January 2017 - Foodology

In Four Beakers

La Mezcaleria: Mexican Cuisine in Gastown

January 31, 2017

La Mezcaleria has their second location in Gastown and I was quite excited to come here with a few friends to have some cocktails and a few bites. It was busy here on a Saturday evening. Most of the tables were reserved, but there was enough seats at the bar to slot us in.

They are best known for their a wide variety of the finest mezcals, as well as, high quality tequilas and cocktails inspired by the different regions of Mexico.

Their menu had lots of items to choose from, but it did take us a while to get familiar with the choices.

Ceviche Callejero

Ceviche Callejero has their seasonal fish cured in lime with tomato, onion, jalapeno and cilantro. It is also served with chips. A good item to start and share with friends. Very fresh and flavourful.

Queso Fundido

This is Mezcaleria’s signature molten cheese fondue served in a volcanic stone bowl called molcajete. We got the Con Chorizo, which has ground Mexican chorizo. It also came with some soft tortillas to eat all the cheese. Very delicious and cheesy.

Ancho Old Fashioned

Ancho Old Fashion is smoky. boozy and spicy. It has Reposado Tequila, mezcal, ancho reyes, agave, and angostura bitters.

Pablito’s Way

Pablito’s Way is on the rocks, spiced, rich and creamy. It has cream sherry, cold brew coffee, horchata and cardamom bitters. Surprisingly, it was really good. It originally wanted a horchata, but this arrived and I was pleasantly surprised.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed the drinks and the food that we had. Great atmosphere, hug out with awesome friends, and of course had lots of laughs. Since it was busy, service was alright, but it could have been a bit better and friendlier.

We Rate La Mezcaleria:

Address:
68 E Cordova Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.lamezcaleria.ca/

In Brunch

Fable Diner: Brunchfast in Vancouver

January 30, 2017

Fable Diner opened last year and they took over the space of Reno’s, which was previously a diner. It is located at the Lee Building at the corner of Main and Broadway. I enjoyed their first restaurant – Fable, so I really wanted to come here for brunch to try their interpretation of diner food.

Interior

The interior is completely renovated and it doesn’t have much resemblance to the old Reno’s Diner. It’s beautiful. There are lots of booth seating, bar seating and a few smaller tables.

West Coast Toast

West Coast Toast has avocado, smoked fish, fresh horseradish, and salad. I added an egg on top for a little extra. I love the avocado and the smoked fish. Very fresh. The egg was poached perfectly too.

Benny

Fried Chicken Benny is served on a scone and draped with hollandaise. It is also served with potato rosti. Of the different bennies on the menu, this seemed to be the most popular among guests. The chicken is super crisp and moist.

Heuvos Rancheros

Heuvos Rancheros has refried beans, avocado, eggs, pasilla sauce, cilantro, and pico de gallo.

All Day Breakfast Plate

All-Day Breakfast Plate has eggs, bacon or sausage, potatoes, toast and jam. A very hearty breakfast with everything you need.

Coffee

Coffee is definitely a must. Their coffee comes with free refills, which is always nice.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was an awesome brunch experience. It was busy on the weekend, but the waits weren’t too crazy. We waited about 15 minutes for a table, but that was ok since a few friends were running behind. The food was great as well as the service.

We Rate Fable Diner:

Address:
151 E Broadway, Vancouver

Website:
http://fablediner.com/

In Downtown

Goldies Pizza: New Location in International Village Mall in Vancouver

January 29, 2017

Goldies Pizza has opened their latest location in International Village Mall near Chinatown and Gastown. They are best known for their cheap and delicious thin crust pizza. Anyone that has been out late at night in Vancouver has probably been here after a few drinks.

Interior

The interior is small and gets busy later in the evening. There are a few tables and some large booths to sit in. You can eat in or do take out.

Pizza

They sell pizza by the slice and larger sizes of pizza. When we were here, they had a $2 price for all slices as they are newly opened. This was available for pepperoni, cheese and Hawaiian. Since we ate at 2 restaurants before coming here, we opted for a few slices.

We all had one slice each, but it was so good and only $2. The thin crust was very nice and crisp.

