Pho Bistro

I am Vietnamese and surprisingly I haven't blogged about Vietnamese food yet so thought I would change that.

Pho Bistro serves up a mixture of Vietnamese and Thai food.

I normally go to the train one aka Xe Lua or another one along Keele St. Sorry I don't know the name of it since it's in Vietnamese so will try to look at it the next time I go there.

My boyfriend brought me to Pho Bistro since he said the pho was pretty good. Also it's a nice change from the regular pho places that we go to.

We went here twice in a row so this post will be combining both trips.

I love my avocado milkshake and simply just have to order that every time I'm at a pho place. It's so creamy and refreshing it just hits the spot every time. Also I love the taste of avocados as well.

Iryewon Asian Fusion

Trying to catch up on my blog since been so busy at work so here is a quick post.

Me and my boyfriend were starving so we just picked a plaza and decided to give Iryewon a try.

Me Va Me

Me Va Me. I am not making up some words here it's actually the name of a Middle Eastern restaurant.

Stonefire

This was the first thing that caught my eye when I entered the restaurant. I was tempted to snatch the plate and run right back out but my stomach whined for real food instead.

Dim Sum was Legen__Dary

Who doesn't love dim sum. If you don't know what it is then boy have you been missing out.

For those of you who have no clue what I am referring to it's basically a bunch of dishes with small portions of Chinese food. Small but really tasty dishes that is.

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.

Prince Noir from Amadeus

On Friday night, I went over to my inlaws for dinner and my only job was to bring over the dessert.

Mission accomplished.

We always grab cakes from Amadeus.

The last 2 we had were the Caramel Crunch and some coffee one I can't remember the name of.

At the shop there was a dispute between me and my boyfriend as we were arguing over whether or not we have tried the cake called Prince Noir. It consisted of flourless hazelnut meringue topped with dark chocolate mousse, layer of coffee cream mixed with caramelized hazelnuts.

I said it sounded familiar and that we did try it already. He disagreed.

The verdict.

We did eat it already. I was right.

Regardless, it was still yummy the second time around. I love the cakes at Amadeus I can never get enough of it.

We also bought 2 croissants to snack on since we couldn't wait till dinner.

My boyfriend had a cheese croissant and he did not like it at all. He said he wasn't cheesy enough.

I had the almond croissant and I liked it. It was full of flaky almond goodness. It was difficult taking a picture in the car while trying not to shake at the same time. Also the glaring sun didn't help either but this was all I could manage.

Next time I think I might try the Marzipan cake or maybe the Tiramisu. Mmmmmm...

TOTAL BILL $45...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

Cho Sun Ok

BEST tofu soup in Thornhill EVER!!!

Located at Yonge and Clark, Cho Sun Ok is the place to go to for a hot steaming bowl of tofu soup. Perfect on a cold winter day.

My boyfriend ate here on Monday night and he rated it 10 out of 10 which sure means a lot since he's a very picky eater.

Today I asked him to bring me and my friend along so we can see if it deserved the rating he had claimed.

Once again, he was right.

He said the most popular dish is #6 which is the seafood soft tofu soup. We ordered 2 of this. One mild and one regular. Me, on the other hand, didn't want to order the same dish and decided to try #7 instead which was some sort of stew.

Here is the banchan. My boyfriend's theory is if the side dishes are good then the entrees will be good as well. Let's just say, in this case, he was right again. My favorite dish here was the fish cake. It was tasty.

Here is the infamous soup. I think it looks suicidal. This was for my girlfriend. I think she got a bit intimidated when she first laid eyes on the firey red color but she gulped that soup right down to the last drop. Guess it wasn't so spicy after all for her.

Here is the same soup but stirred so you can actually see the chunks of tofu floating about. Doesn't look so scary compared to the previous picture. My boyfriend had this as well but he chose the more mild version since he was saving his stomach for another dish which you will see later on. I tried the mild soup and it was insanely delicious. I kinda wished I had ordered the seafood one instead since the broth was very flavorful. It smelled like seafood but in a more pleasant savory way and not the disgusting fishy way if you know what I mean.

Here is the dish I ordered. Doenjang stew which is soy bean paste stew with tofu, beef, squash and onions. It was good but I still think the seafood one was better. If I hadn't tried the previous one I would have claimed this as one of my top fave soup.

Here is the dish my boyfriend was saving his stomach for called chulpan sundae bokkeum which includes traditional Korean style sausage with cabbage, clear noodles, rice cakes, green onion, carrots, kelp, spicy red bean paste, and last but not least pig ears. I don't think I have ever tried pig ears before and I still don't know how it taste. I ate everything in one bite so not sure what was even in my mouth. All that matters was it was good but too spicy for me. I was in need of cold water. Hot tea seemed to just increase the heat more in my mouth.

