27.4.09

Hooks Grille


26 Lakeshore Rd. E. Port Credit 905.278.7665

A M A L says DEVOUR THIS FOOD!

1) Appearance - very cute and intimate-looking on the outside, very cute and intimate on the inside. Small darkened place overlooking the light house and lake shore road. Port Credit is the nicest area of Mississauga, filled with history and charm. You will see beautiful boats and yachts on the waters in the summer, and beautiful vintage cars driving by all year round. You should go.

2) Service - there was only one waiter that we saw. We went on a Sunday night, so it was quiet. He was friendly, down to earth and very helpful.

3) Portions - perfect and big. mmmmm.

4) Taste - simply scrumptious and perfectly devourable. Had the mussels to start, sauteed in the tomato sauce. The waiter didn't even recommend those ones, he said the ones with the zambuca sauce were better - I can't even imagine what is better than the big, juicy, perfectly tastey mussels we had, garnished with green onions. For the entree I had fettucini pasta with jumbo and tiger shrip in a rose sauce, again garnished with green onions. Mmmmagnificant!

5) Price - reasonable for the service, atmosphere and food you are getting. Price can range anywhere from $15 an entree upwards to about $35-$40. Appetizers also range from about $9 and up. Cheapest bottle of wine was $35.00 for a fine shiraz.


C H R I S says DEVOUR THIS FOOD!

1) Appearance - i liked it. Huckelberry Finnish.

2) Service - fine

3) Portions - perfect

4) Taste - excellent. my pasta was excellent, mussels were awesome.

5) Price - kinda expensive, but worth the money.

25.4.09

Bahn Thai Restaurant


210 Lakeshore Road East Oakville ON 905.815.8488

(There is no website to this restaurant, so don't try and find it because the one you will find is not for the same restaurant.)

A M A L says DEVOUR THIS FOOD!

1) Appearance - very, very cool, well planned out, beautiful decor, nice ambiance, just gorgeous, and perfect. No exaggeration. They have interesting booths for parties, they have nice banquettes along their walls, and they have an intimate lounge area if you just want drinks. Darkened ambiance and candles.

2) Service - seriously, SO nice, friendly, efficient, polite. Will cater to larger groups as well.

3) Portions - large, very filling

4) Taste - magnificent. EVERYTHING tastes good. My fave is the pineapple chicken curry. The glass noodles dish is amazing. Mango Salad is exceptional. Spring rolls are great. Pad Thai is the best in town. Seriously amazing.

5) Price - SOOO reasonable, not expensive at all.

C H R I S says DEVOUR THIS FOOD!

1) Appearance - very cool authentic looking place

2) Service - Very good. Been there on a date (with my girlfriend of course) and with a group of about 20 people (for my girlfriend's birthday). Great service.

3) Portions - perfect.

4) Taste - great taste. Mango salad (whoa!), glass noodles and chicken (whoaaa).
One time though I had a weird soup with my lunch, and although I ate mine and my girlfriends, it had a weird smell and aftertaste...kind of like cow dung. but that was the ONLY exception, and it still tasted really good!

5) Price - reasonable

*SPECIAL TIP*
- This is a very classy place to take a date, a nice place to get dressed up for and go out, it's local, parking is free, and its a GREAT place for birthdays!

Papagayo Restaurant - Fine Mexican Cuisine


246 King Street West Hamilton ON 905.525.0309

A M A L says DEVOUR THIS FOOD

1) Appearance - very stereotype-ish. colours, and prints everywhere. But cute. Not high-end at all, but vey cute. Also table lay out isn't great. You have Deuce's side-by-side, offering no sense of privacy. But it's ok.

2) Service - very good, knowledgeable, friendly - from management to servers.

3) Portions - good for me. Not huge though

4) Taste - very, very good. Sangria's are heavenly!!! Magarita's a little heavy on the liquor. I normally love to order Civeche, but they didn't have any. Tacos, burrito and enchiladas are all great though!

5) Price - affordable, definately.

C H R I S says DEVOUR THIS FOOD

1) Appearance - small little place, cute, looks Mexican

2) Service - good service

3) Portions - could be a bit better, but they were OK.

4) Taste - haven't been to many Mexican places, but very tastey.

5) Price - affordable

*SPECIAL TIP* Cute, fun, casual atmosphere IF you are in the Hamilton area.

