Mange.Voyage @ elliotng.com > Restaurant Reviews. City Excursions. http://elliotng.com Fri, 25 Apr 2008 02:58:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 en Flickr: 2 people count this photo as a favorite http://elliotng.com/flickr-2-people-count-this-photo-as-a-favorite/2008/04/24/ http://elliotng.com/flickr-2-people-count-this-photo-as-a-favorite/2008/04/24/#comments Fri, 25 Apr 2008 02:48:22 +0000 productionteams Toronto http://elliotng.com/flickr-2-people-count-this-photo-as-a-favorite/2008/04/24/ Wo-oh! This is my living room looking out to the dining room. Thanks to my roomie’s choice of the blue. We picked it because it feels like french country, like in the south of france. Paired with our lovely furniture selection. I’m very surprised this picture got 2 favorites on Flickr. Yes, that’s me taking the picture in a lazy summer afternoon.
Flickr

]]> http://elliotng.com/flickr-2-people-count-this-photo-as-a-favorite/2008/04/24/feed/ iPhone screen stops responding to my icy fingers in winter http://elliotng.com/iphone-screen-stops-responding-to-my-icy-fingers-in-winter/2007/12/01/ http://elliotng.com/iphone-screen-stops-responding-to-my-icy-fingers-in-winter/2007/12/01/#comments Sat, 01 Dec 2007 13:40:53 +0000 productionteams Toronto http://elliotng.com/iphone-screen-stops-responding-to-my-icy-fingers-in-winter/2007/12/01/ Surprise, surprise. Guess iPhone doesn’t seem to like winter very well. It’s  only -10 C winter weather in Toronto, my iPhone screen stops responding to my cold fingers. I still vibrates when there’s new email. But I can’t access no email, call, nor Google Maps. Guess they don’t really have winter in Cupertino, California. Could this be the reasons why Apple hasn’t introduced iPhone to Canada?
I had to rub my iPhone around my gloved hands for about 3-5 minutes to keep the screen warm and then make my fingers warmer to be able to place a call! How about inventing an iPhone glove with a slightly warm finger tip so it works well with iPhone in winter?

]]> http://elliotng.com/iphone-screen-stops-responding-to-my-icy-fingers-in-winter/2007/12/01/feed/ Winner of IronChef Toronto (again!) http://elliotng.com/winner-of-ironchef-toronto/2007/10/07/ http://elliotng.com/winner-of-ironchef-toronto/2007/10/07/#comments Sun, 07 Oct 2007 05:04:59 +0000 productionteams Mange http://elliotng.com/winner-of-ironchef-toronto/2007/10/07/ Thanksgiving DinnerFirst Thanksgiving Dinner at my place. It was a success!

The guest loves my rack of lamb (a la Provençal)

Thilo said “I am the Iron Chef winner at this first round in Toronto”

Benedict said “It’s the best lamb I’d ever had outside of France”

It’s a nice and happy Thanksgiving and everyone is leaving very well fed!

]]> http://elliotng.com/winner-of-ironchef-toronto/2007/10/07/feed/ Found the source of Pusateri’s Pastry http://elliotng.com/found-the-source-of-pusateris-pastry/2007/09/23/ http://elliotng.com/found-the-source-of-pusateris-pastry/2007/09/23/#comments Mon, 24 Sep 2007 01:40:03 +0000 productionteams Mange http://elliotng.com/found-the-source-of-pusateris-pastry/2007/09/23/ I read a review on Toronto Life a few months ago at my doctor’s office and it mentioned a french pastry shop on St Clair West. I went there on the weekend and found out that Patachou supplies all the pastries to Pusateri’s!

Check out their location at:
- 1120 Yonge St (@ MacPherson)
- 835 St. Clair Ave E (East of Bathwurst)

]]> http://elliotng.com/found-the-source-of-pusateris-pastry/2007/09/23/feed/ Clafouti: FOUND in T.O.: a très chic french pastry on Queen West! http://elliotng.com/found-in-to-a-tres-chic-french-pastry-on-queen-west/2007/04/13/ http://elliotng.com/found-in-to-a-tres-chic-french-pastry-on-queen-west/2007/04/13/#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2007 22:54:06 +0000 productionteams Mange french pastry Toronto http://elliotng.com/found-in-to-a-tres-chic-french-pastry-on-queen-west/2007/04/13/ Clafouti

Clafouti

Amazing French Pastry shop on the Queen West in Toronto.

