Wanderlusting Mama

Royal Thai Dining at Kiin

2026-09-25T16:30:00.000-04:00

Kiin

I have always loved Thai food. It is one of my favourite cuisines, if not THE favourite. I will happily go for Thai food every week if I can. Hubby discovered and took me to Kiin, specializing in Royal Thai cuisine.

We tried the 7-course Tasting Menu and it was divine. It was a nice break from the traditional spicy, punchy flavour of Thai cuisine. Royal Thai is more nuanced and balanced, without overwhelming the senses with one flavour in particular, and in a lavish presentation. All the dishes had a subtle Thai taste--a hint of tamarind, a drop of tom yum. And, it was so creatively presented that it seemed a crime to eat! Fit for royalty!

For amuse-bouche, we had the Khao Tung Na Tang (Crispy Rice Cracker). The ground pork on rice cracker was beautifully presented and wonderfully tasty, setting the tone for the rest of the meal. The rice cracker was airy and the subtle curry was not spicy.

Khao Tung Na Tang @Kiin

Then we had the Chut Arharn Wang (Snack Set), another dish we ate with our hands, which was a trio of

Khanom Jeeb Nok (traditional Thai royal dumpling delicately-shaped as a peacock)--so pretty! The texture was delicate with the dumpling wrapper not being thick or chunky even if there were a lot of meticulously-crafted "feathers" on the peacock. Again, the ground meat was flavourful and not overwhelming. Hints of tamarind pop up now and then.

Kung Sarong (deep fried prawns are wrapped in vermicelli noodles)--again, another pretty one! The vermicelli wrapping the prawn was in a braid and nicely deep fried.

Neua Yang Jim Jaew (marinated, grilled Wagyu)--our favourite among the three! The Wagyu was truly melt-in-your-mouth, with a smoky, grilled taste. The marinade was sweet and tangy. I could eat a full 6-7 ounces of this if I didn't know there were 5 other dishes coming!

Chut Arharn Wang @Kiin

The second appetizer was Yum Tua Plu Pla Muk (Octopus with Wing Bean Salad). The server advised us to mix it all together instead of eating the octopus separately from the salad. The octopus was just grilled and I can see why it will lack flavour if you don't have it along with the wing beans. The salad was a wonderful balance of tart and spice. The chewy octupus along with the crunchy bits of the salad make the whole dish come alive with a mixture of textures!

Yum Tua Plu Pla Muk @Kiin

Hubby and I especially loved the soup, Tom Kha Pla (Hot & Sour Coconut Soup with Fish). The tangy coconut soup had spots of chili oil to give a bit of a kick. The fish was flaky and fresh, and so fun to eat with another mini-fish on top!

Tom Kha Pla @Kiin

The first main dish was Gaeng Massaman Ped (Massaman Curry with Duck Breast). We haven't had duck breast served this way before, like a rare-cooked steak. The Massaman curry gives the duck more flavour, but this was the dish which was just ok, in my opinion. The curry was on the sweet side and added to the duck, a bit too rich for me.

Gaeng Massaman Ped @Kiin

We really enjoyed the second main dish, Gae Yang Nam Prik Ong (Grilled Lamb with Tomato-Chilli Chutney). The vegetables and chutney on the mini shoulder pole was too cute! The grilled lamb was as perfectly done as the wagyu. The delicious marinade brought out the flavours of the lamb chop. I alternated the bites with sticky rice and the chutney, getting a new taste with every mouthful. This dish was oh so good!

Gae Yang Nam Prik Ong @Kiin

Then, our palates were cleansed with the Lychee and Yuzu Sphere, a big popping boba explosion to set us up for dessert.

Lychee and Yuzu Sphere @Kiin

We ended with two desserts. The first was Khanom Sai Sai (Steamed Pandan Coconut Cream), which hubby really liked. The glutinous flour with coconut cream was topped with a pandan sorbet, which was nicely subtle.

Khanom Sai Sai@Kiin

I preferred the second dessert, Khek Toffee Met Mamuang Himmaphan (Magrud Cashew Toffee Cake). This time, they engaged another sense as the infusion gave off such a wonderful aroma of warmth and earthiness. We got a whiff of good things to come with every bite! The crunch from the cashew toffee, chewiness of the cake, the beautiful plant-shaped crackers and the floral, fruity scent, rounded out a most delightful meal for all the senses!

Khek Toffee Met Mamuang Himmaphan @Kiin

Kiin lived up to serving tradition with a contemporary twist. The meticulous and modern presentation was a delight! We enjoyed seeing, tasting, touching, and smelling the well thought-out dishes. Sawasdee ka.

Bacalhau your way: Culto Ao Bacalhau, Porto

2026-08-28T16:30:00.000-04:00

Culto Ao Bacalhau, Porto

We had been quite fortunate to treat ourselves to a few nice meals in Porto and Arcade. Hubby and I went to Michelin-guide restaurants to savour local specialties.

In Porto, the first place we went to was Culto Ao Bacalhau at Mercado Bolhao.

We got an early seating for dinner and were greeted warmly by the host/server. It was quite a task to choose how we wanted our bacalhau, but we decided on dishes which we both enjoyed.

Bread basket with tapinades at Culto Ao Bacalhau

We started with Bolinho de Bacalhao com Salada de Feijao Frade (salted codfish fritters with black eyed peas salad). It set us up nicely for the other bacalhau dishes to come! We were encouraged to spoon the peas onto the fritters and the result was lovely. The black eyed peas tossed in vinaigrette paired very well, giving some heartiness and acidity to the crispy fritters.

Bacalhau fritters with black eyed peas salad at Culto ao Bacalhau

I chose the Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo, which had the cod boiled in milk then oven-baked with onions, mashed potatoes, and mayonnaise. According to AI, this dish is named after its creator, known as Zé do Pipo, who owned a restaurant in Porto in the ‘60s and won a national cooking contest with this recipe. It was presented table-side and plated beautifully. And it was delicious, warming my belly like a fancy home-cooked meal. The cod was flaky and less salty, after being boiled in milk. The baked mashed potatoes had a slight crunch on the edges and the onions and olives balanced the flavours very well. If this recipe was true to Zé do Pipo’s original recipe, then it really was a winner!

Table-side service at Culto ao Bacalhau

Bacalhau Ze do Pipo at Culto ao Bacalhau

Hubby chose Filetes de Bacalhau com Arroz de Tomate e Coentros (now that was quite a mouthful!). They also served the dish table side with the rice in a cast iron pot. Of course, I had to try hubby’s dish too! The cod fillets were nicely cooked and matched perfectly with the tomatoes and coriander rice.

Table-side service at Culto ao Bacalhau

Bacalhau fillet with Tomato and Coriander rice at Culto ao Bacalhau

Crunchy churros with cinnamon sugar, on the house, ended our meal

We couldn’t have chosen a better place to try these traditional bacalhau dishes. Service and presentation were great and the food was just divine.

Sweet Spanish treats

2026-07-31T16:30:00.000-04:00

Churros from La Quinta

Of course, my account would not be complete without a few sweet treats! Hubby and I enjoyed these for both dessert and snack. In Galicia (and specially in Santiago), we had to try the Tarta de Santiago (almond cake or Tarta Almendra). The moist cake is made with ground almonds, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and liquor. It is usually designed with the cross of St. James. We tried this in a couple of bakeries (instead of the ones sold in souvenir stores) and we immediately loved them. They were moist and the nutty flavour was complemented well with a hint of lemon zest. I will definitely try to make this at home!

Tarta de Santiago

Another favourite, which unfortunately, I do not think I am capable to make at home, is chocolate con churros. Growing up, I have always enjoyed this fried choux pastry dough treat, dipped in rich, thick, hot chocolate. Yummmmm....So, I definitely indulge whenever I get the chance. Churros were available in food truck churrerias and even in a table along the path of the Camino! In Santiago, however, we did a back to back visit to La Quinta, where the chocolate con churros was very good! Deep-fried yumminess dipped into good-quality chocolate was worth coming back for! Can they not open a location in Canada?! Theirs was definitely one of the best churros I have had and I know will crave going forward.

Churros from La Quinta

We were also able to try other treats, all due to lucky timing!

We were fortunate to be able to try the fish-shaped almond biscuits sold by the nuns at the Convento das Clarisas in Tui. They were chewy yet delicate and the nuttiness was perfectly balanced with the sweet-- a sprinkling of sugar on top. The "store" is based on the convent's hours and as well, has to be timed when goodies are still available at the time you are passing through. (I know timing is key because I missed some almond cakes from one of Santiago's monasteries, which were sold out by the time I got there!)

Fish-shaped almond cookies from Convento das Clarisas in Tui

We also made it to the Festas do Cristo in O Porriño (held for a week in September) where we were able to enjoy watching a parade and a marching band, and get some Confiteria Ancla Hojaldre/Hojaldrita from a street stall. This festival staple of crispy puff pastry covered in syrup has become a new favourite of mine. It was quite difficult to eat just one in every sitting. My only regret was getting just one pack!

Confiteria Ancla Hojaldre

Regional dishes to try in Minho and Galicia

2026-06-19T16:30:00.001-04:00

Zamburiñas in Galicia

Even a pilgrim has to eat! While some of our meals were humble (read: protein bars or cold empanadas, outside of menú del día/set meal of the day), we did try some regional dishes along our Camino.

