Grazie Ristorante

My first taste of Italian food in Toronto - Grazie. It is along Yonge and Eglinton.

The caesar salad was very fresh. The lettuce was crisp, dressing not runny and was just right. Not too pungent.

I ordered a pasta dish - Tasca. It was fresh pasta filled with ricotta, spinach, mushrooms and brie baked in creamy tomato porcini sauce. You could literally taste the freshness of the pasta. It was al dente too. And the amazing thing was, it didn't taste too cheesey at all even though it had ricotta and brie. The sauce was light to the palate.

We shared the tiramisu. It was 3 mounds, so each of us had one. Soft, creamy and drenched with espresso and liquers. It was gorgeous and it didn't feel so sinful when shared ;p

Location

Grazie Ristorante

2373 Yonge Street, Toronto, Canada

+1.416.488.0822

Resort Travel

I want to travel to resorts for the beach and spa holiday again. I miss the close proximity Singapore has to the neighbouring countries - Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

I was reading a friend's blog on her trip to Ubud, Bali and the resort she was staying. It looked fab! I think I was sold by the giant tub in the bathroom of her suite (she got upgraded). Hahahaha.

Check out the website of Kori Ubud.

Bathroom of the suiteWarm, inviting cosy bed to put you to dreamland immediately

I am such a beach person when I take my vacation now. I think there is something about being on a beach, lulled by the sound of the ocean, of the waves gently crashing onto the powdery soft pristine sand, feeling the warmth of the sun kissing the body and the light breeze caressing the skin which make one just relax automatically. The blue of the a clear sky with scattered fluffly white clouds and the azure of the ocean also help.

It can be such an idyllic experience if one just allow the body to relax and be in tune with nature. None of those rushing around, meeting deadlines, scheduling one life around the clock. The reason why I went back to Phuket 5 times now in just 3 years. People always asked me what do I do there? Am I not bored of the place already?

I was never bored because I was not there to sightsee and do the touristy things. I was there purely to laze around and do nothing. I only need to spend on my airfare and hotel. Hotel is an important component if you want to have a good de-stressing holiday. Decadent, luxurious ambience will add to the entire experience. Not grotty ones.

It makes sense to get a nice hotel if you are going to spend more than 50% of your time in the room/compound :)

So now I see this place - Kori Ubud - and it is tempting to just go there and chill too. The first time I went to Bali, I stayed near Ubud too. At the Alam Sari Resort in the Keliki Village about 20 mins drive away from Ubud. I saw the rice padi terraces and woke up to the crowing of the roosters. Sadly, I was not able to really appreciate such vacation places then. I was 22, just started working and full of energy. My holidays were always packed with activities, maxing out each day.

I did love the bathroom though :p It was an indoor garden bathroom which was pretty cool but I think the one thing which stood out then was seeing the ants crawling along the wall. Lol. That was also the first time I had a body massage. The therapist came into the villa to massage. I sure was not used to that at all, especially since mom and Van were in the room too. Shy, I was then ;p

Shall I visit Bali again? Not really my favourite destination but the resort sure looks good. We shall see :)

Samurai Japanese Restaurant

I just have to rave about this Japanese restaurant which I went to last night (Saturday) with Jason and Ryan. Samurai Japanese Restaurant is apparently well-known for its huge sashimi. Look at the pictures and drool ;p

There was a long line when we got there but it moved fast, which was good. The service was pretty good for a busy restaurant. Our tea (real green tea) was topped up frequently without us having to ask for refills and the food was served promptly (at least much faster than at Sushi Town).

I had the combination set (C$9.50) which included the following: beef teriyaki, rice, miso soup, tempura, 3 pcs BC roll and 3 pcs nigiri sushi (salmon, tuna and prawn). I was in the mood for some beef as I just had Japanese food for lunch too.

Beef teriyaki and tempura with rice. Tender beef with teriyaki sauce and crispy warm tempura.
Salmon Sashimi (C$9.95) which we shared. Look at the thickness of the sashimi. Fresh too. You sure can't find it in Singapore.

Salmon Don (C$8.95) which Ryan ordered and partial pic of the Gomaa (C$3.25) Same thickness of the salmon sashimi.

The nigiri sushi and BC roll. I was a bit disappointed of the BC roll as it tasted different from what Yakko Sushi used to serve where the salmon skin was crispier and smaller pieces. Not a huge slab of salmon skin.

Jason had some unagi tempura roll or something plus the salmon sashimi and my food which I only had about 1/2 of it. The garburator lives! Hehehe.

I do like this place for the homey feel and quick turnover of customers. Definitely not a place to linger.

Location
Samurai Japanese Restaurant
1108 Davie Street, Vancouver
http://samuraisushi.ca/index.html

Food/Restaurants in Canada (18 Sept - 19 Oct)

I have been eating in most of the time, especially turkey. Frankly we are all a bit sick of turkey. So far, besides the roasted turkey we had on Thanksgiving, I have had it in the following ways too:
- turkey noodle veggie soup
- turkey sandwich
- turkey porridge
- turkey fried rice
- turkey soup (with radishes, carrots and celery and chillies)

What else can I cook, using turkey? Davis suggested turkey burrito and turkey springrolls, I thought of turkey with the leftover chili crab sauce with the frozen prata :p

Other snack food I have tried since coming back to Canada:
- Tim Horton's donuts (Canadian Maple, Double Chocolate)
- CinnZeo's Miniroll (smaller version of the regular Cinnaroll - A "melt in your mouth dough, Siam™ cinnamon and brown sugar oozing between the tender wraps of dough, then completed with our mouth watering Philly Cream Cheese frosting")
- Little Monk's pretzel (it's so good!)
- Baskin-Robbins (Jamoca Almond Fudge)
- Mmmuffins (mini muffins - banana nut, butterscotch pecan and chocolate chip)
- New York Fries (just regular fries, surprisingly not salty - I had a taste only)
- TCBY (I had just regular swirl of chocolate and vanilla yoghurt with real strawberries topping)
- Chewy Chunks Ahoy (only had 2 cookies - I didn't like it. Too sugary sweet)
- hot dog from the vendor in downtown

