Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of attending the Fayuca Launch Party. I brought Roman, my sister and brother-in-law to check out this new spot in Yaletown with me. Fayuca identifies itself as a Northern Pacific Mexican restaurant, offering dishes that are inspired by this particular region. I’ve had Mexican food, but I can say that I have not had Mexican food like Fayuca’s.
The evening started with cocktails at the bar. The first one we tried was a Damiana Margarita, which was made with Damiana-infused Cazadores tequila. Based on my research, Damiana is an herb that is known to have aphrodisiac affects. Regardless, I actually enjoyed the cocktail’s smooth, slightly woody flavour, which finishes off nicely with lime. The other cocktails we were happy to try that night included a White Smoked Negroni and a Suelo Sour. The guys enjoyed the Suelo Sour as they waited for their beers by the bar.
Damiana Margarita
White Smoked Negroni
Suelo Sour
As we got settled at a table, servers started to come out with appetizer-sized bites. First up was the Guacamole Chip, which had crispy sunchokes, toasted pumpkin seeds and Macedonian feta all atop a crispy chip.This guacamole was so tasty and I really enjoyed the texture that the toasted pumpkin seeds added.
Guacamole Chip
The second item we tried was Cockles cucumber and citrus gastrique. The cockle was a touch salty, but it was nicely contrasted by the cool crunch of the diced cucumber, and the acid from the gastrique.
Cockle with Cucumber and Citrus Gastrique
The third item, which was our fave, was the Deep-fried Soft Shell Crab with aioli. It was so good, we wanted more! It was popular among the crowd that night as it kept disappearing from the servers’ plates. All four of us enjoyed the crab’s crispiness, and the aioli added a creamy, savoury component to this delicious bite. Roman would come back to Fayuca to have more of this.
Deep-fried Soft Shell Crab with Aioli
Our last bite of the night was the Albacore Ceviche. I am picky when it comes to eating tuna (I’m not the biggest fan), but this was a pleasant bite. The flavour was fresh, light, and mild.
Albacore Ceviche
The event had all the components of a fun night out: delicious food, great cocktails, awesome music, and good company. The interior of Fayuca is reminiscent of being in an all-inclusive resort restaurant, which brought me back to happy feelings of being on vacation. My sister and I particularly liked how Fayuca used light turquoise, aquas, and tan in its furnishings. Everything from the light fixtures to the seating was cohesive and contributed to the restaurant’s relaxed ambiance. Thanks Fayuca, for having us!
Canada Day is almost upon us and since the sesquicentennial anniversary of Canadian Confederation is upon us, there is lots to do around town. For those who are not ready to brave the crowds around town, you can celebrate the 150th anniversary of Canada in your own home. One of my favourite grocery stores – Loblaws has some awesome President’s Choice branded items that can be transformed into Canada-inspired dishes for this weekend.
I personally love Canada Day because it’s my sister’s birthday, there’s fireworks, hot weather, and it’s a long weekend. I hope you can spare some time and spend some time around the dinner table with family and friends.
Moose Ear Doughnuts with Cold Brew Glaze
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1/4 cup (50 mL) PC Cold Brew Single Origin Black Coffee
2 tbsp (25 mL) PC Sunflower Oil
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1 tsp (5 mL) PC Pure Vanilla Extract
2-½ cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
Vegetable oil, for frying
Glaze:
1 cup (250 mL) icing sugar
2 tbsp (25 mL) PC Cold Brew Single Origin Black Coffee
Directions:
Stir together warm water and pinch sugar in small bowl or liquid measure until sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle in yeast; let stand until frothy, 5 to 8 minutes.
Whisk together egg, milk, coffee, sunflower oil, salt, vanilla and remaining sugar in large bowl. Stir in yeast mixture.
Whisk flour with baking powder in separate large bowl. Add to yeast mixture; stir just until dough comes together. Knead gently to form smooth ball. Place in separate greased large bowl, turning to grease all over. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm draft-free place until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.
Gently deflate dough. Divide into 16 equal pieces; shape into balls. Roll out 1 ball on lightly floured work surface to 1/8-inch (3 mm) thick oval. Transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheet; cover baking sheet loosely with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough.
Add enough vegetable oil to large wide saucepan to come 2 inches (5 cm) up side; heat until deep-fryer thermometer reads 375°F (190°C) when inserted in oil. Working in small batches, carefully lower dough into oil. Cook, turning once, until golden, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towel-lined baking sheet. Let cool 5 minutes.
Glaze: Whisk icing sugar with coffee in separate large bowl until smooth. Working 1 at a time, dip 1 flat side of doughnuts in icing sugar mixture; transfer, glazed side up, to rack set over sheet of waxed paper. Let stand until set, about 10 minutes. Working 1 at a time, dip glazed side of doughnuts in icing sugar mixture again. Return, glazed side up, to rack. Let stand until set, about 5 minutes.
