Happy Chinese New Years!

Happy chinese new years to all, even though you might not celebrate this occasion. In Toronto, it has been pretty diverse and there is a large chinese community for it to be a big event, and mentioned alot in the media in the Toronto area. Also quite frequently they mention that this is the year of the tiger.

Here are some things that are usually found around the houses with the word in the center meaning good luck. My mom told me a story why the holidays are filled with red decor, and people dressing in red and making loud noises.

The tradition follows that, during new years eve, there was a monster that comes and eats at the crops. This monster does not like the color red, so people wore red clothes and decorated their houses with red posters which drove the monster away. Also, this creature did not like loud noises, so therefore they played the drums and made alot of noises.

That is all the story that my mom told me this year, and maybe I'll be adding more and more to this as the years past along. I'm sure we can just all look this stuff on the internet and my mom did mention that was just one of the meanings, therefore there could be another.

Happy Chinese New Years to all, and may good luck come to everyone. As they say, Kung Hei Fat Choy in chinese. Check out the rest of gallery for an addition 3 pieces of decor.

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Restaurant Review: Genghis Khan Mongolian Grill

Genghis Khan Mongolian Grill
900 Don Mills Road
North York, ON M3C 1V6

A few weeks ago, a friend of my mentioned about going to eat at Mongolian Grill at Pacific Mall.  I was excited about the idea since I haven't been there for about 5-6 years.  At the time of making a reservation, we decided to try the one in North York Location, it is at the major intersection of Eglinton Ave and Don Mills Rd.  From the outside as you walk in you can see through the glass window that it wasn't busy on a thursday night at 7.  They had a LCD screen displaying their take out food and a few pictures of the inside.  The price is posted on the door as you entered, and the total bill per person came out to $27 after tip without any beverages.




Photo: Restaurant Atmosphere

If you haven't been here before, the special thing about this buffet style restaurant is that you can be your own chef and pick out what types of ingredients from meat, sauce, topping and a choice of 3 noodles.  After going through this process, you bring your food to the chef, and they cook your food with a 3 feet long chopstick on flame broil round stone counter.  As you walk in and get seated, the wait staff will explain the process of picking your food, and where everything is located.  Its very limly lit place in the eating area, and a lot more light in the buffet area.  To the left of the picture above, there is a large bar and waiting area.




Photo: Meat Selection

My First trip to the cooking area, I tried to pick out ingredients I was familiar with.  The meat and toppings was fresh, and there was always someone around cleaning the area and directing you at the end of picking your toppings and ask you to approach which cooking station.  They had the regular meat selection, pork, beef, chicken and lamb.  Toppings you can choose from, green peppers, spring onions, squid, shrimp, corn, spinach, bah choi and a few others.  They had 3 selection of noodles, udon, yellow noodle, and white noodle.  Sauces were labeled with with what was inside them, and they have spicy, mild, and regular, there was about 6 choices of sauces.  Then at last you can choose flavoring such as vinegar, what type of oil you want it to be cooked with.





Photo: My First Selection - Udon noodles, with bamboo shoots and spinach


I didn't get a chance to take a picture of the items, but the other buffet area carried very familiar food to other chinese buffets.  Crab legs, salad, chicken wings, vegetables, rice, fruits, some pastries.  One thing that stood was a chocolate fountain.  You had the option to dip, marshmallow and fruits and on the side.  The chocolate wasn't really that great and it was watered down.  Personally I'm not a big fan of buffet food and found the food to be regular and nothing really special since I can get better food when I eat at a regular chinese restaurant.


Photo: Chef cooking


After a certain period.  From looking at the photo above, you can see that their is a build up from all the sauces and ingredients that goes on the cooking surface.  They do clean the surface but not after every person.  Also to note, they add water to your selection, and most people walk to the line with a huge pile going over the bowl (not like mine) and the food will shrink.  I can say I do not know anything about cooking, so everything I put will be new.  Not sure if you are the adventurous type to pick out your own toppings.


