The Perfect Cuppa

A&D invited me to venture over to Kowloon side for dinner last night at Aspasia (remember Chez Roland? it's the same Chef Roland Schuller here on the first floor of Luxe Manor Hotel). Had a delightful meal that was definitely worth the cross-harbour trek. It was great meeting two other Ds (an amazing coincidence that all three guys at one table had the same first name), where the chatter jumped from Obama & McCain to the merits of Tasmanian black truffle to funny examples of CSIS's ultra-secretiveness and other interesting defense tidbits to which a Jane's subscriber might be privy. While I found the spook talk fascinating, what really inspired me was the story of a business co-founded by Canadian D's brother -- Transcend Coffee in Edmonton.

Oddly enough, the conversation started off about the evils of caffeine since A has given up coffee for more than a year and I had gone without a drop of coffee for nearly a month from when I started my detox. While I've wisened up to the fact that caffeine and sugar are the main culprit for morning sluggishness, afternoon bouts of sleepiness and general energy dips throughout the day, I love the taste and the experience of drinking a well made espresso or latté or cappucino to truly give it up for good. Off the detox, I now limit my coffee intake to less than one a day and I never start the morning with coffee (now, a cup of hot water and lemon juice is the first thing I ingest).

Listening to Canadian D describe his brother's passion for coffee -- finding the best beans, profiling and creating the perfect customised blend for individual clients -- made me lament the fact that Starbucks has lost all that. Starbucks was always a choice of convenience and familiarity rather than the choice made out of love. As D tells it, Transcend has created their own unique brand of perfectionist coffee culture, to the point of telling customers whenever they feel they are incapable of delivering the best, that they have developed a bit of a Canada-wide cult following despite having only one physical store in Edmonton. D's brother, A, is actually the company's "Chief of Culture". They're constantly concocting new coffee blends and drink creations. Reading their blog, I wondered how their business can grow and still keep its passion for and culture of perfection (i.e. when you grow from roasting 50,000 lbs of beans per year to 500,000 lbs per year, or 1 neighborhood store to national or even multi-national chain, culture often gives way to efficency).

About to hop on a plane to sunny Vancouver, and I'm already pining for a latté from cito espresso.

Whistler: Nita Lake Lodge

Happy Year of the Rat! Spent the week snowboarding in Whistler, where I was blessed with a couple of stupendous powder days and even two sunny days in a resort known for predominantly cloudy, grey skies. It may sound insane to queue for the gondola at 7:15am, but Fresh Tracks is definitely worth it if it's been snowing the night before. Great boarding aside, we also had a few fine meals at Mountain Club, après and Araxi, but my absolute favourite had to be the late lunch of raclette, crêpe and cider at Crêpe Montagne. I still haven't had a decent meal on the mountain and have come to the conclusion that it probably makes more sense to get on the mountain first thing in the morning, ski until 2pm and then head back to the village for a late lunch. Unfortunately, neither Zen or Rimrock are open for lunch. Otherwise, it would make a great luncheon stop after the scenic Peak to Creekside run.

While I stayed at Pan Pacific Mountainside, which was great for rolling out of bed and onto the slopes (even more convenient than Sundial next door), I was eager to check out the brand-new Nita Lake Lodge in Creekside. Having only opened on 18 January, it's not yet fully up-and-running (the spa and fitness area is still a work-in-progress, and the presidential suites are still being fitted-out), so their introductory rates make this a steal of a stay for the next couple of months (CAD299 for a one-bedroom). The lakeside setting and it's location on the Valley Trail makes Nita Lake Lodge an ideal summer destination. The decor is a streamlined, contemporary take on the classic mountain lodge with dark woods and basalt rock.

