A most wonderful meal in Arcade: Restaurante Veiramar at Arcade

Restaurante Veiramar at Arcade

 We decided to take off the pilgrim hat for lunch while we were in Arcade. After all the walking we had been doing, we allowed ourselves a treat since I found in my research that there was a Michelin-guide restaurant in Arcade. 

And since they were open earlier than most lunch places, we considered it a sign to go (wink wink!). 

We arrived a little after 11am and were seated at a table by the window, with the nice view of Rio Verdugo, by Matilde beach. We went straight for the mains as we really did not have the time to have a long lunch. We got Arroz con Mariscos (seafood rice), which was good for two. 

Dining with a view, Restaurante Veiramar at Arcade

The Arroz came in a big clay pot with a generous servings of mussels,shrimp, scallops and clam. The seasoning was balanced, not too salty. Hubby actually prefers this to paella as the dish is more saucy, more stew-like. This delicious dish warmed our bellies and delighted our taste buds. I would definitely come back to try the other seafood dishes (especially those coming from the live tank by the entrance), if we ever find ourselves back in the area.

Arroz con Mariscos, Restaurante Veiramar at Arcade

Located before crossing the Medieval bridge of Pontesampaio, Veiramar does not take you far off the path and actually allows for a different view of the bridge and the river when you go to rejoin the route. It was a beautiful (and delicious!) side-trip in Arcade. Well worth the extra time we took for lunch. 

Porto fine dining: Real by Casa da Calçada

Real by Casa da Calçada

Being used to early dinners at home, we were again one of the first few diners, with dinner reservations at the first seating at another Michelin-guide restaurant, Real by Casa da Calçada.

For starters, we chose their Starter of the Day, not in the menu – ham and cheese croquettes. They were nicely crisp on the outside and smooth and pillowy as we cut into the croquette with a fork. The croquettes were so delicious, we were excited with what was to come! It was so hard to make sure not to get too full before the mains arrived but along with the starter, we had a warm bread basket (sourdough wheat bread and corn bread) with Marinhas butter topped with truffle paste that was too good to resist. 

Bread basket with truffle butter at Real by Casa da Calçada

Ham and cheese croquettes at Real by Casa da Calçada

But, of course, we had space for the mains! The dishes came in nice, copper pans, suggesting each dish was cooked individually. Hubby chose another rice dish, Arroz de marisco com corvina –Seafood rice with grilled croaker and scallop tartare. It was hearty and very flavourful. The scallop tartare provided a unique texture, elevating the homey dish.

Arroz de marisco com corvina at Real by Casa da Calçada

I chose the Black pork cheek with sweet potatoes, roasted chestnuts and caramelized onions. The pork cheek was so tender and made more moist with the sauce. The pureed sweet potatoes and soft, roasted chestnuts were topped with crisp caramelized onions. It definitely hit the spot. I really enjoyed this dish. 

Black Pork Cheek at Real by Casa da Calçada

We ended our dinner with a couple of mini pastéis de nata, on the house. They were warm (just the way I like them!), the tart was crisp, and they were just as yummy as the ones we had been having daily on the trip! It was a perfect way to end our perfect dinner! 

New Favourite: Southern Thai dining at Koh Lipe

 

Koh Lipe Scarborough

I love love love Thai Food. I am always in search of some good Thai restaurants especially since my previous favourite, Pai, is such a pain to make reservations (for our group) and get to. Chiang Rai has replaced Pai’s spot in my heart (and stomach) for a while now, but it looks like we have a contender! The fam and I checked out the Michelin Guide’s Koh Lipe in the Scarborough/Markham location! I have heard good things about the Chinatown location but am so glad there’s one a tad bit closer! And we are soooo glad to have discovered this! Now, I understand that Pai specializes on Northern Thai and that Koh Lipe specializes in Southern Thai, but it is Thai to me and I love all of it 😊!

 It took a while to choose what we wanted to try since everything on the menu looked so good! We finally settled on a couple of specials and some classics.  

The staff was friendly and the service was fast. It did not take long to get all of our dishes served!

 To start, we got the Crispy fried smelt which was so yummy! It got us excited about all the other dishes to come! The smelt was topped with crispy garlic and it was delightfully tasty! The green chili dipping sauce gave the perfect sweet and sour taste to balance out some of the oil.

Crispy Smelt @Koh Lipe

 We then got Tom Yum hot pot which was pork bone in Tom Yum soup. The serving was generous and while broth was good, I could use a bit more kick. After a while, we had to ask them to turn off the flame so that the boiling broth does not all evaporate.

Tom Yum Hot Pot @Koh Lipe

 We also got the Chef’s Special Luok Jhim platter which featured steamed mussels, shrimp, squid and fish, rice noodles flavoured with fried garlic, chili-lime sauce and lettuce wraps. We were thinking, after some very good (junk) eating the previous days, maybe we should go for some steamed food. We reminded ourselves later, to make no pretentions going forward! While it was still delicious (seafood tends to always delight this family), this was our least favourite dish. It was just, well, steamed seafood with lettuce wrap and dipping sauce. What did I really expect? Anyway, we vowed to try the Prik Pao Talay (Stir-Fried smoked chilli platter, shrimps, mussels, squid, and clams) next time!

