eggs – Page 2 – Michael Eats

Quick Bites: Sun’s Kitchen, Bei Wei Ju Dumpling House, Perkins

Published on July 22, 2024July 22, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Noodles with Spicy Pork from Sun’s Kitchen

Sun’s Kitchen is (was?) my favourite restaurant in the Pacific Mall food court, but sadly, it seems that they’ve gone downhill. I pretty much always order the same thing here (noodles with spicy pork), and mostly, it was just as tasty as ever. But the real attraction of this place are the delightfully chewy noodles that they hand-pull on site, and on this particular visit they were shockingly mushy. My dining companion said he had the same experience a few months ago, so I’m not even sure if this was a one-time mistake. They’ve also stopped serving the soup and soy milk that used to come on the side (and the bowl now comes with an egg), so I wonder if there was a change of ownership. Either way, I can’t imagine I’ll be back anytime soon, sadly.

Crispy shrimp and pork dumplings from Bei Wei Ju Dumpling House

Speaking of the Pacific Mall, I also tried these fried dumplings from Bei Wei Ju Dumpling House, and they were quite satisfying. The filling could have been a bit more generous (there was a marble-sized ball of meat in the centre of each dumpling, which was otherwise all wrapper), but the exterior had a nice balance of chewiness and crispiness, and the whole thing was very tasty.

Southern Fried Chicken Biscuit Breakfast from Perkins

I was actually pretty excited to try Perkins, an American chain with a menu that reminds me of places like Bob Evans and Cracker Barrel (both of which have zero locations in Canada, sadly). I ordered the Southern Fried Chicken Biscuit Breakfast, and while the whole thing wasn’t unpleasant to eat, I think I could have had roughly the same experience (at a fraction of the price) by going to the supermarket and buying a Hungry Man dinner.

Quick Bites: Apricot Tree Cafe, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Gouter

Published on July 1, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Apricot Breakfast from the Apricot Tree Cafe

The Apricot Tree Cafe seems to be quite well regarded, so maybe it’s just not my thing, but I got the Apricot Breakfast (“Smoked salmon, poached eggs, dill sour cream, Apricot Tree salad, toast”) and it mostly left me puzzled. Nothing on the plate was bad — in fact, the smoked salmon was actually quite good, and the eggs were well prepared, with a nice runny yolk. But none of the individual flavours particularly cohered in any meaningful way, so it basically just felt like random stuff on a plate. Also: the toast came unbuttered (with no butter on the side, either!), and get out of here with that.

Classic vanilla bundt cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes

True to their name, Nothing Bundt Cakes sells bundt cakes, bundt cakes, and more bundt cakes. They’re available in various flavours like chocolate, lemon, and red velvet (among many others), and they’re all topped with cream cheese icing. They have full-sized cakes, but their specialty seems to be smaller versions that are about the size of a very big cupcake. I went simple with the classic vanilla, and it was tasty enough. This place is apparently a chain with hundreds of locations, and yeah, that tracks. It basically tastes like if Little Debbie came out with a line of bundt cakes. I have a soft spot for junky treats like that, so I enjoyed it — but at about seven bucks per individual cake, it might be a bit overpriced for what it is.

Blueberry tart from Gouter

I had a raspberry croissant that I really did not care for the last time I visited Gouter; however, I just tried a blueberry tart from their Etobicoke location, and I think maybe they’re better than I gave them credit for, because the tart was quite good. The shortbread crust was buttery and had a nice texture, the custard filling was creamy and not too sweet, and the blueberries and crumble topping were thoroughly tasty.

Great Pastries at Fragrant Bakery

Published on May 28, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 3833 Midland Avenue, Scarborough
Website: None

I recently watched this video about a Chinese pastry called a wife cake; I’d never even heard of this before, but figured it was a safe bet that it was available somewhere in the GTA.

And indeed, Fragrant Bakery — a tiny hole-the-wall bakery in Scarborough — serves the stuff.

A wife cake (which is probably closer to a pie than a cake) features a filling made of winter melon, sesame seeds, and coconut that’s wrapped in a flaky dough. It’s really unique, with a mildly chewy texture, a restrained sweetness, and a slight savouriness that sets it apart from your average sweet pastry.

I’d also heard good things about the egg tart here, so I tried one; I’m generally not crazy about Hong Kong egg tarts (true to their name, I find them to be a bit too eggy), but if you like them, this is a really good one. The crust is super flaky and fresh, and the filling is luxuriously silky.

This place does well (there was a line to get in when I showed up), and it’s easy enough to see why.

An Amazing Breakfast Sandwich at Hot Pork

Published on May 11, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 932 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Website: https://www.instagram.com/hotpork.to/

I think the Smoked Beef Brisket sandwich at Hot Pork might be the best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had? If it’s not the best, it’s right up there, that’s for sure.

It’s the beef brisket. Good lord, that brisket. You’re basically cheating when you make a sandwich with brisket that good. You could put that brisket in/on anything, and it will suddenly be one of the best versions of that thing that you’ve ever had.

It’s just perfectly prepared, with a great level of smokiness that puts literally every BBQ joint in the GTA to shame, and an unctuous tenderness that’s seriously satisfying.

It’s otherwise a very simple sandwich, with just mayo, BBQ sauce (which is glazed right onto the brisket, which is griddled to caramelize the sauce), and an egg on a toasted English muffin.

The toastiness of the English muffin adds some nice texture to the tender brisket and the creamy egg, and the egg is perfectly cooked (normally I’d prefer a runny yolk, but on a sandwich like this I think the more solid texture works).

And the egg/brisket combo works so well (but again, that brisket would be delicious with basically anything).

It’s a phenomenal sandwich.

Jodie’s is a Hidden Gem

Published on March 26, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 331 Horner Avenue, Etobicoke
Website: https://www.instagram.com/jodiesrestaurant/

Jodie’s is basically the definition of a hidden gem. It’s tucked away in an industrial area of Etobicoke, it looks extremely unassuming, and there’s very little information about it online. But yes: it’s a gem.

The menu consists entirely of no-frills diner classics. I came at breakfast and ordered the morning mixer, which comes with two eggs cooked as you like; a pancake or French toast (I went with the pancake); your choice of bacon, ham, or sausage (I got sausage), with a side of home fries and toast.

It’s an exceptionally basic diner breakfast that could very easily be fine, but not much more.

Jodie’s knocks it out of the park, however, with perfectly prepared eggs, a pancake that strikes a great balance between fluffiness and substance, nicely crispy/creamy home fries, and some tasty sausages that I think are fried (they had an exterior crispiness that’s quite delightful). It’s quite simple, but when the execution is as good as it is here, simplicity is where it’s at.