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February 2012

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Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out their “First ImPreston’s” dining package and write a review about it. I got a complementary dining package for myself and I brought along Abbytizer to keep the review as unbiased as I could. The review does not guarantee 100% similar service you might normally get from this restaurant


Abbytizer and I have never been to Preston’s before. From the outside it looks like a very nice, sleek lounge for drinks. The VANEATS “First ImPreston’s” dining package can fully satisfy one person, but is minimal for two people to share.

The Preston’s Dinning Package consists of 5 dishes:

Appetizer

  • Dungeness Crab Cake
  • Preston’s Pulled Pork Poutine
  • Chicken Karrage
Entree
  • 1/2 Rack of Baby Back Ribs

OR

  • BC Halibut Wrapped in Double Smoked Bacon
Dessert
  • Maple and Double Smoked Bacon Creme Brulee

The interior of the restaurant is very modern. There is a wall with a cool graphic display that illuminates a pink light throughout the restaurant.

On the left: “Dungeness Crab Cake with panko breading, tomato dressing, micro herb salad, and fried capers.

The Dungeness Crab Cake, Chicken Karrage, and the Pulled Pork Poutine come as a trio in an appetizer. The first one we tasted was the Dungeness Crab Cake. The texture of the crab cake is crunchy and it was perfectly warm throughout. Abbytizer and I both enjoyed this dish. Abbytizer described it as “packed with real crab meat, which made it very tasty. The sauce that came with it was a perfect match. She enjoyed the crunchy texture of the panko breading because it gave the crab cake a good bite. The only negative thing she had to say about this dish was that it was a little awkward to cut in half in the presentation it came in”.

The center: “Chicken Karaage, is flash fried marinated chicken with garlic sake, served with spicy sambal lime aioli and miso cabbage slaw.

The chicken karrage was a let down. There was nothing special about the chicken; it was borderline dry and lacked flavour. Abbytizer stated that it needs more aioli sauce to accompany it. The coleslaw is sweet and tasty, but it wasn’t enough to save the dish.

To the Right: “Prestons Pulled Pork Poutine, with crispy French fries, Quebec cheese curds, and Rickards Red Gravy.

Abbytizer and I both enjoyed this dish because this poutine was not like any other poutine we’ve had before. There is a distinct sweetness from the pork and sauce. The pork is really soft and tender and it blended perfectly with the gravy and the cheese. The fries were crispy and added a nice textural contrast to the dish.

The presentation of the appetizers is quite nice, but the portion size is very minimal for two hungry people. The appetizers would are just enough for one person.

Before we received our main dish, we were presented with a tiny pellet that holds a compressed cloth. When soaked in water the cloth expands, and when peeled a part, the cloth becomes bigger. The tiny pellet became a wet nap. This process was quite amusing to Abbytizer and I before we had our main meals.

1/2 Rack of Baby Back Ribs“, with sweet hoisin & ginger glazed pork ribs, roasted fingerling potatoes and crunchy coleslaw.

This meal is very pleasing to the eyes. Abbytizer enjoyed it very much. She described the dish as savory and delicious. The sauce was so tasty, she nearly licked her plate clean! The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and the fingerling potatoes were perfectly seasoned with the right amount of salt. The coleslaw added a nice crisp contrast to the softness of the ribs. Overall, this entree was a winner!

BC Halibut Wrapped in Double Smoked Bacon“, ($26) served with creamed leeks, quinoa and honey shallot j’us .

I ordered the Halibut to try the other entree offered in the “First ImPrestons” dining package. I never had quinoa before and the quinoa was delicious. The quinoa carried the flavor of the dish. The halibut, however, lacked flavor even though it was wrapped in bacon.

Green Tea Matcha Crème Brulee served with julienne slices of pickled granny smith. The restaurant made a mistake of giving us the green tea crème brulee instead of the maple and double smoked bacon crème brulee.

The green tea matcha crème bruelee was served in a tiny ramekin. However, it was packed with matcha goodness and was very enjoyable. The julienne slices of pickled granny smith apple have a distinct sour taste that is refreshing. People who don’t prefer sour tastes may not like the apples in this dish.

Maple and Double Smoked Bacon Creme Brulee“, is a very interesting dish. It has a strong initial taste of bacon grease, and after a while of having it, you can taste the smokiness of the bacon. The top of the crème brulee is sweet and when broken and mixed with the crème, it tastes sweet and salty. Abbytizer described it as an acquired taste, especially for anyone who finds bacon as a very unusual dessert flavour.

Chocolate Brownie Sundae ($8) with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and raspberry coulis.

Abbytizer enjoyed this dessert. She described the brownie as soft and moist, with a rich chocolate flavour. The raspberry coulis cut through the richness and sweetness of the brownie nicely, and the vanilla ice cream is a wonderful addition to the dessert. The portion of this dessert is large enough to be shared between two people.

The Chuck Norris ($9) with Beefeater Gin, Triple Sec, Lilet Blanca, fresh limejuice and Absinthe. This drink has a very strong initial taste of lime and a strong after taste that is a kick to the face. Who needs shots when you can drink a Chuck Norris.

