Doma

French-inspired Korean cuisine. Have you tried it before? Not me, at least not until I visited Doma back in December. Doma (Instagram: @domatoronto, Facebook: Doma) is a French-inspired Korean restaurant that meshes French cooking techniques with traditional Korean ingredients and flavours (or vice versa). According to Doma's website, their menu changes every month, which is in line with chef/owner Paul Kim's philosophy of using local ingredients as much as possible. Each month's menu would include Kim's new creations, as well as two to three popular dishes from the previous month.

Located on Clinton and College, the Doma space was previously occupied by Backwoods Smokehouse, and before that Red Sauce, and before that Acadia. The decor is minimalist and simple; clean lines with white walls and light-wood furnishings. I personally find the room a bit bleak. Also, maybe it's the OCD in me but because all the tables and chairs are angled diagonally, I had a really strong urge to move everything so that they would be parallel to the wall.

Anyway, enough about the room, let's talk about the food. I was really eager to try Doma because I always viewed Korean food as a more casual type of cuisine; as in, I've never experienced "Korean fine-dining" or "refined Korean food" before. Which is why I was really excited to try Doma, especially having heard that chef Kim studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa. Combining his knowledge in French techniques with his Korean background, I was pretty sure that Kim would be debuting a refined menu that none of us have ever tried before.

By the way, I love the long and slender cutlery at Doma. They are a more stylish matte black versions of the silver ones you would normally find in traditional Korean restaurants. 

NEXT GENERATION ($13)

Soju, Perilla, Maple, Lime, Ginger Beer

OLD BOY ($13)

Cucumber infused Boodles Gin, Rice Vinegar, Soy, Daikon

My friend and I chose the $65 per person tasting menu which consisted of an amuse, six courses and a dessert. You basically get to try the entire menu with this tasting so I highly recommend getting it.

AMUSE BOUCHE

Steam bun filled with mushroom, caramelized onion and sweet doenjang

Hello Fresh - A "Cook from Scratch" Meal Delivery Service

With 7.5 million meals per month and 850,000 subscribers globally, HelloFresh made their way to Canada in May 2016. HelloFresh (Instagram: @hellofreshca, Facebook: Hello Fresh CA) is a meal delivery subscription service that delivers locally sourced fresh ingredients and recipes straight to your doorstep. HelloFresh's team of in-house chefs create easy-to-prepare, nutritious recipes, and pre-measured ingredients are delivered right to your door every week. The recipes are quick and easy to follow (they all take 30 mins or less), and don't require any fancy equipment or techniques. All you need to have available at home is salt, pepper, sugar, cooking oil, and butter. 

HelloFresh delivers on Tuesday and Wednesday of each week and delivery typically occurs between 9am-5pm. If you are not home during delivery, their courier will drop the box off at your front door (or wherever you specify in your delivery instructions). HelloFresh's subscription service is very flexible; there's no minimum length for subscriptions and you can deactivate at any time. You can even pause your subscription, just as long as it's done before midnight on Wednesday before the following week's delivery. HelloFresh currently delivers across Southern, Central, and Eastern Ontario (see delivery zones here).

Every week, HelloFresh's Pronto and Family Boxes feature 4 meal choices: 3 with meat options and 1 vegetarian option. You can choose your top 3 favourites each week and also set personal preferences such as Beef Free, Fish Free, Pork Free, Seafood Free, or Shellfish Free as choice defaults. I was sent a 3 Meal Pronto Box for Two to try. 

You can now receive $30 off your first box order and another $30 off your second box order (total savings of $60 overall) when you use my code FOOD_JUNKIE at checkout!

HelloFresh have specially designed boxes that are lined with thick liners and are 100% recyclable. I love how each recipe and its ingredients are in separate boxes. This keeps everything neat and in-place.

Underneath the boxed ingredients is a separate layer containing protein and ice packs.

