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Momofuku Milk Bar has seen better days. I’ve had it in Toronto and also my previous visit to New York at their East Village location. Since it was our first night in New York on this particular trip, I wanted to show my friends how delicious it was by ordering the cereal milk soft serve and the crack pie.

Since the Financial District does die down, the area was deserted, but Momofuku Milk Bar was still open. This particular location has a take out window.

Cereal Milk Soft Serve

This was a good portion to share with my friends, but it tasted really bad. It was reminiscent of the milk at the bottom of your cereal bowl. It was more tart and creamy like yogurt. Not sure what happened there. We’ve had this before, but this time it really tasted very different.

Crack Pie

The crack pie was the redeeming factor. It does look a bit different due to the while stuff on top. Back in 2012, they didn’t have that but they must have tweaked the recipe. It has a toasted oat crust and a delicious centre made of butter, sugar, brown sugar and cream.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the quality has definitely gone downhill. I don’t know if it was just this location or if its across the board, but I really didn’t like it enough to return.

We Rate Momofuku Milk Bar

Address:
110 Wall Street, New York

Website:
http://www.momofuku.com/restaurants/milk-bar/

Shu Jiao Fu Zhou Cuisine Restaurant is a simple Chinese cafe specializing in soups, noodles, and dumplings by hand. This hole in the wall has some really cheap food. Everything is $3.50 or under. That is an amazing price for New York standards.

Interior

The inside of the restaurant isn’t anything special. A little old school but theres a bit of charm in that. You order at the counter first and then find any seat available.

Menu

Dumplings

We got the pork and chive dumpling and they came out so quickly. We started with the small size but little did we know that these were so good that we ordered a few more large sizes.

Beef Tripe with Thick Noodle Soup

The size of the noodle soup was pretty good. A good amount of noodles to go with the beef, tripe, and veggies.

Wheat Noodle with Peanut Butter Sauce

You mix these noodles with the sauce and enjoy.

Final Thought

The food here was great for the price. We ate so much and didn’t make a dent in our wallets. The dishes are very homey tasting and simple.

We Rate Shu Jiao Fu Zhou Cuisine Restaurant

Address:
118 Eldridge St, New York

Sylvia’s Restaurant in Harlem is know for their classic Soul food and was recently featured in the Worth It series by BuzzFeed. When I knew I was going to New York, I had to add them to the list.

Sylvia’s Restaurant, the “The Queen of Soul Food”, was founded by Sylvia Woods, in 1962. Established in the historic village of Harlem, Sylvia’s is a community favorite, known as the world’s kitchen. Serving authentic soul food for over 55 years, this icon remains a culinary must-visit for foodies.

Interior

The space has a good amount of tables for small to large groups, but it is always best to make a reservation if you can. We had reservations later in the evening, but decided to come earlier because we were hungry, so we ended up waiting around 15 minutes for a seat on the weekend for 3 people.

Menu

Complimentary Cornbread

As we waited for our meal to arrive, we got a lot of cornbread with butter. It was delicious and we wanted to eat more but we wanted to save our stomachs for the entrees.

Southern Fried Chicken

This was served with 2 sides and we chose traditional collard greens and baked mac & cheese. The chicken was crisp on the outside and moist inside. It did take some time for the meal to arrive at the table.

Sylvia’s World Famous Bar-B-Que Ribs and Fried Chicken

The combo came with 2 pieces of the ribs smothered in Sylvia’s Original Sassy Sauce. I got dark meat for my fried chicken. For my 2 sides, I got Okra & Tomato Gumbo and Traditional Collard Greens. The ribs were pretty mediocre and lean. The chicken was great, but I still have my favourites from other restaurants around the world. The portions were great and it was pretty hard to finish every thing on the plate.

Grandma Julia’s Fruit Punch

The fruit punch was very sugary and M didn’t like it at all.

Home Brewed Iced Tea and Lemonade

The home-brewed iced tea comes sweet, which is essential a Southern sweet tea. My friend got the lemonade to pair with the meal. We both found that all the drinks were too sweet for our liking, so we waited for the ice to melt to dilute it a bit more.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was ok, but it’s pretty hard to find Soul Food where I come from in Canada, so it’s always a delight eating more soul food on my travels.

