Elem

Remember the last time I was at Elem?  If you guessed May, you are correct!  Now if you can also recall, I was dining at Elem almost monthly after they opened in late 2024.  So why the huge gap in between visits?  Well, if you haven't already heard, Viv broke her leg in July and that put everything on hold.  Also, I had gone to Montreal in October and had to do a detox after ripping through the best that they had.  So here we are back at Elem, now a Michelin-recommended restaurant and also appearing on Canada's 100 Best Restaurant list.

Like all of our meals at Elem, we got the Rye Bread.  This time around, they were accompanied by an apple butter topped with grated Szechuan pepper.  This resulted in a creamy and naturally sweet butter that had a slight bite.  It was ever-so-subtle though, so it wasn't numbing or spicy.  As for the rye, it was at its soft fluffy best with a slightly crispy exterior that was sweet.  Inside, there was still a slight chew. 

Of course we'd get some cocktails right?  These were quite interesting with the Hot Pot Whiskey Sour.  This really did taste like Chinese hot pot with the earthiness and spice.  We also got some extra tanginess from the kalamansi.  Their version of a Mai Tai featured 3 types of rum, which made it boozy but it was slightly tempered by the passionfruit granita and pistachio orgeat.

Our appetizers began with the Chicory Salad that was quite bountiful in size.  It was truly an appetizer as the coronation grape vinaigrette was super bright and tangy.  It helped balance out the bitterness from the crisp radicchio.  Nice crunch and aromatics from the walnuts and creaminess from the ricotta salata.  Although it might've seemed like a small detail, the plump blueberries added a fruity sweetness to the mix.

Onto a new item that is going to replace the Chicory Salad on the menu, we had the Futsu Squash with forno beets.  Chef Vish decided to employ little-used ingredients for this creation.  Not overly popular, the futsu squash was full of umami that resulted in an earthy sweetness.  It was tender, yet still had some firmness.  These were topped with tender slices of forno beets that were lightly sweet, but not overly earthy.  We found chunks of buffalo mozzarella and pickled walnuts as well.  The slices of fennel added extra crunch and aroma.  Finally, they used the whey from the mozzarella to create a vinaigrette.

We mourned the loss of the crab toast but were delighted to see the Prawn Toast as its replacement.  Light, almost fluffy and slightly rare, the diced prawn was super delicate and sweet.  It was topped with sesame and seared until crispy and aromatic.  Sitting on the same milk bread, it was lightly toasted.  Hence, it remained slightly crispy despite half-immersed in a tom yum sauce.  Combined with some Indian spices including cumin, the tom yum was earthy and tangy.  We got the lemongrass beyond the cumin.

Staying with the veggie theme of this meal (as we got a lot of that), we had the Delicata Squash that was halved and roasted.  Hence, the sweetness was coaxed out of the squash from the heat.  This was further enhanced by the quince glaze, which was balanced off by the ample pine nuts.  Underneath, we found a creamy mornay sauce.

Second round of cocktails consisted of the Tamarind & Mango Agua Fresca with a fruit popsicle.  Yes, this was a mocktail, but a tasty one at that.  Definitely refreshing but at the same time with body, the tamarind was prominent in taste and appearance.  The other cocktail was the Hinojo consisting of tequila, amartillado sherry and fennel.  Yep, another fairly strong concoction but balanced.  The tequila was at the forefront but the fennel added that licorice aroma.

We've had almost every version of the fried rice at Elem and although we have enjoyed them all, the current iteration was probably the best.  Interestingly, it happened to be the Mushroom Fried Rice and yes, there was no meat in it.  Despite that, it was very mushroom forward with impactful pieces of mushroom and a considerable amount of mushroom XO.  There was good wok hei where the rice was nutty and firm with caramelization.  Nice crunch from the veggies and fluffiness from the egg.

The feature of the night happened to be the Argentinian Chili Risotto and yes, we got that too.  Just like the other risottos we've had here, this was expertly prepared.  Spreading nicely on the plate, the aborio rice was firm, but cooked through.  There was enough moisture and cheesiness without being intrusive.  The natural sweetness and umaminess of the Argentinian prawn came though.  Nice addition of acidity from the lemon and yes, it had spice from the chili and sambal.