Restaurants I have been to:
- Pho Hong along Kingsway
- Pho 99 along North Road
- Woodstone for Pho in Markham, ON
- Kim Vietnamese Restaurant for Pho in Toronto's Chinatown
- Zee's Patio & Grill at Niagara-on-the-Lake
- Sushi Town along Hastings/Warwick in Burnaby
- Robson Sushi Japanese Restaurant along Robson for cheap All You Can Eat Ala Carte Buffet
- Baton Rouge along Yonge in North York, ON
- Cristos Greek Taverna along Hastings
- Insadong Korean food along North Road
- The Boat House at English Bay for seafood
- IHOP for pancakes and omelette (Country Omelette which has ham, cheese, onions and hash browns topped with sour cream) at Lougheed Mall
- Red Robins near Lougheed Mall where I had the Buzzard Wings which were so yummy!
- Prima Taste Restaurant along Robson where I had the laksa, tried prata and ice kachang
- Eggspectations near Toronto Eaton Center where I had the Breton Benedict (two poached eggs, two crêpes, black forest ham, gruyere cheese with classic hollandaise sauce)
- Swiss Chalet near Markville Shopping Center in Markham where I had the chicken quesadilla.
- Grazie along Yonge and Eglinton (North York) for Italian food
- Smilin Jack's Bar & Grill for drinks near Finch Subway Station in Toronto
- Richtree Market Restaurant at BCE Place on Bay Street in Toronto
- Moxie's Classic Grill in Langley
- Shiang Garden in Richmond for Dim Sum (I think SG/HK has better dim sum)
- Cupcakes along Denman (love the shop, so pretty!)
- Mondo Gelato along Denman (tried Nutella and Dark Chocolate - so good!)
- La Piazza Dario Ristorante Italiano along Slocan in Vancouver (pretty warm homey experience with a touch of classy dining) I had the cannelloni alla romana - pasta stuffed with veal and spinach - huge portion. Didn't realize it is a culture to doggy-bagged then.
- Nando's Chicken at the food court (only time I ate in a food court so far) for 1/4 chicken with peri peri rice.

Starbucks didn't taste that great now, quite watered down caramel machiato so I don't really have coffee outside.

Hmmm....I think those are the places I can recall. It does seem like I have been to quite a number of places after all, in the one month I have been here.

Travel Journal: 4 - 6 October 2007

OK, back to the travel journey for the last 3 days of my stay in TO. I still can't decide if I like it or not.

4 October (Thursday)
- RS came over to pick me up so that he can take me around. He had nowhere in mind, and since I had already done the touristy thing of CN Tower and HHOF and downtown TO, it was really up to me to decide where to go. I asked to be taken to Oakville :p

- He drove us to Oakville despite him not really knowing where I wanted to go. Lol. And I had no idea how to get there too. It was good, catching up. Lots of sarcy funny remarks. We did make it to Bronte Harbour and I did vaguely remember the places of yesteryears.

- We decided to continue on to Niagara since we were already at Oakville. So We went to Niagara Falls and caught rainbows. Pretty! Then went to Niagara-on-the-Lake for early dinner. It was very nice, very charming town.

5 October (Friday)
- Didn't really have any plans but last minute decided to meet with KN. Initially I was to meet KN at Yorkdale, but KN suggested to meet for lunch instead at Eglinton station area. That was the area PY was meeting his teammates for lunch, so he drove me to the station instead of another one where I was to take the bus/train on my own to Yorkdale.

- Walked around Yonge-Eglinton Mall while waiting for KN. Tried Mmmuffins, my fave previously. It didn't taste as good, probably good thing as I don't crave for it at all. Met KN and her friend SH. We went across the road to have lunch at Grazie, an Italian restaurant.

- Food was fresh and pretty good. I doggie bagged my meal - Tasca (fresh pasta filled with ricotta, spinach, mushroom and brie baked in a creamy tomato porcini sauce) as it was too much.

- Took the subway with KN to get to Yorkdale. By the time we got there, I only had about 45mins to shop around. In the end, spent it in Sephora again. Hehe. I just love Sephora. Met PY at 4pm so that he can drive us back. He stopped by a friend's place to pick up a new phone - Blackberry. He told me he saw us at Grazie but i didn't see him when he left. Such a coincidence. Then we rented DVDs and got Baskins Robbins ice cream (Jamoca Almond Fudge). I made dinner - spicy cheesey tuna casserole - and WC dropped by to watch Blade of Glory with us. That was fun.

6 October (Saturday)
- PY got up early for training, I didn't go as it was way too early at 7am. I took a walk outside in shorts and tee and walked to the grocery store. Took pictures of the serene neighbourhood.

- PY came back and we watched Cashback before lunch. I made Prawn Beehoon for us - his birthday meal. No cupcakes as originally planned since I didn't have the ingredients and I was leaving that day. After that, I packed and PY drove me to the airport. Heavy rain on the way there.

- I checked in on my own, and waited at Starbucks to meet DM. I had arranged to meet DM at the airport since there was no other days available and airport was near his home anyway. It was nice, having someone wait with me before I boarded the plane. We had a nice chat.

- Took off late due to the windstorm. But arrived in Vancouver not terribly delayed. CP was at the airport to meet me as JH was still in USA then.

So that is the end of my Toronto trip. Just a week.

Bathrooms

I don't know why but I always love bathrooms. I was so excited to discover this website Kohler which specializes in bathrooms and kitchen. The kitchen has been said to be the heart of the house, as it is where people cook, pouring their love and efforts in preparing food for the family and it is usually where the cook spends the most time in, making breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. And if you really cook, you do spend lots of hours in there. Chopping, grating, slicing, simmering, whipping up a gourmet meal daily. None of these time-savers, frozen food stuff or microwave.

