Wakame

WA-KA-MEEEEE!!! That's how my old boss used to call it. He loved that word.

I always drove by Wakame Sushi on my way to work but never thought to check it out since I really hate the plaza that it's located in. People in the area do not know how to drive nor park. It's a disaster there.

However, since it's pretty close to work I've had the chance to order takeout from there a few times for work lunches.

On my last day at work my boss took us all out for sushi for my farewell.

We decided to go for the lunch buffet at Wakame.

Forte Bistro

I bought a voucher for Forte Bistro and I was really looking forward to trying this place out. The menu is enough to entice anyone.

The bistro is located on Richmond street but I later discovered there was another entrance as well. From the outside the place looked pretty tiny but remember that saying "Looks can be deceiving" well it certainly applies in this case. The restaurant was huge with very tall ceilings and a whole lot of space.

The layout was of a u-shape. Here on one side was the sushi lounge. It was the other entrance I was mentioning about. I think it faces York street.

Prairie Girl Bakery

After constantly seeing numerous tweets I was anxious to try the cupcakes at Prairie Girl Bakery.

Since I was having dinner downtown I decided to make a quick stop at the cupcake shoppe. I arrived around a quarter after five and was shocked to see that there was only 3 flavors available and very few cupcakes left on the shelf.

I grabbed the remaining chocolate vanilla cupcake, 1 vanilla coconut and 2 red velvet cupcakes. I also got 2 mini red velvet cupcakes since well they were mini so it just looked cute.

The red velvet was divine. Moist, fluffy and full of flavor.

I definitely have to return and try out the remaining flavors. But next time I will go earlier or at least call ahead and see if they can save some cupcakes for me.

TOTAL BILL $17...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

Prairie Girl Bakery

18 King Street East, Unit 106

(close to King Station)

416-504-2253

Woodlot

I went to Woodlot for dinner for the Telus Tuesday promo where you buy one entree and your dessert and appetizer is on the house paid for by Telus. It was only for the month of April so reservations was a must. The only time available that I was able to book it for was at 8:15pm.

Located in Little Italy, Woodlot is off of a side street on Palmerston. When I entered I thought I had went through the kitchen door since there was a rack of trays directly by the door. I discovered it was the main entrance after all. The restaurant is very tiny and quite cramped. In fact it didn't even look like a restaurant. The bar was at the right of the entrance and there was a row of people sitting close to the entrance as well. I have to say it was kinda awkward. From my view standing all I saw was a row of heads. Sorry not great at describing it here wished I had taken a picture. Guess you will see what I mean when you go there yourself.

Once me and my friend were seated we were a bit disappointed by the lighting. Being the foodies we were we instantly knew that our pictures will not be so great with the dim lighting. I even tried to steal an extra candle for more lighting and that didn't really help either.

Here was the torched Hokkaido scallops and lentil salad with prosciutto, pickled cabbage and port vinaigrette. This was scrumptious. The scallops were well prepared and well seasoned. The display was great.

The Big Chill

Here's another quick post.

The Big Chill in Little Italy.

It's a cute ice cream shop lined with an abundance of cow figurines throughout the store. The walls are colored with bright green and watermelon theme colors.

There's a variety of items on the menu including frozen yogurt, sundaes, milkshakes, smoothies, floats, Belgian waffles, ice cream cake and of course an array of ice cream flavors to choose from.

Here is the menu of ice cream flavors available.

I ended up getting one scoop of the pistachio kulfi in a cup. I don't like to eat from a cone since I seem to have a lot of mishaps with it. It even came with a mini oreo cookie on top.

One more thing this place only accepts cash so make sure you have a pocket full of change.

TOTAL BILL $4...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

Big Fat Burrito

Here's a quick post.

If you are at the Kensington Market and you want a meal that's both satisfying and cheap then head to Big Fat Burrito.

Literally what you get is one big FAT burrito.

The wrap is toasted nicely so there's a bit of a crunch when you bite into the burrito.

Here I got was the yam burrito. This is the small. Doesn't it look huge?!

I've had the pulled pork before and it was yummy as well.

TOTAL BILL $7...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

Ichiban Fish House

Ichiban. It's not spectacular but it's not horrible. Just one of those places my boyfriend likes to go to just cause he's been going there for some time. I'm not sure about the other locations but this location is operated by Korean people.

Thought this piece of metal was cute. All dressed up too and ready to serve.

Paramount

Think this used to be The Friendly Greek before it became the restaurant Paramount.

At first I couldn't tell where you place the order. The counter is situated at the far end of the restaurant. I think the layout is terrible. If I was ordering takeout I would prefer the counter to be located near the entrance. I placed the order and the cashier told us that they would bring the food to our table. Make sure to grab a seat first so you know what your table number is.

Aoyama Sushi

Another hidden gem in the city of North York.