In Ponte de Lima, we tried Arroz de Sarrabulho, a traditional Portuguese dish made with pig's blood and pork, cooked like a stew in a rich broth. While it was unappetizing to look at, being brown-black, this thick rice dish with intense flavours, was one of the best meals we've had. Originating from the Minho region, the Sarrabulho we had was served in two parts: the sarrabulho rice itself, which was a saucier, risotto-like dish, and "Papas de Sarrabulho," which had pork and blood sausage pieces served with potatoes. When it was served, Hubby and I thought we will never be able to finish the dish. Maybe we had ordered too much. But with the first taste of the hearty, homey, arroz, we knew we chose well. Soon enough, we were scraping the end of the bowl. It was such a treat to have a warm meal that you can actually feel hitting your stomach and with each bite, there was a deliciousness that made you want to go back for more.

Arroz de Sarrabulho in Ponte de Lima

In Padrón, we had to try these Spanish small, green peppers, which originated in the area. This popular tapa is prepared simply by blistering the peppers in hot oil with sea salt. Padrón peppers known for their unpredictable heat, where some are mild and others are surprisingly hot. It was like having a "Spanish roulette" with each bite. The mild ones had a slight sweetness and the surprise, hotter ones were not really tongue-burning. I was so happy to have caught them in season. They were so easy to eat, and actually fun not knowing if the next bite will be hot! I am not usually fond of peppers but these Padrón peppers have become one of my favourite tapas.

Padrón peppers

As a seafood-lovers, we needed no convincing to try Pulpo a la Gallega (Galician-style octopus). Served in a wooden plate, the fork-tender octopus was just slightly seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika, cooked in olive oil. I can actually finish a full ration (usually tapas for two) without trouble.

Pulpo a la Gallega

The symbol of the Camino, scallop, was something we had to try, of course! The Galician Scallops, also known as Zamburiñas, will have a hard time disappointing me, in any preparation! A smaller variety, this sweet, tender mollusk, prepared in a tomato and paprika sauce (salsa gallega), originates from Galicia and is a most delicious tapa! It is perfect with sangria :)

Galician Scallops, also known as Zamburiñas

Cheers to Portugal and Spain--drinks we enjoyed

2026-05-22T16:30:00.001-04:00

Port wine barrels at the cellars of Real Companhia Velha

Hubby and I are not really beer-drinkers, but I am known to enjoy a glass of wine (or two). However, as many folks know, wine and beer are usual drinks to have with your meal, especially in Europe. Even pilgrim meals include wine or beer, so when in Rome (or Spain or Portugal)...

In Porto, before we set out on our Camino, we booked a Port winery tour at Real Companhia Velha at the Vila Nova de Gaia side. It is the oldest wine company in Portugal (over 265 years) so with all the choices for places to do wine tours, we decided to come here. And we really enjoyed this tour! We saw the cellars, got more info about the different types of port wine, got a bit of history and saw some centuries old bottles, which were actually covered in some sort of "safe" fungi. The tour was good and the tasting was even better! Hubby and I decided we liked the Tawny. Though we did not get a chance yet to try anything beyond 10 years, this will, of course, be the new goal!

quite the aged wines at Real Companhia Velha

Port Wine Tasting at Real Companhia Velha

In Portugal, along with cacchorrinhos (Portuguese hotdog sandwiches which were SOOO good!) that we enjoyed at Cervejaria Gazela, we discovered Super Bock for the first time. We had been seeing this brand logo all over the place and when we finally tried it, it made us converts! Maybe we acquired the taste of beer (finally), but we really liked the light, crisp taste of the draught. Now we understand why some folks enjoy a glass or two during meals or at the end of the day.

Cacchorrinhos with Super Bock draught at Cervejaria Gazela

In Ponte de Lima, we tried a red Vinho Verde and the more famous white version in Rubiaes. This Portuguese wine originated in the Minho province and has a DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) or Controlled Destination of Origin. So, of course, we had to try it in the actual area! We really enjoyed the light, crisp, "young wine" which had vibrant, fruity notes. Those we have tried had a subtle fizz, which was wonderfully refreshing.

red Vinho Verde at Ponte de Lima

white Vinho Verde at Rubiaes

And, as we were in the spirit :) of trying out food and drinks usually only available in the area we were in, we had to try the Queimada in Santiago. Queimada is a punch from Galicia, Spain, made with aguardiente, sugar, citrus peel, and coffee beans, set ablaze in a ceremony with incantations to ward off evil spirits. We booked a Queimada experience to cap our trip. Without taking to heart the words of the ritual, and especially after a religious pilgrimage, it was a unique experience and the drink was quite good! I am wondering if I can make this drink at home, without having to set things on fire to reduce the alcohol and without having to recite spells.

Queimada at Santiago

So, naturally, one of the first things I searched while waiting for our flight home was to check out LCBO if we have access to these drinks! I am hoping the ones we have available will bring back all the wonderful memories of the trip. Cheers!

A most wonderful meal in Arcade: Restaurante Veiramar at Arcade

2026-04-17T16:30:00.003-04:00

Restaurante Veiramar at Arcade

We decided to take off the pilgrim hat for lunch while we were in Arcade. After all the walking we had been doing, we allowed ourselves a treat since I found in my research that there was a Michelin-guide restaurant in Arcade.

And since they were open earlier than most lunch places, we considered it a sign to go (wink wink!).

We arrived a little after 11am and were seated at a table by the window, with the nice view of Rio Verdugo, by Matilde beach. We went straight for the mains as we really did not have the time to have a long lunch. We got Arroz con Mariscos (seafood rice), which was good for two.

Dining with a view, Restaurante Veiramar at Arcade

The Arroz came in a big clay pot with a generous servings of mussels,shrimp, scallops and clam. The seasoning was balanced, not too salty. Hubby actually prefers this to paella as the dish is more saucy, more stew-like. This delicious dish warmed our bellies and delighted our taste buds. I would definitely come back to try the other seafood dishes (especially those coming from the live tank by the entrance), if we ever find ourselves back in the area.

Arroz con Mariscos, Restaurante Veiramar at Arcade

Located before crossing the Medieval bridge of Pontesampaio, Veiramar does not take you far off the path and actually allows for a different view of the bridge and the river when you go to rejoin the route. It was a beautiful (and delicious!) side-trip in Arcade. Well worth the extra time we took for lunch.

Porto fine dining: Real by Casa da Calçada

2026-03-20T16:30:00.002-04:00

Real by Casa da Calçada

Being used to early dinners at home, we were again one of the first few diners, with dinner reservations at the first seating at another Michelin-guide restaurant, Real by Casa da Calçada.

For starters, we chose their Starter of the Day, not in the menu – ham and cheese croquettes. They were nicely crisp on the outside and smooth and pillowy as we cut into the croquette with a fork. The croquettes were so delicious, we were excited with what was to come! It was so hard to make sure not to get too full before the mains arrived but along with the starter, we had a warm bread basket (sourdough wheat bread and corn bread) with Marinhas butter topped with truffle paste that was too good to resist.

Bread basket with truffle butter at Real by Casa da Calçada

Ham and cheese croquettes at Real by Casa da Calçada

But, of course, we had space for the mains! The dishes came in nice, copper pans, suggesting each dish was cooked individually. Hubby chose another rice dish, Arroz de marisco com corvina –Seafood rice with grilled croaker and scallop tartare. It was hearty and very flavourful. The scallop tartare provided a unique texture, elevating the homey dish.

Arroz de marisco com corvina at Real by Casa da Calçada

I chose the Black pork cheek with sweet potatoes, roasted chestnuts and caramelized onions. The pork cheek was so tender and made more moist with the sauce. The pureed sweet potatoes and soft, roasted chestnuts were topped with crisp caramelized onions. It definitely hit the spot. I really enjoyed this dish.

Black Pork Cheek at Real by Casa da Calçada

We ended our dinner with a couple of mini pastéis de nata, on the house. They were warm (just the way I like them!), the tart was crisp, and they were just as yummy as the ones we had been having daily on the trip! It was a perfect way to end our perfect dinner!

Winner Winner, Chicken & Waffles!

2026-01-16T16:30:00.001-05:00

Chicken & Waffles @Inspire

Hubby and I enjoy Chicken & Waffles whether it is for brunch, lunch or dinner. A perfect combo of sweet and savoury, Chicken & Waffles will hit the spot for us, every time. As we find ourselves becoming empty-nesters more often, we have been checking out different brunch places. And while Eggs Benny, in various iterations, catches our attention, we almost always gravitate toward Chicken & Waffles. Here are three versions, ending with my favourite so far!

Evviva – nothing really to call home about. They used chicken tenders, which, although easier to eat, lacks the flavour and depth of bone-in chicken. They served this with BBQ sauce, which was nothing special. The waffles were also on the ordinary side. I could have thrown this together myself at home. There are better things to order here.

Chicken & Waffles @Evviva

Inspire – their version had been our favourite for the longest time. The presentation is big and impressive and the flavours are bold! The fried chicken, while boneless, is crispy and juicy. It went perfectly with slices of chili and blueberry sauce. The syrup, waffle and mac sauce balance the dish out. We trek to the heart of Markham just for this dish!

