It’s no surprise that Mike and I love eating, so when he suggested a quick getaway to Toronto to both celebrate our anniversary and eat our hearts out, I was all in.
We haven’t been to Toronto for a couple of years now and he convinced me with talk of silky udon, really good sushi, and amazing Italian food. We went, we ate, we walked, we Toronto-ed. Toronto, thanks for the vibes – and the food, of course. Warning: this is going to be an old school blog post. Here’s where we ate:
Takja BBQ House
Takja is sleek, dark, and smoky in the best way possible. Okay, it’s not actually smoky because they have an excellent exhaust system, but let me pretend for the feels. Anyway, Takja is full of dry aged meats, fresh seafood, a plethora of banchan, and house-fermented ssamjang and kimchi.
Whether you’re a deep lover of Korean or a KBBQ newbie, Takja will impress. You won’t find burnt meat or overcooked proteins here because even though each table has its own grill, you don’t get to wield the tongs. Instead, they grill for you, at the table, which results in perfectly cooked bites, every time. I asked if anyone ever tried to grill themselves and they said that it has happened on occasion, but when it does, they cry inside and then gently take over the tongs.
We loved it here. We got the Hansang, which translates to “a table full of food,” showcasing some of their highlights. It was amazing. We especially loved the crispy seafood pancake, the pork shoulder, and the kalbi. The in-house made banchan was the perfect accompaniment to the meat and ending on an epic strawberry matcha bingsoo was the cherry on top. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a special dinner or if you want to know what real Korean BBQ should taste like!
Takja BBQ House
962 College St, Toronto, ON
Tues-Sun 5-10pm
Giulietta
Toronto is full of amazing Italian restaurants and Giulietta is definitely on that list. Giulietta is the little sister restaurant to Michelin-starred Osteria Giulia. She’s a bit more sassy, laid-back, and fun. Go here if you’re looking for the neighborhood Italian restaurant you wish you had at home. Well-executed, delicious, in-house made pastas and wood-fired pizzas, as well as a couple of vegetable and seafood dishes make up the menu.
Some say Giulietta is over-hyped, we say what isn’t these days? We had the calamari fritti, which was crisp and tender; the tonnarelli cacio e pepe, which had perfectly thick, al dente noodles; and the mushroom pizza, which was fluffy and chewy and full of flavor. We finished with tiramisu, of course, and it was a really fun night. I appreciated the fact that there was a mix of patrons: some dressed to the nines and some in tees and sneakers. The vibe was chill and the food was good!
Giulietta
972 College St, Toronto, ON
Mon-Wed 5-10pm
Thur-Sat 5-11pm
Sun 5-9:30pm
Sushi Yugen
Mike and I love sushi and have eaten so much sushi together, from standing sushi bars to quiet intimate neighborhood counters to high end omakase in Tokyo. All that to say, we know sushi. Mike was the one who discovered Sushi Yugen (I’m not sure where he came across it) but I am in love. True omakase vibes with sushi to match.
The restaurant is divided in two: a sushi only counter and a minimalist, elegant back room reminiscent of Tokyo, with only 8 seats. The front of the restaurant is reserved for sushi only omakase, while the back room is an all-out omakase that starts with kaiseki inspired dishes and ends with sushi. I didn’t know if I would love it or hate it because sometimes sushi in North America is not quite on the level as in Japan. That being said, I was blown away!
Mike and I agreed that this was probably the best omakase we’ve had in North America. The kaiseki inspired dishes were innovative and delicious and the sushi was on point. The Shimane Kinomusume shinmai rice seasoned with the chef’s blend of akazu red vinegar was perfection and the neta (the fish on top) was exquisitely in season. Highlights were the kohada (Japanese gizzard shad) and the nodoguro (Japanese black sea perch). We loved it!
Sushi Yugen
150 York St, Toronto, ON
Mon-Tues 11:30am-3pm, 5:45pm-10:30pm
Wed-Sat 11:30am-3pm, 5:45pm-11pm
General Public
Opened by beloved Toronto restauranteur, Jen Agg (of Grey Gardens, Black Hoof, Bar Vendetta, etc), General Public is a quirky mishmash of high and low. Located inside an industrial warehouse, it’s a quirky, cute, all over the place space with 80s style glass blocks, green velvet banquettes, and peachy-pink rattan chairs. Somehow it works.
