Archive

October 2017

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Heading off to another adventure in Colorado to visit their gorgeous landscape created by the Rocky Mountains. I booked my flight with United Airlines as it was the cheapest option that was convenient for my schedule.

I boarded flight UA 381 on a Boeing 747 in economy on the weekend around noon. Getting through security at Vancouver International Airport is a breeze and the airport is very easily navigable.

Boarding

The boarding was delayed by 30 minutes as there was a crew member stuck in security, but it didn’t affect the arrival time as the winds were in our favour.

Comfort

The flight wasn’t full, so I had a whole row to myself, which never happens. I‘m so used to them overbooking flights. The 2 hour and 45 minute flight was smooth.

The seats weren’t cramped at all, but then again, I am 5’3, so I can fit mostly anywhere. The seats reclined a bit and the headrest to bendable to hold your head in place as you nap. Most people on the flight read a book, slept or was listening to music.

Food

We were given complimentary snacks and beverage. We got Bits & Bites and a beverage. I usually ask for the whole can of pop since I get pretty thirsty on planes.

You can purchase additional food and beverages from their onboard menu. Decent prices, but the food options aren’t exciting. Items like candy, sandwiches, and alcoholic beverages. I usually eat before or after flights.

Entertainment

There are power outlets under the seat, but no monitors. As for entertainment, you can connect your personal device to their wifi and use their United App to access movies and tvs shows for free. There was a good amount of movies like Toy Story 3, Step Brothers, Captain America, and other popular shows. I don’t mind having no screens on flights since it helps reduce costs for the airline and in turn give us customers a cheaper flight.

You can also purchase wifi access for a few dollars if you need.

Final Thoughts

With all the bad press United Airlines has gotten in the past, I found the experience totally fine. I make sure to arrive early and book connecting flights with ample time to catch the next flight and I don’t check in bags anymore. Plus, the price was really good compared to some other competitors.

Website: https://www.united.com/

As someone who grew up on the West Coast, sushi is considered a basic food group. So when I moved to Toronto and heard about this magical invention that took my favourite fresh elements of sushi and rolled in into my drunk food of choice…I was very intrigued.

Last week, I attended the opening party for Rolltation’s newest restaurant at Yonge and Carlton. This is Rolltation’s third location in Toronto and their first franchised location. The restaurant is bright, with light wood accents and a Toronto graffiti mural wall. There is some booth and bar seating, but the restaurant is definitely geared for the grab & go customers.

We munched on octopus takoyaki balls as the owner introduced the new location.

Each of the guests were invited to roll their own sushi burrito. First, we watched the servers press the sushi rice onto the seaweed. Next I chose raw tuna as my protein. There’s also raw salmon and cooked beef, chicken, shrimp or tofu. For my vegetables, I chose cucumber, carrot and cabbage. My sauce of choice was the Sriracha Mayo. Finally, I topped it with tamago, tobiko and avocado. I definitely had a lot of fun choosing all my toppings because there was a large variety of fresh Japanese, Asian-inspired and vegetarian ingredients.

The sushi burrito was hard to roll (because I got so greedy with my toppings – no regrets), but thanks to some expert advice from the owner Chris, I managed to compress my hefty baby into something that sort of resembled a sushi burrito.

My masterpiece!

If you are the sort of person that gets overwhelmed by too many options, you can select from the eight signature burrito options, or several poke and salad options. Prices rage for the sushi burritos range from $9 to $15 and the portion sizes are large and filling.

If you’re looking for a personalized, fresh & filling lunch, check out Rolltation at 3 Carlton Street. Or you can order it online for pick up or from the Foodora app for delivery.

Address:
3 Carlton St, Toronto

Website:
http://rolltation.com/

The Dockside Restaurant on Granville Island is a place locals and tourist love to come to for the views and the fresh seafood options on the menu. They like to keep their menu seasonal, so they have recently launched a few items on their menu to reflect the Fall season and use the freshest produce possible.

Interior

The main dining area is very nice with lots of windows, comfortable seating, and views of False Creek.