Hot and Dirty ($9) This is a blend of Absolut Vanilla, Absinthe, lime juice, cordial and a dash of Bols Blue. Abbytizer found this drink to be pretty and potent. It was not as sweet as she anticipated it to be. Overall, a good cocktail.

Overall, one main entrée at Prestons cost just as much as the VANEATS dining package. The VANEATS “First ImPrestons” pass is great value for your buck, especially if you want to try out a restaurant with great food. However, the pass is suitable for one person, so if two of you are dining, you may want to order another appetizer or entree.

You can purchase the “First ImPrestons” Dinning Package at VANEATS.ca for $21 starting on February 29th.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Large drink menu
  • Nice lounge area
  • Bathroom is outside the restaurant

We rate Prestons:

Address:
1177 West Pender Street
Vancouver, BC V6E

Prestons on Urbanspoon

 


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Hello Internet! Abbytizer and I checked out a fun, new restaurant on Fraser Street called Fray. The restaurant prides itself on having its dishes made from locally sourced and fresh ingredients.

The inside of the restaurant is dimly lit, has interesting decor that includes luchador masks and poster art on its walls. The Fray also has vintage board games and an “adult activity sheet” that provides amusement while waiting for the food. The restaurant has a very causal, laid back feel.

Fray’s Famous F-Bombs ($7.95) are fresh figs wrapped in crispy, Fraser Valley bacon with a balsamic reduction. I personally do not like figs but this appetizer was sweet in the inside, and salty on the outside.

Abbytizer describes as an interesting contrast between the sweetness of the soft figs, and saltiness of the crisp bacon. I enjoyed the balsamic reduction; it cut through and complemented the other flavours quite nicely. 

The Portobello Fries ($8.95) is a Jenga tower of breaded portobello strips lightly fried and served with truffle aioli sauce. I personally loved this dish. The mushrooms are so tender and the breading made them perfectly crisp on the outside. Abbytizer describes it:

These fries are a perfect alternative to ordinary french fries! I love mushrooms and the idea of cutting strips of Portobello, breading them and frying them is great! They are perfectly seasoned and the aioli dip that accompanies them is a great complement.

It’s so good that we ordered this appetizer TWICE! We had one before our entrees, and one after our entrees.

The Mint Julep ($5.60 for a single) consists of Maker’s Mark bourbon, mint and simple syrup, shaken.

Abbytizer ordered this and describes it to be very strong. A single of this drink is more than enough to get a decent buzz on. 

The Berry Fizz ($5.50 for a single) is strawberry-infused vodka, cranberry juice, ginger ale and lime juice, shaken over ice. A very light strawberry and cranberry blend drink. You’re going to need a lot of these to feel it. 

The Pan –Seared Salmon ($14.95) consists of West Coast wild salmon, pan-seared with light cream sauce, balsamic vinegar and gnocchi tapenade. Abbytizer describes this dish to be a disappointment as the fish was cooked a little longer than it should have been, which made it slightly dry. However, the gnocchi was quite tasty, and the saving grace of the entire dish was the delicious cream sauce.

The Fat Bastard Pork Belly ($15.95) is a thick wedge of local pork belly with apple peach compote, white balsamic chive reduction and fresh slaw. The pork belly was sweet and juicy in the inside. The outside was cooked right, leaving the outside of the pork skin to be crunchy. Each bite was sweet and enjoyable. Also, the fruits on the side were out of the ordinary, but made the meal enjoyable.

The Rustic Apple Tart ($7.95) is a puff pastry with vanilla ice cream. It is a very simple dessert with an enormous amount of apple flavor. We finished the apple tart before the ice cream!

Overall, this restaurant has a lot to offer, especially if you’re looking for vegetarian or potentially gluten-free options. The dishes are reasonably priced for modern, western cuisine. On certain nights, The Fray serves as a venue for different events. At the time we went, Abbytizer and I watched an amateur stand-up comedian contest. Needless to say, the food was better than some of the jokes told.

Words of Wisdom:

  •  Free parking in front
  •  Free WiFi
  •  Mediocre service
  •  The restaurant hosts special events after 9pm (variety show, trivia night, etc.) on certain nights.

We rate Fray 

Address:
3980 Fraser Street
Vancouver, BC

Website: fray.me

Fray on Urbanspoon

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Cartems Donuterie opened up a pop-up shop in Gastown and another near Commercial. A pop-up shop means its only temporary. They sell unique donuts with very unique flavours and cater to people who are gluten-free and vegan.

My coworkers and I have heard a lot of buzz about Cartems Donuterie on Twitter and in the papers, so we decided to check them out during lunch. We also heard they like to be sold out quite fast, so we just monitored their twitter account to see what flavours were coming out next. On their first batch of donuts, they sold out in 39 minutes! So, we waited for their next batch to be ready before we headed out of the office.

They take online orders ( 2 days in advance) as well, just in case you don’t want to run into the problem with sold out donuts or the flavours you want aren’t there. They do free delivery in Downtown too.