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Canada Day Burgers with Thousand Island Sauce
The bun: Canadian white and rye flour seasoned with Montreal steak spice. The patty: 100% Canadian beef proudly shaped into a maple leaf. The sauce: Tangy and patriotically red Thousand Islands-style dressing. Meet the unofficial Canada Day burger.
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1/4 cup (50 mL) PC Sriracha Tomato Ketchup Blended with Sriracha
1/4 cup (50 mL) PC Baby Dill Pickles with Garlic, drained and finely chopped
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 tsp (5 mL) Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
4 frozen PC Thick & Juicy Maple Leaf Beef Burgers
Half of a red onion, cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick rounds
4 PC Canadian Burger Buns, split
2 leaves Boston lettuce, halved
2 PC Flavour Burst Tomato of Yore Beefsteak Tomatoes, sliced
4 slices PC Zesty Garlic Deli-Sliced Dill Pickles
Directions:
Preheat barbecue to medium heat.
Stir together shallot, mayonnaise, ketchup, baby dill pickles, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and salt in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Place frozen burgers on greased grill. Close lid; cook, turning once, until instant-read thermometer reads 160°F (71°C) when inserted sideways into burgers, 10 to 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, place red onion on greased grill. Close lid; cook, turning once, until grill-marked, 6 to 8 minutes. Place buns, cut sides down, on greased grill. Close lid; cook until light golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
Divide lettuce among bottom halves of buns. Top with burgers, shallot mixture, red onion, tomatoes and sliced dill pickles, dividing evenly. Sandwich with top halves of buns.
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Maple Pecan S’mores Dip
No campfire? No problem. This oven-baked dessert dip packs all of the gooey chocolatey-marshmallow goodness of the classic fire-pit treat – no flames needed! Keep it traditional and dive in with graham crackers, or achieve sweet-and- salty nirvana and enjoy with potato chips.
1 tbsp (15 mL) PC Salted Country Churned Butter, melted
1 pkg (270 g) PC The Decadent Milk Chocolate Chips
Half pkg (400 g pkg) PC Maple Flavour Marshmallows (about 14)
Graham crackers, pretzels or potato chips, for dipping
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Stir together pecans and melted butter in 9-inch (23 cm) cast-iron skillet or pie plate. Bake, stirring once, until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle chocolate chips over pecan mixture. Bake until chocolate is softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Arrange marshmallows in single layer over top of chocolate s’more. Bake until marshmallows are puffed and golden, 5 to 7 minutes.
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I hope these recipes will inspired you to make an awesome Canada Day feast.
Saffron Indian Cuisine is a popular restaurant for their lunch buffet as it is a very affordable price. My family was in town, so we called ahead for reservations to ensure all 9 of us would be seated for lunch promptly. I’ve heard lots about this place but I haven’t been here yet.
Interior
For weekday lunch, this place was packed. A few walk-ins and a few reservations. There was a good flow of people until around 1:45pm.
The interior isn’t that impressive, but it does the trick. The lunch buffet area is on the right side with all the dishes all lines up.
Naan
Naan bread is delivered to the table and you can ask staff anytime to refill your basket.
Round 1
I went with salad, veggie pakora and tandoori chicken for round #1. The tandoori chicken could have used more depth of flavour and spice. You can tell the spice level is toned down.
Round 2
This round, I got more curry to eat with the naan bread and a few more pieces of veggie pakora. All goof flavours but I wished there were more options in the buffets with spicier dishes.
Dessert
Kheer is a rice pudding, which I really enjoyed. It sweet but not overly sweet. The other items was like a mango yogurt with grapes. I personally didn’t like it.
Final Thoughts
The buffet lunch is a great deal but as it’s made in large batches, it caters to their general customer. If you love extra heat in your curry, you might want to order from the regular menu. I would have preferred playing a similar price for one really good dish at medium heat. Thats just my personal preference. If you like your dishes mild and have more variety, the lunch buffet is for you.
With Canada Day just a few days away, more companies are creating product to help customers celebrate Canada 150. Sobeys is celebrating its 110th anniversary in line with Canada 150 with an array of patriotic products such as maple-leaf shaped burgers, Birthday Cookies, Mustard and Hops Gold Rush sauce and maple-flavoured ice cream bars.
Birthday Cookies
With their patriotic shapes and vibrant Canadian-colours and flavours, its pretty playful. They have a twist on the original maple cookies, these cookies are filled with velvety cream cheese-flavoured icing.
Maple Leaf-Shaped Angus Beef Burger
These 100% Canadian Angus beef maple-leaf shaped patties come frozen and will save yourself time shaping patties into this look.
Spirited Mickie – Mustard and Hops Gold Rush
Made with mustard and a hint of Canadian pale ale, the new “Mustard and Hops Gold Rush”Sensations by Compliments Spirited Mickie BBQ sauce is delicious brushed over seafood or burgers. I personally was impressed by this sauce as I enjoyed it in my burger. I can also see it being dipped with chicken strips.
