The Keg Steakhouse & Bar

It was my first visit to the Keg Steakhouse & Bar. After a long day of traveling from Calgary to Banff, joining the dog sled tour in Canmore, soaking in the hot spring in Banff, we were exhausted and hungry... We've decided to go to the Keg for a big meal.

Appetizers: dinner roll with butter, scallops & bacon (bacon-wrapped scallops with a zesty martini cocktail sauce) for $9.95, as well as ahi tuna (a.k.a. yellowfin tuna, grilled rare, served with a mushroom reduction drizzled with cucumber-wasabi sauce and crostini) for $10.95.

From left: Honey BBQ Chicken & Ribs (grilled and basted with house honey BBQ sauce) for Annie, 8oz Prime Rib Classic (hand-carved with horseradish and au jus) for Julian, and 7oz Fillet Mignon (tenderloin wrapped in applewood smoked bacon) for me!

What's so special about the steaks here?

A Cut Above: Always well trimmed and cut to avoid excess fat and gristle.
Better with Age: New York striploins and sirloins are specially aged a minimum of 28 days for extra tenderness.
Well Marbled: Resulting in a juicy, more flavourful steak.
Added Spice: Sprinkled with our unique blend of spices and seared over high heat to lock in the natural juices.

I also learned about the ways of cooking steaks besides the ordinary rare, medium rare, medium, and well done.

Blue Rare: Cool, blue, all the way through.
Rare: Cool centre, bright red throughout.
Medium Rare: Warm centre, red throughout.
Medium: Warm, pink centre.
Medium Well: Hot, small trace of pink in the centre.
Well Done: Hot, fully cooked throughout.
Chicago: Charred outside, cooked to order inside.

The entrees priced between $20 and $30. It was my first time trying Fillet Mignon and had enjoyed it a lot. "The ultimate in tenderness," they called it, which was very true ;)

Japanese/Korean Cuisine

Julian, Annie and I had supper at the Shikiji Japanese Restaurant in Calgary. This restaurant offers specialty sushi dishes that are both presentable and delicious. Besides, their Japanese green tea, genmaicha (brown-rice tea) is the best I've ever had thus far!

The Spider Roll ($13.80). Crispy crab legs are used to make into the form of a spider.

The Una Una Roll (Eel Roll) for $16.90. Yumm...



The Salmon Mango Roll ($11.80), topped with colourful tobiko (flying fish caviar). Very appetizing!

This dish reminded me of something similar I had in Toronto a few months ago.

Very neat presentation of sushi at the Dazzling Restaurant in downtown Toronto.

Back to Shikiji Restaurant. Besides sushi, we also ordered a bowl of Japanese noodles.

The Chili Goma Ramen (hot & spicy Japanese noodles with sesame) for $13.50. Grind the sesame seeds yourself!

The day after we visited Shikiji Restaurant, we had Japanese/Korean buffet at the Sushi BBQ Inn. Two dishes of sashimi (fresh raw seafood) per person. We were given the choice of salmon, tuna, and spicy seafood. They tasted great, except for the tuna which turned out to be partially frozen. Hmm...previously frozen? Isn't it supposed to be fresh??

Sashimi, maki (roll), and temaki (cone/hand roll).


Our second order.

From left: Rainbow Roll, California Roll, and BC Roll (grilled salmon skin with sweet sauce and cucumber, named after British Columbia for its famous wild Pacific salmon).

Tempura, a classic Japanese dish of deepfried battered vegetables or seafood.

Raw meat for BBQ: chicken, beef, spicy pork, lamb chop, salmon, short ribs etc.

Meat slices on the BBQ stove, right in front of us on the dining table.

Overall, the amount of food was plenty. We certainly had a lot since we skipped our lunch due to busy schedule. I was in Banff all day skiing with Julian, while Annie was working all day without her lunch box.

Having said that, I wished the sashimi was fresher and the order was unlimited. It turned out to be slightly under $30 per person on the final bill. Good food, great time!

Chinese Cuisine

I certainly have lots to say about the fabulous one week trip to Calgary, Alberta. Great friendships, spectacular views, wonderful places, and delicious cuisines!