Chicken & Waffles @Inspire

And our latest discovery…and this still makes me hungry as I think about it…

Glass Kitchen—Chef Keith Pears has brought it home with their version of Chicken & Waffles! The double-fried chicken was so crispy, like Korean Fried Chicken. The deboned chicken was marinated with delightful spices, coated with honey butter and garnished with a scallion salad. Then, it was layered on top of black sesame flavoured egg waffles, which are always a delight to eat—even as is. The chili-maple syrup was absolutely delicious and it took some effort not to pour everything over the dish (I was afraid it might get soggy). This is hands-down my new favourite version of Chicken & Waffles.

Chicken & Waffles @Glass Kitchen

I cannot wait to try more brunch places, to see if anything can top our new fave!

Tableside service at Black+Blue

2025-12-19T16:30:00.001-05:00

Hubby took me to dinner at Black+Blue at the Exchange Tower in King St. one snowy evening. It was a rescheduled date, but he did keep the surprise until we walked up to the place, with pictures of bulls. Oooh, we were having steak!

Black+Blue Toronto

The place was vibrant as we entered with the bar and a huge wall of wine greeted us. While the wine wall had a ladder, I wondered how the bartender can possibly get the drinks from the top of the shelf. The drinks must be good, too, for all that effort! To get to our table, we walked past the meat locker with the glass allowing us to see all sorts of premium cuts of meat, which included Kobe, Wagyu and Canada and USDA Prime. Their website indicated that the beef is dry-aged for 28-45 days in a one-of-a-kind Himalayan salt-lined meat locker. I could not wait to see the menu!

Meatlocker @Black+Blue

It was so easy to get lost in the menu. I wanted to try everything! The Raw Bar offerings (which included Seafood towers!) seemed as enticing as the other signature entrees (where I was eyeing the Mushroom Risotto). However, we came for the meat and so I had to focus.

We started with tableside Caesar salad. Hubby and I really enjoy Caesar salad prepared tableside. I guess knowing that my dressing did not come from a bottle, makes it even more delicious. And the dressing was good! It was garlicky and cheesy and got our appetites ready for the main course. However, we noticed they did not have bacon bits. Maybe it wasn’t their style but I do love a good sprinkle of bacon bits in my Caesar salad. They also serve Tableside Steak Tartare and surely that would have been good. But we had to get some greens, right? Now, lest you think it, not all meals were prepared tableside. We were out for something special so we wanted to try their tableside service.

Caesar Salad @Black+Blue

Our main course was Beef Wellington which was a beautifully cooked tenderloin wrapped in mushroom duxelles (finely chopped mushrooms) and pastry. It also came with truffle jus, baby heirloom carrots, pommes purée (which is just a fancier way of calling mashed potatoes).

Tableside Beef Wellington @Black+Blue

The Beef Wellington was also presented tableside. It was carved very nicely and plated beautifully before it was served. The meat was just melt in your mouth and the duxelles was so full of flavor! I detected some wine in there 😊 The pastry was buttery and flaky and the sides were just the right complements. The heirloom carrots were a bit tough, though, but tasty nonetheless.

Tableside Beef Wellington @Black+Blue

pommes purée for our Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington @Black+Blue

Hubby and I wanted to try yet another tableside offering—for dessert this time. The Tableside Crepe Suzette seemed so enticing (though we were advised their signature was the Buttercake) but we were both stuffed! I would not be able to comfortably walk out of there if I still had some dessert. We decided to come back here just for dessert next time. Maybe then, we can try both the Crepe Suzette and Buttercake!

It was a beautiful meal. The ambience was great and the service was very attentive. The food, of course, was spectacular. I would not hesitate to go back!

New Favourite: Southern Thai dining at Koh Lipe

2025-11-21T16:30:00.002-05:00

Koh Lipe Scarborough

I love love love Thai Food. I am always in search of some good Thai restaurants especially since my previous favourite, Pai, is such a pain to make reservations (for our group) and get to. Chiang Rai has replaced Pai’s spot in my heart (and stomach) for a while now, but it looks like we have a contender! The fam and I checked out the Michelin Guide’s Koh Lipe in the Scarborough/Markham location! I have heard good things about the Chinatown location but am so glad there’s one a tad bit closer! And we are soooo glad to have discovered this! Now, I understand that Pai specializes on Northern Thai and that Koh Lipe specializes in Southern Thai, but it is Thai to me and I love all of it 😊!

It took a while to choose what we wanted to try since everything on the menu looked so good! We finally settled on a couple of specials and some classics.

The staff was friendly and the service was fast. It did not take long to get all of our dishes served!

To start, we got the Crispy fried smelt which was so yummy! It got us excited about all the other dishes to come! The smelt was topped with crispy garlic and it was delightfully tasty! The green chili dipping sauce gave the perfect sweet and sour taste to balance out some of the oil.

Crispy Smelt @Koh Lipe

We then got Tom Yum hot pot which was pork bone in Tom Yum soup. The serving was generous and while broth was good, I could use a bit more kick. After a while, we had to ask them to turn off the flame so that the boiling broth does not all evaporate.

Tom Yum Hot Pot @Koh Lipe

We also got the Chef’s Special Luok Jhim platter which featured steamed mussels, shrimp, squid and fish, rice noodles flavoured with fried garlic, chili-lime sauce and lettuce wraps. We were thinking, after some very good (junk) eating the previous days, maybe we should go for some steamed food. We reminded ourselves later, to make no pretentions going forward! While it was still delicious (seafood tends to always delight this family), this was our least favourite dish. It was just, well, steamed seafood with lettuce wrap and dipping sauce. What did I really expect? Anyway, we vowed to try the Prik Pao Talay (Stir-Fried smoked chilli platter, shrimps, mussels, squid, and clams) next time!

Luok Jhim platter @Koh Lipe

We all definitely enjoyed Mas Sa Man which was a tamarind coconut red curry with peanuts and potato. We got Braised Beef (instead of the Veggies/Tofu version—see why we felt we needed to have the steamed seafood?). It was just an explosion of flavours in our mouths! Curry with tamarind was something we don’t usually get to try and we really enjoyed the sweet, sour, mildly spicy sauce with the very tender braised beef. It will be a challenge not to order again even if we want to try so many other dishes when we come back.

Mas Sa Man @Koh Lipe

Of course, we got our usual Pad Thai (with chicken) and it while it was not the best, it still had all the elements we love about this dish--chewy noodles, good sauce (not too much tamarind to make it sour and not too sweet). They didn’t scrimp on the chicken and did not drown the dish with bean sprouts. Will try their Pad See Ew or Pad Kee Mao on our next visit.

Pad Thai (with chicken) @Koh Lipe

We also got a Honey Longan drink and Thai milk tea which were good to balance out the rich flavours in between bites—and allowed us to eat some more!

drinks @Koh Lipe

We ended the meal with the mango sticky rice dessert. It came with half a mango atop wonderfully chewy sticky rice and coconut cream. The mango jelly topping was cute but doesn’t really do much to add to the already delightful dessert. It was a wonderful way to end our meal!

Mango Sticky Rice @Koh Lipe

There were Southern Thai specialties we have not tried so we would definitely go back. We think this will now become our new favourite Thai place!

Michelin-guide Pho in Richmond Hill!

2025-10-24T16:30:00.012-04:00

Pho Tai Nam @Pho Le

The fam, being noodle soup-lovers, was so excited to discover that Pho Le’s first location outside of Ho Chi Minh was in Richmond Hill! This Vietnamese chain established in the 70’s earned the Bib Gourmand recognition in the 2023 and 2024 Michelin Guide Ho Chi Minh City. While not a star, we have had great experiences with the Michelin-guide restaurants we've tried before! And, while the recognition is for the Vietnam location, the hope is that the recipe is executed well for the other branches. Indeed, Pho Le's recognition was well-deserved with meals that were good value for money!

The wait list is long and to line up outside during winter (as there is not much space inside to wait) is enough reason to make us find something else. However, on a couple of occasions, we managed to get seats and enjoy their yummy offerings.

Their appetizer platter had something for everyone—fried spring rolls, fresh rolls, wonton, chicken wings and papaya/mango salad! I especially love the fresh rolls, packed with good sized shrimp (not super thinly-sliced just to give an illusion of the shrimp in the rolls like other places!).

Fresh rolls @Pho Le

I tried their signature Pho, but while they recommend Pho Dac Biet (with rare beef, brisket, tendon and beef balls), I prefer the Pho Tai (which is just rare beef). The broth was superb and the noodles were nicely chewy. They served great quality Pho that really hits the spot. The girls prefer their Pho with beef balls and brisket.

Pho Tai Nam @Pho Le

At another occasion, I tried their Original Laksa, and I think I will be having this for my next visit again. I know, I know, it is not really Vietnamese (they also serve Tom Yum, too) but I really enjoy Laksa. The Laksa was so flavourful with the right hint of sweet and spicy. The broth was rich and hearty and the spices burst with flavour in my mouth! The original came with shrimp, fish cake, fish ball and tofu. Hubby got the Dac Biet which included rare beef, brisket, tendon and beef balls. Same broth, just different protein. The noodles were good quality and perfectly cooked and I enjoyed the seafood it came with. Hubby also enjoyed his Laksa and also decided he will order this again when we come back.

