Heavenly Paradise@AdelineAng.com

I’ve always been wanting to try some Thai dishes at the Suwanna Restaurant. The opportunity arises during my weekend trip to Grand Bay/Saint John, along with Miles and friends.

This is my second visit to a Thai restaurant in Saint John. The first Thai restaurant I went was the Lemongrass Restaurant.

Suwanna Restaurant is a well-known Thai restaurant here. It opens five days a week (Tuesday to Saturday) for supper only. Reservations are highly recommended. The chances are, tables will all be booked up if a reservation is not made at least two weeks in advance.

So I did. A reservation was made three weeks in advance, to make sure that there’s a table available for seven. The meal turned out to be fantastic! The nice dining ambiance, friendly waiter, enticing menu, spicy dishes, and last but not least, wonderful desserts!

Venue: Suwanna Restaurant & Inn
Address: 325 Lancaster Avenue, Saint John, N.B.

The entrance of Suwanna Restaurant & Inn.

Sour & spicy Tom Yum Soup.

Hot bamboo shoots with shrimps and green onions.

Suwanna Chicken, with red pepper and green chili pepper.

Dragon egg plant with beef.

Ginger Chicken.

Massaman Curry, garnished with roasted peanuts.

From top to bottom: Hot bamboo shoots with shrimps, Suwanna Chicken, Dragon egg plants with beef, Ginger Chicken, Massaman Curry, and Broccoli & Beef.

Those dishes were mouth-watering. Massaman Curry has a mild curry taste to it, best served to individuals with variable tolerance for spice. The desserts were a hit!

Eugine Cake. A moist and tasty cake with generous serving of homemade whipped cream.

Chocolate Cheesecake. Very chocolaty!

Sundae with fresh raspberries, homemade raspberry sauce and whipped cream.

Snooty Fox, a British pub & restaurant established since 1994, is located in the heart of downtown Fredericton. It’s my favourite pub.

My favourite food item on the menu? Poutine! More stories about poutine can be found on my previous posts, ”Poutine…“ and “Poutine II“.

Poutine. Fresh cut fries with cheese curds and hot gravy.

We ordered Quesadilla Trio off the lunch menu. It turned out to be a delicious dish. The quesadilla contains all ingredients of the clubhouse sandwich; grilled chicken breast, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. These ingredients were stuffed in the mini quesadilla with melted cheese, and served with Caesar salad and soup of the day on the side.

The Caesar salad was delicious, with fresh romaine tossed in the Fox’s tangy dressing, parmesan, croutons, and crispy bacon.

Quesadilla Trio, with Caesar salad and soup of the day.  

The Snooty Fox on Canada Day.

Interested in visiting the Snooty Fox some day? Check out their menu here.

Boston Pizza is one of the best pizza places in town. I’ve previously posted two blog entries about this restaurant. The first one can be found here and the second one here.

Their gourmet pizza is a big selling point; ranging from the Classics, International, BP Originals, to Veggie. None of them is to your liking? Try “Add it On or Create Your Own.” Customize a pizza that suits your personal taste.

Miles and I tried the Boston Royal, one of Boston Pizza’s signature pizzas. It’s topped with the Signature pizza sauce, pizza mozzarella, smoked ham, pepperoni, shrimp, olives, green pepper, and onion.

The Boston Royal.

Pizza sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and dried crushed chili.

Nothing beats a cup of freshly brewed coffee and a home baked muffin early in the morning. Start off your day at the Danista Cafe in downtown Fredericton. It opens on weekdays, from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m.

A simple cafe setting.

Blueberry Crumble muffins fresh from the oven.

This is my second visit to the Sweet Belgian Desire Cafe in downtown Fredericton. The previous post can be found here.

It’s a nice little cafe strategically located in the downtown. I really enjoy the food there, and so do my friends. Good taste, nice presentation, and cozy ambiance. It’s an absolute must-visit!

Aromatic Latte.

Waffle Mikado. Two hot waffles served with Belgian chocolate sauce, two scoops of vanilla ice-cream, and whipped cream.

Crepe Banana Split. Twp hot crepes served with fresh banana, Belgian chocolate sauce, ice-cream and whipped cream.

The Brussels. Hot waffles with fresh strawberries, strawberry sauce, ice-cream, and whipped cream.

The Belgian Waffle. Three hot waffles topped with whipped cream and Belgian chocolate sauce.

Waffle Camilla. Two hot waffles baked with raisins and sliced apples, and topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce.

Crepe Chiquita. Two hot crepes with baked banana, flambe with Liqueur de banana, topped with two scoops of banana ice-cream, Belgian chocolate sauce, and whipped cream.

Frank’s Finer Diner is a restaurant located on the north side of Fredericton. It’s well-known for its 50′s style dining settings. My previous post about Frank’s Finer Diner can be found here.

