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!

Trying out Georgian cuisine at Suliko

Hachapuri/Khachapuri Adjarsky @Suliko

The fam is always on a quest to try something new—especially a new cuisine. We’ve never had Georgian before so for one of our celebrations, we decided to give it a try.

I will share with you what we had, in reverse order. This is because the dishes we had to share as appetizers were the best among everything we’ve had. And, when we return, these are what we will definitely order again.

The girls and I had Chanahi, lamb stew with potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and herbs. It was served steaming in a crock pot, inviting us to soak in this hearty, comfort food. The stew hit my insides like a warm embrace that had been simmering for hours and hours. It was delicious, but I preferred Hubby’s Lamb Shish Kebab.

Chanahi (lamb stew) @Suliko

The Lamb Shish kebab came with hubby’s choice of rice and pita (not pictured). It was beautifully cooked. It was nicely marinated and so tender, a delight for any meat-lover.

Lamb Shish Kebab @Suliko

Grandma had an equally nice dish of Baked Trout which came packed with herbs, tomatoes and onions. It was light, flaky and very flavourful.

Baked trout @Suliko

Now the stars of this show were our appetizers. We shared Khinkali with pork and beef. The almost fist-sized dumpling was filled with spiced meat and had broth in it, much like the Xiaolongbao soup dumpling. It was a delight to eat, though we had yet to figure out how to enjoy the broth as we couldn’t pop the whole dumpling in our mouth. Suliko has 5 different types of Khinkali so we will get to try the other ones next time.

Khinkali (Georgian dumplings) @Suliko

Our favourite was the Hachapuri (some call it Khachapuri) Adjarsky. The traditional Georgian boat-shaped bread was filled with melted cheese and topped with half-cooked egg and butter. Our server suggested we swirl around the butter and egg before digging in. It was heavenly. Each bite oozed with runny, stringy cheese and the delicious bread was the perfect vessel. The creamy saltiness burst in our mouths and we wondered where this has been all our lives. Why were we just discovering this now?

Hachapuri/Khachapuri Adjarsky @Suliko

Georgian cuisine has now been added to the list of cuisines we really enjoy. We will be on the look out for other Georgian restaurants now!

 

 

Premium Donburi at Hana Don

 

Tsukiji Don @Hana Don

Celebrating an award for DD#1, we went to Hana Don for a late lunch. We went to the Markham location and at 2pm, the place still had a good number of customers.

Grandma got Fried Shrimp set served with tartar sauce. The presentation was lovely, but not really extraordinary. Shrimp tempura might have been better with panko crumbs.

Fried Shrimp Set @Hana Don

Hubby got a Salmon Avocado Don which is pretty much like poke. The diced salmon and avocado were fresh and the rice was light and fluffy.

Salmon Avocado Don @Hana Don

DD#2 got a Gyu Don which was really yummy.  The sliced beef and onion were cooked in a very tasty special sauce. This is something I will definitely try to order next time.

Gyu Don @Hana Don

DD#1 and I both got a Tsukiji Don, the only one which didn’t have a lunch option. What can I say, we felt like celebrating. The dish had salmon, scallop, white fish, yellowtail, squid and roe. The ingredients were fresh and the sushi rice was premium quality.

Tsukiji Don @Hana Don

They had so many other Donburi to choose from, and even some you can customize. Service was polite and prompt. We will definitely be back!

Best Tom Yum and Seafood heaven at Jiyu Hotpot

Meal combo @Jiyu Hotpot

When I found out there was a Thai hotpot place in Markham, I immediately marked it as a destination for our next family celebratory meal. It turned out to be a great choice as the food itself was definitely something to celebrate!

Now, our family loves Tom Yum soup. However, in Canada, we have not really found Tom Yum similar to what we enjoyed in Thailand. The ones we had here were either too sweet or too sour. The Tom Yum broth at Jiyu was the best we have had here! We loved it so much, we all estimated we took in a liter each, just of the broth! It certainly hit the spot with just the right blend of spicy, sour and just the right spot of sweet. Ten thumbs up from us!

