La Boheme Cafe and Patisserie

Located in the heart of the swanky Yonge and Eglinton village, the offspring of the widely known Toronto patisserie Jules is definitely attracting the pretentious patrons that inhabit the area. It showcases the culinary talents of pastry chef Marc Tournayre but to be honest it’s not something I recommend going out of your way to visit. The service is very slow, quite disorganized with young staff unable to keep up with customer demands. The decor is modern and uninviting with stark white walls and a very odd table organization in the cafe. It’s actually quite the achievement if you can get your pastry and your coffee without bumping into anyone or losing your server.

But, the important issues at hand are the pastries! I had the pleasure to share a butter croissant, pain au chocolat and a lemon tart. All delicious and made with real ingredients (ie butter, real lemon juice,etc) but overall not mind blowing. There was definitely a large array of tarts, cakes and viennoiserie so for those that are bad with decisions, I say you stay away! The one thing that really stood out was the coffee and surprisingly it came from somewhere else. Te Aro is a small cafe on Queen st East that roasts its own coffee and it’s been making a name for itself through its wholesale business. The aroma and freshness of this coffee cannot be beat and it was the highlight of my La Boheme experience!

Cowbell Restaurant

WOW might be the best word to describe my experience at this wonderful restaurant. From the warm atmosphere of its bistro-like decor, to the friendly yet non-invasive servers, this venue really does things well. It may be a little higher on the price scale than most restaurants of it’s kind, but the meal is definitely worth the splurge.

So let’s talk business! After being rejected from a “super-hipster-not-for-the-likes-of-you” type of restaurant due to its apparent inability to manage its busy nights, four foodies decided they needed some comfort in the form of food (not necessarily comfort food) so we headed to Cowbell (queen and roncesvales in parkdale). It’s dimmed lights, relaxed atmosphere and inviting food aromas definitely erased any second thoughts we had about this choice. Although (and I will agree it may be a strictly personal preference) the tiled floor would not be in any sort of way my decorating choice, the restaurant was beautifully put together. With enough space between tables to ensure some intimacy, dimmed lights and light music playing in the background, our evening started transforming into a wonderful one. Our waiter was more than knowledgeable in both the ingredients for all of their eccentric yet well composed dishes and their extensive wine list! The service was not rushed in any sort of way, our glasses were always full of both water and wine, and we definitely didn’t have to make uncomfortable and awkward conversation with the waiter with food in our mouths.

One thing I feel really bad about not being able to recommend is what we had for dinner. This isn’t meant to be insulting in any sort of way, but their menu changes weekly in order for the restaurant to be fully able to us use any and all parts of the whole animals they bring in for butchering. Their menu is also a reflection of seasonality with wild leeks being predominant on our particular menu. I do recommend if anything, just going in for the shared charcuterie and butcher’s plates. These two items definitely showcase the abilities of this kitchen and will definitely have you wanting more. I also have to mention how neat it is that EVERYTHING there is done in house including the bread and butter that is presented to you at the beginning of the meal. I thought that was a very neat touch!

Overall, if you’re willing to have a wonderful meal out in the city and can spend an extra buck or two, COWBELL is for you! Having been part of their brunch as well (the more economical option) I do recommend saving up a little more in order to have the dinner instead since this Sunday special is still an art they need to perfect. I really can’t wait to return!

Yellow Griffin Pub

Finding ourselves in Bloor West and really craving a quality homemade burger, we decided to try out the Yellow Griffin Pub (Bloor and Runnymede) and wow, were we ever disappointed. Maybe our perception of a phenomenal restaurant involves too many ideals for it to be truly possible, but this place really didn’t even make the mediocre list. Let’s start with the decor; which, of course, reflected the classic pub style with dark wood table tops, benched booths and dim lighting. The waitress greeting us was very friendly but was completely over her head with the six or seven tables she was responsible for. I believe it took us almost as long to get our bill as it did to get our food. Found it very funny that they could afford to turn people down due to the lack of tables, while we sat waiting at an empty one ready to pay and leave.

In order to keep this review very short (the place doesn’t deserve any more attention) I’ll move onto their menu. 35 interesting burger toppings including caramelized onions, grilled veggies, about 10 different BBQ sauce varieties, lots of cheeses, etc…. they even had peanut butter or apple options. And to make it an even greater variety you can choose the type of patty you want in between your buns (beef, pork, lamb, veggie, bison, turkey and salmon). Great! I think reading their funny names on the menu was way better than eating their overcooked (government regulations) and bland excuses for burgers that we were presented. Next time I’m looking to eat a very crappy burger, I’ll definitely choose the fast food restaurant with the two glowing golden arches just down the street cause I can always depend on their fast service.

