Boston: Kashmir

Location:

279 Newbury Street  Boston, MA

Not only was it packed, which is one reason we thought it might have been a good choice, but it was packed with INDIAN people, which is sometimes a good indicator of a decent Indian restaurant.  Not this time.

Kashmir has terrible, terrible indian food.

I'm from South India where we LOVE our rice to death.  Present me with old rice (where it's clumped together, with bits of rice stuck to the outside rim of the bowl?) and I'm already an unhappy camper.

Tandoori salmon, which came out looking like steamed salmon with an aside of curry to be poured over it.  How is that Tandoori salmon?  It had not a single piece of evidence of having been in a tandoor oven.  The sauce was the same as in the fish curry dish. 

Our bhatura was initially forgotten and then brought out later looking flat, which a bhatura should not be.

Veggie samosas which were filled with mashed potatoes - seriously?  

The eggplant was mushy and tasteless.  The only item we liked were the Kashmiri naans, which were quite good.  Makes sense to me now, why the place is called Kashmir. 

Add slow service and disgraceful bathrooms to round up this review.  

Oh, and when I asked to get the Kashmiri naans to go, big mistake.  The worst thing, ever, that a server can do, is to place other dishes ON TOP of the dish you've asked to take home.  Needless to say, our takeout was tossed right away.

Tell me Bostonians, where the good Indian food at?

Boston: Border Cafe

Location:

32 Church St., Cambridge, MA

Appearing as though it's the red light district of Harvard Square, this Border Cafe in Cambridge is loud, crowded and welcoming.  

The margaritas were STRONG, the nachos crispy and the Cajun/Mexican mains absolutely delicious.  Each of us in our party of five enjoyed our round-table meal.

I even spilled a drink on my brother in law.

If you can't have a good time here, there is no hope for thou. 

Boston: Legal Sea Foods

Location:

26 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 

www.legalseafoods.com

Everyone said to go, so we finally went.

With our fish eating friends from New York.

They know good eats, so it was fun to try a variety from the menu:  Oysters, New England Clam Chowder, Lobster Bisque, Signature Crab Cake, Lobster Roll, Fish n' Chips and the Wood Grilled Assortment.

Although it seemed like forever for our food to arrive, reaaaaally forever, when it finally showed up, we were all really happy with each dish.  It was totally worth the wait!  I even tried a bit of the cream-based soups and marvelled at the scrumptiousness of them.  Definitely hands down the BEST sea food I've ever had!  And our friends agreed!  

With their:

"If it isn't fresh, it isn't legal"

slogan spanning more than 60 years now, Legal means business and they're open for it; I highly recommend giving it a try if you're looking to try sea food or are a sea food fanatic!

Boston: Temazcal Cantina

Location:

250 Northern Avenue
Boston, MA
www.temazcalcantina.com

We went to Temazcal to celebrate my BIL's birthday.
It was one of those early Fall September days, so the rain was coming down, and it was a Friday so we did get caught in rush-hour traffic.

On top of this, a few things to note:

Temazcal doesn't take reservations.

They have valet parking which is $20 (!) but you get it validated by the restaurant so it's actually $16 (!). (There will be much usage of exclamation points in this post).

We had to wait at the bar for our table, which was to be about a 45 minute wait. (!)

We had a round of cocktails - the mojitos were served in these giant glasses, with the thick rim, you know the kind, when the rim of the glass fills your whole mouth as though you won't be able to get a sip to drink? And the entire drink had far too much ice for enjoyment.

Then we were seated and given iPAD menus!

My BIL mentioned how unhygienic something like that would be to use - but then again, so are paper/laminated menus as well.  They say menus are the filthiest of all.

But I digress.

The light emanating from the iPads were incredible - all of our faces were highlighted in a blue glow, but as soon as we'd all ordered and the iPads were taken away, it was as if someone had turned off a light.  We were left to make conversation with ourselves, without the entertainment of swiping through the menu.

The view from the restaurant is quite lovely, and I must say the interior is really nice.  Watch out for the slippery floors though - not a friend of a lady and her heels!

