Cooking with Alison

Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category

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La Maison du Chocolat Truffles (and their Recipe)

In Reviews on April 6, 2011 at am

I never understood the popularity of chocolate truffles until I tried a dark chocolate truffle from La Maison du Chocolat.  I took a small bite of the plain, cocoa dusted truffle and let it melt in my mouth.  It was incredible.  It was truly the best chocolate and the best truffle that I have ever had in my life;  Better than any Belgian, any German, and any famous American chocolate that I’ve tasted. From what my cousin tells me, the freshly made truffles at the store are even better.  I will definitely try this the next chance I get.

These handmade French chocolates are sold all around the world.  I tried the chocolate from one of the New York City locations.  They are expensive, but worth it in my opinion.  They would make a phenomenal gift for anyone who enjoys chocolate or indulgence.  You could even try making them yourself!  The La Maison du Chocolat recipe for their truffles is posted online (see below).  Smitten Kitchen tested the recipe and provided detailed photo instructions here.  One day I’ll try making these too and I’ll let you know how they compare to the store bought truffles. Read the rest of this entry »

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Review of Nobu vs. Morimoto Restaurants, New York City

In Reviews on April 2, 2011 at am

I am in love with Japanese food, so I was very excited to eat at two world renowned Japanese restaurants in NYC.  I went to Nobu for dinner on a Sunday night and then to Morimoto the next day (Monday) for lunch.  (If you’re planning on going to either restaurant, be sure to make reservations weeks in advance.)  The dining experience at these restaurants couldn’t have been more different.  Nobu disappointed me on all fronts, while Morimoto gave me the best meal of my life.  But having said that, there were definitely some things that Nobu did better than Morimoto.  So this is my review comparing Nobu (not Nobu Next Door) and Moriomoto.  Photo below:  The entrance to Morimoto.

Note:  Normally I don’t like to take photos of food in restaurants, but I couldn’t help myself at Morimoto, because the dishes were so artistic and creative.  We were in awe of the presentation of each course and blown away by the taste and interesting food pairing.

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Baked by Melissa Mini Cupcakes, New York City

In Reviews on March 27, 2011 at am

We tried the miniature stuffed cupcakes by Baked by Melissa at the SOHO location in NYC and they are now my favourite cupcakes.  Prior to trying them, I foolishly thought that they had earned their fame solely because of their adorable size (diameter of a quarter crosswise; diameter of a loonie or toonie across the top) and extensive selection of flavours and bright colours.  But they are so much more than that.  So let me count the ways that I love Baked by Melissa’s mini cupcakes:

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Katz’s Delicatessen, New York City

In Reviews on March 24, 2011 at am

Katz’s Deli is famous for being New York’s oldest (since 1888) and best delicatessen. I have been wanting to try their smoked meat for years and it was better than I’d hoped it would be.  The sandwiches cost about $16 each, but you get a tall stack of meat.  The sandwiches are served with pickles and pickled green tomatoes (upon request).  The pickles are crisp, refreshing, and mildly sour.  The green tomatoes are very sour.  I was disappointed to discover that they no longer sell vacuum sealed meat.  It would have made a great souvenir.

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Review of Princess Cruise Line Food

In Reviews on January 26, 2011 at am

To see a video tour of the cruise ship galley (kitchen) and some interesting facts, see here.

I went on a cruise for the first time in August, 2010 and I loved it way more than I thought I would.  Krystal and I traveled to the East coast of Canada and USA (New England) with the Princess Cruise line on the Caribbean Princess ship.  We were told that the average passenger gains 12 pounds on this 1 week long cruise.  You’ll see why from my review of the food below.

(In January, 2012, Krystal, Ed and I cruised to the Western Caribbean with the Royal Caribbean line on the Liberty of the Seas ship.  Although the Royal Caribbean ships have some advantages over the Princess ships, the food and service fell short in comparison.  I’ve written a brief review of the Royal Caribbean line in comparison to Princess here.)

Important Note About the Coffee:

When we were in the buffet, a crew member refilled the coffee station with a dark brown coffee syrup.  So be warned that the complimentary coffee from the buffets and dining rooms are not brewed from beans.  It is, however, freshly brewed at the cafes and lounges, but you have to pay extra.

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Five Guys Review

In Reviews on December 8, 2010 at am

(photo source here)

Five Guys Burgers and Fries (website here) is a fast-growing American fast-food chain that has received outstanding reviews.  They have an impressive list of awards and recognition, including Best Burger in the 2010 Zagat fast food survey (see here).  In fact, even President Obama likes the Five Guys burgers.  So, even though several new burger places opened in Kingston around the same time, I was most excited for Five Guys.  It is with great pleasure that I announce that they did not disappoint.  (See my reviews of Poutine Place and Harper’s Burger Bar and see below for a brief comparison between Five Guys and Harper’s.)  However, you should know that Five Guys has been featured on various “most unhealthy” lists.  Even their fries are considered the worst among restaurant foods in America (see here).  That wasn’t enough to stop me from ordering the bacon cheeseburger (which is a double patty burger with 920 calories and 62 grams of fat, not including the toppings), but it is enough to prevent me from going back any time soon.  My review below is for the Kingston, Canada, location only.

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Best (Double Decker) Chip Truck! (200th Post!)

In Reviews on November 14, 2010 at am

Ed and I took a day trip to Manotick, Ontario, Canada to see a flour mill demonstration at a 150 year old mill (see post about Watson’s Mill here).  While we were in that small town, we discovered [by chance] a double decker chip truck that was voted the 2010 Best Chip Truck in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec on CTV news!  I can’t even describe how excited we were to find it  🙂  This was one of the best random food discoveries we’ve ever made.

