Restaurant Review – Page 27

Delicious Pizza (and Coconut Cream Pie) at The Fourth Man in the Fire

Published on August 5, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 832 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Website: https://thefourthmaninthefirepizzeria.com/

The last time I tried the Fourth Man in the Fire, I thought it was very good, but probably just short of greatness. I may have been wrong about that; I just had another slice, and I don’t think there was anything holding it back from greatness. It’s there.

I had a slice of the margherita, and it was seriously good. It’s cheesier than you might expect, but the balance of rich cheese and zippy sauce was just right. They also chop the basil and sprinkle it all over the slice instead of using whole leaves, and I actually think that’s the way to go. You get the flavour of the basil throughout, instead of just in a few mouthfuls.

On my last visit I found the crust to be slightly lacking in substance, but that wasn’t an issue this time. It’s got a good chew to it, a nice flavour, it’s perfectly charred, and it has a great balance of crispy interior and fluffy interior. The pizza is quite generously topped, but the crust has a enough substance to it to hold up perfectly.

I had to try the coconut cream pie after reading this article, and yeah, it’s delicious, too. It’s super rich and creamy, and has a really nice toasted coconut flavour. It’s one of the better slices of coconut cream pie I’ve had in quite a while, though it’s also extremely pricey at 13 bucks. They say it’s meant to be shared, and it is indeed very heavy, but it’s also a pretty standard size for slice of pie. It’s very, very delicious, so it’s hard to complain too much, but yowza that’s a lot for a slice of pie.

French Onion Grilled Cheese at Phancy’s Bodega

Published on August 4, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 2473 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Website: https://www.phancybodega.com/

French onion soup? Yeah, that’s delicious. Grilled cheese? Obviously great. So if you’re going to cram the two together, clearly I need to try that.

They have a bunch of tasty looking hoagies and grilled cheese sandwiches at Phancy’s (I’ve heard the Buffalo chicken is particularly good), but once I saw the French onion soup sandwich, it had to happen.

The French onion grilled cheese, per Phancy’s menu: “Truffle french onion mayo, provolone, caramelized french onions on butter toasted pullman loaf.”

It’s a quality sandwich. How could it not be? It’s got a whole bunch of caramelized onions and gooey cheese, so of course it tastes good.

The fluffy, slightly sweet brioche-like bread isn’t a perfect match for the sandwich, however. It has a hard time holding together under the deluge of greasy toppings, and its sweetness is probably overkill.

Something like sourdough would bring bit more heft, not to mention a zingy counterpoint to the very sweet caramelized onions (the sandwich is really crying out for something acidic to cut through the extreme richness, though I suppose that would muddle the French onion soup theme).

Still, it’s a very tasty sandwich, though I should note that this was maybe the greasiest, heaviest grilled cheese sandwich I’ve ever eaten. It was like taking a wrecking ball to my guts.

Don’t make any big plans after eating this thing, is what I’m saying.

Tasty Pork Bone Soup at Sunrise House

Published on August 1, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 661 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Website: http://www.sunrisehousetoronto.com/

No, Sunrise House isn’t the breakfast joint you might assume based on the name — it’s actually a Korean restaurant with a delightfully affordable menu. It’s a bit of a hole-in-the-wall, but in all the best ways.

Their specialty seems to be their gamjatang, or pork bone soup (the menu refers to it as “famous,” and most of the people around me were ordering it). It costs 12 bucks for an absolutely massive portion, not to mention the requisite Korean sides, so if nothing else, it’s a great deal (and you can save even more by paying cash and availing yourself of their five percent cash discount).

It also tastes great, however, with a nice zippy flavour and a pronounced spicy kick. That’s not to mention the bones, which are crammed with a generous amount of ultra-tender meat (it’s hard to see them with that impressive pile of flavourful bean shoots on top, but they’re there and they’re quite generous).

The sides, too, are all quite tasty. Nothing here is going to blow your mind or make you reconsider what this dish can be — it’s just a really solid version of a classic dish, served for a great price. It’s hard to go wrong there.

Delicious Wonton Noodle Soup at Jim Chai Kee

Published on July 28, 2024 by Michael Nusair1 Comment

Location: 270 West Beaver Creek Road, Richmond Hill
Website: https://www.jimchaikee.ca/

It’s been several years since I’ve been to Jim Chai Kee, but my recollection is that they serve some of the best wonton noodle soup in the GTA.

And hey, what do you know — other than the prices (which have, naturally, gone up a bit), they’ve remained remarkably consistent over the years. It’s still a superb bowl of wonton noodle soup and, yeah, probably the best in the city.

Every element is right where it should be. The noodles are at just the right level of chewiness; the chicken-infused broth is light, but also bursting with flavour; and the wontons are really tasty, with perfectly cooked shrimp.

That’s not to mention the chili oil, which is smoky, flavourful, and extremely spicy. They sell jars of this stuff for $20, which seems like a lot, but when it’s this much better than basically any chili oil you’ve had, it’s hard to quibble with the price. It’s also so spicy and packed with flavour that you’ll inevitably need less of it than you would otherwise, so I have to imagine that the small jar — which, yes, I absolutely bought — will last a while.

I ordered the assorted bowl that also comes with beef and fishballs, and while they’re both very tasty, those amazing wontons are where it’s at. I think I’ll just stick with the wontons next time.

Tasty Fried Chicken at Brock Sandwich

Published on July 25, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 1260 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Website: https://www.instagram.com/brocksandwich/

Note: Between the time I wrote this and posted it, Brock sandwich has, sadly, shut down (I’ve got a bit of a backlog). Whoops! Well, enjoy the review of a sandwich you cannot eat.

Brock Sandwich has a whole bunch of tasty looking sandwiches on their menu, though on this particular visit, I went with the Chicken Piri Piri: “fried chicken, charred onions, coleslaw, piri piri sauce.”

It’s a very good sandwich; the fried chicken is crispy and perfectly cooked, all of the toppings are thoroughly tasty, and the slightly crusty bun works perfectly with the other components of the sandwich.

My only real complaint is that as a fried chicken sandwich, it’s a bit busier than it needs to be. Between the charred onions (which are delicious, with a sweetness that’s cut by the mild smokiness from the charred bits), the zesty piri piri sauce, and the very zippy coleslaw, the fried chicken feels like a supporting player in its own sandwich. It’s a bit overwhelmed by other stuff.

Still, that is a very, very minor complaint; regardless of whether or not the fried chicken is the star, it’s impossible to deny that it’s a delicious sandwich.