Sapporo zero sparkling Muscat drink review

After dinner with a friend, we rushed to a 7-eleven to pick up some drinks, the moment I got to the fridge, my attention landed on this bottle, without knowing what it was, I made a purchase. I was so thirsty, so when we got to her house, I just opened this bottle to drank, to my surprise it tasted good, I then looked at the label and saw that it was made by Sapporo, I had no idea Sapporo made anything other than beer, so I was curious and read the description which says it was a Zero Sparkling Muscat Drink (I assumed Zero meant zero alcohol since there was a lot of sparkling going on in the drink and Zero also meant zero calories according to the Japanese name).

To make this drink "zero Calories" I think they used a substitute sugar (fructose) because of the aftertaste.

If you can get your hands on this drink, I recommend it because it tastes really good and it quenched my thirst and sparkling is quite strong making it fun to drink.

Chips Ahoy! in Hong Kong review

If you ask me, it's absolutely shameless.While visiting Hong Kong, I had the opportunity to try some "American" "Canadian" foods, one particular one which I MUST mention is Chips Ahoy! Being a fan of Chips Ahoy, I would expect the quality to be the same everywhere, but after my first bite, I was in awe.

For those who have tried Chips Ahoy, you would be familiar with the chocolaty taste of this cookie. The rich batter also compliments the chocolate so well (I do admit it is a bit sweet).

HOWEVER, unfortunately, when I tried the Chips Ahoy in Hong Kong, it was nothing like the Chips Ahoy I have EVER tasted in my ENTIRE life!

To put it simply (in a brutal term) it tastes like cardboard. I am not joking at all, the batter and chocolate chips are tasteless, dry

I feel sorry for those who are in Hong Kong as they cannot taste what a "real" Chips Ahoy tastes like :(

Go For Tea Tea Room Review

Make a wish! There are stars in the sky! No, they are actually light bulbs hanging from the ceiling of Go For Tea at the Scarborough location. But seriously, it is pretty... and it is huge, it is located at the center of the cafe (with the size of this place, calling it a cafe is a bit of an understatement). The place can seem like a maze for those who are visiting the place for the first time because 1. it is dim inside (I think you get the picture... from this picture... XD) and 2. whenever you turn a corner you can expect to barge into one of their larger tables (in rooms).

Go For Tea has earned a reputation for having better choices and prices than other bubble tea places, with it's decorations and interior design, it certainly attracts a lot of bubble tea-ers (and people who just want to look for an environment to chill)

As a frequent goer to this place, I enjoy it's popcorn chicken, I think it is one of the best I have ever had.

One of my friends once said that if you want a better deal, you should pay the extra $1 to make your drink large, because their large sizes is almost double the size of their regular size drinks.

However, the downside of this place, due to its popularity, you would have to wait to get seats even on weeknights.

Destiny's Scarborough Location review

For those who are old enough to remember, in the past Destiny's Tea at Scarborough was known for its bad service and serving unhygienic Cockroach drinks. They ended up "renovating and reopening a few months later.

After visiting this place for the first time in 2 years. I have seen some improvement. The servers are a bit better and the .

I tried a lunch special which consists of 1 dish (with rice) with a basic bubble tea. I think their cooking hasn't improved much (or at all), I do find the price reasonable for the amount of food there is though.

I also like the environmental, they have put effort into making their cafe look better and chatting friendly.

I should also mention the mint toothpicks they had available at their concierge which is quite delightful to "taste".

Overall, I would give this place a 3.5/5 points deducted for their minimal cooking skills and minimal service.

Juicy Fruit's Apple Pie Dessert Gum review

I was very skeptical when I found these at a nearby grocery store, how can gum possibly taste like Apple Pie? The first bite proved me wrong. It tastes like Apple Pie!! :O with all the tart shell, the filling,. it is so very weird!!

