In lunch

Jugo Juice: Meet Your Matcha Smoothie and Artisan Sandwiches

March 29, 2018

Jugo Juice has been busy crafting up new items for spring – the Meet Your Matcha smoothie, and nine new food offerings. Thus, it means more options for those who need a healthy option on the go.

Meet Your Matcha Smoothie

Meet Your Matcha is a vitamin and antioxidant rich smoothie. It contains blueberries, bananas, unsweetened almond milk and matcha green tea powder to give you the boost of energy to get through the day. It has real fruit, no added sugar and no artificial ingredients. It will be available across Canada until June 13, 2018.

Upon first taste, they really use a good amount of matcha in here as you can feel the texture of it with the blueberries.

The recipe was chosen from over 200 entries in Jugo Juice’s annual March smoothie recipe contest to create the official Calgary Marathon smoothie. The name was selected from over 300 entries in a separate contest to name the feature smoothie.

Artisan Sandwiches

Jugo Juice’s new artisan sandwiches offers classic flavours each with their own tasty twist. The sandwiches will be served on Jugo Juice’s popular Terra Breads Heritage sourdough or a brand new natural and preservative free Ace Bakery artisan bun called schiacciata.

Chicken Caprese on schiacciata bread

Sweet and Spicy Apple Grilled Cheese on heritage sourdough

Philly Cheesesteak on schiacciata bread

Mediterranean Roasted Vegetable on schiacciata bread

Of all the sandwiches, my favourite one was the Chicken Caprese sandwich. Good to see all the different options if you’re looking for something quick and healthy.

Website: https://www.jugojuice.com

In Cocktails

Yaletown Cocktail Crawl by Vancouver Gourmet Tour: Recap

March 23, 2018

Vancouver Gourmet Tour held their Yaletown Cocktail Crawl a few weeks ago and they brought guests on a cocktail adventure in the trendy neighbourhood of Yaletown. We indulged on cocktail and food pairings at 3 of the best restaurants in Yaletown – House Special, Per Se Social Corner and Brix & Mortar within 3 hours.

The evening began at Xoxolat for a Prosecco toast with some snacks before we all split up into groups.

House Special: Stop #1

House Special is a local favourite specializing in modern Vietnamese Cuisine. At this location, we were able to choose from these 3 cocktails:

Matcha Do About Nothing
Kaffir Lime Collins
Lavender Baby No 2

These were paired with the Drunken Squid with Cucumber Salad.

Matcha Do About Nothing

This cocktail is made with their house-made lemon grass vodka, Sons of Vancouver Amaretto, and Matcha-infused honey syrup. I really enjoyed this as it was well-balanced.

Lavender Baby No 2

Mezcal, lavender syrup and egg whites are used in this cocktail. Love the bits of lavender on the top of the drink.

Per Se Social Corner: Stop 2

Per Se Social Corner is a blend of classic Italian kitchen and modern Spanish and Latin American tapas bar. There were 2 drinks on the menu to choose from:

Gin Brusco
Hall of Fame

Both paired with the Wagyu Beef Carpaccio and caprese salad skewer.

The dining area is pretty nice. Since we all shared one long table, it was great to mingle with the other guests on the cocktail crawl too.

Gin Brusco

This a twist on a gin and sour. It has house-made Lambrusco, blackberry reduction, thyme, and lemon. This was my favourite cocktail of the evening. I was so surprised how good the ingredients were balanced. I would be happy having another one. Looks great too.

Hall of Fame

Consider this their version of a Manhattan 2.0. It has Wayne Gretzky whisky, elderflower liqueur, Fernet Blanca and orange peel.

Brix & Mortar: Stop 3

The last stop of the evening was at Brix & Mortar serving up modern Canadian cuisine in the 1912 heritage brick building.

At the bar, they were mixing up 2 different cocktails to choose from:

Big Flavours in Little China
Seyton’s Whispers

These were served with seared bacon wrapped scallop on peking duck fried risotto.

We sat right by the downstairs bar, so we got to see the bartenders in action creating all the cocktails.

Seyton’s Whispers

This cocktail is made with Grants sherry casked scotch, yellow chartreuse, fino sherry, organic cassis, and fresh lemon.

Big Flavours in Little China

I love this presentation in a cute Chinese take out box. It has Absolut mandarin vodka, lychee liquor, lemon, clove spiced pear, and plum bitters served over rocks.

Since it was the end of the evening, I started getting hungry, so I ordered a plate of mussels and we all got 20% off food on their regular menu.

Final Thoughts

My friend and I enjoyed the night a lot trying new cocktails and having a taste of each restaurant. We met some awesome people that were part of our group as tasted what Yaletown has to offer.

If you’re want to check out more cocktail crawls in Vancouver, check out vangourmettours.com.

In Gluten Free Options

Jugo Juice: Cali Crush, Avocado Toast, Green Glow and Cranberry Chia Pudding

February 6, 2018

Jugo Juice has been my quick go-to to grab something satisfying, and healthy. My past favourites have been the PB and Chocolate, and Big Blue Protein. The Mighty Kale is another favourite I adopted from one of my previous co-workers who would have it everyday for lunch! If I was feeling extra hungry, I would grab a wrap, like the Sweet Chili Chicken.

Cali Crush

I had the pleasure to visit the Jugo Juice in Yaletown to try out their new, featured smoothie, the Cali Crush. This smoothie is packed with grapefruits, lemons and oranges, and is balanced out with strawberries and a hint of cucumber. With all the citrus fruits packed in a Cali Crush, you’re sure to get more than your daily recommended amount of vitamin C, try 349%! Since vitamin C may lessen the duration and symptoms of a cold, this smoothie would be the perfect aid during the cold winter months.