We Rate Sylvia’s

Address:
328 Malcolm X Blvd, New York

Website:
http://sylviasrestaurant.com/

Chinatown BBQ is a new restaurant on East Pender in Vancouver’s Chinatown. They put their own spin on classic Cantonese-style meat shops by making it new and fresh to attract customers of all types.

With more and more restaurants and shops opening up in Chinatown, it’s good to see more of these BBQ shops.

When you first walk in, you see all their delicious meats hanging from the display case.

Interior

There are a lot of seats but during lunch, it can get pretty busy. Turnover is pretty quick, so you’re never waiting too long. The interior evokes a bit of new and old in this space and I really liked that.

Menu

Tea

When they seat you, you are given some hot tea.

Chef’s Plate

The Chef’s Plate comes with BBQ Pork, Soy Sauce Chicken, Roasted Pork and half a salty egg over rice. For $14.50, it’s not exactly cheap. The quality of their meats were delicious, but it did bother me a bit that the cuts were a bit thin for what I’m used to. My favourite was the roasted pork since the skin is so crisp.

Beef Brisket Curry on Rice

The portion size was good. Lots of curry to rice ratio. The taste of this was decent, but not the best I’ve had.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the quality of food is good and I like how the space is new and clean. The prices are a bit higher than most places, but understandably due to rising costs.

We Rate Chinatown BBQ

Address:
130 E Pender St, Vancouver

Website:
http://chinatownbbq.com/

I have an addiction of smoked salmon and when my friend told me about Russ & Daughters in New York, we had to go. You can go to their shop, cafe or the Jewish Museum to get a taste of their awesome food, but we opted to go to the original shop on East Houston Street.

They are purveyors of the highest quality smoked fish, caviar, baked goods, and specialty foods in New York City. Since 1914, this landmark New York City institution has been owned and operated by four generations of the Russ family. Russ & Daughters has continued to provide the tastes and traditions of a true New York experience from the same spot on East Houston Street for more than a century. With the constant line of locals and tourists, that isn’t wrong at all.

Interior

We came early in the morning on the weekend and we were just glad there wasn’t a line out the door as it’s pretty chilly in the winter. When we got inside, we grabbed a number and waited out turn.

They have a lot of things to buy in their display case as well as around the shop. Since we were visiting, we were eyeing the different types of smoked salmon for our bagels.

A lot of people recommend the Gaspe Nova as it is mild and the pure, fresh North Atlantic taste and satiny texture will be savoured by any palate.

It took a little bit to get past the line and order. The staff take their time and don’t rush past each person to get through the queue.

My Creation

I made mine with:

  • Everything Bagel toasted
  • Gaspe Nova Salmon
  • Cream cheese with scallion
  • Onions
  • Capers

It was one of the most expensive lox bagels I’ve ever had at $13, but it was the best lox bagel I’ve had in my life. The quality of the ingredients really shine through. So damn good.

We Rate Russ & Daughters

Address:
179 E Houston St, New York

Websitehttp://shop.russanddaughters.com/

Black Rice Izakaya in Vancouver is always trying to have seasonal items on the menu to keep items fresh and also cater to the tastebuds for the winter months. They have released 6 new dishes for the cold winter season.

Interior

There is a lot of space for groups of 2s and 4s, if you have a larger group, best to get a reservation so you don’t have to wait during peak hours.

Hamaguri Dobin Mushi

This has Hamaguri, water, salt, pepper string and yuzu peel. It is a very comforting broth that is peppery and ends with the citrus yuzu peel.

Goma Tuna

You have chunks of the tuna marinated in delicious sauce. Then a crisp rice cake on top. There is also a cucumber cup filled with uni. I liked this dish as it has nice clean flavours.

Kichi Scallop Motoyaki

In the shell is kimchi, chopped bell pepper, butter and cheese. A rich dish due to the butter and cheese, but cooked kimchi is very comforting in the winter months.

Neapolitan Spaghetti

There is soba noodle, tomato sauce, ketchup, bacon, sausage, onion and egg. I found it a touch too sweet, but some people at the table really enjoyed it.

Kimchi Nabe

A hot warming hot pot that is kept warm by the fame under it. It’s not too spicy at all. I find that some kimchi is better is soups where its flavours can really shine through.

