Saturday 23 December 2017

Year End Summary

I only really started this blog in the summer, so I don't have loads of posts, but I decided that I should do a summary of the best places for x, for the year; some of the places I've visited weren't full marks but were maybe the best places to, say, go get just cocktails or have the best snacks. Also, since there are people who kind of like me and it's the 'holiday season' I haven't really been eating alone a whole lot. Compilations are what you do when you have no new material. Anyway, here's my picks for the year. Happy New Year and check 'em out in 2018.

Best Cocktails: Sous Sol; They're delicious, creative, and boozy; everything that a cocktail should be. If I could drink nothing else than 'Rencontrer dans le Jardin' for the rest of my life, I would be just fine with that, although constantly tipsy. It's what God drinks at garden parties, I'm fairly certain. Summer in a teacup.

Best Charcuterie: Bouchée Boucher; I really dig that you can pick and choose whatever meat and cheeses you like. Vegetarian? Get all cheese. Lactose intolerant? Full meat selection. In either case, if you love it, you can buy some to take home next door. How awesome is that?

Best Comfort Food: Saperavi; In true Eastern European fashion, this Georgian restaurant has the best things wrapped up in dough and pastry. Super delicious, kind of heavy, and the culinary equivalent to a warm hug.

Best Place to Go With Others: Asian Hot Pot; I really really loved this place but it is definitely for social dining, not solo. Go with your friends, get all you can eat, and mix and match and share. You'll all have a great time and the staff are amazing and accommodating.

Best Overall Outing for One: Thermëa. Yes, this one suffers from capacity problems sometimes. But when your problem is that you're too damn popular, you've got to be doing something right. The best and least awkward place to spend the entire day by yourself. As far as I've experienced. I'm willing to take suggestions.

Thursday 21 December 2017

Meiji Sushi

Mmmmm.... Sushi... I love it so hard and it's been awhile since I've written about it. Maybe there's 'better' sushi out there, I don't know, but this is pretty much my go-to. Meiji Sushi has all the choice both with the food and, due to the attached G Martini Bar, beverages that it would be pretty surprising if you couldn't find something you love. Something about it being all dim and downstairs makes it feel cozy to me which is counter-intuitive, I know, but just accept it. Since it's cold these days and I need excuses to get out and about, I felt that it was time to head over and reevaluate some favourites of mine.

The Nutini, in all it's almond-y goodness. The
cloth napkins and superb waitresses will make
you feel classy as you drink alone
Since the air outside is cold enough to kill people right now, I felt it would be in everyone's best interest if I started off with some hot foods. Miso soup is, of course, a standard, so I'll skip ahead to some others. The agadashi tofu is deliciously crispy (and no, no matter what your conspiracy-theory wielding friend says, it will not mess with your hormones or secondary sex characteristics)  although the pieces were a little unwieldy for my chopstick-handling skills. This is a good thing, by the way, the pieces are rather large so there's more to enjoy. Gyoza is something that is often overlooked at sushi places, I find, taking a backseat to tempura and, well, sushi. Do yourself a favour and order some at Meiji; the garlicky-onion flavoured pork is so amazing that, despite the pain (they arrive nuclearly hot), you won't be able to wait to crush these amazing dumpling.

The chef's creation in all its glory
(The roll behind it is the Golden
Roll. The others are just random
nigiri)
Now, that's a lot of 'appetizer' before sushi, so let's take a drink break. The martini menu ranges from almost literal dessert to something slightly sweet that your super-masculine, tofu-fearing buddy might admit to liking. I went with an Amaretto-heavy Nutini although my favouritest sugary drink here is the Millennium; raspberry liqueur with vodka and champagne, poured over an actual sugar cube. Fortunately diabetes does not run in my family.  Something that I think gets overlooked in favour of the fancier drinks is the sort of 'build-your-own' feature with classic martinis. there are a nice variety of gins, vodkas, and garnishes to let you assemble your perfect martini (for those of you who like to be more of a Bond and less like a woman on her 18th birthday). I'm an olive girl myself, but there was also the option of a citrus twist, pearl onions, or chocolate, if you still want your sweets.

As far as sushi goes, Meiji has all the standards and then some. My personal recommendations are the Golden Roll; a solid 'cheap roll with tuna and avocado, and the chef creation with avocado and quail egg; the texture is amazing and it's something reasonably unique to get at this particular location.

Rating: **½
Price: $$