3 Top-Rated Pho Spots in Ottawa

Ottawa boasts a variety of pho restaurants but only a few of them stand out for their authentic and flavorful dishes. I ended up going to a number of them to share my experience and reveal the places to enjoy a bowl of pho in Ottawa!

Crazy Pho You Restaurant

Address: 696 Bronson Ave, Ottawa, ON K1S 4G2
Business website: https://crazyphoyouottawa.ca/

Not only is it one of the more affordable pho places but one of the best places in Ottawa for Pho. Their broth is really flavorful and it won’t be necessary to add any additional spice to your meal! Also there is a decent amount of meat for your order.

While Crazy Pho You is a Vietnamese restaurant, you will find a variety of Chinese/Thai dishes available on their menu as well. The place is quite small and is suitable for small groups though I haven’t had any issues with seating whenever I have arrived.

Best spicy pho experience
Vietnamese restaurant
Extensive menu
Offers Chinese/Thai dishes as well
Suitable for small groups

Top Menu Items – Banh Mi, Beef Pho, Pad Thai

Pho Tuan

Address: 300 Booth St, Ottawa, ON K1R 6N6
Business website: https://photuan.com/

Pho Tuan has one of the most delicious broths I have had. Just go with any of their chef’s specials and you will be realize why I consider it as one of the best places for Pho in Ottawa! Their portions are huge and the broth was very flavorful.

They do have limited dining space so you might need to wait outside during their peak hours.

Vietnamese cuisine
Suitable for small groups
Delicious broth
Huge portions

Top Menu Items – Bun Bo Hue, Pho DAC Biet, Bun Chai Ha Noi

Saigon Boy Noodle House

Address: 648 Somerset Street West, Ottawa, ON K1R 5K4

Just another ordinary Vietnamese restaurant but their rice noodles are just amazing. One thing I noticed different from other pho places about this is that they had all the condiments at my table with my order and I didn’t have to ask for anything.

There was even a chili pepper something that I haven’t seen other pho restaurants provide me with. I was able to spice up my pho exactly how I wanted.

Vietnamese pho restaurant
Small pho place
Upscale casual dining
Suitable for family dinner
Best pho on somerset

Top Menu Items – Pho Dac Biet, Chicken And Pork with Rice, Beef Pho

Some other good pho restaurants in Ottawa to consider –

Pho Viet Taste (Address: 1395 Wellington St. W, Ottawa, ON K1Y 2X1)
Good portion sizes and price appears to be on the reasonable side as well. It didn’t have the wow factor that I had with the other places but I felt this pho restaurant was good enough. Their most popular item is Rare Beef with Spicy Thai Soup and Rice Noodles.

Springroll House Restaurant (Address: 1093 Wellington St. W, Ottawa, ON K1Y 2Y4)
A nice and quite place to have pho. The meat portions at this Vietnamese restaurant were quite good though I think the broth was lacking a bit of flavor for me. I would be more likely to go to this place for lunch if I was working around the area. Also as their name suggests, I think this place is best known for their spring rolls so I would like to try those sometime.

Pho Van Van (Address: 127 Holland Ave, Ottawa, ON K1Y 0Y2)
Out of all the pho places I have been so far I think Pho Van Van has the best looking interiors that I have seen in the city. I think this might be a good spot for dates or family. However I don’t think their pho is the best and I think I found their chicken broth a bit too salty for my taste.

Pho Lady (Address: 280 Elgin St #5, Ottawa, ON K2P 1M2)
They have a slightly upscale casual dining experience than most other pho places that I have been to in Ottawa. While their Pho is decent, I think they are more known for their Sushi and Ramen, so if you are headed out to Pho Lady I would recommend that you try out their Tonkatsu Spicy Ramen.

New Pho Bo Ga La (Address: 763 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON K1R 6R1)
They do have a very extensive menu and also have bubble teas. This restaurant might be easily able to accommodate large groups compared to some of the other places that I have been to.

Parle By Viet Fresh (Address: 313 Dalhousie St, Ottawa, ON K1N 5T4)
This restaurant initially marketed itself as the best pho in Ottawa however didn’t meet my expectations in that sense. They do have a relatively nicer interior compared to the usual pho places and you are very likely to take pictures with your friends once you enter this restaurant.

