"Can we go to that place you sent me last time?" Designing food itineraries for friends and family travelling to Montreal is like giving a kid a firecracker—dangerous and fun. Last time my mom was in town I dropped her off at La Porte for a solo dinner I couldn't stay for, sad … [Read more...] about Exquisite La Porte Restaurant in Montreal
Salt-Grilled Fish, a Night Market and Living Near BTS On Nut in Bangkok, Thailand
The second the woman said "It's near a night market," I was sold. I was sitting in a bamboo shaded rooftop cafe ("on" a rooftop cafe?) in Ton Sai, Thailand, trying to figure out where to stay when I got to Bangkok. A lot of the hostels seemed that they were downtown and a lot … [Read more...] about Salt-Grilled Fish, a Night Market and Living Near BTS On Nut in Bangkok, Thailand
Sustaina and Khun Churn Restaurants: Vegetarian, Organic and Macrobiotic Food in Bangkok
There aren't a whole lot of vegetarian restaurants in Bangkok, despite the amount of Buddhists. There's even less certified organic produce, meat, and dairy. Why would you spend more money? And especially why would you spend it on vegetables? Macrobiotic was the last thing I … [Read more...] about Sustaina and Khun Churn Restaurants: Vegetarian, Organic and Macrobiotic Food in Bangkok
Montreal’s Best New Restaurants
You go away for a couple months and all of a sudden Montreal has a bajillion great new restaurants—all local and sustainable and with biodynamic wine lists, of course. Nudding wrong widdit! as my honorary Newfoundlander of a father would say. All this newness sure makes me think … [Read more...] about Montreal’s Best New Restaurants
Sornthong Seafood in Bangkok
I have to give Sornthong Restaurant points for service. A lone gluten-intolerant foreigner comes in and asks what she can eat in a Chinese-run seafood restaurant. Disaster, right? What should I expect? A feast? Everything has soy sauce. And if it doesn't, it has oyster sauce and … [Read more...] about Sornthong Seafood in Bangkok
Klang Soi Restaurant: Back to Bangkok with a Homestyle Thai Restaurant
You will get lost finding Klang Soi Restaurant. It's seemingly inevitable. Even with a business card with a map and an address on it, I got lost. I asked 5 people for directions. Three pointed me in incorrect directions. One had no idea. The other took me around to as many other … [Read more...] about Klang Soi Restaurant: Back to Bangkok with a Homestyle Thai Restaurant
Hue Cuisine at Dong Pho Quan Hue Restaurant
Is it possible to get sick of caramel chicken? I'm doubtful, but I gave it a rest for a day in Ho Chi Minh City to find out more about Hue cuisine at Dong Pho Quan Hue restaurant. Located next door to mine and Anthony Bourdain's favourite rice-throwing restaurant, Com … [Read more...] about Hue Cuisine at Dong Pho Quan Hue Restaurant
Sore Feet, Pink Toes, and Crossing Your Fingers
My from District 3 home in Ho Chi Minh City I could walk to Ben Thanh Market in about 35 or 40 minutes. I made this trip—there and back with a certain amount of meandering in between—at least five times in the two weeks that I stayed in my Airbnb-rented apartment. I hated the … [Read more...] about Sore Feet, Pink Toes, and Crossing Your Fingers
Homemade Chicken Pho’ Ga: A Step Into Ms. Xuan’s Vietnamese Kitchen
After two months traveling in Asia, the first thing I made when I came home to Canada was Vietnamese chicken pho' ga—a clear, sweet and savoury rice noodle soup flavoured with ginger, shallots, rock sugar and fish sauce. I wasn't planning to make it, as it's a fairly lengthy … [Read more...] about Homemade Chicken Pho’ Ga: A Step Into Ms. Xuan’s Vietnamese Kitchen
Top Ten Foods in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Home to Winter, and One Last Shaved Ice
There are these handy tools here in Vietnam for crushing ice. You hold a huge chunk of ice in your hand (like a 1990ès cellphone size) and then whack it with a flat-bottomed mallet. The ice shatters. Voila, Vietnamese shaved ice. That's what I've been doing with the ice I make, … [Read more...] about Top Ten Foods in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Home to Winter, and One Last Shaved Ice