Foodology
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February 2017

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In product

Chic Choc Spice Rum: Review

Chic Choc Spiced Rum is made in Canada and produced with six indigenous spices -Peppery Green Alder, Pine Forest Spikenard, Witherod Berries, Lovage Root, Sweet Gale Seeds and Wild Angelica. This creates a spicy flavour profile with hints of sugar cane and cinnamon, complemented by a subtle peppery tone. This rum is the only artisanal rum using Nordic spices grown in Quebec.

It does have a very unique flavour profile compared to other spice rums. It’s pretty good as a mixer in drinks.

Gaspésien Libré

One of the drinks I made with the Chic Choc Spiced Rum is the Gaspésien Libré, which is a rum and coke with lime. I didn’t have 1642 Cola, so I made a substitution with Coke.

[tabs tab1=”Gaspésien Libré”]

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Ingredients:

  • 45ml Chic Choc spiced rum
  • 180ml 1642 Cola
  • Ice Cubes
  • 1 lime wedge

Instructions:

  1. Pour the rum into a highball glass, half-filled with ice cubes
  2. Top up with cola
  3. Add squeezed lime wedge
  4. Stir using a mixing spoon

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Website: 
http://chic-choc.ca/

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In Chinese

Ford Fusion Foodie Goes to Heritage Eatery

The 2017 Ford Fusion Sport has come out and what better way to explore Metro Vancouver, than to indulge in some fusion cuisine. Partnering up for Ford Canada, we headed to one of the newer restaurants in Vancouver for Pan Asian Cuisine – Heritage Eatery.

Check out my review of the 2017 Ford Fusion Sport as I drove it all around town. The trusty navigation guided me to Heritage Eatery easily even in rush hour.

https://foodology.ca/2017-ford-fusion-sport-review/

Heritage Asian Eatery

Heritage Asian Eatery brings together the flavours of different countries in Asia. They blend together fresh, locally sourced ingredients, prepared with a modern take on the authentic flavours of the Far East. I’ve heard lots about this place, so it was time to make the visit.

Interior

The interior as metal and wood features that give it a cool industrial look. Up on their shelves, there are metal bells, abacus, Asian hat and some other cool items.

Menu

Their lunch and dinner menu has baos, rice bowls, udon, and a few different sides. If you came int he morning, the menu is different with crepes and benny bowls. They sound pretty good, so I may have to make a revisit.

Bao

Bao means bun in Chinese. It is a Chinese steamed roll with a filling of meat or vegetables.

The 5 different flavours are:

  • Cotechino (house made sausage)
  • Shitake
  • Duck
  • Pork Belly
  • Pork Shoulder

I ordered the Cotechino, Duck and Pork Belly. It all came together in a cute bamboo steamer. The bao is soft and fluffy while the filling is very delicious. Each bao have different complementary toppings and sauce used.

Bowls

There are 4 types of rice bowls at Heritage:

  • Pork Belly
  • Duck
  • Chicken
  • Eggplant

We went with the Pork Belly as it’s the most fatty and delicious. We also added an extra egg to the bowl. It normally comes with 2 halves. The bowl is very hearty and its good for one person. The other veggies in this dish balance out the egg and pork belly.

Wings

We got a side of wings since we heard it was irresistible. The right amount of spice coat these crisp wings and drumettes.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the food was delicious and even thought the menu is a bit small, there’s lots of variety to each dish. Highly customizable to what you want. Eating fusion food and enjoying the Ford Focus was a fun night out.

Address:
1108 W Pender Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.eatheritage.ca/

Heritage Asian Eatery Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Car

2017 Ford Fusion Sport: Review

The 2017 Ford Fusion Sport is a mid-sized sedan with 5 seats. We got to test drive this car for a week to get a good handle of the vehicle. At this point in my life, a sedan is a great vehicle for M and I. It still has lots of room for our friends and privacy of having things in a secured trunk.

Exterior

The car comes in 3 colours – Lightning Blue, Burgundy Velvet Metallic, and White Gold. The lightning blue is quite stunning. My first car was blue, so being back behind the wheel of a blue car made me feel younger.

