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June 2016

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Smokehouse Sandwich Co has their newest location inside Cathedral Place in Downtown close to Burrard Station. I purchased the SocialShopper deal – 2 sandwiches and 2 sides/drinks for $12. A super good deal, but I didn’t realize the Downtown location has very limited hours. I was planning to visit after work, but they close at 3pm on weekdays and are closed on weekends. I ended up coming here with a few friends during lunch to check it out. If you wander around the first floor of Cathedral Place, you’ll be able to find it. It’s close to Bill Reid Gallery.

They have their first location in Richmond since 2014 and they serve original and fresh smoked meat sandwiches made from locally sourced ingredients. Their Richmond location is open till 8pm Monday – Saturday. If you don’t work in downtown, I would recommend you get the Richmond SocialShopper deal.

Seating

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There are lots of seats but it reminds me of a food court. We came here around 11:45am and it wasn’t busy at all. By the time it was 12:30pm, it picked up as the office workers in the area headed here for lunch.

Menu

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On the menu, you will see sandwiches, sides, salads and drinks available. The ‘I’ indicates 1 portion of meat and ‘II’ indicates 2 portions of meat. All items are at a reasonable price for the downtown area.

With all the sandwiches, you can mix and match the meats. Also, you can choose between their 3 bun options:

  • regular white
  • high fibre
  • charcoal

Sandwiches

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Billie on the Charcoal Bun has salt cured pork belly, aioli sauce, salsa and lettuce. We got the regular portion of meat in the bun. How can you not go for the charcoal bun? It looks super cool. I enjoyed this sandwich and the pork belly had a good depth of flavour.

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Sarah on high fibre bun has pulled tamarind Chicken with aioli, sesame ginger oil and asian slaw. I enjoyed the asian slaw with the sesame ginger oil. Definitely went well with the chicken.

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Samson on a white bun has coffee-crusted strawberry-glazed beef brisket with aioli, red bell peppers and lettuce. Of all the sandwiches, we liked the flavour of the beef brisket the most.

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Wilbur on white bun has cumin-spiced pulled pork with aioli and coleslaw. Of the 4 sandwiches we had, we didn’t really like the wilbur.

Sides

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Mushroom Soup was their soup of the day when we were here. It was a pretty straight forward mushroom soup with a good amount of mushroom inside.

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Crisps are yellow potatoes fried in olive oil. Really crispy and not overly salted. I liked it.

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Asian slaw has shredded daikon radish and carrots pickled in rice vinegar and topped with mayo and crisps. I was surprised how much I liked it.

Drinks

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On their menu, they have a few different beverages that are unique to Smokehouse Sandwich co – Honey Ginger Lemon, Strawberry Mint and Kombucha.

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Strawberry and Mint can be made cold, hot or fizzy. At first it reminded me of liquified jam, but maybe it would have been better if it was fizzy.

Honey Ginger Lemon packed a punch and if you love ginger, you will enjoy it. I didn’t take a liking to it but a few of my friends really liked it and would return for it.

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Overall, the food was good for a quick lunch in Downtown Vancouver. I wouldn’t go out of my way to come here, but if you work in the area, it’s a good option for a fast lunch. Of course there are a lot of other sandwich places in the area, so it will be tough competition.

Disclaimer: I was provided a complimentary SocialShopper voucher for Smokehouse Sandwich Co for this review and I also purchased an additional one so I could try more sandwiches. All thoughts are my own.

We Rate Smokehouse Sandwich Co3rated

Address:
The Cathedral Place, 925 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.smokehousesandwich.ca/

Smokehouse Sandwich Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Take a stroll into Tangierine Café, where it reminds me of Aladdin. It is located in the Morocco area of Epcot’s World Showcase. If you’re lucky, you might be able to spot Aladdin and Jasmine close by.

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This quick service restaurant serves up shawarma, wraps, and different types of platters.

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The meat on the large skewers look severely processed. Traditionally, you will be able to see the different layers of meat, but this just looks like it was ground up with filler and spices, then moulded into shape.

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We got 2 platters and ate outside in the shade.

