Montreal's Atwater Market

Atwater Market was built in 1930s Art Deco style

Chef Andersen Lee took us to his favourite public market in Montreal called Atwater Market near Lachine Canal. It's not touristy, more locals who come here to buy perennials and wines, as well as meats, vegetables and cheeses.

Thick-cut slices of smoked meat at Alywin's

The market is named after Edwin Atwater, a 19th century businessman and city councillor, and the Art Deco building opened in 1933 during the Great Depression in a bid to stimulate the economy. 

Inside there are two floors housing butchers, cheesemongers, a shop selling coffee beans, a boulangerie and patisserie. We went into Aylwin Deli to try their smoked meat sandwich (C$16) on rye and pumpernickel bread, but the thickly sliced meat tasted flat, with no peppery taste.

Nevertheless, we marvelled at the stalls selling an abundance of asparagus, not only green but purple and white as well, fresh bulbs of garlic, giant stalks of rhubarb, and fresh herbs.

Large selection of vegetables and fruits for sale

We also tried some pastries -- a coffee-flavoured eclair, and one with chocolate ganache inside, and a small lemon tart with lime zest. They were all delicious, washed down with a refreshing raspberry lemonade.

There were lots of baskets of colourful perennials to hang or place in small balcony boxes at home, while oenophiles enjoyed wandering the aisles of a giant wine shop selling a wide variety of bottles.

Lee likes to come here, pick out a bottle, buy some cheeses, cold cuts and a baguette and have a picnic.

It's such a French way of organising a casual bite that also tastes amazing -- with a glass of wine. 

If you don't drive, it's also relatively easy to get to Atwater Market by metro too.

Colourful perennials ready to be taken home

Atwater Market

155 Green Avenue

Montreal

Family Style Dining at McKiernan in Montreal

There's a big dining space at McKiernan if you can get a table

A food staple for Montrealers is the rotisserie chicken. One time we got lost trying to find the nearest metro station, and a guy carrying his roast chicken dinner in a plastic bag not only gave us directions, he escorted us, as he was walking in the same direction.

One place well known for its rotisserie chicken is McKiernan, a bustling restaurant in an industrial space overlooking Lachine Canal.

The rotisserie chicken is a must here

Chef Andersen Lee suggested we go there for brunch, but with last-minute reservations, we could only get a table at 1.30pm. However, when we arrived early and wanted to add another person to our table to make it five, we were told we'd have to wait even longer.

As we waited around, we could see large groups of people, extended families ranging from babies in carriers hooked on the arms of their fathers, to seniors well into their 80s who climbed up the stairs to dine here. 

Hungry diners waiting for a table can play foosball to pass the time, otherwise they are forced to watch what others are dining and salivate even more.

When we were finally seated we quickly ordered several dishes from the brunch and lunch menus, and none disappointed. 

Thinly shaved prime rib with arugula

The half rotisserie chicken was roasted perfectly, juicy, tender and seasoned just right, topped with arugula that had a lemony dressing.

We also ordered a schnitzel Holstein that was garnished with anchovies for a briny flavour, and the tuna crudo that was seasoned in a tangy sauce.

McKiernan is also known for its prime rib dinners, but for lunch and brunch you can have thinly sliced prime rib with a light creamy sauce and lots of arugula on top. Again tender and delectable. One can only imagine the prime rib dinner being even better.

There's also simple dishes like pasta with garlic and broccoli -- now that's different and delicious, or how about roast Brussel sprouts tied together with a creamy ranch dressing and lots of toasted sliced almonds.

Lemon meringue pie, donuts and banana pie

How could we not have dessert? There was banana pie, not cream pie, where banana slices are mixed with custard, and a lovely lemon meringue pie, light and dreamy. McKiernan is also famed for its donuts. One online review advised asking the server to save us some in advance, but he said there was plenty to go around. We ordered two pillowy donuts, one filled with strawberry jam, the other cookies and cream.

I didn't know about McKiernan but now I do and fully understand why you need to make reservations way in advance. If it's good for people of all ages, it's good for you too.