Bobby's Hideaway

20 Queen St N Streetsville ON 905.542.8863

A M A L says DEVOUR THIS FOOD

1) Appearance - spacious, roomy, comfy seating, clean. Looks kind of diner-ish.

2) Service - good. Only ever been there for breakfast/brunch.

3) Portions - Huge

4) Taste - Love Love Love their omlettes, vegetarian my fave, just add cheese. Their home fries are great. Don't love the ham. And the Eggs Benedict are BAD. Just Don't order the Eggs Benedict and you will be fine.

5) Price - fine. Roughly $25 for two people

C H R I S says DEVOUR THIS FOOD

1) Appearance - ah..ok...more relaxed than sunset grill

2) Service - always good/friendly

3) Portions - big, always does the job!

4) Taste - always tastes good (except the Eggs Benedict - Yikes - hard to compare to mom's!)

5) Price - very reasonable

Moxies Classic Grill (Square One)

2-409, 100 City Centre Drive Square One Mississauga ON 905.276.6555

A M A L says DEVOUR THIS FOOD

1) Appearance - very sleek, intimate. Curved bar banquettes are also cool. Fire place adds a nice touch.

2) Service - Good, friendly

3) Portions - huge.

4) Taste - OK. Their stirfry with Jasmine rice is pretty good. Their chicken is pretty good. Their steaks and other meats can be dry. French fries are not very good. Also their appetizers aren't that great - wings kind of bland, chicken fingers very standard and generic. But it's OK. I would go there more for the atmosphere and just hanging out with something to munch on. Overall, I think Moxies tries to market itself as a more sleek, trendy and higher-end establishment than chains like Kelsey's, but I would say that the food is pretty much the same. Very standard.

5) Price - reasonable. For dinner and drinks for two, expect to pay $60 and up depending on what you order.

C H R I S says DEVOUR THIS FOOD

1) Appearance - I like the dark atmosphere, it's comfortable

2) Service - usually it's ok, but refer to review of Moxie's at Argentia.

3) Portions - Mostly I order appetizers because they usually do the job. The meals are large.

4) Taste - good

5) Price - reasonable

*SPECIAL TIP*
1) Each night they have different featured drinks at special prices. E.g. Monday nights feature their own "Euro Beer" quite cheap, at $4 a pint
2) This is a good multi-purpose venue. E.g. Dates/Dinner/Drinks with the guys/girls, etc.

Moxie's Classic Grill (Argentia Rd.)

2959 Argentia Rd Mississauga ON 905.567.5511


A M A L says do NOT devour this food

1) Appearance - schizophrenic, to say the least. There is way too much going on here, from the drop ceilings and bulkheads, to the wall finishes, to the accessories, to the pendant lights...way way to much happening. Walking into the reception area feels like a giant shower stall with the huge volume and tiny square glass mosaics and funky chandelier, which to me, resembles water being sprayed from a broken shower head.
The dining room is segregated from the bar, which is good if you want something quieter and more intimate. Washrooms are central, and are pretty cool though.

2) Service - Based on our experience, the WORST. No exaggeration. Case in point: Chris and I went for drinks. We want to sit someplace quieter than the bar, so we ask to be seated in the dining room booths. After we are seated and the server comes to take our order, we let her know we just want drinks. She is quite displeased with this. Just before we utter the rest of our sentence to order our two beers, the waitress says "I'll be right back" and disappears for 10 minutes...Finally she returns to take our order of two frickin beers. When she comes with the beers, she walks towards us and as she approaches our booths, does a dive and the beers come FLYING at our table. Luckily I had taken off my jacket and put it in my lap, so only my jacket (and the entire table) was drenched in the beer. "Oh. Sorry" the waitress says, very unapologetically, and comes back with TWO napkins. I then ask her for more, she gives me a blank stare and comes back with a couple more. Chris makes a joke, trying to lighten the situation by saying, "Boy, that went down quick...Do you think we could order a couple more drinks?" and the waitress says nothing and leaves. As she comes back to clean off the table with a cloth, we ask to be seated someplace else, as the booth seats are also wet. So we move, and she takes our order again (same two beers, and very rude and redundant to take our order again). Finally the manager comes over, our beers not given to us yet. He says "I'm sorry about this, we can pick up the tab for your dry cleaning." Politely I respond "No that's fine, but if you have some wet naps and some more napkins, that would be great". To which he again stares blanlky and says "uh...wet naps? We normally reserve those for take out". At this point I am obviously offended and boiling with anger. I said, "excuse me? You reserve those for take out?? I am not charging you for my dry cleaning bill, we are still sitting here wanting to order, and you can't bring be wet naps??" So he says "Ok, I'll get you some". He comes back with ONE wet nap, and ONE more napkin.
And the server comes back with the beer at the same time.
At this point I am SOOOOOOOO offended, I simply say, "You know what, I don't think I want those beers anymore. We are leaving." So we left, politely and quietly, but ULTRA, ULTRA pissed off.

