Who doesn’t love a good brunch. You can now get brunch atYew Seafood and Bar on the weekends from 11:30am – 2:30pm.
They recently launched their 3 course brunch deal, so you can try more items on the menu. Just add $20 to any brunch entree to receive an appetizer, dessert, and a coffee or juice. That is one awesome deal and you’ll end up feeling stuffed.
Their new revamped menu has a good variety and we were invited to check it out.
Mimosa
Brunch isn’t complete without a mimosa. A mix of freshly squeezed orange juice and champagne definitely gets the weekend started.
Latte
I had to get a latte too because I get very little sleep in between taking care of an infant and of course blogging, so I was in need of some caffeine.
Brioche French Toast
The brioche french toast comes with 3 pieces and topped with charred cinnamon syrup, and candied hazelnuts.
Gluten Free Pancakes
There are 3 pancakes on the plate topped with 70% Chocolate, Banana, and Peanut Butter Powder. A good portion size as an appetizer. I liked the darkness of the chocolate and it pairs so well with banana and the peanut butter powder.
Belgian Waffle
There are 2 cute little waffles with black pepper mascarpone, and cardamom honey candied lemon.
House Made Granola Parfait
This beautiful bowl has a base of Greek yoghurt, seasonal fruit compote, and fresh berries. It’s so good to get this now as raspberry, blueberries, and raspberries are in season. Very filling even though it is an appetizer.
Croque Madame
Between two slices of toast is the shaved ham, gruyere cheese, and topped with more gruyere cheese and a fried egg. It was served with fries to complete this entree. It was cheesy and delicious.
Crab Hash
There are two poached eggs, dungeness crab, roasted potatoes, wilted spinach, charred cherry tomatoes, Nduja, and a Mornay sauce. The egg was poached perfectly and was very soft. You can always request your eggs to be poached well if you don’t like it runny.
Southern Fried Chicken
This is served on a cornbread waffle, maple glaze, smoked onion aioli, and compressed jalapeño. The fried chicken was moist and crisp on the outside and the compressed jalapeño just gives it an added kick to the dish.
Pineapple Carpaccio
This a plate of thinly slices pineapples with crème fraîche sorbet, and caramalized rosemary.
Chocoholic
There is liquid chocolate mousse and Baileys ice cream. It’s like a trio of chocolate on this dish. Great for chocolate lovers and that mousse is pretty amazing.
Hidden Garden
Inside the glass is yogurt panna cotta, green tea sponge, chocolate soil, edible flower, and cherry smoke. This dessert is mesmerizing. There’s definitely a lot going on in this dessert.
YEW Hazelnut Rocher 2.0
This has praline Chocolate Mousse, Liquid Caramel, and Hazelnut Ice Cream Flambé. This dessert is so fun! It is set on fire! The dessert is definitely reminiscent of a Ferrero Rocher.
Final Thoughts
Brunch at Yew was pretty good and the prices are fair. It’s a killer deal that they have for the 3 course brunch and you’ll be leaving stuffed.
Yew has always delivered great meals that are west coast inspired and with lots of variety.
Showcase Restaurant inside the Vancouver Marriott Downtown has launched a new menu and concept. The menu offers new sharing plates which highlight everything local that is Vancouver. It features fresh, seasonal west coast flavours by Chef Westley Feist.
I’ve dined many times at Showcase restaurant and the food is solid.
Interior
There are lots of seats inside, a few booths, and a private room. They also take reservations too.
House Made Sourdough
The bread is cut up into slices and served with their rooftop bayleaf honey with whipped butter. Who knew honey and butter would go so well together. Very delicious!
Salt Roasted Beets and Burrata
This is served with frisée, sherry vinegar, olive oil, and cracked pepper. One of my favourite dishes of the evening. That burrata is so good and makes you not want to share it with the table.
Sous Vide Pork belly
It is paired with charred scallion purée, gai lan, sesame and chilli threads. The pork belly was tender and flavour, plus the purée worked really well with this dish.
Grilled Pacific Humbolt Squid
It is served with romesco sauce, watercress, fennel, charred lemon vinaigrette, and pine nuts. The squid was tender and easy to chew apart.
Seared Oceanwise Scallops
The scallops were served with ajo blanco, caramelized cauliflower, and Calabrian chili. The scallops were seared nicely and the caramelized cauliflower was tasty.
Haida Gwaii Halibut
The halibut sits on top of ricotta gnocchi, Sole Food Street farms veggies, herb vinaigrette, and crispy onions. It was good to see different textures in this dish but I did feel like the halibut was a bit dry.
16 oz Ribeye Steak
They steak has peppercorn jus, cipollini onions, and puffed beef tendon. I think this was cooked medium, but I would have preferred medium rare. The puffed beef tendon was a nice addition to the dish for added texture.
Oven Roasted Baby Carrots
The carrots have a gochujang mirin glaze, hazelnuts, and topped with Barnston Island peashoots. A good sharing plate to make sure everyone gets some tasty carrots.
Glazed Japanese Eggplant
The eggplant is paired with soy butter, crispy shallots, and sambal sauce.
Japanese Cotton Cheese Cake
To finish off the night, this fluffy cheese cake has pink grapefruit, yogurt cremeux, and white chocolate puffed rice. I was surprised to see this on the menu but it was good.
Strawberry + Rhubarb Caramelized Puff Pastry
This has pickled rhubarb, strawberry puree, and vanilla whipped cream as well. I didn’t take a liking to this as the strawberries were quite tart.
Final Thoughts
I love the transformation of the menu and the dishes are more sharable, so you can do it family style and try a bit of everything rather than having the traditional plate to yourself.
My favourites were the Salt Roasted Beets and Burrata, Seared Oceanwise Scallops, Grilled Pacific Humbolt Squid, and Sous Vide Pork belly.
Roasted Lamb: smoked berry salsa, huitlacoche tortilla served by el Santo
Brewery and The Beast is back for 2019 and it is essentially a sustainable meat festival, where you can eat and drink to your hearts content. The focus of the festival is food sustainability. Their aim is to educate and inform guests of the importance of being a conscientious consumer.
By knowing where your food comes from, and where they can be purchased, it helps empower more people to asked crucial questions about what they’re eating. Brewery and The Beast wants to keep our local and regional food systems thriving while continually supporting the local restaurant and food & beverage industry.
