Braised Chicken goodness: dining at Ssangkye

Red sauce jjimdak @ Ssangkye Braised Chicken

There have been many restaurants in this Yonge/Steeles location that have come and gone, but our fam thinks that Ssangkye Braised Chicken is here to stay.

Their menu is simple. With limited offerings, they are then able to make their specialty the best. They serve jjimdak, a dish containing pieces of braised chicken mixed with a bunch of sides and served bubbling hot.

A variety of sides is mixed into the dish. There are flat glass noodles, Korean dumplings, rice cakes and veggies. For the braised chicken, you have the choice of either bone-in or boneless. We ordered the bone-in as we figured it would be tastier bone-in, but when we go back, we have decided that boneless is better for us. It was difficult to remove the meat from the bones with only chopsticks and a spoon. So, unless you are prepared to use your hands (and it is very saucy), I suggest you order boneless.

There are several sauce options for the jjimdak. The Black Sauce is soy-sauce based while the Red Sauce is gochujang-based. There is also the White Cheese option where they put mozzarella cheese onto either the Black or Red Sauce versions.

Then, you have the different sizes (S,M,L) and spice level.

We ordered the Red Sauce jjimdak and it was delicious! The sauce was quite rich with some hints of sweetness. The sauce was spicy (and required a few bottles of water), but it was not an attack on the taste buds. In fact, the sweet and spice blended amazingly. The large serving was a good size for our family. We did order some rice on the side as the dish did not come with anything else--apart from salad and pickled radish, which was a perfect spice break in between bites.

jjimdak @Ssangkye Braised Chicken

Service was friendly but not very fast. It was a good comfort meal, however, and I highly recommend this place. 

While we all cannot wait to get back to dining out, for now they have take out and delivery.

Our best sushi so far at Project Fish

RH Specialty Platter @Project Fish

I’ve always wanted to check out Project Fish. I was so happy when they opened up a location in Richmond Hill, which had more parking spots.

Hubby and I went there for dinner once before this pandemic and while there were some groups, the clientele was mostly couples.

We shared the RH Specialty Platter which had a great sampler of their specialties. The platter had 2 types of fatty rolls (fat, rolled sushi)—tamago (Japanese omelet) and blue crab. Yummy but not mind-blowing. Hubby said these were his least favourites.

There was also Sashimi of the usual tuna, salmon, hamachi—so fresh! The regular sushi had some torched. There was salmon, ebi, unagi, and hamachi. It was so delicious.

However, we absolutely loved their Oshi (pressed) sushi: Salmon (secret sauce with Jalapeno), Plum Shrimp (Japanese plum sauce), Basil Shrimp, and Saba (miso and mackerel). These were just divine, melt in your mouth, sushi. The rice was excellent quality and the fish/shrimp were fresh! It was perfect, dipped into sweet soy sauce.

The flavours were also amazing—with bright combinations we have not tried before. We would say this was probably the best sushi we have had in Canada. How can we ever go back to AYCE?!

They also have a variety of appetizers and other shareables. I will definitely try the Chirashi tart and Ebi fritters next time! Service was also very friendly and wait was not very long.

They also have an Omakase/tasting bar, which seems like a fun way to try their other sushi!

Cannot wait for things to go back to normal so we can return!

For now, they have take out and delivery.

The Great Outdoors: Exploring Ontario parks and conservation areas

Going on a picnic and hiking trails have become weekly activities for our family with this pandemic. As we felt it was safer to be outdoors, this became our new outings. I always knew that there were a lot of Provincial Parks and Conservation Areas in Ontario. But we have never been to so many until this summer. Gone are the days of spontaneous excursions, though. Before each trip, I would go to the Ontario Parks website or any of the other Conservation websites to see what was open and what each location has to offer. The Ontario Parks and Conservation areas guaranteed a few things for us—parking, a picnic spot, activities (hiking, fishing or swimming) and washrooms.

