tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43328203533133578072024-03-16T14:52:44.413-04:00Tea for Two SistersBecause food tastes better when you shareLucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06698421526670700242noreply@blogger.comBlogger573125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-89126701117626705292015-12-17T14:46:00.000-05:002015-12-17T14:56:53.889-05:0020150712 Toronto Trip: Messini & Chatime<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/19016282814/in/album-72157657770640846/" nbsp="" title="IMG_20150712_143259"><img alt="IMG_20150712_143259" height="500" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/542/19016282814_2346a46c4c.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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We had <a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2015/12/20150712-toronto-trip-pho-dau-bo.html">brunch earlier</a> at Pho Dau Bo. Andrew and I had a free day, so we called our cousin, JT, and met her at Vaughan Mills. We browsed through a few stores and then made our way to Chatime.<br />
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There are so many choices! I went with the usual grass jelly roasted milk tea. Andrew wanted to try something new. Hilarity ensues. <br />
<a name='more'></a>This is pretty much what happened:<br />
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Andrew: Can I... uh.. get the malt milk tea?<br />
Lady: *indistinct question* ..?<br />
A: *looks up at menu again, then back to the lady* Yeah *slightly nodding*<br />
L: *looks up at A and mumbles something* ...with malt?<br />
A: Yes.<br />
L: What else do you want in it?<br />
A: Malt milk tea.<br />
L: Malt milk tea?<br />
A: Uh, what is it anyway? What's the drink like?<br />
L: It's like the Chinese dry cereal in the drink. Like Horlicks. You have to stir the drink before drinking it or else it all drops to the bottom of the cup.<br />
A: *Hesitates... glances back up to the huge menu* Okay.<br />
L: But what would you like in it?<br />
A: Malt... milk... tea?<br />
L: Usually people get it with something else.<br />
A: Oh, that's okay. I'll just get the drink.<br />
L: Okay. Is that it (for your order)?<br />
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JT and I were chuckling in the back at their conversation. The poor lady just couldn't find the right words to say and ask. She was trying to tell Andrew that people usually add the malt as a topping, like pearls or jelly, and that people rarely order just the malt milk tea. Her questions were confusing Andrew and it was great fun. We got our drinks, reminisced about our childhood, and then went to her apartment.<br />
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Fast forward to dinner. JT and M were up for anything and gave us the choice. Andrew was craving Greek, so we all began to search for options online. It took us longer than we'd like to admit, but we eventually all agreed on <a href="http://www.messini.ca/">Messini</a> up by Yonge and Eglington.<br />
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We quickly browsed through their menu, ordered and paid at the front and then grabbed a table.<br />
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Loaded with feta cheese, the salad contained plump tomatoes, cucumbers, black olives and was dressed with some olive oil. No lettuce, no peppers, and no "Greek dressing". Just rustic chunky veg with cheese.<br />
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This was the huge chicken gyros dinner plate that JT and I shared. We weren't that hungry, but M was and got a platter to himself. Oh my. There was an abundance of food. We actually had enough leftovers to pack a takeout container. Easy lunch for the next day.<br />
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Andrew got their gyro with a greek salad on the side. He barely managed to finish it.<br />
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Someone ordered the spanakopita for the table, but since we underestimated Messini's portions, JT just packed this up too. We walked out of the restaurant happily stuffed. What a fantastic dinner choice.<br />
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~*~<br />
Chatime<br />
3175 Rutherford Road<br />
Vaughan, ON<br />
905-553-7999<br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/toronto/chatime-vaughan-gta" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Chatime, Vaughan and other Restaurants in Toronto"><img alt="Chatime Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16541251/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Messini<br />
2311 Yonge Street<br />
Toronto, ON<br />
416-483-5555<br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/toronto/messini-yonge-eglinton" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Messini, Yonge & Eglinton and other Restaurants in Toronto"><img alt="Messini Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/8911094/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-36607956342861367512015-12-06T15:30:00.000-05:002015-12-06T15:30:00.684-05:0020150712 Toronto Trip: Pho Dau Bo<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/19612624826" nbsp="" title="20150712_113814"><img alt="20150712_113814" height="500" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/374/19612624826_3e2cd037f0.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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The morning following my cousin, JS's wedding, my aunt and uncle took us to a pho place for brunch. During the car ride to the restaurant, my aunt told us that she had friends from Vaughn that would drive down to this restaurant, Pho Dau Bo, located in the same plaza as Long Hui Supermarket.<br />
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They had an impressive spread of Vietnamese dishes.<br />
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We ordered a few bowls of noodles. I had to go with their pho with beef balls. My aunt said that the restaurant makes them, so of course, we were interested. They reminded me of the beef balls that we used to get from Montreal. Their beef balls were tiny though.<br />
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The soup tasted just like our homemade pho. It was very comforting because it wasn't overly sweet with a punchy cinnamon flavour. The rice noodles that the restaurant used was more slippery and bouncy than we're used to. I'm disappointed that I forgot to ask what brand of noodles they used. Were they fresh rice noodles?<br />
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Dad had their mild bun bo hue and enjoyed it. He preferred another place because they didn't add enough lemongrass here.<br />
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Their noodles stood out to me. I can see why people like this over other pho places. Their local chain has expanded to many locations in the GTA.<br />
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~*~<br />
Pho Dau Bo<br />
2437 Finch Ave W<br />
North York, ON<br />
416-749-9943<br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/toronto/pho-dau-bo-north-york-gta" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Pho Dau Bo, North York and other Restaurants in Toronto"><img alt="Pho Dau Bo Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/8901988/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a> </div>
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Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-60520028381020308202015-12-03T16:30:00.000-05:002015-12-03T17:16:16.047-05:0020150711 Toronto Trip: Wedding and Bubble Tea<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/19425235260/in/album-72157655512126753/" nbsp="" title="IMG_20150711_121817"><img alt="IMG_20150711_121817" height="447" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/481/19425235260_0a73dc92ba.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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My cousin, JS, got married back in July. It was a gorgeous wedding! The morning began with the traditional Chinese ceremonies at the bride's family home. After the Chinese ceremony, we all had a quick lunch in the garage. My aunt had decided to get it catered by one of their favourite restaurants. There was rice noodles with beef, stir-fried Singaporean curry noodle, salt and pepper shrimp, and other dishes. We all had a quick bite to eat and then drove to the chapel. Once that was finished, we took a bunch of photos outside and inside.<br />
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At that point, the cousins and I were getting a bit hungry so we thought about going somewhere for bubble tea and a snack. The two choices were either go to a place called <a href="http://www.destinyasianfusion.ca/?page_id=31">Destiny</a> or go to Chatime and then head back to the house. KG chose Destiny since they made savoury food.<br />
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I was floored. Look at their <a href="http://www.destinyasianfusion.ca/?page_id=92">extensive menu</a>! It actually didn't take too long to order. Everyone already knew what they wanted.<br />
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Among the food that we ordered, the star had to be the plate of Popcorn Chicken ($6.99).<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/19613296085/in/album-72157655511861053/" nbsp="" title="IMG_20150711_154339"><img alt="IMG_20150711_154339" height="500" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/494/19613296085_d0518ec8b4.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
Oh, did I forget about all the bubble tea?<br />
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~*~<br />
Destiny<br />
165 York Blvd,<br />
Richmond Hill<br />
905-889-7899<br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/toronto/destiny-richmond-hill-gta" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Destiny, Richmond Hill and other Restaurants in Toronto"><img alt="Destiny Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/8905387/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-52386581781488795492015-11-30T16:05:00.001-05:002015-12-03T17:17:02.114-05:0020150710 Toronto Trip: Chinatown<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/19404657858/in/album-72157657813996462/" nbsp="" title="20150710_130003"><img alt="20150710_130003" height="500" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/393/19404657858_02b7698ca4.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
Our cousin, JS, got married back in July, so our family planned a trip to Toronto for a few days and then we were going to make our way up to <a href="http://www.ontarioparks.com/park/algonquin">Algonqiun Park</a> for another few days. While in Toronto, we'd have some free time so we wanted to enjoy it.<br />
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My personal favourite Chinese restaurant in Toronto's Chinatown is still the House of Gourmet. It has become a family favourite too. When we made the trip down to Toronto, we had a chance to dine at House of Gourmet for our first meal: lunch. I wanted to check out the murals on the side of the restaurant before going in. I wonder what the person in the yellow was talking about.<br />
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The next three pictures are from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_to_the_West">Journey to the West</a> story.<br />
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The restaurant was renovated a few years back. It's more welcoming for the easily intimidated. We went through the menu and thought about the different dishes we could order. I was very tempted to order <a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/search/label/My%20Noodles">my noodles</a> aka rice noodles with beef and vegetables (<a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.com/2010/03/lucys-toronto-vacation-day-1.html">with "mo' sauce"</a>), as it has been a while since I last had it there. I was going to order that or their shrimp wonton egg noodle soup. We decided we'll order a bunch of dishes that we don't normally get in Ottawa.<br />
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Mom wanted to get an order of the braised beef tendons, since it's her favourite item here. Super gelatinous and packed full of flavour, everyone swooned with each bite. It was so good that Mom was <i>raving</i> about it. "This is the best beef tendon. I only want this when we come here." What a statement from someone who rarely gives out compliments.<br />
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The shrimp wontons are large here. They're essentially plump juicy shrimp siu mai.</div>
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As a filler, we ordered their youtiao rice noodle rolls aka zhaliang. Dad also wanted to try out their fish on rice too. In the future, we won't get the fish since it wasn't anything special.</div>
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We walked off our lunch in Chinatown.<br />
