Visited Willie and Juan's in Orleans yesterday on St.Joseph Blvd. Went in late aft for a few snacks so the review is not going to include mains this time. Seated right away in a booth, restaurant only had two other customers. Had a hurricane to drink which was very well made. Ordered the chorizo sausage with two dipping sauces and the mix platter which included quesadilas, fried zuccini, asiago cheese dip, and freshly fried tortillas.
Everything came fairly quickly as it should since there were very few other customers.
The sausage claims to be home-made and I definately agree that it was. Actually very delicious although it was supposed to come with two sauces, one being a mustard sauce, but was just plain everyday dijon which I thought was wrong. It is quite easy to make a mustard based sauce and they went the easy route on that.
Next the sharing platter, the guacamole was freshly made and the quesadilas were not overly stuffed, the right amount of cheese and stuffing. It does not come with a salsa which I found a bit odd, but the waitress was nice enough to bring it as soon as we asked for it.
The asiago cheese dip was warm but a bit too rich for my liking, really too heavy to be an app, something more suited to be shared among 4 or 5 guests. Lastly the zuccini, freshly battered and fried and topped with a mexican cheese that resembled parm. The zuccini was a huge hit as it really was very freshly prepared.
Finally the service, generally I was pleased with the service and the food came out fairly quickly, however at the end of the meal our waitress wasnt seen for a good 10-15 minutes. Last time she had come to check on us we were 3/4 of the way completed so I assumed she would come shortly to check on us again which sadly didnt happen. So definately lose a mark on that one.
All in all a good meal, and if you find yourself out by Orleans or live there and havent tried it I definately recommend it.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Edoko Japanese Cuisine - Tempanyaki
Time for another review. This time of Japanese Cuisine on Queen street between Metcalfe and Elgin Street.
Walked in and was seated immediately, drinks were ordered and I had gone for the House Saki, drinks came very promptly. Going over the menu and you will see plenty of tradtional Japanese tempanyaki favourites such as Beef and Chicken Teriyaki, Salmon, Shrimp and Duck. Sushi is also available but that is usually served in the common restaurant room rather than the tempanyaki room.
We were seated infront of a large grill plate and the drinks were served and it was time to order. For apps Ika Ten which is lightly fried pieces of squid served with soy and pork spring rolls were ordered. For the main I ordered the Chicken and Beef combo and my guest ordered the Duck. Mine was with the salad and my guest ordered the soup.
Sadly the wait for the apps was a little longer than expected, we waited about 15 minutes and the place wasnt super busy. When the apps arrived they were exactly as described and not overly oily. Both apps tasted quite good and I would order them again. The springroll was crisp, very little oil dripped out and very flaky. Meat inside was tender and just the right amount of onion. The squid was crispy as well but just a bit chewy on the inside, but not enough to complain too much. However for the salad and soup to arrive took way too long, I would say almost 15-20 minutes, the problem was though with what arrived after that length of time. I wasn't expecting a bit of iceberg, one slice of tomato a few shreds of carrot and two cucumbers and a few drops of ginger sauce. The soup was a clear both with a few mushrooms floating on it and some chopped green onion. Neither was flavorful and so simple that it should have taken 30 seconds to put together and get out to us. I understand waiting between your apps and the salad arriving but first of all the salad and soup should have been first and secondly the portion was quite small and could have come out a lot earlier.
After the dismal salad and soup the chef came out to do the mains. He started with preping the veggies and flaming onion. As he dropped the veggies on the grill plate, he began to show off his flare. Lots of fun and entertaining tricks, which included a flaming onion. Not overly chatty with the guests like they do at some other places but fun to watch nonetheless. He started with the chicken next on the grill and the duck. The duck was quite a large portion and was topped with teriyaki sauce, garlic butter, green onions, broth and soy and served. The chicken and beef were done next, beef was asked to be rare, although a couple of pieces I would say were raw and had no sear. It seemed during the cooking portion the chef was rushing a bit and the flare stopped as well. When cooking he just kept tossing the food over itself and then serving it drenched in sauce. Noodles and rice are also served, the rice can be asked to be fried rice but we opted for the white and the noodles are also done on the hot grill plate. Meats are served with two sauces, ginger and sesame. The ginger is similar to many other Japanese places in the city with no exceptional qualities, and the sesame is the same, good but nothing spectacular. Having both rice and noodles was a bit too much starch and you could feel it all expanding inside fast lol. The other negative I would add is that due to the chef's rushing, the sauces on the meat really didnt get a chance to flavour the meat or veg too much and it was a bit salty. For dessert they had fried banana and various icecream, but we decided against it. Costs for each was about 27 after taxes and tips so not overly expensive at all.
