Restaurant review: Congee Delight

The strip mall located at 3555 Don Mills Road (Skymark Place) on the northeast corner of Don Mills and Finch in North York always has a Chinese restaurant serving congee, noodles, wontons/dumplings and assorted stir-fried dishes. Right now the role is filled by Congee Delight (正斗粥麵小炒), where I went for a light lunch the other day.

For a fast and filling lunch that is also economical, I ordered the Abalone Clam with Chicken Congee (鮑貝雞絲粥,$4.95) and a “Chinese donut”/”Ox-tongue pastry”/Sweet Cruller (牛脷酥, $1.50) for dipping in the congee.

The quality of the congee was good, with smooth texture and nice taste. There was a proper amount of abalone clams as well as chicken strips, so I got good value for the money. The pastry was hot and tasted great with the appropriate level of sweetness and texture. Service was quick and I must award bonus points for the congee and pastry being ready at the same time, so I was able to start with both from the beginning: had the congee came out much later the pastry would have cooled down during the wait, and had the pastry came out much later there may not be enough congee left to fully submerge the pastry.

Bottom line: Congee Delight met expectations in terms of value, quality, and service. I plan on returning to try their wontons and noodles.

Restaurant review: Crêpes à GoGo

I have a strong affinity to French culture since my early days in high school. Even though it can be challenging to indulge in Gallic ways à Toronto, there are various pockets in the city that immerse one in a French vacation without leaving this side of the Atlantic. One such place is Crêpes à GoGo, which serves authentic Parisian-style crêpes in the middle of downtown Toronto’s Yorkville district.

Located at 18 Yorkville Avenue on the corner with Yonge Street, Crêpes à GoGo conjures up the image of a chic and elegant café. I was wise to have arrived a bit earlier than the lunch hour, as the place filled up quickly for those dining in. I ordered La Québecoise ($8, all prices include HST) plus a cold Limonana ($3), and took a seat where I can see the crêpes being made. When mine was ready, it was so hot and the aroma so wonderful that I took a couple of bites before remembering I was supposed to take a picture of it intact for this blog. Whoops!

The taste of the crêpe was as good as it smelled. It had the perfect level of sweetness like the ideal hot breakfast. As for the Limonana, it reminded me of the nice peppermint teas served in the meat kosher restaurants in Israel. It was the first time that I was able to experience that great taste outside that country, which was an unexpected but welcomed surprise.

My error was not ordering another crêpe for lunch, as while one crêpe filled me up for a while it takes two to sustain me throughout the afternoon. Not to mention that I could have tried another style of crêpe to see how good that is. For an afternoon snack, however, one crêpe plus a Limonana is an excellent choice.

Bottom line: J’aime Crêpes à GoGo (I love Crêpes à GoGo), and I will endeavour to have at least one crêpe whenever I pass by the neighbourhood in the future.

Restaurant review: Sunset Grill (1 Richmond Street West, Toronto)

Regular viewers of CP24 would likely have noticed a little ad for breakfast at Sunset Grill. Given the proliferation of various breakfast diner-type chains lately, one certainly wonders if anything sets Sunset Grill apart. So I decided to find out one day during a brunch visit to the location at 1 Richmond Street West in downtown Toronto.

I started with a coffee ($1.89), which was excellent with great aroma and taste. I next ordered the “French Connection” ($9.69), consisting of three eggs, breakfast meat (I picked sausages), French toast and home fries:

First amazing point about service: I asked for the eggs to be over hard, which was not an option listed in the menu. However, my server cheerfully informed me that it will not be a problem, and indeed, the eggs were done right. Going beyond “the rules” is certainly worth a praiseworthy mention in a review!

The French toast was wonderful. The slices smelled beautiful and the taste was fresh and perfect. Indeed, it is the best French toast of the traditional variety that I’ve ever had. I will definitely consider getting a much bigger stack at my next visit!

Besides getting the eggs exactly the way I wanted, service was commendable in other aspects as well. Speed was fast with little waiting, my coffee mug was topped up when appropriate, and my server enthusiastically checked up on me at the right times.

If I have to find something to pick on, it would be the sausages had the appearance of being left on the grill for a few seconds too long. However, it was purely an aesthetic issue, and the taste was not affected at all.

Bottom line: Sunset Grill represents superior value and great food. Highly recommended.

