The New Teriyaki Experience

Hello Loves!

A little bit of a story time today.

When I used to work near Union Station in downtown Toronto, I would often go to Teriyaki Experience for lunch. It was easy, quick, and not to mention delicious. The teriyaki sauce is what really makes the dish I think. It was the perfect combination of sweet and salty. You can imagine how expensive it gets to eat out every day though. So when I stopped working near Union, I inevitably stopped eating at Teriyaki Experience as well.

Chicken Teriyaki

Classic Chicken Teriyaki
New Teriyaki Experience Classic Chicken Teriyaki

Recently, it came back onto my radar because I had been told that they were looking to rebrand and now offered sweets from Bake Code. Anyone who knows me or has taken a peek at my instagram would know that I am a huge fan of anything matcha. So, I obviously decided I would revisit memory lane and taste the new teriyaki experience.

Black Sesame Roll Cake

Black Sesame Roll Cake
Black Sesame Roll Cake

Currently, they offer the black sesame roll (see above), matcha puff, matcha roll, and japanese cheesecake. I got 3/4 because I like my desserts and two are only shown here because I devoured the matcha roll before I could shoot it (Whoops). #sorrynotsorry.

Matcha Cream Puff

Matcha Puff
New Teriyaki Experience Matcha Puff

Even Haru wants a piece!

Thank you to Teriyaki Experience for sponsoring this post.

Are you excited to try the New Teriyaki Experience? Let me know. xo, Rose

 

Butter Avenue Newly Launched Afternoon Tea

Hello Loves!

For those of you that don’t know yet, Butter Avenue has launched a new afternoon tea menu. I got to try it in May, the weekend before Mother’s day, but haven’t gotten around to posting until now (whoops). I’m sorry I’m so bad at blogging (haha).

Anyway, you can see that we started off with some tea, there is a selection of tea you can choose from. They have some that are specifically for afternoon tea or you can choose something from their regular menu. What are the options you ask? Well, I forgot to take a picture of the menu so I guess you’ll just have to go and ask yourself.

As for now, here are some lovely pictures of the tantalizing desserts that they offer for the afternoon tea set. I can guarantee you that even the biggest sweet toothed person you know will be completely satisfied with the offerings.

We start with a savory quiche type thing. I think there was ham or bacon or some type of meat in it. It was delicious. I highly recommend the almond tea option (it’s my favorite). There are apple slices, cinnamon, and chai in it as well if I recall correctly (don’t quote me).

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Next, we moved on to the dessert portion. A.K.A this tower of goodness. Really, are any words really needed?

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What are you waiting for? Catch you at Butter Avenue. xo, Rose

Nome Izakaya Toronto – New Patio Preview

Hello Loves!

I was invited to the grand opening of the new patio at Nome Izakaya and I was not disappointed. There were delicious cocktails and sake galore, freshly shucked oysters, amazing little apps, and sashimi! I didn’t get to picture everything though because everything went so fast but I tried my best for you guys.

All of the cocktails were nice and refreshing, all of them having their unique tastes. If you were to ask which ones were my favorite, I would probably say the blue samurai and sumo sour. I can’t tell you what’s in them exactly but they are delicious and you just need to go try them for yourselves. The blue samurai tastes like a vacation if you ask me, so if you need one but can’t afford one, might as well just drink your sorrows away with the blue samurai (haha jk, sorta).

Besides it being a bit chilly, because Toronto didn’t get the memo that it shouldn’t be hailing and what not in May, it was a great event and I will definitely be back for more.

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There’s going to be a lot of drinking this summer, I can already tell. Cheers to friends, food, and chill vibes!

 

Catch you on the #NomePatio
xo, Rose

Gift Guide For All The Foodies In Your Life

So Christmas is about a week away and you have no idea what to get your foodie friends? Don’t worry, I got you covered. Everyone is a foodie so technically this ‘gift guide for all the foodies’ is actually a gift guide for every person in your life. Not only is one or all of these gifts suitable for everyone you know, most are gifts under $15 so yay!

How fun are these food themed socks from Yo Sox? Pineapples, sushi, donuts and coffee?! Yes please. It’s winter so I’m sure whoever your gifting is going to appreciate some cute socks to keep their toes warm. I know socks kind of seems like a lame gift but hey, they’re so fun! They should be grateful that you’re so considerate to think about their little piggies. And if anything, you can just keep them for yourself!