SO: If you want beer thrown at you, to be completely and utterly disrespected, not offered any thing complementary, e.g. "Sorry about that, here's some beer on the house and your choice of an appetizer" or "Sorry about that, here's a gift card, please come back" or "Sorry, here are some wet naps, is there anything else we can bring for you" we were basically kicked out.

Terrible service. Terrible management. and Terrible design!

...need I continue with the rest of the categories?

C H R I S says do NOT devour this food

(same as above)

Sunset Grill

3-3021 Argentia Rd Mississauga ON 905.824.0999


A M A L says DEVOUR THIS FOOD

1) Appearance – Needs some major modifications. Floors, walls, ceilings and furniture are all the same pukey-beige colour. Everything disappears into each other, really ugly interior.Ceilings are way too high, and the surfaces are so hard, it's not a very cozy atmosphere. But it’s clean. The bathrooms have little newspaper holders, which is cute, since it’s a breakfast restaurant.

2) Service – Fine. You seat yourself, and the food is served quickly.

3) Portions – very sufficient

4) Taste – pretty good, had their omlettes, eggs (sunny side up) and scrambled eggs. Omlettes are not that good – remember to order cheese with yours if you like cheese – tastes much better that way. But in general, the taste is nothing out of this world.

5) Price – affordable, roughly $10/person

C H R I S
says DEVOUR THIS FOOD

1) Appearance – looks like a cafeteria

2) Service – good, and the fod comes fast!

3) Portions – Big portions. I like a lot for breakfast, and I am always satisfied.

4) Taste – Does the job, pretty good and not too greasy.

5) Price – very affordable

*SPECIAL TIP*
This place is good if you want something quick and cheap that will fill you up without leaving you with that guilty/uncomfortable feeling you get after leaving McDonalds.


Frans Diner

20 College St Toronto ON 416.923.9867


A M A L says DEVOUR THIS FOOD!

1) Appearance - looks and feels much like a diner. Clean. Not sketchy. Great for all hours of the day or night. Nice patio for the summer-time. Also a nice location. Just walk back to wherever your next destination is, your digestive system will appreciate it.

2) Service - great

3) Portions - HUGE

4) Taste - really great. Eggs are great. Pancakes are so fluffy, tasty and big. Omlettes are great. Steaks are great. mmmm, it's a diner. Everything is great!

5) Price - not that cheap, but pretty average. Roughly $10-15/person


C H R I S says DEVOUR THIS FOOD!

1) Appearance - Looks like the REAL DEAL!! Kinda New Yorkish!!

2) Service - Good

3) Portions - big portions, I couldn't even finish (this rarely ever happens)

4) Taste - good.

5) Price - very reasonable

*SPECIAL TIP*
1) Open 24 hours/365 days a year!!
2) Great place to go for brunch or late night food after a night of drinking

Lemongrass Thai Fusion

100 City Centre Drive Square One Shopping Centre Mississauga 905.270.8424


A M A L says DEVOUR THIS FOOD

1) Appearance - Bright bold yellow is used as an accent colour against blacks, greys and whites throughout the restaurant. Definately a nice place to sit in. Also, very nicely designed single unit washrooms. Food appearance is also great, food is served on stark white china.

2) Service - not so great. Slow and un-attentive. Very hard not to get angry with the servers. English is also not so good either. Chris and I go there normally when we are in square one, or if everything else is closed and we want something local, and asian.

3) Portions - good. You get full, and might even have left overs.

