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In British Columbia

Shoppers Drug Mart Introduces Enhanced Convenience Location in Vancouver

Shoppers Drug Mart launched their first enhanced food section at 2748 East Hastings Street in Vancouver close to PNE. I have a Shoppers Drug Mart close to my house and it is handy having to pick up last minute items before going home or heading out to a friends place. Not all neighbourhoods are in close proximity to large grocery stores, so they are carefully rolling this concept out to areas where it makes sense. They officially launched on April 22 and was welcomed by the neighbourhood. They will also be opening this concept at 11800 Cambie Road in Richmond as well. Perhaps more to come in BC and other provinces.

We were invited to see a sneak peek of the new renovations and get a better understanding of the new changes that customers would enjoy. Pharmacists at these stores were also provided nutrition training and health information to better help customers and patients to find better options for their diets. A cool concept.

Enhanced Food Section

All Shoppers Drug Marts have a few aisles of food items, but with the new concept, they’ve added more variety with over 750 new fresh items.

Produce

You’ll be able to find popular produce for any last minute ingredients for creating your dinners at home. As they are a Loblaws company, you can trust they are getting their produce from trusted suppliers.

Specialty cheeses and deli meats are available as well from the larger brands and their President’s Choice offerings too. That last minute charcuterie plate can be put together here. It’s a small section but they have a good selection.

Common items like bread is here too. Surprisingly it’s very handy especially during Summer BBQs when you are short a few buns. You can now run over here to get a loaf.

They have a dairy section too.

On the Go Meals

You can also find a selection of locally prepped easy meals, sandwiches, cut fruit and other items. You can also find T&T products like baked goods and sushi that is delivered daily.

A few other Shoppers locations will have this added Grab & Go area for added convenience in Vancouver:

  • 30120 West Broadway
  • 3303 Main Street
  • 1202 West Pender Street
  • 370 East Broadway
  • 1780 West Broadway
  • 586 Granville Street
  • 1006 Homer Street

Other locations will remain the same.

We also found more variety of Asian cooking ingredients, which is helpful given the demographic of the neighbourhood.

Instead of driving further to go to T&T, they have a few staple items here.

Frozen and Packaged Goods

There is a lot more frozen items in the store since they are able to put freezers along the walls. I was also surprised by the amount of aisles in the food section, it looked like it was about half of the store.

Final Thoughts

It’s definitely an added convenience for those in the neighbourhood who are looking for last minute grocery items. I’ve been in that situation many times before too. They obviously don’t have a full selection like a grocery store, but I was impressed with what they had. Since they are a division of Loblaws, the selection of President’s Choice products is plenty at great prices.

If you’re living in the neighbourhood or just passing by and need a last minute ingredient, you can find it here at the Shoppers Drug Mart located close to PNE.

Website:
https://www1.shoppersdrugmart.ca/

Address:
2748 East Hastings Street

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In appetizer

Finding Sustainable Canned Seafood in Grocery Stores

Today is Earth Day (April 22) and one important thing we can’t forget is that our planet should be celebrated, honoured and protected every day. Two-thirds of our planet is covered by oceans and are home to some of the most incredible creatures on Earth.

They also play a critical role in regulating our climate and feeding the world. Taking care of our oceans can be as simple as thinking more critically about where our seafood comes from and how to buy it more responsibly. As consumers, we make a choice by having our purchasing dollars make a stance in what we believe in. 

Ocean Brands makes that choice easier for Canadians with their Gold Seal sockeye salmon and Oceans Pole & Line tuna.  These products proudly carry the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label, demonstrating they are from a sustainably managed fishery. 

MSC is an international non-profit that works with scientists, fisheries, seafood producers and brands around the world to advance sustainable fishing and to safeguard the health of our oceans. This council was created to address and reverse the problem of unsustainable fishing.

The blue MSC label on products guarantees they meet the most credible standard in the world. Seafood with the label can be found at retailers and restaurants across Canada from Loblaws to even McDonalds for their Fish-o-Filet.

Tuna Salad Appetizers

One of the easiest things to make at home is a tuna salad appetizer for guests. Simple 2 bites for any occasion.

  • 1 can Flaked Light Tuna
  • 13 crackers
  • 3 tablespoon Mayo
  • 1 tablespoon Mustard
  • 1 teaspoons Cayanne pepper
  • Pinch of Salt and Pepper
  • Pinch of Italian seasoning on top (optional)

You can always incorporate other ingredients into it like onions and celery for added crunch. It’s a very flexible item to create. You can even turn it into a sandwich if you wanted to for lunch.

Gold Seal Sockeye Salmon

Pole & Line Flaked Light Tuna in Water

Pole & Line Chunk Light Tuna in Water

If you’re looking for fresh seafood, you can spot this logo or the Ocean Wise logo, a Vancouver Aquarium conservation program created to educate and empower consumers about the issues surrounding sustainable seafood. They also work directly with local restaurants, markets, food services and suppliers to ensure that they have the most current scientific information and help them make ocean-friendly buying decisions.