Everything in my 3 Meal Pronto Box for Two are shown below. HelloFresh offers three types of boxes (prices include delivery):

3 Meal Pronto Box for Two - $79.99 

3 Meal Pronto Box for Four - $139.99 

3 Meal Family Box for Four - $129.99

Azure Restaurant & Bar (2016 Summerlicious)

There are two more days left of Summerlicious! This year, the citywide restaurant event began on July 8th and will end on July 24th, so you still have this weekend to check it out. With over 220 restaurants participating, including 24 new participants, I'm confident that you'll find a 3-course menu to whet your appetite. Summerlicious (Twitter: @LiciousTO, Facebook: LiciousTO) prices range from $18 to $28 for lunch, and $28 to $48 for dinner.

Lunch:  $18  |  $23  |  $28

Dinner:  $28  |  $38  |  $48

Thanks to Azure Restaurant & Bar, I was invited back to the restaurant once again to try their Summerlicious menu (this visit marks my fourth time at the restaurant!). Located in the open lobby of the InterContinental Toronto Centre (Twitter: @ICTorontoCentre, Facebook: InterContinental Toronto Centre). Azure's floor-to-ceiling windows never fail to 'wow' me. I love how their open space and glass canopy can give the ambiance of outdoor dining all year long.

Drinks are not included in Summerlicious but they are a requirement for me :) Azure serves VERY boozy drinks (note the bold, italics and caps for "very")!

MAPLE MAHATTAN ($14)

Knob Creek bourbon, maple syrup, sweet vermouth, Dillon's DSB bitters

OLD FASHIONED ($14)

Canadian Club Rye, cane sugar syrup, angostura bitters, water

For Summerlicious, Azure is featuring a $28 lunch and a $48 dinner (both with vegetarian option available). My friend and I dropped by for dinner last night, and before I talk about what we had, I want to let you know that I'm quite sad that Azure got rid of their bread basket. If you take a look at all my previous Azure write-ups (links at the end of this post) I always made it a point to mention how great their bread basket was. However, during this visit, we were given two pieces of bread each. It's better than nothing, of course, but I do miss that bread basket very much. When I asked my server, Coco, she told us that it was more economical and less wasteful this way because the restaurant always end up throwing out a lot of bread (since most diners do not consume all the bread in the basket). Totally makes sense but I can still be sad :(

APPETIZER

TRUFFLE HONEY FIG & PROSCIUTTO TARTINE

Focaccia, mascarpone, balsamic & baby watercress

Azure substituted figs with blackberries because they ran out of figs. Boo. I was disappointed because I love figs, and the entire time I couldn't stop thinking about how perfect truffle honey figs would go with the savoury prosciutto and the sweet-tartness of the balsamic. Thankfully, the blackberries worked well too. The baby watercress added a very welcoming "lightness" to the appetizer. I also thought the presentation was very pretty.

CRAB & SWEET CORN FRITTERS

Pea shoots, shaved fennel & rémoulade

These fritters tasted much better than I expected, not that I thought they would be bad but they certainly exceeded my expectations. I couldn't taste much of the crab itself but the sweet corn flavour really came through. Fried to golden brown, the crispy fritters were delicious with the cool and creamy rémoulade underneath.

Le Baratin - French Fare on Dundas West

“You don’t need to use your line of credit to eat french!” - Chef Jean Regis Raynaud, Le Baratin

True, that is if you're eating at Le Baratin! Opened nearly two months ago, Le Baratin - which stands for "Smooth Talker" in French - is a small French bistro on Dundas West. Helming the kitchen is classically trained French chef, Jean Regis Raynaud, formerly of Le Paradis. After 18 years of cooking in France, UK, and St. Martin, Jean Regis finally realized his dream of running his own restaurant, where he is able to share his "food philosophy, L’art de Vivre- the art of life, a touch of France here in Toronto”, Jean Regis explained.

Quite often, when people hear the words "French food" or "French restaurant", they immediately think of white tablecloths, pretentious service, lavish menus, and $$$$. So, I'm thrilled to tell you that Le Baratin (Twitter: @LeBaratinYYZ, Facebook: Le Baratin) is anything but those things. The atmosphere at the small bistro is casual and relaxed, and the service is prompt and friendly. Le Baratin is a cozy French bistro, and it's somewhere I see myself going back again and again.