The CTV Best Chip Truck trophy sits proudly in the ordering window.

 

 

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Review of Poutine Place

In Reviews on October 27, 2010 at pm

Poutine Place, Kingston, ON is now Closed.

Poutine Place is one of two new poutine places and three new burger places to open in Kingston this fall, 2010.  (See my reviews of Smoke’s Poutinerie here, Harper’s Burger Bar here, and Five Guys here.)  The review below makes comparisons to Smoke’s Poutinerie.

When I first saw the Poutine Place sign, I quickly decided that I would never bother trying it.  The logo looks tacky with poorly chosen, mismatched font and bright, juvenile colours (red, green and yellow).  But I chastised myself for judging the store by its front when I saw their menu.  I had high hopes for their fresh, organic Canadian burgers and fruit smoothies.  When I heard a great review from a co-worker, I went a week later to try it.  I left regretful and taken aback by how different my experience had been from his.  It would only be fair for me to give Poutine Place one more chance (ie. when someone else is working) before giving the final verdict, but I just can’t bring myself to do it.  “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.”

Poutine Place Review (Kingston, On)

Menu: As I mentioned, I was initially impressed by the menu.  Poutine Place offers a vegan poutine option, fruit smoothies, and fresh organic Canadian beef burgers.  See the 2 part menu here.

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Review of Harper’s Burger Bar

In Reviews on October 20, 2010 at pm

Harper’s Burger Bar (website here) is one of three new burger places that opened in Kingston, ON this fall (2010).  (See my reviews of Poutine Place and Five Guys (includes a comparison of Harper’s and Five Guys).)  It is owned by the same people that run the restaurants, Chien Noir and Atomica.  I strongly dislike Chien Noir but I frequent Atomica, so I was curious to see how Harper’s would fare.  (If you’d like more details of my experiences at Chien Noir or Atomica, please post a comment and I will gladly share.)

Three weeks after Harper’s opened, I went for lunch on a weekday with two friends to try it.  The service was absolutely terrible.  I never would have even considered giving this place a second chance, but the owner apologized and comped our meals.  So out of appreciation for that, and to be fair to his restaurant (and to take some photos), I gave Harper’s a second chance.  I went back one and a half months later on a weekday for lunch in a group of 5.  The updated review has been added in italics below.

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I ate at a restaurant where Barack Obama ate! (Stewman’s Restaurant Review)

In Random, Reviews on October 10, 2010 at am

Bar Harbor, Maine, USA, was one of the ports of our New England cruise.  Completely by chance, my sister and I found the restaurant, Stewman’s Downtown.  Underneath the Stewman’s sign, the words “President Obama Was Here” had been written on a few wooden planks.  When a staff member confirmed that US President, Barack Obama had indeed dined at Stewman’s Downtown, we immediately asked for a table, even though we were risking not making it back onto the cruise ship in time.  I was crazy excited about eating at a restaurant where Barack Obama once dined.  It’s too bad that our actual dining experience wasn’t great.  Here is our mixed review of the restaurant, Stewman’s Lobster Pound, the downtown location.  Note that I’ve also thrown in a review of a raw bar in Bowen’s Wharf, Newport, RI.

On a side note, random food-related discoveries are among my favourite things in the world.  Also on that list are maki/sushi/sashimi, massages, comfy duvets, and whole weekends spent in bed watching tv series and movies.

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New England Clam Chowder Reviews and Recipe

In Reviews, Soups and Salads on October 8, 2010 at am

My sister and I celebrated her birthday by taking a cruise along the east coast of Canada and the USA (New England).  Being a huge fan of clam chowder, I was naturally excited to try New England clam chowder from New England.  Unfortunately, having only a few hours at each port, we were only able to try clam chowder from Boston, MA, and Bar Harbor, Maine.  But we were not disappointed.  We also sampled two major brands of oyster crackers.  Here I share my reviews of the chowders and the oyster crackers, as well as my own recipe for a quick and easy New England clam chowder (photos at the very bottom of this post).  Be warned, this is a full fat, high caloried recipe.

New England Clam Chowder Reviews

Boston, MA

When we were in Boston, we tried the “New England Clam Chowda ‘Voted Boston’s Best’ ” from Boston Chowda and it was the best I have ever had!  Photo below.  To start, the temperature of the soup was piping hot.  The potatoes were cooked perfectly, the clam’s weren’t overcooked or tough, and the consistency of the soup was exactly how I like it, creamy and substantial but not too thick.  Also, the ratio of potatoes and clams to soup was perfect.  Boston Chowda can be found at the Prudential Center (where we had it), at Quincy Market in Faneuil Hall, and in North Andover.  We didn’t have a chance to taste test the clam chowder from Legal’s Seafood – a restaurant that is often voted as having the best clam chowder – but I plan to the next time I visit the city.

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Review of Smoke’s Poutinerie

In Reviews on September 24, 2010 at pm

Smoke’s Poutinerie is a Canadian chain that specializes in non-traditional poutine.  To date, there are 7 locations in Toronto with additional locations in Tremblant, Ottawa and London.  To my excitement, they opened for business in Kingston, Ontario on Monday September 20, 2010.  The week they opened, I went with Ed and co-workers to try it.

I was impressed by their food and customer service, but even more so by the fact that they started the World Poutine Eating Championship (more on that below).

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