The Cali Crush is slightly tart and sour, but is perfect if you love citrus flavours.There is the option of having whey protein added, which softens the flavour’s tangy zing. I preferred the Cali Crush with the whey protein added because it tasted less tart, and slightly sweet.

Avocado Toast

I can’t think of a better food pairing to the Cali Crush than one of Jugo Juice’s avocado toasts. There are three delicious flavours to choose from, which is all atop a toasted Terra Breads sourdough:

Sriracha Honey with Hemp Hearts
Olive Tapenade and Fresh Basil
Chipotle Corn and Black Beans

My favourite of the three was the Sriracha Honey. I love a good combination of spicy and sweet flavours, and an avocado toast is the perfect vehicle for this delicious sauce. The drizzle is so good, that it actually inspired me to try and make my own Sriracha Honey! The toasted Terra Breads sourdough is crunchy on the edges, and a good chew closer to the middle of the toast. The Olive Tapenade avocado toast was also very tasty! The great thing about avocado toast is that even if I pig-out on more than one slice, I won’t need to feel guilty since it’s healthy!

Green Glow

In addition to tasting the Cali Crush and the avocado toasts, I tried the Green Glow, which has coconut water, avocado (can’t get enough), kale, tropical juices, pineapple, and banana. I couldn’t help but feel good after drinking a great-tasting smoothie, especially since the word “glow” is in its name!

Cranberry Chia Pudding

I also couldn’t help from being curious about the Cranberry Chia Pudding, which has cranberry juice, coconut milk, chia seeds, cinnamon, and strawberry and blueberry compote. It is topped with granola form Terra Breads, which adds a textural contrast to the creaminess of the chia pudding. This was a little cup of happiness for me, and I would get this again as a healthy snack (or breakfast, or dessert). I could eat this anytime!

Final Thoughts

The food tasting at Jugo Juice has reminded me how much I enjoy a really good smoothie, and healthy food options. So if you’re looking for a winter pick-me-up, give the Cali Crush, and one of the delicious avocado toasts on their menu a try!

Address:
202 Davie St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.jugojuice.com/

In American

Yale Saloon: Family-style Backyard BBQ in Vancouver

December 13, 2017

Yale Saloon is a country bar and BBQ restaurant located right before the Granville Street bridge. I came with a few friends to check out their Family Style Backyard BBQ. Yale Saloon has been here for quite some time and transforms as the evening goes on.

Interior

There are long tables and lots of space for dancing. As we came around 6pm, it wasn’t busy just yet.

The space is good for large groups and parties. Very casual setting and good for those who are younger.

Drinks

Drinks are a must when here, I had the Southern Comfort Sweet Tea and my friend had the Pa’s Caesar. A good way to start off the night. Both drinks were delicious.

Deep Fried Pickles

How can you say no to deep-fried pickles? It has a good amount of crisp breading and was so delicious with the dip.

Backyard BBQ

Backyard BBQ is $35 per person and is served family style. You get a taste of everything – Brisket, Andouille Sausage, Turkey breast, Pork Ribs, Pulled Pork, and Rotisserie Chicken. It is also served with coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans, & Jalapeño cornbread.

The sides were ok, I really didn’t like the coleslaw as it has some odd aftertaste. None of the coleslaw, potato salad, or baked beans stood out. It might of needed a pinch of more salt ti give it more flavour.

The Jalapeño cornbread was better and paired with the BBQ a lot more. The Jalapeño was subtle, but added a good taste to the cornbread.

Of the bunch, the ribs and the brisket were solid, good smokey flavour and tender as well. If you’re new here, I liked trying all the meats as it’s a good way to get a feel of all the variety of BBQ they serve. The sausage and the rotisserie chicken had great flavours too.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a feast, you will definitely get it here along with a great selection of drinks at Yale Saloon. Fun place to hang out with friends, have a drink and nosh on some BBQ. There is also a mechanical bull here too. It’s definitely a place to come here late into the evening.

We Rate Yale Saloon:

Address:
1300 Granville St, Vancouver

Website:
https://yalesaloon.com/

In Event

Hapa Izakaya: Taste of Yaletown 2017

October 16, 2017

Taste of Yaletown is back for it’s 13th year, a popular community-based event that invites the public to try a variety of dishes from 26 restaurants in the Yaletown area from now till October 27th. Chefs create a 3 course menu themed around pairing and sharing at prices of $25, $35, and $45.

Hapa Izakaya is participating again with a $25 set menu where you can choose 3 different dishes. They specialize in modern Japanese cuisine and all their dishes are easily sharable. It’s a fun spot to hang out with friends and have a few bites and drinks.

First Course

Beef Tataki

The AAA beef slices are thin and lightly seared. It is topped with soy barbecue sauce, garlic chips, onion, and green onions.

Ahi Tuna Yukke

This has ahi tuna tartare, quail egg, pine nuts, shiso, and crispy seaweed for wrapping. The tuna is very fresh and delicious when mixed with the quail egg.

Agebidashi Vegetables

This dish has eggplant, shishito peppers and daikon radish in a soy-mirin vegan dashi.

Second Course

Chicken Nanban

fried chicken thigh, daikon tartar sauce

Crispy Panko-Fried Scallops

fried scallops, jalapeno mango mayo, lotus root chips

Foil Grilled Tofu and Mushrooms

The mushrooms and tofu is marinated in vegan dashi with yuzu cooked in foil.

