the tale of two peking duck restaurants – part 1

Tags

dayali, food, markham, peking duck

the holiday season always involves a lot of eating, doesn’t it?

i thought this would be a relevant time to share my recent experiences at two Chinese restaurants in the GTA that offer peking duck (also called beijing style roast duck).

first off, in case you are wondering, my Christmas meal still includes turkey, however peking duck is an any time of year tradition :)  secondly, while i have eaten peking duck in Beijing, this was several years ago, well before i developed an appreciation for what qualities make for a good one.  i had no clue that the bbq roast ducks hanging in the windows of chinese bbq takeout places weren’t really just one and the same.  i’m not sure that a lot of people do know the difference, having read comments about how many restaurants pass off bbq roast duck as peking duck.

what’s the difference? the coles notes version: peking duck involves more preparation steps prior to roasting, including separating the skin from the meat so the skin can really crisp up, and different flavouring ingredients are used.

there are countless places you can go for peking duck in the GTA, so why am i writing about these particular two?  most food aficionados would say these are the most authentically prepared and pretty much that makes them the best in the city.

and detailed reviews of restaurant meals is not usually my ‘thing’ either, but i guess i feel passionately enough about high quality peking duck that it warrants writing about it :)

restaurant #1:  Dayali (20 Gibson Dr, Unit 101-103, Markham, ON)

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winter wonderland in hyde park

Tags

food, london, travel, winter wonderland

covent garden

Christmas time in London is lovely, with many lights on the main streets and various Christmas trees throughout the city.  although i have been to London before the holidays in the past few years, for whatever reason, i only just learned about “winter wonderland”.

since 2007, hyde park in london, uk, hosts “winter wonderland”, running from late november and ending in early january. a German Christmas market type feel, with added fair rides (think CNE), you can do some souvenir or Christmas shopping or just go for the food and the atmosphere.

if you just want something free to do for an evening, this can also be a good option, since there is no charge for admission.

various rides and amusement park games are available (does cost $)

wooden ties, anyone?

so, onto the food.

you can get burgers, and pizza and maybe some healthy veggie friendly food from various stalls. the likes of bratwurst and currywurst are pretty popular, and rightly so – German sausages never go out of style. especially if cooked on a huge circular grill, pretty awesome.

potato pancakes, crepes, churros, fries, mulled wine, mulled cider, beer…

this is the sort of Christmas/winter market i would love to have at home. the rides i guess might be a tough sell if we have a particular snowy and/or cold december, but it seems like something that would be totally feasible down at the Exhibition midway area.

i would love to return again during this time period in future years. getting ready for Christmas with some festive outings at Christmas markets really adds to the holiday season for me.

have you been to London around the holiday season?  what are things worth doing/seeing in the city around this time of year?

to those that also celebrate – Merry Christmas! Happy holidays to all!

a Christmas tree in Southbank

“argentina has great beef”

Tags

Argentia, beef, Buenos Aires, Casa Rosada, food, travel

previously, tips #1 & 2 – Buenos Aires

more thoughts from my stop in Buenos Aires earlier this year…

tip #3: eat some steak. please don’t order it well-done.

thanks to a scene from “While You Were Sleeping” (a cute Sandra Bullock movie) where Saul says “Argentina has great beef”*, my taste buds started salivating at the thought. it’s been a long, drooly, 17 years.

this amazing steak was approx. $12-15 CDN

i was urged passionately by an Argentinian not to get steak more than medium doneness, his worry so strong that i would reinforce his belief of North Americans totally overcooking their steaks. i agree, it is a tragic waste, especially when medium-rare provided the perfect tenderness and chew, and plenty of juices full of great flavour. i wish i had a photo to show you, but the steak was so good it had my full attention.

if you’re wondering what might contribute to Argentinian beef being so great, for starters, grass-fed cattle are still much more popular, and the taste of the meat will differ from what most of us grain-fed beef eating North Americans are used to (with some exceptions of course). combine that with the way Argentines grill their meat. and the proverbial cherry on top is the value – the equivalent cost of a basic steak in a chain restaurant like the Keg would get you one of the top steaks in Buenos Aires (and i bet it would be mind-blowingly good).

*love the randomness of the conversation in this scene

tip #4:

“the paris of south america”

Tags

Argentina, Buenos Aires, Cafe Tortoni, churros, food, travel

some thoughts on my brief visit to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

tip #1: if going in winter (summer up here in the northern hemisphere), pack some warm clothes.

first thing to note for anyone that requires some geography refresher – Buenos Aires is quite far south.  its latitude is roughly the same as Cape Town, South Africa.  perhaps this is showing my poor geography knowledge as a south american virgin prior to this trip, but wow, who knew?!  it’s not as cold as winter can be here at home, but wearing 2 layers underneath a gap fleece pullover isn’t quite enough.  clothes aren’t as cheap as you may think, and chicks, don’t expect to find any hoodies.  Argentinian women must take after the French (see tip #2 for more) – there is no casual wear that includes hoodies or yoga pants (off topic – someone pointed out to me recently that women wearing yoga pants in public is definitely a Canadian thing, not a North American thing.  thoughts?)

isn’t it lovely inside Cafe Tortoni?

to warm up, have a coffee in any number of cafes, modern, retro, or perfectly european.   the churros at Cafe Tortoni, the oldest coffee shop in Argentina were some of the best i’ve eaten anywhere!

tip #2: