Showing posts with label Feeling generous. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Feeling generous. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Calgary: Belgo Brasserie





Type: French with Belgium Taps
Address: 501 - 8th Avenue SW, Calgary [Corner of 4th Street and 8th Avenue SW.] Map
Phone: (403) 265-6555
Hours:
Mon-Fri [11am-4pm] Mon-Tue [4pm to Midnight] Wed-Fri [4pm-2am] Sat [5pm to 2am] Sunday Closed

Price: ~20$ meals, ~10$ beers
Tasty gauge: 8.1/10
Service rating: 9.7/10
Environment rating: 8.0/10
Website: belgo.ca





餐店簡介


在Calgary找好的生啤酒喝﹐就要來Belgo. Belgo是一個我在飛機上認識的本地人介紹的﹐結果實在是叫人驚喜。Belgo店內生啤種類繁多﹐其中有一半是Belgium啤酒﹐包括特級啤酒如 Delirium Tremens, Fruli, Leffe 也應有盡有。除了生啤﹐店主挑選的支裝啤酒也是極高水準﹐不常見的 Trappist 如 Westmalle Dubble, Pauwel Kwak 也存貨十足﹐而且當你點這些支裝啤酒的時候﹐他們都是用原裝生啤用的標準啤酒杯奉上。喜歡晚上在酒店休息的台長﹐實在也是喝得樂而忘返﹐待在那兒良久。

Belgo不得不讚的﹐是店員的service! 第一晚來到的時候﹐其中台長點的燒雞排有一點冷﹐但那是拼盤也算不上是主菜﹐所以台長本想吃罷就算﹐也沒想過要投訴還是什麼。怎料Kaika點長留意到我的雞排吃得很慢﹐而其他東西都吃完了﹐便主動走過來問是不是雞排有什麼問題。台長便隨便說說雞排有一點冷﹐她卻很認真的表示餐店的歉意。結果﹐結帳的時候她竟然沒算我的啤酒﹐還問我明天會不會來。改天我下班便再過來一趟﹐反正跟酒店很近。第二天晚上﹐她也一樣算我的啤酒免費﹐實在是太客氣了。





法式冷點



雖然餐牌上也有牛排之類的東西﹐Belgo的專長是法國菜。台長第一天點了燒羊排﹑德國香腸和雞排﹐結果最好吃的竟然是伴菜的乾晒蕃茄。台長其實是很討厭吃蕃茄的﹐但這幾片蕃茄香甜而不太乾﹐濕度剛好﹐還有濃濃的蕃茄香味﹐口感十足。但如上文所述﹐雞排是冷的﹐明顯熱食不是這店的專長﹐所以食物質數整體評分也被拉下去了。改天台長學醒目了﹐點了正宗的法國菜﹐beef tartar 和 seasoned salmon。 Beef tartar 跟生的鵪鹑蛋同上肉質新鮮﹐一點冰櫃的味道也沒有﹐而且牛肉味十足﹐調味均勻﹐辣度適中﹐是下酒佳物。值得一提的是配乾餅的手打酸忌廉﹐非常非常滑溜﹐一吃便知道不是拼子裡拿出來的。


啤酒



上文已讚過了杯中物﹐此處多奉上幾張照片。







婚戒。[+]


Thursday, July 1, 2010

Grandview: Vino Vino Wine Bar





Type: Tapas
Address: 1371 Grandview Avenue, Columbus, Ohio Map
Phone: (614) 481-8200
Hours: Mon-Fri 5pm+
Price: ~20-45 USD
Tasty gauge: 7.8/10
Service rating: 8.0/10
Environment rating: 8.2/10
Website: vinovinocolumbus.com





Project Magic




意外地因工作來到Dublin暫居的台長﹐在偶然的機會下跟友人談起了舊同學﹐竟發現原來同學多年前來到Dublin定居。就這樣﹐兩個十七年沒見面的朋友﹐就在Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant再度重遇了。十七年﹐樣子沒變﹐人沒變﹐習慣沒變﹐就連高度差距也沒變。談的話題很多﹐就像十七年來沒停頓過聯絡一樣。不竟這麼多年了﹐談得來便談﹐談不來也沒什麼好掩飾的﹐反而暢所慾言﹐無甚忌諱。



