My Baked Goods from La Boheme

I had a tweetup at Jedd's but we were suppose to bring baked goodies. Since I don't bake I decided to grab some treats from La Boheme.

Jedd's Frozen Custard

I love custard but frozen custard I never tried before.

I was excited that I finally made the trip to Jedd's Frozen Custard.

The owner was extremely friendly and very informative. He told us what made his custard different from regular ice cream. I don't quite remember what he said since all I could think was "Gimme some custard!" I was hungry. (Then again nothing new there). He let me sample all the flavors. The regular flavors were vanilla and chocolate. As for the flavor of the day, it was banana. Funny thing was the owner hates bananas and he even told us why but regardless, I really liked the banana flavor so I ended up getting a small cup. The texture is much more smoother than regular ice cream. I'm really sorry though but I completely forgot to take pictures of my frozen custard:( I know I'm so terrible how could I possibly forget that.

Pure Rice @ Shinobu

I took my mommy to Shinobu for her birthday.

What a disappointment. I just couldn't wait to get the bill and leave.

First off we couldn't even find the restaurant. Kept looking for Shinobu but this is what we saw.

When we checked it was this place after all.

The restaurant is owned and operated by Japanese people. When we entered, the whole restaurant was filled with Japanese patrons except for one table. Let me point out the place was really tiny. There were only 5 tables in total which seated approximately 20 people or so. One chef and 2 waitresses.

I was excited since I thought the food must be good since it would be authentic Japanese cuisine. Also after perusing through the menu the prices were pretty high so it better be good for the price they charged. Boy was I crushed when the food arrived.

Nadege finally Opens in Rosedale

Woohoo! Nadege Patisserie is now much more closer to me than before.

Don't have to head all the way downtown anymore for their sweet confections.

The decor at this location is much more different from the Queen location. The brick walls make the place much more darker looking than compared to the bright white space downtown.

Because of the dim lighting my pictures didn't turn out as nice compared to my previous post on Nadege.

Guess what I bought this time.

Brunch Tweetup @ La Bamboche

Did you know that La Bamboche now serves brunch? I am already in love with their macarons and to discover that they now serve brunch I couldn't wait to try it out.

Short & Sweet Cupcakes

Short & Sweet Cupcakes is a hidden store along a side street off of Avenue Road. There is hardly any parking available but do be warn NEVER PARK in the driveway of the animal clinic right next to it otherwise the owner will FREAK OUT on you.

I was there literally 2 minutes. I went in and grabbed my cupcakes quickly and ran back out. She yelled at me for parking in her driveway. I get that it's her space but come on I wasn't even parked for more than a couple minutes.

Sorry just had to point that out now back to the cupcakes.

With its hot pink and white color scheme, this little shop is adorable. Once you enter you can't help but giggle like a schoolgirl when you see all the pretty cupcakes on display.

Terroni Bar Centrale

Such a huge disappointment.

Why did Terroni have to close down their Balmoral location? That was my first time experiencing Terroni where I automatically fell head over heels for their orgasmic flourless chocolate cake. Man oh man I am just drooling thinking about the super moist light airy cake. Mmmmm. But now I discover that they no longer even serve my cake. WTH!!!

I went to check out their new location Terroni Bar Centrale which isn't far from their old location. As I was walking to the place I noticed Nadege Patisserie will be opening next to it. Woohoo!! I can't wait to check that out. It's much more closer now for me to get to so can't wait to try out their desserts.

Back to Terroni. The restaurant was super tiny and extremely narrow. It felt claustrophobic for me. The place was packed but the waitress was nice enough to inform us that a few people should be leaving soon so we wouldn't have to wait as long.

Once seated at the bar, we were given a menu I just couldn't seem to read. I couldn't figure out how it was categorized and what exactly were the dishes. I had to ask the bartender to decipher the menu for me. He told me it was a tapas menu. They don't serve any entrees. However, later on the entire 2nd floor will be transformed into a dining area and the bottom floor will be used for the bar area. That's great to know assuming I would ever return again.

I wanted to try this deep fried chocolate that I saw on the site Foodspotting but only to discover that they never even heard of it. When I went home to check the site again I realized it was from the Balmoral location. Urrrghhhhh... Once again why did they close down the place?!!

