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Yorkville’s Over the Rainbow Jeans is celebrating its 35th birthday today and tomorrow.  Don’t forget to check it out!!

Look for a longer report when we launch DelectablyChic! next week!

Vietnamese Coffee

If you like ordering food dim sum style (on slips rather than speaking with a server), but prefer pan-Asian cuisine rather than standard Hong Kong fare, look no further than Hue’s Kitchen.  A unique concept to the Yonge and Bloor area, this restaurant allows diners to pick and choose their meals from a form.  There are plenty of dishes to choose from, ranging from platters to Vietnamese pho (the food is predominantly Vietnamese) as well as drinks like Vietmanese coffee (dark roast coffee brewed with a metal drip filtre and served with condensed milk (1/4/ to 1/2 cup) and ice – if you’ve ever had Hong Kong tea, it’s more or less the same thing with coffee and over ice).  

Two of my favourite starters are the the salad rolls and crispy rolls.  Stuffed with healthier goodies like carrots or yams, salad rolls are a good choice  for those who want something a little different (the ones above are yam tempura rolls).  Of course, crispy rolls are also available.  In both cases, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices are available. 

As for the main course, there’s plenty to choose from.  Besides the many variations of pho (beef brisket, beef balls, chicken, etc…), there are also platters as well as some choices one might find at an Indian restaurant.  While the food isn’t awful, it is not top of the line, either.  There are plenty of pan-Asian restaurants in the area which are better.  However, the fact that they serve some South Asian dishes means that they’re doing a good job distinguishing themselves from the competition, who tend to stick with East Asian dishes. 

Setting-wise, the restaurant offers both indoor and patio seating.  The patio is at the back of the restaurant and is a great place to chill for a meal when it isn’t too hot.

Hue’s Kitchen is located on 774 Yonge Street, just south of Bloor.

There’s nothing like Australia’s beaches! Did you know that Australia’s coastline is linked by more than 10,000 beaches?  More than any other country in the world! Whether it’s a getaway at a new resort lavish enough for royalty, or a beachside tent, Australia has coastal getaways like no other.

With so many beachside hotels and resorts to choose from, I thought I could help make things easier for you and your readers by providing a list of some of the most luxurious and captivating retreats.

Saffire (Tasmania): Saffire is one of Australia’s newest luxurious accommodations and is located on the inside of the curve of sandy coastline that joins the Freycinet Peninsula to mainland Tasmania overlooking the Great Oyster Bay, where migrating whales and dolphins come to play, and where local farms produce fresh succulent oysters in some of the world’s cleanest waters. This luxury coastal sanctuary on Tasmania’s east coast truly captures the essence of this unique region, and connects with its environment to generate an authentic, enriching, rejuvenating and uplifting experience. With only 20 accommodation suites, this boutique retreat will redefine guests’ standard of relaxation and wellbeing.

Lizard Island Resort (Queensland): Australia’s northernmost resort, Lizard is located right on the Great Barrier Reef, fringed with colorful coral reefs and 24 powdery white beaches. There are extensive diving opportunities around the Marine National Park, including the famous Code Hole where snorkelers are rewarded with coral gardens, brightly colored tropical fish and giant clams just moments from the Island’s beaches. Guests are encouraged to enjoy gourmet picnics on secluded, pristine beaches, relaxation treatments at the luxurious Azure Spa, and glass bottom boat trips.

Pretty Beach House (New South Wales): Set high on the embankment above Pretty Beach, and nestled into the Bouddi National Park, Pretty Beach House is a private guesthouse-style hotel about 60 miles north of Sydney. With only three, one-bedroom pavilions surrounding the Main House, guests are welcome as if in a private home, where all meals, snacks and drinks are included as part of the hospitality; in addition, there’s butler service available around-the-clock. All the food is designed and prepared under renowned chef Stefano Manfredi, and is to be enjoyed privately within the guests’ own pavilion in the main dining area, in the wine cellar, or al fresco on the landscaped property.

Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef (Western Australia): Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef is an award winning wilderness camp hidden in the white sand dunes of Western Australia’s Cape Range National Park. Guests stay in comfortable tents complete with a king size bed, toilet, solar shower and spectacular view over the reef. During the day guests can take advantage of the complimentary guided snorkeling and kayaking tours, while the evenings allow for visits from kangaroos out for their evening graze. Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef is the perfect getaway for environmentally conscious travelers, as the accommodation’s ecological principles ensure that guests generate a minimal environmental footprint during their stay. All of the camp’s power is solar generated; each en suite bathroom is complete with a natureloo, herb soap, and ecologically sound shampoo; water usage is carefully managed, and no waste material escapes into the surrounding ecosystem.

Please let me know if you are interested in receiving photos for any of the destinations above. Also, for more information regarding these retreats, or others, please visit www.australia.com or feel free to contact Megan at megan.stoudt@fleishman.ca or call at 416 645 8206.

Images also courtesy of Tourism Australia

Then came Sunday, when the online stores launched.  The good news is that delivery is Canadian based, rather than from the international store.  The bad news?  No petite sizes (and no Athleta or Piperlime, either).  To many, this might not be a big deal, but when you’re tiny like me, it is.  In addition, why WON’T they have petite sizes?  It makes sense, right?  After all, petite sizes are available in several stores across the country.  I would have been fine if none of the stores sold petites online, but this is not the case.  Online stores are supposed to sell MORE, not LESS than what brick and mortar stores offer.  I have since e-mailed Canadian customer service and will give them a telephone call as well.  Stay tuned for more…

UPDATE:  Spoke with a customer service rep and she said that they had just launched so not everything is up yet.  Let’s hope that this means petites will be shipping soon.  I will be checking back with them at the end of September if it is not live.

The After 5 event was held at many (all?) stores across the globe to promote the fall line.  Shoppers got to try the collection and have their picture taken by a professional photographer (a store rep was at the door asking people whether they were interested in being in the shoot – those who were had to sign a release form as their picture might be posted in the store’s window).  Usually at these events, photographers would only take three or four pictures at most, but not here.  Perhaps I was there early – around 5:30 pm, when people were just getting out of the office, but the photographer must have taken at least 50 or 60.  It took them at least two or three minutes to scroll through my entire shoot.  Not only did I wear the outfit I had originally tried on (leggings, long cardigan and scarf) but a sales associate/stylist also added a leather jacket (probably one that was at least a size too big for me) and some bling.  As a result, half the pictures taken consisted of my original outfit and the other half with the jacket and jewellery.  The event was loads of fun and hopefully, the picture will actually end up outside the store.

In addition to the photographer, there were also nibblies for shoppers and purchases over $100 were given a 25% discount.  My final purchase consisted of the sweater, leggings and also a pair of jeans.

This post was also published in Shorty Stories.

There’s a small restaurant on Hayden Street which serves organic vegan foods.  Open only during the work week, Camros is one of the few non-sitdown vegan-only restaurants in the city.  At my first ever visit there, I had their three item combo ($10.39 plus tax – can also choose from two or four items) which consisted of millet salad, a green salad and “green patties.”  The green patties were made out of leeks, rice, potatoes, parsley and several other ingredients.  This was the first non-Asian, fast vegan meal I’ve ever had, and I must say that it was quite delicious.  The best has GOT to be the salad dressing I had.  It was made with olive oil and lemon juice, which gave the salad a bit of a Mediterranean taste.

The restaurant does use real cutlery if you are dining in. Take-out foods are in 100% biodegradable containers. It is decorated simply, and is probably more comparable to fastish food joints like Cultures and Michel’s Baguette, since diners can pick and choose from the counter.  Camros is also decorated simply and the lighting is practically all natural.  In addition to the combos, there are salads, stews as well as a juice bar.  Prices are higher than average in the area, but keep in mind that the foods are organic.  This is definitely a restaurant that I’d recommend, even for those who are not vegetarian or vegan.  You will NOT miss meat there.

Camros Eatery is located on 25 Hayden Street, which is just south of Bloor and east of Yonge.  You can also follow them on Twitter.