Big Smoke Burger + Kinton Ramen + Greg's Ice Cream = The Russian Roulette

This post will take an unusual format. It will feature the three restaurants I frequented on August 3, 2013. Explanation to follow.

Big Smoke Burger

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Address: Toronto Eaton Centre 220 Yonge St Toronto, ON M5B 2L7

Date visited: August 3, 2013

Time: 12:00 pm

Party Size: 2

Price: $6.99 plus tax

Website: http://bigsmokeburger.com/

Food consumed: Craft burger (sautéed mushrooms, rosemary garlic mayo, lettuce & tomato)

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on image to enlarge)

Review of Restaurant:
The burger was juicy, it was dripping the minute I lifted it off the plate. However, one bite and the taste of the beef was tasteless. They need to season the meat. Sauteed mushroom and the sauce was good, but here are better tasting patties around.

City of Toronto Inspection Report

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Source: http://www.toronto.ca/health/dinesafe/index.htm?show=detail&id=106055

The city has the wrong address, it should be on Yonge Street, not Dundas Street.

February 9, 2012 - Operate food premise - fail to keep facility in good repair

October 18, 2012 - Operator fail to properly maintain rooms

Just minor infractions, nothing major.

Kinton Ramen

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Address: 51 Baldwin St, Toronto, ON M5T 1L1

Date visited: August 3, 2013

Time: 4:00 pm

Party Size: 2

Price: $13.80 plus tax and tips

Website: http://kintonramen.com/

Food consumed: Lunch Combo Special which includes:
- Ramen (Miso rich soup with pork shoulders)
- Calpico/Calpis drink (extra $1)
- Side dish (wasabi ton don)

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on images to enlarge)

Review of Restaurant:
For the extra $3 combo price, you get a drink and a puny side dish. Though the side dish was good, they used Japanese rice and I believe shreds of the pork used in the ramen. The drink was in a very small cup. However, I found the combo is a big rip off. I would rather get the Extra Pork Ramen which cost the same but has so much more meat.

City of Toronto Inspection Report

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Source: http://www.toronto.ca/health/dinesafe/index.htm?show=detail&id=108099

November 29, 2012 - Operate food premise - mechanical equipment not constructed to provide clean wash water (Significant)

October 18, 2012 - Operator fail to properly wash surfaces in rooms

Japanese owned, I expect it to be spotless but I guess this was not the case. What kind of water was spewing out then?

Greg's Ice Cream

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Address: 750 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON M4G 2H7

Date visited: August 3, 2013

Time: 6:00 pm

Party Size: 2

Price: $5.97 plus tax

Website: http://gregsicecream.com/

Food consumed: Triple scoop with the following flavours:
- Green Tea (Asian self just had to try it)
- Mint Oreo
- Lemon Meringue
They ran out of the most popular flavour, Roasted Marshmallows

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on image to enlarge)

Review of Restaurant:
The ice cream is to die for. I don't know why people like Häagen-Dazs, it's not even European, it's an American brand using marketing tactics to make it sound like a high class ice cream for the elites. On the other hand, I know why Greg makes the best ice cream in the area. It so delicious and that it melts in your mouth, duh, ice cream melts in your mouth. Go check it out and see for yourself.

City of Toronto Inspection Report

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Source: http://www.toronto.ca/health/dinesafe/index.htm?show=detail&id=95420

October 20, 2011 - Fail to have test reagent available at place of sanitization (Significant)

October 1, 2012 - Operator fail to properly wash surfaces in rooms

May 6, 2013 - Operator fail to properly maintain rooms

I witnessed the ice cream scooper drop a bucket on the floor. The whole bucket was dumped without hesitation. If this was an Asian ice cream parlour, the scooper would scrape off the top layer and continue on.

CLOSING REMARKS:
For those who stuck around for the important part, here is the fun part. What is with the Russian roulette title? Good question. That same night I was leaking like a tap left unattended. If you didn't understand the metaphor, I was have the leaky kind of diarrhea. I made my washroom my heaven for the 2 hour period that I was there. I sat for so long that my legs were wobbly. One of these restaurant was the culprit for my misery. I vowed to return to all three places and test them one by one until I rest my case.