Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger
  • ~ Home ~
  • ~ What I Think ~
  • ~ What I See ~
    • Events
    • Food
    • People
    • Places
  • ~ What I Make ~
  • Blog Series
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Disclaimer

Out & About #223 | Diana's Oyster & Grill Bar Grand Opening + Egg Waffles

4/23/2016

 
If you've ever spent a ridiculous amount of time meticulously planning out every step of logistics for an event, you'd likely be able to relate to the hard-hitting smack of utmost disappointment associated with the emerging of unforeseen circumstances. Quite commonly, such circumstances forcibly result in cancellations or postponing of the proposed event.

Originally stated to be held towards the end of March, then moved to mid-April, and finally confirmed for late April, the Grand Opening of Diana's Markham location was an event that I had anticipated greatly and held high expectations for.
Picture
A significant amount of coordination was required for the trip: regional and local bus schedules were analyzed, appointments were moved to less convenient hours, and efforts were made to allocate the most appropriate equipment for the job. With few details provided to us prior to the middle of the month, coordination between various parties (and their own respective schedules) was not an easy task to accomplish.
Picture
Picture
Picture
A series of last-minute discussions led to a commute to North York amidst sunny but chill weather, and then another trip to Markham.
Upon my arrival, I noticed that the parking lot wasn't exceedingly occupied. However, it was later discovered that the interior of the restaurant was relatively chaotic in contrast.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Grander, and with less optimal lighting situations, than expected, Diana's Oyster & Grill Bar exuded an ambience unlike majority of the restaurants in the vicinity. Granite tabletops, stone plate-lined walls, and hanging lamps illuminated with incandescent bulbs filled the seating area; surrounding the perimeter of a square bar area were comfy booths with tea light embedded in a spherical gradient table pieces.
Picture
Picture
The event ran between 1 pm to 3 pm, and featured an ice centrepiece adorned with freshly-shucked oysters and shrimp, multiple platters of hors-d'oeuvres, and an open bar with options of wine, beer, and soft drinks.
Picture
Picture
Among the bite-sized offerings were Oyster Shooters (oysters and tomato juice), Salmon Sliders, Grilled Salmon Kabobs, Octopus Bruschetta, Crab Cakes and Calamari with Aioli dipping sauce, Sesame Salmon and Tuna Tartare Cups, and, of course, fresh oysters.

All of the items were fantastic, and despite the repetitive use of salmon in many of their dishes, each retained a unique blend of flavours and varying textures. Needless to say, I was mindblown. Another one of my favourites was the Crab Cake - ideally sized and emitting hints of lemon with every bite, the fluffy, meaty interior was, hands down, the most delectable crustacean-based appetizer I had ever tasted.
Picture
Picture
Picture
View the full album HERE !
Picture
Picture
The hors-d'oeuvres were continually prepared and brought out by servers over an approximate one-hour period. And while they were uncertain of some specific details regarding the items, they were extremely courteous to all of the guests - Yes, even the rowdy, oyster-hoarding ones!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Frank Scarpitti, the Mayor of Markham, made his appearance at a little after 2 pm. His arrival was warmly welcomed as hostesses, event organizers, and Councillors alike put a temporary halt on their seafood-indulging to greet him.
Picture
Picture
Following a brief introduction of the other Councillors in attendance (which was really more of a "shoutout" in my opinion), the ribbon-cutting ceremony was held. A congratulatory certificate was also signed and presented to Diana, the owner, and her family.
Picture
A friend of mine later joined me at the event as a guest, and noted the freshness of the food items as well. (Surprisingly enough, neither of us had a chance to try the oysters.)
Picture
With the exception of the minor scheduling hiccup, the event was largely successful in exhibiting Diana's wide range of seafood dishes and sophisticated atmosphere. I did, however, exit the premises with much regret that I had not been able to bring another guest to the event; this was a result of the several re-schedulings and it was a shame that gift certificates had not been provided to the attendees for future visits.
Nonetheless, the Grand Opening of Diana's Markham location was a very enjoyable experience and I would like to extend sincere gratitude for the invitation.
After the prompt termination of the event at 3 pm, the group of attendees slowly dispersed and bid their farewells. I loitered for a short while while reviewing my photographs before suggesting a trip to Phoenix for dessert.
Picture
Picture
Situated south of Diana's, Phoenix Restaurant was only a three-minute drive down Woodbine. We arrived to a partially-full restaurant, making me glad that we hadn't come during the lunch rush. Without further ado, I proceeded to order a glass of Iced Hong Kong Milk Tea and a plate of Green Tea Egg Waffles to share.
Picture
Picture
Picture
For a HK-style cafe, Phoenix's dessert selection was pretty impressive: Brick toast, toast cubes, pancakes, and waffles were some of the options. Egg waffles were a new addition to their menu, and were advertised via a simple, colourful promotion poster in the entranceway. In addition the ever-popular Green Tea and Black Sesame, the combos were also available in Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, and Mango, each varying slightly in price point depending on popularity.
Picture
Picture
The iced beverage arrived in a matter of minutes, but it wasn't until another twenty minutes has passed that the egg waffles made their appearance on our table. They were uniformly browned and elaborately decorated with icing sugar and swirls of chocolate sauce. While seemingly acceptable to the eye, the dolled-up street snack had an odd, lime-green interior and a firmness displaying a Toast Delight-like overuse of cornstarch in its batter. It remained crisp, though left a stronger green tea flavour to be desired; in its defence, it paired exceptionally well with the ice cream due to its sturdy properties.
Picture
Service was quite pleasant, actually, and not particularly characteristic of standard Chinese eateries.
It is highly likely that I will be revisiting the restaurant to try out their vast range of lunch options, but perhaps I'll take to ordering a different dessert next time.

Phoenix Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Comments are closed.
    Picture

    Who Am I?

    Formerly an avid owner of several interest-based portals, Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger presents precisely the elements expected. From experiments in the kitchen to miscellaneous musings, from IGOT7 reflections to developments in transportation infrastructure, it's all consolidated here. Welcome to the raw, unfiltered side of Quirky Aesthetics.



    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013


    Categories

    All
    Ahgabond Adventures
    Ahgase
    Arctic Aquarium
    Atlantic Canada 2018
    Barrie
    Beauty
    Birthday Buddy
    Calgary 2023
    Chinese New Year
    Conquering COVID 19
    Daily Randoms
    Eyes On You World Tour 2018
    Food
    Friends
    Hallyucon
    Hamilton
    Hong Kong
    Iron Ring
    J Movie
    K Drama
    K-Drama
    Korean Beauty
    K Pop
    Los Angeles 2017
    Macau
    New York 2018
    Ottawa 2019
    Pilates
    Random Rant
    Restaurant Review
    Seoul
    Shopping
    SSMC
    Taiwan
    Vacation
    Vancouver 2013
    Vancouver 2014
    Vancouver 2015
    Vancouver 2016
    Vancouver 2020
    Vancouver 2022


    trazy.com

    RSS Feed


WHAT DOES "QUIRKY AESTHETICS" MEAN?

Quirky =  a term that commonly refers to something/someone distinctly different and unique
Aesthetics = the visual aspect of things



Together, Quirky Aesthetics refers to the things, events, and happenings seen and perceived by this blog's creator - quirky perspectives in a visual form.

Contact ME

​Subscribe

Join our mailing list today!
Join Now
© Quirky Aesthetics. All rights reserved. Last modified: August 10, 2015.