Would I return, probably. Would I recommend, well this ones gets a sure why not give it a shot recommendation, nothing strong nothing weak, a middle of the road recommendation.
Till next time.
Walked in and was seated immediately, drinks were ordered and I had gone for the House Saki, drinks came very promptly. Going over the menu and you will see plenty of tradtional Japanese tempanyaki favourites such as Beef and Chicken Teriyaki, Salmon, Shrimp and Duck. Sushi is also available but that is usually served in the common restaurant room rather than the tempanyaki room.
We were seated infront of a large grill plate and the drinks were served and it was time to order. For apps Ika Ten which is lightly fried pieces of squid served with soy and pork spring rolls were ordered. For the main I ordered the Chicken and Beef combo and my guest ordered the Duck. Mine was with the salad and my guest ordered the soup.
Sadly the wait for the apps was a little longer than expected, we waited about 15 minutes and the place wasnt super busy. When the apps arrived they were exactly as described and not overly oily. Both apps tasted quite good and I would order them again. The springroll was crisp, very little oil dripped out and very flaky. Meat inside was tender and just the right amount of onion. The squid was crispy as well but just a bit chewy on the inside, but not enough to complain too much. However for the salad and soup to arrive took way too long, I would say almost 15-20 minutes, the problem was though with what arrived after that length of time. I wasn't expecting a bit of iceberg, one slice of tomato a few shreds of carrot and two cucumbers and a few drops of ginger sauce. The soup was a clear both with a few mushrooms floating on it and some chopped green onion. Neither was flavorful and so simple that it should have taken 30 seconds to put together and get out to us. I understand waiting between your apps and the salad arriving but first of all the salad and soup should have been first and secondly the portion was quite small and could have come out a lot earlier.
After the dismal salad and soup the chef came out to do the mains. He started with preping the veggies and flaming onion. As he dropped the veggies on the grill plate, he began to show off his flare. Lots of fun and entertaining tricks, which included a flaming onion. Not overly chatty with the guests like they do at some other places but fun to watch nonetheless. He started with the chicken next on the grill and the duck. The duck was quite a large portion and was topped with teriyaki sauce, garlic butter, green onions, broth and soy and served. The chicken and beef were done next, beef was asked to be rare, although a couple of pieces I would say were raw and had no sear. It seemed during the cooking portion the chef was rushing a bit and the flare stopped as well. When cooking he just kept tossing the food over itself and then serving it drenched in sauce. Noodles and rice are also served, the rice can be asked to be fried rice but we opted for the white and the noodles are also done on the hot grill plate. Meats are served with two sauces, ginger and sesame. The ginger is similar to many other Japanese places in the city with no exceptional qualities, and the sesame is the same, good but nothing spectacular. Having both rice and noodles was a bit too much starch and you could feel it all expanding inside fast lol. The other negative I would add is that due to the chef's rushing, the sauces on the meat really didnt get a chance to flavour the meat or veg too much and it was a bit salty. For dessert they had fried banana and various icecream, but we decided against it. Costs for each was about 27 after taxes and tips so not overly expensive at all.
Would I return, probably. Would I recommend, well this ones gets a sure why not give it a shot recommendation, nothing strong nothing weak, a middle of the road recommendation.
Till next time.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Grand Pizzeria Review
My wife and I went to the Grand Pizzeria in the Market a few days ago.
When they first opened, I found the food to be top notch. The pizza tasted extremely authentic to Naples, and the service was fairly decent too. Over time though, the service level has dropped and the food is not as well done as before.
Seating was quick, and our server seemed pleasant enough. We ordered the Soup Special, which was tomato with Pasta. First off the tomato really tasted like out of a can, and the worst part the pasta was extremely undercooked. We did not eat any more than one piece each before realizing that it was all very very very undercooked. We decided to leave finish the tomato portion and leave all the pasta at the bottom of the bowl hoping the server would mention/ask us about it, but ofcourse nothing was noted.
