Woods Restaurant

Have been meaning to come to Woods Restaurant (@woodstoronto) since AKS event here and I had change our reservation several time due to our schedule. We finally made it there the day before Ben's birthday this past Friday. Somehow they have been following me on twitter and learn about his bday, Chef Bruce Woods (formally Brasaii, Centro & Modus) kindly greeted us with Sparkling Wine as we sat down.

Brasaii and Centro

 With a quick one-month renovation from the former Colborne Lane space, the high ceiling, exposed brick with wooden theme throughout the space. The space was very inviting especially with the large windows that bring in some natural light. Very elegant and yet has an organic feel to it

Since leaving his place at the Bay St. staple Modus Restaurant about 6 months ago, I had been following Woods (also formally of Brasaii and Centro) to find out what he’d get into next. Now, back when I heard that Colborne Lane (one of Toronto’s only long-standing attempts at molecular gastronomy) was closing, I was disappointed to say the least. But when I found what would be taking its place, I wiped my foodie tears and made a reservation. Yep, with a quickie one-month renovation and turnaround, Bruce Woods opened up one hell of a spot alongside co-owner Robin Singh (Pravda Vodka House) and Anthony Davis as Chef de Cuisine (Sidecar, Cowbell, The Roosevelt Room). - See more at: http://www.abbeyskitchen.com/blog/woods-toronto-early-restaurant-review/#sthash.teNAcmSz.dpuf

Since leaving his place at the Bay St. staple Modus Restaurant about 6 months ago, I had been following Woods (also formally of Brasaii and Centro) to find out what he’d get into next. Now, back when I heard that Colborne Lane (one of Toronto’s only long-standing attempts at molecular gastronomy) was closing, I was disappointed to say the least. But when I found what would be taking its place, I wiped my foodie tears and made a reservation. Yep, with a quickie one-month renovation and turnaround, Bruce Woods opened up one hell of a spot alongside co-owner Robin Singh (Pravda Vodka House) and Anthony Davis as Chef de Cuisine (Sidecar, Cowbell, The Roosevelt Room). - See more at: http://www.abbeyskitchen.com/blog/woods-toronto-early-restaurant-review/#sthash.teNAcmSz.dpuf

The wine list range from local to imports and are all very reasonably priced form $10-15 a glass and most bottles from $40-75 while some pricier ones like a $380 Tuscan Red is also available. While the beer list are mostly local Canadian microbrews.

Since leaving his place at the Bay St. staple Modus Restaurant about 6 months ago, I had been following Woods (also formally of Brasaii and Centro) to find out what he’d get into next. Now, back when I heard that Colborne Lane (one of Toronto’s only long-standing attempts at molecular gastronomy) was closing, I was disappointed to say the least. But when I found what would be taking its place, I wiped my foodie tears and made a reservation. Yep, with a quickie one-month renovation and turnaround, Bruce Woods opened up one hell of a spot alongside co-owner Robin Singh (Pravda Vodka House) and Anthony Davis as Chef de Cuisine (Sidecar, Cowbell, The Roosevelt Room). - See more at: http://www.abbeyskitchen.com/blog/woods-toronto-early-restaurant-review/#sthash.teNAcmSz.dpuf

Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Crew (Ontario) $65

We originally wanted to go with a safe one from Tawse that we had before but our server suggested this one saying that it's one of his favorite. I am surprise that he notice that we wanted something local and suggest an Ontario wine to us.

Never heard of this winery before but love the strong robust flavor of this wine with a rather chewy tannis finish. Loved it so much that we are tempted to go to the winery one day.

 Yes, I know it's a boring picture of a piece of bread but I just wanted to mention that they made their this sour dough bread in house and it was so good that I think I had at least 3 slices.

 Seared Quebec Foie Gras $19

~ Purple potato puree, lobster mushrooms, bacon crispy confit, Saskatoon Compote

 I can never resist ordering foie gras each time I see it on the menu and this was no exception. Not only was it cook perfectly but doesn't it look so pretty with the purple potato puree, the greens on the blank white plate... it's like a piece of art work.

