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Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out their “Kaboom in a Box” dining package and write a review about it. I got a complementary dining package for myself and I brought along MeatLover to keep the review as unbiased as I could.


The Kaboom Box is a food cart near Granville and Robson street that sells amazing items with Oceanwise certified seafood. They try to be very sustainable and only use biodegradable and compostable packaging. I eat here once in a while and I always get the Oyster Po Boy. It steals my heart every single time.

The guys at VANEATS.ca is selling a dining package called ‘Kaboom in a Box’ where you get a sandwich, poutine and a drink for $8.50. You can choose one of two sandwiches – The World Famous Hot Smoked Salmon ‘Salmwich’ or The Gulf Island Fried Oyster Po’Boy.

Lines can be seen at lunch time, but food does come out quickly.

Since the cart is quite small, you can see everything they are doing. It’s kinda cool seeing them in action!

The Gulf Island Fried Oyster Po’Boy has fried panko breaded oysters with tartar sauce and coleslaw in a toasted bun. The oyster are delicious for all those seafood lovers out there. I find that with this sandwich, it can get quite messy as the coleslaw tends to fall out. Nonetheless, its fun to eat and the flavours of the oysters really shine through.

The World Famous Hot Smoked Salmon ‘Salmwich’ has locally sourced Oceanwise salmon that is smoked . It also has spicy mayo and a maple mustard slaw in a toasted whole wheat bun. My coworker ordered this and she said it was a bit dry on the edges, but it was moist and tender on the inside. She also said the toasted bun was a bit tough and dense. It definitely can make you full fast.

BC Poutine has crispy fries topped with a mushroom gravy and cheese curds. This was so delicious because I just love anything with mushrooms. It had a great savory taste and was a good addition to the meal.

For $8.50, the portions are quite good. you will definitely be full. It’s cheaper than some of the other options for lunch Downtown. You will definitely get full! If you haven’t tried Kaboom Box, I think it’s time you tried it. Grab your dining passes at VANEATS.ca before they run out.

Words of Wisdom:

  • BC Poutine is super good!
  • Sandwiches can be a bit messy to eat, so grab napkins
  • Great Lunch option to avoid sitting at restaurants
  • Close to Granville Skytrain Station

We Rate the Kaboom Box:

Located on:
Granville and Robson

Website:
http://www.thekaboombox.com/
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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/

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ShuRaku Sake Bar and Bistro is on Granville street and Robson near the “clubbing district” in Downtown Vancouver. They serve Japanese Tapas and are open for lunch and dinner.

During lunch, they have a special lunch menu with a good array of items available. A few coworkers and I decided to head down and grab some lunch from here. It was the closest Izakaya-like place to our office, so we headed here.

It gets a bit busy during lunch, but you should be able to find a spot. They also have a small patio out in front as well.

Katsu Don ($8.25) has Pork cutlet and onions are cooked with egg and sweet soy sauce and placed on top of rice. Topped with green onions. HipsterGirl got quite full from this, but did enjoy it.

Lunch Box B ($10.95) has BBQ Beef Rib, Assorted Tempura, Green Salad, Rice & Miso Soup. The beef ribs were really tender and flavourful. Since there was so much rice, I took some of the beef rib sauce and put it onto the rice. It makes it more enjoyable. The tempura was crisp of the outside and the item inside was nicely cooked.

Lunch Box C ($9.95) has chicken Teriyaki, assorted Tempura, Green Salad, Rice & Miso Soup. MeatLover thought it was a well put together bento box.

Miso Soup comes with the 2 bento boxes. It is good and full of thinly slices green onions.

Overall, good lunch sets, but the wait took a long time! We spent a majority of our lunch hour waiting for the food to arrive. When it did arrive, we didn’t have much long to eat. If you do not have a long lunch break, don’t come here as you will be late.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Great atmosphere
  • Lunch sets
  • Lots of variety of alcohol
  • Closest Skytrain: Granville

We Rate ShuRaku Sake Bar and Bistro:

Address:
833 Granville St
Vancouver, BC
Website:
www.shuraku.net
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Bao Chau Vietnamese is located on Hastings near Playland, they sell the usual dishes like pho, rice and vermicelli noodle dishes. They are best known for their cheap prices and good eats. Simple Vietnamese food.

After my last final exam at SFU, TaiwaneseGirl and BusanGirl decided to head here to grab some food. After a 3 hour exam full of stress, food is needed to make life happier again.