The dish is stir fried on the table until the sauce is thick and caramelized. Here is the final outcome.

We satiated ourselves at dinner. Maybe a bit too much. Niggaitis was creeping in slowly. We were ready to jump into bed. We couldn't finish the last dish since technically it can feed a family of four (man we're pigs) so we had to doggie bag it. We were given these yummy candy with our bill. I have never tried it before. I still don't know what it is. At first it tasted like pure sugar but since I was impatient I bit into it and it was hard. Tasted bits of nuts and the rest I still don't have a clue but I like them. I stole my boyfriend's candy since I liked it so much.

Portions were great. Food was delish. It was a full house when we left. Patrons were lining up by the doorway. It's a small place so be sure to arrive early if you don't want to wait.

TOTAL BILL $63...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

Cho Sun Ok

7353 Yonge Street

(close to Clark)

905-707-8426

Golden Star

I don't really care for burgers but when I do have a craving for the juicy minced beef patties I head over to Golden Star. Located close to Yonge and Steeles, this is the place to head to if you want 100% pure beef homemade patties.

It's a relaxing environment where people of every type just come to enjoy a good meaty burger.

The staff is very friendly. They always welcome you with a smile and make you feel just at home.

In the summertime they even have a nice little patio to sit so perfect for an outdoor lunch date or just getting some fresh air.

Me and my boyfriend arrived pretty much close to closing time and the staff didn't rush us at all. They even told us to take our time and enjoy our burgers. Now that's what I call customer service where customer satisfaction is a top priority.

We ordered one cheeseburger combo and a double patty cheeseburger on the side. My cheeseburger was char-grililed to perfection and the patty was juicy and full of beefy flavor. It's not a burger unless your hands are smeared with ketchup and mayo. It was worth the juicy mess.

The fries can be a hit and miss at times but tonight it was definitely a hit. I like my fries extra crispy and crispy is what I got. Golden fries crunchy with every bite. Their fries are freshly cut on a daily basis. The only thing missing was gravy but unfortunately they were sold out for the day.

I have also tried their milkshake and onion rings on previous trips and it was yummy as well.

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

Dinner at Steve's

Since the brunch was a hit the first time we were there, me and my boyfriend decided to try out the dinner menu at Steve's Restaurant.

Once again a home run.

My boyfriend got the special which was a 16oz T-bone steak while I ordered the almond crusted sole.

It definitely hit the spot. The steak was full of flavor and well seasoned. My fish was well prepared. Also my sweet potato fries were crispy just the way I liked it.

Great food and generous portions all at a great price.

TOTAL BILL $40...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

Sunny Dragon

Last night I went to one of my favorite Korean restaurant, Sunny Dragon.

Located in Thornhill this place is best known for their noodle dish, jajangmyeon. It consists of wheat noodles with diced meat and veggies all drenched in black soybean paste sauce.

Here is a combination dish with half of the famous noodles and half stir fried rice. I thought I would snap two shots so you can see how it looks when you mix up the noodles. Trust me it's much more yummier than it looks. Also their noodles are freshly made. No instant noodle here.

Here is another combo dish with half black bean noodles and half soup. The name of the soup is jang pong which is a spicy seafood noodle soup. The other photo is a mushroom tofu soup.

If you never tried jajangmyeon before then Sunny Dragon is a good place to start:)

TOTAL BILL $30...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

Sunny Dragon

398 Steeles Ave. West

(close to Bathurst)

905-770-5550

Sariwon

Since it was raining last night me and my 2 friends decided to have dinner somewhere close by.

Even though we were surrounded by hundreds of restaurants to choose from along Yonge Street, we could not think of any place to eat. Well at first we were going to head to Kenzo Ramen but since it was packed we settled for Sariwon.

I have been to this restaurant a few times and some have been hits and while others have been a complete miss.

It was a full house that night but luckily we didn't have to wait long for a table.

Once seated we ordered the meal combination which included marinated BBQ meat, lettuce wrap, rice and soup.

Thank god my friends knew how long to cook the meat because if I was in charge the beef would have been overdone.

Once the meat was cooked you would dip the beef into some sort of sesame oil sauce, add some brown bean paste along with a slice of raw garlic all wrapped in a huge piece of lettuce. It was a lot of work just for a wrap but it was good in the end.

The negative aspect of this restaurant is the portion size. For the lettuce wrap they only gave us 5 pieces of lettuce. That is not enough for 3 people. We had to request for more lettuce, more garlic, more sauces well basically more of everything otherwise we would just be left with meat and a bowl of rice. What is the point of ordering the wrap when we don't get enough of the items to create the wrap in the first place?!!