Le Baratin serves classic French fare, with some modern elements incorporated by chef Jean Regis. It is opened for lunch/brunch, seven days a week from 9AM - 5PM, and dinner five a days a week from Tuesday to Saturday, 5PM - 10PM. During the Day, Le Baratin serves dishes such as the Farcou (French spinach pancake), the Croque Monsieur, and the Tartifete (baked gratin with potatoes). The lunch menu offers a selection of salads, omelettes, and original sandwiches such as the Boeuf Bourguignon on a bun.

I visited Le Baratin for dinner last week, and let me tell you right off the bat that it exceeded my expectations. So much so that I've already recommended a handful of my friends to Le Baratin already.

ELDERFLOWER GIMLET (left)

SIDECAR (right)

Armagnac, Cointreau, lemon

All their cocktails are priced at $10. Cheers to that!

TORTE PROVENCALE ($9)

Baked tomato torte with goat cheese & "herbes de Provence" served w/ mixed green salad

This baked tomato tart is the perfect summertime fare, especially when paired with the light green salad. Unlike some other tarts with custard or cream, this torte really showcased the seasonal tomatoes. The crust is nice and flaky, and the goat cheese is superb; I enjoyed the crusty-brown parts on top and the warm and creamy soft inside.

Chefs Plate: Cooking Made Easy + $80 off Throughout Your First 3 Boxes with Referral Link / Promo Code!

Since a year and a half ago when I first wrote about Chefs Plate, the meal delivery service has expanded significantly. Back then, Chefs Plate only delivered within Ontario, however, because of its amazing success, people in British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba can now also enjoy Chefs Plate (Twitter: @chefsplate, Facebook: Chefs Plate).

If you've never heard of or tried Chefs Plate, this is your chance, especially if you use my super awesome referral tag (more about that later). In a nutshell, Chefs Plate is a subscription service that delivers chef-designed recipes and fresh ingredients right to your door step each week. The best part is that there is no subscription or membership fee to join, and you can skip a week or cancel anytime. You can choose the delivery date that works best for you too, and you don't have to be at home to receive the delivery either. Their refrigerated boxes are packed with ice packs and insulated liners to ensure your ingredients will stay fresh for the full delivery day, even if you're not home to accept the delivery.

Chefs Plate's recipes begin at $10.95 per plate for the 2-Person Plan, which features 7 unique, chef-designed meals each week, and $9.75 per plate for the Family Plan, which features 4 unique family-friendly meals. New recipes created by Chefs Plate's culinary team and guest chefs are introduced every week, and feature land, sea and veggie options. For ingredients, all you need is salt, pepper and olive oil. For cooking equipment, all you need are standard pots, pans and knives. Chefs Plate will provide everything else.

Use my Referral Link / Promo Code and receive $80 off your first three boxes ($40 off 1st box, $20 off 2nd box, $20 off 3rd box)!

All their dishes are balanced and nutritious. Chefs Plate uses farm-fresh ingredients sourced from local Canadian business. Meats are antibiotic and hormone free, and ingredients are pre-portioned for each recipe so there's no waste. All of their packaging, including gel packs, is also 100% recyclable. 

Already want to give Chefs Plate a try? Then use my referral link / promo code to get $80 off throughout your first 3 boxes! If you still need convincing, then read on to see the two delectable meals I made from my recent Chefs Plate delivery. I'm confident that you'll be convinced :)

Biff's Bistro's Prix Fixe Menu

Back to back Biff's! I know I just wrote about Biff's Bistro (Twitter: @BiffsBistro, Facebook: Biff's Bistro) but I thought it'd be nice to share another one of recent my dining experience there with you guys. Unlike the previous post where I wrote about some of the restaurant's a la carte offerings, this post will only focus on the "Biff's Fixe", or Biff's "3 courses for $37.95" prix fixe menu. 

