Akira Back - Toronto *.

😻  Happy December 😻 

Alrighty - I have to get back to blogging! It's been a busy month in November & December! 
More fun to come :) 

Starting off the December posts with the event I was invited to for the launch of a new restaurant. Michelin Star Executive Chef, Akira Back opened up his first Toronto location! The official opening is on December 7. I was invited as a media guest to try his launch menu items!

Big thank you goes out to Sandi for the invitation! I had the opportunity to try many yummy dishes before the grand opening. The decor is very modern and has a dim ambiance. I'd recommend this place for a nice fancy date because of the way the tables are set up. You get a lot of privacy if you're able to book the booths on the side.

😻  Bisha Hotel looking fancy on the outside (and inside)

😻  We had assigned seating because Akira Back invited both media people and guests to the event

😻  Starting off with a cocktail! We were asked to try every cocktail on the menu - I knew there were alcohol pairings with each dish so I've withheld myself from that offer haha

😻 Appetizer to start off: 

*  

😻  Jeju Domi - Loved this! The fish was very fresh and the sauce was paired very nicely. I wish they had a bigger portion for this dish!

😻  Salmon Tiradito - Compared to the Jeju Domi, I didn't like this one as much. The fish was very fresh but there was less flavour.

😻  Eggplant Miso
😻  Rock Shrimp - Sriracha Ranch

(I was meh on these two items to be honest..!)

😻  Seared Halibut - Mushrooms, Soy Beurre Blanc
😻  48 Hour Wagu Short Rib - Root Veggies, Quail Egg, Braising Jus

Wine Pairing: Shingleback Haycutter's Shibaz

I liked the Wagu Short Rib a lot! Wish there was a bigger portion haha. The meat was very tender and juicy - loved the marinated flavours!

😻  Yuzu Citrus - Sable Crumble, Strawberry Gelato

I enjoyed this dessert because there was a soury taste to it (mainly from the yuzu pudding). It was a great finish to our meal :)

😻  Black & White Sesame Matcha Cake - Salted Agave Ice Cream

The texture from the sesame was a great pairing with the salted agave ice cream. I'm a big matcha fan so I was surprised when I actually enjoyed the ice cream more than the cake! 

😻  The lighting at Akira Back was sooo dim :( I wouldn't take that many pictures because of this! 
Although - the good thing about it is, if you're taking your date here, it's the perfect ambiance ;)

Website @www.akirabacktoronto.com

Akira Back

Japanese

80 Blue Jays Way
Toronto, ON M5V 2G3

GB Hand-pulled Noodles *.

Finally had a chance to visit GB hand-pulled noodles! 
It is a boutique-sized noodle place, expect to wait in lines if you come during prime dinner time. Service was good. It gets humid in the restaurant because of the kitchen since it's an open-concept. If you're sensitive to the heat, try get grab a table near the entrance!

I ordered:

* SPECIAL BEEF NOODLES (Small size with thin noodles)

I've asked for mild so they added less spicy sauce. Even though the spicy sauce is little in content, it's actually still pretty spicy!! The "thin" noodles are actually as thick as udon noodles. If you want to get thin noodles, I'd suggest you choose the "super thin" noodle option.

GB Hand-pulled Noodles

$$  Chinese, Noodles

66 Edward Street
Toronto, ON M5G 1C9

Pusateris x Tiffany Pratt event *.

😻 Media Event at Pusateri's 😻

I was invited to attend the Pusateri's holiday unveil event. I had a lot of fun sampling the different items they want to introduce for the winter season. The dress code was more towards the formal side! Pusateri's displays were gorgeous! 

Here are some highlights from the event :)

😻 P & I were lucky to have gotten our champagnes at the very start of the event! Or else we would've had to wait a long time haha

😻 Tower of goodies! What a pretty display of the chocolates & cookies

😻 Pink goat cheese...!

😻 Pls see commentary haha. I don't like goat cheese...

😻 Fancy Pusateri's feature: Smoked Salmon with Golden Flakes!

😻 He made these cheesy pastas and cooked it on the spot! 

😻 Fellow foodbloggers livestreaming!

😻 Bite sized desserts with baileys shots!

😻 Fancy chocolate egg :)

😻 Mushroom x chocolate log cake 

😻 Greenhouse Juice Co is coming to Pusateri's this winter season! I got to sample their hangry bites and featured salads. Loved their specialty drinks!

