Product:

Language of the Leaf Teas

www.languageoftheleaf.com

I’m so excited to review this product as it was a package sent to me from Neeta Khanna (founder, Language of the Leaf) herself after she saw my Zimbel’s review. So about four weeks ago I received this package and have pretty much been getting drunk on teas ever since.

Assorted Language of the Leaf tea packets

In fact, as I sit here writing this, I’m sipping on a lovely Rooibos Sunset tea . Outside, the leaves are the same colour.

Fall 2009 © photohogger

Language of the Leaf: Rooibos Sunset

The Rooibos Sunset tea is much like a walk in the crisp fall weather with crackling leaves underfoot and a real sense of being at one with nature.

Language of the Leaf: Rooibos Sunset

Its citrus flavour is refreshing and light and the high level of antioxidants makes it a winner all-around. I should also mention that this tea arrived as a wedding give-away sample; the tea in a gorgeous silken tea bag in a cute round metal container.

Language of the Leaf: Rooibos Sunset as a wedding giveaway

Language of the Leaf: Rooibos Sunset tea bag

The Wedding Blend, a white tea infused with peach nectar and speckled with pink rosebuds is appropriately titled as it would make a very good wedding give away.

I found this to be a really enjoyable after-dinner tea. We’d purchased a rose-bud tea in San Francisco from a wonderful tea shop sold to us by a very knowledgeable salesman and he told us that the rose buds are great for complexion and said to relieve menstrual pain. I find the pure rose-bud tea to have too strong of a sweet scent (much like rose water), so the blend of white tea, peaches and roses was more tolerable.

Language of the Leaf: Rooibos Lemongrass

The Rooibos Lemongrass tasted much like the Rooibos Sunset, I couldn’t quite detect the difference, but I’m not complaining since I longed for more of the Sunset after the tea bag was finished, so this works just as nicely.

I have to admit that I am not a fan of green teas; I’ve never come across one that I’ve liked (until now), mostly because of their sometimes powdery and always bitter aftertaste.

Language of the Leaf: Queen of Siam Green Tea

That said, the Queen of Siam is a green tea with a lemon ginger finish and I was hesitant to try it, it was the last one of the batch left for me to try and the lemony scent reminded me of NeoCitran, but then I tasted it and it was wonderfully not lemony at all…rather, gingery and smooth with a mild hint of green tea. Very soothing. We cracked this tea pack open at work one day when one of my friends was feeling a cold coming on…she agreed that it was very calming.

Okay, can I please talk about the Biscotti now? WOW! Imagine your grandmother’s biscotti, or if your grandmother didn’t make biscotti, imagine she did and now imagine it in liquid form. Okay, that probably didn’t make it sound too good, but honestly, I was floored that tea could taste as if I were actually biting into a biscotto. It’s great with or without milk. Amazing. Truly a tea to make you feel warm and fuzzy all over!

And lastly, y’all know how much I love my Earl Greys (and I have had some really pathetic EG teas…bags and loose leaves,but I shan’t name any names…*cough Twinnings Lipton David’s Tea cough*), and Language of the Leaf’s Earl Grey is what I really should be talking about since it’s what brought this whole review together! I fell in love with this LotL’s EG at Zimbel’s Cafe a while ago, enjoying it with some soy or lactose-free milk in the afternoons as a wake pick-me-up. I love the smell of it; it’s got a milder scent of bergamot but it’s not mild on taste. A wonderful version of EG that I adore and continue to purchase from Zimbel’s, even with a batch of it at home. The one time Zimbel’s didn’t have EG, I decided to try the Ginger Peach Apricot black tea; I found it to be deliciously gingery and robust in fruit flavour.

I’d like to thank Neeta Khanna for this opportunity to review her fabulous teas, it was such a treat! And thanks to Language of the Leaf for making the days leading into winter so much more enjoyable.

October 19 – 25

It’s the 4th year of Toronto’s Chocolate Festival!  And it’s happening right now in the city!

