La Forchetta

on the weekend, the purples went out to celebrate our youngest purple's birthday. the intimate and charming dining place in the heart of little italy was the perfect choice. La Forchetta's (meaning the fork) small dining area quickly filled as the night went on.



the menu consists of variety of authentic italian dishes. they have prix fixe menu for $22 or $30 which are really good deals a year around. a wide selection of wine is offered in a glass, half a litre, bottle and litre. several wines for less than $50 a bottle was tempting but we had a glass of pinot grigio each instead (because we were going out for drinks after). refreshing!



a complimentary house rosemary bread was to die for. the warm toasted baguette is drizzled with olive oil, sea salt and dried rosemary leaves which leads to aromatic heaven both for your nose and your mouth. i can still almost taste it.... and i know i will be coming back here just for this bread.



the soup of the day was Onion and Tomato soup ($8.95). it had the unique salty tomato taste. the soup was very thick, almost like a tomato paste. the portion was very generous as was the spoon (it was huge). it was tasty.



the Classic Caesar Salad ($9.95) came with fresh roughly chopped romain with herbed crostini, crispy prosciuttino, shaved grana padano and homemade caesar dressing. the dressing was creamy but not too garlicy. the splash of lemon made the whole salad very refreshing.



the birthday girl had Grilled European Sea Bass Fillet with a chipotle-citrus sauce & Chef’s daily starch & seasonal vegetable preparation ($22.95). two chunky bass were very soft and well seasoned. the sauce was delicate but strong enough to get rid of the fishiness. the vegetables were steamed just the right amount leaving its natural flavour and texture in tact. this hearty dish would be perfect for fish-lovers.



prior to visiting la forchetta, i read good reviews about their risotto. i ordered Risotto with Smoked Chicken & Fresh Leeks ($19.95) which was a daily special. i had high hopes for amazing risotto and i got sublime risotto in return. amazing! the rice is cooked just right, well soaked in rich chicken broth. the fresh leeks and large parmesan shavings add flavour to the already savoury dish.

the wait staff were very attentive and friendly. the waitress for our table had heavy italian accent which was little difficult to understand as the dining room got louder. but she was very helpful, giving honest opinion when i was deciding on the order. we skipped the dessert because we were headed for a real celebration after the dinner but the honey crème brûlée sounded amazing. i am definitely going to return to la forchetta (maybe with my boyfriend) for excellent italian food.



La Forchetta Ristorante
613 College Street
Toronto, ON
416.534.3100
laforchetta.ca


posted by rin

pho my duyen

pho my duyen is me and my sister's favourite pho restaurant in town. i have this weird craving for warm bowl of pho whenever it is freezing cold out or on depressingly rainy days. which means, i crave it a lot during winter. pho my duyen is relatively new and is kept very very neatly. the decor seems bit upscale (granite tabletops, plush booths and bright lighting) for the prices of dishes they offer but i like it that this place doesn't look like it was built in the 80s or smell like it is from the 80s.



the fresh shrimp roll ($4) is prepared fresh and served quickly. the chunky shrimps taste amazing when dipped in their peanut sauce. when it comes to spring rolls, i find vietnamese rolls are way better than other asian varieties, deep fried or fresh.



i usually order pho tai ($6.95 for small). it comes in a huge bowl, which i like, because after you add beansprouts the bowl is not overflowing with soup. the broth is hearty and have deep deep flavour which warms my bones at first sip. they do not use msg (as i was told) which is good for my stomach. the dried noodles are alright but would be better if it was fresh. the beef is inconsistent though, sometimes chewier, sometimes thicker. pho comes in small or large. even on super hungry days, small pho usually does it for me with an appetizer. the portions are very generous.

the wait staff here are friendly and attentive. usually young ladies work the floors but i did encounter a young male wait staff who seemed to have recently joined the team. that particular night, they were playing club music which i thought it was strange because the music of choice is usually quiet elevator or doctor's office music.

another thing i love about this place is the smoothies. they have wide selection of smoothies to choose from. i usually order the mango smoothie to get rid of that spiciness lingering from too much sriracha sauce in the soup. despite the weird selection of music they play, i really like pho my duyen. it is, i believe, the only pho restaurant in the immediate neighbourhood (bloordale village).


Pho My Duyen
1208 Bloor St W
416.850.4993

posted by rin

259 host

259 Host was a surprise visit for a late valentine's day dinner from my valentine. the reservation was at 6:30pm. it was quite empty when we arrived but quickly filled as the evening progressed. when you are in the mood for something a little more special than fast-food indian, this upscale and sophisticated restaurant offers great indian/fusion cuisine at around $20 for main entrees.





we were seated on the upper level of the restaurant (there are three levels i believe). the interior is decorated with earthy tones and the dim lighting added tranquility to the atmosphere. the music was similar to what you would hear at a yoga class, calming and relaxing, setting the mood.



one thing i noticed about the menu after the fact is the prices listed on the web are different than the prices of the physical menu (web prices are couple dollars cheaper). few dishes are not listed on the web as well. they should update the web menu to avoid any confusion. the menu contains variety selection of entrees (chicken, beef, seafood, vegetarian) and naans. some original, some fusion and some traditional.



