Dining Out: Hendriks Crispy Chicken Sandwich and Brisket Ruben Fury at Hendriks

Went down to the Eaton Centre today with Carmen to do a little shopping (work clothes for her, the BTS Pop-Up: Space of BTS for me — haul post coming tomorrow). We wanted to go somewhere nearby for lunch and decided to try Hendriks based solely on their ratings (4.2 stars across 1,026 reviews on Google) and also because it's literally connected to the mall.

Hendriks Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Brisket Ruben Fury

We agreed that steaks are a little too heavy for lunch (we still had shopping to do, after all), so we got two sandwiches to share: the Brisket Ruben Fury and the Hendriks Crispy Chicken Sandwich. The Ruben had a perfect meat-to-coleslaw-to-bread ratio; the meat was tender and flavourful, and the coleslaw provided such an amazing creamy texture and crunch. The meat in the crispy chicken sandwich was perfectly fried — I usually don't like white meat because it's so dry, but this was surprisingly juicy — and the tomatoes and lettuce were delightfully fresh. That sesame bun was so damn good, too. On the pricier side for what they are (sandwiches), but to be expected for a downtown restaurant. Surprisingly good for a tourist spot, which are usually overrated; in this case, I actually think it deserves its rating. 

However, what I've really learned from this meal is that coleslaw on sandwiches is totally underrated and underutilized. 

Hendriks Restaurant & Bar

218 Yonge St.

Toronto, ON M5B 2H6

(416) 593-9667

Cooking at Home: Golden Halloumi Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions and Potato Coins with Smoky Aioli

Golden halloumi sandwich with caramelized onions and potato coins with smoky aioli
Hello, halloumi! So I made golden halloumi sandwiches with caramelized onions and potato coins with smoky aioli for dinner and IT WAS AMAZING. It was my first time having halloumi and now I'm wondering where it's been all my life. This was like grilled cheese except the cheese is way thicker and has crispy edges and it's in burger-form and it's AWESOME. So yes, I need to have more halloumi in my life ASAP. (Also, potato coins > wedges any day.)

Canadian National Exhibition: Summer 2022

After an hour of getting through rush hour traffic to get downtown, another hour of getting through downtown traffic, and another 30 minutes of finding a parking space, Ronsee, Val, and I finally made it to The Ex.

No dilly-dallying. We went straight for the food. Unfortunately, so did everyone else. And it was way more crowded this year than previous years. Nearly every stall worth getting food at had a minimum 30-minute wait time. It was already 8:00PM by the time we got into the grounds, so we only had 2 hours to get any kind of food. However, our goal was to get foods that were both appealing and that we had never tried before, which was harder than expected. Since the last time we went to The Ex (in 2019, pre-COVID, the last time it was open), we also eat significantly less. (The worst part about aging. I swear we used to be able to eat at least double the amount we do now.) So we had to make our choices count:

Funnel cake and fried chicken sandwich from Deep Fried Chicken Sandwiches

1. Funnel Cake + Fried Chicken Sandwich from Deep Fried Chicken Sandwiches: Yes, that is a piece of fried chicken in between two funnel cakes with strawberry sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. Plus a side of coleslaw. (Even shared between the three of us, this is easily over 1,000 calories per person.) Funnel cake was crispy, chicken had good flavour and remained juicy, and it actually worked really well with the strawberry sauce and the whipped cream. But what really surprised us was how good it was with the coleslaw on it, too. It sounds like the grossest combo but it totally works. If only they gave us a knife that would actually cut through the damn thing. Rating: 7/10

Seoul-ful Taters from Get Your Own Taters

2. "Seoul-ful Taters" from Get Your Own Taters: This was exceptional, the unanimous favourite of the night. Perfectly golden, crispy tater tots with fluffy, potato-y innards. Flavourful, nicely marinated, tender beef bulgogi. The combination of these with the spicy, tangy flavour and crunchy texture of the kimchi was perfection. And this might be controversial, but I gotta say: Tater Tots work better than fries. Rating: 10/10

