Hello everyone,

Welcome to my first blog 🙂 For as long as I can remember… I was always surrounded by fruits. One of my favourite fruits is watermelon and I’m happy its in season!

Eating watermelon during the spring and summer is so delightful, from looking at the natural pink and red colours to the fresh smell and taste. Its just simply juicy, delicious, and sweet.

Watermelon is also rich in numerous vitamins and nutrients. I find one of the greatest benefits of eating watermelon is its good for the skin, it keeps the skin glowing and well hydrated.

I hope you ❤ watermelon as much as I do, sharing is caring 😉

 

 

Winterlicious 2015

Feeling the winter blues?  Have no fear, Winterlicious is here! Between January 30th to February 12th, over 200 of the city’s top restaurants are offering three-course prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus.

Winterlicious Prix-fixe prices are as follows:

Lunch: $18 | $23 | $28 (This year there is a $3 increase in prix-fixe lunch prices)

Dinner: $25 |$35 | $45

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~ Bywoods

The first restaurant I visited was Bywoods, located in the St. Clair West neighborhood.  I discovered Bywoods on via twitter, after seeing all the delicious photo’s from their media launch event, I knew this was a great opportunity to try some of their Mediterranean-inspired creations.  For Winterlicious the restaurant is featuring a 3-course dinner at $25 (vegetarian option available).

This is what I had for dinner…

½ LB MUSSELS
with white wine, garlic, shallots, grape tomatoes & thyme

The fresh thyme brought out the delicious flavours of the mussels.

6 OZ. GRILLED FLANK STEAK
with warm mushroom, radicchio, cured tomato, arugula salad, salsa verde & jus

The steak combined with the interesting Mediterranean flavours made this a great dining experience 🙂

NO BAKE CHEESECAKE (vegetarian)
with seasonal fruit

Probably the most unique cheesecake I’ve ever tasted. There are various layering ingredients… it was delicious!

My overall experience was great, when entering the restaurant we were greeted by friendly staff and there was a gentlemen who offered to take our coats making us feel right at home 🙂  Click here to see their full Winterlicious dinner menu

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~ Lamesa Filipino Kitchen

Lamesa is an Asian, Filipino, Fusion restaurant that is located in the Queen West area (Bathurst and Queen) offering Modern Filipino cuisine.  For Winterlicious the restaurant is featuring a 3-course dinner at $25.

This is what I had for dinner…

Mushroom Sotanghon
Adobo pickled beech mushrooms, shitake, and king oyster mushrooms, mung bean thread, miso, and a pickled egg in a mushroom broth

Fish & Chips

Whole fried boneless milkfish with cassava hash and housemade tartar sauce

The casava hash is underneath the milkfish, In my opinion way better than regular hash browns 🙂

Garlic and hot pepper Vinegar sauce –  great combo with the milkfish

               

                       

Chicken Adobo

Confit chicken with an adobo gastrique, garlic barley risotto and beets

My friend ordered this dish, I tried the barley risotto – it was cooked perfectly. It was a great modern touch compared to the traditional white rice.

Ube Leche Flan
Ube custard with tapioca and rice crisps

I ordered two of these bad boys!

I really enjoyed the food and music at this restaurant, the staff were attentive and the servers explained each dish that was presented to us.  Click here to see their full Winterlicious dinner menu #LamesaLicious

Winterlicious ends on February 12th, 2015, stay warm and Bon Appétit 😀

JaBistro

Address: 222 Richmond Street West, Toronto ON

Website: https://jabistro.com

Upon entering JaBistro the first thing you notice is a black wall with a cute white glowing fish, “An-chan, the footballfish” instantly brings a smile to my face setting the mood for the rest of the evening.

“An-chan, the footballfish”

My friends made reservations earlier in the week, when we arrived at the restaurant our table was ready.  JaBistro definitely has a modern feel, the interior is a combination of light wood and expose brick walls.   The bar seats are located on the left side of the restaurant where you can enjoy a front row view of the chefs working their creative magic. On the right side of the restaurant are tables where you can have a one on one/group dining experience.