Beside us, a table was served with an ENTIRE PIG (LECHON ASADO)!  Gross to the vegetarians of the table (and although I don't eat chicken anymore, but do eat bacon - don't ask - I was also not happy to catch the visual).

For the table we ordered the "GUACOMOLE DE LA MIXETA" which doesn't come with chips by the by.  Is this not weird to anyone?  We then had to order a couple of chip plates.

The guac was AMAH-ZING.  And very filling.

I ordered the HUACHINANGO A LA VERACRUZANA (red snapper with plantain mash).  It was incredible; the portion was huge and the entire thing was absolutely delicious.

My Mom got the POLLA A LA PERILLA MEXICANA which she loved (surprising, as she's very hard to please)!

Unfortunately those were the only dishes at the table that were good.

This is also largely due to the fact that 98% of the menu is non-veg, and although on the phone they said they'd be able to make any dish veg, our server didn't think so.  Thus, the only real veg option was the ENCHILADAS VERDES, which was not a huge hit; the BIL especially did not like it.

The QUESADILLA BOLILlOS (chicken) were average.  

The MOLE PABLANO (chicken mole) was served alone without any side of rice or anything.  Hard to eat that much mexican chocolate without any carbs, you know what I mean?

Our server, however, was good, and tried his best to accommodate our dietary restrictions as much as he could.

Still, most of the group, aside from me and my happy red snapper, felt like their meals were a huge rip-off in the end.  Fancy Mexican is apparently not for this family.  Maybe we're just happy with our version of Mexican dinners, with our Uncle Bens Spanish rice and refried beans.

OLE!

TRAVEL: Montreal: Les 3 Brasseurs (3 Brewers )

Location(s):

A.  732 Sainte-Catherine Street West, Montreal

B.  1658, rue Saint-Denis, Montréal

www.les3brasseurs.ca

(All images photohogger)

Let me start with the pros of the restaurant:

Amazing beer-battered poutine.  Great atmosphere: loud, bustling, was fun to be there during the Stanley Cup playoffs.



The Food (pros & cons):

Everything was grease-central (could be a pro for some?).  The fish and chips came with overly battered and overly deep fried fish, so much so that the fried shell separates from the fish. 



The flatbread pizzas are so thin, which some peopel may prefer, but I say why bother! You practically have to eat the whole thing with a knife and fork which I know some prefer for eating pizza, but I like to pick it up like a pie.  Loaded with lots of veggies so it wasn't bad.  



My understanding of, and the way I make, a Nicoise salad is with tuna, hard-boiled eggs, beans, tomatoes, olives, optional artichokes, red pepper and anchovies, all on a bed of lettuce.  This one came with smoked meat instead of tuna.  Since all of us eat mostly only fish, we opted for no smoked meat.  It was alright, but would have preferred more of the original style of a nicoise salad. 



The beer-battered poutine (that we didn't order) was delish.  We ordered regular poutine and thought that what we got was regular poutine, and wondered why it was so greasy.  But as far as greasy poutine goes (which it all mostly is, anyway), it was a winner!



The cons of the restaurant:

What is with the section of the restaurant that is also part dish-clearing station/garbage take out?  Please get rid of this section!  I understand one has to clear the dishes and take out the garbage, but is there not a wall behind which this could be done?  We had to sit there and be a witness to a server scraping off the plates into the trash and worse see one of them struggle to pull out the garbage bag from the trash can - minus gloves!  Then the trash can fell over with a crash!  Not something that you want to see before (or anytime) you get your meal.

Then, we were billed for the beer battered poutine ($8.99) which we ate unknowingly as we thought we'd simply ordered the regular poutine ($5.99).  I realize it's only a difference of $3, but it was still the server's mistake which she acknowledged and insisted to correct but the manager then said couldn't be reversed.  So our server told us not to tip her instead.  How ridiculous is that?  Needless to say we DID tip her on top of their mistake.  She gave us each $5 gift cards to use back in Toronto.  Thanks but you won't see us running over there anytime soon.

