beef – Michael Eats

Quick Bites: Chinese Bakery, Milk & Cookies, Rosso Pasta Bar

Published on November 1, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Red bean pineapple bun from Chinese Bakery

I had a red bean pineapple bun from the very generically-named Chinese Bakery (that’s gotta be a nightmare for SEO) and it was totally fine. Tasty enough, but probably about as generic as the name of the bakery. It’s got a good level of sweetness, it was fresh enough, and the red bean paste is nice and chunky (though the bigger pieces of red bean were a bit too firm). The cookie top was very soft and mostly fell off before I could eat it, and the bun itself was a bit dense, but I didn’t dislike eating it.

Chocolate chip cookie from Milk & Cookies

Speaking of fine desserts from generically-named bakeries, the chocolate chip cookie at Milk & Cookies in Kensington Market is pretty good. It’s tasty. It’s a chocolate chip cookie; it’s very, very hard to go wrong there. Nothing here particularly stood out, and the level of salt was a bit overcranked, which kinda overwhelmed the other flavours, but again, it’s a chocolate chip cookie. It doesn’t have to be the best one you’ve ever had to be perfectly enjoyable.

Rosso Bolognese from Rosso Pasta Bar

Quick serve pasta joints seems to be a burgeoning trend in the city, and sure, why not — it’s an easy thing to take on the go, and it’s cheap and satisfying. Or theoretically cheap? My pasta bowl cost $16.99; it’s upsetting to contemplate, but I guess that isn’t particularly expensive by 2026 standards?? Anyway, I ordered the bolognese (“Rigatoni, slow-simmered beef ragù, parmigiano reggiano”), and it was fine. The fresh pasta was nicely al dente (though that wasn’t the case for everyone I went with) and the sauce was tasty enough. I’d compare the flavour to a nicer jarred sauce, like Rao’s, though the ground beef was overcooked and dry. I don’t think I’d come back here given what they’re charging, but I’m not mad I gave them a shot.

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.

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.

McExtreme Pulled Pork at McDonald’s (World Menu Heist)

Published on August 18, 2026August 19, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

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

The World Menu Heist! It’s back!! Is it sad that this is probably one of the highlights of my summer? Please don’t answer that.

As I was leaving the office at lunch today to head to McDonald’s, in my head I was like, we should all be chanting “Menu heist! Menu heist! Menu heist!” I believe this is a totally rational thought that doesn’t raise any troubling implications about my mental state.

For all the normal people out there who don’t get unreasonably excited about novelty menus at McDonald’s, the World Menu Heist is a promotion featuring various items pulled from McDonald’s locations around the world. This year, that includes France, Spain, Australia, Japan, and the Netherlands.

Obviously I’ll be trying everything (what do you think, I won’t be trying every item on this menu? Get out of here) but I started with the McExtreme Pulled Pork from Spain.

Here’s how McDonald’s describes it: “Pulled from Spain, now in Canada. Layers of pulled pork in BBQ sauce, beef, hickory-smoked bacon, white processed cheese, crispy onions for some crunch and creamy chipotle sauce for heat make for one delicious sandwich. One bite leads to another… and somehow it’s all gone.”

I’ve had some weird international McDonald’s menu items over the years, but somehow, pulled pork on a burger at McDonald’s strikes me as particularly weird.

It’s a tasty burger, though sadly, the pulled pork element is negligible. There’s a teeny-tiny amount of pulled pork on the burger, and it’s spread very thin over the large patty. You can taste the BBQ sauce, but I suspect if I had eaten this blind, I wouldn’t have even known the burger had pulled pork on it. There’s just too much other stuff going on.

I did try a little bit on its own, and it’s exactly what you think it’ll be. It’s pretty mushy and soaked in enough BBQ sauce to completely wipe out any pork flavour — but that sauce is tasty, and it’s pleasant enough as a burger topping.

Otherwise, this is probably one of the better burgers McDonald’s has come out with in a while. The creamy chipotle sauce is pleasingly zesty and very mildly spicy, and the BBQ sauce adds a nice sweet/savoury kick. The cheese, bacon, and crispy onions complement it well. It’s a solid fast food burger.

Quick Bites: Bear Steak Sandwiches, Pizza Cantina, Pizza Karachi

Published on July 26, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Original Steak Sandwich from Bear Steak Sandwiches

I’m a big fan of Bear Steak Sandwiches, though I’ll admit that a recent experience there was a bit unfortunate. I ordered the special, which was a steak on rye sandwich, and… it was basically inedible. The rye bread it was served on was so stale and dry that it crumbled into bits the second I picked it up. I took a couple of bites, and then brought it back for a refund, which is something I basically never do. Not great! On the plus side, they seemed to know it was an issue and immediately offered to replace it with an original steak sandwich, which they assured I’d like much better. And they were correct — I’ve previously raved about this sandwich, and yeah, it’s still stellar. A bit too greasy, but otherwise the combo of the ultra-tender steak and zippy chimichurri (and non-stale bread!) is a big winner.

Diavola Stinger from Pizza Cantina

Pizza Cantina, a pizza joint in the Junction, seems to be pretty well regarded, so I was excited to try it. I went with the Diavola Stinger (“San Marzano tomato sauce, hot soppressata, mozzarella & hot honey drizzle”), and it was tasty enough. Certainly, I didn’t dislike eating it. The crust was odd, however. I don’t know if it was supposed to be like that or if something went wrong, but it was extremely stiff and cracker-like, with the ends being full-out crunchy with no softness or chew. It was a bit too much for me, but if you like a crunchy pizza, it was otherwise pretty solid. My only other complaint is that I found the hot honey to be a bit too aggressively applied — but then I find honey on a pizza to work best in small doses. Others may disagree.

Pizza from Pizza Karachi

As you’d gather from the name, Pizza Karachi serves pizza with a Pakistani flair. I tried a couple of pizzas (the Mirchi Sauga and… another one whose name is currently escaping me), and both were solid. They were pan pizzas (somewhat Pizza Hut-esque), and while the vaguely gummy crust was nothing to write home about, the vibrant Pakastani flavours actually worked pretty well.