Overall, I think if you haven't been to Mongolian Grill, its cool to experience the chef cooking around the stone table, but after the first time I saw it, its nothing that special and continued onto eating.  The restroom for males and females was clean, but it wasn't too pleasant smelling in the women's restroom.  The items you select for the chef to cook was fresh and I was pleased with that and it turned out pretty good, but there is only so much noodles you can eat.  For $27 a person, I don't believe it is a good value.  The desert table with the chocolate fountain was watery but my friends told me that it was much better last time, because the chocolate harden after you coat it on the strawberry.  The other food for desert was just average and nothing outstanding.  The staff spoke english, and the chefs was very nice to little children and customers as they were cooking their food.  This is not a place I will be visiting very frequent, maybe I'll go again in another 5-6 years.

2.5/5


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Restaurant Review: Buddha's Vegetarian Restaurant Hong Kong Style

666 Dundas Street West
Toronto, ON M5T 1H9
(416) 603-3811

In my last 2 reviews, I've been reviewing dumpling restaurants.  This time around I went to a restaurant at the edge of Chinatown near Dundas St W and Bathurst Ave.  This place specializes in vegetarian food and they seem to be mighty popular.  This place has been around for 19 years, since 1991.  The restaurant doesn't really spell out, please come in and is not very inviting. but as you enter the store you will notice all the customers within the place and the large abundant of people buying take out and picking up their phone orders.  The majority of their customers are asian, but about 1/4 of them are non asians. They speak in Cantonese, mandarin and English.   I believe Buddha's popularity has spawned a competing restaurant a few stores over to serve the exact same type of food, except you don't see as many customer inside and looks empty.  I am guessing Buddha can get busy since it is beside a hospital during lunch and dinner hours.

Luckily, at 5:40 tonight, it wasn't busy.  As you walk in you will notice it is very small, not alot of places to sit, also not the fanciest place. You just get your basic table and chair, white walls.  They actually have more seating in another room which you don't see until they walk you to the back.  As you walk by the back you can get a glimpse of the kitchen and some fridges and dirty dishes.  This place is really just a home turned into a restaurant on the main floor. I didn't get a good chance to take a picture of the menu, but they only have 2 pages of items they serve.


Photo: Menu (larger version click here)

I've ordered 2 items today for 2, as the noodles do come in large proportions.   I've ordered #26, Buddha Special Mixed Vegetables on E-Fu noodles (add $1) and the Soya Roll.  First came the noodles (see picture below), the vegetables included 2 types mushrooms, broccoli, dried tofu, corn, ba choi, and some other items which I'm not sure what to name.  All these toppings came with a light sauce which didn't make the noodles dry.  Once I ate the toppings they were very fresh, was not over cooked and had things very nice feeling once you bite into it.  The noodles itself wasn't very soggy from the sauce and also wasn't over cooked.



Photo: Buddha's Special Mixed Vegetables on E-Fu Noodles

Next came the Soya Roll.  The first time I had it, I thought it was amazing, I haven't tried this item at any other place, but I like the this dish very much.  The skin was crispy out the outside, and the inside was also very fresh and crunchy with mushroom and bamboo shoots. It was also only $1.70.  Next time, I'm going to try the spring roll.



Photo: Soya Roll

When the bill came, we were stuffed.  and the bill only came to $10.40.  The noodle might seem a bit pricey compared to food court noodles, but they are pretty much on par with other noodles you can get from restaurants.  Every time I went to this restaurant, it takes quite some time for them to get you the bill.  They are friendly and although a few of the ladies might not have very good english, they try to help/accomdate your requests.  Its not a fancy place to bring a first date since its not very nice place, but I did enjoy the food.  I see many tables order 5 giant plates of food alot of times for 2 people, but I am sure they are going to bring the leftovers home.  I really enjoyed the food here and will be returning back for more.

I would rate this place 3/5 because its not very nice, but if I didn't consider the decor I would rate it 4/5 because of the food.

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Restaurant Review: Northern Dumpling Kitchen

Northern Dumpling Kitchen
Unit 52A, 550 Hwy #7, E.
Richmond Hill, Ontario

I have been on a request to do another Dumpling Restaurant Review.  After getting a few feedbacks from my facebook comments,  I have been discouraged that nothing will really taste like the real northern style dumplings.  The other comment I received is that this place is better than Chinese Dumpling House.

