September 01, 2011

Brachfeld Parlaghy




Presenting the Philippa. Couldn't help but notice the intricate details of this shoulder bag. This. Must. Be. Mine.

Source: ssense

August 16, 2011

Cafe Bari SoHo




Fettuccine Alfredo

Penne Vodka

Steak Sandwich with Bari Salad

This was the only restaurant we dined at in New York, after a good number of hours walking down Broadway through SoHo. I was really looking forward to our reservations at City Lobster & Steakhouse and Fig & Olives but we were short on time as we tried to fit all the shopping and tourist attractions in one day. I was really disappointed in myself from the food decisions I made (i.e. greasy chinese takeout, pizza delivery, 20 pack of mcnuggets) which made me appreciate Cafe Bari even more. If you ever dine in New York, just heads up that a 20% tip is required, even for taxi rides!

Cafe Bari SoHo
529 Broadway Avenue
New York, New York
10012
212-431-4350

Pun Cao Tong



Mixed Fruits with Grass Jelly

Mixed Fruits + Grass Jelly in Sago Soup

Words can't describe how much I love Asian desserts. Perfect after dinner snack and very inexpensive. Next dishes to try: konnyaku jelly and bird's nest.

Pun Cao Tong
550 Highway 7 East
Richmond Hill, Ontario

July 31, 2011

Bb33 Bistro and Brasserie - Summerlicious


My last "Licious" for the Summer. Let's just say everything went downhill from my visit to Sassafraz a couple of weeks back.


Appetizer: Muskoka Wild Mushroom Bisque - Porcini & Rosemary Scented Cream, Infused with Fireweed Honey
- To keep it short, it tasted like any typical cream of mushroom soup. As a matter of fact, it tasted like the ones that are made from Campbell's. Not impressed.


Entree: Black Tiger Shrimp Pappardelle Pasta - Sautéed Black Tiger Shrimps with Green Asparagus, Roasted Peppers, Charred Fennel, Garlic & Shallot Pinot Grigio Reduction
- Not that much sauce in this dish. The noodles tasted very dry and I didn't end up finishing this plate. One of the shrimp still had their shells on. Another disappointment.


Dessert: Dark Belgium Chocolate Crème Brûlée, Candied Lemon & Fresh Berries
- I want to say this was my favourite part of their menu but I can't. Not after I started feeling sick after my entree. I'm pretty sure there were no candied lemon but I will give some credit for the bold flavour of belgium chocolate.

May I add that service was pretty slow and the complimentary breads were partially stale. I will be honest though and say that I arrived at the restaurant with little expectation, considering that their Summerlicious menu were the same for lunch and dinner. My friend and I were tempted to finish the day off with some french food at Midi Bistro but with no appetite, that didn't happen. Sad face.

Looking forward to trying a couple of restaurants in New York for Restaurant Week 2011! I'm super excited that they extended it through September 5th. Countdown: one more week!

July 19, 2011

GUU SakaBar


Anticipated our reservation for Trevor's Kitchen and Bar all afternoon for Summerlicious but with the traffic delays we ended up missing it. It wasn't a problem since we decided to go this coming Sunday instead. Theresa and I decided to go to Guu Sakabar (our original hangout plan) and boy were we stuffed. Out of our 5 dishes, 2 were new to me.


Takoyaki Gratin: this dish was a bit salty and it did surprise me at first since I was expecting just takoyaki squid balls (I guess I didn't read the full dish name properly).


Gyu Carpaccio: I had this before at the Church location and it was definitely one of my favourites so I had to order it.


Kimchi Udon: Another dish that I already tried at the Church location. One of my favourites.


Carbonara Udon: I was told that this dish was one of their popular ones so I had to order it and taste it for myself. I wasn't impressed as it reminded me a typical creamy pasta dish. I'd prefer the kimchi udon over this.


B.C. Albacore Tuna: Sashimi dishes at Guu never fails to impress me. The tuna pieces were fresh and the sauce was the cherry to a perfect dish.

From visiting the Church location numerous times, I was already tired of sitting at the long wooden tables so we decided to dine in the Zashiki room for a more traditional Japanese experience. It felt very cramped at first since it took a while to settle down with the minimal space given (it was hard to cross my legs) but the room felt cozy afterwards.


