British Columbia Archives - Page 102 of 138

In Downtown

Japadog Restaurant: New Ume Japadog

December 13, 2012

The Japadog Restaurant on Robson and Seymour is always coming up with new flavours of Japadogs. Japadogs are Japanese-inspired Hot Dogs with unique toppings. Since it’s Winter now, I didn’t want to go to their carts to grab a quick lunch, so I went to the restaurant to be able to sit down inside to enjoy my meal.

Ume Japadog Combo ($9.63) with a Can of Coke and Shichimi & Garlic Fries.

The Shichimi & Garlic Fries tasted like a blend of salty and spicy. They taste really good when they are fresh, but when they start to cool down, it doesn’t have that delicious taste anymore.

Ume Japadog has pork bratwurst, onions, and a special plum jelly in a toasted bun. The pork bratwurst is bursting with flavour and is quite addictive. The pairing of the tangy plum jelly was unique and probably isn’t suited for everyone.

Overall, it’s a good option for lunch if you want something quick, easy, and under $10.

We Rate Japadog Restaurant:

Address:

530 Robson St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
www.japadog.com

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=530+Robson+St+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=530+Robson+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6B+2B7&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In British Columbia

Pizza Hut Canada: New Hot Dog Stuffed Crust

December 12, 2012

Pizza Hut Canada finally introduced the Hot Dog Stuffed Crust after a successful launch in the UK and US. When the Vancouver Social Media Awards committee got together for a whole day meeting, we decided to order some pizza. We were browsing a few sites and saw this new creation.

We are adventurous eaters, so we decided to order it. We were a bit skeptical at first about this, but we would soon realize how delicious it would really be.

A bunch of Angus beef hot dogs are placed inside Pizza Hut’s stuffed crust. In the past, the stuffed crusts would be filled with cheese. You can have the option of the pizza being stuffed in any medium or large-sized pizzas. Eating the stuffed crust was similar eating the ‘pig in a blanket’.

It comes with a few packs of ketchup so you can dip the crusts into.

There are Honey Mustard Dips too for the crusts.

Chicken Lover Pizza (Large) has grilled chicken breast, peppers, onions, mushroom, and mozzarella.

Meat Lover Pizza (Large) contains pepperoni, italian sausage, mild sausage, beef, ham, bacon, and mozzarella.

No matter which pizza you order with the hot dog crust, it shouldn’t matter too much since the toppings isn’t directly in the proximity of the crust.

Have you tried this yet?

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 Downtown

H-Mart Food Court: Wang Ga Ma, E-Mo Noodle, and Zac-Zac

December 10, 2012

Inside H-Mart Downtown are a bunch of smaller food vendors in their hidden food court. It’s on the second floor of H-Mart and easily spotted from the outside. Once you walk in, you can look at their menus, walk to the counter, pay and wait for your number to pop up on the computer screen to see when your order is ready.

Wang Ga Ma/ E-Mo Noodle

Tofu Soup is spicy and not for everyone. Inside the soup is a lot of tofu, an egg, beef and mussels. You also get a side of kimchi and rice. It’s good if you like spicy food. You can try to ask the staff to see if you can tone down the amount of spice.

Spicy Beef Broth is delicious! I chose rice instead of noodles for this dish. It’s a bit spicy, but good for those that like it hot. Similar to the Tofu soup, but without tofu and has noodles and bean sprouts.

Kimchi Fried Rice is delicious! You get a large plate of kimchi fried rice and a side of pickled radish.

For the price, it’s a good value! It was not spicy at all and the flavours were really nice!! You gotta try this for yourself! One of the best Kimchi Fried Rice I have ever had! On the downside, it is a bit oily.

Beef Broth is a bit bland, so you need to flavour it up with a bit more salt. It also has some kimchi and rice on the side. Don’t let the size of the bowl deceive you, it’s quite large.

Wang Ga Ma and E-Mo Noodle share the same kitchen and also a cashier. You order at one place and can order off both menus. Sometimes it can be a bit confusing for first-timers. Nonetheless, the prices are under $10 and you are guaranteed to get full.

Zac-Zac Japanse Curry House

Hidden at the back of the food court is Zac-Zac Japanese Curry. It’s not Korean food! They have cool varieties of Curry from Chicken, to beef, to tempura…to even natto beans. Natto beans are equivalent to how some people feed about Durian. It’s fermented beans and they are either loved or hated.

