Mount Pleasant/Main Street Archives - Page 6 of 8

In Fast Food

McDonald’s Spicy Buffalo Chicken Snack Wrap

January 11, 2014

I needed a quick lunch and what better way to be lazy than go to McDonalds across the street. The weather was also terrible, so I didn’t want to go far for food. It’s been raining non-stop in Vancouver for the past few days and sometimes I just feel like a cat.

McDonalds has a new Spicy Buffalo Chicken Snack Wrap on their menu and probably only available for a limited time.

Spicy Buffalo Chicken Snack Wrap ($1.99) comes with shredded lettuce, chicken breast, monterey jack cheese, cheddar cheese, and spicy buffalo sauce.

The look of it isn’t impressive and seems carelessly put together. It obviously varies depending on who makes it. I chose the grilled chicken instead of crispy since I find that the chicken in more flavourful and tender.

The taste of the entire wrap isn’t bad. The spicy buffalo sauce reminds me of a milder version of Frank’s Red Hots.

Website: http://www.mcdonalds.ca/

In Cafe

Miura Waffle Milk Bar: Relocated to Main Street

January 9, 2014

It’s been a while since my last visit to Miura Waffle and Milk Bar. They were previously located on Davies and Howe, but have now moved to their new location on Main street close to Broadway. They serve made to order sweet and savoury waffle sandwiches.

During lunch, I came with my coworkers to indulge in some savoury sandwiches.

When you enter the restaurant, you have to go up to the counter to order first. The interior isn’t very large but it is still larger than its previous location. Most of the tables are in 2s and 4s, but if you have more people, just combine more tables.

Mango Passion Yoggy Milk was ordered by my coworker and it wasn’t very good. It did not have a substantial amount of texture to it and was runny and thin.

Strawberry Yoggy milk is like a strawberry milkshake but more tangy. This is probably the best out of all their flavours for yoggy milk. The texture was nice and thick like those YOP yogurt drinks.

Bulgogi Sando is their top flavour for savoury sandwiches apparently. It has beef, egg sauce, kimchi & bulgogi sauce in side the waffle. my coworker liked it but it was a tad messy to eat. You eat it like a normal sandwich with no forks or knives.

Hoisin Sando has hoisin pork sausage, cilantro, cucumber, pickled radish & carrot in the waffle. The pickled vegetables reminded Magz of a Bahn Mi sandwich. She liked it so much she came back a few days later.

Wasabi Salmon sando has salmon, lettuce, herbs & wasabi ranch. The wasabi was subtle and doesn’t really make you cry. It’s a nice balance between the salmon and wasabi mayo. It wasn’t too messy to eat and nothing fell out of the sandwich while eating.

One thing that I did notice is that the salmon was baked into the waffle. HOW COOL IS THAT? The reason why the salmon didn’t fall out was that it was there stuck in the waffle batter.

All of the sandwiches come with Deep-fried Nori chips on the side. They are crisp seaweed pieces. It tasted ok, but need a little something extra. I’m not exactly sure what, but it sure needs some improvement.

Overall, they have a really cute concept of waffle sandwiches. The food was alright, but there are a few kinks they need to work out.

We Rate Miura Waffle Milk Bar:

Address:
2521 Main St
Vancouver, BC

Website: http://www.miurawafflemilkbar.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=2521+Main+St+Vancouver,+BC&t=m&hnear=2521+Main+St,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5T&z=16″]

In Japanese

Aqua Sushi + Organic Juice Bar: New Restaurant in Olympic Village

January 8, 2014

Aqua Sushi + Juice Bar is a new addition to the Olympic Village. They serve up all their sushi with brown rice and all their fresh juice is made to order with the freshest ingredients possible. They also only use wild sockeye salmon instead of the usual salmon you find at other places.

Magz and I came here during lunch to find a nice light and quick lunch.

The place is small and doesn’t have too many seats.

All menu items are $10 or under. Still, the items are pricey since it’s just a roll.

Quench Fresh Pressed Juice ($6) has cucumber, pineapple, coconut water, pear and lime. It was strange how it came out pink with the ingredients, but the juice tasted pretty good. The pineapple really sweetens up the drink.

Spicy Salmon Roll ($5) has crunchy green beans, kale, wild sockeye salmon, spicy sauce, brown rice and sprinkled with sesame seeds. The crunchy texture of the beans and kale really complimented the salmon. I was really surprised! The quality of ingredients is fantastic. Yeah to eating healthy.

Rejuvenate ($6) has carrot, orange, grapefruit, ginger and cayenne.

Aqua Roll ($5.50) has salmon, avocado, mango, green bean, and brown rice. Another great roll that didn’t disappoint. THe mango was perfectly ripe and not sour.

