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Glowbal Restaurant Group is ringing in the New Year with special three-course menus for dining-in only at Coast, Glowbal Restaurant, Italian Kitchen, and Black+Blue. GRG Winterlicious is available from January 5 to 24, 2020.

Glowbal Restaurant’s 3 course meal

We got a look at Glowbal Restaurant’s 3 course meal for $38 featuring:

AMUSE-BOUCHE
Wild Mushroom Soup
truffle oil

APPETIZERS
Beet & Goat Cheese Terrine
beet vinaigrette, shaved fennel, fresh horseradish
-OR-
Winter Green Salad citrus supreme, roasted hazelnuts, torched burrata
pomegranate vinaigrette
-OR-
Cheese Fritters & Shaved Prosciutto
arugula, roast tomato, shaved parmesan, pesto

ENTRÉES
Braised Beef Cheek Cannelloni
wild mushroom ragout, truffled parsnip purée
-OR-
Gnocchi & Winter Squash
butternut squash romesco, pumpkin seeds, parsley gremolata
-OR-
Mediterranean Sea Bass
beluga lentils, charred cabbage, carrot & ginger purée

DESSERT
Apple Galette
crisp pastry, toasted almonds, vanilla gelato

A Quick Look

Wild Mushroom Soup
Beet & Goat Cheese Terrine
Winter Green Salad
Cheese Fritters & Shaved Prosciutto
Mediterranean Sea Bass
Gnocchi & Winter Squash
Braised Beef Cheek Cannelloni
Apple Galette
Sãn Pablo Sour with Smoke Bubble
Sãn Pablo Sour with Smoke Bubble
Sãn Pablo Sour with Smoke Bubble
Jasmine Passion fruit Iced Tea

Final Thoughts

A 3 course meal for $38 is a pretty good deal at the Glowbal Restaurant. A nice break for a date night where you can feel very safe during this pandemic.

Address:
590 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://glowbalgroup.com/grg-winterlicious-2021.html

Vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians alike can get a fresh new fix when Tacofino and Beetbox team up to flex a new limited-time-only, plant-based Not Today, Seitan’ burrito feature launching on World Vegan Day, Sunday, November 1.

Where and when can I get it?

Available at Beetbox (1074 Davie St.) and Tacofino’s Gastown Burrito Bar (15 W Cordova St.) from Sunday, November 1 to Saturday, November 7, 2020.

What’s in it?

The ‘Not Today, Seitan’ burrito offers a tasty spin on Beetbox’s signature Fried Chick-Un Sandwich and comprises breaded and fried seitan, pumpkin-seed macha, cashew-lime crema, white-cucumber kimchi, lettuce and lime chilaquiles wrapped in a Tacofino flour tortilla for $11.

Tacofino x Beetbox Collab

The creative burrito collab comes about as the result of a meeting of two like-minded culinary talents in Bryan Satterford, Chef and Co-Owner of Vancouver plant-based hotspot Beetbox, and Jason Sussman, Chef and Co-Founder of the beloved Baja-by-way-of-West-Coast Tacofino family of restaurants. Beetbox offers a 100% plant-based menu, while Tacofino prides itself on offering an array of vegan- and vegetarian-friendly fare at all of its brick-and-mortar restaurants across Vancouver and its roaming fleet of food trucks.

Bel Café recently introduced their new Bel Box, which is a lunch box on the go and it comes with your choice of a sandwich, a half Tuscan Kale salad, a cookie, and a small drink. Bring it back home or take it to the park for a picnic.  

Senior Pastry Chef, Tessa Faulker, recently launched a selection of new pastries including a Cinnamon Morning Bun, rosemary twist, raspberry vanilla scone, miso almond kouign amann, and the ham & cheese bostock.

Lots of new things happening and we were invited to check out these delicious treats.

Bel’s Picnic Box

You can choose from these sandwiches:

  • Ham and Cheese Mt. Moriarty cheese, smoked ham, mustard, sourdough bread
  • Smoked Meat Montreal style smoked beef, pickles mustard, rye bread
  • Herbivore roasted garlic hummus, baby gem lettuce, pickled red onion, cucumber, avocado
  • B.L.T. (or A.L.T.) bacon/avocado, lettuce, tomato

We got our box with the smoked meat sandwich, chocolate chip cookie, half Tuscan Kale Salad, and Flow Water.

It’s a solid box with everything you need for lunch.

Rosemary Twist

The rosemary twist is quite large and has many flakey layers. It’s like a croissant but twisted with the aroma of rosemary and hints of salt.

Cinnamon Morning Bun

This is covered in sugar and cinnamon, which makes it like a churro croissant. A tad messy to eat, so becareful.

Ham & Cheese Bostock

This was our favourite pastry as we tend to gravitate towards savoury pastries. It had a good texture that complimented the ham and cheese.

Miso Almond Kouign

The miso almond kouign is sweet and delicious like an almond croissant. The miso is subtle but works well.

Raspberry Vanilla Scone

Lastly, the raspberry vanilla scone is pretty standard but a touch on the sweet side. It also has a crumbly texture, so be careful when you eat this.

Final Thoughts

Overall, lots of new things happening at Bel Cafe. Of the things we tried, we really like the Rosemary Twist and the Ham & Cheese Bostock the most. They really have quality savoury pastries that stand out. Cinnamon Morning Bun was good and it reminded us of a churro.

With the weather so great this summer, it’s great to grab a few things and head to the close by parks or beaches.

Address:
1780 W 3rd Ave, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://belcafe.com/

Ventura Room is located across from Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Downtown Vancouver and opened in October of 2019. They were best known for the live music, dancing, and cocktails.

Since the pandemic, they have closed but recently re-opened with safety measures in mind. The tables are spaced apart in respect to social distancing. There is patio space with tables and picnic tables. Also, all staff were wearing masks.

