Han Ba Tang

Han Ba Tang (4862 Yonge Street, Willowdale)
Phone number(416) 546-8218

The inside signs are much clearer than the outside ones.

Drink list! Includes a variety of infused soju cocktails. I enjoy their beer selection, too, which included Innis & Gunn and Samuel Adams. On tap, there was also Rickard's Red. A few of my favs.

 Two clean cuts. Not both for me.

It's a bit sweeter than I expected it to be, but still pretty tasty.

Kalbi tacos

Not bad. We liked that there was 'stuff' in the taco shells.

 Creamy rice cakes. 

Tasted like alfredo sauce on rice cakes. Sounds like something I'd concoct if I were out of pasta. Julie mentioned this being a different taste for her, thus making it her favourite dish of the night. 

Lobster tacos.

I like lobster! 

Pork belly and tofu.

Phoebe said it tasted really Asian. It was okay, but since I split one, I didn't get the tomato to see if that would've tasted weird.

 Scoop pizza.

Jenny said all she tasted was cheese. I actually didn't get that much cheese, so much as potato. It's a sweet potato base, but subtly sweet. I think this might've been my least favourite dish.

Spicy seafood soup.

It didn't taste like the usual Korean soup flavours that I was introduced to in Korea. It wasn't bad, just a lot more black pepper, and a lot less Korean red sauce taste.  

Crispy king prawns.

This was my favourite dish of the night. Shrimp was tasty, crispy sticks of sweet potato was awesomely salty. 

Would I return? I might. Now that I know which food items I prefer, I wouldn't mind trying their other stuff, and that drinks menu looked pretty interesting. Cocktails are $7 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Total damage: Approximately $15.50 per person (6 people), minus drinks, and minus the prawns which were on a different bill. 

Whisky Beer

Okay. Innis and Gunn original and J. P. Wiser's hopped whisky are both awesome products on their own, but combined... well, shit. It's magic. Innis & Gunn has this strong vanilla flavour and Wiser's hopped whisky has this chocolate taste that intensifies when mixed with other things. So magic is the product. That's the math I'm going for. And when I love two things separately, and they come together, the result is simply DAMN AWESOME! 

I heart whisky. I heart beer. I super heart whisky beer! 

This is dangerously delicious. Like, get me drunk every day dangerously delicious. I might just be tipsy right now.

Wine

I don't always drink wine, but when I do, it's picked out by my friends and delicious.

This Italian brand moscato tastes like sweet juice, in the best kind of way. 

This pinot gris is imported all the way from Sonoma. It's quite nice. Is not too dry for me, and tastes light. I'm not even at level novice for wine, so all that I can say is that I'd drink it again.

Cheers to Steph for introducing the moscato and to Casey for the Sonoma import! And cheers to classing up family time with wine!

Innis & Gunn White Oak Wheat Beer

Because I am brand loyal, I had to try this.

It's a bit sweet, kind of nutty (like cashews?),  a sort of orange peel taste, not very hoppy, and I think it's pretty delicious. I like it better than the toasted oak. 

Innis & Gunn Toasted Oak IPA

I got this because I am brand loyal. And it was on sale. Anyway, hoppy/bitter, but not disgustingly so. Toasted? Can't really taste it. Faint citrus taste. 

Would I get this again? Probably not. It was just to try. I'm trying my fourth bottle now. There's nothing amazing about this. Innis & Gunn Original is still my favourite. 

Chachago

Chachago (3 Elm Street, Toronto)

Have fun trying to Google this place... It all leads to stuff in Chicago. Even though, this is another Taiwan import to Toronto.

Taro milk tea.

Chunks! You can see the taro at the bottom of the cup. I was jealous because I didn't drink this.

Instead, I got the regular milk tea with bubbles.

It was okay. But I'm so used to roasted milk tea from Chatime that I missed the roasted flavour. That might've been why I thought there was too much milk. Can't really complain as it's the free one in 'buy one get one free'. 

Would I return? Maybe to try the taro drink. But to be honest, it's quite a bit more expensive than the other bubble tea places downtown. I think the prices were about $6-8. I could get downtown alcohol for those prices.

Kaiju

Kaiju (384 Yonge Street, Toronto)

647-748-6338

kaijutoronto@gmail.com

Hours: 

Mon - Fri: 11 AM - 8 PM

Sat: 12 PM - 7 PM (only day they sell tofu cheesecake by the slice)

Sun: closed

Trouble finding this place? It's in this maze of a basement under Aura, part of what looks like a semi-abandoned food court. 

Kaiju poutine $6

Curry and grated cheese on seasoned, thick cut fries. Good-sized fries. Could do with some double frying for extra crispiness. Salty enough for me, and the sweetness of the curry adds some contrasting flavour. Overall, not bad since the curry has gravy-like consistency. I wonder what it'd be like with cheese curds.

After being offered a sample of their Japanese curry, it's pretty evident that it tastes different from other curries (at least the ones that I've had). It's sweeter, and it kind of has a slight fruity taste. 

