TravelToEat's Profile
Opinions on Ferriera Cafe on Peel?
I love their seafood - you can't go wrong with that. I am very fond of their sea bass... and they always have a very nice fish du jour. Last time it was snapper and it was grilled to perfection.
You'll have a wonderful time!
-M.
Where to eat in Macau?
I heard from a friend who lives in Macau that Pinnochio *used to be* quite good but has gone downhill recently. I've never been - but it's what I've heard, for what it's worth... On another note, last time I was there, I saw this crazy line up at this little cafe in Taipa for some pork tenderloin bun (??) They say the cafe is famous for it. Supposedly the cafe only makes 200 or so, and there were definitely more than 200 peepe lining up. Next time I'll have to give it a try!
Wedding anniversary in Hong Kong
Well, hubby and I finally went to Joel Robuchon at Landmark for our wedding anniversary dinner, based on the fact that we both loved L'atelier de JR in Las Vegas. I am sad to say that JR in HK does not come close to our experience in Vegas, or any other french cuisines we've had in North America and (unfairly) France. We find the wait staff not really familiar with what they were serving - when asked with simple questions such as what was in the sauce, they were not able to answer right away and needed to check with the chef. Also service was not up to the standard of a fine dining establishment... ie. after my visit to the ladies' room my napkin was still left crumpled on the chair. I am not overly concerned with little things like that if the food had been as memorable as L'atelier de JR in Vegas. Mind you, it's not that the food was bad... it was just - food. Certainly did not leave any lasting impression.
I am fluent in both English and Cantonese. My husband, however, is french, and we speak in English in our everyday life. So when we were at L'atelier in HK, we were naturally speaking English. I wonder if that had anything to do with our sub-par service - that the wait staff did not answer our questions right away because they were not comfortable speaking English?? Well, it could be worse... we could be asking questions in French!! :)
I don't know if this is correct, but I feel that people in HK do not really have a firm grasp of what French cuisine is. Their definition of what is excellent french cuisine may not jive with the North American / European version.
With that said, hubby and I did stumble into a little gem we found called "Gough 40" in Sheung Wan. (or is it Central??) It's a tiny little establishment, but their pasta is truly excellent. There is room for improvement, ie. serve fresh baguette instead of overly toasted garlic bread... but comparing what we paid for L'atelier in Landmark vs. Gough 40, I'd rather eat at Gough 40 5 times.
- M.
Ristorante Michaelangelo
Hello,
Any comments about this restaurant?
It's address is: 3111, chemin St-Louis, Sainte-Foy
My husband and I are going to Quebec City in 2 weeks and we were told this is a restaurant not to be missed.
Just wondering what my fellow Chowdies think about it.
Thanks! :)
-M.
afternoon tea in Ottawa
I *think* you can order high tea at the Tea Party on 119 York Street (Byward Market)... I've only been to Zoe's at the Chateau Laurier myself...
Any good eats at Baie St Paul (Charlevoix area)?
We have rented a cottage at Baie St Paul and are wondering if there are any good eats in that area for a birthday dinner? Or any special / unique restaurants we should not miss while we are there?
Thanks!
Three nights in Montreal
I second the suggestion about Ferrera Cafe. The seafood is wonderful and last time I was there I had an amazing red snapper. Their steak is also delicious too if you enjoy your red meats. You just can't go wrong there.
Brunch in Montreal
We had Mother's Day Brunch at le Jardin (Ritz Carleton). What a spread!! And we did get a glass of mimosa with it. It has everything from dim sum to eggs benedict station to cheese platters to giant cocktail shrimps and snow crab claws and lambs and quails and a wonderful dessert table and salad and asparagus spears and more and more and more. I am not sure if it's a special brunch since it was Mother's Day. I do believe we paid more than their usual brunch. (It was $75 pp) But boy, what a spread - and everything just delicious.
seafood in montreal
Ferreira Cafe gets my vote every time.
We were there a couple of weeks ago and I had the grilled sea bass - very very good. My husband had the seared tuna - also very delicious. We actually had trouble deciding which one we like best!!
Our experience at Aix was not as positive - we stayed there for New Year's Eve and dinner was part of the package. I wonder if that has something to do with the sub-par dinner we had...
