WestCoast Archives - Page 2 of 6

In Brunch

Hart House: Brunch in Burnaby

March 2, 2017

Hart House Restaurant has Sunday Brunch from 11am – 2pm at their beautiful heritage building. It’s a popular place to have dinner and a place to host weddings. They specialize in West Coast cuisine. There is a good amount of parking out front .

Complimentary bread

Fresh warm bread arrived at the table with jam and softened butter. A good way to start off the meal by nibbling on bread.

Daily Seafood Fritata

This is what my mom ordered and it comes with house potatoes, 2 pieces of fruit and bread. The choice of seafood that goes into this changes, but it should look somewhat similar.

Classic Eggs Benedict

It has back bacon on english muffins, topped with poached eggs and hollandaise. It is served with 2 pieces of fruit and house potatoes. You can add sides to it if you need a bit more to the meal. M added a sausage, but it was pretty small compared to the additional price of it.

The eggs benny was mediocre compared to the other items on the brunch menu.

Braised Veal Cheek Hash

The dish has two poached eggs, wild mushrooms, asparagus, truffled hollandaise, and toast. This dish was delicious and full of flavour. Melt in your mouth delicious!

Hart House Breakfast Sandwich

The sandwich has a fried egg, crispy pork belly, smoked cheddar, arugula, tomato, and spicy mayo. It is served with fruit and house potatoes.

The crispy pork belly pieces were absolutely delicious.

Drinks

Get got coffee and tea to go with our meals and it comes with refills of coffee and water.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Hart House had a good selection of brunch items, but some dishes were a bit basic.

We Rate hart House:

Address:
6664 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby

Website:
http://www.harthouserestaurant.com/

In Downtown

Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar: Happy Hour

February 23, 2017

Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar has Happy Hour from 3pm – 6pm daily. The location is great as it’s close to Burrard Skytrain station and also right by the Scotiabank Theatre. I came with a few friend after work to kick off the long weekend.

The Happy Hour menu has food and drinks under $10. It’s a very good deal compared to their regular menu.

Interior

You have to stalk for a table in their lounge as it is very crowded at 5pm. The staff are nice and can help move around chairs to best seat your party.

Oysters

One thing you’ll want to get here are their 2 bucks-a-shuck local oysters. They are Joyce Point Oysters from Sawmill Bay with shallot mignonette sauce and lemons. The oysters were shucked very well and tasted very fresh.

Korean Galbi ‘Dog’

There were no dog hurt in the creation of this item and it’s a fancier hot dog. It uses American wagyu beef in a brioche bun and served with pickled vegetables and chili paste.

House Smoked Salmon Pâté

The house smoked salmon pâté is served with grilled sourdough, pickled red onion, and capers. Very delicious as well. The pate is very smooth and I love the smokey flavour.

Final Thoughts

Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar is a great place to come for Happy Hour to enjoy some appetizers and drinks. I really enjoyed it and I’ll be back.

We Rate Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar:

Address:
The Sutton Place Hotel, 845 Burrard Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://boulevardvancouver.ca/

In Dineout

Dockside Seafood Restaurant: Dineout Vancouver

January 9, 2017

Dockside Restaurant is participating again in Dine Out Vancouver from January 20 to February 5, 2017. They are offering guests with their 3 course meal on Granville Island for West Coast Cuisine for $40. Reservations should be made in advance.

I came here for a preview of the menu prior to Dine Out Vancouver with a few other media people to see how their menu is like.

Dine Out 2017 Menu at Dockside

Appetizer

Dockside Crab & Shrimp Cakes
Duck Prosciutto Tart
Winter Green Salad

Entree

Linguini Vongole
Roasted Zucchini
Beef Wellington

Dessert

Panna Cotta
Chocolate and Apricot Mousse

Appetizer

Winter Green Salad has Manchego polenta croutons, French beans and a herb vinaigrette. A good start of the meal as its light and refreshing. The polenta croutons add a bit of crunch and texture to the salad.

Dockside Crab & Shrimp Cakes has charred lemon aioli, and mango salsa on top. 3 pieces to each plate.

Duck Prosciutto Tart has housemade duck prosciutto, onion jam, arugula and balsamic reduction. The delicious fatty duck prosciutto pairs balances with the arugula. The tart gives it a crunchy texture.

Entree

Beef Wellington Truffle has mash potatoes, market vegetables and red wine jus. I felt that the meat was cooked more to a well doneness.

Linguini Vongole has Manila clams, white wine cream sauce, and reggiano cheese. The pasta was creamy and there was a good amount of clams. Since the clams were cooked separately, it didn’t integrate too well with the pasta.

Roasted Zucchini is the vegetarian option. It has eggplant puree, cucumber and fennel salad and topped with toasted pine nuts.

Dessert

Chocolate and Apricot Mousse Layer Cake is lined with apricot puree and fresh berries.

Panna Cotta has lemon grass, lime leaf, passion fruit puree and mint. A refreshing end to the evening meal.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the menu is pretty balanced to cater to those with different tastebuds. The portions are a good size too.

