With so many delicious choices at hand, it was hard to narrow down a few dishes to try. I rarely get a chance to come across food trucks so my sister and I knew we had to give a few a try. There were also tons of taco options but I didn’t want to spend the whole night eating tacos alone. In the end, I think we had a good variety of foods. Here are the savoury treats we noshed on.

My sister is a lover of all things Italian (despite our seriously Asian upbringing) so it was a no brainer for her to try out the rice medallions from Bestia ($5). Described as ‘fried rice medallions with pork ragu & buffalo ricotta’, this was incredibly delicious and ended up being one of her absolute fav of the night. The rice was so flavourful and every grain was still intact. I’m drooling looking at the picture now seeing the fried golden goodness. The pork ragu was tasty although I had originally thought it was chicken and the creamy ricotta added a light fresh accent to the dish. I could have opted out of having ragu and just eaten the medallions alone but hey, i’m always happy to have more.

Having heard of El Gastrónomo Vagabundo for ages now, I was very eager to give their food a try. I’ve become a huge fan of fish tacos lately so I decided to get the Pescado Picante Taco ($4) which consisted of a tempura cod, smoked tomato & habanero aioli, red cabbage & green apple slaw with a fresh lime. The cod was fried perfectly and the aioli gave it a nice kick that I always enjoy. The taco took me a couple bites and each one was as enjoyable as the last.

I had tried food from the Toasted Tangerine Truck before at UofT Food truck event not too long ago. We weren’t originally going to buy anything having tasted their food before but after seeing someone else holding one of their plates, we couldn’t resist. We got one of their Mexican Peace Bombs ($4) which is described as shredded chicken marinated in salsa verde & a Mexican cheese blend stuffed inside a sweet dough and fried, topped with a chipotle sour cream. This was one of my favourite for the night and one of those things you wish you could go back and buy some more. Everything just blended harmoniously on my taste buds. The dough was not too thick or tough as it can sometimes be and I just couldn’t get enough of the sour cream topping. From what I’ve tasted, Toasted Tangerine is one solid food truck dishing out consistently good food. It was also a shot of their fried ravioli that won me the tickets so props to them for being my inspiration :)

My sister and I have a definite affinity for grilled cheese sandwiches, making them often at home. Gorilla Cheese being one of the prominent food trucks on the scene was part of our stops for the night. My sister was luckily second in line because for the rest of the night, the line was massive. She decided to go with the Gorilla Sarducci ($7.50) (again part of her love of things Italian inspired) it was filled with mozzarella, tomatoes, red onions, fresh basil, balsamic glaze on multigrain. I enjoyed the sandwich and felt that for the price, the portion was pretty fair. I love red onions and thought that without that addition, the flavours would have blended a little too much into one another.  I can see why these guys are so popular.

I had heard of the popularity of Rock Lobster from the past event. We were conflicted between getting the lobster rolls and the lobster poutine. Debating the fact that we could get a lobster roll in numerous places, we opted for the more unique lobster poutine ($6). My sister was the first person to purchase it from them. If you craved lots of lobster pieces, this wouldn’t have been the way to go. While we enjoyed the light gravy, the crisp fries and the firm cheese curds, we were a little disappointed at the amount of lobster in the actual dish. Considering it was the pricier item we had hoped for a little more lobster than the few pieces we got sitting at the top. However we did enjoy the taste of the poutine and hope to try their rolls in the future.

The last savoury dish of the night came from the folks at Oxala. A little overwhelmed at first by the crowds of people, I placed my order for the El Perro ($5) and was given a ticket to come back to get it which worked out in the end as it gave me a chance to run off and grab some other foods. The guy handling the cash ( I forgot to ask his name!) was incredibly nice and chatted up with me for a bit when I came back. I had somehow expected the dish to be smaller for some reason and was more than happy to receive a full hot dog with all the fixings. It was described as a chorizo sausage with jalapeno & corn jam and a cilantro-lime mayo. I had nibbled on some bits of the bacon and jam as I walked away and immediately felt the punch of the jalapenos. I’m not wimp for spice but that jam had my lips tingling. Thinking it was too spicy for me, I was hesitant about giving it a try but realized after my first bite that the bun and the mayo helped to cool down my palate. This was incredibly satisfying to for my meat cravings and a definite re-buy if i had the chance.

It has always impressed me that despite the long line-ups that twist and turn in every way, and sometimes unfortunate weather (though luckily that wasn’t the case this time around) folks have showed up eager and excited, embracing new vendors and their unique foods. There was a lot of media coverage of this party and it was so much fun to be a part of it like the other TUM events I’ve attended in the past. It takes a lot of work and a lot of people to coordinate something like this and I commend the folks at TUM and Food Truck Eats for their efforts. It was one crazy, fun and tasty night. I hope your Cinco de Mayo was just as eventful.

What do you get when you combine the awesomeness of Toronto Underground Market and Food Truck Eats on Cinco De Mayo? You get one massive food party known as the Street Food Block Party.

This past Saturday I had the chance to attend my third TUM Event. After painfully sitting out of the April edition, I was incredibly excited for this month’s. Known as the Street Food Block Party, it was a collaboration of the minds behind the Toronto Underground Market and Food Truck Eats. The event was hosted at Evergreen Brick Works (in the farmer’s market space instead of Holcim Gallery) and had been well sold out to 3000 eager attendees despite the price change to $20 per ticket. Dozens of vendors and food trucks came to dish out their delights to the crowd and support the street food/food truck movement that has been growing in Toronto. To ensure that the food kept coming, there was a regular (5-8pm) and late-night version (9-12pm) of all the menus. There was also live music from several bands to keep the crowds pumped and entertained as they enjoyed the night.

