Whalesbone Sustainable Oyster & Fish Supply, Ottawa

Wall Mural at Whalesbone Sustainable Oyster & Fish Supply

I can tell you with confidence that the best fish sandwich in Ottawa can be found at Whalesbone Sustainable Oyster & Fish Supply. At last, the Ottawa equivalent of the The Fish Store in Toronto.

Whalesbone Sustainable Oyster & Fish Supply is not to be confused with The Whalesbone Oyster House restaurant. Although related, they are two different places in two completely different locations.

The Whalesbone Oyster House is the main restaurant whereas Whalesbone Sustainable Oyster & Fish Supply is the warehouse kitchen that supplies seafood to The Whalesbone Oyster House and other Ottawa area restaurants. To see a list of restaurants they source to, click here.

Whalesbone Sustainable Oyster & Fish Supply

On Fridays and Saturdays, the retail shop opens to the general public where fresh cooked fish sandwiches and chowder are also served.

Fish at Whalesbone

Scallops and Smoked Fish at Whalesbone

The fish sandwiches have become my regular secret Saturday afternoon indulgence.

This past Saturday, the sandwiches were completely sold out by the time I arrived at 1:15pm. Whalesbone sandwiches were recently featured in Ottawa Magazine's 101 Tastes To Try Before You Die article, so I wonder if that had anything to do with it?

Here are some of the things I have had at Whalesbone Sustainable Oyster & Fish Supply (note the menu changes depending on what is available):

The cod cheek sandwich is nice and meaty. Like all the sandwiches here, it was served with lettuce, mayo, and caramelized onions.

Cod Cheek Sandwich

The blackened cat fish sandwich is one of my favorites. It is perfectly seasoned, and seared nicely.

Blackened Catfish Sandwich

In absence of sandwiches this past weekend, I ordered the halibut chowder. This chowder was very nice: creamy, smoky, and packed with chunks of potatoes and fish. Note that this is not a thick soup.

Halibut Chowder

I also bought myself a sexy piece of troll caught wild BC sablefish this past weekend. I steamed this baby and served it with ginger, scallions, sweet soy sauce, and sesame oil. The fish at Whalesbone come scaled and de-boned.

Troll Caught Wild BC Sablefish

'Troll catching' is an environmentally responsible fishing technique that allows fishermen to quickly release any unwanted catch from their hooks. I recently read a pamphlet on the dangers of eating farmed salmon, and I never realized the health risks it poses to humans, other farmed salmon, and wild fish. You can read more about it at the Farmed and Dangerous website.

Whalesbone is a member of Oceanwise Canada, an association "dedicated to effecting the conservation of aquatic life through display and interpretation, education, research, and direct action". Any restaurant that displays the Ocean Wise symbol (shown below) is one that makes environmentally friendly seafood choices.

Whalesbone Sustainable Oyster & Fish Supply
504 A Kent Street
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: 613-231-3474
Set Hours
Friday 11- 5 (Brownbag Lunch till 2pm)
Saturday 11-2 (Brownbag Lunch till 2pm)
* Brownbag lunch is takeaway sandwich & chowder

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Cinnamon Apple Chips

Fall is a great time for apple picking. I love apples because they are antioxidant, full of fiber, and they keep me full longer than any other fruit.

An easy and healthy snack I love to make is cinnamon apple chips. I make a big pile of these, and snack on them constantly. They are a small life saver after work. I'm always famished after a hard day at work, and instead of going for junk, I grab a few of these to keep me going until dinner is ready.

If you want crunchier chips, it is best to use firm apples such as Braeburn or Granny Smith. If you want spongier chips, go for apples such as McIntosh, Red Delicious, or Pink Lady.

Cinnamon Apple Chips
- apples, washed and cored
- cinnamon
- lemon juice

Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 150F/65C.

2. Slice the apples thinly (approx 1/8 inch thick) with a mandolin. Cover a baking tray with parchment paper. Lay the apples on the baking tray leaving a small space in between each apple slice. Sprinkle a small amount of lemon juice and a small amount of cinnamon over the apple slices.

3. Turn off the oven, and place the baking tray of apples into the oven. Leave overnight. Apples should dehydrate completely, but if not, repeat the process until apples are completely dehydrated.

My favorite types of apples for apple chips are Braeburn and Granny Smith. If I want to eat an apple raw, my favorite is the McIntosh hands down.