Maple-Flavoured Ice Cream Bars
With the incoming heatwave, keeping cool is key. These unique maple-flavoured ice cream bars are made with real dairy cream and isn’t overly sweet.
You can find all these items at Sobeys owned stores like Safeway and IGA, which is more prominent on the West Coast. All these items are available for a limited time only. So, get you fill of everything Canadian before it’s gone.
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of spending National Best Friends Day with my foodie friend – Dee from Gastrofork. We met in 2011 at this event called Bake for the Quake and I bought banana bread from her for a good cause. All these years later, we’ve been great friends going on trips, eating great food, and geeking out together. Ford Canada sent us on a trip together and we chose Kelowna and Lake Country to be our destination of choice. Here are a few of the places we went in about 24 hours.
We left Vancouver early in the morning and spent about 5 hours each way on the road in our Ford Focus Titanium, with the awesome Apple CarPlay feature, we were able to make sure we got to our destination on the most effective route, but also jam out to Backstreet Boys.
Our first stop was Salted Brick in Downtown Kelowna for a quick stop for lunch. They are a premium charcuterie shop and restaurant. They source their products locally and you can feel the passion they have for their food. Sharing is caring so we had some oysters, a charcuterie board and their 16-hour Roasted Brisket Sandwich. I enjoyed this spot for such simple yet flavour packed food.
We wanted to try some spirits in the Okanagan as it’s a bit more unique in the area among all the wineries. We tried a flight and I left with the black currant liqueur. Very delicious and mixes well with drinks and even sparkling wine.
Our most exciting and squee-worthy destination was Kangaroo Creek Farm just North of Kelowna. They have so many unique animals that you can interact with – Kangaroo, Wallaroo, Wallaby, sugar glider, pot-bellied pig, emu, parrots, peacock, goats, fancy chicken, capybara, and a lot more.
Our favourite part was holding the precious little baby joeys. They had a few cute ones ready to be cuddled. The albino one was so cute that I had to hold him in my hands.
Sugar Gliders were another one of my favourite animals to hold and interact with. He loves climbing around peoples arms and even finding pockets to burrow into.
Meet Squeakers, this pretty bird was talkative and we both thought he was so precious.
We were sad to leave Kangaroo Creek Farm, but if we were here any longer, I would have been tempted to take one of their animals.
Next stop was Arrowleaf Cellars. We made it a mission to go to wineries that we have never been before to continue understanding the diversity of wineries in the Okanagan. Arrowleaf is a family-owned and operated winery with a strong commitment to local since 2001.
They have a picnic area, tasting room and a fantastic patio. I grabbed a glass of white wine to enjoy with the beautiful view. Since we needed to drink responsibly, I made Dee be my designated driver.
Ex Nihilo
Around since 2010, they have been crafting wine as a family. We went into their tasting room and tried 5 of their different wines for $5, but since we bought a bottle, that fee was waived.
It’s a lovely place and there were people celebrating huge milestones at the bistro for a birthday. Their wines were really good enjoyed our short time here.
Gray Monk Estate Winery is a stunning place with also a great view. We stopped for dinner at Grapevine Restaurant for more delicious meals that are crafted by Chef Siever.
I’ve always wanted to come here to enjoy their amazing wine and try their dishes. We shared a few appetizers to start and then dug into the main courses.
I indulged in Bombay Blackened Duck Duo and Dee had a tenderloin. The views and service were great and we took in all the beautiful views of the area.
Chasing Sunsets
As the sun set over the valleys of the Okanagan, we found a few view points before heading off to the resort for some rest and relaxation. The funny thing about this photo was that Dee was in the car making strange gestures at me and I didn’t understand what she was doing. She opened the door and told me there was a wild deer behind me. He’s got my back literally.
Sparkling Hill Resort & Spa
We got to Sparkling Hill Resort & Spa with plenty of time to spare. The night was still young to do lots of exploring and relaxing. Built in 2010, Sparkling Hill Resort & Spa is a great wellness resort spa destination in North America. I’ve wanted to come here for a long time as I’ve always hear such amazing things about this place.
When you walk around the resort, you will find 3.5 million Swarovski crystal elements. It’s absolutely stunning.
An awesome part about the resort is the exclusive access to the seven unique aromatherapy saunas and steam rooms, experience showers, igloo, indoor pool complete with underwater music and starry Swarovski crystal sky, hot pool, outdoor infinity pool, Kneipp water therapy, Tea & Serenity Relaxation Rooms, and the Keiser-equipped fitness studio.
We spent some time at the spa and then headed back to our room for the night.
In the morning, there was a complimentary breakfast at their restaurant, so we enjoyed out meal while looking out into the views of the lake.
Recap
Our getaway for National Best Friends Day was awesome and we were happy that Ford Canada was able to make it happen. In around 24 hours, we were able to enjoy the best of the Okanagan and I was able to show Dee one of my favourite places in BC – Kangaroo Creek Farm. What is awesome about our friendship is that we are so chill about everything, have similar tastes in food and just love to be silly. It’s definitely hard to find great friends, so make sure you keep them close.