For those who don’t know about TUM or Food Truck Eats and their efforts to get street food out to the masses, please check out their websites. Lend your voice in support of the Toronto Street Food Project so that more events like this can be set up and that the vendors/food trucks can break through the city’s red tape to bring you their treats on a daily basis.

In true fashion I opted to forgo buying tickets and volunteer my day to the event. I sat by my email day and night waiting for the volunteer email to make it to my inbox so that I wouldn’t miss my chance. I luckily got a spot to be part of the set-up crew. I was curious to see the setup for it in the new space. I finally had a partner in crime, my sister, to come along for the ride and keep me company on what was undoubtedly a huge event. A big shout out to UeaT, who later provided me with two tickets after winning a photo contest and despite having the option to drop our volunteering duties and go solely as guests, my sister and I decided to stick it out and give the tickets away.

After a relatively smooth set-up of the venue, and a quick food break of pizza and cupcakes, my sister and I were all set to plan our attack. Seizing the opportunity for first dibs before the doors opened to the public, we mapped out the vendors we had been eyeing during our set up and split up to grab as much food as we could. After a couple of hours standing and helping out, we certainly weren’t interested in standing some more in lines for food (although I know the waits would have been well worth the food)

You could definitely tell once the event got going what were clear favourites for the crowd which included massive lines for Rock Lobster Food Co., La Carnita, Gorilla Cheese and Fidel Gastro’s. Newcomers like Buster’s Sea Cove of St. Lawrence Market and visiting food truck Roaming Buffalo were instant hits with the crowds. The majority of the menus were Cinco de Mayo themed, featuring Mexican inspired flavours and lots of tacos.

While it was tempting to good to old favorites like La Carnita & Comida del Pueblo, I resisted the urge and tried to get a variety of food from vendors I hadn’t yet tried. Typically by the time I’m done munching on the tacos and the famed corn bread grilled cheese, I have room for a dessert or two before being stuffed. Since I don’t know if I’ll have the chance to attend any more TUM events for the next little while, I wanted to give my taste buds a plethora of foods to try.

left – right: cinnamon churro, strawberry margarita, apple enchilada

First up were the sweets we bought. Having tasted cupcakes from the Cupcake Diner previously, my sister was very interested in giving them another try. She had several cupcakes to choose from and a few themed to the Cinco de Mayo festivities. I was only really interested in the cinnamon churro flavour at the time but my sister convinced me to give apple enchilada and strawberry margarita as well ($2.75 each). We took them to enjoy at home, hence the change of lighting in the second photo. The Strawberry cupcake was almost angel foodcake-light in taste. Inside was a a strawberry filling and on top was a light lime frosting. We were surprised at how much we enjoyed this as we normally don’t buy flavours like margarita. The churro tasted exactly as expected – a churro, cinnamon all throughout, a drizzle of caramel and pieces of dough. It was very yummy although the least exciting of the bunch. Finally the last was the apple enchilada. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this but from the first bite, it tasted like Christmas and I was in heaven. What…Christmas doesn’t have a taste? Yes, yes it does and for some reason, this tasted exactly like it to me. The cake was dense and moist with apple pieces throughout. It may have been Mexican inspired but it reminded me of the holidays and I would definitely give it another buy.

I had seen the doughnuts from Dough in a past TUM and had been looking forward to trying it for a while now. I rarely eat doughnuts and when I do they come entirely from Tim Horton’s so it was a treat to try a specialty doughtnut. With several options, I choose the chocolate one boasting the flavour triple chocolate with salted corn nuts ($3). While looking picture perfect, unfortunately it tasted nothing like it appeared. I was off put by the salted corn nuts on top which unfortunately covered everything so I wasn’t able to enjoy the icing. Below the dough itself was tough and very chewy. I want to believe that it was just my doughnut that was unpleasant as I heard great reviews from others. I’m still willing to give them another try and some of their other combinations both for this event and in the past have sounded delicious.

Last but certainly not least are the treats from Sullivan & Bleeker. I tried their cupcakes during my first TUM event and have always been looking forward to trying their stuff out again. My sister was most intrigued by the cake in a jar and had a hard time choosing. We tasted a few of the mini cupcakes during our food break for volunteers and finally decided on the cookie dough cake in a jar ($5). We were not disappointed. If we could go back, we would have definitely bought at least another cake in a jar to take home with us. Every layer of this jar was sublime, from the cake, to the frosting and the cookie on top. We’re not much of cookie dough fans or frosting either but this was so sumptuous. Despite all the components of it, it wasn’t overpoweringly sweet and my sister now craves this daily. A definite rebuy if given the chance. I know that they eventually sold out and those who took it home to enjoy were raving about it on the twitterverse.

I was tempted to get the dessert nachos from Elle Cuisine but sadly had no more room in my belly. Other notable desserts came from The Lunch Room which had a good selection. The dessert stations tend to have longer lines later into the evening so my sister and I were fortunate to grab all of them from the get-go to enjoy at home. Tupperware is a life saver my friends. Your tummy the day after will thank you.

Check out the next post to see all the savoury dishes we enjoyed.

More photos can be found on my Flickr

More information regarding Toronto Underground Market can be found:
http://www.yumtum.ca/
http://blog.yumtum.ca/
Twitter

I remember my first teppanyaki meal was when I was a young girl at the Toronto restaurant Memories of Japan (I believe the restaurant still exists though I make no recommendations since my last visit was ages ago). Unaware of what we were about to be served, I sat down with my family around the iron griddle station (or ‘hibachi’ tables) and took in the dining experience. Personally, the meal itself was always less remarkable as the presentation but as a child it never bothered me.

After making your meal choice of ingredients, the chefs make use of their skilled hands to delight diners. The teppanyaki experience is a showcase for your senses. The dazzle of flying utensils, the smell of searing meats and vegetables, the classic onion volcano preparation to wow and amaze, then finally a hot tasty meal plated before you once it was all over; these were some of the highlights you could come to expect. But as with many things in life, the same tricks get old with time and my desire to dine teppanyaki-style dissipated with my childhood amazement.