Restaurant review: Earls (Toronto – King Street West)

There has been considerable buzz lately in the Toronto area dining scene regarding Earls, a recent arrival from the West. Several locations are now open, including one in the downtown financial district at 150 King Street West:

When I arrived at slightly past 11:30 am for lunch, the place was already an impressive 70% full. The atmosphere was casual but classy, and exudes the sense of a stylish place for influential people to unwind while taking a break from their deal-making.

My server introduced herself and took my drink order very quickly after I was seated. When she brought my Coke ($3, free refills) she also gave me a glass of water unprompted, which was excellent.

To start, I ordered the Clam Chowder:

It was nice and packed full of clams, bacon and vegetables. The taste was optimal and the thickness indicated high quality chowder – definitely no watering down going on here.

For the main course, I decided to go for the Bourbon Mushroom 7 oz Certified Angus Beef Top Sirloin ($25.50):

The steak was thick cut, and I asked for medium rare. Was it prepared correctly?

Of course it was! The outside was crispy but the inside was just as medium rare should be. The meat quality was excellent with all the juices one expects from Angus beef locked within. The mashed potatoes, mushrooms and asparagus were done perfectly as companions to the steak. Just one area for improvement: the gravy was a bit too salty and I found it to have distracted from the natural taste of the steak. For later bites I found myself “wiping off” the gravy on the plate before eating.

Service was excellent and with a bright smile. I already mentioned how my server provided water without prompting, and in addition to that she checked up on me at appropriate intervals so my needs were met without undue delay. I observed that all staff kept themselves busy with service, and evidence of good teamwork was visible.

Earls staff also stand out with a stylish dress code. Female servers wear little black dresses while males are in dark shirts and ties. Nothing is sloppy at Earls.

A patio is being built outside the entrance, and looks like it should be ready by the summer season. I recommend calling ahead if visiting during peak dining times, as the good word on this location is clearly getting around.

For a smart casual dining experience with high value for the money, I recommend Earls. A return visit is highly likely!

Restaurant review: South of Temperance

Located in the middle of the financial district, the newest significant addition to downtown Toronto’s dining scene is South of Temperance, 20 Adelaide Street West (just south of Temperance Street, of course), beside the new Bay-Adelaide Centre.

Boasting “the biggest patio in downtown Toronto”, it conjures up the image of a restaurant in a tropical resort town. Even those sitting inside the building can have plenty of fresh air due to the absence of walls obstructing access to the patio. Some of the patio area seats are couches, providing great spots for relaxing after hours drinks.

I arrived for lunch at 11:30 am, and the staff had just finished their morning meeting (you can see the meeting in the first photo). Still, I was quickly seated and provided with menus. After an appropriate pause, my order was taken.

For appetizer I had the Short Rib Poutine ($9). These were made with sweet potato fries, which for me are much better than regular fries. Despite the word “rib” in the name, there were no bones to deal with, just tasty beef. The only area of improvement would be the slightly insufficient amount of cheese; double the amount would be ideal. Nonetheless, it was very good, and I saw a few other bowls pass by me on their way to other diners.

(The Pepsi in the background of the second photo is $2.95, with free refills)

My main course was ready by the time I finished the poutine. I had the Lobster Mac n Cheese ($26), a personal favourite. The highlight here was the actual visible chunks of lobster meat, instead of mere flakes. This indicated good value for the money. The taste was perfect, and the cheese was of appropriate thickness. Definitely an excellent dish.

Throughout the meal, my server checked up on me in appropriate intervals, that is, I was not intruded upon nor was I being ignored. Teamwork was also evident: other servers always smiled when making eye contact with any customer, and offered to pick up empty dishes. Territoriality is always a threat to good customer service, and it is heartening to witness its absence.

Regarding another essential feature of any restaurant, the washroom – gentlemen’s side, at least – was clean and well kept. While I question the wisdom of placing the paper towels directly underneath the soap dispensers, nature’s call was answered pleasantly.

The total time spent for my lunch was only about 40 minutes, which was amazing for a sit-down restaurant. With a steady stream of customers, efficient service greatly reduces the wait time for a table during peak periods.

It would be remiss of me if I fail to mention a most welcomed aspect of South of Temperance: the servers’ uniform is an elegant little black dress. Shoes worn are stylish yet appropriate for occupational safety requirements. No frumpy aprons or worn sneakers here!

Overall, it was an amazing lunch experience and I highly recommend South of Temperance. While it is not the cheapest spot around (nor do I believe that they desire such status), the value for money was excellent – every penny paid was worth it. A next visit – perhaps in the evening – is in order.