(Images courtesy of Nita Lake Lodge)

The lodge is connected to the Mountaineer Train station, which operates a daily train from Vancouver from May to mid-October. While Nita Lake Lodge has thoughtfully-designed one-bedroom suites (heated bathroom floor, sunken bathtubs with views of the lake or mountain), it's not the most ideally-located ski lodge. In terms of convenience to the slopes, it's probably similar to the Four Seasons in Blackcomb. It's a bit of a walk to the Creekside gondola (it's on the other side of the Sea-to-Sky highway), with ski lockers located slopeside at the Creekside Can-Ski shop. It's also a 10-minute drive from the shops and restaurants in Whistler Village, though the lodge does provide complimentary shuttle service. The lodge's clubby bar/lounge has a nice vibe, making it a great place for an après tipple or aperitif.

As for Pan Pacific Mountainside, I had a very comfortable and convenient stay. The housekeeping staff is amazing. Having smoked up the room trying to pan-fry turnip cake without any oil in the morning (the kitchen is fully stocked with utensils, but I had neglected to go grocery shopping), I returned from a day on the slopes to a room that smelled as fresh as it had been before my culinary mishap with the mess in the kitchen all cleared up. The sitting room has a toasty fireplace and, unlike Sundial, there are TVs in both the bedroom and sitting room with a DVD player. The bathroom is not much to rave about though, very standard with just a bathtub and single vanity. I was grateful for the free wifi even though speed was a bit slow at times. I didn't bother venturing into the hotel's Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub for breakfast or even a drink, since there are plenty of more appealing restaurants nearby. Of the two equipment rental shops in the hotel, the Salomon shop has the better equipment.

Can't wait for the Peak-to-Peak gondola opens at the end of this year. The improved connection between the two mountains will make skiing/boarding in Whistler-Blackcomb even harder to resist.

Last day of 2007: On the slopes of Whistler

A day skiing and snowboarding on the slopes of Whistler was the perfect way to end 2007. The only other time I've been to Whistler was between Christmas and Millennium New Year (by New Year's Eve, I was in Napa Valley). It was a very different village back then. These days, Whistler is gearing up for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Certainly, shopping is much improved.

Generally, I prefer skiing in European resorts such as Lech and Cortina, my 2 favourites. European skiing offers everything that I love -- great skiing with mid-morning stops for a gluhwein or bombardino, gourmet mountain restaurants where a few glasses of wine at lunch sets me in the perfect mindset to brave the afternoon's chopped-up slopes, lively apres-ski, good shopping and Michelin-starred restaurants for dinner.

For the past three years though, there has been a serious shortage of snow in the European resorts. So this year, I decided to give North America, specifically Whistler-Blackcomb, a try. Whistler certainly has not disappointed on the snow front. To date, the resort has gotten 13 feet of snow. With visions of white, fluffy slopes dancing in my head, I was very much looking forward to spending the last day of 2007 on the slopes.

It was one of those rare sunny days in Whistler. For much of December, the resort had been covered by a blanket of snow clouds. My ski and snowboard instructor for the day introduced himself as Chicky Boom Boom, apparently so named for his love of Dusty's chicken wings and beer. Only at the end of the day, when he handed me his name card, did I find out his real name. We spent the morning skiing Whistler, with a beautiful run from Peak to Creekside, then switching to snowboarding Blackcomb in the afternoon. Of the two mountains, Whistler's slopes tend to be more crowded. When he's not an instructor in Whistler, he runs his own business, Velosports Asia, importing high-end bicycles to Korea. Ski, snowboard and running (he also trains triathletes) tips aside, his most interesting comment was that his father's bankruptcy actually allowed him to grow up a happier person. Food for thought heading into 2008 -- If you don't fall when skiing/boarding, you're not going to improve. If you don't fail, you'll never reach your true potential. All that from a guy who likes to be called Chicky Boom Boom.