Sitting next to the kitchen on visit number two (St. Denis location), we had a clear view of all the cooks in the kitchen, all the orders given, all the plates being served, and all the accidents, such as the dropping of a plate of salad near our end of the table.  A hearty dose of salad dressing landed on four of us and what did they do to make up for it?  "2 beers on us!" Thanks fellas...we were only a group of fifty!  And the group menu they gave us was crap.  Four options for dinner included: some flatbread with chicken dish, some sausage and sauerkraut dish, some veg lasagna and some chicken skewer dish with fries.  I had the veg lasagna and it was soggy, covered in cheese and tasteless. 

Besides that, the restaurant is so cramped (why else would we have been right beside the kitchen?) that our server(s) kept squeezing their ar*** between our two tables to get to another section of the restaurant. This happened all night long and I received several scrapes to my back from their pens!  Definitely not a good dining experience.

I don't know who the three brewers are but they need to get their act together.  The beer they brew?  Not one of them did I fancy...but I'll let Beerhogger review them for you. 



Overall, A had slightly better food and service, whilst B is somewhere I never wish to dine again. 

One can hope that Toronto's location is better, but I'm not holding my breath.

A.

B.

TRAVEL: Montreal: Nil Bleu

Location:

3706 Rue Saint-Denis
Montreal, QC

http://www.nilbleu.ca/

Hands down the best Ethiopian restaurant I've been to thus far.  But don't ask me, ask my Mom and Mom-in-Law who couldn't stop raving about it.  And they know how to cook, if you know what I mean.

The dishes we ordered were:

YETIMATIM SALAD $4.95 (tomatoes, onions, green peppers seasoned with lemon and olive oil dressing)





the VEGETARIAN PLATTER FOR TWO $27.00 (potatoes/cabbage/carrots, lentils, spinach)

and YEASSA TIBBS $14.95 (sole cooked with green peppers ginger).  

One thing to note is that the fish came on the same platter as the veggie platter, which may not be good for those who are strictly vegetarian so be sure to make this request when you order!

We also ordered the house wine, which was a Spanish red and quite good.

They gave out damp napkins to wipe our hands with but didn't take them away like one would with hot towels, so we realized we had to keep them, and it made sense later as we ate that it was easier to wipe our fingers with.  Be warned that you will leave with turmeric stained fingers nails (even after washing) after dining here, but let me assure you, it's well worth it! 

Everything was delicious...and the injera kept coming until we were completely and utterly stuffed.



The exotic decor, which is what I want my home to look like (think animal prints, African sculptures, white leather couches) is beautiful and seems very new. 



My hubby who'd eaten at Nil Bleu perhaps 12 years ago didn't remember it looking like this!  The fancy bathrooms round up the upgraded look.  



The service was a tad slow, but since we weren't in a hurry, it didn't bother us and overall the service was sweet and attentive.  Thank you to Chakib & Rahel for making our Moms very happy :)



Great place for dates or groups and has outdoor seating.  I've already recommended Nil Bleu to my family and friends who are visiting Montreal next month!

TRAVEL: Quebec City, Carlo's Pizza

Location:

117, Rte Principale E RR 2, Sainte-Cécile-de-Masham, QC J0X 2W0, 819-456-4545

Not only does Carlo do pizza, and amazingly well (the veggie one we got was chock-full of tasty veggies and not very greasy), he does the best poutine I've ever tasted in Quebec!  Mighty squishy curds and a not-too-salty gravy that's just the right consistency.  The pan fried tilapia was amazing with the poutine!  They don't skimp out on quantity either, check out the amount of cheese on this caesar salad!  Now, if only Carlo's was closer....



 

Tokyo Bay

Location:

125 Kerr Street
Oakville, ON

Since when are you not allowed any substitutions at a Japanese restaurant?

Isn't everything made fresh?

It's not like the sushi is pre-made and stuffed with something else beforehand?

And worse, this wasn't even a sushi substitution but rather a bento box substitution.

Instead of CHICKEN, I requested SALMON.

"No."

"No? But why?

