DOMA TORONTO - FRENCH INSPIRED KOREAN FOOD!

June 23, 2017 Soheila Hakimi

If you have been following along on my Instastory or Snapchat recently you would have seen that I had dinner at one of Toronto’s newest restaurants Doma!

Doma, which means ‘cutting board’ in Korean, opened less then a year ago and occupies the old Acadia space smack in the heart of Toronto’s little Italy neighbourhood at Clinton and College. The restaurant itself is bright yet intimate with its white and wood based minimal interior and 43 space seating (more seats to come with the opening of the patio this summer). Although small it is definitely cozy and great for anyone looking for a modern, refined or romantic spot to dine (Hey! That rhymes!).

The genius behind Doma is owner/chef Paul Kim, a Le Cordon Blue graduate who is originally for Seoul, South Korea. His love for food, cultural background and of course his training in french cuisine inspired him to open his first restaurant where he hoped to alter peoples perception of Korean food by adding a French inspired twist to each dish. The end result - nothing short of perfection!

Chef Paul Kim’s dishes are often inspired by seasonal ingredients and therefore change monthly with a few favourites remaining on the menu. When I went I opted for the tasting menu at $65 a person whichgives you a small sample of each dish and with 8-9 dishes making up the menu you are definitely going to walk away full!

The food itself was not only graciously plated with impeccable presentation, but the flavours were robust and symphonic. Chef Paul Kim definitely knows how to grab your attention by using natural colours from the ingredients to add dimension to the plate. Each dish was so unique and stood out in both variety and appeal from each other.

Waldorf Salad

Uhsun Mandoo

Kalbi Bourguignon Jjim

Before starting your meal consider trying one of their excellent cocktails as well (usually around $13). All cocktails are specially designed in-house and incorporate Korean Ingredients. I had the ‘In Harmony’ while my mom (always the best dinner date) had the ‘Pear of My Eye’.

All in all I am happy to report that it is definitely a spot you should not only add to your list but bump to the top! Although it can get quiet expensive ($200 for 2 people including drinks, tax and tip) it is a perfect restaurant to wine and dine someone on a special occasion, or to impress someone you know who has a passion for food.

Bon Appetite!

This is not a sponsored post, I paid for my meal in full and enjoyed it thoroughly! I just wanted to pass my good experience onto you.

DOMA TORONTO
50c Clinton Street
Toronto, ON M6G 2Y3
+1 416 551-1550
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday | 5pm - 11pm, Sunday - Monday | CLOSED

TASTE OF TORONTO RETURNS TO FORT YORK (JUNE 15-18)

June 15, 2017 Soheila Hakimi

Toronto is officially buzzing with activities now that summer is here! With the warm weather comes numerous events and festivals in and around the city and so I wanted to share one of my favourite events of the summer with you, Taste of Toronto! Can you feel your inner foodie getting excited already!?

If you have never been to Taste of Toronto it is one of Toronto’s biggest annual food festivals and this year they are going all out for Canada’s 150! For the 4th edition of Taste of Toronto the festival will return to Garrison Common at Fort York and featuring only the best of the best of Toronto’s chef! New addition to this years line up include Momofuku Noodle Bar, Bar Buca, Cafe Boulud, and Bar Isabel! Just like last year you do need to buy entry tickets for this event and pay for food once on the premises but in addition to the 100 taster sized dishes from 25 of Toronto’s top restaurant chefs there will also be cooking demos, interactive masterclasses sponsored by Metro (I did this last year it was so much fun), intimate Q&A’s with master chefs, mixology classes, and food and drink samples from over 60 exhibitors! With 6 sessions to choose from and a limited number of tickets per session I implore you to plan ahead with this festival because they can easily sell out!

Chefs you can expect to see:

Rob Bragagnolo from Carver and Camp Food Hall - Remember my Carver video?
Elia Herrera from Los Colibris
Trevor Lui from Kampai Snack Bar
Victor Berry from Piano Piano
Ivana Racafrom Raca Cafe & Bar
David Lee from Nota Bene
Carl Heinrich from Richmond Station
Ted Corrado and Alexandra Feswick from The Drake Hotel
Sonia Mondino from Pray Tell
Mark McEwan from The McEwan Group

Sessions:

So there are 6 sessions as mentioned which means a general admission ticket is only good for the session you choose - here are the times for each session.

Thursday June 15th - 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Friday June 16th - 11:30am - 4:00pm, 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Saturday June 17th - 11:30am - 4:00pm, 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Sunday June 18th- 12:00pm - 5:00pm

Tickets:

I will include the price for general admission tickets below but if you buy in bulk or a weekend pass I do believe they get cheaper!

Thursday and Friday $17.00 each
Saturday and Sunday $21.00 each
Youth $10.00 each

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS

****Please note that Cash will not be accepted to purchase food only Credit Cards and Debit Cards

So this year they are doing some things a little different. Last year they had these cards you had to fill up with ‘crowns’ which essentially would be used to purchase those tasty bites. This year things are changing and you will no longer need to get the card but instead pay at each vendor using your credit or debit cards (cash will not be accepted).

Are you as exited as I am? Im probably going to be there everyday so come say ‘HI!” if you spot me and cheers to the freakin' weekend!

The Calamari Po'Boy with a Black Sesame Bun from Mark McEwan at last years Taste of Toronto

#FOODIEFRIDAYS YOUTUBE SERIES PREMIERE! @CARVER.TO - THE MAKING OF THEIR ROASTED CHICKEN SANDWICH

January 6, 2017 Soheila Hakimi

To kick off my new YouTube series #FoodieFridays I teamed up with Rob Brangagnolo - owner of Carver Toronto - to show you how he makes his famous 'Roasted Chicken Sandwich'.

