Los Lobos

Last night for dinner, we excitedly went to the soft opening of Los Lobos here in London. We knew a taco place from the Wolfe brothers (responsible for The Early Bird) was in the works, and had our eyes peeled for any mention of it. Literally everything was delightful, and I cannot wait until the restaurant opens for regular service. Allow me to start with the most fabulous part of the meal: Churros. They were served with a tasty, rich chocolate ganache that was spicy and sweet. Every table around us ordered them first, and was really making sure they got it all - so were we. The churros were fresh, hot and thickly covered in cinnamon sugar. This was really the perfect way to end a meal, and left such a great taste in our mouths about the whole experience.

Churros rolled in cinnamon sugar with spicy chocolate ganache

I guess we can go back to the top? First we ordered some cocktails. I opted for the Pineapple Jalapeno Margarita, while Scott went for the Del Sur Hospitality - tequila, pineapple, lime & grenadine. Scott was telling me how complex his drink was with lots of flavours, and could only nod. The mixture of tequila, pineapple and jalapeno was a shockingly good combination. It was spicy and sweet, not too tart. The Del Sur was sweet as well, disappearing before we got our tacos.

Pineapple Jalapeno Margarita & Del Sur Hospitality (half already consumed)

The first food we ordered was the Jalapeno Rellano, which I quickly proceeded to pronounce incorrectly while Scott threw me to the wolves (los lobos, in spanish). Apparently two L's in a row is a little different than in English. Whoops. The mole was the first thing I tasted - it was spicy and rich, not too sweet. The jalapenos were cooked, but not overdone or mushy. The white cheese inside was oozing out when you sliced into them, but still made for easy bites. The cornmeal was seasoned well, leaving us very excited for everything still to come.

Jalapeno Rellano - stuffed with monerey jack, cornmeal battered, served with Lobos mole

Next, we got into the tacos. Scott ordered the Carnita and Beef Cheek. I also wanted Beef Cheek and Pork Belly (my weakness). As a cilantro-hater, it was a little tricky to navigate the Taco section of the menu, and as it turns out, some items that didn't explicitly list cilantro still had it in there, which was a little disappointing. Things that may have been delicious taste like they are slathered in dish soap. The Carnita taco included pineapple pico, cilantro, sour cream, and chicharron. It was dripping, and according to Scott, delicious. The Beef Cheek taco we both had, and was great - including pickled red onion, queso fresco, and horseradish. It also had some unlisted green onion garnish that was a nice addition. The meat was very tender and the sauce was savory. Now the star: Pork Belly. This taco included lime sour cream, radish, pickled and fresh jalapeno. The meat was crispy, salty, and very meaty. The combination of fresh and pickled jalapenos in sour cream was really tasty. In reality, I want 6 of these tacos a day, but was happy I got to experience this one.

Tacos, (clockwise from top left): Carnita, Beef Cheek, Beef, Cheek, Pork Belly

There was also a "La Carne" section of the menu, featuring different prepared meats. We decided to try the Battered Cod, since the cod taco had included cilantro, but none was listed here. Good joke - it was on a bean salad filled with cilantro, with two leaves draped over it. So we split the fish, and Scott enjoyed the rest. The fish itself was perfectly cooked, hot, flaky, and fresh. The batter was very good and well-seasoned. Scott was loving the rest all mixed together.

Battered Cod - whipped avocado, black beans, tomato

We figured we still had room and there were more tacos to try, so we ordered the Beef Tongue for Scott and Yuca for me. The Beef Tongue included radish, salsa, and iceberg lettuce, while the yuca came with pico de gallo, cumin crema, and green onion. I guess I should have known pico de gallo would have cilantro, but I didn't, nor did the menu remind me. I have less good things to say about that. I think it was probably good, if it wasn't soapy. Scott was loving the beef tongue and tossed me a little bit of meat to try. It was really tender, almost like salami in texture.

Beef Tongue & Yuca Tacos

The interior of the restaurant is a piece of art (by Stu Dead from Playdead Cult), with things to look at in every corner. We got the rundown from the server, anything we ordered would be brought out as it was ready. They weren't offering substitutions unless there's an allergy - yes, that includes cilantro. I felt annoying the second I heard the table next to us also ask about cilantro, but also... a lot of people don't like cilantro. It was annoying that two things I ordered that didn't specify cilantro on the menu had it. While I know it may be challenging to remember, a heads up from the server would have been nice. Despite being the newest place in town just getting their feet wet with a soft open, the staff seemed like a good team working together to get food out where it needed to go. The waiting was a little long at times, but it was a pretty full house and patio. Everyone was in a good mood, there was lots of talk between tables and warm excitement. I only imagine things will get better and better. I am pretty excited to see what the situation is for their Grand Opening in a couple weeks!

