Brunching at Denny’s

Oreo milkshakes @Denny's

On the way to Vaughan Mills one Sunday, we decided to eat at Denny’s on Rutherford. While Grandma had warned it will not be fastfood per her experience down South, we didn’t realize the place will be so packed. There was a huge lineup and while I saw there were some empty tables, they were understaffed. After waiting for 5 or so minutes, I noticed that the bar was empty so I had asked for us to be seated at the bar instead. We just wanted to eat. The service was very friendly but it was quite a wait. The food arrived about 25 minutes from the time we ordered—which was also the time they were calling for my name at the front. Imagine that I could have just be getting seated at that time—40+minutes from the time we got there! There wouldn’t have been any reviews at that point.

Anyway, it was a delicious brunch, reminiscent of IHOP. The girls shared a Lumberjack meal of bacon, eggs and pancakes. 

Lumbejack slam @Denny's

Hubby got a Country Fried Steak. The chopped beef steak was nicely fried, but the gravy was on the bland side. The cheddar whipped potatoes were yummy.  

Country  Fried Steak @Denny's

I got Salted Caramel & Banana Cream Pancake Breakfast. Two fluffy buttermilk pancakes had shortbread pieces inside and these were layered with vanilla cream and topped with fresh bananas, warm salted caramel sauce and more shortbread pieces. SOOOO GOOD. They also came with two eggs, hash browns, plus a choice of bacon or sausage.

Salted Caramel and Banana Cream pancake @Denny's

While I didn’t get to try it, Grandma said her Grilled Tilapia was tasty.

Grilled Tilapia @Denny's

It was a nice brunch treat. They are open 24 hours so I think when we go back next time, we will try to pick a less busy time. Prices are just under $15 per dish.

The hype about Japanese cheesecake

Uncle Tetsu's Japanese Cheesecake

I haven’t had the chance to checkout Uncle Tetsu’s Japanese cheesecake since the store opened in Toronto some time ago. Dreading the long line ups (they used to only sell one cake per customer after waiting for an hour or so) and not so hot reviews from some folks, I waited until a friend was going to get some. Then, they opened a location in Pacific Mall so I was able to get some more!

I like T&T’s Japanese cheesecake and have also been able to try Bake Code’s version. The Japanese cheesecake is a light and fluffy cheesecake without a crust, quite different from the decadent New York styles. 

The six-inch cakes are hot-stamped with the caricature of the Japan-based cheesecake empire’s founder. These are carefully wrapped in cheesecloth and placed in takeaway boxes.

Uncle Tetsu's cheesecake

The cheesecake was quite good.  The texture was like a hybrid of a spongecake and soufflé with a light sweet flavour. I would gladly have it, when available. I wouldn’t wait hours in line for it, though. 20 minutes was all I could manage with the Pacific Mall location. It was nice to see the freshly baked goodies.

Fresh from the oven Uncle Tetsu cheesecake

Branding: Uncle Tetsu cheesecake being stamped

We also tried the Madelines but we didn't love it.

Madelines @Uncle Tetsu

We have also tried the coffee and original cheesecakes of Love Me Sweet at Yonge. 

Love Me Sweet cheesecake

The coffee flavour was quite distinct in the coffee cheesecake. It was melt in your mouth and bursting with coffee flavour. The original was good as well. I actually can't tell the difference with this and Uncle Tetsu's. Love Me Sweet's original cheesecake was moist and fluffy. 

I like that the Japanese cheesecake is light and airy. I don't necessarily prefer it over the New York cheesecake. I think the choice will depend on the mood at that time. It is a great dessert I will not mind having. Thing is, it is so light that I can finish a bigger slice (read: over a quarter of the whole cake). Therein lies the rub.  

There are also some delightful cheese tarts out there. I checked out the Baked Cheese Tart of Cheese Garden. The rich molten cheese was so delicious on that flaky crust. I can't have that one too often, though, unlike the lighter cheesecakes. Still, it was a wonderful treat!

Baked Cheese Tart @ Cheese Garden

Uncle Tetsu's baked cheese tart was equally good but I prefer the pastry crust of Cheese Garden. The size was just right, though!

Uncle Tetsu's Cheese tart

One can go crazy with all the cheesy treats out there and each one has some level of deliciousness it will be hard to go wrong. Read: I will eat them all! Happy Desserts!

Interior Design Heaven: RH gallery at Yorkdale

RH Gallery @Yorkdale Mall

As we went from room to room, floor to floor in the massive 4-floor, 70,000 sqft Restoration Hardware, RH Gallery, at Yorkdale, I felt like I died and went to Interior Design heaven. Each floor was symmetrical and each room was so well-appointed. It was divine. The beautiful home furnishings were set up gallery-style, inviting you to imagine having these to come home to. I loved the rustic classic design of many of the pieces—I tried but could not find any one item that I didn’t like. Down to the last light fixture, pillow, or even candle, they were all something I wouldn’t mind having in my home.