If you want to check out a video recap of our trip, check out Dee’s video below on her Youtube channel.
It was a long weekend and a group of my friends headed up to Squamish to enjoy the awesome craft brewery scene and also indulge in some food that we can’t get in Vancouver. Squamish is about an hour away from Downtown Vancouver and they have a thriving community. We asked a few locals where to eat and they suggested Copper Coil for some cajun cuisine. Since long weekends are busy, we waited a bit before getting a seat outside on their patio. It’s a great patio as it faces The Chief.
We tried ordering their signature Cajun items on the menu, but they were all sold out and it was only 4:30pm. We all started with beers except for me since I needed to drive. The drinks came out promptly, but the food that we ordered would take a very very long time to come out. It turns out the kitchen was severely backed up with orders and couldn’t get them out in a timely manner. Majority of the items left to order were deep-fried so maybe they didn’t have enough room or man power to fry them all. It was close to the one hour mark when some of the items started coming out.
Smoked Brisket
We got Smoked sliced brisket, kale slaw, and chipotle mayo on two buttermilk biscuits. It also comes with a side of curly fries. This was the first item that arrived and we were a bit underwhelmed. $17 and it wasn’t that impressive when you get it on 2 buttermilk biscuits. The slices of brisket was a bit dry.
Platter O Plenty
This platter has a little bit of everything – Smoked Wings, Cajun Pickles, Popcorn Shrimp, and supposedly poutine. Our order came out at different times and they ran out of poutine too. So, no poutine for us. They substituted it with another bucket of popcorn shrimp.
All the items were pretty standard and deep-fried. Nothing very special about it. We originally wanted to order it to munch on as we ordered beer, but since it took so long this had to save some of us from our hangry selves.
Final Thoughts
Overall, we heard such great things about Copper Coil but our experience was far from that.I really wish I had more positive things to say. The servers were very apologetic and were able to cover all our drinks and give us 50% off the food we ordered. It’s too bad we weren’t able to have a great experience, but so many things went wrong in the kitchen.
Black Rice Izakaya has recently added a few new items on the menu. It’s been a while since I made my last visit, but I was excited to see what else they were adding to the menu. I came with a few other foodies to see how those new items tasted.
Interior
The interior is dark and has a wooden rustic look. There are a good amount of tables for small to large groups. Definitely try to make reservations to secure your spot. They have an open kitchen, so you can sneak a peek inside if you want to see how their chefs put together their creations.
Teishoku Lunch Sets
Teishoku C Set has a dish of grilled miso zuke black cod steak with 3 pieces of assorted tempura, side of beef or chicken karaage, agedashi tofu, assorted oshinko, green salad, bowl of rice and miso soup. The price is right for this lunch set. It’s available on weekdays and weekends. Very affordable and very tasty. I would recommend any of these lunch sets.
Teishoku B Set has 6 pieces of torched Black Angus Nigiri, Maki hand roll, Agedashi Tofu, assorted Oshinko, Green Salad and Miso soup. The nigiri is delicious but make sure to eat it right away when its still warm. It’s a very hearty set and great for lunch.
Stone Grill Yakiniku
Gyu Katsu Set has rare cooked black angus steak cutlet. You cook the katsu a little bit more and enjoy it with the cabbage and sauces.
You can have this all to yourself, but the best way to enjoy this is sharing with friends and order a few other items.
Yakiniku Moriawase has 3 kinds Angus Beef and is a very interactive item to order. The cuts of the beef are very nice, but it will cost you around $38.50. As you can see from the marbling of the meat, they aren’t cheaping out on you. You have the super hot stone that quickly cooks the beef.
It was really good and it was fun cooking with friends at the table.
Aburi Hakozushi Platter
This platter takes about 20 minutes to prepare as there are quite a bit of work needed to create these. The set comes with 4 signature aburi – Aburi Salmon, Aburi Saba, Aburi Ebi and Aburi Scallop. The platter was ok, but I’m sure most people are wondering…how does this compare to Miku. It doesn’t. They do a decent job at recreating it, but it does fall short. With each item, there isn’t the depth of flavour in the sauce and the rice needs a bit more love. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good price for all of this and it tastes fine.
Aburi Salmon
Aburi Saba
Aburi Scallop
Aburi Ebi
Unagi Signature Roll
Their Unagi Signature Roll is on fire. Literally. It has prawn tempura, cucumber, tamago, set on fire with rum and herb fire. It is all covered in black rice and then lit. I really liked this roll for it’s entertainment factor as well as the taste of the unagi.
Black Mentaiko Signature Roll
Black Mentaiko Signature Roll has avocado, cream cheese, tuna tataki topped with deep-fried black cod and mentaiko mayo. It is also wrapped in black rice. It was a decent roll but not as tasty as the unagi signature roll.
