I was introduced to this restaurant 5 yrs ago – and was happy to see that they were still opened for business – in fact they have expanded. Food was awesome ! and service phenomenal! this is comfort food to me and my spouse knows how much I love a good Shanghai dinner – so when we were in Vancouver recently – we headed straight from the airport to here.
All these traveling and eating out – definitely wasn’t too good for my weight – but look how beautiful it is in Vancouver right? Vancouver brings back lots of good memories and good food as well. So we stayed at a friends place and swam a lot for a few days – and ate even more. And I knew that I had to get some diet pills after I get home – because went for dim sum, we went for Japanese food one night and another night we went for Korean BBQ. It was an awesome trip but I’m telling you I’ve put on a lot of weight in a short time. But it was all worth it – Vancouver is by far one of my favorite places to visit.
It had been a hectic week for us – the kids out of school and us preparing the oldest to go to college – so it was kinda nice to be able to sit and have a bowl of Japanese Ramen in my favorite restaurant in the city. Nothing makes me happier to eat Japanese food and good Japanese food always makes me a very blissful woman and everything else seems as lot easier to handle. This ramen in miso soup is my favorite and the owner – Miyagi-San is the best – he always gives me extra broth that he knows I love slurping although the spouse don’t feel the same way – he hates the slurping noises. Oh well!
I didn’t want just fast food mexican like burritos nor do I want the Tex-Mex food either – like Modesto when we were in Toronto – so the spouse went looking for a good cafe for me. I loved my spicy chicken baked – in a small family restaurant in Yonge Street, unfortunately, for me – I was the only one craving for Mexican – so the rest of the gang had margaritas only. Oh well – their lost!
Can you guessed what I had for lunch?
Japanese of course ! my absolute favorite! frankly speaking I don’t know how the Japanese restaurant makes the sushi so fresh and non-fishy smell and the Unagi sauce are to die for. There are quite a few good places for sushi in Toronto. I don’t like to go to the ones in Markham but prefer the more authentic Japanese restaurants with a real Japanese chef or one trained in Japan for many years.
And this sushi place has a picture of Marilyn Monroe on its wall – pretty unique for a Japanese eating house – but the interior is nothing spectacular nor the outside of the building. But who cares right – as long as the sushi is fresh and the variety is good. But Sushi places in Toronto can be very expensive and the one in downtown Toronto is quite hefty in prices.
My family and I like this place a lot and whenever we are in Toronto – we will be here for sure. But this trip it is only me and the spouse – and the bill still ended up to more than $100 + tips. Not a cheap lunch but definitely good.
Up in the city and waiting for our roasted duck in this roasting duck place downtown Halifax. One of the kid had an ENT appointment in the city – and after the appointment we came across this Roasting Duck Place – yums! The kid wasn’t very interested in the ducks of course, he wanted Arby’s or a Steak in Hamachi’s but the daddy said – it was time for mummy to have some Asian food – so we chose to have some duck instead. The Roasting Duck place wasn’t about Peking duck – which would have been great – but some authentic ducks are great but not too often – because they are fattening and darn oily. We didnt’ have any rice to go with the duck but instead had some Cantonese fried noodles.
Dinner with my bestie at a Japanese restaurant is all about good food, good conversation and of course all about her latest investments. From gold coins to properties or a new shop or adventure and then we have a good heart to heart talk about our life – relationships. My besties isn’t married but it isn’t because she is lack of suitors or friends – it is her choice not to be in a permanent relationship. How flamboyant some might say – but whatever she chooses, I am there to support her. My bestie has a good head on her shoulder, an acumen for investing and business decisions and an unlikely person to scam.
We’ve known each other for years – since we were in high school and wherever she travels, she remembers to bring home something for me and my kids. My kids adore her and she is like an aunt they never have. My own siblings on the other hand are not as smart nor spontaneous or loving as my bestie – sometimes I wonder what make them different. While my bestie is a hardworking and a smart woman – my sisters are the ones who just wants to get married to a rich man. My siblings and I were never closed – money talks are just about them being in need of money help from me. On the other hand, my bestie is the one who give sound advice on investments and each of my child gets a gold coin from my bestie every year for doing well in school. My bestie counts for my siblings that I never had a good repertoire with – and I am blessed.
An ancient art – not many practice – I think this is a dying art. Beating the hell out of your noodles was what the spouse called it. You see the man on the bamboo? he sits on it and bounce on it until the flour is all rolled up nice and springy. In fact – you don’t see this very often now – so when we were in California and saw a chinese restaurant that did that – we figured we had to go try out their noodles. I have to say that I do like their green tea noodles – in fact I liked it so much – I had to have another bowl before leaving the airport.
Check out their green tea as well – so rich and milky.
Pontini – not french but Italian food – and when the spouse told me that he was there during his recent Asia trip – I am of course quite envious. Some 15 yrs ago, when my boss was staying permanently at the Grand Copthorne Hotel at River Valley Road – we used to entertain our clients there too. They had a french or was it an italian general manager then – and a Mr Puri was the Vice President? I could be wrong – it had been so long.
But Pontini didn’t really impressed me honestly – it was spacious and the wait staff was very professional and they had hired a sommelier who won some kind of award and just returned to Asia too. The food was alright – but the desserts were good if I remember correctly. The spouse had their pizza with ultra thin crust but they were too dry. Not baked in wood fire though but gas fire – so it wasn’t as good as the ones from Spaghetties. Pontini is mostly for those who are entertaining their clients – a bit upper class than most people would like. I wouldn’t mind going back and trying out the food again.
The spouse and I had the pleasure of being invited to a dinner with some celebrity chef from Australia – at Tatsu – in Vancouver. I wouldn’t be paying $150 per pax had it not been a company’s dinner with some client of the spouse. I have to say – I’m really impressed with the dish – a Blue Fin Tuna Sashimi with Avocado. The tuna melted in my mouth – and I was only able to take one picture – as I didn’t want to embarrass the spouse.
