I have been away from ottawa for years, folks (since 2008) .... and wish you foodies there well and hope that you are actually finding places to eat.... mukut seems to care..... and essess?

i have been away in asia and have been commenting on those food and other issues under comrade cholly chee .... (and moodie foodie goodie ) ... but not much .... lol... as it is too much fun in asia..... and eating out?, ...  well, ... it is a whole new experience!

eg, eating in china (read not SAR HK n Macau) ... Eat local chinese veg dishes....  vegans delight! ... but meat is shit... they don't have any ... too many people not enough... 'food' ..... if u go don't eat western food... deep fried everything, and stay away from meat... u may get frog if lucky..... lol....

comrade cholly chee

for those actually interested in following the travails of a food lover in HK... and there are millions.... see http://comradechollychee.blogspot.com/

For all you whiners and would be foodies out there

For all you whiners out there who think that I complain too much about this food disaster area that is Ottawa, here is an example of why I would say that I would have nothing to say about the food, where I am going.... HK vs Ottawa is not another city, country or planet... it's another universe man.....!!!

Chicken Wings served in a Michelin Starred restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel, Hong Kong.

as for commenting on HK restaurants..... well when they are like this.... I am beyond commentary....

Richard.

Leaving Ottawa... finally, ......meh......

For readers of this blog..... I am leaving Ottawa for Hong Kong and so shall have nothing more to say about Ottawa food.. hallelujah.....

of course I shall not be writing about Hong Kong restaurants, but anyone interested in food travels in Europe can check out my opinionated opinions at:

http://elysianexpedition.blogspot.com/

I would rate Ottawa as one the worst cities in the world, that calls itself international, to eat in. And the foodies, the least knowledgeable... Anne DesBrisay has an easy job....

Meh.

Richard.
2008 11 18.

PS for all those cussing about my 'racist' comments, I guess you have never read Hemingway...... and I am a chink..... and a proud one at that... but the human condition is not race based......

Sushi Lovers.... move to Toronto....

I wish there was decent sushi/sashimi in Ottawa... but really, there just ain't.....

New find in Toronto... if any of you are willing to travel.... At Eglinton and Mt Pleasant.... called oisi oyster..... see www.oisioyster.com.....

Just to show I have nothing against chinks who run jap restaurants... this is one run by a chinese guy, where they know how to do raw! Raw beef, fish (and they have toro, saki belly and uni...), lobster, even raw pork, if you ask...., oh yes and oysters..... and that's only the sashimi... the sushi rolls are pretty interesting as well.... and it's run by a chinese, as in chink..... lol.... so u see, I am not biased... just the chinks in Ottawa are too concern about milking the margins..... think it is actually against the Confucian philosophy on ethics and profits..... but that's another story...

ciao ciao... r

Indians in Ottawa, and other resto.... (Benitz, Fougeres, Navarra, Sans Pareil, Oz Cafe, etc ........

I noticed a few comments on Indian food in Ottawa... and I must say, the challenge is to find an Indian resto in Ottawa... that is even half decent.....

see rest of this site for my comments on the various indian resto's in Ottawa.... (there are a few... but changing....)

I know Indian food (ten years in India) and it sucks here.... big time...., in Ottawa..... (too much acclimatization to the Ottawa psyche....).... see comments on Ceylonta, etal....

And .... I also know Spanish and Portuguese food having lived in the region..... and Lebanon.... etc... so for all u anon guys... go lick a tree....

and much about french food... which is the only cuisine to negotiate the straits with the chinese .....

I will not write on Fougeres, Sans Pareil and Benitz Bistro ... as I do not find it worth my while.......... mediocre at best.... Sans Pareil has lost its Belgian-ese, Fougeres was uninspiring... rabbit dry, lamb indifferent and the rest... OK... and benitz... well a real disappointment.....

and Navarra, too cosmetic and superficial and probably a little too expensive for real 'world' diners.....

there is no hope for Ottawa... and I am glad I am leaving.....