Third Course

Hambagu Steak

This dish has ground AAA Angus beef, minced daikon, ponzu, shiso, and garlic chips on a skillet. The steak was so juicy that when I just into it, the juices just shot out from the inside.

Aburi Saba Sushi

This dish has 8 pieces of the torched pressed mackerel sushi with sansho pepper. One of my favourite items.

Vegetable Poke Bowl

This bowl has avocado, beets, butternut squash, inari tofu strips, sweet soy dressing, and sushi rice. It was an interesting dish for those who love vegetables. A good option for vegetarians who still want to enjoy the menu.

Drinks

Drinks aren’t included in the set menu, but it’s a good addition to the meal. Some of the drink we had with our meal were:

Virgin Hello Kitty: Strawberry purée, Calpico, soda
Enter the Dragon: Bacardi Oakheart, dragon fruit, agave syrup, lime, ginger beer
Large Sake
Red Dragons

Final Thoughts

If you’re coming here with a few friends, I would suggest getting a few of the set menus and ordering different dishes to share with everyone. The choices on the menu caters to those who are vegetarians and those who aren’t. I like Hapa Izakaya for a good night out on the town with friends.

We Rate Hapa Izakaya:

Address:
1193 Hamilton St, Vancouver

Website:
http://hapaizakaya.com/

In Event

The Keg: Taste of Yaletown 2017

October 15, 2017

The Keg Steakhouse and Bar is participating again with a $45 set menu where you can choose 1 appetizer, entree and dessert. The food is always consistent at The Keg and it’s a favourite. I’ve dined at the Keg several times and set menus like these gives you a chance to try a bit of everything.

Appetizers

Keg Caesar Salad

This has romaine lettuce, aged parmesan cheese, croutons and the Kegs creamy dressing. This is my appetizer of choice since it’s a good balance with the entree and dessert.

Baked Garlic Shrimp

Shrimp is baked in this vessel with garlic, herbs, and cheese. These is bread served on the side to eat it together.

Wild Mushroom Soup

This big bowl of soup is decent and it’s good for a cold Fall weather.

Entree

Sirloin Oscar

This gluten-free dish has 8oz of sirloin topped with shrimp, scallops, asparagus, and Béarnaise sauce drizzled on top. On the side there is baked potato. If you love seafood and steak, you’ll like this.

Prime Rib

A classic and popular dish amongst guests. The prime rib is 14oz and best served medium rare. On the plate, these is also horseradish, red wine herb jus, and garlic mashed potato. You can substitute for different sides too.

Peppercorn New York Steak

The peppercorn crusted striploin is 12oz served with your choice of sides and a whisky sauce. My favourite sides is the mashed potatoes and vegetables.

Pistachio Crusted Salmon

This is another gluten-free dish with the salmon and pistachio sitting on top of garlic mashed potatoes, bacon sautéed Brussels sprouts, and maple butter.

Dessert

Billy Miner Pie

Another classic dessert and one of my favourites. The is mocha ice cream on a chocolate crust with hot fudge, caramel and almonds. Try asking them for extra almonds because I love the added texture.

Cheesecake

This cheesecake thick and creamy, with a Bing cherry topping and a graham cracker crust.

Spanish Coffee

If cake and pie isn’t your thing, they have boozy coffee to end the night. There is brandy, dark cacao and coffee with whipped cream.

Final Thoughts

If you want to try a bit of everything on the menu, I would suggest you and your friends get different dishes and share it all. Also steaks are best medium rare. It’s a lot of food for the $45 set menu and you will be bursting at the seams.

We Rate The Keg Steakhouse:

Address:
1011 Mainland St, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.kegsteakhouse.com

In Mexican

Fayuca: Northern Pacific Mexican Eatery

June 29, 2017

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of attending the Fayuca Launch Party. I brought Roman, my sister and brother-in-law to check out this new spot in Yaletown with me. Fayuca identifies itself as a Northern Pacific Mexican restaurant, offering dishes that are inspired by this particular region. I’ve had Mexican food, but I can say that I have not had Mexican food like Fayuca’s.

The evening started with cocktails at the bar. The first one we tried was a Damiana Margarita, which was made with Damiana-infused Cazadores tequila. Based on my research, Damiana is an herb that is known to have aphrodisiac affects. Regardless, I actually enjoyed the cocktail’s smooth, slightly woody flavour, which finishes off nicely with lime. The other cocktails we were happy to try that night included a White Smoked Negroni and a Suelo Sour. The guys enjoyed the Suelo Sour as they waited for their beers by the bar.

Damiana Margarita

White Smoked Negroni

Suelo Sour

As we got settled at a table, servers started to come out with appetizer-sized bites. First up was the Guacamole Chip, which had crispy sunchokes, toasted pumpkin seeds and Macedonian feta all atop a crispy chip.This guacamole was so tasty and I really enjoyed the texture that the toasted pumpkin seeds added.

Guacamole Chip

The second item we tried was Cockles cucumber and citrus gastrique. The cockle was a touch salty, but it was nicely contrasted by the cool crunch of the diced cucumber, and the acid from the gastrique.

Cockle with Cucumber and Citrus Gastrique

The third item, which was our fave, was the Deep-fried Soft Shell Crab with aioli. It was so good, we wanted more! It was popular among the crowd that night as it kept disappearing from the servers’ plates. All four of us enjoyed the crab’s crispiness, and the aioli added a creamy, savoury component to this delicious bite. Roman would come back to Fayuca to have more of this.

Deep-fried Soft Shell Crab with Aioli

Our last bite of the night was the Albacore Ceviche. I am picky when it comes to eating tuna (I’m not the biggest fan), but this was a pleasant bite. The flavour was fresh, light, and mild.