Print your coupons here and sample some of the tastiest desserts in town!

You’re welcome

Location:

270 Adelaide St W, Toronto

www.spicesafar.com

In the heart of downtown Toronto you’d be hard pressed to find a sexy lounge with a decent menu to offer. And let’s be honest, a menu is one thing, an actual edible tasty meal is another. Fear not, I’ve found the place that has it all. It’s called Spice Safar.  It’s a lounge, restaurant, cafe, bakery and high-end boutique.  And it not only promises a luxurious experience, it delivers.

Nevermind that it was by invitation that we “journeyed” to the new Spice Safar location at Adelaide and John. We were ready to shell out for the night out, but thanks to executive chef Matthew Sullivan and the friendly crew running the place that evening, we were treated to a couple of couture mixology drinks and a full out taste of everything on their menu!

At $15.95 for a fancy mixology drink, you may think that the price tag is quite hefty but the unique concoction with modified molecular ingredients is surely a million light years away from your standard cosmo or lychee martini.

So it was incredibly hard to choose from the drinks menu with all the ingredients being so different and intriuging. We finally decided upon the Lavender Sour (vodka, lavender tea, cane juice, ginger, egg white) and the Blue Hemingway (rum, fresh cane sour, mint, hose bitters & flaming absinthe).

Their absinthe is made in-house and just watching our drinks being made was enough entertainment for the night (not to mention the fire show we got later on!)

The Lavender Sour and Blue Hemingway was served on a wooden trays along with a glass of sparkling water and grapefruit mousse to cleanse the palate. The mousse was so light and airy; I’d be happy just having my palate cleansed. Forever.

Miguel Aranda, Spice Safar’s mixologist who fares from the Big Apple was away that evening but his apprentice Florian expertly concocted our drinks; making my Lavender Sour sans the egg white (something they’re still working on perfecting and I have to admit I was a little bit relieved).  The Lavender Sour was lovely – bringing to mind all things Hawaiian; distinctly tropical and refreshing.

The Blue Hemingway was crisp. My sharp yet, I suppose, inferior mixology-taste buds detected it to be a cross between mojito and absinthe. It was a lot easier to drink and more enjoyable than the Absinthe House Frappe we had at the Old Absinthe House in New Orleans.

Next were the dishes, mainly tapas style fare, starting with the special of the day, the executive chef’s version of bruschetta: polenta topped with cheese and garnished with pea sprouts and grated endive and sprinkled with a Spanish olive oil (imported weekly).

Next was the Chicken Satay, marinated in Malaysian chili lemongrass sauce and grilled. Finished with a soy chili coconut glaze. $8.95

So you’re thinking, how hard is it to mess up chicken skewers, right? Well, to compare let me remind you of the half-cooked meat sticks at Elephant & Castle. At Spice Safar? Great presentation and tasty to boot!

Mini Burgers – 3 Dry aged ground top sirloin patties, served on in house made poppy seed buns, with a cherry tomato relish, smoked gouda cheese and a fresh thyme and truffle aioli. $11.95

I could have eaten just the buns alone; they were so good! Add in the Kobe beef and the relish…these mini sliders were little bundles of joy (I say little out of context for the portions were quite generous).

Next up:  the dumplings, chicken with fresh ginger $8.95 – pan seared and finished with yuzu juice and soy sauce. Filled with market vegetables, sweet and Yukon gold potatoes and sesame seeds.

Just looking at the photograph now, I’m reminded of the succulency and texture of this dish. Loved it…wanted want more!

Tagine – braised lamb shank, market vegetables, sultana raisins, Safar-inspired Moroccan spices. Served with peach chutney and grilled flatbread $9.95

I am admittedly not a lamb eater, however after the first bite (and then subsequent irresistable bites) ascertain they did something right; not only was the meat tender, the gravy was savory.  You lamb-fans will love this dish; it’s undoubtedly fresh – this I know because it reminded me (I know, I’m constanty reminiscing of past meals) of the organic lamb I ate growing up in Africa.  