Spring rolls, tiger prawn and grilled pork hash on rice vermicelli was delicious but the tiger prawn was very strange tasting. It was like a beef meatball with a small shrimp inside. Not my favorite item, but the spring roll and the pork hash was yummy.

House Special Beef Noodle (Small- $6.50) was loaded with a variety of beef and the garnishes looked fresh. BusanGirl really enjoyed it because it was cheap and filled her up.

Rice Vermicelli with BBQ Pork Chop and Spring Roll comes with a side of fish sauce to flavour the noodles. We like how there are lots of toppings to the noodles, so the ratio is perfect.

Overall, the food is good for the price, but it won’t be the most sexy looking restaurant out there. It’s quite popular because of their food, so if you can stand some really outdated decor, you’ll be alright!

Words of Wisdom:

  • Free parking in rear
  • Cash Only
  • Under $10
  • Any of the pho with rare beef tastes pretty good

We Rate Bao Chau Vietnamese:

Address:
2717 E Hastings St
Vancouver, BC
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Guu Garlic is one of my favorite Guu locations as they serve tapas with a theme of garlic. Since there are so many Guus in Vancouver now, there are only 2 that I adore going to … Guu Garden and Guu Garlic. The menus are slightly similar, but it’s about the atmosphere and company that makes dining at Guu great. It’s a very noisy place since the servers are always shouting out order across the room.

The new executives of the Social Media Network at SFU decided to head out here for night of eating! Getting enough space for about 10 people is quite hard especially during the weekend at dinnertime. We waited for about an hour and twenty minutes for seats. Since we were determined to have Guu, we waited patiently. Gmoney and I shared a few dishes.

Glass of Sapporo ($5) is needed especially on a weekend. It’s a light beer and one of my favorites.

Beef Carpaccio has ponzu sauce, mayo and pea shoots on top. The cuts of beef were thin and tender. Anything with ponzu sauce is delicious!

Tuna Tataki ($6.80) has several pieces of thin seared tuna with onions, green onions, garlic chips and a container on ponzu sauce. This was also delicious! Plus, the garlic chips are awesome! I’m a sucker for raw fish.

Chicken Karaage ($5.40) comes with a lemon and a side of mayo. The picture above is 2 orders rather than one. It was crispy on the outside and very juicy on the inside.

Yaki Udon ($7.80) has pan-fried udon with beef, mushroom, green onion, soy sauce and butter. Its delicious as usual.

Scallop and Cheese Pizza was ordered by M and he said it was good. It’s small in size, but there is at least a small scallop on each slice.

Overall, we all had a great time! The dishes are fairly consistent each time I come here and I’m usually not disappointed, but Japanese izakaya is my favorite type of food. I could eat it over and over and over again.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Hard to find parking
  • All tapas below $10 and well priced
  • Great place to casually eat and drink

We Rate Guu with Garlic:

Address:

1698 Robson St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
www.guu-izakaya.com
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Joyeaux Cafe is a very popular Vietnamese Restaurant in Downtown. They are always busy for lunch and most people make a reservation to ensure they get a spot to sit. Their portions are large and their prices are cheap, so it attracts a lot of people during the lunch hour rush.

My coworkers and I had a busy day, so we decided to have lunch at 10:30am and this place was empty. No surprise at all since no one has lunch that early. As we walked inside, the waitress greeted us and gave us menus. I was very surprised since this never happens during the lunch time rush. The waitress even spent time explaining a few dishes on the menu and made a few recommendations.

Avocado Shake ($3.99) was something I wanted to try for a long time at this place. It is a bit expensive, but it was really good. Very smooth with the subtle taste of the avocado. It seems like a strange combination, but I love it.

Vietnamese Sub with Grilled Pork ($4.99) had a lot of filling inside. The bun was hallowed out and filled in with the vegetables and meat. Everything stays nice and neat inside the bread, so no spillage occurs. You even get 2 pieces of fruit.

Overall, super impressed by the service before the lunch time rush. It starts to get busy at noon, so if you don’t have reservations, aim to arrive at 11:30am.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Large amount of menu items
  • Noodle soup is most popular ordered item
  • Good quality Viet Sub/Banh Mi
  • Under $10
  • Should make reservations if you want to get a seat right away

 

We Rate Joyeaux Cafe & Restaurant:
Address:
551 Howe St
Vancouver, BC
Website:
http://www.joyeaux-cafe-restaurant.com/
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Mahony & Sons is a pub outside the Vancouver Convention Center. They have a wide variety of beers and cocktails, plus they sell some pretty delicious lunch! The interior is very large and can host small to large groups. Since its right by the Burrard Inlet, you get a good view of the water and mountains. It’s a great spot to dine especially in the Summer.