We Rate Dockside Seafood Restaurant:

Address:
1253 Johnston Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://docksidevancouver.com/

In Dineout

Vancouver Fish Company: Dine Out Vancouver

January 9, 2017

The Vancouver Fish Company is participating in Dine Out Vancouver from January 20 to February 5, 2017. They are offering guests with their 3 course meal on Granville Island for West Coast Cuisine for $40 or $29 for lunch. Reservations should be made in advance.

Dine Out 2017 Menu at The Vancouver Fish Company

Appetizers

VFC seafood chowder
Lentil soup
Humboldt squid salad
Maple walnut prawns

Entree

Lobster mac’n’cheese
Thai chicken curry
Crab-stuffed sole wellington
Steak oscar

Dessert

Apple bread pudding
Mango sorbet

As I came during a preview night, the items pictured might not be 100% how it looks when it arrives at your table.

Appetizers

Lentil soup has organic red lentils, and garam masala cream sauce. It is Vegetarian and gluten-free friendly.

Maple walnut prawns has lightly fried prawns, seaweed salad, maple, spiced walnuts, and sesame. It comes with 3 pieces to an order.

VFC seafood chowder has fresh seafood, fresh clams, thyme cream, and bacon.

Entree

Lobster mac’n’cheese has baked lobster casserole, creamy cheddar, and bread crumbs.

Thai chicken curry has braised chicken, scented basmati rice, coconut curry sauce, julienne vegetables, roasted peanuts, and cilantro. It has a nice kick of spice to this dish.

Crab-stuffed sole wellington with fresh sole, crab meat, cream cheese, puff pastry, braised kale, and lobster bisque. I found with this dish, the cream cheese and puff pastry masked the sole and the crab meat.

Steak oscar has seared skirt steak, crab meat, baby shrimp, hannah brook farm vegetables, garlic confit mashed potatoes, bernaise, and peppercorn jus.

Dessert

Mango sorbet has mango, coconut cream, and lime dust. I enjoyed this one as it felt like a palate cleanser.

Apple bread pudding has warm bread pudding, caramel sauce, and spiced walnuts. I felt it was a bit on the sweet side.

Overall, I felt the menu had a good amount of choices but the tastes were just ok. I felt the menu was lacking dishes that highlighted fresh piece of fish. For a $40 dinner option, it is a bit pricey for what you get.

We Rate The Vancouver Fish Company:

Address:
1517 Anderson Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.vanfish.com/

In San Francisco

Farallon: Upscale Seafood Restaurant in San Francisco

October 19, 2016

Farallon Restaurant is an upscale seafood restaurant a few steps away from Union Square. They specialize in seafood and they have a raw and seafood bar. While I was in San Francisco, they invited me to give their restaurant a try. As it was literally a few steps from my hotel, I couldn’t resist.

Interior

The interior is beautiful and the high ceilings with sea creature embellishments make you feel like you’re in a grotto.

Amuse Bouche

An Amuse Bouche is a one bite taster from the chef. It was a nice way to start off the meal with this little surprise.

Complimentary Bread

Next, different bread and butter arrives at the table. As we put in our order, it was nice to have something to nibble on before the dishes arrive.

Drinks

They have a wide selection of wines and drinks of the menu – alcoholic and non-alcoholic. You can ask them for advice on what pairs best with the meal. The staff were able to surprise my friend with a virgin cocktail with delicious mango.

Appetizers

Herb roasted bone marrow comes with bragg sea urchin, dungeness crab and grilled garlic sourdough toast. What I liked about this dish was the amount of bone marrow inside and the richness of the marrow was balanced by the delicate seafood tastes.

Gnocchi & Cayucos Abalone also comes with rosemary brown butter, smoked trout roe, dulse seaweed, and aged balsamic.

Entrees

Seared Bone-Dry Scallops with boar-chetta di testa, farro verde risotto, and pomegranate. Very plump scallops and were cooked beautifully.

Local Albacore Tuna has marble potatoes, shaved fennel, smoked mussels and hollandaise sauce. The tuna and the mussels were delicious but the hollandaise sauce seemed a bit heavy for this light dish.

Dessert

Port Poached Pear has almond sherbet, pomegranate, and 2 pignoli cookies. Very delicious dessert with the pear’s sweetness enhanced by the port. The cookies gave a nice balance of texture to the dish too.

Cheesecake Custard is topped with green apple granita, graham crumble, and cotton candy grapes. This dessert was a treat, the tart green apple granita with the grapes give a burst of fresh flavour to the cheesecake custard.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the quality of the seafood is very good and fresh. The menu has a good amount of range to cater to those with varying tastes. The restaurant is high end, so you will want to dress up a little bit. We had a great dinner while we were in San Francisco.

We Rate Farallon:

Address:
450 Post St, San Francisco

Website:
http://www.farallonrestaurant.com/

In Four Beakers

Christine’s: Lunch at Whister Blackcomb

September 10, 2016

Christine’s is located inside the Rendezvous Lodge on Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler. They are a full service restaurant with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.

At 1,860m/6,102ft above ground, it’s pretty interesting to see their challenges with getting the produce up on the mountain as well as adapting to the altitude changes to the taste of food. Head Chef Steve Ramey did a great job on the menu.

