Photo Diary: January 2015

Here's to another great year!

Reds Wine Tavern

Deciding to head over to Reds for drinks and apps is something that I suggest often. I've been here multiple times and they were all great experiences. Consistency is something that I value very highly when it comes to an experience at a restaurant. It's one of the main things that keeps me coming back!

At this visit to Reds, we just ordered some appetizers and a bottle of wine (okay, make that 4 bottles of wine). We had 3 bottles of a Reisling and then followed with a bottle of Chablis.

As for the food...
Prince Edward Island Mussels, steamed in Sauvignon Blanc with fresh fennel, saffron threads, tomato and herbes de Provence. Served with warm, crusty French baguette.

Cheeseburger Sliders | Classic mini burgers, perfected. Served with tangy American cheese, everything sauce, pickle and a freshly in-house baked bun.

And the Maine Lobster Guacamole | Guajillo chili-dressed lobster, hand-mashed avocado,

fresh lime juice, serrano pepper and warm, crisp tortillas.

We also ordered a chocolate cake but it wasn't pictured as it was not good (and it was taken off our bill).

Everything was really tasty. My favorite was definitely the guac (I love anything avocado).
All in all, it was a great night (in terms of food, and service!) and I will definitely be back.

If it is your first time there, you can go sign up online right here to be a part of their mailing list and get $10 off $30 worth of food :)

Enjoy!!

Akane Sushi

SUSHI! :9

At my visit to Akane Sushi, I ordered one of their many sushi platters. They had all the combinations possible between sushi, rolls, and sashimi. I prefer salmon the most, and I was very happy to see all the salmon on the platter (except my dad, as he likes the other fish that is normally prepared in assorted platters like this). 

They also gave us a dish of these Korean clear cold noodles to start, and green tea ice cream to finish. 

Overall, the rolls were really filled and delicious. The sashimi was a hit or miss. Some of the pieces were really good, and some of them were so thin that it fell apart when you picked it up. I was thoroughly satisfied with this meal though! It did satisfy my sushi craving, except I now have the craving again due to writing up this post! 

Wish

As a relatively new brunch obsess-er (I don't think that is a word?), I am still on the lookout for good brunch places. I have seen posts about people coming to Wish so I decided to check it out. Located around Yonge and Bloor, this was the furthest north I have ventured out for brunch.



We went around Christmas time so they have such cute decorations! Loved this seating area. Unfortunately, we ended up sitting inside.



If you've read my previous posts, I really enjoy one-paged menus. I get overwhelmed really easily, and I think that when a restaurant has a one-page menu, they're basically saying "We were only allowed to have X things to serve, and here are the best things we can offer you." ....yeah I'm weird :)
Click here for the menu!

And here is what we had:

Florentine | Poached eggs over wilted spinach with leek and parmesan fondue, with a side of fruit

  Charlotte | Poached eggs over smoked salmon with leek and parmesan fondue, with a side of fruit

Traditional Caesar Salad, with double smoked lardons

Overall, I enjoyed this spot. The food was decent, but the space was rather small and cozy. I believe they have a gorgeous patio area but since it is winter right now, it is covered. The service was also horrible. There were no waiters ever, and we actually had to get up out of our seats just to try to find someone to serve us. Since this spot wasn't anything special, I do not think I will be returning. Maybe in the summer, but definitely not in the winter again.

Big Moments of 2014

As this is my first post of the year, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

And now to do a little walk down memory lane for the past year :)

I started off the year with learning how to snowboard (aka roll down a hill) at Blue Mountain.

And then decided to upgrade my weekend getaways and visited New York City!

In New York, I got a chance to dine at Le Bernadin, my first experience at a Michelin three star restaurant.

And then I had the best post-exam-good-luck-you-can-do-it present from my parentals this summer :) from Bangkok to Seoul to Hong Kong!!

In Thailand, I rode a cute baby elephant (that is still bigger than me lol).

This year, I learned to appreciate something amazing called brunch.

As well as my little sister, as she left home to go to university :(

...and last, but definitely not least, the most important event of 2014: 

I PASSED!!!!

I passed all three of my professional exams this year. Woohoo!

- - -

Wow. This was a good way to go through the year to remember what I actually did. I am really surprised at how many things I forgot as I was going through my memory for 2014 by month (like how I went to New York City for a weekend...). The only thing I remembered I did this year was study for my exams lol how sad. BUT, now I passed so no more of that in 2015 :) yayayayy!