This year, Brewery and The Beast was sold out in 10 minutes! It was the hottest ticket in town. As the ticket is inclusive of all drinks and food, it’s a great afternoon spent outdoors.
We were invited this year to check out Brewery and The Beast and see some of the new additions.
Confit Pork Jowl: baby Yorkshire pudding, Granny Smith apple sauce, Green Hill Cider jus served by The Cascade Room
Eat + Drink
There was so much to eat and drink!! The menu was revealed on the website a day before and I was shooook. There was about 74 items or so. 3 hours to eat 74 items would be very impressive if someone actually finished all that.
Pork and Octopus Kushiyaki: pickled sole food vegetables, Sichuan chili oil served by Showcase Restaurant
Everywhere we went, there were grills on high with meat sizzling away. The aroma was just intoxicating and smelled so good.
Backribs by Two Rivers Specialty Meats
Every bite was really delicious and there was a lot of variety. From ribs, to tacos, to sliders, and a lot more.
Beef Kabob: tabbouleh Butter, pickled turnips served by Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts
The line ups were long at some stalls, but it went by very quickly. Our strategy was to go to one booth, grab the food, and then eat it in line at the next booth.
Pork Jowl Kushiyaki: charcoal and gochujang sauce, crispy shallots and cilantro gremolata served by PidGin
You can find Vancouver’s best chefs at Brewery and the Beast. So many familiar faces if you follow the scene.
Porchetta with ember roasted potatoes & salsa verde by Chef Bruce Kalman
Besides consuming food, it was fun watching all the chefs crafting up something tasty. A lot of meat just roasting away. I was mesmerized by it all.
Pulled Rotisserie Chicken Taco: served by H2 Rotisserie & BarTexas Brisket: coleslaw, homemade pickles and St Louis ribs served by The Yale SaloonCrispy Chicken Skin Double Down: jalapeño queso, pickles, shredded lettuce, fancy sauce served by Juke Fried ChickenHoney Harissa Chicken Hearts: black pepper ranch served by Homer Street Cafe and Bar
In the hot hot sun, we needed to cool off and there were many ways to do so. There were shaded area, a misting area, but there were some other stations serving up drinks and desserts.
Ice Cream Sandwiches served by Mister Artisan Ice CreamCold Brew by Oughtred CoffeeVanilla Ice Cream, Maple, Double Smoked Bacon & Walnut Granola: served by Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship FoundationFresh Local Fruit : served by BerryMobile Fruit Distribution, Inc.
Halibut over Fire
Chef Charlotte Langley was on-site cooking entire BC and MSC-certified halibut over a live fire – a first for this previously meat-centric festival. There is more than just beef and pork at this festival.
At the Whole Foods booth, they made halibut tacos with fresh salsa with the large fish that was cooked by the open fire.
Duck Giblet Yakitori: heart, gizzard, liver, leeks served by Ugly Dumpling
Get your Grill on
If you walk about some of the booths, there are a few grills that are actually up for sale and used once just for the festival.
Grilled Beef Cheek: bing cherry chimichurri served by Burdock & Co. Restaurant
The Kerrisdale Lumber and Co. was on site showing off the Napoleon Pro Cart Grill and Napoleon Prestige 500 Stainless Steel use at Brewery and the Beast. You can even purchase the ones used in the festival for a great discount. Perhaps you can create some of your favourite items on these.
Shopping
If you wanted to do some shopping, Brewery and the Beast has a bunch of merchandise that can be picked up like their branded T-Shirt and Cups.
Filson, a top mens’ retailer had their pop up shop with some really nice items.
The Electric Timber Company is a collective of musicians brought together by myriad musical influences, from roots and rock to blues and bluegrass. Along with other guests, they kept the crowd entertained.
As we needed to escape the sun for a little bit, we listened to the tunes and enjoyed some beer and meats.
Roasted Leg of Lamb Slider: graham masala cauliflower slaw, fluffy sesame bun served by Timber
Final Thoughts
It was a really fun day and I enjoyed it with my friends drinking and eating. You get a lot for the price you pay for, so spent the entire 3 hours here and just eat away at all the food stalls if you can.
Grilled Octopus and Sausage: served by La Quercia
Keep an eye out on social media or join their mailing list to see when tickets come out for 2020. It’s definitely an event you don’t want to miss. You definitely want to act fast so you won’t be disappointed.
I have been very impressed by the Afternoon Tea sets created by Fumiko Moreton at The Trump Champagne Lounge . Every time they come up with a new tea set, I am just in awe at how creative they can get. I’ve been to a lot of afternoon teas in Vancouver and you can definitely return here without getting bored.
For their Picnic Inspired Afternoon Tea set, instead of the usual 3 tiered tower, it is served on a custom made picnic bench that holds all the sweet and savoury treats.
The Summer Picnic Afternoon Tea set is $65 per person and available as of Monday, July 22nd, 2019.
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
The Scones that come with the set are:
Peach Pie Crumble Scone
Chopped Chili and Sweet Corn Pinwheel Scone
Matcha Scone
The scones are accompanied with homemade clotted cream, lemon curd, and a strawberry & rhubarb jam.
I like the variety of scones with different flavours. My favourite was the chopped chili and sweet corn pinwheel scone. It doesn’t go with the condiments as it is good on its own.
Cucumber Lemon Tea Sandwich
Savoury Selections
My favourites are always the savouries in an afternoon tea set.
Cucumber Lemon Tea Sandwich
Deep Fried Oyster with tartare sauce
Watermelon and feta salad
Seven Layer Dip with Tortilla Chips
Chicken Karaage Skewer
My favourites were the Cucumber Lemon Tea Sandwich, Chicken Karaage Skewer and the deep fried oyster.
Seven Layer Dip with Tortilla ChipsChicken Karaage SkewerDeep Fried Oyster with tartare sauceWatermelon and feta saladFlamingo Meringue Pop and Pineapple Cookie Pop
Sweet Desserts
The items here will satisfy your sweet tooth and I love how creative each item is. You won’t find these is any other afternoon set in town.