Interior

The interior is very modern with clean lines and cute light fixtures. In the summer time, you can hang out in their patio, or in the winter time, you can sit inside and enjoy the breathtaking views.

Photo Credit: Whistler Blackcomb

Drinks

Gin Royale Caesar has 2 oz of gin, Motts Clamato, horseradish, bean, spices, olive, pickled pepper, and a gin beef stick. A pretty awesome caesar and the beef stick is fun to gnaw on .

Elderflower Mimosa has Prosecco, St. Germain Elderflower liqueur, and freshly squeeze orange juice. A nice start to the afternoon and elderflower works really well in a mimosa.

Watermelon Mimosa has Ruffino Prosecco, watermelon puree and agave nectar. The drink is very refreshing.

Amuse bouche

We all started with a amuse bouche to really kick off the lunch. A nice little touch to showcase the freshness of their ingredients.

Appetizers

Crispy Chickpea Falafel is paired with spiced yogurt, raw milk feta, dill, cucumber, and nigella seed. At first I wasn’t sure what to this of this dish, but I did enjoy the crunchy texture of the falafel.

Burrata has heirloom tomatoes, white balsamic, summer herbs, prosciutto, and grilled flatbread. Burrata is an awesome cheese as its is so silky.

Scallop Ceviche has lime, watermelon, sunflower, avocado, puffed rice and pickled onion. This was probably our favourite dish and you could really taste the fresh summer produce. It’s not your typical ceviche, so it was a nice twist.

BBQ Duck Salad has green papaya, black pepper, hoisin, sesame, citrus, and crispy taro. It had a decent amount of duck and it had a good flavour from the hoisin and sesame.

Entrees

Seared Albacore has asparagus, soft cooked egg, lemon ranch, and butter fried scallions. It has 3 pieces of the albacore tuna in an order. The tuna was lightly seared, so you can still taste the delicate tuna in the centre.

Charred 48 hour Shortrib has maple BBQ, jalapeno cheddar cornbread, marinated kale, bred and butter pickle. The cornbread was so good!

Slow Cooked Wild Salmon has soba noodles, scallion vinaigrette, pickled ginger, green apple, wild rice, and sesame. The salmon was cooked very well and it was a light dish compared to the shortribs.

Vietnamese Pork Burger has grilled cabbage, black pepper aioli, carrot, cucumber, smoked peanut and cilantro. It comes with a side of crisps. This was very flavourful and surprisingly one of our favour dishes. I know it doesn’t look like much compared to the other dishes, but the pork burger rocked it.

Overall, a good selection of food for lunch or dinner. It is more expensive than the other options up on the mountain, but if you are here for a special occasion, its nice to indulge. The views are nice and the service is great too.

We rate Christine’s:

Address:
Whistler Blackcomb, Whistler, BC

Website:
https://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/the-village/dining/christines-restaurant

In Kid Friendly

The Captain’s Boil: Seafood in Richmond

August 25, 2016

The Captain’s Boil is a new seafood boil restaurant in Richmond. They have a few locations in Toronto, but now has opened their first location in Metro Vancouver.

They take the seafood boil and toss it with their blend of secret, Asian inspired spices and aromatics. They are open quite late and do take reservations.

I was invited to give their signature items a try.

Interior

The interior uses wood, stone, and ropes to really give you a sense of being on a boat. There are long tables and booth seating for those in small to large groups.

Bibs and Gloves

Everyone gets bibs and gloves to keep clean. I love the pirate themed bibs, super cute. The gloves can break quite easily if you are vigorously cracking away at those shells.

Drinks

They have a range of domestic and premium beers, as well as soju and sake. I went with a light Asahi beer, which goes with seafood very well.

Seafood Boil

We ordered a pound of each seafood item on the menu:

clams
mussels
crawfish
shrimp
chicken slices
lobster
king crab leg
Dungeness crab
snow crab legs

It comes in one bag for each kind and arrives a few bags at one time. We got all of ours with the Captain Boil’s Mix, which combines their 3 flavours – cajun cajun, lemon pepper and garlic sauce. We also got it at medium spice.

You can order sides to go into boil like corn, lotus roots, sausages, and potatoes.

The best way to enjoy everything is to pour it all on the table, so everyone can grab it easily.

Of all the types of crabs, I really enjoyed the King Crab Legs, but it is super costly at $36.95 per pound. It was so big and meaty.

The other legs were hard to open, but there are scissors and clamps to crack the shells open.

They sell the lobsters at a seasonal price but always good to double check the cost. The bulk of the meat is in the claws and tail.

Of all the seafood, I thought the crawfish wasn’t worth it since it’s mostly shell. The shells are hard to crack open and there is very little meat inside. But then again, where else are you going to crawfish in Vancouver?

After eating a bunch of the seafood, the Captain’s Boil sauce was too heavy. I would have liked to choose the lemon pepper or the garlic sauce.