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In Afternoon Tea

Tracycakes Bakery Cafe: High Tea in Langley

Tracycakes Bakery Cafe in Langley is located in a cute little heritage home. This place about 30 – 40 minutes away from Vancouver depending on traffic. We were invited to give their high tea a try.

I was pretty excited since I love high tea and it’s not that often I visit Langley.

Interior

The interior is very cute like you’re dining in someone’s living room. since it is a heritage home, you are sitting in someone’s home.

Everything here is on point and very cozy. Fresh tulips on the table too.

Tea

They serve Mighty Leaf Teas as well as some other blends. I went with the Breakfast Americana, which is a blend of English breakfast black tea.

The saucers are all really cute and each one is a little different.

Add some milk and sugar to your tea.

Signature High Tea

Their signature high tea includes:

  • Assorted finger sandwiches on the first tier
  • Freshly baked scones on the second tier
  • Our house-made Devonshire cream
  • Artisanal preserves
  • Assorted dainties and babycakes on the third tier
  • Seasonal sliced fresh fruit
  • Your choice of loose leaf teas or Artisan roasted coffees

Sandwiches

The first tier had the assorted sandwiches with a cheesy palmier pastry. All the other sandwiches were really delicious, my favourite was surprisingly the tomato and pesto. The cheesy palmier pastry was also amazing as well.

Scones

On the second tier were their pineapple scones topped with powdered sugar. You can spread their jam and house-made Devonshire cream all over it.

The pineapple scone was very flakey. I cut it in half and spread the Devonshire cream and jam on it.

The third and final tier has their dainties and babycakes. There are brownies, eclairs, cookies, fruit and the little cupcakes.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was a great high tea experience and the price is pretty good compared to some of the other places in Vancouver. If you live further away from the city, Tracycakes is a great place to go to. The atmosphere is nice and the staff are friendly too.

We Rate Tracycakes: 

Address:
21594 48 Avenue, Langley, BC

Website:
http://tracycakesonline.com/

Tracycakes Bakery Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In British Columbia

Starbucks Canada: Unicorn Frappuccino Review

You may have heard Starbucks is introducing the Unicorn Frappuccino for a limited time only. It is available April 19-23 until supplies last. From what I’ve seen, it is available in Canada and the United States.

The Unicorn Frappuccino starts as a pink beverage with swirls of blue and a first taste that is sweet and fruity. But give it a stir and its colour changes to purple, and the flavour evolves to tangy and tart. The more the swirl, the more the beverage’s colour and flavours transform. The Unicorn Frappuccino is made with a dusting of pink topping blended into a crème Frappuccino with mango syrup and layered with a pleasantly sour blue drizzle. It is finished with vanilla whipped cream and a sprinkle of sweet pink and sour blue topping.

I could definitely taste the mango syrup initially but it wasn’t overly sweet. When I saw it, it seemed like it would be very very sweet from the bright colours. It was a so-so drink, but it’s definitely more for aesthetics than taste. For sure Instagram worthy, but not a drink you would come back to.

 

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In Bubble Tea

Shiny Tea: Bubble Tea Ice Cream in International Village

Shiny Tea inside International Village is serving up soft serve ice cream. They still have their classic milk teas and other drinks. After work, I came with a few friends to begin the long weekend and to enjoy some ice cream. It was close to the office, so we thought it would be great for a visit. It got busy later into the evening.

Interior

There are about 14 seat inside, so it’s not great for really large groups. But, the food court is a few steps away, so you can go there instead to sit and eat.

Soft Serve Ice Cream “Italian Gelato”

They have 2 flavours on rotation – Peach Mango Green Tea and their Sri Lankan Black Tea. You get 1 sauce and toppings are extra. The flavours change every week, but they usually have one tea-based flavour and a fruity one. They let you taste the flavours before you purchase, which is nice.

There is only one size, so it’s still good for individual consumption or sharing.

Yaaassss…condensed  milk.

I got the Sri Lankan Black Tea with white pearls, black pearls and condensed milk.

They did have suggested toppings and sauces, but I wasn’t feeling it, so I crafted my own and it turned out delicious.

My friend got the Peach Mango Green Tea with brown sugar honey and it was a bit on the sweet side.

Milk tea

There are lots of drinks on the menu to choose from, but my favourites are the milk teas.

My friend got the 3Q milk tea. It has black pearls, white pearls and coconut jelly.

