Marry Me Mochi (Kensington Market)

I'm sure, at the very least, you have seen a mochi donut before.  I'm hoping that you have tried one too!  I personally love the chewy texture of the "balls" that are neatly arranged into a donut.  My first experience with them was at Dochi in Seattle and I will forever compare anything else with it (since they are also really good!).  So while walking around Kensington Market and after some Jamaican patties, we stumbled upon Marry Me Mochi.  They have 13 locations in the area and in fact, I visited the Eaton Centre spot when I returned a few months later.

Now on my first visit, we dipped our toes into the pool lightly and only got one donut in the form of the Crème Brûlove.  Yes, this was a crème brûlée, but they just liked to do a play on words.  First off, this was much less sweeter than it appeared.  Now it was still sweet mind you, but I could definitely eat it without reaching for my water bottle.  There was caramelization that provided a different layer of sweetness.  As for the texture, it was soft with a classic mochi chew.

We were happy with the mochi donut we tried, so a few days later, we made our way back and got 3 more to try.  These included Berry Obsessed, You Had Me at Chocolate and Matcha Made in Heaven.  The berry was a featured donut with raspberry glaze and dark chocolate.  Really enjoyed this as it as fruity and just sweet enough contrasted by the bitter chocolate.  The chocolate donut had a Pocky stick and was pretty typical with a silky milk chocolate glaze.  Balanced and not bitter, the matcha was purposefully sweet and aromatic.

Our next visit yielded the Dubai Chocolate, The Nut to My Heart and Strawberry Marry Me.  Also a featured donut, the Dubai had chocolate mixed with some pistachio glaze.  On top, we found the crunchy kadayif.  Completely covered in sweet and nutty pistachio glaze, the Nut to My Heart also featured chopped pistachios on top.  Definitely a nutty donut...  Last one was basically strawberry Pocky glazed donut with Pocky pieces on top.  Again, not as sweet as it looked and did have Pocky vibes.  Overall, we thought the mochi donuts at Marry Me Mochi were solid with a wide variety of flavours.  Pretty close call between them and Dochi!

The Good:
- Soft and chewy texture
- Sweet, but only sweet enough
- Lots of locations

The Bad:
- If you arrive later in the day, some of the more popular donuts will be sold out (much like any other place)

Wonton Hut

After an average wonton experience at the ol' skool Swatow, we made our way to the Downtown location of Wonton Hut.  Sure, the name seems to indicate that "these are the wontons you're looking for".   Well apparently, they were indeed what I was looking for, but not for everyone else because this spot is now permanently closed.  However, I'm still going to do this post as their original Markham location still exists.  So that also means I have to head out to Markham next time I'm in town for my wonton fix!

So before we get to the wontons, we had to try some of their other offerings too right?  We went for the Braised Brisket Noodle Soup with round noodles.  This could be had as a lo mein as well.  We thought the soup was quite good with plenty of natural umaminess from the beef as well as the braising juices.  Hence there was also background licorice notes from the star anise.  The brisket (or beef finger meat in this case) was super tender and somewhat fatty.  Noodles were al dente.

The same couldn't be said about the Bun Rieu though.  Yes, I realize that this is not a Vietnamese restaurant, so I should go easy on them right?  Well, I'm going to do that here, but I'm not sure why they were offering this when it wasn't done right.  Okay, let's get to the positives first.  So the broth was their own take on things being more of a tomato broth with not enough brininess.  It was good in a vacuum though where there was tang and depth.  The biggest issue was the pork and crab meatballs.  They were more like just pork meatballs that were far too firm.  Okay bowl of noodles but not a Bun Rieu.

So everything was good in the world again when we had the Wonton Noodles.  I've had many a bowl in my lifetime and this could be described as legit.  The broth itself was a bit briny, nutty and full of umami.  This was quite concentrated, hence it also lightly flavoured the noodles.  About those noodles, they were firmly al dente with that desired chew and rebound.  This was achieve by the use of lye water.  As for the wontons, they were mainly shrimp and huge.  Sweet and briny, the shrimp had a juicy bounce texture.

