老碗 Artisan Noodle [Chinese Noodle]

Pass by 老碗 Artisan Noodle a couple time and always sees a line up which make us curious about this tiny Chinese Noodle Shop on Yonge Street among all the ramen and Korean restaurants.

We arrive at lunch time on a Sunday and we only waited for about 15 minutes which was very reasonable considering the small space (probably around 12 seats) and most noodles are pulled to order. They serve hand made noodles from Shaanxi region and the place has a more hip and cool decor than most Chinese places with recycle expose wood interior.

He was pulling/flipping the noodle so quickly that I could barely capture it, I should have done a short video instead. With only a few seconds flip, their thick noodles are ready to cook.

招牌香辣土豆片夾饃 Potato Jia-Mo $3.99

~ House made soft Mo bread stuffed with sliced potato, marinated tofu, fresh tofu sheets and their signature spicy sauce

They also have a pork belly version that we'll have to try next time but we thought the potato/tofu version was interesting since we always have this type of bun with some sort of meat. We both like this especially the extra texture from the potato sheets but it's really not spicy at all.

Peter Pan Bistro [French/British - Summerlicious 2015]

After closing up last year, Peter Pan Bistro (@peterpanbistro) is reopened by Chef Noah Goldberg previously The Feasting Room. Reopened earlier this year, we never made our way there mainly because last time we had a tasting dinner at The Feasting Room we left unsatisfied with the tiny mini portion and I have read mix review about this new place.

With their Summerlicious (@LiciousTO) menu only at $35, I don't see why not give it a try and given it's such a convenient location right on the busy Queen St W and Peter Street which was perfect after a mini shopping session (^_<). And glad I did, it was probably one of my favorite Licious experience/meal I ever had.

Love how they kept a lot of the original details like the bar back, chrome stools, booths, lights and the tin ceiling which dates back to 1930s. Also love the wall "taxidermy" art/tapestry which no animal is harm in the process. Also heard that the 2nd floor private dinning space is open for business.

Although we love the interior, we can't resist to pass on the amazing weather and not sit on the patio. Love the secluded back patio, away from the busy Queen Street.

Neal Brothers' Mayonnaise

As you have seen here and here, I'm a huge fan of Neal Brothers' (@nealbrothers) Kettle Chips, Sirachup being my favorite of all (^_<) and once again I was lucky enough to receive their Mayonnaise in Sriracha, Lime and the brand new Truffle flavor.

I always love mixing my mayo with some other sauces for my egg salad sandwiches or dipping sauces and now it's done for me. I love sriracha so naturally I was excited to try it out bought thought it lack the "sour" taste of the hot sauce which I laugh but it's perfect for people who wants a bit of the flavors without being too spicy. My favorite was definitely the truffle, does it not fancy up anything everything plus it taste so good too. And it's also available in Original for the purist.

And what's so special about these Mayonnaise, it's gluten free, GMO free, all natural and made with organic free run eggs.

Definitely need to try the recipe of Siracha Mayo Fish Taco from their website here.
Look simple enough, all I need is get my hands on bag of Neal Brothers Organic Blue tortillas.

Japango [Japanese]

Have been to Japango (@japango122) many times now but somehow I never bloged about it and btw, we had one of our first dinner dates here. Japango is a tiny tiny sushi restaurant tucked away on Elizabeth Street off Dundas.There's probably under 20 seats in the very very tight spaces, so better call ahead to make reservation and trust me, the place is always pack.

Sushi Sashimi Moriwase $50pp is the way to go, it's basically chef's selection which I think it's the perfect portion and the best deal (note below pictures are one person portion).

Sake Clams

Looks like the most simple dish but frankly I have never been able to recreate it at home. Simple perfect way to start.

Assorted Sushi

Assorted Sashimi

Verdict:

Been here many time and will be back many more

Trust me, the freshness is worth the price and frankly it's cheaper than many other places.

Make sure to make reservation in advance since there's only 20 seats.

 

Park [Montreal - Japanese]

Finally made it to Park Restaurant (@Restaurant_PARK) back on our April Montreal trip, have been dying to new Montreal Celebrity Chef Antonio Park (@ChefAntonioPark) restaurants.

We opted for the $105 Omakase Tasting Menu.

Since there was 5 of us, we wanted to be able to chat a bit, so we opted for a table instead of my usual preferred seat at the sushi bar (I just love watching people cook). Executive Chef Antonio Park was a Korean born in Argentina, trained in the Culinary Institute of Japan and having work at restaurants all over the world including New York's three Michelin Star Masa. Oh did I mention his amazing instagram photo of all the sashimi and nigiri looks amazing, so you know how excited I was.

Nihonsakari Dai-Ginjo Skae $ 45.00

Chicken Consomme 

~ w/ Ginger & Daikon

Although this was delicious, we all agreed that the flavors were too strong and salty to start off the meal.

Red Snapper 

~ w/ Ponzu Sauce, Crispy Ginger & Marinated Cabbage

Hate to say it but it was way overcooked although the skin was perfectly crispy and the sauce was just amazing.

Sea Witch Fish & Chips

I got invited to a media tasting at Sea Witch (@seawitchfc) on St.Claire West and frankly I pass by so many times but never notice this place before. The small neighborhood restaurant has a very simple menu with 5 fish of fish & chips or sandwiches to choose from (Halibut, Pickerel, Haddock, Cod and Arctic Char). Nothing fancy, just a few sides to choose from.

Chef & Owner Kevin Kowalczyk spent many years at Penrose Fish & Chips, so he knows a thing or two about fried fish. All the fish are fried and fries are fried in beef tallow here, the secret to the golden crisp batter.

Although the entire place look like reclaimed wood / furniture, love the contrast of the red tiles at the front which make a perfect backdrop for the fish & chips.

My Wonderful Kitchen 十粥十 [Richmond Hill - Chinese/Hong-Kong]

 This is my second post of My Wonderful Kitchen 十粥十 (see first one here), had some interesting dishes so I thought I should share.

Fried Fish Skin $3.99

They totally increase their price from $2.95 to $3.99 but it's still worth it, it was even a bigger portion that I remember.

Spicy Sour Pork Bone Soup $3.50

I originally though it would be an individual pot for one person but it was a huge pot with over 6 bowl of soup, what an amazing deal. Love the Chinese pickled mustard greens with the slight spiciness, definitely open up your appetite. Don't let the red chili foul you cause it was more white pepper spicy, so don't worry if you can't eat spicy food.

With rice vermicelli, it was definitely quite filling.