March 1998

• Gattaca (USA 1997; Dir: Andrew Niccol) ***
  I loved the look of this movie, which I saw during my flight to Japan. Thought-provoking story.
  (31 March 98)

• Mata Nihon ni ikimasu.
  (31 March 98)

• Here's why I've been eating at so many restaurants lately: I've been going to farewell dinners because I quit my job as of today! Have a look at what I'm going to do next.
  (31 March 98)

• Go figure! One week ago, Torontonians were slogging through snow. This weekend, they are wearing shorts, sunglasses and rollerblades! In typical fashion, the weather here has gone from winter chills and blizzards to summer humidity and thunderstorms, with only a token passing reference to spring. It is fitting that the 1997-98 CJHL season is drawing to a close, since many players' minds seem to be more on golf than hockey, like the Kobo defenceman who scored on his own net in the Consolation Final. As the closest forechecker, I got credit for the goal!
  (29 March 98)

• Toronto has a growing number of restaurants that offer "pan-Asian" fusion cuisine. At Youki, the dominant influence on the decor and the food is Japanese, with nods to Thailand and Malaysia. The menu is tapas style, featuring a number of small dishes priced from $6 to $18. I had unagi (eel) and mango temaki sushi, Hot and Cold Tuna (slabs of seared tuna layered with tuna sashimi) and grilled okra, all delicious -- especially the tuna. The artful presentation subscribes to the Japanese principle of feeding the eyes before the stomach. The stomach goes a little hungry, as the portions are on the small side, though this leaves room for the desserts, which are as imaginitive as they are tasty. Save up before you go -- this kind of artistry doesn't come cheap ($50 for drink, dinner, dessert, tax and tip), but it's worth it!

  Youki Asian Bar & Bistro, 4 Dundonald Street (one block north of Wellesley, just east of Yonge), (416) 924-2925
  (25 March 98)

• A big snowstorm hit Toronto this weekend, making it difficult to move around the city. Luckily I had a video to watch indoors:

  Akahige (Red Beard) (Japan, 1965; Dir: Akira Kurosawa) ****
  A newly graduated doctor is unwillingly posted to intern at a public clinic in the countryside. Through his dealings with patients and the teachings of Akahige (Toshiro Mifune), the gruff head doctor at the clinic, the young doctor learns what medicine, life and death are really about. The composition of the shots is classic at several points in the film: The young doctor's encounter with a seductive psychiatric patient looks like a bunraku play. The scene on a bridge where a couple, separated by an earthquake, find each other only to decide to part is truly moving. Even though Mifune plays a doctor, in one sequence his character does some samurai-style fighting, then arranges to have his defeated attackers treated at his hospital!
  (21 March 98)

• I'm just back from a winter trip to Chamonix FR. In the past, this would have been called a ski trip, but this year I did more riding than two planking!
  (06-15 March 98)

• It snowed briefly this morning in Toronto. There's no better (or tastier) way to ward off the cold weather than enjoying a Japanese one-pot dish with a group of friends. The Tak Hing Hot Pot Restaurant features all-you-can-eat shabu shabu for just $20 per person including drinks, tax and tip (or less -- we supplemented the basic dish with some seafood). Lettuce is one of the choice of greens. Boiled lettuce? I was skeptical at first, but it actually tasted good!

  Tak Hing Hot Pot Restaurant, 2543 Warden Avenue (between Finch and Huntingwood), Scarborough ON, (416) 502-1668
  (04 March 98)

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