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Then on our way back to the car, I grabbed a snack from a tiny place a few doors down from House of Gourmet.<br />
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This taiyaki was crispy on the outside and the batter mix wasn't too sweet. The red bean filling provided most of the sweetness. It hit the spot. We met back by the parking garage, packed into the car and did family stuff before retiring at my aunt and uncle's place.<br />
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~*~<br />
House of Gourmet<br />
484 Dundas St W<br />
Toronto, ON<br />
416-217-0167<br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/toronto/house-of-gourmet-kensington-chinatown" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about House of Gourmet, Kensington-Chinatown and other Restaurants in Toronto"><img alt="House of Gourmet Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/8910248/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a> </div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-26684316894360373822015-11-26T17:00:00.000-05:002015-12-03T16:38:31.557-05:00Noodles at Rice Pea<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/22681133923/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="The SG5 is growing on me. Just look at the photo of those noodles (N02)! #RicePea #Lunch #Hungry #Noodles #ChiliOil #NoodleHead #FoodPorn #Foodstagram #Instafood #SupportLocal #NoFilter #GoodEats #NoodlePorn #eeeeeats #Zomato #TasteOttawa #613eats #Ottawa"><img alt="The SG5 is growing on me. Just look at the photo of those noodles (N02)! #RicePea #Lunch #Hungry #Noodles #ChiliOil #NoodleHead #FoodPorn #Foodstagram #Instafood #SupportLocal #NoFilter #GoodEats #NoodlePorn #eeeeeats #Zomato #TasteOttawa #613eats #Ottawa" height="500" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5635/22681133923_7fc5311724.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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It was brought to my attention that we've only written about Rice Pea on just <a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2014/04/rice-pea-ottawas-hidden-gem.html">one other occasion</a>. The small restaurant hidden on Carling has joined our regular restaurant rotation. Our favourite dish from this northern Chinese restaurant has to be the noodles pictured above. It's listed as 'N02' on the menu. These house made noodles are chewy and tossed in a mix of chili oil, black vinegar, roughly chopped garlic, and some dried chili. I can eat a bowl by myself. Let me correct that statement to: I have eatten a bowl by myself -- it's that good.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/22681128613/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Steamed (housemade) noodles with chili sauce E01. #RicePeaNoodleFest #RicePea #Dinner #NoodleHead #NoodleFest #Noodles #TasteOttawa #613eats #OttawaEats"><img alt="Steamed (housemade) noodles with chili sauce E01. #RicePeaNoodleFest #RicePea #Dinner #NoodleHead #NoodleFest #Noodles #TasteOttawa #613eats #OttawaEats" height="500" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/727/22681128613_a8eb5f22f6.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/22681148113/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Here's the refreshingly cold dish of the steamed noodles in hot oil we had earlier. #NoodleHead #OttawaEats #613Eats #Noodles #NorthernChineseFood"><img alt="Here's the refreshingly cold dish of the steamed noodles in hot oil we had earlier. #NoodleHead #OttawaEats #613Eats #Noodles #NorthernChineseFood" height="500" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/582/22681148113_d599b9043d.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
If you prefer a cold version of this, you'll want to order the "steamed noodles with chili oil" (E01). There are cucumbers and blanched beansprouts in this dish, which makes it refreshing when you eat it on a hot day. And if you're a noodle head like our family, just order both of them so you don't have to choose between them.<br />
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Other dishes we order often are the pork wontons in soy chili sauce (A06) and the spicy BBQ lamb skewers (E03).<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/23012461840/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Braised pork sparerib noodle soup N03 & Pork dumpling (wontons) in soya chili sauce A06 #RicePeaNoodleFest #RicePea #Dinner #NoodleHead #NoodleFest #NoodleSoup #613eats #OttawaEats #iLoveSoup #iLoveNoodles"><img alt="Braised pork sparerib noodle soup N03 & Pork dumpling (wontons) in soya chili sauce A06 #RicePeaNoodleFest #RicePea #Dinner #NoodleHead #NoodleFest #NoodleSoup #613eats #OttawaEats #iLoveSoup #iLoveNoodles" height="500" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5771/23012461840_6368886bf5.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
It's best to dine at the restaurant with your friends and/or family. You'll get to try more things that way. On one occasion, we brought our cousin ST and enjoyed Rice Pea's pork belly cabbage stir-fry (P17) and this bowl of braised pork spareribs noodle soup (N03). Although there was nothing fantastic about the soup itself, it was comforting dish nonetheless. Other than our favourites, Rice Pea's Chinese dishes aren't spectacular, however, we keep returning because their food feels like we're at a friend's house for dinner.<br />
<br />~*~<br />
Rice Pea<br />
2280 Carling Ave<br />
Ottawa, ON<br />
613-828-8988<br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/ottawa/rice-pea-carlingwood" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Rice Pea, Carlingwood and other Restaurants in Ottawa"><img alt="Rice Pea Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16664182/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-87567027551765703242015-11-22T15:30:00.000-05:002015-11-22T15:30:01.758-05:00Japanese Beef Curry with Breaded Chicken<div>
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Need to whip up dinner in half an hour? Here's a quick meal you can make. Japanese curry with rice and breaded chicken, well, sort of.<br />
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Start off by making a pot of rice. Then take some frozen chicken burgers, which you might have in the freezer, and pop them into the oven. Now, peel and cut up some onions, carrots, and potatoes. Thought you had carrots and potatoes but can't find any? That's fine, just chop those onions. Great, now grab the Japanese curry roux cubes in your cupboard and open up half of it. Cool. Dissolve the curry roux into hot water and set aside. Your mise en place is done.<br />
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You can make your Japanese curry with just vegetables or you can add either cubed meat or ground meat. If you feel like adding meat, brown your meat in a pot with a bit of unflavoured oil. Add in your onions (and potatoes if you found some) into the pot before the meat is fully browned. Pour in the dissolved roux and bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Tidy up the mess you've made in the kitchen. Fluff the cooked rice. If you have carrots, add them into the pot of curry and cook until desired tenderness. The chicken burgers should be done. Take out the chicken burgers and slice. Now assemble and enjoy. That all made sense, right?</div>
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Badaboom, badabing!</div>
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Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-45282501223148855792015-11-20T19:10:00.000-05:002015-12-03T16:26:18.621-05:00Recipe: Homemade Coconut Snowballs<div>
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You've probably seen these in Chinese grocery stores or, if you're lucky, in pot lucks. These glutinous rice coconut snowballs can be filled with a variety of things like toasted ground peanuts, black sesame, sesame and sugar, or coconut and sugar. I've noticed that many cultures have a version of this. It's called nom plae ai in Cambodian, for instance; in Thai, it's kha nom tom; and banh bao chi in Vietnamese.<br />
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Here's the recipe Mom wrote down many years ago. She knew exactly what everything meant. I've seen her make this a few times so I'll try my best to break it down.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #93c47d;">Glutinous Rice Cake</span></u><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;">1 bag (400g) of glutinous rice flour</span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;">3/4 cup of sugar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d;">3-1/2 cups water</span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="color: #93c47d;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="color: #93c47d;">Ratio of Filling: </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;">2 Parts Toasted sesame, gently crushed</span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;">2 Parts Toasted medium desiccated coconut</span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;">1 Part Brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;">Pinch of salt</span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="color: #93c47d;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="color: #93c47d;">Fine desiccated coconut for the outside</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;">Small muffin cups</span><br />
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Stir the glutinous rice flour with the sugar in a microwaveable bowl. Mix in the water.<br />
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Now to cook this dough, you'll put the bowl on high for 6 minutes. Take it out and stir it. The contents will be really hot, so be careful.<br />
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After you've stirred it, put it back in the microwave for another 6 minutes. Once it's finished the second time, take it out again and stir it.<br />
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Now return it to the microwave and cook it one last time for 3 minutes. The glutinous rice dough is now finished. Take it out and stir it occasionally until the dough is warm.<br />
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To prepare the filling, toast the medium desiccated coconuts until lightly brown and fragrant. Do the same with the sesame seeds. Allow both the toasted coconut and sesame seeds to cool off. Then using a mortar and pestle, lightly crush the toasted sesame seeds to bring out the flavour and then add the sesame into a bowl. Alternatively, you can just use the back of a spoon to crush it in the bowl. Mix in the brown sugar with the sesame seeds, desiccated coconut and salt. Adjust to taste. Now in another bowl, add about half a cup of the fine desiccated coconut and set aside. The amount doesn't matter, because you'll probably need more.<br />
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Once the dough has cooled off, everything is ready to be assembled. Grab some cling film large enough to cover your hand. Using flavourless oil, add a bit and spread it on one side so that the sticky glutinous rice dough doesn't stick. Some people like using plastic disposable kitchen gloves, but we prefer the plastic wrap method.<br />
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You'll want to grab about a tablespoon of the cooked glutinous rice dough and then flatten it into a circle or oval. Add the filling into the middle. Then using the plastic wrap, seal the filling in and then form into a ball. Roll the ball in the fine coconut and then place into a muffin cup. Repeat until you're done.<br />
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Notes:<br />
- Since the ratio of the filling changes with our mood, we don't have exact measurements. The ratio is an approximation. But with everything that you cook, we recommend that you adjust it to your taste.<br />
- For the filling, you can also use toasted ground peanuts with brown sugar.<br />
- Do you prefer the dough to be sweeter? You can use 1 cup of sugar instead of only 3/4 cup.<br />
- If you want to make the snowballs smaller, like what we made at the top of this post, you can use a teaspoon of the glutinous rice dough instead of a tablespoon.<br />
- You can use the glutinous rice dough recipe to make Filipino palitaw<br />
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The fragrant filling, that our family loves, contains toasted coconut, toasted sesame seeds and brown sugar.</div>
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The dough will look similar to this after the first 6 minutes in the microwave.</div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>Time to assemble! I accidentally put this in the coconut before the filling. No prob. We were making small ones too, so we used a teaspoon instead of a tablespoon.<br />
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Step 1: Take about tablespoon of the cooked glutinous rice and flatten into an oval.<br />
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Step 2: Generously top the cooked glutinous rice oval.<br />