Likes: Atmosphere and food were delicious!

Dislikes: Cilantro trying to sneak its way into my life.

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 4.5/5

Would I go again?: Definitely, excited to see how things go here.

La Casa Ristorante

On Saturday I went to La Casa Ristorante for a Bachelorette party. Full disclosure: Scott works in the kitchen. This definitely wasn't my first time, and I knew they had just updated the menu this week.

The most exciting thing: Scott has been working on these Bomboloni, or Italian doughnuts, for a bit and now they are on the menu! It was so decadent and delicious. I wish I could have like 6 of the, but one is good.

Bombolone - Italian doughnut filled with lemon curd, topped with amaretto cream, powdered sugar and candied lemon

To start, I ordered an antipasti platter for the table, and proceeded to try not to eat the whole thing myself. I don't know everything that was on there, but the smoked trout, Gorgonzola, hot Genoa, and dry elk sausage are the highlights. The tapenade was a little sweet, and the pickles, pickled onions, and olives were nice and savory.

Antpasti Platter

I decided to go with the feature catch, which happened to be lake perch. It was cooked with lemon and dill, over a bed of quinoa and vegetables, served with a mango-chili sauce. The sauce was delicious, and thee was actually so much fish. I felt healthy and full when I was done with this dish.

Feature Catch - lake perch with quinoa, vegetables and mango-chili sauce

We had a table of eleven people, which is quite a bit. We were also there on a Saturday night, with lots of time for drinking and socializing. Things went without a hitch and we were all pretty satisfied. Objectively, some of the cocktails left something to be desired, but the food was great! I had ordered a drink that involved stirring in honey in a cold drink, which was unpleasant and didn't really work.

Likes: Bombolone!

Dislikes: my drink was a little strange

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 4/5

Would I go again?: Probably, this is a great restaurant in London, and our group tends to end up there for special occasions (also it pays the bills...)

The Early Bird (Round 3)

We can't stop going to Early Bird. There was a new menu that included Eggs Benny that we really couldn't resist. I ordered the Pulled Pork Eggs Benny, which was great. The Hollandaise was perfection, the pulled pork was moist and delicious, and the slaw added a nice crunch. There wasn't anything special about the potatoes or fruit, but the fruit makes it feel like a balanced meal (even if it definitely isn't). The bread used for the Eggs Benny was a special creation, not sure if it was made in house or not, but it was nice and airy.

Pulled Pork Eggs Benny - smoked shoulder, house slaw, toast

Scott ordered the GrEggs Benny. He was raving about the soft poach on his egg, and how delicious the brisket was, although none made it across the table for me to try.

GrEggs Benny - smoked brisket, sauerkraut, 1000 island, toast

We were in the restaurant at 9 AM on a Tuesday, and it was completely empty. It is always a little strange being the only table, Service was great, but how could it not be with no one else there to make requests? We had blacked out our last experience, and are back to perfection.


Likes: Eggs Benedict! So glad to see them as a regular menu item :)
Dislikes: I guess the potatoes were a little boring
Food: 4.75/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Of course, any excuse to go and I will be back.

Black Trumpet Restaurant

A friend recently gave us a gift card for Black Trumpet, and we could not wait to use it! This is one of those restaurants typically reserved for special occasions - of the two tables closest to us, one was celebrating a PhD Defense, the other a Retirement. We decided that since our three year anniversary is just a week away, we would call it an early anniversary dinner. Cocktails we the first order of business, and while I didn't take pictures, I promise they were impressive. Scott had something with Chambord, Vanilla Coconut Rum and Ginger Beer, while I had a Caesar with Shiraz. From the menu, we were pretty impressed with the vegan options appearing as a menu insert, but we came for meat. Our first appetizer was the Spiced Orange Pork Belly and Scallops. I love pork belly in pretty much any form, and this was no different. The scallops were seared perfectly, and the flavor combination was surprisingly good to me. I didn't know I would like marmalade on my pork belly. The only disappointment was that it was only a couple of bites of each, so we were definitely left wanting more.

