Singaporean style buffet in Ontario

The only way to describe what a Singaporean style buffet is to someone in Canada is to go for one. The closest I've seen is at a place called Mandarin (www.mandarinbuffet.com). They have a number of locations across Ontario. I stopped by their Pickering location on the way back from Toronto. It's just behind the Petro Canada Station at the corner of Kingston Road and Brock Road, convenient if you are connecting between the 407 and the 401. Roast beef, barbecued pork, sushi, prime rib, mussels, fresh shrimps (Singaporeans read: prawns), chicken curry, deep-fried shrimps and scallops, "everything you could want" salad, your usual chinese dishes, black forest cake, cream caramel, bread pudding, ice cream. There's also the usual "Canadian" chinese food such as chicken balls, egg rolls, hot and sour soup. The wonton is not all that great but everything else was delightful.

Bright Pearl Seafood Restaurant - Toronto

Another good place for dimsum in Toronto. Everything is above average for a very reasonable price. Be prepared to wait a little while for a table on the weekends though, as it does get rather busy. Nevertheless, the dining hall is large enough to ensure a regular turnover of guests. The restaurant also provides a leaflet in English explaining dimsum to guests, which comes in really useful. Despite the obvious efforts put in to cater to the "caucasian market", it remains very popular amongst the local chinese community, which is testimony to the quality of food. www.brightpearlseafood.com

Real Thailand for Real in Toronto

It's real thai food at Real Thailand on Bloor just west of Spadina in Toronto. I'm impressed with the lamb and chicken curries especially. Directly opposite the Dominions grocery store in the Annex, it lives up to its somewhat boastful sounding name by delivering amazingly delicious dishes in a casual and relaxed atmosphere. And in case you are wondering what the portraits at the back of the restaurant are about, a review dating back to 2000 on their website www.realthailand.ca explains it all.

St. Louis Bar and Grill at Davisville

I can't believe I couldn't remember this place from the time I lived in Toronto. Now that I've seen it again, "Right, that's where it is." This standalone establishment is as much a part of this historic stretch of Yonge Street as James Street Feed Company is of Bank Street in Ottawa. It cannot be missed on the west side of Yonge Street in between Davisville and Eglinton, one of the few places left along Yonge Street with it's own parking (even though it was a miserly 6 or 7 lots). I found it after parking in one of the side streets east of Yonge, finding to my delight free parking (1 hour limit) in a city where this is becoming an increasingly scarce commodity.

Riding on past glory - King's Garden?

King's Garden Chinese Cuisine used to be one of the best places to have dimsum on a weekend morning in Toronto. Still at 214 King W just across from the Roy Thomson Hall, it seemed to disappoint a little this Sunday. Perhaps it had to do with the high expectations it commanded or the fact that they had changed the menu since I was last there. While innovation is commendable, in this particular case it might have been at the expense of a formula that worked just too well. The quality is still respectable, but it set me back by about $30 for what I would consider a premium price to pay for an A-minus in an increasingly competitive market for dimsum in the rapidly expanding TO.

Missionfest Toronto

The first thing that struck me about Missionfest Toronto is the diversity of the Christian spectrum, ranging from people I would collaborate with anytime to those I would be embarrassed to be associated with. The communities of Christendom encompass all types, from the moderate to the extreme, from the genteel to the gruff, artists, intellectuals, missionaries, politicians and businessmen. It was a solemn reminder that God reaches out to everyone and this is no time to get proud. In a sense, Missionfest Toronto was very much a microcosm of the city, a melting pot of cultures and societies, and in this case of doctrines and expressions of worship as well. It was an excellent example of how we can be different and still be united. Even though a distinct generation gap can be discerned, young and old gathered, celebrated and worshipped together in many cases. In the end, it was an amazing discovery experience for me. There's a lot to process, consider and pray about. Was there anything that irked me? Well, there was a tendency as would be expected in an event of this nature to be overly spiritual sounding in the rhetoric. At times I really felt that it distracted from the message.

Thai Restaurant en route to Toronto

There is a nice little Thai restaurant by the name of Desiam on the way to Toronto at Pickering which is very inexpensive. The food is authentically Thai and is a welcome change from the usual fast food stops along the 401 between Ottawa and Toronto. Although Pickering is almost Toronto, it is a convenient place to stop especially if you are making your way up to the 407 via Brock Road (Durham regional road 1). The restaurant is in the middle of the mall to the east of Brock Road along Pickering Parkway. It's about halfway to Staples (at the east end) from the Brock Road turn off and is next to the only other restaurant in the complex.

Alight at Night at Upper Canada Village

This was probably the only spot open on the night of Jan 1. Anyway, it was a delightfully Christmas-ty thing to do. Singing carols at the old Christ Church and watching the baker put the bread into the old brick oven. Don't forget to get in line early for the bread at 7 pm at the souvenir store, for it sells out fast! The oven is only big enough for 120 loaves, and this particular evening, he made just 80.

The other buildings were closed, unlike during the day in summer, and the ground was just a little icy (no fresh snow). However, for an admission fee of only $4, it was well worth it. www.uppercanadavillage.com

Toronto calling

Do you ever get that feeling of the big city calling? This weekend was another one spent in Toronto, and something about this place keeps me coming back. Part of me hates the effort that one has to put in just to live here, for example, the need to watch out for drivers cutting in front of you at every corner, the queuing for something as simple as ice cream, and the "I will be there in 25 minutes, depending on traffic" routine. But deep inside of me, a voice is calling for the excitement and the energy that one does not get to feel in Ottawa, the city that goes to bed at five-thirty p.m.

We will see. If an exciting career opportunity brings me back to Toronto...