If you’re really not sure about food themed socks, how about some actual food? I don’t think I’ve ever met a foodie that’s turned down cute festive cupcakes. The best part? Short and Sweet Bakeshop delivers! For all the girls in your life, how about some necklaces. Whether she’s a statement piece wearer, or prefers a more dainty style, there are tons of jewelry places around the city that cater to every type of girl. These, I confess are not under $15 but I’m sure you could find some decent ones for around that price range.
Okay okay, let’s actually move on to things that are really under $15 and all your foodie friends would love! I have been super obsessed with Kitten and the Bear as of late and their jams are to die for. Plus, their packaging is super duper cute so you could choose not to wrap them if you’re lazy.Macarons from Butter Avenue is another option for those wishing to give food this holiday season. They have pretty holiday packaging at the moment and their winter flavours are so good! They also have a Frosty cake that is so adorable and yummy, perfect for bringing to family/holiday parties. Next up, we have caramels and nougats from Roselle. The caramels come in a variety of infused flavours like raspberry, mango, salted, and my personal favourite, coconut macadamia. I seriously love these so much I ended up buying some just for myself when I meant to just buy them as a gift for friends.Another gift idea for all your foodie friends are cute props! (For all their instagramming needs obvi). Tea sets and vintage silver spoons are what I would love to receive this holiday season. Kitten and the Bear has a few vintage silver spoons like this one that I snagged. Let’s pretend my name starts with “K” (shh). You can find a lot of things at your local thrift shop if you look hard enough. I actually got my set for $5 a while back! Crazy right?

What are you waiting for? Getting shopping! And don’t forget to let me know what other great gift ideas you have for all your foodie friends.

xo, Rose

 

My Belmonte Raw Juice Cleanse Experience

Day 1

I went to pick up my juices from Belmonte Raw‘s Leslieville location before work. I completely underestimated how heavy 2 days worth of juice would be. I’m glad that Belmonte suggested I pick up my third cleanse on a separate day ensuring both freshness and my arms to suffer a little less.

I decided to do 2 days of “The Intro” and 1 day of “The Deep“. Here’s how it went.

I’m glad that “The Intro” came with a raw meal. It was a nice way to ease into a juice cleanse. All of the bottles come numbered so you know exactly which one to take next.

01: Clarity (Carrot, Lemon, Ginger) I surprisingly really liked this one. I thought I wouldn’t be a big fan of it because of the carrots and ginger but it was actually really nice and refreshing.

02: Vanilla Milk (Cashews, Filtered Water, Vanilla, Dates) I thought I would like this one the most because look at the ingredients! Cashews, Vanilla, Dates? Yes please! Sadly, I didn’t like this one as much as the Clarity but it was still good.

03: Chlorophyll Elixir (100% Chlorophyll) I was so nervous to take this one. It looks extremely potent and revolting in the bottle, almost like poison. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be but it wasn’t that great either. It honestly just tastes like mouthwash.

04: Revive (Lemon, Filtered Water, Cayenne, Agave) Probably one of my least favourite juices ever. I’m fine with lemon, water, and agave but the cayenne definitely kills it for me. I understand that it has a purpose, but to me, spices should be in food, not juices.

05: Spaghetti and Neatballs (Spinach, Arugula, Zucchini, Butternut Squash, Creamy Cashew Pesto, Sun-dried Tomato, Almonds, Dried Cranberries, Pea Shoots, Hemp seeds with Apple Cider Miso Vinaigrette) One word: Delicious! Honestly, so so so good. I would definitely eat it again.

06: Uplift (Spinach, Cucumber, Apple, Lemon, Parsley, Ginger) This one was also pretty light and refreshing. I was worried that the parsley and ginger would be overpowering but it wasn’t. You really taste the apple, lemon, and cucumber the most which is nice.

07: Aloe Elixir (100% Aloe) I’ve had aloe juice before but those are filled with sugar. This was 100% aloe and it was terrible. Sugar please!

I’ll admit, I did cheat on Day 1. I ended up going to Bar Ape’s Pop Up Event and ate gelato desserts. Hey, honesty is the best policy, right?

Day 2

I think day 2 was the hardest part of my Belmonte Raw juice cleanse. I woke up with body aches and a headache as well as a sore throat. I also felt extremely tired and laid in bed for most of the day. Apparently these are detox symptoms that show the cleanse is working. Let’s just say I’m glad I had the day to myself so I could lounge around and not have to worry about exerting energy (because I had none).

