Proof that the world is getting worse ...

Who would think of something like this? Who would be so sick???

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/842157--spiked-plank-found-in-cherry-beach-off-leash-area

Proof that the world is getting better ... !

"Experts" are recommending that salt content should be shown on menus. FINALLY!! Someone else in the world who cares about sodium! This is definitely a step in the right direction ...

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/dietfitness/article/841712--show-salt-content-on-menus-experts-say?bn=1

Proof that the world is getting worse ...

An immigration judge bribes a claimant for sex in exchange for a favourable decision. Kudos to the woman who bravely brought this jerk to his knees. I hope this guy rots in jail.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/841675--immigration-judge-sentenced-to-jail-after-trying-to-bribe-refugee-claimant-for-sex?bn=1

The bf and I hit up the beach today. It was an absolutely gorgeous day out. The sun was out, a few clouds in the sky, and there was a light breeze. The beach wasn't packed and there lots of happy people out.

We sat on the rocks for a while and chatted. I could sit there all day long and still have a wonderful time. Looking out into the beautiful lake, it's one of those images you could think of when you're at work and looking at the window and wish you were at.

Being with him at the beach made my day. Thanks hun :)

Foodie Blog: Super Sushi House

Super Sushi House
1891 Kennedy Rd
Scarborough, Ontario
Cuisine(s): Sushi, Bento Boxes
Date visited: July 2010

So yesterday we were supposed to go to our usual sushi dig, Ama Sushi (AYCE), but we were still full from lunch and decided to hit up something new. I've seen this place dozens of times seen good reviews about it. Here's our (my) take on it:

Food: 3/5
For all sushi restaurants, the key, absolute key, is the spicy salmon roll. We ordered spicy salmon and hamachi (yellow tail) maki, red dragon and edamame. The edamame was nice and crunchy with some salt to boot (we forgot to ask for it sans-salt, as we find it tasting just as good). The price for the "simple" maki's were quite cheap, so I had my suspicion that the outer part would simply be the seaweed, and not another layer of rice. Yup, I was right. The "spicy salmon" was disappointing - not spicy at all, and the rolls weren't very big (well, for the price I guess it's what you'd expect). Hamachi was alright. The only good thing was the red dragon roll. In fact, it was really good. The salmon, avocado and tobiko on the cali rolls were very generous and it was really good.

Service: 3/5
Service here was good to start. The fellow was quick to take our order, he said "you're welcome" to every "thank you", and topped our tea frequently. The woman however, lacked any kind of enthusiasm. No smiling, very robotic. As our meal progressed, it took more than 5 minutes to get anyone to recognize our attention-seeking gazes so we could order another roll. The place is quite small and all tables visible so it's not like they couldn't see us. They didn't come back to check up on us after food was served nor did they come top off our tea. We were hoping to get a scoop of green tea ice cream, but the kicker was that the woman brought us the bill without us asking and when I asked if we could just get it added to the bill, she did not understand. How hard is it? The bf's mood was spoiled and he said to forget it, so we paid and left. As we were leaving, she looked up from the cashier and without a smile said "thank you". Do you really take it as a "thank you" if it's robotic without any emotion?

Atmosphere: 3.5/5
The restaurant sits on the corner of a busy plaza at a busy intersection. From the outside it looks a bit sketchy but when you enter it looks like a decent japanese restaurant. There weren't too many tables (maybe 10?) to generally seat 2 or 4 people. It looked clean (enough), and decor was average. You could see the people preparing the sushi which is always kinda nice. Didn't hit up the washrooms.

Price/Value: 4.5/5
This place was quite cheap compared to some of the places we've eaten at. The "simple" maki (6) rolls ranged from 2.99 to 3.99 but they're quite small. The "special" ones like red dragon and soft shell crab came in 8 and were about $8. However, there was a lack of selection for the "special" ones. The menu offers bento boxes for an extremely low price - ~$10 for soup, salad, salmon/beef/chicken teriyaki, rice, 6 cali rolls and dessert (there might be another item in the deal). Even the "dine-in special" looked like a good deal - for $14.50 you get up to 27 (pre-selected) pieces of sashimi and rolls (some specials include hand rolls). In total we paid like $32 for edamame, "spicy salmon" maki, hamachi maki and 2 orders of red dragon. Not a bad deal.

