Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

Roy’s Waikiki

226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

Roy’s in Waikiki is located right near the action in the Waikiki beachwalk neighbourhood. First started in Hollywood, California in 1984, Roy soon decided to head back to his hometown to open a restaurant in 1988. Roy’s is now a successful gourmet chain with restaurants all over the Hawaiian Islands and the rest of the United States. Their Hawaiian menu features local ingredients and Asian Fusion flavours. It was perfect for our sushi craving and love for sake.

Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

We started off our meal with a bottle of Ginjo sake, imported from Japan, it was light, easy drinking. This particular sake was delicate and fragrant in flavour and more of the soft and sweet side of the flavour palate as opposed to full bodied, dry, heavier sakes I’ve tried. It was a nice refreshing way to start our meal. I’ve always preferred drinking sake ice cold as opposed to warm, especially in tropical places.

Juntao roll, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

For our sushi craving, we ordered a couple of rolls. The Juntao roll was filled with tempura pork belly, cucumber, wasabi, aioli and dressed with some citrus ponzu gelee. They love ponzu sauce here on the Island, it’s present in many dishes and all the poke we have had was doused in the stuff. The pork belly was juicy in this roll, but there was only enough of it in each bite to tease our taste buds.

The Frying dragon roll, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

Our favourite roll was the “Frying Dragon,” filled with unagi, avocado, miso butterfish, macadamia nuts, and spicy wasabi sauce. This roll was amazing, it was gorgeous on the plate and I loved the crunchy outer crust. The unagi was also salty and delicious and even though the roll was thick, the big slices of sushi rolls held together as we ate, no crumbling rice here.

The Frying Dragon roll, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

Next up, I had to try some traditional Hawaiian poke. We ordered the traditional big eye ahi poke, it was mixed in with Maui onion, ogo, inamona, chili and sprinkled with Hawaiian salt. Poke is a traditional Hawaiian dish consisting of cubed raw fish, traditionally tuna dressed with sea salt, crushed inamona (a nut called candlenut in the walnut family), soy sauce, sesame oil and chili pepper. I’ve seen enough episodes of Top Chef to want to try this stuff. I had imagined it tasting like the sashimi salad we have in Vancouver, we were surprised to find that the poke was extremely salty. There were actually giant specs of Hawaiian salt that we spotted on the fish. The extreme saltiness in this dish definitely jolted our taste buds awake. Each bite left a lingering numbing feeling on our tongues as the Hawaiian salt melted away.

Poke, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

Wanting to sample as many items on the menu as possible, we ordered Roy’s Beach Walk Trio which had three of the chef’s signature dishes: Hibachi grilled salmon, macadamia nut crusted white fish and the critically acclaimed misoyaki butterfish served with a side of rice.

Roy’s Beach Walk Trio, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

We had heard rave reviews about the butterfish. When we told people we were eating at Roy’s, the misoyaki butterfish came up in conversation. We can see why, the butterfish was definitely the star of the trio. It had that incomparable ‘melt-in-your-mouth’ smooth, rich goodness to each bite. The fish was fragrant and beautiful in the dish, and tasted even better than it looked. The flavours were deep and seductive, salty, sweet with a hint of nuttiness. There is also a full order of the misoyaki butterfish offered on the menu too.

Misoyaki butterfish, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

The hibachi grilled salmon was no competition for that epic butterfish. Used to eating lots of salmon in Vancouver, we were very picky about the fish so we found Roy’s rendition only average and verging on the dry side. The flavours were fresh but the dish definitely didn’t have that elusive “je ne se quoi” element that made the misoyaki butterfish so memorable.

Hibachi grilled salmon, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

The macadamia nut crusted white fish was totally lacking a sauce. I love macadamia nuts or what they call here in Hawaii mac nuts. But I’ve found that restaurants don’t do much to dress up the nut, they just chop it up and sprinkle it on top of fish, pancakes or whatever else. The flavours of the mac nuts are incredible but this dish was missing something to melt the mac nut flavours into the white fish. The crispy crust on the white fish featured mac nuts but the crust did nothing to enhance the delicate flavours of the fish.

Macadamia nut crusted white fish, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

Our server asked us three times whether or not we wanted dessert, the strange thing was, he kept asking us in the beginning of the meal. We found out this was because the desserts take up to 30 minutes to prepare, the pastries are probably made-to-order.

Pineapple upside down cake, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

We chose the pineapple upside-down cake which turned out to be a gorgeous little golden cake with lots of sweet, caramelized pineapples and a buttery crust. It was the perfect sweet finish to a lovely meal.

Pineapple upside cake, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

Since Roy’s is located in the heart of downtown Waikiki, we got to enjoy a nice evening stroll along the beach walk.