I chose the Chicken Curry and it was pretty basic. It just seemed like the curry base is the same for all the dishes and then the protein in the dish changes. I’ve never been to Japan, so I’m not sure how real authentic curry should taste like. Nonetheless, the curry was good and made for a quick lunch.

At the first level of H-Mart, there is a cafe and you can find juices, fruits and vegetables. It’s cheap! I’ve had a few of the drinks and they aren’t bad at all…just stir it up before drinking. For less than $1, it’s so much better than plain water.

I love going to H-Mart when I need a quick and cheap lunch.

We Rate Wang Ga Ma, E-Mo Noodle, and Zac-Zac:

Address:
590 Robson St Vancouver

Website:
http://www.hanahreum.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=590+Robson+St+Vancouver&hl=en&hnear=590+Robson+St,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver+Regional+District,+British+Columbia+V6B&t=m&z=16″]

In Coquitlam

Score Free Food on Your Birthday in Vancouver

December 9, 2012

On my birthday, I decided to try to get as much free food as possible without going crazy. I browsed through an e-book on how to get free stuff in Vancouver. There are tips on how to get other freebies in Canada too. It’s very thorough but some items are a bit outdated, so you need to double check if they still have those offers.

My first stop was Vera’s. If you are subscribed for their Vera’s Club membership, you get a $10 gift certificate on your birthday. I signed up a few hours before I left the house and I still got the discount.

I got the Canuck Burger that was just under $10. It is their classic bacon cheese burger. I got it to-go, but it got a bit soggy by the time I get home.

Present your registered Starbucks card and you get a free beverage of any size. I ordered a Venti Cappuccino.

At Denny’s you can just flash your ID and you get a FREE Grand Slam Breakfast. The Grand Slam is customizable, so I chose sausages, bacon, hash browns, and pancakes.

It’s not meant for to-go, but they were really nice and let me. I chose to-go because I didn’t want to eat alone. #FirstWorldProblems.

At the end of the day, my parents got me cake too. This wasn’t free, but it’s a cute cake from Anna’s Bakery.

I’d say it was a good day for free food. Might as well right?
What free food items did you get on your birthday?

In Izakaya

Sushimoto: Mouthwatering Aburi Sushi in Burnaby

December 8, 2012

Sushimoto is a Japanese restaurant located at Holdom Station in Burnaby. It is just steps away and is a hit in the neighbourhood. They have the usual good stuff you can find at a Japanese restaurant – sushi, sashimi, and rice bowls.

The interior isn’t too large, so it’s hard to fit large groups if it’s a busy night. There are bar seats and booth seating.

Complementary tea comes in cute cups.

Complementary Spring Rolls are a nice treat before the meal.

Mad For Garlic Gyoza was very disappointing, it sounded more exciting than it tasted. It just reminded me of the ones you would find at grocery stores…also they fell apart very easily.

Baked Salmon Kama was OK, but there were bones, so not great for little kids.

Korroke comes with 2 pieces of different varieties. One is filed with plain potato and corn, the other was like curry.

Ika Geso Karrage comes with a side of sweet chili dipping sauce. The squid was lightly coated and good.

Sockeye Salmon Sashimi comes with 9 pieces and was very vibrant and red. Fresh and delicious.

Tuna Tataki is awesome as usual! The tuna is lightly seasoned and seared. It is topped with garnish and ponzu sauce.

Prawn Tempura was crunchy on the outside and delicious. Don’t leave it too long or else it will go limp.

Toro Aburi and the Unagi Aburi was very very delicious! The toro just melts in your mouth. Both items are torched and topped with teriyaki sauce.

Negitoro Roll comes in 6 pieces. Delicious too.

Kapa Roll and Mango Roll.

Amusement Roll has cream cheese, cucumber, salmon, egg, crab meat, ikura, Mayo and unagi sauce. The roll was pretty average and the addition of the cream cheese made this interesting. Other restaurants usually have it in the Philadelphia roll. The cream cheese worked well!

Words of Wisdom:

Street Parking
Large variety in menu
Sashimi, Aburi Sushi = good!
Make reservations to avoid waits.

