FOOD FRIDAY: Korean Side Dish Delivery with Delucious

Banchan is the Korean word for "small side dishes served with rice". If you've ever hung out with me, you'll know that a majority of the time I'm craving food, it's something Korean. In my opinion, Koreans make the best side dishes. 

A cool new delivery service called Delucious started up in Toronto this May and I was offered the opportunity to try it. Someone's Korean mom named Lucy (who has worked at various Korean restaurants) is cooking up Korean food for the GTA. Basically, it's a selection of Korean side dishes delivered to your door. There are two options available. Six 8 oz. side dishes for $17 or six 16 oz. side dishes for $25 (clearly the 16 oz. is a better deal). 

*EDIT: Since receiving the food and writing this review, the website (delucious.ca) is no longer available. So, I have no idea how many more side dish options there are available :( . I would have TOTALLY ordered more but now I've just been inspired to try to make these side dishes on my own! 

Beansprouts // what's usually inside: beansprouts, salt, garlic, green onion, fish sauce, sesame seeds, sesame oil

Korean Coleslaw // see kimchi 

Kimchi // what's usually inside: nappa cabbage, salt, sweet rice flour, sugar, water, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, squid, hot pepper flakes, green onion, carrot, radish

Pickled Radish // what's usually inside: daikon, salt, vinegar, chilli flakes, salt, garlic, green onion

Seaweed // what's usually inside: seaweed, onion, garlic, corn syrup, sesame oil, sesame seeds

Spinach // what's usually inside: spinach, garlic, sesame oil, sesame seeds, soy sauce

In general, Korean food tends to be an acquired taste, often a little to sour or salty for some. I found everything to be pretty darn yummy and very much to my taste preferences. I liked everything with the exception of the Seaweed which I found to be a little fishy (my mom loved it though) and will be testing out a few banchan recipes in the very near future. 

Do you like banchan (Korean side dishes)? 

Press samples featured

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EVENT: #GUERLAINSoParticular

Did you know that Guerlain manufactured and sold the first lipstick (1936) and bronzer (1984)? This is just one of the many things I learned about Guerlain when I took a trip to the Guerlain Boutique & Institute at 110 Bloor Street West in Yorkville last week. The event was modelled after what is known as "Journée Particulière", a yearly event at which Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy brands (Dior, Kenzo, Make Up For Ever, Benefit, Fresh, etc) open their doors to journalists. 

Guerlain Terracotta and Jolie Teint 

The Guerlain Canada team introduced Guerlain outlining what makes the brand so special. One aspect of the brand is its three values: 

1. Beauty - a tribute to women and the sharing of beauty as a way of life exhibited in guerilla's packaging details and refined, luxurious products
2. Creative Audacity  - as the first brand to launch lipsticks (Rouge Automatique), bronzers (Terracotta), and illuminators (Meteorites Pearls), the brand has displayed its ability to take risks. 
3. Know-how - a transmission of craft from generation to generation. Much of notoriety of the Guerlain brand comes from its heritage. All products sold around the world are made in France. Furthermore, each product requires skill and expertise to produce. For example, only four people are trained to hand-pick a specific number of pearls that go into the Guerlain Meteorites. 

Without a doubt, Guerlain is a luxurious brand with years of history behind it, as well as a cult-like following. There was a ton of information to absorb and it was unfortunate that I only got about an hour to hang out at the store, but I will most certainly be back to browse the beauty that is the Guerlain Boutique. 

For more on Guerlain, see my most recent reviews for the brand here. 

Are you a fan of Guerlian? 

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World MasterCard Fashion Week F/W 2015 - the Good & the Bad

3 beauty events, 4 fashion shows, and 1 awards show on top of my 45 hour work week.  I’m not really sure how I did it but I did. Perhaps going to 8 events in 5 days might be what it’s like to be a full-time “real” blogger. 

World MasterCard Fashion Week (aka Toronto Fashion Week aka the Canadian Collections) happens twice a year – March for Fall/Winter of the current year and September for Spring/Summer of the following year – and showcases some of Canada’s most renowned designers. 

This was my first experience at World MasterCard Fashion Week – the good, the bad and the ugly. If you want to see photos of the shows check out my WMCFW – womenswear and WMCFW – menswear posts. 