Apple Tree from Pinewood Orchards

Here are some apple orchards in the Ottawa & surrounding area:

Pinewood Orchards
101 Herzberg Road
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: 613-828-4412

AppleHill Fruit Farm
3699 ch. Jockvale Road
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: 613-786-1111 (in season)

Kilmarnock Orchard
1182 Kilmarnock Road
Jasper, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: 613-284-9843 (seasonal only)
Telephone: 613 283-8964 (off season)

Cannamore Orchard
1480 County Road 32
Crysler, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: 613-448-3633

Jasper Apple Farm and Organics
R.R. #2
Jasper, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: 613-283-8699

Smyth's Apple Orchard
R.R. #1
Iroquois, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: 613-652-2477

Here is a link to Apple Orchards Ontario.

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España Putumayo Music + Giveaway

Friends, I'm back and I'm giving away FIVE copies of Putumayo's new España CD!!

When I got home from vacation, I saw a copy of Putumayo's new CD in my mail pile, and ripped it open immediately. As I had mentioned before, I really like Putumayo's world influence, and their philosophy of introducing and connecting people to different cultures through music.

España is a CD compilation of contemporary music from Spain. The CD is a mix of both old and new Spanish music movements such as flamenco, rumba catalana, with a bit of Gypsy pop, reggae, blues and electronica. It is an upbeat CD with a very chill undertone.

The CD booklet comes with a recipe for Torrijas de Natillas (Spanish Bread Pudding). There is also a blurb on each artist, and some background info on Spain and the music featured in this CD.

If you want a chance to win one of five copies of Espana, leave me a comment and make sure there is a way I can contact you via email. I will ship worldwide, so anyone is eligible. If your email is not included in your comment or your blog link, please send me an email at nooschi [at] gmail [dot] com.

I will pick a winner at random on October 17th at 5:00pm Pacific Time.

Anyone who entered my last Putumayo music giveaway is automatically entered.

One percent of proceeds from the sale of España will go to Intermón Oxfam supporting the empowerment of fair trade artisans and farmers worldwide.

I also noticed that Putumayo is soon releasing their Jazz Around The World CD, which I'm pretty excited for. Check out Putumayo's full online catalog here.

Good luck!

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The Bridge Takeaways, Kaikoura + Seal Pups

A good place for fresh fish and chips in Kaikoura is The Bridge Takeaways.

This is a small family fish and chip shop that recently switched owners on Sept 29th of this year. I had the pleasure of meeting the new owners while they were at the shop prepping for the hand over.

Daniel, his wife, and brother-in-law were extremely excited for this new project, and made sure the food was cooked to our liking.

The Bridge Takeaways receives fresh fish twice a week and has a large menu offering everything from fish n chips to burgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, spring rolls, souvlaki, onion rings, donuts, etc. etc. etc. You get the picture.

We ordered fish and chips off their a la carte menu and got the following fish:
- Tarakihi
- Blue cod
- Grouper Cheeks

Tarakihi fish was new to me. I had no clue what kind of fish it was and ordered it because of its catchy name. It turned out to be this fantastic silky, super buttery white fish that I adored.

Tarakihi Fish

The blue cod was pretty standard and did not disappoint. This is CK's preferred white fish because of its meaty texture.

Last was the grouper cheek. At $2 a piece, we couldn't resist. This was very fresh and even meatier than the blue cod. I wished I had ordered a few more as they were so good.

Grouper Cheek

The highlight of our Kaikoura visit was the Ohau Stream Walk. It is a short walk that led us to a mini waterfall and heaps of baby seal pups swimming and playing. It was the coolest thing to see and it was definitely one of my best experiences while in New Zealand.

Check out these videos we captured.

The first is a video of two seal pups playing. No joke, we were within arms reach of these guys. I wish we had someone jump in front of the camera to show how close we were.

Seal Pups Playing, Kaikoura

The second video is of a bunch of seal pups swimming. Boy, they can really jump.

Seal Pups Swimming, Kaikoura

The Bridge Takeaways
9 West End
Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand
Telephone: 03 319 6362

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Crayfish at Nins Bin, Kaikoura

The beauty of New Zealand's South Island East Coast is the abundant amount of fresh seafood you can get while driving along the coast.

Crayfish is a MUST EAT while in Kaikoura. There are a few side road stalls selling crayfish about 20 km North of Kaikoura, but the most iconic is Nins Bin. This place was recommended to us by some locals, and we had, as the name Kaikoura translates to "a meal of Crayfish".