Terikayi Wagyu Steak

This sizzling plate has Teriyaki glazed US wagyu beef from Snake River Farms, Monterey Jack and mozzarella cheese with mashed potatoes. It’s cooked till a medium rare for the quality of meat to shine through.

Sake Drinks

Of course it’s not winter without some delicious sake cocktails to go with the meal. With the winter, there is lots to celebrate around the table during the holidays. They have a lot of options on their beverage menu.

Beer

If you’re like me, I enjoy beer more than sake for the crisp bubbly taste. There is Sapporo and Asahi on top, but I usually gravitate towards Sapporo.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the new items are good additiona to the menu to give customer more options during the winter. I didn’t love all the dishes as I prefer more of a clean taste to my food, but I did like the Hamaguri Dobin Mushi and Goma Tuna.

We Rate Black Rice Izakaya

Address:
782 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC

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

Spade, a beautifully designed cafe-bistro bringing an eclectic blend of authentic Italian flavour to Vancouver’s vibrant Commercial Drive neighbourhood. Owned by Sammy Piccolo (Award-winning Barista, Prado Café owner), Spade features freshly baked in-house Italian pastries, classic egg sandwiches as well as plenty of authentic Italian tapas and family-style dishes to transition you from day to night.

Interior

Since we were invited, they had us at the long table that can accommodate a lot of guests.

Pickled Vegetables

The house-made pickled vegetables was a nibble before the meal started.

Insalata di Halloumi

This has berries, pesto, walnuts, and halloumi a top a piece of endive. The natural crunch of the endive and the halloumi cheese paired well together.

Nachos Italiano

A twist to this classic has eggplant conserva, roasted red pepper, pickled red onion, and served with a side of salsa verde.

Gnocchi

This was one of my favourite dishes. There is squid ink, black garlic, cream, and lemon. I would highly recommend this dish.

Cauliflower

This dish has roasted cauliflower, ricotta, salsa verde, and seeds. A nice healthy accompaniment to go with some of the other dishes.

Octopus Conserva

This dish has artichoke soubise, potato, dill, and pickled vegetables. The octopus was very tender and enjoyable, but it would have been better if it was warm.

Papardelle with Lamb Shoulder Ragu

This dish was another favourite. Simple but with so much flavour and great texture. I would order this again.

Burrata

The burrata is paired with fennel, citrus, serrano jamon, basil and breadcrumbs. Burrata is awesome and you can’t go wrong with it.

Meatballs

The meatballs are served with a rosemary garlic cream sauce, mushrooms, braised endive, gorgonzola and walnuts.

Chocolate Cake

To end the night, we tried the chocolate cake, which reminded me of black forest cake. It was ok.

Cafe Latte Panna Cotta

The Cafe Latte Panna Cotta was delicious! A small sweet taste to the end of the meal.

Latte

Ending the night off with a decaf latte is great. The warm milk is so comforting. Highly recommend decaf if you’re sensitive to caffeine int he evening.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed dinner here and I’ll definitely be back. The concept of an Italian Coffee bar really shows and I loved all their pasta dishes. Even if you’re not a coffee drinker, you’ll want to come here for their homey pasta.

We Rate Spade

Address:
1858 Commercial Dr, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.spadecoffee.ca/

Atlas Steak + Fish is the new restaurant inside the Grand Villa Casino and Hotel in Burnaby. It has taken the old location of EBO and is a modern twist on the iconic North American steakhouse.

They selecting fine ingredients, explore global flavours, showcase unique cooking techniques, and engage through table-side service. These are all elements that speak to their commitment in crafting a truly distinctive dining experience in Burnaby.

Interior

The dining space is very nice and great for any occasion. They even have a private room with lots of seats if you want something more cozy and intimate for your group.

El Diablo

Start the night off with an electrifying cocktail. It has Sauza Silver Tequila, Crème de Cassis, fresh lime juice, and Ginger Ale presented with sparks of fire using cinnamon. From the name of the cocktail, you would think it would be spicy, but this was such a refreshing cocktail. We really enjoyed it.

Agua de Valencia

This yummy drink has dry English gin, fine orange liqueur and orange.