Super Food Buddha Bowl

This has organic quinoa, farro, wehani rice, house-pickled vegetables, heirloom tomatoes, romaine hearts, and a citrus vinaigrette. A good items to have to taste the fresh produce of the Fall. The hearty grains are delicious too.

Warm Fall Harvest Kale Salad

This has a medley of roasted root vegetables, Okanagan honey crisp apples, buttermilk dressing, and grana padano. We have delicious local apples, so this plate highlight more of the farms close by. The texture of the crisp root vegetables contrasts well with the kale.

Two Rivers Meats Grilled Beef Tenderloin (6oz)

This dish has AAA beef, potato yam pavé, butternut squash purée, red wine thyme jus, seasonal organic vegetables, and preserved cherry-basil compound butter. Having the beef medium rare is the best way to have this served.

Braised Lamb Shank

The tender lamb shank sits on top of Israeli cous cous, butternut squash, Okanagan plum jus, dukkah, and seasonal organic vegetables.

Forno Roasted Salmon

This has lemongrass-soy marinated Oceanwise salmon, pistachio mash, bell pepper aioli, and seasonal organic vegetables. The salmon was cooked nicely and the marination of the lemongrass-soy flavour.

Grilled Haida Gwaii Halibut

The halibut sits on lemon-herb spaetzle, dungeness crab bisque, house pickled and roasted organic vegetables. I enjoyed the combination of the spaetzle and halibut. A good combination as an entree.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

The sticky toffee pudding has spiced caramel sauce, rum and vanilla gelato on top. Such a lovely treat to end the meal.

Coconut Milk Cheesecake

This dessert has passion fruit chia seed glaze, honey toasted nuts and candied coconut chips. It is gluten-free, which is a good option for those with dietary restrictions.

Final Thoughts

Dockside Restaurant is a solid place to go to in Vancouver. The location is right on Granville Island and they do have lots to do in the area. My favourite dishes was the Grilled Haida Gwaii Halibut.

We Rate Dockside Restaurant

Address:
253 Johnston St, Vancouver

Website:
http://docksidevancouver.com/

Flying out of Toronto early in the morning means spectacular sunrises with the airport in the view. We were headed to Atlanta on United Airlines, but it is operated by Air Canada Express. The flight lasted about 2 hours and 10 minutes, which isn’t a long flight at all.

Comfort

The flight boarded smoothly and has no issues at all. The seats were pretty standard size and since it was smaller plane, it had 2 seats on either side. It was pretty full, so they did ask for some passengers to check in their carry on luggage.

Entertainment

There is a screen at the back of each seat and also USB plugs if you want to charge your electronic device like your phone. They have some pretty up to date content on these screens since they have a partnership with Cineplex.

The entertainment system has TV shows, movies and games, but I opted to just look at the map as I did some work on my laptop. I always find it interesting to see where the plane is up in the air.

Final Thoughts

It’s interesting to see United Airlines and Air Canada code sharing because I originally expected I would be on a United Airlines plane, but its Air Canada. Not a big deal at all. I was just happy to get from Toronto to Atlanta smoothly without issue.

Website:
https://www.united.com

Guess what’s coming to town? Zombie Frappuccino is invading Starbucks across Canada and the United States. What better way to kick off Halloween? Imagine it as the Unicorm frappuccino of the Fall.

The Zombie Frappuccino blended beverage has a ghastly green body made with Frappuccino Crème infused with flavors of tart apple and caramel and topped with pink whipped cream “brains” and red mocha drizzle.

It’s a fun drink to have over Halloween, and people will either have a love/hate relationship with it similar to the Unicorn Frappuccino. I got a stronger taste of the tart apple, but the caramel was slightly lost. The red mocha drizzle really give it a goulish look.

Starbucks has celebrated Halloween in stores with spine-chilling Frappuccino flavors since 2014, starting with the Franken Frappuccino blended beverage, followed by the Frappula Frappuccino in 2015 and 2016.