Generally

bad: rude people butting in line, 3-inch heels, street style photographers outside (it’s like paparazzi and I’m camera shy when I’m not in the comfort of my room), expensive food, the cold weather and lack of heating in the tent

good: attending my first fashion week, wifi, seeing people I know and not feeling like a loner, free coffee from Kreuig, Maybelline Rebel Blooms Lipsticks and thank goodness for weekends and sleep

Missing the VAWK show (from Sunny Fong of Project Runway Canada)

bad: Leaving a Guerlain event too early, taking a taxi to get from Yorkville to David Pecaut Square and missing the show by a few minutes

ugly: Avoiding the 5-piece Subway-inspired capsule collection. That’s Subway…THE FOOD. Cucumber-print dresses, etc. (see here) 

The Studio (flat seating) 

bad: Sitting in the back row in the studio trying to catch glimpses of the show between two people’s heads. They should really let the short people sit on the ground in front of the first row...I wouldn’t mind

good: Sitting in the front row of the studio (so close you could touch the clothes) and the lighting in the studio

The Runway (levelled seating)  

bad: lighting too harsh to take photos from afar

good: levelled seating and elbow room

Meeting Queen Mary (Adelaide Kane) and the Leith (Jonathan Keltz) from the CW show Reign 

bad: being shy, sweaty and awkward (as per usual) and feeling like a teenage fan girl for even watching the show, not seeing the Prince of Conde 

good: learning that Reign features Alexander McQueen gowns

Sillies at the #fashionmagawards after party with @charcharb1nk 👫😊

A photo posted by stephanie lau (@stephh_lau) on Mar 28, 2015 at 5:17am PDT

The Fashion Magazine Awards (#FashionMagAwards)

bad: having to leave early from being pooped out from the rest of the week 

good: watching re-caps of the shows I missed, taking photo booth photos with my boyfriend and some really good catering from Toben Food By Design 

All in all a great experience. I would do it again...but perhaps I'll pack fewer events into the week and be more choosy about the shows I attend. Next time I will…wear flats, bring snacks, invite a +1 ALL the shows and get more sleep. 

Did you attend World MasterCard Fashion Week (or have you previously)? How was your experience?

Check out my other fashion week posts: 


WMC Fashion Week – The Experience 

WMC Fashion Week – Menswear Recap

WMC Fashion Week – Womenswear Recap

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World MasterCard Fashion Week F/W 2015 - Malorie Urbanovitch & Mikael D // womenswear

I had the pleasure of attending 4 shows at World MasterCard Fashion Week for the Fall/Winter 2015 season. Two of the shows were womenswear designers. Here's a quick recap of the shows: 

Malorie Urbanovitch – Wednesday, March 25, 2015

In a few words, I would describe the Malorie Urbanovitch Fall/Winter Collection as "hip grandma-chic" - knits in quirky colour combos (orange/blue/brown) and green fringe-embellished dresses. Classic silhouettes with a twist = wardrobe goals. The makeup was stellar too – a clean face and vibrant blue on the inner corner of the eyes. This was my first and favourite show of the week. 

(source link)

Mikael D. – Friday, March 27, 2015

Jaw-drops, gasps and standing ovations, the Mikael D. show suitably titled “Mythical China” not only had Chinese drum performers and acrobats but enchanting gowns and ornate cocktail dresses. I couldn’t take any photos because the moment was too pretty to capture (I was also sitting to far back). Mikael D. was flawless closing show for World MasterCard Fashion Week.

Check out my other fashion week posts: 

WMC Fashion Week – The Experience 

WMC Fashion Week – Menswear Recap

WMC Fashion Week – Womenswear Recap

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World MasterCard Fashion Week F/W 2015 - Jaan Choxi, Klaxon Howl & 3.Paradis // menswear

World MasterCard Fashion Week has come and gone. A little fur and some tailored suits, pleated pants, and semi-creepy ready-to-wear, here's my little recap of three of the Fall/Winter 2015 menswear shows! 

Jaan Choxi – Friday, March 27, 2015

I didn’t personally attend this show, but I had Charles attend and take photos for me. Jaan Choxi is a Toronto-based luxury menswear designer which debuted at World MasterCard Fashion Week at this particular show. Charles let me know that the pants were too tight on the models, but some of the pieces were quite swoon-worthy and well-tailored. Can I have the fur-collared jacket in XXXS, please? 

