Dumplings and More @ Din Dai Fung, First Markham Place

We recently had dinner at Din Dai Fung in First Markham Place. This Din Dai Fung is not affiliated with the famous Din Dai Fung from Taiwan. The menu however is very similar to the original and is always packed with diners.


Xiao Long Bao

The Xiao Long Bao was quite good. The skin was not as thin as I'd like but the filling was quite flavorful.


Crab Meat Xiao Long Bao



Vegetable Dumpling

The Chive filling was nicely seasoned but the skin was a little too tough.


Stir Fried Greens



Jelly Fish

This was so-so for me. The Jelly Fish was rather tasteless.


Stir-Fried Nian Gao

A dish I thoroughly enjoy in China but was really bad here. The Nian Gao was very soft unlike the one's in China which are served Al Dente in texture.


Stuffed Glutinous Rice



Meatball Casserole

My favorite dish of the night. The Meatballs were soft and flavorful and the broth was also really good.


Boiled Pork Belly Slices

Another favorite dish of mine. The Pork Belly Slices were cooked just right and had a nice combination of fat and meat. It was great with the Oyster Garlic Sauce.


Braised Beef Noodles

The Broth was a little too bland for my liking and the Beef a little tough.


The food was definitely not as good as the original Din Dai Fung but is decent compared with similar Dumpling Restaurants in Toronto.


Food: 3.5/5
Service: 3.5/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Price: $$ (Approximately USD $25 per person)


Contact Information
Contact Information:
Address: 3235 Highway 7 #18b, Markham, ON, First Markham Place‎
Tel: +1 (905) 943-9880
Map:

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Small Plates @ Mellos, Ottawa

I stopped by Ottawa for the day to visit my friend Amin who was working as a Sushi Chef at Kinki Restaurant. Finishing his shift around 10pm, Amin took me to Mellos, a small and cosy restaurant that is headed by his close friend Chef Michael Frank.

We sat at the counter facing the open Kitchen and had his friend create us a number of small plates to sample.

Shrimp Wonton

The Shrimp Wonton was crispy and went well with the Crab Meat Mayo Slaw and Sri-Racha Based Sauce. It tasted a lot milder than it seems. The Shrimps inside the Wonton was really good.


Eggplant

This was really good. The Eggplant was served in a Dosai Mayo Sauce topped with Fried Onions and Coconut Sambal. I loved the Cardamom flavor from the Dosai Sauce which goes so well with the Egg Plant. The contrast in textures from the Fried Onions went well with the soft egg plant.


Arugula Salad

A simple Arugula salad tossed in Ranch Dressing and some Wasabi Peas.


Braised Pork Belly

The Pork Belly was Braised and then Deep Fried. The Crackling was very crispy and the meat was fork tender.


Aged Beef with Sauce Bernaise

The Beef was aged for 15 days in house. It was lightly seared leaving it rare and served with Bernaise Sauce. Simple but good dish.


Braised Lamb with Tomato Jam

The Lamb was very tender and went well with the Tomato Jam which really drew out the meaty flavor of the lamb.


Mellos' Burger

This was my favorite! It was my first time having burger on Toast. The Burger was 100% meat with no fillers. It was very meaty and juicy. The Toast was super crispy which gave such a good contrast between the juicy patty and crispy bread. The Burger was only topped with Pickle Slices and Cheese. Plain old simple and good burger!


I thoroughly enjoyed the food although it was a little heavy for such a late night. I loved the idea of using Toast instead of a Burger Bun that I actually tried to make it at home.


Contact Information:
Address: 290 Dalhousie Street, Ottawa, K1N 7E5
Tel: +1 (613) 241-1909
Map:

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Greek Food @ Mr. Greek Express, North York

I've been craving for some Greek Food and decided to pay Mr. Greek Express a visit since it was the closest Greek Restaurant to my house. The place was pretty empty when we arrived.


Hummus

The Hummus was not very good. It was chunky and dry.


Greek Salad



Pork Stick and Chicken Sticks



Pork Souvlaki

The Lamb was little too chewy for my liking. The Rice however was pretty tasty.


Lamb Souvlaki

Pork Souvlaki: The Pork was very tender and had a nice charred flavor from being grilled over Charcoal. The Meat was moist and had a nice oregano flavor.


Food: 3/5
Ambiance: N/A
Service: N/A
Price: $$ (Approximately USD $20)


Contact Information
Address: 4914 Yonge Street. Toronto, ON M2N 5N5
Tel: +1 (416) 226-1212
Web: www.mrgreek.com
Map:

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Yakitori @ Zakkushi, Toronto

Another Japanese Izakaya from Vancouver has opened up in Toronto this time specializing in Yakitori/Kushiyaki. The menu features three sections of Yakitori Items that are supplemented with Deep Fried, Appetizers, Noodles, Salads and Sashimi.