Overall dining experience: 3/5
For us, the food wasn't that great and the service was the clincher. Had the spicy salmon rolls actually been spicy and a bit bigger of a portion (I don't mind paying more for bigger rolls, but I guess that's how they roll here), and had the lady server been nicer/more attentive/smiling, then we would have enjoyed it more. Despite the cheap price, I don't think we'll return.

I was watching Food Network just now and there's a show called The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Chocolate, and the guests talk about the best chocolate things they've ever eaten. One of them described a creme brulee chocolate at a little chocolatier shop in New York.

Oh good heavenly mercy. Creme brulee. And chocolate. Put together.

I must go back to New York.

Kee's Chocolates
http://www.keeschocolates.com
Their macaroons look quite delicious too :)

I went jogging outside this morning .. it was absolutely gorgeous out :)

Quote ...

"I don't think anyone ever gets over anything in life. They merely get used to it."

-Roger
The Gum Thief [Douglas Coupland]

Proof that the world is getting worse ...

An elderly woman is charged with putting sewing needles in sausages. You have to be severly deranged to do such a malicious thing ...

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/834413--elderly-woman-arrested-for-tampering-with-sausages

Foodie Blog: Saravanaa Bhavan

Saravanaa Bhavan
1571 Sandhurst Circle, Unit 153
Scarborough, Ontario
Cuisine(s): Vegetarian, Southern Indian
Date visited: May 2010
http://www.saravanaabhavan.ca

For the bf's birthday, his sister and bro-in-law wanted to take him to out to dinner. I was invited, so trying out South Indian was something new than the usual "Indian" food

Food: 4/5
I like to try vegetarian food. I'm not always craving meat so this was a nice change of pace. I had no idea what dosa's are until that day. We ordered 2 dosa's (masala and something else), a stuffed paratha (or maybe it was a utthappam?), and two marriages made in heaven, paneer biryani!! (oh, how I love paneer). When the dosa's arrived, I didn't expect it to be such a giant serving. It looked like giant edible construction paper folded up with little curries/sauces on the indented dishes. They were very good! My paneer biryani was delicious (but very spicy). We ordered a few mango lassi's and they were quite well done too - nice and thick, tasting the yogurt.

Service: 3.5/5
Service here was good. It wasn't extraordinary but it was good - the waiters/waitresses came by promptly to take our order, to top off our water, to give us more napkins.

Atmosphere: 4/5
The restaurant sits in a plaza, and one side is completely glass. It's got a very nice view outside (of the parking lot), but the openness of it gives it a nice feel. The decor was nice and simple, and the tables and atmosphere felt very clean. Because everything is eaten with your hands (and the food is very hot!), they have conveniently placed a hand washing station in the corner. It consists of two small sinks with nice faucets, soap and paper towels. Very simple and well designed and placed.

Price/Value: 4/5
This was a decently priced restaurant, with mains going at around $8-$13. They offer a great variety of dishes, and take-out options are available.

Overall dining experience: 4/5
I enjoyed eating at this restaurant. The openness and cleanliness of the place instantly gives you a relaxed feeling, and you might spend up to 10 minutes looking at the menu as I did, debating on all the choices (many of the menu items were new to me, that's probably why). The hand-washing station was a nice and smart touch to the dining area. The food was great and I think I'd return for another visit!

Quote ..

Shiva jumped up to the board, uninvited, and wrote: 10,213,223.

"This number is the only number that describes itself when you read it. 'One zero, two ones, three twos, and two threes!"

- Shiva Praise Stone
Cutting for Stone [Abraham Verghese]