A Classy Bay Street Lunch

With another day on my own in Toronto, I decided to explore the downtown area, and opted to have lunch there as well.  My sister suggested a few places, including The Gabardine, to try for lunch or dinner.  Knowing that there would be lunch crowds on weekdays, I planned on heading downtown to get to The Gabardine between 11:30am and 11:45am to be able to get a seat.  Unfortunately, I left for downtown late and arrived about 11:50am, and there was already a small line-up with an approximately 40-minute wait in the packed place.

Bistro 7-1/4

The open kitchen, surrounded on three sides by a kitchen bar for ten (10) diners.

My November 2012 visit to Bistro 7-1/4, a play on its address (725 Osborne St.), was actually my second visit to the restaurant and the first since its early 2012 expansion.  I'd first explored it the previous summer and had the pleasant opportunity to dine at the kitchen bar, giving me an uninterrupted view of the chef and sous-chef working in the small open kitchen.  Unfortunately, I had forgotten to bring my camera with me (sacrilège!), so I made sure I came back again camera in hand.  This time, I was unable to sit at the kitchen bar, but I got to see the expanded side of the restaurant.

Return to Deseo... con los Amigos

A drink from Deseo Bistro: Caipirinha, a Brazilian cane-liquor-based drink.

I had another opportunity to dine out in Winnipeg with friends this Canada Day long weekend, and since none of them had tried Deseo yet, I suggested we give that place go.  I certainly didn't mind returning there after my delightful first experience, though apparently a reservation wasn't as necessary this time, likely due to people being away for the long weekend.

A Desirous Experience in Winnipeg

With the Louis Riel Day long weekend upon me, I once again made a daytrip to Winnipeg.  Earlier in the year my sister led me to an article featuring worthy new restaurants across Canada in 2011, with one Winnipeg bistro making this list.  Deseo Bistro actually has existed in Winnipeg for a few years, but circumstances resulted in them being reborn at its current location in the Riverview neighbourhood.  Deseo, Spanish for "desire", features an internationally inspired cuisine with South American influences having a more prominent presence, and appears to be quite popular with Winnipeggers.  When I arrived at the bistro I learned that, fortunately, there was one seat left in the two-storey eatery... at the bar.  Well, beggars can't be choosers, so upstairs to the bar I went.

A Golden Court Dinner

A dinner with the maternal grandparents was in order, especially since I for one had not seen them since my last Christmas break.  Though my family and I have noticed the existence of Golden Court Abalone Restaurant several times, only my parents and sister tried it last year due to a banquet event being held there.  Having enjoyed the cuisine there, they thought it was a good place to try for just a more casual dinner.  The Chinese cuisine offered at this restaurant, along with the price tag, was definitely on the higher end, with quite a few dishes on the menus offering various Chinese delicacies like shark's fin, conpoy and swallow's nest.  Even with some of the simpler dishes, greater attention was given to presentation compared to most other Chinese restaurants.

A personal serving of Snake Soup.

Starting my Return to Toronto with Hands-On Eating

Vegetarian Bayaaynatu (for two) with an additional order of Gored-Gored at Ethiopian House.  All the food items were served on a layer of injera.

When my sister and I arrived in Toronto a few days after Christmas with the parents in Ottawa, it was early evening and we were not in the mood for cooking dinner.  When my sister bounced a few suggestions on places to eat, I decided that we should give Ethiopian House a try; though she'd been there in the past, I'd never had Ethiopian cuisine, and there was no better time like the present.  When I got to the restaurant, located in a converted house on a quiet side street off Yonge near Wellesley, I found it fascinating that, for years, I've heard of Ethiopia for all the unfortunate reasons, yet its cuisine, though comparatively simpler than, say, Chinese or French cuisine, was colourful and lively.  Though there was some meat in Ethiopian cuisine, I understood that there was a stronger emphasis for vegetable dishes, and it was reflected in the menu at the restaurant and the meal my sister and I ordered.  (The following close-up photos are courtesy of my sister at boneats.ca.)

