SerenadipityEats

Eater first. Hiker second. I live to indulge in food. I hike so I can guilt-free-ly indulge in LOTS of food. Calorie is a unit of measure that tells how good food tastes ~ Anonymous

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Food Trucks!! (Toronto, Canada)

Here's basically a compilation of all the food truck eats I consumed within 2 weeks.  I had to eat a few of these as afternoon snacks just because my eating itinerary was so full yet I was so determined to try some of these popular food trucks.  So many many many more things I wanted to try...

What I ordered at Hogtown Smoke...

Smoked beef brisket sandwich was amazing.  Especially the pieces with fat attached to it.  

AND

Pulled pork sandwich which was a tad dry though had great flavours.

At Queens Quay by the Harbourfront Centre were 3 shipping containers which served (from left to right) specialty hot dogs, lobster rolls, and burgers.

Kimchi Dog (Korean vermicelli).  Nothing special with the hot dog though the toppings made it interesting.

Lobster roll with lots and lots of lobster meat!!  Also the jasmine tea flavoured ginger ale was super gingery which I loved!

What I ordered at Gourmet Bitches...

...Steak sandwich 

So glad they have a beavertails food truck now.  My favourite combination of cinnamon sugar and lemon juice aka Killaloe Sunrise. 

They were filming Mary Browns for some show one time I was lining up at Buster's Sea Cove. 

Lobster roll from Buster's Sea Cove

These mini donuts were sooo addictive!  I finished the whole bag in minutes.

The making of the blooming onion.  I think that contraption is to carve out the middle part of the onion.  I didn't try this, though it looked so cool.   

By the way, I checked on Toronto Food Truck's Facebook page each day to figure out where they would be situated. 

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Electric Mud BBQ (Toronto, Canada)

Crack rolls with house made whipped butter ($3.75) made from the caramelized drippings from their smoked meats, giving it such an addictive smoky and subtlely sweet flavour.  Couldn't stop eating these warm rolls with this amazing butter!  I am not embarrassed to admit I licked that tiny cup holding the butter all clean. 

Corn that was cheesy, creamy, finger lickin' good.  Enough said. 

Fried chicken ($9.50).  Right up there with The Stockyards.  

Shrimp and grits ($14.50).  

Pork ribs ($14.50).  Really tender meat.   I gnawed on that bone till I was sure no meat or sauce was left. 

Mud pie ($5).

Really enjoyed pretty much everything I tried here.  Electric Mud BBQ has a really relaxed and laid back vibe while serving tasty food.  No reservations so it is advisable to get here early if you are one of those who hate waiting in line.  You could always do takeout though. 

WHERE: 5 Brock Ave, Parkdale, Toronto

WHEN: Open M-F for dinner.  Closed on Tuesdays.

http://www.electricmudbbq.com/

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121 BC (Central, HK)

Our drinks (plus an orange wine!!) to keep us hydrated during our meal.  

Grilled octopus with chickpeas and olives ($150).  Octopus was tender and flavours were good, although the dish as a whole was a bit salty.  

Potato ravioli with cherry tomatoes, anchovies, and olives ($150).  The ravioli was a bit too al dente, almost to the point of being undercooked. 

Clams with cavatelli, chilli, prosciutto, and roast cauliflower ($170). Our favourite dish of the night. 

Hanger steak with potato, anchovy, and watercress ($220).

Where: 42-44 Peel Street, Central, HK

When: Tues-Sat 5:30-late

Reservations: Yes. 

http://121bc.com.hk/

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Nocturne (Central, HK)

A newish Japanese whisky bar I recently visited.  Very small and intimate.  Sat at the bar that night to catch all the action.  

Old Fashioned made with the 12 year Yamazaki.  Smooth though a tad on the sweet side. 

We were told to check out their selection of wine upstairs.  And to bring our cameras haha. 

Where: 35 Peel Street, Central, HK

Reservations: Yes, and a must.