Bathroom is still my favorite place. My sanctuary. It is the place where you can be truly alone, away from people and the hustle bustle of life. It is a place where you can de-stress, washed away the worries of the day or be refreshed. I would love to have a spacious bathroom where you can take a luxury bath and just be alone for an hour or so.

Here are some pictures of bathrooms from Kohler which look so gorgeous and inviting. I want!

Bancroft Suite. So old world. Who actually has such a big bathroom? To even have an armchair in there. This blue works well too, imparting a calmness infused with a bit of dark tones.

Close up of the bathtub

I like this. Minimal and serene but not too stark. The wooden ledge is perfect to light candles or have a glass of wine.
The image outside the window looks painted but if you live in high rise and can have a good view, this would be awesome.
This is so blissful, especially for a resort type of bath. Open concept with view of the beach and sea.

This is so pretty. But the bathtub in the middle of nowhere seemed to cause splashing of water when getting in and out. But it looks real inviting.

I am not so sure about the blue but it reminds me of Greece. All the blue and white.

This is so spacious. A low bath makes it good if you have "visitor" to sit on the ledge ;)

Close up of a whirlpool in the middle of that bathroom suite

Close up of the sink. See how different it is from the usual sink.

This is so cool! So resort-like.

This is more traditional with the warm wood and dark green tone. More suitable for men, probably.

I like this too. Simple yet warm. Though I wonder if the wood will rot over time?

I like this too! Looks like those you will get in hotel. I like the separation of the bath tub with the sink too. This is quite minimalist too. Again, wonder about the water splashing out.

I like the screen. Looks so minimalist and Japanese with the wrought-iron and white.

This is fantastic, especially the shower area with the numerous nozzles.

Travel Journal: 1 - 3 October 2007

So what did I do since NYC trip was cancelled? Decided to play tourist in Toronto area and meet up with other friends too.

1 October (Monday)
- went to CN Tower after brekkie. Finally I get to see the city in daylight. The last time I went up was in 1994 at night so I was not really aware of things. We did everything - went to the top (Sky Pod) which is 447m above ground. Also watched a mini clip on how the CN Tower was built. Did you know that the CN Tower was built as a communications tower? It is a large TV and radio communication platform to serve the Toronto area residents. There was a glass floor where you can look down all the way to the ground. Bad for people suffering from vertigo.
- it was a nice clear day with blue sky and few clouds. It was so windy outside up there. I had fun there.

- also went to the Hockey Hall of Fame at Bay Street (similar to NYC Wall Street or SG Shenton Way). I like the building, pretty neat to see extremely old buildings being built into the new building. I didn't expect the Hockey Hall of Fame to be so big.

- it was cool, looking at the hockey stuff and Stanley Cup of course. There was an interactive area where you can be a goalie or do a shootout or be a sports commentator, etc. I enjoyed playing the table hockey game. I almost won the first round, that was a good fight. Insisted on a 2nd game, and I was losing but PY slid in the puck on purpose making it a tie, so that the minutes will be extended. And I won in the end :p Otherwise, he would have won both games.

- we had dinner at the marketplace similar to marche. huge selection of food. In the end, I only had a bowl of broccoli soup and bread and butter pudding. I only had 2-3 bites of the pudding as it was so sweet. I had a small bit of meat from PY to try.

- we watched Borat when we got back. That was really funny.

2 October (Tuesday)
- PY dropped me off at Markville Shopping Center after lunch. I made mee siam for him to try.

- Markville is pretty big, and this was the only time I really "shopped". I got to browse most of the stores. I bought a phone charm in support of BCA. Just in time since the "shoe charm" broke. Also bought a skirt from H&M and 2 bras from La Senza. That was cheap. Only C$17 for both during sale.

- Met F for coffee and dinner. Just chatted and it was around 10pm when we finished. Too late to join PY and his friends for drinks. Instead we played scrabble online when he got back.

3 October (Wednesday)
- PY dropped me off at the Mount Joy GO bus/train station in the morning so that I can take the GO Bus into downtown Toronto. Good thing we were in that area on Monday so I fairly knew the area. Took the subway from Union station to Dundas where Eaton Centre is. I was to meet KN there.

- it was great to see KN again as the last time we saw each other was in 1998 when I graduated. We had fun talking, catching up. Went to Eggspectations for brunch. Then we went back to Eaton Centre. Sephora was heaven! We spent close to 2 hours there, just trying the stuff. Didn't really go to other shops at all and there are over 285 stores.

- we took the tram bus to somewhere near U of T campus and walked towards Kensington Market. Kensington Market was interesting, full of eclectic shops of vintage stuff and also like a mini-Hispanic place as there were so many stores selling Mexican foodstuff.

- Headed to Chinatown area which was nearby and it was definitely cleaner than 10 years ago. In fact the whole of Toronto feels cleaner now. It used to be quite filthy. We had pho again as I just loved Vietnamese beef noodles. This was pretty ok, not fantastic but alright.

- Arranged to meet PY and WC for drinks after dinner at Yonge and Finch. So once again, took the subway there. As we were not familiar with the area, we just popped into Smiling Jack's, a family restaurant and bar. It seemed like we were so out of place. 2 Asian girls walking in, obviously out of our elements, into a male-dominated place (not that it was crowded). NHL was playing (Toronto vs Ottawa) and so that was nice. I watched a little. And we got carded! The waitress said she felt we looked below 25 so she asked to see our IDs. But legal drinking age is 19 there. Anyway, my lime margarita was so watered down I sincerely doubt there was any tequila in there at all.

- PY and WC came by about an hour later and we just shoot the breeze. Got into a debate on transportation system in Toronto, Vancouver and Singapore cos Toronto is going to increase the fare soon. Seriously, if we see how much they increase the fare in Canada, the 2-3cents increase in Singapore is really nothing much. Here they increase by 25 cents or more. Already it cost me C$2.75 just to take the subway in Toronto. They do not count by number of stops at all. It is a flat rate within 90mins of travel.

