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Nestlé just launched their artisanal chocolate bars – Les Recettes de L’Atelier in 3 flavours – Cranberry, Raisin, and blueberry. Each ingredient is hand-selected before combining it with chocolate, hazelnut and almonds to create these decadent chocolate bars.

The bars come in 100g formats and I found them at my local grocery store for $2.98 per bar

L’ATELIER Milk Chocolate Cranberry, Almonds & Hazelnuts

Each piece of the chocolate is visually unique and made with milk chocolate, whole cranberries, roasted hazelnuts, and crunchy almonds.

L’ATELIER Dark Chocolate Blueberry, Almonds & Hazelnuts

It is made with dark chocolate with whole blueberries, roasted hazelnuts, and crunchy almonds.

L’ATELIER Milk Chocolate Raisin, Almonds & Hazelnuts

This has milk chocolate with whole raisins, roasted hazelnuts, and crunchy almonds.

Final Thoughts

Imagine a really good fruit and nut chocolate bar. All 3 were equally as good as you have the sweetness from the dried fruit, crunchy and nuttiness from the almonds and hazelnuts. I like what Nestlé has done with this line of chocolate bars and we were very impressed.

You can eat it straight up or it can be paired with a charcuterie board filled with cheeses, meats, fruits, and of course a glass of wines

Website:
https://www.madewithnestle.ca/latelier

Earth’s Own Food Company is based in Burnaby, BC and they are on a relentless pursuit to change the world through a plant-based movement.

Their product line-up includes oat, almond, cashew, soy and organic beverages. As some members of my family are lactose intolerant, milk options for our morning coffee has been a lot of trial and error to find a suitable alternative to regular milk. They just don’t froth the same way if you want a latte.

Oat Barista Edition

We tried the Oat Barista Edition, which is barista approved to be a milk alternative for making lattes, cappuccinos, or any other beverages. I was skeptical at first because I haven’t been able to find a decent tasting substitute that also foams, steams, and has a good mouth-feel.

We put some of the Oat milk into our frother and it frothed up a bit too well so we ended up with a lot of foam. We pour it into our glass and then added a shot of espresso on top and voila, our latte was created.

It also tasted really good and I much prefer it over almond milk alternatives out there.

It comes in a 946ml container and is vegan friendly, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut free and soy free. Great for those who have dietary restrictions of many kinds.

We were really impressed and would consider getting this again!

Website:
https://earthsown.com/product/earthsown-946mlshelfstable-oatbaristaedition-baristaedition/

Hydra Estiatorio Mediterranean & Bar is a Mediterranean Dining & Cafe Destination at the EXchange Hotel in Downtown Vancouver right in the Financial District. They have just opened their doors at the end of May and are giving locals and visitors a Mediterranean escape in the heart of downtown Vancouver.

Vancouver does have Mediterranean restaurants but Hydra is putting a unique elevated twist to old classics. Hydra Estiatorio’s menu can best be described as a refined elevation of Greek cuisine with succulent fish and seafood options, including whole grilled Branzino, ceviche, grilled octopus and chilled seafood platters. Other Mediterranean favorites such as Forno-roasted leg of lamb, linguini in lobster sauce, grilled vegetables, and tomato salad are paired with impeccable service, family-style dining and exciting tableside food preparations.

We were invited for a sneak peek of their space as well as a taste of their menu.

Interior

The dining room is complete with cascading sheers, rich leather banquettes, ancient olive oil casks, and a central marble bar boasting a unique “fish scale” tile motif. Decorating one long venetian plastered wall is a large-scale “wave painting” by the famed Greek artist Antoni Titakis.

There are two elevated VIP dining booths are illuminated by spectacular custom made Scabetti chandeliers of swirling schools of fish, made of fine bone china circling a warm central light.

Hydra Bar

Hydra Bar aims to elevate the art of the cocktail, with a creative approach to making and shaking unbelievable drinks with a vision that is sexy and unique. 

The cocktails on the menu are based on a love of mixology, balance, seasonality, natural flavours, and most importantly fresh, high-quality ingredients with a Mediterranean flair.

The Wet Bar

There is a wet bar area at the rear of the restaurant featuring bar-style seating as well as the fish available for the day. You can come up and choose which fish you want for dinner.

The Cabana (Private Room)

This exclusive private dining cabana is complete with luxuriously flowing sheers, terrazzo stone floors, comfortable lounge-style furniture and hand-blown glass lanterns can be reserved for the evening, offering views of the 60-foot atrium and bustling Pender Street. It can seat up to 30 people.

It’s quite nice, so I can see it will be great for events and celebrations where you want a bit more privacy.

Menu

Spreads

What better way to start off the meal than with some freshly grilled pita bread and dips. There are 6 spreads to choose from and are best shared among the table.

Melitzana: This is a traditional spread made of eggplant with hints of smokiness, garlic, olive oil and lemon.

Tarama: This was our favourite spread made out of tarama, salted fish roe mixed with olive oil, lemon juice, and a smooth potato base. Highly recommend this one. We loved the smooth texture and the saltiness from the fish roe.

Fava: This is made with a base of yellow split peas blended with olive oil and charred onions. Then it is topped with capers and sun-dried tomatoes.

Xtipiti: a classic spicy feta cheese spread with hints of green chilli, chilli flakes, extra virgin olive oil and lemon. It was good and not too spicy at all, my second favourite spread.

Tzatziki: This is a Greek staple. It is made of creamy Greek yogurt mixed with cucumber, garlic, salt and olive oil.

Menta: This has feta cheese smothered and blended with mint and lemon. Very refreshing.