Some facts about parking in Toronto

Think it's alright to park in a private garage without paying and displaying the necessary ticket on your dashboard? Think again. Even in a private garage, you can get a city ticket that comes with a $30 fine for "unauthorized parking on private property" (which includes parking without the required payment). If you get towed, you are liable for towing charges of up to $80 (regulated by the city), and it's unlikely the towing service will charge any less. In fact, you may be charged a "reasonable" fee for storage of your vehicle (like up to $20 per day) on top of that. So be forewarned, Toronto is a fine city.

Toronto City Roots Festival

The growing presence of the Toronto City Roots Festival (which is in its second year) is starting to be felt with more artistes participating and the lineup improving. It is ultimately a very grassroots festival, with many new performers striving to make an impression. The well-known, recently reunited and revitalised Parachute Club headlined Saturday's show, drawing most of the crowd that evening to the main stage. The Sisters of Sheynville (a.k.a. "Yiddish swing chick band") who played a little earlier in the evening at a different stage were eclectically colorful with their blonde reinvention of the Barry Sisters. The all female group consisted of double base, clarinet, drums, keyboard, and of course 2 vocalists. The whole yiddish thing didn't help me (because I like to understand the lyrics) but I am almost ashamed to admit this since they they were so enthusiatic about it and I really did enjoy the music very much.

The historic distillery district where the festival was held is also growing into its new identity, and is noticeably more settled in terms of character since I was last there when it first opened in 2003. It's an interesting location for music as the GO train and some goods trains run right by, making for a discordant and yet strangely charming inner city Torontoresque experience, gentrified though it may be. The old fermenting room which housed the main stage was an acoustic nightmare, but did make it feel like an authentically underground gig. www.torontocityroots.com www.thedistillerydistrict.com

Reflections on a weekend in Toronto

Insanity is a trait common amongst the inhabitants of Toronto. You need some of it in order to cope with the multi-cultural, high-density, fast-paced environment that's constantly on overdrive. This weekend, an ex-Torontonian (that's me) decided to go with the flow...

Friday 10 pm, along the Don Valley Parkway: At least the Don Valley parking lot is smooth today. I am directed via cellular to head for the Firkin. I wasn't expecting to be at a pub directly on arrival, but it's a group I do want to meet.

Saturday 10 am, Warden Avenue near Aurora: I'm on my 49 km bike ride. Some of these guys training for the Niagara race have already done 80 km before we arrived!

Saturday 2 pm, Cafe de Macao at First Markham Place: There is something on the menu that translates to African Chicken that's really good here. Apparently this is a dish that does in fact exist in Macau. As to the source of the name, I would guess that the curry-like sauce is in fact of African origin.

Saturday 10.30 pm, in the kitchen: Movie night on the back rooftop. Cool! But I've had a long day and definitely feeling a little out of it. She refills the Brita pitcher with tap-water, hands it over to me. I put it back in the fridge. She is still thirsty after finishing her glass, asks me if I could pour her some more. I begin pouring and spill water all over the kitchen floor. Duh! The dim-witted me forgot that Brita pitchers take time to filter the water you put into it and do not pour until the process is complete. We sure make a great team.

Sunday 2 pm, High Park: The wasps at High Park seem more habituated to humans than the variety in Ottawa. They appear more adept at getting into your food and drink. Maybe mango juice wasn't such a good idea after all. We also had to queue for ice-cream. But it was a really nice day out nonetheless.

Sunday 9.30 pm, Jersey Giant on Front Street: Girl from Winnipeg, talkative, aspiring fashion designer, waitressing to pay the bills. Hopefully her Toronto dreams come true. Guy from Mississauga, went on boat cruise on Lake Huron with Barrie singles group. Looks like the unofficial GTA* is expanding to include both these places.

Monday 10 am: My friend is headed off to the beaches at Ashbridge's Bay. Sounds like a plan I will have to pass up as I'm leaving early this afternoon. I remember good sand and volleyball. But I wouldn't get into the water with the sewage plant next to it. I'll have Lac Philippe or Meech Lake anytime.

Monday 4 pm: The west-bound traffic on the 401 slows to a crawling pace as the residents of Toronto make their way back from their cottages. I'm glad I'm going the other way.

*Greater Toronto Area

Yorkdale Mall on a Saturday

I take back what I said about it being nice to be back in Toronto. It's been quite a whlle since I saw so many people and cars getting in each others' way! While waiting (how can anyone be early in this traffic?), I talked to this guy who is studying in Winnipeg (originally from Bangladesh) and also waiting for someone who's delayed in traffic. Looks like he finds Toronto overcrowded as well, and despite calls from his relatives and friends in Toronto to move there after he's graduated, he doesn't think he will... www.yorkdale.com

Federicks Restaurant - Scarborough - Toronto

It's good to be back in Toronto again. I was visiting a friend in Scarborough and we decided to go to Federicks Restaurant first introduced to me three years ago. I do miss the food there. A typical non-fancy chinese eatery cum take-out best described as a Hakka-Chinese-Indian-Malaysian restaurant. The mee goreng and the butter chicken are among my favourite dishes. You can find it at 1920 Ellesmere Road. It's part of a little row of about half a dozen shops with private parking (free).

Where to fill up along the 401

I usually stop at Kingston (Division St exit) for some fast food and a toilet break en route to/from Toronto/Ottawa, and to fill up the gas tank. But I learnt something new today from a more experienced 401-weekend-commuter. While the Division St exit is still the most convenient place for food, the most inexpensive place for gas is the Flying J at Napanee. Apparently this normally saves you about 4 to 5 cents per litre, and in today's case, a whopping 9 cents per litre.