"It doesn't come like that. "

"Can't I get salmon even if I pay extra? "

"No. But you can order salmon terriyaki that comes with soup and salad. "

"Er...Okay...Fine. Does it come with any tempura?"

"NO, JUST SOUP AND SALAD, I SAID"

Ouch.

And for $20 it didn't even come with tempura?

So rigid.  And what for?

At least the salad was tasty.  We were hopeful.



But alas, the sushi wasn't great.



And then, the salmon wasn't even fresh after all that. The chicken in N's bento box was disgusting.  Only the tempura was good.  The spring roll you see here, was nasty!



And since when do the Japanese use CELERY in their vegetables? And zucchini?

So weird.



The miso soup was overly seaweedy and fishy smelling.  With mushrooms.  Is that common?  Let me know.



The dessert that came with each of our orders was good, at least.  But how to you screw up friend bananas and ice cream?



And we were freezing in our booth.  Those curtains don't do anything to ward off the cold from the entrance.  Put some heat on, would you?  Even the people in the booth next to us were cold.





Tokay. Bay.  Never.  Again.

TRAVEL: Paris: McDonald's

Don't judge me.

We did it in India, so we had to do it Paris.

Eat at a McDonald's, that is.

And it was très magnifique!

Gotta love this guy who posed for the picture!

Oh we also had a Kronenbourg 1664 beer, but it wasn't cold enough.

TRAVEL: Honolulu, Hawaii: Roys

Location:

226 Lewers St
Honolulu, HI

www.roysrestaurant.com

After visiting Mama's Fish House in Maui three years ago, we didn't think anything could come close.  Let me tell you, Roy's comes pretty close!

I've never been to a restaurant where there has been such incredible attention to my dietary concerns!  Our server was worried that I would be in need of medical aid if I ate something I couldn't (dairy).

With that, the butter sauces came on the side and there was nary a smidgen of cheese on anything.

They started us off with edamame - nom nom nom- which disappeared in a matter of seconds.

Then, it was champagne paired with the ahi tuna, baby back rib and chicken spring roll appetizer, which was delicious (and this was pre-Kauai roosters, so I was still eating chicken).



Thank goodness I'm not allergic to nuts!!

Hello, macadamia encrusted opah! Get in my belly!



Served with simple but oh-so delicious potatoes and asparagus.  Paired with a white and red.



Salmon ginger sauce with cucumber and radish salad.  The fish was amazing, but the salad a bit too tangy for me.

For dessert, we had the chocolate souffle and ice cream and the macadamia nut tart.



Paired with ports, the chocolate souffle was divine!

The tart was overbearingly nutty but amazing for a couple of bites. If I hadn't already had the macadamia encrusted fish, this would have been heaven.



Service and presentation could not have been better; we had such an incredible time and were thoroughly stuffed and satisfied.

The washroom signage was super cute, too.





If you're on Oahu, check out Roy's, there are three locations on the island, and several more throughout the States.

Recipe: Spicy Baked Tilapia

Okay, here's my latest favourite tilapia recipe. Inspired by Olivado's Lemon Zest Avocado Oil! Nyum nyum.

Ingredients:
8 frozen or fresh tilapia fillets
Enough lemon juice to wash and lightly coat the fillets
2 tbsp Olivado's Lemon Zest Avocado Oil (or any lemon infused oil or olive oil)
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup of Ajvar (spicy relish that you can find in any grocery store)
1 tbsp of maple syrup
pepper if desired

Directions:
Set oven to 350 degrees F
Cover two standard baking pans with foil.
Wash the fillets thoroughly with cold water and then with lemon juice.
Place four fillets in each pan.
Lightly drizzle the oil over the fillets.
Add chili, turmeric and salt evenly to fillets, using utensil or hand to rub the dry spices into the fillets, on both sides.
Add Ajvar onto fillets, evenly on both sides.
Drizzle maple syrup on top of fillets.
Add pepper is desired.
*Optional, crush handful of cornflakes and add to the top of fillets.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until fish is tender. Then broil on high for 2-5 minutes (or longer if you prefer it more crispy/dry).

Serve with anything you like (rice, pasta, salad).