Albacore Ceviche

The event had all the components of a fun night out: delicious food, great cocktails, awesome music, and good company. The interior of Fayuca is reminiscent of being in an all-inclusive resort restaurant, which brought me back to happy feelings of being on vacation. My sister and I particularly liked how Fayuca used light turquoise, aquas, and tan in its furnishings. Everything from the light fixtures to the seating was cohesive and contributed to the restaurant’s relaxed ambiance. Thanks Fayuca, for having us!

Address:
1009 Hamilton St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.fayuca.ca/

In Japanese

Black Rice Izakaya: Aburi, Teishoku and Flames

June 23, 2017

Black Rice Izakaya has recently added a few new items on the menu. It’s been a while since I made my last visit, but I was excited to see what else they were adding to the menu. I came with a few other foodies to see how those new items tasted.

Interior

The interior is dark and has a wooden rustic look. There are a good amount of tables for small to large groups. Definitely try to make reservations to secure your spot. They have an open kitchen, so you can sneak a peek inside if you want to see how their chefs put together their creations.

Teishoku Lunch Sets

Teishoku C Set has a dish of grilled miso zuke black cod steak with 3 pieces of assorted tempura, side of beef or chicken karaage, agedashi tofu, assorted oshinko, green salad, bowl of rice and miso soup. The price is right for this lunch set. It’s available on weekdays and weekends. Very affordable and very tasty. I would recommend any of these lunch sets.

Teishoku B Set has 6 pieces of torched Black Angus Nigiri, Maki hand roll, Agedashi Tofu, assorted Oshinko, Green Salad and Miso soup. The nigiri is delicious but make sure to eat it right away when its still warm. It’s a very hearty set and great for lunch.

Stone Grill Yakiniku

Gyu Katsu Set has rare cooked black angus steak cutlet. You cook the katsu a little bit more and enjoy it with the cabbage and sauces.

You can have this all to yourself, but the best way to enjoy this is sharing with friends and order a few other items.

Yakiniku Moriawase has 3 kinds Angus Beef and is a very interactive item to order. The cuts of the beef are very nice, but it will cost you around $38.50. As you can see from the marbling of the meat, they aren’t cheaping out on you. You have the super hot stone that quickly cooks the beef.

It was really good and it was fun cooking with friends at the table.

Aburi Hakozushi Platter

This platter takes about 20 minutes to prepare as there are quite a bit of work needed to create these. The set comes with 4 signature aburi – Aburi Salmon, Aburi Saba, Aburi Ebi and Aburi Scallop. The platter was ok, but I’m sure most people are wondering…how does this compare to Miku. It doesn’t. They do a decent job at recreating it, but it does fall short. With each item, there isn’t the depth of flavour in the sauce and the rice needs a bit more love. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good price for all of this and it tastes fine.

Aburi Salmon

Aburi Saba

Aburi Scallop

Aburi Ebi

Unagi Signature Roll

Their Unagi Signature Roll is on fire. Literally. It has prawn tempura, cucumber, tamago, set on fire with rum and herb fire. It is all covered in black rice and then lit. I really liked this roll for it’s entertainment factor as well as the taste of the unagi.

Black Mentaiko Signature Roll

Black Mentaiko Signature Roll has avocado, cream cheese, tuna tataki topped with deep-fried black cod and mentaiko mayo. It is also wrapped in black rice. It was a decent roll but not as tasty as the unagi signature roll.

Lollipop

Lollipop is a huge roll on a stick that looks like lollipop. It has sockeye, salmon, bell pepper, tamago, oshinko, cucumber, asparagus, avocado and spinach wrapped with shaved radish. The rice is thin and everything is packed inside.

Yaki Tofu

This is pan grilled tofu with their house sauce. It’s a pretty big slab of tofu topped with sprouts and onions.

Buta Kakuni

This is Soy Sauce Braised Pork Belly. It comes with 8 pieces to an order. You can’t go wrong with a plate of pork belly to share among the table.

Tebasaki Chicken Wings

This is their house sauce glazed chicken whole wings. It had a nice char to some of the pieces of extra flavour.

Sapporo Beer

The best type of beverage to go with their food is beer. They have a decent selection of beer but I always go with Sapporo. It’s light and refreshing.

Yuzu Ice Cream

They even have dessert – yuzu ice cream inside a jar topped with a caramelized lotus root. It had a tart taste as yuzu is like a sweet little oranges.

Final Thoughts

I was impressed this time around with their menu. Some hit but there are a few misses. I would definitely come back for the lunch sets as it’s a fantastic deal. Their dinner menu has a few fiery item added to it that make the dining experience interactive.

We Rate Black Rice Izakaya:

Address:
782 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.blackrice.ca/

In Happy Hour

Urban Thai Bistro: Happy Hour in Yaletown

May 21, 2017

Urban Thai Bistro has happy hour from 3 – 6 pm and 9 – 10 pm. $4 drinks, $6 appetizers, and $8 salads. Since Summer is coming very soon, what better way to celebrate than happy hour after work. We invited to try all their happy hour items.

Interior

The interior has lots of space for small to large groups. They also have a patio. There are a few ornate statues inside and gives this restaurant a modern Thai look and feel.

Drinks

Thai Iced Tea is a must here. The unique taste of the tea with milk and added sweetness. It’s very addictive.

Thai Iced Coffee is on the menu as well. This was really creamy and sweet, which I didn’t like too much. I would have liked a bit more coffee intensity in this.

Royal Thai is another popular beverage. It is a mix of fresh coconut milk and lychee.

