Park Restaurant

Just before I left Montréal, my lovely roommate and I decided to try this restaurant that was on our to-do list for ages. It was a friday night and the place was packed. So make sure you reserve if you decide to give this fusion resto a try.

We didn't go for their tasting menu but before we got our seats at the bar, the previous customers were raving about the tasting menu. They said that each dish was presented beautifully and highly recommended us to try. However the tasting menu did not include much of sushi/sashimi that we were hoping to try. We got the maki, sushi and sashimi plate enough for 3 as well as a deconstructed salad.

Deconstructed Salad

3 different sauces

From the left to right

Edamame, Mango and Sesame

(I've shortened the description of the sauces.)

The deconstructed salad was a mix of seasonal greens, shredded carrots, turnips, okra, some housemade kimchi and various other delightful cruchy vegetables. It was fun playing mix and match - pairing your favourite dressing with any greens of your desire. 

Clara devoured half a dozen of oysters. Actually, she generously gave me one and the vinigerette sauce really elevated the flavours of the oyster. The flavours of the sea blended so well with that sauce. It was like an oyster shooter. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of the oysters. I would come back for the oysters one day.

The plating was a piece of art. The sashimi was plated as a waterfall which really displayed his knife skills. The salmon belly just melted in my mouth. Anyways all the sashimi was of great quality. Park did a great job in selecting their fish. If you are novel to raw fish, I would not recommend the sashimi plate since they are for the more adventurous foodies that would not mind accupunctured fish, caviar etc. If you are generally a salmon, tuna kind of person, simply just get those.

Sashimi

Sushi

Maki

One of the best maki that I've ever had.

Group picture with Park - celebrity chef and great company for the night.

Martha Steward Lemon Soufflé

When school gives us a break, we generally take advantage of it. My friend and I decided to go for lemon soufflé today. It was a recipe that I have hunted down during my exam period and now I finally had time to tackle it. This was the first time that we tried this recipe and it turned out great. Fluffy, airy, light, everything you would look for in a soufflé, absolutely delicious. Pretty sure it made my day, my friend's day and my roommate's day. Would be doubtful if it didn't!

Just a tip to keep in mind is that you will have to have your spoon ready. As soon as the Soufflé is out of the oven, the time is ticking and there is a deadline to the soufflé before it looses its height.

Below is the link for the amazing soufflé using simple and fresh ingredients:

http://www.marthastewart.com/335397/lemon-souffles

When life gives you lemons, turn it into soufflés ;)

O'Thym Montréal

My parents came by for the weekend and we went out for French food. My aunt recommended O'Thym situated in the Gay Village area of Montréal. My mom adores French food and appreciates fine dining. Perhaps she emjoys the refinement and attention to detail. They were fully booked for dinner and so we went there for lunch. Their menu was displayed on a large black board and for the lunch menus, soup or salad and a dessert was included. My dad insisted on filet mignon, my mom wanted fish and I simply asked the waiter what he personally recommended which was a rabbit dish.

Entrée

Light salad with orzo, pear, cherry tomatoes and herbs

Scallop ceviche with grapefruit and ginger crutons

I personally liked the lightness of the salad. The flavours were balanced. Although it was a pasta salad, the pear brought a scent of sweetness towards the dish, which made this the perfect dish to celebrate the coming of Spring. I had great hopes for the ceviche since I love scallops. I flower presentation of the ceviche was beautiful. I almost didn't want to dig in just so I could survey it for longer. However the grapefruit and ginger was quite overwhelming, camouflaging the natural sweetness that scallops brought to the table. 

Le plat principal

Cod fish cake topped with shrimp skewer

Rabbit protein with seasonal vegetables

The shrimp was cooked perfectly. The combination of the cod fish cake and the roasted almonds gave variability to the texture. Overall my mom really enjoyed that dish. The rabbit protein was wrapped with prosciutto which gave the exterio of the rabbit a bit of smoky flavour. The rabbit had the texture of chicken, the meat itself was soft and juicy. The creamy mustard sauce that accompanied dish elevated the flavour of the dish. Overall it was very enjoyable.

Le dessert

Apple pie with apple ice-cream

I am a sucker for any apple desserts. This had the potential of being my favourite however the apple chunks were too large and it was difficult to eat. Those apple chunks reminded me of poached apples that weren't cooked long enough. The waiter only gave us a fork and it was rather impossible to cut into it with just the side of the fork. The flavour of the ice-cream was quite delicate but it was more like a sorbet than an ice-cream.

We left the restaurant satisfied. The quantity they served was able to keep me full for quite some time.  Some dishes were quite creative, such as the fish main course. For lunch, the meals were around $20-25 which was reasonable for French dining. 

Quiche at Ô Plaisirs Gourmands

Who says that brunch has to be on the weekends. Wednesday works just as fine! We went to Ô Plaisirs Gourmands where they serve this amazing deep dish quiches. There are usually two options, one is simply with jambon (ham) and the other is with smoked salmon. I've tried both variations

and my heart goes to the salmon one of course. The egg is cooked just right so that the center melts in your mouth. The rustique chucks of salmon makes you yearn for more. This dish is rather filling and can keep me full for quite some time. So if you are coming here, just be prepared for it! You get a quater of a quiche if you order a slice. If you have a brunch gathering, I'd recommend you to order one whole quiche and share it in between 4-5 people.

