Category

Fusion

Category

Modern Indian Comfort Food definitely exists in Vancouver and Saucin Staples does it so damn well. They put a lot of love into the menu by crafting up the perfect items that pair with their signature sauces.

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The menu is customizable in 3 easy steps:

  • Staple (Tacos, Samosa, Biryani rice, mac and cheese, sandwich, and tuscan salad)
  • Protein (Chicken, Pork, Beef, Boiled Eggs, Paneer, Mixed Veggies, and Chickpeas)
  • Sauce (Butter masala, Madras Coconut, Cilantro Cream, and Korma)

Upon looking at the menu, I didn’t have a good sense of what to expect, but when I took the first bite, I was in love.

They are now open for dine-in, delivery and take out.

Interior

There are a few tables inside for you to dine-in, but mostly people are doing take out and delivery as it’s so nice outside.

Menu

Mac n Cheese with Chicken and Butter Masala

So cheesy and the chicken and butter masala paired so well to make it a butter chicken mac n cheese. Highly recommended. This is definitely one of the most popular items on the menu and it hits the spot.

Biryani Rice with Beef Korma

This hit the spot and Korma is actually one of my favourite sauces of the 4. This dish was so flavourful that I can’t imagine it with any other combination. Highly recommended.

Samosa with Butter paneer and cilantro cream

It comes with 3 pieces per order and its a good item to share with a few people. The cilantro cream was really good too.

Gulab Jamun Creme Brulee

Incorporating the Gulab Jamun into a creme brulee was nice, but it felt like it didn’t set well and was a bit soupy after I cracked the top.

Mango Lassi

Mango lassi is a classic and a good way to cool down after the meal.

Final Thoughts

Definitely give them a try because it’s insanely good. We highly recommend it. Perfect food to even pair it with a beer.

Address:
1073 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC 

Website:
http://saucinstaples.ca/

There’s a lot of small businesses popping up all over Instagram. I usually decline, but my friends highly recommended the different Food Affare dishes.

Leah of Food Affare is a Red Seal Certified Chef with up to date food safe certifications. All the dishes are created in her home, but I felt safe knowing she has extensive knowledge in the food industry. She started in the hotel industry specializing in Italian cuisine, but a few years ago, she took a step back to focus on balancing family life. She continued working as a chef in the school system, but itching to do something more her style.

With the pandemic, she got the chance to experiment with creating new dishes for friends and family. They nudged her to get Food Affare going and that how it was born.

Menu

How to Order and Pick Up

You can contact them via Direct Message on Instagram or email foodaffare@gmail.com. Then you let them know your details, order, and pick up date.

They do require an e-transfer ahead of the pick up.

Their pick up is Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Richmond near No 5 Road and Steveston.

Mushroom Ravioli

It is on Buerre Noisette with blistered tomatoes, parmesan petals, reduced wine couli, fried capers and olive oil. It’s a pretty solid ravioli dish. Love love love the mushrooms.

Mentaiko Kimchi Udon

The dish has pork belly, onsen egg, and topped with Katsuboshi and scallions. That onsen egg was so good. It adds extra creaminess to the udon.

Slowly Simmered Classic Beef Bolognese

I really enjoyed this dish a lot. So classic but executed very well. It is topped with shaved Regianno in Rigatoni pasta al dente. Great portion size too.

If you have kids, this will be a smash hit with them. My little kid enjoyed it a lot.

Final Thoughts

I would recommend eating it right when you get home for maximum enjoyment when the dish is warm and doesn’t need to be reheated. We had 3 dishes and we enjoyed them a lot. You can tell she doesn’t cut corners at all. Everything is fresh and very flavourful.

The prices are very fair, so it’s you are close to No 5 and Steveston, definitely check them out.

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/foodaffare/

Potluck Hawker Eatery is now open in the Cambie Village area of Vancouver. This is a counter-service style restaurant inspired by the South-East Asian hawker street food markets.

Chef Justin Cheung put his own spin on Malaysian cuisine, paying homage to a comprehensive training of Thai cooking and a nod to a Filipino potluck. It is fantastic and we are all here for it.

Interior

The 993 square-feet restaurant draws inspiration from the ritual of potlucks, where families spend the day in the kitchen preparing their family’s signature dish and contributing to the table – a coming together of stomach-filling, soul-warming dishes. We absolutely love the space and don’t forget to take a selfie in the washroom because it’s amazing. Make sure you go into both washrooms too.

My favourite part is seeing the ingredients that go into the dishes on the walls. its gives it nice character and also transparency in what they cook with.

If anyone blames the smell on you, tell them it’s from the durian wallpaper.

Menu

Thai Iced Tea

One of our favourite drinks and its very nice and refreshing for a summer’s day. Bold tea flavour and they sweeten it with condensed milk. If you want it less sweet, just ask.

Beet Carpaccio

This has spicy fish sauce and lime juice dressing, fried shallots and fresh herbs. You heard that right beet, not beef. It was tangy and refreshing. The chilis give it a nice kick of spice. It really reminded us of butter beef but without the beef or butter.

Burmese Shrimp Ceviche

The dish has cucumber, cherry tomatoes and shrimp lightly pickled in fresh lime juice, fish sauce and chili. Not as flavourful compared to the other dishes but you’ll want to eat this before all the other dishes so the work better together. The shrimp was really nice and fresh in this ceviche.

Salted Egg Yolk Fried Chicken Sando

This beauty has crispy chicken thigh, green mango slaw, tamarind chili jam, in Fife Bakery milk bread. We also got their Malaysian shaker fries as an add-on.

This dish was our favourite. The fried chicken thigh was tender and juicy. It balanced well with the crunchy slaw, salted egg yolk, and jam. The bread was really good, lightly toasted but very soft. The shaker fries has that savoury-sweet flavour combination.

Nasi Goreng

This is an Indonesian style fried rice with house special soy topped with shrimp crackers and fried egg. You can choose to have this with chicken, seafood or tofu. The egg was cooked perfectly to moisten up the fried rice. The rice did end up to be quite moist.

Mama Cheung’s Laksa

This is dish is named after the chef’s mom. It has coconut curry noodle soup with fish cake, prawns, puff tofu, boiled egg and mixed noodle. You can choose to have this with vermicelli or egg noodles. Very flavourful with a kick of spice.

Fish Sauce Caramel Wings

They use free-run Farmcrest chickens from Salmon Arm, BC. It was finger lickin’ good with the pandan infused palm sugar and sesame. Their fried food is exceptional here. The chicken is seasoned as well as the batter so they really get the flavour to shine throughout the wings.

Roti Canai with Condensed Milk

Not the combination that I would have through would work together, but it was simple and tasty. A good way to end the meal.

Final Thoughts

The food at Potluck Hawker Eatery is fantastic and packed with a depth of flavour. The essence of South East Asian cuisine really shines through. A lot of the dishes do use cilantro and spicy peppers, so if you adore that, head on over to Potluck. If you’re not into those flavours, they can accomodate no cilantro and reduced spice levels too. Salted Egg Yolk Fried Chicken Sando is the best.

Highly recommend this place and we just can’t stop thinking about their fried dishes. All so nicely battered and seasoned. Vancouver definitely needed more restaurants like this.