The LED lights, 4 exhausts, and the line across the side give the cars a sleek modern feel.

The blind spot indicators on the side mirrors helps inform drivers if there is a car in their blind spot. Handy just in case you aren’t as attentive shoulder checking.

The trunk is spacious and the back seat fold down if you need extra space to move longer objects.

Keyless entry is awesome. You never really have to take the key out. As long as you are standing beside the car, the car will unlock automatically. The car also starts with a push of a button. Just make sure you don’t lose this key.

Interior

Sync 3 and Sync Connect infotainment systems are smarter than previous versions and offer both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. As an iPhone user, I always love to see the compatibility for a customized experience.

When you put the car in reverse, the rear view camera automatically transmits the image of what’s behind your vehicle to your touchscreen when you’re slowly backing up.

There is also sensors around the car and it will warn you when you are too close to any objects around you. One of my favourite standard features as it makes backing in parking and parallel parking so much easier.

The new gear shift dial was  designed to take up less room and open up space for more conveniently arranged cupholders and a UBS port. It took a little getting use to, but it was fun to use. Very sleek. Press the Sport mode for an extra boost in power.

All seats have leather-trimmed seats with Miko suede.

On the drivers side door, I love how I could configure my seat settings. Since M and I are different sizes and have different seat preferences, I always get annoyed when I have to adjust my seat. Now, with this seat setting, there’s a solution.

With smartphones being used in the cars, USB ports is a must.

Drive

The car has a 2.7L V6 EcoBoost engine, 325 horsepower and 350 lb.- ft. of torque, standard AWD and continuously controlled damping. When pushing on the gas, you can feel the power of the engine accelerate.

I loved the pre-collision assist and pedestrian detection features. The sensors detect a potential collision with a car or pedestrian in front of you by alerting you with a heads-up display, which simulates red brake lights, flashes on the windshield, and an audible alert sounds.

This came in handy while I was driving and cars in front of me suddenly break. If you don’t take corrective action and collision is imminent, brakes are automatically applied.

Final Thoughts

From the city, highways and to the suburbs, it was a pleasure testing this car. One of my favourite parts of the car is definitely it’s technology integration to make driving easier.

Website:  http://www.ford.ca/cars/fusion/

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In Contest

Giveaway: $150 Gift Card to Superstore for Heathy Eating

Going grocery shopping is getting more difficult as it’s hard to really identify products that are packed with nutrients rather than empty calories. With various brands and ingredients for products, looking at the nutrition labels are key, but it can be confusing. Loblaws has launched the Guiding Stars program in their stores like the Real Canadian Superstore, to help you pick healthier options.

Contest open to Canadian residents. Contest ends Tuesday February 14, 2017 11:59pm PST.

Comment below with your favourite recipe that could use a healthy upgrade.
For additional entries, check out the widget below for more ways to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guiding Stars is an impartial  food rating system that rates food based on nutrient density using an algorithm. Decoding nutrition labels can be confusing. With the start of a new year, eating healthier is on the top of everyone’s mind. But sometimes healthy food choices might not always be obvious, or easy.

If you missed the recipe for healthy chicken quesadilla, check it out:
https://foodology.ca/guiding-stars-at-superstore/.

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In product

Guiding Stars at Superstore: Healthy Chicken Enchiladas

Decoding nutrition labels can be confusing. With the start of a new year, eating healthier is on the top of everyone’s mind. But sometimes healthy food choices might not always be obvious, or easy.

At Loblaws owned stores like Real Canadian Superstore, Your Independent Grocer, and No Frills, all labels have guiding stars to help take the guesswork out of choosing foods that are nutritious for you and your family. For myself, picking fruits, vegetables, dairy and different proteins are easy to figure out what is best for you, but when it comes to packaged products, it’s very hard to tell, at least for me, it’s a mystery. Having those stars there help me choose the best product to purchase.

