More gastronomic delights and our new favourite in Leslieville

Over the weekend, we made two stops on our fantastic gastronomic journey in Leslieville:

Gio Rana's Really Really Nice Restaurant (1220 Queen Street East, Toronto)
The giant paper-mâché nose above the restaurant entrance may remind Torontonians of its previous location at Yonge & Eglinton or the American Express TV commercial. However, this was my first experience of the Italian restaurant, which has a surprisingly limited selection of pasta on its menu. Instead, the chef's focus is on seafood and meat.

We were all really (really) happy with our meal though I found my portion size on the small side; my lamb was very juicy and flavourful while Joe's osso bucco was tender and delicious. However, the desserts were to die for: the goatcheese cheese cake was just perfection while the tiramisu was the best I've ever had - light, both in texture and taste, yet still rich with flavour.

Leonidas Belgium Chocolates and Cafe (5 Coady Avenue, Toronto)
Strolling around in nice weather makes one susceptible to tasty summer treats so when we noticed the trash can shaped like an ice cream cone outside Leonidas, we ran for the front door. I usually prefer the creamy flavour of ice cream to the lighter texture of gelato but Leonidas's raspberry coconut and Tiramisu flavours were creamier than any gelato I have ever had. We have a coupon for a 1 litre tub of Leonidas gelato, which I had scoffed at previously but now, am simply biding my time for an opportunity to lock myself in with said tub and possibly the first season DVD of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand".

And the furniture store that will save us from Ikea:

G.U.F.F. (1142 Queen Street East, Toronto)
Joe and I discovered this used furniture store while they were in the midst of a moving sale, which we took advantage of to acquire a task chair with chrome legs ($45) and an industrial console table ($95). With their grand re-opening on April 3, Joe and I couldn't resist buying a full length mirror in a solid wood frame ($95). From the many 'sold' signs attached to the merchandise on display, it appears that G.U.F.F.'s reasonably priced vintage furniture has a high turnover rate.

Le cry

I bought a fabulous pair of Vivienne Westwood / Melissa shoes (seen above) while in Bangkok back in December, and have been waiting for the an opportune moment to show them off. With a high of 13C forecast today and no rain in sight, I thought the moment for my shoes to shine had arrived. Unfortunately, like a party thumb trap, the shoes have tightened in direct relation to my mounting despair. The Melissa company website states that their product "does not really stretch – any type of give will be negligible."

I will experiment with tights, baby powder and possibly foot binding in a bid to keep these shoes. If all options fail (or not) I will console myself at the One of a Kind Spring Show & Sale (March 31 - April 1, 2010) by buying some stylish clothes to draw attention away from my limping. Nothing works quite like cracking open the wallet for frivolous purchases to fan away the tears.

Hong Kong and Bangkok

We booked our trip to Hong Kong and Bangkok months before we even considered buying a house, so when the day to depart finally arrived, Joe and I were caught unawares in the midst of a bathroom reno. As a result, there was none of the usual anticipation or preparation. Frankly, the whole vacation is a blur of sweating, eating and buying.

A view of Hong Kong from Kowloon side at night.

Hong Kong highlights

• It was refreshing to be in a city of night people. Hong Kong only really comes alive at 10am then goes strong straight into the night, every night. As a result, we felt no guilt about sleeping in before visiting even tourist attractions. Arriving anywhere anytime before noon is a safe bet.
  
• The air quality is terrible in Hong Kong with a constant grey haze hanging over the city. The city is also not good for claustrophobics nor people with high blood pressure what with people rushing all around you on tight streets and an over-abundance of stimulation. I showed my age as what used to energize me now makes me want to sit down and take it easy.
• In the course of a week, we experienced only two sunny days, one of which was spent at the idyllic village of the filthy rich, Stanley. It was great to have public bus access to a tropical beach so close to a world class city like Hong Kong. However, on the overcast 18C days, a good portion of the locals wore winter coats and furry clothing. Meanwhile, Joe and I considered the weather ideal conditions for enjoying our hotel's outdoor pool, having suffered swimming in Canadian lakes in the spring time.
  

