During the past year, while we haven’t been able to celebrate in person, my favourite way to connect with family and friends has been with dessert. A surprise cake or box of macarons delivered on a birthday or anniversary has been a treat to send and receive. While we’ve tried a variety of bakeries in York and Peel region, Daan Go Cake Lab is my favourite. Their online ordering system is easy to use and they were one of the first bakeries to offer delivery options. My friends and I have sent dozens of their character macarons between us all.

Daan Go’s new online store offers a variety of their signature cakes, whole and slices, different box sizes of macarons, cookies and even their new bottled drinks! I like being able to pick each macaron flavour in a box or choose assorted. Delivery windows are 3 hour time slots and the shipping cost is calculated by distance. Our house is a bit far from their Scarborough location, so for Alivia’s birthday I ordered macarons to be delivered to my in-law’s house in Markham. In-store pickup is also an option.

So far, in addition to their macarons, we’ve tried the Matcha Crepe Cake, 3:15 Hong Kong Milk Tea Cake and Strawberry Shortcake (an in-store exclusive). Alivia loves the character macarons, in addition to being adorable, they’re airy and all of the flavours are delicious without being overly sweet. With the cute designs though, it is sometimes impossible to guess the flavour without referencing the picture booklet (where seasonal or special flavours aren’t always included). It’s not an issue for me, but challenging when we are trying to avoid certain eczema triggers for Alivia. There’s currently 19 flavours available, from Asian inspired ones like Black Sesame and Hong Kong Milk Tea to classics such as Salted Caramel and Pistachio.

The Matcha Crepe cake was divine. Stacked perfectly with layers of light cream rich in matcha flavour, this cake reminded me of my love for this delicate and labour intensive dessert. Stephen used to bring me back slices of Lady M regularly when he worked in Boston. Until we can travel again, Daan Go’s crepe cake (matcha and Thai milk tea flavour) is a great indulgent treat.

Overall, I loved how the desserts at Daan Go are decadent yet light, aesthetically adorable and well priced. I can’t wait for their new Richmond Hill location to open this summer to try out even more of their signature cakes. Tiramisu, Peach Garden, 24K Mango, I need more birthdays in a year.

Atmosphere: Zen Sanuki Udon is the new restaurant from Chef Seiichi Kashiwabara, of Zen sushi bar in Markham, one of the best loved omakase spots in the GTA. Walking into the noodle shop, the decor was more reminiscent of a sushi restaurant with open kitchen bar seats and modern natural wood decor. I arrived for the first dinner seating on a weeknight, a week after the restaurant opened, and by the time we were leaving, the restaurant was hitting capacity. I would not be surprised if a queue is still common during peak dinner hours today.

Service: I arrived first to the restaurant and was seated by the hostess with a smile. While waiting for my friend, my server brought over water and menus, also with a friendly smile. We both ordered cold noodle dishes, with no appetizers, and our bowls of noodles were ready quickly and concurrently. I noticed that this was not the case for the couple at the table next to us. One bowl of udon was served to the man and the woman looked around furtively for her meal. It was a noticeable gap before her order was ready. A small wrinkle, not unfathomable of a new restaurant, and one that is easily ironed out over time. Based on my own experience alone, the service was great.

Food: The menu at Zen Sanuki was pretty extensive and covered all the varieties of udon dishes I was expecting. There was also a section for donburi, rice bowls, with BBQ eel and sashimi. For the udon dishes, there was also a list of toppings you could add from an onsen egg to sliced week to wakame salad. With the temperature that day being over 30 degrees, my friend and I both decided to go with a cold udon. I opted for the Ikura Oroshi Udon while she had the Niku Bukkake.

