F'Amelia Ristorante (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, May 24, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 12 Amelia Street
Website: http://www.famelia.com/
Type of Meal: Dinner
Situated on a quiet street in Cabbagetown, F’Amelia was opened by two best friends, John Dawson and Todd Vestby, who also live in the neighbourhood. Even from the outside, the homey feeling begins as the restaurant is situated in a quaint looking converted house on a residential street. The dining room consists of three separate rooms so no matter where you’re sitting it feels intimate. An open concept kitchen showcases the wood burning pizza oven and plating area so you feel like you’re almost part of the process.

Their bread arrives in a tin container containing sticks of focaccia and toasted pizza dough. The focaccia was the highlight with bits of lemon and herb mixed into it adding a nice aromatic essence. Meanwhile the charred soft pizza dough with crunchy sea salt went well with our charcuterie board. Indeed, almost everyone seemed to be getting one of their cheese and meat boards, we were no different sharing the five salumi/terrine and three cheese one ($28).


Firstly, the five meats. The most intriguing was the guanciale or cured pig cheek; paper thin the meat and fat melts in your mouth but the rub on it is an acquired taste and not appealing for our table. While the thyme and rosemary flavoured strips of pancetta were nicely flavoured, they were a tad fatty and waxy for my taste. A chicken liver mousse piped along the breadsticks was light and sweetened so it was almost a dessert with a chocolate caramel essence to it. Fried pig ears with a tartar sauce was good, I just wished there was more of it. Finally, the pork terrine was so richly flavoured that I was reminded of eating a sausage with grainy mustard a good ending.


The three cheeses for the night consisted of pieces of Monforte Dairy Toscano, a firm sheep milk variety made in Stratford resembling a milder parmaggiano reggiano. Next, a really aged French cheese that was much too strong for me and most of the table. The soft buffalo mozzarella was of course my favourite, cold and creamy seasoned simply with olive oil, pepper and salt. Additionally, the platter had berry compote, tasty onion jam, a great pot of spicy pickles (green beans, red beets and cucumber), pieces of sesame grissini (cracker) and some of the longest bread sticks I’ve ever seen.


A great dish for the spring and summer months is the bigoli ($23). Thick chewy noodles are tossed with seared white shrimp, grilled zucchini and arugula pesto tasting so fresh! The onion blossoms add a hint of colour and flavour leaving me wanting more. It’s a dish I highly recommend.


The seafood saffron risotto ($28) was a daily special and had a nice taste but the rice too soft. Little pieces of diced celery added crunch to counteract the mushiness; the crunchiness was something I enjoyed but others at the table found took away from the creaminess of the risotto. However, the scallops were perfectly crusted and cooked, the highlight of the dish.


The cavalo comune pizza ($20) has two cheeses (fior de latte and goat cheese), salty specks of proscutto cotto, sweet caramelized onions and wilted spinach. With all the cheese, I poorly left it to try last so by then the cheeses had hardened. Nonetheless, it was still delicious and contained a significant amount of high quality ingredients with each slice having an even coverage of all items.
  

A table favourite was the diavola pizza ($15). With a fair amount of fresh red hot chilies and slices of spicy soppressata there was a definite heat to it. But, it was toned down with thick pieces of fior de latte and basil. The pizza’s flavour was well balanced and enjoyable. The crust was thin, soft, crispy and could easily be held; a product of being quickly cooked in an exceedingly hot pizza oven. Despite the fair amount of sauce on the diavola, the crust didn’t get soggy at all and retained the chewiness you’d want from a nice dough.


To end, we shared a roasted pine nut and honey cake ($9). Served warm it is similar to pecan pie except lighter. If only the shortbread crust was thinner and there was more filling it would have been perfect. Normally I love the floral essence of lavender but F’Amelia put way too much of it into the lavender cream; it literally tasted like I was eating hand cream or soap and should be left off the dish.


F’Amelia redeemed itself with one of the best tiramisus ($9) I have had at a restaurant. Moist, creamy and containing enough espresso, the tiramisu was well balanced in its sweetness. Certainly the better of the two desserts for the night.

 

Past reviews I’ve read about F’Amelia claimed service was their one downfall with inexperienced staff and slow service. This has certainly improved with our waitress being knowledgeable, offering suggestions and overall attentive enough. Since we were by the wine wall, another waiter periodically came by and made friendly conversation, not hesitating to jump in when we wondered what certain elements of a dish would be. In the end, it was a good dinner. With the neighbourhood’s quiet surroundings and the connecting patio and wine bar, I sense F’Amelia would be a great summer time destination.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
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 ____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!



CLOSED: Luckee (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 328 Wellington Street West
Type of Meal: Brunch

 Susur Lee is best known for his “fusion” cooking combining tastes and ingredients from Asian and European countries. So, it was a bit surprising when he announced his newest restaurant, Luckee, would be dedicated to Chinese cuisine with a dim sum focus. Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical – how well could Susur be at traditional cooking methods and what would he do to stand out? But, being a fan on Chef Lee’s restaurants I gave it a try and concluded that he can certainly execute. Although most dishes were only of average eminence, some are done so well that it leaves me craving more.