BC Fruits ‘Sandwich’ Cake
Pina Colada Mousse
Carrot Cake Slider
Fresh Cream Eclair ‘Dog’
Clam Shell Meringue Macaron with Pearl
Flamingo Meringue Pop
Pineapple Cookie Pop
I was really impressed by these items. Fumiko Moreton is so talented, I’m always in awe. The BC Fruit ‘Sandwich’ Cake reminded me of a Japanese Roll Cake and it was just perfect. The Carrot Cake Slider was good and moist, plus I love how it was transformed into a slider. The Clam Shell Meringue Macaron had a great mouthfeel and texture too.
If you want to be a little bit over the top, you can get the Picnic Afternoon Tea served in a cage with a glass of champagne, and a special dessert box for $118. A bit pricey, but good for those who really want to impress.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I really enjoyed the Summer Picnic theme for their afternoon tea. All the items were crafted well and worked with the picnic theme.
For $65 per person, it’s not a bad price at all and it’s unique compared to the other afternoon tea sets in Vancouver. I highly recommend it!
Bovine Rice Bowls has been hiding in Downtown Vancouver serving up Pan-Asian rice bowls. I work Downtown and I can’t believe I haven’t heard of this place until now. They have been around for the past year and their 1 year anniversary is coming up in a few days.
They pride themselves of using great local ingredients and striking up partnerships with companies like Fife Bakery and Food Peddlers to name a few.
Interior
They are a counter-service restaurant with sit-down and take-out lunch service on weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The space is very small, but there are a few seats inside and outside. Most people grab their items to go.
Steak Bowl
Each piece of steak is draped over white rice and finished with different sauces, onsen egg and greens. A hearty bowl of steak, egg and rice where you can’t go wrong at all. It’s comforting and the flavours hit the spot.
Roast Beef Bowl
The delicious and tender roast beef sits on top of rice and topped with green, sauce, and an onsen egg. Each bite I had, I really enjoyed.
Just look at that roast beef, it’s beautiful. The ratio of meat and rice was good too.
Signature Garden
This is their vegetarian option and I was pleasantly surprised by this dish. This has a rotating blend of fresh veggies including crispy cauliflower, yam, baby potatoes, carrots, green beans, eggplant and tofu over a rich Japanese curry.
Their curry sauce is just so good and the different textures of the crisp tofu and veggies work very well. If this can impress a meat eater, it’s pretty darn good.
Rotating Specials: Creole Jambalaya
They have rotating specials as the 4th item on the menu. Last week it was the Creole Jambalaya with slow roasted chicken, andouille sausage and shrimp. The sauce has a bit of a kick of spice, shrimp was large and plump too.
Roast Beef Sandwich
This is specially launched for their one year anniversary and only available until quantities last. To thank customers for a successful first year, the first 30 customers at the restaurant on Wednesday, June 26 will receive a free Roast Beef Sandwich, no purchase necessary. To continue the anniversary celebrations, the sandwich will be offered at 50% off ($6) between Wednesday, June 26, to Friday, June 28 until supplies last.
This sandwich has slow-roasted Canadian Ribeye, fried free-range egg, caramelized onion jam, horseradish kewpie, fresh cucumber, pickled watermelon radish, sunflower sprouts, Japanese-style milk bread by Fife Bakery) served alongside kettle chips for $12.
I took one bite of this and loved it! The texture and the flavours go so well together. You can really taste the quality of the ingredients inside. I hope they bring this back permanently because this was so good.
Final Thoughts
Overall, their menu is refined and only has a few items so its great for those who are indecisive. All the items I really enjoyed, but my top favourites is the Roast Beef Sandwich and the Signature Garden. They are my favourites as they were the most surprising to me. The steak and the roast beef bowls were great too.
This is Asian comfort food. Simple, yet well executed. A great hidden spot to grab a lunch in Downtown, Vancouver. Highly recommended.
Address: 1050 W Pender St unit #118, Vancouver, BC
Hydra Estiatorio Mediterranean & Bar is a Mediterranean Dining & Cafe Destination at the EXchange Hotel in Downtown Vancouver right in the Financial District. They have just opened their doors at the end of May and are giving locals and visitors a Mediterranean escape in the heart of downtown Vancouver.
Vancouver does have Mediterranean restaurants but Hydra is putting a unique elevated twist to old classics. Hydra Estiatorio’s menu can best be described as a refined elevation of Greek cuisine with succulent fish and seafood options, including whole grilled Branzino, ceviche, grilled octopus and chilled seafood platters. Other Mediterranean favorites such as Forno-roasted leg of lamb, linguini in lobster sauce, grilled vegetables, and tomato salad are paired with impeccable service, family-style dining and exciting tableside food preparations.
We were invited for a sneak peek of their space as well as a taste of their menu.
Interior
The dining room is complete with cascading sheers, rich leather banquettes, ancient olive oil casks, and a central marble bar boasting a unique “fish scale” tile motif. Decorating one long venetian plastered wall is a large-scale “wave painting” by the famed Greek artist Antoni Titakis.
There are two elevated VIP dining booths are illuminated by spectacular custom made Scabetti chandeliers of swirling schools of fish, made of fine bone china circling a warm central light.
Hydra Bar
Hydra Bar aims to elevate the art of the cocktail, with a creative approach to making and shaking unbelievable drinks with a vision that is sexy and unique.
The cocktails on the menu are based on a love of mixology, balance, seasonality, natural flavours, and most importantly fresh, high-quality ingredients with a Mediterranean flair.
The Wet Bar
There is a wet bar area at the rear of the restaurant featuring bar-style seating as well as the fish available for the day. You can come up and choose which fish you want for dinner.
The Cabana (Private Room)
This exclusive private dining cabana is complete with luxuriously flowing sheers, terrazzo stone floors, comfortable lounge-style furniture and hand-blown glass lanterns can be reserved for the evening, offering views of the 60-foot atrium and bustling Pender Street. It can seat up to 30 people.
It’s quite nice, so I can see it will be great for events and celebrations where you want a bit more privacy.
Menu
Spreads
What better way to start off the meal than with some freshly grilled pita bread and dips. There are 6 spreads to choose from and are best shared among the table.
Melitzana: This is a traditional spread made of eggplant with hints of smokiness, garlic, olive oil and lemon.
Tarama: This was our favourite spread made out of tarama, salted fish roe mixed with olive oil, lemon juice, and a smooth potato base. Highly recommend this one. We loved the smooth texture and the saltiness from the fish roe.
