Saturday, January 18, 2014

Johnny's Hamburgers - It Started on the Magic School Bus


Pretended to be a mystery shopper by snapping a sneaky shot on my phone

Date visited: November 23, 2013

Time: 12:45 pm

Party Size: 1

Website: None but it has its own Wikipedia page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny's_Charcoal_Broiled_Hamburgers

Food consumed:
- Hamburger - $3.05
- Cheeseburger - $3.50

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



Review of Restaurant:
  • Why did I come to this restaurant?

As a young lad, I used to take the Magic School Bus to get to school. I would pass by this burger joint every school day. The bright orange signs were visible from a mile away as Ms. Frizzle drove us. I told myself that one day, just one day when I am old enough to drive, I will buy my burger from Johnny's Hamburgers. Flash forward to 2013 and finally I can scratch off one item from my bucket list.
  • What did I think of the food and service?

There is a reason why this place still stands to this date: friendliness of the staff and price of the burgers. To be honest, I was sorely disappointed with the burgers that I ordered. The patty wasn't that juicy and tasted cheap. The meat comes from macgregors, which surprised me since my parents bought the patties from them before.

Let me describe macgregors to you. It has the machine processing taste to it and taste a bit like cardboard (trust me, I tasted cardboard before).


The food is budget friendly but if you want to enjoy your burger, try Golden Star, double the price but well worth the price of admission. Ms. Frizzle would be proud of you.
  • How did my sensitive stomach feel?

I felt betrayed more so that food poisoned. It shouldn't have been on my bucket list in the first place.

City of Toronto Inspection Report

(Click on image to enlarge)
Source: http://www.toronto.ca/health/dinesafe/index.htm?show=detail&id=97235

Here are just the SIGNIFICANT AND CRUCIAL infractions:

August 28, 201PASS

Did it even come across you that Magic School Bus was racist?
VERDICT: Jer's stomach Seal of Approval, but not burger approved

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Khao San Road - The Road to Glorious Thai Food



Date visited: December 17, 2013

Time: 1:30 pm

Party Size: 2

Website: http://www.khaosanroad.ca/

Food consumed:
- Garlic chicken (chicken, panko crust, garlic, fresh kaffir lime leaf, naam djeem dipping sauce) - $9.00
- Red curry (curry of the day) - $9.00

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



Review of Restaurant:
  • Why did I come to this restaurant?

It's hard to find a good and authentic Thai restaurant in Toronto. They either make the food sweeter or less spicy to accommodate the local taste. Khao San Road is one of the highest rated restaurant on Yelp in Toronto, therefore it is a must visit.

I still don't understand how people still eat at Thaï Express. I had it once and it was my last time. The pad thai was an insult to all Thais. I have never seen pad thai drenched in so much sauce and that sweet before. Please do yourself a favour and don't eat at Thaï Express, you are only supporting a Thai revolution.
  • What did I think of the food and service?

Signs of authenticity:
1. The servers are from Thailand. I caught their accent in their English and confirmed when I asked them. The waitress asked if she had a thick accent, I honestly told her "Yes" and that was a compliment because I want to dine at an authentic Thai restaurant.
2. Secondly, they can't spell their names correctly on the receipt.
3. They had boxes of 24 of Singhas lined up around the restaurant.
4. It ain't called Thaï Express, its name comes from a road in Bangkok, Thailand.
5. This is how you make curry, with coconut milk.
6. Garlic chicken was amazing too. Zesty lime taste.
  • How did my sensitive stomach feel?

I felt like I was back in Thailand. I remember eating the bowl of curry in some alleyway with cats and dogs walking around your leg. That is the true Thai experience.
Took this on one of my trips to Thailand

City of Toronto Inspection Report

Here are just the SIGNIFICANT AND CRUCIAL infractions:

February 27, 201PASS


1. Fail to store food on racks or shelves
2. Operator fail to ensure cover will prevent contamination or adulteration

May 31, 201PASS


1. Fail to provide soap or detergent in food preparation area
2. Fail to store food on racks or shelves
2. Fail to provide thermometer in storage compartment

October 30, 201PASS


1. Fail to provide valid food handler's certificate

February 27, 201PASS

1. Operator fail to ensure cover will prevent contamination or adulteration

May 7, 201PASS


1. Fail to provide towels in food preparation area

July 3, 201PASS


1. Fail to, upon request by any person, produce the food safety inspection report or reports relating to the currently posted food inspection notice for such establishment (This was not me, Dec 17, 2013 was my first visit)

November 21, 2013 - PASS

1. Operator fail to ensure cracked utensil not used in food handling

VERDICT: Welcome to Thailand!

Monday, January 6, 2014

Vermont Ski/Snowboard Trip - December 24-25, 2013

December 24, 2013 - Farewell Stowe!

11:00 am - Leaving Stowe, VT and scenic road to Burlington, VT







 


Lunching at nika

Location: 83 Church St, Burlington, VT 05401

Time: 1:00 pm

Party Size: 8

Price: $1.00 before discount, tax and tips

Food consumed:
- Spaghetti & shrimp (pistachio, garlic, red chili, sliced parsley, olive oil)

Website: http://nikavt.com/

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

Review of Restaurant:
Ordered some hot water but the water had extra content in it. I did not drink it for fear of food poisoning.

