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]

Do you want to share your dreams
See a different side of me
You're everything I need

There is no one like you
And in a world of black and white
You are the only one in colour

There is no one like you
Into history I slide
I want you to keep it all uncovered
You are the only one in colour

Foodie Blog: Vegetarian Haven

Vegetarian Haven
17 Baldwin St
Toronto, Ontario
Cuisine(s): Vegetarian
Date visited: May 2010
http://www.vegetarianhaven.com

For my birthday, I wanted to try something different .. something healthy .. something vegetarian? Sure, why not! I dragged the bf and Ewie here (Peter couldn't make it).

Food: 2.5-3/5
I was excited to try the tofu drumsticks .. they looked really good on the menu and actually tasted pretty good. For mains, I ordered Mushroom Tofu in clay pot; bf ordered sizzling seitan in black pepper sauce; Ewie ordered Singapore pad thai I think. My food was very good .. I really liked the mushrooms and tofu and the rice and sauce were good. Unfortunately, that was all that we found good. Bf's "meat" didn't taste as good as the sampler looked - I think it was the texture that really threw me off .. I couldn't stomach more than a few bites of it; I don't know how he ate 3/4 of it! Ewie's noodles were really heavily spiced with .. spice? I can't remember what exactly it was but it gave a really strong unpleasant taste to the noodles - she didn't finish it either.

Service: 4.5/5
The service here was fab. The waiters/waitresses were very jubilant and happy to point out suggestions and cater to questions. They were there to to off water. I think the main difference you'll find is that they actually enjoy serving people vegetarian food. I don't remember the bathrooms but from what I do remember is that it was clean (there's a small little lip of a curb that I tripped over, tho).

Atmosphere: 4/5
I think the clientele here is different than what you might find at a regular chain restaurant. It's a long cozy corridor with tables tightly packed. You hear light chatter from all around but it's not overwhelmingly loud or pitch quiet. The decor was quite simple and nice.

Price/Value: 3.5/5
Most people expect that meat-less food would cost less, but not so here! Prices range at around $9-$13 for a main. However, I didn't expect $6 meals either .. I think it's actually decently priced for organic, meat-less meals with a twist.

Overall dining experience: 3.5/5
I think the biggest thing here was the fact that we didn't find the food very appetizing. My vegetarian coworker really likes this place, and my friends being quiet carnivorous didn't find the food very tasty. Food aside, the service was very good as was the decor. The great thing about this place is that you don't find "normal" vegetarian options on the menu - most of the things on the menu are things I've never heard of, and that's what drew me to this place. It wasn't just "veggie burger", or "salad", but meals with an exotic twist. I don't think we'd return, but if you're a vegetarian, I would suggest this restaurant.

Foodie Blog: Tandoori House

Tandoori House
4862 Yonge St
North York, Ontario
Cuisine(s): Indian
Date visited: June 2010
http://www.tandoorihouse.ca

So one day Dile found a deal on teamclick - $15 for $40 of food at Tandoori House. Being the Indian food nuts that we are, 5 of us went to scarf down some Indian food.

Food: 4/5
For starters, we got veggie pakoras. One order was only 4 so we got 2 orders. Expecting spiky little fritters, I was a bit surprised when the pakoras came. They looked more like pancakes. After one taste, it didn't matter what they looked like - they were pretty good! And not very greasy, to add. A few of us got mango lassi's - also very good. It was a bit thick and you could taste the yogurt - yummy! For entrees we got lamb palak (very flavourful), mutter paneer (mmm paneer), shrimp vindaloo (whooo it's got some heat), butter chicken (classic) and .. some other chicken dish lol. The rice and naan were good too.

Service: 3.5/5
Service was good. The woman tending to us at the beginning was nice - she was prompt to check on us with our orders, topping off our water and what not. It wasn't out of this world service but it was good enough so that you didn't have to keep beckoning them.

Atmosphere: 2.5/5
The decor at this place is kind of drab. The tables are spacious so that you're not bumping elbows and chairs like you might find at Little India. But the wallpaper and booth cloth fabric looks very outdated and generally old. Five seconds into my visit into the bathroom and I was dying to get out. Out of two stalls, only one had a working lock. It was a very cramped space, with the toilets looking rather old, yellow and stained. Fortunately there was warm water, soap and paper towels (although, still on the roll just sitting on the counter). At least the upstairs was better than the washrooms.