It was another fun experience dining at a different Guu location. The area is even more spacious than the Church location and there were no wait time. However, the prices were higher than the Church location and there weren't that many food options.

July 18, 2011

Summer List 2011

Time to make a list and stick to the plan before 4th year starts!


  • Ontario Place - free admission all summer!

  • Summerlicious - max 3 visits already attended 2 with 2 more reservations to go

  • AGO/ROM

  • Wonderland - just to try the new ride "Windseeker"

  • Panorama

  • CNE - one visit only, I don't know how I went to CNE three times last summer.

  • Turtle Jacks - to try fried pickles and fried ice cream

  • Centre Island

  • Buffalo, NY

  • Fallsview Casino and Casino Rama

  • Night Market in Markham!

  • Finally try Ippai and Inatei

  • Guu Sakabar

  • Menchie's 

  • Moksha Yoga for 1 month

  • Spoon and Fork (new location!)

  • Vancouver/Calgary 

  • Macbook (hopefully) in August 2011

  • iPad or Playbook?

  • Catch up on the Harry Potter series in preparation for the Deathly Hallows II

  • Dave and Busters - save up to get a big Minion

  • Glee Concert - June 12th SO EXCITED :)

  • Friend's brother's wedding 

  • Tattoo
  • Biff's Bistro - Summerlicious



    Drinks: Shady Lady and White Wine

    Pork cretons with moutarde & O&B Artisan loaf

    Skin roasted Arctic char with jardinière & sauce verte

    Gâteau au citron with blueberry compote & cassis crème fraîche

    Second Summerlicious event at Biff's Bistro was just slightly disappointing considering that our main came out 1.5 hours after being seated. However the appetizer and main course made up for it. The dessert reminded me of Starbuck's lemon poppyseed loaf so the lemon cake did not appeal to me whatsoever.

    I'm still excited to try their regular menu though! $1 oysters after 5pm? I can't say no to that.

    July 11, 2011

    Lovely Orange




    Creole Spiced Gulf Shrimp on Corn Grit Cakes with Cayenne Bell Pepper Sauce

    Grilled Swordfish with Olive Smashed Potatoes, Roasted Sweet Cherry Tomatoes, Haricot Vert and Herb

    Rose Water Scented Chilled Cherry Soup with Dark Chocolate Mousse and Crisped Rice Croquant, Vanilla Tuille

    Haven't touched this since February so I figured it's time to stop neglecting this blog and start posting. Attended my first Summerlicious restaurant this year at Sassafraz, located in the heart of Yorkville. Felt under dressed at first but me and my friend slowly forgot about it as we enjoyed our meals. We left the restaurant with a smile on our face as the food and service exceeded our expectations. Even though we did find a piece of hair in our bread basket, we were way too satisfied to even bother bringing it up to our server. It was nice of our server to fold our cloth napkins while we were away from the table and how they got rid of the bread crumbs on our table. Definitely going back for their regular menu.

    Going to end this post with this picture. Cheers!

    February 28, 2011

    Moment For Life




    Frite Alors: Various Locations
    Far Right: L'eau à la Bush (steak, onions, mushrooms)
    Far Left: La Frite Alors!(green peppers, mushrooms, onions & bacon)

    A spontaneous roadtrip with the family and what's a road trip to Montreal without having Poutine? Reading an all-french menu was difficult at first but fail on my part once I found out they carry an English menu.

    "I wish that I could have this moment for life", as Nicki Minaj would say. Having a poutine a day can be detrimental to my health but I would totally be satisfied. Just kidding. Maybe. Or not.

    Bodega (Winterlicious)


    Crispy Crab Cakes - with white wine, tomato Provencal sauce & tarragon caper cream

    Seafood Bouillabaisse - with prawns, scallops & market fish in a fennel tomato broth, Emmenthal cheese & rouille

    Warm Pecan Tart - with French Vanilla ice cream and Chocolate Sauce

    Bodega with a few friends for Winterlicious. These were the dishes I ordered. Service was pretty dull. Quality of the dishes were average, though I partially blame myself for having all-you-can-eat sushi few hours before our Winterlicious reservations. I was craving sushi, give me a break.

    Wish I had my camera for Rosewater - the atmosphere was impeccable and probably my best Licious' experience so far. Although I think it's time that I enjoy fine dining outside the Licious menus.

    I say it many times but I really do need a DSLR. I need to make this happen.