RH Gallery

RH Gallery

We started from the Fourth Floor, which was the Conservatory and Rooftop park where they had the patio furniture and the CN tower as a backdrop. 

Rooftop @RH Gallery

Conservatory @RH Gallery

The Third floor was all about Modern design while the Second Floor featured the Design Atelier where you can choose from the vast variety of fabrics and finishes.

RH Gallery

 Design Atelier @RH Gallery

At the main floor, they also have a beautiful Courtyard Café and Barista Bar should you need to fill up after exploring or to get some energy before embarking on this journey of being inside a magazine turned real. We will have to try the Courtyard Café some time as I would love to sit under trees with glittering chandeliers and enjoy seasonal menus as well as curated wines. I totally LOVED this place and can spend hours and hours here.

Courtyard Cafe @RH Gallery

Dining with the locals at Asteria Souvlaki Place

In a trip to Greektown, we looked for a place to grab a quick lunch. Outside the joint, Asteria  Souvlaki Place boasted “fast” and “take out” so we decided to give it a try. A cafeteria-style set up greeted us at the entrance so we were not quite sure if we were to order at the counter. There seemed to be nothing in the stainless steel pans behind the glass. We got seats inside. There was only one other table occupied when we were there so I began to second guess this decision.

We were given menus and it was quite extensive. The service wasn’t really fast, but not too long either. I got a sense of relief that we were being served something made to order instead of some left over from the previous night. The girls got a small beef gyro dinner while hubby got the regular one. It was served with rice and Greek salad. 

Gyro dinner @ Asteria Souvlaki Place

Grandma got a chicken souvlaki on pita 

Chicken Souvlaki on pita @ Asteria Souvlaki Place

while I got a chicken souvlaki dinner—also served with rice and Greek salad.

Chicken Souvlaki dinner @ Asteria Souvlaki Place

We were all pleasantly surprised. We didn’t expect much from this place but the dishes were delicious! The souvlaki was moist and beautifully charred. The gyro was well-seasoned and tender. The rice and salad were also good!

As we finished our meal, more and more diners, what seemed like folks from the area, came. It was a good and trusted joint after all—a family one at that, as a few diners had strollers. Many also came to pick up their take out. It was a hidden gem, indeed.  If we lived in the area, we will surely be regulars!

You know nothing until you've tried Game of Cheese

We first saw Game of Cheese in HiWay 7 many months ago when they were still running soft opening operations. The logo/mascot looked really weird and the name felt like a spoof of our favorite George RR Martin series.  But cheese is cheese and is something the fam loves so I checked out their menu. It was so interesting we had to give it a try! We were super glad we did because we will be back again and again!

We got a couple of appetizers—Bulgogi (Korean marinated and grilled) Beef Gyoza and Koji (nonalcoholic fermented salt and rice mixture) fried chicken. Having Bulgogi beef in the gyoza was a wonderful change from the usual pork. 

Bulgogi Beef Gyoza @Game of Cheese

The Koji fried chicken was boneless and perfectly juicy and crispy. It also came with fries. The serving was decent. So far so good!

Koji Fried Chicken @Game of Cheese

Then, our orders arrived and we realized how excited we were to try each other’s dishes!

I got a Shrimp Tempura Pizza. It was such a great change to the usual pepperoni or even gourmet flavours. There was Japanese curry sauce underneath the gooey cheese. It was drizzled with Mentaiko mayo and sprinkled with Bonito flakes. It was on thin crust and absolutely delish!

Shrimp Tempura pizza @Game of Cheese

DD#2 got the more common (or so we thought!) Four Cheese pizza. Of course, it had Mozzarella, Gruyere, Parmesan, and Gorgonzola. But then the combination of fig jam, truffle honey, arugula and prosciutto took it to the next level!

Four Cheese pizza @Game of Cheese

Hubby and DD#1 both got pasta. Hubby got the Black Truffle Carbonara Tagiatelle with mushrooms, black truffle paste and bacon. The poached egg on top was cooked perfectly. It was wonderfully creamy and rich without cloying. The sauce was just beautiful. Hubby was actually tempted to ask for a spoon to scoop out the leftover sauce on the plate!

Black Truffle Carbonara Tagiatelle @Game of Cheese

The winning pasta for me, however, was DD#1’s Japanese Seafood Spaghetti. There was a decent quantity of shrimps, kani (crab meat), and roe but the sauce was killer. The Yuzu Miso cream sauce was so refreshing with the right sweetness and tang, quite unexpected from the cream sauce your taste buds were anticipating.

