Winterlicious 2015 - Trapper's Restaurant Review

Trapper's Restaurant is located just above midtown on Yonge Street, in between York Mills and Lawrence. It's a quaint and rich neighbourhood with small shops and wholly delicious baked goods (Butter Avenue is two stores away from this restaurant). The charm of this restaurant is the homey environment along with the good old (literally old) servers that remind you of a distant relative or grandfather. But be aware: they are quick on their feet and indubitably darling. Here you will see a photo of their ceiling chandelier and be curious enough to make a visit yourself to the lovely restaurant:

I know I should have cropped it, but bear with me, it's all part of the restaurant.
Just think of it as the bigger picture of the restaurant (literally).

So, it comes down to the food. For the first course, I had the "baked almond crusted Woolwich goat cheese on a nest of baby seedlings, grilled portobello mushroom, and honey raspberry dressing". I was shocked to taste this plate because the crust was just right, warm and toasty and the inside of the medallion of goat cheese was subtle and the aroma just spread through the rest of my mouth along with the earthy and meaty texture of the portobello mushroom. To top it off, this combination came with the sweet and tart raspberry dressing. Altogether, it oozed the perfection in my mouth. The first bite to the last bite, it was just... (insert delicious food groan here).

Baked Almond Crusted Woolwich Goat Cheese

The main entree for me, seeing as this was not my first time visiting this restaurant, was the "charcoal-broiled lamb shank in braised red wine, garlic, and fresh rosemary." This dish was delectable from last night. It tastes like your grandmother made your favourite lamb dish because you were coming to visit her. The meat just falls off the bones and is super tender and moist, as any slow cooked dishes ought to be. It's a comforting plate of warmth and just like the restaurant that makes it, it isn't perfect, but charming and homey. Good flavour combination (who doesn't like red wine with their meat?) and I personally adore garlic due to my Korean heritage. Their steamed vegetables taste like something my mom would make, their purple cabbage is soft and it's just a nice hearty plate of food. I didn't finish the entire plate by myself because it's just too much meat for me, but it's good. Trust me.

Charcoal-Broiled Lamb Shank

Last but not least, the dessert. I chose the "lemon coconut cake - moist layers of coconut cake, filled with alternate layers of coconut and lemon butter cream". I'm sorry, Trapper's Restaurant, but you do dessert horribly. It's pre-sliced and refrigerated as sliced on the plate which makes the cake really hard and I cannot taste any of these moist layers because it dried out while it was chilling. The only thing that slightly makes this cake taste like anything semi-gourmet is the raspberry and mango drizzle on the side. It's no excuse to serve dessert the way it was meant to be served a couple days old when you've already had your birthday celebration. It's pretty disappointing every time and I definitely don't go here for the desserts. The first two courses of the meal is what I go to this restaurant for, and if you wish to skip this last course, by all means - do so. One last gross thing about this cake? The butter cream while it is sitting in the cold room by its lonesome (highly unlikely, all cakes are nearly dried and frozen) gets hard and I already dislike butter cream as much as I am a dessert connoisseur. Not good. At all. It's just slightly citrus tasting lard in between dry layers of cake. Don't do it.

Lemon Coconut Cake

Overall, the atmosphere and the entrees are what make it worth your time to visit this restaurant and pay $35 plus applicable taxes and tips for a three-course meal here. Just as a warning, my photographs are highly saturated and over-exposed because the lighting absolutely sucks here and as much as I appreciate ambiance and semi-dark dining rooms in the evenings, it does not make for pretty food pictures. I know I could have used a flash from another phone and so on, but the company I was with forgot their phone. So. The results are as you have seen. Hopefully many of you will try out this restaurant for Winterlicious because their usual menu is more expensive than the value you get for the prix fixe menu. If you look at their menu online, their entrees range from anywhere between $14 pasta to $58 16-oz fillet mignon. I may just go back to try their regular menus. Let me know your thoughts when you try this restaurant! I'd love to know what you think.

Happy dining!

