We started with olives, bread and andouille spread. The spread was truly exceptional, we savoured it throughout our entire meal and when one of the waiters tried to remove it from our table when it was 80% finished he received scolding cut eye and my outreached hand.  He was startled, but soon realized the power of the spread. In addition to the starters came a bowl of pickled vegetables containing artichoke, broccoflower and pickles. The tartness from the contents of this bowl helped to cut and compliment a lot of the sweet and salty flavours that were to come ahead.

Our wooden plank of love, aka large charcuterie board was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen/tasted in my life. The neatly laid out meat rested so gracefully in front of me I almost did not want to tamper with it, it looked so perfect and best of all it is mostly made in house. It consisted of: Guanciale (unsmoked Italian bacon, pig’s cheek or jowls) – delicious, Duck Liver Mousse – 1st time for everything, nice spread in subtle portions, Foie Gras – delectably rich & silky smooth texture, Duck Prosciutto – typically darker and tougher than your avg prosciutto, my rule of thumb which never fails is any prosciutto is amazing prosciutto, Angus Sausage – darker and tougher meat, bold flavour, Venison Bresaola – air dried salted, deep woody flavour, there were a few more items on the board but towards the end of the waiter explaining the contents I had drifted off into a foodgasm. This charcuterie board was the most diverse and best tasting example of charcuterie I have had yet.

We had a follow up plank of sheer prosciutto. It was the same sized plank just covered with carefully shaved neatly trimmed layers of sciutto. This was a nice change for me because I am so used to Parma style sciutto and this was house made, so it had a distinct flavour that I can confidently claim I had never had before. The overall flavour had a hint of nuttiness to it and it was lighter in flavour compared to the sciutto I am used to which is very bold very salty. An additional large order or bread and olives accompanied this item.

Next we had the critically acclaimed Raw Horse Sammy sandwich. I knew this would be a knockout because everyone who previously told me to eat at the Hoof made me swear to try this sandwich. Even when I ordered it our waitress’s eyes perked up and she smiled. I could tell she was thinking “These dudes are gonna lose it when they try this”.

The sandwich arrived open faced on rye bread. One side has the rich, velvety, purplish/red meat mixed with onions, olive oil, some herbs topped with capers and an egg yolk. The other side has the signature hot sauce compliments of G-Mo, the Hoof’s Peruvian sous-chef. Ideally you want to spread the yolk all over the meat and get it right into and around the meat, this will prevent the yolk from dripping out of the sandwich when you eat it. This also helps to seal in and fuse all the love in this sandwich and believe me, there’s a whole lotta love. One of the major highlights of this dish was that I had never had anything like it before, the texture, taste and whole vibe of the sandwich was new to me, and as I sit here typing I am borderline losing it recounting this experience. Truly a magical dish worthy of its own restaurant.

I simply can not wait to go back to this restaurant. I have yet to try the duck confit sandwiches, cheeses, roasted bone marrow, tongue on brioche, deserts, wine, and daily delights. For the record I could care less about the décor because I don’t take my eyes off the food.

Thurs-Mon 6pm-2am, Sun (midnight)
patio
cash/d

EAT IT

The legendary ESD  is well known in Ottawa for its sizeable  menu of deliciousness, 24 hour service and high success rate of hangover treatment. The décor is well cozy and what you’d expect to see when you step into a classic style diner. In the diner you will find a wide array of breakfasts dishes, salads, sandwiches, burgers, platters, mains, POUTINE and shakes. 

Believe me when I say I used to plan my Ottawa trips around going to the Elgin Street Diner. Their house special ESD Poutine changed my life for good. The poutine fries are shoestring style and browned well through. Their gravy is comfortingly rich, savory and delicious, I could drink it straight out of a glass. The St. Albert cheese curds est. 1894 melt and fuse so well with the fries, gravy and all additional toppings available.

ESD offers 8 different styles of poutine as follows:  

My beloved ESD poutine consists of a standard poutine topped with caramelized onions and strips of bacon. It is crucial to note that when I say caramelized onions, I mean onions caramelized for so long they are litreally black, not burnt but caramelized to sh!t. I feel the caramelizing process must include brown sugar, and I’m also quite confident the cooks deglaze the pan with Love. The bacon either comes in strips or chopped up in to bits, a win-win either way every time.