Fava: This is made with a base of yellow split peas blended with olive oil and charred onions. Then it is topped with capers and sun-dried tomatoes.
Xtipiti: a classic spicy feta cheese spread with hints of green chilli, chilli flakes, extra virgin olive oil and lemon. It was good and not too spicy at all, my second favourite spread.
Tzatziki: This is a Greek staple. It is made of creamy Greek yogurt mixed with cucumber, garlic, salt and olive oil.
Menta: This has feta cheese smothered and blended with mint and lemon. Very refreshing.
The image below was just a sampling of the different flavours, but the real portion size is the image above.
Mediterrini
This has cucumber-infused grey goose vodka, mint-infused noilly prat dry, and orange bitters.
Italian Bramble
This zero-proof mocktail is made with soda and fresh vibrant berries. It’s a very refreshing beverage and I quite enjoyed it.
Wine
The meal does pair well with wine. They have a good selection of local as well as imported Greek wines. You can ask the staff about their wines and they can guide you through some good options on the menu.
Kefaloraviera
Kefaloraviera is cheese saganaki on a hot skillet served with lemon wedges. How can you go wrong with deep-fried cheese. The lemon cuts through the oiliness of it and its so comforting and warm. Great item to share.
Hydra Special
This dish has deep-fried paper thin zucchini and eggplant and paired with tzatziki. The chips are so crunchy and goes so well with the tzatziki. Highly recommended.
Grilled Octopus
The grilled octopus is paired with lemon, oregano, olive oil and a fava bean purée. I love octopus but I felt it to be too charred for my liking. The charred taste just overpowered this whole dish.
Organic Heirloom Beets
If you love beets, you’ll love this appetizer made of heirloom leafy beet, red-wine vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Very bright, vibrant and full of flavours.
Tomato Salad
More of a Mediterranean salad as it has vine-riped tomatoes, cucumber, olives, red onions and feta. I liked this salad too.
Green Salad
This has hearts of romaine, scallions, dill, and their hydra vinaigrette. The Green Salad is one of the more basic salads compared to the other two and my least favourite.
Forno Roasted Whole Leg of Lamb
Well, isn’t this a beauty? The whole leg of lamb is marinated with oregano and lemon. It is carved in the kitchen and served with its natural drippings, seasoning, grilled lemon and roasted garlic.
Really delicious and good for sharing with a large group.
Whole Forno Roasted Chicken
The chicken is marinated with herbs and lemon. It is then served with grilled lemons, roasted garlic and its juices. There were some parts that were dry, but the dark meat was juicy.
Whole Fish in Sea Salt
You can choose from their daily fresh selection of seafood from the Aegean & Salish Seas and world’s oceans, on display at the Raw Bar. You just pay the market price for it.
You can get it prepared and baked in the oven with herbs and sea salt. They prepare this tableside as you watch the staff debone the fish in front of you.
It is served with greek fried potatoes and sautéed greens.
Grilled Whole Fish
Alternatively, you can get the fish grilled instead of packed in sea salt. It is also served with greek fried potatoes and sautéed greens. Delicious!
Sauteed GreensGreek Fried Potatoes
Lobster Pasta
This has a whole lobster on top of fresh pasta, tomato, ouzo, and lobster sauce. One of the favourite dishes of the night. The lobster was cooked nicely and the claw meat was massive. There was lots of flavour in the sauce as well.
Cream of the Crop
This has a lemon custard stuffed meringue, praline sponge and a mandarin & blood orange caramel. I was very impressed by the meringue and it wasn’t too sweet at all.
Bougatsa
This was my favourite dessert! It has semolina custard, caramel-chocolate ganache, and cinnamon-icing sugar. It is served tableside and it’s fun to see them prepare this in front of you.
We ended the night off with a shot of Greek Espresso. You can have it with or without sugar. You have to wait till the grounds settle to the bottom and the you can fully enjoy. It was very smooth and delicious. A good way to end the dinner with coffee, chats, and good company.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I love the dinner concept. They have a lot of the dishes meant to be shared in large groups. The tableside serve is a nice touch and I can see this being a place were a lot of people celebrate special occasions.
If you’re in a small group or just dining by yourself, the downstairs Hydra cafe is open for smaller bites, drinks, happy hour, and breakfast which is great.
Fumiko Moreton has created another whimsical afternoon set that is sure to impress. Located inside the Trump Champagne Lounge, you can get the Carnival Afternoon tea set from May 20 – July 21, 2019 at 12 – 4pm for $65 per person.
We’ve gotten feedback on how we should not be supporting Trump Hotel due to it’s association but we believe in the talents of their local staff who are crafting some incredible eats. It’s about good food, not politics.
The Carnival Afternoon tea set comes with a collection of savouries, sweets, and tea. The bigger wheel pictured serves 3 people while the smaller one serves 2 people. Who knew dining with one more extra person would make a big difference.
Tea Selections
You can choose from a bunch of black tea, red teas, rooibos, green tea or herbal teas as part of your afternoon tea set. I love my black teas.
Scones
The basket of scones contains Funfetti Scone, Mini Pretzel, and Matcha Scone. It is served with clotted cream, lemon curd and strawberry & rhubarb jam. I really enjoyed the funfetti scone with the clotted cream.
Savouries
Savouries are my favourite in an afternoon tea set. You’ll find fun items like corn dogs, egg salad sandwiches, baked oysters, poutine and mini ‘ice cream’ cones as these savoury items. Of all these, the corn dog was my absolute favourite as it has an Arabiki-style Sausage and sriracha ketchup.
Smoked Salmon and Dill Mini ‘Ice Cream’ ConeCorn DogWatercress Egg Salad SandwichBaked Oyster with Bacon Crisp and LeekDuck Poutine
Sweets
For the sweet tooth, there is chocolate banana crepe, raspberry lemonade jello, chocolate sundae cupcake, cinnamon sugar churros, salted caramel popcorn cream puff, and cotton candy pop. Of the bunch, the salted caramel popcorn cream puff surprised me the most. Good balance of flavours.
If you’re feeling boujee, you can get the Carnival Afternoon Tea served in a cage with a glass of champagne and a dessert box with macarons for $118 per person.
