kiki's B.F.F: The Harbord Room

Fellow Foodspoting-ers Mike (@chopstickhero), Jing (@jingloh) and me were tweeting how we haven't seen each other for awhile and somehow ended up talking about Burger so we decided to set up a day to visit The Harbord Room (@theharbordroom) which was voted Toronto #1 Best Burger by Toronto Life (see the list here). What started as a 3 person meetup end up being 9 since everyone wanted to join including Mary ( @citrusblack), Grace (@foodinthecityTO), Joe (@jsinb88)

and the +1s (too bad Justine @foodigatorJ couldn't make it)

When making reservation, I was told that their biggest table only holds 8 maybe 9 max, so even when people wanted to join later on, it wasn't possible since I had to change the meetup date a couple of time already just to get a reservation. Arriving there, I realize that the place was indeed really small with limited seating and we had the biggest table.

This was back in July and was one of the hottest day of the year and I have to say that it was a tad uncomfortable with barely any AC in there (>_<)

Sangria $14

~ pink wine, fresh strawberry & rhubarb juice, a splash of brandy, a medley of seasonal berries

topped off w/ ginger ale

I was still deciding what drink to order when seeing my check-in, Stella (@foodieyu) tell me that the Sangia is a must try and when the most popular food blogger tell you so, you'll just have to trust her on it (^_^) given that we have such similar taste. I have to say it is really good and refreshing, perfect for teh hottest day of the year. Probably one of teh best Sangria I had ever had.

Confessin' The Blues $12

~ Beefeater Gin, Fresh Lime, Mint Syrup, Cucumber & Blueberry

Joe got this and said it was really good.

Ok, this is a Burger meetup but the foodies that we were; Mary, Grace and me decided to order a variety of dishes to share (see Mary's post here)

Ontario Whitefish Ceviche $13

~ Poblano relish, Tomatillo, Pickled Watermelon, Corn Nuts & Lime

I love ceviche and this was perfect, not too acidic which allow you to taste the original sweetness of the fish itself. It was super refreshing on such a hot day and even more perfect pair with the pickled watermelon. The combination of all the flavors here just work so well together.

Braised Rabbit & Red Fife Tagliatelle $20

~ Kozlik's Mustard, Tarragon, Mint, Peas, Leeks, Ricotta Salata & Sour Dough Breadcrumbs

The rabbit was perfectly cooked, very tasty and moist plus love the strong mustard flavor given that Kozlik's is probably my fave mustard brand :) But if you don't like mustard, please avoid this dish

Naturally Raised Beef Burger $16

~ Sharp Cheddar, Caramelized Onions on an Egg Bun w/ Fries & a Little Salad

Finally here's the star and the purpose of our visit, the burger that's ranked by Toronto Life as the #1 Burger in Toronto. So everyone got a taste of it (we order total of 4 for our table of 8) and it was pretty delicious with a flaky soft bun, a juicy patty which was served on the rare side.

I try around 10 of the burgers that's listed and I'm not sure I'll rank this #1 although it's super delicious. I find the list a bit difficult to compare since obviously a burger under $10 can't compare to one that's over $15...

so comparing this with the other higher-end/fancier burgers I had, I still prefer #2 here and #21 here

The 3 of us girls are the only one who opted for desserts (yes us female food bloggers have another stomach just for dessert) and there was only 3 choices and we still have difficulty deciding.. we end up order 2 to share and they were so yummy that we sort of regretted not ordering the 3rd as well.

Baked to Order Valrhona Chocolate Cake $9

~ Peanut Butter Centre w/ Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

This is a MUST for all chocolate fan out there, the cake is baked fresh with at least 15 minutes wait.

The cake was baked in a ramekin and filled with thick peanut butter ganache topped with candied nuts which had a caramel flavor to it. The hot cake with the cold ice cream can't be more perfect match made in heaven ♥

Fresh Ricotta Doughnuts $9

~ Espresso Caramel Pot de Creme, Espresso Tapioca & Crumble Meringue Wafer

This was pillowy soft, I originally thought that it'll be filled with ricotta but it was mixed into the dough itself but nerverless it was really good especially dip into the pot de creme and the meringue just provided the extra contrast crunchy kick.