For day 2, I had the same juices and elixirs as day 1 above. The only difference was the raw meal which was changed to the “Sicilian Green Bean” salad (Spinach, Arugula, Green Beans, Tomato, Sun-dried Tomato, Olives, Red Pepper, Red Onion, Sprouted Beans, Lentils, Dill, Parsley, Olive Oil, Almonds, Hemp Seeds, Pea Shoots with Sunflower Pesto). I love the crunch the green beans add, the use of both fresh tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes as well as the olives in this dish.

Day 3

By day 3 my body was finally accepting the fact that I wasn’t eating much. I still woke up with a few body aches but overall I did feel more energized. I also wasn’t as hungry as I was the two previous days even though my 3rd day cleanse was all juice and no salad!

The Deep

01: Antiox Smoothie (Blueberries, Almond, Oat, Vanilla, Chia, Dates, Açai) This was so yummy! Probably my favourite juice of all the juices in the cleanse. It has a lot of chunks due to the ingredients so if you don’t like juices that have bits in them then you might not enjoy it as much. Also, be careful because blueberry skins do stick to your teeth, make sure to check your smile.

02: Refresh (Carrot, Apple, Beet, Lemon, Ginger) I love the colour of this juice. The beet and carrot separate and there is a nice gradient of red to orange. This one is too similar to the clarity juice because of the overpowering carrots but still good.

03: Chlorophyll (100% chlorophyll) Still tastes like mouthwash.

04: Vanilla Milk (Cashews, Filtered Water, Vanilla, Dates) By the 3rd day I started to like this one more and more. At first I wasn’t a big fan of the vanilla but somehow this one tasted more like cashews and dates which I liked.

05: Revive (Lemon, Filtered Water, Cayenne, Agave) SO SPICY.

06: Clarity (Carrot, Lemon, Ginger) Carrot juice has won me over. Never would I have thought I would like carrot juice.

07: Uplift (Spinach, Cucumber, Apple, Lemon, Parsley, Ginger) Still good. No complaints here.

Overall, I’m proud of myself for accomplishing 3 days of juice cleansing (minus the little lapse on day 1). I think they’re nice for when you want to reset your body or get a jump start on healthy eating. I do feel lighter and notice that I don’t crave as much junk as I did before. (Let’s see how long this effect lasts). I think a juice cleanse would be particularly beneficial after the holidays because everyone indulges during the holidays. Have you tried a Belmonte Raw Juice Cleanse or any other juice cleanse? How did it go? Let me know!

xo, Rose

Bar Ape Pop Up Event (YUM!)

I was invited to Bar Ape’s Pop Up Event hosted at The Sovereign and got to sample some of their soft serve concoctions. I was first introduced to Bar Ape in the summertime when I stumbled upon their cute ape (pronounced ah-pay) near Trinity Bellwoods with my friend Alexa. They usually serve gelato bars but at the event, their focus was on soft serve gelato.

I got to sample their pear sorbet, pumpkin seed gelato, and a pistachio gelato on a gluten-free cookie. All of the flavours were amazing but I must say the pumpkin seed gelato was my favourite. Also, the gluten-free cookie was amazing and I hope they sell them in packs one day so I can buy them in bulk (or at least give me the recipe to it).

They are not sure if they will be back next year due to problems with the city. Hopefully everything pans out. They did mention that they would like to open a storefront so that might be coming soon. Please stay Bar Ape; You’re absolutely scrumptious!

Have you tried Bar Ape yet? What are your thoughts?

xo, Rose

 

Butter Avenue Fall Tasting

My favourite Toronto macaron place (Butter Avenue) invited me to their fall tasting to test out some delicious treats. First up was the Pumpkin Spice hot cocoa with Pumpkin Spice macarons. Perfect for the chilly days we’re starting to get here in Toronto.

They are also in the works of expanding into savory items and I’m all for it. I’m a huge fan of the Maple bacon, gruyère & tomato bouffée fromage (pictured right). It is almost like a quiche with the cheese and filling but not quite as heavy or dense.

“Jardin Perdu” (Cinnamon Chantilly, caramelized apple & pear, mini chocolate apple, almond crumble)

Thank you Butter Avenue for always filling my tummy with amazing treats!

xo, Rose