Abalone on Tom Yum broth @Jiyu Hotpot

We ordered a Meal for 3 combo and a Vancouver Curry Crab to share. Maybe we had all been eating too much these days but the Meal for 3 was just enough for 5 of us. We just brought home the 1-lb Curry crab as we were already too full. The curry was good, though it was more of the Japanese-type sweet curry instead of the Thai curry I would expect. And well, what is not to like about crab? Yummy!

Vancouver Curry Crab @Jiyu Hotpot

Anyway, the Meal for 3 came with shrimp, abalone, snakehead fish, mussels, scallops, octopus, basa fillets, baby cuttlefish, squid, shrimp paste (not bagoong but more of almost pureed shrimp), crabmeat sticks, sliced beef, crown scallops, swimming crab, bamboo mushroom with shrimp and a combo of veggies (napa cabbage, mushroom, spinach, taro). 

Meal combo @Jiyu Hotpot

The presentation was just so delightful, a feast of the eyes! It was almost a shame to remove the food from the display so that we can cook them. Our server helped cook some of the items, which took 1-2 minutes each type/batch. The food was just delicious and the seafood was fresh–we know since we saw crab tanks near the kitchen. We were in seafood heaven. While there was an array of sauces at the counter, we were quite content to just have the seafood with the Tom Yum broth. We did partake of the shrimp crackers and edamame on the side, which we could get to our hearts’ content.

Meal combo @Jiyu Hotpot

Our meal also came with onion rings and fried rice, and as well, All You Can Eat dessert. They had a nice selection of mini cakes (such as mango, tiramisu), grass jelly, pudding, fruits and even soft serve ice cream. It was not the cheapest of meals but it was worth it for us as we were quite full and very happy. Both the quality of the food and the service were very good. I will try my darndest not to crave their Tom Yum soup. I just hope I last until the next occasion to celebrate. 

All you can eat dessert @Jiyu Hotpot

MAMMA MIA !! our 10km hike from Fira to Oia, Santorini

 

Fira to Oia Hike

Before I start, let me clarify that I quote Mamma Mia as an expression of our experience, not because it was set in Santorini. The movie was set in another island, Skopelos.

Santorini was majestic and beautiful. We got to appreciate its beauty through our 10-km hike, a true challenge to this mamma.

By the time we got to Santorini and the start of our hike from Fira to Oia, we had already clocked in way over a hundred thousand steps over the previous days. We had hiked to the top of the Acropolis, Cynthos, got lost in the streets of Fira and even hiked to the beautiful Heart of Santorini. We were feeling tired. Ok, so now that I’ve got that disclaimer out…it took us 5 hours to complete the average 3 hour hike. Well, we were strolling and taking lots of photos—this was what we kept saying, every time another group of hikers overtook us on the trail.

Fira

Anyway, we were aiming to catch the sunset at Oia and I wanted some time to go around Oia so we started at about noon, at the height of the heat. But as it was so windy, we did not feel sticky nor did we overheat, even if we wore long-sleeved shirts to protect us from the sun. It was the best hike we had ever taken. It was not the most difficult, but it was definitely challenging, with the trail changing from cobbled path to paved roads and then gravel and stone. 

gravel path on Fira to Oia hike

we have to go through that?!

trails at Fira to Oia hike

There was hardly any shade, which was a challenge in the noon-day heat. It was also hard for me to keep my hat on because it was very windy. There was enough signage to make sure you were going in the right direction and the views were just amazing. Anywhere you point your camera, it was just beautiful. Walking through the hotels along the caldera and passing many, many churches on the trail was just something we would not normally have on any hike. We passed by the beautiful towns of Firostefani and Imerovigli.

boutique hotels @Imerogivli

 We skipped (and thankfully we did) the side hike to Skaros Rock which would take us an extra hour (so they say. This would probably take us two, with our pace).

