Zakkushi on Carlton - BANNED

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Date visited: March 24, 2013

Time: 6:30 pm

Party Size: 2

Price: $41.87 plus tax and tips

Website: http://www.zakkushi.com/

Food consumed:

• Appetizer sampler (choice of 3) - $5.80
• Takowasabi (raw octopus with wasabi stem)
• Kawahagi (dried file fish with spicy mayo)
• Hotaruika (marinated fresh baby squid with soy sauce)
•  Yakitori - Premium set - $19.80
• Wagyu Beef (Wagyu beef skewer with Oropon sauce)
• Wagyu beef tsukune (Wagyu beef meat ball)
• Free range chicken momo (free range chicken thigh)
• Premium beef tongue (thick cut beef tongue with salt & pepper)
• Unagi (eel with teriyaki sauce & sansho pepper)
• Zakkushi set - $8.80
• Momo (chicken thigh)
• Umeshiso Yaki (Chicken thigh with sour plum & Japanese basil)
• Me Maki (garlic stubs wrapped with pork)
• P-toro (crunchy & juicy pork)
• Oropon beef (with grated Daikon & Ponzu sauce)
• P-Toro - $1.80 (we ordered this before the Zakkushi set)
• Yakitori Don (teriyaki chicken, half-boiled egg, mayo, green onion & seaweed on top of steamed rice) - $7.50

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

Appetizer sample. From left to right: Kawahagi, Hotaruiki, Takowasabi

Premium Set. From left to right: Wagyu beef tsukune, unagi, beef tongue, free range chicken, wagyu beef

Yakitori Don

Zakkushi set (1 of 2). From left to right: Umeshiso Yaki, Momo.

Zakkushi set (2 of 2). From left to right:P-toro, Me Maki, Oropon beef

Review of Restaurant:

• Why did I come to this restaurant?

 My friend wanted to try this restaurant out and asked me if I wanted to join. I asked if it was ran by Japanese people. He replied saying "Yes". I immediately told him to make a reservation for the following night. 

I am fed up with all those knock-off Chinese operated Japanese restaurants. They are not authentic. It is like asking a Caucasian to make bubble tea for you or eating Chinese food at Manchu Wok. It's just not the same. For your information, Manchu Wok is not authentic Chinese food (big shocker for most people). We call those "tricking Westerners" food.

We ordered two sets of each skewers. We only shared the appetizers and Yakitori Don. This ensures that we have two comparable specimen.

• What did I think of the service?

I found it very ingenuous that my seat had a removable cushion to conceal our jackets and weapons (if we were this was during the Edo period). Japanese people never ceases to surprise me.

The waitress kept "bugging" us assuming that we knew what to order. They were polite, which is part of the Japanese culture but kept asking if we were ready to order. I like to make a detail analysis, performing calculation of the "worthiness" of each skewer on a mental spreadsheet. This is how accountants determine what to order, at least for me.

We sat beside a column where they place all the orders. I found it annoying that the waitress kept coming beside me to update the orders. They should definitely change where they write their orders.

An interesting pit stop is the washroom. At first, you'd think it is only for one person, but it's actually for two (at least for the male washroom). They had Listerine for you to use and pamphlets to explain the history of the restaurant. A good read for #2.

• How did my sensitive stomach feel?
  

You would think that expensive food would be safer for my stomach. I had diarrhea for the following two mornings. The rest of the day I felt fine. Due to this experience, I am banning this restaurant. My friend did not get sick, only me again. He said it is due to the raw octopus. I really don't know, I had too much food that night to zero-in on the culprit.

City of Toronto Inspection Report

(Click on image to enlarge)

Source: http://www.toronto.ca/health/dinesafe/index.htm?show=detail&id=108847

As expected, Japanese people are very clean individuals. I would expect that the establishment be spot clean since they have robots to clean the place for them.

After eating all this, I was still not full but my wallet getting emptier with each skewer. Mind you, each skewers cost at least $2. I would have probably spent $60-80 to satisfy my stomach.

VERDICT: BANNED! Despite being operated by Japanese people, one bad incident and you'll end up on my banned list.