I dodge in and out of  la la land each time the fork hits my mouth. Picture the perfectly browned crispy fries, covered with St. Albert’s curds, swamped in the unicorn sweat infused gravy, covered with the sweetest onions you will ever have topped with bacon ios;2aohf;o6sh0kflkw3;hflkasdl335u5wyq4422222222222222222222222

Sorry!! After recounting that last bit I was so overwhelmed with raging emotions I temporarily lost consciousness. Now I am SO hurting because best case scenario I’m 4ish hours away from eating the ESD poutine. It really gets to me.

The only downfall I’ve experienced with the poutine has been the price. Over the years I have seen it increase from $7.99 to $8.99, and now it’s at $9.99. Come to think of it, I don’t even care. My receipt should read: PRICELESS.

The rest of the items on the menu are also all bang-on. From the omellettes to the clubs (Dagwood) to the burgers you will find something to eat at this diner. Did I mention ESD offers Creamsicle Milkshakes?

THE END.

EAT IT

In a nutshell, dim sum refers to a collection of light dishes served typically in steamer baskets or small plates. It is typically served in the morning time until early afternoon and the dishes are cheaper then they are at dinner, similar concept to a “happy hour”. Dim sum may also be referred to as “yum cha” which directly translates to “drinking tea”, this term can be used instead of “dim sum” to describe the entire dining experience. Standard teas offered are fermented black tea, chrysanthemum, oolong or green tea.

All of the dishes that I have tried at G & O have always been fresh and delicious. I have listed 10 of my staples below but there are dozens and dozens and dozens of others, so a typical dim sum order is by no means limited to the items below.

“chau siu baau” –  a steamed BBQ pork bun. The texture of the white bun is uniquely fluffy and the BBQ pork filling is sweet and savoury. This item goes great with the house hot sauce.

“siu mai” – refers to a steamed dumpling. The version I am a custom to consists of pork, shrimp, mushroom and a series of other ingredients topped with roe. This item is delicious in flavour, unique in texture and is complimented well with house hot sauce, red rice vinegar, soy sauce or a combination of each.  

“cheong fun” – is a steamed rice noodle roll. It is similar in shape to manicotti, however it is made from a wide sheet of rice noodle. My favourite renditions contain shrimp, pork or beef. These rolls are topped with soy sauce when served and have that standard rice noodle jelly-like texture. There is also a version of this roll which contains a donut like substance and is outstanding, it is served with a mixture of hoisin and peanut sauce and is to die for.  

“chicken feet” – a major staple in dim sum, is literally chicken feet and can be referred to as phoenix talons. It is steamed or deep fried prior to being simmered in a sauce consisting of fermented beans and sugar. Eating these feet takes practice as there are a lot of bones to maneuver around but the ROI is worth it.  

“crispy fried octopus” – the octopus tentacles are deep fried in a batter that tastes like that of a funnel cake?!? It is served with a sweet and sour sauce along with a mixture of salt and pepper, a dish similar to calamari.

“spare ribs” – pork spare ribs steamed along with fermented black beans. These ribs are served piping hot and sweet in flavour.

“ginger scallion beef tripe” – this particular tripe is derived from the stomach lining of a cow. It is lightly seasoned with ginger, scallions and garlic. Due to the unique texture and flavour it needs little seasoning and the whiter the tripe the better.

“har gao” – a steamed dumpling stuffed with shrimp either whole or chopped and may contain other ingredients such as bamboo, ginger, pepper and sesame oil. The wrap or outer layer of this dumpling is thin, translucent and chewy. In my experiences this item is one of the most popular dishes and pairs great with hot sauce, soy sauce or red rice vinegar.

“turnip cake” – a patty like cake made of shredded daikon, rice flour and water. Some versions contain dried shrimp, Chinese sausage and shitake mushrooms. The cake boasts great texture as the inside is very soft and chewy and the outside slightly crispy.  

In addition to the items above there are dozens and dozens of other delectable dim sum items available at G & O. One of the major highlights for me at this restaurant is their peking duck. It is not available as a dim sum item but we order it off the dinner menu because it is so good. The skin is perfectly crisp and mostly separated from the meat. We eat the duck as is and also with the pancakes (similar to mini tortillas), scallions, carrots, cucumber and hoisin sauce.

The dim sum is made available to you by trolleys passing between tables, however if you arrive in the heart of lunchtime or have a big group at the table who knows what they need, I highly recommend requesting a menu and filling in an order sheet.