Japanese Seafood spaghetti @Game of Cheese

Now, after all of that, we were truly stuffed. But we couldn’t leave without trying out some of their desserts—bellies about to burst or not! We left the cheesecakes to try another day, but we were happy with what we did get.

We all shared a mango slush with lychee sorbet. It was a nice layered slush with the sorbet on top, then the slush, fruits and almond jelly. 

Mango Fruit Slush @Game of Cheese

We also got two scoops of sorbet—lychee and blueberry. Absolutely great palate cleansers!

Lychee and Blueberry sorbet @Game of Cheese

We will definitely be back to try their risotto, omurice and other pizzas and pastas. Or maybe just go for dessert to get a bite of the 3-hour slowly baked cheesecake. Is tomorrow too soon? 

Yummy Filipino food at Sampaguita Village

One of the Filipino food spots in the Bathurst and Wilson area that is guaranteed to get you full and happy is Sampaguita Village. Parking is limited and the place is almost always full with a bit of a wait time, but it is worth it, especially if ambience is not essential.

The owner, who is not really Filipino, makes the effort to go around and check if customers needed anything. The servers are efficient and friendly, though, so there is usually no need to have to follow up with him.  The wait is not too long for tables and folks who have pre-ordered party trays come and go.

We got Pancit Sampaguita --two types of noodles packed with shrimp, lechon kawali, veggies

Pancit Sampaguita @ Sampaguita Village

Lechon Kawali (roasted crispy pork belly, a best-seller)—so crispy and the layer of fat is minimal

Lechon Kawali (Roasted Pork Belly) @ Sampaguita Vilage

Inihaw na Liempo (grilled pork belly)—wonderfully -marinated...notice how we love pork belly?

Inihaw na Liempo (Grilled Pork Belly) @ Sampaguita Village

Crispy squid—nicely deep-fried, which the girls loved

Crispy Squid @ Sampaguita Village

and Pinakbet (stewed eggplant, okra and other veggies in sautéed shrimp paste) –so there was some semblance of healthy, if you overlook the bagoong (shrimp paste)

Pinakbet @ Sampaguita Village

and of course, garlic rice to go well with all the delicious dishes.

Each order is a good value at about $10-15+ with the Lechon Kawali, as expected, being more expensive. They also have House Combos for approximately the same price if you’d like to try a little bit of each house specialty.

 We ordered a lot, but anything we couldn’t finish would be taken home. And it did last for another meal for us!  How’s that for worth it?! This place is definitely a family favourite!

Another craft project: Glass fusing at Color Me Mine Thornhill

materials for glass fusion @ Color Me Mine Thornhill

As I am always on a lookout for some fun crafts for the girls to do, I wanted DD#1 to try her hand at glass fusion. At Color Me Mine in Thornhill, we just dropped in and got some instructions on how to do glass fusion. DD#1 decided she wanted to do a pendant. She picked her base glass and we got some help in getting it cut. She was also given instructions on how to do the cutting herself as well as how to glue the pieces to keep them in place for firing. For her decoration, she cut the glass into shapes and sizes she wanted using special scissors and cutters and with eye protection as well as gloves. As this activity has some glass cutting, the recommended age is 9 and up. 

by the glass cutting area @ Color Me Mine Thornhill

Once she had all her glass pieces, DD#1 glued them to her base and we left the piece to be fired. Pick up was about a couple of weeks after and already included the hook for her pendant. Service was superb and we got really good instruction, tips and assistance from the owner. DD#1 really enjoyed this activity and DD#2 cannot wait to give it a try.

They have ceramic painting as well if you prefer to just paint. Pricing depends on the size of the glass with the smallest 4x4 at $19. That already includes the other pieces including frit (powdered glass) you need to decorate your work and firing. Slumping (shaping the glass into bowls or anything with a depression) and molding are extra. We highly recommend giving it a try!

Value meal at Yonge and Bloor: dinner at Ginger

Rare Beef Pho @ Ginger

We knew that the cafeteria-style Thai place, Green Mango in the Yonge-Bloor area had been gone for years now. But as we are not often in downtown, we only remember it when we are in the area. We went to try Ginger instead. 

This low-key Vietnamese restaurant not only had the traditional Pho, but there was a good enough variety of everything else—vermicelli noodles, rice, Bánh mì (sub sandwiches) among others. Hubby and the girls got their usual Rare Beef Pho. The broth was good and the serving was decent.

I got Pad Thai (I know, I know…I did tell you I was looking for Green Mango, right?) with chili-lemongrass shrimp. It was ok, nothing earth-shattering but not bad, either. Again, the serving was quite decent. Grandma got Curry chicken on fried rice which was also good.