McKiernan

5524 Saint-Patrick Street

Montreal

514 759 6677

Remembering David Hockney

Hockney's Looking at the Flowers (Framed), 25th June, 2022

The English artist David Hockney died today at the age of 88 in London.

I was lucky to see an exhibition of his work two years ago at the Palm Springs Art Museum and was in awe of how much work he produced and what he thought was worthy of capturing -- which was everything.

Us in our own version of Hockney's installation

He made his own colourful interpretations of Yosemite Park, a series of photographs of his mother that are pieced together, a long, winding sketch of a country estate, and his famous series of swimming pool works, capturing the moment of a man diving into the water.

I enjoyed one whimsical installation where he painted himself looking at paintings of flowers that he has made and framed on the wall, and then on the other side is a physical representation of the painting, with two chairs, inviting visitors to pose like him.

He made me realise there is art in the everyday, and it can be fun, colourful, and doesn't have to be profound.

Contemplating Art on Your Montreal Commute

Colourful stained glass while waiting for train

Taking the Montreal metro is very convenient, costs C$3.75 for Zone A fares (which was the only area we went around), and if you miss a train, the next one comes in a few minutes. 

What was very interesting for me was to see a lot of public art in the metro stations, either around the entrance, or by a stairwell, or above the train tracks. It was so unexpected to see art in a mode of public transportation that it took me by surprise.

The Tree of Life by Joseph Rifesser

The Societe de transport de Montreal (STM) provides around 1.4 million trips per day in its metro and bus network, and the metro is a kind of underground art gallery, featuring murals, sculptures, and stained glass panels in most of its 68 stations around the city.

When it comes to murals, mosaics are popular because they are highly durable and low maintenance, the colours don't fade and they are relatively easy to clean -- even graffiti can be removed.

I spotted a few pieces that caught my eye -- a colourful disc, more colour from panels of stained glass, and a sculpture hewed from wood.

The STM even has a website documenting the different art works, helping passengers learn more about the artists, and hopefully encourage them to interact with the pieces, or at least contemplate them during their commute.

Creative Contemporary Chinese Food in Montreal

Five spice duck platter with condiments

As soon as we arrived in Montreal and dropped off our suitcases, we headed to Oncle Lee Kao, a modern Chinese restaurant in the old part of the city.

Driving there was no problem, but finding parking was quite the challenge. Eventually we found a spot -- and free too!

We entered the restaurant at 8.30pm on a Saturday night and were shocked to see it hopping, all the tables were full, and it was noisy. Did we mention the vast majority of diners were not Chinese?

Savoury jian dui with shiitake and sesame sauce

My main purpose of coming here was to finally try chef Andersen Lee's cooking, after having interviewed him 2019 when he won the inaugural 50 Best BBVA Scholarship. The award entitled him to stage or intern at three top restaurants -- Core by Clare Smyth in London, Odette in Singapore, and Quintonil in Mexico City.

Following his internships he wasn't inspired to go abroad or fine dining -- instead the experience pulled him back to Montreal, where he opened Oncle Lee and now Oncle Lee Kao, with his creative takes on Chinese dishes. 

Most impressive was the five spice duck platter. Lee explained they didn't have the capacity or knowledge to make Peking duck, so why not make it pastrami style, as an homage to Montreal? And the result is fantastic. 

The duck breast is thinly sliced so they can be placed in thin steamed wrappers and condiments can be added before wrapping it up and popping it into your mouth.

Asparagus with mapo tofu sauce

We also enjoyed the steamed oysters with black bean sauce, shrimp toast, and a savoury jian dui with shiitake mushroom and sesame sauce. How novel.

Mini egg rolls are filled with duck rillettes, while chunks of tender octopus are placed on skewers with lap cheong or Chinese sausage and spring onions in between. Typically octopus is paired with chorizo, but lap cheong is an interesting substitute we couldn't identify at first.

Asparagus are in season and they came with mapo tofu sauce on top; the green stalks were so tender that at the end of our Montreal trip we bought some at a farmer's market to bring back to Vancouver.

Sashimi isn't exactly Chinese, but we had some, along with a giant platter of fried rice that Lee likes to cook at home with crunch thinly sliced cabbage and mayonnaise and chilli crisp.