Kim Po Vietnamese Restaurant - BANNED

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Date visited: March 30, 2013

Time: 8:00 pm

Party Size: 4

Price: $6.75 plus tax and tips

Website: http://www.kimpovietnamese.com/

Food consumed: Lemon Grass Chicken

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

Review of Restaurant:
This is the first time that I posted on the same night of eating at the reviewed restaurant. The reason: I got explosive diarrhea from this place. We ate at 7:00 pm, came home and stomach felt really weird. At 11:20 pm, "BOOM". My sister heard me from her room, that was how powerful it was. I would personally rate it 7.2 on the Richter scale. Refer to link for earthquake effects. Many aftershocks with similar magnitude ensued.

I found it ironic because I kept telling my sister that I would get diarrhea. As we sat down, I asked her, "How shall I get diarrhea tonight?". I also picked this restaurant because we haven't been there in a few years. There was a reason why...

When you get in, you will find an oddly placed table at the entrance. Sucks to eat at that table and have people breathe down your neck. The restaurant feels like it is located in a Vietnamese jungle. It is in the middle of nowhere.

MSG was used in my parents' vermicelli. My parents cannot sleep whenever they have food with MSG at night. As a result, my dad added this to his personal banned list.

City of Toronto Inspection Report

(Click on image to enlarge)

Source: http://www.toronto.ca/health/dinesafe/index.htm?show=detail&id=101550

I had to copy and paste the inspection reports using MS Paint via print screen. The scroll bar appears 3 times.

August 11, 2011 - Passed despite having several significant infractions, I think the City of Toronto inspectors were lax. Failing to wash surfaces and maintaining rooms, sounds dirty to me. I wondered how the kitchen was.

December 13, 2011 - Failed to post eating and drinking establishment license. Also failed in washing equipment and surfaces in rooms.

April 12, 2012 - Again, equipment and surfaces. Storing utensils in manner not preventing contamination.

December 6, 2012 - Yet again, equipment and surfaces. Chinese people never learn.

Overall, they keep having the same infractions. Dirty kitchen area and a perfect breeding ground for bacteria.

"No cutting corners, No Short Cuts. Just hard work. We believe it just taste better this way." Kim Po

VERDICT: BANNED! EXPLOSIVE DIARRHEA EXPLAINS IT! GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME SLEEPING TONIGHT!

Mont Tremblant - February 7, 2013

Chef Suen's Leftover Recipe

Location: Mont Tremblant

Time: 11:00 am

Party Size: 10

Food consumed:
- Shredded potatoes with chives, mushrooms, sausages and carrots
- Bacon (what is breakfast without bacon?)
- Strawberries
- Sausages
- Scrambled eggs

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

Review of Food:
4 days with smooth washroom experiences. I bestow upon Chef Suen, my SEAL OF APPROVAL!

VERDICT: Chef Suen has earned Jer Jai's seal of approval! This distinction is higher and more prestigious that the Medal of Honor.

McDonald's

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Location: 1003 Chemin de Masson, Gatineau, QC J8M 1R4

Time: 1:30 pm

Party Size: 4

Price: 1.39 plus tax

Website: http://www.mcdonalds.ca/ca/en.html

Food consumed:
- Junior chicken

Pictures of food consumed: I've you never had a junior chicken, go buy one and see what it's all about.

Review of Restaurant:
McDonald's is known for their standard of service and same quality food (quality in this sense means they all taste the same. I buy a Big Mac in Toronto, it tastes the same as the Big Mac in London, UK)

VERDICT: Never got sick at McDonald's. 'nuff said! Jer Jai's seal of approval!

independent (Grocery Store)

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Location: 293 Dundas E, Trenton, ON K8V 1M3

Time: 9:00 pm

Party Size: 2

Price: $2.49 plus tax

Website: www.yourindependentgrocer.ca/

Food consumed:
-  Swiss ham and cheese sandwich

Review of Food:
Your friend's car's alternator died. You're stuck on a highway waiting for CCA. You get towed to a Canadian Tire at Trenton only to find that they don't have alternators left. You find out that your CCA card can tow the car back to Toronto for free after wasting 2 hours having it towed.

Just the fact that you are stranded in Trenton for 2 hours makes you want to go home ASAP. You don't care about food, you don't care about your blog, you just want to go home. That's how I felt and I did not take a picture of the food. Even though it was 50% off, do you think a grocery store owned by Loblaws will give you food poisoning? Yes, only T&T will cause it's Asian.