On my first night in Calgary, Julian & Annie brought me to a Chinese Restaurant for late supper. Yes, late supper at 12:30 a.m.! They waited for me at the airport and didn't have supper earlier.

Top left: beef with snow peas and water chestnuts. Bottom left: flat nice noodles with beef. Right: kailan veggie with salted fish.

My friendship story continues... I met up with my ex-classmate from UNB who is now studying at the University of Alberta, Edmonton. We went to a Chinese Restaurant in Edmonton in a group of five. Here are some of the dishes we had:

Loh Hon Zai, the mixed vegetable dish.

The so-called Sze Chuan beef, with onions, green and red peppers. It has the texture of the typical Gu Lou meat (fried pork) dish.

旅行

喜欢飞行
感受空中遨游的心情
喜欢步行
享受景色人物的感应
喜欢冒险
聆听内心砰跳的音弦
喜欢飘随
探寻美妙人生的精髓

一趟又一趟的精彩旅行
一次又一次地丰盛心灵
一遍又一遍地默念心愿
一回又一回地祈望梦圆

人生道路很漫长
甜酸苦辣都品尝
岁月渐逝不留人
积极生活不沦沉

跌倒瘀伤泥娃娃
摔了一跤自己爬
崎岖不平人生路
还得亲自去细诉

旅游让人敞开心怀
大开眼界万物不怪
漫漫路途精彩绝伦
生动感人永远记存

仰望夜空的流星雨
默默祈祷安静不语
经历过旅行的洗礼
人生变得富足美丽
跨过山水 天涯留足迹

White Christmas

I enjoy spending Christmas in Canada, especially a white Christmas. I'm attracted to Christmas trees with elaborate decorations, snowy wreaths, snow covered ground, lovely Christmas carols etc.

Gingerbread house is fun to play with during Christmas. I considered myself a kid at heart;) Gingerbread cookie pieces are stacked together to build a solid ground. Snow patches are drizzled all around the house, and it was then further decorated with colourful candies.

I imagined myself as a gingerbread man living in this pretty home, staying cozy sitting beside the fireplace, taking sips of hot apple cider and listening to the Christmas carols, while watching the peaceful snowfall outside the windows.....

A very Merry Christmas to all!!

圣诞夜

圣诞夜的星空
一点也不空洞
灯饰璀璨照通
飘来美丽感动

微微吐气烟囱
炊烟气息颇重
街上一片闹哄
填补内心虚空

圣诞曲调歌颂
寒风吹袭不冻
高挂夜空楼钟
分秒缓步从容

圣诞夜的星空
看来很似长冗
世间关爱相送
不再饥饿病痛

人群一阵轰隆
欢呼季节相拥
雪片飘落寒冬
气氛平和轻松

圣诞夜的星空
细诉心情无终
人们尽兴放纵
陶醉仙境与共

Insanely Suicidal Wings!!!

What's the craziest meal idea you've ever had? Knowing that Jungle Jim's Pub offers the hot & spicy chicken wings, my roommates and I decided to try some on a cold winter day... Indeed, we were dazzled by the hot burning sensation at the tip of our tongues and the volcanic eruption in our stomachs. I'll have to forewarn you: this is not an ordinary hot & spicy dish that everyone could try. The hot & spicy aroma from the wings is sufficient to set the eyes stinging!!

The Insanity Wings (1lb for $9.99) overloaded with jalapeno juice and jalapeno chunks! Served with lemon slices and sour cream, and a slice of bread. Why bread? It was advisable that you take a bite of bread before drinking any liquid so that the spiciness doesn't stay in your throat. I didn't find it very helpful though...

The waiver we signed before indulging into the world of insanity :P Everyone should take a close look at it.

I've never tried something hot & spicy of this extreme before. The wings were stopping you from going close to them! Unlike the typical Malaysian hot & spicy curry, which appears to be appetizing and appealing, these wings are turning their backs on you! The first bite of it was fine, and the spicy shock kicked in after a few seconds. It took me a while to eat the first two pieces, the subsequent three pieces were fine, after my senses became numb... Yeah, five spices of these Insanity Wings! They kept my stomach burning for the next 24 hours....

It was worth a try but just wasn't the kind of hot & spiciness I'd enjoy. Furthermore, it wasn't fun at all to suffer from the stomach pain.