Lee's homestyle fried rice with chilli crisp

For dessert, a bowl of tapioca with coconut, strawberry and rhubarb, and some mini yuzu tartlets with green tea, together with fresh fruit.

Lee recently came back from a trip to Shanghai, Ningbo and Hong Kong -- his first to China -- which really opened his exposure to not only Chinese cooking techniques but also flavours and ingredients. 

Can't wait to see what he will do next.

Oncle Lee Kao

112 Rue McGill

Montreal

514 303 1100

A Montreal Cathedral with Echoes of St. Peters

The nave has a Bernini-like altar like in St Peters

In Montreal we went to one of the city's most famous landmarks, Notre-Dame Basilica, but we were dismayed to see the left tower covered in scaffolding, the telltale sign of renovation work.

We were also surprised to see a C$16 admission fee. My relatives, who are Catholics, said we should skip visiting the cathedral, so we carried on our walk and not too long later we stumbled upon Marie-Reine-du-Monde Basilica, a massive cathedral, aptly situated on Cathedral Street, near the Bonaventure metro station.

Marie-Reine-du-Monde Basilica in Montreal

Curious, we approached the entrance, where a security guard told us there was a service in session and we could sit in, but to be quiet; after it was over we would be free to wander the cathedral.

So we sat down and soon realised the service on June 2 was a memorial for two martyrs, Saint Marcellinus and Saint Peter.

The service was delivered in French, but towards the end, my relatives could sort of follow along with the prayers, and even received Communion.

What was most striking about this cathedral was the altar with its twisting columns that reminded me of the one in St Peter's Basilica in Rome that was designed by Bernini. 

And it turns out Marie-Reine-du-Monde Basilica was inspired by St Peter's. The Montreal cathedral was built slowly, from 1870 to 1878, and then 1885 to 1894. When it was consecrated in 1894, it was the largest church in Quebec. Today it is the third-largest in the French-speaking province.

An impressive space full of wonder

After the service was over, we wandered around the cathedral, first lighting a candle for $2 and then walking to the nave, where the elaborate altar is. We also saw a crypt, where bishops and auxilary bishops were laid to rest. 

Outside on the top of the cathedral is a statue of Mary, Queen of the World, who is flanked by the patron saints of 13 parishes of Montreal.

We enjoyed our contemplative visit, and even more so because it was free!

Wandering Montreal's CBD

Ju Ming's Tai Chi Single Whip

Montreal is a relatively easy city to get around by the metro of subway. We don't know what it's like during the freezing depths of winter, but we already had a good idea from the intense wind tunnels in some of the metro stations. Just pushing the station door open can be a Herculean task as a gust of wind barrels past you.

Nevertheless, we had fun wandering around the city. On the way to the Notre Dame Basilica, we saw the entrance to Montreal's Chinatown, with a Chinese-style gate with "唐人街" on it. When we arrived at the famed church, one of the towers was under renovation and we weren't keen on paying C$16 admission to go inside.

The entrance to Montreal's Chinatown

Not far from there was the financial district, where we saw a number of banks: BMO or Bank of Montreal, TD, or Toronto Dominion Bank, and even Molsons Bank. 

It was started by Montreal brewer John Molson's two sons, William and John. Not only did William serve as the bank's president until his death, but also expanded the family business empire with a distillery, a lumberyard, a foundry, steamships and railways. 

William Molson was also a leading philanthropist who served as president of the Montreal General Hospital, and donated funds towards the establishment and construction of McGill University, where he later became a governor.

After we crossed the street, we came to Victoria Square, where I spied Taiwanese artist Ju Ming's sculpture!

His blocky tai chi figures graced the Bank of China in Hong Kong, and now there was one in Montreal!

Molsons Bank building

There was no information about it and I had to look it up online. The sculpture is called "Tai Chi Single Whip" that was cast in bronze and erected in 2006.

It became an endearing figure in 2015 when some Montreal Canadien fans made a giant Habs hockey jersey for the sculpture with the number 31 on it for the goalie Carey Price at the time.

Price had won his 43rd game that year, breaking the Montreal Canadiens' single season record previously jointly held by Ken Dryden and Jacques Plante.