We decided to opt for the pistachio beignets. It definitely was not what I had expected. Biting into it I was expecting a soft donut texture but instead got a hard cookie. The filling inside was pistachio flavoring with a lemony hint to it. I personally don't like citrus flavoring so this was not appetizing to me. My dessert at Table 17 was way better than this. We should have just stayed there and ordered more desserts.

The service was great but I'm just still angry at the fact that my chocolate cake is no longer there so I don't think I will be returning again.

TOTAL BILL $10...ONCE IS ENOUGH (for the dessert only)

Patachou

I wanted to grab a sandwich at Black Camel but the one that I wanted wouldn't be ready till another 20 minutes so I decided to head to Patachou since it was close by and it was on my list to try.

Here was the complimentary bread basket. I hate the balls of butter because it's too difficult to spread onto the bread. I like the whipped butter instead so much easier to put on.

I got the tourtiere. The meat pie was filled with a whole load of beef and pork. It was delicious and very filling. I actually didn't finish this dish since there was just too much meat for me but I did finish the pastry portion of it. It was flaky good.

I just had to try the chocolate almond croissant since it looked so yummy. Unfortunately, I could not taste the almond flavor at all. Chocolate yes but almond flavor no where to be found. Also it wasn't as fluffy as the other places that I've had.

The service at Patachou was courteous and quick. What I also found great about the place was that the tables with the stools had a hook where you can hang either your bag or umbrella. It was very convenient for those of us girls with our big handbags which practically takes up half of our seat leaving us to either sit on the edge of the seat or place the bag on top of our laps. Very good concept and bag-friendly for us ladies.

On my next trip I want to try their desserts or even their macarons. Can't believe I didn't buy any to begin with but guess I've been eating too much so I was all macaroned-out.

TOTAL BILL $16...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

Sushi Kai

There were so many deals for Sushi Kai my friend couldn't resist buying one to try out.

One thing is for sure $60 can get you a lot of food. I mean A LOT. There were 3 of us in total yet we couldn't finish everything.

This was the most memorable dish for me. I really loved the salmon sushi pizza. The deep fried sushi rice cake was crispy and the salmon was fresh.

Here is the spider roll. It was yummy and very filling.

We had also ordered the gyoza, red dragon roll, chicken teriyaki, and yam tempura roll. It was all mediocre nothing special to report.

Overall, the food was decent and were above average portions at reasonable prices. It's even better when you purchase a $60 voucher for only $25 hehe:)

TOTAL BILL $65...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

La Bamboche

Although there was a beautiful array of cakes on display I came specifically for the macarons today.

Hidden on a side street off of Yonge, La Bamboche Patisserie is another hidden gem in midtown Toronto.

They also have another location on Avenue Road as well.

La Bamboche offers a wide range of items from their home made jams to fresh quality made quiches to high-grade organic coffees.

There was this variety pack for $37. It seemed quite a bit to dish out at the moment especially since I should be saving money rather than splurging on these sugary confections so I decided to get a few flavors that were appealing to me.

There are a total of 12 flavors to choose from. I chose pretty much half the flavors available.

Amaretto, caramel sea salt, pistachio, creme de cassis which is black currant, ume & sake and mango green tea.

The ume & sake macaron is suppose to be pickled Japanese plum, sake and buttercream. It was delish.

My favorite out of the bunch is the pistachio. It was yummy in my tummy:)

For my next trip I want to try their ham & cheese croissant with smoked Virginia ham, Swiss cheese and bechamel sauce. Writing this is already making me itch to head back down there.

TOTAL BILL $15...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

La Vecchia

La Vecchia Ristorante, what a romantic restaurant. Even the name sounds enchanting as well. Sadly I was there eating alone since my cousin ditched me:(

I have never ate by myself at a restaurant before or let alone at a fast food joint so the experience was definitely new territory for me.

The waiter was very friendly. He always had a smile whenever he was refilling my glass with water. Or maybe he just pitied me since I was alone lol.

I didn't want to leave without at least trying one dish so I ordered the florentine uova. It consisted of 2 poached eggs on an English muffin with smoked salmon and spinach topped with Hollaindaise sauce and served with a side of home fries.

