I realize that it's already the middle of the week but last weekend had such good photo ops that I couldn't pass out on them; plus, I've been on a productivity high(ish) so I'm excited for when (what I'm currently working on) is finally done... (and I can unveil it on the internet).

I think that productivity high was the result of me actually taking the time and effort to take care of myself in one aspect of my life (at least starting to). I always tend to neglect myself due to other priorities, so it was refreshing to have some "me time" that wasn't entirely dedicated to either freelance work/design, or a mental break that would usually result in myself endlessly browsing the internet. Now if only I get around to using that facial mask... lol.

Currently, I'm in the middle of a "design renovation" for a personal project of mine (aka my portfolio). Maybe it's just me, but I get kind of antsy when I see that the stuff/layout I'm displaying on the web right at this moment is already two years old. It feels a bit dated, especially my colour choice back then, and there are some visual adjustments I've already made that I want implemented so badly. But patience, because I still have quite some work to do...

NYC 2015 (DAY 2...ISH)

Our second day started rather late, as we were finally ready around noon. I can't really blame my cousins though — one wasn't feeling well (even though she took medication and even a heating pack) and the other was still a bit jet-lagged. I don't think we were as indecisive this time though, as I remembered my Australian cousin showing interest in a restaurant on our way back from the shopping trip* we did the day before. 

*Correction: it wasn't just my cousin buying stuff... I realized I forgot to mention that I ended up buying stuff for my homeslice too. My cousin was teasing me the whole trip about how funny it was that my homeslice wanted not 1, not 3, but 5 of the same funko pops to sell, lol. 

Bang Bang

With the weather in Canada finally warming/lighting up, I couldn't contain the excitement that was to go and eat some frozen desserts. It has always been a tradition for my homeslice and I (even if the weather was cold, haha) and honestly, I hadn't seen him since archery tag for my uber belated birthday celebration, so we decided to meet up about two weeks ago.

Millie Creperie

I recently went to Isshin again with my homeslice as a means for him to try a new ramen place and to cheer him up after three long weeks of hell. I felt pretty accomplished from seeing his delight in the deliciousness of his meal (he ordered the Spicy Black Tan Tan Ramen, which was pretty good also!) and the excitement he had for wanting to bring our other friends to this magical place as well. After dinner, I thought we'd be getting frozen yogurt because that's usually our tradition, but he had another awesome place in mind.

After meandering through Kensington Market, we finally arrived at Millie Creperie. The logo instantly caught my eye, as it was simple, playful and clean at the same time (oh, and the fact that the font was in Lobster? Instant eye catcher).

Millie was a small little shop with a mix of wooden decor and black tables that oddly reminded me of a combination of IKEA and MUJI (then again, it is a Japanese creperie). I think that impression greatly heightened from the fact that they use iPads instead of clunky cash register machines, making them seem even more sleek and tech-savvy.

I wasn't expecting crêpes that night, but that works just as fine too. The last time I had one was when I was in Las Vegas with my family, which funny enough, was also Nutella Banana flavoured.

What makes this crêpe experience different from most, as you can probably tell, is that it's folded into a cone instead of the conventional method of being laid out on a plate. It makes the experience more whimsical in a way, and it greatly changes the tasting experience too (at least, that's how I found my crêpe.... it may be different with other flavours?). As I started, I was met with an abundance of whipped cream and banana slices. It wasn't until the last third of the crêpe cone that I tasted the undeniable richness that is Nutella. This, along with a recent Bubble Tea flavor from Chatime, reminded me of my love for the heavenly combination of hazelnut and chocolate. I swear, you can't go wrong there!

Before I received my crêpe, I saw that Millie Creperie also served hot/main meal food. A friend of mine saw my instagram and told me that their blood orange sorbet was amazing as well. Looks like I'm going to have to venture back to Kensington Market sometime.... :)

Isshin

Just when you thought that you've tried 90% of the Ramen places in Toronto (and no, I'm not going to go to Momofuku if I went to the one in NYC), a new one pops up...

My boyfriend and I arrived at Isshin's doorstep earlier than expected, on a cold and rainy Saturday. I was standing around silently cursing to myself for my poor choice of attire (I thought the combination of my favourite plaid flannel from Aritzia + a hoodie + my favourite leather jacket would suffice); shivering ever so often waiting to go inside. 15 minutes felt like an eternity, and there weren't many shops around the area to occupy our time with. Fortunately, the Isshin staff had taped their menu on the window, which made the anticipation that much more exciting (or excruciating, since I still had to wait?)

