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August 2016

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Deep Roots Winery is located on the popular Naramata Bench. Their tasting room has amazing views on the vineyard over looking Okanagan Lake.

We made this our 4th stop on our winery tour. The tasting room was outdoors on the 2nd floor and view is awesome.

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It was also a very beautiful day when we were visiting. A few clouds in the sky but it was very toasty.

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You can also bring your own food to the winery and have your own lunch with this great view for free.

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With all 6 of us, they were able to guide us through their whites, rose, and reds. There is a $5 fee per tasting, but can be redeemable upon purchasing.

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Of the whites, I enjoyed the 2014 pinot gris as it has a lot of fruity floral notes. Delicious wine for the hot summer.

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Their 2015 rose was quite nice with its deep pink colour with hints of rose petal, pear, strawberry, and other fruity notes.

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Between tastings, we would wander a bit a start staring off into the Okanagan Lake. It’s so beautiful.

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After the tasting, you can grab the bottles in the wine shop.

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Address:
884 Tillar Rd, Naramata, BC

Website:
http://www.deeprootswinery.com/

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McDonald’s Canada has brought back their McTasters in Mexican Chipotle and Thai Chili.  They previously had McTasters earlier in the year in two varieties – Greek and Italian. I completely missed it when they offered that, but at least this time I didn’t miss it.

You can find them at select stores for a limited time for $2.99.

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Mexican Chipotle burger has a mini beef patty, chipotle sauce, cheese, crisp tortilla chips, shredded lettuce and a square bun. The chips were a tad stale. The bun completely eclipsed the small beef patty, but it did taste like a hamburger taco.

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Thai Sweet Chili has a mini chicken patty, sweet chili sauce, lettuce, cucumber, carrots and mayo. You have the option to get it grilled or crispy. I decided to get it crispy. What I liked about this one is that the chicken patty was thicker than the Mexican Chipotle burger. Taste was meh but the sweet chili sauce was dominant.

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Both of these I didn’t really take a liking to. For a good deal, I would still get the Jr Chicken or the McDouble from the value menu.

Website: http://www.mcdonalds.ca/ca/en.html

McDonald's Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Van Westen Vineyard is located in the Naramata Bench. There has been 3 generations and 50 years of family tradition in this vineyard.

This was our 3rd stop on our winery tour and probably one of the best wineries we visited on our trip.

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Their tasting room is pretty cool as all the bricks have been written on with chalk. You can’t leave without leaving your mark on their wall.

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Duke, the winery dog was here to hang our with all the winery guests.

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We started off with the white wines and they don’t have a fancy tasting room like some of the other wineries. We loved this experience as it was all about the wine.

We tried the:

  • Vino Grigio 2014
  • Vivacious 2014
  • Viognier 2014
  • Vixen 2014
  • Vicicle 2014

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The white wines were fantastic! My favourite was Vivacious 2014 as it has a good amount of tree fruit and lemon aroma. There is also hints of honeysuckle and apple peel.

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Next, we went into the barrel room to taste their reds. The ones they had to sample were:

  • Van Westen/Dibello Pinot Noir 2011
  • Voluptuous 2012
  • V 2011
  • V 2012

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I loved this experience! Very unique and they show you how it is without any fancy set up. The ladies with me ended up buying quite a few bottles from Van Westen.

Address:
2800 Aikins Loop, Naramata, BC

Website:
http://www.vanwestenvineyards.com/

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Therapy Vineyard is located on the Naramata Bench near Penticton. This was our second winery top of the day and I was pretty excited to come here as I’ve always seen their cool Freud inspired wines at the liquor stores.

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Their vineyard is quite nice and even has a guesthouse that accommodates up to 22 people. Great for large groups that really want to get away from the city.

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Wine Tasting

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Wine tastings are $3 for 5 selections but is waived if you are purchasing a bottle.

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We started off with the Fizzio Therapy Blanc and it is light in colour, carbonated, and has hints of peaches and apples.

The other tastings options were:

  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Bruised Ego
  • Artist Series Fume Blanc
  • Gewurtztraminer
  • Pinot Gris
  • Freudian Sip
  • Pink Freud
  • Pinot Noir
  • Merlot
  • Freud’s Ego
  • Super Ego

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I went with the white wines since I prefer it over red.

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Good wines, but I find that due to the branding, it’s more of a fun wine to bring to a friends house when they are in need of some “Therapy”, wine and a good chat.

