Foodology
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July 2017

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In Brewery

Main Street Brewing: Craft Beer in Mount Pleasant

Main Street Brewing is a bit off Main Street on E 7th Ave. You can fill up your growlers or enjoy an array of their beers. I’ve been here a few times and it’s a nice popular place to hang out over food and drinks. This was our last stop of the night, so we made the most of it.

Beer Flights

For my flight, I chose – Fruit Bomb (kettle sour), Saison 7, Nurse Night, and Main Street Pilsner. All 4 were great, I did like the selection as I am more into the less hoppy beers as usual.

Food

They have a good amount of food here from their kitchen and at the bar. They have 3 different types of pepperoni sticks, chips, sandwiches, wraps, salads, wings, nachos, charcuterie, pretzels, and various dips. The prices definitely vary, but they have a good selection.

Spicy Pepperoni was what I had first. I love getting pepperoni sticks at breweries. It has a good amount of spice to pair with the beers.

Hummus Dip Plate is made fresh with garlic confit, jalapeño garlic, roasted red pepper and fresh lemon, Served with naan bread. There was a good ratio of bread to dip.

Final Thoughts

Overall, a good brewery to check out if you’re in the area and you need a place to chill at over beer and some nibbles.

We Rate Main Street Brewing Company: 

Address:
261 E 7th Ave, Vancouver

Website:
http://mainstreetbrewingcompany.com/

Main Street Brewing Company Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Brewery

R&B Brewing: Craft Beer in Mount Pleasant

R&B Brewing is located in Mount Pleasant and has been around since 1997. I came here with a few friends to try out their beer and enjoy the afternoon. Vancouver has a great craft brewery scene and R&B Brewing is one of many near Main Street.

Interior

There are lots of seats indoors, but there is a little patio out front.

There is a large line up of beers on tap. All 12 to be exact.

To pair off with the beer, they have a few snack options as well as pizza.  We weren’t hungry to have pizza, so we snacked.

Kettle Chips and Dip

I got a basket of kettle chips with dip to go with all our flights of beer. Something to munch on so we could continue to drink beer. It was perfect as we needed something salty and crunchy.

Beer Flights

My flight consisted of Tod Creek Cider, Howe Sound Lager, Belgian Table beer and a Hefeweizen. They also poured me an extra Belgian Amber Ale. A normal flight comes with 4. All of them were ok, but nothing really stood out from the menu. I chose beers that were more on the light end and less hoppy. Thats usually the type of beers that I enjoy so, they are low in IBU.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was a good place to chill in between other breweries for the afternoon. A good range of beer options but the food options here could be a bit better.

We Rate R&B Brewing: 

Address:
54 East 4th Avenue, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.randbbrewing.com/

R&B Brewing Co. Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Commercial Drive / Grandview

Kin Kao Thai Kitchen: Thai Iced Tea on Commercial Drive

Kin Kao Thai Kitchen is located on Commercial Drive. It’s been a very popular spot since it opened for authentic Thai cuisine. My friends and I were craving Thai Iced Tea, so we decided to meet up and have lunch here on the weekend. We went around 1pm and it wasn’t too busy. I had to take my Thai friend as she could tell me how ‘Authentic’ it is to food in Thailand.

Interior

There is bar seating and a few other tables around the restaurant, but it’ll be hard to accommodate large groups unless you go early. It’s easier going in groups of 2 – 4 people.

Thai Iced Tea

Thai Iced Tea is made with black Thai tea, sweetener and topped off with half and half cream. You mix it around to incorporate the tea and the cream. It was absolutely delicious but I personally would have wanted it a bit less sweet.

Complimentary Soup

Before our order arrived, we got a nice complimentary soup for each person at the table. It was a clean garlicky broth and we really enjoyed it. My Thai friend said it really reminded her of home.

Chicken Satay

The chicken tender strips are marinated with coriander, cumin seeds, kosher salt, lemongrass, turmeric, galangal and coconut milk. It was really delicious and tender. The cumin, lemongrass and turmeric stand out in the flavour profile. It comes with 3 pieces.

Chicken Wings

These deep fried chicken wings marinated with fish sauce, garlic and white pepper tossed in garlic, red jalapeño, vinegar, sugar, salt and corn starch. The saucy wings has a sweet finish to them, but the crunchiness was definitely lost because of it. The size of the wings and drumettes were on the smaller side.

Papaya Salad

It has shredded green papaya, tomatoes and long beans with their spicy dressing – thai chili, fresh lime juice, fish sauce, tamarind, garlic, palm sugar and peanuts. Whey they mean spicy, they do mean spicy. Very fresh tasting papaya salad, but those thai chilis pack a punch.

Stir Fry with Thai Basil

This has garlic, long beans, soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, thai chili, onions and thai holy basil. We got this with pork. There is also rice and salad on the side. We ordered this as a medium spice but it was sweet instead. We could have gotten this as hot as it didn’t register on the spicy scale.

Green Curry

It has coconut milk, chili, garlic, ginger, thai eggplants, lime leaves, bamboo shoots, palm sugar, fish sauce and thai basil. We got this with chicken. This was also medium spice, but it only had a tiny tiny amount of spice.