After getting the first slice, we ended up getting more. The second slice was bigger and the crust was a bit more charred, but that was ok because it was equally as tasty. If I’m looking for some good pizza that is cheap, I’ll stop at Goldies Pizza in the future.

We Rate Goldies Pizza:

Address:
508 Abbott Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://goldiespizza.com/

In Cafe

Trees Organic Coffee & Roasting House: Cheese Cake in Vancouver

January 28, 2017

Trees Coffee is also known as Trees Organic that is popular for their cheese cakes. I came here with my mother in law over the holidays for some coffee and cheese cake. It was on her list of places to hit up while it town, so we just had to have an afternoon coffee and share a slice of cheese cake.

Coffee

I got a cappuccino while my mother in law had a mocha. Both very delicious and go very well with cheesecake.

Cheesecake

The Sin is their Chocolate and Cherry Cheesecake made with real Belgian chocolate and sour cherries.

The texture of the cheesecake was dense, but very delicious. The consistency was smooth and we really liked it.

A nice treat for the afternoon. Perfect for us to take a break, enjoy some coffee and cheesecake.

We Rate Trees Coffee:

Address:
1598 W Broadway, Vancouver

Website:
http://treescoffee.com/

In Brunch

Cacao 70: Chocolate Brunch in the West End

January 27, 2017

Cacao 70 is a new restaurant in the West End in Downtown Vancouver serving up decadent chocolate treats for brunch or even late into the evening. They have other locations across Canada in Ontario, Montreal and Quebec.

We were invited to come try their brunch items as well as other things on their menu.

Interior

There are a lot of tables that can accommodate small to large groups.

Beverages

Moka has espresso with semi-sweet Cacao 70 classic hot chocolate. You can also get it with milk or dark chocolate.

American-style Hot Chocolate is Cacao 70’s classic hot chocolate served with marshmallows and drizzled with melting chocolate You can have it drizzled with milk, semi-sweet or dark chocolate.

A great item to get for hot chocolate lovers or kids.

Drinking Chocolate

You can get varying degrees of drinking chocolate on their menu. The chocolate is pretty rich and you can add an alcohol shot for a few dollars extra.

Europa Pressed Crepe Sandwiches

Europa Pressed Crepe Sandwiches has ham, swiss cheese, and a Parisienne sauce. It is served with a green salad on the side. One of the better items on the savoury brunch menu.

Meat Lover Omelet

Meat Lover Omelet has 3 eggs cooked with bacon, ham, Italian sausage, folded over a layer of melted cheddar cheese. You get a side of potatoes, whole-wheat toast, and fresh fruits and melted chocolates. It was big and full of food, but it didn’t taste amazing.

Crepe Morning Crepe Special – Spinach and Egg

Spinach and Egg Crepe Morning Crepe Special comes with 2 fried eggs with a buckwheat base French style crêpe stuffed with baby spinach and feta cheese. It is also served with fruit and melted chocolate. The crêpe was very bland and needed more feta and some salt.

Illegal Chocolate Waffle

Illegal Chocolate Waffle has a classic waffle topped with pure melted milk Belgian chocolate, milk chocolate shavings, caramelized bananas, crunchy chocolate wafer balls, melted chocolate and whipped cream on the side.

Marshmallow Chocolate Pizza

Chocolate Marshmallow Pizza has a warm pizza crust topped with melted chocolate chunks and roasted marshmallows. It is then served with strawberries, bananas and melted chocolate on the side.

It is a fun item to share with friends and super decadent, but you can really only eat so much of this. The first few bites were good but then once I finished a slice, I didn’t want anymore.

Grilled Marshmallows

Grilled Marshmallows comes with graham crackers, bananas, peanut butter sauce, whipped cream and 5 marshmallows for roasting.

What a fun item to eat with friends. It’s easy to burn the marshmallows, so hold it further away from the flame as it’s pretty powerful. S’mores is super delicious and fun to make.

Final Thoughts

Overall, there are a few misses in their savoury brunch menu, but a lot of people come here for the chocolate. Where else can you indulge yourself in everything sweet and chocolaty.

