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April 2016

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Yellow Dog Brewing Co is a craft brewery located in Port Moody. This family-run brewery focuses on producing high quality locally crafted beer for everyone to enjoy. On a nice sunny day, you’ll see a lot of people handing out here with friends and even the whole family. You saw a lot of dogs and kids running around, which is great for parents that need a little break to enjoy a brew, but still have their kids at an arms length. Of course the kids can enjoy some root beer. I came here with a few foodie friends to see and taste all the cool breweries in this area.

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You can stop to fill up a growler, have a flight or enjoy your favourite beer in a 12 oz or 28 oz glass.

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we grabbed our drinks a decided to have a set right in front of their huge processing machines.

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The beer flights are a good option if you want to try a variety of beers by having a little taste of each.

  • Take a Walk Wit
  • Sit and Stay ISBA
  • Go Fetch Saison
  • Play Dead IPA

All of them were really good and not too hoppy. Of all of them, my favourite was the Take a Walk Wit which has a light and citrus finish. Definitely great for a hot summers day.

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I really enjoyed the beers and I found a few that I really enjoyed.

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If you want to go outside, they have a bunch of picnic tables in the back.

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Overall, a great place to unwind with friends. It’s a cool area in Port Moody too as there are 2 other breweries nearby. Twin Sails is next door and Moody Ales is a short distance away.

We Rate Yellow Dog Brewing Co:4rated

Address:
2817 Murray Street, Port Coquitlam

Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/YellowDogBeer

Yellow Dog Brewing Co. Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Tacofino has made waves in Vancouver with amazing fresh tacos and burritos. I’ve been to all of the Tacofino locations in Vancouver, but since I was in Tofino, I had to see where it all started.

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West Coast tacos and burritos were screaming for us. The truck wasn’t open yet, but it already had a line up.

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On the menu, you have burritos, tacos, gringas, drinks and soups.

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Not sure what the menu means? There’s a little FAQ to help people navigate the menu.

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The line up is pretty constant, but don’t be turned off by it, the food is worth it.

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Choco-Banana Licuados is their milkshake and it has a good balance of the banana and chocolate. It’s a bit filling too, so M and I shared it so we could eat more food.

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Tuna-Ta Taco has seared albacore tuna with wasabi-mayo, seaweed salad, and pickled ginger. Really delicious, but this will set you back $6.50 per taco. Expensive, but very delicious.

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Fish Taco uses tempura ling cod with cabbage and fresh salsa on top.

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Look at that crisp fish taco inside. Once you bite inside, you get the crunchiness of the cod and all that delicious salsa.

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They also have different hot sauce on the table if you need an extra kick in your taco, put a few dashes in there.

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The burritos are all wrapped up, so its easy to get it to go. We grabbed a few and took it back to our hotel.

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Crispy Chicken Burrito reminded me of chicken karaage. It also has guac in it. I couldn’t say no to guacamole.

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Fish burrito has that big chunk of cod inside. Delicious as well. One of the less heavier choices.

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Pork Burrito was good as well. The pulled pork and those beans make it a very filling item to get.

Overall, the food is good and the burrito gets the best bang for your buck since you need at least 2 tacos to be full. You can still get the same good stuff in Vancouver, but if you haven’t had Tacofino before, give it a try. You really can’t go wrong with any items on the menu.

We Rate Tacofino4rated

Address:
1184 Pacific Rim Hwy,Tofino, BC

Website:
http://tacofino.com/

Tacofino Cantina Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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When the sun goes down, Whalley has a lot of restaurants that are open late into the evening. I remember pulling all-nighters at SFU Surrey wishing there were some places that would be open past 8pm that were not fast food chains.

In collaboration with VENUE, a new condo development in Surrey, I present to you my list of Top 5 late night eats in the Whalley neighbourhood.

Chatime

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Chatime recently opened their newest location very close to Surrey Central Skytrain station. They are a Taiwanese teahouse franchise and have over 1,0000 locations in 26 countries. They are best known for their wide selection of bubble teas with flavour that stand out from the competition.

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I’m a big fan of Chatime and my favourites include their classic Roasted Milk tea with Grass Jelly, Brown Rice Green Milk Tea, and Thai Coffee Milk Tea with Coffee Jelly.

You won’t find any food here, but bubble tea is great for any time during the day or night.

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If you go to SFU Surrey, they do free delivery with a minimum 4 drink purchase. What I like about this location is that it’s not crazy busy unlike their other locations.

Address: 10255 King George Boulevard, Surrey
Phone: (604) 588-6863
Websitehttp://www.ichatime.com/

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Bubble 88

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Bubble 88 is a Taiwanese Cafe and they have set meals at affordable prices. Like many cafes, it is cash only, so make sure you head to the ATM ahead of time. It’s one of the better Taiwanese cafes in the Lower Mainland and it’s great thats it’s located in Whalley.

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Spicy pig ears, chicken nuggets, and spicy wontons are essential appetizers to order. Even though they are labeled as spicy, it barely registers on the spicy scale.

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Their set items are very popular and come with a bowl of rice and side dishes. The portions are a good size for one person.

Address: 10209 King George Hwy, Surrey
Phone: (778) 395-8899

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Taste of Punjab

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Taste of Punjab has been around for quite some time now and close to King George Skytrain. This family-owned and run restaurant serves up Indian food.

