Chinese Korean Fusion dining at Iryewon Asian Fusion (The Great Wall)

Boiled Dumplings @Iryewon

We first visited Iryewon about a decade ago and it didn’t seem to have impressed us much as we didn’t come back until after a friend told us it was good. So, we gave it another shot and we are happy to say we will not wait another decade to go back. It is nicely located in Yonge-Steeles area.

We got a set meal which consisted of 3 dishes good for 3-4 people. Seemed like a good deal for us although we should not have second-guessed it. We got an order of boiled dumplings on top of this so we ended up having left over—with DD#2 and grandma not being big eaters.

Anyway, our set meal had

Tang Su Yuk—sweet and sour pork. Deliciously crispy (albeit on the thick side) breading with a nice, light sweet and sour sauce.

Tang Su Yuk @Iryewon

Kam Pung Shrimp—stir fried shrimp, this time with a heavier sweet, sour and a tad spicy sauce. The shrimp were big and lightly coated with breading.

Kam Pung Shrimp @Iryewon

And Ja Jang Myeon—our family favourite black bean noodle. Their noodles were nicely done and the sauce was seafood (not just gound beef).

Ja Jang Myeon @Iryewon 

The servings were family size and the dishes were pretty good. Service was okay. Our little room did not have any “ringers” to call the server so we had to pop out a couple of times to ask for something. Overall, service was friendly and the price was good value. We have quite a few other Korean staples to try from their menu so we will be back!

Pre-theatre bite at Byblos

Sujuk Pide @Byblos

Hubby and I went for a pre-theatre light dinner at Byblos in Duncan St. (with other locations in uptown Toronto and Miami, Fl). This restaurant boasts traditional Eastern Mediterranean flavours.


We didn't have reservations so we just sat by the bar. We tried their mocktails and they were amazing! They were an interesting and refreshing blend of sweet, sour and spice. Hubby and I are now encouraged to start mixing cocktails of our own!
Hubby got the Fortune Teller which was made of house coffee syrup, Turkish coffee, lemon juice and tonic. 

Fortune Teller mocktail @Byblos

I had a Mediterranean Mule with house ginger syrup, date syrup, lime, ginger beer and aromatic bitters.

Mediterranean Mule @Byblos

We then shared a sujuk wood-fired pide--a Turkish version of pepperoni pizza. Sujuk is a Turkish dry, spicy sausage while pide is a flatbread baked with toppings. The pide had toppings of Turkish paste, Persian feta and Za'atar (exotic blend of herbs, spices and nuts). The flavours were bright, an interesting twist to our usual pizza.

Sujuk Wood-fired Pide @Byblos

We also shared an order of Baharat-crusted Wagyu steak.The beautifully-cooked Wagyu was crusted with the aromatic sweet-spice blend and served on top of burnt onion, black garlic and jus. It was quite lovely. We have concluded, however, that the beauty of the Wagyu should not be hidden underneath strong flavours. Note, also, that the steak will not come with sides as those have to be ordered separately. Menu would say it is for sharing, but think of this more as "tapas" instead of big portions.

Baharat-crusted Wagyu steak @Byblos

It was a nice and light dinner. You have to add to these if you are expecting a full meal. The ambiance and service are good but it is on the pricey-side. A beautiful date place.