Healthy Chicken Enchiladas

I wanted to make some Chicken Enchiladas, so with a little help from Guiding Stars and Loblaws, they helped me supplement healthier ingredients into this meals by “trading up” the ingredients in the recipe.

[tabs tab1=”Healthy Chicken Enchiladas ” ]

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Ingredients:

  • Around 1 lb chicken breast (traded up from dark meat)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (traded up from vegetable oil)
  • 6 (8 inch) whole grain tortillas, softened (traded up from white tortillas)
  • 1 1⁄2cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1⁄4cup unsalted butter (traded up from salted butter)
  • 1⁄4cup wheat flour (traded up from all-purpose flour)
  • 15 ounce, low-sodium chicken broth (traded up from regular chicken broth)
  • 1 Greek yogurt (traded up from sour cream)
  • Chopped red chillies to taste

Directions:

  1. In frypan, cook chicken and onion together in oil over medium-high heat until chicken is just done.
  2. Divide cooked chicken evenly between 6 tortillas; add 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese to each tortilla.
  3. Roll enchiladas and place seam-side down in 9×13″ baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with no-stick cooking spray or olive oil
  4. Melt butter in a medium saucepan; stir in flour to make a roux; stir and cook until bubbly; gradually whisk in chicken broth then bring to boiling, stirring frequently.
  5. Remove from heat; stir in YOGURT and chilies; pour sauce evenly over enchiladas.
  6. Top with remaining 3/4 cup cheese (baking dish may be double-wrapped and frozen at this point) and bake at 400F for 20 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce near edges of baking dish is bubbly.

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It was surprisingly really good. M gobbled it up for dinner and said it’s the best thing I’ve cooked in a while. It was a hit and I’ll most likely make it again. It was easy to make.

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In British Columbia

Doritos Ketchup Roses are back for Valentine’s Day

It’s back. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Doritos Ketchup Roses are making its grand return due to popular demand. Doritos announced today that they were giving away FREE Doritos Ketchup Roses to select addresses in Vancouver, Toronto & Montreal at doritosketchuproses.ca.

Last year it was sold out in minutes and this year, it’s sold out again. But all hope isn’t lost, they are releasing them in small batches, so you need to check back on their Facebook or Twitter to see when the next release will be. If you get a chance to order it, act fast because there are very limited bouquets.

They only deliver to expanded areas of Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. They have instructions on the website on how to make your own if you can’t get your hands on them.

Worse comes to worst, you can get get a $1 off coupon from their site to get yourself a bag of ketchup Doritos.

Website: http://doritosketchuproses.ca/

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In Downtown

The Dirty Apron: Demo & Dine with Chef David Robertson

The Dirty Apron has an alternative to cooking classes where you can sit back, relax, eat and learn cooking tips from professional chefs. The intimate evening has about 20 people, so it isn’t crowded at all.

The class lasts for 2.5 hours and you are taken on a 4-course tasting meal. The class we chose was La Tavola Italiana, thus the Italian menu.

  • Course 1
    Arugula Goat Cheese Ravioli
  • Course 2
    Sicilian-style Seared Tuna
  • Course 3
    Butternut Squash Gnocchi
  • Course 4
    Red Wine-Poached Pear Tart

They also have other types of cuisines too.

Chef David Robertson took us through each course step-by-step, shared his tips, tricks and tools of the trade and then serve each demonstrated dish alongside a glass of wine. We started with a  sparkling wine and then for the remaining drinks, we could choose between red or white wine.

Arugula Goat Cheese Ravioli

The Arugula Goat Cheese Ravioli is topped in their walnut & sage butter sauce and then a bit of balsamic. It was really good. You get the strong goat cheese centre in the ravioli and it’s balanced really well with the sauce.

David went through a demo of making the ravioli and the sauce. He made it look very easy and it’s a recipe that I would consider making in the future.

Sicilian-style seared Tuna

The Sicilian-style seared tuna sits on top of their Tomato, Caper and Olive Sauce. One of my favourite dishes of the evening as preparing the tuna is very easy. The most important part is sourcing good sashimi-grade tuna. I personally like to go to Fresh Ideas Start Here in Vancouver and Burnaby.