French onion soup with garlic baguette for $4.99.

The Crocodile Skins for $8.99. Seasoned potato skins topped with melted mixed cheese, bacon, and green onions. Served with sour cream.

Chicken Taquitos for $6.99. BBQ-style tortillas rolled around Mes-seasoned chicken and mixed cheese. Served with sour cream.

Snowstorm

Why do Canadians talk about the weather so much? Not only that it's a common interest, but it can also be a wonderful ice breaker, even with strangers on the street! Especially in the winter, the weather fluctuates so much that you really have to pay close attention to the weather forecast (even though it's not always accurate). It can be snowing at -10 degrees Celsius one day and raining at 8 degrees Celsius the following day, with the occurrence of freezing rain, or mix of snow and rain, when the temperature lingers around the freezing point.

Fredericton is one of the many Canadian cities where snow and ice prevail during the winter season. It started off with flurries and light snow yesterday evening, around 7 p.m. Looking out the window in my bedroom, the agitated trees were swaying, strong wind was blowing, and furious snow was pouring down. The street looked like a deserted place. It was quiet and everyone stayed cozy at homes. We were expecting 30 centimetres of snow overnight...

Today at 7 a.m., I looked the window and everything was covered in white. 30 minutes later, I turned on the radio and listened to the news: government offices will be closed till noon, bus service is terminated till further notice, University campuses will be closed for the day......

Since I commute to work by the public transit, and government offices won't open till later, I went back to bed and enjoyed the luxury of sleeping in (the opportunity doesn't come very often), zzzzz.....

Finally, bus service resumed after 1 p.m. I was told not to bother going in to work. It worked out great! I spent some time packing for my trip to Calgary and got a chance to snap some pretty pictures in downtown. It was about two hours walk around town by the time I got home at 10:30 p.m. It was later in the evening that the temperature dropped to -18 degrees Celsius, and wind was blowing at the speed of 26 km/hr.

Everything was covered in the fluffy white snow.

The snowbank on the sidewalk and a pile of snow on the bus rooftop.

The City Hall of Fredericton with its Christmas theme. The wreaths sprinkled with snow looked gorgeous!

A Winding Road

We may take the same route to work, eating the same food, and doing the same thing from day to day, unconsciously. Can't we do something different to make life more exciting? Here is a route that I take almost every day, to work, to catch a bus, to the campus, and the list goes on. Even though it's the same old route, the scenery changes with the seasons. The most amusing sight is spotted during the winter, of course!

This is the so-called shortcut, which located behind my apartment. It connects the parking lot at my apartment to the backyard of a house, situated on the adjacent street. Strictly speaking, it's considered trespassing to walk on someone else's backyard. Nevertheless, it has become a norm for people to walk across this narrow creek on a wooden bridge, on a daily basis.

To make things more interesting, this is how it looks after a major snowfall. Surprisingly, there's always someone who clear the path to ease the walk. I don't suppose it's the homeowner of our neighbour. He must be annoyed that the neighbours are walking on his property. Whoever that person is, I really appreciate his time and effort put into clearing the path. Maybe one day, I'll get up early enough to check out who's doing such a great job.

A familiar route covered in snow,
try to recall the path I know.
Winding road that knows no end,
here I come with a wild attempt.

Life is like a box of chocolates,
full of unexpected surprises.
You never know what you're gonna get,
just pray and hope for the best.

Christmas is Near...

It's hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. Christmas Eve is a week from today, bizarre... Soon enough we're going to bid 2008 goodbye... Oh, let's not go that far, back to Christmas. What do you think about Christmas? Exciting? Joyful? Stressful?

I remembered being a little kid going to bed on Christmas Eve with great anticipation, dozing off when I finally couldn't keep my eyes straight from staring at the Christmas stocking hanging by the bed... Waking up early on Christmas morning with great excitement and contentment, holding my stuffed Christmas stocking, even though I realized that Santa doesn't exist...