Vino Vino



同學剛好這星期放假﹐便相約好星期三再見面。我們來到Grandview的Vino Vino竟然相當客滿﹐幸好地道的她早已預訂了桌子。小小的店﹐氣氛很好。坐坐談談﹐樂此不疲。



Stauf's Coffee Roasters



趁著盛夏﹐飯後最好就是在街上走走。逛著Grandview﹐朋友剛好要買她最愛的咖啡豆﹐我們就來到Stauf's喝個咖啡。咖啡是上好的﹐比起常去的Starbucks少了連鎖店的味道﹐反而親切溫暖。








部落格. [+]


Monday, March 29, 2010

Embrujo Flamenco Tapas Restaurant





Type: Tapas
Address: 97 Danforth Avenue (E. of Broadview) Map
Phone: (416) 778-0007
Hours: Open daily @ 5pm
Price: Feeling generous
Tasty gauge: 7.6(other days of the week)/10
Service rating: 7.9/10
Environment rating: 8.1/10
Website: embrujoflamenco.com
Menus: View





Drink of the day



We had one lady on the table tonight who absolutely falls for Sangria, so Sangria it is for the night. They served it in a nice little clay pot with lots of fresh apple and pear cubes with it.

To start off the meal, we ordered Chirozo con brandy ($9.95), authentic home made Spanish chorizo sausage sautéed in brandy. We also had some hummus served along with olives and bread.



Meats



The interesting thing about Embrujo Flamenco is that, some of the dishes are absolutely amazing while others are an unacceptable piece of crap for the price they are offering. The first dish you see on the left is Pato con peras ($10.95), duck confit with pears and its value truly surpasses its cost. The quality of the meat, taste, sauce, and the pear that goes with it makes it an excellent dish overall. However, when we moved on to the Puntillas en salsa de mostaza ($9.95), grilled black angus sirloin on a bed of home cut fries topped with
a light mustard sauce, and the Pechuga de pollo al Jerez ($8.95) sautéed chicken breast in Spanish sherry, they were unfortunately very disappointing. The sirloin were very 'chewy' if I have to find a word for it, and both the chicken and the sirloin carried very little taste.



Desserts



Given the disappointments, we still finished our meal with desserts. We ordered caramel custard and mango sorbet with fresh strawberries. Both of them were okay, tho' I cannot say they were overly enlightening.


To summarize, Embrujo Flamenco did carried some amazing foods, but you'll need to know which are the right ones to order, because as a matter of fact, they also served some dishes that were just not up to the value.




不倒.翁. [+]


Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Ematei 繪馬亭




Ematei 繪馬亭
Type: Japanese
Address: 30 St. Patrick Street (N. of Queen Street W.) Map
Phone: (416) 340-0472
Hours: 11:45am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-10:30pm weekdays, 5:30pm-10:30pm Saturdays, 5:30pm-10pm Sundays
Payment: Cash, debit, credit
Price: Between casual dining and feeling generous [$4-$8.5/dish, usually about $20-30/person]
Tasty gauge: 7.6/10
Service rating: 8.6/10
Environment rating: 8.2/10 [至少唔洗排隊]





餐店內觀



想食Izakaya又唔想排隊﹐台長會去Ematei。繪馬亭算不上是一間居酒屋﹐但就有細細碟o既居酒屋小食叫。如果你唔想貴﹐亦可以叫泡飯壽司一樣食得飽。Ematei店內寬敞﹐想多一點私人空間的話還有三間日式房間可以訂﹐是要脫鞋子的那一種。不過倒要留意Ematei環境不算寧靜﹐下班人士都愛來喝酒傾談﹐輕輕鬆鬆﹐高談闊論。



前菜﹑清酒



說繪馬亭不是居酒屋﹐皆因繪馬亭酒品種類不多﹐台長也只是點了簡單的暖清酒。來繪馬亭﹐侍應會先送上蘿蔔絲前菜﹐冷冷的﹐味道不錯。



素菜類



台長吃飯都愛先來素菜。這晚點了冷豆腐﹐燒蘆筍($5.5)和燒王子菇($7)。繪馬亭的燒物牛油味很重﹐很香口﹐喜不喜歡是見人見致。台長不怕油膩﹐就很愛吃﹐朋友則有點怕牛油太重不健康。