I don't know how Juicy Fruit does it, but at the first chew, you start tasting the shell of the pie (the tart?) then as you chew some more, the apple and syrupy essence fills your mouth.

The claim that it is sugar-free gum is possible, since I got the weird substitute sugar after taste.

It is definitely worth to try, as you will be very surprised as to how to can taste like apple pie! However I wouldn't recommend taking this gum seriously, after an hour (or maybe two?) of chewing it, I can feel it beginning to melt away, and the taste is not long lasting as other gums (I think the pastry taste fades away in less than 15 mins of chewing).

Skin79 SUE Hydrating Gel review

I finally got my hands on a Skin79 product and it is amazing!


The description at the back of the box describes it as a optimim hydration management system. It contains HYDRA-NGC and Phyto-Marine Complex that contain skin activating components.

container of Skin79 SUE Hydrating Gel

Basically, this is a hydrating gel to target dehydrated skin surface and restore the skin back to it's ideal moisture level. It then forms a moisture band on the skin protecting it and helping the skin maintain skin softness.

Thoughts:

• really works
• affordable
• you can feel your skin absorb this product
• your skin feels so soft the next day
• great for sensitive skin 
• does not leave skin feeling oily or wet (it literally "sinks" into your skin)
• would be better if they provided a scoop/spoon

Once applied I can feel my skin literally absorbing the gel, do not apply too much though, this was the first mistake I made when I first used this product as the excessive amount will dry up and do your skin no good (osmosis theory - once it dries up it will start grabbing moisture from your skin defeating the whole point of using this gel in the first place).  it also has a light refreshing fragrance which helps you feel relaxed.

Skin79 SUE Hydrating Gel product

This product is suitable for those who has sensitive skin. And is used as the last step of caring (I find using it after you apply moisturizer the most effective as it seals everything to give you better skin)

The only complaint I have is the inconveniences of not providing us with a scoop or spoon as it is quite hard to pick the product with your fingers, the product easily slips off your fingers... making it less hygienic as well as inconvenient.

I will give this 9/10!

For those who are curious, the QR code leads you to the product's site --> http://www.skin79.com/eng/product_eng?id=2

Silicon Cupcake Molds review

I bought these a while back, so I can't remember where I made this purchase exactly. I have high hopes for this product because it can withstand heat, cold and they are much easier to clean than your traditional cupcake/muffin molds.

All I can say is I love these molds. They are exactly what I expected them to be, the different colours help me keep organize especially if I'm trying to do something a little different for my muffins/cupcakes, they help me keep track of what I want to do. Taking the baked good out is also an easy task, because of it's flimsiness it is easy to pop the goods out easily.

The only problem I have with them is that they do not keep their shape as well as other molds, and they can be a little tough to transfer, so please plan ahead (e.g. put a pan underneath it if you plan to put them in the oven, or a large flat bowl if you plan to have them steamed)

President's Choice Canadian Burger flavored chips review

After trying the World of Flavours Greek chips, I had high hopes for the World of Flavours Canadian burger , unfortunately, it was a disappointment.

The combination they used was Barbeque + ketchup + bacon + cheese +...pickle, I have tried a Canadian burger before, but this was not close to being one. The combination was bad, once I tried my first bite, I was first introduced to Barbeque flavoured followed by a weird harsh vinegar flavour and a smokey after taste followed. The taste was way too confusing with no theme, just a bunch of flavours thrown together.

If you plan to try this, I wouldn't recommend it unless you like a bunch of Barbeque, vinegar and smokey flavour bunched together in a chip.

High Park Restaurant review

Grenadier Cafe, this is the only restaurant in High Park, so you can't go to a wrong one if you wanted to visit this place.

I was surprised at the prices (really cheap) despite it being in High Park. There is nothing fancy to the food, but the portions are big and they taste really good. I ordered toast and eggs, which came with fries, it was more than enough to fill my stomach!