It was mediocre but I definitely give it two thumbs up for the attentive service and the charming ambience. I would like to return and try the risotto next time since I did hear some wonderful reviews on it. But next time I'll be sure to bring someone who will show up.

TOTAL BILL $14...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

La Boheme

La Boheme serves some of the best French pastries in the city.

Since they don't have a kitchen at the cafe all their items are brought over from Jules Cafe located along Mount Pleasant. There it is baked fresh on a daily basis.

This little cafe patisserie has one of the yummiest apricot tart I have ever tasted. It is not overly sweet. Just perfect. The two other flavors for this tart were apple and pear.

I want to try their quiche and croissants next time.

TOTAL BILL $5...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

Milagro

This is definitely not your ordinary Taco Bell.

Hidden within the numerous restaurants along Yonge, Milagro is truly mind blowing and without a doubt one of the best authentic Mexican restaurant in the city. Their homestyle cooking is simple yet packed full with lip smacking flavor.

The cantina was empty when we arrived but by the time our food came it was a full house.

Staring at the menu I felt like I was reading a foreign language. It took me a while to go through the menu and digest all the options available. Our waiter told us that their most popular dish was the pulled pork and tuna dish.

While waiting for our meal I was exploring through the hot sauces that were piled high in the silver bucket on our table. Never have I seen so many bottles of hot sauces. It was actually a bit intimidating. I for one am a weakling when it comes to spicy food so I did not want to touch it all. But I did encourage my boyfriend to try one of them for fun. He decided to go for the bottle with the green habanero hot sauce. He dabbed at it with a fork and tried only a drop of it. He claimed it was tingling on his tongue and that it wasn't "that bad". I have been tricked several times by his definition of "not that bad" so I did not even want to give it a try at all.

Here is the complimentary tortilla chips with salsa. The salsa wasn't so great. It was too watery and flavorless.

However this green mess more than made up for it. I was hooked on the guacamole. It was sloppy but so goooood.

Here is the ceviche vuelve a la vida with shrimp, crab, octopus, jitomate, cilantro and serranos. It was remarkably refreshing and well prepared. My boyfriend ate the ceviche with the tortilla chips. We had to ask for a refill since I was cleaning out the guacamole with the chips and my other half was working on the ceviche. Sadly, we were beginning to become full and we haven't even gotten to the main entrees yet.

Here is the carnitas panchos which was pulled pork confit served with salsa borracha, cilantro and onions. The waiter informed us that the pulled pork was brewing in its own fat for around 8-9 hours. Yummy.

Here is the filete poblano which was grilled filet mignon medalions with poblano salsa and caramelized onions. It was insanely delicious.

I had also ordered a side of rice with fried plantains called arroz a la mexicana. We added the rice to the wrap as well.

Milagro clearly shows their passion and love for food in their cooking. The attentive friendly staff ensures that you not only enjoy your food but have a good time as well.

TOTAL BILL $78...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

The Designer Cookie

Prada, and Dolce, and Yves, oh my!

I am not referring to the top brand fashion houses here but rather the baked goods at The Designer Cookie.

This cute little pink & white boutique looks like a perfect place for a little tea party.

Here you can create your own flavors for either cupcakes or cookies and within minutes it is baked fresh right before your eyes.

If you are indecisive like me then you can choose the cupcakes that have been freshly prepared on that day. The flavors will vary each day but nevertheless, still tasty and also they have cute lil designer names such as Chewy Vuitton, Mocha Blahnik, Donna Carrot, etc.

Here I have is Jean Paul Brule which is caramel cake with toasted buttercream, topped with toffee sprinkles, Christian Dioreo which is chocolate cake with oreo buttercream frosting, topped with an oreo cookie, Miu Miu maple which is apple cinnamon cake with maple buttercream frosting topped with pecans and finally, the classic red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.

I only ate the red velvet so far and I was sweetened out. The cake itself was dense and wasn't as moist as what I would've expected. I think the concept is unique where you can create your own flavors but taste wise I just don't think it was spectacular.

TOTAL BILL $15...MAY EAT AGAIN?!

Mars Diner

Yesterday I went to go watch the movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Either I'm a real chicken or I just haven't watched any movie for a while but for a kids movie I found some parts to be scary especially the part where Dumbledore's ghost comes zooming out of nowhere. I almost jumped out of my seat.

