Are you allowed to moan about the lack of authenticity at a restaurant? What is missing from this place setting?

Not on this side either...

Well there was a lot of garnish and frills but no chopsitx . At an 'authentic' Thai restaurant would you not expect chopstix? Even when we asked they said - 'no we don't have any.'
Not even for any customers who ask for it? I think this is what happens in the suburbs! (The restaurant is in St. Albans)
It was very strange as the owner and servers were all Thai. I think I am allowed to have a moan about that - albeit a shorter one than I did have, non? (Sorry Squirly) It would be like going to an authentic Italian restaurant and getting a pizza with pineapple and sweetcorn on it!

It is no match for Street Hawker.

Hamburger helperThis cute hamburger press was just laying out in the aisle of a food market in Florence. No real worries of health and safety in Italy. When I got back Kiwi Rabbit made hamburgers with a fried egg, pineapple and beetroot on top. I have never seen that in my life before, apparently it is a Kiwi thing. Those crazy Kiwis!
It looked good but I didn't have a taste, will have to try that combination of flavours next time. Have only had beetroot a few times and am getting to like the taste now, I think I love that it is doused in vinegar, anything sour is fabulous to me. Why do they not sell Bick's pickles in London?!

Off for a run as the muffin top is not going down, instead it is growing, especially after Ed's gourmet meal last night. Ed the pub man made us a fabulous meal which included the much discussed English onion soup - will post about it soon.

Itsu for sushi
Had a great fast and friendly sushi dinner at Itsu the other night with my Canadian visitors, the fashion-pharmacist is a sushi freak. The one we went to is located on Wardour Street in the heart of Soho. There we had spicy tuna and salmon sushi, sashimi, grilled chicken teriyaki, a fabulous chicken and coconut soup with ginger and I had a lovely pineapple zinger juice. Their website is funny as it has some interesting copy - I italicized the parts I think are funny/odd:

'because Itsu food is light, full of goodness and won't make you fat.'

'because it tastes amazing. You can eat lots without guilt, sorrow and pain.'

I am typing in the dark as the girls are still dreaming...they are 'carpe diem' each morning sleeping til 11am- but that is the way to do it when you are on holiday. Shopping, sightseeing and walking makes one very tired! (Carpe diem - phrase from a Latin poem by Horace. It is popularly translated as "seize the day")

Pineapple and zucchini cake
An odd combo when you think about it - but it works well. Will post the recipe when Susie sends it along. Thanks Susie for bringing it over - it was delicious and I could almost eat the whole loaf!

xo

Pineapple Lumps
A NZ treat! It smells like pineapple, has pineapple flavour but I don't think there is any pineapple in this candy bar (from what I recall when reading the ingredients' list).

My sis and I have a new favourite show -Flight of the Conchords - about two Kiwis who move to NYC to get their folk band into the limelight. It is hilarious and is getting quite the cult following. My friends in NY love it and my friends in TO are also keenly watching each week as Jermaine and Brett go through some interesting experiences in NY. It doesn't seem to be showing in NZ which is a shame as it is truly a gem of a show.

They make a lot of funny NZ references and perhaps one day they will be eating Pineapple Lumps sent to them from their family back home. One thing they do not do on the show is call each other by a nickname as every Kiwi I know is not called their real name e.g. Bug, Bun, Bobs, Coops, Hunty, Heinzy, Madz etc... Seriously, these are some of the Kiwi people whom I have met and for months did not know their real names. Some of them I still cannot recall their real names?!

On the site Homesick-Kiwi.com Pineapple Lumps are, 'the single best-seller among homesick Kiwis. Chewy and satisfying.'

Great but...fruit not so fress
Sunday brunch is always a favorite and for this weekend's adventure we went to the vegan restaurant Fressen on Queen West.

It was Pride Toronto weekend and the city was alive with various characters coming out to celebrate the week long festival culminating in the notoriously loud, proud and colorful parade. With the window seats at the restaurant we had a prime viewing platform for people heading to the day's festivities.

Our favorite was the tall, goth, long haired, mesh stocking, batman wannabe. His sunglasses were the best part as they covered his entire face with a big plastic bat. Actually his facial expression was better than his sunglasses as it was this mysterious, angry, indignant, look at me - but how dare you look at me, look. Sooo good to people watch!

A few comments about Fressen, the brunch menu is not as extensive as expected it only had waffles and French toast which, in my opinion, were truly brunch-y. Then there were lots of salads and stews which were more lunch-y. I guess if you cannot serve eggs and bacon then the brunch menu immediately is cut down in scope.

We almost all unanimously ordered the French toast which was divine. It was served with a fruit compote, maple syrup and the toast was coated in oats/granola (not exactly sure) which gave it a lovely texture. The one disappointing thing about the dish was that is was served with fruit that was off. It was well presented with garnish of icing sugar and fresh mint but when eating the watermelon and cantaloupe they were not hard and sweet, just soft and lacking in flavour, like they were sitting in the fridge too long/past their freshness date.

When this happens at home you eat it yourself and kick yourself for not peeling it and eating it sooner, you do not serve it to guests or to restaurant patrons, non?

Other than the non-fresh fruit, all else was great, service, staff, drinks and atmosphere.

AK ordered the corn fritters (2nd pic) and Jill ordered th waffles and all were satisfied! Their drink of the day was spectacular and so simple. It was a strawberry lemonade made with fresh strawberries, water, lemon juice, cane sugar, fresh mint and pineapple chunks and juice.

Try making it at home as it is a truly refreshing summery drink!