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These are the types of wines I see from them at the liquor store.

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The ones with the faces are the ones that are harder to find and its their more serious brand.

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In the end, we bought a few bottles to take home and it was a nice chance to see where it is all made.

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Address:
940 Lower Debeck Rd, Naramata, BC

Website:
http://therapyvineyards.com/

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Nat Bailey Stadium has cranked up some cool menu items for the 2016 Vancouver Canadians baseball games. From baseball game classics like burgers and nachos to sushi and the new 3-foot-long Yard Dog, the Nat has something for all fans.

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When at the game, grabbing a drink or food item is part of the whole baseball experience. Since the games start at 6pm, it’s prime eating time.

We got a chance to try out a few of their signature items that are a hit with fans.

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Smoked Brisket Sandwich

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Smoked brisket sandwich is a popular item to eat during the game. Easy to eat when its tender and juicy. It comes with a bag of chips on the side too.

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The brisket is rubbed for 24 hours with Regional Executive Chef O’Brien Tingling’s secret home recipe then smoked for 15 hours and is ready to be served when the doors open at 6pm on game days.

3-foot-long Yard Dog

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The new 3-foot-long Yard Dog has only just been introduced to the stadium this season. In the previous year, they’ve only offered 2-foot-long hot dogs, but they knew they had to step it up. This all-beef giant is perfect for splitting between 4 -6 people.

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Or if you are super ambitious, you can try eating it yourself. It’s an huge hot dog, but they couldn’t acquire a large enough bun for the 3 foot hot dog, so they have 2 2-foot buns from a local bakery. They are trying hard to see if they can source a 3-foot bun thats fits better for the next season.

If you aren’t up to the challenge, they have 1 foot or 2 foot hot dog options.

Nachos

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Nachos are a game day staple, cover it with a lot of cheese and toppings to make it amazing. Easy item to share too.

Pretzels

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Pretzels are another traditional game day favourite. A pretzel in one hand and a beer in the other.

Ice Cream

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I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream. You can get an ice cold treat in a Canadian’s Baseball cap cup. We got the mint chocolate chip ice cream housed in that super cut cup. With the hot summers, have a nice cold ice cream for the kids in a great accompaniment.

Beer and other alcoholic beverages

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Speaking of beers, they have a large variety of domestic and international beers. Whistler Brewing has a few of their beers here. They also have Hey Y’All hard iced tea for those who want a little something something without a strong alcohol taste.

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Food and drinks are an essential part of the game with the Vancouver Canadians. Of course the game itself is entertaining when someone hits a home run or when people strike out. They also have fun things to engage fans beside food, like, their bobblehead giveaways.

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Website:
http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t435

Address:
4575 Clancy Loranger Way, Vancouver, BC

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Lang Vineyard was our first stop in Penticton. They opened their doors in the Naramata bench in 1990 and has grown to be one of the Okanagan’s most popular boutique wineries in the area.

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There’s a little picnic area with tables and umbrellas if you brought your own lunch to enjoy the view. We came here really early, so it was very quiet.

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Wine Tasting

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Tastings have a small fee, but its waived with any purchase.

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Some of the wines they had available were:

  • 2015 Sparkling Pinot Noir
  • 2013 Bravo Red
  • 2015 Cabernet Franc
  • 2013 Syrah
  • 2014 Marechal Foch

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For the whites, they did have their Pinot Gris, Viognier, Riesling, and Bravo White.

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For their Ice Wines they were tasting:

  • Red Canadian Maple Wine
  • White Canadian Maple Wine
  • 2011 Riesling Ice Wine

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All the wines that you try in the tasting is available to purchase in the store.

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2015 Sparkling Pinot Noir is a sparkling rose with a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. You can taste cherries and berries. Of our group, this was one of the favourites of the tasting.

Overall, a nice stop to try a few of their signature wines. I enjoyed it and they were super nice and informative when doing our tasting.

Address:
2493 Gammon Rd, Naramata, BC

Website: 
https://langvineyards.ca

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PappaRoti in Vancouver and they are a popular spot to grab a bun and drink, the chill with friends here. I’ve been here are a few times coming here to grab a coffee and kill time before meeting up with friends. It’s a quiet café where you can just pop open your laptop and work away.

I was invited to give a few of their signature and new items a try.