When: 6pm-12am

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The Roundhouse Taproom (Central, HK)

Things have been insanely busy so it's been difficult to post what I've eaten recently.  Instead of writing too much, I'll just be lazy and upload photos (plus some blurbs of foods that I've LOVED) of what I've eaten the past few months in this and later posts.  

This was a Texas barbecue and craft beer kind of night.  

Beer tasting platter 

Our combo platter ($320) which included pulled pork and beef brisket (both insanely tender and delicious with just the right amount of fat and smoky flavour)  Sides included potato salad and cheezy squash (or pinto beans, which we didn't try that night).   

Where: 62 Peel Street, Central, HK 

When: Tues-Sat 6pm-12am, Sun 12-9pm, CLOSED ON MONDAY

http://roundhouse.com.hk/ 

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Eye-catching signage in LKF 

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Chôm Chôm (SoHo, Hong Kong)

After leaving my name and number with the host and being told that it would be a while before we would get seated, we wandered around SoHo with our growling stomaches trying to think of another restaurant to eat at. Less than 5 minutes later, we were told we had a table!!   Not wasting any time we quickly ordered since we knew exactly what we wanted to try. 

Pho-jito with pampero blanco, lemongrass syrup, lime juice, mint, thai basil, pepper, soda ($88).  Extremely refreshing and I loved the subtle spicy kick after each sip. 

Crispy spring rolls with pork, mushrooms and vegetables ($68) 

Pho rolls with grilled beef, rice noodles, and purple basil ($78).  Tasty and appetising, though this kind of made me long for pho in soup.  

Grilled eggplant with crab meat, steamed egg, spring onion, mint, coriander ($98).  This was delicious and I wish I didn't have to share this with anyone. 

VFC (Viet fried chicken wings, garlic, coriander, mint) ($88).  We made the mistake of only ordering one of this.  Should have made 3 separate orders.   Hands down best dish of the night!

Lemongrass chicken skewer.  This was okay but we could have definitely gone without it. 

Shaking beef - beef tenderloin, watercress & rocket salad ($158).  Glad there was a bowl of rice to go with the perfectly tender and flavourful beef and veggies. 

For dessert, we were looking forward to trying their Viet Coffee Affogato with Saigon cinnamon ice cream, caramelized condensed milk, and rice krispies, but were told they no longer make it even though it was on the menu.  :(  

Even though I like this new Chôm Chôm, I find myself missing the old one, especially their pho in soup.  Still, the dishes here are delicious and the atmosphere is relaxing and fun making it a great place to catch up with friends.

Reservations: No

Where: G/F BLK A, No.58-60 Peel Street & No.16A Elgin Street, Central

When: Mon-Fri: 6pm-1am, Sat, Sun & Public Holidays: 4pm-1am

http://www.chomchom.hk

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Brickhouse (Central, Hong Kong)

Hidden in an alleyway, beside the stall that sells purses on D'Aguilar St, we made our way here before the opening time in order to secure a table. 

Pretty and colourful chalkboard menu.

I felt that the cheese on the Mexican-style street corn ($55) which was made with chili , mayo, lime, and queso really overpowered the taste of the corn. 

I've never been a huge fan of beets, though the home beet fries ($65) with sweet chili aioli and green onion may have converted me.  

The taco platter ($240) of rib eye, pulled pork, fish, chicken, and veggie which included cauliflower was just ok.  I think I can't help but compare this with other taco platters I've had back in Toronto and this one at Brickhouse just cannot compare in terms of taste and value for money.  Tacos are always in my mind supposed to be cheap, but that could be due to my lack of knowledge and experience with Mexican food.   Setting all bias aside, flavours weren't bad, just not memorable.   

I think Brickhouse's appeal is due to the fact that there aren't many other Mexican restaurants in HK that serve decent Mexican fare.   I've been meaning to go back to try their other dishes (though I've yet to), but new restaurants popping up everyday make it difficult to lure me back here.  

