Category: Living in Canada

Spicy Rice Noodles In Ottawa At Yunshang Rice Noodle!

I think I have found another restaurant that I will be visiting often in Ottawa! The restaurant is called Yunshang Rice Noodle and it’s a Yunan (Chinese) cuisine restaurant. It’s a small chain of restaurants founded in Toronto but now has a restaurant in Ottawa as well!

Spicy Rice Noodles at Yunshang Rice Noodle

I was specifically attracted by their special for the day where they were offering their Signature Rice Noodles for only $6 when they are usually priced at $14. I also ordered some additional slices of Beef that I wanted to have with my rice noodle.

Service is quite fast here and my order came within 5-10 minutes. My order of Spicy Rice Noodles consisted of a boiling pot of broth, rice noodles as well as a plate consisting of assorted seafood, vegetables, as well as meat sauce.

Eating rice noodles with meat sauce

How to eat rice noodles?

People have different approaches to eating rice noodles but here is one way –

  • Put all the vegetables/seafood/meat except meat sauce in the boiling broth.
  • Put the rice noodles afterwards
  • Wait a few minutes till everything in the pot is cooked.
  • Using fork/chopsticks, take some of the cooked stuff out in another bowl.
  • Take a little bit of meat sauce and eat it with your meal!

I think the Spicy Rice Noodles turned out to be great and is probably one of the best Chinese noodles I have had in Ottawa! If you are not into spice, they do have an original (non-spicy) as well as tomato flavored broth!

This place is really good and would be something I would recommend anyone to go to!

Address: 275 Bank St Unit 101, Ottawa, ON K2P 2L6

Rating – 9/10

Business website: https://yunshang.ca/

Classic Milk Tea At Meow Tea

Meow Tea is a small cat themed bubble tea store that is located on Elgin Street. I found about this place through AMEX Small Shop which lets you explore small businesses around your area and also AMEX sometimes gives you discount if you shop through them.

Bubble Teas at Meow Tea

I ordered a Classic Bubble Tea with the following –

  • Normal Ice
  • 100% Sugar
  • Tapioca Pearl

I also ordered a Mango Slush with cheese cream to try out something different.

I think both of the Bubble Teas were below my expectations. The Classic Bubble Tea seemed to have less flavor despite having 100% Sugar. Also, the Mango Slush didn’t seem to taste that great. Despite being one of their most expensive offerings. Between the Classic Bubble Tea and Orange Slush, I think the Classic Bubble Tea tasted a bit better.

Address: 279 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K2P 1M1

Business website: https://meowtea.ca/

Rating – 6/10

Fiery Malaysian Food At Chahaya Malaysia!

My love for Spicy Food took me to Chahaya Malaysia in Ottawa! While the name suggests it’s a Malaysian restaurant, they do have a number of Indonesian as well as vegetarian options. The restaurant was a bit of a drive for me since it’s in Gloucester (a suburb of Ottawa).

Chahaya Malaysia

Here’s what I ordered from their menu –

  • Shrimp rolls (appetizer)
  • Chef’s Special Chicken (main item)
  • Basmati Rice (side item)

The shrimp rolls (4 pieces) came with ketchup and while I have seen a number of restaurants serve spring rolls with chicken/beef/vegetarian, this is the first time I was going to try shrimp rolls at a restaurant. The rolls come with ketchup dipping sauce and makes them even more enjoyable to eat.

My main item was the Chef’s Special Chicken which is also called Ayam Istimewa in Malaysia. It’s their most popular item and consists of fried chicken with carrots, pepper, mushroom, broccoli and chili. It’s recommended that you go with a side item like rice with your main item. The chicken turned out to be hot and spicy. I think it has just the right amount of spice and the rice went well along with it!

Food portions for the menu item are decent; and the service was reasonably fast. I didn’t have to wait too long to get the item. Overall very happy with the food, and I would like to try more Malaysian/Indonesian food items off their menu!

Address: 1690 Montréal Rd, Gloucester, ON K1J 6N5

Rating: 9/10

Business website: https://chahayamalaysia.ca/

How To Prepare For Citizenship Test Canada?

If you have applied for Canadian Citizenship then at some point you are going to receive an email from from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada with a “Notice To Appear” for your Canadian Citizenship Test.

Canadian Citizenship Test Notice

The Canadian Citizenship Test is to show that you know some basic stuff about Canada including rights/responsibilities of Canadian Citizens as well as Canada’s history, politics, economy, laws, demographics, and symbols.

The test is 30 minutes ; can be given either in French or English ; and requires a score of atleast 15/20. You can give the test online/in-person but in certain cases, you might be required to give the test orally.

Here is how I prepared for the test and you can too –

Read the Official Study Guide – All the questions that you are going to get in your test are going to be from the official study guide. You might want to go through the study guide more than once as there are a lot of dates/names of people that you will need to remember.

