Kampai Toronto Media Launch & Seminar

One of my fave event last year was the Kampai Toronto Sake Festival (@KampaiToronto) (post here) and it's happening for the second year. I was lucky enough to be invited to the Media Launch & Seminar at the Shangri-La Hotel last week.

This event is organized by The Sake Institute of Ontario (SIO) which is a not-for-profit corporation whose member include all of Ontario's major sake import agencies and it's sole sake producer. Their goal is to increase the knowledge, education and awareness of sake through events like Kampai Toronto.

 Kampai Toronto will be taking place on Thursday May 30th at the Distillery Historic District and tickets are available here. There will be more than 100 sakes and appetizers form a dozen of restaurant will be available for tasting.

We were given a short presentation and guided tasting by world renowned sake author & educator John Gauntner.

Here's some of the basic about Sake :

~ Sake is brewed, not distilled and not simply fermented from rice and rice alone

~ The alcohol content is usually around 16%

~ Sake been around about 1000 years in the form it is today

~ Sake is fairly priced 90% of the time 

~ Price & Quality depends on the rice (good sake rice is expensive), milling (more the rice milled, more expensive) and labor (hand crafted?)

~ Grades are defined by how much the rice has been milled

~ Daiginjo & Junmai Daiginjo (50% or less), Ginjo & Junmai Ginjo (at least 60%), Honjozo & Junmai (at least 70%) and Futsu-shu (no minimum milling)

~ Fortified Style (rice, water, yeast, Koji + Distilled Alcohol)

~ Pure Rice Style / Junmai (rice, water, yeast, Koji)

~ Sake is not aged but consumed young

~ Most premium sake should be consumed slightly chilled

Sake Style : 

Genshu - Undiluted. Typically bold with a higher alcohol content

 Kijoshu - Sweet aged sake

Koshu - Aged sake

Nama - Rough-filtered or cloudy sake. Texture & creamy on the palate

Muroka - Most sake is charcoal foltered. Murokla means it has not undergone charcoal filtering

Tokubetsu - 'Special". Brewers typically use thus to make a Tokubetsu Honjozo or Tokubetsu Junmai. Usually there is a higher milling rate or a special process is used to make the sake

XOCO [Chicago]

After our doughnut breakfast here, we walked over to XOCO for lunch, this was a place highly recommended by a friend. Love how you walk in to the open kitchen of the restaurant where there's a wood burning oven for a Mexican street food allure to the place.

As you entered, you are given a table number where you'll then proceed to line up, order and pay. Once you pay and provide your table number, they will bring over the food when ready.

There were quite a bit of choices and we had a tough time deciding what to order.

Pickled Pig Feet Tostada $4.00

~ jalapeno pickled veggies, crema, cilantro

This was more of a play of tostada, it was actually on a shell instead of a fried tortilla.

This was served cold and was really refreshing, great way to start the meal.

Chicharrones $3.50

~ tamozula hot sauce, queso anejo, onions, cilantro

This is fried pork rind, it was perfectly crispy and love the hot sauce but find that there was a bit too much of it which made it rather salty together with the queso anejo cheese.

Mickey + Pom Poms + Me

I was just realizing when going through these photos that the t-shirt actually doesn't go that well with the skirt.... too late (>_<) A softer tee is needed here I think but it was still a casual outfit for a casual day at one of my fave neighborhood that is Kensington Market.

Love the vintage cowboy boots but I can never find myself buying send hand shoes... sort of find it discusting
 .

Outfit Details: 

Jacket - F21; T-Shirt, Skirt - H&M; Booties - Zara (sale item);

Bag - UO (on sale for $7.99)

Doughnut Vault [Chicago]

Read amazing reviews online and we decided to head over on our second day, we decided to take a taxi over since it was raining... somehow the taxi driver work previously as their supplier and told us that Doughnut Vault (@doughnutvault) is the best there is in Chicago with everything handmade. It was around 11:00am and the driver warned us that they may have already sold out, apparently they have line up from the time they open at 8:00am from Tue-Fri and 9:30am on Sat until they run out. 

I think we were lucky that most of the doughnuts were still available when we got there, I guess mainly because of the horrible weather.

Their menu is pretty simple with the regular flavors plus a special of the day which you can check through their website or twitter. And remember it's Cash only.

It's a really small store and love the warn yellow glow with the vintage decor.

Ben was the one who choose the place and when I ask what type of doughnut they had, he had no clue. Why I ask you said.... because I don't really like cake base doughnuts since it too heavy and tends to be too sweet for me.

Milestones Grill + Bar (Chef's Tasting Menu)

I was invited to Milestone Grill + Bar (@MilestonesCa)  to try out their new Summer Chef's Menu (hashtag #milestoneschefmenu) available as of today, I really don't remember when was the last time I have been to Milestone but I do remember that it wasn't great. Since Chef Jason Rosso (@jasonrosso) joined, Milestone have been working to elevate the chain restaurant to an Independent Restaurant Experience.

Within the last 8 months, they have created, tested and launched 15 new menu items with another 10 coming out soon. They are working hard to change the public's notion of the Brand by revitalizing their menu across the 50 locations across the country.

We were treated to a 6 course tasting menu complete with wine pairing provided by Constellation Brands and presented by Dave Grant (@sommdavidgrant).

 It was an all seafood menu which is light and refreshing, perfect as summer menu items.

Crispy Quinoa Shrimp

~ Chimmi churri aioli and vegetable slaw

paired w/ The People's Wine Pinot Gris

The shrimp was quoted with raw quinoa and fried, never had quinoa that way and it resulted in great contrast of texture with the shrimp. And somehow, it wasn't oily at all which made it very airy and perfect with the spicy and garlicky chimmi churri.

 Panko Blue Crab Cakes

~ Fennel and Arugula salad, chipotle aioli

paired w/ Kim Crawford's Unoaked Chardonnay

 This was made with 100% crab with no filler which you don't find in a lot of places. But I find it a tiny bit heavy on the black pepper and it was a bit much with the spicy chipotle aioli.

Girl & The Goat [Chicago]

We didn't manage to get a reservation but decided to take a chance and walk in... Girl & The Goat (@StephAndTheGoat) being ranked really high on a lot of US best restaurant list, this was a must try for me.

We decided that we wouldn't go to high end restaurant with $200 tasting menu on this trip which I don't mind since I tend to like more casual hip restaurant better.

We arrive at dinner plan and was told that there was a one hour wait, but after 20 minutes of wait or so we were given a spot at the communal table  by the kitchen with a 2 hour limit.

 

 It was definitely a bigger space than I have expected, love the huge open kitchen along the back wall with the wood shelves for all the different plates and bowls on display.

Bakery Gateau (inside Galleria Supermarket)

I go to Galleria Supermarket all the time since I love love Korean food but have only try a few of the Korean Donuts (savory) and buns from Bakery Gateau which is located inside the supermarket. 

We had a gathering at a friend's place and was getting some cook food from Galleria and we decided to get a cake as well. We decided on the 6" Green Tea Sweet Potato Cake $22 which was perfect for the 6 of us. Although being incredible full after our feast, we manage to finish the cake without any difficulty. It was very light and airy, not very sweet... I just love it and it means a lot coming from me since I usually don't like "cream" cakes.

Did I mention how pretty it was, perfect for the start of some perfect weather (^_^)

Verdict :

Love it since it was just the right sweetness for me

Cute looking and tasty

Light & airy, won't feel too guilty eating a second piece ;)