**If you ever do plan on going, please note that their lunch special only occurs during the week!

I think I was on an adventurous streak, because I didn't want to go with the usual Shoyu or Shio Ramen. I saw that they designated their brand symbol to signify recommended choices, so I mentally chose one of the bowls they recommended as I finally headed inside.

The restaurant itself was pretty spacious with lush dark furniture and standard lighting. I would say that Raijin's amount of space is comparable to this, although I still have yet to venture into the back area of the latter. As we were the first ones to arrive, it was pretty quiet. They had only one waitress working that day (I'm not sure about the number of cooks, as the staff would be in the kitchen at the back) so the common Japanese greeting exchanges amongst workers weren't heard. But that's okay. I'm here more for the food if anything.

Even though it's a Saturday, my boyfriend and I still ordered essentially what is the Lunch Special because I was curious what their Takoyaki tasted like and my boyfriend, the Chicken Karaage (of course).

There were about 3 pieces of Chicken Karaage with dipping sauce for $4.80. I think it's a bit pricey for the amount of pieces offered, so at this point you're pretty much paying for the quality of them (which wasn't bad at all — crispy, juicy and not too greasy).

I don't normally order an appetizer for myself to go with my ramen, but I'll make an exception to this one. The last time I had legit Takoyaki was at Guu, about a year ago. I've had the misfortune of having an unintentionally salty version at Bubbletease this year, so that may have attributed to my decision to order here (or just my affinity to balls of fried octopus?).

These guys came out fresh and hot. I made the mistake of eating one right away, haha. So aside from practically burning my mouth with the first one, I did enjoy them. They were a good mixture of savoury, chewy and delightful with a slight crunchiness due to their shell. They were also kind of filling too, since there were five of them and it's fried food. Not bad for $4.20 though.

As for the main course, I ordered their Red Miso Ramen, with less salt and an additional marinated egg. 

This dish blew me out of the water, hands down. With other ramen bowls (except for Raijin's clear chicken broth based bowls), most are rich, creamy/fatty(?) and full of pork flavour. This one... it's wasn't super rich, and definitely not creamy. It was reminiscent of the way my mom cooks her tomato, beef and potato soup back at home but not exactly either. 

The Red Miso broth had a plethora of vegetables, from carrot bits, bean sprouts, green onion, black wood ear mushrooms and chives. This added to the broth flavour and subdued the pork essence, which I appreciated (not that I don't like pork broth, but I find it particularly appropriate for this bowl). 

As for the pork, it was very soft and easy to chew. Not an overwhelming pork taste, but with enough flavour. I approve.

*Has a Ratatouille moment*

What's interesting about the ramen noodles themselves is that they weren't just savoury; they had a slight tinge of sweetness to it unlike any other. My boyfriend picked up from his bowl first, but it's more apparent in mine. 

My boyfriend opted for the Tonkotsu Shoyu "Roasted Garlic" Ramen, with less salt and an additional topping of sesame seeds.

I didn't have the whole bowl of his ramen, but he chose a more traditional/run-of-the-mill flavour. I don't recall the Garlic Oil flavouring jumping out to me, though that could also be due to my own ramen bowl taking up most of my sensory attention :P

One distinctive quality about Isshin (aside from their special recommendations being thebomb.com) is that for their sesame seed topping, you have the option of grinding them. Often times additional toppings just come in a bowl and that's it, no extra effort or interaction from the customer. This gesture also adds plus points in consideration, as grinding ingredients tends to bring out more of the flavour into whatever mixture they're added to. 

They're also quite generous with their extra noodles too. It was essentially another half a bowl, which made it worthwhile.

Both my boyfriend and I were quite satiated to say the least.

I immediately raved about this place to Jem, so I'm excited to go again, see his reaction(s) to my recommendations and possibly try their other bowls :)

Tiramisu Cupcakes

So I was supposed to write this yesterday.... But I got so tired that I kind of just conceded to what my body needed and took a nap right after I got home from work...

Let me start off by saying that I haven't baked for a LONG time —especially cupcakes. I had a few bouts of making Tiramisu here and there but that's different. Anyway, I finally had reason to bake (ya I know, it's a bit pathetic that I need a reason to), as a few of my coworkers have been nagging me saying, "Melody, when are you ever going to bake something for us?!" So I did. The Vietnamese payroll lady at my work asked if I could make Tiramisu cupcakes and I granted her request, even though I haven't made anything but Tiramisu lately (she was so overjoyed when she saw them). Cupcakes are different though, that's for sure.