Address:
3424 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.potluckyvr.ca/

Cold Tea Restaurant has now taken over the spot of the historical Tsui Hang Village Restaurant. The veteran owners have reimagined the space and have filled a hole in the market through creating a modern dim sum experience with a Vietnamese twist that is laid-back and accessible to everyone.

We were invited to check out a few of their dishes at Cold Tea Restaurant.

The restaurant’s name is paying homage to the history of the building they have leased, as their predecessor, Tsui Hang Village Restaurant, was notoriously known for serving late night tea pots full of beer, which you could order as “cold tea” after legal serving hours.

Interior

The space seats 130 people seated and 160 people standing, but with the pandemic, they currently can only have a 80 person capacity with social distancing. The space is unpretentious, inviting, modern, earthy, with classic Chinese elements.

Garden Fizz

This cocktail has Hendricks Gin, Pimms no1, strawberry syrup, lemon juice, and egg white. It was a nice drink strong in flavour with citrus notes. The addition of lemon juice made it very refreshing. It is served in a tall glass served with strawberry and fresh mint.

Dark Tea

This mocktail has blackberry tea syrup, black tea, lemon, simple syrup, bitters, and coke. The dominant flavours were of the blackberry and black tea. You can taste the hint of bitters with the coke. There is definitely a lot of depth to this drink. The drink isn’t too fizzy because of the coke. It was a good drink served in a tall glass with blackberry and fresh mint.

Pork Belly Bao

This has braised pork belly, marinated cucumber, pickled red onion, sriracha mayo, and scallions. This bao has a very nice flavour and it was tender.

Big Bird Bao

This other bao has fried chicken thighs, marinated cucumber, pickled red onion, sriracha mayo, and cilantro. It was ok, but we did like the pork belly bao more as it fit more with our flavour preferences.

Vegan Potstickers

We tried the vegan potstickers and it has kobacha squash, coconut cream, and lemongrass. We normally wouldn’t have chosen this option, but the flavour combination surprisingly worked. We wished there were more pieces to an order.

Lai Fun Carbonara

This dish is definitely very fusion. It has lai fun noodles, 5 spiced cured bacon, cream, sous vide egg, parmesan, green onion, and chili threads. This turned out to be very good. It was flavourful and not too salty. Since they do use lai fun noodles, they are more soft in texture than regular al gente pasta.

Green Papaya Salad

This salad has beef jerky, green papaya, cucumber, red bell peppers, cilantro, mint, Thai basil, and a sweet and sour fish sauce. The flavours are very nice and refreshing. A good balance of flavours so nothing is too overpowering. The strips of beef jerky was really good. There is also a vegetarian option with tofu on the menu.

Vietnamese Coffee Creme Brulee

This was a good end to the meal. This has French roast coffee in the creme brulee with condensed milk.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we liked how each dish is thoughtfully put together and well balanced. They really nailed the combination of Chinese and Vietnamese flavours. Well executed and we will definitely be back.

Cold Tea Restaurant is a great addition to the neighbourhood.

Address:
1193 Granville St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.coldtearestaurant.com/

Times are changing with the Covid-19 pandemic and restaurants like Torafuku have created new menu items that are ready to be enjoyed at home. The Torafuku@Home is a new collection of heat-and-serve offerings featuring long-loved favourites and Kuan family recipes. It’s a great way to get a taste of their dishes without dining in.

The new Torafuku@Home dishes come in convenient packaging for storing or freezing; all meals can be prepared within 10 minutes. Each item or meal package is accompanied with reheating instructions. Most items are vacuum-sealed and require only a quick drop into boiling water to reheat.

All menu items can be ordered on their website at www.torafuku.ca

As a family of 7 (8 if you count the little spud), I built our dinner around the Family Meal for 4, then had a few extra items to add to the meal. We also made rice to stretch out the meal. Our family loves a taste of everything.

They have recently launched their regular menu for takeout and delivery. Now, you can have their classics like the Kickass Rice Bowl and Crack Salad. If you really can’t wait to reheat up the meal kits, these ready-to-eat dishes hit the spot.

Pick Up

Orders are available for pickup daily between 3:00pm – 5:00pm from the restaurant.

Delivery Options

Delivery is available for pre-ordered items and is complimentary for orders over $50 within Vancouver. Delivery to Richmond and Burnaby is available with a $10 fee. Delivery service is available daily between 5:00pm – 7:00pm.

Family Meal for 4

I got the family meal for 4 because it was a good way to try an array of items off their Torafuku@Home menu. This serves 4-5 people.

You get:

  • 2 x Yuzu Pomme Puree
  • 1 x Le Tigre Style Pork Belly
  • 1 x Sake Braised Beef Shank
  • 2 x Miso Veggie Chowder
  • 2 x Everyday I’m Brusselin’
  • 1 x Gone Fishing

They have instructions on how to reheat everything and it was easy. Since I was running around with the kid, my sister decided to reheat this slowly using a sous vide machine. Of course you don’t have to be fancy like us, but we just needed an excuse to use it.

Yuzu Pomme Puree

Mashed potato isn’t boring anymore! This has creamy and buttery mashed potatoes with house made yuzu butter and Japanese yuzu peels. It was a bit hard to wrap my head around eating dinner and having an Asian fusion dish of mashed potatoes. It was different but the yuzu was very fragrant and complimented nicely.

Le Tigre Style Pork Belly

The pork belly is braised with orange, star anise, and sweet soy. Tender and melt in your mouth pork belly. Remember to save the sauce and put it on your rice.

Sake Braised Beef Shank

These are sake and soy braised beef shanks with Torafuku house-made chili oil, house-mixed five spices, ginger, and shaoxing wine. This is also the asme beef shanks in the Beef Noodle for 2 kit. The beef shank is thick but still flavourful and tender. Very meaty and was enjoyed.

Miso Veggie Chowder

Miso vegetable chowder has cabbage, carrots, fingerling potatoes, Japanese Kabocha squash and onion. It’s not a thick chowder at all. It’s more like a soup.

Everyday I’m Brusselin’

This salad has grilled brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, balsamic black bean vinaigrette, crunchy chick peas, roasted almonds and crispy quinoa. It is so good. It’s always been my favourite dish. Highly recommended.

Gone Fishing

They take a whole market fish and deep fry it. It is paired with a tamarind sweet and sour sauce, mixed herbs, and fried soybeans sprinkles. This dish is great when you dine in at Torafuku, but the texture of the fish does suffer a bit.

Beef Noodle Soup Kit for 2

There are 4-5 pieces of sake and soy braised beef shanks, 1L of Torafuku beef noodle soup with hand-pulled white noodles (uncooked), Asian sauerkraut, and marinated soft-boiled eggs for 2 people.

The says it serves 2, but you can stretch it to make 4 bowls if you wanted to. The broth has a depth of flavour and a kick of spice. The beef shank just melts in your mouth and is so meaty. The noodles have a nice bounce to them and so enjoyable. Highly recommend this kit!

Pork Napa Stew

This is a traditional Taiwanese stew with marinated pork shoulder, Japanese Napa, shiitake mushroom, enoki mushroom and eggs. Add some rice to this dish and it soaks up all the sauce. The pork shoulder was nice and tender too.

Fried Egg Floss Cabbage Stew

This is Traditional style Taiwanese cabbage stew with wood ear, shiitake mushroom and house made fried eggs floss. Love the crunch of the wood ear mushroom. Definitely reminds me of home cooking. You will want some rice with this too.

