Back in 2019, before physical distancing and self isolation was our norm, Stephen and I celebrated his birthday at Momofuku Kojin. I have to admit I really miss dining out. Even though we scaled back our eating out habits last year, trying new restaurants was still something I looked forward to when we did. One silver lining (and I am on the lookout for those daily) of having a long blog queue is being able to relive those delicious meals of days past.

Atmosphere: Located on the top floor of the Momofuku restaurant, Kojin takes over the space where Shoto and Daisho used to reside. While the menu is more relaxed, the dining area felt more masculine with lots of dark wood, leather and metal. I always enjoy sitting at the bar or chef’s table when available. At Kojin, bar seats meant we had a great view of the wood-fired grill that touched a part of every dish. Complimentary coat check was provided and at 5pm, not many tables were occupied.

Service: Sitting at the bar, our order was taken by the server and drinks but we were mainly taken care of by the chefs. After answering a few questions about the menu, we picked our dishes and our server recommended how they could be coursed out. The chef introduced each dish as it was served, which I always love, with a description of the ingredients and accoutrements. Our server continued to check in on us throughout the meal, refilling empty water glasses, keeping us well taken care of without hovering.

Food: To start, we ordered a Corn Flatbread with seasonal roasted vegetables. The dish looked simple but blew me away with the rich flavours of the smoky roasted vegetables and pillowy texture of the flatbread. Every bite was perfectly seasoned, creamy and just addictive. I’d go back to Kojin just to order “The Board”, Flatbread with all the possible accompaniment. This was so good and set a high bar for the remainder of the meal.

For sides, we order the Atlantic Salmon Crudo with shishito and charred kirby cucumber, Gouda Mashed Potatoes and Fire Roasted Squash & Apple. Of the three I liked the salmon crudo the best. It was sour, spicy and the salmon was a great quality. I found the squash and red onion in the salad a little raw. For some reason I was expecting the squash to be more cooked, this was definitely more of a raw salad. The vinaigrette was on the sour side, which I liked but Stephen did not and the golden raisins added sweetness, I’m just not a big fan of raisins. The Gouda Mashed Potatoes was lighter than the name suggested and the best part of the dish was hands down the toasted cheesy crust.

Our favourite “side” was actually the complimentary dish of fire roasted beets that were very sweet, had a ton of natural flavour, smokey and a firm but soft texture. We wished it was available as a full side on the menu. Funny enough, when I checked Kojin’s menu while writing this post, there is a Fire Roasted Beets appetizer listed!

The 14 oz Boneless Ribeye was our main, served with marrow butter, fire roasted shishito and fire roasted beans. The steak was cooked to a beautiful medium rare with a great crust. We’re heavier handed with salt at home when cooking steaks so the seasoning was light to my tastebuds. I did enjoy the sauces that were served alongside and the butter, oh my the butter. Our shishito was one of the spicy ones that was spicy even for me.

Overall dinner at Kojin was a nice treat. There were plenty of great dishes that we ordered and plenty more on the menu I’d like to try.

It feels like over the past few years, many of the restaurants in The Annex have turned over. One of the more recent arrivals is Flaming Bull, a new restaurant featuring Taiwanese fusion cuisine. I was invited to enjoy a romantic evening at the stylish restaurant and experience an intimate dining experience with shareable dishes, live music and plenty of candlelight. With The Hubs traveling, my special someone for the evening was a fellow blogger, the perfect date to pose for photos and willing to wait before eating.

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

Flaming Bull’s decor was a combination of traditional Asian aesthetic and modern minimalism. Dark wood furniture, surrounded by dark walls were separated by tall geometric dividers, which created cozy, private tables. Before the 10 course feast began, we had the chance to try 5 of Flaming Bull’s colourful signature cocktails. This included a spiked bubble tea which looked deceptively non-alcoholic and 4 fruity creations. My favourite was the Peach Perfect with rum, peach juice, fresh peach slices, blueberry and soda. All of the peach ingredients used were incredibly fragrant, which translated to the flavour of the drink. Throughout dinner, our table maintained a continuous flow of cocktails.

Dinner began with a appetizer platter of traditional Taiwanese snacks like dried bean curd and sliced braised beef shank. I liked the familiar flavours and seasoning in the dish like five spice and anise. In general, I far prefered the menu items that were more traditional over the fusion dishes. Some of the entrees were playful and ambitious, but I wasn’t sold on their taste and value. A good example of this was the Shake and Shake salad. Iceberg lettuce was served in a large beaker and various toppings and dressing was served alongside in test tubes. Guests could pick which toppings to add to their salad, how much dressing they wanted, and then shake it all together. A fun concept, but without being able to choose the selection of toppings, the $8 salad felt like a gimmick.