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Step 3: Seal the middle, seal the ends, then form into a ball.<br />
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Step 4: Roll the balls in finely shredded coconut. Mmm.. that's not a ball. </div>
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Step 5: Quality assurance. Aw, yeah!<br />
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There it is. Another rare recipe on the blog. If you do try out the recipe, please let us know how it turned out! What would your favourite filling be?Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-56487920663755076522015-10-17T18:15:00.000-04:002015-10-17T18:16:17.415-04:00Jack Astor's Lansdowne: Zomato Meetup<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/22241061962/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="IMG_20151015_1820"><img alt="IMG_20151015_1820" height="500" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/772/22241061962_234f299a22.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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Have you been to the redeveloped Lansdowne Park recently? Do you remember what it used to look like? My memories are a bit foggy. I vaguely remember going down for the SuperEx and going to 67's games. Gone are the empty lots. Now there are places like Whole Foods, Lindt Chocolate Shop, Winners, and Cineplex Cinemas. Among the new shiny establishments, Jack Astor's can be found by the Aberdeen Pavilion. Earlier this week, I had the privilege to be invited to the third Zomato Meetup in Ottawa.<br />
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Once we were all introduced to one another, we went on a brief tour around the restaurant. We learned that Jack Astor's has added more of a local feel at both their Lansdowne and Hunt Club location. At this specific location, they have coasters that feature local personalities, arena lights that used to light the old Civic Centre, pictures and memorabilia of Ottawa's sports history. Don't be shy to ask the staff if you're curious about the decor.<br />
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We finished the tour, sat back down at our table and began to dig in. The pic above is part of the menu for the night. For the full menu, head over <i><a href="http://jackastors.com/menu/">here</a></i> for their menu near you. They started us off with some tortilla chips and guac ($6.96). The garlic Jack's Pan Bread ($4.87) followed shortly after. While the warm fluffy carbs were nice, I found the garlic butter to be a tad too salty.<br />
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Long boards of vegetable ($7.14 for a short board) and chicken nachos ($9.44 for a short board) were quite the sight. Drizzled with lime juice at the table, every chip was loaded with yuzu avocado, mozzarella & feta, tomato, peppers, onions, iceberg lettuce and cilantro.<br />
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The mains arrived in rapid succession soon after. First up, the Smiling Buddha salad ($16.47): mixed greens, honey mustard dressing, grilled chicken, strawberries, quinoa, cucumber, goat cheese, spiced pecans. I really enjoyed all the textures of the salad. It was far from bland and boring. I couldn't get enough of the spiced pecans. I wish there was a huge bowl of it at the table.<br />
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Holy Smoke BBQ Burger ($12.32): Smoked bacon, American cheese, smoky BBQ sauce, crispy fried onions, pickled banana peppers, and hickory mayo. Smoky <span style="font-size: x-small;">(you don't say!)</span>, but not overhelming, this burger was a favourite at the table.<br />
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The Hold the Beef veggie burger ($10.42) was a hit with at least one person at our table. Personally, it felt like it was missing a few things. I'd pile on some fried onions at least.<br />
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If you're in the mood for something light for dinner, but don't want an awesome salad with those dreamy spiced pecans, you'd probably want to order the Tuna Avocado sandwich ($12.93). The sesame crusted ahi tuna, avocado, sliced tomato, and chipotle tomato made for a filling, but refreshing take on a sandwich.<br />
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The last of the mains that arrived were boards of chicken ($10.97) and beef tacos ($9.97). Now, I know that corn (maize) tortillas are authentic to Mexico and all, but I'm not a fan of the flavour of corn tortillas. Am I ever glad I tried these tacos. The soft corn tortillas, which are delivered about three times a week, had a surprisingly mild taste. Some people thought these were actually flour tortillas.<br />
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Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, the warm brownie stuffed chocolate chip cookie, named 'My Cookie Ate Your Brownie' ($3.24), capped off the evening with a sweet note.<br />
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Jack Astor's was a pleasant introduction to the dining options at the revitalized Lansdowne Park. It was nice to meet some local Zomato-ers (?) and bloggers. Special thanks to Ottawa's Zomato community manager, Sam, for organizing the event and, of course, Jack Astor's for having us.<br />
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Jack Astor's Lansdowne<br />
425 Ma<span style="font-family: inherit;">rch<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;">é Way</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;">Ottawa, ON</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;">613-565-4862</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="https://www.zomato.com/ottawa/jack-astors-1-the-glebe" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Jack Astor's, The Glebe and other Restaurants in Ottawa"><img alt="Jack Astor's Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17840864/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a> </span>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-60702737672267734582015-10-09T16:15:00.000-04:002015-10-15T16:15:15.874-04:00Sausage Flight From Adams SausagesOur family loved the<a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2015/01/kids-night-central-bierhaus.html"> sausage flight at</a> <a href="http://centralbierhaus.ca/">Central Bierhaus</a> so much that we tried to replicate it at home. I went online and tried searching for a local butchery that made German-style sausages. Most places made the basic italian and honey garlic sausages, but one stood out. <a href="http://www.adamssausages.com/">Adams Sausages</a> made European sausages. I knew I found the right place when I checked out their <a href="http://www.adamssausages.com/products/">list of sausage products</a>. Then I checked their address: 1437 Michael Street. Where the heck is that? I did a quick search. East end. Near the OC Transpo corporate office. Eh, let's do it.<br />
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Since we were attempting a Central Bierhaus-like evening, I felt like we needed soft pretzels so I whipped up a double batch of <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/homemade-soft-pretzels-recipe.html">Alton Brown's soft pretzels</a> before heading out to pick up the sausages.<br />
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Tucked in side street full of warehouses, we pulled up on Adams Sausages. When we got out of the car, we saw two different guys with huge bags headed to their car. It was Friday before the August long weekend so I assumed they were stocking up for the cottage.<br />
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We went straight to the back of the European-style grocery store and headed for their two large deli counters. I felt like a kid in a candy shop. Look at all the selection!<br />
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We picked up a few different kinds of European sausages, a jar of sauerkraut, and a bag of rolls.<br />
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Right beside the entrance, Adams Sausages serves sandwiches and bratwursts ($3.80 + tax) ready to be eaten on the go or on their patio. How tempting is this?<br />
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We headed home and got dinner ready. The sausages were cooked the way <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/05/grilled-bratwurst-with-beer-mustard-and-sauerkraut-recipe.html">The Food Lab suggested</a>. The sausages were precooked in a bath of sauerkraut, mustard, and beer before being finished on the grill. This method created a juicy and crisp snap to the sausages. It's more of a forgiving way to cook the sausages. There were five different sausages, from right to left: smokies from another company we had in the fridge, polish sausage, spicy chorizo, weisswurst, and German bratwurst.<br />
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Along with the freshly made homemade soft pretzels, cold German beer, and some baked potatoes, we feasted! Everyone was happy with the selection and, in particular, the cooked sauerkraut. Lucy and I both loved the weisswurst. The texture reminded us of Vietnamese white sausage (cha lua) and the flavour was milder. The spicy chorizo was a close second.<br />
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I realized that I gravitate towards family-style meals rather than casual dining. I tend to get bored of dinner if I have a plate of steak, potatoes, gravy, side of veggies. It gets monotonous after a few bites, whereas, you can keep your palate and taste buds excited when you're out for dim sum with a large group. With this sausage flight, there were a variety of flavours, from the mild weisswurst, garlicky bratwurst, and the punchy sauerkraut. This was such a treat!<br />
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Adams Sausages<br />
1437 Michael Street<br />
Ottawa, ON<br />
613-749-3336<br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/ottawa/adams-sausages-riverview" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Adam's Sausages, Riverview and other Restaurants in Ottawa"><img alt="Adam's Sausages Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16665301/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a><br />
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-43428995779575716932015-10-01T12:40:00.000-04:002015-10-15T15:56:09.902-04:00Banh Xeo: Do You Wrap or Mix<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/19121716461/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="IMG_20150623_214313"><img alt="IMG_20150623_214313" height="500" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/317/19121716461_fdf794a5e7.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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Banh xeo is a Vietnamese savoury pancake. We fill it with a meat mixture of ground pork or chicken, onions, toasted shredded coconut, soy sauce and fish sauce. Then we add blanched beansprouts before folding them over.<br />
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Since we grow our own thai basil, mint, and fish herbs, we usually eat banh xeo in the midst of a heatwave -- when the herbs grow like crazy. Now, depending on personal preferences, you either wrap the banh xeo in lettuce or chop/rip everything into a bowl and mix it up. Mom says it tastes better when you eat with your hands. I agree -- only in the summertime though. Where do you stand on your banh xeo?<br />
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Do you wrap it or mix it?Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-23623371076419477972015-08-04T14:30:00.000-04:002015-10-15T16:17:13.695-04:00Ahora<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/20238007005/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="20150724_161125"><img alt="20150724_161125" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/299/20238007005_93333d3841_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<a href="http://www.ahora.ca/">Ahora</a> has been popular with locals for many years. Located down some stairs along Dalhousie Street, this small Mexican restaurant serves items like tostadas, tacos, enchiladas, horchata and churros.<br />
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After we ordered and payed, we visited the salsa bar and brought some condiments to our table.<br />
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On this warm sunny day, I went with two tacos ($9.25) and had the chicken and steak, My friend, MB, was really hungry so she had a burrito grande ($9.25).<br />
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The double corn tortillas were filling. It didn't look like much at all. The tacos were alright. I preferred the chicken over the steak because the steak was overdone. I think the flavour of corn tortillas are not my favourite. Maybe I haven't had the right ones, or maybe I'm just not used to them, but they remind me of something being stale. I prefer the less authentic flour tortillas. I'll try their burrito next time.<br />
