Question: What is a environment for the day?

I've been to PAI more than a handful of time now and it never disappoints. Food is always delicious, their Thai iced tea is a must try! Wait time are over an hour if you arrive after 6pm, so try for an early dinner. Service is ok - can be slow sometimes. If you're looking for a more secluded, quiet meal, this is NOT it; tables are super close to one another and it gets quite loud.

Answer: If you're looking for a more secluded

I've been to PAI more than a handful of time now and it never disappoints. Food is always delicious, their Thai iced tea is a must try! Wait time are over an hour if you arrive after 6pm, so try for an early dinner. Service is ok - can be slow sometimes. <hl> If you're looking for a more secluded , quiet meal, this is NOT it; tables are super close to one another <hl> and it gets quite loud.

I've been to PAI more than a handful of time now and it never disappoints. Food is always delicious, their Thai iced tea is a must try! Wait time are over an hour if you arrive after 6pm, so try for an early dinner. Service is ok - can be slow sometimes. <hl> If you're looking for a more secluded <hl>, quiet meal, this is NOT it; tables are super close to one another and it gets quite loud.

<hl> If you're looking for a more secluded <hl> , quiet meal, this is NOT it; tables are super close to one another


Question: Do you was huge disappointment?

Good food. good location. good price. good service. Have been there many many times and would recommend to everyone. Try thai islamic noddles and seafood fried rice. My two all time faves.

Answer: would recommend to everyone

Good food. good location. good price. good service. <hl> Have been there many many times and would recommend to everyone . <hl> Try thai islamic noddles and seafood fried rice. My two all time faves.

Good food. good location. good price. good service. Have been there many many times and <hl> would recommend to everyone <hl>. Try thai islamic noddles and seafood fried rice. My two all time faves.

Have been there many many times and <hl> would recommend to everyone <hl> .


Question: How is the steak?

Finally was able to try this delicious steak house as a celebration for my University Graduation. I was truly impressed by Ruth's Chris! Even entering the restaurant was unique: you take an elevator down a level, only to fimd the entirety of the sophisticated restaurant all beneath the surface. Upon entering, there is a hostess waiting for you, who politely takes you to a table. There's a variety of seating arrangements, and everything is dimly lit.I got a booth seat which was nice, and our waiter, Malcolm, was exceptional from the start! He used our names while telling us about the menu, was attentive to our table (without being annoying), and was an overall pleasure....amazing service! My boyfriend and I went with the porterhouse (meant for 2 ppl) as well as a side of lobster Mac and cheese. A huge tray of Mac and cheese was placed on our table (as it's intended to share family style) and the steak came on a sizzling hot plate! The steak was pre-divided into several sections, and our waiter kindly placed a piece of each cut of steak on our butter sizzling plates.Words cannot describe the flavour amazement of their steak.....perfectly tender, perfectly flavoured, nothing to complain about. The Mac and cheese was amazing too, definitely no shortage of cheese!I fwlt so bad not being able to finish our steak and enjoy all of it at its finest, freshest moment, but our waiter was more than happy to pack up the leftovers for us. This place will certainly dent your credit card bill....but if you're looking to celebrate a special occasion and be a little spoiled, this is the place to be!

Answer: perfectly tender, perfectly flavoured

Finally was able to try this delicious steak house as a celebration for my University Graduation. I was truly impressed by Ruth's Chris! Even entering the restaurant was unique: you take an elevator down a level, only to fimd the entirety of the sophisticated restaurant all beneath the surface. Upon entering, there is a hostess waiting for you, who politely takes you to a table. There's a variety of seating arrangements, and everything is dimly lit. I got a booth seat which was nice, and our waiter, Malcolm, was exceptional from the start! He used our names while telling us about the menu, was attentive to our table (without being annoying), and was an overall pleasure....amazing service! My boyfriend and I went with the porterhouse (meant for 2 ppl) as well as a side of lobster Mac and cheese. A huge tray of Mac and cheese was placed on our table (as it's intended to share family style) and the steak came on a sizzling hot plate! The steak was pre-divided into several sections, and our waiter kindly placed a piece of each cut of steak on our butter sizzling plates. Words cannot describe the flavour amazement of their steak..... <hl> perfectly tender, perfectly flavoured , nothing to complain about. <hl> The Mac and cheese was amazing too, definitely no shortage of cheese!I fwlt so bad not being able to finish our steak and enjoy all of it at its finest, freshest moment, but our waiter was more than happy to pack up the leftovers for us. This place will certainly dent your credit card bill.... but if you're looking to celebrate a special occasion and be a little spoiled, this is the place to be!

Finally was able to try this delicious steak house as a celebration for my University Graduation. I was truly impressed by Ruth's Chris! Even entering the restaurant was unique: you take an elevator down a level, only to fimd the entirety of the sophisticated restaurant all beneath the surface. Upon entering, there is a hostess waiting for you, who politely takes you to a table. There's a variety of seating arrangements, and everything is dimly lit.I got a booth seat which was nice, and our waiter, Malcolm, was exceptional from the start! He used our names while telling us about the menu, was attentive to our table (without being annoying), and was an overall pleasure....amazing service! My boyfriend and I went with the porterhouse (meant for 2 ppl) as well as a side of lobster Mac and cheese. A huge tray of Mac and cheese was placed on our table (as it's intended to share family style) and the steak came on a sizzling hot plate! The steak was pre-divided into several sections, and our waiter kindly placed a piece of each cut of steak on our butter sizzling plates.Words cannot describe the flavour amazement of their steak.....<hl> perfectly tender, perfectly flavoured <hl>, nothing to complain about. The Mac and cheese was amazing too, definitely no shortage of cheese!I fwlt so bad not being able to finish our steak and enjoy all of it at its finest, freshest moment, but our waiter was more than happy to pack up the leftovers for us. This place will certainly dent your credit card bill....but if you're looking to celebrate a special occasion and be a little spoiled, this is the place to be!

<hl> perfectly tender, perfectly flavoured <hl> , nothing to complain about.


Question: What is the quality of a yogurt greek?

Best. Sushi. I've. Ever. Had. The service was incredibly friendly and timing was on point. The atmosphere was casual and the setting of the dinner is like formal but not TOO formal, it's dim but not too dark or bright. And there's perfect amount of space between each table to allow for intimate dinner conversation but yet it's not silent because there's still a background noise. But the star of the show is probably the Sushi. We ordered momo (peach sake), the sake flight, the seaweed salad, the Miku sushi and red roll sushi, and the chefs recommendations for sushi. As well as the matcha fondue for dessert. The momo was DE-LICIOUS, so much so that I should have ordered more. The seaweed salad was very unique because it's not the type of seaweed you'd get in normal sushi restaurants - it's legit seaweed. The Miku sushi had to be my favorite, there's very little rice and it literally melts in your mouth with all the unique flavours. The matcha fondue is also delicious, it has just the right amount of matcha flavour that's not overwhelming and the lava cake...YUM. What made it 5 stars is also how they remembered to put the happy birthday message on the cake without any prompting. It was the perfect end to a lovely dinner. Yes it was on the expensive side but it's totally worth it as a treat to yourself or a special occasion. Bonus: they don't rush you out, they give you plenty of time at the restaurant. We stayed there for probably 3.5 hours.

Answer: delicious

Best. Sushi. I've. Ever. Had. The service was incredibly friendly and timing was on point. The atmosphere was casual and the setting of the dinner is like formal but not TOO formal, it's dim but not too dark or bright. And there's perfect amount of space between each table to allow for intimate dinner conversation but yet it's not silent because there's still a background noise. But the star of the show is probably the Sushi. We ordered momo (peach sake), the sake flight, the seaweed salad, the Miku sushi and red roll sushi, and the chefs recommendations for sushi. As well as the matcha fondue for dessert. The momo was DE-LICIOUS, so much so that I should have ordered more. The seaweed salad was very unique because it's not the type of seaweed you'd get in normal sushi restaurants - it's legit seaweed. The Miku sushi had to be my favorite, there's very little rice and it literally melts in your mouth with all the unique flavours. <hl> The matcha fondue is also delicious , it has just the right amount of matcha flavour that's not overwhelming and the lava cake...YUM. <hl> What made it 5 stars is also how they remembered to put the happy birthday message on the cake without any prompting. It was the perfect end to a lovely dinner. Yes it was on the expensive side but it's totally worth it as a treat to yourself or a special occasion. Bonus: they don't rush you out, they give you plenty of time at the restaurant. We stayed there for probably 3.5 hours.

Best. Sushi. I've. Ever. Had. The service was incredibly friendly and timing was on point. The atmosphere was casual and the setting of the dinner is like formal but not TOO formal, it's dim but not too dark or bright. And there's perfect amount of space between each table to allow for intimate dinner conversation but yet it's not silent because there's still a background noise. But the star of the show is probably the Sushi. We ordered momo (peach sake), the sake flight, the seaweed salad, the Miku sushi and red roll sushi, and the chefs recommendations for sushi. As well as the matcha fondue for dessert. The momo was DE-LICIOUS, so much so that I should have ordered more. The seaweed salad was very unique because it's not the type of seaweed you'd get in normal sushi restaurants - it's legit seaweed. The Miku sushi had to be my favorite, there's very little rice and it literally melts in your mouth with all the unique flavours. The matcha fondue is also <hl> delicious <hl>, it has just the right amount of matcha flavour that's not overwhelming and the lava cake...YUM. What made it 5 stars is also how they remembered to put the happy birthday message on the cake without any prompting. It was the perfect end to a lovely dinner. Yes it was on the expensive side but it's totally worth it as a treat to yourself or a special occasion. Bonus: they don't rush you out, they give you plenty of time at the restaurant. We stayed there for probably 3.5 hours.

The matcha fondue is also <hl> delicious <hl> , it has just the right amount of matcha flavour that's not overwhelming and the lava cake...YUM.


Question: Is it a great place for dim sum?

Fancy dim sum place because it was inside a Hotel. So clean, delicious dim sum and great staffs.

Answer: delicious dim sum and great staffs

Fancy dim sum place because it was inside a Hotel. <hl> So clean, delicious dim sum and great staffs . <hl>

Fancy dim sum place because it was inside a Hotel. So clean, <hl> delicious dim sum and great staffs <hl>.

So clean, <hl> delicious dim sum and great staffs <hl> .


Question: How are service?