A few blogs back, I have shared why parking has become a main consideration for us. It is not something to be assumed anymore even if you have parked in an actual parking area with signs not indicating what infraction you may be committing. Our trips since then would see us leaving our car parked with peace of mind as we set off to find a picnic spot. Another important thing, especially for Hubby, is access to washrooms. As not all public washrooms are open on the road, we pick destinations where these are available. Of course, the degree of cleanliness is weighed vis a vis the desperation level. The skill of holding one's breath and having masks handy can prove to be essential!

And while the list is extensive and there is so much more to discover, here are some of our favourite provincial parks:

Pinery PP—we love Lake Huron so Pinery PP is the preferred swimming spot for the family. It has separate beach areas for our Traveling Yorkie!

Ferris PP—highlight is the Ranney Gorge and the Suspension Bridge (closed during this pandemic) but can still be seen from the trails

Balsam Lake PP—nice trails with diversity in topography and interesting facts posted along the way; they also have fishing!

Great thing about this is that the trails only get nicer in the fall. So, here’s to more treks in the upcoming season!

Things to do with kids (and pets) in Windsor--as it moves to Stage 3

Windsor, ON

We were last in Windsor pre-Covid days. As we had to stay a couple of days, being about 4 hours from Toronto, we also had to find other stuff to do apart from taking Grandma to Caesars. The Caesars in Windsor paled greatly in comparison to the Vegas one. However, we were still pleasantly surprised to find a couple of outdoor things to do in Windsor (which should satisfy social distancing requirements during these times)!

Caesars, Windsor

Detroit River view from Windsor Riverside

The Riverside across from Caesars has nice park with swings and bike paths. It is a lovely spot to relax, walk your furry friend or just enjoy the view of the Detroit skyline.

• Odette Sculpture Park—on Riverside Dr., for almost 4 km from the Ambassador Bridge (going into the US), there are 30+ outdoor sculptures to enjoy. It is a beautiful walk along the Detroit river and the sculptures are quite interesting. (There used to be an Art Cart, a free trolley, which you can take if you cannot manage the walk). 

Sculpture gardens at Windsor

• Dieppe Gardens—past the Sculpture park, the Dieppe Gardens is a nice place to relax as well. There are plenty of trees to give shade and a couple of monuments/memorials. It was quite nice to be among the greenery looking out onto the river. It is not very big and is really more for relaxing vs sightseeing.
• Sandy Point beach--a nice enough beach but make sure to check out the water safety bulletins)

The below are closed as of this time but might be worth checking out when they do reopen:

• Caesars Augustus Tower is the only tower where all ages are allowed (except pets, though). This is also where you can access the Colosseum for shows and where you can have a nice Italian meal at Spago. You need to be 19+ to be in the Forum tower (where the casino is located)—and they do check IDs. Great thing to note is that parking is free and that the towers are connected.
• Canadian Club Whisky (Hiram Walker/J.P.Wisers) buildings from the 1890’s which are beautiful. They do tours and tastings. (we went past these buildings a few more kilometers to Sandy Point beach
• The Art Gallery of Windsor is also across the street on Riverside Dr from the Korean War memorial in Dieppe Gardens.
• There are also river cruises departing near the Dieppe Gardens.

Overall, Windsor is a lovely place to visit and the view of the Detroit skyline across the river is probably better from over here than if you were in Detroit looking across. The Riverside is gorgeous, and we had a very relaxing trip with many interesting photo ops along the way.

Innisfil: A Place NOT to visit in Ontario

I usually only write about places I recommend you visit or restaurants/food to check out. I make the exception when the experience is bad enough for me to advise folks to avoid certain places or things.

The fam was out for a drive a couple of Sundays ago and we decided to stop by the TINY Bell-Ewart park in Innisfil for a quick picnic. You may say, "Where?!!"--good. keep it that way. Nothing to miss. 

We were careful for our own safety so we only went down when we confirmed there were not a lot of people, which will enable social distancing in the park. There were 3 other families at most in the park then and we were all over 30 feet away from each other.  There were also several remaining parking spots available when we got there--no street parking or even double parking.

