January 2017 - Page 2 of 2

In San Francisco

(M) Ike’s Place at Sweet Inspiration in San Francisco

January 13, 2017

Sweet Inspiration is serving (M) Ikes’s Place Sandwiches and I was very confused about this location and why it was called Mike’s Place. When I was in town, I spent quite a lot of time searching online if I was going to the right location. Long story short, Ike’s lost their lease to their original location and collaborated with Sweet Inspiration to serve his sandwiches, but they couldn’t name it Ike’s Place due to some city violation, so they changed it to Mike’s Place.

As we got here, we were still very confused if we would be getting authentic Ike’s Sandwiches.

There was plenty of sandwiches to choose from. We got them to-go and decided to eat it before our flight back to Vancouver.

Wonzo Sandwich

Wonzo Sandwich has Halal chicken, Ranch, Bacon, and Cheddar. It is also served with lettuce and tomatoes. You can have your sandwich with your choice of bread – Dutch Crunch, SF Sourdough, French Roll, Whole Wheat, or Gluten-Free. We went with dutch crunch.

Montana Sandwich

Montana Sandwich has Halal chicken, Asian Sesame Dressing, Bacon, Avocado, and Jack cheese. I went with the SF Sourdough.

Both sandwiches were very heavy and filling, but taste wise, it was a bit mediocre. It was a bit heavy on the dressing.

We Rate Mike’s Place:

Address:
2239 Market Street, San Francisco

Website:
http://www.sweetinspirationbakery.com/

In Brunch

Jane on Larkin: Cafe in San Francisco

January 12, 2017

Jane on Larkin in San Francisco is a local cafe that serves coffee, toast, breakfast, pastries and other items. I was on the hunt for a breakfast spot that also sold avocado toast.

Coffee

Coffee is definitely a staple in any cafe. I went with a Cappuccino

Avocado Mash

Avocado Mash has avocado, cracked black pepper, poached egg, pickled shallot and jalapeño. It was beautiful and very delicious, but I felt the pickled jalapeño was a bit too much especially in the morning. It sure cleared up my sinuses.

Breakfast Sandwich

Egg White Sandwich with spinach and avocado with provolone and a dash of sriracha served on your choice of house-baked sourdough, multigrain bread or baguette. Super healthy sandwich.

Overall, Jane on Larkin was good. We were able to get a table early in the morning. Food looks pretty and tasted good.

We Rate Jane on Larkin:

Address:
925 Larkin Street, San Francisco

Website:
http://www.itsjane.com/

In Japanese

Men no Kura: Ramen in Vancouver

January 11, 2017

Men-no Kura is another new addition to the ramen community on Robson Street in Downtown Vancouver. There are several ramen shops in close proximity, so competition is high.

I came here at night with a few friends to have 2nd dinner.

Interior

There is a large communal table and then a few smaller tables for other groups. Tables are clean and there is a nice modern industrial look to the space. Staff are nice and helpful too.

Dashimaki

There are 2 types of dashimaki – Japanese rolled omelette at Men-no kura.

Dashimaki mentaiko
Dashimaki cheese

The omelette was soft, warm and the center was filled with either of those salty delicious filling. Delicious. Of the 2 types, I liked the cheese one a bit more.

Japanese deep fried chicken karaage

Japanese deep fried chicken karaage is their most popular item. It is very tender and super juicy with a nice crisp exterior. Very enjoyable and a great item to share.

Tonkotsu Black Garlic

Tonkotsu Black Garlic Ramen is one of their most popular ramen on the menu. It has a rich broth, chashu, garlic chips, and green onions.

Tsukemen

They have Tsukemen on their menu. You can have the noodles hot or cold. You have a choice of 3 different broths to choose from:

Original
Garlic Miso
Spicy

Deluxe Tsukemen

Deluxe Tsukemen comes with extra toppings of ramen egg, bamboo shoots and chashu. The broth is served in a mini hotpot so it stays warm. There was also some fried garlic chips on the side. The broth is quite rich, so without the hot flame underneath, it would congeal. The broth is very favourful and if it’s too rich for your liking, they can dilute it a bit more for you.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the ramen at Men-no-Kura was good. Their broth is much richer than other ramen shops, but I prefer it that way. It was good ramen, but with so many other ramen shops out there, it’s hard to choose. I still have another favourite, but if I was close by, I would come here again.