While Benihana was not the first restaurant to serve their food up teppanyaki style, it certainly deserves credit for the widespread popularity of it in America. I had always heard of the Benihana chain growing up. Making its debut in New York in the 60s, it has now grown into an international empire. It recently came up on my radar when Benihana (Kuwait) tried to sue a blogger for defamation after his less than thrilling post on his dining experience. (I guess I should take it as a mark to tread lightly and choose my words wisely throughout this piece.) The Benihana dining experience doesn’t come cheap and at the core of downtown Toronto, it also wasn’t anywhere near my regular food haunts. It was only due to a Groupon was I able to afford the chance to finally dine at this famed brand.

Located in the Fairmont Royal York Hotel downtown, my family decided to finally cash in our Groupons and eat dinner there after a concert. My father and I decided we would give the teppanyaki a try while my sister and mother opted for the dine-in sushi experience. Having previously made reservations, we were quickly seated with another small group. The setting was a familiar one from my former teppanyaki experiences. The back half of the restaurant is dedicated to diners trying out the teppanyaki menu and the griddles are neatly arranged to fill up the space. The ambiance was relaxed, high end and buzzing from conversation and the food prep of the chefs. From a top-dollar franchise, I would hope for nothing less.

We were given the menu which lists a variety appetizers, soups, salads and proteins for your main meal. We opted just to stick to the main teppanyaki. My dad decided to get the teriyaki chicken ($42) and I chose the hibachi steak 8oz which I ordered medium-rare  ($47). The other group beside us ordered tuna and chicken for their meal. The entrees include a  ‘Japanese Onion Soup, Benihana Salad, Shrimp Appetizers, Hibachi Vegetables (Onions, Zucchini & Mushrooms) and Rice.’

After a short wait, we were given our soup and salad along with our drinks. Personally I was not fond of the soup which veered from the standard miso soup. I guess I just prefer the classic taste and quickly passed it off to my dad to finish. The salad was similar to the ones you’d get at many other Japanese restaurants. The dressing was slightly more tart than normal but still pleasant to eat and a refreshing start to the meal.

My hunger was starting to really grow as we waited for the arrival of our chef. He eventually came with his cart beside him carrying all the ingredients and tools he’d need.  One of the ladies had her own SLR camera and the 6 of us sat and watched in awe as the chef prepared our meal. He worked his magic and kept the energy of his performance up and constantly in movement. He laid out the vegetables and meat thoughtfully, provided sauces and showed his skills. One of the classic tricks is the onion volcano, carefully assembled and spewed hot steam through the mixture of water and lemon juice. I was much more impressed from the days of fire shooting out but it’s just not their style I suppose.

Much of the cooking is done in family style. That is to say that the chef prepares all the common ingredients such as the shrimp and vegetables all at once and then portions it out for everyone at the table. He then works on the individual proteins for everyone’s orders. When he’s all done, he cleans up the griddle by cooking up bean sprouts with the leftover sauces and topping it on everyone’s plate. We were welcome to munch along the way as he served up components of our meal but for the most part, we all waited until the end to eat it all together.

While I had high hopes for the meal as it was being prepared, especially with the great smells wafting from the food cooking, it was unfortunately not the best meal I’ve ever had. The most notable flaw was the overuse of salt. One of the tricks the chef did was to essentially make it ‘rain’ salt onto the food while it was cooking. It made for a great visual trick but translated badly for the taste. Considering the addition of soy sauce and then added salt, I was very grateful that rice was included to help balance it out some of the saltiness but it was still rather noticeable for both my father and I. I try to minimize salt as a seasoning in my every day cooking so I’m rather sensitive to it while eating out. Of course with each visit, each chef, the outcomes will differ and is not a complete reflection of all meals from Benihana. My favourite part of the meal was the steak which was cooked to perfection. It was tender, juicy and was cooked to my preferred level of doneness (is that a word?). The vegetables were tender but not overcooked or mushy and my dad’s chicken was not dry as some chicken often end up. The portion size was acceptable considering how much we paid and we did have leftovers to take home with us.

Teppanyaki for me is half show and half food experience. Personally,  I’m more of a 100% about the food kind of gal so it’s not an experience I plan to repeat anytime soon. However, it would be fun for special occasions, to wow a date who’s never seen it before or make for nice business meal. If you’ve never had it, you should try it at least once and see for yourself (though not necessarily Benihana if it’s not accessible to you). My dad and I left rather unimpressed by the food considering the price tag that went along with it. I could get a lot more tastier dishes for the $50 spent. When we met up with my sister and mother, they were surprised that we hadn’t enjoyed ourselves all that much as they had loved their dine-in sushi meal. But with restaurants such as these, you have to remember that you’re buying into the brand/franchise and sometimes the spectacle of the meal and the surroundings of the restaurant takes precedence over providing top-notch food.

I did return once more to try the sushi and a review for that will be up shortly.

Full gallery can be found on Flickr

Benihana
100 Front St W
Toronto, ON M5J1E4
(416) 860-5002
Hours Of Operation:
Tuesday – Thursday: 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Friday – Saturday: 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Website
Menu

Over the Easter weekend, my family ventured down to the College & Ossington Area for the Passion of the Christ parade that happens annually on Good Friday. It was a beautiful day with perfect weather and many other families had come out for the event. The last time I attended was years ago when I was a young girl. It was freezing cold at that time and we always fondly remember this parade as the day we had the best hot chocolate. Sadly we never found that cafe again.