Lobster Bisque

At the centre of the bisque is a seared scallop and roe. The broth had a lot of depth and essence of the lobster. It may not look that great, but it was delicious.

Steak Tartar

This has hand minced tenderloin, miso mustard, pickled daikon quail’s egg, and gnocco fritto. Mix the ingredients together and then eat.

Steaks and Mains

Only the top percentage of Alberta Angus Reserve Beef and U.S.D.A Prime make the ATLAS cut and are selected for dishes. Sourcing from North America’s top producers, they seek out the ultimate commitment to quality and stewardship to ensure the best in marbling, tenderness, and flavour. The steaks are hand-butchered from the top breeds, hand-selected, and aged before being prepared in our mesquite-fired Josper oven.

Chili Ribbed Cowboy Rib Steak

With got the steak done medium rare without the chili rub. The steak was very tender and it was 16oz, so it wasn’t small at all.

There were some leftovers, but we were happy to have it for another meal.

Tomahawk Pork Chop

This has snake river farms kurobuta pork chop, smoked pork belly and apple relish with warm potato salad. It was suggested that we order this as medium. This was recommended by the staff and it was also tender and delicious. We enjoyed the pairing of the apple relish on top.

Whipped Brie Mashed Potato

We got this on the side to share and it was so smooth and fluffy. Who knew brie and mashed potatoes would be so good together. Highly recommended.

Roasted Wild Mushrooms

Ultimate savoury side dish to share for the table. I enjoyed the variety of mushrooms in this.  Another winner.

Salted Caramel Creme Brulee

It comes in a mason jar with the torched sugar on top. It is served with chocolate dipped biscotti. A good comforting classic dessert.

Baked Alaska

If you’re looking for something unique, try the baked Alaska that is flambed tableside. How cool is that? It’s a dinner and a little show.

The layers are made of raspberry coconut ice cream, lemon sorbet, orange vanilla cake, and italian meringue.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we enjoyed the experience and it’s something that Burnaby is lacking. They bring some exciting dishes that aren’t easy to find in the area. I would recommend Atlas for intimate dinners for special occasions.

We Rate Atlas Steakhouse and Fish

Address:
4331 Dominion St, Burnaby

Website:
http://atlassteakandfish.com/

We headed to Savio Volpe for an early holiday dinner with the family. Since we had over 6 people, we had to order the family-style dinner for $55 per person. I’ve heard lots about Savio Volpe and I’ve been very curious, so by trying the family-style dinner, we would trying a majority of the dishes here, which I didn’t mind at all.

Interior

In the evening, the dining room is dimly lit and it has a very cozy atmosphere.

We sat at the rear of the restaurant, so we had a fun time watching them in the kitchen cook away.

Breadsticks

As our starters arrived, we got some ridiculously long breadsticks. We actually had a lot of fun eating these.

Prosciutto di Parma, apple, and Grana

This dish has our first appetizer. A simple dish, but the simple ingredients are paired well together. The salty and sweet combination works.

White anchovy, leeks, soft boiled egg, olives

This dish was interesting and we all felt like the mayo on the base of this dish was too much. It was so creamy and thick that it over powered the other ingredients.

Kale, lemon pepper dressing, romano, pangrattato

The salads started arriving and this was my favourite. If you need to order a salad, this is pretty damn tasty. Highly recommended.

Farro, squash, chickpeas, dates, pine nuts, ricotta salata

There is a lot of good textures in this dish. Very hearty and filling dish.

Mezzaluna, ricotta, wild mushrooms

The mushrooms in this dish was delicious. The pasta itself was ok, but nothing exciting.

Cavatelli with brussel sprouts and pangratatto

The cavatelli was pretty hard in texture and we all thought it was pretty mediocre.

Roast Suckling Pig

A beautiful dish with salsa verde, pork belly, egg and crackling. Beautiful presentation but I felt the suckling pig was a bit tough and dry.

Duck

With our group of 7, they cut the duck into 6 pieces when they should have cut it into 7. We let the server know, but he told us to share. Fair enough, so thats what we did. Later on they did send us over a plate with 1 extra piece.

Smashed root vegetables

This was one of the sides to share with the group.

Grilled broccolini

The broccolini was pretty scorched on some pieces. Both sides that arrived were not very impressive.

