Toronto Adventures: Niagara Falls and Momofuku Daishō

Greetings from the Toronto Shangri-La again! I’m 4 days into this Toronto trip, and I’m having a great time in Canada’s largest city.

Today started off with a trip to Niagara Falls. Like with most of these places, the photos don’t do justice. It was absolutely captivating to see, and every so often some of the mist would come up to the top.  We saw people across the way on the American side of the falls.  I secretly laughed to myself, because we Canadians have the better view.  It’s a good consolation prize since we have the smaller military, economy, and foreign policy.

However on the way we grabbed some Popeye’s Chicken. Seriously, we need to re-open one of these in BC, and not somewhere as far out Coquitlam. I’ve gone here twice on this trip, and I’m hoping that I get to come here a third time. Just saying…

However, like I said in yesterday’s post I still had yet to go to Momofuku Daishō.  So after we took some photos at Niagara, we rushed to Downtown Toronto, and popped into Momofuku.

Momofuku Daishō is a step above Noodle Bar, and when we entered I could totally see why.  The interior was less bar-like, and more like fine dining.  The sake slushes were replaced with wine lists, and the bowls of noodles were upstaged by steaks.  However instead of being about small portions, and overpriced food, Daishō was built around family dining.  As you’ll see in the next few photos, the food was communal.

Before the meal, they gave us some spiced and diced cucumbers. I guess this was a play at Korean pancha.

We ordered the bo ssäm, which was an Asian inspired lettuce wrap.  Let’s discuss the components:

First we have a giant pork shoulder which has been roasted slowly for hours.  Think of it like pulled pork which has yet to be pulled.  The restaurant leaves you with tongs to pull as much (or as little pork) as you want.  You then place the pork onto a leaf of lettuce.

Then we have different sauces and condoments, which included: ssäm sauce (similar to Sriracha, but a tad-bit more sweet), ginger-scallion sauce, kimchi, and blended kimchi.  One then places these on the leaf with some rice.

Then you roll it up and enjoy!

The combo also comes with some oysters.  As someone who lives next to an ocean, and is used to eating oysters with lemon, horseradish, and a spiel of where it came from, it was a little underwhelming.  However the oysters were good, and I was just being a spoiled oyster addict with my consumption.

We also enjoyed some asparagus, which was, well… asparagus.

Then there were also potatoes, which I wish we had two orders of, rather than one with asparagus.  They were crispy, saucy, and great all over.  However the shot of the potatoes was a little too unclear to post.

Overall, David Chang has graced Toronto with yet another winner.  Momofuku Daishō, while it may seem classy and expensive was actually a good value considering what we ordered.  Online it said that the bo ssäm was $240 and good for 6-8 people.  However we had 10 people with us, and we only finished a good two-thirds of the shoulder.  So do the math, and figure out that while it’s not Costco food, it’s good value considering the location and hype of the venue.

If you’re in Toronto definitely try to have an evening (or lunch) at one of the Momofuku restaurants, you won’t be disappointed.

Cheers,
D

Toronto Adventures

Hello from Canada’s largest city: Toronto!  So I’m gonna do something a little different here.  Rather than rant about one restaurant, I’m gonna talk about my experiences for the last day and a half.

During the time of this post’s writing, it’s 12:14 am Vancouver time, and 3:14 am Toronto time.  However due to the time difference I can’t figure out whether or not I’m tired or wide awake.  If anything, it’s been a packed day and a half.  I’m here for a friend’s wedding, so the next few days are gonna be even more packed.  However I’m gonna share with you what happened so far.

So I arrived in Toronto in the evening on Monday (May 25th), and my friend picked me up from the airport.  He then quickly whisked me to the New Amsterdam Brewery.  There we enjoyed some craft beer, and some great food.  I would recommend the lemon chicken schnitzel.  I would have included some pictures, but I wasn’t thinking properly at that time.

After visiting some friends, and then settling in, I fell asleep late at night.  That means that it was super late when i woke up.  How late you may ask?  Late enough that we ate our lunch at 4:00 pm.  We stopped by Spoon and Fork, and ate some super classy looking all you can eat Thai + Japanese food.  I’ve only been to only one other place that tried to class-up all you can eat sushi, but without success.  However Spoon and Fork did completely the opposite and was successful with their upgrade.  Good job folks.

They’re on that all you can eat beef tataki game on a lunch menu. In the background there are some crunchy spicy salmon rolls.

Here are they’re dynamite rolls with spicy salmon mayo.

Here are some butter fish, white tuna, and salmon sashimi, which you could have in orders of 5 or 8.

They also had some great salmon teriyaki.

In the back you can see some great tempura, and up front you have their agedashi tofu. The tofu could’ve used some sauce, but it was all good.

This is the chicken torikatsu. It’s chicken, and it’s deep fried. It’s a winner.

Rather than serving some dry or underwhelming yakitori, I liked how these folks decided to be creative by making their skewer a chicken satay.

Then after some chilling, we met up with some friends in the Distillery District.  The Distillery almost reminds me of a cross between the Olympic Village and Gastown in Vancouver.