Spiced Orange Pork Belly and Scallops - vanilla and cauliflower puree, leek and orange marmalade, mushrooms, aged balsamic

Our second appetizer was the most decadent. The Sherry Foie Gras Ganache was so rich and savoury. If you haven't had a good foie gras, please go eat some immediately. There was a nice balance of sweet and savoury here, and actually so much foie gras that we were glad we hadn't eaten all of our table bread. This dish also came with some candied peanuts that added a nice crunch. I wasn't really sure what to do with the espresso, but poured it over top of everything I ate and it tasted pretty good. This is one of those dishes we weren't really sure how to eat properly or how much our hands should or shouldn't be involved. After eating this, we thought we were probably maxed out on richness, but oh boy were we wrong.

Sherry Foie Gras Ganache - french toast, maple grilled stone fruit, spiced apple chutney, nitro espresso 

I ordered the Togarashi Duck Breast as an entree. Every bite of mouthwatering duck was a transcendent experience. It was so moist, tender, and seasoned deliciously. The cabbage and cauliflower puree were great accompaniments. I am not too interested in strips of zucchini, but they add colour. I really can't say enough about this duck. Looking at it again so close to lunch makes me want to rush back for another.

Togarashi Duck Breast - braised cabbage, confit potato, seasonal vegetables, cauliflower puree, aged balsamic reduction

Scott ordered the rack of elk, and was also very impressed. He tried were those orzo balls first - and oh my goodness what a fabulous idea. So, we have long been obsessed with arancini - stuffed, deep fried risotto balls filled with cheese. We have also become very into orzo lately, usually as some type of Greek-inspired dish. These are balls of orzo and parmesan, pretty much combining these two loves. We decided orzo might actually be better than risotto - it would be so much faster to make, also they are perfectly soft and cheesy inside. We might be trying to do this at home in the near future. Our server recommended the elk rare, so that is how Scott ordered it. This ended up being a good choice for game meat. It was tender and pink and not too chewy at all.

Cocoa and Cayenne Rack of Elk - parmesan orzo cake, seasonal vegetables, pear and cinnamon chutney

Lastly, we had to try the feature dessert - a chocolate tart. As a feature, I am guessing this was someone's first time making this particular tart. It was... not good. The flavour of the chocolate and raspberries were fine, a classic combination. The crust was about a centimeter thick, taking up almost half of the height of the tart. This thick crust made taking a bite delicately very challenging. Scott jokes that we were afraid to break the plate every time we tried. It was topped with chopped pistachios that were almost all blackened from cooking. They didn't add a burnt flavour, but they didn't look very attractive either. Vanilla ice cream made in-house came with the tart, and while a nice idea, it was overly sweet and not that creamy. I am not sure why they chose to serve pineapple with this dessert, but there you have it. Knowing how good the brownie is here makes this choice even more difficult. My only regret of the meal, unfortunately at the very end.

Feature Chocolate Tart - with raspberry and pistachios, served with vanilla ice cream

Overall we had a great experience, but it was costly. I probably won't be headed back to Black Trumpet without another opportunity to avoid paying full cost. It was great, but we have had great food at much more reasonable prices. Our service was perfect - relaxed and efficient at the same time.

Likes: The duck, foie gras, pork belly, & scallops are my highlights
Dislikes: the feature dessert was a miss
Food: 4.5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: One day, when I can afford it

Rico's Pizzeria

Yesterday we snuck in a lunchtime pizza date at Rico's Pizzeria. It was somewhere we had never tried, and it was close to where we needed to be, so we tried it. I ordered the Balsamic Marinated Mushroom Pizza with some added prosciutto. It was huge! The crust was thin and crispy (maybe a little too crispy on one side). The mushrooms were delicious, and the prosciutto was definitely the right choice.

Balsamic Marinated Mushroom Pizza - thin, crispy crust smeared with roasted garlic and organic olive oil, covered with seasonal balsamic marinated mushrooms, onions and goat cheese, topped with fresh rosemary and prosciutto

Scott ordered the Farmer's Sausage 'Za, and we can safely say I was the winner this round. His pizza was good, but a little boring. It was so cheesy, with the right amount of pull. The house made tomato sauce was really tasty. Mine was so good though, I couldn't stop eating it.

Farmer's Sausage 'Za - thin crust topped with house made tomato sauce, fresh Fieldgate Farm sausage, locally sourced bacon, and mozzarella

Overall we were pretty satisfied with this little pick, and while they seemed a little overwhelmed with customers heading into the holidays, they managed to keep everyone happy and well fed. Their attention to locally sourced ingredients (including beers) and options for everyone, including vegan and gluten-free fare, makes it really worth recommending. From the outside you can't tell they care as much as they do about the experience - it looks like it could be any 2-4-1 location.

Likes: The crust was very thin and crispy, the toppings were delicious!
Dislikes: The sausage pizza was boring.
Food: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Would I go again?: Maybe. It was great, but for $17 and $16 they weren't outstanding.