Tastes incredible wrapped in a tortilla shell with with avocado, refried beans and spanish rice, like a fish taco. YUM!

LOCAL FEATURE: The Blake House

Location:

449 Jarvis St  Toronto

www.theblakehouse.ca

Open only three months, one of the last standing heritage structures (built in 1891) in Toronto  has been converted into a restaurant called The Blake House (previously, The Red Lion).

One of the three owners and brothers, Jim Vasilakakos sat down and chatted with us as well.  He described The Blake House as being "comfort contemporary"; a feeling we instantly felt when we arrived, as Jim himself greeted us at the door.



The interior is gorgeous...all dark wood, warm lighting and lined with giant black and white photographs from Jarvis Street in the 1800's.

We were blown away by the food; everything was so fresh and so tasty!  As Jim told us, they only buy local, fresh ingredients and everything is house-made.  So, our compliments to the Chef David Araya; thank you for a wonderful meal!


We started off with a local beer, Mill Street Original and an Okanaagan Shiraz...which was delightful.


10oz $3.75 - 20oz $5.75 - 60oz $15.95
Mill Street Original



Prospect Red Willow 8 / 23 / 35
Shiraz, Okanaagan






Had to try the poutine; how could you not?



Poutine 8
Hand Cut Fries and Cheese Curds.
Topped with Bourbon Beef Gravy.

We were warned about the large size, but were blown away by it in reality.  It was huge! For $8?!  And not drenched in gravy, we could actually taste the hand-cut fries.  I've personally decided it's a keeper.



Then, arriving smoking hot,  we had the Chicken Pot Pie which I was dreaming about ever since checking the menu prior to arriving at the restaurant.

Chicken Pot Pie 13
Root Vegetables and Roasted Chicken Smothered in
Herb Cream Sauce. Served with Green Salad.



It was one of the best pies I've ever had, not to say I eat a lot of pies, but the very best pie I'd had was in Edinburgh from the Pie Maker.  That's, Maker of pies and THIS was on par with THAT.



It was flaky and oozing with such a delicious filling, atypical from the usual potato and rubbery-and-questionable chicken filling.  You could actually taste the vegetables (and distinguish them!) from the chicken.  The green salad wasn't doused in dressing, either.



The bread and butter are both house-made, the butter changing every night or week according to the chef's desire:  Roasted red pepper butter one night (what we had),  sage butter, citrus butter...  Brilliant and well executed!

Maple Glazed Salmon 18
Roasted Atlantic Salmon. Served with Smashed
Seasonal Potatoes, Braised Leeks with Bacon Burre Blanc.

I found it refreshing to get potatoes (smashed, at that,  with salmon, 'cause usually you get salmon:

"seasoned with crushed black pepper and salt served on a bed of basmati rice with vegetables"

OR

"seasoned with a dash of dill and served on a bed of wilted spinach"....

I question a restaurant when they consider salt and pepper SEASONING.

This maple glazed salmon we likened to the way we cook at home: with flavour!  The crispy top and break-away center of the salmon was exactly the way I like it.  The sweetness of the leeks with the potatoes brings makes me salivate even as I write, as it was just melt in your mouth delicious.

Market Crumble $6.00
Seasonal market fresh fruit and homemade oats baked
golden brown and topped with ice cream (ask your server)



How to describe this market crumble, made to order with blueberries and arriving smokin' hot and so fresh? Oh, I think I just did.

Crème Brulee $6.00
Baked vanilla custard topped with a crusted layer of
caramel and fresh berries



I don't usually order crème brulee, but lately have had cravings for it, and this was a remarkable one and unforgettable. I'd get it again.

The place was packed, even when we were leaving, a group of 25 showed up; but it was no issue to seat the large crowd as the open concept of the interior allows for big as well as intimate gatherings.  Our server Kaitlyn was gracious and efficient as well, not missing a beat.

We met with the other two brothers, Nick and Mike, as well; it was so nice to talk to each of them and learn how much it meant to them to preserve the history of the building.



It's evident in the interior design that the original stained glass windows and wood burning fireplace only add to the ambiance of the restaurant.   Their patio is possibly the largest in the city, as well.

