In Mexican

Mag’s 99: Fried Chicken and Chimichanga in Squamish

September 15, 2016

Mag’s 99 is a Fried Chicken and Mexican Cantina in Squamish just on the highway. If you’ve driven past Squamish, it is most likely you would have noticed their signs with phrases that change often. I’ve passed by a few times, but I didn’t make a visit till now. Since we were going North, I missed the turn to go into the parking lot, so I ended up making a large detour to get back to Mag’s 99. You definitely want to pay attention so you don’t have to end up making illegal U-turns.

Once I found my way back to their parking lot, I was so excited to go inside their red and yellow building. There was a good amount of parking here and since I went around noon, it wasn’t too busy.

Interior

The interior is structured like a fast food restaurant where you order up at the counter. In fact, it was used to be a KFC/Tacobell.

At the front, you’ll find condiments, napkins and water.

Fried Chicken

4 piece snack pack comes with a drink and fries. We also asked them to upgrade our fries to a poutine. The chicken gravy and cheese curds on the crisp fries were so addictive. It’s a nice change to see a poutine made with chicken gravy.

The seasoning on the crisp chicken skin was nice and flavourful. Certain pieces like the breast were a bit dry. Best to stick with dark meat if possible.

Chimichanga

Chimichanga Loco is a deep fried burrito and it looks like a beast. It is wrapped with a flour tortilla and inside it has pork, Spanish corn rice, pico de gallo, jack cheese, and baja sauce smothered in chipotle cream sauce.

It was really large and will definitely fill you up. We ended up sharing this among our group.

Overall, the service was meh, but the food was a nice surprise. Dark meat is best for their chicken as it is a bit more moist. The chimichanga is huge and satisfying for those who want a huge meal.

Also, their wall is filled with super cool art.

We Rate Mags 99:

Address:
1584 Hwy 99, Squamish, BC

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Mags99-Fried-Chicken-And-Mexican-Cantina-558828787472414/

In Late Night

Zog’s Dogs: Late Night Eats in Whistler

September 14, 2016

Zog’s Dogs is open till 2am in Whistler and it’s the perfect drunken snack. After drinking so much wine at dinner, we wandered towards Zog’s Dogs for hot dogs since we were needing some late night comfort food. The aroma of grilled onions will really take notice of Zog’s Dogs.

Besides hot dogs, they do have other items like poutine and burgers.

Chili Cheese Dog was what I ordered. The chili on top stayed intact and wasn’t too messy. I wish the cheese on top melted a bit more since pieces of it kept falling off onto the ground. The taste was alright.

My other friends ordered the hot dog and the Zog’s Dog. The hot dog didn’t really cut it, but the spaghetti sauce on the Zog’s Dog was pretty good.

Overall, it was a nice late night spot to quell our drunken food cravings. It’s super popular, so you will always see a group of people eating or lining up.

We rate Zog’s Dogs:

Address:
4340 Sundial Cres, Whistler, BC

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

In Naramata Bench

La Frenz: Wine Tasting on the Naramata Bench

September 13, 2016

La Frenz Winery and their wine shop is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Their winery and their wines are internationally recognized and have won award after award. They have 4 vineyard sites to be able to grow the different grape varieties for their wines.

The tasting room was packed and our group of 6 didn’t have a reservation.

We didn’t realize they highly recommend reservations during July and August.

We waited a little bit, but they were able to seat us outside in the patio.

It was one of my favourite tastings of the day as we were able to relax on a table and not feel rushed to finish the tasting.

They also have a misting machine up top to help cool you down in the hot summer heat.

As they sat us down, they gave us a cup of bread sticks to munch on as we started our tasting.

We ended up doing the Portfolio Tasting flight where we can select up to 4 wines from their daily featured list for $5. The fee can be waived if you buy a minimum of 2 bottles.

I went with all white wines and I had:

2015 Sauvignon Blanc
2015 Riesling
2014 Chardonnay
2015 Alexandria

All really good wines that I would highly recommend. If I had to choose one, it would be the Sauvignon Blanc since I like a good dry white wine.