Chef’s House Restaurant

So having been on both sides of the counter in this King st East restaurant I can’t give a fair review on the food since I’m prone to forgiving mistakes a little more easily. However, I will try my hardest to be as unbiased as possible when judging my latest food experience there, since it was a fairly good one.

To explain the concept behind the restaurant a little better: it’s a very integrated part of the learning experience of both the culinary and the hospitality students at George Brown. In the kitchen at all times, you have a variety of experience levels but nonetheless a group of students learning under the guidance of the one chef responsible for each meal period. The floor staff is also in training, so service is a little slow but closer to the traditional service of fine dining (unfortunately practiced by beginners). The restaurant is only open for lunch and dinner during the week and although they take walk-ins, it’s better if you make reservations since it can sometimes fill up. The idea is to have all eyes on the people cooking your food and therefore put a little bit of pressure on a kitchen that is otherwise severely overstaffed. There’s several cameras catching the cooks’ every moves and projecting it on tv screens throughout the dining room. There’s also a multitude of bar seats right behind the garde manger station for all those foodies that want to feel a part of the action.

Before I get into many more details, I would like to say that the restaurant is definitely a steal price wise. A four course lunch menu costs $26 (2 for $19 and 3 for $23) and you don’t walk away hungry in any sort of way. The free labour at this place really allows them to bring in higher end products and sell them for significantly less than anywhere else. A similar concept is practiced at dinner as well but the prices increase slightly. The menu changes biweekly and reflects the availability of seasonal items and the ability of the kitchen staff.

We were in for lunch, our third time in under 6 months doing so and our opinion of this place still hasn’t changed. Although the menu had some hits and misses (generally not the fault of the concept but the cooking abilities of the staff) but overall left us very satisfied. I enjoyed a Baby Octopus, Chorizo and Chickpea salad as my appetizer (the salad part needed more dressing but over the dish was great), a cold avocado soup with a crab salad as garnish, cornish hen coq au vin with fingerling potatoes and a wild mushroom ragu (ABSOLUTELY amazing from start to finish) and a white chocolate and mascarpone (i believe) stuffed crepe with a rhubarb sauce ontop (also, the best part of the meal). My dining partner had smoked salmon with a poached egg for the app (yuuuuummy), crispy (maybe a little too much so) fried pork belly with baked beans and some sort of chewy, stringy green (definitely not a win on that one) and for dessert Earl Gray ice cream.

Overall, despite the hits and misses, I’ll always be returning to the Chef’s House to eat…. mostly because I want to feel a part of that wonderful kitchen once again!

Lemon: The New Bacon

Recently I can’t stop thinking about lemons and how I could add them, the juice, zest, slices, wedges, and whatever amount from a teaspoon to a few ounces and the result would only be a positive to the desired dish. Its just as versatile as anything else out there and gives bacon a run for its money.

Think about it, you can saute, grill, poach, bake, roast, and braise with this magical citrus fruit. For example, osso buco would be a different dish without it, and not to be out done, where would fish be without its right hand companion? See as how fish is consumed more than beef, pork, and chicken, it would seem as though the proof is in the pudding.

Almost forgot about salsa’s, sauces, and the like. A couple of examples, gremolata suace, piccata sauce.

Not to mention that it works beautifully with other fruits and vegetables. Also jams and marmalades.

Enough said (for now) about whats been on my mind for weeks now, I needed to get that off my chest and write it down. Please I encourage anyone to comment and give their thoughts on the subject.

Rhubarb Crumble

Keeping in tune with seasonality, I’ve decided to share my rhubarb crumble recipe with the world…. you can make it in individual ramekins or in just one giant deep (pyrex-like) dish. Best served with either a dollop of creme fraiche (make your own by adding 1/2 cup buttermilk to 2 cups of whipping cream and allowing it to sit out at room temperature for almost 48 hours…. keeps in the fridge after for 2 weeks at least)….. or just some simple vanilla ice cream!

Filling:
1 bunch rhubarb (generally sold that way but if you want to be exact, around 1 lb)…. roughly chopped
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp ginger (freshly ground is the only way to go)
and to taste: cinnnamon, cloves, nutmeg. vanilla, etc
(you can even add fresh berries, although not quite seasonal or apples or pears…. even tropical fruit like mangos and papayas make this crumble extra yummy just keep the spices to a minimum when using these)

Crumble topping:
3/4 cup rolled oats (not necessary if you don’t like the texture, can be replaced with same amount of flour)
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cold cubed butter
any spices or seasonings you want to add (i generally add some cinnamon)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (also optional)

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Toss the filling in a bowl until everything is well coated in the flour and sugar mixture. Spoon into the greased containers.
2. Combine the dry ingredients of the crumble and cut in butter until the mixture resembles really coarse bread crumbs (even pea sized) Sprinkle over fruit
3. Bake until the fruits are bubbling inside and the top is golden…..

