Recommendations | four camels and a coffee to go

2 Prince Edward Island Restaurants That Shocked Us

Posted on May 28, 2015 by lovetotrav

It started on Christmas Eve.

My father landed in the hospital, my mother was distraught and we were trying to make something out of nothing.

Dad, feeling guilty, suggested we find a place for supper to somehow salvage the Christmas spirit which was less than flowing in the hospital corridors. It was 7PM.

What would be open?

As we cruised the streets of Charlottetown, it looked dismal. Even the fast food restaurants had closed for the night. Then we saw it…the neon lights beckoning us in. Thank God for The Noodle House. From that moment on, The Noodle House became a symbol of a sad time rectified by a good meal and friendly service.

A few years later when my dad passed away accidentally, we were grieving and so we returned to our comfort place. After a yummy plate of Singapore noodles, we received our fortune cookies. The fortune cookies, those interesting little “add-ons” read without much thought, had never been my favourite. I didn’t like their taste and their sayings were usually ridiculous.

Until that day.

My dad always said in times of trouble – Keep your chin up! And those were the very words delivered in my fortune cookie that day.

Being more attentive to possible “signs”, The Kitchen Witch, another Island restaurant (image in header), known for its fortune-teller who reads tea leaves, was now on my eating radar. My husband had just received his dream job and was curious to know what the leaves would say. The restaurant, being quirky, quaint, and serving yummy food, drew us in. The tea leaf reader kept us hooked. We waited with bated breath. Then she opened her mouth and mine dropped. She hit all the nails on every head and off to Toronto Chris went.

So if you happen to be in Prince Edward Island and are seeking guidance, we strongly suggest these two restaurants which provide both delicious food and a nod in the right direction.

In the meantime, many fortune cookies later, I have to admit that only some actually “work”. I have become a selective believer.

Some of the fortune cookie messages that I believe! Others… I ignore:)

Have you ever visited a fortune-teller? If so, what was your experience?

Feeding My India Cravings

Posted on May 25, 2015 by lovetotrav

I want to live in India some day.

I have lived in North Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, North America and soon the Middle East. But for a travel obsessed person such as myself, it is never enough. My list goes on and on…

I have been and always will be in love with India. Why? Because it is the most fascinating, frustrating, bewildering, confusing, colourful, eyes opening and jaw dropping kind of place I have ever experienced. It is travel on steroids.

So it is no surprise to my family that they will be dragged to something “Indian” when we venture out on the town. It was bangles and dhosa with Abby and it was tiffins (Indian metal containers used to carry lunches) and spicy sizzling veggies with Allyson. And always… naan for Jade.

Now before the blended family thing happened, Chris and his girls had not touched the stuff. Dangling the tantalizing smells of curry over their heads, they quickly responded and together, we blended in our love for Indian food. Living close to Toronto, we can head out and always find something interesting to satisfy my India cravings. Recently, we ran into a Sikh festival which of course made me want to book a flight to Amritsar, India to see The Golden Temple.

A little shopping in Little India where tiffins and other delights are to be found.

After shopping in Little India, you must try the Lahore Tikka House (Pakistani food which seems similar to Indian but quite spicy as Chris’s face turns red and begins to pour sweat). When you arrive, the waiters ask you where you want to sit. Then each and every time, they show us where we should sit! A game of ask and tell that makes us always laugh 🙂 You receive a whiteboard to write out your order which should always include naan as it is simply the best! If you love your veggies, go directly to the combo sizzler which is heaven in your mouth.

And then you stumble home in a food coma until it wears off and you return!

What travel cravings or food cravings do you have the most?

Toronto: The Feud For Favourite Falafel

Posted on May 19, 2015 by lovetotrav

Being vegetarian, I love falafel. Being Chris, he loves shawarma. Being travel obsessed, I seek ways to feel like I am travelling everywhere I go.

Enter: the search for the best falafel (my version) or the search for the best shawarma (Chris’s version). My version is yummier which goes without saying. 🙂

9 Steps To Finding Falafel

1. Go on-line and research.

2. Get confused by widely differing opinions. Torontonians apparently are very protective of their falafel.

3. Decide on the number 1 ranked restaurant, Dr. Laffa. With that name, you got to love it, right?

4. Dig deeper. There is always dirt to be found or at least a few pita crumbs anyways. This is where the falafel experts separate from the novices.

