New Hot Spot @ Red Poke

Red Poke

Location: 600 9th Ave.

Price: USD$11-15 per person

Blogsters' Rating: 4/5

During our stay in New York City, we came across Red Poke on our way to Times Square. It was around lunch time, and there's a huge line up in store. Anyhow, we still gave it a try and it was one of the most memorable experience we had in NYC. 

We received a very warm welcome from one of the staff as soon as walked in. He knew that we were tourists, so walked through the whole process of ordering and what they have to offer. Their order system is very efficient, all you need are one of their laminated menu and red marker. After you put your name on the menu, you can start circling all the food that you want on the menu.

We ordered the Ray ♥ Grilled Salmon and Gangnam poke bowls. They were amazing. The ingredients were very fresh. The only down side to this restaurant is the limited amount of seats. As a result, most of the customers actually asked for take out instead. Other than that, we would definitely come back on our next visit to NYC. 

 Ray ♥ Grilled Salmon - grilled salmon, cucumber, hiziki salad, corn, sweet love sauce, scallion, pickled radishes, sesame seeds

Gangnam - Shrimp, chicken, corn, kimchi aioli, avocado, scallion, pickled radises, rice cracker, crushed almonds

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Who's Up For Some Dessert? | Sugar Marmalade

Sugar Marmalade

Location: 5322 Yonge St

Access: TTC Subway, Paid parking available

Price: Avg. <$10 per person
Blogsters' Rating: 4/5

Sugar Marmalade is one of the hidden gem in the Yonge & Finch area. They offer wide varieties of desserts and drinks with a reasonable prices. It's definite my go to dessert place.

Black Sesame Panna Cotta

You can say this is my all time favourite dessert. It contains many different textures; richness from the black sesame seed ice cream; crunchiness from the corn flakes; chewiness from the mochi; and smooth & creaminess from the panna cotta. All the ingredients work well with each other - the combination is just perfect. There's actually not much flavour from most of the ingredients. The main flavour that you can taste is the rich and nutty black sesame seed ice cream.

I can't wait to come back and try more of their desserts. The next item on my list is their Green Tea Parfait. Hopefullly, I'll be back soon =)

Peace out v

Janet

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Skip Foundation! || MAC SELECT COVER UP

MAC Select Cover UP

Price: $24CAD / 10ml

Blogsters' Rating: 5/5

Believe it or not, this actually my very first purchase from MAC and I'm quite impressed by it. I have been trying to find a good concealer for some time now, I kept doing search online and watching reviews on YouTube, yet still I wasn't able to make up my mind. So I went to my local MAC store without intentions of getting anything, but the moment I try out this concealer, I know I have to purchase one - MAC Select Cover Up.

Packaging

MAC Select Cover Up comes in a little tube. You can easily control the amount of product by light pressing the tube. This tube decide is also excellent for clean freaks like me as only the product at the very top is expose to air and the rest of the product remains in the tube untouched. This reduces the amount of growing bacteria by a lot. The only downside to the packaging is the small screw cap. I'm always afraid of losing it because it's so small. If they can somehow attach the cap to the tube, it would be perfect.

My Thoughts

This concealer comes in 13 different shades, and the one I got is in shade NW20. It's a perfect match for me, the product blends into my skin tone extremely well. It has a medium coverage, and it's very build-able. I only use a pea size of the product and it's more than enough to cover my dark areas, spots and even out my complexion. I can totally skip foundation with this concealer.  It claims to be a long wear concealer (up to 10 hours). However, I have oil / combination skin, I would say it starts to slide around after 3-4 hours. Putting powder on top of the concealer does prolong the wear of it.

The price of this product is a little bit on the higher side. However, you only require to use very little product to achieve a flawless complexion, so in the end the concealer will probably last you for at least six months. So I guess the price is not that bad.

That's it folks!!

xoxo Janet

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Girls' Night Out at JOEY Restaurant

Joey Don Mills

Location: 15 O'Neill Road, Toronto, ON, Canada

Access: TTC Bus, Free Parking Available

Price: $35-$50 per person

Blogsters' Rating: 2.5/5

Went to Joey Restaurant with my girls at Shops on Don Mills last Friday. The whole place was packed before 7pm (probably due to the Happy Hour promotion that they have from 3pm-6pm). Luckily, we got a table near the window. The restaurant was nice and cozy, and the table we got is probably at one of the best spots in the restaurant. You can see all the TVs playing different sports channels at the bar area, yet you can also see all the commotions happening outside the restaurant.