The floating market (aka tourist trap on water)

Bangkok highlights

• The high quality and low price of the food is one of the main reasons to visit Bangkok. Even at high end malls, full meals could be had for a few Canadian dollars; eating on the street cost even less. Instead of junk food, locals buy handy grab bags of fresh cut papaya, pineapple, strawberries and whatever else was in season, for less than $1 CAD. This explains why the local population is consistently skinny, even the policemen in their tight black uniforms, regardless of age.
• The locals also demonstrate an amazing sense of style that had nothing to do with labels, though high end designer clothes were readily available. Local designs showed an affinity for draping fabric, which is chic and very in vogue with Western designers. I found myself excitedly buying affordable local designer clothes because they will work as well in Toronto as they do in Bangkok.
• The worst part of Bangkok were the tourists. On the innocuous side of the spectrum were the faux hippies; the brokers and students on vacation who have decided to wear flip flops, wife beaters and dread locks. It marks them out like idiots, considering how stylish and urbane the locals tend to be, no matter what the weather. The more troubling visitors are the sex tourists; the older Western male hanging out with a much younger Thai girl or boy. My visit to Pattaya Beach was marred by repeat sightings of hairy, beer bellied white guys in Speedos, clutching either a beer or a young local. Both kinds of tourists show absolutely no respect for the local populace.

We intend on returning to Hong Kong and Bangkok though our next stay will probably be shorter than a week. Just as Hong Kong customer service has improved considerably in the last decade, in reaction to growing competition from Singapore and Shanghai, Bangkok will have to decide which type of tourist they wish to cater to: wholesome shopaholics like me or hairy sex predators. Make your choice, Bangkok.

A weekend in Ottawa

Thanks to VIA Rail's 60% discount mea culpa at the end of their worker's strike, I was able to visit Ottawa over the weekend without having to resort to a Greyhound bus. The train trip was no faster than a bus but it definitely catered to a far classier crowd (read: no drunken dirtbags reading over the shoulder because everyone had a digital device to keep them occupied). The only book that I managed to finish during 10 hours of train travel was Slowness by Milan Kundera, which was, indeed, a slow read in spite of being a slim publication.

I was charmed by the extensive wild park lands throughout Ottawa and the widespread preservation of historical architecture - both of which Toronto tends to lack. I also had the pleasure of experiencing local businesses exclusive to the Ottawa area, which made the city seem a lot further than a five hour drive from Toronto.

Bridgehead - A coffee house along the same vein as Second Cup and Starbucks, except their coffee is all organic, fair trade, and shade grown.

The Works - A gourmet burger joint that offers endless options for both meat eaters and vegetarians; the menu must be seen to be believed. I had the Portobello Mushroom Cap topped with Curry Crunch on a whole wheat bun with a side of sweet potato strings. Delicious!

BeaverTails - These fried dough pastries can be accessed locally through the Canadian National Exhibition and at Blue Mountain in Collingwood, but I will always associate them with skating on the Rideau Canal during Winterlude. However, eating BeaverTails in the Byward Market on a hot summer night is still a great experience.

Lost Marbles and Mrs. Tiggy Winkle's - Lost Marbles is the grown-up kids branch of the Mrs. Tiggy Winkle's toy store. They carry a wide range of clever Fred products as well as KidRobot collectibles. I bought a mystery Futurama figurine for Joe at a Lost Marbles located in The Glebe, an interesting neighbourhood in Ottawa. (Joe got Fry.)

Victoire - A boutique at 246 Dalhousie St. that features the most amazing clothing and accessories. It hurt not to buy anything, but my personal budget has run into the red for months. Victoire's neighbours are also worth checking out: Workshop (242 1/2 Dalhousie), a crafty clothing store, and Young Jane (203 Dalhousie), featuring vintage clothing like its location predecessor, Attic.

My experience of Ottawa did not consist solely of eating and shopping. We enjoyed the free Sound and Light Show on Parliament Hill, which practically poured maple syrup, Mounties and Bryan Adams from the Peace Tower. The propaganda was so insulting that it became fascinating. This was not my first visit to Parliament Hill but it was on this latest trip that I discovered the tiny estate that houses the fat cats. To be clear, I refer to the feral cats that are maintained by volunteers and donations, and not the politicians.

