Society - Passport Quest

Glowbal Passport Quest. As part of the promotion that Glowbal Group ran in February - March 2012, I visited all seven of the restaurants. Here is my post of Society.
I also have posts for:
Glowbal Grill
Coast
Italian Kitchen
Trattoria
Sanafir
Black and Blue

If Kobe meatballs are synonymous with Italian Kitchen, then these little Deep Fried Macaroni Balls share the same iconic status here at Society. Of the three of us, one of us was actually going to order Mac and Cheese as our main, but with these babies to start, maybe things will change...

One thing that did catch our eye was the Lobster Shepherd's Pie. Beneath this mashed potato crust was a few chunks of lobster, and a lot of celery and carrots. The texture was creamy but the lobster to veggie ratio seemed off. It will fill you up, but won't thrill you. (*note: this seems to be off their new menu now.)

For me, I always associate Society with Burgers, see my post from a 3-hour lunch there last year. And this visit was no exception. I ordered their burger, but added a fried egg (see the runny yolk?) and also asked for sauteed mushrooms. Although it's not listed on their menu, if you ask for it, the chefs are fairly accommodating and will try to satisfy.

And although we did get the Mac and Cheese balls to start, one of us couldn't resist getting the BIG Mac and Cheese entree. And if a platter of mac and cheese wasn't enough, they really carbo load you with a slice of garlic bread too. Served with a nice gratin on top, this mac and cheese is rich and unctious. Unless you are really hungry, this would be hard to polish off in its entirety. The slight truffle aroma comes and goes, but the creaminess of the cheese and the comfort food factor is what really makes this dish great. 

Glowbal Grill - Passport Quest

Glowbal Passport Quest. As part of the promotion that Glowbal Group ran in February - March 2012, I visited all seven of the restaurants. Here is my post of Glowbal Grill.
I also have posts for:
Coast
Society
Italian Kitchen
Trattoria
Sanafir
Black and Blue

I went with a foodie friend, Stephanie, because we were both trying to finish off the passports. She started off with the Caprese appy, loaded with yummy burrata cheese and veggies. I probably could have used more bread, but that's just me!  

I've always been a fan of Glowbal Grill's satays appetizers, because they really allow you to try a ton of things without getting too full. So this time, I tried tow that I hadn't had in a while. On the left is the fried oyster, and next to it is their yummy Short Rib. Served with a little salad and a mustard sauce and a creamy ginger soy sauce.

I saw the Charbroiled Trout on the menu and was immediately intrigued. Back in December, I visited a Tom Douglas restaurant in Seattle and they served the trout, head and tail! So I asked the server if that was they way they do it here, and he asserted yes. Unfortunately, when the trout came, he was only half right...there was a tail but no head in sight. Ah well, what we were served was delicious. The skin was amazingly crispy while the flesh was moist and juicy. Accompanying the dish were some potatoes as well as a sauce with a sun dried tomato base. This was a light and delightful dish and I'm glad I gave it a shot. Next time, I'l insist on getting the fish with "head on".

Stephanie ordered their Ahi Tuna, which I've never tried before. As you can see, there is a perfect sear to the fish, with a bright pink centre. This was a tasty dish...something in the crust for the tuna was really good. Also, I like the baby bok choy they served with the dish. Three chunky pieces of tuna were rounded out nicely with the veggies, and made for a fine entree.

Appy Hour at Joe Fortes

I've always been a fan of Joe Fortes for lunch because they are quick and they're good. The weekday Blue Plate specials (scroll towards the bottom) for $9.95 don't hurt either! But now, they've come up with something fun for after work too! From 4-6 daily and in their bar area only, it's their Happy Hour! And there are some great deals to be had! $5 glasses of wine (Jackson Triggs, I think), Buck a Shuck oysters and half price on all appies! There are a dozen items on the menu with a good mix of raw, cooked and carbs. I've been a few times and have tried quite a few. 

Oysters are a must, and if they are only $1 each, how can you say no? The question should be, How many? So we started off with a dozen. Served with their seafood cocktail sauce and some horseradish, these arrived quickly and were nice and briny. Just a squirt of lemon, mix some tobasco into the cocktail sauce and slurp! 

Another half price appy is their Jumbo Tiger Prawn Cocktail. You get three large prawns (three-biters for me) along with more cocktail sauce and a bit of endive. I wouldn't say these are so massive as to require a knife and fork but at half price, these are well worth it. The last cold appy I tried was their Beef Carpaccio. Thinly shaved beef with a bit of roasted to buttery softness garlic, some grainy mustard and a few greens. There was some grana padano as well, but they were really thickly cut, just a touch too thick for my taste. And yes, some crispy capers sprinkled the dish too. Ask for the bread basket to eat this with and you'll be a happy camper. 

The first "hot" dish we had were the Cheeseburger Sliders. And they were exactly as you would expect, mini patties topped with cheddar, a few thing slivers of pickles and a coleslaw like you would find in a fish taco. This helped to lighten up the dish, so it was appreciated. The bun was soft and very smooshable, a trait I require with sliders.  