Luok Jhim platter @Koh Lipe

We all definitely enjoyed Mas Sa Man which was a tamarind coconut red curry with peanuts and potato. We got Braised Beef (instead of the Veggies/Tofu version—see why we felt we needed to have the steamed seafood?).  It was just an explosion of flavours in our mouths! Curry with tamarind was something we don’t usually get to try and we really enjoyed the sweet, sour, mildly spicy sauce with the very tender braised beef. It will be a challenge not to order again even if we want to try so many other dishes when we come back.

Mas Sa Man @Koh Lipe

 Of course, we got our usual Pad Thai (with chicken) and it while it was not the best, it still had all the elements we love about this dish--chewy noodles, good sauce (not too much tamarind to make it sour and not too sweet). They didn’t scrimp on the chicken and did not drown the dish with bean sprouts. Will try their Pad See Ew or Pad Kee Mao on our next visit.

Pad Thai (with chicken) @Koh Lipe

 We also got a Honey Longan drink and Thai milk tea which were good to balance out the rich flavours in between bites—and allowed us to eat some more!

drinks @Koh Lipe

 We ended the meal with the mango sticky rice dessert. It came with half a mango atop wonderfully chewy sticky rice and coconut cream. The mango jelly topping was cute but doesn’t really do much to add to the already delightful dessert. It was a wonderful way to end our meal!

Mango Sticky Rice @Koh Lipe

There were Southern Thai specialties we have not tried so we would definitely go back. We think this will now become our new favourite Thai place!

 

Michelin-guide Pho in Richmond Hill!

 

Pho Tai Nam @Pho Le

The fam, being noodle soup-lovers, was so excited to discover that Pho Le’s first location outside of Ho Chi Minh was in Richmond Hill! This Vietnamese chain established in the 70’s earned the Bib Gourmand recognition in the 2023 and 2024 Michelin Guide Ho Chi Minh City. While not a star, we have had great experiences with the Michelin-guide restaurants we've tried before! And, while the recognition is for the Vietnam location, the hope is that the recipe is executed well for the other branches. Indeed, Pho Le's recognition was well-deserved with meals that were good value for money!

The wait list is long and to line up outside during winter (as there is not much space inside to wait) is enough reason to make us find something else. However, on a couple of occasions, we managed to get seats and enjoy their yummy offerings.

Their appetizer platter had something for everyone—fried spring rolls, fresh rolls, wonton, chicken wings and papaya/mango salad! I especially love the fresh rolls, packed with good sized shrimp (not super thinly-sliced just to give an illusion of the shrimp in the rolls like other places!).

Fresh rolls @Pho Le

I tried their signature Pho, but while they recommend Pho Dac Biet (with rare beef, brisket, tendon and beef balls), I prefer the Pho Tai (which is just rare beef). The broth was superb and the noodles were nicely chewy. They served great quality Pho that really hits the spot. The girls prefer their Pho with beef balls and brisket.

Pho Tai Nam @Pho Le

At another occasion, I tried their Original Laksa, and I think I will be having this for my next visit again. I know, I know, it is not really Vietnamese (they also serve Tom Yum, too) but I really enjoy Laksa. The Laksa was so flavourful with the right hint of sweet and spicy. The broth was rich and hearty and the spices burst with flavour in my mouth! The original came with shrimp, fish cake, fish ball and tofu. Hubby got the Dac Biet which included rare beef, brisket, tendon and beef balls. Same broth, just different protein. The noodles were good quality and perfectly cooked and I enjoyed the seafood it came with. Hubby also enjoyed his Laksa and also decided he will order this again when we come back.

Original Laksa @Pho Le

They also offer other items including vermicelli soup and Hue-style soup (spicy, from a different Vietnamese region-- Ok maybe I will try the Hue-style next time). They even have more expensive items such as bone marrow and beef rib soup.  Grandma had the vermicelli rice noodle bowl with grilled chicken but was not too happy about it, but she enjoyed the Fried Spring Rolls for sure! We will also try their fancy drink offerings next time!

Vermicelli with Grilled Chicken @Pho Le

Service was faster during the weekday and they need more staff during the weekends. Nonetheless, the wait was not too bad and the delicious noodle soup was worth the wait. Pho Le has been declared our fam’s new go-to Vietnamese place!

Love is Blind: Chef’s Choice tasting at George

George Toronto

Hubby took me to dinner at George to celebrate a special day and this multi-year Michelin guide-recommended spot did not disappoint! It was one of the nicest meals we’ve had! Now, I will say my disclaimer outright—this is not a food blog per se. I told Hubby that I cannot even begin to remember all the ingredients which came with the dishes, much less describe them all with their most wonderful and unexpected flavour combinations. I will, however, attempt to share with you the experience and photos of what we had. These articles mainly serve to remind me of our experience and what we ordered.