Should you tell your kids that Santa is unreal? This remains as a controversial topic. "If you believe there is, then there is," is a nice way to avoid shattering the Santa dreams in the little souls. Truthfully, there's no need to hide the truth from kids. The sooner they find out, the less disappointment for them later on. I remembered little sis came home one day, when she was four, asking "is Santa real? My classmate's parents told her that Santa doesn't exist. Is that true?" Stunned by her unexpected question, I was speechless for a minute. Mom & Dad then explained to her that Santa is indeed, unreal. The older we grow, the more we know; or rather, the older we grow, the more we SHOULD know. That's always the way it is!

I was carried away by the whole idea of Christmas celebration. Mom would prepare a fancy Western meal, with Dad serving us sparkling juice. The best meal of the year, besides the big meal during Chinese New Year. We never had a turkey for Christmas dinner. Why? It's simply because turkey is not commonly found in Malaysia, and it could cost a fortune (exaggerating) to get one!

Thus, I was delighted to have a turkey dinner on my first Christmas in Canada! Since then, I've always been looking forward to a turkey dinner on Christmas. On top of that, white Christmas has always been wonderful in North America. It gets more meaningful when I learned how to cook the bird myself. Secret recipe, shh..... Despite the time and effort putting into preparing a cooked turkey, I enjoyed having fun in the kitchen and everyone's great big smiles when savouring the delicious turkey ;)

Now that I don't get surprise gifts in my Christmas stocking, I'm nice to myself occasionally by getting myself some Christmas gifts.

Wow... mountain high chocolates?? My favourite Ferrero Rocher (esp. the dark chocolates), Nestle Turtles, Lindt dessert chocolates, and Dove milk chocolates. Keeping a box of Ferrero for myself for sure ;)

The Christmas Advent Calendar, supposed to provide you with ideas of daily activities from Dec. 1st to Christmas Eve. It's something that I always wanted to check out. A piece of chocolate a day!

The first Christmas card (in blue) I received this year and a self-made 3D-Christmas card. Isn't that cute? Of course, chocolates are always the highlight. Lindor chocolates in orange (orange flavour), red (milk), black (dark), yellow (white), and brown (hazelnut).

Believe it or not, here's what I got for myself this Christmas. A powerful hand mixer and a set of silicone bakeware. Excellent tools for baking!

Swiss Chalet

"The Festive Special. Savour the season. Your holiday favourite is back! Enjoy our tender Rotisserie Quarter Chicken with tangy cranberry sauce, our famous stuffing, and your choice of side. For dessert, you'll enjoy a Festive Chalet filled with 5 Lindor chocolate truffles." I was abosultely carried away by the Festive Special offered by Swiss Chalet Restaurant. This was my second time savouring the Festive Special that offered annually around Christmas time.

It has become a practice at work that we go out for lunch together on someone's birthday. Swiss Chalet is one of my co-workers' favourite restaurant and without exception, she has chosen this restaurant for her birthday lunch.

A full course meal for $9.99. Tasty and succulent rotissserie chicken white meat ($1.20 extra for white meat), served with my favourite stuffing, cranberry sauce, a crusty roll, and mashed potatoes. Yumm....

The Swiss Chalet special chicken noodle soup, served with salted top crackers. A special offer by using the SPC card ;)




Make room for desserts! Lindor chocolate truffles, they're to die for :D

My last visit was in the spring with Mom & Dad, on my graduation day. More food pictures:

Rotisserie chicken strips with green onions, carrot slivers, and peppers, nicely wrapped in crispy spring roll skins. These chicken spring rolls were served with plum sauce on the side.

A quarter chicken meal with a crusty roll, and french fries on the side.

无理的乐章

习惯行走熟悉的道路，习惯品尝公式化的菜色，习惯被一贯性的模式套牢。人生，真的是“习惯了就好吗？”难道人生仅此而已？天马行空的想象力，为贫乏的日子增添色彩；擅于改善的态度，为未来的日子铺好道路。改变，是为了更臻完善；蜕变，是为了超越自我。且让内心的热忱，擦出生命灿烂的火花！

黑白键的分明
音符得以显灵
黑白重叠即是灰
音乐字典无绝对

聆听音符的跳跃
化开内心的坚决
陶醉于音乐世界
美妙乐章往心里写

享受在乐章遨游的韵律
演奏出喜悦动感的旋律
不按常理亦不需要规律
随心所欲但却不失自律

无理的乐章
作为很夸张
任性放纵很自然
黑暗长夜里亮闪

无理的乐章
丝毫无悲伤
没有忧郁的牵挂
只有喜悦的泪花

无理的乐章
惊喜连连的喜怒无常
愿意往你的怀抱里藏
弹奏唯美音调像天堂

The Wondrous Ice

Here are some of my thoughts from today's experience walking on the ice. Honestly, I wouldn't recommend driving on unfavourable road conditions. Your own safety is more important than being at work on time!