Overall, we were impressed by the rolls and juices. We didn’t have high hopes in the beginning, but when we took the first bite and slip, we liked it. The prices are expensive for what you get compared to other sushi places around town. You’re paying a lot more for quality ingredients. Also, everything here is really healthy, which is good if you are on a diet.

We Rate Aqua Sushi + Juice Bar:

Address:
1764 Manitoba Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://aquajuicebar.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=1764+Manitoba+Street+Vancouver,+BC&t=m&hnear=1764+Manitoba+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5Y+1H9&z=15 “]

In Cafe

Les Faux Bourgeois: French Cuisine in Vancouver

January 3, 2014

Les Faux Bourgeois has been on my list of places to eat for a long time. I just never had the right group or occasion to come here. MedicalGiraffe brought together a few of my friends for an intimate engagement party. Just the right occasion right? We made a reservation for 9 and was just 1 person shy of trying their prix fixe menu for 10. This worked out fine since not everyone was very hungry. The only time available was 5pm, so that explains why we were not hankering for lots of food.

Les Faux Bourgeois is a French restaurant, I suppose you can guess that by their name. They have had rave reviews and have won many awards over the past few years.

We were not seated in the bistro area, but we were seated in their cafe area. It was definitely intimate and we took up most of the space except for the bar seating and a table for 2.

Complimentary Bread arrived at the table with some butter. It wasn’t heated up, so it was cold and boring.

I enjoyed my dinner with a beer. Their wine menu has a good selection, but their beers are quite limited.

Escargots de Bourgogne ($9) are snails. Thats right, SNAILS. They aren’t that scary, but they have a chewy texture and drowned in the garlic butter/parsley combo.

Ris de Veau ($12) has seared sweetbreads, rémoulade, watercress and pickles. Just so you know, sweetbreads are glands of a lamb. No carbs here.

Soupe a l’oignon grantinee ($9) has caramelized onions, smoked bacon, Gruyère, and Mozzarella. I think I was anticipating this dish way too much and it just tasted ok. M said it was ok too, but he still prefers the french onion soup at Chez Meme Baguette Bistro.

Pleurotes ($17) has grilled oyster mushrooms, parsnip purée, brussels sprouts, squash, kale, hazelnuts, and brown butter. MedicalGiraffe likes this dish and it was sure yummy.

It was a perfect mesh of winter vegetables. Squash was soft and sweet, brussel sprouts crispy, kale still had their crunch and mushrooms were delectable.

All the flavours blended together well while still maintaining their own texture and taste

Moules Marinieres ($17) or best known as mussels and fries. The mussels are cooked in a white wine, garlic and parsley sauce. The pommes frites are on the side and you can dip them into the aioli sauce or into the broth.

The mussels were quite large and absorbed the delicious sauce but Chambar still knocks the socks off mussels and fries.

Queue de Boeuf ($19) has braised oxtail ragout, king oyster mushrooms, kale, carrot, pommes purée, and crispy leeks.

Le Steak Frites ($19) has Hanger steak served with fries. M chose to have his rare and it came out perfect. He chose to have the green peppercorn cream sauce and he likes it. You get half a plate of meat and other other half of the plate is piled with fries. If you aren’t into fries, you can swap it out for salad.

Filet De Boeuf Grille ($23) has tenderloin with potato gratin and glazed vegetables. You can have your choice of sauce – red wine shallot jus, herb butter or green peppercorn cream sauce.

Overall, we had a good time at Les Faux Bourgeois some of the food was a hit or a miss, but most were average. French food isn’t my favourite cuisine, but it takes a certain type of person to appreciate French cuisine.

We Rate Les Faux Bourgeois:

Address:
663 E 15th Ave
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.lesfauxbourgeois.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=663+E+15th+Ave+Vancouver,+BC&t=m&hnear=663+E+15th+Ave,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5T+2R6&z=16″]

In American

The Rumpus Room: Monday $10 Burger + Beer Special

December 26, 2013

My coworkers wanted a place to grab a drink and enjoy some nibbles. We settled on the Rumpus Room as it was close by the office and seemed like a great after work place to chill. The space is a bit small, but it makes up for it if you were a 80s kid. The menu is in a duotang and theres some cool memorabilia on the walls. Plus, in the Summer their patio is open and there’s a bunch of plastic pink flamingos.

As it was a Monday, we were surprised to hear they had a special! I love specials! A burger and beer for $10. A pretty awesome deal considering the price of a burger is $7 to $15.

Red Racer IPA is a local beer brewed right in BC at Central CIty Brewing. It has a strong taste of hops that lingers till the after taste. It’s not my type of beer because I don’t really like the hops flavour.

Peanut Butter Burger is made with a hormone-free 6oz beef burger patty, bacon, cheddar, lettuce, apple cranberry chutney, tomato, and creamy peanut butter on a brioche bun. I found that the ingredients went well together, but the beef patty was a bit overcooked so it because quite dry.

