My very first ceviche was years ago, but I can still remember the bitter taste it left behind. Mojito and ceviche weren’t my favorate combination. But coming across Montreal Food Pictures blog post and its wonderful pictures of this restaurant that specialises on ceviches, I couldn’t take my mind off. Maybe I had it all wrong? Maybe ceviche is a wonderful dish? I had to try and see…
That’s my story about how I came to know Ceviches.
Disclaimer: my photograph skills were very poor that specific evening…but important part is that I enjoyed the food too much to care.
Appetizers were:
Tostones – plantain chips: with the sauce, it was like eating salsa with chips
Tequenos – cheese sticks in a shape of a springroll: So cheesey! Reminiscent of Pizza hut cheese stick in a positive way.
Empanadas – dumpling stuffed with fish: As far as I know, best empanadas I have eaten.
Main course, ceviches obviously! The interesting part is that we get to choose the flavor and topping. For me, I had avocado and coconut flavored. The chosen proteins were octopus and fish. Not one single regret. It was beautifully executed. It couldn’t be more fresh. While I was enjoying my dish, I was already thinking who I must bring to try this amazing restaurant.
Ceviches is now a restaurant in my recommend list!
Zuuchini
One thing I need to do every summer is to go to Kem Coba and have their ice cream. Kem Coba is only open during summer time and usually has a line up of more than 15 minutes. Last time, I waited about a little bit more than 30 minutes. But the waiting time never bothered me because the ice cream is that amazing – actually, the best in Montreal. They love to play around with different flavors so don’t be surprised that your beloved flavor is gone! Don’t worry their other flavors are equally good!
I finally tried their soft served ice cream which is strawberry cheesecake flavor! The texture is like yogurt but a bit more solid. Just delicious!
And we also tried their pandan and viet coffee flavor. I really love the pandan flavor, it tasted like coconut!
Haven’t tried Kem Coba? You are missing out, my dear friend!
Zuuchini
Looking at the last few years, more and more restaurants specializing in dumplings are popping up in Montreal. And standing among the top tier is Mai Xiang Yuan.
Nothing out of the ordinary, Mai Xiang Yuan offers a menu similar to other dumpling restaurants. I guess the only thing that can set it apart from others is the quality of the dumplings.
The chosen dumplings were pan fried pork and cabbage and boiled lamb and coriander. Side dish was jellyfish and cucumber.
The dumplings were so much better than OH!Dumplings. How? They tasted more fresh and less greasier. The complaint that I have is that (similar to most dumpling restaurants I visited in Montreal) is their dough – or should I say how it was fried. The pan fried dumplings were a bit too soft for my taste. They weren’t crispy enough. And the dough just lacked texture…the specific amount of “elasticity” and firmness of the dough were not achieved.
As for the side dish, I bet most people would think there are only cucumbers if I didn’t tell you it was a cucumber and jellyfish dish! The cucumbers were soft and wet – I think they were prepared in advance for a while…the crunchiness of fresh cucumber fluttered away. Nonetheless, still very refreshing on a hot summer day.
How do I rank Mai Xiang Yuan? Probably in the middle.
Zuuchini
After using Urban Decay eyeshadow primer potion for a few years, it was time for me to venture out a bit. I was curious about Nars smudge proof eyeshadow base ever since it came out and it was the perfect time to try it myself.
Nars eyeshadow primer comes in a plastic bottle in the shape of a cylinder while Urban Decay’s comes in a tube. To apply, there’s a dome applicator for the Nars, like a lipgloss applicator. As for UD, by squeezing will push the product out of the tube.
It is obvious which brand has the most hygienic design – in order to use apply Nars primer, I have to put the applicator directly onto my eyelids and then put it back into the bottle in order to get more product out for my second eyelid. These double dips do not appeal to me. Furthermore, when I reach the end of the product, it becomes difficult if not impossible for me to scrape the remaining product of the bottle. These are not problems for UD. I simply need to squeeze the tube for whatever amount I want out of the tube and use my finger to apply on my eyelids and when the tube is running out, I simply use scissors to cut the tube open and I can completely empty the product.
As for the primer itself, Nars primer texture is much more lightweight and white based while UD is more thick and beige. Because of its lightweight characteristic, Nars primer is easier to spread. Other than these differences, I think both brand deliver great results; I can’t tell the difference between these two. They both make eyeshadows long lasting and vibrant.
If I have to choose between these 2, I would pick UD over Nars because of various factors. For about 5$ less (depending which country you are from), UD primer gives 0.07 oz more product than Nars and has a hygienic packaging all while yielding the same results as Nars. So, this isn’t a tough decision, is it?
Zuuchini
While driving by TMR, Mr.Butter and I have noticed this very cute house in TMR that seemed to be serving cafe and ice cream. But at that time, it was closed for Autumn. We said that we would come back in summer.
And summer arrives and coincidentally, we passed by this location again. And this time, it was opened. Dolce Vita is right beside Villa Armando, the main house which is now converted to an Italian restaurant. Dolce Vita was basically a garage converted to a nice ice cream parlour.
There were many selections of gelato in Dolce Vita, many that are unheard of. Like usual, it was very difficult to choose.
In the end, I had orange and fleur de sel caramel. I’ve been very fond of anything with fleur de sel and caramel.
I chose orange simply because I wanted to know how it was different from orange sorbet. To say the least, it wasn’t much different. I should have gone for a more wild flavour.
The fleur de sel caramel was good, exactly what I was expecting.
The price at Dolce Vita is fairly comparable to other gelato places. As for the taste, it was satisfying but I would not go out of my way to get my gelato there. It’s perfect for residents living nearby.
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