The Early Bird (Round 2)

We always recommend The Early Bird, and always take people there when they visit. My brother was in town this weekend, so naturally we took him for breakfast Saturday morning. I ordered the Fat Elvis, and ended up taking a large part of it home. I love the panko fried bananas and thick bacon in between the monstrous slices of french toast. My only complaint with toasts this large is that the bread in the center is pretty dry, and there's no additional syrup provided. If I had dreams of eating the whole thing, I would have asked for more, but as it turns out I wouldn't be needing extra.

The Fat Elvis - House smoked bacon, panko fried bananas, smooth peanut butter and honey, served in a French toast sandwich, topped with maple syrup and powdered sugar

Scott went for the Chicken N' Waffles, which houses his most prized restaurant item - the bacon jam. He was excited the first time he tried it, that it got replicated at home almost immediately. It is so savoury and delicious, that we each couldn't stop stealing some off his plate. The chicken and waffles themselves are also really good, but that bacon jam is the real winner.

Chicken N' Waffles - Sweet tea brined crispy fried chicken, stacked and layered between house made waffles, topped with bacon jam, duck gravy and crispy onions

My brother decided on the weekly special eggs Benedict. Never had we been disappointed before, but he cut into a poached egg expecting the oozy goodness that usually results, and found nothing but pasty overcooked yolk. I was embarrassed, Scott was embarrassed. We have obviously talked up this place way too much, and easily had our hearts broken by a single overcooked egg. We will live to eat again, but not without a little more reserve towards this restaurant. The search for flawlessness continues. Otherwise, it looked and tasted pretty good.

Benny Special -  cornbread crusted chicken, topped with balsamic spinach and poached eggs, with a side of potato and onion hash with tomatoes and feta (and probably more details I can't remember)

So here we are, no longer passing out perfect reviews for The Early Bird to everyone crossing our paths. It is obviously still a beloved breakfast place that we will definitely revisit. The service was also a little slower than I remember, but it was very busy. I still love the decor, which I lovingly refer to as Queens of the Stone Age / Day of the Dead Breakfast - skulls, concert posters, records and pop art cover bright pink walls. Bright paper flowers pack the ceiling over the taco bar, and the bathrooms are light with black light.

Likes: The portions are enormous, and the food is delicious. Dishes seem to be well-balanced.

Dislikes: That overcooked poached egg! Ruining their perfection...

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 4/5

Would I go again?: Yes, I have hope. My food was great, Scott's food was great. My brother loved everything else about his food.

The Church Key Bistro-Pub... Again

Sunday Brunch! Back in London for a quiet weekend between the chaos, we headed to our favourite restaurant in the city. I know I have shared about The Church Key before, but honestly it is amazing, you need to go now. Every Sunday is a fabulous list of options accompanied by a basket of tasty pastries. We have never had the same thing twice, and never been disappointed. Today brought with it some serious choices. I settled on the Blanquette of Salmon, always a sucker for salmon at breakfast with poached eggs. Everything about it was delicious, but that béarnaise sauce was incredible. I would buy it by the jar if that were an option. My brunch niche is clearly in the rich and creamy area of any menu. I made so many mistakes trying to eat this whole thing that has left me full for the entire day, but it was so, so good!

Blanquette of Salmon - toasted olive oil brioche and Italian style sliced salmon ceviche of brandy, lime, mustard and dill.  Surrounded with white wine veloute, fennel & black olive soffrito, poached eggs and béarnaise sauce

Scott went for the BBQ'd Pork Buns, and was also in heaven. The bun was soft and moist, while the pork belly just melted in your mouth. The miso squash puree was the real surprise for us here. It was so nutty and rich, an interesting combination that I would love to try again. At this point we were both in awe at how lovely the eggs were. Mine were poached, his was soft boiled, and both were perfect.

BBQ'd Pork Buns - traditional steamed Mantou Bun with soft boiled egg, pickled mushrooms, miso squash puree and Wuxi barbecue sauce.

Finally, the pastry basket! What an exciting time to be alive. Some of the favourites were back. Scott describes the Coco-Nutty Bar as legendary, and his all-time favourite. I love the jalapeno cheddar cornbread and the sticky cinnamon roll is so sweet and satisfying. This basket is clearly the reason I have been full all day. The pumpkin muesli wasn't sweet or spiced enough for me, but followed by the completely decadent chocolate bouchon it was forgotten. We are excited every time about what a great idea having the pastry basket at the start of the meal is, and we spend the whole time raving and savouring each bite.