Had a wonderful time on my birthday in July 2016. On my way back from Eriau, ON where we AirBNB'ed we stopped in for a great meal. Chef Lynn Crawford was plating and she was very approachable. She was very interested in who we were and asked for my name. 30 mins after wrapping up my meal she said by Stefan. Ok let's get down to foof. The salad we had is probably the best salad I ever had, simple as that. Cocktails were well prepared. Ambience was great, nice buzz, cozy but you can laugh loud if you want. The wait staff is top notch and converse easily with you. I would suggest anyone try it. They are very accomodating to food allergies. As my fellow diner had dairy allergy she said she could tough it out the waiter said We don't do it like that here. We do it right.  She had no pains whatosever and adjusted the whole five course meal to what she could have. Well done Ruby. P.S. The name of the restaurant is based on a sign they found and just put it on the wall. lol

Answer: Ambience was great

Had a wonderful time on my birthday in July 2016. On my way back from Eriau, ON where we AirBNB'ed we stopped in for a great meal. Chef Lynn Crawford was plating and she was very approachable. She was very interested in who we were and asked for my name. 30 mins after wrapping up my meal she said by Stefan. Ok let's get down to foof. The salad we had is probably the best salad I ever had, simple as that. Cocktails were well prepared. <hl> Ambience was great , nice buzz, cozy but you can laugh loud if you want. <hl> The wait staff is top notch and converse easily with you. I would suggest anyone try it. They are very accomodating to food allergies. As my fellow diner had dairy allergy she said she could tough it out the waiter said We don't do it like that here. We do it right. She had no pains whatosever and adjusted the whole five course meal to what she could have. Well done Ruby. P.S. The name of the restaurant is based on a sign they found and just put it on the wall. lol

Had a wonderful time on my birthday in July 2016. On my way back from Eriau, ON where we AirBNB'ed we stopped in for a great meal. Chef Lynn Crawford was plating and she was very approachable. She was very interested in who we were and asked for my name. 30 mins after wrapping up my meal she said by Stefan. Ok let's get down to foof. The salad we had is probably the best salad I ever had, simple as that. Cocktails were well prepared. <hl> Ambience was great <hl>, nice buzz, cozy but you can laugh loud if you want. The wait staff is top notch and converse easily with you. I would suggest anyone try it. They are very accomodating to food allergies. As my fellow diner had dairy allergy she said she could tough it out the waiter said We don't do it like that here. We do it right. She had no pains whatosever and adjusted the whole five course meal to what she could have. Well done Ruby. P.S. The name of the restaurant is based on a sign they found and just put it on the wall. lol

<hl> Ambience was great <hl> , nice buzz, cozy but you can laugh loud if you want.


Question: How should I rate the quality of the hotel?

Lunch menu for $10 with free ice cream. The maki rolls have decent amount of fish(meat) in them.  Good quality food and well priced. Will be back

Answer: Good quality food and well priced

Good quality food and well priced .

Lunch menu for $10 with free ice cream. The maki rolls have decent amount of fish(meat) in them. <hl> Good quality food and well priced . <hl> Will be back

Lunch menu for $10 with free ice cream. The maki rolls have decent amount of fish(meat) in them. <hl> Good quality food and well priced <hl>. Will be back

<hl> Good quality food and well priced <hl> .


Question: How is the food?

Love this place, especially if you are looking for something affordable downtown. Try not to go with a lot of people as it takes a lot longer to get seated, especially during peak hours. The service is fast, the food is good and never fails to impress.

Answer: the food is good

Love this place, especially if you are looking for something affordable downtown. Try not to go with a lot of people as it takes a lot longer to get seated, especially during peak hours. <hl> The service is fast, the food is good and never fails to impress. <hl>

Love this place, especially if you are looking for something affordable downtown. Try not to go with a lot of people as it takes a lot longer to get seated, especially during peak hours. The service is fast, <hl> the food is good <hl> and never fails to impress.


Question: How is the quality of the service?

Went here recently for our anniversary dinner.We ordered northern woods mushroom soup for starter, our mains were meat + potatoes and Alberta lamb.- The food presentation was great and the portions were just right for me.- The northern woods mushroom soup was amazingly delicious. I'm quite surprised it was creamless. - The beefs and lambs were perfectly cooked as well as very juicy and full of flavour.  - Very romantic and classy atmosphere with a gorgeous Toronto's skyline view.- Fantastic service!! The staffs were very friendly and courteous.  Overall, this was a spectacular experience!

Answer: this was a spectacular experience

Went here recently for our anniversary dinner. We ordered northern woods mushroom soup for starter, our mains were meat + potatoes and Alberta lamb.- The food presentation was great and the portions were just right for me.- The northern woods mushroom soup was amazingly delicious. I'm quite surprised it was creamless. - The beefs and lambs were perfectly cooked as well as very juicy and full of flavour. - Very romantic and classy atmosphere with a gorgeous Toronto's skyline view.- Fantastic service!! The staffs were very friendly and courteous. <hl> Overall, this was a spectacular experience ! <hl>

Went here recently for our anniversary dinner.We ordered northern woods mushroom soup for starter, our mains were meat + potatoes and Alberta lamb.- The food presentation was great and the portions were just right for me.- The northern woods mushroom soup was amazingly delicious. I'm quite surprised it was creamless. - The beefs and lambs were perfectly cooked as well as very juicy and full of flavour. - Very romantic and classy atmosphere with a gorgeous Toronto's skyline view.- Fantastic service!! The staffs were very friendly and courteous. Overall, <hl> this was a spectacular experience <hl>!

Overall, <hl> this was a spectacular experience <hl> !


Question: How disappointing was your experience?

Had really high hopes but disappointing. Food is too salty and not impressive at all. All hype but no substance, unfortunately. Would not recommend and will not be returning.

Answer: Had really high hopes but disappointing

<hl> Had really high hopes but disappointing . <hl> Food is too salty and not impressive at all. All hype but no substance, unfortunately. Would not recommend and will not be returning.

<hl> Had really high hopes but disappointing <hl>. Food is too salty and not impressive at all. All hype but no substance, unfortunately. Would not recommend and will not be returning.

<hl> Had really high hopes but disappointing <hl> .


Question: How would you describe the staff?

It was very good, but one of our poutines came out wrong. The building has a modern setup and design, very well done with a small outdoor seating area. The staff were great, helpful and happy. They have a build your own poutine option, which looks fun, but can get pricey quickly. We got the house poutine which was great. The red-wine gravy was fresh and unique, and the shredded beef was perfectly cooked, not dried out. We also got the Philly cheese-steak poutine which wasn't as good. Looking back at the menu, I realized they forgot to put cheese curds and the gravy on it, which would have changed everything!! All we got was the nacho cheese on it, which was overbearing - mixing it with cheese curds and gravy would have balanced it out. I didn't realize it at the restaurant, only just noticed it by re-reading their menu on the website.

Answer: The staff were great

It was very good, but one of our poutines came out wrong. The building has a modern setup and design, very well done with a small outdoor seating area. <hl> The staff were great , helpful and happy. <hl> They have a build your own poutine option, which looks fun, but can get pricey quickly. We got the house poutine which was great. The red-wine gravy was fresh and unique, and the shredded beef was perfectly cooked, not dried out. We also got the Philly cheese-steak poutine which wasn't as good. Looking back at the menu, I realized they forgot to put cheese curds and the gravy on it, which would have changed everything!! All we got was the nacho cheese on it, which was overbearing - mixing it with cheese curds and gravy would have balanced it out. I didn't realize it at the restaurant, only just noticed it by re-reading their menu on the website.

It was very good, but one of our poutines came out wrong. The building has a modern setup and design, very well done with a small outdoor seating area. <hl> The staff were great <hl>, helpful and happy. They have a build your own poutine option, which looks fun, but can get pricey quickly. We got the house poutine which was great. The red-wine gravy was fresh and unique, and the shredded beef was perfectly cooked, not dried out. We also got the Philly cheese-steak poutine which wasn't as good. Looking back at the menu, I realized they forgot to put cheese curds and the gravy on it, which would have changed everything!! All we got was the nacho cheese on it, which was overbearing - mixing it with cheese curds and gravy would have balanced it out. I didn't realize it at the restaurant, only just noticed it by re-reading their menu on the website.

<hl> The staff were great <hl> , helpful and happy.


Question: How is the dish?

The service was exceptional and the food was out of this world. We had a group of 8 and orders a variety of dishes to share. We didn't order enough food. But what we did get was so good. The wedding rice and the ribs were so delicious and full of flavour.

Answer: We had a group of 8 and orders a variety of dishes to share. We didn't order enough food

The service was exceptional and the food was out of this world. <hl> We had a group of 8 and orders a variety of dishes to share. We didn't order enough food . <hl> But what we did get was so good. The wedding rice and the ribs were so delicious and full of flavour.

The service was exceptional and the food was out of this world. <hl> We had a group of 8 and orders a variety of dishes to share. We didn't order enough food <hl>. But what we did get was so good. The wedding rice and the ribs were so delicious and full of flavour.

<hl> We had a group of 8 and orders a variety of dishes to share. We didn't order enough food <hl> .


Question: How was the service?

I visited recently with 4 adults and 4 kids over the Christmas holidays. I haven't eaten here since before kids so was excited about returning. We ordered the calamari starter which the kids loved so much we had to add another order. All the pastas and pizzas we ordered were as I remembered, quite tasty. The problem was the service. I'm never impressed when servers try to memorize orders for a large group. He had to come back to clarify one of the orders (not a good sign). Then after everyone was half way through the meal and I asked about my pizza which I never received, the server came back to say they burnt it and had to make me a new one!! Yeah right.. He totally missed my order for sure. Then when he finally brought my pizza he blamed the kitchen again for burning my order. After that, he was hard to get a hold of as he was busy serving another large group. Although I received my dinner after everyone else in my party was done, it would have been nice if he gave me a comp dessert or something. But no, just the bill with built in gratuity. Anyways, I think there are better places now in the city to frequent.

Answer: The problem was the service

The problem was the service .

I visited recently with 4 adults and 4 kids over the Christmas holidays. I haven't eaten here since before kids so was excited about returning. We ordered the calamari starter which the kids loved so much we had to add another order. All the pastas and pizzas we ordered were as I remembered, quite tasty. <hl> The problem was the service . <hl> I'm never impressed when servers try to memorize orders for a large group. He had to come back to clarify one of the orders (not a good sign). Then after everyone was half way through the meal and I asked about my pizza which I never received, the server came back to say they burnt it and had to make me a new one!! Yeah right.. He totally missed my order for sure. Then when he finally brought my pizza he blamed the kitchen again for burning my order. After that, he was hard to get a hold of as he was busy serving another large group. Although I received my dinner after everyone else in my party was done, it would have been nice if he gave me a comp dessert or something. But no, just the bill with built in gratuity. Anyways, I think there are better places now in the city to frequent.