Old Grandma’s Tofu

This is Mapo Tofu style with house-blended chili bean paste, green onions, garlic, ginger, and ground pork. There is 16oz in each pouch and easily reheated. It has a depth of aroma to this dish and it wasn’t too spicy at all. Very fragant and is amazing on rice to soak up all the flavour.

Three Cup Chicken

This has Taiwanese-Style saucey pan-fried chicken thigh with ginger, garlic, shaoxing, soy, basil and a touch of Thai chili. Another delicious dish that does great on rice. There is 20oz in the pouch, so its good for 2-3 people. Just make sure to make a pot of rice.

We saved the leftover sauce and added more chicken into it the next day to make a new dish. Their sauces are very very fragrant and can’t be wasted.

Ugly Zongzi (Frozen 2pc)

This is their Southern Taiwanese Style Zongzi, a special nostalgic food with flavoured sticky rice, marinated pork, salted egg yolk and mushroom. It is also paired with Torafuku’s house-blend special condiment.

Each Zongzi is smaller but the quality is nice and very very flavourful. That marinated pork with salted egg yolk is heavenly. It was good to have this in the freezer and ready to heat up either by boiling it or steaming.

I Love Dumpling (Frozen)

There are 20 pieces of frozen classic pork and chive dumplings. This is served with Torafuku’s house-made chili oil vinaigrette. Very good pairing. A quick boil for a few minutes and it’s ready. Very delicious and hits the spot. Can’t go wrong with dumplings.

Lucky Dumpling- Vegetarian (Frozen)

There are 20 pieces of frozen vegetarian dumplings with eggplants, wood ear, konyaku, kale, shiitake mushrooms, and gem tomatoes. This is also paired with the Torafuku house-made chili oil vinaigrette.

Another solid option as we always have frozen dumplings in the freezer. It was delicious and I loved the combinations of veggies inside.

Final Thoughts

Clearly, we have tried a lot of items off the Torafuku@Home. It’s a nice variety of items to choose from for families that are big or small. There are more asian fusion flavours and then the more traditional flavours inspired from Mama Kuan’s recipes.

As they do delivery and takeout, it’s easy to gift these items to friends and family or even enjoy for yourself. Of all the takeout options I’ve had during this pandemic, Torafuku is by far our favourite.

Address:
958 Main St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.torafuku.ca/

Katsuya is a chain out of Toronto that specializes in Japanese Pork Cutlet. A lot of these katsu restaurants have been popping up all over Metro Vancouver. They have 5 locations in total, 4 in Toronto and then 1 in Coquitlam.

They have an extensive menu of katsu with different cuts of pork and a wide range of sauce combinations. We didn’t want to drive all the way to Downtown Vancouver for our go to spot, so we decided to check out Katsuya for lunch.

Interior

The space is quite large but at peak times, it’s pretty busy for lunch and dinner. We came right at 12pm and there were still a few spots left. By 12:40, the place had a little bit of a wait.

Kids

We were surprised they are very kid friendly. There are high chairs for kids and in the women’s washroom, there is a very nice changing table.

Pickles

You get some pickled spicy cabbage before the meal begins.

Miso Soup

The miso soup arrives before the meal too. It was decent miso soup, but nothing too interesting. It is unlimited, so if you want more, you need to flag a server down. When its busy, it might take a little while too.

Cheese Crabmeat Croquette

We started off by sharing the cheese crabmeat croquette which comes with a good amount of pieces and the size is quite large. Each croquette is stuffed with cheese and is dripping with sauce. It looks quite nice.

When it arrives at the table, it’s really crispy and piping hot. It was good but I was looking for a bit more cheese inside.

Carbonara Katsu

We got the carbonara katsu with pork tender. They drench the katsu with their special carbonara sauce made to order using fresh cream, shrimp, squid, bacon, and vegetables. It’s a different take on the classic katsu with curry.

The carbonara was ok, but was a bit odd to have so much seafood in the sauce. We would have preferred a good simple cheesy carbonara sauce without the seafood.

The katsu is large and filled us up so quickly that we could barely finish it. There is unlimited miso soup and cabbage on the side. The dish was good, but it is pricy.

Brick Cheese Katsu

The Brick Cheese Katsu is stuffed with premium brick mozzarella cheese which is wrapped inside with pork loin. There are only a limited quality available per day. When it comes out, the brick cheese is warm. It still has a cheesy pull to it when you bite into it, but it cools down quickly.

Final Thoughts

A lot of people will wonder, how does this compare to Saku in Vancouver. It’s different and Katsuya is a bit fusion and has fun with their sauce combinations. I find the quality of katsu at Saku is higher but portions to be a bit smaller. Katsuya is much superior than Daeji.

Also, even though the miso soup and cabbage is unlimited, you need to ask. They won’t take the initiative to ask you if you would like more.

If you don’t want to travel far for katsu, Katsuya is a good option in Coquitlam. There are still lots of items on the menu we didn’t try.

Address:
555 Clarke Rd #8, Coquitlam, BC 

Website:
https://katsuya.ca/

Dine Out Vancouver begins today and we got a sneak peak of the $45 Torafuku dinner menu. If you don’t have your reservations yet, book them now as its 80% all filled up. Unlike last year, they do not have a Dine Out lunch option this year, but their regular lunch menu is available and it’s quite fantastic.

5 courses shared plates with a minimum of 2 people is a great price. You get to pick and choose the courses you want from the menu and it’s a pretty solid menu to check out their classic dishes or some new ones.

Menu

Bread & Butter

The meals starts off with warm baguette with their daily spread.

Got Beef

This dish is wagyu beef tartar, galbi sauce, quails’ egg yolk, charred pineapple puree, crispy rice puff, and wasabi greens. It’s also a gluten-free dish on the menu too. The crispy rice puffs is a great texture to go with the beef tartar. Very good flavours.

Calamari + Caesar

There is calamari hiding inside the warm romaine salad, which is topped with shaved parmesan, radishes, tempura crisp, and their sake kasu miso Caesar dressing. The dressing and miso go so well together. I was so surprised. One of my favourite dishes.

Garden Party

Named after Torafuku’s dedicated florist – Garden Party Flowers. This dish is gorgeous and made of burrata, lollarosa, oakleaf lettuce, radicchio, Belgium endive, tofu pear butter, roasted kabocha squash, edible flowers, and a lemon shallot chardonnay vinaigrette.

It’s so vibrant and delicious. The burrata just melts in your mouth. It’s just that good.

Donald Duck Confit

This has pieces of duck, peking duck style salad, arugula, grapefruit, micro herbs, dumpling crisp, taro chips, hoisin plum vinaigrette. Another fun dish. Good textures from the crisps and well balanced.

Kingsman Eggsy

This is a Chawanmushi mushroom steamed egg royale with winter root vegetables, and seaweed. It is gluten-free and vegetarian. The savoury egg custard is so delicate and the flavours are light and the go with each other.

Everyday I’m Brusseling

This is a classic item on the menu and it’s so popular. It has fried brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, crispy quinoa, chickpeas, roasted almond, and a black bean balsamic vinaigrette. I’ve had this dish so many times and it rocks. Textures and flavours are all there. Highly recommend if this is your first time here.