The spaghetti was very bland. Not worth the price of entry. However we struck a nice deal. By trading our emails, meals that cost over $10 only cost $10.


9:00 pm - We arrived in Montreal! Staying on night here. I wonder what is opened on Christmas Eve. After braving the frigid temperature, we manage to only find that a hot pot place was opened.

La Fondue Chinoise Mongolienne



Location: 50 Rue de la Gauchetière Ouest, Montréal, QC H2Z 1C1

Time: 1:00 pm

Party Size: 8

Price: $21.50 before tax and tips

Website: http://www.littlesheephotpot.com/

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



Review of Restaurant:
We had to pay extra for the soup base. What a rip off. Expect to pay more than the advertised $18.99 per person.

The place was very tight as with many Asian places. Food was typical, not outstanding. The only reason we came here was that it was opened or else we would have ventured further in Old Montréal.

December 25, 2013 - The End of Our Journey but Beginning of New Friendships 

Christmas Lunch at Schwartz's




Location: 3895 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2W 1L2

Time: 12:30 pm

Party Size: 8

Food consumed:
- Smoke meat sandwich - $6.65

Website: http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on images to enlarge)
Mmmm, can't refuse free bread from a bread hater.


Review of Restaurant:
Fatty is the way to go. Fatty fat fat. Yummy. I want more of this smoked meat! Service seems better on Christmas, compared to my last visit. Must be the Christmas holiday bringing joy to everyone's warm hearts.


Can't leave Montréal without packing some bagels from St-Viateur. Unfortunately, they only had plain, poppy and sesame ones.

Number of instances of food poisoning: 0
Number of friends made/maintained: 7
Number of cars: 3
Number of snowboarders: 7
Number of items burned in the fireplace: Too many

Vermont Ski/Snowboard Trip - December 22-23, 2013

December 22, 2013 - Being Sick Sucks!

Chef Carmen and Loni's Steak Dinner


Location: Stowe, Vermont

Time: 9:30 pm

Party Size: 8

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






Review of Cooking:
Woke up with a fever. Man that sucked. Got all drugged up and slept until dinner. Woke up again but to a wonderful meal. Steak from Costco, fries, steam vegetables and cream of mushroom soup. Carmen had that lobster bisque. Thanks Kevin for driving all the way to Costco!

December 23, 2013 - Last Night at Vermont

Snack Time at Waffle Cabin



Found at the top of the gondola ride. Two servers who don't speak good English will be serving you this delicious waffle. I was told that the chocolate topping was a must. I will explore that option next time.

Dinner at O'Grady's Grill & Bar




Location: 504 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT 05672

Time: 9:00 pm

Party Size: 8

Price: $24.00 before tax and tips

Food consumed:
- Salt and Pepper Calamari from the coast of New England with malt aioli and fresh tarragon- $13
- Homemade Crispy Wings with stout, maple hot sauce, crispy celery, carrots and bleu cheese dressing - $10 (They had to describe the celery as being crispy and spelled blue in French)
- Mussels with sautéed eggplant, coconut green curry, Thai peppers and fresh basil - $11
- Ed's Fish and Chips (pub style scord with IPA batter, malt aioli, coleslaw and crispy French Fries - $18.50

Website: http://www.ogradysgrill.com/index.html

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





Review of Restaurant:
The owners were very friendly and chatted with our crew. The food was good.

Calamari done just right. Soft and tender with the correct amount of crispiness. Wings packed a spicy punch. Mussels were swimming in a nice coconut sauce. The fish in the fish in chips did not have flavour but with some fresh lemon juice and malt aioli sauce, it was a nice combination.

Vermont Ski/Snowboard Trip - December 21, 2013

December 21, 2013 - Let the Skiing/Snowboarding Begin!

Tour of our chalet



Oh these were the only pictures I took...Trust me, the rest of the place was not worth taking pictures of. Except for this little surprise:
Sound asleep throughout our stay. Must be a deep sleeper.


Chef Carmen and Loni's Breakfast


Location: Stowe, Vermont

Time: 10:00 am

Party Size: 8

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

Review of Cooking:
Not bad. The hash browns were cooked to perfection. Sausages just at the right temperature. Bacon, can't complain about that. No stomach ache!

The Slopes at Stowe Mountain Resort

Location: 5781 Mountain Rd, Stowe, VT 05672

Time: 12:00 pm

It took us 2 hours to get ready from waking up to hitting the slopes! Unfortunately, it was raining throughout the entire runs! At the top of the hill, it was foggy.

That's fog, not a snowstorm. Nexus 4 has the worst camera in a phone.
Ermmm, blue for now.


Top of Mount Doom.

We were all soaked. Gore-Tex failed me. My gloves and North Face jacket were drenched!

We lined our gears around the fireplace to dry them up. We even built a contraption to hold as many accessories as possible. It did not go well. A flaming log rolled down and destroyed the carpet. RIP gloves, tights, hats. Too many causalities to name.

Before the contraption was constructed by Engineer Gavin



Chef Carmen and Loni's Dinner


Location: Stowe, Vermont

Time: 7:30 pm

Party Size: 8

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

Proper hand washing was observed. 



Review of Cooking:
The pasta sauce was amazing. Very creamy and fresh. Passed my stomach test yet again. When will they fail? Stay tuned on the next entry.

To End the Night with Beer Pong

Adrian got too tired from standing. The game lasted too long.