Remember the Times... 105 Rue Saint Pierre, Old Quebec 🔪🥄

 

To those who know 🥰... know #105ruesaintpierre  Remember the times 🎵🎼🎶

It's been 20 years, and coming back to this very spot is more than nostalgic. I knew it wouldn't be here anymore but I couldn't help but walk down memory lane while here in Old Quebec.

2025

2005

One of the highlights in my past food career was working on-set of Kraft's cooking show- qu'est-ce qui mijote? from pilot to #1 cooking show in Quebec (aired 2004 to 2008) by providing themed recipes, directing their on-camera talent with tips, and adhering to healthy living guidelines. L'Artistes de la Table owned by the formidable Madame Louise Martineau was a gorgeous kitchen, where the qqm hosts, film crew and amazing behind-the-scenes peeps like prop and food stylists made magic for 5 years with themes like "de nombreuses façons de préparer le sirop d'érable (many ways with maple syrup)", "c'est la saison du barbecue" et "desserts d'été sans cuisson". 

Host Martin Champoux and Susan on the set of Quebec's qu'est-ce qui mijote cooking show in 2004!

Pretty co-host Claude and Susan in Quebec City.

In my last corporate role at Kraft's Test Kitchens for six years, I created hundreds of recipes and food content for Kraft’s quarterly What's Cooking magazines, and Quebec's version- qu'est-ce qui mijote?, kraftcanada.com and brand marketing advertorials. Recipes from the French version were selected and brought to life as part of the cooking show themes.

My Roasted Pork Loin with Pear Salsa recipe makes

the cover page of Quebec's What's Cooking magazine

Set in the heart of Old Quebec, the in-between shoot romps, nightly gourmet French dinners and cultural discoveries preciously added to the wide eyed adventures of this budding young girl building her culinary repertoire 😍.

Psycho Four! 😜

After a long long day.. we look at those kitchen knives a lot differently.

Toast! For their sexy yellow beets truffle oil and balsamic vinegar app.

A must visit is Cochon Dingue, a bistro institution for their delicious breakfasts/brunches and fun atmosphere. It may be the most simplistic thing but when in Quebec, I hear creton calling and baked beans beckoning 🤤🍽 ... 

The heart of Old Quebec

The classic of all classics for breakfast!

How will this look 20 years later...?

Blackcurrants and Cassis in Île d'Orléans, Quebec

Who loves blackcurrants and Cassis?? 

Cassis Monna & Filles

But first, I can't think of a better red and white food to celebrate Day with my family than with lobster #lobsterroll and being here in beautiful Île d'Orléans, Quebec.

Chez Mag

Our start-of-summer-holiday family trip to Montreal then Île d'Orléans (a serene and picturesque island in the St Lawrence River located 20 minutes downstream from Old Quebec City) is known for its blackcurrant (cassis) production, particularly by Cassis Monna & Filles. The island's ideal microclimate has this family-run business churning out incredible blackcurrant-based products, including spirits, wines, and gourmet items since 1992: Award-winning crème de cassis- a sweet, dark red liqueur, gin and vodka and blackcurrant wines such as their dry wine and a dessert wine.

Other products entice such as jams, syrups, vinegars, mustards, teas and various gourmet treats such as enrobed black currant chocolate, meringues and artisanal marshmallows.

Cassis Monna & Filles is also known for its artisanal dairy bar, offering black currant-vanilla soft-serve ice cream.

Absolutely delicious!

We loved visiting their cassis production plant and learning about the history of how these berries originated in France and how their delicious and nutritious content in refined products became popular the world over. 

Known in Quebec as gadelle noire, the black currant is a fragrant, tart and sweet purplish-black berry with a long history of both culinary and medicinal use. Brought to the Americas by the first European settlers, it was prized for its healing properties even then. Today, it's celebrated not only for its bold flavour but also for its health benefits- rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, polyphenols, and anti-inflammatory compounds that help boost the immune system and support eye health.

Cassis, also known as blackcurrant liqueur, originated in France, specifically in the Burgundy region. The modern liqueur we know as crème de cassis was first produced in Dijon in the 19th century (1840s), though blackcurrants had been used in medicinal and culinary applications in Europe long before that. A famous use is in the Kir cocktail (cassis + white wine), named after Félix Kir, a mayor of Dijon.

Monna & Filles story began in 1872 when Louis Monna founded the eponymous maison Louis Monna, which specialized in the distillery of fine wines and spirits in l'Hérault, France. His son in 1925 Émile Monna, sails for Quebec where he teaches his children all that he knows - among them Bernard, founder of Cassis Monna & Filles. Today, it is the 5th generation of the Monna family - sisters Catherine and Anne - who stand at the helm of their family business.

At Cassis Monna & Filles, several hardy varieties thrive in Quebec’s climate, including Titania and Ben Lomond. These cultivars are known for their intense aroma, juicy texture, and resistance to disease. Perfectly adapted to the province's cold winters, the berries are harvested in early August at peak ripeness, bursting with flavour and vitality.

A popular phrase "you have currant eyes" is a figurative expression referring to the dark purple, almost black colour of black currants, which is similar to the colour of some people's eyes which also has symbolic meaning, such as resilience or quiet strength.

My childhood memories of Ribena blackcurrant syrup mixed in water, blackcurrant pastel gummies coated in sugar and Asian blackcurrant boxed drinks forever etched and that deep tart and sweet grapey flavour has me yearning for more... 