Green [OOTD]

I really need to get a better tan, my arms are way darker and it look incredibly weird.

I still love my maxi dresses, loose flowy comfy perfect for summer.

Outfit :

Maxi Dress - H&M (@hmcanada); Sam Edelman Sandals & Fringe Bag - Little Burgundy;
Sunglasses - Prada

Azure [Summerlicious]

My 2nd and last Summerlicious of the year was at Azure Restaurant & Bar located inside InterContinental Toronto Centre (@ICTorontoCentre) at Front and Simcoe.

Although  do like the natural light coming through the glass ceiling, I thought it was a bit dated with an 80's feel to it. But thought there's some small touches that can be done to update it a bit, like the blue water glasses and the blue vases should go.  

On the other hand, Azure features contemporary Canadian cuisine by Chef Grace Di Fede who is an advocate for using local and seasonal ingredients.
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Azure Caesar

 ~ pepper infused vodka + Tabasco + Clamato juice + olives

Grapefruit Tree

~ vodka + fresh basil + fresh grapefruit juice + simple syrup

Although the presentation doesn't say much, it's a rather large glass of cocktail compare to what you get at most places these days and it tasted very good. Simple but well made. I loved both of them a lot, the Caesar parked quite a bit of heat which I love while I am a sucker for basil cocktails... will probably try to replicate both at home ;)

Summerlicious Dinner at $45 pp

At first I thought the price was a bit high for summerlicious but in the end, it's all worth it with the yummy good quality ingredient and the rather large portion. Def no need of McDonald stop after =P
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Sweet Corn & Saffron Bisque (vegetarian)

~ Goat Cheese Crouton, Tarragon Oil

It was incredibly smooth with just light sweet corn flavor instead of the full on yellow overly sweet corn soup. This was a rather large portion but we had no problem licking the bowl clean =P

Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival [Contest - Closed]

I'm giving away ONE PAIR of tickets including sampling tokens to 
Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival

Steam Whistle Brewing will be hosting the 2nd Craft Beer Festival at Roundhouse Park (see my post from last year here). The festival showcases beers from the association of Ontario Craft Brewers, who have a passion to re-kindle and keep alive the spirit of traditional brewing. Independent ownership, smaller batches, artisanal styles, quality ingredients, all-natural and undiluted beers are hallmarks of their Brewing Philosophy & Standards.

Participating Brewers : 

Steam Whistle, King, Wellington, Nickel Brook, Mill St., Grand River, Black Oak , Great Lakes, 

Left Field, Hogsback, Amsterdam, Beau's All Natural, Flying Monkeys & Lake of Bays.

There will also be food trucks on site, so no need to worry about drinking on an empty stomach (^_^)

Date: August 10th & 11th

Location: Roundhouse Park (55 Bremner Blvd)

Time: 12:00pm to 7:00pm

Ticket Details: 

Sampling Glasses can be purchased in advance for $10 here or for $15 at the door. Beer will only be served in the official glasses with beer sampling tokens costing at $1 (glasses can be re-used on the 2nd day of the festival). Food can be purchased with cash.

aking place in Roundhouse Park in the heart of downtown Toronto, Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival was created to provide beer lovers the opportunity to sample Ontario's finest craft brews and delicious eats from Toronto's best Food Trucks, all in a pleasant park setting. Bring down a picnic blanket and stay a while! - See more at: http://www.craftbeerfest.ca/#sthash.g3PlKSOu.dpuf

How to Enter 

1) Follow me @kiki_BFF on Twitter & Tweet the following 
Hey @kiki_BFF I want to win a pair of tickets to Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival by @SteamWhistle http://tinyurl.com/keacmus #RHCraftFest 

2) Like my facebook page here and comment share the link to this post for an additional entry.

3) You may tweet once a day for addition entry

Contest starts now and ends on Tuesday August 6th at 12pm noon.

One lucky winners will be chosen randomly and the winners will be announce shortly after the end of contest. 