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Shawarma Chicken and Lamb Platter has a side of hummus, tabouleh and couscous salad with Moroccan bread. Very flavourful items and I liked the platter as you don’t have to get messy eating a wrap.

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Shawarma Lamb Platter has the same side as the other platter. The only difference is the meat.

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They have a few different items for dessert, but we went with the baklava.

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Baklava is a sweet pastry made of filo, chopped nuts and honey. It was very sweet and we only could have a few bites each.

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To wash all that food down, coke and water had to do. We usually end up sharing the coke and saving the water for later when we need it. It’s a lot easier to carry it around the park or put it into our bag without spilling.

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Overall, the food was good compared to some other quick service restaurants in Epcot. If you compare this to real authentic Moroccan cuisine, it doesn’t even come close.

We rate Tangierine Cafe3rated

Address:
1510 N Avenue of the Stars, Orlando, FL
Morocco – Epcot

Website:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/epcot/tangierine-cafe/menus/

Tangierine Café Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Liberty Tree Tavern is located in Liberty Square inside Magic Kingdom. We made reservations ahead of time with our travel agent so we were guaranteed a spot to the restaurants that we wanted to check out.

They do all you can eat dinner buffet.  The food is pretty standard, but it can be modified for those who have certain allergies.

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We checked in when it was our time, but it was very busy, so all reservations were bumped back by 15 minutes. The interior looks pretty cool.

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It feels like we were transported back in time to an 18th century American Inn.

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Dinner is $33 for people over the age of 10 and $19 for those that are 9 and under.

Everyone gets to share:

  • Declaration salad
  • Patriots platter
  • Johnny Appleseed’s Tart

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I went with Unsweetened Iced Tea with Lemon and M got his Coke. It was a super hot day, so we were so happy there is unlimited refills. Our server was very good at refilling our drinks without us asking.

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Warn dinner rolls arrived with honey butter.

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Declaration Salad is shared among the table and there is tossed mixed greens with house-made dressing. It was nice to have a salad that’s refreshing compared to the carb heavy meals we had earlier in the day.

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The Patriot’s Platter arrived with mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans on the first plate. All these sides were really good.

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On the second plate, there was roasted turkey breast, pot roast, tavern ham, and stuffing. The turkey was a bit dry, but the ham and pot roast were really good.

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Of course, there was also a big bow of gravy too. This was good to put on the turkey to counteract the dryness.

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Johnny Appleseed’s Tart has baked apples, cinnamon, cranberries on top of a pastry shell. It is also served with vanilla ice cream. I wasn’t a fan of this dessert as it was very sweet.

Overall, the meal was pretty good compared to the other casual dining restaurants in Disney World. If you are a large eater, a buffet like this will be worth the money.

We Rate Liberty Tree Tavern35rating

Address:
4600 World Dr., Orlando, FL
Liberty Square – Magic Kingdom

Website:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/magic-kingdom/liberty-tree-tavern/

Liberty Tree Tavern Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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We were in Magic Kingdom Park and needed to find a good quick service restaurant as part of our Disney meal plan, so we went to Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe in Frontierland. It was highly recommended as you do get your moneys worth.

It’s near Splash Mountain and Big Thunder, so in between waiting for our FastPass times, we grabbed a quick lunch. They serve Mexican food with an American twist.

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It was busy for lunch but the staff here are so efficient to get people through the lines to get eating.

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They have a salad bar too if you want to be a bit healthier.

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With our dining plan, M and I were able to get 2 drinks, 2 desserts, and 2 entrees for our quick service meal.

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With our MagicBands, we paid for our meal instantly and we had 16 more quick service meals to go. Anything extra would be charged to the room or you would pay in cash/card.

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After we got our food, we had to scour for a table. It was busy, but people eat pretty quickly, so there was always a table open. There is seating outside too.

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The best way to maximize what we originally paid for the Disney meal plan is to always order the most expensive items on the menu.

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Taco Burger is topped with seasoned ground beef and pepper jack cheese and served with a side of tortilla chips. Imagine a sloppy joe.

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Fajita Platter with barbacoa beef and chicken with cilantro, rice, beans, and tortilla. The platter has a lot of food.