You also get a side to choose from. The options are fries, yam fries, veggie chili, soup, coleslaw, salad, side wedge salad, mashed potatoes, a waffle or ants on a long. I went with the salad. It was pretty decent as it had beets and sunflower seeds.

Overall, the price of the food is great for large portions. The quality of the food is alright but not too impressive. The servers are nice, but with only 2 people serving, they can tend to forget things…like… our bill. We had to ask twice for our bill, but we weren’t in a rush so we didn’t really bug them.

We Rate Rumpus Room:

Address:
2689 Main Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.rumpusroom.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=2689+Main+Street+Vancouver,+BC&t=m&hnear=2689+Main+St,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5T+3E7&z=16 “]

In lunch

Mangal Kiss Mid East BBQ: New Location at Main Street Station

December 24, 2013

Mangal Kiss has set up their second food cart right outside Main Street Skytrain Station. My coworkers are all raving about their amazing sandwiches, soups and wraps. We usually don’t have too many food options in the area, but when something good comes to the area, the word spreads throughout the building.

A few years ago, I first tried their amazing wraps near the Art Gallery and I was hooked to their fresh and flavourful food. As it’s steps outside my work, I have no excuse not to go for lunch here.

Full Sandwich with soup and dessert ($12) was what I ordered for lunch. It was a lot of food, but good food! They ran out of dessert but I got an orange instead.

BBQ Braised Short Rib has shaved cabbage, Moroccan spiced carrots, daikon, and pickles. It also has Mangal Kiss bbq sauce and tahini. The vegetables and pickles really make this sandwich emanate with flavour.

Lentil Soup was surprisingly really good. It had a nice depth of flavour. Filling too.

Chicken Shawarma ($7) was very large and packed full of vegetables. It’s still good, but it isn’t as great as the Shishliks wraps they used to make when they were near the Art Gallery.

What I like about their food is that the portions a large, price is good and its full of vegetables and amazing sauce. If you ever see them, check them out.

We Rate Mangal Kiss:

Location:
Main Street Skytrain Station

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=MAIN+SkyTrain,+Terminal+Ave,+Vancouver,+BC&ll=49.273405,-123.100154&spn=0.008246,0.020814&t=m&z=16&iwloc=A”]

In Cafe

JJ Bean: Now open in False Creek

November 28, 2013

JJ Bean has open their latest location in False Creek on 1st Avenue. It’s spacious and has a good amount of seats to just chill and have some coffee or even set up your laptop and study.

There’s lots of natural light that shines through the windows and is very relaxing. They have excellent coffee, but as we already had our morning coffee, we opted for juice and some yummy lunch.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup (Large) was had it for here, so we got a side of salad. The large size was quite big. Magz had a hard time finishing it, so she had to take it to go.

Spicy Southwest Chicken Wrap has a spicy chipotle mayo, cilantro chimichurri rice, corn, black beans, tomato, monterey jack cheese and roasted chicken breast in a spinach tortilla. I had the wrap here, so we got a salad on the side.

As a quick lunch and it was pretty good. Lunch with no fuss. It’s a good addition to the area.

We Rate JJ Bean:

Address:
188 West 1st Avenue
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://jjbeancoffee.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=188+West+1st+Avenue+Vancouver,+BC&t=m&hnear=188+W+1st+Ave,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5Y&z=14″]

In Canadian

Craft Beer Market: Open in Vancouver

November 3, 2013

My coworkers and I have been keeping an eye on the Craft Beer Market opening up in the Olympic Village near Science World. What I love about this area is it’s amazing views and how this neighbourhood is transforming. It was supposed to be open during the Summer of 2013, but due to some delays, it is going to officially open on November 7th, 2013.

Word has spread around the office that they are currently having a soft opening and are open for business. We were bidding a coworker goodbye, so it seemed like the perfect place to have an office lunch.

This place is HUGE! There are even 2 elevated private seating areas. Also, the beautiful bar in the centre with so many different types of Craft Beer.

Wall of beer kegs.

More beer!

Below are images of their food and drink menus.

Fast Food Sushi?! Red Racer IPA Infused Taquitos?!

Their menus are labeled with healthy, vegetarian, ocean-wise and gluten-free options. It really help taking the guess work if you have dietary restrictions. Nice touch!

Dark beer braised beef brisket?! Phillips Beer Can Chicken?!

20 Napkin Burger?! Earnest Ice Cream!!

Looks like there are some amazing sounding items on the menu.

SO much beer!

Too many to choose from.

Hawaiian Ahi Poke ($14) has chopped sashimi-grade tuna, cucumber, fresh ginger, garlic, and a sesame soy vinaigrette with crispy wonton skins. Magz said it tasted alright, but is lacking a few ingredients. Perhaps avocados.