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Ahora<br />
307 Dalhousie Street<br />
Ottawa, ON<br />
613-562-2081<br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/ottawa/ahora-byward-market" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Ahora, ByWard Market and other Restaurants in Ottawa"><img alt="Ahora Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16663267/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-36688559815512694082015-07-15T17:30:00.000-04:002015-08-02T17:54:01.277-04:00Cozmos Souvlaki<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/18169648919/" title="IMG_20150530_114739"><img alt="IMG_20150530_114739" height="500" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/562/18169648919_0621e60a1b.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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Our family really likes <a href="http://cozmossouvlaki.com/">Cozmos Souvlaki</a>. We get cravings for Greek now and then. Andrew wanted Greek for his early birthday lunch last month, so we got the Family Platter with 4 lamb and 4 chicken souvlaki skewers and a gyro meat platter to feed 6 adults.<br />
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The only thing that was left after lunch was the salad and happy faces. Wait. I recall my grandpa wasn't too pleased, as he's not a fan of anything that isn't Chinese food.<br />
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~*~<br />
Cozmos Souvlaki<br />
196 Greenbank Rd<br />
613-596-4040<br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/ottawa/cozmos-souvlaki-ottawa" target="_blank"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Cozmos Souvlaki on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16664410/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-79808199812103220802015-06-27T14:45:00.000-04:002015-07-17T14:15:16.683-04:00Sparks Street Ribfest 2015 & Pure GelatoLast week was the Sparks Street Ribfest. We're veterans when it comes to the ribfest. If you aren't familiar with it, don't fret. We're here to help. We have a few tips on how to conquer the ribfest (adjusted from the 2011 post):<br />
<ol>
<li>Bring cash, patience, and, depending on the weather, a raincoat and maybe an umbrella too.</li>
<li>Go with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">at least</i> one other person. The more friends, the better cause you’ll be able to cover more stalls that way.</li>
<li>If you are planning to enjoy ribfest with a group of people, you should try getting some things from a bunch of the vendors. Make sure to figure out who will be getting what and where.</li>
<li>Unless you plan to eat on one of the patios on Sparks Street, you should bring a re-useable bag to carry your boxes. You can enjoy your chicken and pork products along Spark Street if you don't want to take them very far. You can only sit and enjoy your meal at the various patios if you buy a beverage from them.</li>
<li>Grab lots of extra paper.</li>
<li>Add lots of extra sauce on the side. Most vendors will have a table on the side where you can get paper towels, forks, and extra sauce.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Richard, Andrew, and myself were the runners this time. We figured out what we wanted and went out.<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
Prior to lining up, I did a bit of scouting:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>There was a very long line to get the twisted potato</li>
<li>There were more porta potties this year</li>
<li>A lot of the garbage cans were overflowing in and around Sparks Street</li>
<li>Vendors were beginning to sell new options like beef ribs, beef brisket, and cornbread</li>
<li>Stella Luna had a cart and were selling their remarkable gelato</li>
</ul>
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/18905719148" title="IMG_20150619_220807 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150619_220807" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/393/18905719148_7257deb39a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/19096667841" title="IMG_20150619_220728 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150619_220728" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/337/19096667841_8d8c3ba6dd.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/18470876524" title="IMG_20150619_220624 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150619_220624" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/480/18470876524_c771ec8701.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Our total haul:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>"Vegetarian" from Crabby Shack: pulled pork, chicken, and half a rack of ribs</li>
<li>Full rack with coleslaw and beans from Billy Bones</li>
<li>Full rack and beef ribs from Gator BBQ</li>
</ul>
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/18782358500" title="IMG_20150619_201449 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150619_201449" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/388/18782358500_efca680fc2.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/18933042568" title="IMG_20150624_123424 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150624_123424" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/505/18933042568_2894e30bda.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
We took everything to Lucy's place and enjoyed it along with her shoyu buttered corn. There was a bit leftover, but there was plenty of food to feed seven adults. Maybe we'll try to make some homemade cornbread next time to go with all of this.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/18907261749" title="IMG_20150619_215418 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150619_215418" height="500" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3767/18907261749_05e631aa6c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
After dinner, we went to Pure Gelato for some dessert and then briefly checked out Glowfest on Bank Street. Out of the 8 total flavours we got, my favourite two were the peanut butter and vanilla. The least favourite was a unanimous vote: the tiramisu. The liqueur ruined it.<br />
<br />
It was definitely an enjoyable night with the entire family. It's more difficult to coordinate all of our schedules, but I hope we can do more of these in the future.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
~*~</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Pure Gelato</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
350 Elgin Street</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
613-237-3799</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/ottawa/pure-gelato-ottawa" target="_blank"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Pure Gelato on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16663425/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a> </div>
<br />
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______________________________________________________________________________</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br />
Read about our other experiences:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.5em; padding-right: 2.5em; padding-top: 0px;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2013/06/ottawa-ribfest-2013.html">Ottawa Ribfest 2013</a></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2012/06/ottawa-ribfest-2012.html">Ottawa Ribfest 2012</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.5em; padding-right: 2.5em; padding-top: 0px;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2011/06/ottawa-chicken-and-ribfest-2011.html">Ottawa’s Chicken and Ribfest 2011</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.5em; padding-right: 2.5em; padding-top: 0px;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2010/06/ottawas-chicken-ribfest-2010.html">Ottawa’s Chicken-Ribfest 2010</a></li>
</ul>
<ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.5em; padding-right: 2.5em; padding-top: 0px;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2009/07/diet-busting-bbq-chicken-and-ribs-june.html">Diet-Busting BBQ Chicken and Ribs 2009 (Lucy's lunch)</a></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.5em; padding-right: 2.5em; padding-top: 0px;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2009/06/ottawa-ribfest-2009.html">Ottawa Ribfest 2009</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-79696657099987884432015-06-24T11:59:00.000-04:002015-06-24T12:03:19.150-04:00Father's Day Banquet LunchFather's Day was a day before Grandpa's 80th birthday this year. The extended family gathered at Sea King Restaurant for a huge banquet lunch that started off with Peking duck. I didn't photograph every dish, but here are some notables:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/19121765781" title="IMG_20150621_150109 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150621_150109" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/314/19121765781_a87e549ede.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
The Peking duck wasn't sliced properly. Usually the skin is sliced and served with the pancakes. Then the duck meat is stir-fried and served with lettuce to wrap. And the third rendition is supposed to use the bones for soup. We got two versions of duck that day; the skin, with a bit of meat attached, on top of disappointing limp shrimp chips, and then a plate of the duck meat.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/19118309625" title="IMG_20150624_105609 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150624_105609" height="500" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3884/19118309625_1efd9048f2.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
A family favourite, shrimp paste balls, arrived. These are the same mixture that restaurants use to make those stuffed crab claws that you get during Chinese wedding banquets. Grandpa likes these too.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/19092156666" title="IMG_20150624_105524 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150624_105524" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/334/19092156666_c943eb623c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/18495813204" title="IMG_20150624_105448 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150624_105448" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/296/18495813204_1fbb51007f.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Grandpa wasn't happy to see the Chinese roast chicken. In his opinion, if we got the duck, then we didn't need this. We had to remind him that it was part of the set meal and to try and enjoy it. The chicken skin was so crispy and the meat was very tender and juicy. The chicken is usually left mainly untouched, since it tastes great reheated the next day. But the chicken was finished.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/18495819754" title="IMG_20150624_105408 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150624_105408" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/552/18495819754_51eb36e6fe.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
This was an unfamiliar dish of young snow pea shoots with crab meat and egg whites. The family really enjoyed the dish.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/19121765871" title="IMG_20150621_172347 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150621_172347" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/432/19121765871_84cf433f8d.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
The lobsters with ginger and onion were spot on for me that day.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/18930758638" title="IMG_20150621_175526 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150621_175526" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/306/18930758638_65b0345778.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
The last two main dishes were fried rice and braised e-fu noodles. The e-fu noodles were slightly smoky and tasted even better when mixed with some of the lobster and ginger onion sauce.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/18930606600" title="IMG_20150624_105647 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150624_105647" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/465/18930606600_4fe97a3d98.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
The set lunch was capped off with a plate of almond cookies.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/18497679543" title="IMG_20150624_105731 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150624_105731" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/548/18497679543_6be8a0957d.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
But our lunch finished with a fragrant durian layer cake from Kowloon Market (about $23/lb of durian), which my uncle picked up beforehand. Although we were in a private room, I still felt bad for anyone who was eating in the restaurant. The room reeked of durian and we overheard people talking about the smell. Most of the family loves durian. I find that I have to be in the mood for it, otherwise, the smell ruins any curiosity. I had a small slice that day and that's all I needed. After scraping off most of the icing, I got into the fluffy cake and durian, which was very creamy and custardy.<br />