Pad Thai and Curry Chicken @ Ginger

Each dish was under $8, service was fast and dishes were pretty tasty. There was a steady stream of patrons even for our early dinner. I would assume this place gets packed during peak hours. We were full and done with dinner in no time. Glad to have found this spot for quick, cheap and yummy Vietnamese!

Dimsum at Bonflavor

Shrimp Har Gow @ Bonflavor

We went for brunch on a weekday and we were pretty much the only ones at Bonflavor. The place was very modern and felt upscale, at least compared to the ambience of the previous Best Dragon Seafood Restaurant. As the place was supposed to be fancier, there were no pushed dimsum carts. But like other places, we still did order our dimsum via pencil and paper.

The dishes didn’t take long to arrive and I have to say it was actually good dim sum. The taro puff was good (not all dimsum places make this well) and the hargow was packed with shrimp. But while it was good, we didn’t think it was worth the premium at $5-6 per order. It was still dimsum. Presentation was good and service was ok.

Taro Puff, Turnip cake, and Pork & Crabmeat Shiu Mai @ Bonflavor

BBQ Pork Puff @ Bonflavor

We might come back to try the other dishes or maybe on another weekday if we don’t feel like lining up for our usual dimsum spot.

The Traveling Yorkie: Grand Bend for Dog-owners

Yorkie @ Grand Bend 

We took our almost 7-year old Yorkie with us to Grand Bend, and while there were some limitations, I can say that you will pretty much be ok to bring your furbaby along.

Grand Bend, ON

We stayed at the pet-friendly Bonnie Doone Manor. There was a pet-fee, but that was not different from any other place we have stayed and brought our Traveling Yorkie along. There are also other pet-friendly hotels/lodges/inns in the area. 

Walking along Main St., we did not really bring her inside the stores, nor did I see other folks do that. We did a tag-team on who would stay with her just outside.

For meals, Coco’s clearly called out that they were dog-friendly, where they can stay right beside you in the patio. 

pet-friendly Coco's @ Grand Bend

The Growling Gator would allow you to have your dog tied outside by the grass but you would be separated by a fence. This arrangement might be fine for your Fido, but it would definitely stress our Yorkie.

Pizza place and Dairy Dip has outdoor seating where you can bring your pet. We grabbed some fish and chips over here. They even have a water bowl to make sure pets weres well-hydrated.

Now, the beach does not allow dogs. Grand Bend is an internationally recognized blue flag beach which has very strict standards. Dogs are only allowed in parking areas, on walkways and promenades in the back beach area. However, between May 15th to September 15th dogs are allowed on the beach before 8am and after 8pm and must be leashed. So, our cutie Yorkie managed to get close to the waters for our morning walk at 730am!

dog beach @ Pinery Provincial Park

8Km away, though, at Pinery Provincial Park, they have two dog beaches and they are awesome! So, you can go there as well!

Overall, the area is a great place to spend time with the whole fam, no matter how many legs they have!

Grand Bend: probably the best beach in Ontario!

Grand Bend, ON

Last summer, we went with another family to Grand Bend. We found one of the best beaches in Ontario about 3 hours from Toronto. Hubby would say it was the best. The waters of Lake Huron were clear and the sand was lovely (well after you hurdle the many stones at the main beach). I will say, though, that over 8Km away, at Pinery Provincial Park beaches (still Lake Huron), the sand was much better. There were less stones and the waters were shallow. The temperature of the water, as well as the strength of the waves, depends on the weather, of course. A couple of days before we arrived, another friend was at the same beach and he said the water was freezing. When we were there, the water was just perfect—strong waves the first day and calm the next.

Grand Bend

We stayed at the Bonnie Doone Manor, the only one which was right across the beach. It was a lovely place. The owners were very hospitable, rooms were clean, and we had everything we needed in our stay. It is actually one of the landmarks of the area with their pink and yellow Adirondacks on the lawn. 

Bonnie Doone Manor @ Grand Bend

It was a perfect place to watch the beautiful sunset at Grand Bend.

sunset @ Grand Bend, ON

It was also a short walk from the beach to the bustling Main St. We enjoyed walking and looking at the many shops along the way. There were many treats for kids of all ages—there were snow cones, ice cream, fudge as well as several bars for the adults. No worries if you forgot your beach wear as you can easily get a pair in one of the shops. Grandma spent over an hour browsing from store to store. There were also a few restaurants, including a Japanese place!

Sno Shack @ Main St., Grand Bend

shops at Main St., Grand Bend

There were also many other activities offered—parasailing, paddleboating, jetskiing, and even water trampoline. You can stroll along the boardwalk or catch one of the summer concerts at the main stage. There was also a splash pad area for kids. They had a clean rinse area with hot water and parking was $20 for the day.

Main Beach entrance at Grand Bend--check out the parasailer!

Wish we could have stayed for week there! We will definitely return as we have marked this as one of our favourite family destinations!