As an enthusiastic baker, I tend to modify the ingredients a little here and there to optimize the taste to my liking, or just be a little healthier. Or at least try to, haha. So below is a modification of the original recipe from my cupcake bible (*ahem* basically the cupcake recipe book from Martha Stewart).

Mind you, I ended up making enough batter for 24 cupcakes and not 18, so if you want to cross-reference onto the original recipe and add in some of my recommendations, feel free to do that also!

CUPCAKE BASE

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract*
• 3½ tbsp. unsalted butter
• 4 whole eggs + 4 egg yolks
• 2 cups sugar

For the next part of the recipe, I actually kind of read the recipe wrong and yielded WAYYYY too much syrup for my own liking. I ended up using only half of what I made, so I would definitely lessen what I have listed here.

COFFEE-MARSALA SYRUP

• 1 cup of boiling water
• ½ cup of espresso powder
• 15 ml of marsala*
• ½ cup of sugar

MASCARPONE FROSTING
• 1¼ cup whipped cream
• 300 mg mascarpone cheese*
• ¾ cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
• cocoa powder for sprinkling afterwards

As per my recommendations? That is what that asterisk is for :)

2 tsp. vanilla extract* — The original recipe called for vanilla beans to be used, but either the ones sold at Bulk Barn are not the kind I should be buying/they suck, or the beans essentially don't bring out much flavour, causing me to reconsider to opt for vanilla extract instead. I actually used only 1 teaspoon, and after test tasting my own cupcake while at work, I think two would've enhanced the flavour a bit more.

15 ml of marsala* — I don't know about you, but I favor coffee tasting Tiramisu over the alcoholic prominent kind. Yes, the alcoholic prominent kind is probably more "authentically Italian" but I've always kind of disliked the taste of alcohol anyway. I also added less marsala than was suggested in the original recipe because I was catering to work people, and I didn't want to feel like I was drugging them or anything >.<

300 mg mascarpone cheese* — Honestly, I added more cheese than suggested partially because it was kind of awkward to leave less than 100 mg sitting in the tub that I bought, waiting to be used next time (but requiring me to buy more cheese because 100 mg is not enough to satiate a sufficient batch of whatever I'd be making) and I thought, "Hey, more fancy cheese the better right?". Plus, it helps that a coworker really liked the icing!

My overall thoughts? It seems that the general consensus enjoyed my cupcakes (or maybe they were just being nice??) and after eating one myself, they didn't turn out half bad.

P.S. In the original recipe, they say to brush on the coffee-marsala syrup until you run out. I'd say that's about right, but if you want a better idea of a good amount, I'd say about 4-5 layers to really bring that coffee taste out :)

Mildred's Temple Kitchen

Good food and good company is the best way I could sum up my time at Mildred's Temple Kitchen.

I'll admit that during my search for a suitable brunch place downtown, I was secretly hoping to try either Rose & Sons or Easy Breakfast, but I heard from a coworker that the pancakes from MTK were pretty good, so I thought, "Why not?" Besides, a 73% rating on Urbanspoon isn't shabby either, and I knew my friend Jody was fiending for some pancakes.

I do not regret the choice I made.

I've never been to the little area known as West Elm/Liberty Village, so even upon arriving there, it was a refreshing sight to see:

It was a cute little plaza/street of shops in an aesthetic that somewhat resembled that of the Distillery District, though not exactly either. It had a slight upperclass feel (not as overwhelming as Yorkville though) due to the modern style of certain shops, and it just seemed like a really chic place to be at. 

MTK had a small patio section outside, and lovely branding throughout their window decals and collateral.

I loved that they managed to incorporate chartreuse without being too drab, and the place had a sleek, minimalistic, modern style accompanied by its industrial looking base. Light flooded throughout the restaurant, and you just get this fresh yet down-to-earth feeling when you first enter the premises. 

Now onto the food...

Jody obviously ordered Mrs. Biedorhof's Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes. And what a sight that was when her dish first arrived! It looked so enticing to try that I was more than happy to try some when Jody couldn't finish the rest.

What can I say? They do live up to the hype. Their pancakes, despite their thick and blubbery appearance, were actually quite soft, light and fluffy. Dipping it in the fallen whipped cream and blueberries made the taste that much better, and it almost had me wishing I had ordered this instead.

