Gastown Archives - Page 5 of 7

In Four Beakers

Silvestre Deli & Bistro: Authentic Peruvian Food in Gastown

December 11, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: Silvestre Deli & Bistro approached me to do a review of their specialty dishes, I brought along 3 guys to help keep this review unbiased. All dishes are exactly what you would receive from this restaurant.

I’ve walked by Silvestre Deli and Bistro several times, but I never took notice of it since it just seems like a soup and sandwich restaurant. I was very wrong! Silvestre Deli and Bistro specializes in authentic peruvian food.

It is steps away from the Gastown Steam Clock and has some very yummy food. I came here for lunch and it was busy with people ordering Peruvian food. They also have wifi, which is always a plus.

Chicha Morada is a traditional Peruvian drink made of purple corn, fruits and spices. They make it all in-house and it’s very delicious. If you didn’t know what it is made of, you would think it’s like a juice.

Cancha are Peruvian corn nuts. It comes warm and is so much better than those bagged corn nuts we get prepackaged. These arrive at your table as you wait for you meal to arrive. So addictive!

Yuquita Frita($8) are the best fries you will ever taste! They are made of yucca, which is a popular tuber in Peru. It grows between the highlands (Andes cordillera) and the rainforest (selva peruana).

This dish is very crispy since they are quickly boiled and deep fried.

Ceviche de Pescado ($12) is made of raw fish marinated in lime juice, and then seasoned with peruvian hot peppers and onions. It is also served with boiled sweet potatoes, Peruvian cooked corn (choclo) and toasted corn (cancha).

It’s a very popular peruvian dish and it’s easily my favorite item on their menu.

Papa a la Huancaina ($10) are sliced boiled potatoes, served on a bed of lettuce topped with a slightly spicy sauce made of yellow chili, cheese and milk. It is served cold and garnished with black olives and sliced egg.

It’s not my favorite dish, but it’s like putting nacho cheese over potatoes. The guys at the table did enjoy the yellow sauce.

Causa Rellena de Camarones ($12) are layers of mashed potato seasoned with lime juice, yellow hot pepper and stuffed with shrimp and vegetables (onions, peas, carrots). It is then garnished with shrimp on top.

Anticuchos ($12) are Peruvian style skewers made of beef’s heart marinated in dried red chilli, vinegar and then grilled. It is served with potatoes in their signature chili sauce and green onions.

They guys at the table loved it and the meat was tender and flavourful.

Tamal Criollo ($9) has steamed cooked yellow corn dough seasoned with spices and chili. It is served with slices of fried pork (Chicharron), black olives and marinates onions (salsa criolla). Another one of my favorite dishes. It was really flavourful and had many depths of flavour.

Beef Empanada ($4.25) is the most popular pastry among peruvians. Some consider this pastry as a national dish that represent Peru around the world.

The Beef Empanada is pastry dough baked and filled with ground beef seasoned with peruvian spices and onions.

Spicy Shrimp Empanada ($4.25) is a fried empanada with a filling of shrimp, peruvian spices, and yellow hot pepper.

It was really good! It wasn’t too spicy at all and the filling was packed full of flavour.

Arroz Chaufa is a Peruvian fried rice made of seafood, rice, eggs, and other sauces. Pretty delicious and @cruzpresso ate it all up.

Pollo a la Brasa ($19) is a Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken marinated with peruvian spices. It is also served with salad, french fries and hot pepper sauce. The chicken is so incredibly moist and tender! Really good!

Aji De Gallina ($12) has shredded chicken in a peruvian yellow hot pepper sauce made with ground walnuts and parmesan cheese. It also comes with rice on the side. It also has more potatoes too.

Lomo Saltado ($12) has strips of sirloin stir fried with vinegar, red onions, tomatoes and peruvian mellow hot pepper. Served over French fries and accompanied with rice. It was kinda like a poutine, but not.

Lucuma Gelato is made of imported lucuma puree from Peru. Lucuma is a subtropical fruit from Peru that taste like a cross between maple and sweet potato. When we tried this gelato, it did have the distinct taste of maple and caramel.

Alfajores are delicious cookies filled with caramel milk (Dulce de leche)! It was so good and complemented the gelato. Yum!

Overall, the dishes were very unique and was full of flavour. I did find some dishes were very very carb-heavy, especially the entrees. We still enjoyed the experience and the food is pretty damn good. It’s not the type of food that would suit everyone, but if you know what type of food you like, you should have no problems at all. Some of the dishes can be a bit pricey.

I love how the owners go as far as flying in ingredients all the way from Peru to keep the food authentic as possible. Next time you pass by, give it a try.

We Rate Silvestre Deli & Bistro:

Address:
317 Water st
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.silvestregustolatino.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=317+Water+st+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=317+Water+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6B+4Y2&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Gastown

The Hastings Warehouse: $4.95 for All Food on the Menu

November 21, 2012

The Hastings Warehouse has ALL their food for $4.95. Drink are of course more costly than $4.95. This place is always packed and you will always see groups of people drinking. Even though it is on Hastings, it’s not sketchy at all.

They have 9 different draft beers on tap.

Bottle of Sapporo was about $6 or $7 so that was way more expensive than the food here.

Potato Skins have marbled cheese and bacon on top with a side of sour cream. I expected the size to be small since the prices are so low. It’s nothing amazing.

Poutine has cheese curds and gravy on top of fries. It’s very small as well and not super impressive.