Although the quality of the meat was fairly good however, it was sliced too thick. My jaw got tired from chewing the large chunk of meat.

The complimentary side dishes were not that appetizing either. The seaweed was all wilted like it's been sitting out for too long. The only side dish I snacked on were the fried peanuts.

The only positive part of the meal was the seafood beef brown bean paste soup. It was hearty and comforting and for a moment it made me forget about the miserable rainy weather outside.

In spite of the tiny portions nonetheless I left with a half full stomach.

Would I return again? Probably not. Maybe just for the soup. Then again with so many Korean restaurants to choose from at Yonge & Finch think I will pass on Sariwon.

TOTAL BILL $100...ONCE IS ENOUGH!!!

Steve's Restaurant

This morning I was craving for an egg benedict and egg benedict I got.

I drove to Steve's Restaurant and ordered a smoked salmon benedict while my boyfriend got the regular egg benedict with peameal bacon.

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon the place was bustling with people. Luckily we arrived around 1 or so which is the perfect time as people were finishing up their last morsel of food.

The benedict was scrumptious. The hollandaise sauce was extremely rich and very heavy. Not great for those who are calorie counters. After finishing the food I just did not want to move at all. Niggeritis was definitely kicking in.

This is my place for now for a benedict uptown until I find another joint.

TOTAL BILL $28...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

Centre Street Deli

If you love pastrami and corned beef then Centre Street Deli is the place to head to. When I go I normally purchase one pound each of these two smoked meat along with a loaf of rye bread. Once I get home I pile the meat high on the bread along with a dab of dijon mustard. Omigod!!!!!!! The best deli sandwich EVER!!!!!

This was the last sandwich so there wasn't much meat left to pile high. Sorry too busy eating so forgot about taking pictures.

Just head over to the friendly deli place and try it out for yourself. I guarantee you will end up returning for more.

TOTAL BILL $40...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

Amadeus

If you love sweets as mush as I do then you simply have to head over to Amadeus. Located in Thornhill, this delightful pastry shop is a local favorite. Just take a look at the photos of the sugary confections, aren't you drooling already???

I wanted to snap some more pictures but the owner wouldn't permit it. Guess he was afraid I was going to replicate their toothsome creations but if only he knew that my baking skills were next to nothing.

I highly recommend buying the Caramel Crunch cake. I swear it tasted like the chocolate Ferrero Rocher with its crunchy hazelnuts and some sort of icing and wafers in between. Mmmmm my mouth is just watering all over again just typing this out. Sorry forgot to take a picture of the cake but here are pictures of other yummy goodies I bought.

Here is tiramisu, chocolate eclair, and some sort of wafer pastry. It was all very decadent and it definitely satisfied my sweet tooth. Also the croissants are baked fresh on a daily basis. It was delicious.

On my next trip I have my eye on the pear torte. It looked absolutely divine. Then again, I want to try it all but have to pace myself. My pants can't stretch as much as it used to so have to take it easy on my consumption of sweets:(

TOTAL BILL $39...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

Grodzinski Bakery

After stepping out of a bank, I was just looking at my bank slip checking the balance when my nose suddenly detected this intoxicating aroma of freshly baked bread in the air. It was emanating somewhere in the plaza so I followed it like a bloodhound all the way to a place called Grodzinski Bakery.

I stood outside like a little kid peeking curiously through the doorway. My eyes widened with glee at the sight of all the baked goods from gingerbread cookies to bagels to flans to cakes. I also saw a huge line with people holding bags and bags of bread. Guess the bread is what reels the customers in. Well that's what brought me here.

So I walked in slowly still unsure of what to buy. It seems the bread is their specialty but question is which one to buy. There was a huge selection of bread from Challahs to bagels to rolls and buns. I didn't know what to choose so I saw an elder lady grabbing a bunch of bagels so I decided to follow suit and grab a couple for myself. I'm sure she knows what she is doing so couldn't be a bad choice. I also grabbed a chocolate croissant, a huge chocolate chip cookie, a chocolate chip looking pretzel and a gingerbread cookie in the shape of a flower . Yes there's a lot of chocolate going on here but hey haven't you heard the expression "chocolate is a girl's best friend" or maybe that was for diamonds. Well call me crazy I prefer chocolate over diamonds any day. I love my food.

The total came to around $6. Thought I would start small and try a few items before I make a big purchase. So far the croissant is really yummy. The cookie is humongous but good if you like the ones that crumble in your mouth. Can't wait to try the rest later.

Have to make another trip and try their apple galette as well as their cakes and pies!

It's amusing how I go to this bank every week yet never made the effort to see what else is in the neighborhood. I need to be more aware of my surroundings next time because you never know what hidden gems you will discover that's right close to home.