Since becoming a self- proclaimed foodie, I had big dreams of dining at a restaurant with Michelin stars - internationally recognized to qualify as the highest quality restaurants in the world. I learned what Michelin stars were a few years back when travelling through France, hoping to get reservations at ‘Le Cinq’, only to learn there was a 6 month wait period. “6 month wait period?” I thought, “Now what on earth could make a restaurant so demanding?”. I did my research on what it meant for a restaurant to qualify for Michelin stars. 

The term “Michelin Star” is a hallmark of fine dining quality with restaurants around the world proudly promoting their Michelin Star status. I learned that Michelin relies on its full-time staff of anonymous restaurant reviewers. The anonymous reviewers generally are very passionate about food, have a good eye for detail, and have a great taste memory to recall and compare types of foods. Now since these restaurants are recognized the “crème de la crème” of restaurant quality and experience, it makes sense that they come with a hefty wait period. 

And so begins my experience of finally dining at one of these well recognized restaurants…

A few months before dining, a friend came to visit me in Toronto. We were close childhood friends, and then as life takes over - she moved to the US and we sort of lost touch, only to rekindle our friendship as adults as we finally had the luxury to travel between countries. In her latest trip to Toronto, we immediately connected over our love for food and her experience of dining at multiple Michelin star restaurants in New York City (where she currently lives). We got so excited that we immediately booked a reservation at Daniel – a restaurant she hadn’t dined in yet, but was on her list and just so happened, was on mine! Later that night, I went home and booked my flight to NYC to spend the weekend with her to have an experience of a lifetime. 

Living in Toronto and holding a US Passport, a part of me always wondered how my life would be if I lived in New York City. I visited on multiple occasions – having friends and family there, but never quite got to the point where I felt I could uproot my life in Toronto (living here since I was 2) and move countries. I do always LOVE my visits though – from Central park strolls, to shopping at Columbus circle, and trying every food under the sun. I like to think a part of me appreciates it more being an “outsider” :)

Our reservations at Daniel was at 7:30pm, Saturday, July 13. Anticipating a lot of food, we pretty much stayed hungry since after lunch. We started getting dressed only to experience a city wide black out. I had just got out of the shower and my hair was still wet only to realize I could not use a hair dryer as the electricity was out. My friend quickly called the restaurant asking if we could delay our reservation an hour. It was no problem! I remember us putting our make up on in her balcony as it was the only place we could get light – good times! 

The cab dropped us off at the entrance and I could feel my excitement growing. We entered and it was so well lit just absolutely stunning. There was the signature painting hanging on the left-hand side, that I just needed to get a picture in front of. We were seated at a corner table with an excellent view of the restaurant. Everyone was well dressed up – I mean full suits and cocktail dresses. The ambiance was on point. 

We decided to go all out – 7 course tasting menu with the wine pairing. Every plate was perfectly spaced from the previous, giving us enough time to eat, digest and enjoy the wine. The presentation of each plate was remarkable – full of colour and art and clean finishings. The wine pairing was impressive – complimenting each dish, even enhancing the flavours. Each time a new dish was presented the waiter explained the main ingredients, where they were from and sometimes the process of making it. The dining experience was on point.  

Some of the meals I found excellent in terms of taste was the Flet – a lemongrass citrus cured fluke, Sansho pepper, heirloom cucumbers, wild mint, Agretti topped with Ossetra Caviar and the Fritto Mistro – a Mediterranean cuttlefish, squid and baby octopus, Santa Barbara Sea Urchin, Fennel, Fresh Almonds, Sweet gem lettuce and Uni- American Vinaigrette. Also, the wines just seemed to be getting better and better with each plate. Being somewhat of a light weight, I had to take my time to finish each meal with wine and the waiter took that into consideration – not bringing out the next dish/wine until we finished the previous. We ended the night with a delicious cake inside a beautiful Daniel box as well as a list of all the dinner items and wine names. I am happy to share the list with anyone interested. Please reach out to me via email at healthygourtmeteats@gmail.com.

All in all an excellent experience and something I will never forget. Hope to dine at another Michelin star restaurant again soon. 

My passion for food (both restaurants and cooking) stem from my love for travel. Catching the travel bug in my mid 20s, I made it a mission to visit as many destinations in the hopes to experience the culture though all means, particularly food. I think a country’s cuisine can tell you a lot about their culture and history, beginning from where they source their ingredients to the method in how it is cooked. I put this to the test in my recent trip to Cambodia.

Cambodia remains one of my all- time favourite destinations. It is filled with some of the friendliest people, rich history, delicious food and beautiful coastlines I’ve encountered. Although the country is still recovering from the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge Genocide,  the people are always so happy, with how little or much they may have - a realization to what true happiness is all about (I’ll get into that in another blog :)).

To immerse myself fully, I went with an open mind without categorizing any food I have not tried before in the “do not try” list. In other words, I went all out. Starting in Siem Reap (visiting one of the 7 ancient wonders of the world - the stunning Angkor Wat), I pulled up my sleeves and tried a Cambodian speciality - fried ants. Ants are a great source of protein at a low cost. At first I was a little hesitant to try such a creature that I am slightly frightened by and would crush at every opportunity I got growing up, but to my surprise it wasn’t too bad. It was crunchy and tasteless and was pretty much masked by the rich curry flavour. I would definitely have it again! 