We Rate Men-no-Kura :

Address:
1773 Robson Street, Vancouver

In British Columbia

Vancouver International Wine Festival 2017: Ticket sales start Tuesday, January 10

January 10, 2017

2017 marks Canada’s 150th birthday and what better way is there for the Vancouver International Wine Festival to pay tribute to the sesquicentennial than to have Canada be the theme country?

While a few folks might have already grabbed some of the early bird tickets made available in 2016, public ticket sales will be launching on Tuesday, January 10 for the series of events to take place between February 11 – 19, 2017.

This year’s wine festival will feature 180 wineries from 16 countries. Among them are more than 70 wineries from British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia, making it the largest gathering of Canadian wineries ever at an international festival!

Featuring a range of activities, events include winery dinners, paired lunches/brunches, wine seminars and our favourite, the wine tastings! The seminars will fill your mind with knowledge to make sense of what you taste but what we love most about the international tasting room is that we walk away from the event feeling a sense of connection with the winemakers and always with new found favourites in our arms.

A few local favourites that we recommend you don’t miss:

Black Hills Estate Winery
Tantalus Vineyards
Osoyoos Larose
Painted Rock Winery
Quails’ Gate Winery

As we launch into 2017, we can’t wait for another year of tasty adventures. For tickets and to learn more about the Vancouver International Wine Festival, visit www.vanwinefest.ca.

For a list of Canada 150 events in Vancouver this year, check out Tourism Vancouver’s list of ways to celebrate 2017 all year long: https://www.tourismvancouver.com/media/articles/post/canada-150/

In Bar and Grill

St. Regis Bar and Grill in Downtown Vancouver

January 10, 2017

Taking over the kitchen and updating the menu at St. Regis Bar & Grill is Executive Chef Daniel Ackland, who had a challenge of finding a fine balance of refreshing existing favourites and creating new dishes which seamlessly blend into its casual, comfort-focussed philosophy. Chef Daniel Ackland had a clear vision for reshaping the food program and he’s proudly launched a completely refreshed menu for the fall and winter. We were one of the first people to give this menu a try.

I came here 5 years ago when I worked at BCIT across the street, so it’s a nice way to revisit.

Quinoa Salad

The quinoa salad has mint, cranberry, cherry tomato, roasted roots, greens, feta cheese, and a citrus vinaigrette. A nice healthy option if you’re not into heavier food on the menu.

Regis Burger

The Regis Burger is a classic burger made fresh daily. The patty is made of house ground beef blend is a mix of 100% AAA Chuck and Brisket. It is topped with lettuce, tomato, and red onion on a brioche bun with smoked onion & garlic aioli. It is served with skinny fries or you can substitute it for soup, salad, yam fries or onion rings for a little extra.

Veggie Burger

The garden burger patty is made of chickpea, couscous & roasted hazelnut. It is topped with jack cheese, onion gastrique, salsa, and grainy dijon mayo on a onion bun. The patty was huge and made it hard to eat, but was definitely missing something.

Pizza

Italia Pizza comes with mozzarella, Napoli salami, salsiccia picante, prosciutto, and chiffonade basil.

Fungi Pizza has mozzarella, shallots, mushrooms, and truffle oil.

Margarita Pizza has bocconcini, mozzarella, basil, and tomato.

The pizzas were ok, but I didn’t enjoy the dough or the toppings.

Short Rib with Garlic Mash Potato

Short rib has garlic mashed potato, shallot confit, steamed spinach, red wine jus, and frizzled onion. Super tender short rib. I really enjoyed the dish.

Chicken and Mushroom Penne

Chicken and mushroom penne has broccolini, shallot, thyme butter, and lemon. The dish was ok, but I needed more sauce to it. A bit dry and needed some more butter and lemon to coat the penne a bit more.

Spicy Noodle Bowl

Spicy noodle bowl has sauteed teriyaki chicken, mixed vegetables, and green onion.

Quarter Chicken Plate

Quarter chicken dinner has BBQ chicken, coleslaw, skinny fries, and gravy. The chicken was tender and I loved the BBQ sauce on the outside.

