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In American

The Girl and The Fig: Dinner in Napa Valley

One of the most memorable meals of our Napa Valley and Sonoma trip was at The Girl & The Fig. We got reservations for dinner through their website a few weeks in advance. There are a few shops in the area, so we got here a bit early and decided to walk a few blocks to check out some stores until our table was ready.

Interior

There aren’t too many tables inside, but luckily, we were seated in their back patio which was really nice. It is a heated patio, so we weren’t worried when the sun went down.

Menu

Complimentary Olives, Bread and Butter

An assortment of olives arrived at the table and they were so addictive. Our favourite ones were the big plump green ones. They are unlimited, so you can ask for more.

Bread and butter arrived too. We were trying to save our appetite since we ordered a lot of dishes, but ended up eating all the bread since it was also good.

The Works

If you want to try a bit of their meats and cheeses, they suggested we try The Works, which has 3 selections of cheeses, cured meats, seasonal fruit, house-made fig cake, spiced nuts and sliced baguette.

The cheeses that we chose were:

  • La Délice de Bourgogne: Full-fat cow’s milk with fresh cream for a rich, whipped texture.
  • Laura Chenel Chèvre: A goat’s milk with creamy texture and delicate flavour.
  • Central Coast Creamery Ewenique: A sheep’s milk that is velvety and white with sweet and savoury flavours.

All of them were delicious, but the Laura Chenel Chèvre as it went with the honey drizzle.

As for the meats, I don’t remember what we got, but we still enjoyed it. The other accompaniments of this board were delicious like the wine grapes, fig cake, and nuts. It all worked so well as finger food before our entrees arrived.

Grass-Fed Steak Tartare

This has a traditional steak tartare with a raw egg, caperberries, lavender sea salt, mustard, and toast. This was really good and fresh. We liked how the pieces of the tartare was not too fine.

Fig & Arugula Salad

We had to get a dish with figs in it because thats the name of the restaurant. This has toasted pecans, Mano Formate pancetta, Laura Chenel Chèvre, and a fig & port vinaigrette. Perfectly dressed and all the ingredients balanced very well.

Duck Confit

We got this dish with 2 duck confit legs. It sits on top of sweet corn, green tomatoes, farro, and a bacon vinaigrette. The legs were delicious, tender and juicy.

Wild Flounder Meunière

The flounder is served with a Yukon​ potato purée, spinach, and lemon-caper brown butter. A nice combination of ingredients and were pleasantly surprised with how good it was.

Steak Frites

The 6-ounce prime flat iron steak was served medium rare with skinny frites, and a roasted padrón butter. We were also impressed with the dish as it wasn’t too salty and everyone loves fries.

Cookies & Milk

This is a fun dessert for adults and kids. You get two warm chocolate chunk sea salt cookies and a vanilla milk shake. It was very delicious and gives you so much nostalgia when you devour this treat.

Profiteroles

This is more like a profiterole ice cream sandwich. It has Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream in the cream puffs and drizzled with bittersweet chocolate sauce and powdered sugar. Also another amazing dessert!

Final Thoughts

We loved every item we ordered and was well worth the price we paid for 4 people. It was definitely the most delicious and memorable meal of our time in Sonoma and Napa Valley. Highly recommended to make a stop here.

Address:
110 W Spain St, Sonoma, CA

Website:
https://www.thegirlandthefig.com/

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In American

The Boon Fly Cafe: Breakfast in Napa Valley

When we were in Napa Valley, we decided to head over to The Boon Fly Cafe for breakfast. For a Friday, this place was very busy. We waited quite a while and was the last group to be seated for the breakfast menu. We were glad we just squeezed in because we were here specifically for breakfast.

They do offer complimentary water and hot coffee outside as you wait. A nice touch!

Interior

There are a good amount of seats inside for small to large groups. If you have a larger group, best to come early. They only do reservations for dinner. Other wise, it’s first come first serve.

Menu

Boon Fly Donuts

Their mini donuts are made fresh with sugar covering each piece. You get 13 pieces per order. It’s soft in texture and light. When it arrives at the table, eat it right away so you can enjoy them hot and fresh.

The pieces at the bottom of the bucket were coated in a lot of sugar, so they were more sweet.

Boon Fly Chicken & Waffle

This is made using Mary’s free range chicken, malt waffle pepper jam, maple syrup, and whipped brown butter. A deliciously crisp waffle with 3 pieces of fried chicken. Depending on the piece of the chicken, it could be dry or juicy. Pieces like the breast with white meat tend to be more dry.

Green Eggs and Ham

We ordered this because of the name, plus it reminds us of Dr Seuss.  This has poached farm fresh eggs wrapped in honey-cured ham, lemon leek-cream, on crispy hash browns. A creative dish that also tasted good.

Boon Fly Benedict

This dish uses Sweet Pea Bake Shop’s fresh English muffin, thinly sliced honey-cured ham, poached eggs, Jalapeño hollandaise, and crispy hash browns. One of the eggs were poached soft and the other one was more of a medium. The hashbrowns are pretty darn tasty.

