Thursday, June 10, 2010

Toronto - May 2010 - Day 9 (Steak, Steak and Steak!)

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Sick and bored from my Toronto posts? Well, I am sorry but please stick with me for another 2 entries! I enjoyed my stay in Toronto as much as I enjoyed writing / sharing about it! It makes me feel my vacation has been somewhat extended while I write about it. On Day 9, it was a day full of eating ... as always! The highlight was the STEAK (as shown above) at night but during the afternoon my parents and I went for dim sum at Spring Villa Chinese Cuisine, another of my favorite Chinese restos in Toronto.



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Spring Villa Chinese Cuisine on Urbanspoon

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As mentioned, dinner was all about steak! It was wonderful not only because of the meal alone but the fact that my friend treat my mom and I to this meal was definitely a factor! Thanks A! The Octagon has been around for a long while but back then it was the sort of fancy steakhouse which I can only pass-by and drool from the sidewalk.

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Wow! The whole interior was made of polished wood, rice and expensive yet classy. It was tough to snap the pictures because (1) the 50mm lens (not wide enough) and (2) the upscale atmosphere; however I did managed to snap a few. :)

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We started with a bottle of wine but since I am no expert in wine, all I can say is that the Robert Mondavi Private Selection 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon was rather fruity but best to be paired with food in my opinion. What captured my attention was the writings on the cork!

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"A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine." Indeed!!!

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Smoked Atlantic Salmon rather unexciting but more flavorful than I expected.

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The Clam Chowder my mom ordered was surprisingly well prepared, creamy with plenty of clams and other ingredients. My mom enjoyed it very much and so did I when I grabbed it from her half way through in exchange for my smoked salmon. Sorry mom and thanks!


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When there is bacon and seafood involve, my fork will be there, I promise you that! My friend ordered the Bacon Wrapped Scallops which he reluctantly shared with me. Sorry and thanks A! haha ... How I wished the liquid floating on the plate was butter but the light sauce was pretty alright as well with a few drips of fresh lemon juice. (I think my friend hurried to finish the rest so to avoid my fork from parachuting down for another piece haha)

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My mom ordered Broiled Filet of Salmon, no surprises there and it was a bit overcooked so let us move on now to the STEAK!

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Time for some meats!!! I ordered the 16oz Rib-eye which was firm yet beefy and med-rare! Good job!

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My friend on the other hand ordered the Prime Ribs - Octagon Cut. We asked how big it was while ordering and we were informed that it should be around 16oz. What?? Look at that piece of meat! Bigger than my hand! (and my hand is BIG!) So thick as well! My friend struggled to finish it and we asked again later during the meal about the size of the meat, the staff SMILED at us and said, "maybe it was closer to 20oz." HAHA ... should we feel cheated? or happy that we got more than we bargained for? I wasn't sure, I better ask my friend and his stomach! haha

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Desserts??? Of course even after just gained a few lbs from the steaks! We needed a little break, perhaps 10mins? haha ... During our break, my mom ordered the Irish Coffee while my friend and I try to mentally make our digestion system work faster! It was prepared table-side to our surprise. Time to bring out the camera!!! The waiter preparing the coffee was so kind that he instructed me when I should snap the pictures for best results and visual effects! Thanks!!!

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While we enjoyed the making of the Irish Coffee, the taste wasn't so great to be honest. There was a distinct 3 layers as it should be but it lacked the coffee flavors with the Irish Whiskey overtaking the entire drink. 15 mins passed, it was time for desserts! The Creme Brulee was very nice with a crunchy caramelized cap and smooth silky custard full of rich and deep vanilla flavor.

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I am sorry for not being able to try the Tiramisu because I was just too full! It was soft and mushy from what my mom told me and quite rich as well. I guess I need to come back soon or later to try this and the Warm Chocolate Cake which they ran out! argh!

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Octagon on Urbanspoon




Day 8 >> Lobster Attack!


Day 9 >> Steak, Steak and Steak ... never too many steaks!







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Upcoming Posts???

Day 10 >> Can I stay longer?

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Great photos! A friend once told me that the chinese food in Canada is at par- if not better- than the ones served in HK and China. Hard to believe at first, but a handful of people have actually told me this, so it must be true.

Oh, and the rib-eye looks amazing! That must be some food trip:-)

cheeky angel said...

Only one word: yum!

Joyce Lau said...

You stole your mother's soup?
Just kidding. Your Canada food posts are getting to be too much! Are you going to come home double the size? :)

Jason said...

@Joyce: my jeans are getting tight but it can be due to it being washed and "dried" from the dryer haha ...

@Cheeky angel: O yum! Thanks! :)

@Chinkee: I have to agree with your friend on this one because I do feel that the quality of Chinese food in Toronto (perhaps Vancouver as well) is very good! I cannot precisely say that most are at par or even better than HK but very close indeed. The key factor in my opinion is the consistency in food quality being offered. HK restos quality vary so much even for a single resto during different days of the week!!!

Jin said...

she lets you steal her clam chowder and then she orders irish coffee. AND she wasn't too full to try the tiramisu when you, on the other hand, already surrendered! i haven't met your mom, jason, but i love her already! :)

Jason said...

@Jin: perhaps my mom wanted me to have those so she can order more? haha

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