Post-Aquarium Lunch: Sabai Sabai

After spending our Monday morning at Ripley's Aquarium in downtown Toronto, we went to Sabai Sabai for an early lunch.  The restaurant is located close to Dundas Station, so it was only a short walk away from where we were.  

The storefront is quite modest and I must admit, I wasn't really sure what to expect on my way into the restaurant.  It was dimly lit and seemed more like a bar than a restaurant.  But I am happy to report that I left the restaurant full and satisfied- or, fully satisfied? 

Thai Mojito ($8)

Dark rum, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, mint, lime, coconut sugar syrup

Line and Dine: Mamak

Work wrapped up early last Thursday night. Using the extra time I had, I decided to queue up at a local dining hotspot in Haymarket/Chinatown. Mamak is a popular restaurant which specializes in Malaysian roti.

The queue outside the restaurant is always a bit of a curious spectacle considering the wide number of dinner options that are in the immediate vicinity. As a visitor to Sydney, I was inclined to uncover the reason behind it. It took about 20 minutes to get seated as a solo diner.

Quick Eats: Menya Mappen

Menya Mappen is the epitome of Japanese assembly line fast food. All orders are serviced in a queue - hungry customers enter from one end, happy customers exit from the other. The food selection consists primarily of their noodles, rice bowls, in addition to an assortment of Japanese sides.

I passed by on one fine Thursday afternoon in search of lunch and happened upon Menya Mappen as I entered a building just off of George St near Liverpool St. Inside the building, there were plenty of other options (Pepper Lunch, Oiden, etc.), but Mappen happened to be in my direct line of sight. At the entrance of the restaurant, signs directed customers to an entry queue on the left.

A closer look at Menya Mappen's regular menu.

French Retreat: Chez Laurent

Amidst the relentless urbanization of North York, one humble abode stands defiant. Located on Yonge St, just north of Sheppard Ave., Chez Laurent has survived the test of time and remains a lasting vestige of the region's suburban past. Inside the modest, two-story home, one can enjoy a delightful selection of French and Italian dishes.

Tiff and I took our "French-Italian fat trip" to Chez Laurent on an abnormally chilly Summer evening. We had placed our reservation by phone earlier that day. We were glad we did because when we arrived, the restaurant was buzzing with activity. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by a woman who appeared to be the owner of the establishment. Inside the restaurant, we were given a table near a window in one of the three dining rooms. Unfortunately, we didn't snap any photos of the interior this time.

Comfort Food: Harbord House

It was Friday night, after a long week at work and I was majorly craving comfort food.  The answer was simple- pub food.  That Friday night, we decided to head over to Harbord House.  We almost missed the restaurant because true to it's name, it's exterior resembles a house.

The restaurant/gastropub is two floors, with indoor dining and patios on both floors.  The inside is a bit dim and the air a bit stale, but the patios were excellent!  The patio was perfect for a warm summer day allowed us to overlook the busy streets below.

Crispy Buffalo Shrimp ($11)
with a lime horseradish cocktail sauce, blue cheese dip, carrots and celery

Night Shift 2: Two Sticks - Yunnan China

In preparation for yet another late night at work, we were eager to try the next local specialty. Two Sticks - Yunnan China is a busy little noodle house located at the corner of George and Goulburn. As the name implies, the restaurant features flavours of Yunnan province with a strong focus on noodle soup.

When we first arrived at the restaurant, the first thing we noticed was how busy it was. Having passed by on other occasions, I've always noticed a queue just outside the restaurant. Seating arrangements were rather cozy - tables were small and seated at most a group of three. Luckily, my colleagues and I were able to grab a table within 10 minutes.

Late Weekend Lunch: Momofuku Noodle Bar

A couple weekends ago, we went to the Scotiabank Buskerfest at Yonge-Dundas Square.  After spending several hours wandering around the many exhibits and circus acts, we realized we were way overdue for some lunch!  

That day, we decided to visit Momofuku Noodle Bar, which was only a short walk away.  The "Momofuku complex" is located right beside the Toronto Shangri-La hotel and there are actually three separate restaurants and a bakery in the building.  The first floor houses Momofuku Noodle Bar, the second Momofuku Milk Bar, and the third Momofuku Daisho and Momofuku Shoto.

The restaurant is casual in comparison to the other eateries in the same building.  The dining room is very comfortable and offers diners an unobstructed view of the kitchen.  Diners are seated at large, cafeteria-style, communal tables.  As it was already 2PM by the time we arrived, lunch service was slowing  and we had no trouble at all with getting seats.  

Weekend Snack: Bang Bang Ice Cream

Lately, the desserts from Bang Bang Ice Cream have been dominating my news feeds, particularly the ice cream sandwiches.  I am a huge sucker for sweet treats so naturally, I had to visit!

As we were wandering down Ossington, we realized we were at our destination when we saw a huge lineup outside the store.  The storefront was fairly nondescript and it took a while to see a sign.  Despite the large lineup outside, we decided to wait!  

It probably took a good 25-30 minutes for us to come out with an ice cream sandwich.  The line moved rather slowly and we realized why when we got closer to the front of the line.  There were only two people preparing the sandwiches at the back.  They both looked really tired and overwhelmed.  

Pre-show Dinner: Luma

A couple weekends ago, we decided to visit Luma for an early Sunday dinner before going to see Wicked at 7PM.  Luma is located on the second floor of the TIFF Bell Lightbox in the Entertainment District.  Coincidentally, the Toronto International Film Festival was on at the time so a portion of King West was closed off and the streets were jam-packed with people.  The restaurant itself is very spacious with modern decor.  We were seated right by the window overlooking King West so we could see the crowds down below.