We were invited for food and drinks and to check out the space.

Happy Hour

They have happy hour from 3-6pm and 10pm – close daily. It’s all day happy hour on Sunday, which is a great deal.

Interior

They have a laidback Californian lounge and its usually open late with live music. With the pandemic, they’re trying to find their way to being that but with safety in mind.

Menu

Strawberry Basal Spritz

It has strawberry infused aperol, campari, basil, prosecco, and orange bitters. It was very easy to drink and refreshing.

The Daquirita

It has havana 7, altos plata, yuzu, and seared pineapple. It’s a strong drink that is citrus forward and clean.

California Love

They do have alcoholic-free beverages as well. This has fresh grapefruit juice, lavender, lemon, and soda. You get the floral notes from the lavender and the sour notes from the citrus fruits.

Crispy Cauliflower

The crispy cauliflower has charred jalapeño ranch, parmesan, and chili. This was one of our favourite dishes as it was well fried and seasoned. Plus, the dip complimented well.

Ahi Tuna Taco

These tacos have ginger chili tuna, yuzu aioli, avocado, and a cilantro slaw. It comes with 4 mini tacos per order. Looks great but the taste was lacking. It really needed more tuna and sauces.

Crispy Coconut Shrimp Roll

This has panko shrimp, avocado, green onion, Thai peanut sauce, and sesame. This was our server’s favourite item on the menu. It’s a very fusion items on the menu. The Thai peanut sauce and the green onion combination was nice. The peanut sauce is chunky and sweet, which is different. Not necessarily a bad thing.

West Coast Aburi Roll

This roll is their Ventura roll with torch seared chili ginger salmon & jalapeño. It was a decent roll but it definitely needed more flavour for one of their signature rolls.

Torch Nigiri

The different nigiri have a soy saké glaze on top. You have an option of salmon or tuna. The glaze give it a good amount of sweetness and the torched sauce caramelizes nicely. Not your typical Japanese flavourings but we liked it.

Hollywood Burger

The burger is topped with cheddar, iceberg lettuce, tomato, pickle, and special sauce between the toasted buns. It was a decent burger but nothing too special. For your side, yam fries are a great choice.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the location is great if you’re in the Queen Elizabeth theatre area before or after a show. The food was ok, but sometimes people just want to socialize with friends and not go anywhere too far.

Going on Sunday for all day happy hour is a great deal. We recommend the crispy cauliflower and the torched nigiri.

Address:
695 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC 

Website:
https://www.venturaroom.com/

Cold Tea Restaurant has now taken over the spot of the historical Tsui Hang Village Restaurant. The veteran owners have reimagined the space and have filled a hole in the market through creating a modern dim sum experience with a Vietnamese twist that is laid-back and accessible to everyone.

We were invited to check out a few of their dishes at Cold Tea Restaurant.

The restaurant’s name is paying homage to the history of the building they have leased, as their predecessor, Tsui Hang Village Restaurant, was notoriously known for serving late night tea pots full of beer, which you could order as “cold tea” after legal serving hours.

Interior

The space seats 130 people seated and 160 people standing, but with the pandemic, they currently can only have a 80 person capacity with social distancing. The space is unpretentious, inviting, modern, earthy, with classic Chinese elements.

Garden Fizz

This cocktail has Hendricks Gin, Pimms no1, strawberry syrup, lemon juice, and egg white. It was a nice drink strong in flavour with citrus notes. The addition of lemon juice made it very refreshing. It is served in a tall glass served with strawberry and fresh mint.

Dark Tea

This mocktail has blackberry tea syrup, black tea, lemon, simple syrup, bitters, and coke. The dominant flavours were of the blackberry and black tea. You can taste the hint of bitters with the coke. There is definitely a lot of depth to this drink. The drink isn’t too fizzy because of the coke. It was a good drink served in a tall glass with blackberry and fresh mint.

Pork Belly Bao

This has braised pork belly, marinated cucumber, pickled red onion, sriracha mayo, and scallions. This bao has a very nice flavour and it was tender.

Big Bird Bao

This other bao has fried chicken thighs, marinated cucumber, pickled red onion, sriracha mayo, and cilantro. It was ok, but we did like the pork belly bao more as it fit more with our flavour preferences.

Vegan Potstickers

We tried the vegan potstickers and it has kobacha squash, coconut cream, and lemongrass. We normally wouldn’t have chosen this option, but the flavour combination surprisingly worked. We wished there were more pieces to an order.

Lai Fun Carbonara

This dish is definitely very fusion. It has lai fun noodles, 5 spiced cured bacon, cream, sous vide egg, parmesan, green onion, and chili threads. This turned out to be very good. It was flavourful and not too salty. Since they do use lai fun noodles, they are more soft in texture than regular al gente pasta.

Green Papaya Salad

This salad has beef jerky, green papaya, cucumber, red bell peppers, cilantro, mint, Thai basil, and a sweet and sour fish sauce. The flavours are very nice and refreshing. A good balance of flavours so nothing is too overpowering. The strips of beef jerky was really good. There is also a vegetarian option with tofu on the menu.

Vietnamese Coffee Creme Brulee

This was a good end to the meal. This has French roast coffee in the creme brulee with condensed milk.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we liked how each dish is thoughtfully put together and well balanced. They really nailed the combination of Chinese and Vietnamese flavours. Well executed and we will definitely be back.

Cold Tea Restaurant is a great addition to the neighbourhood.

Address:
1193 Granville St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.coldtearestaurant.com/

A classic tradition in our household is to go get brunch for Mother’s Day as we celebrate around the table stuffing our face full of food. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 Pandemic, we must celebrate a little bit differently this year.