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The tortillas were wrapped up in aluminum to keep it warm.

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I took a little bit of everything and made little tacos. The food was good and filling.

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For our drinks, I got water to stay hydrated. That Orlando sun is fierce. M got the strawberry lemonade with a cute Mickey straw.

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Churro bites with chocolate sauce. You get 8 pieces per order, but I found these to be a bit limp and stale. Not as fresh as the other churros in the parks.

Overall, the food is ok. Don’t expect too much from the Disney Parks food as it’s mostly fast food made to serve pass amounts of people

We Rate Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe: 3rated

Address:
Magic Kingdom, 1180 Seven Seas Dr., Orlando, FL
Frontierland

Website:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/magic-kingdom/pecos-bill-tall-tale-inn-and-cafe/

Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Café Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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M here, and for 1 week I got to drive the new 2016 Honda Civic Touring. This is the best Civic made ever!

Exterior

This is the best looking Civic sedan ever made. I’m still partial to the Hatchback Si-Rs of old, but for the first time I think the Civic looks a tad better than it’s Acura counterparts.

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My favourite part of the exterior is definitely the back headlights. It feels futuristic without being too corny. I felt like a mid 30s, suave man, driving this thing around, which is harder to imagine while driving Civic’s previous models.

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LED Headlights feel like a necessity for all modern cars after driving the Civic Touring. Anything else feels like a car from the 80s-90s.

Interior

The mature, sophisticated, luxury sedan feel from the exterior continues on inside. The leather trimmings and shiny dark (what I assume plastic) wood, is a great accent.

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The speedometer and accelerometer are both fully digitally realized in a LCD display. They’ve taken the dual screens from previous Civic models and combined them all into one screen behind the steering wheel. I remember Audi touting this feature for their new A8s and seeing this here was awesome! You can customize what you see in the bottom center of the display, such as audio, gas consumption, etc.

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The GPS display is finally button free, instead going for touch screen buttons. The best thing about the GPS is the integration of Apple Car Play and Android Auto.

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A specific smart phone USB slot is provided to sync seamlessly with your device.

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I love Apple Car Play, something I don’t think I can ever drive without. Honda’s new GPS software is snappy and great looking, but Apple Car Play let’s you use Apple Maps (Not as great as Google Maps, but a step above car GPS).

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Not only that, you essentially have iTunes in your car, letting you access your music playlists, Apple Music, Spotify, and Apple Radio. Podcast and Audiobook listeners can rejoice having their own buttons and menus, you never have to look down on your phone in your car ever again. You can call and check text messages from your phone straight from the screen as well.

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The inclusion of an Electronic parking break is a great touch in accentuating the luxury in luxury sedan.

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The blind spot and rear camera display is great for those who have problems merging right and reverse parking.

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However, there’s a severe lack of simple blind spot indicators for both sides, which is a head-scratcher omission.

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There is nothing special going on in the trunk either.

Filling the Civic Touring with gas was confusing as I couldn’t find the fuel door button, but the new Civics have a simple push mechanism on the fuel door. It opens up to a cap-less fuel tank. I never knew these existed, but now I have another “must-have standard feature” to add to my list.

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The steering wheel buttons were a major step down from previous models. These plastic-y clicky buttons felt cheap and out of place in an otherwise luxurious interior. The volume control on the steering wheel was especially atrocious, having you glide your finger across a ridged plastic tab.

Drive

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The handling and drive feel of the Civic has now been honed to perfection. When I was test-driving my Honda Civic 2012, I knew I couldn’t switch over to the better equipped, better looking Hyundai’s at that time.

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The turbocharged Civic Touring engine was a joy to rev! Although there’s no explicit Sport Mode button, you can shift the Automatic gearbox to S mode, which basically does the same thing.

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Econ mode is still relevant here, helping keep the revs low in high traffic conditions. The Civic Touring felt like it could both be a responsible daily driver, saving gas at 7L/100KM, but can change to a monster whenever you felt like it. If you haven’t driven a Civic yet, run to a dealership to find out what you’re missing.