Looking back on last week's Biff's post, I realized I didn't include any patio photos! Silly me, especially when we are well into patio weather now too. Well, here they are :)

I really like the rustic French charm of the patio. The trees, the details like the mix of textured wicker and leather chairs, the awning, and the patterned table cloths all contribute to the French bistro setting. Super cute!

We didn't end up having dinner on the patio, though, since the reservation was made a couple of weeks beforehand and we weren't sure if it would be warm enough. So, back inside we go...

Complimentary bread

The five of us all decided to go with the Biff's Fixe since it's such a great deal at three courses for $37.95. And to be honest, prix fixes are the best way to go when dining out with a group of friends because it makes splitting the bill so much easier (I'm also the worst at math so this is really important to me).

For Biff's Fixe, diners can choose from four appetizers, five mains and three desserts. Both the appetizer and main includes a vegetarian option. With the five of us, you would think that there would be a variety of dishes ordered that evening, but on the contrary, we all ordered the same appetizer. I guess that's why we are friends :) Mains were a bit better with three different plates, and desserts we picked two out of the three options. The food blogger in me was really hoping that I could try and get a photo of each and every prix fixe dish, but meh, no luck.

APPETIZER

CHICKEN LIVER PARFAIT

with cornichons

Cluck Clucks Fried Chicken & Waffles

Tucked away at the corner of The Esplanade and Princess Street is Cluck Clucks, a restaurant dedicated to fried chicken and waffles. The place is pretty hidden and not easy to find, so you gotta purposely look for it or know where you're going. I only found out about Cluck Clucks from my friend, who has been for dinner before and thought I should try it out.

Serving halal chicken, Cluck Clucks' fried chicken is cooked to order so all customers are informed when ordering that there'll be a wait of about 15 minutes. If you live or work in the area, you'll be happy to know that you can order Cluck Clucks (Instagram: @cluckcluks, Facebook: Cluck Clucks) via Ritual.

My friend and I went to Cluck Clucks twice so this post combines my two experiences there.

FIRST VISIT

WHAT THE CLUCK! (Solo $10.49, Combo $12.99)

2 pc bone-in-chicken, fresh waffle, choice sauce

Cluck Clucks fried chicken is on point. Crispy, golden, seasoned chicken skin with meat that's extremely juicy and tender. Delicious. As for the waffles, if you like them super soft, light and fluffy, this is the place for it. I personally like mine with a crispier exterior (i.e. crispy edges but still soft inside). The fries were seasoned well but a bit soggy. I didn't care for the Cluck Sauce; it had a sweet/tangy flavour and consistency that's similar to Italian salad dressing. Just not my thing. Thinking back I should have picked maple syrup as my "sauce", which is how fried chicken & waffles is traditionally served anyway (along with butter). The succulent union of sweet and salty, soft and crunchy, maple syrup and chicken may sound strange but it's unbelievably good.

CLUCK YEAH! (Solo $12.79, Combo $14.99)

Boneless chicken breast in between a fresh jalapeno and cheddar waffle with coleslaw, chipotle aioli, dill mayo

Other than the fried chicken, this Cluck Yeah! sandwich was my favourite item on Cluck Clucks' menu. The waffle - infused with the jalapeno and cheddar - was in many ways better than the regular waffle, both in flavour and texture (it was crispier for some reason). The chicken breast wasn't dry at all (dry chicken breast is my worst nightmare). Together with the creamy chipotle and tangy coleslaw, this waffle-sandwich was very satisfying to eat.

Morton's The Steakhouse

Morton's The Steakhouse has been sizzling up steaks ever since 1978. Founded by Arnie Morton and Klaus Fritsch, the restaurant chain now has 74 worldwide locations in the U.S. and in major cities worldwide such as Toronto, Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei, Shanghai, and Macau. Morton's (Twitter: @Mortons, Facebook: Morton's The Steakhouse) prides itself on quality service and serving the best USDA prime-aged beef (which are aged for 23-28 days and custom-cut per Morton's specifications). I've been to Morton's in the States once but never in Toronto, so when the kind folks at the steakhouse invited me in for dinner I jumped at the chance. Who can say "no" to steak?! Vegetarians, yes, but certainly not me!