My other friends went with the red wines and they did find a few they liked.

Overall, it was one of my favourite tasting places because of the atmosphere on the patio. Wines were great. Definitely try to get a reservation on the patio.

Address:
1525 Randolph Rd, Penticton

Website:
http://www.lafrenzwinery.com/

In Naramata Bench

Ruby Blues Winery: Wine Tasting on the Naramata Bench

September 12, 2016

Ruby Blues Winery is one of the top wineries to try in the Naramata Bench near Penticton as its quite busy. I was pretty excited to come for a visit since I missed it on my previous trip to Penticton last year.

They are only open from May till October.

You know you’re in the right spot when you see their Volkswagen decked out in hippie love.

Like most of the wineries on the Naramata Bench, their view of the Okanagan Lake is also very nice.

When we were here, they had a few wines to try:

Pinot Gris
Gewurtztraminer
White Stiletto
Late Harvest Chardonnay
Peach & Love & Bubbles
Red Stiletto

Tasting are absolutely free, just give a smile in return.

Prudence administered our tasting and she was so engaging. You could see she was genuinely excited about all the wines being poured, that we all became super engaged.

All the wines were good, but the 2 that stood out to me was the Peace & Love & Bubbles as it makes a great bubbly to go with any meal or celebration. Also the Pinot Gris was a nice wine with fruity notes that I really enjoyed.

Once you’re done the tasting, head over to the wine shop/ gift shop and you’ll find things that will remind you of the winery like the VW cars and the red stilettos.

Overall, it was a very fun winery. If you can get a wine tasting with Prudence, I would highly recommend it.

Address:
917 Naramata Rd, Penticton, BC

Website:
http://www.rubyblueswinery.ca/

In Cafe

Camp Lifestyle + Coffee Co: Best Coffee in Whistler

September 11, 2016

Camp Lifestyle + Coffee Co is a cool hip coffee shop in Function Junction, the industrial area of Whistler. You will see other notable shops here like Purebread and Whistler Brewing.

They are half a retail store for the modern day camper and then the other half is a coffee shop for the caffeine deprived.

All their items are pretty cute! They’ve done a good job curating some products some local artisans. Amazing looking clothing, household items, and paintings.

There is a large table near the front of the shop to have pastries and drink coffee with friends.

They also have a cute sitting area in the back with comfortable chairs and a fountain. If you have some time, some here and grab a coffee and enjoy it here.

I got a cappuccino and they do nice latte art on top. They use 49th Parallel coffee beans and a high-end Marzocco espresso machine to crank out the delicious coffee.

After going to a few coffeeshops in Whistler, Camp Lifestyle + Coffee Co is the best. Other coffee places just don’t compare. You get a good relaxed atmosphere and some good coffee.

We rate Camp Lifestyle + Coffee Co:

Address:
1066 Millar Creek Rd. Whistler, BC

Website: http://www.camplifestyle.ca/

In Four Beakers

Christine’s: Lunch at Whister Blackcomb

September 10, 2016

Christine’s is located inside the Rendezvous Lodge on Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler. They are a full service restaurant with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.

At 1,860m/6,102ft above ground, it’s pretty interesting to see their challenges with getting the produce up on the mountain as well as adapting to the altitude changes to the taste of food. Head Chef Steve Ramey did a great job on the menu.

Interior

The interior is very modern with clean lines and cute light fixtures. In the summer time, you can hang out in their patio, or in the winter time, you can sit inside and enjoy the breathtaking views.

Photo Credit: Whistler Blackcomb

Drinks

Gin Royale Caesar has 2 oz of gin, Motts Clamato, horseradish, bean, spices, olive, pickled pepper, and a gin beef stick. A pretty awesome caesar and the beef stick is fun to gnaw on .

Elderflower Mimosa has Prosecco, St. Germain Elderflower liqueur, and freshly squeeze orange juice. A nice start to the afternoon and elderflower works really well in a mimosa.

Watermelon Mimosa has Ruffino Prosecco, watermelon puree and agave nectar. The drink is very refreshing.