Final Thoughts

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Driving the 2016 Honda Civic Touring was immensely satisfying. I thought I was driving a mid $30k car, but in reality, this car costs $27k. That to me was a huge shock and it’s definitely a steal. I can forgive the omissions of a power trunk and forward facing camera at that price, but I still would’ve liked to see a simple blind spot indicator for both sides. The right side merging camera is definitely helpful, but I also merge left! The digital screens in the car steal the show for sure. My actual car is a Honda Civic 2012 highest trim and it’s amazing how far mid $20k-$30k sedans have come along.

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Right after we got out of the airport and checked into the Disney Resort, we made our way to Epcot to catch our dinner reservations at Teppan Edo. We had a little time to kill, so we walked around Japan Town to check out their large souvenir store. Their store has pretty cool stuff from Sailormoon to Dragon Ball Z figurines.

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Teppan Edo and Tokyo Dining are both located in this large building. Teppan Edo on the left and Tokyo Dining on the right.

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Teppan Edo is known for an interactive dining experience where an Teppanyaki chef comes out and cooks on a hot grill right in front of your table.

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We made reservations weeks ago in advance via our travel agent.

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With reservations, I found that you get seated promptly at your reservation time. All the staff were nice and friendly.

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Ichigo is a non-alcoholic cocktail with strawberries, pineapple juice, and lemon juice. Nice and refreshing for a hot Summer in Orlando.

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Shochu cocktail with fresh grape fruit. It comes with half a grapefruit, which you need to squeeze out all the pulp and juices.

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Then you pour it into your glass. M did enjoy it.

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Seating is communal and you are all seated at the same time. Each table sites 8 people. We sat with people from California, Florida and Brazil, which was pretty cool.

We both ordered entrees and it is served with a garden salad, udon noodles, vegetables, and sukiyaki beef rice. We were on the Disney Dining Plan, so we knew to order the 2 most expensive items on the menu to make it worth it.

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First the garden salad arrives with a tomato, cucumber, greens and a lot of sauce. It’s basically drowning in all that sauce buried below.

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The chef then does a few tricks on the grill to get the show started. The person that we got wasn’t very good, he accidentally tossed a spatula towards a guest and dropped his utensils.  It kinda started the dinner off on a bad note as no one really looked too impressed. The other chef at the table across from us had no issues at all.

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At least he made us a volcano with steam before he began mixing the veggies with udon.

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The udon has a pretty good portion for each person. It was very salty. I think he added too much soy sauce to it. We did finish it, but we were in dire need of more water.

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We got the Filet Mignon ($34) and Julienne Beef ($32). Both nice cuts of beef. Expensive, but with the dining plan, it was worth it.

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We got the Filet Mignon cooked to medium rare. You really can’t go wrong with a filet mignon as it is already so tender.

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Julienne beef was good too but I felt it was a bit heavy handed on the salt.

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To go with the beef, the sukiyaki rice bowl arrives. It was ok as well.

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Vanilla-Green Tea Swirl Soft Serve Ice Cream ($4.95) came in a good sized bowl, but we were so full that it was very hard to finish.

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Green Tea Mousse Cake has layers of green tea sponge cake with green tea mousse and whipped cream. Was light in green tea flavour, but it was sweet to balance out the natural bitterness of the tea.

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Overall, the food was quite salty from the soy sauce and excessive salt. The Japanese food here is definitely Americanized and isn’t very authentic. For one dining credit, we got our value out of it, but I wouldn’t return. The experience is definitely dependent on the chef you get. Ours was pretty bad, so the magic fizzled out quite early on in the meal when our chef kept dropping his utensils.

Of all the restaurants we’ve been to at Disney World, Teppan Edo was one of our least favourites.

We Rate Teppan Edo2rating

Address:
1780 Ave of the Stars, Orlando, FL
Japan Town, Epcot

Website:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/epcot/teppan-edo/menus/dinner/

Teppan Edo Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Off to our next destination – Orlando. From Vancouver, we made a stop in Toronto (YYZ) and then got on a connecting flight to Orlando (MCO). Air Canada doesn’t offer direct flights, so this was the only option at a cheaper price.

