claypot Rice with Eel
• Glutinous Rice Ball
• Chinese Pearl Glazed with light Osmanthus Syrup

With the Foie Gras and Scallop appetizer, I liked the seared version over the deep fried ones. With the foie gras, the simplicity of the cooking technique focused the dish on the quality of the ingredient while the deep fried version was a bit heavy on batter. The clear consomme with the crispy fried truffle was savoury and the filling of the wonton was bursting with flavour. Of the 4 lobster dishes, my favourite was the steamed lobster with garlic. The simple seasoning highlighted the natural flavour of the tender lobster.

My favourite dishes were the Wok Cooked chicken with fish maw, served over a hot flame, which reduced the broth as we ate. After some time, the fish maw had soaked up a ton of flavour and the broth was thick and concentrated. I also really liked the flavours of the wok-cooked quail, which was savoury and incredibly tender. The deep-fried lamb rack was lightly battered, gamey and the hint of truffle oil added a punch of umami.

Currently, Lai Wah Heen is offering 2 coupons allowing their customers to enjoy their Peking Duck and Lobster dinner at a special discounted price. Simply present the coupon before ordering (be sure to double check the fine print). Lai Wah Heen continues to serve up delicious, elevated, Chinese cuisine while testing out new innovative menu items.

While in Vancouver last year, I dragged my friends on a mini ramen tour of the city. I had grand plans for an afternoon filled with noodles, but my eyes were far bigger than my stomach and we only managed to hit two noodle shops. One of them was Jinya, where I had a pretty good bowl of ramen. When I saw signs for Jinya pop up in Toronto, I was excited to see if the West Coast import would relocate well. Back in August, after a night of Pokemon hunting, The Hubby and I stopped by Jinya for a late second dinner.

Atmosphere: Maybe because it was a Friday night or maybe because we’re getting old, but I found Jinya very loud. Music was blasting and we struggled to hold a conversation, to the point where we gave up. Inside the restaurant, there were high communal tables with bar stools, bar seats along the windows, bar seats looking into the kitchen and a handful of small square tables. Decor was industrial with wood grain, metal and geometric accents.Stacks of ramen bowls decorated the bar.

Service: I was worried there would be a line but we had no trouble getting a table. Our server was efficient and took our orders over the blaring music. After a few minutes, she came by to apologize for the wait, which we hadn’t even noticed. The two bowls of ramen arrived piping hot.

Food: Being late, we skipped the side dishes and only ordered ramen. The Hubby chose the Cha Cha Cha with pork broth, while I tried the Spicy Chicken Ramen with chicken broth. Although the menu said the Cha Cha Cha was for garlic lovers, we weren’t sure where the garlic came in. The bowl of ramen came by default with pork chashu, a seasoned egg, bean sprouts and thick noodles. I liked the texture of the noodles and the chewiness. When it came to toppings, the Chashu was fatty and flavourful. However, without adding additional toppings, the default ones were pretty basic. As for the broth, each spoonful was rich and fatty without being oily. I did prefer my chicken broth more though.

The Spicy Chicken Ramen came with chicken chashu, spinach, bean sprouts, green onion and thin noodles. I added an Onsen Tamago, poached egg, for $1, which was a great decision. I really liked the thin noodles with my lighter broth. The texture of the noodles were chewy without being soft and bouncy. I’m always surprised by how rich and savoury a chicken based broth can be. At Jinya, the chicken broth was all of those things, flavourful and had a touch of heat (I chose the mild level of spice).

Both bowls of ramen had a good amount of salt. I guzzled a few glasses of water at the restaurant, and a few more when I got home. Portions of noodles felt smaller than other ramen shops in Toronto. Overall, Jinya serves up a solid bowl of ramen, but it feels like something was lost in transit from West coast to Toronto.. I’m unsure if I’d go out of my way to visit, but I would think of them if I was nearby.

Destination Thailand is Canada’s largest Thai festival and will be held this Saturday (Sept 10th) at Yonge and Dundas square. The all day event, running from from 11am to 8pm, celebrates the country’s cuisine, culture and of course Signha beer. Organized by the Royal Thai Embassy and the Thai Trade Centre, the event will feature delicious food from Toronto’s top Thai restaurants. All of the restaurants are Thai Select certified, a mark of authentic Thai food around the world. Globally, there are 1429 Thai Select restaurants and 88 are in Canada. 8 of these restaurants will be at Destination Thailand including my favourite, Pai Northern Thai Kitchen.

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

I had the chance to visit The Thai Trade Centre in Toronto last month and preview some of the tasty food that will be available at this year’s event. From curries to desserts, each vendor showcased their take on classic Thai dishes. I started my food journey at Pai, where Chef Nuit plated up Chicken Skewers with Grilled Pork Jowl and Sticky Rice wrapped in a banana leaf. The skewers and sliced pork jowl were grilled right before serving, which meant the amazing aroma of grilled meat filled the air. My mouth watered as I eagerly watched my plate come together.