The image below was just a sampling of the different flavours, but the real portion size is the image above.

Mediterrini

This has cucumber-infused grey goose vodka, mint-infused noilly prat dry, and orange bitters.

Italian Bramble

This zero-proof mocktail is made with soda and fresh vibrant berries. It’s a very refreshing beverage and I quite enjoyed it.

Wine

The meal does pair well with wine. They have a good selection of local as well as imported Greek wines. You can ask the staff about their wines and they can guide you through some good options on the menu.

Kefaloraviera

Kefaloraviera is cheese saganaki on a hot skillet served with lemon wedges. How can you go wrong with deep-fried cheese. The lemon cuts through the oiliness of it and its so comforting and warm. Great item to share.

Hydra Special

This dish has deep-fried paper thin zucchini and eggplant and paired with tzatziki. The chips are so crunchy and goes so well with the tzatziki. Highly recommended.

Grilled Octopus

The grilled octopus is paired with lemon, oregano, olive oil and a fava bean purée. I love octopus but I felt it to be too charred for my liking. The charred taste just overpowered this whole dish.

Organic Heirloom Beets

If you love beets, you’ll love this appetizer made of heirloom leafy beet, red-wine vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Very bright, vibrant and full of flavours.

Tomato Salad

More of a Mediterranean salad as it has vine-riped tomatoes, cucumber, olives, red onions and feta. I liked this salad too.

Green Salad

This has hearts of romaine, scallions, dill, and their hydra vinaigrette. The Green Salad is one of the more basic salads compared to the other two and my least favourite.

Forno Roasted Whole Leg of Lamb

Well, isn’t this a beauty? The whole leg of lamb is marinated with oregano and lemon. It is carved in the kitchen and served with its natural drippings, seasoning, grilled lemon and roasted garlic.

Really delicious and good for sharing with a large group.

Whole Forno Roasted Chicken

The chicken is marinated with herbs and lemon. It is then served with grilled lemons, roasted garlic and its juices. There were some parts that were dry, but the dark meat was juicy.

Whole Fish in Sea Salt

You can choose from their daily fresh selection of seafood from the Aegean & Salish Seas and world’s oceans, on display at the Raw Bar. You just pay the market price for it.

You can get it prepared and baked in the oven with herbs and sea salt. They prepare this tableside as you watch the staff debone the fish in front of you.

It is served with greek fried potatoes and sautéed greens.

Grilled Whole Fish

Alternatively, you can get the fish grilled instead of packed in sea salt. It is also served with greek fried potatoes and sautéed greens. Delicious!

Sauteed Greens
Greek Fried Potatoes

Lobster Pasta

This has a whole lobster on top of fresh pasta, tomato, ouzo, and lobster sauce. One of the favourite dishes of the night. The lobster was cooked nicely and the claw meat was massive. There was lots of flavour in the sauce as well.

Cream of the Crop

This has a lemon custard stuffed meringue, praline sponge and a mandarin & blood orange caramel. I was very impressed by the meringue and it wasn’t too sweet at all.

Bougatsa

This was my favourite dessert! It has semolina custard, caramel-chocolate ganache, and cinnamon-icing sugar. It is served tableside and it’s fun to see them prepare this in front of you.

We ended the night off with a shot of Greek Espresso. You can have it with or without sugar. You have to wait till the grounds settle to the bottom and the you can fully enjoy. It was very smooth and delicious. A good way to end the dinner with coffee, chats, and good company.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I love the dinner concept. They have a lot of the dishes meant to be shared in large groups. The tableside serve is a nice touch and I can see this being a place were a lot of people celebrate special occasions.

If you’re in a small group or just dining by yourself, the downstairs Hydra cafe is open for smaller bites, drinks, happy hour, and breakfast which is great.

Address:
825 W Pender St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://hydravancouver.com/

The Rise Eatery is serving up Asian fusion cuisine in the South Granville area. It’s been a while since my last visit to The Rise Eatery and it was about time that I make a revisit to see if they have improved over the last few years.

I came back with my family during lunch to check it out.

Interior

For the lunch rush, this place was dead. No another group was in here when we dined. It was really eerie. There are lot of small and large tables as well as a patio. Reservations can be made on OpenTable too.

Menu

Seoul Good

This has Korean fried chicken, wild mushroom cream, truffle oil, grated Parmesan, kimchi fried rice, and house-made pickles. G

Generally Korean Fried Chicken should have some spice or sweetness to it but this has the cream sauce with truffle oil and Parmesan. The kimchi fried rice and chicken were ok.

The set also come with a small dessert with the set. It turns out it was a hazelnut shortbread cookie. A bit anti-climatic.

Heart Attack

This set has schmaltz stir-fried rice pilaf, chicken confit, sous vide free run egg, chicken crackling, and salad du jour.

The salad du jour was a piping hot quinoa and kale salad. The temperature was very off and was better when it cooled down. Salads are generally cold so not sure why it was hot.

The sous vide egg was beautifully done but the pilaf with the chicken and crackling was quite bland and needed some Lousiana hot sauce which we added on.

This is also came with the cookie dessert.

The Fitter BLT

This vegetarian set has house-smoked tofu bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, vegan mayo, ciabatta, and paired with the soup of the day.

A good portion size, the tofu bacon had a good amount of smokiness, but it was still missing something to bind it all together.

Uni-versal Pasta

This has squid ink pasta, sea urchin cream, egg yolk, flying fish roe, and dried seaweed. You can also add $6 for 2 pieces of OceanWise prawns. It is beautiful and it’s the one dish everyone is talking about.