We situated ourselves at the beginning point of the parade so that once it had passed, we could quickly make it back to our car and away from the massive crowds. After making stops for gelato, we decided we needed to have a solid meal before attending the last church service for the day.I had been seriously craving some pizza that day. Due to our religious observance, we had to abstain from meat but I was completely fine with just getting a cheese pizza. A quick look on the iPad, we discovered a pizza pub not far from where we had parked and headed there for our late lunch.

When we arrived there were quite a few people making good use of the front patio. Upon entry we seated ourselves and were quickly greeted by our server. The place had a very typical pub appeal to it. It was painted dark green with wooden tables for the patrons. The restaurant is narrow but very long with outdoor patios at both ends. One side of the restaurant is dedicated to a large bar with numerous choices on tap and beside it you can find an open kitchen area. Tables line the opposite wall and TVs are placed throughout for game-time viewing. The pub reminded me of some of the regular bars/pubs I frequented in my university days and was certainly not a normal eating venue for my family.

My family is not much of a drinking one and certainly not on Good Friday so unfortunately we couldn’t indulge in any of the alcohol. The menu had a good variety of pub fare with classics such as wings, sandwiches, fried delights, burgers and or course their specialty pizza. A quick peruse of the menu, my family settled on the fish and chips (something my dad had been craving for some time), calamari and one of their vegetarian pizzas.

We were given the choice if we wanted it all at once or keep the calamari as an appetizer and decided on the former. It didn’t take too long for all of our food to arrive and it smelled so good. I’ll preface by saying that we had barely eaten the entire day so our added hunger might have elevated our senses and excitement but I’m sure it wasn’t by too much. The calamari arrived hot and perfectly golden. I’m never quite sure if its homemade or just from frozen but either way it did the trick. Nothing spectacular about them but they were satisfying. The squid inside was not chewy or overcooked and I really enjoyed the thick tzatziki sauce that accompanied it. Unfortunately I don’t recall the price and it isn’t featured on the online menu but I would venture a guess of somewhere in the $7 range.

The fish and chips ($8.99) consisted of a battered halibut with fries and homemade ‘tartar’ sauce. The tartar sauce was disappointing as it just tasted like plain mayonnaise. There was no coleslaw as advertised but it wasn’t really missed. The crust on the fish was crisp and enveloped a perfectly cooked piece of fish. The fries were nothing special, just regular fries although cooked well and thankfully not doused in salt.

The final item was the family favourite. We rarely go out and buy specialty pizza as we normally stick to the frozen boxed variety so it was a treat for us to eat one specially made. I can’t seem to recall which one we had ordered and couldn’t find the appropriate description on the menu. It included toppings like eggplant, onions, bell peppers and artichoke hearts. I was really pleased with the portion of the pizza and everyone got their fair share of slices. The crust was thin but crisp and did its best to hold up to the large toppings. I’ve never eaten artichokes before except in dips and loved how tender they were. It made us all rethink our notions on artichokes. All the vegetables blended well together on the pizza and the sauce and cheese were perfect bases for everything else to shine. This was by far one of the better pizzas I’ve had in a really long time.

All in all, we were pleased with our stop at Brass Taps that afternoon. I’ve heard good things about their wings and I’d be interested in tasting one of the pizzas that had meat on it. Their variety of pizzas is rather extensive but much appreciated and if all else fails, they let you custom build your own. The ambiance is casual and perfect for a Saturday afternoon with friends or a lunch out with the family. The have another location on the Danforth near Greektown for those closer to that location. I’d definitely give Brass Taps another try if I was in the neighborhood again.

Brass Taps Pizza Pub
934 College St
Toronto, ON M6H 1A4
(416) 533-4333
Hours: Mon-Sun 11:30 am – 2 am
Website
Menu

My family decided not too long ago to invest in a crock-pot machine in hopes of finding easy and low maintenance meals to fit our daily food routine. I wasn’t very familiar with crock-pots and the kinds of recipes that would work well for it so I started investigating online. Crock-pot cooking is very convenient for busy families or people who are interested in low maintenance cooking. You’re able to put all the ingredients together, set the machine for most of the working day and then when you arrive home, you have a warm, fully cooked, homemade meal waiting for you.

Familiar with the world of stir-fry cooking and fast Asian dishes, slow cooking was a little foreign to me. I made several tries of different things, a few of which were disasters. I decided to look for a recipe I knew had the right ingredients to give the best flavour impact. I was fortunate to come across recipes utilizing the same Asian flavours I knew and loved. This was one of them.

Recipe adapted from Pink Parsley

Ingredients

• 5 pounds short ribs
• 1 cup low sodium soy sauce (originally 1 1/2)
• 3/4 cups packed brown sugar (originally 1 1/3)
• 10 cloves garlic
• 2-3 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
• 6 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 medium carrot, chopped into medium chunks
• 2 small potatoes (I used sweet potatoes because that’s what I had on hand), cut into same sized chunks as the carrots.

Cucumber Slaw

• 1 hot house cucumber
• 1 small red onion
• 4 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• a pinch of salt
• chopped up chili pepper or crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Cooking Instructions:

Using a small food processor for greater ease, pulse the garlic and ginger until finely chopped. Sometimes I enjoy doing it by hand just for the sake of it but if you’re pressed for time, you can’t beat the simplicity of food processors

Mix together the remaining ingredients for the ribs in a bowl and add the chopped garlic and ginger.

Place the ribs, carrots and ribs inside of the crock-pot. Pour the cooking liquid over the ribs and try to ensure that its evenly coated and as much of the ribs are submerged under the sauce as possible.

Set the crock-pot on low and put the timer for about 8 hours. Depending on the size of the ribs and how they’re cut, you might need to adjust the time for a little longer. If possible, it helps to stir it and move some of the ribs around for better distribution of the heat. (if not, its not a big deal)

While you’re waiting you can make the cucumber slaw. Slice the cucumber as thinly as possible. Slice the red onion as thin as possible also to create fine slivers of onion.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, salt, and chili peppers.  Toss the finely sliced cucumbers and onions in the bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Once fully cooked, take ribs out of the crock-pot. Let the sauce cool down a little to allow the fat to solidify slightly. Skim the top of the liquid and remove excess fat. Transfer remaining liquid into a saucepan. (If vegetables are still undercooked, depending on how big the chunks were, you can add them to the saucepan as well.)