We rate Sushimoto:

Address:

2221 Holdom Ave S
Burnaby, BC

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=2221+Holdom+Ave+S+Burnaby,+BC&hl=en&hnear=2221+Holdom+Ave,+Burnaby,+British+Columbia+V5B+2Z9&t=m&z=16″]

In Downtown

Vancouver Christmas Market 2012: Mulled Wines, Brautwurst, and Schupfnoodle

December 2, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: I was invited to come have a tour of the Vancouver Christmas Market and write about my experience. No worries, I had KoreaGirl with me to keep it unbiased!

The Vancouver Christmas Market is back again for December! The market runs from November 24th to December 24th at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza. It is for all ages and showcases German culture through crafts, food, and entertainment.

Since it is outdoors, remember to put on a thick jacket and mittens! Especially kids! You will probably spend about an hour here if you stroll around and have a few bites to eat. Try to plan your day around the weather since it’s not fun coming here in the rain.

On the opening weekend, there were lots of people lined up.

There are over 55 vendors with authentic German products and some other booths that are quite random, but you can keep reading below to see what I mean.

German Gluhwein

At the German Gluhwein booths, you can indulge in alcoholic mulled wines. If you’re not the boozy kind of people, they also have apple cinder.

Here is the menu at the booth and corresponding prices.

Traditional Gluhwein ($6+$2 deposit) is the traditional beverage of the holidays in German-speaking countries. It is prepared with red wine and spices. The drink packs a punch! It’s quite alcoholic and not for everyone.

Apple Gluhwein ($6 +$2 deposit) is another version and is seasoned with apples. It also alcoholic tasting too.

Black Forest Delicatessen

Black Forest Delicatessen is the most popular booth at the Christmas Market! They are best known for their German Bratwurst and Bavarian Weisswurst. The sauerkraut makes it so good.

Their menu and prices.

All those sausages!

Schnecken Brautwurst ($7.92) is a grilled spiral brautwurst with sauerkraut on a bun. It’s really good! Anything with brautwurst is good.

Das Deutsche Nudel Haus

Das Deutsche Nudel Haus serves up German Schupfnudeln (rolled noodle), as a savory dish with sauerkraut and bacon, or sweet with sugar and cinnamon.

Here’s their menu and prices.

Schupfnoodle with Double Smoked Prosciutto and Sourkraut ($8.48) is definitely filling but would have used more seasoning and filling to give it a better flavour.

Besides food, there are lots of cool items to look at. From ornaments to crafts.

Lots of German-made items.

Cheese! The items they serve are so good too!

Even though there are a lot of German booths, there was also a handful of booths that were not representative of the German culture. For example the cultural hut was promoting the sales to a Chinese performance.

Hurricane Potatoes was here too selling their delectable treats. It is in no way German, so I was very surprised they were here. Since there is no Richmond Night Market in the Winter, come to the Christmas Market for these addictive potato twirls.

There was also Canadian Kettle Korn Extreme giving out samples of yummy kettle corn.

If you want a taste of Canadian Maple Syrup, there is the Sugar Shack to fill up on that sugary goodness.

There is usually a long line up for this area. If you are wondering what they have in here, its a variety of ornate German decorations from clocks to tree ornaments.

At the center of the market is a bandstand.

There are various performances throughout the day and people can listen to holiday music or other forms of entertainment.

There are fun rides on the carousel for kids too! Me and KoreanGirl had fun even though we are not kids anymore. The best part is fighting over the most beautiful horse.

Overall, I’ve been to the Vancouver Christmas Market for the past 3 years and I felt it was strange that the original idea of the market has been a bit diluted this year by letting other types of booths to be part of the market. This is not to say the other booths are bad or anything. This is a strength of the Canadian culture to be inclusive of all.

Have you been to the Vancouver Christmas Market yet?

Dates: November 24 to December 24
Time: 11:00am – 9:00pm
Location: Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza
Website: http://www.vancouverchristmasmarket.com/

Admission:
Adults (13+ years): $5 General Admission ; $2 Monday to Friday 11am -4pm
Youth (7 -12 years): $2
Child (0-6 years): Free

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=queen+elizabeth+theatre&ll=49.2806,-123.112535&spn=0.008105,0.018947&fb=1&gl=ca&hq=queen+elizabeth+theatre&hnear=queen+elizabeth+theatre&cid=0,0,9195566834853115994&t=m&z=16&iwloc=A”]

In Downtown

Prospect Point Cafe in Stanley Park: OceanWise Seafood

December 1, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: The manager invited myself and a guest to have a complementary meal to try their signature items.