We grabbed some drinks at Mill St Brewing.  Their lemon iced tea ale was interesting and good.  Furthermore the location had two sides, so you could either have a classy and private dinner, or a more bar-like atmosphere.  We chose the latter.

One of the differences between the craft brew pubs here in Toronto is that they seem to be bigger.  So while there may be fewer craft brewers, they do seem to make more beers.  They had a solid list of beers that were around all year long, and they had a rather large set of seasonals (around 8 instead of the typical 1 or 2).  Also, for those of you who don’t like IPAs, Toronto doesn’t seem as fixated on these super bitter beers, so their beer selection may be more for you.

After our beers we walked around Downtown Toronto, seeing city hall, and strolling down Yonge St.  Yonge was hard to cross, as they were filming either a car commercial, or a car chase for an upcoming movie (I was told that they were taping Suicide Squad in the area).  However we made it to Dundas Square, and I was amazed.  I’ve never been to New York, so anything that seems bigger than Vancouver amazes me.  So when I had seen the tall buildings, sprawling Downtown, and bright lights, I was amazed.  Toronto had gotten my attention.

On our stroll back we managed to pass by a Popeye’s Chicken.  To those from Vancouver, we are not often acquainted with this fried chicken chain.  Get acquainted.

Here’s a closeup of the beauty.

Any night that ends at a fried chicken spot is a good night.

Thanks to the whole crew who are making this an awesome adventure.  We had a crazy night, and I’m looking forward to what Toronto has in store.

Cheers,

D

The 2014 Richmond Night Market Food Post #1

A few weeks back I did a post for the International Summer Night Market with a promise of venturing to its doppelgänger. Today I am delivering on that promise.

This post actually came from the opening weekend, and I just got around to posting these photos now. Sorry for the delay folks.

What I can note about this market is that it is easier to get to than the International Summer Night Market, because it’s right beside Bridgeport Station on the Canada Line. However if you are driving, parking can be a bit of a mess. Expect a lineup at times, and some pretty hectic traffic if you are coming earlier in the evening.

There are normally some staples of the Night Market, such as skewers, or spiral potatoes, or takoyaki. One such staple is the dim sum that is served at numerous stands.

My friend grabbed some siu mai, which is always a great pick. However there was more food to be eaten throughout the night.

These folks were offering savoury Japanese crepes on a stick. It reminded me of okonomiyaki with how the middle was a tad bit doughy and the outside was crispy. They were offering two pieces for $10, so my friend and I split the costs.

My friend grabbed the crab. It was good, but the crab did not do much to add to the flavour or the texture of the crepe.

I grabbed the crispy ramen option. I quite enjoyed this one mainly for the texture. The crispy ramen pieces meshed well with the doughy interior of the crepe to create an interesting interplay of crispy and soft.

I had not gone to a bubble tea cafe for a while to have fried chicken nugget, so I was having a pretty bad nugget craving. Thus I was delighted to find this place. Hopefully I’ll build up the courage to try out the stinky tofu on the menu.

This was the surprise of the night. Firstly, when I was served the nuggets, I was asked if I wanted any toppings. I asked for some mayo and siracha, but the folks misheard me because of the craziness ensuing in the food section of the night market. So, they threw some cilantro instead of siracha on top, but I clarified with them, and so had all three toppings. All three toppings added to the nuggets, my friend liked them, and I was even asked by some folks where I got these little delights.

Lastly, there was dessert, and thankfully they had my favourite dessert stand this year!

If I post more night market photos, you’ll probably see more of these. However the mango tapioca is always something I look forward to eating at the night market! My apologies for the repetition in advance.

Now, go eat and be merry at the Richmond Night Market! I hope I’ve given you some ideas of where to eat. I will be sure to post more photos as I go more times throughout the season.

Cheers,
D

The 2014 International Summer Night Market Food Post #1

Summers in Metro Vancouver are marked by a number of things like the Celebration of Lights, trips to the PNE, occasional biking, and late nights spent with good people. Since high school, some of my favourite places to visit during the summer are the various night markets around the metro area.

The Vancouver Chinatown Night Market was in decline for a number of years, and has finally been shut down. During its decline, focus largely shifted to the two night markets in Richmond. There’s the one out by the River Rock Casino and the Bridgeport Canada Line Station, and then there’s the one out on Vulcan Way near the Richmond Ikea. Today, we will be venturing into the latter of the two, which just started its season this past weekend.

I’ll be hitting up both night markets in Richmond this year, and I’ll be making numerous food posts on the various things I have eaten and have yet to eat. Thus, this will be the first of many glorious food posts over the span of this summer.

For those of you not familiar with the location, it’s in the loading zone for a warehouse. You have to walk to the back of the building, and then you’ll see a bunch of lights, booths, and Asian people. That’s how you’ll know you are at the Night Market.

Previously this night market charged $4 for parking, but had free admission. This was the opposite of its counterpart, which, due to its accessibility to the Canada Line and free parking, charged for admission. This year it seems like they’ve both opted to not charge for parking, but slam you with an entrance fee. I preferred the charge for parking, considering that this location is harder to get to by bus, so the parking charge felt more justified. However they have to make money, so who am I to comment?