- PY got a ticket as he didn't put enough at the parking lot, and the others were so amazed as it was a C$3+ ticket? They have never seen such a "cheap" fine. He sent KN back to her residence, and then I realized he used to study there. I know he told me before, but I guessed I never really registered or paid attention to it.

Travel Journal: 28 - 30 September 2007

Ok, I have not really been updating my travel and what I have been doing. Playing catch-up now. So many things have happened and I was not in the best frame of mind to blog about it then. I am much better, thank you to all my "angels" for helping me get through my difficult period.

28 September 2007 (Friday)
I arrived in Toronto around 645am (345am Vancouver time), so I was still pretty groggy and tired and under the weather. Then I had to wait for about an hour or so before my ride came. Maybe that was not the best way to start the day.

It took about an hour to get to the house and pretty much rested for the entire morning after I unpacked and unloaded all the food items. I think I could have slept even more and I kinda panicked when I realized it was already close to 1pm when I woke up. I didn't expect to nap for so long. I mean, it is not nice to sleep for so long when I just arrived. I had thought to just rest for an hour or so.

I showered and that took another 30mins for me to get ready before we went out for some food. I opted for Vietnamese beef noodles as my throat was not feeling too good. It was somewhere nearby, no idea where. The beef noodles was not that fantastic, and the iced milk tea was not that great too. We didn't really talk much as I was still not totally well.

Went to Wal-Mart after that to get some shampoo/conditioner etc. PY drove past the Markham Festival site for me, but I didn't realize it was a detour on purpose so that I could check it out. He asked if I would want to go there but I said to go the next day as the fireworks was on then. Rested more at the house and we went to Baton Rouge with WC and S for a late dinner and movie. We watched The Kingdom in North York. Show was ok, a bit too violent but makes you think about what is happening in the Middle East now.

29 September 2007 (Saturday)
We took it easy and didn't really do much during the day. Instead it was spent on planning for the NYC trip. Finally we decided on the route and the hotels were booked. PY made the omelette for brunch and I showed him how to have kaya toast.

We went to the library in the late afternoon, I didn't get to borrow any books as there were not much chick-lit available plus we only had about 20mins before it closed for the day. It was so crowded, I guess there were not much things to do on a weekend.

Then we went to the Markham Festival. That was fun. It was held at a huge open field. Very orderly with traffic wardens directing the cars and where to park. It was about a 10 mins walk to the festival gate. The Markham Festival is an annual event and is such a storybook setting.

Farm animals - ducks, chickens, pigs, horses, rabbits, cows etc were there on display. There were also shows highlighting the strength of horses at the "Horse-Pull" where the horses actually pulled slabs of concrete. There was a merry-go-round with actual ponies going around. That was cool but also a bit "cruel"?

There were tents with stalls selling their wares and food like nuts, home-made jams, chutneys. I was so tempted to try the caramel apple but I didn't. Dinner was a simple affair. PY had a hotdog while I had a burger. Then he bought fries which I had some.

There was also another tent showing the home economics stuff done by students and the ribbons they won. So we saw quilts, baked goods and photography etc. There were even prizes for the pumpkins, tomatoes, and whatever was grown.

Off one side there was the amusement park. We didn't try any of the rides or the games. Felt a bit too old for that now. But it was nice, just walking around and seeing other people playing. We ended the evening watching the Extreme Motorcycle stunts. Daredevils stunts - simply amazing! That was followed by the fireworks. So pretty. The difference is that the cars driving passed continued driving, unlike in Singapore where motorists would have stopped and just watched.

30 September 2007 (Sunday)
We watched We Will Rock You in downtown. It was so hard to get a parking lot and we lost our way as I navigated and couldn't find the slip-off road. But we managed to get back on track. In the end, we parked right outside the theater and the parking lot was C$20 because it was event parking! I think parking in Toronto generally is expensive.

We had a quick lunch at Popeyes but the staff was probably overwhelmed by the orders as it took them some time to serve. Turned out most of the patrons were also going to watch the musical. My order was wrong but I told PY it was ok, not a big deal.

We Will Rock You was great! Really funny and fantastic! Love the songs. I thought we would just walk around downtown but PY seemed to want to get back so we drove back. We stopped by the supermarket so that I could pick up some stuff to make the veggie soup, chicken rice and chicken curry.

So I made the chicken curry. He helped to make the chicken rice as he knew how to work his rice cooker better. That was nice. After dinner, PY said he didn't think we should go to NYC. So that plan was scrapped. But I did go with him to watch him and his brother play hockey. The team lost (as usual) - it was nice watching hockey though I had no idea who was who since there was no proper team jersey yet.

Baton Rouge - Toronto

We went to Baton Rouge for dinner the first night in Toronto (North York area). It was surprisingly crowded and we waited for about 10-15mins (not too bad) as we requested for a booth at the bar area. That was pretty nice as we could watch sports on tv too :p It served the usual salads, burgers, mains of steak, ribs, chickens, pasta, but with a Lousiana flavor.

PY ordered caesar salad and I had some from it. The greens were crisp and fresh.

WC ordered the Barbecue Baby Back Ribs which was pretty tender, similar to Santa Fe ribs -fall-off-the-bone meat and not too porky taste either. WC chose the sides of fries and hot cinnamon apples. Interesting sides. The fries were pretty good too.

I ordered the Santa Fe Marinated chicken breast with roasted zucchini & red peppers, topped with "Jardiniere" sauce and goat cheese. Yes, I love my Santa Fe so much :p I think I was solde by the zucchini and cheese. The serving was huge that I could not finish it. The baked potato was so good - heavenly. Love the toppings too. S ordered the seared tuna salad which is pretty fresh and the seared tuna nicely done.

PY ordered the rib steak (I think) which was 16oz big. Livia would love this. Meat heaven. See the mound of mashed potatoes. Everything is just giant-sized in this restaurant.