Overall,

We Rate Shiny Tea: 

Address:
88 W Pender St,Unit 2113, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.shinytea.ca/

Shiny Tea Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Breakfast

Cherry Blossom Inspired Breakfasts with Almond Breeze

Cherry Blossoms (Sakura) are blooming all over the world and they are just so beautiful. They don’t last very long, but they are Spring’s snow. Some love it and some hate them. Just don’t park your car under a cherry blossom tree or else you’ll be having a bad time. When the cherry blossoms bloom, it’s really pretty and photographers flock from all over to capture it’s natural beauty. In the early 1930s the mayors of both Kobe and Yokohama presented Vancouver’s Park Board with 500 Japanese cherry trees for planting at the Japanese cenotaph in Stanley Park honouring Japanese Canadians who served in WWI. Currently, the City of Vancouver has over 130,000 cherry blossom trees and continues to grow.

I wanted to take the beautiful inspiration of Cherry Blossoms and create some easy healthy breakfast items using Almond Breeze. Almond Breeze is an almond beverage used as a substitute for milk and soy. I really like the sweetened original flavour.

Berry Banana Smoothie

An easy item to make is a berry banana smoothie. To get the natural pink colour, I used berries. I find that Strawberries, Raspberries and Pomegranates work best. Cherries are good too but it ends up giving it a darker colour. Take all the ingredients and throw it into a blender. Very easy and you can’t screw up.

  • Half Banana
  • Handful of berries (strawberries and raspberries)
  • 2 cups of Almond Breeze

Red Berries Chia Pudding

For a quick breakfast on the go, chia pudding is very simple and easy to make. You can prepare it the day before or in the morning if you have time. I like to keep my ingredients simple, so here is a 3-ingredient chia pudding.

  • 2 table spoon of chia seeds
  • 3/4 cup of Almond Breeze
  • handful of berries (cherries, pomegranates, raspberry and strawberry)

Blend the berries and Almond Breeze in a hand blender. In a mason jar, mix the chia seeds and berry almond mixture. Easy and can be done in 5 minutes or less. You can change up the berries in your chia pudding too. I used frozen berries as it was on sale in the store and it keeps for much longer than fresh fruit.

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In Dessert

Wild Sweets: Cocoa Bean To Chocolate Afternoon Tea

Wild Sweets just introduced their Cocoa Bean To Chocolate Afternoon Tea experience at their retail store in Richmond. The session lasts approximately 75 to 90-minutes and each guest is served a multi-course set menu of about 13 chocolate-based items for $39.99.

Chocolate Tea

You start off with their chocolate tea infusion made with whole cocoa beans and can potentially be aromatized with fresh elements like citrus zest. Their chocolate tea is delicious and quite unique.

Cucumber

Each bite is very interactive, so you get to play with your food and design how you want it to look like.

This dish has Cocoa nibs bread, Goat cheese gelée,  Pickled cucumber, Puffed peas crunch, and Mint oil.

Biscuit

The biscuit has Tuscany ham, Jarlsberg cheese, cocoa nibs & Kalamata dried figs. It is also served with Mustard oil, pickled red onions and Crème fraîche. The biscuit was pretty dry.

Coco-Air

This has Dark chocolate & hazelnut praliné ‘Air’,  Foamed Chantilly cream and Puffed rice crunch. I loved this item! I love porous the item is and the texture was awesome.

Egg Salad

Put this item together with Cocoa nibs bread,  Sous Vide egg shavings, crispy shallots, Salsa Verde and Chives oil. It was so cute and reminded me of a mini breakfast sandwich.

Interlude

The vials has a Citrus chocolate consommé with the Lemon Vodka and Semi-candied Kalamata olives. On the left, you have Olive Madeleine.

This definitely wasn’t for me.

Tomato

This has Cocoa nibs bread, Grape tomato confit, Pesto pulled Mozzarella, and 2 pieces of Crispy back bacon. It was delicious especially the back bacon.

Cream Puff

This has Textured pâte à choux,  Crispy praliné , Orange caramel compote,  Milk chocolate Chantilly, and Orange zest oil. It was absolutely delicious.

Cheese and Fruit

On the bottom, you have Biscuit sablé, Pear panna cotta, Pear vanilla bean confit, and a Crunchy cheese chip. It was ok, but that cheese chip was delicious.

Merveilleux

You will find Crispy meringue, Dark chocolate thin, White chocolate Chantilly, Caramel banana, and Almond banana crunch. A nice combination of textures.

Tarte

On the plate was a Almond streusel cookie, Créme brûlèe, Baked apple shavings, French Brandy mist and Apple chips crunch.

Scone

You will find a Chocolate & dried cherry scone, Red fruit confit, Crème fraîche Chantilly,  Kirsch mist, and Lemon zest oil. This was delicious as well.

Truffe du jour’ in vintage origin dark hot chocolate

This was a nice way of ending the meal.

Chocolates

A great way of ending the 13 course session with chocolates.