The environment of the restaurant is casual, like a cafeteria (canteen), you can either choose to eat outside or inside, since we were so hot, my friend and I decided it was better to stay indoors. There is a big tree which stretches from the cashier to the mid part of the restaurant which reminds me of the Rainforest Cafe (located in Yorkdale Shopping Centre).

This restaurant is a good place to relax and chill in after a long day of exploring in High Park.

Kracie - Naive - Green Tea Cleanser review

For this post, I will be only doing a review for the Naive Kracie Green Tea facial cleanser as that's the only product I have tried here.

This is a strong facial cleanser, you can feel it immediately after you rinse, your face and fingers you used to clean with have a squeaky clean touch to it.

Although the instructions suggest using 1cm of the product, I just use merely 3-5 mm since it is already a lot of product. The instructions say taking that bit of product you foam it up with either a foam ball or the palm of your hands.

thoughts:

• a little goes a long way (even if you apply a small amount and foam it, it still works)
• strong cleanser
• light fragrance (lighter means there should be less chemicals inside?)
• great for "tough" stubborn oil
• remember to moisturize immediately after you use this!!
• not suitable for winter months

Since it is so strong, I suggest using warm water (instead of hot water) to clean the product from your face and immediately apply either 1. serum or 2. moisturizer or 3. emulation to your face because your face will dry up and your skin will feel as if it stiffened (not a nice feeling).

I highly recommend this facial cleanser because it does what it promises and it literally does a good job removing oil and dirt from your face. However, if you have sensitive skin, I would suggest a milder cleanser like Biore's (product review will follow shortly).

Jack Astor's Desserts review

For those of you who have been to Jack Astor's how many of you have tried their dessert menu? I have gotten that chance this week for an early birthday celebration.

I have to say, of all the similar restaurant chains (e.g. Moxie's, Milestones, etc) I have to say their desserts are less pricey and taste really good, with large portions.

My friend and I decided to try more flavours so we got 2; 1 which was a sundae filled with Whipped Cream and nuts on top and a 2nd ice cream sundae filled with popcorn, caramel syrup and marshmallows on top.

I was surprised that it did taste quite good and not too sweet.

Shocking Popping Candy review

After years of searching, I was faced with one of my childhood memories, the Popping Candy. These are candies which are filled with carbon dioxide (?) and when they "have contact" with moisture/wetness, will begin to melt and pop.

Very interesting taste, taste is good and it is fun to eat

Montana's Cookhouse review

Sorry, I totally forgot about taking a picture of food while I was at this restaurant as I was too excited to try out the food. I hope you get the idea of where this place is based on it's logo and how we were able to write on their tables. (for food review, and a more detail review, please click here)

If not, based on my observations, this is a Texas cuisine style food restaurant which is casual and very cowboy-ish. Mainly selling barbecue ribs and wings. The food is quite good and very meaty with large portions. The price is quite reasonable. Their taste and cooking was good, I have wonder how they managed to make ribs so smooth, tasty and savoury.

Creme Brulee from Costco review

I finally found some Creme Brulee!! In Costco! now I'm going to eat it all!! hahaha

This creme Brulee is quite good, lives up to those creme Brulees served in most places. They also provide glass rumpkins(?) along with a packet of brown sugar (for every creme brulee) so you can recreate that hard caramel on top (which makes a creme brulee a creme Brulee).

I hope I was able to help those who were searching hard.

Yanjing's nonalcoholic beer review

This was my first time trying nonalcoholic beer, Yanjing claims it is China's #1 nonalcoholic beer, so I decided to give it a try. Like all beers, I didn't like the taste, I cannot pinpoint what the taste was, but it tasted weird with a weird bitter aftertaste (like those of artificial sweeteners). If you would like to try new things, I would recommend this, however if you are looking for a substitution for alcoholic beer, I suggest you to keep looking.

President's Choice - Greek flavored chips review

The President's Choice World of Flavours Greek chips combines Feta, Olives and Oregano flavours to one chip. This was one of the reasons why I had made this purchase because of my love for Greek food.