Remember my previous post calling for my pastry substitute in TO?

  • Best Pastry Place (so far) - Clafouti on 915 Queen St West
    416-603-1935
    Closed on Mondays. Cash Only.

I think I have found it! They have my favorite french pastry, the Clafouti! I had the Pomegranate & Raspberry Clafouti and it was as good as the fruit Clafoutis I had in Cannes.

]]> http://elliotng.com/found-in-to-a-tres-chic-french-pastry-on-queen-west/2007/04/13/feed/ FOUND in T.O.: a Super-duper Organic Food Supermarket! http://elliotng.com/toronto-organic-supermarket-big-carrot/2007/04/11/ http://elliotng.com/toronto-organic-supermarket-big-carrot/2007/04/11/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2007 21:32:20 +0000 productionteams Mange Toronto organic supermarket http://elliotng.com/wanted-my-favorite-spots-for-coffee-shop-pastry-organic-food-supermarket/2007/03/10/ Today I was doing my excursion on DanForth Street in Toronto. Suprise suprise. Without the help of internet or any referrals, I found a supermarket called “The Big Carrot“. It reminds me of the award winning development of Capers on West 4th. I immediately recognize the close resemblance to the architecture in Vancouver and I know it’s going to be an organic food supermarket!

I had a huge craving for my Miso paste for my seasoning and I found that in Big Carrot! So does my Chai Latte Milk Mix!

  • Best Organic Food Supermarket (so far) - Big Carrot on Danforth
    348 Danforth Avenue
    416-466-2129

March 10: WANTED in T.O.: My favorite spots for Coffee Shop, Pastry, Organic Food Supermarket.

After settling into the great vast city of Toronto, I am on the search to fill up the following favorite spots:

  • Best Coffee Shop in Vancouver - JJ Beans on Main and 16th
  • Best Pastry Place - Ganache on Homer St
  • Organic Food Supermarket - Capers on West 4th.

Now calling for the cool hang out places in T.O. Hope to explore the city and have these spots filled up.

]]> http://elliotng.com/toronto-organic-supermarket-big-carrot/2007/04/11/feed/ Post Trip Discussions http://elliotng.com/post-trip-discussions/2006/12/30/ http://elliotng.com/post-trip-discussions/2006/12/30/#comments Sat, 30 Dec 2006 10:03:46 +0000 productionteams Voyage France http://elliotng.com/post-trip-discussions/2006/12/30/

Excerpt from a MSN conversation with my “twin” brother:

My brother asked:

  • “and what did you learn about yourself [on this trip to France]?”

I said:

  • you can’t plan too much in life…
  • life is full of unknowns and unknown might not be too mysterious. It can be meaningful, and can quickly be turned into a more manageable known fact.
  • Most importantly: I can make friends just about any where in the world, even with language barrier!
  • Photos speak for a 1000 words:
  • Jose and Monica at Pont du Gard from the region Galicia in Spain, bordering Portugal.

  • Mato at Barcelona from Milan

  • Yellowknife’s Karin from my class in Montpellier (right next to me)

  • German Hubert + my Host Family Mother: Marie Francin at Montpellier

    ]]> http://elliotng.com/post-trip-discussions/2006/12/30/feed/ Je tu souhaite un super Joyeux Noël! http://elliotng.com/je-tu-souhaite-un-super-joyeux-noel/2006/12/25/ http://elliotng.com/je-tu-souhaite-un-super-joyeux-noel/2006/12/25/#comments Mon, 25 Dec 2006 17:51:54 +0000 productionteams Mange http://elliotng.com/je-tu-souhaite-un-super-joyeux-noel/2006/12/25/
    Christmas
    All the best in your Christmas of this year.
     Have a super Merry Christmas + Best Wishes in 2007 as well!