4) Taste - it's OK. but just OK. It's not great. I don't ever crave it. I don't love their pad thai. Noodles are sometimes too plain. Chicken skewers are a little tasteless. General Tao is also tasteless. Overall, it's a little bland. but it's not bad. like I said, its OK.

5) Price - it's OK. not expensive. roughly $15/person.

(I think Chris likes this place much more than I do)

C H R I S says DEVOUR THIS FOOD!!

1) Appearance - kinda angular - but I like it

2) Service - hmm...sometimes a little questionable. Sometimes you have to wait, but they are friendly.

3) Portions - fine

4) Taste - BEST soups!!! Love the wonton! Love ALL their soups!!

5) Price - reasonable


*SPECIAL TIP*
1) Go at lunch-cheap menu and fills you up!
2) Great for a shopping break! (Square one)

18.4.09

Cock & Pheasant

63 Queen Street Streetsville ON (905) 542-8741

A M A L says DEVOUR THIS FOOD!

1) Appearance - Nice place, recently renovated. Contemporary and cool finishes, comfortable seating. Totally unpretentious atmosphere. Love it!

2) Service - very attentive staff that work really hard and are very quick

3) Portions - very big, great for sharing with friends! very satisfying and an interesting variety of bar food! We've tried almost everything there - I love the Nacho Fries!

4) Taste - the Cock and Pheasant has really great bar food. This is a bar you definately go to eat at, and share with friends.

5) Price - no complaints.

C H R I S says DEVOUR THIS FOOD!!!

1) Appearance - this is my hometown bar. it feels like home, I love it. This place is totally relaxed. you can watch sports on the large screen, or watch live bands. They also have a poker night.

2) Service - cool. Bar atmosphere. Great for larger gatherings too.

3) Portions - good.

4) Taste - Best pub food in Mississauga.

5) Price - very reasonable


***SPECIAL TIP: This is the best pub in Mississauga, home to many of Canada's music celebrities such as Billy Talent, Ill Scarlet, Daylight for Deadeyes, to name a few. You can even catch grammy award winner Dave Rave, or well-known music producer Carl Jennings just hangin' out. Great bands often perform at and frequent this bar just because it's the greatest. This is where you go, if you are in Mississauga.***

Prince Japanese Steakhouse




5555 Eglinton Avenue West, Etobicoke ON, M9C 5M1 (416) 695-2828

A M A L says
DEVOUR THIS FOOD!

1) Appearance - Very nice, tidy, cool. Divided into two main areas: The sushi bar and dining area when you first walk in, and a segregated Japanese steakhouse area complete with the tables surrounding the teppanyaki cooktops.

2) Service - great. we sat around the teppanyaki cook top area. You get a waiter in addition to your personal chef.

3) Portions - HUUUGE. We ordered sushi apps to start, and then our dinner entree's. They came with miso soup and green salad. I took most of my food home!

4) Taste - incredible. you MUST upgrade the rice in your dinner entree's to the fried rice. The food is so fresh, made right in front of you, it's heavenly! I ordered the beef terryaki entree. We also ordered dynamite rolls and california rolls to start.

5) Price - not cheap, but not too expensive. definately well worth it. We spent about $100 for the both of us, including drinks, tax and tip.

This place would be great for a larger group as I think the teppan tables can fit up to 16-20 people!

C H R I S says DEVOUR THIS FOOD!!

1) Appearance - totally cool.

2) Service - really good. A lot of fun. For people who love food, it's really interactive and a lot of fun.

3) Portions - perfect for me, but probably a lot for most people. tons.

4) Taste - well, it's related to Prince Sushi so it's amazing. We were in the steakhouse area, but we still ordered sushi rolls, and it reminded us of our first love, Prince Sushi.

5) Price - Amazing. Amal paid for it!

Prince Sushi

90 Courtneypark Dr. E. #4 Mississauga ON L5T 2Y3 - (905) 565-1999


Ok, we will admit it: This is our absolute favorite Sushi restaurant of all time. Hands down, no questions, absolutely, 110%, etc, etc. We go ALL.THE.TIME.

A M A L says DEVOUR THIS FOOD!!!

1) Appearance - very clean, comfortable atmosphere. Cozy black booths, or comfortable tables for 2, 4 or more, the seating arrangement is great. It is a small restaurant, and it is always busy, so call ahead for reservations of 3 or more people. The food itself is presented in a very clean and classy manner, with all white contemporary china, and wood chopsticks.