We Rate Cacao 70:

Address:
1047 Denman Street, Vancouver

Website:
https://cacao70.ca/en/

In Contest

Giveaway: Real Canadian Superstore Gift Cards for Chinese New Year

January 26, 2017

Chinese New Year is almost here. Real Canadian Superstore and No Frills want to spread some luck to you all by giving away $10 Real Canadian Superstore Gift Cards to 10 lucky winners. As food is a big part of Chinese New Year, buying all the necessary ingredients for dinner is essential especially if you are hosting a dinner in your home. Both stores carry more ethnic foods and have lots of sales going on right now.

If you missed my food and decor haul from Real Canadian Superstore earlier this week, check it out: https://foodology.ca/superstore-finding-chinese-new-year-foods/.

Contest open to Canadian residents. Contest ends January 31, 2017 11:59pm PST.

Comment below with what do you love to eat during Chinese New Year.
For additional entries, check out the widget below for more ways to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In Chinese

Real Canadian Superstore: Finding Chinese New Year Foods and Decor

January 25, 2017

Gong Hey Fat Choy 恭禧发财. Chinese New Year is upon us and it’s the Year of the Rooster. Many celebrations take place during this time including parades, dragon dances, reunions and elaborate dinners.

As food is a big part of Chinese New Year, buying all the necessary ingredients for dinner is essential especially if you are hosting a dinner in your home. Real Canadian Superstore and No Frills carrying more ethnic foods, has a lot of sales going on right now and I love the lucky pricing. The number eight is considered to be a lucky number in Chinese culture because it sounds like a word meaning wealth or fortune.

Shopping

What I noticed in the past few years is they have upped their game in providing a lot of ethnic grocery options in the store. I’m able to purchase my favourite veggies like bok choy.

They also carry awesome fruits like dragon fruit and star fruit. Since the store is so large, being able to find most of the ingredients for your meal and getting anything else for your home like tooth paste or toilet paper is easy.

It’s a great time to come together with family and friends over Chinese New Year over delicious food.

Of course I like to be healthy, but I can’t say no to some delicious snacks or this huge box of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes with their limited edition Year of the Rooster box. I’m all about sharing, so I love to have snacks out on the table so friends and family can enjoy as they please.

I love spicy peanuts with szechuan peppercorn. It goes so well with beer and if you eat the chilli or peppercorn, it will give your mouth a numbing spicy sensation.

Peanuts are a symbol of longevity.

Candies are the best and I got some White Rabbit candy, Hi-Chew and soft Almond Nougat. I didn’t get the most traditional candy, but these are my favourite that I could find at Superstore. A Candy box aka “Box of Harmony” symbolizes money and sweetness of life. The container is also pretty cute.

I also love Bin Bin Rice Crackers don’t exactly have a symbolic meaning, but these crackers are awesome. I’ve eaten so many as a kid and they are so damn addictive.

Leen go or brown sugar rice cake is consumed during Chinese New Year. You can make it at home from scratch or purchase in store. This can be eaten as an afternoon snack to bring you luck and prosperity in the upcoming year.

Red Braised Pork Belly

A lot of food served for Chinese New Year is symbolic and pork symbolizes strength, wealth, and blessings. I cooked up a storm this week and I was amazed at how easy this recipe was.

[tabs tab1=”Red Braised Pork Belly Recipe” ]

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Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

900 g skin-on pork belly
2 tbsp (25 mL) Rooster Brand 100% Pure Canola Oil
3 tbsp (45 mL) crushed Chinese rock sugar or granulated sugar
¼ cup (50 mL) Chinese rice wine (Shao Hsing) or dry sherry
3 cups (750 mL) chicken broth
2 tbsp (25 mL) each Rooster Brand Superior Soy Sauce and Rooster Superior Dark Soy Sauce
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick (2 inch/ 5 cm stick)
3 green onions
2-inch (5 cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled
Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Directions:

Bring large saucepan of water to a boil. Add pork; return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook 5 minutes. Transfer with tongs to cutting board; let cool enough to handle. Cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks. Set aside.
Heat oil in wok or large (4 L) saucepan over low heat. Add sugar; cook, stirring, until melted and light brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat; carefully add rice wine.
Stir in pork, broth, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, star anise and cinnamon stick; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Slice 2 green onions into 2-inch (5 cm) lengths. Add ginger to cutting board; hit sliced green onions and ginger several times with back of knife to lightly bruise and crush. Stir into pork mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until pork is fork-tender, about 1 hour.
Uncover; skim fat from surface of cooking liquid and discard. Increase heat to medium; cook uncovered, stirring often, until sauce is thick and syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard star anise and cinnamon stick. Transfer pork mixture to serving bowls. Thinly slice remaining green onion; sprinkle over top of pork mixture. Garnish with cilantro.