Highest Steak

This has AAA Striploin Steak, saute kimchi, pickled cipolini onion, French beans, root veggies, fingerling potato, and a tamari brown butter beef jus. This dish is gluten-free and it was delicious as always. The steak is beautifully cooked and that brown butter beef jus hits the spot.

Why So Shellfish

This dish is a bit lighter and it has seared scallop, risotto, fermented radish, swirl egg, kalamansi watercress salad, and black bean brown butter sauce. The risotto is nice and creamy with the deliciously seared scallops.

Magic Mushroom

This has Bucatini pasta, mixed mushroom, lemon essence, kale, gem tomato, onion, yuzu brown butter, ricotta cheese, and gremolata. This was ok and a filling dish but it was a tad on the salty side.

Humble Pie

This is a dessert newer on the menu and it is a Japanese Kabocha squash pie topped with brown sugar bobba. The execution of this dish was a bit off when we dined here, so the pie and bobba were a bit dense.

Magic Stick

This is a staple dessert and it’s been on their menu for some time. It has chocolate ganache, hazelnut feuilletine, raspberry coulis, and coffee mascarpone mousse. Good for the chocolate lovers.

Milk & Cookie

This has a Thai milk tea panna cotta with coconut brown butter caramel, and a sesame cookie. The Thai tea was very nice and strong. Very fragrant and it was enjoyable. My favourite dessert of the evening.

Final Thoughts

Overall, if it’s your first time dining at Torafuku, it’s a good introduction to their menu with the limited Dine Out Vancouver menu. There are only limited reservation spots left, so if you luck out, they still have lunch service for their regular lunch menu. If you can’t make itout for dine out either, their Omakase is amazing too.

Address:
958 Main Street, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://torafuku.ca/

Pidgin is back for Dine Out Vancouver 2020 with a 6 course menu for $45. The meal is shared family style and they have an omnivore and vegetarian option available. The 6 dishes are shared among a minimum of 2 people. They regular menu is also available during this time.

Omnivore Menu

Vegetarian Menu

Interior

Whether you are with a small or large group, the space is very inviting. In the evening, its dim inside and sets the mood.

Fried Brussel Sprouts

The mean starts off with pickled turnips, miso dressing, fennel and caraway salt, and a brown butter crumb. Very delicious and I just love the miso dressing with the brown butter crumb.

Tuna Tartare

The next dish is paired with pickled mustard seeds, mentaiko mayo, shallots, chives, shiso, and lotus root chips. With all the other ingredients in this tuna tartare, the flavour of the tuna itself blended in the background so all you can really taste was the dominant mentaiko mayo.

Cultivated Mushrooms

This dish was my favourite of the night since I absolutely adore mushrooms and eggs. There is yuzu-soy brown butter, truffle celeriac puree and a ramen egg. It was very delicious with a lot of umami but it was a touch salty.

Sablefish

The sablefish is surrounded by a seafood dashi, side stripe prawns, shoyu dashi, potato, wakame, and enoki. The sablefish was undercooked so the centre of it was still raw. Besides that, the dashi broth was very nice.

Magret Duck Breast

This has a hoisin glaze and it is paired with radish cake and Chinese greens. The duck breast was beautifully cooked and it is a great melding of Asian and French cultures in this dish. The radish cake was a bit on the salty side as well. The duck was well rendered and flavourful.

Yuzu Creme Brulee

For dessert, the yuzu creme brulee also has sudachi pepper, and candied castelvetrano olives. I wasn’t a fan of the candied olives.

Beet Tartare

The beet Tartare replaces the tuna tartare on the omnivore menu. this also has mustard seed, celeriac, mirepoix, and lotus chips. I was very surprised by this and absolutely loved it. Well balanced in flavour and would never have thought it would make a great beet tartare.

Vegetable Oden

This dish replaces the Sablefish in the Omnivore menu. There is tofu, cabbage, squash, enoki, wakame, potato, daikon, and garlic oil. This dish has a lot of different components and it is a nice little oden. Different textures work well together.

Carnaroli Risotto

This dish replaces the Magret Duck Breast on the Omnivore Menu. There are sunchokes, miso butter, pecorino, and spruce tip oil. The sunchokes were delicious and was a pretty decent vegetarian risotto.

Drink Pairings

You can add $40 for drink pairings for all 6 dishes which include 2 white wines, 2 sakes, 1 red wine, and 2 cocktails. Not a bad deal for 6 drinks.

If you love a variety of drinks, this is for you. They take a lot of care into pairing each beverage with the dishes.

Oyster Shot

This is an add on item for $4.50 if you choose to add it to your meal. It has a raw oyster on the bottom and topped with a horseradish emulsion, and celery lime granite.

Beef Tendon Chicharron

A lot of work going into these beef tendon chicharron and it shows. It is then topped with gochugaru citrus spice for extra dimension of flavour.

Daily Pickles

For $5 extra, you can get a tasting of their daily pickles that change regularly. It’s nice to munch on them before the meal begins.

Final Thoughts

It’s great they try to keep it as close to their prix-fixe experience where you get to try a variety of items on the menu. The dishes in the omnivore menu had a few technical issues, but the vegetarian was pretty good. They got creative with the dishes and I enjoyed it a lot more.

What sets Pidgin apart is that you get to try 6 dishes instead of the standard 3 for Dine Out. If you want to add more to the menu, they have such a flexible menu for additional add-ons.

Address:
350 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.pidginvancouver.com/

Blossom Dim Sum & Grill has come up with their Fall and Winter Menu for 2019. We were excited to check this out to see what else they have been crafting up to meld the East and West flavours.

The lunch menu is more reflective of the East, which dinner is West. We were invited to get a taste of these new dishes.

Quinoa Salad

This was a vibrant dish and a good light and healthy dish to start off the meal. This also has roasted beets, kale, mango, avocado, spicy pumpkin seeds, and grilled lemon vinaigrette.

This dish does definitely represent the East with the use of beets, kale, avocado, and quinoa. 

Char Siu Octopus Salad

This was one of our favourite dishes. On the place is also fried rice, kale salad, yuzu and katsu Salad.

The Char Siu Octopus salad had a depth of flavour and was tender. The kale salad on top adds a nice element to the dish.

Albacore Tuna Crudo

Do note, the image pictured is of a smaller portion and does not represent a normal serving size. The crudo is paired with ponzu, sesame oil, pickled daikon, and avocado.

The flavours are fresh and the ponzu sauce pairs really well with the Albacore tuna crudo.


Sushi Ball

There are 5 sushi balls in an order. There are the flavours:

  • Sockeye Salmon
  • BBQ Eel
  • Crab Meat
  • Kimchi Cucumber
  • Avocado

This has more of a fusion dish and not authentic, it’s more fusion in a sense. The rice could have been a bit better with more vinegar and less hard.

Risotto Lotus Wrap

This was an interesting dish to see risotto in a lotus wrap when it’s usually sticky rice. There is also Chantelle mushroom and chicken in the filling.

The mushroom definitely stands out and was delicious. The butter and cream from the risotto was balanced by the essence of the lotus leaves.

Sui Mai Ravioli

This is paired with a soft egg yolk, minced pork, prawn, wild boar bacon, and a arugula tomato salad. There is also a parmesan crisp on top too for added texture.

It was a really good dish as the flavours meld really well together with excellent textures.

West Lake Style Sweet & Sour Steelhead

The steelhead also comes with a carrot and ginger puree, and wok fried baby Bok Choy. The sweet and sour glaze wasn’t very prominent, but more subtle.