Glowbal has found a way to bring the buffet experience to you. They have created their Mother’s Day Brunch at Home for $60 and it serves 2. My mom loves buffets and is probably obsessed. She’s the types of person that will browse through the buffet slowly and makes sure she tries everything. This usually takes up the entire time limit of our seating. It’s kinda cute.

How to Order

You can pre-order for pick up by Saturday, May 9th by:

  • Calling 604-602-0835
  • Emailing info@glowbalgroup.com

They also do delivery via UberEats, Skip the Dishes and DoorDash on Sunday, May 10th.

What’s Included?

Brunch Items

  • Classic Eggs Benedict with Honey Ham & Hollandaise Sauce
  • Smoked Salmon Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce
  • Classic Hash Browns with Parmesan Cheese & Fresh Herbs
  • Roasted Leek & Fennel Sausage

Carving Station

  • Carved US Prime Striploin, Crusted with Pommery Mustard & Fresh Herbs
  • Slow Oven Roasted Porchetta with Fennel Seeds, Roasted Candied Garlic & Honey Rosemary

Lunch Items

  • Rigatoni Pommodoro with Fresh Basil, Roasted Tomatoes & Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Homemade Gnocchi Tossed in Pesto Cream & Sundried Tomatoes

Seafood & Salad Station

  • Chilled Snow Crab
  • Poached Tiger Prawns
    **Served with Cocktail Sauce & Lemon
  • Slice of Sockeye Smoked Salmon
  • Baby Mixed Greens
  • Quinoa Salad
  • Pasta Salad

Breakfast Pastry Station

  • Assorted Loaves & Miniature Muffins
  • Baby Sugared Donuts
  • Mini Tiramisu
  • Mini Assorted Pastries 
  • Chocolate Nibs

Mimosa To Go

They also have Mimosas To Go for $30, which contains a bottle of bubble and orange juice to complete the meal.

Final Thoughts

It’s a great selection of buffet items for 2. You can pop it in the oven or microwave to reheat when it gets home. We found that more than 2 people can enjoy this great Mother’s Day Buffet as not everyone will want a piece of everything. It’s a great price and the quality is there. I personally loved the carving station because I love meat. My mom loved the seafood as per usual.

Definitely pre-order with Glowbal ahead of time to ensure you have your Mother’s Day Buffet for 2 ready.

Address:
590 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.glowbalgroup.com/glowbal/

Glowbal has brought back their limited time Burger Mania menu from March 16 – 27, 2020. This menu is available Monday to Friday from 11am to 6pm. Great for those who are working downtown and want a very filling lunch.

There are 5 different burgers which come with their own unique side dish. The prices do vary depending on the burger, but it’s very resonable.

Menu

BBQ Beef Brisket Melt

This beast of a burger has Montréal-styled smoked brisket, peppered bbq glaze, Swiss cheese, dilly kraut with bacon, and all in a toasted pretzel bun.
It is served with deep fried dill pickles. A good pairing as you can’t go wrong with deep fried pickles.

The burger is pretty hefty and the brisket is really packed in there.

Crispy Fried Chicken Burger

This Crispy Fried Chicken Burger has gooey aged cheddar cheese house famous hot sauce, and pickled cabbage slaw in a ciabatta bun. It is served with housemade bbq kettle chips. The BBQ Kettle chips were solid. The crispy fried chicken was big and crispy but can go limp quickly because of the moist ingredients in the burger.

We were actually surprise their hot sauce really packs a punch.

Surf n’ Turf Burger

This burger has double house ground chuck patties, buttery lobster & tarragon shaved fennel, and bearnaise sauce in a brioche bun. It is served with cheesy fried gnocchi bites.

The burger definitely needed more lobster and the pieces were cut up in small. The gnocchi bits were very gooey and best eaten when hot.

The Spicy Mexican

This massive burger has double house ground chuck patties, habanero & lime guacamole pico de gallo, and cilantro queso fresco in a brioche bun. It is served with waffle fries supreme.

The burger is very stacked with the double patties. It can be a bit messy to eat, but I like the fresh vibrant flavours from the lime.

Veggie Parmesana

There is a vegetarian option on the menu and it has a True veggie patty, crispy eggplant, parmesan, provolone cheese, tomato fondue, basil aioli, and rocket greens on a multigrain ciabbata bun. It is served with fried parsnip chips.

We all thought this wouldn’t be as good at the others but it’s solid. Very big burger.

Final Thoughts

The burgers and size are huge so you really get full if you can finish both the burger and side. There are a nice variety of burgers to celebrate Burger Mania. BBQ Beef Brisket Melt and Veggie Parmesana were my top choices. They paired the burger and sides nicely, but you can’t mix and match.

Address:
590 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC 

Website:
https://www.glowbalgroup.com/glowbal/index.html

Joe Fortes is launching their new Happy Hour Menu starting March 2nd. It’s a great happy hour featuring a plethora of seafood dishes to snack on. Plus, drink specials too. We’ve been to happy hour a few times, so we’re excited to see the new menu.

We were invited to check out all the items on the menu so you can make an informed decision.

When is Happy Hour at Joe Fortes Available?

Here are the hours of the Happy Hour at Joe Fortes.

  • Monday to Friday: 3pm to 6pm
  • Saturday and Sunday: – 4pm to 6pm
  • 7 Days a week: 9pm to 11pm

Menu

Bubbly

A glass of bubbly is the perfect way to start off happy hour after work especially if you’re celebrating something special.

Classic Margarita

They also have their classic margarita on special for $7. It’s a solid drink that you also can’t go wrong with.

Joe’s Chilled Seafood Platter

For $36.95 per tier, you get this platter with local oysters, marinated mussels and clams, prawns, albacore tuna crudo, scallop ceviche, and ahi tuna poke.

