Alaskan King Crab @ Golden Court Abalone Restaurant, Richmond Hill

I've known Pavel and Thomas for five years and throughout those years I could not recall a single time where we had dinner together. Our closest to a proper meal was Bagel and Coffee at Tim Hortons.

I finally changed that this meeting when I suggested to take them out for an authentic Chinese Meal at Golden Court Chinese Restaurant in Richmond Hill for some Alaskan King Crab and Peking Duck!

Live Alaskan Red King Crab

Our King Crab came in at 8lbs!


Peking Duck: 1st Course


The Peking Duck was really good! The Skin was crispy and the meat was very tender. This is the best Peking Duck I've had in Toronto.


Peking Duck: 2nd Course

Our Duck Meat was Stir-Fried with some minced Carrots, Celery, and Chestnut. The Duck Meat was well seasoned and did not come dripping in oil.


Stir Fried Alaskan King Crab with Ginger and Spring Onion

These King Crab Legs had as much meat as Lobster Tails but the texture of the meat was a lot softer which I prefer. It was cooked perfect and was naturally sweet with the Ginger and Spring Onion not overpowering it.


Steamed Alaskan King Crab Legs with Garlic

This was the best way to eat King Crab Legs! One could taste the natural sweetness of the crab legs. It was so good!


Stir-Fried Kailan with Garlic

The Kai Lan was a little oily but had a nice crunch. The Garlic complemented the Kai Lan well.


Alaskan King Crab Fried Rice

The Roe was used to make the Fried Rice. It was really good. The Rice did not clump together and was well seasoned with enough salt to impart the flavor of the Crab Roe onto the rice.

Dessert: Assorted Pastries of Lychee Jelly and Red Bean Tart

The Jelly was really nice. It had chunks of Lychee, Chrysanthemum Flowers and Wolf Berries. The Red Bean Tart was crunchy on the outside and the Red Bean Paste wasn't too sweet.


Green Bean Dessert Soup



My meal at Golden Court was one of the best I've had. Everything was just cooked so well! The King Crabs were delicious and was much better than what I had at Sun Sui Wah in Vancouver. Their Peking Duck even beats out my favorite restaurant "Peaktop". It definitely pays to know the Manager and Owner of the Restaurant who happened to be my friend's customer.


Food: 4.8/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Price: $$$$$ (Approximately USD $50 per person)


Contact Information
Address: 270 West Beaver Creek Road Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3Y9, Canada
Tel: +1 (905) 707-6628
Map:

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Of Fruit Cake and Chemical Peels

As most of you would have heard, I've gone for a chemical peel on a Monday. I've started using Glycolic Acid products on my skin and I have this nasty feeling that my skin is purging all the gunk from my face. Yes, I did enjoy a momentarily clear skin after the peel but according to my nurse, an initial breakout is necessary for a clear aftermath.

So, I am persisting. I am told that 2 weeks later, my skin will show a marked improvement. Currently, my skin is in a pretty bad shape but I'm optimistic!


Anyway, my sister, the pro-baker, made Fruit Cake. It's super healthy because it contains no sugar but only honey, lots of dried cranberries, blueberries and premium sultanas and made with extra virgin olive oil, wholemeal flour and yogurt.

The first two pictures look kinda wrong but as you can see, it's just the crust. Hidden on the inside is a very dense and moist fruit cake. It tastes like Christmas... like Stollen, minus the nasty icing and all!

Lafite

Wading back to Lafite for some fishy fun.

Earlier entries on Lafite: Aug. 13, 2009; Sept. 25, 2009 & Feb. 5, 2011.

Salmon confit "ice cream cones." Luscious. Lovably luscious.

Pan-seared Dover sole with sauteed young spinach, crispy brioche, yuzu miso sauce, candied black olives, lemon confit & tomato marmalade. Firm, fleshy fish.

Brittany turbot with three-color potatoes, black olives, saffron sauce & tarragon tomatoes. OK, we have trouble telling the difference between sole & turbot. Both taste like a cross between sea bass & cod.

Spea! king of sea bass, here's a line-caught French one, baked in salt crust and served with parsley cream, young potatoes, carrot cake, tarragon & mustard cream sauce.

A whole sea bass serves two, so the fish was halved into separate slices for both of us. Superbly succulent, with a natural sweetness that made every bite a genuine delight.

Auxey-Duresses Chardonnay (Burgundy).

Lafite,

Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur.

Bitter Melon

Ingredient Name: Bitter Melon, bittermelon

Chinese Name: (Kgu)

An interesting fruit to say the least. I actually DO NOT enjoy the taste of bitter melon (at all), but some people actually LOVE it! This is a very unique melon in that you can find it in soups, stews, teas, drinks, and various Chinese dishes across the spectrum.

What is this?

• Usually long, green and bumpy to texture (although some varieties are also yellow) - which also varies the bitterness
  
• It is bitter to taste (even after being cooked)
  
• The Chinese types are usually 20-30 cm in length
• 
  

Howdo Iprepare it?