Canadian Prime Beef Short Rib

This is made with Root beer to give it a sweeter taste and balanced with bourbon. It is served with Asian coleslaw and kimchi.

You have a bit of sweetness, saltiness, and a hint of spice to balance the dish out. The short ribs were also very tender. One of our other favourite dishes.

Wok Fried Assorted Vegetable

There is broccoli, black fungus, carrot, lotus root, and lily bulb in this medley. A good dish to balance out the other meaty dishes.

Mango Pomelo Soup Cheesecake

The base is a lemon cheesecake that is more frozen and hard. On top is the mango pomelo soup the falls down one the plastic film is lifted.

The mango pomelo soup is delicious, but would have live the cheesecake to be a bit softer or be a spongecake instead.

Final Thoughts

The menu does have some hits and misses and is truly East meet West, but more on the East for lunch. They serve items that you wouldn’t normally find anywhere else.

Our favourite items that we tried were the Canadian Prime Beef Short Rib, Sui Mai Ravioli, and Char Siu Octopus Salad.

Address:
808 Bute St, Vancouver, BC V6E 1Y4

Website:
https://blossomdimsum.com/

Torafuku celebrates their 4th year anniversary with a special omakase set. Omakase is a Japanese term that means “I’ll leave it up to you”, where the meal consists of dishes selected by the chef. I absolutely love these dining experiences as you get a taste of what the restaurant offers.

Their options are 7 course omakase for $45 per person or 10 courses for $55 per person, with amuse bouche and bonbons added on top. It is an awesome deal and only available during dinner until September 22, 2019.

Ever since they started Le Tigre food truck back in 2012, I was a huge fan because of their Kick Ass Rice Bowl. The sauces and flavours were just so good and addictive. As Torafuku opened up in 2015, it was exciting since I work just a few blocks away. There are usually great deals to be had here whether it be their lunch menu, Dine Out Vancouver, or their omakase.

We covered their regular $45 omakase a few months ago when I dined with my family. It was a great menu, so when they launched their 4th year anniversary omakase, I was excited to return. The 10 courses for $55 per is a steal and you will be bursting from the seams.

Here is a quick look at the dishes.

Amuse Bouche

The amuse bouche arrive to give us a taster before the menu starts.

  • Marinated Tomatoes with Shiso Leaf
  • Cheese Terrine with Hibiscus Jelle
  • Forged Mushroom Tart with Yuzu

A nice touch and I absolutely loved the mushroom tart. I am a huge huge fan of mushrooms.

Rabbit Food

This has a base of kale salad with gem tomatoes, lemon juice, grated parmesan, quinoa crunch, anchovy buttermilk dressing.

I absolutely love this dish and yes, I can make friends with salad. Props to you if you understood that reference. The salad is well balanced and love the quinoa brunch.

Chef’s Daily Sushi Rolls

Kick Ass Rice 3.0 roll has torched pork belly, furikake, cucumber, avocado, shiso, miso mayo, and fuku hot sauce.

Dy-No-Mite roll has prawn tempura, avocado, cucumber, steelhead salmon, mango and 7 spice aioli.

Both rolls were delicious and very flavourful. They really know how to balance the flavours and textures.

Fuku Style Kushiyaki – Cherry Tomato, Mochi and Corn

The mochi was so good. It is a house handmade sticky rice cake on stick, prepared daily with furikake and miso mayo. The corn was addictive and we couldn’t stop eating it. Corn is in season, so it was so good a naturally sweet.

Catch of the Day

This is their daily fresh fish ceviche. It was really good and fresh!

Higher Steak

This delectable dish has Wagyu beef tataki, cabbage slaw, crispy garlic, scallions, and citrus ponzu. This was a great dish as well. The tender and fatty beef goes so well with the ponzu.

Everyday I’m Brusselin’

This has Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, black bean balsamic vinaigrette, crispy chick peas, fried quinoa, and toasted almonds.

I love the abundance of vegetables in this omakase and the textures and flavours were so on point.

G-Tao’s Chix Wings

This has fried chix wings tossed in General Tao’s secret sauce and has broccoli on the side. I found it was overly sauced and sweet for my personal liking.

The Steak Out

This is made with a beautiful AAA rib eye 12oz., charcoal grilled, tamari butter, chimichurri, and seasonal veggies. So good! Who knew tamari butter would be so addictive with rib eye. Cooked perfectly too.

Gone Fishin’

This has a crispy whole market fish, toasted shrimp, crispy shallots, soy bean crumble, tamarind sweet and sour sauce. The fish that was available when were were there was sea bream, which has a nice meaty texture.

They debone it table side and its always a fun sight.

Mango Madness

This is served in a jar with Coconut Panna Cotta, mango sago and passion-fruit puree. The subtle coconut flavour in the panna cotta go really well with the mango.

Magic Stick

Chocolate Ganache, hazelnut feuilletine, raspberry coulis, and vanilla orange. It was rich and chocolaty which I enjoyed. The salt on top enhances the flavour too and gives it a salt and sweet combination.

Featured Anniversary Cocktails

In addition to the menu, they have a few featured cocktails to celebrate their anniversary and they are $16 each.

All 3 drinks are outstanding! They have an amazing cocktail program and the drinks are top notch.

Tom Yum Caesar

Suntory Roku Gin, fresh gem tomatoes, Thai spices and herbs, lime, fish sauce and cilantro.

Passion Libre

Los siete misterios doba-yej Mezcal, fernet branca, egg white, passionfruit, iron goddess tea syrup, and red Thai chilis.

XOXO

Calvados Brandy, Grand Marnier, lemon, pandan syrup, and Bitter Sling crabapple bitters.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully you’re able to make it for their 4th Anniversary Omakase as it’s quite a steal for either the 7 course or 10 course option. Only available until September 22nd 2019, but a lot of the dishes are on their regular menu.

Alternatively, you can order off the regular menu or call them to reserve omakase for your group. They are really easy to work with if there are dietary restrictions. I’ve always had a good time here when I dine with friends and family.

Address:
958 Main St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://torafuku.ca/

Ancora Waterfront Dining & Patio is releasing their brunch menu and I’m pretty darn excited because this makes having a taste of Ancora more affordable and more people can get a taste of their Japanese and Peruvian inspired dishes.

During brunch hours at both False Creek and Ambleside locations, the lunch menu is also available if you choose to select some other items off that menu.

We were invited to check out the brunch menu and a few other features also available during brunch time.

Interior

We were dining at their Ambleside location and the space is stunning. They were able to take inspiration from fishing nets and other boating object and incorporate it into their space. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

Complimentary bread

I love complimentary bread! This was slices of brioche and focaccia with a hummus spread. It was pretty good and not the usual bread and butter.

[Brunch Menu]

Soft Shell Crab Taco

The soft shell crab taco is topped with mango salsa, harissa emulsion, seaweed, ikura, and micro greens. It sits on top of 2 grilled taco shells and a slice of lime.

I ordered this dish since I love soft shell crab it was good as the harissa emulsion added more depth to the taste of this dish.

Dungeness Crab Benny

The dungeness crab is served with Botanical greens, nori spiced baby potatoes, and a miso hollandaise. The eggs are poached perfectly, so when you cut into the egg, it runs. If you want it to be less runny, you can request it done however you like.

