dim sum: the best hour i can spend eating...

ah! my ultimate favourite set of dishes on the weekend: dim sum. i suppose you're asking what exactly dim sum is. in brief, it's a brunch made up of little individual dishes (as many as you'd like to order) and a pot of tea. dim sum for me, is awesome and here's why: not only is it affordable, but it's one of the few times i get all my favourite dishes in one meal: steamed shrimp dumplings, pan fried turnip cake, shrimp & avocado spring rolls etc. i also love dim sum because even though you don't think it'll be enough food when you first try it, you soon realize that it actually catches up to you pretty fast and it's definitely a meal you can either enjoy by yourself, or, in my preferred case with some good friends. favourite dim sum locations: chili secrets (9021 Leslie Street, Unit 9 Richmond Hill, ON) sam woo seafood restaurant (375 bamburgh circle, scarborough) all time favourite dim sum dish: steamed shrimp dumpings (aka "har gow") affordable: absolutely (avg. $10/person)

paninis + pickle barrel = love

Just as luck would have it, I miraculously found myself back at the Pickle Barrel at Yonge-Eglinton..this time for a birthday dinner (and running into a couple friends of mine!). Always with the itch to try something new, I took after the chicken & avocado panini on an herbed foccaccia bread--with a green salad and dressing on the side. I dug in with a ravenous appetite, I managed to devour and savour every bite, knowing it likely won't be long before I try to make this home. What I definitely did NOT expect was to be so full that there was no room for dessert! Instead, I had a cup of coffee to settle my stomach and for me, that was definitely a good idea. For some reason, the dog days of summer seem to bring out the craving for paninis..maybe because they're light, yet they make a perfectly satisfying meal with a green salad on the side. perfect for: a light, satisfying meal affordable: YES!

Taste of the Danforth

ah! i love the taste of the danforth--the smell of lamb, quail and various other goodies all available to sample! i managed to get a hold of a few things i had really been lacking: a good bit of lamb and a big juicy burger from Lick's (Pape-Danforth). there was a bit of rain while i walked around, taking in the sights and smells... always worth going..and a good way to go to Greece (and other places) without spending the money for a hotel and airfare!