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Degustation

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  1. Thanks. I also have some tips from Chowhound re: the Royal brand and stores near Hwy 7and Kennedy. I'll do some investigating. As for the tea...well..he's more of a scotch man I'm afraid.
  2. Apologies if you've also seen this on Chow, but I need to spread my net... I would like to get a nice selection of Chinese cured meats for someone in Montreal who is a former Chinese chef. He is very particular abut the quality of Chinese foodstuffs and I would like to get him something that may not be readily available in Mtl and is of very good quality. Some things may include: lap cheung (Chinese sausage), guan cheung (pork and liver sausage), lap yuk (chinese bacon), lap op (dry-cured duck legs). Am willing to go anywhere downtown or near the Pacific Mall / Hwy 7 area. Recommendations for good Chinese roasted duck or pork would be great as well. I'm planning a trip to Montreal the second week of Oct. and I would like to bring a nice selection of items. Any other suggestions for special savoury Chinese foods would also be great I used to buy Asian cookies and pastries from T&T as gifts but he's now borderline diabetic and I need to change my approach. Thanks.
  3. And.. Coca Tapas Wine Bar -- mixed reviews Tom Thai's new place just opened up - Foxley Bistro and Bar -- heard good things -- Youki and Tempo were great so I assume he's continuing the trend...
  4. Real tapas or just small plates of food for sharing? Torito's Tapas Bar is quite good but maybe not fancy enough for a B-Day click Cava - I'm trying this tomorrow so I don't know how good it is but Chris McDonald's Avalon was fantastic in its heydays clickety Senhor Antonio Tapas and Wine Bar at Chiados is quite nice -- and you can't go wrong if you want to splurge for Mom and go for the Chiado dinner menu click, click Small plates for sharing -- there's the usual suspects -- Jamie Kennedy's Wine Bar or Lee
  5. Thanks to one and all. I called that morning and made reservations at Taillevent for 1:00. I figured this would be perfect for his first experience, nothing too avant-garde, traditional yet contemporary -- didn't want to scare the boy. I shall have to describe the meal in about a week's time, since I have to catch a train to London, and don't quite have the time right now. However, everything was superb, as fitting a 3 star. I think my friend was most impressed by the service. He had arrived there before I and he said that there were more people on the floor than there were sitting at the tables. That did change after I arrived, but after he viewed the impeccable service in action, he whispered to me that he had only heard about such things, where the staff was so well-trained that if you dropped a fork, they would catch it before it fell to the floor... well, we didn't try to test that rumour, but suffice to say he was bowled over by the experience. Thanks again for your advice.
  6. I am currently visiting Paris and have run into a young friend who is also here visiting his brother. It turns out he may not have the chance to come back to Paris for awhile since he is moving to Buenos Aires. He has always wanted to have a meal at a Michelin star restaurant, but has never had the opportunity. I offered to take him, but the dillemma is that we are both leaving Paris on Thur, and tomorrow, Tues, is the only time that we may be able to have at least a lunch together. Question is -- Is it impossible to get into a good Michelin resto at the very last minute for lunch; i.e. call tonight or tomorrow -- for maybe very early, like noon or very late 14:30? Any suggestions of places that we would have a good chance of securing a spot? If not, what is the next best option? He was so excited by the prospect that this might happen, he said he would even put on his Hugo Boss suit for the occasion (I have never seen him in anything but t-shirts and jeans -- so this must mean a lot to him!) Any suggestions much appreciated!
  7. Degustation

    Dinner! 2005

    Marlene, that tabletop cooking stone is a lot of fun. We received it as a gift from a good friend many years ago. I haven't seen them in stores or even for ordering online in a long time. I looked, because I wanted to give some as gifts. ← Try this hot stones link.
  8. After my recent break-up, I went to Soma and indulged in exquisite gourmet chocolates - an "Arbequina" (Spanish Olive Oil) truffle; an 8-year aged Balsamic vinegar truffle; and a dark truffle made from cacao beans from Madagascar. If that wasn't enough of a serotonin high, I sipped on Soma's Mayan Hot Chocolate spiced with Australian ginger, Madagascar Vanilla, orange peel, chili and spices. I felt that was fitting as I knew the ex would never have liked any of the above due to the fact that he disliked fat (even olive oil) and vinegar (balsalmic would have been wasted on him), only liked milk chocolate (70% dark chocolate? not possible!), and didn't like spicy things (would have freaked over the chili in the hot chocolate). Over that week, I polished off a bottle of apple, maple syrup-enhanced cider that I had been saving for a special occasion (I guess this was it since he also didn't like sweet liqueurs). Reflecting back, I wondered how I managed to last so long - he also didn't like mustard, mayonnaise, no dressing on salads, no sauces, and generally found ethnic food too strange. He would have been happy having a piece of plain grilled chicken, baked potato, and plain vegetables every night of the week, perhaps alternating the chicken with some other protein matter. He truly was someone who only ate to live. Oi. This past week, a good foodie friend came into town, and we treated ourselves to a couple of fantastic dinners consisting of various tasting menus and matching wines. I never could have done this with the ex - a) he would have refused to eat any of the dishes we had, and b) he would have balked at paying such prices for what he considered small portions of strange tasting foods. Hmm, what was it that I saw in him again...? Good food and good friends mend all things.
  9. I've wondered if it was possible to prep and freeze trinity ingredients. Do you defrost them a bit or do they go mushy? Or can you just bung 'em into the hot oil straight from the freezer. I'm a kinda mise person as I've often watched my Dad, a retired chef, work that way cooking at home. After breakfast, he would often prep everything for the day's meals. He will then relax in front of the telly until it's time to cook. My Mom also does mise but they can't mise together - too many cooks, etc. They also take turns cooking as the kitchen is too small to have both of them moving about. My Dad also complains that my Mom doesn't clean up after herself as she cooks - Dad is a "clean as he goes" type of guy, so there is very little cleanup afterwards. I may do a full prep if it's a new recipe but I tend to be lazy if I can get away with it and only prep things that need a lot of chopping - I will wing the rest of it. I also don't tend to clean too much as I cook so there is always a bit of chaos with little mise bowls and plates strewn about as I am cooking.
  10. Thanks for blogging again Torakris, and providing all the pics. To keep on the theme of food and kids, I noticed that all the children, in the park, ballet class, or at McD's, are all relatively slim. Childhood obesity is a big concern in North America, due to factors like quick access to fast-food, and lack of physical activity. Is fast food just seen as an occasional treat? Are there less fast food options? Or is it just everything in moderation, with emphasis on healthier options, is the norm for the Japanese lifestyle? Are there more opportunities for physical activity? Is there less exposure to commercials promoting high fat foods?
  11. The article indicates that it may be called Thuet. Another place I'm curious about is George, which was also discussed in the same Toronto Life issue. Lorenzo Loseto was apparently Susur's sous at Lotus, chef at Hemishpere's, and co-chef at Zoom and Rain.
  12. It's called Cha Liu. 2352 Yonge, 2nd floor. Pricier than downtown Dim Sum but better in quality and atmosphere. Here's a link to a previous discussion. The menu's changed a bit since with more items.
  13. Love grass jelly ice cold, cut into jiggly chunks with maple syrup poured over it. I learned this practice from my father, as it was his way of adapting a familiar asian treat with a Canadian touch. Bitter after taste with a lingering sweetness - really refreshing in the summer.
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