Everything is made fresh with local ingredients! They don’t do their baking in the Gastown location since its just delivered to that location. It’s not a bad thing since it’s still fresh!

The shop is very small. When we went there, there were only 2 flavours left. 🙁 They are popular donuts.

It didn’t bother us too much since there were at least some donuts left and the guy serving us was very nice! There are no tables inside, so all the donuts you get at the store are for takeout.

After walking back to the office with our rain-soaked box of Cartems Donuts, we just dug in!

Since there were only 2 types of donuts left, we just grabbed a box of half a dozen ($15). They gave us an extra one since one of the donuts were a bit smaller. I didn’t notice the size difference, but a free donut is a good donut (hehehe…that was my asian side of me speaking).

Cinnamon Sugar Donut ($3 each) was coated with a lot of sugar on the outside. It was beautifully fried! When you bite into it, the outside is crunchy and the inside is spongey. There was a good balance between the ingredients.

Sweet Heat Donut ($3 each) tasted like a slightly dense chocolate donut. The dominant flavour is the chocolate, but there is a very very subtle taste of the chilies.

Overall, the donuts were good, but since I am not a donut fanatic…I don’t exactly have a huge love for them. With $3 per donut, I would probably try more of the other flavours that are more unique.


Since I wanted to try more of their flavours, Angela of Munchkie’s Munchies and I decided to order a dozen and split them during lunch. Such a healthy lunch right? Don’t attempt eating a whole box of 12, since thats really just unhealthy on many levels. The dozen donuts cost $30.

Ordering online was quite painless, choose the donuts you want in multiples of 12 and pay through PayPal. You just need to make your order 2 days in advance. The order arrived on time and I had no issues.

Even though we ordered one of each flavour, we couldn’t try the Bee Sting donut since they didn’t have it. The donuts came in various shapes and sizes. Some were smaller, some were larger.

Triple Chocolate Threat ($3 each) is made with a base of chocolate cake, then topped with ganache and crispy chocolate pearls.

This donut was a bit dense and slightly dry. I liked the texture of the chocolate pearls that complimented the donut.

Flourless Bouquet Gluten-Free Donut ($3 each) but it’s still made in an area with gluten. Eat with caution depending on what your level of sensitivity is towards gluten. The donut has a berry tea glaze on top.

I found the glaze to be quite sweet, but it did have a strong berry taste to it.

Cinnamon Sugar Donut ($3 each) was coated with sugar and cinnamon on the outside. The quality of the donut could have been a bit improved since the shape of it was a bit weird.

What I like about this donut is the crunchy exterior and then the soft inside of it. This donut isn’t super special or unique, but it is good.

Sweet Snow Donut ($3 each) has a white chocolate glaze with large organic coconut shavings.

I’m not a big fan of coconut, but I liked how the taste was subtle and didn’t dominate the flavour. Good balance.

Sweet Heat Donut ($3 each) tasted a little bit different this time around.

The chili flavour was more prominent but not too overwhelming. It just tickled your lips a little. It was kinda a cool feeling.

Earl Grey Donut is infused with organic earl grey tea and a earl grey glaze with edible flowers.

I really liked this donut because it has a good subtle flavour of the tea. Very unique and its a must order.

Breakfast Donut has organic figs, flax seeds, and honey. This was definitely a donut for the wee mornings.

It was quite dense and packed with a lot of ingredients, but it kinda tasted like a bran muffin.

Carrot Cake Donut has carrots in their donut dough with a caramel glaze and topped with candied carrots and oats.

I felt like it didn’t represent a carrot cake since it needed a bit more cinnamon to really bring out that taste.

Classic Donut is topped with a vanilla bean glaze.

I liked the simple taste of the donut. Good fresh ingredients done right.

No Animals? No problems! Vegan Donut has chocolate cake, topped with chocolate ganache and chocolate sprinkles.

I LOVED this donut! Even though it’s vegan, it was so moist and chocolaty. I would definitely order this again!

Overall, there is a bit of a consistency issue with the donuts, but Cartems has a great concept in trying to bring unique flavours and ingredients into their donuts. Plus, they do cater to vegans and gluten-free individuals. I am sure in time they will improve on their products! Don’t forget to check out  Munchkie’s Munchies‘s review of Cartems!

Words of Wisdom:

  • My Favorite: Earl grey, Sweet Heat, Vegan, and Classic
  • Pricey for just a donut
  • Order Online to be guaranteed the flavours you want
  • Free delivery to the Downtown core
  • Under $10
  • Closest Skytrain: Stadium
  • Follow them on Twitter (@cartemsdonuts ) for availability of supply + flavours
  • Vegan + Gluten-Free Options

We Rate Cartems Donuterie

Address:
408 Carrall Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://cartems.com/

Cartems Donuterie (Pop-up Shop) on Urbanspoon


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Ensemble Tap is opened by Top Chef Canada’s winner – Dale MacKay. They sell pub-style food with a large array of beer on tap, thus the name. It’s a spin off of his other restaurant – Ensemble, which is a higher end dining.