Final Thoughts

It was a fun interactive meal if you are looking for something different than the regular afternoon tea. The items I had will probably be different based on seasonality. For $39.99, it’s a good price and you’ll be full by the end of it.

We Rate Wild Sweets: 35rating

Address:
2145 – 12191 Hammersmith Way, Richmond, BC

Website:
http://dcduby.com/

Wild Sweets Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Chinese

The Deluxe Chinese Restaurant: Dim Sum in Richmond

The Deluxe Chinese Restaurant is located in Richmond just off of No 3 Road by Aberdeen Mall. We were invited to try their dim sum items on the menu and of course I couldn’t say no. This restaurant just opened up recently and they serve up dim sum, sushi, sashimi, and regular Chinese dinner items.

The dining room is large and they also have a few private rooms too. I can imagine a lot of weddings, birthdays and other celebrations here.

Dim Sum

There was no shortage of dim sum during my visit. It was pretty damn epic. Of course they knew we were coming, so they made sure all the food arrived at the same time.

Ha Gau (Prawn Dumpling)

This is a classic item to order at dim sum and it comes with 5 pieces in each basket. The skin was a decent thickness and the shrimp inside was very delicious.

It’s always something I order no matter where I go. You can pair it with XO sauce or spicy sauce for an extra kick of flavour.

Truffle Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling)

They do their siu mai a bit differently with the added truffle. The dumpling is still delicious. 5 pieces per basket too.

House Special Wild Rice Noodle Roll

Inside the pinky rice roll due to the wild rice are crispy fried vermicelli surrounding each piece of shrimp. There are 9 pieces to the order.

Baked Portuguese Tarts

These unique looking baked Portugese tarts were amazing. The flakey crust and the silky smooth egg mixture. Yum.

Garlic Prawn Spring Rolls

3 pieces in an order served in a cup. The spring rolls were crisp on the outside with the prawn mixture inside.

Steamed Pork Spareribs

Lots in this basket and there was a good amount of meat in each piece.

Country Style Steamed Honey Comb Cake

One of my favourite Chinese desserts. It’s slightly sweet and it’s not too sweet. A good asian amount of sweetness. We don’t really like our dessert overly sweet.

Green Tea Glutinous Pancakes

On the inside is mango and the green tea glutinous pancakes rolled around it. It was ok, but not my favourite dessert.

Steamed Creamy Carrot Custard Buns

A sweet custard filling inside these are great when its hot and fresh.

Steamed Buns with Mushroom & Taro Roots

Very cute concept of having the bun look like a mushroom, but I didn’t like a lacklustre taro root filling.

Shredded Chicken with Cucumber

This dish was one of my favourites too, but it does have quite a bit of sesame oil. Served cold and it also has crunchy taro strips to give it more of a crunchy texture.

Pumpkin Congee with Sparerib

I love congee and this was very savoury with all the ample amount of meat inside. I would order this again.

Preserved Egg and Pork Congee

A classic and what I instantly noticed was the amazing amount of preserved egg and pork. Very impressive and I would order this again too.

Soy Sauce Chow Mein

A good dish to share among the table. Nice texture and flavour as well.

Singapore Fried Noodles

It had a good amount of ingredients in this fried noodle. The texture of the noodles were a tad on the dry side, but it was still enjoyable.

Nigiri

They surprisingly have nigiri on the menu with tuna, salmon or hamachi. Each piece is pre-sauced, which I didn’t like as much. I personally like mine with a slight dab of soy sauce to keep the natural flavours of the fish.

Tamago

They have pieces of tamago as well, but it was missing something. It’s really hard to find a place that makes a good tamago.

Speciality Japanese Rolls

For a Chinese restaurant, they had a good selection of specialty sushi rolls. Still strange to see sushi here when you order dim sum.

Mango Roll

They craft them nicely, but the rice ratio is a bit much. When they roll it, there is a slight flaw. The mango roll was refreshing with their thinly sliced mango, which is in season.

Dragon Roll

Dragon roll has alternating toppings of eel and avocado. Inside is salmon and asparagus. It was good but it was a tad pricey.

Salmon Oshi Sushi

It has tobiko, salmon, sauce and layers of rice. Delicious but it had a bit to much rice and also it still doesn’t compare to Miku, where this type of sushi originated from.

Final Thoughts

A good spread of items for dim sum, but I would stick with the classic. There’s nothing inherently wrong with their sushi or sashimi, but the flavours don’t blend as well when you go from congee to a California roll. Their dim sum is solid and I really fell in love with their congee.

We Rate The Deluxe Chinese Restaurant: 

Address:
4260 No 3 Road, Richmond

The Deluxe Chinese Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Four Beakers

Jinya Ramen in the Telus Garden on Robson Street

Jinya Ramen Bar is opening up on April 21st at the Telus Garden on Robson Street. They have all their classic ramen dishes with an expanded menu with more appetizers and drinks. Jinya has been one of my personal favourite ramen shops in Vancouver and it’s funny how they are moving a block to Telus Garden.

