Cambridge: Beat Hotel

Location:

13 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA (below The Gap in Harvard Square)

It takes a certain type of restaurant to get me out on a weeknight after work in this city. The Beat Hotel is that type of restaurant. A grand opening party at a bohemian American brasserie inspired by the Beat generation of the 50s Paris, with live music and cockails named "Electric Sidecar"? Well, the food was just the icing on the cake at that point.

The restaurant features live music e'ry night with jazz, blues and world adding to the bohemian vibe. This night we were treated to Kate McGarry along with Steve Santoro and the Tim Ray trio.

Throughout the evening, our host and co-owner Bertil Jean-Chronberg suggested a variety of American artisanal wines and craft beers to complement the items on the menu. 

Serving a very eclectic menu of seasonal dishes to tempt both the carnivorous palate as well as the herbavore, our table covered the entire spectrum.

We began the evening with flavorful craft cocktails; my favorite was the American Breed, complete with Maker's Mark and St. Edler's elderflower liqueur and apple cider...it felt like the perfect drink for an Autumn evening.

We started with a slew of appetizers, spanning the entire table. A must-try dish is the Hamachi (yellowtail) Sashimi, served on avocado, sambal and black olives...literally melts in your mouth.

There was crispy calamari and tempura veggies, crispy tuna spring rolls, a bohemian platter of hummus, cheese, veggies, pickles, enough for everyone to share.

If that wasn't filling enough, we moved onto our mains, I decided on the 1/2 roasted natural chicken with frites, mustard jus and pickes, generous in portion and robust in flavor.

The Tandoori spiced halibut with lentils and cucumber raita was a tasty alternative to the chicken, and the Earth Bowls (options vary from vegan, shrimp, chicken, steak and salmon) are yet another satisfying choice.

Don't get me started on the desserts...the bread pudding is to die for.

It's the best when you can share in a food experience with food lovers, and amongst these, at my table it was great to meet Tiffany and see Elizabeth who I hung out with in Miami!

If you're looking for a lively spot to wine and dine with live music every night, be sure to check out the calendar at The Beat Hotel.

Thank you to The Beat Hotel for treating us to an incredible evening in Harvard Square.

All photographs ©Hogger & Co., processed with VSCO Film 04

Boston, Brookline: Fugakyu

Location:

1280 Beacon Street  Brookline, MA

Sounds like you're swearing at me, but it's all good. REALLY GOOOOOOD!

Totally fresh and awesome sushi right there. I'll be back. (image via Instagram)

Boston: Samurai

Location:

827 Boylston Street  Boston, MA

www.samurai-boston.com 

After the Zoora launch at the Apple Store on Boylston, and after the recommendation of Samurai from some of the Apple employees, we ended up there, a tad daunted by it's basement entry and dimly lit interior.

However we were in the mood for Japanese and gave it a shot. 

Once inside, we realized the interior was rather nice and cosy and were warmly welcomed.

A disclaimer, we are not sushi conoisseurs; in fact, our tempura heavy selections may reflect that, anyway.  

Delicious miso soup, and splendid tempura sushi - I've never had this type of sushi before, where the whole roll is tempura-fied. Not realizing that it would be as such, we also ordered a massive tempura dish (also not realizing it would be so massive!). 

Great portion size and wonderful food. Our server was also top-notch.

Samurai is highly recommended by me, but see above. 

Axia Restaurant & Bar

Location:

A-5045 Plantation Pl., Mississauga

If it weren't for the "Restaurant & Bar" in the name...you'd think Axia were a club. 

You did, didn't you?

Well, it's not.  I don't know why they named it that, 'cause the inside of it looks like some sort of vacation package hotel....cane chairs upholstered in tropical fabric, hanging plants, palm trees, hanging lanterns and Christmas lights.  

Then again, the outside looks like some sort of Iron Chef set. 

Listen, don't try to figure it out...just enjoy the eats.










You'd be hard pressed to walk in there without a reservation...it's consistantly packed with plenty of wait time...yep, just like a club.