    My travel (Montpellier, Nice, Nimes, Pont du Gard,
    Toulouse, Cannes, Grasse, Monte Carlo, Paris, Barcalona, and Prague) pics:
     http://pixs.elliotng.com
    Elliot
    ]]>     http://elliotng.com/je-tu-souhaite-un-super-joyeux-noel/2006/12/25/feed/     Food. Food. More Food. http://elliotng.com/food-food-more-food/2006/12/05/ http://elliotng.com/food-food-more-food/2006/12/05/#comments Tue, 05 Dec 2006 16:33:16 +0000 productionteams Mange food photography french pastry Restaurant Reviews France cantonese http://elliotng.com/food-food-more-food/2006/12/05/ It has been 3 weeks since I left Vancouver. Thanks god I missed all the rain and snow. (Sorry folks in Vancouver). There hasn’t been a day in France where I had a bad meal.

    The food in France is exceptional. Just about anywhere in the town you can find good food, shall I thank the authors at Lonely Planet (France) as well?

    The Adventure

    This is “Andouillette with Fries” I tasted in Monte Carlo. It’s a speciality dish in France.
    It’s pork intestine. Guess, the French could be like the Cantonese in terms of the exotic food. The bad taste of the intestine is suprisngly not there thanks to the strong pepper seasonings and the sauce.

    I also ordered the Rock Fish Stock Soup to start. It’s the best 16 Euros I spent on soup!

    A Suprise

    Dim Sum Plate in Nice! Can you believe it? The round dumpling located at the “4-o’clock” of the steamer is a dumpling I like a lot, but even I couldn’t find that in Hong-couver!

    The sweets

    Of course the day cannot end without desssert! It’s fruit Clafoutis. It’s a different rendition of the one I had at Provence Marinaside in Vancouver. It’s made out of eggs (like quiche but sweet taste) with lots of exotic fruits and a light tart base. On the topm it’s like creme brulee, it’s burnt a bit. It’s exceptional. Thanks to the recommendation from Lonely Planet.

    The Snacks:

    We brought this Smoked Salmon cone at Monoprix (I think it’s like a supermarket giant that sells just a bit of everything. It’s like a upscale Safeway with London Drugs and Winners all in one!). Inside the cone, it’s a pate of Smoked Salmon topped with some cream and the gello with chieves.

    A Regular Lunch in Nice

    We went to a nicely decorated place on Boulvard de Jean Medicine in Nice. I guess the French will call this place “sympthatic”. It’s the Combo I picked to satisify my eggs craving. It’s a Sandwich of American Style and with the toxically delicious White Chocolate Raspberry Tarte!

    ]]>     http://elliotng.com/food-food-more-food/2006/12/05/feed/     Mounting to the TOP of Millau to see the Viaduc du Millau http://elliotng.com/mounting-to-the-top-of-millau-to-see-the-viaduc-du-millau/2006/12/05/ http://elliotng.com/mounting-to-the-top-of-millau-to-see-the-viaduc-du-millau/2006/12/05/#comments Tue, 05 Dec 2006 16:01:42 +0000 productionteams Voyage France http://elliotng.com/mounting-to-the-top-of-millau-to-see-the-viaduc-du-millau/2006/12/05/ We were crazy last night. We were at Aix-en-Provence at 6:00 pm and Aix is about 1,5 hour away from Montpellier, which is where I need to return my Peugout 407 (the car I rented from Sixt). And I decided to go and see Viaduc de Millau, connecting between Clermont-Ferrand and Béziers. It’s part of the 340km highway of A75. This viaduc is an architecture gems because it’s the highest BRIDGE ever built on the world (see the link, because of the difference in measurement) with 270 m tall and over the 2.46 km long, the architect Sir Norman Foster ingenously uses ONLY 7 piers!
    We drove there and it was on the TOP of the mountain in the Langudoc Region and the 2-lane highway was pitch dark and it was quite scary drive up to the mountain with 800m attitude! After about 1.5 hours, we were finally on the TOP! It was magifnicient! The Viaduc is not too well lit, but you can see how SMALL the lights are in the village below! Very windy and the weather changes quite rapidly as well at the region that high!

    It was too dark to go to the visitor’s centre. We just stopped at the rest area and took a picture of the toll booth. Took a video of driving along the Viaduc, and will post on YouTube soon.

    ]]>     http://elliotng.com/mounting-to-the-top-of-millau-to-see-the-viaduc-du-millau/2006/12/05/feed/