Monthly Archives: September 2011

So wait, Quebec is in Canada?

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Six years of studying French and 6 sentences later…this is how my ability to speak French culminated: getting in and around Montreal and Quebec City. I knew that Quebec is the French speaking state of Canada; in fact I almost came here years ago for an exchange program at McGill University. I just did not anticipate the extent to which the Quebecois spoke French. It was surreal. It was almost as if I was in Paris. I heard more people speak French than English and when they did speak English it was with a French accent. I find this strange yet amusing at the same time. How on earth is this state still a part of Canada is all that I could think of. Quebec was certainly très très different from the likes of Vancouver and Toronto. Whilst I really enjoyed the old century feel to both Vieux-Montreal and Vieux-Quebec my admiration for Quebec would remain only at that tourist type of affection. If you ask me to live there I would probably hesitate.

So here is a run down of what went on in Quebec. Let’s start with Montreal.

Arrival by VIA Rail Canada. This was the only leg of our trip that wasn’t by plane. The ride from Toronto was only 5 hours and the price was cheaper than travelling by plane so we thought why not give VIA Rail a go. The train looked so much more worn out than the pictures on the website which was disappointing. But that wasn’t much big of a deal because once you’re tired no matter how bumpy the ride was you will get a good night’s sleep – which is exactly what happened to me. I slept like a baby on board the train, after checking out the view of course. They were only corn fields so I thought I could give that a pass. If the view were of mountains and lakes I would’ve stayed up.

Hiking up Mont Royal. They said high up Mont Royal gives the best view of Montreal. People who said that sure were right. It was a little but confusing getting to the peak of the park because our map was not of great help. But after asking around en français K and I managed to find our destination. Although the sky was gloomy when we got there the view was still spectacular. There wasn’t as many tourists as I thought there would be so there was ample space for everyone to enjoy the view. Even locals come here to unwind and enjoy the view.

L’Oratoire St Joseph. M, our friend from Toronto, gave us a list of places to visit in Montreal and this the Oratory of Saint Joseph was on top of his list. It was not a far trek from Mont Royal once you figure out which bus to take. Ask the locals if you need to – this was exactly how we got there. Now to get inside the church is a long trek. There were 3 flights of stairs and it was a very humid day so by the time K and I got there we were roasted. The oratory looks magnificent from the outside because it stands tall amongst everything else but I found it to be a bit too commercialised. If you are scared of scary things like ghosts I’d suggest you don’t go to the 4th floor. That was where I got the biggest shock of my life thinking I saw the “ghost” of Father Andre but that which turned out to be just an amazingly lifelike replica of him. It is super human like it’s creepy. It was a miracle I didn’t have nightmares that night.

Shopping & Dining at Saint Denis Street. M told us that Saint Denis Street was like Toronto’s Yorkville with boutique shops and chic places to eat. After much debate as to when we should do our shopping, we went to St Denis Street after visiting the L’Oratoire Saint Joseph, first, to get some bagels from St Viateur Bagels, then go shopping. Of course plans don’t usually happens the way they are supposed to. We went shopping straight away and did some damage. I must say that this is a pretty good place to shop. There are cafes and restaurants everywhere so after a tiring shopping spree you can find just about everything you want to eat in this street. K remembered a restaurant from Anthony Bordain’s show called Au Pied de Cochon (see below) so we had dinner there.

Dinner at Au Pied de Cochon. This restaurant is insanely packed on a Monday night. It’s just a little off St Denis Street and a little hard to find because there are no obvious indicators which tells you that this is Au Pied de Cochon. The whole street is full of restaurants but this and one other restaurant are the only places that you have to wait, or make reservations to get in. We were lucky enough to get seats at the bar area where you can watch the chefs cook. The bar was a bit too high for me so all I could see was this chef making mashed potatoes and I swear that the 2 hours we were there he did not cook much else but mashed potatoes. Anyway, we had a tuna tartare sushi style to start then a foie gras tart and then a duck maigret with mushroom sauce to finish. The tuna tartare was amazing! Explosion of flavours in every bite and the fish was very fresh. The foie gras was very tasty and buttery. It came with a pastry base and mashed potatoes in the middle with a ring of foie gras around the mashed potatoes. I loved it so much. K is weak and couldn’t finish her half because it was too rich for her. You know that feeling when you eat too much butter by itself that you just want to yak it out afterwards? Yeah that was what she felt about the foie gras. I guess there’s only so much foie gras one can eat, huh? As for me, I polished off my plate. Yes I’m a pig like that. Then we waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. It took the duck more than half an hour after we finished the foie gras to come out. I don’t know what took so long but when we asked the waitress to check on our order all she said was “it’s coming soon” without even asking the kitchen. And so we waited even more. Finally it came out and it was nothing but mediocre. The first bite was good but the rest after that was just not good enough. The duck breast was so rubbery even a streak knife couldn’t cut through it. I had to chew like mad so I can swallow it.

Let me just say this – food-wise, I think Au Pied de Cochon is worth trying. If you are expecting to be treated like a god or goddess, don’t get your hopes up because their customer service is as shitty as shit can be (for lack of better words to describe it). Service was rude and slow and it was almost impossible to flag down a waiter.

Au Pied de Cochon on Urbanspoon

Dessert at Rockaberry. M’s girlfriend, who is a Montreal native, recommended Rockaberry to us just in case we needed something sweet after dinner. Well she wasn’t kidding when she told us they had a lot of pies. So many pies to choose from I couldn’t decide which one to get. There are over 12 pie flavours some with chocolate, fruit, or both. I ended up getting a Banana Split with Chocolate which I ate whilst watching trashy TV shows back in the hotel room. Overall taste was good but a little too sweet and the cake underneath was dry.

Notre Dame Basilica. K has been bugging me to go to Notre Dame Basilica even before our trip. I was indifferent because I do not appreciate church structures. I mean those century old churches are beautiful and all but that is all I can appreciate. I can probably appreciate more the historical significance behind the structures than the architectural style because I know nothing about architecture. But I once I stepped into the basilica I must admit that I was awestruck. Oh my. The interior was just amazing with intricate details, statues and colour. I haven’t been to any of the churches in Europe so I don’t know how this Notre Dame in Montreal compares. It was just wow.

Chinatown. Is it weird that I feel at home in Chinatown? If I’m craving for some soup then this is probably the best place to get it because I love Chinese/Asian soup. M advised that the Vietnamese food in Chinatown is close to authentic because of the large Vietnamese population in Montreal. I think it was Pho Saigon that we went into and I had one of the best lunches I’ve had for this trip. The pork chop was very fragrant and sweet and the pho soup with lemon leaf was the best way to warm up your tummy. I still dream about the pork chop.

Vieux-Montreal. Old Montreal is probably the reason why people visit Montreal. Old walls and structures with cobblestones and French speaking make you feel all the more like you are in Paris. It was a good change to see this area because it was nothing like Downtown. Loaded with tourists though. I wonder how many locals actually walk through the streets of Vieux Montreal? We stopped by this maple products gift shop to do our souvenir shopping and met the friendliest person ever in Canada. He was the owner of the shop and he sure knows how to take care of his customers. He made recommendations, gave us samples and really talked to us. He knew I love maple syrup so he spoilt me by giving me tasting of just about everything I wanted to taste and also some stuff he force fed me.