Yam Fries

| Grated grana paddano, truffle lemon aioli |

We started off our night with yam fries. I like it very much as it is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The truffle lemon aioli brings out the sweetness of the yam even more. I found myself keep munching on them, as they are very light, much lighter than potato fries.

Sashimi Tuna

| Seared rare, mango, peanut, avocado, crispy noodles, cilantro ginger dressing |

I was not impressed with this dish. Both the sashimi tuna and the green salad do not look fresh. The taste was average, nothing extra ordinary. You can definitely get something similar with fraction of the price at some other restaurant.

Hand-Pressed Burger

| All the groceries, certified angus Beef |

The burger was huge, it also came with a large amount of skinny potato fries on the side. I wasn't able to finish it. The patty was very juice. You can certainly taste that it is angus beef. Mushroom cheddar or cheddar bacon also be added on for extra cost.

Molten Chocolate Cake

| Fresh raspberries, Tahitian vanilla ice cream |

The lava cake is the best dish of the night. It was baked perfectly. As soon as you break the outside of the cake, the liquid chocolate comes oozing out. The raspberries sauce also balanced out the sweetness of the chocolate. It was amazing.

The only problem we have that night was the amount of times we have been interrupted by our waitress. She will come by every 15-20 minutes or so, to check upon us. I  know this is part of her job, however it was to the point where we felt like she's trying to take the food away from us and kick us out of the restaurant. I'm not sure if I'll come back to Joey, as their price is on the higher end and the food was not exceptionally good.

xoxo Janet

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Satisfying My Sweet Tooth @ Delysees!!

Delysees

Location: 780 King Street West

Access: TTC street car, street parking available

Price: $10-15 per person

Blogster's Rating: 3/5

I drove by Delysees everyday going to work. This day I just couldn't resist the temptation of their baked goods and went for a visit. the very first thing I noticed in the store was (of course) their beautiful display. Savoury baked good,s chocolates, macaroons, ecliars, and mini cakes; you name it, they have it.

It took me awhile to sink in and actually see what they have to offer. Finally, I got a box of macaroons and three mini cakes.

The strawberry cheesecake was the best out of the three cakes. it was light and fluffy. the cheese flavour was to the point, and it did not overpower he strawberries. i love the jello texture in the middle of the cake. It adds a touch to the overall texture of the cake. I have to say the strawberry on top was not fresh. You can see the left was yellow/brown, which ruined the presentation of the cake. i personally think that they could have used fresher fruits or they could at least take off the yellow/brown leaf on the strawberry. The base of the cheesecake was made out of ingredients similar to granola bar (oats/rice krispies perhaps?). i like their innovative idea of using something different than graham crackers for the base of a cheesecake 

The Lemon Meringue Tart was original, made with lemon filling with lightly torched cream on top. The taste was very similar to others I have had before. I also find the pie crust a little too thick and it dries out your mouth with every bite. Lemon zest could be added to the filling for more texture and freshness.

I was disappointed with the Lime Matcha Pistachio Slab. The lime flavour overpower both the matcha and pistachio. Even though, matcha has a strong and distinct flavour, I can only taste a little bit of it. The taste of pistachio was very minimal to none. I think the cake would be better if lime was taken out, as the two ingredients, matcha and pistachio, compliment each other very well. This cake was more sponge like out of the three.

I was excited to try their macaroons. I had them sitting on my table for 10 minutes and I noticed that they started to melt. Some of the food colouring actually melted off and stained my table. I'm pretty sure it was because the fridge at Delysees was at a much lower temperature, so their pastries cannot be left sitting in room temperature for long. The same thing actually happened to my colleague's mini cake. She got the cake that was topped with a macaroon. She said after 20 mins or so, the cake started to melt and the macaroon fell off with the coating of the cake.

Anyhow, I had the navy blue macaroon with shiny flakes on it. I guess it belongs to one of their champagne collections. The macaroon was very sweet. It was so sweet that I couldn't taste any other flavour. You can probably only have one or two macaroons at most in one sitting because of the sweetness.

The service at Delysees was okay. The girl who was serving us looked pissed off the whole time, but she did eveything else to serve us. For example, choosing her favourite macaroons for us because we didn't know which ones are good. 