Lollipop
Lollipop is a huge roll on a stick that looks like lollipop. It has sockeye, salmon, bell pepper, tamago, oshinko, cucumber, asparagus, avocado and spinach wrapped with shaved radish. The rice is thin and everything is packed inside.
Yaki Tofu
This is pan grilled tofu with their house sauce. It’s a pretty big slab of tofu topped with sprouts and onions.
Buta Kakuni
This is Soy Sauce Braised Pork Belly. It comes with 8 pieces to an order. You can’t go wrong with a plate of pork belly to share among the table.
Tebasaki Chicken Wings
This is their house sauce glazed chicken whole wings. It had a nice char to some of the pieces of extra flavour.
Sapporo Beer
The best type of beverage to go with their food is beer. They have a decent selection of beer but I always go with Sapporo. It’s light and refreshing.
Yuzu Ice Cream
They even have dessert – yuzu ice cream inside a jar topped with a caramelized lotus root. It had a tart taste as yuzu is like a sweet little oranges.
Final Thoughts
I was impressed this time around with their menu. Some hit but there are a few misses. I would definitely come back for the lunch sets as it’s a fantastic deal. Their dinner menu has a few fiery item added to it that make the dining experience interactive.
Illumination Summer Night Market is located close to IKEA in Richmond. The different night markets at this location over the years keeps changing to compete with the other night markets in the Lower Mainland. There is a $3 entry fee with complimentary parking and family fun entertainment. But lets be real, everyone goes to the night market for Korean socks and all the different types of food. It runs until September 10th.
There are a handful of stalls selling jewelry, electronics, clothing, and other things here.
There’s a lot of cute areas to take photos with yourself, friends or family.
The area also has a bunch of lights surrounding the night market this the name – Illumination Summer Night Market.
Below are a few different food item you can check out the the Illumination Night Market. There are over 60 food stalls, so tons of food options. We only made it to 30 stalls.
Ice Cream Taiyaki
Gluten Skewers
Dragon Crepe
Mango Slush
Halal Skewers
Spicy Crawfish
Deep Fried Squid and Deep Fried Chicken Nuggest
Bubble Tea
Mocktails
More Skewers and Quail
Cheesy Potato
Dim Sum
Shaved Ice with fruit
Pork Fries
Chengdu Skewers
Chinese Escargot Rice Noodle
Potato Spirals
Bubble Waffles
Fruit Cups
Radish Cake
Salad
Pineapple Juice
Dumplings
Fruity Teas
Korean Bi Bim Bap in Cones
Fresh Watermelon Juice
Szechuan Jerky
Final Thoughts
There are lots of options here and there are less crowds compared to the other night markets. It’s a good location for those who have been to all the other night markets to find the tried and true types of night market eats. The food stalls here are a hit and miss, but I didn’t find any food item outstanding or very innovative. It’s good for families and there’s lots of opportunities to take photos.
Assembli is a new restaurant that lets you create your own pizza or salads at one set price rather than annoying add ons that will cost you. I was invited to come try a few of their creations to see how they differentiate themselves among the other restaurants in the area.
Interior
When you get here, you can walk up to the counter to put in your order and then pick up on the side.
You can watch them put your order together so there isn’t any secrets to what goes into your meal. They use fresh, non-GMO, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, and local and organic when possible.
Pizza
You can create your own pizza or you can get choose their pre-built pizzas with suggested toppings. It’s a good option if you are particular about what item goes on your pizza.
Of all of the pizza’s, I really enjoyed the Smoke and Fire Pizza, which has pepperoni, smoked cheddar, mozzarella, banana peppers, red onion, and a spicy tomato sauce. I like it hot.
Salad
When it comes to salads, I like to create my own since I’m a bit particular about what I put in it. Similarly to the pizza, you can choose pre-built versions or create your own. If I had to choose one of their salads, it would be the O-Mega Braniac Salad with mixed greens, quinoa, cucumber, cabbage, blueberries, beets, avocado salsa, walnuts, seed mix, and glory dressing. Very filling and packed with great ingredients.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a place with build your own pizza or salad, check Assembli out on Cambie Street. It’s a pretty busy place for lunch as it’s unique in this neighbourhood. Imagine it like a Chipotle but for pizza and salad.
With the amount of food sensitivities on the rise, how do you put together a meal to cater to friends and family members with gluten or dairy sensitivities? President’s Choice is dedicated to making entertaining easy for everyone, by offering simple ways to embrace favourite flavours and culinary trends – no matter your dietary needs. It hits pretty close to home as my sister is Celiac. I also can’t have too much dairy as my tummy gets a bit upset.
Pasta and Grains
We tried the PC Gluten-Free Four Cheese Tortellini it is stuffed with a delicate blend of ricotta, Parmesan, Romano and mozzarella cheeses, these tender, tasty bites of egg pasta are high in fibre and free of gluten.