Rude Service @ Whole Foods (Whole Hearth), Yorkville

Location:

87 Avenue Road, Toronto

Cost: Hot chocolate $2.99 (mint shot $.50), cooked sushi combo 6.49, avocado roll $5.99

To clarify; this review is not about the Whole Foods Market in Yorkville....which I actually like very much and can't complain about. Instead, this post is in regards to the absolutely disgraceful service we received at the Whole Foods cafe, Whole Hearth (located on the street level of Avenue Rd.) one afternoon after a day at the spa.

It's very surprising that such a location as this in Yorkville (or anywhere, for that matter) would have staff like this employed.

Imagine this, if you will. Three perfectly relaxed women, sauntering into the cafe for a mid-day snack after a leisurely few hours at the Nova Spa across the street. Each picking a sushi snack tray from the freezer section and standing at the cashier ready to pay.

At once we notice how our server is incredibly short with us...ringing in my friend's sushi while impatiently gesturing for mine as well. I tell him we want to order a hot chocolate which he doesn't even acknowledge, still waving for my sushi tray. I try to tell him that my sister and I will be sharing our hot chocolate (my friend had also ordered a hot chocolate) but it goes unacknowledged (although appears on the receipt).

We take our sushi to the table (sans hot chocolate) and begin to eat, all the while looking to see if our hot chocolates are being made. Instead he seems to be occupying himself with other tasks and then begins moving around from one end of the cafe to the other.

At one point, my sister stops him mid-walk and asks about our hot chocolates to which he snaps, "In a minute, I'm not going in that direction..", meaning he was heading away from the coffee counter. Seriously?

Finally..and I mean by this time, my friend has already finished her sushi, he plops down her hot chocolate whereas ours is nowhere to be seen. So again, my sister begins to ask for an extra cup for the hot chocolate (assuming he plans to bring it) to which he rudely retorts, "In a minute, after these customers". So now they are other customers waiting, but weren't we also waiting?

Eventually we receive our drink (and the second cup) but are not happy with it (besides the manner in which it was produced, it didn't taste all that good either).



Later he returns with some 'leftover samples' from the bakery - some pizza which he shoves in front of our faces without explanation so I ask what kind of pizza it is, veggie or meat (my sister is vegetarian). His response? A classy, "chicken!" and then whips it away from me offering it to my friend who helps herself.

Wow.

As we get up to leave, we're barely out of our seats and gathering up our things when he comes over and starts moving the tables apart. I was practically still sitting in the chair. Yikes!!

My sister and I were appalled and even my usually zen-like friend was amazed at his actions.

Forget Whole Hearth, we sure got a WHOLE lotta attitude! What a horrible person to keep employed. Shame on you Whole Hearth.

Eastern Japanese and Asian Fusion

Location:

2318 Royal Windsor Dr, Oakville

Cost: approx $15 pp

We were craving some sushi take-out and decided to give Eastern a try on the basis that you just never know!

Well, who knew, indeed? Eastern is amazing.

We went in to check out their take-out menu and decided they certainly have a variety of foods (from sushi to thai to chinese). And once we spoke to Andy we decided on keeping it simple with a salmon bento box and a spicy schezuan chicken dish with rice. While we waited we were served tea and it's at that point that we decided we liked that place (even before tasting the meal).

And it was a damn good meal, let me tell you.

Tasty and spicy (with real dried red chilies) schezuan chicken (with loads of chicken).

The peppers, green onions etc were all very fresh (unlike the slightly rotten tasting veggies so common in many asian restos).

The bento box sushi was incredible; the tempura just perfect.

They also have all-you-can eat sushi for $12.99 at lunch and $19.99 at dinner (I believe, but will confirm).

Now a definite favourite in the 'Ville!

ki

Location:
181 Bay, Toronto, ON

www.kijapanese.com

**Updated with pics**

181 Bay, Toronto, ON

Went to Ki for a friend's surprise 30th birthday party.