Ottawa dim sum
We haven't had dim sum for a quite a while and this weekend our friend suggested going... so we went to Chu Shing on Somerset W. I remember it to be decent - but this time it really wasn't good. Some of the little dishes are luke warm... and they manage to all taste the same.
If little plates are what you are interested at, I would recommend a tapas place called A'roma Meze at 239 Nepean Street. Wonderful!
Whalesbone is known as an oyster bar - and they do have great oysters if you like them - but it's so much more than just oysters!! Chef Stephen Vardy can prepare a mean sashimi platter - and the lobster is absolutely to die for.
http://www.thewhalesbone.com/
Wedding anniversary in Hong Kong
Thanks everyone for all the input!
Charles - yes, I'm in Ottawa but never managed to go try Susur in Toronto. Montreal tends to be our "playground" when it comes to food.
Checked out the website of Bo-Innovation - if the food is Alinea-esque, since we would have sampled Alinea by the time we go to HK, I think we will try something else. Um... that durian fried rice looks interesting to me but will scare my husband away for sure. (grin)
We've managed to narrow it down to: Spoon, L'Atelier, or Caprice. I take it if their dress code is business casual, then we can skip the jacket!
Any favourites?
Kaiseki Ryori in Tokyo
Thanks!
Is it necessary to make reservations far in advance for kaiseki ryori? Or is it okay to arrive in Tokyo first and ask the hotel conceirge to take care of that for us? We are only staying in Tokyo for 4 days in July.
-M.
Kaiseki Ryori in Tokyo
Hello,
We will be stopping in Tokyo for 4 days in July before journeying onwards to HK... Can't miss out on the chance of sampling Japanese haute cuisine! Appreciate any recommendations on a great spot for kaiseki. Is it reasonable to expect to spend around $150pp?
Thanks!
-M.
Wedding anniversary in Hong Kong
Wow, kobetobiko - you get to go to L'Atelier de JR once a month?? So jealous... We absolutely loved L'Atelier in LV!!
Am disappointed to hear that Pierre is not as good as what I'd imagine... Also for Caprice - you mentioned it is on your to-go list - and that it made the top 100 restaurants in the world... have you tried it yet? Any feedback on that one?
As for our preference... we do like french cuisine a lot - L'Atelier, Jean Georges, Le Cinq, Lucas Carton (we went before he gave up the stars... it was a truly phenomenal experience)... and there is a fabulous Portughese restaurant in Montreal called Ferreira Cafe that we also love. We are heading to Chicago in June and already made reservations at Alinea and Charlie Trotter's.
For our anniversary dinner in HK, we'd be game for anything except Asian, since we will have our fill of Asian food when we eat with my family. My husband - who is french - will have reached his dim sum/Asian food tolerance by then. (grin)
So I guess I am looking for something french or mediterranean - absolutely great food but can do without the stuffiness.
Any advice for me?
Thanks!
Wedding anniversary in Hong Kong
We are in Ottawa, Canada, but we did go to L'atelier de Joel Robuchon in Vegas. It was truly a delightful evening. We were impressed with the staff there as they were able to converse with my husband in french. (he is french and his family is from Alsace - hence he is quite partial to Jean Georges...) Does Guy Savoy have a restaurant in HK? We wanted to go there while we were in Vegas but his restaurant was under renovation... Given the choice, would you pick Pierre, L'Atelier, or Spoon? Or any other hidden (from us anyway) gems in HK that you would recommend?
Thanks again!!
Wedding anniversary in Hong Kong
Looks like hubby and I will be celebrating our wedding anniversary in Hong Kong this year! We'd like to ask for restaurant recommendation for a wonderful dinner - not Chinese or Asian food - anything else goes. We would prefer not to go to a place where jacket is required for gentlemen as we will be in HK in July - too hot and humid for that!! Budget not a big concern - as long as the food and the dining experience are worth it.
Thanks!
-M.
Brunch at the Ritz?
Anyone been? Hubby wants to take his mom there for Mother's Day brunch... How's the food there?
Thanks!
-M.
Queue De Cheval
Don't do it. We went to the Q - and the best thing about that evening was the bottle of Brunello we had. The steak was horrible - and the sides incredibly expensive. Not worth it at all.