Located in the trendy Yorkville neighbourhood, Morton's at the Park Hyatt Hotel offers a classic dining experience. Get ready to step into the past with their white tablecloths, wood paneling, hanging lights and booths buffed to a serious shine. 

The old-school traditional steakhouse charm at Morton's is as good as it gets.

My friend and I started the evening off with cocktails. The drinks come strong and deep at Morton's, and I love that.

DEATHS DOOR NEGRONI ($17.50)

Death's Door Gin, Campari, Sweet Vermouth garnished with an orange wheel and a lemon twist

DOUBLE CROSS VODKA MARTINI ($21.95)

New Winter Cocktails at The Keg Steakhouse + Bar

Contrary to what some of you may think I actually really like The Keg. I go there whenever I feel like having a tasty piece of steak. I go with friends and family for casual dinners and for special occasions. The thing I like the most about the steakhouse is that it is very consistent - it doesn't matter which location I go to I know I'll be served their warm house-made sourdough to start, that their French onion soup will be just as cheesy as the bowl I had last time, and that their twice-baked potato will always be my favourite side. I also know that with my steak I would be sipping on a decently-priced glass of wine in a nice, comfortable dining room, and I would leave content and full all without putting a big dent in my wallet. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for supporting independent restaurants but truth be told, there's nothing that can replace The Keg in my mind.

Anyway, you know how I mentioned I like having wine with my steak? Like most people? ;) Yea, although I love cocktails I always stick to wines at The Keg, this is because I've tried a few of their cocktails on several different occasions and they were all less than stellar. They were either too sweet, not boozy enough, or both. So, when The Keg invited me to their new King West location (Twitter: @TheKeg, Facebook: The Keg Steakhouse + Bar) for a cocktail tasting I was game. I was really curious to see whether their cocktails have improved 'cause in my opinion, there was really nowhere to go but up.

In celebration of the new season, The Keg has introduced 10 brand new cocktails and martinis. Between my friend and I, we tried five cocktails and one martini:

BOURBON MAPLE MARTINI (2oz, $11) - Woodford Reserve bourbon, maple syrup, fresh lemon and cranberry juice.

GINGER DARK AND STORMY (2oz, $11.5) - Gosling’s Black Seal rum, ginger syrup and fresh lime juice, simple syrup and a splash of ginger ale.

CRANBERRY MOJITO (2oz, $11.5) - Havana Club 3 Year Old rum, fresh lemon and lime juice, soda and muddled mint, cranberries and sugar.

CRANBERRY SMASH (1oz, $7.5) - Woodford Reserve bourbon, Chambord, Jägermeister, cranberry juice and simple syrup, fresh lemon juice and muddled cranberries.

KEG NEGRONI (3oz, $12) - Hendrick's gin, Aperol and sweet vermouth.

HONEY VANILLA MANHATTAN (3oz, $12) - Jack Daniel’s whisky, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey liqueur, red and white vermouth, Galliano and house-made drunken Bing cherries.

There's no question that The Keg has stepped up their cocktail game. You can now find pretty trendy cocktails and martinis there. One of my favourites was their spicy twist on the Dark and Stormy (made with fresh ginger) and albeit a bit sweet, I also enjoyed their Bourbon Maple Martini and their Cranberry Smash (I'm a bourbon girl). Both the classic Negroni and Honey Vanilla Manhattan seemed a lot boozier than I remembered ... which is, of course, a very good thing.

So. Much. Booze. NEED. FOOD!

Although I frequent The Keg I've never written about them. To be honest, I don't find writing about steaks particularly interesting which is why I've never blogged about The Keg, Ruth's Chris, Jacob's & Co., or Harbour Sixty. But I guess this is the perfect opportunity to do so! Because aside from the cocktails we also tried a new appetizer and a new cut of steak...

TUNA TARTARE ($15)

Sesame-soy seasoned Ahi served on fresh avocado

This was my first time having the tuna tartare at The Keg. Introduced in November 2014, the starter consists of well-seasoned ahi tuna cubes on a bed of smooth and creamy avocado served with crispy wonton chips.

