Travelling Sushi: Quebec

Showing posts with label Quebec. Show all posts

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Review: Cafe Paillard, Quebec City

I've been to Cafe Paillard twice, once in December, and another time in July. Both times I enjoyed their cafe immensely. They are obviously a popular cafe, because both times the place was packed.

Their sweet pastries are in general a bit too sweet for my liking. However, I did enjoy their croissants and the non sweetened ice coffee.

What we've ordered

Iced Coffee - recommended
Almond Croissant
Apricot Croissant

Summary

The Bottom Line: great for a quick break, but be prepared to fight the crowds!
Score: 8/10

3/4 for food quality
3.5/4 for value
1.5/2 for ambience

Address: 1097 Rue Saint-Jean, Quebec

Holland Canada/ New England Trip Review - Day 1 - Sunday - Quebec City

9:00am
Good morning! Breakfast at Lido, it wasn't good at all, maybe the sit down Rotterdam option would be better? Must remember to try that tomorrow.

10:30am
Walked around Old Quebec City. It was a really warm sunny day. The walk to Cheateau Frontenac area is manageable.

More on Old Quebec City

12:30pm
Light lunch at the French bakery Pillard's. We tried the Almond Croissant, but it was a tad too sweet for my liking. The ice coffee, however, was great. Stopped by the Farmer's Market on the way back to the ship.

More on Cafe Pillard

2:30pm
Back on board. Hung out by the pool and played Settlers of Catan while nephew went swimming again.

5:15pm
Disappointing dinner at Rotterdam.

cold pina colada soup - so-so
duck salad - duck was not seared well and overcooked
mango crisp - too sweet

10:00pm

Showtime "Heat" - decent, featuring several Shakira songs. I liked the original more than the cover… so all the show did was for me to realize that Shakira is really talented.

Quebec City

Old Quebec City

Farmer's Market

Cold Pina Colada Soup

Duck Salad

Mango Crisp

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Review: Point G Macarons, Montreal

The Bottom Line

Small bakery serving some of the best macarons in this side of the continent. A must try!

Rating: 9/10

Overview

Address: 1266 Avenue du Mont-Royal E, Montreal. QC. H2J 1Y4
Website: http://boutiquepointg.com
Recommended duration: 15 minutes

The Store

I first heard of Point G when my friend brought me a box of macarons from Montreal, and since then I have fallen in love with them.

When I went to Montreal over the christmas break, we took a detour and went to Point G. A few large maracon paintings covered the store display window, which I feel is a shame because customers were not able to look inside the beautiful store. If you think back to the stores you've been to, it has always been the dirty/ messy stores that would try to hide it by making the store front opaque. I didn't feel it necessary here, as the interior is elegant, with a beautiful macaron tower on display.

The macarons

Macarons are a French meringue-based confection made primarily with sugar, eggs white, and almond powder.

Point G have many different types of macarons on display, but I find they are slightly on the sweet side, so my suggestion is to ask for a selection of the semi-sweet macarons.

I can't remember the exact pricing, but I do remember them to be reasonably priced, which is an added bonus! Of course, you can't compare them to the deliciously chewy treats from Laduree in Paris, but Point G still has some of the best macarons on this side of the continent.

Creperie Chez Suzette, Montreal
Things to do in Montreal

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

L'Express dinner review, Montreal

The Bottom Line

Authentic looking French restaurant with above average food.

Rating: 7/10

Recommended Dishes

Bone marrow with coarse salt

Overview

Address: 3927 Rue Saint-Denis, Montreal. H2W 2M4

Recommended duration: budget 2.5 hours

The Atmosphere

My friend, a self proclaimed foodie, insisted on visiting Restaurant L'Express at every Montreal trip. The restaurant is a charming Parisian style bistro, with a long bar and classic black and white checkered floor. Classic and authentic. By the time we arrived, the place is already bustling with guests.

The Food

For appetizers we ordered the french onion soup, fish soup, and bone marrow with coarse salt. My favourite was bone marrow. It's not what I would normally eat at home, but the marrow was surprisingly flavourful and soft.