So you've seen the Prawn Cocktail earlier, so take a look at the cooked version, their Tempura Prawns. Again, you have three of them, but these are lightly battered and served with a slightly spicy mayo. The crunch from the batter was good, and not too oily. As you can see, the batter is fairly "non-oily", there's nothing on the paper lining the dis. And if you were concerned that the batter was contributing to the size of the the tempura prawn, wonder no longer. Look at the size of the prawn. These babies are addictive!
Fulfilling the tradition of getting cold appies "made hot", we decided to try the Fried Oysters. Battered in something completely different than the Prawn Tempura, this batter was reminiscent of panko crumbs, or something just as airy. These oysters were so juicy on the inside, once you get past the phenomenal crunch of the crush outside. They were served on a bed of tartar sauce so some of the bottoms got a bit soggy, but nothing a simple request of "sauce on the side" wouldn't fix. 
Taking into account the 50% off, none of the dishes see here are over $8, other than the oysters of course. Makes it easy to wash down with those $5 glasses of wine, doesn't it? 

Scarfing down at Scarpetta

Located at the Thompson Hotel in Toronto, Scarpetta is the brainchild of renowned New York chef Scott Conant, but Chef Michael Hunter is the Chef de Cuisine now. The room is sleek, modern and loaded with semi-circular booths.

First to land on our table was the triple threat of olive oil, marinara and butter, with a sprinkle of salt. The tomato based sauce was a bit sour for my liking, but to be honest, their bread basket didn't need any accompaniments.

There was an assortment of warm sliced bread topped with one large slice of a soft multigrain. But don't just nibble at the basket. Go right down to the bottom for their Stromboli, or as our waiter called it, the meat and cheese bread.

This is a poorly lit picture of the sliced Stromboli, but you get the idea...meat and cheese baked right into the bread! So good, so soft and chewy, and a lovely way to start the meal.

Before we settled on a wine, we all ordered a cocktail to start. I stuck with my tried and true....Negroni, complete with a orange rind. 

My appetizer was the Beef Short Ribs,on a bed of farro risotto...the beef rib was super tender; the knife on the table was purely for looks. The risotto was more barley-like, but cooked slowly to just the right consistency, with a little bit of a chew left. 

Another appy we had was the Tuna Susci...essentially a tuna sashimi with marinated veggies cut into matchsticks inside. The tuna was a bright red and the crunch of the carrots is a perfect foil to the fresh fish. 

Well-known as one of the best dish he ever made, we had to try Scott Conant's Creamy Polenta with Truffled Mushrooms. Served in two dishes, one with polenta and a silver dish with the truffled mushrooms. The server then starts you off by spooning some of the mushrooms onto the polenta. Eat the mushroom topped part,and then add some more to the polenta. Repeat as needed until you are done. Then grab some bread and sop up all the remaining mushroomy goodness. 

Sorry for the blurry photo, but this is another signature dish, the Agnolotti Dal Plin with Braised Short Rib, Bone Marrow and horseradish. All smothered with a brown butter sauce. Since all the pastas are made in house, the first thing you notice is the delicateness of the pasta, and how plump each morsel is. 

We also got the Pappardelle with pork ragout, pine nuts and some wined braised prunes. It looks a lot spicier than it really is, in reality, the prunes adds a nice rich sweetness to the dish. Long flat noodles are cooked to a perfect al dente, and you can really taste the richness of the ragout.

The one non-pasta main course we got was the Mediterranean Branzino with mussels, kale and a side of salsa verde. The skin on this was amazingly crispy, really really crispy! The fish itself was moist and the filet hides a few mussels underneath. 

I really like Cavatelli which should have come with carpetto, broccoli rabe & goat cheese, but I didn't feel like goat cheese that night. Instead, I asked for the pork ragout sauce that comes with the pappardelle, and they were happy to indulge. This pasta is similar to shell pasta but s bit denser and more curled into itself more than your regular shells.

We finished off dinner with two desserts, the first to arrive was the Cheesecake with lemon curd and basil granita and black pepper streusel. Creamy, crumbly, and crunchy with a nice tart and tangy creamy curd.

The other dessert was on the other end of tart, we tried the Caramel Budino with a deep, dense mousse topped with fresh whipped cream. To the side, there are wafers made with salted caramel and peanuts. A rich way to end a very satisfying meal.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Weird Restos at the Tiki Bar with Bob Blumer

So last week, I had the privilege of trying out one of the restaurants that will be featured on Weird Restos on the Food Network. Hosted by Bob Blumer, this show promised to show a "global extravaganza of off-the-wall eateries, crazy characters and extreme cuisine" with "weird" being the common thread.

We were seated at our table for two and knew something weird would be in store! I mean, when you get a blindfold, a silly clown nose and a roll of toilet paper, you know something fun is afoot! 

We also got presented with a menu, which I asked him to sign later...and he did! Most of the pages within the menu were loaded with wine and cocktail selections, but the first page gave some insight into what would be in store for us. And, yes, he's very kind...I'm definitely more weird than gorgeous. 

