Villa Malaysia

Villa Malaysia (140 York Boulevard, Richmond Hill, Ontario)
905-731-6262

The owners of the popular Restoran Malaysia decided to open up a sister restaurant where Spezzo used to be. Right as we walked in, we all noted that the bar area to the left looked really nice. It was pretty empty on the Sunday evening that we went. I recall seeing one other table in our area, and a reasonably sized group of people in the private dining room.

Kari ayam

There wasn't much on the plate, but what was on it tasted okay enough. I think Chris's words when the food came out was, "where's the rest of it?"

Kerabu asparagus

Crunchy and properly cooked. I enjoyed the lime vinaigrette and roasted coconut bits. I think this was my favourite plate of the night.

Grilled skewers

The peanut sauce tasted extremely peanuty. Andrea liked this, but Kevin did not. I enjoyed the sauce, and the small chunks of peanut in it. It was necessary in masking the meat. The meat was terrible that day, and I have no idea why. It was overcooked, which resulted in a chewy, hard lump. We had skewers at the taste of Danforth earlier that day, and they were much better, not to mention a fraction of the cost.

Would I return? I might be a bit hesitant. The meat sticks were huge disappointments, but the asparagus was pretty good. The prices and portions make me want to go and wait two hours at Restoran Malaysia instead, but the service is pretty friendly and attentive. They try hard there. The design is nice and a bit simple in the room we were in. I feel like the restaurant is attempting to fit in with some of the others in the area (e.g. Moxie's, Marlowe, Keg). 

Total damage: $45.48 for all the food in the pictures. (Fed two people.)

Golden Star

Golden Star (7123 Yonge Street, Thornhill, Ontario)

I've already commented on the Golden Star burger, so here's the short version of why I like this place:

Homemade bacon burger.

Total damage: ~$12.

Première Moisson

Première moisson (895 De la Guachetière Street West, Montreal, Quebec)

I saw this spiked, little chocolate thing a couple of years ago but I didn't get it then. Every subsequent trip to Montreal, I tried looking for it, but I had forgotten where I had seen it. Several years later, I realized it was at the Première Moisson by the train station (Gare centrale).

I had this dessert a long time ago, so I don't remember what it tasted like, but I do remember that it was delicious! And that it was difficult for me to find the seating area in that weird hall thing. That may have been because I have invisible horse blinders around my face.

Would I return? I'd go back and try other stuff. That's especially considering the items I tried at their other location in Jean-Talon Market were very tasty.

Ap ku jung

Ap ku jung(6309 Yonge Street, North York)
(416) 229-6248

Complimentary side dishes

I like the tofu and the potatoes. And that green stuff.

Ginseng chicken.

The server comes with a giant pot of soup. Inside is the chicken, young ginseng, potatoes, etc.

After the soup boils a bit on the table, the server comes and serves each person sharing the dish their share of the chicken.

The first time I had this, the meat was moist and pretty good with the red hot sauce that is provided. Other times, the first few bites are moist, but then the chicken quickly becomes a dry, bland, stringy affair.

After the chicken is removed, noodles are put into the same soup. Again, each person's portion is served by the staff at the table.

I quite enjoy the green noodles. There's a plumpness to them that can be appreciated. The soup infuses a nice amount of flavours to the noodles as well.

Rice is poured into the cooking pot that formerly held the noodles. And after some thorough cooking, the result is chicken soup flavoured congee!

I prefer the thicker congee, so I like it when the rice cooks in the pot longer. The potatoes are mashed in the pot (by the server, usually) for added thickness. 

Tea

Renée introduced me to this ginseng chicken dish, and I really must thank her for that because it's kind of great. It uses one pot and wastes nothing. That one dish yields soup, chicken, noodles, and congee. My favourite part of the meal are the noodles and the sauce that goes with the chicken. The baby ginseng is edible, but it's not for everyone.

Would I return? Yes, but most likely in the winter. It's a little warm to eat so much hot food in the summer.

Total damage: I think it's about $15 per person.

Mr. Greek

Mr. Greek (161 York Boulevard, Richmond Hill, Ontario)
905-731-6600

No picture of bread this time, but it's usually toasted, warm, and buttered - in a good way.

Greek salad that comes with my meal.

