Fonda Balam

Where? Fonda Balam (Trinity Bellwoods, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) Map Menu

When? Tuesday July 18, 2023

Who? Me

Food Style? Mexican

It’s another hot summer day after badminton, and local to the Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood is Fonda Balam. A trendy establishment serving Mexican fare, the seating layout is the first thing that catches my eye as I enter the restaurant. There’s two large U shaped tables connected by the bar area, allowing patrons to sit on the outside as the wait staff move about the inner space. There’s a quaint outdoor patio with fairy lights to match the ambience, and on a warm night like this, it’s packed.

Mains

Taco de Carnitas: fresh corn tortilla with pork carnitas, escabeche and guacamole/Taco de Lengua: fresh corn tortilla, beef tongue with salsa verde cruda, onions and cilantro
Food arrives quickly, which is good because I’m starving after playing four games in a row. I’ve gone for the pork and the beef tongue. The pork is juicy and not too fatty, the pickled jalapeño, onion and carrot add the perfect texture and balance to the carnitas. The beef tongue is perfectly seasoned, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. There’s a slight spice from the green salsa and that squeeze of fresh lime really brings everything together. I think I want something else. Do I go for dessert or have another taco?

Dessert

Postre del dia: raspberry tres leches cake
Today's dessert is a take on the famous Latin American tres leches cake - literally "three milks", refering to the evaporated milk, condensed milk and whole milk used to make the cake. When it comes out - oh my goodness. This is phenomenal. It’s so soft and moist with a strong raspberry flavour. The pistachios add a great crunch and the balance of tartness from the raspberry and sweetness from the milk is perfect. Seriously considering licking the plate clean on this one, but I’m in full view of half the restaurant because of the seating arrangement. I cannot contain my excitement and I break my introverted personality and blurt out compliments about the dessert to the waiter. That was the perfect ending to the meal, and I look forward to coming back here after badminton more often.

Posted by Jeremy at 5:20pm on Tuesday March 5, 2024 :: 0 comments ::

Sarang Kitchen

Where? Sarang Kitchen (Dovercourt Village, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) Map Menu

When? Sunday July 2, 2023

Who? Me

Food Style? Korean Fried Chicken

A newcomer to the area, Sarang Kitchen is a small restaurant at Havelock and Bloor specialising in the superior KFC - Korean Fried Chicken. In addition to their delicious foods, there is an inherent level of detail on mindfulness and inclusion, with a sensory room and sensory friendly hours for those who may feel overwhelmed by the busyness of the city life. Service is also automatically included but the thing that surprises me the most is the list of sauces on the menu with a somewhat familiar slang…



I have to ask, who’s from New Zealand? Turns out the owner spent three years teaching neurodivergent children in Wellington! The dish I’ve ordered is named for one of her students whose portrait hangs on the wall, next to a few others of her class from Tawa. I didn't get the chance to talk to her directly, but I love that Kiwi flair that she's kept in her menu.

Mains

My Number 1: Extra crispy half chicken that is loved by a very special someone, hence the name
I’ve chosen the Ka Pai - Maori for “well done” to accompany the chicken. It's juicy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. This platter is supposedly for one person but there’s no way I can eat all of this and still be mobile for badminton. It’s delicious and hearty and super satisfying, but I really want some more of that citrus-dressed salad and pickle to cut through the oily chicken. The sauce is the perfect balance of umami and sweetness.

Posted by Jeremy at 4:58pm on Tuesday March 5, 2024 :: 0 comments ::

Gochu

Where? Gochu (Britomart, Auckland, New Zealand) Map Menu

When? Wednesday February 15, 2023

Who? My Parents

Food Style? Korean Fusion

A newcomer to Auckland’s food scene, Gochu boasts modern, stylish NZ fare with Korean influences in a casual space in Commercial Bay. Gochu of course, means chilli pepper in Korean, which is where we get gochujang, the chilli paste, from. They've got a well-structured degustation with ten dishes, showcasing great pairings between protein and vegetables, and that's what my parents and I are going for tonight. Their menu is matched with an extensive list of alcoholic drinks, but I've opted for a mocktail since I'm the driver for the evening.

