Classic Steakhouse—Dining at The Octagon

@The Octagon Steakhouse

Hubby took me out for a carnivore night at The Octagon Restaurant in Thornhill. It was pretty full for a weeknight, so that was a good sign for us. The interiors were beautifully wood-paneled, and the servers were all impeccably dressed. The main dining room, of course, played to the building’s unique shape (and namesake).

We started with a table side Caesar salad, which was very good, but not quite as good as our favourite at the School. We noticed they did not use fresh eggs, but instead used oil. It was a pretty decent serving and hubby got an extra helping of bacon which was perfect with the garlic-anchovy flavours.

Caesar Salad @The Octagon Steakhouse

Then, we skipped right to the great stuff. Hubby and I split a 24oz porterhouse which we got with some mashed potatoes (instead of our usual baked) and mushrooms. There was also garlic bread and olives on the side.

The steak was so beautifully done. I like it medium—nicely seared outside and pink on the inside. It was wonderfully flavourful and so tender. I got some Bearnaise sauce, but the meat could have very well done without it. Each bite was succulent and paired well with the house red.

Porterhouse steak @The Octagon Steakhouse

We were too full to even have dessert, so we had some tea instead.

Service was polite and attentive. It was a great experience overall.

A Yakiniku date: Shinta Japanese BBQ

Shinta Japanese BBQ

 Hubby took me on a date to Shinta BBQ to get a protein fix (ie., all you can eat grilled meat!). We’ve always done Korean BBQ so we wanted to try Japanese BBQ this time. They have various “levels” of AYCE (all you can eat) with selected Wagyu cuts on the top (Silver/Gold) levels.

They also include a selection of appetizers, soup, seafood, rice, noodles, veggies, and other side orders—also in increasing variety.

Marinated Toro Beef and Pork Belly slices @Shinta Japanese BBQ

Hubby and I were very disciplined and made sure that our stomach space only took in the meats. We only ordered miso soup, cheese corn and edamame and did not have any of the other appetizers and sides (like kimchee, lettuce, rice/bibimbap). Even then, we only selected the meats we wanted.

Grilling meat @Shinta Japanese BBQ

The server got our grill ready as we waited for our order. The sides were quite blah but the meats were good. We got some thinly sliced pork belly, marinated short rib, marinated toro beef (also thinly sliced), black pepper short rib strips and squid. And we got a lot of them.

Hooray for Meat Lovers @ Shinta Japanese BBQ

The meat was already bite sized which we then put on the wire-mesh-type griddle (as opposed to the Korean cast iron ones). With the small sizes, these didn’t take long to cook. What is great is that the fat drips down to the bottom, underneath the wire-mesh griddle instead of collecting on the rim of an iron griddle. This made the meats seem healthier with less oil and as well, we realized we didn’t smell like BBQ since there was little smoke (no burning oils).

The meat was dipped into flavoured soy sauce. Definitely a meat-lover’s heaven. Mid-way through our meal, our server came to replace our griddle with a fresh one. We had several orders until we decided we were almost to the point of bursting.  We had a Melona bar for dessert.

It was a great meal and could definitely be our new favourite--over Korean BBQ.