I visited recently with 4 adults and 4 kids over the Christmas holidays. I haven't eaten here since before kids so was excited about returning. We ordered the calamari starter which the kids loved so much we had to add another order. All the pastas and pizzas we ordered were as I remembered, quite tasty. <hl> The problem was the service <hl>. I'm never impressed when servers try to memorize orders for a large group. He had to come back to clarify one of the orders (not a good sign). Then after everyone was half way through the meal and I asked about my pizza which I never received, the server came back to say they burnt it and had to make me a new one!! Yeah right.. He totally missed my order for sure. Then when he finally brought my pizza he blamed the kitchen again for burning my order. After that, he was hard to get a hold of as he was busy serving another large group. Although I received my dinner after everyone else in my party was done, it would have been nice if he gave me a comp dessert or something. But no, just the bill with built in gratuity. Anyways, I think there are better places now in the city to frequent.


Question: How is the broth?

I probably won't have much more to add to the other reviews but what the hey...My friend and I were able to snag a table the other night just before the dinner rush and after a 20-or-so minute wait--this was my second attempt to eat here so I was pleased. I was also glad to be having something soup-y considering the weather we'd had late last week. On the half-block walk from the car to Santouka, I stepped in a puddle so my feet froze while marinating in street sludge. Soup and noodles to the rescue!The place was tiny and while some people like to dawdle after their meals, I often feel rushed when I see hordes of people lined up at the door and try to eat and just get the eff out. I can't help it..and besides, ramen places aren't meant for people to sit around and kill hours on end.  I never tried Santouka when I was in Japan but I have had it in LA and theirs was DAMN GOOD. They also came in different sizes, whereas the location in Toronto offers only the one size which looked small when it arrived but was actually enough, probably because of the richness of the broth. We both ordered the basic miso ramen and gyoza and a couple of pops (sodas) which come in the old-school bottles--so cute! The ramen bowls are served in individual lacquer trays, which has nothing to do with anything, but I liked it anyway. The soup has that rich density that seems to accompany broths that have been boiling away forever, and you know it's got to be pretty fatty, but that's what makes it so guuuhhhhd~ There were two small pieces of chashu, a swirly odeng, green onion, black mushrooms (or was that seaweed?), and those pickled thingies (I forget what they're called). I didn't realize it doesn't come with the egg but just as well since I don't like it when the yolks are half-runny, even though that's how they're supposed to be. The noodles were springy which was a good sign. There's no question that this chain knows what they're doing. I didn't find anything too unique about the gyoza but I find that's usually the case, just that gyoza and ramen go hand in hand. Service is friendly and cheery, and things move along quickly enough. I noticed a wide age range of Japanese people eating at Santouka the night I was there, which is always a good sign. I had Kenzo at the original location last week and it's not what it used to be, from what I understand. Sadly, I don't really have high expectations of ramen in Toronto but am willing to keep trying the different places that seem to be popping up everywhere. So far I'd say Santouka is one of the better places here, hence the 4* rating, but I think we still have a way to go.

Answer: friend

I probably won't have much more to add to the other reviews but what the hey... <hl> My friend and I were able to snag a table the other night just before the dinner rush and after a 20-or-so minute wait--this was my second attempt to eat here so I was pleased. <hl> I was also glad to be having something soup-y considering the weather we'd had late last week. On the half-block walk from the car to Santouka, I stepped in a puddle so my feet froze while marinating in street sludge. Soup and noodles to the rescue!The place was tiny and while some people like to dawdle after their meals, I often feel rushed when I see hordes of people lined up at the door and try to eat and just get the eff out. I can't help it..and besides, ramen places aren't meant for people to sit around and kill hours on end. I never tried Santouka when I was in Japan but I have had it in LA and theirs was DAMN GOOD. They also came in different sizes, whereas the location in Toronto offers only the one size which looked small when it arrived but was actually enough, probably because of the richness of the broth. We both ordered the basic miso ramen and gyoza and a couple of pops (sodas) which come in the old-school bottles--so cute! The ramen bowls are served in individual lacquer trays, which has nothing to do with anything, but I liked it anyway. The soup has that rich density that seems to accompany broths that have been boiling away forever, and you know it's got to be pretty fatty, but that's what makes it so guuuhhhhd~ There were two small pieces of chashu, a swirly odeng, green onion, black mushrooms (or was that seaweed?), and those pickled thingies (I forget what they're called). I didn't realize it doesn't come with the egg but just as well since I don't like it when the yolks are half-runny, even though that's how they're supposed to be. The noodles were springy which was a good sign. There's no question that this chain knows what they're doing. I didn't find anything too unique about the gyoza but I find that's usually the case, just that gyoza and ramen go hand in hand. Service is friendly and cheery, and things move along quickly enough. I noticed a wide age range of Japanese people eating at Santouka the night I was there, which is always a good sign. I had Kenzo at the original location last week and it's not what it used to be, from what I understand. Sadly, I don't really have high expectations of ramen in Toronto but am willing to keep trying the different places that seem to be popping up everywhere. So far I'd say Santouka is one of the better places here, hence the 4* rating, but I think we still have a way to go.

I probably won't have much more to add to the other reviews but what the hey...My <hl> friend <hl> and I were able to snag a table the other night just before the dinner rush and after a 20-or-so minute wait--this was my second attempt to eat here so I was pleased. I was also glad to be having something soup-y considering the weather we'd had late last week. On the half-block walk from the car to Santouka, I stepped in a puddle so my feet froze while marinating in street sludge. Soup and noodles to the rescue!The place was tiny and while some people like to dawdle after their meals, I often feel rushed when I see hordes of people lined up at the door and try to eat and just get the eff out. I can't help it..and besides, ramen places aren't meant for people to sit around and kill hours on end. I never tried Santouka when I was in Japan but I have had it in LA and theirs was DAMN GOOD. They also came in different sizes, whereas the location in Toronto offers only the one size which looked small when it arrived but was actually enough, probably because of the richness of the broth. We both ordered the basic miso ramen and gyoza and a couple of pops (sodas) which come in the old-school bottles--so cute! The ramen bowls are served in individual lacquer trays, which has nothing to do with anything, but I liked it anyway. The soup has that rich density that seems to accompany broths that have been boiling away forever, and you know it's got to be pretty fatty, but that's what makes it so guuuhhhhd~ There were two small pieces of chashu, a swirly odeng, green onion, black mushrooms (or was that seaweed?), and those pickled thingies (I forget what they're called). I didn't realize it doesn't come with the egg but just as well since I don't like it when the yolks are half-runny, even though that's how they're supposed to be. The noodles were springy which was a good sign. There's no question that this chain knows what they're doing. I didn't find anything too unique about the gyoza but I find that's usually the case, just that gyoza and ramen go hand in hand. Service is friendly and cheery, and things move along quickly enough. I noticed a wide age range of Japanese people eating at Santouka the night I was there, which is always a good sign. I had Kenzo at the original location last week and it's not what it used to be, from what I understand. Sadly, I don't really have high expectations of ramen in Toronto but am willing to keep trying the different places that seem to be popping up everywhere. So far I'd say Santouka is one of the better places here, hence the 4* rating, but I think we still have a way to go.


Question: How about taste?

It was my first time to Pai Northern Thai Kitchen & let me tell you... I LOVE THIS PLACE. I arrived on a Sunny Sunday afternoon with a friend. It was a busy downtown afternoon, parking was difficult to find. Ended up paying $20 for parking at a private lot. It was a wonder Sunday to walk, I didn't mind paying the $20.Atmosphere: As you enter, you'll feel the restaurant's energy. The exposed brick, dim lighting, upbeat rock and roll music & energetic staff is the perfect mixture to create a drinking environment. In addition with great tasting food, I can understand why this place is rated top Thai food places in TorontoFood & Drinks:To start we ordered the Chicken Gai Satay. I've eaten at many places for Thai food, from Khao San Road, Thai House Cusine, Golden Thai Restaurant, Spice Thai Cafe, you get the picture. The flavor and moisture of the chicken was phenomenal. It came with a hott sauce and a vinaigrette, absolutely delicious. I highly recommend trying this appetizer.For our mains, we ate the Khao Soi & Chef Nuit's Pad Thai. The Khao Soi was delicious to the last spoonful. A variety of flavors run through your mouth in every bite. Spices were perfect, noodles were fresh and the soup was mouth watering. Chef Nuit's Pad Thai was an instant classic, watch for your heat request, they can get real spicy real fast, I requested for the spice to be on the side. Again, fresh flavors, tender meat, absolutely delicious.Price:Our bill came up to almost $75 before tip. We also drank Singha Beers & has a couple of Sake Bombs! So much fun.Overall, just writing this review and thinking about their food makes me crave them even more. Take a look at some of the photos I posted, but I suggest go have a bite in your free time to really appreciate the taste. This will be my new go to Thai Food place when the cravings hit. Great job Pai, thank you for a great atmosphere, awesome energy and most of all delicious food!

Answer: about their food makes

It was my first time to Pai Northern Thai Kitchen & let me tell you... I LOVE THIS PLACE. I arrived on a Sunny Sunday afternoon with a friend. It was a busy downtown afternoon, parking was difficult to find. Ended up paying $20 for parking at a private lot. It was a wonder Sunday to walk, I didn't mind paying the $20.Atmosphere: As you enter, you'll feel the restaurant's energy. The exposed brick, dim lighting, upbeat rock and roll music & energetic staff is the perfect mixture to create a drinking environment. In addition with great tasting food, I can understand why this place is rated top Thai food places in TorontoFood & Drinks:To start we ordered the Chicken Gai Satay. I've eaten at many places for Thai food, from Khao San Road, Thai House Cusine, Golden Thai Restaurant, Spice Thai Cafe, you get the picture. The flavor and moisture of the chicken was phenomenal. It came with a hott sauce and a vinaigrette, absolutely delicious. I highly recommend trying this appetizer. For our mains, we ate the Khao Soi & Chef Nuit's Pad Thai. The Khao Soi was delicious to the last spoonful. A variety of flavors run through your mouth in every bite. Spices were perfect, noodles were fresh and the soup was mouth watering. Chef Nuit's Pad Thai was an instant classic, watch for your heat request, they can get real spicy real fast, I requested for the spice to be on the side. Again, fresh flavors, tender meat, absolutely delicious. Price:Our bill came up to almost $75 before tip. We also drank Singha Beers & has a couple of Sake Bombs! So much fun. <hl> Overall, just writing this review and thinking about their food makes me crave them even more. <hl> Take a look at some of the photos I posted, but I suggest go have a bite in your free time to really appreciate the taste. This will be my new go to Thai Food place when the cravings hit. Great job Pai, thank you for a great atmosphere, awesome energy and most of all delicious food!