They heartily advertise their curry, which includes various spices, fruits (makes sense to my tastebuds), and vegetables; however, I think the most unique thing about my experience there is that they came out of the stall to bring our food to us in the food court. They also came by as we were eating, and checked with us how the food was. Food court service. Cool.

Would I return? Yes. I think I'll definitely have to try the katsu next. And I really want to try their tofu cheesecake, but it's only sold on Saturdays. Prices are not so cheap, but it's downtown, and what I tasted was pretty good. Plus, I totally got served in my seat in a food court. Who does that? Kaiju.

The Fry

The Fry (6012 Yonge Street, Toronto)

(416) 546-0483

Spicy rice cake with seafood

It couldn't have been that spicy because Renée could eat it. I'd say it's more like mild. There was shrimp, there was mussel, there was cheese. I enjoyed it. We also got the small fried chicken, which was basically half a chicken, cut up, battered, and deep-fried. It came out with two small sauce cups: one with salt, black pepper, and sesame seeds, and another with a sweet, spicy, red sauce. The chicken seemed like it had just come out of the fryer as it burned my mouth when I shoved the first piece in. Texture-wise, the crispiness was perfect. I would've liked some seasoning in the batter, but the salt accompaniment was good enough for me. Renée and I both agreed that the little salt dish was necessary and helped complete the taste. 

Something to note: we asked the difference between their crispy chicken and fried chicken. Apparently, fried chicken has thicker batter. *shrug* Also, they only had Sapporo on tap.

Would I return? Yes. Their beer/soju and chicken combos are not listed on the website. And I wouldn't mind trying their other flavours of fried chicken. With ample beer. Banchan includes pickled radishes (YUM!), salad, corn, and coleslaw. I quite enjoy the Korean chicken and beer thing. It's a thing! Prices are... on the website.

J. P. Wiser's Hopped Whisky

I'm in trouble. They've made whisky taste like chocolate. LIKE FREAKIN' CHOCOLATE! 

I was freaking out when I realized what was going on after sipping on this. I expected a bit of beer or bitterness taste from the advertised 'hopped' part, but all I can taste is chocolate. Something like rich, dark, delicious, alcoholic chocolate. This is so nice. So, so nice. I need to go buy many more bottles of this STAT because DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE WHISKY. 

Shit.

P. S. No burn.

Scaddabush

Scaddabush (382 Yonge Street Unit #7, Toronto)

(416) 597-8838

Hours of Operation:

Sun–Wed: 11am – 1am

Thurs-Sat: 11am – 2am

The lighting in this place is dim, romantical lighting, candles included - real candles, with the wax melting on to a tray. 

Avocado and goat cheese bruschetta

Potato parmesan crusted snapper

Tiramisu

This is a delayed post, so I don't remember much... but I had no complaints, so that's good. Service was friendly and attentive enough for me. 

This tiramisu was way more legit looking than the one from that other Summerlicious place that I went to. (That one looked nothing like the picture on their menu.)

According to their website, they'll be opening a location in Richmond Hill, so that's cool.

Please excuse the blurry pictures taken in romantical lighting.

Mighty Angus Burger

There is a promotion at McDonald's to get the mighty Angus burger combo for $7 (plus tax), but only at the locations on Yonge Street, between Bloor and Front. The promo goes on for unannounced length of time.

The burger itself is big enough, and looks exciting. There is a good half inch in height of meat. The bun holds well, and this might be the best beef I've had from McDonald's. (I'm comparing this to the "100% beef" in the Big Mac.) It works, but my one gripe is that the sauce is a bit too sweet for me. 

All in all, not bad for the promo price, but I wouldn't pay $9-something (pre-tax) for this combo.

Portland Beer

High off our Maine Brew Bus tour, we decided to grab a random collection of beer to try back at our hotel. We paired our beer with blue cheese and buffalo wing XX popcorn from Coastal Maine Popcorn Co. 

Ballast Point grapefruit sculpin: Thought it'd be sweet, but it was kind of bitter, and too hoppy. 

Allagash Saison: I do not remember, but I guess it was okay if I made no bad notes about it? 

Hitachino Nest Japanese classic ale: Very woody taste, and enhanced the blue cheese flavoured popcorn greatly. 

Ram Island iced Tea Mead from Maine Mead Works: Sweet, but has that very American iced tea taste. Enhanced the spiciness of the Buffalo XX popcorn. We enjoyed this very much, as we all agreed to buy and share it when we had tried it at the brewery. 

As for the popcorn from Coastal Maine Popcorn Co., it's flavoured popcorn; what can go wrong? It was pretty fun seeing which beers would bring out which popcorn flavour. 

Beer and popcorn time antics with Jo post to come. 

Sweet O'Clock

Sweet O'Clock (5461 Yonge Street, North York)

647-352-5461

This is another North York Yonge Street place that has been receiving quite a bit of attention since it has opened. 