Tortellini with arrabiata pasta sauce
Toss with creamy, tomato or olive oil-based sauces, pop into broth-based soups and stews, or serve with cocktail picks and creamy basil pesto dip as hors d’oeuvres. I tossed mine in arrabiata pasta sauce and topped with parmesan cheese. Besides Tortellini, they also have gluten-free pastas and corn couscous.
Sweet Treats
For those with a sweet tooth, they have gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, and even cake mix.
I taste tested the PC Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with my co-workers to get their input and they felt it was a bit hard and stale. Maybe some warm milk was needed to moisten the experience.
Dairy
How do they get the lactose out of cheese and sour cream? Either way, it’s a great option to have in stores now. So, I made a Lactose-Free breakfast nachos using their PC Lactose-Free Old Ceddar Cheese, PC Lactose-Free Swiss Cheese and their PC Lactose-Free Sour Cream.
Lactose-Free breakfast nachos
Best breakfast ever! Next time you’re at a store selling President’s Choice products, check out their food sensitivities collection for compromise-free entertaining at home. Happy cooking.
I was grocery shopping and I saw Takis at my local Safeway in Vancouver. We saw it at the end of the aisle near the milk section. It wasn’t even in the chip and snack aisle. I am so excited since it was only available in the US for the longest time, but it’s finally make it way to Canada. I’m not entirely sure which other grocery stores carry these, but keep your eyes open because I’m sure other stores will start carrying them soon. These are still made by Barcel, which is a Mexican producer of potato, tortilla chips, and other snack food.
There were 3 flavours from what I saw – Takis Fuego (Extreme), Takis Crunchy Fajitas (Zesty), and Takis Xplosion (Mild). They come in 2 sizes – 90g ($1.49) and 280g ($3.69) bags.
Takis Xplosion
If it’s your first time trying Takis, start mild and work your way up. The delicious tortilla chips are so good and the shape is pretty unique.
Takis Crunchy Fajitas
If you want to kick it up a little notch, they have Crunchy Fajitas.
Takis Fuego
Takis Fuego is my favourite. It’s not for those who are spice sensitive. It is delicious but it will leave your mouth scorched. If you love Flaming Hot Cheetos, you’ll love this.
We drove the 2017 Ford Flex to Squamish from Vancouver and we filled it up with a car full of people. The Flex can set up to 7 people in the car. We tested the car out in the city, off-road and on the highway to get a better feel of the vehicle.
Exterior
The Flex is quite boxy and reminds me of a modern station wagon. It’s long and wide to maximize the space to fit everything inside. The overall look of the Ford Flex has been unchanged except for a few tweaks here and there since it’s debut is 2009. The look is very distinct and will stand out from the crowd. Some people online have created memes to compare it to a toaster or tissue box.
The Limited trim includes lower tier options plus 19-inch wheels, xenon headlights, LED taillights, power-folding mirrors, automatic wipers, additional metallic exterior trim, upgraded wood interior trim, ambient interior lighting, a navigation system and a 12-speaker Sony audio system with HD radio.
There are lots of sensors around the car and a rear view camera to make parking a breeze. I find the sensors sensitive when an object really isn’t that close to the car. It can be good for some people.
Interior
Getting in and out of the vehicle is quite comfortable as the whole car sits low on the ground. With the boxy space, that means there is tons of space inside especially in all 3 rows of seating. Tall adults have no fear sitting in the rear seats.
The car is loaded with great tech features that will help make driving the Flex a breeze. With Sync 3, you can use Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to have a better integrated experience with your cellphone. I love how easy it is to access calls, maps, music, and other items from my phone. A lot of the tech features really helps reduce the blind spots around the car.
There is 3 rows of seating and can accommodate 7 passengers with some extra leg and head room too.
The passengers can control the temperature and fans in the back. Also, there is an AC outlet in the back if you have things to plug in. A nifty feature that you don’t see too often.
When all the seats are up, there is still space to put a few bags and since the floor is lower, you can still fit quite an amount of things back there. When you start collapsing the seats, you have plenty of space to move around large objects.
There are electric buttons to help you configure the seats so you’re not straining your arms or back to adjust.
Drive
The engine has a 3.5-liter Ti-VCT V6 Engine that produces 287 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque. Similarly with other cars, if you start adding in more passengers and cargo, the engine will definitely feel it and your gas tank too.
It handles well on tight corners and is responsive.
The ride while in town or on the highway is very comfortable for the driver and passengers. On the way back to Vancouver, everyone else fell asleep.
A cool feature is the keyless engine start and also, you can start the engine with the key fob before you’re in the car.
Final Thoughts
The Ford Flex isn’t a car for everyone.The fuel economy is an important drawback as a tank will definitely cost you. The price is a bit high for the Ford Flex, but if you’re looking for a spacious car to haul around your family and all their equipment across town or across the country, this might be the car for you.
We did an excursion at Ketchikan, Alaska and decided to go with the Totem Bight and Ketchikan City Tour through ShoreTrips. We booked it through our travel agent as she was able to get us a discount as we were booking other tours at other ports too – Juneau and Skagway.
