[Toronto] Cafe Bar Pasta

Location Review
1588 Dundas St W
Toronto, Ontario
(416)534-4794
Website


Cafe Bar Pasta (@Cafebarpasta) is located just at Dundas and dufferin, in a welcoming little space. Just as the name would lead you to believe, their modus operandi are coffees, pastas, and drinks. Luckily for me, I got to experience all three at a media preview dinner!

Passed around before dinner were sample offerings of on-menu appetizers. The Two Tartar consisting of an Ostrich and Seabream tartar were particularly memorable.

Tuna Tataki - grapefruit chilli marinade, lemon aoili

Two Tartar - citrus, frisee, puffed caper ostrich, grainy mustard, toasted walnut, wild boar crisp

[Richmond Hill] Jim Chai Kee

Location Review:
270 W Beaver Creek Road
Richmond Hill, ON
L4B 3Y9


Well hidden in a strip plaza on Highway 7 is somewhat of a gem when it comes to wonton noodles. And that's a great thing because I love wonton noodles. So much that it's kind of comfort food for me. And this place just gets it. I have yet to find a place in the GTA with comparability in terms food consistency and speed. I always leave happy and satisfied!

[Toronto] Kinton Ramen

Location Review
51 Baldwin Street
Toronto, Ontario



I can't remember the last time I was so excited about a restaurant opening. Oh wait, I do. It was for Guu Izakya, still one of my favourite izakaya's in Toronto. Now enter  Kinton Ramen (@KintonRamen). Being run by the same people who brought us Guu Izakya (@GuuToronto) and Guu Sakebar, naturally I was euphoric as I counted down the days to their official opening on May 18.

To be quite honest, I had no idea what to expect. With the astounding amount of Japanese restaurants in Toronto and the GTA, there is still a less than sufficient number of impressive ramen establishments. Was Kinton going to revolutionize ramen in Toronto as we know it? I didn't have a clue. I did however, anticipate two things : 1) the line ups outside would be insane, and 2) it would be a rowdy crowd on the inside.

[Japan] Lunch @ Venus Fort Food Court

Location Review:
Venus Fort
1 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan


As part of our tourist itinerary, we visited the beautiful Tokyo Bay located on the southern region of Tokyo. The area is a collective of many islands, all of which are man-made with the except of one. These islands serve as a home for military bases, landfills, Haneda international airport, and tourism.  Because Rob wanted to see the Toyota MegaWeb showroom (part of Venus Fort mall) , we ended up going to Odaiba, which seems to be the most tourist friendly out of all the islands. It has a private light rail (Yurikamome rapid transit line) connecting various tourist attractions including the MegaWeb Toyota Showcase, Rainbow Bridge, Tokyo Big Sight Exhibition Centre, Fuji Television Studios, Aqua City Mall, and  the Statue of Liberty replica, among many others.We spent the entire day here, and was probably my favourite day in Tokyo.

[Taiwan] Taiwanese Beef Noodles @ 建宏牛肉麵

Location Review:
Wan Hua District, No. 45-6 Luo Yang Street
台北市萬華區洛陽街45-6號







I've always thought that noodles are one of the most cultured items in Chinese cuisine. Most noodles being made from similar ingredients, it's mind blowing how different geographical regions and cultures can put their own spin and preparation techniques to transform it into a different eatting experience. It can be boiled, steamed, fried, deep fried, pulled, knife sliced, the list goes on.

In Taiwan, noodle soup is very popular, and it is commonly paired with braised beef brisket.

Lucky for me, I stayed in an area where there was an entire street of beef noodle soup spots close by. Luo Yang Street is filled with noodle vendors cart, and beside it are portable tables and chairs to eat at.

[Hong Kong] Street Style Noodles @ 川婆婆串串香

Location Review
Shop G20, GI MAIl, 34 Granville Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
尖沙咀加連威老道34號GI Mall G20號舖

One of the great things about Hong Kong, is that there is literally food everywhere. One day when I was shopping with some girlfriends, amidst all the "exercise" we were getting, we grew hungry and decided to go on a street food hunt. We had a couple of snacks, before stumbling on a tiny store selling cart style noodles.