Vacay

1 week ago | vacay.ca | Adrian Brijbassi

Near the end of a three-hour sensory feast, Nutcha Phanthoupheng sends diners a petit fours serving of tiny treats that look like jellybeans and are shaped like fruits or vegetables. A jalapeno pepper, a tiny tomato, and a yellow eggplant are placed in front of me and I expect to taste the sugar of candy. Instead, I find my tongue tickled by dark bean, more savoury than sweet, elegant like everything else out of the Baan Lao kitchen.

1 month ago | vacay.ca | Adrian Brijbassi

After I try the standout dish at The Cocochine I ask chef Larry Jayasekara how many iterations it took before the version in front of me reached the menu. The answer was three-and-a-half months of testing and a happy accident. A frequent diner took a vessel containing jus of chicken broth and poured it onto a massive scallop that can only be had at The Cocochine.

1 month ago | vacay.ca | Rod Charles

One of Toronto’s biggest draws over the years has been Canadian Music Week (CMW). A cultural and entertainment juggernaut that thrilled audiences since 1981, CMW, a four-day music and media conference, brought artists and producers from all over the globe to Toronto. Notable CMW speakers and performers included Slash, David Foster, Public Enemy, Sir George Martin and Gene Simmons. Yet, as times changed, organizers decided a revamp was needed. They didn’t hold back on the transformation.

1 month ago | vacay.ca | Adrian Brijbassi

It’s the last weekend of September and I feel the first snowflake as I set up to tee off on the highest elevation golf course in British Columbia. The snow, having arrived early in fall, is an unusual hazard and as I would learn a fitting test for golfers at Sun Peaks. Not only is the course a signature experience in one of the province’s most outstanding ski resorts, it is also as challenging as some of the runs that skiers contend with on the mountains that dominate the scenery.

1 month ago | vacay.ca | Adrian Brijbassi

Tobiano is one of those courses that lures golfers in with its beauty and nearly five hours later leaves them brow-beaten by the difficulty of its challenge. A test of endurance as much as skill, the course is a monster with tall grass, elevation changes, a preponderance of bunkers, and natural adversaries, too; namely the westerly Aleutian wind — which often charges around Kamloops Lake. What blows away all of the obstacles and formidable hazards is the poetry of the place.