And we’re off to Quebec City.

Quebec City was not actually part of our planned itinerary but everyone we met, M and some other strangers and fellow tourists, told us that if they only had a day to spend in Quebec they would rather spend it in Quebec City. We did have a day to spare in Montreal so we made an off the plan decision and took a 3-hour train ride from Montreal to Quebec City. We left early morning and came back to Montreal with VIA Rail’s last train departure.

With about 5-6 hours in Quebec City, the only place we actually spent time in was Vieux-Quebec. Where else would we go? Okay, M and the strangers were right – Quebec City is indeed more beautiful than Montreal. I think the area of Vieux-Quebec is bigger than Vieux-Montreal so there was much more to see. It’s a bit more walk uphill and downhill compared to Montreal but it is worth it.

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At Niagara Falls we meet again

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Today, an old friend and I met again after 13 years. This is the same friend whose brother took us around Toronto as previously mentioned. It was a good feeling to see old friends after such a long time. It brings back childhood memories and the funnily stupid things that we used to do.

It was an hour or so drive from our point of origin to Niagara and that gave us enough time to catch up with each other. All that chatting made the trek seem much shorter. I had an impression that Niagara Falls is one giant waterfall where you can hear roaring waters miles away from the actual falls. I’m a little surprised to see that the actual falls were not as I expected. They seem smaller and not as scary as I thought they would be. Maybe it was because of where we were standing; or perhaps it was just high expectations. But that doesn’t mean that I did not have a great time at the falls. Big or small, I am always left awestruck by mother nature. I think the falls would’ve been better if the surrounding areas were more in sync with nature. I just feel that the town of Niagara is much too commercialised with casinos and Vegas-style strips and shops. Around the falls were railings to prevent accidents (although some people still choose to ignore warning signs and climb the railings), which I understand completely – safety first. My only point is that if the area were more like how Banff National Park is set up visitors would probably have a much better view of the falls. I accept that no 2 things are alike so I just try to appreciate however way Niagara Falls is meant to be enjoyed.

So there were 6 of us who went to the Falls. We had a great time running around chasing rainbows and getting showered in mist. In essence, it is always raining in the Falls area? I guess that’s part of the fun. We did not do any of those Maid of the Mist boat tour, nor the Journey Behind the Falls tours, nor the Helicopter tours. Instead, we stayed on ground armed with our cameras trying to get that perfect shot of the Falls. Let me tell ya, that was very hard to do with all the mist and people and railings and other obstructions but I am quite happy with the photos I managed to take.

After the Falls, we decided to pay Niagara-on-the-Lake a visit. Good decision. Niagara-on-the-Lake is such a picturesque town – quaint, peaceful, and unique with all its boutique shops. Even the Starbucks there blends in with the setting. We walked around the town snapping photos of the beautiful houses.

En route to Niagara-on-the-Lake we passed by a very unique stall; something I’ve never seen before – a stall that sells Grape Pie. Yes, like apple pies but with grapes. The lady told us that the grapes come from the vineyards but are not wine grapes although the grapes do have a wine taste. It was a shortcrust pastry base with grape filling topped with crumble. Oh my God it was so good. They also have grape jam for sale. These grapes come and go with the season so these pies are not available all year round. We bought 2 boxes of 9 and polished off 1 box in the car. Guess we were lucky to have visited Niagara at this time of the year.

Sleepless in Toronto

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Toronto is awesome. Toronto is cool. What’s even better is having locals show you around the city and beyond. And that only means that sleep is minimal in Toronto – not that I’m complaining because we got to see a lot of places and things and shops in and out of Toronto in like 24 hours.

Now, rewind to a day before we met the locals. We are exactly halfway through our holidays and fatigue has finally caught up with us. K and I started the day too late seeing as nobody heard the alarm and we overslept until about noon. So we opted to have a rather relaxing day by heading to Streetsville in Mississsauga and we both had an impulse haircut. I got more that a haircut. I now have highlights too. Yep, I went halfway around the world to find the “new” me. The hairdressers at Salon Bardot were really cool. They were friendly and they know their stuff so I was very much happy with my semi new hair. No regrets with that. Well that took the whole afternoon essentially leaving us with just enough time for dinner before calling it a night. With our hair all done nicely K suggested we go somewhere where we can have drinks for dinner. We ended up in West 50 across the hotel (just in case we get too pissed and can’t make it home anymore, kidding) and had a heavy dinner. This place has about or over 100 taps of beer! The bar is really cool and the waitstaff really know their beers so go check it out. Alcohol made me sleep like a log.

The next day was a full day ahead. My friend’s (from grade school, or middle school, or however its called) brother, M, came to pick us up and off we go sightseeing in and around Toronto. We went all the way to Scarborough, east of Toronto, for dim sum and it’s a good place for chinese food because Scarborough has a massive Asian community. We went to this restaurant called Ginger and Onion Cuisine. What on earth is a ginger and onion cuisine?? But it was a good lunch. We’ve been having a lot of potatoes and burgers that Chinese food never tasted so good. This was only the second time we’ve had Chinese food for this whole trip and it was definitely a better experience than the one we had in San Francisco. After lunch was a short stroll at Pacific Mall near the restaurant. Walk into the mall and it feels like you are in China.

Then we went Downtown. My friend gave us a list of places to visit so I passed it on to her brother and we pretty much covered everything on the list in a day. We are that efficient! Let’s see…CN Tower, Waterfront, Chinatown, Dundas Square, Queen St West, Distillery District, Old City Hall, St Lawrence Market, Art Gallery of Ontario. I think that was it. In between all these places we took the subway, bus, and streetcar all in 1 day. Good job, eh? I’ll be honest and say that we didn’t actually go into all the places like the CN Tower and the Art Gallery. It’s more like we walk past them and admired them from the outside. After that rip off experience with the Vancouver Lookout I really do not feel like paying about $30, as I’ve been told, just to see the views. It was pretty late when we finally settled to have dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe in Yonge Street. It felt like we were in Manhattan’s Times Square. I got a souvenir glass for keeps with my mocktail. Oh great, that’s another space gone in my luggage. I hope it makes it back home in 1 piece.

The day after was a more relaxed day. Or so I thought. M came to pick us up again and we went to Cora’s for brunch. This is one cool breakfast/lunch spot serving all meals with fresh fruits. I realised that I haven’t had much fruit the whole time I was away from home that I literally ate way too much fruits. I had a fruit cocktail to begin with and then I ordered a crepe with fruits and custard that looked small on the menu’s photos. It turned out to be 1 massive piece of crepe with chunky pieces of fruits. I can hardly breathe after all that fruit but I left healthier (overlooking the fact that it came with custard and cream).