Simmer the remaining sauce over a low heat to thicken and reduce for about 5-10 mins. Pour over the meat when serving.

Ribs can be served alongside the vegetables and the slaw, eaten with rice or the meat can be shredded and served up in a soft tortilla.

Taste:

Needless to say this was a big hit with the family. The beef was extremely tender and melted in the mouth. The sauce was rich and deep with varying flavour profiles for the tongue; salty, sweet and meaty. It was sumptuous and soul-satisfying. The vegetables that stewed alongside the meat were also tender and soft. They served to give a change of pace for the tongue from over-indulging in the meat. The slaw is the perfect accompaniment to the dark, heavy meat and sauce. The cucumbers and onions are slightly picked in the vinegar but still remain crisp and light. The heat from the chili peppers adds another depth of flavour but doesn’t overpower the palate. To say this was good is a definite understatement.

The original recipe called for a lot of soy sauce and sugar. I cut it down a little for this recipe because I found the sauce to be a little too sweet for my liking. I used the same recipe again but this time I used chicken thighs for the crock-pot and cooked it for about 6 hours. I made the necessary adjustments (which are the ones listed above) to the sugar and soy sauce from my fist attempt and it turned out exactly how I wanted. I included the original amounts in the recipe and you should feel free to adjust to your tastes.

I highly encourage you to give this recipe a try. It might sound like a lot of steps but they’re all simple. The beauty of the recipe, like many other crock-pot meals is that the machine does most of the work, leaving you to do what you please for the rest of the day. I hope you enjoy it!

Preface: This is a long overdue post but I enjoyed my experience for the most part and wanted to include it. If changes have been made since my visit, please feel free to let me know so that I can adjust the review.

The food scene in Kingston is surprisingly fluid. One day you’re here, the next day you’re gone. Many stores and restaurants in the downtown core of Kingston revamp their restaurants, give it a new name, change locations, or close down all together. With new faces arriving on campus each year and the turnaround of graduates taking their business back to their hometowns, Princess St finds ways to adapt and transform. I remember coming back for my fourth year of university and seeing so much of the street changed to unfamiliar names. That’s turnover for you I suppose.

This particular store front had been unoccupied for quite some time and I had been curious as to what new fresh life would arrive in that location. Close to the Tim Horton’s, this particular section of Princess St receives a lot of foot traffic so I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who was curious at the time. Finally it was revealed that a new restaurant – Ali Baba – would be taking over.

It had been a particularly nice morning that day and I had stepped out to do a walk around downtown like I often do on Saturdays. With a few groceries in hand, I was on my way home when i saw the promotional sign in the front of the store and first realized that the restaurant had already opened. Seizing the opportunity to try something new in the city, I went in to buy lunch.

I had never been inside this store location even with its few changes over the years so I was surprised to find out how big it actually was. The first half of the restaurant is filled with chairs, a large sign and numerous frames of pictures and mirrors on one side of the wall. Painted in a warm golden orange, with pops of colour from furniture and large windows out front, the space is bright and open.

The back of the restaurant is a serving counter where you order the food. My one criticism of the decor is the multiple fridges in the back half which detracts from the overall atmosphere in my opinion. The fridges are filled to the brim with drinks both foreign and familiar. They also have food products such as pickled vegetables and sauces on hang if anyone wanted to buy extra to take home with them. While the fridges have an obvious and legitimate purpose, I still can’t help but find the amount to be a little excessive and visually detracting but for all I know the back kitchen is the size of a closet and there just wasn’t any extra space.

The man at the counter that day was extremely friendly and helpful. After looking over the menu a few times I asked him to suggest something for me. With his suggestions in mind, I settled on the Kabab Koobideh plate (originally paid $8.99, current price $10.99). This meal came with two skewers of ground beef with salad and a choice of soup or rice. Because I still had my groceries I choose the take-out option. While I waited for my meal, I talked to him for a little while about the opening of the restaurant and after asking permission to take photos, was given the ok to go around and take the shots you see in this post. The order didn’t take long (although there was no one else waiting for their food at the time behind me) and was delivered to my table. Back home I went to enjoy my meal.

I decided to present the meal on a proper plate instead of just eating it out of the boxes just to make myself feel better. The portion was good for the price I paid, with plenty of rice. In the end, I didn’t eat all of what you see in the photo in one sitting. My favourite part of the whole meal was the rice as it was well seasoned and fluffy. I’m not the biggest fan of anything pickled but nibbled on the pickled vegetables from time to time to balance out the flavours. While the meat was properly cooked, I had expected more of a punch in flavour. It was meaty and tender and juicy but a little underwhelming in the seasonings. However mixed with the rice and the salad, everything balanced out.

Looking back on the menu, I definitely would love to try some other items. At the time of my visit, the place was very new and I’m sure has developed their service and tastes over time. It’s always refreshing to see different foods from various cultures have a spotlight in a smaller city like Kingston. If you’re looking for a change from the typical sushi, thai or pizza night, give this place a try.

Ali Baba
320 Princess St.  Kingston ON   K7L 1B6
Tel: 613-531-9999
Hours: Monday : closed
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When I first started writing for the food blog, it didn’t occur to me that there would be any perks other than just the satisfaction of knowing someone took the time to visit my page and read what I had to say. As we all know time is extremely valuable so any time spent by others browsing through this blog is considered an honour for me.That said, after a few months of semi-regular posting, my contact email for this site found its way to the list servs of food companies and PR firms. I get quite a few emails from them on behalf of their food clients. They work to promote their products, restaurants, services, cookbooks…etc. My food email is filled with press releases from all over North America and help to keep me one step ahead of the game.

