Kinton :: Lunch with Memie

Kinton Pork Shoulder Rice & Japanese Green Tea

included as part of the $12 lunch special (with selected ramen)

{ The amount of meat provided with this side dish is quite small, though savoury. If you are hungry or plan to order a drink than the combo special is worth the extra $2 if you are planning to order ramen from the selected ramen menu. If you plan to try a different ramen or don't plan to order a drink - skip this. }

Garlic Spicy Ramen

chili pepper, kinton pork, bean sprout, scallion, fresh granted garlic

Cheese Ramen

miso and light soup, swiss cheese, kinton pork, bean sprout, corn, basil

{ Today, I tried the Cheese Ramen after all the hype that I was hearing from my friends. I was told it was a unique ramen that everyone had to try at least once. In my opinion, Cheese Ramen is not for everyone - you either love it or hate it. However, upon trying the Cheese Ramen, I must say I'm not on team 'love it'. I tried Kinton once before, during opening week, and nothing stood out for me. However, I tried the Miso Ramen last time and found it quite salty. Since Kinton has been open for awhile now & the hype was still buzzing, I decided that I would give it another try. Unfortunately, the miso & light soup base is still quite salty, and generally I enjoy salty things which says a lot! My friend Memie had the Garlic Spicy Ramen and had the same comment about her meal. Also, I found that even trying to mix the swiss cheese evenly before it melted and clumped it didn't help. The cheese clumped into 2 large chunks and imprisoned the ramen within it. I would recommend that you take out all the cheese and place it in a separate bowl and slowly pick it off and garnish your ramen with it while you eat it. The combination of the cheese being clumped and the salty soup base - the ramen was too much for me to eat & was quite filling. It's probably since potassium/salt is used in the process of making cheese to maintain its soft texture - the additional salt in soup base made the cheese morph & taste a little weird.  This was one meal I haven't finished a very, very long time. Perhaps, if it were dinner I would have finished more of my meal. I personally would not recommend Kinton, though I have heard others rave about it. Personally, I woud recommend Sansotei for a more consistent and savoury taste that isn't too salty. }

Kinton Ramen

51 Baldwin Street

Toronto, ON M5T 1L1

website :: menu

Milestones :: Catherine's Post-Convocation Dinner

Milestones' Original Bellini

a frozen blend of premium white rum, peach liqueur, and sparkling white wine, topped with Boone's sangria

{ My favourite alcoholic drink! Super tasty - you don't really taste the alcohol when you mix the red liqueur on the top. It tastes like a yummy peach slushy! Plus it comes with a super cute animal! I actually have a jar of these animals at home :) }

Roasted Garlic Caesar Salad

Reggiano cheese, Asiago cheese, Ciabatta croutons and Milestones' signature Caesar dressing

{ Caesar salad was average - tastes like your typical restaurant Caesar salad. The bacon was yummy and added more flavour to the salad - I just wish they provided more bacon to balance the portion of lettuce. }

Milestone's Breakup Tub

an individual sized tub of cookie dough ice cream, house-made caramel and chunks of Milestones' very own house-baked double chocolate cookie

{ Delicious! Super yummy dessert to share with a friend, especially if you love cookie dough ice cream, caramel, & double chocolate cookies. My favourite parts were the cookie dough chunks & double chocolate cookie bits - and I'm not even a huge chocolate fan. This dessert definitely hits the spot. Even though it is said to be an individual sized tub - however, after eating dinner this tub is a little hard to finish! But of course there's always room & time for dessert! }

:: This portions are part of Milestones' Monday "Girls' Night Out" Special - $40 for 4 Bellinis & 4 Select Appetizers ::

Milestones'

Multiple Locations 

website :: girls' night out menu

Su&Shi Noodle Bar :: Quick Dinner with Family

Salt & Pepper Calamari Rings ($7.99)

Chicken Katsu Curry ($10.50)

breaded chicken & vegetables

Rock'N Roll ($12.95)

crab meat, green onions, avacado and cucumber; topped with chopped tuna, sprinkled with tempura bits & drizzled with unagi sauce

Su&Shi Noodle Bar

3401 Dufferin Street

Toronto, ON

Cora's :: Breakfast with the Famjam

Blueberry Pancakes

{ Great pancakes! Cora's has definitely improved their pancakes from when they first opened the franchise in Ontario a couple years ago. The batter used to be too sweet, but since my grandfather was in town and trying Cora's for the first time - he shared a part of his hefty four-huge-pancakes portion with me. The pancakes are light and fluffy and just right in terms of sweetness! Now trying the pancakes again, I will definitely order this again in the future. }

Theo Omelette

Bagel & Lox

{ My all time favourite from Cora's! I order this 95% of times that I have been to Cora's - and that's quite often! If it's not the Bagel & Lox - It's the Poached Eggs with Cottage Cheese. }

Cora's

Multiple Locations

website

Smash :: BBQ Chicken Salad

BBQ Chicken Salad

crisp romaine, roasted corn, avocado, bell peppers, red onions, cashews, wonton crips, four cheese blend, honey dijon vinaigrette

{ This is one of my all-time favourite salads. I would most definitely recommend this salad to anyone. The only thing is the BBQ Chicken Salad is normally served with a different dressing - I always substitute that dressing for the honey dijon vinaigrette since I prefer honey dijon over the regular choice. But other than that the portion is generous, the salad is extremely tasty, and the service is great. I've been a long time customer of Smash - and Bluestone (its prior space occupant) and Cliff the waiter remembers what my family and I ordered the previous visit every time. Right down to the substitutions and drinks. I don't even have to order anymore when I sit down. He's amazing! }

Smash Kitchen & Bar

4261 Highway 7 East

Unionville, Ontario

website :: menu

Drake Café :: Date Night with Sangrias, Gnocchi, & Pork Belly

:: Drinks ::

Sangrias

white :: fresh seasonal fruit, white wine, Tromba tequila + grapefruit soda

red :: fresh seasonal fruit, red wine, orange brandy, Angostura bitters + soda water

{ Between the two sangrias, the red one was my favourite. It was sweeter, whilst the white was bitter. I was quite surprised that I favoured the red one more since typically I like white wine better, but it should also be noted that I don't care for the taste of tequila. }

:: Snack + Share ::

Mushroom Gnocchi

potato ricotta gnocchi, seasonal wild mushrooms, shaved pecorino + spinach

{ Delicious! Loved the gnocchi - it was very light and fluffy. It wasn't chewy despite the fact that the gnocchi was much larger than your average gnocchi. The sauce was tasty as well. }

:: Feast + Share ::

Crispy Pork Belly

scallion ginger sauce, spicy mayo, snow pea leaves + king oyster mushrooms

{ The crispy pork belly tasted very similar to Chinese barbecue pork - even the crunch skin. There were definitely Asian influences in this dish. The scallion ginger sauce also reminded me of Chinese ginger sauces that are provided with barbecue meat and the mushrooms were well coated in a teriyaki like sauce. The snow pea leaves were cooked impeccably - they were amazingly crunchy and tasty - not burnt and chewy }

Drake Cafe

1150 Queen Street West

Toronto, M6J 1J3

website :: menu

Starbucks :: My Favourite Custom Frappuccino

Mint Chocolate Frappuccino

Matcha Green Tea Frap Base

Soy Milk

Shot of Peppermint Syrup

Chocolate Chips