-M.
La Chronique - still open, right?
We're thinking about going there... just checked the website and it is down... after the AREA scare - La Chronique is still in business, right?
Thanks!
-M.
Area - Closed??
Is this true?? We just had dinner there last Saturday (April 7th)!! Our meal was absolutely fabulous and I can't believe this! Area is definitely one of the finer tables in Montreal. This is sad...
If this is true, I guess we went just in time...
- M.
Verses vs. Les Ramparts
The reason why we are debating between Verses & Les Ramparts is because that's part of the package each hotel (Hotel Nelligan & Auberge du Vieux Port) offers... otherwise, I'd heed your advise and head to CC&P too!
So... if you *had* to choose between those 2 restaurants...
Help!
-M.
Verses vs. Les Ramparts
Hello,
Trying to decide which hotel to stay at for my husband's upcoming birthday... Hotel Nelligan has Verses, and Auberge du Vieux Port has Les Ramparts... the deciding factor is going to be which one has better food?
Please help!
-M.
P.S. Went to AREA last Saturday - kudos to Ian Perrault - it was fabulous!
We're coming to eat!
So if you were to replace Everest, which restaurant would you choose? What would be in line with Alinea and Charlie Trotters?
Thanks!
- M.
We're coming to eat!
Thanks for the info. And that's a great idea about splitting a wine pairing... I'd probably be rolling out the door if I take it by myself!
Can't wait!
-M.
Best bets in Montreal
We have been to 3 of the restaurants you listed: Au Pied de Cochon, Ferreira, and Toque. Our favourite is Ferreira. The chilean sea bass is absolutely wonderful. As for Toque - not sure I would call it a "fun" atmosphere though... Au Pied was indeed fun, but it was partially because Martin Picard was making the rounds from table to table, and drinking wine from bottles of each table! He was very... happy... (grin)
What about AREA? Heard many good things about this restaurant too... in fact, we're off to try it out this weekend.
-M.
We're coming to eat!
Hubby came home with a big smile on his face - he has surprised me and booked us a trip to Chicago mid June, and he even made reservations at 3 great restaurants!
Thursday - Alinea
Friday - Charlie Trotters
Saturday - Everest
Any must-haves at these restaurants? Someone told me all these restaurants offer are tasting menus. I checked their website and that seems to be the case. Does anyone know how much the wine pairing is? I can't seem to find that in the websites...
I think I'll be wearing stretchy pants for a while after this trip...
Thanks!
-M.
In search of truffle oil...
Lately, been having craving for steak with a splash of truffle oil...
Where does one go for good quality truffle oil in Montreal?
Thanks!
-M
Beckta or elsewhere?
Been to Beckta and Urban Pear recently - Beckta gets the nod, although the meal at Urban Pear is also quite excellent. One little thing I have about the Urban Pear is that in a cold winter night - the way the restaurant was set up with the nice big windows - it is inevitable you feel a cold draft while you eat. That curtain at the entrance really doesn't do much in keeping the draft out whenever people come and go. So comfort wise, Beckta definitely gets the nod. Food-wise too - although everything was very nicely done at the Urban Pear, the flavours at Beckta seem to have more "layers" and more interesting in the best possible way. Haven't been to Domus or Juniper for a while though, (over 6 months) - but with these four choices, I'd still pick Beckta.
-M.
Downtown Ottawa - Lebanese/Mediterranean Restaurants
We were at Bocado's and had a very good meal there - it was a weeknight, so the restaurant was a bit quiet.
http://www.bocado.ca/
Also there's A'roma Meze - we've been wanting to try it but haven't had a chance. It's a tapas style restaurant with a great wine list - so perfect for a group of friends to spend a nice evening. Heard many good things about it. 239 Nepean Street.
Hope that helps!
-M.
Beckta or elsewhere?
My husband and I was just at Beckta last week, and we shared the same concern - wondering how Beckta would fare after Stephan Vardy left... and we were not disappointed. Beckta remains one of the finest tables in Ottawa. We had a wonerful dining experience. Compared to Perspectives, which is also a 4 diamond restaurant (I believe these are the only 4 diamond restaurants in the area) - Beckta is much better in food and service. Loved it! Can't wait to go back!
-M.