JojoCake and I came here during FanExpo to grab some lunch. It was a really nice day, so we decided to sit outside in the patio. There were lots of people sitting outside basking in the sun.

Truffled Mushroom and Fontina Burger ($14.95) has butcher-style beef burger with truffled crimini, portobello mushrooms and fontina cheese. It comes with a choice of salad or fries on the side. The burger was quite large and Jojocake had a hard time eating it, so she had to resort to using a knife and fork.

Fresh Roasted Mahi Mahi Tacos ($15.95) has chipotle mayo, guacamle, pico de gallo salsa, and cilantro. I got the salad on the side. These are more like cones and they were quite massive. You’ll definitely get full from this item as well! The fish seemed like it was a bit over cooked, so it made the texture a bit tough.

Overall, the menu was good. I went here for a lunch before with a coworker and haven’t been disappointed yet… except for the tacos. At first the price can seem a bit expensive for lunch, but the portions are large enough to be stuffed.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Great view
  • Large selection of drinks
  • Large venue, good for group gatherings
  • Close to Waterfront Skytrain

We Rate Mahony & Sons:
Address:
1055 Canada Place, Unit #36
Vancouver, BC
Address:
http://www.mahonyandsons.com/

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Siddhartha’s Indian Kitchen is a new restaurant that opened up on commercial drive and specializes in healthy, sustainable, and delicious Indian food. Chef Siddharth Choudhary took over the former restaurant – Corner Tandoori in 2011 and reopened in early 2012. They commit to traditional gluten-free vegetarian preparations, vegan options and certified sustainable ingredients. When you taste their food, you will definitely be able to taste the difference!

I came down here with LinLin and LoiLoi to check out Siddhartha’s Indian Kitchen.

The interior is quite nice and the paintings are just breath-taking. I absolutely adore the amazing all the images on the interior and exterior. I came here at 6pm and the place slowly filled up as the night went on. I even bumped into 604Foodtography!

Housemade Chai Tea was ordered by LoiLoi. It reminded us of an Indian version of HK-Style Milk Tea. Of course it’s not the same, but same concept of mixing the sugar and milk into the tea. It was quite aromatic with subtle tastes of spices.

Mango Lassi is a mango and yogurt based drink. The drink was creamy and had a delicious mango taste, which I absolutely love. It is also topped off with a mango puree swirl on the top. The only thing that could be improved is the temperature, I would have liked it to be a bit colder. LoiLoi agreed too.

Lamb Shank comes with a large slow cooked piece of lamb. It is very tender and is cooked in the curry. It was highly recommended by the owner, so we decided to get it.

The accompanying sauce is as delicious as the meat. It was not very oily, which is nice because Indian food tends to be quite oily. Clearly their cooking techniques and ingredients shine through. It also comes with a choice of rice or naan.

We decided to choose the rice to go with the lamb shank since it works well with the sauce.

Saag Paneer is made with cheese and curried spinach. It wasn’t like the usual curries as it was more dense and thick. It is vegetarian and it very very delicious. It was our favorite dish of the night! You can tell they used a lot of spinach in the dish. Highly recommended! It also comes with rice or naan.

Garlic Naan is fresh tandoori baked naan with roasted garlic & butter on top. It was actually a perfect item to accompany the naan because you could slather a bunch of saag paneer and eat it. We did notice that the naan was a bit unevenly cooked, so one of our pieces were more burnt than the rest.

Overall, we did enjoy our main dishes and I just love the fact where its healthier and you can actually taste it…and it tastes better. Siddhartha’s Indian Kitchen is a great addition to Commercial Drive and their Saag Paneer is out of this world! The guys at VANEATS.ca have a dining package right now for $16 that showcases their other dishes.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Veggie Pakora, Saag Paneer, and Lamb Shank is recommended!
  • Metered street parking
  • Close to Commercial Skytrain
  • Decent Prices

We Rate Siddartha’s Indian Kitchen:

Address:
2066 Commercial Dr.
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.siddharthaskitchen.com/

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King Mahal Restaurant is an Indian restaurant on Hastings Street in North Burnaby serving authentic Northern Indian cuisine.