At this point we were already stuffed, and then to finish off Matt & Jaclyn brought out a lovely cheese platter!

Cheese charcuterie plate (for 2) – local artisanal cheese, served with a roasted almond and pistachio paste, seasonal fresh fruit, dried figs, in house made sour dough bread and marinated vegetables $19.95 

If memory serves me well, there was a blue cheese from Guelph, and pasturized cows milk from North Bay and BC topped with pears, blueberries, kiwis and figs.  So, you know how blue cheese stinks?  This blue cheese was something else – no offending smell and such a mild taste (I even forgot my lactose-intolerancy for a while).

The pistachio paste and olive tapanade were both amazing!  There were three degrees of Spanish olive oils, beginning with mild to a more peppery blend.  Soooo good.  And that bread!  MMM.

Later we were impressed by Flo’s amazing fireshow and absinthe shots.  Smooth…both the show and the shot.

We’d like to thank (l-r) executive chef Matt, Jaclyn, Florian and Riyad for showing us a great time and letting us take photographs to remember the experience!

Here’s a little excerpt on Matt Sullivan from their Facebook page:

The executive chef responsible to introduce the SpiceSafar food experience to Toronto has recently returned from a culinary journey on the Old Continent. Matthew not only worked at high-end gastro-pubs in Glasgow, Scotland, but he had the privilege to work with the most influential chef in UK’s history, Heston Blumenthal in his 3-star Michelin landmark restaurant. The Fat Duck has been voted by most critics as one of the two best restaurants in the world and is on the leading edge of molecular gastronomy. This extraordinary experience alone has fully prepared Matthew for the task of leading the team introducing the SAFAR couture comfort food to our Toronto audience. His creative flair, first rated skills in food sciences and his great wine knowledge all make him the perfect guide to take us all on truly flavorful epicurean discoveries.

Spice Safar is an innovative, elegant and aesthetically pleasing space with a concept unique to Toronto’s restaurant scene.  Can’t wait to go back!

Location:

87 Avenue Road, Toronto

Cost: Hot chocolate $2.99 (mint shot $.50), cooked sushi combo 6.49, avocado roll $5.99

Server: Boshan

To clarify; this review is not about the Whole Foods Market in Yorkville….which I actually like very much and can’t complain about. Instead, this post is in regards to the absolutely disgraceful service we received at the Whole Foods cafe, Whole Hearth (located on the street level of Avenue Rd.) one afternoon after a day at the spa.

It’s very surprising that such a location as this in Yorkville (or anywhere, for that matter) would have staff like this employed.

Imagine this, if you will. Three perfectly relaxed women, sauntering into the cafe for a mid-day snack after a leisurely few hours at the Nova Spa across the street. Each picking a sushi snack tray from the freezer section and standing at the cashier ready to pay.

At once we notice how Boshan is incredibly short with us…ringing in my friend’s sushi while impatiently gesturing for mine as well. I tell him we want to order a hot chocolate which he doesn’t even acknowledge, still waving for my sushi tray. I try to tell him that my sister and I will be sharing our hot chocolate (my friend had also ordered a hot chocolate) but it goes unacknowledged (although appears on the receipt).

We take our sushi to the table (sans hot chocolate) and begin to eat, all the while looking to see if our hot chocolates are being made. Instead he seems to be occupying himself with other tasks and then begins moving around from one end of the cafe to the other.

At one point, my sister stops him mid-walk and asks about our hot chocolates to which he snaps, “In a minute, I’m not going in that direction..”, meaning he was heading away from the coffee counter. Seriously?

Finally..and I mean by this time, my friend has already finished her sushi, he plops down her hot chocolate whereas ours is nowhere to be seen. So again, my sister begins to ask for an extra cup for the hot chocolate (assuming he plans to bring it) to which he rudely retorts, “In a minute, after these customers”. So now they are other customers waiting, but weren’t we also waiting?