<br />
The banquet lunch was paced at a reasonable pace, especially considering that it was during their busy Sunday dim sum service. The portions were good too. There was enough for everyone to have at least one serving of every dish, except the Peking duck -- but we made the miscalculation. We still had leftovers after eating, but none of the good stuff.<br />
<br />
~<br />
<br />
Sea King Restaurant<br />
1558 Merivale Road<br />
Ottawa, ON<br />
613-228-8819<br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/ottawa/sea-king-shark-fin-seafood-restaurant-ottawa" target="_blank"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Sea King Shark Fin Seafood Restaurant 海皇魚翅海鮮酒家 on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16664055/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-18546885050566547742015-06-01T16:30:00.000-04:002015-06-01T17:21:23.405-04:00The Hintonburg Public House, Gelatini Gelato and Claustrophobia<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/18357308551" title="IMG_20150601_145910 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150601_145910" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8852/18357308551_e2aa495292.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
To celebrate Andrew's birthday, we went to <a href="http://claustrophobiagame.ca/">Claustrophobia</a> yesterday. The idea behind the different game rooms is that you are "locked in" a room and have to find clues to unlock keys, which would hopefully unlock the final door within the time limit. Lucy, Jimmy, Richard, Andrew, and myself, did the Hostel-themed room. Lucy was the only one who had an idea of what to do. We were all lost and just spent the first few minutes looking for clues and writing them down. The ball got rolling once Andrew found a big clue. We solved the code and opened the first safe, which contained a key to unlock more clues. Without giving anything away, we got out in 35 minutes which was the May record for the Hostel. It really was thrilling as every combination was unlocked and it satisfying when we finally got out of the final door.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/18329452846" title="IMG_20150601_150331 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150601_150331" height="640" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/536/18329452846_8489d9ddf2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17735242933" title="IMG_20150601_150429 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150601_150429" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/413/17735242933_0226498de9.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
We walked down the block to <a href="http://www.hintonburgpublichouse.ca/">The Hintonburg Public House</a> for an early dinner. We were a bit disappointed how small the Ploughman's Plate was, but the flavours and textures were good. We really enjoyed their crunchy fries with their house ketchup and Beau's Beer Battered Fish & Chips with House Tartar Sauce. We were pleasantly surprised to find crunchy nubbins underneath the pile of fries. Our favourite! Lucy's Pink Fuzz from <a href="http://beyondthepale.ca/">Beyond the Pale Brewing Co.</a><br />
was bright. Jimmy inhaled his juicy medium-well cheeseburger.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/18169194410" title="IMG_20150531_175135 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150531_175135" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/461/18169194410_b2380e9dbe.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Looking to satisfy our sweet tooth, we drove down to Preston Street and went to <a href="http://gelatini.ca/">Gelatini Gelato</a>, which is located beside the soon-to-be-opened Roberto Pizzeria. The pistachio was extremely creamy and nutty. The other flavours were refreshing. It was wonderful.<br />
<br />
Happy Birthday Andrew!<br />
<br />
~*~<br />
<br />
Claustrophobia<br />
984 Wellington Street West<br />
Ottawa, ON<br />
613-899-5170<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/ottawa/the-hintonburg-public-house-ottawa"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for The Hintonburg Public House on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16664760/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/ottawa/gelatini-gelato-ottawa"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Gelatini Gelato on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16665049/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-3311835191589441422015-05-19T19:15:00.000-04:002015-06-01T16:51:54.730-04:00Dumpling Bowl<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17819932861" title="IMG_20150518_000449 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150518_000449" height="500" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7699/17819932861_dd6dc4abe8.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Not long after the Bubblicity reopened as the <a href="http://www.dumplingbowl.com/">Dumpling Bowl</a>, Richard went with some friends and said that the place was great. "They make their dumplings in house," he added. Sounds good.<br />
<br />
When MO and I met up for a snack, we weaved through groups of high schoolers and sat by the entrance. I liked that their menu selection is so small. In my mind, the smaller the menu is, the more likely there's better quality control. Check out their full food menu <i><a href="http://www.dumplingbowl.com/?page_id=74">here</a></i>.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17505081245" title="20150508_134235 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="20150508_134235" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8692/17505081245_d8f4d72de8.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17317474110" title="20150508_134229 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="20150508_134229" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8717/17317474110_8c3b565060.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17633217979" title="IMG_20150518_000356 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150518_000356" height="500" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5344/17633217979_0783fdca06.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17631923900" title="IMG_20150518_000102 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150518_000102" height="500" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5328/17631923900_389faf8189.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
We started with the (#106) Salty Crunchy Fried Chicken ($6.99). Some pieces were very juicy. There were too many crunchy pieces of pure breading for my liking. I'd have to be craving popcorn-style chicken to order this again.<br />
<br />
For the dumplings, we got the pan-fried (#203) Pork and chives dumplings. Normally, you'll get 15 pieces of boiled dumplings for $8.99. For an extra $1.50, they'll not only pan-fry the dumplings for you, but they'll even throw in your choice of dipping sauce: sweet chili, thai peanut, spicy mayo, and teriyaki sauce. There's black vinegar and soy sauce at each table, so you can personalize your own dipping sauce. I prefer dipping the dumplings in a mix of vinegar and soy sauce (with a ratio of 3 parts of vinegar to one part soy sauce).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17793133656" title="IMG_20150518_000242 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150518_000242" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8888/17793133656_98fbb15ec1.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Be careful when you eat these. Some of these are so juicy that you'll make a mess. I'd bite off a corner of the dumpling, sip or pour out the juice, dip, and then consume. If you're hungry, order at least two plates for yourself and enjoy. The dumplings were simply good. I wish they would offer soup dumplings (aka xiao long bao) in the future.<br />
<br />
If you'd like to take these home and cook them yourself, Dumpling Bowl sells their handmade dumplings in frozen bags. They'll turn those bowls of noodles or soup into something that's more filling.<br />
<br />
~*~<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/ottawa/dumpling-bowl-ottawa"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Dumpling Bowl on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17840907/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-22945088623972349162015-05-14T16:15:00.000-04:002015-05-15T00:20:14.239-04:00Ottawa Street Food Showcase 2015<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17433961328" title="IMG_20150513_222734 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_222734" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8762/17433961328_2c4fa40066.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17001676443" title="IMG_20150513_223607 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_223607" height="500" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7685/17001676443_52e7c9fd17.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
On a cool sunny day, the crowds were genuinely excited for the street food season to begin in Ottawa. It kicked off yesterday with many vendors setting up shop at the Marion Dewar Plaza, in front of City Hall. The Street Food Showcase donated a portion of the proceeds to the Ottawa Food Bank. It was a win-win situation, really. Not only did the crowds have a chance to check out all the options, but they were supporting a great cause.<br />
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I invite you all to use the SFAOtt (aka <a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2014/07/street-food-ottawa-adventures-streat.html">Street Food Adventures in Ottawa</a>) hashtag on <a href="https://instagram.com/teafortwo.c/">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/teafortwo_c/">Twitter</a>.<br />
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<img alt="IMG_20150513_223522" height="500" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5466/16999493414_58c44267a6.jpg" style="color: #0000ee;" width="500" /><br />
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Andrew and I went there earlier than the official start time of noon to beat the crowds.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17433998248" title="IMG_20150513_222904 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_222904" height="500" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5443/17433998248_535dd03b62.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17621907941" title="IMG_20150513_222935 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_222935" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8829/17621907941_844902d619.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://urbancowboyeats.com/">Urban Cowboy Eats</a> serving things like cubano sandwiches, ribs and jambalaya.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17595587886" title="IMG_20150513_223137 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_223137" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8726/17595587886_c27cff1302.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.raonkitchen.com/">Bap by Raon Kitchen</a> (Bank Street between Albert and Slater) serving bibimbap, a Korean mixed rice dish. I wrote about them last year <a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2014/07/street-food-ottawa-adventures-streat.html">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17595599206" title="IMG_20150513_223206 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_223206" height="500" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5452/17595599206_b8650f9999.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