We just had a quick lunch (as there was nothing much to do in the tiny park)-- not even swimming or having a party like the other folks there. As we were packing up to leave after less than an hour, we noticed there was a commotion in the parking lot. We saw that cars were getting towed, including ours.  We were told that the parking was only for residents and a small sign was pointed to us -- a sign we didn't see as it was below eye level. There was no warning sign of towing, just an advisory that the area was for resident parking. There were no signs on the walls on the parking area nor in the main entrance of the parking area. It was the parking area and no driveways or emergency access points were blocked. Apparently, it was only for residents of Innisfil--if you find the sign.  There were several other cars which got a ticket--nobody saw the sign clearly, obviously. The town of Innisfil’s message for all visitors is that even if there are no signs on the walls of the parking area, there may be signs somewhere else and that you will be left with no choice but to pay the towing company in order to go home.  To issue a ticket AND call for towing for NOT BLOCKING ANY DRIVEWAYS/EMERGENCY ACCESS is just a display of power which should not be encouraged anywhere--especially in Canada! There were no double or street parking that would be reflective of an overcrowded area that they claim to have issues on or even cause traffic! It is understandable that the town has parking issues during the summer and in heat waves, but the enforcement of rules should be taken with common sense as well. These are not ordinary times.

In this time of the pandemic, this lack of consideration for families just trying to enjoy the park, is truly not Canadian. We understand that the town’s priority is for its residents. But we had in mind that other communities and cities were in this pandemic together, along with the whole country, the whole world! Apparently, Innisfil is not one with everyone else. As banks and other companies waive fees or even defer payments and as the federal government has taken many actions to alleviate the challenges faced by all Canadians, Innisfil has instead imposed penalties that were beyond what was necessary in the time of the pandemic. It was a highly punitive action in this situation we are all in. There are so many other positive ways to enforce safety so that we can all make it through this crisis.

Surely many visitors will be turned off by the penalties imposed. There goes their tourism. Our friends and family will surely be advised not to visit Innisfil, nor even consider Innisfil as a place to go. Ever.  There are so many other nicer, bigger, kinder cities to explore.

Wanderlusting Mama’s favourite Bubble Teas!

We love Bubble Tea

The fam loves Bubble Tea. It pretty much became a weekly treat until quarantine. 

With most places were closed, we trekked to the nearest Asian grocery to make the milk tea at home! We just combined all the ingredients for a great substitute to our treat!

Bubble tea treat at home!

Now as the city is slowly reopening, we will surely go back to our favourite spots. Here are our favourites:

For Mango Slush we love Real Fruit’s Mango Diamond Slush. We love that they use fresh mangoes (not powder) and that there are actual diced mangoes in the slush. Also, they now have paper straws!!! Yay!

Mango Diamond Slush Bubble tea @Real Fruit and now with paper straw!

Coco’s Three Guys (or sometimes Two Ladies) is the family favourite. This Hong Kong style milk tea has tofu pudding, grass jelly and tapioca. Also served warm or cold, we just love it. They can improve on making the warm a tad bit warmer, though. However, they don’t skimp on the amount of pudding, jelly and tapioca.

Our Favourites: Bubble Gaga and Three Guys @ Coco

I enjoy Kung Fu Tea’s Brown Sugar Latte. This can be ordered hot/warm or cold so it is perfect for any season. As with other places, the level of sweetness and amount of ice can be customized to taste. The regular sweetness level is perfect for my taste and it has a great tea/milk ratio.

Brown Sugar Latte, Warm @ KungFu  Tea

Chatime is another family go-to bubble tea place. The Brown Sugar Milk Tea or Mango Slush are both pretty good. The girls love Peach Slush and Taro Milk Tea as well.

Brown Sugar Milk Tea with Pearl @Chattime

There are also other places we wouldn’t mind going to such as Presotea, Palgong, and TenRen. We just don’t go out of our way to go there.

Palgong Tea Bubble Tea 

And as summer is here, we are looking forward to enjoying bubble tea (even if it is take-out) again! Stay safe, everyone!

Virtual Wanderlusting

Travel to Backyard

We may be home physically, but that does not stop us from connecting with our friends and family from all over. This situation also does not mean we can no longer travel—we can still do so, virtually! For me, the wanderlust is still always there but our health and safety are more important during these times. So, I am sharing instead some links to enjoy the world from the comfort of your home.