Morimoto Waikiki, 1775 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI

Morimoto Waikiki

1775 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI (inside the Modern Honolulu Hotel)

Up the stairs and through a set of giant majestic white doors is Morimoto Waikiki, owned by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. For those of you who have been living under a rock, Iron Chef is a culinary game show that originated in Japan. Two chefs battle for the title of “Iron Chef” by making a meal out of the secret ingredient revealed only moments before the competition beings. Chef Morimoto is an Iron Chef from the original TV series, he also appears on the American adaptation of the show. Our server told us that Chef Morimoto often stops into the restaurant to meet with the staff and introduce new menu items to the kitchen crew. He wasn’t at the restaurant during our visit since he was busy on Maui opening a new restaurant. The spacious dining room at Morimoto is impressive and inviting. Some of the table tops were constructed out of glass cases that contained water gardens of brilliant green aqua plants. We were seated on the patio with a backdrop of sailboats, the tables were a chic, sparkly white, the chopsticks were made of a clear plastic and each table was dressed with a single candle inside a slender frosted glass.

As we waited for our food, I enjoyed a lychee breeze cocktail, which was refreshing and sweet. I loved the giant, whole lychee floating in the drink, soaking up the cocktail and staying plump and juicy. It really whet my appetite.

In the spirit of all the Iron Chef Battles I’ve watched on TV, this blog post will be written according to Iron Chef judging criteria: for a maximum of 20 points, 10 points will be awarded for taste, 5 points for plating and 5 points for originality. The secret ingredient is: Hawaii’s freshest ingredients. The competitor: our Iron Stomachs. Allez cuisine!

First dish: Toro Tartare with wasabi, Maui onion, dashi soy and a selection of dipping sauces

Taste: 9, Plating: 10, Originality: 9

Like a work of art, the silky smooth toro tartare was plated up so beautifully, we almost didn’t want to ruin the display by eating it. Known as one of Morimoto’s signature dishes, the toro tartare is chopped up so finely, that it can be shaped into a shallow, rectangular dish. The dipping sauces were just as original as the texture of the tartare, my favourite was the little rice krispies, whimsical and tasty, the rice added a crunch to the dish. I also loved the sour cream but I mostly ate the tartare on its own, it was so fresh and flavourful. We were armed with little metal paddles and were instructed to scoop the tartare upwards to remove it from the rectangular dish. There was also a sweet and sour little plum in the dish to cleanse our palates. I was impressed that the server spent a lot of time with us explaining how to eat the dish, the concept behind it and he went into depth to point out all the ingredients. I appreciated the thoughtful and thorough service, it really added to our experience.

Second dish: Morimoto Sashimi, seared toro, smoked salmon, eel, tuna, hamachi, five sauces

Taste: 8, Plating: 10, Originality: 10

The most fun thing about this dish were the five sauces that came in little plastic squeeze bottles. We were encouraged to paint the sauces onto the large white plate, using the plate as a canvas. It was like kindergarten art class all over again. We thoroughly enjoyed engaging with this dish and playing with our food. The sauces ranged from salty, sweet to spicy but we preferred to eat the sashimi cubes plain. I was surprised to find the sashimi plated up in this manner, I am used to seeing sahimi just simply sliced and fanned out on a plate with radish and lettuce. These little cubes of raw fish were decadent but may have affected the taste. All we could taste was the smoked salmon. We love smoked salmon but the other delicate flavours of the toro and hamachi were no competition for the scene stealing salmon. We did deconstruct the little cube and eat the sashimi slice by slice, it was delicious eaten separately but we may have destroyed a carefully conceived concept for the dish.

Third dish: Duck, duck, duck, seared duck breast, duck confit spring roll, duck meatball soup

Taste: 9, Plating: 10, Originality: 8

I kept thinking about the elementary school game, “duck, duck, goose,” while I was eating this dish. It would have been creative if Morimoto added some foie gras to the dish and added “goose” to the name of the dish. This dish was delicious and lovely, top marks for plating once again. The least attractive item on the dish turned out to be the most delicious though. The homey and rustic looking pot pie in the top left of the dish looks like something served up amongst the working class in “Game of Thrones,” the little knobby-looking duck meatball inside is incredible, gamey and moist, it was little but scrumptious. I kept fishing around with my spoon for more of them after I hungrily gobbled one up. The duck soup was also very clear and fresh tasting, not heavy and overpowering. The duck breast was a showstopper, seared to perfection, it was moist and juicy. The spring rolls added a wonderful texture to the dish with its crispy shell and little bits of tasty duck confit inside.

Fourth dish: Seafood ‘toban yaki,’ keahole lobster, alaskan king crab, mussel, clam, diver scallop, spicy red miso-sake broth

Taste: 8, Plating: 7, Originality: 8

Points deducted for plating, we have seen this elsewhere. Traditionally cooked with beef, the seafood toban yaki was a great twist on the dish. Leaving the lobster and crab legs in their shells was brilliant as the dramatic red added to the aesthetic of the dish. The variety of seafood was excellent, some of the meat seemed overcooked though, it might have been wise to include a side plate with the ceramic dish. As the seafood soaked up the delicious and spicy miso-sake broth, it may have become overcooked. The broth was shockingly spicy, almost to the ‘tongue on fire’ level.