My bowl arrived topped with ikura, wakame, tempura bits, slices of fish cake, chopped shiso leaf and green onions. There was a but of cold broth, just enough to keep the noodles moist and add flavour. My friend’s bowl was topped with thin slices of marinated beef, wakame, grated garlic, green onions, two slices of fish cakes and an onsen egg (super soft boiled). The udon texture was chewy and firm and the seasoning mild but delicious. So good and such an authentic bowl. I want to go back and pretty much try ever dish on the menu. Ingredients range from simple and comforting like curry and tempura to decadent and rich like wagyu beef and BBQ eel.

Being a sister restaurant to Zen, there is some sushi on the menu, most noticeably a daily hand roll. On the day of my visit, it was trout and I couldn’t resist adding it to our order. The role was prepared onigiri style, with a plastic wrap separating the rice and seaweed for the diner to assemble just before eating. The quality of the fish was good and for $6, a nice addition.

Overall, dinner at Zen Sanuki Udon was a treat. Excellent quality ingredients and amazing fresh noodles made in house daily.

Stephen, Alivia and I have been slowly exploring our new neighbourhood. From splash pads to libraries to restaurants, we’re getting to know Richmond Hill and looking for our new favourite eats, I had read good things about Clay Pot King on Instagram and decided to have lunch there with my parents for my mom’s birthday. While our lobster pot was impressively plated and service was phenomenal, we weren’t as taken by the flavour of our dishes.

Atmosphere: Claypot King is one of the newer Asian restaurants in Richmond Hill with an elegant decor including crystal chandeliers, tufted leather benches and a mirror wall. We arrived at 5pm for an early dinner and was one of two occupied tables. Keep in mind that there are lots of restaurants in the plaza and parking can fill up quickly.

Service: This was one of our first dinners out with Alivia and I was nervous. I had prepped my parents that there was a good chance we’d have to make a quick exit. We settled into our corner seat with Alivia in her booster and some books to keep her entertained. Our server was very friendly, giving her lots of smiles and waves even after helping us pick up the many utensils Alivia dropped. Dishes were served quickly and arranged away from tiny grabby hands.

Food: The word claypot usually brings to mind crispy, crunchy rice topped with flavourful proteins like Chinese sausage and braised chicken. At Claypot King, the word describes a stew/casserole-like dish that’s served in a black metal pot and kept warm using a circular ring stand.

The main dish I wanted to try was their Lobster special. To round out the meal, we also ordered a duck congee pot and some side dishes, Shanghai style fried fish, green onion pancakes and fried dough fritters. Compared to other restaurants serving the same dish, Clay Pot King’s fried fish was good. It had a tasty sauce and good texture. The green onion pancake meanwhile was underwhelming, plain.

Between the Lobster pot and Congee, it was actually the duck congee that was my favourite (and Alivia’s!). The congee had a good thick texture, was savoury and well seasoned. The lobster was disappointing on a few points. First, for the price the quantity of lobster was low. There were lots of filler ingredients like rice cakes and tofu sheets. Second, the flavour of the dish was very one dimensional. Every bite tasted the same, there was no depth in the flavour and there was a lack of acidity. We did order the dish with no spice and I wonder if this impacted the taste of the dish.

Overall, although our meal wasn’t amazing I would give Clay Pot King a second chance based on the friendly service and promising side dishes.

I have to confess, after weeks of feasting on pasta and pizza throughout Italy, both Stephen and I were craving Asian flavours. We had walked around Amsterdam’s Chinatown the night before and were drooling over the BBQ ducks hanging in shop windows and the aroma of stir fry. After a quick Google search, we headed to Ramen-ya for our first bowl of noodles in weeks (basically forever for us).

Atmosphere: Located in central Amsterdam, Ramen-ya was easy to find. While the storefront was at street level, the restaurant actually occupied the basement of the building and managed to feel spacious with high ceilings and an assortment of industrial pendant lights and chandeliers. Large round leather booths occupied much of the real estate in the dining area. While bulky, the booths spaced out tables, providing privacy and comfort, a rarity in most ramen shops.

