New Bilan Restaurant

Beef stew with rice

Set in Toronto's Garden District and a step or two East of Jarvis on Dundas, the New Bilan restaurant does not make for a great first impression. The entrance is, for lack of a better word, sketchy, but once you've walked past the dusty computers of the cyber cafe that occupies one of two rooms in the building, you are met with a very homely atmosphere. In one corner of the restaurant is a tiny bar that possibly has never been open. The walls are clad with shields, spears and pictures of East African natives. To top it off, the friendly staff will greet you with smiles and a warm welcome.

New Bilan claims, on the sign above the entrance, to specialize in East African and Mediterranean food, but apparently the cuisine is specifically Somali. A bunch of us went in for lunch and were served some tasty soup as starters. Everyone in our party ordered one of two items - the beef stew and the chicken stew. We had heard positive reviews of their chapatti, but since they were out, we ordered rice on the side.

Chicken stew with rice

We weren't disappointed though. The rice was a delicious pilaf with raisins and assorted vegetables such as cauliflowers, roasted potatoes, red peppers, carrots, squash and fried onions. The general consensus around the table was that the chicken was better than the beef, but both were very, very good. The plates were huge and left everyone stuffed. We were served tea after our meal, which had a a great kick to it, resulting from a bit of spice and sweetness.

New Bilan seems to be a small family business with a short list of items on the menu and no website. However, kudos to the friend who discovered this place, because I will definitely be going back. You get your buck's worth and some more - where else can you find delicious food that will fill you up to the extent where it will send you to sleep and render your afternoon unproductive for only $9?

New Bilan Restaurant
183 Dundas Street East
Toronto, ON
(416) 943-0330

Recipe Break: Fried Rice

Taking a break from restaurant reviews, here's a recipe for some fried rice, good for a quick meal if you're not feeling like eating out. Feeds two and feeds well.

Ingredients

• Two large chicken breasts, or equal weight of beef or shrimp (or all three if you're feeling adventurous)
• Two eggs (beaten)
• Three cups of rice
• One large green (and/or red) pepper
• Mushrooms
• Two table spoons of chicken soup base
• Three table spoons of Chinese hot sauce
• A third of a cup of soy sauce
• Two table spoons of powdered garlic
• Two table spoons of powdered ginger
• Cooking oil

The show

First, wash the rice, set it in a pot/rice cooker along with water and the chicken soup base and let it be as it cooks.

Cut up the meat and mushrooms into tiny pieces. For shrimp, no need to cut if small enough. Cut the pepper(s) into pieces the size of match sticks. Set the meat aside from the vegetables.

In a pan, pour some oil, enough to make a thin layer throughout the surface of the pan. When the oil has heated up, add the meat and fry for 2 minutes. Add the hot sauce and soy sauce and fry for another couple of minutes. Then add the mushrooms and pepper(s), keep stirring.

In a separate pan, heat a similar amount of oil and pour in the beaten eggs, stir continuously as you fry them so that they break into small pieces. When fried (shouldn't take more than 2 minutes), dump the pieces into the pan with the meat and veggies. The meat should cook for a total of 15 minutes; that includes the amount of cooking time before and after the veggies and the fried eggs are added. The goal is to cook well enough that the mixture is wet, but not runny/watery.

When the rice is done (which it should at least almost be by now), pour it into the pan containing the meat, veggies and eggs and mix well. The final mixture should look homogeneous in color.

You should now have a product that is good to eat.

The end product

Korean Restaurant (because that's what it's really called)

After having dreams about kimchi and bulgogi at night, we decided that a Korean food run was way overdue. So today, we managed to find what is probably one of the least known Korean BBQ places in the city (I'm still sitting here trying to find a website to link to, but my efforts have been in vain so far). Having said that, the place is far from sketchy - in fact it is pretty nice and immaculate. It's your typical Korean_restaurant_in_North_America setting, with booths in the main area and small rooms along one side.

Kalbi Beef in Hot Pot

We ordered a bulgogi that came in a hot pot with a side of rice and a kalbi beef in another hot pot on a bed of rice with shiitake mushrooms and assorted vegetables. I concede that this wasn't the most mind blowing Korean BBQ I've had in my life, however, it was still very good. I will definitely go back to try out some of the other items off their BBQ. I especially liked the kimchi that came as one of the sides to our meal, which leads me to think that their kimchi entrees might be of special interest too.