All the items on this platter was delicious and fresh. It’s a good platter to share with friends. It would be good for 2-4 people and then add some more happy hour items to round it out.

I really liked the local oysters, marinated mussels and clams, prawns, and albacore tuna crudo in this platter.

Oyster’s Rockefeller

Each order comes with 2 pieces to an order. Each shell has 2 cooked oysters in a decadent creamy sauce made of spinach, pernod, and hollandaise. Very delicious.

Mini Shrimp & Lobster Rolls

There are also 2 pieces per order. This has a mixture of shrimp, Atlantic lobster meat, and classic remoulade. There is a good amount of seafood in this which is nice. The roll is nicely toasted too. A must have item.

Crab & Corn Fritters

There are 4 crab and corn fritters per order and served with a dip and wedge of lemon. It was very crisp on the outside with the mixture of corn and crab.

Albacore Tuna Sliders

This item is new to the menu and comes with 2 pieces per order. It doesn’t look like much but it was good. The albacore tuna is very delicate and full of flavour.

Ahi Poke Tacos

This is a new item on the happy hour menu and there are 2 pieces per order. The ahi poke sits inside a deep fried wrapper and served with guacamole. Nice bite size pieces.

Jumbo Tempura Prawns

The tiger prawn tempura are huge and it is served with a togarashi mayo. Very crisp on the outside and just a delight to devour. Definitely worth getting an order. There are 3 pieces per order.

Crispy Calamari

The calamari was really tender and it is served with a sun-dried tomato aioli dip and a slice of lemon. We really enjoyed this dish.

Truffle Fries

The truffle fries are topped with grana padano, herbs, and sea salt. There is also ketchup on the side. A good item to munch on and share among the table.

Final Thoughts

Overall, a good selection of items for their happy hour menu and they continue to give their guests a good experience. Once the patio bar opens later this year once the weather warms up, you can have happy hour up at the bar on the patio.

Address:
777 Thurlow St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.joefortes.ca/

Palate Kitchen has been created by Pallet Coffee Roasters as a new brunch spot in the Financial District of Downtown Vancouver. You can never have enough brunch spots. Their goal is to pair good coffee with good eats.

I was downtown early in the morning, so I decided to pop in quickly for breakfast.

To Go Bar

In the morning, the to go bar is very popular where people grab a pastry and coffee before heading in to work.

I decided to sit inside to get the full experience.

Interior

This heritage building is stunning with its high ceilings. There are tables on the main floor along with a bar and kitchen.

There is also two elevated dining areas on the second floor, but unfortunately it was closed when we were dining here. I can really seeing it transform into a lovely event space because offices always need a place to hang out after work or for a special event.

Kids

There are high chairs available for kids, but we were unable to find a changing table in the washrooms.

Menu

Latte

I started off with a latte as it was fantastic. Perfect ratio of espresso and milk foam. Plus, the latte art was perfect.

Mushroom Toast

The mushroom toast has seasonal sautéed mushrooms, truffled hummus, fine herbs, and mixed greens on sourdough.

For $3 extra, I added a poached egg to it. The poached egg came on a side plate, so that was a bit odd. Even the staff commented how it was strange.

So, this $18 toast was very pricey and I could have gotten a nicer breakfast elsewhere. The wasn’t that much mushroom on the toast as it was hiding under all the greens. The truffled hummus also overpowered the taste.

I was full by the end of the meal, but there wasn’t anything new to this mushroom toast. The egg was poached nicely, so thats a plus.

Final Thoughts

As we only ordered a small amount of items off the menu, it didn’t leave me with a good impression to return. The coffee is fantastic and I’ll be back to Pallet Coffee Roasters, but the toast here is pretty expensive. The value get for the toast isn’t there. Best to stick to the other main dishes or go to the To Go Bar for a coffee and pastry.

Address:
848 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.palatekitchen.com/

Dine Out Vancouver is upon us and Italian Kitchen by the Glowbal Group is participating again this year with their $45 dinner menu including an appetizer, entree, and dessert. There is also option for wine pairings as well.

It’s been a while since I’ve been to Italian Kitchen and the new location sets the mood with its Italian charm. We were invited to have a sneak peek of the Dine Out Vancouver menu before the festival begins. We tried all the dishes to help you make an informed decision.

Menu

Interior

There are different seating areas in the restaurant. It’s a nice space for all sorts of occasions. They can seat small to large groups which is nice.

Focaccia

The meals starts with complimentary focaccia, olive oil and balsamic. A nice nibble to begin the meal.

Confit of Duck Salad

There is a bed of grilled radicchio, roasted fennel & beets, watercress, spelt, and orange balsamic vinaigrette. The confit duck is a bit dry on the outside, but it is tender inside. Great portion size for an appetizer.

Risotto Milanese

The risotto has asparagus, shrimp and crispy artichokes. The shrimp are nice and plump, and the crispy artichokes add great texture. The risotto itself was a tad on the salty side. Nonetheless, it was still very enjoyable.

Galletto al Mattone

This dish has a salt brick pressed half Maple Hills Farm chicken marinated with herbs, garlic & lemon, and served with smashed herb potatoes. I really enjoyed this dish a lot. The chicken was moist and the skin had so much flavour. I was very impressed. Great portion size too.

Filetto di Branzino

The dish has sauteed mediterranean bass filet with blistered cherry tomatoes, calabrese olives, peppers, and basil. The Branzino has a lovely crust on its skin. The tomatoes, olives, and pappers paired nicely with it. It’s not as filling as the chicken option, but this dish was well executed.