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In Bakery

Grounds for Coffee: Cinnamon Buns and Coffee

January 24, 2017

Grounds for Coffee has been around since 1993 making delicious cinnamon buns. They are made by hand with locally-sourced ingredients, to hundreds of locations across B.C. and Alberta. I was invited to stop by to try some coffee and cinnamon buns. I’m usually not in this area, so it was great to explore more shops on Alma close to UBC.

Interior

The interior is a bit dated, but it brings me back in time with all the pictures on the walls. A lot of people that were here were studying or reading while enjoying coffee or their cinnamon buns.

There aren’t a lot of seats here, but a good amount of people did take out.

Coffee

I got a latte to go with my cinnamon buns. It’s the perfect combination.

They sell 100% premium organic Arabica coffee beans, with at least 50 percent of their coffee sourced free trade at any given time.

Cinnamon Buns

Frosted or unfrosted, that is the big question, so I got both. The cream cheese frosting is so good, that you want lots of it smothering the top. It’s been a while since my last cinnamon bun but you can tell the difference of the ingredients and it’s made fresh. The cinnamon bun is pretty big, so even splitting one among 2 people is pretty good.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s a nice place to stop by for a cinnamon bun and coffee. If you’re in the area, check it out. Just remember to get your cinnamon bun topped with the cream cheese frosting.

We Rate Grounds for Coffee:

Address:
2565 Alma Street, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://groundsforcoffee.ca/

In product

Bowmore Islay Single Malt Whisky

January 23, 2017

Bowmore Distillery produces scotch whisky on the isle of Islay. They are one of the oldest in Scotland and is established in 1779. They are full of rich history and been perfecting their craft to create great whiskey.

I was invited to try their core single malt scotch whisky as well as their limited editions:

Small Batch
12 Year
15 Year
Vault Edit1°n

Being able to taste them all side by side to taste the differences, really opened my eyes to the subtle differences in each bottle.

Small Batch

The Small batch is matured in first and second fill ex bourbon casks.

First-fill bourbon offers delicious vanilla sweetness, subtle spices and bourbon oak smoke to complement Bowmore’s gentle peaty smokiness, while the second-fill cask enhances Bowmore’s fresh fruity complexity and showcases its trademark honey and creamy malt character. You’ll notice the Small Batch has the best qualities of both.

When I took a few sips, I could sense the wispy smoke, bourbon oak, and vanilla. Of the 3 whiskies, it is the lightest with its warm golden colour.

12 Year

The 12 Year Old is described as having puffs of peat smoke and pools of honey, sharpened by lemon zest. The colour was a bit barker than the small batch, so it was more like warm amber. You can taste the honey and smoke from the peat.

15 Year

The 15 Year Old is matured in an inspired combination of both bourbon and sherry casks, with it’s the final three years spent in Oloroso sherry casks that gives this Bowmore the rich, deep colour reflected in its name, and its warming finish. You can taste the cedar wood of the casks and the tannins from the sherry.

Vault Edit1°n – First Release Atlantic Sea Salt

The Vault edition is created using the finest hand selected ex-bourbon casks. This bottle reflects the microclimate in the depths of the No.1 Vaults. The Bowmore distillery is in close proximity to the sea and its vital in determining the character of this drink. You can sense the taste of fruits, spiced cocoa and blood orange. As it lingers in your mouth, the sea salt.

Robbie Burns

If you’re into cocktails, you can easily incorporate the Bowmore Small Batch with sweet vermouth, orange bitters, and absinthe. A very classic drink.

Website: http://www.bowmore.com/

In irish

Dubh Linn Gate: Old Irish Pub in Vancouver

January 22, 2017

Dubh Linn Gate is an Old Irish pub in Vancouver close on Main and Terminal. This is their second location, as their original location is in Whistler. I’ve been here a few years ago and I remember they had good food for a pub. Recently, they launch a few new items on the menu and we were invited to give this new menu a try.