That's not to say that I wasn't happy with my personal choice either. I ordered Veda's Choice, which consisted of poached eggs, Béarnaise sauce and my choice of smoked salmon sandwiched by a flaky croissant and some fresh leafy greens on the side. I liked that the croissant wasn't so flaky that it came apart so easily (that's my primary reason for preferring just a baked soft dough croissant as opposed to a baked flaky one), and the combination of the ingredients together... I can't even. The smoked salmon added just the right amount of savouriness without being too salty, and anytime there's well done poached eggs, I am one happy camper.  

At first, I was a bit perplexed by the greens at the side; I focused so much on the deliciousness that was the croissant that I wasn't quite sure if the greens were just a decorative element or if I was actually supposed to consume them. I didn't want to waste it either, so I gave it a try — it was a bit branchy and kind of awkward to eat at times, yet that didn't bother me too much. I thought that maybe they just kind of placed it there without any garnishing or sauce. I was wrong. The greens had a little oompf to their taste with the help of some subtle sweet-and-sour vinegar like sauce, which was nice. Not too overpowering that it felt disgusting (like that feeling of having too much sauce on your salad), but not too little that you wouldn't notice it at all. 

Mafalda ordered The MTK Burger (tomato relish, crispy tobacco onions, burger patty, served with fresh fries on the side), seeing that she loves burgers and couldn't resist. To be fair, she had a hard time deciding that maybe she should go out of her comfort zone and try The Manhandler instead. I was going to offer to get the latter so that she could try some, but I wasn't quite feeling steak today. It felt a little heavy for a brunch meal, even if we had our brunch super late at 2 pm :P In the end, she was really happy with her burger choice, going so far as to proclaim her love for its taste and joking that she would come back every weekend just for this little number :P She really appreciated the fact that MTK makes their burger buns fresh, and she enjoyed the special white dipping sauce on the side.

She also ordered their watermelon lemonade that I had the pleasure of getting a sip of. Freshly made, not too sour and not too sickly sweet in a cute mason jar, I wouldn't have minded in ordering one myself. 

Here are all our meals combined in one lovely photo :)

While I was pretty late, my two friends endured a length 45 + minute wait since I stupidly did not make reservations. They told me that service while waiting wasn't the greatest, but our waitress who helped us seemed to have redeemed MTK's reputation and restored positive spirits in my two friends. Our waitress was really friendly, smiling and joking intermittently, even asking where I got my backpack at one point! She even made recommendations that weren't asked for, such as the extra hot sauce for Mafalda's meal, which I thought was pretty nice of her. 

And lastly, the washroom at MTK is an unique experience all its own. 

Like the rest of the decor, their washroom was well furnished, modern and mostly white. What's interesting to note is that there is only ONE washroom, shared by both genders. I have never been to a co-ed public washroom ever. The idea is a little bizarre, and the fact that it is so clean boggles my mind (no offence). Another bizarre thing about MTK's washroom is that instead of say, the usual elevator music that you would usually hear at a restaurant, they were playing audio that sounded like it belonged in an airline flight. Somewhere inbetween I heard something about Air France, which confused me a lot. I thought I was in a washroom, not in an airplane? Ya, that was a little odd. 

All in all, I had a splendid time at Mildred's Temple Kitchen, of which I was already really happy to see my previous coworkers, to share laughs and news between the three of us. It was almost as if I had never really left them in the first place, and I truly missed their humour, their expressions/reactions and their personalities in general. They give me faith that not all my female friendships have failed, and seeing them after what feels like a long time definitely brightens my mood regardless. Here's to more food adventures, chilling, whatever to come!

Il Mulino

From the get go, I was pretty excited by the idea of finally going to a place that had a Summerlicious menu. I heard about this event since last year, and I would see my friends post photos of their experience at Canoe, (or some other place) with fancy delicious food while I somehow never got around to it :( Plus, for some places, it was pretty expensive, even if it was a set menu.

I was kind of out of the loop when the decision was made amongst my group of friends (the same group that I went to Chit Chat Play with) to go to Il Mulino, so I kind of just went along with it. I didn't know where it was, I didn't know that it was apparently one of Drake's favourite restaurants, or anything about it really, until I actually had their food.

It was a rainy night when my friends and I had arrived, and Il Mulino was not the place to wear your tattered hoodie and sweatpants to. It has been a long while since I actually dressed up for a night out to eat, which added to my anticipation to their food even more (#tooshytotakeselfies, haha). 