Final Thoughts
Overall, their limited edition afternoon sets are beautifully crafted and have a fun seasonal theme. The price is decent and the food isn’t your cookie cutter afternoon tea sets that you see at some places around town. The items are aesthetically pleasing as well as leaving your taste buds wanting more.
The Alley is a Taiwanese Bubble Tea chain with locations across Asian, Australia, France, United States and Canada. There are already several locations in Ontario, but a first for BC. They are known for making their own tapioca pearls as well as their own sugar cane syrup. The most popular drinks are their Brown Sugar Deerioca series, which has their pearls in brown sugar with either milk or soy.
We were invited to a sneak peek of their location on Hornby Street before they open their doors on April 27th, 2019. During their grand opening weekend on April 27th and 28th, 100 free drinks will be given out starting at 3pm on a first come first served basis. Then after, it’s 15% off select drinks.
Interior
The space is very narrow and small with a few seats inside. Most people will be doing take out.
Menu
You can also choose the sweetness and ice level of the beverages. Some drinks on the menu have very obscure names, so we ordered a few of them so you can get an idea of what you’re ordering.
Royal No.9
This drink has their red tea infused with blueberry for a hint of blueberry aroma to the tea. Tapioca pearls are the best paired with it. I was very surprised by the unique taste like a floral milk tea. I thought it was pretty unique and no other bubble tea has anything like this.
Deerioca
This has their house made tapioca, slow cooked with brown sugar syrup for 2 hours to offer a textural sensation as each bite is different.
There are essentially 3 versions of the drink – fresh milk, soy milk or matcha latte. I really like it with soy as it balanced out the brown sugar and the pearls quite nicely. Remember to stir the drinks well to incorporate all the ingredients so you’re not just sucking up brown sugar and pearls.
Aurora Series
The aurora series has 2 beverages – Morning Dawn and Northern Lights. Both are in these cute plastic bottles with layers of different items.
Morning Dawn has a base of Jasmine Green Tea, crushed mango ice, and the blue butterfly pea tea.
Northern Lights has their apple vinegar, black currant crushed ice and the blue butterfly pea tea.
Both drinks are very refreshing but out of the two, we enjoyed the Morning Dawn as the mango and Jasmine green tea go better together. At $8.50 per bottle, it is a steep price.
Passionfruit Green Tea
The green tea has essence of passionfruit and there are even passionfruit bits inside too. There is also jelly and pearls in this drink. It adds a nice texture to this drink. Good to get it half sweet so you can fully appreciate the tea flavour.
Iron Goddess Tea
I got this with less sugar and the boldness of the tea came through. I love how they brew their own tea and you can taste the quality of it.
White Peach Oolong
There are 2 tea bags inside, so it’s nice to see that they use real tea leaves to steep it. Nice to get this half sweet as well. There are subtle fruity peach flavour to the oolong tea.
Apple of My Eye
Apple of my eye is like an apple cider vinegar slush with tea and aloe bits. Definitely different, but we really weren’t expecting the apple cider vinegar taste.
Hojicha Soy Milk
Love the look of this drink with the hojicha on top and the soy milk on the bottom. At full sweetness, this drink isn’t bad at all with the soy milk. You really have to mix this drink well to get the best flavour. We did notice that the hojicha tea was a bit of a gritty texture has had more sediments in it compared to some of their other drinks. Other than that, this was still very enjoyable.
Uji Matcha Latte
This has their uji matcha on top and milk on the bottom. Great for those who are matcha fans, but we would get this half sweet to be able to taste a better balance of the matcha.
Purple Rice Cocoa
As a hot drink only, this had bit of purple rice on the bottom of the drink and then a really rich hot chocolate drink. Try using a big straw with this drink so you can easily sip up the purple rice in every gulp. I would also recommend to get this half sweet.
The Alley Trio Milk Tea
This has their classic milk tea and 3 toppings – pearls, aloe and rainbow jelly. The addition of the toppings give it a nice texture in every sip. We found this to be very milky and not enough of a strong tea flavour.
Final Thoughts
Vancouver has a lot of bubble tea shops already but a lot of people have been urging The Alley to open up and Vancouver and it’s finally happening. Not bad to have another bubble tea shop as they offer a different items unique to their shop.
My favourites were the Soy Deerioca, Royal No 9 Milk Tea, and Hojicha soy milk. The quality of their drinks are good, but the price point on some drinks are higher than some bubble tea shops around town.
JJ’s Restaurant does lunch buffet for one day out of the month. Usually, they have a 3 course lunch menu for $23 or a la carte options. I’ve dined many times at JJ’s Restaurant as well as VCC’s other dining options like their Bistro, Cafeteria, and their Chef’s Table.
Buffet dates for 2019:
April 25
May 23
June 20
July 25
August 22
September 19
October 17
November 14
December 12
(Dates may change, so please visit JJ’s Restaurant website for up to date information.)
Reservations
When we heard about their lunch buffet during the weekday, we looked on their website to see when would be the next available date and booked a reservation through OpenTable. Without reservations, you may not be able to get a seat for your party. Usually their lunch buffet does get filled up in advance. I put in a reservation for 3 adults and a baby in a stroller.
Price
It is $27 per person, plus taxes, beverages and gratuities not included. Not a bad price for Downtown Vancouver. Plus, you’re supporting future chefs and the culinary program at VCC.
Interior
The space has a good amount of tables and since reservations are needed ahead of time, they make sure to set up the dining area based on the reservations.
Drink Menu
Drinks are extra, but here are some of your options. They also have special cocktails and mocktails available for purchase.
Hot Food Area
The hot food area has a big bread basket, roasted potatoes, vegetables, chicken & eggplant, salmon with cream of leek, and duck with sausage. Six items in this area isn’t too bad.
I liked how there were a good amount of protein. It’s best to start your buffet experience here to really get in on all the different proteins and vegetables. Of the items in the area, I did enjoy the chicken and the duck.
Do note that this area does start closing down around 1pm while the other stations are still open.
Prime Rib Station
At the end of the hot food section is the prime rib carving station with gravy, mustard and horseradish. Always a popular spot because who doesn’t love prime rib.
Salad and Seafood Bar
The salad bar has a few varieties of salad from fennel salad to golden beets.