Dessert: Tofu cheesecake, kuromitsu, kinako, adzuki

Taste: 10, Plating: 10, Originality: 9

This was a light refreshing dessert. It’s appropriate for the Eastern palate, reminiscent of feathery light Japanese cheesecakes, subtly sweet and delicate. I have only had tofu cheesecake one other time at West in Vancouver, even that cheesecake was a little bit more dense than this fragile Morimoto version.

Dessert: Chocolate peanut bombe, milk chocolate cremeux, peanut dragee, salted peanut ice cream

Taste: 10, Plating: 10, Originality: 9

This was one of my favourite items, maybe because it was the combination of my two favourite flavours: chocolate and peanut butter. And to top it all off, the cake was decorated with a shiny 24 carat gold leaf. The chocolate cake was more of a soft and smooth mousse, but the flavours were so rich and dense, just a little spoonful deserves hours of savouring. The little pile of peanuts on one end of the cake added a salty, crunchy texture to the dish and the rich salted peanut ice cream topped off the dish with the perfect amount of salty to sweet ratio.

We had a wonderful time at Morimoto Waikiki and would gladly return to try it again. There is also an omakase option which would be interesting to try next time.

Winner of this battle: Iron Chef Morimoto, an innovative genius in wielding Hawaiian ingredients!

Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 145 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON

Ruth’s Chris Steak House

145 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON

Before I came to Toronto, I’ve never even heard of Ruth’s Chris. I know, what kind of foodie am I? Turns out, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse has a major girl power back story. The first Chris Steak House was opened in New Orleans in 1927 by entrepreneur, Chris Matulich. Years after that, in 1967, a single mother, Ruth Fertel bought the restaurant in order to earn money to send her children to college. With zero restaurant experience, Ruth Fertel learned everything there was to know about owning and running a steakhouse, everything from butchering the meat to cooking and delivering high end restaurant service. For years, Chris Steakhouse was the only upscale steakhouse in New Orleans with an all-female waitstaff. Soon after, the restaurant was renamed: Ruth’s Chris Steak House. It’s now one of the largest steakhouse chains in the United States.

A portrait of Ruth Fertel is in the foyer of the restaurant. The restaurant ambiance is of any other upscale steakhouse, brick walls, crisp white tablecloths, dim lighting. Something about the restaurant conveys a warm, southern hospitality though. The cozy but formal dining room is surprisingly inviting and comfortable despite the fancy setting.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 145 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON

We made sure to starve ourselves before dinner. Even the bread was delicious. I’m not exaggerating. Wrapped in a thick white cloth napkin in a stainless steel bread basket, the bread was hot to the touch, not gently warm, it was scorching hot. I didn’t mind my nearly burned fingertips though because the creamy butter melted like a dream on each slice of bread. The perfect start to a memorable meal.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 145 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON

We ordered a lobster bisque to start. It was creamy and dense with substantial chunks of lobster meat near the bottom of the bowl. I love the saltiness and the subtle but present brininess in the soup.

Lobster bisque, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 145 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON

The best thing about Ruth’s Chris steaks? They are served practically swimming in a dish of melted butter. We ordered a filet mignon and a sirloin. Both were cooked to perfection, with an amazing char on the outside and a bright pink and moist center. That butter really seeps into the meat, complimenting the gamey flavours.

Filet mignon steak, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 145 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON

The steaks tasted like they were simply seasoned, maybe with just a dash of salt and pepper. The butter did the rest. The meat was tender and moist and each bite nearly melted in my mouth.

Sirloin steak, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 145 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON

Sirloin steak, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 145 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON

The sides we ordered were mashed sweet potatoes with a brown sugar crumb topping and mashed potatoes. I loved the sweet potatoes much more  than the classic mashed potatoes. The caramelized brown sugar was amazing on top of the sweet and creamy root vegetable (and I don’t even normally like vegetables!). The sweet potatoes had a deep, earthy sweetness to them that I quickly got addicted to. I definitely had way more spoonfuls of these sweet potatoes than I did the other side dish.

Mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar topping, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 145 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON

The classic mashed potatoes were tasty as well, no match for the sweet potatoes, but they definitely held their own. Lightly dressed with melted butter on top and a sprinkle of parsley, the mashed potatoes were creamy but rustically mashed enough so there was still some lively texture to the dish. The mashed potatoes were heavy on the butter, which I loved.

Mashed potatoes, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 145 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON

Believe it or not, I actually saved room for dessert. We ordered a New York cheesecake with a blueberry topping. The cheesecake was dense, creamy and smooth and totally hit the spot for me. I wasn’t keen on the hard cookie crust and ended up just scrapping as much cake as I could from it, abandoning it on the plate. All in all, this was one of the best meals I’ve ever had.

