Michael Eats

Quick Bites: Los Panchos Mexican Restaurant, Las Muns, Azhar Kitchen and Bar

Published on October 24, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Birria burrito and carnitas quesadilla from Los Panchos Mexican Restaurant

It’s been a few years since birria mania swept through Toronto, and it’s still going strong. Case in point: Los Panchos Mexican Restaurant has a whole birria section on their menu, where basically every Mexican staple you can think of has been birria-ified. I tried the birria burrito, and while there was no broth on the side, the beef was nice and tender. Nothing about it particularly popped, but I certainly didn’t dislike eating it. I also tried the carnitas quesadilla, and aside from the fact that the pork tasted slightly leftovery, it was a solid version of the dish. Both were crying out for some hot sauce, however — if any was available, I didn’t see it.

Spicy beef and poutine empanadas from Las Muns

I was intrigued by Las Muns, a Spanish empanada chain that has a bunch of locations in Europe, and is starting to expand in Canada. They have a variety of flavours — some classic, some quirky (stuff like Cajun shrimp and Thai chicken). I went with the spicy beef and poutine varieties, and they were both… fine, I guess? They taste more like something you might expect to find in the freezer section at Costco rather than a handmade empanada from a restaurant, but they were both inoffensive enough.

Za’atar fries and muhammara from Azhar Kitchen and Bar

Okay, let’s end this with some positivity. I checked out the happy hour menu at Azhar and tried a couple of things, and both were quite tasty. The za’atar fries weren’t the best fries I’ve ever had, but they were quite solid, with the generous amount of za’atar they were tossed in adding a nice zippy, herbal punch. That’s not the mention the lemon aioli that comes on the side, which was satisfyingly rich and creamy, with a nice brightness from the lemon to round things out. It’s a great dip. I also tried the muhammara (“roasted pepper, walnut, sourdough, pomegranate seed; one pita”), which was even better, with a nice chunky texture and a satisfying cumin-tinged flavour. And the freshly-baked pita on the side was a perfect complement.

Solid Korean Food at Gyodong Restaurant

Published on October 22, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 1170 Burnhamthorpe Road West, Mississauga
Website: https://www.gyodong.ca/

Gyodong is a Korean restaurant that specializes in jjamppong (a spicy seafood noodle soup) and jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles). They’ve got a couple of locations (this one, in Mississauga, and one in the Koreatown area of Toronto near Christie Pits Park), so clearly, they’re doing okay.

I started with the kkanpung tteokbokki, which is like normal tteokbokki, but with a sweet, garlicky sauce subbed in for the usual spicy one. It’s intensely sweet, but with a nice garlicky punch that helps balance things out.

The rice cakes themselves were a bit soft, however — they were fried, which gave them a pleasantly crispy exterior, but the inside was overcooked and didn’t quite have the chewiness you’re looking for. The sauce was tasty enough that it mostly didn’t matter, but it was a shame.

As for the jjajangmyeon, it was quite good, with a deep savouriness from the black bean sauce that’s really satisfying.

Again, however, it was a bit overcooked — the noodles were softer than they should have been, which is a shame. But again, the sauce is tasty enough that I can’t say I’m too upset about it.

Tasty Pizza at Raffaella

Published on October 19, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 296 Brunswick Avenue, Toronto
Website: https://raffaellapizza.com/

Raffaella started as a pop-up serving New York-style pizza, and eventually did well enough to graduate to their own spot inside the Annex Hotel.

They’re mostly known for their pizza, but they do have a few other things on the menu. The arancini, in particular, caught my eye: “Cacio E Pepe Risotto, Tomato Sauce, Parmigiano Reggiano.”

This was clearly some of the better arancini I’ve had in a while, with a great contrast between the perfectly crispy exterior and the rich, creamy risotto within. It might have been too rich, but the zippy tomato sauce gives it a nice balance. It’s great.

They let you try a couple of things by splitting a pizza in half, which is nice; I went with the Margherita (“Raff’s Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Grana Padano, Fresh Basil”) and the Annex (“Raff’s Tomato Sauce, Spicy Sausage, Whipped Ricotta, Roasted Red Pepper, Hot Honey”).

It’s a solid pizza. Raffaella describes it as “48 hours sourdough, thin and crispy” — this one wasn’t particularly crispy, with its soft floppiness giving it a bit of a Neapolitan-meets-NYC vibe, but whatever it is, it’s tasty. The crust has a nice chewiness and a decent amount of flavour thanks to the sourdough. It didn’t blow my mind, but it’s really solid.

As for the toppings, I tend to prefer the simplicity of a plain cheese pizza, and that continues to be the case here, with a nice balance between the tasty sauce and gooey cheese. I liked the Annex as well, though the flavour of the roasted red peppers did kind of dominate everything else.

Outstanding Noodle Soup at Myungdong Noodle Shabu Shabu

Published on October 18, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 2560 Shepard Avenue, Mississauga
Website: https://www.mdkalguksu.com/

I showed up at Myungdong basically on a whim with no real research, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that the place was packed at around 1:00pm on a Saturday. Surely, all these people can’t be wrong?

Spoiler alert: they were not wrong.

I ordered the MD Kalguksu (“Homemade flour noodle with Beef Bone Soup and vegetables. Garnish: ground beef, spicy vegetables”), which is one of their specialties. I don’t think I’ve tried this dish before, but based on the version they’re serving here, it clearly needs to be a regular part of my life.

Wow, it’s good. The broth seems a bit basic at first, but it quickly reveals itself to have an impressive depth of flavour, with a rich meaty/seafoody flavour, a nice garlicky hit, and enough of a spicy kick to wake up your tastebuds (but not so much that it overwhelms).

The combo of that luxurious broth, the perfectly cooked veggies, the chewy noodles and the tasty ground beef is seriously, seriously satisfying. It’s one of the best meals I’ve had in a while.

And of course, it’s a Korean restaurant, so there’s kimchi; they make it in house, and it’s just as special as the soup, with a satisfying crunch and a vibrant flavour.

A Delicious Treat at Eight Cookies

Published on October 17, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 983 Dovercourt Road, Toronto
Website: https://eightcookies.ca/

I’ll admit that I didn’t have the highest of hopes for Eight Cookies. They serve big fat chunky boys, like at Crumbl or Andrea’s, which I’m generally not crazy about. I find this type of cookie to be one-note soft, and I’m not a big fan of how underbaked they tend to be.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I found that the cookie here was not underbaked at all, but still managed to be delightfully soft and chewy, with a nice level of crispiness on its exterior.

Like at Crumbl, they have a rotating menu of eight different cookies, with several of them featuring various toppings and icing. I like to go simple when I’m first trying a place, so I went with the milk chocolate and sea salt: “A delightful balance of sweet and savory, these soft cookies feature rich milk chocolate chunks, finished with a sprinkle of sea salt for that perfect touch of flavor.”

It’s a top-notch cookie; it’s buttery and rich without being overly greasy, the chocolate is obviously very good quality, and the cookie itself is quite tasty. It’s a bit sweet for me, however — I think a darker chocolate would be perfect here, but then I tend to like my dessert to lean a bit less sugary.

Still, the salt does a solid job of (mostly) balancing out the cookie’s sweetness, and other than that, I liked this a whole lot.