Corned Beef Hash

This has house-made corned beef, crispy hash browns, spinach, grilled onions, poached eggs, and Jalapeño hollandaise. I asked the staff for a recommendation on the menu and they said their favourite dish was the corned beef hash, so I had to get it. It was really good and you can tell the quality of the corned beef was very high. The eggs were both soft poached perfectly and the hollandaise was delicious.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the breakfast here was delicious and the staff were very friendly. The dishes we ordered were a bit more on the heavy side, but they do have lighter and healthier items on the menu too.

Website:
http://www.boonflycafe.com/

Address:
4048 Sonoma Hwy, Napa

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In Cafe

Crackle Creme: Fall Inspired Crème Brûlée in Vancouver

Crackle Creme is a cozy cafe located in Chinatown specializing in crème brûlée, cute macarons, waffles and drinks. As the Fall is almost upon us, they are releasing 3 new crème brûlée flavours – Apple Pie, Pumpkin Spice and Malt Spice. 3 flavours that capture the Fall season.

Interior

The interior is small, so there aren’t too many seats inside. A lot of people come to get treats to- go or they sit a short little while enjoy their crème brûlée fresh.

Menu

Apple Pie Crème Brûlée

All their ingredients are made in-house and use fresh ingredients in their crème brûlée.

They torch the crème brûlée in front of you, so there is no mystery at all. Apple pie crème brûlée is topped with an apple mixture that accentuates the flavour just like an apple pie without the crust.

This was our favourite of the 3 flavours.

Pumpkin Spice Crème Brûlée

The Pumpkin Spice crème brûlée has spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to make the classic Pumpkin Spice flavour. It has an interesting combination of flavours as a crème brûlée with these warm Fall flavours. If you’re a Pumpkin Spice fan, this might be for you.

Malt Spice Crème Brûlée

The malt spice is an interesting flavour with a stronger alcohol taste compared to the other 3 flavours. If you like a boozy kick to your crème brûlée, this might be for you.

Pandan Coconut Crème Brûlée

We tried a few more crème brûlée on their menu and the pandan coconut has a subtle flavour of the pandan leaf and a stronger coconut taste. It was pretty good in my opinion if you enjoy pandan.

Thai Iced Tea Crème Brûlée

Thai Iced Tea infused in their crème brûlée is a good combination, but don’t pair it with their Thai Iced Tea or else it’s too much of the same flavour.

Thai Iced Tea and Thai Jasmine Iced Tea

If you’re looking for some beverages to go with some desserts, they have some Thai Iced Tea and Thai Jasmine Iced Tea for a limited time.

Thai Iced Tea is a classic drink, but the Thai Jasmine Iced Tea is very interesting and floral in taste. We really enjoyed it a lot.

Macarons

They have the cutest macarons available at the café with different cartoon characters. It makes for a really great gift too.

Final Thoughts

If you’re wanting to find a place with an amazing amount of crème brûlée flavours, you’ll definitely find something unique at Crackle Creme. They have so many that it’s hard to choose what to order.

Website:
https://www.cracklecreme.com/

Address:
245 Union St, Vancouver, BC

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In Napa Valley

The Hess Collection: Wine Tastings and Art Museum

The Hess Collection is located in the Napa Valley offering unique wine tastings and a look into their exclusive art collection. We made a quick stop here to check out what they have to offer.

When walking around the property, I really loved looking into their room with all the wine barrels displayed. It smells so nice!

Taste of Mount Veeder: A Vertical Tasting

We enjoyed the vertical tasting that allowed us to try the Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon from different vintages from the oldest to the newest. We tried the 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014 vintages.

This way, we got a chance to taste what happens to wine as you age it – from softer tannins to bolder tannins along with changes in flavour and aromas. It’s a unique experience that not all wineries offer.

Tasting Menu

From the list of 10 options, we got to taste 4 for $25.

Th 2017 Hess Small Block Orange Muscat was one of the favourites that we had. For those who prefer sweeter wines, this is for you. This is like a dessert wine, but more off-dry, so it pairs really well with spicy foods.

Hess Art Collection

There is an extensive art collection in the building and it’s something nice to experience while you are here.

Final Thoughts

Overall, experience was good. The staff were very knowledgable taking us through the tastings. As a bonus, it’s nice that there is an art collection if you like art.

Address:
4411 Redwood Rd, Napa, CA

Website:
https://www.hesscollection.com/

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In British Columbia

Hanai Family Table: Spam Musubi and Fried Okinawa Sweet Potato Mochi Delivered in Vancouver

Hanai Family Table serves up delicious Hawaiian treats – Spam Musubi and Fried Okinawa Sweet Potato Mochi delivered to your doorstep. This was started by Tess and Tom, who were born and raised in Hawaii on the island of O’ahu. With a culinary background, they decided to create Hanai Family Table to share these Hawaiian treats in Vancouver that will put a simile on your face. They can deliver outside of Vancouver, but send them a message to double check if it’s possible.

I saw them on Instagram and decided to put in an order of each item. I ordered 48 hours in advance, filled out the form and paid online. I then got a confirmation email and email to find the best time for delivery. Tess texted me the day of to let me know she was on her way with the delivery and when she arrived so I could meet her. Pretty easy process.

