KAKA All You Can Eat Japanese

I don't go for Japanese all-you-can-eat ("AYCE") often but that doesn't mean I don't like it. I have to be in a particular mood though (a ravenous one, obviously) and I need to crave it - I have to be in a I-want-everything-in-my-belly-now! state of mind and want nothing else but to stuff my face with large amounts of uncooked raw fish. Don't judge, OK? Because there's a time and place for everything, food included. Sometimes I long for fancy omakase, and at other times a standard sashimi and maki "love boat" will do. When I'm in no mood to deal with people I'd get a take-out party tray and call it a night. It all just depends.

 When it comes to Japanese AYCE though I feel like I have a love-hate relationship with it simply because I'm ridiculously happy once my craving is satisfied; I feel like I can conquer the world with all that yummy goodness inside me ("conquer the world" usually means "get a really good night's sleep"). But shortly after, more like the moment I walk out of the restaurant, I would hate myself for wasting my precious calories on sub-par, run-of-the-mill quality AYCE food. Life is hard, guys.

But that's all about to change. I no longer have to feel like crap from mediocre AYCE food with KAKA All You Can Eat (Instagram: @kakaallyoucaneat, Facebook: KAKA All You Can Eat) in Markham. I know KAKA doesn't have the most appealing name but heck, if you're looking for a "premium" Japanese AYCE experience then this is the place to be.

Opened for only three months, KAKA located in First Markham Place has already made a name for itself in offering the best AYCE Japanese around. KAKA is packed on most nights so make a reservation to avoid disappointment (by the way, they also offer an a la carte menu during weekday lunch).

KAKA has one of the most upscale and modern decor I've ever seen at an AYCE Japanese restaurant. The sushi bar at the back is particularly impressive and it's definitely a focal point in the 84-seat restaurant.

The Winners of the Pure Spirits Oyster House Gift Card Giveaway are ...

@IamSamCheng

@JackieeMan

@sleepydex

@jdawg099

Congratulations! You've all just won a $90 gift card to Pure Spirits Oyster House & Grill, one of the best places for seafood in in Toronto! Please email me your first and last name along with your mailing address to foodjunkiechronicles@gmail.com. Remember to check-in and share you experience with Zomato :)

I also want to say a big THANK YOU to Zomato for sponsoring this contest and the 102 contestants who participated! 

Here's a snapshot of the Excel spreadsheet where I tracked the #fjczomato hashtag from day one of the contest. The tracking was done using chronological order, as in, #1 was the first person to enter the contest. To enter, the person had to tweet "The world is my oyster! @ZomatoCA @foodieyu I want to win a $90 gift card to @spiritspure oyster house! http://bit.ly/1JXdkcP #fjczomato". Each person could tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Once the contest was over and everybody's entries were accounted for, I checked to see if they follow me (@foodieyu) and Zomato (@ZomatoCA) on Twitter. Below are the 211 valid entries:

.I used "True Random Number Generator" from random.org to pick four winners for me:

Stella Artois' Sensorium

When I introduce myself to someone I'm mentally prepared for three possible scenarios:

Me: "Hi, my name is Stella. Nice to meet you!"

---

Scenario #1: "Hi, my name is XYZ. Nice to meet you too!"

Scenario #2: "STELLAAAAAAAA!!! You know, like from SEINFELD? I bet you get that a lot."

Scenario #3: "Ah, Stella! Like the BEER!"

True story. And mind you if I'm feeling particularly confrontational I may respond to Scenario #2 like this:

"You know, Elaine in Seinfeld was actually doing an impersonation of Stanley, played by Marlon Brando, in the play "A Streetcar Named Desire". So technically speaking the "Stellaaaa" thing did not originate from Seinfeld" 

Oh, but I digress.

Given what my name is and Scenario #3 happening more than you know, how can I possibly turn down an invitation to the exclusive global premiere of Stella Artois’ Sensorium? It's essentially my beer after all!

For a limited time from September 10-27, Stella Artois’ Sensorium (#Sensorium) will be taking place within the "Sensorial Dome", a temporary three-story projection dome erected specifically for this special event located at 525 King St. W, 

For $125 pp, this sold-out event consists of a five-course dining experience paired with Stella Artois and is led by Michelin-star Chef Richie Farina, former Executive Chef at Moto in Chicago, along with a team of sensorial experts who will amplify each course based on the five senses.

Guests were offered a glass of Stella Artois (Twitter: @StellaArtois, Facebook: Stella Artois) to start things off.

Win a $90 Gift Card to Pure Spirits Oyster House with Zomato - CLOSED

To celebrate the start of this year's oyster season I'm giving away FOUR $90 GIFT CARDS to Pure Spirits Oyster House & Grill courtesy of Zomato, my favourite app in finding the yummiest foods in the city! Used by millions of people every day in over 10,000 cities across 22 countries, Zomato's mission is to ensure that nobody has a bad meal. Personally, I love using Zomato because the app has all the information you'd ever need to make an informed choice about a restaurant. With curated collections, nearby searches and full menus available for every restaurant, Zomato makes your eating choices that much simpler!

When it comes to oysters, you either love 'em or hate 'em. For me, I absolutely LOVE them. Whether they are raw, baked or fried, the bivalves are so satisfying (especially the freshly shucked ones with their sweet, briny liquor!) Oysters are in season right now as they are best consumed in the colder months from September to April (because they reproduce in the summer) but are generally available all year round as well. Below are some of my favourite ways to eat oysters (clockwise from top left): Raw, fried and stuffed into a po'boy, charbroiled and baked. Simply mouth-watering.

If you love oysters as much as I do then you must enter my contest! Pure Spirits Oyster House & Grill (Twitter: @spiritspure, Facebook: Pure Spirits Oyster House) in the Distillery District is continually recognized as one of the best places for seafood in Toronto, Pure Spirits serves up some amazing food, particularly the fresh oysters flown in daily from around the continent and abroad. Think beautifully balanced Malpeques, melon-accented Kumamotos and meaty Fanny Bays. Yum! And if you're not a fan of oysters there are numerous other seafood options at the restaurant, including fresh fish, mussels and lobsters, as well as pastas and steaks. 

HOW TO ENTER

1) You MUST be following me (@foodieyu) and Zomato (@ZomatoCA) on Twitter

AND

2) Tweet the following sentence, exactly as shown, nothing before or after it: 

The world is my oyster! @ZomatoCA @foodieyu I want to win a $90 gift card to @spiritspure oyster house! http://bit.ly/1JXdkcP #fjczomato

1. For your entry to be valid, you need to tweet the above sentence exactly as shown

2. You may tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Re-tweeting others do NOT count as a valid entry

3. Contest is tracked by the #fjczomato hashtag. If you don't see your tweet in the hashtag stream it means there is no entry from you. Read this to find out the possible reasons why your tweets are not showing up

4. Gift cards are not valid for alcohol.  The gift certificates expire on December 15th, 2015. 

CONTEST DURATION

Contest starts on Thursday, September 10 and ends on Thursday, September 17 at 12PM. Four lucky winners will be chosen randomly from www.random.org and I will announce the winners on Friday, September 18.

GOOD LUCK!!! ^_^