It was my first time to Pai Northern Thai Kitchen & let me tell you... I LOVE THIS PLACE. I arrived on a Sunny Sunday afternoon with a friend. It was a busy downtown afternoon, parking was difficult to find. Ended up paying $20 for parking at a private lot. It was a wonder Sunday to walk, I didn't mind paying the $20.Atmosphere: As you enter, you'll feel the restaurant's energy. The exposed brick, dim lighting, upbeat rock and roll music & energetic staff is the perfect mixture to create a drinking environment. In addition with great tasting food, I can understand why this place is rated top Thai food places in TorontoFood & Drinks:To start we ordered the Chicken Gai Satay. I've eaten at many places for Thai food, from Khao San Road, Thai House Cusine, Golden Thai Restaurant, Spice Thai Cafe, you get the picture. The flavor and moisture of the chicken was phenomenal. It came with a hott sauce and a vinaigrette, absolutely delicious. I highly recommend trying this appetizer.For our mains, we ate the Khao Soi & Chef Nuit's Pad Thai. The Khao Soi was delicious to the last spoonful. A variety of flavors run through your mouth in every bite. Spices were perfect, noodles were fresh and the soup was mouth watering. Chef Nuit's Pad Thai was an instant classic, watch for your heat request, they can get real spicy real fast, I requested for the spice to be on the side. Again, fresh flavors, tender meat, absolutely delicious.Price:Our bill came up to almost $75 before tip. We also drank Singha Beers & has a couple of Sake Bombs! So much fun.Overall, just writing this review and thinking <hl> about their food makes <hl> me crave them even more. Take a look at some of the photos I posted, but I suggest go have a bite in your free time to really appreciate the taste. This will be my new go to Thai Food place when the cravings hit. Great job Pai, thank you for a great atmosphere, awesome energy and most of all delicious food!


Question: How is the broth?

Definitely not the best ramen in Toronto, but it's a solid OK rating.  The ramen is a large portion size: i got the extra pork one that had 3 large pieces of pork in it.  It was kind of dry, but not horrible.  The broth was good, but i didn't feel bad not finishing.  It's nice to be able to watch them make it.Overall it's a good place to check out if you like ramen and want to try different options.

Answer: not the best ramen in Toronto

<hl> Definitely not the best ramen in Toronto , but it's a solid OK rating. <hl> The ramen is a large portion size: i got the extra pork one that had 3 large pieces of pork in it. It was kind of dry, but not horrible. The broth was good, but i didn't feel bad not finishing. It's nice to be able to watch them make it. Overall it's a good place to check out if you like ramen and want to try different options.

Definitely <hl> not the best ramen in Toronto <hl>, but it's a solid OK rating. The ramen is a large portion size: i got the extra pork one that had 3 large pieces of pork in it. It was kind of dry, but not horrible. The broth was good, but i didn't feel bad not finishing. It's nice to be able to watch them make it.Overall it's a good place to check out if you like ramen and want to try different options.

Definitely <hl> not the best ramen in Toronto <hl> , but it's a solid OK rating.


Question: How's the meal?

They have very cheap lunch specials, bento boxes and party trays, a lot of which inclue a small miso soup and salad. They feature so many different combos and bento boxes that you'll probably find a permutation offering everything you want. The service is super fast and more friendly than your typical cheap sushi restaurant.I found the rolls to be below average in quality. They are at the same level as low-end AYCEs. Lots of rice and skimpy portions of fish and veggies. The rolling is also sloppy and uninspired. With all that said, you can't beat filling up on sushi for less than $20. Ice cream's on the house!

Answer: inclue a small miso soup and salad

<hl> They have very cheap lunch specials, bento boxes and party trays, a lot of which inclue a small miso soup and salad . <hl> They feature so many different combos and bento boxes that you'll probably find a permutation offering everything you want. The service is super fast and more friendly than your typical cheap sushi restaurant. I found the rolls to be below average in quality. They are at the same level as low-end AYCEs. Lots of rice and skimpy portions of fish and veggies. The rolling is also sloppy and uninspired. With all that said, you can't beat filling up on sushi for less than $20. Ice cream's on the house!

They have very cheap lunch specials, bento boxes and party trays, a lot of which <hl> inclue a small miso soup and salad <hl>. They feature so many different combos and bento boxes that you'll probably find a permutation offering everything you want. The service is super fast and more friendly than your typical cheap sushi restaurant.I found the rolls to be below average in quality. They are at the same level as low-end AYCEs. Lots of rice and skimpy portions of fish and veggies. The rolling is also sloppy and uninspired. With all that said, you can't beat filling up on sushi for less than $20. Ice cream's on the house!

They have very cheap lunch specials, bento boxes and party trays, a lot of which <hl> inclue a small miso soup and salad <hl> .


Question: Is the breakfast service good?

So what if I need to get a triple bypass after eating the bacon, brie, and avocado benny? On the operating table, I would mumble, I want more, as the fear of death would be quelled by the residual taste of brunch in my mouth.The eggs were perfect (Yes. EggZ. Two of 'em. Nice and generous portions). The hollandaise? On-point, lemony, thick without being gooey. Just as it should be. Pure delicious. Bacon crispy. Brie there, but not overpowering. Avocado ripe and flavorful. All on a pastry-like bread. Good lord! Potatoes also good but not outstanding. I liked the side salad a lot - Japanese style crunchiness with sesame dressing. Good to join the dairy and meat party in my stomach (like a femme queer activist at a frat party, needed but unexpected).The chai latte: teabag brewed in water with added soy milk. Loved their soy foam - airy, long-lasting, creamy. As for the chai tea itself, it was a good mix of tea and spices, but just didn't brew strongly enough. Result? Watered-down chai. Bummer.My partner had the savory waffles that sounded delicious to me (bacon and cheddar, etc.). But they were actually quite sweet with savory layered on top - which made more for mortal combat than immortal marriage vow in my mouth. Not my favorite.Service was pretty good for it being busy. Our main waitress in particular was great. Sometimes hard to get water and coffee refills. We got there just shy of 12pm and were seated in 30 minutes (despite the hostess approximation that it would only be 10-15 minutes). Still, nothing compared to the line we saw out the window once we were already digging into our food. Painful for them. A sadistic bout of satisfaction for us.The interior? I wouldn't say kitschy and I wouldn't say hippy. Just a warm, fairly minimal, clean, simple environment. Music they were playing was Caribou's latest album, which gives you a sense of the mellow-hip atmosphere there. Believe the hype. This place is darn tasty and worth the wait.

Answer: This place is darn tasty

So what if I need to get a triple bypass after eating the bacon, brie, and avocado benny? On the operating table, I would mumble, I want more, as the fear of death would be quelled by the residual taste of brunch in my mouth. The eggs were perfect (Yes. EggZ. Two of 'em. Nice and generous portions). The hollandaise? On-point, lemony, thick without being gooey. Just as it should be. Pure delicious. Bacon crispy. Brie there, but not overpowering. Avocado ripe and flavorful. All on a pastry-like bread. Good lord! Potatoes also good but not outstanding. I liked the side salad a lot - Japanese style crunchiness with sesame dressing. Good to join the dairy and meat party in my stomach (like a femme queer activist at a frat party, needed but unexpected).The chai latte: teabag brewed in water with added soy milk. Loved their soy foam - airy, long-lasting, creamy. As for the chai tea itself, it was a good mix of tea and spices, but just didn't brew strongly enough. Result? Watered-down chai. Bummer. My partner had the savory waffles that sounded delicious to me (bacon and cheddar, etc.). But they were actually quite sweet with savory layered on top - which made more for mortal combat than immortal marriage vow in my mouth. Not my favorite. Service was pretty good for it being busy. Our main waitress in particular was great. Sometimes hard to get water and coffee refills. We got there just shy of 12pm and were seated in 30 minutes (despite the hostess approximation that it would only be 10-15 minutes). Still, nothing compared to the line we saw out the window once we were already digging into our food. Painful for them. A sadistic bout of satisfaction for us. The interior? I wouldn't say kitschy and I wouldn't say hippy. Just a warm, fairly minimal, clean, simple environment. Music they were playing was Caribou's latest album, which gives you a sense of the mellow-hip atmosphere there. Believe the hype. <hl> This place is darn tasty and worth the wait. <hl>

So what if I need to get a triple bypass after eating the bacon, brie, and avocado benny? On the operating table, I would mumble, I want more, as the fear of death would be quelled by the residual taste of brunch in my mouth.The eggs were perfect (Yes. EggZ. Two of 'em. Nice and generous portions). The hollandaise? On-point, lemony, thick without being gooey. Just as it should be. Pure delicious. Bacon crispy. Brie there, but not overpowering. Avocado ripe and flavorful. All on a pastry-like bread. Good lord! Potatoes also good but not outstanding. I liked the side salad a lot - Japanese style crunchiness with sesame dressing. Good to join the dairy and meat party in my stomach (like a femme queer activist at a frat party, needed but unexpected).The chai latte: teabag brewed in water with added soy milk. Loved their soy foam - airy, long-lasting, creamy. As for the chai tea itself, it was a good mix of tea and spices, but just didn't brew strongly enough. Result? Watered-down chai. Bummer.My partner had the savory waffles that sounded delicious to me (bacon and cheddar, etc.). But they were actually quite sweet with savory layered on top - which made more for mortal combat than immortal marriage vow in my mouth. Not my favorite.Service was pretty good for it being busy. Our main waitress in particular was great. Sometimes hard to get water and coffee refills. We got there just shy of 12pm and were seated in 30 minutes (despite the hostess approximation that it would only be 10-15 minutes). Still, nothing compared to the line we saw out the window once we were already digging into our food. Painful for them. A sadistic bout of satisfaction for us.The interior? I wouldn't say kitschy and I wouldn't say hippy. Just a warm, fairly minimal, clean, simple environment. Music they were playing was Caribou's latest album, which gives you a sense of the mellow-hip atmosphere there. Believe the hype. <hl> This place is darn tasty <hl> and worth the wait.


Question: How was the French fry?

