Som Tum Jinda

Where? Som Tum Jinda (Downtown, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) Map Menu

When? Tuesday June 4, 2024

Who? Me

Food Style? Thai

I’m angry and hungry but I’m not angry because I’m hungry. I missed out on badminton due to a gross display of injustice and it was basically a waste of my time to show up. Thankfully it’s a warm sunny summer’s day so I decided to bike downtown and visit this Thai restaurant at Church and Gerrard. I have strong opinions about Thai food in Toronto and this one passes my high threshold for quality, and not just because it's been recommended by the Michelin guide. Last time I was here, I had a Panang curry, and today I’m back for some fried noodles.

Mains

Pad see ew beef: Flat rice noodle, egg, Chinese broccoli and soy sauce
It’s got that magnificent wok hei smokiness like all good fried rice noodles should have. The vegetables taste a little fibrous, perhaps they’re a bit old, but the dish is incredibly tasty as it is. I can’t help but ask for some chilli as well, so they bring out some dried chilli powder and some garlic chilli sauce to use to my heart’s content. It's a satisfying meal and I'm glad I came all the way here.

I’m about to head out but the waitress upsells me on dessert because it’s pandan and I just want nice things in my life right now.

Dessert

Lod chong: Pandan jelly (rice flour), melon in sweet coconut milk
It’s basically a cendol with ice cubes instead of shaved ice. But on a summers day like this, it’s sweet and refreshing and just what I need. I think the ice cubes are kind of a hindrance and the melon is still a bit frozen, but not unpleasantly so. Maybe they should have just used the melon as a way to cool the dessert down instead of having the ice cubes there. Definitely doesn’t remind me of home, it’s really missing that wonderful gula melaka and texture of the shaved ice, but it’s pretty good.

Posted by Jeremy at 12:12am on Thursday October 23, 2025 :: 0 comments ::

Sweet Georgia's Juke Joint

Where? Sweet Georgia's Juke Joint (Downtown, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America) Map Menu

When? Wednesday April 17, 2019

Who? Me

Food Style? Southern

I've left the chilly spring weather of Toronto for the green and warmth of Atlanta, Georgia. I'm here to experience some of that great southern food - though I'm not that far south, I'm sure I'll be able to get something close enough anyway.

Appetiser

Southern Starter: fried green tomatoes, crispy vidalia onions, fried okra, topped with herb goat cheese and red pepper aioli
With a name like Southern Starter, I can't resist. It comes out pretty quickly and, kinda true to the south, it's all deep fried. It's not very crispy and it could use a bit of salt, but the goat cheese and aioli adds the flavour and richness in this dish.

Mains

Juke Joint Fried Chicken: signature juke joint seasoning blend, southern mac & cheese, smoked turkey collard greens
Winner winner chicken dinner. Mac and cheese has never really been a favourite of mine, and this one is okay. Nothing outstanding. Same with the collard greens. They're a bit soggy, and they taste okay, but again, nothing to rave about. The chicken though is better. It's not as crispy as it should be and it needs a bit of salt, but there's a nice sweetness to it, it's juicy and it's satisfying enough.

Also I have forgotten that American portions are massive. I will not be needing dessert after this.

As 7pm rolls around, the entertainment starts - this is a juke joint after all. I'm staring at my leftover Mac and cheese and collard greens with disdain, but I'll chill and listen to these smooth soul tunes for a bit before leaving. I might not have had a great time with the food, but the music is pretty amazing.

Posted by Jeremy at 3:41am on Thursday January 2, 2020 :: 0 comments ::

Little DaiLo: Singaporean Hawker Popup

Where? Little DaiLo (Downtown, Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

When? Wednesday January 16, 2019

Who? Alfia, Chi and Colin

Food Style? Inauthentic Singaporean Hawker

DaiLo (literally "big brother", or in colloquial Cantonese, "big boss") is a restaurant near College and Bathurst. Chef Nick Liu combines Chinese fare with French-inspired cooking to produce elevated dim sum-style dishes to suit the western palate.

That was the first warning sign. I should have done my research before committing to this rather expensive popup event at the Assembly Chef's Hall. I have never been a fan of "Chinese fusion"; it is usually just an excuse to charge five times the price for little or no difference to the taste at all. However, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to get my hands on some Singaporean food, especially given the lack of good Malaysian in Toronto.