Spam Musubi

The spam musubi comes in a pack of 4 and are cut in half so you get 8 pieces. A classic Hawaii snack that is so damn addictive when done right. The spam has a shoyu ginger glaze, sushi-style rice with furikake, wrapped in nori. This is their twist to spam musubi and it works.

You want to eat these fresh and pop them in the microwave for 10 – 15 seconds. It’s delicious when its a little warm.

Fried Okinawa Sweet Potato Mochi

These were my absolutely favourite item. This is their version of fried poi mochi in Hawaii. It has a super crunchy exterior and chewy mochi interior with Okinawa Sweet Potato. It’s vegan and gluten-free, which is awesome.

When I took my first bite, I could hear the crunch of the outside  and saw the beautiful purple colour of the Okinawa Sweet Potato.

You want to eat these fresh to retain their texture and deliciousness.

Final Thoughts

They do the Spam Musubi and Fried Okinawa Sweet Potato Mochi very well and I’m actually glad they kept their options small so they can focus on quality. They put their own spin on their product and it’s awesome.  The price is a bit higher than what you would normally find in a store, but it’s delivered, the quality of ingredients is good, tastes amazing and you’re supporting a local small business in Vancouver.

Website:
https://www.hanaifamilytable.com/

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In British Columbia

Starbucks Canada: Cardamom Latte and New Fall Treats

Fall is around the corner and there is more to it than Pumpkin Spiced Lattes at Starbucks Canada. I’m always excited when new items are created on the Starbucks menu as it give customers more options and variety. Since the Fall is nearing, they released a few items that you might want to make part of your morning routine.

Cardamom Latte

Exclusive to just Canada, they are introducing Cardamom Lattes as cardamom spice is the new food trend to watch out for this year. It’s an interesting concept and this flavour blend is paired with Starbucks Signature Espresso. As this was created just for Canadians, they have tweaked the taste to reflect Canadian’s appetite for global flavours. Similar to other Starbucks beverages, it is fully customizable. You can have it over ice, with an extra shot of espresso or with soy milk. The options are endless.

We had the hot Cardamom Latte and upon the first few sips, we could definitely taste the spices. It reminded us of a Chai latte and is great for keeping us warm as the weather decreases in temperature.

New Fall Treats

Starbucks always has a great line up of treats that pairs well with your beverage and entices your tastebuds. They have a few classic items along with 2 new additions.

Classic Coffee Cake

This has a new look in a square shape and cinnamon sugar blended throughout, then finished with a crunchy streusel topping.

Maple Pecan Muffin

The pecans and maple syrup are blended in this muffin for a good Fall treat. It’s quite a big size, so definitely filling.

These 3 items are their new additions to the menu, so the next time you go into a Starbucks Canada store, you’ll see them on the menu and display cases.

Website:
https://www.starbucks.ca/

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In Napa Valley

Castello di Amorosa: Tuscan Castle and Winery in Napa Valley

Castello di Amorosa was highly recommended as one of the must see wineries in Napa Valley. It’s not everyday you see a 13th-century Tuscan castle as the backdrop for a winery. We made the long drive to come visit for the experience. They offer guided and self-guided tours of the castle and finishing off with tastings of their Italian-inspired wines.

This is the sister winery of the Sattui Family, which also operate V. Sattui Winery in Napa Valley, which is also another great winery to visit.

Outside the Castle

You can walk outside of the castle towards their rows and rows of grapes before they get harvested. It’s beautiful to see them on the vines.

Animals

There are a lot of animals around Castello di Amorosa like pigs, chickens, sheep, goats, and other animals. It’s great for visitors with families to check out the space as there is more than just the castle tour and tastings.

Into the Castle

To walk into the castle, you follow a long fight of stairs up towards the drawbridge and go through the doors.

Once you walk through, you can sign up for tours and tastings. You can’t wander about the castle without paying.

General Admission Tasting Experiences

They have guided tours, but we opted for the General Admission Tasting Experiences as they are cheaper.

  • Premium Wine Tasting – $30 per person
    (Premium Tasting of 5 wines)
  • Reserve Wine Tasting – $45 per person
    (Reserve Tasting of 6 wines, including Reserve wines)
  • Wine Club Member – Complimentary Premium Wine Tasting for Club Member and Guest
    (Limit 2 per active membership. Additional discounts apply to higher club levels when member is present.)
  • Child Admission – $20 per minor (ages 5-20)
    (Includes grape juice. Children and Young Adults ages 0 to 20 may enter the Castello only when accompanied by an adult over the age of 21.)

This includes a map of the winery, wine tasting, and access to the upper levels of the Castello, including the Main Tasting Bar and Knight’s Hall.  What you miss out from the guided tours are access to the lower levels of the Castello, including the Torture Chamber, Armory, or The Grand Barrel Room. If you don’t mind that, General Admission is the way to go.

Self-Guided Tour

We climbed up and down the towers of the castle and we were really impressed by the size and the details. No wonder it took them so long to build this space.