Pastry basket - Blueberry muffin, Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread, Poppy Seed Lemon Loaf, Butter Croissant, Sticky Cinnamon Roll, Muesli Pumpkin Loaf, , Chocolate Bouchon, Coco-Nutty Bar, & Maple Pecan Financier

Likes: Service is great, presentation is fabulous, and the food was always impressive
Dislikes: The butter croissant was a little under baked this time around
Food: 4.5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: I will resist going next Sunday, but the one after that? No guarantees! Okay maybe we will take a few weeks off...Go here!

The Church Key Bistro-Pub

Yesterday for brunch we could not resist heading to our favourite spot in London. Maybe I've said that before? Well, Church Key is our favourite brunch restaurant. With weddings coming up and lots of travel plans, it made sense to stay in and save money... then we read the menu for this week. Every week, Church Key offers up usually about 5 different and often very unique brunch items. We have probably been about ten times and never ordered the same thing, yet been super satisfied every time. The $4 mimosas are a brunch staple. This week was really hard to decide what to get, but I went with the Pad Thai Pancake. This was an amazing meal, just look at all that pork belly! The tamarind gravy was so rich and delicious, I could not get enough. The prawns reminded me more of lobster than shrimp, they were so buttery and meaty. Every single bite was an explosion of flavour, so clearly I finished the plate and left feeling extremely full.

Pad Thai Pancake - Rice noodle rosti stuffed with shredded carrot, cabbage, beansprouts and pork belly, topped with fried prawns, green onion, crushed peanuts, fried egg & tamarind gravy

Scott was very torn between the Octopus Pepperoni Cheese Pizza and the Venison Mortadella, ultimately being unable to resist the Venison. The meat itself actually tasted like an elevated mortadella (one of the best deli meats, in my esteemed opinion as a former Deli Expert). The pistachios had us guessing to remember what these little green things were in the meat, but ultimately flavour gave them away. The foie gras was rich and delicious, but how could it not be? Scott was raving about the blackberry gastrique with the pancakes, only offering up one bite. The mushrooms were the surprise. I am not sure what they were roasted in, but they were so meaty tasting that it was hard to believe it was just mushrooms. This was our first exposure to purslane, and it wasn't a great one. It is a sour weed that didn't make its way into our hearts, being the only thing left on the plate when all was finished.

Venison Mortadella - Italian venison sausage with Sicilian pistachios and foie gras served on sweet corn pancakes with roasted wild oyster mushrooms, wild purslane, and blackberry gastrique

One of the things we look forward to at Church Key is the pastry basket at the start of the meal. Each Sunday morning, the Chef bakes off a collection of pastries that are almost always creative and impressive. When we came for our first brunch here, we were in the middle of binge watching The Great British Bake Off (if you haven't gotten into it, now is the time - the 7th season has just started!). What this really meant was I came into the pastries with a heightened appreciation for lamination of dough layers in a croissant. I was so impressed! So many defined layers, so rich and buttery. This basket, while very different in composition, still gives me to opportunity to pretend I know what I am talking about when it comes to pastries. They have really figured out croissants here, There have been several different flavours, and this cheese one was perfection. The cheese was salty and delicious, present in every bite. While served with butter, none of the pastries needed it since they were each perfectly seasoned. The Chocolate Bouchon was so rich and full of chocolate that a little bite is all we needed. The Lemon Loaf is one we have had and loved before - so much lemon flavour with sugar crystals on top. We saved it for last since we knew it would be delicious. Scott really liked the Coco-Nutty Bar, while I preferred the Maple Pecan Financier.

Pastry basket - Butter Cheese Croissant, Raspberry Olive Oil Muffin, Maple Pecan Financier, Coco-Nutty Bar, Chocolate Bouchon, Lemon Loaf, & Date Square

Service is always great, with two servers that seem to be the ones holding it down each visit. The owner is always present and visible, either behind the bar, serving tables or helping to clear plates. With brunch set as $25 per person, and ever-changing menu items, we have to restrain ourselves from going every week. Brunch is only served from 11-2:30 on Sundays, and you are competing with the church crowds, so reservations are definitely recommended.

Likes: The creativity and attention to detail
Dislikes: ... I got nothing
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Definitely, honestly at the next chance I get. I love looking at the brunch menu on Saturday and getting excited for Sunday morning. I love taking people here to try out what is on offer.