Candy

When we got the bill, it came with Amira candy for everyone. Amira is a tamarind candy.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the spice level of the dishes were strangely balanced. Everything was medium spice but the papaya salad was a ton spicier than our 2 main dishes. In terms of authenticity, it fell a bit short as it seems to be catered towards the clientele of the neighbourhood.

We Rate Kin Kao Thai Kitchen: 

Address:
903 Commercial Drive, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.kinkao.ca/

Kin Kao Thai Kitchen Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In British Columbia

Curbside Fresh Market Provides Access to Affordable, Fresh Produce in Vancouver

Vancouver Food Bank’s social enterprise – Curbside Fresh Market  is now in its fourth season. The mobile market delivers affordable, fresh, local produce to low-income, high-density communities throughout Vancouver. These locations are set up in food deserts, a term that identifies areas that have limited access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables, throughout the growing season.

Access and affordability are the top two barriers to a healthier diet that includes regular servings of fresh fruits and vegetables. Rising rates of diet-related illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity are drawing new attention to the importance of fresh, unprocessed foods as part of a healthy diet. Markets such as Curbside Fresh is one way to increase access to nutritious food at affordable prices.

The Curbside Fresh Market is also a wonderful collaboration with local growers. Through its relationships with local growers, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank already distributes over 860,000 lbs of fresh produce to its members during the growing season.

Locations

The Greater Vancouver Food Bank is committed to new initiatives like the Curbside Fresh Market that help realize its vision of accessible, healthy and sustainable food for all. Look for the Curbside Fresh Market in the following communities starting mid-June:

  • Tuesdays: Gordon Neighbourhood House from 3pm to 6pm
  • Wednesdays: South Granville Seniors Centre from 11am to 2pm
  • Wednesdays: Mt Pleasant Neighbourhood House from 3pm to 6pm
  • Thursdays: Collingwood Neighbourhood House from 3pm to 6pm
  • Fridays:  City Heights from 11am – 1:30pm
  • Fridays:  Mt Pleasant Community Centre from 3pm to 6pm

My Haul

I stopped by the Mt. Pleasant Community Centre after work before heading home and grabbed a few items for our dinner. From the selection of in-season, locally-sourced fruits and veggies, I grabbed some cherries, zucchini and black kale. The prices were low and the produce was definitely fresh.

Personally, I find it great that the Vancouver Food Bank is finding ways to reduce barriers since sometimes we do forget access to fruits and vegetables can be tough for those on a lower income. It helps draws attention to the importance of unprocessed foods as part of a healthy diet.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/curbsidefresh/

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In Downtown

Pokerrito is open on Hornby Street: Review

Pokerrito has opened their second location on Hornby and Nelson. They serve up Hawaiian poké with a Japanese twist in burritos, bowls, and salads. I was watching Wonder Woman with friends and we needed quick bite to eat before the show. We love eating on this street since so many other restaurants have popped up in this area.

Interior

The space is larger than their original Dunsmuir location. It has a similar look as well. All that matters is the food right? As long as both locations are consistent.

Menu

I think most things are the same here, but I did notice the addition of Soft Peaks ice cream, which is interesting. Their signature combinations were slightly different with 2 new ones – Hawaiian Classic and Secret Beach. I love how they have sustainable seafood that is Ocean Wise certified.

Poké Bowls

Hawaiian Classic has marinated ahi tuna green onion, romaine lettuce, lemon, seaweed salad, and sesame seeds. It was supposed to have edible flowers in it, but I guess they ran out of them. Instead, they put sprouts on top. I got it as a bowl with a salad base. I really prefer this combination without all the other toppings as you can really appreciate the marinated ahi tuna without other strong conflicting flavours. When I usually customize my poké bowls in the past, I would load it with anything that would make bowl worth it.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s good to see they are expanding, but there is another poké shop located right next door, so it should be interesting competition. All my other friends ordered poke bowls with a mix of rice and salad as the base. Then, they added their favourite toppings. Love how it’s highly customizable for all taste buds.

We Rate Pokerrito: 

Website:
http://www.pokerrito.ca/

Address:
991 Hornby Street, Vancouver

Website: http://www.pokerrito.ca/

Pokerrito Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In British Columbia

6 Reasons to go to a Vancouver Canadians Baseball Game

The Vancouver Canadians is a minor league baseball team, which is the Northwest League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Every time I go to a game, there is always something special happening at each game. It’s fun and affordable starting at $14 to watching the game with friends and family. There are games during the day and evening.

Here are six reasons you should check out a Vancouver Canadians game at Nat Bailey Stadium this summer.

Beer

Enjoying an ice cold beer with friends, the game and the amazing atmosphere, it’s very relaxing. Great for the adults. They have a lot of mix of beers from domestic to international. For example, Whistler Brewing, Howe Sound Brewing, Asahi, Big Rock Brewery, to name a few.

Entertainment Between Innings

To break up the different innings, they have some short of entertainment on the field to engage fans. Sometimes they throw shirts into the audience, get everyone to do a dance, or have the sushi mascots have a running competition around the field.

The Crowds

The crowds are amazing no matter which team you cheer on, it’s fun cheering along with everyone and also doing the wave.

