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Foodie Blog: Graceful Vegetarian Restaurant

Graceful Vegetarian Restaurant
7131 Kennedy Rd, Unit #8
Markham, Ontario
Cuisine(s): Dim Sum, Vegetarian
Date visited: September 2010

We weren't in a particular veggie mood and the name DOES sound a lil weird but I saw good reviews on it on restaurantica so we decided to check it out one evening.

Food: 4.5/5
The food was mmmm so good. We ordered pancake with curry sauce (appetizer), egg noodle with white and king mushrooms, and deep fried tofu with vegetables. The pancake arrived hot and crispy and the curry sauce was delicious. A bit thicker than I liked but very good nonetheless. The egg noodle dish came next and it was fried to a great consistency. The mushrooms were good and after you mix the sauce with the noodle it ends up being a nice softer crispy taste. Wasn't out of this world but it was good. For the tofu dish I was expecting just small deep fried blocks of tofu sitting on a bed of veggies. Probably wasn't a great English translation because it turned out to be something completely different! When these things came out, I was like wow, not what I was expecting! They looked like these lightly fried tofu turds lol. But, they were amazing!! There were I think 8 of them (waaaay too many to finish in addition to our other dishes) .. ended up taking 4 home (and loving them re-heated/toasted!).

Service: 5/5
Service here was impeccable. When we came in we were seated immediately and the head waiter was extremely courteous. All the other wait staff were also very attentive and polite, catering to all our requests, even checking to see if our teapot was full without asking. Fantastic service, that's all I have to say.

Atmosphere: 5/5
The place sits outside of Market Village and I mistakenly thought it was inside. The sign is in neon pink with some green. When we walked in, it looked like a mini banquet hall. I was taken aback at how immaculate the decor was. It looked like Ginger and Onion (next door) but a lot smaller but so much nicer. Everything from the carpet to the table cloths to the chairs were very nice.

Price/Value: 4/5
The dishes here are a bit more expensive than I thought - about $10 a plate, depending on what you order. The appetizer was $4, noodle dish was $13.50 and the deep fried tofu was almost $10. But, despite the higher price tag, the service and food more than make up for it.

Overall dining experience: 4.5/5
I was very pleased with our experience here. I actually wanted to try the mock meat (which is different in Chinese cuisine than Western mock meat .. and I know what it tastes like), but the bf was a bit skeptical after having the mock meat at a Western place (yuck!). He's ok with tofu and strictly vegetables so that's what we ordered. He was very impressed with the service and the food as well. I think it's a mutual decision that we'd like to return!

Foodie Blog: Hot Mama Noi Thai on the Fly

Hot Mama Noi Thai on the Fly
1410 Bayly St, Unit #6A
Pickering, Ontario
Cuisine(s): Thai
Date visited: September 2010

I wanted to try something different than our usual pickings on a Saturday night. I wasn't particularly craving asian food but the name caught me completely off guard and had good reviews on Restaurantica so we decided to check it out.

Food: 4.5/5
The food was fantastic! We ordered pad thai, red curry, cashews with chicken and mango chicken. The pad thai was really good (the sauce tasted a tad thick but that's ok, at least it didn't taste like ketchup like the other place). Chicken dishes were good with a healthy serving of peppers (it was a bit saucy). My favourite was the curry. It was delicious .. I think I had most of that dish haha. Everything but the pad thai came with a large lump of rice (it was put on one plate so we could share). Chef also gave us some home made chili sauce - whooo that stuff is hotttt.

Service: 4.5/5
There was next to no one there at 8pm (I guess all their business comes from lunch/take out) so we were seated immediately and our drinks were gotten promptly. The food came out quite quickly and the "waitress" came to check on us frequently. At the end, the chef (Mama Noi, I presume) came out to talk to us, and we complimented her on the great food. Talked for about 10 minutes and got to know her a bit. She was so grateful for our support, and it seems like she gets to know her customers on a personal level, which is pretty nice (and rare).

Atmosphere: 3.75/5
When we tried to find the restaurant, we actually passed by it without knowing. The place is actually sitting in what looks like a business plaza so it didn't really stick out. It's quite a small place but the chef has said that on a weekday basis it's packed at lunch. There are a handful of tables, with a buddhist shrine and a small cashier on the side. However the tables and the area are quite clean. Didn't get a chance to hit up the bathroom.

Price/Value: 4/5
Price was expected for thai dishes - around $8-10 for each dish. Some dishes don't look like a lot but at the end we were quite full. Service was great and the food was good.

Overall dining experience: 4.5/5
I don't think I've ever been at an establishment where the cook comes out to talk to the customers! It was nice that she came to talk to us, and we could sense the tremendous effort she puts into the food, as it's a small family run business. You know there's lots of love going in. Really liked this place (esp the name, hahha), we'll definitely return another time.

