Green Papaya - Yonge & Eglinton

Wandering about the Yonge and Eligible part of town, our friend J.Wow recommended we try out Green Papaya for dinner. And so we did.

Green Papaya at Yonge & Eglinton

The restaurant touts itself as specializing in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine, which undoubtedly means the menu is large, varied and difficult to choose from. Titus and I were like two grumpy old men as we debated over ordering dumplings, soups or rolls...and that was just the appetizers.

The Steamed Thai Chicken Dumplings were a little soggy and lacked the meaty filling. Terry thinks it should have been called Peanut Dumplings because that really was all we could taste. The Tom Yum Chicken soup, on the other hand, was packed full of spicy flavour and definitely the winner by comparison.

Steamed Thai chicken dumplings topped with Szechuan-inspired spicy peanut sauce

Tomyum with chicken in spicy Thai tomyum broth

Thankfully, our shared mains did not disappoint. Flavourful...and we did clean our plates.

The Mains -- Malaysian rice noodles with chicken and shrimp, egg and beansprouts in spicy aged miso paste
AND Oyster beef stir-fry with broccoli, soya, garlic, and oyster sauce

All-in-all, the meal was enjoyable but average. We've definitely had better on the Yonge-Eg strip.

Aji Sai - Yonge Street

Sorry we've been AWOL. The festive holiday season has kept our lives busy and our tummies full.

We've been busy eating, drinking, being merry and trying to think of ways to kick things up a notch here. Sadly, the copious amounts of wine floating about in our systems has not served up much in inspiration.

So let's just focus on the basics for now.

A few weeks ago, after a rather tiring Christmas shopping expedition, we hit up Aji Sai in Yorkville for some sushaaaay! Located just north of Yonge and Bloor St., this tiny little restaurant came highly recommended...namely by Titus, who loves sushi...and can get extremely cranky when he's hungry.

Oh and did we mention it was 'All-You-Can-EAT' sushi? Boo yah.

Pic taken post-dinner. We had a 7-minute wait when we first arrived.

The menu was extensive and looked promising.

Ohemgee - we could have had a LOT more of the delicious Miso Soup starter

So Titus took charge of the order (yes, he also gets pushy when he's hungry) and ordered up some sushi and shtuff. The Avocado Salad, although lacking in presentation, was great little appetizer - a little bit of softness, a little bit of crunch and a whole lot of green. Sadly, we can't say the same for the Tempura Prawns & Vegetables where no amount of soy sauce could inject much flavour.

Titus' Avocado Salad was exceptional

Terry's choice of Tempura Prawns and Vegetables was, for lack of a better word, a bit ... meh.

But it was the sushi we came for and the sushi that saved the night. We mentioned Titus loves his sushi and if it was his last meal on earth, he'd probably die a happy chappy. We ordered the usual spread - California Rolls, Sashimi,  Shrimp Tempura Rolls, Spicy Tuna Rolls etcetera etcetera. The freshness was palpable and every bite truly delectable. It's AYCE and we ate all we could eat!

The true pièce de résistance - fresh and oh-so-tasty!

We ended dinner with a scoop of Mango Ice Cream which was good...as mango ice creams go.

Mango Ice Cream

Aji Sai on Yonge Street is busy most nights, and they probably couldn't fit your entire extended family for dinner, but we're well-impressed by the quick service, the friendly atmosphere and, most importantly, the great prices for good quality sushi.

Thai Express - Pad Thai with Beef

Ok, so clearly, we like our Thai, which may have something to do with Titus being from Thailand.

This little wooden figurine is a lucky little elephant who gets to have home-style meals up here in the Great White North (how could you not love Hogtown's diversity, eh?).

Titus' pick du jour was a spicy Pad Thai with beef from Thai Express -- "thin rice noodles in a sweet and sour sauce with eggs, bean sprouts, green onion and salted radish", as described on the interwebs.

We think all restaurants should have wire-handle take-out boxes.

It's go-go-go as soon as your order's in. They don't kid about the 'express' part and, truth be told, we love watching them.