Service: English menus were available and we had no difficulty communicating with our server. While placing our ramen order, we were asked to choose the broth richness and Stephen opted for extra rich. The server warned us that their tonkotsu broth was already super thick and many customers were not used to how rich it was. Stephen stuck to his choice and was happy with the bowl that appeared. Reading reviews online, quite a few people did rate Ramen-ya poorly because they felt the broth was too heavy. I could understand the server’s concern, but if you have an option for extra rich, and someone orders it, I feel it’s odd to deter them.

Food: Stephen ordered the Miso Hakata (tonkotsu broth with chashu, menma, ramen egg, leek, nori and sesame seeds), while I chose the Kimchi Ramen (chicken broth with kimchi, chashu, ramen egg, wood ear mushroom, green onions, nori and sesame seeds), two very different bowls.

My chicken broth was rich and well seasoned with a good amount of salt. I could really taste the layers of flavours in the broth, and it wasn’t all that light. Toppings felt a touch sparse with only half an egg and extra charges for black garlic oil and homemade layu (chili oil). Each table did have a small bottle of non homemade layu. My favourite component of my bowl was the thin noodles that had a nice bite and was great to slurp. Stephen’s broth was definitely thick, but too fatty. It clung to the noodle nicely and the topping of green onion threads helped to balance the richness.

Overall, Ramen-Ya served up solid bowl of ramen with a decadent broth and authentic flavours. It was a pricey bowl, over $20 Canadian, but I love being able to eat ramen all over the world and we will continue slurping up noodles wherever we go.

Back in May one of my good friends visited from out of town and stayed in the Yonge/Lawrence area. Alivia was three months old and still happy to sleep through my lunch dates. I was excited to find out that Maker Pizza had opened their midtown location, which was a perfect strolling distance from my friend’s accommodations. The new pizza shop had dine-in seats and offered take-out, perfect in case I needed to make a speedy exit.

We visited during lunch time and the restaurant was busy. There were high school students, other moms, and a steady traffic of pizzas going out for delivery. This meant that while it was quick to place our order, the wait to receive our pizzas took some time. Tables were bar height and self serve. My friend and I were able to find seats facing each other and Alivia’s stroller fit next to us in between two tables. Now that Alivia eats with us, I would not bring her to eat-in at Maker with the high tables, backless bar stools and lack of high chairs. Toddlers and older children would have no issues.

For three people, we split two full size pizzas, the Tropic Thunder and Napoli Dynamite. Unfortunately I forgot to ask for their special sesame crust when ordering, next time! Both our pizzas had red sauce and an abundance of toppings. In hindsight, picking one pizza with fewer toppings (like Dr Pepperoni) would have been a safer choice.

Both pizzas had an amazing crust, crispy and thin but held up the sauce and toppings. I didn’t leave any behind. Between the two, both of my friends prefered the Napoli Dynamite with Italian sausage, olives, roasted red peppers and pickled jalapenos. Cheese, sauce and toppings were plentiful and the savoury sausage paired with salty olives was a delicious combination. The pickled jalapenos added a hint of spice and acidity.

Pineapple on pizza is a controversial topic, either loved or much hated. I for one have always been on the love side and a good Hawaiian pizza takes me to my happy place. Pineapple and all the pickled goodness (red onions and jalapenos) was how Tropic Thunder caught my eye. I somehow missed that there was no meat. I enjoyed the unique combination of toppings, which was sweeter that I expected but I did miss a savoury component. Next time, also read through the full list of ingredients.

Overall my first bite of Maker Pizza was pretty good. Splitting two large pizzas between three people was a good portion size for us. The bill was obviously more expensive than our usual pizza chain order, but worth the occasional splurge,

Another choice I made while planning our Italy trip was deciding between Cinque Terre and Amalfi Coast. Between the two coastlines, what ultimately swung my decision was reading about the hiking at Cinque Terre. In all of my research, the Amalfi Coast had a more relaxed and resort feel while Cinque Terre seemed more active and rustic. After weeks in big cities, both Stephen and I enjoyed our two day mountain stay with fresh air, ocean views and more hiking than I was prepared for.