Craft House Soup (Bowl – $8) has cheddar, jalapeno, and their Village House Ale.

Wings ($13) 1lb of crispy Rossdown Farms chicken wings tossed in Canadian sauce (bacon and maple syrup). The Canadian flavour was surprisingly good. It was subtle, but it just worked so well. For some reason we imagined it to be a thick sauce, but we were glad it wasn’t like that.

Fast Food Sushi ($12) cheeseburger and fries wrapped in bacon. It is dressed with jalapeño cream cheese and BBQ sauce. This was a very interesting item on the menu that JP just had to order. It was sinfully delicious and would be a great combination with some beer.

Thai Lettuce Wraps ($12 + Chicken $5) has crispy noodles and veggies sautéed with sweet ginger and lemongrass served with julienne vegetables, rice and a trio of house made sauces. It’s a great interactive dish where you can build your lettuce wraps yourself. One thing my coworkers said was that they wished the lettuce would be larger so it could hold more of the filling.

Waldorf chicken salad ($16) has parmesan and walnut crusted Rossdown Farms chicken, sun-dried cranberries, mixed greens, grapes, blue cheese, celery, and honey mustard vinaigrette. It was a big salad with a lot of ingredients.

Brewmaster’s Chicken Sandwich ($15) has Rossdown Farms chicken breast, avocado, bacon, aged cheddar, tomato lettuce, and red onion in a ciabatta bun. You have your choice of either Kennebec fries, mixed greens, caesar salad, spinach salad or soup. My coworker went with the spinach salad.

Craft Mac & Cheese ($16) has a blend of cheddar, gouda, mozzarella and fontina cheese tossed with bacon and poblano peppers topped with parsley and garlic breadcrumbs. It is also served with grilled garlic bread. The portion was huge, but I really wish the mac and cheese was a bit more gooier.

Overall, the food was pretty good, but there are a few kinks to work out. Prices are a tad high, but its ok considering the area that it’s located in. Their menu is large and you can always find something to eat and plus, their beverage menu is massive. I can see it as a great place to come after work to chill with coworkers or friends. It’s a great addition to the Olympic Village area and definitely adds some competition in the area.

We Rate Craft Beer Market:

Address:
85 West 1st Ave
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://vancouver.craftbeermarket.ca/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/CRAFT-Beer-Market-Vancouver/306941952714764

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=85+West+1st+Ave+Vancouver,+BC&t=m&hnear=85+W+1st+Ave,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5Y+3K8&z=16″]

In Bakery

Swiss Bakery: Pretzel Croissant

September 25, 2013

Swiss Bakery is at it again with combining different pastries together. First it was the frissant (fritter + croissant), but now it’s the Pretzel Croissant. The bakery is a few blocks away from Main Street/Science World Skytrain station.

As October is coming up, they created the Pretzel Croissant to celebrate Oktoberfest. They make limited amounts daily, but if you follow them on Twitter, you can scope out when they have some available. I had to go twice to acquire this creation. Good thing I work close by so I could run back. I wouldn’t call it desperation, it was more like…going to get exercise. hahaha

Pretzel Croissant ($2.15) has a soft fluffy centre with a crispy buttery exterior it was quite good. It’s kinda like a croissant but with the harder exterior. Definitely have some with beer!

I couldn’t just get one, so I got a few to spread the love. The best way to enjoy it would be popping it back into the oven for a few minutes to firm up the exterior to give it an extra crunch.

Address:
143 E 3rd Ave
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.swissbakery.ca/

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/swissbakery

In Cafe

Matchstick Coffee: Local Coffee Roasters

August 10, 2013

Matchstick Coffee is located on Fraser and Kingsway, just a few stores down from Les Faux Bourgeois. M and I were eating nearby and a coworker suggested we walk a block over to try his favourite coffee spot.

It’s a little bit hidden, but if you walk around, you’ll find the big ‘M’.

This place is pretty hip. A good place to chill with friends, do some work on your laptop, or have a meeting.

The space is pretty perfect and the interior is aesthetically pleasing.

They sell their coffee as beans and even have some little pastries.

Almond Milk Latte ($3.75) I tried getting soy but that wasn’t an option. I’ve never had a latte with almond milk before, but it really made this latte taste weird. Also almost sour tasting. It was hard to drink.

Cold El Llano Brewed Coffee ($3.25) was ordered by M and he loved it. He liked the taste as it had hints of macadamia nuts and plum.

Overall, it’s a great place for brewed coffee, but stay away from the Almond Milk Lattes. I’d definitely come again for a regular latte and just sit and chill here.