I've been wanting to try Aoyama sushi for a while since I've read several good reviews about the place. Finally I made the trip and can now cross it off my list.

I made reservations for 6pm but ended up arriving around 5:30pm since me and my boyfriend were starving. The place was empty. It was really small yet inviting. Just like any other sushi place we were warmly greeted with a smile. We were seated right next to the sushi bar where we could watch the sushi chef's knife skills hard at work.

I believe this restaurant is operated by Japanese people so the food is authentic Japanese cuisine.

There was this cute display right at the end of the bar that caught my eye. It was actually a small display of their takeout menu.

Reggie's Old Fashioned Sandwiches

After dinner at Brassaii, I was still hungry so I walked down the street to Reggie's to grab a couple of sandwiches for takeout.

The menu is not your regular Subway or Quizno menu. No sireee. It's way better and sounds much more exciting.

After a few minutes of contemplation I chose the Philly cheese steak and the duck confit and brie sandwich. Yes I said DUCK CONFIT.

Here was the philly cheese steak with peppers, onions, garlic, sirloin and mozzarella. I grabbed this for my boyfriend unfortunately, I didn't get to try it since I went to walk my dogs and when I returned he had already inhaled the whole sandwich. Not one crumb was left. Guess it was that good.

Here was the duck confit and brie sandwich with sweet cherry tomato and julienne apple. This was delicious. Brie and duck is a great combination. The bread however was a bit too hard for me. I would have preferred one that didn't rip my gums.

They are opened till 5am which is perfect for club hoppers and other late nite diners. Too bad this sandwich shop isn't close to me otherwise I would add this along with the Owl to my list of places for midnight snacks.

TOTAL BILL $18...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

Brassaii

Follow the red door down a hidden alley and that is where you will find Brassaii.

It's a trendy place and think it's a great spot to hang out with friends but food wise I'm not so sure if I would return again.

The complimentary bread was very fluffy but I only got one bite since I was too busy chatting with my friend.

Next was the pan seared foie gras on brioche french toast with cherry-balsamic chutney. This was decadent. I think it is actually comparable to the foie gras brioche french toast at Hoof Cafe. The only thing missing were the crunchy bits and pieces of hazelnuts. Also this is much less sweeter than the one at Hoof. Since Hoof is now closed I know where to go to satisfy my craving for french toast that is with foie gras.

Here was the dungeoness crab filled wonton ravioli with lobster brandy sauce accompanied with sweet pea and mushroom ragout. This would have been more tastier if it was actually hot instead when it arrived it was close to being cold. Wonder how long this plate was left out on the counter. Not impressed considering the price for this dish and only receiving 3-4 pieces of barely warm ravioli.

Here was the panko crusted roulade of chicken with brie, prosciutto and caramelized apple. The chicken was crispy and I did taste the brie however, I was upset that I couldn't find the prosciutto. One of the main reason why I was enticed to this dish was because of the mention of salty ham in the description. False advertising there.

The only highlight of the meal was the appetizer. Other than that the rest of a meal wasn't magnificent although it came with spectacular pricing. The portions are pretty small which I guess is what you would expect at a trendy place. I was still hungry so I actually went down the street to a sandwich shop to grab more food.

TOTAL BILL $81...MAY EAT AGAIN?! (return for the foie gras french toast that is)

Decadent Desserts

Located on the concourse level at the First Canadian Place this dessert place serves up some yummy delectables that will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Decadent Desserts was pretty hard for me to find since I don't know my way around underground. The only information I had was it was located at 100 King Street West. I walked back and forth and tried looking at the map yet just couldn't find this place. I gave up and ended up calling for directions. The person who answered sounded like she was in a hurry and quickly replied that they were located in the Bank of Montreal building. Hmmm very helpful there considering I walked past the bank several times and still did not find it.

Finally I found the place. It was located across from the Longos market. Man it was a journey searching for this tiny place. The things I do for my sweets.

The majority of their sweets are either from Dufflet or La Rocca.

After browsing through the display and wiping off a bit of drool I settled on two items. I couldn't decide if I wanted either the baby truffle cake or the pistachio chocolate crunch.

The baby truffle cake is a flourless chocolate souffle cake layered with creamy chocolate mousse finished with a chocolate ruffle and a dusting of edible gold. The pistachio chocolate crunch is made of milk chocolate truffle and chocolate sponge topped with a layer of pistachio mouse and crisp chocolate pearls. After reading that which would you choose?

I was leaning towards the souffle but since I was told the pistachio was much more lighter I opted for the latter since I was meeting a friend for dinner so I wanted a light snack.

It was luscious. Felt like I was floating on a cloud of sweet airy goodness. The chocolate pearls were a nice crunchy touch. Great treat before dinner. Then again I can eat sweets at any time of the day or night.

TOTAL BILL $4...EAT HERE NEXT!!!