On the same table are also smoked salmon bites as well as a seafood platter. The seafood does go really quick and is usually the first item that disappears. Hard to resist shrimp, scallops and tuna.
Bao Bar
There is a station where freshly made baos are prepared right in front of you. You can choose between lean or fatty pork shoulder. Its a great idea but was pretty mediocre tasting.
Banana Foster Station
The banana foster station makes it all to order, so you have to wait a little bit before its ready. You can watch the students prepare it in front of your eyes. It is a cooked banana in brown sugar and cinnamon served with whipped cream.
Lamb Rack Station
You can get as many rack of lambs as you would like. All smothered in au jus too.
Dessert Table
There are 2 dessert tables with a good assortment of items from chocolate flavours, citrus flavours, mousses and a lot of cakes.
It was an adventure trying to taste everything, so our table just grabbed a bunch and nibbled on it all.
There’s also a lot of fruit too. Classic and it’s not a buffet without fruit. They even have an intricately carved watermelon too but no one touched it because its so pretty.
Final Thoughts
For $27 before taxes and tip, it’s a very good deal for a buffet in Downtown Vancouver. There are lots of items in the buffet and you will definitely leave full. Some items are a hit and miss, but their strongest areas were in their meats, salads and desserts.
We enjoyed ourselves and the staff and students were all very nice. As it is a learning environment, have patience with the students and they are trying to do their best. We found that a lot of them were very nervous and shy.
Passion Tearoom is a bubble tea shop on Howe and Nelson in Downtown Vancouver. They pride themselves for using real fruits in their smoothies and real tea in their bubble tea beverage.
A few people told me to check it out, so I went with my friend to see how it stacks up against the other similar bubble tea shops in Vancouver.
Interior
The space is pretty small, so there are only a few tables inside, but most people observed did take out anyways. A select few looked like they were meeting up with friends over a drink.
Mango Slush
This is mango blended with ice and my friend has it with pearls. It was pretty good. Smooth and not chunky at all. The pearls had a nice soft chew to them which was nice.
House Milk Tea
This is their premium special blended black tea with cream and milk. I added grass jelly to this drink as a topping. I got it half sweet, but the drinks here generally aren’t that sweet, so full sweetness is just fine. As for the drink itself, it was pretty much room temperature and had no ice inside. Would have been more enjoyable if it was colder.
Final Thoughts
I was a little bit disappointed with their milk tea since that’s their signature drink. Slush was definitely more enjoyable. As we only had 2 drinks, it’s hard to get a grasp of the full menu, but if they can’t get a classic milk tea right, I don’t know about the other items. Other people seem to love this place, so maybe it was an off day when I visited.
M8 is a West Coast and Asian fusion restaurant so you will see the flavours of East meets West reflected on their menu. They have been open for the last year right in Downtown Vancouver by the Burrard Street Bridge. They serve up lunch, brunch (weekends), happy hour and dinner. The restaurant sits right by the water across from Granville Island.
Interior
The space is full of marble, greenery, and natural elements like wood. There are tables for small to large groups and they do reservations too.
Menu
Shimeiji Tempura
This is served with a burnt lemon aioli, warm kale salad, and wakame. The presentation is cute like a forest of mushrooms. It has a light texture to it and it was tasty.
Beef Cheeks
The beef cheeks is served with a 5 year aged black vinegar and sprinkles of Sichuan peanuts. The beef was very tender and the taste of the black vinegar was a bit sweet and a bit sour just like this traditional Chinese dish with black sweet vinegar with pork trotters which is made when pregnant people deliver babies.
Lamb Belly
The lamb belly is smoked and served with mint and eggplant. The meat is tender even though it has a dry exterior. You can taste the use of Chinese spices used in this dish. Pretty good flavour combinations used.
Crispy Pork Belly
This is served with taro root and pork jus. Another one of our favourite dishes and it was good for the price.
Duck Breast
The duck breast has soybean, preserved vegetables, and an osmanthus sauce. The presentation was nice and the duck really shined in this dish. It was a good quality cut of duck.
Sablefish
The sablefish is oven roasted and marinated. It is served with a shiitake mushroom broth and cannellini beans. It was a touch on the salty side.
Tagiatelle Bolognese
This dish is made with a beef and pork ragu, shiitake mushroom with a trio soy sauce. It may not look that special but the taste was very unique with a bit of an Asian twist which was quite nice.
Complimentary Lavender Cookies
At the end of the meal we were served some lavender cookies even though we didn’t order dessert. A nice touch to the end of the meal.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the dishes were a pretty good fusion of West Coast and Asian influences like the uses of spices and flavourings. A few dishes did use the Szechuan peppercorn to add a little kick to the dishes, but it was subtle and not too overpowering. The favourite dishes of the night were – shimeji tempura, crispy pork belly and then tagliatelle bolognese and sablefish. If you’re looking for something a little bit different in the Downtown area, check out M8.
Honey Salt is a restaurant inside Parq Vancouver and they have happy hour daily 3:30pm – 6:30pm and 10:00pm to close. Since I work close by, I came with a friend to check out their happy hour.
They have discounts on appetizers, mains and drinks. Good amount of selection too.
Interior
I always have this weird habit of making reservations, but unfortunately, happy hour is only in the bar section, not the dining area.
The dining area looks amazing and bright, but the bar area is more dim and has a relaxed atmosphere.
Honey Salt Margarita
This has sage infused cazadores reposado, blackberry syrup, agave nectar, and lemon. My friend did not enjoy this at all as it was very very sweet. She ended up opting for the Old Fashioned instead and it was a lot better.
Parmesan Fries
The ultimate snack for the table. It has chives, sea salt, and Parmesan covering the crisp fries. It also comes with a side of ketchup.
Mac N’ Cheese
This has 3 cheese cavitappi, roasted peppers and kale. It was a good and comforting dish and it’s funny how they put in peppers and kale to off set the cheesy comfort of the dish. hahaha.
Elizabeth’s Caesar
This was huge and you can definitely share if you wanted. It has kale, romaine, Parmesan, croutons, and a black garlic dressing. A good solid salad that you can’t go wrong with.
Grandma Rosie’s Turkey Meatballs
This has the turkey meatballs smothered in tomato sauce, caramelized onion, herb ricotta and a side of garlic toast.There are 5 meatballs and good size too. Very filling and sharable too.
