FOOD: Beer Bistro

For those of you who love beer, you're in for a big treat! Beer Bistro is a beer cuisine restaurant with a vast selection of more than a hundred varieties of beer. Their extensive beer list, which is an entire booklet, was extremely helpful for novice beer drinkers like myself; it broke down the hundreds of beer choices into categories such as: quenching, crisp, appetizing, sociable, bold, etc. They also provide complementary beer pairings for each of their food selections, most of which are infused with beer.

After hearing about this place from my co-worker, I finally got to try their lunch menu with my friends a couple of weeks ago. Conveniently located in the heart of Toronto's Financial District, this is the perfect place to go to for a nice, relaxing meal and drink after work.

Beer Bistro
Location: 18 King Street East (416-861-9872)
Cuisine: Belgian
Price: $$ Moderate
Atmosphere: Large, cavernous space with an inviting bar & comfortable seating
Service: Quality of service was great. Speed of service definitely met the standards of workers in downtown
Rating: 4/5 drools

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup ($6): I absolutely loved this soup. Served with aged cheddar beer bread croutons, this soup was very rich in flavour and simply delicious. To my surprise, the texture was creamier than I thought it would be considering it was a vegetable soup. The croutons also added a nice crunch to it. I can definitely see myself having this a lot during the winter!

Belgian Frites ($6): These are certainly not your regular frites! Blanched in beef & duck fat and served with house-made mayonnaise & smoked tomato ketchup, it's no wonder these are so popular. The frites were fresh, crispy and well-seasoned. I actually didn't find the need to use condiments with these frites because they were so flavorful on their own, but the smoked tomato ketchup definitely added a nice kick to them. Would definitely recommend these to everyone!

Bison Burger ($16): Served with melted brie, sautéed shitake mushrooms, and bean salad. According to my friend, this burger was nothing special and lacked salt.

Overall, I had a very enjoyable experience at Beer Bistro. It has nice decor, great atmosphere, and is in a convenient location. I was especially surprised by the speedy service of the restaurant! I look forward to trying something from their beer list next time.

Hope this review helps! Please comment and let me know what you think of Beer Bistro and any other dishes that you think I should try.

Happy eating!

Cheers~
Victoria

My "Sort of" Bucket List

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't been blogging much lately. I've been really busy over the last couple of weeks, especially with the TO Food Fest happening last Sunday. For those of you who haven't heard of it, it's a 1-day event that brings together top foodie-reviewed restaurants and local hidden gems in the Scarborough/Markham area. My friend's photos of this year's event can be found here in case any of you are interested (thanks Phoebe!), and definitely come out next year! =)

Anyway, I was looking through another friend's photos of her exchange in Korea. She's been there for almost a year now and I'm not sure exactly how much longer she'll be there for, but it got me thinking about what sorts of things I want to do, especially now that I've graduated. I really want to put my time to better use and not waste it all away with TV shows, movies, games, etc. I've already taken my first steps by volunteering to help out with the TO Food Fest, creating this blog, and reading leisurely again, but I want to do more. So I figured I'd sit down and write a list of things I want to do over the next while.

My "Sort of" Bucket List

1. Go skydiving
2. Go scuba diving
3. Go bungee jumping
4. Go snorkeling
5. Work/study overseas
6. Teach English overseas
7. Open my own restaurant/café
8. Travel to Asia (Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore)
9. Travel to Europe (Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Barcelona, Athens, Venice, Norway, Switzerland)
10. Make a wish at the Trevi fountain in Rome
11. Fall in love with someone who loves me back
12. Go on a cruise
13. Go on a Disney cruise
14. Go to Disney World and all Disneylands (Hong Kong, California, Paris, Tokyo)
15. Stay in a Disney resort and have breakfast with Goofy
16. Attend a live concert
17. Attend a Korean pop concert (SNSD, Big Bang, Super Junior, TVXQ, Infinite)
18. Attend a Japanese concert (Supercell)
19. Meet Bubzbeauty
20. Visit Western Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba)
21. Visit Eastern Canada (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec)
22. Own a dog
23. Eat from a food truck
24. Kiss under the Eiffel Tower
25. Snowboard in Japan
26. Visit the Great Wall of China
27. Run a marathon
28. Ride a motorcycle
29. Go to Oktoberfest in Bavaria, Germany
30. See the Mona Lisa
31. Attend Loy Krathong, the sky lantern festival in Thailand
32. Knit a scarf
33. Take a Japanese language course
34. Take a Korean language course
35. Be at Time’s Square for on New Year’s Eve
36. Dance with my dad at my wedding
37. Catch the bouquet at a wedding
38. Ride a camel in the Sahara desert
39. Watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
40. Go into an airport and buy tickets for a random flight
41. Learn to ride a horse
42. Be in a commercial/TV show
43. Meet a TVB celebrity
44. Plant a tree
45. Donate blood
46. Donate my hair
47. Start a blog or build a website
48. Go to a sporting grand final
49. Climb Mount Everest Base Camp
50. Visit the country of your dreams and live like a local for one month
51. Go whale watching
52. Change someone’s life
53. Kiss on the beach at sunset
54. Let my hair get really long
55. Build an igloo
56. Build a blanket fort with someone I love
57. Throw someone a surprise party
58. Walk through Central Park
59. Be able to walk well in heels
60. Harry Potter marathon
61. Lord of the Rings marathon
62. Dance in the rain
63. Breathe in helium
64. Solve a Rubik's cube
65. Be Maid of Honour at a wedding
66. Have a marriage more beautiful than my wedding
67. Get in a taxi and yell “Follow that car!"
68. Try chicken feet
69. Try stinky tofu
70. Be in a mosh pit
71. Attend a Billy Talent concert
72. Kiss underwater
73. Attend a musical on Broadway
74. See Wicked the musical
75. Find a job I love
76. Go star gazing
77. Kiss on top of a ferris wheel
78. Meet Harry Potter cast!
79. Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
80. Get my G licence
81. Go to prom
82. Go on a hot air balloon
83. Watch a meteor shower
84. Ride in a limo
85. Make macarons
86. Eat macarons in Paris
87. See cherry blossoms in Japan
88. Attend an anime convention
89. Eat sushi in Japan
90. Eat bulgogi in Korea
91. Visit Mt. Fuji
92. Visit Kura Sushi
93. Learn HTML