One fusion dish that I did enjoy was the Cheese Mapo Tofu, a block of silken tofu covered with Sichuan pepper, green onion, soy sauce, Sichuan broad beans and melted cheese. This was a brilliant combination. The creamy cheese was a perfect match for the numbing Sichuan pepper and touch of spice. We also tried a Taiwanese Style Poutine, which was good.

My favourite dishes of the night were the noodles. A bowl of Sichuan Style Beef Noodles was served with Beef Shank, torched tableside, in a beef stock with Sichuan style broad bean paste. The noodles were chewy and the beef was AAA quality. I really enjoyed how flavourful the clear broth was and the strong asian seasoning. Next up was the Spicy Beef Tossed noodle, that was delicious. Again, the texture of the noodle was bang on and the flavours hit home. I would happily order this dish again.

Photos of Petit Potato’s Golden Toast took over my Instagram feed when the restaurant first opened. I drooled over the tower of ice cream, toast and fresh fruit. Even friends from out of town messaged me about the dessert, asking to be brought there when they visited Toronto. I was super excited to be invited to the media dinner at Petit Potato, where bloggers and Instagrammers were treated to a family style meal that included 3 different desserts, one of which was the fabled French Honey Golden Toast.

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

Petit Potato comes from the owners of Congee Queen and can satisfy all sorts of cravings with a menu filled with Taiwanese and Japanese casual eats like omurice, teppan rice and lots of dessert. In fact, there were an equal number of menu pages devoted to food and dessert. The large variety of dishes available makes Petit Potato a great choice for groups with different tastes. Diners can order snacks with bubble tea or a full multi-course meal. Decor features like wood grain tables and artificial grass created a modern and natural feel. The dining area had a mix of cozy booths and square tables, that could be pieced together to accommodate large groups.

Throughout dinner, I sipped on a glass of Honey Crysthanamum and Rose Tea, that was mildly sweet with a strong floral flavour. Petit Potato’s also has an expansive drink selection that included bubble tea, herbal tea and fresh fruit juices.

I had the chance to try a multitude of dishes that highlighted some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes.
Eel Omurice – A mound of fried rice, covered by a blanket of egg and topped with a big chunk of grilled eel.
Chicken Wings with Yuzu Sauce – Dry fried wings in a sticky, sweet yuzu sauce. I loved the combination of sweet, sour and savoury in this dish, but not everyone at my table was a fan.
Deep Fried Chicken Cartilage – The pieces of chicken were thinly breaded and not at all oily.
Shrimp and Crabmeat Salad – A refreshing salad full of crisp, raw ingredients, sweet shrimp and flavoured crab sticks.
Ramen – I was impressed with the milky broth and really liked the thin, charred slices of rolled chashu.
Teppan Rice with Slice Beef – Served on a sizzling plate with sides of aromatics and sauces, to be added and mixed at the table.
Teppan Pasta with Smoked Duck Breast – Creamy sauce and thick slices of duck breast, the texture of the pasta was excellent.

That was just food. There was still three desserts, which included the centerpiece, a mountain of Honey Toast, ice cream and fruit. Each table was served a different flavour or toast and ours was treated to mango. Thick slices of toast was hollowed out and the crusts were stacked to create the tower. The hollowed out toast was cut into squares, which had a crunchy exterior and a soft interior, and filled the mountain. These toast squares were perfect for dipping in ice cream and fruit sauce. Priced at only $12.99 – $14.99, this dessert was an amazing deal, indulgent and a true showstopper.

The other two desserts we tried were the Mango Pancake and House Special Super Sago with Mango Ice Cream. Both dishes centered around fragrant, ripe mango and were delicious. It was a real struggle to decide which dessert to eat more of, I wanted all of them.

In June 2015, The Hubby and I traveled for 5 weeks through 8 different countries, exploring historic sites, taking in breathtaking views, and indulging in delicious local cuisines. So delicious and indulgent, that I gained a pound per country, souvenirs that I still carry with me today. The last stop on our journey was 36 packed hours in Bangkok. Landing in the afternoon, I had booked dinner at Nahm our first night. We then had 24 solid hours to tour the city before flying out early the next morning.