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This is what we ordered for dinner …

Mashi Berry Cocktail

I asked for the fruitiest drink on the menu and this is what our server recommended 🙂 Fresh strawberries, yum!

Sashimi Platter

The presentation is a work of art, this picture doesn’t do it justice! The quality of the sashimi was fresh, probably one of the best in the city.

Lobster miso soup

If you order a Sashimi Platter, you can add a $30 Lobster option. This comes with Lobster tail sashimi and Lobster miso soup’s, no lobster parts were wasted.

JaBistroll – salmon, snow crab, uni, cucumber, tobiko

&&

Aburi – chef’s choice of blowtorched nigiri, oshizushi

JaBistroll – One word ‘Delicious’ 🙂 I could have ate two whole rolls myself, Its that good! Aburi – No sauce is required, each piece of blowtorch sushi has a unique smoky flavour.

Ebi nanban – battered tiger shrimp, tartar sauce

This dish exceeded my expectations, something about that tartar sauce!

Green Tea Tiramisu dessert

Even the dessert is beautifully presented… with fresh fruits, chocolate, and a generous amount of matcha green tea powder 🙂

 

The service was amazing, our server was pleasant and very knowledgeable.  The staff were attentive, our glass were never empty because someone was always refilling our water.  Our plates were changed often so we could enjoy the implacable flavours of each dish.  If you are a Japanese food lover, I would highly recommend visiting this cute Japanese modern restaurant!  🙂

Taste of Toronto 2014

Toronto’s most anticipated foodie festival is here and its taking place inside the historic walls of Fort York (250 Fort York Boulevard).  Between July 24th to 27th, some of the city’s latest, greatest and hottest restaurants are featuring $6, $8, and $10 menu items. 🙂

Taste of Toronto food festival session times:

Thursday July 24th 2014 – 5:30PM to 9:30PM

Friday July 25th & Saturday July 26th 2014 – 12:00PM to 4:00PM  && 5:30PM to 9:30PM

Sunday July 27th 2014 – 12:00PM to 5:00PM

Purchase your tickets here 🙂

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Let the foodie adventure begin…

~ Whitehaven Wines

Marlborough sauvignon Blanc paired with New Zealand Oysters

Great dry white wine and the oyster pairing was deliciousss! 

~ Guu Izakaya

Takoyari: Deep fried octopus balls w/tonkatsu sauce & karashi mayo

 I always order this dish at Guu, I couldn’t resist at the festival 🙂 

~ JaBistro

Oshizushi: Blowtorched & Pressed Sushi w/Shrimp, Mackerel, Salmon

If you love Japanese food, you will enjoy this dish 🙂

~ Splendido

Professional oyster shucking!

Fresh Oysters, Apple & Jalapeño

PEI malpeque oysters – This was delicious, I could eat a dozen!

 True North Atlantic Salmon from Atlantic Canada, Crisp Rice, Avocado & Nori

Fresh ingredients…

~ Richmond Station

Station Burger: Milk Bun, OKA Sliced Cheese, Beet Chutney

The Station Burger meat was nice and juicy!

~ Bosk

Foie Gras Parfait: Strawberries, pistachio, melba toast

Beautiful colours, stared at the dish for awhile admiring its beauty 🙂

~ The McEwan Group

Bymark’s Lobster Poutine

If you are a fan of Chef McEwan’s restaurants I would recommend going to his stand first, they were all sold out of ONE RESTAURANT Fried Chicken!  Bymark’s Loster Poutine was definitely worth the wait 🙂

Taste of Toronto ends on July 27th so there are 2 days left!

Click here to see Participating restaurants, Click here to Purchase your tickets 🙂

Good Night 🙂

Summerlicious 2014

 

One of the things I look forward too every summer is Summerlicious 🙂  Between July 4th to 20th, over 200 of the city’s top restaurants are offering three-course prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus.  This is the perfect time to explore the different cuisines the city has to offer!