Prospect Point in Stanley Park has the highest vantage point and attracts many tourists to the area to gaze their eyes upon the beautiful Lions Gate Bridge and the surrounding areas. You can even spot cruise ships passing by.

Prospect Point Cafe is located just right outside the viewing area. They are best known for their OceanWise seafood and ice cream. This place attracts a lot of locals and tourists in the Summer months since the weather is undeniably amazing. In the winter months, the cafe is still open for lunch and you just walk inside and you will find it.

Before going in, you can glance at the menu to see if the menu suits your cravings. The restaurant is straight ahead and a gift shop is on your left hand side.

If you don’t want to dine inside, you can go to the Picnic In The Park area to grab a quick bite.

There are lots of seats inside.

The best seats are near the windows where you get the view of the Lions Gate Bridge. Most of the people who were dining here sat in this area and stared out the window in awe of the beauty.

Calona Artist Series Pinot Grigio is a light wine that pairs nicely with the seafood.

Serious Seafood Chowder ($9.99) is a traditional chowder filled with lots of seafood. I was surprised since it was pretty hearty and thick.

Wild Salmon Sampler ($24.99) has salmon spread, dill, grilled, smoked & candied salmon. All of the salmon is OceanWise certified and tasted amazing. It’s a great item to share with the table and try the different ways that salmon can be prepared.

Calamari Chop Salad ($17.99) has greens, chopped veggies, crumbled blue cheese, maple balsamic dressing, cranberries, walnuts and the calamari. This dish uses OceanWise squid! I found the calamari didn’t go too well as a salad, so it might be better to order the calamari appetizer instead.

Salmon Fish and Chips ($21.99) has 2 pieces of OceanWise Salmon, fries, house made tartar, signature slaw & fresh lemon. The salmon was golden brown on the outside and delicious and moist on the inside. They rocked the salmon, but the fries and slaw fell a bit short.

Pistachio Ice Cream and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream were both delicious and packed full of ingredients.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream and Black Cherry Ice Cream were both yummy too!

The view from the inside of the restaurant is as close as you can get to the bridge from any restaurant in Vancouver.

If you want a better view of the bridge, you can go outside and take some pictures at Prospect Point.

The view is just beautiful and you can see West Vancouver and the Lions Gate Bridge.

Overall, the food on the menu can be a hit or a miss. I do admire the restaurant for using OceanWise seafood. The salmon is great here, but everything else is quite average. Be sure to grab some ice cream too.

We Rate Prospect Point Cafe:

Address:
5601 Stanley Park Dr
Vancouver, BC V6G

Website:
http://www.prospectpoint.ca./Prospect_Point/Restaurant.html

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=5601+Stanley+Park+Dr+Vancouver,+BC+V6G&hnear=5601+Stanley+Park+Dr,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver+Regional+District,+British+Columbia+V6G&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Coquitlam

Sushi K Kamizato: A Hidden Gem in Coquitlam

November 28, 2012

Sushi K Kamizato is run by Chef Keith and his wife Chika in Port Coquitlam.

It is Japanese owned and they serve awesome sushi and its very different from Sushi Town or California Sushi. The owners stay true to their roots and make sushi like how it can be found in Southern Japan. They use the best fish they can get their hands on and it really shines in their dishes. Chef Keith has made a name for himself and previously worked at ZEN in West Vancouver and also has catered to Gwen Stefani.

Salmon and Tuna Karaage comes complementary when you sit down. It’s really addictive and a great start to the meal.

Sake is a good accompaniment to the meal. I usually like light beer to go with Japanese food too.

Gomae is very different from what you would find at other restaurants. Their spinach is not frozen and is fresh. It is lightly dressed with sesame and you know you’re eating something good.

Agedashi Tofu was lightly fried on the outside and had a delicious clean taste. The order comes with 4 pieces.

Gyoza comes with 5 pieces and was alright. Nothing too special about this dish.

