Springrolls at Erin Mills Town Centre

Recently in the mail we received a brochure for the new restaurant at Erin Mills town Centre, Springrolls. I've heard plenty of great things from the downtown restaurants from this chain (specifically the Springrolls on Dundas), so I was excited to go try it.

The restaurant is located in what I think used to be a loading dock. It's weird because the only entrance to the restaurant is from the outside (you can't get at it from inside of the mall). It's a fairly small spot - although it does have a big area for patio space in nicer weather. The bar area is what you first see when you walk in, and it's pretty nice. We were told it was going to be a 10 minute wait, so we waited in the bar area and were asked if we wanted anything to drink.

10 minutes later, we were seated in a very small eating area. I was surprised at how small this place is! And because of it's small size, the tables are all very close and you can hear everything that your neighbours are saying.

The menu is quite large and there are a lot of options. Most of them are spicy, and not being a fan of spicey food that limited my selections a fair amount. I ended up chosing a rice dish, and my mom had a chow mein. They were both beautifully presented. Mine was a pyramid, which was pretty neat, however it was mostly rice and not as much shrimp or bbq pork. My mom's was better.

The service is average. They served us well up until when we had finished our meal then it took us a while to get the bill. I don't know why, but that seems to be happening more and more in restaurants these days.

Given the choice, I'd probably go to the Viet Thai Restaurant just down the street.

For more reviews, see Springrolls ResToronto Reviews.

After Theatre Lunch - Bistro 333 in Toronto

After a day at the theatre, some friends and I decided to go for a very late lunch/very eary dinner. It was just after 4pm and the restaurants in the Entertainment District were just starting to open. We wandered along King Street looking at menus to decide which restaurant to visit and settled on Bistro 333.

We were the first patrons inside of the restaurant (there were a couple on the patio). I can't imagine this place when it is busy, it must get fairly loud because it's a very open space. Our server was pretty good, but I noticed that when another group came in, they got glasses of water an bread to start their meal, which we did not. But our meals came in record speed. I guess it helps that we didn't order anything fancy. Two of us ordered ceasar salad, and one ordered a chicken mango wrap. My salad was great, the dressing was homemade and vinigrette based, like real ceasar should be! I also tried some of my friends fries, which were great.

For more on this restaurant, check out ResToronto Reviews for Bistro 333.

Go train not running? Dinner downtown at Marinela's

I, like tens of thousands of other commuters, was affected by the freight train derailment earlier this afternoon and had no way of getting home. So rather than try to quickly find a way to get home, I made a reservation at a little Italian restaurant called Marinela's. I hate the heat, so I sat indoors, but they have both a curbside patio and an upstairs patio that offer seclusion and charm.

The atmosphere of Marinela's is great. It's a very small restaurant, with only about 12 tables inside (that I could tell of anyways), maybe even less, and a long bar. There are lights and dried herbs attached to the roof, and a great view of the patio. The restaurant is basically in an old house.

It is a little pricey (pasta mostly costing over $15 and steaks costing over $30), but it is worth it! There is also about a page of wines (mostly Italian, not surprisingly!). I ordered a starter of brushetta, which although it isn't the best brushetta I've ever had, was still delicious! Very fresh.
My main course was the chicken fettuccine. The sauce that this pasta is served in is devine. It is a cream sauce, but there is something about it that makes it super tasty. There were also mushrooms and tomatoes in the pasta.
And of course, I couldn't resist the dessert! I had a tiramisu. Although it wasn't as good as my pasta, it was still a nice way to finish the meal.

Also, most of the other patrons decided to use the patio, so the main dining area was very quite.

The only downside to this restaurant is that all the parking near there is very expensive. It could cost you $10 for a Friday night to park just for dinner.

I would definitely go back to this restaurant (infact, this was my second time returning). And, I did manage to make it home!

For more information, see other Marinela's restaurant reviews.