Pork Overload at Fushi Co.

Pork Overload at Fushi Co.
Location
: 4186 Finch Avenue East, Scarborough
Website: https://fushi.co/

Fushi Co. mostly caught my eye thanks to the photos of the pork and rice they have posted in the window of their restaurant, which reminded me a lot of a mind-blowing pork dish I had in Taipei.  That was back in 2019, and I still occasionally think about it.  I’ll be sitting there minding my own business, and boom, I’m thinking about that pork.  It was magical.

Pork Overload at Fushi Co.

The dish I had here was a bit more deluxe — I could have had the one which just comes with braised pork knuckle, which I believe would have pretty much been identical to the one from Taiwan.  But the “Signature Four Happiness Pork” comes with pork knuckle, pork belly, a bone with a decent amount of meat attached, and intestines.  Why yes, I would like all the pork.

Pork Overload at Fushi Co.

Is it too much pork?  I think it’s too much pork.  Certainly, it’s more pork than any reasonable person should eat in one sitting.  But did I eat it all?  You bet I did.  Did I feel good about it after?  I sure didn’t!

Pork Overload at Fushi Co.

It’s quite tasty.  All the pork is reasonably tender (even the intestine, which has none of the chewiness or gaminess you might expect), and the deeply savoury flavour is very satisfying.  I wish there had been some kind of hot sauce or chili oil to kick things up, but such is life.

Pork Overload at Fushi Co.

It’s not even remotely as good as the Taiwanese pork of my dreams (that was legitimately one of the best things I’ve ever eaten), but it’s still an enjoyable dish.  Plus, at 15 bucks for enough rice and meat to comfortably feed two, it’s a great deal.

More Delicious Doughnuts at Dipped Donuts

Dipped Donuts
Location
: 1374 Queen Street West, Toronto
Website: https://dippeddonuts.ca/

Dipped Donuts serves some of the best doughnuts in the city.  The best?  Quite possibly!  I’ve written about their Kensington Market location a few times, and I’m happy to say that their second location on Queen is just as good (UPDATE: since I initially wrote this, this location has closed (I have a bit of  a backlog), but their initial location in Kensington Market is still alive and kicking).

Dipped Donuts

As usual, every flavour looked extremely delicious.  Picking just one was an ordeal.

Dipped Donuts

I went with peach & ginger jelly, which is an intriguing combo that worked out even better than I was expecting.

Dipped Donuts

It’s a great doughnut.  The filling is sweet, but with a mild tartness that helps to balance things out.  And the ginger is present enough to give the filling some character and a mild bite, but subtle enough to not overwhelm.  I’ve had some ginger desserts where the ginger is too aggressive, and let me tell you: it’s a bummer to eat.

Dipped Donuts

And, of course, the doughnut itself is perfect, with a great flavour and just the right balance of chewiness and fluffiness.

General Tao Pizza at Martino Pizza & Asian Kitchen

Martino Pizza & Asian Kitchen
Location
: 178 Dupont Street, Toronto
Website: https://martinokitchen.com/

General Tao pizza.  I’m going to say that again, just for emphasis.  General Tao Pizza.  If you can hear that combination of words and not immediately want to try that pizza, you and I are very different people.

Martino Pizza & Asian Kitchen

Martino Pizza & Asian Kitchen is the unlikely combo of pizza joint and Chinese restaurant, which makes them uniquely equipped to serve the aforementioned fusion concoction.

The pizza comes topped with green peppers, red peppers, onions (which I skipped on my half of the pizza), and — of course — General Tao chicken (more commonly spelled “General Tso’s chicken”).

Martino Pizza & Asian Kitchen

It’s… pretty good?  The pizza itself is nothing special (it’s slightly better than Pizza Pizza, but it’s definitely along the lines of chain pizza in that vein), but the very generous amount of chicken on top is as delightful as you’d hope.

Martino Pizza & Asian Kitchen

The General Tao chicken is fresh, with a nice crunchy exterior and tender chicken within.  The sauce is very, very, very sweet, but of course, that’s what General Tao chicken is supposed to be.  The contrast between the salty pizza and the sweet, tangy chicken actually works quite well.

Would I get this again?  Probably not!  But it’s fun, and I’m glad that I tried it.

Tasty Fried Chicken and Curry at Ramen Ryu

Tasty Fried Chicken and Curry at Ramen Ryu
Location
: 486 Front Street West, Toronto (inside Wellington Market)
Website: https://ryusnoodlebar.com/ramen_ryu

I mentioned recently that I tried the ramen at Ramen Ryu at the Well and found it tasty, but not mind-blowing.  Well, maybe I just ordered the wrong thing?  This place has a “recommendation” board on their menu, and the top choice isn’t ramen at all — it’s karaage & curry.

I ordered it, obviously, and yeah, it’s quite tasty.

Tasty Fried Chicken and Curry at Ramen Ryu

It’s a simple dish — rice, a whole bunch of Japanese curry, and three pieces of karaage (i.e. Japanese fried chicken).

The curry is great, with a nice depth of flavour and a mild spicy kick.  It’s maybe a touch on the salty side, but is otherwise above average Japanese curry.

The chicken features a nice balance between the crispy exterior and juicy interior, and complements the curry well.  And the rice does a great job of soaking up that curry.  It’s a very satisfying dish.

Shawarma/Calzone Fusion at Keko Shawarma

Keko Shawarma
Location
: 3128 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Website: https://kekoshawarmaon.com/

As soon as I found out that Keko Shawarma sells a shawarma calzone, I was sold.  I had zero follow-up questions.  Shawarma calzone?  Yes please.

It’s actually pretty basic.  It’s filled with beef or chicken shawarma, a whole bunch of gooey cheese, and… that’s it.  It comes with a salad on the side, along with a couple of little cups of hot sauce and garlic sauce.

Keko Shawarma

I went with the chicken shawarma, which is definitely above average.  It’s a tiny bit on the dry side, but it’s got a bunch of the crispy bits you’re looking for and is nicely spiced.  It’s quite tasty.

Keko Shawarma

The calzone was made to order and was hot and fresh, with a generous amount of chicken shawarma and melty cheese, and a thin crust that was mostly just a vehicle for the chicken and cheese.

The hot sauce could have been hotter (it was barely spicy at all), but the creamy garlic sauce was seriously tasty and quite addictive.

Keko Shawarma

I’m glad I tried it, but I think I’d get the normal shawarma wrap if I found myself back here.  Shawarma + calzone is a fun combo, but I think there’s a reason it’s not really a thing.  The calzone wasn’t really better than the bread you’d normally get in a shawarma wrap, and the abundant cheese — while tasty — makes this taste more like a novelty than something you’d want to eat on the regular.