The second warning sign was after Chef Liu introduced himself and spoke a little about why he wanted to do a Singaporean hawker-style popup. He spent three weeks in Singapore and was introduced to the unique cuisine, and decided to take it home and share it with Toronto. Three weeks. That is not enough time to understand the complexity of Singaporean cuisine, and this became more and more evident as the night went on.

First Course

Nasi lemak with fried smelt, chicken wings and pork skewers
"Nasi" means rice. "Lemak" means rich, as in the richness of the coconut milk when it is added to rice. Together, this forms the national dish of Malaysia, Nasi lemak, which is traditionally served with a variety of sides, such as sambal, a boiled egg, ikan bilis (fried anchovies), curry chicken, roasted peanuts, cucumber and many more. Imagine my disgust when Chef Liu's interpretation had no rice whatsoever. You can't call a dish Nasi lemak and not serve rice. It is the fundamental ingredient in this dish. If he had called it literally anything else, it might have been okay - the flavours were fine, the wings were crispy, the sambal could have used a little bit more spice, the skewers had a nice coconut fragrance to it - but if there's no nasi in Nasi lemak, then it's not a Nasi lemak. It's like having spaghetti bolognese without the pasta, or escargot without the snail.

Second Course

Hainanese chicken rice
If Nasi lemak is Malaysia's national dish, then Hainanese chicken rice is Singapore's. Can Chef Liu insult two countries with one meal? The chicken is juicy and tender, but it's lacking flavour. It needs to be poached in chicken broth so that the saltiness of the liquid seeps into the meat; instead, this has been sous vide with aromatic spices like ginger, garlic, star anise and scallion. It's not bad, but it's definitely not authentic. The sauces are supposed to make this dish great, but instead I'm staring longingly at the chopped chili at the restaurant next door. Our wine pairing was a Gunderloch Riesling from Germany.

Third Course

Singaporean chili crab
Traditionally served in a massive bowl with tons of delicious sauce that is perfect for soaking up with some fried bread rolls, the chili crab is one of my favourite things about Singaporean cuisine, and the last time I had it was at the No Signboard Seafood Restaurant. This dish is probably the best looking and best tasting of the night. The salad is stunning, great acidity from the pomelo cutting through the salty rich crab sauce. The noodles help absorb the sauce and accentuate the crispiness of the crab batter. The crab is soft and tender, and tastes great, no doubt about it. It’s definitely one of those get-your-hands-dirty meal; if your table is too clean, you haven’t had fun.

Dessert

Banana coconut pancake with white rabbit candy ice cream and coconut caramel
A very sweet dessert to end the meal. Too sweet. I like the toasted coconut but the flavour balance was off. We were supposed to be served something else but there was a last minute change to the menu, and quite frankly, I'm glad the night was over.

All in all, this was an inauthentic experience. I would have been happy if he didn’t call it Singaporean. It was good food, but it fell far short of expectation, and for the price we paid, it was most definitely not worth it. It missed the mark and didn’t understand what makes Singaporean food Singaporean.

Posted by Jeremy at 5:22pm on Wednesday December 25, 2019 :: 0 comments ::

Sansotei

Where? Sansotei (Downtown, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) Map Menu

When? Friday September 21, 2018

Who? Me

Food Style? Japanese Ramen

Toronto's favourite ramen place right in the heart of the city is always busy and it’s common to see lines outside this small cosy restaurant near Dundas and University. As summer has officially ended and I have to put a hoodie on when I go outside, it’s finally acceptable to have hot soup and noodles for dinner.

Mains

Shoyu Ramen with egg, bamboo shoot and green onion
I’ve gone for the Shoyu ramen with extra chashu, or pork belly. The broth is rich and meaty, full of umami flavour. It hits the spot on this mild spring day. You can even taste some of the smokiness from the beautifully charred pork. The bamboo adds a nice crunchiness, contrasting with the creamy egg, whose yolk is barely solid - a perfect texture.

That was excellent. Don't forget that it's acceptable, even encouraged, to slurp your noodles!

Posted by Jeremy at 3:07pm on Tuesday December 24, 2019 :: 0 comments ::