Fin Izakaya

Complementary fried spaghetti ~ crunchy and salty

Blowtorched Mackerel ($8)

My fav- I love mackerel!! This was half cooked (server blowtorches it at the table); it tasted a bit like canned tuna. Good with the ginger/green onion or with the slightly sweet soy sauce.

Tuna Tataki

Seared tuna with a dollop of mayo and some onions on top. The salad on the bottom was really salty since it soaked up all the sauce.

Chicken Wings (Rock Salt) ($3.50/5 pcs)

There's not a lot of meat, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well it was fried, although mom thought it wasn't as juicy as the ones she had in Vancouver. I liked the crispy rock salt skin with lemon juice.

Takoyaki ($5.75)

Nice and hot, crispy outside, mushy and floury inside. Personally I prefer takoyaki with actual octopus pieces inside and less floury.

Carbonara Udon 

 Sister's udon. Tried a bite and I liked it - buttery and cheesy!

Pork Belly Skewers (Salt) ($3/pc)

You can very clearly taste - and even smell - the grill flavor! Very flavorful, though could be even more juicy/tender.

Beef Sukiyaki ($12.50)

Squid sashimi

The portion was very tiny. The squid was in a spicy-sour sauce.

Sake clams ($7.50)

 Broth was salty with a hint of sake taste.

Deep Fried Shrimp

Nothing special.

Service: The servers are very polite and attentive. They crouch down to take orders and are quick to change plates and refill tea. 

Overall, the taste and quality is good for Toronto izakaya. The selection of tapas is more traditional compared to Guu.

Recommendations: Mackerel and Pork Belly Skewers!

Cafe Cogo

Cafe Cogo is a newly opened casual Chinese restaurant/HK-style cafe located in the Costco plaza. Similar to Kenny's Noodles, it offers a wide selection of baked rice/spaghetti, noodles, congee, fried rice, meat/vegetable dishes, snacks (deep fried chicken wings & fries), sandwiches and even dim sum! The place is huge! 

Shared a Cuttlefish & Seaweed Noodle and Shrimp Congee with my sister. She thought both were okay, but I thought the shrimp was too hard and not 'springy/bouncy' (爽). The noodles were alright but so disappointed that there were only a couple thin shreds of seaweed (where can I find noodles with actual sheets of seaweed?) The cuttlefish balls were dense and not 'springy/bouncy' (彈牙).

Dad's staple dish - Baked Pork Chop Rice. (I think $8.99, add $2 for soup and drink)
The rice was good and I like the onion strips but the sauce was too sour. [I think the best is Blue Ocean]

Overall not too bad but pricier than other places eg. $8-9 for just the rice vs. the same price at other places includes a drink and/or soup.

Pixel 8

After many years, revisited Pixel 8 for a quick and cheap ramen lunch ($4.99 + $0.75 cold drink) 

HK milk tea -  not bad. I like the cup - so cute and quite large portion too. 

 Deep Fried Pork Cutlet - crispy

Deep fried pork cutlet ramen - The ramen had raw mushrooms and corn on top with a salty clear soup base (rather than butter). As a meal, it was decent but it just didn't look or taste like ramen to me (maybe a different type?) It was thicker, starchier and not 'egg-y'.

Marcello's Pizzeria

Caprese Salad - tried a bit and I don't really like bocconcini cheese, not much flavour. 

 Pizza #5 with proscuitto, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes
- Crust is super thin
- Quite oily and I felt the cheese overpowered the other ingredients; couldn't taste the mushrooms (actually I prefer Dr. Oetker mushroom pizza...)
- Didn't like the big sundried tomatoes - chewy and salty on its own and the flavor didn't seep into the pizza. I like the thin, small slice ones more and thought that's what would be on the pizza.

 Penne A La Vodka with Pancetta and Leeks in Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce
- first time trying and I like that it was served piping hot
- However, couldn't taste the vodka in the sauce and after a while it was too salty for my taste (maybe from the pancetta)

 
Tiramisu
- Decent, I liked the cream
- sponge could've been soaked in more liquor for overall stronger flavor

The menu on the website seemed it had a lot of variety and we'd expected something along the lines of Alice Fazooli's, but it was located in a strip plaza across from Vaughan Mills, much more casual with regular tables (no booths) and really loud - louder than a Chinese restaurant. We had to wait just over an hour for a table - I think it's quite popular amongst the local Italian community. Although the bread was served cold, I did enjoy it with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Total bill came to $110 for 4 pastas, 1 pizza, 1 app, 1 tiramisu and 1 wine - relatively inexpensive for 5 people for Italian food, but I guess that's where the premium would come in for better taste and environment.

Nothing has really wowed me in a long time or maybe I just prefer Asian cuisine at local restaurants...