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

Quetzal

Another meal in Toronto and another Michelin-Star restaurant in Quetzal.  This modern Mexican spot on College Street prepares all their cooked food on a 28 foot wood fire.  Yes, that is right, am open flame that does not have temperature regulation.  That is absolutely amazing since the flavours and intense flavours imparted by wood fire cannot be replicated by gas or electricity.  Viv and I were excited to try the place and went for the curated menu so we could get a great overview of the menu.

The first few dishes to arrive included the Hokkaido Scallop Ceviche and Blue Fin Tuna.  The ceviche was dressed in a squid ink leche with ground cherries and topped with crispy leeks.  As much as the buttery soft and sweet scallops were the star of the plate, the super sweet gooseberries added so much to the mix.  It helped impart bursts of flavour when most of the other components were mild.   There was also some earthiness in it all with just a kiss of the sea.  Crunch from the leeks provided texture as well as a nutty brightness.

Not featured on the regular menu, the Blue Fin Tuna was quite the treat.  Consisting of big fat slices, the tuna was at its buttery best despite being the akami.  It was fresh, bright and sweet.   However, the rattlesnake chili paste did overwhelm the fish, yet it was delicious being smoky, spicy and nutty.  We found some blood orange segments and daikon underneath that helped lighten up the flavours as well as providing texture and acidity.

We moved onto 2 different dishes each as Viv doesn't prefer *gasp* lamb!  So she had the Memela that featured a base of fried masa that looked like a tart shell filled with smoked shiitake mushroom conserva, quesillo, salsa de Chile morita and mizuna topped with chicharron.  Loved this as it was both a study in textures and flavours.  From the firm crunch of the base to the airy crispiness of the chicharron, there was great mouth feel.  Then we had the stringiness of the cheese melded with the smokiness and juiciness of the shiitake.

For myself, I stated I wanted to eat the lamb despite Viv not wanting any part in it.  They obliged and sent out the Empanadas Oaxaqueñas stuffed full of lamb barbacoa, salsa molcajete, valentine radish and salsa de ajo.  This was absolutely delicious with succulent and juicy lamb that was meaty-tasting with depth-of-flavour.  Served at the same time was the Ensalata Verde with baby gem lettuce, Cookstown radishes, chayote, poblano kosho and trout roe.  This was a fresh salad with a lot of surprises.  Beyond the crunch from the radishes and chayote, we found pops of brininess from the roe.  Then, the kosho added citrusy notes while the poblano imparted smokiness. 

We moved onto another off-menu dish in the Sablefish marinated in blood orange and fall spices.   The fish was prepared properly where it was flaky and buttery while sporting a slight char on the outside.  We got some smokiness and caramelization as well as a nutty earthiness.  The addition of finger lime on top added some acidic crunch.  On the side, we found a creamy parsnip and hazelnut puree. 

Then, we had the extraordinary Newfoundland Scallops served in the half shell.  Each scallop was cooked ever-so-lightly which meant the meat firmed up slightly but retaining its buttery raw texture.  Also, the natural sweetness really came through.  It sat in a delicious green garlic butter that was reminiscent of escargot butter.  Some popcorn vibes came through with a buttery nuttiness.  I used the bread we had to soak up all of the buttery leftover goodness.

We moved onto the next dish which was the Octopus which featured a beautifully grilled tentacle.  It was smoky and well-seasoned while being tender with only a bit of chew.  It was sitting in a salsa macha which was nutty and crunchy with muted spice.  The addition of corn miso added fermented sweetness. Topping things off, we had crunchy Napa cabbage and kohlrabi.  Our last savoury item was the Mushroom & Shishitos.  Beautifully charred and blistered, the shishitos were bright and slightly sweet.  The oyster mushrooms were nicely caramelized having a smoky saltiness.  On the side, there was crema poblano which imparted some smoky creaminess. 

We can't go without dessert right?  So we had the Avocado Leaf Ice Cream and the Tres Leches Cake. Really enjoyed the ice cream as it was smooth and lightly sweet.  Most of the impact came from the Saskatoon berries in the form of sweetness and the raspberry gel.  For texture, there was a mess of corn flakes on top.  As much as I feared that the Tres Leche Cake would be too sweet, it really wasn't.  The cake was super moist from the soak of the 3 different types of milk.  Naturally, the dominant flavour was the sweetness of the condensed milk.  On top of the cake, we found horchata cream which afforded some sweetness and aromatics.  For textural contrast, there was a large rice tuile.  Overall, the meal at Quetzal was outstanding.  It is amazing what they can do with open flame.  Great combination of spices that were impactful and aromatic.  Totally worth all the accolades it receives.

The Good:

- Impactful and delicious

- Well-prepared proteins

- Attentive yet not intrusive service

The Bad:

- A little strong with the delicate blue fin

- You will smell like smoke after you leave

Byblos Downtown

Staying within the vicinity of our last food adventure (Pai), we paid a visit to Byblos just down the street.  This bustling restaurant dishes up classic Eastern Mediterranean cuisine that combines new methods with traditional ingredients.  This place came highly recommended and we were super excited to dine here.  So much so, we went a bit nuts with the menu.  Our server was a bit concerned with the amount of food we ordered, but hey, "this is how we do it!".