The interior is quite cozy. There are long tables, booths, a bar. Even with their high ceilings, they were able create a nice vibe here. They even added a 2nd floor of seating here so you can look down and spy on people.

Beer

They have a large amount of beer on the menu from local to Irish beer. It can’t be an Irish pub without Irish beer like Guinness.

I went with Innis & Gunn from Scotland, which is an Oak aged beer. One of my favourite beers.

Brunch

Traditional Fry Up is their weekend brunch item with two eggs, house made Peameal bacon, Two Rivers banger, Oyama black pudding, roasted tomato, spuds, poached pears, house baked beans and toasted sourdough. It’s a lot of food all on one plate.

Boxty Bennies has whiskey cured steelhead, poached eggs, tomato hollandaise on top of a toasted muffin. There is also salad, grilled tomatoes and breakfast potatoes. They also have another version with peameal bacon instead of the steelhead. The bennies are good, but the poached eggs was more medium than soft.

Appetizers and Sharing

Scotch Egg is made of Guinness sausage surrounding a beautiful soft boiled egg. It is served with an piccalilli sauce.

Brussel Sprouts is roasted with bacon and then broiled with dubliner cheese and a hint of lemon.

Black Pudding Toasties has Oyama sausage on grilled sourdough with caramelized onion jam, tobacco onions, and a side of grainy mustard. It’s not a dish for everyone. Since I’m Asian, I’m pretty use to it. It has an iron taste as it is blood sausage.

Salad

Maple Kale and Chicken Salad has baby kale and roast butternut squash tossed in a maple mustard vinaigrette with beer brined chicken, dried cherries, almonds and sweet potato chips. Surprisingly, it was a pretty good salad. I loved the texture of the chips.

Burgers

The Central Burger has a 6oz St. Helens beef burger topped with pulled pork, stout BBQ sauce, Dubliner cheese, pickles, chipotle mayo, tobacco onions and lettuce. It is served with fries but can be swapped with salad or soup for a little extra. This was a really delicious burger and the fries were nice and crisp.

Veggie Burger has a house made patty topped with amber ale cheese, spicy chipotle mayo, pickled red onion tomato, sprouts, and salsa verde. A good option for vegetarians.

Main Street Meatloaf

It has a pork and beef meatloaf slow cooked and served with tobacco onions, creamy mash, mushy peas and gravy.

Lamb Shank

Slow braised lamb shank sits on top of their pearl barley risotto. It is them topped with a lamb reduction sauce.

Steak and Guinness Pie

This beautiful pie has AAA Alberta beef cooked tender in a rich Guinness gravy with spuds and carrots baked in a cast iron pan topped with a flaky golden pastry.

Dessert

The Central Sundae is made of Guinness, Bailey’s, and caramel ice cream layered with chocolate and caramel sauce topped with an Irish lace cookie, whipping cream, candied walnuts, sprinkles and a cherry.

A fun dessert to share and t’s not too heavy.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was a good pub experience for drinks and food. The food is on point and the decor is very nice. The prices are higher than other pubs, but look out for their daily features and they also have happy hour if you want a deal.

We Rate Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub:

Address:
1601 Main Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://vancouver.dubhlinngate.com/

In Bakery

The Birds and The Beets: Cafe in Gastown

January 21, 2017

Bird & the Beets is a cafe that is located in Gastown and they serve up coffee, sandwiches, breakfast and other snacks. We came here on the weekend have a few bites and coffee.

One thing I love about shops in Gaston are that beautiful brick walls. It adds so much character to the space.

By the counter, there is also taps for water. I love pouring my own water, its so much fun. I’m pretty weird.

Coffee

Latte was what I ordered to get me through the day. Waking up on weekends is tough, so a bit of coffee wakes me up. They use Bows x Arrows coffee beans in their drinks. Very good.

You can also pick up some beans too.

Sandwiches

Avocado and Slow Poached Egg Brioche Sandwich was topped with picked vegetables. It is an open-faced sandwich and was pretty good. A nice item to have with coffee.

Overall, it was a nice little hidden place in Gastown to chill with friends over coffee and some snacks. The interior is also very beautiful.