Sizzling Plate

Chicken Teriyaki Sizzling Plate Combo with rice includes their seafood platter before 4pm. You get 2 crawfish, 2 shrimps, 2 mussels, and 2 clams. A pretty good deal if you can go there for lunch.

Sides

Fried shrimp basket comes with 10 pieces, which is great for sharing.

Fried Chicken Wings comes in large or small, but we chose the small size. It was fried with light seasoning, which I enjoyed.

Overall, its a great addition in Richmond. Since all the seafood is by weight, it can get pricey if you’re a big eater. The Captain’s Boil sauce is overpowering, so you might want to consider the lemon pepper or garlic sauce to be able to taste more of the seafood.

We rate The Captain’s Boil:

Address:
1226 – 8338 Capstan Way, Richmond,BC

Website:
http://www.thecaptainsboil.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 New Westminster

Sugar Mountain Catering: Private Dining Experience

May 31, 2016

Sugar Mountain Catering was testing out their Private Dining Experience at Arundel Mansion in New Westminster.

They found that there is a need for intimate and cozy venues without sharing the space with other restaurant patrons.

Sugar Mountain Catering has discovered Arundel Mansion for small groups in the heart of downtown New Westminster. The space is very reasonably priced and comes with a fully equipped 40-seat restaurant, kitchen and bar, as well as an upstairs suite and kitchenette. They invited us for sneak preview of what guests would experience for a 8-course dinner.

The decor seemed French inspired and has a lot of old vintage photos and posters. We have no idea who were in those photos, but it gave an old spooky charm to the place. Even finding the washroom was an adventure.

As we waited for other guests to arrive, we got a glass of Prosecco.

As an Amuse Bouche, we got cured roma tomato and basil encrusted chevre crostini with 25 year aceto balsamico. It was a nice touch that they drizzled the balsamic right in front of you.

A good 2 bite starter to start the meal. The crostini was crisp and the items on top were enjoyed.

Maple Hills Farm free range chicken consomme with vermouth, local spring morels, foie gras, mirepoix vegetables and pate feuilletee.

You break open the top of the puff pastry to get to the soup below. The soup had a thin consistency and served piping hot.

Braised Fraser Valley beef cheek and bone marrow custard with Italian parsley, fleur de sel, pink Himalayan salt, glace viande and grilled brushetta. This was one of my favourite dishes. When you scoop up the custard, the beef cheek lays inside and its so tender. I just wished there were more brushetta.

Fresh picked Dungeness crabmeat with chilled-grilled spring asparagus Pemberton Valley fingerling potatoes and a grain mustard vinaigrette. The dish was served in a fun martini glass. The crabmeat was sweet and was enjoyable, but I did find a small bit of shell in my glass.

Gulf Island pink shrimp perogies with truffle butter, wild sockeye belly bacon, ikura caviar and sour cream.I found that they shrimp filling inside was a bit small and the skin was thick.

Nori wrapped tempura ahi with shiso oil, uni cream and ponzu daikon sprouts. The tempura and nori was limp and soggy. The ahi tuna needed a little dash of salt to bring out more flavour since it was pretty bland.

Poached fillet of smoked wild BC sablefish, Fanny Boy oyster, brandade gratin, fennel, bacon and rosemary infused veloute.

The sablefish did have a few bones in it, so I had to be careful not to injest them. Other than that, the sablefish tasted good.

The Palette Cleanser between these courses was Lychee Ginger Ice. Nice and refreshing.

Roast rack of Salt Spring Island lamb with Chianti syrup, sauteed fiddleheads and roasted spring vegetable couscous en cocotte. The lamb was cooked to a medium rare making it juicy and tender.

Belgian chocolate-raspberry pot de creme was my favourite of the dessert trio. You can’t go wrong as it’s so smooth and I love chocolate.

Cashew and cardamom spiced love cake with coconut ice cream was ok but still couldn’t compare to the pot de creme.

Jackfruit tarte tatin was hard for me to eat. I wasn’t into the flavours.

It was a good experience but it did take some time for each dish to come out. With the limited space and equipment in the kitchen, I can see how it would be hard to put out all the dishes in a quick manner. In total, we dined for 3 hours and it did feel like the dinner dragged on for some time.

Some dishes were a hit and some were a miss. They have been one of the top wedding and event caterers in the Lower Mainland and this is an interesting new private dining concept they are trying out. I’m sure they will make some tweaks to the execution.

Website: http://www.sugarmountaincatering.com

In All You Can Eat

River Rock Buffet: Surf and Turf Night

May 29, 2016

The Buffet at the River Rock Casino in Richmond has Surf and Turf Night on Fridays and Saturdays starting at 5pm. They do not take reservations and can get very busy around 6 and 7pm. Always best to arrive early.

For $39.95 per adult, it’s not a bad price.

They can seat up to 260 people at one time but it is packed during peak times with hungry people wanting all you can eat. Their dishes are inspired by West Coast cuisine.

Since I was leaving on vacation soon, we had to celebrate Mother’s Day earlier. Not a bad thing since it is cheaper.

The line was super long that it flowed out of the lobby.

The staff were pretty good about treating their guests well. They brought lemonade to those who were thirsty.

