Mini Viet 春卷王

Mini Viet Vietnamese Cuisine 春卷王 (Moved*)
Date: September 30, 2006 (Saturday)
Address: 10 Apple Creek Blvd., Building B, Markham (Hwy 7 & Woodbine)
Phone: (905) 307-6318

it said「高級越南料理」on the ad, so we decided to go give it a try..


we had Hainan Style Chicken with Rice (海南雞飯) & Malaysian Fried Rice (馬拉盞炒飯)..
when the Malay Fried Rice came, we were a bit surprised to see its "presentation".. putting all the ingredients on the side & the rice in the middle.. we even wondered if it's the right dish.. :P
the fried rice was a bit spicy as it's Malay style.. with XO sauce & shrimp paste (蝦醬) in it.. & the black stuff on the top right corner looked like 炭條.. but it's actually pork.. which taste was not good.. the egg which was on the bottom right corner was a bit salty.. while the shrimp has no flavor at all.. it's really my first time having a Malay Fried Rice in this form..

for the Hainan Style Chicken with Rice, it's just so-so.. the chicken was 黃油雞.. i just tried one piece but LG said we can have better somewhere else..

we also had the Vietnamese Style Coffee (越式熱咖啡奶).. it came with a big mug.. but after adding water in, it was actually just half-full.. & less "concentrated" than the normal Viet Coffee..

if i would like to have Viet food next time, i believe i'll prefer going to Lemon Grass.. (i guess u know what i mean..)

here's the menu they posted up..


*New address: 9625 Yonge Street, Suite J, Richmond Hill (Weston Produce Plaza)
Phone: (905) 918-1804
Opening Hours: 11am-10pm

Friends' Recommendations - Ruth's Chris/ Drake/ Marlowe

some of my friends asked me to recommend the below restaurants here.. i haven't been to these restaurants before.. & below r actually reviews from my friends.. ^_^

Ruth's Chris Steak House
Address: Hilton Toronto Hotel, 145 Richmond Street, West Toronto
Phone: (416) 955-1455
Open daily from 5:00 p.m.
Lunch served Monday through Friday in December.

tried the followings:
Onion soup.. pretty good, very rich in flavor
Sizzlin’ Blue Crab Cakes.. they used real crabmeat
Sirloin steak with veggie.. very soft & juicy.. not all of the western restaurants will marinate the steak, but they did it in Ruth's Chris..

ordered the steak in medium rare.. & it was cooked outside & had a pink centre..
most of the places would just give us medium or well done even we ordered medium rare..

the sizzling plate was full of melted butter.. had a strong smell & it's tasty..
they actually suggested that, if you think your steak is too pink inside, simply cook it on your plate.. as it is very hot.. the size of the steak was "huge", it's actually a portion for two people..

it's around $50 per dish, which was expensive.. but worths trying..
as the steak will melt in your mouth!!

Drake Hotel
Address: 1150 Queen Street West, Toronto
Phone: (416) 531-5042

Atmosphere and environment is awesome, the food is ok.. not too expensive..
their Lounge is cool too..


Marlowe Restaurant & Wine Bar
Address: 155 York Boulevard, Unit 1, Richmond Hill
Phone: (905) 771-8645

the decoration is nice, atmosphere is good..

tried the followings:
Wings (one pound).. which were so-so.. not worth to try
Roast Prime Rib (small cut=10 oz, medium cut = 12 oz).. really really good
Cappuccino.. really good
Baileys Crème Brulee.. excellent in presentation and it's so yummy!! & it's on the house.. free!!

they have chef's recommendation & it got lamb, too.. but, haven't tried..
after 10:30p.m. every night, there will be a small dance floor for guests to dance..

it's worth to try.. especially the crème brulee.. Soooooo....GOOD!!!

for more info/reviews on Marlowe, please visit Marz's blog..

Jersey Girl

Title: Jersey Girl (Official Site)
Cast: Ben Affleck, Raquel Castro, Liv Tyler
Directed by: Kevin Smith
Release Date: March 26, 2004
Genre: Comedy/ Drama

i've seen both good & bad reviews about this movie.. actually, i wanna watch this movie when it was released.. as i know that JLo dies within minutes of the opening.. (it's interesting to know the director put JLo in this part..)

the story is about a single father (Ollie) & his daughter (Gertie), & their ever-changing relationship with the world & themselves..
after the death of his wife (Gertrude) & losing his job, Ollie has left with no choice but moving back to his hometown, New Jersey, to stay with his father, & raising his daughter together.. the movie is not about how the father raises the daughter.. as it cuts right to 7 years later once Ollie moves back to New Jersey.. it's more about the relationship between father & daughter.. & how a "used-to-be" workaholic father comes to realize that there is more to life than work..

there r some scenes that really caught me..
the scene where Gertrude is waiting for Ollie to show up at Lamaze but he is late becoz of work.. & then Gertrude tells Ollie that he can't be the man who barely lives in his apartment anymore as he has a family now.. it makes me wonder.. is "work" really the first priority in a man's life? when will family be in a higher place?
well, some scenes did make me smile..
oh, i love the scenes that the father & the daughter being together.. so sweet.. especially the one after Ollie brought Gertie to the show in NY.. he said he considers this as a date with Gertie, while Gertie said she doesn't feel so.. & then Ollie immediately takes Gertie for a ride on the carriage to make it more "romantic".. what a loving father.. so heartwarming..