The restaurant’s signature dish is the Luckee duck ($18 for small and $38 for a large; the smaller portion shown below).  After hearing so much about it and its infamously short availability, I immediately ordered it when we entered at noon as was advised we scored the last dish – success!


Was it worth it? While it was good, let’s be honest, it's not great. Perhaps I've eaten so much Peking duck and really this is not supposed to be Peking duck, but I found it too lean for me. I wouldn't say it was dry but the duck also wasn't moist. Even though the skin was crispy, it didn't have that salty flavor I enjoy; you really needed to use the accompanying hoisin and kumquat sauce. The variety of condiments (sticks of apple, cucumber and green onions) were a treat and the kumquat compote giving the dish an almost duck a l’orange quality to it – perhaps Susur’s French influence coming through. The pancakes were also expertly made to a nice thinness. In the end, the dish is worth a try but if they run out don’t be completely disappointed either.

The crab & tofu cake ($7) had so much promise but fell short. Although there was a fair amount of sauce topping it, the mixture was still pretty bland. Moreover, I really couldn’t taste any of the crab, shrimp or mushrooms that was supposed to be in the cake and instead the corn dominated. I can’t put my hand on what it is, but I feel there’s missing; maybe topping the cubes with a crab salad mixed with slivers of dried scallop or a using a different sauce like XO would help.


On the other hand, the crispy taro & turnip cake ($6) was outstanding! The turnip layer was like any other but the slivers of taro on top really made this something different. Pan fried so that they developed a crunchy texture the taro also added an extra flavour dimension. Simply served with soy sauce this dish also allows you to enjoy the plethora of condiments that arrives with the dim sum including chili sauce, Asian mustard, ginger & green onion pesto and soy with chilies.


Siu mai or chicken & shrimp dumplings wrapped in wonton wrappers ($7) is one of the most traditional Chinese dim sum offering. At Luckee, scallop and piece of black fungus is added on top to jazz it up. Throughout the chicken mixture bits of dried orange peel is incorporated giving it a lighter taste. All in all, it's a good siu mai but really not that much better from what is served elsewhere.


Xiao long bao or soup filled pork dumplings ($7) is a popular Shanghainese dish. It tests a chef’s skills at getting the wrapper thin enough (even less than a dumpling) but still retaining its strength to hold in the soup while it cooks and withstand being picked up with chopsticks. Luckee’s dumplings met this criteria with plenty of soup in it to keep it moist and delicious. Although good, they are definitely not the best in the city, I’d say Asian Legend’s is a tad tastier.


But, where Luckee shines is with the shrimp cheung fun or rice roll ($9). The dish was just amazing! Big succulent pieces of sweet shrimp are wrapped in a layer of crispy deep-fried rice roll and then wrapped in the second layer of steamed rice roll to give it a soft contrasting texture. Simply topped with chopped green onions and warm soy sauce poured table side the dish needs to be eaten fresh before it gets soggy or cold. I couldn’t get enough of this and commend the Chef for such a great take on rice rolls.


The Swatow chicken & preserved vegetable dumpling ($6) ended up being deep-fried glutinous rice balls with minced chicken and dried shrimp inside. You will also find these at other Chinese restaurants typically with a moist ground pork mixture. For most dishes Luckee was on par if not better than what can be found elsewhere. Sadly, in my opinion, these need to be improved. The mixture was too dry and the outside needs to be fried longer to develop that crispy crust and allow the dough to get fluffier. Note, we added another dish on after being presented with these so it could be the ones I tried (not pictured) was rushed through the process as the other dish looked more golden brown. 


The vegetarian Yunnan fried garlic rice noodles ($14) may look unassuming but tastes fantastic. There's so much flavor in the dish - from what I could tell satay sauce, plenty of black pepper, and deep-fried garlic slivers - making each bite aromatic and flavorful. The bean sprouts, bell peppers and slivers of mushrooms provide some contrasting textures against the chewy bean curd thread noodles. A great way to end the meal and ensure you’re not hungry in an hour.


Our last dish was the salt & pepper spiced crispy squid ($19) and it did not disappoint. With eight pieces a fairly decent sized calamari this is perfect for sharing in larger groups. There were tons of chopped chilies and bell peppers mixed throughout giving the squid enough heat to pack a punch. Topped with savoury “golden sand” and sitting on top of some fried noodles it was a great way to eat the little remnants that had fallen off.


For dessert we got a few things to share, each having its own appeal. We had differing tastes, but my favourite was the blood orange and lemon curd tart ($4). What a lovely refreshing way to end the meal with a tart blood orange Jell-O layer and a sweet lemony custard on the bottom. 

