Michael Eats

Chicken Tenders at Chica’s Chicken

Published on March 1, 2026March 1, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 2853 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Website: https://www.chicaschicken.net/

My policy on this blog — in the last few years, at least — is to avoid negativity. If I think a place is just okay, I’ll generally write a quick review and not dwell on it, and if I think it’s bad, I won’t write about it at all. It’s tough enough to succeed in the restaurant business as it is, and whatever extremely mild (almost non-existent) level of influence that I have, I’d rather not use it against a local business that’s just trying to survive.

I do make an exception for big fast food chains, however — I think they can take it. And Chica’s, with its four locations, Michelin designation, and plans for growth (there’s a section on their website where they say that they’re “seeking passionate franchise partners”), is entering big chain territory.

That being the case, I can note that the chicken tenders at Chica’s really bummed me out. This is a place that I once said served some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had, and this was… not that. I’ve noticed that Chica’s has been going downhill since they started their expansion a few years ago, but this was the first thing I’ve had here that was outright bad.

The chicken was just so, so dry, despite being served hot and fresh. White meat is always going to be a bit on the dry side, but this was something else. It comes with some tasty dipping sauce on the side (which kinda tastes like coleslaw dressing, but in a pleasant way), and you’d better believe I used all of that sauce.

As for the exterior, it was more leathery than crunchy — I legitimately had a hard time biting through it.

I ordered this hot AF, and while it had a solid level of heat, it tasted like something was missing (salt, mostly, but overall the flavour just wasn’t there).

I recently had a fried chicken sandwich from KFC, and the chicken in that sandwich was better than this on every level — it was tastier, crunchier, and juicier. From KFC! Over a place that used to serve the best fried chicken in the city. What a world.

Tasty Gelato at Kati Thai Gelato

Published on February 25, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 567 College Street, Toronto
Website: https://www.instagram.com/katitoronto/

Note: This location has closed since I visited, but you can check their Instagram for other locations.

As you’d guess from the name, Kati Thai Gelato serves gelato that’s infused with Thai flavours. As you probably wouldn’t guess from the name, they also serve a variety of savoury Thai snacks like grilled pork skewers and bao buns.

I stuck to the gelato side of things, and had a scoop of the Milo: “A nostalgic childhood favourite, featuring the rich, chocolatey taste of Milo (chocolate malt powder).”

They certainly have more interesting flavours here, but I have a hard time saying no to anything Milo-related. It’s malty, chocolatey, and delicious.

It’s predictably tasty in gelato form. Why wouldn’t it be? The gelato itself is maybe a bit thin, but it’s very smooth with zero iciness, and has a nice hit of Milo flavour.

Chili Crunch Chicken Sandwich from KFC

Published on February 24, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 4559 Hurontario Street, Mississauga
Website: https://www.kfc.ca/

I was actually kind of shocked to see that chili crunch is now mainstream enough to pop up at a giant fast food chain like KFC — but then I guess it’s been on its way up for a few years now (here’s an article from 2022 about how chili crisp “took over America”).

KFC’s got several items with the stuff, including a sandwich, Loaded Chili Crunch Tenders, a chili crunch Snacker Wrap, and chili crunch fries.

I went with the Chili Crunch Chicken Sandwich: “Meet your new spicy obsession – the Chili Crunch Chicken Sandwich. KFC’s juicy, crunchy, signature tripled-breaded chicken fillet is layered with spicy chili crunch oil, creamy chili crunch mayo, crispy onions, and pickles— all sandwiched between a toasted potato bun.”

I’m a fan of chili crunch, so I sort of figured this would be good, and yeah, it is. For one thing, unlike my last experience at KFC, the sandwich was hot, fresh, and made with some level of care. This seems like it should be the bare minimum, but here we are.

But even aside from that, this is a tasty sandwich — the chili crunch they’re using is a bit tangier than the norm, but it works. Combined with the heat and the garlicky punch, it’s a great topping for a fried chicken sandwich. The mayo also has some of that flavour, which is nice.

The level of spice is pretty decent, too — it’s certainly not the spiciest thing you’ll ever eat, but it’s got a nice kick. It’s a level of heat that would have been unheard of from a fast food chain a few years ago, but fast food places have been upping the spice recently.

I’m not sure if the crispy onions add all that much, and the sandwich is maybe a bit too salty, but otherwise I really enjoyed this.

Tasty Slices at Revolver Pizza

Published on February 23, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 388 Royal York Road, Etobicoke
Website: https://revolverpizza.com/

Revolver Pizza is clearly doing quite well. They now have four locations, and when I visited on a weekday afternoon, the place was packed.

And yeah, I get it. I got the margherita (“sauce, fresh mozzarella, fior di latte, and basil”), and it was a solid slice of pizza.

I wish the slice had been a bit crispier on the bottom (or crispy at all — it had a softer texture, closer to Neapolitan than New York style), but otherwise, I quite enjoyed this.

I think the prodigious amount of cheese might have something to do with the crust’s lack of texture — I’m certainly not going to say no to a lot of cheese on a pizza, but there probably could have been a bit less here.

Still, the overall quality is pretty high, including a good amount of flavour and a nice chewiness on the crust. I don’t know if it’s up there with the best in the city, but it’s a top-shelf slice of pizza, that’s for sure (bonus: it costs about five bucks for a pretty sizable slice).

Amazing Cookies at Bakery Pompette

Published on February 22, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 655 College Street, Toronto
Website: https://www.pompette.ca/bakery

I’ll admit that I hadn’t heard of Bakery Pompette prior to Toronto Life ranking them number four on their list of the best new cookies in the city. Which is crazy, because based on how good the cookie is, I feel like everyone should be talking about this place. You’ve all failed me.

The pecan caramel cookie (“pecan chocolate chip cookies topped with coffee caramel and pecan praline”) is pure magic. It’s basically a chocolate chip cookie, but greatly enhanced with the addition of pecans and the two sauces on top.

It’s cookie perfection, with a great crispy/chewy texture, a generous amount of good-quality chocolate chips, and a nice nuttiness from the pecans.

You’d think the caramel sauce on top would be overkill, but the pleasantly mild bitterness from the coffee does an amazing job of cutting through the cookie’s sweetness.

Every element here just works. It’s a seriously, seriously good cookie.