Gusto 101, Toronto, Canada - 11/22/2012

We were a party of six and we were set in the back of the restaurant, right by the kitchen. Gusto 101 was completely full at 6:00PM. The decor was very trendy. Concrete and white brick walls, funky light fixtures, super high ceilings, and a very modern open kitchen where you could easily admire their seriously cute chef Daniel Mezzolo. 

Our server was very quick and attentive. We always had a couple bottles of water on the table and she was constantly making eye contact and trying to understand if we were having a good experience.

Even though Gusto has a two page wine list, I decided to follow one my friends advice and ask for their house wine. I have to admit that their Cabernet Sauvignon & Malbec blend was very light and easy to drink. It was literally a steal as we paid 1$ per ounce.

Appetizer:  I had Polipo that can be also translated as char grilled octopus. It came with olive tapenade, green beans, basil oil, and a citrus emulsion. It was a full meal on its own. The flavours were good but I did not enjoy the texture of the octopus. It was very soft and chewy. I honestly thought that I was going to get sick after eating it. 

Main: Fettucine ai Funghi - I loved every single ingredient in the menu so I had to have that dish. Portobello, oyster, and porcini mushrooms, truffle paste, and light cream sauce... It was very promising but as soon as I had the dish in front of me I started to regret. The presentation was sloppy (my picture does not lie). The truffle paste was great at first but overpowering after a little while and I was not able to eat much.

The crowd was mixed. Hipsters, young couples, girls having a night out, and the usual business folks.

The bill was not bad at all. 49$ after tax and tips. Our food came very quickly and so did the check. I would definitely come back to Gusto 101 to drink more of their house wine and share some appetizers although, I would never go back again for a full meal.

Buca, Toronto, Canada - 09/20/2012

I went to Buca five days after coming back from Rome. My rusty Italian was still in good shape, therefore communicating with our Italian waiter half in English, half in Italian was definitely the way to go. He was somewhat sarcastic, but very funny and knowledgeable. I was very happy that we had him on that night to give us a true Italian experience.

Buca is a gorgeous restaurant. It feels odd to be in a basement with ultra high ceilings, but it works so well. The texture of the walls vary a lot. The have kept the oldness of the previous "establishment" and have added modern touches to the place. Their light fixtures are grand and beautiful.

We were a party of four and we shared the appetizers. It was very yummy and well presented. I am picky and I have to say that these guys know how to cook good food. Deep fried gnocchi, prosciutto with melon, and salmon sashimi. Simple but delicious.

Deep Fried Gnocchi with lardo

Prosciutto with Melon 

Salmon Sashimi

I had duck ravioli with fois gras as main. It was a tiny dish (see picture) but it was extremely rich. Every bite I took expanded throughout my mouth as an explosion. The flavours were beautiful and well put together. I wanted to eat more because it was so good, but I felt satisfied. I paired my main with a glass of chianti classico.

Duck Ravioli

We did ask for dessert this time. Two of us had some interesting flavours of gelato. Think of lavender and basil (which I tried and they were very good). I was very adventurous on that night and I opted for sharing one of their exotic desserts (which I cannot remember the name- my bad, but when blood pudding is mixed with chocolate anything can happen, including amnesia). The issue is that we hated our dessert and we ended up not eating it. The good part is that our server was kind enough to remove the dessert from our bill.

The crowd age was between 25-45. Well dressed patrons, the usual King West folks, you probably know the drill.

The bill was okay for the quality of the food we had, although I had to mention that their wines are on the expensive side.

Momofuku Daisho, Toronto

Pomegranate, Toronto

November 18th 2012

Guu Izakaya

It is loud, it is fun, and they serve one of the best Japanese pub fair in town.

The commotion starts when you enter the restaurant. You are greeted by the servers, by the cooks, and by fellow patrons. By the end of your dinner you should be fully capable to learn a few words in Japanese. Dishes are small and meant to be shared. We had Unagi Doria, Ikapiri, Yasai Itame, Hotate Carpaccio, Karubi, Tontoro, Okonomiyaki, Kakimaio, Buta Kimchi Bibimbap, and Hokke.

I am always a fan of the Bibimbap and the Ikapiri. The Hotate Carpaccio (see picture) was also great!

Cannot wait to go again and drink a couple Passions :)

Joso's, Toronto, Canada

I heard about his place for so long that when the opportunity came, there was no way I could say no to it. This is a Croatian restaurant located in the Annex that serves great fish and seafood dishes. The owner (Joso) moved back to Croatia many years ago and the restaurant is run by his son (who it happened to be there during our visit). Our server told us that the music varies according with the manager. We had Joso’s son when we were dining so we had the pleasure to have some quiet lounge music.

I have to confess that I was not thrilled by the kitsch decoration but I knew that I was up to a treat. I took a deep breath and tried to focus on what mattered at the moment. The food. If you cannot pass through the decor, unfortunately this place is not for you. The service is made of gorgeous Croatian women dressed to kill (to say the least), which I am sure it is a great treat to the eyes of the male patrons.

We had a bottle of Pinot Grigio that came chilled and it was left in a bucket of ice throughout the meal. The servers were always very attentive and replenished our glasses when needed. We were asked if we wanted to see their fresh fish platter where they bring fresh fish from different seas and you can chose the fish that you want to eat. Of course our answer was YES!!! They claim their dishes are made to be served in an European family style, so we shared all the dishes.

Appetizer: Steamed octopus. They probably had a fancy name for it but I just remember how we ordered. It came cut in small pieces, drizzled with olive oil, garnished with capers and olives. I usually prefer grilled octopus but the steamed version was not a disappointment at all.They “steamed to perfection”.

Mains: We went for the Escorpio (gorgeous red fish) from Portugal. All fish is cooked on the grill with salt and olive oil and then they garnish with parsley and lemon. The fish was fresh and perfectly grilled. The server came and helped us to debone the fish, and she even taught me how to get the meat out of the cheeks. It was extremely tasty.

Spaghetti a la Leonardo was my favorite dish of all. Be mindful that I am a pasta lover and there is nothing more attractive to me than the combination of pasta and seafood. This beautiful spaghetti was made with shrimp, octopus, and fish (I hope I did not forget any of the main ingredients). It had this lemony fresh flavor coupled with white wine. I cannot wait to have it again.

Dessert: We did skip dessert but my friend had a Turkish coffee (not in the menu BTW).

The crowd: It was very diverse. Families with their young adult kids, couples of all sort of ages, artists, etc...

The bill: We spent 104CAD per person after tips. (I would spend it over again. It was a fantastic meal) I guess I have to put Croatia on the map of my gastronomic adventures. Hvala Joso!