Original Laksa @Pho Le

They also offer other items including vermicelli soup and Hue-style soup (spicy, from a different Vietnamese region-- Ok maybe I will try the Hue-style next time). They even have more expensive items such as bone marrow and beef rib soup. Grandma had the vermicelli rice noodle bowl with grilled chicken but was not too happy about it, but she enjoyed the Fried Spring Rolls for sure! We will also try their fancy drink offerings next time!

Vermicelli with Grilled Chicken @Pho Le

Service was faster during the weekday and they need more staff during the weekends. Nonetheless, the wait was not too bad and the delicious noodle soup was worth the wait. Pho Le has been declared our fam’s new go-to Vietnamese place!

Love is Blind: Chef’s Choice tasting at George

2025-09-19T16:30:00.001-04:00

George Toronto

Hubby took me to dinner at George to celebrate a special day and this multi-year Michelin guide-recommended spot did not disappoint! It was one of the nicest meals we’ve had! Now, I will say my disclaimer outright—this is not a food blog per se. I told Hubby that I cannot even begin to remember all the ingredients which came with the dishes, much less describe them all with their most wonderful and unexpected flavour combinations. I will, however, attempt to share with you the experience and photos of what we had. These articles mainly serve to remind me of our experience and what we ordered.

Chef Loseto’s signature Chef’s Choice tasting experiences is offered in five, seven or ten courses. Hubby and I got the five course which were “double-blind,” meaning, hubby and I each got a different dish per course. So, we didn’t know what was coming! The dishes were also not available in the A la Carte offerings which made it all the more mysterious and exciting!

To start off, I got a Mango Fuego cocktail (loved the yummy mango puree, with rum and a kick from the chili salt rim!) with our amuse-bouche. Our amuse-bouche featured different textures of the veggies—from pureed chickpea to crispy potato chips and gave us a preview of the delights to come.

Mango Fuego @George Toronto

While the server explained what we were having as each dish was presented, I did not take notes (of course) for me to be able to recount accurately to you. As well, my memory took a blink as I savoured each bite! So, while some of the ingredients stood out, what was memorable was how beautifully plated and how great each dish tasted.

Amuse-bouche @George Toronto

For starters, I got a hamachi with matcha vinaigrette while hubby got tuna (who took the unappealing photo which did not make it here :P).

Hamachi with Matcha Vinaigrette @George Toronto

Next was our favourite, foie gras course. The richness of the foie gras was cut by a hint of acidity in the sauce. I got mine with pheasant while hubby had his foie gras with rabbit. So delicious! Another blurry picture did not make it here :P

Seared Foie Gras @George Toronto

Our main course consisted of bison for me and veal for hubby. Both were beautifully cooked! The bison was tender and did not taste gamey at all! However, I did prefer the veal and hubby preferred the bison. As we split each dish, we got to really try and enjoy both dishes.

Bison @George Toronto

Veal @George Toronto

The cheese course came next which was Ontario goat cheese and Quebec cheddar. Hubby and I equally loved these. The bread, fruit and nuts were perfect complements! The richness and saltiness of this course rounded out the mains and prepped us for dessert.

Cheese course, Cheddar @George Toronto

Cheese course, Goat @George Toronto

Finally, for dessert, we got lemon tart for me and caramel tart for hubby. It was just perfect for both of us. I loved the tartness of the lemon while hubby enjoyed the richness of the caramel. What a delightful way to end our meal!

Lemon Tart @George Toronto

Caramel Tart @George Toronto

Service was excellent and the place had a great overall vibe. If you go out to the street, you can even take a peek at the kitchens. I highly recommend this dining experience at George!

3-day New York City Itinerary

2025-08-22T16:30:00.000-04:00

Manhattan from Staten Island Ferry

While we spent more than 3 days in New York and New Jersey in our family trip, going through attractions, doing some meet ups, and shopping (of course!), if you only have 3 days in New York, here are some of the places you can hit:

Day 1 – Central Park, The MET and World Trade Center

We took the subway to get around NYC. It was not very accessible for Grandma with escalators under repair and elevators not available in all stations (many quite stinky!), but she powered through (thanks to Salon Pas!).

New York Subway Train

We got off at 81^st and walked across Central Park to get to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was quite hot and extremely humid on the day we were there, but you can spend a few hours just in Central Park. There are a few things to see such as the Belvedere Castle, Bethesda Fountain/Terrace and the Bow Bridge, among many others. But, we had to get out of the sweltering heat (and it was not quite 10am then!) so we just passed through to get to The MET.

Central Park

We got to The Met as it opened at 10am and went to the Special Exhibit first. If you can time it or book it, there are free tours you can join. While there are practically only 3 floors you can explore (rest are for restaurants and lounges), I think that a full day is not enough to appreciate everything the museum had to offer. We spent about 5-6 hours here, including lunch (at the ground floor Eatery which was not bad at all!), and even with that, we were not able to explore everything. I absolutely loved The MET! The collections were extensive and I would not hesitate on getting a membership if I lived in NY.

The MET

@The MET

After a day of exploring, we took the subway at 86^th to Fulton to get to the World Trade Center. We checked out The Memorial which honored those who perished at the 9/11 attacks, at the sites where the two towers were. There was also a museum, which you can go to, but we skipped this. We then just walked around the Oculus, a nice and modern transportation hub/shopping mall. There were also many eateries close by for dinner.

Oculus

Inside the Oculus

World Trade Center Memorial

Day 2—Chelsea Market, High Line, Vessel/Hudson Yards, MoMA and Staten Island Ferry

We actually took the Staten Island Ferry the night before, after WTC, as the views were beautiful at sunset. It was a bit exhausting (after a full day at The Met) so I suggest this itinerary instead.

We were going to have lunch at Hudson Yards so we explored Chelsea Market and the High Line before going there. We got off the subway at 14^th and walked to Chelsea Market. We loved this place! The interiors were industrial chic which we really liked. The shops were fun and vibrant and we enjoyed a super yummy chocolate chip cookie croissant from Sarabeth’s. Unfortunately, we were only able to check out a few stores as not many places were open at 10 am. I think you can easily spend an hour or so here.

Chelsea Market

We walked to the High Line which is a rail trail transformed into a park. Some of the entrances were under construction so we took it from the middle. It was nice and relaxing to be walking through this greenway, practically right beside some apartment buildings, with sculptures here and there. At the end, we got to Hudson Yards, by the Vessel. The Vessel was a very interesting structure but unfortunately, closed. Even if it were open, I don’t think I’d have the guts to go up there, though.

Buildings along High Line

High Line

The Vessel

We had a most wonderful lunch at Queensyard, but if you are looking for something more casual, Mercado Little Spain at the lower floor has so many options. Wish I had more space for a second lunch as I would have loved to try out some of food there!

Chocolate Mousse @Queensyard

Jamon @Mercado Little Spain

After lunch, we took the train to 5^th Ave/53^rd St to the Museum of Modern Art, which housed my favorite Starry Night--I know it is just too “common” and popular but I have loved this artwork since I was in high school, so, sorry, art snobs. MoMA closes at 530pm but 7pm on Saturdays. There was also a company-sponsored free first Friday night for NYC residents (read: crowds) that we managed to catch so we took that as our cue to wrap up our visit. 3 to 4 hours should be sufficient for MoMA.

Photo (C) at MoMA

From here, you can take the subway to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. There is a ferry about every 30 minutes and it is free. Along the way, you can catch a view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty. Once you get to Staten Island, there is a shopping mall right beside the terminal and other attractions you can take transit to from there. Or you can just wait for the next ferry ride back to Manhattan. It was a relatively relaxing ferry ride when we took it. My friend who went with us said that it was surprisingly cleaner than when she was last there years ago.

@Staten Island Ferry Terminal

Lady Liberty

Day 3 – Broadway and Times Square

We could not go to NY and not catch a Broadway show. We saw a matinee performance of &Juliet. It was such a fun show and all of us enjoyed it! Of course, there are many, many other shows available on and off Broadway that you can see. I got tickets online, but there is a ticket seller by Times Square for some last-minute ones.

Times Square NYC

We then walked along Times Square and explored the many stores along the way. It was extremely busy, as was usual for this area. We happened to catch a street festival when we were there, which was a nice bonus! Rockefeller Center is a 5-minute walk from here so you can also try to squeeze that in.

We absolutely enjoyed our time in NY, even if we likely did not even scratch the surface in terms of places to visit. We definitely needed more time to spend with friends! We averaged 16,000 steps a day (hey, if we can make it there…), but this was apparently not enough to burn off all the good stuff we had been eating. Number of pounds gained from the trip will not be discussed. Yet, there were so many other treats we missed and would definitely come back for next time!

A day trip to Sweden: Lund and Malmo

2025-07-18T16:30:00.000-04:00

Quaint structures at Lund

We took a one-hour regional train from the Copenhagen central station to cross the Øresund bridge over to Sweden. We were so close after all that we could actually hit another country in this trip. We went first to Lund, which was farther out.

one of the buildings at Lund University

This university town was on the sleepy side. It was very quaint with some traditional houses along the way to the Botanical Garden, which was our first stop after going through Lund University. We did not have time to explore Kulturen which is an open-air museum of traditional and historic structures, but this can be an option for you to explore. We went to the greenhouse of the Botanical garden, which opened for Spring just days before we arrived. It was a lovely garden but we had to make our way to the Lund Cathedral to catch the 15^th century astronomical clock, Horologium mirabile Lundense, chime at noon.