It was pretty expensive to add $6 for the two prawns as they were not that large, but the quality and texture were nice. It would have been nice to see fresh uni as an add-on option.

Final Thoughts

The prices and portions were decent, but the taste really fell flat. All the dishes were missing something that made it shine. It did feel really odd that the whole restaurant was empty during lunch with just our large group.

Sometimes they have their 3 course menus that actually sound really nice and at a great price. If you’re just coming in for the lunch sets, hold off until they have special seasonal menu sets.

Address:
3121 Granville St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://theriseeatery.com

We are back at the 2019 Richmond Night Market to cover a lot of food stalls this year. Some new, some old, but always an exciting time to visit one of the best Night Market’s in North America. It’s open now and runs until October 14, 2019.

Admission

The line up to get into the night market can be long. It is $4.75 for adults and free for children (under 8) and seniors (60+).

Want to skip the long line for express entry? Check out their Express pass for $28, which gives you 6 entries to the night market and is transferable to others. It’s good for those who know they are going to the night market several times this Summer.

Shops

When you get to the night market, you’ll see a lot of stall side by side selling things from Korean socks, stationary, jewelry, and a lot more.

If you’re a food lover, skip this and go straight to the back for all the food stalls. You have time to shop later and not have your hands full with stuff you’ve bought.

Entertainment and Games

There’s always something going on at the night market with performances, games, and photo opportunities all over. Don’t be distracted just yet and go straight to the food stalls. There is time for entertainment later.

Food

This section is the big draw to the night market. Food, food, food and more food! Below is everything we had and if we recommend it or not. As we went to 37 stalls, it will be very brief.

La Meza Grill: Taco Trio (Lechon, Pork Sisig, and Tofu Sisig) [Recommended]

We loved the flavours of these tacos. Bite size and super delicious! If you ever get a chance to dine at their North Delta restaurant, it’s one of my favourite Filipino Restaurant in Metro Vancouver.

Afghan Yum: Mantu

These Afghan dumplings are definitely different and unique. Good flavours.

Rotato: Sour Cream and Roasted Garlic Pepper

A classic item to get at a night market, but make sure to go early or else the line up can get pretty long. You can choose a variety of flavours for your rotato.

Asomi Mochi: Cheesecake Mochi, Matcha Mochi, Chocolate [Recommended]

You can find this at a few retailers across Metro Vancouver, but their recently launched cheesecake mochi is pretty darn amazing if you like sweet mochi desserts.

Milk Cha

They are best known for their quirky colourful drinks in a baby bottle. They also have duo drink cups where you can choose 2 kinds of flavours off the menu.

MacSnacc: Four Cheese Mac n’ Cheese

This is massive and definitely really good to share among a group as you’ll probably get full off this.

iTofu: Tofu Parfait

Winner of the 2019 Chinese Restaurant Awards for best Tofu pudding in Vancouver! Really beautiful and delicious.

Big Beard: Skewers and Deep-Fried Squid

Richmond Night Market staples include assorted skewers and deep-fried squid. Great items for those who are going to the Night Market for their first time.

Mr. Crabzy: Deep-Fried Crab Claws

It is pretty expensive but if you want a solid deep-fried crab claws, this is the place.

Fluffy Souffle: Strawberry Soufflé Pancake

It takes a while for them to crank out these soufflé pancakes at the night market and come in a variety of flavours. The concept is very popular across Metro Vancouver, but this is the only place you can get it at the night market.

Say Cheese: Rainbow Grilled Cheese

This is the most instagrammable item to get this year at the night market. It is $6.50 and is visually stunning. They do add condensed milk into their grilled cheese, so it’s a bit sweet and savoury. Definitely not for everyone.

Mango Yummy: Mango Shaved Ice [Recommended]

Long time Richmond Night Market vendor – Mango Yummy is a must for their mango shaved ice. The summer time is perfect as mangoes are ripe and super sweet.

Chef James: Skewers and Roasted Corn [Recommended]

Chef James is the one place at the Richmond Night Market to get skewers and roasted corn. Really delicious and while you wait, it’s fun to watch them make all these skewers on the open flame.

Zzim Drumsticks: Spicy Drumstick with Rice Cakes [Recommended]

These are delicious and the sweet, savoury and spicy notes from their sauce is so good with their tender drumsticks and chewy rice cakes.

Salty’s Lobster Shack: Chowder and 1/2 Lobster Roll, Full Lobster Roll, Lobster Toast

Lobster, lobster, and more lobster. This is where you can get a taste of the East Coast on the West Coast.

Fusion Wrap: Kimchi Beef Wrap

A handheld meal wrapped up with a lot of good flavours. The roti-like wrap works well.

Sugarcane Juice

If you’re ever wondering what sugarcane tastes like, they have this at the night market freshly squeezed.

Tuk Tuk: Original Panna Cotta with Thai Cookies [Recommended]

The talk of the 2019 Richmond Night Market. A great dessert and the Thai cookies add such a great texture to the soft and smooth panna cotta.

Teapressu: Matcha Parfait with fresh fruit and twist soft serve on top

Cool down with some matcha parfait at Teapressu. Teapressu is best known for their delicious bubble tea but they recently launched their parfaits.

2 Sweet Guys: Deep-Fried Watermelon, Deep-Fried Cookie Dough

This is like carnival eats at 2 Sweet Guys. Very decadent and will satisfy your sweet tooth cravings. They also pride themselves for their deep-fried watermelon that has a very interesting texture that messes with your taste buds.

Mangoo: Rainbow Drink

Layer upon layers of different slushies to create this rainbow-like beverage.