I realize some of the items on this list seem really lame (i.e. the taxi one) but it's all for fun =). Have you thought of your bucket list?

BOOKS: A Long Way Gone & The Help

Woohoo it's Wednesday! *throws confetti*. I have this terrible habit of going into weekend-mode the moment Wednesday is over, but it definitely makes me enjoy the week more =).

Anyway, ever since I started work, I've finally had the time to get to my huge stack of books and catch up on leisure reading. I just never had the chance to read them because.. well, face it, who wants to read when they have all those textbooks during university? So I'm going to share with you guys some books from my must-read list! Hopefully you guys will check them out because I really enjoyed these books and would read them again in a heartbeat.

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah

Summary: A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier is a memoir written by Ishmael Beah. Published in 2007, this book provides a firsthand account of the decade-long civil war in Sierra Leone and the ongoing plight of child soldiers in conflicts worldwide.

My opinion: I loved this book because it really opened my eyes to the harsh realities of child soldiers and those living in war-torn countries. To be honest, I read this book a while ago and don't remember the details but I know that I was extremely moved by the story of Ishmael's childhood. His writing is simple yet powerful and he is truly a natural storyteller. I definitely recommend this book everyone.


The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Summary: The Help, a first novel from Kathryn Stockett, is the story of a young white woman in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s and a group of black maids who work for the families of her friends. Stockett writes about the struggles the women face as they chafe against the written and unwritten rules that limit their lives.

My opinion: I absolutely loved this book. It's the perfect book to read when you just want to clear your mind and get away from everything. It’s well-written, witty, engaging, and you can't put it down once you've started. There were so many moments where I found myself cheering on for the characters in the story and feeling sad or angry whenever something went wrong. For those of you who are movie lovers, I'm sure you have heard of the 2011 film, The Help, which is based on this novel and features Emma Stone. I have yet to watch the movie but I heard that it follows the book very closely. I cannot wait to watch it!

Anyway, that is it for now. Sometimes I'm grateful for my daily commute to work because it's a great time to catch up on reading =). If you guys have read these books or have any others that you would recommend, please share!

Cheers~
Victoria

FOOD: Shiso Tree Cafe

I first heard of Shiso Tree Cafe about a year ago when I saw photos of some really delicious looking pasta on Facebook. After doing a little research, I discovered that the restaurant serves Japanese-style Italian pasta and immediately added it to my list of must-try places. Since then, I've been there twice and have loved my dining experience both times. I'm glad that I was able to discover this hidden gem in J-Town and, as an avid pasta lover, I will definitely be going again.

What makes Shiso Tree Cafe's menu unique is that their pasta comes in three different styles: Wafu (pasta made with Japanese ingredients), Tomato sauce, and Cream & Rosé sauce. In addition, they have entreé salads, cafe items, and cakes from Bakery Nakamura (the bakery inside J-Town's Supermarket). Set menus and daily sets are also available.

Shiso Tree Cafe
Location: 3160 Steeles Ave. East Unit 1 (905-479-9319)
Price: $$ Moderate
Atmosphere: Very relaxing cafe with comfortable seating
Service: Very good service - waitresses were attentive and polite
Rating: 4/5 drools

Shiso Tree Cafe menu with their three types of pasta!

Each pasta dish is served with a salad. The greens were really fresh and the miso-based vinaigrette had a nice tang to it.

Okonomiyaki fries ($8): Regular fries dressed with homemade steak sauce, Japanese mayo, bonito fish flakes, & green onions. Crispy, delicious and flavourful!

Napolitan pasta ($10): Japanese tomato sauce with sausage, bacon, onions, nori & shiso. A very popular Japanese pasta dish with a very sweet and cheesy taste.