Lund Botanical Garden

It was a short show and not at all fancy. However, keeping in mind that it was from the 15^th century, it was still a nice thing to watch (and catch as it only chimes at noon and at 3pm).

Lund Cathedral

Horologium mirabile Lundense

We then headed to the Saluhallen Lund (food hall) where we had our lunch. Hubby had some meatballs (can it still be called Swedish even if these were from the Sweet and Spice, North African place?) while DD#2 and I shared couscous. Grandma had a most delicious Thai Red Curry chicken at Thai Way and DD#1 had a nice shrimp, cheese and bread dish from Malmstens Fisk and Kök. It was an unexpectedly nice meal that got us set for the rest of the afternoon.

Saluhallen Lund

Moroccan couscous meal

Moroccan meatballs in Sweden :P = Swedish meatballs?

shrimp dish at Malmstens Fisk and Kök

After a quick stroll at Stortoget, including a stop at Åhléns department store, we headed back to the train station to go to Malmö, about 15 minutes away by train.

Malmo Central Station

Malmo Central Square

Malmö had a different feel from Lund. It was more vibrant and more modern. Even while we spent less time here (and hence, less pics as you may have noticed), I would pick Malmö over Lund, if I can only visit one city. It is, after all, closer to Copenhagen. We just walked to Södergatan, which is a pedestrian shopping street where Grandma had coffee at Espresso House. We also had to check out H&M, but decided there were better sales at home. After a whirlwind visit to Sweden, it was time to head back to Copenhagen. If you can manage it, I would definitely recommend checking out Lund or Malmö as a day trip from Copenhagen. While the vibe of both countries are similar, you still know you are in a different place.

New Nordic dining at Vaekst

2025-06-20T16:30:00.001-04:00

Vækst, Copenhagen

We wanted to try some New Nordic cuisine and made reservations to go to Vækst, in Sankt Peders Stræde in the middle of Copenhagen’s old Latin quarter. It was also close to our hotel and the greenhouse-inspired décor was lovely. There were so many places to choose from, but Vækst was also in the Michelin guide and had great reviews, so we needed no further convincing.

We had an early dinner where they started us off with a crepe with fresh vegetables and cheese. It was served with peas. Then, we had warm bread and herbed whipped butter. We also got an appetizer of cheese foam on top of foam with crunchy rye at the bottom. A delight for our palates, these apps truly whet our appetites as we looked forward to the rest of the meal.

vegetable and cheese crepe at Vækst

bread and herbed whipped butter at Vækst

cheese foam, potatoes and rye at Vækst

Hubby, Grandma and I had the set dinner meal, minus the wine pairing (leaving our server to take away the 15 wine glasses on our table). We had Salted Scallops with green gooseberries, apple and hazelnut. It was a nice starter with dice raw scallops and very flavourful. The presentation was also delightful as our server poured the sauce onto the bowl.

Salted Scallops at Vækst

For mains, we had Fried Cod which was garnished with radish, pureed peas, trout roe and beurre blanc. The cod was perfectly fried, slightly crispy on the outside and tender and flaky inside. The trout roe popped in our mouths as we took a bite of the cod with the beurre blanc and pureed peas. The radish on the side provided the nice contrast to the sauce.

Fried Cod at Vækst

The girls had Danish Beef Tenderloin with grilled spring onions and truffle sauce. They were also served mashed potatoes. I got to try some from DD#2. It was perfectly medium rare and oh so tender. One of the best steaks we’ve had in a while. The grilled spring onions matched perfectly to balance the truffle sauce.

Danish beef tenderloin at Vækst

For dessert, we had Rhubarb Sorbet with white chocolate and chamomile, topped with meringue. It was a wonderful palate cleanser.

Rhubarb sorbet at Vækst

We really enjoyed our food with most of the dishes having a wonderful play on textures of light cream, sauce or foam and crunch or pop. The flavours complement each other very well and were refreshingly new to our taste buds.

The place was packed by the time we left, a testament to the wonderful cuisine they have to offer.

Copenhagen Eats

2025-05-23T16:30:00.001-04:00

Torvehallerne Food Hall at Copenhagen

We can very well validate now that everything we read about Copenhagen, in that it was a very expensive city, was true. It worked out well for us that we were always on the go so the meals were relatively cheaper than if we had allocated some time to full-service dining. For reference, burgers or hotdogs would cost about CAD$20. Fancy coffee would be about CAD$8-9. One thing we really liked, however, was their recycling and waste efforts. Diners are encouraged to use stainless steel utensils and there is a charge for using the plastic ones. There is also a charge for condiments, which dissuades folks from being wasteful. Garbage and recycling bins are all properly labeled as well.

Anyway, we all had a good chuckle in realizing that we went to Copenhagen to eat typically American food. In many good reviews, burgers came up often so we decided to try and see if the burgers were indeed so much better than the ones we had in North America. First we tried Max, which is a Swedish burger chain. The fam ordered classic burgers and cheeseburgers. I tried the Frisco burger (Frisco is a slightly more luxurious burger bread, which is light and tasty, topped with semolina). The burgers were definitely great and I would not mind having again! They were juicy and well-seasoned. Portions were just right. We also tried some cheese fries. Their desserts, however, were not as good.

Max burgers

Another burger place that came up so many times in the reviews I have read was Gasoline Grill. We went to the one in Tivoli. We accessed this from inside the Tivoli Garden and am not sure if this can be accessed through the Tivoli Food Hall. The Tivoli Food Hall had a great selection of many different cuisines. If you wanted to have Thai, Italian, French, pizza, or even the traditional Danish Smørrebrød, you can find it in Tivoli Food Hall. At Gasoline grill, the burgers are organic—patties, buns, cheese and all! They also claim to sell out daily so that everything they sell is fresh. We got Original burgers and Cheeseburgers. While they were good, we agreed that we liked the burgers at Max more (which was also cheaper).

Gasoline Grill

From many recommendations, we decided we had to try Danish hotdogs too! While there were many hotdog stands along the main tourist spots, we tried the ones at Torvehallerne Food Hall. We really enjoyed exploring this food hall, near Nørreport, which had fruits and vegetables outside, meat, seafood, cheese, wine and so much more in the two buildings. According to DD#1, it was a bougie market. I have to say I think it is much better than St. Lawrence Market in downtown TO. Sorry! So anyway, we tried the hotdogs at Doghouse. Here, you can also have sparkling wine with your hotdog! How’s that for bougie? Hubby and I got the Great Dane, of course, which was the traditional Danish hotdog topped with pickled cucumber and crispy onions. It was indeed very delicious! Doghouse hotdogs were juicy and the remoulade offered the right amount of creaminess to counter the oils. The crispy onions provided a nice crunch. It was delicious! They also had other gourmet hotdogs with flavours of French, Spanish and Italian.

Danish and French hotdogs @doghouse

It did take a while to get our orders, so we ended up getting some tacos as well from Hija de Sanchez.

Tacos @hija de sanchez

For dessert, we had some super yummy ice cream from Maggis Gelateria.

Maggis gelateria

Of course, for a couple of our meals, we had to have smørrebrød. We had the beautiful gourmet ones from Hallernes at Tivoli Food Hall (but they also have other locations including one at Torvehallerne). These were just ok for me as the Crispy Pork I had was a bit on the dry side. Hubby had Steak Tartare but as he had had Steak Tartare from Prague, he said it was also just ok.

Chicken salad and Crispy Pork smørrebrød at Hallernes

Steak Tartare and Chicken Salad smørrebrød at Hallernes

I would have to say that I liked the smørrebrød at Rådhus (near the National Museum) so much more. Apart from being only 1/3 of the price of the ones in Hallernes, with less fancier presentation, the smørrebrød we had were quite delicious! I really enjoyed the liver pate topped with bacon, while Grandma’s shrimp and egg came in second.

smørrebrød at Rådhus

We also could not leave without trying Danish pastries. In the basement food hall of Magasin du Nord, we had some Direktørsnegl at Lagkagehuset. The pastry was flaky and soft, swirled with chocolate. It was one of the best pastries we’ve had! I was so glad we went for that afternoon coffee and snack. Now, if only the Danish Pastry House can make their chokoladesnegl as good as this!

Direktørsnegl at Lagkagehuset

Oh and by the way, let’s not count how much weight I gained from all the eating we did!

Castle-hopping in Copenhagen and our favourite castle

2025-04-18T16:30:00.001-04:00

Royal Flag @Amalienborg

There are three castles in Central Copenhagen which are major attractions. Technically, you can cover these three in one day if you want to pack your schedule. Common hours are from 10 to 5 and if you spend about 2 hours each, take lunch on the go and walk fast (or take transit), then I think it is doable. We were on chill-mode so we did these three over a day and a bit—with other stops in between. I took a quick fam poll and we were all pretty unanimous in our ranking of the castles. First, here are the Copenhagen castles in order of preference. I will reveal at the end, our favourite castle, which is technically not in central Copenhagen.

Rosenborg—we like this 17^th century castle, built by one of the most famous Danish kings, Christian IV.