Greek Serendipity

On my latest daytrip to Winnipeg I was actually undecided on where to go for dinner for a while, and I hadn't picked at least figure out a shortlist before my trip.  After a short drive down Osborne and Corydon I decided to give Kristina's on Corydon a try.  I didn't know what cuisine to expect there, but once indoors I discovered it was a Greek restaurant.  It was a small, cozy place, and, on that evening, it was nearly full of diners and abuzz with conversation and laughter.  The only visible indications that it was a Greek restaurant were all indoors with paintings of coastal Greek scenery along the tops of the walls, and two guitars and a mandolin hung on a wall, waiting to be played at any time, not to mention a fiery serving of saganaki at one point, with the flames shooting several feet into the air.

A cup-sized portion of Avgolemono topped with some freshly ground pepper.

Bringing "Guangzhou" to Vancouver

In spite of walking all over downtown Vancouver my hunger hadn't returned in time for dinner thanks to the two snacks my parents and I had mid-afternoon.  However, we decided to end our Saturday sojourn with a dinner at a more unsophisticated Chinese restaurant called Kwong Chow Congee & Noodle House.  Using the Cantonese pronunciation of the city of Guangzhou in its name, the restaurant naturally features Cantonese cuisine, with a greater focus on congee and noodle dishes.  At least one congee dish was in order for us, as congee is easy on the digestive system and is considered as a food therapy dish.  Though perhaps plain congee was the healthiest choice, it was also the blandest, so we opted for one of the healtheir flavoured ones.

Congee with Conpoy and Dried Bok Choy

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.

100-Mile Fine Dining

The bar and kitchen of Raincity Grill.

 Before my trip to Vancouver I realized that my father's birthday would come during my trip.  Thankfully my sister was more in the know of the food scene in Vancouver as she had been there the previous year.  After poring over a few possibilities I ended choosing to treat him at Raincity Grill, a restaurant located at the south end of Denman St. in the English Bay neighbourhood.  Not only were the menu choices suitable for both his tastes and dietary concerns, and not only was this restaurant a reputable one, but it was unique in featuring a 100-Mile Menu.

Of Pigeons and Winter Melon Soup

Another dinner with the Vancouver relatives was in order, but this time one of my uncles realized dinner should be had at another place partly for variety and partly to allow us out-of-towners to try something different.  For that, it was decided that dinner should be at Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant on Vancouver's Main St.  Though this restaurant does specialize in dishes made with fresh, live seafood, it also specializes in Roast Squab, or Roast Pigeon.  I'd first discovered this dish when I travelled to Hong Kong at the age of 10.  A restaurant just north of Sha Tin was famous for its Roast Squab, though at that age I was perhaps more enticed by the carp-filled ponds in the courtyard.

Roast Pigeon/Squab

Red Star Dining

Vancouver is arguably one of a handful of Canadian foodie meccas thanks to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the wealth of agricultural resources in the region known as the Lower Mainland and being a cultural nexus in Canada for the Asia-Pacific nations.  Though I intended to try a wider variety of cuisines during my Vancouver trip, I couldn't deny myself the opportunity to try some Chinese cuisine here.  (It was also at times unavoidable as I was mainly visiting my grandparents.)  So, for my first dinner in Vancouver in years, we went to Red Star Seafood Restaurant on Granville St.

Soy Sauce Chicken

Dining Out in the House

Earlier this year I'd heard from a friend or two that Brandon had a decently authentic Chinese restaurant.  Curious, late in the winter I tried a couple of noodle dishes for take-out and found them acceptable.  I kept this place at the back of my hand, and it came handy when my parents arrived in town.  Unable to make them dinner after work, I suggested that we go to Wei Na's House for dinner.  Located in the downtown area, it was previously known as Wei Na Restaurant before it became under new ownership.

