Dessert Trends
154 Harbord Street, Toronto
416-916-8155
http://www.desserttrends.ca

While entertaining a guest from overseas, I chose Dessert Trends to go to for dinner. While I hadn’t gone there in a long time, and in hindsight had never gone there for dinner as I was originally accustomed to going there for lunch or dessert, I was eager to finally try out their dinner menu.

Out of luck, they were having a fixed price menu where $25 or $35 gave you a three course meal, which included coffee or tea, and a choice of one of their popular desserts. It was a deal and as one of the waitresses put it, was probably one of the best deals in town. And at that price and for what you get, I have to agree.

Going on a Wednesday evening, they were unusually busy. Even with a reservation that went amok, the waitress was quick to her feet to assemble us another table. Service was quick, efficient, and always with a smile that it made our table feel warm and welcome.

The pre-appetizer bread that came with a selection of creamy humus and house tomato and bean salad was a subtle indication of things to come. With four people at our table, we were fortunate enough to try out a myriad of choices from their menu. Appetizers ranged from shrimp bruschetta (my favourite of the four) to wild mushroom and goat’s cheese on phyllo tart to seafood springrolls. Each with their own flavour profile, was not over powering one or the other. My favourite, came with a rather generous portion of shrimp mixed with tomato sauce, sun-dried tomatoes tucked inside, smothered in olive oil and garnished with a sprout. My only comment with the mushroom in phyllo tart was that I wished for a more substantial flavouring from the goat’s cheese. The combination of taste and texture of the mushrooms, cheese, and phyllo was impressive.

For the main, I had ordered the orange roughy on vegetables and wild rice from the $35 menu. The roughy was wrapped in prosciutto, which made it a little too salty to my liking, and the skin on the bottom of the fish was too tough to bite through. Despite it, I did enjoy the flavouring of the actual fish, along with the medley of vegetables on the rice. The rest of the table ordered crab and cheese cannelloni (great combination), lobster chorizo with mushroom pappardelle (probably my next favourite with yet another generous portion of seafood mixed with perfectly al dente noodles), and wild mushroom pappardelle (with just enough mushrooms so as not to be too overbearing).

Desserts were accompanied by tea or coffee, which when drank black (which is how I always take mine), was very bitter. However, with the sweetness of the desserts, it matched quite well, and I couldn’t help but ask for a second cup. Taking recommendations from one of the staff members, we opted for the tiramisu with figs on top, raspberry cheesecake, the berry box (chocolate mousse with blueberries, raspberries, and wild berries on top), and the flourless chocolate cake. Our table’s favourite was the berry box. The light and airy chocolate mousse with equally light cream and berries accompanied by the white chocolate was a perfect combination. The tiramisu with its thin wrapping of chocolate and a rather dominant flavour of rum came a second along with the raspberry cheesecake (with a little too crunchy of a crust) and flourless chocolate cake rounding the top four.

I can easily say that I have never been disappointed coming here so far. With a wide variety of dishes to choose from, coming here for brunch, dinner, or just tea and dessert, you will never have a shortage of things to order from. With its simple decor and scattered and seemingly random decorations on the walls, it’s a place where you can come to relax and take the time to appreciate what’s in front of you.

Chef Don Duong was even kind enough to drop by our table to make sure everything was ok. Once you experience Dessert Trends for yourself, you’ll wonder why you’ve never come here before.

Epi Breads Ltd.
1526 Bayview Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M4G 3B4

416-488-1952
www.epibreads.ca

I drive by this place now and then and have always wanted to go inside. Today, after an early morning rock bathing treatment, I decided to head on over for some freshly baked bread.

Being a carb-lover, I’m always excited to try new bakeries out. So as soon as I stepped inside epi breads, I was pleasantly surprised at their extensive bread selection. Granted, it took me a while to figure out where their freshly baked loaves were. The store is actually quite large, with a cafe filling up half the premises.

I made my way over to the north side of the store, where they displayed all their freshly baked breads. At a mere 2 hours after opening, some of their goods were on the brink of selling out… although I suspect more was coming, as right behind the counter, trays and trays full of freshly baked bread and goods were waiting to be showcased on the shelves.

A woman behind the counter greeted me with a smile and asked what she could get for me. Naturally, I asked her what their most popular loaves were. She mentioned the multi-grain flax, and the pecan fruit loaves were their popular ones. I looked on the counter top and noticed a plate with bite-sized morsels of bread, which looked very much like the pecan fruit loaf sitting on the shelf. I asked her, and sure enough, it was. I took a piece and enjoyed the sweetness of the fruit that contrasted nicely with the flavour of the bread.