I came here for a preview of the space as well as to try a few items off the menu.

Interior

The interior is really nice and modern with some brick accents. There are large windows to let in a lot of natural light. The space is larger than their previous location, so should seat more people.

I love staring at their amazing chefs creating each bowl of ramen. Stacks and stacks of ramen bowls linking the kitchen.

Their staff were pumping out ramen non-stop.

I love this picture. “No Ramen, No Life” is absolutely correct.

Drinks

They have local craft beers on the menu, which is fantastic!

Moody Ales, Steel & Oak, Fuggles & Warlock, Parkside, and Four Winds. Love the local flair in this international ramen chain.

They also have spirits like sake on their menu. Of course they also have whiskey and other harder drinks too.

Appetizers

Brussel Sprouts Tempura

It is crisp on the outside because of the batter. It also have white truffle oil.

Salmon Poke Mini Tacos

The salmon poke is served in a crispy wonton taco shell. Very addictive!

Takoyaki

These are octopus balls. It has battered octopus over egg tartar topped with kewpie mayo, okonomiyaki sauce, green onion and bonito flakes. It came piping hot, so let it cool before popping it into your mouth.

Ramen

Cha Cha Cha Ramen

This is for garlic lovers. It has pork and fish broth, pork chashu, seasoned egg, bean sprouts, chopped onion, green onion, garlic, chili powder, and served with extra thick noodles.

Vegetable Soup Ramen

It has a vegetable broth, mushroom, greens, broccoli, cauliflower and pepper. It is served with thin noodles. This was ok, but not my favourite.

Spicy Creamy Vegan Ramen

It has their vegetable broth, tofu, green onion, onion, spinach, crisp onions, garlic chips, garlic oil, chili oil, sesame seeds and served with thick noodles. This was so good! The additional of the garlic and chili oil are so amazing. I thought I loved the Tonkotsu black broth, but this broth is killer!

Spicy Chicken Ramen

It has chicken broth: chicken chashu, spinach, spicy bean sprouts, green onion, and served with thin noodles. You can choose it to be mild, spicy or hot.

Kaedama Noodle Refill

If you are done slurping up your noodles and have extra broth, you can order an additional portion of noodles to keep on enjoying the ramen.

They have different types of noodles too.

Final Thoughts

Their new location will bring more menu items that are pretty standard with their other North American locations. Plus, the decor and space is a lot nicer, but nothing was wrong with their previous location either. You still get the same great ramen, but this time I found my other favourite ramen – spicy creamy vegan ramen. Jinya Tonkotsu Black is awesome too.

We Rate Jinya Ramen Bar: 

Address:
541 Robson Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://jinya-ramenbar.com/

JINYA Ramen Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Riley Park/Little Mountain

U & I Thai: Thai Cuisine in Vancouver

For our 9 year anniversary, M and I went to U & I Thai Fine Cuisine on Cambie Street for a quick dinner. I’ve never been here before, so it was perfect. We came pretty early in the evening after work and we really were craving Thai Iced Tea. Staff were friendly and they guided us through the menu.

Interior

The interior was large and had lots of tables. We did see there were a few tables with reservations signs on them. As it got later in the evening, more and more people filled up the dining room.

The only thing I didn’t like was the strong citrus lemon smell inside.

Thai Iced Tea

This is beautiful and mighty tasty. It is a bit more dark than what we normally see, but it was so good and addictive. If you’re never had Thai Iced Tea before, it is a must.

Chicken Satay

Chicken is marinated in Thai spices, coconut milk and served with peanut sauce and cucumber relish. It comes with 6 pieces and the satay skewers were moist. I liked it with the sauces.

Authentic Pad Thai

This has rice noodles stir fried with chicken, tofu, egg, bean sprouts, and palm sugar in a Tamarind sauce. It is then topped with ground peanuts, chilli powder, fresh lime, bean sprout and chives. It was decent, but seemed more wet than other places.

Green Curry

We got this with beef and at medium spice. When we wanted it medium spice, it was definitely medium spicy with a good kick. It came with coconut rice on the side. It is our go to curry when going to Thai restaurants. Good taste too.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the meal, they give you some mint candy to end the meal. I really did enjoyed the meal and will be back.

We Rate U&I Thai: 

Address:
3364 Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.uandithai.com/

U and I Thai Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Burnaby Central

Moment Dessert House: Cafe in Burnaby

Moment Dessert House is a another cafe in South Burnaby for coffee, tea and cakes. It is a bit hidden as it is just off Kingsway. I came on a weekend when all the other cafes in the area were super busy. We came here as it was a place we haven’t been to before and it wasn’t as busy.

Interior

There were white walls and then accents of wood all over the cafe. There are lots of tables to sit and chat with friends or study.