Everything was paid for...the drinks, the appetizers and the cake! The sushi, the popcorn shrimp, the chicken wings...everything was absolutely delicious! You know I'm not a sushi connoisseur by any means but I tried everything and it tasted goooooood (and we'd already had dinner at Mercatto earlier!).

With it's gorgeous interior, it makes a nice date place...romantic with flattering lighting, haha.

Aji Sai

Location:

467 Queen St. W, Toronto

It seems Queen street is constantly reinventing itself...new restaurants...new condos....new yoga studios. There are the staples: Gandhi's, New York Sub, Subway and then the newbies: Leslieville Cheese Market and the maybe not so new anymore, Aji Sai Japanese restaurant.

These were the sorts of dishes we shared around...

I've been to Aji Sai twice now, and both times were hits...it's a great work lunch spot especially if you're one to share.

Ichiban Sushi

Location:

262 Queens Quay West, Toronto

www.ichibansushi.com

When we lived in the city, one of the closest sushi restaurants to us was Ichiban Sushi; we were constantly ordering in from there (or dining in).









For reliably standard sushi, Ichiban doesn't go wrong.

Frugal Fare #2: Mini Bar

Location:

116 Spadina Ave., Toronto

Cost: $1-6

Mini Bar is #2 in Foodhogger's Frugal Fare in the city!



It may be mini, (literally a hole in the wall on Spadina, south of Camden on the West side) but Rachel & Susan (pictured) are doing a splendid job serving fresh sandwiches ($3), sushi ($5.75), edamame ($1.50), miso soup ($0.95), tea, coffee, juice, bagels, fruits, candy and more from the depths of this tiny shoppe.



The two ladies are wonderfully warm and friendly and speedy!

Their straight-forward menu:





 My tuna sandwich for $3.50; delicious & home-made tasting:



Mini Bar's fantastic, but don't go, 'cause it's a hidden gem in the city and we want it all to ourselves! ;)

Frugal Fare #1: CJ Lunch Box

"Frugal Fare" is going to be a new feature on Foodhogger, where we'll cover the more affordable places to dine for lunch/dinner in Toronto and still get great food & service.

CJ Lunch Box (but everyone refers to it as "Lunch Box") is one such place. 

Location:

409 Richmond St., W, Toronto (Spadina/Richmond)

Cost: under $10 (cash only)

There used to be something else in it's place, but I can't recall what it was (anyone remember?) and now it's very clear what's there. 

 

Lunch Box is a small lunch time spot serving little containers of sushi, deep fried chicken, noodles, edamame and dumplings...for as little as $3 - $5!  What a steal (and tasty too)!  These days business is booming and it's our first in Foodhogger's : Frugal Fare.

Salmon sushi with chicken combo $5.97 (with free miso soup)

Veggie Dumplings: $3 - a bit on the greasy side, but it makes a good side or snack.

Although Lunch Box has started increasing their prices (almost everything is one or two dollars more than before), the raised cost hasn't seemed to deter the crowd.  The line-ups are almost always curled around the counter in the tiny restaurant, where in cafeteria-like fashion you pick your boxes.  

Chicken? $4.

The staff are cheery and highly efficient (one at the cash register, one packing your lunch, one making the sushi, one warming the dumplings; there's at least 6-7 people behind the counter).  Not to mention that the turn-over is so high, the food's fresh.  In fact, if you don't see any more sushi of your desire, they'll roll it up for you in 2 min!  (Sushi connoisseurs  [of which, I am not one] beware: it's not gourmet sushi, but it's great for lunch)

Salmon sushi $4

There are also a handful of tables if you wish to dine there, with a newly added flat-screen TV playing concerts by different artists everyday (last time it was Celine Dion and before that Beyonce) to keep you entertained. 

Also, I hear that with every purchase you get a free miso soup but I will have to confirm this (as I found out only after my purchase, sans soup) and this should be relatively easy considering I'll most likely be back there next week!

They're open from 11am to 5pm on weekdays only - so if you wanted some chicken or noodles to take home after work, you're out of luck.  I think they would do well to stay open for dinner, but then it would have to be called CJ Lunch/Dinner Box...which doesn't have the same ring to it.