Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games – Ontario House

For some reason, I am starting to feel like the Energizer bunny; you know, it keeps going and going and going… And that is despite the burnout I am going through! For today, Ontario House, which means I have only one (and a half) exhibit/pavilion left to visit – Atlantic Canada House. Depending on circumstances, I might or might not blog about that one as I queued for it during the weekend and it was downright ridiculous… But, back to Ontario House. Let’s just say they are lucky I persevered. That is because it took me two attempts to get in there! (Sorry, I do not have Elaine’s luck… >_< ). But, not that I did….

Oh, once again, the rest of the posts of this series!

• Alberta House
• Robson Street
• Maison du Québec
• Saskatchewan Pavilion
• LiveCity Downtown/Canada Pavilion
• Saxony House
• Northern House



OK, what is the deal with this sign? Reality is, it does not portray the “house” very well. However, what it does it tells you of one of the most popular attractions of this house which results in two different queues, i.e., one for the the house itself and one for a movie. Yup, if you are patient enough, you get to see a ~6 minutes 4D movie feature different “features” of Ontario. And what is a 4D movie? If you have seen any 3D movie (Avatar, et al), think of that “experience” but add some actual physical interaction. For example, in a scene where some kids are tobogganing down a hill, there is a snow machine in a corner pumping some snows. Likewise, there are instances where the seats rock and so on. While it is a novelty, I just want my old movies back…



This might as well be the “best seat in the house”… OK, I was actually standing at the far corner of the bar. The reason was that the few tables available were already taken and I needed some space (more on that in a moment). But, this gives you a good idea of what to expect if your expectations from this house is mostly to party. On that note, please also check Elaine’s post (of Parker Pages) about this place.



I will just add one thing that Elaine did not really mention (or just partially). Since Research in Motion (read: Blackberry) is located in Ontario, you bet there will have something from them there, right? In this case, is an interactive game where you use the Crack… I mean Blackberry to solve a puzzle (move different pieces in its location).

And, now, what I came for… Food! (Note: Click on the pictures of the food below for a larger version in a new window!)



Trillium meat trio: King Cole smoked duck breast, pingue Niagara capicola and Bresaola. I didn’t like the fact the capicola and bresaola were sliced this thin; however, it provided a good contrast of meaty and salty flavours, which was enhanced by further more contrast thanks to the mustard and pickles.



Spring rolls, specifically, duck spring rolls. When I first saw it, I wasn’t thinking on ordering it until I re-read it and noticed… “Duck?!”. I will have to say these were quite good, still hot, with some good duck taste (yet, couldn’t taste the actual meat due to the other parts of the filling) and, most importantly, not greasy. To me, this was a winner.



3 cheese mac & cheese (with MacBalderson cheddar, Gruyere and Parmesan). I didn’t really like this one, as I couldn’t taste much of the cheese. They were there; however, I felt more on the lines of a béchamel sauce. The worst part was that the mac didn’t really “soaked” the sauce so it was partially a mess. I think I can do better…



Ontario mini burger (with smoked cheddar and bacon). It was good to an extent but I felt it could have been better. The meat patty wasn’t dry and the pickle and tomato provided something else in addition to the meat. Oddly, I didn’t taste much of either the cheddar or (gasp!) the bacon. It was a case I knew it was there but…



And to finish, a chocolate cheesecake “bliss-on-a-stick”. Imagine cheesecake covered with chocolate. I am just going to say it could have been better…

Now, the “interesting” detail here (in terms of food, of course!) is that they took a different route compared to Maison du Québec (as a side note, the food in both locations are catered). Whereas the later is more of an actual meal, here, it is more on the lines of small treats. At $5, it sounds like a good deal… Until, that is, still feel hungry with one and ended up ordering several dishes, like I did above. Still, I give points to Ontario House for what they provided.

Overall, I think this house is better done than the others, as it caters to all groups at the same time. But, then again, it boils down to the level of expectation.

Tagged under: Olympic Games • Vancouver