You can search destinations in https://virtualtours.city/ and you can have a virtual trip. Great for shoppers as it features a lot of shops who sponsored the site, but you can still get a preview of the general feel of the location.

For museum lovers, Google Arts and Culture has made available various online exhibits from various galleries around the world.

• We missed Musée d’Orsay on our trip to Paris last year. Was planning to catch this next time but for now, we have this virtual tour of this museum: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/musee-dorsay-paris?hl=en
• And since we are talking about France, check out the virtual tours offered by the Palace of Versailles. http://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/resources/virtual-exhibitions#louis-xiv-/-nicolas-fouquet:-a-certain-history-of-taste
• The National Art Gallery of Washington also offers online exhibits: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/national-gallery-of-art-washington-dc?hl=en
• And here is the one for the Uffizi Gallery in Florence: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/uffizi-gallery?hl=en
• Or take a streetview trip to Tokyo National Museum https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/tokyo-national-museum/PQG948Fv3mc_KA?sv_lng=139.7759333&sv_lat=35.71879&sv_h=-151.87621284312152&sv_p=-23.15760655907158&sv_pid=wQva_jfaR5T1clE3NB4ZXg&sv_z=0.9999999999999997

How about trying out some virtual rides on Disney and Universal? Most Youtube videos are not the very best quality but there are some good ones out there:

• Youtube channel iThemePark has a great collection: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo83OnV1SoOZHPQd1UNMx-g
• Here is the New Star Wars Ride—Rise of the Resistance experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWbWghpV0Q8
• and the classic Space Mountain ride: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N0otrMuh7E
• And of course, for Harry Potter fans (like my DD#2), here’s a virtual ride on the Hogwarts Express: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u16kKrⁱbb_4

Sadly, we are also missing a few shows this year. However, there are living room concerts available! 

• Check out: https://www.broadwayworld.com/topic/LIVING-ROOM-CONCERTS
• Or catch some of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s shows on his Youtube channel. The Shows Must Go On streams a different stage production on Fridays for free (for 48 hours): Today, it’s Carrie Underwood in the Sound of Music https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdmPjhKMaXNNeCr1FjuMvag

I hope this simple list (there are many, many more out there) allows you to discover many places and experiences albeit with our current limitations. Stay safe and healthy!

A Wanderlusting Mama stays at home

So, how does someone like me, filled with wanderlust, survive times like these—when we are forced to stay at home and everything is closed anyway (including parks!). It has only been a couple of weeks but I am surviving so far. A big contributor to my state of sanity was having been able to travel right before the craziness erupted. I may be saying something differently had it not been for that getaway. But I am coming from a 2-week self-imposed quarantine from our travel where we did not even go out to the backyard or walk the dog. Now, before you worry about my dog, this senior #TravelingYorkie hates walking and does get her exercise going up and down the stairs.

Anyway, I used the time from self-quarantine to this current state of going out only for groceries to recharge. I do have to work from home and the kids have online homework so really it is just the weekends when it is unusual for us to be at home. I had been feeling drained from the travel, from work, from the worry. Having this time to recharge and relax is a blessing. There are no appointments, no place we have to go or errands to run. This enabled a much-needed rest.

When I got a bit of energy, we did some spring cleaning (and we are still at it). We were going to do it anyway as it is that time of the year, but now we had been able to focus on cleaning without rushing to finish as we had to be somewhere--without being too tired. Our house is cleaner than ever!

We are blessed to have space in our home where each of us can do their work during the day without being on top of each other. So, when we finally reconnect for meals, there was still something to talk about. In the weekends, we had family game times which DD#2 leads (Kahoot, Jeopardy and such). It gave her more to do during the week as she prepared, and it was fun for the rest of us when we finally play. And while our popcorn consumption has increased, our family movie times have also increased—with no one begging off to do a school project or work overtime. I am relishing this additional family time.

There is definitely more home cooking, but we did have some Uber Eats deliveries and we are also going to do drive through/pick up. This is always a welcome treat for everyone (especially Grandma, the cook). We also had some more involvement from the girls in the kitchen. I managed to get more baking supplies when we finally got our groceries. There will be more baking lessons and the house will smell delish. The kids continue to learn new skills.