Since I helped Flo assemble some furniture, she treated me out for some food close to her place. Since Ensemble Tap was just downstairs, it seemed like a good place to go.

Steam Buns ($14) has seared albacore tuna, Mama Cho sauce, and fresh kimchi. The bun was cold and we felt it might have been better if it was warm like those Chinese-style steam buns. It was hard to taste the tuna since the kimchi and the Mama Cho sauce overpowered the tuna. It was a tad spicy and has a little sour taste to it. I really didn’t like the flavour combinations.

Thai Chicken Wings ($12 – 1 lb) The chicken was deep fried and came with the thai sauce on the side. I didn’t find it very amazing at all since it’s quite expensive for a pound of chicken wings.

Tap Burger + Bacon ($15) has mushrooms, caramelized onions, onion, lettuce, Swiss cheese, horse radish, and a side of fries. The beef patty was quite large and the added bacon was nice and crunchy. I really liked the burger since it was a good price and tasted delicious.

Key Lime Pie ($8.50) has whipped cream, toasted coconut, and lime zest. It was light and airy, so it was not a heavy dessert. It has a really nice lime flavour, but you know there was definitely some food coloring in this. I’ve never had a key lime pie, but this was good.

Overall, the appetizers are definitely expensive. The burgers are delicious and priced well. Service was ok.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Good burger
  • Around $15
  • Some appetizers not worth the price
  • Good array of beers
  • Closest Skytrain: Burrard

We Rate Ensemble Tap

Address:
990 Smithe Street
Vancouver, BC
Website:
http://www.ensembletap.com/
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I was walking at Metrotown and I saw that McDonalds has new sandwiches called the ‘McBistro’. They are a new line of chicken sandwiches, which are for people who are a bit health conscious. You can have the option of having grilled chicken or fried chicken in your sandwich. The sandwiches come in 3 types:

  • Chicken BLT
  • Southwest Chicken
  • Swiss Mushroom Melt

A combo costs $7.59 and just the sandwich is $5.19. These were the prices at Metrotown, but may be different at other locations.

Southwest Chicken McBistro with fried chicken was nothing interesting. It just had lettuce, swiss cheese, tomato, southwest sauce and the patty between the whole grain bun.

The fried chicken is so uniform in shape that it looks kinda gross. For a second I almost mistook it for a hashbrown. We didn’t take a particular liking to it since it was just so plain. I think it would have been better if it was the grilled chicken instead of the deep fried.

Chicken BLT McBistro with grilled chicken has mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, and chicken between the whole grain bun.

The chicken looked pretty good and natural. It didn’t have the same uniform shape as the fried chicken. The chicken looked like it was real chicken meat.

There was also a good amount of bacon on the sandwich, so I was not disappointed. I would have to say the Chicken BLT is probably the best out of the bunch. I haven’t tried the swiss mushroom, but that might be good.

Overall, the McBistros are pretty good only if you get the grilled chicken option. They are probably only available for a limited time, so get them before they’re gone.

McDonald's (Metrotown) on Urbanspoon

I find the strangest things while waiting in line at the checkout in Walmart. I was looking at all the candy and the Twix Peanut Butter bar caught my eye. I love the original Twix and I was so curious how this would taste.

Like the usual Twix bars, it comes with 2 sticks.

There are the layers of peanut butter and a chocolate cookie covered in milk chocolate. Since I am a peanut butter lover, it tingled my taste buds. It tasted quite good and not too sweet. I still think the original Twix is better and I would probably continue to get the original ones.

 

Chronic Tacos opened up their third location in Gastown! Since I saw a Social Shopper deal, I quickly got it! I’ve been to another location and the food was good. This Chronic Taco location is much larger and has 2 floors.

The interior is bright red with lots of TV around to watch games.

Lots of seating, a few booth seating and the upstairs area. The chairs are like outdated banquet chairs. Not the most pretty furniture or tables, but it’s about the food right?

Pop ($1.99) normal stuff and comes with refills!

Chips and Salsa ($2.99) I liked the crunchy chips but I wish there was more salsa. The salsa was alright but it was very watery.

For the two tacos that were part of the Social Shopper deal, we got the Carnitas taco and Fish taco. These are a bit small and nothing like Taco Time. You may need 3 or 4 to get full.

Fish Taco ($3.79) has a small tortilla with cabbage, and salsa. It was good, but wasn’t super amazing.

Carnitas Taco ($3.49) has tender and juicy beef with guacamole and lettuce. It was ok too.

Carnitas Quesadilla ($9.49) has a good amount of cheese and carnitas meat inside. It also comes with a few sauces. Its has a much larger size than the tacos.

It was well made, but you definitely need to dip it into the sauce to get more flavour. I probably liked the quesadilla out of all the other items.

Overall, the food was alright, but not super amazing. In a way, it is like a cantina, where you just drink more and have a few little snacks. They do have the bar and the room for it. It’s good game food too. Since the space is pretty large too, service wasn’t super good. It was alright.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Decent Mexican eats
  • Around $10
  • Lots of space to watch the game
  • Anything with Carnitas is delicious

We Rate Chronic Tacos Cantina:

Address:
102 Water Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:

http://www.chronictacos.ca/

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Konbinya is this specialty store on Robson Street that sells a bunch of Japanese products. They have lots of drinks, candy, and other stuff. I love this place to find some unique snacks.