Our meat dish of the night was the Wagyu Bavette in a crying tiger sauce.  Prepared mostly rare, the meat was juicy and possibly a touch chewy.  We would've preferred medium-rare or even medium in this application.  No matter, as it was still plenty chewable and best of all, it sat in a delicious sauce.  The combination of briny fish sauce, tangy lime juice and sweet tamarind really helped bring this dish alive.  Of course the plethora of herbs just put the flavours over-the-top.

To go with this, we had the Cabbage, that was roasted and topped with sesame pangrattato.  Nice aromatic and nutty crunch from that to go with the charred eggplant puree.  With some anchovies, we got some light salty brininess to provide some punch to an otherwise mild dish.  The cabbage itself was tender but not mushy.  We detected some cumin that gave the dish plenty of earthiness.

As for the sweet stuff, we were presented with a bonus bite in the Beet Ice Cream.  This was super smooth with a balanced sweetness.  We got the natural flavours of the beets including a hint of earthiness.  Really delicious.  We also had the Chocolate Tart with pumpkin gelato.  The tart itself was creamy and rich, while not being heavy.  It was semi-sweet with a balancing bitterness.  Underneath, the coffee foam added some extra flavour. 

When I asked for the bill, we were presented with some sweet bites (as they always do) in Passionfruit & Apple Jellies.  They were not too sweet and had a nice light gelatin texture to it.   Once again, it was a fine meal at Elem.  We still mourn the loss of the iconic Crab Toast and possibly the Bavette Steak could've been a bit more tender, but overall, the dishes we had were well-executed with thoughtful flavours.  Can't wait for my next visit!

The Good:

- Beautiful dining space

- Excellent service

- Worthy eats

The Bad:

- Wish the Crab Toast was still around...

- Steak could've been more tender

DaiLo

Oh I've been trying to get to DaiLo for quite some time.  We were in Toronto when it was in its infancy, but didn't get a chance to visit.   In fact, I missed it once again earlier in the year while we were in town.  However, this time, I made a reso so we would finally dine there!  Meaning "Big Brother" in Cantonese, DaiLo is headed by Chef Nick Liu.  His French influences on Asian cuisine are evident while still honouring the classic dishes he grew up on.  Seeing how many items we wanted to try on the menu, the best solution was having their Premium DaiLo's Choice tasting menu for $155.00 per person.

This started with an Amuse Bouche consisting of a Tom Yum Custard.  This little gem was only a taste of what was to come, but it was a loudspeaker of a beginning.  Silky and light, the egg custard was merely a blank canvas for the classic Tom Yum flavours including a hit of bright lemongrass and the tangy brininess of kaffir lime and fish sauce.  Some spiciness appeared from the chili oil and of course the usual bite from the galangal.  We found some smoked tomatoes, butter poached shrimp and pickled chilis which added more layers of impact.

Something a bit out of left field, we had the Spanish Tortilla with sesame crème fraîche, Kaviari Osetra Caviar and chives.  This was a beautiful rendition of a tortilla with tender pieces of potato sandwiched in between fluffy egg and onion.  There was a ever-so-slight nuttiness coming from the sesame crème fraîche while the salty brininess of the caviar provided that umaminess for the little bite.  Sure, this wasn't Asian, but it was beautifully executed.

One of my favourite bites of the meal was the Crispy Octopus Taco.  This was pretty ingenious with a thinly sliced piece of jicama as the "taco shell".  This totally kept things light and fresh.  That was necessary since the red braised pork belly was sinfully delicious.  The richness of the meat melded perfectly with the equally tender octopus.  Providing some spice and depth was the sambal aioli.  Once again, the bright crunch of the jicama really balanced things out.

Moving onto the next item, it could very well be an Amuse as well since it was a one-biter.  The Smoked Trout Pomelo Betel Leaf reminded me of the Thai Miang Kham which literally means many things in one bite.  However, this one had different components such as cold-smoked trout, lime leaf, lemongrass, shallot, nut crumble, puffed rice and coconut caramel dressing.  Lots of things going on here, but the textural crunch from the ingredients provided a nice mouth feel.  In addition, the lemongrass really came through while the smokiness came on a bit later.

In addition to the Tom Yum Custard, the Soft-Shell Crab Banh Xeo was another off-menu item.  This featured turmeric-battered crab sitting on a betel leaf and lettuce while complimented by pickled bean sprouts, chili oil and sambal vinegar.  This was inspired by their recent collaboration with Montreal's Street Monkeys.  I found that the soft shell crab was super light with a crispy and earthy batter.  That crunch was reminiscent of the crisp banh xeo texture.  In addition to this, the bean sprouts provided the veggie crunch as well as some acidity. 