It was already 3pm when we finished our brunch. Who knew that time flew so fast? The agenda for the rest of the day was to go to Toronto Island. So we took a ferry from Waterfront and got to the island within 10 minutes. This island is like Vancouver’s Stanley Park but on a much smaller scale. It’s a great place for picnics, biking, strolling and relaxing. M found out that the lighthouse somewhere in the island is the oldest stone building in either Canada or Ontario, I can’t remember which, so he made us walk all the way there to see the haunted lighthouse, as he calls it. We finally made it there and the lighthouse was a mere small structure. I was expecting a far more majestic structure but I guess this little one is impressive in its own way too. Legend has it that the first lighthouse keeper went missing and a body was found near the lighthouse sometime after. We had a great time trying to peek through the keyhole to see if we could see an eyeball on the other end.

We headed back to Toronto for a fancy dinner at Biff’s Bistro. Food was great! But dessert was disappointing. You can get a 3 course prix fixe dinner for around $35 and the serving was substantial. The mushroom soup was phenomenal, as we all agreed, and the fish I had was good too. K had the duck confit and it was delicious but the one I had in San Francisco was better. Biff’s duck confit came with duck livers though and I really enjoyed munching on that. After dinner M took us to Yorkville, comparable to New York’s 5th Avenue, and this was already about 11pm. We spent the night checking out the condos and houses in the area simply because they were so beautiful, and pricey if I may add.

It was about 2:30pm when we finally got back to the hotel and I don’t even know how I managed to wake up the next day.

Domesticated in Calgary

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Calgary and I got acquainted for a mere 10 minutes. After arriving via the Brewster bus from Banff K and I checked into our hotel and rushed out the door to look for the train to meet a friend. I find it strange that the train line in Downtown Calgary is not underground. It was like a line for streetcars and the train station was right there along the sidewalk. And referring to Destination X West or East, North or South was very confusing too. I am helpless with directions and I am spoilt with the simplicity of Perth’s public transportation so Canadian public transportation is just all too confusing for me.

Close to an hour later in a very stuffy train, we reached the end of the train line and met K’s friend. We had dinner with the friend’s family with 2 years’ worth of catching up for them and me meeting new people. Before calling it a night the family offered their house for us to stay and that was the start of our 1 day domesticated life in Calgary, outside Downtown of course. We got to see what life is like for a typical Canadian family on a regular day. Well, it wasn’t all too different from how we live in Perth; it was just a little busier.

Up early in the morning to get the kids ready for school; drop the hubby off at the train station; drop the kids off at school; do errands and house chores; pick up kids from school; cook for dinner; tuck in kids for bedtime; and before you know it the same routine starts all over again. This is exactly what we did for our 1 day stay in Calgary. The amazing part was that we went to Costco! Big volumes for cheap prices is where it’s at. We don’t have Costco in Perth so do forgive my excitement over a they-have-everything-in-it warehouse type of store. Whilst shopping at Costco K and I volunteered to cook dinner for the family as a thank you for showing us around and taking us in to their home. Having a home-cooked meal and resting your head on a non hotel pillow never felt so good.

Menu for the night -

*Chicken with red wine stew
*Leftovers
*Chocolate Lava cake
*Oreo Cheesecake

- way too full as usual.

After having such good luck with warm and sunny weather since Vancouver, Calgary decided to change things up and gave us chilly to freezing weather. I was hoping to see snow because I have never seen snow, ever; but I think 99.99% of Canadians would kill me for wishing to see snow at this time of the year.

What’s the tourist-y place I visited in Calgary, you may ask? The Olympic Park. And that was it.

Oh my Banff

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Is there any place else more spectacular than Banff? Probably, but I definitely consider Banff to be one of the most spectacular places on Earth (I know, that just sounded like the tagline from Water for Elephants – a great book, by the way, so go read it if you haven’t done so already). Mountains after mountains, valleys after valleys there isn’t anything I do not love above this little town that is a national park.

It’s all pretty much nature and tourism in Banff. Tours around Banff and the surrounding areas are all about introducing nature at its finest. We touched down in Calgary and took Brewster’s Banff shuttle for another 2 hours of road time to get to Banff. Upon arrival we were greeted by a surprisingly hot weather. We were expecting cold and chilly weather so we packed all those thick jackets and coats that took up so much luggage space. But no, we had to take away layers and layers of clothing. Is it strange that I got sunburnt in Canada? Weird. Now I’m going back home a shade darker just in time for summer in our part of the world and end up another shade darker so I’ll be a brown moose by the time winter comes to Australia. But anyway, sunburnt and all, I still had an awesome time in Banff. We arrived late in the afternoon so the agenda left for the night was to ride the gondola and have dinner up in the observation deck. Boy was the gondola steep. I’m not afraid of heights but every time the gondola passed a tower and swayed my heart skipped a beat. It was, after all, still miles and miles away from the ground and if anything happens…okay, I refuse to think of what will happen if something does happen. We made it to the top of Sulphur Mountain and the scenery was just breathtaking. We had a fantastic Canadian Prime Rib dinner, which we rushed about eating in order to go outside and take sunset photos. While out there we saw the cutest mountain goats too.

Late at night we strolled around Downtown and it was a busy weekend night with all the tourists and Canadian locals coming to Banff for the weekend. We ended up chatting with a Korean girl at the fudge shop and bought a caramel apple covered in peanuts and dark chocolate.

The next day, we had an early start. Woke up early for a free breakfast at the hotel and we are off to the streets to wait for our tour bus that took forever to arrive. K and I signed up for a tour that took us to Johnston Canyon, Lake Louise, Valley of the Ten Peaks and crossed over the border to British Columbia to visit Yoho National Park. Each scenery has its own unique features but each one of them is breathtaking in its own way. Take Lake Louise for example – mountain in the background, clear and blue lake that freezes up during winter and becomes a natural ice skating rink, and Fairmont Lake Louise right beside the lake. If that is not spectacular enough wait until you see Lake Moraine. Just because it doesn’t have a Fairmont hotel beside it it doesn’t mean it is any less grand than Lake Louise. In fact, I think I like Lake Moraine better than Lake Louise. Yeah, it’s a battle of the lakes. Lake Moraine is bluer and by that I mean extremely blue that you would think you are in a postcard. The colour of the lake is simply surreal; with seven of the ten peaks of the Valley of the Ten Peaks showing in the background. Do bring proper walking shoes though when you go on these kind of tours because there are uneven walking trails, which is really the only way you can get as close to nature as possible.

Our last day in Banff was a very relaxing one. I took a stroll around Downtown and the surrounding areas/streets and pretty much walked the whole of Banff centre.

I can go on and on about how wonderful Banff is but, really, words and pictures do not do justice to this gem. You have to see and experience it to believe it.

Home away from home in Vancouver

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It is amazing how Vancouver closely resembles Perth that I almost forgot I was in a foreign city. There is the obvious difference of Vancouver being livelier and busier even during the night but, apart from that, I can totally see myself living there and adjusting to this new city within a matter of days. Plus, food is much cheaper too. A bento box in Perth that would normally cost me $10.90 costs only $6.45 in Vancouver! And you get more food in the box too.