April

Seasonal and organic food is very rapidly making a comeback in today’s culinary society, so I figured it would be absolutely necessary to discuss (at least once a month) the fruit or veggie that is being celebrated at that moment. Since it’s almost mid-April and the weather’s been exceptionally nice this year, I’m considering this to be Asparagus and Rhubarb month!!!!! Just in case you may not be familiar with the two, I’ll divulge some hidden secrets I’ve recently researched on these two wonderful spring goodies…

Asparagus:Picture courtesy of rd.com
– The plant itself is from the Liliaceae family (lily) with a variety of species native from Siberia to Africa (generally the African species are grown as ornamental house plants)
-Its tuberous roots give rise to branches of pine like leaves producing yellow flowers in the spring and red berries in the fall
– In the culinary world, it’s only the young shoots that are eaten and they are low in calories, contain no cholesterol and are a good source of thiamine (vit B1), folacin, iron, vitamin C and A, phosphorus
-When buying asparagus, look for crisp, straight, bright green stalks with compact tips
– Store the stalks by wrapping their bottoms in a damp paper towel and placing them in a plastic bag in the fridge
– Prepping asparagus requires you to cut off the thicker and chewier bottoms (which can be used for stocks)

Rhubarb: picture courtesy of grit.com
– Originating from Siberia but growing in popularity in China around 2700BC, this plant has only recently become a culinary extravaganza being known for its medicinal powers until then (the roots make a great purgative and laxative)
– It is a great source of calcium, Vitamin C and potassium…. and can have it’s fruit like qualities enjoyed even before most fruits are available
– DON’T eat the leaves…. they contain oxalic acid which can irritate the mouth but in extreme cases can be fatal (who knew?!) but only if you consume about 5 kg of the nasty sour leaves at once
-When buying Rhubarb, look for crisp, firm stalks that vary in colour from green to deep ruby red (good to know is that greenhouse rhubarb has small yellow leaves, rosier coloured stalks and milder flavour than its natural cousin)
– Keep it wrapped in the fridge or freeze it if cleaned!

Dinner for two with tea, tax and tip: $800

Welcome to Toronto’s most expensive restaurant.
This article comes to us courtesy of my buddy Jonas who found it in the Toronto Star. While I admit that the prices are, in fact, high, after reading the article, I am not sure that they are not worth it.

I go for dinner at Hashimoto in Don Mills expecting perfection, and find it. I also pay $300 for my meal, nine courses of mainly cooked dishes that culminate in a peaceful Japanese tea ceremony. Tea is the only drink; a liquor license is pending.

The article focuses on a restaurant called Hashimoto that just opened in the Don Mills area.  It is chef Hashimotos second restaurant and it seats 6-10 people. The restaurant is opened only when there is demand for it.  I.e. people make a reservation and he opens shop.

The food is almost all imported from Japan, and the attention to detail and the bespoke service really sets it apart from the everyday dining experience in Toronto.

Below are some excerpts from the Toronto Star article. The Full article can be found here.

Hashimoto East is the new restaurant of Masaki Hashimoto, ranked one of Japan’s top five chefs in a 2008 competition. He’s been preparing painstaking and authentic kaiseki dinners at his original Mississauga location for nine years; it’s the only restaurant I’ve ever rated full stars.

A kaiseki meal emphasizes seasonality and beautiful presentation. The progression of dishes is formalized, showcasing the chef’s skill with certain techniques (stewing, grilling, frying, etc.). Ingredients are often repeated as a theme.

The Menu Prepared For Amy Pataki of the Toronto Star

1st course

An amuse bouche (on jya kuzen in Japanese) meant to quell hunger pangs with simple foods, especially before drinking sake. Plain rice, egg-shaped tofu and a ground-sesame “tofu” ball plus sweet-and-gritty saikyo (white miso) soup do the trick.

2nd course

The formal appetizer: Tenderest white squid splashed with rhubarb juice, topped with a macerated cherry and paired winningly with Japanese fava beans. The red-and-white colours match the dish it’s served in.

3rd course

Sashimi of wild, line-caught madai (distant relative of snapper) is fanned out like blushing chrysanthemum petals. The leaves and stems of fresh wasabi are served along with the green ground paste; we’re encouraged to eat them and enjoy their distinct vegetal flavour.