I realized it is quite common for people to "tau pau" (doggie-bagged) in Toronto if they cannot finish their food. I guess it makes sense as the portion is usually enormous and it is not cheap too. If you packed it back, you can stretch your dollar to the next meal :)

Location
Bâton Rouge North York, Ontario

5000 Yonge Street Toronto, Ontario

M2N 7E9

Tel. : 416.218.0094
http://www.batonrougerestaurants.com/

Omelette Brekkie

PY made brekkie/brunch the first morning I was in Toronto. Just a simple meal of mushroom cheese omelette, grilled tomatoes and toast with kaya and butter. The bacon was too badly crisped so that was dumped.

I love the way he made the toast. Nicely browned and toasty. I must get that toaster one day. All the appliances in Canada seemed to be "computerized". Everything has a keypad to enter the time and temperature. No more knobs to turn. And the stove has a flat glass surface. You don't see the fire or gas or ring. So different now.

Cost of Living in Vancouver/Singapore

So here I am, and I did a totally "auntie" thing the last few days I was out in the malls. I went checking out the prices of basic necessities at the cheaper stores - London Drugs, Superstore, Wal-Mart and Zellers.

I can't believe that a bottle of saline solution costs between C$2.97 to C$5.97 + taxes. That is like daylight robbery especially since I can get 4 bottles for just S$5 in Singapore. Anyway, here is what I found out for the cheapest items.

Wal-Mart:
Saline solution (C$2.97)
Crest Whitening Strips (C$29.97)

Superstore:
Neutrogena Facial Wash (C$7.90 or so)

Zellers and London Drugs are not that cheap though still lower prices than in the other supermarkets or Shopper Drugs Mart.

Other comparisons that I can remember:
Movie ticket C$11.95 / S$9.50
Margarita in restaurant C$4.25 / S$9.99
Starbucks Tall Caramel Machiato C$3.60 /S$5.95
C&E La Source/Evelyn Rose Body Lotion 250ml C$20.00 / S$35.00 (S$53.00 for Evelyn Rose)

Prima Taste in Vancouver

Prima has expanded and grown so much. Besides the Ready Mixes packages which I have been using to make Mee Siam and Prawn Noodles, there are also Prima Taste Restaurants overseas. The Prima Taste Restaurant is totally different from the Prima Revolving Tower in Singapore. That serves more Shanghai/Chinese food, and is the restaurant often frequented by my family for Sunday lunch.

The Prima Taste restaurants serve Singapore local food and a bit of others. But the usual suspects are there - Laksa, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Mee Goreng, Beef Rendang, Char Kway Teow, Fried Hokkien Mee, Bak Kut Teh, Chendol, Ice Kachang, Roti Prata, Chili Crab etc. Quite a wide range of food available at the Prima Taste Restaurant in the Vancouver outlet. I finally got the chance to try it last night. It seemed like the laksa was the most authentic of all, so I tried it even though laksa was never really my favorite hawker dish :p

I had the prawn laksa (C$9.50 before taxes) which was surprisingly good. It was lemak enough with a slight hint of spices. It came with 4 pieces of fresh prawns, 4-6 slices of fish cakes, 2 tau pok and bean sprouts. The "chor bee hoon" could be better. That was the only disappointment. It was a bit rubbery, just a different texture from the thick bee hoon we get back in Singapore.

The sambal was fantastic, a pity it came in a miserable portion, then again maybe most patrons do not take much chili stuff. Jason loved it so much he slurped up all the gravy. Being in Singapore and health conscious, you just rarely see people drink up all the spicy coconut gravy at all. Something else was missing. The lack of "hae bee" (dried shrimps) taste in the dish. The generous sprinkling of fresh laksa leaves did a good job of infusing the real laksa taste to the otherwise "curry noodles". I guess if one is away from Singapore for too long, Prima Taste is a wonderful restaurant to dine at for those local food.

We came back again later in the evening and this time I tried roti prata, ice kachang and teh tarik. The roti prata was pretty good. Crispy. However it was not flat crispy like the usual stuff we get in Singapore. It was crispy, fluffy and a bit scrunched up. The curry dip could be better, that was a real disappointment. The ice kachang was average, I am not a big fan so I can't really comment on it. The shaved ice was not that fine, I could taste some chunks of ice in it. The teh tarik was like Lipton tea with milk and sugar. Bad. I miss the real teh tarik in Singapore, especially from Mr Teh Tarik in Far East Square. Good teh tarik is made with loose crushed black tea leaves, not tea bag style and is milky sweet.

I wonder what I should try next time. Fried Hokkien Mee (but the one in Singapore branch was not that great) or Bak Kut Teh or Char Kway Teow? I don't know, we shall see next time :)

Location

Prima Taste Restaurant

570 Robson Street, Vancouver

Tel: 604 6857881

Fax: 684 6857882

Sushi Town

PC took me to Sushi Town for dinner, together with his wife A, and I am hooked on it. The sashimi portion was huge and lots of sushi for the platter too. Even the seafood udon was huge. I love the spicy tuna sashimi. The pieces of tuna sashimi were chunky and were seasoned with some spicy sweet sauce and pieces of cucumbers. I got JH to take me there before I left for Toronto and we ordered that. She said it tasted like kimchi. I'm not so sure about that, not an expert on Korean food. Apparently the chef is Korean, so that might be true.

With JH, we ordered the spicy tuna sashimi, assorted sashimi, Alaska roll and tempura udon. I also love the Alaska roll. It is similar to California roll except it has salmon on top. So tasty. There are so many different rolls here, that you never heard of in Singapore.

Spicy Tuna Sashimi, C$7.95

Alaska Roll, C$3.75

Tempura

Assorted Sashimi, C$13.95 and (Tempura) Udon, C$5.95

The prices are fairly reasonable and can get crowded during the peak period of dinner. Service is a bit slow as there are not many servers. I like it.

Location:
Sushi Town
5935 East Hastings (near Warwick Ave, in between Kensington and Holdom)
604-294-6155
Mon - Thurs 1130am - 930pm
Fri - Sat 1130am - 10pm
Sun 12noon - 9pm

Lord Stanley

I found Lord Stanley. It has always been a quest for me to find it. Lord Stanley is the building which mom and aunt bought an unit, back in 1996 or so. It was supposed to be ready by end of 1997 and the plan was that I could live there in 1998 - my last year at SFU.