Giveaways

During select games, they have limited edition items to give away to guests like bobble heads, shirts, bags, etc. Some people line up for hours to get some of their unique items.

3 Foot Long Hot Dogs

Beside peanuts and Cracker Jacks, they have 3 foot long hot dogs if you want to consume a ridiculously long hot dog. Great for sharing, but I have seen people eat this all to themselves.

Fireworks

At select games, there is a post-game fireworks show that is pretty impressive. At around 10pm, they turn off all the lights and set a bunch of fireworks up in the sky. This picture doesn’t do it justice, but it’s a lot better seeing in it real life. Be sure to check the schedule to see when they have it.

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed my 6 reasons to attend a Vancouver Canadians game at Nat Bailey stadium. If you have some other reasons, leave it down in the comment below.

Website: http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t435

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In Bakery

Nemesis Coffee: Toast in Gastown

Nemesis Coffee is located on Hastings Street right under the new SFU building. I heard they have avocado toast, so cL, Nosh & Nibble and I decided to meet up over lunch. I love meeting up with foodies and trying new places in town as we end up going auto pilot talking about the amazing food scene in Vancouver. The hardest question of them all is “what is your favourite place”. Those who ask me that question know I hesitate to answer. For good reason too, you can ask me IRL one day.

Coffee

The interior of Nemesis Coffee is visually stunning with the light wood, white and some greenery. The aroma of coffee really envelops the room and its so good. They take pride in their coffee and hands down, they make a good cup of coffee. They even have vials of coffee beans.

I got a cappuccino and there was some latte art on top of a heart and perhaps some wings. It was really good coffee and strong, which I really enjoy.

Classic Chocolate cashew sea salt cookie and cold nitro brew was what Hanson had for his snack.

Toast

Bangin’ beans toast with heirloom beans, legumes with romesco sauce.

Avocado Toast with smashed avocado, ricotta, and cilantro. You can also add a poached egg to this if you want. This was ok but it didn’t impress me too much. It looks pretty but it was missing something. Maybe that egg. Either way, it was a good accompaniment to coffee for lunch.

Overall, I love the coffee here, but the food just too way too long to arrive. The service is also lacklustre and inconsistent. Some of our drinks were put on the counter for pick up and the other was delivered to the table. There was a really big time gap between the coffee and toast.

We Rate Nemesis Coffee: 

Address:
302 W Hastings Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.nemesis.coffee/

Nemesis Coffee Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In British Columbia

Taste of Craft: Starbucks Cold Nitro Brew Launch

Starbucks hosted Taste of Craft, a launch event for its Nitro Cold Brew at The Permanent in Downtown Vancouver. The Permanent is a beautiful venue that was transformed into a well-branded Starbucks space, with different levels and features that encouraged interaction and many photo ops. My friend, Vanessa, came with me to enjoy the event.

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Upon entering, there was a grand display of white balloons that were hung from the ceiling. One of the baristas informed us that the balloons represent the foam of a Nitro Cold Brew. On the left side of the entrance, a slow motion portrait station was set up where Steve Carty captured guests drinking a Nitro Cold Brew. Further in, there was a bar that was set up to give out variations of the regular Cold Brew and Nitro Cold Brew. Guests could get a flight of four to try, and the drinks were complemented by the food that was catered by The Lazy Gourmet. To the right of the bar, a wall mural was in progress by the talented Ola Volo. It  was a work of art that continued throughout the evening. To the right of the wall mural, a stage was set for a live performance by the lovely Lowell.

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Vanessa and I tried a flight of the cold brews and enjoyed nibbling on the appies that kept coming to us from the friendly servers. The four variations of the cold coffee were the Nitro Cold Brew, Nitro Cold Brew with Vanilla Sweet Cream, Regular Cold Brew, and Cold Brew with Vanilla Sweet Cream. Vanessa and I particularly liked the Nitro Cold Brew with Vanilla Sweet Cream. It was very smooth, refreshing and was slightly sweet. I also thought that the Cold Brew with Sweet Cream was just as good. The cold brews without sweet cream were quite strong in flavour, so if you prefer a stronger-tasting coffee, these would be perfect for you. As for the food, some of the appies we enjoyed were Thai Basil Watermelon, Deep Fried Mac & Cheese, Gnocchi and Yam Fries with Chipotle Aioli. All the appies were provided by The Lazy Gourmet and were delicious. However, the more caffeine I consumed, the smaller my appetite became so I ate less, even though the appies kept being offered.

Left to right: Nitro Cold Brew, Nitro Cold Brew with Vanilla Sweet Cream, Starbucks Cold Brew and Starbucks Cold Brew with Sweet Cream

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The second level had two different interactive stations, one was by The Cure Apothecary, where guests made a coffee infused face scrub. The face scrub was made with ground coffee, charcoal and Jojoba Oil. All three ingredients were mixed carefully together until it became paste-like. It smelled so good, and a bonus is that it’s a natural exfoliant! The other station allowed guests to make their own DIY terrarium made with coffee beans and air plants. Vanessa and I made our terrariums pop with a little bit of red from a mossy air plant that reminded me of coral. They looked so nice! As we walked around the second level, we found where the DJ was stationed at, and we were able to enjoy the beauty of the stained-glass ceiling. The white balloons underneath it looked like a sea of frothy bubbles from this viewpoint.

