Disclaimer: I rarely sponsor promotions on my foodie website but this one is for cancer research.
Date: Saturday, October 22, 2016
Location: Markham Museum, 9350 Hwy 48 (Markham Rd), Markham
Time: 6:00pm
OktoberFEAST (oktoberfeast.ca)
is an indulgent evening showcasing the hottest food trends and coolest
libations. With entertainment and a vibrant atmosphere, OktoberFEAST is
sure to satisfy every craving.
Transforming an ordinary night into something
extraordinary, local vendors like craft brewers, wineries, and the
hottest restaurants have joined forces to raise funds for the fight
against cancer. All proceeds from OktoberFEAST support
the Canadian Cancer Society’s (cancer.ca) ground-breaking research and support
services.
Back in the days when I was younger (and better looking), I used to fish a lot. These days, I don't have the time or much opportunity to do it. I wanted to do a small fishing event to get my children comfortable to the sport. I would like my children to appreciate where their food comes from (e.g. animals, fish, livestocks). I remembered long ago as a child that there used to be a trout farm up north in Toronto. To my surprised, this trout fishing farm, Burd's Family Fishing, still existed! With the long August weekend, I decided to bring the family to try "luxury" fishing. Off we go to Burd's Family Fishing!
Service: We were able to go in and out the grounds once we paid for admission in ($5 per person). We were told to keep any trout fish you hook and reel in. Cost for the fish was $10/lb. If you don't have fishing gear, you can rent it on the premises. Best of all, no fishing licenses were required.
For those who are "inexperienced" at the sport, there were many employees on-hand to help you with bait and to reel in your "catch". When leaving, they were able to clean the fish and package it on ice.
Atmosphere:
The place isn't too far north from Toronto. Took about 30 minutes from North York via driving. There were ample parking spaces. There was an apple tree providing shade in the parking lot (not a good idea with the apples dropping).
The layout of this fishing farm was very simple. There were two ponds on this acre land. The top level pond had clearer water and had trout fishes from 1-3 pounds. The lower pond level had 1-2 pound trouts and the water was more murky. There were picnic tables scatter across the sides of the ponds with some having trees to shade them. There were 3 additional picnic tables under a wooden roof shed beside the giant water wheel.
There were 4 toilet port a potty stalls on the grounds for washroom access.
Fishing Baits & Rod:
By default, they give you some worms as your baits. I had requested to try some different baits. They offered corn kernels, PowerBaits (fake baits) and fish pellets. The corn kernels worked best when it was thrown in with the fish pellet foods. The fish would get excited and try to eat everything (didn't work with worms). I stuck to the worms and eventually got a fish after a few hours ...
The rod rental was very cheap for $5. Don't expect to much as it was a very simple kid grade casting rod. I had to exchange the rods a few times since the release button was jammed.
Overall, it was a good family experience. Too bad my kids didn't fish much. Would come back next time when older.
My Fish:
Photos of Burd's Family Fishing:
Service: We were able to go in and out the grounds once we paid for admission in ($5 per person). We were told to keep any trout fish you hook and reel in. Cost for the fish was $10/lb. If you don't have fishing gear, you can rent it on the premises. Best of all, no fishing licenses were required.
For those who are "inexperienced" at the sport, there were many employees on-hand to help you with bait and to reel in your "catch". When leaving, they were able to clean the fish and package it on ice.
Atmosphere:
The place isn't too far north from Toronto. Took about 30 minutes from North York via driving. There were ample parking spaces. There was an apple tree providing shade in the parking lot (not a good idea with the apples dropping).
The layout of this fishing farm was very simple. There were two ponds on this acre land. The top level pond had clearer water and had trout fishes from 1-3 pounds. The lower pond level had 1-2 pound trouts and the water was more murky. There were picnic tables scatter across the sides of the ponds with some having trees to shade them. There were 3 additional picnic tables under a wooden roof shed beside the giant water wheel.
There were 4 toilet port a potty stalls on the grounds for washroom access.