Unfortunately due to the Asian financial crisis back in 1997, it seemed like work has stopped on Lord Stanley. At that time, there were lots of construction going on along West Georgia. So when mom asked me to take a look at the progress, I only saw a hole covered by tarps and nothing going on while the other buildings were being constructed.

So mom and aunt decided to give up the unit, especially since the developer in Hong Kong was asking for another payment. I guessed you never know the risk. Whether it will really be built or not. So many companies went under then. Even when I left in late 1998, we drove past West Georgia, and it still was not being built. A friend, Ken (or rather his mom), has an apartment along West Georgia too, just a block away from Lord Stanley and so that was where we (the viva-gang) stayed on my last night so that they can take me to the airport.

So whatever happened, I do not know the details if the original developers really build it or it was sold to someone else during the crisis, but reading the website, it has become a boutique hotel and service apartment. It was originally supposed to be a service apartment, with concierge services and security. And the developer was to rent out the unit for the owners if they are not staying there.

So if mom and aunt had held on to the unit, they would have gained much as property prices have gone up so much over in Vancouver. And it will likely to keep climbing until after the Winter Olympics is over. But whatever it is, one can never foretell the future, plus with the crisis, I am not sure how badly they were hit by the stock market too. It might have been tough to keep coughing up the payment with no one to monitor the progress.

A pity but c'est la vie. Otherwise, I could be living in Lord Stanley, right in downtown area instead of this ulu Burnaby Mountain where having a car is so much more convenient.

The Seawall

Canada Place, Little House on Stilt with Stanley Park in background, Seabus and containers, Seaplane

Waterfront apartments, pink boat nestled in sea of white, view of Stanley Park from jetty

Leaves falling, view of North Shore, Steamboat

I went for a walk all by myself yesterday as it was a marvelous day. Sunshine. Clear blue sky with scattered clouds. Calm azure waters so clear you can see down to the rocks beneath. Occasional slight wind kissing your face.

I took the bus down, had to re-learn the transit system. Addfare to Zone 1 is another dollar to my faresaver ticket (that means C$2.80; C$3.25 without faresaver). I was contemplating to go over to Lonsdale Quay over at North Vancouver, taking the Seabus. I have not taken that for so long and didn't particularly want to learn how it works again. So I stuck with the Waterfront area.

Got off after the SFU Downtown campus (I have not gone there yet; re-living memories of my evening classes there getting coffee from Starbucks at Waterfront station before going for class or having early dinner at the Vietnamese stall in the food court - I love the beef stew and spring roll there or getting a muffin if it is a morning class) and started walking aimlessly. I had no fixed agenda, a rarity in my life.

I am always so organized, everything I do has a purpose. Especially arranging my errands all in a day. But here....I find I have all the time to spare now. I can afford to just go where I fancy. I didn't look at the map. I have no real destination in mind. It was a toss up to go to English Bay/Kits area or stick to Coal Harbour/Stanley Park area.

So I walked. Walked past Sinclair Center and to the gateway of Gastown. As there were construction around that area, I decided not to go further and instead went over to the Waterfront Center. I sure didn't recognize the area now with all the construction work, gearing up for 2010 (Winter Olympics in Vancouver).

It was only when I was looking out at the Burrard Inlet towards the North Shore that I realized I was right next to Waterfront Station where the Skytrain and Seabus terminals connect. The first thing that came to mind when I looked out was the numerous containers waiting to be unloaded. Boy! That brought to mind BMT. Sad but true. I have looked at countless pictures of containers and ports while doing the BMT brochure that I can have nightmares about it.

I don't remember if there have always been containers here but I do remember the yellow sulphur out at sea. And also some petrol floating bay, for refining oil? I have no idea. So I was just staring aimlessly and thinking and just simply enjoying the view. I saw construction work going on for a huge center, near Canada Place. The sails and the convention centre. Now all these terms are so familiar to me. And it is here that it can look similar to Sydney (especially where the opera house is, reason why I was not so impressed with Sydney since I have lived in Vancouver for so long and it is an usual sight for me).

Walked over to Waterfront Center where there is a tourist info center. Picked up a few brochures on things to do. Bought a Caramel Machiato from Starbucks. C$3.60 for a tall. Somehow it tasted so watered down and bland. I think Singapore does a better job. Walked out to Canada Place and again just enjoyed the sun beating down on my face and sipping my coffee. Lots of tourists around. Then I saw a steamboat, similar to Stewords Riverboat. Lol. So of course I had to take a picture of that. I see so many reminders of my work now. First the containers, then the convention center and now a mississippi steamboat? This is a "working" steamboat as it moves, unlike Stewords Riverboat which is non-motorized. It was quite cool to see the paddlewheel splashing in the water.

Then off I went. I had no idea what street I was on, I just followed others and walked. The construction work meant there were lots of detours as some streets were no accessible. Turned out it led to the Seawall. I so rarely explored this side of Vancouver that it was just so new to me. It was a fantastic day for a walk because of the weather. There were many tourists taking pictures, locals basking in the sunshine with their dogs. Dogs romping around in the field. People jogging or just strolling. Reading. Just anything to be outdoors.

Ambling along the Seawall, it took me to the Seaplane bays, it was nice. Watching the seaplane gliding on the water before docking. Walking on the jetty and feeling the tide moving the platform, I wondered if the floating platform is more "stable" in Singapore. Looking down on the clear water below and knowing it will be damn freezing cold.

I saw many more high rise apartments around the waterfront area. Walking on, I realized this is Coal Harbour. So many boats and yachts. I saw a pink boat and that reminded me of Davis immediately. Hahaha, I think she will like it if not for her seasickness. It was a nice walk, reminded me of Bronte Harbour back in Oakville. I could live here. Where the ground is fairly flat and with the water nearby, with the amazing view of the mountains in the distance. Now this is the reason why people love Vancouver (only if you live in West End/down town area). A city surrounded by nature.