Okonomi Bites: Tonkatsu Poutine

Poutine with a Japanese twist is what Okonomi Bites is all about. They solid out of their cheese tonkatsu version but we got their regular tonkatsu poutine.

Taco Tigre

They have fusion taco flavours like beef pho taco, chicken banh mi taco and 5 spice pork belly taco.

Nori Express [Recommended]

Sushi Noritaco with Tuna (Yellowfin Tuna, eel, sauce, veggies, and rice) and Spicy Salmon (Alaska sockeye salmon, spicy mayo, veggies, and rice.

This is like a sushi roll turned taco and it surprisingly works really well.

Icy Bar [Recommended]

Summer Special Icy with fresh strawberries, mango, basil seed, strawberry puree, coconut milk, shaved ice, and tapioca sago. Icy Bar is also another Richmond Night Market staple. If you can’t make it here, they also have a few cafe’s located across Metro Vancouver.

Rainbulb

Drinks served up in a flashing lightbulb is very aesthetically pleasing but just tastes like a normal soda. It’ll light up your night at the night market.

Bella Gelateria

We got 2 scoops of gelato in a cone – Akbar Mashti and Yuzu Citrus. They have a good range of flavours on their menu to keep you cool this summer.

Final Thoughts

So many food stalls that draw a serious crowd! There are people everywhere and that really makes the food area bumping. Later in the evening, you might just be shoulder to shoulder with other people going through the aisles of food. Sometimes I have thoughts that someone might accidentally poke my eye out with a lamb skewer as they walk past.

Address:
8351 River Rd, Richmond, BC

Website:
https://richmondnightmarket.com/

Church’s Chicken debuted a new item on the menu called ‘Defy the Fury’ which is an 8 pepper spicy chicken as what I could tell from the posters.

I’m not exactly sure what these 8 peppers are but according to images it looks like it could be black pepper, jalapeno, red pepper, birds eye chili, white pepper, habanero, crushed red chilis, and paprika.

We got 3 pieces and it came with 2 thighs and a drumstick. The chicken tastes like their spicy chicken but topped with a hot sauce and sesame seeds.

Upon first bite, the spicy sauce is actually sweet and really counteracts the spiciness of it. It definitely could be a lot hotter given the ingredients but it reminded me of Korean Fried Chicken with gochujang sauce. You’ll also notice that unlike the advertisements, there isn’t any green onion on top of the chicken. Perhaps this was just the location that I went to that omited that step.

For those spicy lovers out there, you’ll be disappointed that you’re not really defying the fury in this 8 pepper fried chicken.

Website:
http://www.churchschicken.ca

Mr. Tonkatsu is a chain restaurant from Toronto that serves up deep-fried pork cutlet served with rice, miso soup, and unlimited cabbage salad. Since there aren’t that many tonkatsu places in Vancouver, I was surprised Mr. Tonkatsu would open their first BC location in Surrey.

I came here during lunch while they were doing their soft opening to check out the space and their different tonkatsu dishes.

Interior

The space doesn’t have too much seating inside and the space seemed like it isn’t being utilized to it’s fullest. Perhaps this is just for the soft opening.

Menu

How to Eat Your Tonkatsu

There is a little sign that shows you how to best enjoy your tonkatsu. First, you grind the sesame seeds with a wooden stick until it’s crushed.

After that, you mix it with the special sauce and dunk your pieces of pork cutlet into it.

Katsu

You can choose your katsu with a few different varieties – pork tenderloin, chicken, pork loin with cheese, chicken with cheese, or tsuyuu (pork loin katsu in broth).

The most popular option is the pork loin with cheese. The pork itself is this and wrapped around a center of cheese, then the outside is crisp and fried till golden brown. It was delicious and paired well with the unlimited rice, miso soup and cabbage. The only critique that we had was the pork is very thin in comparison with the cheese. If you want something more meaty, just go with the tonkatsu without the cheese. There is also the option of adding extra piece of katsu too.

For the cabbage, make sure to add the dressing on top. They don’t really take initiative to fill up your rice, miso soup, or cabbage often, so you need to flag them down and ask for more if you need it.

Curry Katsu

It comes with curry, pickles, and unlimited rice, miso soup and cabbage. You can choose it with chicken, chicken with cheese, pork tenderloin, pork loin, pork loin with cheese, karaage, or shrimp.

I went with the curry katsu accompanied with the pork loin and cheese. It’s the same piece as the tonkatsu but with the added curry. The curry was a good flavour and there was a lot of sauce so the rice soaks up all the flavour.

Soy Garlic Chicken

At $18 a plate, you get a good amount of chicken with this order. Good to share among the table. I can’t remember how many pieces there were, but it was plenty for a group of 3.

The chicken isn’t as crispy because of the soy garlic sauce added after it’s been fried. It’s definitely more Korean than Japanese but then again, there is a sign outside that says ‘Korean’.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we through it was decent but wasn’t outstanding. A good addition to the neighbourhood as there isn’t any thing similar in Surrey. If you live in Metro Vancouver, now, you don’t have to travel all the way to Dowtown Vancouver to get tonkatsu.

Address:
10320 152 St A, Surrey, BC

Website:
http://www.mrtonkatsu.com/

Looking for a Summer drink that isn’t the usual wine or beer? Strongbow has launched their Strongbow Rose Apple Cider in Canada and it’s available at most public liquor stores like BC Liquor in a 4-pack. It is a crisp, semi-dry cider, and gluten-free.

The colour of the Rosé Apple Cider has a light pink hue to it and represents the rosé nicely. When poured into a glass, it look pretty nice, or you can just drink it straight from the can to save one more item needing to be washed.