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We continued exploring the venue and went back to the main floor, but this time, we went further back behind the bar and found another bar that was set up as the Nitro Ice Cream station. Here, guests watched as salted caramel ice cream was formed using liquid nitrogen. The ice cream was scooped into a dark chocolate cup and topped off with a coffee bean. A biscotti dipped in chocolate also accompanied this cute and delicious treat!

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After enjoying dessert, we watched as Ola Volo completed the Taste of Craft wall mural, and we listened to Lowell perform beautiful songs for the crowd. We had our 15 seconds of fame when we got our slow motion portrait done by Steve Carty. We waited patiently for our faces to pop up on one of the three TV screens that was showing others guests’ slow motion portraits as they tried a Nitro Cold Brew. To make the wait more enjoyable, we had another salted caramel ice cream. It was SO GOOD that Vanessa and I had to eat it again! Other guests were also waiting for their faces to be seen on the TV screens and when we finally saw our faces, we couldn’t help but laugh, and record it so we can share it on social media.

​Taste of Craft was a very enjoyable event. All of the interactive experiences tied nicely back to Starbucks’ Nitro Cold Brew. The artists definitely highlighted “those who are pushing the boundaries of their craft”. There was a good mix of attendees, and the baristas and servers were so friendly. Vanessa and I had so much cold brew that before the end of the night, I could barely take a photo without my hand shaking! But if you’re looking for a refreshing and smooth way to get fueled, try out the Nitro Cold Brew at Starbucks.

Website: https://www.starbucks.ca/

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In Alaska

Lower Promenade Staterooms at Holland America Volendam

We went on a 7 day cruise from Vancouver to Alaska with Holland America Volendam. Our Staterooms were located on the 3rd floor of Holland America Volendam. The ship was built in 1999, so there is some age to the ship and you can tell from the interior too. The room is pretty standard and not fancy at all. We didn’t spend that much time here as we were walking around the ship or in town.

Features:

  • Daily housekeeping & turndown service
  • Power outlets for 110v (North American) and 220v (Continental Europe)
  • Hair dryer
  • Elemis Aromapure bath amenities
  • Safe

Complimentary:

  • DVD library of 1,000 titles
  • Fresh fruit on request
  • 24 hour in-room dining
  • Shoeshine service
  • Ice service

The staff are all very nice and if something isn’t satisfactory, feel free to speak up without feeling ashamed. Our bed was configured as a queen bed but if you want to, they can split the bed up into 2 twin-sized beds. The night are a hit and miss if you’re a light sleeper. Some days, the boat is very rocky, other nights, the engine is loud.

Every night, they fold our towels into cute animal shapes and give us next days itinerary and 2 pieces of chocolates.

They tidy up our room twice a day, which we found a bit excessive as we are pretty clean to begin with.  Either way, they staff work really hard to make sure we are comfortable.

They also deliver you chocolates and itinerary every night.

Final Thoughts

It was my first cruise so it’s hard for me to compare to other cruises out there. I was still able to get plenty of sleep each night and I really only need the basics.

Website: https://www.hollandamerica.com/

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In Alaska

Le Cirque at Holland America Vollendam

Once per cruise, the Pinnacle Grill is transformed into the legendary Le Cirque of New York City. Ranked among the best restaurants in the world by food experts, and famous for its celebrity clientele, Le Cirque brings its French Continental Cuisine to Holland America Line. It’s a way to taste Sirio Maccioniis world famous dishes at a much cheaper price of $49 per person. It is the most expensive meal enhancement of the boat, but it is something you should consider trying if you’re tired of Lido Market or The Dining Room.

We made a reservation at 6:30pm for 10 people and it wasn’t busy at all. Which isn’t a bad thing since their staff aren’t stressed getting everything done. They were attentive and had lots of time to chat with us.

Amuse Bouche

The chef brought us an amuse bouche to get our taste buds ready. This was whipped foie gras with a rhubarb chutney.

Beer and Drinks

We ordered some beers that were extra, but having a beer during dinner with grandpa with mandatory.

Appetizers

Lobster Salad Le Cirque has poached lobster with haricots vert and citrus. The half lobster tail was beautiful and was cooked perfectly. There was a bit of bounce and freshness to it.

Wild Burgundy Escargot with gruyere gnocchi, pickled enoki and bottarga. A big difference in quality compared to the escargot that we got in the Dining Room. It had a better balance of flavours. The escargot itself is chewy and flavourless, but they were able to enchance it a bit more.

Soups

Garden Pea soup is served warm with cheese dumplings and idiazabal crisp. It was really good and definitely the winner out of the 2 different soup options.

Chilled yogurt and melon soup with shrimp. This was an interesting dish as it is served cold. It was refreshing but didn’t hit the spot compared to the garden pea soup.

Mains

Seabass with peaches, capers, bourbon vanilla and chicken oysters.

Rack of Colorado Lamb with goat cheese panisse, artichokes and arugula. Everyone got this medium rare but it seemed crazy tender but it had a bit of tough connective tissue inside. A bit hard to cut through.