I walked till it was hitting Stanley Park and I decided to turn back. I didn't really want to explore Stanley Park as it is huge and will take longer to complete the round. I walked back via West Georgia. I wanted to see the apartment which my mom bought (and released) previously.

So on I walked along Georgia until I hit Robson Street and decided to just window shop. Robson Street is a major shopping artery with boutiques lining the street. Had a cheese jumbo hotdog (C$3.50) from the hotdog vendor. I missed that. It was so good! There are more condiments now than before. Of course prices went up too. Then again it was a jumbo hotdog, there weren't any regular size. Couldn't finish it. I ate about 3/4 of it. The sweet scent of the fried onions along with the sizzling hotdog on the grill was simply irresistable. Now I know why Jenny said it was even better than the ones in NYC or other parts of States.

I went to Chapters. I love Chapters. It was my favorite store when I lived here. I have never been to the downtown store but it is huge. 3 levels with all books, CDs, stationery etc. Too bad the prices for books have not been adjusted yet but I did buy a couple under the sale section (below C$5). That concluded my walk in downtown.

I just disliked the bus thing. It took me about 1 hour and 15 mins to get back to the apartment. Maybe I am spoilt by having the bus stop right outside my house in Singapore. But it is a hassle having to walk 10-15mins to get to the bus terminal at SFU. Especially since it is surrounded by trees. I feel too close to nature up here on Burnaby Mountain where animals live. Bears, anyone? Give me downtown anytime.

I hope the weather will be fabulous next week so that I can go to Queen Elizabeth Park. It seemed like a ritual for me now. To take pictures of me sittin on the wall and have the mountains in the background and flowers blooming around me. So far I have pictures taken in April 1994 and May 2000. I have not taken any in Fall.

Chocolate Cherry

My new hair color. I had to DIY, so the color is not very obvious unless it is under the sun or bright light. It is Chocolate Cherry, a dark mahogany pearl brown color. I quite like it. Subtle :) The picture is not well-taken. Think my setting was a bit off, but you get the idea of my new hair color.

Chicken Curry Rice

This was the first meal I made in Toronto. Using the packaged mix for both the Chicken Rice and the Chicken Curry, the food turned out well.

I used Brahimm Meat Curry mix for the chicken. Very simple. Just add chicken pieces (I used chicken legs) and other things you want in it. It was quite impromptu, so there were no potatoes or other vegetables. Instead I only added onions to the curry. It would appear watery initially but after letting it simmer for a while, it finally got down to the curry consistency.

The chicken rice mix was also simple. Just use it to cook your rice. I added sliced ginger to the rice while cooking.

The only thing that was made from scratch was the vegetable soup. Water with Chinese cabbage (or was it lettuce), tomatoes and onions. Leave it to simmer and then add salt and pepper to taste. It was surprisingly tasty. The light tangy taste from the tomatoes was a good foil to the rich chicken curry and rice.

Local Food

I miss my local food! Everytime I read blogs about local food, I crave for it. Maybe I should not be reading them much while I am here. Drooling.

Food I miss:
Hock Lam Beef Kway Teow (Noodles) from Far East Square area

Iced Teh Tarik from Mr Teh Tarik at Far East Square

Xiao Long Bao and La Mian from Crystal Jade

Fried Chicken Wing Prawn Paste and Carrot Cake from Crystal Jade Bakery

Fried Hokkien Mee from Glutton Bay or Food Republic at Suntec

Or Luak (Fried Oyster Omelette) from Glutton Bay or Chomp Chomp

Roasted Chicken Rice from Wee Nam Kee at Novena or the food center at Kovan

Yong Tau Foo from the food court at IRAS building

Nasi Briyani and fish curry from Lucky Prata at Lucky Plaza

Mini Pot Noodles (mee tai mak, dry) from the food center at Kovan Interchange

Fried Carrot Cake from the food center near the old Cheng San Town Council

Rojak from the S-11 at junction of Hougang Ave 3/Lor Ah Soo

Prawn Noodles (bee hoon mee, dry) from the market near my house

Chili dry prawn noodles from the Army Market

Char Kway Teow (no preference, but Tiong Bahru Market is good too)

Laksa (no preference, I think I prefer Penang Laksa now from Chili Padi at Tangs basement)

Mee Siam from a small eatery at Peninsula Plaza

Tom Yum Soup with Pineapple Rice from the food court at Peninsula Plaza

Fish soup from Ed's Fish Soup (only Peninsula Plaza food court version)

Bak Chor Mee/Fish Ball Noodles (no preference too)

Mee Rebus from the food court at Parkway Parade

Ayam Penyet from Ria (Level 4) at Lucky Plaza

Chicken Noodles from Es Teler at Cineleisure

Prata from the basement food court of Roxy (I think it has moved, pity as it was so crispy)

Vegetarian Bee Hoon near the old Aljunied Town Council

Special Noodles from the food center at Kovan

Bao from the coffee shop in Marine Drive (near the old cinema)

I don't really get to eat those all the time even in Singapore, but I sure do miss it. Especially the hokkien mee and or luak combo which I always shared with Davis after a night of clubbing.

Brunch at Eggspectation

If you love eggs, you would adore this cafe-restaurant Eggspectation. It is all things eggs. Besides the egg dishes - scrambled, omelette, poached, over-easy, eggs benedicts, etc - you can also get salads, sandwiches, juices, burgers, pastas and entrees. Just like any other restaurant.

I ordered the Breton Benedict which is two eggs poached, two crêpes, black forest ham, gruyere cheese with our classic hollandaise sauce. It is so yummy! The portion is huge though. Kamni ordered the Eggstravaganza which is two eggs (any style) and two slices of french toast, choice of sausages, ham or bacon, served with grilled potatoes and chef’s fruit garnish.

I think I am in love with eggs benedict after I tried the one at Marmalade Pantry. That was so good too.

Eggspectation is only in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal in Canada. So there is none in Vancouver. Darn.