The creepy concoction is available Oct. 26-31 in participating stores in the United States and Canada, while supplies last.

Website: 
https://www.starbucks.ca/menu/beverage-list/frappuccino

Hogtown Pub and Oysters in Toronto is located in the Little Italy neighbourhood. I was meeting up with my friend Flo for a pre dinner meal while I was in town. Always good to catch up with friends over appies and drinks. They are a local favourite and have locally sourced produce where possible. You will also find a good amount of local craft beers on their menu too.

Interior

The restaurant is pretty narrow and has a good pub feel with all the picture frames on the walls and the booth style seating. Good for small to large groups.

Drinks

My friend got a ginger ale and I got Stiegl grapefruit radler, which is delicious, light and sweet. A good Summer drink.

Oysters

We got a dozen oysters for $30 and I thought it was a bit mediocre. If you’ve ever had a fresh West Coast Oyster, these didn’t compare. I think these were from the East Coast and it has more salty notes to the taste. If you love oysters, they do have some specials throughout the week if you want to save.

You can add some sauce to the oyster to give it some added taste. My personal favourite is always a drop of tabasco sauce.

Mussels

Mussels sauced with either white wine and garlic, zesty tomato or green curry. We went with white wine and garlic sauce and it was pretty delicious. There is toasted bread served with it too. The mussels inside the shells were pretty small sizes.

Sauteed Octopus

This dish has tender octopus served with chorizo sausage, purple fingerling potatoes and rapini tossed with their secret octosauce. It was a good dish that I really enjoyed.

Final Thoughts

Being from the West Coast in Vancouver, the seafood doesn’t compare, but since Toronto is far from either coast, I hear that local do love this place. Perhaps I just have higher standards since its readily available to me. It’s still a nice place to chill over drinks and bites with friends.

We rate Hogtown Pub & Oysters: 

Address:
633 College St, Toronto

Website:
http://www.thehogtownpub.com/

When I was in Toronto, my friends highly suggested I go to Kekou Gelato for a taste of their unique flavours of gelato. They specialize in Asian-inspired frozen desserts. Since I sometimes have a sweet tooth, I couldn’t say no to coming here with my friends. I had less than 24 hours in Toronto, so I needed to eat as much as I could.

Interior

There are lots of tables inside this location and the line starts on the right side of the shop. It was late into the evening, but there was a good amount of people inside.

Menu

Tasting

There were lots of flavours to choose from, so I tried a bit of everything. How could I resist? All the flavours were pretty darn delicious, so it made deciding on one flavour very difficult.

In a Cup

One of my favourite ones that I tried was the HK Milk Tea gelato. I got it as one scoop in a cup. It was pretty smooth and made well. The tea flavour stood out and was addictive.

In a Cone

Instead of a cup, you can get it as a cone too.

If you are in Toronto for a visit, I would highly recommend this place for a nice sweet gelato treat. I sure enjoyed it.

We rate Kekou gelato:

Address:
394 Queen Street West, Toronto

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

Fast food in the United States always fascinates me, so when I see a place I never heard of, I have to check it out even if it means eating more when I’m already full. While at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, I had a bite at Bojangles, which is a southeastern regional fast food joint, know for their mild cajun seasoning, fried chicken, and buttermilk biscuits. I lined up for a little bit to get a taste of their fried chicken to see how it compares.

I got the one piece chicken breast combo which comes with a drink, biscuit and a side of your choice.

The chicken breast was really crispy on the inside and the mild cajun spice was pretty delicious. Usually breast meat is very tough, but this was juicy. It reminded me of Church’s Chicken in Vancouver but with more seasoning.

The green beans were pretty disappointing like mush. It’s fast food vegetables, so I didn’t expect much from it.

The biscuit was meh, pretty dry in my opinion.

Final Thoughts

For fast food fried chicken, it’s pretty solid. I wish I could have tried a thigh or a drumstick but they ran out and only had breast left. The best part about eating this meal was really the spork. The second greatest utensil besides the chopstick.

