Pun Cao Tong

Mixed Fruits with Grass Jelly

Mixed Fruits + Grass Jelly in Sago Soup
Words can't describe how much I love Asian desserts. Perfect after dinner snack and very inexpensive. Next dishes to try: konnyaku jelly and bird's nest.

Pun Cao Tong
550 Highway 7 East
Richmond Hill, Ontario

Bb33 Bistro and Brasserie - Summerlicious

My last "Licious" for the Summer. Let's just say everything went downhill from my visit to Sassafraz a couple of weeks back.


Appetizer: Muskoka Wild Mushroom Bisque - Porcini & Rosemary Scented Cream, Infused with Fireweed Honey
- To keep it short, it tasted like any typical cream of mushroom soup. As a matter of fact, it tasted like the ones that are made from Campbell's. Not impressed.


Entree: Black Tiger Shrimp Pappardelle Pasta - Sautéed Black Tiger Shrimps with Green Asparagus, Roasted Peppers, Charred Fennel, Garlic & Shallot Pinot Grigio Reduction
- Not that much sauce in this dish. The noodles tasted very dry and I didn't end up finishing this plate. One of the shrimp still had their shells on. Another disappointment.


Dessert: Dark Belgium Chocolate Crème Brûlée, Candied Lemon & Fresh Berries
- I want to say this was my favourite part of their menu but I can't. Not after I started feeling sick after my entree. I'm pretty sure there were no candied lemon but I will give some credit for the bold flavour of belgium chocolate.

May I add that service was pretty slow and the complimentary breads were partially stale. I will be honest though and say that I arrived at the restaurant with little expectation, considering that their Summerlicious menu were the same for lunch and dinner. My friend and I were tempted to finish the day off with some french food at Midi Bistro but with no appetite, that didn't happen. Sad face.

Looking forward to trying a couple of restaurants in New York for Restaurant Week 2011! I'm super excited that they extended it through September 5th. Countdown: one more week!

GUU SakaBar

Anticipated our reservation for Trevor's Kitchen and Bar all afternoon for Summerlicious but with the traffic delays we ended up missing it. It wasn't a problem since we decided to go this coming Sunday instead. Theresa and I decided to go to Guu Sakabar (our original hangout plan) and boy were we stuffed. Out of our 5 dishes, 2 were new to me.


Takoyaki Gratin: this dish was a bit salty and it did surprise me at first since I was expecting just takoyaki squid balls (I guess I didn't read the full dish name properly).


Gyu Carpaccio: I had this before at the Church location and it was definitely one of my favourites so I had to order it.


Kimchi Udon: Another dish that I already tried at the Church location. One of my favourites.


Carbonara Udon: I was told that this dish was one of their popular ones so I had to order it and taste it for myself. I wasn't impressed as it reminded me a typical creamy pasta dish. I'd prefer the kimchi udon over this.


B.C. Albacore Tuna: Sashimi dishes at Guu never fails to impress me. The tuna pieces were fresh and the sauce was the cherry to a perfect dish.

From visiting the Church location numerous times, I was already tired of sitting at the long wooden tables so we decided to dine in the Zashiki room for a more traditional Japanese experience. It felt very cramped at first since it took a while to settle down with the minimal space given (it was hard to cross my legs) but the room felt cozy afterwards.


It was another fun experience dining at a different Guu location. The area is even more spacious than the Church location and there were no wait time. However, the prices were higher than the Church location and there weren't that many food options.