Cheesecake, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 145 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON

I was also impressed with the service, our server happily took our picture (it was obvious that it was my first time in a Ruth’s Chris) and another server was quick and courteous about clearing our plates after each course. It was honestly my first encounter with a bread crumb sweeper, that long metal device that is swept over the tablecloth to clear breadcrumbs. I have to find out where to buy one of those.

I can’t wait to revisit Ruth’s Chris!

Cowbell, 1564 Queen Street West, Parkdale, Toronto, Ontario

Cowbell
1564 Queen Street West, Parkdale, Toronto, Ontario

I’ll admit that I picked Cowbell for dinner solely based on its name. You guessed it. It reminded me of the famously hilarious Will Ferrell SNL skit, Cowbell. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to feast on Cowbell’s truly unique and local, organic menu items. The restaurant closed its doors for good this past Saturday. We wish Mark Cutrara the best of luck with future projects but till then, scroll down and feast your eyes on the delectable last meal we enjoyed at Cowbell.

The concept of Cowbell is not only incorporating local and organic food into the menu but trailblazing through the whole-animal dining movement. Cowbell purchases the entire cow from local farms and finds creative and delectable ways to cook, preserve and use each part of the animal, never wasting, and most importantly, never disrespecting the animal. Chef Mark Cutrara is trained as a butcher and has explored countless ways to prepare each cut of beef. Dining at Cowbell is a special experience. Check out the below video on Mark Cutrara’s take on the whole-animal food movement.

Nose to tail dining is still very much a hot trend in Toronto so I’m surprised that Cowbell closed its doors. Then again, perhaps the run-down neighbourhood of Parkdale was never the right place for a small European style bistro. It’s just slightly out of the way, it’s not easy to find, and the neighbourhood is just slightly too dodgy for foot traffic.

The menu at Cowbell changes daily, it’s scrawled in charmingly endearing writing on chalkboards in the restaurant.

On the night that we visited, there was a wide selection of all sorts of meats from duck to trout to the coveted trademark beef dishes.

The Cowbell Charcuterie was served up on a wooden cutting board with an artistic smear of spicy mustard, salty and scrumptious cured meats and my absolute favourite, duck pate, gracefully piped in a ruffly fashion on the end of the cutting board. The pate was rich and decadent, ever so slightly gamey and smooth and creamy. No one else at the table seemed to enjoy it as much as me so I ended up devouring most of it. We even had to order more bread because I just couldn’t get enough of the pate.

Next up was what was listed as chowder on the chalkboard menu but was really a very rich and creamy, thick sauce coating a perfectly seared, tender trout served in a clay pot with giant chunks of lobster and potato. It was incredible.

An unsuspectingly spicy item on the menu was the Breakfast sammy. Piled on top of a toasted English muffin was bacon, a perfectly fried duck egg, BBQ sauce and spicy n’duja. I didn’t think much of the spicy n’duja when I read it on the chalkboard menu, I thought it would be like pepperoni. Boy, was I mistaken. N’duja turned out to be a soft spreadable pork sausage that was so shockingly spicy, it brought tears to my eyes. The spiciness was so strong, it really just masked what everything else on the dish tasted like.

One of my favourite dishes of the night was the beef tongue, cheek and heart risotto. This dish truly exemplified Cowbell’s concept of nose to tail dining. I loved the various chunks of tender and chewy beef in the creamy risotto. It gave the rice dish an added richness and depth of flavour that just can’t be achieved with seafood risotto. Just the colours in the dish were strikingly beautiful too: reds, pinks and fresh sprigs of greens.

The duck poutine was equally tasty. I was disappointed that they used aged cheddar as opposed to traditional cheese curds though. Technically, leaving out squeaky cheese curds would really make this dish melted cheese on top of duck and fries. However, the cheddar was very delicious and the fries were crispy, salty and delectable. There was a generous helping of duck meat in the dish, and the meat was cooked perfectly. All in all, the “poutine” was delicious but probably not as inventive as the beef tongue risotto.

The two desserts of the night were a vanilla panna cotta and a graham cracker ice cream. I love vanilla ice cream but I absolutely despise crumbly, dry graham cracker crumbs and our dish of ice cream was basically three creamy scoops of vanilla ice cream with crumbs smooshed in. I have to admit it added texture to the ice cream, but didn’t do anything taste-wise for me.

I much preferred the cold, creamy but light vanilla panna cotta, speckled with vanilla bean seeds and decorated with some sweet and tart berry puree.

I’m sorry to see Cowbell go but glad I got to try the menu before the restaurant closed its doors for good.

Momofuku has been all the rage in Toronto. I haven’t visited yet but I’ve become obsessed with a new travel cooking show featuring Momofuku owner, David Chang. The Mind of a Chef literally takes viewers into the mind of culinary trailblazer, David Chang. Narrated by David Chang’s buddy, Anthony Bourdain, and created by the producers of No Reservations, The Mind of a Chef takes viewers around the world and into David Chang’s own kitchen to learn about all different types of food and customs, from ramen to raw scallops.

