review – Page 6 – Michael Eats

Solid Ice Cream at Put A Cone On It

Published on December 6, 2018 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 633 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Website: https://www.putaconeonit.com/

Ice cream is the best. And while what they’re serving at Put A Cone On It probably isn’t going to knock anyone’s socks off, it’s above average ice cream. Which means that, yes: it’s the best.

Plus, they make their own ice cream, which is always nice. There’s nothing more disheartening than going to an ice cream shop only to realize that they’re serving commercial stuff like Kawartha or Nestle. I can buy that at the supermarket. Get out of here with that.

They have a handful of dairy and non-dairy flavours available; I tried the roasted banana, which is one of the dairy options.

It’s quite tasty. True to its name, it has a very pronounced banana flavour that almost reminded me of banana bread, only with a more amplified fruity flavour.

The texture was ever-so-slightly icy, and it could have been richer, but it was quite good. Like I said: it probably won’t be your favourite ice cream in the city, but you’re definitely going to enjoy eating it.

Shoddy Indian Food at Amaya in Sherway Gardens

Published on December 5, 2018December 5, 2018 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 25 Sherway Gardens Road, Etobicoke
Website: https://www.amayarestaurant.com/

Amaya is a (usually) decent quality chain that (usually) serves tasty Indian fare. But the Sherway Gardens location is… odd. I tried it when it first opened, and the food was so atrociously bad that it was nearly inedible.

I figured they deserved another chance — new restaurants often need a month or two to work out all the kinks. I just tried the rogan josh, which features big chunks of lamb in a mildly spicy curry sauce on top of basmati rice.

Yeah, it was pretty bad. It’s so weird, because the other Amaya locations I’ve tried have been pretty reliable, but the Sherway Gardens location is almost like a completely different restaurant.

The flavour of the curry wasn’t bad, but the chunks of lamb were mostly tough and rubbery (with a few tender pieces interspersed throughout to mix things up), the rice was ice cold, and when I got to the bottom of the bowl, there was a big pool of greasy water that was tremendously off-putting.

Surprisingly Tasty Vegan Cinnamon Rolls at Cinnaholic

Published on December 4, 2018 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 319 Danforth Avenue, Toronto
Website: https://www.cinnaholic.ca/

The cinnamon roll from Cinnaholic is shockingly good. Not that it’s the best cinnamon roll I’ve ever had, but it’s vegan. You’re bracing for the worst when you hear that a traditionally dairy-heavy dessert has been made vegan. How could that possibly end well?

Cinnaholic, somehow, pulls it off.

It’s an interesting set-up; they have a few dozen different frosting and topping choices (if there’s a dessert topping you can think of, they probably offer it here). I wanted to see what the deal was with the roll itself, so I went as simple as possible with the “Classic Old Skool Roll,” which is topped only with vanilla frosting.

I won’t lie: I was expecting it to be dense and dry and weird, but it was pleasantly light and fluffy, with a nice cinnamon flavour and a great level of sweetness. It’s very, very sweet, but it’s not quite the throat-burning assault of sugar that you’ll get with something like Cinnabon.

The frosting is quite tasty, too — it’s rich and creamy, but also incredibly soft and light. I have no idea how they achieve that texture without dairy (I’m assuming margarine is involved), but whatever it is, it tastes pretty darn good.

That’s the surprising thing about it. Yes, it’s vegan, but it’s not good for a vegan dessert; it’s good, period.

Fake Burgers and Real Onion Rings at Fresh

Published on November 30, 2018 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Toronto
Website: https://freshrestaurants.ca/

The original plan was to review the veggie burger from Fresh for my burger blog. But then I actually ate it, and to be honest… I didn’t want to.

It’s not a burger. They call it a burger, and it basically looks like a burger, but the taste and the texture both contain zero hamburger-like properties. I only post a review on Tasty Burgers every couple of weeks, and it just didn’t feel right wasting one on something that absolutely, positively isn’t a hamburger.

We started with the much-lauded onion rings, which are frequently called the best in the city. And yeah, they’re good — maybe not best-in-the-city good, but they’re quite tasty. They actually reminded me a lot of what they serve at A&W — they’re similarly hearty, with a crispy breaded exterior encasing a perfectly cooked onion.

They were slightly underseasoned, however, and a little bit greasier than you’d like (which is particularly odd given the restaurant’s health food pedigree). I think I like A&W’s version slightly more, especially given how crazy expensive the ones at Fresh are (eight bucks for five substantial rings).

As for the “burger,” I ordered the banquet burger, which features fake bacon and fake cheese on a fake hamburger patty.

It’s fine. It’s actually not bad for what it is, but as I mentioned earlier, it’s not going to satisfy anyone’s hamburger cravings. The taste and texture are quite falafel-esque (but without the crispy exterior). Like most veggie burgers, it’s on the mushy side — a problem that’s compounded by how incredibly dense the wheaty bun is. It’s so unforgivingly brick-like that it’s actually quite difficult to eat, but I got through it.

The fake cheese is basically a thick, salty paste, and the fake bacon literally could not have tasted less like bacon. It was sweet and vaguely plantain-like. It wasn’t bad, but comparing it to bacon is absurd.

Flin Flan at Bang Bang

Published on November 29, 2018 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 93a Ossington Avenue, Toronto
Website: http://bangbangicecream.com/

Well, I guess it’s time for my semi-regular “here’s another amazing flavour you need to try at Bang Bang” post, because I just tried a flavour called Flin Flan, and it was amazing and you need to try it.

They describe it as “eggy custard Filipino style.” If you’ve never had flan, it’s essentially a Spanish (or Filipino) version of creme caramel. And if you’ve never had creme caramel, what’s your deal? That’s a classic dessert. Get it together.

As you’d expect, the ice cream version of it at Bang Bang is delicious, because everything at Bang Bang is delicious.

The ice cream itself has a really great custardy flavour (and it goes without saying that it’s incredibly creamy and rich). It’s topped with a very intense caramel sauce that has a flavour that’s right on the verge of being burnt. It’s so great.

There’s also a piece of crunchy sugar on top that’s maybe a bit too substantial, but otherwise has the same rich flavour as the sauce. I know it’s cold out, so maybe you don’t feel like eating ice cream, but this is too delicious to pass up.