One of the unknown perks of the food blog hobby was offers from companies to try out their products in hopes that I would enjoy it enough to write about it for the blog, at least I think that’s how it goes. For the most part, the process involves general press releases sent with lines that say ‘If you’d like to try a sample, feel free to get in touch’. I don’t know about you but I’m always up for trying a sample. A few emails later, a package comes to my door with goodies inside. Out of all the offers I receive, I’ve probably only responded back to about 5% of them. While none of them have ever directly asked me to write anything in exchange for the sample, as a blogger I can’t help but feel a little obligated to. In fairness, I don’t respond back unless I am genuinely interested in the product and was willing to buy it on my own.

Xango Juice was one of those products. I had seen it quite often in stores and on the internet but because I rarely venture from plain old water as my choice of drink, I hadn’t picked it up just yet. So when I got the offer to try a sample, I was definitely excited.

The product arrived quickly and packaged carefully. I spent a great deal of time looking over the website and the history behind both the company and the juice itself. It is a huge international brand that continues to find ways to expand. The company has expanded to a variety of products in their line but it all started out with the juice.The juice is marketed for its unique taste deriving from their use of magosteens and the health benefits of the exotic fruit.

“XANGO Juice is the original—the category creator. It is the first to deliver a proprietary, whole-fruit purée that matches sensational taste with proven scientific research. XANGO Juice boasts concentrations of naturally occurring phytonutrients, including xanthones, catechins, flavonoids and proanthocyanidins.

Grown primarily in Southeast Asia and a handful of tropical locations, the mangosteen fruit requires careful and exact handling. From the twice-yearly harvests to the eventual formulation of XANGO Juice, every process demands expert precision. And the creation of a market-leading beverage has been just that: expertly precise.” – XANGO

Click here to view the embedded video.

What I found most unique about the product was their use of the whole fruit – the peel and the core. It’s not always easy to find but I’ve had the fortune of eating mangosteen fruit and I would have never imagined that the peel would be of any benefit for consumption.

Another interesting note that I discovered is that the product is not meant to be chugged down like a bottle of orange juice. I can’t recall the exact serving size but sufficed to say, it was a lot less than you would have thought. The bottle in turn ends up lasting for quite a while even with regular consumption.

As for the taste, let’s just say its an acquired one. There was a slight bitter tartness to it, something akin to drinking a raspberry or tart cherry juice. While I couldn’t manage to drink it alone, it was a nice addition to mango smoothies I made later that evening. It’s definitely best served cold. I don’t know if I’d purchase the product. I’m biased to drinks being either plain like water or sweeter so I put full disclaimer on my opinion of drinks and still highly recommend those who are intrigued by it to give it a try for themselves. It’s clearly a popular product considering the level the company operates. If nothing else, there’s certainly a lot of science behind the health benefits of the drink and I’m all for finding different ways to get my daily nutrients. So next time you see it in a store, consider giving it a try and let me know what you’re opinion is.

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With summer time fast approaching and the warm weather finding its way slowly back into our lives, I thought a frozen yogurt post would be appropriate. I’d like to believe that I don’t indulge in a lot of ice cream or frozen yogurt but if I really took the time to consider it, I’d be unsurprised to discover that frozen treats are one of my many weaknesses.

I was on a two day work trip to London, ON last summer. My trip just so happened to coincide with the build up to the hottest day of the summer (remember that 40 degree summer blaze? Yup, I was traveling then.) Long days walking in the hot sun definitely provided a good reason to stop off for some frozen yogurt, not to mention cool shelter and free wifi. I had only briefly heard about Yoyo’s yogurt cafe in a press release prior to visiting. Currently they have two locations (one in Toronto and one in London) and are continuing to grow.  Seeing it up the street on my walk felt like seeing water in a desert.

With everyone probably hiding in their air-conditioned homes, the place was completely empty at the time I entered. The decor was modern and minimal, relying mainly on the equipment and chairs to fill up the space. Bright punches of colours were found in the furniture and the wall colours. The lady tending the register was friendly and because the place was self-serve, she mainly left me to myself while she walked between the register and the back of the cafe. Having this been my first time at a self-serve yogurt shop, I was a little perplexed at what my first move should be but plenty of colourful signs around the cafe eventually lead you in the right direction. The basic idea is that you’re in charge of the amount and the toppings placed on your frozen dessert. Swirl it, top it how you want, skip some and pile on others; you decide. When you’re finished, you pay based on its overall weight. You can also decide to  ‘craze it up’ and mix all your components into something similar to a blizzard. There is also the option of a smoothie whereby you pick your amount of yogurt and fruit toppings and is then blended with your choice of juice or milk.

Yoyo’s remains focused on providing a healthy but delicious product that is non fat, natural, gluten-free and beneficial for the body.  Full nutrition details for their main flavours can be found online. Some of the more popular flavours include Vanilla, Chocolate, Original Tart, Cookies’n Cream, and New York Cheese Cake. Most of the flavours on display at the time of my visit were classic flavours but there were some specialty ones. For the lactose-intolerant, Yoyo’s provides a non-dairy option. You’re also given the option to swirl the paired flavours together for added fun.

But there’s more to the experience than just the frozen yogurt alone. After loading up on a decent amount of yogurt, you can move on to the toppings bar. They have a full list online on the types of toppings they offer but they typically fall under the categories of fruit, nuts, cereals, candy, chocolates and syrups. The possible combos are endless and you often find yourself fighting the temptation to put everything on (because c’mon, who wouldn’t want a super loaded frozen yogurt?). It was nice to see the immense variety that worked for both kids and adults.