We Rate The Birds and the Beets:

Address:
55 Powell Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.birdsandbeets.ca/

In product

Stanley Park Brewery: Winter Glow IPA and Windstorm West Coast Pale Ale

January 20, 2017

Winter has hit Vancouver harder than usual this year and one of our favourite things to do over the holidays is to stay in and host our friends and family. We were recently introduced to Stanley Park Brewery’s seasonal Winter Glow IPA and Windstorm West Coast Pale Ale, and both have been well stocked in our fridge as we celebrated the season and rung in the new year.

Winter Glow IPA

The Winter Glow IPA draws its inspiration from the Canadian tradition of receiving mandarin oranges on Christmas Day. It’s a medium-bodied IPA with a golden, zesty and subtly sweet mandarin orange taste and aroma.

Although a few of our friends don’t usually enjoy fruity or floral elements in their beer, we thought that the smooth, golden and zesty flavours were great reminders of Christmas and paired perfectly with holiday dinners.

Windstorm West Coast Pale Ale

On the nose, the Windstorm West Coast Pale Ale smells like it’s going to be an IPA at first. With a flavour profile of earthy pine, light citrus, and a refreshing, clean finish, it is a true embodiment of its name. We’d get this again and recommend giving it a try yourself.

Website: http://www.stanleyparkbrewery.ca/

In Four Beakers

La Catrina: Mexican Tacos in Vancouver

January 19, 2017

La Catrina is a restaurant on Denman Street that serves Mexican Tacos. When they say Voted by 100 Mexicans Vancouver’s Best Mexican Tacos, you know its legit. I came here with a few friends to share some tacos. I’ve heard about them on Instagram and I was curious about their tacos. We were in the area and I knew we had to make a stop here.

We got 4 tacos for $11 among us and shared it all.

Papas Mexicanas has Mexican potatoes with cream and parsley.

Fajitas Tacos has grilled beef, roasted green peppers and onions, with cheese on top.

Cachete taco has a pile of slow cooked beef cheeks.

Carnitas taco has confit pork with red pickled onion on top.

There is different salsa varying in spice level and pickled vegetables you can add to your taco.

Avocado
Chipotle
Arbol
Habanero

Of the 4, I really enjoyed the avocado as it was subtle but had a good amount of flavour. Their tacos are really good and have very deep flavours. The meat is moist and is so addictive.

We Rate La Catrina:

Address:
1187 Denman Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.tacoscatrina.ca/

In Cafe

Shop the Neighbourhood: Lisa Lou’s Chocolate Bar

January 18, 2017

With the holidays behind us, shopping local should still be top of mind for Vancouverites. Local businesses keep dollars close to home. Dollars spent within our neighbourhoods directly benefit the local economy and are re-invested within the community in the form of local employment or the contracting of locally-based suppliers and services.

Shop The Neighbourhood, a local shopping initiative from Yellow Pages, celebrates small businesses all year round, and reminds Canadians how shopping locally makes a difference in our lives and directly impacts the local economy. Small businesses are our economic backbone – they create jobs, funnel funds back into the community, keep decision-making power localized, and generally contribute to building healthy, thriving neighbourhoods.

In partnership with Yellow Pages, I wanted to highlight another awesome shop that opened in 2016 near Chinatown – Lisa Lou’s Chocolate Bar.

Lisa Lou’s Chocolate Bar

The area in and around Chinatown on Main Street is definitely changing with new restaurants and shops popping up every month. Last year, Lisa Lou’s Chocolate Bar was born; a 12-seater chocolate, ice cream, and coffee shop. They join other restaurants like Campagnolo, Torafuku, Bodega and Kobob Korean Burgers just a few steps away. Given great foot traffic and a transit friendly area, this up and coming neighbourhood was a great fit for Lisa Lou’s.

Lisa Lou’s vision is to be fun and whimsical with their package design and characters, and to have a strong stance on natural and ethically sourced ingredients, supporting the local community, and offering outstanding service to their customers.

Lisa Gardin AKA “Lisa Lou”

Lisa Gardin has been in the chocolate industry for 15 years working at places like the Wedgewood Hotel, Thomas Haas, and Chocolate Arts. It has been a long time dream for Lisa to open her own boutique chocolate shop. She always wanted to put her own whimsical spin on chocolate, making products that are more accessible than some of the higher end chocolate shops around town.