To help streamline our time, we booked a private tour guide for the day and joined a food tour that night. I had first read about Bangkok Food Tours on the Tiny Urban Kitchen blog and their Yaowarat Street Food Tour (Chinatown) fit our itinerary perfectly. I also contemplated the Midnight Tour by Tuk Tuk, but was worried about catching our morning flight the next day. If I had more time in Bangkok, I would have definitely tried the full day Floating Market tour. Before deciding to book a tour, I had researched where to go and thought about exploring the city ourselves. However, I was worried about time, finding hidden vendors and possible language barriers. There was also just so many things I wanted to try. By choosing to go with a tour, we were trusting local experts to make our lives easier and we had a great time.

Our tour ran from 6pm-9:30pm and cost ~ $50/person with 7 stops. The tour would take us through Yaowarat, Chinatown, home to many of Bangkok’s famous street foods. Although there was a set itinerary, ours changed right off the bat to accommodate a restaurant closure. I don’t have the names of all spots we hit, but each was unique and tasty. Since Bangkok was the last stop of our South East Asia adventure, we had become familiar with certain ingredients (like pandan and durian) and weren’t as wowed as some of our tour mates. Also, perhaps because we were in Chinatown, many of the flavours were already familiar.

Here are the stops we made that night:
Canton House – Thai style dim sum featuring pandan noodle dumplings and pandan leave siu mai.
Kan Kee Nam Toua Thong – Famous tea stand serving sweet chrysanthemum tea and an incredibly bitter herbal drink. The herbal tea is popular in the summer as it’s “cool” and help balance out the “hot” in a person. I had one sip, but could not handle any more. The Hubby has had experience with Eastern herbal medicine and had a few more sips than me. I much prefered the floral chrysanthemum tea.
Noodle Stall – Stir fried noodles with chicken and Yu Choy. A simple dish but amazing, especially the gravy. Standing on a stool over a hot wok, the owner fries up noodles to order. This is the only dish the shop sold and it was the only one needed.
Dragon’s Beard Stall – Along the way to our next stop, we walked by a sand making fresh Dragon’s beard candy. A few of our tour mates were fascinated by the long strands of candy and our guide picked up a pack for everyone to taste.
L&R Seafood – This was a famous seafood food shop that has spawned many competitors in the neighbourhood (like R&L Seafood). We tried a curry shrimp, stir fried water spinach and scallops. The seafood tasted sweet, fresh and was seasoned with strong flavours. I would’ve loved to try more dishes.
Black Pepper Soup Stall – Rolled rice noodles in a peppery pork broth and topped with roast pork. I really enjoyed the strong, spicy broth and the chewy texture of the noodles.
Tong Yong – The last two stops were both sweet ones, starting first with a bowl of tong yuan, glutinous rice balls. Filled with black sesame or peanut and served in a sweet ginger broth, tong yuan is one of my favourite Asian desserts.
Tipparot Ice Cream – (Not Pictured) The evening ended with scoops of rich, creamy, durian ice cream

Continuing our Asian street food adventures, on our first night in Luang Prabang The Hubby and I headed straight to the night market for dinner. We would visit again pretty much every night either to shop at the handicraft market, grab a fresh juice or beer and sometimes more food. The food section of the market was located on a side street past aisles of tents with souvenirs ranging from tea, to chopsticks to “Beerlao” t-shirts. Vendors grilled up fish and meats in the tight alleyway. On our first night, we walked the whole alley to get a sense of the offerings. We squeezed past food stalls jammed next to each other and communal tables filled with backpackers.

For many of the vendors, it was hard to tell when one ended and the next began. Charcoal grills were often shared and there were few seats to sit and eat. Most vendors sold iced beer, which was perfect with a grilled fish.

In general, I noticed 3 main types of vendors:
1. Grilled Meats – Ranging from fish to pork belly to sausages, the meat was often pre-cooked and finished up on the grill when ordered. I prefered the pork options (pork belly and sausage) to the fish. For the large fish, the meat was overcooked and for the smaller fish, there were a ton of bones.
2. Buffet Style – A selection of pre-cooked dishes were set up, including vegetables, fried rice, noodles and tofu. Priced by the plate ($5-$7/plate), diners piled their plates high with whatever they wanted for the low price. All of the contents was then warmed up in a hot wok. This was definitely the option with the best value and I liked the many vegetable dishes, but everything does get combined in the wok and our guide warned us that many vendors will sell the dishes over multiple nights until it sells out.
3. Hot Pot Noodles – Priced based on the number of ingredients chosen, we were given a basket to pick fresh vegetables, a choice of noodle and tofu/soy based products to be hot-potted in a broth. I really liked this type of stall, the ingredients were fresh and thoroughly cooked. Also, depending on the time of night, the broth used for boiling the vegetables grew in flavour and depth (just like hot pot!). This did mean that the bowls could get very spicy.

