Eating out with Friends and Family at Yellow Leaf Chinese Food in Kingston
Eating out with Friends and Family at Yellow Leaf Chinese Food in Kingston
Disclosure: Our family received a meal at Yellow Leaf Restaurant in Kingston in exchange for this blog post. All opinions are our own.
“That was so good! When can we go back?”
That was my son after having had a meal at the Yellow Leaf Restaurant in Kingston. We hadn’t even finished the meal, and he was already plotting our return visit!
About Yellow Leaf
The new Yellow Leaf Restaurant is located on Main Street in Kingston and features Canadian Chinese and authentic Chinese food.
Yellow Leaf is run by husband and wife team Chris Wong and Candy Ip, originally from Hong Kong.
Did you know…
Wong = Yellow in Mandarin
Ip = Leaf in Mandarin
They added the maple leaf to their logo to symbolize their new Canadian home and came up with the perfect name for their restaurant!
The Food
The food – oh my goodness, is amazing!
Chef Chris Wong says the food is traditionally Hong Kong Chinese. The flavours and dishes might be a bit different from what you find in other Chinese restaurants. They can take the same ingredients, and depending if you fry, cook, steam or boil it, the dish is completely different.
Instead of everyone having a combo, we ate Asian-style, with several dishes in the middle of the table to eat from.
Before we went we warned Chef Wong that my husband was allergic to seafood, and he made sure there were things he could eat, and food was kept separate.
Everything was so good from the melt-in-your mouth tofu and vegetable dish to the egg rolls and the Singapore noodles. Apparently, these noodles are the most popular item on the menu, and when we were there, 3 take-out orders for them came in.
We now know why!
The menu is amazing, with so many choices (STC)
Hours and Location
Yellow Leaf Restaurant is located at 583 Main Street in Kingston, close to the intersection where you turn to go to Greenwood.
You might miss the sign.
Yellow Leaf is open every day but Tuesday (STC). Follow their Facebook page for more information and exact hours.
Overall
Yellow Leaf Restaurant in Kingston is a wonderful place to head for an authentic Chinese meal. The service is wonderful, the food is delicious and there are so many choices, you will have a hard time deciding where to start! But, do try the Singapore noodles!
We will definitely be back!
Rachel MacLean’s Falling on Snow new Christmas Album
Rachel MacLean’s Falling on Snow new Christmas Album
Please note: this is NOT a sponsored post about Rachel MacLean’s new Christmas album, Falling Snow. All opinions are my own.
Let me tell you the story about how I met Rachel MacLean and didn’t realize I met her.
Almost 10 years ago, my son Daniel was in a fabulous program at Acadia called KinderSkills. Daniel spent a lot of time being pulled around in a wagon with a girl named Myah. I often chatted with her mom, who was the sweetest woman!
Then, at Christmastime, I was walking past a bulletin board in the mall and stopped dead in my tracks.
I was staring at a poster for a concert with either The MacLean Sisters in concert. Being from the Valley, of course I had heard of the MacLean Sisters!
Staring right at me was Myah’s mom, the sweet woman from KinderSkills that I always chatted with. I had no idea SHE was Rachel MacLean!
Since then, I have followed Rachel MacLean’s music!
Rachel also performed for a fundraising concert I helped organize, Music: Play for Life, that we held at Acadia in support of the Port Williams park, and then one for the KCA playground. She’s always been so giving of her time and talent!
I have The MacLean’s first album, Reflections of Christmas, which I listen to all the time. So, I was overjoyed to receive a copy of her newest Christmas album, Falling Snow!
When the album first came out, I interviewed Rachel for a story I wrote for the Kings County Advertiser:
Since I received it, I have been listening to the album pretty much on repeat all day long!
My favourite song is track #7 called Gift of Love. Rachel wrote this song specifically as a duet to sing with her 16 year old daughter, Breagha Hawley. It speaks to a parent’s love and watching out over your child. It’s simply a beautiful piece, and their voices blend like only relatives can!
The album includes a mix of traditional songs like Santa Baby, Blue Christmas and O Come O Come Emanuel. There are also few pieces that Rachel wrote herself.
The harmonies are beautiful, the music is soft and melodic, and floats around you like an angel’s choir. It’s calm and relaxing music, that made me slow down and listen to intently to hear the musicality.
Where Can you Find Falling Snow?
Rachel’s new Christmas CD “Falling Snow” is now available. Retail locations include Occasions Gifts in Kentville, Marshall’s in Digby, Stirling Fruit Farms and Hennigar’s Farm Market in Greenwich. More locations to come!
Follow Rachel MacLean’s Facebook page to find out where to get the album.
And don’t miss out on Rachel’s annual concert at Acadia, always on the second Sunday of December at University Hall. She always features a wide array of musicians.
This year, when thinking of Christmas gifts, think local. Shop locally and support our local artists, starting with Rachel MacLean’s newest Christmas album, Falling Snow. You will thank me.
Eating out with Friends and Family at NOSH Kingstec NSCC
Eating out with Friends and Family at NOSH on the Kingstec Campus, NSCC in Kentville
Nosh, the public dining room at the Kingstec Campus for the Nova Scotia Community College in Kentville is one of the best kept secrets.