Do you know of a pho place that is not on this list? Let us know how was your experience and why you think it deserves to be on the top list.

Tom Mehra

Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.

tommera.com/

4 Must-Try Bubble Tea Places in Ottawa

Are you a Bubble Tea enthusiast in Ottawa and looking for the best spots in the town for the perfect blend of flavors and textures?

Here’s a compilation of the best bubble tea spots in the city that I found –

SipTea

Address: 203 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K2P 1W7
Business website: https://www.sipteaca.com/

My order at Sip Tea was just perfect, I think it has been the best bubble tea I have had so far in the city. My Brown Sugar Bobo Milk Tea came with Tapioca, Green Tea and Cheese Mousse. So far, out of all the places, Sip Tea has come out as my favorite place for Bubble Tea! The reason being every time I have ordered from this place, the flavor is spot on and the quality has been consistent!

If you want the best bang for your buck, go for their Super Bucket Tea which has a litre of milk tea and you can even share it with your friends!

Sip Tea does have another location in Merivale but the one on Bank Street is the best!

Highly recommend their Brown Sugar Milk Tea
Large seating area
Best bubble tea in downtown Ottawa
Casual hangout location

Chatime

Address: 695 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON K1R 6P5
Business website: https://chatime.ca/

Chatime has been another one of my favorites bubble tea spots in Ottawa and I have found that the one in Chinatown seems to be consistent in terms of quality. I have tried out other Chatime locations in Ottawa as well however the quality of my bubble tea was slightly lower at those locations.

Chatime locations also have deals running from time to time and sometimes you might just get a free drink or 50% off regular price. So make sure to provide your number to take advantage of their periodic deals.

Takeout oriented
Limited seating
Multiple locations
Best bubble tea in Chinatown

Juice Dudez

Address: 91 Richmond Rd A, Ottawa, ON K1Z 0A7
Business website: https://juicedudez.ca/

While they don’t have the largest variety of Bubble Teas, they definitely have one of the better ones in Ottawa. This Shop not only offers Boba Tea but also are popular for their fruit smoothies, juices and desserts. Also it appears to be a cool hangout spot for youngsters and remote workers. This shop is open till midnight and even sells a few farm products.

Open till late
Chill spot for late night hangout
Seating available but can be busy

Pomelo Hat

Address: 1196 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K1S 3Y1
Business website: https://www.pomelohat.com/

While this bubble tea shop was the smallest I have been to, I found their bubble tea to be quite good. They do have vegan options available as well. Besides bubble tea, the place is also known for its smoothie bowls, poke bowls and fresh bakery products.

Tiny bubble tea location
Takeout oriented
Limited seating

Other good bubble tea places worth visiting –

Hi T (Address: 1076 Wellington St. W, Ottawa, ON K1Y 2Y3)
While their bubble tea is just good enough, they have a really nice seating area and free to play board games as well. This place might be really nice for a group hangout! They also offer a do it yourself bubble tea experience which is something I have seen for the first time.
Hangout (Address: 839 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON K1R 6R6)
This location has a large seating area, and features a ton of board games to choose from. Besides bubble tea they also have slushies, fruit smoothies, sodas, cupcakes, cheesecakes, ice-creams and ramens. This would be a good spot if you want to play some games with your friends and have some snacks/drinks. There is a per person charge for the board games.
Tiger Sugar (Address: 238 Besserer St Unit B, Ottawa, ON K1N 6B1)
Tiger Sugar markets itself as a premium bubble tea experience and I think it does deliver somewhat on it. My drink looked nice but I think the flavor was a bit below expectation especially when you pay a high price for your drinks.
Coco Bubble Tea (Address: 290 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K2P 1X6, Canada)
It’s a nice and clean location, I have usually headed down there when I am with a big group of people. This is one of the large bubble tea locations and is very conveniently located. They do have some other locations as well around Ottawa. Also they do have monthly specials so you might end up saving a few bucks on your order.

Bubble Tea Places that I do not recommend –

PapaSpicy (Address: 366 Dalhousie St, Ottawa, ON K1N 5W2)
This location had the worst bubble tea I had in Ottawa. It just seemed sugar and water. I don’t think it was worth paying for this one at all and it needs serious improvement.
Tealive Somerset Chinatown (Address: 675 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON K1R 6P3)
I felt the ingredients in my drink were cheap. Before TeaLive, there used to be a Chatime store here which I think had really good bubble tea. However the quality has gone really downhill.
Meow Tea (Address: 279 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K2P 1M1)
Meow Tea needs a better quality control over their bubble tea. I felt that sometimes it was too sweet and sometimes not sweet at all.

