320. Tofu Village

dobbernation — Wed, 30 May 2012 06:00:41 +0000

So as many of you know, I lived in Korea for a year. As you would expect I became a Korean Cuisine elitist. Upon returning to Toronto I was deflated by the mediocre offerings available in the city. I missed the true Samgyeopsal experience and affordable prices for just about anything (2 dollar beer and a huge galbi bbq for 10 dollars was the norm). I have ventured to several Korean restaurants in the city whenever I am feeling a bit nostalgic for Seoul food. My favorite to date is Korea House contrasted with the garbage coming out of places like Yummy Bar-B-Q.

Tofu Village located in the heart of Toronto’s Korea Town was recently featured in Toronto Life as one of the top Korean spots in the city worth visiting. I ordered items on the menu which people had raved about online: the chapchae simple stir fry and Soon Tofu. Tofu Village has great service and is a cheap and cheerful spot to enjoy a selection of traditional home cooked Korean dishes but still has me on the search for an elevated Korean dinning experience. To be continued…

We enjoyed:

Chapchae

Beef Bulgogi

Pork Soon Tofu

Fried Dumplings

Beef Bibimbap

Filed under: Food Love Tagged: korean, the annex, tofu village, Toronto

Canadian Beef Spring Dinner Party

dobbernation — Tue, 29 May 2012 10:28:29 +0000

So, I’ve had a “piece of meat,” sitting in the freezer desperate to be devoured. It had been sitting in the coldest corner of my apartment for some time. I received five cuts of beef at the Ultimate Meating with Canadian Beef in October and over the course of the Fall and Winter had been using them up in my kitchen. My last remaining cut was a massive striploin roast. So back in April I got to scheming…

On Friday I returned from a five week press trip of Europe. A day before I departed for Iceland (back in April) I attended The Dietrich Group’s Paris 1994/Gallery at Worldstage. So before I left I thought it would be a great idea to throw a welcome home party for myself (who doesn’t) slash celebration for Paris 1994/Gallery at Worldstage. It’s funny how one piece of meat can bring a group of engaging personalities together.

I contacted Canadian Beef and agreed on throwing four dobbernationLOVES Canadian Beef dinners throughout the year (one for each season) to celebrate the gloriousness that is beef while taking care to pay homage to Canada’s four distinct seasons.

The dinner was held at Darryl and Mike’s house on Queen Street East in Leslieville. Mike and I had discussed a menu before I left focusing on Latin flavours. The menu evolved, as all creative processes should. Our focus for Spring was on fresh herbs, citrus, rhubarb, asparagus and of course whipped cream.

As guests arrived we had three cocktails prepared. I made one of my favorite patio drinks from Italy “The Aperol Spritz” as well as Frangelico Caipiroska which packs a punch. We also boiled down some rhubarb with a bit of sugar then strained it, juiced it and simmered it into a reduction which we served in champagne glasses topped with cava.

The evening was a great success. The beef came out of the oven and sliced perfectly. The intense heat from jalapeno and punch in the face from excessive garlic in my chimichurri had peoples eyes bulging. Most importantly, it was so nice to catch up with everyone on a patio! The birds were tweeting and my memories of a cold and lonely winter had long gone. We finished the evening off with jar cakes made with lemon pound cake stuffed with raspberry jam and topped with lemon curd and whipped cream. Spring has sprung.

The Feast:

Frangelico Caipiroska

Aperol Spritz

Rhubarb Cava

***

Nachos

guacamole, pico de gallo

Quinoa Salad

corn, peppers, cilantro

Quesadillas

shiitake, asparagus, goat cheese, poblano cream

Sirloin Roast

chimichurri

Beans and Cream

Lemon Jar Cake

filled with raspberry preserve topped with lemon curd and whipped cream

Filed under: Food Love Tagged: canadian beef, dinner party, the dietrich group, Toronto, worldstage

319. Berber Lounge

dobbernation — Mon, 28 May 2012 06:00:37 +0000

This past winter I had the pleasure of taking a few of my friends to enjoy the lively atmosphere at Moroccan inspired belly dancing dinner and show, The Sultans Tent. During my visit I peaked down to their basement which is home to the funky BerBer Lounge. Their management advised me that they would be launching a new menu at BerBer so was thrilled to check out what they were serving up in this unique space in Toronto’s St Lawrence Market neighborhood.

I invited my friends Lucky, Steph and Vanessa along for the ride. I arrived a few minutes before the rest of the group so that I could take pictures of the exterior and interior of the restaurant. Berber is one of those spaces where you open the front door and are quickly captivated by an unexpected ambiance. The entire interior is decorated with Moroccan art, stools and wood paneling. I honestly felt as though I had just stumbled into a restaurant in Rabat…a bit of escapism in Toronto’s East End. The bar and lounge area at the front of Berber is the perfect spot to take someone on a date (take note)!

At the table, over the course of the next three hours we were served their entire menu. Chatting with the ladies we all agreed Berber would be an excellent spot to take someone from out of town or for a special occasion (read: to impress someone on a first date). The food and drink is reasonably priced, its the atmosphere they have created here that really makes Berber a romantic spot.

While the Sultan’s Tent’s menu is predominantly inspired by foods from Morocco, the Berber menu (as you can see) offers a broader snap shot of northern African cuisine and tastes of the Mediterranean. The two must have’s here are the Cambozola fritters (I ordered us an extra two before our dessert because we were so obsessed with these oozing balls of cheese) and the Chicken Supreme which is stuffed with a rich combination of gouda and caramelized onions.

We enjoyed (* notes my favorites):

Blue BerBer “Champagne” Cocktail

Pondview Gewurztraminer-Riesling, Niagara *

Puerta de Alcala Crianza, Spain *

EastDell Riesling Ice Wine, Niagara

***

The Signature Anti-Pasto

artichoke, smoked salmon, olives,

Celeriac Soup *

all spice, smoked gouda

BerBer Country Salade *

greens, pear, spiced caramelized walnuts, red onions, grapefruit, pommery dressing, rice paper basket

Cambozola Fritter *

walnut encrusted fritter, arugula, fennel, blonde frizee, champagne raspberry vinaigrette, heirloom beets

Chef’s Selection

poached moroccan octopus, scallops, shrimp, green lentils, scallions, cirtus mint vinaigrette, roasted peppers and orange

Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken Supreme *

stuffed with smoked gouda and caramelized balsamic onions, saffron mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables

Bifteque BerBer

flat iron steak, crispy pancetta confit, roasted brussels sprouts, mini white potatoes

Osso Bucco

Sicilian Ciopinno

mussels, calamari, white fish, tomato broth with capers and black olives

Stuffed Pepper and Polenta

vegan friendly option, quinoa stuffed pepper seasoned with lemon-thyme served with chickpea ragu and grilled polenta

Lavender Creme Brulee *

Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake

Filed under: Food Love Tagged: berber lounge, st. lawrence market, Toronto