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Coffee Buns

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Their original coffee buns is crisp on the outside with their coffee caramel crust. On the inside is a soft, buttery and rich centre. You must have these when its fresh from the oven.

Bun Combos

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Bun combos take the original coffee bun and dress it up with some toppings.

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Crazy for Kaya has their classic coffee bun paired with kaya and honey. Kaya is a Malaysian coconut jam.

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Strawberry Fields has strawberry and whipped cream.

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The Classic has nutella and banana, which is a great combination. Who doesn’t like bananas and nutella?

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PB & J has the peanut butter drizzle on top of the bun and the jam on the side.

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The works is one of my favourites you can choose up to 4 toppings of your choice. This particular one has strawberries, banana, ice cream and whipped cream.

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Pappa Rollie

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Choco Banana Pappa Rollie is one of their new items on the menu. It is like a croissant, but it is stuffed with a chocolate filling and then topped with the coffee caramel crisp top.

Sandwiches and Wraps

It surprised me how many different sandwiches and wraps they had to offer. The sandwiches aren’t displayed as nicely as you see in the photos, but you can grab them all wrapped up and ready to go in their fridge.

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Turkey and Brie was my favourite sandwich as it had a good ratio of the ingredients. Pair it with a tea or coffee and it would make for a nice light lunch.

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Apple Chicken blue cheese sandwich was a decent sandwich.

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Roast Beef sandwich was good as well since it has a few layer of the tender roast beef.

Salads

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If you want something a bit more healthy, they have salads – Island Salad and Tuscan Salad.

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Drinks

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They have a large selection of coffee and a few of their own tea blends.

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Iced Blooming Tea has a blend of Fujian silver needles, Gomphrena Globosa, yellow chrysanthemum, jasmine lily, marigold and carnations. It has a mellow fragrance and a slightly sweet aftertaste.

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They also sell Revel Juice, so people can have fresh organic cold pressed juice and nut milks.

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Overall

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I find that most people just come here for coffee buns and drinks. The wraps, sandwiches and salads are a nice addition, but they don’t specialize in that. I find that most office works in the area will grab the sandwiches to go.

We rate PappaRoti3rated

Address:
1505 Robson Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.papparoti.ca/ 

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

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Chuan Chu Ren Jia is a Szechuan restaurant in South Burnaby on Kingsway. I’ve passed by this place so many times, but have never made a visit until now.

I was invited by the Chopstick Fest, a Chinese Cuisine Festival happening in October later this year to try out a few of their signature dishes.

Interior

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The interior is pretty basic with Chinese decor and a few tables. It was pretty packed at dinner time and seems to be a local favourite.

They have large tables available for big groups, but just call ahead of time to make reservations.

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Soup

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Seaweed Spare rib soup was good and tasted pretty nutritious. This is the large size that 6 of us shared.

Appetizer

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Sautéed Free Range Chicken with Chili was pretty good. Very flavourful and not too spicy. Try avoid eating the red chilis as those have a kick kick of spice to them.

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Clear Noodles in Chili Sauce was pretty hard to pick up with chopsticks and forks. The noodles pick up most of the flavour from the sauce and the noodles themselves are tasteless.

Entree

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Kung Pao Chicken is cooked with chilis, green/red pepper, peanuts and a delicious sauce. The chicken is tender and very flavourful. A good amount of spice to this dish, but it isn’t too intense.

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Sauteed Pork with Chili pepper also has shaved jalapeños. It’s spicy, but I enjoyed the flavours.

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Grilled Lamb with Cumin was very good. It reminded me of lamb skewers from other restaurants. I gobbled this plate right up.

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Braised fish with hot sauce was the most spicy dish of the evening. The fish still had bones on it, so it was a bit difficult to pick out the bones. You definitely want to get a side of rice to go with this dish so it absorbs the hot sauce.

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Overall, it was a pretty good dinner and the dishes were all delicious in their own way. If you love spicy food, you’ll enjoy this place. I would definitely come back again.

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We rate Chuan Chu Ren Jia4rated

Address:
6408 Kingsway, Burnaby

Szechuan Cuisine Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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The Captain’s Boil is a new seafood boil restaurant in Richmond. They have a few locations in Toronto, but now has opened their first location in Metro Vancouver.

They take the seafood boil and toss it with their blend of secret, Asian inspired spices and aromatics. They are open quite late and do take reservations.