Sadly the Habs weren't able to go on to the Stanley Cup finals this year, after they were eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final...

Hong Kong-style Wonton Noodles in Toronto

Giant freshly made wontons with noodles in soup

On our last day in Toronto we made our way to the airport via a stop in Markham for some wonton noodles at Wonton Hut Noodle Bar.

Chef and owner Eddie Yeung is very passionate about making wontons and dumplings from scratch, having learned the craft back in his hometown of Hong Kong. He puts a lot of effort into the food he makes and it shows.

Traditional dumplings in broth

We had the signature wonton noodles, and we were already impressed by the jumbo-sized wontons almost the size of golf balls that were choc full of fresh shrimp and some minced pork. 

Sui gao or traditional dumplings as they are called on his menu, were also very good, stuffed with shrimp, pork, yellow chives, wood ear mushrooms and shiitake. 

Also well made were the beef meatballs, made with Ontario beef and seasoned with black pepper. The texture of the meatballs were bouncy and tender, though they would have tasted better with a hint of mandarin peel.

The same could be said of the dace fishball, which could have benefited from the addition of mandarin peel, instead of just the fish that is minced and made in-house. We didn't get a chance to ask Yeung why the mandarin peel flavour wasn't added, was it because of cost or customers didn't like it?

Nevertheless, we also enjoyed the braised beef brisket and tendon coated in a thick sauce, though it was on the slightly saltier side. 

Braised beef brisket and tendon

We left sated and definitely full as we had a late afternoon flight to catch and wouldn't be eating until later that evening.

Wonton Hut Noodle Bar

3760 Highway 7

Markham, Ontario

905 604 9060

Toronto's Biggest Cheerleader

Chow talks to the media after her speech

On our second last day in Toronto, we walked from Union station to City Hall, and when we approached, we could see several small booths set up in Nathan Phillips Square.

It turns out Mayor Olivia Chow declared that day, May 29 as Newcomer Day, where those in the booths were many non-profits that offer social services like employment counselling, health and mental health programs, arts and education programs, and shelter and housing supports. 

Chow speaks at Nathan Phillips Square

Kicking off the event was Chow herself, who gave a speech about how she was an immigrant too, as the Hong Kong-born politician immigrated to Toronto with her family in 1970 when she was 13 years old. 

She encouraged the crowd to explore the various booths and take advantage of the non-profits' services to help them settle in Toronto.

Later we spotted Chow talking to the media backstage; one of her assistants indicated that she would be available to meet some fans, but after her media interviews, there was no time and she slipped in a back door into City Hall.

I've heard that Chow is a great cheerleader for Toronto and is very supportive of community events. She apparently goes to almost every one of them, even dressing up in an elaborate purple and pink feathered costume to participate in the Caribbean Carnival Grand Parade last August.

Chow seems quite popular, and has indicated she will run for a second term this October. Chow was elected in 2023 after former mayor John Tory resigned. 

Modern Chinese at Toronto's Mimi Chinese

Fantastic Dungeness crab with steamed cheung fun

Toronto has many Chinese restaurants, but how about one where the dishes have a slight twist, making them modern and are served by waiters wearing crisp white shirts and bowties?

That's the concept of Mimi Chinese, where regional dishes are re-interpreted and accessible, making them fun and delicious, and more importantly get the thumbs up from the pickiest of Chinese diners.

Outstanding Iberico char siu here

On the night we went, the clientele was more Chinese, with young people to middle-aged and they had obviously come for the very good dishes that aren't found in most top restaurants in Markham, where many of the Chinese diaspora live.

The hands-down winner of the evening was the Iberico pluma char siu, the pork so tender and flavourful, we all savoured each bite, and the taste was also marinating in the caramelised soybeans.

Another winner was the BC live Dungeness crab steamed with fresh cheung fun. It's definitely the Canadian version of The Chairman's flower crab dish ini Hong Kong. Instead of marinating the crustacean in Shaoxing wine and chicken fat, here the fresh crab's flavour was enhanced by the ginger and scallion sauce.

Beef tenderloin with black pepper sauce

The crab shell was already scraped clean by the kitchen, so all we had to do was focus on the clean flavours complemented by the delicateness of the cheung fun, soaking up the light soy sauce and sweet crab meat.