Food Documentaries Review and Conscious Eating

It is inevitable in this lifetime for a woman to go an entire lifetime without dieting. Especially if you live in North America. Especially if you are a Korean. Why do I say this? Because it's true. It's something women don't speak of in public, but we all do it. We diet and starve and try every means possible to lose weight and maintain the figure. Have you seen what's out there? How many films and advertisements have you seen with the perfect beauty with her flawless curves and toned figure? Countless for me, especially because I personally enjoy admiring gorgeous women. Have you seen how skinny Koreans can be? They are tiny. Sure, they have more body fat content than a vast majority of people in North America that exercise on a daily basis. But they're thin. And that's the social norm. And I'm not talking about just women in Korea. The average guys are so skinny that a typical North American woman looks fat just standing next to them.

It was somewhat many years ago that I came across very controversial material and even became an advocate of PETA (people for ethical treatment of animals for those that are unfamiliar) in my high school years. I remember the horrors of those videos, how they raise animals and how much of an ill treatment they receive in the process of getting to our dining tables. But man, is it overrated. Have you ever thought that about these short clips that make your temporarily gag and shudder with displeasure? Being a former member and a pretty active member of peta2, their youth initiative with the cute stickers, I have come across dozens upon dozens of videos and literary material as well as some gnarly posters and adorable stickers while trying to lead a vegetarian lifestyle for that brief but interesting month. What is my verdict? What is my honest opinion about this industry and crude media portrayed by these organizations?

As helpful as these resources were meant to be, they are not strong enough to influence a lifestyle change. These are people who have lived this way all their lives and because they watch a short clip of an animal being tortured and killed for profit in a capitalist country they'll change their entire lifestyle off of it? No freaking way. Hell, no. It ain't gonna happen. Why? Because I've been there. Because people forget. Because ultimately, people need more than vulgar and graphic content to change. Because this is not a good enough reason to turn a life around. Or away - from meat, and animal bi-products too, if you're going vegan. The point is to be conscious of these processes and be aware that the food industry does what it does in order to meet the demands people create. I can't say that they won't do nothing because the effect is different for every person. However, let's be realistic. How many people would stop eating meat immediately right after watching these documentaries or films or even brief video clips? And how many people choose to maintain that change? Not many, that is for certain.

When I decided I wanted to cut meat out of my diet, I did it for two reasons. One, because I wanted to challenge myself to live without meat. Two, because I wanted to see if that would make me healthier as everyone who is vegetarian or vegan claims. The result was that yes, I was able to cut out meat out of my diet for a month and yes, I did feel better about myself within this month I lived without meat. But my biggest enemy wasn't red meat. It was chicken. Ask any of my kin. They know. Oh, they know I love meat. I used to eat meat in every meal from when I was just a child. It's delicious! And it provides nutrients that plant-based nutrients aren't able to. Sure, there are substitutes. But once you've had a taste of freshly made meat dishes that melt in your mouth, it's hard to let go.

I had been warming up to a lifestyle change based on a Korean TV show I enjoy watching every Saturday. No, not Infinity Challenge. It's called The Human Condition and on this show, comedians face a realistic challenge of making do without water or without electricity, without cell phones/ TV/ Internet and so on and so forth. It's an excellent show and quite entertaining as well as informative. I strongly recommend it. I've linked the show above if you'd like to watch it!

So. The food documentaries. These films were featured on Netflix at my friend's place and I decided I would watch them. Because I'm a sucker for anything concerning food and I have been wanting to change my diet for quite some time.

The first film was called FoodMatters. It blew my mind how detailed and educating this documentary was on eating right. My goodness. I can quote things from the top my head because it was so easy to digest the information that was given. They emphasized repetitively, yes, but it was positively received on my end. It speaks about treating your body with the right food and vitamins to cure illnesses and unhealthy habits. I think the vital information from this documentary that I obtained is that food is highly nutritious when eaten raw, your body needs to constantly detoxify itself when you keep eating cooked foods, and vitamins do not have side effects when taken in large quantities and they cure all deficiencies. I plan on taking my vitamins daily and eating more raw foods as a result of the knowledge gained from this documentary.