Please feel free to share your experience on which bubble tea spots you have visited and enjoyed so far in the Ottawa region.

Tom Mehra

tommera.com/

6 Country Bars In Ottawa For A Night Out

While country music is not huge in Ottawa, there are still some bars out there for country music fans to visit and enjoy country music. Here are some of the places that might be worth checking out if you are into the country lifestyle.

Crazy Horse Saloon

Address: 115 Roland Michener Dr, Kanata, ON K2T 1G7
Business website: https://www.thecrazyhorse.ca/

If you are really into country music and dancing then Crazy Horse Saloon would be your best bet! Out of all the places I have gone to so far, Crazy Horse Saloon offers the best experience in the city for country music folks. The place regularly has live music events and it can get quite busy so if you want to get a table, make sure that you arrive early! They also have a mechanical bull on certain days.

Best Country Music bar
Best days to go: Wednesday, Friday and Sunday
Western themed Bar and Restaurant
Regular live music performances
Plays country music and hip hop.
Attracts a younger demographic
Free to enter but cover might apply on busy days
Can get very busy
Relatively small dance floor
Offers food and drinks
Bit of a drive from Ottawa downtown

Nash Boîte Country

Address: 325 Bd Gréber, Gatineau, QC J8T 8J3
Business website: https://www.nashvillequebec.com/

Nash Boîte Country (also called Nash Bar Gatineau) is a new country bar that has opened up in Gatineau. Previously this place used to be called as X Lounge. This bar has a large dance floor than the other bars however it can still get quite packed with people during weekdays. If you are looking for line dancing then this would be the place to go.

Best Country and Western Bar
Best days to go: Friday and Saturday
Line Dancing Lessons on Wednesday
Large dance floor (relative to other bars)
Plays mostly country music
Live Musical performances
Only bar for proper line dancing in Ottawa
Lots of slot machines
Attracts relatively older demographic

Pop-O-Bar

Address: 75 Bd Gréber, Gatineau, QC J8T 3P9
Business website: https://restaurantpopobar.com/

Based out in Gatineau, Pop-O-Bar is a popular bar among locals for live music. Just make sure to check their schedule as sometimes they have other things like Karaoke going as well!

Best days to go: Friday and Saturday
Nice atmosphere
Live country music in both English and French!
Attracts a slightly older demographic
Lots of slot machines
Small dance floor
Small cover charge on weekends
Free coat check

Lunergans Pub and Eatery

Address: 1661 Montréal Rd, Gloucester, ON K1J 9B7

Lunergans Pub and Eatery has local country music nights every then and now! If there is a band performing then there wouldn’t be much of a dance floor at this place. I would recommend this place if you want to have chicken wings and beer while listening to country music.

Best days to go: Wednesday
Dive bar feel
Attracts older demographic
No dance floor

La P’tite Grenouille Gatineau

Address: 9 Rue Aubry, Gatineau, QC J8X 2H1
Business website: https://laptitegrenouille.ca/

I haven’t tried their food yet but this place gets packed on Weekends! La P’tite Grenouille usually has live music early in the night and then this place converts into a dance bar late into the night. The place tends to attract younger crowd on the weekends. Live music is usually country however once this place is a dance club then the place has a variety of hip hop, or dance music.

Best days to go: Friday and Saturday night
Bilingual live country music (French and English)
Drinks are cheaper (compared to bars in Ottawa)
There might be an entry fee over the weekend if you arrive late
Large dance floor on the second floor

Chateau Lafayette

Address: 42 York St, Ottawa, ON K1N 5S6
Business website: https://www.thelaff.ca/

The Chateau Lafayette is the most convenient spot to go to if you are in the Ottawa Downtown area. Located in the Byward Market, the venue has live country music every weekend! The Laff is quite well known for the its local performers who have been performing at the location for more than a decade now and previously the place has been visited by many popular celebrities including Justin Bieber!

Best days to go: Friday and Saturday
Dive Bar
Jukebox machine to play whatever music you want
Seating capacity for large group
Small dance floor

If you are looking for other options for country music in Ottawa, your best bet would be when the weather is warmer, as there are internationally known country music artists performing at different festivals in the city.

