Since it was apparently worth Janice skipping work last week, we decided I needed to go out and check out the 168 Sushi Japan Buffet. The short summary is I was not disappointed and I'd likely be willing to skip work too to take part in this delightful smorgasbord of tastes.
For an all you can eat sushi place I was impressed with the sushi. For the regular buffet they have salmon, white tuna, red snapper and various cooked or non-fun types. I stuck with those big three fishes for my sushi eats. The fish was great in all 4 of the rounds I ordered in it.
The next thing that impressed me was the speed of the service. No sooner did we fill out the menu card then there was food arriving at our table. Overall the service was great which is certainly something you don't usually say about all-you-can-eat places.
In terms of other food, we also ordered a range of things: tempura, a few maki rolls, various non-raw rolls for Janice, gal-bi, grilled veggies, various pizza slices and maybe some other items. Nothing was disappointing.
For dessert Janice strongly cautioned against the banana tempura so I stuck with a scoop of red bean ice cream and green tea ice cream. Both were good and amazingly Janice actually somewhat liked my red bean ice cream.
In a sharp contrast to last week's fiasco at Al Mac's, the pop and beverages are included. I had Coke but wisely kept to only two glasses to save room for all-you-can-eat goodness. Janice stuck with water which was free. (Al Mac take notice!)
The only complaint I have is that sashimi is not included in the lunch buffet or the deluxe buffet. You have to order it a la carte.
At 14 + tax + tip for lunch, it's not cheap but we'll definitely be back.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Bloom Winterlicious
For our first Winterlicious event of the year, it was off to a somewhat local place - Bloom in Bloor West Village. The google review thingy people were generally positive on the place and it lived up to expectations. It seems as though Bloom isn't on most 'licious patrons' circuit as it was about half full for lunch on Sunday.
On the menu for us ($20):
Appetizers:
Grilled calamari with salad
Warm spinach salad with sauteed mushrooms and chevre noir.
All around good stuff with well cooked calamari, fresh greens and good salad dressings for both.
Mains:
Roasted pork loin with rutabega-apple crumble & brussel sprouts
Trout with warm beet salad, green beans and grapefruit
For me, the two large slabs of pork were pretty decent with good side dishes. Ian liked his trout calling it simple and well done, although maybe a bit boring. Bloom does the veggies well - with even Ian enjoying the beets and admitting that my brussel sprouts were "moderately edible".
Dessert:
Vegan chocolate tart with almond crust
Sticky buns with creme anglaise
Ian thought the tart was "tasty" and would have preferred it without almonds though he doesn't fault them since the menu was correct.
No complaints about the sticky bun itself and the creme anglaise really made the whole thing into a good dessert.
On the menu for us ($20):
Appetizers:
Grilled calamari with salad
Warm spinach salad with sauteed mushrooms and chevre noir.
All around good stuff with well cooked calamari, fresh greens and good salad dressings for both.
Mains:
Roasted pork loin with rutabega-apple crumble & brussel sprouts
Trout with warm beet salad, green beans and grapefruit
For me, the two large slabs of pork were pretty decent with good side dishes. Ian liked his trout calling it simple and well done, although maybe a bit boring. Bloom does the veggies well - with even Ian enjoying the beets and admitting that my brussel sprouts were "moderately edible".
Dessert:
Vegan chocolate tart with almond crust
Sticky buns with creme anglaise
Ian thought the tart was "tasty" and would have preferred it without almonds though he doesn't fault them since the menu was correct.
No complaints about the sticky bun itself and the creme anglaise really made the whole thing into a good dessert.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Pita & Grill (Mississauga)
Although not a huge place, Pita & Grill packs in the people and does a steady take-out business for the Monday-Friday lunch crowd near Winston Churchill & Dundas.
Go for the falafel or shawarma sandwiches and you won't be disappointed. Prices are low - less than $5 for a rather large falafel.
Go for the falafel or shawarma sandwiches and you won't be disappointed. Prices are low - less than $5 for a rather large falafel.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Al Mac's in Niagara
At the corner of Stanley and Ferry in Niagara Falls is a compelling sign. 6.99 for a breakfast buffet and 13.99 or so for a dinner buffet. It was walking distance from our hotel so we went for breakfast. It seemed like a good idea at the time but it was not!
The place was fairly crowded so that seemed good and we went in and were seated right away. The waitress asked what we wanted to drink and so we asked if the beverages were included. They're not so we asked for water. We were shocked though when the waitress said it is their policy not to provide water. If we wanted water, we could buy bottles. We were shocked.