Campus Hi-Fi

Sundays are made for breakfast, or brunch, or a big dinner... okay, food in general. We decided Sunday morning to head out to one of our newly re-opened favourite spots, Campus Hi-Fi. They had suffered a pretty big and expensive kitchen fire back in March, and I have been scoping out the location for the entire duration of renovations waiting for a sign they were back in business. Yesterday was our second time back since the fire, and it was everything we were hoping it would be. I ordered The Godfather Eggs Benny, and changed out the home-fries for poutine. I had no chance of finishing this, it was an enormous portion. I love the Hollandaise sauce, and the goat cheese made each bite so creamy. Nothing was out of place and I would order this every Sunday for the rest of my life if I could.

Godfather Eggs Benny - Goat cheese and crumbled sausage in tomato & spinach sauce, with poached eggs covered in Hollandaise sauce served with fruit and poutine

Scott ordered what used to be my staple - Shawn's Breakfast Poutine. While his came with toast that he loves to smother in jam, mine came with the fruit and had all the makings of amazing eggs Benedict. I am pretty sure this means I won this round of breakfast. You also can't really tell how deep this bowl of poutine goes. Don't worry, he was full!

Shawn's Breakfast Poutine - Fries topped with mozza cheese curds, bacon, gravy, 2 poached eggs, and Hollandaise sauce

While we may not be back next weekend, we will definitely be back - hopefully before all the students get back and make it busy again! There was no line at all, maybe people haven't realized they have re-opened yet. On weekends in the school year, people are regularly lined up out the door. The service was typical, and pleasant. We got our breakfast a lot faster than I thought we would. My biggest complaint is that they only accept cash or debit, since I typically don't carry cash and love using my MasterCard.

Likes: Poutine is amazing for breakfast. Eggs Benedict are perfection. I love the addition of goat cheese.
Dislikes: I need to use my credit card at every opportunity, and am sad this wasn't an option.
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Definitely. as soon as the guilt of poutine breakfast wears off.

Sunfest & Gelato

Yesterday was a gorgeous day here in London, Ontario. We headed out to Sunfest - a music festival in Victoria Park downtown - and true to form, I got way too much sun. We ate our way across the park, particularly excited to try what Kosmos had on offer. There was a guy holding delicious looking food out in front of the booth that made it impossible to skip. The line was long, and the sun was hot. After waiting way longer than we anticipated, we were presented with an amazing looking Crispy Chicken:

Crispy Chicken - chipotle aoli, lettuce, jalapeno, onion, honey mustard, pickles

The chicken breast was HUGE, and freshly fried to crispy perfection while we waited. It was so, so crispy. Everything seemed to have its place in each bite. The most unfortunate part of this enormous sandwich was how much it fell apart when I tried to eat it. That little dish did not catch it all, but it tried. Overall, I am excited to try Kosmos in the future, as everything we saw come out looked delicious (I'm looking at you, Fish Tacos).

After crisping up in the sunourselves, we headed up closer to home for some of the city's best gelato at Angelo's Italian Bakery and Market. When Scott and I first started dating, we frequented Angelo's a little too often. This was our first gelato trip of the year, and I was so ready!

Gelato - Mango & Mixed Berry, Pomegranate & Chocolate

We both made great choices. Scott picked one the all-time favourites: Mango. It has little pieces of mango throughout the gelato and is so refreshing. The mixed berry was a new one for us, and it was very nice. I tend to also go chocolate in some way or another. Pomegranate made a nice sharp and sweet addition to the semi-sweet chocolate gelato. If you haven't been for gelato at Angelo's, get out there!

Izakaya Shogun Japanese Sushi & Grill

Friday night we went to the best sushi in London - Izakaya Shogun Japanese Sushi & Grill. I have been to several (maybe 10?) different sushi restaurants in London, and this one is clearly the winner. I have been many times, and I have never had anything to complain about. This night happened to be really busy, with just two servers on the floor, so service was pretty slow. They were both really hustling, and we had been served by them before, but we were without water for way too long and very thirsty. Trying to leave when 4 other tables had the same idea wasn't easy. That being said, the food was still great! We started with the Beef Gyoza:

Beef Gyoza - fried crispy dumplings, mixed beef and veggies inside

The gyoza were so good, the perfect appetizer. Next up was the favourite, the Spicy Peanut Shrimp & Crab:

Spicy Peanut Shrimp - Crispy fried shrimp and crab meat, tossed with house dynamite sauce

It is that sauce we need to talk about. The crab pieces just melt in your mouth, and the shrimp is always perfectly cooked. The sauce is so rich and creamy, and so much more flavourful than whatever you are imagining. We talk about this sauce on our way to the restaurant and on our way home. If we could buy it by the litre, we would. Then the rolls started:

Clockwise from top left - Double Dragon (deep fried salmon roll covered with fresh salmon and crab meat), Baby Lobster Roll (fried lobster with avocado and cucumber), and Jack Daniel Roll (spicy tuna and asparagus roll covered with BBQ eel, avocado, and crab meat)

We knew we were here for the Baby Lobster roll and the Jack Daniel roll. I think the Jack Daniel was my favourite with all its flavours and sauces, but Scott preferred the Baby Lobster for the buttery lobster pieces. The Double Dragon was good, but a little boring - I am not a huge fan of mixing cooked and raw salmon either. We will probably sub in something else next time. Finally, we also had the super crunch roll:

Super Crunch Roll - whole roll fried, spicy tuna & salmon shrimp tempura with crispy topping

This was the strangest roll we tried. With the whole thing being deep fried, you really couldn't taste much else, or tell what fish were involved. There also appeared to be almond slivers as a garnish. It was a huge roll, that was impossible to get in your mouth without spilling crispy bits everywhere. It was tasty, but not like a delicious sushi roll, more like eating bits of fried batter in a nice sauce. I don't think we will ever order this one again.

Without ordering any drinks or desserts, our bill ended up around $75 for the two of us, which is pretty typical here. Unlike all you can eat sushi, you don't leave needing to unbutton your pants or feeling like you need to be rolled home. We left full and satisfied. While there were some misses, there are many more menu items for us to try, and we have found a few that we would never skip on. Unfortunately the location isn't central to London, attached to a Super 8 Hotel in the city's south end, making it challenging to get to from our Northwest home.

Likes: The spicy peanut shrimp appetizer, baby lobster roll, and jack daniel roll are favourites that keep us coming back.
Dislikes: This was the slowest service experience we've had here, and the super crunch roll wasn't great.
Food: 4/5
Service: 2/5
Would I go again?: Definitely. Hopefully it was just an off day for service, but it was a busy Friday night. Maybe we will stick to Saturday lunch, where we have been the only customers in the dining room.

Please Don't Eat Paradise Cream's "Latin Food"

"I don't think I've ever ordered a sandwich and had my expectations crushed like this before." -Scott

Today we went to the London International Food Festival in Victoria Park in downtown London, ON. This was the 3rd year I have gone, and by far the most disappointing. Perhaps that was just because there was nothing new and exciting, and we were asked for a lot of money today, sometimes a little aggressively. There were the meat pies from Wisey's Pies and Bakehouse - New Zealand inspired and so delicious (we got lamb & sweet potato this year, but I think I preferred last year's Thai chicken curry pie). There was Goodah Gastrotruck, which I have mentioned loving before. There were tasty Vietnamese fresh rolls from Quynh Nhi, a summer favourite. We got two spicy vegetarian samosas from Raja for just $3, I am still meaning to try the restaurant as their festival food is on point. On a hot day in the park, a massive cup of fresh squeezed lemonade hits the spot (followed by tons of water when you get home). These were all things we had tried before and loved, only disappointment seemed to be new this year. There was a Dr. Oetker truck giving out free slices of their pizza (even free, it sucks). Michael's on the Thames made their Food Fest debut, and it felt like we had scored a deal getting 3 meat skewers for $10, but they were each very mediocre and dry (lamb, beef, & chicken). The mango and Thai sauces they had set out made it tasty, but didn't make the lamb any less chewy. None of this really warranted a post, until Paradise Cream (they don't seem to have a real website, it just redirects to Instagram). I had the luck and privilege of being their first Facebook review, and I would paste it anywhere I can to encourage them to improve, or people not to order their food.

Just take that all in. We wondered if there was even beef involved. After careful biting...

There is a bit of beef in there. There also appear to be Hickory Sticks, and ketchup & mustard, those Latin delights. Powdered Parmesan also screams quality & authenticity. I haven't used it in my own kitchen in years, and am a little disgusted someone would like me to pay them to serve it to me. From my Facebook review:

Maybe they should stick to the ice cream & milk shakes and not the pathetic attempt at Latin food. We visited this truck at the London International Food Festival in Victoria Park and ordered the Pepito Beef, assuming it would look something like the image on the sign. After waiting 10 minutes, we were notified it would be 15 minutes to cook the beef. We sat, we waited. After 15 minutes, I mistakenly thought the cashier had called my number (it was mine +10). She didn't seem too bothered, and after a total of 31 minutes we got our sandwich. It was the saddest thing I've seen from a food truck - very little beef, powdered parmesan, shredded mozzarella, avocado, ketchup, mustard, hickory sticks? It was terrible, none of the cheese had melted at all. I didn't realize the "special sauce" was ketchup and mustard. I will do everything I can to recommend everyone avoids this embarrassing attempt at food.