Just because the wontons were so delicious as they came didn't mean further enhancement wasn't necessary.  For me, I love to douse them in a bit of Chili Oil Sauce.  The one provided at the table was pretty good with noted spiciness, nuttiness and smokiness.  It really did compliment the briny and sweetness of the wontons.  Since I don't live in TO, I'm not one to declare anything, but I would say these are very good wontons.  Spoiler alert, I did visit Congee Queen a few months later and no, they weren't as good (but still very acceptable).  So too bad this location is closed because one needs to travel to Markham for these wontons.  In that case, if you want to remain in the area, Congee Queen is a good substitute.

The Good:
- Legit Wontons
- Good noodles too
- Okay pricing

The Bad:
- Well, the menu is different than the Markham location, but I'd stick to the stuff they are good at

Juicy Dumpling

Walking up and down Spadina for a whole week meant I would be passing by Juicy Dumpling on a daily basis.  Although there are rave reviews of the place on the internet, I was a bit skeptical.  But the place seemed busy most of the time.  Also, the lure of the $2.99 XLBs prominently on their window (with minimum purchase of $10.00), I just couldn't help myself.  Despite already finishing off some tacos from Seven Lives, we stopped by for another quick bite.

So let's get right to the mini-sized Xiao Long Bao shall we?  At first glance, these did not look all that impressive with its deflated shape and also the thick top twirl.  Despite having a good amount of soup in these, the actual dumpling wrapper was a bit too doughy for my tastes.  That was mainly the top of the dumpling though as the bottom was appreciably thinner.  I would've liked to see more elasticity though.  The pork filling itself was decent being tender, if not a touch gritty.  Soup was mostly sweet with some savoury elements.  Interestingly, we had to ask for vinegar as the default sauce that came with these was hot sauce.

To get to the minimum spend for the XLB special, we got a few more items including the Pan-Fried Dumplings.  These were aggressively-seared on the bottom resulting in crunchy parts that were nutty and smoky.  The dumpling skin as a whole was medium-thick and had a chew to it.  I thought it was a bit stiff, yet it did have some elasticity.  Inside, the pork and cabbage filling was not overly dense being tender with some soup mixed with fat.

I couldn't pass up the Spicy Wontons as that is one of my favourite things to eat.  These were not bad where the filling was juicy and bouncy while mildly seasoned.  These were cooked just enough where the wrapper was delicate and buttery without being to soft and falling apart.  As for the chili oil "sauce" it wasn't too spicy where it was more nutty and smoky than anything else.  Other than those flavours, we found a bit of saltiness and mild sweetness.

Last item was the Salty Donut which had quite a bit of girth (okay, let the jokes fly here...).  Anyways, this was good where the outside was crunchy and not too greasy (despite it soaking up a decent amount of oil).  Inside, it was fluffy with some salty chewiness.  I only wish there was some congee or salted soy milk for me to dip this into!  Overall, the stuff from Juicy Dumpling is serviceable.  Not a huge fan of the XLBs despite being cheap.  I guess it is fine for those who want an inexpensive meal or something for late night eats.

The Good:

- Cheap

- Open late

- Salty donut was great

The Bad:

- Dumplings are serviceable but not memorable

Joso's

It is fine and dandy visiting some of the best restaurants in Toronto, in particular, the more recent ones.  However, we must not forget the classics as they helped shape the culinary scene.  One of which is Joso's in Yorkville.  They have been around since 1967 and was opened by Joso and his wife Angiolina.  It started off as a small cafe, but then transitioned into a spot that offered fresh and exotic seafood.  Now it is owned and operated by Leo and Shirley Spralja, who are the son and daughter-in-law of Joso.  We stopped by to check out the eclectic dining space and the freshest of seafood.

Really enjoyed the dining room as it was adorned with decor from years past.  Lots of ornate plates, sea-theme art and paintings of naked women (yah really).  Some would say things look tacky, but I loved it!  Before we even got down to ordering our food, they presented us with the Catches of the Day which included a selection of fish, shellfish and octopus.  Loved that we could pick what we wanted and have it prepared the way we wanted.