I ordered the Calzone and my wife ordered the margarita pizza. The pizza was as it always is, crisp thin crust, good quality san marizano tomato sauce lightly sprinkled with cheese and a bit of basil. My sausage calzone was pretty good as well, with lots of salami and tasty sauce, the only complaint I would have is the crust at one end was a bit burned but not enough to make an issue with it.
You will read many reviews of this place where people complain about the quality of sauce, lack of basil on the margarita, the thin crust etc... most of those reviewers don't know quality pizza. While I would agree that sometimes the Grand doesnt deliver on service or other items than the pizza. Traditional Napolitana Pizza is done the way they do it. If those reviewers went to Naples and ordered a napolitana pizza it would be one sprig of basil in the center and I am sure they would complain.
I personally cannot stand those chain pizza places with the bready crust, loaded with crap quality toppings, and disgusting low grade cheese that is smothered on it with that thick sauce. I accept that many do like that, if you are one of them, avoid The Grand, if not give it a shot, I don't recommend their pasta's though, they are average in taste and similar to most chain Italian places. Their apps are ok if you are extra hungry and I would recommend their meatballs, and zuccini parmigana. Havent had desserts there yet, as I usually get convinced to grab a beaver tail afterwards.
One more think, if you are a fan of hot sauces, they have an excellent one that is also available at La Bottega next door.
When they first opened, I found the food to be top notch. The pizza tasted extremely authentic to Naples, and the service was fairly decent too. Over time though, the service level has dropped and the food is not as well done as before.
Seating was quick, and our server seemed pleasant enough. We ordered the Soup Special, which was tomato with Pasta. First off the tomato really tasted like out of a can, and the worst part the pasta was extremely undercooked. We did not eat any more than one piece each before realizing that it was all very very very undercooked. We decided to leave finish the tomato portion and leave all the pasta at the bottom of the bowl hoping the server would mention/ask us about it, but ofcourse nothing was noted.
I ordered the Calzone and my wife ordered the margarita pizza. The pizza was as it always is, crisp thin crust, good quality san marizano tomato sauce lightly sprinkled with cheese and a bit of basil. My sausage calzone was pretty good as well, with lots of salami and tasty sauce, the only complaint I would have is the crust at one end was a bit burned but not enough to make an issue with it.
You will read many reviews of this place where people complain about the quality of sauce, lack of basil on the margarita, the thin crust etc... most of those reviewers don't know quality pizza. While I would agree that sometimes the Grand doesnt deliver on service or other items than the pizza. Traditional Napolitana Pizza is done the way they do it. If those reviewers went to Naples and ordered a napolitana pizza it would be one sprig of basil in the center and I am sure they would complain.
I personally cannot stand those chain pizza places with the bready crust, loaded with crap quality toppings, and disgusting low grade cheese that is smothered on it with that thick sauce. I accept that many do like that, if you are one of them, avoid The Grand, if not give it a shot, I don't recommend their pasta's though, they are average in taste and similar to most chain Italian places. Their apps are ok if you are extra hungry and I would recommend their meatballs, and zuccini parmigana. Havent had desserts there yet, as I usually get convinced to grab a beaver tail afterwards.
One more think, if you are a fan of hot sauces, they have an excellent one that is also available at La Bottega next door.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Back after travels, and restaurant reviews are coming
Hi All,
Sorry for the recent lack of updates, been out of town for a few (many) weeks enjoying the sights and sounds of other cultures and cuisines. Now that I am back, it’s time to get back into the groove of the kitchen and also to the blog. For a while now I have been thinking about adding reviews of restaurants to the blog and have decided to go ahead and try it out.
Believe it or not but a majority of chefs that I would consider friends are not that hard to please in when we go out to dinner. Usually it’s because we understand what our fellow brethren are up against on a given night.
For me if I can see effort in what the chef prepared, I am a happy camper. No effort and I rarely give the place a second chance. What do I mean by effort; quite simply did they take care in prep or open up a jar or can and serve it. One of the simplest items to make for example is a classic caesar salad, when done with care can be a simple item of great beauty and taste. Done without effort and using shoddy produce shows how much the chef truly gives a damn about his customers. For me one of the biggest pet peeves is when a caesar salad comes with out of the box croutons. To me that is a massive what the fuck!