We Rate Bojangles:

Address:
6000 N Terminal Pkwy, Atlanta

Website:
https://www.bojangles.com/

On the way back home, we made a connecting flight from Chicago O’Hare to Vancouver with United Airlines (UA 0563) in the evening. I dashed to my gate and had enough time to grab some Garrets Popcorn to bring back. I ran past the beautiful underground path to make it to this flight, so bad I had to sprint past it to make sure it got to the gate on time.

Boarding

We boarded quickly, but there was an issue with the plane, so we had to sit tight on the plane for 45 minutes until they fixed the issue and got it approved. It delayed our arrival by a little bit since the winds were in our favour.

There wasn’t much to do while waiting, so everyone just went on their devices of watched some shows.

Comfort

This was the most uncomfortable flight I’ve had in a while. The seats were very hard and wouldn’t even recline by an inch. It looked like other peoples seats didn’t recline either and everyone was just confused. There wasn’t a lot of room and I’m only 5’3. The model of the plane was a Boeing 737-400 Jet. The total flight time was 4 hours and 35 minutes.

Food and Snacks

We got complimentary pretzels and a beverage, which is pretty standard for United flights. You can order off their menu if you want something more substantial. Decent prices, but the food options aren’t exciting. Items like candy, sandwiches, and alcoholic beverages.

Entertainment

There is an entertainment system on every seat and I was able to watch some Rick and Morty, which is pretty damn awesome. It made up for the cramped seating situation. There are ore entertainment options, but you will have to pay a little extra.

Final Thoughts

With the delay and cramped seating space, I really didn’t enjoy this experience. I tried to nap off the rest of the flight, but my back hurt and the lady next to me was flopping all over the place as she slept. We got from Chicago to Vancouver pretty smoothly with no other hiccups, which was fine.

Website:
https://www.united.com

eat-harvest-34

The 15th annual EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival is back for another year and we’re counting down with just two weeks to go. Events will run throughout the city between November 6 and 11. Attracting top culinary talent from both Canada and the U.S., this year’s event includes:

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of joining Diana for the Made With Love Regional Finals in Vancouver. We were tasked with tasting 16 different cocktails which were lovingly mixed by apprentices and barchefs. It was definitely an enjoyable way to spend a Monday night!

The event was held at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Attendees where bestowed with two dog tags, one to give to their favourite mixology apprentice, and one to give to our favourite bartender. In order to successfully try all 16 cocktails, I learned that one had to sip and not consume the entire drink.

This proved to be difficult since many tasted good and were easy to sip on until it was gone. What made it more challenging was the lack of substantial food. I understand that it was a cocktail-tasting event, but doing so on an empty stomach was tricky.

People’s Choice

Some of the barchefs were clever by offering a food pairing. It so happened that the Public’s Choice went to Dylan Robert Williams of The Westin Bayshore, who offered mini hotdogs with his “Crystal Lake” cocktail. His cocktail featured Ungava Gin, which I decided was my go-to gin by the end of the evening. The mini hotdogs were elevated with artisanal condiments, which paired nicely with the drink.

Judge’s Choice

The Judges’ Choice went to Chelsea Rose Schulte of Cocktails & Canapes Catering. Her cocktail was called the “Zenyatta (Lady’s Secret Stakes)”, which featured Woodford Reserve Bourbon. Grilled pineapple and candied pecans was the food pairing that complemented the drink.

Most of the cocktails featured Gin or Campari.

Abigail’s Choice

My choice of cocktail from the apprentice competition was a sweet and fruity concoction made by Steve Samotowka. His cocktail was called “Pomplemo and Circumstance” and consisted of:

  • Campari
  • Falernum
  • Ruby Red Grapefruit
  • Fresh strawberries
  • Angostura bitters
  • Float bitters and sliced strawberry

Apprentice Competition

The winner of the apprentice competition went to Sam Hirano (and he was Diana’s choice!).

The Made With Love finale will happen in May 2018, where you can see both Chelsea Rose Shulte and Dylan Robert Williams compete among the best of the best mixologists in Canada. Made With Love is an experience not to be missed. I enjoyed seeing the creativity that went into the cocktails, and I definitely enjoyed tasting them!