Official study guide is accessible here – https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/discover-canada.html

Memorize your representatives – Few questions in the test are going to be regarding political representatives from your city/province/country so you should know important figures like the Prime Minister, Premier, Lieutenant Governor, Mayor. Also you should know about the political parties of your Province/Country and the leaders.

The official study guide has a page that covers what representatives you are expected to know and most likely they will test your knowledge on one of them.

Practice the Citizenship Test – It is recommended that you go through the question bank which will help you prepare better for the test. A lot of the questions that you are going to get in your citizenship test are going to be in the question bank as well. This will help you increase your chances of passing the citizenship test.

In my case, I went through the question bank a couple of times as well.

You will have approximately 3 weeks to give the test. If you don’t pass the test, then you will get a notice to give a second test after some period.

Once the test is completed, your status will get updated to Completed in the Citizenship Tracker. Usually people get their invite for the Citizenship ceremony within a few weeks of passing the Citizenship test.

Citizenship Tracker – Test completed

Late Night Latin Dancing At Latinos Resto Bar!

There are a couple of places in Ottawa that only start to get busy really late into the night! Latinos Resto Bar is one of them where you will start to see people coming in when it’s close to midnight! I have been to this place a few times now on weekend and that appears to be always be the case. If you came here early and notice only a few people, don’t worry – it will get busy for sure late in the night.

While entrance is usually free, a cover charge of $5/$10 might apply on certain days for this place.

The drinks are priced alright as well. I ended up ordering a pitcher and that was more than enough to get two people buzzed. Even though it felt like it didn’t have alcohol, it actually had a real good amount in it! So be careful!

The venue plays Salsa, Bachata and Merengue mostly however they might play a little of Carribean/Reggeaton music as well during the night. The last time I was there, there were people playing chess late at night and also people doing karaoke as well for a while!

Friday Night At Latinos Resto Bar

This is one of the few places in Ottawa which attracts a lot of regulars so don’t be surprised if you see people just walking in and knowing everyone in the bar! Atmosphere is friendly in general.

If you are looking for a free place to dance, then you should definitely checkout Latinos Resto Bar. Highly recommend this place if you are with a group. If you come early it won’t be hard to find seating for a large group.

Address: 665 Bronson Ave, Ottawa, ON K1S 4E7

Business website: https://latinosrestobarottawaon.com/

South Indian Cuisine In Downtown Ottawa At Thali!

I haven’t had a Thali (round platter) in a long time! I think the last time I ever had Thali was when I was a kid maybe more than 2 decades back and I still remember how good the stuff was! Recently I found out about an Indian restaurant in downtown Ottawa that offers Thali so really wanted to try it out!

When you are walking by Thali, you wouldn’t really feel like it is a South Indian restaurant, the place has a really big patio and when you enter inside they have a very modern decor. It looks very different than many other Indian restaurants that I have been to that usually have decor that relates to India (with pictures/indoor design/statues) or sometimes look a bit dated.

Thali restaurant Ottawa

I got myself a Thali plate (with Lamb) at the restaurant. You can choose a variety of meat options – chicken, lamb, beef but the place also have vegetarian options for those who don’t eat meat. My Thali had a variety of dishes made of lamb, cauliflower, potatoes, peas, beetroots, carrots and more! You also get rice and flatbread that go along well with your dishes.

If you don’t like spicy food, then you should definitely let your server know as some of the dishes in your platter might be very spicy! Also if you have any allergies, you should mention that as the restaurant will be able to replace those dishes for you with something else on the plate.

I think the service at this place is much better than other Indian restaurants however I think the food might need some improvement. I was expecting that there would be a variety of lamb dishes in my thali however it was a very small portion. I think for the price, I was expecting atleast 2-3 meat based dishes in my meal. Personally, I think this is the smallest amount of meat I have ever had in my meal.

Address: 136 R. O’Connor St, Ottawa, ON K2P 2G7

Business website: https://thaliottawa.ca/

Rating – 7.5/10

Good Shawarma In Gatineau At La Casbah Shawarma!

Even though Gatineau has a ton of Shawarma restaurants, I have rarely been to any Shawarma spots in the city despite being here for almost two years now! I think part of the reason might be that I went to another Shawarma restaurant a while back and the food didn’t really meet my expectation. But that doesn’t mean that all spots are like that!

My recent visit at La Casbah was actually quite pleasant. The place looks very clean and immediately upon entering, I was welcomed by a friendly person working there. I ended up ordering a Beef Shawarma which had spicy garlic sauce and a bunch of veggies in it. I also ended up ordering a fruity drink called Kodisos. While paying at the Cashier counter, I was offered a free sample of their falafel to try out.

Casbah Shawarma

I was actually surprised as to how good this Beef Shawarma was! If you haven’t tried Shawarma before, it basically has meat and veggies in a flatbread. There was enough meat in and I enjoyed the spicy taste of the garlic sauce which went quite well with it. The portion of the Shawarma is decent enough to fill you up.

