Sushi

June 2019 - Toronto ON

We drove to Montreal on Saturday morning and spent the weekend with family.

We left Monday morning to head back with a couple of stops.

In Vaudreuil-Dorion we had to check out this new mural on the water tower. It had just been unveiled the week before.

We haven't stopped here in years.


The Big Apple is a bakery, restaurant and roadside attraction in the community of Colborne, in Central Ontario, a driving distance of approximately 135 kilometres (84 mi) eastward from downtown Toronto. It is located on the south side of Ontario Highway 401 at interchange 497 and is easily recognizable from the highway by its huge apple-shaped structure, claimed to be the world's largest.

With a height of 10.7 metres (35 ft) and diameter of 11.6 metres (38 ft), the Big Apple features an observation deck.

The site also features a petting zoo, a complimentary miniature golf course, and other amenities.

Here's what it looks like from the highway, taken a few years ago.

Tuesday and I took John up on his promise to try my latest passion, sushi.

Of course you know I can't just go directly to my destination! We took the subway to Queen's Park and walked on College to Spadina.

Front St. Towers of Finance.

College St.

Visiting the Lillian Smith Library has been on my Toronto bucket list for a few years. Why?

With two large bronze griffins guarding the front entrance, Lillian H. Smith is not your typical library. In fact, it has two exceptional world-class collections in science fiction and rare children's books. The Merril Collection of Science Fiction features a remarkable collection of 57,000+ items including out of print materials, original sci-fi and fantasy art and the first edition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The Osborne Collection of Children's literature is so impressive that J.K. Rowling and Empress Michiko of Japan took time to tour the collection.

Lillian Helena Smith (17 March 1887 — 5 January 1983) was the first British Empire children's librarian. During her career, Smith set up library spaces for children in Toronto schools. She also created a children's literature library classification that was used in Toronto libraries until the late 1970s. The Lillian H. Smith Toronto Public Library branch was posthumously named and opened after Smith in 1995.

Just a couple of peeks, I did a more comprehensive post with all the interesting books in both collections.

Chinatown

I chose a new place in Chinatown (Spadina) called August 8.

What a great place! You place your orders on the iPad. The menu lets you know how many pieces are in each order and you decide on the quantity. You don't place your entire order at once, you just continue ordering.
It is a mix of Cantonese dim sum and Japanese cuisine. AND it is a flat rate, lunch was $20 each and there is a senior discount.

Click here for their mouth-watering menu.

Salmon and tuna.

Chicken wings and crab sticks

The front ones were delicious crispy shrimp, then crab and mango.

Pork dumplings

Crispy chicken

We had both a steak and chicken teriyaki.

Mango ice cream for John, I had green tea ice cream.

Totally stuffed we rolled back to the bus after doing a couple of errands on Spadina.

Wednesday I wanted to check out the next sculpture near the University Courthouse. Click here to see more of the sculptures as well as some at City Hall.


As you can see it is just being installed.

THE RULE OF LAW IS A REFLECTION OF US ALL

Eaton Centre is all decked out for Pride month.

Pop up art display by the Toronto Skateboarding Club.

Back in the Eaton Centre, more Pride.

Friday we went to the Hall of Mirrors at Harbourfront.

From the website.
From Narcissus to Alice, reflections have fascinated and intrigued us throughout the ages.
House of Mirrors is a reality-bending, sensory-altering, mind-dizzying experience that has enchanted audiences across the southern hemisphere. Sitting at over 12.5ft and weighing in at over 55 tonnes, this reflective wonder makes its North American debut, taking Toronto by storm, simultaneously mesmerizing, disorienting and delighting Luminato audiences.
Optical illusions meet vanity in this house-sized kaleidoscope where reflections are fragmented: shadow, ghost, stranger, or is it just you? Nothing is what it seems as you stumble around thousands of bewildering reflections.
Seeing is believing…or is it?

It was $10 admittance fee and we were lucky as it wasn't very crowded.

There are some new sculptures at Harbourfront and there is a new sculpture outside the Power Plant, but a tour was taking place, so I couldn't get a photo.

A bite to eat, hoisin chicken lettuce wraps at the Amsterdam.

A couple of really large mosquitoes along with a super big blow up can of OFF!

I tried this recipe for bone in skin on chicken thighs, baked BBQ chicken thighs. I had an unopened jar of BBQ sauce that was given to me. It was good, we would just like to get the skin crispier.

We had pork belly, cauliflower fried rice (with carrots, celery, corn), Brussel sprouts with onions.


I quickly read The Exes' Revenge which reminded me of a country song, Two Black Cadillacs. Not worth the wait for a library copy. Listen to the song and you'll get the gist.

But I had an author recommended to me on our France trip and am really enjoying it.  Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks about the 1666 bubonic plague. So far I am looking forward to reading more of her.
There are lots of interesting words used in it as well.
"Was a drunken fanfarroon..."

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Beth hosts Weekend Cooking where you can post anything food related.

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