My friend and I decided to first try some fusion food. I’ve heard of the karaage taco from places like Tacofino, but I’ve never had a chance to try one. Kotako instantly caught my eye, so I decided to grab a taco, and my friend also caved into the temptation.

I had the chicken karaage taco. The karaage and veggies gave it a crunchiness, and the guacamole was creamier than most guacamoles. Thus the taco was creamy, warm, and crunchy all in one bite! Plus, it was spicy because I threw some siracha on half of the taco for good measure.

My friend grabbed the terimayo taco. Think of it like a chicken terimayo bowl, minus the bowl, and wrapped in a tortilla. My friend loved how well the elements worked together, and how fresh the taco tasted!

For our second round we decided to go the way of the old school night market by hitting up a Taiwanese stand. Our idea of a night market in Vancouver has been influenced by different styles of street food as Vancouver’s numerous Asian (and some non-Asian) cultures have begun to display common street dishes. However the larger textbook night markets hail from Taiwan.

My friend grabbed a Taiwanese noodle soup, which was quite a tasty bowl of noodles. The noodles themselves were quite thin, but the consistency of the soup and noodles together were thicker than it looked in the photo.

I grabbed a hot dog. However this was not just the regular ballpark frank. This is actually a hotdog inside of a hotdog. I know, it sounds kind of weird, but follow what I’m about to say. The “bun” is actually a hotdog casing that’s been stuffed with rice and grilled. Once the “bun” is cooked, it’s split open and the meat-filled hotdog is stuffed inside. The meat-filed hotdog is somewhere between a regular hotdog and one of those shrivelled Chinese sausages you get at the Asian supermarket.

I always loved these, because as a Filipino child I would often eat hotdogs, spam, bacon, corned beef, and other forms of preserved meat with rice. This totally brought me back to my childhood, but it also let me eat my memories in the form of a hotdog with a bun.

What about dessert? Don’t worry we got you covered.

I grabbed a cup of mango tapioca. It’s basically shaved ice, milk, mango juice, and mango cubes. They also serve this one at the other Richmond night market; and normally I’ll do this thing where I run over to Bubble Queen, grab a mango cube bubble tea, drink it, go to a night market, eat a bunch of skewers, and then have one of these. It’s mango-on-mango action!

Definitely go to a night market during the summer, and try the food. They also have things like cheap cell phone cases and chargers if you need that kind of stuff. However there is a concentration of good food, so bring some cash, and be ready to eat multiple dishes in one evening.

With the coming of the summer, be ready for more night market posts. Don’t worry, I’ll try to mix things up and eat different things. Perhaps a skewer themed post would be a good theme for another night market adventure!

Cheers,
D

Nan Chuu Izakaya

I walked into my first Japanese politics class a few weeks back, and the first thing my professor said was that people from Vancouver eat more sushi than people in Japan. Metro Vancouver is obsessed with Japanese food. Whenever I travel (to anywhere except for Japan) I end up making the mistake of ordering Japanese food, leaving the restaurant dissatisfied, and thinking of a dozen places in my hometown that could have made my food cheaper and better.

However there’s also the case of the Izakaya. If you don’t know what I’m referring to, think about the Japanese equivalent of a tapas bar and you’ll have a pretty accurate picture.

One of my favorite Izakayas is a little place in Richmond called Nan Chuu. They are part of a group of restaurants that are producing some great food. However Nan Chuu recently combined their menu with one of the other restaurants that were part of their group (G-Men Ramen), but unfortunately closing. So it’s a larger menu than before, but that just means that there’s a lot more good stuff under one roof!

The inside is quite cozy with individual bar seating, two-person booths, and larger booths in the back. It’s always a good place to have a conversation and chill.

The first dish is the beef yukke, which was ordered by my friend. It reminded me of beef tataki, or tartare. It had the gooey texture of the egg, and a prevailing sweetness. For those of you who are into ordering tataki, this may be an interesting alternative for you to order!

My friend also ordered the tan tan noodle with an egg. This had a very interesting taste that was peanut-ty (this is probably not an actual word) and spicy, with shredded pork mixed in with the noodles. It was a little unconventional for my tastes, but it still was a joy to try.

When I was not stealing food off of my friend’s plate, I was eating my own little bowl of goodness. My order was the miso ramen. I find that ramen bowls in Vancouver are more varied in quality than pho (which is normally good). Thus I’ve been to really good ramen places (Kintaro, Santouka, and Jinya), but I’ve also had some really bad bowls. Nan Chuu has a great bowl of miso ramen! While I may not be able to choose between getting fatty or lean pork, the noodles are the right texture and the broth is very flavorful! This is definitely one of my top bowls in Metro Vancouver!

Nan Chuu has some other great items on their menu, and it normally changes with rotating specials and other new items. This is probably one of the places that I think about going to when I’m in Richmond or on Alexandra Rd. If you like a place that’s a little out of the way, and has some interesting items without the expensiveness of a downtown Izakaya, go to Nan Chuu!

Cheers,
D