We followed the map and wandered throughout the castle and it was great to be at a higher vantage point so we could see the vineyard from above.

This room is The Great Hall and the details are really just stunning. You can’t walk into this area but you can take photos.

Main Tasting Room and Knight Hall

Entry get you a visit to the tasting room. Remember to keep your tickets that you got when you paid, and then present it to the staff to being the wine tasting experience.

With our tickets, we were able to choose 5 different wines to taste on the list.

The staff are very knowledgable and can guide you through a few based off what you normally like.

Of the ones we tried, La Fantasia and it’s a sparkling rose slightly deeper in colour than normal. Sweeter for those who don’t drink a lot usually, but not as sweet like a dessert wine.

The Gewürztraminer was another interesting wine too. It is different from German or Canadian ones that we’ve had before. It is sweeter and more fuller bodied. Probably due to the warmer climate compared to the other countries.

We enjoyed the tasting and learned more about Castello di Amorosa.

Once you’re done the tasting, you can walk around the vast area to buy some bottles of wine or other gifts.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was worth the self-guided tour and tasting. Kids and young adults can still partake in the experience but have grape juice instead of wine during the tasting.

Address:
4045 St Helena Hwy, Calistoga, CA

Website:
https://www.castellodiamorosa.com/

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In Thai

Simply Thai in Yaletown: Review

Simply Thai in Yaletown has been around since 2000 with Grace Rerksuttisiridach as the owner and Executive Chef. She is one of the only female owners and executive chefs in the Yaletown neighbourhood, which is a major accomplishment and we respect her for that. Her talents come from studying PenPen Sittitrai, who is a teacher and trainer of chefs for the Royal Thai family. We were invited to check out a few of their signature dishes.

Interior

They have seating indoors as well as outside on their patio. Since the weather is still warm, sitting outside on the patio with drinks and food is the best way to do it.

Thai Iced Tea

Thai Iced Tea is a popular drink at any Thai restaurant. It is made with the bold Thai Tea, sweetener and milk. Make sure to give it a good mix to incorporate the ingredients. We found the drink to be a bit sweet, so best to see if they can make it less sweet.

Cho Muang

This dish comes with 5 pieces of beautiful steamed violet-coloured flower dumplings stuffed with minced chicken, onion, and their special Thai spices. One of our favourite appetizers and tasted really good.

Mummy Prawns

The prawns are covered in crisp wonton strands that make it looks like mummy bandages. It is served with a sweet chili sauce. If you like crunchy textures and prawns, this is your dish.

Ghiaw Grob

For each order, you will find 8 pieces of deep fried-wonton wrappers stuffed with ground chicken and spices.

Mango Salad

A refreshing salad made with mangos as the star of the dish. A good item to have if you are also getting the deep-fried appetizers.

Tom-Yum Goong

You can choose between prawn or chicken, but we got it with prawns. This is a hot & sour soup with fresh mushrooms, lemon grass, kaffir, green onion, cilantro, and Thai chilli paste. It has a good balance between the ingredients and isn’t too spicy.

Tom Kha Gai

This soup is different as it has a base of creamy coconut milk with sliced chicken, mushrooms, green onion, cilantro, lemon grass, galanga root, and kaffir leaves.

Gong Prig Paow

There is sautéed prawns in sweet chilli paste with seasonal vegetables, green onion, and fresh thai basil.

Pla Pad Hang

This dish has deep-fried snapper fillet with stir-fried straw mushrooms, bell pepper, carrots, and green beans topped with green onion and cashew nuts.

Curry in Fresh Young Coconut

You can get their curries served in fresh young coconuts. Make sure to have a order of Jasmine rice with it or if you want to have more coconut flavour, they have steamed coconut rice too. The two pictured here was the yellow and red curries. You can adjust the level of spice if you want it more hot or mild.

Salmon Panang Curry

This dish has wild salmon in thick red curry with coconut milk and bell pepper topped with fresh Thai basil and lime leaves.

Gra Paow Ped

This dish features their succulent duck in a light brown sauce with onion, bell pepper, green beans, mushrooms, and fresh Thai basil.

Pad Thai Talay

This classic dish has pan-fried Thai rice noodles in sweet and sour tamarind sauce with a mix of seafood like mussel, squid, prawns, and scallops. There is also tofu, egg, green onion, sprouts, and ground peanuts. Delicious and you can’t go wrong with this dish.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of dishes on the menu and after indulging on so many dishes, a lot of the stir-fried dishes has similar ingredients so it started tasting the same even thought the proteins were different. Our favourites were the appetizers like the Cho Muang, mummy prawns and Ghiaw Grob. They go very well with beer too. As you get a little bit from each part of the menu, you’ll have a good time.

Address:
1211 Hamilton St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://simplythaivancouver.com/

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In Japanese

Mensho Tokyo SF: Long Lines, Expensive, and Rich in Flavour

Mensho Tokyo is a popular ramen shop in Japan and this is their first location outside of Japan. Luckily, it’s located in San Francisco in the Tenderloin. When I was visiting for a week, a lot of my Instagram followers suggested I go to Mensho Tokyo SF. We were warned that there would be a long line up and should go right when they open, but we didn’t make it until around 7pm.