Ravioli Cacio e Pere

The ravioli is stuffed with pear and stracciatella and topped with black pepper & pecorino, and arugula. Don’t be shy to have more cheese added on top, so no shame in having more cheese. Of all the entrees, this was my least favourite. It’s a good dish, but I just thought the other proteins were well executed.

Butterscotch Budino

This decadent dessert has the base of the butterscotch pudding and topped with dark chocolate sauce, chantilly cream and a pistachio crumble. This was absolutely delicious. Very generous portion size and that dark chocolate sauce balanced out the butterscotch pudding. Not to sweet either, which was fantastic.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I was really impressed by the $45 menu at Italian Kitchen. Great value and you won’t be disappointed. If you’re looking for an Italian restaurant for Dine Out Vancouver, definitely check it out. My favourites were the risotto and chicken dishes.

Make sure to get reservations so you don’t get disappointed.

Address:
860 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://glowbalgroup.com/italiankitchen/

Stock & Supply is located on the lobby level of Delta Hotels by Marriott Vancouver Downtown Suites on Hastings Street across from SFU Harbour Centre. They are focusing on providing a multi-sensory dining experience with a focus on shared plates, grazing options, and an extensive cocktail and beverage menu.

We were invited for a sneak peek to check out the space as well as the drink and eats.

Interior

The space holds up to 71 guests and is on a first come first serve basis, so no reservations are available. The space is quaint and they have a partnership with the Vancouver Art Gallery to rotate art pieces in this space.

It’s a great space for after work and into the evenings. They also welcome people to do some work here as there are plugs for laptops and to charge phones.

Menu

Build You Own Boards

The main feature of Stock & Supply is their BYOB – Build Your Own Boards. You could bring your own booze, but they have a very good selection at the bar.

All boards will offer a base, including fresh herb hummus, citrus spiced olives, baked garlic, warm baguette and beer-infused mustard, along with 3 items of your choice for $25, which feeds 2. You can also add on any additional items for $8 each to expand your board.

These additions can include a pickled carrot trio, house-smoked pork belly, bone marrow and a house-made beet tasting, along with many more options. They pride themselves of working with top producers in BC.

If you are indecisive, they also offer three pre-designed boards for weekend brunch, including The Garden’s Board which will showcase cauliflower fritters, toasted quinoa tabbouleh and fresh hummus.

Smoked Pork Scotch Egg

This is served with pickled onions and beer infused mustard to compliment. It is essentially a beautifully boiled egg wrapped in ground smoked pork. It’s delicious and you can’t go wrong with this.

Crab Fritters

On the side, there is a mint and cilantro yogurt to balance out the fried fritters. It was alright but the crab could have stood out a bit more. The mint was a tad overpowering.

Poutine

There is a base of double cooked fries, St. Albert Cheese Curds, Smoked Brisket, Ale Gravy, and a sunny egg. Very indulgent, but the gravy was a bit salty.

Tomato Flatbread

The flatbread has confit heirloom tomatoes and garlic, balsamic onion, goat cheese, and kale pesto. One of the more filling snacks and easy to share with a group.

Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

The wings are paired with a Roasted Garlic Aioli dip. The chicken wings were pretty salty, so if you get this, request that they go easy on the salt.

Charro Beans

This has house smoked bacon, fresh avocado, lime creme fraiche, and fried tortilla. Interesting dish on the menu, but it wasn’t really exciting.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s a great addition to Downtown Vancouver as people are looking for the next place for small bites and drinks after work. There are options for more filling dishes if you’re wanted to get more full.

Address:
550 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://stockandsupplyvancouver.com/

YEW Seafood + Bar has launched their 2019 Fall Menu. The menu explores traditional Pacific Northwest ingredients infused with international influences created by Restaurant Chef Evan Morgan. Executive Pastry Chef Suraj Karmakar has created a collection of desserts with local and tropical flavours.

We were invited to check out a few of their new dishes on the menu.

Appetizers

We tried a few of their new appetizers and classic items on the menu – grilled octopus, prawn cocktail, crab cake, and burrata. The grilled octopus is the new item on the menu and it was pretty tender with a lot of flavour. Loved the texture of the crispy grains, and the squash.

All of the other appetizers are solid and you can’t go wrong with them.

Grilled Octopus 
Butternut Squash, Crispy Grains, Smoked Onion Aioli
YEW Prawn Cocktail 
Salsa Verde, Pickled Red Onion, Cabbage, Cilantro
Dungeness Crab Cake 
Green Apple, Celery, Tarragon, Piquillo
Burrata 
Roasted Baby Beets, Greens, Cherry Vinaigrette Black Pepper Shortbread

From the Sea

The 3 new seafood dishes – seared scallops, Maple Gochujang Glazed Sablefish, and the Peppercorn Crusted Lingcod. All 3 dishes were very impressive. The scallops were cooked perfectly with a nice sear on each side. The gochujang sablefish was very flavourful and loved the rice cakes which adds great chewy texture to the dish. The addition of the beans adds a heartiness to the dish for the fall. The lingcod was moist and the cheese gnocchi was outstanding.

Seared Scallops 
Celeriac Purée, Confit Sunchokes, Baby Turnip Chipotle Vinaigrette
Sablefish 
Dashi Scented Beans, Jalapeño, Kale, Crispy Rice Cake, Charred Cucumber, Radish
Seared Ling Cod 
Gnocchi Parisienne, Mushrooms, Dressed Greens, Peppercorn Sauce

Dessert

Executive Pastry Chef Suraj Karmakar has crafted 3 new desserts on the menu – ‘Fall-en’ Stone, Oven Roasted Pear + BC Blueberry Crumble, and Beyond the Black Forest. Of the 3, the Oven Roasted Pear + BC Blueberry Crumble was perfect for the fall weather. You have the warm crumble with the contrast of the cold vanilla ice cream.

