Crêpes à GoGo

Crêpes à GoGo concludes my last food hunting destination for my first month of food blogging.  It was a great month with a lot of sweetz and fat!  There are way too many places to eat that I never discover, want to try or explore into before.  I was never a big fan of eating, unless it's chips, egg tarts, gingerbeard cookies, desserts.  However, I want to find new crazy favs to add to my list now. :P

As our crepes hunting continue, Mr. K.Szeto and I purposely TTC-ed up to Bloor to Crêpes à GoGo for lunch.  After our unsatisfying experience last time from Cafe Crepes, I did not set a high expectation for Crêpes à GoGo this time even though I've read many many positive reviews and a few friends actually recommended me this place.  The cafe is very small, and it was packed and hot during lunch time.  The waiters and waitresses all speak french and the cafe is decorated in a Paris theme.

We both ordered sweet crepes, because of our craziness toward desserts.  I got a Sweet Dark Chocolate Crepe with Banana.  The crepe was very warm and delicious.  It wasn't too sweet and the crepe itself tasted just perfect with the right texture and softness.  However, many actually recommended their savory crepes and the selection is greater too, so I am for sure going back and trying those .

At the end, Mr. K.Szeto saw many people drinking from a bottle drink, so he got one to try too.  It is 'lemon juice with mint leaf'.  I thought it was just Lemonade but I tried it too, it is very different.  This drink was produced by Crêpes à GoGo and most likely you would have not tasted a drink like this before.  I couldn't comment too much about it because I only had a sip.  However, it should be refreshing and the word to use is 'different'.

Overall, 'to.live.my.love' is very satisfy this time about this crepe hunting destination Crêpes à GoGo and will give a rating of 9/10 to them.

ColdStone Creamery @ Tim Hortons

Since today's high tea event got cancelled, my sweet tooth needs something sweet to fulfill my lonely day at home.  I heard many good reviews about ColdStone Creamery, and I knew that it is located within a few Tim Hortons around Toronto.  However, I did not know that I am actually really close to one of them until I started researching for their locations, so I went over for a dessert dinner tonight.  Basically, it has the same concept as Marble Slab with even fewer selections (maybe there are more options in the U.S.), so nothing to exciting for me.

I ordered one of their Signature Creations : Founder's Favourite in small size with a waffle bowl.  It is sweet cream ice cream mixed with pecans, brownie, fudge and caramel.  I was surprised by small the ice-cream was when the cashier was mixing my ice-cream with the toppings.  The quality is a lot worst than Marble Slab and the price is actually about the same considering the quantity served.  If you do go to Coldstone Creamery @ Tim Hortons, don't get the waffle bowl because it is not fresh at all.  Unfortunately, 'to.live.my.life' rates it a 3/10 because of the quality and quantity of the ice-cream and waffle bowl.

Cafe Princess

The main purpose of today's meet up with Miss.Kan was so she can dessert hunt with me!  For weeks, we've been talking about going to "Cafe Princess", and my first finally happened today.  I was surprised by the environment and atmosphere once I stepped in.  I never thought "Cafe Princess" gives such a relaxing and comfortable feeling.  It was not decorated like other cafes, and one word to describe "Cafe Princess" is girly (hence a great place to chat and gossip!)

"Cafe Princess" serves coffee/tea, cakes, waffles, ice-cream etc.  We shared a slice of Jamoca Almond Fudge Cake, it was soooo delicious.  All the cakes are actually from La Rocca, hence no complains but only complements were made.  

We also ordered a small Red Bean Sorbet with vanilla ice-cream, fruits, corn flakes etc.  I didn't enjoy this as much as the slice of cake since the red beans were too sweet and there were quite a lot of ice cubes at the bottom.

'To.live.my.life' loves sweets and will give "Cafe Princess" a 9/10 because both the cake and sorbet were yummy.  Most importantly, the relaxing and warm environment add many points to this cafe.

Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu

The original plan was to dine at "Toong" today but surprisingly it closed down.  We ended up back to "Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu" on Yonge and Finch.  This is my second time eating there, and I am in love with their tofu soup ever since I tasted it last time. I might be a little bias towards Korean food because of my love toward spicy food at the moment.  Both times "Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu" were fully packed (maybe it is Sat during dinner hours), however this shows how popular a restaurant is. 'To.live.my.life' read and heard many positive reviews about  "Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu", and believes it deserve a 9/10.  It is definitely one of the BEST Korean restaurant in Toronto.

Similar to most Korean/Japanese restaurants, appetizers are provided to share among those in each table.

I ordered the Soybean Soon Tofu + Dolsotbab (Mushroom, Beef Mussel), and for hotness, I chose regular spicy (which is the second hottest level).  The tofu is very smooth, and your taste buds feel just right for everything in the bowl.

One of my friend ordered the Combination Soon Tofu + Dolsotbab (Beef, Shrimp, Mussel) with no spiciness (white).  My other friend ordered a Stone Pot Bibimbab, the quantity looks enormous and filing.

deKefir

Another dessert lunch today! After reading the post on blogTO about deKefir, I knew that it will be on my 'wishlist' because it is so close to where I work.  However, it is hidden in the PATH at Bay & Adelaide so it is unnoticeable.  From the pictures in the blog, I always thought that deKefir is another frozen yogurt cafe.  Not until I walked in today when I was introduced to Kefir.  KEFIR is made from milk and kefir grains, it is similar to yogurt but contains a wider range of bacteria and yeasts that are friendly to the stomach.

I ordered a small kefir with mango.  There is an option to add 4 more toppings for $1 as well, and the toppings include fruits and nuts.  Kefir is not as smooth as frozen yogurt or ice-cream, however it contains a lot less fat.
'To.live.my.life' rates deKefir with a 7/10, because it did not give me a 'wow' taste but I like the fact it is low in fat.

Canyon Creek Chophouse @ Etobicoke

The second part of my department team building event was having a nice warm dinner at Canyon Creek Chophouse.  Chain restaurants are always nice for company or department events, because of the varieties and selections for different types of eaters.  To start with, I ordered a Virgin Pina Colada, it was refreshing and sweet (could of add points if I didn't order a 'virgin' drink...lol)

The butter served with bread at the beginning was very unique.  It was sweet, and I've only had it at Canyon Creek.  Then we ordered a few appetizers to share, but I only had the Chophouse Garlic Bread.   I didn't find it too special afterall, it was just tasty because of the cheese inside the garlic bread.

For main course, I shared two dishes with my coworker because we both wanted to have the Oven-Roasted Prime Rib Sandwich.  I must say that Canyon Creek's rib sandwiches are the best.  I must give credit to my co-worker Mr. P.Liu who recommended this to me, and I am addicted after my first try.  However, it is a pretty heavy sandwich so I am usually really full.  I recommend Asian girl who are small eaters to switch from fries to salad and maybe share the sandwich with someone.  We also shared a Grilled New York Steak, which is only average, it wasn't bad or too extraordinary.

'To.live.my.life' will only give Canyon Creek Chophouse a 7/10 because it is a really standard chain restaurant.  However, the Prime Rib Sandwich itself will get a 10/10 because it is just too mouthwatering and I'm lovin' it!

eZone - Laser Tag & WhirlyBall

Laser Tag and WhirlyBall during work hours are fun for sure.  My department team building event was held in eZone.

We started with Laser Tag, from the company site: "Players suit up in futuristic sensor vests with attached laser guns and pursue their opponents in a black-lit multi-leveled arena filled with obstacles, partitions and targets. The game can be played at both a competitive and leisurely level and is suitable for all ages."


Next, we played Whirlyball:  "WhirlyBall combines lacrosse, hockey and basketball with bumper cars. Teams try to battle it our for the most baskets. Not only a great activity for team building, WhirlyBall is fun for athletes and non athletes of all levels."

Both games were a lot of fun because lots of exercise has been done and it was a great chance to hang out with co-workers in a leisure environoment.