Since we didn’t have evening plans, we decided to just wait. If so many people were also waiting, it must be good right? It’s also Michelin recommended.

Interior

The space is small, so I can see why there isn’t that many seats, so I can see why there was such a long line up. We counted about 28 seats in here.

Menu

Enoki Mushroom Chips

Since we waited for so long, we wanted to make sure we ordered as much as we could to make it worth it. The enoki mushroom chips were more like enoki tempura. A good pairing if you have beer.

Oyster in Shoyu Dare Oil

There were a good amount of oysters submerged in the oil. It was good to snack on them as it was better than the canned smoked oysters.

Tori Paitan Ramen

This is their most popular ramen and it has a rich and creamy chicken broth, pork chashu, duck chashu, menma, kale, burdock, and katsuobushi sauce. We added an ajitama egg to it.

The duck was delicious and we think its been sous vide to get that nice colour and texture.

Tori Paitan Ramen (Double Chashu)

If you want some extra charshu, this option might be for you.

Spicy Tori Paitan Ramen

I went the spicy route and it was more of a medium spice level. It is made with a base of their rich and creamy chicken soup, pork chashu, menma, spicy jalapeno miso, cabbage, burdock, green onion and nuts. I also added the ajitama egg.

The egg was perfectly cooked so it looks like the golden sun inside. I found my bowl to be quite rich and salty. It was very difficult to drink all the broth without feeling for my waistline.

Final Thoughts

The ramen is good and unique for those who enjoy rich chicken broth. I personally found the broth to be way too rich for my personal preferences. Their chashu, duck and ajitama egg are done very well and love these.

I wouldn’t line up again for their ramen as there are other shops that appeal more to my tastes as well as being cheaper. With each bowl being close to $20 with auto gratuity, it was pricey.

Address:
672 Geary St, San Francisco

Website:
http://mensho.tokyo/

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In Bakery

Tartine Bakery: Pastries in San Francisco

Tartine Bakery is a go to place in the Mission District. I asked a few people where I needed to go in San Francisco and they highly recommended Tartine Bakery. They are best known for their pastries.

There was a line up when we arrived, but it didn’t take too long to put our order in. Most people were doing take out.

Interior

The interior is small and feels that way especially when there is a long line up outside the door. What is interesting is that they always feature local art on the walls, which you can purchase if you like.

Menu

Croissant

The croissant is a classic item to get. It has a lot of crispy layers on the outside and soft pillowy layers on the inside. I noticed a few of their baked croissants looked a bit scorched, not sure if this is normal or not.

Fresh Berry Tart

The berries were very fresh on top of the tart. The crust was very thin, which is pretty difficult to achieve from watching too many baking competitions on the Food Network. The cream in the middle was a good amount of sweetness to go with the fruit and crust.

Mushroom Croque Monsieur

This has a variety of mushrooms, béchamel, gruyère, and pepper on top of their country bread. It is served with spicy pickled veggies on the side. This was a surprising combination of flavours but we were glad we got it. The mushrooms had so much flavour covered in the gooey cheese.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was good to come here for a visit to try a few of their different pastries. It’s one of the most talked about bakeries, so it was good to see how it compares. The berry tart and croque monsieur were a hit for us. We really enjoyed these items.

Address:
600 Guerrero St, San Francisco

Website:
https://www.tartinebakery.com/

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In Cafe

Mazarine Coffee: Lattes and Toast in San Francisco

Mazarine Coffee is a cafe on Market Street serving up delicious coffee and toast. This is my second trip to San Francisco and I had to revisit as I love a good latte and avocado toast.

It has a great location right by the Union Square area.

Interior

The cafe was busy around 11am but got busier as it got closer to noon. There are seats on the right side of the cafe as well as some patio seating.

Menu

Latte

I started off with a latte and it was delicious and strong. A good ratio of espresso and milk.

Avocado Toast

This beautiful toast is my favourite and it is made up of avocado, chèvre cheese, watermelon radish, chives, sea salt, and cracked pepper on toasted pain de mie. Absolutely stunning and delicious. I like how they layered all the avocado and radish so it looks so nice. The cheese was a good addition too.

Eggs & Avocado Toast

This has two sous vide eggs, avocado, chives, sea salt, and cracked pepper on toasted pain de mie. The sous vide egg was delicious and super gooey that it covers the whole toast. We wished there was a little bit more avocado with this one as it didn’t look as luscious.

Fig Jam and Ricotta Toast

This has a generous amount of ricotta cheese, fig jam, honey, sea salt, and cracked pepper on toasted pain de mie. A different toast than the other 2, but good if you have a morning sweet toooth.

Final Thoughts

Overall, having a coffee and toast at Mazarine Coffee was great. A good treat in the morning before heading off for the rest of the day. If you’re ever in San Francisco, definitely go here for a visit.