This is one of those times that I again, didn't really take a picture of the decor (I got too engrossed in listening to the topic of superstition at our dinner table). It was rather simple and elegant, with somewhat dim lighting and a singular large archway to divide the spaces of the place (i.e. an archway between the reception area and the dining area). A bit of a waste of space, considering that the restaurant is not that big to begin. *shrugs* Oh well. At first glance, Il Mulino was deceivingly bigger than its' real size; this was especially so with the archway to the side of the reception area appearing to have a secondary dining area when it was really a large mirror. 

We started off with crunchy bread as appetizer. It was seasoned with rosemary and had a slightly sweet taste to it due to the seasoning they used (I have no idea what it is though). 

I was a little wary at first when I initially spotted the Steamed Mussels, Fresh Basil and Scallions option in the Summerlicious menu online. I loved the idea of mussels, it's just that the word spicy jumped out to me like a sore thumb. 

Me and spicy usually don't mix well. The only time I had deliberately decided to order something spicy on my own free will was when I had sinus congestion and I wanted the Spicy Chicken Bento box at Seoul House to alleviate that. My face was sweating like mad in the time that I was eating, but it worked.

Anyways, I kind of had a #yolo moment when I ordered this starter dish, and surprisingly, it wasn't bad at all, even with the sprinkle of additional black pepper. My face wasn't sweating and the spiciness never accumulated in my mouth or throat like I feared it would. In actuality, it was hardly spicy at all (did I just one up in spice tolerance?! ... Maybe that's just my wishful thinking, haha) so I was able to thoroughly enjoy it without having to retreat to my glass of water every few seconds. The mussels were a little small in size to my initial dismay, however the extra basil and scallions satiated my stomach enough that I was ready for my main dish. 

It's funny because out of the five of us, three of us ordered almost the exact same thing (with dessert being the only differentiating factor). 

I was really looking forward to my main dish. Lobster and Linguini? YES PLEASE! After my disappointment with Glow and more disappointment in the fact that I haven't had Lobster Poutine from Rock Lobster yet, I was excited to have a sufficient amount of lobster in a dish. I was not disappointed at all. Il Mulino's Linguini with Lobster & Sun Dried Tomatoes left me delighted and content. There was a good amount of lobster (just the fact that I was able to stick my fork into a scone-sized chunk of lobster got me grinning with glee inside!) and it wasn't too salty; the sauce clung to the linguini well and the pasta itself was a quality that I approve of. The flower on the top was a nice touch. Additionally, the portion size of the main course didn't leave me too hungry or too full, so I'd say it was a good size. 

Plus, this is a set menu, so I definitely need to leave room for dessert!

The sign of a happy camper, haha.

My boyfriend ordered their Grilled Stirloin Steak with a Sautéed Wild Mushroom Marsala Sauce in medium. I was so focused on my own dish that I forgot to ask him how he found his dish :/ It looked good though!

My friend who sat across from me (who ordered almost exactly the same things as I did) ordered Tiramisu as his dessert. After having made my own Tiramisu/tasting my mom's Tiramisu for a generous amount of times this year, I was curious. I've had cheap/okay Tiramisu from I don't even know where a long time ago, and I probably had decent tiramisu at some point in my life, so what about legit Tiramisu at an Italian restaurant? 

(I think I never actually ordered tiramisu from some of the Italian places I've been to because I'm partially lactose intolerant and I was afraid of retreating to the washroom afterwards...) 

I snagged a small bite out of his out of bold curiosity. It was soft to the taste as I expected, fluffy even. The only difference between the kind I made and this one was that the alcoholic taste/presence was much more prominent. It wasn't even the coffee taste that I immediately pointed out; that was the funny part. I personally prefer the tiramisu to have a stronger coffee taste rather than an alcoholic one (for lack of better words). To each of their own I guess?

Finally, this is the dessert I ordered — Gelato Fresco's Chocolate Lindt Ice Cream. As much as I enjoy Tiramisu, I cannot pass on Chocolate Lindt Ice Cream. As you've probably noticed by now, I am a sucker for chocolate, whether that be ice cream, the chocolate itself or whatever. Again, I was not disappointed. This has got to be one of the smoothest chocolate ice creams I have had the chance to consume, the other one a faint distant memory that seems to vaguely escape my mind. I kind of wish I could just get a whole tub of this and share at home, knowing that my father is a huge ice cream fan. Then again, he would probably just eat 90% of the tub without me knowing...

Either way, I am pleased with my first Summerlicious experience. It's a little pricey compared to the average meal, but you're essentially paying for quality, ambiance and the idea of a good food adventure. 

TBP: Home of the Brave

I should really back up all my photos so I don't have such a hard time looking for them...