We did end up selecting the deep fried Calamari as well as some Grilled Prawns on the side.  Suffice to say, things were fresh and also prepared expertly.  The squid was tender with an appealingly chewy texture while coated in a properly-seasoned coating.  It was crispy without being greasy.  I really enjoyed pairing it with the fresh salsa.  Smoky and charred, the prawns were sweet and aromatic.  They were also still moist and had a nice snap texture.

We went for shellfish next with the Clams & Mussels Jadera.  This was also prepared well with all of the mollusks being open.  The mussels were buttery and intensely seafoody while the clams were tender and briny.  The classic tomato sauce with garlic, white wine and parsley was flavourful without being salty, allowing the natural sweetness of the shellfish to shine.  This was a simple but well-executed dish.

Since we were only a party of 2, we did not partake in the cuttlefish risotto (as it is for 4 people).  Rather, we went for the Spaghetti alla Sicilana instead.  With the nice black colour of sepia ink (aka cuttlefish), the pasta was the beneficiary of delicious umaminess.  There was also a good amount of garlic to further enhance the dish.  There was also a background seafoodiness that was not quite briny, but was pleasant.  The pasta itself was firmly al dente.

For our choice of fish, we went for the Branzino, simply grilled and served with lemon.  As you can see, it was beautifully charred with some portions of crispy skin.  It was nicely coated in olive oil and enough salt so that it would taste great with just a squeeze of lemon.  The fish itself was flaky and moist.  On the side, we had the Dalmatian Potato Salad.  Again, another simple dish, just done right.  Potatoes were soft and almost creamy, but not falling apart.  It was simply prepared with sweet onions and with a bit of salt and pepper.

Onto dessert, we went for the Housemade Tiramisu.  As much as I've had many versions of this, I felt that this one was quite solid.  The soaked ladyfingers were moist and the mascarpone cream was purposefully sweet.  This was a pretty light version of the dessert and it was the perfect ending to a great meal.  In the end, we thought the food at Joso's was well-prepared and not fussy.  It is actually rather simple, but that is what makes it good.  Fresh ingredients done right in a homey atmosphere with great service.

The Good:

- Lots of seafood options

- Not overly complex, but fresh ingredients done right

- Good service

The Bad:

- Wished they made smaller versions of the risotto, but I guess that is a lot of work for them

Bar Raval

It's been 7 long years since I was last in TO and it has also been that long that I've wanted to check out Bar Raval.  You might be wondering why I just didn't go back in 2017 right?  Well, with 2 young kids in town, Bar Raval wasn't exactly a kid-friendly option.  This time around, the kids weren't with us and after a Leafs game (I can't believe Viv was cheering for them!), we made our way out to College Street for some late night drinks and eats.

Absolutely love the custom-made wood bar and wood paneling throughout.  But we were also here for the food, so we started with their famed Tomato Toast.  As much as it sounded like something that would be mid, it was actually delicious.  The grilled bread was beautifully-charred exhibiting a nutty smokiness and a crunchy texture.  On top, the fresh tomatoes were bright, slightly sweet and mildly-tangy.  There was some basil notes and also flakes of salt on top.

Next up, we had the Jamon Croquettas that were priced by the piece.   These were large and football-shaped.  Beyond the crunchy and nutty exterior, we found a creamy and cheesy filling that was salty but not too salty.  We could get the nutty saltiness of the jamon that was rich and flavourful.  Again, it was just right on the border of salty without crossing it.  These little bites would go really well with beer and in our case, some cocktails.

It was suggested that we try the Grilled Broccolini and it was bang on.  The charred broccolini has some crispy portions that were smoky while the rest was still firm but cooked through.  Once again, they sprinkled this with salt but just enough of it.  Of course, topping it with a generous amount of lemon ricotta didn't hurt either, adding some creaminess and tang.  A layer of nutty crunch was provided by the almond dukkah.  To add some spice, there was also piquillo hot sauce.

Sure, the next dish was rather defaultish, but I love me some Patatas Bravas!  Well, despite protests from Viv, I ordered it and it was great!  The cubes of potato were crispy while being super fluffy inside.  Since they were not over fried, the texture was light.  So easy to eat, that I nearly dusted it off all by myself (Viv begrudgingly had some and liked it...).  The ample amount of zesty brava sauce and aioli kept things tasty.

