The last time I ate pho was around 6 years ago when I was still working at IBM. I had completely forgotten what it tasted like so I decided to head out and try one of Toronto’s more popular places for pho, Tien Thanh. Most of the reviews for this place were very positive that I read and most of the complaints were related to the appearance of the restaurant itself which isn’t a big deal for me if the food is on point, so I decided to give them a try.

Upon arriving at the restaurant I noticed what the reviews I had read had been talking about. The place is kinda ghetto looking, but who cares if the food is good. We quickly were seated at Table #4 by a very friendly waiter and immediately offered some tea.

Inside Pho Tienh Thanh

The menu itself has a ton of options! I was determined to try some pho, so I went with the waiter’s suggestion. Amanda (@amandablake9) on the otherhand wanted to try the BBQ Pork Vermicelli w/ Springroll dish (#59). Here is a scan of their menu as of December 2011: Continue Reading »

It’s that time of year when the most entertaining is being done so if you plan on having any guests over during the holiday season you will want to make sure you have a stocked bar. If you have no idea about booze, below are some of my go-to choices when stocking my own personal liquor cabinet, many of which are on sale right now at the LCBO! You can get a fully stocked bar for under $200 by going with these choices if you leave out the cognac and either the port or Tedeschi Amarone which isn’t bad! Could even be a great gift for someone! (NOTE: All prices are based on a 750ml bottle size):

VODKA

TAG No. 5 Vodka – $25.30 – I am a big fan of TAG Vodka due to it’s price, simple classy bottle and taste. Furthermore it is made in Canada and I prefer to support Canadian products whenever possible. It doesn’t have a strong rubbing alcohol flavour found in many vodka’s, which makes it great for making vodka based drinks, instead of buying horrible tasting brands like Smirnoff ($24.45) or Absolut ($25.35) which spend millions on marketing, I prefer a brand that focuses more on the product itself. Alternatively, Iceberg ($24.75) is an excellent choice for a Canadian made vodka which has won many awards in competitions with high end brands like Grey Goose and Belvedere. (Currently on sale for $24.30 until Jan 1st, 2012)

GIN

Tanqueray Dry Gin – $26.85 – At $27 a bottle, I think Tanqueray is the best value for the product you receive. It doesn’t have an overly powering gin flavour and is great for making your favourite gin cocktail. The bottle itself also has a nice look of a premium product without paying premium prices. (Currently on sale for $24.85 until Jan 1st, 2012) Continue Reading »

I guess this article should really be titled “MY favorite coffee shops in Toronto” but writing “Toronto’s best coffee shops” just sounds better and is something more people will type into a search engine looking for a new coffee place to try. I decided to write this article to share some of my choices for best places that I have found while looking for that “perfect cup of coffee”.

As someone who used to spend a lot of time at my local Starbucks (using their wifi to work on my online business), over the years I noticed the quality of their coffee itself started slipping to an almost intolerable point. This made me want to find something better so I began a search for great places to have a coffee in Toronto with reasonable prices.

One thing to note for my reviews of these places is that I typically order Americano’s, Cappuccino’s, Latte’s or just a regular coffee when I visit a new coffee shops. I could care less for their flavored drinks, iced mocha whatever or anything venturing too far off the taste of coffee. While I know you may disagree with me on some of these options, you have to realize coffee is a personal thing and just because I like my coffee one way, you may like it a completely different way. I would use this list more as places to consider if you are looking to try a new place from your regular coffee shop. Of course if you have any favorite spots add them in the comments section below as I am always on the lookout for new places to add to my list.

Another thing with coffee is, unlike food, I am not willing to travel as far for a good cup. If I really wanted to have the best every time I would probably have to move to Italy because nothing in this city compares with what you get over there in my eyes. So, without further adieu, here are…

My 5 Favourite Coffee Shops in Toronto

Merchants of Green Coffee – 2 Matilda St, QUEEN EAST –  This hidden gem was introduced to me by another blogger, Ayngelina. Merchants of Green Coffee is tucked down a side-street in a quiet Riverside neighborhood. Unless you live in the area, or have heard about it, chances are you will never find this place. This shop is not just a coffee shop, they actually specialize in sourcing and importing green coffee beans. The shop itself is very unpretentious and very laid back and you can tell their focus is really on their coffee. The drip coffee is more expensive here than any other shop, but worth every penny! The space also is very large with many tables in plugs if you want to kick back and enjoy your coffee. They even have a small selection of board games to play while there. If you want to experience the best tasting coffee in Toronto (in my opinion), you definitely need to give this place a try.

Jimmy’s Coffee – 107 Portland St., KING WEST – Located at King and Portland in a small house north of King, this place is really only visited by those that know about it. The first few times I passed it, I passed it by because from the exterior I did not think it looked like much. Once I finally made it inside I discovered that this little secret was home to some of the best coffee that I have had in Toronto.

Jimmy’s Latte

Te Aro Coffee Roasters – 983 Queen St. E, LESLIEVILLE – I have only visited this east end coffee shop once as I spend most of my time in the west end of the city, but I was very impressed with my first visit. Continue Reading »

This section might take a little longer for me to get going on than the other sections so to give you a little introduction about why I added this section I thought I would make a list of all of the places I have travelled to here.

NORTH AMERICA

Canada: Sometimes I feel like we take the country for granted when it comes to thinking of places where to travel as there are so many amazing places in our own backyard. When I was young we did a drive out east from Toronto all the way to Cape Breton and back so I got to see a lot of the east coast as well as spent some time in Vancouver (and surrounding areas), though at the time I didn’t really care much for beautiful scenery. In more recent years I have been to: Montreal (multiple times), Halifax/Antigonish Nova Scotia, Vancouver, Nanaimo, Victoria and all over Ontario. My 2 favourite places that I have been to in Canada are Montreal (great food, shopping & nightlife) and Vancouver (scenic with a great vibe). The one place I would really like to visit in Canada is Calgary.

UFC 124 in Montreal

U.S.A.: I have been to a lot of the east coast states in the US but have yet to do much of the west coast. The only place that I have done west is Las Vegas where I have been several times for lots of debauchery. My 2 favourite US cities so far would have to be New York City (everywhere you step is like you are in a movie or TV episode) and Miami (though EXPENSIVE, gotta have some fun in the sun too!). On the top of my list of places to go in the US is California.

Helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon

Mexico: Known by most Canadians as a cheap place to take a vacation or somewhere to party your face off, Mexico has taken a turn for the worse in recent years and now has several travel advisories for Canadians. Though most of the problems are in the North, there are still many beautiful things to see and do there. So far I have visited Playa Del Carmen, Cancun and Tulum. I am hoping to make it to Los Cabos one day. Continue Reading »

Tavolino is a brand new sandwich restaurant in Toronto that opened its doors to the public just a week ago. As a sandwich addict I felt I needed to drop in and check this place out for myself as there was not a lot of info out there about it, and because it is so close to my condo.

Tavolino King St. Entrance

Upon entering Tavolino I noticed a very clean but classy looking design for the restaurant. I am a big fan of the exposed brick / chalkboard style for restaurants which is the look they went with. There is a slight Italian theme to it. My only complaint was it was quite cold inside which could be a result of them not having the heating fully set up yet, or people coming and going opening the door but this was not a huge deal.

Tavolino Interior

Italian Theme Wall Mural

From the minimal reviews I found on the restaurant it seemed like they suggested the Rock Shrimp Po’ Boy as their best sandwich so I decided to try this one out. Since I like a little something with my sandwich I also decided to get their Root Salad as a side because I like a good beet salad and all the other ingredients sounded great. Here is a shot of the menu posted on the window outside: Continue Reading »