Address:
720 Market St, San Francisco

Website:
https://mazarinecoffee.com/

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In Burnaby Central

Soft Peaks Ice Cream: Now Open in Burnaby

Soft Peaks Ice Cream has opened their latest location in Burnaby on Kingsway close to Crystal Mall and Metropolis at Metrotown. This popular shop got it’s start in Gastown and has finally made it’s way to Burnaby. It’s pretty exciting because it means fans don’t have to travel all the way downtown for their delicious treats.

Interior

The interior is large and spacious with lots of seating inside. It’s not your typical seating as there are benches on the side.

Menu

Strawberry Milk Tea

They even have milk tea on the menu. It is made with real strawberry puree, and you can tell the difference with the artificial ones. It’s fresh, light and milky. Great choice for the summer.

Blueberry Milkshake

They also have a blueberry milkshake on the menu. It is made with their signature organic milk soft serve, milk, and real whole blueberries. Really nice to sip on this thick milkshake and enjoy the pairing of the sweet blueberries.

They also have other rotating flavours based on seasonality.

Organic Ice Milk Bars and Swirls

Their ice milk bars are made fresh in-house with their signature organic milk soft serve recipe. You can have them as is or smothered in chocolate. They have a bunch of rotating flavours on the menu.

We tried the dipped matcha as well as the strawberry. The size of it isn’t too large, so you won’t feel too guilty eating the whole thing. They are very creamy, but we liked the matcha.

Honeycomb Soft Serve

Their handcrafted soft serve is made with Avalon organic milk, a touch of sweetness, and is then churned to smooth consistency. There is crunchy corn flakes on the bottom and its’ topped with a piece of Okanagan and Fraser Valley honeycomb. It wasn’t too sweet at all, which was very nice. It’s a classic combination, which was made popular in Korea many years ago.

Other  Soft Serve Flavours

There are a few other flavours pictured here:

  • Matcha Forest
  • Snowberry with matcha condensed milk drizzle
  • Sunrise in California (Yuzu marmalade)

There are a lot other signature flavours on the menu too like the Mudslide, which is my personal favourite with TimTams.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of delicious treats here at Soft Peaks. They have added a few new items to the menu since my last visit. From soft serve to drinks, there is something that will help you cool you down this Summer.

Address:
115-4603, Kingsway, Burnaby, BC

Website:
http://softpeaks.ca/

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In Event

Crave the Heights 2018: Discover the flavours of North Burnaby

Crave the Heights is back for 2018 brought to you by The Heights Merchants Association. From August 17 to 26, 10 participating restaurants will have affordable set menus, new food specials, happy hour food, and drink discounts.

The following restaurants are participating this year:

  • Pear Tree Restaurant
  • Cristos Greek Taverna
  • Butchers Block BBQ
  • The Gray Olive Cafeteria
  • Chez Christophe
  • Glenburn Soda
  • Green and Oak Malaysian Restaurant
  • Noodle Paradise at Jane’s
  • Chad Thai
  • La Villetta

I have lived in Burnaby since I was born and this area keeps on evolving with new eateries opening up every year adding to the diversity of Burnaby Heights. I love this neighbourhood and it’s 30 minutes away from Downtown Vancouver.

Here are a few places we checked out for Crave the Heights this year.

Gray Olive Cafeteria

Gray Olive Cafeteria is serving up their G.O. Reuben Sandwich for $12. It has housemade corned beef, garlic multigrain bread, swiss cheese, coleslaw, housemade thousand island, side of honey mustard pickles. A delicious comforting sandwich available on the weekends and weekdays for the duration of Crave the Heights.

Glenburn Soda Fountain

Glenburn Soda Fountain is one of the most popular places to hit up this summer. They are offering 4 different desserts inspired by The Heights restaurant neighbours to create a special menu of sundaes taking influence from around the world.

  • Southern Charmer (Butchers BBQ Block)
  • It’s all Greek to Me (Sfinaki Greek Taverna)
  • Hanoi Joy (Broken Rice)
  • Tongue Thai-O (Chad Thai)

We tried the It’s all Greek to Me as most of the other choices were sold out. It is inspired by Sfinaki Greek Taverna, a few blocks away. It has classic Greek flavours with a Canadian twist. You will find Maple Walnut ice cream, crumbled baklava, honey walnuts, whipped cream and topped with a baklava bite. It is a sweet and nutty treat.

La Villetta

La Villetta is an Italian restaurant that has been around on The Heights since I can remember. They are know for their signature dishes like Scallopine al Cognac and Lamb Osso Bucco.

They are offering a few food specials for Crave the Heights.

They have a red sangria for $5.50. A big glass with seasonal fruits to pair with your meal. Nice and refreshing for the summer.

There is a $15 Seafood platter featuring mussels and clams in white wine sauce. Drizzle a little bit of lemon and it will make for a good starter to go with the rest of your meal.

This was only a small taste of whats on the Crave the Heights menus being offered. Check out the full menu on their website to see what else is being offered. Just make sure to visit before August 26 or else these specials will be gone.

Website:
http://www.burnabyheights.com/news/crave-the-heights/

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In product

Sugarfina: Candy for Breakfast

Did you know it’s finally ok to eat candy for breakfast? Sugarfina just launched a new collection of candy and chocolate bars that will make you feel less guilty of eating candy in the morning.