Eventually we receive our drink (and the second cup) but are not happy with it (besides the manner in which it was produced, it didn’t taste all that good either).

Later he returns with some ‘leftover samples’ from the bakery – some pizza which he shoves in front of our faces without explanation so I ask what kind of pizza it is, veggie or meat (my sister is vegetarian). His response? A classy, “chicken!” and then whips it away from me offering it to my friend who helps herself.

Wow.

As we get up to leave, we’re barely out of our seats and gathering up our things when he comes over and starts moving the tables apart. I was practically still sitting in the chair. Yikes!!

My sister and I were appalled and even my usually zen-like friend was amazed at his actions.

Forget Whole Hearth, we sure got a WHOLE lotta attitude! What a horrible person to keep employed. Shame on you Whole Hearth.

Location:

4088 Rue Saint-Denis, Montreal, QC

Cost: approx $90 for two (incl. glasses of wine)

www.chuchai.com/

Mock duck, you say?

I never thought I’d actively scope out a vegetarian Thai restaurant…but that’s what we did when we were in Montreal. Coming highly recommended from more than a few friends, Chu Chai is a trendy zen-like Thai resto boasting authentic thai dishes made from completely veg/vegan friendlyproducts (ie. soya, tofu, seitan).

In Toronto I’ve only tried a handful of veg restaurants, such as Fresh, Cafe 668 and Le Commensal, that too mostly under the persuasion of my mock-meat eating friends, so I’m no expert on the best veg restaurants in Toronto. I’ve heard Vegetarian Haven, Urban Herbivore and Hibiscus are good but haven’t gotten around to trying those out, yet. [By the way, a great site for you veg eaters is the Toronto Vegetarian Association: www.veg.ca]

Now back to Chuchai! With no reservations, we took a cab out to St. Denis around 9pm on Saturday night, and found the place to be pretty packed. We were assured that we’d be seated as soon as they could get us a table leaving us to wonder about the one vacant table to our left. We were then told that the table had been reserved but the patrons were now more than 1/2 an hour late. I guess that table had our name on it, afterall.

Eyeing the dishes on the tables made us realize how famished we really were but a quick glance at the menu proved we’d be taking a while longer to decide what to eat!

Finally, after much deliberation and chats with our friendly and helpful server, we decided on won ton soup and dumplings in peanut sauce to start.

The dumplings in peanut sauce was not only lip-smacking good, it was
plate-scraped-with-fork-many-times-over-because-you-can’t-literally-lick-the-plate good. Damn. Just remembering it now makes my mouth water.

And the won ton soup was a perfect complement to the sauciness of the dumplings. Yum!

Next we got a mock beef and duck dish.

The mock duck curry was amazing with pineapples, green peppers and tomatoes.  The beef dish suggested to us came with bamboo shoots and was also a curry (I was expecting more of a dry/fried dish – should have gone with the beef with chili and basil afterall!)  Still, they were both really good.

Both had amazingly accurate meaty textures from the seitan (wheat-gluten) in highly flavourful curries; however, the mock duck beat out the beef dish that was recommended to us.

My only gripe is the miniature portion of the serving of rice…argh! Seriously? The sticky rice we ordered (not included with the dishes) arrived in a fancy basket which I thought was at least the depth of the basket…only to discover that the rice was sitting in an even shallower basket within!

There was barely enough rice for one person in there! We had to order a second, plain rice, which came in a white ceramic bowl; still a small size but more of the standard side-of-rice bowl. Combined it was barely enough to finish the curries (which didn’t stop us from finishing the curries, mind you – they were so tasty).  Besides the ridiculousness of the rice portions, Chuchai is a winner in taste, presentation, and service….a delicious place for both veg and non-veg eaters.

We’re already planning to bring my sister and family of vegetarians out to Chuchai; and I have to admit, I can hardly wait to go back (even though we both felt slightly ill afterwards…perhaps from all the soy/gluten or peanut sauce?  Not sure).