We were served 2 items next in the Sweet & Sour Pork Hock as well as the Vietnamese Phaux Beef Carpaccio.  The 2 large nuggets of pork hock were nicely marbled giving it a meaty texture with intermittent butteriness.  Lots of crunch on the outside while the fat was full of umaminess.  The accompanying sweet & sour sauce had a light viscosity but still clung onto each cube beautifully.  It was appetizingly tangy with just enough sweetness.  As for the beef carpaccio, the meat was buttery soft while exhibiting rich beef flavour that wasn't as sharp as I would be expecting from a 90-day aged ribeye cap.  There was spot-on pho flavours including meaty saltiness accented by star anise and cloves with background sweetness.

Next, we were presented with something that was a bit odd at first.  I really didn't know what to think of it, but alas, it was described as the Bonito Potato Espuma.  Okay, so it was a potato foam of some sort and the best part, it had bonito in it.  Hence, it was briny and full of umami.  It was super light and airy while the exhibiting an appealing smokiness.  If that wasn't enough, we found a piece of anchovy on top with some chili crunch. That afforded even more briny saltiness and some spice.

We finished with the small plates with a pair of dumplings including the Pea Dumplings and Hakka Brown Wontons.  The pea puree filling was absolutely money with a creamy sweetness that was elevated by the rich brown butter.  The dumpling wrapper was super thin and delicate while retaining a chew.   As if that wasn't enough, there was some creamy bone marrow to make the duck bacon dashi nage extra rich and silky.  We found some chanterelles, pea shoots, peas and summer truffle in the mix to add woodsiness and some freshness.  As for the Wontons, they were filled with tender and juicy pork.  They sat in a mix of house XO sauce, toasted sesame oil and almond crumble.  The result was something quite nutty, briny and somewhat spicy.  Although I we enjoyed these, this was probably the most "ordinary" dish of the meal.

What we had next was genuinely awesome in the Singapore Chili Lobster.  It was truly a masterpiece consisting of a decently-sized lobster bathed in a nutty, spicy, briny and savoury sauce.  The addition of peanuts and lemongrass really gave this a SE Asian punch that was finger-licking good.  The lobster itself was live before cooking, hence, the meat was bouncy and sweet.  Sandwiched in between the pieces of lobster, we found fried noodles doused in the same sauce.  What a nice crunchy snack of sorts in between pieces of lobster.  On the side, we were served some Gai Lan with black garlic tofu dressing, oyster mushrooms chips and chili oil.  This was a fairly simple preparation but the steamed gai lan were still crunchy and were fully seasoned by the umaminess of the dressing and the nutty spiciness of the chili oil.

As a palate cleanser, we were served an Aloe Vera Sorbet with pickled ginger.  After the spicy lobster, it was very much welcomed as it cooled our tongue and got us ready for the Olive Oil Cake with a white chocolate crémeux, caramelized white chocolate and mango.  This was a nice fruity and light way to finish the meal.  The cake was ever-so-moist and the sweetness was just right.  Nice contrast of textures.  Overall, the tasting menu at DaiLo was really good and we weren't left wanting for any more food.  Nice array of dishes that were mostly unlike each other and kept things interesting.  Sure, DaiLo isn't the shiniest new thing in TO, but it is still a solid choice amongst all of the great places to dine at.

The Good:
- Good combination of elevated dishes and rustic ones
- Impactful flavours
- Wonderful service

The Bad:
- Some dishes were bordering on salty, if not salty

Elem

Yes, here we are with another visit to Elem.  It was a long time coming because it was supposed to be in May.  It was for my mother's birthday, but she got sick and we had to postpone it to June.  This would be the first time that she and my kids got to try Elem.  Moreover, I haven't been to Elem since they made Canada's 100 Best Restaurants list.  Congrats to them and I know they are working hard to be better every day.  I think this is my 6th visit?

Like every other meal we've had here, it all starts with their Rye Bread with butter.  This time, it was black garlic butter and there was definitely the sweet umaminess combined with the usual creaminess.  Love the bread here, so soft and fluffy but having a chew to them as well.  Next, we had the Glorious Organics Salad with magnolia vinaigrette, radish and toasted nuts.  I'm not much of a salad person, but this was a good way to get some fresh and crisp greens into the meal while having some really apparent texture with the crunchy nuts.