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Their menu is large with over 100 items, from tandoori to curry and even Indian-style Chinese food. Even when we were dining in here, they were playing Chinese Dramas on their TVs. A strange sight, but it’s all about the food right?

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A few of the items we liked were the chicken pakora, butter chicken, and palak paneer. You can choose how spicy you want the dishes.

Their restaurant can seat big groups, but they also do take out if you want to eat in the comfort of your own home.

Address: 10009 Whalley Boulevard, Surrey
Phone: (604) 588-7700
Websitehttp://www.tasteofpunjab.ca/

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Nahm Thai Bistro

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Nahm Thai Bistro is a modern Thai restaurant that has been around since 2010. Instead of flying off to Thailand, you can enjoy the delicious tastes of their classic dishes right here.

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From the first slurp and bites, we couldn’t put our forks down. We started off with the Thai Ice Tea, which blew our taste buds away. The combination of the strong tea, milk and sweetener is so comforting on a nice summer’s day. They also have a Fresh Lime Juice Soda.

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The platter starter gives you a taste of a few different appetizers. The satay skewers were delicious. A few other things we enjoyed were the green curry and the Pad Thai. You also have the option of adjusting the spice level to your liking. Definitely a place I would recommend.

Address: 202-13650 102 Avenue, Surrey
Phone: (604) 930-8833
Websitehttp://www.nahm.ca/

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Central City Brewing Co.

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Central City Brewing Co. is an essential place to hang out for a late night out watching the game or just enjoying a few beers with friends. This place brings back memories since it’s right in Central City Mall and under SFU Surrey.

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We would finish class and come here for a quick drink before heading back home. You will find their Red Racer craft beers on the menu. I went with their lager, which is light and crispy with a slight citrus finish.

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Sometimes you need some greasy food in the evening to go with some beers. Their brew pub has the usual pub fare that you will find on the menu. Wings, burgers, and pizzas. Don’t worry, there are lighter items like salad if you’re not in the mood for typical pub staples. Central City Brewing Co. is great for large groups too.

Address: 13450 102 Avenue, Surrey
Phone: (604) 582-6620
Website: http://centralcitybrewpub.com/

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That ends my two-part series exploring the delicious eats in Whalley. The neighbourhood is slowly changing and there are some great hidden gems to discover.

If you missed my Top 5 delicious eats in Whalley, check it out.

Do you have favourite late-night restaurants in the Whalley area that didn’t make the list? Let us know in the comments below.

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by VENUE. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of VENUE.

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Wolf in the Fog is one of the best restaurants in Tofino and has dishes inspired by the oceans, forests and shoreline of our beautiful Tofino.

They were Canada’s Best New Restaurant in 2014 from enRoute Air Canada. Everyone passing through Tofino for vacation always makes a stop here for dinner. Even Neil Patrick Harris was here recently.

Make sure you make a reservation ahead of time to make sure you have a seat for dinner. I came here on a long weekend, so it was essential to have a reservation.

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We were seated upstairs in their dining room. The bar has a large variety of liqueurs.

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There is a cool art pieces made with broken surf boards. So perfect to represent Tofino.

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Gingerbeer Shandy has pilsner, ginger beer and a lemon. A lighter fruitier alternative to a regular beer.

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You can even spy on the kitchen to see the food coming out.

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Fraser Valley Duck uses the smoked breast, blood orange, red quinoa, dried cherry, braised leg, mushrooms, and a black garlic jus. This is a larger shared plate. This was a very good dish! Addictive!

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Moroccan Spiced Octopus has the tender octopus with chickpeas, peppers and tomatoes. I enjoyed the delicate octopus with the flavourful sauce.

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Rare Albacore Tuna with confit pork, oyster mushrooms, nori and wasabi. You gotta order this dish. The tuna is fresh and that pork is to die for.

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Charred squid and pork belly has Szechuan pepper, daikon and thai basil. Can’t go wrong with pork belly.

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All the food was delicious. Fresh ingredients with great flavour. All the proteins were cooked so well. Mouth watering! If you’re in Tofino, give Wolf in the Fog a try!

We rate Wolf in the Fog45rated

Address:
150 4th St, Tofino, BC

Website:
http://www.wolfinthefog.com/

Wolf in the Fog Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Wildside Grill in Tofino gets their fish straight from the boat. Commercial fisherman Jeff Mikus and chef Jesse Blake are the minds behind Wildside Grill. Like many of the restaurants in Tofino, they source their ingredients locally, so you get high quality west coast cuisine.

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The menu is quite large, so it was very hard to figure out what to order. I wanted it all. hahaha.

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Breakfast Taco has 2 fried eggs, lettuce, avotillo, chipotle mayo, jack cheese in corn tortillas and topped with crude and lime. So good! Who would have thought these would go together. If you need some hangover food, this is it. The heaviness of the egg balances with the fresh avotillo.

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Oyster Po Boy has panko fried oysters, lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, and a caesar dressing. it also comes with fries. Very fresh oysters and nice crunch in the panko crumbs. Fries were also very crisp.

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Breakfast Ciabatta has 2 fried eggs, chorizo sausage, jack cheese patty, lettuce, tomato, onion, avotillo, smoked tomato relish on the toasted ciabatta bun. Another good breakfast item but it’s more cheesy and carb heavy.

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Pulled Pork Poutine has smoked pork in BBQ sauce, cheese curds and gravy. Wow, this was so good. The pulled pork was tender and super flavourful.

