Amanda S.

7/15/2022

One of the best French restaurants in Canada

Didn't get any mains - several different appetizers, highlighted below:

Salmon Roe - My sister usually finds salmon roes fishy but loved this dish, and so did I. Perfectly balanced flavour that bursts in your mouth!

Scallops - Too much butter and fat (from bacon) for me, but I can see how some people might this savoury.

Zucchini flowers - Loved the lobster bisque at the bottom! Big zucchini fan and this dish did not disappoint!

Bone marrow - Not a huge fan of the way it was cooked with the bread, which turned out to be a bit too hard. I find the cooking concept interesting (using the bread to soak the fat to make it juice) but still found the bread too hard for me.

French 75 - Just amazing with my choice of brandy... YUM!

7/9/2022

3 of us got lucky - booked a table the night before and the 6pm time slot just so happened to be available! For further context, 6pm was the only available time slot between 5pm and 8pm. We also live really close to Misty, so glad to finally give it a try!

The dishes we ordered are 1) salmon salad 2) monk fish - mine! 3) steak. I absolutely enjoyed my monk fish and would consider it one of the best seafood dishes I've had. I did consult the other 2 on their meals, which were also enjoyable, but according to them, worth 4-star instead of 5-star. I would give my monk fish a 5-star rating, though.

The drinks are SO EXPENSIVE (ranges between $19 to $25+) per glass of cocktail. Mine was Misty Dream ($19) and while it was tasty, most other places in downtown would offer something similar for less. This is why we don't think the value deserves a 5 but rather a 4.

7/3/2022

Pretty good! Here are what my friend and I ordered:

- pear salad
- whole wheat fettucine
- ahi tuna

Though none of them truly wowed me, I enjoyed all dishes above. I would have enjoyed them more had the dishes been priced just slightly lowered. I felt the quality was not on par with a lot of restaurants in downtown but the prices were almost about the same.

No cocktail list, but when I asked the waiter about it, he offered to make us what we wanted. His - a tall Asian gentleman - service was pretty decent.

First time for me in Summerhill - I liked the area: slower paced, far less crowded and a lot more cozy.

6/27/2022

Wanted to support Eric Chong, Canadian Asian winner of MasterChef Canada Season 1, so I came by for dinner on Sunday June 26 and ordered the following:

HUSH & WONDER cocktail
** Liked it. Refreshing. Worth $15. Some other cocktails on the menu are priced $19. I usually don't want to spend more than $15 or $17 on a cocktail.

ROASTED BEETS as the appie
** Liked it. Flavourful indeed. Will recommend it.

@WOK_LOBSTER as a main
** Liked it, but won't get it again. Even though it is a delicious dish, I wouldn't spend $75 on it. I am happy to try it once since this dish originated from Eric Chong's iconic dish Lobster Chow Mein.

WAGYU BEEF as another main
** American wagyu, not Japanese, so it is rather chewy and does not melt in your mouth like Japanese Wagyu. It is subjective to personal taste. I've been spoiled by various types of Japanese Wagyu in the past, so I'm not a huge fan of the American way. It is still a tasty dish - just not so much my type.

Service was excellent. My server came from Vancouver like me. He also offered a couple of char siu baos on the house as we waited for our food to come. The char siu baos are unique and one of a kind, so I would recommend them for those who like regular char siu baos and want to give it a try.

• 

  Yummy cha sui baos!

  Yummy cha sui baos!

6/14/2022

• First to Review

I had my eyelash extensions and facials done there a few times. They were very expensive (approx. $115 for classic full when I went) and inflexible, in the sense that they would charge you for being late for your appointment, even when you had called ahead of time to inform them. My artist did waive that for me once, which I appreciated.

I found another eyelash extension artist close to the store, also a Vietnamese lady, who charged me $80 for full volume. I personally liked her work a lot more. She didn't take as much time. I also never felt uncomfortable when she worked on me. I had even fallen asleep a few times. Too bad this lady went on mat leave after she had a baby and is currently not taking clients.

I would suggest CC Cosmetics lower their prices a little bit because the competition is getting fierce and a lot of other artists are charging much less for work equally good or even better.

6/14/2022

Solid 8 on the scale of 1 to 10

My friend who has taken cooking classes in Rome before said the dish SPAGHETTI AL LIMONE reminded him a lot of his experience, which showed how authentic the food was.

I heard great things about the dish BRANZINO ALLA BRACE which is an European sea bass. However, my friend said he is allergic to seafood and would not be able to share the dish with me.

As for the drinks, I'd recommend against the vodka version of French 75 because it tasted very plain for me. I asked for the original French 75 instead and enjoyed it.

5/15/2022

By the time we got in around 8:20pm, they had run out some of their best fish options, such as the high-end toro, which was too bad. However, I found the rest of their offering quite fresh.

I was not impressed that they do not carry any plum wine, which should be very basic and expected at any upscale Japanese restaurant. I would have expected at least sparkling wine, which traditionally goes great with seafood, but they only have Sauvignon Blanc.

My friend liked it a lot and wanted to come back, describing the quality on par with places in SF but way cheaper. I grew up in Vancouver, spoiled by the best sushi in the world for decades, so I admit I might be a bit biased. 4 star by The Bay Area standard and definitely cheaper than most other similar places in the city.

5/15/2022

I used to dislike Greek food but no longer, thanks to this place!

The short ribs were heavenly and the absolute best I've ever had. The beets salad was also to die for. We would have ordered more but it was already 9:30pm by the time we arrived.

Ossington Strip is the most vibrant, the most happening area in Toronto downtown, very safe, too. Highly recommend. Must try!

5/15/2022

Liked my server, who was a friend of the owner and popped in to help for the night. He was funny and quite knowledgeable of the food, but unfortunately not so much of the drinks. I asked for a French 75, which is widely considered as a classic, simple, easy-to-make cocktail, but in turn, received a drink that did not taste anything like French 75. That was a waste of money.

Enjoyed the short ribs, but personally I have had better short ribs at other restaurants in Toronto downtown within walking distance. One thing that I did like about the restaurant was the ambience: upbeat, vibrant, relatively upscale but still cozy.

4/2/2022

Haven't lived in Toronto for too long, but I've tried quite a few bars and lounges in downtown, and so far, Bar Koukla is among the top on my list. On a nice day, the window seats bring out an enlightening ambiance that brightens up your day. Their cocktails are also excellent. Pretty good raw oysters, too! A little on the pricier side... I'd for sure visit more often if the prices were reasonable.