Soi Thai was serving up Khao Kha Moo, a stewed pork hock dish, over rice with a side of pickled veggies and half a hard boiled egg. This bowl was savoury, hearty and the pork hock wonderfully tender. I liked the contrast of the acidic pickled veggies to the super rich hock.

Bangkok Garden offered a Vegetarian Curry and Toasted Cashew Chicken, while Golden Thai had a pot full of creamy Lamb Curry and fried Tempeh Skewers. Linda Modern Thai’s chef put together bites of Beef Salad and Lemongrass Chicken. Both of these dishes used fragrant herbs and were strong in flavour.

To me, the most interesting dishes I had tried that night were the selection of sweets from Patchmon’s, a shop specializing Thai desserts. These included cookies, layered cream pots, and custards. Patchmon imports many of their ingredients directly from Thailand and all of their desserts are handmade by the owner. Some of the flavours heavily featured were coconut, taro and tapioca. I loved the Sweet Tapioca with Coconut Cream and Steamed Flower with Coconut Filling.

With dance performances, muay thai demonstrations, Thai massage, refreshing Signha beer and amazing food, the 3rd annual Destination Thailand event will bring an authentic taste of Thailand to the heart of Toronto.

My first experience at JaBistro was back in 2013 for my birthday, when I was wowed by both the exquisite food and wonderful service. Since then, I’ve stopped by for lunch (what a deal!) and a few more dinners. With each meal, JaBistro continued to wow me and remains my go-to spot for high quality sushi in the city. Needless to say, when I was invited to check out their outdoor patio space, I was beyond excited.

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

Atmosphere: Stepping onto the rooftop patio, I immediately felt at peace. With plenty of natural wood, clean lines and a minimalist design, the space felt like a zen oasis in the middle of the city. The patio has been open since 2012, but was renovated this summer and fitted with a retractable roof. Now diners can enjoy the space even if there’s a drizzle of rain. Hanging string lights light the space and adds a touch of whimsy. Reservations aren’t taken for the patio and tables are filled first come, first serve.

Service: The Hubby and I were shown upstairs by the hostess and walked to our seat. Our server was friendly, soft spoken and efficient. I especially appreciated how she carved our fish head table side and chatted with us while expertly separating meat from bone. This was an intricate task and our server did an excellent job making sure all of the large bones were removed. She also checked in on us throughout the evening and at no point was my water glass less than half full.

Food: Dinner began with a sashimi platter with two slices each of Tai Sea Bream, Chutoro, Salmon and torched Wagyu Beef. All three types of fish were fresh, sweet and so buttery. I loved the slight torch on the sea bream that added a hint of smokiness. The chutoro just melted as I chewed.

Next up was an appetizer platter that included a whole grilled Sea Bream fish head (the showstopper), a mug of Lobster Miso Soup, Ebi Mayo and a few Calamari rings. Being served a whole fish head was definitely a woah moment and I applaud JaBistro for serving the entirety, teeth and all. Whenever I have a whole fish with my family, my mom and I always fight over the head. The amount of meat on this one, would’ve been plenty to share. The cooked fish was also tender, juicy, mildly seasoned and full of natural flavour. A sip of the savoury lobster miso soup was perfect after each bite.

Following appetizers was the sushi course, 3 pieces of nigiri and 4 pieces of JaBistro’s aburi oshizushi. Similar to the sashimi plate, the quality of fish on each nigiri piece was top-notch. My favourite piece was the lobster with ikura, which had a great balance between sweet (lobster) and salty (ikura). I also enjoyed the texture of the lobster, that had a bit more structure than other varieties of fish. All 4 pieces of the torched sushi had to be savoured. They were rich, flavourful and smokey.

Dinner ended with a slice of Matcha Mousse Cake and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Both the cake and ice cream were not too sweet or too heavy, fitting after a full meal. The ice cream was creamy but light with a strong vanilla flavour. The cake was airy, with multiple layers of textures and tastes.

JaBistro’s rooftop patio was a beautiful space and weather permitting, I will now always be choosing to head upstairs.

Last year, the owners of 120 Club took over the first floor of their building and turned the space into a diner and live performance space. I was invited to check out their menu and stay for a show. During that visit, I found 120 Diner served up delicious classic comfort dishes like nachos but felt short on others like a rice bowl. Recently, I was invited to revisit the diner with Karen and Sandi, which had pared down their previously expansive menu to focus more on what they did best, bar food.

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

Atmosphere: In terms of decor, the restaurant was unchanged from my previous visit. 120 Diner have ramped up their live performance schedule though and have music or comedy performances every night. On the night we visited, we were entertained by two jazz acts. All regular jazz shows are Pay What You Can with a suggested amount of $10-$20. I would say the focus of the evening was the performers and most of the diners were there for the show. As a respectful audience, customers were asked to keep noise level minimal.