For diehard fans of Aziz Ansari, you’ll love the episode where he, David Chang and Montreal’s famed Chefs, Fred Morin and David McMillan visit a unique deli in Montreal called Wilensky for fried bologna sandwiches. The sandwich is so special, it has its own trademark.

True to the name of the show, David Chang brings viewers into his kitchen. We get a taste of what goes on in his mind as he intricately dissects seemingly simple dishes like a puffed egg.

Have you heard of a hot brown? I haven’t but it was invented as the ultimate hangover food: created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky  in 1926. The hot brown is ‘an open faced meat and cheese fest smothered in sauce; arteries beware!’ warns Anthony Bourdain in the voice over dripping with his trademark hyperbole. I think I would eat the hot brown even it I wasn’t hung over.

For a taste of fine dining, in the Seafood Freestyle episode, David Chang introduces viewers to his best friend, Chef Rene Redzepi of two-Michelin star restaurant, Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark. I also love raw scallops more than cooked ones but what piqued my curiosity the most about this episode were the green strawberries.

Why are we watching David Chang if he’s not revealing some secrets about that famous ramen at Momofuku? Well he does, bringing viewers to markets in Japan, he talks about ‘building layers’ in Momofuku ramen broth. Other episodes include exploration into old world culinary techniques like the making of tofu in a Tokyo village as well as demystifying modern cuisine as David Chang demonstrates how strawberry foam is made.

The show is high in production quality, scenes are interspersed with sharp, clever and whimsical graphics like the egg carton in the puffed egg clip labeled with ‘Puffed Egg.’ The camera lingers for just the right amount of time on steaming dishes to make viewers drool but cuts away with just the right clean, stylized animated images that connotes a rebellious, innovative tone as opposed to drole formulaic food travel documentaries. In other words, this is the combo of two food masterminds: Bourdain and Chang exposing everything there is to know about food from Canada to Asia to Europe. Tune in at PBS, full episodes can be found here.

Elliott’s Oyster House, 1201 Alaskan Way Pier 56, Seattle, WA

Elliott’s Oyster House

1201 Alaskan Way Pier 56, Seattle, WA

We spotted Elliott’s from our perch on the Seattle Great Wheel and had to check it out. The restaurant is divided into two sections: a fancier dining area indoors and a patio for more casual dining. Since it was a warm and clear evening, we opted for the patio. The patio offered pretty spectacular views of Seattle’s waterfront at sunset.

Elliott’s Oyster House, 1201 Alaskan Way Pier 56, Seattle, WA

I loved the little metal basket of complimentary chips at our table, even though it was a mixed selection of chewy stale chips and crispier, freshly fried pieces (I was just very hungry at that point!).

Elliott’s Oyster House, 1201 Alaskan Way Pier 56, Seattle, WA

The first thing we ordered was oysters! Fresh on the day that we visited were Dabob Bay oysters, Hammersley Inlet oysters and Eld Inlet oysters.

Elliott’s Oyster House, 1201 Alaskan Way Pier 56, Seattle, WA

The Eld Inlet oysters were the plumpest and smoothest in flavour with a clean finish and velvety flesh.

The Hammersley Inlet oysters were like the meatier and chunkier cousins of my beloved Royal Miyagi oysters with a fruity finish and clean, smooth salty taste.

Elliott’s Oyster House, 1201 Alaskan Way Pier 56, Seattle, WA

The Dabob Bay oysters were the most briny in flavour. Although, they’re from the west coast, their flavour reminded me of Boston oysters.

Steamed mussels, Elliott’s Oyster House, 1201 Alaskan Way Pier 56, Seattle, WA

We couldn’t eat at a seafood restaurant without trying the mussels! Served on a giant bed of shoestring fries with mayo and ketchup for dipping, the mussels were steamed  in white wine and herbs. I was pleased with the chubby mussels, practically bursting out of their black shells. This totally satisfied my mussel craving.

Fried oyster, Elliott’s Oyster House, 1201 Alaskan Way Pier 56, Seattle, WA

We also ordered some breaded and fried oysters with chips. Somehow the fried oysters were much larger than our freshly shucked ones on the half-shell but I’m not complaining. I loved the crisp and crusty coating on these oysters and the moist and juicy oyster meat inside.

I would highly recommend Elliott’s!

Apothic White

I missed the epic Apothic Wine launch party but Dunn PR was kind enough to send me a bottle of Apothic White to try. We served the wine during Thanksgiving dinner; the smooth textures and fruity taste went perfectly with our scalloped potatoes.

Apothic White

I even love the bottle the wine comes in, reminiscent of seductive goth culture and secret underground lairs. The name, Apothic was inspired by the “Apotheca,” described on the bottle label as a mysterious place where wine was blended and stored in 13th century Europe. Apothic White is a blend of three of my favourites: Chardonnay, Riesling and Moscato. The result is a very crisp and tropical tasting wine, with hints of honey but also sweet undertones of nectarine, peach and apricot.