With an upscale environment serving upscale food but with a down-to-earth vibe and certainly down-to-earth prices, we'd have to agree with Jim and his expression of The Blake House being "your home in the city".  Afterall, three hours later, we still weren't ready to leave.

Amaya Express

Location:

1574 Bayview Avenue, Toronto

The "real" Amaya was closed for lunch and only opened at 5pm so we went express!

Looking like a somewhat modern-retro (isn't that an oxymoron?) cafeteria, we were the only group sitting inside the restaurant; the rest were outdoors on the patio.  We felt like we had the whole place to ourselves! Our server was quick to take our orders and ORDER WE DID!

Spicy Fries:

Mango Lassi:

Lamb Biryani

Sweet and Sour Eggplant

.

Malai Fish

Chicken Vindaloo

Amaya Prawns

Roti

Naan

I was in the company of like-minded gourmands (including A&M who we met back in my "SAD" King review) and we all agreed that the dishes were excellent in flavour and presentation.  Those spicy fries were a highlight and are only superseded by the ones had at Haldirams in Delhi!

TRAVEL: Mr. B’s Bistro, N’awlins

Location:

201 Royal Street, New Orleans, LA

www.mrbsbistro.com

So, this is another one of those overdue/back-burner pieces.
Better late than never, right?

Located in the French Quarter, and coming highly recommended from many a source on the world wide web, my first impression of Mr. B's was that it seemed more suited towards a 40+ suit crowd.

Suits and in our case, bibs.

The bibs for de-shelling the shrimps in Mr. B's signiture BBQ shrimp dish!
(Gulf shrimp barbequed New Orleans style, served in the shells with a peppery butter sauce, and French bread for dipping $18.00)

EEEE!

Apart from the de-shelling, this dish was fantastic! And I love that they share the recipe online!

The other dish was less painful.  Also, a bit bland.  Catfish with beans (Pecan crusted farm raised catfish topped with Creole meuniere sauce $15.00 )



The fried oysters $6.75 were excellent.



Blueberry Cobbler $8, perfectly old fashioned.

Suits or not, bibs or not...Mr. B's Bistro is everything you imagine "N'awlins" to be.

LOCAL FEATURE: 360 Restaurant

Location:

CN Tower, 301 Front Street West, Toronto

The 360 Restaurant at the CN Tower has a magnificent revolving view of Toronto and is located more than 351 metres (1,151 ft) from the ground.  The subtle rotation of the restaurant takes a few minutes to get used to but the changing landscape takes no adjustment at all!  It's quite simply, stunning!







In addition to their dinner menu, they also offer prix fixe menus and as we were happy to discover, a whole vegetarian menu !  Everyone at the table was very pleased and it didn't take us very long to decide what to eat.  Orders placed, we feasted on their magnificent bread basket while we leisurely enjoyed the view.



When our dishes arrived, it was clear that everything was not only exceptionally presented, but we also felt well taken care of.

CRISPY EGGPLANT “PARMESAN”
WITH BUFFALO MOZZARELLA
Piquillo peppers, beefsteak tomatoes, grilled asparagus, cherry tomato jus
$35



 PAN ROASTED WILD BLACK COD
Wilted Swiss chard, preserved orange, fennel pollen, black olive vinaigrette $38



 PAN SEARED FILLET OF ATLANTIC SALMON
Toasted almond and ginger vinaigrette, steamed baby bok choy, shiitake scented brown rice $35



BLACK TRUFFLE HONEY GLAZED BONELESS HALF CHICKEN
Fennel and olive oil mashed potatoes, summer squash, cider jus $35



A lovely Birthday treat!



The 360 Restaurant is definitely a special place to bring your favourite person (or people) or if your quest is to impress!  And make sure you are there at sunset..it's absolutely breath-taking!



The night view ain't too shabby, either ! ;)



Highly recommended for visitors but I think especially if you live in Toronto, 'cause chances are you've taken the La Tour CN for granted!  It really is a wonderful architectural and engineering wonder of the world, in our city.