This restaurant is particularly famous for its homemade pies. I’ve always wanted to try some. Here is my chance, after an exhausting (both physically and mentally) morning at TreeGO…..

A generous serving of appetizer: onion rings, home fries, wings, and veggie sticks.

Philly Steak & Cheese served on a toasted bun with steak strips, green pepper, and melted cheese. Home fries and coleslaw on the side.

Don’t forget to save room for desserts…

Butterscotch Pie. I liked this the best!

Chocolate Cream Pie.

Famous for their fresh and crispy Belgian waffles at the local farmers’ market for the past five years, the owners have recently announced a grand opening of their cafe, Sweet Belgian Desire in downtown Fredericton. Specializing in European cuisine; crepes, Belgian waffles, European-style sundaes, and cakes. On top of that, fresh sandwiches, homemade soup and spaghetti with Bolognese sauce, can be found on the lunch menu.

The menu.

Brussels. Two hot Belgian waffles with two scoops of vanilla ice-cream. Fresh strawberries, topped with homemade strawberry sauce, and whipped cream.

Crepes Nature. Two hot served crepes served with butter, brown sugar, and jam.

Crepe Normandy. A big hot crepe baked with caramelized apples flambeed with Calvados, served with ice-cream.

Chicken sandwich, served with fresh sliced tomatoes, baby carrots, Alfalfa sprouts, and Romaine lettuce.

Spaghetti Bolognaise with bell pepper.

Mrs. Hawaii. Toast with ham, cheese, and pineapple. Served with fresh carrots, sliced tomatoes, Alfalfa sprouts, and Romaine lettuce.

The food is reasonably priced; sandwiches are below $5 each, and basic crepes and waffles are well under $4, for each order. I ordered the Brussels and had a taste of the Crepe Normandy. They were ever good! The food was prepared fresh once the order has been taken. It involved a bit of a wait, but it’s certainly worth it.

Haven’t heard of this place? Give it a try. You’ll love it :)

Our next stop was the Guano Point, which is also known as the home of the Hualapai tribe. Here, we were treated with a hearty meal prepared by the Hualapai. Dinning in the midst of the majestic Grand Canyon was a wonderful experience.

The entrance of Guano Point.

Lunch served by the natives; corn on the cob, chicken stew, beef, baked beans, and salad on the side.

Tabasco and Mexican hot chili sauce. Yumm..

Overlooking at the Colorado River.

Red rocks of the Grand Canyon.

Climbing to the top of the rocks.

Retirement for me? Not even close! There was a retirement party held at my workplace today. The highlight of the party was the retirement cake!

The cake was nicely shaped, coated with a layer white icing, and printed with words. It was absolutely gorgeous! Not only did the appearance of the cake amazed me; more importantly, the effort, patience, and love that were put into making the cake. It was indeed, a stunning piece of artwork. How long did it take to make this happen? Seven hours, if not more, on the icing and decoration alone.

Maybe it’ll be my retirement plan to learn how to make pretty cakes :P

Occasionally, we’ll come across with eggs which contain two egg yolks. How about the idea of having a dozen of eggs with double egg yolks?

Surprisingly, these eggs are less expensive ( by $0.50) than the regular eggs with single yolks. They can be found at the local Farmer’s Market. It is probably due to health concerns that not many people would go for double-yolked eggs. Higher cholesterol with more egg yolks in it.

How does it happen? If observed closely at the egg, its shape is longer and thinner than a regular single-yolked egg. This could be a result of a rapid ovulation in hen,  or reproductive cycle of a young hen that is not synchronized. Sometimes, this could be due to hereditary cause. Some hens have the tendency to lay double-yolked eggs.

A cracked double-yolked egg.

Double-yolked sunny-side up egg for a change.

A gigantic pizza!

How large of a pizza that you’ve ever had? This is thus far the largest pizza I’ve ever tasted, a 24 x 24 inch humongous pizza! It’s a yummy thin crust pizza from the Luna Pizza in downtown Fredericton. It was specially ordered for a birthday party.

Just in case you’re wondering what’s in the middle of the pizza, it’s actually a hard bun that helps to hold on to the enormous pizza and keep it in shape.

Can’t decide what you want to have for toppings? Go for works! You’ll get to taste a bit of everything; from ground beef, pepperoni, cheese, green pepper, tomatoes, to pineapple, and much more…

The big slices of pizza could barely fit into a regular dinner plate!

Hot pot, also known as Chinese fondue. It’s a hearty meal that can be easily prepared. How? First of all, prepare a metal pot of steaming stock and place it at the centre of the dining table. Conventionally, it’s heated on a gas stove, to keep the stock hot. Subsequently, insert uncooked food into the boiling stock to cook. There’s a wide variety of food that can be cooked, namely thin-sliced meat, meat balls, fish balls, fish cakes, shrimps, tofu, mushrooms, rice vermicelli etc. Basically, anything you’d like to be cooked!  