In the end, I couldn’t resist the option of swirling red velvet and strawberry together (I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect combination). With the first tough decision out of the way, I had to move on to an even harder one; which toppings should I get? I browsed for a while and fought every urge to load everything into the cup. Ultimately I decided to go with a few toppings to complement the yogurt flavours; fresh strawberries, fresh mangoes, graham cracker crust and a tiny sprinkling of of reese’s peanut butter cups because frankly I couldn’t resist. The whole thing costs just a little over $5 for my creation which is a pretty fair price considering you had free reign on the amounts.

The frozen yogurt itself was delicious. The flavours blended together and the frozen yogurt was creamy and smooth. It wasn’t too sweet and served as a nice flavour base for the toppings I chose. The equipment worked effortlessly and the ingredients were fresh. The stations were clean and the service was very friendly. I enjoyed the whole experience.

I decided to make good use of the free wifi and sat at one of the tables to enjoy my dessert. As time went on, the place filled up a little bit and the atmosphere remained bright and cheery. I was tempted to take a smoothie to go but I was worried about ruining my appetite for dinner. I highly recommend visiting Yoyo’s if you’re in the area (of either of their locations). It is a refreshing treat, made with care and has endless possibilities. I’m sure as the warmer months roll in, people will eager to give this place a try.

Yoyo’s Yogurt Cafe
515 Richmond Street
London, ON
(519) 601-0181
Store Hours: Daily hours – 11am-11pm
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The April edition of TUM is right around the corner. Unfortunately due to religious observance, I couldn’t partake in this month’s events which was very disappointing. However, I’d like to believe that my lack of attendance means that perhaps another new comer can enjoy the event just as much as I do.

From my website’s homepage, you can clearly see that TUM has dominated my food mind-frame in the last little while. For those who don’t know, TUM (Toronto Underground Market) is a monthly event held primarily at Ever Green Brickworks. It is a food showcase providing home cooks, seasoned chefs, entrepreneurs, and new businesses a place to share their culinary delights to the masses. It centers around two important factors; good food & being social.

I was rather unprepared for my first TUM. I barely knew how the event was set-up or how it was all going to work. About an hour before the event was to open its doors, I briefly spoke with one of the other volunteers who had been attending since the beginning and asked for his advice. Needless to say, if it hadn’t been for him, I would have been a lost soul as I made my way through the crowds later that evening. I don’t think any one TUM experience is ever the same but there are definitely some good pieces of advice to live by.  After volunteering and attending the last two events, I’ve learned a lot on how to maximize one’s experience.  So here are my 10 tips to surviving TUM.

The more the merrier – Bringing along another friend (or a few) can dramatically shift  the approach to the night’s festivities. An accompanying friend represents so much more than added comradery. A friend is an extra set of hands, an extra stomach to share food with, (hopefully) a scintillating conversationalist to pass the time in the line and ultimately someone to else to enjoy the evening with. It’s highly encouraged to work as a team to line up at multiple places and meet back together to share in the food bounty.

Arrive early – Personally, I like to show up half an hour early to everything in my life but particularly for TUM I can’t stress the importance of getting there asap and being one of the first people in the line. The guest list at this event is long, the line-ups can take a while (for the shuttle, wristbands and the food) and the food sells out quick for some vendors, so it’s best to ensure you get first dibs on your favs by arriving early. After all, the early bird catches the worm, or in this case, probably a taco or two.

Make connections & be social – I’ve been fortunate enough to meet and speak with a lot of interesting people at TUM. Whether it was bonding with other volunteers for the evening, getting to know the wonderful staff at TUM, or meeting the cool vendors, the energy around TUM encourages social engagement. The event is very friendly and the people who come out to participate help to foster that kind of environment. Don’t be afraid to ask people their recommendations for their favorites, directions on where to locate a certain vendor, or where they got the delicious looking dish they’re munching on.

Gear up with extra supplies – In my eagerness to try as much as possible on my solo adventure, I was left with a lot of food that I wanted to take home to my family for them to try. While I made do with the plates given to me, I quickly realized that those who brought small tupperware or bags clearly came better prepared for such a situation. I learned from that mistake the second time around and brought containers to take my yummy food in (particularly desserts). While there is a water station and plenty of vendors to get drinks from, I always bring along some water to cleanse the palate in case you find yourself stuck in a line. Extra napkins/wet wipes are encouraged as well. You never know what messy delight will take over your hands.

Plan ahead – A vendor list was provided at the last TUM via their website to help participants get a better sense of the venue and the vendors attending. Take a look in advance and create a strategy for your must-try list. The vendor list also helps to give you an idea of the types of food at the event. Some of the vendors give sneak peaks of their menu via their own website/facebook/twitter leading up to the event.

Patience is a virtue – and you’ll need a bit of it while attending this event. Good eats often bring big crowds and TUM is no exception. Lines can get pretty long so come prepared to entertain yourself while waiting. My suggestions to pass the time would include chatting it up with some friends or other folks in the line, tweeting to @TOundergroundmarket to let them know how much fun you’re having, or planning where to head off next. Lines in general and a large crowd are a good indicator of how well the event is going so don’t fret the inevitable. Do your best to savour the experience and energy going on around you.

Leave large bills at home - One of the first things I hear from vendors while talking to them before the event starts is that they hope folks bring small bills or change. With the prices typically going from the $5 or below it makes it easier and faster for both yourself and the vendor to just exchange smaller amounts.  There is an ATM on site in case you need it but it’s not something to rely on (as it too might have its own line).

Try something new - The food fare at TUM is definitely anything but common and average. While there are familiar food favorites, there’s a lot of other unique choices you might not necessarily come across. Take advantage of it and be adventurous in your food choices for night.