The food is a mash up of English pub x American brasserie and I am here for it! Give me all the thick cut french fries, Yorkshire puddings, dippy eggs, and well-executed cheeseburgers. They also have the cutest guinea pig mascot/logo that is incredibly cute. They should sell merch. Wait, I think they do sell merch. Anyway, the food was as expected: well executed classic brasserie flavors.
Mike really loved the double-barrel shotgun martini and I loved the simple, creamy, served-in-a-can butterscotch pudding. We went on a weekday for lunch and it was a calm oasis with no wait and perfect summer light streaming in through the giant garage doors.
General Public
201 Geary Ave, Toronto, ON
Everyday 11am-11pm
Gateau Ghost
If you know me at all, you know that I have an obsessed with diners, diner dishware, hand-drawn illustrations, pastries, and aesthetic cafes. Basically, I’m basic. So, of course when I stumbled across Gateau Ghost, I told Mike we HAD to go. Gateau Ghost is first and foremost known for their madeleines: tall and pillowy, soft and dense, in a good way. They come in a multitude of flavors, inspired by owner-baker Jayden Park’s Korean heritage. But, the madeleines aren’t the reason I wanted to come. It was the cute ghost logo, which started as a drawing by Park as a smilie on a madeleine, but turned out to look more like a ghost. I love a good ghost and the menu, with cereal shrimp toast and sticky madeleine toffee pudding served up on green rimmed diner plates was right up my alley. I loved i it and Mike did too, especially the GG’s Caesar, which was seasoned with hoisin, sriracha, and gochujang.
Gateau Ghost
974 College St, Toronto, ON
Tues-Wed 7am-7pm
Thus 7am-10pm
Fri-Sat 7am – 11pm
Sun 7am-9pm
Raku Toronto
If you love udon, you’ve probably heard of Raku, a North American udon chain out of NYC. Helmed by Norihiro Ishizuka, Raku has some of the silkiest udon noodles in the business, served up in a signature special dashi. The shop reminds me of so many places in Japan: a clean white wall exterior with an understated noren inviting you into a wood and light filled interior. Unlike their main competitor Sanuki Udon Toronto, Raku specially imports their noodles directly from Japan.
They’re hearty, thick, chewy, and stand up delightfully to both hot and cold preparations. I had the chikara, which is hot udon with mochi, chicken, and Tokyo negi. Mike had the gyunan, which is Canadian beef and Tokyo negi. The noodles were chewy and good, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the dashi or noodle toppings. All-in-all it was a solid bowl of udon, but not something I would write home about or exalt.
Raku
456 Queen St W, Toronto, ON
Sun-Thur 12-9:30pm
Fri-Sat 12-10pm
Closed Mondays
Bà Nội
I was scrolling through social, as one does when going to a city to eat and came across a post that said that Bà Nội has the best butter tarts in the city. I’m not a butter tart connoisseur, but the name “Bà Nội” caught my eye because it’s grandmother in Vietnamese. After a quick google dive, I discovered that it’s a cute little cafe borne from the pandemic. They specialize in butter tarts, chocolate chip cookies, and sourdough. We got two chocolate chip cookies and one butter tart. The chocolate chip cookie you can definitely skip, even though some claim it’s the best in Toronto. You should definitely visit though, if it’s just to get a butter tart.
If you haven’t had a butter tart before, have one here. They’re a classic Canadian dessert, kind of like a pecan pie without the pecans. Bà Nội’s is definitely the best I’ve ever had with a perfect crispy crunchy flaky crust to gooey, squishy, caramelized butterscotch-y filling ratio. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top to ties it all together and makes you want more than one.
