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Tag Archives: japanese

Four decadent desserts from Cheese Garden!

12 Friday Oct 2018

Posted by notanotherfoodblogca in asian, cakes, comfort food, dessert, japanese, review, reviews, toronto, Uncategorized

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dessert, japanese, toronto

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There’s a Japanese café near me called Cheese Garden that’s known for their super delicious Japanese pastries like cheesecake and tiramisu. I was given a few to sample and WOW!!! I was so blown away by how delicious they were! You can tell the pastries were made from really high quality ingredients, each all so unique. I really don’t know any other place that offers desserts like these, so I highly recommend checking them out.

First up is their Yuzu Pistachio Double Fromage Cheesecake, a new limited time pastry that they created to celebrate their 2nd anniversary. Absolutely LOVED this – when you bite into it, you immediately taste the yuzu citrus and slight pistachio flavour, which go so deliciously with the rich and luxurious cheese notes. There are a ton of layers in this pastry, each complimenting each other very well:

  • The cheesecake base is made of pistachio sponge cake – super soft and delicate
  • On top of that is a rich, smooth, baked pistachio cheesecake, with some sugar roasted diced pistachios added into it
  • Above that is a rich and creamy yuzu mascarpone cheesecake
  • The cake is finished with a layer of pistachio sponge cake crumbs, sprinkled with gold flakes and decorated with a cute yuzu shaped chocolate button

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Make sure you grab this because it will be on sale only from October 13 to November 4, with 50 available per day, limited to one cake per person! If you drop by any of their locations from October 13 to 14, you can get 50% off one pastry item (this promo does not include the Yuzu cheesecake).

cheese

The next pastry I tried is the Baked Cheese Tart. It’s freshly baked, filled with decadent molten cream cheese. I heated it up in the oven for a bit, and really loved the crispy outer shell of the puff pastry. The crust was a nice contrast to the delicious centre: gooey, salty, and sweet.

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I also really liked their Double Fromage Cheesecake, with layers of mascarpone, baked cream cheese, sponge cake, and coated with sponge cake crumbs. The cheese flavour tasted so delicate and delicious. Make sure you take a bite with all the layers – it’s a great combination of creamy vanilla and Japanese cheesecake flavours. Just slightly sweet and perfect. When you get this make sure you eat it at room temperature because it is usually stored in the freezer.

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Finally, one of my favourites from the desserts, their Uji Matcha Tiramisu. I am a huge sucker for anything matcha, and I enjoyed this so much! Soft, creamy, and bursting with matcha! It’s made with premium Uji matcha powder, matcha cream, double layers of fluffy cream cheese and specially made ladyfingers. This is a must buy!!

Make sure you try the Yuzu Pistachio Cheesecake, or any of the desserts really, especially because of the promo that they’ve got going on this weekend!

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Cheese Garden
5291 Yonge St, North York, ON M2N 5R3
www.cheesegarden.ca

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I can die happy now.

21 Thursday Sep 2017

Posted by notanotherfoodblogca in asian, beef, japanese, lavish, review, reviews, steak, travel, Uncategorized

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jaoan, japanese, review, travel, wagyu, yakiniku

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Oh, Tokyo. I often think and daydream about what an amazing adventure the two weeks my boyfriend and I spent there in February. And when I say often, I really mean once every few weeks (not ashamed to admit it at all!!).

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The country. The culture. The food. The people. Everything is wonderful. And it’s unfortunately taken me ages to post about the best beef experience and all in all best restaurant that I’ve experienced / had the absolute pleasure of eating at in my entire life thus far – Sumibi Yakiniku Nakahara (炭火焼肉 なかはら). Mostly because I was unsatisfied by the photos I took (low lighting struggles), and because I really needed the photos to clearly capture the meal. It was SO epic, from the service to the food, which is so meticulously prepared and cooked.

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It took me two months of deep research to narrow down a solid Tokyo food itinerary (consulting Tabelog, and other food blogs), and this spot topped the list of must-eats. I’m a HUGE steak person, and needed to experience wagyu in Tokyo. This highly recommended spot needed a reservation made one month in advance, and it was a thousand times worth it.

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My cousin, boyfriend and I sampled different slices of cuts from the highest quality Tajima Black Wagyu beef, from wagyu sirloin, oyster blade, ribeye, and so many more.

