Kinton Ramen

It hasn't even been open for a month yet and I'm sure you've heard about it already. Kinton Ramen (@KintonRamen), opened last week on Baldwin St. in between the University of Toronto area and the Eaton Centre. It's run by the same people who opened Guu, and that becomes really obvious when you walk in and receive that familiar hearty welcome of Japanese words that you get from Guu. Not the greatest place to go to for intimate conversations, but perfect for small groups just to hang out.

I'm going to start with the dish that surprised me the most, which is the Tofufurai ($4.80), the tofu nugget appetizer. Seriously, how good can something defined as a tofu nugget be? But it was my most memorable dish of the night! It gives all the satisfying feelings of a McDonald's Chicken Nugget, without the questionable thoughts in the back of my mind about where the meat came from. I would go vegetarian if all tofu could taste this good.

The Melting Pot in Richmond Hill

Lots of new restaurants opening up in the East Beaver Creek & Hwy 7 area! I got a chance to check out The Melting Pot (@TheMeltingPotRH) that just opened up in Richmond Hill. The Melting Pot has over 145 locations in the US, but this Richmond Hill spot is the first for this fondue restaurant chain to make it into Canada (it's in the same plaza as Maxx Seafood & Grill). Lucky for us uptown kids!

New Richmond Hill Restaurant: Maxx Seafood & Grill

Maxx Seafood and Grill recently opened up in Richmond Hill in the plaza where all the other restaurants are clustered at East Beaver Creek & Highway 7. Maxx keeps the same loungey decor from its predecessor, Cafe Mirage (which also means Cafe Mirage is no longer around and there is one less crepe spot in Richmond Hill). They have your regular steak and potatoes options, but they also offer some other exotic dishes that you wouldn't expect from a steak and potatoes kind of restaurant, like Curry Crab or Pad Thai. On the whole, their dishes were good, not great, but they make up for it with service and that's the thing that inclines me to return.