I was invited to give their signature items a try.

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Interior

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The interior uses wood, stone, and ropes to really give you a sense of being on a boat. There are long tables and booth seating for those in small to large groups.

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Menu

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The menu is pretty simple as it has 3 steps.

  1. Choose your catch
  2. Choose your flavour
  3. Choose your heat

All of the seafood is by weight. If you are a seafood lover like myself, its hard to figure out what to get.

Bibs and Gloves

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Everyone gets bibs and gloves to keep clean. I love the pirate themed bibs, super cute. The gloves can break quite easily if you are vigorously cracking away at those shells.

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Drinks

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They have a range of domestic and premium beers, as well as soju and sake. I went with a light Asahi beer, which goes with seafood very well.

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Seafood Boil

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We ordered a pound of each seafood item on the menu:

  • clams
  • mussels
  • crawfish
  • shrimp
  • chicken slices
  • lobster
  • king crab leg
  • Dungeness crab
  • snow crab legs

It comes in one bag for each kind and arrives a few bags at one time. We got all of ours with the Captain Boil’s Mix, which combines their 3 flavours – cajun cajun, lemon pepper and garlic sauce. We also got it at medium spice.

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You can order sides to go into boil like corn, lotus roots, sausages, and potatoes.

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The best way to enjoy everything is to pour it all on the table, so everyone can grab it easily.

Of all the types of crabs, I really enjoyed the King Crab Legs, but it is super costly at $36.95 per pound. It was so big and meaty.

The other legs were hard to open, but there are scissors and clamps to crack the shells open.

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They sell the lobsters at a seasonal price but always good to double check the cost. The bulk of the meat is in the claws and tail.

 

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Of all the seafood, I thought the crawfish wasn’t worth it since it’s mostly shell. The shells are hard to crack open and there is very little meat inside. But then again, where else are you going to crawfish in Vancouver?

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After eating a bunch of the seafood, the Captain’s Boil sauce was too heavy. I would have liked to choose the lemon pepper or the garlic sauce.

Sizzling Plate

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Chicken Teriyaki Sizzling Plate Combo with rice includes their seafood platter before 4pm. You get 2 crawfish, 2 shrimps, 2 mussels, and 2 clams. A pretty good deal if you can go there for lunch.

Sides

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Fried shrimp basket comes with 10 pieces, which is great for sharing.

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Fried Chicken Wings comes in large or small, but we chose the small size. It was fried with light seasoning, which I enjoyed.

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Overall, its a great addition in Richmond. Since all the seafood is by weight, it can get pricey if you’re a big eater. The Captain’s Boil sauce is overpowering, so you might want to consider the lemon pepper or garlic sauce to be able to taste more of the seafood.

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We rate The Captain’s Boil35rating

Address:
1226 – 8338 Capstan Way, Richmond,BC

Website:
http://www.thecaptainsboil.com/

The Captain's Boil Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Faculty Brewing Co is the newest brewery to pop up in the Mount Pleasant area. The craft beer scene is growing quickly in the area and I love seeing all the little hidden places where they pop up. They took over a former bike shop.

Tasting Room

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The tasting room has 28-seats and can be quite busy during peak hour. Their rotation of beer changes weekly and you can have them as a growler, sampler, or in other sizes.

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They have a selection of snacks for sale, like, charcuterie, cheese, hummus, salsa and olives. They also allow you to bring outside food here.

If you’re not into beer, they also have kombucha.

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Sampler

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They only have 4 available on tap, so we were able to try them all.

  • Blonde Ale
  • Minzewizen
  • Chinook Pale Ale
  • Oaked Stout

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Blonde Ale is super easy to drink with crisp and fruity with citrus notes. A great summer beer.

Minzeweizen was an interesting beer as it is a milky wheat beer with peppermint team. The peppermint definitely threw me off.

Chinook is a singe hopped pale ale with a bit of zest and spice.

Oaked Stout is the darkest beer with a creamy oatmeal head. It definitely tastes like coffee, which I enjoyed.

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Overall, a great selection of beers and it’s a tasting room that you need to check out in the Mount Pleasant area.

We Rate Faculty Brewing Co35rating

Address:
1830 Ontario St, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.facultybrewing.com/

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

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IcePik Shavery serves snow cream which is a hybrid between traditional Hawaiian shaved ice and ice cream, creating a new dessert which is lighter, with a fluffy snow-like texture. 