Fishing Baits & Rod:
By default, they give you some worms as your baits. I had requested to try some different baits. They offered corn kernels, PowerBaits (fake baits) and fish pellets. The corn kernels worked best when it was thrown in with the fish pellet foods. The fish would get excited and try to eat everything (didn't work with worms). I stuck to the worms and eventually got a fish after a few hours ...
The rod rental was very cheap for $5. Don't expect to much as it was a very simple kid grade casting rod. I had to exchange the rods a few times since the release button was jammed.
Overall, it was a good family experience. Too bad my kids didn't fish much. Would come back next time when older.
My Fish:
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| my 1.2 lb trout catch |
Photos of Burd's Family Fishing:
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| upper pond - you can see the fishes in the water! |
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| upper pond |
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| lower pond |
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| Picture of the lower pond |
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| Storage container for the fishes you catch |
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| Fish pellets |
| Name: | Burd's Trout Family Fishing | ||||||||||||||
| Price Range: | $ | ||||||||||||||
| Cuisine: | Real Trout Fishing | ||||||||||||||
| Address: | 13077 Ontario 48, Whitchurch-Stouffville, ON L4A 7X3 | ||||||||||||||
| Phone: | (905)640-2928 | ||||||||||||||
| Menu URL: | |||||||||||||||
| Website: | http://www.burdsfamilyfishing.com/ | ||||||||||||||
| Hours: |
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| Map: |
Richmond Greens For Great Food! Cold Beer! Eating Challenges! Live Music! And Children’s Village!
http://torontofoodtruckfestival.com/
September 3 and 4th between 12PM to 9PM
Update: 9/6/2016
The food truck event in Richmond Hill was kind of a let down. The first one held in downtown toronto had about 30-40 trucks. This event had more like 10-15 trucks.
What happen? There were 2 other food truck events in Toronto! Soundbites at Mississauga had 20 food trucks and Canadian Wonderland had 15 food trucks.
Tips for Next Time? Don't assume everything is created equally for truck locations!
http://torontofoodtruckfestival.com/
September 3 and 4th between 12PM to 9PM
Update: 9/6/2016
The food truck event in Richmond Hill was kind of a let down. The first one held in downtown toronto had about 30-40 trucks. This event had more like 10-15 trucks.
What happen? There were 2 other food truck events in Toronto! Soundbites at Mississauga had 20 food trucks and Canadian Wonderland had 15 food trucks.
Tips for Next Time? Don't assume everything is created equally for truck locations!
I discovered this new place near work via Instagram yesterday. The overall reviews were mostly positive and was curious about another ramen house appearing up north (instead of downtown). Asked a few work colleagues if they were available for another foodie awesome food adventure trip for lunch and they gladly joined in. Off we went to visit Kyouka Ramen.
From the background research, this ramen house had origins back in the 90s in Tokyo. One of the former apprentice came to Canada and started the first "Kyouka Ramen" location in The Beaches area. This Kyouka Ramen location would be the new second location. The previous Big Jack's burger place didn't do too well in this location.
Reviewer: Eating With Gordon
Visit Date: 9/2/2016
Food Rating: 3.5/5
Service Rating: 3/5
Atmosphere:
The outside has the old look of the Big Jack's burger restaurant with outdoor seating tables. BE-CAREFUL watching your step when going into the restaurant as there is a noticeable gap. The decor was very clean and cool looking. The table tops remind me of my hardwood flooring but in gray colour. There were limited seating (~20) - so I wouldn't suggest large groups visit here. One side of the ways had some golden hexagon patterns that really made the place more brighter during the day.
Service:
The staff were friendly and took our orders quickly. They were kind enough to wait for me to finish logging into yelp to redeem a free 1 scope cream (normally $2.5). There was no free wifi.
Food:
On their menu, ramen was their specialty. My colleagues ordered the "Kyouka Ramen". Clarification - the original "Kyouka Ramen" was very fatty. If you don't like eating too much fat, you can request with less fat. You can actually order the Kyouka Ramen with extra fatty too.