Skaros Rock

We got to Oia at 5pm, tired and not finding any public washrooms. The one we did find was closed. So, we couldn’t drink so much as well. We had planned to have dinner back in Fira (taking the bus back) after watching the sunset. In hindsight, we should have just eaten in one of the pricey restaurants, used the WC and watched the sunset relaxingly. The most popular place to view the sunset was…well… popular. It was so crowded, we really didn’t want to squeeze in. There were a couple of cruise ships that I saw docked so that didn’t help with the crowds. If you had the time or inclination, you can also book a catamaran sunset cruise. And while it was a great experience, we wished we could have enjoyed the destination as much as the journey. Our feet were not happy (nor were our bladders) but all in all, it was an experience I would not trade off. The journey was very memorable and the sunset was gorgeous.

Oia

Sunset @Oia

Sunset @Oia

Things to do and how we got around in Mykonos

 

Saint Nikolaos of Kadena

We were booked near the Kalo Livadi Beach in Mykonos. Our hotel was close to the best beach among those we visited, but it was far from other places we wanted to explore—about 30min drive to main town and over a kilometer walk to the nearest bus stop. So, here’s what we did:

Delos tour - we got a Delos tour which included hotel pick up/return. Of course, this cost us an extra Eur50, but we enjoyed the convenience of not having to secure a cab (very few in Mykonos) or managing the timing of the public bus (only about hourly, which would totally screw up your plans if you missed it). From the port, Delos island is only about a 40-minute boat ride. We explored this UNESCO site for about 3 hours, marveling at the structures and even flooring that had been preserved. We started off doing the most difficult part, which was climbing Mt. Cynthus. While only under 400 ft, it is the highest point on the island and had the most wonderful views. The museum was unfortunately closed the time we were there, where they kept the original Naxian stone lions. However, the Terrace of the Lions, were still an amazing sight to see.

Temple of Aphrodite @Delos Island

path to Mt Cynthus @Delos

Terrace of the Lions @Delos

Explore Chora – we took advantage of a late hotel return after our Delos tour and explored the Mykonos Town or Chora. It was fun to get lost in the maze of streets filled with boutiques, souvenir shops, cafes and restaurants. 

Sunset @Kastros

In Chora, you can also see many beautiful landmarks such as Little Venice, the Windmills, Panagia Paroportiani, among others.

Little Venice @Mykonos

Windmills @Mykonos

Panagia Paraportiani

Explore Ano Mera – we had lunch at Kalammmakia where I got kebabs and fried cheese. 

Fried Cheese and Kebabs @Kalammmakia

Then we checked out the town where the Tourliani monastery was located

Tourliani monastery @Ano Mera

and Gyzi castle ruins which dates back from the 13^th C Medieval times.

Gyzi castle ruins @Ano Mera

Gyzi castle ruins @Ano Mera

Beach- hopping – we got a quad/ATV to get around the island.

one of the quads to rent in Mykonos

 We went to several beaches for a whole day and here’s our take:

 Paradise and Super Paradise beach – party/club beaches. Sun beds are more pricey but more elegant.

Super Paradise beach

lounge at Paradise Beach

Paraga Beach – had a lot of rocks and the sand was grainy/pebble-y. Quite busy.

Agrari Beach – beautiful, quiet beach. Waves were more intense and the waters are deeper (drop is a bit more abrupt).

Agrari beach

Kalo Livado Beach – our favourite. The beach was long and wide and the area was quiet and relaxed. The sand was more fine and waters are shallower.

There were so many other beaches to explore and each one has a different vibe. Of course, you can spend days just being on the beach. For all of these, the waters were super clean and crystal clear. You can actually see little fish swimming by you.  

Hubby and I liked the more relaxed vibe of Mykonos (compared to Santorini), even if getting around was challenging. We have seen many beautiful beaches around the world and the beaches of Mykonos rank high! Add that to having a UNESCO site, (and once a sacred site) Delos, 40 minutes away and a beautiful town to get lost in, Mykonos is definitely one of the Greek islands to visit!