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Cod Club has panko crusted cod with lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, pink shrimp, sweet chili mayo and avotillo. The fries are served with it.

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Smoked Salmon Chowder has local salmon smoked in house with mixed veggies and seafood in a creamy broth. It i topped with baby pink shrimp and dill. The chowder is a bit thin but it is very loaded with ingredients.

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This is the large size and its pretty big. The half size is a lot better for an individual.

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Overall, the food is very fresh and executed well. I’m glad we made a stop here to indulge on their comfort westcoast dishes. Don’t forget to save your receipt, so you can head over to Chocolate Tofino for 10% off gelato.

All the seating is outdoors on picnic benches, so don’t forget to bring a jacket.

We Rate Wildside Grill4rated

Address:
1180 Pacific Rim Hwy,Tofino, BC

Website:
http://www.wildsidegrill.com/

Wildside Grill Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Chocolate Tofino cranks out handcrafted chocolates and homemade gelato right in their cozy little shop. My friend told me that we needed to make a stop here during our long weekend out here. They have been making chocolate here since 2003. They never use artificial flavours, colours, or preservatives. Instead, they seek to incorporate organic and local flavours into their artisan chocolates and gelato.

They are located right in the area where Tofitian, Tacofino, Wildside Grill, Live to Surf, and Swell Juice Bar is located. If you’re visiting Tofino, there is a 100% chance you are paying them a visit.

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What I love about Tofino is their inherent nature to be sustainable and be hyper local. They don’t make sacrifices to their quality of their product.

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Everything is made here in this tiny shop.

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The chocolates were tempting, but I stuck with their gelato. I should have grabbed a few things, but I’ll make sure to do it next time.

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Stracciatella Gelato is a combination of sweet cream, vanilla beans and single origin Dark Chocolate flecks from fine flavour Cacao. It was a good flavour and I like those dark chocolate flakes.

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Summer Strawberry Gelato is very fresh and you will not get that artificial taste like other ice creams out there. This flavour is definitely a winner.

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Overall, it was a great day to get a sweet treat from them before heading back home to Vancouver.

We Rate Chocolate Tofino35rating

Address:
1180 Pacific Rim Hwy, Tofino

Website:
http://www.chocolatetofino.com/

Chocolate Tofino Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Green Leaf Sushi in Kitsilano has been generating quite a buzz lately for their Aburi Sushi Platter. They have their version of Miku’s Salmon Oshi Sushi, which is driving people crazy on instagram.

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We came here for dinner with the family and waited about an hour and a bit for their large table that fits 8 people. We tried making a reservation in the morning, but they need at least 24 hours notice, so we went a bit early to put our name down since we knew it would be a wait. Even for groups for 4 or 5, they also seem to wait a while.

Always best to make reservations to avoid any waiting.

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Complimentary tea arrives on the table or you can ask for water. They weren’t as diligent filling up the tea, but since the restaurant was so busy, it was ok. You just need to flag down a server.

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Kabocha Korokke comes with 3 pieces. There is a quail egg inside covered in winter squash. It was pretty good, but we wished there were even pieces instead of just 3 pieces.

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Prawn Tempura comes with 6 pieces. Crispy golden and light batter that surrounds the prawn. You’ll need to dunk it in the sauce or else it feels a bit heavy and oily.

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For the family, we shared the Aburi Sushi Platter that comes with 6 pieces of each aburi and the roll that has 8. 6 different varieties with 38 pieces in total. it takes about 30 minutes to prepare, so make sure you order this right away when you sit down.

  • Salmon Oshi Sushi
  • Basil Ebi oshi sushi
  • Yukke Tuna Oshi Sushi
  • Sime Saba Oshi Sushi
  • Hotate Oshi Sushi
  • Aburi Tobibo roll

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All the rolls were really good. Fresh ingredients and lots of favour. It’s a great item to share with the table, but it is about $60 something dollars.

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Salmon Sashimi uses wild salmon, so the quality is really good.

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Tuna sashimi was stellar! Some pieces were basically toro. Melt in your mouth!

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Saba Miso Yaki is grilled mackerel with miso sauce on top. It also have grilled onions and a side of rice.

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Tuna tataki salad was good and lightly dressed with lots of greens on top.

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The udon that my dad got was ok, but it reminded us of kimchi stew.

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Kimchi bacon Ishiyaki was so poorly put together, whoever made it does not know how to cook rice. The rice was so mushy that you know they added too much water to the rice. Since there was so much moisture, it could barely crisp up in the hot bowl.

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Chopped scallop roll, House Roll and Negitoro roll were all well put together, fresh ingredients and super tasty.

Overall, the sushi and the sashimi were very good and fresh. The quality was great, but we didn’t like the cooked items like their udon and their rice bowl. Stick with the aburi sushi and some of their rolls and you’ll have a good time.

We Rate Green Leaf Sushi35rating

Address:
3416 West Broadway, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.facebook.com/GreenLeafSushi/

Green Leaf Sushi Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Liberty Merchant Company & Bridges Restaurant proudly present the 8th Annual Rosé Revival Tasting on Monday May 2nd 2016 from 7:00 – 9:00pm at Bridges Restaurant on Granville Island to celebrate pink wine and support pink ribbons. All proceeds benefit the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (BC – Yukon) and to date they have raised $26,682.

Enjoy sensational Rosé wines along with delectable hors d’oeuvres, exciting door prizes and great company.