Bob Blumer started off the dinner welcoming us, and then showed us a few clips from his show. 

This first course was called "Monkey See, Monkey Do". Hmm...since we are eating Chicken Karaage, I wasn't quite sure of the connection. To be honest, the Karaage was amazingly crispy on the outside and really juicy on the inside. The Soy Ginger dipping sauce was a great accompaniment to this dish. I didn't get the "monkey" aspect of this at all. But then, as the screen came to life behind Bob, I got it. 

The first segment featured a group of monkey waiters trained to serve beers in a restaurant in Japan. Thus, Bob dressed up as a monkey to serve up the beer to accompany the karaage. Seriously, this is an offence to bartenders everywhere, but if I can tip in bananas, I'm sold! 

So the next dish we got was called "The Blind Feeding the Blind"...FeeDing...not FeeLing! I took about 4 shots, while blindfolded (thus the Blind), and this was the best of the bunch. On the plate are three items and being left handed, I always start from the left. So what we have there is a Spanish avoblanco - cold soup with almond, garlic, vinegar & evoo. Since I was blindfolded, I actually dipped my finger into the soup before realizing what it was. 
While were were all trying to navigate the dish, Bob calmed us all down and asked us to grab the crouton. After a few seconds while we fumbled for the crostini, he asked us to all break it in half together. And wow...the sound of 40-50 pieces of crunchy bread being broken in a relatively silent room is deafening! Then it was onto the spoons. One was the Serrano Ham Croquette and the other was a Black Cod Croquette with Butter. Both were breaded lightly and had a great mouth feel, but to be honest, I couldn't tell what the protein were in each. Try doing this next time you have dinner at home and see how well you do! 

I know, this picture is disturbing. And the title of this course isn't going to make it better "Ling Cod a la John". Yes, John...as in toilet. We were served a sauce in a generic white toilet. The concept is from Taipei's Modern Toilet restaurant, where most foods are served in a commode, urinal or toilet. The fact that it was a tomato-based sauce, with some lumps of veggies didn't help with the aesthetic. So Bob scoops the sauce out of the bowl, passes it to a staff from the Waldorf, who then adds....

Two pieces of gently pan-fried ling cod to the top. This was really good, the fish was flaky and the sauce had just enough heat to satisfy. It's made with tomatoes, olives and some peppers. I enjoyed the fish more than than the sauce, but I'm not sure how much the presentation affected my thinking. 

But don't worry, if it gets a little messy, no worries, that's what the roll of toilet paper is for! 

We ended dinner with"Glazed and Confused", featuring the doughnuts with a maple syrup glaze, and topped with a bacon caramelized topping. These were inspired by Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, but they aren't really doughnuts...more like heavy madeleines, and the glaze was less bacony than syrupy. Given the denseness of this dish and the slightly less than promised bacon flavour, this was my least favourite of the night. However, I wouldn't have skipped this event for anything. I was served beer by a monkey (aka Bob), ate blindfolded and out of a toilet while wearing a clown nose, all in one night. That's not likely to be topped anytime soon! 

And to top it all off, I got a pic with one of my favourite Food Network stars! 

Shanghai Wonderful - lives up to its name.

I have been to Shanghai Wonderful at least a dozen times but every time I go, I'm so famished that I never remember to take pictures for a post. Well, this time, I finally did! 

As always, we got their Salty Sticky Rice, which is a sushi type roll with preserved mustard greens for crunch, a deep fried Chinese doughnut runs through the entire length of the roll, with loads of dried pork floss sprinkled in between. It's a bit salty, a bit doughy yet peaks of flavour come from the preserved greens. They might look harmless, but limit yourself to just one. Have more than that and you'll be too full to try anything else! Pack extras to go, they are great at room temperature for a snack later. 

I was also in the mood of a bowl of noodles and we got the Szechuan Beef Noodle, and yes, it's a bit spicy. See the chilies there? The beef was super tender and juicy, the noodles were just a touch past al dente, but still pretty good. I like the abundance of veggies and the piping hot broth. This splits up into 3 generous bowls and if you want it a little hotter, as for the hot sauce paste on the side.

No Shanghainese dim sum is complete without Xiao Long Baos. The ones here are good, nice and uber juicy. The skin isn't too thick and the meat is cooked perfectly. Eat these first! They're never the same when you reheat them. Take a bite off the top, drizzle some vinegar through the opening, and gobble the whole thing up. It will hurt you a bit because it's hot and soupy, but that's the best feeling too! 

We also got their Big Soup Bun (Tang Bao)...a steamed dumpling that is the granddaddy of all Xiao Long Bao. It's about the size of a gigantic barbecue bun, but it's steamed and not barbecued. It's filled with meat, some noodles & mushrooms, but mostly some soup..and because it's so big, they actually give you a straw to extract the soup!

I still don't know if we ate it "right", but we sipped some of the soup first, then delicately used the spoon to open up the bun. Despite having "drank" some of the soup, the dumpling still overflowed when we poked into it. If you have a fail safe approach to tackling this baby, please share by leaving a comment below.