The area i loved most is Yaletown because this is where the atmosphere is most like Perth. It is not as rowdy as Downtown but is still busy enough to keep you occupied. I’ve heard that Canadian are known to be amongst the friendliest bunch. True enough. As soon as we got out of the train station, a seemingly nice guy approached us and asked if we needed help with directions as we were helplessly confused with the map. Need more evidence? We walked into a hair salon to ask the owner, Sue, how much a haircut is blah blah blah. Before we walked out she spotted my huge ass camera, making us look very touristy, and started chatting with us and recommending all the places we need to go and highlighting all those places in the map. I couldn’t love her more!

For a more relaxing late afternoon arrival, K and I decided to go to the Vancouver Lookout. This, in my opinion, is a major rip off. Yes you get to see the “spectacular” views of Vancouver and all that but that’s about it for $15. The inside was pretty dingy and there was no photo souvenir no nothing. Guess I was just expecting a little bit more than just the views. And to top it off, they have this display of the tallest buildings in the world and how this Vancouver Lookout compares. It doesn’t even come close to the second shortest building in comparison!

One good thing did come out of the trip to the lookout though. K saw this little info about a Steam Clock in Gastown, a neighbourhood not too far from the lookout so it was walkable. This clock is powered by steam and chimes every 15 minutes to the tune of the chimes in Westminster Abbey in London, according to the brochure. We crossed over to Gastown to hunt for this clock and there is was surrounded by tourists like us waiting for it to chime. Finally a quarter of the hour arrived and the clock chimed complete with steam blowing out from it. Even diners at the italian restaurant in front of it were awestruck. This neighbourhood here is much like Leederville or Subiaco in Perth with all its pubs, restaurants, cafes and specialty shops. It was already dark when we popped by so we did not actually walk into any of the shops; but we did have dinner there at The Old Spaghetti Factory, which is an iconic restaurant in this part of town. If you are looking to get your teeth on some spectacular spaghetti meals, don’t get your hopes high. They were nothing but ordinary and the bread was not even good. After that we headed home and bid Vancouver goodnight.

On the next day, our first official Vancouver sightseeing day, K and I went to the famous Capilano Suspension Bridge. The main reason for the existence of the said bridge is to cross from one mountain to another. We hopped on the free shuttle and about 20 minutes later we arrived at the bridge. Aside from the bridge and the new Cliffwalk attraction there isn’t much else to do. Do cross the wobbly bridge though for the sake of saying you have crossed the bridge. When we headed back down they gave us a certificate for crossing the bridge. Not too shabby, eh? Whilst waiting for our shuttle to go back to Downtown we stopped by and chatted with an info centre staff named Gemma. She is really awesome because, apart from telling us where to go and which beaches are prettier, she recommended the most awesome dessert cafe ever called True Confections, which we will eventually head off to after dinner. When we got to Downtown we searched and searched and finally asked a local where the Japadog stall is. Japadog is like a normal hotdog in a bun only it’s Japanese style which means that it is way better that frankfurts with ketchup and mustard. This stall has all kinds of Japanese-style hotdogs in a bun topped with Japanese mayo, seaweed, bonito flakes. Whatever you want. Oh, there is also that wasabi mayo. It’s a little pricey for about $7 to $9 that does not fill you up that much but I am so willing to pay for that second hotdog.

After lunch we decided that we needed to burn off some of the calories we just consumed so where better to do this than Stanley Park? I really though walking to the park would be a no-brainer but it turned out to be very far so onto Plan B. We took the Capilano free shuttle to the Westin and walked from there. This was way easier than walking from Downtown. Walk, run, jog, hop…whatever you want to do at the park you will see really great views of people’s boat moored around the marina. We followed a short trail heading towards the beaches whose names I can’t remember aside from Sunset Beach and I had way too much fun spotting wildlife I don’t get to see in Perth. We saw racoons in daylight, squirrels and Canadian geese crossing the street. How cool is that? An hour or so later we made it back to Downtown under the blinding Canadian sun and had a Greek/Persian dinner at some restaurant in Denman Street. We had the chicken shawarma and it was delicious! We cooled off with desserts at True Confections a few blocks down the road. When Gemma told us that they make the biggest cakes you’ve ever seen she was not kidding. The cakes were really ginormous, height-wise, having about 4 layers of cake and 4 layers of cream. I had the strawberry shortcake and this could easily be the best strawberry shortcake I have ever had. What made it so good was the use of fresh strawberries. The cream filling wasn’t too sweet and it was loaded with huge chunks of fresh strawberries. Top that with strawberry sauce. And by that I meant mashed strawberries seeping through the vanilla sponge cake. O.M.G. I almost died of goodness. When you have the cake you will not be left feeling super heavy because they slice the cake very thinly. Height is big but width is small so it’s like having a regular sized slice of cake.

A little walk around Downtown to get us all digested for the night and we bought the most amazing bargain we have ever had. An office shirt of good quality for just $2.18.

Onto the next day and our major sightseeing day was devoted to Grouse Mountain. Again, there was a free shuttle from Downtown that goes to the mountain and it fills up really quickly so we had to wait for the next available scheduled departure. We took a gondola to the top of the mountain and there were all sorts of activities up there like bird shows, “theatre in the sky”, ranger talks…etc. We made it to the bird show and learned about the bald eagle, owl and turkey vulture. On a regular day I’d try to stay away from these birds because, first, they are, quite frankly, scary; and, second, they are ugly. Now that the hottie who gave the talk about the birds enlightened me about the birds they don’t seem that scary anymore (if you know, of course, what they can do). Okay, I’ll admit it. Those birds were kinda cute too, at certain angles that is.

After sitting in the heat for a good half an hour for the show we took the chair lift to go to the “eye of the wind” attraction but we did not actually go into the attraction because that’s extra moolah we’re talking about. We just rode the chair lift to the peak of Grouse Mountain and back just in time for the Lumberjack show. It was mostly an awkward show due to poor and obviously scripted hosting but the hunky lumberjacks were an eye candy. We had a photo taken with them afterwards. After half a day in nature we headed back to civilisation and had a stroll around Robson Street for some shopping. Feeling hungry after shopping we had dinner at a ramen place that was so delicious I still could not get over it.

The following day was our last day in Vancouver. K had some errands to do so I was on my own until noon. What did I do? Something I wouldn’t usually do on holidays – exercising. Dressed in my gym attire I went for a jog around the other side of the marina near Yaletown-Roundhouse Skytrain station. The views were absolutely fantastic and the posh apartments certainly made the jog more fun. At the end of my light exercise I gained back even more of the calories I burnt by having breakfast at The Templeton. This was a classic diner with remnants from the 50′s and they serve good food. K and I met up with an old school friend the night before and she took us here where we had a BBB Burger, poutine, raspberry and peach cobbler and deep fried mars bar. I enjoyed eating here so much I resolved to give their breakfast a try (a New Denver omelet) and it did not disappoint. Soft and fluffy omelet with rosemary potatoes and toast.

