EATS: CNE 2019

Hello everyone! This post is LONG overdue but the end of summer was spent preparing for the new school year. The HF enjoyed another annual visit to the CNE and indulged in some pretty amazing eats. We went on the Saturday of Food Truck Frenzy weekend and were treated to some beautiful weather.

EATS: Hamilton Fare Way at the RBC Canadian Open

Hello everyone! This weekend, the Hamilton Golf and Country Club is hosting the annual RBC Canadian Open and the HF and I will be attending on the Saturday with a couple of our friends. I was recently invited to the media preview of the new food initiative that will be open during the tournament between the 17th and 18th holes: the Hamilton Fare Way.

Several great Hamilton restaurants will be there serving up some delicious eats ranging from $10-$20 and there is something for everyone. There will also be live music and art installations set up to showcase the awesomeness that is #HamOnt. 

NEW COFFEE SHOP: Phin Coffee Bar

Hello everyone! I was checking out TasteHamOnt’s list of what was open and closed on Family Day and came across a new name in Hamilton. I immediately took to Instagram to lurk and discovered Phin Coffee was having their soft opening weekend and that Monday was only the 2nd day. So the HF (who is a mega coffee geek and got me into vanilla lattes bc he would make them for me at his place) and I headed out to Westdale to check out this new shop.

There’s no signage outside as of yet so it’s easy to miss if you’re driving. They’re in a white brick building next to a crossfit gym and when you enter, it’s immediately cozy and calming. 

EATS: Yasu

Hello everyone! One of my foodie dreams recently came true when the HF took me out for omakase at Yasu. Omakase translates to “I’ll leave it up to you” so it’s basically chef’s choice. At Yasu they serve the most amazing sushi with ingredients from all over the world, shipped daily so it’s super fresh. I had first heard about this place through my friend Laura who is half Japanese and lived in Japan for a few years, and when she said she almost cried at how delicious the tuna was, I knew it had to be added on my ultimate must dine list. WARNING: this post is VERY FOOD PICTURE HEAVY so you’ve been warned lol. 

OOAK Winter 2018

Hello everyone! The One of a Kind Show and Sale is back at the Enercare Centre for the Winter installment, and if you’re more conscious about shopping local and supporting Canadian made goods, then this is the place to be. I’ve rounded up some new vendors along with my returning favourites for this post – and I’ll be doing my shopping at the Late Night Shopping event on Thursday, Nov 29 (when OOAK stays open until 11pm!)

A Tale of 2 Cities: Coffee

Hello everyone! Most people who know me know that although I live in Brampton, the majority of my time is spent either in Toronto or Hamilton. Over the last 2 years, I finally became a little bit of a coffee drinker (in the sense that I now drink vanilla lattes with either almond or oat milk.) I’ve also enjoyed trying out small coffee shops because the HF is all into the indie Canadian coffee roasters and I have some definite favourites.

In Toronto, my favourite coffee shop is Strange Love Coffee (101 Spadina Ave.) Their original location is located near King and Spadina, however they now have 2 other shops (near Summerhill as well as Queen West.) I love their “Lover’s Latte” which is made with tonka bean syrup so flavour wise it’s kind of like vanilla, however I find it slightly more floral/aromatic in a great way. The name is because tonka beans are allegedly an aphrodisiac  LOL. They regularly carry Phil and Seb beans and usually also have a monthly feature roaster and they most beautiful pastries.

My other favourite shop in Toronto is located right in Union Station and is probably the most popular local roaster. Pilot Coffee is a must for me if I ever take the train into Union; their coffee is delicious, their baristas are consistent in making great lattes, and the service is very fast. My usual order is an oat milk vanilla latte (used to get almond milk but now they have Oatly which is delish!)

In Hamilton, my most frequently visited coffee shop is Emerald Coffee Co. Located at 340 Barton Street E (right at Barton and Emerald), this shop just recently partnered with Pilot Coffee however still carries beans from Fernwood Coffee (from BC) as well. They also have a great selection of treats including weekly Donut Monster offerings as well as Eric’s Crafted Butter Tarts. AND as if that wasn’t enough – they sell house designed Hamilton swag and carry awesome retail goods made by local artisans. Main order: almond vanilla latte, however their seasonal Hazelnut Latte has been my main order lately.