We kicked off things with the Labneh.  Thick and rich, the tangy labneh was beautifully balanced off by the sweet wildflower honey.  Some crunch, nuttiness and savoury elements was provided by crushed pistachios.  This was great with the side of nutty barbari bread.  To literally top it off, we found tender and earthy beets.  Served in a cast iron plate, we found the Turkish Manti Dumplings sitting in a yogurt sauce with date molasses and creamy eggplant.  I found the dumplings to be delicate with a thin skin that had a slight chew.  Absolutely loved the tangy sweetness of the dish and the soft textures.

There was a whole section of Pide, which is a type of flat bread topped with cheese and other components.  This reminds me of a Khachapuri (which is one of my favs).  We ended up choosing black truffle & cheese.  As you can see, the leavened dough was nicely charred. Hence it was nutty and crispy.  In the middle, the cheese was stringy and nicely savoury.  There was just enough black truffle for some earthiness.

Even though Viv doesn't enjoy eating lamb, I went ahead and ordered the Lamb Ribs for myself.  These fatty ribs were so moist and fall-apart tender.  There was such an aromatic nuttiness from the dukkah while the raz el hanout glaze provided the classic fall flavours that naturally complimented the lamb.  It added such depth and aromatics.   There was also a bit of background spice.  Adding more sweetness was the red chili schug.  Drops of cool yoghurt completed the dish.

Wearing a beautiful glaze and charred edges the Short Rib Kebab was so flavourful and delicious.  Each piece was buttery soft while still exhibiting a meaty chew. If you look at the picture, you can see the intense caramelization. This was further enhanced by the chemen spice mix that included earthy cumin.  The pine nut dukkah gave the dish nuttiness and an extra hit of earthiness.  If all that depth wasn't enough, we found some more earthiness from the truffle yogurt.  It did cool things down a bit as well as the brightness of the mint.

As if the previous dishes weren't tasty enough, the Whole Grilled Branzino was just plain excellent.  Featuring crispy and well-charred skin, the fish was flaky and super moist.  It was already well-seasoned, but the chermoula on top gave off tangy, earthy and aromatic vibs.  To literally and figuratively top things off, there was a creamy saffron toum which added such intoxicating floral notes.

As a side, we added the Sweet Jeweled Rice with carrots, saffron, barberries and almonds.  Aromatic, sweet and nutty, this rice was pretty tasty by itself.  Ultimately, we paired it with the short rib and fish.  Went quite well as it wasn't intrusive.  We ended the meal off with their famed Chocolate Olive Oil Cake.  This was so rich and chocolatey that we really didn't need anything else added to it.  But there was, in the form of nutty tahini chantilly, sweet medjool dates and almonds.  Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at Byblos.  The Eastern Mediterranean spices offered up aroma before we dug into our plates and flavour when we did.  If you are looking for something a bit different before catching a show, this is your place.

 

The Good:

- Appealing aroma and flavours

- Nicely cooked proteins

- Balance of sweet and savoury

 

The Bad:

- Need to order more dishes to be full, even in bigger groups

- There might be less expensive options but then again, the dining room and service are exceptional 

 

Pai

Normally, I'm not a sucker for being influenced by a celebrity when it comes to restaurant recommendations.  However, when I saw Simu Liu enjoy his favourite bowl of Khao Soi at Pai in his hometown of Toronto, I thought that we should go there too!  It also helped it was only an 8-minute walk from our hotel as well.   We didn't make any resos but got a seat anyways since the place is deceptively large.

Before we got to the Khao Soi, we went for some appies starting with the Mango Slaw.  This was similar to a green papaya salad except it featured other julienned components such as carrot, red cabbage and pickled green onion.  Also, the dressing was similar too with plenty of acidity from the lime juice and tamarind with sweetness from the coconut sugar.  The crunch from the veggies was great and the aromatic crunch from the peanuts gave some relief from the tang.

Possibly the best dish of the meal was the Moo Ping (Pork Skewers).  These skewers were generously graced with pork that was super tender and juicy.  Aggressively-marinated, the pork was flavourful throughout.  The sweetness really came through in the meat whole the caramelization on the outside added intense, but balanced sweetness.   There some smokiness as well.  This was all levelled out by the savouriness as well.

Onto the mains, we dug into their signature Khao Soi first.  We chose to have this with beef and there was a tonne of it.  Although tender and flavourful, half of the pieces were a quite dry.  As for the broth, it was delicious with the creamy aromatics of coconut milk and the earthiness of the curry.  The sweetness was definitely there as well helping out balance the dish.  Noodles were al dente and soaked up the tasty broth.

We also had the Green Curry with chicken served in a fresh coconut.   There was some extra curry on the side since not all all of it fit into the coconut.   There was also coconut rice wrapped in banana leaves.   I thought the curry itself was good with the usual aromatic coconut milk, slight spice and sweet savouriness.  There was some firm pieces of chayote as well as a wealth of chicken breast.  Although chicken breast tends to be drier, I found this one a bit drier than what I prefer.   

Our last dish was the Pad Thai Goong with some extra spice on the side (which I used liberally, yum!).  This was also a great dish where the rice noodles were al dente and sauced with a good amount of tamarind and palm sugar.  Hence it was tangy and sweet while extra spicy (when I made it so).  In the end, I wanted to really like Pai, but it was hit and miss for me.  Some of the proteins were dry and chewy.  However, the flavours were really good.  So I guess your experience will highly depend on what you order and what protein you choose.

The Good:
- Impactful flavours
- Noodles were done perfectly
- Eclectic dining space

The Bad:
- Some proteins were chewy and dry