And what do I discover? Apparently the owners of Dr. Laffa have separated and the falafel divorce is spicing up. Research suggests different reasons for the falafel feud but no reliable witnesses have spoken. Heresay, speculation and rumours abound, coating good old number 1. So we trepidatiously head out to investigate.

5. Arrive at said location to discover that the feuding falafel restaurants have now gone head to head or at least side by side. Remaining loyal to the name, Dr. Laffa calls us in and we slowly enter uncharted falafel territory.

6. We go to the counter and pretend to know what we are doing. Yes, of course, we want everything on it. And who wants pita when laffa is on order? So bring on that laffa, whatever it is.

7. Receive meal nonchalantly (I pretend to be the cool Canadian falafel version of Anthony Bourdain) but with a smile of course. We are Canadian after all.

8. Dig in, devour, digest and drag ourselves out. Wondering why? Feast your eyes on this. Yes, some of his shawarma shots are mixed in with my beautiful falafel ones. I lost editorial control somehow.

9. Declare Dr. Laffa my new best friend and vow to return for many more falafel feasts in the future.

Dr. Laffa, you had me at the first bite. Although I know you may be in the middle of a messy divorce, I refuse to choose sides. Hang in there and know that I do love you, just the way you are.

Do you have a story about feuding restaurants? How did you choose? Falafel or shawarma – which do you prefer?

My Sunday Morning – A Little of Wales, Some of India and A Bit of Cambodia

Posted on March 22, 2015 by lovetotrav

Chris and I had another spicy affair last night in Oshawa, of all places. We just can’t get enough of it.

Every Saturday night we find ourselves drawn to another affair; we are officially addicted.

I don’t know how I will ever give it up.

If you are curious, this is what our affair looks like:

Spicy Affairs- The Best Indian Food in Toronto area

So I woke up a bit groggy from my Indian hangover of pakoras, samosas, onion bhaji, chana masala, aloo gobi, dal makhani and the odd roti thrown in and stumbled in an Indian haze to my computer.

This is where Wales comes in.

I would like to thank Caitlin from the Teen Daydreamer, a blogger in Wales who has nominated me for this following award.

Oh but the award comes with a challenge. I need to choose a character I would like to be in a book. Of course, me being a non-fiction travel freak, I immediately think of one of my many favourites.

A fantastic read that will make you think of what we can share and learn from others in all kinds of places

Gail Gutradt, an author and volunteer, shares her experiences working alongside Wayne Dale Matthysse at Wat Opot, a temple complex that is a place of healing for children with or orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Cambodia. A former Marine Corps medic in Vietnam, Wayne began the Wat Opot Children’s Community with just $50. Gail’s story of how it begun, how it survives and how it continues to this day is one that I would love to experience a little of myself. She has fund raised and volunteered there many times and the stories of the children are ones that you won’t forget.

A book you read that stays with you long after you have finished.

So in a nutshell, I would love to be one of those volunteers like Gail Gutradt working at Wat Opot someday in Cambodia.

Being in Cambodia makes me happy. Why? The People.

And so I will end with my pic of me being happy in Cambodia (in case you needed proof) and special thanks to Caitlin for this Sunday surprise that brought Wales, India and Cambodia together; all in a sweet package.

Me, a while ago 🙂 being happy in Cambodia!

The Perfect Way to Surprise A Child with the Gift of Travel

Posted on March 7, 2015 by lovetotrav

I loved this travel-ous cake so so so much that I tried, I really tried, to convince Jade and her friends NOT to cut it. They held off for most of the birthday party but then what is a mom to do when 7 cake hungry kids come at you? You take a photo and kiss it good-bye.

When Jennifer (the very talented owner and baker of City View Bakehouse in Prince Edward Island) first showed me this wonder of the world, I was blown away. It was so unique, so special that I wished it was my birthday too 🙂

I decided that this most beautiful edible globe would be the perfect way to surprise a child with a trip.

Instead of marking the places the child has travelled to as we did for Jade, you could mark the one special place where you would be travelling to as the ultimate surprise.

Wouldn’t that be the best cake ever? A cake that comes with a trip?

I want one of those soon… one that comes with a lot of markers on parts of Asia. Hint.. hint..