The Dirty Apron even has a Youtube video on how to prepare this dish.

Butternut Squash Gnocchi with braised Lamb shoulder

Butternut Squash Gnocchi with braised Lamb shoulder was a lot of my friend’s favourite item of the night. The lamb is really tender and so flavourful. The gnocchi were like soft pillows. The demo only included how to make the braised lamb shoulder, but not the gnocchi.

Red wine poached Pear Tart

The Red wine poached Pear Tart is topped with a pistachio ice cream. The tart was nice and warm while the contrasting pistachio ice cream added another dimension to the dessert.

Shopping

At the end of the evening, you can purchase anything from their shop and get 10% off. I saw a few people get their cookbook and others bought ingredients from the store. They carry really high quality ingredients, which I love.

Recipes

At the end of the night, they give you a printed copy of all the recipes that were part of the 4 courses. A nice fun way to put the tips and tricks into practice.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was a fun time connecting with friends and learning more cooking tips. At the end of the night, all of us seemed very energized to get into the kitchen and start recreating the dishes at home.

Address:
540 Beatty St, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.dirtyapron.com

The Dirty Apron Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Kid Friendly

Nando’s Canada: Garden City Location Now Open

Nando’s Canada has open their latest location in Richmond on Garden City. Nando’s first opened in South Africa in 1987 and soon became famous for its Portuguese style flame-grilled chicken with their PERi-PERI sauce.

They currently have 39 restaurants spanning 3 provinces.

We came here for a sneak peek of their new space and try their famous chicken. We were served family-style, so it is a bit different than the usual order.

Interior

Although you will find subtle differences in each of the restaurants, you will always find a relaxed atmosphere, friendly service and delicious food, not to mention the Afro-Portuguese heritage that is reflected in many unique ways inside the restaurants.

It’s been a while since my last visit to Nando’s, but they have really improved the decor.

It is believed that Nando’s globally has the world’s largest contemporary South African art collection, inside their restaurant, you will see a few of these art pieces on the walls.

Peri Peri Chicken

Their chicken is marinated for 24 hours and basted in your choice of flavour and flame-grilled to perfection.

We tried their chicken smothered in a few different sauces. Medium as well as Lemon & Herb were my favourite. Their garlic peri-per hot sauce was awesome as well. While you’re here, you might as well try a few different ones.

Whole Flame Grilled Wings

Their whole wings are pretty good too. It has both the wings and the drumettes.

Sides and Salad

Along with the chicken we tried a few different sides to accompany the meal. Some popular items are the spiced rice, hearty coleslaw and the peri-peri fries. If you want something healthier, they do have salads on the menu too.

Drinks

They have pop dispensed from a cool machine with a touch screen. You can make your own flavour combinations like cherry coke.

If you want something a bit more strong, they so have alcoholic beverages.

Final Thoughts

It’s great to have another location in Richmond to enjoy their delicious peri-peri sauce. Something about their sauce is just so magical.

We Rate Nando’s:

Address:
#1005 Building E, 4711 McClelland Road, Richmond

Website:
http://www.nandos.ca/

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

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In Fast Food

Tim Hortons: Churro Donuts and Tim Bits Review

Tim Hortons in Canada has just released the Churro donut and Churro Tim Bits for a limited time only.

Churro Donut

The churro donut is filled with caramel and then the outside is coated in sugar and cinnamon. The shape is similar to a honey cruller.

Very decadent donut, but its best warm.  I also found that the caramel filling wasn’t evenly distributed, it was mostly just on 25% of the donut.

Compared to the honey cruller, I still love it better than the churro donut.

Roll Up the Rim

The churro donut and churro Tim Bits are a nice surprise on their menu since they just brought back the Roll Up the Rim contest. Sadly, I didn’t win this time, but perhaps next time. In the past, I usually win more coffees.