The second film was called Hungry for Change, by the same producers who've made the previous documentary. This emphasized on the diet fad and how ineffective it was, as opposed to eating right. If your body absorbs all the nutrients it needs, you won't get any more cravings and you will no longer need to eat more to be happy. The problem comes from too much sugar in our diet, otherwise known as high fructose corn syrup, and MSG. These additives in our food make them addictive and make us crave more. Because sugar produces insulin in our body, a hormone that causes fat. They recommended juicing for an effective diet because you get all the nutrients and convenience in one tall glass. With heirloom greens to fuel and gelatinous and fibrous plants like chia and aloe to detox. The side effect? Weight loss and health gain. This regimen definitely works for me and I'm about to purchase a juicer within a couple weeks.

Lastly, but not in the slightest the least, Vegucated. True, it was my least favourite of all three food documentaries because of the emphasis on cutting out meats and dairy as opposed to adding more to your diet to be more healthy. Ultimately it does state all the facts and motivators to change, but it wasn't as positively received. The message conveyed was great, but the way this film rolled on, I wasn't too sold on going vegan anytime soon.

My final say is that I'm definitely more health conscious and willing to make changes in my lifestyle to accommodate all the right nutrients and hydrate myself well to be happy. Because happiness comes from within and there are vitamins that reduce stress and induce happiness (namely C and B3 respectively)! And we all need a little happy in our lives, wouldn't you agree?

Dreaming of Another Dimension

It wasn't so long ago that I had dreams of food. Those of you that know me to the core know that I have an ever longing passion for food that cannot be denied. Just a dream earlier, I was infuriated by people hiding my food and I accused my boyfriend of stealing it. Then it turned out one of my friends had hidden my delicious steaming bowl of katsudon so I gave him the full Hanna Lee wrath that is inevitable when it comes to the obsession of food. I accused my boyfriend because he'd already downed two whole plates of donkatsu and we were at a quaint Japanese diner. They only served the most delicious meals there. Obviously I would get mad for someone stealing my food. Or worse, not even appreciating the flavour combination that is the infamous katsudon and denying me the same pleasure. So what was my dream actually about? Why does it involve a different dimension? You'll see.

It wasn't quite evening yet. The sun was still up and I was walking around my bedroom with my huge walk-in closet and the obscurely large beautiful bed was just the sight anyone would want to see before falling asleep to the most peaceful and beautiful slumber. Then, I heard gun shots. See, this is the part I know is a dream since I live in a fairly large room but my closet has not enough space and never will have enough space because I tend to buy a new outfit ever so often, thinking I need it. But the truth is, I have enough clothes (including underwear) to not do my laundry for at least 2 months, considering I would change every single day into a different outfit. So, when I heard gun shots, I did what anyone would do and ducked out of sight and peered into my windows. Then I heard someone climbing a ladder. Don't ask me how I hear people climbing ladders, I just did. This is a dream after all. Our family mansion was being invaded. By several robbers? A horde? I wasn't sure. So I stayed out of sight and looked outside the window of my closet. Yeah, I know - it's a dream closet complete with windows! Through the windows came barging in a handsome fellow. He looked like Taylor Kitsch. Although I don't personally fancy him, so I really have no clue why I would have him appear in my dream.

He's got quite the physique and the utmost pleasing of appearances, I know, but don't be fooled. He was leading an alien army into my family mansion. Just then, when he came in, I decided to do what would result in a sickness. I tried to seduce the man to make time for my family's escape. By this time, I had shouted loudly to the members of my family that someone was going to rob us and maybe kill us, so it would be wise to hide. Taylor Kitsch walked up to me with a gun and pointed it at me. I don't recall what he sounded like or what he said. I was blinded by fear. Then, ever so slightly, I hugged him and said something along the lines of, "Why don't we enjoy ourselves a little? You've got me at gunpoint. I'm not going anywhere." So I led him to my bed and sat on top of him. Yes, there was definitely no nudity because as soon as I started to kiss him, I threw up on him. Ergo the aforementioned sickness. He was utterly shocked and disgusted that I had thrown up all over him. He shoved me off, muttered something negligent, and left my bedroom. Well, that was easy, I thought to myself. I'm free of him, at least.

