Eathai

Restaurant: Eathai
Address: 969 Coxwell Ave.
Phone: 416-429-1287
Store Hours: Mon CLOSED, Tues-Thurs 11 AM - 9:30 PM, Fri 11 AM - 10 PM, Sat 4-10 PM, Sun 4-9:30 PM
Website: www.eathai.ca

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Review

I did #FoodieFriday with Toronto Common recently. We were invited to Eathai, which is a quaint restaurant near Coxwell station. The first thing we got to try were their Thai iced teas. The drink has a chai taste to it and is simply delicious. I recommend you try it at least once if you are ever in a Thai restaurant that serves it.

Afterwards, we were given an array of appetizers and main dishes to taste. My favourites were the Spicy Green Curry Chicken and Pad Thai. We weren't able to finish everything so I took the rest back to my boyfriend's place. My boyfriend obsessed over the Mango Salad. If you are a fruit person, give this dish a try. The Cashew Nut Sauce Chicken ended up being quite popular with him and his family.

Eathai has a variety of dishes that would appeal to everyone's palate (I know because my boyfriend is so picky with his food!). If you are ever in East York or live nearby, I say you should drop by and try this homely restaurant out.

If you are interested in a tasting event with Toronto Common x Eathai, let us know! If there are enough people interested, we might be able to make it happen!

The Thai Orchid

Restaurant: The Thai Orchid
Address: 1019 Old Cleveland Rd.
Phone: +61 7 3398 6188
Store Hours: Lunch | Mon-Fri 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM Dinner | Mon-Sun 5-10 PM
Website: www.thethaiorchid.com.au

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Review

The Thai Orchid is a family-styled restaurant across from the Westfield Carindale mall. Living up to it's name, this all purple restaurant serves traditional Thai dishes. All the dishes are fine, nothing that stands out to me till this day. It's overall a nice restaurant to bring your family to.

[Event] Toronto Food and Drink Market

Event: Toronto Food and Drink Market
Location: Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place
Date: April 10-12, 2015
Website: www.tofoodanddrinkmarket.com

The Toronto Food and Drink Market is originally known as the Good Food and Drink Festival. This event was a lot smaller than I expected. There were a few vendors and food trucks, with a couple of new businesses. Cooking classes with chefs were available for those who were interested as well. There were plenty of samples for attendees and everyone got to take home a bag full of yummy goodies.

Oja

Restaurant: Oja
Address: 689 Yonge St.
Phone: 416-944-8371
Store Hours: Mon-Sun 11 AM - 11 PM
Website: www.theoja.ca

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Tempura Bento, $8.50

Review

One of my friends started working by Bloor station and I met up with her for lunch. We decided to try out Oja nearby, a Korean and Japanese restaurant with plenty of options. I was surprised with how cheap everything was! I got the Tempura Bento box and it was incredibly filling. Mainly because I had to finish everything less than an hour. It may not look much but if you have limited time to eat, you will get bloated fast!

I will definitely come back here again for a cheap lunch. There are a lot of options and it's at a good location.

Bengal Curry House

Restaurant: Bengal Curry House
Address: 17 Fox St.
Phone: 07-3893-4266
Store Hours: Mon-Sat 5 PM - Close, Sun CLOSED
Website: www.bengalcurryhouse.com.au

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Review

Bengal Curry House is a small family owned restaurant in Wynnum. I arrived with my cousin and her children, eager to have some Indian food. I am a huge fan of Indian food but I don't get to eat it as often as I'd like.

I noticed while we were there, there was only one girl taking care of everything. She was the hostess, server, and busser! Luckily, the restaurant wasn't so busy, but I thought they could at least hired one other person. I wouldn't be surprised if she helped out in the kitchen as well.

My cousin ordered for us some naan bread and three different kind of curries with lamb and chicken. I obsessed over one of the curries, which I unfortunately do not recall which. Menu items were approximately $15-20 AUD. Overall, it was a good Indian restaurant.
 

[Event] Toronto Dumpling and Sake Fest

Event: Toronto Dumpling and Sake Fest
Location: Propeller Coffee
Date: April 9, 2015
Website: www.thatslifegourmet.com/event/toronto-dumpling-sake-fest/

I got the chance to attend That's Life!'s Toronto Dumpling and Sake Fest last Thursday as part of the Toronto Common team. Regular tickets were $55 but if you followed Toronto Common, you would have been able to score a ticket for $45 instead. The proceeds went to The Stop, Community Food Centre.

This was a dumpling competition between 9 chefs to win the Golden Chopsticks. Attendees had the chance to try 4 different sake brands along with all 9 dumplings and then vote for their favourite. It was a great opportunity to try new types of dumplings!

Nota Bene

Restaurant: Nota Bene
Address: 180 Queen St. W
Phone: 416-977-6400
Store Hours: Lunch | Mon-Fri 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM Dinner | Mon-Wed 5-10 PM, Thurs-Sat 5-11 PM
Website: www.notabenerestaurant.com

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Review

I got a gift card to Nota Bene and decided to cash it in during Winterlicious. I was eager to try this high end restaurant with my boyfriend. It was a three course meal and we both chose different plates that suited our palate.

Although I could probably make it at home, I enjoyed the Quinoa, Wild Rice, and Squash Salad. It was sweet and much different that a plain old salad. I had the East Coast Fish Pie for my main entree. It was similar to a Chicken Pot Pie but with fish. The pie was slightly bland but I still liked it. Lastly, the Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie wrapped up the meal nicely because it wasn't too filling.

The only complaint I had, which I guess was my fault, was their $4 bottled water. I thought that when they offered bottled water at the beginning of the meal, it was going to be free. Since that is the assumption when you go to any restaurant usually. My jaw dropped when I saw the $8 price tag for the two bottled water we have asked for (still and sparking). $8 for water!! I could have gotten something else much more worth it for $8! After this incident, I will remember to ask for "tap water" the next time I am in a fancy restaurant.

Overall, aside from the water incident, I really enjoyed the quality of food at Nota Bene. The restaurant interior design wasn't exciting in my opinion. I wished it looked nicer for a high end restaurant. But even so, I still recommend Nota Bene for some delicious (and expensive) meals.

[Event] MadewithLove Mixology Competition

Event: MadewithLove Mixology Competition
Location: Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex
Date: March 30th, 2015
Website: www.enjoymadewithlove.com/en/index.html

This past Monday, I got to attend the successful Mixology Competition by MadewithLove. 21 barchefs from different restaurants competed to win and attendees got the chance to try every concoction there. Some of the drinks were paired with unique snacks, allowing attendees to taste something new.

I highly recommend this event for people who enjoy drinking cocktails or is a foodie. It's all-around a fun and lively event. Check it out next year if you get the chance!