NOSH – Sweet Savory Service – is a NSCC student run restaurant and café aimed at putting learning into practice.
Here’s what the website says
Nova Scotia Community College’s ‘NOSH’ is an opportunity for the public to participate in providing our Tourism and Culinary/Pastry students a “real world” training experience in a full-service restaurant – and in return enjoying modern, world cuisine of the highest quality – at very reasonable prices.
Join us for world a class dining experience in a live classroom environment! Reservations required.
How it Works
Your first step is to email Kyla Dunn and ask to be put on the email list. You will be notified of openings and closings, special events, and sent the weekly menu.
Email to be put on the mailing list
Then, call (902) 679-7377 and make a reservation.
Reservations are required because it does fill up quickly, and they like to spread out the eating times to accommodate everyone!
There is a 3-course meal with lots of options to choose from in each category. Appetizers and desserts are $4 (stc) and main courses are $8 (stc).
You will be served by the hospitality students and the food will be prepared by the culinary students. So, by eating out, you really are helping the students, besides being treated to a fabulous gourmet meal!
When is it open?
Open October to April
‘NOSH’ (Dining Room):
Lunch: Wednesday-Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Thursday Evening Service starting in January at 5:30 p.m.
Subject to change.
Follow NOSH on Facebook to be kept up to date
Where do I go?
When you arrive at the Kingstec campus, you will have to sign in at the main security desk. You can always ask there, but just head down the hallway and veer to the left. Follow your nose! The dining room is at the end of the hall. 
How to find Kingstec Campus
Sometimes when we have eaten at Kingstec there has been a buffet. This is something you can find out about when you join the email list or follow NOSH on Facebook.
However and whenever you head out to eat, do try the Nosh dining room at Kingstec Campus in Kentville for a wonderful dining experience!
Eating out with Friends and Family at True North Diner in Bedford
Eating out with Friends and Family at True North Diner in Bedford
Our goal is to eat out with friends and family and tell you about great new restaurants to try, such as the True North Diner in Bedford!
Often times we are driving to or from Halifax around meal time and are looking for a good family place to eat out. We have found our new go-to place: True North Diner in Bedford!
What the Website Says
The True North Diner offers a bright, clean 1950′s style dining experience. Our food is prepared from fresh ingredients. We have virtually no frozen products and everything is cooked on the premises. All our meats are prepared in-house, except for our delicious hot dogs. We serve fresh hamburger from local beef, real roasted turkey, Diner-baked ham, French fries, and fish from local waters. Even our hamburger buns are baked fresh in a local bakery especially for us.
All our recipes are tried and true, perfected in our Mothers’ kitchens. Be sure to check out our dessert case for a delicious selection baked in the Diner by our talented baker.
Our 1956 vintage jukebox contains 45′s from the 50′s and 60′s – 25 cents per play – all proceeds from the jukebox are donated to the IWK Hospital for Children – Our jukebox raised $3600.00 in 2010; $4010.00 in 2011; $4200 in 2012; $4500.00 in 2013; $4500.00 in 2014; $4600.00 in 2015; and $4900 in 2016.;. Every play is for the IWK! We have lots of room for parties and even have a bit of space for dancing…
When we were there, it was on one of the nights where they had live music from the 50s, which really added to the atmosphere.
That and the giant bubblegum machine (proceeds for the IWK!)
As per the name, the True North Diner serves diner food!
There are lots of fun creations and combinations that you will want to try.
And a kids’ menu
If you are looking for a fun, family place to eat out, right off the highway, stop in to the True North Diner in Bedford.
Make sure you save room for dessert!
For more information, visit the True North Diner website
The Revolutionary Breakout 902 Escape Room
The Revolutionary Breakout 902 Escape Room
Disclosure: we received a free trial run of The Revolutionary Breakout 902 Escape Rooms so we could help test the room before it went live, and so we could share our experiences with you. We all were only too happy to help!
Breakout 902 Escape Rooms have done it again!
Owner Laurent Jacquard has created another creative locked-in room that people are going to love! It is mind blowing that all of these ideas come out of his head – this is not a franchise, or a purchased kit! These are creative and unique experiences!
Read about the background of this family business in my Advertiser article I wrote
About Breakout 902 Escape Rooms
Our escape rooms are an exhilarating test of your wits.Our 60 minute rooms are recommended for 4 – 8 players, where players solve a series of puzzles and riddles with clues to ultimately escape.
You really cannot describe to someone what an escape room is until you are in there and trying it! Then, it will all make sense!
The Breakout 902 Escape Rooms
Our Experience
I gathered a group of 5 friends together. Although you can have up to 12 people, we like 6 – as it gave us more room to maneuver. Amongst us, 3 of us had done escape rooms before to varying degrees of success. I was the only one who had tried the rooms in Coldbrook! The other 3 had no idea what they were in for!
We were asked to try The Revolutionary room before it went live that night.
Read the background plot of The Revolutionary here.
Once we were in the room, we were allowed 3 clues from the “game masters”.