Quinoa Salad was surprisingly pretty good here. There are lots of greens, avocados, apple slices, cranberries, and other items in it. If you’re health conscious, definitely order this since it might be one of the healthier items on the menu.

Mac and Cheese is very small and not that substantial if you want to be full.

Baja Fish Tacos comes with 2 tacos. The pieces of fish were very tiny! Go to Kirby’s review to see what she thought.

Spaghetti in tomato sauce was not a bad option. It has a good amount of spaghetti for $4.95.

Beef Dip comes with au jus and a small bucket of fries. This is one of the more filling dishes that’s on the menu. The au jus has a very asian flavour to it since they added ginger to it.

The filling is a mixture of fried onions and shredded beef.

The Works Burger is a simple burger made of a beef patty, maple bacon, cheddar cheese, fried onions, lettuce, and tomato in a brioche bun. There is also fries on the side too. This item is probably the best item on the menu. Highly recommended.

Pulled Chicken Sandwich was so disappointing! There was barely any chicken inside, so it was pretty bad.

Mushroom Swiss Burger has a beef patty, sautéed mushrooms, gravy, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes in a brioche bun. A decent burger as well.

Overall, the food is a hit or a miss. As you are only paying $4.95 per dish, you know you can’t be too picky. Most people come here for the drinks and have a bit of food.

Words of Wisdom:

Quinoa Salad, the Works Burger, Spaghetti, Mushroom Swiss Burger, and Beef Dip recommended.
No reservations
Usually packed at night and lunch
Long waits for your food

We Rate The Hastings Warehouse:

Address:
156 W Hastings
Vancouver, BC

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=156+W+Hastings+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=156+W+Hastings+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6B+1G8&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Four Beakers

Guu Otokomae: Guutine, so Canadian Eh?

November 19, 2012

Guu Otokomae is located in Gastown and is very close to Waterfront Skytrain. M and I came here very late at night, so we were able to get a table effortlessly. It’s usually best to have reservations, but we just thought about coming here last-minute.

When we came here, we ordered most of the items off their special menu.

Ramune is a Japanese carbonated soda, which Guu has worked with to have it specially branded for the restaurant. it’s a fun drink and M gets one every time he is at Guu.

Tea

Guu Tataki ($6.20) is seared beef sashimi with ponzu sauce, garlic chips and green onions. There’s really nothing I can say about this dish since its so delicious!

Chicken Karaage is a must have item here! So good!

Crab Shrimp Cream Gratin Croquette comes in 2 pieces with a sweet chilli mayo sauce. Really delicious too.

Guutine is their special poutine – Japanese style. This is made of deep-fried yam fries with a miso gravy topped with cheese. M and I both didn’t like it. It was quite heavy tasting and was a very strange creation.

Tempura Banana with Coconut Ice cream was something that M ordered. It was a wonderful combination of banana and the coconut.

Words of Wisdom:

Very busy during the evenings
Best to get reservations
Closest Skytrain: Waterfront

We Rate Guu Gastown:
Address:

375 Water St
Vancouver, BC

Website:

www.guu-izakaya.com/gastown.html

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=375+Water+St+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=375+Water+St,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver+Regional+District,+British+Columbia+V6B+1B8&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Gastown

Wildebeest: Eating Beef Tongue, Sweetbreads, Skin, and Foie Gras

November 14, 2012

Wildebeest opened up in Gastown earlier in the Summer and has a very darling menu with unusual ingredients. When coming here, you can’t be squeamish of the items you are eating! Have an open mind and enjoy the intricate flavours. Flo took me here for my birthday!

Their kitchen is very open, so you can watch their every move! It’s pretty cool.

We ordered non-alcoholic cocktails. They didn’t have this on their menu, so we asked the waitress to bring us something fruity and sweet. We still never figured out if this drink had a name, but it was pretty good.

Crispy pork skin with spiced salt ($4) was not exactly what we anticipated. It was crispy and puffy, we expected more of a pork crackling. It’s hard to chew and when you start chewing on it, it sticks all over your teeth.

Smoked Castelvetrano olives ($5) was good! The olives were green and had pits inside. Pretty good item to munch on while waiting for the main dishes. It is a bit pricey though.

Grilled beef tongue, wild mushroom consommé, toasted grains, mustard greens ($14) was so good! the beef was very tender and so flavourful! Everything just went so well together! I highly suggest you order this!

Mortadella, pistachio, mutsu apple, arugula salad ($9) was light and refreshing.

Roasted sweetbreads, caramelized buttermilk, wild mushrooms, porchini vinaigrette ($15). If you don’t know what sweetbreads are… you might not want to hear what it really is, but it’s the thymus of an animal. Surprise! The flavour was actually really delicious! Don’t let the unknown ingredients scare you.

Poutine, roasted duck liver ($16) came at the very end of the meal. It has pieces of fois gras, cheese curds, and gravy on fries. It was a very rich dish, so it was quite hard to eat.

Desserts are quite small, so you may want to hog it all to yourself instead of sharing. Their desserts are quite unique. Overall, Flo and I had a great time, but we did find the dishes to be pricey and on the small side. Nonetheless, it was cool trying items I’ve never had before…like sweetbreads. Reservations is a must since the place can get pretty packed during dinner and on weekends.