Good Luck!!!

The Contest is now closed :
And the winner is @DarrinChung
* winner have been chosen randomly through random.org

aking place in Roundhouse Park in the heart of downtown Toronto, Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival was created to provide beer lovers the opportunity to sample Ontario's finest craft brews and delicious eats from Toronto's best Food Trucks, all in a pleasant park setting. Bring down a picnic blanket and stay a while! - See more at: http://www.craftbeerfest.ca/#sthash.g3PlKSOu.dpuf

Pancho Y Emiliano [Mexican]

This a long overdue post, I went to Pancho Y Emiliano back in April. It's one of the many Mexican restaurant that enter the Kensington Market scene. It's named after two Mexican revolutionary heroes, Villa and Zapata and it strives for an authentic taste.

 Ceviche Tostadas $4.75

Great start to the meal, it was fresh with the perfect amount of "citrus" but I wished that it had a little more fish cause depending on which bite you took, there was more lettuce and avocado than fish.

Chili Ajo Pork Tamales $3.75

This was the 1st thing that caught my eye and they were perfect. The pork is melt in your mouth richly flavored goodness warped with equally flavorful corn masa (dough)

Fish Taco $5.75

There was a gigantic piece of lightly battered and freshly fried fish which is moist and buttery. No fancy presentation but true yummy flavor with the creamy sauce, guacamole and salsa fresca.

Simple, fresh and delicious.

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Jelly Modern Doughnuts

Jelly Mondern Doughnuts (@jellymodern) which is very popular in Calgary open shop in Toronto, I just have to try it.

Love the bright ping and white decor but I have to say that it feel rather fast food like with lack of friendly staff. I remember a friend told me that he didn't felt like going in because the guy inside look like he wanted to kill someone.

We got 2 mini doughnuts at $2.25/ea which is pretty standard price for gourmet doughnuts these days ($2.75/ea for regular size), both of them was rather dry and didn't taste fresh... Unlike places like Glory Hole Doughnuts (my post here), you can feel and taste the love that's put into making their donuts and it's all worth the high price tag... but not here. If I have to choose, I'll probably prefer Tim Horton's' which are cheaper and definitely made fresh daily =P

And i hate how they put it in brown paper bags instead of boxes, def ruin the presentation which is all the doughnuts here are worth in my opinion.

 S'Mores

It was overly sweet and I just can't get over the fact that it wasn't fresh which felt so dry

The Kathi Roll Express - TKRE [EVENT]

TKRE which stands for The Kathi Roll Express (@tkretoronto) is a restaurant on Yonge & Bloor that specializes in Kathi Rolls just as the name suggest.

Kathi roll is street- food originating from Kolkata, India. It is a Kabab wrapped in a layered paratha. The paratha is a dough that is kneaded into a rope, then coiled into a round patty which is then flattened and partly fried in oil. These semi-cooked parathas are then kept aside till needed at which time they are cooked on the tawa (the large round cast iron disc/pan in the picture below), Then an egg is to be cracked directly onto the tawa and then the paratha put on top which will result in a one side coated paratha. Then just add the meat or veggies of your choice and voila a Kathi Roll.

Since Kathi Rolls are very popular street food in India, the decor of the place kept the same theme.

I was pleasantly surprise how much I like the decor here complete with a Bollywood movie on the projector.

I was invited to a tasting event and we were quickly created with a thick mango lassi.

We were given 3 types of Kathi Rolls to try right away after everyone was settled at the back patio.

Achari Paneer Tikka Roll

~ spicy pickle & yogurt marinated chunks of Indian cottage cheese

If you never had Indian cottage cheese before, you'll have to try it at least once. They have a much firmer texture almost like harder tofu... it take on any flavors pretty well and are normally use or cook like meat. This was probably the spiciest out of the 3 which I love but it's the most filling one as well.

Shami Kebab (Lamb) Roll

~ minced lamb, chickpea lentils & spices bound with egg

Love this, the lamb are just so tender and flavorful and def my favorite out of the 3.

