Korean Grill House

So it was the end of summer school and once again my friends and I needed a place to get together  to have some fun, good food, and a chance to catch up with each other.

We were scheduled to dine elsewhere but that plans didn't work out so we opted for Korean Grill House, located in the heart of downtown Toronto. 

This cool, hip spot is the best place for two people going on their first date. At Korean Grill House, each table has a set of cookers placed between two people facing each other. Each person is able to grill his or her meal or designate the other to cook. It is a bonding kind of experience for sure.

There are two levels to the restaurant. The first level which is street level, is perfect for those who wishes to see some action on the street while they eat. While on the second level, a much larger space,  there is not much to see but the atmosphere gives you a sense of calm and tranquility. The walls are painted greyish blue, white table tops and wooden chairs with spa music playing in the background.

In terms of price, you are looking at $15-$17 range from the all-you-can-eat lunch menu ending at 3pm. The meat choices vary from pork, chicken, beef, Korean spare ribs, fish-which includes salmon and white fish and much more.

This was my first experience at a cook-it-yourself place and I must say, I would definitely go back again or recommend a friend.

 Korean Grill House is located at 369 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON - M5B 1S1, Tel: 416-596-9206. Or visit their website at www.koreangrillhouse.com/index.html.

Symposium

This is not the typical place that I would blog about but after getting a taste of what this restaurant had to offer made me change my mind.


For those out there who have no idea of what or who Symposium is, I will attempt to give you a synopsis of what it would be like to dine in Europe. Symposium Cafe restaurant is an European style restaurant that caters to patrons who are looking for a feel of Europe. This upscale, casual cafe is the place to enjoy this summer. The restaurant also has a patio, perfect for dining out on those hot sunny days.


On the menu are vegetarian dishes for non-meat lovers, classic North American food, such as, burgers and fries done with a twist, and classic European gourmet meals.


My choice dish for the evening was Penne a la vodka (penne pasta tossed with salmon, capers, and a splash of vodka in a rose sauce), this gave the dish a tart taste but for those with a love for strong flavors would enjoy it. We ate outside on the patio, this was a really great experience as this restaurant is located in a quiet residential area.  

You can find Symposium locations mostly in the west end of the Greater Toronto Area. Visit their website at http://www.symposiumcafe.com/. 

Also, please have a look at this Youtube video taken from Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on Cafe Pita (Eastern European restaurant).

 

Aroma

It was a friend's birthday and she wanted to try Indian food. We searched the Yellow pages to see what we could find until another friend suggested Aroma located in the downtown core of Toronto.
With a worked up appetite, we anticipated how great the food will be. When we arrived, it was still the lunch hour and we had the 'all-you-can-eat buffet' to ourselves.

Without hesitation we all head for the buffet, located to the rear of the restaurant and  dug into the food. My first and safest choice was the Butter chicken and boy it was the best choice I made that afternoon. The sauce was so creamy and tasty and the chicken seem to melt away in your mouth. I also tried the Saag with Naan and kept going back for more until my tummy couldn't hold any more.
Make sure to order the Mango juice, but make sure you dont't fill up on it because it can be quite filling.

Aroma is located on an upper level and is quite cozy. The setup of the restaurant is like an L-shape with white linen cloths and nice accents to  make you feel at home while you eat.

Visit Aroma Fine Indian Cuisine at 287 King St. West , Toronto , ON M5V 1J5 Tel (416) 971-7242 http://aroma.sites.toronto.com/index.html.

 

Quesada Mexican Grill

If you're in the mood to try something new, this is the place! Quesada is an upcoming Mexican grill restaurant with locations in Mississauga and Toronto and two more in late 2011 in London and Barrie. 
 The setup of the restaurant was a typical fast food Canadian restaurant. The use of colors made it much more appealing. 

Quesada takes pride in offering gourmet Tacos, Burritos, and Quesadillas. For my order, it was two lovely hard and hearty Tacos-chicken and steak- filled with lettuce, cheese, sour cream and salsa. Both costing a little more than $6.00. The Tacos tasted very fresh and delicious. All the ingredients used to make the Tacos seemed as if they were picked right out of a garden and brought fresh to the restaurant to be prepared for us to eat.

So if you're in no mood for cooking tonight, try Quesada Mexican Grill! Located at 5067 Dixie Rd. Mississauga, ON (at Eglinton Ave) (905) 212-9700. Visit their website at http://www.quesada.ca/home.html.

Aji Sai

It was my friend and I Abby's Graduation day and our good friend Yuyu made reservations so we could celebrate such a wonderful milestone and memorable occasion. 
Looking at the outside of the restaurant, one would think that this place wasn't that great. But to my surprise, as you enter, it feels like you stepped into another world. With beautiful lime green colors and dark wood stain, the decor gave you a feeling of calm and happiness.

Originally, our party was for 23 people but reduced to 10. The party room set aside for us that evening, we could no longer use, so we were seated near the back of the restaurant along a long wall.

For those who have never had Japanese buffet, you might be confused just as we were being it was the first time we were dining there. We were given a list of food items to choose from and we had to number the amount we wanted for each dish. This took us a good half hour to figure what we wanted to eat and how much we wanted to eat.

Right away, most of us went for the obvious chicken but the more adventurous ones ventured away from the traditional western foods. To start, we ordered Red Dragon Roll (avocado, cucumber, tempura shrimp, topped with salmon sushi), Tempura Chicken Wings (deep fried wings), Chicken Teriyaki, Beef Fried Rice, and Spring Roll and the list goes on.

My favorite was the Red Dragon Roll dipped in hot sauce with every bite. This was dinner  and a nice price of $18.99 per person plus HST and a 15% coupon off your bill.
We liked it so much that my hubby and I went back the next day for lunch and ordered some of our favorites. Lunch, however, was $12.99 plus taxes (this is the weekend lunch prices, that is, Fri-Sun).

Try Aji Sai! Located at 50 Kennedy Road South, Brampton, ON. ( major intersection Kennedy and Steeles near Clarence St.) 905-452-7888. www.ajisai.ca