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It has been a while since I have done some travelling so I am beyond excited to be heading to Portugal and Spain for the week. Look forward to my travel posts when I get back. :)

Smash Kitchen & Bar

Brunch is one of my favourite activities on the weekend (yes, still). I love sleeping in but I will wake up at a decent time if I have brunch plans! I decided to stay uptown and head over to Smash Kitchen again for brunch.

Located in a corner unit of a plaza on Highway 7, the space inside is a lot bigger than you would expect. They have a large seating area, with a private room for functions, a nice bar area, as well as a patio outside for the warmer days.

We were seated near the window, which was nice since it was super sunny outside!

We started off with some brewed coffee (nothing fancy today hehe).

And then our food...

J ordered the Bacon Mushroom Omelette which was an omelette with 3 eggs, bacon, mushrooms, and cheese with a side of sm'hash browns and toast.

I got the Eggs Florentine which was 2 poached eggs on top of smoked salmon, sautéed spinach, and an english muffin with hollandaise poured over. It also came with a side of the sm'hash browns. 

Absolutely delicious! I honestly can't get enough!! The last time I came here for brunch, I ordered the Steak and Eggs, which is also super recommended if you are looking for something more substantial. Smash also has a prix fixed menu for $20, where it comes with a breakfast item, coffee/tea, and a dessert. It's a smashin' good deal ;)

RaviSoups

Okokok, I don't always have to eat at fancy restaurants. 

Visiting a little space with good soups and wraps can do it for me too! :P

Located on Adelaide and John, this is a nice quick place if you want something fast and warm. I've been here multiple times before to just pick up food and go. But since I wasn't in a rush to go anywhere, I decided to sit down and eat this time.

You order at the front (kind of built for the take-out crowd), and you can choose to sit at the back.

They even have a patio space, as you can see through those doors!

D wasn't too hungry, so he ordered the Ravi Stew.

I got my all-time favorite, the Flank Steak Wrap.

I've never sat down to eat here before, nor did I know that they had a seating area in the back with a patio section! The outside is very misleading as to how much space they have inside. As for the food, I was very pleased with my wrap again. One thing I love about this place is the consistency - I've never had a bad experience!

Duo Patisserie & Cafe

Duo Patisserie & Cafe is a new addition to the Markham area, and a much needed addition. Located on Highway 7 and the 404, it is a very easy access for many in this area. They specialize in coffee and pastries. They can make a number of specialty drinks (all espresso based) and they also have a wide range of pastries from sweet to savory.

Below are a couple photos from my visit:

(photo cred - CJ Noms)

My parents actually went to visit Duo and took the two below photos. They tried the pastries and really enjoyed them! The only complaint they had was that the coffee was barely warm when it reached their table.

Overall, I am very happy with this new addition to my area! I've always wanted to find somewhere to order pastries and lattes, besides Starbucks (I guess), so this is just perfect. I can definitely see myself coming back here soon!

Golden Thai

 I came here for dinner after work, and it was disappointing to say the least. I ordered their seafood pad thai and I couldn't really finish it. The 'seafood' was just a couple of calamari rings, two and a half to be exact, and 1 shrimp (as pictured above). The sauce for the pad thai was also super ketchup-y which I did not enjoy. We also ordered Thai Iced Tea, which did not taste like the normal Thai Iced Tea I've had from other places. It had some jasmine taste to it and my friend said that it tasted like dishwasher soap. Overall, it was a very disappointing experience and I don't think I will be back. 

Grand Electric

What else is there to do on a Friday night besides enjoy some good food with great company?

I don't think I can remember the last time I went 'out' and got drunk on a Friday night, and I'm not even ashamed lol I guess I'm growing up :')

Anyways, I came here on a Friday night at prime dinner time, around 7 pm. It was pretty packed inside, but not too busy. I only had to wait 15 minutes for a table for two.

They have a bar on the right and the tables on the left. This was a crazy small space!! No wonder they're so busy - they don't have room to serve anyone haha.

While their drink menu is on the table, their main menu is on a chalkboard at the back of their little space. The list of tacos available (I am not sure if they change it depending on the day/season?) are on the left, while they have their other specialty dishes on the right.

And in a whoosh, our food arrived! I think we waited for a total of 10 minutes? Impressive!

Round 1:

Beef Cheek

Baja Fish

Pork Belly Al Pastor

Omnomnom - these tacos were not the biggest, so we were still quite hungry after. We decided to just order 1 more each and then go somewhere else.

Cochinita Pibil (roast pork)

Cozy little place once the sunlight is gone and their lights are on.

Overall, I enjoyed my meal here. I enjoyed the tacos, as they were really flavourful. However, I really did not find them to-die-for like everyone else. I was very happy with my choices though and would definitely order them again! But I really  want to try one of their other specialty dishes. The Spicy BBQ Wings were a very popular dish that I saw at a lot of tables - I would want to try that and the guac!