Taro tofu pudding. 

I actually ordered taro balls tofu pudding... but I guess they didn't hear that. I think I might just get a Mandarin-speaking friend to order for me next time. It was fine, though, since the taro was pretty good. The chunks of taro are huge and soft, and very hearty. 

We decided to get take-out since there were no tables available. The order took a little while, but the wait wasn't unbearable. Monique said it tasted like the stuff she had in Taiwan, so I guess it's pretty authentic-tasting.

Would I return? Sure! We saw someone order a supreme mango crushed ice thing, and it looked pretty glorious with it's scoop of ice cream on top. Plus, I would like to try their taro balls, and see if Zen-Q has some real, local taro ball competition.

Total damage: $6.77.

Artisan Noodle

Artisan Noodle (5421 Yonge Street, North York)

647-345-1155

Hours (from website):

Mon - Thurs: 11:30 - 10:30

Fri: 11:30 - 11:00

Sat - Sun: 12:00 - 11:00

But here's something good to know: they're closed on Tuesdays.

Every time I pass by this place, there is always people in it. During meal times, a line can often be seen out the door. There seems to be hype around this place since it opened not too long ago. Take-out is encouraged by staff to preserve their tiny seating section, I guess. 

They offer Xi'an style food... I'm not going to pretend that I know where that is or what that food is supposed to taste like.

Pork jia mo $3.99.

It was good. The bun is crispy on the outside, and the meat is a good amount. It was leaking meat juices as Monique ate it. Meat juice is always good. Pretty filling.

Yo po biang biang mian $9.99. It's noodles with meat and vegetables with garlic, ginger, and chilli oil sauce.

This is a pretty colourful and exciting dish. There is a good amount of raw garlic and scallions on top, so be sure to mix before eating, and talk less after eating. Monique seemed to like her order.

The "hand-slapped" fat noodles of the yo po biang biang mian.

 Soy stewed beef noodle soup $9.99.

I am a sucker for noodles made by hand. There is a nice bounce to them. Good portion of meat and noodles. The soup definitely had a nice soy sauce flavour to it. Couldn't complain about the meat.

My one gripe is that the whole place seats about ten people in pretty squished arrangement. It's hard to get to the bench along the wall without knocking or moving a table. There's a mural featuring cartoon people making noodles, all with a look that I can only describe as maniacal laughter face. It's a little funny and kind of scary at the same time. On another wall, a light-projected logo spins and spins and spins. The table legs are made of pipes; they look cool, but try not to hit them with your shins.

Would I return? Yup! I quite enjoyed the pork jia mo and soy stewed beef noodle soup, and I would be interested in trying out the other noodles they offer, too. The prices are fair, and portions are happily filling. Also, I am a bit of a noodle monster. It's not a fancy place (water is given out of styrofoam cups, and we used disposable chopsticks to eat), but it's comfy enough. I'd probably do take-out next time anyway because I'm not a fan of cramped spaces full of people.

Top four photos taken by Monique. Thanks to her for checking this place out with me! Go Mandarin-speaking friends who order for me!

Ginger Mead

Ginger Mead by Trafalgar Ales and Meads

I was introduced to mead on a brew tour, and it seemed pretty cool: alcohol derived from honey.

The ingredients in this particular mead I picked up seems so simple.

The taste is not as spicy as I thought it'd be, but there is a ginger taste. It sort of goes down like beer in bitterness, but finishes like wine, possibly because of the acidity. Beer grape juice comes to mind?! The honey is very light. I feel like it needs to be sweeter.

Pros: 8.5% alcohol/volume. Might go well in Coke.

Cons: Too much bitter without other flavours. Cork took me too much effort to remove; like hand-hurting effort. It's got nothing on the delicious iced tea mead I had in Boston.

Would I purchase this again? Probably not... I have to try everything else, and this ain't got nothing on my regular beer.

Green Tea KitKat

Received this import from Japan

It has the KitKat crunch, but it the sweetness is cut with bitterness from the green tea taste. It's a sweet snack for those who don't prefer sweets. :) 

Cheers to Phoebe for this import! 

Kaki no tane

Back a very long while ago, I was talking to Onesan about these Japanese MSG crackers that I love to eat. I lamented about the peanuts that got in the way, and was only aware of one brand available in Canada that didn't have the peanuts. At the time, that brand could only be found in wasabi flavour. So she got this shipped from Japan:

Kaki no tane. Kaki is the snack (or means bird seed or something like that), and tane is peanuts. So kaki no tane is my jam, so to speak. They were MSG delicious! Major thanks to Onesan for this import. 

Boilermaker

Boilermaker. Yeah, I did. It's only Monday. Or maybe, because it's Monday...

Crown Royal and Sleeman's honey brown.

Honestly... I am not a huge fan of Crown Royal. I prefer my other whiskies... so I was trying to 'get rid' of it... by mixing it with beer. Turns out, whisky and beer is a thing - a thing called boilermaker. :)