Food: I chatted briefly with Todd (the owner of 120 Diner) about how the menu had changed over the past year. His answer was that the menu was pared down and more focused. Before, I was impressed with the breadth of of selection but also overwhelmed with the number of choices, and with such a large number of menu items, there were bound to be a few duds. The revised menu still had a great variety of dishes, including plenty of comfort food and healthier choices, and some delicious new desserts.

Sandi, Karen and I each chose 1 or 2 dishes to order and blog about. I chose the Bruschetta, Hogatropolis Poutine and Strawberry Tall Cake. We also had some amazing Mac and Cheese and Ravioli that Karen has the details on.

The Bruschetta had chopped red and orange tomatoes, served on a toasted baguette with basil, and topped with shaved parmesan cheese and a drizzle of balsamic. I really liked the combination of the fresh tomatoes and balsamic. The parmesan added a hint of umami to the dish and the portion size was quite generous. I did have trouble tasting any basil in the dish, a stronger herb flavour would’ve added even more.

Since I tried and loved the nachos on my last visit, this time I chose a poutine, one topped with cheese curds, chicken gravy, pulled pork and double smoked bacon. Delicious. My favourite part of this dish was the thick, savoury gravy that melted the cheese curds and was soaked up by the fries. A blanket of pulled pork in a sweet BBQ sauce covered the plate. To me, each bite of this dish was a good balance between sweet and salty, satisfying both cravings at once. Crunchy bacon bits also added some texture.

Dessert was the highlight of the evening. A play on strawberry shortcake, the Strawberry Tall Cake was a mountain of vanilla soft serve, vanilla cake and fresh ripe strawberries. Pretty much all of my favourite things together on a plate. The portion size was also generous and could easily be shared with one or two other people.

When Captain’s Boil opened their first location, just blocks away from my condo, I was eager to try out the concept but weary of the long wait. In just a year, Captain’s Boil has opened 3 more locations with 6 more GTA addresses in the works. I heard that lines at the downtown location were more manageable and was able to get a reservation with a bigger party.

Atmosphere: The downtown location of Captain’s Boil attracted lots of pedestrian attention. While The Hubby and I waited outside for the rest of my family, we saw many curious passersbys pause to peer into the restaurant windows. The restaurant was full when I arrived and pretty much remained at full capacity the entire night. Customers were lively and there was a hum of excitement as everyone dug into the seafood with their hands. I liked that there was a sink and washing station in the dining area. Each seat was set up with a pair of disposable gloves and a cute plastic bib.

Service: I have to thank the host at Captain’s Boil for being so kind and letting us keep our table even outside of their strict rules. My aunt and uncle were visiting from China and I was excited to have them experience a seafood boil, but they were stuck in traffic and so late. I was already looking for alternate restaurants, even with my heart set on Captain’s Boil. I was so happy we were able to enjoy our meal at the busy restaurant. Once we placed our orders, the piping hot bags of seafood arrived within minutes. Servers placed orders on iPads and checked in on us frequently.

Food: Ordering at Captain’s Boil was a 3 step process. First, choosing the type of seafood (of 9 choices including chicken slices), second the type of sauce (of 4) and third the level of spice (of 4). Lobster, crawfish and dungeness crab were priced at market price. Both the lobster and dungeness were over $30/lb, which I felt was a bit pricey, especially as I would’ve liked to order 2 pounds of each for everyone to try. We passed on them this time. I also choose to skip the clams, as I found they had more weight in the shell than the meat.

In total we ordered 2 pounds each of the crawfish, shrimps, mussels and snow crab legs. The four sauces available were garlic, cajun, lemon pepper and a mix of all three. Our server recommended pairing the stronger cajun and garlic sauce with the mussels and shrimp while using the lighter lemon pepper on the crab. For the crawfish, I choose the Captain’s mix, which was also my favourite. As for the level of spice, I split the pounds of seafood between medium and spicy and spicy and fiery. The fiery was burning hot. My aunt and uncle enjoyed the heat, but it was a little too much for me to handle. With the fiery spice, it was hard to taste the flavour of the seafood. I would highly recommend the medium cajun and medium Captain’s Boil mix sauces.

All of the seafood was fresh, especially the crawfish that is shipped in live from the Southern US. The shrimp were plump and the mussels meaty. To round out our meal, we also ordered a basket of cajun fries, a bag of sausage and corn. The fries were crispy and well seasoned and the corn wonderfully sweet. Captain’s boil also offers sizzling fried rice dishes for those with bigger appetites.

Overall, our meal at Captain’s Boil was a fun and delicious experience. I would recommend visiting with a group of 4 or more, to be able to try a more variety of menu items.