The Tiramisu and Signature Croffles + Lychee Strawberry Soda from Fuwa Fuwa

3. Tiramisu and Signature Croffles + Lychee Strawberry Soda from Fuwa Fuwa: Croffles are the latest craze in the pastry world right now and I am obsessed. So when I saw that Fuwa Fuwa, who are known for their soufflé pancakes, opened an entire stall just for croffles, I had to get some. We decided on the Signature (topped with whipped cream and berries) and the Tiramisu (topped with whipped cream, cocoa powder, and chocolate syrup). It was insanely hot in the Food Building so the whipped cream was pretty much melted by the time we actually sat down, but I gotta say, they were still really good. The croffle was buttery with a good chew and still had crispy edges despite the melting whipped cream. Both flavours were excellent, though the Tiramisu held up better in the heat. Rating: 8/10

Okay, so we didn't go as wild as we used to. Previously, we'd go The Ex just to try the weirdest or grossest new foods, but there was nothing particularly exciting this year (mustard soft serve and pickle ice cream splits just didn't intrigue us), so we just went with what looked interesting but would still taste good. And I think we did pretty well considering the time constraints. We only wished we could eat more. 

Canadian National Exhibition

Exhibition Place

210 Princes' Blvd.

Toronto, ON M6K 3C3

(416) 263-3330

Cooking at Home: Grilled Italian Sausage and Bell Pepper Ciabattas

Grilled Italian sausage and bell pepper ciabattas
Tonight's dinner: Grilled Italian sausage and bell pepper ciabattas. Okay, so this recipe technically requires a grill but I don't have a real grill, so I used my air fryer instead and let me tell you, it was DELICIOUS AS HECK. I skipped making the warm marinara dip because I just find dipping burgers in sauce to be tedious, so I cooked the peppers and onions together in the marinara, melted the parmesan in it, and spooned it on top of the sausage patty instead and I honestly think it turned out even better. Plus, the ciabatta works perfectly with the Italian flavours and with holding up all the saucy veggies. Would definitely make again and maybe add some mozzarella to create a pizza burger or something.

Dining Out: Satay Beef Soup Ramen and Beef Club Sandwich

Satay beef soup ramen
Beef club sandwich

I usually eat really healthy at lunch and indulge for dinner, but it's been a kind of weird week because I've been doing the opposite since Monday. Like today, I had to get my car serviced so I got my mom to pick me up at my mechanic's and take me out for lunch. So as per tradition, we went to Phoenix to get some HK-style food. (Partially because it's close to my mechanic but mostly because it's the ultimate comfort food.) Between the two of us, we got the satay beef noodle soup with ramen and the beef club sandwich. Never mind that it was fucking hot as balls outside today or that there was a line-up to get a table or that the service was fucking awful — Phoenix still serves up some of the most consistently tasty HK-style food around here.

Phoenix Restaurant

1 Raymerville Dr., #10

Markham, ON L3P 5J5

(905) 471-6536

Dining Out: Crispy Calamari and Prime Rib French Dip at Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill

After our insane morning (5 hours of waiting in line for merch, 9,000 steps before noon), we were starving but didn't know what we wanted to eat (you know when you're so hungry, you're not craving anything because you'll eat just about anything?), so we made our way over to the MGM Grand 'cause there's a ton of restaurants in there to pick from. After walking through the casino, I saw the Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, so I immediately steered us in.

Crispy Calamari with Marinara Sauce and Basil Aioli
Lunch Special: Prime Rib French Dip with White Cheddar Cheese, Fresh Horseradish, Au Jus, and French Fries
The calamari to share (exceptionally great texture — super tender on the inside, ultra crispy on the outside — and also came with tasty random deep-fried vegetables) and the prime rib French dip lunch special for my main. Could've used more horseradish, but was otherwise an incredible sandwich — good ratio of meat-to-cheese-to-bun, and very flavourful roast beef with a perfectly toasted bun where it's still soft on the inside but has a good crisp on the outside. Except now I'm so full I can't move. And I'm also really sleepy. So nap time, and then concert!!!

Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill

MGM Grand

3799 S. Las Vegas Blvd.

Las Vegas, NV 89109

1-877-880-0880

Dining Out: Club Sandwich and Macau-Style Baked Portuguese Chicken Rice at Good Catch Bar & Cafe

I was way too lazy to cook after work today so I took my mom to Good Catch Bar & Cafe for some good ol' HK-style cafe food. (I did say I wanted to come back ASAP, after all.)

Club sandwich
Macau-style baked Portuguese chicken rice

On tonight's menu, a club sandwich and the Macau-style baked Portuguese chicken rice. (So much for trying to be healthy this week.) The club sandwich, which totally falls into the category of "something I could make at home but would never take the effort to," lacks bacon and sliced poultry, but it does replace those with a deep-fried pork cutlet, so it's forgivable and totally delicious. Their Portuguese chicken rice uses regular white jasmine rice instead of fried rice and doesn't include potatoes, but it does have an excellent coconut curry flavour, a great thick, saucy texture, and includes quite a lot of chicken, so I still thought it was worth ordering. Each food item also comes with a complimentary hot or cold coffee or tea which negates the need to order drinks, so our meal ended up being less than $15 per person after tax and tip.

GOD, I LOVE HK CAFES. AND NOT HAVING TO COOK EVERY NIGHT.

Good Catch Bar & Cafe

179 Enterprise Blvd., Unit 109

Markham, ON L6G 0A2

(905) 940-3232

Photolog 2021: Day 365 of 365

Lobster grilled cheese
What to do with the massive tray of leftovers from a lobster mountain? MAKE LOBSTER GRILLED CHEESE! French bread, old cheddar, and massive lobster chunks. It was so fucking good, it might just be the best thing I've ever made. Last meal of the year and I MADE IT COUNT.

Photolog 2021: Day 224 of 365

Hot chicken sandwich with gravy and creamy chive mash
Tonight's dinner kit from Hello Fresh: Hot chicken sandwich with green beans, gravy, and creamy chive mash. A night of many firsts in my cooking journey. I turned on an oven for the first time. (Yes, for the first time. In 34 years.) I mashed potatoes for the first time. I baked chicken for the first time. I made gravy for the first time. And you know what, it turned out pretty damn good! The chicken came out perfectly seasoned and tender and the mashed potatoes were smooth and super delicious (I never thought to put sour cream in mashed potatoes, but it is excellent). The only thing I would've liked is more gravy. The recipe is supposed to make enough for two servings but I felt like it was just enough for one. Otherwise, this kit was definitely a success! 10/10, would make it again.

Photolog 2020: Day 223 of 366

Went grocery shopping this evening and figured I would get some beef brisket curry with roti for dinner from my local Vietnamese restaurant because I was randomly craving it today... only to get there at 8:20PM and be met with crushing disappointment because they were already closed. (THE SIGN SAID 8:30PM, GODDAMN IT.) So I settled for Popeyes instead because it was the nearest eatery to the Vietnamese restaurant. I hadn't been to a Popeyes since I was a kid, and I remember it being pretty good, but I also wasn't in the mood to get fried chicken pieces, so I settled for the next safest thing: the Cajun Chicken Sandwich (with cajun fries and onion rings, obviously). 

It was a bit on the small side, as fast food sandwiches usually are. But I appreciate that the chicken is thick-cut white meat, nicely battered, and well-seasoned, and that they use whole leaf lettuce, actual tomato slices, and sturdy artisan buns. (And bonus points for having hot sauce that is actually hot.) It doesn't look or taste like a cheap fast food chicken sandwich. Ironically, it's cheaper than all the chicken sandwich options at all the other fast food chains, and it didn't make me feel sick afterwards, either. It's been over 20 years, but I may have to start visiting Popeyes more often...

Photolog 2020: Day 209 of 366

Today's my last day of Phase 2 training, which means no more 7:00AM - 3:00PM... but they also just changed my schedule so now I'm working 9:00AM - 5:00PM from Tuesday to Friday this week. (Apparently this was done so we could "get full support from the coaches this week with all the new material we learned.") I am NOT PLEASED ABOUT THIS as my nocturnal self HATES MORNING SHIFTS. Thus, to give myself more sleep, I have discovered my new favourite 5-minute breakfast: An Eggo sandwich with ham and eggs. (Note to self: Make Eggos more toasted so the butter doesn't soak in as fast. Also, add cheese.)