Give in to the ongoing advertising onslaught and visit Ottawa this summer. Strangely enough, Ottawa residents are being encouraged to visit Kingston. One can only speculate where Kingston residents are being funneled to.

Not an infomercial for pillows

For the first time in 15 years, I am not suffering from a stiff, achy lower back. Why? Because I have discovered the body pillow! Just $99.99! Call now!

Actually, I am just using a regular pillow but it is supporting my upper leg when I sleep on my side and the result has been the disappearance of my lower back problems. Previous to my use of this body pillow equivalent, yoga exercises helped ease the tension in my back but it was a treatment rather than a solution. I am ecstatic with this seemingly magical product, to say the least.

Also making me happy at night is my buckwheat pillow, which I bought at the Christmas 2008 One of a Kind Show from Harvest Pillows. I was inspired to buy this product after using a traditional Japanese buckwheat pillow during my stay at an onsen. It took about a month of restless nights before I became comfortable with the buckwheat pillow, but now, it provides all of the neck support of my previous favourite, the Obus Forme Standard Cervical Pillow, minus the frustration of weakening neck support over time. Joe inherited my old Obus Forme pillow and, despite its slightly degraded foam, it has cured him of the headaches that were brought on by his regular pillow's lack of neck support.

The body and buckwheat pillows are not for everyone but a sleep aid of some sort can cure seemingly unrelated body and head aches. The solution can be as simple as providing limb support using an spare pillow. Wow!

I want this

I could easily believe that this is a hoax or even an art project but the fact that it is a reality makes me grateful that I am alive in this consumer culture.

Latest obsession: My Hoi Bo bag

The 2009 One of a Kind Spring Show proved to be very good to me. For one thing, I was well fed - gratis! My association with a more reputable online publication than this blog gave me access to the Media Breakfast, held about an hour before opening.

Matthew B. Foote, Executive Chef at Elora Mill Inn, prepared the following menu for the press:

Heirloom Carrot and Orange Juice
Apple Cider with Star Anise
Wild Pacific Smoked Salmon
Westphalian Ham
Fine Canadian Cheeses
Wild Flower Honey Comb
Assorted Artisan Bread
Grilled Back Bacon with Maple Gastrique
Pain Perdue Filled with 20 Hour Apples
"AF 4109 UG Research" Snake Egg Tarts with Thunder Oak Gouda
Crisp Heirloom Potato Confit
Centre Wellington County Maple Syrup

My friend and I took the snake eggs all in stride but the dish turned out to be an April Fool's joke on the part of the chef. Regular chicken eggs left us a little disappointed in theory but not in taste.

With full stomachs, we went strong for three hours, fulfilling my responsibility to the publication that helped get us fed, and getting some shopping in at the same time.

Eve Gravel failed to offer the right sizes for the pieces that I was interested in (a problem that was driving Eve crazy). However, I consoled myself with my single purchase from the OOAK: my Portrait bag by Hoi Bo (seen above). Handcrafted in Toronto, it is easily one of the chicest and most grown up bags that I have ever purchased. Not only does the bag look attractive but it smells delicious, too; the bag's fabric was hand waxed with pure beeswax. The result is a durable finish, made to match the solid hardware and soft leather handles, which reportedly require 45 minutes of work alone to attach to the bag.

With this bag, I overcame my phobia of shoulder bags. Time will tell if my back problems overcome my vanity.

See this great highlight of the OOAK Spring Show for further enticement.

The One of a Kind Spring Show is coming!

The second most anticipated shopping event on my calendar is almost here! The One of a Kind Spring Show runs April 1-5, 2009 at the Direct Energy Centre.

As usual, I'll be checking out Eve Gravel for her latest Spring/Summer collection. I am eyeing the Coocoo's Nest dress (seen on the left), but everything must be seen and worn to be believed.