Price/Value: 4/5
It was very average-priced at this restaurant; around $10-13 for a main and rice/naan being a few dollars. I guess the main reason it seemed quite good was because of our teamclick coupon. We ended up paying $16 per person with tax/tips included. Had we not had it, it probably would have came up to around $26. At the end of the dinner, we had 4 dishes and some rice to pack home!

Overall dining experience: 3.5/5
It probably depends from person to person, but Indian food tastes mostly the same to me. I've had so much paneer that it tastes the same everywhere, as does the butter chicken, naan and basmati rice. I like trying new places and this place was good. I should stress that it wouldn't be my first choice .. but I'd be willing to come back.

Venting

I cried in the shower today. I was completely emo all of a sudden and I can't figure out why.

I was hoping to take Dad to FS today to look at tv's. Here's our conversation from this morning:
Me: "Hey Dad, you want to go to Future Shop?"
Dad: "For what"
Me: "To .. go look at electronics"
Dad: "[pause] No."

I fail to understand why he is so reserved, so unwilling. I stalked out of the kitchen, keeping my anger to myself, my fists balled up. The second my feet hit the shower floor, I cried. I don't think it's just that .. I'm used to lack of interest from him, the silence when I say I'm going out with my "friend" (read: boyfriend).

Last nite I went to a wedding reception. The bf was one of the groomsman and the reception was wonderful. Keeping tradition, the single ladies were called up to catch the bouquet. Some idiot (read: the emcee) called my name out and I hauled myself to the back of the mob jockeying for position. Don't get me wrong - eventually I'd like to get married and pop out some kids, but not right now. I looked up at the bf who was sitting at the head table and he was mouthing "noooo" and waving his hands as if to say "don't you dare catch it!". I smiled and stood at the back with arms crossed as one of the bridesmaids caught the bouquet. Standing in the shower with my thoughts clouded and recalling the night's events, was he trying to say, "noo I don't want to marry you" or "noo I don't love you that much"? I know it's a silly thought but when tears are streaming down your face, you think of anything. I love him to death but doubt he has the courage to stand up to his parents and marry someone outside of his culture. I have already and faced the silent beatings. I don't want him to suffer through the misery I did for him, but at the same time I do because I hope he is willing to do the same for me.

I'd like to say it's in God's hands but since I'm not religious, it is in my hands. And I don't know what to do. All I know is that I love him.

Venting

My beef: Cars who blare their music so loud that your coffee is pitching waves in your travel mug.

We were at the gas station today filling up, when a loud thumping vibration gets closer and closer. I feel like I'm next to a speaker when a car rolls in about 20 yards away to pump his tires .. it is SO INCREDIBLY loud I swear it felt like a magnitude 4 from the vibrations alone (never mind the sound - that was worse). The bf is done pumping gas when the earthquake turns into a 7, and I find that the lame car has pulled up in front to fill up gas. I seriously want to shoot his speakers out (and then his tires, for good measure).

Foodie Blog: The Roti Hut

The Roti Hut
351 Pitfield Rd
Scarborough, Ontario
Cuisine(s): West Indian
Date visited: June 2010

We've been to Roti Hut before, and after finding out the place I wanted to go to was closed, we opted for something different than our usual Asian choices.

Food: 4/5
We ordered a goat roti and beef with rice (after standing in line for a good 5 minutes figuring out what was what). The portion was very generous - the rice covered the entire plate, with curry beef spilling out on top while the roti was a giant lump wrapped around goat meat sitting in the middle of the plate. Both meats were very tender (I thought I recalled once the beef was a bit chewy last time I came but I think my memory is failing me). The rice grains are larger than what I'm used to but were good; the roti was a good consistency, but I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more sauce in the roti lump as it was getting a bit dry at the end.

Service: 3.5/5
Service is hard to determine at this place. The layout of the restaurant is fashioned so that there's a "front" area where you can get in line to order your food at single counter, much like a fast food place. However, you can opt to dine in as there is a wonderful seating area. The only time you really deal with "service" is when you're ordering, and since most of the patrons opt for take-out, that's about it. But if you choose dine-in, you just grab a seat and they'll bring the food out to you. So there is little service interaction here .. the cashier looked a bit bored (well, that's kind of expected) but was nice.