Vintage militaria-inspired runway from @klaxonhowl #wmcfw #tcfw15 #madeincanada

A video posted by stephanie lau (@stephh_lau) on Mar 25, 2015 at 5:48pm PDT

Left (source link), Right (source link)

Klaxon Howl - Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Matt Robinson is known for collections inspired by vintage militaria, workwear and sportswear from the early to mid-20^th century. Overall, I found the Fall/Winter 2015 collection to be a bit dreary. I’m not a huge fan of pleated pants and the muted b-rown and grey fabrics didn’t have much wow-factor. I did, however, like individual pieces such as the bags, hats and jackets. I also took note that the models wear their jackets the same way as my boyfriend (the hip-ness is too real). 

#wmcfashionweek day 5 - @3paradis #wmcfw #tcfw15 #madeincanada

A photo posted by stephanie lau (@stephh_lau) on Mar 27, 2015 at 5:08pm PDT

3.Paradis – Friday, March 27, 2015

A unique pairing of two designers Emeric Tchatchoua and Raymond Cheung from Paris and Hong Kong respectively, 3.Paradis is a luxury ready-to-wear men’s label. Insane asylum-inspired music and accessories of the 0.4 Placebo collection made for a cohesive and artistic show.

Check out my other fashion week posts: 

WMC Fashion Week – The Experience 

WMC Fashion Week – Menswear Recap

WMC Fashion Week – Womenswear Recap

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FOOD: Winterlicious 2015 at America in the Trump Tower

There's nothing like being waited on from the 31st floor of the Trump Tower. That's what it's like at America, a contemporary restaurant located at the highest point of Bay and Adelaide. I celebrated my first pay check by taking my parents out for a meal. The great thing is that more is merrier. More people means you can try ALL THE THINGS. The three of us covered off a majority of the menu for a more well-rounded dining experience. 

The ambiance was different for me. We sat window-side table on a couch (which was a little low for the table) overlooking the city. It was oddly comfy and after eating, I wanted to nap in it. The music was cool and upbeat..and metropolitan?  

As for the service, the wait staff were kind. They filled the water often, made jokes with us, and asked us how we were doing during each course. What was a little off-putting was the wait time. Between ordering and getting the appetizer it was a fair 7-10 minutes. But after my palette was piqued and I felt like going in for more, it took an entire HALF AN HOUR before we got hour entrees. It was anti-climatic. I could literally go to a grocery store, come back and make a sandwich in half an hour. Perhaps because the food had to be brought up a set of stairs into the area of the restaurant we were seated in, it took so long... 

Luckily, the food was satisfying enough to make up for the waiting time. 

Pressed BBQ Pork Belly - chow chow apple preserve, sourdough, tasso ham crackling

Thoughts:Yum, yum, yum. The BBQ pork paired so, so well with the tartness of the mustard seed and chow chow apple preserve. My dad and I love ham crackling (AKA deep fried pork skins) dusted with spices, a great addition to the plate. 

Heritage Salmon Poke Cocktail - pineapple, macadamia nut, coffee, coconut

Thoughts: The salmon was fresh, perhaps a little on the cold side for such a cold day. This is literally a cocktail - salmon sitting in pineapple juice. The pineapple juice was too sweet and not acidic enough to complement the salmon, rather they clashed. A discombobulated plate... lacked flavour. 

Yukon Gold Potato Gnocchi (vegetarian) - broccoli, smokey blue, mornay sauce, onion rings

Thoughts: I love meat dishes but made the jump to try something vegetarian, as I'm a huge fan of pan fried gnocchi. They were so pillowy and well-seasoned. Plus, broccoli and cheese is always a good combination - the smokey blue cheese worked really well to liven up the broccoli puree. 

Billy Bob's Blackened Catfish - warm spinach salad, nameko mushrooms, sunchoke, sunflower

Thoughts: Cooked to perfection, yet the delicate catfish lacked flavour. The bed of spinach salad, on the other hand, was a really good salad. 

 Wellington County Flat Iron Steak (local) - rancho gordo white bean chili, rutabaga, compressed cucumber

Thoughts: Not the highest quality cut of beef but the meat was medium-rare as requested by my daddio. Well-seasoned and the sweetness of the white bean chili gave the otherwise basic steak a nice twist. 

Granny Apple Sticky Pudding (vegetarian/local) - sourdough & maker's mark burbon pudding, pecan toffee sauce, pretzel ice cream

Thoughts: OMG OMG OMG. Highlight of the entire meal. I still dream about this sticky toffee pudding. It's sweet, rich, and sticky (as the name suggests). there's crunch and richness and creaminess and a little tartness from the apple. I need to learn how to make this myself... 

Cheese (vegetarian) - big ed's gouda, simple accompaniments

Thoughts: Oddly enough, I prefer the "simple accompaniments" over the cheese itself. Rosemary honey and the preserves were yummy in my tummy. 