After the movie I was hungry since I haven't ate anything yet all morning so me and my cousin searched for a place to grab a bite.

We were at the theatre at Yonge and Eglinton so luckily there were numerous options to choose from. I saw a sign that said all day breakfast so we decided to head to Mars Diner.

It was a cozy little diner. It looked like it was from the late 50s with its red colored seating and metal counters. All that was missing were waitresses on rollerblades dressed in those poofy poodle dresses. I would love to wear one of those poodle skirts for fun.

I was craving for breakfast so I decided to order the egg benedict with a side of sweet potato fries and a side of griddle cake. At first I didn't know what a griddle cake was but when I asked it apparently was another term for pancake. My sweet potato fries were crispy just the way I liked it and I didn't even had to tell them to make it that way. My benedict was delicious especially the peameal bacon. Mmmmmm bacon. However, as for my griddle cake I cannot say the same. It was dry. I only took one bite and just left it. I didn't even bother to complain since I was already stuffed from the benny so didn't want to get another order of pancake.

My cousin ordered the Mars chicken wrap. I tried a piece of her chicken since the waiter had kept emphasizing that almost everything on the menu was homemade. It was scrumptious. I definitely would order that on my next trip.

On a side note, the diner is open for 24 hours on weekends. Wished there were more places like that close to my area. The only ones I can think of are Asian places which I don't mind but would prefer a variety of choices of cuisine instead of just one.

TOTAL BILL $27...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

Terroni

Oh...My...God!!!!!!!!!! I now claim Terroni as the BEST place for FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE. They have by far the most amazing chocolate cake oozing with dark chocolate floating in a pool of white chocolate ganache. The name of it on the menu is Torta Calda al Cioccolato which I cannot pronounce but it was definitely memorable. One word to describe this cake was ORGASMIC. That's the first word that popped in my head. Every bite that me and my friend took it sounded like... well let's just say we really really REALLY enjoyed that cake. Funny thing was that I ordered the hazelnut gelato for myself since I figured one of my friends was ordering the cake and another was ordering gelato with a shot of expresso so more variety to sample from. Man oh man I wished I had ordered the cake all for myself. Instead I kept stealing a few bites from my friend's dessert. Thanks Viv for being so kind enough to share although I know you wanted it all for yourself:)

Normally I start from the beginning but this was just too good to leave it till the end. It just shows you how much I just love this dessert.

To start from the beginning, I went out for dinner with 2 of my girlfriends on a Wednesday night. They chose Terroni located in midtown close to Yonge and St. Clair.

One of the girls marked it as her territory so nobody else was allowed to claim it as their "pizza spot" nor even take a bite of her pizza. Wow she must really like this place to be making those demands. Now she has got me curious as to what was so good about this place?

We started off with the grilled calamari. It was placed over a bed of salad. It was well prepared but lacked a bit of seasoning for me.

Next our entrees.

One of my friends had the seafood tagliolini. It looks like a lot with the pile of pasta and bunch of mussels lying around but when I actually looked closer aside from the mussels there was one of everything else. Hence, one scallop, one shrimp and one squid. Wow that definitely is a seafood medley since technically there is a variety of seafood in the mix. Not impressed there; nonetheless, my friend said it was delicious. The pastas were freshly handmade so it made up for the limited quantity of seafood.

Next here were the 2 super thin crust pizzas. I can't remember which pizza my friend had ordered since there was a wide variety of options and on top of that I can't even pronounce the names; however, I do remember mine since my pizza was supposedly a house favorite recommended by the waitress, the smendozzata. The toppings were tomato, mozzarella, homemade spicy Italian sausage, gorgonzola and red onions. At first it didn't look appealing to me with the patches of green which looks like something was rotting but looks are definitely deceiving here. It was delicious. All the pizzas were prepared in the traditional wood burning ovens.

The portions were really good here. I couldn't finish my pizza so ended up packing it in a doggie bag. My boyfriend ate the leftovers when I got home and he said it was good.

The food at Terroni was good but the highlight of the meal was the cake. Going to make another trip next week solely for the chocolate cake. I'm drooling already just thinking about that tasty chocolate delight. Mmmmm...chocolate:)

TOTAL BILL $95...EAT HERE NEXT!!!