Enter to win 2 Tickets to Rosé Revival Tasting. Value $60!

For ways to enter, check the widget below.

Contest open to British Columbian residents only. Must be 19+ to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tickets are $29.99 and available at all Liberty Wine Merchants locations.

For more information on this and future events, please visit http://www.libertywinemerchants.com/

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When in Tofino, head to Tofino Coffee Company to get your caffeine fix. My friends and I were heading to go out for an early morning hike and then stroll around a few beaches. Caffeine is always a must.

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The cafe was already packed in the morning with others needing a drink in the morning.

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The interior is tiny, so there is only enough room for everyone to stand and wait for a drink. No space for any tables. Besides coffee, they have a few baked goods available.

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They also have branded cups and beans too.

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We just came in for coffee as that was our main mission.

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I got a cappuccino was it was good. The espresso had a deep and strong flavour. The frothy milk on top had a good amount of bubbles.

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From the cafe…to the beach. It was just nice taking in the beauty of the beaches as we sat on the rocks sipping on coffee. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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We Rate Tofino Coffee Company4rated

Address:
12 – 650 Gibson St,Tofino, BC

Website:
http://www.tofinocoffeeroasting.com/

Tofino Coffee Company Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Chachi’s is the newest addition to the Metropolis food court in South Burnaby. They are originally from Calgary and now they have their first location in BC. There are plans to open 2 more locations at Crossiron Mills and Tsawwassen Mills.

Their mission is to make mall food better by crafting gourmet sandwiches with local ingredients. It’s great to see they are working with local suppliers like Arctic Meats, Valbella, Nossack, and Alberta Cheese. Their produce is also sourced from Yen Bros in Vancouver.

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Spicy Mac n’ Cheese with Capicollo comes in 2 separate containers. You put the together when you’re ready to eat it.

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Taking the first few bites, it was really good. The mac n’ cheese is very cheesy, plus the capicollo added the right amount of spice.

I would order this again.

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Hot Philly Sandwich has rib steak, bell peppers, onion, jalapeno, provolone, garlic aioli and spicy mayo. This sandwich has a good amount of spiciness and not too overpowering. I love the amount of provolone in this.

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Clubbin’ Sandwich has bacon, turkey, lettuce, tomato, cheddar, garlic aioli, and spicy mayo. Not as exciting as the other sandwiches, but still good.

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Spicy Italian Sandwich has calabrese salami, cry-cured capicollo, jalapeno, jack cheese, garlic aioli, red pepper spread, red onion, lettuce, and tomato. M loved this.

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Pork with Mac sandwich has pulled pork, sweet chili BBQ sauce, and then slathered with mac n’ cheese. This is total comfort food, but it would have been nice if the mac n’ cheese was spread evenly. You can see there was more mac n’ cheese on one side than the other. Other than that, it still tasted darn good.

Overall, it’s a nice new option at the food court at Metrotown. Although it is pricier than other options at the food court, it’s pretty darn delicious.

We Rate ChaChi’s4rated

Website:
http://www.chachis.ca/

Address:
4820 Kingsway, Burnaby

Chachi's Metrotown Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Whalley is located in Surrey City Centre and home to SFU’s Surrey Campus. I spent a chunk of my early 20’s completing my undergrad degree and it was also around the same time I started Foodology 6 years ago. The neighbourhood has definitely changed a lot with the new public library and new City Hall building. Surrey is BC’s fastest growing city and by 2041, it is expected that the population may eclipse Vancouver. There are more and more developments going up as well as head offices moving into the area, the neighbourhood is definitely changing.

With more people in the area, that means delicious eateries can be found. In collaboration with VENUE, a new condo development in Surrey, I present to you, my list of my Top 5 Delicious Eats in the Whalley neighbourhood.

Pho Tam

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Pho Tam is steps away from Surrey Central Skytrain, I would come here during breaks between classes to indulge in their large bowls of Pho packed full of ingredients.  This hidden gem has been a neighbourhood favourite since it opened.

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A few of our favourite phos are Pho Tai Bo Vien and the spicy – Bun Bo Hue. They are very generous with their meat, so you will be pigging through the bowl and still have some meat left for the very last bite.

If you aren’t into the soupy noodles, they have a variety of rice dishes too like beef short ribs and lemon grass chicken on rice.

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Don’t forget, they are cash only, so make sure you have a few bills on hand. The place is packed during peak times, but turnover is quick, so you won’t be waiting too long.

Address: 10-10302 City Parkway, Surrey, BC
Phone: (604) 589.4223
Reservations: No

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Sushi & Roll

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Sushi & Roll is a popular spot for families and large groups to enjoy Japanese cuisine. Most evenings, you will find lots of people waiting for a table or ordering take out.

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Although it is not 100% authentic Japanese, you will find the usual items like bento boxes, noodles, nigiris, sashimi, donburis, and their large selection of rolls. It reminds me of Sushi Garden, which is popular in Burnaby. Similar items on the menu too.

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There are unconventional rolls like the crazy rabbit roll which is wrapped in cucumber instead of seaweed. On the other spectrum, you will find solid nigiri like tobiko with quail egg or the unagi nigri.

Address: 103- 10241 King George Blvd Surrey, BC
Phone: (604)498.4569
Reservations: Yes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sushirollsurrey

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Taqueria Jalisco

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Taqueria Jalisco has been around since 2006 serving authentic Mexican food in the neighbourhood. It’s an eatery/grocery store combined, so you can grab a few tacos and burritos while buying some imported Mexican sauces to bring home like mole. It is close to Gateway skytrain station, about a 5 minute walk.