Warm Cookie Skillet

Warm cookie skillet has white chocolate chip cookie, shaved dark chocolate, chocolate sauce, and vanilla bean ice cream from Mario’s Gelati. This was my favourite item of the night as it is soft and warm contrasting with the ice cream covered in chocolate. A real treat.

Overall, the dishes were a hit and miss. For a bar and grill, they have a diverse menu of bar classics mixed with the more decadent dishes on the menu.

We Rate St Regis Bar and Grill:

Address:
608 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver, BC

Website:
www.stregisbargrill.com

In Dineout

Dockside Seafood Restaurant: Dineout Vancouver

January 9, 2017

Dockside Restaurant is participating again in Dine Out Vancouver from January 20 to February 5, 2017. They are offering guests with their 3 course meal on Granville Island for West Coast Cuisine for $40. Reservations should be made in advance.

I came here for a preview of the menu prior to Dine Out Vancouver with a few other media people to see how their menu is like.

Dine Out 2017 Menu at Dockside

Appetizer

Dockside Crab & Shrimp Cakes
Duck Prosciutto Tart
Winter Green Salad

Entree

Linguini Vongole
Roasted Zucchini
Beef Wellington

Dessert

Panna Cotta
Chocolate and Apricot Mousse

Appetizer

Winter Green Salad has Manchego polenta croutons, French beans and a herb vinaigrette. A good start of the meal as its light and refreshing. The polenta croutons add a bit of crunch and texture to the salad.

Dockside Crab & Shrimp Cakes has charred lemon aioli, and mango salsa on top. 3 pieces to each plate.

Duck Prosciutto Tart has housemade duck prosciutto, onion jam, arugula and balsamic reduction. The delicious fatty duck prosciutto pairs balances with the arugula. The tart gives it a crunchy texture.

Entree

Beef Wellington Truffle has mash potatoes, market vegetables and red wine jus. I felt that the meat was cooked more to a well doneness.

Linguini Vongole has Manila clams, white wine cream sauce, and reggiano cheese. The pasta was creamy and there was a good amount of clams. Since the clams were cooked separately, it didn’t integrate too well with the pasta.

Roasted Zucchini is the vegetarian option. It has eggplant puree, cucumber and fennel salad and topped with toasted pine nuts.

Dessert

Chocolate and Apricot Mousse Layer Cake is lined with apricot puree and fresh berries.

Panna Cotta has lemon grass, lime leaf, passion fruit puree and mint. A refreshing end to the evening meal.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the menu is pretty balanced to cater to those with different tastebuds. The portions are a good size too.

We Rate Dockside Seafood Restaurant:

Address:
1253 Johnston Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://docksidevancouver.com/

In Dineout

Vancouver Fish Company: Dine Out Vancouver

January 9, 2017

The Vancouver Fish Company is participating in Dine Out Vancouver from January 20 to February 5, 2017. They are offering guests with their 3 course meal on Granville Island for West Coast Cuisine for $40 or $29 for lunch. Reservations should be made in advance.

Dine Out 2017 Menu at The Vancouver Fish Company

Appetizers

VFC seafood chowder
Lentil soup
Humboldt squid salad
Maple walnut prawns

Entree

Lobster mac’n’cheese
Thai chicken curry
Crab-stuffed sole wellington
Steak oscar

Dessert

Apple bread pudding
Mango sorbet

As I came during a preview night, the items pictured might not be 100% how it looks when it arrives at your table.

Appetizers

Lentil soup has organic red lentils, and garam masala cream sauce. It is Vegetarian and gluten-free friendly.

Maple walnut prawns has lightly fried prawns, seaweed salad, maple, spiced walnuts, and sesame. It comes with 3 pieces to an order.

VFC seafood chowder has fresh seafood, fresh clams, thyme cream, and bacon.

Entree

Lobster mac’n’cheese has baked lobster casserole, creamy cheddar, and bread crumbs.

Thai chicken curry has braised chicken, scented basmati rice, coconut curry sauce, julienne vegetables, roasted peanuts, and cilantro. It has a nice kick of spice to this dish.

Crab-stuffed sole wellington with fresh sole, crab meat, cream cheese, puff pastry, braised kale, and lobster bisque. I found with this dish, the cream cheese and puff pastry masked the sole and the crab meat.