French onion soup

Fish soup

Bone marrow

For the main course, I ordered the hanger steak with shallot butter and fries. While I would say that the steak was delicious, I thought that the fries were only average.

Hanger steak with shallot butter and fries

Monday, February 23, 2015

Hotel La Ferme Review, Le Massif de Charlevoix, Baie Saint Paul, Quebec

The Bottom Line

A delightful gem away from the city bustle.

Rating: 9/10

Overview

Address: 50 rue de la Ferme, Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec. G3Z 0G2
Website: http://www.lemassif.com/en/hotel/
Recommended visit: can easily spend half a day here with a spa visit

Hotel La Ferme

Hotel La Ferme is a unique 150 room hotel located in the Charlevoix region. Isolated and tucked away from the city, this hotel will surely carve a special place in your heart. I say unique because from the exterior, you will never guess that this is a hotel. I originally thought this is some sort of learning institution, a college or a school maybe.

Original toilet sign

Outdoor Spa

Unlike other resorts, this complex comprises of several small buildings (hence the collage misconception). This is designed to foster a sense of openness and community.

A ski destination, the hotel has a direct train line that takes you up to the mountains. there is also an outdoor skating rink for guests, as well as an outdoor spa.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre Review, Quebec.

Beautiful catholic cathedral 30km east of Quebec City.

Rating: 8/10
Recommended time: 1 hour

We chanced across this gorgeous cathedral on our way from Quebec City to the Charlevoix region. This is a majestic cathedral in a small town, just 30 km east of Quebec City.

Inside the church, there is a display wall of crutches - which I thought was bizarre until I found out that the location has been credited by the Catholic Church with many miracles of curing the sick and disabled.

Personally, it's just bizarre for me to chance across this majestic cathedral in such a small town. What an unexpected surprise! That being said, I'm pretty sure that this is a well known tourist spot, as the church is filled with tour bus tourists.

Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu Review, La Malbaie, Quebec

Bottom Line

I love, love, love this place. It's a bit far out of the way, but if I have a week's vacation, I would make this trek and stay at this beautiful resort.

Rating: 9/10

Overview

Address: 181 rue Richelieu, La Malbaie, Quebec. G5A 1X7
Website: Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu

Review

What a nice hidden gem! Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu is probably one of the least known Fairmont (I for one don't know of its existence until my friend told me about it), and more lovely in comparison to its more popular sister Cheauteau Frontenac in Quebec City.

We visited the Manoir during one cold winter day, and boy was it cold (-30 degrees Celcius cold). The hotel is about a 20 minutes drive from our cottage, and majestically stood on a hill overlooking the St. Lawrence River.

The beautiful ice skating rink allows guests to skate leisurely while overlooking the St.Lawrence River. There is even a small hut in the middle to allow guests to warm up those cold digits. How thoughtful!

During the summer months, guests can also hike along the various trails in the region.

Adjacent to the hotel is a casino, as well as a sports centre for the active ones. This is a beautiful hotel, and I wish we got the chance to stay here for a night.

Charlevoix Cottage Review, Quebec

Overview

We rented a cottage out at Charlevoix region. It was a bit of a treacherous drive from Quebec City, with lots of winding roads and steep slopes. I would not recommend when there is snow, and make sure you have snow tires.

Once we got there, the region is breathtakingly beautiful. Unlike in View Quebec City, tourists were few, and has a genuine Quebec feel.

We went grocery shopping on our way to the cottage, and cooked for the next few days. I definitely recommend going off the beaten path and visiting Charlevoix. I would love to return here during the summer months to see the difference.

The Drive

From Quebec CIty, the Charlevoix region is about a 1.5 - 2 hour drive east of Quebec City. Again, please ensure you have snow tires if taking this trek in the winter, and avoid driving during snow if possible. Some of the winding roads have a slope of 17 degrees. Safety first! I can imagine this being a beautiful drive in the summer however.