I don’t care about the view — I care about the food
Schoolhouse Pizza serves up generously topped pies with creative flavour combinations. The Buffalo NY sounded promising with its mix of tomato sauce, mozzarella, chicken, jalapeño, shallots, Frank’s buffalo hot sauce, crème fraîche, and cilantro. While the flavour was solid, the crust let it down.
Located in Ottawa’s Little Italy, Farinella Snack Bar is a small offshoot of the Farinella brand. While their other locations on Rochester Street and March Road are well known for serving up some of Ottawa’s most talked-about pizza, this particular spot specializes exclusively in gelato. It’s a compact place, more of a quick stop than a sit-down café, and it embraces that identity fully. During the colder seasons, this place is closed until it’s warm enough to enjoy gelato.
Located in Ottawa’s Little Italy, Umbrella Burger is a very casual spot that specializes in keeping things simple: burgers, fries, and drinks. The restaurant isn’t very large, with just a few tables inside and a small patio out front for warmer days. It’s clearly designed more for quick bites or casual hangs rather than a sit-down, drawn-out meal.
Cha Kee Restaurant offers a modern take on Hong Kong-style café fare with a stylish space and broad menu. While some dishes hit the mark—especially the pork chop noodles and creative twist on French toast—others suffered from inconsistency, particularly the curry beef brisket.
Linh Anh Vietnamese Cuisine is a bustling spot in Unionville with all tables full during our visit—a great sign. Despite the crowd, service was efficient and the kitchen delivered a range of standout dishes. While pho may be the go-to here, their expanded menu includes items not commonly found at similar restaurants, and they do them very well.
Panash Bakery offers a variety of Chinese and Asian-style baked goods in a modern, clean setting. While some items delivered on expected textures and flavours, others fell flat either due to dryness or misleading presentation. It’s a decent stop if you’re nearby, but not everything is worth a try.
Kingsfield Chinese Cuisine is a slightly upscale dim sum spot in Markham with attentive service and a modern setting. The experience overall was pleasant, and the service stood out as one of the stronger aspects. While several dim sum staples were well-executed, others missed the mark in flavour or presentation.
Good Taste Casserole Rice sits in a plaza with lots of parking. The plaza setting makes it convenient to visit compared to downtown Toronto restaurants where parking is often a headache. You can usually pull right into a spot without much hassle, which is especially helpful if you’re arriving in the evening or on weekends.
Moo Shu is known for its creative Asian-inspired ice cream flavours and small-batch production. The shop is stylish and popular with locals, especially in summer months. While the waffle cone was a highlight, the flavour of the ice cream missed the mark this time.
Pho Viet Noodle is located in Hintonburg, an area known for its vibrant mix of cafés, restaurants, and shops. Like most businesses in this neighbourhood, there’s no dedicated parking lot, so you’ll need to rely on street parking. It’s manageable, but depending on the time of day, you may find yourself circling a bit before securing a spot.