Where we stayed

We chose to stay in Monterosso al Mare, the northernmost and largest village of the 5. Sticking to Airbnb, we booked a private cottage in the mountains that was surrounded by lemon trees and had a stunning view of the ocean. Our host picked us up at the train station and drove us back, which was wonderful because the steep trek would’ve been very difficult with our luggage and then the entrance would’ve impossible to find without help.

The cottage was a brisk 10 minute walk to old town and the start of the hiking trail to Vernazza. From there, it was a just a few more minutes to the water. I really enjoyed the tranquility and peacefulness of being in the mountains, especially once the sun set. From the patio, the lights of the other 4 fishing villages sparkled in the dark. If you’re travelling with a lot of luggage or are less mobile I would recommend staying in town, which is a lot more accessible. The 15 minute trek down the mountain turned into 30 (maybe 45?) minutes on the way back.

Where we ate

Our first night in Monterosso, we had dinner at a lovely restaurant in the heart of old town. We walked by many seafood restaurants while exploring the beach and settled on Da Eraldo Piazza Agostino Poggi, because it felt cozy and relaxed. Service was friendly and there were no language barriers. We started with a Caprese Salad that was simple and refreshing. I chose the Frutti di Mare Pappardelle for my main while Stephen opted for the Pesto Lasagna. Both dishes were really good. I enjoyed the fresh seafood in mine and while Stephen’s lasagna wasn’t photogenic, it was incredibly flavourful. For dessert we split a molten chocolate cake, fuel for the the hike home.

On our second afternoon in town, we stopped by the grocery store to pick up ingredients for breakfast. At this point in our trip we had been travelling for nearly two weeks and both Stephen and I were missing home cooked meals. Having access to a kitchen is one advantage of booking with Airbnb that I love.

Unfortunately after dinner our second night, I fell ill. I’m not sure if it was food poisoning, but all the symptoms lined up. This made our trek down the mountain from our Airbnb to the train station extra difficult. Stephen had to manage both our carry ons while I tried my best to stay alive. Our original plan had been to stop for a few hours at Pisa on our way to Florence. However, I was passed out in my seat for the first half of the train ride and nearing Pisa, I was still in no shape to move.

In the last few weeks of my pregnancy, I avoided spicy foods just in case the heat did nudge Alivia to join us earlier (had to move and what not before her due date). Since she’s joined us, I’ve still had to avoid anything super spicy because the few times I’ve added hot sauce to my plate, Alivia’s had a night full of stomach pains after nursing. So this meal at Do Eat Chinese has been my last taste of delicious tongue numbing fare since January. I’m hoping as she gets older I can slowly raise the spice level of my meals again. Until then, I’m looking at past photos and salivating over my phone.

Atmosphere: When we visited, the restaurant had just opened (under new management?) and was still offering specials on their signature dishes. Very few tables were taken and we had our pick. The restaurant was pretty standard for Chinese restaurants in Markham. A bit on the smaller side, clean with a mix of tables and booth seating.

Service: We arrived for an early dinner and the hostess offered us any table of our liking. I picked a booth by the window for the natural light, but it was a bit chilly. Once we settled down, the hostess brought over a portable heater to help keep us warm. Service throughout the entire meal was oddly really good. I’m not sure if it was because the restaurant wasn’t too busy, but our server and the hostess were incredibly attentive. She came by to apologize for the dishes taking some time, when we hadn’t even noticed and our plates were exchanged for new ones during the meal without prompting.

Food: My father in law had eaten at Do Eat the week before, so he had a few dishes he already wanted us to try. The main one being a oil braised eel dish served with thin pancakes and green onion threads, similar to Peking duck. It’s a traditional Shanghai dish that I’m starting to see more and more of on menus in the GTA. Do Eat’s version was sweet, heavy on the dark soy and tender. A pretty authentic version for my taste buds. I’m a big fan of eel and would recommend trying out this dish, even though the visual can be a bit daunting.