While I can hardly wait to be traveling once more, for now, I have time to make those photobooks I’ve been meaning to do! We count our many blessings and take advantage of doing all the things we need to do for the house, spend time with the family and not drain ourselves doing so much. This whole experience has put many things in perspective. I look forward to the future, going to places in a world where folks do not overcrowd, pay more attention to hygiene and sanitation, and have more gratitude for things we are able to enjoy.

Am sure the novelty will wear off. Am sure I will be at my wit's end if this goes on for a long, long time. But for now, I will have to make the most of it. Be safe and healthy!

A new KFC favourite: BB.Q Chicken (Korean Fried Chicken)

BB.Q chicken

It is hard for me to resist Korean Fried Chicken. The thought of biting through the crunchy and juicy chicken goodness already makes me hungry! Recently, the H-mart chain started having the BB.Q stalls in their fast-food sections. Of course, we had to try it and see if it was as yummy as the K-dramas seem to show. It was.

We got half and half of Original (Signature, Golden Olive) and Secret Spicy (which was a sweet and spicy sauce made of tomato, garlic, onion and spices). While each of us had their own favourites, I would say, I like them both. Depends on the mood, I guess.

Half and half: Original and Secret Spicy chicken

The Original had a light-tasting, crunchy yet not so thick breading. The Secret Spicy had a nice blend of sweet and spice, with just the right bite of garlic. Both were juicy inside. The fam wants to try the Hot Spicy next time for a little more heat.

Apparently, what makes it so yummy (and healthy?) is that the chicken is fried in olive oil. I also found out that they were so serious about their chicken that they even have a “Chicken University” in South Korea.  How’s that for dedication? And what is BB.Q? Best of the best quality.

The price was comparable to other KFC that we have tried. It does take about 20 minutes for your order to arrive to be sure to order first.

Classic Steakhouse—Dining at The Octagon

@The Octagon Steakhouse

Hubby took me out for a carnivore night at The Octagon Restaurant in Thornhill. It was pretty full for a weeknight, so that was a good sign for us. The interiors were beautifully wood-paneled, and the servers were all impeccably dressed. The main dining room, of course, played to the building’s unique shape (and namesake).

We started with a table side Caesar salad, which was very good, but not quite as good as our favourite at the School. We noticed they did not use fresh eggs, but instead used oil. It was a pretty decent serving and hubby got an extra helping of bacon which was perfect with the garlic-anchovy flavours.

Caesar Salad @The Octagon Steakhouse

Then, we skipped right to the great stuff. Hubby and I split a 24oz porterhouse which we got with some mashed potatoes (instead of our usual baked) and mushrooms. There was also garlic bread and olives on the side.

The steak was so beautifully done. I like it medium—nicely seared outside and pink on the inside. It was wonderfully flavourful and so tender. I got some Bearnaise sauce, but the meat could have very well done without it. Each bite was succulent and paired well with the house red.

Porterhouse steak @The Octagon Steakhouse

We were too full to even have dessert, so we had some tea instead.

Service was polite and attentive. It was a great experience overall.

A Yakiniku date: Shinta Japanese BBQ

Shinta Japanese BBQ

 Hubby took me on a date to Shinta BBQ to get a protein fix (ie., all you can eat grilled meat!). We’ve always done Korean BBQ so we wanted to try Japanese BBQ this time. They have various “levels” of AYCE (all you can eat) with selected Wagyu cuts on the top (Silver/Gold) levels.

They also include a selection of appetizers, soup, seafood, rice, noodles, veggies, and other side orders—also in increasing variety.

Marinated Toro Beef and Pork Belly slices @Shinta Japanese BBQ

Hubby and I were very disciplined and made sure that our stomach space only took in the meats. We only ordered miso soup, cheese corn and edamame and did not have any of the other appetizers and sides (like kimchee, lettuce, rice/bibimbap). Even then, we only selected the meats we wanted.

Grilling meat @Shinta Japanese BBQ

The server got our grill ready as we waited for our order. The sides were quite blah but the meats were good. We got some thinly sliced pork belly, marinated short rib, marinated toro beef (also thinly sliced), black pepper short rib strips and squid. And we got a lot of them.

