Ta Ke Sushi

We visited Ta Ke Sushi a few weeks ago and decided that it's the best sushi restaurant that we've had so far. I had first learned about it from reading a review on it from another food blog and was determined to take Ann there.

The restaurant is located near Union Station at 22 Front St. West. 

The atmosphere of the restaurant is great for dates and casual meet up with friends and colleagues. I really like the way they decorated the interior. The bamboo shoots, the lighting, and origami samurai helmets on the walls. 

Yes, origami samurai helmets.

 

Lots of them. And on every wall.

And they also decorate every table with origami cranes, nice candles and neatly arranged napkins.

Right after we sat down at our table, the waitress came by with hot cloths for us to wipe our hands. Fancy smancy.

This is their menu:

  

Drinks menu:

 

We ordered a plate of Regular Sushi (has an assortment of sushi and rolls for us to try out) and miso soup.  

 

There were a bunch or peculiar sushi that we never had before, like (I think) octopus, mackeral and others.

The quality of each rolls and sushi were amazing, but the tastiest one that Ann and I thought was salmon.

The wasabi was amazing as well. Ann thinks it's the real stuff in comparison to what they have at other sushi restaurants that we've been to, since it gave us both the "shoot up the nose" sensation. It was the first time for Ann to experience it. 

The miso soup was great, it had these chopped up enoki mushrooms, tofu and green onions. I never had miso soup with enoki mushrooms but it's a nice addition. Possibly the best miso soup I've had. It wasn't too salty unlike some other restaurants in Toronto.

We also ordered a plate of spicy salmon rolls. The quality and taste was amazing. You can never go wrong in ordering spicy salmon rolls anywhere but Ann and I agreed that this is by far our favorite Spicy Salmon roll yet.

We washed down our food with a large Hakutsuru (hot sake). I've always wanted to try these when I see them in movies or Japanese dramas so when I saw this on the menu, I just had to order it. It was enough for the both of us since Ann and I aren't big drinkers.

For dessert, we ordered Green Tea Brulee. It's kinda like green tea ice cream/pudding with caramel crust on the top (which I didn't eat because it's too sweet).

Overall, Ann and I had a really good time at Ta Ke Sushi and it wasn't just because of the hot sake. It definitely met our expectations and more. The food, atmosphere, service... just about everything you look for in a restaurant was great. The only thing that I would caution readers is that it's a little pricey as our dinner for 2 was a bit over $70, but it's definitely worth the experience!

Midi Bistro

We visited Midi Bistro for the first time this past Saturday, and I must say that I was left with quite the impression. Here's why.

Midi Bistro is a small establishment located on McCaul and Elm St. Its exterior doesn't look like much, as I've walked by the restaurant hundreds of times over the past 6 years that I've lived around the area and had only dared to venture in for the first time this past weekend.

A few things to know about the bistro: they serve French cuisine, they specialize in mussels, and they have a pretty solid wine selection. (I am not exactly a wine connoisseur, but the way that the waitress who introduced it had me convinced!). And as a side note, Midi Bistro participates in Winterlicious/Summerlicious events in Toronto every year.

http://www.yelp.ca/user_local_photos?select=HluFgWBSIr3tYmiptZMo0w&userid=DNlzbI54zCOa4to-vTWBJQ

Their interior is pretty cozy with some nice and simple decor. It's just like what the reviews online had entailed regarding their atmosphere and ambiance. I'd say that the restaurant is a pretty good for romantic get-togethers and casual socializing.

We got here around 6:30 PM and had apparently beat the "rush hour" since they got pretty busy at 7 and 8 PM. I'd recommend coming here at 6 PM or do brunch or it'll get really noisy and busy in the restaurant.

Ann likes their star-light decor by the window. It adds a nice touch to the ambiance. 

This is their menu.

And their drinks menu.

They provided complimentary bread and butter, we wished it was toasted though!

Since Ann and I are still on a pescatarian diet, we stuck to their seafood options. We ordered:

Appetizer: One pound of "pistou"-flavored steamed mussels with fries.

According to their menu, pistou seasoning is made from white wine, pesto and parsley.

Drink 1: Glass of white wine - 2010 Pinot Griglo La Delizia "Delle Venezie" Friulvini (Italy)

Drink 2: Glass of red wine - 2008 Minervois Domaine Pujol Izard (Languedoc - Fr.)

Main: Plat du jour (Chef's Daily Special) - which was Pan Seared Steelhead Trout some sort of sauce and steamed veggies. I forgot what the waitress said.

Main 2: Saumon a La Cannelle - Pan Seared Cinnamon Crust Salmon Fillet, Light Saffron Sauce

Bon Appetit!

Here's what I thought of the food:

The mussels were alright. They were a little smaller than usual, but the taste was subtle and made for a good appetizer. I had really wanted to try what the waitress said was the chef's favorite, which was mussels with the Catalane seasoning. It consisted of chorizo (sausage), shallots, paprika, and cream. Sounded delicious!

We ordered the wine because I heard that French cuisine goes well with wine. As we were amateurs to wine, we ordered one white and one red. The waitress said that the white wine we got was a bit dry, which I wasn't sure what she meant by, but she also said it was a bit sweet (that sold me for sure).

As for the fish, I can't really comment since I am not a big fan of seafood. All I know is that it was cooked well with subtle flavors. Though, without their sauce/veggie sides, the trout and the salmon kinda tasted the same. Might be because they were both pan seared.

Overall, we had a pretty good experience at Midi Bistro. The waitress was always around just when we needed her and she was more than helpful with recommendations and suggestions. Granted that their menu is a bit expensive but they do offer a pri-fixe brunch on weekends for $15. I haven't tried that yet myself, but I'd highly recommend it. When you're there, do give their mussels a try, since it is their specialty afterall!