Steak oscar has seared skirt steak, crab meat, baby shrimp, hannah brook farm vegetables, garlic confit mashed potatoes, bernaise, and peppercorn jus.

Dessert

Mango sorbet has mango, coconut cream, and lime dust. I enjoyed this one as it felt like a palate cleanser.

Apple bread pudding has warm bread pudding, caramel sauce, and spiced walnuts. I felt it was a bit on the sweet side.

Overall, I felt the menu had a good amount of choices but the tastes were just ok. I felt the menu was lacking dishes that highlighted fresh piece of fish. For a $40 dinner option, it is a bit pricey for what you get.

We Rate The Vancouver Fish Company:

Address:
1517 Anderson Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.vanfish.com/

In Canadian

Edible Canada: Dine Out Vancouver

January 9, 2017

Edible Canada is participating again in Dine Out Vancouver from January 20 to February 5, 2017. They are offering guests with their 3 course meal on Granville Island for Canadian Cuisine for $30. Reservations should be made in advance.

I came here for a sneak peek of the full Dine Out menu to show potential guests what the menu would look and taste like. You’ll notice on their menus, there are a few menu items that you need to add extra money to the meal.

Dine Out 2017 Menu at Edible Canada

Appetizer

Hazelmere Roasted Carrot Soup
Pacific Cod and Pemberton Potato Pakoras
Hazelmere Kale Salad
Crispy West Coast Humbolt Squid + $3
Grilled Alberta Lamb Heart + $4
Range Land Bison Tartar + $5

Entree

Honey Butter Basted Fried Chicken
Prairie Farro Risotto
Haida Gwaii Rockfish & Mussel Stew
Newfoundland Seal Pappardelle + $3
Quebec Rabbit Orecchiette + $4
Char Grilled Alberta Hanger Steak + $6

Dessert

Chocolate Pot du Crème
Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Pudding

Appetizers

Pacific Cod and Pemberton Potato Pakoras has jalapeño apple chutney, fresh mint and pickles. It is served on a mini skillet pan. Very good start to the meal. The pakoras were crisp and went very well with the chutney.

Crispy West Coast Humbolt Squid has chermoula vinaigrette, white bean hummus, and dried olives. This is a dish where you need to add $3 on top of the Dine Out Vancouver menu. Squid was tender and was like a glamorous calamari.

Grilled Alberta Lamb Heart has Gaujillo adobo, cilantro, and hominy corn grits. You need to add $4 to get this dish. Man, those lamb hearts were tender. I love how Edible Canada uses all different parts of each animal.

Entree

Haida Gwaii Rockfish & Mussel Stew has a Moroccan tomato broth, heirloom carrots, chickpeas, and cilantro. A good portion of seafood in this stew. Beautiful flavours too.

Quebec Rabbit Orecchiette has mushrooms, confit onions, shaved brussels sprouts, and parmesan. You need to add $4 extra to get this dish. The rabbit a nice unique protein to have with this meal as it brings you out of your comfort zone. Pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce just covered nicely.

Dessert

Chocolate Pot du Crème has cassis, and crystallized ginger. This dessert was ok, but I felt the berries on top was a bit sour.

Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Pudding has maple bourbon custard, and candied walnuts. This dessert was my favourite as it wasn’t too sweet and it just warms you up for the end of the meal.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Edible Canada has always been a good pick for Dine Out Vancouver. The use of their proteins are adventurous. They have more options on the menu, but some items you do have to pay extra for it. I’ve been here in the past before for Dine Out and it’s very good.

We Rate Edible Canada:

Address:
1596 Johnston Street, Vancouver

Website:
https://ediblecanada.com/

In Noodles

Pho Xe Lua 24: Vietnamese Cuisine in Vancouver

January 8, 2017

Pho Xe Lua 24 is a little restaurant on Cambie Street serving up traditional Vietnamese food. A few of us came here for dinner an event. We all haven’t been to this restaurant yet, so we decided to come in and give it a try.

Just note, it is cash only.

Appetizers

Shrimp Salad Rolls comes with 4 pieces and a dipping sauce. It good, packed with vermicelli noodles, lettuce and shrimp held together by the rice paper. The sauce was delicious too.

Deep-Fried Chicken Wings comes with crisp pieces of wings and drumettes. The sauce that came with it was nice and tangy, which balanced well.