We Rate Matchstick Coffee:

Address:
639 East 15th Avenue
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.matchstickcoffee.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=639+E+15th+Ave,+Vancouver,+BC+V5T+2R6&sll=49.2399859,-122.95816940000002&sspn=0.1721632379598321,0.3516140337636478&t=m&dg=opt&hnear=639+E+15th+Ave,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5T+2R6&z=16 “]

In Bakery

Forty Ninth Parallel Cafe and Lucky’s Doughnuts

July 19, 2013

On Main Street lies 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters that also serve Lucky’s Donuts. They keep it simple in this cafe by just serving coffee and donuts. You can’t come here without being tempted with a donut to go with your coffee.

Kamsicle and I decided to take a break at work and head to here for a snack. I’ve always heard much about it but never stopped by until now.

They have lots of seats and seems like a really cool place to just chill and do some work.

I got a Soy Latte and it was really good. Nice, strong and great taste.

Salted Caramel is a classic old fashioned donut dipped in a creamy caramel and finished with maldon salt. It wasn’t too sweet, but the caramel does stick a little bit to your teeth.

French Cruller is a French choux paste fried and topped with a vanilla glaze. This was very good! The donut was very soft on the inside and not too sweet.

Overall, I quite liked this place. It’s simple and not complicated. A great addition to the neighbourhood, and I’ll definitely be back.

We Rate Forty Ninth Parallel Cafe and Lucky’s Doughnuts:

Address:
2902 Main St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.luckysdoughnuts.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=2902+Main+St,+Vancouver,+BC+V5T+3G3&sll=49.2399859,-122.95816940000002&sspn=0.1721632379598321,0.3516140337636478&t=m&dg=opt&hnear=2902+Main+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5T+3G3&z=16″]

In Bakery

Swiss Bakery: Cronut or Frissant in Vancouver

June 25, 2013

The latest craze hitting New York is the Cronut, a hybrid between a croissant and a donut. The trademarked item was the brain child of Chef Dominique Ansel, a French pastry chef at Ansel’s bakery shop in New York. These cronut are in such high demand that they have begun selling in the “black market” for over $100. They have been flying off the shelves and people wait in line for hours just to get a taste of the cronut.

Imitations have begun popping up around the world to catch up on the cronut hype. Luckily, there is one bakery in Vancouver that is selling their spin on the cronut. Swiss Bakery is selling the Frissant. It’s a mix of a fritter and a croissant….thus the name frissant.

Ever since news hit on social media about the Frissant in Vancouver, these puppies have been flying off the shelves. Some people have even been saying they sell out by 10am. Swiss Bakery is located on 3rd and Main right across from Nuba.

My office is 3 blocks away, so I decided to come here with a coworker to grab a few. When we arrived at 9:30am, there were a few people inside and 3 frissants left. They were in the process of making more batches for the day.

Frissants come in 2 flavours at Swiss Bakery – Vanilla and Chocolate. They sell for $4 a pop, which isn’t too cheap, but they do spend lots of time working on the recipe and perfecting each batch. Small price to pay compared to what people in New York have to end up paying on the “black market”.

I decided to grab one of each flavour to see which one was better. I usually don’t like donuts, but I just had to see what was so good about them.

The exterior of the frissant is crispy and the layers are quite fluffy. Hidden inside is the yummy delicious custard. I preferred the vanilla flavour over the chocolate one.

If a donut hater can be convinced that a Frissant is delicious, that means its mighty delicious. It has been hard for some people to get their hands on the Frissant in Vancouver. I’ve heard multiple people being disappointed that its been sold out before they got there. I would suggest going in the morning to get some before noon. Or you can see what the status is on Twitter.

They don’t do preorders are it’s been difficult to coordinate orders. Best to just walk in if you’re already in the area.

Address:
143 E 3rd Ave
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.swissbakery.ca/

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/swissbakery

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=143+E+3rd+Ave+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=143+E+3rd+Ave,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5T+3B8&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Four Beakers

Sal y Limon: Marinated Perfection

June 8, 2013

My coworker told me about a fantastic place in Vancouver called Sal y Limon. They sell authentic mexican cuisine such as burritos, tacos, tortas, and other things too. They are located in a small plaza on Kingsway and Fraser close to Le Faux Bourgeois.

I came with my M and Scarface for dinner around 8:30pm, they close at 9pm, but with the nice weather and still tons of light in the sky, they stayed open longer.

The interior isn’t impressive, but what is impressive is their food. Don’t let the interior scare you. The prices are quite good and all items are under $10.

They have a good selection of sauces to go with your food. Anything from a little spicy to DIABLO. It was fun trying a few of them to see what spice level we could handle. My favorite was the avocado sauce. Yum!

Horchata ($2) is a traditional Mexican drink made of cinnamon, almonds, sesame seeds, rice and barley. It’s white, so it totally looks like milk. If you are here and see people with cups of white liquid, it’s their horchata. I really love their horchata! It’s good! It had a hint of coconut flavour too. It pairs nicely with the food.