Photolog 2020: Day 196 of 366

Um, I realized that I haven't had grilled cheese this year, so I had to fix that ASAP.

(Added a little sriracha on the side. It was beautiful.)

Photolog 2020: Day 149 of 366

Today's quick lunch: Egg salad sandwiches with diced cucumber, salt, black pepper, mustard, and lots of dill. 😋

Now time to go to work! (In my room. Yeah, I'm working from home now. It's kinda glorious.)

Photolog 2020: Day 111 of 366

I randomly wanted breakfast for dinner this afternoon (at 5:30PM, because I basically have the schedule of a senior citizen), but also wanted something fast. And easy to make. Thus, egg and ham toasted sandwiches. Could you tell I wasn't in the mood for vegetables, either?

Photolog 2020: Day 102 of 366

After yesterday's glorious delivery dinner, it's back to the sandwich game today. Which I don't mind, because I love sandwiches and I eat them almost everyday. But now I've run out of smoked ham and Bick's pickled hot peppers. LE SIGH.

Photolog 2020: Day 89 of 366

Day #11 in quarantine: Tuna salad sandwiches with tomatoes, cucumbers, and pickled hot banana peppers for lunch while re-watching Her Private Life. I've basically been eating sandwiches for lunch pretty much every single day while I've been in quarantine. In an effort to make my sandwiches more exciting, I started adding hot banana peppers a few days ago, and honestly, it's been a revelation.

Photolog 2020: Day 66 of 366

I haven't been to Montreal in four years, but sometimes I just get an intense craving for a nice, fatty Montreal smoked meat sandwich. And a poutine. (You can't not have poutine in Montreal, it's a law.) So I went to Sumilicious for an early dinner with Ronsee. It was started by a guy who used to work at Schwartz's, the originators of Montreal smoked meat. Sumilicious is Toronto's answer to Schwartz's, and if the continuous line-up out the door is any indication, everyone agrees: They have the best Montreal smoked meat outside of Montreal.

Smoked meat sandwich
Smoked meat sandwich
Sliced to order, medium fatty (you can get lean or extra fatty as well, but medium fatty has the best texture, in my opinion), served on Future rye with Heinz yellow mustard — the classic (and only) combination. Each sandwich contains about half a pound of juicy, melt-in-your-mouth ribbons of ultra-flavourful, eight-hour-smoked, bright red brisket with bits of crackly crust... Basically, if you're a meat eater, it would be a crime to not try this.

Smoked meat poutine
And we can't forget about that poutine which is, in my opinion, better than most of the variations at any of the poutineries here. They use their hand-cut fries, which are substantial enough to hold up the intense amount of gravy, Quebec cheese curds (essential), and smoked meat (you can get poutine without smoked meat, but why would you?), but never too thick or starchy. The exterior has a beautiful crisp to it that doesn't get too soggy even after sitting in gravy for like, ten minutes. The only criticism I have would be to put more cheese curds, but honestly, I was so full from the smoked meat sandwich that I didn't even really care.

Photolog 2020: Day 60 of 366

Got a club sandwich for brunch. Random, right? I haven't had a club sandwich in years, possibly decades. But I saw the person next to us having one and immediately wanted it. Because sometimes, you just need a sandwich made with ten different components. (Plus fries. Always fries.)

Photolog 2019: Day 263 of 365

I've been trying to be good about spending money on dining out 'cause I want to get the iPhone 11 Pro Max. So I'm having a cheat day at home: Lox and (low-fat) cream cheese (everything) bagel (with lots of dill). THERE IS SO MUCH SODIUM BUT IT'S SO WORTH IT.

Photolog 2019: Day 222 of 365

How I am spending my Saturday night: eating grilled cheese while watching Hotel Del Luna. Living on the edge, as usual.