The <a href="https://twitter.com/mayflowerottawa">Mobile Mayflower</a> is a reincarnation of the Mayflower Pub that was found on Elgin. They'll be serving scratch-made comfort food.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17435629819" title="IMG_20150513_223309 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_223309" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8800/17435629819_8ce6c890a9.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17022035444" title="2015-05-13 22.40.39 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="2015-05-13 22.40.39" height="281" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8842/17022035444_f3f60d034e.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<a href="http://gongfu.ca/">Gongfu Bao Cart</a> (Elgin and Slater) serves Chinese-style steamed buns and also rice bowls as well.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17434053208" title="IMG_20150513_223110 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_223110" height="500" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7738/17434053208_c3f208aa1e.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17429885529" title="IMG_20150513_140816 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_140816" height="500" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5446/17429885529_0351477fc3.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.angrydragonz.com/">Angry Dragonz</a> (Lyon and Gloucester) will be serving things like egg rolls and chicken, beef, and lamb skewers on rice. Here's their Dragonz Bowl. The asian slaw dressing reminded me of wafu dressing. It had hints of soy sauce, sesame, and something bright. We found the chicken skewers to be the juiciest, but I liked the cumin-spiced lamb skewer the best. I've had lamb skewers in Shanghai a few years back and have been addicted ever since (just look at these <a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2014/04/rice-pea-ottawas-hidden-gem.html">lamb skewers at Rice Pea!</a>). I can see why it's a popular dish. It's very summer-y because there's more slaw than rice, which makes it lighter.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17595656036" title="IMG_20150513_223416 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_223416" height="500" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7763/17595656036_f6885be919.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17621989281" title="IMG_20150513_223238 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_223238" height="500" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5339/17621989281_15a1dda1ca.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17456941160" title="IMG_20150514_130530 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150514_130530" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8801/17456941160_40ea97bf06.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.bytownbayou.ca/">ByTown Bayou</a> serving Lousiana-style goods like smoked brisket and pulled pork. They're one of the new trucks this season. We liked that they didn't drown their brisket and beans with BBQ sauce like a lot of other places do. In fact, we didn't taste any BBQ sauce in their beans at all. The creamy coleslaw was mild but added a nice crunch in the sandwich. Normally the meat is the star, but I think the buns they used were surprisingly solid. It wasn't super processed and held it's own against the tender smoked brisket.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17619672582" title="IMG_20150513_223656 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_223656" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8884/17619672582_91f57d0bed.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/16999573414" title="IMG_20150513_223815 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_223815" height="500" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5467/16999573414_00fa3e2a84.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17435803139" title="IMG_20150513_223920 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_223920" height="500" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5327/17435803139_73b5a1a396.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.slgelato.com/">Stella Luna</a> serving their award-winning gelato flavours. The lovely ladies told us that we could choose up to three different flavours for $6. It didn't make our decision any easier. Andrew settled on three different flavours. Their dark chocolate, dark run & wild cherries was rich and intense. Mango passionfruit sorbet was smooth and velvety. Raspberry & blackberry sorbet was refreshing. Remarkable stuff.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17621922541" title="IMG_20150513_223004 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_223004" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8738/17621922541_62c363c764.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17622224231" title="IMG_20150513_224124 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_224124" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8726/17622224231_c01a7b1344.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<a href="http://mrchurritos.com/">Mr. Churritos</a> (O'Connor and Sparks St.) serving hot churros out of the fryer. Fried dough rolled in cinnamon sugar is such a familiar taste and smell in Ottawa.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17433980458" title="IMG_20150513_222824 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_222824" height="500" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7715/17433980458_1d58b59975.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17622198335" title="IMG_20150513_224218 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_224218" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8718/17622198335_e589d26d6f.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/16994356393" title="IMG_20150513_125957 by Christine Tea, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150513_125957" height="500" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5463/16994356393_4910dc9b4d.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.themerrydairy.com/">The Merry Dairy</a> serves frozen custard and ice cream sandwiches, Frozen custard is how ice cream is supposed to be. It's super creamy and full of flavour. Here's a scoop of both the Ottawa Valley Maple and Madagascar Vanilla. My favourite of the two was the maple.<br />
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<a href="http://admareseafood.com/">Ad Mare</a> (Slater and O'Connor) pulling out things like shrimp po' boys fish 'n chips, and lobster mac & cheese; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/royi.frutabar">Royi Fruta Bar</a> (Elgin and Laurier) flipping empanadas; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bobitesmetcalfe">BoBites</a> (Metcalfe and Sparks St.) serving baked potatoes loaded with things like saag paneer and feta with arugula pesto; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ricoperufoodtruck/">Rico Peru </a>(Olmstead and Montreal Rd.) scooping out Peruvian fare, were all there too. Sorry if I missed anyone who was there.<br />
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Throughout the food truck season and the year, you'll want to visit the vendors at their usual locations. Many of the vendors will also do festivals and other events, so keep an eye out.<br />
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This event is only the beginning. The showcase was a pleasant reminder that Ottawa's food scene is underrated. Go check out their locations and support local!Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-23300127994400354742015-04-15T11:05:00.000-04:002015-04-15T17:29:51.915-04:00Sens HouseIt was Saturday, April 11th, 2015. The Sens were playing their last game in the regular season against the Flyers and only needed one point to clinch a playoffs spot. The same Sens were 14 points back of the last wild card spot back in February and quickly picked up steam to become the NHL's hottest team. Richard and I made plans to head downtown and watch the game with friends. There was some nervousness leading up to the game, but once it was game day, nervousness turned into excitement.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/16951946500/" title="IMG_20150411_121619 by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150411_121619" height="500" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7586/16951946500_5259d70c52.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Are you a hockey fan? Do you have a team you cheer for? Where will you be watching the playoffs this year?<br />
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I forgot that there was a sports bar called Sens House, which is partly owned by the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and another local company. The Sens House took over the old Hard Rock location in the Byward Market. I didn't even know that Hard Rock closed down.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/16953320779/" title="IMG_20150411_134252 by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150411_134252" height="500" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8694/16953320779_0759f2d3fd.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Chicken parm grilled cheese sandwich and a plate of poutine.<br />
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We enjoyed the thrilling <a href="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/game/ottawa-senators-philadelphia-flyers-20150411/Stats">3-1 Sens win</a> with the packed Sens House. Knowing that we would clinch a playoffs spot in mere seconds, everyone happily cheered in a symphony of joy and relief.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/16519329573/" title="IMG_20150411_104945 by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150411_104945" height="500" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8715/16519329573_1b9fec3fe0.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
And now, we wait for Game 1 of the playoffs series to begin tonight. The opponent? The Habs. Here's to a very entertaining series -- with the Sens coming out on top -- Go Sens Go!Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-89362083666933964982015-04-13T20:45:00.000-04:002015-04-13T20:46:15.301-04:00The Usual at Kim's Restaurant + AladdinEarlier last week, I found myself around Carling Avenue when running some errands. There are two restaurants that I like around there, <a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2014/04/rice-pea-ottawas-hidden-gem.html">Rice Pea</a> and <a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2013/09/noodles-at-kims-restaurant-spinach-pies.html">Kim's Restaurant</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17137945012/" title="IMG_20150408_143502 by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150408_143502" height="500" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8758/17137945012_c5b8d343e6.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/16953325539/" title="IMG_20150408_150751 by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150408_150751" height="500" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7607/16953325539_2b12ffcbff.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
On this adventure, I was craving the smoky stir-fried rice noodles with chicken (FN-04) at Kim's Restaurant. When I asked for the bean sprouts to be substituted with chinese greens (gai lan or choy sum), the owner told me that the dish didn't have bean sprouts. It was great news to me.<br />
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These were just as smoky as I remembered. The chef, who looks like the character on the menu, seasoned it perfectly. It was a solid dish which reminded me of <a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2009/10/toronto-trip-3-of-4-takoyaki-and-lots.html">House of Gourmet</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/17138608512/" title="IMG_20150413_195129 by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150413_195129" height="500" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8745/17138608512_55d18077f4.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
The order of deep-fried shrimp balls (A-11) came with only 3 shrimp balls instead of the usual 4. I've tried some of their other appetizers and some of their dim sum, but I always come back to these.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/16932112007/" title="IMG_20150408_162222 by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20150408_162222" height="500" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8697/16932112007_e4ce94fc6f.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
I was super full after lunch, but I couldn't help grabbing a few meat pies for the family. Aladdin Convenience & Bakery is located across the street of Kim's Restaurant. A quick run across the street and BOOM -- a bag of spicy meat pies.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/250/1691712/restaurant/Carlingwood-Carlington/Kims-Restaurant-Ottawa"><img alt="Kim's Restaurant on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1691712/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/250/1539602/restaurant/Carlingwood-Carlington/Aladdin-Convenience-Bakery-Ottawa"><img alt="Aladdin Convenience & Bakery on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1539602/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-10730854818292418052015-03-19T13:00:00.000-04:002015-03-20T11:01:40.038-04:00Lunching at Hung Sum<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/16858948802/" title="20150212_114438a by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20150212_114438a" height="500" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7613/16858948802_6cd775846e_z.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Andrew and I went to Hung Sum for a quick bite. We both went there with some dishes on our minds. Andrew was thinking steamed tripe and stir-fried rice noodles with beef. I was itching to order steamed beef balls and cheung fun with youtiao aka zhaliang. Once we arrived, we sat down to a free table by the window.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/16237739014/" title="20150212_111654a by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20150212_111654a" height="500" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7621/16237739014_b4fe98764c.jpg" width="455" /></a></div>
