BanAnna's T.O. Chronicles

Chronicling what's good to eat in Toronto and beyond... with some feel-good tunes along the way.

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Naan Bread @ Amaya Bread Bar - Toronto, ON

Photo taken by: BanannaTO

This photo just makes me crave sopping up some chicken tikka masala or saag paneer with this delicious bread... yummmm...

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Hill Country Chicken, Manhattan, NYC

Taken by BanannaTO

After a long walk in the city, we decided to stop by this dives n' diner style place called Hill Country Kitchen.  Buttermilk battered fried chicken (Hill Country Classic) hit the spot and that pecan pie was absolutely divine!  The right crispiness of the caramelized corn syrup and super flaky crust made this one of the best pecan pie's I've had in a while... I just regret the girl behind the counter telling me the snack size (shown here) is plenty vs. a whopping slice. 

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Strawberry panna cotta at Rosewater Supper Club, Toronto

Taken by BanannaTO

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Pizza Persian Style @ Roses Restaurant, Toronto

Picture by banana

My good friend Sara took me to this Persian "fast food" joint.  A popular place amongst club goers after hours, you can get classic dishes such as burgers, hot dogs, and pizza with a twist.  Shown here is an all dressed pizza with sausage, bologna, sweet sauce and spicy too...   The meat on the pizza had those yummy middle eastern flavours (like  cumin and coriander) which gave it that nice kick.  

It was nice to see other cultures and people putting their twist on western fast food.  They apparently do eat this in Iran too after some hard partying.  Looking forward to trying some authentic Persian food next!

[banannato]

Pork Buns @ Momofuku Noodle Bar (NYC) - 3 mouth watering pics taken by BanannaTO

When I was in New York a little over a week ago, I got a chance to try the much talked about Momofuku Noodle Bar (1st Ave, btwn 10th/11th St).  They're especially known for their pork belly buns.  My brother told me about these and I made it my priority to take him and the family out to try them.  We didn't go all the way to NYC to not have a proper foodist excursion!  

We were not disappointed.  These pork buns have been recreated by even the most "poshy" restos in Toronto with poor results, in my humble opinion.  As I mentioned before, I've tried many variations of this appetizer.  But I can now honestly understand what the hype is all about.  Much like Burger Priest, what really got me was the fluffiness and the perfect taste of the bun.  Believe me, I've had my fair share of stale, chewy, and dense steamed buns.  The bun was heavenly in itself, perfectly flavored.  Just like the perfect pairing of foods like tomato & basil, or chocolate & raspberry, having the richness of the pork belly combined with the bun that soaked up the sauce and all the yummy pork fat drippings was a taste experience I cannot fairly describe.  You'd just have to try it out for yourself.  

What I love most about these food experiences is the fact that it's such a simple and delicious dish: bun, pork, hoisin, scallion, and cucumber.  Yet, as with everything in life  simplicity often beats the frivolous and the ostentatious.  It was a balance of the right amount of ingredients that made it not too saucy, not too greasy, and not too dry.

I'm glad I got a chance to try Momofuku before the Toronto location opens up next month to ridiculously long lineups.  I'm so happy I'm just a hop skip away from NY!  Until the next food excursion... 

[banannato]

Phoebe Damrosch, author of Service Included pointed out that, in New York, “foodie” has become a derogatory term used to describe those who sit at home watching Semi-Homemade on the Food Network. Another type of foodie, an audience member added, is one who seeks out new restaurants, wines, and foods only to check them off a laundry list of places to see and be seen. Edible Brooklyn editor Gabrielle Langholtz suggested that bona fide food fans — those who read food books, travel to food destinations, and taste obsessively — could refer to themselves as “foodists,” as intense Star Trek fans go not by “trekkies” but “trekkers”.

http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2008/03/are_you_a_foodie_or_a_foodist.html

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I like to call this pic lotsa mini bites... because at one point I just lost track of what I was eating at this 3 hour eating frenzy...  

I am not a foodie.. repeat... not a foodie...  rather a foodist :-)

(@ Second Harvest's Toronto's Taste May 2012 - pic taken by BanannaTO)

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Tundra - Lobster salad with bone marrow vinaigrette, also beautifully presented...

(@ Second Harvest's Toronto's Taste May 2012 - pic taken by BanannaTO)

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Linda - Three Curries

(@ Second Harvest's Toronto's Taste May 2012 - pic taken by BanannaTO)

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George Brown, Chef House - Pork belly on cornbread

(@ Second Harvest's Toronto's Taste May 2012 - pic taken by BanannaTO)

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Fabbrica - Lamb curry with ricotta on crostini

(@ Second Harvest's Toronto's Taste May 2012 - pic taken by BanannaTO)

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Dufflets - Caramel Flan, the only one of very little desserts I could get my hands on (kiosks sold out before I was ready to move on to desserts, I'll know better next time!)

(@ Second Harvest's Toronto's Taste May 2012 - pic taken by BanannaTO)

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Chiado - Skate fish in lobster saffron sauce - very mellow tasting dish, oddly cleansing and refreshing on the palate.

(@ Second Harvest's Toronto's Taste May 2012 - pic taken by BanannaTO)

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BBQ Pork Vietnamese Buns - which I'm sure was a play off of Momofuku's famous pork buns (stay tuned for my write up and pic from NYC's Momofuku bar from this weekend!)

-  (@ Second Harvest's Toronto's Taste May 2012 - pic taken by BanannaTO)

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Buca - Elk...  this was the prettiest presentation I've seen at the show..  I'll slowly post a couple pics a day as to not cause any food sensory overload or be to blame for people's stomach's grumbling :-)

(@ Second Harvest's Toronto's Taste May 2012 - pic taken by BanannaTO)

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Summer in Toronto has been such a busy one so far... and though I have many more food pics to post on my trip to New York this past weekend, thought I'd add in some food shots taken back in May at Toronto's Taste.  This was an annual event held by Second Harvest, where all proceeds went to feeding hungry families in Ontario.  It was a food lover's dream to taste all kinds of food, local wines and beers as well as coffee and sinful desserts from some of Toronto's most prestigious restaurants and well renowned chefs such as Lynn Crawford, Mark McKewan, and Bob Blumer (pictured here) to name a few.  

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Alex Turner, Alex Kapranos & Julian Casablancas