We also had some outstanding starters, like Chaoshan marinated scallops with a sauce made from ginger and scallion, similar to poached chicken, but with a citrusy soy sauce for brightness. Another was fluffy shrimp toast studded with sesame seeds, and gorgeous chicken wings deboned and stuffed with glutinous rice, mushrooms and bamboo shoots.

The four foot belt noodle was a showstopper. The waiter did his routine of using tongs to lift one end up so high -- it really was one noodle, about two inches wide. Then he placed it down, folding it back and forth and then used a pair of scissors to cut it in half. The noodles had a spicy kick, thanks to the chilli crisp.

Sizzling prawns in hot pot with a spicy kick

Another spicy dish were giant prawns sizzling in a hot claypot, while a Cantonese favourite of beef slices stir-fried with onions and thick rice noodles (gon chau ngau ho) was altered to use wheat noodles instead and strings of scrambled egg. So good and comforting.

The only minor fault was the typhoon shelter asparagus, as the seasonal vegetable was lost in this dish, and the seasoning didn't enhance the asparagus. Nevertheless we finished on a high note with an ode to sizzling platters, this one with beef tenderloin and cooked with a black pepper skillet. The beef was so tender, it was brilliantly executed.

To cleanse our palates, we were given a small scoop of sorbet made from almond jelly. It was a taste we all instantly recognised from our childhoods. Personally I didn't particularly like this flavour growing up, but it was nostalgic for sure.

For dessert we had a refreshing seasonal fruit sorbet featuring slices of snow pear with osmanthus jelly and oolong tea. Another using gai daan jai, or egg waffles with caramelised banana, hawthorn jam and sesame ice cream with maple syrup drizzled on top. A creative way to elevate a simple street snack.

Snow pear with osmanthus jelly and oolong tea

Overall the food and experience at Mimi Chinese was outstanding and we can't wait to see what comes next for this restaurant that has modernised Chinese food in a thoughtful way.

Mimi Chinese

265 Davenport Road

Toronto

416 505 0799

Michelin Star-Studded Dinner in Toronto

Boulud giving diners more white wine sauce

I had some outstanding meals in Toronto, which has changed my perception of the city that I lived in from 2001-2002. The diet was mostly hamburgers, steaks, and ham, oh and lots of potatoes. 

A lot has changed in over 25 years for sure, and the Michelin Guide and North America's 50 Best have helped the city develop a more sophisticated palate.

Duck pate en croute served like a cake slice

At the beginning of my trip, I was lucky to attend a four-hands collaboration featuring superstar celebrity chef Daniel Boulud with chef Guillaume Gailliot, who helms the three Michelin-starred Caprice in the Four Seasons Hong Kong.

They presented a stellar six-course dinner that was classic French at Cafe Boulud in the Four Seasons Toronto. Galliot cooked the first three dishes. Veloute de petits pois or green pea soup with a dollop of krystal caviar was a taste of spring, the peas so fresh and seasoned with brininess from the caviar.

The tarte de canard was a riff off of pate en croute. Instead of making the duck terrine in long rectangular molds, Galliot presented it like a giant round cake, studded with pistachio on the exterior. The "cake" was paraded around the dining room before it was sliced up and served with strawberries, and spiced caramel. It was delicious, though quite rich.

Lobster with white asparagus and morels

For the third dish, the chef from the Loire Valley presented one of his signatures, lobster tail with white asparagus, stuffed morel mushroom comte and white wine sauce. Boulud even came by to each diner to pour more of the beautiful white wine sauce on their plates.

Then it was the master chef's turn in the kitchen and Boulud's baked black cod was so light, coated with breadcrumbs for a slight crunch, and accompanied with purple potato and sorrel coulis.

The other main course was a tender lamb saddle with gravy, a dollop of vegetable custard and spring garlic jus. While the lamb was fantastic, the rest of the dish seemed a bit lost in terms of presentation.

Nevertheless, dessert was exquisite, a delicate raspberry rhubarb treat with olive oil whipped ganache on top of a semolina cake, accompanied with refreshing rhubarb ice cream and raspberry jam. 