The closest thing a crayfish can be compared to is lobster. In terms of taste, crayfish meat is slightly sweeter and meatier.

Nins Bin has been serving crayfish since 1977.

Prices of the crayfish depend on the tail size, and all prices are written on each crayfish's tail. At this time of year, prices started at $40 and went up from there.

You can order your crayfish hot or cold. It is $1 extra if you want it hot, and another $3 if you want it with garlic butter. Side sauces can also be purchased for $1.

CK and I grabbed a cold crayfish with tartar sauce.

Most people eat the tail and throw the rest out, but there is heaps of meat in the legs, and in the knees.

I bit, chewed, slurped, and sucked every ounce of meat I could out of the crayfish. CK is a pretty reserved guy and stuck to eating the tail. He did try eating one leg, but didn't enjoy the mess it created.

As he was watching me eat the rest of the crayfish, he commented that if we were in the hunter gatherer days, I would be a catch. However, in today's society, that kind of behaviour is not so sexy. LOL.

Kaikoura is also great for its wildlife. Popular tourist activities are whale watching and dolphin/seal swims.

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Ghermez Cupcakes, Sydney

Ghermez Cupcakes has made an impression on me for 2 reasons:

1. They make moist, quality cupcakes with interesting flavors.
2. The cupcakes are Persian influenced, just like my better half.

The word Ghermez means 'red' in Farsi, which explains the red color theme seen throughout the store and website. Ingredients commonly used in Persian cuisine such as pistachio, rose water, orange blossom water, and date have been incorporated into Ghermez's cupcakes, giving them a Persian twist.

Ghermez Cupcakes at Bondi Junction

There is a store located on level 5 of the Westfield Mall in Bondi Junction and another location in Alexandria. CK and I checked out the store in Westfield Mall.

Ghermez Cupcakes has a rotating cupcake menu with a total of 20 flavors. Twelve flavors are available each day, and the following 6 flavors are available everyday of the week:

- chocolate marshmallow
- chocolate mud
- red velvet
- strawberry
- vanilla, and
- vanilla milk chocolate

Some flavors are offered in mini cupcake form, which was good for CK and I because it allowed us to try more cupcakes without overindulging.

We ordered one full sized cupcake, and four mini ones.

Ghermez Cupcakes

The first was the chilli chocolate mini cupcake. It was a chocolate cake with chilli flavoured chocolate filling. The cupcake was topped with a chocolate buttercream icing. The chilli was nice and subtle. The spiciness of the chilli didn't really kick in until the end. The cake itself was moist and flavorful.

Chilli Chocolate Cupcake

Next was the rose chocolate mini cupcake. It was a dark chocolate cake with rose flavoured chocolate filling. I couldn't really taste the rose flavor in this cupcake, but CK said he picked it up.

Rose Chocolate Cupcake

The pistachio & rose cupcake screams Persian to me. It was a pistachio & rose water cake with white chocolate buttercream. Both flavors were dominant in this cupcake, and the cake was full of little pistachio bits. This was CK's favorite.

Pistachio & Rose Cupcake

The orange & almond cupcake was one of my favorites. It was an orange & almond cake with a splash of orange blossom water. On top of the cupcake was dark chocolate ganache and a candied orange peel. This cupcake was both refreshing and chocolately at the same time. The orange flavor was very nice, and the candied orange peel added a nice touch.

Orange & Almond Cupcake

On the top of my list was the strawberry cupcake. It was fresh strawberry cake with strawberry icing. The strawberry flavor is subtle and not artificial tasting at all. Like the pistachio cake, you can see bits of strawberry puree in both the cake and the icing.

Strawberry Cupcake

Other flavors I would have loved to try were: sticky date, banana, apple, and peanut butter chocolate.

Ghermez Cupcakes, Bondi Junction
Westfield Shopping Centre, Level 5
500 Oxford Street
Bondi Junction, Sydney, Australia
Telephone: 02 9389 4600

Ghermez Cupcakes, Alexandria
112 McEvoy Street
Alexandria, Sydney, Australia
Telephone: 02 9389 4600

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Bike Wine Tour Through Marlborough Vineyards, Blenheim

While in Blenheim, CK and I decided to do a wine tour by bike. We wanted to take it slow, and get some exercise at the same time.