The ladies behind the counter swiftly pick out the ingredients for your meal, passing plates over to the three truly-madly-deeply-busy chefs. It's the lunch rush hour and the flow of orders is non-stop. Giant woks bounce against rising flames as ingredients are tossed, sautéed, stir-fried and packaged. There's lots of shouting, banging, sizzling sounds, but everyone behind that counter looks like they're having fun. As your number is called out (and you realize you've been staring at them with your mouth wide open), you try to overcome your excitement and graciously receive your green take-out box.

That whole process took just about three minutes.

Oh-so-good. If only it was a bottomless box.

The aromas that leapt out when we opened that take-out box is the kind of stuff we live for. The food is as tasty as you would expect something freshly-prepared to be. And although Terry thinks it could have used a little more beef, he gives it top points for everything else.

We've also heard great things about the Tom Yum soup and the Pad Sew, and at this rate, Titus may have to look into that loyalty program. Uh boy.

Thai Island Red Curry Beef

A recent lunchtime scout brought us to the Thai Island food counter at the Exchange Tower in downtown Toronto.

Now, we've been there plenty of times before -- the lunch options are great, it's affordable, and we love how fast the little Asian ladies serve up our food. They run that busy counter like a well-oiled factory line.

It's Thai, it's tasty, it's takeaway...and naturally, it's become one of our favourite lunch spots in the PATH (just don't mention the fancy packaging price increases, and we're good - it still remains a sore subject with Titus).

Anyway, we had to show some blog love to Thai Island's Red Curry Beef -- succulent strips of tender beef tossed in a zesty red curry sauce. In one word - deeelectable.

We enjoyed it so much, we went back the next day for seconds. $6.99+tax lets you pair it with a side of white rice for a filling lunchtime meal.

Or you could choose to be a non-conformist like Terry and mix it up with some fried rice...and subsequently be subjected to a spate of verbal mockery by your Asian friends who think fried rice and curry is utter blasphemy.

It's been known to happen.

Thai Island's Red Curry Beef and fried rice - so nommers!

Gourmet Food & Wine Expo 2011

Hundreds of gourmet food and wine vendors under one roof? Not even a giant tarantula could keep us away.

Well...ok. Maybe.

Fortunately, we didn't have to battle any creepy arachnids as we skipped off to the Metro Toronto Convention Center for a heavy afternoon of eating and drinking at the annual Gourmet Food & Wine Expo.

We love the take-home tasting glasses

Six hours, $120 of sample vouchers, and numerous tastings of wine-vodka-gin-whiskey-and everything else later, we stumbled out of the exhibition hall with our bags of yawn-worthy swag - a miniature can of Motts Clamato and a couple of brochures. Terry smelled like a brewery, and Titus flirted with his new, equally-inebriated friends along the way.

We indulged so much, but here's what truly rocked our worlds:

Best sample eats: Maritime Lobsters smothered in vodka sauce & the flavourful Le Gruyère cheese from Switzerland Cheese Marketing.

Best sample drinks: A16-yr old Port from Marcay Estates & the new Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey.

Terry preps for some wine tasting action. Seven wines for $5. Could life be any sweeter?

A workshop that had nothing to do with ghosts...as Terry fortunately discovered.

As afternoon turned to night, a party atmosphere took over the packed expo, and in the words of our uber-cool friend Theodore, "The event was bangin'!".

We can't wait till next year.

Ice, Wine and Dine

Terry & Titus love cheap eats. And cheap drinks (like really, what's not to love about cheap drinks?)

So when we heard about the $6 Martinis down on Elm Street, for the Downtown Yonge Ice, Wine and Dine festival, we were there faster than a rabbit on crack.

The culinary treats were alright, but the festive cocktails were what really got our tongues wagging. And seriously, at $6 a glass, it didn't take much. Titus is such a cheap date.

Terry's 'Winter Magic' was a magical concoction of Malibu Rum, curacao, vodka, and pineapple juice.

A giant Ice Bar in unusually warm weather just don't mix.
Titus didn't enjoy stepping in puddles every time he went to order a drink.

bannock

We LOVE all that is O&B. So, naturally, we were super-eager to try out their latest arrival at Queen and Bay -- bannock.