The Result
How it Works
Ages
Hours and Admission
Parties
Location
Trying The Revolutionary Breakout 902 Escape Room was the perfect way to spend time with my friends. We had a great time and can’t wait to go back to try another one!
Top Tips for visiting Punta Cana Dominican Republic with your Family
Top Tips for visiting Punta Cana Dominican Republic with your Family
Please note: this is NOT a sponsored post. We recently traveled to the Dominican Republic and wanted to share our experiences with you to help you have a great time, too!
Our family had a terrible dilemma. We had a lot of West Jet dollars we had to use before they expired in January. Our Kenville-based local travel agent,
Deborah Chapman | Flight Centre Independent
found us another great deal that we couldn’t resist!
So, outfitted by The Swimwear Hut in New Minas, we were ready to hit the beach!
“I really didn’t think I wanted a UV swim shirt, but boy, am I ever glad I got one!”
We were all set to head to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for a week in November! The following is a recount of our experiences, and our best tips.
This is actually the first thing I did – I went back and read what I said to bring to Cuba. It was immensely helpful because I had forgotten what to bring and what to pack!
Highlights: bring a reusable travel mug and an apothecary of medicines!
2. Don’t spend too much time on Trip Advisor
Before we go anywhere, I usually try to do as much research as possible about the area, and that usually involves reading reviews on Trip Advisor.
While these discussions on Trip Advisor can be helpful to learn what to bring, or costs, etc, they are really NOT GOOD for deciding the quality of a place. Opinions vary way too much, and it all depends on what traveling conditions you are used to and what you expect!
Read a few, but don’t base your judgement solely on reviews!
We stayed at the Sunscape Bavaro in Punta Cana and loved it. The food was wonderful, lots of choices, and a ton of fun activities and incredible scenery.
3. Pick your Travel Times
Twice we have traveled to the Caribbean the first week of January, and both times it was cold and rainy. This time, we went mid November, at the tail end of the rainy season. The weather was incredible, at +30 every day!
Plus, because we were a bit off-season, the resort wasn’t overly crowded!
You might not have a choice of when you go, or when the good deals come up. But, if you do, do your research on the best times to go. We won’t travel in January again!
4. Leave the Complex
A lot of people when traveling to an all-inclusive resort like to stay on the resort and relax for the whole week. There is nothing wrong with that! However, for a family that is used to being on the go all the time, this doesn’t really appeal to us.
In Punta Cana, there are a lot of shops in town to explore, and you can even take a bus or a taxi to the main shopping district where you will find Ikea, Burger King and other department stores.
I must, had I been on my own, I probably would have done this. I love wandering around department stores in other countries, looking at their products and trying something new. I had a friend who tried a new shampoo in every country she visited!
We did venture out a few times to look at the souvenir shops in the area outside the resort. There are markets inside the resort, where they charge prices that I wouldn’t even pay at home, but it makes it easy for tourists who like to stay and don’t want to barter.
We found a grocery mart for the locals, and loaded up on coffee and vanilla for a lot less money!
5. Go on an Excursion
Before going to the resort, I tried to look up a few excursions to get some idea of what we should do while in the Dominican. However, once we got there and met with our vacation rep in the meeting the next morning, everything, and all our options were fully explained to us.
There were so many things to pick from. Some of the excursions are adult only, and some seemed more like a party boat than a tour (which is fine, except when traveling with kids).
Thank you to the Swimwear Hut in New Minas for outfitting us!
Excursions are expensive and usually run $100US per person. Many are worth it, but you may have to pick carefully. You can also pay by VISA, making it easy to set up and go.
Many of the excursions are available in both Puerto Plata and in Punta Cana.
We did two excursions in Punta Cana.
First, we went on a half-day trip with Marinarium.
The boys had never been snorkeling before, and with talk of our coral reefs disappearing, we wanted them to have the opportunity to see a living reef first hand.
The first part of the trip was snorkeling in the ocean. The seas were really rough that day, but the boys (10,12) are great swimmers, and you wear a life preserver, so there was no problem.
We got to see lots of tropical fish, too!
Then, we moved into another “fenced” area where we could hold a ray, and see giant ones on the ocean floor.
You kind of have to squint to see it, but the giant ray is there!
We also got to swim with giant nurse sharks!
This excursion was definitely a trip highlight for our 10 year old son who would have spent all day in the ocean, exploring!
Our second excursion was with Outback Adventures. This tour company runs out of several locations on the island.
This is a full day tour and takes you into the Dominican life off the resort and the beaches. We got to go to a coconut farm, help make coffee and chocolate, have a traditional buffet, and visit a traditional home and school.
This was an educational agri-tourism experience, and was definitely the trip highlight. The boys loved getting into the heart of the country and learning and doing new things.
Our tour guide, Angel, was phenomenal and made the day so fun and interesting.
We capped off the day boogie boarding at a local beach!
If you are only going to pick one adventure excursion, pick the Outback Adventure!
Not only was this full day trip cheaper than most of the other half-day trips, a lot of the money goes back into the charity projects done by the company to help the community!
Overall, we had a great time staying at Sunscape Bavaro in Punta Cana! We relaxed, slept, ate, drank, swam, explored, and spent quality time together as a family! What more could you ask for?