While I was in elementary school my mom packed me a sandwich for lunch everyday, but never managed to master them. I told her I liked mustard and salami sandwiches, my mom took that feedback and added mustard to every sandwich, including tuna and egg ones. Then if we were out of mustard for salami, she’d substitute with ketchup, because ketchup was still a sauce and I liked sauces. While my mom’s idea of innovation led to odd flavour pairings, Teara Lab’s creativity translated to unique and delicious fusion sandwiches. If only they were around 15 years ago to inspire my mom.

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

I was invited to the soft opening on Teara Lab, a new fast casual restaurant specializing in Japanese fusion sandwiches located across the street from the UofT St. George campus. The innovative sandwich creations come from the head chef of KaKa All You Can Eat, currently one of the most popular Japanese restaurants in Markham. The shop has been fully renovated from it’s previous incarnation with pristine white walls and modern panel molding. Black iron cafe style chairs and marble topped tables added to the elegant feel of the space.

A couple of other bloggers and I decided to split our orders, so we could try a quarter of each sandwich.

• Red Wine Braised Short Rib Sandwich – Served on a thick hotdog bun, the short rib was tender with a lingering red wine flavour. This sandwich had tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise and was topped with crispy onions, havarti cheese and sprinkled with seaweed powder. Of the four sandwiches I tried, this was the most savoury and filling one.
• Tonkatsu Pork Burger – A deep fried pork cutlet served on a burger bun with honey dijon mustard, shredded cabbage, tomato and cucumber. I found the breading on the tonkatsu lost its crunch under the sauce and other ingredients. While the pork was tender, the seasoning was mild.
• Teriyaki Chicken Burger – Chunks of baked dark meat served on a burger bun with lettuce, tomato, bacon and wasabi mayo. I loved the wasabi mayo that added heat and creaminess. I also liked that dark meat was used, instead of white, which I prefer and find tastier.
• Soy Glazed Pork Belly Sandwich – A thick slab of glazed pork belly was served between slices of white bread with layers of kimchi, avocado and nori. I loved this sandwich. Since the sandwich was built in layers, each bite had a variety of textures. There was heat fro and acidity from the kimchi, creaminess from the avocado and a hint of umami from the seaweed. The pork belly itself was sweet, savoury and had the fat rendered well.

Each sandwich could be ordered as a combo with a side and drink. Currently the sides available were seasoned fries (with seaweed powder) or yam fries. The drink selection is broader and more Asian inspired with fruit teas, milk teas, slushes, creamas and ramune.

Living in Toronto, my family used to visit Niagara Falls a lot. Whenever we hosted out of town guests, a drive to see the falls was guaranteed. My favourite part of the trip was always a stop at one of the 24/7 American diners that had made their way across the border. Today, I can get my all day breakfast fix right in the heart of Toronto at the Denny’s near Yonge and Dundas.

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

I was surprised to learn that Denny’s had 73 locations across Canada, including 3 in the GTA. The Hubby and I stopped by the downtown location a few weeks ago for dinner after some window shopping in the area. We were seated and handed menus by our server, who was cheerful and friendly. At 6pm on a weekday, most of our fellow diners were students lamenting over their recent exams. Our booth was clean and comfortable, but the restaurant decor did feel dated with muted neutral colours and warm yellow lighting. Our server was attentive, checking in on us throughout the night.

I was also surprised at the plethora of menu options Denny’s had to offer, way more than just omelettes and toast. From burgers, to pasta, to fish and chips. The menu also featured lighter dishes like the Fit Fare grilled salmon that had less than 15g of fat and was under 550 calories.

Even with all the choices, The Hubby couldn’t resist all day breakfast and ordered the Lumberjack Slam, which included two fluffy buttermilk pancakes, a slice of ham, two bacon strips, two breakfast sausages, hash browns, toast and two eggs cooked any way. All of that food was served on two hefty plates arrived. He ordered his eggs sunny side up and they were cooked perfectly with golden, runny yolks. Personally, I would have liked the hash browns to be crispier. The stack of pancakes, topped with a ball of butter, was soft and soaked up syrup like a sponge. Delicious. Portions were very generous and this was a lot of food for one person.

Sticking to the breakfast section of the menu, I chose the less traditional Steak Skewer Skillet. Served on a sizzling pan, my dish had a bed of seasoned red-skin potatoes, roasted bell peppers, onions and mushrooms, topped with a skewer of bite-size steak pieces and two perfect sunny-side up eggs. The skewer was brushed with a sweet bourbon sauce that really flavoured the meat. I enjoyed the plentiful amount of vegetables and found the red-skin potatoes very sweet (almost mistaking them for yam).

Alongside dinner, I sipped on a thick, creamy strawberry milkshake that was more dessert than drink. This was an indulgence worth an extra hour at the gym.