Apart from these types of vendors, there were also fresh fried dumplings, BBQ pork and sandwich stalls. To satisfy my sweet tooth, I also visited the crepe stalls and fresh fruit juice stands nightly. Compared to other night markets we visited during our Asian trip, the one in Luang Prabang was smaller and cozier, but with their own distinct foods.

One morning, our guide also took us through the morning market in town where farmers brought fresh fish and butchered livestock from that morning to sell. All the parts of an animal were displayed from cuts of meat to every innard, which was sold by weight. My favourite discovery at the morning market was kanom krok, coconut pudding, made fresh street side. A thin batter was poured into heated round molds, once the pudding began to firm up, two halves were flipped together to create a pudding sandwich. The texture was gooey but solid (aka like pudding), and the flavour was a creamy coconut. Despite how hot the snack was, right from the pan, and the glaring sun, I wolved these down quickly. Later in Bangkok, we were served kanom krok as part of dessert at Nahm, while more elegantly presented, I much prefered the ones I had from the street vendor.

After our traditional meal at Tamarind, I was curious to see the French influence on Lao cuisine in action. L’Elephant was one of the best reviewed restaurants in Luang Prabang and offered separate French and Lao dinner menus. Again, our hotel concierge helped us make a reservation in the afternoon for the same night. The restaurant was also only a few blocks away.

Atmosphere: When we arrived at the restaurant, the sun was still up and we chose a table outside under an awning to enjoy the last rays of light. At this point, we had gotten used to the absence of real A/C outside of our villa. The restaurant was elegant and tropical with high ceilings and comfortable wicker armchairs. Perhaps because we were visiting during low season, the restaurant was only half full. Guests were seated spaced out and we enjoyed a peaceful dinner at a leisurely pace. This was pretty much a perfect mood for vacation.

Service: Ordering in English was simple and straight-forward. We were welcomed with amuse-bouches and our server took wonderful care of us. Empty plates were promptly cleared and dishes arrived just as we were ready for them.

Food: To start, we tried from the Lao Menu, lemongrass meatballs. They had a crispy outer shell and were juicy inside. I liked how the lemongrass flavour was fragrant without overwhelming. Our other starter was a steamed fresh water fish. While tasty, this was the least memorable dish of the night.

For our Entrees, we ordered fried frog legs from the French Menu and a buffalo steak with fries from the Lao menu. Frog legs are one of my favourite white meats, and these were perfect, juicy and plump. Fried with plenty of aromatics, the meat was well seasoned and had lots of flavour. With one delicious buffalo experience under our belt, The Hubby and I was confident in our steak order. Served with a pat of compound butter, the marinated steak was tender and seasoned simply with salt and pepper. I may have found a new favourite type of game meat.

If you’re in Luang Prabang, I would recommend dinner at L’Elephant or one of their sister restaurants for a nice sit down meal.

When my younger brother was little, at Chinese restaurants he would only ever eat dishes there were sweet and sour. There are plenty of dishes that satisfy this requirement and the combination is so popular because the flavours work so well together. This simple recipe creates a sauce that balances sweetness and sourness and features traditional Chinese aromatics like green onion and ginger. The recipe can also be adapted to other proteins such as pork belly or chicken.

Step by Step Photos

Assemble ingredients

Rinse ribs and pat dry

Chop ginger and green onion

Brown ribs

Once browned, set aside ribs

Cook green onion and ginger

Melt sugar in hot oil

Add ribs back to wok and coat in melted sugar

Add remaining ingredients

Bring to a boil and simmer on low and reduce until sauce thickens

Of all the events this blog has brought me to, the invitation to spend an afternoon with Susur Lee has been, by far, the coolest experience. We spent an afternoon with Chef Lee at his restaurant Bent, learning how to make french meringue, piping our own desserts and sampling his new Veggielicious tasting menu. From watching Chef Lee on various TV shows, my impression of him was intimidating. In person however, he was beyond friendly, excited to interact with bloggers and full of energy. When we got to the “taking pictures with Susur Lee” part of the afternoon, he took us around the restaurant, finding props, joking and striking some impressive professional poses.