Went for something a bit more interesting in the Hamburguesa featuring a thin pork patty with cheese & peppers on a potato bun.  They grilled the entire sandwich after they constructed it out of cooked components.  Hence, it was flattened but also sported a crispy exterior while the bun was still soft inside.  The melted cheese added both creaminess and purposeful saltiness.  The banana peppers provided both tang and spiciness.

My favourite dish of the bunch was the Shrimp a la Planxa.  The perfectly cooked Argentinian shrimp were buttery and had a light bounce texture.   They were super sweet and exhibited the classic aromatics associated with Argentinian shrimp (intensely briny and sweet).   These sat in a delish garlic butter and mojo rojo.  The pepper sauce added layers of spice, smokiness, nuttiness and further aromatics.

Last but not least, we had the Grilled Octopus and Chorizo.  Surprisingly, this was our least favourite dish since it was rather salty.  Octopus was tender but maybe a bit too tender.  Chorizo provided some meaty spiciness while smokiness was definitely there with the smoked paprika.  Maybe if we had some bread with this, the dish would've been less salty (or downing this with beer).  I didn't end up getting a beer, but we did get a few cocktails (and some cider).

These included the Tropic of Capricorn and a Pistachio Limoncello.  Both were on the lighter end of the cocktail strength scale.  I found the Tropic to be stronger with Appleton 8 year rum and sherry that was balanced off by the peach liqueur, hibiscus tangerine cordial  and lime juice.  So we had pops of sweetness and some tang.  For the Limoncello, it was pretty straightforward with some pistachio vodka.  It was noticeable, but in the end, the Limoncello and soda water provided the sweet fizziness.  There was also some Benedictine which only added more fruitiness.  Overall, we enjoyed the tapas at Bar Raval.  However, the real draw here is the unique space, lively atmosphere and also the bevvies.  

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Nice space, lively atmosphere

- Good drinks

The Bad:

- Super small, so gets packed and you might have to go into the overflow which is not as nice

Seven Lives Tacos y Mariscos

While wandering around Kensington Market, we had the obligatory Jamaican Patties from Golden Patty and also some mochi donuts from Marry Me Mochi.  But another spot that we were wanting to try was Seven Lives Tacos.  The place was certainly busy with a line that was almost to the door.  No matter because the place is quick service and hey you stand and eat.  Perfect for sending people on their merry way after downing some tacos.

Beyond their fully stuffed and legit tacos, the other draw here is the Sauce Bar.   We found spicy and tangy Habarero, bright Salsa Verde, an even brighter and acidic Verde Cruda & Lime, Apricot and Arbol which was both sweet and spicy, a rich Roasted Tomato Sauce, a nutty and very slightly spicy Salsa Macha, a sweet and smoky Strawberry Chipotle and a Poblano Crema which was the most subtle of the bunch.  I felt the sauces could go with anything and really up to one's preference.

We ended up with 4 tacos starting with the Baja Fish Taco.  The pictures don't really show the size of the tacos.  Having 2 of them each was enough for lunch.  Maybe 3 if you are a bigger eater.  The large piece of battered and fried fish was good being buttery soft and flaky.  Thin and light, the batter was crispy and didn't overwhelm the fish.  On top, there was cabbage, cilantro and onion as well as Baja sauce.  I added some strawberry chipotle to this and the fruitiness seemed to go well with the fish (even though fruit may not go with fish most of the time).  There was a light spice to accent the sharpness of the onions.

 

The Gobernador was an interesting one with the combination of smoked yellowfin tuna, grilled shrimp, cheese and pickled onions.  Naturally, the tuna was dry due to the complete cook on it, but it did have really good smokiness.  Moreover, whatever they rubbed it in, there was plenty of earthiness.  The pickled onions provided some acidity and crunch while the shrimp had a buttery snap.  The melted cheese was ooey gooey and held things together.  I put some salsa macha on this and the subtle spice nuttiness went well with the smoke.