Departure
We met by the huge rain gauge by the visitors centre right outside our cruise ship. Then, waited till our bus arrived to pick us up.
There was about 20 of us on the tour. We started off by driving through town and getting a better sense of the history and why certain walkways are built the way they are. Karen did an awesome job guiding us and she was very transparent and hilarious. You can tell she has a lot of passion for Ketchikan and making sure we had a good time.
Here Comes the Rain
We had an option to either continue to Totem Bight or head to Potlatch Park just next door. It was raining a lot so Karen left it up to the tour to decide what we wanted. She gave us a list of pros and cons and left it to us. We quickly decided that we would go to Potlatch Park instead since it had more indoor areas, more to see and also a few washrooms.
Potlatch Park
Potlatch Park was built on the old fishing grounds of the Tlingit Natives of Southeast Alaska, just 10 miles north of the quaint Alaskan town of Ketchikan.
We were taken on an awe-inspiring trip back to the 19th century as we explored a the fully recreated Native Alaskan village, including 5 tribal homes and beautifully carved totems.
It’s nice to just wander around the area and take in the beautiful views.
We also walk shortly in the forest and its so lush green.
Lots of good photo ops too.
Carving Centre
The carving centre has 2 totem poles that are currently being carved. It’s pretty cool to see them this close and also the tools and techniques used to create these.
Tribal Homes
The homes are absolutely stunning. The design is pretty awesome as they can be taken apart and moved if needed. No nails, just beams that slot into one another.
Antique Car Museum
There is also a Antique Car Museum, including a 1934 Ford Coupe and 1924 Stanley Steamer. If you are a car fan, you’ll love this little area.
Alaska Totem Trading Shop
At the end of the Potlatch Park, there is a shop where you can purchase any souvenirs. There’s a little bit of everything here.
Antique Museum
Inside the trading shop is also an Antiques museum, where they show off their display of extremely rare Antique Firearms.
One of the cooler pieces are their gatling guns.
Back to Town
As we drove back to town, Karen pointed out some great areas of town and even helped us catch a glimpse of some bald eagles hanging around. We really appreciated how spectacular of a tour guide she was. She then dropped us off at the dock where our cruise ship is located at. We still had plenty of time after the tour to walk around town.
Starbucks has launched 3 new drinks this week and as a bonus, if you purchase them, $0.25 cents goes towards a great cause – Born This Way Foundation to empower young people to be braver and kinder. We definitely need more of that in the world. Participating locations are promoting the Ombre Pink Starbucks Refresher, Matcha Lemonade, and Violet Starbucks Refresher. As Summer is almost upon us, these would be great drinks to pair with the hot heat.
Ombre Pink Starbucks Refresher
This is a light, fruity Cool Lime Starbucks Refreshers Beverage with Coconut Beverage, a splash of Teavana Shaken Iced Passion Tango Tea and a lime wheel, for a bright burst of hibiscus notes. You can notice the ombre and the liquids have different densities. Upon first taste, it reminded me of a pink popsicle.
Matcha Lemonade
It uses their finely ground Teavana matcha green tea combined with crisp lemonade then shaken with ice to create a refreshingly sweet, delicious drink that’s a delightfully vibrant green colour. Of the bunch, this one was my favourite. The lemonade is the dominate taste in this.
Violet Starbucks Refresher
This has sweet blackberries and tart hibiscus in their Very Berry Hibiscus Starbucks Refreshers Beverage swirled together with creamy coconut milk and ice, creating refreshing sips.
Lady Gaga + Born This Way Foundation: Cups of Kindness
To benefit Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, Starbucks will donate $0.25 US for each Ombré Pink Starbucks Refreshers, Matcha Lemonade and Violet Starbucks Refreshers beverage sold from participating Starbucks stores in the U.S. and Canada to the Born This Way Foundation to empower young people to be braver and kinder. This goes on from June 13 till June 19th 2017. Starbucks will make a minimum donation of $250,000 US, but the more the better.
My friend and I love wandering town to find unique places to eat and drink. We wandered deep into Gastown and stumbled upon Orchard & the Sea, which is a Cider House and Restaurant every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night at Birds & the Beets.
They are committed to serving the best ciders from local and international producers, paired with expertly hand-crafted small plates.
Menu
They have one menu of the different Ciders and then a menu of Spanish tapas. We skipped the tapas as we just had a huge dinner, but drinks were what we needed.
Cider Flight
I got a flight since I love trying a variety of drinks to see what my tastebuds are in-tune for. Plus, I never have that much cider, so I wanted to try different types.
Shacksbury Cider Basque: a still, extra dry, and unfiltered cider. This was an interesting cider since it had a funky taste. You’ll find grapefruit rind, spice and apple cellar muskiness.
Twin Islands Cider Boat Days: An off-dry blend of apples harvested from trees on Pender, Mayne and Samuel Island, as well as Vancouver Island and Worrenberg Farms in Keremeos. A partial wild fermented cider aged 6 months in their cellar.