Bà Nội
806 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON
Tues-Sun 9am – 4pm
Matcha Haus
It was absurdly hot when we went to Toronto and that meant that I wanted to stop into any and every air-conditioned cafe I could find. Matcha Haus, with it’s quirky all-green exterior, fit the bill. Apparently, it’s kind of new on the matcha scene in Toronto, but is getting rave reviews. I had the double pistachio and Mike had a matchacano. Hilariously, the person that we ordered from wanted to confirm with Mike that a matchacano was matcha with water. Apparently someone had ordered it earlier in the day and wanted to return it because it wasn’t what they expected. Anyway, Mike liked it and I had some too. It was a delightfully vibrant green and refreshing. It’s the kind of drink that you order if you are a fan of matcha, not if you are just in your matcha era and only drink lattes.
If you are a latte fan, then the double pistachio matcha will probably be more up your alley. It has a matcha pistachio sauce, matcha, milk, and pistachio cold foam. It was nutty and a little savory without being too sweet. I liked it but I don’t know if I $11.50 liked it. I enjoyed our time at Matcha Haus though – it’s a cute little matcha cafe and if you like iced matcha, I would say it’s a fun place to check out.
Matcha Haus
324 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON
Everyday 9am – 6pm
Rosie’s
Rosie’s Burgers is a local Toronto chain that’s known for their smash burgers. I can’t comment on them because we didn’t try them. Instead my one and only reason for wanting to go to Rosie’s was the banana pudding. They sell the banana pudding by the pint and half pint and it’s served up in a cute lil container with Rosie’s branding. I’m a huge banana pudding fan and when I heard that Rosie’s is known for it, well, I had to have it. Rosie’s banana pudding is pretty classic – if you’re looking for a good rendition, this is it.
I loved the creaminess of the pudding and the crumbles on top. I do think there could have been more bananas, but maybe I’m just a banana fiend. They had a seasonal specialty as well: strawberry shortcake pudding and I loved it! If you’re a pudding fan, there are multiple locations across the city and you can just grab 1/2 a pint to go for snackies in your hotel room or airbnb late at night.
Rosie’s Burgers
573 Queen St W, Toronto, ON
Mon – Sat 11am – 11pm
Sun 11am – 9pm
Linny’s
When you walk into Linny’s, it’s almost like you’ve stepped back in time to a place when people have double martini lunches and your secretary picks up your dry cleaning. That is to say: the room is dark and moody, with white table cloths, wood paneling, and plush corduroy banquettes. The vibe is steakhouse with a side of deli. I love both steak and deli food, so even though I knew nothing about Linny’s, this place was right up my alley. Mike knows me so well because I loved the very dry, very crispy, fluffy on the inside golden fries, the daily baked in house sesame crusted challah, and the pastrami.
This is a fun and friendly date night place, or maybe somewhere to catch up with very good friends. Shout out to whoever curated the drinks menu – Mike loved the subzero chilled old fashioned and I appreciated their non-alcoholic cocktails.
Linny’s
176 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON
Sun – Wed 5 – 10 pm
Thur – Sat 5 – 10:30 pm
Closed Mondays
Union Food Court
Just a quick shout out to the food court area at Union Station. We popped in here when the heat got to be too much, so thank you to the TTC for the AC. The whole underground of Union Station – at least the part that has been renovated – reminded me of the underground malls connected to the train stations in Japan. It was fun to wander around and peek at the Toronto specific food chains. We got some mini donuts fresh to order and they were just the thing to enjoy with iced coffee while soaking in the cold air.
Union Food Court at Union Station
65 Front St W, Toronto, ON
Mon – Fri 8am – 9pm
Sat – Sun 9am – 9 pm
Mom’s Pan Fried Buns
We stopped in here for a quick bite to eat and while the dumplings weren’t on par with the best XLB or pan-fried buns we’ve ever had, they were pretty darn good. The Chinatown location’s interior is bright and clean and sunlight and the service was fast and friendly. We had the pan fried buns (of course) as well as a steamer of XLB and a basket of deep fried chicken cartilage. The chicken was crispy, hot and very well done – we suspect that they might be somewhat of a deep-fried food specialist place because the menu had quite a lot of deep-fried goodies on it. Affordable, fast, and good, this is the place to go if you’re looking for a quick bite of authentic Chinese food.
Mom’s Pan Fried Buns
185 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON
Everyday 10am – 10pm