We got seated about waiting in line for 1.5 hours. We did have a larger group, so it was harder for them to seat us.

Once we sat down, staff came over to take our drink order. Then it was off to scavenge for food in the buffet area.

Crab, clams, prawns and mussels

This should be the first area you go to if you are a seafood lover. The quality is pretty good for a buffet. You gotta get your money’s worth.

The staff are pretty good about making sure that it doesn’t get empty. When I was here, it was always fully stocked.

If you aren’t into cold seafood, they have hot versions near the back. There is cooked salmon, clams, mussel, prawns, and crab legs.

On my first round, I got a little bit of all the seafood. Between the cold and hot crab legs, I enjoyed the cold ones a lot more since it was easier to get the meat out of the shell. With the hot ones, the meat doesn’t slide out very well from the shell and also your hands get more oily.

The other clams, mussels and shrimp were good. I liked the hot and cold ones equally.

On round 2, I went with all cold seafood since it was easier to eat with my hands. I’m a savage when it comes to eating seafood at a buffet.

Roast Carving Station

At the roast carving station, you will find prime rib, ham, and roast chicken,

I grabbed a bit of prime rib and it was pretty good. Nice and fatty with some pink in the centre. Of course, I had to get some fruit and veggies to balance all the seafood and meat I was eating.

You can also get prime rib that is a bit more well done.

Sushi Station

At the sushi station, you will find sushi rolls and sashimi. The items didn’t look that great, so I decided to spend my calories on more crab.

Dessert

The main dessert area has a lot of little cakes. Many kinds, so it might be hard to choose.

Drinks

You can also grab pop and juice. Behind the machines are taps for filtered water and sparkling water.

Ice Cream

Behind the Pepsi and drink machines, there is ICE CREAM and POPSICLES! A lot of people seem to miss seeing these since its a bit hidden.

Double Chocolate Sundae is a good way to end the meal.

Overall, not a bad buffet at all. If you love seafood, you’ll have a good time eating all the crabs, prawns, clams, and mussels. Of course, it still doesn’t compare to the buffets in Vegas, but at least we have something.

We Rate The Buffet:

Address:
8811 River Rd
Richmond, BC

Website:
http://www.riverrock.com/dining/the-buffet.aspx

In Three Beakers

Shelter Restaurant: Dinner in Tofino

May 16, 2016

Shelter Restaurant in Tofino is a popular spot for dinner. It was highly recommended by a few friends to check out when I was here for the long weekend. I made reservations a month in advance since I knew it would be crazy if I waited a few days prior to the trip to make the call. When it comes to food, I make sure I can try to get reservations where possible.

On the day of, there was a long wait to get inside, but luckily we just walked right in with reservations.

Shelter is best known for their fresh locally sourced food that represents the West Coast.

The interior is rustic and very cozy. A real fireplace can be seen burning in the main dining area.

M was a bit fancy and had Pinot Noir to go with his meal. We were on vacation, so a glass of wine was perfect to unwind.

We started off with the Crispy Deep Fried Brussel Sprouts. A good appetizer and was plenty for a group of 4.

Anything deep-fried is delicious!

Vancouver Island Oysters is served with the Chef’s cocktail sauce, horseradish and a wedge of lemon. If you love oysters, you’ll love these local oysters.

Shelter Pizza has roasted mushrooms, caramelized onion, double smoked bacon, mozzarella, truffle, and grana padano cheese.

Roasted Peach Country Lamb Sirloin has Yukon gold potato gnocchi, cauliflower puree, wilted kale and a caper dijon jus.

The lamb was tender and so full of flavour. M really enjoyed it. He wished there was more since he ate this way too fast.

Tofino Surf Bowl has your choice of local wild salmon or marinated free-run chicken with steamed vegetables, teriyaki sauce, basmati and wild rice, spicy yogurt and cilantro. Definitely a very healthy option and can be made gluten-free.

This is on their casual fare menu, so it has a lot of fresh vegetables and the price wasn’t bad at all. The bowl was so big, I had to save half of it for a snack the following day.

Pacific Lingcod Burger with lingcod fillet, basil-mint coleslaw, lettuce, tomato, mayo and an onion ring. Good size for a burger. Look at that fillet of lingcod.

With their casual fare menu and the regular dinner menu. there are enough items to suit those with different expectations for price points and palates. They can also accommodate allergies and dietary preferences.

We Rate Shelter Restaurant:

Address:
601 Campbell Street, Tofino,BC

Website:
http://www.shelterrestaurant.com/

In Brunch

The Pointe at Wickaninnish Inn: Morning Brunch

May 13, 2016

The Pointe Restaurant is located inside the Wikaninnish Inn in Tofino BC. My friends and I came here for a long weekend trip and made this our early brunch spot. We didn’t stay at the Inn, but we heard to the food was really good and the views are stunning.

Wikaninnish Inn is an award winning Hotel and Resort and on the top of list on TripAdvisor.

There is complimentary parking in the lot, so just park your car and head on inside.

Once you are in the dining room, try to get a seat by one of their many windows.

Call ahead to make a reservation and put in that request. You’ll be glad you did since it’s a stunning view.