St Louis Bar and Grill @ Yonge

I've been to St.Louis Bar and Grill X many times before.  St.Louis offers half price wings if you order a drink on TUESDAYS, so my random craving of wings just brought me there this time around. There were a lot of people compared to other weekday nights. Usually, I order Honey Garlic Wings, but ever since my love of spicy and hot food started, I really wanted to try hotter flavours, and it is hard to find people to eat it with you. My friend and I ordered ice-tea for drinks, and 1 pound of Authentic Buffalo (with 2/5 hot level), and 1 pound of Sweet Asian BBQ (with 3/5 hot level) wings. Also, wings are served with golden fries, and garlic dill sauce.

I like the Sweet Asian BBQ flavour, it was hot and sweet. However, we thought the Authentic Buffalo flavor is not as hot based on the ratings but actually it is hotter than Sweet Asian BBQ, and tasted a little sour (which I do not prefer in wings). Overall, 'to.live.my.life' will go back to St.Louis over and over again so a 7.5/10 is well deserved.

Prairie Girl Bakery

A dessert after lunch is always delighting. I’ve stopped by “Prairie Girl Bakery” at 5:45pm two weeks ago, and there was a sign hanging at the door saying “All Cupcakes are sold out for the day” while the store was supposed to close at 6pm. I walked away with disappointment craving for some cupcakes that night. Yesterday after lunch, my friend and I went over to grab mini cupcakes. The selection was limited, but I like the fact that they offer MINI cupcakes. I got a Strawberry Chocolate Cupcake, while my friend got a Strawberry Vanilla Cupcake. After disappointment with my recent cupcake experience, I wasn’t expecting too much. However, when I took the first bite of the cupcake from “Prairie Girl Bakery”, I’m loving it. The cream filing on top tasted just right, and the cupcake was so soft. I will defi-nitely go back for infinite number of times and 'to.live.my.life’ rates “Prairie Girl Bakery” with a 10/10. I am just hype about their cupcakes now!

Moxie's Classic Grill @ Yorkdale Mall

I must admit this is probably my first or second time at Moxie's because it is one of the casual restaurants you wouldn't think of dining in on purpose.  I didn't want to get anything heavy, I got a Strawberry Papaya salad from their Big Life Summer menu. It is served on butter lettuce tossed in creamy poppy seed dressing with bocconcini, kiwi, sunflower seeds, and multigrain croutons, on butters lettuce tossed in creamy.  I also added a grilled salmon on top of the salad.  It feels good because with the strawberries and kiwis, I am actually not just eating vegetables but fruits too.  

My friend got a Double Cheese Nachos.  It is huge and heavy, and I am not a big fan of cheese, so I only had a few nachos.  This nachos fan is crazy, he finished the whole plate of nachos by himself (even the waitress was impressed).  According to him, Moxie's nachos are consider good, but not the best.

Rating : 6.5/10 - In my opinion, nothing too special ( it is just another Moxie's)  but I have to admit the salad was refreshing with the fruits. 

Green Lantern

From Flixster,

"Each sector of space is protected by a Green Lantern, possessing a power ring that uses a powerful green energy to do anything within the limits of the user's imagination and will power.  When the Green Lantern assigned to this sector of space finds himself dying on planet earth, he tells the ring to find a suitable successor.  The chosen replacement, hotshot test pilot Hal Jordan, finds himself with a new job he never expected."

Due to timing issues, I ended up watching "Green Lantern", which I never thought of watching, instead "Kung Fu Panda II".  The 3D effect wasn't necessary during many parts except with the aliens or out in space.  Ever since the beginning, I have the perception that Green Lantern is a guy movie, and I am right.  It is a superhero movie tasked with keeping peace within the universe, and fighting aliens then winning at the end.  Ryan Reynolds  played well in his cast and he was handsome...LOL
 This movie is not bad, "to.live.my.life" believes Green Lantern  deserves a 7/10 out of an ordinary girl's point of view, and believes guys will give it a higher rating.

Cafe Crepes

I was excited about this dessert lunch all along because "Cafe Crepes" was a crepes place I've been longing to try for years.  It was either because I am too full from lunch/dinner or I need to go shopping that's why I never stopped by "Cafe Crepes".