Tuna Tataki Salad has spinach, peppers, carrots, and the chunks of tuna tataki on the centre. It’s pretty good as well.

Grilled Aburi Saba comes with some sauteed cabbage on the side. The saba is very tender, flavourful and is always something that we order when we come here. Remember to squeeze a bit of lemon on it to add some acidity.

Chirashi Don was quite expensive, but it comes with a variety of their freshest ingredients. If you are a lover of raw ingredients, you should try this out. It also comes with miso soup.

Caterpillar Roll has crab meat and cucumber in the center with slice of avocado on top.

Chopped Scallop Roll comes with 8 pieces and has lots of large chunks of scallops. Very fresh and yet again delicious.

OceanWiser Roll is a must try when you come here. It has raw ebi, salmon belly and cucumbers on the inside. It is topped with more salmon and avocado. It has its own sauce, so you don’t need to dip it in soy sauce.

Spicy & Shout is a specialty roll made out of spicy salmon, cucumber in the center and it’s topped with crunchy bits on top.

Ika Nigiri isn’t my favorite item since it does have a strange texture for my taste buds. My sister likes this.

Chopped Scallop Nigiri is really good if you are a fan of chopped scallop!

Seared Toro nigiri was SO GOOD. Mouth watering good and you can’t help but to have more. It’s usually sold out if you don’t get there in time. You must order this!

Marinated Saba Nigiri is marinated in-house and is so fresh and flavourful.

Overall, I was impressed by their menu and how creative they are with their dishes. They aren’t trying to be like the other sushi restaurant around town. If you are looking for something different and creative, come to Sushi Kamizato!

If you want the best experience, sit by the bar and talk to Chef Keith! He has a great personality and goes out of is way to impress his guests.

Words of Wisdom:

Small restaurant
Decently priced, but some items can be a bit expensive
Fresh ingredients
Grilled Aburi Saba, Tuna Toro Nigiri, OceanWiser Roll, Tuna Tataki Salad, Agedashi Tofu, Salmon Sashimi, Tuna 4 ways, and Spicy & Shout Rolls is recommended!

We Rate Sushi Kamizato:

Address:
2850 Shaughnessy St, suite 2105

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

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=2850+Shaughnessy+St,+suite+2105&hnear=2850+Shaughnessy+St+%232105,+Port+Coquitlam,+British+Columbia+V3C+6K5&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Downtown

Meat & Bread: New Location in Downtown Vancouver

November 27, 2012

Meat & Bread opened a second location in Downtown Vancouver near Burrard Skytrain earlier this year. It’s definitely needed since it gives people in the Downtown core a taste of their yummy sandwiches. I came with a few friends to check it out. Plus, I needed a porchetta fix. It is only open during the weekdays during the lunch hour.

The menu is similar to the Gastown location, but with a few changes.

The Porchetta is still the most popular sandwich and you can’t say no to it when it’s prepared right in front of your eyes.

There are cute little boxes that the sandwich is housed inside.

It’s very cute, but its a bit difficult picking it up without dropping some ingredients. I just ripped one side of the box to slide the sandwich out easily.

The porchetta sandwich ($8) is a must order item! The succulent pork, crispy crackling, salsa verde in the soft bun is just so addictive!

Overall, Meat & Bread is great for a quick lunch if you don’t have a lot of time for lunch. It is easy to take it to-go or to eat-in.

We Rate Meat & Bread:

Address:
1033 West Pender St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://meatandbread.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=1033+West+Pender+St+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=1033+W+Pender+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6E+2M6&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Filipino

Max’s Restaurant: Filipino Food on Kingsway

November 24, 2012

Max’s Restaurant is a Filipino chain restaurant that has recently opened on Kingsway. M, Scarface and I were curious about the food, so we decided to check it out. There are a ton of seats inside, so its great for large families. Private rooms are also available for birthdays or large gatherings. When we went at night, there were tons of families here. There was a wait for a table, which I was surprised.

Calamansi juice was really good and tasted fresh. Much better than the canned one from stores.

Tapsilog Breakfast comes with garlic rice, 2 eggs, pickled peppers and the meat. Breakfast is served all day and is one of the cheaper items on the menu. It’s simple but its way cheaper than the other items on the menu.

