Little Fin

Restaurant: Little Fin
Address: 4 Temperance St.
Phone: 647-348-7000
Store Hours: Mon-Sun 11 AM - 8 PM
Website: www.littlefin.ca

Interior

Updated: February 11, 2015

Menu

Updated: February 11, 2015

Review

My Order: Fin Burger Cheeseburger with Single Patty, $9.25

Little Fin is a new seafood take-out restaurant near Yonge and Queen. I went in to claim my free Fin Burger with a coupon I received as part of their promotion. I was quite excited to try out the place because the photos on their social media looked amazing. The first thing I noticed when I entered was the space. It struck out to me that there were tables along the windows but no chairs. Luckily, it was only temporary because I recently checked and saw that they now have chairs. They also have a patio which is great for the warmer days. I ended up taking my food to McDonald's and eating it there instead because there weren't any seats at the time.

My favourite aspect of the Fin Burger are the black buns. They didn't taste that much different from regular buns but they definitely added to the burger aesthetically. Regardless, the burger was still tasty. Although I enjoyed the food, I am hesitant on going back. The only reason is because I think the prices are a bit steep for a take-out place. However, Little Fin is meant to be a gourmet take-out restaurant so I think it will appeal to others who are willing to spend the extra money.

Little Fin is great if you love seafood and trying new food items that you wouldn't typically get elsewhere. I also think their Instagram account and graphics are simply adorable!

Review Updated: February 11, 2015

My Order: Large Lobster Poutine, $16

The people at Little Fin were kind enough to provide me with a free meal after they saw my original review. They added seats and changed their menu so I was told to drop by to check it all out. I finally returned about three months after their grand opening. 

When I got there, it was jam packed. All the seats were filled during lunch hour. Since I was unable to score a seat, I once again took my meal to McDonald's to eat.

This time, I ordered a large Lobster Poutine because people have been recommending it. When I opened my container, the poutine's aroma was amazing. I haven't smelled poutine that good before! I recommend the large for two people or if you plan to save it for later because it is a big portion for just one person. 

Overall, my feelings on Little Fin improved. From observation, I believe they cut back on their menu offerings. Though I preferred their original menu board because it suited the theme of the restaurant compared to the new one. Prices are still approximately around $10. 

Momofuku Noodle Bar

Restaurant: Momofuku - Noodle Bar
Address: 190 University Ave.
Phone: 647-253-8000
Store Hours: Mon-Sun 11:30 AM - 3 PM, 5 PM - 11 PM
Website: www.momofukutoronto.com

Menu

 

Review

My Order: Dan Dan Mein, $14

I finally got to try Momofuku. From what I gathered, it is a three-level restaurant comprising of "smaller restaurants" within it (correct me if I'm wrong please). My friend and I decided to catch up over some ramen at the Noodle Bar, which is on the first floor. Momofuku is quite popular outside of the foodie community. Therefore, my expectations were super high coming into the restaurant.

We arrived during the evening on a Sunday and it was packed. I wasn't a fan of the communal tables, especially since it was crowded. We were squished in the middle between two different groups of people. I had to raise my voice so my friend (and probably the neighbours) could hear what I was saying.

The menu was printed on a piece of paper and since it had the current date, I assumed the menu changes everyday (what a waste of paper!). My friend said the pork buns were great so I agreed to try it. I wasn't overly impressed because I thought it was overpriced and likely something I had before. For my order, I chose the Dan Dan Mein. I was disappointed to see how little the noodles took up in the bowl. Don't give a big bowl if you aren't going to fill it to the top! I liked the noodles but again, nothing I was eager about.

If I go back to Momofuku Noodle Bar, I will attempt their ramen instead which they are known for. If I revisit, I would likely come on a weekday during non-peak hours.

Note: This review only reflects my experiences at the Noodle Bar and not the rest of the Momofuku's restaurants within the building.

[Not Recommended] Toronto Coffee and Tea House

I never had any problems in the past with my reviews. More often than not, they have been quite favourable. Once in awhile I run across an establishment I am not crazy about. However, I always aim to provide an objective valuation of it. The Toronto Coffee and Tea House is now in a category all of its own. Suffice it to say, I have never been so disrespected as a blogger, and ultimately as a person, until now. After the appalling treatment I received from an individual representing this establishment's interests, I would recommend that anyone reading this actively avoid the Toronto Coffee and Tea House.

Back story: Over a year ago, I visited the Toronto Coffee and Tea House. I found out that the location was the former Toronto Coffee Company shortly before I visited. The former owner of The Toronto Coffee Company posted on Facebook about an ownership conflict he was dealing with (see the latest post here for story: https://www.facebook.com/TorontoCoffeeCompany). When I wrote my review, I expressed my honest opinions in regards to that Facebook post, saying that I thought it was unethical and that I felt bad for the former owner because I would have hated to be in that position. I mentioned that I wasn't going to return to the cafe because of this matter. Despite so, I still gave my unbiased review of the cafe experience itself because I truly enjoyed it and wanted to provide my readers information about the atmosphere, drinks, and so forth.

Months later, I was contacted by a third party hired by Toronto Coffee and Tea House to look over their online and social media presence. I was kindly requested to edit my review since the Facebook post was apparently untrue. That was fair enough, since I didn't have the full story. I edited the first paragraph of my review and kept most of the original post (revised review here: http://torontocafeandfood.blogspot.ca/2013/08/toronto-coffee-and-tea-house.html). Everything was confirmed and it was all good.

A few days ago: I was greeted with this message on my way to work:

When I edited the blog review, I genuinely forgot to update the one on Yelp (since I always copy and paste my reviews over because Yelp does not allow me to link back to my blog). However, it was the only review I forgot to update. The reviews on both Zomato (https://www.zomato.com/toronto/toronto-coffee-and-tea-house-wallace-emerson) and UrbanSpoon (with the spoonback link) for the Toronto Coffee and Tea House were updated to reflect the new information. Had I been notified by the third-party company from before that I forgot to update my Yelp review, I would have happily obliged. Instead, I got attacked by another representative for a misunderstanding. I didn't realize that the same person also posted a review replying to my original post until today:

I sent my reply after to the message:

Regrettably, I have deleted the original review before the reply so I cannot post it here for you guys to judge.

I cannot recommend this cafe to any of my readers as of now. I feel so disrespected as a blogger to have my review called "trash" when I gave my honest opinions based on what I saw on the Facebook post. I still gave an unbiased review of the cafe experience itself separate from the incident. Had the representative checked up on other review platforms before jumping to conclusions, the person would have noticed that said reviews of the cafe were updated and that the Yelp review was simply an oversight. Furthermore, I gave favourable ratings throughout all platforms because I truly enjoyed my experience at the Toronto Coffee and Tea House (4/5 rating on Yelp and Zomato). Instead, I was told I would've been sued if the person was the owner of the cafe and was accused of purposely wanting to slander the owners of the current cafe.

My goal as a blogger is to empower my readers by providing them with my unbiased opinion as well as the unfiltered information I based said opinion on. If I am presented with new information, I will of course update my reviews and opinions to reflect this new development. I do not purposely write anything inflammatory or sensationalist simply to attract attention. I always state that the opinions expressed in my reviews are mine alone, formed from the information in my possession at the time of writing.

I will keep my revised review up and will be updating the rest of the platforms with these experiences soon.