Al Pastor taco ($2.25) and Cordero al Cilantro taco ($2.25). The taco has 2 layers of the corn tortilla and above it is the beautifully marinated meat with the cilantro and onions. It does look simple, but these tacos are awesome. Throw some of their hot sauces on it and let the flavours sing in your mouth. The only downside is that the meat can be a bit oily.

Al Pastor Burrito ($8.50) has marinated pork and pineapples with all the other ingredients inside. I’m not a picky eater, so I asked them to put everything in it. I didn’t taste any pineapples inside, but I didn’t mind since the burrito did taste amazing. It wasn’t as large as I would have imagined, but it was a good size for dinner.

Carne Asada Con Queso ($8.75) has cheese and grilled beef with all the other ingredients inside. When M took a bite, his face just began smiling because it’s been a while since he’s had a good burrito.

Overall, we did enjoy eating at Sal y Limon and would return for their burritos and tacos. They have a good selection of authentic Mexican drinks too! You can find Mexican Coca Cola!! That stuff is better than our regular coke since it’s sweetened with cane sugar.

We Rate Sal y Limon:

Address:
701 Kingsway, Unit #5
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://salylimon.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=701+Kingsway,+Unit+%235+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=701+Kingsway+%235,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5T+2R7&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Mount Pleasant/Main Street

Burdock & Co : Farm to Table Concept

May 19, 2013

Burdock & Co has open up in the former location of Cafeteria. This restaurant is headed by Chef Andrea Carlson. Her menu reflects the locavore philosophy with using local organic produce throughout the menu. The interior is quite cozy with a communal table and a few separate tables on the side.

My coworkers and I came here after work one day just to chill over some delicious food. The plates are best shared with a group. The 3 of us shared 4 dishes and a dessert.

Burdock & Beer ($11) is a mixture of saison, gingerbeer, burdock root & sour, ginger, plum & rootbeer bitters.

Seasonal Garden-Slug ($11) contains vodka, lemon, apple & fenugreek, western elderberry bitters, and moondog bitters. I chose this cocktail for its name since ‘garden-slug’ sounded adventurous. There’s no garden slug in this, but it tasted good and went well with the intricate dishes.

Urban Digs Egg ($9), wild cress, hazelnut & blue cheese granola, browned butter and potato vinaigrette. It’s a vegetarian dish. The quality of ingredients was great and the items did blend nicely together. Portions are on the smaller side.

Fresh Oysters ($15) comes with finger lime caviar, french breakfast radish, chickweed,apple & verbena sorbet, and a kasu emulsion. Beautiful presentation of the ingredients and tasted good but as you can tell, it won’t fill you up if you just order this item.

Pickled humpback shrimp ($14) also has house made tofu, wild ginger, charred spring onion, and fiddleheads. It’s yet another beautiful dish, but it’s not enough to fill a person up.

Harvest Oxtail Ramen ($13) also has swiss chard and kimchi. This item is best to order as it has more substance to it. If you have been to Harvest Community Foods and tried this ramen, you’ll be a fan of this. Before opening up Burdock & Co, the Chef Andrea Carlson was at Harvest Community Foods, so you can see how aspects are infused into her menu. It tasted good and I would recommend this dish.

Salted Caramel Apple Pot Pie ($8) topped with Elderflower Ice Cream. When we saw the salted caramel words, we gravitated towards this dessert. The elderflower ice cream was very subtle in flavour that balanced the butteriness of the crust. The crust was crispy and under it laid the piping hot apple mixture.

Overall, Burdock and Co isn’t for everyone. It’s a bit pricey than other places in town, but if you consider the ingredients that goes into their items, you know it’s not processed or frozen. They care about the ingredients and have built strong relationships with local farmers. It’s best to share the dishes as they are a bit of a tapa style.

We Rate Burdock and Co:

Address:
2702 Main St.
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.burdockandco.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=2702+Main+St.+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=2702+Main+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5T+3E8&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Four Beakers

Nuba on Main: Munching on Lunch

April 4, 2013

Whats awesome about my new job is that I’m so close to some pretty yummy food. When I discovered Nuba is close by on 3rd and Main…I just had to have a taste of their food. I come here at least once a month since the closest places – Starbucks, McDonalds and Tim Hortons are not the best options for lunch.

Nuba offers up authentic Lebanese cuisine that is fresh and healthy. Trust me, its good stuff! I usually go for lunch for their plates.

Since it was anti-bullying day, they had a special beet juice on special. I’ve never had beets before and wow, did it ever taste like dirt. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but the taste profile of beets is very earthly like dirt. If you had beets, you will know what I’m talking about. It’s also quite healthy for you too.