Definitely recommend! Easily, best fries in Toronto. Made to order, not too greasy, crunchy on outside but soft inside, perfect sized fries, lots of unique and equally tasty sauces. Prices are reasonable and sizes are great to share or scarf down on your own. I got the Samurai sauce which was a little spicy and great with the fries. Staff are very helpful suggesting sauces and letting you try them all so that you're happy with your purchase. Option to deep-fry in beef oil which might be a little unhealthier, but you're eating fries, so who cares? The beef oil gave it an extra dimension which was definitely worth the $1 extra. I have had Pommes Frites in NY and frites while in Belgium. This is better than NY for sure.Worth the visit and will be back!!

Answer: best fries in Toronto. Made to order, not too greasy, crunchy on outside but soft inside, perfect sized fries

Definitely recommend! <hl> Easily, best fries in Toronto. Made to order, not too greasy, crunchy on outside but soft inside, perfect sized fries , lots of unique and equally tasty sauces. <hl> Prices are reasonable and sizes are great to share or scarf down on your own. I got the Samurai sauce which was a little spicy and great with the fries. Staff are very helpful suggesting sauces and letting you try them all so that you're happy with your purchase. Option to deep-fry in beef oil which might be a little unhealthier, but you're eating fries, so who cares? The beef oil gave it an extra dimension which was definitely worth the $1 extra. I have had Pommes Frites in NY and frites while in Belgium. This is better than NY for sure. Worth the visit and will be back!!

Definitely recommend! Easily, <hl> best fries in Toronto. Made to order, not too greasy, crunchy on outside but soft inside, perfect sized fries <hl>, lots of unique and equally tasty sauces. Prices are reasonable and sizes are great to share or scarf down on your own. I got the Samurai sauce which was a little spicy and great with the fries. Staff are very helpful suggesting sauces and letting you try them all so that you're happy with your purchase. Option to deep-fry in beef oil which might be a little unhealthier, but you're eating fries, so who cares? The beef oil gave it an extra dimension which was definitely worth the $1 extra. I have had Pommes Frites in NY and frites while in Belgium. This is better than NY for sure.Worth the visit and will be back!!

Easily, <hl> best fries in Toronto. Made to order, not too greasy, crunchy on outside but soft inside, perfect sized fries <hl> , lots of unique and equally tasty sauces.


Question: What is the cleanliness of the place?

Good food, clean, affordable. More spacious than other restaurants I've been to in Chinatown.

Answer: clean

Good food, clean , affordable.

<hl> Good food, clean , affordable. <hl> More spacious than other restaurants I've been to in Chinatown.

Good food, <hl> clean <hl>, affordable. More spacious than other restaurants I've been to in Chinatown.

Good food, <hl> clean <hl> , affordable.


Question: Why is bread so delicious?

This is easily a 4.5 star restaurant!From the start to finish, I have to say that I was super impressed with the service! I made my reservation directly on the website through OpenTable. It was quick and easy. There was a comment box where I put that I wanted to get a dessert with a candle on it for my bf, which was super convenient because I didn't have to tell the waiter on the day of and ruin the surprise.On the day of, I got a confirmation call from Jacobs & Co. The person was super nice over the phone and asked if I wanted to order the dessert in advance so they could get it all ready and we didn't have to look at the dessert menu. This was super efficient and helped reinforce the surprise element (my bf had no idea!) When we got there, we were greeted at the door by a very sweet hostess. The hostess inside walked us upstairs to our table. I was surprised at the beautiful lounge area. There was a pianist and piano bar area and it looked like such a classy place to chill after work or on a Friday evening. I would go back to do this!Our waiter was super knowledgable and friendly. Since we don't know much about steaks, he took the time to explain where each cow came from, what they were feed and how this affects the taste of the steak, and even assessed what we liked, and offered recommendations! We ordered:Bread (free) - warm and buttery goodness!The infamous caesar salad - I was super impressed with the amount of ingredients that was in the salad and that it took the server about 15 minutes to make it in front of us. My only tip for improvement is to indicate on the menu that the salad is spicy because tabasco sauce is added. If I knew this, I would have asked for that to be omitted since I am a weaksauce for spice. We didn't see all the ingredients on her table either. This was a pretty great salad if people like a little kick in their caesar. You can taste each ingredient and the bacon is made with real chunks of pork. 4/5Duck fat fries - you can taste the duck flavour, which was pretty good. 4/5We decided to get two steaks to share so we could try a little bit of each. I loved that they cut it for you so that you don't have to do the work. It's ready to share the moment you get the steaks! We got the Canadian Prime Hereford-Guelph, ON Ribeye 14oz that was aged for 65 days and the A5 Black Tajima-Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, California Cut Striploin 4oz.The japanese Striploin was to die for! It was melt in your mouth delicious. It was honestly like an orgasm in my mouth. I absolutely loved it! It had a sweet taste to it and it was very rich in flavour! A must try! Pricey, but definitely worth the experience. 5/5The ribeye was really tender and juicy. It was pretty fatty to me and to be honest, I was too spoiled by the Striploin to truly think anything else could be better. However, the ribeye was very nicely flavoured and definitely a steak better than ruth chris or the keg, in my opinion. 4/5They also gave us a bunch of sauces, honey goat cheese, and other condiments, but we really didn't need them at all. In fact, we thought the sauces and such ruined the taste of the steak so we didn't use them.2oz Foie Gras - This was pretty delicious and flavourful. I haven't had foie gras in years so I can't really compare, but this was very juicy and tender. 4/5Chocolate Walnut Brownie - this was amazing!!! Rich chocolatey flavour brownie with lots of walnuts. The ice cream was toasted marshmallow, which is pretty unique. There was a long piece of marshmallow, which added to the favour of this dessert. ME LIKIE! 5/5Two chocolate sweets (free) -  a nice touch. if you just wanted a bit of sweetness and don't want to spend on dessert (or you rather get something else for this price) then this is good enough!All of this was followed by the infamous chocolate chip muffins that we got to take home for the next day. They were delicious when we both had it for breakie! Soft and moist!We left super full and then some. The bill came up to around $300 with tax and tip. We didn't get alcohol. Definitely a fine dining restaurant that served its purpose of a special night out to celebrate a special occasion. My bf loved it!This may be TMI, but the following day, my stomach was in knots. I suspect it was the amount of richness and butter that was used to prepare the food. I don't normally eat a lot of butter so it makes sense why I was having gastro issues the next day. My bf was completely fine and woke up still full from the night before!  A fine restaurant that gets you that full - BONUS! ;)Finally, we had leftover ribeye and duck fries that we ate 3 days later. We fried the steak a bit to heat it up and it was STILL as delicious as the day we tried it. The fries were a little soggy, but edible.Overall, I would definitely recommend Jacob and Co for a special occasion or for the steak lovers out there. Definitely one of the best steakhouses in Toronto!

Answer: 4/5We decided to get two steaks to share so we could try a little bit of each

This is easily a 4.5 star restaurant!From the start to finish, I have to say that I was super impressed with the service! I made my reservation directly on the website through OpenTable. It was quick and easy. There was a comment box where I put that I wanted to get a dessert with a candle on it for my bf, which was super convenient because I didn't have to tell the waiter on the day of and ruin the surprise. On the day of, I got a confirmation call from Jacobs & Co. The person was super nice over the phone and asked if I wanted to order the dessert in advance so they could get it all ready and we didn't have to look at the dessert menu. This was super efficient and helped reinforce the surprise element (my bf had no idea!) When we got there, we were greeted at the door by a very sweet hostess. The hostess inside walked us upstairs to our table. I was surprised at the beautiful lounge area. There was a pianist and piano bar area and it looked like such a classy place to chill after work or on a Friday evening. I would go back to do this!Our waiter was super knowledgable and friendly. Since we don't know much about steaks, he took the time to explain where each cow came from, what they were feed and how this affects the taste of the steak, and even assessed what we liked, and offered recommendations! We ordered:Bread (free) - warm and buttery goodness!The infamous caesar salad - I was super impressed with the amount of ingredients that was in the salad and that it took the server about 15 minutes to make it in front of us. My only tip for improvement is to indicate on the menu that the salad is spicy because tabasco sauce is added. If I knew this, I would have asked for that to be omitted since I am a weaksauce for spice. We didn't see all the ingredients on her table either. This was a pretty great salad if people like a little kick in their caesar. You can taste each ingredient and the bacon is made with real chunks of pork. 4/5Duck fat fries - you can taste the duck flavour, which was pretty good. <hl> 4/5We decided to get two steaks to share so we could try a little bit of each . <hl> I loved that they cut it for you so that you don't have to do the work. It's ready to share the moment you get the steaks! We got the Canadian Prime Hereford-Guelph, ON Ribeye 14oz that was aged for 65 days and the A5 Black Tajima-Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, California Cut Striploin 4oz. The japanese Striploin was to die for! It was melt in your mouth delicious. It was honestly like an orgasm in my mouth. I absolutely loved it! It had a sweet taste to it and it was very rich in flavour! A must try! Pricey, but definitely worth the experience. 5/5The ribeye was really tender and juicy. It was pretty fatty to me and to be honest, I was too spoiled by the Striploin to truly think anything else could be better. However, the ribeye was very nicely flavoured and definitely a steak better than ruth chris or the keg, in my opinion. 4/5They also gave us a bunch of sauces, honey goat cheese, and other condiments, but we really didn't need them at all. In fact, we thought the sauces and such ruined the taste of the steak so we didn't use them.2oz Foie Gras - This was pretty delicious and flavourful. I haven't had foie gras in years so I can't really compare, but this was very juicy and tender. 4/5Chocolate Walnut Brownie - this was amazing!!! Rich chocolatey flavour brownie with lots of walnuts. The ice cream was toasted marshmallow, which is pretty unique. There was a long piece of marshmallow, which added to the favour of this dessert. ME LIKIE! 5/5Two chocolate sweets (free) - a nice touch. if you just wanted a bit of sweetness and don't want to spend on dessert (or you rather get something else for this price) then this is good enough!All of this was followed by the infamous chocolate chip muffins that we got to take home for the next day. They were delicious when we both had it for breakie! Soft and moist!We left super full and then some. The bill came up to around $300 with tax and tip. We didn't get alcohol. Definitely a fine dining restaurant that served its purpose of a special night out to celebrate a special occasion. My bf loved it!This may be TMI, but the following day, my stomach was in knots. I suspect it was the amount of richness and butter that was used to prepare the food. I don't normally eat a lot of butter so it makes sense why I was having gastro issues the next day. My bf was completely fine and woke up still full from the night before! A fine restaurant that gets you that full - BONUS! ;)Finally, we had leftover ribeye and duck fries that we ate 3 days later. We fried the steak a bit to heat it up and it was STILL as delicious as the day we tried it. The fries were a little soggy, but edible. Overall, I would definitely recommend Jacob and Co for a special occasion or for the steak lovers out there. Definitely one of the best steakhouses in Toronto!