串燒($1.5 each)



來繪馬亭絕對少不了吃串燒。燒雞皮﹐雞腎都難得好吃。味道可選燒汁和鹽燒。



牛肉tataki($9.5)﹑甜蝦壽司($6.5)﹑辣三文魚卷物($6)



圖中可見﹐這兒的tataki...很怪。厚厚的﹐邊是熟透﹐卻沒半點燒過的痕跡﹐也沒調味﹐就只給你一點醬料﹐實在不知道怎樣形容這樣的tataki。朋友吃了一塊便放棄了。台長把它吃光了﹐卻不算慶高采烈。好了﹐我想大家明白了。



汁煮墨魚 taco nikomi ($5.50)﹑燒魚塊



Taco nikomi 是來繪馬亭必吃之物﹐只要你不怕辣。很香很香的甜辣汁底﹐混著濃濃的魷魚和蘿蔔汁﹐加進了蒟蒻小塊﹐好吃程度足有9.5分﹐是下酒佳物!



三文魚子泡飯 Ikura cha($7.5)



繪馬亭是少數提供三文魚子泡飯的日式食店﹐而且價錢一點也不貴。



甜品



繪馬亭的甜品選擇不多﹐這個算是麻糬餅的物體﹐不好看也不好吃。甜品﹐還是別處尋吧。






Back on the road. [+]


Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Guu Izakaya 居酒屋




Guu Izakaya 居酒屋
Type: Japanese
Address: 398 Church St. (N of Gerrard St. E.) Map
Phone: (416) 977-0999
Website: guu-izakaya.com
Hours: 5pm-12am daily Menu
Payment: Cash, debit, credit
Price: Between casual dining and feeling generous [$4-$8.5/dish, usually about $20-30/person]
Tasty gauge: 7.9/10
Service rating: 8.0/10 [o野食o黎得有D慢﹐但係收碟都幾密]
Environment rating: 7.9/10 [舒適﹐嘈得o黎都幾好氣氛o既]
Note: 請勁早去或者預留時間排長龍。冬天有暖爐﹐但都係變雪條﹐台長排左個半鐘!





餐店內觀





Guu 地方雖小﹐桌子長長也密密麻麻的坐滿了人﹐但佈置還算氣氛不俗的。除了長桌子﹐廚房前面也有吧座﹐旁邊也有大概六﹑七張二人小桌。



點菜程序



點菜牌是一張雙面一格格過了膠的物體﹐每一個獨立格內都印有日文字﹐英文譯音名﹐英文菜式簡介﹐和價錢。基本上運作原理跟手指日本差不多。你指指點點幾下﹐禮成﹐好快就有o野食。

順帶一提﹐既是居酒屋﹐點菜牌上的酒品選擇是相當充裕的﹐雖然是晚台長跟朋友只是點了例牌悶餅的月桂冠熱sake($8)暖暖胃。



廚房任睇



日本餐店大多都有任睇唔嬲的廚房﹐居酒屋也不例外。圖中所見是吧桌前的廚房﹐師傅分別在煮湯烏冬麵和炒烏冬麵。



魚生小吃



魚生篇我們點了sweet shrimp sashimi from Vancouver($6.8), sweet soy sauce marinated B.C. Tona. with a hint of wasabi ($5.5), 和 hotate carpaccio scallop sashimi from Hokkaido with wasabi dressing ($6.8). 這三個之中最好吃的是 sweet soy sauce marinated B.C. Tona. with a hint of wasabi﹐好吃在醬汁很配合的把魚的鮮味帶出來了﹐而且醬汁的濃度剛好跟魚生的口感一致。坐在我們旁邊的兩位食客還點完一盤再追加一盤。他們之中其中一位指明我必需在這篇blog中提及她﹐因為是她推介我們吃這個的。Hi! I didn't forget about you, but I forgot to jot your name down the other night, it was nice meeting you two!