Since M was feeling a bit sick, I decided to pick him up a few things to cheer him up. Then I took everything back to take pictures hahaha.

DragonBall Pokka Coffee ($2 each) was something that I had to get! If you grew up watching DragonBall, you know this is something you need to get. M loved the taste of the coffee and liked how it was stronger than most canned coffees.

Kirby Fruity Gum was bought by accident. Since I can’t read Japanese, I thought it was little sour candies, but it turns out that its gum. M really didn’t like it.

Remember this noodle guy? They make them in little tablet form. It still tastes the same but it a different shape. It definitely has less noodles, but I thought the packaging was cool.

I thought I found some cool stuff at Konbinya. I also come here when I get bored too. Some items can be a bit expensive.

Konbiniya on Urbanspoon


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Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out their “Verace Amore” dining package and write a review about it. I got a complementary dining package for myself and I brought along CandiedZen to keep the review as unbiased as I could. This review does not guarantee 100% similar service you might normally get from this restaurant.


I always pass by Verace but never went inside until VANEATS.ca began offering the Verace Amore Dining Package. The package was designed to feed one, but CandiedZen and I found that it’s best to share it and order an additional dish. This is because not everyone will love all the items in this package due to personal reasons. Some people hate olives, some people love olives. The dining package comes with 4 items:

  • Salati Assortiti
  • Burrata
  • 8-inch Brick Oven Baked Pizza (half funghi, half Prosciutto e Rucola)
  • Lemoncello Layer Cake

The interior has lots of tables and can get busy on game days or holidays.

Limonata Al Mosmario has freshly squeezed lemons, rosemary and soda. We tried ordering the Italian Soda, but the waiter highly recommended this to us. It tasted really good with a strong lemon soda taste with a subtle hint of rosemary. It’s not part of the dining package, but it was nice and refreshing to go with the meal.

Burrata is burrata cheese finished with balsamic reduction, lemon oil and served with warm rosemary pizza bread.

CandiedZen and liked this dish since the rosemary bread was crunchy and melded well with the soft burrata cheese.

Salati Assortiti come with a daily selection of cured meats and cheese, vegetables, and marinated olives. It comes with more warm rosemary pizza bread.

Good selection of items, but not for everyone. That’s why its good to share one of these with another person. CandiedZen and I eat everything, so it worked well for us. For myself, I really loved the pickled artichokes and the cured meats.

8-inch Brick Oven Baked Pizza is handmade with naturally leavened dough

  • ½ Prosciutto e Rucola – plum tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella topped with prosciutto, fresh arugula, grana padano and evoo (extra virgin olive oil)
  • ½ Funghi – mushroom cream, cipollini balsamic onions, mixed crimini, portabella, and oyster mushrooms. Topped with fresh oregano, grana padano and evoo

The Prosiutto e Rucola was good, but it was a bit hard to eat with the arugula on top. The Funghi was really good since it had the  fragrant mushroom cream sauce. It was strong, but I am a huge mushroom fan. The pizza is smaller in size than their regular pizzas. The regular ones are about 12 inches instead of the 8 inches. I did like this pizza since it gives you a sample of their top 2 pizzas.

Chili oil and garlic oil comes to the table and you can add it to your rosemary bread or pizza. I personally love the garlic oil since it has a subtle taste and goes well with most bread-y items.

Lemoncello Layer Cake has limoncello infused lady fingers layered with lemon curd and mascarpone cream.

It was a nice dessert at the end and its great they used lemoncello, which is an Italian lemon liqueur. It had a good taste and the ingredients went well together.

Candies come in the end when the bill comes!

Overall, we found the dining package was worth the $15, since a regular pizza on their menu is about $15 anyways. It’s a well-built package that shows you the variety of items that they offer.

You can purchase the Verace Amore Dining Package at VANEATS.ca for $15 beginning on February 22nd at 7am. All the items are on their regular menu too!

Words of Wisdom:

  • Good Pizza
  • Closest Skytrain: Stadium
  • Free Parking at Tinseltown (Just make sure the mall doesn’t close) or pay parking underground near T&T

We Rate Verace Pizzeria:

Address:

189 Keefer Pl
Vancouver, BC
Website:
http://www.veracepizzeria.com/

Verace Pizzeria Napoletana and Enoteca on Urbanspoon

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Bon’s Off Broadway is known for their super cheap $2.95 breakfasts and has been a popular place for University students to eat ridiculously cheap food. The interior has lots of space.

They have been around for a long time and it’s just a good place to get cheap food.

Coffee is the normal black drip coffee. It’s definitely a must for the tired people of the world. It was hard getting a refill since the service wasn’t very good, so it was hard to flag down a server.

Corn Beef hash with a side of bacon was quite large! It comes with a few slices of toast and a mountain of potatoes, onions and corned beef slices. I also ordered bacon on the side too. The food was quite average and greasy, but I was super stuffed by the end of the meal.