Website:
https://enjoymadewithlove.com/en/

The 2017 Hyundai IONIQ is the world’s first vehicle to be powered by a choice of three different electrified powertrain options in a single model: hybrid, electric and electric plus. I am a huge fan of hybrid and electric vehicles, so when I heard about the Hyundai IONIQ, I had to give it a try for the week to get a good feel for the car.

  • IONIQ electric operates solely on electric power and can go up to 200km on a single charge and produces zero emissions.
  • IONIQ hybrid can run on a traditional gasoline engine, an electric motor, or both. It is great for daily commutes and weekend adventures with over 1,000 km per tank. It is a blend of pwer and efficiency.
  • IONIQ electric plus can be switched between electric and gas. When you select electric, it can go about 40kms, then you can switch and it will work like the IONIQ hybrid. This power train isn’t available until late 2017.

There are some really good government incentives in Canada by going green. Ontario offers up to $14,000, Quebec up to $8,000 and BC offers $5,000. Any discount is a good discount especially when you can keep on saving and reduce your gas intake and emissions. The infrastructure for electric vehicles are growing to have electric chargers readily available. It just take a little bit of planning, but once you know where your go-to charging stations are, it’s a breeze.

Exterior

The style of the car is pretty conservative and doesn’t have any aggressive curves, a good simple design that fits.

The LED lights in the front and the back are bright and stand out in the daytime and nighttime.

The blind spot detection lets you know if there are cars in your blind spot, so it lights up to alert you that there is some object there. Very handy when changing lanes.

Interior

The interior of the vehicle is comfortable in the front 2 seats, there is dual climate control if one person likes it hotter and the other wants it cooler.

The seats are heated and even the rear seats can be heated too.

The trunk space is good and you can fold own the rear seats to add more space if you’re carrying more stuff.

Technology

Technology in the vehicle will depend on the package you choose, but I find that the IONIQ was a good range of technology that is essential to a good driving experience. You aren’t overwhelmed with unnecessary features.

Proximity keyless entry and push-button ignition are great as an upgrade, but some people can find it confusing at first to use. Once you get use to it, you’ll love it. You never have to dig into your bag to find your keys.

A few favourite is the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Just connect your phone and you have access to your music, maps, phone and other compatible apps.’

For parking, a rearview camera with the dynamic guidelines makes parking a breeze. All those time where I had anxiety with parallel parking are all gone since you can see how you close you are to other cars. A great safety feature too. Even with the lowest package – IONIQ Blue, you get these 2 great features without blowing the bank.

There is wireless phone charging option too with the Limited package if you want to set your phone down to charge without having cords around. Good thing the new iPhone 8 has wireless charging capabilities now, so it will come in handy with vehicles.

Drive

The drive was pretty smooth and has quite a bit of torque for a hybrid vehicle. The vehicle combines an efficient 1.6L gasoline engine with a powerful 32kW electric motor for impressive performance and fuel efficiency. When it automatically switches from electric to gas, it’s not very obtrusive compared to other car models.

You can even shift into sport mode to really have more fun with the vehicle.

Final Thoughts

My husband and I really enjoyed this car commuting Downtown from the subburbs on the weekday and then took some longer drives on the weekend. We drove quite a bit with the IONIQ hybrid, but we still had plenty of gas left in the tank. We were estimating that a tank would last us about a month, which is amazing. It’s a solid competitor in the compact sedan space if you are looking to going electric or hybrid.

Website:
https://ioniq.hyundaicanada.com/

Nestle Toll House Cafe by Chip held its grand opening event earlier this month. Roman and I attended and met the owners, Sherry Najafi and her husband. They were proud to share their cafe with the attendees, and even had a corporate rep from Texas attend. The concept behind the Nestle Toll House Cafe by Chip started out in Texas back in 2000 and has grown with multiple locations in the US and a couple in Canada.