We Rate Wildebeest:

Address:
120 W Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.wildebeest.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=120+W+Hastings+Street+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=120+W+Hastings+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6B+1G8&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Bakery

The Baker & The Chef: A Sandwich Cafe

November 7, 2012

A few month ago a heard much hype from The Baker & The Chef that opened near Hastings and Cambie. They have items like sandwiches, soups, and of course baked goods.

The interior isn’t too large, but has lots of seating for singles or pairs of customers.

The Capilano Panini(Full- $8) has foccacia bread, grilled chicken breast, brie, mixed greens, and pesto. There are sticks of carrots and celery on the side, which is a nice touch. The sandwich was just average and nothing too impressive. It was just disappointing how little chicken there was in the sandwich. As you can see from the picture, it’s all in the center, so when you take your first bite, you won’t get chicken.

Overall, my friend and I thought this place was ok, but with a lot of other sandwich shops in close proximity, it’s hard to compete. It’s cool to get sandwiches named after cool Vancouver streets. Quite creative.

We Rate The Baker & The Chef:

Address:
320 Cambie St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.thebakerandthechef.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=320+Cambie+St+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=320+Cambie+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6B+2N3&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Cafe

Brioche: Soup, Sandwiches, and Lasagna in Gastown

November 6, 2012

Brioche is located in the Gastown close to both SFU Vancouver and Woodwards. They are known for their yummy comfort foods like soups, sandwiches, and pasta. M and I came here since it half way between both our offices. My last visit was about 2 years ago, so I wanted to see if there were any improvements.

The space is great for chats with friends over coffee and food.

Latte was OK. Couldn’t have been a bit stronger.

Grilled NY Striploin w/ Wild Mushroom Sauce is also served with soup. There are so many different ways of eating this. You can eat it like a sandwich, or eat it like an open-faced sandwich. This item is on the special board usually and is quite pricey when you decide to order it. The menu doesn’t specify price, so it’s really going to hurt your wallet since it’s just lunch.

I tend to order this item when I go to Brioche because it’s filling and the mushroom sauce and the tender striploin is super delicious.

Seafood Bisque was very watery and had more of a lemony tang to the flavour profile. The seafood taste wasn’t as prominent.

Bolognese Lasagna w/ 8 Layer Sauce and contains Bechamel, Salsiccia, Mushroom, and Bolognese. M did enjoy the dish, but for $18 was not worth it. He wouldn’t have ordered this if he knew the price before hand.

Overall, the food is great, but the price is way too much for a lunch. You can end up paying $20 for a dish and a drink.

Words of Wisdom:

Food is a pricey and no visible pricing on dishes
Best in small groups
Panini’s are really good
Parking garage across the street. Discounted parking for SFU students after 6pm.

We rate Broioche:

Website:
http://www.brioche.ca/

Address:
401 West Cordova Street
Vancouver BC

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=401+West+Cordova+Street+Vancouver+BC&hnear=401+W+Cordova+St,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver+Regional+District,+British+Columbia+V6B+1E5&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Food Tour

The Juice Truck: Juice On the Go

October 21, 2012

The Juice Truck is located in Gastown and serves up delicious cups of juices, smoothies and other drinks. M and I were passing by and decided to have a post-lunch snack.

The juices are quite expensive, but are very filling. I was quite surprised I couldn’t finish it all.

The Almost Chocolate has a banana blended with medjool dates, almond butter, raw cacao, raw maca & soy milk. M liked the combination of the chocolate and bananas!

The Avocado Pineapple ($7) has avocado blended with pineapple, coconut water, lime, vanilla & agave. It was a good combination of ingredients! Healthy too. My only complaint is that it wasn’t cold enough.

Overall, the flavour combinations are pretty cool. The drink will really fill you up for lunch, so you don’t need to worry too much about getting hungry after.

We Rate The Juice Truck:

Address:
200 Abbott Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.thejuicetruck.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=200+Abbott+Street+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=200+Abbott+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6B+2K8&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Cafe

Apres-Midi Teahouse: Tea Lattes & Desserts

May 6, 2012

Apres – Midi Teahouse is a hidden teahouse in Gastown. It can be quite difficult to find since it’s not near any main roads. They specialize in tea. They also serve desserts and coffee.

HipsterGirl and I needed to kill some time before an event, so I decided to take her to Apres-Midi Teahouse. I have passed by a few times, but finally decided to check it out since I am a lover of tea.

It’s quite relaxing inside with the rustic brick walls and natural lighting. They have their main level with lots of seats.

They also have an upper level too that is also relaxing. You can spend lots of hours just catching up with friends or even doing some work.

Gastown Fog was what HispterGirl ordered. It wasn’t exactly like a London Fog since the tea they used was slightly different that earl grey. She still enjoyed it.

Matcha latte is bright and vibrant green. I asked it to be half-sweet and you can special request stuff done to it too. It was delicious and creamy!

Chocolate Mousse Cake comprised of mostly mouse, which was awesome . it was light and airy but packed full of chocolaty goodness.

Overall, we had a great time just chilling here. The teas and desserts are good, but it is a bit expensive. Each items is around $5, but considering that it’s in the Gastown area, it is fairly priced.

Words of Wisdom:

Spacious Interior
Yummy tea lattes and cakes!
Has Wifi

We Rate Apres-Midi Teahouse:
Address:
1 Gaoler’s Mews
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.apresmiditea.com/

View Larger Map

In Four Beakers

Catch 122: Lunch with Amazing Sandwiches

May 3, 2012

Catch 122 is a new restaurant that has opened up on Hastings Street in front of SFU Woodwards. They serve brunch on the weekends as well as breakfast and lunch on weekdays. As of May 2nd, they will be serving dinner! They are best known for their simple and delicious comfort food.

