Mini, mini, mini, mini wheats! The Kellogs Mini Wheats Truck @ TheEx #kellogsminiwheats

What a surprise to find a Kellogs Mini Wheats truck at the Ex today. 

Those who waited in line were asked to create a cereal bowl with a mix of Mini Wheats flavours. 

My original mix idea was to combine raspberry and cocoa Mini Wheats but they were already out of those flavours. Bummer. 

Instead, I went with Original Frosted, Strawberry and Mixed Berry with milk. Almond milk was also offered as an alternative. 

Everybody also received a free $1.00 off coupon on their next purchase of Mini Wheats. 

Some of the more determined people, including myself, also tweeted their mix on Twitter with #kellogsminiwheats for a free box of Mini Wheats coupon. Fantastic!

Recreating the Magic of A Michidean's Jamaican Patty at Home

I stopped by Albert's Real Jamaican Food (542 St. Clair W @ Vaughan)  this month and picked up a box of frozen cooked Michidean Jamaican patties.  I've always considered the Michidean brand to be a premium Jamaican patty, right up there with Randy's. 

I wanted to recreate the magic at home - a tall task considering all the variables in play. 

I followed the oven instructions to the tee - 350 degrees in the oven for 5 minutes... But the patty was still super COLD... and FROZEN, especially on the bottom. Drats -so much for quick and easy. 

I also tried the microwave technique - 40 seconds. We all know what happened there - soggy and chewy. 

Why do these instructions lie to you???

The best attribute of a Michidean's patty - the crust: so flaky and buttery!  Something I wasn't nearly achieving at home. The method that most closely aligned with my expectations: microwave for a minute and then toast it. 

Shown in the picture, I've actually added mozzarella cheese inside - The Custom... I know, not very Jamaican!

You couldn't pay me enough to stay at Sushi Inn

Sushi Inn @ Yorkville

120 Cumberland Street

Toronto, ON 

416-923-9992

Date Visited: August 23, 2013

Pictured above is a takeout B2 Party Tray ($53.00 - 16 Nigiri sushi, 52 Maki sushi). 

Not sure why this place is busy as it is or why it is rated so well. 

When it came to freshness, all the sushi pieces were sub-par. The fish was fishy and dull in colour - not very appetizing. One would think that a higher volume place wouldn't have this problem. What grade of fish are they getting in?  The fish here is even worse than some all-you-can-eat sushi establishments. 

Further, this party tray didn't have any value. Too many maki pieces were tiny and uninspired.  Come on, 12 cucumber maki???  It's not a maki that you crave when you want sushi, at least for me.  The salmon and tuna maki only offered salmon and tuna respectively and so they weren't very exciting on the palate. These pieces of maki were basically maki that you would get as part of a bento box meal and not a party tray. 

One word: gross. 

Prairie Girl Bakery Cupcakes

Prairie Girl Bakery Yorkville

150 Bloor Street West

Unit 14A

Toronto, ON 

Date Visited: August 23, 2013

My fellow foodies turned a Friday into cupcake day.  We ordered 2 dozen regular mini cupcakes from Prairie Girl to go (1 dozen for $20.95).

We got an assortment of golden buttermilk and dark cocoa cupcakes - from Lemon Icing to Strawberry Icing. 

The cake portion of a cupcake was light, fluffy and moist. I was impressed with how delicious it was - not too sweet. I despise cupcakes that are too dense. Well done Prairie Girl!  

I found the icing portion to be a tad too sweet though. 

I love how Prairie Girl features two unique cupcakes every week. One of the featured ones this week was a play on Black Forest cake. It was pretty true to form - chocolate cake, whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Didn't know if the missing maraschino cherry was an oversight or if it was because we got minis. 

Prairie Girl cupcakes can be ordered on-line in advance at www.prairiegirlbakery.com/menu

Ocean Seafood Restaurant

Ocean Seafood Restaurant

328 Highway 7 E

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 1A1

(905) 889-0829

I am often intrigued by Hong Kong style cafés because their dishes are influenced by the British Empire.  Having been a British colony for over 150 years, Hong Kong culture has typically been called, "East meets West."  The food is no exception. What other Chinese establishment has Westernized breakfast items such as bacon, eggs, macaroni, spaghetti, and luncheon meat?  

I personally crave those unique baked rice dishes - rice on the bottom, meat and vegetables on top, all smothered in a rich sauce and baked to perfection.  When done correctly, the sauce bubbles and has burnt brown spots which add a "crunchy" texture to every bite!

A popular choice is usually baked pork chops on rice with a tomato sauce. This visit, I opted for baked chicken with Portuguese  sauce on rice ($5.99). The Portuguese sauce was delicious - it tasted like a mild curry coconut sauce. 

You get amazing value with these dishes as they are all in the $5 to $6 range. Included in your price is a coffee or tea - an extra charge of $0.70 is added for a cold drink. I requested for a black milk tea. 

During my visit, I also ordered a fried rice noodle with beef and soy sauce ($5.99 - which also includes a free drink). It was up to par in taste when compared with most Chinese establishments but it was noticeable more greasy than desired. 

The service is typical for most Chinese establishments - efficient yet usually not very personable. This visit, one of the dishes came significantly later than the other, which took away from the experience. 

All in all, I would still return for those signature baked dishes - the next time I get a craving.