Dress appropriately – Evergreen Brick Works is a partially outdoor space so while it’ll keep you protected from rain and snow, it won’t do a whole lot for extreme cold or humid hot weather. While heat lamps are provided during the colder temperatures (and perhaps fans for warmer weather, though they have yet to have an event in extreme heat) the number of people able to enjoy the equipment is limited. TUM does its best to provide any dress advice prior to the event and you should definitely take their advice to heart.

Don’t let the food fun stop at the TUM exit – Food events are going on continuously in the city. Food culture is alive and well in Toronto and many of the vendors go off an participate in other great events once TUM is over for the month. Consider taking advantage of vendors who provide catering services, find out where their next event might be if you didn’t get a chance to sample their food, visit their restaurants/stores/pop-ups and buy their products to take home with you. Once you start searching, you might be surprised at how much there is going on in the underground food scene.

Bonus tips!

Share your experience – As a food blogger and amateur photographer this is a personal bias. I know for many people, cell phone photos of food has been overdone and photographers with their DSLRs can be mildly obtrusive as you try to enjoy your night. But for me, a food event just isn’t quite the same without capturing the moment. I especially love reading or seeing other foods I might not have had the chance to sample myself. Since I’ll be missing out on this TUM, I’ll definitely be on the lookout after its over for blogs and photos to check out the fun I missed.

Volunteer if you can – When I first learned about the event, the tickets had been long sold out. I was determined to find a way in and was so excited when I saw the opportunity to volunteer. Obviously weekends are a busy time for a lot of people but if you can spare part of your day (there are several shifts available), helping out for the event is a worthwhile cause. Event planning has always been a big part of my life and I love getting to see all the set-up/behind-the-scenes action. Plus there are some obvious (free ticket in) and not-so-obvious perks (you’ll have to find out yourself!) to helping the folks out at TUM.

Hopefully you’ll find a few of these tips helpful and if you have any additional ones, please let me know so I can utilize your wisdom for my next TUM experience.

More information regarding Toronto Underground Market can be found:
http://www.yumtum.ca/
http://blog.yumtum.ca/
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A few weeks ago I was sent an invitation via facebook from a friend letting me know about the upcoming Food Truck Eats event going on at the University of Toronto campuses. I eagerly accepted the invite and couldn’t wait to go. I haven’t had the opportunity to see any of the gourmet food trucks in Toronto just yet, which is a shame because I’m a big supporter of the movement. In fact, my sister and I have often joked about starting up our own food truck so that we could put our efforts into a truck as opposed to our own restaurant. Of course, such dreams do not come easily but it’s a fun discussion to have nevertheless.

Food Truck culture is alive and well in many prominent cities around North America, most notably in San Francisco and New York. Shows like Eat St on Food Network help to keep the food truck scene thriving. Toronto is trying to get in on the action and find a place for its own unique set of food trucks. The event comes at a great time as a new social media campaign launched just days in advance. In brief, the campaign known as the Toronto Street Food Project helps to promote diversity and accessibility of food trucks in Toronto. It calls upon the public to contact their City Councillor and demand better street food. For those not in the Toronto area, there is the option to tweet the mayor to voice your concerns.

St. George and the Scarborough campuses were both participating in the big event. With decent weather on the horizon, it was excepted to bring large crowds of both students and general food lovers to partake.Unfortunately by the time the week came, I was booked for volunteering that evening and just wasn’t in the mood to be downtown for over 12 hours. Figuring I had to miss out on the entire event, I tried not to let it get to me during the day. Luckily for me, my sister who attends U of T at the Scarborough campus was willing to pick some things up for me after her classes.

First up were the cute cupcakes from Cupcake Diner. My sister had chosen the flavours Caramel Chew and Skor. Both were a pretty good size and packaged neatly inside the box ($2.75/each). Between the two, I found the Caramel Chew more to my liking. It was slight more moist and I enjoyed the caramel drizzle and the frosting on top. If I was able to buy more right this instant, I would happily do so. While the toffee bits on top of the Skor cupcake were good added texture, the cupcake itself crumbled rather easily and made it difficult to get to my mouth in one piece. I’m also slightly enjoy vanilla based cupcakes than chocolate in general. But overall I thought they were pretty good and was happy that they were able to stay fresh after a day.  Cupcake Diner has a fantastic website and highlights many more of their great flavours. I’ll certainly be on the lookout for them in the future.

Next up, we switched over to the savoury side with an item from the folks at Toasted Tangerine. On their menu that day were three options: BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich, The Poor Tom Sandwich and Toasted Ravioli. My sister being the pasta lover that she is, couldn’t resist the choice of fried ravioli ($6). It was described as “Handmade Ravioli generously stuffed with fresh Spinach & Ricotta, lightly bread and fried. Served with an Italian Marinara sauce and fresh Parmigiano cheese.” What’s not to love right?

Fresh out of the fryer I’m sure these would have been divine to munch on especially after a long wait in the chilly air that day. But even after a day’s wait, they remained crisp and in tact. There was certainly no grease left behind and had plenty of breading and  seasoning to add great texture to its coating. Even before biting in, you could tell that this was going to be filled with flavour. Inside, you found a light pillow of ricotta cheese with spinach mixed in. The accompanying sauce paired really nicely with the ravioli and was used primarily by me to add a little moisture to those extra crispy corners. My sister enjoyed this the most and would have bought at least one more if she could.

Despite my lack of presence, I’m grateful for my sister bringing food home so I could take part in a little way with the day’s festivities. She was also able to try the fare at some of the other trucks but hunger got to the best of her and couldn’t bring home much more than what she did.  I would have loved to have felt the energy and seeing everyone enjoying their food but  I’ll be sure to scout some more food trucks in the city when I get a chance. Be sure to continue to support the food truck movement and partake in the Toronto Street Food Project so that many more trucks can get their start. I hope that everyone who attended had a great time. I’ll be on the lookout for blog posts letting me what I missed out on.