food – Page 56 – Michael Eats

Decent Noodle Soup at Beefing With 7

Published on October 11, 2022 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 1177 Central Parkway West, Unit 9, Mississauga
Website: https://www.facebook.com/BeefingWith7.Mississauga/

Beefing with 7 is a Hong Kong-style restaurant with a few locations throughout the GTA (and an absolutely baffling name — there’s no indication on the menu or the restaurant’s website about what “7” refers to).

I had the signature beef brisket noodle soup, and it’s perfectly tasty, though it’s nothing you need to jump in your car and go out of your way for.

Still, I don’t have any complaints — the broth has a clean beefy flavour, the simply-spiced brisket is tender, and the firm noodles are satisfying. There are also several optional add-ons, which might not be a bad idea; the bowl is tasty, but could probably use some jazzing up.

There is, however, a bowl of tasty chili oil on the table, which is a must. It adds a nice kick and a bit more depth of flavour to the very straightforward bowl of noodle soup.

Unique Arabic Ice Cream at Pinochi Ice Cream

Published on October 9, 2022October 9, 2022 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 2340 Council Ring Road, Unit 104, Mississauga
Website: https://pinochiicecream.ca/

The Arabic ice cream they’re serving at Pinochi is pretty fascinating; it’s made with mastic (which is actually the resin from a type of tree), and it has an unusual, ultra-chewy texture that’s surprisingly addictive.

If you’ve never had it before, however, it’s going to be a bit of a shock. It’s so incredibly dense and chewy that it’s pretty difficult to eat with a spoon (a fork and knife are probably advisable). It’s deeply springy, with an almost chewing-gum-like texture that eventually melts in your mouth. It’s very, very different from traditional ice cream, but once you get on its wavelength, it’s quite enjoyable.

Pinochi serves it rolled and then sliced, with a generous amount of crushed pistachios on its exterior, giving it a great nutty flavour. The mastic has its own flavour, too; Wikipedia describes it as tasting of pine and cedar, and yeah, that’s probably right. The taste is quite subtle, but it definitely adds its own unique personality.

Pistachio ice cream is a tried-and-true flavour, but between the taste and texture of the mastic, this one is very much its own thing, and it’s great.

Cheap Eats at Tsui Xiang Tsuen

Published on October 6, 2022 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 888 Dundas Street East, Mississauga
Website: None

The Mississauga Chinese Centre is a definite hidden gem if you’re looking for cheap eats in Mississauga. You wouldn’t know it from the outside (it basically just looks like a strip mall) but it has a small food court with several vendors serving up a whole bunch of dishes.

There’s a sushi place, a Filipino place, and a few Chinese restaurants with typically enormous food court menus. Tsui Xiang Tsuen falls into the enormous menu category; I was craving wonton noodle soup, so that’s what I ordered.

Was it the best wonton noodle soup I’ve ever had? No, absolutely not. In particular, the wontons were basically complete mush, and the filling wasn’t quite what you’re expecting. Instead of the usual pork/shrimp combo, I think it was all pork, and it had a mildly gamy flavour that I wasn’t crazy about. They were easily the weak point of the dish.

On the other hand, the generous amount of noodles were perfectly cooked with a good amount of texture, and the broth had a nice clean flavour.

Plus, I think I’m burying the lede here, because this thing was a pretty hearty lunch, and the price? Six bucks. You can’t go wrong there.

Cinnamon Roll Centres Blizzard at Dairy Queen

Published on October 2, 2022 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 325 Central Parkway West, Mississauga
Website: https://www.dairyqueen.com/

Dairy Queen is currently serving their Fall menu of Blizzards, which means the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard (a.k.a. the king of Blizzards) is back. I probably should have ordered that, but how could I resist something called a Cinnamon Roll Centres Blizzard?? You’re going to take the best part of a cinnamon roll and mix it with ice cream??? Yes please, give me a million of those please.

Dairy Queen describes this as “soft cinnamon roll pieces and brown butter cinnamon topping blended with our world-famous vanilla soft serve,” and alas, it’s not nearly as great as you’d hope.

They mix some cinnamon flavour right in with the soft serve, which is nice, but the “soft” cinnamon roll pieces are actually not soft at all (they have more of a chewy cookie consistency), and taste absolutely nothing like the sweet, gooey, delicious middle of a cinnamon roll. They’re just kinda dry and chewy, and while they’re cinnamony, they also have an odd flavour that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

I didn’t hate eating it, I guess, but the notion that this has anything to do with a cinnamon roll honestly feels like false advertising. Can we sue Dairy Queen? I feel like we should sue Dairy Queen.

Decent Shawarma at Oaza Shawarma Plus

Published on September 30, 2022 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 2645 Liruma Road, Mississauga
Website: https://www.facebook.com/oazashawarmaplus/

Oaza Shawarma Plus is one of those local joints that doesn’t stand out in any particular way, but that’s still satisfying for what it is.

I got the chicken shawarma wrap, and it was pretty good. The chicken was entirely lacking in the crispy bits you’re hoping for from great shawarma, but aside from that it was juicy and plentiful. The sauces (hot sauce, garlic sauce, and tahini) were all tasty, and the proportion of sauce, chicken, and fresh veggies was just right.

Bonus: the wrap was nicely toasted in a sandwich press. I feel like unless you’re starting with some seriously fresh, delicious bread (and the pita here was of the bagged, store-bought variety), toasting will automatically enhance a shawarma wrap.

Do you need to get in your car and drive here immediately? No, absolutely not. But if you’re in the area, it’s a tasty enough wrap.