Overall I always have a great experience at this restaurant. The menu is well priced, staff are very courteous and the restaurant is clean and well kept. If you decide to partake in some sum on a Sunday morning, I suggest you show up well early or be prepared to wait in line.

Ingredients

1 Standard Pack of Farfalle

8 oz Goat Cheese

x amount of smoked/fatty bacon (I use 6 strips of thick bacon, you can add as mush as you desire)

¼ cup of milk

¼ cup of reserved pasta water

3+ cloves of garlic

½-1 Spanish Onion

1 tbsp. Butter

1 tsp. lemon juice

Sun dried tomatoes (garnish)

Green onions (garnish)

Preparation

Place the base trimmed asparagus on an oiled baking tray and brush with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Bake/roast in the oven at 400F for 6-7 minutes or until desired consistency is met, be sure not to cook the asparagus too long however or it will become dry.  

Boil the pasta to just about an al dente consistency. Reserve a ¼ cup of pasta water, drain pasta and place aside. In a large saucepan begin to caramelize the sliced/chopped onion until you are satisfied. Then, add in the chopped bacon and crushed garlic and brown away. At this point the intense aroma of the sauce pan will become slightly overwhelming, but hang in there and complete the recipe. Add in the goat cheese, reserved pasta water and milk. Reduce the sauce for a few minutes on medium heat to ensure all the flavours fuse together. If the sauce is too thick add more milk, if it’s too runny reduce it some more.

 Once the sauce is complete, turn off the heat and add in the reserved pasta and stir. Rest a few stalks of asparagus on a plate and place the pasta on top. I garnish with chopped sun dried tomatoes and green onions but you can have fun with this dish and add any garnish that adds some colour and vibrancy to the dish.

*You may also use caciocavallo, montrachet or a flavoured goat cheese instead of the traditional goat cheese. Have fun with it!

Once you’ve selected the ideal pineapple peel it and either slice it into rings 0.5″ thick like below

or into long stocks like below

Once this is done have the pineapple rest in a freezer bag, dish or any container while you prepare the seasonings. Personally I like to make a sauce with the seasonings then toss the pineapple in it. Below are the ingredients for this mind blowing marinade.

¼ cup of orange juice

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp cinnamon

2 tsps. fresh nutmeg

I typically combine these ingredients in a freezer bag and toss the pineapple ensuring every piece is coated with this miracle glaze. To cook the pineapple ensure your bbq is on medium – high heat, you want the pineapple to obtain glorious grill marks quickly. If the grill is too low the pineapple will sit there and take forever to brown while drying out, if it’s too hot the pineapple will of course burn.

The pieces should only be on the grill for approximately a minute per side. Once you take them off you may drizzle them with the marinade leftovers and or cinnamon. Serve either by themselves or with a scoop of fluffy vanilla ice cream, quite heaven-esque.

Obviously EAT IT

APPS

Balsamic Assorted Romaine/Endive/Radicchio w/ feta, apple chips, craisins, walnuts etc.
Homemade Lemon Misted Hummus w/ extra roasted garlic & whole wheat tri-pita
House Special 4 Layer Guacamole w/ scoopz
Chicken Pakora (Federick’)
Eno Laced Dhoklas
Michidean’s Patties
Smartfood
+more

MAINS

Mel’s Pigeon Pea Chicken Pilau with Carrot-Coconut milk rue
Char-Sui Chili Chinese Style BBQ Chicken Wings by Ed
Chris Singh presents: Veg & Non-Veg Rice Fried
PC Thick & Juicy Veg Portobello Swiss Burgers
Babu’s Roasted Melted Mutton Cashew Curry
Babu’s Veg & Non-Veg Kothu Roti
“The World’s Best Jerk Chicken”
5 Cheese Vegetarian Lasagna
4 Cheese Lamb Lasagna
Grilled Veggie Skewers
Pakistani Biryani
+ more

DESSERT

Mango Pulp w/ Fluffy Vanilla Ice Cream
Assorted Monkey Faced Cupcakes
Assorted Tropical Fruits & Berries
PJ’s Pineapple Soaked Vodka
Homemade Cinnabons
Assorted Jello Shots
Candyland (Station)
Kryptonite Kulfi
+more

*entire menu is Halal friendly…seriously*
*please advise in advance of any dietary restrictions*
*all items and info may be subject to change without notice *

Likes:

-The fact that they have Beef Barbacoa (seasoned shredded beef) and Carnitas (seasoned braised pork) as meat items for burritos instead of the traditional chicken and steak.