Milk Fish was a good item and you must dip it in the vinegar sauce. M and Scarface enjoyed it.

Lechon Kawali is deep-fried pork belly served with atchara and lechon sauce. Its meant for 2 -3 people since it is quite fatty. The quality of this wasn’t very good at Max’s Restaurant, I’ve had better at other restaurants.

Pork Binagoongan are pork cubes sauteed in a rich, mildly sweet and salty shrimp paste sauce. There is also a bed of fried eggplant. It is garnished with tomatoes and chopped spring onion. It’s not a dish for everyone, but I thought it was good.

Garlic Rice is a must order item if you are ordering meaty dishes.

Buko Pandan is made of buko strips, green gulaman and cooked tapioca. It is then flavored with sugar & pandan. M got this and he loved it.

Overall, Max’s Restaurant is a good place if you have a large group of friends or family. In terms of quality, it really isn’t that good compared to Kulinarya. I would just come for the breakfast items, but if you want quality meat dishes, you can find that elsewhere. It’s not worth the price for what you pay here

We Rate Max’s Restaurant:

Address:
3546 Kingsway
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.maxschicken.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=3546+Kingsway+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=3546+Kingsway,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver+Regional+District,+British+Columbia+V5R+5L7&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 Coquitlam

Denny’s Canada: New ‘The Hobbit’ Menu Items

November 18, 2012

To celebrate the release of The Hobbit on December 14th, Dennys and Warner Brothers teamed up to create this amazing new menu. All of the items in the menu makes a reference to characters or items in the movie.

M, Scarface, and I came for some late dinner and we were super delighted that we saw their special menu. If you’re a big fan of the Lord of the Ring Franchise, you’ll go crazy over these cool items on this menu.

Gandalf’s Gobble Melt has sliced turkey breast, savoury stuffing,melted Swiss cheese in a grilled potato bread with a cranberry honey mustard spread. It also came with a side of gravy and seasoned fries.

It was like a turkey dinner in a sandwich! The turkey was a tad dry, but dipping the whole sandwich is gravy made up for the dry meal. Holding the sandwich was quite oily, so make sure you have some napkins.

Shire Sausage Skillet comes on a super hot sizzling skillet. The skillet has a long sausage, red-skinned potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, fire-roasted peppers, onions, cheddar cheese, and your choice of 2 eggs. M ordered his eggs poached, so it came on a separate dish. It’s a very hearty meal, which isn’t the most healthy item to order, but it will fill you up.

Frodo’s Pot Roast Skillet has slow-cooked pot roast, herb-roasted carrots, celery, mushrooms,onions,broccoli, seasoned red-skinned potatoes with cheddar cheese and a side of toasted bread. It’s another hearty meal, but Scarface did enjoy the pot roast meat.

With every entrée you order off the special menu, you get a pack of trading cards. There are 12 cards that you can collect.

Inside the pack of cards are 2 cards and a coupon for your next meal. It was super cool since I haven’t opened a pack of trading cards in over 10 years. The last pack of cards I’ve opened were Pokemon cards.

The coupons are not bad deals at all if you are a regular customer. We were not able to use it during this visit since we were only about to use it for future visits.

Overall, the food was cool, but as usual, it’s not the most healthiest item to consume…but we all love to indulge a little!

Have you tried the new Hobbit menu in Denny’s Canada yet?

We rate Dennys Canada:

Address:

500 Austin Ave
Coquitlam, BC

Website:
http://www.dennys.ca/west/index.php

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=500+Austin+Ave+Coquitlam,+BC&hnear=500+Austin+Ave,+Coquitlam,+British+Columbia+V3K+3M7&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Four Beakers

Kingyo: ‘Simply Kingyo’ Dining Package Review

November 17, 2012

Kingyo is a Japanese Izakaya restaurant that is located on Denman Street. It’s a great place to chill at night over some drinks and dishes. The environment is lively and they have a variety of different of dishes.

Vaneats is offering a 4 course dining package for $22 that includes the following:

Tomato Kimchi Tofu Salad
Tuna Tataki
Stone Grilled Kobe Beef
Clam Ramen

Tomato Kimchi Tofu Salad has kimchi marinated tomatoes, greens, tofu, ginger and a sesame soy dressing. The salad was very refreshing and was a good start of the meal.