Summerlicious Prix-fixe prices are as follows:

Lunch: $15 | $20 | $25

Dinner: $25 |$35 | $45

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~ Weslodge 

The first restaurant I visited was Westlodge Saloon.  Weslodge is located in King west Toronto, I’ve walked by the restaurant many times staring at the electrifying yellow doors. When I heard they were participating in Summerlicious for the first time, I was excited and decided to check this bad boy out! 🙂  For Summerlicious the restaurant is featuring a 3-course lunch at $20 and a 3-course dinner at $35.

This is what I had for dinner…

SALMON TARTAR
Crispy Latke + Cottage Cheese + Dill

BRAISED BEEF CHEEK
Puffed Amaranth + Goats Milk Potato Cream + Cipollini + Jus

This dish alone is worth the visit.

INSTANT CAKE
Chocolate Mousse + Olive Oil Pudding + Raspberry

When entering the restaurant the first thing I noticed was the high ceilings and waiters wearing traditional western suspenders.  The food was delicious and electric decor with large animal heads on the wall made it an unique dining experience.  Click here to see their full Summerlicious lunch and dinner menu

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~ Momofuku Noodle Bar

Momofuku Noodle Bar is an Asian contemporary restaurant that specializes in ramen and offers market fresh ingredients.  For Summerlicious the restaurant is featuring a 3-course lunch at $15 and a 3-course dinner at $25 (vegetarian option available).

This is what I had for lunch…

Inari
furikake, kewpie, swiss

Southern Fried Chicken (local)
bibb lettuce, kimchi, red eye mayo

Front row seats! 🙂

German Chocolate Jimbo Cake & Birthday Cake Truffle 

Truffles are available for sale at Milk Bar.

I always enjoy my meal at Noodle Bar, they are a very busy restaurant so make sure you make reservations ahead of time on their website.  Don’t forget to visit their Milk Bar upstairs, I always end up buying their cookies 🙂  Click here to see their full Summerlicious lunch and dinner menu

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~ Lee Restaurant

Lee Restaurant is an Asian fusion restaurant that has French influences.  I wanted to go this restaurant during Winterlicious, unfortunately they were fully booked!  I made it a mission to call ahead of time for Summerlicious and managed to score dinner reservations on a busy Saturday evening 🙂  For Summerlicious the restaurant is featuring a 3-course dinner at $45 (vegetarian option available).

This is what I had for Dinner…

Crispy Calamari with Cod Cake
Sriracha mayo, charred tomato salsa, spiced salami chips

Beautiful presentation

Roasted Assam Marinated Salmon
Lemongrass emulsion, crispy noodle, ratatouille, eggplant, zucchini,
red peppers, tomato

The Salmon was cooked perfectly!

 

Dessert Trio 
French Golden Licorice Meringue with lemon curd & Ontario rhubarb
Vanilla White Chocolate Mousse with strawberry compote
Caramelized Banana & Jackfruit Spring Roll with hot chocolate sauce

I really enjoyed the overall experience dining at Lee restaurant, the staff was attentive and knowledgeable.  When a server brings a dish, they will explain the components/ingredients that went into making the dish 🙂  Click here to see their full Summerlicious dinner menu

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~ Le Papillon on Front 

Le Papillon on Front is located in old town Toronto heritage building (Church and Front) offering a casual French dining experience.  For Summerlicious the restaurant is featuring a 3-course lunch at $15 and a 3-course dinner at $25 (vegetarian option available).

This is what I had for lunch…

Chicken Liver Pâté

The orange marmalade and pâté pairing was delicious!

Grilled Salmon
served with their house frites or tarragon green salad

I opted for the salad 🙂

Fruit Salad

My overall experience was great, staff were attentive and generous portions.  The historic brick walls and spacious restaurant is definitely worth the trip to Le Papillon on front street.  Click here to see their full Summerlicious lunch and dinner menu

Summerlicious ends on July 20th, 2014, so you still have one week!  Bon Appétit 😀