Amuse bouche

We all started with a amuse bouche to really kick off the lunch. A nice little touch to showcase the freshness of their ingredients.

Appetizers

Crispy Chickpea Falafel is paired with spiced yogurt, raw milk feta, dill, cucumber, and nigella seed. At first I wasn’t sure what to this of this dish, but I did enjoy the crunchy texture of the falafel.

Burrata has heirloom tomatoes, white balsamic, summer herbs, prosciutto, and grilled flatbread. Burrata is an awesome cheese as its is so silky.

Scallop Ceviche has lime, watermelon, sunflower, avocado, puffed rice and pickled onion. This was probably our favourite dish and you could really taste the fresh summer produce. It’s not your typical ceviche, so it was a nice twist.

BBQ Duck Salad has green papaya, black pepper, hoisin, sesame, citrus, and crispy taro. It had a decent amount of duck and it had a good flavour from the hoisin and sesame.

Entrees

Seared Albacore has asparagus, soft cooked egg, lemon ranch, and butter fried scallions. It has 3 pieces of the albacore tuna in an order. The tuna was lightly seared, so you can still taste the delicate tuna in the centre.

Charred 48 hour Shortrib has maple BBQ, jalapeno cheddar cornbread, marinated kale, bred and butter pickle. The cornbread was so good!

Slow Cooked Wild Salmon has soba noodles, scallion vinaigrette, pickled ginger, green apple, wild rice, and sesame. The salmon was cooked very well and it was a light dish compared to the shortribs.

Vietnamese Pork Burger has grilled cabbage, black pepper aioli, carrot, cucumber, smoked peanut and cilantro. It comes with a side of crisps. This was very flavourful and surprisingly one of our favour dishes. I know it doesn’t look like much compared to the other dishes, but the pork burger rocked it.

Overall, a good selection of food for lunch or dinner. It is more expensive than the other options up on the mountain, but if you are here for a special occasion, its nice to indulge. The views are nice and the service is great too.

We rate Christine’s:

Address:
Whistler Blackcomb, Whistler, BC

Website:
https://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/the-village/dining/christines-restaurant

In British Columbia

My McD’s App + $50 Gift Card Giveaway

September 9, 2016

McDonald’s Canada has introduced the My McD’s app, a brand new pocket-sized McDonald’s experience. You’ll receive exclusive weekly offers without waiting in the mail for those coupons to arrive at the door. I go to McDonalds a few times a month and it’s nice to get an extra discount here and there for something that I will order.

Last week, they had buy 1 get one free coffee, so I shared it with a coworker. Sharing is caring right? There are new deals every week, so it’s always different.

All you need to do is show the deal you want to redeem at the counter, at their kiosks or at the drive through. They will scan the bar code on your phone and its

To download the app, you can simply search ‘My McD’s’ or ‘McDonald’s Canada’ in the Apple or Android App Stores, and register for an account.

Giveaway

To celebrate the launch of the My McD’s App, we are teaming up with McDonald’s Canada to give away a $50 Gift Card to one lucky winner.

Contest open to Canadian residents.

Comment below with what your favourite McDonald’s menu item is.
For additional entries, check out the widget below for more ways to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In Seafood

Cinnamon Bear Bar & Grille: Dinner at Hilton Whistler

September 9, 2016

Cinnamon Bear Bar & Grille is located inside the Hilton Whistler. They serve up Pacific Northwest dishes prepared fresh daily by their culinary team, led by Executive Chef Julian Owen-Mold. An engineer turned chef, Chef Owen – Mold is leaving his blueprints across the world creating original dishes and masterpieces using selections of the finest and freshest locally grown ingredients.

A few foodies and I were invited to come here for dinner while we were staying here over the weekend. The portion and items are slightly different that what is usually on the menu.

There is the bar side and the grille side to this place and they are quite different.

Cinnamon Bear Bar

We started off at the Cinnamon Bear Bar, a more casual and fun atmosphere après bar with TVs and pool tables. You can gather around the cozy fireplace in winter or gather in the sun soaked patio in the summer, taking in the mountain views. We came here first to have a cocktail before dinner. You can have beers, high balls, wine, or whatever your heart desires as long as they have it in stock.

