Michael Eats

Quick Bites: Giragi, Barbershop Patisserie, Queen’s Pasta Cafe

Published on August 8, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Lamb Wrap from Giragi

I previously tried the steak wrap from Giragi, and it was stellar. I just tried the vochkhar (lamb), and it was just as good. Clearly, the people in charge of this place know their stuff. As per the menu, this particular wrap comes stuffed with “jajekh, xaviar, pickled turnip, pevaz.” To translate, jajekh is a cucumber yogurt salad, xaviar is an eggplant spread, and pevaz is a mix of onion and parsley. It’s a really, really tasty wrap. It’s so much stuff, and it seems like it should be overstuffed (and technically, it probably is — it’s a mess), but all the flavours work so well together, and the perfectly spiced lamb patties are thoroughly delicious. It’s so good.

Brownie from Barbershop Patisserie

Speaking of things that are obscenely delicious, the brownie from Barbershop is ridiculously good. Like, one of the best brownies I’ve ever had. It’s got an amazingly rich, chocolatey flavour, and the perfectly fudgy-but-light texture has a great chewiness that I can barely even describe. It’s pretty special.

Meatball Sandwich from Queen’s Pasta Cafe

As the name implies, Queen’s Pasta Cafe is mostly about pasta, though they do have a lunch menu with a few sandwiches. I went with the meatball (“Meatballs with Arugula, Mozzarella Cheese and Tomato sauce”), and it was okay. The meatballs were actually quite good, with a nice meaty flavour, a tender texture that isn’t too soft, and a rich sauce. But the stale bun was a bit of a disaster. This is probably my fault, however, for ordering something that isn’t pasta at a restaurant with pasta in its name. Those meatballs would have been boffo on spaghetti, I’m sure.

Outstanding Japanese/Italian Fusion at Tatsuro’s

Published on August 7, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 1378 Queen Street East, Toronto
Website: https://www.tatsuros.com/

I like Tatsuro’s a whole lot. I’d heard good things, and I figured I’d like it, but it kinda knocked my socks off.

They serve pasta and brunch with a Japanese flair; I stuck to the pasta side of the menu, and based on the level of quality, I’ll clearly have to come back to try their brunch.

There was a Japanese pasta spot in Markham called Shiso Tree Cafe that, sadly, closed a few years back; since then, I’ve had a Shiso-Tree-Cafe-sized hole in my heart. That hole has finally been filled.

I started with the nori fries (“nori seasoning, spicy mayo”). These were quite tasty; the fries were nicely cooked, the nori sprinkled on top works really well, and the spicy mayo on the side is enjoyably zippy.

For my main, I had the Wafu Carbonara (“bacon, ponzu, onsen egg, parmesan”), and yikes, it was so good.

It was incredibly, incredibly rich — with the richness only being amped up by the silky onsen egg they put on top. It basically melts into the sauce when you mix it up, and really cranks up the dish’s creaminess.

By all accounts it should be too heavy and rich, but there’s a nice lightness you get from the citrusy ponzu that really cuts through the heaviness and makes the dish sing. Legitimately one of the best bowls of pasta I’ve had in a long time.

I also tried the Curry Bolognese (“beef + pork curry, pickled onion, fried shallot, cilantro”), which takes the flavours of Bolognese and Japanese curry and crams them together in a way that’s surprisingly delightful.

Solid Ramen at Men-ya Inoichi Ramen

Published on August 3, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 1177 Central Parkway West, Mississauga
Website: https://www.instagram.com/menyainoichi/

Not every restaurant has to serve the best version of a dish that you’ve ever had; sometimes,
“pretty good” is good enough.

Enter: Men-ya Inoichi Ramen in Mississauga, which isn’t going to knock anyone’s socks off, but which serves some pretty good ramen.

They have a few other Japanese dishes on the menu, like omurice and katsu, but the ramen is their specialty. I ordered the Original King Butao ramen (“Bone Broth Flavor. Includes: Soft Boiled Egg, Agaric, Sweet and Sour Radish, Green Onion, Salad”), which comes with either a tonkotsu (pork) or chicken soup base. I went with tonkotsu.

Nothing in the bowl particularly stands out, but it’s all thoroughly tasty, with a rich, savoury broth and some very pleasantly chewy noodles.

The fact that it’s in Mississauga helps; the ramen explosion that happened in the GTA over the last decade or so left Mississauga mostly untouched, so if you’re looking for a better bowl of ramen, it’s going to be a bit of drive.

Delicious Wraps at Little Baba

Published on August 2, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 75 Portland Street Main, Toronto
Website: https://littlebaba.com/

Little Baba is a casual spinoff of a Michelin-recommended Lebanese restaurant called Amal, specializing in various Middle Eastern wraps and plates (that they call Baba boxes). A casual restaurant with a Michelin connection? Sure, I’m intrigued enough to check that out.

I wound up trying a couple of their wraps: tenderloin (“pita, hummus, parsley, onion, pickles, grilled veggie salsa”) and kefta (“pita, hummus, pickles, grilled veggie salsa”).

Both wraps feature a grilled piece of meat wrapped in toasted pita bread, and both are quite tasty.

That grilling really does make a difference, bringing both sandwiches a nice smoky flavour. And both pieces of meat are perfectly cooked — the tenderloin, in particular, is cooked to a nice rosy medium and is impressively tender, with a tasty beefy flavour.

The kefta is quite good as well, with a good amount of spicing and a nice tender texture.

As for the other flavours, there’s a nice zippiness to both wraps that’s quite satisfying. Both were a bit oniony for my tastes, but then I’m not a fan of raw onion, so most people will likely disagree.

Tasty Noodles at Wu Ji Xi’an Foods

Published on August 1, 2026August 1, 2026 by Michael Nusair2 Comments

Location: 117B North Service Road East, Oakville
Website: None

Wu Ji Xi’an Foods is probably the hole-in-the-walliest hole in the wall I’ve visited in quite a while. It’s take-out only, with the extremely no-frills interior being about the size of a walk-in closet.

I actually wasn’t even able to get a photo of the interior, because as soon as you walk in, you’re face-to-face with the proprietor. Taking out my phone and trying to snap a photo felt like it would have been awkward overload, especially since the woman behind the counter seemed to speak minimal English (their card machine was down, and she had to tell me they were cash only via hand gestures).

They have a few things on the menu, but their specialty seems to be a cold noodle dish called liangpi, so that’s what I went with. It’s $7.50 for a pretty hearty serving, so it’s a great deal.

The dish comes with rice noodles, some sliced cucumber, a few chunks of seitan, and four sauce packets: sesame paste, soy sauce / vinegar (I think), garlic water, and chili oil.

It’s really good. The broad noodles are nice and chewy, the seitan has a satisfyingly meaty bite, and it’s seriously flavourful. This is definitely not a dish that’s subtle in the taste department; it’s savoury, tangy, garlicky, and a little bit spicy, with all the flavours working really well together.

My only real complaint is that with the generous amount of chili oil, I figured this was going to be spicier than it was, and it was surprisingly mild. A bit more kick would have been nice, but everything else was so satisfying that I can’t really complain.