Goma Ae, Seaweed Salad, Takowasabi





Ton Shabu Salad

A simple salad of Romaine, Bell Peppers and Shabu Pork tossed in a Sesame Dressing that's topped with a par-boiled egg.


Mentai Tsukune



Umeshiso Yaki & Momo Shioyaki



Mentai Yaki



Gyu Tongue

We ordered the Gyu Tongue in Shio and also Negi. Both were really good. The Tongue had a nice light crust.


Grilled Unagi & Wasa Beef



Zakkushi Set


The Zakkushi Set consist of Momo (Sauce), Umeshiso Yaki, Me Maki, P-Toro & Oropon Beef. Favorites of mine were the Momo and Oropon Beef.


Wasabi Yaki & Chicken Gizzard



Grilled Cherry Tomato, Wasabi Yaki & Momo Teriyaki



Nankotsu Karaage

Deep Fried Chicken Joint Bones. A favorite of mine because of its crunchy but tender texture. The Chicken Soft Bones was well seasoned.


Chicken Karaage

Their Chicken Karaage was quite good. It was tender and the batter had a nice medium crust


Mentai Kimchi Yaki Udon

We all loved the Kimchi Udon. The richness of the Kimchi combined with the saltiness of the Mentaiko gave the Udon so much flavor.


We really enjoyed the food at Zakkushi. Most of their Yakitori Items were seasoned and cooked perfectly. In addition to Yakitori we also loved their Udon and Nankotsu Karaage. Be sure to make a booking when visiting, the restaurant is small and is always packed!

Food: 4.4/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Price: $$$$ (Approximately USD $40 per person)


Contact Information
Address: 193 Carlton Street, Toronto, ON M5A 2K9
Tel: +1 (647) 352-9455
Web: www.zakkushi.com
Map:

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HK Western Food @ Level Up Cafe, Markham

I was craving for some HK Style Western Food and decided to give Level Up Cafe a try since we were around Hwy 7/McCowan Road.


Bread

The bread was served warm and had a nice buttery flavor.


Russian Bortsch

The Russian Bortsch was a little bit too watery for my liking.


Sirloin Steak with Garlic Sauce

The Sirloin Steak was actually quite tender, however the Garlic Sauce was a little bit mild.


Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce



Food: 3/5
Service: 3.5/5
Ambiance: 3/5
Price: $ (Approximately USD $15 per person)


Contact Information
Address: 5328 Highway 7, Markham, ON L3P 1B9
Tel: N/A
Map:

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Korean Spicy Beef Stew @ Cho Sun Ok, Thornhill

Located just north of Steeles on Yonge St., Cho Sun Ok is known for having some of the best Korean-Style Cold Noodles in Toronto. In addition to Cold Noodles, it also serves up a variety of Korean Stews, Soups, Hot Pot and BBQ Dishes.


Assorted Small Korean Side Dishes






Steamed Dumplings

This was my favorite. The Steamed Dumplings contained a mixture of minced pork and vegetables. The Dough was quite soft and the filling flavorful.


Yuk Gae Jang

One of my favorite Korean Stews. The Soup was really spicy and contained a lot of shredded beef.


Food: 3.8/5
Service: 4.5/5
Ambiance: 3/5
Price: $$ (Approximately USD $20 per person)


Contact Information
Address: 7353 Yonge Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 1R1
Tel: +1 (905) 707-8426
Map:

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Sunday Easter Brunch @ Globe Bistro, Toronto

This year, my friends and I celebrated our Sunday Easter Brunch at Globe Bistro which featured a 4-Course Price Fixed Brunch Menu at CAD $30 per person. Booking a week in advanced, we were given a nice private table on the Mezzanine Floor that overlooked their main dining area.




There were a few choices for Appetizers, Mains and Desserts but for some strange reason the 6 of us chose pretty much the same courses.


Scones

I loved the Scones. It was more of a Hybrid between Biscuit and Scone. The Exterior was like Biscuit where it was crispy and crusty. It was really good!


Smoked Steel Head Trout

The Crepes were dense which went quite well with the Smoked Steel Head Salmon. The texture of the Salmon is a little thicker than your usual smoked salmon with a little less fat.


Slow Roasted Perth County Heritage Bone-In Ham

The Ham was quite good although it was a little bit salty. But eaten with the Rutabaga Mash it was very good.


Apple Crumble

This was really good. The Oatmeal had a very nice buttery flavor and was super crunchy. It went really well with the Vanilla Ice Cream.


Of all the courses I had the Scones and Apple Crumble were my favorites. Service was excellent and the courses came out at a decent pace. I would like to visit Globe again for their Dinner Menu.

Food: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Ambiance: 4.3/5
Price: $$$$ (Approximately USD $40 per person)


Contact Information
Address: 124 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4K 1N1
Tel: +1 (416) 466-2000 ‎
Web: www.globebistro.com
Map:

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