Michael Eats

Tasty Eats at The Ex

Published on September 27, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 100 Princes’ Boulevard, Toronto
Website: https://www.theex.com/

Another year of the Ex, another batch of weird foods. A slightly smaller batch than I was hoping — I really wanted to try the pickle cheesecake on a stick, which seems like it should not exist and was therefore something I felt an odd compulsion to try. Alas, I couldn’t find the vendor that was serving it and eventually had to abandon that dream.

Fried lobster on a stick from Lobster on a Stick

This was actually one of the less odd new items at the Ex this year (there’s nothing particularly weird about it, aside from the inherent oddness of a luxury item like lobster being served at a carnival); it’s just a tempura-battered lobster tail on a stick. Still, aside from it being a bit tough, it was tasty, with the two sauces on the side (dill and garlic butter) being a nice complement.

Jamaican patty mini beef patty pierogies from Supreme Pierogi

Beef patties and pierogies aren’t necessarily a food I would have thought of cramming together, but hey, what do you know — this works. It’s essentially a pierogi exterior with beef patty filling. It’s lightly fried, giving it some texture. The slightly chewy wrapper works well with the Jamaican-spiced ground beef, and the filling is exactly what you’d find in a patty. This sounds weird in theory, but when you eat it, it makes complete sense.

Ramen-crusted frog legs from Farm to Fryer

This is maybe the weirdest-sounding item of the three I tried, and you know what? It was my favourite. I’m not entirely convinced that anything should be ramen-crusted (the ramen bits straddled the line between pleasantly crunchy and overly hard/dry), but the frog was freshly fried and very tender, with the texture of a good chicken wing. My expectation was that this would be cooked in advance and dry, so I was pleasantly surprised by how well-prepared it was (and the sweet chili sauce it was topped with was tasty).

I guess it was a good thing I couldn’t find the cheesecake, because I was three for three, and I can’t imagine pickle cheesecake would have been particularly palatable.

A Delicious Pastry at Cho-Kwok-Lat

Published on September 25, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 79 Wellesley Street East, Toronto
Website: https://chokwoklat.com/

I went to the original location of Cho-Kwok-Lat in Markham a few years ago and found it to be thoroughly delicious. They opened a second location downtown last year, and yeah — they’re still cranking out some really stellar pastries.

Sometimes ordering at a bakery is a real struggle, because everything looks so good. That was definitely the case here. I wanted to try everything.

I eventually settled on the cherry berry pistachio pillow, which is filled with a decent amount of tasty jam and gooey pistachio cream in a croissant-like base.

I think that this style of croissant — with the dozens of tiny lines on top that crackle into crispy strips when you eat it — looks stunning, but is less satisfying to eat than the traditional, flatter presentation. Still, they do a great version of it here, with a great contrast between the crispy shell and the fluffy interior.

And the combo of the fruity base and the nutty pistachio cream works very, very well. It’s delicious.

Like when I visited the Markham location, they heated it up a bit first, which I think is such a great idea — it livens up the pastry and amps up the external crispiness, which definitely enhances things.

Caesar and Bacon McCrispy at McDonald’s

Published on September 21, 2026September 21, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 30 Courtneypark Drive East, Mississauga
Website: https://www.mcdonalds.com/ca/en-ca.html

McDonald’s isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel by combining chicken, bacon, and Caesar dressing. It’s a combination that works — but it’s a bit boring.

They can’t all be menu heists, I guess.

Here’s how McDonald’s describes the Caesar and Bacon McCrispy: “A crispy chicken patty – made with 100% Canadian-raised seasoned chicken – and shredded lettuce on a soft potato bun, topped with a Caesar parmesan sauce, crispy onions and hickory smoked bacon. It’s the Caesar you know and love – the McDonald’s way!”

Remember when I said this sandwich was boring? I actually wish it were a bit more boring. The Caesar parmesan sauce is pretty different from normal Caesar dressing, and I’m not sure why. It’s sweeter and more tangy than you’d expect, and it lacks the garlicky bite of the real deal.