Chef Loseto’s signature Chef’s Choice tasting experiences is offered in five, seven or ten courses. Hubby and I got the five course which were “double-blind,” meaning, hubby and I each got a different dish per course. So, we didn’t know what was coming! The dishes were also not available in the A la Carte offerings which made it all the more mysterious and exciting!

To start off, I got a Mango Fuego cocktail (loved the yummy mango puree, with rum and a kick from the chili salt rim!) with our amuse-bouche. Our amuse-bouche featured different textures of the veggies—from pureed chickpea to crispy potato chips and gave us a preview of the delights to come.

Mango Fuego @George Toronto

While the server explained what we were having as each dish was presented, I did not take notes (of course) for me to be able to recount accurately to you. As well, my memory took a blink as I savoured each bite! So, while some of the ingredients stood out, what was memorable was how beautifully plated and how great each dish tasted.

Amuse-bouche @George Toronto

For starters, I got a hamachi with matcha vinaigrette while hubby got tuna (who took the unappealing photo which did not make it here :P).

Hamachi with Matcha Vinaigrette @George Toronto

Next was our favourite, foie gras course. The richness of the foie gras was cut by a hint of acidity in the sauce. I got mine with pheasant while hubby had his foie gras with rabbit. So delicious! Another blurry picture did not make it here :P

Seared Foie Gras @George Toronto

Our main course consisted of bison for me and veal for hubby. Both were beautifully cooked! The bison was tender and did not taste gamey at all! However, I did prefer the veal and hubby preferred the bison. As we split each dish, we got to really try and enjoy both dishes.

Bison @George Toronto

Veal @George Toronto

The cheese course came next which was Ontario goat cheese and Quebec cheddar. Hubby and I equally loved these. The bread, fruit and nuts were perfect complements! The richness and saltiness of this course rounded out the mains and prepped us for dessert.

Cheese course, Cheddar @George Toronto

Cheese course, Goat @George Toronto

Finally, for dessert, we got lemon tart for me and caramel tart for hubby. It was just perfect for both of us. I loved the tartness of the lemon while hubby enjoyed the richness of the caramel. What a delightful way to end our meal!

Lemon Tart @George Toronto

Caramel Tart @George Toronto

Service was excellent and the place had a great overall vibe. If you go out to the street, you can even take a peek at the kitchens. I highly recommend this dining experience at George!

New Nordic dining at Vaekst

 

Vækst, Copenhagen

We wanted to try some New Nordic cuisine and made reservations to go to Vækst, in Sankt Peders Stræde in the middle of Copenhagen’s old Latin quarter. It was also close to our hotel and the greenhouse-inspired décor was lovely. There were so many places to choose from, but Vækst was also in the Michelin guide and had great reviews, so we needed no further convincing.

We had an early dinner where they started us off with a crepe with fresh vegetables and cheese. It was served with peas. Then, we had warm bread and herbed whipped butter. We also got an appetizer of cheese foam on top of foam with crunchy rye at the bottom. A delight for our palates, these apps truly whet our appetites as we looked forward to the rest of the meal.

vegetable and cheese crepe at Vækst

bread and herbed whipped butter at Vækst

cheese foam, potatoes and rye at Vækst

Hubby, Grandma and I had the set dinner meal, minus the wine pairing (leaving our server to take away the 15 wine glasses on our table). We had Salted Scallops with green gooseberries, apple and hazelnut. It was a nice starter with dice raw scallops and very flavourful. The presentation was also delightful as our server poured the sauce onto the bowl.

Salted Scallops at Vækst

 For mains, we had Fried Cod which was garnished with radish, pureed peas, trout roe and beurre blanc. The cod was perfectly fried, slightly crispy on the outside and tender and flaky inside. The trout roe popped in our mouths as we took a bite of the cod with the beurre blanc and pureed peas. The radish on the side provided the nice contrast to the sauce.

Fried Cod at Vækst

The girls had Danish Beef Tenderloin with grilled spring onions and truffle sauce. They were also served mashed potatoes. I got to try some from DD#2. It was perfectly medium rare and oh so tender. One of the best steaks we’ve had in a while. The grilled spring onions matched perfectly to balance the truffle sauce.

Danish beef tenderloin at Vækst

For dessert, we had Rhubarb Sorbet with white chocolate and chamomile, topped with meringue. It was a wonderful palate cleanser.

Rhubarb sorbet at Vækst

We really enjoyed our food with most of the dishes having a wonderful play on textures of light cream, sauce or foam and crunch or pop. The flavours complement each other very well and were refreshingly new to our taste buds.

The place was packed by the time we left, a testament to the wonderful cuisine they have to offer.