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We already had an idea of what to order already, which is what I'd recommend when you dine at small establishments like Hung Sum. We kept it simple. The waitress/owner was busy with the occupied tables, so I brought up our order sheet and menu to help things along.</div>
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Not even half an hour after the cozy restaurant was open, the tables were all full of dining companions. There was a large group of 12, spread between two tables, that arrived to fill half the place in a blink of an eye. Throughout the meal, we noticed that one table of two had their order put on hold to serve the large party first. It seems like the restaurant could use some help in the front end and maybe in the kitchen as well. The wait was natural for a small place like that though.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/16652804027/" title="20150212_113753a by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20150212_113753a" height="500" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7635/16652804027_0580ed3f78.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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The first item to arrive was the steamed beef tripe with ginger and onion (#37). The tripe was tender and wasn't overpowered by the ginger or onions. It was surprising how much I enjoyed it.</div>
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The plate of wu gok (aka deep fried taro balls with pork #5) arrived with the shrimp siu mai (#31) after we finished the last bits. I was again pleasantly surprised when I had the shrimp siu mai. I know it would taste better with <a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2012/10/dim-sum-at-hung-sum-restaurant-bubble.html">an adjustment</a>, but these were solid in my books. These had just enough bounce and were juicy throughout.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/16858947592/" title="20150213_113512a by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20150213_113512a" height="500" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8605/16858947592_ea610575b2.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Did you know that the filling of beef cheung fun is the same stuff as the beef balls? I <strike>had an epiphany </strike> finally clued in a few months back. The issue about not having enough filling in the beef cheung fun has been resolved. These were so good that I wished I ordered another serving. I probably should've because I wasn't happy with the pics that I took. None of the photos looked sharp to me. I must've had the HDR on or something.</div>
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We had to wait about 15 minutes between the beef balls and our last dish, the stir-fried rice noodles with beef (not pictured). It was an okay plate of noodles. I would've preferred zhaliang for my carb choice that day. In any case, we ended up packing two thirds of it, since we had to leave to get some bubble tea. We ordered and ate the perfect amount. Neither of us were hurting after dim sum. Even with the drinks we got at My Sweet Tea, we were able to briskly walk back to catch the bus at LeBreton Station.<br />
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On a related note, I upgraded my Motorola Razr HD to the Samsung Galaxy S5 earlier last month. My old phone took decent photos with window light. This was on a different level. I was very happy with how the one wu gok and siu mai picture came out. I spent the most time on that dish in particular. The pop of the green onions and bottle of worchestershire was hypnotic. I had a mini photo shoot; moved the steamer left, right, moved Andrew's tea cup closer, further, etc. Okay, maybe it was 3 minutes. I tried to take a few action shots of Andrew grabbing one, but it just didn't turn out.<br />
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I'm still thinking about getting a point-and-shoot camera -- have been for two years now. Do you have any suggestions?<br />
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~*~<br />
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Hung Sum Restaurant</div>
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870 Somerset St</div>
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Ottawa, ON</div>
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613-238-8828</div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/250/1661936/restaurant/Chinatown/Hung-Sum-Restaurant-Ottawa"><img alt="Hung Sum Restaurant on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1661936/minilink.gif" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; cursor: move; height: 36px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a></div>
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Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-3012539448195827062015-01-11T18:10:00.000-05:002015-01-11T18:10:00.600-05:00Kid's Night: Central BierhausThinking back, I don't think we've ever had just a kid's night out. One of us was usually in another city or even in another country, so it made it tough to organize one. Now that we're all in Ottawa, we found time and got together for dinner and the Sens game.<br />
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Since the Canadian Tire Centre is in Kanata, we were trying to decide where to go for some good food. Richard suggested <a href="http://centralbierhaus.ca/">Central Bierhaus</a> that's located in Kanata Centrum, right by the Landmark Theatre. It was coincidence that Chris Neil, a current Sens player, actually owns the establishment.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/16250390155/" title="20150106_195323a by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20150106_195323a" height="320" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7525/16250390155_153b2e5e7f_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
When we arrived for dinner, we were promptly seated and took a look at both the beer and <a href="http://centralbierhaus.ca/dinner-menu/">food menu</a>. The Central Bierhaus has an impressive <a href="http://centralbierhaus.ca/by-country/">selection of beers from around the world</a> (Belgium, German, Ireland, and Japan to name a few).<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/16248548911/" title="20150106_074728a by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20150106_074728a" height="500" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8647/16248548911_050fd6bbb2.jpg" width="391" /></a><br />
To quench our thirst, we went with the Pilsner Urquell (Czech) for Richard, Erdinger dunkel (German) for Andrew, and Kronenburg Blanc 1664 (France) for Lucy and myself.<br />
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To fill our stomachs, we started with the traditional sausage flight (platter) which was served with bacon saurkraut and three mustards from <a href="http://www.mustard.ca/">McGarrigles</a>. Then we got the giant soft pretzel, confit maple pork belly, and lobster poutine.<br />
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It was too much food. The confit maple pork belly was curiously dry. The lobster poutine was alright. The stars were definitely the sausage flight and the pretzel. When I had a piece of the pretzel, it was like an epiphany. "Ah, so <i>this </i>is what pretzels are supposed to taste like." I'm definitely coming back for more pretzels. No question about it. When I asked Richard how authentic they were, he surprisingly remarked that he never had any pretzels in Germany. When it came to snacks, he preferred the currywurst over pretzels.<br />
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As for the sausage flight, we got one each of a German bratwurst, Oktoberfest, German frankfurter, smoked italian, hot italian, and honey garlic sausage. It seemed like they ran out of the weisswurst. I didn't like the two italian sausages or the bratwurst. The latter seemed to be overcooked and became dry. The bacon saurkraut did its job of being the palate cleanser between each bite. I know others would disagree with me, but I enjoyed how subtle the bacon was.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/15627982494/" title="20150105_003353a by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20150105_003353a" height="500" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7523/15627982494_bd85e5a092.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Once dinner was over, we headed over to watch the Lightning against the Sens game. This pic was from the first intermission when the Sens were still up 1-0. The team couldn't keep up with the Lightnings and lost by a final score of 4-2. Despite the loss, it was still a great night with all the siblings!<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/250/1872979/restaurant/Kanata/Central-Bierhaus-Ottawa"><img alt="Central Bierhaus on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1872979/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-40894809130196130432014-12-21T12:05:00.000-05:002014-12-21T22:04:37.085-05:00Hintonburger and SuzyQ<div>
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I would like to buy a hamburger.<br />
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I would like to buy a ambuger.</div>
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I would like to buy a hamburger.</div>
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Eyould like to buy a am-berger.</div>
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I would like to buy a hamburger.</div>
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I would like to buy a damnbuger.</div>
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I would like to buy a hamburger.</div>
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I would like to buy de hambeduh!</div>
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I would like to buy a hamburger.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I would like to buy umburger!</span></div>
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I would like to buy a hamburger.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">DEM BURGUH!</span><br />
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Ahem, so MB and I headed to the <strike>Hintumberder</strike> Hintonburger for a late lunch. She had the Hintonburger (shock!) which was a 6oz. bacon cheeseburger with BBQ sauce and whatever toppings, along with a chocolate milkshake.</div>
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I went with the six-inch chili dog, Light Rail, and a chocolate milkshake -- My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard..Ahem! Sorry. I'll stop.</div>
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The Light Rail was disappointing. The hot dog, hot dog bun, and chili just didn't work well together. But that chocolate milkshake. We both agreed that it was freaking amazing -- not just amazing. MB thoroughly enjoyed her burger. Once we finished eating, we walked off a bit of lunch by going around the neighbourhood.</div>
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We swung by SuzyQ for some sweets. We settled on the Maple Bacon and the London Fog donut. Both were great decisions. We took our donuts to one of their picnic tables out front in the shade. It capped off a fun afternoon date with one of my high school classmates. Btw, MB, you have to think of an alias!</div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/250/1535505/restaurant/Wellington-West/Hintonburger-Ottawa"><img alt="Hintonburger on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1535505/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
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Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-2615486752707807362014-12-17T13:45:00.000-05:002014-12-18T01:53:18.314-05:00German Town Deli: Sandwiches and Chili<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/15862009507/" title="20141021_122339 by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20141021_122339" height="500" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7498/15862009507_a7a5114851.jpg" width="411" /></a><br />
I can't even count how many times that I've passed the German Town Deli on the bus. It was time for a visit.<br />
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When you walk up the short stairs, there's not a lot of space but there's plenty of things to see. They sell Bavarian goods like stroopwafels and even boxed knodel mix. On the left side, you'll see the variety of sandwiches, salads, and desserts.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/16047060582/" title="20141021_123701 by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20141021_123701" height="500" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7569/16047060582_f835da9001.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Lucy ordered the roast beef with mustard on rye bread and got a bowl of chili as well. I got two sandwiches: meatloaf sandwich, the ham and cheese bun with lettuce and tomatoes on a kaiser roll, since the sign outside suggested I get the ham on a bun.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/15860314588/" title="20141021_123209 by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20141021_123209" height="500" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8577/15860314588_4dfa741ff0.jpg" width="469" /></a><br />