France banned burqa's today. I don't agree with it ..

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/860669--french-senate-votes-to-outlaw-islamic-veils

Proof that the world is getting worse ..

This idiot and his "followers" need to be smacked a few times and then some

http://www.thestar.com/article/858519--cancellation-of-qur-an-burning-a-possibility-pastor-says

Foodie Blog: Pho 88 Vietnamese

Pho 88 Vietnamese
325 Bamburgh Circle
Scarborough, Ontario
Cuisine(s): Pho, Vietnamese
Date visited: September 2010

We wanted to try some place different than our usual pho place.

Food: 4.5/5
For the four of us, we ordered a large bowl of pho, two grilled meat plates and a plate of veggies. The pho was decent, and the other dishes were pretty good (not overly salty like the other Pho place). The pork was very tender, as was the chicken. The beef was mediocre. Plate of veggies looked kind of small. Oh yea and we had a deep fried tofu appetizer - very yummy!!

Service: 4/5
Service here is snap snap. You wave your hand and once someone catches wind they're at your table before you can slurp up the last of your noodles. May not be greatest but I wasn't expecting much and they delivered decent service.

Atmosphere: 3.75/5
The arrangement of seats is for maximum capacity. When you see it packed, it looks like a cafeteria. Not pretty, but there was enough space between "aisles" to get thru. Tables were clean and it was a bit loud but there were a lot of people. Didn't get a chance to use the bathroom.

Price/Value: 4.5/5
Great deal on the food. For what we got, we ended up paying like $8/person and ended up quite satisfied (and not over salted)

Overall dining experience: 4/5
Quite satisfied with the experience. At these kinds of places I expect prompt (but not necessarily great) service, good and fast food, and Pho 88 delivered. Will come back.

Foodie Blog: Akashia

Akashia
607 Kingston Rd West
Ajax, Ontario
Cuisine(s): Japanese, sushi
Date visited: August 2010

Wanted to try something new while we were in town for the afternoon.

Food: 4/5
We ordered spicy salmon roll, some other specialty rolls (spider/dragon? I don't remember), and a teriyaki beef bento box. We don't usually order bento boxes, but it was quite a steal for the amount of food you get for the price. Our meal came with soup, salad (for both of us, even tho we only ordered 1 box), I think there was a noodle appetizer too! The specialty rolls were ok, but the spicy salmon roll was quite something. Wasn't very spicy, but I could taste the freshness of it. I think it's one of best tasting and freshest salmon rolls I've ever had. I think also got green tea ice cream at the end too .. bf was ecstatic.

Service: 4/5
It's a husband/wife run shop ..I saw the husband making the sushi while the wife was tending everything else. That's when you know they put the love in it. Could have come around to refill tea more often but both were very nice.

Atmosphere: 3.75/5
It sits opposite to a busy plaza, right beside a car auto shop with parking a bit sketchy. Inside is small and quaint, with about half a dozen tables. Didn't get a chance to use the washroom but didn't even see if there was space for one!

Price/Value: 4/5
I think we walked out paying about $32, and were absolutely STUFFED. The bento box does numbers on any sized stomach and wow it was a lot of food. Probably ordered too much for lunch but can't beat the value.

Overall dining experience: 4/5
Overall, we quite liked Akashia. The food was very good, as was the service. As we were leaving, they gave us 2 coffee mugs and even a frequent eater card! (you know, buy 10 spicy salmon roll, get 1 free) Not sure how good it'll work out for them but hopefully it does. It's a bit far from us but if we're in the area again then I wouldn't mind returning.

I was bitchy and selfish today.

I wanted to go out with him in the evening
But I couldn't
I wanted to have my own place where I could just be by myself or be with him
But I couldn't

So I got quiet. My selfishness overtook me. I silently reeled about how badly I wish we could be like every other couple I know where both parents know and are cool about our relationship. I want to be able to sit in his kitchen and chat with his family like it's an everyday occurrence. I want to be able to hold his hand while walking in Walmart even if his relatives see. I just want us to be known in each other's family without feeling like we have to hide each other from them.

And as I sit here crying silent tears, my selfishness will not leave me tonight. All I can think of is this, instead of thinking about the wonderful person who loves me. Maybe this is the cause of my recent sleepness nights ...

Food

Saag paneer roti @ Gandhi's on Queen is one of my favourite things to eat. It's incredibly delicious, but incredibly deadly, in terms of nutrition .. here's the damage:

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/dietfitness/diet/article/855899--the-dish-vegetarian-roti-outrageously-high-in-calories-fat-and-sodium