It's no Taco Bell Burrito

BarBurrito - Quick Service Mexican Grill

There are quite a few restaurants in the Sheppard and Yonge area. I like going to this area for food, because there is a wide variety of restaurants to choose from. Couple of weeks ago, I noticed this new Mexican restaurant. I can't remember what used to be here anymore, but that doesn't matter because this new restaurant is going to be opened very soon. This will be the first Mexican restaurant in this area.

I must have set a pretty high expectation for this restaurant, partly because of its location, and partly because of the photos they displayed outside the restaurant. They must have hired professional photographers to take pictures for their food, because the photos were so good, they make me want to eat their food just by looking at them.

But in reality, as soon as I stepped through the front door, I was a bit disappointed. There is no waiter to sit you down, and there is absolutely no feel of being inside a restaurant. There is a cashier at the end, and it's also the place where you would order your food. If you are expecting a sit-down restaurant, think again, because the atmosphere feels more like a Taco Bell fastfood chain. But to their defense, they did say this is a "Quick Service Mexican Grill" restaurant.

The menu is written attractively on a big black chalkboard beside the cashier, and everything is clearly written. I ordered a steak burrito with everything (including Guacamole, Beans, rice, cheese, Jalepeno, etc...). After I ordered it, I sat down at a table just beside the kitchen, where I can see how they make the burritos. They are really skilled to be able to stuff so many things into the wrap. After wrapping the burrito, they also heat it up on the range, so by the time I got it, it's nice and toasty. For $6, this burrito is HUGE. And since it uses real steak as filling, it can't possibly taste bad because after all, real meat is real meat. But I can't shake the feeling that it tasted like a subway steak sandwich. It just didn't feel like a burrito at all. My taste bud has probably been polluted by Taco Bell's burritos, because I actually think Taco Bell's burrito seems more authentic. Perhaps I should've asked for more beans in my burrito?

It's probably wrong of me to expect too much given the price tag of their food. I can see this restaurant be a popular hangout place for young kids who are just looking for a quick bite, and a place to sit down and socialize. But for me, this is just not up to par for my taste.

Overall ★★★☆☆
Presentation ★★★★☆
Food ★★☆☆☆
Atmosphere ★☆☆☆☆
Service N/A

Burrito that doesn't taste like burrito

BarBurrito

Overall - ★★★☆☆

Good portion, taste okay, but no where close to be Mexican burrito as it advertised.

Atmosphere - ★★☆☆☆

Strolling down Yonge Street, I was immediately attracted by the look of this newly openned restaurant. Warm chocolate brown signs and beautifully made ads display mouth watering burrito and quesadillas with my favourite guacamole sauce on the side. And have I mentioned the patio? I just couldn't resist the temptation.

Walking in the door, I was immediately disappointed. It is not a bar. It's a fast food restuarant where you place order at the counter, pay, and take your food.

The dinning area feels like an unfinished room. It started with great spot light fixture and beautifully painted red walls. It even has a nicely made couch bench against one wall. And it stopped there. The tables and chairs looked like they are from school cafeteria and are messily shuffled against the wall.

Because the cashier and the kitchen are connected and located at the very inside of the restaurant, while eating, there are people standing beside you waiting to place order or waiting to receive their food. This is very distracting.

Presentation - ★★★☆☆

Burritos and quesadillas come in styrofoam boxes. If to treat BarBurrito as a fast food restaurant, then I have nothing to complain about.

Food - ★★★☆☆

I tried the steak burrito (with all toppings), chipole chicken quesadilla, and regular nachos.

They give good portion and the food taste okay, but no where close to Mexican cuisine. The burrito was more like a warm beef wrap and the nachos was like those you get from movie theatres.


Regular nachos come with 3 type of sauces, salsa, sour cream and bean paste. Salsa was too watery, but I liked the bean paste very much.

Service - ★★☆☆☆

The service was slow. It took approximately 15 minutes for us to get our food. If it's a regular restaurant, then this is totally acceptable, but consider it's a fast food place, it is a bit too slow.