Muddled strawberry with rosemary and gin was a fun cocktail with no name, but it was highly recommended to us by the staff.

Manhattan is made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. They also stick a cherry in the centre of it.

Summer Sangria was what I ordered. Great having in the Summer outside on their patio on a hot day.

Cinnamon Bear Grille

The interior has a good amount of seat and can accommodate small to large groups. Best to make reservations ahead of time to ensure no wait.

An assortment of bread and butter arrived at the table as we waited for our dishes.

Tomato gazpacho with ice shrimp and vanilla oil was the first appetizer. It was cold and refreshing. You can taste the freshness of the ingredients.

BC Dungeness Crab Cake with mango salsa and chipotle aioli. We noticed that the crab cake had a lot of crab and not stuffed with fillers like other restaurants.

Sumac Ridge Sauvignon Blanc from the Okanagan was paired with the first 2 appetizers.

Kale and Quinoa salad, organic wheat kernels, toasted pumpkin seeds, cranberries, and spiced almond dressing. I wanted to see more fresh ingredients with more flavours. It was weighed down by the dressing.

Grilled tenderloin of Alberta beef with Nova Scotia lobster, scallop, asparagus and a maltaise sauce. It was really good and tender. A good contrast between land and sea.

It was paired with Inniskillin Pinot Noir. A nice full-bodied wine with oak and spiced aromas.

Trio of desserts arrived at the table including smores, creme brulee and tiramisu. The desserts were fun, but the flavours were ok.

It was paired with the Taylor Fladgate LBV from Portugal. It is a port wine with flavours of ripe dark plums and cherry.

Overall, it was good to see what hotel restaurants are producing. With the great culinary scene in Whistler, hotel restaurants are easily overlooked.

We Rate Cinnamon Bear Bar & Grille:

Address:
4050 Whistler Way, Whistler, BC

Website:
http://www.hiltonwhistler.com/dining/cinnamon-bear-grille.php

In Car

2016 Acura TLX Elite: Review

September 8, 2016

The 2016 Acura TLX Elite is a mid-sided sedan with sporty handling, a roomy interior and luxury features. We tried the car for the week to see how it handles in the busy city and in the quiet suburbs.

Exterior

The exterior with the black colour speaks sophistication and class in this luxury sedan. Good smooth lines along the sides of the car, but nothing too stunning.

There is a good amount of trunk space especially if you’re putting luggage in the back or larger items.

The wheels look ok, but its missing a bit of pop to have it stand out. The overall look kinda blends in on the road. If you are getting a higher end car, you want people to notice.

Interior

The auto-dimming rearview mirror is great for when you’re in a parking garage and need a better view of your surroundings.

The metal and the wooden finishes in the interior clashes a little bit.

The Acura Navigation System and touch screen is decent, but I wish they had Apple Car Pay or Android Auto built-in. The other technology packed into this car is pretty standard, but still above other car companies.

The gear box and the parking break has become more sleek and replaced with buttons. At first, this seemed a bit strange and hard to get used to. It does take a while to get a handle on this, but it will come.

My husband and I share a car and we always had different setting when driving in the car. I’m a tad shorter, so I needed to be a little bit closer to the steering wheel and I prefer to sit more upright compared to him. Once thing I liked about this car is that you can pre-program 2 seat settings so it can save your sitting preferences.

There is a good amount of leg room in the back compared to other cars.

In a hidden compartment, you will find the USB port and the power outlet.

The rear view camera is great for backing up into parking spots confidently. The blind spot indicator by the side mirror is great for helping you merge successfully. These 2 features are great for those who aren’t too confident in their driving abilities. It helps give you more eyes around your car so you don’t get into an accident.

Drive

The engine is 2.4-litre, 16-valve, Direct Injection DOHC, i-VTEC 4-cylinder, and has 206 hp @ 6800 rpm. A pretty strong engine and accelerates quite well. The smart all-wheel-drive system that helps keep you safe on both wet and dry roads.