Likes: literally nothing.
Dislikes: Everything! The food was disappointing, the service matched.
Food: 1/5
Service: 1/5
Would I go again?: Absolutely not, hopefully they realize this isn't what should be happening.

Goodah Gastrotruck

I have been waiting weeks for this! Goodah Gastrotruck is one of the few food trucks in the city of London, and it is great. Today, and every Tuesday from 9 AM to 2 PM until late in the summer there is a Farmer's Market on campus at Western University. It looks like the Goodah truck will be there, and I can't be the only one hoping it is consistently. Today I ordered the Jalapeno Popper and added bacon ($9):

Jalapeno Popper - blend of roasted and pickled jalapeno, mascarpone, cream cheese, cheddar and monterey jack with a pickle and side of coleslaw

After paying in advance and a wait of about 10 minutes, they called "Betty White" and the sandwich was mine. The bread was crispy and perfectly fried, oozing with cheese. I prefer my addition of 4 slices of bacon for $1.50 over the base $7.50 Jalapeno Popper. The jalapeno pepper flavour was there, but it wasn't very spicy. The coleslaw was a miss in my opinion - with apple pieces that were tasty, but it was too creamy for me. The pickle was the perfect end to a lunch, and I benefited from a labmate's pickle, too. Overall this was a very satisfying lunch, especially considering what is usually on offer on campus particularly during the summer months.

Likes: Sandwich is crispy and delicious, filled with cheesy goodness
Dislikes: Coleslaw was a disappointment and I would expect something called a Jalapeno Popper to be spicier.
Food: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Definitely. I look forward to what will be on special and love cheese too much.

The Early Bird

This morning for breakfast we went out to one of our favourite spots in London, The Early Bird. Our first date actually took place here. We have been back many times since and always been extremely satisfied. We walked in a little after opening time at 9 AM, and there were already a couple other tables. By the time we left the place was pretty full, with a few tables still open on the patio. Today's special was right up my alley:

Eggs Benedict on cornbread with popcorn chicken, honey garlic hollandaise, and pork rinds with a bruschetta side salad

This was a great start to the day, although probably a little more salt than necessary. The popcorn chicken was hot and fresh, but I would have preferred a more flavourful batter. The honey garlic hollandaise was very subtle. The eggs of course were perfectly poached on the soft, delicious cornbread. I enjoyed the bruschetta salad more than I expected to, it had a salty dressing that made me more welcoming to chunks of raw tomatoes than usual. Scott on the other hand was feeling very ambitious - he ordered the full stack of pancakes:

Pancakes layered with smoked bacon, peameal, and potato hash topped with a fried egg covered in maple syrup.

Alas, he only finished two pancakes and all the layered parts - the half stack equivalent. We currently have some pretty fluffy and delicious pancakes in the fridge. I am not normally too crazy about pancakes, but these are really satisfying with how fluffy and absorbent they are for the maple syrup. While he continued to eat, I sat and sipped my fresh, bottomless coffee. The service was great, with 3 different staff members interacting with us throughout the meal to make sure everything was going well.

Likes: Food is fresh and plentiful. Feels like you are getting great value in quality & quantity
Dislikes: There are always these greens that I struggle with and end up dropping on myself like a real mess. The bathrooms are terrible for lighting.
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Definitely. I take people from out of town here and recommend it often.

Shelby's Food Express

This weekend Scott and I went to the Forest City Flea to scope out some deals. While we didn't end up buying anything too substantial, we worked up an appetite that only a massive plate a delicious fries could satisfy! This wasn't our first trip to Shelby's Food Express, we knew what we were getting into. I ordered a Regular Chicken Shawarma Fries, while Scott went for the Large Beef Shawarma Fries. The dish consists of a big pile of fries covered in about every sauce they could have on line, then the meat of your choosing, followed by a big spoonful of the creamiest garlic sauce. We were both full and extremely satisfied. The wait was about 10 minutes for both plates, and we were in a cozy booth by the window. For a Sunday lunch, there were only about 2 other tables and a couple takeout orders. Once we had our plates, the cook checked up on us a couple times to see how we liked it. The menu is clear and easy to follow, with daily specials - Saturday's special is currently a Large Chicken Shawarma Fries for $7.99. Overall, Shelby's has always been friendly and delicious, you can't miss with the Shawarma Fries!

Likes: The food and service is great
Dislikes: Location is a little off the mark. Fine for driving, more difficult to walk to or use public transit (~11 minute walk outside of Downtown).
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: As soon as possible!