Atmosphere: 5/5
I love the dine-in area. It's quite spacious, with maybe a dozen tables. It's very simple, with well chosen decor and furniture that goes very well together. The tables are nice, as are the chairs - cushioned and well fashioned - not cheap like you'd find at a diner or any other fast food place. All the tables are nice and clean with a simple (fake) flower pot in the middle. The tiles also give it a clean and "uppity" feel and match everything else (the blinds are nice too, I have to mention). There is a sink equipped with soap and paper towels right by the dining area, should you need to rinse your hands before or after your meal. The washrooms are single-use but are actually quite nice - you notice it again in the tiling and sink/faucet.

Price/Value: 4.5/5
For $7-$8, you get a pretty big portioned meal (add another buck if you want a drink). If you opt to sit down, you don't even have to tip because you're not being served! You get the benefit of a nice dining area and nice sinks to wash your hands! For lunch, some people might find this a bit pricey but there are cheaper options on the menu should you want something else. For dinner, I think you get a pretty good bang for your buck at under $10 a person.

Overall dining experience: 4/5
Although the roti was a bit dry at the end of my meal due to the lack of sauce/curry, everything else seemed to set a positive tone with this establishment, especially the decor to the bathrooms to the good food. Next time I'd like to try the paratha roti with channa :)

Foodie Blog: Sakura Sushi Japanese Restaurant

Sakura Sushi Japanese Restaurant
1550 Kingston Rd
Pickering, Ontario
Cuisine(s): Japanese, sushi
Date visited: June 2010

I like reading up on Restaurantica to find good eats. The problem is that a lot of "newbies" post reviews and you have to take those posts with a grain of salt because you don't know whether they're legit posters or people just boosting up the rating and reviews for the restaurant. A few people had posted about this place so we decided to try it out for lunch one weekend.

Food: 4.5/5
We ordered edamame for starters, and then spicy salmon roll, dragon roll and spider roll. We were given a small trio dish of appetizers before the edamame - and wow were they good! I don't remember what they all were but one was a warm dry noodle sample, and another might have been cabbage. Our edamame came piping hot along with our sushi (we were hoping the sushi would come a bit later so we could eat the hot edamame). The spicy salmon roll was good, as was the spider roll. The dragon roll was very good - you could taste the freshness of the sushi.

Service: 3.5/5
One of my biggest peeves at restaurants is if the waiter/waitress doesn't top off your water or tea. The waitress was very nice - smiling and always saying "you're welcome" to our "thank you"'s, but she didn't come back very often after the sushi was served. We ran out of tea quite quickly and had to beckon her a few times. I could hear the chef welcome regulars whenever they came in, and that's always nice to hear.

Atmosphere: 4/5
The restaurant was small but cozy. The door was propped open to circulate air and it was a tad warm. We were seated in a well endowed booth, and it had a very nice Japanese feel to it. Didn't get a chance to use the washroom.

Price/Value: 4/5
For dinner we usually order what we ordered here - an appetizer and 3 rolls. But it looks like our eyes were bigger than our stomachs, and it also turns out that their portion sizes are a little bigger! Usually spicy salmon rolls come in 6 and special rolls come in 8 or 10. But here, there were 8 spicy salmon rolls and I think up to 12 for the spider roll. Throw in the the free appetizer they gave us on top of the one we ordered and we found ourselves crawling at the end to finish all of it off. The spicy salmon rolls were a bit bigger than what I'm used to (and the "sauce" looked a bit strange) and the other rolls were of average size. Given all this, I think the price was very justified for the amount of food we got.

Overall dining experience: 4/5
Squished in the plaza, we almost didn't find this place. We were very pleased with the food and the quantity. The free appetizer they gave us were very much bonus points as it was free AND delicious. I think we'll definitely be returning to this place; I just hope that next time they top off our tea more often :)

Foodie Blog: Arkadia House

Arkadia House
2007 Eglinton Ave E
Scarborough, Ontario
Cuisine(s): Greek
Date visited: May 2010
http://www.arkadiahouse.com/

In the mood for Greek food somewhere in Scarborough, we wanted a nice sit down restaurant instead of fast food (although, Mr. Greek Express is decent as well). I've seen this restaurant a number times when traveling on Eglinton so we decided to try it out.