Food Photos:
Non Food Photos:
From the background research, this ramen house had origins back in the 90s in Tokyo. One of the former apprentice came to Canada and started the first "Kyouka Ramen" location in The Beaches area. This Kyouka Ramen location would be the new second location. The previous Big Jack's burger place didn't do too well in this location.
Reviewer: Eating With Gordon
Visit Date: 9/2/2016
Food Rating: 3.5/5
Service Rating: 3/5
Atmosphere:
The outside has the old look of the Big Jack's burger restaurant with outdoor seating tables. BE-CAREFUL watching your step when going into the restaurant as there is a noticeable gap. The decor was very clean and cool looking. The table tops remind me of my hardwood flooring but in gray colour. There were limited seating (~20) - so I wouldn't suggest large groups visit here. One side of the ways had some golden hexagon patterns that really made the place more brighter during the day.
Service:
The staff were friendly and took our orders quickly. They were kind enough to wait for me to finish logging into yelp to redeem a free 1 scope cream (normally $2.5). There was no free wifi.
Food:
On their menu, ramen was their specialty. My colleagues ordered the "Kyouka Ramen". Clarification - the original "Kyouka Ramen" was very fatty. If you don't like eating too much fat, you can request with less fat. You can actually order the Kyouka Ramen with extra fatty too.
I ordered the Shio Ramen which has the following ingredients: the wasedible kelp stock, daily chicken broth + clam, salt, pork + chicken chashu, egg, seaweed, greens, naruto fish cake, special shio tare (liquid seasoning). The default cost is $11. For $4 dollars more, you can get double the toppings (which I did since I was hungry).
Overall, my ramen was good; however, we found the portions small (including the meat and noodles) ... I found the broth a little salty and would have prefer the Kyouka broth.
Would I come back again? Probably not. The meal was $15 for lunch and we were still starving ... We could probably find a cheaper place and get more filling food. If was to compare this to other ramen houses, I would probably still go back to Kiu (with cheaper price).
Food Photos:
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| Shio Ramen - interesting noodle texture |
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| black sesame ice cream ( 1 scope ) |
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| Green tea ice cream (1 scope) |
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| Kyouka Ramen is very fatty! |
Non Food Photos:
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| They got usb chargers in the wall for you IGers |
| Name: | Kyouka Ramen | ||||||||||||||
| Price Range: | $$ | ||||||||||||||
| Cuisine: | Ramen, Japanese | ||||||||||||||
| Address: | 8384 Woodbine Ave, Markham Ontario L3R2N8 | ||||||||||||||
| Phone: | (905) 604-4022 | ||||||||||||||
| Menu URL: | http://kyouka.ca/kyouka-menu/ | ||||||||||||||
| Website: | www.kyouka.ca | ||||||||||||||
| Hours: |
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| Map: |
Remember a few years ago at CNE, there were the cronuts? Well, this year is probably now the "Water Cake".
To a child, it looks like a giant bubble of water or "rain drop". It is actually a transparent piece of Japanese rice cake commonly known as Mizu Shingen Mochi. The most futuristic part about this dessert? If you don’t eat it within 30 minute, it supposedly disappears! The trend has become so popular that this dish has branched out of Japan into various parts of the world.
The cake is clear and jelly-like, and served with a sugar syrup. Made from a combination of mineral water and agar (similar to gelatin), the cake has almost no texture or flavour. Is it worth it? Well, if you like eating future food it is. Therefore yes, it’s worth it. I don't like too sugary foods and it was just subtle sweet.
Want to try? Missed your chance at Taiwanfest? I expect there to be more opportunities/vendors to sell this in the future to come (especially in Toronto)!
Recipe Here:
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| $7 dollars for the Japanese Water drop cake at Taiwanfest 2016 |
The cake is clear and jelly-like, and served with a sugar syrup. Made from a combination of mineral water and agar (similar to gelatin), the cake has almost no texture or flavour. Is it worth it? Well, if you like eating future food it is. Therefore yes, it’s worth it. I don't like too sugary foods and it was just subtle sweet.