Disclaimer: All drinks and dishes were provided free of charge by the restaurant. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

The workshop began with a visit to a home garden behind Bent. Chef Lee collaborated with his neighbour, an older Asian gentleman, who grows fresh vegetables and herbs used daily in the dishes at Bent. We snacked on goat cheese tacos made with taro chips and topped with cilantro and a slice of red chilli. An industrial stand mixer was set up and Chef Lee quickly whipped up a batch of fluffy meringue, ready to be piped into hollow bowls. He showed off his technique while talking of his previous days as a pastry chef. Then all the bloggers went to work. My bowl didn’t collapse, I counted that as a win.

Once the meringues were sent to the ovens, we had the privilege of Chef Lee serving up his famous Singapore Slaw along with his son Kai and restaurant manager. With 19 ingredients including fresh flower petals, the slaw was beautiful both visually and in its mix of flavours and textures. The dish will be coming to Bent’s menu soon, a stellar addition.

In between courses, Manuel, the bartender at Bent mixed up 2 delicious cocktails for us. First was the Karate Kid 2, a sour featuring jasmine tea infused gin, nigori sake and yuzu juice. With my love for yuzu flavoured sake, this cocktail was exactly to my taste. Manuel poured the frothy drink out and I happily drank my glass (or two). Second up was the Asian Cesar. At Bent, a good 8 Asian sauces (including chili oil, siracha, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, worcestershire and ginger juice) are added to the Clamato, which then sits with a bunch of fresh cilantro submerged overnight before being served. The drink was spicy and you could clearly taste the siracha.

Listening to Chef Lee talk about the Veggielicious menu, it was clear to see that he wanted to highlight vegetables and show off how delicious and creative vegetarian dishes can be. As a self proclaimed carnivore with a vegetarian best friend, I love finding vegetarian menus that don’t leave me wanting and this one was good. Veggielicious is a 5 course tasting menu that will run from September 9th to 20th at Bent, priced at $45 per person before tax and gratuity. Each dish does have a vegan option as well.

The first course consisted of three dips, a hummus, a spicy tomato stew and the best baba ganoush I’ve ever had. Served alongside the dips were crispy squares of baked garlic lavash, a thin flat bread. Each dip had a distinct flavour and the lavash was a great vessel for them. Second was the Tingly Chilled Soba with a presentation similar to the Singapore Slaw. Quick blanched vegetables were piled high, hiding a treasure of cold soba noodles. A tangy vinaigrette soaked the entire dish and was mixed in before serving. This was my favourite dish of the menu.

Our third course was tempura tofu and shishito peppers with a sweet chili sauce. The tofu used was firm, the tempura batter light and the peppers sweet and spicy. Our last course before dessert was a buttery, creamy wild mushroom quinoa risotto. I was surprised by how rich the quinoa was and the green beans added colour and crunchiness to each bite. The meal ended with a light, refreshing dessert of meringue, lemon curd and fresh fruit. This was the end goal of the meringues we had piped earlier and watching Chef Lee plate the dish was mesmerizing. Every course was full of Asian flavour, fresh ingredients and there was a lot of food. Veggielicious at Bent will satisfy eaters of all preferences. The menu stars vegetables and features a diverse cast from cauliflower to shitake mushrooms. Those who already love their greens will enjoy the fusion spin and those who tolerate vegetables as a side dish will see them in a new light.

After several meals of fish tacos, I was ready for a change. Star Noodle was the perfect meal and I even contemplated a return visit during our trip to Maui, the food was that good.

Atmosphere: Located near the Kaanapali Resort area, Star Noodle was tucked away behind the main road in a fairly new neighborhood. Following our GPS, the Fiance was sure I was getting us lost until I spotted their sign. A good number of people were already waiting outside the restaurant for a table. We added our names to the queue and joined them. The interior of the restaurant was modern with large communal tables in the centre, bar stools along the bar and more private tables along the walls. We sat down around 8pm and there was still a small line when we left close to 10pm. Diners ranged from couples to families and across the spectrum of ages.

Service: It was a 45 minute wait before we were seated. When the family at the table next to us left, the servers moved quickly to clean up and reset the table. I appreciated seeing the efficiency and effort Star Noodle put in to turn over tables. It was also nice because we weren’t rushed at all during our meal. Our server was friendly, answered all of our menu questions and offered recommendations. Our appetizers arrived quickly, hot and each course was served after the previous one was cleared.