Tuna Tataki is a lightly seared tuna with ponzu & ponzu jelly. The size is half the size of a regular order, so it has only 3 pieces. The taste was good as usual and the ponzu jelly and the garlic chips really make it awesome.

Stone Grilled Kobe Beef comes with super hot stone grilled marinated kobe beef with 2 sauces. The size is also half the original size too. It’s a fun interactive dish, so you can watch your beef sizzle until you feel its ready to eat.

Clam Ramen has ramen noodles in a soy based clam soup with shrimp oil, garlic onion oil & fish powder. You have 4 pieces of clams which was pretty good and the broth had a very nice fragrant flavour.

With this package, I felt that most of the dishes were very small, so it will be hard to completely satisfy 2 people. You probably need to order more dishes on the side to be full. I didn’t feel like this package was as good of the value as their last package.

Words of Wisdom:

Make reservations on the busy nights
Have lunch and dinner
Good variety of items on the menu
Good place to bring a date

We Rate Kingyo Japanese Izakaya:

Address:
871 Denman St
Vancouver, BC V6G

Website:
http://www.kingyo-izakaya.ca

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=871+Denman+St+Vancouver,+BC+V6G&hnear=871+Denman+St,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver+Regional+District,+British+Columbia+V6G+2L8&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In New Westminster

Burger Heaven: Burgers in New Westminster

November 16, 2012

Burger Heaven in New Westminster has monsterous burgers! They even have a sign inside that says “Best Burgers in Town”. M and I come here once in a while when we feel super hungry…and when we want to pick up video games nearby.

The interior is alright. It’s nothing fancy since it’s all about the food. It gets pretty packed during peak hours, so do try to come early to secure a spot.

Teriyaki Mozzarella & Bacon Burger ($12.39) I ordered a salad on the side to offset all that fatty goodness.

It was a really good burger and all the ingredients are spot on. The burger was huge!

BBQ Cheddar & Bacon Burger ($12.39) is their top seller and most delicious burger.

M loved the simplicity of the burger and the taste of the bacon and the patty shine through.

The onion rings were OK. The batter is really thick and did take away from the taste of the onion.

Overall, the burgers are pretty good. I wouldn’t say they are the best burgers, but hits the spot when you are craving one. They have lots of options, so you can always get what you want.

We Rate Burger Heaven:

Words of Wisdom:

Burgers are around $15
Top item is the BBQ Cheddar and Bacon Burger
Pay parking in front

We Rate Burger Heaven:

Address:
77 10th St
New Westminster, BC

Website:
http://www.burgerheaven.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=77+10th+St+New+Westminster,+BC&hnear=77+Tenth+St,+New+Westminster,+British+Columbia+V3M+1C4&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 Downtown

Mogu Japanese Street Eats: Japanese Inspired Sandwiches

November 13, 2012

Mogu Japanese Street Eat is one of the new food trucks that debuted in Vancouver. They are on the corner of Howe and Dunamuir and sells Japanese inspired burgers.

I came with @smoovegroove to grab lunch and see how their sandwiches were.

They feature 3 different sandwiches with an option to order chicken karaage or drinks.

I ordered the Sandwich combo ($12) that comes with your choice of sandwich, a mini sweet and spicy chicken karaage and choice of drink.

The green tea was non-sweetened and straight up green tea. I loved it.

Mini Sweet and Spicy Chicken Karaage (唐揚げ甘辛ソースがけ) is marinated deep-fried chicken in a house made sweet chili sauce. It was so good! The chicken was so moist that the juice squirted out when I bit into it. Really good!!

Pork Miso Katsu Sandwich (味噌カツサンド) has breaded deep-fried pork cutlet, red miso sauce, and Asian hot mustard coleslaw on a soft bun. The katsu was very large, so it sticks out of the bun. I wasn’t a fan of the miso cause since it was a bit salty and sweet. The katsu was also dry.

Overall, the green tea and the chicken karaage was awesome but the sandwiches would use a little bit of work. I will definitely come back for some more karaage!

We Rate Mogu Japanese Street Eats:

Location:
610 Howe street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.eatmogu.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=610+Howe+street+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=610+Howe+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6Z+2H7&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]