The selection of crepes is wide, but many of the crepes were just different combination of ingredients used. My friend and I both ordered a crepe from the "Crepes Specialies" in the dessert section of the menu for lunch.  He got an "Exotique", which has rum, coconut, banana and sugar.  Mine is a "Crepe du Chef"  with apple sauce, banana and cinnamon.  Both found the crepes extremely dry, and one major complain from my friend was he cannot taste rum in his crepe at all.  Overall, it was a major disappointment for the both of us and "to.live.my.life" can only rate "Cafe Crepes" with a 2/10.

The Cupcake Shoppe

As my dessert hunting continues, I somehow ended up at "The Cupcake Shoppe" this afternoon.  Last week, I actually went to "Prairie Girl Bakery" after work. I got there 15 minutes before they close but there was a sign saying "All sold out for the day, so I left with disappointment.  I told my friend about this, and he told me about "The Cupcake Shoppe".  I recognized the store right away when I got there because I was actually there few months ago but didn't end up buying anything.  I got attracted to the store last time because all the cupcakes in the store were very colourful and pretty.  The smell of baked cupcakes is very strong once I stepped into the store.  I got 6 cupcakes.

From top left to bottom right,
Opposites Attract - chocolate frosting on chocolate cake
James Brown - chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream
Sticky n' sweet - vanilla cake dipped with caramel
Cookie D'ough - chocolate chip vanilla cake with cookie dough buttercream
Curious George - chocolate cake with banana buttercreram
After Ate - chocolate cake with mint buttercream

Once I got into my car, I ate James Brown.  It wasn't all that special, the cake was soft and fresh, and the buttercream wasn't TOO sweet.  'To.live.my.life' gives "The Cupcake Shoppe" a 6.5/10 because these cupcakes are not cheap ($14.50 for 1/2 a dozen), yet they probably don't deserve that high price. 

Mei Nung Beef Noodle House

It wasn't planned ahead of time that my friend and I will have dinner at "Mei Nung Beef Noodle House".  We were just around First Markham Place, and we decided to grab dinner.  There are many types of Asian food at FMP but we both chose "Mei Nung Beef Noodle House".  My friend had dinner there yesterday and it was her first time, she said she loves the noodles there.  I always love their noodles but yet it had been a while since I last ate at Mei Nung.   

Mei Nung Beef Noodle House is a Taiwanese restaurant, I believe the only type of meat they serve is beef, and of course there are other Taiwanese appetizers (such as Smelly Tofu).  One can smell the strong Smelly Tofu once stepped into the restaurant.  I ordered the usual dish that I normally get: Beef Tendon Sesame Sauce Noodle.  The texture of the noodles and the taste of the sauce is very delicious.  "To.live.my.life" highly recommend trying Mei Nung Beef Noodle House's beef noodles if you love beef, and believes that a 8.5/10 is well deserved. 

Hollywood Gelato

I've been craving for Gelato ever since I came back from Italy last year.  For the past year, I have not discovered a good gelato place in Toronto, however I've heard ONLY good reviews about "Hollywood Gelato" so it has always been on my 'must-go-to-try' list.  From my trip from downtown back to uptown, I somehow stopped by "Hollywood Gelato" during noon time (partly due to my dessert hunt obsession).  I must admit that my expectations were set pretty high due to all these extremely positive reviews and talks about Hollywood Gelato.  Once again, I am disappointed, I guess it's hard to compare to gelato from Italy.  There weren't as many flavours as I thought it would be.  I got a small sugar cone with Roasted Almond and Tiramisu.  I like the Tiramius but more almonds would be better in the Roasted Almond.  I was also surprised that Hollywood Gelato does not only offer gelato, they have coffee, tea and baked goods too.  Overall, 'to.live.my.life' gives Hollywood Gelato an 8/10 because of my bias towards desserts and ice-cream.  Gelato does taste yummy after all!!!

Fabbrica

"Fabbrica" popped up at me this week through talks with different groups of friends.  For the reunion with my two best friends from elementary school (one I haven't seen since grade 6, and the other since 2 years ago), we decided to go to Shops at Don Mills for either Joey's or Fabbrica.  It was a Friday night after all, so it was expected that Fabbrica will mostly likely be the place we'll end up dining.  Before we were arrived at Fabbrica, we stopped by Mark McEwan, it was a high-end supermarket with a lot of the pasta sauces and ingredients Fabbrica use across the street.  I reserved a table at Fabbrica, so we got settled in right away.  The atmosphere was nice and casual, however it wasn't as quiet as we expected it to be in terms of the noise level.  It was a typical Italian restaurant, my friend said she loves the vinegar that comes with the bread.  For me, it was nothing too special, maybe because I didn't like anything too oily. 