 

The most usual of our tacos was the Carnitas with tender braised pork shoulder, onion and cilantro.  Pictures doesn't do this one justice as it was stuffed full of meat (much like the other ones, but this was the most).  Hence, you can see why we only ordered 4 tacos!  Really enjoyed the juicy and flavorful pork that was ready for one of their sauces.  We decided on something spicier in the habanero.  That was indeed hot and had a background smokiness.

 

Lastly, we had the Blackened Ahi (which was a daily special) with cabbage, crema, onions and cilantro.  Despite looking quite blackened, the fish was still moist and not cooked to a crisp.  The smokiness and earthiness of the blackening spices really came through.  We used the mild poblano cream with this one to cool things down without obscuring the inherent flavours.  Overall, the tacos at Seven Lives are fully stuffed and delicious at a reasonable price.  Love that they have a variety of sauces to compliment them as well.

 

The Good:

- Inexpensive

- Fully-loaded

- Delicious

 

The Bad:

- Standing only, but it worked for us

- Limited space, so lineups go out the door 

 

Aloette

Having not secured a reservation for Alo in Toronto, we decided to visit their more relaxed and approachable baby sister restaurant below.  This Michelin-recommended spot is unpretentious but still offers up an elevated experience with its food and service.  Sure, it looks like a jazzed up diner inside (which it is), but it is all business when it comes to the execution and plating.  This was a taste of what the Alo Group is about and a precursor to my visit to Alo several months later (spoiler alert!).

We kicked off our meal with the Torched Hamachi Crudo.  This was such a delicate and impactful dish at the same time.  Bright, buttery and sweet, the hamachi could stand on its own, but was highly influenced by the aromatic smoked coconut.  That tropical feel was interrupted by the tangy spice of the jalapeno and then further more by the tanginess and slight bite of the finger lime.  As if this wasn't enough, we found some shiso that added the complex final herbaceous notes.

Possibly our favourite dish of the meal, the East Coast Mussels were served on the half shell.  If you look at the picture, you'll notice that they were supremely plump.  Moreover, the cook on them was perfect allowing the buttery soft texture to shine and the sweet brininess to be the star of the show.  But c'mon, there needed to be a sauce right?  Oh yes, that koji butter was on point with a mild tang, plenty of umami and of course butteriness.  The side of charred sourdough was the perfect vessel to soak it all up.

In addition to the charred sourdough that came with the mussels, we were also served the complimentary Cheddar Brioche with spiced whipped butter.  Really airy and light with the nuttiness of cheddar.  I truly loved their interpretation of a Wedge Salad as it took half a head of lettuce and put all of the components on top.  Oh the textures were on display here with the crunch from the lettuce, the nuttiness and light crispiness of the puffed rice and the tangy bite from the pickled onions.  There was a wealth of chive cream on top which helped dress the lettuce.  It was bright and not overly heavy.  Extra creaminess was provided by the avocado.

With our larger plates, we went for the Grilled Sea Bream.  We found the cook on it to be on point where the properly salted skin was crispy while the meat was flaky and buttery.  It sat atop a beurre blanc with snap peas and chanterelles.  On the side, we got the Crispy Butternut Squash.  These fried nuggets were indeed lightly crispy on the outside while intensely sweet and delicate inside.  It was topped with a brown butter hollandaise which was rich and full of depth.  It was aromatic too, but the candied pepita on top provided some more sweet aromatic nuttiness.

So you know we couldn't get out of there without trying their famed Aloette Burger.  Absolutely in love with the seared crispy and melted beaufort cheese.  Beyond being a contrast in textures, the cheese was nutty and sweet.  That complimented the juicy and meaty beef patty.  It was properly salted, yet at the same time, had a real beefiness.  There was plenty of shredded iceberg and onion for some freshness while all held together with a soft brioche bun.

We capped off this fabulous meal with the Lemon Meringue Pie.  This was tall with a buttery crust holding in all that tangy and sweet lemon curd.  It was topped off with torched meringue.  Gotta say that this meal was one of our favs during this trip to TO.  Although not inexpensive by any stretch of the imagination, the prices at Aloette are approachable.  Considering the level of execution and deliciousness of the food, it is very well worth it.