Want to try? Missed your chance at Taiwanfest? I expect there to be more opportunities/vendors to sell this in the future to come (especially in Toronto)!
Recipe Here:
I had an opportunity with my family to come downtown to enjoy the TAIWANfest 2016 event that was happening last August weekend (Aug 28 to be specific) at the Harbourfront Centre. Having been to Taiwan before and trying out many night markets (including a couple in Toronto), I was going in with low expectations for food ...
Food Comments with Photos:
There is a 2nd floor square building shape that contains the world cafe/restaurants. There were primary 5 vendors located at this platform.
Wei's Taiwanese Food was one of the very popular vendors. One stall sold bento style boxes and the other one sold snack size treats. Wei's has a location out in Scarborough and normally is opened at lunch to serve lunch meals. During the other times, they normally focus on packaging their frozen foods to supermarkets across Toronto. There was a huge waiting game for the food here. A chinese grandmother told us that she always ordered in bulk before the official opening of the stall (before 12pm). For this stall, they sold the following:
We ordered 2, 3, 6, 7 and 10. Everything we got was delicious. The oyster omelet was a let down in flavour. If I had to pick again, I would have ordered #6 and #2. The Pork Intestine & Meat Thick Noodle dish was so good (would have been great on a cold day). It wasn't as sour in comparison to the ones I had at Papa Chang. The crispy intestines was the perfect snack dish. I would have kept eating this all day long.
As the day went, the weather came much hotter and needed some chilling food. Found the FuQQ stall and ordered this Bumblebee dessert ($7). It looked nothing like what was advertised. Despite the deceiving presentation looks, the dessert tasted good with the chewy taro and yam tapioca pieces with the shaved ice.
Overall, I enjoyed the day even thou the kids were killing us along the way. The food can be expensive at these events. So do prepare to spend.
Non Food Photos:
Food Comments with Photos:
There is a 2nd floor square building shape that contains the world cafe/restaurants. There were primary 5 vendors located at this platform.
- Wei's Taiwanese Food Inc (located in Scarborough) - they had 2 stalls and were the most popular with the crowds
- Yu Garden stall (located in Richmond Hill) - not popular with their dim sum menu
- Taiwanese Hakka Food (location: unknown)
- FuQQ Toronto (location: none) - https://www.instagram.com/fuqqtoronto/
- Waffles and Desserts (location: unknown)- https://www.instagram.com/bubble.waffles/
Wei's Taiwanese Food was one of the very popular vendors. One stall sold bento style boxes and the other one sold snack size treats. Wei's has a location out in Scarborough and normally is opened at lunch to serve lunch meals. During the other times, they normally focus on packaging their frozen foods to supermarkets across Toronto. There was a huge waiting game for the food here. A chinese grandmother told us that she always ordered in bulk before the official opening of the stall (before 12pm). For this stall, they sold the following:
We ordered 2, 3, 6, 7 and 10. Everything we got was delicious. The oyster omelet was a let down in flavour. If I had to pick again, I would have ordered #6 and #2. The Pork Intestine & Meat Thick Noodle dish was so good (would have been great on a cold day). It wasn't as sour in comparison to the ones I had at Papa Chang. The crispy intestines was the perfect snack dish. I would have kept eating this all day long.
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| Crispy intestines - so good! |
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| Called the taiwanese hamburger - it was okay - not a lot of meat and they used parley (which was a nice contrast) |
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| bought this bento box for kid - she didn't eat... |
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| the blood pudding was very sweet and tasted more like peanut dessert |
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| Add caption |
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| Before the Order |
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| After the Order |
Non Food Photos:
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| Was too full and didn't get to order anything from this place |
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| Found a free give away for Sunny Hill Taiwanese pineapple cake - $30 for 10 in a small package |
