A Thai Road on a Toronto Street

By the time I was pretty much done exploring downtown Toronto for the day, it was time for dinner, and with my sister having suggested Khao San Road for some Thai, I took the opportunity to give it a try.  Imagine my surprise when I realized I was grabbing one of the very last open seats, and it was barely 5:30pm!  The last time I experienced a restaurant becoming packed this early was when I was a kid going to Magic Wok Chinese Restaurant back when it was located on Brimley Rd. just north of Sheppard Ave. E.  Well, when people are clamouring to dine here, and, if they're late, they're willing to wait to get a seat (when I left the restaurant I overheard a group of 7 being told to wait at least an hour for an open table), you know this place must be doing something right.

Return to The Stockyards

On my first full day of my Christmas vacation in Ontario, my sister took me to The Stockyards for lunch.  I tried The Stockyards' fried chicken and ribs the previous Christmas holiday for take-out, and with my sister having talked about the small joint's brunches favourably several times, I had to try it for myself as well.

Fine Dining by Students in Brandon

The study hall just off the main entrance to the Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts (MICA).

For a few years I've heard of Grey Owl Restaurant being discussed by various people.  At first, shortly after I moved to Brandon, it was a mystery to me, as I couldn't find it listed in commercial directories like the Yellow Pages.  I then learned a couple of things about Grey Owl Restaurant that explained why it seemed so elusive to me:

1. It was a restaurant operated by students of the Assiniboine Community College's (ACC) Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts (MICA); and
2. It was a seasonal restaurant, open only for four (4) weeks in January and February of each year.

Bite-Sized Mentions from Vancouver 2011

Eating a fresh Lower Mainland raspberry at Granville Market.

Though I tried quite a few restaurants and eateries, there was definitely more to Vancouver's food scene.  Since the following individual instances were too small for their own posts, I decided to compile the notable "honourable mentions" here.

More Noodles from Vancouver!

The entrance to Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle in Aberdeen Centre.  The kitchen is visible to all who enter the restaurant.

With virtually another full day spent with the grandparents, my parents and I were admittedly beginning to get tired with the usual haunts my grandparents went for lunch, so my father successfully suggested them to join us and try a different and fairly new place.  It was a bit of a gamble, as the restaurant he had in mind was more casual and budget-friendly than the places my grandparents usually frequented.  Fortunately, partly because it was a newer establishment and partly because it was well managed, my grandparents seemed comfortable to give Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle a try.

A Taste of Malaysia on Vancouver's Broadway

With so much time spent with relatives, finding time for me and my parents to eat by ourselves, let alone me and my friends living in Vancouver, was a challenge.  With a little bit of luck, though, I was able to meet up with two friends and their daughter in spite of our respective hectic schedules.  With one of them working at the major health care complex near W. Broadway and Cambie St., and that intersection right on the Canada Line, my main transit route from my grandparents' to downtown, it was a no-brainer to have lunch in that area.  Out of a few possible choices, we ended up going for a Malaysian-style lunch at Banana Leaf Malaysian Cuisine, a local franchise.

Kalamansi Soda

Go Fish... Goldfish, That Is

The open section of Kingyo's kitchen.

Specials menu at Kingyo.

Thanks to being Canada's Pacific Gateway, Vancouver has strong Asian communities and a dining scene that matches.  Japanese cuisine is no exception, and unlike in Toronto, izakayas have been established in Vancouver for a longer period of time.  I definitely enjoyed my first izakaya experience, and I was hoping my experience in Vancouver would be just as well.  I knew from my parents' and sister's prior experience last year that the place we wanted to go was more subtle, but it was in the end for my parents' benefit as it was less raucous than most izakayas would typically be.  Kingyo, Japanese for "goldfish", is located in one of several dining hubs, Denman Street in Vancouver's West Side, and there are actually several izakayas on Denman.  Unlike Guu in Toronto, reservations are allowed at Kingyo and highly recommended; I fortunately did manage to reserve the last available table of the evening.

Lunch in the Park - Part 1

A meal with relatives was in order again, this time for brunch in Stanley Park.  Stanley Park actually has four restaurants within its expansive grounds, and my grandparents originally wanted to go to The Teahouse in Stanley Park, one of four restaurants of the notable Sequoia Company of Restaurants.  However, the same-day call to make a reservation and the popularity of the The Teahouse meant that we could only have a late brunch there.  We therefore opted to go for another notable restaurant in Stanley Park, The Fish House in Stanley Park.

Cream Soda with Milk

During one of my recent trips to Winnipeg I noticed that some Schweppes Cream Soda was on sale at a Chinese supermarket.  This version of cream soda was the Hong Kong version, yellow in colour and mildly fizzy.  Remembering a childhood moment I decided to get myself some and make a drink using the cream soda.

Summer Heat Prescribes a Cool Drink

Normal summer temperatures have finally arrived in late August and early September, but to be honest with you I didn't complain mostly since I do appreciate playing Ultimate in cooler temperatures, I sleep better in cooler temperatures and I've been spared some higher hydro bills for cranking on the A/C. That said, I do appreciate hot weather as well as it allows for trips to the beach and easier excuses to get frozen desserts and refreshing summer drinks. Yes, classic bar drinks like pina coladas and daiquiris helps make a hot summer's day more relaxing, but for those who won't or can't drink alcohol, there are still plenty of good options out there. One drink I discovered at some Vietnamese, Thai and other general south-east Asian restaurants a few years ago shortly before I moved west.

The lime... this tart little citrus fruit easily evokes tropical images. It tastes more acidic than the lemon, but partly because of this I feel that the lime's flavour has a stronger impact than that of a lemon. I've had plenty of lemonade, both fresh and mixed from frozen concentrate as a kid, but my eyes were opened to a new dimension when I first tried fresh lime soda. It is really simple to make, and it is quite pleasant and refreshing. It provides more of a zing than lemonade, yet it tastes considerably more natural than most if not all existing mass-produced lemon-lime flavoured sodas. So, with a BBQ dinner earlier this evening with fellow Ultimate team mates, I decided to make a batch to share with them.

I do caution that my version is just a suggested formula, and you could tweak the recipe to suit your taste. I for one like a stronger lime flavour which is why I called for this many limes (I used eight this time around), but one could go easier if one wishes a milder kick. Also, substituting cold water for club soda (I prefer President's Choice) would easily turn this drink essentially into limeade. Furthermore, this is a simple version which allows for the drink to be portable in existing, easily sealed bottles. Just as lemonade can be made with fresh lemon slices or even halves in the mixture upon serving, lime soda can be done that way as well, but it won't be as portable for such events as potlucks or out-of-home picnics.

Lime Soda (suggested)
1 2L bottle of club soda
1 empty 2L bottle
8-10 limes
Simple syrup to taste

For simple syrup:
250mL (1 cup) white sugar
250mL (1 cup) water

1. To make the simple syrup, pour the sugar and water into a small pot and heat, stirring often, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to let cool.
2. Roll the limes to soften them before halving them cross-wise. Squeeze and ream limes, saving the liquid in a large bowl, preferably a non-metallic bowl as acids react with metals.
3. Pour half the 2L club soda into the empty 2L bottle.
4. Pour half of the lime juice into each 2L bottle, stirring the mixture with a chopstick or other slender wooden object like the stem of a wooden spoon.
5. Pour simple syrup into both bottles to taste. Not all of the simple syrup has to be poured, but pouring more than 125mL (1/2 cup) of syrup (i.e. more than half of batch made) is not recommended as the drink could be too sweet. Stir mixture with chopstick or other slender wooden object.
6. Seal both bottles and chill before serving.