Lamb Hushwie ($9) has sauteed lamb, onions, peppers, pine nuts and spices on top of hummus. There is avocado, pickled cabbage and a spicy sauce.

Sometimes they have specials and this one was a lamb of some sort. I should have written it down, but alas my memory does fail me.

Najib’s Special ($11.25) has crispy cauliflower tossed with lemon and sea salt, served with tahini. It also has hummus, olives, pickled cabbage, and salad. The crispy cauliflower is deep-fried and tastes sinfully delicious. It’s a very popular dish during the lunch hour. All the ingredients are fresh and it’s so addictive.

This was my first time going to this location and I have to say, the food was pretty consistent. It can get pretty busy during a weekday lunch.

We Rate Nuba on Main:

Address:
146 3rd Ave E
Vancouver, BC

Website:
nuba.ca

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=146+3rd+Ave+E+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=146+E+3rd+Ave,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5T+1C8&gl=ca&t=m&z=14″]

In Mount Pleasant/Main Street

Tangoo: General Public and Eight 1/2

March 9, 2013

Foodology Disclaimer: I was invited by Tangoo to check out their Tangoo Night on Main Street. The portions on the dishes or service may not be representative of what you would expect from a normal dining experience.

Tangoo Nights brings together Vancouverites that love food and mingling. You just chose the night that you like and then you are taken to a few venues around town. It’s hassle-free and you just sit back, relax and eat a lot. All you have to do is pay a flat fee and you get 3 courses and 2 drinks.

I went to one of the night on Main Street and we were taken to The General Public for appetizers, dinner and a drink. Then to end the night, we headed to Eight 1/2 for a late night drink.

The General Public is the sister restaurant of The Eatery in Kitsilano. If you are a UBC student, you must have been to that restaurant before. If you don’t want to travel so far, The General Public is a good option to go to.

They have innovative rolls and Japanese inspired items on the menu. It’s not the most amazing food, but you will definitely love the decor and ambiance.

When you walk into the front door, you will be stunned by a huge Frankenstein stuffed animal.

All the decor around the room will resonate in your mind if you grew up in the 80s or 90s. I got excited by this bust because its Darth Vader! I am a huge fan of Star Wars.

As a drink was included, I ordered a Caesar that came in a boot. The tequila I had inside was a Habanero tequila! It tasted so good and a tad spicy, but it worked so well together. Great way to start the night.

Sushi Pizza Bites was the first item that arrived. The texture of the crunchy base and the raw fish on top blended together quite nicely.

Bacon Striptease is the ultimate fat food. It’s essentially deep-fried bacon. As a woman, it just reminded me of how much I need to go to the gym the next day.

Volcano Roll is not what you would normally expect because the rolls here have a fusion twist. These aren’t spicy, the shape of how the rolls were oriented resembles a volcano.

Cucumber Wrap Roll has the cucumber instead of the seaweed and rice. I thought this was a very strange roll. Might as well just eat a salad.

The Fat Elvis aka the deep-fried avocados. I’m not sure why it’s called the Fat Elvis, but I even tried searching on the internet to find out, but I found nothing. This dish was good, but something about a heated avocado didn’t resonate well with my taste buds, I usually like them cold.

Tuna Sashimi was wrapped up like a rose. It also has some sauce and asparagus on the side.

Tuna Tempura was something I never would have thought of. It was a cool combination and the tuna was nice and delicate inside.

Main Roll is lightly battered and deep-fried. It was ok, but when it comes to the sushi rolls here, you can’t really compare to the authentic Japanese restaurants.

Salmon Tartare comes with some fried wontons. You just scoop some of the tartare onto it and munch away.

Tuna Tartare is shaped more like a pyramid, but nonetheless delicious. I think they mix the tuna with avocados to give it a much more creamier texture.

Prawn tempura was nothing special but tasted ok.

Bob Marley Roll has mango inside and topped with tuna.

This roll, which I have already forgotten its name has eel on the inside and is topped with salmon and a slice of lemon.

GP Roll as you can guess stands for General Public, just like the restaurant.

Seared Salmon Belly nigiri was a bit disappointing. The texture wasn’t as delicate and soft as it could have been.

After ALL that food arrived, we all basically wanted to unbutton our pants because they gave us so much food! In between all the food, we entertained ourselves with Jenga. It was a great game that really helped break the ice with all the attendees of Tangoo.

Deep Fried Mars Bar with Ice cream man, this was good! I usually hate Mars bars, but if you deep fry it and put some ice cream on, its like so delicious.

The food at the General Public isn’t the best, but they have a variety of items that will appeal to your taste buds. Don’t come here if you’re expecting authentic Japanese food, it’s all fusion here.

After General Public, we all headed over to Eight 1/2 for a drink before the night was over.

We had the option of a few different beverages, but I chose the white wine to end the evening. Trying to be classy when I’m so not. I enjoyed having one last drink at the end of the night since you can still socialize and have fun.