Rosenborg

We walked up the spiral steps and discovered rooms filled with beautiful clocks, armoires, writing tables and other furniture--many of which had an Asian influence. These were so beautifully intricate, definitely screaming royal.

Armoire at Rosenborg

One of the clocks on display at Rosenborg

My favourite and possibly one of the main attractions of this castle is the Knights’ Hall with the coronation thrones. These were decorated with narwhal tusks and had three life-size silver lions standing guard. Tapestries on the walls commemorated battles between Denmark and Sweden. Guess who was winning in these battles? The interiors were well-preserved and the castle housed an exquisite collection of Flora Danica, ivory carvings (if you manage to think past the material used) and an amazing Venetian glass collection. In the basement, they had a collection of firearms and wine barrels (not sure if this is a wise combo), leading up to the treasury. In the treasury, we saw the Crown jewels, which was why the castle was watched by actual armed guards.

Danish Crown Jewels at Rosenborg

Outside the castle, you can find the gardens which was perfect for relaxing and just enjoying a nice afternoon.

King's Garden, Rosenborg

Christiansborg—was once the royal residence but now houses the Danish Parliament, the Supreme court and the Ministry of state.

Christiansborg

We visited the Ruins under the castle, the Royal party kitchen which had such an amazing collection of copper cookware and also the Royal Stables, which was home to majestic white (Kladruber) horses. Unfortunately, the Royal Reception rooms were closed at the time. It seemed like there was an official event—it is, after all, where they hold functions and receive foreign dignitaries. It was indeed unfortunate, as from the pictures, it seems that it would have allowed us a glimpse of what we expected palaces to look like—somehow like Versailles (but of course, not nearly as opulent or “golden”).

Ruins under the castle, Christiansborg

Royal kitchens at Christiansborg

Amalienborg—our least favourite castle, and something we all said we could have skipped. While the history of current King Frederik X was interesting, it was not so much compelling for us to see many of the items in person.

one of the buildings at Amalienborg

We did, however, stay for the changing of the guards at noon. The guards marched from their barracks by Rosenborg Castle through the streets of Copenhagen to Amalienborg. The whole process within Amalienborg took over 20 minutes and while it was interesting, there were many dull moments, wherein, according to DD#2, they were just staring at each other. Hubby and I agreed that the Changing of the Guards in Athens was so much more entertaining!

changing of the guards at Amalienborg

Amalienborg is also close to the marble church, which was so beautiful. Also called Marmokirken or Frederik’s Church, this Lutheran church has the largest church dome in Scandinavia with a span of 31 metres.

Marmokirken

Our favourite castle (that we have seen in our Denmark trip), was actually about 50 minutes by train away from Central Copenhagen. We took a trip to Elsinore (Helsingør) to visit Kronborg, the setting of Hamlet and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The castle started off as a coastal fortress, Krogen, built by King Eric VII in the 1420s. In the 1770s, King Frederick II had the medieval stronghold transformed into a magnificent Renaissance castle.

Kronborg, Elsinore

We took the Hamlet’s tour where we saw the cellar, the beautiful 1580s chapel (with its original interior fully restored), the Royal apartments showing the bedrooms, the well-preserved tapestries and the ballroom, reminding me of many familiar scenes with Kenneth Branagh.

1580s chapel at Kronborg

Royal apartments, Kronborg

ballroom at Kronborg

There were a few quotes from our tour guide officially making it a Hamlet tour. If you happen to be here in the summer, I heard they hold live performances of Shakespeare’s plays. After the tour, the fam (minus Grandma, of course) took 145 steps up to the Cannon tower to take in the beautiful vistas of the sea and the town. We also checked out the kitchen which was less impressive than the Christiansborg kitchens. Hidden deep down under the castle, in the casements, we saw the stone statue of Holger the Dane (Holger Danske). In Danish legend, if Denmark is ever in trouble, Holger will wake from his rock throne under Helsingør and defend her.

Holger Danske at Kronborg

The casements were eerie and cold, hosting an extensive series of low-ceilinged dungeons, storerooms and soldiers’ quarters. I did not venture further down to where bats supposedly lived.

casements at Kronborg

We also no longer went to the barracks/flag bastion as we wanted to catch an early train back to the centre. The castle’s history and preservation/restoration were amazing. This was our favourite castle of the trip and well-worth the day trip!

Over 5 Things to do and see at Copenhagen: Canal Tour, Nyhavn, City Hall, National Museum and Tivoli Gardens

2025-03-21T16:30:00.003-04:00

Copenhagen

Scandinavia had been in hubby and my bucket list so we decided to hit a couple of the Nordic countries. And, to celebrate several milestones in our family, we visited the happiest country in the world, Denmark (rankings change yearly, but Denmark is always top 3). We got a Copenhagen Card and checked out some top attractions that were included. Apart from admission, the card included transit which was very efficient and convenient. We managed to ride the Metro, S-tog (like a streetcar), bus and regional train. We did not rent bikes as that would be harder for Grandma. Bike rental was very accessible and there were bike lanes everywhere. While there were so many attractions included in the card, here are those we went to that could fit in our trip:

1. We started our trip to Copenhagen with the Canal Tour. We wanted to just take it easy, having come from a red-eye flight and wanted to situate the attractions so we decided a canal tour would be perfect. We knew that we would not have a chance to visit Christiana and the Church of our Savior so we just took a peek from our tour.

Church of Our Savior, view from Canal Tour

As well, the Little Mermaid statue was reputed to be so underwhelming and far from the rest of the attractions, so we wanted to get those checked off our list via the tour.

The Little Mermaid statue

The Stromma Canal Tours was great and our guide, Peter, was funny! We learned a few things (and a few jokes) and saw many sights. The Ved Stranden departure point is the one included in the Copenhagen card as the Nyhavn location was more expensive. It was all fine since the one-hour tour will take you to the same sights.

Opera house, Copenhagen

Black Diamond, Copenhagen

2. When you Google Copenhagen, Nyhavn is one of the first things you will see in pictures. It is a waterfront, canal and dining district lined by brightly coloured 17^th/early 18th century townhouses, bars, cafés, and restaurants. We took a leisurely stroll (and many photos) from Kongens Nyrtov to the Inner Harbour. The buildings as well as the tall ships and sailboats moored along the canal were so picturesque. Nyhavn is truly iconic.

Nyhavn

4. Grandma, the shopper, was looking forward to going to Strøget, which is known to be the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe at 1.1km. Here, we were also going to check out the Lego store (which is based in Copenhagen) as well as other Danish brands including Ecco and Pandora. Department store, Illums Bolighus (also with a basement food hall) was also there among so many other stores.

5. But before heading to Strøget, we went first to the City Hall where we checked out Jens Olsen's World Clock (Verdensur).

Jens Olsen's World Clock (Verdensur)

This astronomical clock was intricate and so cool to see! We were only expecting to see the clock but we were happy to find that the interiors of the City Hall was very nice as well. The hallways and staircases were ornate and provided us with a few photo ops.

City Hall, Copenhagen

Outside, you can also find a statue of Hans Christian Andersen looking over to the Tivoli.

Hans Christian Andersen looking at Tivoli

The building itself was beautiful, having a tower which is the highest structure in the capital. As well, the statues and fountain in front made the edifice grander.

City Hall, Copenhagen

After the City Hall, we went to the National Museum of Denmark.

inside the National Museum of Denmark

6. National Museum of Denmark - As we wanted to learn more about Danish history and culture, we breezed through the top floor housing Classical and Near Eastern Antiquities. The exhibits for Danish pre-history, Middle Ages, all the way through to 2000s were very informative and we could easily have spent a couple more hours (on top of the two we spent here) if we wanted to read through everything. They also had a collection from various other countries including Japan and Africa. However, the Viking exhibit, which I would have wanted to see was unfortunately under renovation. It was a good foundation to visit the museum to learn more about Denmark before exploring other places.

one of the exhibits at National Museum of Denmark

7. While the girls thought the rides at Tivoli Gardens would not be able to compare to the thrill rides at Canada’s Wonderland or Disney World, we still had to visit the second oldest amusement park in the world. And we were so glad we did!

Tivoli Gardens

Tivoli Gardens is a nice theme park from 1840s. The flowers in the gardens were just beautiful and various birds were a delight to see across the grounds. The different rides and shops were interesting, and they had a huge grassy area where you can just get a lawn chair to relax. We watched a couple of shows—one, of an up and coming local band, which we really enjoyed, and as well, a Pantomime show which was too silly for us to sit through.

beautiful flowers at Tivoli gardens

grounds at Tivoli Gardens

Tivoli Gardens

Carousel at Tivoli Gardens

We stayed through the evening so we can experience the gardens with the lights and catch the light and sound show at 9:30pm. Fair warning, if you have seen fireworks at Disney or the water show at Bellagio, you will be really underwhelmed. It was still a nice enough show and surely the younger kids would have appreciated it more. Overall, we really enjoyed our relaxing stroll at the Tivoli Gardens, as we imbibed a bit of Hygge.

Light and Sound show at Tivoli Gardens

8. Other attractions we passed by but were not included in the Copenhagen card were the Round Tower and the Trinitatis Kirke (no admission for this one).