Bad things come in 3 (or does it?)

True? Bad things come in three?

If I am superstitious, then my trip to Canada is really jinxed.

Before I left, 3 bad things happened to me.
1. Now I can't remember what it was, but something happened.

2. My credit card (the main one I use) was duplicated. Someone used it for online purchase for budget airline tickets, I discovered that the weekend before I was to leave. It is still under investigation now, leaving me with no credit card. Plus all my rewards points, I don't know if they will be considered valid now. Damn.

3. My flight to Vancouver was cancelled from Portland, and was shifted to a night flight. It meant a 12 hour layover in the airport. Also meant that I could not check in online.

While in Canada, 3 bad things also happened to me.
1. My cell phone charm (the shoe given by Celest) broke.

2. My bracelet broke.

3. I lost the back of my earrings in PY's car. We couldn't find it.

So should I believe this trip is bad news? Or shall I ignore such signs?

Broken Nail Revisited

Ok, so I posted about my broken nail previously. Well, the 4th toe nail, which I superglued back on came off on Saturday when I was at the airport. I was wondering why there was something prodding my foot in the shoe when I found to my horror, it was my toenail.

Yes, the entire thing came off. The superglued on part. Well, it is not as gross or horrible as it sounded. The new nail has been growing underneath, so I was not left with nothing to protect the nail bed.

See the nail, how much actually broke. See the crack. On a positive note, my feet are totally soft and smooth now. No cracks or dryness. I think it is due to me wearing covered shoes again, plus my daily regiment of moisturizing my feet too.

The Stanley Cup!

This is the holy grail for all hockey fans - the Stanley Cup. Revered and sought after. It can make grown men cry. This is the reason why men battled it out on the ice, suffering injuries in the process. Just for the chance to hold it, touch it, kiss it and lift it up in the air during their victory skate.

And here I am. In the same room as the Stanley Cup. I get to touch it too :p For hockey fanatics, a visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto is a must. Lots of interesting things in there to see, plus interactive games.

Tarot Reading Online

This is so eerie. Here I am contemplating what to do with my life. Thinking of the job I should be looking at and here it shows me precisely what is happening. And I have already packed up and left Singapore. I guess what I am doing is right.

Situation as it is
The Fool
Briefly:
Journey of unique and unknown destination. Innocent of life and will have to learn by his own mistakes. He is a wanderer, with great enthusiasm for life and for love.

In Detail:
This card shows a picture of a young man walking towards a cliff edge, with a long rod leaning over his shoulder. On the end of the rod there appears to be a handkerchief holding all of his worldly possessions. Following beside him is a small white dog. He is almost oblivious to what pitfalls may lay before him. He is on a journey, a journey of discovery. He is almost like a tourist, as he looks right, left, above and below to anything that catches his eye. He is curious and adventurous. He wants to know everything and is keen to look, learn and discover whatever life is going to teach him. He is innocent of life and will probably make many mistakes along the way. He is a student of life and will have to learn by his own mistakes. He is a wanderer, with great enthusiasm for life and for love. He is young and open-minded, with a desire to have many new and varied experiences so that he can get a taste for life and decide what it is that he really wants. He does not yet know what the world will bring, nor what his unique destiny is, but he will soon find out.

Course of action to be taken
Three of Wands
Briefly:
The seeker of knowledge and truth. He searches until he finds what he is looking for.

In Detail:

This card depicts a man with his back to us though revealing part of his face as he looks out over the hillside. He holds a wand in his hand which has three leaves sprouting from it signifying growth and abundance. In front of him is another wand and behind him the third wand. He is contemplating his future and possibly the journey ahead of him. In the distance are mountains with high peaks. It appears to be an almost barren environment, warm and dry. However he has with him the symbols of growth and can plant wherever he sees fit. He wants to settle down, but must first wander and roam until he finds his true home. This card too is the seeker of knowledge and truth. He searches until he finds what he is looking for.

New situation that will evolve
Two of Wands
Briefly:
Time to consider a new move in your life that will make big changes to your existing living arrangements.

In Detail:
This card shows a man with part of his back to us and he is holding a staff in one hand and a globe of the world in the other and is looking out towards a distant mountain. He appears to be studious and in deep concentration. He may be seriously considering his future. He is tall and well built and wears a helmet for protection and a cloak for warmth. This can suggest that you are about to consider a new move in your life that will make big changes to your existing living arrangements. You may actually uproot yourself and move to another country, another state or another town. Your job is obviously undergoing some kind of transformation and you may be breaking new ground with some new endeavour. This will require your time, your patience and your strong belief in yourself that you can do anything you set out to do. You could be presented with a rather unique opportunity that leads you on to pursue your wildest dreams. Or you may have developed your own vision or idea and be in the process of bringing this all to fruition by your very own hands. Don't let others sidetrack you at this stage, for you are vulnerable to suggestion and may listen to some bad advice or discouragement. Trust in your own wisdom and you will ultimately have the last laugh.

http://www.newagestore.com/tarot

Prima Taste - Prawn Mee

I made this for lunch on Saturday. Also PY's birthday then, so it's the birthday meal. Prima Taste pre-mix packages are really so convenient. Almost everything is included, you just need to add noodles and meat.

I bought tiger prawns (and it cost so much! C$5.50 for only 4 pieces) plus the other smaller shrimps I bought previously. Also added bean sprouts and sliced chilies. No kang kong and no meat as I am not a pork person. I used bee hoon instead of yellow noodles as it was not that easy to find yellow noodles in regular supermarket here. Anyway, I prefer bee hoon for a less greasy and lighter taste.

The soup stock was not bad for a pre-mix. I find this is so much easier to cook than the Mee Siam. Took up less time I feel.

Pity I left the Laksa mix behind, so I won't get to taste what it is like. Oh well, there is always next time. Plus there is a Prima Taste restaurant over here in Vancouver which my friends told me is pretty good and authentic. Well, it has to be. After all, it is a Singapore chain restaurant.