I took a bite out of Lucy's roast beef sandwich and found it a bit dry. Lucy was surprised how the chili tasted. Then I tried a spoonful. It was like having Mom's homemade chili! The seasoning was almost there, except that the Mom usually makes the chili with more salt. There also wasn't as much ground beef, but that's to be expected.<br />
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Initially, I had only planned to eat one of the sandwiches. The kaiser rolls provided enough carbs for this carb-loving monster. When it occurred to me that I was supposed to eat the other sandwich later, I was more than halfway done. Oops!<br />
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Some people will complain that there's nothing special about this place, but I disagree. Located on Slater, before the Bank Street bus stop, this unassuming shop makes comforting homely lunches.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/250/1567163/restaurant/Centretown-Downtown/German-Town-Deli-Ottawa"><img alt="German Town Deli on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1567163/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-30878752723558268162014-10-20T19:00:00.000-04:002014-10-21T11:04:45.324-04:00Kim's Restaurant RevisitedI've tried to suppress my rice noodle cravings, but a combination of being sick and the cold weather made me break. I needed something to boost my energy. I was thinking stir-fried rice noodles. The one with sauce. It has been quite a while since visiting them.<br />
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Out of all the Chinese restaurants in Ottawa that I've been to, only Kim's Restaurant makes the stir-fried rice noodles with enough smokiness. I've only experienced only one so-so rendition of the noodles here once out of the 10ish times I've eaten in. We've done takeout twice and the <a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2013/01/kims-restaurant-awesome-take-out.html">food didn't taste good</a> at all. Speaking of not tasting good; Grandpa ended up trying this place with my parents sometime earlier this year. Or was it last year? The point is, he wanted to see what <a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2013/09/noodles-at-kims-restaurant-spinach-pies.html">the hype</a> was after I repeatedly told him that that dish was great. Let's just say that they left the restaurant unimpressed. I wasn't there, but he said that the noodles were terrible because they were black. Dad agreed and said that it was way too smoky. I got a bit defensive when I heard the news. <i>What? Their noodles are great! How was it too black?</i><br />
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</i> <strike>Determined to prove them wrong</strike> Wanting to confirm that the restaurant still made a solid plate of rice noodles with chicken, we headed out to dinner.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/15401406620/" title="20141018_192600a by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20141018_192600a" height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3939/15401406620_d629af2ecd.jpg" width="469" /></a><br />
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We pick and chose the three dish meal which included soup, rice, and dessert. There was a tepid bowl of black eyed beans, chicken feet, and pork soup to start. Other than that, we had the fish fillet with black bean sauce, shrimp with eggplant, braised beef brisket, beef with asparagus, and rice noodles with chicken (replaced the bean sprouts with choi sum).. I really enjoyed the fish fillet. I know they use a cheap fish like basa but the fact that they didn't drown it in the sauce made it better because it kept the fillets crispy. There was plenty of sauce for rice too. As for the braised beef brisket, we were all deeply disappointed in three things. Firstly, there wasn't enough flavour infused into the beef. Secondly, the dish was watery and didn't have the thicker gravy sauce. We really enjoy the New Hong Shing's version of the braised beef brisket (the one in the pot). Lastly, the daikon tasted sour so we asked the owner. She took away the dish and let us choose another dish to replace it. The beef and asparagus was the dish that we chose. It was very salty, but when eaten with plenty of rice or rice noodles, it was fine. Of course, I wasn't surprised when the rice noodles arrived with a delicate aroma of <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/06/the-food-lab-for-the-best-stir-fry-fire-up-the-grill.html">wok hei</a>. There wasn't enough of the sauce sadly. Since there were dishes like the black bean fish fillet and the salty beef with asparagus, it all worked out.<br />
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As we're enjoying dinner, I had to ask the question: How do the noodles taste? My parents' answer: good.<br />
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<i>Huzzah!</i> </div>
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To cap off the night, we were given some warm silken tofu for dessert. Apparently my parents had the silken tofu last time they dined with Grandpa. This was new to me. Mom didn't say the exact words, but essentially said that this was the best silken tofu dessert it Ottawa. The dessert was silky and fragile, and when drizzled with the simple syrup, that was lightly imbued with ginger, the warm dessert was like a warm fuzzy hug.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332820353313357807.post-41830987575293198572014-08-28T21:00:00.000-04:002014-09-04T22:08:22.174-04:00Seafood Banquet at O MeiMom had a hankering for seafood. We were in the Richmond Hill and Markham area all weekend so there were lots of options. She flip flopped between a Chinese buffet to a Chinese restaurant. I was pushing for something a bit more special, so once she settled on the latter, I did a few searches and found a candidate. We couldn't get a reservation for a decent time, so we went for the second option instead.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/15065358761/" title="20140823_195651a by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20140823_195651a" height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3901/15065358761_a9f5474e6a.jpg" width="446" /></a><br />
There were a few restaurants that served lobsters a few different ways. The place we chose, O Mei, just happened to be very close to where we were staying. O Mei's specialty breaking down a giant lobster of your choosing and cooking them into four different ways: steamed, stir-fried, deep-fried, and added into fried rice -- all with one lobster. Fancy, eh? Our family is used to the ginger and onion sauce. We actually <a href="http://teafortwosisters.blogspot.ca/2013/11/rice-noodles-two-ways.html">make it</a> at home. This was taking it to the next level. It was just what I was looking for.<br />
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We arrived a bit early for our reservation and were seated promptly to the rear corner of the store. The menus were all in Chinese. Luckily two people knew how to read it. Our server arrived and began talking really quickly in Cantonese. When we responded in Mandarin, he quickly stopped and immediately rambled on in Mandarin. When we asked questions, he replied so quickly, I started to think he was being timed. Jimmy ordered and the waiter disappeared with the menus but returned shortly after with a huge lobster.<br />
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"This is 8 and a quarter pounds", he said showing the live lobster. Upon first glance, the huge lobster looked closer to 10lbs. Mom thought it was too big as well, so we asked for a smaller one. The other lobster arrived. It looked much closer to 8lb but it was apparently 7.5lb. "We'll take it." We thought we were ready for what was to come. We didn't know exactly what or how many dishes we ordered. In hindsight, I'm not sure why we didn't just ask one of the waiters to be sure. With this uncertainty in mind, we sat in our chairs and O Mei began the ride.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/14881574258/" title="20140823_001a by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20140823_001a" height="375" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3872/14881574258_77fc0b631d.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
A lazy susan-sized plate of steamed lobster claws with garlic and bean thread noodles arrived. It was lightly seasoned and tame compared to how we normally prepare lobster. The noodles were great with the lobster.<br />
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Next up, stir-fried lobster with Maggi. This was new to all of us and was a favourite. It was more on the sweeter side, which was a pleasant surprise. We were all so impressed with this rendition, we wished there was double the amount on the plate. Andrew took the head and picked it clean after failed attempts by Dad, Jimmy, and myself. There wasn't any of the guts aka <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomalley">tomalley</a> (had to google that) though. The kitchen saved that for the last lobster dish.<br />
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The waiter came to change our plates, which were already filled with empty lobster shells before the third dish arrived. The lobster was deep-fried and topped with chopped bits chilli, onions, noodle bits and lots of fried garlic. This was reminiscent of the salt and pepper pork chops at the New Hong Shing. Mom couldn't believe they used so much garlic in this.<br />
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And the finale: Chinese fried rice with the tomalley. Why not? At this point, we all began to slow down a bit. Andrew was hilariously just getting started. While everyone else kept trying the dishes as they arrived, he kept his own steady pace. That was the end of our 7.5lb lobster. To sum it up, the fried rice and steamed dish were alright. It was all about that Maggi seasoned lobster.<br />
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I began to sip some more tea in anticipation for the desserts. We all were.<br />
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But then this happened..<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/14881464579/" title="20140823_204714a by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20140823_204714a" height="500" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5579/14881464579_56faa2d7c1.jpg" width="371" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/15067806922/" title="20140823_006a by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20140823_006a" height="375" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5592/15067806922_ba8c104e3a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/14881571878/" title="20140823_005a by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20140823_005a" height="322" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3883/14881571878_f875d45ebc.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/14881741810/" title="20140823_205259a by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20140823_205259a" height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3857/14881741810_2b8b501246.jpg" width="444" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/14881519900/" title="20140823_007a by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20140823_007a" height="375" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3910/14881519900_2a31625fb3.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/14881610057/" title="20140823_213415a by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20140823_213415a" height="500" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5567/14881610057_7e3dc0a5fd.jpg" width="330" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/teafortwo_c/15065134841/" title="20140823_213256a by teafortwo.c, on Flickr"><img alt="20140823_213256a" height="500" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5587/15065134841_53473e9d63.jpg" width="436" /></a><br />
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GG. Well played O Mei. <br />
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~*~<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/133998/restaurant/Toronto/O-Mei-Restaurant-Richmond-Hill"><img alt="O Mei Restaurant on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/133998/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12563467810218875955noreply@blogger.com1420 York Regional Road 7, Doncrest Market Place, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3K2, Canada43.8431431 -79.39066559999997718.3211086 -120.69925959999998 69.3651776 -38.082071599999978