Also, Chuch the restaurant next door, under the same ownership, is more of a casual (and cheaper), take-out place which allows you to BYOB but perhaps instead, I can Bring My Own Rice?

Location:

2318 Royal Windsor Dr, Oakville

Cost: approx $15 pp

We were craving some sushi take-out and decided to give Eastern a try on the basis that you just never know!
Well, who knew, indeed? Eastern is amazing.

We went in to check out their take-out menu and decided they certainly have a variety of foods (from sushi to thai to chinese). And once we spoke to Andy we decided on keeping it simple with a salmon bento box and a spicy schezuan chicken dish with rice. While we waited we were served tea and it’s at that point that we decided we liked that place (even before tasting the meal).

And it was a damn good meal, let me tell you.

Tasty and spicy (with real dried red chilies) schezuan chicken (with loads of chicken).

The peppers, green onions etc were all very fresh (unlike the slightly rotten tasting veggies so common in many asian restos).

The bento box sushi was incredible; the tempura just perfect.

They also have all-you-can eat sushi for $12.99 at lunch and $19.99 at dinner (I believe, but will confirm).

Now a definite favourite in the ‘Ville!

I just received my first product in the mail to review!

A huge thanks to Neeta Khanna at Language of the Leaf for sending me a giant box of teas! I can’t wait to try everything. Anyone who knows me or at least reads my blog will know how much I love Earl Grey tea and if you happened to read my Zimbel’s Cafe review you’d have noticed how pleased I was with Language of the Leaf’s EG. It’s wonderful.

I plan on getting drunk on teas this weekend and will have my review up soon!

Location:

453 Rue Saint-Sulpice
Montreal, QC

www.lesglaceurs.ca/

We just happened upon this cute pink cafe on our walk through Old Montreal and boy were we happy we did! Our friends C&K hadn’t been to this ice-cream/cupcake place before either, so it was a real treat for all of us.

There were many gorgeous cupcakes; it was so hard to decide!

So, much like the Seinfeldian black and white cookie, we went with the vanilla cupcake and the brownie cupcake.

Iz..how you say…pretty, non?

And damn, that frosting was kickass!

221 Spadina Avenue, Toronto

#73

#58

I can’t remember the last number…..but these were our numbers (a consistent order amongst a few of my fellow diners).

Mine (#73) was the vermicelli with chicken & spring roll dish (what I always order at Vietnamese restos):

And while we were all in agreement that the new (flat, melamine-esque) plates they’re serving in are boring, we were all in favour of the taste (um….of the food, not the plate).

#58, the vermicelli with pork…

And #?, the beef vermicelli with lemon grass

It’s clean and minimalist…it’s the one with the indecipherable white sign outside; the “white place” we call it (with zero partiality).

It’s been decided, we like this place.

Off to Montreal for the weekend!

Got a few recommendations (thanks A!) under my belt, such as Daou for Lebanese and Chu Chai for veg Thai.

Any other places I must try?

***Update*** My friend M  just recommended the following (Thanks M!!) so I had to share her list:

Sushi: http://www.maiko-sushi.com/montreal/en/mtl-index.htm

Thai vegan: http://restomontreal.ca/portal/chuchai/index.php?lang=en

Thai for real lol: http://www.chao-phraya.com/

Fondue place(fantastic): http://www.fonduementale.com/

Pub but fancier and a gazillion beers (try the Shoune a l’erable): http://www.bieresetcompagnie.ca/

Lebanese lunch place: Basha and it’s on the second floor…there should be a Sports Expert store below it : http://www.restomontreal.ca/restaurants/index.php?section=viewresto&resto_id=159&lang=en

Tapas…amazing: http://www.casatapas.com/

Brunches:

http://www.cafesouvenir.com/cafesouvenir/

BEST croissants EVER. NO questions asked. LOL : http://www.premieremoisson.com/Home/

A diner type place that’s pretty famous and really good: http://montrealbreakfastreview.com/dustys

OH!! How can I forget. You want an insane poutine??!!!! Go there:
http://www.restolabanquise.com/