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Friday, November 29, 2024

Trying out Georgian cuisine at Suliko

Hachapuri/Khachapuri Adjarsky @Suliko
Hachapuri/Khachapuri Adjarsky @Suliko

The fam is always on a quest to try something new—especially a new cuisine. We’ve never had Georgian before so for one of our celebrations, we decided to give it a try.

I will share with you what we had, in reverse order. This is because the dishes we had to share as appetizers were the best among everything we’ve had. And, when we return, these are what we will definitely order again.

The girls and I had Chanahi, lamb stew with potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and herbs. It was served steaming in a crock pot, inviting us to soak in this hearty, comfort food. The stew hit my insides like a warm embrace that had been simmering for hours and hours. It was delicious, but I preferred Hubby’s Lamb Shish Kebab.

Chanahi (lamb stew) @Suliko
Chanahi (lamb stew) @Suliko

The Lamb Shish kebab came with hubby’s choice of rice and pita (not pictured). It was beautifully cooked. It was nicely marinated and so tender, a delight for any meat-lover.

Lamb Shish Kebab @Suliko
Lamb Shish Kebab @Suliko

Grandma had an equally nice dish of Baked Trout which came packed with herbs, tomatoes and onions. It was light, flaky and very flavourful.

Baked trout @Suliko
Baked trout @Suliko

Now the stars of this show were our appetizers. We shared Khinkali with pork and beef. The almost fist-sized dumpling was filled with spiced meat and had broth in it, much like the Xiaolongbao soup dumpling. It was a delight to eat, though we had yet to figure out how to enjoy the broth as we couldn’t pop the whole dumpling in our mouth. Suliko has 5 different types of Khinkali so we will get to try the other ones next time.

Khinkali (Georgian dumplings) @Suliko
Khinkali (Georgian dumplings) @Suliko

Our favourite was the Hachapuri (some call it Khachapuri) Adjarsky. The traditional Georgian boat-shaped bread was filled with melted cheese and topped with half-cooked egg and butter. Our server suggested we swirl around the butter and egg before digging in. It was heavenly. Each bite oozed with runny, stringy cheese and the delicious bread was the perfect vessel. The creamy saltiness burst in our mouths and we wondered where this has been all our lives. Why were we just discovering this now?

Hachapuri/Khachapuri Adjarsky @Suliko
Hachapuri/Khachapuri Adjarsky @Suliko

Georgian cuisine has now been added to the list of cuisines we really enjoy. We will be on the look out for other Georgian restaurants now!

 

 

Friday, November 15, 2024

Premium Donburi at Hana Don

 

Tsukiji Don @Hana Don
Tsukiji Don @Hana Don

Celebrating an award for DD#1, we went to Hana Don for a late lunch. We went to the Markham location and at 2pm, the place still had a good number of customers.

Grandma got Fried Shrimp set served with tartar sauce. The presentation was lovely, but not really extraordinary. Shrimp tempura might have been better with panko crumbs.

Fried Shrimp Set @Hana Don
Fried Shrimp Set @Hana Don

Hubby got a Salmon Avocado Don which is pretty much like poke. The diced salmon and avocado were fresh and the rice was light and fluffy.

Salmon Avocado Don @Hana Don
Salmon Avocado Don @Hana Don

DD#2 got a Gyu Don which was really yummy.  The sliced beef and onion were cooked in a very tasty special sauce. This is something I will definitely try to order next time.

Gyu Don @Hana Don
Gyu Don @Hana Don

DD#1 and I both got a Tsukiji Don, the only one which didn’t have a lunch option. What can I say, we felt like celebrating. The dish had salmon, scallop, white fish, yellowtail, squid and roe. The ingredients were fresh and the sushi rice was premium quality.

Tsukiji Don @Hana Don
Tsukiji Don @Hana Don

They had so many other Donburi to choose from, and even some you can customize. Service was polite and prompt. We will definitely be back!