These chocolate bars and candies are inspired by favourite childhood breakfasts like Marshmallow Cereal Chocolate Bars, Cinnamon Cereal Chocolate bars, Fruity Loops, Cinnamon Crunchies and Gummy Eggs. They are sure to give you some nostalgia.

The Chocolate Bars

Their 3 chocolate bars are stunning and you can see right through the packaging and into the beautiful colourful bars. The flavours are:

  • Marshmallow Cereal Chocolate Bar
  • Fruity Cereal Chocolate Bar
  • Cinnamon Cereal Chocolate Bar

Cinnamon Cereal Chocolate Bar

This bar is made with a base of White chocolate topped with Cinnamon Cereal. When you bite into it, reminders of Cinnamon Toast Crunch brings back memories of this classic cereal. It was a surprising flavour that we enjoyed in a chocolate bar format.

Fruity Cereal Chocolate Bar

This bar has a pale pink chocolate topped with fruity cereal and rainbow sprinkles. I remember spending countless hours turning these fruit loops into delicious necklaces during craft time. The colours are bright and vibrant which makes are a great gift.

Marshmallow Cereal Chocolate Bar

This last chocolate bar has pastel chocolate topped with marshmallow cereal and rainbow sprinkles. I think this was everyone’s favourite cereal pumped full of sugar since everyone would want to eat the marshmallow pieces. Ah, those Lucky Charms bring out the sweet tooth.

Boxed Candies

There are 3 new boxes candies that will entice your tastebuds if you aren’t into chocolate bars.

  • Fruity Loops
  • Cinnamon Crunchies
  • Gummy Eggs

Fruity Loops

These Fruity Loops have a crispy cereal center covered in creamy milk chocolate, then dipped in a fruity candy shell. These are a great size to share with others are the flavours are on point and not too sweet.

Cinnamon Crunchies

The cinnamon toast centre is dipped in creamy milk chocolate and covered in a crisp candy shell. You don’t have to add milk to this sweet treat. Similar to the chocolate bar, it was another surprising flavour that wow’d our taste buds.

Gummy Eggs

My favourite item out of them all because I have a secret obsession with orange juice. They are cute and shaped like eggs. Even though it doesn’t taste like eggs, the orange juice flavour just shines through.

Final Thoughts

These 6 new items really make eating candy for breakfast a breeze and without judgement. All the items are fun and colourful. Of all the items, the cinnamon flavoured candies were the most surprising.

They all make for great gifts too.

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

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In Cafe

Stuffies Pastry Cafe in North Vancouver

Stuffies Pastry Cafe is located in North Vancouver and they create delectable treats that are almost too cute to eat. We were invited to check out a few of their signature items likestuffies and cro-tai. Who knew such a cute store would be located in this area. They have only been open for a few months but it’s something unique to come to a cafe tht specializes in these pastries.

Interior

There are a few tables inside where you can enjoy your treats. You order at the counter and you can watch them create all their stuffies and cro-tai with their cool machines. If you were always curious how they were made, you can find out here as you watch them.

Menu

Cro-Tai

Cro-tai gets it’s name from being a hybrid of a croissant and a taiyaki. They comes in a bunch of different flavours depending if you like savoury or sweet tastes.

Here are all the options:

  • Bacon & Egg
  • Sausage & Egg
  • Egg & Cheese
  • Pizza
  • Thai Chicken
  • Tuna Salad
  • Ham & Cheese
  • Nutella
  • Vanilla
  • Cinnamon
  • Blueberry

The exterior is crisp and not too buttery or heavy. One of of favourite flavours was the nutella. What better way to enjoy this than with the sweet hazelnut and chocolate spread.

Stuffies

Stuffies are their signature items they sell in stores. They come in fish or bear-shapped patry, also there can have a vanilla or red velvet filling inside these pastries.

If you want to be a bit more fancy, you can have them decorated with icing and sprinkles.

They hand decorate the fishies and bears and if you want to customize them for a special occasion.

His and hers bears for weddings or anniversaries.

Makes for fun gifts too and can be individually packed.

Stuffies Soft Serve

The soft serve waffle cone shaped like a fish opening its mouth is crunchy and tastes similar to corn pops. The ice cream is vegan, which was a big surprise to us, but it still had a creamy texture to it. The toppings were simple with mostly syrups, sprinklings, or cereal. We wished they used more fruit, nuts, or even bbt toppings would be a great touch.

Below were the 3 we tried.

Coco Heaven

This has a chocolate and vanilla soft serve with mini chocolate bar, chocolate dipped pretzel, dark chocolate sauce, and choco rocks.

Beary Berry

This fun version has sprinkles, strawberry syrup, gummy bears and a strawberry and blueberry skewer.

Orient Express

This last one that we had consisted of red bean paste, rice puffs and a skewer of mochi.

Iced Matcha Latte

They also have drinks too if you want a beverage to go with your pastries. This is the Iced Matcha Latte.

Final Thoughts

Overall, cute concept and I can see their stuffies as great gifts for parties or any other special occasion. Very cute characters that kids and adults would love. Also very affordable prices too.