As I made my way along the corridors of my family's mansion, I looked for my brothers. I did not see them or their dead bodies. It was going well, or so I hoped. Then came in the aliens. I did not see them closely, only shadows because I hid behind something. Alas the futuristic creatures have revealed themselves. My dad is a pastor/reverend in real life, so in this dream, I had no idea what they could possibly want with my family or these worldly possessions. Perhaps they wanted something else? Perhaps I could negotiate with them? I had all these thoughts inside my head, brewing for answers and escape.

All of a sudden, I was swarmed by special forces sent by the government to assist in our survival. They were trying to send me somewhere safe through a vortex. They shot a gun and it created a vortex on someone's body and we had to leap through it to get to the otherside. As bizarre as it sounds, it was quite realistic in my dream. So I climbed in and the officer beside the commanding officer (or so it seemed) climbed in with me and away we were swirling into this man's gut - through to another dimension. Taylor Kitsch appeared again, and found scissors somehow. This vortex could not be sealed, so the commanding officer was trying to sew up the man's gut and by doing so, he would deliver us from the handsome evil that was Taylor Kitsch and his horde of aliens. He gnawed away at the thread and ripped it open. I leapt out of the vortex and trying to be the heroine again, fought him for the scissors. I feared being stabbed. But right then, the scissors split in two and I grabbed the other end and as fast as I could and as hard as I could, I stabbed him in the gut.

The blade of the scissors were quite long and I could no longer see the metal. Only the plastic of the handle could be seen. At this moment, the officers seized him and the aliens disappeared. I saved our family! We were free at last! I was rejoicing at our battle with outer dimensional creatures and ran all the way down the corridors to the escalators and started to descend multiple levels and finally reached the basement. I walked past the media room with thousands of books and movies and televisions into the kitchen. My brothers and my mother were standing around the long dining table discussing the events that had occurred within the past few hours. My mother was suggesting dinner options. It was only dinner time? It had seemed like an entire day had gone by. My mother kept urging me to go find my father so off I went, up the stairs where I could see the rack of bicycles on the wall, all the way up to the ceiling. Of course our ceiling was sky high, considering it was a mansion. But something was off. The bicycles stopped a third way up. They were missing. I sensed tension in my stomach as I kept climbing up the stairs. There they were. Two female aliens laughing and chatting away over glasses of wine. I was mortified. They glanced at me and continued chatting. I ran back down the stairs and informed my mother and brothers that there were remaining aliens looming about the mansion. Just then, the aliens walked down with laser guns that were the size of Super Soakers. Then they shot my family, one member at a time. I could only hear the sound of my screams as I ran off, tears running down the sides of my cheeks. I ran past our maids and remaining special forces officers. They were lurking around a hidden bathroom. I rushed past them. The door of this hidden bathroom were like those of my own closet. They slid like wall dividers. The magnet at the end snapped shut and I sighed with relief as I tried to shake of my fear. I pulled the string to give myself light. Then I heard them approaching. The aliens. I quickly shut off the light by pulling the string once again. A collapse was seen through shadows beneath my feet. I manouvered my feet ever so slightly to avoid them seeing my shadows. The door was not long enough to cover my feet and I could not risk them finding me. The tension crept up to my stomach and up to my face. I was dead meat in no time, I thought. What surprised me was not my death, but how many of them had sprung up out of nowhere. There were lines of them, an entire army of them marching along my lovely decorated basement. Their shadows marched one by one to the stairs. I froze my eyes shut. Majority of them had gone by already. Maybe I would survive. But I would be a lone survivor out of my family. I had no more hope. No will to live - there was no one to live for. Then I made eye contact. They had changed appearances and now looked human. A primped up human with their blown up voluminous hair and doll eyes, complete with the beautiful long lashes. She sneered as she shot. I felt no pain. I raised my middle finger at her and she called to her comrades as I died. She shot my middle finger multiple times as I drew my dying breath. Then all was black.

And I awoke in my room, staring at the ceiling, and at my sliding door closet. All was well again. My family was not massacred and we did not live in a mansion, but we were living and sound asleep.