Food: 4.5/5
I ordered the lamb exohicko, which is lamb wrapped in a filo pastry. It came with vegetables and potatoes, as well as a greek salad to start. The bf ordered the chicken souvlaki dinner, which also came with vegetables and fries and a greek salad to start. My plate was huge! My plan was to finish half and take the other half home. As I neared halfway, I decided to eat a little more and a little more because it was delicious .. and by the time I hit 75% I didn't think it was worth to take it home! The vegetables were good too - I think they were just steamed, but it was crunchy and not soggy like Swiss Chalet's vegetables. The bf's plate was also good, although some of the souvlaki pieces were chewy. There was a very generous portion of meat and he was quite satisfied with it.

Service: 4/5
All of the servers in the restaurant were middle aged men dressed like waiters on a luxury cruise ship. He was courteous and friendly but I didn't get that nice open and loose vibe like you get at the Keg. Almost like it was too formal. He was prompt with our drinks and getting our order but service lagged a bit during our meal with topping off water.

Atmosphere: 4/5
That night, it poured. It didn't rain - it poured. Doing the 50m dash from the car to the restaurant will make a sprinter out of anyone and when we first set foot, I thought we were way out of place (we usually opt for casual dining places). This place looked quite formal, from the carpet to the tables, to the well dressed waiters and the clientele. I actually felt very out of place showing up in half soaked jeans and a sports jacket. However, I found the place a bit dim to my liking and a touch cold (but maybe that was because I was wet from the rain).

Price/Value: 4/5
Compared with all the Greek restaurants we've been to, we found the menus a tad pricier. Not by much tho, maybe 5-10% more? But with the food tasting quite good and the portion size being decent to a tad large, I think the price was justified (although, who ever wants to pay more for their meal?).

Overall dining experience: 4/5
I was quite pleased with the overall dining experience at Arkadia House. The menus were appealing and the atmosphere was generally nice. The waiter was courteous and the food was quite delicious. Although we wouldn't come here all the time for Greek food (because it's a little more expensive), we will definitely be back when we want a "finer" dining experience.

Foodie Blog: Pearl Harbourfront Chinese Restaurant

Pearl Harbourfront Chinese Restaurant
207 Queen's Quay West, Suite 200
Toronto, Ontario
Cuisine(s): Chinese
Date visited: sometime in 2009
http://www.pearlharbourfront.ca/

We visited this restaurant last year but I still have that sour taste in my mouth from the dining experience. Visiting my sister and her bf downtown in 2009, we thought we'd try something nice.

Food: 5/5
For an expensive restaurant, I expect good food. And the food was good. Excellent, I dare say. However, the dishes we ordered bordered on the small size so we had to order a number of dishes - I think we ended up getting 6 or 7 plates for the 4 of us. I don't quite remember what we had, but somewhere along the lines of sizzling beef, guylan vegetables, stir fry chicken and veggies. They were all nicely presented and delicious to eat.

Service: 2.5/5
We went on a Saturday night, and I expected the place to be packed - instead, it was quite empty. There were maybe a handful of tables occupied near the window and a large group of maybe 20 on the side. When they seated us, we were sitting right beside the group of 20. As you can expect with a large group, they were loud and quite boisterous. Tell me WHY you would sit a small group away from your other quiet patrons beside a large loud group? There are PLENTY of tables all over the place. After about 10 minutes of sitting there listening to people try to yell across the table, we asked the waiter to be moved. He did not look pleased but honoured our request. The head waitresses posed a snobbish attitude and the waiters seemed disinterested when taking our orders, but they were all quick to our table when our hands went up.

Atmosphere: 4/5
Overlooking Lake Ontario, the restaurant does have a nice view. We visited at the dinner hour in the winter time so we didn't get any view but I can imagine it looks quite nice during the day. The restaurant is nicely decorated, with elegant tables, chairs and the like.

Price/Value: 2.5/5
As I mentioned before, the portions for each dish were quite small. Whenever I go to a Chinese restaurant with my family, 4 dishes and some rice and fill us up pretty good for a decent price. The dish portions here were on the small side, and at around $15 a plate, it adds up quite quickly. You can get quite decent Chinese food for a decent price, and this was not decently priced. Dare I say it was gouging?? I think we ended up forking over almost $35 a person for 4 people (2 averaged sized guys, 2 smaller gals). I was not completely full when I left.

Overall dining experience: 2.5/5
After we were re-seated, and the rude attitude from all of the staff, I was already itching to leave before we had even ordered. The food was delicious but the service was the clincher in this one. The cost is also a big factor as it was quite expensive for a decent sized meal. This is the first and last time I'll be returning to this restaurant.