I met up with K again later in midday and we were off to do some laundry. It was a mission to carry bags of laundry to a “nearby” laundromat. We left our clothes at the laundromat ad headed off to lunch at Vera’s Burger Shack. We really are such gluttons because we ordered a burger each, poutine and sweet potato fries. Sounds alright until you see the serving size. We did not expect the serving size to be THAT big but we did manage to finish both our burgers and half each of the poutine and the fries. Vera’s has a commitment to carbs and calories so do expect their burgers to be big and all that. It has everything you can ask for!

Our last tourist stop in Vancouver was the Granville Island, particularly the Granville Island Public Market. We walked to the island and got a little lost. It looked easy enough to just follow where your eyes lead you because we can see the island from the bridge but we couldn’t figure out where the exit or the entrance to the island is. Even with help from locals it was confusing. We did reach our destination in the end. The market has stalls that sell fresh fruits and veggies, baked goods, soaps and all the other quirky things. Outside the market were little shops for souvenirs, mountain gear, hammocks, and restaurants. For the way back to Downtown we decided to take the bus instead of walking the bridge again.

We called it a night and slept early for an early flight onto the next city the next day.

My San Francisco & Napa Valley eats

Posted in Chinese/Asian, Coffee & Desserts, Food, French, Japanese, Thai by

*Dojima Ann | Dojima on Urbanspoon
Downtown

A nice and cozy Japanese restaurant just a little off Powell Street. K and I came here on our first night in SFO just to get something quick and hot since it was surprisingly cold. Dojima Ann was located near our hotel so we dropped by early enough to be seated before the rush started. I had an udon with chicken, egg and tempura (the name which I have already forgot) and it was delicious! The soup is miso based which was quite unusual because most of the Japanese restaurants I’ve had in Perth serve noodles in a dashi stock. So this one here was not as sweet which is just the way I like it. I would have preferred them to serve the tempura in a separate plate though – it was way too soggy when it was served. Service was quick and friendly though.

*Lori’s Diner | www.lorisdiner.com | Lori's Diner on Urbanspoon
Downtown (and other locations)

A very retro 50′s diner that has an all-American menu. Serving size comes in huge portions enough to be shared. It says in the menu that the French Toast is famous so that is what I ordered with an Oreo milkshake. The french toasts were good in a sense that they were thick and fluffy. Other than that though they were quite tasteless. Adding syrup does not help either because their syrup is also tasteless and not a tad sweet. K had Buttermilk Pancakes. She liked the first few bites but after that they were dry enough to make you want to stop eating. I really wanted to try the breakfasts with eggs like omelette but they make the omelettes with 3 eggs but I don’t think I need that much eggs. The ambiance is good and all that, with 50′s memorabilia and red and white diner tables and seats, and service was very friendly but I once is enough to give me that diner experience. They have a store at the international airport too, just in case you need to get a diner fix before departing the US of A.

*Pier Restaurant | www.piermarket.com | Pier Market Seafood on Urbanspoon
Fisherman’s Wharf

One of the many restaurants in the Pier 39 area offering fresh seafood and the famous clam chowder. K and I decided to dine here because it looked clean enough and it was in the heart of  the Pier 39 shops. Obviously, we had to have the clam chowder sourdough bowl. It was very good – creamy and tasty. The sourdough bowl that it comes in is from Boudin Bakery, a pioneer sourdough maker in the city. We polished off the bread as well. Yum. I wanted to have a bread bowl for myself but we decided that we wanted to try other food too so we shared a bowl and had a seafood grill. The grill had 4 prawn skewers, 1 swordfish and 1 salmon. I only enjoyed the prawn skewers; the rest were just plain grilled seafood. We tasted nothing exceptionally fresh about them.

*Chipotle | www.chipotle.com
Downtown

Quick and fresh burritos and tacos in Downtown and that’s all they serve. I had the beef burrito that looked small until they wrap it up; very very filling specially when you have it at 10pm. I especially loved the cilantro rice!

*Oriental Pearl | www.orientalpearlsf.com | Oriental Pearl on Urbanspoon
Chinatown

How this restaurant made it to the Michelin restaurant guide list and Rachael Ray’s recommendation is beyond me. Walking along Chinatown looking for a place to eat, we dropped by Oriental Pearl based only on those 2 recommendations displayed proudly inside the restaurant. It’s a bit dodgily located on the second floor of some building and first instincts told us to get out this place but, no, we walked in anyway and asked for a table for 2. It was rather empty when we first got there but quickly filled up as dinnertime came around. For starters, we had a dim sum sample consisting of pork, beef and prawn dumplings. Mediocre at best and the prawn dumpling wrappers were disgusting. Tasted like they were made with rancid flour. Then we had tofu soup with minced meat and seaweed. This was the only dish I enjoyed/liked for the night but there was only about 3 blobs of minced meat in the soup. A bit of a rip off. After much debate K and I ended up ordering a veggie yee mien. This was certainly one of the worst noodle dishes I have ever had – in SFO or elsewhere in the world. Noodles were tough and spongy as though they were not cooked through and the sauce was mainly soy sauce. You know what? The noodles I make at home are way better than this. No kidding. If there’s one thing good about Oriental Pearl was that the service was definitely friendly! The waiters can speak and understand English properly so there shouldn’t be any problems.

*Cafe de la Presse | www.cafedelapresse.com | Cafe de la Presse on Urbanspoon
Nob Hill

I’ve had one of the best meals of my life here at Cafe de la Presse in Nob Hill just outside the Chinatown gate. A little exaggeration? Probably so, but enough justification. K and I have been eyeing this restaurant since 2 days before we actually ate here because it looked tres chic. One very late night we managed to finally make it here and left with no regrets. Is it weird that I’ve never ever had french onion soup until I ordered it here? That was my appetiser. It wasn’t as sweet as I imagined it to be so that was a big relief. Well that was why I have never had french onion soup before – I don’t like sweet tasting soup (like dashi based ones). Chunky onions with a slice of baguette topped with cheese made my insides all warm in the cold foggy weather. The size it came in was perfect too. It left room for an entree (or mains as we call it in Perth) without me being too full. I had the confit du ganard maison – duck confit with mushrooms and potatoes. O-M-G. Crispy duck skin with duck meat that falls off the bone sitting on top of mushrooms that were sitting on top of sliced potatoes drenched in duck fat. ‘Nuff said. I polished everything – skin, fat and all – and I am as happy as can be.

K, on the other hand, opted for a lighter and less filling choice. She had tomato soup with basil to start off then followed by a shrimp cocktail. The tomato soup was tangy and tasty, not overpowered by cream so it was not too heavy. The shrimp cocktail, she said, was very refreshing. Fresh and crisp prawns with cherry tomatoes and a few leaves of lettuce – it sounds just as light as she wants her food to be.

*Bangkok Noodles | www.bangkoknoodles.com | Bangkok Noodles on Urbanspoon
Downtown

Bangkok Noodles was a surprisingly good find in Downtown. After a long day of shopping we walked to the restaurant closest to us and found great Thai food. There is a non stop waiting line to this place. K had the pad thai and I had a tom yum soup with noodles. How Thai are we? Both dishes were excellent and great value for money.

