u/bbqporklomein

Thanks to a redditor who pointed out that 555 Boat Noodle opened a 2nd location that I somehow missed. It’s tucked into a small spot right at the corner of Queen West and John St. Enjoy them at their location on Yonge near College. Got my usual order of pork noodles with wonton noodles ($19 med size). Love the pork triple play of sliced, ground, and meatballs. The pork broth is pleasantly light with a hint of sweetness. Happy to have this location close by.

I’ve been to the OG Cafe Belem in Little Italy a bunch of times. But always on the weekend when it’s packed. I usually get a few classic Portuguese bakery items to go, like a shrimp rissois, bacalhau fritter, pastel de nata, etc.

But I had the chance today to go when it’s quiet and could easily get a seat. So finally got a bifana ($12), one of their made to order sandwiches. Good amount of pork slices piled onto a fresh and crusty roll. The pork was very juicy with some nice amount of fat mixed with lean meat (next time I will ask for more fatty 🐷!). A great touch is the addition of match stick potatoes adding a fun crispy element. Definitely want to get the carne asada sandwich next based on the beauty on display.

After trying my first FIFA special flavour Bacon Poutine and loving it had to go get more. The only other flavour the store closest to me had was Cheese Soufflé. I love cheese flavoured snacks in general. But I was skeptical how different these could be from other cheese flavours. The very pale appearance definitely added to my worry. Oh man! So pleasantly surprised by the strong aroma and strong flavour. There was a nutty and slight funk reminiscent of gruyère or emental. Definitely a big notch above Cheetos.

Saw someone else posting about another FIFA flavour, manchego. I wonder if these are actually the same flavours but named differently depending on the country. I’ve included a shot of the ingredients just in case anyone else is curious.

In general excited to try more from this limited series and seeing people post about their experiences.

First time seeing this limited edition series for World Cup. At a Dollarama in Toronto they had cheese soufflé representing France and bacon poutine for Canada. So it was my patriotic duty to get a bag of bacon poutine. Pretty good. Strong smoky bacon flavour upfront. Very similar to Hickory Sticks. Then a good amount of cheese comes through. Then a background savouriness hits with hints of onion that provides the gravy note. Would definitely get again.

Has anyone spotted/tried other World Cup flavours? Googling the other flavours I want to try Polish kielbasa, English fish n chips, and Argentina chimichurri steak.

Heval is a new Persian bakery/cafe that has opened in Chinatown on Spadina in between College and Nassau. Lots of enticing treats such as croissants and danishes. But came to try one of their sandwiches after reading about the focaccia and barbari bread hybrid they use. Love the crispy thin crust of the freshly baked bread. It has the airy crumb of a focaccia but without all of the oil. The huge and delicious sandwich I got had mortadella, pistachio pesto and ricotta. I also enjoyed the cold brew coffee topped with pistachio foam. Nicely rich and strong. The small spot currently has no seating. But they are working on having a few seats. Definitely will be back to try something sweet and the unique Persian inspired sandwiches.

So excited for Som Tum Jinda to open a new , more convenient location just north of Kensington Market (what was Sue Fung’s Dim Sum and Caplansky’s). The new space is just as colourful as it he OG but thankfully a lot bigger. For now during their soft opening the menu is mostly the same. So that means ordering my favourite dish of grilled pork jowl ($15). So unctuous. So good. To balance all of the delightful fattiness I got the tum Thai ($15) pounded papaya salad with tomato and dried shrimp. And their mango sticky rice ($19) hits the spot as usual. Love the contrast of the warm, slightly salty rice with ripe sweet mango. Look forward to seeing what new items they’ll have once they’re fully launched.

https://youtu.be/UyhtKliFUgI?si=geLTxOnJdHWKMpko

Mark DeRosa does a great break down Vladdy's swing this year compared to last year's WS run. Would we rather he sacrifice some batting average for more homers?

Noticed this new place opened up behind Cosmo Cafe (former 2nd location of Ninetails) on the corner of Nassau and Spadina. This casual Korean spot offers stuff like tteokbokki, pork bone soup, dumplings, and more.

But their specialty is the namesake rice bowl. They have lots of preset options but decided to choose my own adventure. Got the medium size ($14) with plain rice that comes two proteins. Chose bbq pork belly and bulgogi. And from the many toppings and sauces on offer I opted for cabbage, crispy onions, roasted seaweed, and the pleasant surprise of mashed potatoes. The house sauce had a little zip from mustard and tied everything in this delicious bowl together.

Liked how they had some Korean soft drinks including the nice grape juice I had. Also appreciated how they provided a few pieces of pork cutlet to try. The owner (pictured in the logo) and server were so friendly. With the reasonable priced food definitely look forward to adding this to my regular Chinatown rotation.