To round out our meal, we also ordered a Spicy Chicken Knuckle (similar to La Zi Ji Ding but made with just the cartilage part of the chicken leg) and a Spicy Water Fish with Tofu (Shui Zhu Yu). The chicken knuckle was interesting, had a good chew but not too much meat and a strong cumin flavour. Not overly spicy.

I really enjoyed the Spicy Water Fish with Tofu, which was a great twist. The silken tofu was a great neutral palette for the sweet, spicy and numbing soup, which was more like a sauce in this version. To be honest, I could’ve eaten a few bowls of just the sauce and white rice. The fish was fresh and tender as well, which also meant a few bones to be cautious of.

Overall, our meal at Do Eat was pretty delicious and I’d like to go back and explore their menu more. The eel dish, while tasty and unique was quite pricey (over $40).

Stephen and I attempted to have dinner at Ai Tre Scalini our first night in Rome, but seeing a queue outside paired with our growling stomachs we ended up across the street at Le Tavernelle instead that night. Being prepared for a wait, we tried again for our last meal in the city. This time, I was happy to wait outside the popular wine bar with a glass of wine munching on toasted bread until a table was available.

Atmosphere: Ai Tre Scalini had two sections, a casual bar area that was self seating and a slightly more formal dining area with tables. We opted to wait for a table, which took about 40 minutes. Diners were able to order from the wine menu while waiting and served a bowl of complimentary croutons. There were lots of signs posted by neighbours that sitting on their front steps was not allowed. Once seated, I really liked how lively and cozy the restaurant was. The restaurant doors were open to the street letting in the night air.

Service: Our server was friendly and knowledgeable when recommending a drinks for us based on our order and preferences. We had no issues ordering in English and understanding the menu. Each plate arrived quickly and we were checked on throughout our meal.

Food: To start, we ordered small bites of smoked olives home cured sausage. Both bowls came with a couple of chopsticks and were delicious snacks to go enjoy with my wine and Stephen’s beer. For more substantial fare, we tried the Pesto Gnocchi, Lasagna and a side of grilled artichoke, really my weakness while in Italy. Both pasta dishes were amazing, the gnocchi were pillowy soft with a great chew while the lasagna was meaty and cheesy. There was a generous topping of parm on both plates. I do wish the portions were a tad bigger, but they were appropriate for a tapas style meal. The one benefit of smaller pasta plates was that I actually had room for dessert, and the slice of lemon pie was sweet, tart, and the perfect way to end our meal.

After dinner, Stephen and I took one more stroll to The Colosseum to take in the night view. Next stop, Venice.

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

Atmosphere: Liuyishou’s taken over the spot that used to be 100 Degrees Hot Pot on the corner of Highway 7 and East Beaver Creek. It was nice to see the new incarnation had much better ventilation and the windows weren’t covered in condensation. Even on a Tuesday night, there was a good chunk of the evening when every table was full and platters of thinly sliced lamb continuously marched from the kitchen. I liked that each table had their own side cart for overflow plates so there was no need to rush or combine plates of uncooked ingredients.

Service: All of our ordering was done via iPad and sent directly to the kitchen. Our soup base and first few food items arrived within minutes of talking to our server. A few of the menu items were confusing in English (as is always the case with the wide variety of noodles and soy products) and our server tried her best to answer our questions and distinguish the differences. She also notified us when we ordered an item that had an extra charge, making sure we weren’t making any mistakes. Our pot was refilled regularly with broth and without prompting. No items were missed and there were plenty of servers circulating the dining room to flag down if needed anything else.