Vermicelli

Lemongrass Chicken with Spring Roll and Vermicelli had the chicken cooked well, the spring roll was crisp.

The fish sauce poured over the vermicelli was good.

Pho

Extra Large House Special Pho was what we ordered since we wanted to see how big this bowl really is. There’s a bit of everything in here from beef balls to tripe to rare stake. Good clean tasting broth that wasn’t too salty.

Overall, we had a good time dining here, the food was good and the price was cheap. The 3 of us spent $40 after tax and tip. Not bad at all. If you’re in the area and want large portions of good food at good prices, it’s here.

We Rate Pho Xe Lua 24:

Address:
3346 Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC

In Brunch

Mama’s: Breakfast in San Francisco

January 7, 2017

Mama’s on Washington Square was where we had breakfast on the last day we were in San Francisco. Apparently it was a local favourite, but now it is mostly tourist. We came a few minutes before opening and the line was down the block. Everyone wanted a taste of what Mama’s was offering.

Once you get through the line, you’re line up again to order before getting seated.

The staff are very friendly, so have patience with them because it so busy.

I started off with a coffee as I need some caffeine before the day begins. A cappuccino for me and freshly squeezed orange juice for my friend.

Farmers M’Omelette has smoked bacon, baby spinach, grilled leeks and Sonoma goat cheese.

M’Omelette’s are served with Mama’s Grilled Potatoes and your choice of toast. You can choose from white, whole grain, rye, english muffin or sourdough baguette. I went with the sourdough.

The dish was very good and filling for brunch.

Florentine Benedict has baby spinach and sautéed mushrooms. There are also two poached Petaluma Farms eggs served on a toasted English muffin with hollandaise sauce and Mama’s Grilled Potatoes. My friend enjoyed the dish.

Monte Cristo has roasted turkey breast, honey baked ham, cheddar and Gruyère cheese battered in egg and grilled, served with homemade jam. This is one of their signature items and we had to split this between the two of us. Highly recommended. I loved the balance between the savoury and sweet.

Overall, it was an experience to eat here. The food was great, but that line up was very long. We tried our best to get here earlier, but everyone else had the same idea too.

We Rate Mama’s:

Address:
1701 Stockton St, San Francisco

Website:
http://www.mamas-sf.com/

In lunch

Frog Hollow Farms: Avocado Toast in San Francisco

January 6, 2017

When I was travelling in San Francisco, I had a crazy addition of Avocado Toast. When I was at the Ferry Terminal, I took a visit to Frog Hollow Farm to get a taste of their toast.

The Shop

They serve pastries, sweet and savoury treats, and other items.

Even fresh fruit.

The Menu

They have a pretty small menu, but good items that people can easily grab and go at the Ferry Terminal.

Avocado Toast has garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper on Acme green onion bread. I got the full size for $10.99, which is pretty expensive, but it looks so beautiful.

After eating this all, I was super satisfied and really full.

We rate Frog Hollow Farm:

Address:
Ferry Building, Level 1, 1 Ferry Plaza, Suite 46, San Francisco

Website:
http://www.froghollow.com/

In Cafe

Honolulu Coffee in Downtown Vancouver

January 5, 2017

Honolulu Coffee opened their first shop in Canada on Nelson Street in Downtown Vancouver. They have plans to open more locations in the near future. They bring to the Vancouver scene a twist on the regular coffee shop by having a taste of Hawaii. They are located beside Gyu Kaku, and Guu Garden.

Interior

The interior is a good size and beautiful. There are lots of seats but limited spots with outlets. Time spent at a cafe should we talking to others and enjoying their company, but sometimes you can’t help but crack open your laptop to check on something.

Coffee

One of their signature items – Hawaiian Latte has coconut, macadamia, espresso, and milk. I found it was a bit sweet even at half sweetness. You get a subtle taste of the coconut and macadamia in the latte.

I got my latte with banana bread. It came prepackaged, but it would have been better if they offered to heat it up.

I also tried the Chocolate Macadamia nut cookie and it was ok. It was packed full of chocolate chip and nuts, the cookie was dry and hard. The Cheese Scone was also mediocre.

Overall, I didn’t really like Honolulu Coffee, but it was mostly because of my personal preferences. I tried things I normally wouldn’t order because it was their signature items. Next time, I’ll stick with a cappuccino and cake.