I think it's the delicious feta cheese that fills me up.

Gyro dinner

Meat is good. Potatoes are good. Rice is okay.

Baklava. 

Would I return? Probably. The prices are pretty good for the amount of food you get. It's a chain you can find in some food courts, but they do it up pretty nice at this location. Also, it's easy to get seats there because it's not as crowded as the some of the neighbouring restaurants. Double also, Andrea really likes Greek salad.

Snacks from T&T

Rice Crackers... or MSG CRACK, as I like to call them.

So crispy, so full of MSG goodness, so addictive. I can finish a whole bag in one go on my own.

These were on sale. A box of 10 little packs was $4.99. 

So cute!

My other crack food.

Koala cookie commercial! I will totally ignore the fact that they were recalled in 2008 because they are just so darned delicious. 

Total damage: approximately $10 for two packs of MSG rice crack and one giant box of koala cookies.

La salle à manger

La salle à manger (1302, avenue Mont-Royal est, Montréal, Québec)
514-522-0777

Some sort of salmon dish?

I don't remember much from this dish, except that it was okay enough so that the next time we were in Montreal, we didn't mind going to this restaurant again. 

The power went out before we got our food, but that's not really the restaurant's fault. Staff came by with candles for our table.

I feel like the atmosphere is pretty casual.

Would I return? I might.

Total damage: approximately $50 for my meal (where I also ordered an eau-de-vie).

Green Tea and Whisky

I read about the combination of green tea and whisky online, and I wanted to give it a shot seeing as how I had a hard time drinking the Chivas by itself. 

I had actually attempted this before, but without much success. I figured I'd try it again, but with a more sugar laden brand of green tea. 

Josie's reaction: "This drink is magical. It makes the green tea taste more like green tea."

I have to agree with her assessment. The scotch whisky actually adds the bitterness back into the green tea, and the rough alcohol taste is practically completely masked. This drink IS magical.

Goldsor

Goldsor Restaurant (550 Highway 7 East, Richmond Hill, Ontario)
905-881-8392

Beef noodles

Vegetables are from frozen, but it's still pretty tasty. I like how the noodles are brown with flavour. 

Milk tea.

For the late night menu, most items include a drink. 

Mel's baked lobster and steak with fries.

The lobster is drenched in sauce, but Mel seemed to like it enough. 

Josie's spaghetti.

Would I return? Yes. This isn't my first time there, and that's because it's so cost efficient, I can't resist. Their late night menu is super cheap. I also like that they are open late. 

Hai Tang Cafe

Hai Tang Cafe (38 Buttonfield Road, Markham, Ontario)
905-477-8332

Beef brisket rice noodles in soup with a milk tea.

Pretty good, pretty cheap. 

Would I return? Yes. It's pretty good and pretty cheap. :)

Free ice cream!

Walking along the boardwalk on the beach, we saw a Bell truck giving away free ice cream. There was an awkward conversation with a representative that ultimately led to him saying, "... ... well... why don't you guys go have some free ice cream today." 

I'll take it!

I got vanilla, but there were other flavours too. Even thought it was super melty and dripping on my clothes, I can't really complain at free ice cream.

Total damage: free for me thanks to Bell!

Bitch Creek

Grand Teton Brewing Co. Bitch Creek Extra Special Brown Ale

The name thoroughly amused me.

After reading "extra special brown", I still had to ask what ESB stood for.

I think the most exciting part of this drink was its name. It tasted okay too.

Total damage: free for me thanks to Josie! She brought this back from the states.

Richmond Court

Richmond Court (328 Highway 7 East, Richmond Hill, Ontario)

905-886-7066

Beef with macaroni in soup.

That was an insane amount of beef that I was not expecting. I liked that the beef wasn't overcooked and weirdly chewy.

Plain fried rice noodle rolls with sweet and peanut sauces on the side.

Simple, yet delicious. 

Would I return? Yes. The food is cheap and filling, and it tastes good. I like this Richmond Court better than the one at Times Square Mall because it seems cleaner and a bit friendlier. It's also less crowded, but it closes earlier. 

Total damage: I don't remember... something affordably cheap. 