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I’ve been here a few times already and it’s a great place to cool off from the Summer heat. Even in the winter, its a nice treat for those with a sweet tooth.

I was invited back to give more of their items a try.

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Interior

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You order up at the counter and then choose a seat. There’s not a lot of seating inside for large groups, so I’ve seen lots of people go do take out. Usually in the early afternoon it’s not too busy, but later in the evening, it can get quite busy.

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Drinks

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Sea Cream Coffee is made with full-bodies medium roast coffee with caramel undertones, topped with their sea cream. The drink was pretty good and was good and it a tad salty, which reminded me of this other drink from Hong Kong.

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House Special Milk Tea can be made hot or cold. I got the hot version and it tasted ok. Nothing interesting about it.

Snow Cream

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There are lots of varieties of toppings and snow cream flavours that you can combine together. You can choose ones with predetermined toppings and flavours or create your own.

Their snow cream comes in various flavours:

  • Black Sesame
  • Green Tea
  • Mango
  • Taro
  • Lychee
  • Original

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There are a few more flavours that are seasonal:

  • Almond
  • Coconut
  • Honeydew
  • Mint
  • Strawberry

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All of the flavours were pretty good, but one that I really didn’t like was the mint. It just seemed like I was eating toothpaste or gum.

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My 3 favourite flavours are original, green tea and mango. My usual toppings are basically all fruits – mango, strawberry, and also those hand made rice cakes.

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There’s so many other topping options, but I like to keep it fresh and simple.

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Don’t forget the drizzle

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The offer free drizzles that are self-serve:

  • Caramel
  • Chocolate
  • Condensed Milk
  • Strawberry

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The best part is really drizzling all the condensed milk on top. I’ve never used the other drizzles since it’s all about the condensed milk. Pairs well with a majority of the shaved ice.

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We Rate Icepik Shavery3rated

Address:
3377 Kingsway, Vancouver

Website: 
http://www.icepikshavery.com/

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33 Acres Brewing Co is another brewery in the Mount Pleasant area. We went in the afternoon to their tasting room and it was packed.

We wanted to grab some waffles, but we just missed their brunch menu. Since we were here anyway, we wanted to try a few of their beers.

Tasting Room

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The tasting room has a limit of 60 people at one time, so when you see this, you gotta wait a little bit. The line up wasn’t long and we were seated quite quickly. If you’re only doing a growler fill, you don’t have to wait.

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With 60 people, this place is packed. We ordered at the counter, grabbed our beer and heading to an open seat to wait for our food.

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They give you a little number so they know where to deliver the food.

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Beer Flight

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I didn’t know what to include in my flight, so I asked them to recommend some light fruity beers that have less hoppy taste.

  • 33 Acres of Life
  • 33 Acres of Sunshine
  • 33 Acres of Euphoria
  • 33 Acres of Cider

All of them were pretty good beers for the Summer. It was a pretty hot day, so having these paired nicely.

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Snacks

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I wanted something to munch on, so I got the Pistachios. It’s not overly salted, so it was great to crack open the shells and have it with the beer.

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Overall,  a good place to hang out with friends over some beer and bites.

We Rate 33 Acres Brewery Co:  35rating

Address:
15 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver

Website:
http://33acresbrewing.com/

33 Acres Brewing Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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The Keg has their awesome Yaletown location with rooftop patio. I’ve been to their other location in the suburbs, but this was my first time here.

Currently, they have their Lobster Summer promotion until the end of August. Lobster and steak is a perfect match and its a great time to get it in season. Even though there are no lobsters in the West Coast, they get it shipped several times a week from the East Coast.

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I came here for an event to taste a few item off their Lobster Summer menu.

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I started off with the Strawberry Fizz, which has Absolut vodka, Aperol, fresh lemon and lime juice with muddled strawberries and soda.

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Crispy Lobster Tacos is tossed in crispy rice, golden fried lobster on warm tortillas with cabbage slaw and cilantro. The plate comes with 3 tacos and inside each taco and 2 pieces of the lobster.

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It was paired with the See Ya Later Ranch Gewurtztraminer. I love white wine in the Summer as it is fruity, crisp, and finishes dry.

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Steak and Half Lobster has a tender sirloin steak with a fresh, half Atlantic lobster. It is also served with your choice of a side.