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It’s small inside, so there are only 4 tables, but once you are seated, they give you complimentary chips and salsa. You gotta order a Mexican Coca-Cola to start off the meal. The main difference is that they use cane sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup, which some people prefer.

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Quesadilla, Nachos, Chimichanga, Flautas, Tamales, Tacos, Tortas, and Burritos can all be found on their menu. They have a wide range of options.

Address: 13648 105A Avenue, Surrey, BC
Phone: (604) 588.6100
Reservations: Yes
Website: http://www.taqueriajalisco.ca/

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Manis Pan Asian Eatery

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Manis Pan Asian Eatery is located under the Quattro building since October 2014. They are a family-owned restaurant specializing in South East Asian Cuisines. The owners are very humble and can easily guide you through the menu.

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At this cute restaurant, you can enjoy classic dishes like Satay, Mee Goreng (Malaysian stir-fried egg noodles), and Singapore Laksa. The food is well executed and definitely delicious. You can also adjust the spice level on each dish from mild to super spicy.

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The menu is quite large and they even have a lot of non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. Plus, a dessert menu. We went with the classic deep fried banana with coconut gelato. Really delicious and a great way to end the meal.

I highly recommend this place if you just need a mid day coffee or a full on meal.

Address:116-10768 Whalley Boulevard, Surrey, BC
Phone: (604) 497.1778
Reservations: Yes
Websitehttp://www.manisrestaurant.com/

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Mal Li Jang Sung

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Mal Li Jang Sung is a Korean Chinese restaurant and it’s always funny to describe this cuisine. There really isn’t anything Chinese about the dishes nor would you ever find it at a Chinese restaurant either. It’s basically food that Koreans think is Chinese.

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The most well known dishes of Korean Chinese cuisine include jajang myeon (noodles with thick black bean sauce), jjamppong (Spicy seafood noodle soup), ttangsuyuk (Korean version of sweet and sour pork), kkangpunggi (Fried chicken glazed in sweet and spicy sauce), and jajangbab (Fried rice with thick black bean sauce).

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The staff are really nice and can help you navigate thought the menu. Their combo items are pretty good value for larger groups. The 4 of us ended up spending around $35 for 4 people and we had leftovers.

Address: 13648 105A Avenue, Surrey, BC
Phone: (604) 588.6100
Reservations: Yes

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Check back next week as I reveal my top 5 late night restaurants to eat in Whalley. If you have favourite restaurants that didn’t make the list, let us know in the comments below.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by VENUE. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of VENUE.

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Bubble Waffle Cafe has their newest location in Kerrisdale. They serve popular street food snacks such as curry fish balls, egg waffles, stinky tofu, and fish soup noodles.

I was invited by ChineseBites to check out a few items on the menu.

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This location has a decent amount of seating. Most people come here to grab a bowl of noodles and some bubble tea.

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Due to their location, you’ll notice the prices are slightly higher than the other locations in the Lower Mainland. Either way, it’s still quite affordable.

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Cheesecake Bubble Waffle was ok, but it was a bit sweet. I would stick with the original. Can’t go wrong with the classics.

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Matcha Bubble Waffle had a nice crunchy exterior with pillowy soft bubbles. I found the matcha very very subtle, barely noticeable.

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Cinnamon Bubble Waffle wasn’t very good at all. It was just overpowering and people should just stick with the classic original bubble waffle.

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Taiwan Sausage comes with 2 pieces on skewers. It was ok, but I didn’t find anything special about it.

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Fish Sui Mai has 6 pieces in an order. The texture was bouncy and lacked much flavour. It was mostly the sauce that added the extra flavour.

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Stinky Tofu isn’t for everyone due to its smell. It’s a deep fried tofu square topped with the fermented sauce.

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Takoyaki comes with 6 pieces and is topped with bonito flakes. Delicious and you can’t go wrong with takoyaki. Inside you will find a little piece of octopus.

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Chicken Nuggets was a good choice too. Deep fried chicken nuggets with salt and pepper is always a hit.

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Fried Shrimp Ball was ok, but since it doesn’t have any sauce to go with it, I felt like something was missing.

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Milk Tea is a classic item to order. I thought it was a tad sweet for regular sweetness, so next time I would do half sweet.

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You can create your own bowl of noodles with any combination of soup base, noodles, and toppings.

I went with the Preserved Egg Fish soup with udon, sliced beef brisket, fish tofu, fish puff, and more preserved egg.

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The udon noodles was slightly thinner, but it was good. I quite liked the broth as it was pretty unique. I have a secret obsession for preserved egg. Even though it looks weird, I really love it.

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Another popular option was the laksa soup base.

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Overall, I found the food to be ok. The noodle soups were good and they have a wide range of broths which is nice. The flavoured bubble waffles were totally a miss. You just can’t beat original.

We Rate Bubble Waffle Cafe3rated

Address:
2279 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.bubblewafflecafe.com/

Bubble Waffle Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Carp Sushi and Bento is a little Japanese take out restaurant located near Kingsgate Mall. A friend of ours highly recommended this place for their sashimi and rolls.

M and I decided to come here after work for a quick dinner, it would have been quicker, but I ended up wanting to try so many items off the menu. Sometimes I can be such a pig.