One of the daily features was the Morels stuffed with spot prawn mousse in a lemon garlic mouseline sauce with morel broth.  As you can imagine, the morels were at the forefront of this dish and there was intense umaminess.  Texturally, each morel had the classic sponginess giving way to a delicate, sweet and bouncy filling.  The sauce was also spiked with morel woodsiness and had plenty of aromatics and creaminess.

Okay, what can I say about the Dungeness Crab Toast that I haven't already stated?  I've had this every meal at Elem and it never disappoints.  Of course, this time was no different.  The ample amount of fluffy and sweet crab sat atop milk bread surrounded by lemongrass ginger foam.  There was a good contrast of texture between the crab and the crispy toast.  Moreover, the light airiness of the sauce matched well with the crab. Naturally, the SE Asian flavours of the sauce make the dish with the aromatic brightness of lemongrass.

We also had the Carrots and the Grilled Lamb Skewers where I was elated to to have the latter.  You see, most people I dine with do not like lamb.  However, the lamb skewers here at Elem are fantastic.  With a good mix of meat and fat, the skewers were succulent and tender.  They were nicely paired with the thick and tangy labneh and sweet date glaze.  Nice crunch from the buckwheat on top.  As for the carrots, they were sweet and earthy while atop whipped miso tofu.  This was good, but I probably would not order them again.

This time with the fam, I didn't go too extreme with the cocktails and only had two of them.  Both were on the "Fifth Dimension" supplemental menu.  The first was the Black Sesame Whiskey Sour with peanut butter washed Shelter Point whiskey, black sesame paste and egg whites.  Definitely aromatic and nutty with the hit of lemon to keep things bright.  The other was the Wild Rose Daiquiri with earl grey rum, wild rose cordial, lime and curry leaf oil.  This was the stronger of the two, yet at the same time, went down easy.  This was partly due to the sweetness offered up by the cordial.  At the same time, there was some tang form the lime and earthiness of the curry leaf oil.  If I had to choose between the two, I would take the latter.

It seems like every culture has a version of fried chicken, so why not have Indian Fried Chicken?  This version featured large thigh pieces that were coated in a crispy, but light batter.  Inside, the meat was juicy and super tender.  Underneath, we found a butter chicken sauce which was well-balanced with a touch of spice.  I found it creamy, but not heavy while having a muted tanginess.  Topping it off, we found a few blistered shishitos.

I'm glad they kept the Roasted Brussels Sprouts on the menu because as simple as it may seem, the dish is delicious.  Firm, but cooked through, the sprouts were tender and nicely roasted.  The pops of sweetness was provided by the sultana raisins while there was some balancing acidity from the pear agrodulce.  As per usual, we also added the Barbecue Chicken Fried Rice topped with a sunny side egg.  Beyond the chewy texture of the rice and the nutty caramelization, there was tang and spice from the house kimchi.  Yet, the proverbial cherry on top was the chili crunch on the side.  This made the rice with nuttiness, crunch, smokiness and a bit of spice. 

For our pasta dish, we had the stunning Short Rib Scarpinocc beautifully plated with fresh spring peas and pickled rhubarb.  This sat in a lightly creamy beurre blanc sauce that was not heavy with perfect balance of sweetness with a touch of acidity.  The sweet peas added bursts of flavour while the rhubard provided extra tanginess and a bit of crunch.  The pasta itself was appealingly firm with tender and intensely savoury short rib.

Moving onto our meat course, we had the Dry-Aged Duck.  This consisted of a succulent duck breast which was cooked perfectly as well as duck leg with fall-apart meat.  Both featured rendered skin which were glazed with sweet prunes.  Underneath, we found a duck jus that was full of umami and sweetness.  Also on the plate, we found a braised shallot that was finished off some broiling.  It provided even more sweetness to the dish.

We ended up with some desserts including the Nemesis Cake and Popcorn.  I've had both of these before and that cake was fantastic.  This time around, it was just like I remembered.  It was rich and creamy with the slight bitterness of dark chocolate at the forefront with mild sweetness.  The vanilla miso ice cream on the side added some saltiness while the tarragon wafer provided crunch and subtle licorice vibes.  A nicely balanced and composed dessert.  As for the popcorn, it is a whimsical dessert, where it really did taste like aromatic sweet popcorn.  Totally intentional because it is supposed to emulate the flavours of Chicago mix.  So therefore, that is why we found cheddar on top while sitting on a corn mousse & foam with caramel sauce.  Very light and airy dessert that wasn't too heavy.