Appetizers

Fish Cakes comes with 6 pieces topped with onion, cucumber, sweet chili and a fried basil leaf.

Vegetarian Spring Roll are deep-fried to a golden brown colour. There is a sweet chili sauce on the side.

Urban Thai Shrimp Balls were good to munch on with some beer. It comes with 6 pieces, so its good for groups to share.

Wings comes in 3 different flavours – red curry, chili basil and sweet & Sour.

A good combination of sauces and wings. Recommended for happy hour with beer.

Thai BBQ Chicken was good with a nice char on the outside.

Thai BBQ Pork was really good and comes with many slices.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce was ok, but a bit on the dry side.

Calamari with crispy batter and a sweet chili sauce. All shaped like rings.

Crispy Fish with homemade sauce was good when it’s fresh out of the fryer.

Salad

Spicy Beef BBQ sits in a lettuce cup. The slices were thin but not very spicy.

Spicy Thai Prawns Salad was not that great. The prawns didn’t seem that fresh.

Chicken Lettuce Wrap is always a fun dish to have at the table and get interactive with your food. The crisp wrap with the savoury filling.

Som Tum Papaya Salad was ok.

Final Thoughts

Overall, some items were hit and miss but anything deep fried with drinks can’t go wrong. They have a lot of options of the happy hour menu.

We Rate Urban Thai Bistro:

Address:
119 Hamilton St, Vancouver

Website:
http://thaihouse.com/urban-thai-bistro/

In Greek

The Greek by Anatoli: Happy Hour in Yaletown

March 27, 2017

The Greek by Anatoli in Yaletown has just introduced Happy Hour and we were given a sneak peek into what customers would have on the menu. Some dishes in this review aren’t the right sizing for happy hour and may be a bit smaller.

From Monday March 27 -31 2pm – 5pm, the Happy Hour food items will be only $2 and then they go back to regular price. A pretty good deal since you really can’t get anything for $2 these days.

The hours are a bit hard to make if you work 9-5 Downtown, other happy hour places end at 6pm.

They also have 12oz 1516 Lager for $4, Glass of Anatoli Meritage or Viognier for $6 or a Ouzo shot for $4. A good way to start the evening with some drinks and food.

Keftedes

These are traditional pan-fried meatballs served in tomato sauce. The meatballs were moist and full of flavour and the tomato sauce worked well.

Homous

There is chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and parsley served with a side of pita bread. The portion is a little bit different than this image as they gave us more to share. A good item to fill up on and the homous is delicious.

Dolmathes

These are grape vine leaves stuffed with beef and rice, cooked in avgolemono broth which is a egg-lemon sauce. I love this stuff. It’s so good but I know some people don’t like it.

Spanakopita

This was everyone’s favourite. This portion is actually 2. It has spinach, feta and herbs, wrapped in filo and baked. It comes with a Tzatziki Sauce on the side. I loved every part of this dish from the flakey filo to that Tzatziki sauce.

“True Greek Pork” Souvlaki

The Souvlaki is served kalamaki style on pita bread with a side of tzatziki. It was really good, but then again when is pork not delicious? It was seasoned well, but had a slight toughness about them.

Calamari

It’s classic, crispy and served with a side of lemon and tzatziki. An item that will definitely be very popular. It was really good and I would order it again.

Greek Salad

This items isn’t on the happy hour menu, but sometimes you need veggies. It has fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, feta from Greece, capers and olives.

Mythos Beer

Mythos is a Greek Lager Beer. It is light, refreshing and pairs well with the food.

Anatoli Caesar

The caesar is garnished with a pickled bean, lime, a grilled prawn and a rim of salt and pepper. The drink looked great, but it needed more spice and heat to this drink. I like my caesars hot, but I could mostly taste vodka.

Karpouzi Watermelon Basil Mojito

Outside of the happy hour dishes and drinks, there were a few different items we tried like this Watermelon Mojito. Very refreshing and perfect for the warmer weather.

Final Thoughts

It was good to see what their happy menu has. Although it’s not extensive, it has a good amount of dishes that would keep customers happy. I do love good cheap food especially during happy hour.

We Rate The Greek by Anatoli:

Address:
1043 Mainland Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://thegreekbyanatoli.com/

In Brunch

Homer St. Cafe: Brunch in Vancouver

December 27, 2016

Homer St. Cafe serves brunch on the weekends and I always have lunch with my brunch buddy to try new places around town and catch up. I’ve been here for events before but never brunch.

I started off with a Cappuccino. A nice airy foam above the espresso. A coffee is always great to start off the day especially for brunch time.

Maple Chicken and Bacon Cobbler was what I ordered. Their butter milk biscuit sits above the other ingredients. It is a small portion but the biscuit fills you up. The bacon was thick cut and very delicious. The chicken had a hint of maple but wasn’t overpowering at all. It felt like a nice hearty breakfast.

Roast of the Day had sausage and pork belly over some roasted potatoes. It is served with bread and eggs on the side.

Overall, it was a nice space to dine, servers were nice and the food was good.

We Rate Homer St. Cafe:

Address:
898 Homer Street
Vancouver, BC

Website: http://homerstreetcafebar.com/

In Izakaya

Kibo Restaurant and Lounge: Drink in Yaletown

November 20, 2016

It’s been a while since my last visit to Kibo. They are a modern Japanese restaurant which is popular among larger groups celebrating birthdays or other milestones.

We came here to grab a few bites and get some drinks in the evening.

Drinks

A pitcher of Sapporo comes with frosted and chilled mugs. Sapporo is my preferred beer to go with Japanese food as it balances the flavours very well.