This is easily a 4.5 star restaurant!From the start to finish, I have to say that I was super impressed with the service! I made my reservation directly on the website through OpenTable. It was quick and easy. There was a comment box where I put that I wanted to get a dessert with a candle on it for my bf, which was super convenient because I didn't have to tell the waiter on the day of and ruin the surprise.On the day of, I got a confirmation call from Jacobs & Co. The person was super nice over the phone and asked if I wanted to order the dessert in advance so they could get it all ready and we didn't have to look at the dessert menu. This was super efficient and helped reinforce the surprise element (my bf had no idea!) When we got there, we were greeted at the door by a very sweet hostess. The hostess inside walked us upstairs to our table. I was surprised at the beautiful lounge area. There was a pianist and piano bar area and it looked like such a classy place to chill after work or on a Friday evening. I would go back to do this!Our waiter was super knowledgable and friendly. Since we don't know much about steaks, he took the time to explain where each cow came from, what they were feed and how this affects the taste of the steak, and even assessed what we liked, and offered recommendations! We ordered:Bread (free) - warm and buttery goodness!The infamous caesar salad - I was super impressed with the amount of ingredients that was in the salad and that it took the server about 15 minutes to make it in front of us. My only tip for improvement is to indicate on the menu that the salad is spicy because tabasco sauce is added. If I knew this, I would have asked for that to be omitted since I am a weaksauce for spice. We didn't see all the ingredients on her table either. This was a pretty great salad if people like a little kick in their caesar. You can taste each ingredient and the bacon is made with real chunks of pork. 4/5Duck fat fries - you can taste the duck flavour, which was pretty good. <hl> 4/5We decided to get two steaks to share so we could try a little bit of each <hl>. I loved that they cut it for you so that you don't have to do the work. It's ready to share the moment you get the steaks! We got the Canadian Prime Hereford-Guelph, ON Ribeye 14oz that was aged for 65 days and the A5 Black Tajima-Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, California Cut Striploin 4oz.The japanese Striploin was to die for! It was melt in your mouth delicious. It was honestly like an orgasm in my mouth. I absolutely loved it! It had a sweet taste to it and it was very rich in flavour! A must try! Pricey, but definitely worth the experience. 5/5The ribeye was really tender and juicy. It was pretty fatty to me and to be honest, I was too spoiled by the Striploin to truly think anything else could be better. However, the ribeye was very nicely flavoured and definitely a steak better than ruth chris or the keg, in my opinion. 4/5They also gave us a bunch of sauces, honey goat cheese, and other condiments, but we really didn't need them at all. In fact, we thought the sauces and such ruined the taste of the steak so we didn't use them.2oz Foie Gras - This was pretty delicious and flavourful. I haven't had foie gras in years so I can't really compare, but this was very juicy and tender. 4/5Chocolate Walnut Brownie - this was amazing!!! Rich chocolatey flavour brownie with lots of walnuts. The ice cream was toasted marshmallow, which is pretty unique. There was a long piece of marshmallow, which added to the favour of this dessert. ME LIKIE! 5/5Two chocolate sweets (free) - a nice touch. if you just wanted a bit of sweetness and don't want to spend on dessert (or you rather get something else for this price) then this is good enough!All of this was followed by the infamous chocolate chip muffins that we got to take home for the next day. They were delicious when we both had it for breakie! Soft and moist!We left super full and then some. The bill came up to around $300 with tax and tip. We didn't get alcohol. Definitely a fine dining restaurant that served its purpose of a special night out to celebrate a special occasion. My bf loved it!This may be TMI, but the following day, my stomach was in knots. I suspect it was the amount of richness and butter that was used to prepare the food. I don't normally eat a lot of butter so it makes sense why I was having gastro issues the next day. My bf was completely fine and woke up still full from the night before! A fine restaurant that gets you that full - BONUS! ;)Finally, we had leftover ribeye and duck fries that we ate 3 days later. We fried the steak a bit to heat it up and it was STILL as delicious as the day we tried it. The fries were a little soggy, but edible.Overall, I would definitely recommend Jacob and Co for a special occasion or for the steak lovers out there. Definitely one of the best steakhouses in Toronto!

<hl> 4/5We decided to get two steaks to share so we could try a little bit of each <hl> .


Question: Is the room neat?

I have mixed feelings about this place. I've been for brunch and drinks on separate occasions and it was good. Maybe 4 stars for food, drinks and service. I like the decor and atmosphere.  However I had two quite negative experiences - one was during brunch when the waitress was pretty terrible and their debit machine broke. They made us walk a few blocks in the cold to get cash and didn't even really apologize. The manager reached out after I commented on opentable, but we really didn't feel like going back. The second sketch experience was when we went there and ordered bottles of champagne. They brought us bottles that were several hundred dollars even though we ordered ones that were less expensive. These were 1 to 2 star experiences. Mixed feelings. Averages out to average. Try your luck?

Answer: I have mixed feelings about this place

<hl> I have mixed feelings about this place . <hl> I've been for brunch and drinks on separate occasions and it was good. Maybe 4 stars for food, drinks and service. I like the decor and atmosphere. However I had two quite negative experiences - one was during brunch when the waitress was pretty terrible and their debit machine broke. They made us walk a few blocks in the cold to get cash and didn't even really apologize. The manager reached out after I commented on opentable, but we really didn't feel like going back. The second sketch experience was when we went there and ordered bottles of champagne. They brought us bottles that were several hundred dollars even though we ordered ones that were less expensive. These were 1 to 2 star experiences. Mixed feelings. Averages out to average. Try your luck?

<hl> I have mixed feelings about this place <hl>. I've been for brunch and drinks on separate occasions and it was good. Maybe 4 stars for food, drinks and service. I like the decor and atmosphere. However I had two quite negative experiences - one was during brunch when the waitress was pretty terrible and their debit machine broke. They made us walk a few blocks in the cold to get cash and didn't even really apologize. The manager reached out after I commented on opentable, but we really didn't feel like going back. The second sketch experience was when we went there and ordered bottles of champagne. They brought us bottles that were several hundred dollars even though we ordered ones that were less expensive. These were 1 to 2 star experiences. Mixed feelings. Averages out to average. Try your luck?

<hl> I have mixed feelings about this place <hl> .


Question: Which flavor do you prefer, chocolate or vanilla?

I love this place. The food is exceptional and the price is fair. My go-to is the spicy tuna poke bowl on white rice with black & white sesame seeds, edamame, spicy pickles, and jalapenos. Damn. Tip: the regular size is more than plenty with 2 ladles of poke. I've tried the large with 3 ladles of poke and couldn't finish it. Uber Eats delivers from the Poke guys if you'd prefer. Other notes: relatively small seating area, really nice staff and they take credit card.

Answer: The food is exceptional and the price is fair

I love this place. <hl> The food is exceptional and the price is fair . <hl> My go-to is the spicy tuna poke bowl on white rice with black & white sesame seeds, edamame, spicy pickles, and jalapenos. Damn. Tip: the regular size is more than plenty with 2 ladles of poke. I've tried the large with 3 ladles of poke and couldn't finish it. Uber Eats delivers from the Poke guys if you'd prefer. Other notes: relatively small seating area, really nice staff and they take credit card.

I love this place. <hl> The food is exceptional and the price is fair <hl>. My go-to is the spicy tuna poke bowl on white rice with black & white sesame seeds, edamame, spicy pickles, and jalapenos. Damn. Tip: the regular size is more than plenty with 2 ladles of poke. I've tried the large with 3 ladles of poke and couldn't finish it. Uber Eats delivers from the Poke guys if you'd prefer. Other notes: relatively small seating area, really nice staff and they take credit card.

<hl> The food is exceptional and the price is fair <hl> .


Question: How is the sandwich?

I decided to skip the smoked meat and choose the meatloaf sandwich (mostly because I'm not a fan of rye bread and that was pretty much the only other bready option). It was very tasty and my husband was actually kind of disappointed that he chose the smoked meat sandwich. To the smoked meat's credit, we were there at the end of the night so it's understandable that it wasn't incredibly fresh and juicy. My sandwich was huge, at least for me, a short, 115 lb. twenty-something, but it might be considered an hors d'oeurve to a giant man. Anyway, I had my second half of the sandwich wrapped up to take home and sadly left the restaurant empty-handed because I left the bag on the table. :(

Answer: It was very tasty

I decided to skip the smoked meat and choose the meatloaf sandwich (mostly because I'm not a fan of rye bread and that was pretty much the only other bready option). <hl> It was very tasty and my husband was actually kind of disappointed that he chose the smoked meat sandwich. <hl> To the smoked meat's credit, we were there at the end of the night so it's understandable that it wasn't incredibly fresh and juicy. My sandwich was huge, at least for me, a short, 115 lb. twenty-something, but it might be considered an hors d'oeurve to a giant man. Anyway, I had my second half of the sandwich wrapped up to take home and sadly left the restaurant empty-handed because I left the bag on the table. :(

I decided to skip the smoked meat and choose the meatloaf sandwich (mostly because I'm not a fan of rye bread and that was pretty much the only other bready option). <hl> It was very tasty <hl> and my husband was actually kind of disappointed that he chose the smoked meat sandwich. To the smoked meat's credit, we were there at the end of the night so it's understandable that it wasn't incredibly fresh and juicy. My sandwich was huge, at least for me, a short, 115 lb. twenty-something, but it might be considered an hors d'oeurve to a giant man. Anyway, I had my second half of the sandwich wrapped up to take home and sadly left the restaurant empty-handed because I left the bag on the table. :(


Question: How is it food?

I would review the experience 3.5, our server was really nice he deserves at least 4.0. But the food was horrible, our appetizers and main were really cold and no good texture or taste (appetizers: grill calamari and the peppers, main: both of us ordered fillet mignon) my fillet was burned even though I ordered rare, my husband's was not that bad, I don't think the cooker knew how to prepare them. I would suggest to this restaurant to offer just cold meals like wraps, even sandwiches, or something else, just cold plates and maybe simple ones, it is better to offer something no that fancy but good than fancy and horrible. My other suggestion would be to offer more desserts that do not involve chocolate.