We were seated facing Chesterman Beach. In the morning, there wasn’t much action, but later in the day, you will see a lot of surfers picking up waves.

At the centre of the restaurant is an enclosed fire pit. Nice and cozy for the evening, but since it was the morning, we focused more on the view outside.

They come around to each table to offer their Juice of the Day. I think it was like a peach, berry and mango juice. Tasty way to begin the day.

Smoked Salmon Crepe with a side of bacon was what I ordered and I loved it. The dish was presented nicely and the smoked salmon, cream cheese, spinach and the touch of lemon butter was very delicious. I would definitely order this again.

I couldn’t resist getting bacon too. It cooked very until its crisp.

The Pointe Breakfast has 2 eggs, a crisp potato, tomato jam, toasted bread and you choice of either home-made sausage or bacon.

Back Bacon and Cheddar Eggs Benedict on english muffins. It also is topped with a hollandaise sauce. It is served with a potato rosti too. M added a side of sausage.

The eggs benny was poached to a perfect medium. All that gooey yolk oozed right out.

Duck Confit Eggs Benny was what my other friend ordered. She liked the balance between the tender duck confit and the accompanying salad.

Lamb Meatballs has confit tuna belly, cream cheese, celeriac, herbs, brioche croutons and fior di latte.

West Coast Clam Chowder has west side baby shrimp, bacon, corn, local fish, herbs and prawn oil.

Side of Sausages are so good. You can definitely taste the quality. Very fresh and flavourful.

Brioche French Toast has pear butter, poached pears, berries and oat streusel. If you have a slight sweet tooth in the mornings, you’ll enjoy this dish.

Overall, the food was delicious and can’t be missed when visiting Tofino. It is expensive, but it is expected since its located in Wickaninnish Inn. You’re paying for the service, food and the breathtaking views.

I’ll definitely be back for more in the future at The Pointe. My friends loved the food and it was a good way to start the day.

Our server was nice enough to give us a free map of the beaches in the area. She even told us a few of her favourite trails and beaches to visit.

After your meal, head down to the High Tide Beach Trail and walk along Chesterman Beach. It’s a good way to burn of some calories and enjoy more the the beach.

The beach is very peaceful and therapeutic to listen to the waves crash against the rocks and beach.

We Rate The Point Restaurant at Wickaninnish Inn:

Address:
500 Osprey Ln, Tofino, BC

Website:
http://www.wickinn.com/

In Dessert

SOBO: West Coast Cuisine in Tofino

May 10, 2016

SOBO is an award-winning restaurant in Tofino, BC. They serve food for all palates including vegan and gluten-free dishes. I first heard of SOBO when I saw Lynn Crawford was visiting for her show – The Great Canadian Cookbook. In 2003, they were named one of the top 10 Canadian restaurants in En Route magazine.

When we were paying a visit to Tofino, we knew we couldn’t miss eating here.

We came here for lunch and it was packed. We waited about 20 minutes for a table of 6.

Tofino Brewing Co Blonde Ale was really good! Light, refreshing and a sweet citrus finish. Just thinking about this beer makes me want to go back to visit the brewery.

Crispy Shrimp Cakes has west coast shrimp, sautéed onions, peppers, herbs, and sweet mustard sauce. It comes with 2 pieces. Crispy exterior wtih the sweet delicious shrimp inside.

Classic White Pizza has ricotta spinach nettle base, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, fresh mozzarella, toasted kale with parmigiano-reggiano and fresh arugula. Good flavours and the crisp kale was a nice touch.

Exotic Mushroom Pizza has a San Marzano tomato base, caramelized onions, shiitake, portobello, goat cheese, mozzarella, herbed pesto with parmigiano-reggiano and fresh arugula.

Tofu pocket has sushi rice, wasabi mayo, avocado, sprouts, sesame with smoked tuna. The taste was clean and simple. If you need a 2 bites appetizer, this is it.

Cup of Smoked wild fish chowder has spicy wild salmon and a cream dill broth. Very delicious and hearty, but it was very spicy.

Breakfast sandwich has smoked tuna bacon, cream biscuit, fried egg, aged white cheddar, avocado mayo, jalapeños, with a side of fresh fruit. It is a very filling item to eat.

Don’t forget about dessert! It’s very tempting especially late at night. Since the popular dessert places close early, we came back to SOBO on another day to have some ice cream sandwiches.

The ice cream sandwiches are located in their fridges by the main entrance.

We were all so excited to give it a try.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Sandwich was so good. Just comforting since I would always have ice cream sandwiches as a treat when I was a kid.

Strawberry Chocolate Flake Ice Cream Sandwich has nice bits of strawberry embedded inside. The 2 chocolate cookies housing the ice cream were good too. We were really amazing that the cookies were still crisp.

Overall, SOBO has a good range of options for lunch and has some great desserts. Even though they have it to go, just grab it and eat it outside or on the beach.