Scenic Road Cider Co Razz: This was my favourite of the bunch. It has a hint of sweetness as it is made exclusively with local dessert apples and raspberries. Their craft ciders from Kelowna are hand blended in small batches.
Final Thoughts
Orchard and the Sea is a cool place to hang out after work on the weekend to have a bite and some craft cider. There isn’t really anything like it in Vancouver, but it’s great to see the variety of local and international Ciders.
I was contacted by GlassesShop.com to try out some of their sunglasses. Since I wear glasses on a day to day basis, I have a hard time getting good looking sunglasses or clip-ons that are stylish. Browsing on their site, I decided to go with their Reno Rectangle glasses with blue clip-ons. I took my time using these prescription sunglasses as I wanted to give a wholesome review on them. I took them to Vegas, Alaska, and around town in Vancouver. A big shout out to Natalie De Los Santos, who took these amazing photos of me and the sunglasses.
Coupon code: “GSHOT50″ for 50% off for all eyeglasses and sunglasses with free lenses only with theexceptionofsales frames.
When just looking at the glasses on the website, I was a little afraid if they would be heavy and thick because I have a pretty high prescription. I’m blind as a bat and I refuse to wear contact lenses, so you can see my hesitation. When the glasses arrived in the mail, I was pleasantly surprised. They were stylish with and without the clip-ons.
They clip on with magnets on the corner of the glasses, so it’s very easy to transform the glasses. In Vancouver, we have a lot of similar competitors for online glasses, but what I liked about these sunglasses are that it’s not branded and pretty unique to what everyone else has. Plus, it’s cheap in price. The quality of the frames and lenses are pretty good for what you pay for. It comes with a case and a cleaning cloth too. The only critique would be the packaging in which the glasses come in because it looks like a sketchy box from China, but no worries, all the contents inside the box look great.
They also have another version of the glasses in green and brown too, which also look great. I am very happy with these sunglasses and would recommend them.
Here are a few things I learned about before boarding my cruise at Canada Place. It was my first cruise so I didn’t know what to expect. Hopefully, this will help you mentally prepare you for where to go. Our boarding began at 12pm, so we made sure to arrive earlier so we could settle down and not wait in large lines to get on board.
Head to Cruise Ship Level of Canada Place
You can either drive to this area or you can walk to this level from the Convention Centre East. Just follow the signs.
Baggage Drop off
Fill in your luggage tag and give them to the staff and they will make sure it gets to your room. It’s easier to do this as they will need to scan your bag for any prohibited items.
Cruise Check in
This is where you grab your cruise map and room keys. It’s best to check in with your cabin mates.
Security and US Customs and Border Protection
This is where you will be officially passing the border so you don’t have to do it at another port. It’s very efficient. As a Canadian, we put our passport and information into the computers, pass it to a border guard and then we were done.
Boarding
Have you room key in hand as this is your primary card to get around. It is your room key, ID and also your credit card. As we got on board, they greeted us and showed us to our rooms.
It was an easy process to go through and there are tons of people helping us get where we needed to go. As there were 2 cruise ships leaving that day, I was impressed by how organized they were. I hope this has helped you demystify how to board a cruise at Canada Place.
PiDGiN has always been a place I wanted to check out. I went with a friend to try their prix-fixe tasting menu for $55 per person, but there was an awesome voucher on TravelZoo for the 7 course dining for 2 people at $66, so I purchased it to save a little bit of money.
Interior
The interior is hip and cozy. The lighting is dim but it sets the atmosphere.
Happy Hour
Since it was happy hour, drinks were on special, so I grabbed Tiger, which is an Asian Lager. Good and crisp to pair with the dishes.
Daily pickles
Some daily pickles were carrot, onions and cucumbers. Nice to much on as we waited for the other dishes.
Oyster shot
This also has apple, cucumber granite, and a horseradish dashi. AN interesting combination of flavours.
Spring salad
The salad comes with marinated tofu, onsen egg and wasabi yogurt. A good refreshing salad before the other dishes arrived.
Mantou bread
This dish has 3 pieces of mantou bread with bayildi, miso, eggplant, onion, and tomato.
Cultivated Mushrooms
This is topped with a delicious ramen egg, soy yuzu brown butter, and onion puree. If you love mushrooms, you’ll love this dish. The mushrooms just soak up all that delicious butter.
Spring Salmon
This dish has clams, maitake mushrooms, sesame butter, and tobiko. The salmon is perfectly cooked with more mushrooms and the yummy calms.
Beef Striploin
Topped with broccolini, spinach gomae, and some local wasabi. The wasabi was freshly grated and not as potent as the ones in tubes. The dish was ok but the gomae was on the salty side.
Chai Panna Cotta
The dessert was ok but I didn’t really take a liking to it.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it was a good 7-course meal between myself and my friend. The dishes were well thought out, there is lots of food between 2 people.