Upon first taste, we could taste the sweetness of the red apples balanced with the rosé, which is very refreshing especially on a hot day. With the weather starting to get hotter and hotter, I know I’ll be grabbing a cold beverage to cool off from the hot sun. Ciders are generally more sweet than wine or beer, so not for everyone. At 4.5% alcohol, it’s an easy drink.

Riz Sushi & Catering just launched a few new items for the Spring of 2019 with more hot items offered on the menu. They used to only sell sushi and poke bowls, but now they have expanded their menu with hot dishes made with quality ingredients. If you’re in a rush, they still have their quick takeout sushi and Asomi Mochi.

We were invited to have a taste of their new menu items.

Interior

There are a few picnic tables inside for larger groups and some seats at the side of the restaurant. It’s not big but it does accommodate those eating in or taking out.

Menu

Chicken Karaage

This comes with 5 pieces and it’s nicely fried and presented in the bowl. The chicken is very moist and tender on the inside. It paired nicely with the sauce and the greens too.

Chicken Udon

This was very surprising to see as it looks pretty darn good and not what we were expecting. With the addition of the greens and use of lean shredded chicken, it is a healthy twist on the dish without compromising taste. Works very well together.

Kimchi Beef Yakisoba

If you love a little kick in your yakisoba, the kimchi beef yakisoba might be for you. The flavour combination works very well together and of course it has to be topped with a sunny side up egg.

Shiso Skirt Steak Salad

The skirt steak has been sous vide for several hours and then seared to perfection, thus giving it a taste and tender texture. On top of the salad are also some noodles.

Pork Belly Chashu Don

There is a good amount of veggie like the pickled mushrooms, beansprout and cabbage that go into this pork belly chashu don. The egg in the centre is soft, yolky and pairs nicely with the chashu. A very well balanced bowl and it’s not too heavy.

Creamy Seafood Uni Udon Pasta

Our favourite dish of the tasting was the creamy seafood uni udon pasta. Very rich and creamy sauce the covers each strand of udon noodle. You can add 3 pieces of Uni for $4, which is a pretty good price.

Final Thoughts

The dishes were well balanced and we really like how they added in more green and pickled veggies too. Sometimes classic Japanese dishes can be a bit rich and heavy, so Riz was able to create dishes that really fit with the taste buds of the West Coast.

Address:
2887 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.rizsushi.com/

As Vancouverites, we dread the rain, but now with the good streak of hot weather, that good ol’ patio season has begun. Something about having the sun out gives us an extra bounce in our step and makes us more social and of course indulge a bit more.

We were invited out to the Personas Patio in Burnaby to check out the latest menu, enjoy some gigantic drinks, and soak in the sun with great company. I didn’t even realize they had a nice patio until now.

Patio

There is an outdoor bar in this space and a decent amount of seating for small to large groups.

There are umbrellas and some covering just in case the sun is a bit too strong during certain parts of the day.

Menu

Drinks

The drinks are massive and have a nice aesthetic to them. You won’t want to miss their Giant Bellini Bombs or Double Down Coronas Bulldogs served in these huge glasses. You’ll want to bring a friend or two to help you devour them. If you’re not up for a huge beverage, the cotton candy cosmo is very whimsical. There’s an array of drinks on their menu from more boozy drinks to more fruity cocktails.

Double Down Coronas Bulldogs

Giant Bellini Bombs

Cotton Candy Cosmo

Food

Of course food needs to go with drinks or else you’re gonna have a bad night. They have a large menu of shared appetizers, salads, bowls, sandwiches, and some entrees.

Flatbreads

They have a wide variety of flatbreads at Personas. Very easy to share. We tried the Tropic Thunder, Little Italy and the Cheese & Honey. They were all really cheesy and not that flat for flatbread. We noticed, there is a bit of inconsistency between our visits. Our favourite is still the Thai Shrimp.

Wings

There are 2 kinds of wings – classic crispy (dry) or gochujang chili sauce (wet). These were all a bit dry and lacked moisture maybe because it was over fried.

Ebi Prawns

These are tempura prawns paired with Japanese mayo, bonito flakes, and back sesame seeds. Very easy item to share among a group.

Wok This Way

This has lightly breaded and golden fried squid with garlic, sambal oelek and cilantro.

Sticky Ribs

These are slow booked, crispy fried button ribs tossed in a Korean Galbi BBQ Sauce and sesame seeds. These were ok, but similar to the chicken wings, they were a bit on the dry side.

South Beach Salad

This has mixed greens, grilled chicken, corn, black beans, dates, red onion, red pepper, avocado, feta, and a cilantro lime dressing. It was a decent salad if you’re looking for something more healthy on the menu.

Chicken and Waffle Sandwich

This has the crispy chicken breast, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and maple bourbon aioli between 2 Belgian Waffles. If you want to indulge, this is it. The chicken was crispy and it always goes well with waffles.

Personas Burger

This has a beef patty, lettuce, tomato, pickle, red onion, and their secret sauce between brioche bun. You can add bacon, mushroom and cheddar onto it too. We had this burger last time and we liked it a lot better this time. It wasn’t too saucy and wet like last time.

Prawn Stuffed Sole

This has a red Thai curry sauce, bok choy, edamame, sundried tomatoes, and with brown and puffed wild rice. The sole was tender and good, but we felt like it was a small protein portion.

Seafood Linguini

This has shrimp, salmon, and bay scallops with a garlic Aurora sauce and grilled garlic crouton. Very saucy and there is a decent amount of seafood in this linguini.

