Coca-Cola World [Las Vegas]

Being the tourist that we are, we just have to go to the typical M&M Shops and Coca-Cola World, hopefully to get some gifts for friends and family back home.

But we were surprise to find a snack bar on the second floor and for $7 you get 4 ounces of 16 sodas from around the world. I am definitely not a soda drinker but thought this was rather fun and probably one of the cheapest activity you can find on the strip (^_<)

Taste of the World 

Tray One:
Inca Kola from Peru; Fanta Pineapple from Greece; Stoney Tangawizi from Tanzania; Sprite Ice from Korea; Thums Up from India; Fanta Melon Frosty from Thailand; Smart Watermelon from China & Crush Lemon from Bahrain

Tray Two:
Lift Manzana from Mexico; Fanta Kolita from Costa Rica; Bibo Kiwi Mango from South Africa; Sunfill Mint from Djibouti; Smart Apple from China; Beverly from Italy & Mezzo Mix from Germany

This was more than enough for 4 people to share and it quite fun, it's like tasting different cuisine and you could definitely taste the influence of each cuisine in these drinks.

Craftmas Beer Experience [CONTEST]

 

I'm giving away ONE PAIR of tickets to 

Craftmas Beer Experience
.

About:

Hoppy Holidays! Warm up this season with the inaugural Craftmas Beer Experience at District 28 , one of the newest, coolest venues in Toronto! For those of you who have craft beer on your Christmas wish list, Jolly Old Saint Nick will be stuffing your stocking with the golden beverage at this event! Each brewery will feature something festive whether it be a one-off cask, a holiday seasonal brew or a Yuletide beer cocktail
.

Location:

District28

28 Logan Ave, Toronto, ON, M4M 2M8
.

 Date & Time:

Thursday Dec 4, 2014 at 6pm-11pm

Ticket Details:  

$25 in advance (Include 5 Sample vouchers) & $35 at the door

Get your tickets here ASAP
.

Promo Code: 

Enter HOPPYHOLIDAYSFB to receive a complimentary Tallboy with advance tickets purchase online
.

Good Luck!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jean Philippe Patisserie at Bellagio [Las Vegas]

Drop by Bellagio and can't resit not to try Jean Philippe Patisserie. It is a European style pastry shop by World Pastry Champion Chef Jean Philippe Maury.

The famous chocolate fountain that everyone probably have seen a picture of before.

Everything look so good but too bad we are already so full, so we only got to choose one....

Essen [Jewish - Brunch]

Have been a big fan of Quinta (see post here), even had my Birthday dinner there last year; so I was pretty bump when i heard they are closing. But no worries, the owner Chef Leor Zimerman replaced it with Essen (@essen_toronto) which serves Jewish fare with a Middle Eastern twist.

Essen in German means "to eat" and Chef Zimerman intent on drawing inspiration from personal family history. Here they try to promote family style dinner and can't wait to try it out.

We decided to head over for Brunch since we never get the chance for Quinta, we had high hope since it's the same owner/chef. The space didn't change at all except for the sign up front, I personally love the spaciousness here (hate those chair bumping chair at most restaurant these days).

Jewish Banh Mi $12

~chopped chicken liver, fried beef salami, grainy mustard, pickled carrots, red onion

Love the fried salami but wish there was more of the chopped liver which I could barely taste it on top of the strong mustard and pickled taste. The homefries was crispy delicious.

Brisket Hash $14

~ peppers, potatoes, onions, fresh chillies, herbs, poached eggs

This was perfect for brunch where I still get the runny poached eggs, potato combo plus some meaty goodness.

KU NOODLE [Las Vegas]

Another restaurant at our hotel and by my now fave chef José Andrés once again. We were skeptical to try a Chinese Noodle place my a non-Asian chef... Since we became fan of the chef, we decided to give Ku Noodle a try.

The space is bright and very simple

 We sat by the kitchen where you get to see the noodles made right in front of you.

Rolling, pulling, chopping....

 Golden Pork Mein 金玉滿屋 $16.88

~ Belt Noodle, Red Braised Pork Belly, Pickled Watermelon Radish, Fried Garlic, Gold

 Melt in your mouth fatty goodness and love the yummy sauce which can be a bit salty which is offset by the pickled radish. Good but doesn't justified the price tag for this small bowl.

(we can't help but miss the noodle back home here)

The Neon Museum [Las Vegas]

The Neon Museum (@NeonMuseum) have been on my list of places to visit since I first saw picture of the place and that was the first thing that went on my recent Vegas trip to do list. Love taking pictures, Instagram-natic?! That's the perfect spot for the likes of me and I have been trying to choose some of my faves that we took that day but I still end up with that many =P

"Founded in 1996, the Neon Museum is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, studying and exhibiting iconic Las Vegas signs for educational, historic and cultural enrichment. The Neon Museum campus includes the outdoor exhibition space known as the Neon Boneyard, a visitors’ center housed inside the former La Concha Motel lobby and the Neon Boneyard North Gallery which houses additional rescued signs and is available for weddings, special events, photo shoots and educational programs."

They do not allow walk in and must book their guided tour which is $18 per person. Make sure to buy your tickets online in advance in order to get the date and time you want.

The guided tour was very fun and informative, this was definitely one of the highlight of the trip.

China Poblano [Las Vegas]

As per my Stella (@foodieyu), China Poblano have the best siu-mai ever. Chinese and Mexican but mind you, it's "not fusion but two cuisines living side by side as an amusing mix of elements from both traditions together in one space"

I was rather skeptical at first but after our dinner at é (post here) the first night, we were both willing to try anything by José Andrés. It's located in The Cosmopolitan right next to Jaloe and é, two of his other restaurants. Our schedule was pretty packed, so we were only able to drop by for a quick snack especially to try that "famous siu mai".