Upon entering, one is greeted by the sweet smell of delicious baked cookies. What is surprising about this Nestle Toll House Cafe by Chip is its extensive menu, which offers cookies, brownies, ice cream, hot and cold beverages and savoury options. Yes, they have flatbreads, wraps and paninis for those whose sweet tooth isn’t as big as mine. They taste pretty good too! Having savoury options makes it a great go-to-spot for lunch, especially being situated on Howe and Nelson Street.

The cafe is spacious and bright and its decor includes words like “Enjoy” and “Relax”, which is a good reminder to take a sweet break in our busy lives.

The treats were sweet and delicious, and we even had the chance to decorate our very own cookie cake! Nestle Toll House Cafe by Chip offers large cookie cakes that can be customized for any occasion. We were guided by Jolynn, the corporate rep from Texas, as she showed us tips and tricks on how to decorate with frosting. The theme was Halloween and we tried to replicate a pumpkin on our cookie cakes. Some attendees got very creative and drew ghosts and other festive images related to the occasion.

When they offered ice cream sandwiches with their signature cookies, Roman was on it (for the both of us, since I had forgotten my lactase). You can choose from a variety of flavours and you may choose the cookies you want to sandwich your ice cream in! Roman had the chocolate peanut buttercup ice cream in between two chocolate chip cookies. Needles to say from the look on his face that it was very good!

Next time you’ve got a special occasion or event to go to and can’t think of what to bring, think of a cookie cake and get it customized at Nestle Toll House Cafe by Chip. It’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

Address:
980 Howe St #101, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://nestlecafe.com/

T-Go Tea in Richmond is a new bubble tea shop focusing on freshly brewed tea from loose tea leaves rather than powders like some other bubble tea shops in town. I was invited to check out a few of their drinks and see how they are. It’s pretty exciting to see more and more shops focusing on giving customers a healthier alternative to bubble tea.

Interior

The counter to order drinks is at the front but there is a room in the back where there are some seats and washrooms. Most people order drinks and have it to go.

All their teas are visible, so you can see they have nothing to hide.

 

Menu

There’s a lot of drinks on their menu, but you can easily customize them to your liking.

Roasted Milk Tea with Pearls

One of my favourite drinks to get at any bubble tea shop is their signature milk teas to see how they fare against each other. If you can’t get a delicious basic bubble tea, what are you doing. Good thing T-Go has a delicious roasted milk tea that isn’t too sweet, which is great.

Osmanthus Green Tea

I had to try their tea with no sugar and no milk to taste how their tea is like without the sweetness. They use an espresso machine to brew the tea. Then they add ice to cool it down. It’s pretty decent brewed iced tea.

Bubble Waffles

They make their bubble waffles in-house, but during our visit, they seemed to have an issue with creating the bubble waffles. I twas pretty doughy and not crisp, so it doesn’t snap off easily.

I’m sure they need some time to perfect the execution of these treats.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the tea here is good, but I only tried 2 drinks out of their entire line up of beverages. If you are in the Richmond area and are looking for good bubble tea made out of loose leaf tea, give T-Go Tea a visit.

We Rate T-Go Tea

Address:
4720 Mcclelland Road #1810, Richmond

Website:
http://www.tgotea.com/

Ma Now Thai Kitchen is located in Coquitlam and a friend – Hilda suggested we come here for dinner as it’s one of their favourite places to get Thai cuisine. I can’t believe I haven’t been here yet, but then again, there are so many hidden gems in the city.

Interior

The interior was very clean, modern, and had a good amount of tables. We sat here for a while and the traffic on a weekday night can be busy.

Tea and Water

As we sat down, they have us a cup of hot tea and another cup of cold water. I love the look of the water cup!

Thai Iced Milk Tea

I ordered Thai Iced Milk Tea and I absolutely love it. One of my favourite drink to get at any Thai restaurant. Highly recommend it.

Chicken Satay

These are fire-grilled chicken on skewers served with house-peanut sauce and pickles. It was delicious and juicy.