Chateaubrian is a beef dish and everyone at the table didn’t realize this. It comes with horseradish flan and sweet and sour baby beets. It is wheeled out in a cart and they carve it infront of you before they serve you. A little nice bit of show before you dig in. This was definitely the winning dish of the night.

Spaghetti Primavera with cream, garlic and parmesan is the meatless dish.

Dessert

They brought us a tower of sweets before all the regular dessert arrived. We had so much food already but it kept coming.

Chocolate soufflé with traditional chocolate soufflé with vanilla gelato. This was good and I really enjoyed it. One thing I didn’t like was how the vanilla gelato was pre-scooped and then went back in the freezer. I’m sure this wasn’t up to their standards.

Crème Brulee Le Crique looked similar to the crème brulee served in the Dining Room. This wasn’t as exquisite since there wasn’t much difference to it.

 

Strawberry Pavlova with earl grey Chantilly, strawberry consume, and basil.

Pineapple with Malibu rum, coconut and bourbon vanilla. A delicious sweet

Final Thought

Overall, the food quality is much better than The Dining Room. When we compared the lobster tail to the one we had at Gala Night, this was exceptionally better quality. There was a few hit and misses compared to our lunch at Pinnacle Grill. Is it worth the $49 extra? I would say yes.

When we got back to the room, a box of truffles were waiting for us. A nice touch.

We Rate Le Cirque: 

Location:
Holland America Cruise

Website: https://www.hollandamerica.com/

 

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In Alaska

Holland America Vollendam: Pinnacle Grill

Pinnacle Grill is a refined and luxurious dining experience aboard the Holland America Volendam 7 days to Alaska. It is open for lunch and dinner, but we opted for lunch as it is only $10 extra. It has a condensed version of the dinner menu compared to $35 per person. They are best known for their steak and seafood.

We were able to order 2 appetizers if we wanted. No limits at all.

Crab Cakes

It comes with 2 pieces and has spiral shaved cucumber and a sweet chili-mustard sauce.

Spinach Arugula Salad

It has avocado, orange, organic seeds, creamy lemon dressing, gorgonzola and air dried apples.

Beef Carpaccio

The quality and quantity is a lot better than at the Dining Room. Really delicious and worth it to get.

Roasted Jidori Chicken with Porcini Mushrooms

It has a cider vinegar jus with quinoa-forbidden rice cake, mache salad, and toasted nuts.

Broiled Alaskan King Salmon

This piece of salmon is huge and you need to order this if you love salmon. It has a lemon garlic herb splash to balance out the taste. Highly recommended.

West Coast-Style Seafood Cioppino

It has clams, mussels, shrimp, Alaskan crab, halibut and a tomato broth. Recommended too, but you might want another entree if you want to really indulge.

Beef Tenderloin with Oregon Blue Cheese

It comes with grilled asparagus and scalloped potatoes.We got this done to medium rare and it was spot on.

Fresh Berries with Sabayon Sauce

A nice break from the heavier dessert. Refreshing and sweet with the sabayon sauce on the bottom.

Coconut Trifle

It is topped with lime and pistachio to finish this off.

Ice Cream

There are premium ice creams on the menu that are better than the other options around the cruise.

Warm Fudge Brownie

The decadent brownie has coffee gelato, popcorn crunch and a piece of chocolate.

Strawberry Pavlova

This also have strawberry consommé and some basil to accompany all the fresh strawberries.

Happy Anniversary Celebration

After all that food, we got a huge slab of cake to celebrate my aunt and uncle’s wedding anniversary. If you are celebrating something special, make sure you tell the staff when you make reservations.

Final Thoughts

The meal also comes with french press coffee, espresso beverages and tea. Overall, it was a good price for $10 extra for lunch. We saw a huge improvement in quality of each dish. Highly recommended restaurant to visit on the Holland America cruise.

We Rate Pinnacle Grill: 

Location:
Holland America Cruise

Website: https://www.hollandamerica.com/

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In Chinatown

Rhinofish: Taiwanese Beef Noodles in Chinatown

Rhinofish is a Taiwanese Beef Noodle shop in Chinatown. It recently opened and I was excited because it’s hard to find good Taiwanese Beef Noodle in the area. Before they opened, they gave a few of us a sneak peek to see what to expect.

Niu Rou Mian

Taiwanese beef noodle with braised soup, tomato, baby bok choy, carrot, potato and asian sauerkraut. I had high hopes for this dish as it’s their specialty, but it fell short of expectations. The beef was very dry and did not melt in my mouth. The broth was deep in flavour but tasted more like Chinese medicine. The noodles themselves were good.

Hua Diao Ji Mian

Hua diao rice wine chicken broth, sous vide chicken breast, baby bok choy, cherry tomatoes, and tea infused egg. I preferred this a little bit more, but the broth flavour is very very subtle. It was a clean homey flavour to it. Some others commented saying it was bland. I added some mustard greens and some chili oil to transform the flavour.

Guo Bao

Taiwanese steamed bun with pork belly was ok but it needed something a bit more to bind the two things together. Maybe more sauce to moisten the bun slightly.

Xiao Huang Gua

Pickled Japanese cucumber with garlic and chili is a nice item to start with, but for $5, it’s a bit much for what you end up getting.

