Sushi Marche
Posted on February 26, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Leslieville
4 stars
- This sushi restaurant at the corner of Queen and Caroline is a take-out superstar. You can walk in to place your order or call ahead for pick up or delivery; they add a reasonable $3.00 delivery charge for the area nearby and $5.00 + for further surrounding areas, depending on the distance. If you call with special requests or large party orders, the chefs will accommodate you in a very timely manner – if it’s not on the menu, just ask!
Just like the fish, the interior is raw. There is actually one very small table with some chairs around it by the front window, but I’ve never seen anyone sitting there. There’s a display that sits just to the left when you walk in, covered with bags of Japanese snacks for purchase and, on your right, you’ll find shelves filled with a few groceries; dried sheets of nori is one recognizable item that jumps out immediately.
Chef John Lee has been serving up fresh and beautiful sushi platters at this location since 2005. It is impressive to note that he worked under the iron chef himself, Morimoto. There is something soothing about the fact that they prepare your food behind the counter in full view. It’s that commitment to preparing and presenting the freshest ingredients that has built their dedicated customer base.
Lunch combos range from $15 to $25 and dinner combos from $15 to $35. If you choose the sashimi – individual pieces of raw fish with no rice – it does bring the price up a bit, but it’s well worth it for something so delectable. If ordering a la carte is more your style, there are unique rolls to choose from, including: nigiri sushi (fish on rice), small rolls, inside out rolls and special rolls with everything from eel to sea urchin to marinated dried pumpkin.
Our dinner for two was easily fulfilled with the vegetable sushi combo, which includes miso soup, and adding one Una Tekkyu roll (eel, tuna, cucumber, fish roe) and, my sushi must, an order of edamame. The vegetable rolls are prepped delicately to appear as if they too are made with tender slices of fish, the cucumber rolls are a refreshing addition and there is even a roll with an orange, crunchy vegetable called Burdock – carrot-like in appearance and texture, but with a different and unique flavour.
Their fresh ingredients are really the highlight. Nori can easily become chewy and tough, but Marche’s is tender and graces the palate without even a hint of the unappealing sea-scent that you might get from a lesser sushi establishment. I have to say I‘m not the biggest fan of the cold edamame they serve, but I wouldn’t want to trek my raw fish home with something steaming hot resting on top of it anyway, so I don‘t mind this one pre-prepared item.
If your only sushi experience is picking up a pack of that generic grocery store stuff, with the fake green grass insert, Sushi Marche is really the place to discover all the glory of raw fish.
- Nicole
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* Lead photo credit to Sifu Renka
Joy Bistro
Posted on December 8, 2010 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Leslieville
3 stars
- Joy Bistro is a beautiful, sophisticated resto just inside Leslieville on Toronto’s East side. It’s likely that you’ve heard of it, or at least driven by and noticed the huge signage. It’s become somewhat of a Leslieville landmark.
First things first, I’ve heard a lot of negative comments about this place. By the sounds of it, it’s one of those places that’s hit-or-miss and completely different from one visit to the next; amazing one time, awful the next. Because I’ve never had dinner there, I can’t vouch for evening dining, but I can say this: if you truly don’t want run the risk of being disappointed, stick with their weekend brunch. This place is known for brunch. While they may have their issues, Joy Bistro has no problems delivering an upscale brunch experience that is chock full of style.
Brunch at Joy Bistro is not really bistro-ish. The brunch food here is mostly just what you’d expect to see on a brunch menu in most Toronto restaurants, but they do their brunch stuff particularly well. Eggs benny is served up in numerous styles like Benetine (with spinach and peameal bacon), Norwegien (with stacked smoked salmon), and Teddy (with peameal bacon, roasted tomatoes, and spinach). With their near-perfect hollandaise, eggs benny at Joy Bistro is a solid choice.
That, and they’ve got a killer patio. Intimate and relaxing, their patio is probably one of the best things about this place and the likely reason that a lot of people still frequent it even after having poor experiences. Leslieville has got a few patio spots, but for sheer space, warmth, and location sitting on a busy little Leslieville corner overlooking Jimmie Simpson Park, Joy Bistro’s patio is in a league of its own. Worth the sit down in the summer.
They’ve recently undergone mass renos, which has resulted in Joy Bistro Bar. Although this may have helped the space modernize, it’s also contributed to changing their clientelle base. Neighbourhood locals that frequented Joy over the years seem to have gone looking for other spots while those looking for a more trendy experience seem to take over. I guess as Leslieville becomes more popular, Joy Bistro wants to change with the neighbourhood, and while change can be good, in most cases, if it isn’t broke them why fix it?
Despite that new clientelle, it’s still a great place for brunch. So the next time a nice, summer weekend rolls around, head out to Joy Bistro for brunch on the patio. By the sounds of it though, I certainly wouldn’t do anything but brunch.
- Andre
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Lil Baci
Posted on December 1, 2010 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Leslieville
4 stars
- I’m a sucker for top-notch pizza. By top-notch, I mean pizza that is served sizzling and fresh and made with high-quality ingredients. Pizza like that is true craftsmanship; pizza like that I could eat every day. In my continuing effort to find superior pizza, I looked to Lil’ Baci in Leslieville. My visit didn’t disappoint me.
Lil’ Baci’s dining room is a decent-sized dining space, but the tables are packed pretty tight, so don’t expect too much privacy. You’ll likely hear everything that the table next to you is talking about. If you need to escape your neighbour table, in the warmer months you may want to check out the cute backyard patio. Comfortable, busy, and social, it’s the place to be when the sun is out.
When I’m eating Italian food, I like to start off with a glass of red vino or cold Italian beer. Lil’ Baci’s wine list is small but thorough and their beer list offers some nice Italian choices; Moretti and Perroni are my personal favourites.
Lil’ Baci has a seriously amazing dandelion greens salad. If you’ve never had dandelions as food before, this would be the one to expose yourself to it. The greens are slightly bitter, but the bitterness works well topped with shaved Parmigiano, cracked black pepper, and freshly squeezed lemon. Perfect starter.
And the pizza, they do it right. Lil’ Baci has a savoury and seasoned tomato sauce base that expertly compliments the four cheeses that are layered on their Quattro Fromagi; my personal favorite. They’ve got some other really outstanding pizzas to choose from like the Margherita (with tomato, basil, and mozza), the Lil’ Baci (with pecorino, sausage, and fennel pollen), and the Gorgonzola Dolce (with gorgonzola, Yukon gold potatoes, and caramelized onions). All of their pizzas are served on signature thin crust dough that is seared and blistered perfectly.
Lil Baci has got a really small pasta menu. Ridiculously small. There’s only three items. But still, these 3 items are done perfectly. They’re all made with quality ingredients and use that great tomato sauce that’s on the pizza. My favorite is just the plain ole’ Spaghetti and meatballs. It’s got just the right amount of fresh basil, sauce, and Parmigiano. The portion size isn’t huge, but with that dandelion salad and something from their Insalata menu, it’s more than enough.
Lil’ Baci also has a Panino menu, which surprisingly is different from their pizza menu. I love the Panino Tonnato. Packed with Italian tuna, caper aioli, sun-dried tomatoes and arugula, it’s perfectly pressed into an amazing bite.
The dessert menu has a few options, but when I was there I had a lemon prosecco tart. The crust was buttery, but a tad on the dry side. The custard-like lemon filling had a refreshing prosecco flavour, which balanced the acidity nicely.
I head to Lil’ Baci when I want some decently priced Italian food and some amazing pizza. Lunch or dinner, what you end up with is a steal anywhere in the city!
- Guest Contributor
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