4th course

A soup with ishidai (rock porgy) rolled around gobo (braised burdock root), garnished with naturally red Kyoto carrots, yuzu peel and salted cherry blossom. The clear stock is thick with kudzu starch and bright with colourful rice crackers.

5th course

A fish course of cooked ainame (grouper) dolloped with miso stained green by kinome (prickly ash leaves). Sweet yam is carved into a flower alongside, while dots of red sour plum puree gleam on lily bulb with the texture of cooked chestnut.

6th course

Stewed and steamed: Bamboo shoots, stewed for two hours, are crunchy and delicate. Soft grey madai roe represents the “steamed” element. Tiny, carved vegetables: a red carrot leaf, buttercup squash, chayote and a miniature turnip green.

7th course

Grilled and fried: Grilled cubes of highly marbled Wagyu strip loin are essentially fat. The A5 designation is considered the best in the world; a little goes a long way. The fried part is represented by a fan of somen noodles tipped with rice crackers. Carved daikon crane is Hashimoto’s signature.
8th course

The main: Unigohan, or sea urchin roe mixed into rice. On top are cooked eel and frizzled ginger. Exquisite daikon pickles stained with squid ink (from the second course) and rolled in sesame; crunchy fried eel spines are a nice treat. Second helpings of rice and pickles are encouraged, but asking for thirds is bad etiquette.

9th course

Mini scoops of strawberry and matcha ice creams are one-half of dessert. The other half is an agar-based jelly of macerated cherries with mashed red beans and gold shavings. A shot glass of icy, boozy, salty cherry soaking liquid is the first and only appearance of alcohol at the license-pending restaurant.

Kaiseki Yu-zen Hashimoto East
Address: 6 Garamond Court, Don Mills, 905-670-5559, www.kaiseki.ca

Chef: Masaki Hashimoto

Hours: By demand at Hashimoto’s new location

Reservations: Mandatory at least 1 week in advance

Wheelchair access: No

Price: Dinner for two with tea, tax and tip: $800

Free Labour….

I am just graduating from culinary school in a couple of weeks and I just wanted to post something for everyone out there who may find themselves in a similar situation.  That situation is being used extensively for free labour.  Now I understand that there are certain hurdles to clear in order to graduate, paying my dues is something that I don’t mind doing, but at what point is a person being taken advantage of?  How many free shifts and stages does one have to work to prove their dedication.

I have currently been looking for a job for about 2 months now and have applied at alot of great places.  The chefs all have the same idea.  “Come in for a stage and see how you work out.”  10 hours and no money later I find myself back in the same place, still without work, still giving my time for free.  I believe that restaurants use young cooks as free labour in order to keep costs down.  I doubt that half of the places that offer these stages have any real intent to even hire that cook, no matter how good a job they do. 

Everytime I go into one of these stages I always put my best foot forward.  Show up on time with clean uniform, work clean and hard and show genuine interest in the kitchen and the food.  I may not be the most experienced cook but I know my value and I see alot of the people in these places, and I know that I would be an asset for many of them, yet their miserly ways keep them from bringing me on.  They would rather have one free shift, than take a chance on someone who seems really passionate and dedicated.  I am interested to see how many of you out there are suffering from or have suffered from the same fate.  Putting time and work into a place and getting very little if anything out of it.  Any advice or comments are always appreciated.  Until then, I guess I will just keep the faith that one of these days, all of the hard work and free labour will lead to something more than sore feet and a negative account balance.

The worlds most remote restaurant.

I found this while cruising around the interweb this morning…

Apparently, this is the worlds most remote restaurant.  You have to walk/climb an outrageous path to get there, but if you make it (alive) you get a free lunch…

You can check out more about the region here:

Mount_Hua I laughed when I read that the plank walk way was now a ‘paid tourist activitiy.’

Pics and story courtesy of  Core77

Chef School Essentials Part 1 – Knife roll

So here we are, at the end of the whole chef school experience and a great time to talk about what was absolutely required and what pieces of kitchen paraphernalia are completely useless and shouldn’t be bought! And this is more than an open post so feel free to post your opinions and feedback! This is also written from the point of view of someone more pastry oriented so I need input from a butcher’s point of view…

