Peaktop Chinese Cuisine

Peaktop Chinese Cuisine is located in the plaza across from Vaughan Mills Mall. I have been to Peaktop a number of times during the day for their Dim Sum menu but I have never tried their dinner menu. I was excited to try them out because I was told they were actually very good. I went there yesterday with three of my friends and here is what we ordered.

 Egg-White Seafood Fried Rice

Stir Fried Crab

 Sweet & Sour Pork

 Stir Fried Beef with Musroom Ginger Green onions

The Egg-white Seafood fried rice was my favourite. It was not only healthier with the egg white, but they were generous with the shrimp and scallops as well. The service was moderately good and the food was very flavorful and served steaming hot and fresh. The dining room was clean and spotless even though they seem pretty busy during the evening time. I am not a big fan of Crabs but these were fried to perfection. Some parts you could even just eat the shell the way it has been fried. The Sweet and Sour Pork was very well cooked as well but the mushrooms in the Beef Mushroom stir-fry could have been cooked a bit longer but the texture of the beef was perfect, overall the food was very tasty. This is defiantly a spot to lookup whenever you are in search of authentic Chinese food in Vaughan.

Food 8/10

Service 7/10

Experience 7.5/10  

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Time for something awesome and unhealthy! To Five Guys!!! So this particular place is not any run of the mill burger and fries joint. There are articles everywhere in this restaurant about their award wining burgers. They are a company that originated from New York, a city that is known for having the best burgers. The fact that Five Guys was able to compete in such a competitive city really proves something.

So I noticed that when I entered the restaurant everything was bright red and the employees were very polite. I ordered the Cheeseburger, Cajun fries, and a drink. The way Five Guys works is any burger you order, it is automatically a double. Unless you ordered a kids burger then it will be a single patty.

So I received and double cheeseburger with my choice of toppings and instead of just a cup of fries, I was given a paper bag of fries with a cup in it… LOL it was insane how much fries they give you. I also noticed that every time an order was ready the employee would walk the food all the way over to the customers seating area and present it to them with a smile. I guess this is part of the Five Guys image to be very customer friendly. It is very hard to find good service in regular burger joints. When I bit into the burger it was so juicy and tender. The meat was cooked perfectly. The fries were way too much; they literally give you a bag of fries. I thought the food was pretty amazing and the service just really tops it off.

Food 8.5/10

Service 9.5/10

Experience 9/10

Ambassadors Dim Sum

So the destination today was Ambassadors Dim Sum located in Richmond Hill. Dim Sum is a style of Chinese foods prepared in small portions like appetizers. Usually eaten for breakfast, brunch, or lunch. So I heard many good things about Ambassadors and it was known for having the best Dim Sum in the area. The service seem very average not too much to talk about there. However the food was very tasty and fresh. I’ve been to many different Dim Sum locations in my lifetime as I am a big fan of Dim Sum and I must say that Ambassadors is a top choice. I couldn’t complain about any of their dishes that came out. I ordered the following:

Rice Noodle Roll w/ Shrimp

Har Gow (Shrimp Dumplings)

Deep Fried Squid Tentacles

My favourite would have to be the Rice Noodle Roll with Shrimp because unlike every other Dim Sum location Ambassadors actually customized it by adding veggies in their rolls to distinguish them from the rest. I suppose the service was not up to standards due to how busy it was when I was there. I guess this place really is known for their Dim Sum because it was really packed on a Sunday morning. Overall the food was great, the environment was good, and the service was not the best but the food really makes up for it.

Food 9/10

Service 6/10

Experience 7.5/10

Canyon Creek Chophouse

So it was a beautiful day today and that means it was perfect patio weather. I went with a few friends to a steak house I heard only good things about. Canyon Creek is a well reputable restaurant and they cater to more sophisticated customers. I found the menu to be even more expensive then The Kegs. When we entered I noticed the dim lighting and expensive looking furniture and fixtures. Right then I knew this place is going to hurt my pockets J. So when we seated, the waitresses was very polite and accommodating to any questions we had. She started us off with drinks and this place even gives out complimentary starter whole-wheat rolls with some sweet butter I never had before. You can never go wrong with free bread and butter. This butter was amazing though; they made it their own by adding some sugar or sweetener to give it a great taste. So I ordered a large Grilled New York Steak with fresh vegetables and a loaded baked potato. When I took my first bite I knew exactly what all the hype was about. The steak at this restaurant was just phenomenal, no other place like it!

I noticed the server would constantly check up on us to see whether we needed a refill or if the food was okay. I really appreciated good service and this place offers very good service. So of course good service equals good tip. Although this place is a lil on the expensive side I thought it was definitely well worth it.