Mu Er

Wood ear mushroom with sesame soy dressing and plum salt in this dish. Another starter dish to share.

Yansuji with Nanjing sauce

A classic Taiwanese dish of crispy chicken nuggets topped with fried basil. the nanjing sauce is on the side. The chicken is good on it’s own, so the added sauce doesn’t add much difference. The chicken was moist on the inside and the outer fried are was crisp.

Yansuji with Parmesan and truffle oil

Very similar to the dish above with the different toppings and a bit of lemon.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the food was ok but the menu prices are a bit high for what you get. We ended up giving the chef some feedback about the dishes but we’re not sure if he ever made changes before they opened. They tried to be innovative with their dishes but in the end it fell flat as they tried to reinvent the wheel as basic Taiwanese beef noodle is a classic dish. No one was impressed.

We Rate Rhinofish: 

Address:
550 Main St, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.rhinofishnoodlebar.com/

Rhinofish Noodle Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Fusion

The Rise Eatery: Asian Fusion in Vancouver

The Rise Eatery blends the flavours of different regions around the world and say they are a globally-influenced restaurant, but a lot of the dishes feel like it’s an Asian-fusion restaurant. They are located in the South Granville neighbourhood. We were invited for a private event to try a few dishes off their menu.

Interior

The restaurant is split up in half so there is a bar area and then the dining area. They also have a patio in the back. The space has a nice feel and I love the large wooden tables.

Drinks

Geisha-Rita

This drink has sake, lychee, pink lemonade and togarashi. Very cute drink with a pocky stick too, but I really didn’t like the togarashi rim as it overpowered the subtle flavours of the lychee. Also, for the price, you probably want more sake in this.

Rain City Ricky

This has gin, cucumber, mint, lime, lemon grass and soda.

Old Timer, Newly Fashioned

Inside this concoction is maple, orange bourbon, thyme, bitters, and sour cherry.

The Last Strawberry Wit

I am definitely a beer person instead of a cocktail person. They have a good selection of local craft beers on tap. When I heard they had the Last Strawberry Wit from Fuggles and Warlock, I had to get it. You can get it as a pint or a sleeve and I went with a pint.

The Routine

This has ramen fries, cheese curds, miso gravy, kewpie mayo, bonito and furikake. A fun twist on the Canadian classic, but it fell short of expectations. The ramen cubes ended up to a bit soggy, so it didn’t retain it’s crisp texture.

Tuna Mole

There is a stack of spicy albacore tuna tartare, roasted corn guacamole and a side of lotus root chips. Beautiful dish, but the lotus chips were very thin and not crispy enough to enjoy.

Lo Hay Salad

In the salad, there is smoked salmon, cucumber, daikon, carrot, pickled ginger, onions, tomatoes, taro, pea shoots, crisp rice vermicelli, toasted sesame, toasted peanuts, and a apricot and a beet vinaigrette on the bottom. You need to mix and toss this around before eating to incorporate all the items together. It was a good salad but the smoked salmon felt like it didn’t incorporate very well into the concept.

Long n Green

This was a really good dish as the green beans are cooked with wok’d Haricot vert, butter, soya, and the housemade XO sauce. The XO sauce just pulled it all together. We ate every last bit of the sauce.

Shroom

This is a vegan dish as it has wild mushrooms, udon, silken tofu cream and cashew parmesan. It’s a great dish for those with dietary restrictions, great texture but I thought the sauce had a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Heart Attack Rise

There is Schmaltz stir fried rice pilaf, chicken confit, fried tofu curd and then a soft boiled egg on top. Mix in the egg and enjoy. It’s a good dish to share so each person can have a taste without getting a heart attack. I thought it was ok, but didn’t make me want to eat the whole bowl.

Steak Your Claim

On the wooden board, there is grilled 8oz rib eye steak with a streak of chimichurri sauce. The steak was cooked very nicely and was tender. The chimichurri sauce was very bright and fresh compliment to the steak. On the side, there is kennebec fries, shishito peppers, onions, tomato stir fry, chinese donut and a balsamic demi glaze. A nice incorporation of the chinese donut into the dish.

Shio Koji

There is Japanese potato salad and 4 skewers of salted rice malt roasted Maple Hills chicken thighs. An odd combination but it works. The chicken was very tender and flavourful.

Mean n Green

The matcha molten lava cake was very undercooked, so it was more molten than cake inside. On the other side of the plate was adzuki beans and adzuki ice cream. The ice cream was very icy and not smooth.

Final Thoughts

I like what they were trying to do with their Asian-fusion dishes but the execution on some dishes was a total miss. The presentation was beautiful but it didn’t hit the mark. Hopefully in time, they will take the feedback and improve their menu. It seems more like a place I would go for a drink and a few dishes but not a full dinner.

Address:
3135 Granville Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.theriseeatery.com/

The Rise Eatery Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Dessert

The Praguery: Chimney Cake Truck in Vancouver

I have a HUGE sweet tooth so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try out the chimney cakes at The Praguery. It was the perfect treat after a day of writing exams (as I was wrapping up my program at RED Academy). The truck was parked in the heart of Olympic Village Square, near the giant birds. I brought along my classmate and friend, Vanessa Shakespeare, and she took the awesome photos you’ll see in this post. Thanks girl!