On the side I have an arugula salad simply dressed with dried fruits and balsamic vinegar. It paired with the quiche well cause it brought some freshness to it. My friend had a couscous salad and that didn't fail her either. 

Not only do they have good quiche and salads, they also have freshly baked goods daily. From the typical baguettes, croissants and multigrains to beautiful French pastries that are intricately decorated. They have muffins that are stuffed with goodies, absolutely delicious. You don't just get a typical chocolate croissant here, there's a little surprise in there and it's custard! I have still yet to try out their sandwiches and coffee. Overall, I would like to conclude that the ambiance is nice and the waitress and waiters are very friendly. Through all the stress of this week, a little indulgence on a Wednesday morning won't hurt...

Arepa at Arepera du Plateau ~ Little Venezuela

Have you ever tried Venezuelan food? I walked up the plateau with some friends yesterday looking for this cute little eatery. Spring was finally here and it was a beautiful day out. By the time we arrived, we were ready to eat. A perfect way to kick start our metabolism and make space for something delicious. This was my first time to try something Venezuelan and I was pretty excited. The ambiance was lovely, the perfect place to visit to kick off Spring. The decorations were coluorful with little Venezuelan house models up on the wall. A large painting covered one wall that made every colour pop. I would say it was a painting that evoked happiness and celebration. The music was lively and up-beat, I felt like breaking into a dance any moment. I probably would have if my friends were there. They would have been embarassed if I actually did. Haha

What they mainly served was Arepa which was a type of corn bread that is stuffed with various goodies. As usual, I was having difficulty deciding so I asked the waitress to help me decide between number 1 and number 5. She recommended number 1, so that was what I had, Pabellon. It was an Arepa with black beans, "carne mechada" (something similar to pulled pork), planatins and cheese. On the side, there is a creamy avocado sauce and spicy sauce. Both were delicious. You can dress up your arepa whichever way you like, creamy or spicy. There is also a small herby salad topped with cassava chips on the top. Everything came up to less than $10 and it was satisfying. I was glad to have found this secret gem on the plateau. A great way to sum up my weekend before Monday!

Ice Fishing Encounter

So last Saturday, with a roommate and a friend, we went out for a stroll. I currently reside next to a big lake in Montreal. Winter here can reach -30 degrees C and the ice freezes over. It's now March and the temperature has finally risen to something more comfortable. After out mid-day snack, namely the green onion pancake, we could feel it expanding in our stomach. After 30 minute stroll or so, we saw little moving dots from afar. They seemed to be standing on top of the lake, so we headed that direction and this was what we saw. A never ending horizon that linked two islands as if an extended piece of white land had appeared. The land was so white, almost blinding. I could imagine situated in the North Pole waiting for a polar bear. My day dream was shattered when I saw civilization behind me. The juxtaposition really showed me the power of nature. 

Upon a closer look we discovered some people ice fishing. We were curious and went up to the holes and examine further. Obviously we were afraid that the ice might collapse upon every step we took but it supported out weight even though it was above zero. The ice remained thick and sturdy for us to trod on. We even saw cars driving across.

They drilled holes with that machine and place wooden leverages on the ice. The diameter of the hole was around the size of a foot. And a thin film of ice just froze over. 

The sunset was beautiful. Looking out to the never ending horizon.

Pizzaaaaa

This was made a while ago...

Pizza Dough

Ingredient 

170 g Flour, all-purpose

155 g Flour, whole-wheat

1 x 8 g package (8 g) Yeast, instant, quick-rise

250 ml Water

15 ml Oil, olive

5 g Salt, table

Stir 20 grams of all-purpose flour with 125 ml of warm water and yeast in a large bowl.

For more flavours in the dough, add other herbs such as rosemary, garlic salt and thyme.

Let stand for about 5 min or until cloudy and bubbly.

Stir in remaining flour, 125 ml more warm water, oil and salt.

Transfer dough to well-floured surface. 

Knead 2 to 3 min or until dough is smooth.

Lightly spray same bowl with oil and return dough. 

Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rest for 1 hour.

Pizzas often have a bad reputation of being greasy and unhealthy. But if you make it yourself, there are plenty of ways to improving its qualities. I decided to place ample amount of vegetables; onion, tomatoes, arugula and mushrooms. Last but not least, some shredded cheese as well. 

Place pizza dough on pan. 

Bake the dough and brown it slightly in the oven for 7 minutes or so.

Spread the toppings prepared earlier evenly. First the base - tomato sauce.

Then place the shredded cheese on top which act as a glue for the rest of the toppings.

+ tomatoes
Ample amount of lycopene - an antioxidant that can battle out cancer.

+ onions containing anthocyanin (another antioxidant).

+ mushrooms

+ arugula, I do enjoy that herby flavor which it displaces.

Absolutely delicious... accompanied with a small little caesar salad topped with almond shaves instead of croutons can definitely cut down some of the calories.