Most restaurants have bread, and after a few days have stale bread, and if they choose not to do anything with the bread, they are lazy time wasting chefs who cannot be bothered to care for the customer. To me it is unforgivable to show this lack of effort for my customers and usually it is after seeing this that one can generally guarantee how the remainder of the meal will be presented.
In the next week or so, expect to see our first review; going forward should any readers out there want a review of a specific place, please do not hesitate to ask and we will try our best to get a review out for you.
Until next time,
Happy Eating
Sorry for the recent lack of updates, been out of town for a few (many) weeks enjoying the sights and sounds of other cultures and cuisines. Now that I am back, it’s time to get back into the groove of the kitchen and also to the blog. For a while now I have been thinking about adding reviews of restaurants to the blog and have decided to go ahead and try it out.
Believe it or not but a majority of chefs that I would consider friends are not that hard to please in when we go out to dinner. Usually it’s because we understand what our fellow brethren are up against on a given night.
For me if I can see effort in what the chef prepared, I am a happy camper. No effort and I rarely give the place a second chance. What do I mean by effort; quite simply did they take care in prep or open up a jar or can and serve it. One of the simplest items to make for example is a classic caesar salad, when done with care can be a simple item of great beauty and taste. Done without effort and using shoddy produce shows how much the chef truly gives a damn about his customers. For me one of the biggest pet peeves is when a caesar salad comes with out of the box croutons. To me that is a massive what the fuck!
Most restaurants have bread, and after a few days have stale bread, and if they choose not to do anything with the bread, they are lazy time wasting chefs who cannot be bothered to care for the customer. To me it is unforgivable to show this lack of effort for my customers and usually it is after seeing this that one can generally guarantee how the remainder of the meal will be presented.
In the next week or so, expect to see our first review; going forward should any readers out there want a review of a specific place, please do not hesitate to ask and we will try our best to get a review out for you.
Until next time,
Happy Eating
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Home Made Chicken Stock
Hello again all, hope everyone had a great holiday season! Over the last couple of weeks of cooking, teaching, catering, found myself using a lot more stock than usual and thought about how often people just buy a simple stock from the grocery store. For those that haven't had the pleasure of using a freshly prepared stock, I suggest trying the following recipe for a simple chicken stock. The flavour will be immense and using a quality bird will enhance it even more so. Enjoy!
1. To make basic chicken stock, we used the bones from two organic chickens, water, 2 medium onions, 2 medium carrots, 2 stalks celery and 1/4 of celery leaves, 15 whole black peppercorns, and a bay leaf. This yields about 2 quarts of stock.
2. Remove as much fat from the chicken bones as possible. Don't worry about getting it all; you'll skim off the remaining fat before the stock is finished.
3. Place the bones in a large stockpot and add water to cover. Bring the water to a near-boil, and immediately reduce the heat to low. (Boiling causes impurities to churn in the pot rather than rise to the top where you can skim off any foam.) Cooking at a low simmer ensures a clear golden stock.
4. While the water is heating, chop the vegetables. Since they'll be discarded after flavoring the stock, they don't need to be bite-sized: quarter the onions or cut them in large chunks.
5. Peel and trim the ends off the carrots. Cut them in thirds or coarsely chop.
6. You can add the entire celery stalk, leaves and all--just be sure to clean the leaves thoroughly. Cut the celery into chunks.
7. Combine the chopped veggies, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a bowl.
8. Check the simmering stock: a layer of fat will have risen to the surface.
9. Use a ladle or skimmer to strain off the fat.
10. After the stock has simmered for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, add the vegetables to the pot. Bring the stock back to a simmer and cook for an additional 45 minutes, skimming occasionally if fat rises to the surface.
11. Strain the stock through a fine colander.
12. The finished stock should be a clear, light tan color and have little or no fat floating on the surface. The stock is now ready to use. If you don't need the full amount for soup, pour it into ice cube trays and freeze them, so you'll have small amounts ready to use.
After making this a few times, start adding a few simple herbs to change the flavor, some garlic or ginger for a nice twist.