After a brunch experience, I came back with my coworkers on several occasions to have lunch at Catch 122. It was close to the office and they had enough space to accommodate us all.

Latte ($3.75) was good and needed especially when you need an extra boost of energy in the day.

Roasted Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese ($12) has a special Catch 122 BBQ sauce, caramelized red onion, coleslaw and Havarti cheese in a grilled panini. You get a side of fries, soup or salad. MeatLover chose their daily soup – creamy mushroom. She did enjoy it as well.

On another occasion, DesignGuru had the same item and it seemed quite consistent with the other visit. She enjoyed it and saw it as an awesome comfort food thats just perfect for lunch. It’s cheesy and meaty!

Duck Confit Sandwich ($11.95) has Yarrow Meadows duck leg confit, French dijon mustard, and arugula in a fresh-baked baguette. I chose the salad as my side. The baguette is nicely toasted, so when you bit into it, the sandwich makes a lovely “crunch” noise. The duck was tender and had lots of flavour.

My other coworker got the same sandwich, but with fries. She said the fries were pretty good.

British style Roasted Beef ($11.50) has slow roasted beef chuck roll, sauté mushroom, Swiss cheese, and horseradish cream in a grilled panini. I again got salad on the side. The horseradish cream was subtle, so it was not too overpowering. All the ingredients did go great together.

Salad Nicoise with Albacore tuna was one of their comfort food items for the day. It’s not on their regular menu as it was a featured item for that specific day. There are a bunch of ingredients on this salad with vibrant colors. DogLover said it tasted very good. The only turn off was the weird looking anchovy on top, it looked like a slug.

Spaghetti with spanish chorizo and tiger prawns in a tomato basil sauce ($14.50) was another comfort food of the day. MeatLover and DoubleL ordered this. They said it tasted good.

Chausson Pomme ($3.50) was an item we accidentally ordered, but it essentially tasted like an apple pie.

Overall, the lunch menu mostly has sandwiches, but they are some pretty delicious sandwiches. I’ve been here to lunch twice and it’s become one of my favorite places to eat! They have lots of seats inside and can accommodate big groups if you call ahead of time.

Words of Wisdom:

Brunch for Croque Madame and Crispy Duck Confit Salad
Lunch for Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Duck Confit Sandwich
Lots of seats
Great atmosphere to chill
Good service
Coffee is a must

We Rate Catch 122:

Address:
122 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.catch122.ca/

View Larger Map

In Brunch

Catch 122: Newest Brunch Spot Near Woodwards

April 22, 2012

Catch 122 is a new restaurant across from Woodwards and they are currently serving, breakfast, brunch, and lunch. They are known for their simple food that is not over the top. Basically comfort food done right with no surprises. You can also go in for a snack to enjoy their selection of pastries and coffee.

Ange (FoodPunk) , Alvin (FoodImagery), Anita (PetiteFoodie) and I decided to check out this place for some brunch.

The interior is quite narrow, but it has a nice atmosphere. It reminds me of a cross between Meat&Bread and Cafe Medina or basically the brick wall Gastown look.

They also have larger tables for larger groups.

The menu is presented on a cork board! Very cute!

Their menu is a bit hard to read since the alluring ingredients are highlighted instead of the menu item. It may take you a while to wrap your head around the varying fonts.

French Press Coffee Pot ($5.75) is a good size for two people. They don’t do refills on their coffee, but a pot should be enough for the thirsty coffee drinker.

I just threw in the usual milk and sugar into mine. Tasted great!

Belgian Hot Chocolate ($3.95) was good according to Alvin and Anita.

The Scrambled Eggs chorizo Crepe ($12) has scrambled eggs, chorizo, avocado, cheddar cheese, tomato sauce, and Yukon nugget potato hash.

The Gastown ($12) has over easy eggs, farmer pork sausage, arugula salad, Yukon nugget potato hash, tomato pear chutney,and toast.

Crispy Duck Confit Salad ($11) has mixed green, crispy bacon, Yukon nugget potato hash, and a shallot red wine vinaigrette. Look at that crispy bacon and the succulent duck!

Croque Madame – The Parisian Way ($12) has a poached egg, grilled black forest ham, Swiss cheese,
sliced tomato, béchamel sauce, arugula salad, and Yukon nugget potato hash.

I really enjoyed it because it wasn’t too heavy and the tastes just went together so well. Best croque madame I’ve had so far!

Once you break into the egg, the yolk just oozes out and envelops the sandwich with its delicious flavour! I’d totally get this again! Highly recommended!

Strawberry Goat Cheese Tart has a unique flavour combination that blended well together. It was not too sweet, which was good because I hate sweet things.

The Manager came around and showed us their amazing pastries and desserts and the Apple pecan almond cinnamon cream cake looked super amazing, so we just had to order this.

Apple pecan almond cinnamon cream cake was like a cake composed of cinnamon buns. It also has the swirls too. The middle was sweet since it had the most amount of filling and caramel. It was like cinnamon bun 2.0!

Overall, the brunch was great and we enjoyed ourselves. Catch 122 is a great addition to the neighbourhood and I’m sure their awesome brunch will surely attract many others.