The store was clean and considering they are a bakery, the store was very spacious. They even have several tables for customers to hangout and enjoy their coffee.

That's it guys!

Janet

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Try this Out!! || Swissbel Vitamin B12 Cream Plus

Swissbel Vitamin B12 Cream Plus

Price: $240 HKD / 100ml

Blogsters' Rating: 5/5

Swissbel Vitamin B12 Cream Plus is one of the products that I have heard about many years but never had a chance to try it.  There are many positive reviews, almost all beauty guru or bloggers who have tried it has nothing bad to say about it. In addition, I have watched it transform from its old formula to its new, more advanced formula and new packaging. So, during my recent trip to Hong Kong, I finally got my hands onto one.

I would say the price on this cream is on the expensive side. Luckily, I got mine during their promotion, $200 HKD / 100ml, their original price is $240.

Swissbel Vitamin B12 Cream Plus is made by a Switzerland Company, they claimed it's an advanced moisturizer that hydrates, tightens, reduces wrinkles and fine lines, uplifts and firms the face and neck to rebuild skin's youthful and healthy appearance. The cream is also filled with moisturizing micro-capsules that continuously irrigate the skin to help maintain optimum cutaneous barrier.

Six Reasons Why Vitamin B12 Cream Plus Is Popular

.100% non-comedognic

.formulated with soothing Swiss mountain water

.100% fragrance free

.paraben free

.oil free

.hypoallergenic tested

Vitamin B12 Cream Plus consists of a lot of ingredients that helps improving the condition of the skin. Here are a list of ingredients that are very beneficial to the skin.

.glycerin

.pantheon

.vitamin C, E, B5, B12, B3

.salicylic acid (BHA)

.hyaluronic acid

.butler glycerol

.natural Rosa centifolia flower water

I have combination/sensitive skin, this cream definitely helped minimizing my pores and sebum. My skin feels tighter and more firm. I could say this cream absorbs relatively easy into the skin and does not leave a greasy surface or touch. I would say this cream might not be moisturize enough during winter time, (well, at least for the dry Canadian winter weather) some might require to apply an extra cream or moisturizer on top of it. This cream is also perfect as a makeup base. I have noticed that my makeup will stay in place and last longer, whenever I used it before applying makeup. Although, it claims to be fragrance free, there is a very mild rose scent. Probably due to one of its main ingredient - the natural Rosa centifolia flower water. I would definite repurchase this product and add it into my daily skincare routine.

xo Janet

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Birthday Dinner @ Jamie's Italian!

Jamie's Italian

Location: Yorkdale Shopping Center (3401 Dufferin St.)

Access: TTC Subway, Bus, Free Parking available

Price: $25 per person

Blogsters` Rating: 4/5

Came here with my boyfriend on a late Friday night to celebrate my birthday. Surprisingly, this place is not packed and we got seated right away. I love the venue, it has a rustic English / Italian feel with a modern twist. The front area has extremely high ceilings with big windows. If you're lucky enough to be seated in the front area, you'll be able to watch the sunset.

Cured meats are hang along the bar area, which gives a raw feeling to the whole decor and setting.

The service was great. Our server was very friendly and always smiling. She actually recommended all the dishes that we ordered that night - two pastas, a pizza, and a drink.

Squid & Mussel Spaghetti

| flash-fried squid & mussels with white wine, parsley & lemon |

This was awesome! Pasta was cooked to perfection - Al Dente! A very aromatic dish yet no fishy smell from the seafood at all. However, if you don't like garlic, you might want to look into some other dishes. This was perfect for me; from the presentation to the aroma to the taste, everything was spot on! They were very generous with the portion as well, I wasn't able to finish the pasta.

Spicy Sausage Cassarecce

| pork & fennel ragù with chilli, rapini, herby breadcrumbs & parmigiano reggiano |

You can tell the chef did put a thought into the presentation of the cassarecce. It was presented with lots of different kind of colours and texture from the vegetables. However, it was a little bit too spicy for me. Also, the pasta was overcooked and the texture was too soft. This dish was not as exciting as the seafood pasta, but it still have it's own place.