We were on the Air Canada Flight 1864 boarding at 2:45pm and arrives at 5:28pm. The duration of the flight is 2 hours and 41 minutes.

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Our gate was awesome! There were a bunch of iPads available to use for free. We were able to catch up on the news and browse our Facebook before boarding.

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The plane was an Air Canada Rouge fleet – Boeing 767-300ER.  The economy section has a 2-3-2 seating configurations and can seat up to 256 passengers. In business class, it has a 2-2-2 configurations and seats 24 passenger.

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There are no entertainment systems on board. They want you to rent their devices from them. Since it’s a pretty short flight, you might as well use your own device.

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There is a power outlet for laptops under the seat in front of you. If you have an iPhone, there isn’t a USB charger, so make sure you bring the adapter with you. Since I basically carry an entire desk with me in my backpack, I am always set.

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This time on the flight, I asked them for a whole can of soda. You can ask for a whole can and its free. You might as well since you do get a bit dehydrated from the flight.

They have food and snacks that you can purchase on the flight, but I never buy anything.

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As we began descending to the Orlando International Airport, the weather changed quite dramatically from the dull cloudy skies to bright blue. Very smooth flight too with no issues.

Now, our journey to Disney World and Universal Studios begins!

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Website:
http://www.aircanada.com/

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Le Petit Dejeuner is located near St Lawrence Market and I came here for breakfast with 2 of my friends during a quick layover in Toronto. It was Saturday and there was already a line up at 9:30am.

They are known for their breakfast, especially the waffles, so I decided to make this our rendezvous point.

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I was in dire need of coffee since we’ve been up on a red eye flight. Yeah for refills!

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Brussel’s Belgian Waffles with Fresh Fruits and a dollop of chantilly cream. A bit of powdered sugar is sprinkled on top. Berries, honey dew, strawberries, cantaloupe, and bananas.

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Brussel’s Melody has a slice of peameal bacon, egg, apple slaw and brussels style Belgian waffles. It is served with organic maple syrup from Temple Sugar Bush.

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Brussels Benny with your choice of peameal bacon or bacon strips with a poached egg and apple slaw. Since we were in Toronto, you have to choose the peameal bacon.

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The Brussels-style Belgian waffles were light and fluffy, but I would have preferred it to be slightly more crispy on the soutside. Breakfast was ok, but nothing really wow-ed us.

We rate Le Petit Dejeuner3rated

Address:
191 King Street East, Toronto

Website:
http://www.petitdejeuner.ca/

Le Petit Dejeuner Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Making a quick stop in Downtown Toronto during our long layover, we got off Union Station from the UP Express Train and then walked over to St. Lawrence Market.

Carousel Bakery is known as the home of the award-winning “World Famous Peameal Bacon Sand­wich. Last time in Toronto, I wasn’t able to get this. They have been at the market for over 30 years and line ups can always be seen on weekends and the weekday lunch rush.

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Slices of grilled peameal bacon slices are put inside a soft country bun. It was so good! The fatty pieces of bacon just melted in our mouth.

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They also have an amazing selection of over 300 types of international breads, rolls, bagels (Montreal style), baguettes and pastries.

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If you have a chance to stop by St Lawrence Market in Toronto, definitely give Carouse Bakery a try for their Peameal Bacon. Make sure you bring cash too since they are cash only.

We Rate Carousel Bakery45rated

Address:
St. Lawrence Market, Upper Level 42

Website:
http://www.stlawrencemarket.com/vendors/vendor_detail/56

Carousel Bakery Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Baron Semedi is a new Spiced Rum that has launched in Canada from the Gruppo Campari. Later in the year, it will be available in the United States, Australia and Mexico.

The 750ml bottle has the full flavour spiced run at 45% and 90 proof. It has Caribbean column still rum and small amounts of Jamaican pot still rum with cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon and their signature pice – Vetiver.

Vetiver gives it earth and woody notes when drinking.

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When you pour it out, it has a dark mahogany colour to it.

When we took the first few sips, it was smooth and rich. We don’t usually drink rum straight, but it is a good spiced rum to mix with Coke.