Answer: our appetizers and main were really cold and no good texture or taste (appetizers: grill calamari and the peppers, main: both of us ordered fillet mignon) my fillet was burned even though I ordered rare, my

I would review the experience 3.5, our server was really nice he deserves at least 4.0. <hl> But the food was horrible, our appetizers and main were really cold and no good texture or taste (appetizers: grill calamari and the peppers, main: both of us ordered fillet mignon) my fillet was burned even though I ordered rare, my husband's was not that bad, I don't think the cooker knew how to prepare them. <hl> I would suggest to this restaurant to offer just cold meals like wraps, even sandwiches, or something else, just cold plates and maybe simple ones, it is better to offer something no that fancy but good than fancy and horrible. My other suggestion would be to offer more desserts that do not involve chocolate.

I would review the experience 3.5, our server was really nice he deserves at least 4.0. But the food was horrible, <hl> our appetizers and main were really cold and no good texture or taste (appetizers: grill calamari and the peppers, main: both of us ordered fillet mignon) my fillet was burned even though I ordered rare, my <hl> husband's was not that bad, I don't think the cooker knew how to prepare them. I would suggest to this restaurant to offer just cold meals like wraps, even sandwiches, or something else, just cold plates and maybe simple ones, it is better to offer something no that fancy but good than fancy and horrible. My other suggestion would be to offer more desserts that do not involve chocolate.


Question: What's the menu?

Had a very nice relaxing dinner here. Despite the fact that it was cloudy outside, we still were able to see downtown Toronto and the surrounding areas pretty well. The dining room revolves allowing for such great views. One rotation takes about 72 min. to complete. The food here is very good compared to previous revolving restaurants I've been to. The beet and squash tart tatin appetizer was very flavorful considering the fact I'm not a big beet eater. The pork tenderloin entree was very delicious and cooked perfectly. The apple stuffing and cabbage roll were great accompaniments. So were the brussell sprouts which were prob. some of the best I've ever eaten.Keep in mind when you make the advance reservation you won't know what the weather will be on that given day. Some days it's nice, other days it isn't. We were lucky today.

Answer: The pork tenderloin entree was very delicious and cooked perfectly

Had a very nice relaxing dinner here. Despite the fact that it was cloudy outside, we still were able to see downtown Toronto and the surrounding areas pretty well. The dining room revolves allowing for such great views. One rotation takes about 72 min. to complete. The food here is very good compared to previous revolving restaurants I've been to. The beet and squash tart tatin appetizer was very flavorful considering the fact I'm not a big beet eater. <hl> The pork tenderloin entree was very delicious and cooked perfectly . <hl> The apple stuffing and cabbage roll were great accompaniments. So were the brussell sprouts which were prob. some of the best I've ever eaten. Keep in mind when you make the advance reservation you won't know what the weather will be on that given day. Some days it's nice, other days it isn't. We were lucky today.

Had a very nice relaxing dinner here. Despite the fact that it was cloudy outside, we still were able to see downtown Toronto and the surrounding areas pretty well. The dining room revolves allowing for such great views. One rotation takes about 72 min. to complete. The food here is very good compared to previous revolving restaurants I've been to. The beet and squash tart tatin appetizer was very flavorful considering the fact I'm not a big beet eater. <hl> The pork tenderloin entree was very delicious and cooked perfectly <hl>. The apple stuffing and cabbage roll were great accompaniments. So were the brussell sprouts which were prob. some of the best I've ever eaten.Keep in mind when you make the advance reservation you won't know what the weather will be on that given day. Some days it's nice, other days it isn't. We were lucky today.

<hl> The pork tenderloin entree was very delicious and cooked perfectly <hl> .


Question: What is the dinner recommendation?

Love this quaint (may have to wait) but buzzing Thai eatery. The food is great and the atmosphere is very upmarket Thai: sharing tables and eating close to other people with an upmarket finish and styling. The food is great and as authentically  enjoyable as Thai food can get (it can be a bit extreme for unaccustomed palates).Avoid on weekend nights if you are not prepared to wait for a table. Definitely worth it if you are very keen for some good Thai!

Answer: Definitely worth it if you are very keen for some good Thai!

Love this quaint (may have to wait) but buzzing Thai eatery. The food is great and the atmosphere is very upmarket Thai: sharing tables and eating close to other people with an upmarket finish and styling. The food is great and as authentically enjoyable as Thai food can get (it can be a bit extreme for unaccustomed palates).Avoid on weekend nights if you are not prepared to wait for a table. <hl> Definitely worth it if you are very keen for some good Thai! <hl>


Question: What is the kitchen like?

Tired of chains?  Joe Badali's is your answer if you are close to Union, ACC or Rogers Centre.  This location is huge, with ample seating and has a great atmosphere.Service is sub-par, it looks us a while to get our order placed.  Food was a bit lack lustre, my caesar salad was not memorable - simple salad should be memorable.  Pasta dish was a huge portion but tasted average.  Dessert was a disappointment, my brownie was cardboard like.Maybe next time I will try a non-pasta dish to decide if all their menu is average.

Answer: Food was a bit lack lustre

Tired of chains? Joe Badali's is your answer if you are close to Union, ACC or Rogers Centre. This location is huge, with ample seating and has a great atmosphere. Service is sub-par, it looks us a while to get our order placed. <hl> Food was a bit lack lustre , my caesar salad was not memorable - simple salad should be memorable. <hl> Pasta dish was a huge portion but tasted average. Dessert was a disappointment, my brownie was cardboard like. Maybe next time I will try a non-pasta dish to decide if all their menu is average.

Tired of chains? Joe Badali's is your answer if you are close to Union, ACC or Rogers Centre. This location is huge, with ample seating and has a great atmosphere.Service is sub-par, it looks us a while to get our order placed. <hl> Food was a bit lack lustre <hl>, my caesar salad was not memorable - simple salad should be memorable. Pasta dish was a huge portion but tasted average. Dessert was a disappointment, my brownie was cardboard like.Maybe next time I will try a non-pasta dish to decide if all their menu is average.

<hl> Food was a bit lack lustre <hl> , my caesar salad was not memorable - simple salad should be memorable.


Question: Where do I locate a hotel with the necessary experience to offer childcare?

PARTIAL REVIEW....In general, I think we all found the drinks on the sweeter side but still quite drinkable and tasty. Even the Goddess of Alcohol which was described as the strongest drink on the menu had a good level of sugar going on.  The sangria was by far the most dry of the bunch, with a good hit of brandy in the mix.  Personally, however, I thought the best cocktails were the Cucumber Devil and the Mayan, which were refreshing and well-balanced with a nice kick of heat.  My least favourite of the bunch was Watermelon Fire because the watermelon was almost syrupy and artificial tasting. I also wouldn't want to finish an entire Aqua de Coco since I'm not a fan of creamy booze drinks at all. Having said that, there were so many tempting options on the menu, I'm sure with a little more sampling (g-d help me), I'd find even more boozy favourites.The food at El Catrin has been imagined and executed by Olivier LeCalvez, a French-trained, Cordon Bleu Mexico culinary instructor who was recruited straight from Mexico for the opening.  His approach seems to be to combine traditional preparations with local flavours and playful presentations.  In comparison to most of the new tapas style restaurants in the city, El Catrin touts a beast of a menu (emphasized by the literal size of the menu itself). Thankfully, to somewhat help with the navigation, the offerings are broken down into sections: Botanas, Cubetas (Shrimp), Burritos, Tostadas, Tortas, Ceviches, Tacos, Especialidades (Specials), Parillada (grilled items) and dessert. They also have special menus for children (Young Amigos), and patrons who want to eat gluten free.  After much deliberation, we decided to opt for:Guacamole En La Mesa: Avocado, Tomato, Red Onion, Cilantro, Serrano Chili ($9)Made table-side, I thought the guac was a solid first course.  Maybe a bit expensive for the quantity (we literally each got a few chips worth and then had to violently scrape the bowl), but a well seasoned, balanced guacamole. Ensalada de Esquites: Steamed Corn, Cilantro, El Catrin Aioli, Chili Piquin Powder, Quesillo Cheese ($8 for 3)This basically reminded me of a deconstructed street corn. It was much easier to eat than gnawing on a cob and getting white crèma on your face, but not quite as good. I definitely enjoyed it (because I can't imagine not enjoying fresh corn), but I did find it to be a bit too salty to want to eat much more than the shot glass-worth.Sopes: Corn Tortilla Stuffed with Black Bean Puree, Pulled Chicken, Salsa Verde, Lettuce and Queso Fresco ($12 for 2)I wasn't going to even order this but I was so glad our server talked me into it as it turned out to be my favourite dish of the night. The sopes had this cushion-like texture and a mild sweet flavour, that when combined with the moist chicken, earthy beans, fresh salsa, and salty cheese, was perfectly in balance. So while I found the portion a little on the small side for the price, I would without question order it again.Ceviche de Atun: Fresh Tuna, Lime, Olive Oil, Watermelon, Chive and Habanero Mignonette ($10)Good but not something I would order again. For $10, there was very little tuna in the dish, and the habanero mignonette was so spicy I couldn't appreciate the delicate flavours of the melon and mild fish. The combination definitely has great potential, but the exact composition could use adjustment.Tacos Baja: Crispy Fried Haddock, Red Slaw, Chipotle Dip, Salsa Roja, Flour Tortilla ($15 for 3) A big time favourite at the table. The fish was light and moist with a blissfully crispy batter. The chipotle dip, albeit a bit excessive in ratio with the rest of the ingredients, was admittedly ridiculously addictive. I could eat a platter of these without thinking about it.Gringas: Flour Quesadilla with Pastor Pork, Pineapple, Cilantro, Sliced Onion and Mild Gouda Cheese ($9)Tasty, but safe. Unlike most commercial flour tortillas, this one was as light as a crepe. I only wished that there was a little more filling packed in and maybe a bit more caramelization on the outside- something to yield some textural contrast because the dish was a bit one note- mild in flavour and relatively soft in texture.Costilla Corta En Mole Negro: Beef Short Rib Braised 24 Hours with Black Mole Sauce, Sweet Potato Puree, Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas ($14)This was a recommendation of our servers, and I was really glad we went for it. The short rib was impossibly tender and meaty, with very little residual fat to omit. I also loved the pairing of the complex and slightly bitter mole sauce with the light and fragrant sweet potato.Cemita de Pibil Torta: Axiote Braised Pulled Pork, Pickled Red Onion, Chihuahua Cheese, Habanero Glaze ($12)We all took a bite and instantly agreed- it reminded us of Fidel Gastros famous Stg. Slather Sammy....