Our third dessert was a new one back when we had it in June.  The Piña Colada  Baba au Rum Cake was quite balanced.  I've had rum cake before that it was so strong, I could barely eat it.  This had a hint of it where the soaked cake was moist and semi-sweet.  We found some chewy pineapple bits that added concentrated sweetness and texture.  Tangy black lime crema offered up some tangy bitterness.  Lastly, there was some pandan coconut ice cream which was floral and purposefully sweet.  Along with the bill, we had one more small bite in the White Chocolate with lemon zest.  These were creamy and of course sweet, yet not as much as I would've expected from white chocolate.  So there we are, another delicious meal at Elem with a few new dishes that go off in different directions.  That is the concept with Elem as there are influences from around the world (both food and beverages) in a metropolitan space with Michelin-worthy service.

The Good:

- Thoughtfully-conceptualized dishes

- Good ambiance as per usual

- Great service as per usual

The Bad:

- The bill can get up there, but nothing is inexpensive these days

Taco Nori (Burrard Skytrain Station)

When I first laid eyes on Taco Nori (at the Richmond Night Market), I was immediately drawn to the fully stuffed Japanese tacos.  By employing a tempura fried nori shell and using sushi rice as a base, this was essentially a sushi roll re-imagined.  The great thing about the sushi taco is that it is a portable hand-held meal or snack (depending how many you have) for those on the go. I feel that their new location (just across from their food cart spot) is perfect for those on their way to and from the Skytrain station.

We sampled all of their available options including the California and the Spicy Tuna.  Before they stuff the tacos full of the main ingredient, they sauce the sushi rice with spicy mayo or wasabi mayo adding julienned cucumber and soy sauce mix with green onions and sesame seeds on top.  With a considerable amount of fluffy imitation crab salad with some tobiko, I really enjoy the California taco.  It is like a fried California roll but with much more stuff.  As for the Spicy Tuna, it is filled with meaty pieces of bright-tasting ahi tuna.  It is mildly spicy, allowing the natural sweetness of the fish come through.  I particularly like the soy sauce mix they use as it is full of umami without being too salty.

My favourite of the whole bunch is the Mango Paradise featuring Atlantic salmon, avocado, mango and imitation crab.  This has everything where the mango really brings things to life with a tangy sweetness.  You might laugh, but the addition of imitation crab make this complete since it adds the classic fluffy texture and unmistakable sweet brininess.  Next to it is the popular Spicy Salmon nori taco.  There are buttery pieces of Atlantic salmon dressed in sweet and salty soy with some kick.

There is a little of everything for everyone including vegetarians as the Avocucumber features the same rice base with extra cucumber and sliced avocado.  Personally, this wouldn't be my choice, but it does well with lots of creamy avocado.  Right beside it is something more up my alley in the Ahi Tuna. I really like this as the soy sauce mixture goes particularly well with the tuna.  The umami from the soy brings out the brightness and the sweetness in the tuna.

Back to another vegetarian offering in the Wakame with avocado hiding beneath it.  In all honesty, I would actually order this.  I personally love wakame salad with its sweet tanginess.  The crunch provides a nice mouth-feel that offsets the soft avocado. Another one I would consider is the Chopped Scallop with mayo and masago.  These little bay scallops are sweet and buttery while laced with enough mayo to bind them together.  The masago adds some pops of brininess.

Last but not least, the classic Salmon is another taco I wouldn't hesitate to order.  Besides, it is the standard where most people will find it approachable.  Nice buttery nuggets of salmon with the same delicious sweet, tangy and salty sauce mix.  I really enjoy the concept and think it is another way to enjoy a sushi roll/poke bowl hybrid in a handheld format.  Nice textures and flavours make it appealing and delicious.  Now, until the end of May 2025, if you show them the Instagram reel from my account, you will receive 10% off your order!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Portable deliciousness

- Nice texture on the tempura-fried nori shell

- They don't skimp on the filling

The Bad:

- Shell can be a bit greasy, so make sure you have napkins