Toronto, Wildfire Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Mousse inside Chocolate Dome

Dessert Rating: Chocolate Mousse Dome, 4.5 / 5 stars:

Break open the chocolate dome to find some chocolate mousse. It was delicious!

Toronto, Wildfire Steakhouse & Wine Bar, New York Cheezecake

Dessert Rating: New York Cheezecake, 4 / 5 stars:

Unfortunately for my friends, dining with me also means giving up a taste of your dessert! Sharon generously let me share a taste of the creamy cheezecake. The gooseberry on top was a nice aesthetic touch. To be honest, I think none of the desserts could disappoint because they were all equally attentive to quality, taste and generous in portion.

Toronto, Wildfire Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Chocolate Mousse Dome

Dessert Rating: Chocolate Mousse Dome, 4.5 / 5 stars:

I had previously ordered the Pecan and Chocolate tart, which got me because it was served warm. But when a viewing of the Chocolate Mousse Dome arrived to the table next to us, I quickly amended my order. The wet chocolate outside covered the chocolate mousse inside. Yum!

Toronto, Wildfire Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Lobster

Entrée/ Main Rating: Half Live Lobster, 4.5 / 5 stars:

The half lobster was fresh and delicious, served with melted butter, but not huge. It did not literally move, as the lobster did on Thursday at HiPot, but I believe it was fresh! A generous portion of rice, as well as the vegetables, helped complete the meal. The fresh and warm (!!!) bread hit our soft spot we even asked for more.

Toronto, Wildfire Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Shrimp Martini

Wildfire Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 3438 Yonge St., Toronto, ON, M4N 2N2, (416) 483-4800

Overall Food Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars: Wildfire, along with only a few others like Corner House Restaurant, is among the select few where the increased capacity and lower cost of “Winterlicious”, Toronto’s restaurant week, does not challenge the quality, service, culinary talent, and value of the meals being turned out of their kitchens. When I’ve been served “Watermelon cold soup”, with a food cost of about $.25, at past Winterlicious experiences, being served delicious five jumbo shrimp is both impressive and refreshing.

Atmosphere Rating: 4.5 / 5: Dining room seating, with leather seating, is comfortable, beautiful and lit dimly.

3.5 / 5: If you are seating upstairs like we were, you might hear every other table’s conversations except your own,…especially if you are seated in the back corner!

Service Rating: 5 / 5 stars: Leslie was friendly, competent, attentive, filled my water glass constantly and was overall awesome. In other words, nothing like wait staff at other pretentious restaurants, like Auberge du Pommier, during Winterlicious. Some waiters feel earning tip on a $100-$200 meal rather than that on a prix fixe meal is an entitlement and beware as some of them have no problem sharing that opinion, through body language and lack of service, with you.

Value Rating: 5 / 5 stars: A Winterlicious lunch that includes fresh jumbo shrimp, five at that, half a lobster, fresh warm bread, and fresh full size delicious desserts, in a beautiful setting with great service for $25? This is the best value I have ever come across….ever!  A refreshing attitude absent from restaurants like North 44, Auberge du Pommier, Canoe which I avoid during Winterlicious because they try to maintain the same profit margin by skimping out on portions, menu, etc and hence disappoint. If the quality, taste, and value is any indication, owner Jody Ness really cares that his patrons are getting a great food experience.

Appetizer/Starter Rating: The Shrimp Martini, 5 / 5 stars: Fresh jumbo tiger shrimp served with a delicious citrus-vodka infused cocktail sauce did not disappoint. If you are afraid that ordering shrimp in a restaurant means getting 3 limp frozen thawed tiny things, fear no more!

Toronto, Annona Restaurant, Park Hyatt, Walnut Butter Tart

Dessert Rating: Walnut Butter Tart Dark Chocolate Sauce, Vanilla Ice Cream, 3.5 / 5 stars:

I enjoyed it, but it was small and no nearly as good as the peacan chocolate tart or other desserts I would enjoy at Wildfire.

Toronto, Annona Restaurant, Park Hyatt, Beef Brisket

Entrée/ Main Rating: Horseradish Glazed Beef BrisketCrunchy Mustard & Dill Pickle Gravy, Root Vegetable Mash, 3.5 / 5 stars:

This dish had a lovely taste, so it would be rated higher except that the meat was not real beef brisket which I am used to but resembled a dense red meat similar to processed smoked meat or corned beef. To its credit, my friend Cecilia enjoyed it.

Toronto, Annona Restaurant, Park Hyatt Hotel, Wrapped Halibut

Entrée/ Main Rating: Rice Paper Wrapped Halibut, Curried Broth, Braised Green Lentils, Thin Cut Vegetables, 3.5 / 5 stars:

The halibut was fresh, the taste was as if I made it at home (read: I am not a chef), the rice paper did not add anything to the taste or texture, I had no clue the broth had any curry in it whatsoever until I was referring to the menu while writing this up, and the lentils tasted like lentils period (not braised lentils). Yes, the vegetables were thinly cut, check. It was not terrible by any means, just nothing too special.