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Twice Baked Potato with bacon bits is a pretty good side. The potato inside the skin is soft and buttery.

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I got the steak at medium rare, but I found that the cut was a bit tough.

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To pair with the steak and lobster is Meiomi Wine’s Pinot Noir. It’s a very full-bodied wine from California.

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Billy Miner Pie is a classic item to order. It’s pretty big, so it’s easily sharable with a friend.

Overall, it’s aways nice to have steak and lobster. Of all the cuts of steak, I wasn’t a fan of the sirloin steak. I like the NY Peppercorn or the filet mignon from The Keg.

We Rate The Keg3rated

Address:
1011 Mainland Street, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.kegsteakhouse.com

The Keg Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Medina has their new location for quite some time now, but I finally came for a visit. I arrived 15 minutes before opening and there were already tons of people lining up. I missed the first seating, but I was on the top of the list for the second seating. I waited about 40 mins and then got a seat. It didn’t bother me at all since I was busy playing Pokemon Go. There was a lure set, so I was happy catching.

Interior

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There is bar seating and tables of 2’s and 4’s. It’s hard to get large groups in, so you might have to wait.

The interior is pretty near and hip. when you look out the window you’ll most likely see the other people lining up.

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Drinks

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They have teas, coffees, or mimosas to pair with a perfect brunch. I went with the cappuccino since I needed some caffeine for the morning.

Brunch

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Paella has orzo, chorizo, seasonal veggies, grana padano, avocado, spicy charred tomato salsa and toped with a fried egg. A good hearty items for brunch.

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Fricassee is a popular item here with braised short ribs, roasted potatoes, caramelized onions, applewood smoked cheddar, veggies and grilled focaccia and 2 fried eggs.

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Saumon Fume has a fried egg, smoked wild salmon cream cheese, avocado, arugula, sweetly drop peppers and artichoke salad on grilled ciabatta. This is one of my favourite items of the menu. I love their salmon cream cheese.

Waffles

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Waffle with White chocolate pistachio rosewater is a must at Cafe Medina. You can’t leave here without tasting their waffles. We shared this among our friends.

Overall, a great brunch in Vancouver and it is immensely popular. They just have good food. It’s a must visit spot in town. I would highly recommend this place and you’ll want to arrive early for the first seating.

We Rate Medina:4rated

Address:
780 Richards Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.medinacafe.com/

Cafe Medina Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

maji-1

Maji is a Taiwanese Stir Fry restaurant in Richmond. I’ve been here before and I remember liking it for their dishes and beer. We came her for dinner and it was pretty packed with people waiting outside.

I was invited by Chopstick Fest to try their signature dishes in anticipation for Vancouver’s first Chinese Cuisine Festival in October.

Interior

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There are lots of tables inside for small to large groups. It’s best to call ahead to make reservations so you don’t have to wait in line during peak hours.

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Taiwanese Beer

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They have Taiwanese Beer available in delicious fruit flavours. Alcohol content is pretty low compared to the usual beer. It’s a super light beer that goes well with Taiwanese food.

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Food

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Spicy Deep Fried Chicken uses boneless chicken leg served on shredded cabbage, chili sauce and cilantro. I liked the use of the dark meat from the chicken leg.

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Crispy Chicken Skin is super crisp and served with salt, pepper, green onions, and chili. One of our favourite dishes of the night.

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Braised Food platter comes with your choice of braised items. For our platter, we had:

  • braised egg
  • braised pork intestines
  • braised beef tripe
  • braised chicken gizzard

A nice dish for all to share assuming they like the taste of innards. I grew up with similar food, so I never flinch at eating this. The sauce that the items were braised in was delicious.

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Dongpo Pork has delicious pork belly marinated with soy sauce and their secret brown sauce. The layers of fat and meat were so delicious.

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Deep Fried Shrimps with Pineapples has the shrimp tossed in pineapples, house-special dressing, and garnished with parsley.

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Taiwanese-style stir-fried noodles use oil noodles with shredded cabbage, carrots, shredded pork and basil.

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Basil Clams has the clams sauteed in garlic, ginger and  basil. The basil didn’t stand out too much but the clams were yummy.

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Hakka Style Pork and Squid has shredded pork belly stir-fried withy squid, bean curd, dried shrimp, celery and chili.