We decided to stick around to sample the buffet anyway without any drinks. The food was fairly standard: pancakes, waffles, french toast, bacon, sausage, eggs, hash browns, potatoe fries, etc. The food was alright for the price. More select than you get with Ikea's $1 breakfast but you're paying significantly more. It's tough to enjoy breakfast when you're thirsty. It's one thing for my glass to run dry during a meal but a whole other thing for there to be no water whatsoever.
We each took two plates of food and got the bill. It's apparently a good thing we didn't order a beverage. Juice is apparently $4 for a tiny portion. Anyway, once we paid we hopped across the street to 7/11 where we bought two juices which we enjoyed on our walk home. We never looked back - well except to scowl at the place when we passed it on the drive out.
I feel bad for people that paid for the drinks. The breakfast buffet at other places looks significantly better for The morale here is to save your money and go for a vegas or at least some place other than Al Mac's
The place was fairly crowded so that seemed good and we went in and were seated right away. The waitress asked what we wanted to drink and so we asked if the beverages were included. They're not so we asked for water. We were shocked though when the waitress said it is their policy not to provide water. If we wanted water, we could buy bottles. We were shocked.
We decided to stick around to sample the buffet anyway without any drinks. The food was fairly standard: pancakes, waffles, french toast, bacon, sausage, eggs, hash browns, potatoe fries, etc. The food was alright for the price. More select than you get with Ikea's $1 breakfast but you're paying significantly more. It's tough to enjoy breakfast when you're thirsty. It's one thing for my glass to run dry during a meal but a whole other thing for there to be no water whatsoever.
We each took two plates of food and got the bill. It's apparently a good thing we didn't order a beverage. Juice is apparently $4 for a tiny portion. Anyway, once we paid we hopped across the street to 7/11 where we bought two juices which we enjoyed on our walk home. We never looked back - well except to scowl at the place when we passed it on the drive out.
I feel bad for people that paid for the drinks. The breakfast buffet at other places looks significantly better for The morale here is to save your money and go for a vegas or at least some place other than Al Mac's
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Stone Road Grille (Niagara on the Lake)
For someplace that gets two stars in the Toronto Life Restaurant Guide in the "Out of Town" section, the Stone Road Grille in Niagara on the Lake was surprisingly not busy for Saturday lunch. It was Ian and I and another table of 4. The Niagara Ice Wine Festival was even in town which probably brought a lot more tourists to NOTL than might normally be there for a cold weekend in January!
Lunch started well with a selection of sourdough bread made in house and some butter. Then it was onto a squash soup - no complaints but a bit plain ($8 for a big bowl).
Ian really liked the hearty portion of mussels cooked with chorizo & wine. They came with a hearty side of good crispy fries ($14).
For me, a sweet potato risotto with fresh parmesan tasted remarkably like the risotto I make at home except more creamy ($12). Again no complaints, but nothing too special.
Overall, it was a very good lunch at a reasonable price and we will definitely be back if we are in the area.
Lunch started well with a selection of sourdough bread made in house and some butter. Then it was onto a squash soup - no complaints but a bit plain ($8 for a big bowl).
Ian really liked the hearty portion of mussels cooked with chorizo & wine. They came with a hearty side of good crispy fries ($14).
For me, a sweet potato risotto with fresh parmesan tasted remarkably like the risotto I make at home except more creamy ($12). Again no complaints, but nothing too special.
Overall, it was a very good lunch at a reasonable price and we will definitely be back if we are in the area.
Friday, January 22, 2010
168 Sushi Japan Buffet (Mississauga)
I gave into peer pressure, ditched a potentially useful lunch-time seminar and went out with the coworkers to all you can eat sushi/japanese/korean on Dundas.
The food came out quickly despite busy-ness, the tea was replenished and the empties taken away with great efficiency.
For food:
- Edamame was decent
- Grilled eggplant excellent although too oily
- Korean style galbi beef ribs good
- Bulgogi with random veggies - good
- Skip the teriyaki sushi
- Shrimp tempura was a hit with trays of the stuff passing by regularly
- Rolls - skip the spicy salmon, but the mushroom tempura, squash tempura, avocado plain, crispy avocado, spicy tempura california roll, grilled eel, salmon etc were all fantastic
- Sushi - the coworkers devoured a lot of salmon, grilled eel and other misc fish plus a salmon rose & salmon pizza
- Skip the tempura banana for dessert. The ice cream seemed more popular with other tables.
All this for about $18 including tax & tip (at lunch). Here's the website so you can check out the menu.
The food came out quickly despite busy-ness, the tea was replenished and the empties taken away with great efficiency.