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Once you walk inside this small space, you will see a few things for take out in the fridge, a counter, and 3 tables.

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I think they can fit about 10 people in here. Maybe less?

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We put in our order at the counter, paid and found a seat. They also have a kids combo too.

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You can find other items on their chalk board.

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They gave us hot tea as we waited for our meal to be prepared.

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I couldn’t stop staring at this moo-cow creamer as their soy sauce dispenser. Super cute.

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Salmon and Tuna Sashimi were very good quality. That tuna was so fatty, that it might as well just be toro. 10 pieces of $12 isn’t bad considering the quality of it.

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Moo-cow creamer in action with the soy sauce coming out of its nose.

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Tuna Tataki Salad has the tuna tataki on the bottom topped with greens and a light dressing.

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Truffled Mashed Potato was surprisingly good. The truffle is subtle, but it works well together as a side item to your meal. It is served cold.

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Mini Japanese Curry comes in a small bowl, think of it as a little taster.

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Sea Eel Candied Salmon Roll comes with 8 pieces. avocado, cucumber and candied salmon on the inside topped with the eel.

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OMG Roll has 8 pieces as well. It is topped with spicy salmon and these crunchy ball bits. Good rolls as well.

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Inari is a tofu pocket with rice, seasoning and these tiny crunchy balls. Good and simple.

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Cone trio comes with California cone, crunchy prawn cone and a spicy tuna cone. All three were tasty and put together well.

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Sesame Ice Cream and Green Tea Ice Cream was a nice sweet treat to end the meal.

Overall, all the items were really good. If you want to try a bit of everything and not want to spend too much, the bento boxes are a great option for under $10.

I would come here again. Awesome hidden gem.

We Rate Carp Sushi +Bento35rating

Address:
2516 Prince Edward st
Vancouver, BC

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/carpsushibento/

Carp Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Subway Canada has introduced their new Butter Chicken Sandwich for a limited time. Canadian’s have been asking for more unique flavours in their neighbourhoods, so they are starting to roll out limited edition flavours. In the West Coast, I don’t think diverse flavours are a problem here, but perhaps more in the smaller communities across Canada.

I used to eat at Subway a lot in my early teens, but as I got older, I rarely make visits here. M comes here if he needs something quick and convenient.

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The Butter Chicken Sandwich features all white meat chicken tossed in a butter chicken glaze that is infused with a fragrant mix of ginger, cardamom, coriander and cinnamon. The sandwich is free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.

All the butter chicken is portioned out ahead of time.

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The person asked us what veggies and sauce we wanted on top. Apparently there isn’t any additional butter chicken sauce to add the the sandwich. It was had to pick a sauce that didn’t clash with the butter chicken sauce coating the chicken. You wouldn’t add BBQ sauce to it or honey mustard.

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You can get it as a 6″ sub or a footlong.

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Foot Long Butter Chicken Sandwich with Italian bread, lettuce, tomatoes, olives and mayonnaise. Mayonnaise was a good sauce to balance out the butter chicken and not over power it. The flavour did come through and was oddly satisfying.

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6″ Butter Chicken with flatbread, the works, and sandwich sauce. I hate making decisions so I added everything into it. The sandwich sauce masked the butter chicken sauce a bit, so it wasn’t a good idea. Also the banana peppers overpowered the spice of the butter chicken. What you choose to add into it can really change the experience.

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Overall, the butter chicken sandwich is a nice option if you come here a lot for lunch. It’s convenient and quick.

Of course, it’s not for everyone especially with all the controversy surrounding Subway in the last little while.

Website:
http://w.subway.com/en-ca

Subway Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Disclaimer: I was provided a gift card from Subway Canada to try the Butter Chicken Sandwich, but all thoughts are my own.

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Pink Elephant Thai opened their second location at Marine Gateway serving up modern Thai food to hungry shoppers in this complex and the movie-goers at the Cineplex Theatres.

They also have happy hour on the weekday from 3 -6pm. The items on the happy hour menu range from $5 – $10 with Singha Beer, wine, and high ball for $5.

Their menu combines influences from Northern and Southern parts of Thailand, but they have added their modern twist to the dishes, so it’s not 100% authentic.

A few of us were invited to check out a few items on the menu and the space.

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The interior is brightly lit compared to their Downtown location. They also can seat about 40 people here.

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Thai iced tea is made of strong brewed tea, sweetener, ice and milk. It’s very good and always a treat at any Thai restaurant. Highly recommended!

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Lime soda is very refreshing especially if you have spicy food.

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Pad Thai Prawn is a stir-fried rice noodles with tamarind sauce, tofu, eggs, bean sprouts, green onions topped with ground peanuts.

You can also get this made vegetarian with tofu, or else you can choose your preference of protein like chicken or beef.

A classic dish that you can’t go wrong with.

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Pink Elephant Thai Calamari is deep-fried and marinated with Thai spices. This dish was ok, looked more like an onion ring than calamari. There was a lot of batter and could have been a bit more crispy. After a while, it went a bit limp.

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Goong Ob Woon Sen has Tiger prawns with glass noodles in a clay pot served with Thai spicy sauce. This was ok too, but I never really liked glass noodles as they tend to stick together a lot more.

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Pad Kee Mao Prawn has stir-fried rice noodles with Thai chilies, diced green beans, onions, bell peppers and fresh basil. This was an ok dish as well.

