Landmark Seafood Cuisine

My family and I went to dinner at Landmark Seafood Cuisine on Victoria Park at McNicoll on Good Friday. We had gone there a while back when it was called Elegantview Chinese Restaurant.

The interior of the restaurant was your typical Chinese restaurant decor - a traditional red and gold-coloured interior with gold statues of a dragon and phoenix at the front of the dining hall. I can't say it stood out, one way or another.

For me, the main attraction was the food. I have to say it was really good. Most of the time when I eat Chinese food it's either a plate of rice or noodles with different toppings. Though, that's because I usually go with two or three others and we only order for ourselves.

This time we ordered shared dishes of beef, fish, veggies, tofu and chicken along with white rice. With a larger group you're afforded the luxury of greater variety.

Along with tasting good, the dishes were presented in an attractive manner. It was nice to see that attention to detail.

Of course you're going to pay a little more for of that, but the bill wasn't outrageous. It came out to $145 after tax and tip for the six of us. The most expensive thing was actually these mug-sized bowls of soup with sea cucumber at $15 a piece. We ordered two. They were quite flavourful though.

This restaurant is definitely step up over Congee Wong. A nice treat every now and then.

Dim Sum at Legend Chinese Restaurant

My family and I went to Dim Sum at Legend Chinese Restaurant on Yonge, north of Steeles, in Thornhill last Friday. I suppose it may have been a Chinese New Year gathering. We all had the day off (me because I don't work on Fridays and my nephews, probably because of a P.A. Day for the Family Day long weekend).

I've been to different restaurants at this strip mall before - the Red Lobster and another spicy Korean BBQ wings restaurant, but it was my first time at Legend Chinese Restaurant. My sister had been there in the past with co-workers when she used to work in the area.

It's a stylish restaurant with quality tablecloths and nice looking furniture. A step up from many of the places I normally go to. The food was good as well. Not a huge variety, but the typical dim sum standards like shrimp har gow, pork shu mai, fried turnip cake and beef rice noodle. We also ordered a few dessert items - mango pudding, black sesame-filled balls and egg tarts with lovely, flaky crust. It was all very tasty.

Japan - Kabuki-cho and Hanazono Shrine

Hanazono Shrine, Shinjuku, Tokyo.

After I washed up and took a much needed nap, I got up to go out and get something to eat. Originally I believe I was thinking about going down to Shibuya to check the area out. But, first, I thought I'd check my immediate vicinity, Kabuki-cho.

Unbeknownst to me when I booked my "capsule", Kabuki-cho has a bit of a seedy reputation. It's supposed to be a "red-light district of love hotels, host and hostess clubs, restaurants, and nightclubs" according to one film review on a movie set in that part of the city.

Anyway, I walked around the area and through other parts of Shinjuku taking pictures of the colourful lights/nightlife for part of the evening before heading towards Golden Gai. It's an area on the eastern part of the district that has a bunch of micro bars/restaurants all crammed together in an approximately 30m x 30m plot of land. Geared mostly towards locals it's supposed to have some English-speaking establishments. I considered eating there, but, in the end, didn't.

Instead I ended up by the Hanazono Shrine. There was a huge street festival over there. I believe it was for Labour Thanksgiving Day (on Sunday, November 23rd), a national holiday honouring labour in Japan. There were tons of open-air stalls selling food, gifts and kumade - good luck "rakes". They are bamboo rakes decorated with different charms. They are symbols of good luck and are supposed to help "rake in" success and good fortune.

It was in this area I came upon a food stall selling what I later found out was Yakisoba. It's a fried noodle dish made with Chinese egg noodles, thinly sliced meat or seafood, chopped cabbage, sliced onion, shredded carrots, spices and sauces, and topped with a sunny side up egg and red pickled ginger.

I saw an older gentleman frying a bunch of it up and decided to try it. I don't know if it was the fact that I was quite hungry or what, but it was delicious. After downing one order I had another to go. Passing the convenience store across the street from my hotel I bought a couple bottles of my new favourite Japanese beverage, Kirin milk tea, and finished it all off in the common room while watching TV in Japanese.

Sika Deer - Shanghainese Cuisine

I went to dinner with my friends, Gabe and Daphne, at Sika Deer, a Shanghainese restaurant located on the northwest corner of Finch and Midland on the weekend. Gabe had been there before and suggested it.

The restaurant isn't too large. They have three private rooms that take up a fair amount of space. That being said, we didn't have to wait very long to be seated (even on a Saturday night).

The staff were friendly and fairly attentive. The food we had was tasty and reasonably priced. We ordered a dish of Mapo tofu, $3.75; Double-cooked pork belly, $5.50; Griddle-cooked shredded cabbage with spicy sauce, $8.99; Sautéd beef with pepper, $9.99; and Shanghai-style rice with cured meat and vegetables, $8.50.

It's a nice place. A cut above some of the more budget-conscious Chinese restaurants I normally frequent. I look forward to going back for another visit.

Pan Asian Celebration

Back on May 10th I went to see the Pan Asian Celebration at the North York Central Library Auditorium. A number of dignitaries including Senator Vivienne Poy and faculty members of York University spoke.

There was a poetry reading by professor Pricila Uppal, a musical performance by Alice Ho (on piano) and Chan Ka Nin (on his custom Ba Gua Qin, similar to a harp).

Little Pear Garden Collective entertained the audience with a number of dance performances. Most were choreographed by Emily Cheung the evening's MC. For the most part the girls were dressed in traditional costumes which were bright and colourful. Lovely to see.