Apothic White

Just like a slow and sexy seduction, Apothic White kind of takes you for a surprise after the first few sips. At first, I was thinking that this would be easy drinking, the wine is smooth and honey flavoured upon the first sip. Then after a little while, the subtle spices tickled my tongue and the inside of my cheeks. And when I got to the bottom of my first glass, the bold tropical flavours had taken over and I could taste the sweet, tangy finish as much as I could taste our rich pumpkin dessert after dinner.

Apothic White

Apothic White comes from California and will only be available in select release markets. Check their website for more details: http://www.apothic.com/

Portland City Grill, 30th floor, 111 SW 5th Ave., Portland, OR

Portland City Grill

30th floor, 111 SW 5th Ave., Portland, OR

We got a small glimpse into Portland high life when we stopped in at the Portland City Grill. Granted, we were there because we heard about the fabulous happy hour:  4 pm to 7 pm and 9 pm till close from Monday to Saturday. Portland City Grill is located on the 30th floor so it boasts the best views in Portland: with large picture windows on all sides of the restaurant, diners can feast on spectacular views of all the city’s bridges and rooftops on a clear day.

Portland City Grill, 30th floor, 111 SW 5th Ave., Portland, OR

We ordered a couple of cocktails to quench our thirst: two fruity mojitos which were definitely more on the fruity side than the minty side. On the plus side, they were only $5. Cheers to happy hour. Another plus about Portland City Grill is they validate parking. Too bad we had already parked in another lot.

Portland City Grill, 30th floor, 111 SW 5th Ave., Portland, OR

Portland City Grill, 30th floor, 111 SW 5th Ave., Portland, OR

The signature appy at Portland City Grill is the kung pao calamari so we had to order that. It turned out to be the most delicious item we ordered. The squid was crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. And the sauce was tasty and addictive, it had a slight kick to it but was mostly sweet and sticky. The softened peanuts also added some texture to the dish.

Kung Pao Calamari, Portland City Grill, 30th floor, 111 SW 5th Ave., Portland, OR

Our other appies were a disappointment. The warm crab and shrimp bruschetta turned out to be goopy, sloppy crab mush piled onto a soggy slice of bread. The flavours were there, epic fail on the texture though.

Warm Crab and Shrimp Bruchetta, Portland City Grill, 30th floor, 111 SW 5th Ave., Portland, OR

Grilled Flat Iron steak and frites, Portland City Grill, 30th floor, 111 SW 5th Ave., Portland, OR

The grilled flat iron steak was overcooked and a little dry in the center. The fries were salty and crispy. I wish they were bigger though. I’m not a fan of matchstick fries, and the menu didn’t mention anything about the fries being skinnier than toothpicks.

Pan Seared Bay Scallop ‘poor boy,’ Portland City Grill, 30th floor, 111 SW 5th Ave., Portland, OR

Our last dish was the pan seared bay scallop ‘poor boy’ open faced sandwich. The scallops were alright, they were fairly juicy in the middle. Thankfully, the focaccia bread was not soggy. The little pasta salad served on the side was okay, the little pasta shells were al dente and dressed in a light refreshing sauce with a hint of citrus.

Side of pasta salad, Portland City Grill, 30th floor, 111 SW 5th Ave., Portland, OR

Except for the $8 kung pao calamari, all the other appies were just $5 so it’s a reasonable happy hour price point. No points for quality. Next time, I might just go for cheap drinks and the amazing view.

Happy hour at Portland City Grill, 30th floor, 111 SW 5th Ave., Portland, OR

Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

Marben

488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

When we first walked into Marben’s cozy and eclectic dining space, it felt like the cool, hipster college hang-out where thick rimmed glasses and plaid shirts are mandatory. I’m not just saying this because that’s what our server was wearing. He did look pretty cool though, like he played bass guitar in a hipster band by night and worked on a MA thesis on Nietzsche’s views on egalitarianism by day.

Marben’s menu changes nightly which keeps things fresh and innovative. The only downside is that I have fallen in love with their incredible burger. I was told to order the burger during the car ride to Marben. I just chose not to listen because I don’t typically order such casual items like burgers and fries at dinner. I’m not a food snob, I swear.

John’s Burger, Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

We decided to all share a bunch of entrees though so we all got to try a bit of everything. And boy, did I regret not ordering that burger all for myself. It sounded so ordinary on the menu, listed as ‘John’s Burger,’ and the ingredients included a branston pickle, braised ribs and aged cheddar. What they don’t tell you is that those braised ribs are wrapped inside ground beef so it looks like a normal burger on the outside, when you bite in, you get an explosion of soft, tender, moist and juicy braised meat. It was delicious. I barely even noticed the other ingredients in the burger, the meat was so amazing. It practically melted in my mouth.

It’s endearing that the menu items at Marben are named after their creators, ie: John’s Burger. It adds a personal touch to the item, like you’re eating at someone’s house, or someone’s cool, eclectic dorm room in this case.