Cannoli, ricotta, citrus, cocoa, hazelnuts

This cannoli was a bit hard to share with the group, but we made it work. Good crisp cannoli shell and the filling was equally as good.

Chocolate tart, olive oil, sea salt, pinenuts

This chocolate tart was delicious. Very smooth and full of chocolate goodness. My favourite of the two desserts.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I’m glad we tried the dinner family-style to try a lot of dishes. Unfortunately, a lot of the dishes really didn’t stand out. I’ve heard lots about their pasta, but both of the ones we got were not up to par. My favourite dish was the kale salad and the chocolate tart. For $55 per person, it wasn’t bad at all since we were all full, but it didn’t impress us enough to return.

We Rate Savio Volpe: 

Address:
615 Kingsway, Vancouver

Website: http://www.saviovolpe.com/

We wanted to indulge on a culinary night out at Botanist with a few of my foodie friends – Foodgressing and Picky Diner. We decided to do the Chef’s ‘We’ll Take It From Here’ Menu for the whole table for $108 per person. A bit indulgent, but since I just came back from New York, this price was really great in comparison.  We went on a Friday night around 6pm and did require reservations as it’s a pretty busy time of year.

Interior

The interior is very beautiful and the perfect setting for any occasion. They even have liven music which is a nice touch. Good for small to large groups.

Drinks and Cocktails

Drinks aren’t included with the set menu, but we got a few different beverages to go with the meal. I went with beer as usual. They do have mocktails too if you don’t drink alcohol. Just ask the staff as they have a pretty extensive drink menu.

Wine Pairings

You can also add wine pairings with each dish in the set menu. Worth it if you’re a wine lover.

Bread

As you wait for the dishes to arrive, they give you some beautiful housemade bread and some butter.

Amuse Bouche

The meal started with a Sturgeon Chicharron, fermented veggies, and dried sturgeon. It was essentially deep-fried fish skin and it was very delicious. The crunchy texture paired well with the fermented veggies. A good start to the meal. This was paired with Zanata Brut.

Course 1: Beet Salad

The next item has textured beets, pecans, orange, and Ashley Goat’s cheese. I simply adore beets, so I loved all the different variety and techniques they used on this dish. Paired with Lucien Crochet Sancerre.

Course 2: Lobster and Sunchoke

This has Sunchoke Velouté, lobster, and chive chantilly. They come to the table and pour the broth into the bowl. A fun way to see the dish come together. The lobster was cooked perfectly. Paired with Roux Père et Fils Chardonnay.

Course 3: Scallop

This has Diver scallop, brussel sprouts, guanciale celeriac foam. A beautiful sear on each side of the scallop on top of the shredded bed of brussel sprouts. The acidity of the sauce worked in the dish to go well with the foam and scallop. Paired with Domaine de la Mora.

Course 4: Bison

This meaty dish has Bison, Saskatoon berry, mushrooms, caulifower. The mushrooms were absolutely amazing to go with the bison. A fun dish to showcase ingredients from Canada. Paired with Perraton Père et Fils

Course 5: Dessert

This dessert is made with Itakuji chocolate pate, passion fruit pulp, and licorice ice cream. At first I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about the dessert after hearing it has licorice. After digging into it, I really enjoyed the passion fruit a lot. The licorice was subtle and not overpowering at all. Paired with Foneseca Port.

Sweet Treat

At the end of the meal, they give everyone a little gift to take home – Chef’s Shortbread using his grandmother’s recipe. A nice thoughtful gift to continue the experience at home.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think it was worth what you get in the Chef’s tasting. We were all full afterwards and each dish was unique and not on the regular menu. Service was great and the staff were all super friendly. I’ll be back for any special occasion.

We Rate Botanist Restaurant

Address:
1038 Canada Pl, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.botanistrestaurant.com/

There’s a new ramen shop in town called Ichikame Shokudo located in South Vancouver. I was invited to give their ramen and other dishes a try. I was pretty excited to try this place and we can never have too many ramen shops in Vancouver. Especially in this area, it needs more food options.

Interior

The space isn’t too large, but is good for groups of 2 or 4. They can accommodate larger groups, but go early or later in the evening.

Menu

Complimentary tea

As we sat down, they gave us some hot tea as we browsed through the menu.