However, at my first bite, I wasn't impressed, because it tasted sour with hardly any hint of Feta cheese, Olives and Oregano present. However after several bites later, I can finally feel their presence, the reason why it tasted so sour was because of the Olive, and once you taste past the Olive you can feel the Feta and Oregano flavours sinking in.

Since this was a big bag, it took me over a month to finish (as I do not eat a lot of snacks at once), by the end of the second week, I have already been obsessed with the flavour. If you get a chance to come across this flavour, give it a try!

Scottish Toffee review

I sincerely apologize for the poor quality of this photo, I think my camera was having terrible problems so the picture quality is so bad. So let me describe the container a bit: it is supposingly a cylinder shaped tin can with the words Bonnie Prince Charlie, Scottish Traditional Toffee.

I have never had Scottish Toffee before, so I can't make a comparison. The Toffee tastes really good with strong caramelized flavor and extremely chewy, I highly recommend this.

白鶴酒 Hakutsuru Sake review

Hakutsuru Sake (白鶴酒) is the first wine I have tried that was served hot. yet, after my first gulp, I could totally taste the reason, because it was served hot, it allowed the alcohol to work to give it a strong taste giving an illusion of a higher alcohol percentage. I wasn't a very big fan of this drink, yes, indeed it tasted quite good, but it was too strong, a few small cups was more than enough for me.

Tim Horton's Frozen Raspberry Lemonade review

Nothing is more refreshing than a cup of frozen lemonade, especially when it is raspberry! Tim Horton's was doing their promotion of lemonade for just $1.

I really loved it, I usually avoid slushes because once you drink about half of the product, the rest is tasteless, this wasn't the case for this lemonade! I highly recommend it!

Coffee from Korea review

One of my friends was nice enough to bring back some Korean Coffee from South Korea. I liked it, I have never really liked strong coffees so I was able to appreciate this light coffee. I can't read any Korean so I have no idea of the brand or name of this product besides knowing it is a coffee, but hopefully if you come across this product you can give it a try! If any of you can type the name in Korean for me or translate it into English, please leave a comment below!

French Manicure attempt

It has been years since I have attempted the French Manicure, and as expected, I wasn't able to do a great job making my nails look as good as they could be.

The picture somehow made my French Manicure tips look weird, but they actually do look quite good in "real life"

I think the most important steps to making these French Manicure tips are:
1. Base Coat, so when you draw on the white lines the white nail polish stays better

2. It is best to use tape as a guide to make those lines, or you might end up with uneven lines (some looking bigger than others e.g. my pinky nail and my thumb)

3. Top Coat, without a top coat, it is easy for the white polish to wear out easier, and that's not good, if you have to redraw that line every 2 days.

Hope these tips help!

Bier Market review

I have been to Bier Market quite a few times so I will write a general review of this restaurant & Bar, since I know hardly anything about beer.

First, to get in you need an ID, they literally have a bouncer in the doorway checking to see if you are of legal age. You are then ushered by friendly servers to a table/bar depending on what's available and where you want to eat/drink. I find this second procedure a little disorganized, several times have I not been served to a table and ended up having to search for a table for myself (which is poor service).

I am totally impressed by their wide selection of beer, they literally have EVERY beer you can think of.

The food is ok, there are a lot of seafood choices, but it is a little pricey.

I would give this place a 4.5/5

Italian Sodas at Second Cup review

Italian Sodas at Second Cup! It was my first time trying Italian Sodas (I didn't have a clue what they were) and I liked it! Second Cup's Italian Sodas were on special for $1 for a Medium Soda Flavor of your choice between: Raspberry, Citrus or Lime.

So what are Italian Sodas you ask? Good question! Italian Sodas are Sparkling water mixed with fruity syrups.