Otherwise, I'm not sure what will prompt me to spend money. The Spring Show is smaller than the Christmas one and there is less of an altruistic angle to the consumerism due to the absence of gift giving in the Easter tradition. Plus, I am constantly reminded by Joe of my promise to save Iceland's economy with my wallet in late April.

The OOAK also has some stiff competition for the buying power of lazy but technologically savy craft buyer with Etsy: Your place to buy and sell all things homemade. I discovered this website while peering over the shoulder of a fellow student during a computer workshop. As everyone else practiced changing font colours, the craft enthusiast browsed cute craft items. It certainly looked more relaxing than fighting baby strollers in the aisles of the OOAK. However, come Saturday, May 16, Etsy will enter the real world with the Etsy Handmade Market, to be held at hipster hangout, the Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St. W.)

OOAK organizers will probably attribute any drop in numbers to the economic downturn , but, as usual, the Internet and Iceland are partially to blame.

One of a Kind Show: 10 days left to go broke

As per tradition, I attended the first day of the One of a Kind Show (OOAK) and this year, I was not disappointed. The organizers featured a wider range of items than last year, an observation that was echoed by other attendees, and only fatigue and an empty wallet stayed my hand.

The OOAK has a reputation for selling pricier items - understandable since the majority of the featured products are not mass produced overseas. Yet, Kyla Francis manages to sell her hand printed glasses and mugs for less than $15 each. The dishwasher safe enamel images of sneakers (see above), cassette tapes and Wii controllers will appeal to the lazy, the immature and the nostalgic.

Amber Mills's ceramic wares are more traditionally styled but stood out from the crowd, none the less. The rich colours and Arabian influenced design first grabbed my attention on the OOAK website then, once I saw them in person, they preyed on my mind throughout my initial walk-thru of the show until I rushed back to Mills's booth. After thinking hard, I picked a variation on the mug seen above. Mills's designs are still on my mind, and if I return to the OOAK before December 7, I may find myself purchasing one of her vases.

Finally, I made my bi-annual trek to the Eve Gravel booth to buy something. This season, I bought the Mushi Mushi dress (seen below). Already, I can imagine wearing the dress at a holiday get-together, during a night out at the pub, lying on a bear skin rug in the middle of a chalet...so many possibilities. This dress will pay for itself.
One of a Kind Christmas Show and Sale 2008
Thursday, November 27–Sunday, December 7, 2008
Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto
Weekdays 11am-10pm, Saturdays 10am-9pm, Sundays 10am-6pm

tokidoki's new bling

Two years ago, after attending the 2006 Comic Con, I bought a tokidoki bag from the Duty Free Shop steps from Grauman's Chinese Theatre in L.A. I was hesitant to buy the bag because $100 seemed quite steep for rip-stop nylon, even if it was cute. Luckily for me, Joe insisted on buying the Playground Ciao bag (seen on the left) for me and I have enjoyed it ever since.

In the two years since, tokidoki has become a phenomenon. Prices rose in the season immediately after my purchase, but the brand continued to grow in popularity. So, when I heard that tokidoki would no longer be produced by lesportsac after Winter 2007, I was surprised that such a profitable brand would be discontinued. (See the complete lesportsac line of tokidoki bags minus Winter 2007 here.)

Thinking that tokidoki bags were a thing of the past, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the tokidoki booth at Comic Con 2008. Girls swarmed the counter and bought skateboard decks, t-shirts, accessories and whatever they could get their hands on. I found myself jumping into the fray but ultimately, walked away with nothing.

A few days after Comic Con had ended, I was at the Macy's in Union Square, San Francisco, when I came across new tokidoki bags that had just arrived, so the salesperson claimed. I looked over these new tokidoki bags and found them lacking, especially in comparison to my own tokidoki bag, which I was carrying. The teeth of the zippers were similarly multicoloured but much harsher in tone. All the hardware had a flashy gold tone unlike the more subtle brushed gold of my bag. A closer look at the finishing of the bags also showed a careless hand.