We Rate Honolulu Coffee:

Address:
888 Nelson Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.honolulucoffee.com/

In San Francisco

Alcatraz: Night Tour

January 4, 2017

We wanted to explore Alcatraz by night to get a spooky atmosphere as we walked through the corridors. The tour by Alcatraz Cruises is the only official place to do tours as it is a National Park.

The tours need to be purchased well in advance or else you will be out of luck. I got mine a few months ahead of time and they sold out quickly.

Most people know that Alcatraz was once a world-famous federal penitentiary, but the island’s history before and after the penitentiary era is less well-known. This was the site of the first American lighthouse on the West Coast and that the island served as a huge harbour defence fort during the Civil War. After the fort became obsolete, the U.S. Army turned the island into a grim military prison.

The night tour is 2.5 hours and you can see the sun setting as you get to Alcatraz Island.

This tour includes:

narrated boat tour around the island
guided tours from the dock to the main prison building
Doing Time: The Alcatraz Cellhouse Tour
special programs and presentations are offered only at night

We got our tickets at will call and then waited for the boat to pick us up. The ride was beautiful. As we got closer to Alcatraz, the weather got a lot colder and the clouds rolled in. It definitely added to the atmosphere.

As we spun around Alcatraz, it was narrated to give us a glimpse of what went down here.

Arrival

As we got off the boat, we were split up into groups for guided tours from the dock to the main prison building.

It’s a bit of a steep walk, but they are accommodating to those who need a lift.

Following the closing of the penitentiary, Alcatraz became the site of a American Indian protest movement that would change modern American history. You can see words written around Alcatraz.

Main Prison

We head to the Main Prison to collect our equipment for the self-guided audio tour – “Doing Time: The Alcatraz Cellhouse Tour”.

We followed the audio tour to all the different parts of the prison and it’s quite immersive as you feel like you were there.

The atmosphere was a bit eerie as you can see the remnants of the prison.

The tour was fully booked and it was funny to see everyone listening attentively to the audio tour and the whole jail cell is in complete silence.

Gift Shop

At the end of the tour, there is a gift shop to purchase any souvenirs.

If you have time, you can attend any of the special programs and presentations. We attended one to hear more about Al Capone.

Heading Back

We didn’t want to waste too much time as it was getting really cold, so we hopped on the next boat ride back.

Overall, the tour was a joy and I learned a lot. If you’re in San Francisco, try to book your tickets in advance and bring a jacket for the night tour of Alcatraz.

Website:
https://www.alcatrazcruises.com/

In San Francisco

AT&T Park Tour in San Francisco: Review

January 3, 2017

AT&T Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants is open for public tours everyday at 10:30pm and 12:30 pm on certain dates and last for 1.5 hours.

The behind-the-scenes ballpark tour of AT&T Park you will get to go places only the players and staff go including:

The Field Warning Track
A Major League Dugout
Visitors’ Indoor Batting Cage
The Visitors’ Clubhouse
The Press Box
A Luxury Suite

There is a $22 fee for adults, but if you’re a big fan of Baseball and you want to get the behind the scenes look of the park, it’s worth it.

Dugout Store at AT&T Park / Entrance

To find your way to the start of the tour, make your way to the Dugout Store at AT&T Park and you’ll find the area to purchase tickets or pick up tickets if purchased online.

Will call is located on the second floor of the Dugout Store which is located on Third Street. You should arrive 10 minutes before your tour time.

The tour ends at the same place as well.

Tour Guide

Our tour guide was very knowledgable and was able to take all of us around the whole park efficiently as all of us wanted to snap pictures of everything.

Views from the Stands

One of the best views of the entire park is from the stands. We were in awe of how huge the park really was.

You can really see how home runs can be “splash hits” and view the breathtaking Bay view behind the field.

A Luxury Suite

We got to see the Tony Bennet suite. Amazing space and a very great view of the field. Too bad you’ll need a lot of money to

Memorabilia

All around the park, there are lots of memorabilia to see and touch.

There are also cool bobble heads as well as the championship trophy made by Tiffany & Co.

The Visitors’ Clubhouse

We got to see the clubhouse for the visiting teams. A quick glimpse of where they get ready before the game.