Final Thoughts
Overall, they have a pretty solid happy hour menu with lots of food options if you have dietary restrictions. Also lots of different beer, wine and cocktail options too. It’s a good place for happy hour if you’re looking for something after work near the area.
Cacao 70: Sweet House on Granville Street serves up sweet treats to customers who come in. They currently offer a Valentine’s Day special menu until February 17th, 2018.
The regular items in the shop focus on waffles, brunch, dips and drinks.
Interior
The space is very narrow but you can find some seats along the left side of the shop, but not a lot of large tables for big groups.
Raspberry Waffle
This has strawberries, raspberries, whip cream and chocolate drizzle on top of the waffles. We were pleasantly surprised it wasn’t as sweet as it looked. A good balance!
The portion size was good as it has 2 layers of waffles, so share-ability is great for two people.
Raspberry Hot Chocolate
We enjoyed this too as the raspberry flavouring was more authentic to the real fruit rather than artificial. It balances the waffles well as it is sweet because it is a hot chocolate.
Berry Romantic Combo
There is also the Berry Romantic Combo for $33.50, which has a raspberry waggle, single fondue platter and 2 raspberry hot chocolates. Perfect for 2 people to share and enjoy each other’s company.
The Trump Champagne Lounge is launching their Dessert Collection by head pastry chef, Fumiko Moreton. It is available exclusively in the evenings to make the nights more decadent and interactive.
Their 4 new dessert treats capture love, romance and spring. These treats are meant to be shared with someone special or friends.
Chocolate Fondue for Two
The chocolate fondue has a base of Valrhona manjari grand cru single origin 64% chocolate. It is served with home-made churros, fruits, marshmallows, financier, and potato chips. This costs $60.
There is a good assortment of items to dip into the fondue. I enjoyed the frut fo course but the financier was great too.
Love you to pieces!
This heart shaped chocolate comes with a mallet where you use it to smash the heart into many many pieces to reveal the sweet goodies inside. A fun interactive dessert for $30.
Inside, there are an assortment of gummies and chocolates with different flavours too that might even surprise you. There were these gummies with skulls that have a nice spicy kick to it.
Chocolate Charcuterie Board
There is a rich chocolate salami served with cookies, crisps and fruit. You can get this to satisfy your sweet tooth for $20. I did enjoy this board to pair with drinks to nibble on.
Trump Sundae for Four
This crazy dessert is meant for four but you can share this with more people for sure. It has 24 scoops of vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate ice cream. Then it is paired with cereal, whipped cream, fruits, candies, sprinkles, cotton candy, doughnuts, cookies, marshmallows, and a chocolate drizzle.
You will need to wait 30 minutes for them to prepare this as it is massive. It doesn’t come cheap and will run you $120.
There is definitely a lot to this dessert and might be a challenge for a few people to finish.
Final Thoughts
These desserts aren’t for everyone as they are more on the high end, but if you’re looking to impress someone special, this might just be the place for some sweets in the evening with champagne.
Donnellan’s Chipper opened just over a month ago. Many Irish expats already know about them because it’s the only place in Vancouver that serves McDonnells Irish curry sauce over fries. Strategically located on Granville Street by the late night clubs, Donnellan’s offers the perfect after-party drunk food.
Interior
The interior is well-lit and open. The front half of the space have bar height stools and tables, whereas the back half have wall booth seating. There is a bar setup in anticipation for their liquor license, which they expect to receive soon.
Orders are placed by the bar, then food is picked-up by the kitchen and passed-through.
Menu
The menu is a collection of everything you
want after a night or day of drinking. Donnellan’s is also a favourite during
work hours with nearby office workers and construction crews.
The most popular items on their menu are their specialty fries. They take pride in their fries which are made in-house using Kennebec potatoes that are cut with a custom made chipper to ensure the correct thickness. Once cut, it’s soaked overnight to draw out the starches to achieve the fluffy texture, then cooked until golden brown
Here’s what we tried:
Curry cheese fries
This is their most popular
menu item and is a favourite amongst expats. Donnellan’s Chipper imports
McDonnell’s curry from Ireland. It’s a curry that’s not spicy, in fact it’s a
bit sweet, and compliments their fries really well.
Garlic cheese fries
Another favourite by the regulars is the garlic
cheese fries. The garlic sauce is concentrated and is very tasty. This was my
personal favourite.
Battered burger and battered
sausage
The battered burger and sausage are their
signature items. It’s a simple and effective snack; it’s a burger or sausage
that is battered, deep fried, then served wrapped in paper for portability…or
simply held on one hand while downing a beer with the other.
Chicken Fillet Burger and sides
The Chicken Fillet burger was great! It was
the only meat item we had that wasn’t deep fried. To be honest, I don’t have a
picture because I ate it too fast. It’s grilled chicken breast with mayo and
lettuce between two burger buns. Yes, it’s very similar to McDonald’s
McChicken, but Donnellan’s version is juicy and satisfying.
Donnellan’s is very proud of their fries and the way they make it. We ordered a side of regular fries and I’m glad to say that they can stand on their own. We were told our meal wouldn’t be complete without a side of mashed peas, so we tried it and we liked it too.
Final thoughts
Donnellan’s Chipper offers a great selection
of unabashed deep fried, guilt-free tasty food. Their items are great for
sharing with a group of friends.
If you are drunk from a night of partying or just need to load up on carbs, give them a try. I can see myself nibbling on a battered burger while waiting for a cab along Granville Street.
The Botanist serves up breakfast daily 7 days a week. Since my friend was visiting from out of town, we decided to come here for breakfast on the weekend to catch up. It’s a great place to hang out as the space is very beautiful. The food and service is always on point. Since it is located in the Fairmont Pacific Rim, prices are higher, so most people come here for special occasions.
Interior
We got seated in The Garden near the front of the restaurant by the bar. If you love foliage, this may just be for you. We found some tables are very small, so some of our dishes were hanging off the table. The other areas of the restaurants have larger tables.
Breakfast Menu
sYou can choose item on the menu a la carte or you can get it with fresh-squeezed juice and pressed coffee or tea – thus The Pantry and The Kitchen options with the higher price.
French-Press Coffee
The Fresh-Press containers are quite cute and it comes with some milk and sugar on the side too. It’s quite a lot of coffee too.