Upon arrival of the food truck, we were greeted by friendly staff and Jaro (short for Jaroslav), the President and Owner of The Praguery. I could quickly see his passion for his food truck, as he started to explain how the chimney cakes (also know as “Trdelnik”, a popular Czech dessert) they make in the truck are baked fresh daily. He showed us as he started to bake a chimney cake, and we watched in anticipation as the raw, yellow dough turned a perfect golden brown. The chimney cake is then dusted and covered with cinnamon sugar.

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We watched patiently as one of his staff members filled the chimney cake with premium soft-serve vanilla ice cream, and topped it off with strawberry compote and premium strawberry sauce. The chimney cake has now become a Strawberry Prague’s Cone. The size of this treat is quite substantial and makes it perfect for sharing, unless you’re the type that doesn’t like to share dessert!

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I obviously shared this with Vanessa, and we both enjoyed it! The Prague’s Cone was slightly crisp on the outside, but perfectly doughy on the inside. The cone had a hint of lemon flavour, which was complemented by the cinnamon sugar coating. The premium soft-serve vanilla ice cream was very smooth and creamy. The strawberry compote and sauce added a slightly tart contrast to the overall sweetness of the Prague’s Cone. I made sure I ate enough of the vanilla ice cream before taking bites of the cone, which came of in the direction of the cone’s spiral. This made it really fun to eat!

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Jaro also offered me a simple chimney cake with a lemon curd filling. The lemon curd had a bright citrus flavour, which is a good option for people whose sweet tooth isn’t as big as mine.

I asked Jaro how long he The Praguery has been in business, and he stated that it has been a year, with the truck in operation a little over a month now. He started out with a chimney cake booth at the Vancouver Christmas Market at Jack Poole Plaza. After customers tried the chimney cakes and enjoyed them, people told Jaro that he should consider having a truck, and here he is today! Jaro is proud to offer this unique and delicious treats, and a Prague’s Cone is perfect for cooling off on a hot summer day.

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Lookout for Jaro and The Praguery, which is his eye-catching aqua blue food truck. You can find out where the food truck will be located next on the Street Food App.

Location: Varies

Website: http://praguery.com/

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In Brunch

Clough Club: Brunch in Gastown

Clough Club is now offering brunch out on their patio. They serve up badass cocktails and drinks, but now you can pair it up for brunch on the weekends. We were invited to try a few of their brunch offerings and cocktails to see what their brunch experience out on the patio is like.

Interior

There are a few seats inside, but with the beautiful weather, you might as well have it outside. Pros and cons of both options.

Crepes

Fried Chicken Savoury Crepe has spinach, onion, bourbon maple syrup, and hot sauce. Delicious! One of my favourite dishes since the chicken was so addictive. Also chicken and hot sauce is the best combination.

Brisket Savoury Crepe has caramelized onion, cheddar, kale, sunny side egg and hot sauce. That egg definitely adds a lot to this crepe.

Cannoli Sweet Crepe has ricotta, honey sweetened creme, and fresh berries. It was ok, but we wanted a little bit more sweetness from this dish.

Banana and Hazelnut Sweet Crepe has granola, nutella and fresh berries. We all really enjoyed this out of the 2 sweet crepes.

It’s great to see that they are putting their own fun twist to crepes. The savoury options were really good and I would come back for them.

Bacon Cheese Dog

The hot dog uses Nathan’s Famous hot dogs and topped with double smoked bacon, pickled onion, American cheese, sunny side egg and maple syrup. There is a side of tater tots as a nice touch. It’s a dressed up hot dog, perfect for those who need some indulgent food. You can also find something similar on their regular menu.

Fried Chicken & Waffles

Golden waffles is topped with buttermilk fried chicken, sunny egg, bourbon maple syrup and hot sauce. The fried chicken was surprisingly moist for white meat. A fun dish for brunch, but their quality of waffle could be improved.

The Hangover Burger

Inside the brioche bun is a beef chuck patty, American cheese, fried egg, iceberg lettuce, and tomato. Upon first bite, it reminded us of a Whopper because of the smokey beed patty. It was ok, but it would have been nicer if was more elevated and juicier patty.

Tater Tots

The tater tots were crispy and the perfect little things to accompany a meal. You must get a side of these.

Drinks

Food is one half of the experience at the Clough Club, you gotta indulge in the drinks.

Mimosa

A brunch classic drink is the mimosa – bubbly mixed with freshly squeezed orange juice. Really good especially when its fresh pressed orange juice.

House Radler is a combination of Driftwood Witbier combined with freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. It is also topped with a slice of grapefruit. I love this so much.

Caesar

They also have really good caesars, not overly salty as they make their own mix from scratch. It is also topped with a tomato, bocconcini and bacon.

Final Thoughts

Overall, they have amazing drinks for brunch and a few of the dishes are hit and misses. If you go with the savoury crepes, you can’t go wrong. Just don’t forget the side of tater tots.