-Choice of salsa, 1 mild, 2 medium, and one hot.

-Naturally raised meat (or so they say)

-beer!

-Great location right at Yonge and Dundas.

-corn in the burrito!

-The music playing last time I ordered was some serious fusion including vocals from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

-Sleek, user-friendly, interactive, and current website.

Dislikes:

-All the meat I have tried always needs more salt, and no I’m not some salt fiend, it simply is not salted well leaving the meat fairly bland despite the additional seasonings they use.  

-The burritos are huge and sloppy, so huge that one side is cold with the salsa, sour cream and corn etc, and the other side is warm with the meat and rice.

- They don’t grill the burritos after they are put together further contributing to the sloppiness. The tortilla is very thin and chewy, nothing special.

-Chicken is typically burnt/charred. I don’t ever order the chicken but my g/f does and I can clearly see that she is often provided with blackened chicken. Sure, I understand there’s great flavour in flame grilling chicken, but don’t burn it and pull this Nando’s flex.

-I had stomach cramps after my last burrito and I never get stomach cramps. I often joke that I can eat anything as my stomach is lined with adamentium.

-The guac I make blows Chipotle’s clear out of the water (feel free to msg me 4 recipe)

I KNOW I am not the first to say this, but this place does not hold a candle to Burrito Boys. I have eaten Burritos all over the city and NOTHING compares to a Burrito Boys burrito, nothing. What do they do that is so special? They do have signature sauces that add serious flavour. But most importantly, they grill their burritos for what seems like an eternity when you’re standing in line awaiting your order. This seals in all the flavour from all corners, browns the tortilla and completely heats up/fuses all the contents of the burrito.

That’s my Chipotle/Burrito rant.

LEAVE IT

This quaint little restaurant specializes in their rendition of Sundubu Jjigae (pronounced chee-gay), a Korean stew containing the softest tofu within a 1000 mile radius. I will religiously order the #3 – Kimchi Soon Tofu because I am an absolute kimchi whore. The stew is made with items such as beef, pork, vegetables, kimchi, tofu and gochujang (fermented pepper paste) among other delicious ingredients.

The bowl of jjigae will arrive to your table between 6-9min after you order bubbling with heat, seriously, it is literally boiling away when it hits the table in front of you shooting love-steam up your nasal passage. This is your cue to crack the egg that was placed on your table with the condiments into your soup, the boiling stew will cook the egg for you with ease.  

Buk’s stew/broth has a similar effect on me like that of Pho Tienh Thanh’s pho broth. I honestly feel so charged up and empowered after consuming it I feel like scooping up a manhole cover and launching it into space. It is that good.

In addition to the Sundubu you are presented with purple rice and 3 types of banchan (Korean side dishes). The rice is a glutinous rice and when it is unmilled it can produce purple and or black grains. It is served hot in a stone pot and although it is tasty, it is definitely more visually pleasing. The banchan really floors me because they are always so tasty and so much fresher than most Korean establishments I dine at. The kimchi (fermented/seasoned cabbage) is arguably the best I have ever had in the city, I would assume it’s made in house. Same goes for the Kongnamul (cold boiled bean sprouts w/ sesame oil and other seasonings) and the shredded pickled daikon.

A beauty of this restaurant is their limited menu, there are only 9 items. I feel that every restaurant should have a menu similar to Buk’s because how can one restaurant make over a dozen perfect dishes? Each and every restaurant should specialize in one genre of cuisine and do it as perfectly as possible. Buk’s limited menu ensures you that you will be ordering a quality dish, it’s as though their menu is a listing of their “house specials” when really that’s just their actual menu.

In addition to the ideal menu the staff are courteous and efficient and it is so important to be courteous, it has the potential to make or break a meal for me. Price-wise it is one of the best deals in town, you can change your life for under $10 a meal.

Well played Buk, well played.

EAT IT

Upon entering the restaurant you will notice that there is not much difference between the décor of PTT and nearly every other Pho restaurant you’ve been too. It is not that big, the bar is located at the back of the room and the aroma in the air is comforting.