Finally, my other go-to in Hamilton is Redchurch Cafe + Gallery. Parking is a bit of a challenge near 68 King Street E which one of the major deterrents for me, however I am always ecstatic when I manage to find a spot. Almond vanilla lattes are consistently great and if you manage to get there when their chocolate chip cookies are cooling, GET (at least) ONE. They have the BEST chocolate chip cookies in Hamilton. They serve and carry beans from De Mello Palheta (another fantastic Toronto roaster) and they also serve actual food (though I have yet to pop in for lunch!)

What are your favourite coffee shops in the 6 or HamOnt? Let me know in the comments! Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

EATS: NYC

Hello everyone! I recently went back to NYC (if you recall – I went 2 years ago!) and of course, I had to eat ALL OF THE THINGS. This time was even more food fueled because I went with my favourite dining partner (the HF, obviously) and 2 of our friends. This post is very photo heavy so if you’re hungry, as per usual, grab a snack or you’ll be regretting it by the end.

We arrived in the late afternoon and after checking in to our hotel, we decided to hop on the subway to Bleecker Street. We walked up toward Greenwich Village and our first stop was Favela Cubana for happy hour. 

EATS: Pokeh x Rony’s Pop-up 2.0

Hello everyone! When I heard that Shayne and Salar Madadi of Pokeh were doing another pop-up at Rony’s, I was immediately in. The HF and I had a fantastic time at their last one in January and this one was going to have an Asian street food theme (Salar was very inspired by his recent travels through Asia) so I was excited.
The first course was a Cambodian bar snack of peanuts with lemongrass, kaffir lime, chili, shallots, but with a slight Canadian twist with a drizzle of maple syrup mixed in. I’m not one to eat peanuts on their own, but this mix was highly addictive. Sweet and savoury with a hint of heat, I could eat handfuls of this all day. The next course was the popular Thai curry dish of Khao Soi. The HF and I first tried this at Pintoh and immediately fell in love with the delicious coconut curry broth. The Pokeh guys definitely did this justice with the fantastic broth and noodles. Fun story: I was speaking very animatedly with our table mates (we were seated with some strangers who became new friends) and I accidentally knocked my hand into the waitress who had a bowl of Khao Soi in her hand and it went crashing to the floor. I was mortified and felt so bad (I literally almost cried) and apologized profusely. Fortunately they had a few extras so no one had to miss out on this delicious dish. 

Decorté x Saks Launch

Hello everyone! I was recently invited to attend the launch of Decorté’s new colour collection at Saks Fifth Avenue at Sherway Gardens. I had never actually heard of this brand before, but was very intrigued since it is owned by the #1 skincare company in Japan (Kosé.) I, along with a few other influencers had a fantastic dining experience at Beaumont Kitchen while learning about this amazing brand. Decorté collaborates with Nobel Prize-winning laboratories to ensure they have the newest and most innovative technology to benefit your skin (fun fact: they were the first company to actually create facial serums.) All of their products are created with skincare as the first priority – and it really shows. The Japanese philosophy on foundation is that it is considered to be the last step in your skincare routine – meaning it should act as something that nourishes your skin with a bit of colour. 

EATS: March Break in #HamOnt

Hello everyone! Hamilton is my 2nd home and I was glad to have a staycation there for the entire March Break. I seized this opportunity to really enjoy myself and eat ALL of the delicious things in and around this great city (yes, I went to Burlington a couple of times during the break.) Here was my week at a glance:

SATURDAY: Pintoh Cuisine (399 Elizabeth Street, Burlington)
We were lucky to have been able to come here during the last weekend of Taste of Burlington. I had been to Pintoh before with TasteHamont and I was determined to bring the HF here too. Before this night, he had never actually had authentic Thai food so I was so glad to finally introduce him. It was a fantastic prix fixe deal – $40 per couple! They have something similar regularly called The Pintoh Experience for 2 (which we will definitely try the next time.)

We started off with Nam Khao Som Moo (which I just learned is actually Laotian in origin) which is my new favourite dish. It is a fried curried rice salad that was spicy and savoury but very well balanced with acidity and ginger and that awesome fermented sour sausage. Seriously – if you had asked me 5 years ago to eat anything that was “fermented” I would’ve been very suspicious. This is a MUST ORDER.