Kazu

There are no words for this place! It's so freakin' good! Kazu is a Japanese restaurant but you won't find sushi anywhere on the menu. It has Japanese pub and snack food. Everything is unique and interesting and EVERYTHING tastes extremely delicious. There are so many layers of flavours that make you wonder why you aren't eating there every single night. There are two problems, 1) Kazu only fits around 20 people, 2) Everyone knows how good Kazu is. You will always wait in line even if there's a blizzard and I'm sure there would still be a line if there was a tornado. The good thing is, no matter how long you have to wait (I've never waited more than 30 minutes), the food is always worth it! 

We started off with the chicken meatballs. They were bursting with flavour. I would definitely order them again. My absolutely favourite things on the menu are the tuna/salmon bowl and the shrimp burger. It's hard to even speak of these things because it makes me sad that I'm not eating it. The tuna/salmon bowl is a huge bowl of lettuce, tuna and salmon sashimi, perfectly sticky rice, crispy fried noodle-type things and an incredible sesame dressing. It seems simple but the flavours and textures are out of this world!

Chicken Meatballs

The Tuna/Salmon Rice Bowl

This picture does not do it justice... all the good stuff is underneath.

The shrimp burger is insane. Why have I never had a shrimp burger? It's genius! It has such a great texture and it tastes like nothing I've ever had. It's chopped up shrimp made into a patty, cooked perfectly. The burger is served on a bun with tomatoes, lettuce and this delicious mayo sauce. It doesn't sound extraordinary or special but your wrong... it's unbelievable. 

Shrimp Burger

And lastly, we had the teriyaki burger. Forget everything you think you know about chicken teriyaki. This tastes nothing like that. It's a flat-ish chicken patty with this fantastic teriyaki sauce, unlike any teriyaki sauce I've had in the past. It's sweet and savoury and crazy good. Do yourself a favour and go to Kazu!

Teriyaki Burger

Deville Dinerbar

I went to Deville Dinerbar a few weeks ago because Kazu, the restaurant we originally wanted to go to, was closed. Since we were not about to eat shrimp burgers and sashimi rice bowls, we we not in the best mood. I had heard interesting things about Deville so we decided to try it. At first glance, the restaurant is a little flashy and club-like with its florescent purple lights. Inside, it looks like a modern diner which is much more appealing then the tacky street-view.

The menu is insane! Everything sounds delicious and heart-clogging! We started off with the Fried Pickles. Yes! Deep. Fried. Pickles. They were very good... thinly sliced pickles, dipped in batter, deep fried, and served with a maple dijon sauce and a picante ketchup sauce. They were obviously meant to be shared with at least 4 people, but Sarah and I managed to eat them all. The appetizers at Deville all sound appealing; philly cheesesteak spring rolls, salt and pepper calamari, ahi tuna tacos, mini lobster rolls, and crispy mac & cheese stuffed wontons!

Fried Pickles

For my main, I had the Fish 'n Chip on a Bun. I chose the mashed potatoes instead of the french fries (my healthy choice, HA!). It was very tasty. The fish was crispy on the outside and buttery on the inside. The tangy tartar sauce with the brioche bun completed the sandwich and made every bite a pleasure to take. The mashed potatoes were creamy and garlicy... soooo gooood. Sarah had the Fat Cat Burger. Woah, it was intense! Not only did it have pulled BBQ beef ribs but it also had a BURGER! She was not expecting that. It was also filled with aged white cheddar, iceberg, tomatoes, grilled red onions, and root beer BBQ mayo. She said it was good but way too much! Deville Dinerbar has a great menu (check it out... Deville Menu). If you're in the mood for a heavy and greasy meal, Deville Dinerbar is the place to go! 

Fish 'n Chip on a Bun

Fat Cat Burger

  The inside of the Fat Cat Burger

Greek Burger

The other night, I made a delicious meal for a friend of mine. I was inspired to do something a little different! I decided to make a lamb burger with Greek flavours. They turned out so good! The lamb was juicy and the flavours really came through. You could taste the mint and the cumin in every bite. I made grilled peppers and portebellos with boiled/broiled potatoes with butter and salt to go along side of the burgers. Dinner was a hit! I didn't get the best pictures (I forgot my good camera at home).

Greek Inspired Burger

INGREDIENTS

For the Eggplant

3 tbsp wine vinegar (I used white wine vinegar infused with tarregon)

1 teas. fresh oregano, chopped

1/2 teas. salt

1/2 teas. pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large eggplant

For the Burger

2 pounds ground lamb

1-2 tbsp mint, chopped

1-2 tbsp basil, chopped

1-2 tbsp parsley, chopped

1tbsp ground cumin

1 egg

salt and pepper

oil (for grilling)

pitas (thick)

chopped lettuce (I used romaine)

tzatziki

tomatos

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to lowest setting (around 100-200 degrees).

In a small bowl mix vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper and olive oil until well blended. Cut the eggplant (1/2 inch thick). Arrange the eggplant on a plate and brush/coat with vinegar mixture. Grill eggplant until soft, about 3 minutes per side. Keep them warm in the oven.

In a bowl, mix lamb, mint, basil, parsley, cumin, egg, salt and pepper. Form patties (around 6). Brush grill with oil and allow grill to get HOT! Grill lamb patties, around 4 minutes per side. Let sit for 5 minutes.

While lamb burgers are sitting, cut the ends off the pita and grill the pitas for a few minutes. 

Assemble the burgers with grilled eggplant, lettuce, tomato and tzatziki.