Feel free to share your experience if you have been to these places or know any other bar in the region.

Tom Mehra

tommera.com/

7 Reasons Not To Move To Toronto!

Toronto is not for everyone! Despite being ranked as one of the most livable cities not only just in North America but in the world, Toronto has a number of issues which make people who have tried living there hate it, leave it and never come back –

Here are some of the reasons why it’s not worth moving to Toronto –

Toronto is an Expensive City to live In

Don’t be surprised if the rent for housing amounts to more than half of your salary. Rampant money laundering, lack of housing supply and mass immigration have caused housing prices in Toronto to skyrocket.

A lot of people in Toronto are not able to buy a house because they don’t have enough savings to be able to pay for their down payment.

It comes as no surprise that the younger generation in Toronto are either forced to live with their parents or go for shared accommodation despite having a full-time job.

If you were to lose your job, the unemployment benefits are not even going to be enough to cover your rent! This can end up being a very stressful event for you.

Toronto is Overcrowded

Toronto is the most populated city in Canada and you will often end up in situations where you are stuck in long queues to get into a restaurant, or in cramped conditions in a street car. This can often lead to frustration as the city hasn’t really been able to navigate on how to resolve these issues to a big extent.

Money doesn’t go a long way in Toronto

While salaries might be higher when compared to third world countries, most people who move to Toronto don’t really end up making a lot of money. Additionally with the cost of living being high and a substantial portion going to taxes, there isn’t much to save either. Only if you get a really high paying job or make big cuts to your standard of living, you would be able to save money while living in Toronto.

Poor Infrastructure

A representation for bad roads in Toronto

Toronto lacks the necessary infrastructure to support its population.

The city lacks highways and it can take hours for short commutes.
There isn’t sufficient parking available or being too expensive.
Emergency healthcare wait times can be very long.
It can take years to have a family doctor.

Housing Shortage and Chronic Homelessness

Finding housing in Toronto is like looking for a job. You will have to go through a lot of viewings, spend a lot of time, do interviews, and have endless formalities just to be able to secure housing.

Toronto has a very large homeless population

The city has failed to keep up with the large number of migrants that move to the city every year and that has often lead to landlords taking advantage of the situation.

If you belong to a lower income group, you might be eligible to apply for community housing, however it can take more than a decade to get housing.

Toronto has tens of thousands of people who suffer from chronic homelessness as the city has been deemed unaffordable. The homeless situation is expected to worsen as the city fails to take any reasonable action.

Mental Health

There is a shockingly high number of mentally unstable people that you would encounter daily while living in Toronto. Whether you are in public transit, on the street or even in your apartment building, you will notice that a large number of people in Toronto suffer from Mental health issues.

Public Transport is a nightmare

While it might be rated high in reports and called the best in North America, the reality is that Toronto’s public transport is one of the worst that you can experience.

Public Transport in Toronto is not as great as you might think

Not only is it quite costly to use the transit system, the street cars break down often, and are also overcrowded during peak hours. What might be a normal 5-10 minute commute can become an hour in transit.

Tom Mehra

tommera.com/

3 Good Bubble Tea Spots In Manchester That Will Deliver Right At Your Doorstep!

Here are three places in Manchester that I recommend from where you should be ordering your Bubble Tea! They might charge you a delivery fee but if you have Uber Eats or using another delivery service, there might be some discount available depending on your order size.

Gong Cha Wilmslow Road

Address: Unit 5, Mayfair Court, 10 Wilmslow Rd, Rusholme, Manchester M14 5TP
Business website: https://www.gong-cha.co.uk/

This is currently my favorite Bubble Tea store to order from! I loved the bubble tea experience from Gong Cha so much that I was ordering Bubble Tea almost daily from them during my time in Manchester.

Their most popular item appears to be Dir Tea which is absolutely delicious and comes with brown sugar pearls and creamy milk! My recommendation is to go with 100% ice and 70% sugar.

I did try Gong Cha Bubble Tea in Canada as well but for some reason it appears that the quality can vary a lot between stores in different countries.