VERDICT: Jer Jai's seal of approval!

Mont Tremblant - February 6, 2013

Chef Quach's Continental Breakfast

Location: Mont Tremblant

Time: 9:00 am

Party Size: 10

Food consumed:
- Sausages
- Scrambled eggs
- Bacon

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

Review of Food:
Miss Quach wanted to hit the slopes bright and early but the 9 of us wanted to sleep longer. Felt bad now that I think about it. She drove 2 hours for this and we were still in bed.

In the end it worked out well, she hit the blacks while I managed to go from bunny, green to blue. Big accomplishment. Thanks Mr LPang for waiting for me at the blue hill.

VERDICT: Jer Jai's seal of approval! Bacon is enough for this to pass through my system comfortably.

Le Shack

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Location: 3035, ch de la Chapelle, Mont-Tremblant, QC J8E 1E1

Time: 1:30 pm

Party Size: 10

Price: $13.95 plus tax and tips (what's this AVT? 3% royalty on all goods and services at Mont Tremblant)

Website: http://www.leshack.com/

Food consumed:
-  Le Flying Mile (chicken breast marinated with mustard and maple syrup sauce and Swiss cheese)

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

Review of Restaurant:
Dried chicken breast, can't taste the maple syrup. I bought this because I wanted maple syrup. Another disappointment with burgers. Can;t wait to eat at some of the Toronto's burger places. A heads up, The Queen and Beaver had the best burger so far.

Even though I was disappointed with the burger, I didn't have to dig a hole in the mountain to unload.

VERDICT: Jer Jai's seal of approval!

Crêperie Catherine

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Location: 113 Chemin de Kandahar, Mont-Tremblant, QC J8E 1E1

Time: 4:30 pm

Party Size: 10

Price: $9.95 plus tax and tips

Website: http://www.creperiecatherine.ca/

Food consumed:
-  Granny Smith Apple crêpe

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

Review of Restaurant:
Located on an interest street name, Kandahar. I think of Afghanistan, not crepes.

"Yummy Yummy"The best crêpe I've had (actually, I don't recall the last time I had crêpes, so this might be only crêpe I had). Nice decor too. The interior is filled with chef related poster, figures, mugs, etc.

On to meat of this blog,  I believe that this crêpe gave me the energy to graduate from the green hill to the blue hill.

VERDICT: Jer Jai's seal of approval!

Chef Suen's Tenderloin

Location: Mont Tremblant

Time: 8:30 pm

Party Size: 10

Food consumed: 
- Tenderloin
- Mashed potatoes
- Broccoli

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

Bambi's mom

Bambi and her siblings

Bambi's mom

Mashed potato with secret ingredient, bacon oil

Review of Food:
Bambi's mom died so that we could enjoy our last night night at Mont Tremblant. Let's have a moment of silence for her. Her sacrifice satisfied my cravings for meat.


The pork tenderloin was amazing. It was supposed to be barbecue pork but we couldn't find Lee Kum Kee branded  BBQ sauce. The closest sauce was Korean BBQ sauce.

The mashed potatoes with bacon oil was also delicious.

I did not feel like I had the runs that night. I did run and rolled around a lot and swam.

VERDICT: Jer Jai's seal of approval!

Mont Tremblant - February 5, 2013

Chef Suen's Continental Breakfast

Location: Mont Tremblant

Time: 8:30 am

Party Size: 9

Food consumed:
- French toast
- Fruit platter (watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, pineapples and raisin)
- Scrambled eggs
- Banana
- Cheerios (Frosted, Chocolate and Apple Cinnamon)

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

Review of Food:
As part of a well balanced breakfast, we had fiber from the banana, whole wheat French toast and Cheerios, protein from the eggs and Vitamin C from the fruits. The French toast was so tasty that it helped my bowel movements.

Happily unloaded myself before hitting the slopes.

VERDICT: Jer Jai's seal of approval!

Smoke's Poutinerie

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Location: 151 Chemin du Curé Deslauriers, Mont-Tremblant, QC J8E 1C9

Time: 1:30 pm

Party Size: 9

Price: $9.49 plus tax

Website: http://smokespoutinerie.com/Default.aspx

Food consumed:
-  Mushroom and fries in peppercorn gravy

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

Crappy picture but I didn't want to ski with my big camera

Review of Restaurant:
Good poutine but not as good as the one with bacon, Italian sausage. I like peppercorn sauce so I picked this.