Raquel Castro really impresses me.. i can't recall seeing her in another movie but this one is good! she's so adorable & she gives an excellent performance for such a long & heavy role..

"Forget about what you thought you were and just accept who you are." it's one of the quote from the movie which is so true..

i like this one more than "50 First Dates" (that i watched earlier in the week).. maybe coz there is a cute little girl starring in this movie..

Cooking Mama

Cooking Mama
Publisher: Majesco Sales Inc.
Release Date: September 12, 2006
Category: Simulation

LG bought me this today (thx, LG)!
it has been out of stock for couple weeks.. & when LG went buy it, this was the 2nd last one left in store.. WOW..

here r some info:
Learn how to cook with your Nintendo DS! As a budding chef you must first prepare foods then combine raw ingredients together as you cook them on the stove. Follow real recipes or experiment with your own combinations to create a culinary masterpiece with your stylus.

the recipes r mainly japanese dishes, e.g. Miso Soup, Grilled Gyoza, Fried octopus dumplings, Rice Balls, etc.. which is nice as jap food is my fav!! in fact, there r some chinese dishes too, like Shumai Wonton & Spring Roll.. while cooking, i'll have to measure the rice, chop, mix, saute, etc.. & there will be more recipes open up when i finish a dish..

the one on the top screen is "Mama".. she will give instructions while i'm "cooking".. & she'll get really mad if i cook badly.. & one interesting aspect of the game: i actually have to blow into the NDS microphone to cool food down.. :P

for more info/reviews, please visit GameSpot or Nintendo..

50 First Dates

Title: 50 First Dates
Cast: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore
Directed by: Peter Segal
Release Date: February 13, 2004
Genre: Comedy/ Romance

had recorded some movies from TV over the past months but didn't have time to watch yet.. & while waiting for CSI: Miami, i decided to watch one of them.. "50 First Dates" was the one i chose.. (wanna watch something lighthearted..)

LG watched it before & said it's a good movie..
& i like watching comedies with Adam Sandler or Ben Stiller in it.. (not a crazy fan thou).. i just enjoy their acting in those comedies.. really can make me happier..

this movie is not 100% comedy.. not those for a big laugh.. it's more on the romantic side.. the story is about a man (Henry) who's afraid of commitment until he meets a girl (Lucy), who has short-term memory loss & keeps forgetting him the next day..


it's truely a love story which will give u a warm feeling.. "love" as Lucy's family sacrifices everything to keep her happy.. "love" as how Henry wants to be with Lucy, that he has to think of different ways to meet Lucy for the "first" time every day.. & Drew Barrymore is very sweet in this movie.. really lovable..


"win over the heart of the one you love every day, is what we all should do".. i guess this pretty concludes what this movie is trying to say..

P.S. this movie reminds me of another one.. "The Wedding Singer", where Adam Sandler & Drew Barrymore were together too.. they really made a good pair!!

Phoenix Restaurant 金鳳餐廳

Phoenix Restaurant 金鳳餐廳
Date: September 24, 2006 (Sunday)
Address: 1 Raymerville Drive, Unit #10, Markham
(McCowan & Hwy 7)
Phone: (905) 471-6536
Business Hours: 8am-10pm

heard of this restaurant for a while but it was our 1st visit yesterday.. & we re-visited again tonite for dinner..

for yesterday, we went there for afternoon tea.. (well, we didn't have lunch in fact).. it was crowded in tea time & we had to wait for a while before getting a table.. while waiting, we noticed that there were lots of newspaper clippings posted on their entrance windows.. introducing some of their special food (i believe).. & looking at their menu (which had pictures on it), there were lot of choices.. over 20 Special Tea Sets.. & many different sets for breakfast & lunch too..

so, each of us ordered a Special Tea Set..
(sorry for unclear pics as i forgot to bring my camera.. had to use my cell instead..)

Yunnan Vermicelli w/ Squid Ball & Seaweed in Fish Broth
魚翅骨豬骨湯紫菜墨魚丸米線
friends said that their Yunnan Vermicelli was good.. & yes, i think so.. i especially love the squid balls.. & it's funny that the vermicelli came with winter-melon (冬瓜).. i seldom had noodle with this..


Thick Toast in Japan Style 東瀛厚燒吐司
looked very special to us.. thick toast covered with cheese & condensed milk (練奶), minced pork (肉鬆) inside.. yummy!!