Braised Short Rib

This galbi sauce, fingerling potatoes, sundried tomatoes, bok choy and edamame. This was a hit for some but we thought it was mediocre.

Final Thoughts

Personas Patio is a nice hidden spot in Burnaby that I don’t think most people realize is there. Great for the Summer to lounge around with friends. They do have a lots of great creative drinks on the menu, but the food is your standard pub fare. If you’re looking for something outstanding, Atlas Steak + Fish is a nicer option.

Address:
4331 Dominion St, Burnaby, BC

Website:
http://mypersonas.ca

Fumiko Moreton has created another whimsical afternoon set that is sure to impress. Located inside the Trump Champagne Lounge, you can get the Carnival Afternoon tea set from May 20 – July 21, 2019 at 12 – 4pm for $65 per person.

We’ve gotten feedback on how we should not be supporting Trump Hotel due to it’s association but we believe in the talents of their local staff who are crafting some incredible eats. It’s about good food, not politics.

The Carnival Afternoon tea set comes with a collection of savouries, sweets, and tea. The bigger wheel pictured serves 3 people while the smaller one serves 2 people. Who knew dining with one more extra person would make a big difference.

Tea Selections

You can choose from a bunch of black tea, red teas, rooibos, green tea or herbal teas as part of your afternoon tea set. I love my black teas.

Scones

The basket of scones contains Funfetti Scone, Mini Pretzel, and Matcha Scone. It is served with clotted cream, lemon curd and strawberry & rhubarb jam. I really enjoyed the funfetti scone with the clotted cream.

Savouries

Savouries are my favourite in an afternoon tea set. You’ll find fun items like corn dogs, egg salad sandwiches, baked oysters, poutine and mini ‘ice cream’ cones as these savoury items. Of all these, the corn dog was my absolute favourite as it has an Arabiki-style Sausage and sriracha ketchup.

Smoked Salmon and Dill Mini ‘Ice Cream’ Cone
Corn Dog
Watercress Egg Salad Sandwich
Baked Oyster with Bacon Crisp and Leek
Duck Poutine

Sweets

For the sweet tooth, there is chocolate banana crepe, raspberry lemonade jello, chocolate sundae cupcake, cinnamon sugar churros, salted caramel popcorn cream puff, and cotton candy pop. Of the bunch, the salted caramel popcorn cream puff surprised me the most. Good balance of flavours.

Chocolate Banana Crepe
Raspberry Lemonade Jello
Chocolate Sundae Cupcake
Cinnamon Sugar Churros
Salted Caramel Popcorn Cream Puff

Carnival Afternoon Tea in Cage

If you’re feeling boujee, you can get the Carnival Afternoon Tea served in a cage with a glass of champagne and a dessert box with macarons for $118 per person.

Final Thoughts

Overall, their limited edition afternoon sets are beautifully crafted and have a fun seasonal theme. The price is decent and the food isn’t your cookie cutter afternoon tea sets that you see at some places around town. The items are aesthetically pleasing as well as leaving your taste buds wanting more.

Address:
161 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC 

Website:
https://www.trumphotels.com/vancouver/the-trump-champagne-lounge

Asylum is the lounge within Hard Rock Casino serving comfort food and drinks. It is located inside of the casino at the rear if you’re coming in from the main entrance. They will also check your ID, so make sure you don’t forget it.

They just introduced their ‘Battle of the Burgers‘, which 6 specialty burgers are created by Hard Rock Casino Vancouver staff and customers get to crown a winner to be added to the permanent menu.

We were invited to give all six burgers a taste test to see which ones we enjoyed.

Battle of the Burger Details

Each burger is $15 and comes with fries or a side of Hard Rock Salad.

Every purchase of a burger will earn you one ballot into the grand finale draw to win Free Burgers for a Year. The burger with most purchases by May 31st, 2019 will be crowned the winner and take its place permanently on the Asylum menu.

Viva Las Vegas Burger

This burger is created by Chef Fernanda using a beef burger with Chimichurri Mayo, onion salsa, Italian Sausage, pineapple bacon jam, kale, tomato, and mozzarella on an onion bun.

We enjoyed the beef burger with the Italian Sausage as it worked really well together to bring in more flavour.

We Jammin’ Spam Burger

Created by Chef Krisken, this has grilled spam, grilled pineapple, jalapeño jam, Japanese mayo, yaki nori, cheddar cheese on an onion bun.

A Hawaiian twist to the classic burger and we were instantly drawn to this burger for the spam. The grilled pineapple was pretty thick so it over powered the taste of the spam. This burger needed some more texture. Perhaps some fried nori crisps would have been nice.

Guinness in the Jar

Created by Chef Mark, this has white cheddar, Guinness braised onion, butter lettuce, tomato, and Guinness aioli on a brioche bun.

This burger was decent. The Guinness braised onion added a nice savoury element to the burger but was missing something as well.

Black & Blue Beatles

This burger is created by Chef Kulwinder using blue cheese dressing, blue cheese crumble, cracked black pepper, lettuce, tomato, and red onion on a brioche bun.

This isn’t for everyone as you gotta love blue cheese to enjoy this. I was the only one at the table that enjoyed it. I don’t have blue cheese that often but when I do, I really enjoy it.

Burger of the Stars

This has olive tapenade mayo with smoked paprika, roasted red pepper, goat cheese, lettuce, tomato, and red onion on a brioche bun. This was created by Chef Antonio.

This was ok, very middle of the road and nothing too stood out to us.

Burger for the Weekend

This burger was created by Johnny D using grilled chicken with sweet chili sauce, mayo, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onion, avocado, cheddar on a brioche bun.