Touted as 'Canadian Comfort Food', bannock is more than just...well, bannock.

If you're as puzzled as Titus was (and it doesn't take much with him), 'bannock' is a type of flatbread common in North American native cuisine, with its true roots linked to Scotland. It is a simple bread, generally leavened with baking powder rather than yeast and can be baked, fried in a pan or sometimes even deep-fried.

Consider yourself edjumacated.

bannock (the establishment) is part cafe, part restaurant -- designed as two (or three?) unique personalities -- a bit like us, really. The restaurant side has a massive window looking into The Bay store, which probably explains our overwhelming desire to buy a Canadian Olympic Team sweatshirt. 

Terry & Titus argue over ordering the Roast Duck Poutine Pizza or the Carne Pizza.

After much debating and discussions with our lovely server, Jean, we chose the Carne Pizza and the Fettuccine with Lamb Ragù special. Yes, we're hardcore carnivores...the elephant too.

Both meals were nothing short of deeee-licious. The pizza, with its trifecta of meat toppings layered on a bed of cheese and meat sauce, was tasty and (not surprisingly) quite filling. The pasta, with its simple delivery and presentation, provided a burst of unexpected flavour and was (as Terry would say if he were British) rather quite lovely.

The Carne Pizza - a meatlover's delight with smoked meat, pingue prosciutto and soppressata

Fettucine with Lamb Ragù was très nommers!

We couldn't leave without trying at least one dessert, and because we were far too full to debate the merits of donuts over ice cream, we opted with lovely Jean's recommendation of a 'warm s'mores pie', which, dear friends, was heaven on a plate.

Chocolate and marshmallows? Oh bannock, you had us at s'mores.

bannock's warm s'mores pie - BEFORE.

bannock's warm s'mores pie - AFTER.
Guess we weren't that full after all.

No dinner is complete without a glass of the good stuff. Terry opted for a fruity Shiraz from the Prospect Winery, Okanagan Valley, BC...because we support local. In fact, Terry supports it so much, he felt inclined to have more than one glass. He's such a giver, that pterodactyl.

Staring out at Old City Hall while enjoying a glass of Okanagan Valley's finest.

We really liked bannock and plan on returning...for that Roast Duck Poutine Pizza, if anything. Duck-fries-pizza on one plate? We couldn't ask for more.

earl's

Even though we're puzzled by the whole club-like door policy (at five in the afternoon), we'll admit there's something about earl's on 150 King Street West that keeps calling us back.

Titus says it's because of the proximity to the parents' office. Terry just likes the sense of entitlement he feels whenever he walks past the velvet ropes.

Yes, it's a fancy pants type of place, split into a perpetually-crammed bar area on the left and a less-congested restaurant to the right. We squeezed past the scary bouncer and waited as the hostess scanned her computer for our reservation.

Hostess:          What name is it under?
Terry & Titus:   W****
Hostess:          Hmm, is that the first name or the last? I don't see it.
Terry & Titus:   First name. 
Hostess:          No, I still don't see a reservation.
Terry & Titus:  You definitely have it. Our friend is at the table. Last name *****. W***** *****??
Hostess:          Nooo, I don't see it. Oh no, wait. Here it is.

Points deducted for stupidity.

The food was enjoyable, but nothing to write home about. And if you're hoping to have a conversation on a busy evening...fuggedaboutit.

But if you want to people watch and make flirty eyes with the working denizens of Toronto's Financial District, then look no further, you naughty thing.

As we left, we noticed a flock of well-dressed, young professionals waiting in the sidelines hoping to gain entry into the exclusive kingdom of earl's. And we walked away, still puzzled.

Terry & Titus like Mojitos.

The Santa Fe Chicken Salad tasted much better than it looked.

Spot the pterodactyl in the Cajun Chicken Cheddar Sandwich

Terry likes anything covered in white wine sauce. Anything.

T2 battle over the Sticky Toffee Pudding.
Unnecessary, given that it was the size of a brick.

The Ceili Cottage

Anytime you have to enter through an unmarked red door, you know there's bound to be magic on the other side.