Website:
http://www.timhortons.com/ca/en/index.php

Tim Hortons Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Event

Science of Cocktails #SOC

For one night only, the Science of Cocktails will transform Science World at TELUS World of Science into Vancouver’s largest cocktail laboratory of the year. Science World is inviting Vancouverites to mix, mingle and be merry, for a great cause. I went last year and had so much fun. Tickets sold out for 2017 so quickly, so you’re out of luck unless you can find someone selling theirs.

Each ticket includes complimentary cocktails from 20+ bar stations run by award-winning bartenders, paired with 12 food stations featuring molecular gastronomy from local talent. You will also enjoy a variety of special cocktail science activities, hands-on science demonstrations and classic Science World fun.

Event Details

Thursday, February 9, 2017
8 pm – 12 midnight
TELUS World of Science
SOLD OUT | 2018 Pre Sale $125 General $225 VIP

2017 Sneak Peak

Science Programming at the Science of Cocktails is going to be pretty awesome. Here is a sneak peak of some of the cool demonstrations during the evening.

Robotic bartender


Photo Credit: Christopher Guy

The Robot Bartender is created by MakerLabs. Using a few lines of code allow a simple computer to control motors, belts, and valves to create an amazing robot cocktail.

Free-Pour Challenge


Photo Credit: Christopher Guy

Can you pour as accurately as a professional bartender with no measurements to guide you? I sure can’t.

Support Science World’s Class Field Trip Program

Group of Kids 2
Photo Credit: Science World

This fundraising event, for Science World’s Class Field Trip Program will  provide kids from underfunded schools free access to Science World.

An average class field trip to Science World at TELUS World of Science, including transportation to and from the facility, a workshop, an OMNIMAX film and a take-home activity, costs between $900 and $1,100 per class.

With your help, they hope to raise enough to invite thousands of students from under-served schools in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland to Science World for this free, one-of-a-kind experience.

Website: http://scienceworld.ca/cocktails

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In Dessert

BETA5 Chocolates’ Valentine’s Pop-Up

BETA5 Chocolates‘ has launched their Valentine’s Pop-Up on Cambie and 17th in Vancouver.

Starting Thursday, February 2 the pop-up will be open 7 days/week from 12 pm – 7 pm until Tuesday, February 14. I came here for a sneak peek of their new temporary space and the unique chocolates and treats they are launching for Valentines Day.

What is so awesome about the pop-up is that they work with local artists in their mural, decor and furniture. Love how they always strive for local collaborations.

Strawberry and Jasmine Tea Cream Puff

This beautiful cream puff is topped with a macaron and gold flakes. A fancy cream puff made right. The flavours go well together and isn’t too sweet. I ate the macaron first and then devoured the rest.

Valentines Day Chocolate Collection

The Valentines Day collection has 6 different flavours in each box:

  • Sparkling Raspberry
  • Chai
  • Turkish Coffee
  • Sriracha-Sesame
  • Red Velvet
  • Hibiscus-Pistachio

There are 2 sizes for this collection – $15 for 6 pieces or $30 for 12 pieces.

Sparkling Raspberry

One of the most unique experiences because once you pop this into your mouth, you can hear the ‘pop rocks’ in action.

Turkish Coffee

This snowy white chocolate with a golden heart has a rich chocolate coffee taste. I love coffee, so this chocolate really made my day.

Hibiscus – Pistachio

The combination of hibiscus and pistachio is so interesting. I wouldn’t have thought they would go together, but it works.

Sriracha – Sesame

The Sriracha and sesame is a very interesting combination I tasted the sesame dominating the flavour then the subtle spice from the sriracha started to kick in.

Red Velvet

This pink chocolate has 3 tiny hearts on top. The red velvet surprise hides underneath the chocolate coating.

Chai

Chai balances out this Valentines Chocolate box with this great combination.

Heart of Gold

The Heart of Gold is shaped in a sphere and it has raspberry jelly, dark chocolate and tonka bean ganache, and crunchy almond-hazelnut praline.