Sukiyaki pasta ($15): Thinly sliced beef rib eye cooked in house made Japanese soya sauce (shoyu) blend & beef jus. Garnished with mushrooms, green onions, nori and shiso. Usually I don't like soup-y pasta but this was really good.

Bolognese pasta ($11): Meat sauce with a combination of beef & pork finished with reduced red wine and beef jus.

Unagi-Don ($17): Cream teriyaki sauce and shimeji mushrooms with Japanese barbecued eel. Garnished with nori & shiso.

Shrimp Okonomiyaki pasta ($14): Spaghetti sautéed with bacon, onions, garlic-dressed shrimp, homemade steak sauce, Japanese mayo & bonito fish flakes. This was my favourite dish because it had such a delicious and unique flavour combination, which I thought really represented Japanese-Italian fusion. The shrimp was also perfectly cooked and there was a generous amount of ingredients.

[Edit 06/05/2013: I went to Shiso Tree Cafe for dinner again last night with a friend and got to try a new dish - tarako spaghetti. Photo and description below!]

Tarako spaghetti ($14): Cod roe spaghetti in a light cream sauce with daikon, nori & shiso. The pasta was cooked al dente and the sauce was really light, creamy and flavourful. This was on the restaurant's special menu.

Overall, I would definitely go to Shiso Tree Cafe again to try their other pastas and dishes. I haven't had any of their desserts yet so I definitely will next time (who wouldn't want black sesame crème brûlée, after all?). I also noticed that the place has a small stage with a drum set, which I assume is for live music performances.

Hope this review helps! Please comment and let me know what you think of Shiso Tree Cafe and any other dishes that you think I should try.

Happy eating!

Cheers~
Victoria

"Draw My Life" Favourites

Hey guys. Just thought I'd share my two favourite "Draw My Life" videos from YouTube. Both are drawn really well and share truly touching stories.

1) Michelle Phan

2) BubzBeauty

That is all for now =) hope everyone's enjoying their long weekend!

Happy watching!

Cheers~
Victoria

MUSIC: K-Pop & K-Ballads

Happy Wednesday everyone! I'm super excited for the long weekend to come =). Can't wait to catch up on sleep and spend time with friends and family. I just wanted to make a quick post on a couple of songs that I have been addicted to this month.

T-ara N4 (티아라 N4) - Jeon Won Diary(전원일기)

The first song that I'd like to introduce to you guys is "Countryside Life (전원일기)" by T-ara N4 (티아라 N4), a four-member subunit of T-ara consisting of members Jiyeon, Eunjung, Hyomin, and Areum. It has a really fun and catchy electronic beat to it that makes you want to get up and dance. The choreography is also really intense and exciting, and I love watching the group perform it live. Normally I'm not a huge fan of T-ara, but they do come out with dangerously addictive songs that get stuck in my head really easily. It's just one of those songs that you can put on repeat for days on end.

The group has released both the drama version and dance version music videos for this song. Check them out below!

Drama version

Dance version

Lee Sang Gon (이상곤) - 사랑이 아프다 (My Love Is Hurt) [Gu Family Book OST]

I am proud to say that I'm a sucker for Korean ballads. This song is from the OST of the Korean drama "Gu Family Book". Although I haven't watched the drama, I fell in love with the song because of its lovely melody and the beautifully emotional singing. Check it out!

Taeyeon (태연) - 그리고 하나 (And One) [That Winter, The Wind Blows OST]

Yet another Korean OST song that I'm in love with, this time by my favourite Korean female singer, Taeyeon (SNSD). Although she may not be the best singer in terms of singing technique, she is my favourite singer because of the emotion that she brings out in her singing and performances. If I could, I would make a post on just her songs alone. Give this song a listen and let me know what you think!

And there you have it - three songs that I'm currently addicted to! There are so many other songs that I'm in love with right now but those will have to wait for my next post. I hope you guys give these songs a shot and let me know what you think!

Happy listening!

Cheers~
Victoria

Happy Mother's Day!

Hi everyone! Hope you are all enjoying this Mother's Day despite the nasty weather. I ended up staying home with my family for most of the day. We actually went through our old family albums during the afternoon and took a nice trip down memory lane. I thought I'd share some of these lovely memories with you because it was certainly nostalgic and fun for me =).

My mom and baby me!

I can't believe I fell asleep right before the Disney fireworks

Rockin' my fake Hello Kitty sweater

My adorable little brothers and I on Christmas day

Today was also the last day for Happy Hour at Starbucks. I totally took advantage of it and got 4 venti frappuccinos (for my family of course), although I probably looked crazy for doing so. Drinks always do taste better when they're half price, or better yet, free!

Enjoying my venti green tea frappuccino

Shortly after that, we had our Mother's Day dinner with my grandma at a local Chinese restaurant. I always love talking with my grandma because she is such a sweetheart =).

Grandma, mom and I during our Mother's Day dinner

Anyway that's about it! Just thought I'd write a quick post before I start the work week tomorrow. I imagine I'd be far too tired to blog after work but I will try my best. Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and enjoy the rest of your Sunday evening!

Cheers~
Victoria

P.S. Go Leafs!