I've been to this place around 4 times prior to this review.  Going in, I tried to order the same type of dumpling, so I have something to compared with, on the menu there wasn't any items with chives in it.  There was around 4-5 pages on the menu with a good selection.  All the items had a chinese and english description with a number so ordering wouldn't be a problem since their english is not really their strong point.  While we were in there was a decent amount of people in there around 1:45, and we didn't have to wait for a table.  There was 2 caucasian males that was also eating there, and seem like they are returning customer.  So we ordered 3 dishes for lunch.


A shanghai rice cake ($6.50) made of soft dough cooked along some shredded pork, shrimp and green/red peppers. The dish was pretty good, and better than the one that is served at Asian Legend.  I personally prefer the rice cake served with a darker sauce and only with shredded pork and cabbage.  When I get a chance I will go review another dumpling place which is rated really well in toronto magazines and other food review boards.


Next came the Pork and Leek Dumplings.  I don't remember the price exactly but I believe it is between $4-5.  Reminder to all, inside the dumpling may be very oily.  Recommend to eat these dumplings with vinegar.  Came out steaming hot.  Once in your mouth, the flavor of the meat combined with the cabbage was awesome.  I enjoyed this dish the best of the 3.


Lastly came the deep fried pork and leek dumplings.  They do offer other meat other than pork, but I wasn't too interested in lamb or shrimp dumplings today.  These things was packed with oil inside, so please becareful when eating and oil can be everywhere, including burning the inside of your mouth.  I think these were okay, because I've had better from Ding Tai Fung and Asian Legend.  The price of this plate is also really reasonable, also around $4-5.

Lunch for 2 ended up to be $20 with tip.  Food experience was good to satisfy my hunger.  Many more people love eating at this place and said its one of the better places around.  I would rate this place exactly the same as Chinese Dumpling House.  One thing I didn't get a chance to visit in all my review was the restroom and how it was presented.

Happy Eating and enjoy!

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Restaurant Review: Chinese Dumpling House

Chinese Dumpling House
4188 Finch Ave East, Unit 12-13
Scarborough, Ontario

I was at a desert place in a store next door and then went for dinner and found this incredible dumpling place.  Its right at the corner of Finch Ave and Midland Ave.  It is actually my second time there today and I enjoyed the food both times and the prices are awesome.  They serve northern chinese food where dumplings are their specialty.  Other restaurants that are like this is Asian Legend and Ding Tai Fung.  Menus are relativity the same and with lots of selection.  As you enter the store there is plenty of seating and it was quite busy for a Thursday night around 7pm.  There was only one waitress but service was good.  Only chinese people where inside the restaurant at the time.

We opened the menu and the prices are very cheap.  Although there was some problems with the menu such as the headings not matching what was listed below, such as under noodles section, you would find dumplings.  They had lots of selection.


Cucumber with Jelly

This was the first dish we ordered and it came out very quick.  It was good, the cucumbers were fresh and I never had this type of jelly before so it was a little different to me.  I prefer it more springy, but overall it was still a good dish to start off with.  I forgot to mix the dish, so I ate a portion with lots of minced garlic.



Pork Dumplings with Chives (water) 15 pieces

This was the second dish we ordered and there was two style of this dish, and we chose the water one.  I ate this dumpling with brown vinegar and it was delicious.  This was the best dish of the night, and was as good as all the other places.  I would recommend this to everyone.  I sat near the window seat and they had a neon green and red lights near the window which made my photos turn out a little greenish red.  They actually gave more than 15 pieces, and its by far the cheapest place for top quality dumplings.


Noodles with Meat

I was in the mood for some noodles. They had some with soup, but I've decided to get this dish to share.  On the menu this type of noodle also comes with chicken, but I've decided to get the one that was classified as meat.  It had pork, green peppers, cabbage, thin noodles, and some onions. The one I had at Asian Legend was much better but for $5 I can't be complaining.  The noodles and toppings were fresh.

When the bill came the total of these 3 dishes came out to $18.50.  This was a meal for two and we were both full after the meal.  Didn't get to use the washroom to review that, and the atmosphere was good, it was your typical chinese restaurant, they had TVs playing a chinese concert.  The waitress spoke english and was nice.  It was a second good experience and for sure will be heading back some other time to try out their other items.  I would rate this place 4/5.

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