Mocktail

Something Fruity - pineapple, cranberry, passionfruit, lime, soda
Yeah it’s fruity alright. It’s got a nice tartness to it, the cranberry really coming through. It looks very pretty.

Appetiser

Rice crackers with tofu cream
The tofu cream is really odd and is essentially mayo with a distinct tofu flavour. It takes a while to get used to the taste, it's missing that egginess and body that mayonnaise has.

First Course

Grilled pork belly ssam
This has a really nice savoury flavour from the gochujang. It's tasty and reminds me of a nigiri. The cabbage has been pickled to balance the richness of the pork.

Second Course

Cured kingfish, apple and anchovy consommé, chilli, shallots, crispy seaweed
That broth is fantastic and vibrant, there's lots of acidity to go with the seafood. It's very appetising. The amount of chilli is perfect, the fish is smooth and satisfying.

Third Course

Seared scallops, smoked crème fraîche, apple, finger lime
The smoked crème fraîche is very odd by itself, but it pairs well with the scallops and helps to accentuate the charred taste from the sear. It's creamy and balanced well by the tart elements like the granny smith apple and lime.

Fourth Course

Fried chicken slider, gochu mayo, korean pickles
That sauce is amazing, this is fusion at its finest - a pairing of two different cuisines coming together harmoniously. The chicken itself is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, the bread is soft and buttery. I'm having a really good time, and I want three more of these.

Fifth Course

Crispy eggplant, doenjang glaze, tofu cream, sesame
The eggplant has a great texture, and the tofu cream is more suited with this dish than with the rice crackers. Doenjang is a bean curd paste that is similar to miso, the glaze here is tasty and savoury, but not as orgasmic as the Gochu mayo in the sliders.

Sixth Course

Chargrilled pork ribs, soy glaze, spring onion kimchi
This has a beautiful, intoxicating smell. I love the crispiness of the crust and how succulent it is on the inside. That spring onion kimchi elevates the perfectly cooked meat. It's one of those dishes that begs the use of hands over utensils, and I'm determined to get the most out of these ribs. It's definitely finger licking good.

Seventh Course

Heirloom tomatoes, fennel, korean mustard, chilli
I love the vibrant, summery colours - this shows good use of local, seasonal produce. The fennel provides a nice pepperiness, and I'm a big fan of the mustard and chili oil combo, but it doesn’t quite match the flavour of the tomatoes and fennel.

Eighth Course

Wagyu skirt, soubise, pickled shiitake, crispy oyster mushroom, perilla
The wagyu course takes a while to come out but it’s very good. It's got a delicious umami taste, and is very meaty and satisfying. The crispy oyster mushrooms are surprisingly good, and I don't even like mushrooms. I love the crunchy perilla; it’s like a refined teriyaki sauce that isn’t sweet, and it’s very good and beefy. The rice is a much needed starch to soak up that sauce.

Ninth Course

Grilled brocollini, doenjang, rice crumb, lemon
There's a lovely crunch from the puffed rice. I've seen this vegetable done with almonds, but using rice is more on point for this style of cuisine. The sauce is light and doesn’t clash with the wagyu sauce.

Tenth Course

Burnt cheesecake mousse, basil, crispy rice, rhubarb granita
This is a very strange combination of flavours and textures. There's the sweet component from the mousse, which tastes deliciously caramel-like, and is more the texture of smooth peanut butter. The rhubarb granita is quite tart and doesn't match the flavour of the mousse at all, and then there's the crunchy rice. It’s not unpleasant, just very perplexing. I think this would have been better if they had used a flavour like injeolmi instead of rhubarb, which is a flavour I find in many of Toronto's bingsu stores. In fact, they do serve a bingsu here, it's just not part of the degustation.

All in all, a very strong meal, with a slightly disappointing dessert to end the night.

Posted by Jeremy at 2:03pm on Tuesday March 5, 2024 :: 0 comments ::

Rita

Where? Rita (Aro Valley, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu

When? Thursday January 19, 2023

Who? James, Navi, Rob, Jill, Jordan

Food Style? Contemporary New Zealand

I'm back in my home city, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, where I've been working from my Airbnb for the past two weeks with one of my colleagues. It's been four years since I was last here, and while the city doesn't appear to have changed much physically, many restaurants have been lost to the pandemic. In their place, though, new restaurants have opened up and have started to gain popularity as Wellingtonians flock back to the CBD. One of them is Rita, nestled between the Garage Project Taproom and Te Aro Fish Supplies on Aro Street, Aro Valley. The restaurant is small and narrow, and only sits a few tables, so bookings are essential. The owners are the same as Nikau Café's, a popular spot on the culinary scene in the capital, so I know the food here is going to be excellent.