John’s Burger, Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

John’s Burger, Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

John’s Burger, Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

The braised rabbit leg on top of lemon-thyme polenta was also tasty. The meat was slightly tougher than chicken and pork, and I was more attracted to that tangy, creamy polenta in the dish though.

Braised Rabbit Leg, Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

Braised Rabbit Leg, Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

We ordered the Vanilla sous-vide trout because I absolutely love sous-vide food. I am this close to actually purchasing a sous-vide machine. I love that the cooking method maintains the food’s texture and keeps all the flavours intact. I do recognize how incredibly pretentious the name of this dish sounds though: vanilla sous-vide but I appreciate the innovation, using a traditional dessert spice like vanilla in a savoury dish.

Vanilla sous-vide Trout, Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

Sous-vide is cooking food in an air-tight plastic bag in a water bath. It truly maintains the texture of food, especially seafood. Sous-vide cooking was practiced a lot during the molecular gastronomy food trend. Heston Blumenthal sous-vide everything from beef to cake. And soon enough sous-vide machines even made their way into kitchen stadium on Iron Chef.

When our sous-vide trout hit the table, I was shocked at how tiny it was. This was a single serving? Maybe for a munchkin! But upon my first bite, I was blown away. The flavours were extraordinary. The fish was so tender and delicate, it was silky and soft as it slid on my tongue. And that cloud of vanilla sauce it was in: holy smokes, it was like slurping up a cloud of delicious and sweet vanilla fluffiness. It was a liquid sauce but it was actually light and fluffy, just like a cloud. This was by far my favourite dish.

Butter Poached Lobster, Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

Butter Poached Lobster, Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

Next up, we had the butter poached lobster. There was a decent chunk of lobster in the bowl and it was succulent and juicy. I loved the briny, saltiness in the bisque too.

We snacked on some appies while waiting for our roast beef to be prepared.

Pommes Kennedy, Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

The pommes kennedy were little scored cubes of potatoes. The scoring made the little potato cubes deliciously crispy, each tiny slot in the cube trapping lots of salt and seasoning.

Chara’s Pork Rib Empanada, Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

Chara’s Pork Rib Empanada, Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

Chara’s Pork Rib Empanada, Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

The pork rib empanadas turned out to be pretty spicy, stuffed full with New Farm baby greens, goat’s cheese and spices, I was gulping water after a few bites. I’m a wimp though. I did love the light and crispy crust.

Dennis’ Roasted Beef, Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

We could smell the platter of roast beef even before it was set on the table. Each slice glistened appetizingly. It was cooked in a brown butter bearnaise and served with a bowl of beef jus. We all dug in before the server could even explain the cooking method and ingredients. The beef smelled that good.

Dennis’ Roasted Beef with beef jus, Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

Dennis’ Roasted Beef, Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

I’m happy to report that the meat was cooked perfectly, it was incredibly tender and juicy. The fatty slices just melted in my mouth. We really didn’t even need the beef jus, the meat was juicy enough by itself. This is what homey comfort food should taste like.

Dennis’ Roasted Beef, Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

To drink, the guys ordered a couple of micro-brewed beers and we shared a bottle of pinot noir which went well with the red meat.

Marben, 488 Wellington St West, Toronto, ON

Our service at Marben was a bit slow. But we were seated next to a giant table of over 15 guests, I guess they must have placed their orders before we placed ours. We were seated downstairs though, and there was a live DJ for entertainment; the space is also small and intimate enough so we could chat comfortably above the noise.

I recommend Marben. You might want to find a pair of thick rimmed glasses to wear there though.

Bymark, 66 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON

Bymark

66 Wellington Street West  Toronto, ON

Found inside TD Centre is Bymark, named after celebrity chef, Mark McEwan. I’ve been a longtime fan of Mark McEwan, well of his television programs, anyway. It’s a totally different story when his food is on a plate in real life.

Bymark, 66 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON

We decided to order off the seasonal Summerlicious menu, a discount prix fixe menu featuring local ingredients. There weren’t any actual prices beside the items on the menu but the Summerlicious dining event has been going on every summer in Toronto for years. Dinners were no more than $45 per person. It’s a great way to lure diners into restaurants during the summer months when a backyard barbecue or picnic at the beach may seem more appealing.

Here’s a tidbit of gossip from the night, of all people, we spied Drake sitting at the front booth, flanked by two scantily clad women and guarded by a table of giant bodyguards. Yeah, Drake, upfront and center. You’d think his entourage would have requested a more private table. More interestingly, do you think he was ordering off the Summerlicious menu too? Record sales must have taken a dip.

Beef carpaccio, Bymark, 66 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON

For appies, we settled on the beef carpaccio which was plated on a gorgeous long plate, the tissue thin slices of beef, pink, seductive and juicy underneath crispy croutons and shredded endive. The haphazardly squirted globs of ranch dressing around the plate was uninspiring though. The beef was silky and sweet but fairly normal. I guess I expected some sort of mini explosion in my mouth, the textures of the crunchy bread and soft, moist beef had such potential.