Pork Chop Bun 豬扒飽
crispy & the pork chop tasted good..





tonite, 4 of us went there for dinner & it was already packed when we arrived at ~7pm.. more than 10 people waiting.. & here's what we had..

Shrimp Toast 黃金蝦多士
it LOOKED nice but too greasy for me..


Minced Pork Fried Rice in Thai Style (Spicy) 泰式辣肉鬆炒飯
seems like all of us like this one the most.. a bit spicy but all the ingredients together made a good taste..


杏汁忌廉汁豬扒焗飯
it's special than the usual cream sauce, but the pork chop was a bit overly-spiced..


Malaysia Curry Chicken Rice 馬來咖喱雞飯
their curry was spicy but it's good to eat with rice..






& i also tried their special drink.. Green Tea Coffee Milkshake 抹茶意式濃咖啡奶昔.. very rich & very full..




here are the "not-so-good" food according to my friends/relatives who have been there for several times:
Steamed Chicken w/ Ginger Sauce 海南雞飯
Baked Pork Chop Rice 焗豬扒飯
Crab Roes w/ Seafood Fried Rice 日式明太子海鮮炒飯
King Prawn & Crab Roes w/ Salad 大蝦蟹子沙律

despite the above, their comments towards this restaurant were good as there were still lots of choices other than the above.. ^_^

Ichiban Sushi

Ichiban Sushi
Date: September 22, 2006 (Friday)
Address: 6212 Yonge Street, Unit 103A (Yonge & Steeles, next to Centre Point Mall)
Phone: (416) 226-5022


there r way too many Japanese restaurants called "Ichiban"..
& we just know about this one.. my cousin's family was treating us for dinner tonite & they suggested going to this restaurant.. they always came here to eat.. the servers could recognize them & give us many food for free.. such as salad, the salmon head, seafood soup, "pancakes" (薄餅) , & sushi pizza (this was especially made for the kids.. i.e. my cousin's 2 sons)..



the salmon head was good.. i ate my favorite part, i.e. the salmon's eye, & it tasted very good.. the soup tasted good but a bit spicy (according to my cousin, too much pepper this time..) the "pancakes" & the sushi pizza were just so-so..

& below were what we actually ordered..
a sashimi boat.. very fresh & "fat" (肥美).. especially the salmon..

spider roll..
hmm.. the "spider" (i.e. the soft shell crab) wasn't as good as the one in the other Ichiban (up North)..



however, the display was very nice as the spider roll was placed on a shell in fact..

seafood udon.. i personally love udon & this one tasted good.. the noodle, soup base & the ingredients matched..

unagi don.. the unagi was good..

well, we talked about whether we can still eat unagi these days.. is it still safe to buy from supermarket? or was the one we ate actually from supermarket too? hmm.. i would prefer not to think for now & enjoy the food first.. =P

my cousins said that their food should taste better & it was a little off their standard tonite.. maybe coz raining affecting the mood, while affecting the taste of food?! -_-"

Melona Ice Bars

this is the melon ice-bar that i had in Taste of Danforth which is very refreshing..
& i found it in the Korean Galleria Supermarket, for $5.49.. YEAH!!!
Address: 7171 Yonge Street, Thornhill (Steeles & Yonge)

more info:
the melona bar looks like a pastel-green, single popsicle..
it's made of water, molasses, skim milk powder, sugar & melon flavor
each 2.46-ounce bar contains 5 grams of fat, 4 of them saturated, and 19 grams of carbohydrate, including 15 grams of sugar..

Kenny's Gourmet 聯記

Kenny's Gourmet 聯記
Date: September 18, 2006 (Monday)
Address: 1480 Major MacKenzie Drive East, #C2-5, Richmond Hill (Major Mac. & Leslie)
Phone: (905) 737-0331 / (905) 737-0332

during my day off, 3 of us went to this newly-opened restaurant for lunch, which is very close to my home.. it's in the plaza where there is Price Chopper & 皇后餅店..

the menu was not the same as the one in First Markham..

we had 2 dishes & drinks for each of us.. my cold milk tea seemed to be a bit "milky"(too much milk).. while the hot drinks were ok..
& here's the food..

Fried Rice Noodle w/ shredded Chicken in Malaysian sauce (馬拉盞雞絲炒河)
(oops.. didn't remember to take pic until we were half way thru it..)
there's hardly a place which makes good 馬拉盞 dishes.. & when it first came, the server yelled & asked other servers "who ordered 干炒雞絲河?" (they were a bit 混亂) & well.. obviously, it seemed like a regular fried noodle more than the Malay one.. -_-


Fried rice w/ fish roe & assorted seafood (魚子海鮮粒炒飯)


dunno why i feel that the one in First Markham offers more varities & tastes better.. maybe coz this one is just grand-opening.. oh, we saw the chef coming out asking if it's full-house or not.. & yes, it was..during the lunch hour..


btw, we noticed that Hero Certified Burgers will be opening soon in that plaza.. it said "100% Angus Beef".. my LG is looking forward to having it nearby..