Overall, I really did enjoy my experience at Tangoo. The price you pay it totally worth it. I think it was about $50. You are stuffed silly and we all wondered when the food would stop coming (that’s so rare). I met some cool people, tried new restaurants and would consider going again.

Check out Tangoo: http://www.tangoo.ca/

In International

Eight and a Half Lounge: Dining Package Review

February 20, 2013

Eight and a Half is a lounge on Main and 8th. I came here a while ago for brunch, but haven’t been here for dinner yet.

Right now they are doing a dining package with Vaneats.ca, where you pay $15 for a flight of beer, an appetizer and a pizza. Not bad actually. I was browsing through the menu and you save about $10 or $15 dollars. I came here with M and Scarface to try the package and order a few items on the side.

The interior is loungey and has a large bar.

The flight of beer arrived featuring 2 types of Stanley Park Brewery’s beer.

The first 2, which are lighter in color is the Amber, which has a cleaner finish when you drink it. You don’t taste a lot of the hops either.

The other 2 darker beers is the Bruns. The flavour profile is supposed to contain distinctive dried fruit aromatics, complex chocolate, roasted nut and malt biscuit. I’m not a beer expert, but it paired nicely with the food.

Dungeness Crab Cakes is served with lemony yogurt, avocados, and arugula. This is a badass crab cake. Really good and there wasn’t a lot of filler that went into it. You could taste all the meat!

The other options for the package is the tortilla soup or the Baked Brie.

For our pizza, we chose the Wild Smoked Salmon thin crust pizza. It is topped with BC smoked salmon, creamy dill, capers, red onion, and craisins. Any bite that you get the smoked salmon is pretty awesome. We really didn’t like the crasins in this pizza because once its cooked in the oven, the crasins get very hard. For some reason, we were charged an extra dollar and a few cents for this choice. I’m not really sure why, but I’m not the type to argue.

When we finished the package, we were still hungry, so we ordered a few more items to complete the meal.

Steak Bites ($9.50) are gluten free, but I guess you can tell since there isn’t just meat and a salad. The steak bites were marinated in a chili rub and done to medium rare. It is accompanies by a creamy parmesan dip. The steak was very pepper and over spiced.

When we saw that the baked brie was part of the package, we knew we wanted it, but we could only choose one appetizer. So we ordered it separately.

Baked Brie ($8.50) is so amazing! It’s a filo wrapped brie with the sweetness of honey. When you cut into the brie, it just oozes out. Once you get it onto the bread, it’s just fantastic. We all loved this and you can’t say no to yummy cheese…unless your lactose intolerant.

Pacific Bacon Sliders ($12.50) contain mini beef patties, alder smoked bacon, pacific pepper cheddar, Dijon aioli, fresh corn salsa, tomatoes and pickles. Pretty good sliders.

Overall, the food was good, but not crazy amazing. By being able to use the use the dining package and ordering off the regular menu, I would definitely recommend getting the package because you save a good amount of money. Our regular items excluding the dining package items came to about $37 for 3 appetizers.

We Rate Eight and a Half Lounge:

Address:
151 E 8th Ave
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.eightandahalf.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=151+E+8th+Ave+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=151+E+8th+Ave,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5T+1R8&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Bakery

Terra Breads Cafe: Cookies, Sandwiches, and Hot Chocolate

February 7, 2013

Terra Breads Cafe is located in the Olympic Village. They have amazing artisan bread, pastries, sandwiches, and drinks. I recently started working near this area and it’s definitely one of our go-to places for lunch. It gets pretty packed during lunch, so it’ll be hard to find a table.

It’s super close to this stunning view of Downtown Vancouver! Too bad it was a cloudy day.

They have tons of pastries, you will find something that catches your eye.

Chocolate Espresso Cookie was very soft and had a nice subtle taste of espresso in the chocolate cookie. Definitely a nice treat for the mornings.

I got a portobello mushroom panini which also has goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, arugula, house-made chipotle mayonnaise and cracked black pepper. The mushrooms are sourced locally from Richmond too. It was a pretty good panini!

Stand Up and Stout is a hot chocolate infused with Cacao Barry Extra Brute Cocoa and R&B Brewing Dark Star Oatmeal Stout, served with house-made stout marshmallows and an oatmeal raisin cookie. It was really good! Who knew beer and hot chocolate would ever go together. This item is exclusively for the Hot Chocolate Festival.

Overall, pretty awesome cafe in the area. It is usually packed during peak hours, so not the best place to come with large groups. It’s nice place to just chill.

We Rate Terra Breads Cafe:

Address:
1605 Manitoba Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.terrabreads.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=1605+Manitoba+Street+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=1605+Manitoba+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5Y+0B5&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]