Food: After reading the menu, I wanted to order everything. We had to settle on two appetizers, two entrees and I forced room for dessert. Still it was too much food and my dress was uncomfortably tight after but I would do it again. For our appetizers, we ordered the Steamed Pork Buns and the Vietnamese Crepe. The buns were fine, soft baos and flavoured pork belly. Personally, I prefer my pork belly charred and more crispy, not the best baos ever but decent. I loved the Vietnamese crepe (Banh Xeo). Minced pork and shrimp, cooked with coconut milk, was wrapped in a crispy crepe and served with fresh bibb lettuce, basil and cilantro. Each bite was delicious and the portion was huge. The flavours were rich, savoury, creamy and all the different textures were brilliant together. Just writing about it makes me want to have it again (any recommendations in Toronto?).

Both The Fiance and I went with noodles for our mains. I chose the local saimin with spam and fish cakes while he ordered the Hapa Ramen. Both bowls did an excellent job with the broth. My dashi was well seasoned and The Fiance’s pork broth was rich and milky. The toppings were generous and I liked the simplicity of my bowl, strong flavours and fresh ingredients. I would have preferred my noodles a little more al dente. As is, they were a bit soft. Overall, I liked my saimin the best but it was a close call.

I didn’t have any room left for dessert but plates of Malasadas kept walking by and when our server offered to bring us a half serving (just two vs. the usual four), I couldn’t resist. The fried dough balls were piping hot, coated in sugar and served with crushed peanuts, butterscotch and chocolate sauce. A decadent dessert. The malasadas were airy and I had to stop myself from licking the butterscotch sauce off the plate.

Starting off the summer of Asian food festivals was Taste of Asia. The event ran over the weekend of June 28th and took over a portion of Kennedy Road, right next to Pacific Mall. Two stages are set up, book ending the street, and vendor booths line the space in between. Performances from all Asian cultures (from a Bollywood Show to Thai Boxing) took place throughout the entire weekend on the two stages.

I stopped by on the Saturday afternoon to get my fill of stinky tofu and lamb skewers. It was sweltering hot and with the event being on a street, there was little natural shade. The organizers had set up picnic tables with umbrellas near the stages, but they weren’t helpful while you waited in line. I was hoping to beat the crowd by going in the afternoon, but it was already packed at 1pm, lines were long and a lot of the food vendors hadn’t fully ramped up their stoves yet. This meant a good 30-40 minute wait for any of the popular food items under direct sun. I only made it through half of booths before the Fiance and I called it a day. Lesson learned; while crowded at least it’s cool at night.

We started off at booth 12, who specialized in lamb skewers and they were delicious, easily the highlight of the day. $5 for 3 skewers, grilled, fatty and sprinkled with spicy pepper flakes. While I waited for the skewers, the Fiance picked up a large Panda Milk Tea from the Presotea booth in an attempt to ward off the heat. The “panda” in the name refers to the black and white tapioca balls used, which taste the same. I stopped by DimSumcity’s booth to check out their adorable plushies and t-shirts. Seriously, they have the most adorable stinky tofu t-shirt.

My next stop was a whole grilled squid skewer for $10. The portion size was large and I really enjoyed the flavours. Some parts of our skewer was a touch undercooked. At the same time, the Fiance queued up for the Barcode booth that, unfortunately, took over an hour and produced under cooked lamb skewers. He couldn’t leave the line because orders were prepaid for. The booth only had one charcoal grill going, which produced a dozen skewers at a time. The most frustrating part was the person in front of him who had ordered two dozen skewers, received the first dozen and then proceeded to eat the skewers in line while waiting for his second dozen. Totally valid, but still frustrating.

Next up was a skewer of crispy taro chips. I loved the idea and the execution was really tasty. While I waited in line for stinky tofu, The Fiance found a booth offering cold dan dan noodles that were authentic and delicious. We were looking for new foods to try in addition to favourites and these noodles hit the spot. There was also a booth with a Beijing Yogurt Drink that looked very interesting but I didn’t have the energy to wait in line. Hopefully they’ll be at Night it Up or Waterfront Night Market.

My last stop of the day was Taiwanese style stinky tofu from Mama Bear Taiwanese Cuisine’s booth. For $7, you got a large tray of stinky tofu with a side of pickled cabbages. Self serve hoisin and hot sauce in squeeze bottles were set up for people to use. The tofu pieces were well fried, crispy, very stinky and tasted great.

Overall Taste of Asia offered the typical night market foods with some variety in vendors. The location close to Pacific Mall means it will always be busy and there’s no real downtime. The many performances were the major draw more so than the food.