Popular menu items at Gong Cha (Wilmslow Road) –

FM Brown Sugar Pearls
DirTea
Pearl Milk Tea
Mango Green Tea
Taro Milk Drink

Ohayo Tea

Address: 95 Princess St, Manchester M1 4HT
Business website: https://www.ohayotea.com/

Located in Manchester’s China Town, Ohayo Tea is a Shiba themed bubble tea store. Whenever I have ordered from Ohayo Tea, I have gone with their Premium Brown Sugar Tapioca Milk! It comes with Brown sugar and fresh milk. Their tapioca pearls are coated with brown sugar. Absolutely delicious served cold!

Popular menu items from Ohayo Tea –

Ohayo Milk Tea w/ Tapioca
Super Fruitea
Shiba Waffles
Dirty Oreo
Dirty Biscoff

Bonsai

Address: 908 Chester Rd, Stretford, Manchester M32 0PA
Business website: https://bonsaitakeaway.co.uk/

If you are looking to order food with your Bubble Tea then I think Bonsai would be a great option! Their Brown Sugar Bubble Tea is the cheapest I found for delivery. Also they have a great option of food menu. Last time I ended up ordering Malaysian Chilli Chicken with Rice, Thai Green Curry with Rice, Korean Beef and Prawn with Udon Noodles along with my Bubble Tea and my order came out to less than £20!

Popular menu items from Bonsai –

Salt and Pepper Fries
Steamed Bao Buns
Healthy Rice Bowl
Japanese Katsu Chicken
Vegan Triple Taste

Tom Mehra

tommera.com/

How To Get A Remote Programming Job?

More and more people want to work remotely because of the convenience, eliminating commute and also being able to work in a much more comforting environment.

I have been working fully remote for a few years now and here is my quick guide on how you can be a remote programmer too!

Be remote ready!

When you are being interviewed, Recruiters might ask you if you have ever worked remote before. If you have not worked remote before but have studied remotely in the past, do mention it. It’s important to show that you are able to study on your own as most remote jobs do require a lot of learning.

You would also need to show that you have some quite private space in your home for working and have the right setup for it. Most companies would be willing to provide you with a laptop and other accessories but sometimes companies expect you to have a laptop and other accessories already.

Here’s what your remote setup should include

Laptop or Desktop
Mic and Headphones
Office Table and Chair
Webcam

Ramp up your programming skills

Whether you are experienced or just a beginner in programming, you will need to spend some time studying! Challenge yourself to learn a new programming language. I have listed a few programming languages that are currently in demand right now –

Python – recommended for beginners
Java
Scala
Ruby on Rails
React/AngularJS – recommended for frontend programmers
SQL – recommended for people who want to work with data

Learning programming will not only help you with interviews but will also make you more marketable! Companies these days are looking for folks who can work with a variety of programming languages and not just one!

Here are some well known websites for studying programming –

Coursera – cheap courses (subscription based) – degrees can be pricier
Edx – cheap courses (except bachelors/masters degrees)
Udemy – Free/cheap courses
Udacity – somewhat expensive but quality courses
YouTube – Yes they have programming courses!

Familiarity with tools like Slack/Zoom, can be beneficial as well.

Familiarize yourself with cloud technologies

While programming is important, these days a lot of companies will ask you if you have worked with cloud technologies. The three most popular cloud companies are –

While companies usually don’t require you to have certifications, it is good to have a basic understanding of how storage and compute works on the cloud.

Specialize in something

Once you have learned a programming language, take on some interesting personal projects. If you can’t think of any projects, there are actually courses out there can help you specialize in front-end or back-end technologies.

Here are the most popular tracks that you can work in

Web Development
Data Science
Mobile Development
Game Development
Database Design and Development
Software Testing

Put yourself on GitHub!

For any personal/open source project that you work on, put your code on Github! If you are not familiar with Github, it is a portal which developers usually use to share code as well as revision control.

You can then share the repository link when you submit your resume or during interviews which will allow the interviewer to assess your coding abilities.

Practice coding problems

Most of the companies are not going to give you a job straight after a single interview! They are going to ask you to do a coding test usually around problem solving.

I recommend you to practice problems on the following websites –

Optimize your resume!

Make sure that your resume is up-to-date and lists whatever programming experience you have! I usually recommend people to fit everything within a single page of resume! It’s going to list whatever courses you have done even if they were not at a workplace! There is a huge shortage of skilled programmers and companies will be willing to consider you even if your experience is limited!