2) Service - hit and miss. Sometimes they can be downright miserable, bring your food out slow, but you shut up and take it, because the food is to die for. (think Sinefeld's Soup Nazi...same idea, but much better service than that).

3) Portions - ALL YOU CAN EAT. The menu is phenomenal and has so much to offer! So many types of sushi, sashimi, appetizers, dinner entree's, salads and more. Portions are basically made to your liking, as you order as much as you want.

4) Taste - NOTHING BETTER. The sashimi is fabulous (white tuna and butterfish my fave). The Gzoya dumplings are phenom. Their tofu Tempura is amazing. Miso soup is the best. Green salad is the best. Dynamite rolls are dynamite! spicy tuna/salmon, amazing...their beef terryaki is to die for, and the list goes on and on. seriously. so good. not too salty, either.

5) Price - $22.00/person + tax Fri-Sun, and the weekdays are $20.00/person + tax. So good. Sooooo good. Soooo worth it. For the quality of food you get, and the unlimited amount (but you must eat everything you order), this price is really a bargain.

C H R I S says DEVOUR THIS FOOD!

In my mind, nothing else exists other than this restaurant.

1) Appearance - nice, sleek, I love the booths. The food looks amazing, the staff is all uniformed and the washrooms are clean.

2) Service - as Amal says, sometimes they can be rude. The place is always packed, and they are always busy. More recently they have introduced a system where you check off the items you want from a paper menu, which I am sure helps with their sanity and orders. So from now on, I would expect the service, (and when we discuss service in this case we refer only to friendliness), to improve.
- Also, just remember the 1.5 hour time limit. Normally, if they're not busy, they don't remind you. But there is a 'last call' after they take approximately 3 orders from you, after which you can no longer order.

3) Portions - all you can eat. And we often eat much more than what we can actually eat. It's heaven.

4) Taste - ahhhmmm Perfection.

5) Price - well worth the $50 it costs two people. But we take advantage of the all you can eat situation. So if you're not ready to 'power eat' then maybe it's not the best place for you.


Best Restaurant Ever. Trust us.

HoSu Bistro - Korean & Japanese




254 Queen St West Toronto ON 416-848-9456

A M A L says DEVOUR THIS FOOD!

1) Appearance - it's located in the heart of downtown Toronto, right on Queen st. amidst the hustle and bustle of Toronto's hip young-ish crowd. Walking by this restaurant on the North side of Queen street, right across from the Starbucks, you can almost miss it. But I can assure you, it's worth finding and going into!
The inside is done very economically and designed specifically for function. Walls, floor, tables and chairs in designated areas. Not the nicest lay out, not the nicest interior finishes, but trust me, it's WORTH it.

2) Service - friendly, fast, easy. they answer your questions, and make suggestions for you as well.

3) Portions - AMAZING! Free appetizers always (lunch or dinner), and their portions are HUGE! Even their Sushi rolls are huge. Although I don't love the hugeness of the rolls, the taste is all worth it!

4) Taste - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Can't get enough!! Although their sushi rolls are sometimes a little bit too salty.

5) Price - sooooo good! Exceptional in fact. You get your free apps. Normally every meal comes with miso soup and a green salad (in addition to the free apps) and the meals range from $9 to probably $15 at the most. And these are LARGE meals, bento boxes, terryaki's served with Sushi, more salad. more veggies, Tempura, just great. Expect to pay no more than $30 for two people, even possibly less!! The food is soooo good and you are downtown!!

C H R I S says DEVOUR THIS FOOD!!

1) Appearance - it serves its purpose. nothing really nice, but it's fine. And they even have a small patio for the summer. But I find it hot as hell in there.

2) Service - super polite. and they have a liquor license. and it felt kind of authentic in there.

3) Portions - even I get full. This says a lot.

4) Taste - oouuufffff so goood .

5) Price - Cheap. Cheap. Cheap. Take your girlfriend here. She will love it, and it's cheap.