Personally, I prefer a pot of clear stock (chicken or pork) and a pot of hot & spicy stock. Once the stock is boiling, uncooked food is ready to go. It takes about 15 minutes to cook. Everyone sitting around the table is welcome to help themselves with the food and stock. As soon as all the food is served, more stock is added into the pot. Another round of cooking begins, as the stock boils.

The origin of Asian hot pot tradition is claimed to be in the Mongolia region. Although, some argue that it’s from the Szechuan province of China. Hot pot is best to have in the cold weather! The hot soups soothe the stomach, and spices tantalize taste buds!

 A table that was full of food….

 From left (clockwise): Thin-sliced beef, smoked cow tongue, and tofu.

 Meat balls, fish balls, fish cakes… Yumm….

Desserts (from left to right): Triple chocolate cake, tiramisu, chocolate mousse, and strawberry cheesecake. The triple chocolate cake was the best!

There is always something new at Tim Hortons, almost to a point where I can’t keep up with it. On top of my first and second post entries about Tim Hortons, here is some new updates about the Canadian all-time favourite coffee and doughnut chain.

What’s new on the doughnut shelf?

Key Lime Doughnut!

The “Roll Up The Rim To Win” contest is coming to an end. In the city of Fredericton, there is no more Tim Hortons’ rims to be rolled up! *Sigh*Each chain restaurant is given a limited number of “Roll Up” cups. The contest goes on until all the cups are gone.

What have I gotten so far? One free coffee, three free doughnuts, and lots of “Please Play Again” messages.

Three winners’ cups and one loser’s cup.

Some fun facts about the contest? Customers of Tim Hortons have been RRRolling up the Rim for 23 years. Over 88% of the major prizes were redeemed in 2008. On average, each Canadian adult would have rolled up 10 cups at the end of the contest each year. It’s a contest that everyone would enjoy! It’s more than just sipping on a cup of hot beverage; rolling up the cup as you take the very last sip of drink is a lot of fun!

It was time to bid Hong Kong goodbye, after spending four and a half days in this beautiful island. I had an early morning flight leaving for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I got up when the sky was still dark, and waited for the first available airport shuttle bus at dawn.

Carrying a suitcase, a purse, a laptop bag, and at least two shopping bags filled with souvenir goodies, I slowly made my way to the bus stop. The weight I had on me wasn’t even funny. Oh well, it’s worth the effort after all :)

The interior of Hong Kong International Airport, colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport.

The modern design of the airport.

Was there anything for brunch? My hearty meal was served by the Cathay Pacific Airways; omelette, yogurt, fresh fruits (orange, apple, and dragon fruit), a roll, and a cup of orange juice.

I had truly enjoyed my stay in Hong Kong, despite the hiccups when arranging my accommodation. The weather was gorgeous most of the time, during my stay there. The urban city life, quaint architectures, hustle and bustle, delicious delicacies, nice scenery… have deeply captured my heart. Hope you too, will enjoy your stay in Hong Kong one day.

Walking around and taking the public transit is one of the best ways to experience the local culture in a foreign city. After my visit to the Macau Fisherman’s Wharf, I hopped on a bus and headed towards Rua dos Mercadores.

Since I had only one short day to spare in Macau, I had to list down places of interest, so that I don’t miss out things I wanted to see or food I wanted to taste ;)

Macau is known as the first and last European colony in China. Macanese P (MOP$) is the currency used in Macau. Hong Kong dollars (HKD) is widely acceptable too. The exchange rate was at 1:1 during my visit.

The unique European-style architectures.

The famous Pork Chop Bun everyone should try! Silk Stockings Milk Tea is so-called because it’s as  smooth as silk stockings.

Busy street crowded with tourists.

Macau is popular for its food souvenirs.

At a public park.

The Ruins of St. Paul’s. The most famous landmark of Macau. The church was built in 1580 and was burned down in 1835 (leaving only the facade the staircase and portions of a wall).

A nice combination of colour for the building.

Another popular store for food souvenirs.

This restaurant is famous for its Macau-style desserts: Double-boiled Milk with egg White, Steamed Egg with Rock Sugar, and Steamed Milk with Ginger Juice.

Steamed Milk with Ginger Juice, to go with my yummy Polo Bun :)

Due to the time contraint, I had to head back to the ferry terminal to catch the ferry returning to Hong Kong Island. I really enjoyed my short trip in Macau.

Busy traffic in front of the ferry terminal.

The comfy seats in the ferry.

At last, I was back to the Hong Kong Island before the night kicked in.

Underground walkway is popular in Hong Kong. It’s a great way to avoid the heavy traffic.

My last night in Hong Kong, I spend it with my friend. We had supper together at a busy restaurant.

A generous serving of noodle soup with octopus.