Fresh Pressed Juice
They have a variety of Fresh-Pressed Juices like apple, orange, pineapple, cranberry or grapefruit. You can also choose their antioxidant juice too.
I went with the antioxidant juice as it has more greens in the juice. It was good and finished the meal off on a sweet note.
Peameal Benedict
There is a slice of house-made peameal bacon, hollandaise sauce, crispy potatoes and a grilled tomato. My friends enjoyed this dish. The potatoes were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Eggs were poached perfectly too.
Botanist Benedict
This has crab, avocado, hollandaise sauce, crispy potatoes and a roasted tomato. I got the eggs to be soft poached and it came out perfect. The avocado was creamy and the crab was sweet.
Brioche French Toast
For those with a sweet tooth, the Brioche French Toast is great. It has dulce de leche sauce, caramelized banana, and amaranth. Not too sweet but had a good balance.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it was a good breakfast with the ladies. The food was good and service was great as well. If you’re looking for a nice place to have breakfast with friends or family, definitely check out Botanist Restaurant inside the Fairmont Pacific Rim for a good time.
Black Rice Izakaya continues to offer seasonal items on top of their regular menu.They are located near the Vancouver Public Library and BC Place. A very convenient location serving up Japanese izakaya, fresh specialty seafood, sushi rolls, sake and cocktails.
We were invited back again to check out these new items.
Interior
They have bar seating with a few high tops at the front of the restaurant and then larger tables in the back that can seat more people.
Regular Menu
Menchi Katsu
This has a minced Prime Angus beef patty with mozzarella and deep fried in Panko. Perfect for the winter as it’s very comforting and delicious. The panko makes for a crisp exterior with the beef and cheese hiding inside.
Angus Tenderloin Steak
This hot stone grill is topped with sous vide prime angus tenderloin, shiitake mushroom, asparagus, and house-made black truffle butter.
A fun dish and the truffle butter just amplified the flavour of the angus tenderloin.
Spicy Grilled Chicken
This is sous vide spicy marinated chicken thigh and its then finished on a charcoal grill. It’s the chef’s favourite dish and would go really well with rice to balance out the spice and salt.
Salmon Candy
This has beet cured salmon with pickled pearl onion and feta cheese. Then served with an herb avocado puree. A refreshing dish and interesting to see feta as a combination but it worked.
Beef Tongue Carpaccio
This has sliced sous vide beef tongue with fried onion, ponzu and mushroom puree. It was buttery, tender and delicious.
Aburi Hakozushi platter
This stunning platter has their signature Aburi salmon, Aburi Saba, Aburi negitoro, and Aburi scallop. A good way to try their different Aburi offerings at Black Rice Izakaya.
Aburi Platter for 2
This new Aburi Platter on the winter menu is composed of
6 pieces of spicy salmon halo
8 pieces of black mentaiko roll
4 pieces of chef’s choice aburi nigiri
Vegan Hakozushi
They have a small vegan menu, but one of those items are their vegan hakozushi that comes in two kinds. One had a heavy taste of guacamole and heavy lemon taste and the other had more avocado with a thin green veggie layer on top.
Sashimi Seafood Platter
This sashimi platter is incredible looking and great for a few people to share, this included:
Whole Horse Mackerel
Uni – Sea Urchin (Fave)
Button Shrimp
Golden Eye Sea Bream
Red Sea Bream
Halibut
Yellow Tale Amberjack
Greater Amberjack
Seared Sockeye Salmon
It’s stunning, tasted fresh and will really impress your guests.
Final Thoughts
The new items on the menu are a great addition to their regular menu like the Mentaiko Udon, Beef and Enoki Stone Bowl, and Black Angus Nigiri.
Starbucks Canada is ready to reveal its latest and largest store with the opening of the new Starbucks Reserve Bar as of Tuesday, December 11 at 700 W Pender Street (at Granville) in Pacific Centre. With over 4,000 square feet, they can seat 150 guests. This is the largest Starbucks in Canada and features their rare and exclusive small-lot coffees.
This location is the 4th Starbucks Reserve Bar to open in Canada and Vancouver is lucky to have two Reserve Bars now. The other location in Vancouver is located on Main Street.
Interior
This large space is a stunning spot for locals and tourists alike to meet but most of the fun comes from sitting at the bar, chatting with the knowledgeable baristas, and watching them move around the laboratory-like setup as they personalize your cup of brew.
A wall of windows lines the length of the store flooding the space with natural light and drawing customers in. Design elements include a prominent coffee bar crafted from rich walnut wood, copper accents reminiscent of the company’s flagship Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle, and a striking backdrop of Michelangelo Marble. It’s distinct brown, black, and gold colouring calls to mind coffee growing regions around the world.
At the back of the shop, you can get your usual beverages and food if you like your classic Starbucks order.
What to expect
Featuring rare Starbucks Reserve coffees, the bar gives baristas a platform to engage in a dialogue with customers over a variety of brewing methods, from the state-of-the-art to the time-honoured, including: a manual Black Eagle espresso machine, Clover brewing system, Chemex brewer, Siphon, coffee press, and Nitro Cold Brew taps.
One of the most unique experiences is getting your coffee brewed using the Siphon. It’s picture worthy and is a sensory experience.
It’s a great way to try different brewing methods made by the experienced baristas. You’ll definitely learn a thing or two.
Menu
Exclusive Drinks
There are a few amazing drinks that you can only get at Starbucks Reserve Bars. My personal favourite is the Hazelnut Bianco Latte made with Starbucks Reserve espresso, steamed, house-made hazelnut praline–infused milk. It is amazing and tastes like a liquefied Ferrero Rocher. SO damn good! You can also get it iced too.
Don’t forget their affogato if you are looking for a cool sweet treat. You can have it the classic way with a shot of espresso or you can make it a float with their cold brew.
Exclusive Small Plates
Say hello to Chorizo Mac & Cheese, which is surprisingly good for Starbucks. It costs $7.95 and sits at 680 calories.
The other item is their pear, bacon, and brie flatbread for $6.95 and at 270 calories.
Final Thoughts
There is lots to discover at Starbucks Canada’s newest Reserve bar in Downtown Vancouver from exclusive drinks to exclusive food.If you’re int he area, give them a visit.