**SPECIAL TIP: This location is so prime, you go there for lunch or dinner, and take a stroll around Queen street and surrounding area! Walk by much music. Go to a martini bar. Check out what's happening at the Horseshoe Tavern or Rivoli. Or even go shopping! Nothing beats queen street shopping. Enjoy!!**

The Host

14 Prince Arthur Avenue Toronto ON 416-962-4678

BACKGROUND INFO:
we had high hopes for "The Host", since we love Indian food, and it has a very good reputation around the GTA. We went as a group of approximately 15 people on a weekday, for their lunch-time buffet.

A M A L says do NOT devour this food!!!

1) Appearance - It's located on an expensive street in the Yorkville area of Toronto. You enter through a solarium off Prince Arthur Avenue. You enter what looks like an old Victorian house that probably would serve better as an American steakhouse. Dark atmosphere, dark wood floors, wood panelled walls...
It doesn't look very Indian, although the furnishings appear to be okay - they try and distinguish themselves as more of a fine-dining restaurant, but the furnishings and finishings in the restaurant are dated and worn.
- As we called ahead to reserve our seating for 15 people, they still had us wait about 7 minutes to be seated at the very back of the restaurant, and split up into two tables, about 5 meters apart... (not cool)
- The tables were rectangular, and unfortunately, they were folding tables, so that those sitting on the longer sides had to sit sideways as their legs could not fit underneath the table!!! The hardwarde of the table legs and hinges were blocking the person sitting on the side. (soooo not cool)
- lastly, and unfortunately in spaces in the city this is sometimes hard to avoid, but the washrooms are located in the basement, which is inconvenient and unsafe.

2) Service - they were okay. It was buffet. They serve you water and naan bread, and then the bill.

3) Portions - as I mentioned, it was buffet. However the selection was very small. There was coleslaw, ceasar salad (Indian?????) and some veggies. Then there were tiny samosas and spring rolls. Then there was your option of rice, with 4 different main dishes (butter chicken, beef curry, puree'd spinach, and a bean stew), and some drum sticks. That was it.

4) Taste - definately not tastey at all. I opted for some butter chicken, beef curry and a drumstick. The beef curry was a little bit more flavorful than the butter chicken, but both were quite bland. Also the butter chicken is NOT recommended for those lactose-sensitive people. I am lactose-sensitive, and it didn't feel so great sitting in my tummy afterward :(

For desert you had your choice of watermelon, honey dew, pineapple, and what looked like an oily carrot cake. ....(really????)

5) Price - Came to about $16/person, and none of us ordered drinks. Totally overpriced for the service, taste, atmosphere and seating arrangement provided.

would NOT go back.


C H R I S says do NOT devour this food!!

1) Appearance - kinda dark. a little dingy. Buffet for fine dining?? Really? It definately doesn't feel Indian.

2) Service - it was fine, it was buffet.

3) Portions - great for me, I could eat as much as I wanted, as many times as I wanted, although the selection wasn't that good.
- for desert, I love fruit, and I love carrot cake, so that was fine for me. nothing about it felt Indian!

4) Taste - My mom makes way better curry and butter chicken. And we are not Indian.

5) Price - $16/person. I think it's okay.

Overall, for what you got, I could have walked into any odd place downtown and gotten better. It was OK though. It definately didn't feel authentically Indian for the taste or the appearance. but it was OK. I'm an "all you can eat" kinda guy.
But maybe the other locations are better?





15.4.09

Mac Sushi


Kiosk at Yorkdale Mall Toronto ON 416-780-0244





A M A L says DEVOUR THIS FOOD!

1) Appearance - Organized and clean
2) Service -Fast n' easy
3) Portions -Just right! Get a pack of 6 or 12 sushi rolls
4) Taste -Actually pretty darn good for take-out Sushi! It hits the spot
-There is not a great variety of options, it's pretty much just your basic california, cucumber and crab rolls. They have Edamame as well.
5) Price - Ok. About $1.00 per sushi roll.
-End of Day special offers two sushi containers for the price of one!! yaaay half price!


C H R I S says DEVOUR THIS FOOD!!

1) Appearance - looks clean
2) Service - fast n' Easy
3) Portions - you get what you pay for - it's kind of like take-out
4) Taste - I think it's fine.
5) Price- Exceptional, for take out.


*SPECIAL TIP*
This place is great for a first date! Go for a stroll around the mall, get distracted, talk, window shop. Then stop for a snack at Mac Sushi! Talk about what sushi you want, each get your own, then share! The environment is public enough that you won't feel too nervous and isolated =)