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Friday, December 12, 2014

Dining at the top: 360 Restaurant at CN Tower




CN Tower
Dinner with co-workers took us 1,151ft above the city of Toronto. We took the glass elevators with partial glass bottom to the top of the CN tower at 22km/h. The tower was lit green that evening (changes depending on the occasion or event being celebrated). FYI, it takes 1,776 steps to make it to the top of one of the world’s tallest free-standing structure.


360 is a revolving restaurant that offers such fantastic views of the city—at all angles, obviously! The floor revolves very slowly, you could hardly notice it. If you do pay close attention, though, you will definitely see and feel the movement. A complete turn takes over an hour.

Night view from 360 restaurant
 Service was efficient. We had wine and bread as we waited for our meal. The cream of cauliflower was beautifully presented, poured into a plate of scallop. It was great tummy-warmer for dinner at 10pm!


 I got the Canadian AAA New York Cut Striploin, aged 45 days, with some sautéed mushrooms (separate charge) on the side. Presentation was very blah—not very appetizing, actually. The piece of meat on a plain white plate with a gravy boat of jus was so boring. The steak itself was nicely done, medium as I like it and seasoned well. I can say, though, that I have had better steaks at half the price. 

AAA New York Cut Striploin at 360


Dessert was Sticky Toffee Pudding with ice cream. The ice cream was delicious and the pudding was decadent, albeit on the chewy side. The one I had at Starfish was hands-down better.

Sticky Toffee Pudding


The menu apparently changes twice a year for Summer and Winter. Hopefully when you get a chance to check this place out, the food would blow your mind. You are at the top of the world, after all. As for me, overall, the food was pricey (not unexpected) but good (not great).


What was fantastic, however, was the wine cellar. Dubbed, the “World’s Highest Cellar” or the “Cellar in the Sky,” the redwood racks showcased thousands of bottles (storage capacity at 9,000!). The wine selection was so impressive at over 500 selections of international and Canadian wines. Many distinction awards for the wine were displayed as well. Truly a nirvana for wine-lovers.



Dinner came with a complimentary access to the Look Out and Glass Floor levels of the CN tower, which was a pretty good plus! We walked on top of these 2.5inch thick glass panels which were, thankfully, load-tested annually for safety. Definitely a test for your courage especially when some of the folks in my party tried to jump on these! With views over a thousand feet straight down, it was pretty scary. I could only stay on for less than a minute.




 Overall, I would say that this is a must-visit, even just once, maybe even for a snack. The views and the experience are definitely worth it.


Friday, December 5, 2014

Where to stay in Downtown Toronto




People rarely have the opportunity to stay in hotels when home is only a few kilometers away. But since I had a couple of business events, I had the chance to stay at two of some great hotels in downtown Toronto.


Thompson Hotel Toronto is located at the Central King West area. This stylish boutique hotel is within walking distance to art galleries, shops and restaurants including Lee


The rooms are very modern with floor to ceiling windows and contemporary furnishing. The beds are luxuriously covered in Sateen linens and the marble bath has heated flooring. The usual flat TV and wifi are available, as well as what I have been seeing now as becoming a standard, iPhone/iPod docks.


Room at Toronto Thompson Hotel



The meeting rooms and lobby follow the same sleek look. At each floor as well you can find some inspirational messages by the elevators (such as the pic I have at the top). They also have an awesome rooftop with some fantastic views of the city. At night, this bar is totally a hot spot with good music and drinks. Food is just ok, but not bad either.


Service is great and I would definitely recommend this hotel. 


You can expect pretty much the same look and feel from the Radisson Admiral at Toronto Harbourfront. Getting there can be tricky with the crazy construction at Lake Shore, but at least there is parking.  It is steps away to the HarbourfrontCenter, Rogers Centre, CN tower and Ripley’s Aquarium


As indicated, they are at the Harbourfront so the rooms have some beautiful views of Lake Ontario. The runway of the Billy Bishop Toronto airport is also visible from the hotel.


View from Radisson Waterfront room


The rooms are clean, modern, and freshly renovated. The staff is great. 




Hotel food was just ok but they serve Starbucks coffee! There is a Shoeless Joe’s by the lobby but Amsterdam Brewery is also just across the hotel. A variety of restaurants (from pizzerias to fine dining) and shops are a stone’s throw away.

Warning, though, I left my jacket in the closet (I will swear at any court!) and Housekeeping claimed they found nothing.  So, bring nothing valuable (or has sentimental value like my jacket!) and triple check everything before you leave. Incidents like these definitely ruin the experience, especially when the "after-sales" is not pleasant.