*Honey Honey Cafe and Creperie | www.honeyhoneycafeandcreperie.com | Honey Honey Crepe House on Urbanspoon
Nob Hill

K has been bugging me to go to a cafe to have a proper breakfast where she can sip coffee and read the paper. After much research we stumbled upon Honey Honey which had awesome reviews. This place turned out to be just around the corner from our hotel so we went there first thing in the morning. Wow, the line was super long and the place is full. There were literally no empty seats. So while in the line we were starring at the chalkboard that lists all the food they serve – omelettes, crepes, sandwiches, salad, pasta, soup - and it was impossible to choose just one. We finally got to the till and ordered a Miami Heat crepe and eggs florentine. All that hype just led to disappointment. The crepe was not very crepe-like but the filling (chicken, cheese, avocado, scallions, hot sauce) was not too bad. The eggs florentine were horrible which disappointing because it was a breakfast special. Tasteless hollandaise sauce and soggy english muffin underneath. I would say it’s not worth coming back for a second try.

*Bistro Jeanty | www.bistrojeanty.com | Bistro Jeanty on Urbanspoon
Napa Valley

A 2009 Michelin star awardee restaurant in Napa Valley that blew me away with its Sole Meuniere. A sole that melts in your mouth with mashed potatoes, butter, lemon and capers. This was a simple dish with complementary ingredients used at their finest. I’m just not entirely sure what to do with the star shaped lemon pieces that were on top of my fish. Were they to be eaten too? I was such a FOB so I ate one anyway just to try it and it were sour as. Duh! So I resolved to just leave them alone on my plate to make it look pretty. K had the beouf bourguignon that looked small but is actually very filling even just halfway through the dish. I had to help her finish it. It was a traditional French beef stew with the beef very tender but that also holds its shape.

This is a French bistro serving familiar homey French food like the ones we had plus coq au vin, salad nicoise and filet au poivre. Unfortunately the waiters were not French men but they were very friendly. One even had a little chat with us. We told our waitress we were in a hurry (because our tour bus leaves at a certain time) and she made sure that the kitchen prepared our dishes first which, in fact, was what happened because our food was served within 10 minutes.

And oh, eat that complimentary baguette. It is very very good. Ask for more if you need to.

*Bouchon Bakery | www.bouchonbakery.com | Bouchon Bakery on Urbanspoon
Napa Valley

A block down from Bistro Jeanty is Bouchon Bakery, also a Michelin star awardee apparently. K just had to try the stuff from this bakery so we rushed out of Bistro Jeanty and fast walked down the street. There is a nonstop line that forms outside the bakery – a sign that it is good, which is why people line up for it for up to 40 minutes, but which I find deceiving because the bakery is not spacious enough inside to begin with. You start from left to right gazing upon croissants and tarts and macarons while placing your order and the entrance to the bakery is where you start gazing so, obviously, only 2-4 people can go in and be served at one time. To add to that, people take forever to decide what to get which I understand because there is so much to choose from but is almost annoying when you are time pressured and the sun is burning your skin.

Onto the products…K and I had raspberry, pistachio, espresso and mocha macaroons and a blueberry and lemon tart. Hmmm, were they worth the wait? Honestly speaking I’m undecided on this one. They stuff we got were not bad but they were not the best. We waited in line for so long only to find out that they have a store in New York, too, which we are headed to in a few weeks.

Onto the iconic Golden Gate Bridge…and Fremont?

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Two Californian “locals” came to meet us today for some catching up. I haven’t seen these two ladies for about 2 years now and we didn’t really have a plan on what to do that day so we all went to see the Golden Gate Bridge. After all, it is the most iconic and touristy place in San Francisco, isn’t it? A trip to San Francisco wouldn’t be complete without a photo with the bridge.

We took public transport to get there because, let’s face it, my plan of walking there would just end up killing us all. Have you seen the steep hills of this city? I went up one street and I am already out of breath! So we took the numbers 5 and 28 busses and finally got to where the other tourists are. It was a challenge finding a spot to take a photo without other people’s faces in it but I did manage to find that spot after half an hour and countless test photos and my friend’s patience (Thanks Joy!).

That was it for the major part of the day – just us and the bridge. It was already 4pm when we got back to Downtown. Somewhere in the middle of all that photo-taking we lost track of time, well, not that we went there early to begin with. Once we got back to Downtown we had either a very late lunch or a very early dinner at Pinecrest, a 24-hour diner that serves “the best char-broiled hamburgers in San Francisco”, says their banner. I had a Penny Melt burger that was a hamburger with sautéed onions and American cheese served with fries. The bread was too greasy and the patty was tasteless. K and Joy had the Chili Dog, a footlong hotdog on a bun with mexican chill. A huge hotdog that no one can finish! It’s so big you have to eat it with a knife and fork because it’s impossible to eat it like a normal hotdog on a bun. My other friend has the Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce. She said it wasn’t anything special. She was happier eating the side of bread with butter and jam.

So it’s time for the 2 “locals” to go back home and we walked them to the train station and said our goodbyes. Then an idea came upon me – why not check out what Fremont is like? It is, after all, only a 30 minute train ride and we will be back in San Francisco before dark. Off we went and it was a good experience to see what suburban California is like. Fremont is definitely a very quiet city. Not at all hustly and bustly like San Francisco given the absence of any buildings. To me it felt like a good retirement place. It’s a good place to be if you are looking for a peaceful town but I will definitely not thrive there. I already find Perth too quiet so Fremont is even quieter than Perth.

We came back to civilisation and went on a little shopping. A good and productive day indeed.

Following the trails of ye old faithful grape in Sonoma & Napa Valley

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Sitting outside San Francisco is a town covered in magnificent vineyards. Today we headed an hour away from San Francisco to Sonoma and Napa Valley to discover and taste Californian wine. We went to 3 vineyards altogether with each giving wine tastings of their best and popular products. I must warn you though that I do not know the names of the wines that we had. I can only remember the pinot noirs that we had and 3 others that I just absolutely loved from Sutter Home.

First stop was Nicholson Ranch Winery. Maybe it’s because we have had better wines in Australia but we were not at all impressed with their wine. All that we sampled tasted watery. I am not a wine connoisseur but, to me, the wine was simply not that good. They were not strong wines, red or white, so I guess they suit those who prefer a smoother drink. Well, different grapes different products. The setting was very idyllic though. We were told that a wedding was going to be held that night so preparations were going under way when we went there.

Next was Madonna Estate. Wines that we sampled here were a big improvement from Nicholson’s produce. They have a more pungent flavour and we sampled one red that had a chill taste. It smelled spicy too. I was busier window shopping for souvenirs than tasting wine. I was very hungry to by this time so I figured I better hold off drinking plenty lest I want to end up with a hangover the next day. Yes that’s right – alcohol hates me. A full glass will send me off right to sleep.