Queen of Hearts

Their Queen of Hearts chocolate bar has freeze-dried raspberries and candied earl grey tea in 35% white chocolate. The raspberries give this bar a beautiful pink colour. It tastes great too.

Ice Cream Social

To celebrate the launch of the pop up shop, they help a one-night only ice cream social. You can get their raspberry and earl grey sundae, which has earl grey ice cream, raspberry sorbet, raspberry compote, vanilla chantilly and macarons.

They have these socials one in a while, so keep an eye out on their social media to find out when they happen.

Other items

They also have a few other items to purchase at the pop-up shop. Lots of chocolate to choose from.

Address:
3345 Cambie St, Vancouver

Website:
beta5chocolates.com

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In American

The Holy Crab: Louisiana-Inspired Seafood in Vancouver

The Holy Crab has opened their first location in Canada and it’s located on Vancouver’s Robson street. It’s very interesting to see something new open up in this neighbourhood that isn’t Japanese food. I was invited to try a few things off the menu, so I was ready to get my hands dirty.

The Holy Crab has partnered with suppliers to bring the best selection of local and premium sustainable seafood to its tables, with many of them Ocean Wise.

The menu includes a variety of seafood such as Dungeness crab, King Crab, Snow Crab, lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels, oysters, and crawfish. Seafood is boiled and served with a choice between garlic pepper or The Holy Crab’s signature Cajun sauce.

Interior

The 2,900 square foot, 92-seat restaurant aims to focus on sustainable seafood offerings in a casual and friendly southern-inspired setting.

Preparation

They give you gloves, a bib, utensils and lots of paper towels to make sure you’re ready to begin devouring all the food. They have many different kinds of scissors too for cutting up the various types of seafood. The staff are nice and they will give you through how to each each item.

Dungeness Crab

The dungeness crab comes from the Pacific Northwest, on the coast of Washington. It is best known for its sweet and succulent taste. It is about 2lbs and is OceanWise certified. It was hard to figure out how to crack this open, but my trusty friend Gastrofork did all the dirty work and I just reaped the rewards. It’s good to have skilled friends.

It is topped with their original cajun garlic pepper sauce and you can have it as mild, medium, spicy or HOLY MOLY!. Of the bunch, we liked the holy moly as it has more flavour but it can be spicy for some people.

Crawfish

The freshwater crawfish also known as crayfish is like a tiny lobster. I would say this isn’t my favourite seafood as it’s mostly shell. You have to work hard to get a small piece of flesh.

Shrimp

The shrimp was pretty good and you can’t go wrong by adding corn to it. One of the easier items to peel with your hands.

King Crab Legs

Hailing from the Northern Pacific, these gigantic King Crab legs are filled with tender, slightly salty white meat. As the legs were spikey, it was a bit hard handling them and cutting into them.

Maggi was super determined to de-shell this for the table. Props to all her effort.

Clams

Clams are OceanWise certified and I found the meat inside the shells to be a bit tiny.

Onion Rings

Onion Rings were lightly battered and had a nice crunchy texture to it but it was missing some seasoning.

Crispy Soft Shell Crab

These baskets are so cute. The soft shell crab is delicious, I have a secret soft spot of soft shell crab.

Crispy Fish Fingers and Cajun Fries

This was one of our favourite sides. The fries and fish dipped into the tartar sauce was so good. We gobbled this right up.

Sweet Potato Fries

Another delicious item. Super crisp and you can’t say no to sweet potato fries.

Steamed Vegetables

Nothing exciting here, but if you need a balance of veggie goodness, it’s an option.

Drinks

The have alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. My favourite thing to have with good Cajun seafood boil is beer. Besides beer, there are mocktails and cocktails.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was great to give The Holy Crab a try as there have been other seafood boil restaurants popping up in Metro Vancouver. It’s very unique in the West End on Robson Street. The flavours of the sauce aren’t overpowering and goes well with the items on the menu.

We Rate The Holy Crab: 

Address:
1588 Robson St, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.theholycrab.ca/

The Holy Crab Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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