The Heights Merchant Association is holding this 3-day event (April 24 – April 26, 2012) called “Crave” to showcase some of the restaurants in North Burnaby. Since I live in North Burnaby, I thought I would check out some places I would not normally go dine at. I have to admit, a few of these restaurants do not look very pretty on the outside, but $15 for a 3 course meal is a good price. Never judge a book by its cover!

The interior isn’t pretty at all. Fake flowers are quite tacky.

M and I got one of each appetizer. We were quite surprised that so much came.

Vegetable Pakora has fresh vegetables, potatoes, cauliflower, onions and spinach mixed with spices and graham flour, then deep-fried. I loved the pakora! It was crispy on the outside and had a fragrant taste on the inside.

Vegetable Samosa are crisp patties stuffed with potatoes, peas and dash of Indian spices, then its deep fried. I wasn’t very impressed by it since it was a bit flat and not as plump as some other places in town.

Butter Chicken has boneless chicken marinated in ginger, garlic, yogurt, vinegar and spices, made with fresh tomato sauce,
butter and cream. They give you the option of amount of spice – mild, medium or hot. M decided to get hot since he loves the extra kick in flavour and heat. It was little too spicy for my taste, but he loved it so much that it’s his new favorite butter chicken.

Rogan Josh Lamb is a specialty of Kesh, chunks of meat cooked in traditional spices with saffron. We got this very spicy as well. The flavours were good, but I still prefer the butter chicken.

With each entree, you get the choice between rice or naan. We just got both since we had 2 entrees.

Naan was a little bit thick, but still remained quite crispy, which I liked.

Rice Pudding (Kheer) is made with special rice and milk. It was good especially after eating the curry, it neutralizes the strong tastes.

Gulab Jamun is made with dry milk and cottage cheese balls, deep fried and dipped in sugar syrup. It was a bit too sweet for me since the sugar syrup did seep all the way into the ball.

At the end of the meal, you receive some Candied Fennel Seeds and toothpicks. In a way, you can say the fennel seeds are like mints that taste like licorice.

Overall, the food is pretty good, but the decor and exterior of the restaurant are just horrendous. If you love good affordable food and not care much about aesthetics, you should go here. In total, everything can out to be $35 after tax for M and I. We still packed half our meal to go too.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Very Affordable
  • Ability to choose level of spice
  • Daily Groupon Now deals ($19 and you get an appetizer and 2 entrees.)
  • Delivery/Pick Up Services

We Rate King Mahal Restaurant

Address:
4051 Hastings Street
Burnaby, BC
Website:
www.kingmahalrestaurant.ca

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Foodology Disclaimer: I was invited to their media event to try out their food and hear more about the restaurant. I tried not to be biased and focused more on the taste of the food. All items are the same size as what you would normally receive.  


Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria is a fast casual restaurant serving Neopolitan pizza. The have several locations in Alberta. They just opened their first location in BC on Commercial drive. They try to use similar ingredients as they would in Naples….except the difference is that they use a gas oven instead of a wooden oven.

Ange (FoodPunk), Sean (SeansAdventuresInFlavourTown), Tess, and I sat together at a table and decided to share a variety of items. We ate too much for our own good.

The kitchen is very open, so you can see the staff at work. There are tons of seats, so good for groups.

At first it is a bit confusing to figure out how to order. At your table, you will have a note pad and a pencil. You just write down your order, go up to the counter and complete your transaction.

It’s a little bit strange, but I guess that’s what makes it a “fast casual” restaurant. You can easily order to go or take your time eating at the restaurant.

Italian Spritz ($6.50) has prosecco, aperol with a splash of soda water. I liked it because it had a bold citrus taste.

Sangria ($9.50) is a fruit-based Italian wine punch with Grand Marnier and orange Italian soda. It tasted ok.

Prosciutto Wrapped Mozarella Balls (6 for $18) has fresh mozzarella wrapped with prosciutto in tomato sauce, fresh basil, and pecorino romano. I naturally liked it because it has meat and cheese. What was odd about the dish was the sauce was a bit cold.

It also comes with flatbread. It’s great just dunking this into the tomato sauce.

Famoso Salad ($13.50) has romaine lettuce, prosciutto crisps, carrots, cherry tomatoes, spicy sopressata, fire-roasted chicken, feta, and dijon-balsamic vinaigrette. It was a large salad and I liked it because it had a little bit of everything.

Funghi Tartufo ($14.50) has roasted white mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, white truffle oil, reggiano parmesan. This was my favorite pizza because I just love mushrooms and truffle oil. The people at my table had varying opinions on this pizza. It all comes down to personal tastes and what makes you drool.

The thing I didn’t like about the pizza was how super thin the pizza was in the center. With the toppings, it made the center a bit soggy and floppy.

Margherita Pizza ($11) has fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, pecorino romano, and extra virgin olive oil. Very simple, but packs a lot of amazing flavour from the tomatoes.

Prosciutto Arugula ($14.50) has prosciutto, arugula, and pecorino romano. I wasn’t a big fan of this pizza since there could have been a bit more arugula and the toppings didn’t stick too well to the pizza. The prosciutto was good by itself, but I didn’t like the overall item.

San Andreas ($14.50) is a California style pizza. It has Bianca sauce, fresh mozzarella, and chili-lime marinated roasted chicken. Then its topped with fresh avocado slices, diced roma tomatoes, diced onion, cilantro, and drizzled with light cream. It was definitely a busy pizza with lots of different ingredients. It kinda reminded me of a taco.

Affogato ($5) has a shot of espresso on top of a scoop of gelato. You can choose any of their gelato flavours but i stuck with vanilla since it just seemed right to pair it with espresso. I would have preferred the two items separately until it arrives to the table because my gelato melted quite quickly.

Dolce and Banana ($7) has oven-roasted bananas coated in caramelized brown sugar, crushed pecans, caramel sauce, vanilla bean gelato. I am not a fan of caramel because it sticks to your teeth, but if you love caramel and bananas, then you should get this. It’s a good dessert to share with other since it’s easily splitable.

Nutella Pizza ($8) is smothered in Nutella, folded into a calzone, then cut into strips. It’s a great sharable item as well. Since the crust is quite thin, you should be able to finish this with no issues. In our case, we couldn’t finish it because we ate SO much.

Tiramisu ($6) is imported from Milan, Italy. It has mascarpone cream on a sponge cake base, drenched with espresso, topped with mascarpone and dusted with cocoa. It was pretty standard and nothing too special about it.

Pineapple Panna Cotta ($4.50) is a sweet Italian custard made with pineapple and served with crushed pineapple and coconut shavings. It is one of their lighter desserts and I enjoyed it because it was a refreshing end to the meal. The pineapple in the custard didn’t stand out, but when you scoop up some of the custard with pineapples, it makes a good combination.

Overall, they have a large selection of items on their menu, but some items are a hit and miss. If you choose items that have your favorite items in there, you should have no problems at all. With so many pizza restaurants popping up in Vancouver, the competition is heating up!

Words of Wisdom:

  • Recommended items – margarita pizza, nutella pizza
  • Items are a hit and miss
  • Some free parking in residential area
  • Must order items at the counter

We Rate Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria:

Address:
1380 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC
Website: http://www.famoso.ca/locations/bc_commercial_drive.php

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Pacific Buffet is on the BC Ferries during the sailings between Vancouver and Victoria. Instead of being bored on the ferry, you can stuff your face for 1.5 hrs and have a great view of the ocean. They have breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet at specified times.

My coworkers and I were getting quite hungry coming back from a work meeting in Victoria, so we all indulged in the dinner buffet for $22. For that price, you get access, to the salad bar, chocolate dessert bar, unlimited drinks, and lots of hot and cold dishes.

There are tons of seats around the restaurant. They are much more comfortable than the usual chairs in the seating area.

You can start off with some bread and move down the line to make a salad.

If you aren’t into the usual lettuce leaves, they have spinach and mixed greens. Theres also tons of items that you can add to your salad.

They usually have 2 types of soups available. They can vary, but when I went here, they had clam chowder and a creamed corn basil soup.

Jasmine Rice, vegetables, spring rolls and garlic mashed potatoes!

They have a good amount of main items. I didn’t capture it all on my camera, but here’s a list of what there was:

  • Chicken Parmesan with Tomato Caper Marinara Sauce
  • Demi Glaze 5 Spice BBQ Pork Ribs
  • Braised Beef Ravioli with Gorgonzola Fig Cream
  • Baron of Beef with Gravy
  • Prawns with Café de Paris Butter
  • Filet of Salmon with Shitake Dijon or Lemon Dill Sauce

Their chocolate dessert bar has lots of cakes. It’s hard to choose from them all, so what we did was ask some of the staff what was the best cake. They usually know whats best.