Rita exemplifies everything I love about Wellington fine dining - heavy emphasis on celebrating local, seasonal produce, elevated food with interesting flavours, and beautiful, artistic presentation. At Rita, there is no menu for you to choose from. Instead, it's omakase style; the restaurant serves whatever they've decided for the day and you sit and enjoy with a drink in hand. Today, there's six of us, we've ordered a dinner each and will be sharing the sides.

Amuse Bouche

Proscuitto and nectarine
An interesting combination of salty and sweet to start the meal. It's simple, but it's nectarine season and they've purposefully chosen this as a reflection of their local, seasonal philosophy.

Sides #1

Zucchini fries and saffron aioli
Chopped into large sticks and fried with a tempura batter, these zucchini fries are beautifully seasoned and that distinctive saffron taste comes through nicely in the rich, creamy aioli.

Sides #2

Mozzarella, figs, basil and hazelnut
The mozzarella is home made, pairing nicely with the fragrant basil oil, the sweet fig and the earthy, nutty toasted hazelnuts.

Entree

Smoked trevally and pea sauce
It's been an excellent start so far. The fish is deliciously meaty, soft and juicy with a non-overpowering smokey essence. The pea sauce is fresh and tasty, and the dollop of mayonnaise on the side helped to bring both of the elements together.

Mains

Grilled lamb leg and white beans
The lamb is cooked perfectly, juicy with a slight pink center. The jus is incredibly appetising, but there were some slightly strange-tasting herbs with the white bean that reminded both me and Navi of toilet cleaner. Nevertheless, I was glad to have that slice of home-baked bread to mop up all that sauce.

Dessert

Angel Food Cake with Nectarine Sorbet
The cake was soft and fluffy, and served with a very subtle nectarine sorbet. Sprinkled with pistachio for that extra crunch and another nice summer throwback with some fresh raspberries on the side to add that tartness. This had a great summery feel and it was nice to circle back to the nectarine from the amuse bouche.

The whole meal took around 2.5 hours but I was reasonably full afterwards. It was a lovely night with excellent company and delicious food.

Posted by Jeremy at 2:50am on Sunday October 29, 2023 :: 0 comments ::

Little Penang

Where? Little Penang (Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu

When? Saturday January 14, 2023

Who? Me

Food Style? Malaysian

LP is one of my favourite places in Wellington. They’ve established themselves as one of the city’s top casual eateries, serving home style Malaysian fare. Uncle Keith and Auntie Tee have been at this for over 11 years; I remember their small little stall on Manners St where they first opened, and now, they've got a larger restaurant. The pandemic has really been difficult for them, with staff shortages and closures that have been prevalent throughout the hospitality industry. Still, when I came to visit, the place was busy and full of people wanting to taste the delicious food, and I was genuinely touched when Uncle Keith recognised me in the queue and came over to give me a hug. Today, I’m by myself and I’ve ordered my favourite dish, the char kuay teow.

Mains

Char Kuay Teow: Flat rice noodles fried with prawns, Chinese pork sausage, chives and beansprouts
It arrives quickly. Spicy, peppery and with generous servings of Chinese sausage to give it that extra smokiness, this is just how I remember it. It’s been long enough since I was in Malaysia that I’m craving good Malaysian food again, so this has definitely hit the spot.

To be honest, I love a lot of their menu items. You don't often see otak-otak on Malaysian menus in New Zealand, and here it's served with beautiful aromatics like lemongrass and ginger in a banana leaf pouch. I love Auntie Tee's claypot rice and hokkien char as well. And when I'm feeling particularly in the mood for sweets, the pandan cakes really hit the spot too. I genuinely wish them all the success in the world because they deserve it. Their food is some of the best Malaysian I’ve had outside of Malaysia and I’ve always raved about to anyone that will listen.

Posted by Jeremy at 2:36am on Sunday October 29, 2023 :: 0 comments ::