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| - I never knew this place existed until recently. Tucked away on the 3rd floor of the North York Center, Mirage Grill & Lounge apparently has one other location in the Scarborough area near Scarborough Town Centre.
Arriving one late snowy afternoon for lunch, I was surprised at the relaxed, dark wooden decor that would otherwise belong in a chic restaurant like Moxies or Milestones. It had more of a lounge seating that doesn't reflect the name on its signage, Cafe Mirage.
Having been informed that this place is under brand new management, I was invited to try this place out from my usual spots of Joon's or Nome Izakaya across the street!
We were warmly greeted at the door by the hostess, who showed us promptly to our table. A gentleman working on the laptop in the corner near the entrance took great interests in how and where the hostess was taking us to, of whom I can only assume was the manager or the new owner. He had multiple copies of the menus nearby and didn't wear the restaurant's uniform.
Anyway, upon seating in their very comfortable dark cushioned seating, our waitress took our drink orders. I had a Stella while the others in my group ordered beer as well. Quickly glancing at the menu, it was very similar to Moxie's or Milestones, maybe even Pickle Barrel. However, the presentation more elegant and was packed with photos of the foods, savouring our appetites of what would be a great meal to come. The dessert section at the back of the menu featured a huge plate of waffles and two different kinds of ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup and strawberry syrup, topped with whip cream.
Today, the pastas section won me over as I ordered something seldom seen at most non-Italian restaurants: spaghetti bolognese. The others in my group ordered the NY Steak, and the all day breakfast featuring 3 eggs, bacon, potatoes with toasts and fruit medley.
After 10-15 minutes, our food came. During the wait, our waters were filled up without asking, our waitress came around and asked if we wanted more beer as well.
I was delighted with how my spaghetti bolognese came in what must be the coolest pasta plate/bowl hybrid I've ever seen. It looked very fancy like it belonged in a much higher end restaurant. I was all too eager to bite into the pasta.
The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, the sauce was not too thick nor too watery, it was just right. There were ample ground beef in the sauce, just like it should be bursting with flavor. It tasted better than any spaghetti bolognese I've had in a long time. There was also a wedge of garlic bread that came with the spaghetti. Did I mention that portions were bigger than meets the eye? For around $17 for this dish, you get more than your money's worth! I really enjoyed the sauce, subtle hints of tomatoes, garlic, chive danced around with the marinated ground beef in a medley of flavor!
Alas, I could not finish my lunch and had to take it away.
A quick survey of my friends whom were with me and they too enjoyed their meals and thought the portions were more than they expected.
One of them ordered the dessert I briefly mentioned earlier in my review. I fell into temptation and had to try it and my goodness, by the end I was ready to blow at the seams. Two large full slices of waffles, a few scoops of chocolate and vanilla ice cream, topped with syrups and strawberries... We tried and tried and finally was able to finish it.
Throughout the meal we noticed that the place was getting more and more busier, surprising as it was a Sunday afternoon around 3-4pm. A lot of people seem to come here for the desserts at this time, something I would find out later that this place is known for.
Despite being grand at desserts, their regular food menu offerings weren't too bad at all.
I'll definitely be back to try their other foods like their salmon, or eggs benedict as they also do brunch. We left satisfied with Mirage, and would definitely consider coming back, having had a great experience on our visit.
They also validate parking when you park underground in the North York Center's garage.
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