For Canadian Jobs, here are some tips for optimizing resume.

Apply for jobs

If you are not even getting rejected for jobs, that means you are not applying enough! If you are early in your career, it can take a few hundred applications before you might even get a request for interview!

Start applying remote jobs on Indeed and Linkedin.

I also recommend you to apply for listings on Greenhouse and Lever if you are targeting small/medium sized companies. To be able to search for job listings you can searching the following on google –

site:greenhouse.io remote software engineer
site:lever.co remote software engineer

Companies hiring remote workers

Here are a select number of companies that are hiring remote workers –

Learn from your mistakes

If you get rejected for a job following an interview, try to determine what went wrong and how you can improve on it. One of the ways I actually improved was by writing down questions that were asked by interviewers and writing down the answers and improve upon them for the following interviews.

Good luck with your remote programming job search!

Tom Mehra

tommera.com/

6 Top Sushi Restaurants In Ottawa Metro!

The Ottawa-Gatineau region has a ton of sushi restaurants and it can be quite hard to figure out which one offer a great sushi experience. I have made it easy for you by visiting out a number of sushi shops in the city and only listing those that offer an incredible sushi experience!

Sunrice Sushi

Address: 190 Dalhousie St, Ottawa, ON K1N 5G1
Business website: https://www.sunricesushi.ca/

What previously used to be a European style bistro is now a Japanese Sushi restaurant called Sunrice and while the restaurant is relatively new, they are doing a great job at it. Sunrice Sushi offers an extensive sushi menu and the prices are relatively very affordable for the quality of their sushi. I was surprised with the quantity of sushi that I got for my order as well. Besides Sushi, they also offer a variety of dishes including Poke, Noodle Soup, Donhuri, Deep Fried Rolls and More!

Upscale casual dining experience
Affordable pricing
Ideal for small group hangouts
Service in English and Japanese
Japanese Cuisine

Yuzumi Sushi

Address: 83 Holland Ave, Ottawa, ON K1Y 0Y1
Business website: https://yuzumi.ca/

This Japanese Fusion restaurant actually surprised me as it offers a sushi experience with their own unique taste. My sushi was spicy, flavorful and it was both soft/crunchy which is something I really enjoyed. Definitely try out their specialty rolls if you visit this sushi restaurant. They are also quite popular for their poke bowls and sushi tacos.

Casual dining experience
Takeout oriented restaurant

Sapporo Sushi Ottawa

Address: 1671 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON K2A 0Y2
Business website: https://sapporosushiottawa.com/

If you are on a date, then maybe you would want to go with the Sapporo Sushi restaurant in Ottawa. Their sushi is great and the restaurant has a bit more private space between tables. You might want to go with the Lover’s Platter that has a variety of sushi and comes with appetizers as well.

My order of Sushi had Mango sauce in it and was quite delicious. They do give out Free Miso soup and I think it’s quite rare to get free stuff at restaurants in Ottawa.

Casual upscale dining
Japanese cuisine
Suitable for large groups

Mya Sushi

Address: 277 Boulevard Saint-Joseph, Gatineau, Quebec J8Y 3Y2
Business website: https://myasushi.ca/

If you ever driving by in the Hull region, you should definitely try Mya Sushi restaurant which offers both Japanese as well as Vietnamese cuisine. My sushi was just fantastic and quite flavorful. I would definitely be visiting this place again. If you are going on a date, I recommend that you go for their popular choices. As the restaurant also offers Vietnamese cuisine, you might want to try their pho and other dishes as well.

Even though we were seated quite far away from the sushi chef, I was surprised that he actually showed up at our table and asked if the sushi served was good or not.

Japanese/Vietnamese Cuisine
Casual dining experience

Shinka Sushi

Address: 2900 Sheffield Rd, Ottawa, ON K1B 1A4
Business website: https://shinkasushibar.com/

While Shinka Sushi previously used to offer a dining experience, it has now converted itself to a takeout only restaurant. Nevertheless, their Sushi is one of the best in the city. Shinka Sushi scores well on both presentation and flavor and I haven’t been disappointed with any of my visits so far.

I would hope that sometime in the future they have some seating capacity though as eating the sushi in a car is a little inconvenient. Some of their popular menu items are Spicy Yellowtail, Sashimi Omakase, and Salmon Carpaccio.

