All posts tagged: dining

2016 Winterlicious Top Picks

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Between Jan 29 – Feb 11, enjoy a 3 course meal for a fixed price. This is a great chance to try out the plethora of dining options in Toronto. Also a great opportunity to hit up your coveted list of fancy restaurants that you would normally need to sacrifice a paycheck to entertain your tastebuds.  Here are my personal favorites based on past experience. Canoe – Contemporary Canadian.  $28 Lunch // $45 Dinner One of the most highly requested restaurants for Winterlicious/Summerlious, Canoe sits on top of the TD building on the 54th floor. Soak in the bird’s eye view of Toronto as you dine, or better yet, come during sunset for a extra special touch to your meal. The service is excellent and each dish is carefully crafted together like a work of art. Be prepared to experience a variety of unusual textures and tastes that Canoe aims to incorporate in all its seasonal dishes. Where: 66 King Street West, 54th Floor (TD Tower) Estiatorio Volos – Modern Greek.  $23 Lunch // $35 Dinner This is …

Boston: Exploring Harvard and finding the best lobster roll

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We started the day off with a nice jog around Jamaica Pond which was very close to the neighborhood we were staying in – Jamaica Plains.  I would describe JP as divided into two parts – The Ghetto and the Hipster hood.  The Ghetto is pretty run down and sketchy while the other side is lined with cute little shops and home to quite a wealthy looking group of folks.  I just remember seeing huge mansion size houses near Jamaica Pond when we were jogging.  By the way, its not really a ‘pond’ one lap around the body of water is about 2.5km.  After getting a good sweat we stopped by one of the indie cafes in the neighborhood called 7 Pond Coffee Bar to grab a well deserved Americano and croissant. The cafe was actually one of the most clever and well thought out spaced I’ve seen.  The scafe is tiny, but the way it was designed maximized every square foot.  The photo here doesn’t do it justice… the quality of the interior design was …

Toronto Summerlicious – Sassafraz Review

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Toronto hosts two very popular culinary events annually – Summerlicous & Winterlicuous.  Restaurants across the GTA participate by offering a 3-course prix fix meal to encourage diners to try out new cuisines and get a taste of the culinary talent in the T.O. Usually I’d end up going to about 3 restaurants on average but because I’m spending this summer in Ottawa, I was lucky enough to sneak in one meal.  I dined at Sassafraz with my family for lunch – an upscale French inspired restaurant in the heart of Yorkville.  Click here to see their $28 lunch and $45 menu. The service in Sassafraz is very good.  The waitors are attentive and are there when you need them, and out of sight when you don’t.  They provide fresh, warm bread and generously re-fill throughout the meal. For the Appetizer, I had the Bay Scallops with new potato, chorizo, and sumac roasted cauliflower.  I was a little disappointed at the size of the scallops, I’m not a fan of these tiny ones at all.  The chorizo …

Hong Kong [Part 3] Lots of FOOD: Inakaya, Via Tokyo, Din Tai Fung

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A blog post dedicated to food is pretty much mandatory considering that in order to immerse yourself in the full HK experience, you will have to come prepared with two stomachs.  We dined at the top of the tallest tower in HK (the International Commerce Center) at a Japanese restaurant called Inakaya.   It was a slightly hazy day, but the views were beautiful none the less.  From this angle, you can see the entire landscape of HK island.  We ordered a sushi set which comes with a selection of fresh fish, noodles, sashimi salad, and steamed egg.  Overall the food was on point, nothing mind blowing.  You are pretty much paying for the view here.  Other delicious finds include this Japanese custard bun of sorts.  I don’t remember the name of the place but it was inside Harbour City.  Perhaps it doesn’t look the most photogenic, but if you’re a green tea lover, then this is a must try.  Smooth velvety green tea custard encased in a steaming fluffy bun.  Afternoon coffee break with …

Hong Kong [Part 1] Eating boatloads of delicious food and performing surgery on Hairy Crabs

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Despite being born and raised in Canada, every time I go back to Hong Kong to visit my family, it always feels like home.  Something about the fast paced lifestyle, the food, the culture… it just feels right.  This time I went with the bf and only had 10 days as opposed to my usual month long stay.  With such a tight timeline, everyday was packed with delicious food, glorious sight seeing, and lots of walking.  October offered comfortable weather conditions – dry wit temperatures hovering around mid to high 20’s.  Very comfortable compared to summers in Hong Kong!   After 16hours in the air, we arrived late at night and headed over to Tsui Wah for a quick midnight snack.  Tsui Wah (翠華集團) is a typical HK style cafe with multiple locations across HK island.  Warning: the Malaysian noodle soup was INSANELY spicy but the wonton soup was good, pretty standard. The next morning decided to go for a classic milk tea, sammy and macaroni soup breakfast at Hao Wah （豪華）.  Again, pretty standard, …