Shio Ramen

The broth is very light and not rich at all. It’s definitely a different style that personally didn’t attract my taste buds. It lacks the depth of flavour. If you’re looking for something that has a cleaner taste, this is it.

Spicy Ramen

I was hoping this would have a better kick of flavour, but it was still a bit bland and needed more heat and depth. Their ramen eggs are good and the chashu is not bad either.

Kimchi Cheese Ramen

This has a spicy ramen base with veggies, kimchi, and topped with seared cheese on top. This was a very interesting combination and strays a bit from tradition ramen flavours.

Italian Tomato Ramen

This ramen has a tomato base soup with fried chicken, cheese and mixed greens. The soup base is very comforting as it reminds me of tomato soup from my childhood. The fried chicken in the broth made the exterior soggy, so it would have been better on the side.

Pork Belly Samurai Rock

It has braised pork belly, green onions, sesame and pickled radish, egg, on top of rice in this hot stone bowl. The pork belly as nice and torched with a good amount of fat. The portion size is good for an individual.

Katsu Cheese Curry

On top of the bed of rice is curry, katsu, greens, cheese, seaweed and nori.

Beef Cheese Curry

The beef, cheese and veggies in this hot stone bowl. All three were decent but I preferred the other 2.

Pork Yakisoba

Served on this hot skillet with all the yakisoba and pork on top.

Vege Mountain

This huge bowl of cabbage was awesome. Nicely seasoned and a great item to share. I love cabbage, so I had a lot of this and took the leftovers home. For the price, this portion is generous.

Prawn & Cheese Gyoza

The gyoza comes with 6 pieces per order. These gyozas are topped with prawns and the cheese sizzles on the hot plate. It does take some time too cool down.

Spicy Cheese Gyoza

Somewhat similar to the other gyoza. With both of them, I wished the gyoza were more crisp especially when it comes on a hot plate.

Takoyaki

It comes with six pieces per order. A  nice snack to share with the table.

Agedashi Tofu

It is presented in a bamboo steamer and comes with 4 pieces. Garnished with nori and bonito flakes similar to other dishes.  This tasted ok, but nothing special.

Veggie Croquettes

4 pieces per order and it is crunchy on the outside and savoury on the inside.

Chicken Karaage

One of my favourite appetizers! Crispy, moist and delicious. A great item to pair with your meal.

Yukikaze Freeze

They have partnered up with a local company – 77k Freeze to create their Yukikaze Freeze. There are 7 different flavours and I tried the Wasabi Chocolate as it was pretty unique. With this particular flavour, it was chocolate with dried wasabi sprinkled around, so it wasn’t as intense as I would have imagined.

Freeze Drink

There are 9 different freeze drinks and they also have frozen iced tea drinks too.

Final Thoughts

A lot of the dishes were pretty average. Nothing really stood out to me that I must return for. If you’re in the area and you’re craving a bowl of ramen and don’t want to travel far, this is a good option in South Vancouver.

We Rate Ichikame Shokudo: 

Address:
6956 Victoria Dr, Vancouver

Website:
http://ichikameshokudo.com/

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

Interior

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

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

Menu

Drinks

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

Deep Fried Pickles

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

Backyard BBQ

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts

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

We Rate Yale Saloon

Address:
1300 Granville St, Vancouver

Website:
https://yalesaloon.com/

The Ellis opened this Summer in Kitsilano serving up delicious Pacific North West Comfort Food. They are named after Ellis Island, as it was the pivotal point of entry for over 12 million immigrants. It’s a symbol of freedom and discovery.

My hubby is a huge brunch fan, so we decided to check out their brunch offerings.

Interior

There is a large bar, table top eating, and more tables on the side. It wasn’t too busy on a weekend morning, but they did roll out their brunch recently.

Coffee

Coffee is a must for us when having brunch. They also have a good mimosa and caesars, but we just weren’t feeling it when we visited but it’s definitely what we will order next time.

Fried Chicken French Toast

This is definitely a unique item. It has Frosted Flakes French Toast topped with powdered sugar. Then whole wheat breaded chicken and chicken gravy. M added Thick-cut bacon as a side. He absolutely loved this dish. A bit sweet, a bit savoury, with yummy textures.