Round Tower, Copenhagen

Trinitatis Kirke

We wished we were able to go to more of the attractions that came with our Copenhagen card but with the limited hours that we did spend on those that we went to, we know we wouldn’t have been able to swing it. At that rate, we averaged 15,000 steps a day and were definitely exhausted by the end of the day. Nevertheless, Copenhagen had a lot to offer. I can actually imagine see myself living here!

A most wonderful visit to The Huntington: Library, Museum and Botanical Gardens

2025-02-21T16:30:00.040-05:00

The Huntington Library

One of the attractions we visited in our LA trip was the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino. This turned out to be the best attraction we went to in this trip. We absolutely loved it!

Here are some of the highlights about The Huntington:

Their library is one of the world's great research libraries with 12 million items, dating from the 11th century.
They have more than 45,000 pieces of British, European, American and Asian art, paintings, prints, drawings, photographs and sculptures.
Their Botanical Gardens are spread out across 130 acres with more than a dozen spectacular themes and about 83,000 living plants including rare species.

Needless to say, we spent all day there and we did not even finish exploring everything.

While the parking was free, there was an admission fee. And, if I lived in the area, I would have gladly gotten a membership so that I could explore this place at length.

The first place we checked out when we arrived was the Library. What an amazing collection! I loved seeing the manuscript of Canterbury tales, and the Gutenberg bible with its hand-printed illustrations was just beautiful. It was great to note that the library was not just a collection on display, but that researchers from all over the world, actually make use of their materials.

manuscript of The Canterbury Tales @The Huntington

After the library, we went to the next building, the main Art Gallery, hosting British and European Art. We marvelled at their collection, which included Gainsborough's The Blue Boy. We were also happy to be able to catch the touring exhibition of Raqib Shaw with his vibrant, fantastical works showcasing his Eastern influences. They have paintings spanning from the 1400s including van der Weyden's Virgin and Child and new works by California's Mizuno.

The Blue Boy (C) @The Huntington

Before we explored further, we decided to have lunch at the 1919 cafe where they have a wide selection of salads, sandwiches, soups, grilled items, Mexican dishes and even pizza. They also have a bar and you can enjoy your drinks and meal indoor or outdoors. The prices were not so outrageous and the girls and I enjoyed our Poke.

After lunch, we set out to explore the gardens. We decided to just focus on several gardens as we could not explore them all. Their gardens include Australian, California, Camellia, Children's, Chinese, Desert, Herb, Japanese, Jungle, Lily Ponds, Palm, Ranch, Rose, Shakespeare and Subtropical. They also have a Conservatory!

view outside the main Art Gallery @The Huntington

We first went to the Desert garden which was the best garden we have seen! We were ooh-ing and aah-ing at almost every turn. Maybe it was because we were coming from the North and not normally exposed to such a wide array of desert plants, but the collection was just beautiful! They apparently have one of the largest outdoor collections of cacti and succulents in the world! I could have spent more time here but there were so many other gardens to explore.

one of the beds of the Desert Garden @The Huntington

The Huntington has shuttles to take visitors from one garden to another, so we took the shuttle to visit the Japanese garden--another beautiful garden featuring a moon bridge, Japanese house, Zen garden and a most amazing bonsai court. For a while, I forgot we were not in Asia. We also explored the heritage Shoya house which was a restored residential compound from 18th century Japan. They had disassembled this house from Japan and brought them over to the US, including some of the rocks in the gardens! Listening to the audio tour and talking to one of the docents, gave us a glimpse to Japanese rural life centuries ago.

at the Japanese Garden @The Huntington

Connected by a walkway, we then went to the Chinese garden. Yet another beautiful one, with a lake and several pavilions to relax in. There were rock formations, stone bridges, wood carvings and calligraphy. They even have a tea shop (and they served bubble tea :) haha).

at the Chinese Garden @The Huntington

While it was not in full bloom, we went to visit the Rose garden next. There were still some roses in bloom and we can just imagine how beautiful and fragrant it will be in spring. Beside it, we saw the Herb garden which had both common herbs and many unusual ones as well. We briefly walked through the Shakespeare garden which featured a variety of plans cultivated in England during Shakespeare's time and mentioned in his plays. Nearby, we saw garden sculptures, a collection reminiscent of what we saw in Versailles. The grounds were just awe-inspiring and brought such serenity and relaxation to our otherwise busy vacation.

at the Rose Garden @The Huntington

We had a quick look through the American Art gallery before we ended our visit at their gift shop. Even the gift shop did not fail to delight us. The items they sold were unique and I would have loved to get a few things, had there not been such a long line. It was one of the more beautiful museum gift shops we have seen.

We loved, loved, loved our visit to The Huntington and would recommend in a heartbeat. I hope I get a chance to visit again some day.

A visit to The Getty Center

2025-01-17T16:30:00.032-05:00

Getty Center

We were in LA one week before the devastating wildfires. We were thankful we had just made it home before this happened but sad for those who were affected and had to evacuate. While we went to the Getty Center and did not have a chance to visit the Getty Villa, we were still watching the news closely and hoped the museum would not be damaged. We still got chills knowing the fires were so close to the Getty Center as well, where we just were!

Admission was free, but reservations needed to be made and there was a fee for parking. From the parking, you will have to take a shuttle tram to get to the Center. From the Architecture Tour that we took, we learned that it was intentional as the architect wanted to take us out of our daily cares and transport us to a different place where we can relax and explore the modern architecture, gardens and galleries.

After joining the tour, we decided to have a quick lunch before exploring the galleries. We went to the cafe and got some over-priced salads and sandwiches. If we lived in the area, we would have followed the locals and brought our own lunch. There are plenty of areas to sit and enjoy your own food and drinks.

view from The Getty Center

As the line up to see Van Gogh's Irises was long at the West Pavilion, we went to the North, East and South Pavilions first. Their collections were beautiful but it did not take us too long to explore--about an hour to 1.5 hours per area. I loved that I was able to see some of the early works of Rembrandt. And as well when I finally got to the West, I saw a few works of Monet (my other favourite Impressionist) that I had not seen before!

Of course the highlight for me was catching the temporary exhibit on "Ultra-Violet: New Light on Van Gogh's Irises," which I lined up almost half an hour for. It was amazing to see how modern science was able to uncover the artist's materials and methods to reveal how the colours were originally.

Recreated Van Gogh's Irises (C) Getty Center

We did not explore the gardens at length but viewed them from the platforms of the pavilions. It turned out great as we were able to see the masterful landscaping top view!

view of the gardens at Getty Center

We spent less than 5 hours at the Getty Center, though I can totally imagine staying much longer to just take in the views at the courtyard and gardens or to contemplate art further. I hope to be able to visit the Villa next time.

Food Tripping in Ajax – Karahi Boys and Kunafa’s

2024-12-13T16:30:00.000-05:00

Family Naan @KarahiBoys

Meeting up with a friend in Ajax, hubby and I did not realize we would end up on an amazing food trip! I was happy to find a branch of Karahi Boys which a Pakistani native recommended to me. With branches in downtown and GTA, it turned out great that we can try this place out where we were going to be. It was our first time trying Pakistani cuisine and we loved it!

We ordered half Potohari Goat Karahi which was cooked in whole tomatoes, cream and aromatic spices. We asked for the dish to be served with medium heat as I was warned that Pakistani cuisine tends to be really spicy. However, hubby and I think we could have handled a bit more heat. Next time! The karahi was deliciously hearty with a bit of tang and sweet from the methi (fenugreek) and other spices. The goat was tender and the tomato cream spice sauce was so flavourful. It went perfectly well with the family naan we ordered (with butter, of course!).

Potohari Goat Karahi @KarahiBoys

The naan was simply the best! It was baked to perfection and served on a stand for that wow-effect. This soft and buttery naan was perfect for sharing and scooping up the karahi sauce!

Apart from the Family Naan, we also got some Garlic Naan and paired that with our dish with no sauce, Chapli Kabab.

Garlic naan @KarahiBoys

The juicy fried Chapli Kabab came in 2 pieces of patties made of minced beef and a blend of spices. It was crispy outside and juicy inside. It came with sauce on the side and on a bed of onions. In my opinion, this was spicier than the karahi we got. It was yummy but I will try something else next time.

Chapli Kabab with Family Naan @Karahi Boys

For dessert, we tried the Khoya Kheer which is a traditional rice pudding made in house which was nicely presented in a clay dish. It was a light palate cleanser with a smooth yet gummy texture. This one was just ok for me.

Khoya Kheer (pudding) @KarahiBoys

We were so delighted to have tried Pakistani cuisine! We will definitely be back with the girls!

Another treat we discovered in Ajax was Kunafa’s. I had not heard of kunafa before but as I was looking for a treat to bring home to the fam, I chanced upon Kunafa’s, tucked away in one of the shopping complexes in Ajax.

Kunafa, which can also be searched up online as kanafeh, kunafeh or knafeh, is a Middle Eastern cheese and dough pastry drizzled in a sugar-based syrup and topped with pistachios. They had Crispy Kunafa (topped with crispy shredded phyllo)

Crispy Kunafa @Kunafa's

and the Kunafa Nabulsi (the original, traditional kunafa). We tried it first to decide which one to get and as we bit into the warm, gooey cheese pastry, we decided we had to get both. It was just melt-in-your-mouth creamy and the cheesy goodness had just the right sweetness. Alternating the crispy one and the original one was even better!