Chicken Tikka Roll

~ bbq'd chicken, marinated in yogurt & magical spices

Market Day [OOTD]

Went to New Market Farmers Market a few weeks ago, it was such a hot sunny day and I was desperately trying to get rid of the tan lines on my shoulders, so I went with a strapless dress.

Outfit :

Dress, Flats & Hairpin (all last years) - H&M (@hmcanada)

Stock Restaurant [Summerlicious]

I sort of gave up on Licious for a while now since it have been a disappointments after disappointments these past few years. But a friend suggested we try Stock Restaurant (@STOCKToronto) Summerlicious (@LiciousTO) $45 Dinner menu and why not, I am always up for an opportunity to catch up with friends.

I was originally very excited to try out Stock since they have a pretty active Twitter account but I couldn't say the same about their service.

It all started out perfect, from pulling my chair to providing a side folding purse holder. Then we were quickly ask if we wanted anything to drink but clearly the drink menu / wine list was missing. We were only provided with the summerlicious cheers menu below with a few cocktail and beer choices. Then as the drink arrives, one miss after the other. Starting with my friend's cocktail which had a hair on the fruit garnish which was changed.

....then all 3 glasses of beer ordered arrived in the same water glasses that was already on the table. At a high end lounge and bar like these, I expected drinks to come in their appropriate glass/stemware

I order a 1/2 bottle of white and after drinking a few sips, our waiter came over to check on my glass... apparently they notice from afar that there was a chip and instead of pouring me a new glass, they just pour the wine into another glass right in front of us. 

Then during dinner, they never came to refill my glass while the bottle was out of my reach in an ice bucket in a corner. Neither did they came to ask if anyone needed another drink.

Enough said, these are enough to ruin any restaurant experience.

Patria [Brunch]

Patria (@PatriaTO) have been on top of my list since it opened but never got to try it out until recently for Brunch. It's tucked away in an alley beside Weslodge. Patria is all about Spanish Cuisine from tapas to cook to order paella.

Love the space here w/ the high ceiling

Taken from the 2nd floor, they also have a private area up here overlooking the whole dining room below.

White Sangria $33

~ white wine, lillet, mixed apple cider & poached apple, lemongrass reduction

Love this, it's definitely one of the best I had in the city. It was so light and refreshing, love all the flavor which wasn't too sweet or citrus-cy.

Pan Con Tomate ~ Spanish Anchovies $6

This couldn't have been better, you won't believe how good toasted house baked bread with crushed tomato and olive oil can get. Simple at it's best and the anchovies just made it all that much better.

KISS Hello Kitty [OOTD]

Got this tank a while back cause found the KISS Hello Kitty really cute although I am usually not a big Hello Kitty fan, they do have really cute things (^_^)

This was pretty much all I used to wear, tank + jean skirt/short but since I start working there's no way I can wear this everyday... and usually would prefer to dress up a bit on the weekends.

It's still nice to go back from time to time (^_^)

This was outside Seven Lives (post here) and we just came out of there, wasn't it a coincidence that their Octopus Taco was my fave ;)

Outfit Details:

Tee - F21 (@Forever21); Skirt - Zara (@ZARA); Sneakers - Converse

Papa Chang's [Taiwanese]

I haven't venture so far east for a while but heard so many good things about this place and I was in search of a good bowl of Taiwanese Beef Noodle for a while.... Papa Chang's do indeed deliver and is now my fave spot for a yummy bowl without the stinky tofu smell that I get at my previous fave (post here)

Taiwanese Style Meatballs $3.49

This bring back so many memories, used to eat that back in high-school at bubble tea places.

It's just minced meat wrapped in a sticky glutenous layer which has a chewy texture... just love it.

Bon Bon Chicken $4.49
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 Signature Beef Noodle Soup $5.99

Not sure if they make their own noodle but love the soup, the beef and even the house made Chinese Pickled Veggies. Love the homey feel of it, the soup wasn't as salty as most places but still packed with flavors.