Takeout restaurant
No seating available
Japanese cuisine

Genji Japanese Restaurant

Address: 175 Lisgar St, Ottawa, ON K2P 0C3

Phoenix Roll with jalapeno, chicken, and spicy mayo sauce

Genji Sushi is a fine dining Japanese restaurant and offers quite an extensive sushi menu ranging from the cheap California rolls to the more expensive Dragon Rolls. I found my order of sushi to be fresh, flavorful and reasonably priced.

Some of the popular items at this restaurant include – Sweet Potato Maki, Salmon Avocado Maki, Spicy Salmon Maki, California Maki, Sake Maki

They also have a variety of cold/hot appetizers that might be worth trying. From the appetizers I ended up trying their baby octopuses which were quite delicious!

Japanese cuisine
Fine dining restaurant
Ideal for dinner dates

Tom Mehra

tommera.com/

How to get an FBI Background Check for Canada Immigration?

You would be required by the Canadian Immigration to submit an FBI Police Clearance certificate if the following conditions apply –

Applying for Canadian Permanent Residence or Canadian Citizenship. AND
Currently residing or have previously resided in the United States.

Steps that you need to follow to apply for your FBI Police Clearance Certificate

Step 1 – Fill out the FBI Identity History Summary Request Form

You can either fill out the summary request form in paper format or online.

RECOMMENDED – For faster processing it is suggested that you submit your request online using the Electronic Departmental Order – https://www.edo.cjis.gov/.

To start your online process –

Submit your email address.
Receive Identity History Summary Request from FBI in your email.
Open the Link in the email and fill out the application.

The online form requires you to fill your Personal Information, Mailing Address and Preferences.

For Preferences, it is recommended to provide ‘Yes’ to all, that way you will receive a copy of the response in email as well as a hard copy.

Finalize your online application by making the payment.

Information for paper based applicants only
If you are NOT able to do the online order then you only try doing the paper format. Here is what the paper format of the identity history summary request form looks like, you will need to fill out your details, print it and then sign it. You will need to attach a check or money order or provide a credit card form as well in this case.

Step 2 – Fill out FBI Standard Fingerprint Card

You will need print out the FBI Fingerprint Card, provide your personal details and then need to do your fingerprints.

Here is what the current fingerprint form looks like –

Where to get your fingerprints done?

Doing your fingerprints at home is not recommended as the quality of the fingerprints might not be good enough. It is recommended that you contact your nearest police station and ask them if they can do it for you. Some police stations might do it for free but some of them might charge you a fee so make sure to carry cash with you.

Step 3 – Mail your printed identity history request form AND fingerprint form

You will need to mail both your identify history request form as well as the fingerprint form to the FBI CJIS Division. Their complete address is –

FBI CJIS Division
ATTN: ELECTRONIC SUMMARY REQUEST
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, West Virginia 26306

Expedite your mail

If you are sending the mail from outside the United States, it can take weeks, even months for the FBI to receive it. If you need the FBI background check soon, it is recommended to send it as priority shipping or whatever fastest method is available.

Tom Mehra

tommera.com/

Fun Things That You Can Do At The St-Tite Western Festival!

Saint-Tite Western Festival (also known as Festival Western de Saint-Tite) is one of the largest rodeo events in North America, the others being the Calgary Stampede and Houston Rodeo.

The festival takes place in St Tite spanning a duration of 10 days during the month of September. There is just so much to do at the Festival that many people prefer to camp nearby and go there everyday of the festival!

Here is how you can spend your day at the St Tite Western Festival –

Learn Country Dancing!

Throughout the venue, there are multiple dance floors where you will see artists and bands perform live country music in French as well as English! You will see people dancing so feel free to join them and learn some country line dancing! There are also separate dancing lessons that happen throughout the day.

Country Dancing at St Tite Western Festival

Party Bike Tour!

Grab yourself a drink and pedal with your friends on the Pedal Pub Bike! Think of it as the country’s version of the Party Bus! Drinking in public is allowed at the Festival. You can even bring your own alcohol.

Shop for Western Clothing

If you have been looking for western hats, shirts, jeans or boots, you will be able to find numerous stores within the venue where they are selling Western clothing. While some of the shops sell off-branded stuff, you will see branded stuff as well.

Play Paintball!