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The Baron Samedi was one of the most notorious Vodou spirits since the 18th century. He was known to be raucous, unruly and loved his rum. A perfect fit for this rum and the art on this bottle

It retails for around $29.95.

Website:
http://www.baronsamedi.com/

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What is the best way to get to Downtown Toronto from Pearson International Airport? If you have a group of 4, it’s easier to take a bus, Taxi or Uber. If it’s just you and a friend, the new UP Express is a great alternative that is also cheap and fast. Since we had a long layover for about 6 hours, we thought it was the best way for only $12 to go to and from the Airport.

It gets travellers to and from the airport in 25 minutes, with trains departing every 15 minutes.

UP Express tickets can be purchased online, on your mobile device and at the vending machines or service counters at UP Express stations. I was a bit confused on what tickets to get since the names of the tickets aren’t intuitive.

  • Long Layover Return $12

You just need to return back to the Up Express within 7 hours.

Between Pearson and Union, UP Express stops at Weston and Bloor stations as well.

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We just followed the signs and eventually get there. It was a bit of a walk from the Domestic arrivals, but the signs are pretty clear.

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They have automatic doors that open when the train arrives. A cool feature that reminds me of the MTR in Hong Kong.

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Trains are equipped with convenient amenities including:

  • WiFi
  • Flight disruption information
  • Overhead luggage storage
  • Luggage racks at access doors
  • Space for oversize baggage
  • Power outlets
  • Tray table on seat backs
  • Toronto events information

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Once the train starts, one of their staff comes through the train checking tickets. When they make stops at Weston and Bloor stations, it’s very seamless and doesn’t stop for too long.

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At every seat, there is a guide to the city. There might be some useful information to those new to the city, but since I knew where I was going, I didn’t have to read it.


Photo Credit: UP Express

Once we were at Union Station, everything is within walking distance. We didn’t have any luggage with us, so we didn’t feel weighed down.

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Since we did arrive really early at 9am, we headed off to St. Lawrence Market for a snack before meeting up with a few friends.

Websitehttps://www.upexpress.com/

 

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Air Canada Flight 1172 from Vancouver (YVR) to Toronto (YYZ) departs from YVR International Airport at 12:25am and arrives at 7:55am at Pearson international Airport. Total time of about 4 hours and 30 minutes.

As this is a domestic flight even though we were on our way to Orlando, Florida. There are a lot of connecting flights that go through Pearson International. Air Canada didn’t have a direct flight to Orlando.

We check-in online 24 hours ahead of time, checked our seats, and got our tickets loaded onto our phones. We also had to check a bag in, so it cost us $25USD. Pretty annoying how it’s in USD, but we didn’t have a choice.

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Since it was late at night, going through security was seamless. Staff were very friendly and if you are Canadian, you can show your passport, Drivers License or Government issued ID.

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None of the shops or stores are open, so you won’t have anything to do to kill time waiting for boarding. There is Wifi, so as long as you have a device of some sort, you can browse the internet.

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It was a packed flight, so they asked that anyone with a carry on that wanted it checked in for no additional price can do so.

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The row configuration is 2 -2 in Business class with 14 seats and then in Economy class, a 3-3 configuration with 169 seats. They use their Airbus A321-200 fleet.

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The seats have a USB outlet, touchscreen entertainment system and an outlet for charging other devices like laptops.

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They have pretty recent movies like Star Wars: The Force Awaken.

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Once the plane lifts off, they offer passengers a complementary beverage and the option to buy any snacks or meals off their menu. I went with water because I always get so thirsty on flights.

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Most of the flight, everyone is sleeping. There was a bit of turbulence, so there was announcements once in a while to make sure people have their seat belts on .

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Once we get closer to Toronto, they offer another complimentary beverage.

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This time I went with tomato juice since it tastes a lot better in the air. There were studies done where loud noises suppress sweet flavours and enhance savoury ones.

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The flight wasn’t eventful, which it shouldn’t be. We were able to sleep through the plane ride with no issues. I can fall asleep even with the loud engine noises as it is a consistent noise.

We got to Toronto and had a long layover, so we explored the city for a little bit a met up with a few friends before heading off to Orlando.

Website:
http://www.aircanada.com/