In terms of taste, this was a solid burger. The flavours went together, had good texture and was a favourite among the table.

Final Thoughts

Overall, interesting concepts created for the Battle of the Burgers at Asylum. If you’re at Hard Rock Casino Vancouver, definitely check it out. We have our favourites but which one will you choose? This goes on until May 31st, 2019.

Website:
https://www.hardrockcasinovancouver.com/burger/

Address:
2080 United Blvd, Coquitlam, BC

Tina Cake and Desserts is one of the first Vietnamese Dessert Shops in Vancouver. Very refreshing to see that it doesn’t just focus on Che. I was looking online for some new places and this place popped up and looked pretty interesting for the Salted Egg Yolk Cakes.

I came with my friend to check this out with our kids. Since our kids and under 1 years old, it was just the adults devouring all the desserts hahaha.

Interior

Tina Cakes has a very bright blue interior with lots of tables. Nothing fancy, but it’s really all about the dessert here. The tables are set up in 2’s and 4’s but I’m sure you can move around tables and chairs for a larger group.

Menu

Salted Egg Yolk Cupcake

When you check in with Yelp, you get this salted egg yolk cupcake for free. A nice touch since they just opened up recently and its good to encourage people to spread the word. It’s a two bite cupcake topped with floss, a glaze and the salted egg yolk. Good unique flavours.

Salted Egg Yolk Slice

I then ordered a slice of Salted Egg Yolk Cake and it was pretty good portion size.

Pandan Jelly with Flan

What a unique dessert to have pandan and coconut jelly filled with flan. The look with the piggy and the piglets are really cute too.

It wasn’t too sweet at all and it worked well together. You have the sweetness from the caramel flan but the pandan and coconut jelly aren’t as sweet, which is nice.

Coconut Pearl Dessert with Flan

The flan comes with different assortment of coconut pearls, coconut milk, and a caramel sauce. It was surprisingly really good. The pearls aren’t like the pearls in bubble tea and a lot less chew.

Thai Mixed Fruit Dessert with Durian in Coconut Milk

There is durian, jackfruit, tapioca, pandan jellies, mungbean paste, matcha balls, pandan balls, coconut milk, and crushed ice. There is definitely a lot going on in this bowl, but I enjoyed how there was such a good assortment of fresh toppings. The durian was very fragrant and took over the whole taste of the bowl, but that’s what durian does.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the desserts we ordered were really good and well executed. Everything was very affordable at around $5-$6, which was great. I’ll definitely be back for some more.

Address:
888, Kingsway, Vancouver, BC

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/888Kingsway/

KFC Canada just launched their Chachos, which are chicken and nachos combined into one item. It is their deep-fried chicken strips topped with nacho cheese, sour cream, jalapeños, tomatoes, and chives.

You can get them as a Chick N’ Share Chachos, Chachos Box Meal, Chachos combo or a la carte. I went with the Chachos Box Meal and upgraded to a poutine. It comes with a cookie, drink, popcorn chicken, a side, and of course 3 pieces of Chachos.

After taking a few bites, the Chachos are quite salty but with the jalapeño, it does even out a little bit. The nacho cheese and the sour cream were a great addition but I wish I had more of the sauce as I felt it was a bit sparse.

The Chachos is like a drunk or high person’s dream of mashing chicken strips and nachos together… without the nacho chips. Would I order them again? Probably not, but it did give me a great idea to buy some nacho cheese and cream cheese to go with fried chicken if I ever want to do something similar.

Website:
https://www.kfc.ca

McDonald’s Canada is back with their ‘Great Canadian Tastes’ Menu featuring Fish & Chips and Chocolate Nanaimo McFlurry inspired by Canadian flavours from coast to coast.

The Chocolate Nanaimo McFlurry represents the West Coast. It is inspired by the Nanaimo bar with coconut graham crackers, chocolate chips and cocoa swirled into vanilla soft serve and blended with fudge.

The coconut graham crackers and fudge adds a nice texture to the McFlurry base of Vanilla ice cream. It does have a subtle sweet coconut flavour. The McFlurry overall is pretty sweet and I’m not a big fan of this version. I much prefer the Oreo.

The Chocolate Nanaimo Bar McFlurry is only available until June 17th, 2019, so catch it before it’s gone.

Website:
https://www.mcdonalds.com/ca/en-ca/

Yuan’s Chuan Chuan Xiang is located inside Aberdeen Mall on the second floor. They specialize in Chengdu region of HotPot. They have many locations all over China and also one in Amsterdam too.

Chengdu is the capital of southwestern China’s Sichuan province and is known for their chili oil.

They are a little but hidden in the mall, but if you find the pandas, you’re in the right place. They have pandas because Chengdu is famous for their Giant Panda Breeding conservation center where visitors can view endangered giant pandas in their natural habitat.

We were invited to check out their unique hotpot concept.

Interior

There are lots of booth-style seating and good for small to large groups. There is ample ventilation too so you won’t smell like your food at some other restaurants.

There are seat covers to ensure no smell or splashes get onto your bag. If you want, they also have aprons to wear too.

They have private rooms if you have a gathering that you want to dine in a more intimate setting.

Menu

Making Your Own Sauce

As with any hot pot, sauce is a must! They have a sauce station for $2.45 per person.

The Chengdu way is a bowl of sauce made of garlic, peanuts, cilantro, green onions, a little oyster sauce and then top it up with their branded mini can of sesame oil. They recommend 1 can per person, 1/2 a can if people think it’s too much.

The sauce was actually really good. Usually customers don’t opt in to get the sauce, but the experience isn’t the same without it.

