I can’t believe I’ve never had a dosa before! These are Indian crepes stuffed with potatoes and sauce served with three different kinds of chutney. I was so surprised at how big they were when they came to the table, I would definitely share one next time and order an app. I had my dosa at Madras Masala which had a patio, a beer goes well with a dosa!
796 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON
I love barbecues, especially in the summer. Rose and Sons Big Crow has a wonderful patio at the back with strung lights, an open barbecue fire near the back and wooden tables and benches. The atmosphere was amazing and the food was so delicious! I loved the baby back ribs, even more than the ribs at ribfest but those mostly rely on how good the sauce is. These were smokey and so amazing.
176 Dupont Street (in the back), Toronto
My friend pinned this children’s hat on pinterest and I knew I needed it in my life. Paired with a pair of mice shoes and I’m telling a story of how the mice is running away from the cat!
crop top, skirt, hat: h&m / shoes, bag: marc by marc jacobs
A Hawaiian luau was probably the one thing I was looking forward to the most and it truly didn’t disappoint. We went to Feast at Lele in Lahaina, Maui because it featured different Polynesian food and dance. We were greeted at the front with a fresh lei and a Mai Tai and led to our seats where we overlooked the ocean just as the sun was setting. The luau’s theme was based on four Polynesian cultures, Hawaiian, Maorian, Tahitian and Samoan. There were four courses, corresponding with the four cultures. Dances from each culture would be followed after every course. At the end, after the dessert was a fire dancer. This was the best thing I did in Hawaii and did I mention it was all you can drink? I lost count on how many Pina Coladas I had!
505 Front Street, Lahaina
Surfing in Haleiwa, Oahu Uncle Bryan’s Sunset Suratt Surf Academy made me want to move to a surf town, open up a little dessert store and turn into a surfer. I knew I wanted to surf while in Hawaii but was nervous because I would rate my swimming skills at “I can swim to save my life, maybe.” But once I was out in the water on the surf board with the instructors, all my fears were gone. Being able to stand up on the surf board and ride the wave was pretty exhilarating. I chose to surf in Haleiwa because it was known for having gentler waves but on the day of the lesson, hurricane Flossie was just coming into Hawaii and made the water quite choppy. At least I can say I surfed during a hurricane! Don’t forget to put a ton of sunscreen on your bum and the back of your legs, I just did a light coat and I burned all down my back side. I could barely sit for three days!
Afterward, go and explore Halawei, a very cute surf town and have an acai bowl which are blueberries, strawberries, and bananas with a deliciously creamy acai smoothie.
Snorkeling in Kapalua Bay, Maui was beautiful, I think I could have spent all day under the water swimming with the fishies.
We were lucky to be in Maui on the first Friday of August because every month, Wailuku has a Friday Town Party. There was live music, food stalls and people selling knickknacks. My favourite was the custard Malassadas.
The road to Hana is a 68 mile long highway with 600 turns in between Paia and Hana. If you love driving, this is the drive for you. Along the way there are forests, waterfalls, coconut stalls and beaches until you get to Hana. My favourite was seeing the black sand beach, the sand was actually black from lava flowing into the ocean. This road to Hana has also been called the road to divorce because it will really test the patience of the passengers because they would have spent the whole day car sick! If you do go, be sure to stop by the Nihiku Market Place just before you reach Hana for some delicious home made coconut chips.
It’s still hard to believe I was lying on a beach in Hawaii just two weeks ago. Especially in Maui, it was so serene with no light pollution, I loved sitting on the terrace, having wine and watching the shooting stars.
If you know me, you’ll know that I love trying local food, here are my favourite spots I dined in!
Hands down, the best breakfast place I’ve been to. Eggs ‘n Things in Waikiki constantly had a line up but it’s well worth it! My favourite was the Hawaiian Loco Moco, the Portuguese sausages and the pancakes. My father had stacks of pancakes every day!
343 Saratoga Road, Honolulu Hawaii 96815
2464 Kalakaua Avenue Honolulu Hawaii 96815
451 Piikoi St. Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
Shirokiya is a Japanese department store in the Ala Moana Centre, America’s largest mall and the world’s second largest. On the second floor is a Japanese food market with takoyakis, skewered meat, ramen, shaved ice, yogurt, packaged foods and a whole lot more. Just the sheer abundance of choice will overwhelm you. They also do $1 happy hour beer!
Ala Moana Center. 1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Ste 2250, Honolulu, HI 96814
You can’t leave Hawaii without having Japanese food, we found Magokoro, a tiny sushi restaurant with modern decor. The sashimi was very fresh and everything we ordered was really yummy!
1831 Ala Moana Blvd, Ste 102, Honolulu, HI 96815
We found Bluewater Shrimp and Seafood truck in Haleiwa, a cute surf town in the north shore of Oahu that I fell in love with. We had just gone surfing and I was ravenous! The truck is parked behind a gas station with a couple of picnic tables set up next to it. Everything we got was so delicious The garlic bread and shrimp was my favourite. I regret not trying more shrimp trucks while I was in Hawaii!
66-031 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712
A new creperie, Millie Creperie opened up in Kensington Market. It’s specialty? Japanese crepes and parfait. The sweeter crepes and the way it’s folded is what makes it Japanese. I love how they’re easy to eat on the go, especially for a messy eater like me. I had the Rabbit food with home made Japanese mayonnaise and shared the Japanese specialty sweet crepe with my friend. I was pleasantly surprised that the crepe was crispy on top and soft near the bottom. I’ll be back for more!
161 Baldwin Street, Toronto
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