Words of Wisdom:

Brunch for Croque Madame and Crispy Duck Confit Salad
Lots of seats
Great atmosphere to chill
Good service
Coffee is a must

We Rate Catch 122:

Address:
122 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.catch122.ca/

View Larger Map

In Gastown

Chronic Taco Cantina: Introduction Of A New Menu

April 4, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: I was invited to try out their new menu, but I tried to keep the review as unbiased as I could. The review does not guarantee 100% similar service you might normally get from this restaurant.

Chronic Taco Cantina is located in Gastown and has introduced a new menu to better cater to the people in the area. Their new menu has more variety of California-Style Mexican food as well as appetizers. They still serve their signature tacos and burritos.

I came with GastroFork, FoodPunk, PetitFoodie and CandiedZen to try it out.

There are tons of TVs on the walls so it’s easy to catch the game. Also they have some crazy artwork on their walls. Taco life anyone? They have also installed more booth seating!

Coke! The days when I go without tea or coffee, I go with coke!

Chips and Salsa (complementary) I liked the crunchy chips but I wish there was more salsa. The salsa was good and chunky but the container is a bit small to dip the chips into. I would suggest ordering a side of guacamole to go along with this.

Baja Ceviche ($7.49) has wahoo fish, lime, mango, pears & plantain chips. This is not your traditional ceviche, but I did enjoy the hints of fruity and acidic tastes. We did not have enough plantain chips to use with the ceviche, so we started using the chips.

Taco Platter ($8.49-$11.49) comes with your choice of two tacos and side of rice and beans. The price varies depending if you want soft or crispy shell, or vegetarian. I am not a big fan of rice or beans, so I thought they were alright.

You can choose from these tacos:

Carne Asada – marinated grilled steak
Pollo Asado – marinated grilled chicken
Carnitas – slow cooked pork
Al Pastor – spicy marinated pork with pineapple & onions
Fish – wahoo tecate beer battered or spicy baja style
Shrimp – tecate beer battered or grilled

There’s also other types of rice and beans that you can add. The tacos were quite large too.

The tacos that were really good were the beer battered fish and the shrimp.

Al Pastor Taco has the spicy marinated pork with pineapple & onion. It was indeed large and quite spicy. I usually can take spice, but I had to resort to grabbing a glass of water. The pork was nicely spiced and tender.

Carnitas Taco has slow cooked pork and comes with veggies, salsa and guacamole. The meat was a tad dry.

Jalapeno Poppers ($9.49) are breaded jalapeno peppers with cream cheese & a side of baja sauce. It’s a good item to order when watching the game when you need some finger food. Its a bit spicier than usual places, but I did enjoy the amount of heat.

Beer Battered Prawns ($9.49) are drunk prawns with baja sauce & cilantro sauce. I loved this appetizer! The prawns were of good size and tasted good. It had a crunchy exterior and the succulent prawn inside. YUM!

Flank Steak Fajitas ($15) comes on a sizzling hot plate with flank steak, peppers, and onions. There is also rice & pico de gallo that comes with it. You wrap them all up in a flour tortilla.

The steak tastes good when it comes right off the sizzling plate. If you wait too long, the meat isn’t as tender or flavourful.

This is a fun dish since you can do it yourself, but it is a bit expensive. In the end, we didn’t put it together since we were more interested in eating the meat.

Southwest Stuffed Peppers ($15) contains tofu, spinach, rice, jack cheese & mole.

It is a very unique dish and I’ve never had anything like it. You would expect it to be savory, but with the mole, it just tastes like sweet chocolate.

Deep Fried Ice Cream Sandwiches ($6) has 2 ice cream sandwiches battered and deep-fried with caramel drizzle. You definitely want to share this with another person.

The deep-fried ice cream sandwiches had a good fragrant cinnamon taste to it, which I enjoyed. On the downside, it wasn’t cold in the center as the ice cream just melted from the heat. It ended up more mushy than solid.

Churros Con Sorbete ($6) has fresh churros, cinnamon sugar, caramel sauce, and vanilla bean ice cream.

I like the pairing of the 2 items and the cinnamon and sugar is just heavenly. Unfortunately, I felt like the churro was a bit overcooked. It still had the nice crispy exterior and softer center.

Overall, don’t expect Chronic Taco Cantina to serve traditional Mexican food. It’s a bit different. The food is great to go with games and just chilling with friends. They have a very large interior, so they can accommodate large groups.

Words of Wisdom:

Decent eats
Around $10
Lots of space to watch the game
Beer battered anything is yummy
Burritos are huge!

We Rate Chronic Tacos Cantina:

Address:
102 Water Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:

http://www.chronictacos.ca/

View Larger Map

In American

Pourhouse Restaurant: Sandwich + Side + Beer = $14

March 10, 2012

Pourhouse Restaurant in Gastown has a good lunch deal for $14, where you get a sandwich, a beer and a side. Since it does come with beer, the price isn’t too bad.

Mandu, KoreanGirl and Jojocake came here for lunch on a weekday, but once we sat down, we really didn’t want beer since we will had some work to do in the afternoon. It would have been awkward smelling like beer in the office. Pourhouse gives you the option of having other drinks instead.

Cappuccino was just what Jojocake needed. She thought it was alright, but the temperature definitely could have been hotter.

Macchiato is what Mandu needed. Similar to Jojocake, her coffee was just lukewarm and not hot.

Tea is what KoreanGirl and I needed. The tea was a good temperature and the tea cups came warmed too.