納豆三文



跟著叫來的是納豆三文﹐ salmon natto yukke ($8.3)﹐ chopped salmon sashimi with seven friends (natto, shibazuke, takuan, wonton chips, garlic chips, green onion and raw egg yolk). 這個是配 nori 海藻吃的。侍應會把還未拌弄的盤子那來﹐然後在你面前拌好﹐你再用調羹把拌好的三文刺身放在海藻上包好進食。這是朋友點的﹐不錯的選擇啊! 納豆黏黏的﹐口感很豐富﹐醬汁也蓋過了納豆的酵味﹐好吃。



涼拌海哲﹑湯烏冬



完結冷吃之前最後還有 kurage ($4.2), marinated jellyfish and vermicelli. 這個就﹐還可以啦﹐不算太特出。湯烏冬以每餸 $1.5 來計算﹐我們點了蛋﹐蘿蔔﹐和筍便盛惠 $4.5. 但是Guu的分數停留在7.9的關鍵。這裡的蛋是第一處失分點。莫說評不評這個溫泉蛋烹調技術好不好﹐這個湯烏冬的蛋切開來心全熟實在是無法接受的。褒熟蛋? 真係整咩呀。再者﹐相片中能清楚看到﹐滷水不滷水但反正就是蛋白還全白的蛋台長實在不太清楚到底他們是想煮給我們什麼蛋。。。總之。。。唔﹐隻蛋捧o左蛋喇今次。雖然﹐烏冬本身其實是還可以的。滑﹐有咬感。



肉類



食肉獸當然少不了吃肉。我們點了 gyu carpaccio ($6.8) lightly seared marbled beef sashimi with wasabi mayo﹐ Karaage ($5.8) deep fried soy sauce marinated chicken served with garlic mayo﹐和 gyutangue ($6.3) grilled beef tongue with salt. 三個當中台長最愛生牛肉﹐雖然台長並不排除這可能是個人偏好。其他兩個只屬一般﹐不壞﹐不好﹐是食物。



燒物



燒物篇也為Guu保住了這個7.9. 當中 kakimayo ($6.8) grilled oysters with spinach, garlic mayo and cheese on the top 做得相當不錯。 其次點了 ikamaru ($6.3) grilled whole surume squid with shichimi pepper and garlic mayo 原隻燒魷魚和 kinoko cheese bibimbap($8.3) rice, garlic sauteed mushrooms and cheese with seaweed sauce. 兩個都不俗﹐芝士飯好香﹐亦唔太滯口。



餅類



台長不嬲唔係太'好'麵粉﹐但係點都要炸o下餅o既。餅類我們點了 kabocha korokke ($4.5) deep fried kabocha pumpkin croquette with a boiled egg inside﹐ 和 okonomiyaki ($6.5) deep fried Japanese style pancake with tonkatsu sauce and mustard mayo. 這裡﹐隻蛋再次失分。失分原因基本上大同小異。雖然台長讀過多個網站都對 kabocha korokke 極力推介﹐但台長確實稍嫌蛋身太乾﹐難以入口。 Okonomiyaki 反而比較中規中矩﹐不算出眾﹐屬合格之作。



餐後甜點



終於都食到甜品喇! 甜品我們點了 banana tempura ($5.8) deep fried banana tempura with sesame ice cream dressed with chocolate and mango sauce 和是晚廚師推介 yuzu cheese cake ($4.5) 柚子芝士蛋糕。 芝麻雪糕味道算偏淡﹐不甜﹐也不太濃。台長較喜歡濃一點芝麻味道的。柚子芝士蛋糕反而意外地好吃﹐但好像不是天天有售。喜歡的朋友有沒有機會嘗到這個﹐要看彩數了。最後﹐埋單時﹐Guu會送上冰葡萄。






平衡. [+]


Saturday, November 21, 2009

Kaji




Kaji Japanese Cusine
Type: Japanese [Omakase]
Address: 860 The Queensway, Etobicoke (Queensway / Islington Ave.) Map
Phone: (416) 252-2166

Hours: Wednesday - Sunday 6 pm-10 pm
Price: Feeling generous [$80/$100/$120 Tasting menu]
Tasty gauge: 9.5/10
Service rating: 8.7/10





