{Supreme Beef Teppanyaki Rice $8.99}

I was quite surprised to learn that there was a rather long ling up for the new pepper lunch establishment at First Markham place. I mean, that little spot at the corner of this plaza had never gotten so much traffic. Restaurants previously situated at that spot, sadly, never last and I was never able to keep up with what's the current one. Hopefully, the new Aka Teppan will last since based on my recent experience, this place seems promising and offers a different cuisine amongst the many pho, Korean and sushi eateries in Markham.

A friend gave me 3 packs of moose meat recently, a pack of roast meat, steak and sausage. He goes hunting every season and I usually benefit from his conquest. That leaves me to a challenge, however, because I will need to find a recipe that cook these meat well. Last time, I made them into moose meat balls and served with pastas. I find that the sauce helped dilute the gamey taste of the moose. So, this time I decided to cook them in a stew.

If it wasn’t for St. Patrick’s Day, I would not realize how limited my selection of green clothing I have in my closet. Green is not what I would normally pick. I feel that the colour is challenging to pull off and it doesn’t always compliment my skin tone well. But, this fabulous wool dress changed my mind.

Ever since my younger brother gets the 9-5 shift for his job, I'd have to fight for the bathroom and share my breakfast table with him before we leave together for work. That's also when I finally realize he eats the same cereal and yogurt for breakfast every morning. I'm unsure as to why he can handle the same boring combination every day. So, I decided to steal some of his daily essentials and turn them into my own deliciousness.

{Tsuki Don $13 - California Don topped with assorted diced sashimi}

When it comes to Izakaya, I think of loud and lively Japanese pub-like restaurants, accompanying bite size, tapas-style portion food. Here at Tsuki Izakaya on Yonge, I'm surprised to learn that they are quieter than most Izakayas I've been to, like Guu and Fin. It's good to have a change of ambience as I find the bustling noises can be quite annoying if you just want to chat. Perhaps because it was on a Sunday, it wasn't busy at all. The portion of their food is larger than the other Izakayas and also slightly pricier in comparison. They have a pretty diverse menu, including both Japanese and Korean dishes, rice, sushi rolls, sashimis and grilled meat.