One touch engine start is a nice feature so you don’t have to dig the keys out of your bag.

One feature that I found annoying was the idle stop, even if I was stopped at a stop sign for a few seconds, the engine would turn off. It doesn’t feel smooth and at first its very jarring. The function is intended for you to save fuel when you are stopped for some time, but most of the time I had to end up turning this feature off since I wasn’t stuck in traffic for a long time.

Final Thoughts

The 2016 Acura TLX Elite performs well, but the exterior is modest looking and doesn’t stand out too much from the crowd. It kinda blends in. If you are looking for a classy car that doesn’t break your wallet, the Acura TLX is a good choice at $35, 490.

Website: http://www.acura.ca/tlx/2016

In Distillery

Gillespie’s Fine Spirits: Small Batch Distillery in Squamish

September 7, 2016

Gillespie’s Fine Spirits is a small batch distillery in Squamish. We came for a tour and tasting to see what they were all about. John and Kelly started Gillespie’s to create a greener, more sustainable business model for distilling alcohol.

Since they are a small batch operation, their space isn’t that large but it was pretty interesting to see how it all comes together. We got a little sneak peek of their distilling process. They offer tours to the public every Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. If you’re visiting them but still want a tour, you can contact them ahead of time to arrange it. I highly recommend it.

Their tasting room is open Thursday-Sunday from 1pm- 6pm.

A few items we tasted were:

Sin Gin, a light, crisp, fruity style gin containing a perfect blend of botanicals and ideal for both martinis and cocktails.
Lemoncello, the first limoncello out of BC. Made with organic lemons and sweetened ever so slightly. Beautiful after dinner to aid digestion, great before mixed with Prosecco or mixed into your favourite cocktail.
Gastown Shine, wheat based vodka. Beautiful in cocktails or highballs, but smooth and elegant to have chilled all on its own.
V Twin Rye Vodka, the vodka for whiskey drinkers. Perfect sipping vodka or ideal stirred into a martini.
Aphro, a specialty premium vodka product infused with the well known aphrodisiacs cacao, chilli and vanilla.
Cafe Crema, BC’s first coffee cream liqueur. Produced with Avalon Cream and coffee from Counterpart Coffee.

All of these spirits were pretty unique and goes great in cocktails.

They have their Cocktail Lounge open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6pm – 11pm.

They also have a few non-alcoholic syrups for sale. I bought their Elderflower Elixir.

Overall, it was great to see locally made spirits made in Squamish.

Address:
38918 Progress, Unit 8,
Squamish, BC

Website:
http://www.gillespiesfinespirits.com

In Brewery

Howe Sound Brewing: Beer Tasting in Squamish

September 6, 2016

A trip to Squamish isn’t complete without a visit to Howe Sound Brewing. Since 1996, they have been brewing award-winning ales and lagers. I’ve had their beers before, so I was really curious about coming here.

They also offer tours once a day at 1pm. It’s free, but space is limited. We didn’t make it to the tour since we were at another place, so we missed it.

Taster Rack gives you your choice of 4 beers. They had a good list of beers to choose from, but they ran out of a few of them on tap, so I went with:

Whitecap Wheat Ale, a traditional Belgian-style wheat beer brewed with coriander and orange peel. Very light and refreshing.
You’re My Boy Blue, a crisp, refreshing blueberry wheat ale, brewed with malted barley, white what and all-natural blueberry puree.
Lager, a pale, golden lager, brewed in the Dortmunder style.
Bay Ale, smooth amber ale brewed in the traditional English style.

All 4 were really good and light. I even left with a big bottle of Whitecap Wheat Ale. Dee got the Kalamansi Citrus Blonde Ale since they didn’t have it on tap.

Overall, it was a nice visit to try a few of their year round beers and some summer seasonals. They make some great beers.

We Rate Howe Sound Brewery:

Address:
37801 Cleveland Ave, Squamish, BC

Website:
http://www.howesound.com/

In Car

2016 Honda Coupe Touring: Review

September 5, 2016

The 2016 Honda Civic Coupe Touring is the sporty version of the reliable Honda Civic. I have a 4-door Honda Civic, so it was a fun week trying out the Civic Coupe Touring in bright green. At first, the Energy Green Pearl colour seemed a bit jarring as it is a colour I’m not used to. I thought I would get a few looks, but after driving it, no one really noticed the colour at all.

