"4"^^ . "Singapore is a fascinating City State where the mythical Merlion watches over the Sea.\nA city that promotes & embraces it's culinary background and diversity thru Hawkers.\nA city infamous for infinite Hawker Stalls, each with it's own well-known specialty dish.\nImagine the day when Toronto will have it's very first Hawker Centre. One can Dream.\n\nUntil that day, I truly appreciate Lion City's efforts to showcase Singaporean here.\nAs in Singapore, Hawker Stalls of the same dish will vary in style from one-to-another.\nI've had mediocre Chicken Rice as well as ones that Anthony Bourdain approved.\n\nLion City simply tries to do too much with too little, and maybe changes are needed.\nA lone Singaporean restaurant in GTA cannot produce every dish to top standards.\nFor what Lion City does, many dishes are very much within expectations. ~3.5'd~\nFocus on the promotion of Singapore Food & Culture is big enough a task itself.\n\nThe unusual surprises came to me in form of Pine-Cone shaped Pineapple Cake.\nButtery crumbly pastry with a filling of Pineapple fresh sweet slightly fibrous filling.\nBeef Rendang was a dish I have given up on it after a trials at various restaurants.\nThe bland flavours, mushy overcooked Beef turning into shreds. Nightmares.\nThe one I had here was not scared of flavours/spices and Beef just moist enough.\n\nThe cons to those lovely dishes is that as many are not as write-home worthy.\nThe same issue seems to happen to various other Southeast Asian resto in GTA.\nCatch 22 it seems as I do not wish them to take the really good dishes off Menu.\n\nThe service does seem lacking but it's more of a slower pace due to understaffing.\nThis does make a challenge to bring dishes out steaming hot when diners hunger.\nSpeed of Kitchen-to-Table will help satisfy some, hopefully without lack of quality.\n\nOne factor I hope GTA can appreciate is that even if they do not love Lion City,\nat least they should appreciate the friendly and willingness of Lilian(owner/chef).\nHer wealth of knowledge/experience in SG Cuisine to offer GTA is an asset.\nI look forward to go back and try dishes not too common in these parts of Ontario.\nI simply cannot wait until I go back for Singapore's ICONIC dish. -anxious-"^^ . "2012-09-26T00:00:00"^^ . "2"^^ . . . "2"^^ . . "4"^^ .