Overall, the food isn’t super amazing, but you do get what you pay for. The service is a bit lacking, but they are quite busy in the mornings and on weekends.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Very affordable and cheap!
  • Under $10
  • Free parking in the residential area
  • Large portions

We Rate Bon’s Off Broadway:

Address:
2451 Nanaimo St
Vancouver, BC V5N
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Leonidas is a Belgian Chocolate shop inside the Convention Center near Waterfront Station. They sell lots of signature chocolates, macarons, waffles, drinks, and other chocolate goodies. The interior is quite small, but can fit a few small groups.

M and I were in the area and we wanted to redeem our Social Shopper deal good for 2 waffles, 2 hot chocolates, 2 chocolate covered strawberries and a box of 6 chocolates. Since it was Valentines Day, it seemed like a good day to redeem it.

Dark Hot Chocolate was good! It was very smooth and had a nice rich chocolate taste.

Leiage Waffles were not good at all. The waffles were pre-made and reheated. I found this very strange since I’ve heard lots of good things about their waffles. Perhaps they made them ahead of time since they knew the shop would be busy during Valentines Day. M and I really thought the waffles were hard and bland.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries were good. The strawberries were big, plump and juicy with a good coating of milk chocolate.

The chocolates you can choose any 6 from their display case. I chose anything with dark chocolate and they were really good!! If you have no idea what to get, you can always ask them for advice. They have tons of choices to choose from.

Overall, the chocolates are the best items here. I would go back just for those. As for this experience, M and I felt that the service was quite poor. Some customers were ignored when there was no line up, so they just left. Our table was left dirty for a long time and as I went back to get the chocolates, they forgot I was already dining there. Granted it was a busy Valentines Day, I can understand the staff was flustered by the amount of customers. Since they are still quite new, I am sure they will improve on their service.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Delicious Dark Chocolates!
  • Under $10
  • Closest Skytrain: Waterfront

We Rate Leonidas:

Address:
#29 – 1055 Canada Place
Vancouver, BC
Website:
http://www.leonidaswaterfront.com/

Leonidas on Urbanspoon


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For Valentines Day, TaiwaneseGirl, M and I decided to Verace Pizzeria for dinner. Very romantic – 2 girls and M…I think M was a happy man and thought he looked pimp. I honestly just wanted pizza.

Verace Pizzeria serves up authentic Italian cuisine. They are located near Stadium Skytrain and T&T. They have lots of Groupon Now deals through their iPhone app.

They even have a brick oven that’s heated to 900 degrees. Now that’s hot stuff. The restaurant has a good amount of seats and was packed!

Limonata Al Mosmario has fresh squeezed lemon, rosemary and soda. We tried ordering the Italian Soda, but the waiter highly recommended this to us. It tasted really good with a strong lemon soda taste with a subtle hint of rosemary.

Pasta e Patate Affumicata Pasta ($15.25) has potato, fior di latte, smoked cheese, pancetta, onions, celery, tomatoes, grana padano, and extra virgin olive oil. The pasta was alright, but it wasn’t too amazing. There could have been a little bit more sauce or perhaps the sauce should be a bit thicker.

Diavola Pizza ($16.75) has plum tomatoes, spicy genoa salami, capicollo roasted red onion and peppers topped with grana padano, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil. The pizza was nice and thin but does have a bit of a char since it is made in the brick oven. The flavours were good and it tastes really good with the garlic oil and chili oil that comes to the table.

Peppe Calzone ($16.75) is filled with pomodoro, capicollo, spicy genoa salami, fior di latte mozzarella and roasted bell peppers topped with basil leaf. It’s really large and half the side of the plate. It comes with your choice of salad or soup, but we went with salad. The inside of the calzone was a bit watery on the inside due to the tomatoes, but it was still good. The salad was perfectly seasoned and dressed!

Overall, the food is good, but the pizza is probably the best thing to order. Some items are a tad expensive, but with the Groupon discounts, its not too bad.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Good Pizza
  • Daily Groupon Now deals
  • Closest Skytrain: Stadium
  • Free Parking at Tinseltown or pay parking underground near T&T

We Rate Verace Pizzeria:

Address:

189 Keefer Pl
Vancouver, BC
Website:
http://www.veracepizzeria.com/

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After Tim Hortons offered their $1 lattes for a limited time, McDonalds joins the promotional race by offering $1 off Coffee from February 20th – 26th, 2012. I saw several advertisements around Downtown Vancouver, so it is legit.

It’s applicable to all their different types of coffee like Mochas and Lattes from their McCafe. It’s still a good deal if you are getting their plain black coffee.

The Himalayan Peak at SFU sells Indian food. You can either do takeout or eat in. They are best known for their all-you-can-eat buffet since its the best bang for your buck if you eat a lot.

Since a few of us weren’t super super hungry, we decided to pick a few items off the menu for lunch to share.

There’s lots of tables available and its not too busy.