Exterior

The exterior has nice lines that give it the sporty feel. With the Touring, you’ll notice that the handles are chrome instead of the same colour as the body. It definitely has an aggressive look ready too zoom around town.

The shark fin shaped antenna works well with the car.

The LED headlights in the front and rear are bright.

Also the side mirrors have integrated LED for your turn signals. A good was to let others on the road know your intentions so your don’t get into an accident.

The right side also has a camera to make checking your blind spot on the right side easy to bikers or other things that pop up. The rear facing camera is awesome too especially when parallel parking or backing up into a spot.

The 17″ Aluminum Alloy Wheels look pretty good and hold up the car up, but you can still see that the car is still low to the ground. Try not to be too aggressive over high speed bumps.

The capless fueling system is pretty awesome too. No more need to remember screwing on the cap.

Interior

The front seats are lowered, so you get a sporty feel by sitting lower to the ground. The front seats are heated, so in the winter time, you rear can be nice and toasty.

The seats have leather-trimmed seating surfaces.

The back seat seats 3 people, it might be a bit crammed if you have 3 tall adults in the back seats. They have to enter and exit through the driver side or passenger side door.

The technology packed into this car is pretty awesome, wireless charging, Apple Car Play, Android Auto, and WiFi teathering are a few things I enjoy in this car to better integrate your smartphone with the car.

Since I have an iPhone, I really utilized the Maps function so I can use Google Maps. Google Maps is by far superior to the standard map that’s part of the navigation system.

The USB port is a bit hidden, but can be found closer to where you knees are.

Drive

The engine is 1.5-litre, 16-valve, Direct Injection, DOHC, and turbocharged 4-cylinder. There is 174 horsepower at 6000 RPM. The civic coupe also has ECON mode to increase fuel economy.

The parking break has been replaces with a electronic parking break, so it is turned by by a push of a button. It saves room near the gear box and creates a sleeker look.

The glowing electronic dashboard is nice to look at. The car a good amount of power and performs well on hills and on the highway.

Final Thoughts

At $27,555 for the 2016 Honda Civic Coupe Touring, it’s a good price. The Civic Coupe appeals more to those who are younger and looking for a sleek car to impress friends without braking the bank. It was fun to drive this along the highway at faster speeds.

Website: https://www.honda.ca/civic_coupe

In Naramata Bench

Lake Breeze Winery: Wine Tasting on the Naramata Bench

September 4, 2016

Lake Breeze Winery was awarded the prestigious distinction of Best Small Winery in Canada, along with Best Winery in British Columbia from the National Wine Awards of Canada.

We decided to come here on our second day in Penticton as a lot of the locals highly recommended coming here for a visit. They also have a patio restaurant on the winery.

We headed to the wine shop to do our wine tasting. It was really busy here when we went, so our group had to wait a little bit.

Tastings are $3 and is donated to local charities. If you make a purchase, the fee is waived.

When we were here, we tried the:

2014 Semillon
2014 Pinot Blanc
2015 Spice Jar
2013 Pinot Noir
2013 Meritage

The tasting options changes daily.

Our group liked the 2015 Spice jar, it is off-dry with a blend of Gewerztraminer, Ehrenfelser, Schonburger, and Viognier. It goes well with Thai cuisine, curries, and blue cheese.

It was a fun winery to try out some of their award winning wines.

Address:
930 Sammet Rd, Naramata, BC

Website:
http://lakebreeze.ca/

In British Columbia

McDonalds Canada: Spicy Sriracha Burgers

September 3, 2016

McDonalds Canada is really cranking out new burgers lately. I’ve been seeing new advertisements for their Spice It Up Sriracha inspired burgers.