Kunafa Nabulsi @Kunafa's

We also got their Pistachio and Hazelnut baklava. Grandma and Hubby claimed it was the best baklava they had. I agree, but only outside of the one we had in Mykonos. DD#2 prefers those made by the Greek Orthodox Sisters in Stouffville.

Pistachio and Hazelnut Baklava @Kunafa's

Baklava cups @Kunafa's

There were many other places to discover in Ajax. Cannot wait for our next trip to check out what other goodies they had instore!

Trying out Georgian cuisine at Suliko

2024-11-29T16:30:00.002-05:00

Hachapuri/Khachapuri Adjarsky @Suliko

The fam is always on a quest to try something new—especially a new cuisine. We’ve never had Georgian before so for one of our celebrations, we decided to give it a try.

I will share with you what we had, in reverse order. This is because the dishes we had to share as appetizers were the best among everything we’ve had. And, when we return, these are what we will definitely order again.

The girls and I had Chanahi, lamb stew with potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and herbs. It was served steaming in a crock pot, inviting us to soak in this hearty, comfort food. The stew hit my insides like a warm embrace that had been simmering for hours and hours. It was delicious, but I preferred Hubby’s Lamb Shish Kebab.

Chanahi (lamb stew) @Suliko

The Lamb Shish kebab came with hubby’s choice of rice and pita (not pictured). It was beautifully cooked. It was nicely marinated and so tender, a delight for any meat-lover.

Lamb Shish Kebab @Suliko

Grandma had an equally nice dish of Baked Trout which came packed with herbs, tomatoes and onions. It was light, flaky and very flavourful.

Baked trout @Suliko

Now the stars of this show were our appetizers. We shared Khinkali with pork and beef. The almost fist-sized dumpling was filled with spiced meat and had broth in it, much like the Xiaolongbao soup dumpling. It was a delight to eat, though we had yet to figure out how to enjoy the broth as we couldn’t pop the whole dumpling in our mouth. Suliko has 5 different types of Khinkali so we will get to try the other ones next time.

Khinkali (Georgian dumplings) @Suliko

Our favourite was the Hachapuri (some call it Khachapuri) Adjarsky. The traditional Georgian boat-shaped bread was filled with melted cheese and topped with half-cooked egg and butter. Our server suggested we swirl around the butter and egg before digging in. It was heavenly. Each bite oozed with runny, stringy cheese and the delicious bread was the perfect vessel. The creamy saltiness burst in our mouths and we wondered where this has been all our lives. Why were we just discovering this now?

Hachapuri/Khachapuri Adjarsky @Suliko

Georgian cuisine has now been added to the list of cuisines we really enjoy. We will be on the look out for other Georgian restaurants now!

Premium Donburi at Hana Don

2024-11-15T16:30:00.002-05:00

Tsukiji Don @Hana Don

Celebrating an award for DD#1, we went to Hana Don for a late lunch. We went to the Markham location and at 2pm, the place still had a good number of customers.

Grandma got Fried Shrimp set served with tartar sauce. The presentation was lovely, but not really extraordinary. Shrimp tempura might have been better with panko crumbs.

Fried Shrimp Set @Hana Don

Hubby got a Salmon Avocado Don which is pretty much like poke. The diced salmon and avocado were fresh and the rice was light and fluffy.

Salmon Avocado Don @Hana Don

DD#2 got a Gyu Don which was really yummy. The sliced beef and onion were cooked in a very tasty special sauce. This is something I will definitely try to order next time.

Gyu Don @Hana Don

DD#1 and I both got a Tsukiji Don, the only one which didn’t have a lunch option. What can I say, we felt like celebrating. The dish had salmon, scallop, white fish, yellowtail, squid and roe. The ingredients were fresh and the sushi rice was premium quality.

Tsukiji Don @Hana Don

They had so many other Donburi to choose from, and even some you can customize. Service was polite and prompt. We will definitely be back!

Best Tom Yum and Seafood heaven at Jiyu Hotpot

2024-10-25T16:30:00.000-04:00

Meal combo @Jiyu Hotpot

When I found out there was a Thai hotpot place in Markham, I immediately marked it as a destination for our next family celebratory meal. It turned out to be a great choice as the food itself was definitely something to celebrate!

Now, our family loves Tom Yum soup. However, in Canada, we have not really found Tom Yum similar to what we enjoyed in Thailand. The ones we had here were either too sweet or too sour. The Tom Yum broth at Jiyu was the best we have had here! We loved it so much, we all estimated we took in a liter each, just of the broth! It certainly hit the spot with just the right blend of spicy, sour and just the right spot of sweet. Ten thumbs up from us!

Abalone on Tom Yum broth @Jiyu Hotpot

We ordered a Meal for 3 combo and a Vancouver Curry Crab to share. Maybe we had all been eating too much these days but the Meal for 3 was just enough for 5 of us. We just brought home the 1-lb Curry crab as we were already too full. The curry was good, though it was more of the Japanese-type sweet curry instead of the Thai curry I would expect. And well, what is not to like about crab? Yummy!

Vancouver Curry Crab @Jiyu Hotpot

Anyway, the Meal for 3 came with shrimp, abalone, snakehead fish, mussels, scallops, octopus, basa fillets, baby cuttlefish, squid, shrimp paste (not bagoong but more of almost pureed shrimp), crabmeat sticks, sliced beef, crown scallops, swimming crab, bamboo mushroom with shrimp and a combo of veggies (napa cabbage, mushroom, spinach, taro).

Meal combo @Jiyu Hotpot

The presentation was just so delightful, a feast of the eyes! It was almost a shame to remove the food from the display so that we can cook them. Our server helped cook some of the items, which took 1-2 minutes each type/batch. The food was just delicious and the seafood was fresh–we know since we saw crab tanks near the kitchen. We were in seafood heaven. While there was an array of sauces at the counter, we were quite content to just have the seafood with the Tom Yum broth. We did partake of the shrimp crackers and edamame on the side, which we could get to our hearts’ content.

Meal combo @Jiyu Hotpot

Our meal also came with onion rings and fried rice, and as well, All You Can Eat dessert. They had a nice selection of mini cakes (such as mango, tiramisu), grass jelly, pudding, fruits and even soft serve ice cream. It was not the cheapest of meals but it was worth it for us as we were quite full and very happy. Both the quality of the food and the service were very good. I will try my darndest not to crave their Tom Yum soup. I just hope I last until the next occasion to celebrate.

All you can eat dessert @Jiyu Hotpot

MAMMA MIA !! our 10km hike from Fira to Oia, Santorini

2024-10-04T16:30:00.004-04:00

Fira to Oia Hike

Before I start, let me clarify that I quote Mamma Mia as an expression of our experience, not because it was set in Santorini. The movie was set in another island, Skopelos.

Santorini was majestic and beautiful. We got to appreciate its beauty through our 10-km hike, a true challenge to this mamma.

By the time we got to Santorini and the start of our hike from Fira to Oia, we had already clocked in way over a hundred thousand steps over the previous days. We had hiked to the top of the Acropolis, Cynthos, got lost in the streets of Fira and even hiked to the beautiful Heart of Santorini. We were feeling tired. Ok, so now that I’ve got that disclaimer out…it took us 5 hours to complete the average 3 hour hike. Well, we were strolling and taking lots of photos—this was what we kept saying, every time another group of hikers overtook us on the trail.

Fira

Anyway, we were aiming to catch the sunset at Oia and I wanted some time to go around Oia so we started at about noon, at the height of the heat. But as it was so windy, we did not feel sticky nor did we overheat, even if we wore long-sleeved shirts to protect us from the sun. It was the best hike we had ever taken. It was not the most difficult, but it was definitely challenging, with the trail changing from cobbled path to paved roads and then gravel and stone.

gravel path on Fira to Oia hike

we have to go through that?!

trails at Fira to Oia hike

There was hardly any shade, which was a challenge in the noon-day heat. It was also hard for me to keep my hat on because it was very windy. There was enough signage to make sure you were going in the right direction and the views were just amazing. Anywhere you point your camera, it was just beautiful. Walking through the hotels along the caldera and passing many, many churches on the trail was just something we would not normally have on any hike. We passed by the beautiful towns of Firostefani and Imerovigli.

boutique hotels @Imerogivli

We skipped (and thankfully we did) the side hike to Skaros Rock which would take us an extra hour (so they say. This would probably take us two, with our pace).

Skaros Rock

We got to Oia at 5pm, tired and not finding any public washrooms. The one we did find was closed. So, we couldn’t drink so much as well. We had planned to have dinner back in Fira (taking the bus back) after watching the sunset. In hindsight, we should have just eaten in one of the pricey restaurants, used the WC and watched the sunset relaxingly. The most popular place to view the sunset was…well… popular. It was so crowded, we really didn’t want to squeeze in. There were a couple of cruise ships that I saw docked so that didn’t help with the crowds. If you had the time or inclination, you can also book a catamaran sunset cruise. And while it was a great experience, we wished we could have enjoyed the destination as much as the journey. Our feet were not happy (nor were our bladders) but all in all, it was an experience I would not trade off. The journey was very memorable and the sunset was gorgeous.

Oia

Sunset @Oia