Thumbs up for Sansotei

Since last year when Kinton Ramen opened, numerous other ramen joints started popping up in various corners of downtown Toronto. Amongst them is Sansotei Ramen, which is one of my favourites. It took me this long to blog this place because I always get too excited and dig in before I can take photos!

Sansotei keeps it quite simple with their menu selection. They only have 4 types of ramen soup bases for you to choose from (tonkotsu, miso, shoyu, and tonkotsu shoyu), but you get to choose between thin, original, and thick for the thickness of your noodles. 

The (Best) House on Parliament

On Saint Patrick's day weekend, friends and I went to The House on Parliament for some hearty brunch before filling our stomachs with green beer. Sitting in Cabbagetown, this pub is very cozy and has a patio, a bar, and seating in the front and back of the place.

They have a special weekends only menu for brunch, so we all selected from that list.

Eggs Parliament  $10

The Eggs Parliament is the traditional eggs benedict with a twist. The 2 poached eggs sit on a toasted english muffin topped with smoked mozzarella and is covered by hollandaise sauce with crispy double smoked bacon sprinkled on top. On the side, there is also plum tomato chutney, home fries, and fruit. I especially loved the smoked mozzarella and plum tomato chutney combination. Usually richness of hollandaise sauce makes me feel a little sick after the first benedict, but not here! If I had to be picky, I'd say there could've have been more meat on top of the sprinkled bacon bits.

Winterlicious: Rosewater

We went on a short vacation and now we're back! Be on the look out for posts from our mini Eurotrip!

Another Winterlicious stop I made was at Rosewater. The pricing was very reasonable and we loved that they offered wine pairings with each of the courses on their Winterlicious menu. As soon as I entered the restaurant, I was mesmerized by the decor as well as the great ambience. Their friendly staff greeted us right away and offered to check our coats, which is always a plus!

We were seated in the Rosewater Room in the upper floor but I liked that we could look down the balcony and get a great view of the bar and lower dining area.

We didn't find the bread to be anything special, but the whipped butter was very much appreciated by our party.

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash soup is one of my favorites and I really liked it. The texture was thick and the flavour was rich.

Winterlicious: Oh-So-Romantic at La Maquette

La Maquette was chosen because we wanted to try out French cuisine and I wasn't going to turn down lobster. We had heard that this place was one of the most romantic restaurants in Toronto and surely it was compared to all the places I've been to. (The lighting was very dim so please excuse the photos.)

As we entered, we were greeted by the beautiful silences of the room until we heard our hostess' footsteps scrambling down the stairs. She took us in with great delight and led us up the turning stairs to a mesmerizing dining floor lit up by the chandelier.  As you step into the dining room, the sounds of conversation and cutlery come to life, with the melodies of live classical guitar playing in the background.

Warm Pulled Duck Confit

I've only had duck made in the asian way (such as Peking duck or Japanese style), so the duck confit was a new experience for me. It was served with grilled vegetables, goat cheese, and drizzled with red pepper coulis. The duck had a very meaty flavour and was quite tender. The serving portion was quite generous in my opinion.

Hello to Haroo

My food cravings alternate several times throughout the day. One minute I'll want some fresh sashimi and next thing you know, I'm dying for some Indian curry. Oddly enough though, Korean food rarely makes it into my cyclic yearnings, so my Korean restaurant forages never really go beyond Jang Mo Jib. Thus when that next bibimbap craving hit, I decided it was about high time I tried Haroo.  

Homey is the best way to describe Haroo's warm, simplistic atmosphere. It almost feels like going to grandma's house for a nice home cooked meal! The place is run by a sweet old couple who do the serving and cooking themselves, so service could get a little slow if the place is busy.

Complimentary Congee + Salad

The meal started off with a complimentary congee and a standard salad. This congee was really a nice and warming appetizer, which may look bland but was actually quite hearty due to the broth. Perfect for a cold wintery day!