VERDICT: Jer Jai's seal of approval!

Hot Pot (purchased at T&T)

Location: Mont Tremblant

Time: 7:30 pm

Party Size: 10

Food consumed: 
- Red sausage
- Fried tofu
- Enoki mushrooms
- Beef, fish and pork balls
- Chinese vegetables
- Udon noodles
- Pork, beef and lamb sliced meat
- Tofu

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

 

 

 

 

Review of Food:
$130 worth of groceries for 10 people and we didn't even manage to finish all of it. Lots of meat, can't complain much.

After eating all that meat, I didn't get an upset stomach and it was all smooth.

VERDICT: Jer Jai's seal of approval!

Ottawa and Mont Tremblant - February 4, 2013

Broadway Bar and Grill

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Location: 1486 Chemin Innes Road, Ottawa, ON K1B 3V5

Time: 12:45 pm

Party Size: 9

Price: $13.99, before tax and tips

Food consumed: 
- Smoked Meat Signature Angus Burger - $13.99

Website: http://broadwaybarandgrill.ca/

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

Review of Restaurant:
Originally, we were planning to have brunch here. It was voted for best breakfast in Ottawa. However, our morning grocery shopping took too long. One group went to LCBO and Costco and the other group went to T&T.

At T&T, we saw a group of little kids, about 10 of them aged 4-6. They had a cultural class at the frozen section. I felt sorry for the kids, T&T is not representative of the Chinese cuisine.

Back to my actual food. The "Angus burger" tasted and looked like frozen meat from Costco's frozen burger section. I was sorely disappointed. Recently, I stumbled upon a site that rated the top 25 best burger places in Toronto. So far, I've been to 3 of them of which I photographed at 2 locations. More on that on a different post.

Now to the washroom experience. For the next few days, it flowed perfectly. No bad washroom experience.

Finally the restaurant inspection report:

Source: http://app06.ottawa.ca/cgi-bin/search/inspections/q.pl?ss=home_en&qt=fsi_en

In compliance during the past 3 inspections, that explains the pleasant washroom experience.

VERDICT: Jer Jai's seal of approval!

Chef's Suen Spaghetti Night

Location: Mont Tremblant

Time: 7:30 pm

Party Size: 9

Food consumed: 
- Spaghetti in marinara sauce with spicy Italian sausage


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

Review of Food:

A picture is worth a thousand words.

• What is wrong with this scene?

1. Opened Coca-Cola can on the right hand side. Having open beverages is a big NO-NO. Let's say you start drinking your coke and someone makes a joke. You'll definitely spit all over the pasta sauce and choke. Don't tell me that I didn't warn you.
2. Stirring the pasta sauce while stretching your arm over a pan full of sauce. Notice that 3 cooktops are ON. What if the bottom right one starts splashing the pasta sauce? It will splash on the sleeves and drip back down. You can also burn yourself. Once you get burned, you'll curse. Cursing words tend to start with the "S" or "F" sound. Those require your mouth to open up wider than other sounds. Wider mouth equals more likely to spit on the sauce. See the pattern?

 Chef Suen's cooking was amazing. It was so good that I had seconds. He converted the Italian sausages to meatballs, brilliant. That last night must have been rough on your face. I apologize for that.

I can safely conclude that his cooking passed my stomach's test. I look forward to eating more of his food.

VERDICT: Jer Jai's seal of approval!

ONroute Restaurant - February 3, 2013

Tim Hortons

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Location: Quinte West, Ontario K0K 3M0

Time: 8:30 pm

Party Size: 4

Price: $1.99, before tax

Food consumed: 
- Toasted Mini Chicken with Ranch sauce - $1.99

Website: http://www.timhortons.com/

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

Review of Restaurant:
I had a small dinner beforehand so this was more like a snack for our drive from Toronto to Ottawa.

The sandwich was very mini, hence the name. Despite not giving me an upset stomach, it's not worth $1.99. That's equivalent to two wire transfers, inside joke. Save your money and buy yourself something else.

VERDICT: Jer Jai's seal of approval, unfortunately.