At last our tour guide, Gordy, told us we were stopping for lunch in Napa Valley. My tummy cried out for joy! As he drove past the restaurants, delis and bakeries he gave us some tips and hints about which restaurants are good, expensive or better suited for quick bites. One restaurant that stood out for me was Bistro Jeanty simply because Gordy said this is a Michelin star awarded restaurant. I think he said that there were 3 Michelin starred restaurants in that area in Napa Valley. Well K was sleeping on our way there so she didn’t really hear the choices. All she knew was that Bouchon Bakery was a must try, apparently. When travelling we must eat as much as we can. I convinced her to have a very quick lunch at Bistro Jeanty then head over to Bouchon Bakery for dessert. The restaurant was very chic and we were given a table straight away. We told our waitress when we placed our orders that we were pressed for time and she said “no problem“. Food came out in less than 10 minutes after placing our order. Impressive. K had the beouf bourguignon and I had the sole muniere. Both were very delicious and right up to standard. The beef cubes were so tender that it falls off when you stick a fork in then. The serving looked small but it was actually very filling. The sole was perfectly cooked – crispy on the outside with flesh that melts in your mouth. The mashed potato that came with the fish were very tasty too. It was not overly smooth with tiny chunks here and there. Top that will butter, lemon and capers and it was heaven. I came home that night to discover that the Michelin star given to the bistro was revoked in 2010. Oh well, it was still good without the star in 2011. Their complimentary baguette was very tasty too. Give me the whole loaf and I’ll gladly eat the whole thing.

We rushed straight to Bouchon Bakery after paying our bill and there was a long line waiting to get inside the bakery. The bakery is not big at all so that’s probably why only a few can go in at one time. Plus there was so much to choose from people just take their sweet time deciding what to get. With 5 minutes to spare before our bus leaves K and I managed to get 4 macarons (raspberry, pistachio, espresso and mocha), a chocolate bouchon and a blueberry lemon tart. The macarons were huge compared to the ones I normally have in Perth for the same price! The shells were good but nothing special with the overall taste. Flavours are not that unusual so I really wouldn’t buy them again. The chocolate bouchon is essentially a chocolate brownie. This was sinful – very dark and rich and moist. The lemon tart was only so-so. I like my lemon tarts super tangy and i still couldn’t decide whether the blueberries made this tart better or destroyed its taste. Some berries were sweet so that took away the tanginess of the lemon and some berries were sour and not in a good way. This was apparently a Michelin starred bakery too.

After lunch we were off to the last winery for the day and this is where I fell in love with sweet wine. Sweet wines are my type of wine even before this trip but, out of all the ones I’ve had, the White Zinfandel, Sweet Red and Muscat of Alexandria from Sutter Home have got to be the best ones yet. They were very smooth so they were easy to drink and had enough pungency that was not too overpowering for my body to take. Yes, I am weak. The winery itself is beautiful as is the gift shop. They sell dips and salsas too and the wines also come in a very tiny bottle. The bottle is made of plastic so it is very handy to bring them overseas. One of the staff assured me that they’ve done tests with the bottle to ensure that its material does not affect the taste of the wine.

Sonoma and Napa Valley is a very picturesque town. You see vineyards and vineyards splashed across the hills almost straight out of a postcard. All that wine did not react so badly within my system as it usually does but, on our way back, it sent me right off to sleep – one of the better sleeps I’ve had on our trip. I awoke to find traffic jam on the Golden Gate Bridge and fog all over the place. Great.

Day 2 in SFO: chowder, sourdough and crazy fog

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We’re onto our second day in the wonderful city of San Francisco and after waking up at 2am the previous day I survived another 20 hours on the road without any rest. Oh boy it sure was a long but fruitful day.

First up was breakfast at an all-American diner – Lori’s Diner. It’s a very 50′s diner complete with memorabilia and red and white diner seats. When they say food in America is super sized they are not kidding. I am one who usually eat up everything on my plate no matter how full I am but this is the 2nd meal in San Francisco that I cannot finish no matter how hard I forced myself to chew and swallow. I ordered Lori’s famous french toast plus an Oreo milkshake, thinking that serving size would be just like the ones in Perth – substantial but not overly filling. Boy was I wrong. The french toast came in 3 thick slices of bread cut in half essentially giving me 6 freaking pieces of bread. Don’t get me wrong, it was good but way too much. The milkshake was good too. It’s not like the usual runny liquid-y ones we get in Perth. This one was t-h-i-c-k, almost like a smoothie consistency. I dare not even think how many scoops of ice cream are in there. They serve it in a milkshake glass and give you the leftovers. It was enough for 2 people and I managed to consume 3/4 of it.

After breakfast we planned to take the cable car, or trolley as San Franciscans call it, to the Fisherman’s Wharf area. You know that cable car stop on Powell and Market Streets? Here’s a hint: Either you get there super duper early or take alternative transportation instead if you wake up late. Walk a few blocks up and you might find a shorter line. The thing is that the trolley can only take a few number of passengers and they won’t usually fill it up in order to accommodate passengers from other stops. We got there late so the waiting time was close to, or at least, an hour. Not wanting to waste any more time K and I decided to take the F-line, like the trams in Melbourne. It’s not as fun as the cable car but takes you to right in front of Pier 39. Pier 39 is not the wharf exactly but is a must go and see. It’s like Disneyland but without the rides and characters. You can find everything in there – fruit stalls, souvenir shops, ice cream shops, chocolatiers and, of course, restaurants that serve seafood freshly caught early morning. A must try is the clam chowder sourdough bread bowl – creamy soup served in a Boudin Bakery sourdough cob. I am not a huge fan of sourdough bread but Boudin may have just converted me. We make sourdoughs in our bakery back home but this one here in San Francisco is way better. Well, after all, San Francisco is famous for its sourdough bread. Perfectly crusty and very tasty. I can’t really explain it but you just know it when you chew it that it is one tasty bread.

Then we’re off to visit Alcatraz Prison, home to Al Capone and the Bird Man, America’s once toughest prison, closed down in 1963. We were lucky because a couple sold us their extra tickets for a cheaper price and for the tour that was just departing. Remember to bring a jacket with hood when you go there. Head to the top deck of the cruise boat and fog and strong cold wind will be right in front of your face. Upon arrival a ranger briefed us about safety what nots and gave a us short history of the prison. Just keep walking uphill to where you get your audio tour and follow the instructions. It was a very smart way of guiding people, really, without the need for a tour guide. It tells you of the history, escape attempts, warden profiles and the like. I’m actually surprised that the prison itself is not as gloomy and claustrophobic as I thought it would be. The individual prison cells were claustrophobic though specially the solitary confinement cells. It gives you time to reflect when you visualise how the prisoners lived. Mostly, it just gave me the chills. Here’s another tip – don’t make the same mistake as I did – wear sneakers and not flats. The roads are uneven and when you start running downhill your toes will begin to hurt in flats.