It’s not bad, but I would have preferred something more typically Caesar-esque. I’m honestly not sure I would have even guessed what this was supposed to be if you hadn’t told me.

Otherwise, the sandwich is exactly what you’d expect. It’s perfectly fine — I just don’t understand why the Caesar doesn’t taste like Caesar.

Quick Bites: Sovily, Misfit Ice Cream, Little Baba

Published on August 30, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Pizza from Sovily

I had a slice of the Sovily Rosé (“Rosé Sauce, Mozzarella, Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, Parmesan”) from this place, and it was totally fine. The fluffy crust was kind of lacking in substance or flavour (it’s reportedly sourdough, though there’s zero sourdough flavour), but it had a nice exterior crispiness and was generally pleasant enough. The sauce tasted canned and was a bit too generously applied, but the combo of mozzarella and parmesan was nice. I can’t say I’m in a huge rush to come back here, but it got the job done.

Soy Boy at Misfit Ice Cream

I was extremely intrigued by the Soy Boy flavour at Misfit Ice Cream, which the menu describes as “tofu fa, brown sugar ginger syrup.” Tofu fa is a really tasty dessert made with silken tofu, and I’m certainly on board for an ice cream version of it (but then I’m on board for an ice cream version of basically any dessert). The version here does a pretty solid job of capturing the flavour of that dessert, though I’ll admit that the texture — which was icy and dense — left a bit to be desired. The whole point of tofu fa is its luxurious ultra-silky texture; if you lose that, it does kinda put a damper on things.

Chicken Tawook Baba Box from Little Baba

I was a pretty big fan of Little Baba when I tried a couple of their wraps; well, I just tried their namesake Baba Box, and yeah, they know what they’re doing. The one I tried came with chicken tawook, a zippy fattoush salad, basil hummus, some pickles, and a generous amount of garlicky toum (which their menu calls “garlic cream”). Everything here was quite tasty, particularly the perfectly grilled chicken and the basil hummus. I’ve never heard of adding basil to hummus, and I was afraid its distinctive flavour would be overwhelming. But they add just enough of the stuff to bring a nice herbal zip that perfectly complements the other flavours, and the ultra-creamy texture is a thing of beauty (it might be one of the silkiest versions of this dish that I’ve ever had).

Amazing BBQ at Smoking Section Barbecue

Published on August 29, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 30 Queen Elizabeth Boulevard, Etobicoke
Website: https://www.instagram.com/smoking.section.bbq/

Smoking Section Barbecue is currently a pop-up at Great Lakes Brewery in Etobicoke, and wow — I was kinda blown away by how good it was.

I’ve mentioned before that finding legit BBQ in the GTA (that actually tastes smoky) is weirdly difficult. But not impossible, apparently, because here comes Smoking Section to show everyone how it’s done.

The pared-down menu currently features five meats (brisket, ribs, pulled pork, chicken, and sausage), two sides (smokey potato salad and maple vanilla slaw), and a dessert (sticky toffee cake). I went with brisket and sausage, with a side of the potato salad.

Good lord, that brisket — it’s exactly what you want it to be. It’s amazingly tender (but still has texture), features perfectly rendered and unctuous fat, and is nicely seasoned, with a great amount of satisfying smoky flavour.

I’ve never tried the real deal in Texas, but I have to imagine this is pretty close.

The sausage (jalapeno cheddar, I think?) is just as tasty, with more smoky flavour, a satisfying course grind on the meat, and a very pleasant level of greasiness (it’s extremely greasy, but in the best way).

I quite liked the potato salad, too; potato salad has a tendency to just be blandly rich, but this had a nice mustardy pop, yet more smoky flavour, and some contrasting crunch from the celery. It was really tasty.

Even the bread was pretty great. I know plain, untoasted white bread is traditional for a BBQ platter like this, but the toasted, profoundly buttery sourdough here is a clear upgrade.