Up for a challenge? Play Paintball with your friends and see who scores the most. You might win a prize depending on how well you score! There are many games similar to this around the venue.

Beautiful Art at St Tite

You will see Quebec’s/Canada’s talent selling their art. This could be an opportunity if you are looking to decorate your house or office space.

Free Massage!

There are some shops selling body massage tools and they will let you try out their product for free! So if you are feeling tired, you should definitely head there for a relaxing massage!

Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides

For a price you can take a ride that takes you through the small town of St Tite. These rides are suitable for couples or even large families! Some couples even do their ceremony at the festival and use these carriage rides.

Horse Rides

If you love horses then why not take a horse ride at St Tite! This might be more suitable for experienced people. You might need to register early in the morning for the event.

5D Attractions

Unique mobile truck that offers you an immersive experience with a combination of 3D imaging and sensory effects (vibration/rain/foam). You can even take your kids on this ride with you!

Electric Bikes Store

The festival has kept up with modern times! Some stores are selling electric bikes and you might be able to get them at a discount! There are other automobiles, trailers to view and try as well!

Play and win Freebies!

There are a number of big companies that have setup their stores/showrooms and have games and competitions where they let you win freebies. Some even have draws for winning grand prizes like a car or house! There are fun activities for both adults and kids.

Try some jerky!

If you haven’t tried Quebec’s jerky, you will see some stalls selling jerky. You can also get to try the product before buying. There are many other stalls to try other different food products as well

Eat BBQ Food!

The quality of the food at the stalls is decent and the prices are reasonable. If you are at the festival, you should definitely try out some BBQ!

Even Pet Food is there!

Don’t be surprised if you see stalls selling pet food and supplements! Not only are they selling dry food but you can also buy frozen food for your cats/dogs! Pet food is primarily focused more towards Dogs but you will find a few products for cats and other pets as well.

Ride the Mechanical Bull!

While you won’t be able to ride a real bull at the festival, you can still try out what it’s like riding with a Mechanical Bull! You might be able to watch real bull riding at the Festival’s rodeo event though!

Buy sexy clothing!

Don’t be surprised! You will find all sorts of stores at the Western Festival. If you want to make yourself look good and sexy, you will find stalls selling you that kind of stuff!

Fine Chocolate!

It might be worth trying out Quebec chocolate at the Western Festival. If you are looking for specialty chocolate for yourself or as gifts, you are definitely going to find some at the Festival.

Ice Cream Experience!

You will find just so many stores selling you ice-cream and even bubble tea at the Festival. It’s going to be warm during the day so why not have some ice cream?

You will find that there are tons of things to do at the Western Festival of St-Tite! Whether you are into shopping, or enjoy activities, you will find something at the Festival that suits your interests!

Tom Mehra

tommera.com/

Gochujang Wing Sauce By President’s Choice Reviewed!

I found out about Gochujang Wing Sauce (by President’s Choice) while going through Maxi’s Sauce section and decided to give it a try. The bottle of wing sauce cost me a little under $5 CAD.

Also when I had bought it, I was thinking that it would be a hot wing sauce but upon reading the label after reaching home I noticed that it mentioned that the sauce is actually sweet and spicy.

Gochujang is red chili paste popularly used in Korean cooking. Tasting the sauce, it reminded me of spicy ketchup a little bit, so I checked over the ingredients and this sauce does contain tomato.

I have never tasted Gochujang before but I noticed that when I looked up recipes online for Gochujang, they do not contain Tomato. So part of me feels that this sauce might not taste and feel like how Gochujang is made in Korea.

How I made my Gochujang wings

I coated the chicken wings with a small portion of the sauce and then put them in the air fryer for about 20 minutes, turning the sides halfway to make sure that both sides were cooked. Once that was done, I coated them again with some sauce.

Once they were done, I was quite happy with how they looked! My wings ended up with a golden brown color with some charred areas.

Gochujang Wing Sauce Review

Not only did my wings look good but they were delicious! I think they were quite flavorful, and the sweet/spice level is just perfect. This sauce would work out well for you if you don’t like it too spicy and it will also work well if you like spicy.

If you are looking for something to complement your wings, you could try mac and cheese or fries. You could also try using the Gochujang sauce for the fries instead of the regular ketchup sauce!

Rating – 8.5/10

Tom Mehra

tommera.com/