Île d'Orléans is also known for their acres and acres of pick-your-own strawberries, and of course when in anywhere in Quebec, picking up pate, mousse and foie gras are a must and a chocolate or two!

Next time you are in Quebec, plan a visit to Île d'Orléans, located in the St. Lawrence River 5 km east of Quebec City, a historic and picturesque island known as the "cradle of French civilization in North America" connected by the Île d'Orléans Bridge. 

Stunning and Serene- a must for nature and countryside enthusiasts!

Hong Kong... Home Away From Home 💖

 

We had an incredibly fulfilling trip to Asia in more ways than imagined 😍 with my bro Preserved Dragons. Our main destination was Thailand, but the heart of it is this... it's Hong Kong 🇭🇰 where I yearn to return as we only got a sliver three day sample to and from (Yes,it's our first time). But it worked out in the best possible way. Read on for more...

The beautiful night skyline at Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour

But first, starting Asian Heritage Month with a big bow to the one and only ☝️legendary Master Bruce Lee💥 

A huge part of this trip was supporting my brother Preserved Dragons' pilgrimmage to cult martial arts film sites to capture precise angle scenes with Bruce Lee and also Jean-Claude Van Damme. And what a trek it was! We visited sites in Hong Kong and Thailand. The most notable and scary was in Ayutthaya 🇹🇭, riding our bikes alongside scooters, motorbikes and cars drenched in sweat with the unrelenting heat and humidity 🥵 

Here are the gallery of hotspots we hit (photo and text credits- PD): 

Hong Kong Heritage Museum and Bruce Lee Exhibit. 

Bruce Lee Memorial Statue at HK's Avenue of The Stars.

Bruce Lee was transferred to St. Francis Xavier’s College for bad grades and poor conduct in 1956. In two years he would go on to win the school’s boxing competition. 

Victoria Peak’s Lion Pavillion in Hong Kong to capture the infamous Van Damme splits scene in Bloodsport. 

The Wat Mahathat is one of the most important temples in Ayutthaya Thailand. Jean-Claude Van Damme Kickboxer training scenes at The Stone City were filmed there. 

The most iconic site at Wat Mahathat and possibly in all of Ayutthaya. The head of a Buddha statue that was placed here decades ago appears to be embraced by the roots of a tree.

Bruce Lee fans and friends, we were here at Rimtarn Hotel Pak Chong, where Bruce Lee stayed in when filming The Big Boss! Visiting his room #206.

The Boss’ villa (Wat Siri Samphan) and the fighting scenes in the Ice factory (Pak Chong).

My brother's handmade statue of Cheng Chao-An is one of his favourite pieces because of the emotional scene in The Big Boss this pose was inspired from. #walkon 

On our last day in 🇹🇭, he got together in Bangkok with Pak Chong's Rimtarn Hotel Pak Chong owner Peter Wises and his partners James and Dr.Tom for a fruitful meeting on future collaborations. I am looking forward to see what's in store gentlemen 👊💥 

Now... what about HONG KONG 🇭🇰💕!? With only a few days taste of my mom's birthplace and impromptu meeting my beloved cousin (for the first time), and reuniting with my aunt and husband since my 20s (they visited Toronto), HK's vibe of home-away-from-home seductively beckons me for more!

The way it all happened worked out in the best way. The surprise rush came together so quickly makes me obsessed in digging deeper... to learn about HK's history, culture and food before I revisit to completely immerse in all of it 🤗! 

We couldn't have been more proud and excited to finally see, hear, smell and taste what we've been hearing from our mom since we were little. On our second day in HK before we flew to Thailand the next, we were so excited to find this rare night street market by chance on Temple Street (the infamous dai pai dong street), after our beautiful night line views of the Victoria Harbour at the Avenue of Stars.

My brother wanted beef ho fun and steamed white chicken, I wanted seafood and wonton soup, hungry and trying by foot to find a place, we stumbled across this rare busy outdoor food alley turning down Temple Street... off the beaten track due to its energetic vibe when we peered down.

Food was alright, we also had black bean sauce razor clams and deep fried pork intestine with sweet sauce and beer. But where its charm lay were the carefree patrons eating and chatting the night away with friends 🍻. So fantastic hearing and practicing our Cantonese with locals!

Dim Sum and Street Yums

Exquisite and Unique Offerings

Gorgeous dim sum restaurant on top floor of shopping mall: crispy taro nest with quail egg, abalone topped char siu tart pastry, shrimp toast with truffle sauce and refreshing coconut and coffee jellies.

Congee, Soy Sauce Noodle and Soy Milk Breakfast

Siu Mei Assorted Roasted BBQ Deli-
I need to try HK's infamous roast goose next time!

Too many baked goods and pastries = analysis paralysis 😜

The first foray for my kids into Asia should be our roots- HK and China (eyeing next summer) and working on improving my Cantonese (I took regular classes until grade 8 but continue to speak the language to my parents). I just started watching YouTube lessons to practice my conversation and writing, in hopes that I won't be resorting to Chinglish when I do. It's also necessarily good for my community project with more on that later.

Our last meal in HK- what better than wonton noodles 🍜 

Thank you cuz Pessy Chow 😘 for taking such great care of Dan and me, and we look forward to meeting the entire family with mine in the very near future. And 多謝香港 🙏🇭🇰 #50yearslate #betterlatethannever❤️