For food:
- Edamame was decent
- Grilled eggplant excellent although too oily
- Korean style galbi beef ribs good
- Bulgogi with random veggies - good
- Skip the teriyaki sushi
- Shrimp tempura was a hit with trays of the stuff passing by regularly
- Rolls - skip the spicy salmon, but the mushroom tempura, squash tempura, avocado plain, crispy avocado, spicy tempura california roll, grilled eel, salmon etc were all fantastic
- Sushi - the coworkers devoured a lot of salmon, grilled eel and other misc fish plus a salmon rose & salmon pizza
- Skip the tempura banana for dessert. The ice cream seemed more popular with other tables.
All this for about $18 including tax & tip (at lunch). Here's the website so you can check out the menu.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Oliver & Bonacini - Wall of Shame
Another entrant - this time for charging $20 to priority mail a gift certificate to Kathy in Sarnia (despite the stamp saying $9 and Kathy not wanting priority).
That being said...we still plan to go to Oliver and Bonacini for winterlicious lunch!
That being said...we still plan to go to Oliver and Bonacini for winterlicious lunch!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
La Mexicana
Last time around we were moderately happy and since I was feeling like Mexican it was time for another trip back to the Yonge & Bloor location.
At 6:15 on Friday night it was rather empty and no problems getting a seat. It was a bit odd that they didn't seem to want to give us the primo booth by the window "since there was only two of us" but then offering it to the next two people that came in. Once the complimentary chips & salsa came out, we were slightly appeased.
Like last time, I decided to go with pork tamales with beans & salad. There was two pretty sizable corn husk wrapped tamales with a sparse amount of meat and some spicy red sauce and cheese. Overall high amounts of goodness!
Ian went with the combo platter which came with 3 items of the soft taco & enchilada genre. He got some beans & rice with his meal. There wasn't much sharing going on with me, so I can only assume this means that he enjoyed!
For about $35 or so including tax, tip & tap waters, this place is reasonably priced, especially for the often overpriced yorkville neighborhood.
At 6:15 on Friday night it was rather empty and no problems getting a seat. It was a bit odd that they didn't seem to want to give us the primo booth by the window "since there was only two of us" but then offering it to the next two people that came in. Once the complimentary chips & salsa came out, we were slightly appeased.
Like last time, I decided to go with pork tamales with beans & salad. There was two pretty sizable corn husk wrapped tamales with a sparse amount of meat and some spicy red sauce and cheese. Overall high amounts of goodness!
Ian went with the combo platter which came with 3 items of the soft taco & enchilada genre. He got some beans & rice with his meal. There wasn't much sharing going on with me, so I can only assume this means that he enjoyed!
For about $35 or so including tax, tip & tap waters, this place is reasonably priced, especially for the often overpriced yorkville neighborhood.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Korea House
Tacos Al Asador (our new obsession) was absolutely packed at 6:45 on a Friday night so we back-tracked to the heart of little Korea and went to Korea House. It too was moderately busy, but it seemed to be mainly due to an inefficient (but spacious) seating plan.
Things started well with a bunch of side dishes - bean sprouts, seaweed, sliced water chesnut jelly, tofu and ridiciously hard fermented black beans.
Main courses improved things - for me bulgogi (marinated beef) with onions, mushrooms and a large side of rice. This was one of the better bulgogi we've had and it definitely compares with the authentic version in Korea.
Ian made an even better choice - glass noodles with beef and veggie with a side of rice. Great flavor and almost too much for even Ian to eat!
The price here was great too - about $30 all in!
Things started well with a bunch of side dishes - bean sprouts, seaweed, sliced water chesnut jelly, tofu and ridiciously hard fermented black beans.
Main courses improved things - for me bulgogi (marinated beef) with onions, mushrooms and a large side of rice. This was one of the better bulgogi we've had and it definitely compares with the authentic version in Korea.
Ian made an even better choice - glass noodles with beef and veggie with a side of rice. Great flavor and almost too much for even Ian to eat!
The price here was great too - about $30 all in!
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Nota Bene
I made a reservation here a couple weeks ago with Open Table and 7:00 or 8:30 came up - not exactly convenient when the Nutcracker ended about 7:15. I chose 8:30. We were pleasantly surprised when we showed up for 7:45 and they seated us right away!
Things started well with some yummy brown bread and good olive oil for dipping.
For an appetizer, Ian really liked the Tunisian octopus. The octopus was light, perfectly cooked and not all that octopus-y (so much so that I even liked it). My red curry lobster bisque with coconut milk and lime was also good and a rather large serving.
For main courses, my braised short ribs didn't even require a knife to eat and were excellent. The accompanying cucumber, pickle, lettuce salad on the side was a bit weird and probably designed to push people toward getting the sides "for the table".
Ian's seared tuna was surprisingly so-so. No major complaints, but Ian felt that he's had better. The sides were good - chickpeas and peppers.
For a side for the table - we went with onion rings. A good concept - lots of very thinly sliced onions in a light batter and deep fried. They suffered from far too much salt though.
