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!

Light dinner at The Wooden Monkey

A couple weeks ago, I went to The Wooden Monkey for my friend's birthday. I'm a big fan of small plates because it allows me to try more stuff. So as my friends were going for entrees, I opted for the Japanese Dumplings. Once I heard the soup of the day, I was sold on that as well! Soup is my comfort food, and when it's a hearty, earthy-flavoured soup, I just can't pass it up!

The soup was a blend of tomato, fennel and Parmesan cheese, pureed just to a medium thickness that ate almost like a chili. Warm, rich and with a slight bite from the licorice-flavoured anise, it was the perfect choice to fill my belly without being too heavy.

Tomato, Fennel & Parmesan Soup

Japanese Dumplings

Marinated tofu, vegetables and roasted seeds, wrapped, pan seared, oven finished,

with a hot chili sauce and garnish salad

With a crispy outer shell, the dumplings had plenty of crunch and the dipping sauce was slightly smokey with a tangy finish. The stuffing, a tasty mix of veg and tofu was flavourful, though a bit on the skimpy side. A garnish salad tied it all together - a nice addition as it provided a fresh element.

Crispy...