Late last year, after taking me to WVRST, my boyfriend tried to prank me into thinking he was going to take me to the same place for another food adventure. He took me to the same street, headed in the same direction, so I almost thought he was going to be lame and take me to WVRST for the second time. Little did I expect for him to pull me in to a pub about two spaces before...

Home of the Brave is a pub that has a very hipster feel, similar to WVRST. Instead of a vibrant red backdrop wall however, their decor is a little more cozy. I'd have to attribute this partially to the overall colour scheme (neutrals of black, beige and chestnut), the lighting (brighter than WVRST but not completely hospital-kind-of-sterile either) and the clutteredness that is the pub (which is pretty much the centrepiece of the whole space). The branding added even more to the hipsterness that is this pub, as I looked onto their beer bottle:

Remember when I said hand drawn chalk typography is so big/in right now? That's what this brand reminded me of. But let's not get carried away with the atmosphere and the nitty gritty details that a designer would typical notice. We are here to relish in the sight of delicious food afterall...

Perhaps the knife staked in the middle of the burger may seem a little daunting in the first photo, but trust me, it's not that bad :P I didn't have this particular dish, no. My boyfriend being a big fan of fried chicken, couldn't resist the Kentucky Fried Handshake Sandwich. I found it a little comical that they would have a chicken leg sticking out like that. Maybe that's just me? Either way, my boyfriend enjoyed it, and that one bite I had from his burger, I enjoyed too.

We also shared a cute little saucepan of Tater Tots. There were about 11 or 12 of them? I don't remember. They weren't too greasy and they had the right amount of crisp. It was a shame that they didn't have more in one serving :(

Finally, I ordered the... you'll have to excuse my poor memory at the moment. It's a burger of barbecued beef but I can't seem to find it on their menu. Maybe they don't serve it anymore? :( Anyway, what I appreciated about this dish was that it wasn't too salty; it was sweet but not too sweet, and the meat was tender. Plus, the presentation made the burger even more appealing (and they didn't have a knife staked into the burger, haha). 

My only criticism is that, much like WVRST, Home of the Brave is a bit pricey for the quantity you get. The burgers average around $12-14 from what I could muster in my memory, and mind you, these burgers were not that big. Their size is comparable to a regular burger at McDonald's (i.e. the Filet-O-Fish). Then again, you are paying more so for the quality if anything, since these burgers aren't what you would call typical fast food. 

Overall, I quite enjoyed my time there, and for someone like me, the burger and the appetizer was enough for me. Not sure about the heartier eaters out there though :P

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Until next time!

That Italian Place

I don't go to Brampton often, but when I do, it's to eat some delicious food... lol.

It's been awhile since I had a food post, and my boyfriend has been meaning to take me to That Italian Place, so why not?

There wasn't anything particular about the decor that caught my eye. It wasn't fancy and it wasn't shabby. I did appreciate the generous amount of light that flooded the place though, because it made the food that much more aesthetically appetizing (not that it wasn't already)...

We both ordered fettucine — I had the Bolognese and he had the meatball version. His was essentially the same thing as mine, except his meat was in the form of the meatball, while I had meat that was evenly spread throughout the sauce. It was a good serving size (deceiving small!) and a bit on the pricey side (that plate was for $8, the same price you would pay at a Vanelli's at a food court and get an even bigger portion there) but I would justify it with the quality. The sauce clung to the pasta well (sometimes, I'd experience a place where the tomato sauce would just slice off the pasta and the pasta would have almost no retainment of the sauce whatsoever), and the texture of the fettucine was just how I liked it — not too soft but not completely al dente either.

Because the dishes were deceivingly small, my boyfriend thought a lunch sized plate of fettucine wouldn't fill him up. Midway through the meal, he ordered a panini for $9. Again, a little pricey, but the quality was worth it. I was a little thrown off by the size of the sandwich when it came in (maybe I haven't had enough paninis to know their standard size, haha), as it was in a bulky square shape. Although I only took a bite out of it (I was content with my portions, thank you!), that one bite was satiating enough. I liked that the bread wasn't too dry. The cheese wasn't too salty, yet it still had a subtle taste, the chicken wasn't salty either, and there was a healthy helping of lettuce. If I hadn't ordered my fettucine, I would have definitely wanted to try their paninis. Maybe next time? That is, if I actually happen to be in Brampton and need a place to eat?

While I would enjoy eating here, it is a little out of the way. Then again, most of the places I've blogged about so far aren't exactly within easy reach either, so there's that.