Beef carpaccio, Bymark, 66 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON

I was blown away by the lobster poutine. As delicious as it was beautiful, we all shared this dish and still had trouble finishing it. The sauce was lusciously rich and creamy, laced with the most refreshing hint of coconut. The lobster meat was substantial, large hunks of it were found throughout the dish, each piece, juicy and moist and tasted perfectly cooked, tender and succulent.

Lobster poutine, Bymark, 66 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON

When a nearly empty soup bowl with just a small heap of shredded crab and splat of tomato paste was placed before us, we almost called the waiter back to ask “Did you forget something?” We didn’t have to though, because he whipped back around with a kettle filled with the chilled zucchini soup we ordered and proceeded to pour it around the little heap of crab until the bowl was filled with a tuft of crab and micro greens peeking out the middle of the bowl like a tropical island in a sea of murky green.

Chilled Zucchini Soup, Bymark, 66 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON

Top points for presentation and plating. As for the taste, the soup was very refreshing, cool and smooth but nothing spectacular. It was less gritty than I thought it would be, there weren’t any strong bitter tastes from the zucchini either. And you all know how I feel about vegetables.

Chilled Zucchini Soup, Bymark, 66 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON

As impressed as I was by the plating and presentation of the chilled zucchini soup, my expectations shot right back down when my dish of seared scallops and BBQ duck confit was placed in front of me. I didn’t pull up my blog entry but the plating of the springy micro greens with seared scallops nestled in with mushrooms and sauce reminded me so much of the plate of scallops at Vancouver’s L’Abattoir that I did double take. I’m not even sure who ripped off who, but one thing’s for sure, there really must be more than one way to plate seared scallops and a million more ways to add more colours to a plate, especially since it’s now summertime and I ate L’Abattoir’s scallops in the dead of winter. Just like at L’Abattoir, the plate gave off a feeling of woodland rusticity.

BBQ duck confit and seared scallop, Bymark, 66 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON

Could Mark McEwan really be just riding the wave of his celebrity brand? I guess he really is the Canadian Gordon Ramsey.

The scallops were perfectly seared though, moist and juicy on the inside with a crispy, golden crust on each side. Scallops must be impossible to screw up in any city.

BBQ duck confit and seared scallop, Bymark, 66 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON

The duck confit was also juicy. I can’t say that I remember much else. I’m pretty sure I must have psyched myself out before dinner since this was my first time at a Mark McEwan restaurant. Everyone else at the table either ate Mark McEwan’s food at catered office parties or at his over priced hipster grocery store.

BBQ duck confit and seared scallop, Bymark, 66 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON

By the time our overcooked halibut hit the table, plated in yet another derivative fashion, I had totally demystified Mark McEwan in my mind. I’m not even sure if I’m going to watch his shows any more.

Pan seared halibut, Bymark, 66 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON

There were parts of the halibut that were rubbery, the flavours were okay, albeit subtle and ordinary.

Pan seared halibut, Bymark, 66 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON

Pan seared halibut, Bymark, 66 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON

I was pretty excited for dessert. Not just because of my intense sweet tooth but because I thought if there was anything that could redeem this meal, it was dessert.

Tart lemon slice, Bymark, 66 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON

The tart lemon slice was gorgeous and bursting with potential. Upon the first bite, I was wowed by the sweet and sour sensation of the citrus against the cool, honey ice cream. It reminded me of lemon squares from elementary school bake sales. I love nostalgia so I was won over. That green herb leaf was unnecessary though. After all, this was dessert not a savory dish. Who knew that Mark McEwan loves perching micro green leaves on everything. Is this a Toronto thing?

Nougat Glace, Bymark, 66 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON

The nougat glace turned out to be more hard than chewy. I’m not sure why I was expecting the sweet chewiness of a Turkish Delight, it’s the only thing I associate nougat with, I suppose. The berries were refreshing and sweet though. That white hard hunk that was supposed to be nougat was questionable.

Double Chocolate Cake, Bymark, 66 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON

The double chocolate cake didn’t turn out so attractive in my photo but it was the most delicious out of the three desserts. I’m sure it’s because it was the closest to comfort food and the objective of the dish was to be just that: simple, classic chocolate cake, no pretension, no fancy plating. The chocolate cake was sweet, dense and rich, no surprises.

I’ll think twice before visiting another McEwan Group restaurant. Nothing about any of the dishes really stood out. To quote directly, ‘I didn’t feel like I was eating a ‘McEwan,’ quipped someone at our table as his dish was being collected. The server smirked but was amused.

The service at Bymark was courteous and speedy. Our server, even though he was initially taken aback, laughed at our West coast food snob comments on the lack of originality of each dish.

What do you think Drake ordered though and was it off the Summerlicious menu? Is “Find Your Love” playing in your head right now too?