When I returned home, I checked the Wikipedia entry for tokidoki and was surprised to learn that lesportsac is reportedly the manufacturer of the new tokidoki line of bags. Apparently, the brand's illustrator and co-creator, Simone Legno, was given complete creative control and chose to leave out the lesportsac logo for a "cleaner aesthetic". These new bags are also expected to cost more than the previous line.

Either Wikipedia is mistaken in its claim that lesportsac has anything to do with the new line of tokidoki bags or lesportsac is screwing over Simone Legno by producing a sub par product.

It is understandable that Simone Legno and his business partners might want a bigger cut of the tokidoki pie, and separating themselves from lesportsac is a first step. However, will tokidoki fans buy any product with the tokidoki characters emblazoned on them, even if it is poorly made? Only numbers will tell.

Turned Japanese - Part 2

Looking over our most recent credit card bill, Joe and I were filled with remorse. We had anticipated heavy spending in Japan but the outstanding balance proved that we had exercised too much restaint. It is not that Joe and I possessed outstanding self control while shopping in Tokyo. Rather, we were overwhelmed by the abundance of choice.

Like Hong Kong, shopping is a hobby or even a sport in Tokyo. You have to do your research to figure out which product is right for you and then you do a lot of walking to find exactly what you want. Unlike Hong Kong, prices in Japan tend not be of the bargain variety so you have to be choosy otherwise you would go broke buying every variation of what you want.

Consumerism is so strong that whole buildings and malls service niche markets. 109 is a shopping mall eight stories high that caters to the fast and cheap fashions of teenage girls. More to my taste was Parco, another shopping mall that focused on moderately priced, current fashions for young women. Meanwhile, in Akihabara, manga enthusiasts could find six storey high buildings filled with nothing but manga and related paraphenilia (including life size mannequins of your favourite characters, seen above).

Unused to such a level of choice, Joe shut down and bought almost nothing for fear of succumbing to his need to possess every $200 robot and new notebook he saw. Drowning in Japanese fashion, I found myself seriously considering styles that I would not otherwise consider back home ("Do I want this cute maternity styled top? Think! Think!"). It was in Japan that we discovered that I have a far greater capacity for shopping than Joe, who uttered the words, "I'm tired of shopping for electronics" (!).

Apart from shopping, our other main pursuit in Japan was going to shrines: Asakusa Kannon Temple (seen above), Toshogu Shrine, Meiji Shrine, and various shrines in Kamakura. We even took an impromptu 2km hike in Kamarkura to get from one shrine (Kencho-Ji Temple) to another (Daibutsu statue). We quit at the 1km mark when it became clear, after an hour spent scrambling on all fours, that we were unprepared for the steep and muddy terrain.

The shrines were all very beautiful, historical, and actually varied widely in style but by the time we went to Kyoto, we were all shrined out. Even as I chased geisha with my camera, I found myself thinking, "I wish I was shopping in Tokyo." My best capture was at Kiyomizu Temple, seen below.

To be continued...

For sale now

When I'm not writing in my blog, I like to go out and take photographs for my blog. Voila! Life beyond my keyboard.

Just when I think every little girl is going to be in a thong by the age of seven thanks to pop culture, along comes evidence of sanity. "Barbie Bling", an obvious rip-off of Bratz, is not selling well despite her sparkly napkin and denim belt. Whatever the reason for the poor sales, I am relieved. Combine this with the fact that Britney is becoming an obvious mess and maybe girls will start emulating Janet Reno. Only in my wildest dreams.

As I turned away from "Barbie Bling" with a sigh of relief, "G-taste" jumped out and stopped my heart. After being defibrillated, I was able to gaze at these dolls and think, "What the hell is wrong with the Japanese?" and then, "What is wrong with boys these days?" Well, at least half of the future is in safe hands.

One last thought: why is it that a scantily clad female is used to entertain both sexes? This applies for both dolls and magazine images. Personally, I find scantily clad anything acceptable - just see Harvey Keitel in The Piano and tell me you're not entertained.

This is available at Chapters right now. You might as well save your money; get a piece of string, connect it to a piece of cardboard then write "Rob me now" in big letter. Hang it around your neck as you "travel with ease!"