Lisa Lou is a nickname inspired by her father. It embodies that fun nature of her shop, brought to life by the bold turquoise on their packaging and the shop’s interior décor.

Yummy treats

You can see the fun and whimsical side of Lisa Lou’s in their package design and characters. They currently have three lines of their chocolate bars. These are the shop’s signature items:

The Boys – Pete, Joe, Marc, and Frank
This line is fantastic. I particularly love the Joe, featuring coffee cardamom caramel, shortbread, and pistachios.

The Hipsters – Zoe, Lily, Oscar, and Kylo
They are wheat free and vegan and have crispy chocolate mixed with fruity caramel.

The Ladies – Joan, Ruth, Sue, and Helen.
The Ladies feature sweet, fruity jellies and crunchy, nutty, chocolatey pralines.

These lines are great for gifts or for your own personal snacking.

There are so many good products on the shelves of Lisa Lou’s and one of the items that just make my taste buds sing is their candied almonds.

In addition, Peanut Brittle was an especially hot item over the holidays.

When it was warmer in the summer, I remember coming here for ice cream with my coworkers all the time. They have some really unique flavours like Bourbon Caramel Ripple, Coffee Cardamom, and many other flavours on rotation. Two of my favourites were the Caramelized Banana and the Assam Tea. You can get these in 8oz or 16oz sizes. Also, you can turn them into ice cream sandwiches or ice cream floats.

What’s Next?

More collaborations are on the way for 2017. Look out for birthday parties, workshops, and community events hosted in this space. If you’re curious, give Lisa a visit to see what is possible.

In particular, Chocolate Hazelnut Hearts, along with a few other items, are on their way for Valentine’s Day.

Go for a Visit

Lisa Lou’s Chocolate Bar is one of many amazing local businesses near the Chinatown neighbourhood. Stop by and grab a coffee or tea along with some tasty chocolates to enjoy. You’ll definitely find something unique for yourself or for a friend!

Local businesses are neighbourhood-oriented. Business owners and staff share the community’s interests, and are personally invested in the welfare and future of the neighbourhood.

If you want to learn more about Shop The Neighbourhood, follow Yellow Pages on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Address:
1007 Main St, Vancouver

Website:
http://lisalouschocolatebar.com/

In Bakery

Peaked Pies: Aussie Comfort Food in Vancouver

January 17, 2017

Peaked Pies has finally opened in Downtown Vancouver on the West End. They specialize in Aussie Meat Pies, coffee and dessert. What makes their pies extra special is having them ‘peaked’ with mashed potato, mushy green peas and gravy.

We wanted a taste of Peaked Pies without going to Whistler, so we were happy their second location was in Vancouver.

Interior

The space isn’t huge, but they have more seats compared to their Whistler locations. There is one large communal table, a few tables and window seats.

They also have a self-serve kiosk if there are long line ups. Very easy to use and you can beat the line.

The few times that we were here for lunch, it wasn’t too busy.

I also love their lights with the familiar colours sprayed on them.

Aussie Pies

All the Aussie Pies and Sausage Rolls are on display and there are lots of flavours to choose from. I had a hard time choosing which one to get.

If it’s your first time, getting the Traditional Aussie, which has ground beef, onions and gravy is a good start. Make sure to get it peaked too.

We’ve been here several times, but a few of our favourites are:

Traditional Aussie
Chunky Pepper Steak
Chunky Steak and Mushroom

The fillings are delicious and the crisp flaky crust makes it so enjoyable. the mashed potatoes are fluffy and the peas were so good draped in gravy.

Their Sausage Roll has ground beef, onion and garlic. It tasted alright, but the best things here are their pies.

They even have Aussis desserts like Lamingtons.

Final Thoughts

Overall, same great pies as their Whistler location. I love their pies and I will definitely be back.

We rate Peaked Pies:

Address:
975 Denman Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.peakedpies.com/

In Bakery

Honey Donuts: Sweet Treat in Deep Cove

January 16, 2017

Honey Donuts is a popular spot in Deep Cove to indulge on their donuts and coffee. They serve up home cooked and freshly prepared wholesome food.