Prior to this post, I have tried all three, and my favorite has to be Raspberry because the raspberry flavor works so well with the Sparkling water, while Lime and Citrus are less flavored compared to the Raspberry one.

Milestone's Grill & Bar review

I haven't been a big fan of Milestones Grill + Bar because I feel the food and prices are not a good match (food there is too pricey and they do not provide fresh enough seafood to be charging so much). But I decided to give it a second try at a new Milestones.

This night it was "Girl's Night" and how convenient Milestone's offered a "Girl's Night Out" promotion. The promotion allows four girls to order 4 Bellini 's (which is Milestones' special promotional drink which is a peach flavoured drink with mixed with 7-up and contains an alcohol of some kind).  And to choose 4 appetizers from a list of 10-15 items for $40 (Canadian).

I have to say I wasn't pleased with the service nor with the food. We had a total of 33 girls, which means 4 Bellini's didn't work out properly, so we asked our server, not only did he allow us to order a fifth one for the same price for the odd member - (which is not his fault) but he kept mentioning some minimum charge that we had to pay for each guest present. I would not mind if he was nice but his attitude was not good. Usually servers at Milestones are rather well trained and very nice, but I guess we were unlucky this time.

I was quite disappointed in the Bellini because it was suppose to be their signature drink, however, the Bellini's we got were not made well. There was little peach flavor (which is supposingly the main flavour of this drink) and they added a LOT of alcohol, making the drink taste like something from a 20% alcohol drink.

The food was fortunately quite good. We ordered some pasta dishes and were quite full after.

I would recommend Milestones if you would like to take your party to an environment which looks good with good service (usually), but not so if you want to enjoy food and drinks.

Winter melon tea at Destiny's review

I just came back from a friend's reunion at Destiny's. After some persuasion from my my friend I decided to order this. My friend recommended me to try their seasonal special Winter Melon Tea because according to my friend, this drink originated from Taiwan, and after spending almost an entire summer there, she was obsessed with this drink and recommended I ordered the same thing.

I think it tastes good and winter melons always produce a light gentle melon flavour which gives you a hint of freshness, however if Destiny's added less sugar to this drink I would have enjoyed it more. If I do go again, I would ask them to add less sugar or if it is still too sweet.

Peonies

Spring and Summer are the best times looking around your neighborhood and seeing flowers bloom. And that's exactly what I have been doing for the past week. Above is a picture of some Peonies which blossomed beautifully in my own backyard, I decided to take some and put them in my house. They smell so nice, just like bring a piece of nature into my house.

Cappola's Prosciutto review

Sorry for the blurriness of this picture, I couldn't take a better picture while I still had the packaging. But I hope the name and product name is clear for you to see if you were to purchase it.

I have always been a big fan of Prosciutto because of the saltiness, savory and rawness it contains in its taste.  This item was purchased at Costco (I think).Usually Prosciutto's (?) are quite expensive, however Costco offers the best deal (for those who go to Costco, you would know you have to buy things in bulk).

I was very satisfied with this purchase and would recommend those who like prosciutto to give this product a try.

Godiva Chocolatier - 85% Cacao review

Surprisingly this was the first time I had laid hands on Godiva's Chocolate of any kind. I must say, Godiva's Chocolate is usually quite pricey, so I contemplated when deciding to make this purchase. I like the detail they put on each chocolate to enhance the look of it.

As the description says "Extra Dark Chocolate", they were not kidding, besides Cacao, I hardly taste the other ingredients.

However, if I had to choose, I would prefer Lindt's version of 85% cacao because it feels creamier and tastes less "rough". If you are a die-hard Cacao fan, then the Godiva's 85% Cacao is for you!

Archibald's Estate Winery - Hard Cider review

Last year as I went apple picking with my family at the Archibald's Estate Winery and Orchard I couldn't resist and purchased a few light liquors. One that I particularly liked was the Hard Cider. What it is an Apple Cider wine with Sparkling water. As simple as the ingredients sounds, the taste in amazing.