Reservations: No

Where:  G/F, 20A D'Aguilar St, Central, Hong Kong 

When: Mon-Thurs 5pm-3am, Fri-Sat 5pm-5am

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My lovely afternoon at Island East Markets. Started off with one of Jason Cevallos's perfectly balanced cocktails - gin, coconut, ginger and tonic; some BBQ sausage on toast; Mr. Bing's original Beijing crepe; ahi tuna; pulled pork; and ended my visit with another cocktail.

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Gin, coconut, ginger, tonic on a perfect Sunday afternoon #jasoncevallos #chicago #islandeastmarkets #amateurgourmet #hk

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#ebiburgerwithegg #mcdsinasia #hkeats

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One of their better seasonal specials in my opinion!

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Newest limited edition burger! #lovemcdsinasia #tonkatsuburgerwithegg #hkeats

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Lobster linguine with lobster cream sauce #ultimatebrainfood #nomnomnom (at Café Landmark)

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Fresh crabmeat salad with avocado and tofu in sesame vinaigrette (at Café Landmark)

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The Gabardine (Toronto, Canada)

Settling for a gastropub in the heart of the financial district known to offer decent grub, I decided to order the sirloin bacon cheeseburger ($18) and the Okanagan Spring pale ale on tap ($8) after I was told their corned beef on rye was sold out.  

And thank goodness for that because this was the juiciest, tastiest, most umami-filled burger I've had in a loooong time. This burger with humble accompaniments of tomato and lettuce beat all other fine dining burgers with their fine dining ingredients WAY out of the park.  

Other things my friends ordered: 

Shrimp po'boy ($16) with tomato relish, butter lettuce and aioli. 

Ontario whitefish in soft corn tortillas with avocado crema, red cabbage slaw and and salsa verde ($16) 

Didn't try their dishes though I think I can safely assume it was delicious by the satisfied looks on everyone's faces.  This is definitely going on my must eat list every time I'm back in TO.  I would love to try their other offerings but not sure I have the strength to stay away from their AWESOME burger!  

Price: Most lunch menu items were under CAD $20.

Reservations: Yes for dinner, not for lunch.  Call [phone].

Hours: Closed Saturday and Sunday.  Monday-Friday 8am-10pm.

Address:  372 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, Canada

http://www.thegabardine.com/

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Edulis (Toronto, Canada)

As soon as you walk up to Edulis, you immediately know you're in for a non-pretentious meal.   The food in my opinion was far from simple; the chefs were able to let the ingredients shine on its own without overpowering it with crazy culinary tricks.  

We settled on the carte blanche ($50 for 5 dishes) since we figured it was a good way to sample many of their dishes. 

The Smoked Copper River salmon accompanied with beet puree, sweet pea blossoms and beet sauce was just so perfectly tender without any fishiness at all.  A great start to the meal.  

Roasted halibut in cucumber soup with razor clams and sea asparagus. Everything just tasted extremely fresh and the cucumber soup was really refreshing in the summer weather. 

The roasted white asparagus had a light smokiness in its flavour with the cured ham adding a bit of saltiness, the arugula giving a touch of bitterness (not too much though, just the perfect amount) and some acidity from the salsa verde.  Another perfectly balanced dish.    

Rabbit with picarone peppers, lobster mushrooms, greens, garlic, and sweet onion puree.  I'm starting to sound repetitive now; every element on this dish was sooo good.  

Finally, we ended our perfect meal with the perfect dessert.  Not too sweet though it had great balance between different textures: from the crunchiness of the sunflower seeds, to the softness of the golden nugget squash, with the corn cake adding a bit of bite and with everything being enveloped in a delicious sage cream.    

This was by far one of the better and more well rounded meals I've had in a long time.  From start to finish, the meal engaged us.  I've never appreciated these seasonal ingredients as much as I did that night, where the chefs did a superb job highlighting each one with the perfect supporting cast.   I would definitely revisit if I had more time in Toronto and not an exceedingly long list of other restaurants to try.

Reservations: Yes.  Make online or call [phone]. 

Address: 169 Niagara Street, Toronto, ON, Canada.  

http://edulisrestaurant.com/