‘Fall-en’ Stone 
Banana Mousse, Makrut Lime Cream, Kalamansi Marmalade
Oven Roasted Pear + BC Blueberry Crumble 
Spiced Caramel, Choice of Housemade Ice Cream
Beyond the Black Forest 
Rosemary Mousse, Amarena Cherry, Chocolate Shortbread, Raspberry Sorbet

Final Thoughts

Overall, the new Fall items as it’s perfect for the season and some classic items are great year round. My favourite items were the grilled octopus, gochujang sablefish and lingcod.

Address:
791 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.yewseafood.com/

Passione Gelato is a new gelato shop that has opened up in Parq Vancouver earlier this year. They are a small gelateria, which uses fresh organic ingredients and infused with Italian roots. Owner Salvatore Boccarossa has spent many years behind the gelato lab at Bella Gelateria and has now ventured into his own business. He learned the art of gelato making at Carpigiani Gelato University, which has been renowned world-wide for their artistry in gelato making.

Passione Gelato and Parq Vancouver has teamed up to create 2 limited edition flavours to celebrate some great milestones – Parq Vancouver’s 2nd anniversary and Vancouver Canucks 50th Season.

Power Play Popcorn

Available as of October 7th

To celebrate the Vancouver Canucks 50th Season, this gelato flavour incorporates popcorn, a staple at Canucks home games, with fan favourite salted caramel.  There is blue and green sprinkles on top too. Of course, it is also a FIN approved flavour.

A portion of the proceeds from each scoop purchased will go to the Canucks for Kids Fund to support children’s charities from across BC. 

I liked the texture of the added popcorn and it pairs with the salted caramel. It’s good that there’s salted popcorn and not coated in sugar. The flavours stand out and is more balanced.

Parq Autumn

Available as of October 16th

In honour of Parq Vancouver’s 2nd anniversary, Parq Autumn is inspired by an Old Fashioned. This autumnal flavour is made in small batches with Bulleit Bourbon Whiskey and French Valrhona chocolate and garnished with a candied orange.

The French Valrhona chocolate really stands out, then the whiskey and orange come in next. I didn’t think I would like this flavour but it was really fantastic. The candied orange also gives it an added chew and texture.

Final Thoughts

These 2 limited edition flavours at Passione Gelato inside Parq Vancouver are fantastic and it left me wanting more. While you’re there, get a sample of their other flavours too. The quality of their flavours are unreal. I was amazed!

Let us know which flavour you would try – Power Play Popcorn or Parq Autumn.

Address:
55 Smithe St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.parqvancouver.com/food-drink/passione/

With the holidays coming up soon, planning special gatherings may have already started. Planning ahead is key since venues and caterers get snatched up pretty quickly. If you’re a fan of Hawksworth located in Downtown Vancouver, they have their exquisite York Room for private events. Also, they have their catering services that will come to you wherever your event is.

York Room for Private Dining

The York Room at Hawksworth Restaurant can fit large groups of 63 people seated or 80 for a standing reception. The room overlooks the Vancouver Art Gallery and the surrounding areas.

The room takes you back to the 1920’s filled with chandeliers and ornate heritage pieces, while paired with modern technology that will work for an array of private events from receptions, birthdays, to business meetings.

Hawksworth Catering

Hawksworth has a catering division that can cater weddings, galas, office luncheons, and just about anything you can think of.

You can choose from their menu of options or request something personalized that suits you theme, budget, and any other preferences.

We were invited to get a sneak peek of what they are able to create a 4 course menu situated in the The York Room with similar dishes from the Hawksworth Restaurant. The dishes were all seasonal using the freshest ingredients available. The dinner was crafted by Chef de Cuisine Antonio Sotomayor.

Amuse Bouche – peach, heirloom tomatoes, and Nasturtium
Starter – Octopus ceviche, kohlrabi, orange and tomatillo.
Mid-Course – Suckling pig, miso honey, radish, and tarragon
Main – Yellow Meadows Duck, beets, gooseberry, pumpkin seed
Dessert- Dark chocolate, Chantilly, raspberry, and almond.

Final Thoughts

It’s good that there are more options than just the Hawksworth Restaurant if you’re looking to have larger special events but still have the same dishes or even different ones that fit your party.

Website:
https://hawksworthrestaurant.com/

School of Magic Afternoon Tea is back again this year at Trump Champagne Lounge in celebration of the iconic Harry Potter series. This is their second year offering up the School of Magic Afternoon Tea theme, so you’ll be able to experience a new set of savoury and sweet creations crafted by Pastry Chef Fumiko. Whimsical items like Deathly Hallow Ganache Cake to Butter Bubble Beer are on the menu. Chef Fumiko and her staff worked hard creating all these fun treats.

The School of Magic Afternoon Tea set is $65 per person and available as of Monday, September 15, 2019. There is also a $118 option served in cage with a glass of sparkling wine and a limited edition dessert box.

Menu

Tea Selections

The menu has a selection of black teas, Red Teas, Green Tea and Herbal Teas. There are sugar sticks and cream on the table to mix it however you like.

Scones

There are 3 different scones that are part of the set:

  • Philisopher’s Scone (Red Velvet)
  • Jelly Bean Scone
  • Matcha Scone

These are served with homemade clotted cream, lemon curd, strawberry and rhubarb jam. Very fun scone options that you won’t find anywhere else.

Sweets

Do you start off with sweets or savouries? If you are a sweet tooth, you’ll definitely start with all the delectable sweets.

Golden Snitch Chocolate Truffle

There is also salted caramel inside as well. This was definitely one of the sweeter items in the set.

Butter Bubble Beer

This unique twist on butter beer has bubble tea pearls and non-alcoholic butter scotch. Its definitely not like the Butter Beer at Universal Studios, but it was like butterscotch and soda with pearls.