I also don't like the fact that the table was not cleaned. It had left over mess from the previous person. During the time I was there, I did not see any of the staff wiping the tables.

BarBurrito - Quick Service Mexican Grill

4918 Yonge St.
Toronto.
416-733-2424

Sample Menu:
8" Steak Burrito $5.60
6" Chicken Chipotle Quesadillas $6.75
Regular Nachos $4.99

Good food that is easy on the wallet

Hello! Wonton Noodle
Restaurants are popping up like popcorns on Yonge street around our neighbourhood. We discovered this new restaurant -- Hello! Wonton Noodle, as we were strolling along Yonge street. Most of the new restaurants in this area are Korean restaurants, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a different kind of restaurant being opened up. Wonton noodles are no surprises to me (since I've lived in Hong Kong), so I have my own set of expectations going into this restaurant.
As soon as we entered the restaurant, the decoration caught my attention. The interior is very contemporary, unlike most other wonton noodle places I have been to. The room is well-lit, colourful and welcoming. The leather chairs are comfortable, and the tables are clean, not what I have come to expect from a wonton noodle restaurant. When we sat down, the waiter brought us two little empty tea cups with jasmine tea bag in each one. Where is the hot water? As I looked around for water source, I was surprised to find a "hot water tap" built right into each table. What a great idea! I don't need to wait for the waiter to refill my cup anymore. I ordered a bowl of shrimp wonton + Fishball Noodle (雲吞+魚球麵) ($4.5). The soup doesn't taste too "soapy". It's hard to describe this taste, it's definitely an acquired taste, but to those who enjoy it will probably find it less stimulating, but I like it just fine. The shrimp wonton is filled with fresh crunchy shrimps which tasted great. I just wished the shrimps were a bit bigger. But the taste definitely is worth the whole $4.5.
After we've ordered our food, they gave us a small paper slip listing the stuff we ordered. At the end of the meal, we take this to the cashier at the front of the store to pay. Very efficient indeed.
Overall, I enjoyed the lunch very much, I'll definitely find time to go back again.

Overall ★★★★☆
Presentation ★★★☆☆
Food ★★★★☆
Atmosphere ★★★★☆
Service N/A

Simple and Light

Hello! Wonton Noodle
Overall - ★★★★☆

Light, fast, and simple.

Presentation - ★★★★☆

Unlike the traditional wonton noodle restaurants, food is presented in contemporary utensils with bold pattern, moved it away from the street vendors, and became a classic.

Food - <★★★★☆

I had the Wonton+Beef Noodle (雲吞牛肉麵).

The soup base is light but not plain. Noodle is skillfully cooked into al dente. Consider it's cantonese noodle which usually have a very strong alkaline taste, this one is light and subtle. It can be a disappointment for traditional cantonese noodle lovers, but it's perfect for me.

The wonton is filled with shrimps. The shrimps are not as big as desired and the wonton is not as firm as I'd like it to be. Nevertheless I still enjoyed it because it has whole shrimps and they are fresh.

Atmosphere ★★★★☆

The restaurant has a very contemporary decor. It uses orange, dark brown and cremey beige as it's theme color and created a cheerful and inviting environment. I loved it.

Since I went on the first day of the restaurant's openning, everything looks fresh and clean. I'd like to see whether they can maintain this over time.

Service ★★★☆☆

Service is fast and friendly. However, the loud speaking of the staff and the owners baby crying created an impolite and careless feeling and casted a contradition to the overall simple and cleanline atmosphere. It bothered me a little bit.

I also find that there are too many staff working there and not having enough to do. which also gave a negatime image. I hope it's because that it's the restaurant's openning day and most of them are just the owner's friends and family.

Hello! Wonton Noodle

5313 Yonge St.
Toronto, ON, M2N5R4
TEL: 416-226-5313

Sample Menu:
Shrimp Wonton + Beef Noodle (雲吞+魚球麵) $4.5
Shrimp Wonton + Fishball Noodle (雲吞+牛肉麵) $4.5
Plate of veggie (油菜) $2