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Sesame Oil Pork Fried Rice has shredded pork, egg, rice, veggies and tossed in sesame oil. A good solid fried rice, but could have use a pinch more salt.

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Pan-Fried Egg Tofu with Soy Bean Paste has egg tofu, vegetables, and soybean paste served in a hot skillet. The tofu was really good and silky smooth.

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Overall, I really like Maji. The small plates are great for sharing and it reminds me of eating a dinner at home where you have the many dishes to pick from.

We Rate Maji35rating

Address:
1180-8391 Alexandra Road, Richmond

Website:
http://www.majirestaurant.ca/

Maji Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Bubble Queen has their second location on Oak Street. The Richmond location is always packed, so my friends and I wanted to check out their Oak Street location and also they were having major bubble waffle cravings.

Bubble Queen is best know for their drinks and bubble waffles. A great combination.

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This location has indoor seating as well as patio seating. It has a bit more seating than the Richmond location.

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Oolong Milk TeaMango Slush, and Peach Green Tea was what we all ordered. The drinks were good and not too sweet.

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Original Bubble Waffle was crisp on the outside, but there wasn’t too much of the chewy centre. It seems like its their style to cook it a bit over. Some people seem to like it but I prefer is less crispy.

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Oreo Bubble Waffle has the bits of oreo integrated inside of it. Similar to the original, it is also quite crisp.

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Overall, the drinks were great but the bubble waffle weren’t my thing. The waffles took a long time to come to the table. The drinks came a lot faster.

We rate Bubble Queen3rated

Address:
3208 Oak Street, Vancouver

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Bubble-Queen-1948623658697015/

Bubble Queen Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

tractor-1

Tractor Foods is finally open in Mount Pleasant close on 2nd and Quebec. They serve up healthy food for everyday. I’ve been waiting for this location to open for a very long time.

I work close to this area and there aren’t too many healthy food options around. There a few other places, but fast food still dominate.

Interior

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The interior isn’t too large. A decent amount of seats, but since it’s so popular, you will have a lard time finding a seat at noon.

I did see some people doing take out and going back to the office. I came here with a large group, so we got here at 11:30 and got a table for 8 people.

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Ordering

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The menu is the same as the other locations. You go up to the counter, put in your order, and pay for it at the other end.

It’s like a nicer cafeteria style line.

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Food

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Wild mushrooms, ditalini pasta, truffled ricotta cheese, and fresh herbs was a nice pasta salad. A good amount of mushrooms.

Grilled avocado is something you gotta add to your meal. Something about a grilled avocado with salt and pepper is so good.

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Half Turkey Sandwich has turkey thigh, smoked gouda, alfalfa sprouts, arugula, pesto aioli, and house pickled cucumbers, on a sourdough bread. Nicely grilled on both sides and its a bit crunchy. A good sandwich.

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Watermelon salad has cucumber, pumpkin seeds, and goat’s milk feta.

Arugula salad has grilled pears, candied walnuts, blue cheese, and a champagne vinaigrette.

Also, a Grilled Avocado!

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Overall, the food is super healthy and has a good taste. I would come back for more salads and sandwiches during lunch.

We rate Tractor Foods35rating

Address:
1751 Quebec Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://tractorfoods.com

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

pokemon

Pokemon Go mania has hit Vancouver weeks ago and we are now seeing more and more Pokemon themed treats around town. I am a huge Pokemon fan since I was a little kid, so as you can imagine, I was pretty damn excited. I remember I would go crazy trying to collect all the cards from the original set. I definitely did succeed, but too bad they still aren’t worth too much.

Below are a few of the fun treats I’ve seen around town.
Before heading to these places, you may want to give them a call ahead of time to make sure they are still creating these Pokemon themed treats.

Do you know of any more Pokemon themed treats around Metro Vancouver?
Let me know at diana@foodology.ca and I’ll add it to the list below.

VCC Bakery

Geek Sweets

Crackle Creme

Definetly a lure here today! Limited amounts of macarons! #Yvr #vancouver #macarons #pokemon #pokemongo

A photo posted by crackle creme (@cracklecreme) on

Cafe Joie

Would you like to catch #pikachu ? Catch them here! #cafejoie #pikapika #pokemongo #macaronstagram

A photo posted by #cafejoie (@cafejoie) on

Chez Christophe

Meinhardt Foods

T&T Supermarket

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Photo Credit: Maggie Lin

PappaRoti