Pad Thai with Chicken

The famous Thai stir-fried noodles has egg and tofu; topped with bean sprouts, peanuts, and a lime wedge. We got it medium spicy and it had a very nice amount of heat. When they say its medium, it really is medium.

Green Curry with Chicken

Green curry of Keaw Whan is a Thai classic coconut cream curry with vegetables and Thai basil. We added chicken to this and there is also rice on the side. We ordered this as mild, but it has a very faint hint of spice, which is actually really delicious.

Craving Cashew with Shrimp

This dish is also known as Pad Med Ma Muang. It has fresh vegetables, chili jam, and cashew nuts and is served with rice, but we got coconut rice instead.

Think Thoughts

The food here is pretty good and I was glad I was able to enjoy it with good friends. I love how mild has a hint of spice because thats how Thai food should really be enjoyed.

We Rate Ma Now Thai Kitchen

Address:
 2755 Lougheed Hwy #29, Port Coquitlam

Website:
https://manowthaikitchen.ca/

Bandidas Taqueria has been on Commercial Drive for a long time serving up vegetarian Mexican-inspired cuisine. It’s been a while since my last visit, but it was nice to see they have expanded their space to have more guests.  We came on a weekend and its was pretty busy.

Interior

Lots of tables inside for small to large groups. They don’t take reservations so it’s first come, first serve.

Chips, Salsa and Guacamole

To start off the brunch, we had this to munch on before getting our other dishes. Loved how the dishes were overflowing with salsa and guac.

Breakfast Tacos

There is 3 handmade corn tortillas topped with scrambled eggs, black beans, caramelized onions, roasted tomato salsa, cheese, and sour cream, and served with purple cabbage. I added guacamole for $1.50 extra.

Breakfast Burrito

This has scrambled free-range eggs, pinto beans, roasted tomato salsa, cheese, and sour cream wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla and grilled. Then, you can get this baked with cheese on top. We added roasted yam and potato hash for $2.50 extra.

Ronny Russell Burrito

This has roasted yams, guacamole, black beans, salsa verde, purple cabbage, and toasted pumpkin seeds. Baked and with added cheese too. These burritos are very filling.

Horace “Lefty” Burrito

This has spicy Mexican corn mix, pinto beans, fresh jalapeños, cheese, fresh-cut tomato salsa, sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips. This is also baked and added cheese on top.

Beer

They have a range of local beers on tap. I got a beer and my friends ordered the East Van Radler with Driftwood’s Fat Tug IPA and freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice.

Mimosa

Weekend brunch time calls for mimosas. It comes in a small mason jar, but it’s a good match for brunch here.

Horchata

For something non-alcoholic, they have horchata, which is a Mexican drink made with rice and is flavoured with cinnamon and sweetened with sugar.

Final Thoughts

We Rate Bandidas Taqueria

Address:
2781 Commercial Dr, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.bandidastaqueria.com

Taste of Yaletown is back for it’s 13th year, a popular community-based event that invites the public to try a variety of dishes from 26 restaurants in the Yaletown area from now till October 27th. Chefs create a 3 course menu themed around pairing and sharing at prices of $25, $35, and $45.

Hapa Izakaya is participating again with a $25 set menu where you can choose 3 different dishes. They specialize in modern Japanese cuisine and all their dishes are easily sharable. It’s a fun spot to hang out with friends and have a few bites and drinks.

First Course

Beef Tataki

The AAA beef slices are thin and lightly seared. It is topped with soy barbecue sauce, garlic chips, onion, and green onions.

Ahi Tuna Yukke

This has ahi tuna tartare, quail egg, pine nuts, shiso, and crispy seaweed for wrapping. The tuna is very fresh and delicious when mixed with the quail egg.

Agebidashi Vegetables

This dish has eggplant, shishito peppers and daikon radish in a soy-mirin vegan dashi.

Second Course

Chicken Nanban

fried chicken thigh, daikon tartar sauce

Crispy Panko-Fried Scallops

fried scallops, jalapeno mango mayo, lotus root chips

 

Foil Grilled Tofu and Mushrooms

The mushrooms and tofu is marinated in vegan dashi with yuzu cooked in foil.