Pass the red door and the heavy curtains, and you're transported -- from an unassuming shack in Leslieville, to a country tavern in the Emerald Isles. The Ceili (pronounced kay-lee) Cottage is chock full of personality, with its peeling walls, exposed brick, low-lying beams, wooden tables and Irish servers with their delightfully-thick accents.

The place is apparently famous for its oysters, and is owned by a Guinness World Record-holding oyster shucker.

Terry & Titus feel that calls for a tongue twister: "Shucks, sure Chuck the oyster shucker shucks oyster shells at the oyster shell shucker’s sea shell shop on the south side of C street next to the shoe shine shop near the sea shore."

Suh-weet!

No, we did not have any oysters. And his name is Paddy, not Chuck.

The 'Full Irish' was our perfect choice for a late Saturday brunch. It had all the staples - mushrooms, bacon rashers, eggs, beans, grilled tomatos, black pudding, and something that looked like a slice of naan bread, but we were informed was a potato farl. And that is what we call a 'Lunch and Learn' session.

We felt fully Irish with the Full Irish meal.

But, but but...if there is one thing you visit The Ceili Cottage for, let it be for the Sticky Toffee Pudding....quite possibly the world's most amazing dessert, oozing with sugary goodness.

World's best Sticky Toffee Pudding fo sho.

 Ooh we like. We like very, very much.

Jack Astor's Fish n Chips

We realise that North America is the land of excess. But this plate of fish and chips from Jack Astor's in Toronto is just short of lunacy.

When we ordered the fish and chips, we weren't expecting (what looked like) AN ENTIRE FISH...especially one so large and heavily battered that it failed to fit on the square plate it arrived on. We don't know about you, but we like the visual appeal of food fitting within the confines of the dish it's served on...but that's just us two crazy kids.

We stared at it for a couple of minutes, wondering where to start. Some careful maneuvering later, we cut straight down the middle...confident in the knowledge that one half of the giant fish will be saved for the doggy bag home.

It tasted like beer batter...with fish, which isn't bad if you like the doughy stuff. We don't. The sweet potato fries were tasty but didn't make up for the discontent we were experiencing with our dinner pick. If Terry could eat that wedge of lemon, he probably would have.

The dinner's only saving grace - it reminded us why we hate going to big chain restaurants.

Largest. Fish n Chips. Ever.

So big, it hurt.
Titus says, 'That's what she said'.

Terry makes it to the top of Kili. Fah shizee.

In the summer of 2011, Terry accompanied J-Wow as she journeyed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, a dormant volcano and the highest mountain in Africa.

We're proud as punch of our little globetrotting, mountain-climbing explorers. One can only imagine the overwhelming sense of excitement/relief/elation/emotion/shock/awe that was experienced...19,341 feet above sea level (thank you, Wikipedia).

Terry's just glad he didn't fall out of the pocket. Plastic pterodactyls don't cope well at high altitudes, we're told.

Reds Wine Bar

Reds Wine Bar was our very first venture into the big, wonderful world of Toronto dining. And although it was a while ago...and we can't remember much of what we ate...and the menu has changed since our last visit...

           ....we still feel it deserves an honourable mention.

The food was exquisite, which is a big word for Titus...and not on account of the pricey bottles of wine that were consumed.

The restaurant and bar have a great vibe, offering not only an impressive menu, but an enviable wine list. The place was rammed, and if you're a woman hoping to knock boots with a Bay Street-type suit, then this is a good place to head to for that much-needed post-work drink.

But, it's not cheap, so make sure you find someone that's buying.

And yes, Terry found love...in the form a bottle of Hamelin Bay Rampant Red Shiraz / Cabernet / Merlot 2008 (Margaret River, Australia). At $60 a pop, she was an expensive date...a bit like Terry's mama.

Some figurines just can't hold their wine.

Terry was smitten with the Hamelin Bay red.
Titus wondered why there aren't more bottles of wine with elephants on them.

Fabulous starters. Just wish we could remember what
it was -- something and figs!

The lamb main  - so good, even though it looked like a mess.