The Carne

| crushed tomatoes, finocchiona, smoky pancetta & spicy salami with fior di latte & oregano |

The pizza was a disappointment. Both my boyfriend and I loved it on our first bite, but as soon as we realized that they were using nann bread (or something similar to that texture and taste) as the pizza dough, everything about that pizza just went downhill. The nann bread ruined the authenticity of the pizza. It also got harder as it got colder. It was actually good that the pizza base was thin, so that it was easier for us to bite into it after it got hardened. Yet I have to admit, the salami on the pizza was amazing, very flavourful.

Ginger Mohito

| mint, lime, sugar & ginger beer |

My very first sip of the Ginger Mohito was "WOW!" The ginger gives a very strong kick, and because of that your palette is asking for more and more. I love this drink. You can taste all the ingredients that the bartender has put it. The mint, lime, and ginger, they all compliment each other very well.

I enjoyed my visit at Jamie's Italian very much. I was skeptical about this restaurant at first because their reviews are not that great. I guess people have a higher expectation from this restaurant because it is operated by one of the world's most famous chef - Jamie Oliver. Anyhow, I couldn't mind coming back and enjoy another visit.

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Blogsters in Hong Kong | TeaWood Taiwanese Cafe & Restaurant

TeaWood Taiwanese Cafe & Restaurant

Location: 10/F, King Wah Centre, 628 Nathan Road, Mong Kok 

(plus 17 other locations in Hong Kong)

Access: MTR and along bus routes 

Price: 50-100 HKD  > 10-15 CAD

Blogsters' Rating: 4.5 / 5  

From 1 restaurant to now over 18 locations in Hong Kong, I finally got to try Teawood without having to wait in line for hours! Teawood is a Modern Taiwanese Style cafe and restaurant that's been extremely popular since it opened in Hong Kong several years ago.

Teawood's menu looks like a magazine reflecting the Taiwanese cafe culture that provide a selection of magazine for their customers. The menu contains beautiful pictures and helpful graphics that showcase favorite dishes that definitely helped me pick from an overwhelming selection of food.

Teawood Stewed Beef Noodle

A traditional Taiwanese dish, this is typically a beef brisket noodle soup with strong flavors. However, compared to most other I've had, this one is not overly salty and has very well balanced flavors. The texture of the noodles is just right and the beef was very tender.

Fried Pork, Marinated Minced Pork with Rice

This is another favorite Taiwanese dish. Usually served only as marinated minced pork with rice but this one is served with a pork cutlet. For those who are familiar with hot star fried chicken, this fried pork is done in a similar way- juicy, tender and the breading is very flavorful. Once you start eating, you won't be able to stop. It definitely left me craving for more. 

Handmade Pasta with Creamy Truffle and Mushroom

As a huge mushroom fan, this pasta dish is a must try. It has a very strong truffle aroma. The handmade pasta is al dente and seems to be the same noodle they used in the beef noodle soup. It came with a generous portion of bacon pieces. Overall a very creamy dish but slightly on the sweet side. 

Cooked Oyster with marinated minced meat with rice in soup

This is by far my favorite dish at Teawood. Yet another Taiwanese favorite, this rice in soup contains a generous serving of oyster, squid, minced pork and dried shrimp. The parsley and pickled vegetables made it very flavorful despite looking like it's a very simple dish. To make this taste even better, I added a lot of white pepper to give it a bit of a kick. This would be the perfect winter dish  but honestly I could eat this every meal. 

Strawberry Vanilla Honey Toast

As for dessert which is always my favorite part, we ordered the strawberry vanilla honey toast which is a favorite at Teawood. Consisting of Thick Toast, vanilla ice cream, fresh strawberries, marshmallow and strawberry sauce, this is quite a refreshing dessert for the hot summer day. The toast came out hot and fresh lathered with melting ice cream which became the perfect combination. We inhaled this in a second because it was so good!   

Teawood definitely made it to one of my top favorite restaurants in Hong Kong. Since they are always busy around dinner time, they don't take reservations so there is always a long lineup outside this restaurant. If you are going as a group, make sure your entire party is there or else they won't seat you. Unfortunately, there is also a 90 minutes seating time limit. However, these limitations don't apply during off hours and that is exactly what I did on my second visit. I have to say though the high quality food makes it all worth while so I highly recommend you all to go check them out if you get a chance to visit Hong Kong! Bon appetite! 

Stay tuned for more delicious eats around the world with Blogsters! We are very excited to share with you our foodie experiences in Toronto, Ottawa, New York City, Barcelona, Hong Kong, Seoul and Osaka! 

xoxo

 Joyce

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