 Peanut Butter Panna Cotta - toasted marshmallow, allspice peanut brittle 

Thoughts: Not particularly a fan of this panna cotta. Perhaps it was the strange peanut butter texture that altered what might be a panna cotta that I'm used to may have put me off a little. The brittle and toasted marshmallow parts were a little more satisfying.

 Complimentary chocolate covered marshmallow 

Thoughts: The complimentary chocolate covered marshmallows the waiter brought with the bill seemed like an afterthought. The marshmallows were good but became overly sweet with the chocolate covering. 

Overall, a pretty decent meal. I'd give it higher than a 55% (per urbanspoon) but there were some definite highs and lows. If you plan on attending the Winterlicious festivities at America at Trump Hotel this year, I'd definitely recommend the BBQ Pork, Gnocchi, the Sticky Toffee Pudding, as well as a window seat from which you can see Lake Ontario. 

Food PURCHASED BY ME! :) 

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LIFE: Ripley's Believe It or Not Aquarium

Believe it or not, I love aquariums. But not when there are so many people that it's hard to breath and squish between to get to the glass to see the fish up close and personal. It took my boyfriend and I about an hour to walk through the entire aquarium. 

The whole experience was just claustrophobic. Even if you're not claustrophobic, Ripley's Believe it or Not Aquarium will make you feel like it. Also, the building itself is just very poorly designed. There's one path that everyone has to follow, which leaves very little room for exploration and makes it hard if you want to go back to look at something again. If at all possible, go on a weekday when it's (hopefully) less busy. 

Anyways, here's a selection of photos from the Ripley's Believe It or Not Aquarium :) 

The fish were cool, but I feel like there was a lack of variety and colour, which I typically prefer at aquariums. A lot of the focus was on sharks, which was interesting, but nothing that I couldn't believe. If you want a legit aquarium experience, head to Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. 

Do you like aquariums? Have you been to Ripley's? 

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FOOD: Momofuku Noodle Bar + Milk Bar - Toronto

Made famous by now celebrity chef David Chang, the string of Momofuku restaurants in Toronto, Sydney, and New York have caught my eye. Oddly enough, the restaurant had a poor rating on sites like Urbanspoon and Yelp, both of which I typically trust. I guess I was surprised because I had expected it to be underwhelmingly average but what I ate impressed me. 

[momofuku ramen (kunan farm, on) – pork belly & shoulder, fish cake, egg] ~$14

It's called momofuku noodle bar for a reason, right? Trying the ramen was a no-brainer for me. I'm the biggest sucker when it comes to anything with an egg on top, so that pretty much made it for me. Add fish cake, kimchi, and a sheet of nori (dried seaweed) and it's pretty much my dream meal - all the things I love in one bowl. Keep in mind that I'm no ramen connoisseur. Perhaps it's because I've only had non-cup ramen on only one other occasion that I thought this was delightful, but it was yummy in my tummy. 

[lamb fried rice]  ~$15

Not sure where this dish is at on the online menu but this was the boyfriend's choice. I myself would never, ever go for fried rice at any restaurant (mainly because I can eat good fried rice in the comfort of my own home). But according to the boyfriend this had lamb which makes it special. He was right. The fried rice was special. The rice was slightly glutinous and crispy, and there must have been some fried garlic in the mix which made it that much more tasty. That being said, there was not a bit of lamb flavour in sight. 

Let's talk decor. Momofuku consists of three floors. The noodle bar is located on the ground floor. There's an open concept kitchen and the seating is a couple cafeteria-style wooden tables that are very reminiscent of London-based restaurateur Alan Yau's Wagamama. 

[My boyfriend occasionally likes to make appearances on the blog and says hello]

After a filling brunch, we figured, why not stuff ourselves with more food... so we walked upstairs to the Momofuku Milk Bar and picked up three cookies. In general, the cookies were overwhelmingly sweet and not really to my liking. The only one that stood out and that I would repurchase was the compost cookie, which features coffee, rolled oats, potato chips, pretzels, and butterscotch chips. 

[blueberry & cream cookie]  ~$2

[compost cookie]  ~$2

[corn cookie]  ~$2

So the meal was good, the cookies were so-so. Urbanspoon/Yelp's evaluation of Momofuku was not the same as my own thoughts on the restaurant. Regretfully, I didn't get to try the popular char siu burger buns or the fried chicken but I know I'll be back to try something new sometime in the near future.  

Do you like Ramen? 

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