The Good:

- Approachable well-executed eats

- That burger

- Service that is not fussy

The Bad:

- Seating is not super spacious, but the place is still cool

Pearl Harbourfront Chinese

After our first Downtown Toronto Dim Sum experience at Rol San, it was fine but we were wanting something a bit more.   We were willing to pay a bit more for a bit of atmosphere, hopefully attentive service and of course higher food quality.  Since we were staying not far from the lake front, we ended up at Pearl Harbourfront Chinese located in Queens Quay Terminal.  Since we were early, we snagged a beautiful window seat with a nice view of the water.  

We tried to cover as much of the menu as we could with only 2 of us.  The very first dish to arrive was the Beef Rice Noodle Roll.  As you can see, it was carefully prepared where the noodles were delicate and soft with some elasticity.  Inside, the whipped beef was at its bouncy best with a nice rebound texture.  It was mildly seasoned with only a minimal amount of cilantro.  With a touch of sweetened soy, this tasted good and the texture was right.

We didn't have to wait too long to get the most important dish of the meal.  Yep, the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumpling) is normally seen as the benchmark for any Dim Sum service.  Thankfully, these steamed dumplings passed the test as the skin was medium-thick while being tender with a chew.  Inside, the shrimp filling was buttery with a snap.  It was seasoned enough so that there was flavour to compliment the natural sweetness of the shrimp.

Of course, when you have Ha Gau, you must also order the Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling).  This is the ying to the yang or partner in crime.  Now these dumplings did not really look the part when we first laid eyes on them.  The wrapper was loose and the dumplings looked out of sorts.  Well, thankfully, they ate much better than they appeared.  The pork filling was bouncy and well seasoned.  The whole shrimp on top was not only for aesthetics as it had a buttery crunch.  Flavourwise it could've been seasoned a bit more aggressively.

Although the starch-thickened sauce was goopy and clung onto the Steamed Chicken Feet like glue, it did taste really good.  Nice balance of sweet, garlicky and a touch of spice.  As for those deep fried, braised and then steamed chicken feet, the texture on them was on point.  They were plump with soft cartilage and fat underneath.  Hence, all of it came off the bone really easily but wasn't complete melted off either.  

Another solid dish was the Steamed Beef Meatballs.  Numbering 3, the fairly large meatballs were whipped enough that the meat was bouncy and super tender.  However, they left enough natural meat texture bits that there was some contrast.  The mix was mostly meat with very little in the way of greens within it.  Hence, this might've lacked a bit of brightness, yet at the same time, it was properly seasoned being umami and savoury.

Went for another typical Dim Sum item in the Steamed Pork Spareribs.  Once again, this was a fairly large portion with a mix of rib and cartilage pieces.  I liked how there wasn't a lot of fat attached either.  At the same time, the meat wasn't dry or chewy since it had been marinated properly.  It had the signature rebound texture.  Seasoning was great too with ample salty garlickiness intertwined with bell pepper.

Had a few non-steamed items with the Spring Spring Rolls and the Pan-Fried Taro Cake.  I found the spring rolls to be crispy and not wound too tightly.  Inside, the shrimp was buttery and well-seasoned.  Whenever I see taro cake on the menu, I order it.  Reason being is that it is much more rare to find that on a menu than the daikon radish cake.  These were nicely crispy and nutty on the outside while the inside was somewhat firm, but had the aromatics of taro and the saltiness of Chinese cured sausage.

We ended this off with the usual Baked Egg Tarts.  Even though the puffed pastry was not particularly browned, it was still nutty, crispy and aromatic.  Inside, the egg filling was silky and sweet.  A very competent version of the dessert.  Overall, the meal at Pearl Harbourfront was good and not as expensive as one would think.  Service was attentive where the staff had a good attitude.  Loved the water views since we were sitting by the window.

The Good:

- Solid Dim Sum

- Good service

- Great views

The Bad:

- Dim Sum menu is not as diverse as other places

- Of course you can get better in Markham/Richmond Hill, but pretty good for Downtown