Marlborough is internationally known for its Sauvignon Blancs. The climate and soil in the Marlborough region is the reason for its aromatic, acidic, and herbaceous wine characteristics. It is New Zealand's largest wine producing region, and the 110 wineries & 450 grape growers make up about 80% of New Zealand's total wine production. In addition to Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough wineries also produce Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir.

The primary wine bike tour company in Blenheim is Wine Tours By Bike; however, to pump up our hearts and to save some money in the process, we decided to rent bikes in the city at Spokesman. Doing so will add 6km to the journey, but you do save $15 per person.

Maps of different wineries in the area were provided to us, and we just zoned in on where we wanted to go.

The climate in the Marlborough region is also great for olive groves. Marlborough olive oils are light, grassy, and peppery in taste. All the oils are cold pressed, and the majority are extra virgin. A great place for olive oil tasting is The Vines Village. We ended up purchasing a lovely Tussock chilli pepper infused extra virgin olive oil.

Marlborough Olive Oils at The Vines Village

Another great culinary experience in the area is the award winning Hans Herzog winery and restaurant. In the 90's, Hanz and Therese Herzog left their Michelin-rated resto in Switzerland to start a life in Blenheim. You can try the 3- or 5-course Herzog degustation menu along with a wine from their prestigious wine list. Afterwards, you can enjoy a treat from their cigar or digestives menu. If very keen, they also offer cooking classes.

Unfortunately, Herzog restaurant is only open between the months of Oct - May, so we missed the opening by a couple of weeks.

CK and I had a great time doing the bike tour but some things to note:

- it is very windy this time of year, and you may end up biking into headwind for part of the ride. We experienced that first hand!
- In order to get the the wineries, you will need to bike along highways with speed limits of 100km/h. If that is out of your comfort zone, I'd steer away from biking.
Some other things we saw along the way:

Jersey Cow

Cherry Trees

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Greenshell Mussels in Havelock, New Zealand

Giant Fish Made of Mussel Shells at The Mussel Pot, Havelock

Havelock is the Greenshell mussel capital of the world, and you'll know you're there when you see the sign that tells you so. Havelock is a small coastal village at the edge of Marlborough Sounds, and it is also the centerof New Zealand's mussel industry.

New Zealand Greenshell mussels are generally larger and meatier than blue/black mussels. You can guarantee that mussels served in Havelock are prepared almost immediately after harvesting, resulting in a fresher and more flavorful taste.

Greenshell mussel farm tours and cruises are available and depart Havelock each day at 1:30pm between the months of Nov - March.

There are two main places in Havelock to taste Greenshell mussels.

First is Slip Inn, located at the Havelock marina. They are open 7 days a week, from early morning to late at night. They have a large menu of seafood and pizzas, and also serve other options such as chicken and steak.

Slip Inn at Havelock Marina

To start, we ordered some home made bread served with butter.

Home Made Bread

Next, we had the mussel sample platter. The mussels were grilled and served on the half shell with the following flavors: Kilpatrick (melted cheese and bacon), Garlic butter, Pesto and Parmesan, Sweet chilli sauce, Sun dried tomato & roast capsicum, and French vinaigrette. My favorite was garlic butter, nice and simple.

Greenshell Mussel Sample Platter

To finish, CK and I shared the Havelock Greenshell mussel pizza. It was a delicious thin crust pizza with mussels, sun dried tomatoes, feta, and red onion.

Havelock Greenshell Mussel Pizza

We were both very satisfied with the pizza.

Havelock Greenshell Mussel Pizza

The second place for Greenshell mussels is The Mussel Pot. You can't miss this restaurant because they have a giant pot of mussels sitting on the roof of the building. We visited this place first, but they weren't open for another hour, so we made a point to drop in after eating at Slip Inn.

The Mussel Pot

The only thing we wanted to try, and had room in our stomachs for, was the mussel chowder. We got this for takeaway, and ate it while we drove. I was delighted by how fresh and plentiful the mussels were, and it was a large bowl of hot creamy goodness. The mussel chowder can be ordered hot or cold.

Mussel Chowder

The Mussel Pot had so many other things we wanted to try, but time was just not in our favor. Here is the way they recommend you eat mussels, NO FORKS!

Sign at The Mussel Pot

Slip Inn
Havelock Marina
Havelock, Marlborough, New Zealand
Telephone: 03 574 2345

The Mussel Pot
73 Main Road
Havelock, Marlborough, New Zealand
Telephone: 03 574 2824

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