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Look at this beauty – MY GOD, the marbling!

This was 100% on another level – my eyes literally rolled to the back of my head with every bite of meat, with my favourite being the ribeye. This is likely the best beef experience in the entire world.

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The charcoal grill was really important in melting off a bit of that fat, and it also gave the meat a slight char/torched flavour. This is mainly the reason why I chose to go with yakiniku style (grilled meat) of cooking for wagyu. To top it off, the service was outstanding, and it felt like we were welcomed in the restaurant like we were old friends.

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The tireless search for perfection of food and of the craft is evident in so many restaurants that I visited, in Tokyo. Sumibi Yakiniku Nakahara in particular stood out to me, when I read a what owner Kentaro Nakahara said about wagyu: a miniscule 0.2mm difference in thickness or a slight change in knife angle can cause a complete transformation in texture and taste. I was lucky enough to speak to him in person, and you really can see his passion and commitment to the serving highest quality beef and hosting an amazing yakiniku experience.

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These pictures don’t do the entire experience justice at all. If you’re visiting Tokyo soon, I would REALLY recommend booking through here!

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Sumibiyakiniku Nakahara (炭火焼肉なかはら)
GEMS Ichigaya 9F, 4-3 Rokubancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (map)
+81 3 6261-2987

When Japan ruined sushi for me

15 Thursday Jun 2017

Posted by notanotherfoodblogca in asian, japanese, review, reviews, travel, Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

japanese, sushi, tokyo

_DSC1703.jpgI’ve been to Tokyo and back, and can 100000% confirm that what Anthony Bourdain and David Chang have said is true: Tokyo is the world’s best food city. Not gonna lie, Tokyo has ruined me. For all food. Japan devotes so much quality and perfection into food that it’s really on another level.

My boyfriend (HUGE sushi lover) and I had to try the omakase at one of the best sushi spots in the city, one Michelin star restaurant, Sushi Tokami. I was super intrigued by this restaurant, and what some people touted as a “tuna specialist” (LOVE TUNA), and their strong robust rice seasoned with red rice vinegar.

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I can tell you right now that this dining experience was out of this world!!! From the service, and especially to the food – WOW I have never tasted fish this fresh, and rice so delicate but at the same tinged red with a slight vinegary taste. One of my favourites, chū-toro, was a super creamy lightly marbled piece of tuna taken from the belly. The piece literally melted in my mouth!!

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We loved the energy and vibes of Hiroyuki Sato, the head chef, who was super welcoming and chatty. We weren’t rushed at all, and enjoyed each end every bite of heavenly sushi!!

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Here’s one of my favourites, mackerel – I can’t even describe how unreal this tasted, fish that tasted so fresh it felt like it was caught that day! In comparison, I’ve had mackerel here in Toronto and it cannot even compare at all because it tasted really fishy and I had to literally gulp down water to wash down the taste.

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Hamachi, amazing, lusciously buttery and light in it’s flavour profile.

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To end the meal is a delicious tamagoyaki (egg cake): creamy, slightly sweet with a caramelized top surface, kind of similar to creme brulee.

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Sushi Tokami

8-2-10 Ginza Chuo Tokyo

東京都 中央区 銀座 8-2-10 銀座誠和シルバービル B1F

Japanese Braised Pork Belly (Buta No Kakuni)

13 Tuesday Oct 2015

Posted by notanotherfoodblogca in comfort food, dinner, japanese, pork, pork belly, recipe, slow cooking, winter

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

dinner, japanese, lunch, pork, pork belly, recipe, stew

Ahhhh pork belly, my second favourite meat of all time. It’s probably pork belly’s rich flavour and soft texture that’s got me so hooked. This time, I attempted to cook it braised, Japanese style. In other words, Buta No Kakuni – Japanese braised pork belly, simmered on low heat with soy sauce and dashi until it’s so tender that it melts in your mouth.

SOO GOOD. Simmering on low turns the meat to a texture almost buttery soft, complimented with the sauce’s salty and sweet flavours.

This recipe is super easy!! Top it off with a dash of shichimi togarashi for extra flavour.

You’re welcome.

Get the recipe here (and hit translate)!

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