All three of us decided to ordered pasta.  I have been craving for some pasta the past week, so this was a great opportunity.

I ordered Linguine, it was served with claims, shirmps, white wine, garlic and chili.  I like the dish, because I am not too picky with food so it is hard to go wrong, especially with pasta served to me.  The white wine was strong, which I love, but again I didn't like the layer of oil I had to dealt with close to the end.

I tasted both of my friends' pasta.  This one is Pappardelle, it was served with braised short rib, tomato and basil.  I like this one because I always enjoyed the thick pasta (the chewing part, weird eh?), it is even thicker than fettuccine. 

The next one is Tortiglioni, it was served with oven baked Fabbrica meatballs, tomato and buffalo mozzarella.  I think I like this one more than my Linguine, even though I only tried a very small quantity of the pasta.  I love the tomato sauce and the cheese inside the pasta.  However, I think this pasta is very heavy and filling because of all the cheese.  (My friend was fighting with the cheese throughout the meal, while we were chatting...lol)

Overall, 'to.live.my.life.' gives Fabbrica a 7.5/10.  Their pasta are in no doubt very delicious, however I don't think I will be back anytime soon due to the fact that it is over-priced.  One can get the same quality of pasta with a cheaper price.  It is always worth of a try though.

Osgoode Hall Restaurant

My first time at Osgoode Hall today, I'm so close to it from work and I never knew that right across the street from me is the Law Society of Osgoode Hall.  My friend was referred to the "Osgoode Hall Restaurant" by her coworkers, it surely is a hidden dining hall.  The restaurant is only opened from noon to 2pm in September to June.  The dining hall is surrounded with law-books and stained glass.  It is common to have judges and lawyers seated right next to you for lunch in Osgoode Hall!

Osgoode Hall Restaurant

My friend and I both ordered the "Chef's Menu' with 3 courses, we found it very much like a Summerlicious lunch for us.  For appetizer, Niagara Prosciutto with White Asparagus was served.  I found the ham a bit too salty.  The portion of the appetizer was small, and overall I wasn't too satisfied with it.   Pan Seared Lois Lake Steelhead Trout served with shiicake mushrooms, wild rice and beurre blanc was the main dish.  I love the fish because of the white and green sauces that comes with it.  The portion of the fish was perfect and it was very fresh.  Last but not least, the dessert was the best.  We had Ontario Rhubarb & Strawberry Crumble with Almond Ice-Cream.  The mix of the dessert was very well combined because the rhubarb and strawberry sauce was very special, and never had anything like that.  The rhubarb and strawberry crumble really did filled me up, and I also love almond ice-cream. On the bias side, I must say that the dessert was the best of all in the lunch meal at Osgoode Hall Restaurant, and in 'to.live.my.life''s opinion, the restaurant deserves a 7/10 . *Just a quick reminder:  If you want a taste in this dining hall, there's only 3 more weeks and then you  have to wait until the fall in September!

Salad King

I am sorry, but I don't understand why Salad King is the "#1 restaurant" in Urbanspoon.  There's always a lot of people there just because it is not too expensive, convenient, quick, and a lot nicer after the renovation this year.  I was there at around 5:30pm and the place was pretty packed for dinner.  I didn't have to wait for a seat but people that came a little later did.  My cousin described Salad King as a served-HK-style-Cafe de Coral. I like their seats though because there's a spot for you to put your purse or belongings under your stool, since the place can get busy at times and there will be no space around you.

Personally, I don't find the food too amazing.  I ordered a Mango Salad.  It did not taste all that great after all.  Probably other main course dishes are better, but I found it too of a fast food style.  "To.live.my.life" gives Salad King a 3/10, this is only my love and opinion towards Salad King, totally did not mean to discourage others from going since after all it is a POPULAR place to eat in Toronto.

Mango Salad

Mango Chicken & Rice