Friday, June 21, 2019

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..."

LINKING UP WITH
Beth hosts Weekend Cooking where you can post anything food related.
Saturday Snapshots is hosted by A Web of Stories.

7 comments:

  1. ...Jackie, you saw some great stuff! I remember the giant apple from an earlier post of yours.

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  2. Another well documented, far reaching, outing. My goodness I admire how you put everything together. I have a poor memory although I love taking lots of pics.
    That restaurant looks marvelous. I love sushi and dim sum places for the variety one gets.

    Take care and have a great weekend!!

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  3. I love the murals. That library: WOW! And so much yummy Asian food. As I said earlier, love the mirrors. Those book sculptures are pretty cool too. Yay for pride month awareness! And finally, I've been meaning to read that Geraldine Brooks book about the plague. I need to get that on my list. Funny, we had chicken thighs last night too! I marinated them in a mustard & garlic sauce and then we grilled them. Yummmm.

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  4. I've passed by the Big Apple many times, but I've never stopped there.

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  5. we were looking to move out to the Colborne area, but changed our minds. Never been to the big apple.

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  6. I so enjoy your virtual tours Jackie, and I feel like some warm apple bread now, might have to bake some tomorrow.

    Have a great week

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  7. Applebread sounds great to me, since I still need to eat my breakfast, haha. Just think how hard it must be to paint a round mural! I now remember seeing a post about ordering wine in a store /restaurant with an Ipad (it was a long line of people waiting, since everyone had to get used to it!) The House of Mirrors looks like a fun experience to me! Can see you settled back into life in Toronto, not a dull moment! A fanfarroon it is - hope it's a good read. Thank you much for your journal of last week for All Seasons Jackie, and have an adventurous one this week!
    About your comment, since I'm not having a job anymore, unless I'm traveling, it is special when I head out of the door before noon,

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