Oz.... u can never get in....

Richard.

2008 11 01

Paris, London and Oxford.......

Hi, Guys.

Wanted to let you know that I shall be leaving for Paris the 3rd of Nov, via Montreal and Ottawa; and then leaving Paris for London the 10th and visiting Oxford... (I had suggested that I had friends there when el was considering LSE)..... probably going to have a pub lunch on remembrance day in Oxford, same day there...lol... and steak and kidney pie and Cornish pasties....ughhh; returning to Ottawa the 12th.

Probably catch a play in London... for a change, heard 'wicked' was playing.. and some curry!!! maybe fish and chips, although the last time this was really bad...; and hopefully will have some fun in Paris in Nov... a rainy and cold month when the airfares are cheap.... or cheaper...... yes, I shall go to some museums and sites, but looking forward to the cheese, for us lactose intolerants, probably an exciting adventure, and the brasseries (Lipp, Dome and Coupole), and cafes in the Quartier Latin..... Ste Germaine and St Michel. Believe impressionism at Rodan, L'Orangerie and Quay D'Orsay are also must sees... and some great 'open markets', but don't know if the weather will cooperate. Book stores... FNAC on rue moutard....lol.... it's all about food, isn't it?

If you have suggestions, let me know. I shall be eating at Senderens on the 4th, a three star restaurant giving up its stars and getting into a big debate with respect to 'who owns the stars' and 'whether the chef can give it up'. The chef, Alain Senderens is one of the original 'inventors' of nouvelle cuisine and have restaurants all over the world, including HKG, NYC, London.... It used to be called Lucas Carton, when it was three stars... I think he/restaurant probably became more famous because of that.....hahahahaha.... Now rated as 2 stars.... of course the chef doesn't own the stars.... E$150 for table d'hote.... ughhhh, but have to do it....

Only Italy left I think... no,... haven't been to Germany for Oktoberfest... hear the Germans hate it... and the Nordic places.... raw herring... ughhh..... have a relative in Switzerland and another in Sweden, but.... not close.....

love u and since u guys are in Tor. anyways, no sense leaving any more info.....

Lac Leamy Oct 15th Gold Medal Plates Competition

Lac Leamy Oct 15th Gold Medal Plates Competition

See comments in Benitz, etal, Suisha Gardens, etal, and Chef at Chez Eric, write ups/sections of this blog, but I thought I would provide my comments on the 10 best chefs in Ottawa who are competing in this cook off, of presumably hors d'oeuvres.....

First of all, the really bad ones that I would not care for:

Ben Baird @ Urban Pear
Arup Jana @ Allium
Steve Wall @ Whalesbone

Ones I have not tried with comments:

- Stev George, @ Olivea in Kingston.... not able to try, if they have to get someone from Kingston, says something about the chefs in Ottawa.
- Yannick Anton @ Signatures... since this is a teaching hospital, would not want to go there unless the chef is cooking and chances are he won't be....
- Pat Garland @ Absinthe... have not been, but have not heard good things about him and am loath to try, considering my standards...
- Mike Blackie @ Perspective ... @ hotel brookstreet.... have heard good things, but a hotel restaurant... can't be good and it's way out in the west end....
- Matt Carmichael @ 18.... I have heard lots of things about him, but not all of it good and given his work habits.... and I tried to get him a number of times in reservations specifying him in particular... and that he is a disciple of Susur, who is truly a hero of mine... as opposed to Vardy... I will leave to serendipity to make an appointment to eat at his place....

And finally the two that I have been to but have caveated as so so, in the respective sections herein...

Benitz @ Benitz
Charles Part @ Fougeres.

So..... that gives a good idea of what I think of the bistro cooking in Ottawa and will probably not bother with this cook off....



2008 10 22

PS.... fougeres won.....the best of the best in Ottawa.... I guess so..... going to give up on the others then.... I thought the food at fougeres was OK at best....