The brook is narrow, the road is wide,
under the dim moonlight, catch a bus ride.
Sliding is easy when road is slippery,
taking baby steps while gliding slowly.

Winter weather may bring dismay,
such as icy morning on this day.
Take a leap or stay stagnant,
it's up to you which is more important.

Sometimes it's just too much to bear,
wanting to find some luck to spare.
Ceased to move when someone glared,
keep walking and never be scared.

Oceans are deep and mountains are high,
keep trying and not to sigh.
You may stumble, you may fall,
but press on and never stall.

Ice + Ice = STUCK

What a bleak winter morning today! The icy surface from yesterday turned icier with the formation of an additional layer of ice overnight, resulted from the minor precipitation as the cold temperature took effect.

It's about 150 metres from my apartment to the bottom of the hill of Graham Avenue (the street where I live). On regular days, I can easily walk down the hill in less than a minute. This morning, however, it took me about 5 minutes to walk and slide down the street!!! I had my sneakers on, initially. After noticing the icy condition on the road and sidewalk (I can't move, or I'll slide, literally), I decided to head back to my apartment and change into my winter boots. I had to give up my sneakers and crossed the street with just my socks on for better friction. Seriously, no kidding...

It was very helpful to have my boots on, but still, I had to take one step at a time. I couldn't help but to slide along when I had to. I just had to stay balanced at all times... Finally, when I got to the bottom of the street, I saw a car sliding down the street... Lo and behold, the car hit the curb and did a donut. Luckily, the driver was able to position his car back on track. There wasn't any noticeably damage on the car. The driver must be in shock, I supposed.

I missed the bus and had to wait for 30 minutes, for the next bus to arrive. Hmm... 8:10 a.m., the bus was already 15 minutes late. I called up the Fredericton Transit trying to find out what was going on, but no one was there to answer my call... Anyway, I called in the lab and mentioned to my co-worker that I was going to be late for work. Apparently, the bus service was delayed due to the slippery road conditions and won't resume till 9 a.m., schools with classes were delayed by 2 hours etc. The local residents were urged to stay off the road by the Police Force. I ended up showing up at work around 9:30 a.m.

The 150 metres route to the bottom of the hill took me 5 minutes to walk & slide!

A close look at the icy road surface. Trust me, it was completely covered with ice! By the curb, the sidewalk, and even in middle of the road!! Everywhere...

I was shocked to learn that my co-worker who travels to work from Miramichi every Monday morning, met a car accident this morning... Her car was flipped over. Fortunately, she wasn't injured. She's under medication and currently resting at home. I pray that she will soon recover from the shock and any pain that she's suffering from the accident.

Slush + Cold = ICE

The winter story continues... Please tell me, what do you suppose this is, if you don't think it's a skating rink?!

The uneven surface doesn't make a good skating rink. Obviously, this resulted from the slush two days ago, when the temperature dropped below the freezing point yesterday.

It was a daunting route walking to the church this morning. Furthermore, it was -15 degrees Celsius without the wind chill factor. It could have been worse. As a matter of fact, all these add to the "excitements" of the day when you're used to the winter in Canada. There's nothing much you can do, but to enjoy the wonders of nature while watching your steps closely ;) Keeping in mind that your winter boots are not mighty boots, you may still slip and fall if you're not paying attention :D

Lobster & Oyster

My seafood craving is back again! I noticed a good deal for live lobster ($5.99/lb) and decided to get one yesterday. It even beats the lowest price I've ever observed over the summer months.

"Small, medium, large? Male or female?" Choosing a live lobster requires some knowledge, depending on what you're looking for.