Apparently it’s exam time, so there were a few people studying here. Even though it was busy, there were always still tables available for smaller groups.

One odd thing we did notice is that we order up at the counter and we can pay later. I’m use to paying up front as its easy to forget to pay.

Coffee

Some coffee is a requirement when hanging with my friends. They had a coffee and an americano.

I got a cappuccino and it had lots of foam on top. I felt it was a bit on the weaker side with a bit too much milk under it.

Cake

Strawberry Chiffon Cake is what we had to share It wasn’t sweet, which makes it a great asian cake. It looks pretty but it was mostly whipped cream, cake and some strawberries. It was decent, but it was pricey for what it you get.

They also have other types of cakes written on the walls too if you want to know what they are. This place looks cute, but the coffee and cakes weren’t as memorable.

We Rate Moment Dessert House: 

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/momentdesserthouse/

Address:
7-4300 Kingsway, Burnaby

Moment Dessert House Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In product

Korean Green Tea Milk Spread: Review

Green Tea Milk Spreads are so popular on Instagram, so I got my hand on 2 different green tea spreads:

  • O’sulloc Green Tea Milk Spread
  • Feliz Green Tea Almond Milk Spread


I got my mother in law to bring me some of the O’sulloc Green Tea Milk Spread all the way from South Korea and I found the Feliz Green Tea Almond Milk Spread at my local grocery store – T&T. These are so much cooler than Nutella.

They are most common on toast, cookies, or you can even make your own fondue by adding in a bit of milk.

O’sulloc Green Tea Milk Spread

This is the one product that kept popping up on my Instagram feed. It was a great spoonful of this. I love it best on ice cream or waffles. It reminded me of condensed milk or white chocolate with green tea.

Feliz Green Tea Almond Milk Spread

This was very similar to the O’sulloc Green Tea Milk Spread, but with bits of almond throughout. It was like a Ferrero Rocher with green tea. It was so good licking this off a spoon. This cost $9.99 at the grocery store, which is a bit much, but green tea is expensive.

Of the two green tea spreads I’ve tried, the Feliz Green Tea Almond Milk Spread wins because of the added almond bits. It gives the spread great texture. If you love crunchy peanut butter, it has that similar mouth feel. Both are products for South Korea and have similar ingredients inside. The only major difference are the almonds.

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In Robson Street/West End

Ukrainian Village: Perogies, Borsch, and Herring in Vancouver

Ukrainian Village is a restaurant I see every time I get off the bus on Denman Street. It caught our eyes and we couldn’t resist going inside. It was busy and it was like walking into someone’s living room.

I’ve never had Ukrainian food before, so we had to come here. Initially we wanted Xiao Long Bao at another nearby restaurant, but we couldn’t stop thinking about trying their food.

The menu looked good and prices were very reasonable. The two of us decided to share family style instead of individual meals.

Russian Borsch

This has beef, tomato, red pepper, carrot, dill, cabbage, potatoes, beet and topped with sour cream. It also has saltine crackers on the side.

It was a good simple soup. Never knew sour cream would go so well with soup.

Herring

The herring is pickled and served with onion, sour cream and a slice of bread. We really didn’t know how to eat this, so we made it up as we went. The pickled herring is rolled up with a pickle in the centre. It was interesting trying it, but I wouldn’t order it again. It’s probably and acquired taste.

Ukrainian Dinner

It has 2 cabbage rolls, six perogies, Ukrainian sausage, veggies and sour cream and their mustard. There are 3 types of perogies:

  • potato and fried onion
  • potato and cheddar cheese
  • sauerkraut

All of them were delicious when dunked into the sour cream. The cabbage rolls are filled with rice, ground beef, ground pork, and topped with all that sauce. Everything on this plate was delicious and I would come back.

We rate Ukrainian Village: 

Address:
815 Denman Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://ukrainianvillage.wixsite.com/canada

Ukrainian Village Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Pop-Up Shop

BETA5 Chocolates’ Spring Pop-Up Shop

Beta5 Chocolates is back with their Spring Pop Up Shop at 3345 Cambie St (near the corner of 17th and Cambie). They currently have their Springtime in Vancouver 2017 Easter Collection and an upcoming season of ice cream social creations. We were invited for a sneak peek of what they are showcasing for spring.

From cream puffs to ice cream sandwiches, they are ready for your sweet tooth. I’ve been a fan of Beta5 for quite some time now and they always knock it out of the park for creativity and originality in the products they create.

Peanut Butter Rain Drops

The bags of Peanut Butter Raindrops were so beautiful and absolutely delicious.

In a nod to Vancouver’s wet west coast weather, chocolate clouds shower peanut butter raindrops to encourage Easter eggs to blossom.