Pulled Pork Sandwich with Cream of Cauliflower Soup. This is what everyone else at the table ordered. The pulled pork sandwich has pulled pork, BBQ sauce, aged cheddar and slaw. They thought it was bit small at first, but when they had everything, they were all full.

Portobello Sandwich with Cream of Cauliflower Soup. It has bits of portobello mushroom, garlic aioli, and asiago. It was #meatlessmonday, so I had to choose this option.

I thought the soup was a bit rich, but it did have a good strong flavour of the cauliflower.

Since I do love mushrooms, I did enjoy this sandwich a lot. The portobello mushroom had a great taste that went well with the other ingredients.

Overall, it was a good lunch deal since it came with beer, but the service was very slow. If you are short on time for lunch, best not to dine here since you will be late. It took us about 1.5 hrs to dine here. If you do have a bit more time, it’s a good option if you are craving some beer.

Words of Wisdom:

Slow service
Luke warm coffee isn’t good…ask for hotter
Good sandwiches
Good lunch deal

We Rate Pourhouse Restaurant:

Address:
162 Water St
Vancouver, BC
Website:
http://www.pourhousevancouver.com/

View Larger Map

In Four Beakers

Nicli Antica Pizzeria: Neapolitan Pizza

March 1, 2012

Nicili Antica Pizzeria is a very popular for their Neapolitan pizza! Since there is always a long line up, we came around 2pm to avoid any lineups. Surprisingly it was packed even at that hour! We left our phone number and they texted us a cool link so we could walk around the neighbourhood and be notified how long the wait is and how many other parties are ahead of us.

AdventureTimeGirl, M, Scarface and I just wandered around to Gastown till we got a text saying our table was ready. It was about a 20 minute wait.

The seating for mostly groups of 2 or 4. If you have any larger parties, your wait may be a while. The interior has a simple white look accented with red chairs by the bar.

The menu is mostly appetizers and different pizzas.

You get 2 types of oil to use on your pizza – Rosemary Oil and Chili Oil. Maybe I’m crazy, but I didn’t get much taste from either oils. The taste is quite subtle.

Capocollo Pizza ($15) has pomodoro tomatoes, grana padano, garlic, marjoram cured pork shoulder, and chili oil.

Margherita Pizza ($12) has pomodoro tomato, grana padano, fior di latte, and basil. Good for the vegetarians!

The Bunch Pizza with Bacon ($20) M really liked it because of the bacon and eggs. It’s really cool since it’s not usual to see a brunch type of pizza.

Funghi Pizza ($16) has pomodoro tomatoes, grana padano, fior di latte, wild and cultivated mushrooms. I thought this pizza was alright. The mushrooms reminded me of the chinese mushrooms. I wish there were more mushrooms since I am a mushroom addict.

All the pizzas had a thin crust with the right amount of toppings. The middle was a tad soggy, but didn’t take away too much from the pizza. They use fresh ingredients that shine through.

Overall, the pizzas are well made and you can easily split a pizza between two people if you don’t want to get super full. Even though the pizza was good, I am very deterred by the long line ups, plus they don’t do reservations.

Words of Wisdom:

Good simple pizza
Around $15
No Reservations, long waits
Service is mediocre
Limited paid street parking

We Rate Nicli Antica Pizzeria:

Address:
62 E Cordova St
Vancouver, BC
Website:
http://nicli-antica-pizzeria.ca/

Twitter:
@NicliPizzeria

View Larger Map

Vancouver

In Bakery

Cartems Donuterie: Pop-up Shop of Donuts

February 27, 2012

Cartems Donuterie opened up a pop-up shop in Gastown and another near Commercial. A pop-up shop means its only temporary. They sell unique donuts with very unique flavours and cater to people who are gluten-free and vegan.

My coworkers and I have heard a lot of buzz about Cartems Donuterie on Twitter and in the papers, so we decided to check them out during lunch. We also heard they like to be sold out quite fast, so we just monitored their twitter account to see what flavours were coming out next. On their first batch of donuts, they sold out in 39 minutes! So, we waited for their next batch to be ready before we headed out of the office.

They take online orders ( 2 days in advance) as well, just in case you don’t want to run into the problem with sold out donuts or the flavours you want aren’t there. They do free delivery in Downtown too.

Everything is made fresh with local ingredients! They don’t do their baking in the Gastown location since its just delivered to that location. It’s not a bad thing since it’s still fresh!

The shop is very small. When we went there, there were only 2 flavours left. 🙁 They are popular donuts.

It didn’t bother us too much since there were at least some donuts left and the guy serving us was very nice! There are no tables inside, so all the donuts you get at the store are for takeout.

After walking back to the office with our rain-soaked box of Cartems Donuts, we just dug in!

Since there were only 2 types of donuts left, we just grabbed a box of half a dozen ($15). They gave us an extra one since one of the donuts were a bit smaller. I didn’t notice the size difference, but a free donut is a good donut (hehehe…that was my asian side of me speaking).

Cinnamon Sugar Donut ($3 each) was coated with a lot of sugar on the outside. It was beautifully fried! When you bite into it, the outside is crunchy and the inside is spongey. There was a good balance between the ingredients.

Sweet Heat Donut ($3 each) tasted like a slightly dense chocolate donut. The dominant flavour is the chocolate, but there is a very very subtle taste of the chilies.

Overall, the donuts were good, but since I am not a donut fanatic…I don’t exactly have a huge love for them. With $3 per donut, I would probably try more of the other flavours that are more unique.