Spicy Chicken Country Chicken

The Spicy Sriracha Country Chicken burger is made of Canadian chicken breast, lettuce, white processed cheddar cheese, sliced jalapeños, Sriracha sauce and an Applewood smoke seasoned sauce. It also has a sesame and poppy seed glazed bun. You have the option of having the chicken grilled or crispy. I went with crispy since I didn’t want to have a healthy week.

The sriracha and the jalapenos add a nice kick to the sandwich, but it wasn’t too spicy. The sauces and jalapenos really over power the delicate chicken taste.

Spicy Sriracha Mighty Angus

Spicy Sriracha Mighty Angus has Canadian Angus beef, hickory smoked bacon pieces, lettuce, processed cheddar cheese, sliced jalapeños, Sriracha sauce and an Applewood smoke seasoned sauce. It all sits inside a sesame and poppy seed bun.

I found that the jalapeños and the sriracha sauce worked a lot better than in the Mighty Angus burger. The nice thick juicy burger matched the spicy flavour very well.

Overall, the burgers were ok, but they’ve made better tasting burgers before.

Website: http://www4.mcdonalds.ca/spiceitup/

In British Columbia

Lays Canada: Do Us a Flavour 2016 Review

September 2, 2016

Canadians have voted and the results are in for 2016. The 2016 Lay’s Do Us A Flavour World Favourites are:

Bacon Poutine
Cheese & Onion
Thai Sweet Chili

The flavours were inspired by Canada, United Kingdom and Thailand. Every time Lays comes out with new special flavours, I just have to give them a try. I always share with my coworkers too so I can see the reaction on their faces.

Bacon Poutine – Canada

This flavour is inspired by the classic French‑Canadian dish. It combines cheese curds, rich gravy and smoky bacon flavours. It was a clear consensus that this flavour was pretty bad. The artificial smokey flavour really turned us off from these chips. It reminded me more of an odd BBQ taste.

Cheese & Onion – United Kingdom

This flavour was inspired by the timeless ingredients used in British cooking. It combines the flavours of sharp cheddar cheese with savoury onion.

This reminded me of funky sour cream and onion chips. I didn’t particularly take a liking to this. Reactions with my coworkers were mixed with this one.

Thai Sweet Chili – Thailand

This flavour was inspired by the iconic dipping sauce from Thailand. The chip has a mix of sweet and spicy with aromatic garlic and chili pepper flavours.

Thai Sweet Chili was a clear winner with the few people I tried these with.

You can find these 3 flavours in stores now for a limited time.

Website: http://www.lays.ca/

In Naramata Bench

Moraine Winery: Wine Tasting on the Naramata bench

September 1, 2016

Moraine Winery is a family-owned winery overlooking Okanagan Lake in the Naramata Bench. This was recommended to us by our tour guide and this was our 5th stop of the day.

At group of us were still good and not overly drunk. We held it together very well. hahaha.

We headed into the tasting room and it was pretty busy, so we waited until a spot freed up for us.

Below are a few of the wines they had available for tasting. They had a lot to choose from.

White Wines:

Chardonnay 2014
Viognier 2015
Cliffhanger White 2015
Pinot Gris 2015
Gewurztraminer 2015
Riesling 2015
Pink Mountain Rose 2015

Red Wines:

Pinot Noir 2014
Malbec 2014
Syrah 2014
Cliffhanger Red 2014
Red Mountain 2013

Some wines that stood out to me were the Cliffhanger White 2015 as it is a mix of 80% pinot gris and 20% Gewurtztraminer. It has nice fruity notes with hints of a nutty tones.

Gewurtztraminer 2015 was a very nice one too. It has a unique aroma of pears and lychee.

You can purchase the wines that you fancy at their shop. You can also order online too.

They also sell some cheese, meats and crackers if you need a little snack when you’re visiting here. You can also bring your own food to eat on their patio. There are a few tables around.

A nice winery to stop at. I’ve actually never heard of Moraine Estate Winery until now. It’s mostly sold at private liquor stores as it’s hard for them to produce the mass volumes needed by places like the BC Liquor Stores.

Address:
1865 Naramata Rd, Penticton, BC

Website:
http://morainewinery.com/