CraveTO: Ignite Your Senses

One of the main reasons why I have learned to love Toronto is because of how multicultural it is and how much the city embraces that.  The CraveTO event that I was invited to this Friday is the perfect example. This upcoming food event features unique independent street vendors selling various types of food and cuisines. The event lineup also includes craft beers and Toronto DJs. What better way to enjoy food than with music and beer?!

CraveTO is an outdoor festival showcase of Toronto street food, craft beer and DJs.The event
was created to promote Toronto’s cultural movement towards local food and drink, and
showcase the creators driving this movement.

Event Information:
Date: Friday May 30, 2013. 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Venue: Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie Street
Tickets: $16.75 each. Buy tickets here.
How it works: Tickets are for general admission. Beer and food offerings will be additional at around $5 each.

Here are some of my top picks to try:
Asada: I have never tried their food, but I will never say no to tacos and burritos...more guacamole please!
Food Dudes: Speaking of tacos, the fish tacos at the food dudes are amazing. Must try.
Oyster Boy: This one should be self-explanatory. Oysters will always be a yes.
Sweet Sammies: I had tried their ice cream sandwiches at a previous food event, and they are a must! Dessert doesn't get better than this.
Tocino Boys: Filipino food is new territory for me, but sweet bacon and chorizo sounds very enticing.

For a full list of the line up, visit http://craveto.com/lineup/.

I am very much looking forward to this event, and am excited to be attending with a fellow food blogger at Chew Street!

High Tea at Lobby Lounge, Shangri-La

The Lobby Lounge is located right by the entrance in the lobby (hence the name, probably) of the Shangri-La Hotel. As soon as you enter, you can hear the elegant sounds of live piano and feel the warm and tranquil vibe. The area is very spacious with many large comfortable couches holding many cushions and pillows. 

The $40 per person (before taxes and gratuity) high tea menu is predetermined and includes a selection of desserts, sandwiches and scones, with your own choice of teas from an extensive tea list. 

Foraging for Fresh Eats!

*Excuse us once again for the unexpected hiatus... we've been doing some more rampaging around the world :)

Ah, Forage, back when it was young, fresh and unexplored. Their newly minted menu seemed full of potential, and the concept of sustainable dining was a plus. Our friends and I came in here with great expectations that grew even larger upon seeing their decor -- simple, clean and modern, with a touch of rustic. Our server was extremely attentive, patiently answering all our questions and giving recommendations of his own. All was well...

Smoked Albacore Tuna $22

The first dish to arrive was the smoked albacore tuna. The tuna was pretty nicely cooked as it had retained lots of moisture and flavor. I especially enjoyed the pickled vegetable and berries on top as it added an extra kick of sweetness to the fish.

Roast Bison Bone Marrow $15

This dish was probably the most anticipated of the night. While the presentation was pretty cool (you'll feel extra carnivorous trying to dig at a giant bone sawed in half), the taste was wholly missing. I am not kidding when I say this dish tastes like a lump of fat with some bread. Even as a lover of fatty meats I was not impressed.

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.