A visit to The Getty Center

Getty Center

We were in LA one week before the devastating wildfires. We were thankful we had just made it home before this happened but sad for those who were affected and had to evacuate. While we went to the Getty Center and did not have a chance to visit the Getty Villa, we were still watching the news closely and hoped the museum would not be damaged. We still got chills knowing the fires were so close to the Getty Center as well, where we just were!

Admission was free, but reservations needed to be made and there was a fee for parking. From the parking, you will have to take a shuttle tram to get to the Center. From the Architecture Tour that we took, we learned that it was intentional as the architect wanted to take us out of our daily cares and transport us to a different place where we can relax and explore the modern architecture, gardens and galleries. 

After joining the tour, we decided to have a quick lunch before exploring the galleries. We went to the cafe and got some over-priced salads and sandwiches. If we lived in the area, we would have followed the locals and brought our own lunch. There are plenty of areas to sit and enjoy your own food and drinks.

view from The Getty Center

As the line up to see Van Gogh's Irises was long at the West Pavilion, we went to the North, East and South Pavilions first. Their collections were beautiful but it did not take us too long to explore--about an hour to 1.5 hours per area. I loved that I was able to see some of the early works of Rembrandt. And as well when I finally got to the West, I saw a few works of Monet (my other favourite Impressionist) that I had not seen before!

Of course the highlight for me was catching the temporary exhibit on "Ultra-Violet: New Light on Van Gogh's Irises," which I lined up almost half an hour for. It was amazing to see how modern science was able to uncover the artist's materials and methods to reveal how the colours were originally. 

Recreated Van Gogh's Irises (C) Getty Center

We did not explore the gardens at length but viewed them from the platforms of the pavilions. It turned out great as we were able to see the masterful landscaping top view!

view of the gardens at Getty Center

We spent less than 5 hours at the Getty Center, though I can totally imagine staying much longer to just take in the views at the courtyard and gardens or to contemplate art further. I hope to be able to visit the Villa next time.

Food Tripping in Ajax – Karahi Boys and Kunafa’s

Family Naan @KarahiBoys

 Meeting up with a friend in Ajax, hubby and I did not realize we would end up on an amazing food trip! I was happy to find a branch of Karahi Boys which a Pakistani native recommended to me. With branches in downtown and GTA, it turned out great that we can try this place out where we were going to be. It was our first time trying Pakistani cuisine and we loved it!

We ordered half Potohari Goat Karahi which was cooked in whole tomatoes, cream and aromatic spices. We asked for the dish to be served with medium heat as I was warned that Pakistani cuisine tends to be really spicy. However, hubby and I think we could have handled a bit more heat. Next time! The karahi was deliciously hearty with a bit of tang and sweet from the methi (fenugreek) and other spices. The goat was tender and the tomato cream spice sauce was so flavourful. It went perfectly well with the family naan we ordered (with butter, of course!).

Potohari Goat Karahi @KarahiBoys

The naan was simply the best! It was baked to perfection and served on a stand for that wow-effect. This soft and buttery naan was perfect for sharing and scooping up the karahi sauce!

Apart from the Family Naan, we also got some Garlic Naan and paired that with our dish with no sauce, Chapli Kabab. 

Garlic naan @KarahiBoys

The juicy fried Chapli Kabab came in 2 pieces of patties made of minced beef and a blend of spices. It was crispy outside and juicy inside. It came with sauce on the side and on a bed of onions. In my opinion, this was spicier than the karahi we got. It was yummy but I will try something else next time.

Chapli Kabab with Family Naan @Karahi Boys

For dessert, we tried the Khoya Kheer which is a traditional rice pudding made in house which was nicely presented in a clay dish. It was a light palate cleanser with a smooth yet gummy texture. This one was just ok for me.

Khoya Kheer (pudding) @KarahiBoys

We were so delighted to have tried Pakistani cuisine! We will definitely be back with the girls!

Another treat we discovered in Ajax was Kunafa’s. I had not heard of kunafa before but as I was looking for a treat to bring home to the fam, I chanced upon Kunafa’s, tucked away in one of the shopping complexes in Ajax.

Kunafa, which can also be searched up online as kanafeh, kunafeh or knafeh, is a Middle Eastern cheese and dough pastry drizzled in a sugar-based syrup and topped with pistachios. They had Crispy Kunafa (topped with crispy shredded phyllo) 

Crispy Kunafa @Kunafa's

and the Kunafa Nabulsi (the original, traditional kunafa). We tried it first to decide which one to get and as we bit into the warm, gooey cheese pastry, we decided we had to get both. It was just melt-in-your-mouth creamy and the cheesy goodness had just the right sweetness. Alternating the crispy one and the original one was even better!

Kunafa Nabulsi @Kunafa's

We also got their Pistachio and Hazelnut baklava. Grandma and Hubby claimed it was the best baklava they had. I agree, but only outside of the one we had in Mykonos. DD#2 prefers those made by the Greek Orthodox Sisters in Stouffville.

Pistachio and Hazelnut Baklava @Kunafa's

Baklava cups @Kunafa's

There were many other places to discover in Ajax. Cannot wait for our next trip to check out what other goodies they had instore!