Omakase

Kaji 標榜創意壽司﹐以 omakase [tasting menu] 形式點菜﹐餐單選項分別為 $80 [Iki]﹐$100 [Waza] 和 $120 [Takumi] 三種選擇。

[Iki $80]


Steamed little neck clam in sake & butter soup

Sashimi

Grilled eggplant with miso sauce

Sushi & noodle

Dessert


[Waza $100]

Japanese style conch risotto croquette

Two kinds of grilled lotus roots - shrimp & chicken

Sashimi

Grilled scallop with enoki mushroom sauce

Deep fried Taisho shrimp

Sushi & noodle

Dessert


[Takumi $120]

Satsuma cake

Assorted appetizer plate

Grilled chicken teriyaki

Sashimi

Snow crab & chestnuts cake

Simmered baby flounder with radish sauce

Crab & mushrooms grilled in cellophane

Sushi & noodle

Dessert

開飯喇

那天晚上﹐由於我們一行四人﹐我們點了兩個 Iki﹐一個 Waza﹐一個 Takumi﹐齊齊分﹐齊齊食。



上圖的前菜包括了:


Steamed little neck clam in sake & butter soup

Japanese style conch risotto croquette

Two kinds of grilled lotus roots - shrimp & chicken

Satsuma cake

Assorted appetizer plate

Grilled chicken teriyaki

Sashimi


前菜後就是第一個主菜盤 - 魚生拼盤﹐令我眼晴發亮的是它的Toro sashimi。特別之處是以碎切納豆混和醬油和kinome葉作為醬汁﹐拌好後因醬汁內混了納豆所以醬汁會貼貼的黏著toro肉﹐醬汁的質感和味道跟Toro實在是絕配﹐不單口感一致還能把toro肉的味道帶出來。是很讚很讚的配搭。

煎燒炸焗物



上圖帶來:


Grilled eggplant with miso sauce

Grilled scallop with enoki mushroom sauce

Deep fried Taisho shrimp

Snow crab & chestnuts cake

Simmered baby flounder with radish sauce

Crab & mushrooms grilled in cellophane

個人喜好是焗蟹肉伴磨菇和燒矮瓜。特別一提的是燒矮瓜也用上了納豆汁﹐配上炸脆了的洋蔥絲﹐入口時表層醬汁的味道濃而香口﹐矮瓜淡淡的味道就剛好混和在中間﹐也是很好的配搭。

壽司拼盤

在介紹壽司之前大家必需看看下圖。吃畢整頓晚餐﹐到底 Kaji 最厲害的是什麼? 是醬油!!! Kaji 選用極上等的醬油﹐就是你可以把整個壽司放進醬油碟子﹐盡情與它來一個暢泳﹐直到整件壽司都變成深啡色﹐吃下去的時候還是仍然一點也不會覺得很鹹的那種。你會清清楚楚地嘗到醬油的黃豆香﹐而不是鹹的味道。這碟醬油﹐威力足以當上整頓飯的主角。



壽司拼盤﹐特別喜愛的都照出來了。想一提的是帶子壽司上面配上的是黑椒汁和蘿蔔蓉﹐蠻有創意的配搭﹐味道﹐算還可以。


Kaji arts 和甜品


朋友生日﹐壽司師傅送來大蔥雕成的花﹐很厲害 !




Aji [+]


Monday, November 9, 2009

Pangaea Restaurant




Pangaea Restaurant

Type: Fine Dining

Address: 1221 Bay Street Map

Phone: (416) 920-2323

Hours: Mon-Sat: 11:30am-11:30pm

Price: Feeling generous [$100+ excluding drinks]

Tasty gauge: 8.7/10

Service rating: 9.2/10 [讚!]






Pangaea hot soup: Parsnip & lemon puree with parmesan and a truffle foam



Pear & endive salad: Roasted pear, shaved fennel, watercress, frisée, walnuts, Stilton cheese, mustard dressing



Venison: Pan-roasted, maple baked brussel sprouts, with grapes, Ontario chestnuts, and Niagara Gamay reduction



Opah: On a corn & saffron chowder, ribboned vegetables and potato gnocchi



Honey-vanilla baked apricots: With orange-almond biscotti and Forme d’Ambert cheese



Banana coconut cream cake: With mango puree