Beef Bulgogi

Before I sign off, it's well worth mentioning the small Chinese section of their menu - yes, they cook Chinese food too, albeit being a predominantly Korean Restaurant, as the name so blatantly suggests. For appetizers, we had the deep fried dumplings and the hot sauce that came with it was spectacular, making for a great start to our meal.

Deep fried dumplings with sides

The address below is approximate and the directions obscure, as the restaurant doesn't seem to have a website (still looking), or the address at the entrance, so I'm giving it my best shot. I'm also attaching a Google map image to make the restaurant convenient to sight from a distance.

5928 Yonge St (approximate),
North York ON

Sandwiched between a red condo building with the Earth Indian Restaurant and a beauty parlour/Amin Income Tax/BMO, on your right if you're traveling north, past Yonge and Cummer.

Google Map Image

Jetsun's Juicy Burger

Looking for a good quick bite at a burger joint? Jetsun's Juicy Burger up in North York, as the name suggests, cooks up a decent patty. I was pretty hungry and a bit disappointed at first to see that there was no double burger on the menu, but realized why as soon as I held my burger.

The patty is thick and juicy and while it isn't the best burger I've had in my life, it is definitely very much above average and worth dropping by for lunch if you're in the area. Add some poutine and/or chili fries to your meal if you're in the mood for some extra grease.

Jetsun's does have a couple of other locations in town, namely Eglinton Avenue East and Queen Street West, so all is not lost if you don't feel like making the trip up past Yonge and Sheppard.

http://www.jetsunsjuicyburger.com
5165 Yonge St,
Toronto ON
M2M 5P5
647 350 5387

Thai Basil

When I think about the Thai cuisine, the two tastes that occupy my thoughts are that of the spicy coconut sauce and the basil. I had had a Thai food drought for too long and when we got to the parking lot, the wife was gracious enough to yield to my cravings instead of revisiting Bayview Court right next door, like she apparently had planned on the way. I had a feeling, though, that she wouldn't be disappointed, and she really wasn't.

Thai Red Curry Duck

At Thai Basil, the interior is clad with traditional Thai decorations, contributing to a positive vibe and a comfortable dining environment. Being duck enthusiasts - we cook it at home often and like to taste different preparations when we're eating out - we knew we wanted the Thai Red Curry Duck as soon as we saw it on the menu. Colorful, spicy, flavorful and mixed with cooked fruits and vegetables, these pieces of duck more than satisfied my coconut sauce cravings. But of course, that was only half the battle won.

Crispy Basil Stir Fried Mixed Seafood

For my basil needs, we ordered the Crispy Basil Stir Fried Mixed Seafood, which, as the name suggests, was an assortment of seafood items, fried but not too deep and glazed in an oyster sauce with chilli, garlic and lime juice. The Thai Basil Chilli Fried Rice, on the other hand, was good, but nothing extraordinary.

Thai Basil Chilli Fried Rice

Dessert had to involve sticky rice and mangoes (wife's orders), so we got the Mango Sticky Rice, which came with both white and black rice. Dare I say, it was better than the dessert we had at Restoran Malaysia.

Mango Sticky Rice

http://thaibasil.ca
1070 Major MacKenzie Dr. E., #F103
Richmond Hill, Ontario L4S 1P3
905.780.8788

Sushi Sushi

Because mentioning it just once in the name doesn't do justice to how good their sushi is.

Having spent a lot of time around very good all you can eat Japanese food, I was eager to try out sushi buffets in Toronto. Unfortunately, our move to the GTA was greeted with disappointments, one after another, until we decided to tread familiar territory. We had noticed Sushi Sushi Japanese Restaurant on our trips to Eddies Wok n Roll, but for one reason or the other, never ended up paying a visit.

Grilled Octopus

The sushi was amazing and so were the appetizers and entrees on both occasions, leading us to beat ourselves up for poisoning ourselves over and over at restaurants in the heart of Toronto when we knew about this place all along. Among my favorite kitchen items are the Grilled Octopus, the Garlic Beef (stir-fried with mushrooms - tasty sauce) and the BBQ Beef Ribs. It's amazing how many places get the beef ribs ridiculously wrong, but not Sushi Sushi, where their ribs, while nothing extraordinary, still exude excellence and represent exactly what you would expect when promised Japanese beef ribs.

