Chic Delights: Chinese New Year

During my visit to Paris last October, I made sure that I stopped for breakfast at Laduree on the Left Bank at Rue Bonaparte. It turned out that the decor on Laduree Rue Bonaparte was inspired by chinoiserie with palm trees, chinoiserie wall paper with animals print, red chinese borders, red and green leather seats. The whole place was like an elegant garden conservatory or salon. In the spirit of Chinese New Year on 19 February which celebrates the Green Wooden Sheep, the Chinoiserie decor at Laduree truly celebrates the elegant Eastern design elements right in Paris.

For Breakfast, I had the pain perdu with rose sauce and Chantilly cream with cafe creme and apricot juice.

Check here your Horoscope predictions during the Year of the Sheep.

How to be successful in love in the Year of the Sheep.

The Chinese New Year is coming in this weekend with a big bang through a massive snowstorm here in the North East. Today is the Chinese Lunar New Year. Designating 2013 as the Year of the Water Snake. Here in Toronto, we celebrated in advance with Dim Sum for lunch. Dim Sum is a traditional Cantonese meal that originated from Hong Kong and served only during Lunch. To celebrate the New Year, most families will gather together for a feast, watch the traditional Dragon Dance Parade that will be happening around Chinatown and watch the fireworks tonight. It is also a Chinese tradition among families to receive money in Red paper envelopes. I hope you will have a feast and enjoy the Chinese New Year this weekend.

We had Dim Sum at Dim Sum King at Toronto's Chinatown. We climbed three floors of stairs to reach the Restaurant. As the saying goes, 'No pain, no gain."

Freshly baked pork steamed buns and egg tarts from a local Chinese Bakery along Spadina Ave.

A stroll along Spadina Avenue in Toronto's Chinatown.

A Wall Graffiti Art depicting the Chinese Immigrant experience. The Chinese are known for their hard work, love of family, love of food and entrepreneurial skills.