Deathly Hallows Valrhona Dark Chocolate Ganache Cake

This was delicious and had a good balance of sweetness. Definitely one of our favourite sweets. Loved the texture of the ganache cake and the nuts.

Harry’s Favourite Treacle Tart

This has vanilla Chantilly with chocolate garnish. It wasn’t too heavy at all nor was it too sweet. Just the perfect balance.

Cauldron Mousse

This has ube mousse with mascarpone whipped cream. Yet again good balance of sweetness and ube flavour in this treat. Plus it looks really cute.

Muggles Book of Magic

The detail of the book and sorting hat is stunning! It is made mostly with baumkuchen cake, a German pastry. Very delicious.

Hogwarts’ Acceptance Letter Sugar Cookie and Harry Potter Sugar Cookie

These look very cute and gave it the Harry Potter vibes but the icing on the sugar cookie is hard and a tad thick.

Magic Wand

This is a chocolate covered cookie stick. Imagine Pocky but tastier. We did feel like the candies and sprinkles did takeaway from the overall taste.

Savoury

To balance out the sweets, savoury treats are an important part of the set. I personally love savouries, so bring it on.

Pretzel & Cheese Broomstick 

The cute broom stick is made with Havarti cheese and Chives. Very creative. Wouldn’t have thought it would look great but it does.

British Sausage Roll

You can eat the sausage roll in a bite or 2. Very simple.

Smoked Chicken Tea Sandwich 

This was essentially a chicken salad sandwich. Pretty standard.

Steak and Guinness Pie

This is definitely more Irish, but this is a similar item sold at Universal Studios at the Leaky Cauldron inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter area. It’s a 2 bite pie that works for in an afternoon tea set.

Mrs. Sprout’s Pasty 

This is a British style crispy pocket with seasonal vegetables. Crisp on the outside and stuffed with the delicious vegetables.

Ron’s Chicken Leg

They use a lemon honey garlic spice on the leg and it tasted home made and comforting. I would definitely recommend eating this right away as it will go cold and won’t be as enjoyable.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the School of Magic Afternoon Tea is very visually appealing and it great for any Harry Potter fan. There is a lot of creativity that goes into each item to reflect that theme and it’s not your cookie cutter cucumber sandwich and scones. They really put the effort in making this a fun experience.

As for the tastes of the sweets and savouries, items are hit and miss. We would recommend starting with the savouries first as they should be eaten warmer.

Address:
1161 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC

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

TWG Tea Salon & Boutique in Vancouver Moon Route Tea Mooncake Collection for the mid-Autumn festival, a harvest festival celebrated by the Chinese. It is usually celebrated eating mooncakes and having dinner with loved ones.

This year, TWG has several traditional mooncakes as well as snowskin mooncakes, which as infused with the luxurious TWG Teas.

You can find theses at TWG Tea Salon & Boutique in Vancouver from August 9 till September 13, 2019. 

We were invited for a sneak peek of the Moon Route Tea Mooncake Collection.

Moon Route Tea

This tea pairs well with all the tea-infused traditional and snowskin mooncakes in the collection. This is a subtle and creamy blend of green tea and red fruits. It is accented by a sweet note of rare citrus which lingers on the palate.

Traditional Mooncakes

The traditional mooncakes are contemporary while maintaining the integrity of what a baked mooncake should be. These are more dense and sweeter than the snowskin mooncakes.

There are 4 types to this collection – Constellation, Jewel, Harvest, and Moonlight.

Constellation

This has a golden crust, a smooth and elegant brown lotus filling infused with Singapore Breakfast Tea. There is roasted melon seeds and an embedded salted egg yolk inside the filling. This was definitely the most classic out of the four types.

Jewel

This mooncakes has their Chocolate Tea infused in the brown lotus paste and sprinkled with chocolate chips and crumble. Then, it is wrapped in a baked chocolate crust.

Of the four traditional mooncakes, Jewel was our favourite. It was sweet and delicious. We loved how it has melted pieces of chocolate throughout the mooncake.

Harvest

This unique mooncake has a black crust with Mistral Tea and lemongrass infused white lotus filling, and strawberry almond paste centre.

Moonlight

The last traditional mooncake has white lotus paste infused with Matcha, and a Amarena cherry centre. 

Snowskin Mooncakes

Snowskin mooncakes are a modern approach that appeals to the younger demographic. It makes for an icy cold dessert at the end of a meal.

There are also 4 types to this set – Pure, Blossom, Illumination, and Serenity.

Pure

This one has a white snowskin covering white lotus paste infused with Moon Route Tea and a lotus cream centre.

Blossom

This bright orange snowskin mooncake has Geisha Blossom Tea infused white lotus filling and a peach confit in a white chocolate centre.

We really enjoyed this one.

Illumination 

This black mooncake has a brown lotus paste infused with Earl Grey Fortune and an orange lotus cream centre. We really enjoyed this too.

Serenity

This yellow snowskin mooncake has Lemon Bush Tea infused brown lotus filling and a centre of tangy lemon lotus cream. 

Final Thoughts

The Moon Route Tea Mooncake Collection for Mid-Autumn Festival sets are perfect to give to family and friends to celebrate this great occasion. If you’re looking for something unique, this is it.

Of the eight mooncakes, we really enjoyed Jewel, Blossom, and Illumination.

Address:
1070 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC 

Website:
https://twgtea.com/

Black Rice Izakaya is always innovating their menu and trying to use the freshest produce for the season. As it is now Summer, they’ve launched some new items to pair with the beautiful hot Vancouver weather.

We were invited to check out a few of these dishes.

Miso Ceviche

The miso ceviche is served with taro chips. It was a delicious dish that was fresh and light. The crisp texture of the taro chips paired well with the acidity of the ceviche.