Garlic Beef

If you're ordering the Chicken or Beef Skewers, beware that they are quite large in size. The Sesame Chicken wasn't anything out of the ordinary and I'll probably substitute it for something else next time. For instance, I had my eyes on the Grilled Saury Pacific - half a baked fish - both times I went there, but opted out at the last minute to reserve stomach space for sushi.

Before moving on to the sushi, the Hot Sour Soup is another highly desirable item on the menu that deserves an honorary mention. They really know how to make hot & sour soup, another very basic item that many places commonly make a complete mess of. At Sushi Sushi, one bowl just isn't enough.

Sashimi

I must admit I'm not a fan of their Spicy Salmon Roll, due mostly to its lack of zest and spice as well as the texture of the salmon - I prefer big, solid chunks. Neither did I like the Roast Beef Wasabi Roll - I had hoped the presence of wasabi would be more prominent, the only reason I had ordered a roll of sushi with meat in it. I don't know about you, but I like my sushi with seafood, not meats and certainly not heavily cooked meats.

Otherwise, the sushi menu completely catered to our cravings. All of the Special Rolls are good and I personally favor the Green Dragon (cucumber, avocado, shrimp tempura, crab meat, fish eggs topped with more avocado) and the Golden Dragon (green dragon topped with mango slices).

Spicy Crab Meat

 The sashimi selection is also quite delectable. I love BBQ Eel, and Sushi Sushi makes some pretty good ones. The Spicy Crab Meat Sushi gets a special mention as it makes up for what the spicy salmon lacks in terms of spiciness and texture.

While it is pitiful that every time we crave all you can eat sushi we have to travel all the way to Mississauga, a foodist has got to do what a foodist has got to do. I don't mean to completely dismiss the efforts of the sushi chefs in regions of the GTA that are closer to the heart of Toronto, but when you have a restaurant as good as Sushi Sushi, you know that competition is stiff and hard to match.

http://sushisushionline.ca
6400 Millcreek Dr
Mississauga ON
L5N 3E7
905 567 7688

Mariachi's

The wife and I had been talking a lot about Mexican food and seeing that her birthday was just around the corner, I decided to seek the advice of every (wo)man's best friend, google.com, to discover a decent Mexican restaurant in Toronto. I found a few, narrowed the list down to two and then finally, one. That is not to say that I'd die a happy man if I didn't pay a visit to some of the other ones on the list (I'll blog about them when I do), but Mariachi's seemed to fit the bill at the time for various reasons.

Mariachi's is a family business. The owners are very committed to providing a homely, friendly, comfy atmosphere as you dine. The interior is nice and cozy, the walls clad with traditional decorations and, surprise surprise, innumerable Mexican flags. As it was late (the sun had set and it was chilly outside), we decided not to go out on the patio.

Seeking variety, we went for a couple of items that would give us some diversity. We started of with the Plato de Tapas, an assortment of finger foods that changes daily. In our case, we got a bunch of potato flautas, quesadilla del dia and mini burritos. The plate came with guacamole and a hot Mexican sauce, which was my favorite.

Plato de Tapas

Our taste buds ignited  like spark plugs, we couldn't - and weren't made to - wait for the main course. Again, with variety in mind, we ordered the Parillada para dos, a ranch platter with a chimichanga, a quesadilla, flautas and - the main attraction - a variety of grilled meats, including chorizo, chicken and steak. They came with guacamole, hot sauce and sides of Mexican rice and beans. This dish feeds two and not only will I recommend it, I will go back for it, over and over.

Parillada para dos

Parillada para dos sides

Although we were planning on dessert, we were full to the brim and unfortunately had to pass. Too bad, because I had my eyes on the lava cake. But maybe next time we'll remember to reserve some space for it.

http://www.mariachis.ca
2084 Yonge Street 
Toronto, ON
M4S 2A3
(416) 481-7111

Lahore Tikka House

Located at the heart of Little India and Little Pakistan on Gerrard street, Lahore Tikka House, with all its traditional decor, will make you feel like you're in Pakistan. On one hand you have the restaurant and on the other, you have a take out booth with your typical South Asian street food.

Chicken Biryani

Your entrance to the restaurant is braced with flags of various South Asian nations including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, plus the Canadian and - oddly enough - US flags. I would have asked the staff about the US flag, but it was way too busy (as it usually is) and I was way too hungry.

I'm not a huge fan of their Haleem as I've had better in other parts of the city (and the world). It was good, but I've had better. That, however, doesn't take anything away from what a tremendous job the chefs do with the rest of the menu.