Since I wanted to try more of their flavours, Angela of Munchkie’s Munchies and I decided to order a dozen and split them during lunch. Such a healthy lunch right? Don’t attempt eating a whole box of 12, since thats really just unhealthy on many levels. The dozen donuts cost $30.

Ordering online was quite painless, choose the donuts you want in multiples of 12 and pay through PayPal. You just need to make your order 2 days in advance. The order arrived on time and I had no issues.

Even though we ordered one of each flavour, we couldn’t try the Bee Sting donut since they didn’t have it. The donuts came in various shapes and sizes. Some were smaller, some were larger.

Triple Chocolate Threat ($3 each) is made with a base of chocolate cake, then topped with ganache and crispy chocolate pearls.

This donut was a bit dense and slightly dry. I liked the texture of the chocolate pearls that complimented the donut.

Flourless Bouquet Gluten-Free Donut ($3 each) but it’s still made in an area with gluten. Eat with caution depending on what your level of sensitivity is towards gluten. The donut has a berry tea glaze on top.

I found the glaze to be quite sweet, but it did have a strong berry taste to it.

Cinnamon Sugar Donut ($3 each) was coated with sugar and cinnamon on the outside. The quality of the donut could have been a bit improved since the shape of it was a bit weird.

What I like about this donut is the crunchy exterior and then the soft inside of it. This donut isn’t super special or unique, but it is good.

Sweet Snow Donut ($3 each) has a white chocolate glaze with large organic coconut shavings.

I’m not a big fan of coconut, but I liked how the taste was subtle and didn’t dominate the flavour. Good balance.

Sweet Heat Donut ($3 each) tasted a little bit different this time around.

The chili flavour was more prominent but not too overwhelming. It just tickled your lips a little. It was kinda a cool feeling.

Earl Grey Donut is infused with organic earl grey tea and a earl grey glaze with edible flowers.

I really liked this donut because it has a good subtle flavour of the tea. Very unique and its a must order.

Breakfast Donut has organic figs, flax seeds, and honey. This was definitely a donut for the wee mornings.

It was quite dense and packed with a lot of ingredients, but it kinda tasted like a bran muffin.

Carrot Cake Donut has carrots in their donut dough with a caramel glaze and topped with candied carrots and oats.

I felt like it didn’t represent a carrot cake since it needed a bit more cinnamon to really bring out that taste.

Classic Donut is topped with a vanilla bean glaze.

I liked the simple taste of the donut. Good fresh ingredients done right.

No Animals? No problems! Vegan Donut has chocolate cake, topped with chocolate ganache and chocolate sprinkles.

I LOVED this donut! Even though it’s vegan, it was so moist and chocolaty. I would definitely order this again!

Overall, there is a bit of a consistency issue with the donuts, but Cartems has a great concept in trying to bring unique flavours and ingredients into their donuts. Plus, they do cater to vegans and gluten-free individuals. I am sure in time they will improve on their products! Don’t forget to check out Munchkie’s Munchies‘s review of Cartems!

Words of Wisdom:

My Favorite: Earl grey, Sweet Heat, Vegan, and Classic
Pricey for just a donut
Order Online to be guaranteed the flavours you want
Free delivery to the Downtown core
Under $10
Closest Skytrain: Stadium
Follow them on Twitter (@cartemsdonuts ) for availability of supply + flavours
Vegan + Gluten-Free Options

We Rate Cartems Donuterie:

Address:
408 Carrall Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://cartems.com/

View Larger Map

In Gastown

Chronic Tacos Cantina: Taco, Taco, Taco

February 23, 2012

Chronic Tacos opened up their third location in Gastown! Since I saw a Social Shopper deal, I quickly got it! I’ve been to another location and the food was good. This Chronic Taco location is much larger and has 2 floors.

The interior is bright red with lots of TV around to watch games.

Lots of seating, a few booth seating and the upstairs area. The chairs are like outdated banquet chairs. Not the most pretty furniture or tables, but it’s about the food right?

Pop ($1.99) normal stuff and comes with refills!

Chips and Salsa ($2.99) I liked the crunchy chips but I wish there was more salsa. The salsa was alright but it was very watery.

For the two tacos that were part of the Social Shopper deal, we got the Carnitas taco and Fish taco. These are a bit small and nothing like Taco Time. You may need 3 or 4 to get full.

Fish Taco ($3.79) has a small tortilla with cabbage, and salsa. It was good, but wasn’t super amazing.

Carnitas Taco ($3.49) has tender and juicy beef with guacamole and lettuce. It was ok too.

Carnitas Quesadilla ($9.49) has a good amount of cheese and carnitas meat inside. It also comes with a few sauces. Its has a much larger size than the tacos.

It was well made, but you definitely need to dip it into the sauce to get more flavour. I probably liked the quesadilla out of all the other items.

Overall, the food was alright, but not super amazing. In a way, it is like a cantina, where you just drink more and have a few little snacks. They do have the bar and the room for it. It’s good game food too. Since the space is pretty large too, service wasn’t super good. It was alright.

Words of Wisdom:

Decent Mexican eats
Around $10
Lots of space to watch the game
Anything with Carnitas is delicious

We Rate Chronic Tacos Cantina:

Address:
102 Water Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:

http://www.chronictacos.ca/

View Larger Map

In Food Carts

The Juice Truck + Beta 5: Hot Chocolate Festival

January 26, 2012

The Juice Truck is participating in the Hot Chocolate Festival thats happening till February 14th, 2012. They have teamed up with Beta 5 chocolates to make some amazing creations. All proceeds raised goes towards food services programs of the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre in Vancouver.