Soy Chicken Karaage

This is Korean fried chicken and you can request it at different spice levels. We got mild and there was only a little spark of spice, so that was good for those who can’t handle spicy. The chicken is deep fried twice and its crisp and tastes great.

Ika Feast

The ika is cooked two ways – grilled and fried. The deep fried ika was delicious, which is essentially calamari. The grilled ika was very plump and grilled quite well so its tender with good depth of flavour. The sauces that accompany this dish was great to dunk into.

Spicy Cold Sashimi Soup

Spicy cold sashimi soup is Mul-hoi in Korean. It was served with sea bass today, but it can depend on Chef’s choice sashimi – The sea bass was so good as it was fresh and sweet. The soup base does have a kick of spice to it.

Pad Thai Yaki Soba

This is their version of Pad Thai and Yaki Soba combination. It leans more towards a Pad Thai, but with soba noodles. It was good but we still prefer the chew of Pad Thai noodles.

Final Thoughts

The new dishes as part of their Sumer menu is asian fusion for sure which is reminiscent of their other dishes on the menu. The dishes were food and worth a try and the sashimi is very fresh.

Address:
782 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.blackrice.ca/

Glowbal Group has launched their inaugural Secret Chef’s Table, which I guess isn’t so secret now. This exclusive event brings diners to the basement of Glowbal Restaurant’s prep kitchen to enjoy an 8 course meal with wine pairings. It is a very intimate experience as there are only a handful of people dining around the table.

You can watch the chefs craft up the meal right in from of your eyes with a small group of foodies.

Pre-dinner cocktails and Bites

We gathered in the lounge and sipped on a cocktail and enjoyed some delicious appetizers before the fun began. We were all excited with anticipation as we didn’t know what to expect.

Glowbal’s Secret Chef’s Table

The official meal begins below.

Course 1: Scallop and Smoked Sablefish Crudo

This beautiful dish has the Scallop and Smoked Sablefish Crudo, ginger emulsion, watercress foam, and then a squeeze of the lime caviar from finger limes.

The acidity from the limes paired really well with the fish and the sauces in this dish.

They paired it with the Vanessa Vineyard Viognier 2018 from Okanagan, BC.

Course 2: Cured Arctic Char

They next course pairs cured arctic char with mandarin pudding, shiso bavarois, and a long cucumber gelée.

The arctic char was cured nicely and I wouldn’t have ever thought it would go well with cucumber or mango, but it did.

This was then paired with the Black Hills Rosé 2017 from Okanagan, BC.

Course 3: Lobster Ravioli

The lobster ravioli was more like three tasters in one dish. On the left there was the lobster tail with peas and fava beans.

In the centre of the plate was the ravioli with the most delicious sauces.

Then the last one is seared foie gras with a fried zucchini blossom. The foie gras is so rich and fatty, but really melts in your mouth. The sommolier paired a glass of Petit Guiraud Sauternes that went so well with the foie gras.

The wine paired with this dish was the Tantalus Blanc de Blanc 2016 from Okanagan, BC.

Course 4: Plum and Champagne Granite

For the next course, we got to see Ryan Gauthier, corporate executive chef for the Glowbal Collection create the Plum and Champagne Granite with a mixer and dry ice.

This was meant to be the palate cleanser, which removes the previous tastes from your mouth and opening them up for the next set of dishes. It was really good and was like a sorbet but more melted. You could really taste the bubbles from the champagne.

It was then paired with the Beringer Chardonnary 2016 from Napa Valley, California. I was surprised that there was a pairing with this too.

Course 5: Seated Japanese Wagyu

The beautifully seared wagyu also has compressed honeydew, smoked purple potato, brussel sprouts, mini carrots and a black truffle croquette explosion. The black truffle croquette just oozed as you cut into it. The A5 wagyu melted in our mouth too. I had to eat this slowly to really enjoy all the favours and textures at play.

This is paired with the Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite ‘Legende R’ 2015 from Modoc, France.

Course 6: Smoked Pancetta Wrapped Lamb Loin

This dish has lamb cheeks, wild mushrooms, and bell pepper succo. Delicious lamb and very flavourful!

This was paired with the Arinzano ‘Hacienda de Arinzano’ 2014 from Rioja, Spain.

Course 7: Venison Loin

The venison loin is plated with beet & blueberry crumbs, fennel purée, roasted dates, and a red current foam. Beautifully seared on the outside and also very good.

This was paired with the Treana 2015 from Paso Robles, California.

Course 8: Jivara Chocolate Mousse

To end the night with the Jivara Chocolate Mousse was perfect. On the plate was also feuilletine, caramel, and gold. You have the crunch from the chocolate sculpture and then the smooth mousse inside.

It was paired with the Burrowing Owl ‘Coruja’ from Oliver, BC.

Petit Fours

Could you consider this the 9th course? It definitely felt like it. These were bite-sized treats to end the meal.

How to get access?

Sign up for their mailing list and get emails to events like the Secret Chef’s Table. You won’t know when the next one will be, but keep an eye out in your inbox and act fast when you see it.

Final Thoughts

It was a great evening spent in the basement prep kitchen of Glowbal enjoying great company and treated to such an exquisite meal. It’s not everyday you get this sort of exclusive treatment.

I was very impressed as it shows a different side of the Glowbal Group and their talented staff can pull off a Chef’s Table that hit the spot. The wine pairings were spot on with varieties from all over the world. The sommelier impressed guests with his wealth of knowledge and elegant pouring techniques.

The pacing of the meal was very on track as the dishes would come one after another with good spacing between each dish. We definitely all left full.

If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary and unique, this is it.

Website:
https://www.glowbalgroup.com/