We Rate SOBO:

Address:
311 Neill St, Tofino, BC

Website:
http://www.sobo.ca/

In Food Carts

Tacofino Tofino: The Original Cantina on the West Coast

April 28, 2016

Tacofino has made waves in Vancouver with amazing fresh tacos and burritos. I’ve been to all of the Tacofino locations in Vancouver, but since I was in Tofino, I had to see where it all started.

West Coast tacos and burritos were screaming for us. The truck wasn’t open yet, but it already had a line up.

On the menu, you have burritos, tacos, gringas, drinks and soups.

Not sure what the menu means? There’s a little FAQ to help people navigate the menu.

The line up is pretty constant, but don’t be turned off by it, the food is worth it.

Choco-Banana Licuados is their milkshake and it has a good balance of the banana and chocolate. It’s a bit filling too, so M and I shared it so we could eat more food.

Tuna-Ta Taco has seared albacore tuna with wasabi-mayo, seaweed salad, and pickled ginger. Really delicious, but this will set you back $6.50 per taco. Expensive, but very delicious.

Fish Taco uses tempura ling cod with cabbage and fresh salsa on top.

Look at that crisp fish taco inside. Once you bite inside, you get the crunchiness of the cod and all that delicious salsa.

They also have different hot sauce on the table if you need an extra kick in your taco, put a few dashes in there.

The burritos are all wrapped up, so its easy to get it to go. We grabbed a few and took it back to our hotel.

Crispy Chicken Burrito reminded me of chicken karaage. It also has guac in it. I couldn’t say no to guacamole.

Fish burrito has that big chunk of cod inside. Delicious as well. One of the less heavier choices.

Pork Burrito was good as well. The pulled pork and those beans make it a very filling item to get.

Overall, the food is good and the burrito gets the best bang for your buck since you need at least 2 tacos to be full. You can still get the same good stuff in Vancouver, but if you haven’t had Tacofino before, give it a try. You really can’t go wrong with any items on the menu.

We Rate Tacofino:

Address:
1184 Pacific Rim Hwy,Tofino, BC

Website:
http://tacofino.com/

In Four Beakers

Wolf in the Fog: Essential Eats in Tofino

April 26, 2016

Wolf in the Fog is one of the best restaurants in Tofino and has dishes inspired by the oceans, forests and shoreline of our beautiful Tofino.

They were Canada’s Best New Restaurant in 2014 from enRoute Air Canada. Everyone passing through Tofino for vacation always makes a stop here for dinner. Even Neil Patrick Harris was here recently.

Make sure you make a reservation ahead of time to make sure you have a seat for dinner. I came here on a long weekend, so it was essential to have a reservation.

We were seated upstairs in their dining room. The bar has a large variety of liqueurs.

There is a cool art pieces made with broken surf boards. So perfect to represent Tofino.

Gingerbeer Shandy has pilsner, ginger beer and a lemon. A lighter fruitier alternative to a regular beer.

You can even spy on the kitchen to see the food coming out.

Fraser Valley Duck uses the smoked breast, blood orange, red quinoa, dried cherry, braised leg, mushrooms, and a black garlic jus. This is a larger shared plate. This was a very good dish! Addictive!

Moroccan Spiced Octopus has the tender octopus with chickpeas, peppers and tomatoes. I enjoyed the delicate octopus with the flavourful sauce.

Rare Albacore Tuna with confit pork, oyster mushrooms, nori and wasabi. You gotta order this dish. The tuna is fresh and that pork is to die for.

Charred squid and pork belly has Szechuan pepper, daikon and thai basil. Can’t go wrong with pork belly.

All the food was delicious. Fresh ingredients with great flavour. All the proteins were cooked so well. Mouth watering! If you’re in Tofino, give Wolf in the Fog a try!

We rate Wolf in the Fog:

Address:
150 4th St, Tofino, BC

Website:
http://www.wolfinthefog.com/

In Four Beakers

Wildside Grill: Local, Fresh, and Wild

April 25, 2016

Wildside Grill in Tofino gets their fish straight from the boat. Commercial fisherman Jeff Mikus and chef Jesse Blake are the minds behind Wildside Grill. Like many of the restaurants in Tofino, they source their ingredients locally, so you get high quality west coast cuisine.

The menu is quite large, so it was very hard to figure out what to order. I wanted it all. hahaha.

Breakfast Taco has 2 fried eggs, lettuce, avotillo, chipotle mayo, jack cheese in corn tortillas and topped with crude and lime. So good! Who would have thought these would go together. If you need some hangover food, this is it. The heaviness of the egg balances with the fresh avotillo.

Oyster Po Boy has panko fried oysters, lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, and a caesar dressing. it also comes with fries. Very fresh oysters and nice crunch in the panko crumbs. Fries were also very crisp.

Breakfast Ciabatta has 2 fried eggs, chorizo sausage, jack cheese patty, lettuce, tomato, onion, avotillo, smoked tomato relish on the toasted ciabatta bun. Another good breakfast item but it’s more cheesy and carb heavy.

Pulled Pork Poutine has smoked pork in BBQ sauce, cheese curds and gravy. Wow, this was so good. The pulled pork was tender and super flavourful.

Cod Club has panko crusted cod with lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, pink shrimp, sweet chili mayo and avotillo. The fries are served with it.