Toronto, Annona Restaurant, Park Hyatt Hotel, Spinach, Ciel des Charlesvoix, Bacon Salad

Appetizer/Starter Rating:  Spinach, Ciel des Charlesvoix & chilli maple roasted walnuts, Warm Bacon, Cranberry Vinaigrette (vegetarian), 3.5 / 5 stars:  

How a warm bacon salad can possibly be considered vegetarian is beyond me.  None the less, Cecilia made a much better starter choice than I! 

After googleing “Ciel des Charlesvoix”, those not in the know will discover that it is a semi-soft raw cow’s milk blue-veined cheese.  Since neither Cecilia nor I like blue cheese, the quality and richness in taste and the excellent pairing with the sweetly (no chili detected!) glazed walnuts was impressive.  The spinach and dressing was ordinary.

Toronto, Annona Restaurant, Park Hyatt Hotel, Shrimp, Squash & Manchego Empanada

Annona Restaurant, Park Hyatt Hotel, 4 Avenue Road, Toronto, ON, 416-324-1567

An attempt for a Saturday after yoga brunch at a bakery with a European feel resulted in discovering that Toronto’s “Pain du Quotidien”, my favourite brunch place discovered in Brussels and when living in London, is now under bankruptcy protection! Do Torontonians not appreciate over priced French baked goods and Italian buffalo mozzarella as much as the Parisians do? Now, what are two hungry girls to do?

The Toronto Metro Library to the rescue! A quick cross of Yonge street and a free online search later (yes, I am a luddite without a data plan), Cecilia and I were headed through Yorkville towards the Park Hyatt!

Overall Food Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars: A nice afternoon lunch atmosphere with good, but not great, food. Previous experiences at Annona have been more satisfying than today’s.

Atmosphere Rating: 4.5 / 5: I find the restaurant clean, classy, and the seating particularly comfortable. The best views are along the windows or the banquette seats facing them, which allows one to admire the urban business of the edge of Yorkville, Avenue road, or the entrance to the Park Hyatt.

Service Rating: 2.5 / 5 stars: Cecilia and I were starving. And we had to ask for the bread 3 times and it arrived after our appetizers.

Value Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars: A Winterlicous 3 course lunch at $20. Cecilia’s salad was much better than my deep fried dumplings. The fish was fresh but the taste was just okay, while Cecilia’s beef brisket tasted better. The desserts were a fine but needed to be a bit more substantial.

Appetizer/Starter Rating: Shrimp, Squash & Manchego Empanada Avocado Lime Dipping Sauce, 2.5 / 5 stars: Since I had no clue what an “Empanada” was, I mistakenly asked, “How many shrimp are there?” to which I was left uncorrected (I was told “There are 3 shrimp”). When I ultimately found out that Annona’s version of “Empanda” meant “Deep Fried Thick Flour Wrapped Dumpling with a filling”, it was a bit of a letdown, so they are not even the focal point of the pic above.  The table setting is pretty though, isn't it?  The guacamole dip was good though!

Toronto, HiPot Hot Pot Restaurant, What is Hot Pot?

What is Hot Pot?

It is the same as Shabu Shabu. I’m sure that clears it all up for all you folks. Basically, a smorgasbord of food is cooked in either spicy or flavored broth. You are the cook!  The pro is that it is fun!  The con is you are in charge of not to overcooking your dinner.  Great cool meal option, especially in the winter time and especially after skiing or snowboarding...we enjoyed hotpot after a day on the slops and it was the best!

Toronto, HiPot Hot Pot Restaurant, Value

Value Rating:  4 / 5 stars:  Considering the $20 weekday and $22 weekend all-you-can-eat-price includes half a lobster, a huge oyster, mussels and other seafood, meats, wontons, and veggies (mushrooms, wintermelon, greens, etc.)  this all you can eat meal is great value. It isn’t cheap, but where else can you order lobster, seafood, and all you can eat everything else for a twenty?

Toronto, HiPot Hot Pot Restaurant, Atmosphere, Service

Atmosphere Rating:  3.5 / 5:  Clean, modern, pleasant, but notably cold.  I think they don't heat the place....they let the heat from the hot pots do it (and we were the first ones there, urrgh).  We literally had to move to another table away from the window drafts.

Service Rating:  3.5 - 5 / 5 stars depending on whether the “owner/manager” is serving you.  Our waiter was sufficient (we had to ask for Satay twice and Duck egg broth 3 times and still never got it) but he made up for it by giving us extra dessert (egg custard and mango pudding).  An older waiter, (whom I assume was either the owner/manager, and if he wasn’t he will be one day I am certain!) was excellent:  he explained each course/food item and was pleasant, helpful and knowledgeable to boot!

Toronto, HiPot Hot Pot Restaurant

HiPot Hot Pot Restaurant, 350 Highway 7 E, U 105, Richmond Hill, ON, L4B3N2, Phone: (905) 709-1188

Overall Food Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars:  The lobster was so fresh, I think the food prep people chopped it in half while we were there…. the lobster was still moving when we put it in the broth!  I know this is really gross for most North Americans/Canadians because we are so far removed from a connection with where food comes from (And perhaps a preference food that doesn't move during mealtime).  But for most Asians, and I think many European, Middle Eastern, and African cultures, as well as anyone who has worked on a farm, in fishing, or been on “Survivor”, nothing beats freshness especially when it comes to seafood.