Dinner at Ten-Ichi Sushi

My friends and I went to Ten-Ichi Sushi in Scarborough for dinner on Saturday. It's an all-you-can-eat restaurant, which many of you know, is my favourite. Though, at $28.95 a pop, this place was a little more pricey that I was hoping for.

Our original plan was to meet there at 6:00 p.m. I had a few errands to run beforehand and arrived ten minutes early. No one else was there, so I got a table for four. It was only after I sat down that I noticed the text that Gabe sent - Doris was running late and the new meet up time was 6:30.

He had actually sent a WhatsApp message earlier, but I don't have data. So, if I'm out, I have to be contacted on my cell. He didn't remember that until too late. I ordered some tea, nigiri and maki rolls and snacked by myself while I waited.

Justin arrived next. He was actually early too. But he had grabbed a coffee and cookie next door at the Timmies and waited there. If I had only known.

Gabe showed up next. By himself. Originally he was going to come with Doris, but decided he couldn't keep us waiting by ourselves for too long. We ordered a few more items and then she showed up.

I have to admit they have an extensive selection of items at Ten-Ichi. There are things such as the quick-seared sushi items that I won't get at the restaurants I go to. The photos in the menu are a bit deceptive as well. They look really amazing. What you actually get when the food comes to your table isn't so much. It doesn't affect the taste of course but, hey, presentation does count for something.

Still, the top tier items (at Ten-Ichi and at other sushi restaurants) is the sashimi. That's what you pay the most for. So, really, I'm not sure a few more special maki rolls or dessert items are worth the extra bucks.

Sika Deer - Shanghainese Cuisine

I went to dinner with my friends, Gabe and Daphne, at Sika Deer, a Shanghainese restaurant located on the northwest corner of Finch and Midland on the weekend. Gabe had been there before and suggested it.

The restaurant isn't too large. They have three private rooms that take up a fair amount of space. That being said, we didn't have to wait very long to be seated (even on a Saturday night).

The staff were friendly and fairly attentive. The food we had was tasty and reasonably priced. We ordered a dish of Mapo tofu, $3.75; Double-cooked pork belly, $5.50; Griddle-cooked shredded cabbage with spicy sauce, $8.99; Sautéd beef with pepper, $9.99; and Shanghai-style rice with cured meat and vegetables, $8.50.

It's a nice place. A cut above some of the more budget-conscious Chinese restaurants I normally frequent. I look forward to going back for another visit.

Dinner with Dickie, Lawrence and Big Jon

I had dinner with Dickie, Lawrence and Big Jon last Monday at Imperial Buffet in Scarborough. They keep sending 2-for-1 coupons over to my sister and parents' place, so I keep taking my friends there to eat. There was one stretch in the summer where it seemed like they were delivering coupons every month. Needless to say I went there an awful lot.

The grub there is fine. You're not going to expect anything extremely tantalizing at a Chinese buffet anyway now are you? They have King Crab legs which Dickie and Big Jon made a beeline for. I'm too lazy to eat them. I can't be bothered to crack the shells and dig the meat out. I know there's a seemingly easy technique that those guys used, but I'm just too impatient. I just want to go up and grab my food and eat. It's okay. For less than $10 per person before tax and tip, how can you complain?

So, Imperial Buffet, you just keep those coupons coming and me and my friends will go there to eat regularly!