We Rate Clough Club: 

Address:
212 Abbott Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://donnellygroup.ca/clough-club/

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In Promotion

The Captain’s Boil Pirate Party: Celebrating the Launch of the Lobster Rolls & Lobster Bisque

The Captain’s Boil held a pirate-themed party on Toronto’s Tall Ship Kajima to celebrate the launch of their new Lobster Roll and Lobster Bisque. The ship was docked at downtown Harbourfront and attracted a lot of attention with its pirate flag, loud music and Instagram-worthy lobster pool floaties. As soon as we boarded the ship, we were greeted by an elaborate seafood spread. There were huge pots of shrimp, crawfish, king crab and of course, lobsters, displayed grandly like floral centerpieces at a wedding.  There was also a photobooth with crustacean and Captain Jack Sparrow-themed props which many people (me included) took part in. Within an hour, the boat was filled with hungry bloggers, many dressed in their best sailor stripes.

Spotted: a king crab trying to photobomb and take attention away from the evening’s guest of honour: the lobster

Warning: several lobster rolls were harmed during the making of this photo.

While the ship and décor were fun and engaging, more importantly, the lobster rolls lived up to the hype. Large chunks of fresh lobster were tucked in between a toasted buttery bun, with crisp lettuce and a slice of bacon for good measure. We weren’t the only ones that inhaled our lobster rolls as quickly as we grabbed them. As soon as the servers emerged from below deck, they would be swarmed by hungry bloggers. If you couldn’t elbow your way to the front, you would be left hungry, disappointed and lobster roll-less. Good thing we made friends with one of the servers who kept us happily supplied with plenty of rolls.

This cocktail went really well with the lobster – there was also a lemonade soju and a mixed berry option.

After an ungodly amount of rolls were consumed, (it’s embarrassing how many we had, all in the name of “research”), we washed them down with some refreshing mango & passionfruit soju.

One of the brave servers on deck (no one wants to tell food bloggers that they have to wait a few minutes until the next round of food)

Mmm…

Next we tried the lobster bisque. They were served in small cups that made it way too easy to shoot down, one after the other. The bisque was delicious, savoury and creamy, but balanced with a tangy spice, similar to the Cajun and Asian flavours found in the famous Captain’s Boil sauce. Every serving of bisque had a chunk of lobster. The bisque was definitely tastier than other bisques or chowders I’ve tried, as those can be too heavy on the cream and potatoes with not enough seafood flavour.

To sum it all up, here’s what I have to say: I was lucky enough to experience fresh Nova Scotian lobster last summer and with the sea breeze (ok fine, the Lake Ontario wind) blowing and the fresh delicious seafood, it (almost) felt like I was back in Halifax! Since we Torontonians don’t have the luxury of local lobster, I suggest hurrying down to the nearest Captain’s Boil if you want a similar seaside-like experience.

The Lobster Rolls and Lobster Bisque launch July 15th. Downtown Toronto is home to three Captain’s Boil locations, with 16 restaurants in Ontario.

Website: https://www.thecaptainsboil.com/

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In Cafe

Roost: Cafe and Bistro in Strathcona

Roost Cafe and Bistro has been around for about a year in the Chinatown/Strathcona neighbourhood. I came here for lunch with a friend since we wanted to try something new close by our office. I ended up finding this place through Google Maps. We saw they had some avocado toast, so we wanted to give it a try.

Interior

The interior is very cute and hip. They’ve really transformed the space to suit the people moving into this neighbourhood. They have bar seats, patio seats and a few tables inside.

Soup of the Day

We originally wanted some avocado toast, but they ran out of avocados before noon, so C went with the soup of the day which was a tomato soup. It is served with buttered sourdough toast. It was not very impressive.

Sandwich of the Day

I originally wanted another sandwich, but since there were no avocados in sight, I went with the sandwich of the day, which had pesto, ham, cheese and tomato between 2 slices of sourdough bread. It is served with a side salad with vinaigrette dressing. It was ok, but a bit pricey for $12.

Overall, we were not very impressed by this lunch experience. For the neighbourhood, the food is a bit pricey. It was too bad they didn’t have avocados stocked on a Tuesday since that option would have been better.

We Rate Roost Cafe and Bistro: 

Address:
789 Gore Avenue, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.roost.cafe/

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In Bakery

Bjornbar Bakery: Cafe in Edgemont

Bjornbar Bakery is located in Edgemont neighbourhood of North Vancouver. We wanted a cute place to have lunch after we finished the Grouse Grind. Since it was somewhat close by and heard this place was good, we made a visit here.

Interior

The space is cute and cozy. A nice neighbourhood space to hang out with friends and chat over coffee and treats. You order everything up at the counter and they give you a number and deliver the food to your table when it’s ready.

Cappuccino

I got a small cappuccino and it came with a sweet treat on the side. A nice touch. Good coffee and it was made very well. After I got it, I wish I got a larger size.

Old Skool Sandwich

This sandwich has ham, sharp cheddar, grainy mustard and a pickle inside the panini pressed sandwich. It was a really good solid sandwich. Just looking at the cross-section, there is a lot of ham and cheese inside. I really enjoyed this sandwich a lot.

Final Thoughts

Overall, its a great place for the morning or afternoon to indulge in treats and have a cup of coffee. I would definitly be back again.

We Rate Bjornbar Bakery: 

Address:
3053 Edgemont Boulevard, North Vancouver

Website:
https://bjornbarbakery.com

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