Overall, this was a lovely festive event hosted by Pusateri's. Special thanks to Sandi for the invite :)

Pusateri fine foods

$$$  Food Delivery Services, Florists, Caterers

176 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON M5C 2L7

XiangZi Hotpot *.

I didn't actually want to have hot pot here at Xiang Zi after reading all the low reviews on Yelp. 
I've only decided to because my dad wanted to give it a try. 

The interior is very nicely decorated - it reminds me of those Chinese palaces in the olden-times . This place is very spacious but I felt like they wasted a lot of space by creating a huge hallway when you walk in. The service was good but it was over-staffed when I visited. 

😻 Here's myself and mama with our fancy aprons.

Now now.. it's not because I'm camera-shy. It's because I was extremely EXHAUSTED! 

😻  The selection

As expected, there were so many hidden fees!!

😻 Hot Pot time ^

Expect lots of fees:
* add money per person for hot pot
* add money for one big pot or add money for each small pot per person
* add money for "better beef"/ "better food"

😻  I didn't expect to have such a clear cameo in my shot. Smile you're on camera!! haha

We spent approximately $70 per person for hot pot. The food was okay, but not worth the money!

XiangZi Hotpot

$$$  Hot Pot, Chinese, Soup

3989 Highway 7 E
Markham, ON L3R 5M6

Dazzling Cafe - Markham *.

😻 Happy November! 😻
October has been a crazy month, hence the lack of posts! With the weather getting cold, I hope everyone has plans to get away this winter ;) 


I visited Dazzling Cafe recently. I love the decor here!! 
I wanted to visit Dazzling Cafe in Taiwan but my schedule was too packed. They have locations everywhere - even in HK. I'd want to go to the OG of them all of course - Taipei's.

Happy they opened one in Toronto - not one, but two locations! I love the bunny chairs. This is a great place for photo ops and to have GNOs. 

I got the Special "Dinner for two" - it comes with 2 drinks, 1 appetizer and 2 mains:

* ICED HONEY GREEN TEA (2/5)

This would've gotten more points if it wasn't for 80% of my drink being filled with ice! The drink was good! But by the time I was a quarter into my meal, everything was watered down (melted ice lol).

* CARAMELIZED CHICKEN WINGS (3/5)

The portions looked smaller than it actually is, they used a plate that had a deeper bottom haha. This was pretty good, they had crispy sweet potato chips under the chicken wings.

* MENTAIKO SPAGHETTI (3/5)

The sauce was pink... We found that a little weird when we first got the meal, is this edible?! Andd it was yummy!! I guess it was themed 'pink' because of how Dazzling cafe was decorated. It would be a big improvement if the spaghetti was not all grouped together. I shared this dish and it was hard spilling because of how long the spaghetti was - we had to chop it with our knives haha.

* POPCORN CHICKEN CURRY RICE (4/5)

I liked this!! The curry was a little spicy which I prefer. I think if there was more sauce, I would like this dish even more. I'd order this next time I visit.

Dazzling Cafe - Markham

$$  Asian Fusion, Desserts, Coffee & Tea

28 South Unionville Avenue
Markham, ON L3R

Toronto Catering Show *.

I was invited to attend the Toronto Catering Show from a fellow foodie. 

I had so much fun trying out the different foods the participating vendors had to offer! The event was held at the Toronto reference library and was very nicely decorated. P and I were very impressed with the foods that were offered as part of this foodie experience. People dressed up for this event (and we did not expect that). 

😻  Live band - they played Tay Tay's new song :)


Highlight of the event:

😻  P really liked the octopus tapas!

😻  I preferred the oyster tapas 

* Drake Hotel: The octopus and oyster tapas were delicious! One of our favourite picks!

* Succulent chocolates and sweets: Their chocolate truffles were amazing! Just the right amount of sweetness - my favourite was the truffle that was covered with hazelnuts.

😻 Wagyu Beef slider

* Food Dudes - Wagyu beef big mac was so good! 
Loved the tenderness of the meat - very juicy.. Would love to try a bigger portion hahaha

😻  Huge line up for this dessert that incorporates Nitrogen infused ice cream!

😻 Torched bananas

😻  Vietnamese bowls - I didn't try this because I was way too stuffed!

😻  Deep Fried Cheesecakes!

😻  fusion style peking duck wraps

Toronto Catering Show

Food, Event Planning & Services

789 Yonge St
Toronto, ON M4W 2G8