Hot and Sour at Hamachi Kita

On a beautiful, sunny afternoon earlier in May, Mitch and I went out for some brunch.  We got ready and went out without coming to a consensus as to the resto.  He was all for the Pad Thai at Fid and I wanted eggs; specifically a delicious, inventive, spicy egg dish at The Coastal.  I won.  

We walked from the South end of Barrington all the way to Robie and sat outside to enjoy a coffee and check out the menu while we waited for a table. At this point, Mitch confided some essential info: that he "wasn't in the mood for eggs." So I rolled my eyes, paid for my coffee and racked my brain to determine a place that would make us both happy.  We settled on Epicurious Morsels in the Hydrostone where I could have brunch and he, a savoury dish.  Of course, we arrived just as the brunch service was ending, so we went next door to Hamachi Kita, where Mitch got: the Pad Thai.  It all comes full circle!

Pad Thai ($13.99) 

w/ shrimp, stir-fried rice noodles, egg, bean sprouts 

and chili Pad Thai sauce

The Pad Thai was very nice.  With the peanuts, sauce and bean sprouts, it had elements of fresh, crunchy, sweet; all the things you look for in a good noodle dish.  The portion was pretty good too. 

Green Curry Vegetable Puffs ($7.99)

fried egg roll wrappers filled w/ 

sweet potatoes, corn, peas and served w/ a sweet Thai chili sauce

Tom Yum Hot and Sour Soup ($6.99)

herb broth w/ lime leaves, galangal, tomato, lemon grass, 

mushroom, shallot and shrimp

My green curry puffs were OK; though not something I'd likely order again.  The flavour was nice, but they were a bit dry and the serving size - for $8 - left much to be desired.  The Tom Yum soup on the other hand, was just that: yummy.  I expected tiny shrimp, but was pleasantly surprised at the size of the prawns and the fact that there were at least four in the bowl.  There was a great contrast in flavour here too; spicy with a touch of sweet, and the fresh cilantro gave the bowl a burst of bright freshness.


This was a pretty good lunch on the fly.  I wouldn't order the curry puffs again, but I'd definitely go for the Tom Yum soup on a crisp winter's night.  The Pad Thai was pretty delicious too - and on that note, stay tuned for my next post featuring Pad Thai at Fid!

Fujiyama: Eat in, or Take Out!

Mmmm- sushi!  Sushi is one of my favourite eats here in Hali.  It's just one of those meals that I could eat at any time of day, and the only late-night dinner I can really get into....Unless it's a greasy feed on an early Saturday am.  You know what I'm talking about....

This particular sushi experience is Fujiyama, the sushi spot that has taken over the old Le Cave location. I like this spot because I can count on its quality and creativity.  This blog post incorporates two dinners from Fujiyama - one on site, and one take-out.  I felt the need to write about the take-out, as it's not too often that your food quality remains intact when taken off-site.  On this occasion - and many times thereafter - it was.

Shrimp and Veggie Tempura 

How could you go wrong with this one?  Tender veg and plump shrimp in a light, crispy coating.

Chef's Sushi for Two

I was so glad that we ordered this dish - it really gave me the opportunity to try all types of sashimi and decide which ones I truly liked - the Butterfish was our favourite!  We really appreciated the fact that our server let us substitute the eel rolls for an additional salmon sashimi.

Deep Fried Banana

I could take or leave this dessert.  This was the only thing that really appealed to me on the dessert menu, but it tasted kinda funny...and I'm pretty sure the whipped cream was from a can. :S

And, for take-out...

Salmon Sashimi, Spicy Salmon Rolls & 

Tokyo Scallop Roll - Spicy scallop and avocado 

rolled in soybean paper with eel sauce and spicy sauce

Soybean paper is so tasty!  If ever you come across a roll enclosed in this deliciousness, go for it!  You'll appreciate the change from the texture of the usual nori, and it's quite tasty too!

Shrimp Tempura- Just as good at home...

A Warming Meal at Minato

A few weeks ago, we decided to try Minato on Queen Street and have been back a couple times since.  Although I wasn't a big fan of the sushi, I've loved all the Korean dishes that we've tried.  Our favorites have definitely been the rice-based Bee Bim Bap, and the Mandoo Guk, a traditional Korean Dumpling Soup.

On this night out, we stareted with the always good palate teaser, the Shrimp & Veggie Tempura.  I could make a whole meal of this dish; plump shrimp, creamy sweet potato and tender zucchinni deep fried to a crispy goodness and served with a sweet and salty dipping sauce.

Shrimp & Veggie Tempura

The Bee Bim Bap is served in a searing hot stone bowl.  A layer of greens, carrots, bean sprouts and sesame seeds cloak a mound of white rice, which is then topped with a raw egg and served with spicy sauce.   The idea here is that you stir the ingredients around so that the heat from the bowl and hot rice cooks the egg.  I love watching people getting ready to eat this dish - the sheer excitement of a sizzling bowl and the anticipation of the final result as they break the yoke is a pretty good show.

Bee Bim Bap

The Mandoo Guk is a surprisingly filling vegetarian soup that has often been my way to perk up within the last few cold, damp and rainy weeks.  A steamy, revitalizing  broth with earthy mushrooms and plump, tender dumplings is a meal in itself, and fulfills the heartiest of appetites when you add in the served bowl of rice served alongside. 

Mandoo Guk