Sake is my friends drink of choice. Cold sake comes in a cute little dispenser.

Kibo Ball has Whiskey, Melon liquer, and Peach Schnapps. An easy drink shooter and they have a good deal for 5 for $20.

Aburi Block Sushi has pressed rice, salmon and their chef’s signature sauce. A very saucy item, but of course it’s not as good as Miku’s version.

Ika sugatayaki is a grilled and marinated whole squid. Served with a lemon and a mayo sauce. THis was pretty good and an easy item to share.

Assorted Tempura is decent here too. A few pieces of yams and prawns with a dipping sauce.

Short Ribs are marinated and grilled. Tender and not chewy at all.

Overall, the food is decent, but a lot of people come here for drinks and a few bites in the evening.

We Rate Kibo:

Address:
1261 Hamilton Street, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.facebook.com/kibo.yaletown/

In Cafe

Nero: Waffles in Yaletown

November 19, 2016

Nero has opened their second location in Yaletown. Unlike their Robson Street location, they have more seats, a patio, a different menu, and alcohol.

Everyone loves a good Brussels or Liege waffle.

Interior

A lot of the seating is great for groups for 4 people. It has a cozy atmosphere too.

Beer

Four Winds Saison was what I ordered. It’s one of their 2 BC Craft beers on the menu. They also have a few Belgian Beers on the menu too.

Waffles

Fruity Waffle is one of Nero’s classic items on the menu. It has their chef’s selection of fruit and topped with whipped cream.

We had it on their brussels waffles. I love the ones with fruit as it’s just so nice to munch on or share with friends.

Liege au fromages has a grilled 4 cheese savoury liege waffles with a spicy tomato chutney. An interesting changes as it is a savoury item. I never imagined waffles as a grilled cheese sandwich.

Brussels Tapas Board has 2 pieces of brussels waffle with goat cheese brulee, East van jam, bresaola and arugula. Another savoury item. It was like a cheese board but with waffles instead of crackers.

Overall, it was interesting to see their new item with more savoury items and drinks. Definitely a change from their Robson location. It’s a good place for less line ups and seating.

We Rate Nero:

Address:
1002 Seymour Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.nerowafflebar.com/

In Three Beakers

Taste of Yaletown: Zend Concious Lounge

October 15, 2016

Zend Conscious Lounge is part of the Taste of Yaletown happening October 13th to 27th. The two-week dining event showcases unique dishes from 31 restaurants in the Yaletown neighbourhood. Restaurants offer exclusive featured menus, special tastings and innovative pairing combinations at set prices of $25, $35, $45.

I had a chance to dine at Zend Conscious Lounge to try a few items off their set menus. Zend Conscious Lounge are an organic plant-based eatery. That means no gluten, no dairy, and they only use the healthiest of ingredients. They are also Canada’s first kava kava bar. Did you know they donate 100% of their profits?

Taste of Yaletown 2016 Menu

[tabs tab1=”$25 Menu” tab2=”$35 Menu” tab3=”$45 Menu”]

[tab id=1]

2 Mini Burgers
Taco
Trio of Salads Sampler

[/tab]
[tab id=2]

Signature Elixers Sampler
2 Mini Burgers with yam fries
Taco
Kale Caesar Salad
Homemade Plant-based Cheese Sampler with Raw Seed Crackers
Dessert Sampler plate ( triple chocolate torte with seasonal dessert)

[/tab]
[tab id=3]

Signature Elixers Sampler
2 Mini Burgers with yam fries
Taco
Trio of Salad Sampler
Callelloni Roll
Two Homemade Plant-based Cheese Sampler with Raw Seed Crackers

[/tab]

[/tabs]

Interior

Their interior is simple, but with a lot of natural wood colours on the table and walls. They have small to large tables, so make sure you make reservations to ensure your group gets a good spot.

Kava Kava

Zend isn’t on the Taste of Yaletown menu, but it was something that we had to try when we were here. Zend is a non-alcoholic beverage that is a blend of Rhodiola, Yerba Mate, Kava, Holy Basil and Ashwaganda. It is traditionally used to relieve stress, depression and anxiety. It makes people more calm and works in 20 minutes or less.

We drank a shot of Zend and it definitely had an earthy taste to it. A few minutes after, you started to feel a numb tingly sensation on our tongue and cheeks. Completely normal apparently.

Signature Elixers Sampler

The elixer samplers come in small mason jars. we got to try 2 and both were good and full of fresh pressed juice and Zend.

Caesar Kale Salad

The salad has oat cheese parmesan crisps, gluten-free amaranth croutons, & prebiotic garlicky avocado dressing. I like this salad, it was simple but it had a good amount of flavour that reminded me of a caesar salad. A nice light item to start off the meal.

Housemade plant-based cheese board

On the cheeseboard, you will find their featured spreads, house-spiced heart-healthy nuts, probiotic veg. with Raw Seed Crackers. The cheeses were very creamy and the seed crackers added needed texture.

Tacos

There’s aren’t any regular tacos, it has dehydrated beans, fresh guacamole, heart-healthy cashew queso, & organic fresh-cut salsa. It’s a nice item to share as 3 come in one order. I love the salsa and it adds a nice freshness to the dish.

The Mini Raw Burger

Their burger is mad of bio-available sprouted grains and served on a seared portobello cap. Very nice bite sized burger. It also has a side of yam fries and a spicy sauce.

Dessert Sampler plate

You will find their triple chocolate torte with cocoa and coconut crust, fudge, and chocolate avocado mousse. Their other seasonal dessert was my favourite.

The Raw Pumpkin Cheesecake has a creamy cashew base, walnut and medjool date crust, pumpkin & pumpkin spices. This was my favourite of the night.