• Rinse in warm water
• Half and remove all seeds
• Cut into edible portions for soups or cooking

Where can I buy this?

• Available in fresh marts in Hong Kong
• Also available in supermarkets

What is the cost?

• 1 bitter melon about 30cm in length cost around $5-6 HKD

Any benefits?

• Helps remove heatiness and eliminate heat
• Aids in digestion and stimulate appetite
• Have been found to be a anti-cancer agent and improve the immune system
• Also helps with dyspepsia and constipation

Any precautions?

• Avoid during pregnancies (it is a contraindication)
• Be sure to remove all seeds before consuming as can be toxic (especially with children)

Any substitutes?

< li> None, for the bitter taste, no other melon or fruit can replace it

Junk Food Coffee Cake

Yep. This has two ingredients that are processed and you can retrieve from a vending machine. If you are an organic monster, ignore this post. If not, check out Junk Foodie and enjoy.

Junk Food Coffee Cake

Adapted from the Junk Foodie

What you need:

1 chocolate chip cookie

2 Oreo cookies

What you do:

Crumble or smash the chocolate chip cookie into a crumby mixture. Separate the cream and cookie part of the Oreos and smash the cookie part into powder. Combine the Oreo powder and half of the chocolate chip cookie mixture with a splash of water. Mix together to make a fine paste. Place it in a small ramekin and microwave for 20 seconds. Allow it to cool and demold. Top with the Oreo cream and the remaining chocolate chip crumbs.

F1 Legend Michael Schumacher & Nico Rosberg at KLCC

Guess who was in town at KLCC on last weekend? The legend of F1 himself, Michael Schumacher & Nico Rosberg is in town to greet the fans in conjunction with Formula 1 PETRONAS Malaysia Grand Prix showcase, from 2nd to 10th of April 2011.

Many of his fans came near and far just to get a glimpse of him and most of them were happy to see him back in action.

Both of them were flocked by fans from local and also from international tourist. They even willing to que just to get an autograph from this 2 drivers.

*The kid must be thinking . man . I aint going to let my mom touch this shirt !

Those of you that miss out this meet the fans session dont be sad as you can still watch them in action live at the racing track. Head down to Sepang and grab a seat now.

Strawberry Pineapple Crumble

.Sigh

Its a good thing youre not here. You. You specifically. Its a good thing youre not here right now.

If you were here, youd be witness to some truly horrific sweatpants choices. Youd have to see my raccoon face, from furiously rubbing my eyes with mascara on. I just yelled at my cat you would have seen that. I threw a pillow at him. A small pillow. He ran. You would have seen that too. I have bras all over my bed. My desk could use some work. I dont really want to talk about the state of my shower. Its a good thing youre not here.

Id have a hard time telling you all the things I tell you if you were actually sitting here in front of my face. Sure, theres the stuff about how I want to turn my cat into a spider hunting helicopterthats easy. Im talking about the other stuff. When I write dorky letters to my future husband. When I freak out about turning a year older. When I date people. When I stop dating people. When I wrestle with Lent and sacrifice and openness and vulnerability. Id have a hard time sharing all that if you were here in front of my face with all your eye contact. That would freak me out a little.

But you are here. Just the there sort of here, and Im so thankful for it.

Someone needs to know when Im happy and sad and scared and freaked out and coupled and dumped and hungry and such. Im glad its you. Even though I mostly dont know you Im still glad its you.

Ok enough with all the eye contact.

Can we talk about dessert now?

We all know what a strawberry crumble tastes like.

Yadda yadda yadda. Baked strawberries, oats, sugar you know.

Let me tell you adding fresh pineapple is such a good idea. Baked strawberries and pineapple are a perfect combination of sweet and tart. A little wacky. A little tropical. A little like doing yoga then drinking fruity martinis. Wait does that make sense? It does in my head.

Baked fruit. Oat, butter, and sugar topping. Ice cream is mandatory. Someone to share it with is either a luxury or a curse. Im not sure which.

Im glad youre here. Believe that.

Recipe inspired by The Sophisticated Gourmet

Makes one 8-inch baking dish

Print this Recipe!

Strawberry Pineapple Crumble

Ingredients

• 1 pound strawberries, hulled and cut in half
• 1 pound peeled and diced fresh pineapple
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons cornst! arch
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 1 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Cooking Directions

• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Toss diced fruit together in an 8-inch square baking dish. In a small dish, whisk together 3 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, 1/4 cup of flour and pinch of salt. Toss the mixture with the diced fruit. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add the cold butter cubes. Use your fingers to break up the cold butter cubes into the flour mixture. Add the oats and toss together until the butter bits are about the size of the oat flakes.
• Pour the oat mixture over the prepared fruit. Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until juices from the fruit bubble up around the sides of the pan.
• Remove the crumble from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Crumble is delicious served warm with vanilla ice cream.
• Crumble can we wrapped and refrigerated for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or wrapped in foil in a low oven.