After taking the cruise boat back to Pier 31, K and I had a long debacle on whether or not to take the cable car up to Lombard Street to find the crookedest street. Again, this is where wearing sneakers comes in handy. We ended up walking there because it is really not that far from the wharf. San Franciscan blocks are not that big of a block so it was walkable. With us on lower hill, it was such a trek to get up to the crookedest part of Lombard Street. When you get to the base of the crookedness try looking back and you would see just how steep the streets are. There was such a sense of accomplishment on my part when I saw that I managed to climb up that hill of a street. Oh yes, another tip here: take the photo from the base of the crookedness. Once you get to the top to try to take a top view photo you wouldn’t really see anything. Unless you are really really really tall, standing on one of the posts there holding up a self-timered camera screwed on a really long tripod, all you will see is a fog covered city and plants. After that climb there was no way I was going back down that hill – I felt a little nauseous at the sight of the steepness. K felt the same way so we crossed to the other side of the street where there is a cable car stop. Being on the top of the hill in an extremely foggy day (is that normal in San Francisco?!) we almost froze to death waiting for the cable car that either took forever to arrive or is too full to pick up passengers. Okay, feeling the fog on your face was cool for the first few minutes but when it started getting colder and colder I couldn’t help but curse the cable car. Half an hour later it finally arrived and we ran towards it when the conductor yelled he had space for 7 passengers.

Riding the cable car was such a fun experience. It was like riding the trams in Hong Kong only this was much smaller and had no second floor. It costs $6 one way! We bought a City Pass to allow us to ride on Muni transportation unlimited. What made the ride fun was going up and down the hill and making turns. K and I were standing inside packed with other passengers and holding on with 1 hand does not really help when you are going downhill. Everyone slips forward and you hear people go ooooooh. The conductors will forewarn you though if the trolley’s going downhill or making turns to ensure that you hold on tight.

What better way to end the day than retail shopping? We got off near Union Square and went shopping at Macy’s and H&M. Though there wasn’t really anything to spend on it was good having a look around and trying on things. After the shops closed we had a very late dinner at Chipotle, a Mexican chain. This restaurant gave me a new liking to burritos and that is all they sell.

We got back to the hotel after 20 hours and I dropped dead. Okay, not dead, more like drifted off into an uninterrupted sleep.

Journey to a thousand miles begins with a single step, literally.

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More than 5,000 miles later – couple that with 4 movies, 1 episode each of UK Junior Masterchef and Modern Family, Adele’s 21 album and 7 hours of sleep tops – it is such a relief to say that after 26 hours of flight and transit time, K and I have finally made it safely to San Francisco.

This was my first time aboard a Singapore Airlines aircraft and with their badge as one of the best airlines they sure did not disappoint. Customer service was good. Entertainment on board was so-so. There were not a lot of movies and TV shows to choose from but they did have the latest ones like X-Men: First Class and Bridesmaids. Food was exceptionally good too. While most people loathe airplane food I, for one, am one of those weirdos who actually look forward to airplane meals. I think I am so over Cathay Pacific food already that Singapore Airlines food was such a breather for me. I wouldn’t usually eat the appetisers in Cathay coz they suck but the ones in SQ were so delicious! We had 6 airplane meals altogether and if I had to choose the beef goulash would be the best one so far.

We have stepped into 3 cities – Singapore, Seoul, San Francisco – within 24 hours. We only made it to the airport for the first 2 cities but both airports were pretty awesome. Singapore’s Changi Airport Terminal 3 is absolutely fantastic! It is very modern, clean and busy. We had 3 hours to kill so we walked around instead of getting some sleep as originally planned. They had showers, gym and a butterfly garden. Well we never made it to the butterfly garden because we couldn’t find it. K was dying to get a foot massage and the airport offered a free service for that. We were thinking of masseuses giving foot rubs but instead found a foot massager machine. It was not that great but good enough to get your circulation going again after a long flight. Then off to get some breakfast and of course that Asian in me decided to have wonton noodles at 7am, just silently praying that I won’t get indigestion. After breakfast we decided it’s time to get some sleep so where better to do this than on the seats in the waiting room lounge.

The reality of being in the USA did not really sink in instantly. It’s probably because we are literally dead tired. Crying babies, turbulance and exotic smells on board just made it quite impossible to get proper sleep and, quite frankly, I was very grumpy at this point. It wasn’t until we stepped out of Powell St station and seeing all the buildings and shops standing majestically above us that we realised this is a far cry from the quiet city of Perth that we came from. We were instantly greeted by street performers with a roaring crowd. The hustle and bustle of San Francisco made me feel alive once again and I was not so tired after all.

We headed straight to the hotel after getting into the city and slept for a few hours then got dinner and groceries. There are no supermarkets in San Francisco?! How bizarre. We found Walgreens and I find it so strange that most of the products they sell are locked with security. I want that shampoo but, no, you have to press a button for assistance to be able to get that bottle of shampoo. Maybe those products are high risk for theft? Only in America.

So now it’s about 4am here and I am wide awake typing these words. Can anyone spell jet lag? I’m signing off now to try and get some sleep before I need to wake up again in a couple of hours.

Recipe: Open steak sandwich

Posted in Food, Modern Australian, Recipes by

A popular item on the menu for most cafes and restaurants but only a few can do justice to the glorious steak sandwich. What I find most disappointing is overdone steak. Next to that would be the quality of the steak – cheap cuts that are chewy and dry when overdone.

I found my kind of perfect steak sandwich at my favourite cafe that is Cimbalino. It’s not called a steak sandwich per se but rather a steak and asparagus saarni (to the best of my memory) – medium done steak, asparagus spears, onion jam and hollandaise sauce on ciabatta bread. There was such an explosion of flavours in my mouth that I almost ordered another serving but I saved room for dessert.

My colleague was just saying that she was going to have a steak sandwich with scotch fillet steaks for dinner and that instantly gave me an idea of what to make for dinner. I went to the supermarket and saw that the scotch fillets were on sale! How meant to be is that?

I had no onion jam so I made my own very caramelised onions for that yummy sweet taste and I made my own sauce as well instead of using hollandaise sauce.

Ingredients

1 piece steak, any tender cuts with no bones
salt & pepper
1 big onion, sliced
salt
1 tablespoon vinegar
3-4 pieces asparagus, boiled
1 toast sliced crusty bread (or turkish bread), toasted

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup red wine
bits of feta cheese
ground black pepper

Method

1. In a pan, heat oil in medium heat and cook onions for about 1 minute. Add a dash of salt and vinegar and keep cooking while stirring once in a while until the onions are brown or caramel in colour. Set aside.

2. In another pan, season steak with salt and pepper and cook it to desired doneness but don’t overcook it. Set aside to let the meat rest and reserve the juices. Slice the steak into about 1/2 inch slices.

3. In the same pan as the steak, melt butter and add in flour. Mix together until it forms a paste. Then add in chicken stock and red wine and stir vigorously until it becomes a sauce consistency. If the sauce is too thick add more chicken stock. Then add in the feta cheese and mix until well combined with the sauce.

4. To plate up, put the asparagus on top of 1 slice of bread. Then top with onions. Then arrange steak slices on top of the onions. Spoon over some sauce. Then finish with cracked pepper.

5. Serve and enjoy.