There’s also fruit and cheese.

I started off with some soup and salad. I used the larger butter prawns for my salad rather than the small salad shrimp. I’m probably using the wrong terminology to explain this, but I’m sure you know what I mean.

For the main, I just grabbed all of the items to try. I later went back to grab more beef!

At this point, I wasn’t so keen on trying a bunch of desserts and wasting them. I grabbed what my coworker suggested, got a few other little things and fruit.

Overall, the buffet was decent like most buffet food. As all the food is made in large batches, you can’t expect it to be amazing. There is a good variety and I wasn’t disappointed.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Arrive there at the start of boarding to have optimal eating time
  • Good selection of items
  • May get a good view of some whales swimming
  • Free wifi

We Rate Pacific Buffet:
Address:
19-1 Ferry Causeway
Delta, BC
Website:
http://www.bcferries.com/onboard-experiences/amenities/pacificbuffet.html

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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/

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A year ago, I purchased a Dealfind coupon for Afternoon Tea for 2 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver for $38. It seemed like a good deal, but I forgot to redeem it. Apparently, they extended the deadline until the end of April, so I just had to make a reservation and go before I forget again.

I had quite a hard time making a reservation since every time I call, I get the answering machine and who ever calls back has a very thick accent. I resorted tweeting their Twitter account out of frustration and I got my reservation!

Since Fairmont Vancouver has sold tens of thousands of deals, reservations are a must! A majority of the people who were around us were using the deal.

Included in your afternoon tea set are the items listed above. I find that $38 per person is a bit steep , but with the deal, it’s much more affordable.

The plates and cutlery are quite ornate!

Each person can choose their type of tea. They have lots to choose from, so you won’t be disappointed. The tea is served in cute little teacups too.

M chose the earl grey and I chose the jasmine tea. They also have sweet fruity teas too! If you don’t know what to get, you can always ask the servers to help you make a decision.

The tier of sandwiches and desserts arrive at the table for you and your other guest. Depends how hungry you two are, you may not get full. It is afternoon tea, so it’s supposed to be a light meal.

Mango curried Chicken salad on French Baguette had a subtle curry flavour on top of a piece of spinach.

West Coast Smoked Salmon Pinwheel with Fresh Dill was a perfect combination of ingredients. The salmon was fresh and the added dill made the taste more refreshing.

Classic Cucumber with minted cream cheese was a bit of a let down for me because it seems so simple. Taste was alright, but there’s no meat 🙁 I just like meat too much.

Mini croissant filled with black forest ham, brie and dijon mustard was my second favorite item since it was a bit larger than the other items. It had a nice flaky crunchy exterior with savory ham and cheese filling.

Fresh baked raisin scones with cream, strawberries and jam. You get 4 scones, so 2 for each person. After eating these, you’ll probably start getting a bit full.

I actually used honey instead of the other toppings. I know the honey is supposed to be for tea, but I thought the raisins and honey would work better together… and it was good.

Chocolate dipped french vanilla eclair were very small, but it does have a lovely taste inside with the creamy custard center.

Mini lemon-lime meringue pie was a bit messy to eat, but tasted good.

Frosted chocolate cupcakes was ok, the frosting was a bit sweet.

Overall, all the items in the afternoon tea were just alright, but not too impressed by the selection. Its fun to catch up with friends over afternoon tea, but I would not think it’s worth $38 per person. Since it seems like they always have a deal each year around March or April, I would suggest waiting till then.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Hard to find the Afternoon Tea area, it’s behind the bar of the lobby’s lounge
  • Beautiful decor
  • Expensive when its regularly priced
  • Good service

We Rate Fairmont Vancouver’s Afternoon Tea:

Address:
900 W Georgia St (Fairmont Vancouver)
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.fairmont.com/hotelvancouver/GuestServices/Restaurants/900WestLounge.htm

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Subeez Cafe is located in Yaletown and they serve up brunch on the weekends. CanuckGirl and I went a few years ago and loved their brunch, so we decided to go back to have some more.

They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner too. They are best known for a light night place to chill and drink.