Biryani: Comes with a choice of chicken, lamb, beef, veggies, fish, or chicken tikka. Very delectable.

Karahi Gosht: One of my favorites. The spices and thick gravy make it very flavorful.

Dal Gosht: Meat cooked with daal. Beef is my preferred meat for this dish.

Karahi Beef

Brain Masala: Cow brain, offered only on weekends. If you haven't had brain before, this might be a good place to start. I'd go as far as saying this is the best item on the menu. The masala will literally cause a thousand sparks to go off in your mouth as it makes passionate love with your taste buds, converting your tongue into the firework-ridden Toronto night sky of New Year's eve.

Street Food: Fuchkas, Dohi Boras, Samosas and many more. Good for a quick snack, although I have a feeling these are only offered seasonally. They are usually in a stand right by the patio.

PS: They don't take reservations and wait times can be long.

http://lahoretikkahouse.com

1365 Gerrard St East

Toronto ON

M4L 1Z3

It's Congee Time!

If you're craving authentic Chinese food and not to mention some good congee, swing by Congee Time in North York, a couple of blocks from Yonge and Finch. Aptly named, the restaurant offers a variety of congee options to pick from. My personal favorite is the Shredded Chicken & Duck with Egg Super Bowl. The super bowls are large enough to feed two, and feed well. A dash of hot sauce and soy sauce (if that's your thing) and you're in heaven.

BBQ Combination of 3 Kinds

Moving on to the non-congee portions of the menu, the BBQ Combination of 3 Kinds is a wonderful compilation of meat, namely chicken, duck and pork, on the same plate. However, if plain boiled chicken with skin and very little flavor isn't your cup of tea, this (or at least the chicken part) may not be for you. An alternative may be the BBQ combination of 2 kinds (ask what's in it, I haven't tried it) or the individual BBQ dishes.

Pan Fried Beef Tenderloin

The Pan Fried Beef Tenderloin is another item on the menu that we found quite delectable. The wife will vouch for the large pieces of beef fried with onions in a sweetish sauce, so much so that it may be another food item that she leaves me for down the line.

I will definitely continue to frequent Congee time and blog about it as I come across a few more of all the interesting stuff on their menu.

http://www.congeetime.com/
5817 Yonge Street
North York, ON
416 225 6688

Eddies Wok n Roll

In today's world, it is common practice, across cultures, to modify foreign cuisines to suit the tastes of the local foodists. In South Asian countries, for example, Chinese restaurants often serve a spiced up version of the cuisine to the zest-loving masses. This type of hybridization, more commonly known as Hakka Chinese in North America, has spread its roots throughout the continent over the last couple of decades, leading to many a fine dining experience in many a big city in the USA and Canada.

Enough of the introductory rant. The point is, Eddies Wok n Roll, located off the 401 in Mississauga, serves ridiculously delicious Hakka. This is easily one of my favorite Hakka restaurants and I frequent it often enough to bet $5 that you won't be disappointed if you ever pay a visit.

For one, Eddies has the best Chicken Pakoras I have had. Let's just say that I wasn't much of a pakora fan, until Eddies turned me into a believer. Her Wifeness made her pakora debut here and I suspect she might leave me for them one day. Battered, spicy balls of chicken, these taste bud stimulators can get very hot on the inside (temperature-wise), so please do exercise caution when biting into them.

While we're still talking about starters, the thin, spicy Tom Yum soup is probably the best it can get. Portions are huge, so make sure to order the right size.

Chilli Beef

Karachi Chicken

Moving on to entrees, the super spicy (surprise surprise) Karachi Chicken, the milder yet high on the spice Chilli Beef and the Mongolian Chicken are to die for. If you don't try the Chicken Tandoori Fried Rice, you're missing out on one of the finest things in life, no matter how colorful your life is otherwise. We also loved the Beef Hakka Chow Mien from the Noodles section of the menu.

Beef Hakka Chow Mien

Frankly, there's very little wrong with this restaurant, other than the huge line ups, but that's just an indication of its popularity. I have usually strayed away from the vegetarian and salad menus (nothing against vegetables, just that a lot of their meat dishes give me my required dose of veggies), but everything else that I've had (and I've had a LOT of it) has been excellent.


If you're craving spice, hotness, flavor and even sizzle, Eddies is the place to be.

www.eddieswoknroll.com
6400 Mill Creek Drive, Unit # 6       
Mississauga, Ontario                      
L5N 3E7 
(905)542-8613