Terrific Tacos at El Camino

5. El Camino 

Craving fresh tacos and creative cocktails? Head on over to El Camino on Elgin St. No reservations are taken. Walk-in only, so the earlier you are, the better. This place tends to get packed rather quickly, and a line always seems to be present every time I go, but the wait is totally worth it.

El Fuego is my drink on the right. The left drink is tequila sour. Both drinks were excellent. El fuego is my favourite here 'cause of the floating red pepper :) 

This lovely taco is separate from the rest because it's a vegetable, specifically their Japanese eggplant. The ingredients are all fresh and form together to make an awesome mix of flavours

If you love spicy, then this place is definitely for you. I do, so it's an awesome place to go. There are jalepeno pepper slices in these tacos so be sure to request if you would like them removed prior to ordering. (Left: beef taco. Right: fish taco)

Additional hot sauce options for those who need extra spice in their life

This restaurant is one of the more livelier taco joints, so you may have to speak a little bit louder or just get closer to your friends. It's got great energy, and not to mention an old pinball machine (hint: press the white button on the left to make the machine work; a quarter is not necessary!)

After having visited this place numerous times, I discovered which tacos were my favourite--the fish and Japanese eggplant were the winners in my books.

There is ox tongue for those who wish to be a little more adventurous. I still haven't tried this one, but one day I will...

For a great and vibrant time with friends, and also great tacos and other fun dishes, check out El Camino. It's definitely the way to go. They also have a taco take-out window if you want to eat your tacos elsewhere.

  http://eatelcamino.com/wordpress/

Late Night Snacking at Hooch

4. Hooch
It's about 8pm and I haven't made plans to eat yet. I call a friend, ask to see if a restaurant will take reservations for two at around 9:15pm. On a Monday night, this dimly lit restaurant is perfect to accommodate the spontaneity I have just explained.

Hooch is a term for an alcoholic beverage, in case you didn't know :)

I'm finally happy to know that there are more restaurants that are offering late night snacking because there shouldn't be any reason not to provide great tasting food past the regular restaurant hours. I mean, some of us do work late night shifts, right? And these late night shift workers and everyone else who want to eat late deserve a fun, trendy hangout with decent dishes and drinks. 

Open until 2 am, Hooch is the place to go. Just make sure that when you are planning to head to Hooch or another late night restaurant that you either call the place to reserve or check the schedule online for their hours of operation. Hooch, like many other places, need at least one day to rest and restock, so Tuesday, happens to be when they close. Oh, I should mention that this place is located on Rideau Street. What a find, huh?

Interior of Hooch

Can't go wrong with the candlelight

Their menu

Their random drinks up close

I thought the jalepeno spiked mint was a good drink to try but I wasn't completely satisfied with the flavour... it was very strong

So they replaced it, free of charge with a new one :) This was much better!

Tried horse meat for the very first time and much preferred it to beef tartare! Good job guys!

This chicken was very well prepared. Crispy and the sauce was lightly spicy but a great compliment to the meat. It was on top of a waffle, by the way.

The rhubarb pie-- Not too sweet at all, which was a nice touch to ending the meal

I hope this place never closes. It's definitely going on my favourites list for late night dining. Quiet, intimate, and not insanely busy like the others I've been to, are all qualities that make me a repeat customer in the future. 

http://hoochbourbon.ca/

Back Lane Cafe Review

3. Back Lane Cafe

Mediterranean & Middle Eastern inspired dishes in a restaurant that's semi-easy to miss if you don't play close attention when driving. The atmosphere is nice and calm, but still a great place to hold a small meeting between 3-5 friends (which is exactly what I did when I went here a few times).

This is their menu, apparently they've had the stew in the main course since opening. I opted for something else, but I will probably be back at some point to try that stew

The bread on the right was seasoned and had a good and interesting taste 

This was what me and my friend ordered. I learned about cobia, also known as black salmon after eating this dish. The dish had a delicious and very healthy taste overall

Also learned that this piece of meat is a hanger steak aka one of the best cuts of meat prized for its flavour and better served medium rare (If it's cooked more than medium rare, it will become tough; highly suggested by the server to order MR)

This was our desert, chocolate cakes, crumbles, and cashew ice cream. I really enjoyed the ice cream :)

This was another friend's desert. The traditional but freshly baked Boston Cream... I didn't get a chance to try this because I was already full as is :(

I ordered the oatmeal stout with my meal, which was actually a very dark beer and also quite nice. So, drop by with friends and try some great food at this restaurant which is located right in the heart of the Hintonburg community.

http://www.backlanecafe.com/ottawa/

Ottawa's Hidden Food Gems From a Self Proclaimed Foodie

I live to eat... not just eat to live. If you believe in this philosophy then we can be friends... :) 

So, not to say that there aren't already many food critic review sites out there for the Ottawa region because there are in fact plenty. I believe that there aren't enough of them and frankly, one more wouldn't hurt.  This low key blog is also dedicated to the smaller restaurant joints and the ones that almost made it to the top 10 list, key word, "almost," but were somehow robbed of their glory this year. 

Yes, I do take pictures of my food. Not just because I want to remember each amazing dish, but simply because I knew that one day I would create a foodie blog. 

This day has come... 

Disclaimer: There is no restaurant bashing here, friends, simply a sharing of the joy that has been graced upon me by tasting, seeing, or exactly this, being a witness to great food! To good times and more...

Also, I will try to regularly update this blog, more so than the yearly issues of reviews done by the other big reviewers. 

1. Atelier

Molecular Gastronomy at its finest (blurred lines between science, food & art)

This place is probably the most fun and longest dining experience I've ever had in Ottawa. Be prepared to sit about three hours for this amazing 12 course meal. I best describe it as the science  experiment that meets fine dining. Be ready though, because the experience also mirrors the price. 

Wine pairings are available (highly suggested). They are also able to cater to any dietary restrictions.

This was Reese Withaspoon (play on words); pb dessert

I believe this was a kind of sashimi in a fish bone structure