Address:
571 Oxford St, North Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://stuffiespastries.com/

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In Event

Langley Rib Fest: BBQ, Performances and Family Entertainment

Langley Rib Fest is back on August 17th, 18th, 19th at McLeod Athletic Park. The 3 day event is filled with mouth watering BBQ, drinks, performances and family entertainment. Where else are you going to go to celebrate the amazing world of delicious southern style BBQ ribs, pork, beef, and chicken.

Admission is free, so you just need to pay for the food and drinks.

BBQ Galore

It’s all about the BBQ, but don’t worry, vegan, vegetarian, and beef-based dishes are available too. There’s something for everyone, so no one will feel excluded at the Langley Rib Fest.

The world renowned ribbers at this event is:

  • Boss Hogs BBQ
  • GuerillaQ BBQ
  • Prairie BBQ
  • Smoke and Bones BBQ
  • Gator BBQ

Just remember to bring cash as not all of the booths take cards.

We settled on Half Rack of Ribs and a side of slaw from Boss Hog BBQ, wine, beer and a cob of roasted corn. Definitely a well balanced meal for 2 at the Rib Fest.

Music and Performances

There is a line up of entertainment throughout the weekend, so you can eat your BBQ while enjoying song and dance from various performances of all cultures. When we were here, we saw the Le Plaisir Dance Troupe.

Family Fun Zone

If you are coming here with the family, there is an are games and activities to keep the kids busy while you eat your food. There are bouncy castles slides, rides, mini golf, and even human fooseball. All these are by donation to support the local Rotary Club.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s a fun place to hang out on the weekend for a few hours over drinks and BBQ. If you’re in the Langley area, you definitely won’t want to miss the Langley Rib Fest in support of the Rotary Club. Remember to bring cash as some places do no accept cards.

Location:
McLeod Athletic Park in Langley

Website:
https://www.ribfestlangley.com/

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In product

No 1 Brand Original Instant Thai Iced Tea Mix: Review

I love Thai Iced Tea and occasionally make it at home from scratch with the tea leaves. My friend came back from Thailand with some of their Instant Thai Iced Tea mix. I was intrigued since I wanted to see if I can cut down the time of making a yummy drink within minutes.

Looking at the package, it is mostly in Thai, except a small paragraph.

“Put 1 sachet of Instant Thai Tea mix into a up of 200ml hot water and stir. Then you can enjoy a cup of hot that tea or add ice to give you a glass of delicious Thai Iced Tea.”

I followed those instruction on the package and voila, Thai Iced Tea in minutes, but the big determining factor for this is if it tastes good.

Upon the first few sips, it is really really sweet. A bit too sweet for my personal tastes. I usually make mine with less sugar so I can taste of the tea aroma.

It’s definitely a handy product if you want instant Thai Tea, but the taste is subpar.

 

 

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In Fast Food

Brownies Fried Chicken in Maple Ridge: Blast from the Past

Brownies Chicken and Seafood in Maple Ridge is one of the last franchises in Canada. Brownies was popular back in the 70’s and 80’s with multiple locations. Original owner and operators – Gary and Janice revamped Brownies and made sure the food is top quality that customers will remember.

I sure don’t remember since I wasn’t born yet but those who remember Brownies gravitate towards their fried chicken.

Interior

There aren’t many seat inside, it is mostly for take out from what we observed. We saw a few chairs and a counter if you wanted to eat inside. Since it was a hot sunny day, the space was very hot, so we decided to eat outside as they have 2 tables out there.

Menu

Six Pack

We got the six pack of chicken that comes with fries and a choice of gravy or salad. Without hesitation we chose gravy.

They source their chicken from Rossdown Farms, which is close by. You can get your chicken done in 2 ways – regular and cajun. We asked for half and half as we wanted to try both tastes. The chicken was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside depending on the piece. Thighs are generally the best as dark meat is delicious. I like how it’s not too salty either.

Of the original and cajun flavours, it was really hard to tell which was which, but I think the original one has more pepper, which I liked.

The medium fries with cajun spice was delicious an crispy. After a while some went limp but eat them while its fresh and dunk them into the gravy.

The fries are from Cavendish Farms

Popcorn Shrimp

The popcorn shrimp has cajun spice as well because why not? Each piece has a small piece of shrimp battered and fried till golden brown. This dish was ok, but at least it’s Ocean Wise certified, so it’s caught in a sustainable way.

Cod and Onion Rings

We also tried a piece of cod and swapped the fries with onion rings. It comes with tartar sauce as well. They use Alaskan Cod and it was ok, a little flat and dense. If you eat it with the tartar sauce, it is better.

The onion rings were crisp and delicious.

Final Thoughts

I’m glad I had friend who love fried chicken that they knew about this gem that has been forgotten by future generations like me, plus I live closer to the city, so Maple Ridge is a little bit far. I’m still thrilled to be able to see another outstanding chicken restaurant. The chicken, fries and gravy were the best parts.

Address:
22899 Dewdney Trunk Rd, Maple Ridge, BC

Website:
https://www.brownieschicken.com/

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