Final Thoughts

For the longest time, I thought Zend was a Japanese restaurant and clearly I was far from wrong. I was glad I was able to have the opportunity to dine at this plant-based eatery. I would really enjoyed seeing the transformation of these raw ingredients into the dishes that were presented on the menu. It’s definitely not a restaurant thats for everyone, but I thought it was an experience that was different than some other restaurants out there. If you wanted to be taken out of your comfort zone, this would be it.

We Rate Zend Conscious Lounge:

Address:
1130 Mainland Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://zendlounge.com/

In Seafood

The Keg: Lobster Summer in Yaletown

August 21, 2016

The Keg has their awesome Yaletown location with rooftop patio. I’ve been to their other location in the suburbs, but this was my first time here.

Currently, they have their Lobster Summer promotion until the end of August. Lobster and steak is a perfect match and its a great time to get it in season. Even though there are no lobsters in the West Coast, they get it shipped several times a week from the East Coast.

I came here for an event to taste a few item off their Lobster Summer menu.

I started off with the Strawberry Fizz, which has Absolut vodka, Aperol, fresh lemon and lime juice with muddled strawberries and soda.

Crispy Lobster Tacos is tossed in crispy rice, golden fried lobster on warm tortillas with cabbage slaw and cilantro. The plate comes with 3 tacos and inside each taco and 2 pieces of the lobster.

It was paired with the See Ya Later Ranch Gewurtztraminer. I love white wine in the Summer as it is fruity, crisp, and finishes dry.

Steak and Half Lobster has a tender sirloin steak with a fresh, half Atlantic lobster. It is also served with your choice of a side.

Twice Baked Potato with bacon bits is a pretty good side. The potato inside the skin is soft and buttery.

I got the steak at medium rare, but I found that the cut was a bit tough.

To pair with the steak and lobster is Meiomi Wine’s Pinot Noir. It’s a very full-bodied wine from California.

Billy Miner Pie is a classic item to order. It’s pretty big, so it’s easily sharable with a friend.

Overall, it’s aways nice to have steak and lobster. Of all the cuts of steak, I wasn’t a fan of the sirloin steak. I like the NY Peppercorn or the filet mignon from The Keg.

We Rate The Keg:

Address:
1011 Mainland Street, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.kegsteakhouse.com

In Izakaya

Kuma Izakaya: Drinks and Asian Fusion in Yaletown

August 15, 2016

Kuma Izakaya is located in Yaletown close to the Skytrain. They serve up Japanese and Korean dishes with a hint of French influence. At first it can seem confusing how all 3 types of cuisines would come together.

We were invited to try out their signature dishes and learn more about the restaurant and their chef/owner – Hyun Woo Kim.

Chef Kim has worked at various restaurants around the world like The French Laundry in Napa Valley, the prestigious 3 Michelin star restaurant. You can see this influence penetrate the menu with French, Japanese and Korean.

The interior is pretty nice and cozy with a dark feel. They also have a patio so you can eat outside during the nice Summers. I can see this place bring very popular during that late evenings as they have a good range of Korean liquors.

Drinks

They have soju imported from South Korea, which is awesome since it’s hard to find the flavoured soju bottles.

Their flavours include:

Original
Citron
Apple
Peach
Grapefruit

My friends and I love finding restaurants in downtown with flavoured soju, its pretty hard to find because it gets sold out quite easily. I know I’ll definitely be back for these flavoured sojus.

They also have peach makgeolli, which is a flavoured rice wine. Also really good. It makes it super easy to drink.

Food

Kuma Salad with Tomatoes was piled up high and presented nicely. A good use of different textures in this salad.

Kuma Signature Salad has fresh greens topped with sliced avocado, sliced tomato, pickles, house-made ricotta cheese, and crispy yam. It is drizzled with balsamic and house dressing.

Mango Ebimayo comes with 5 pieces of the deep-fried prawns with mango sauce. The mango added a bit of sweetness to it. You should eat it right away as it loses its crunch quite quickly due to the sauce.

Crispy Chicken has crispy deep-fried boneless chicken with pan-fried veggies and a Korean-style sauce. A good dish for sharing among friends. With all the sauce in this dish, the skin wasn’t as crisp when it arrived on the table.

Osso Buco uses premium AAA beef ribs simmered in house made soy sauce. It is also served with rice.

They also have it as in a spicy version. The beef was super flavourful and tender.

Kuma Chirashi Tartare has balsamic spicy aburi tuna, assorted sashimi served on sushi rice, avocado dressing and garnished with tenkatsu and yam flakes. Taking the first few bites, I didn’t wow me like how Miku’s chirashi tart. The heaviness from the spicy tuna sauce over powered the rest of the layers underneath.

Assorted sashimi was served in an ice cold bowl. Chef Kim chose an assortment from like ika, tuna, hamachi, and sockeye salmon. Very cool presentation and the sashimi tasted great.

Kuma Seafood Champon has noodles in hearty tomato seafood soup. Simmered with assorted pan-fried vegetables, chilli oils, and chilli powder. A good amount of seafood inside and the broth was very good and flavourful. Not too spicy. It’s a pretty big portion, so it can be sharable.

Assorted Aburi Nigiri has Hamachi and Amaebi. The assortment was all presented on one plate.

The aburi amaebi is seared with some sauce on the top. A good sear

The deep fried shrimp heads were ok

The aburi hamachi was pretty good, but could have used a but more char to it.