Hooray for Meat Lovers @ Shinta Japanese BBQ

The meat was already bite sized which we then put on the wire-mesh-type griddle (as opposed to the Korean cast iron ones). With the small sizes, these didn’t take long to cook. What is great is that the fat drips down to the bottom, underneath the wire-mesh griddle instead of collecting on the rim of an iron griddle. This made the meats seem healthier with less oil and as well, we realized we didn’t smell like BBQ since there was little smoke (no burning oils).

The meat was dipped into flavoured soy sauce. Definitely a meat-lover’s heaven. Mid-way through our meal, our server came to replace our griddle with a fresh one. We had several orders until we decided we were almost to the point of bursting.  We had a Melona bar for dessert.

It was a great meal and could definitely be our new favourite--over Korean BBQ.

Chinese Korean Fusion dining at Iryewon Asian Fusion (The Great Wall)

Boiled Dumplings @Iryewon

We first visited Iryewon about a decade ago and it didn’t seem to have impressed us much as we didn’t come back until after a friend told us it was good. So, we gave it another shot and we are happy to say we will not wait another decade to go back. It is nicely located in Yonge-Steeles area.

We got a set meal which consisted of 3 dishes good for 3-4 people. Seemed like a good deal for us although we should not have second-guessed it. We got an order of boiled dumplings on top of this so we ended up having left over—with DD#2 and grandma not being big eaters.

Anyway, our set meal had

Tang Su Yuk—sweet and sour pork. Deliciously crispy (albeit on the thick side) breading with a nice, light sweet and sour sauce.

Tang Su Yuk @Iryewon

Kam Pung Shrimp—stir fried shrimp, this time with a heavier sweet, sour and a tad spicy sauce. The shrimp were big and lightly coated with breading.

Kam Pung Shrimp @Iryewon

And Ja Jang Myeon—our family favourite black bean noodle. Their noodles were nicely done and the sauce was seafood (not just gound beef).

Ja Jang Myeon @Iryewon 

The servings were family size and the dishes were pretty good. Service was okay. Our little room did not have any “ringers” to call the server so we had to pop out a couple of times to ask for something. Overall, service was friendly and the price was good value. We have quite a few other Korean staples to try from their menu so we will be back!

Pre-theatre bite at Byblos

Sujuk Pide @Byblos

Hubby and I went for a pre-theatre light dinner at Byblos in Duncan St. (with other locations in uptown Toronto and Miami, Fl). This restaurant boasts traditional Eastern Mediterranean flavours.


We didn't have reservations so we just sat by the bar. We tried their mocktails and they were amazing! They were an interesting and refreshing blend of sweet, sour and spice. Hubby and I are now encouraged to start mixing cocktails of our own!
Hubby got the Fortune Teller which was made of house coffee syrup, Turkish coffee, lemon juice and tonic. 

Fortune Teller mocktail @Byblos

I had a Mediterranean Mule with house ginger syrup, date syrup, lime, ginger beer and aromatic bitters.

Mediterranean Mule @Byblos

We then shared a sujuk wood-fired pide--a Turkish version of pepperoni pizza. Sujuk is a Turkish dry, spicy sausage while pide is a flatbread baked with toppings. The pide had toppings of Turkish paste, Persian feta and Za'atar (exotic blend of herbs, spices and nuts). The flavours were bright, an interesting twist to our usual pizza.

Sujuk Wood-fired Pide @Byblos

We also shared an order of Baharat-crusted Wagyu steak.The beautifully-cooked Wagyu was crusted with the aromatic sweet-spice blend and served on top of burnt onion, black garlic and jus. It was quite lovely. We have concluded, however, that the beauty of the Wagyu should not be hidden underneath strong flavours. Note, also, that the steak will not come with sides as those have to be ordered separately. Menu would say it is for sharing, but think of this more as "tapas" instead of big portions.

Baharat-crusted Wagyu steak @Byblos

It was a nice and light dinner. You have to add to these if you are expecting a full meal. The ambiance and service are good but it is on the pricey-side. A beautiful date place.