Eggplant in Yuxiang Sauce

All Aboard for French Cuisine

Happy Easter Everyone!  With another long weekend, I had another opportunity to try another restaurant in Winnipeg.  I'd passed by Resto Gare French Bistro & Train Bar a few times but never got around to try it until now.  It had also been a while since I've had some French cuisine, so without further ado I decided to give this place a go.

Inside the train car portion of Resto Gare.

Chinese Eggplant Casserole

With my recent cravings for Eggplant with Yuxiang Sauce Casserole, I was inspired to attempt to make my own eggplant casserole.  Until now I've only done stir-fries with eggplant, and even then I've found stir-frying eggplant to be a bit challenging.  Eggplant stuck easily to the wok, but adding more oil to cook eggplant would have made the dishes less healthy.  Steaming was possible, but not suprisingly the pieces closer to the bottom cooked more quickly than the pieces near the top.  To convince myself to try making an eggplant casserole, I rationalized that the pieces should cook more evenly and in a fairly healthy manner as all the pieces would be equally immersed in a liquid.

White Asparagus Experiment

I've bought white asparagus a few times in the past when they were on sale.  Since I'd no experience nor exposure to cooking with white asparagus, cooking this vegetable has been more of an experimental experience for me, even though recipes are available everywhere.  I decided this time around to cook something less conventional, Stir-Fried White Asparagus with Shrimp and Mushrooms in Green Curry Sauce.

Friends, Manitobans, Countrymen...

It's not often I go to Winnipeg more than once a month, but this was my second trip in March, the first one being just two weeks ago for a planning conference.  This time it was to see Emilie-Claire Barlow perform at the Park Theatre.  Though there was no dress code to see the show, I thought that wearing a suit was in order.  With my wearing a suit, I decided to take the opportunity to try a fine dining restaurant for dinner before going to the show.  I'd been meaning to try Amici (Italian for "friends") for a couple of years, and at last the opportunity arose.

Bamboo - Part 2 of 2

After making the Bamboo, Preserved Vegetable & Beef Stir-Fry one evening, the following week I opted to use the remaining unused segments of bamboo shoots.  Having at the time recently returned from my latest Winnipeg daytrip on Louis Riel Day, I decided to marry the bamboo shoots with another one of my favourite vegetables, mushrooms.  I'd managed to buy a decently-sized package package of fresh oyster & shiitake mushrooms at a Winnipeg Chinese supermarket and was looking forward to cooking them that week.  The result of this inspiration to cook with bamboo was Stir-Fried Beef, Bamboo Shoots & Oyster Mushrooms.

Bamboo - Part 1 of 2

I've always enjoyed eating bamboo shoots since I was a kid.  They have a nice crunch to them which, unlike most other vegetables, isn't lost when cooked.  They are also usually found in canned form in supermarkets, which makes them good vegetables to use when fresh vegetables are in shorter supply.  I remember how my mom would, usually due to lack of time, create simpler dishes for dinner on weeknights, and sometimes that involved using cans of bamboo shoots.  One of those dishes I remember well is Bamboo, Preserved Vegetable & Beef Stir-Fry.

Head South to Go North

I'm still not sure why a restaurant in the southern quarter of Winnipeg would be named "North Garden", especially since its focus isn't on Northern Chinese cuisine.  Whatever the case may be, it has become my favourite Chinese restaurant in Winnipeg, and so far it is the restaurant I've visited the most whenever I'm in Winnipeg.  It offers a wide selection of authentic Chinese dishes, at times adapting with certain more local ingredients (such as steaming fresh Manitoba pickerel instead of more traditional saltwater fish like tilapia).  On days I've been there, which has either been on weekends or on holidays (my most recent visit being on Louis Riel Day), one has had to show up before 6:00pm to get a table; a line-up for both dining in the restaurant and to complete take-out orders was almost certain by 6:30pm.