Forbidden Rice Peruvian Paella

One of their specialities at Ancora is paella. This brunch version has black cod croquettes, rocoto aioli and fried egg.

Flank Steak Burger

The burger is cooked medium rare and it also has rocoto aioli, aged cheddar, yucas bravas, and we added a fried egg to it. It’s not brunch without a fried gooey egg. Those yuca fries are so damn good. Super crisp!

[Lunch Menu]

The brunch menu isn’t extensive, but their lunch menu is also available to order from.

Spider Roll

Inside the roll has soft shell crab, masago and asparagus. There are 8 pieces to a roll and good for sharing among the table.

Sashimi

There is fresh sashimi on the table and we go the chef to decide what to add to ours. there is wild salmon and hamachi. Each order comes with 5 pieces each.

Ceviche Mixto

This bowl of delicious ceviche has mussels, scallops, shrimp, crispy squid, seaweed, and yam. I like the different textures of this bowl. There is acidity, there is sweetness and it really compliments the seafood.

Peruvian Style Paella

Their lunch paella is different than the brunch version. This has halibut, chorizo, corn, baby shrimp, and pico de gallo.

Donburi Rice Bowl

This beautiful dish has uni, wild salmon, marinated ikura, sushi rice, and acevichado sauce. There is ginger and wasabi on the side too.

Brussel Sprouts

If you want something extra with your meal, they offer sides. Can’t go wrong with the deep fried Brussel sprouts.

[Dessert]

Spiced Picarones

These are like mini donuts covered in candied pecans, and spiced syrup. Then it is served with lucuma ice cream. A good dessert to share. I loved the combination of spices and its not too sweet.

Suspiro de Chocolata

This has a plate of chocolate pot de creme, mazamorra morada, green apple, sweet cream and lime ice cream. This has mostly a dominate chocolate taste but the hints of apple paired well.

Pineapple and Corn

This has white chocolate mousse, roasted pineapple and corn meringue. Man, this dessert as good. The pineapple was very bright and vibrant. One of my favourite desserts.

The Nikkei

This has passion fruit, blonde chocolate mousse, lucuma, and sesame seeds. This was also really good! The passionfruit was pretty darn good! Another one of my favourite desserts.

Strawberry ‘Tea’

This has a base of cream cheese panna cotta, almond, and irigome hojicha jelly.

It’s the perfect time to get this as strawberries are in season. Sweet and delicious when paired with the panna cotta.

[Drinks]

Mimosa

A classic brunch beverage of champagne and orange juice. It was delicious but it could have used more champagne.

Chicha Morada

This is one of the mocktails and it has steeped purple corn, spices, and lime.

Latte

If you need caffeine like me, I got at latte.

Final Thoughts

The brunch menu is solid, but I do like having the option to choose from the lunch menu too. It definitely opens up more choices for more people to try different things. The dishes are great and I would highly recommend getting dessert.

If you have a big appetite, they also have their Prix-fixe lunch menu launch as well.

Address:
1351 Bellevue Ave, West Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.ancoradining.com/

Living in Vancouver, how can you not love seafood? There are over 615 sushi restaurants in Vancouver according to the Vancouver Sun. One of the most popular cuisines in Vancouver is Japanese and items like fresh sashimi, sushi rolls, and dons are what local and visitors can’t get enough of. We are very fortunate to be located right by the Pacific Ocean and have fresh seafood come in as well as imported goods as we have one of the biggest ports in Vancouver.

There are a lot of Japanese restaurants that have a Korean twist on their menu that differentiates them from others. Of course they have the popular items but use some Korean influenced ingredients which creates a new niche of Japanese cuisine. Somewhat like a low key Korean-Japanese fusion that people talk about but don’t really promote.

Ton Ton Sushi on Cambie Street is a great example. We were invited to check our a few of their signature dishes.

Interior

There are tables for small to large groups. Given the area, there were families dining here as well and lots of rooms for strollers to get between the seats. These are the little things I look for nowadays as I’ve become a parent.

Menu

Drunken Asari Sakamushi

This is sake-steamed clams and they are pretty good. The sake’s alcohol content is burned off as it cooks, which leaves a delicious both that pairs with the clams.

Crab Dip

This has mixed real snow crab and imitation crab with mayo and then baked with cheddar cheese. Was a bit strange and didn’t like this.

Takoyaki

Takoyaki is octopus pieces battered and cooked into a ball shape. It’s a classic Japanese street food and it’s pretty enjoyable. It is topped with katsu sauce, mayo and bonito flakes.

As there are multiple pieces, it’s a good item to share among the table.

Ebi Fry

Deep fried tempura shrimp with a dip is good to start the meal and share if you have a group. Crisp on the outside and delicious sweet shrimp inside.

Ton Ton Tower

Ton Ton Tower is made of a base of crab meat and then topped with salmon and tuna sashimi, as well as tobiko. Around the dish are garlic chips, capers and olive oil.

Salmon Sashimi

Very fresh and delicious. The prices are very fair here too.

Ame Ebi

The ame ebi, which are shrimp known for their sweet taste.

Unagi Hot Stone Stowl

This has a base of rice, BBQ unagi kizami nori, tamago and it’s served in a hot stone bowl. This is one of the more expensive items on the menu, but it is filling and easily shared.

Kimchi Mentaiko Udon

This has pan-fried udon with cod roe, kimchi and bacon, green onion, and bonito fish flakes. This was pretty tasty and the creaminess of the sauce went well with the acidity of the kimchi.

Tara Nabe

This has black cod, tofu and mushroom in soup. Very hearty dish and served in a boiling hot pot. It’s really great on a cold winters day.

Dragon Roll

The dragon roll is like a California roll but topped with unagi, avocado, sesame seeds and sauce. They even presented it like a dragon too.

Oshi Sushi

There are many varieties of Oshi Sushi, which are pressed nigiri on the menu – Ebi, Salmon, Spicy Tuna, Saba, Hamachi, Unagi, etc.

Final Thoughts

Ton Ton Sushi is a solid restaurant in the area for Japanese food with a hint of Korean influence in their dishes. The prices are solid and it’s a good place for families to enjoy lunch or dinner if you’re close by the area.

Website:
4018 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://sushitonton.com/

Black Rice Izakaya is always innovating their menu and trying to use the freshest produce for the season. As it is now Summer, they’ve launched some new items to pair with the beautiful hot Vancouver weather.

We were invited to check out a few of these dishes.

Miso Ceviche

The miso ceviche is served with taro chips. It was a delicious dish that was fresh and light. The crisp texture of the taro chips paired well with the acidity of the ceviche.

Soy Chicken Karaage

This is Korean fried chicken and you can request it at different spice levels. We got mild and there was only a little spark of spice, so that was good for those who can’t handle spicy. The chicken is deep fried twice and its crisp and tastes great.

Ika Feast

The ika is cooked two ways – grilled and fried. The deep fried ika was delicious, which is essentially calamari. The grilled ika was very plump and grilled quite well so its tender with good depth of flavour. The sauces that accompany this dish was great to dunk into.

Spicy Cold Sashimi Soup

Spicy cold sashimi soup is Mul-hoi in Korean. It was served with sea bass today, but it can depend on Chef’s choice sashimi – The sea bass was so good as it was fresh and sweet. The soup base does have a kick of spice to it.