After much thinking, I ordered 1 butter croissant, 1 almond croissant, 1 white cheddar and chive scone, and 1 loaf of pecan fruit ($6.75). Totaling $13.47 in all, I made my way out the door, before quickly scanning for anything else I may have been interested in. I noticed at the last minute that they did have a small selection of organic tea leaves for sale as well.

The outcome:
I have to say, the croissants were wonderfully baked, with crunchy crust, moist innards, and best of all, not overly buttery. I was in fact quite surprised at how little the butter taste was. My fingers weren’t all buttered up as well, after handling the croissants. I enjoyed this croissant quite a bit, and was just as satiated with the almond croissant. I love a good almond croissant, and this one, with its non-butteryness, gave just the right balance. These are likely the best croissants I’ve tasted in a long time.

The pecan fruit loaf also didn’t disappoint. Although the crust isn’t overly crunchy, the innards were moist and springy, and with the abundance of fruit inside, this was also a great eat. The varying kinds of fruit was a nice welcome as it improves the flavour profile of the overall bread.

Another thing that impressed me was the large variety of ingredients they used for all of their breads and baked goods. With a variety of herbs, cheeses, nuts, and fruits, there was plenty of selection to choose from.

I have a feeling the next time I drive by this bakery, I will have a strong urge to go inside again.

Guu Izakaya
398 Church Street (just south of Carlton)
Toronto, ON
416-977-0999
www.guu-izakaya.com

I had the fortune of experiencing Guu first hand at its “soft” opening today, just a mere couple days before its official grand opening.

The izakaya chain hailing from Vancouver made its way to the eastern part of the country where a budding Korean entrepreneur decided to make his mark. And that he did. Importing two of the main chefs from Vancouver, this Guu has all right stuff in making a mark of its own in the ever-so competitive Toronto restaurant market.

As soon as I entered the thick, wooden, door, I was taken aback at how busy the place was. With waiters running about filling orders, customers in the aisles waiting, talking amongst themselves, and mingling, it was as if the place had been open for months. The front line at the kitchen was bustling with chefs pouring out small appetizer portioned dishes all the while exercising their vocal chords by confirming menu orders and welcoming customers as they enter the door.

It is by far the liveliest Japanese restaurant in Toronto.

I quickly seated myself with the rest of my party at the communal table that’s no longer than about 15ft. Taking a look at their menu, ordered in perfect square sections, the dishes were well explained in english, along with their Japanese titles. So many to choose from, I didn’t know where to start!

I noticed their selection of sake was quite extensive ranging from a couple dollars per glass, all the way up to $11 per glass. Their cocktails were also something of interest with some traditional Japanese flavourings like Calpico, and even melon juice. Just for kicks, we had to order the Guu original Ramune (Japanese soda, at $3), which turned out to be slightly less sweeter than the other brand. Note to self, must get one of the cocktails the next visit.

Our table of five ordered so many things it was too much to write down. There were still a lot of things that we had to wait to try out on our next visit. Small dishes ranging from gindara (miso-flavoured cod, at $9.50), agedashi (deep fried tofu), oysters with spinach and cheese, kimchi udon, bibimbap, beef carpaccio, karaage (deep fried chicken with mustard-mayo sauce), okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake), takoyaki (bite-sized octopus balls), amaebi (sweet shrimp), black sesame ice cream, banana tempura (lightly battered deep fried bananas), and so much more, were ordered, savored, and devoured by all.

I have to say, it’s a very refreshing restaurant that is a great welcome to Toronto. With tonnes of tapas, dim sum, and wine bars in Toronto, I often wondered why it took so long for a Japanese izakaya to come here. I suspected it was because of the usual: not enough demand. Although this may have been the case before, I believe the Toronto restaurant landscape is slowly changing, and is becoming more welcoming to new and creative places. With more people willing to try new types of food, and with all the hype of healthy eating, this place has definitely made its mark, even before the grand opening.

You can bet I’ll be coming back here plenty of times. And knowing that they hope to expand their menu in the future to include more traditional izakaya fare, I can see myself liking this place a lot.

If you ever want to try a Japanese restaurant that doesn’t serve the typical westernized sushi rolls, pizzas, and chicken teriyaki bentos, Guu is definitely worth your visit.

Moderately priced, excellent flavouring, and with some of the most attentive waiters around, Guu is easily one of the most exciting Japanese restaurants to come to Toronto. Highly recommended.