Black cod with a tart sauce, and purple potato

It was great to see Galliot who I have known for about 15 years and watched him grow and evolve, his dishes more sophisticated and indulgent. 

I had the pleasure of meeting Boulud when he did a four-hands dinner with chef Richard Ekkebus in September 2013 at Amber. Back then Boulud already had ambitions of opening a restaurant in Hong Kong, but the location and timing weren't right.

But a few months ago he finally opened Terrace Boulud in the space formerly occupied by Sevva in Prince's Building. It's a very big space, but Boulud would probably be the only celebrity chef to be able to fill it. The kitchen is helmed by chef Aurelie Altemaire, who I interviewed several years ago when she worked in a French restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui, and she later moved to Felix in the Peninsula Hong Kong.

She is a Joel Robuchon apprentice, having worked under him for 10 years, so she has experience leading a brigade. I hope she succeeds.

Galliot meeting diners in Toronto

In the meantime she is helping Boulud fulfil his dream of opening in Hong Kong. He recalled working in Hong Kong in the early 1980s and watching the HSBC headquarters in Central being built, and now from his restaurant he can still gaze at it. A full circle moment? We'll see.

A Visit to the Royal Ontario Museum

The ROM has a crystal-like structure jutting out of it

The Royal Ontario Museum has something for everyone: there are informative exhibitions that invite visitors to touch and smell items, and staff on hand to give more interesting facts and answer questions, and a large room for children to freely play and do activities without disturbing others.

Currently the museum has an exhibition called Bees: A Story of Survival. It informs people about the plight of bees, how they form from egg to insect, and how crucial they are to human survival through their act of pollination.

There were so many interesting facts about bees sprinkled throughout the show:

A most intricate porcelain vase

Bees have been around for over 120 million years

More than 75 percent of the world's food crops depend on pollinators like bees

One hectare of a well-managed meadow can contain about 7.5 million flowers, enough to support over 200,000 bees.

Bees have 170 smell receptors, as scent is essential for bees to survive, reproduce, communicate, find food sources, and keep their nests safe.

Bees produce a resin-like material called propolis, which has anti-microbial properties that we use in medicine, including cough syrups and cosmetics.

There are more than 300 native bee species living in and around Toronto

Most bees are wild and don't live in hives. Other kinds of bees include: 

Mason bees that live in existing south-facing holes, like trees to window frames; 

Leafcutter bees that cut discs in leaves and glue them together with leaf pulp to build cells; 

Mining bees make nests in the ground and dig vertical tunnels into the the soil;

Indian stingless bees create nests in tree trunks, logs and wall cavities.

There were also some interesting exhibits where visitors touch the screen to illuminate some facts, a room where points of light represented a bee and showed what a swarm looked like, mostly to protect their queen. 

Most fascinating was a video from a bee's point of view of what the outside world looked to them, how they are near-sighted so they depend on the bright colours of flowers to guide them to find pollen.

Another interesting fact is that a wild honey bee queen can lay 1,500 to 2,000 eggs each day, and produces a scent called pheromone that encourages the colony to work together.

Over 100 birds in movement

The exhibition was created by the National Museums Liverpool together with artist and sculptor Wolfgang Buttress, making it an inviting, artistic, multi-sensory experience for visitors with interesting facts about bees that are not lecturing, but informative, and encourages people to appreciate these insects. 

We also wandered around other parts of the museum, looking at the rooms showcasing China and Korea, metal armour dating back to the Norman conquest of England in 1066, many dinosaur bones, and a replica of a Ming dynasty tomb with a tomb guard.

Another room showed Japanese textiles and the most intricate porcelain vase we'd ever seen. Up close there were tens of thousands of tiny delicate swirls that looked like flower petals. It's called Cocoon by contemporary artist Makkiko Hattori, and is actually part of the collection at the Gardiner Museum across the street from the ROM!

Kids are sure to have a fun time at the ROM with interactive exhibits, and several volunteers and staff explaining things and answering questions. After looking at the bee display, we went to see the live bees the museum keeps and a woman was there to show us the queen bee (marked with a blue dot), and that there was a drone bee in the hive too. The bees can go in and out of the hive through a plastic pipe that leads to the outside of the museum.