Corcus Buds

Beautiful inside and out, this year’s intricately layered eggs are truly works of art. It comes in 3 types – Raspberry + Cocoa Nib, Coconut + Passionfruit, and Hazelnut Praline flavours.

Featuring alternating flavours of dark chocolate and house made praline, the eggs are available in two sizes – single-serving “bulbs” and larger “buds” that make the perfect shareable dessert.

April shower brings May flowers right?

Cream Puffs

BETA5 Chocolates recently introduced three new tea-infused flavours to their cream puff family: Mango Bubble Tea, Strawberry Jasmine and Matcha.

Hopping in for Easter are their Peanut Butter Cup and Lemon + Yogurt Cloud cream puffs.

Lemon and Yogurt Cloud cream puff has lemon curd, yogurt panna cotta, and a baked meringue cloud.
Peanut Butter Cup cream puff has dark chocolate cremeux, peanut butter mousse, and a blue peanut butter egg. Of the two, this was my favourite. I am a sucker for peanut butter.

Ice Cream Socials

Keep an eye on their social media as they always have sold-out ice cream socials. The next ones are April 21 and May 5 starting at 7pm until they sell out.

This one was the Rhubarb Crumble composed of toasted oatmeal and rhubarb-vanilla swirl ice creams, rhubarb-hibiscus compote, granola crunch, strawberry marshmallows and vanilla chantilly cream.

Final Thoughts

The BETA5 Chocolates Cambie Street pop-up will be open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11:30am to 6:30pm, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30am to 10:00pm, and Sundays from 11:30am to 5:30pm, starting April 4 through May 15.

The 413 Industrial Avenue location will be keeping their regular hours of Tuesday through Sunday, 10:30am to 5:30pm. Select items from the Easter collection are also available to order online.

Address:
3345 Cambie St, Vancouver

Website:
beta5chocolates.com

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In product

10 Best and Worst Coconut Water Brands

I bought 10 different coconut waters to see how they would compare to the real thing. I made a visit to 2 different grocery stores to get a wide variety of coconut water brands. There was definitely a lot, so I made sure to get at least 10. Originally I wanted to get 5, but 10 ended up in my basket.

I tried 10 different coconut waters so you don’t have to make any mistakes. All of the drinks were chilled and cool before consuming, which is the best way to drink coconut water.

#10 Tropico 100% Young Coconut Water

Tastes like chemicals. No. No. No.

#9 Grace Coconut Water with Pulp

Weird sweet finish yet somewhat citrusy. No.

#8 Frozen Young Coconut Juice

Needs to thaw before drinking. Very sweet but it does have large chunks of coconut meat.

#7 CoCos Pure

Meh.

#6 Vita Coco

The only one that had coconuts from brazil and also has Vitamin C. It had a weird tang to the aftertaste.

#5 Chaokoh Brand Coconut Water with Pulp

My childhood favourite but it is a bit sweeter than the rest. Nostalgia.

#4 Coco Libre

The only one that is from concentrate, but it is organic. It was alright as well.

#3 Blue Monkey

Good and tolerable.

#2 Thirsty Buddha

Very good but still missing more natural sweetness.

#1 Taste Nirvana

Hands down the best one, but not a 100% replacement for a real coconut.

BONUS: A real young coconut from Thailand

The best! Nothing compares…but it’s really hard to open. You’ll need a hefty knife.

I know I didn’t cover all the different coconut water brands in the market, but I tried my best in one sitting to drink 11 coconut waters. We had a good batch of coconut waters and a few terrible ones. Taste is very subjective , but Taste Nirvana was by far the best.

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In Bubble Tea

Teapressu: Bubble Tea Shop on Wheels in Vancouver

Teapressu is a mobile trailer that sells bubble tea drinks on the go. I was passing by with a friend and had to make a U-Turn to get here. I’ve never seen a bubble tea food truck, so we had to come here for a visit.

They have hot and cold drinks available. What I like most is their ability to customize your drinks by selecting the sweetness level and ice level. Similar to some other bubble tea shop around town.

There is no bubble tea shop near my work area, so I was really excited to check this place out.

Grass Jelly Milk Tea with half sweetness and minimal ice. It was really good. I usually order this when I go to a new place to see how it compares. They made a great milk tea and I would recommend this place. The grass jelly is delicious as well.

My friend got the cold honey lemon with no sweetness. Very brave, but she’s on a pretty minimal sugar diet. She did say she enjoyed it.

Red Bean Matcha Milk Tea is what a few people recommended to me. They suggested 100% sweetness to counteract the matcha as it is slightly bitter. It was good but I still really enjoyed their milk tea. Does that make me basic?

Final Thoughts

I gotta say, I did really enjoy their bubble tea. If you see them around town, definitely give them a try. I would highly recommend their milk teas. You can taste the difference in the teas and ingredients they use.