Pad Thai Yaki Soba

This is their version of Pad Thai and Yaki Soba combination. It leans more towards a Pad Thai, but with soba noodles. It was good but we still prefer the chew of Pad Thai noodles.

Final Thoughts

The new dishes as part of their Sumer menu is asian fusion for sure which is reminiscent of their other dishes on the menu. The dishes were food and worth a try and the sashimi is very fresh.

Address:
782 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC

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

Blossom Dim Sum & Grill is Robson Street’s newest social hub and a gathering spot for a sit-down meal or some small bites and drinks on the patio.

They just launched their happy hour menu, which happens everyday at 3-5pm and 10pm to midnight.

We were invited to give their happy hour menu a try.

Interior

This space is huge and they have done wonders decorating this place from head to toe. You can have small to really large groups at Blossom.

The decor is very fun and Asian inspired.

They have more casual dining by the sushi bar, patio, dining room & a private room as well.

White Sangria

On the happy hour menu is also their sangria. It’s perfect for the Summer weather.

Vegetable Spring Roll

There are 6 pieces per order (3 cut into halves). Crisp on the outside and savoury on the inside. For $3.50, it’s a pretty good price.

Pork Dumping , Napa Cabbage

There are 3 pieces per order. These are very big dumplings using fresh ingredients. When you bite into them, there is some juice inside but doesn’t leak.

Olives

An ingredient you don’t normally find in Chinese cooking. It comes in a variety of Italian and Spanish Olives. It’s served warm in olive oil.

Edamame

These are steamed soy beans tossed in smoked salt. It’s good to nibble on throughout the meal.

Potato Chips

The potato chops are house fried with spicy Asian ketchup. These were like rotato you would find at the night market but in chip format. Pretty good deal for $3.50 on the happy hour menu.

Crispy Prawn Dumplings

There are 3 pieces to an order and it came with a dip too. A good texture of the deep-fried dumpling skin and the delicious salty prawn meat inside.

Crispy California Roll

The California roll has crab meat and avocado inside the deep fried rice roll. Delicious and great to share with a group.

Spicy Albacore Tuna Tartare

There is wasabi soy, avocado, mixed greens, serreno, and Sichuan spicy mayo. It was delicious and it had a kick of wasabi that travels up the nose.

Lotus Korean Spicy Tuna

This dish may not look like much but the lotus chip wrap with the spicy Korean sauce was really delicious. Not too spicy and was one of our favourite dishes.

Fish Pate

The fish pate is served with rice crackers. It was very interesting to see it this way as it reminded us of a crab dip.

Smoked Salmon

This is house smoked and served with creme fraiche, capers, chilli oil and baguette. Together the items worked together to make a 2 bite treat.

The texture of the smoked salmon is a bit different and chunky.

Beef Tartare

This is made of hand cut tenderloin, mustard and herbs. It is then served with potato chips. This was decent.

Lobster Leg Fries

Now that’s something I haven’t heard of before but it makes sense! You get a good amount for only $6.50.

Final Thoughts

The happy hour menu is truly East meets West. You have a lot of fusion dishes that you would not normally see. We enjoyed the lobster fries, potato chips, crispy California roll, and lotus Korean spicy tuna.

If you want to get a taste of what Blossom has to offer, check out Happy Hour as its very affordable. They also don’t use MSG in all dishes. Items are between $3.5 and $6.5. The dishes are meant to be shared, which is great for groups.

With their beautiful interior, its good to grab a drink and some nibbles to catch up with friends.

Address:
808 Bute St, Vancouver, BC V6E 1Y4

Website:
https://blossomdimsum.com/

Bovine Rice Bowls has been hiding in Downtown Vancouver serving up Pan-Asian rice bowls. I work Downtown and I can’t believe I haven’t heard of this place until now. They have been around for the past year and their 1 year anniversary is coming up in a few days.

They pride themselves of using great local ingredients and striking up partnerships with companies like Fife Bakery and Food Peddlers to name a few.

Interior

They are a counter-service restaurant with sit-down and take-out lunch service on weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The space is very small, but there are a few seats inside and outside. Most people grab their items to go.

Steak Bowl

Each piece of steak is draped over white rice and finished with different sauces, onsen egg and greens. A hearty bowl of steak, egg and rice where you can’t go wrong at all. It’s comforting and the flavours hit the spot.

Roast Beef Bowl

The delicious and tender roast beef sits on top of rice and topped with green, sauce, and an onsen egg. Each bite I had, I really enjoyed.

Just look at that roast beef, it’s beautiful. The ratio of meat and rice was good too.

Signature Garden

This is their vegetarian option and I was pleasantly surprised by this dish. This has a rotating blend of fresh veggies including crispy cauliflower, yam, baby potatoes, carrots, green beans, eggplant and tofu over a rich Japanese curry.

Their curry sauce is just so good and the different textures of the crisp tofu and veggies work very well. If this can impress a meat eater, it’s pretty darn good.

Rotating Specials: Creole Jambalaya

They have rotating specials as the 4th item on the menu. Last week it was the Creole Jambalaya with slow roasted chicken, andouille sausage and shrimp. The sauce has a bit of a kick of spice, shrimp was large and plump too.

Roast Beef Sandwich

This is specially launched for their one year anniversary and only available until quantities last. To thank customers for a successful first year, the first 30 customers at the restaurant on Wednesday, June 26 will receive a free Roast Beef Sandwich, no purchase necessary. To continue the anniversary celebrations, the sandwich will be offered at 50% off ($6) between Wednesday, June 26, to Friday, June 28 until supplies last.

This sandwich has slow-roasted Canadian Ribeye, fried free-range egg, caramelized onion jam, horseradish kewpie, fresh cucumber, pickled watermelon radish, sunflower sprouts, Japanese-style milk bread by Fife Bakery) served alongside kettle chips for $12.

I took one bite of this and loved it! The texture and the flavours go so well together. You can really taste the quality of the ingredients inside. I hope they bring this back permanently because this was so good.

Final Thoughts

Overall, their menu is refined and only has a few items so its great for those who are indecisive. All the items I really enjoyed, but my top favourites is the Roast Beef Sandwich and the Signature Garden. They are my favourites as they were the most surprising to me. The steak and the roast beef bowls were great too.

This is Asian comfort food. Simple, yet well executed. A great hidden spot to grab a lunch in Downtown, Vancouver. Highly recommended.

Address:
1050 W Pender St unit #118, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.bovinebowls.com

PiDGiN has launched their newest Happy Hour menu which happens every day from 5 – 6pm at their bar. A short window of time but there are some good deals especially if you love sake. How can you not if you’re a sake lover?

We were invited for a sneak peek of their happy hour offerings.

Bar

As the happy hour is only offered at the bar, you’ll get a front row seat of the bartending action. One of my favourite places to eat at is the bar because it’s more interactive.

Happy hour is best spent with a friend, drinks and some nibbles.

Menu

Beef Chicharrones

The beef chicharrones were my favourite item on the menu. Simple but the spices that they add on top has a tiny kick of spice, salty, but works well together. It is on the menu with beer and it’s a perfect pairing. The crunchy texture of the chicharrones and the malty effervescent beer.

Yakitori

The yakitori is ordered per piece. You can choose from heart, skin or thighs. They don’t have the deep charcoal flavour in these skewers, but it was well prepared. Surprisingly, the hearts were my favourite. It was tender and quite flavourful. The thighs were tender and very juicy. The skin was ok, but it would have been nice if the fat was rendered a bit more.