Answer: I think we all found the

PARTIAL REVIEW.... <hl> In general, I think we all found the drinks on the sweeter side but still quite drinkable and tasty. <hl> Even the Goddess of Alcohol which was described as the strongest drink on the menu had a good level of sugar going on. The sangria was by far the most dry of the bunch, with a good hit of brandy in the mix. Personally, however, I thought the best cocktails were the Cucumber Devil and the Mayan, which were refreshing and well-balanced with a nice kick of heat. My least favourite of the bunch was Watermelon Fire because the watermelon was almost syrupy and artificial tasting. I also wouldn't want to finish an entire Aqua de Coco since I'm not a fan of creamy booze drinks at all. Having said that, there were so many tempting options on the menu, I'm sure with a little more sampling (g-d help me), I'd find even more boozy favourites. The food at El Catrin has been imagined and executed by Olivier LeCalvez, a French-trained, Cordon Bleu Mexico culinary instructor who was recruited straight from Mexico for the opening. His approach seems to be to combine traditional preparations with local flavours and playful presentations. In comparison to most of the new tapas style restaurants in the city, El Catrin touts a beast of a menu (emphasized by the literal size of the menu itself). Thankfully, to somewhat help with the navigation, the offerings are broken down into sections: Botanas, Cubetas (Shrimp), Burritos, Tostadas, Tortas, Ceviches, Tacos, Especialidades (Specials), Parillada (grilled items) and dessert. They also have special menus for children (Young Amigos), and patrons who want to eat gluten free. After much deliberation, we decided to opt for:Guacamole En La Mesa: Avocado, Tomato, Red Onion, Cilantro, Serrano Chili ($9)Made table-side, I thought the guac was a solid first course. Maybe a bit expensive for the quantity (we literally each got a few chips worth and then had to violently scrape the bowl), but a well seasoned, balanced guacamole. Ensalada de Esquites: Steamed Corn, Cilantro, El Catrin Aioli, Chili Piquin Powder, Quesillo Cheese ($8 for 3)This basically reminded me of a deconstructed street corn. It was much easier to eat than gnawing on a cob and getting white crèma on your face, but not quite as good. I definitely enjoyed it (because I can't imagine not enjoying fresh corn), but I did find it to be a bit too salty to want to eat much more than the shot glass-worth. Sopes: Corn Tortilla Stuffed with Black Bean Puree, Pulled Chicken, Salsa Verde, Lettuce and Queso Fresco ($12 for 2)I wasn't going to even order this but I was so glad our server talked me into it as it turned out to be my favourite dish of the night. The sopes had this cushion-like texture and a mild sweet flavour, that when combined with the moist chicken, earthy beans, fresh salsa, and salty cheese, was perfectly in balance. So while I found the portion a little on the small side for the price, I would without question order it again. Ceviche de Atun: Fresh Tuna, Lime, Olive Oil, Watermelon, Chive and Habanero Mignonette ($10)Good but not something I would order again. For $10, there was very little tuna in the dish, and the habanero mignonette was so spicy I couldn't appreciate the delicate flavours of the melon and mild fish. The combination definitely has great potential, but the exact composition could use adjustment. Tacos Baja: Crispy Fried Haddock, Red Slaw, Chipotle Dip, Salsa Roja, Flour Tortilla ($15 for 3) A big time favourite at the table. The fish was light and moist with a blissfully crispy batter. The chipotle dip, albeit a bit excessive in ratio with the rest of the ingredients, was admittedly ridiculously addictive. I could eat a platter of these without thinking about it. Gringas: Flour Quesadilla with Pastor Pork, Pineapple, Cilantro, Sliced Onion and Mild Gouda Cheese ($9)Tasty, but safe. Unlike most commercial flour tortillas, this one was as light as a crepe. I only wished that there was a little more filling packed in and maybe a bit more caramelization on the outside- something to yield some textural contrast because the dish was a bit one note- mild in flavour and relatively soft in texture. Costilla Corta En Mole Negro: Beef Short Rib Braised 24 Hours with Black Mole Sauce, Sweet Potato Puree, Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas ($14)This was a recommendation of our servers, and I was really glad we went for it. The short rib was impossibly tender and meaty, with very little residual fat to omit. I also loved the pairing of the complex and slightly bitter mole sauce with the light and fragrant sweet potato. Cemita de Pibil Torta: Axiote Braised Pulled Pork, Pickled Red Onion, Chihuahua Cheese, Habanero Glaze ($12)We all took a bite and instantly agreed- it reminded us of Fidel Gastros famous Stg. Slather Sammy....

PARTIAL REVIEW....In general, <hl> I think we all found the <hl> drinks on the sweeter side but still quite drinkable and tasty. Even the Goddess of Alcohol which was described as the strongest drink on the menu had a good level of sugar going on. The sangria was by far the most dry of the bunch, with a good hit of brandy in the mix. Personally, however, I thought the best cocktails were the Cucumber Devil and the Mayan, which were refreshing and well-balanced with a nice kick of heat. My least favourite of the bunch was Watermelon Fire because the watermelon was almost syrupy and artificial tasting. I also wouldn't want to finish an entire Aqua de Coco since I'm not a fan of creamy booze drinks at all. Having said that, there were so many tempting options on the menu, I'm sure with a little more sampling (g-d help me), I'd find even more boozy favourites.The food at El Catrin has been imagined and executed by Olivier LeCalvez, a French-trained, Cordon Bleu Mexico culinary instructor who was recruited straight from Mexico for the opening. His approach seems to be to combine traditional preparations with local flavours and playful presentations. In comparison to most of the new tapas style restaurants in the city, El Catrin touts a beast of a menu (emphasized by the literal size of the menu itself). Thankfully, to somewhat help with the navigation, the offerings are broken down into sections: Botanas, Cubetas (Shrimp), Burritos, Tostadas, Tortas, Ceviches, Tacos, Especialidades (Specials), Parillada (grilled items) and dessert. They also have special menus for children (Young Amigos), and patrons who want to eat gluten free. After much deliberation, we decided to opt for:Guacamole En La Mesa: Avocado, Tomato, Red Onion, Cilantro, Serrano Chili ($9)Made table-side, I thought the guac was a solid first course. Maybe a bit expensive for the quantity (we literally each got a few chips worth and then had to violently scrape the bowl), but a well seasoned, balanced guacamole. Ensalada de Esquites: Steamed Corn, Cilantro, El Catrin Aioli, Chili Piquin Powder, Quesillo Cheese ($8 for 3)This basically reminded me of a deconstructed street corn. It was much easier to eat than gnawing on a cob and getting white crèma on your face, but not quite as good. I definitely enjoyed it (because I can't imagine not enjoying fresh corn), but I did find it to be a bit too salty to want to eat much more than the shot glass-worth.Sopes: Corn Tortilla Stuffed with Black Bean Puree, Pulled Chicken, Salsa Verde, Lettuce and Queso Fresco ($12 for 2)I wasn't going to even order this but I was so glad our server talked me into it as it turned out to be my favourite dish of the night. The sopes had this cushion-like texture and a mild sweet flavour, that when combined with the moist chicken, earthy beans, fresh salsa, and salty cheese, was perfectly in balance. So while I found the portion a little on the small side for the price, I would without question order it again.Ceviche de Atun: Fresh Tuna, Lime, Olive Oil, Watermelon, Chive and Habanero Mignonette ($10)Good but not something I would order again. For $10, there was very little tuna in the dish, and the habanero mignonette was so spicy I couldn't appreciate the delicate flavours of the melon and mild fish. The combination definitely has great potential, but the exact composition could use adjustment.Tacos Baja: Crispy Fried Haddock, Red Slaw, Chipotle Dip, Salsa Roja, Flour Tortilla ($15 for 3) A big time favourite at the table. The fish was light and moist with a blissfully crispy batter. The chipotle dip, albeit a bit excessive in ratio with the rest of the ingredients, was admittedly ridiculously addictive. I could eat a platter of these without thinking about it.Gringas: Flour Quesadilla with Pastor Pork, Pineapple, Cilantro, Sliced Onion and Mild Gouda Cheese ($9)Tasty, but safe. Unlike most commercial flour tortillas, this one was as light as a crepe. I only wished that there was a little more filling packed in and maybe a bit more caramelization on the outside- something to yield some textural contrast because the dish was a bit one note- mild in flavour and relatively soft in texture.Costilla Corta En Mole Negro: Beef Short Rib Braised 24 Hours with Black Mole Sauce, Sweet Potato Puree, Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas ($14)This was a recommendation of our servers, and I was really glad we went for it. The short rib was impossibly tender and meaty, with very little residual fat to omit. I also loved the pairing of the complex and slightly bitter mole sauce with the light and fragrant sweet potato.Cemita de Pibil Torta: Axiote Braised Pulled Pork, Pickled Red Onion, Chihuahua Cheese, Habanero Glaze ($12)We all took a bite and instantly agreed- it reminded us of Fidel Gastros famous Stg. Slather Sammy....


Question: How is the sushi?

This place continues to be my favourite sushi place in Toronto. I come here often and it never disappoints. I never know what will be on the chefs menu but always know it will be the freshest sushi possible. I know I can count on the excellence of the preparation, the beauty of the presentation, and the professionalism of the service.It is tiny, and if you haven't been here before or aren't up for sorry no room then call ahead.There are many days when immersion in Japanese culture through the food is a tonic. Today is one. I am grateful Japango is on my walk home.

Answer: I can count on the excellence of the preparation

This place continues to be my favourite sushi place in Toronto. I come here often and it never disappoints. I never know what will be on the chefs menu but always know it will be the freshest sushi possible. <hl> I know I can count on the excellence of the preparation , the beauty of the presentation, and the professionalism of the service. <hl> It is tiny, and if you haven't been here before or aren't up for sorry no room then call ahead. There are many days when immersion in Japanese culture through the food is a tonic. Today is one. I am grateful Japango is on my walk home.

This place continues to be my favourite sushi place in Toronto. I come here often and it never disappoints. I never know what will be on the chefs menu but always know it will be the freshest sushi possible. I know <hl> I can count on the excellence of the preparation <hl>, the beauty of the presentation, and the professionalism of the service.It is tiny, and if you haven't been here before or aren't up for sorry no room then call ahead.There are many days when immersion in Japanese culture through the food is a tonic. Today is one. I am grateful Japango is on my walk home.

I know <hl> I can count on the excellence of the preparation <hl> , the beauty of the presentation, and the professionalism of the service.