Food: The menu at Liuyishou was AYCE and extensive, both for what was included in the base price and a few special items at an additional cost. All soup bases were at an additional cost with no complimentary option. A simple, plain base free of charge would have been nice to see. The meat options included AAA Beef, New Zealand Lamb and Sliced Pork Belly. There were lots of tofu variations (puffs, fried, fish, etc.), plenty of vegetables, some seafood and more unique items like pork blood, trip, pork intestines, liver and duck gizzard. There was a few cooked appetizers and a variety of carb options.

Menu items I really enjoyed were the lamb, all of the hand made balls (especially the cuttlefish), which were super fresh with no filler and the Spicy Bull Frog Legs. Stephen wouldn’t try any of the frog legs so I had 4 all to myself. They were very tender and excellently seasoned. I also really liked the rice cakes and homemade noodles. Both items cooked easily and had a great chewy texture. The lamb was beautifully marbled. From the “Superior Dishes”, we tried the Tiger Prawn and Signature Beef Omasum. I really liked the texture and freshness of the prawns while Stephen enjoyed the omasum. I had a harder time chewing through the big slices, but each slice picked up lots of flavour from the soup base.

The sauce station was expansive with a ton of options to customize your bowl. There were also complimentary fruit and more importantly, fried mantou with condensed milk. We sat pretty close to the bar and could see when the mantou were being refilled, they did go quickly. For drinks, I can never resist a pitcher of watermelon juice, which was freshly made with no sugar added. I would also recommend the pitcher of plum juice to help with digestion.

If you’re visiting on a weekend and opt for a more expensive soup base with drinks, the bill can quickly add up ($50/person for 2 people). I’d recommend getting the two-flavour split base and coming with at least 4 people, really the larger the group, the more worthwhile the cost.

This year to celebrate Chinese New Year, Liuyishou is hosting hotpot week at all of their locations across Canada from Feb. 26th to Mar. 2nd. Enjoy dinner, an order of Tiger Prawn and Pitcher of watermelon juice for a discounted price. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite.

On our last day in Rome, Stephen and I set off bright and early from our AirBnb in order to make it to Vatican City early in the morning. We had planned to visit the Vatican Museums before lunch and then head over to St. Peter’s Basilica for the afternoon. When we arrived around 10am (the museum opens at 9am), there was already a line along one wall, but didn’t circle the block yet. Even then, we didn’t get past the gates until close to 11am.
Tip: If you’re not set on seeing The Pope avoid visiting on Wednesdays, which can be busier with the Papal Audience.

The Museums had a great collection of sculptures and artifacts but what I loved were the stunning frescos. There wasn’t much information about each of the artifacts posted and I found the audio guide we were using (Rick Steve’s) short on details. A Guided Tour may have made the experience more enriching for us. Navigating the rooms were easy and there was really only one path to follow. At some points, we felt like sardines swimming down the corridors packed with tourists. My favourite rooms were the last 3 galleries on the upper floor including the Tapestry and Map room. The only way to get to the Sistine Chapel is through the museum, which takes about 2-3 hours to walk through depending on your pace and the crowd. It’s 100% worth it.
Tip: Once you get to The Sistine Chapel, you’ll be asked to keep moving and keep voices down. Try to find a free spot on the benches along the wall to take in the seriously breathtaking ceiling. Note that photos aren’t allowed although some tourists will try to sneak in a shot. I found the quiet reflective moment quite a nice break from all the tourist activities.

At this point after hours of walking, I was ready for a break. Stephen and I grabbed a snack and coffee at the cafe and rested before heading over to St. Peter’s Square. Once we arrived, we saw another long queue. We were running a few hours behind schedule and were pretty hungry so decided it was time to go find food. We didn’t get the chance to go inside St. Peter’s Basilica or visit the Vatican Gardens, which I would’ve liked to see if we hadn’t run out of stamina.
Tip: The Vatican has its own postal office and issues their own postage stamps, sending a postcard from the city makes a great souvenir for family and friends.

Wandering down a side street just outside of the city, we found a area filled with small shops and cafes. Stephen and I picked up a delicious porchetta sandwich and a few scoops of gelato before heading home.