Even though Juice Truck is known for their juice, the hot chocolate is out of this world.

Flo and I went to the Street Food City thats part of Dine Out Vancouver and saw they had this available! We were getting cold outside and it seemed like something delicious to drink.

The Hot Chocolate ($5.50) has 63% dark Beta5 Chocolate stick stirred into hot almond milk, served with smoked sugar marshmallow. I love how interactive this drink is! You stir for about 2 minutes, but it is totally worth the wait. Perfect consistency and really smooth. Definitely recommended!

They have other flavours too listed below for the duration of the festival:

“JAPAN” – Matcha and White Chocolate Stick stirred into hot water.
Served with: Yuzu Marshmallow
Available January 14 – January 20
“INDIA” – 45% Milk Chocolate stirred into almond milk
Served with: Chai-spiced Marshmallow
Available: January 21 – January 27
“MEXICO” – 72% Dark Chocolate Stick stirred into rice milk.
Served with: Cinnamon-Vanilla Marshmallow
Available: January 28 – February 3
“CANADA” – 63% Dark Chocolate Stick stirred into hot milk.
Served with: Smoked Sugar Marshmallow
Available: February 4 – February 14

Overall, good quality hot chocolate. As I said before, I generally hate hot chocolate but this is an exception. It is still a tad expensive for just a drink, but the money goes towards a good cause.

Location:
200 Abbott Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.thejuicetruck.ca/

View Larger Map

In Cafe

Nelson the Seagull: Carnivore Sandwiches

January 18, 2012

Nelson the Seagull is a cafe in Gastown. They are known for their coffee and their simple foods. Once you step foot inside of here, you’ll realize its very hipster. It’s a great place to do some work over a coffee, or just sit to find inspiration. The space is very very open.

I’ve heard lots about it, so I came to have lunch here with KoreanGirl, Mandu and Jojocake.

Their kitchen is very open, no wall, no doors, nothing. You can see them at work making your meal.

Here is their menu.

Tea ($2.50) comes in their super cool ceramic cups. Its shaped like a crinkled beer cup. You know, the one where you play beer pong with. Kinda expensive for tea…but I love tea.

Carnivore Sandwich ($9) has cilantro pesto, Dijon, boerenkaas cheese, and Big Lou’s Pastrami on top of their house made rustic bread. It also comes with a mini salad on the side consisting of apple, spinach and onion with a vinaigrette sauce.

All of us at the table ended up ordering the carnivore sandwich. I think it was the only meaty item they had on their menu for lunch.

The best part of this sandwich was Big Lou’s Pastrami! I thought the sandwich was really good, but the others had some mixed thoughts about the sandwich. Some thought it was salty, some thought the bread was a bit tough and burnt looking.

I personally would go again since the meat was so damn good!

Overall, Nelson the Seagull has a very simple straight forward menu with decent prices.

Words of Wisdom:

No parking, best to skytrain and walk a bit from Stadium Station
Limited lunch menu
Under $10
Carnivore sandwich is a must

We Rate Nelson the Seagull:

Address:
315 Carrall Street
Vancouver, BC
Website:
http://www.nelsontheseagull.com/

View Larger Map

In Four Beakers

Cafe Medina: Lineups + Delicious Lunch

September 20, 2011

CanuckGirl gets off early sometimes, so I take advantage of it and eat delicious lunches without feeling lonely! I have to admit, I do quite often eat lunch alone and it can be mighty depressing. CanuckGirl loves Cafe Medina and they have a reputation of delicious eats…especially brunch!

I’ve been doing quite a few revisits lately, but every visit is special to me and it’s a good way to see how consistant restaurants are with their quality. Also, it’s good to note if something changes.

Whenever I see Matcha Latte (12oz – $4.25) on a menu, I must have it. I honestly did not like their matcha latte. I found it very gritty and made me want to grab some water. I have pretty high standard for matcha lattes ever since I’ve been to Sajin’s Green Tea House. Once you go to Sajin’s nothing else can really compare.

Best to stick with the Lavender latte instead when you are here.

They ran out of a few things on the menu, so CanuckGirl ordered the Saumon Fume ($12). It is served on a toasted open faced ciabatta bread with a fried egg, smoked salmon, caper cream cheese, avocados, and arugula. You don’t need to put these together like a sandwich, it’s best eaten separately with a knife and fork.

The best part is really the runny yolk. It’s always fun to pop it and smother it all over everything!

I felt very very meaty today, so I got the Les Boulettes ($14). The meatballs are made out of spicy moroccan lamb and beef. It’s actually not that spicy. In the sauce, there is roasted vegetables! to complement the meaty side of the dish, they also serve you with hummus and grilled foccacia. The taste of the meatballs were very nice, but I felt like I needed some rice to go with this. Perhaps that just my asian self craving rice. It was still a filling dish with exotic flavours.

Overall, the food at Cafe Medina is quite consistant. Even the line ups are consistant. I wouldn’t be embarrassed to bring anyone here. Great food and great atmosphere!

Words of Wisdom:

2 hours free parking at Tinsel Town (I know its for patrons…but FREE parking! I break rules)
Waffles and lavender lattes are popular
Best to go in 2s for quick seating

We rated Cafe Media:

Check out their website: http://www.medinacafe.com/

Address:

556 Beatty St
Vancouver, BC