Overall, a very diverse menu, but still their aburi doesn’t hit the mark as Miku does. Kuma does make it their own style and doesn’t compare. The dishes I thought were pretty outstanding are the dishes with more of a Korean flavour profile like the Kuma Seafood Champon and the Osso Buco.

We Rate Kuma Izakaya:

Address:
233 Hamilton Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.izakayakuma.com/

In Chinese

21 Nautical Miles: Seafood Boil and Beer

August 9, 2016

21 Nautical Miles is a new seafood restaurant in Yaletown. They are best know for their Chinese-style seafood boil, drinks and different types of appetizers.

They are right across from other popular seafood restaurant – Rodney’s. Their menu is quite different.

I was invited by Chinesebites to try a few of their signature items. I was pretty excited since I was going to come visit soon. I love a good seafood boil and the Chinese-style of it really intrigued me.

Interior

The interior is pretty neat. Mostly white with access of colours. I kinda liked it and there are a lot of seats inside for small to large groups.

They also have a second floor

Drinks

They have large beer dispensers and we were surprised they had Innis & Gunn on tap. A good drink to have with their seafood boil.

Seafood Party

To get ready for the Seafood Party, you are give a bib, gloves, chopping board, mallet, utensils and gloves. A good way to stay clean when devouring all the seafood in front of you.

There are 3 sauces to choose from:

black pepper
spicy
garlic butter

These 3 sauces put a twist to the traditional seafood boil most commonly found in the states.

It costs $38.95 per person, but you need a minimum order of 2 people.

The seafood is thrown on the tables, so it is a free for all for those sitting at the table.

Inside the seafood party is crab, prawns,clams, mussels, corn, and potatoes.

The garlic butter was my favourite sauce as it wasn’t too messy to hold the seafood and didn’t overpower the natural sweet taste of the food.

The black pepper was more saucy that the other ones so, you’ll definitely get this all over your hands. Half way through, I had to ditch my gloves so I could get a better handle of the seafood.

The spicy sauce wasn’t bad but it did have spicy Szechuan notes to it.

You really get down and dirty with the meal, good thing there are bigs to shield you from the debris.

You definitely don’t want to be eating this and wearing something expensive.

Appetizers

Golden Fried Calamari with pepper and salt. It has a nice crunch and a good portion to share among friends. I liked it.

House Spicy Spot Prawns had a nice look to it and presentation. When I peeled off the shell, the prawns were overcooked and bland inside. A shame since spot prawns are super delicious and sweet when just boiled.

Chinese Pork Burgers was filled with flavourful pork inside the crisp bun. It was toasted well and tasted good.

Grilled Oysters with cheese is half cooked, so it was a very odd experience eating this. I think I would have preferred raw or cooked, but not half way.

Herbal Coconut Mussels was ok, but I prefer the mussels from the seafood party.The herbal coconut sauce can be soaked up with the bread to enjoy it more.

Garlic Steamed Lobster Tails was very pungent with the strong garlic taste that overpowers the lobster tail.

Abalone is cooked with a house special sauce, which reminds me of sweet prunes. I would have liked the sauce to be lighter so we could taste of the abalone.

Skewers

Lamb skewers were smother in cumin and had a fragrant flavour. It is served on metal skewers, so don’t poke your eye out.

Beef skewers were spiced with cumin too, so it was a bit hard to differentiate from the lamb.

Chicken Satay was moist and not dry at all compared to other places in town.

Pork Skewers are braised for 48 hours. Look at the delicious fatty layers, its basically pork belly.

Dessert

Mango Thousand Layer Cake is flown in from Taiwan and has the layers of crepe, whipped cream and then the mangoes in the centre. It is served with ice cream and topped with more whipped cream. It was good and a good ending to the meal.

Overall, the seafood party is a very popular and fun item to order. The other dishes were a hit and miss. They have a few kinks to work out but can’t go wrong with the seafood party.

We Rate 21 Nautical Miles:

Address:
1257 Hamilton Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://21nauticalmiles.com/

In Cafe

On Yogurt: Ice Fried Yogurt Gelato

March 29, 2016

On Yogurt is located in Yaletown near BC Place. They are the first in Canada to produce Ice Fried Yogurt Gelato. They got their inspiration from Thailand, which is popular to have ice fried ice cream. They decided to bring the technique to Canada and change it to a healthier choice – yogurt. I was close by, so I decided to pop by with a friend.

The interior is cute and has a good amount of seating. When I came in the evening, it wasn’t too busy.

All of their yogurt selection is organic and gluten-free, sourced from local organic farms in BC. They have the yogurt flavours in a pitcher and when you order, they potion it out and begin preparing it.

Check out this timelapse of how it’s all put together. The plate is -35 degrees, so it cools down the yogurt mixture quite quickly to turn it into a cold dessert.

There are over 50 toppings to choose from, so you can be very creative in putting your dessert together.

Matcha Ice Fried Yogurt with Oreos is folded into the yogurt, so its integrated into the yogurt. They also top it off with more oreo bits and 2 chocolate rolled wafers.

Earl Grey Ice Fried Yogurt with Candied Almonds. I thought it would be crushed almonds and they would fold it into the yogurt, but it was just the whole candied almonds on top. Then they added the 2 chocolate rolled wafers.

I found that the ice fried yogurt was super fun to watch them make it. As for the taste of the earl grey yogurt it was really rich and the flavour didn’t really wow me as much.

Overall, it tasted ok, but it didn’t impress me enough for a revisit in the near future. I love the process of them making it, but I feel like if I want dessert, I want to go all out and want full fat. But, thats just me.

For those who want to have healthy dessert options, you can give it a try.

We Rate On Yogurt:

Address:
95 Smithe Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.onyogurt.com/