The inaugural Japan Festival in Mississauga, ON was on July 10, 2016. It was the largest in Canada and was a huge success. I suspect (and hope) that it will become an annual event! There were food and drink vendors, informational booths, and an assortment of products for sale. The entertainment was non-stop with great variety (traditional and modern). Some of the performers were flown in from Japan. Having a stage and large screens at the venue made the wait for food less painful. I don’t think I’ve ever had to wait so long in line for food. But in my opinion, the food was worth the wait. I’ve shared my photos and reviews of the dishes that I tried.
Posts Tagged ‘Toronto restaurants’
Introducing Cooking with Alison’s Social Media Accounts!
In Random on March 28, 2016 at amHi everyone! Cooking with Alison is becoming more active on social media!
All accounts will have slightly different focuses, so I hope that you will ‘like’ and subscribe to them.
Thanks very much!
@cookingwithali – I plan to use twitter to tweet about my favourite restaurant dishes, product brands, and wine recommendations.
Cooking with Alison – On the ‘Cooking with Alison’ facebook page, you will see current food-related news, cooking tips and tricks videos, and some of my favourite older recipes. Furthermore, all future food blog posts will also be publicized on the facebook page.
@cookingwithalison – On the Instagram account, I plan to share photos of restaurant meals, wine recommendations, recipes (old and new), and favourite lifestyle products (e.g. make-up, kitchenware, serveware, etc.). You can also find some of my wedding photos on Instagram.
Snapchat
@cookingwithalis – Follow me to food events and festivals through Snapchat!
Don’t forget to keep pinning your favourite Cooking with Alison recipes!
Zomato.com
@cookingwithalison – This is where you will find all of my reviews for restaurants in and around Toronto.
Recommended Toronto Restaurants (Updated Periodically)
In Reviews on December 7, 2015 at pmMost recent updates were made on March 28, 2016. (Original version date: December 7, 2015)
Here is a list of our favourite places to eat in Toronto and the surrounding area (GTA – Greater Toronto Area). John and I shared this list with our out-of-town wedding guests. Since restaurants tend to lose their consistency or change ownership frequently, I plan to update this list periodically, so be sure to check back every now and then. I’d love to hear your recommendations!
Review of Toronto’s Top Steak Houses (UPDATED)
In Red Meat and Eggs, Reviews on November 11, 2014 at amI used to avoid steakhouses altogether, because I had only ever received disappointing, over-cooked, and over-priced meals (often with a side of snobby customer service) from the steak houses that I had been to. Luckily, John, who loves steak houses, introduced me to some very good ones in the city. Now we both love going out for steak. It is a rare treat for us, so it took over a year to eat my way through some of the best rated steakhouses in Toronto. Here are my reviews. Please note that I always order the rib eye steak and I order it rare. Also, I do not like eating at chain restaurants, so you won’t see Ruth’s Chris, The Keg, or Outback Steakhouse on this list.
Ramen Tour of Toronto and New York City (Restaurant Reviews)
In Reviews on September 10, 2013 at amThree years ago, I became obsessed with tonkotsu ramen, a Japanese dish of noodles in a pork bone based broth. Tonkotsu broth is made by boiling pork bones (sometimes in combination with chicken) until the soup has rich and hearty pork flavour (see my recipe here). The broth should be milky and practically opaque in colour. Some people find tonkotsu broth too heavy, but that’s what I love about it. Ramen noodles come in various thicknesses and some restaurants will let you specify your desired texture (i.e. al dente or soft). Ramen toppings differ depending on where you go. My favorite toppings are soft boiled marinated eggs and thinly sliced pork jowl.
At the time that I first discovered ramen, the only ramen you could find in Toronto, ON was MSG laden and closer in resemblance to instant noodles than the real thing. So when I had the opportunity to travel to New York City and San Francisco, USA, I went in search of the best ramen they had to offer. I’ve only shared my review of my favourite ramen place in NYC, because I didn’t like any of the ramen places that I tried in San Francisco. San Francisco supposedly has some of the best and most authentic ramen in North America, so it’s possible that I simply failed to choose the right places.
Luckily, over the past year, we’ve seen an explosion of new ramen places in downtown Toronto. So, naturally, I ate my way through all of the promising ones. I ate so much ramen in such a short period of time, that I haven’t eaten it since I completed my ramen tour. But that just means that the next food obsession may begin. 😉 Keep your eyes open for my Donut Tour of Toronto. Why couldn’t I be obsessed with something healthy???
Dining in the Dark (O’NOIR Restaurant Review)
In Reviews on April 22, 2010 at pmFor my last birthday, I received a gift certificate to the O’NOIR Restaurant. It was the perfect gift because I had been wanting to try it ever since I first heard about the concept of dining in the dark. I went to the restaurant in Toronto, ON on a Saturday night with Ed and my sister. It was a wonderful gift, and a very interesting experience that I’m Very grateful for. We were disappointed in the food and service so I decided to write my first restaurant review. Please note that I am not a professional and this review is based on my personal opinion and experience only.
Restaurant Info:
O’NOIR is a restaurant that offers the unique experience of dining in the dark. It started in Europe and O’NOIR can also be found in Australia, L.A., New York and in Montreal and Toronto, Canada. This is meant to allow people to enjoy their food with heightened senses while gaining a better understanding of what it’s like to be blind. More interestingly, the wait staff are blind. (I think it’s absolutely wonderful that these job opportunities have opened up for the visually impaired. And according to O’NOIR’s website, 5% of their profits are given to local associations that support blind and visually impaired people.)
Cooking with Alison 