Larie L

Pat Central is my happy place coz I love all things Korean! This store has a large selection of Asian goods at reasonable price.

With their endless aisle after aisle, it's truly a foodie nirvana.

From fresh meat (love their pork jowl) and produce to prepared foods such as fiery homemade kimchi, kimbap/gimbap and various banchan sides or just grabbing some soju for a party, this place exemplifies the beating heart of Korean culture.

You can find housewares ranging from adorable pots and pan for your ramen as well as other kitchenwares like Korean portable grill for your next samgyeopsal bbq.

They also sell a small variety of Kbeauty products includings serums, toners, ampoules and moisturizers.

Every time I come here I spend hours just wandering around so make sure you make a shopping list because you will most likely get sidetracked by all the colourful and exotic Korean foods on display.

This restaurant is probably one of the most consistently inconsistent places in Toronto!

We have dine here and ordered takeout numerous times and most of the time have disappointing experiences. They're
inconsistent virtually in every way - the food, service and overall experiences varies radically every time we come here.

We've tried their meat kababs including beef/chicken kofta, veal fillet, beef and chicken breast and there are times that they're dry and tough and other times they come out tender and moist.

And then their Challow (Afghan Rice) most of the times have an overpowering smell as if it was doused with lots of spices. But when you order it again in another day it tasted just right.

Even their mere red chutney sauce is not saved from their inconsistencies. Normally this should be savoury and spicy. We just ordered today and they gave us a red sauce which is sickeningly sweet. Totally so different in taste from the red sauce we got before.

I understand their food can be prepared by different cooks at different days and time. But as an experiment, we tried going on the exact same day/time/staff just to see if their dishes will be the same ... and it was as different as night and day.

While we have good visits with this place, I don't think we will be returning as we don't want to play Russian roulette and experience the risk of occasionally being hit point-blank with terrible food.

Winterlicious 2023 is back for another season and Midi Bistro is one of those places you can count on to have a great meal anytime.

Dinner costs $45 now but is still a good deal and your money well spent mainly because of their superb food, service and ambience.

Went out with two of my friends and so we get to try different dishes:

Appetizers:
Sautéed Escargots with Portobello Mushroom - this is a rich and delectable appetizer. It's cooked in cognac and basil cream sauce and you can soak up the creamy goodness with the complimentary bread they provided you. And let me tell you they tasted silky and divine!

Pate de Campagne with Toast & Gherkins - the pate is more on the coarse and rustic type and portion is generous. Comes with a side salad and baguette.

Spicy Crab Cakes - crab cakes are really tasty and spicy. The touch of heat adds a flavourful twist to the classic crab cake. But I wish they would have given more instead of only 2 crab cakes. This is my fave out of all the 3 apps and 10/10 would order this again.

Main Dish:
Braised Lamb Shank - find it a tad dry and a bit overcooked, this is my least fave dish. There's also a pronounced gamey flavour with the lamb shanks.

8 oz Striploin Steak - perfectly cooked juicy steak paired well with the mushroom brandy sauce.

Seafood Risotto - packed with different types of seafood, they give you a huge portion of this dish and it's so flavourful in every bite.

Dessert:
Creme Brûlée - crisp shell that shattered under your spoon exposing rich and smooth layer of custard beneath with just a hint of vanilla, this is a joy to eat.

Strawberry Cheesecake - this is the star of the show. Silky smooth and creamy classic cheesecake with delightful strawberry topping tastes as amazing as it looks.

Overall we had a great dining experience and special mention to our server, Sindhu who's very nice and friendly. And even though the place was packed, she
still manages to maintain a calm composure, smiling and welcoming people in the restaurant. Truly worthy of a praise!

Went for our Team lunch (party of 9) and everyone had a great time as both food and service were exemplary.

Started off with the Saganaki and Grilled Calamari for appetizers. We really liked the Saganaki as it’s not overly salty considering they used kefalotyri cheese. The grilled calamari consists of mix greens, is lightly charred and goes well with the bell peppers, onions, olives and vinaigrette.

For our mains, the dishes ranges from seafood where someone ordered the Grilled Whole Sea Bass & Fisherman’s Stew, pasta (Orecchiette Pasta) and meats - Braised Lamb Shank & Grilled Organic Chicken Breast.

The star of the show imo is the Braised Lamb Shank. Not really a fan of lamb due to their grassy/gamey taste but nowhere will you get this taste from Volos' lamb shank. Rich, juicy and flavourful, the fall-of-the-bone lamb shank is so succulent. Every bite sets off a happy fireworks on your tongue that you can't get enough of it!

Another stellar dish is their Saffron Pistachio Ice Cream. Incredibly creamy and with the predominant taste and smell of the saffron, I really love this dessert. This dessert is swoon worthy and not to be missed here.

Yes Volos is on the pricey side but the experience and quality of food alone are worth both the price.

Also one of the few restaurants who doesn’t add automatic gratuity for large parties which is surprising since almost all the restaurants we’ve been to are doing this. This practice alone will entice us into coming back to Volos.

I’m puzzled by the low rating of this restaurant since among the downtown Toronto Chinatown restaurants, I would say New Ho King is one of the most consistent when it comes to food quality/quantity and pricing.

We’ve been coming to this restaurant for over 20 years and the food we normally ordered still taste the same - flavourful, and servings are generous compared to other Chinatown restaurants. Everyone in this restaurant are very pleasant from the Manager (guy) to the servers and always say hi and thank you to customers. Not even once did we experienced rude service.

This is also one of the few restaurants in Toronto that rewards cash discounting to customers - offers 10% off your bill if you pay cash. One time, they got 1 of our order wrong and was given automatically a discount in our bill without even asking for it.

We’re a fan of their Ho King Special Sizzling Chili Chicken in Hot Pot (bone-in). Crispy and flavourful is how to best describe this dish. Tender marinated chicken fried until crispy with lots of spring onions makes this a delightful dish and something that you want to eat over and over again.

Another fave is their Deep Fried Calamari with Spicy Salt. Squids are perfectly coated in a well-seasoned batter and flavoured with spice mixture. Very addictive and pairs well with rice/fried rice.

I could go on and on about how wonderful their food is but if you haven’t tried this place maybe you should give it a chance if ever you’re in the Chinatown area. Bonus point - they’re open late or until the wee hours so good for late Chinese cravings.