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Thai Style Pork Cheek is grilled and marinated with Thai herbs and spices. They use BBQ pork jowl in this dish. It was good, you can’t go wrong with jowl.

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Chilli Basil Hot Wings are mild chicken wings but it does has a sight tingle from the chilli. I like the crispier skin on this flavour of wing.

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Red Curry Hot Wings are a little more spicier, but the skin isn’t as crisp due to the red curry sauce.

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Floating Market is an appetizer with deep-fried spinach with tiger prawns, cashew nuts served with spicy sauce. The deep-fried spinach was interesting, but it only tasted like the oily batter.

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Pad Phed Chicken has bamboo shoots, mushrooms, Thai chilies, bell pepper and fresh basil stir fry. Grab some rice on the side and eat it with this dish. A good mix of spice to this dish.

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Khao Soi with chicken comes with their Northern Thai Style curry soup noodles. Dunk the noodles into the broth and enjoy.

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Deep fried banana with mango ice cream had us all wondering if the ice cream was really mango or some Thai Iced Tea flavour. Their mango ice cream uses the larger red mangos. No one seemed to like the ice cream. I love deep fried banana’s so, I was all over that.

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Mango with sticky rice cooked in pandan leaves uses the sweeter mangoes that we know and love. With the green sticky rice, this dish looks like a carrot.

Overall, the food was ok, but I think I would want to try more of their of the other items on the menu like the satays and fresher items like the lettuce wraps.

All of the dishes are mean to be shared to have the best experience, but if you wanted a single dish to yourself, the noodles, curry or rice dishes will be good.

We Rate Pink Elephant Thai3rated

Address:
434 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver

Website:
http://thaihouse.com/pink-elephant-thai/

Pink Elephant Thai Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Boiling Point opened their newest location in Surrey, BC close to Guildford Town Centre. Their specialty is Taiwanese hot pot and they have with a few locations in BC and more in the US.

They are best known for their personalized hot pots and bubble tea. I was invited by ChineseBites and tried all their hot pots with a few other  foodie. I’ve been to the other locations, but it was nice to try another location to see whats new.

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The interior is nice with the wooden panels on the walls with the rustic bricks. With the large windows, there is a lot of natural light that travels into the restaurant during the day,

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Kimchi Tofu is a side dish you can order to go with your meal. The tofu was smooth and the added kimchi wasn’t spicy at all.

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Garlic Pork Belly is another new side dish on their menu and it sure has a strong garlic punch when you first taste it. The flavours were nice, but I felt like it was a tad over cooked.

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Our table got the Fresh Milk Tea and Hokkaido Milk tea. I would suggest getting half sweet or a quarter sweet for these drinks.Both types are good, but I prefer thee Fresh Milk Tea since it is made with real milk and has a bolder tea flavour.

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If you don’t want bubble tea, you can just grab some complimentary tea or water.

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Pomelo Hot Pot is a new flavour they are introducing in stores on May 1st. Currently it’s only available in the Southern California Boiling Point locations.

In the pot, you will also find napa cabbage, pork belly, shrimp, seaweed, fish, enoki mushroom, scallop, Korean bean thread, baby octopus, kamaboko, firm tofu, dried bonito flakes, and green onion. This was an interesting flavour and it had more of a tangy sourness at the end. I find the soup base affects most of the flavour, but I don’t think I really liked the flavour.

You can also choose various levels of spice for all hot pots:

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They also have 3 sauces that you can mix together to dip your hot pot items into – chili bean sauce, garlic soy sauce and chili oil.

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Korean Bean Paste Hot Pot replaced their Kimchi Hot Soup. Inside, you will find soybean sprouts, nira, green zucchini, kimchi, pork belly, fish tofu, kamaboko, tempura, rice cake, enoki mushroom,fish fillet, wok noodle, lobster fish ball, crown daisy, seaweed, and Korean paste. I liked this flavour as it has the right about of spice and I liked the wok noodles that were in this.

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Beef Hot Pot is another solid item. It is packed with napa, vermicelli, sliced angus beef, enoki mushroom, tomato, firm tofu, tempura, corn, pork meat ball, kamaboko, fried tofu skin, imitation crab, green onion, and cilantro. flavours, the corn added a bit of sweetness to this dish.

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Thai Flavour Hot Pot is a bit sour, a bit spicy. Deep in the hot bowels of this hot pot is cabbage, taro stem, sliced pork, enoki mushroom, cuttlefish ring, fish ball, clam, crab, baby octopus,maitake mushroom, shrimp, and cilantro. I never liked the sour spicy flavour combination, so this wasn’t for me. I found the shells of the crab and shrimp hard to bite into.

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Lamb Hot Pot was made flaming spicy to feel the spectrum of spiciness. It was hot, but not up to my category of flaming. Others may feel it as atomic. Always best to have it mild spicy or medium spicy.

In this pot, you will find napa, vermicelli, sliced lamb, enoki mushroom, imitation crab stick, kamanoko, pork blood ricecake, maitake mushroom, clam, pickled mustard greens, firm tofu, tempura, fried tofu skin, egg, green onion, and cilantro.

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This was the mild lamb hot pot, the broth looks less spicy and tame.

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Japanese Miso Hot Pot was another favourite. A good balance of meat and veggie in this dish.

You will find inside the pot – cabbage, udon, sliced pork, enoki mushroom, clam, fish ball, fish fillet, maitake mushroom, crab, fried tofu skin, soft tofu, egg, and green onion.