Smoked Salmon Chowder has local salmon smoked in house with mixed veggies and seafood in a creamy broth. It i topped with baby pink shrimp and dill. The chowder is a bit thin but it is very loaded with ingredients.

This is the large size and its pretty big. The half size is a lot better for an individual.

Overall, the food is very fresh and executed well. I’m glad we made a stop here to indulge on their comfort westcoast dishes. Don’t forget to save your receipt, so you can head over to Chocolate Tofino for 10% off gelato.

All the seating is outdoors on picnic benches, so don’t forget to bring a jacket.

We Rate Wildside Grill:

Address:
1180 Pacific Rim Hwy,Tofino, BC

Website:
http://www.wildsidegrill.com/

In Canadian

Matterson House: Cozy Dinner in Ucluelet

April 14, 2016

Matterson House Restaurant is a cozy eatery in the village of Ucluelet. The house was built in 1931, so you will see a lot of rustic charm dining here. It was originally known as Glendale, built by Basil and Mary Matterson. Back then, Ucluelet was only accessible by sea. Most roads that we see today were dirt roads.

In 1996, Sandy and Jennifer Clark took ownership and turned it into the restaurant we know today.

Since it was a busy long weekend, we were scrambling for dinner plans for our large group at the very last second, luckily Matterson House was able to hold us a table till we got there.

At first, I wasn’t quite sure about this place as it had visible age in the interior. As a foodie, I can’t really make judgements until I see the food in front of me.

Every single table was set up before the dinner rush. When we arrive around 6, there was plenty of space, but as it got closer to 7, it was pretty much full.

Homemade whole wheat bread with whipped butter arrived at the table. These loaves were huge.

Matterson Seafood Chowder has shrimp, scallops, white fish, spinach, cream and corn. It is served with crackers on the side.

Oyster Burger is dressed with mustard, relish, mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion. It is also served with your choice of mixed greens or potato salad. My friend chose it with mixed greens.

They give you a wedge of lemon, so you can squeeze it over the crisp creamy oyster.

My other friend got the same oyster burger, but with the potato salad.

They both said they enjoyed the oyster burger.

Verdi’s Verde Pesche has smoked salmon and pine nuts in a pesto cream sauce with spinach and fettuccine. I really enjoyed this pasta. It was very creamy and the salmon had a nice delicate taste to it. The added texture of the pine nuts was a good touch.

Straw and Hay Pasta has veal and mushrooms in a garlic and cream sauce. M liked it and there was a lot of veal in it, which is great. The sauce was very thick and creamy too.

Pollo Loco Pasta has chicken with chipotle cream cheese sauce and penne.

All the pastas come with a salad. You can choose between ranch blue cheese, Italian, French, 1000 island or Sandy’s blackberry vinaigrette.

Overall, the food was executed well and we all had a positive experience. The dining experience was pretty neat. Even with a busy floor, they were able to keep the food flowing. Nice little gem in Ucluelet. It’s very casual and relaxing.

We Rate Matterson House:

Address:
1682 Peninsula Road, Ucluelet, BC

In Food Carts

Jiggers: Fish & Chips Truck in Ucluelet

April 12, 2016

The first thing we did in Ucluelet was to pay a visit to Jiggers Fish and Chips for lunch. They are known for their Fish and Chips with locally caught fish. With the ocean so close and great produce nearby, it’s a no brainer to use the freshest ingredients possible.

Do note they are cash only. My friends went to the closest Co-op grocery store and grabbed some gum and requested cash back. A good trick to avoid ATM fees.

Their Fish and Chips truck has a permanent spot on Peninsula Road near Bay Street. There are picnic tables inside and outside, so if it’s windy/rainy, you can head inside where there are rest rooms too.

There is also a large parking lot, so plenty of room for vehicles.

The catch of the day was cod. In addition to fish and chips, they have burgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, and chicken fingers.

My friends got the one piece fish and chips, it is also served with homecut fries, coleslaw, tartar sauce and a wedge of lemon.

The one piece is quite large and it looks more like 2 pieces.

My other friend got the one piece and it seriously looks like 2 pieces too.

This is the 2 piece Fish and Chips. M and I shared this since we weren’t too hungry. The 2 pieces look like 3 pieces. The tempura batter was nice and crisp with a tender and fluffy cod underneath. It was enough for M and I to share. The tartar sauce had a good taste too.

Make sure you spritz some of the malt or white vinegar on the fish and chips.

Big Jig Burger is their loaded burger with cheese, mushrooms, fried onions, bacon, all the veggies, and all the sauces. It is also served with fries. A big burger with all the fixings.

The homecut fries are crisp and I couldn’t stop eating them. I liked to spray some of the vinegar on them to add more flavour.

Overall, the prices are a tad high, but when you do get the food, the portions are large. Plus, where else are you going to get amazing fish and chips in Ukee? I will be back for my next trip to the Island. it definitely rivals even some places in Vancouver.

We Rate Jiggers:

Address:
1685 Peninsula Road, Ucluelet

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Jiggers-Fish-Chips-178163522220314/