To start off I’ll describe my ideal knife roll and its contents. DON’T ever make the excuse in buying the knife rolls sold at schools! They contain crappy knives that won’t really feel good in your hands. Remember that you have to become one with your chef’s knife and therefore a 2 foot long french knives will really do you no good (unless you’re 10 feet tall)… anyways here goes:
1. One good chef’s knife…. regardless of shape, size, price, etc this knife has to be the most comfortable knife you have ever held. The weight has to be just right and this is something that only YOU can really pick out. It’s a knife that you’ll use for everything in the kitchen, day in and day out and maybe its something that you might invest a little more into (but not necessary at all). Take your time picking it out and ask if you can return it if it doesn’t feel right when you bring it home.
2.  A paring knife is a very handy little bugger. It fits in every pocket (especially the ones on the chef jacket sleeves) and comes in handy when you least expect it. I do believe that they’re almost disposable so the colourful KUHN paring knives sold at Winners for $15 will do more than a good job. But again, if you want to spend your money, go for a higher end model… but be prepared to watch your knife kit like a hawk wherever you work since these little things can easily walk away!
3. A really sharp bread knife…. otherwise you squish everything you slice. It’s a very important too to have if you’re a dessert person too…. A longer blade will do wonders for slicing layers in a sponge cake.
4. A boning knife
5. A higher end sharpening steel. This is a definite must and please don’t get cheap. Your knives must be in tip top shape and always sharp in order for them to do you justice.
6. Two or three tasting spoons, since most people think it’s gross to just shove your finger in their food
7. A sharpie! Labeling stored foods is a biggie overlooked by waaaaaay too many people in the industry
8. A heatproof spatula which will become your very best friend! Great for anything from sauces to mixing batters, etc. If possible get more than one colour coded for what you’re using it since sometimes strong flavours leak into the plastic.
9. A variety of sizes of off-set spatulas. At least a large and a small. They’re not only good for assembling desserts but also can double as fish spatulas and other handy kitchen tools.
10. A whisk. They come in a variety of sizes but go for whatever looks “averaged” sized. Winners (great place for affordable knick knacks for your roll) sells silicone covered whisks that are Uber helpful since nothing sticks to them!
11. A set of small measuring utensils. Usually you find cup measures in a kitchen but never the small stuff so grab a few for 1/2 tsp, 1tsp, 1/2 tbsp and 1tbsp measures. They’re the most common and you don’t need to have all the sizes in the world especially since guestimation is still practiced!
12. A pastry brush… silicone ones from the dollar store will suffice
13. A pastry bag (or disposables if you have money to spare) and two or three standard tips. It comes in handy quite a lot and you’ll b surprised how much more efficient you become once you befriend these funny things.

Well that’s it for now…. anything that I’ve missed I’ll include later…. Hope this helps!

Battle For the Ages: Jam vs. Marmalade

I’m throwing it all out there, swinging for the fences, giving it the old 1, 2 knockout. What is the difference between the two? Is it because one is citrus the other fruit? If that is true then why can people get away with saying “onion marmalade?” Is it because one is made witht he the softening of the rind and the other not, only because fruits don’t really have rinds? Is it because you use the pulp from the choosen ingredient, because if thats the case Herve This contradicts that in his book Molecular Gastronomy, saying you can use the pulp as a thickening agent in both cases?

Looking up the word “marmalade” on dictionary.com tells me that the origin of the word “marmelada” (1515-25) is actually a quince jam.

So the question I pose to anyone reading this is to give me some feedback, because i stand in the middle of the fight and i don’t want to get caught looking in the other direction.

New Generation Grill Fusion in the Annex

Just like any other korean grill house, you’re cooking your own meal in the little hot plates located in the center of each table. It’s a very neat idea for an interactive meal but really puts the pressure on the kitchen in order to produce phenomenal food without being able to cook it until the end.

So this particular place is the sister restaurant to New Generation Sushi (located just down the street… between bathurst and spadina on bloor) which has been one of my fav spots for quick and yummy meals. However, this really must be the evil and uglier sister that they keep locked up in the basement since the two restaurants are nothing alike! Grill Fusion is dark and gloomy, with a strange aroma awaiting you upon entry. The staff is just as friendly as those at New Gen Sushi but the environment doesn’t do them any justice. The dark marble tables would make the place feel a little more elegant if the rest of the decor wasn’t also dark. It almost feels like you’re dining in a cave. And if we talk about the food, well let’s just say it was severely disappointed. Crappy side dishes served waaay too cold with a very stingy variety of  crappy cuts of  meat really doesn’t scream plentiful all you can eat grill house menu. The best thing about the menu is their attempt to adapt to their surroundings by serving HOT DOGS as part of the grill menu. That’s not just cheap but also insulting to foodies like us.

I just want to warn any New Gen Sushi enthusiasts that the grill house experience is absolutely a let down and therefore everyone should stick the classic.