Lobstermen agree that the female is a better choice. Female lobsters may have roes, or unfertilized eggs which are tasty and considered as delicacy. Also, female lobsters have more tail breadth which means more meat. They need the extra size for carrying the eggs. How to tell a male from female lobster? Aside from the added breadth, females' swimmerets (the appendages under the tale) are light and feathery unlike the males' which are bony and hard. Another issue still in debate is the choice between getting soft shelled or hard shelled crustacean kings. This is usually settled by preference. Lobsters with soft-shells have just undergone moulting, which means that their shells are easily breakable. This translates to easier cooking and eating. Their flesh are also deemed to be sweeter-tasting. However, these soft and sweet lobsters are not without disadvantage. They are not good for traveling because of the delicate condition of their shells. Hard shells are then preferred when a lobster is expected to travel long distances especially in delivery. Hard shell lobsters are also bigger and meatier.

~ Lobster Tales in Choosing the Best

I chose a medium-sized female lobster with soft shells. Apparently, a female lobster can mate only just after she sheds her shell. In other words, chances of savouring the lobster coral are higher ;) Lobster coral, also known as lobster roe, turns into a lovely coral colour when cooked. These are unfertilized eggs which have not been extruded.

The tail should be straight and curl under once it is picked up. If you uncurl the tail, it should spring back to a curled position if it is healthy.

~ Guide to Lobster

How to cook a lobster? I opted for the boiling method, just because it's easier. Here are some lobster cooking recipes.

This female lobster weighs 1.63 lbs (740 g). "Don't kill me!"

Cooked lobster to be served with melted butter & minced garlic. Poor lobster...

Besides lobster, I got some fresh oysters ($6.95/dozen). My first fresh oyster cooking experience!

Steamed fresh oysters tasted very different from the dried oysters I've had. They're tastier, of course!

Seafood Dishes

Seafood... seafood... seafood, any takers? Being brought up in a family where both parents take delight in savouring seafood, especially fishes for Mom and crabs for Dad, I followed suit and developed strong appreciation for shrimps.

Fishing season during the summer months in Canada has given me the opportunity to prepare some seafood dishes from freshly caught/bought seafood!

I went to Miramichi, NB for pond fishing and caught this trout during the summer of 2007. My first fish cooking experience :) Mind you, it was a live fish!

2 lbs fresh mussels (~ $1/lb) from summer 2008!

Why do mussels always have to be cooked the same way? Presenting to you the mussel curry!!

1 lb fresh sea scallops (~ $9/lb), with broccoli, mini corns, green beans, and shrimps. Yummy scallops... tender & juicy.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies recipe is one of the common recipes you ought to try out. This is my second time using the Kraft Baker's recipe. Cookies turned out excellent! Having said that, I wished to have used more chocolate chips, perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 cup more.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 egg

1 1/8 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup Baker's semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 375 F.

2. Beat butter, sugars, vanilla essence, and egg until light and fluffy.

3. Mix in flour and baking soda until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, 2 inches apart.

5. Bake in preheated oven at 375 F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly brown. Transfer to rack to cool.

Snow + Rain = MESS

A snowy day is gorgeous, a rainy day is scenic. However, when the two come together, it can be rather disastrous. Here's the evidence:

Pretty winter scenes on a snowy day:

When the temperature fluctuates and works its way up, beyond the freezing point in the early morning, we get rain instead of snow. The volume of rain, in addition of the amount of melted snow results in puddles everywhere. Slush and rain, oh... how messier can it get?

I wasn't aware of the awful road condition when leaving for work this morning and had my sneakers on, instead of my waterproof winter boots. How smart... what happened in the end? My feet were soaked, from walking to catch the bus, around downtown to drop off books at the library, and towards the lab building.

The rain has finally ceased, when I walked out from the building after work. Winter is not always pretty as it's shown on the TV screen. It creates slush and mess from time to time. Please keep in mind that this is not the worst you can expect. When temperature drops below the freezing point overnight, it's going to be icy the next morning. No sneakers nor winter boots this time, put on a pair of skates instead, haha...

Conclusively, traveling in the winter can be quite troublesome. Winter survival tips? Be sure to check the weather before leaving home. Snowing? Wear a winter hat. Raining? Wear a rain jacket and bring an umbrella. Windy? Put on a winter hat and a pair of winter gloves, and do whatever you can to stay warm!

Dress accordingly to get the most out of the splendid winter season :D