Luckee by Susur Lee

Loved it!
Last week, I went with two friends to try the dim sum brunch at Luckee, Susur Lee's new Chinese restaurant. 

My two friends are French guys. And the two French guys behind yummybaguette.com. That is to say they are really, really picky about desserts. One of them, a vegetarian, has travelled extensively throughout Asia. That is to say he is truly picky about Asian food. I'm just a girl who loves good food. We all loved it!

Luckee Chinese Restaurant & Bar is located at 328 Wellington Street West, within the Soho Hotel in Toronto. You can use their own door (passing by a whimsical mural) but I recommend you enter through the Soho Hotel, stop on the threshold and look up to admire Chihuly's fantastic glasswork with the CN Tower in the background.

On your left, take in the dramatic decor of Luckee's beautiful lounge, mixing up the modern and traditional with luscious red velvet furniture, modern lamps and huge photo of a bather. The restaurant section is beyond the bar. It includes a counter overlooking the busy kitchen. (I was told that we can also eat in the lounge when the section is open.)

You can dine there Tuesday to Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. and have a dim sum brunch Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The bar section is open daily from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Note that the regular menu also offers dim sum, just not as many as you'll find on the dim sum brunch menu. You can reserve online.

I'm sure everything is equally good on the menu but our favourite amongst the selection we tasted during our visit: the crunchy texture of the rice rolls, the beautiful square shape of the crab and tofu dim sum and the cloud-like fell of the coconut tart. We didn't take alcohol and it cost us $33 per person, tax and tip included. We'll be back!

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A little visit to restaurant/boulangerie Cluny Bistro at The Distillery

Last week, I had lunch with girlfriends at French restaurant and bakery Cluny Bistro. "So we can celebrate George's wedding", pointed out one of us (get it?). The place was not as chichi as I expected. Great addition to The Distillery!

Their beautiful boulangerie is open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. They make a very decent croissant and you can grab a coffee for take-out any time. Their fancy pastries include many traditional French creations revisited with success. 

The restaurant section is open daily, at least from 12 noon to 10 p.m. We tried their Croque-Madame (substential, made with the perfect gruyère), their crispy Dinosaur Kale salad (fresh and tasty) and their Hanger Steak with fries (their frites are ze real thing). Service was a bit on the casual side (mixed-up in order, delays, omissions, waiter with his fly open...). Ok, service was sort of bad, but balanced by a lovely attitude, and I felt it was on account of this new large restaurant still training its young staff. 

The decor is impressive. They have a headed patio. The food is great. Lunch or brunch prices relatively affordable and they make serious pastries. It's a keeper! I'll return with pleasure to try their brunch menu, followed by a leisure tour of The Distillery.

Carens Wine and Cheese Bar in the fall!

I love fall. I love patios. Therefore, I LOVE patio heaters.

Last time I was at Carens Wine and Cheese Bar in Yorkville, we had a wonderful evening at the backyard patio. Already pretty in day time, this has to be the loveliest patio in town, with all the lanterns throwing their glow on the wooden walls. 

We shared everything, to try more items from their tasty menu.
One thing we did not try (because it was way to hot in early August) is one of the fondues I saw on their menu. But we promised ourselves we would return in the fall. 

I can't imagine a more whimsical fall outing. They provide soft blankets and they have installed patio heaters. They do cheese fondues and chocolate fondues! Add to this the best spicy Mac and Cheese ever and you have enough reasons to try this cosy place with friends in the coming weeks. Put on your best sweaters!

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Walk into the colourful world of El Catrin at The Distillery

Getting out of the grey area
Most of us currently suffer from cabin fever. Unfortunately, taking a walk with all that grey stuff melting on the ground is not really appealing. (To add insult to injury, it's giving way to the garbage which wasn't picked up before the first snow fall.) This is the time of the year when the destination is more important than the journey. And the Mexican restaurant El Catrin is whimsical enough to tempt me to stroll around The Distillery.

Walking into El Catrin for the first time is quite a visual experience. You go from the austerity of the Victorian red brick wrapping the whole Distillery to the explosive reinvention of a Dia de Los Muertos, with adorned skulls and skeletons.

During the Christmas Market, the patio was heated and equipped with a wonderful central fire pit. On summer nights, the exotic terrace is bathed in yellow lights. The alley leading to the entrance is covered with dozens of lanterns and iron panels along the fence reproduce the chiseled scenes one normally sees on papel picado banners.

El Catrin has replaced the Boiler Room but it has retained the mezzanine and two-storey high wall which is now completely covered with the best kitsch mural in Toronto. (I'll let my pictures do the work.)

Me and my good friend Pascale (another of my partners in crime) had delicious margaritas, guacamole made before our eyes, and an amazing trio of fish tacos. It's not cheap but there are many affordable options on the menu. The place is open daily for lunch and dinner, as well as for brunch on the weekends, and they have a kids menu. (You'll need to make reservation for dinner and brunch.)

I can tell you one thing: Life seems more colourful when seen through glasses of margaritas. ;-)