1. To make basic chicken stock, we used the bones from two organic chickens, water, 2 medium onions, 2 medium carrots, 2 stalks celery and 1/4 of celery leaves, 15 whole black peppercorns, and a bay leaf. This yields about 2 quarts of stock.
2. Remove as much fat from the chicken bones as possible. Don't worry about getting it all; you'll skim off the remaining fat before the stock is finished.
3. Place the bones in a large stockpot and add water to cover. Bring the water to a near-boil, and immediately reduce the heat to low. (Boiling causes impurities to churn in the pot rather than rise to the top where you can skim off any foam.) Cooking at a low simmer ensures a clear golden stock.
4. While the water is heating, chop the vegetables. Since they'll be discarded after flavoring the stock, they don't need to be bite-sized: quarter the onions or cut them in large chunks.
5. Peel and trim the ends off the carrots. Cut them in thirds or coarsely chop.
6. You can add the entire celery stalk, leaves and all--just be sure to clean the leaves thoroughly. Cut the celery into chunks.
7. Combine the chopped veggies, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a bowl.
8. Check the simmering stock: a layer of fat will have risen to the surface.
9. Use a ladle or skimmer to strain off the fat.
10. After the stock has simmered for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, add the vegetables to the pot. Bring the stock back to a simmer and cook for an additional 45 minutes, skimming occasionally if fat rises to the surface.
11. Strain the stock through a fine colander.
12. The finished stock should be a clear, light tan color and have little or no fat floating on the surface. The stock is now ready to use. If you don't need the full amount for soup, pour it into ice cube trays and freeze them, so you'll have small amounts ready to use.
After making this a few times, start adding a few simple herbs to change the flavor, some garlic or ginger for a nice twist.
Friday, December 17, 2010
The Greatest Cranberry Sauce EVER!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello All,
So chatting with a few clients some of whom are using Kitchen Inspired to prepare their Christmas Dinner, and a few that have asked for pointers and tips/tricks for doing it themselves. Whether catered or done yourself there is nothing like a proper Christmas meal done from SCRATCH, that means no pre stuffed butterball, no jarred cranberry sauce, or powdered gravy. Nothing beats a pre brined turkey, pan drippings used for gravy, perfectly whipped potatoes or perhaps a potato gratin with pounds of swiss emental, a stuffing done with corn bread mmmmmmmm, getting hungry just thinking about it. With the holidays fast approaching I thought I would share with you a recipe I found online a while back on an amazing cranberry sauce. Cannot take credit for it, but oh man is it ever good. I will go on record and say for me this is the best cranberry sauce I have ever had.
With nothing more to say other than enjoy, here it is:
Spicy Cranberry Sauce with Pinot Noir Recipe
Ingredients
1 Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cranberries and fresh ginger; stir until cranberries begin to burst, 3-5 minutes.
2 Add wine and sugar; boil until mixture is reduced to 2 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes.
3 Add crystallized ginger, cumin, tumeric and five-spice powder.
Serve sauce cold or warm. Makes 2 1/2 cups.
So chatting with a few clients some of whom are using Kitchen Inspired to prepare their Christmas Dinner, and a few that have asked for pointers and tips/tricks for doing it themselves. Whether catered or done yourself there is nothing like a proper Christmas meal done from SCRATCH, that means no pre stuffed butterball, no jarred cranberry sauce, or powdered gravy. Nothing beats a pre brined turkey, pan drippings used for gravy, perfectly whipped potatoes or perhaps a potato gratin with pounds of swiss emental, a stuffing done with corn bread mmmmmmmm, getting hungry just thinking about it. With the holidays fast approaching I thought I would share with you a recipe I found online a while back on an amazing cranberry sauce. Cannot take credit for it, but oh man is it ever good. I will go on record and say for me this is the best cranberry sauce I have ever had.
With nothing more to say other than enjoy, here it is:
Spicy Cranberry Sauce with Pinot Noir Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (about 8 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 cups Pinot Noir or other dry red wine
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon each of tumeric powder and cumin powder
- Large pinch of Chinese five-spice powder
1 Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cranberries and fresh ginger; stir until cranberries begin to burst, 3-5 minutes.
2 Add wine and sugar; boil until mixture is reduced to 2 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes.
3 Add crystallized ginger, cumin, tumeric and five-spice powder.
Serve sauce cold or warm. Makes 2 1/2 cups.
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