papad and mango chutney was served as a complimentary appetizer. it was cleverly shaped into a cone. very crispy and well balanced with the sweet but tangy mango chutney. another type of bread was given as complimentary which i am not quite sure what is was called. after some googling, i narrowed it down to parathas (hopefully i am right). the second bread was not really my favourite, bit dry and floury.



the Samosa Sampler ($8) seemed to be one of the popular appetizers. almost all of the tables ordered one. it comes with four different types of samosas: potato, lentil, avocado and spinach and two dipping sauces: coriander and date chutney. the potato samosa is very close to what i am used to. spicy and potatoey. the lentil was bit hard to eat because the stuffing kept falling out spilling all other the plate. it tasted similar to the potato stuffing but milder. the avocado samosa was presented in a chinese dumpling style. not much flavour in this one though. last but not least, the spinach samosa was creamier and saltier compared to other three, kind of like the spinach dip. in general, the samosas were fun to eat and tasty. i found that the deep fried skins were bit thicker for avocado and lentil variety, the goodness of deep fried taste overpowering the mildly seasoned stuffing.



we ordered two chicken dishes. Chicken Xacuti ($19) is prepared with 25 different spices and coconut. it is on the spicier note and the thick sauce is great for dipping the naan. lot of spices enriched the flavour which made this dish more enjoyable. even though it is made with coconut, the coconuty taste is not distinguishable.



the second chicken dish was the Butter Chicken ($19), my favourite. they are very similar in presentation (because we ordered similar dishes, haha). the rich tomato sauce was perfect match for the rice and the naan. i love love love butter chicken sauce. my encounter with butter chicken has been quite satisfying but this, by far, was the best i've had. it is creamy, well balanced between sweet and savoury. in both dishes, the chicken were moist and tender, plus plenty of sauces for dipping. the xacuti came with four pieces of chicken and the butter chicken with three. they were quite large in size, filling our empty stomach full with happiness.



i am not so crazy about naan but 259 offered soft and chewy Garlic Naan ($5) which tasted just as good without any sauces. it's always great that they make the naans in the kitchen instead of serving ready-made store-bought kinds.



i thought the Plain Rice ($5) was bit pricier for what it was though. it was really plain with two colours: white and yellow. no other flavour. i now regret not ordering the saffron rice for extra two dollars.


after enjoying the appetizers, our server came with a little metal stick and scooped all the bits and pieces off our table, leaving our white linen clean. though i stained it with butter chicken sauces later, i thought it was very professional of them to prepare the table before the real meal.

my experience at 259 host was excellent. the food was great, the atmosphere was perfect for a romantic-casual dining and the service was prompt and friendly. i am grateful that my boyfriend surprised me with this fine indian dining experience.




259 Host
259 Wellington Street
416.599.4678
259host.com


posted by rin

layered rice cake with shrimp

layered rice cake with shrimp

(i don't really  have a formal name for this dish, but this is as close as it gets)

ingredients
cooked rice (white or brown)
crab meat (shredded)
cooked shrimps
boiled eggs
canned tuna
mushrooms
lettuce





1. place plastic wrap over a bowl (size of choice).
2. put thin layer of rice and a layer of tuna. make sure you don't put too much rice, you have about three more layers of rice to add.
3. repeat step 2 with desired toppings. i used tuna, crab meat and chopped red peppers.
4. the top layer should be rice. this will help hold the cake in place. now press it down so it doesn't break. place a large plate on top and flip it over, remove the wrap.
5. mash the boiled yolk and use the strainer to sprinkle on top.
6. add shrimp and mushroom to decorate the cake and arrange chopped lettuce around the cake.

*tip: season the rice with rice vinegar or salt before making the cake.
you can mix the tuna and mayonnaise together for full flavour.


this is a simple yet fancy dish for special occasions. not much cooking is required, only need to make rice and boil eggs. how about your custom-made layered rice cake for upcoming birthday?

posted by rin

kimchi chigae (spicy kimchi stew)

kimchi chigae (spicy kimchi stew) can be prepared as simple as boiling kimchi in water. but we like ours with rich flavour. it is one of the best comfort food in cold cold winter.

ingredients

2 cups of kimchi the older the better
1 potato sliced or chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 can of tuna drain the oil beforehand
1 tbsp kochujang (red pepper paste)
soy sauce to taste
broth: kelp and anchovies

additional ingredients you can add: zucchini, tofu, scallions, beef, pork, shrimp, mushrooms or experiment!

1. boil kelp and anchovies in 3-4 cups of water. this is the broth. you can use chicken stock as an alternative.
2. add kimchi to the pot and stir fry until it is cooked (about 3-5 min).
3. pour the broth into the pot, add onion, potato, red pepper paste and can of tuna.
4. cook 20-30 minutes.

*if you are adding tofu, add it after the first 10 minutes or so and add scallions just before serving.

i feel that kimchi chigae taste better and better as you reheat and re-reheat. i usually make a large batch and eat it for couple of days. enjoy!



posted by rin

mango ambrosia

i love my tea. usually i drink black or green tea, but when i am in the mood for something different, i open up my tin of mango ambrosia by tealish. the white tea is mixed with tropical fruit flavours. there are real fruit chunks that you can eat (if you want): mango, pineapple, peach and orange. the tealish website states it is "a delightful infusion worthy of the gods." i am not sure if it is "worthy of the gods" but the tea is very aromatic and soothing. i brew this white tea when i am feeling a little blue. the sweet scent instantly cheers me up :D

posted by rin