Anxious to devour this bowl I quickly ordered a large rare beef pho along with some standard deep fried spring rolls. Within a few minutes the rolls arrived and within a few seconds they disappeared. Shortly afterwards came the highly anticipated critically acclaimed pho. Before adding any condiments or herbs into my bowl I immediately dipped my spoon in to taste this legendary broth. It was truly incredible. What I noticed most about it was how pure and clean the taste was. As it went down my throat and into my stomach it felt as though I was being empowered by it and physically and mentally becoming stronger, a similar phenomenon like Popeye and his spinach.  

The beef in the soup was tender, thinly shaved and bountiful. The noodles were standard vermicelli but not meant to be the main attraction. The herb plate which accompanied the pho consists of crisp bean sprouts, cilantro/coriander, sawtooth/sawleaf, limes and beautiful sprigs of basil which are acquired from a grower/supplier right on Ossington Ave. The bowl itself already contains onions, green onions and cilantro, but I highly recommend adding some basil and lime as it compliments the already near perfect broth with a hint of tart freshness.

Recap: Broth is outstanding, I would like to bathe in it. The staff is attentive and the service is prompt. All food items are fresh, savoury and well priced. The bathrooms are… bathrooms.

EAT IT

Copa is a Brazilian Steakhouse, also known as a Churrasacaria. The dining experience is rodizio style, this means that the customer pays a fixed price, and the waiters bring to the table all types of meat speared on a skewer which they then shave off to your satisfaction.

No word of a lie, I’m in a trance when I’m in this restaurant. I’ve been to both the Niagara location and the Yonge & Eglinton location. They are both stellar as folk but Niagara’s does it up bigger and better fo sho.

You begin your meal by hitting up the “Harvest Table”. This section consists of various breads, pastas, salads, fruits, cold cuts, cheeses, and tons of other finger food madness. Always a good idea to hit up this table lightly as you’d want to be saving space for the slayer spree ahead.  

At your table will be a signal card with a green and red side. Green indicates to the servers flying by with the food you’re down to get down, and red of course means you’re not down.  In terms of the meal and the meats you can expect to devour, you will most likely run into most of the following on large skewers:

Prime Rib w/ cheddar
Flank Steak
Skirt Steak
Trip Tip Steak
Buttermilk Steak
Filet Mignon wrapped in bacon
Peppercorn Steak
Top Sirloin
Braised Beef Ribs
BBQ Pork Ribs
Beef Kebabs
Moroccan Chicken
Garlic Chicken
Slow roasted leg of lamb
Lamb Chops
Parm encrusted Pork Loin
Brazilian Sausage
Grilled Salmon
Turkey wrapped in bacon

Believe it or not I’m definitely missing meat items from the above list, (pending you go on the weekend when the menu is at its full capacity). In addition to the T-Rex Jurassic Park Fest are other wonderfully delectable items. The pineapple for example, stacked two per skewer and soaked in a marinade consisting of at least cinnamon and sugar before being roasted and caramelized to sh!t. Bananas are rolled in a similar dry rub like the pineapple and then deep fried…! Fresh baked piping hot cheese balls graced my plate, and the cornbread is to die for. It comes steaming out of the oven and is perfectly moist and seasoned, it was so good that I had 4 pieces despite all the delicious meat you would think I’d have saved space for. That good.

Aside from the food there is live entertainment. A live band plays while the beautiful and extravagantly dressed Rio Samba Divas dance away. At the Yonge and Eglinton location, you can find 2 gentlemen doing some serious Wushu style martial arts to the music as well, flashkicks, sweeps and full aerials. These live shows are roughly on the hour and definitely add to the whole experience.  

In closing, there is nothing I didn’t enjoy. I’d like to list off the specific meat items that I thoroughly enjoyed, but I’d pretty much be writing out the majority of menu list above. All I can say about the meat is that none of it is over cooked and the steak is typically medium rare, the way it should be. A word of caution to future patrons, to fill up trucker belly appetite guests they put a lot of salt on the meat, if you really can’t handle a lot of salt then you will struggle with a lot of the meats. It’s not salted to the point where it’s not even edible, but there is quite a bit.

The Copacabana’s are spacious but always packed especially on weekends. Ensure you make reservations and arrive on time. I would also suggest getting into the mindset before you get there so you may slay at full capacity.

EAT IT