Butter Chicken ($14) has boneless pieces of chicken breast cooked in creamy sauce. The flavours were good, but it could have been a bit stronger.

It tasted good and its always best with an order of naan or rice. There was a good amount of chicken, but it is quite an expensive dish.

Naan ($2) is what we chose to get with the butter chicken. It was made fresh and really good!

Chicken Naan-wich ($7) has very little ingredients inside, but I guess thats to keep it from falling apart. Since the naan is also thin, it has good proportions. Too bad there really isn’t a binding agent to really keep it all together.

Thats what the center looked like.

Twin Peak Samosa ($5) has a crispy outer layer with potatoes and peas inside. You get 2 types of sauces too.

In the middle of the two samosas are a type of a bean curry. It went well with the samosas but the raw onions was a tad much.

Overall, it was a good food but certain item can be a bit expensive. Flavours are a bit mild to suit general people.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Regular items on the menu are quite pricey
  • All you can eat Buffet at noon is quite popular
  • Naan-wich is recommended or the paneer
  • No free parking anymore :(
  • SFU Student? Free Parking at UniverCity (they don’t check the 2 hr limit)
We Rate Himalayan Peak:  

 Address:

8901 University High St
Burnaby, BC

Website:
www.himalayanpeak.ca
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Hello Internet! Today Abbytizer and I checked out a new restaurant on Main Street called Yutaka. This restaurant opened late of last year and it hasn’t had a grand opening yet, just a “soft” opening. This restaurant is slowly becoming a neighborhood favorite. Abbytizer saw this restaurant on the bus and we decided to try it.

The inside of the restaurant has a simple modern touch to it.

Miso Soup ($1.25)– A standard miso that’s at a reasonable price.

Ebi sunomono ($3.25)– A standard small ebi sunomono but with a lot of baby shrimp which made it quite enjoyable.

Oysters ($2.50) We ordered two fresh oysters. The oysters we’re fine and nothing spectacular, Abbytizer and I have had better at other seafood restaurants.

Salmon Carpaccio ($8.50) – The salmon was fresh. The balsamic vinegar just blends perfectly with the salmon, making the salmon melt in your mouth. Abbytizer and I enjoyed this dish.

Age King Oyster Mushroom ($4.00) – Lightly breaded mushrooms seasoned with Tograhi, making the mushrooms have a delicious crispy crunchy taste. Also there is a slight kick of spice to each bite. Abbytizer and I devoured this dish. It’s totally worth its value and the size of portion is enough for two people.

Negitoro ($3.50) and Fire Roll ($10.50) – First of all the Negitoro was extremely fresh and melted in your mouth. This is probably one of the best negitoro rolls I’ve had in a while. Also this roll wasn’t on the menu, due to the soft opening the menu is not completely finished.

Fire Roll ($10.50)– The fire roll consist of 10 pieces loaded with scallops, salmon and tiny bitts of deep-fried bread with cream cheese in the middle. The fire roll is not spicy, but still delicious.

Ebi Filo ($5.00) – Filo is usually on Greek pastries but this restaurant has a modern take on spicy ebi mayo. This dish has the 3 pieces of deep-fried shrimp and covered in filo making this dish very flakey and crispy. This dish is delicious and the mayo sauce on the side compliments it perfectly.

Beef Tatakai ($8.00)– This dish was a big disappointment after already having some delicious dishes. The beef tataki was extreme cold, and not completely thawed out. Abbytizer’s first bite of this was literally ice-cold meat. We sent the dish back and the waitress took the dish off our bill.

Tropical Delight Lime ($5.50 -large, $3.50 -small) consisting of, guava, lychee, passion fruit and mango. The drink is very tangy and refreshing, the only thing is missing is rum or vodka.

Overall, despite the disappointing beef takaki, Abbytizer and I enjoyed every dish we had here. For a soft opening restaurant, that doesn’t have a completed menu, it has a lot to offer at a very reasonable price. I’ll definitely come back for the Age King Oyster Mushroom.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Friendly Staff
  • Weekly Specials
  • Lunch Special
  • Pick Up is available

We Rate Yutaka:

Address:

4148 Main Street
(Main & King Edward),
Vancouver, BC, Canada V5V 3P7

Website:
www.yutakacuisine.com

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It has taken me two trips to Lynnwood to figure out where Red Lobster is located. The first time, my GPS led me to a residential area and I gave up. I didn’t want to use data on my phone cause…you know…I’m asian and I hate being charged for unnecessary things I don’t need.

Red Lobster is a chain seafood restaurant in the United States. They specialize in seafood and usually draw in large crowds on the weekends. We saw that they were having a $15 4-course meal, so TaiwaneseGirl, CanuckGirl and I decided to try it out. It’s a good price and it didn’t seem like it could go wrong. In the 4-course meal it gave you a few choices below.

Soup

  • New England Clam Chowder
  • Creamy Potato Bacon Soup

Salad

  • Fresh Garden Salad
  • Fresh Caesar Salad.