The black sesame tong yuen tart ($4) was a great take on the traditional dessert. Tong yuen loosely translates to sphere soup and generally describes a glutinous rice ball dessert found is sweet soups or rolled in a powder. The ball is an interesting soft but chewy texture and was filled with plenty of black sesame paste. Placed in a shortbread tart the shell helps to keep in the gooey sesame paste as it runs out.

Lastly, the rice donut ($4) is Luckee’s take on a popular dessert typically filled with lotus paste. At Luckee it’s filled with a custard mixed with salty egg yolk giving it a richer sweet and salty element. The jury is out on this one, I didn’t detest nor like it.


On Sundays there’s also push cart service. But the sole cart came by only once and offered fairly average looking black bean spareribs, chicken feet and lotus wrapped glutinous rice. We decided to skip it and this seemed to be the case with most other tables. In time, this novelty will likely be forgotten. I suggest Susur consider using it for dessert instead (a Chinese dessert trolley) and roll out the choices to tables at the end of the meal so that they can pick and choose to their heart’s content.


For someone who has had a lot of dim sum in my lifetime Luckee is definitely the most expensive meal. But, after sitting back to think about it, what I ended up paying wasn’t more than brunch at Splendido or afternoon tea at the King Eddy. So really, although expensive compared to no-frills Chinese restaurants, it’s not astronomical when related to other noon time offerings. 

In the end, you’re paying for the lovely chic décor, being able to make reservations and have an empty table waiting for you (learn more about typical reservation systems here) and the benefit of well-spaced tables so you’re not jammed between a screaming baby and a table talking at the top of their lungs. It’s the more sophisticated way to dine with plates being changed and dishes arriving at a quick but bearable pace. Our waiter Kris was a pleasure, a nice change from the sometimes stone faced staff at other places. And the fact that you can get a cocktail or a bottle of cava with your dim sum, well that’s just icing on the cake.


Overall mark - 7 out of 10
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 ____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

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CLOSED: Kenny's Noodle 聯記麵家 (Scarborough)

Posted on Sunday, May 04, 2014 by
Location: Scarborough, Canada
Address: 4733 Steeles Avenue East
Type of Meal: Dinner
Like most foodies I love a good meal, but all too often delicious dishes come with hefty prices. So, for day-to-day lunches and dinners there’s little that’s more affordable and satisfying than a bowl of pho or a stir fried noodles.

My go to place for noodles and congee will always be Congee Wong, but with so many options throughout the GTA offering comparable eats it’s generally location and price that’s more important than name. One bargain chain you should know about is Kenny’s Noodles, where they offer a congee and noodle set meal for only $26.99!

The congee (a Chinese savoury porridge made from rice) is a “super-bowl” size with shredded chicken and abalone (a type of shellfish). We were pleasantly surprised with the sheer amount of sliced chicken and abalone that was in the bowl. Some may find it a tad salty but I found the congee had a great flavour to it and was perfect.


A tried and true favourite, the meal comes with a dish of stir fried beef rice noodles. Although not the best I’ve had, Kenny’s was decent with the noodles retaining their chewiness, well covered with soy sauce and combining well with crunchy bean sprouts and fresh green onions. It would have been nice to have the noodles cook a bit longer to allow the “wok’s essence” to develop; what I generally appreciate most about this dish is the aroma that permeates off the noodles and the essence of Kenny’s was rather muted.


Next is a dish that, in my mind, is the Asian equivalent of polenta fries - stir fried turnip cake with XO sauce. These cubes are plump pieces of turnip laced dough, stir fried so that it develops a crispy crust but soft throughout. Kenny’s sauce was less “XO” and more chili oil so it lacked that rich scent which normally comes with XO sauce, but still quite delicious and had a nice kick. With pieces of chicken and shrimp mixed in with the turnip cake this could be a meal in itself.


Last but not least, a decent portion of poached vegetables with oyster sauce is included with the combo. During our visit, the vegetable was gai lan (a.k.a. Chinese broccoli) a leafy green vegetable with a crunchy sweet stalk. I’ve recently learnt that oyster sauce is actually made from oysters – well really their extract or essence. However, most of the sauce is comprised of sugar and salt making it taste closer to a sweet and salty caramel.


What really impressed me with Kenny’s Noodles was the service. Most congee restaurants are about price and speed, but at Kenny’s we had such a friendly and attentive waitress. She offered us a second bowl (allowing one to hold congee and the other noodles) so the dishes retained their distinct flavours and came by to whisk away empty dishes.

The meal above was more than enough to satisfy three people, possibly four if you’re not too hungry. Although Kenny also offers Cantonese dishes and Chinese-style café meals, their noodles and congee definitely offers some of the best value. The combo above is such a low price that it leaves enough money for foodies to pay for the new norm - $15 cocktails and $150 tasting menus.

Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10
Like the blog? You can now follow me on twitter for notifications - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog

 ____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


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