St. Louis Wings

St. Louis Bar and Grill (90 Edgeley Boulevard, Vaughan, Ontario)

Potato skins

I thought these were rather overpriced and underwhelming compared to their fries.

Eighteen wings (honey garlic and authentic barbecue) covered in fries.

Use the dill sauce on the fries. We all agreed that the fries are excellent. They're so crispy on the outside and thick. I liked the wing meat because it wasn't dry. Josie and Mel liked that the wings weren't overly battered and soggy. The authentic barbecue flavour is a bit spicy, and both Josie and Mel preferred the honey garlic wings. 

If one likes the wings there, one should go on a Tuesday when it is wing night. One's wallet will be thankful. (Note: must purchase drink to get deal. A pitcher works.)

Me and Jo split a pitcher of Canadian and one of Heineken. 

My taste buds might be dying, but both pitchers tasted a bit watered down to me... or the food was that flavourful. 

Would I return? Yes. Their fries and dill sauce are amazing. Their wings are good too. 

Total damage: approximately $30 for my share of the beer, wings, and potato skins.

The Stockyards

The Stockyards Smokehouse & Larder (699 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto)

416-658-9666

Hours:

Tues - Fri 11:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Sat - Sun 11:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Pulled pork sandwich

I liked it. The bun held up, there was lots of meat, and the coleslaw added some fresh, crunchy texture. There's a vinegar taste to it, but that's to be expected.

Juicy Lucy burger with fries

This was an item written on the specials menu. A Juicy Lucy is a burger where the cheese is inside the meat. Those deep fried pickles looked awesome. I wanted to steal one from Andrew's meal. There's no ketchup in the burger, but it does have mustard. The fries were okay. 

Andrew actually tricked me into thinking that this place had chicken and waffles. They might have before, but they didn't have any when we went. I liked what I got all the same. 

Would I return? Yes. Service is friendly, atmosphere is casual and relaxed, and food is pretty good.

Total damage for a pulled pork sandwich and a glass of homemade iced tea: $13.30.

Ten Ren

Ten Ren Tea (330 Highway 7 East, Richmond Hill)

905-881-8896

Fried tofu egg thing

There were more on the plate. I think there were nine of these pucks, actually. They tasted okay. The insides are smooth, and there's some pepper on the outsides. 

Total damage: approximately $7.

Asian Legend

Asian Legend (505 Highway 7 East, units 77-79, Markham, Ontario)
905-763-8211
Hours:
Mon - Thurs 11 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Fri - Sun 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Green beans

Nice and crunchy.

Dan dan noodles

Otherwise known as spicy peanut noodles. I like the flavour combination.

No idea what this is called, but it was good

It's the green onion pancake rolled up with slices of beef. Quite tasty! It's like a Chinese burrito. The beef and onion pairing is a popular one in cooking, and there's good reason for it. Perhaps it was because it was wrapped in foil while it was hot or maybe because it was laced with meat, the green onion pancake doesn't taste as dry as it would if it were on its own (which it is as another dish).

Steamed dumplings (siu long bao)

They were quite soupy and they came to the table steaming. It's a good idea to let them cool down before eating them so that you don't get burned. It's also good to know that they hold a lot of liquid and one can bite into them unknowingly and have meat juice drip down their chin in an embarrassing manner. The skin on them was a little thick.

Complimentary sweet dessert soup

Asian Legend is a chain of Chinese restaurants specializing in Northern style cuisine. I like that the place is nicely decorated and looks clean. I think they do a pretty good job with the quality of food, but I can't comment on the authenticity since I've never been to Northern China. Service is efficient.

Would I return? Yes. I like this style of cuisine, and the environment inside the restaurant is pretty good.

They deliver! And you can order online!

Total damage: free for me thanks to Chris!

2nd Level Pho Place at Times Square Mall

Restaurant Name Unknown (2nd floor in Times Square Mall)
I keep forgetting the name of this place!

Grilled oysters

I love that garlic sauce they use. The oysters themselves were a bit chewy this time, but normally they do a better job.

Red lamb curry pho.

So filling. It wasn't really spicy to me. The meat slices were the kind you can get from the grocery store to do hot pot with. I didn't have any complaints.

Would I return? Yes. I need to go and find out what that place is called!

Total damage for 2 people: $25.50.