Chinese side with the huge dim sum steamer in the middle.

The Tempered Room [Bakery / Pâtisserie]

Have always been big fan of Bertrand Alépée aka The Tempered Chef (@TheTemperedChef) and until now, I've only been able to taste his creation during events or special pop-up dinners (like here and here). So I was super excited when he opened up The Tempered Room (@thetemperedroom) about 2 months ago and we finally found time to drop by this pass weekend.

Alépée and his pasty chef Tyler Lang did most of the wood work of the space and what a great job.

Love the expose un-finish brick walls and the simple wood display cases which was perfect backdrop for all the sweet creations. There a large communal table at the front and small side tables that can be pop on and off the wall's railing.

Beverages wise Sam James Coffee, tea and bottled Vams Kombucha are available. While most things are make in house, the breads are from The Drake, Blackbird Baking Co and Thuet.

Somehow I find other cities have a lot of Eclairs choice, it's rather lacking in Toronto and I was so glad that they emphasize them here,



I basically wanted to try everything but we just had lunch, so I guess we'll have to come back on an empty stomach (^_<)

Passion Chocolate  Eclair $3.50

Love the flavor of the pastry here and I am usually not a fan of éclair at most places because I find the icing/coating way too sweet but the one here was so perfect.
Need to try the other flavors next time!
.

PB & J Choux $2.50

Love the peanut butter crust here which give it an extra crunch to the pillowy jam filled choux pastry.
. 

 Pomme Caramal Salé $5.75
♥♥♥ Need I say more?! Pretty and Perfect!!! A salted caramel mousse cake with homemade crabapple jelly, sesame caramel ganache. Would never hove though sesame with this dessert but it totally elevated the whole cake to another level of amazingness.

Croissant $2.50

After eating the 3pcs above, I can't help but crave for the croissants... but it was sold out, noooooo! But we were kindly told that another batch is coming out in 20 minutes and let's just say, it was all worth the wait. Having worked in Paris with Michelin starred chefs like Guy Savoy and Alain Ducasse, Alépée's partry is the real thing.
. 

Verdict:

Love love everything we had, will definitely be back for more

We also bought a Jalapeno Cornbread home and it was still moist and delicious the next day

Would love to try their flan and bread next time

And rumors has it that there's plan of hosting future pop up dinner of The Group of Seven Chefs in this space.

The Stop's Farmers' Market at Wychwood Barns

Love farmers' market but I do not go often enough since I can only make it on the weekends, I tend not to wake up early enough. This is my first time to The Stop's Farmers' Market at Wychwood Barns (@TheStopCFC).

Unlike most Farmers' Market which usually close Fall and winter, this one runs year round every Saturday from 8am to 12pm since they move indoors during the colder months. The Market support local agriculture by encouraging farmers to grow as sustainably as possible and many of they are certified organic.

Love the space and love all the veggies that you see being grown around the place.

Nothing beats getting fresh fruits & veggies

I swear fresh organic veggies do taste better and sweeter, I know it's a bit more expensive than what you get at the supermarket but since it's so fresh, you do not have to throw out any part of it... and just for the taste and freshness, it's all worth it.

One of a Kind Christmas Show [CONTEST - Closed]

I'm giving away TEN PAIR of tickets to 

One of a Kind Christmas Show



Since 1975, the One of a Kind Show & Sale has been the flagship destination to shop handmade. This is a great opportunity to shop and meet makers, artisans and designers across Canada.

Earlier this year, we went to our first One of a Kind show and loved it (see post here).

Location:

Direct Energy Centre Exhibition Place

100 Princes' Blvd, Toronto

 Date & Time:

Nov 27 to Dec 07

Mon-Sat 10am-9pm & Sun 10am-6pm

 

Ticket Details:  

$12 per ticket in advance or $14 at the door (more packages available)

Get your tickets here

Good Luck!!!

 

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/26c99bed4/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

Coffee in hand..... [OOTD]

Outfit Details:

Tee, Skirt and sunnies - HM; Jacket - F21; Bag - Coach; Boots - Minnetonka

 What a huge difference between beginning October to November, these were taken just a month ago at Wychwood Barns and this light jacket was more than enough.... today I had to wear a parka, winter is definitely coming (>_<)

 I need a haircut, i am always too lazy to go to the hairdresser

The Boiling Crab [Las Vegas]

Currently The Boiling Crab (@BoilingCrabLV) has 15 location and Las Vegas have one of them. I have seen my friends facebook post about this place and have been wanting to try them out since then.

This was our first stop for our girls' day/night out and this just happened to be the bride-to-be must eat list. We head there for lunch to fuel up our outlet shopping afterwards. This was off the strip so we had to taxi over (around $12 from The Cosmo).

Oysters $9 for 6

I really have no idea whatsoever why it's served in plastic bags. 

You basically choose the seafood (usually per pound and mostly at Market Price), then the sauce (Rajun Cajun, Lemon Pepper, Garlic Sauce & The Whole Sha-Bang!) and then finally the level of spiciness (non-spicy, mild, med and XXX)

***We order 1 Lb each of below***

Shrimp $11.99 + Corn $0.75/pc

We ordered this in Mild Rajun Cajun sauce and it was my fave sauce, wish I ordered the rice to soaked up all the sauce. Wish the other girls like spicy since would have love to try the XXX but we ordered everything mild.