Have yet to come across good mountain lunching spots, but I did have a few other good meals at:
Ciao Thyme, Blackcomb -- Even though I wasn't hungry from jet lag, I ended up eating most of the salmon platter (salmon jerky, candied salmon, salmon pate and smoked salmon) ordered for sharing along with my own warm goat cheese salad.
Celadon, Whistler -- Week-old Korean restaurant in Hilton's arcade. Loved the spare ribs and grilled rice cakes.
Fifty Two 80 Bistro, Blackcomb -- Had a wonderful breakfast at the Four Season's restaurant with great views of the mountain. Love their service, got everything I asked for -- a copy of the New York Times (even though it was only the Times Digest, but it was good enough for me), ordered mixed berries fruit bowl with just strawberries and the bagel with smoked salmon came with so much salmon that I had to pack most of it to go.

Stayed at Sundial Hotel. The location is very convenient for rolling out of bed and onto the slopes (it's right in front of the Blackcomb gondola in Whistler Village, just steps away from Whistler Village Gondola). The rooms are spacious with a well-equipped kitchen, and guests have the option of ordering groceries online before arrival. However, it is slacking in some common hotel amenities. Minibar, room service and an entertainment center in the sitting room would be much-appreciated additions.

Am now looking forward to closing out the Year of the Pig and ringing in the Year of the Rat on Whistler's slopes early next month and having a whole week to check out more restaurants and hotels such as the soon-to-open Nita Lake Lodge!

Vancouver: Yaletown

My 3 weeks in Vancouver came and went with the bat of an eye. It was a life of absolute bliss, even though I was working in my second office (4/F, Vancouver Public Library) every day. My days were simple. I would get up around 7:30am and head for a walk along the seawall.


The seawall is incredibly well-designed and user-friendly. I love the fact that it has separate lanes for pedestrians and those who travel faster, whether it be by rollerblades, skateboards or bikes. This is how all city-planning should be -- putting the user's interests first and anticipating their needs.


An hour later, I would pick-up a copy of the New York Times and then head to cito espresso for my usual medio skim latte and toasted multi-grain bagel with cream cheese. It got to the point where the servers new my order and I knew the exact change to bring along: C$6.05. Then, I'd head to work around 10am (that's when the library opens). The fourth floor is where you get the best wifi signal, and early in the morning, it's easy to get a desk with an outlet.

On some days, I'd take a lunch break and head to Jimmy's Taphouse (they're really accommodating here) across the street or back towards Yaletown where Yaletown Brewery is a favourite. Their hand-pulled pork sandwich is mouth-wateringly good! While I was there, the Canada Line (a new rail line running from the Airport to the Waterfront and Richmond, scheduled to be operational in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics) construction had parts of Davie closed to traffic, but it didn't cause too much inconveniece, especially since I was a pedestrian. But for those who may be thinking of staying at Opus Hotel, best to stay away until the beginning of next year when the construction moves down towards Marinaside Crescent.

Some days, my lunch break would entail a pilates lesson with Marta Hernandez at The Space. She has a great studio here with a separate sections for yoga and the equipment-based pilates and gyrotonic. Very convenient too, just 2 blocks from the library, in Yaletown. On Wednesday mornings, Marta actually hosts a pilates show on TV.



One of my favourite Sunday activities (aside from reading the Sunday NYTimes) is walking (but it's easy to bike it as well, just rent a bike from the Reckless bike shop on Marinaside Crescent, next to cito espresso)


along the seawall, past English Bay and all around the 9km Stanley Park Seawall. A great stop for a pre-walk brunch or a post-walk drink while you watch the sunset is the Sequoia Grill.


Another great dinner stop along the seawall, back towards Yaletown, is C restaurant. They're a great contemporary French-style, seafood-focused restaurant.

Two restaurants that I regret not taking time out to go to are Lumiere and Villa del Lupo. Both were on TB's list of must-go restaurants, but the laid-back life of Yaletown got the better of me, and I spent most days shopping for dinner from Urban Fare, just across the street. I practically shopped there once a day!

Of course, there's a lot more to Vancouver to Yaletown. But I managed for 3 weeks not to venture beyond Yaletown and I was perfectly happy!