The small beautiful village of Deep Cove is 20 minutes away from Vancouver and is popular for kayaking, paddle boarding, boating and of course hiking. The downside is that parking is super tough to find when it’s busy. Also, use debit cards or cash when coming here.

Interior

There are a decent amount of seats inside and outside, but if it’s raining, most people prefer a seat inside where its warm and dry.

We came here over the holidays and it seemed like most people at Deep Cove was here getting lunch.

All the coffee is self-serve. So, you pay at the counter and they serve yourself. Refills are not free.

Coffee and Donuts

We managed to find a seat quickly as another party just left. We had our donuts and coffee ready for our afternoon snack. There were 4 types of drip coffee available, but I just chose the Honey Blend.

Classic Donut was huge and had a light cake-like texture inside. It seemed like it was soaked in honey and I didn’t feel like it was too sweet.

Chocolate Donut is like their classic donut dipped in chocolate. M didn’t really like this as the texture of the donut wasn’t what he expected. Different texture than a traditional donut as it was a bit oilier.

Overall, it’s a nice place to have a snack in the afternoon. It is very popular, so it can get very very busy at peak hours.

We Rate Honey Donuts:

Address:
4373 Gallant Avenue, North Vancouver

Website:
http://www.honeydoughnuts.com/

In Four Beakers

Burma Superstar: Burmese Cuisine in San Francisco

January 15, 2017

Burma Superstar is the go to place when visiting San Francisco. I live in Vancouver and I found that in the past year a majority of them have closed down. When doing a quick search on Burmese cuisine, a lot of people recommended Burma Superstar.

Taking a look at the menu, a lot of the items looked pretty authentic, so I had to come here. There were some other restaurants that I was looking at, but it was a bit further away from the city.

We came here for a late lunch and this place was still busy, but there was just one table available, so we didn’t have to wait.

Tea Leaf Salad

Tea Leaf Salad has romaine lettuce, fried yellow beans, fried garlic, sesame seeds, fresh tomatoes, jalapenos, and dried shrimp. It tasted so good. I’m used to these without romaine, but most restaurants serve it like this.

Moh Hinga

Moh Hinga is a Catfish Chowder Noodle Soup. It has fish chowder with rice noodles, ground catfish, onions, cilantro, lemon, & topped with chili. So delicious!

Oh Noh Kauswer

Oh Noh Kauswer is Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup. It has Burmese style coconut noodle soup with chicken, onions, eggs, cilantro, lemon, & topped with chili. I love the crispy bits that add a nice texture to the noodles.

Of both noodles, I loved both of them. So delicious and I wanted more. My friend preferred the Oh Noh Kauswer a little bit more. Of all the meals I had on my trip to San Francisco, this was my favourite place. The price is good and you’ll leave satisfied.

We Rate Burma Superstar:

Address:
309 Clement St.
San Francisco

Website:
http://www.burmasuperstar.com/

In Canadian

Estrella’s: Delicatessen in Langley

January 14, 2017

Estrella’s has been one of our favourite places in Langley for their gigantic Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwiches. Everything is made from scratch, so the definitely don’t compromise on taste or quality.

They are known for their O Canada-sized sandwiches with smoked meat piled high. We come here on Saturday mornings as they are closed on Sundays.

Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich

This is a beast. Sliced Old Fashioned Montreal Smoked Beef Brisket on light rye bread with your choice of regular or dijon mustard. You can choose from lean, medium or fatty. Of course we chose the biggest size – O Canada and had it fatty. It’s so good and can be split between 2 people.

Poutine

A good Canadian classic – Poutine. Has crisp fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. You can also add some smoked meat on top too. We just went with the basics as we already had the huge sandwich to start.

Roast Beef Panini Sandwich

It has roast beef, caramelized onions, horseradish, mayo and swiss cheeese. It is served on crispy ciabatta bread and comes with a pickle. Not as monstrous as the smoked meat sandwich, but it was delicious.

Overall, I really love to go to this place for their Montreal Smoked Meat. The staff are friendly and it’s not too busy here. I’ll be back again.

We Rate Estrella’s:

Address:
5932 200th Street, Langley

Website:
http://www.estrellasdeli.com/