Dandylion

Three starters, three mains, three desserts. A total of nine dishes make up the entire menu at Dandylion. Short and sweet. This is perfect because it has never been about quantity with me; actually the more options there are on a menu the more indecisive I get (I believe this applies to most things in life.) In any case, what's more important is quality and no word of a lie, Dandylion (@DandyLionTO) has completely won me over and in doing so, it has now become one of my favourite restaurants in the city. Yep, it's that good.

Just like its menu, Dandylion on 1198 Queen St. West is small, intimate and comfortable.

The 30-seat restaurant is casual and welcoming. The potted plants are such a lovely touch.

Opened in November of last year, chef / owner Jay Carter - who worked under Susur Lee for 10 years (Susur, Lee, Madeline's) and was exec chef at the now-closed Centro - focuses on vegetables at his restaurant; he treats them not as a complement but rather the star of his dishes. But don't worry, carnivores, Dandylion is not a vegetarian spot...just don't expect huge slabs of meat there anytime soon (or ever).

The bar menu features whites, reds and beer. There's no cocktail program.

MUSCAT OF ALEXANDRIA, TERRA LEMNIA 2012. LIMNOS, GREECE ($48)

Mother's Day Lunch at Langdon Hall

I haven't been able to stop thinking about Langdon Hall since my last visit there almost a year ago (scroll to the bottom for last year's posts). The place is honestly too beautiful and gorgeous to forget and - dare I say - visit only once. Maybe this is some sort of addiction on my part? If that's the case then I'm not ashamed to admit that I brought my parents to Langdon Hall for Mother's Day this year not for them but for me, to get my "Langdon Hall fix". The first step in curing an addiction is accepting that I have a problem, right? *Sorry Mom*

Okay, maybe a teeny tiny bit of me also wanted to show my folks this elegant hotel & spa in Cambridge and have them dine at the 5-diamond award winning restaurant. After all they do deserve the best :) Anyway, we arrived at Langdon Hall (Twitter: @Langdon_Hall, Facebook: Langdon Hall Country House Hotel & Spa) about half an hour before our lunch reservation to walk the gardens' it looked like it may rain so we made sure we did that before lunch.

I wasn't able to get a reservation for Sunday (Langdon Hall had a special Sunday Brunch for Mother's Day) so we opted for lunch on Saturday instead, which is the standard lunch served from Monday to Saturday 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM in the restaurant's main dining room.

PIERRE FRICK ALSACE GEWURZTRAMINER ($70)

HOUSE-MADE SOUR DOUGH BREAD & BUTTER

The 2015 Almanac Dinner

On Monday, April 20th, six of Toronto’s top chefs – Kevin Castonguay (Provisions), Steve Gonzalez (Valdez), Robbie Hojilla (The Harbord Room), Basilio Pesce (Porzia), Scott Vivian (Beast) and Nate Middleton (Home of the Brave) – collaborated with Ontario farmers and beverage producers for The 2015 Almanac Dinner in support of The Stop Community Food Centre.

Hosted by Provisions and Pass The Table, The 2015 Almanac Dinner (#2015AlmanacDinner) took place at The Burroughes Building. The evening began with a cocktail reception at the beautiful loft space.

Photo Credit: Brooke Wedlock (IG:@brookewedlock)

Delicious cocktails + Canapes = No more Monday blues!

Photo Credit: Brooke Wedlock (IG:@brookewedlock)

I enjoyed the following tasty snacks prepared by the chefs:

OYSTER AND PEARLS

Squid ink rice chip, lemon grass, ginger and Acadian Sturgeon caviar

ORGANIC SALMON SASHIMI

Crispy salmon skin, avocado, anaheim chili and raw cucumber

DRY AGED WEST GREY FARMS RAW BEEF

Multigrain raw cracker, kozliks mustard, parmesan cheese and chives

GREY OWL GOATS CHEESE

Walnut and goats yogurt espuma, anjou pear and earl grey raisin puree

Photo Credit: Brooke Wedlock (IG:@brookewedlock)