The interior is quite large and can hold up to 225 people! Its really great for really really large groups. When we went, it seemed like they were understaffed as the service was quite horrible. It took us a while to get water and it also took us a while to place our orders.

Eggs Benny ($12) has soft poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, back bacon, english muffin, hash browns, west coast greens. They have changed their hash browns since the ones on the plate are more like fries.

Croque Madame ($14) has grilled brioche, gruyere and shinkenspeck and baked with mornay, topped with a fried egg, tomato jam and crispy onions. It is also served with west coast greens and hash browns. The hash browns were way too salty!

They definitely have a different version of Croque Madame at Subeez. The small sandwich and eggs were basically swimming in the cheese sauce. I would not order this again. It felt like cheese fondue rather than a sandwich.

Overall, we were both disappointed by the food and service compared to our last visit.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Items can be hit and miss
  • Horrible service
  • Can’t go wrong with any of the eggs benny’s

We rate Subeez:

Address:
891 Homer St
Vancouver, BC

Website: http://www.subeez.com/

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Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached DJ Roman J and I to try out the “Oh My SalaThai” dining package and write a review about it. The review does not guarantee 100% similar service you might normally get from the restaurant.


Roman J and I review the “Oh My SalaThai” Dinning package from VANEATS.ca . Both Roman J and I have been to Sala Thai before but this package gave us a chance to try out other dishes which we haven’t had before.

The inside of the restaurant is full of vibrant Thai décor. DJ Roman J liked the elephant near the entrance.

The package consists of:

3 Appetizers

  • “SOM TOM”, shredded green papaya, tomatoes, green beans, ground peanuts, fresh chilies & lime juice
  • “GAI HOR BAI TOEY”, tender pieces of chicken marinated in a chef sauce wrapped and cooked in pandanus leaves
  • “THAI CRISPY SQUID”, lightly battered and tossed with mixed Thai herbs and spices

2 Mains

  • “ROYAL PAD THAI CHAO WANG”, our most popular Thai rice noodle dish with shrimp, egg, tofu, bean sprouts & ground peanut
  • “GAENG KEAW WHAN”, sliced chicken, simmered in coconut milk, Thai green curry with bamboo shoots, eggplant, bell peppers & sweet basil leaves

1 Dessert

  • “KLAUY TOD”, deep fried banana served with homemade coconut ice cream

SOM TOM.  This salad was a good start to our meal. It packed both sweet and savoury flavours. It was refreshingly crisp and the vinaigrette had a bite of fish sauce. DJ Roman J stated that “ this dish will make you love papaya”.

GAI HOR BAI TOEY. The chicken was sweet, juicy, and tender. It had a nice char on the outside and I assume it was grilled prior to being steamed. DJ Roman J could not believe it was steamed in pandanus leaves.

THAI CRISPY SQUID. The batter was nice and light. It was well seasoned with salt and other spices. It was so flavourful that it does not need a sauce.

ROYAL PAD THAI CHAO WANG. I’m picky when it comes to Pad Thai so I can honestly say this was really good. DJ Roman J thought the eggs were a nice addition to the noodles. We also like how the noodles were sweet and how the dish was filling.

GAENG KEAW WHAN. I personally love spicy food and I usually pick green curry dishes when I eat Thai food. Naturally, I loved this dish! However, this dish is not for the timid, especially if you are sensitive to spicy food. DJ Roman J thought this dish got spicier with every bite. The chicken is very tender and overall the dish is tasty.

KLAUY TOD.  After having delicious appetizers and mains I was sadly disappointed when this dessert came out. I am huge dessert person, so when I saw how small the serving was I had to think, “That’s IT!? ”. It is not made for two people, only a bite and a half per person. DJ Roman J found the batter to be a little too thick and the slice of banana was too small. Both of us did not enjoy how the ice cream was frozen hard in the center. If the ice cream had been thawed out a bit more, the dish would have been more enjoyable.

Koh-ito ($6.25) is a Thai Mojito with coconut and lime. This drink had a dominant lime flavour which was balanced out with sugar. Overall, this was a refreshing cocktail.

Overall, DJ Roman J and I found this VANEATS dining package to be a must buy! The package is great for two but the only downfall is the size of the dessert. The package offers a spectrum of flavours from sweet and savoury to very spicy.

The “Oh My SalaThai” Package can be bought for $18 at VANEATS.ca and will be good from April 18th to June 18th.