For all of you who are not familiar with Carver - they are an awesome sandwich and salad shop at 101 Peter Street (Peter and Adelaide!) For more info on how to get a hold of one of these sandwiches and more juicy Instagram pics of items on their menu click -> HERE

Lastly creating this YouTube series has long been a dream of mine so I would like to thank everyone who helped make it possible. Also thank you everyone who showed me love and support over my first year blogging! You guys rock!

LAVELLE - TORONTO'S NEW CONTEMPORARY FRENCH RESTAURANT

November 18, 2016 Soheila Hakimi

Since launching last summer, Lavelle has become known as one of Toronto’s exclusive King West luxury lounge and outdoor cabana bars. What you may not know is that the restaurant at Lavelle is even more spectacular than the views! Executive Chef Romain Avril is a master at creating contemporary French dishes with ingredients of only the highest quality. Having worked in Michelin star restaurants in his native France, Chef Avril shows off his passion and expertise with each dish. With a background and extensive training in both fusion and molecular gastronomy he plates each dish with the intention to send your eyes dancing across the dish and capture your attention. His plating is so spectacular you’ll have to take a photo of it like you would a piece of art before you can even think of diving in.

PAN SEARED WILD BC SALMON with sweet potato, salsify, wild mushrooms, spaghetti squash and crispy burdoch

Even his seemingly simple dishes are so complex that with each mouthful you will find yourself peeling back a new layer of flavors.

If you are looking for a new place to impress a date or schmooze a client Lavelle is your spot! The inviting contemporary lavish atmosphere is sure to amaze any dinner guest and you will no doubt impress with this choice. Lavelle is now open for brunch as well and according to Chef Romain Avril has many new exciting things coming down the pipeline that has me enthusiastically staying tuned in for!

R to L: Beet Salad, Tuna Tartar, AAA Beef Tenderloin & Short Rib Ravioli

Above are some of the dishes that I got to experience last week when I went for dinner with a girlfriend at the restaurant. I was very pleased to meet Chef Romain Avril who is happy to meet and talk about the food with any of his customers. He is definitely a chef that cares not only about his food but also about your overall experience. If you have any questions or just want to shake his hand he is always willing to make time for his guest.

Want to see Lavelle's full menu or make a reservation? Click HERE

BOSK CHAMPAGNE DINNER AT THE SHANGRI-LA HOTEL FEAT. CHARLES HIEDSIECK

October 27, 2016 Soheila Hakimi

This week I was invited to a champagne tasting and dinner at Bosk Toronto. This refined, modern and, most importantly, delicious restaurant is located in the Shangri-La Hotel in Toronto’s downtown core. Heading into the dinner I had never dined at Bosk even though I have been, on several occasions, to their bar located adjacent the Shangri-La’s newly remodeled lobby. The Bosk bar is a social hot-spot for the Bay Street crowd but during TIFF it was definitely the place to spot some drool worthy celebrities like Ryan Gosling!

The dinner was elegantly set up in the Bosk private dining room – each place setting aligned with champagne glasses a plenty. I knew from the first moment I entered the room that this was going to be a great event. All the champagne for the evening was supplied from the cellars of Charles Heidsieck in France and I was quickly introduced to their cellar master Cyril Brun who led us through a brief history of the champagne house.

For dinner Chef De Cuisine Richard Singh of Bosk restaurant carefully picked four perfectly paired dishes that both stood out in beauty and complimented each champagne. It was with this delicate and deliberate curation of food and drink that our palettes would soon be sent buzzing with vibrant flavors after each bite. To start of the dinner we had a 'Sunchoke' soup with cranberry turnip and black truffle accompanied by an elegantly assembled bagal lavash and paired perfectly with the Charles Heidsieck Brut – a champagne with a complex and voluptuous nose of fresh brioche and sun drenched fruits.

Next up on our Bosk menu for the evening was scallops with zucchini, chorizo oil, baby fennel and romesco vinaigrette. This dish was one of my favorite dishes of the entire night. The scallops were cooked to perfection and each bite came with a burst of sweet flavors. It is no wonder that it was paired with the Charles Heidsieck rosé reserve, a champagne with rich warm notes that mimic homemade strawberry jam followed by smaller notes of gingerbread and cinnamon.

For our mains Bosk featured a delicious halibut dish with pommes puree, arrow leaf spinach, glazed chestnuts, samphire and red wine béarnaise. This dish is a fish lovers dream and really rounded out the meal perfectly. To complement the dish it was paired with Chales Heisieck’s 2005 vintage which had a sharp nose of stinky cheese. The funny thing about the nose on this vintage is that I believe it would only be as pungently noticeable when tasted beside other champagnes. If you were not comparing and tasting multiple champagnes you may not pick up on it right away. Another thing to note about this champagne is that the nose is intentional and comes from the aging/fermenting process.

Dessert was melted raclette cheese with oat crumble, sour cherry, celery and walnut! I really enjoyed this dish especially to finish off my Charles Heidsieck 2005 vintage before moving onto the Charles Heidsieck Black de Millenaires 1995 vintage which also contained nose notes of cheese but not as pungent as its 2005 petit frère. Other notable notes for this champagne were dried and candied fruits which was perfect to finish off the meal.

I knew that the Shangri-La Hotels always offered luxury products and high-end service, but Bosk restaurant can certainly carry the savoir faire of Toronto’s top restaurant all on its own. The only thing that had me all perplexed was why I hadn’t eaten there sooner.

If you would like to make a reservation at Bosk, visit their website HERE

If you would like to learn more about Charles Heidsieck visit their website HERE