I don’t like mango drinks usually because a lot of what you get in the stores is quite sour. However this drink called Kodisos was actually really good. It is probably one of the better Mango juices I have tried so far.

Great customer service and great Shawarmas at La Casbah!

Rating – 8.5/10

Business website: https://www.instagram.com/lacasbahshawarma

Address: 35 Allée de Hambourg Unit 101, Gatineau, Quebec J9J 0G5

Fine Sushi Dining At Kato Japanese Fusion Restaurant!

This is prolly one of the best looking Sushi restaurants that I have been so far! As soon as you enter, you can see that they have put a decent amount of effort into the fine dining experience. KaTO Fusion Japonaise Restaurant is located right beside the Hilton Hotel Gatineau-Ottawa and Koena Spa!

I started with the starter – Beef Tacos and Kimchi! The Beef Tacos consisted of a crunchy taco shell, short rib beef (shredded), green onions and parsley! It also had some sauce which I think was spicy mayo! I found it to be flavorful!

Next I ordered two different types of Maki Rolls – Dragon Rolls and Spicy Yellow Tails! I must say that the food items served do have a visual appeal compared to other sushi places that you would usually go around the Ottawa-Gatineau area.

Tacos and Sushi at Kato Gatineau

The Dragon Roll consisted of Spicy Salmon, Crab, Avocado and Mayo. Each sushi on the roll had a layer of rice ball. I found it a little hard to eat though as the pieces were a little bigger and wasn’t really impressed with the taste much.

The Spicy Yellow Tails roll consisted of Spicy Yellow Tail, Kizami Wasabi, Serrano, Tempura. I wasn’t really impressed by it’s flavor either.

Conclusion

I think the food tastes alright, does look visually appealing but is not as impressive to many other places in the city. The pricing is a little higher but that is what you would end up paying for dining at a fine dining restaurant. If you are looking to mainly have drinks and some sushi to go with it maybe this would be a nice go to spot!

Address: 1170 Chem. d’Aylmer Suite 100, Gatineau, Quebec J9H 7L3

Business website: https://restaurantkato.com/

Rating: 7/10

Trying Out Momos For First Time In Ottawa At The Momo Spot!

I like to call myself a Momo Connoisseur! There was actually a time when I would eat momos on daily basis when I was living in India. But unlike Delhi where you could find street food joints serving momos in less than a minutes walk, there are not a lot of Momo restaurants in the Ottawa area. Only recently I noticed that there is a place called The Momo Spot and decided to give it a try.

If you haven’t had momos before, they are dumplings from Nepal (and also Tibet). The Momo Spot is a Nepali restaurant serving a limited menu of basic as well as specialty dumplings.

Chili Stir Fried and Jhol Momos at the Momo Spot!

Their steamed momos are similar to what you would see on the streets however I would recommend that you go for their signature dishes instead which is something I found as a unique experience and not something that you usually see at other restaurants. I also ended up trying their – Chili Stir Fried Momos and Jhol Momos off their menu.

While the Jhol Momos in Nepal are actually served with Buffalo’s meat in Nepal, at the Momo Spot they are actually served with a vegetarian sauce. The dumplings tasted good enough, and the flavor of sauce reminded me of sambar (lentil based vegetable soup). However, I felt that it was not spicy enough for me.

The next item that I had was the Chilli Stir Fried momos and not only they looked red hot, but actually I really enjoyed the flavor as well. They were quite delicious.

The service is alright, the portions are a little smaller so you might feel that you are actually having appetizers. This is probably one of the cheaper restaurants I have been so far in Ottawa! I think on my next visit, I would like to try their steamed momos as well with the different variety of sauces that they offer.

Address: 79 Holland Ave, Ottawa, ON K1Y 0Y1

Business website: https://iwantmomos.com/

Rating: 8/10

Works Burger And Red Sangria At Patty’s Pub Ottawa!

Patty’s Pub has one of the nice and spacious patios that I have seen in Ottawa so far! While the outdoor looks modern; their in-house dining is a different experience and takes you decades back (in a good way lol)! The owners have tried to create the perfect pub experience and they have done it very well! Not only that but the place has a large collection of lagers from the Ashton Brewing Company.

I got myself Their Works Burger with Fries! And for my drink I got myself a glass of Red Sangria! Both my meal and drink tasted quite good! Works Burger consisted of – Beef patty, cheese, mushroom, lettuce, onion, pickle, and bacon!

Patty’s Pub is quite popular among University students from Carleton as well as Ottawa. You will often end up seeing graduate parties as well at the place!

Overall, I think it’s a really well rounded place to hangout! and I would like to check it out again sometime during night time! Didn’t run into any issues, service was good and atmosphere is great as well!

Address: 1186 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K1S 3X9

Rating: 8/10