Entree

  • Grilled Honey-BBQ Shrimp Skewers
  • Garlic Alfredo Shrimp-and-Scallop Pasta
  • Garlic-Herb Shrimp and Chicken
  • Cajun Chicken Linguini Alfredo
  • Wood-Grilled Fresh Tilapia
  • Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp
  • Hand-Breaded Shrimp

Dessert

  • Triple-Chocolate Brownie á la Mode
  • Apple Crostada with Caramel Drizzle

When we arrived, there was already a line forming. We had to wait about 30 minutes to be seated. For others, they would have to wait over 1 hr to be seated. It’s always good to make reservations to avoid these long waits on weekends.

The whole interior looked like a boat!

Look Lobsters!

They even give your these taser-like devices that signal you when your table is called.

The dining area was very wooden as well. I guess that works with the theme of the restaurant.

New England Clam Chowder was alright. It had minimal clams and wasn’t very amazing.

Cheddar Biscuits are unlimited!! It was very fluffy on the inside and you can tell there was lots of butter to make these. Despite that, it was hands down very good biscuits!

Fresh Caesar Salad was alright as well.

Fresh Garden Salad had the addition of tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. I had a balsamic vinegar dressing on top.

Garlic Alfredo Shrimp-and-Scallop Pasta is probably the best entree out of the seven choices. TaiwaneseGirl and CanuckGirl did enjoy it, but it wasn’t the most amazing pasta they have had. It had a good amount of sauce, scallops and shrimp.

Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp is just gross! Stay away from this at all times. I really don’t know how this is even considered an entree. It was overly sweet and it really ruined the taste of the shrimp. How is this even somewhat healthy?

Apple Crostada with Caramel Drizzle was alright as well said CanuckGirl. It really could have used a side of vanilla ice cream.

Triple-Chocolate Brownie á la Mode was good! The brownie was warm and super moist with the side of vanilla ice cream. It’s not too sweet and it was a good end to the meal.

The dishes were ok, but nothing amazing. I am glad I didn’t have to pay more than $15 for this meal because most of it kinda sucked. We probably should have gotten lobsters, but the special was just at such a good price.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Very busy on weekends
  • Lots of rear parking
  • Make reservations
  • Avoid anything with coconuts and shrimp

We Rate Red Lobster:

Address:
4231 196th St SW
Lynnwood, WA 98036
Website:
http://www.redlobster.com

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Chipotle is a chain fast food restaurant in the United States, they have a few on the eastern side of Canada too. Since TaiwaneseGirl was raving about how she wanted it SO badly, we went to grab some lunch. We arrived 30 minutes too early, so we sat in the car and waited for them to open. Surprisingly, we were not the only ones waiting for their delicious Mexican food. There was already about 5 people in front of us as we went inside.

The inside was nice and large. You line up, build your item, pay and eat!

Lots of space and even though it is empty in this picture…it got full fast! People really love Chipotles for some reason.

You first choose from a burrito, bowl, taco or a salad. Then, you can choose what you want to put inside. They have so many options! Oh hey look… calories!

Steak Bowl + Guac ($6.35 +$1.80) may look plain but its amazing inside. It’s like a burrito but without the flour tortilla. TaiwaneseGirl put everything in here and asked for extras, thus her bowl became quite tall. She really liked it. Guac is extra, but its worth it!

Steak Bowl + Guac ($6.35 +$1.80) CanuckGirl got the same thing, but didn’t get as much toppings compared to TaiwaneseGirl.

Caritas Burrito + Guac ($6.35 +$1.80) was stuffed with so much filling, it was so hard for the lady to wrap up. It was a bit messy, but there’s a bowl for you in case it all falls apart. In the end, I just ripped it apart and ate it like a bowl. Delicious and I love the tenderness of the carnitas. Yum!

You can also get free water too. Just ask and you’ll get a cup.

Overall, we quite enjoyed this experience and later in the day…we bought a few takeout orders back to Canada. In a way, it was comparable to Red Burrito in Vancouver. Its best to get the bowl a takeout if you aren’t intending to eat it on the same day. Everything still tastes good.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Under $10
  • Delicious steak and caritas
  • Lots of free parking
  • Lots of seating
  • Children friendly with kids menu

We Rate Chipotle Mexican Grill:
Address:
4120 196th St SW
Lynnwood, WA 98036
Website:
http://www.chipotle.com

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Tim Hortons has been advertising their $1 lattes until February 19th, 2012. They are trying hard to promote these drinks. They are definitely trying to rival other companies like Starbucks and McDonalds by creating more types of coffee. Since I needed a bit of a caffeine boost in the morning, I grabbed a small latte and a honey cruller.

The Latte ($1) was pretty bad in my opinion. The price point of the Lattes are very appealing, but everything is automatically dispensed from a machine. I asked for very little sugar to be added and it tasted quite sweet. I couldn’t finish the rest of it. I am usually not too picky, but I’d rather go back to the their regular coffee or walk a few extra blocks to go to McDonalds.

Honey Cruller Donut is my all time favorite out of all their donuts! It sweet on the outside and light and airy on the inside.

I would stay away from their lattes if you are a regular coffee drinker. Nothing good can come out of it.
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