I recommend it for parties because the alcohol is not strong so your guest can drive home safely and it is fun to drink with all the sparkling to strengthen the feel and trick the tongue into thinking that there's more alcohol then there really is.

Lindt's new collection review

Yesterday, I walked into a store and discovered a whole new collection of Lindt's chocolate bars. Being a fan of Lindt, how could I resist buying them all?

I got these four:
1. Hazelnut & Blueberry with Milk Chocolate
2. Extra Creamy
3. Sea Salt
4. Chili

The first two tasted quite normal. The last two really surprised me.

First, the Sea Salt, it really does enhance the sweetness of the chocolate while adding some saltiness, I found my tongue fighting its way though the chocolate to find pieces of salt, its quite fun to eat.

The Chili chocolate version contained pieces and bits of chopped and sliced chili buried beneath a thin layer of chocolate. The taste is indescribable. While you take a bite and let the chocolate melt, you are given slight hints of spiciness. I recommend it if you want to try having an interesting taste in chocolate (not so if you are a chocolate lover/addict).

Overall, I was happy with my purchase! :)

Green Apple Flavoured Korean Candy review

Sorry, I do not read Korean so I do not know the name of this candy. I hope the picture helps. (and if you do know the name/brand of this candy, please feel free to let me know what it is in the comments below). I have seen these candies at Korean stores (obviously) and T&T Supermarkets in Canada. So if you are interested in trying these, please look in those places.

This is an apple flavored chewy candy. I'm not sure how popular they are in Korea, but they are really good, at the first bite, I thought this was gum, it was extremely chewy (more chewier than Hi-Chew) with an intense Green Apple taste. It isn't too sweet but sweet enough to satisfy your sugary crave.

Shiso Tree Cafe @ JTown review

Smoked Salmon à la Créme Vodka - Vodka based cream sauce with Smoked salmon & fresh dill. Garnished with ikura (salmon roe) & caviar.

I am hardly a fan of Fusion Cuisine as the food is usually combined in all the wrong areas, however after visiting Shiso Tree Cafe & JTown in Toronto, I was impressed. Shiso Tree Cafe is a Japanese restaurant which combines Italian and Japanese cuisine.

I tried the Smoked Salmon a la Red Wine pasta entree. It was part of the Cream and Rosè Sauce pasta category. Though the price might be startling at first ($12), I can guarantee you being full after the meal. The serving sizes are quite big.

The pasta entrees also come with a piece of very crispy, toasted garlic bread and salad.

The wafu salad dressing, it is one of the best tasting salad dressings I have ever tried in a Japanese restaurant. I'm not an expert in salad dressings, so based on my limited understanding and trusty taste buds I   would say it tastes like somewhat a clam/mussel soup base combined with soy sauce and sesame oil).

The pasta was very tasteful, the sauce was light yet very flavourful, there was a lot of smoked salmon. The iKura (Salmon Roe) and Caviar were there but a little too less, they felt like "decorations" more than being part of the actual dish. The pasta was very well prepared, not too soft and not too hard, just right. I was very impressed. The whole pasta entree was very well put together.

I was also very surprised as to how full I can be from eating something that seems to have such a small serving size.

I would give Shiso Tree Cafe a rating of 4.5/5.

Lipton's White Tea - Island Mango & Peach flavour review

If there was a summer drink I would recommend which is tasty, refreshing and light, Lipton's White Tea - Island Mango & Peach flavor would definitely be one of them.

It was absolutely love at first taste! The blend is perfect! Neither Mango or Peach was heavy to steal the taste of the other.

I recommend not adding sugar as it tastes good already without the need for sweetness.

Hope this review helps!

Introduction

Hi!

Nice to meet you, thanks for dropping by. I call this blog "a simple moment" because it keep tracks of things I try for the first time. I believe that everything you try once will make you a better person, whether be it: beauty products, food, books, etc.

Thanks for dropping by!