Tidbits

  • Very busy during dinner times, reservations are a must
  • Daily drink specials
  • Good service

We Rate SalaThai:

Address:
102-888 Burrard street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1X9

Website:
http://www.salathai.ca/

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I took a break from work and decided to roam around for a fruit smoothie. Somewhere along this break, I ended up getting some ice cream from Purdy’s Chocolates. When it comes to their milk ice cream bars, I have no will power!

The Extreme Milk Bar (~$4) is first dipped in white chocolate, then a coating of milk chocolate and then finally coated with crushed almonds.

There is no better treat than this if you love sweet treats. I personally wasn’t a fan of the white chocolate since it was a bit sweet for me. Next time, I’d probably ask for 2 dips of the milk chocolate. Nonetheless, the 2 coats of chocolate create a nice crunchier exterior covering the milk bar.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Regular Milk bar with milk chocolate and almonds is good too (without the one extra dip)
  • Hedgehogs are the most delicious chocolates….and most popular too
We Rate Purdy’s Chocolates

Address:
Suite 59D 701 Georgia St W (Pacific Center)
Website:
http://www.purdys.com/StoreLocations/2/152

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Sherlock’s Cafe is located in New Westminster and serves British style food. They are best known for their pot pies, but thats not why they are so special. We’ve all heard of Chinese Grocery stores or Korean grocery stores in Vancouver, but this place has snacks and drinks from Britain.

There are lots and lots of drinks, candies, and cookies.

The other half is more like a cafe.

They even try to have some mismatched decor that reminds people of Britain. Road signs, maps, and pictures.

Apple Lucozade Energy Drink is a sports drink from Glouchester, UK. As with most energy drinks, it is packed full of sugar and quite sweet. I wasn’t a fan of the drink, but if you like energy drinks, you may enjoy this.

Steak and Potatoes Pot Pie was very savory and had lot of meat inside. The beef was tender and went well with the potatoes, carrots and peas inside. I would highly recommend this if you like pies.

The top is crispy and flakey, so it’s quite fun breaking into the top layer to get into the filling.

Chicken Mushroom Pot Pie has huge chunks of chicken, but it was a tad dry. It was still not as good as the steak and potato pot pie.

Overall, the steak and potato pot pie was really good, but I would not have the chicken again. The store is quite neat and does have some pretty unique items that you can’t find elsewhere.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Close to Columbia Skytrain
  • Under $10
  • Unique British snacks and drinks
  • Great for Earl Grey and meat pot pie

We Rate Sherlock’s Cafe:

Address:
659 Columbia St
New Westminster

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Nook is a traditional Italian restaurant on the West End that is known for the pizza and pasta. They do not take any reservations at all, so sometimes you will need to avoid the peak dining hours.

FoodPunk took me here to eat some delicious Italian food. I usually don’t go to the West End, but I can’t say no since she was paying and driving. It’s a good exchange since I give her a bit of web work and she buys me dinner.

The interior is narrow and does have limited seating. Sometimes there can be a line of customers forming outside. The interior is very dark and lit by red lights. It’s very romantic and it a good spot for a date.

The menu doesn’t have too many items, so decision making shouldn’t be too difficult.

Prosciutto with buffalo mozzarella ($16) is also drizzled with olive oil, salt, and pepper. The mozzarella was creamy and soft, which paired well with the salty prosciutto. Yum.

Gnocchi with Baby Meatballs ($17) was delicious. The gnocchi were like little soft pillows. Great taste and texture that meshed well with the meatballs and sauce.

Italian Sausage with chilis and sweet onion ($17) is thin and topped with the savory items. The chilis and sweet onion went well with the bits of sausage and cooked in a wood oven. You do get a bit of char on the crust and the bottom.

Affogato ($6) is a traditional italian dessert that consists of vanilla ice cream doused in hot espresso. I’ve never had this before, but I was glad I tried it out! If you are a coffee lover, go try this.

Pannacotta ($6) was creamy and topped off with a berry compote.

Overall, the food was good, but it can be seen as a bit expensive. The interior is small, so some of the tables were put a bit close together. Coming in large groups can be a bit difficult, so its best to come in 2’s or 4’s.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Affogato and gnocchi is a must
  • No reservations
  • Dimly lit inside
  • Street pay parking, but can be hard to find

We Rate Nook

Address:
781 Denman Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://nookrestaurant.ca/

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