Visitors’ Indoor Batting Cage

They even have seperate batting cages for the players to warm up before the game.

Major League Dugout

The best part was being on the ground right by the dugout to be right by the field.

We saw where the players would be waiting during the game.

Overall, it was super fun to get a behind the scenes look. We wanted to come here for a game too, but while we were in San Francisco, they were all away games.

Website:
http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/sf/ballpark/information/index.jsp?content=tours

Address:
24 Willie Mays Plaza, San Francisco

In Chinese

Sun Bo Kong: Vegetarian Chinese Food in Vancouver

January 2, 2017

Sun Bo Kong is an award-winning vegetarian restaurant for Chinese cuisine. They are open 7 days a week from 11 am to 9 pm. Reservations are also available.

I came here for lunch to try Chinese vegetarian food. A nice change to eating a meal without meat.

Gluten Combination comes with a 4 flavours on a plate with different sauces. The gluten is spongey kinda like tofu. A good starter to the meal and easily can be shared.

5 Spice Bean Curd Rolls Stuffed with Mushroom has 2 rolls and was very delicious.

Deluxe Premiere Bamboo with Vegetarian Thick Soup is filed with different kinds of mushroom. A clean and clear tasting soup with rich mushroom flavours.

Pea Tips Rice Sheet Roll is stuffed with the naturally sweet and crisp pea tips.

Vegetarian Cutlet with Orange Sauce was one of our favourite items. We ate this dish us really quickly.

Monkey-head Mushroom with Vegetables doesn’t have any monkeys in it despite the name. The mushroom is porous and soaks up the sauce.

Lo-Hon Chow Mein had mushrooms, black fungus, and other veggies on the crisp noodles. This was ok, but we probably wouldn’t order it again.

Deep-fried Taro Rolls were so delicious. The exterior was nice and crisp, so when you bite down, you get the soft taro inside.

Deep Fried Seaweed and Enoki Mushroom Rolls had mixed reactions at the table. I personally liked it because I inhale anything mushroom.

Overall, Sun Bo Kong Vegetarian Restaurant was delicious and it’s hard to find a really good vegetarian Chinese restaurant in town that appeals to meat eaters as well.

We Rate Sun Bo Kong Vegetarian Restaurant:

Address:
1363 Kingsway, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.sunbokong.com/#vancouver-vegetarian

In Japanese

Raisu: Japanese Cuisine in Kitsilano

January 1, 2017

Raisu is the newest sister restaurant to Kingyo, Rajio, and Suika. I came with my friends late at night as we wanted to try something new in town. The restaurant is hidden on the second floor, so the door is a bit hard to find, but once you make your way up here, the space is very rustic.

Drinks

Raisu Premium Sake Flight comes with 5 cups of sake. The staff chooses the five choices for you.

I went with a glass of Sapporo as I personally don’t like sake. Beer is my kind of drink. Light, refreshing and pairs well with Japanese food.

Milky Sily Mentaiko Udon

The chewy Sanuki Udon noodles are in a broth made of Saikyo white miso, mascarpone cheese, and briny cod roe soup. The udon came in a huge bowl and can be shared among the table. Good deep flavours of the broth.

Chicken Karaage

This is Raisu’s original spice rubbed vegetarian-fed free-range chicken Kara-age. The skin is crisp and very moist inside when you bite in. Flavours were good, but expensive for this price.

Deluxe Seafood Bowl

The bowl is stunning and very Instagram worth with its slices of seafood – Ahi Tuna, Sea Urchin, Yellow Tail, Snow Crab, Tai Snapper, Toro Salmon, Ikura and Sweet Shrimp on top of premium Koshihikari Sushi rice. It is also served with miso soup.

It is beautiful, but expensive for what you get. There is a large shell on the back that help prop up all the ingredients, so you don’t really get as much as you see. It is delicious still, but I know I get get better value else where.

Overall, the food is good but the prices are a bit high for what you get. The most popular items are the Sho Ka Do Bento, the Ocean Offering, and Seafood Donabe Takikomi Rice but there are limited quantities per day for lunch and dinner. You’ll have to get their early. If I were to revisit, I think I’ll try those limited items instead.

We Rate Raisu:

Address:
2340 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.raisu.ca/