Hando Katsu Sando

The katsu and kewpie mayo is sandwiched between milk bread. The katsu reminded me of corned beef that is breaded and deep-fried. The milk bread was very toasty and hard that is was a bit rough on the mouth.

Tempura

The tempura that they had was Shiso Wrapped Rockfish and Prawn and served with ponzu sauce. It was surprisingly really good. I loved the combination and it worked.

Sake Flights

Sake is 50% during this happy hour and they boast a wide selection. Two of my favourites were the:

  • Niwa no Uguisu, Junmai Daiginko
  • Masumi Kippuku Kinju, Junmai Ginjo, Yamahai

I was never into sake but these two were smooth and enjoyed cold.

Final Thoughts

Overall, there are some good bites that go well with beer, wine, cocktails, and sake. The menu isn’t extensive, but there is just enough for happy hour.

Address:
350 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.pidginvancouver.com/

Torafuku serves up Asian fusion cuisine and they are located right outside Chinatown in Vancouver. They have won award after award for their exceptional innovative dishes.

Torafuku does a variety of Omakase Dinner menus for large groups. Since it was my mom’s birthday, we decided to come here for a group of 7. My sister emailed Torafuku and organized the menu, we made some minor tweeks to the $45 menu and it also does not include drinks or desserts.

Interior

There is a long communal table and booth seating, so it is good for small to large groups. You can book your table ahead of time so you’re guaranteed a seat for your party.

Yuzu Lemon Soda

This is made of yuzu lemon juice, simple syrup and soda. It was really good! It surprised us and my husband got 2 of them.

Sushi Set

This come with 4 kinda of Torafuku style sushi rolls, which individually is on their regular dinner menu.

Kick Ass Rice 3.0 roll has torched pork belly, furikake, cucumber, avocado, shiso, miso mayo, and fuku hot sauce.

Dy-No-Mite roll has prawn tempura, avocado, cucumber, steelhead salmon, mango and 7 spice aioli.

Get in my Belly roll has spicy tuna belly, cucumber, avocado, and fuku hot sauce.

Eat Yo Veggies roll has enoki mushrooms, arugula, cucumber, avocado, toasted quinoa, and chimi.

All 4 rolls were pretty good and not your traditional sushi rolls. We did enjoy the variety that came.

Rabbit Food

This was the salad that came with the meal, it is a kale salad with gem tomatoes, lemon essence, grated Parmesan, quinoa crunch, Chinese prosciutto, and an anchovy buttermilk dressing.

This was a hit and we really liked the saltiness of the anchovy dressing, the texture of the quinoa crunch, and each ingredient brought the whole salad together.

Grilled Skewer Set

There were 4 types of skewers that arrived throughout the meal.

Asparagus topped with gremolata and salt. This was the seasonal vegetable.

Cherry tomato with basil and plum powder.

Beef Meatball with nori and 7 spiced mayo. This was my husbands favourite of the night as it was juicy and full of flavour.

Pork jowl with oroshi, ponzu and green onion. This was my favourite of the 4 skewers.

The skewers were decent, but Zakkushi is still better for all things skewers. It was just missing the deep charcoal flavour.

General Tao’s Chicken Wings

These wings are deep-fried to perfections, slathered with their secret sauce and served with broccoli on the side. The exterior is crisp with the sweet sauce coating it. Then the inside was very moist and juicy. Pretty good.

Everyday I’m Brusselin’

This dish has brussels, cauliflower, broccoli, black bean balsamic vinaigrette, crisp chick peas, fried quinoa, and toasted almonds. The star of the show seemed to be the cauliflower instead of the broccoli as there was more of it.

Magic Mushrooms

This has foraged mushrooms, yuzu tamari, brown butter, rice cake and ricotta cheese. This dish was ok, but the mushrooms that were in season weren’t as good this time around. If you come at peak mushroom season in spring.

The Market Fish

The fish is deep-fried and prepared tableside. They come and debone it at the table, which is nice and stay hot and fresh. It was flavourful and moist.

It is topped with toasted shrimp, crispy shallots, soy bean crumble, and a tamarind sweet and sour sauce.

The Steak Out

This has slices of Grilled Ribeye with tamari butter, chimichurri, and seasonal vegetables. The ribeye has a nice charcoal flavour and was tender.

Magic Stick

Chocolate Ganache, hazelnut feuilletine, raspberry coulis, and vanilla orange. It was rich and chocolaty which I enjoyed. The salt on top enhances the flavour too and gives it a salt and sweet combination.

Mango Madness

This is served in a jar with Coconut Panna Cotta, mango sago and mojito dust. The subtle coconut flavour in the panna cotta go really well with the mango.

Final Thoughts

The Omakase for $45 was a good deal and they give you the ability to tweak the menu for dietary restrictions or preferences as it is planned ahead of time. They were really easy to communicate through email and was a great experience. We all left full and got a good taste of the menu with this $45 omakase set.

Address:
958 Main St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://torafuku.ca/

The Rise Eatery is serving up Asian fusion cuisine in the South Granville area. It’s been a while since my last visit to The Rise Eatery and it was about time that I make a revisit to see if they have improved over the last few years.

I came back with my family during lunch to check it out.

Interior

For the lunch rush, this place was dead. No another group was in here when we dined. It was really eerie. There are lot of small and large tables as well as a patio. Reservations can be made on OpenTable too.

Menu

Seoul Good

This has Korean fried chicken, wild mushroom cream, truffle oil, grated Parmesan, kimchi fried rice, and house-made pickles. G

Generally Korean Fried Chicken should have some spice or sweetness to it but this has the cream sauce with truffle oil and Parmesan. The kimchi fried rice and chicken were ok.

The set also come with a small dessert with the set. It turns out it was a hazelnut shortbread cookie. A bit anti-climatic.

Heart Attack

This set has schmaltz stir-fried rice pilaf, chicken confit, sous vide free run egg, chicken crackling, and salad du jour.

The salad du jour was a piping hot quinoa and kale salad. The temperature was very off and was better when it cooled down. Salads are generally cold so not sure why it was hot.

The sous vide egg was beautifully done but the pilaf with the chicken and crackling was quite bland and needed some Lousiana hot sauce which we added on.

This is also came with the cookie dessert.

The Fitter BLT

This vegetarian set has house-smoked tofu bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, vegan mayo, ciabatta, and paired with the soup of the day.

A good portion size, the tofu bacon had a good amount of smokiness, but it was still missing something to bind it all together.

Uni-versal Pasta

This has squid ink pasta, sea urchin cream, egg yolk, flying fish roe, and dried seaweed. You can also add $6 for 2 pieces of OceanWise prawns. It is beautiful and it’s the one dish everyone is talking about.

It was pretty expensive to add $6 for the two prawns as they were not that large, but the quality and texture were nice. It would have been nice to see fresh uni as an add-on option.

Final Thoughts

The prices and portions were decent, but the taste really fell flat. All the dishes were missing something that made it shine. It did feel really odd that the whole restaurant was empty during lunch with just our large group.

Sometimes they have their 3 course menus that actually sound really nice and at a great price. If you’re just coming in for the lunch sets, hold off until they have special seasonal menu sets.

Address:
3121 Granville St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://theriseeatery.com