Dinner started with some warm focaccia that came with a hummus dip.  The hummus was delicious and left me wanting another serving of bread.  But.. since we wanted to stay awake for the show later in the evening, we decided to skip right to the mains!

Night Shift: Umi Sushi

It was a late Thursday night and work had just wrapped up. My colleagues and I were ready to call it a night but the pangs of hunger beckoned for a tasty meal. I asked if there were any good Korean restaurants in the neighborhood and my colleague told me there was a place real close. A couple minutes later, we ended up in front of Umi Sushi + Udon, a Japanese restaurant.

Located in Darling Harbour, Sydney, Umi Sushi + Udon was one of many dining establishments along the strip. Like others in the area, this restaurant has an open storefront and patio seating. Inside the restaurant, one will find a sushi bar with a conveyor belt that runs along the perimeter.

Grab 'n Go: The Pie Commission

Where does one get a fresh, tasty, savoury, and piping hot pie in Downtown Toronto?  For us, this was quite the predicament and nothing immediately came to mind.  This is precisely why we traveled all the way to Etobicoke to pick up some fresh pies from The Pie Commission!  Unfortunately, it seems like we always pick rainy/snowy days to visit this storefront and our most recent visit was no different.

When we first started visiting The Pie Commission last year, it was only a takeout window.  This typically left us shivering by the window as we debated over which pies to indulge upon.  But on this visit, we discovered that they had opened up the inside of the store!  Upon entering, we were met with warmth and a display of dessert pies.

Steakhouse: The Meat & Wine Co.

Business travel is a bittersweet affair. On the one hand, I receive the opportunity to dine with my superiors for the fine price of free. On the other hand, I am tragically torn apart from my co-blogger and dining partner of choice. Perhaps the upshot is that I won't be entirely clueless the next time we're in town together.

In this particular instance, I was whisked away to the distant, coastal city of Sydney, Australia. Having endured two grueling, long-distance flights, it was safe to say that a proper meal was long overdue. Thankfully, the invitation to join my colleagues for dinner couldn't have come any sooner.

Like cattle being led to water, one of the locals herded the group to the nearby Meat & Wine Co. Located along the beautiful Darling Harbour, this upscale steakhouse was stylized with both modern and rustic influences. Lighting in the dining area was appropriately dimmed such that dining guests would be able to view the moonlit harbour unobstructed through the glass-paned storefront.

Casual Friday Lunch: SukhoThai

Last Friday, we visited SukhoThai - the restaurant is a short walk from St. Lawrence Market and very close to the financial district.  For those who work in the area, it is a great place to grab a tasty sit-down lunch on a weekday.  We arrived around 12PM and there was already a small crowd forming at the doorway- be sure to go early or make a reservation!

They have a regular menu and a lunch menu.  The lunch menu features a different menu item each day at a nominal discount.  However, I would not recommend ordering off the lunch menu as the portions are substantially smaller.

Khao Soi ($14)
Yellow noodles in curry gravy w/ chicken or beef

The Khao Soi came in a bowl of what appeared to be curry soup, topped with a ball of fried noodles.  While this dish was extremely tasty, it was also extremely heavy.  The curry gravy was very creamy and the medium spice level added a nice kick.  However, I'm not sure if I would order this dish again as it was just a bit too heavy for my taste.  That being said, you should try it at least once.

Sunday Brunch: Mildred's Temple Kitchen

These past few weekends have been pretty busy, filled with family gatherings and birthday celebrations.  This past Sunday was great because we didn't have anywhere we needed to be.  So on this fine, sunny day, we decided to head downtown for some brunch!  We haven't done this in a while as there are a limited number of brunch spots uptown and trekking downtown is not always the best use of precious weekend time.

That day, we decided to venture out to a new brunch spot in Liberty Village- Mildred's Temple Kitchen (MTK).  Unfortunately, we were off to a late start and arrived at the restaurant around 12PM.  We realized our mistake as soon as we arrived- there were people everywhere outside the restaurant!  A quick chat with the hostess revealed that the wait time for two would be 45 minutes to an hour.  As we had nothing planned for the day, we decided to wait and wander around Liberty Village.

It was surprisingly easy to spend an hour at the boutiques in Liberty Village and we were seated around 1PM.  The design of MTK was very comfortable and unlike the typical restaurant downtown.  We were greeted by tables that were comfortably spaced, high ceilings, and a pristine open-concept kitchen.  The space was also much larger than anticipated.  Unfortunately, I didn't take many (any) pictures of the interior.

Scones & Biscuits (2 for $6 or 6 for $14)

Baked fresh every morning, Mildred’s perfected these two delicacies over the past 20 years. Luscious currant scones or flakey buttermilk biscuits served with homemade preserves. 

As we had heard very good things about their scones and biscuits, we started our meal off with one of each.  They came with whipped butter and apricot jam.  Unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of apricot jam so I can't say I liked it.  However, adding whipped butter to their already buttery biscuits and scones was simply divine.  The biscuit was very buttery and flakey, and the scone was moist in the centre.  These are definitely worth coming back for!  But, we both agreed that they would have been even better if served warm.

Birthday Dinner: Ruby Watchco

East of the DVP, on Queen St E, lies an inconspicuous storefront with sheathed grey walls. Above the door hangs a little sign emblazoned with a big red R. The business's purpose is given away by the framed daily menu that greets those who enter.

We arrived early that Tuesday evening. The time was just shy of our 6:30 PM reservation. The hostess was quick to greet and we were seated promptly.

Inside the restaurant, we found a cozy dining room with a warm industrial aesthetic. Wooden chairs,  wooden tables, and wood-clad cabinets were set neatly along one wall, and a wide, sprawling bar along the other.