We also enjoyed the section on birds, where over 100 avian species are on display, mostly in flight, so visitors can see how they move and in particular, flying above people as they walk through the exhibit. 

There was also a room full of precious stones, many of which we did not know there were so many names for! Lots of giant sparkling rocks that were made over 4.5 billion years ago.

Mind boggling!

Royal Ontario Museum

100 Queen's Park

Toronto

Peameal Bacon is an Ontario Thing

Slices of fried peameal back bacon for breakfast today

Yesterday when we were wandering around St Lawrence Market, we were surprised to see in the butcher section something called "peameal bacon". 

I had never heard of it before, but it is basically wet-cured back bacon covered in cornmeal, and is usually done in Ontario.

Peameal bacon with fried eggs and potatoes

Historically in England back in the 1700s, boneless pork loin was trimmed and cured before it was rolled in dried and ground yellow peas to extend the meat's shelf life. Since the end of World War I, the pork loin has been rolled in cornmeal.

We were curious enough to try it this morning for breakfast. I had it with three small eggs over easy with potatoes and rye toast.

The slices of peameal bacon had the cornmeal on the edge and was fried to give it a slight crunch. The back bacon itself is salty, but tender, thanks to the wet brine.

Now we know!

Seeing Niagara Falls from All Angles

A boat taking tourists around the Canadian side of the Falls

The last time I visited Niagara Falls was over 25 years ago so it was very interesting to see how this famous tourist landmark has developed in the intervening years.

This time traveling with my relatives from Australia, they wanted to do the full Niagara experience so we did practically everything there is to do there.

Watching water fall over the edge

We joined a tour at 10am which started at Skylon Tower, an observation tower that is 160 metres tall. On the ground floor we took the usual touristy pictures against a green screen (look scared going over the Falls in a barrel!) and then went up the tower to see Niagara Falls from a bird's eye view.

It's quite the sight seeing the scale of the Falls from above, though the Canadian side which is horse-shoe-shaped is much more dramatic than the American side. The Canadian side is 57m high, the American is 21-30m high, while the Canadian side is obviously much wider at 790m, the American side is 320m wide.

Our tour guide later told us interesting tales about daredevils who have gone over the Falls -- some 5,000 -- but only a few have survived. 

The first person to go over was a woman, Annie Edson Taylor in 1901. She was widowed and poor, and thought that if she went over the Falls, she could become famous. Taylor first tested her wooden barrel by putting her cat in it and it went down and survived, so she figured she would too.

She did survive with just a scratch on her forehead! However, fortune did not follow Taylor's fame and she died poor.

The American side of the falls

Other people thought they would do it for attention, and chose the Canadian side because it was much more dramatic.

However in 1951, after the death of one daredevil, going down the Falls became illegal and now anyone caught doing it will be fined US$25,000 and your children will have to foot the bill if you don't survive.

We then walked towards the casino, where below it we took a funicular a very short distance to get behind the Canadian side of the Falls. We were issued yellow plastic ponchos so that we wouldn't get too wet and went down a tunnel, where we could peek at the Falls from the point where the water goes over the edge.

It's quite a dramatic sight to see, the clear, blue-coloured water, thanks to the glacial water mixed with limestone, dolomite and shale. The Falls are also causing erosion, as tens of thousands of years ago it was further up, but it has since moved over 10 kilometres south. Both governments have mitigated fast erosion by diverting the water at night and in the winter months so it doesn't erode the stone and rock too much.

Getting drenched up close to Niagara Falls

Then we took the poncho off and walked back towards Skylon Tower and past it, and we were issued red plastic ponchos before getting on the boat. Our guide advised us to stand on the bottom right side of the boat as it will turn counter-clockwise to head back and we can have a panoramic view.

However, as we got closer to the Canadian falls, we were starting to get wet very fast! My face and sunglasses were so wet, and my windbreaker was absolutely drenched. I had to periodically check to see if my phone was still working (it was). Meanwhile the roar of the Falls also demonstrated how strong the water falling was -- more than 168,000 m3 of water goes over the cliff every minute!