You gotta try it for the full experience.

Soup Base

For your soup base, we went with half house-special non-spicy broth and house-special spicy both. It’s a bit extra but good to try both kinds. Extra-spicy is an option too if you can handle it.

They suggest drinking the non-spicy soup base before you begin the hotpot as it’s the Sichuan way. The non-spicy soup has a very tasty depth of chicken and pork aroma, but it is salty. Some may say it might be too salty to drink. Cooking food in the soup base actually seasons it quite nice so you don’t need additional sauce, but it is still good though.

How to Hotpot at Yuan’s Hotpot

We initially thought the skewers of meat were for grilling but there isn’t a grill anywhere. The skewers are meant to be dunked and cooked in the hotpot, apparently that’s how they do it in Chengdu.

The skewers are 90 cents each or $4.50 for a set of 5. There are also bigger meat platters too, but at a higher price point. Skewers are recommended for people who are in smaller groups like us as we were only 2 people.

It is recommended to cook the non-spicy skewers into the non-spicy soup, and the spicy in the spicy soup. The spicy soup does have a nice kick of heat, so perfect for items like meat. For veggies, dunking it in the non-spicy soup is best.

Assorted Veggie Skewers

Bamboo Shoot Skewers

Spinach Skewers

Assorted spicy and non-spicy meats

Beef Throat

Deep Fried Pork

You can eat the deep fried pork when it’s hot. It’s very delicious, but when it cools down, you can actually throw it into the hotpot and it’s pretty amazing too. It’s like pork two ways.

Rice Cake

The rice cake is eaten on its own and not dunked into the hotpot. It’s a bit sticky and sweet. Sometimes it good to have something sweet and warm.

Ice Jelly

This has konjac jelly topped with seasonal fruits, crushed peanuts and haw flakes. A good way to end the meal.

Peach Soda

They have their own signature drinks that pairs well with the hotpot to cool you down like this peach soda. Sweet and refreshing.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we enjoyed this different style of hotpot at Yuan’s Chuan Chuan Xiang and it’s fun using skewers of meat and veggies instead of just throwing it into the pot. You’ll never forget what you put inside as the sticks are visible. Definitely worth a try and you’ll most likely spend around $30 – $40 per person.

Address:
Aberdeen Centre 2F, 4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond, BC

Website:
https://yuanhotpot.ca

McDonald’s Canada is back with their ‘Great Canadian Tastes’ Menu featuring Fish & Chips and Chocolate Nanaimo McFlurry inspired by Canadian flavours from coast to coast.

The Fish & Chips represents the East Coast. It is made with 2 pieces of 100% wild-caught MSC certified sustainable Atlantic Haddock coated with a golden, crunchy batter, and served with classic McDonald Fries and a tartar dipping sauce.

The Fish & Chips is $7.29 for the 2 pieces of Haddock, fries and a container of tartar sauce. Pretty expensive but it’s not often that they have fish items on the menu except filet-o-fish. The fries were crispy, tartar sauce was good as usual, but the haddock was a bit on the small size. Imagine a really big McNugget size. It’s fun to try it once but I would order something else next time.

It’s only available until June 17th, 2019, so catch it before it’s gone.

Website:
https://www.mcdonalds.com/ca/en-ca.html

Sugarfina and Alfred Coffee collaborated to create the world’s first caffeinated cold brew bears. They worked together to create this fun line of new gummy bears loaded with caffeine. There are 3 flavours – iced vanilla latte, cold brew and bourbon cold brew. Instead of drinking your favourite brew, you can eat them in gummy format and still get a buzz going on. It took them 2 years to refine the product, so they really worked hard to get the taste right.

If you’re not familiar with Alfred Coffee, they are based in LA and they are a very popular coffee shop known for their tagline – “But First, Coffee.”

We got to try all 3 flavours for our taste test.

Iced Vanilla Latte

These gummies are made with Alfred’s signature Iced Vanilla Latte. Each mini cup size (3.5oz) has 0.5 shots of espresso and one Coffee Bag (12oz) has 1.5 shots of espresso.

Of the 3 types, this one was more of my favourite as the sweetness of the gummy bear paired well with the vanilla latte and the taste is more mild. The aroma is very nice and strong.

Cold Brew

The Cold Brew Bears are made with Alfred’s signature Cold Brew. Each mini cup size (3.5oz) has 1 shot of espresso and one Coffee Bag (12oz) has 3 shots of espresso. Definitely stronger than the Iced Vanilla Latte.

It does have a slight bitter taste to it and a stronger coffee taste. You definitely need to be a coffee lover to really be into this.

Bourbon Cold Brew

The Bourbon Cold Brew Bears are made with Alfred’s signature Bourbon Cold Brew. It’s definitely boozy and buzzy. Each mini cup size (3.5oz) has 1 shot of espresso and one Coffee Bag (12oz) has 3 shots of espresso.

Definitely stronger than the Iced Vanilla Latte and more bitter and tangy than the Cold Brew.

Sizes

The Cold Brew Bear comes in 3 different formats that you can get in-stores – Mini Coffee Cup, Coffee Bag, and a Tumbler + 2 pack combo. Works great as gifts for the coffee lover.

3.5 oz mini coffee cup

12 oz coffee bags

Tumbler + cold brew and iced vanilla latte

Final Thoughts

It’s definitely a fun collaboration between Sugarfina and Alfred Coffee. Very unique flavours and Iced Vanilla Latte was our favourite of the 3 flavours. We love the packaging of the items and its so darn cute. How could you not get it for a coffee lover?

Website:
https://www.sugarfina.com/