JOEY Markville

Birthday weekend continues! My mom wanted to take me out for dinner as per tradition, and asked me where I'd want to eat. My mom doesn't like to travel too far from home, so I decided on the newly-opened JOEY Markville since I went there a couple weeks ago and knew both the food and the service would be great.
Rainbow Roll
My mom and I wanted to share an appetizer to start. We bypassed all the options from their starters section and decided on the Rainbow Roll instead. Most people probably don't think of going to JOEY for sushi, but it's surprisingly good here considering that it's not a Japanese restaurant. JOEY's version is topped with ahi tuna, salmon, crab, avocado, and sriracha aioli. And instead of using the typical imitation crab, they use crab salad inside the roll, which I think compliments the roll better and gives it a unique twist (in the best way possible). The rice was perfectly cooked, the fish was super-fresh, the sriracha aioli adds a nice spicy kick, the portion is really generous, and the whole thing is beautifully presented. Would definitely order this again.
Steak & Prawns
I was originally deciding between a Japanese restaurant or a steakhouse for this dinner because I was craving both sushi and steak, and as my sushi craving had been satisfied, I decided on Steak & Prawns for my main course. The steak itself was perfectly cooked to a very juicy, very tender, very slightly bloody medium rare. It was seasoned just enough to add dimension to the flavour of the meat, but it is such a good cut that you don't need any sauces or gravies to dip it in. I read some reviews that commented that the steaks were tough and stringy and low grade, but I am glad to report that they could not be more wrong, because my steak was the complete and total opposite. Likewise, the grilled freshwater prawns were plump and juicy and flavourful, and butterflied so that the shell comes off completely in one piece with ease. I really like that they let the natural flavours of both the beef and the shrimp shine through. This is a great example of where the "Keep It Simple" principle works really well. 
And let's not forget the sides, sitting quietly underneath the glorious surf and turf. Fresh grilled zucchini, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes satisfied the vegetable serving of the dinner, but it's the other side that was truly intriguing. Two spring rolls, super crispy and beautifully golden on the outside, stuffed with smooth buttery mashed potatoes, then topped with real chopped bacon bits, cheese, sour cream, and onions. Um, what?! It's like every delightful side dish rolled into one! Can't decide between mashed potatoes and a baked potato? No worries, because not only can you get both, but you can get it in a goddamn deep-fried spring roll. Every fatty's dream! Whoever is the genius behind this baked potato/mashed potato spring roll — serious props to you. If I ever got hungover, this would be like, the only food I would ever need. 
Baked to Order Apple Pie
And what would be a birthday meal without dessert, am I right? My mom and I decided to share the apple pie, which is baked fresh to order. If you ask any of the servers, they'll tell you that the apple pie is the best dessert on the menu — and for a damn good reason. JOEY's version looks more like a danish, but let's not get technical here because it's the best apple-based dessert I have ever had the pleasure of eating. And from a chain restaurant. Who would have thought? The round hand-folded pastry is golden and flaky on the outside, but soft and buttery on the inside, somewhere between a croissant and a Kouign-amann. When you cut into it, you see big, generous slices of apple that is caramelized but somehow still retains that crisp texture. No soggy, runny apple pie filling here. This is legit. It is topped with toasted almonds which gives an amazing nutty flavour and crunchy texture. It is then drizzled with caramel and dusted with icing sugar. And to top it all off, maple ice cream. No, not vanilla. Maple. They give you the option of either, but the maple is what really sends it over the edge into orgasmic territory. 
Like all the JOEY Restaurants, it gives off a trendy vibe a super-sleek and modern interior, but given that it's right smack dab in the middle of the suburbs, it totally lacks all the snobbery and pretentiousness of all the other locations in Toronto. The clientele spans a wide variety of people, too: young and old, couples and families, groups of friends and business associates, you name it. I always felt that the other JOEY locations were for the trendier folk, yuppies and hipsters, etc. But this one makes you feel right at home because the service is out of this world. I don't think I've ever said that about any chain restaurant, ever. But the girls here, despite being dressed to the nines in sleek dresses and high heels (I don't know how they do it), are all so, so, so nice and helpful and informative. First of all, when you're waiting for a table (and as it's a new restaurant, there is always a wait for a table), they go around offering glasses of house wine and gyoza appetizers to everyone to make the waiting just a little less painful. And when you're actually seated, they all stop by the table to ask how the food is, how everything's going, if you need anything else — even the girls that aren't your assigned server. But they do it in a way that's genuine, and they never hover. Seriously amazing. Even my mother, who is usually really critical at restaurants, had nothing to complain about. Will visit again and again and again.

JOEY Markville 1247-5000 Highway 7 East Markham, ON L3R 4M9 (905) 604-5639