A fun fact is that around 4.9 million kilowatts of hydroelectricity is generated by Niagara Falls, which powers some 3.8 million households.

There's dramatic lighting at night

On the boat we saw the American side of the Falls, which is also called Bridal Veil Falls. Separating the American and Canadian sides is Goat Island, which at one time was owned by a farmer who kept goats there. Now it is a park.

It was quite the experience being on the boat ride! Luckily the weather was relatively warm so while we were drenched, our clothes and shoes dried off (except for slightly wet socks) quite quickly. 

Our tour was over, so we walked up Clifton Hill, an eclectic mix of dinosaur-themed pitch and putt, go-karts, shops selling ice cream with rainbow sprinkles, fast-food restaurants and the Niagara Skywheel where passengers sit in gondola cabins.

We split a sub sandwich as a snack before heading out for outlet shopping, dinner at Peller Estates before returning to Niagara Falls to watch the fireworks!

Fireworks on the American side

After 9pm multicoloured lights are shone on both the Canadian and American Falls, and then an hour later is a five-minute fireworks show near the American Falls. Lots of people are drawn to the nightly event and it was great to watch, even if it was only a few minutes long. We joked it was the best $5 we spent on entertainment (though it was actually for parking).

So we saw Niagara Falls during the day and night, from above and below, and right on the water. 

It may be a while before I go back there again!

Two Completely Different Breakfasts

The Cairo Classic breakfast features fava beans, egg and falafel

In the past few days I've had two different brunches in Greater Toronto Area (GTA) that reflect the region's diversity.

The other day I visited a family friend in Pickering, about a 40-minute GO Train ride east from Union Station. There we went to Perkins Restaurant and Bakery, which serves all-day breakfasts, sandwiches and for dessert a variety of pies.

The "Magnificent Seven" breakfast at Perkins

I tried the "Magnificent Seven", consisting of two eggs over easy, two sausages, and three pancakes (C$10.95), seven items of food! 

One of the eggs was sadly broken when it arrived at the table, the grilled sausages nothing special, though the large round pancakes were fluffy. I could manage to eat two and ate two bites of the third before I felt a food coma coming on.

The breakfast was straightforward and somewhat comforting, though predictable.

Then yesterday I had probably my most exotic brunch yet -- Egyptian -- at Maha's Cafe in Toronto. It was about a 20-minute walk from my friend's place. She told me on the weekends there is a queue that goes down the length of the block and so she assumed there wouldn't be a line on a Monday.

A side of hummus at Maha's Cafe

However, when we got there, there were five groups of people already waiting in the queue around 11.30am. Luckily the line went quickly, and after about a 15-minute wait we were seated inside an eclectic-looking cozy place with simple couches lined with cushions, a wall covered with various currencies from the Middle East, Hong Kong, China, and India, the Egyptian flag on the window, and plants around the dining room.

I ordered the Cairo Classic (C$22), which is a breakfast found on every street corner of the Egyptian capital, according to the menu description. The staple is fava beans that are cooked with different ingredients. The fava beans at Maha's Cafe are stewed with tomatoes and onions, and comes with a boiled egg that is sliced, a sesame covered falafel that was surprisingly soft, and some pillowy warm balady bread, a kind of brown pita, and a small dollop of creamy tomato feta with a squirt of olive oil.

Limonata made with limes

Even though the fava beans aren't something I usually eat, they felt comforting and flavourful, and I mopped every last bit with the balady bread. This breakfast also came with a small cup of pickled onions, cucumbers and tomatoes. 

At the spur of the moment we also ordered some hummus (C$8) that wasn't blended ultra smooth like some places -- here there was a chunky texture and lots of garlic and some small whole chickpeas too. It came with more pita bread.

My friend ordered a honey cardamon latte (C$6.95), while I had a glass of limonata (C$11), a thick concoction limes, water and mint. It could have been diluted a bit, but still very refreshing and not too tart.

How's that for two completely different brunches! 

Not sure Vancouver can top the exoticness of an Egyptian breakfast...

Perkins Restaurant and Bakery

1097 Kingston Road

Pickering, ON

905 492 1745

Maha's Cafe

226 Greenwood Avenue

Toronto, ON

416 462 2703