Food    9.5/10

Service 9.5/10

Experience 9.5/10

Memphis BBQ

So today I will be trying out a small little rib and wings joint that I heard so much about. Apparently the ribs were the best ribs around. Memphis BBQ is located north of Highway 7 on Islington. It is a very small location and the first thing I noticed when I entered the small establishment was the trophy shelf. They had won many awards for best ribs and wings, so I was excited to try it out. Although this place was a small store with limited seating we still eventually got a seat after about 5 minutes due to the surprisingly amount of people coming in just for pick up orders. I also noticed there were bulletin boards piled up with different business cards throughout the years, which I thought was pretty neat how people were networking. The server was extremely polite and accommodating to our needs. So I ordered the Elvis Platter. You were able to choose what kind of sauce on the wings and ribs as well. All meals came with complimentary beans, corn bread, and coleslaw, which was pretty awesome.

When I bit into the ribs it was so juicy and I just loved the way it fell right off the bone. I can honestly see what all the hype was about now. The ribs were to die for! I have never had ribs like this before. The way the sauces complimented the ribs and wings amazing, a blast of flavour in every bite. I guess this goes to show you that you cannot judge a book by its cover, because from the outside of this establishment it seem very small and the location wasn’t great either. However the food here was superb. I am definitely returning in the near future and would recommend this restaurant for rib lovers everywhere.

Food 9.5/10
Service 8.5/10
Experience 9/10

Grazie Ristorante

 

 The restaurant of choice for today is a local Italian restaurant Grazie, just outside Vaughan Mills mall along Jane and Rutherford. Grazie has a fine reputation of great service and authentic Italian cuisine. I had wen to Grazie today with a couple of friends to have some dinner. I was excited to experience the big hype about this restaurant for a while now.

 When I first arrived the restaurant was quite packed, not surprising seeing that it was dinner time. We waited for about 15 minutes before finally being able to settle down. The servers were very well organized. I noticed the arrangement of servers divided into groups managing certain sections of the restaurant, overall very organized. I was also very impressed by the quality of service Grazie provided. Generally I find during rush hours customer service tends to lack due to the amount of customers vs. servers. At Grazie I still received quality service regardless.

 My dinner choice of the night was the Prato, fettuccine with grilled chicken and diced green onions. Flavor wise I was satisfied; the chicken was very moist and well-seasoned. As for the pasta, the noodles were cooked to perfection overall enhancing the texture of the dish. The combination of the grilled chicken went very well with the fettuccine pasta. My only complaint was that my dish was slightly cold when it had arrived. I would have liked for it to be hot as I consume my meal, it was a little disappointing. 

 My overall experience at Grazie was satisfying. The food was great and the service was excellent. Perhaps some improvement on timing could be made for the kitchen staffs who prepare the meals. I recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for a good Italian restaurant around Vaughan!

Food: 7/10

Service: 9/10

Experience: 8/10

Chako

Today on a lovely Monday I decided to eat at Chako - apparently one of the best Korean restaurants in town that serve traditional Korean food. Desperate to try something new, Chako was a clear choice since I have never eating a Korean dish in my life. This would be a new experience for some good food. Chako is the best restaurant and certainly has an exciting experience. It was fun trying new food from a different culture.

My first impression of this restaurant was as expected. The wait was quite a bother; I would strongly recommend making reservations for those who would like to give this restaurant a try. I was waiting in line for about half an hour before I was finally able to settle down. This restaurant is certainly jam packed during prime dining hours. The long wait had definitely paid off once the food arrived.

There was a very wide selection in meats as well as traditional Korean dishes. The meats ranged from classic pork, beef and chicken to delicacies such as ox tongue! I narrowed my choices down to beef bulogogi and pork bone soup. I was amazed by the mixture of savory sweetness of the beef. It was very well marinated; I couldn’t get enough of it! Not to mention the pork bone soup! The blend of spices with the fall-off-the-bone pork chunks and potatoes was a mixture of perfection. Both dishes were delicious! To my surprise with every meal, complimentary side dishes are always offered in Korean restaurants. I was given traditional sides such as pickled radish, seaweed, tofu, bean sprouts and the all-time must-have kimchee. I really liked the idea of complimentary sides, it was such a surprise! 

Pork Bone Soup

Beef Bulgogi

Complimentary Side Dishes

The service was great; the servers were very efficient with their duties. My glass was never empty and there was never a problem with finished used plates on the table. There were some communication problems due to the language barrier but it was not unbearable.

Overall, Chako was a nice dining experience, I am excited to explore and try other Korean restaurants around town!

Food: 9/10

Service: 7/10

Experience: 8/10