Third Course

Hambagu Steak

This dish has ground AAA Angus beef, minced daikon, ponzu, shiso, and garlic chips on a skillet. The steak was so juicy that when I just into it, the juices just shot out from the inside.

Aburi Saba Sushi

This dish has 8 pieces of the torched pressed mackerel sushi with sansho pepper. One of my favourite items.

Vegetable Poke Bowl

This bowl has avocado, beets, butternut squash, inari tofu strips, sweet soy dressing, and sushi rice. It was an interesting dish for those who love vegetables. A good option for vegetarians who still want to enjoy the menu.

Drinks

Drinks aren’t included in the set menu, but it’s a good addition to the meal. Some of the drink we had with our meal were:

  • Virgin Hello Kitty: Strawberry purée, Calpico, soda
  • Enter the Dragon: Bacardi Oakheart, dragon fruit, agave syrup, lime, ginger beer
  • Large Sake
  • Red Dragons

Final Thoughts

If you’re coming here with a few friends, I would suggest getting a few of the set menus and ordering different dishes to share with everyone. The choices on the menu caters to those who are vegetarians and those who aren’t. I like Hapa Izakaya for a good night out on the town with friends.

We Rate Hapa Izakaya

Address:
1193 Hamilton St, Vancouver

Website:
http://hapaizakaya.com/

Taste of Yaletown is back for it’s 13th year, a popular community-based event that invites the public to try a variety of dishes from 26 restaurants in the Yaletown area from now till October 27th. Chefs create a 3 course menu themed around pairing and sharing at prices of $25, $35, and $45.

The Keg Steakhouse and Bar is participating again with a $45 set menu where you can choose 1 appetizer, entree and dessert. The food is always consistent at The Keg and it’s a favourite. I’ve dined at the Keg several times and set menus like these gives you a chance to try a bit of everything.

Appetizers

Keg Caesar Salad

This has romaine lettuce, aged parmesan cheese, croutons and the Kegs creamy dressing. This is my appetizer of choice since it’s a good balance with the entree and dessert.

Baked Garlic Shrimp

Shrimp is baked in this vessel with garlic, herbs, and cheese. These is bread served on the side to eat it together.

Wild Mushroom Soup

This big bowl of soup is decent and it’s good for a cold Fall weather.

Entree

Sirloin Oscar

This gluten-free dish has 8oz of sirloin topped with shrimp, scallops, asparagus, and Béarnaise sauce drizzled on top. On the side there is baked potato. If you love seafood and steak, you’ll like this.

Prime Rib

A classic and popular dish amongst guests. The prime rib is 14oz and best served medium rare. On the plate, these is also horseradish, red wine herb jus, and garlic mashed potato. You can substitute for different sides too.

Peppercorn New York Steak

The peppercorn crusted striploin is 12oz served with your choice of sides and a whisky sauce. My favourite sides is the mashed potatoes and vegetables.

Pistachio Crusted Salmon

This is another gluten-free dish with the salmon and pistachio sitting on top of garlic mashed potatoes, bacon sautéed Brussels sprouts, and maple butter.

Dessert

Billy Miner Pie

Another classic dessert and one of my favourites. The is mocha ice cream on a chocolate crust with hot fudge, caramel and almonds. Try asking them for extra almonds because I love the added texture.

Cheesecake

This cheesecake thick and creamy, with a Bing cherry topping and a graham cracker crust.

Spanish Coffee

If cake and pie isn’t your thing, they have boozy coffee to end the night. There is brandy, dark cacao and coffee with whipped cream.

Final Thoughts

If you want to try a bit of everything on the menu, I would suggest you and your friends get different dishes and share it all. Also steaks are best medium rare. It’s a lot of food for the $45 set menu and you will be bursting at the seams.

We Rate The Keg Steakhouse

Address:
1011 Mainland St, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.kegsteakhouse.com