The broth is mild and goes with the ingredients very well. Not too salty either.

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Curry Fishball Hot Pot is a classic and is only sold in Canada. You won’t find this in their US locations. I like this dish and you will find sliced pork in this dish in addition to the fish balls. The curry broth is thin  and very flavourful. Not too salty either.

The is Napa, Vermicelli, Slice Pork, Enoki Mushroom, Imitation Crab Stick, Fish Ball, Fried Tofu Skin, Corn, Tempura, Mountain Yam, Chinese String Bean, Egg, Green Onion.

They place the fish balls very strategically so you think they are 4 full fish balls.

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Taiwanese Spicy Hot Pot comes in only flaming spicy, so you don’t have an option to make it mild.

It has cabbage, instant noodle, sliced Angus beef, tempura, enoki mushroom, clam, fish ball, cuttlefish ring, pork intestine, pork blood rice cake, fried tofu skin, maitake mushroom, frozen tofu, greenonion, and topped with cilantro.

Some may want to grab a bubble tea or old water to go with this.

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Snow Cubes are a nice little treat after the meal to quell the hot heat of the hot pots. These flavours were green tea, pudding, taro and strawberry.

I went with the green tea since it’s not too sweet.

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Overall, the hot pots had lot of ingredients inside, but we did find that it was mostly about the broth that enhanced the experience. Curry Fishball Hot Pot, Korean Bean Paste Hot Pot, and Japanese Miso Hot Pot were my top 3 choices. With all the dishes, we did find that the meat all lumped together and was hard to pull apart. Anything with crab is super hard to eat since you have to pick out the meat from inside the shell.

If you’re craving for some hot soupy dish on cold rainy days, definitely check it out.

We Rate Boiling Point Surrey3rated

Address:
102-15146 100th Avenue, Surrey

Website:
http://bpgroupusa.com/

Boiling Point Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Matterson House Restaurant is a cozy eatery in the village of Ucluelet. The house was built in 1931, so you will see a lot of rustic charm dining here. It was originally known as Glendale, built by Basil and Mary Matterson. Back then, Ucluelet was only accessible by sea. Most roads that we see today were dirt roads.

In 1996, Sandy and Jennifer Clark took ownership and turned it into the restaurant we know today.

Since it was a busy long weekend, we were scrambling for dinner plans for our large group at the very last second, luckily Matterson House was able to hold us a table till we got there.

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At first, I wasn’t quite sure about this place as it had visible age in the interior. As a foodie, I can’t really make judgements until I see the food in front of me.

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Every single table was set up before the dinner rush. When we arrive around 6, there was plenty of space, but as it got closer to 7, it was pretty much full.

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Homemade whole wheat bread with whipped butter arrived at the table. These loaves were huge.

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Matterson Seafood Chowder has shrimp, scallops, white fish, spinach, cream and corn. It is served with crackers on the side.

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Oyster Burger is dressed with mustard, relish, mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion. It is also served with your choice of mixed greens or potato salad. My friend chose it with mixed greens.

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They give you a wedge of lemon, so you can squeeze it over the crisp creamy oyster.

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My other friend got the same oyster burger, but with the potato salad.

They both said they enjoyed the oyster burger.

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Verdi’s Verde Pesche has smoked salmon and pine nuts in a pesto cream sauce with spinach and fettuccine. I really enjoyed this pasta. It was very creamy and the salmon had a nice delicate taste to it. The added texture of the pine nuts was a good touch.

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Straw and Hay Pasta has veal and mushrooms in a garlic and cream sauce. M liked it and there was a lot of veal in it, which is great. The sauce was very thick and creamy too.

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Pollo Loco Pasta has chicken with chipotle cream cheese sauce and penne.

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All the pastas come with a salad. You can choose between ranch blue cheese, Italian, French, 1000 island or Sandy’s blackberry vinaigrette.

Overall, the food was executed well and we all had a positive experience. The dining experience was pretty neat. Even with a busy floor, they were able to keep the food flowing. Nice little gem in Ucluelet. It’s very casual and relaxing.

We Rate Matterson House35rating

Address:
1682 Peninsula Road, Ucluelet, BC

Matterson House Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Cathedral Grove in an old growth forest on Vancouver Island located inside the MacMillan Provincial Park. On the way to Tofino, we took Hwy 4 past Port Alberni and it leads us right to the forest.

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There are parking stalls on either side of the highway, so it’s not too difficult to get a parking spot. You will also find garbage cans and washrooms before you enter the forest.

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The trail around Cathedral Grove is a short and easy. Since there was so much to see, if didn’t feel like a long walk. Maybe about 30 minutes or less.

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You see see towering ancient Douglas-fir trees untouched by the modern world – some more than 800 years old.

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In 1997 on New Years Day, there was a huge storm that passed by knocking down hundreds of trees at Cathedral Grove and affecting a few of their trails. It was so badly damaged that some trail systems were never opened again.

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You can see some of the toppled trees lying all over the grove.

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A shot of the Cameron River

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The Cameron Lake is nice too.

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If you have binoculars or a telephoto lens on your camera, you can have a good time spotting all the birds in the area.

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It was a nice stop along the way from Nanaimo to Tofino. Most people stop here to stretch their legs, walk around the trails and just enjoying the scenery. If you are passing by, definitely spend 30 mins. – 1 hour here.

Website:
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/macmillan/