Dessert was decent - my sticky toffee pudding was adequately sticky toffee like and the rum butter ice cream was good. Ian's molten chocolate lava cake was molten-y with a surprising orange flavor on the inside. Grand marnier banana ice cream added to the whole thing.
The evening wasn't all that cheap with dinner, a small glass of wine, tap water, tax & tip setting us back about $150.
Here's the website link.
Things started well with some yummy brown bread and good olive oil for dipping.
For an appetizer, Ian really liked the Tunisian octopus. The octopus was light, perfectly cooked and not all that octopus-y (so much so that I even liked it). My red curry lobster bisque with coconut milk and lime was also good and a rather large serving.
For main courses, my braised short ribs didn't even require a knife to eat and were excellent. The accompanying cucumber, pickle, lettuce salad on the side was a bit weird and probably designed to push people toward getting the sides "for the table".
Ian's seared tuna was surprisingly so-so. No major complaints, but Ian felt that he's had better. The sides were good - chickpeas and peppers.
For a side for the table - we went with onion rings. A good concept - lots of very thinly sliced onions in a light batter and deep fried. They suffered from far too much salt though.
Dessert was decent - my sticky toffee pudding was adequately sticky toffee like and the rum butter ice cream was good. Ian's molten chocolate lava cake was molten-y with a surprising orange flavor on the inside. Grand marnier banana ice cream added to the whole thing.
The evening wasn't all that cheap with dinner, a small glass of wine, tap water, tax & tip setting us back about $150.
Here's the website link.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Burrito Wars
Well the burrito wars just off of yorkville, ended a few weeks ago with the closing of burrito fresh. I liked the place (past roundup) but it is no more. Quesada Mexican Grill just west of avenue on bloor has won. It opened up earlier in December. Their claim to fame is the big ass size burrito on a 14 inch tortilla. It's a lot of food but when you pay 12 bucks for a burrito you end up with this empty feeling in your wallet (not your tummy - it's pretty filling). Their regular large size is OK and is reasonably priced at 7.86 (without guac). In terms of fillings:
- veggie - it's just veggies so it's cheaper
- plain chicken - note the bold on plain.
- chipolte chicken - better
- steak - not sure if I've tried
- ancho pork - best
Friday, January 01, 2010
Summit Garden
This delightful gem in Mississauga (Dundas & Winston Churchill strip mall) doesn't really advertise dim sum but it seems to be a specialty for lunch every day of the week. On weekdays, with the work crowd, we try and get there for 11:30 to beat the rush. On weekends, get there pre-noon and avoid the 30-60 min wait in the lobby.
The waiters etc aren't the friendliest, but the carts go round with decent efficiency and we usually have enough tea and water to wash things down. Perhaps not the best place to go with a whole pack of dim sum rookies. It helps to have at least one person who knows what they are doing.
Favorites for Ian are har gow and sui mai. I like the flat noodle things in the special cart with soy type sauce. Pork is especially good, but seafood lovers seem to enjoy shrimp. Other good stuff we get are: fried dumplings, mushrooms with noodles, greens - either chinese or bok choi (order specially), sticky rice, steamed dumplings with pork, seafood, greens etc, curry squid, pork in buns, fried eggplant with shrimp, fried greenpepper with shrimp, tarro dumplings with or without pork. The authentic chinese people that come with the work crew seem to like the congee, chicken feet and tofu.
If you want leftovers or have a big crowd, order some singapore style noodles or fried rice off the menu to keep the price per person down.
When it's all done - we usually end up spending about $10 each for a big crowd. Ian and I more like $15 each, but I think mainly because I favor the pork and he likes seafood so we end up with more food than we need.
Here's the website link.
The waiters etc aren't the friendliest, but the carts go round with decent efficiency and we usually have enough tea and water to wash things down. Perhaps not the best place to go with a whole pack of dim sum rookies. It helps to have at least one person who knows what they are doing.
Favorites for Ian are har gow and sui mai. I like the flat noodle things in the special cart with soy type sauce. Pork is especially good, but seafood lovers seem to enjoy shrimp. Other good stuff we get are: fried dumplings, mushrooms with noodles, greens - either chinese or bok choi (order specially), sticky rice, steamed dumplings with pork, seafood, greens etc, curry squid, pork in buns, fried eggplant with shrimp, fried greenpepper with shrimp, tarro dumplings with or without pork. The authentic chinese people that come with the work crew seem to like the congee, chicken feet and tofu.
If you want leftovers or have a big crowd, order some singapore style noodles or fried rice off the menu to keep the price per person down.
When it's all done - we usually end up spending about $10 each for a big crowd. Ian and I more like $15 each, but I think mainly because I favor the pork and he likes seafood so we end up with more food than we need.
Here's the website link.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