We Rate Teapressu: 

Address:
Varied

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Teapressu-1674957589488689/

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

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In Chinese

Flower and Horse in Spring: Yunnan Cuisine

Flower and Horse in Spring is a new restaurant serving Yunnan Cuisine with their signature ‘crossing the bridge’ rice noodles. The legend of the noodles comes from the Yunnan Province where a scholar was studying for the imperial exams and his wife would make a long walk crossing a bridge to bring him his midday meal. The meal consisted of hot chicken soup with a layer of oil to keep the meal warm. She would carry the ingredients separately and combine them together when she gave him the noodles until he passed his exam.

This story was passed down from generation to generation inspiring the creation of the noodles that symbolizes the wifes love for the scholar.

Interior

We passed by this place as it looked quite different from the outside. Looking at the menu and seeing this place was packed, we decided to line up. It was a 15 minute wait but the food smelled good.

The bright decorations really reminded my friend of China. She definitely felt nostalgia.

Traditional Crossing the Bridge Noodles

I ordered A5, the first overall pick according to the menu. Not sure what that means, but I felt most of the menu was lost in translation. This set has crispy pork, prawn, kelp, squid, marinated pork, fish, spam, corn, chives, bean curd, quail egg, yunnan pickle, tomato, carrot, bean sprout, parsley, and green onion.

There are instructions at the table on how to put together the noodles, but I learned quickly that I was so hangry that I can’t follow instructions.

It says:

  1. Beat the quail egg
  2. Coat the sliced raw meat with egg and place into the boiling soup
  3. Add cooked meat to soup
  4. Put Veggies into the soup
  5. Add rice noodle to the soup

We just dumped all the meat in first to cook it while the soup is hot. We then put in the rest of the veggies to cook. Then lastly, we throw in the noodles.

Once all the items were put together, it looked and tasted good. I wish it had more spice, but there was some chili oil that you can add a kick to the noodles.

Rice Noodle with sauteed pork sauce

The dish has a soup on the side too. The egg on top was delicious. The menu said the sauteed pork sauce was spicy, but it really wasn’t.

Noodles with with house special braised pork sauce in soup

It also has with shitake mushroom, bean curd sheet, bean spouts, chives, and other stuff. The menu had a big HOT warming on this item, but my friend said it wasn’t very spicy.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was a great experience to try something a bit different in the city. The ‘crossing the bridge’ noodles were delicious and I’ll be back. It’s a small space and they don’t do reservations, so make sure to come earlier or have a bit of patience waiting.

We Rate Flower and Horse in Spring: 

Address:
1741 Robson St, Vancouver

Flower and Horse in Spring Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Cafe

Cactus Club Cafe: Lunch and Dessert in Coal Harbour

Cactus Club Cafe in Coal Harbour near the Vancouver Convention Centre is their most beautiful location. It’s always packed and has a great view if you reserve a table near their window overlooking Coal Harbour.

I came here for lunch with a few friends to food and of course dessert.

All the Cactus Club Cafe locations across Canada from April 4 – 10, they will be donating $1 from every dessert sold to Make a Wish Foundation. They help support children living with life threatening conditions. The Sweet Dreams Dessert week will be helping 13 year old Morgan to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter with her family.

Rain Coast Greens

This has fresh greens, grilled chicken breast, avocado, tomatoes, feta, spicy pecans, cucumber, egg, and a lemon-thyme vinaigrette.

Baja Fish Tacos

It has beer battered ocean wise lingcod, shredded cabbage, chipotle aioli, fire roasted tomato salsa, pickled red onions, and jalapeño peppers. Instead of fries, I substituted it with a salad. This was a filling meal and the beer battered lingcod was a good size.

Grilled Tuna Club

This has ocean wise rare-seared albacore, tarragon tartar, bacon, cilantro, pickled ginger, and ciabatta. It is served with fries on the side.

Chicken Tacos

These have mexican-style braised chicken, avocado, lettuce, pickled radish, onions and jalapeños, feta, sour cream, cilantro, and sea salted fries. There are 3 tacos that come with this dish.

Key Lime Pie

Has lots of freshly squeezed key limes in the pie with a graham cracker crust and hand whipped cream. It was very good and had the right amount of tang.

Chocolate Lava Cake

The delicious molten dark chocolate cake is served with raspberry coulis, and tahitian vanilla ice cream.

This was my favourite dessert as it is so gooey and rich. It hits the spot for those chocolate lovers out there. We gobbled this up so quickly.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bar

The crunch bar is served with tahitian vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, and a few crunchy chocolate pearls. It was pretty sweet and dense. It’s a very popular dessert, but I wouldn’t be able to eat the whole thing. Sharing is great with this dessert.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was a good lunch with friends and trying their different desserts. The food is solid and consistent.

We Rate Cactus Club: 

Address:
1085 Canada Place, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.cactusclubcafe.com

Cactus Club Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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