Next we went to the coastal region of Kampot and Kep where I tried the most fresh and succulent crab of my life. There's an abundance of blue crab living and breeding in the waters, which feed off a particular type of seaweed that grows there, making their flesh exceptionally sweet. In the 30 minutes I was in the region, I saw the crabs being pulled out the ocean, stored in a pot for about 10-15 minutes before being cooked and seasoned in Kampot pepper to serve. Not sure if it can get more fresh that this. The combination of Kampot pepper with the freshness of the crab did not make me think twice of how this crab (cooked in sea water), could make me sick (which it did), but it was well worth it. We immediately went to a pepper plant, where we bought kilograms of pepper to take back home to Canada in the hopes to mimic this recipe. We have the pepper, but unfortunately do not have the same supply of the fresh crab :( Nevertheless, this pepper goes fantastically with all types of meat, seafood and vegetables. I have happily been experiencing my Cambodian trip in the kitchen through food, 2 years out. 

We ended our Cambodian travels in the capital city, Phnom Penh. Once tarnished by the impact of war and revolution, now home to alluring cafes, lively bars and a world- class food scene. For foodies like me, Phnom Penh is a real delight, with a superb selection of restaurants that showcase the best in Khmer cooking as well as the greatest hits from world cuisine such as Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, French and more. We wanted to experience a true Khmer cuisine so started at a place called, Khmer Borane which had fantastic lok lak (fried diced beef with salt, pepper and lemon dip) and trey kor (steamed fish with sugar palm).  Then we headed to the Tuol Sleng Museum, chronicling the Cambodian genocide, finally making our way to the food markets and ending the day at one of Phnom Penh’s bustling bars for a chilled Angkor beer (national beer).

Living in Toronto for the past 25 years or so, I’m no stranger to the fast- paced/busy lifestyle. I've noticed people seem to be in a rush to get places and there is a tendency to not waste any time. Time poverty, as I may call it, is now a recognized psychological social stressor. In a highly complex society, people just do not have enough time for everything: our demanding jobs, our loved ones, commuting, traditional media and the newly popular rise in social media. It has come down to the point in which people are sacrificing life’s small pleasures, such as taking a lovely stroll down the park, sitting down and savouring every bite of your meal, or even whole heartedly enjoying a mani- pedi without being on one's smart phone to keep up with the pressures of our fast- paced society.

On a recent trip to Paris, I noticed a sharp contrast between how Parisians (particularly women) live day to day life to how I live life in Toronto. These are mainly observations, my reflections and a little food for thought :) 

1) Fully Engross Yourself during Meal Time

When the Parisians go out to eat, be it in a café or restaurant, they do nothing but eat their meal with or without company. I rarely saw French women take out their smart phone while eating. It is definitely more of an American tendency. Instead, she took out a book if she was there for a while and by herself or was engrossed in an interesting conversation if she was with company. It was not until I went to Paris did I also notice the norm in people eating by themselves and they truly come off as being more secure and confident in their skin. Something I've been trying to do more of since. 

2) Eat Everything in Moderation

How many of you heard of the French Paradox? It is an observation that French people have a relatively low incidence of coronary heart disease, while having a diet relatively rich in saturated fat. How is this so?

Despite regularly eating food like pastries, cheeses and cream sauces, France has a remarkably low obesity rate and this has mostly everything to do with their eating style. Unlike typical North Americans who can tend to overindulge in processed food, due to the prevalence, the French have set times during the day for mealtime and they eat leisurely, often in social settings. You won’t see a French woman snacking on food by herself (or that I saw). Furthermore, studies also show that eating slow and leisurely whilst in conversation, allows enough time for the food to enter the stomach and signal to the brain that it is full. Therefore, although they may eat more rich, saturated food, they tend eat less as meal time is more of a social ritual.

3) A Natural Approach to Beauty

French women embrace their natural state and celebrate their imperfections. While I was there, I noticed the women looked natural, yet polished. It was difficult to tell if they were wearing makeup, but their cheeks had a natural glow, their eyes were slightly defined, and their lips were usually a pretty, earthy shade. They had in essence, a no-make up look. Instead, they focus on high quality skin care products, regimes and drinking enough water so they do not have to rely on too much makeup. They take night time make up removal seriously. No matter how tired they may be from a hard day of work, they know how important it is to unclog those pores before bedtime, to prevent any unwanted build up. They also apply night cream which has numerous benefits from moisturizing, firming to lifting the skin. I love the idea of fixing the problem at the root instead of relying on cover up.

4) Unwavering Confidence

This is probably the most appealing trait I noticed in the majority of French women. They do not conform to any standard other than their own. Regardless of shape or size, they have a tremendous capacity for self- love and self- respect. They do not get bogged down by expectations set by society, but instead focus on being themselves with dignity. This is a very attractive trait to comprise of. It is becoming more and more difficult in this day and age with the prevalence of social media and our ability to directly compare ourselves with other people.  Therefore, it is very refreshing to steer away from the superficial pressures set by society and to focus on the standards you set for yourself. Women who value, take care of themselves and pick up that “je ne sais quoi” attitude are definitely seen as more confident and compelling.