Biscuits and Gravy

You get toasted buttermilk biscuit with 2 large sausage patties, 2 eggs, grilled onions and chicken gravy. The portion of this dish was good.

The eggs were soft poached and done perfectly. It oozed out with such grace.

Beans on Toast

The thick cut sourdough bread is topped with bacon & molasses baked beans, 2 eggs and fresh tomatoes. I saw this on the menu and had to try it as it’s not something I would order but it was recommended by the staff.

These eggs are also perfectly poached and the flavours melded very well.

Final Thoughts

We really enjoyed the food and will definitely be back with more friends. Frosted Flakes French Toast is a must!

We rate The Ellis

Address:
2204 York Ave, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.theellis.ca/

When in New York, I had to check out Bar Pa Tea for their bubble tea and soft serve ice cream in Lower Manhattan. They are creating a healthier alternative to bubble tea without compromising the distinct taste and experience of traditional bubble tea. On the menu, you’ll find tapioca pearls that are free of additives and drinks sweetened with pure cane sugar instead of corn syrup. We came on the weekend around 2pm and it wasn’t too busy.

Interior

The space is small, so there aren’t many seats. Just a few stools and smaller tables. Most people grab it to go.

Oolong Tea Latte Soft Serve with Mixed Bubbles

This soft serve was delicious, but on the sweeter side. We added a mix of their regular bubbles and mini bubbles to give them both a try. It was really delicious and you can instantly taste the difference and it looks different than normal bubbles.

Black Tea Latte

I love the colour of this drink where it’s 2 colours until you mix it all together. It not very sweet, which I really like. You can also get this with soy milk or almond milk if you’re lactose intolerant. After having the soft serve, this didn’t taste like much because of how less sweet it was in comparison.

Final Thoughts

It’s pretty unique since there aren’t too many shops focusing on healthy bubble tea and also create delicious tea-based soft serves. I would definitely come back for some more, but I would avoid peak times to avoid any line ups.

We Rate Bar Pa Tea

Address:
85 Kenmare St, New York

Website:
https://www.barpatea.com

Banh Shop is located in the US Departures area of Vancouver International Airport (YVR). As it’s fairly new, I thought I would give it a try before my flight. They also have this at Pearson International Airport in Toront, DFW International Airport in Texas, and soon Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

I just missed breakfast, so I ordered off the lunch menu at 10am.

It comes all wrapped up if you need it to grab and go to make your flight. I did have a bit of time, so I ate it at the tables.

Grilled Pork Meatball

This banh mi has minced pork marinated with black pepper, Vietnamese caramel glaze and scallions; with a cucumber-cilantro aioli. The sandwich was ok, but you can tell it’s Americanized. It bread was doughy and hard on the outside. The meatballs itself was decent.

It’s a good alternative to the different fast food options in the area, but it’s won’t rock your tastebuds.

We rate Banh Shop

Address:
Vancouver International Airport
Level 3, Gate E84

Website:
http://banhshop.com/

We heard that Kulinarya has a Kamayan-style dinner. What this mean is that there are no plates, no silverware, so you eat with your hands. This is by reservation only and needs to be placed days in advanced with payment made 48 hours before the reserved date. You also need a minimum of 6 adults, but luckily we had 8 in our party. It costs $25 per person between Tuesday and Thursday.

Interior

We arrived promptly at 7pm and all the food was ready on the table for us to indulge. A few of us arrived early but had to wait till closer to the time.

Kamayan-Style Dinner

This has steamed rice, lumpiang shanghai, longganisa, chopped onions, tomatoes, green onions, fried sweet potato, plantain banana, pork, beef, chicken, seafood, veggies, mangoes and halo-halo for dessert.

You can choose one of each category:

  • Pork: crispy pata, lechon kawali, or crispy binagoongan
  • Beef: kaldereta or kare-kare
  • Chicken: manok sa gata, adobo, or fried tamarind chicken
  • Veggies: pinakbet, or ginataang kalabasa
  • Seafood: tilapia, bangus fried or grilled, galunggong, or inihaw na pusit

Using our hands was a fun experience, but as soon as we got started, a few other asked for utensil as some items are oily. There is actually lots of food on the table and it was a scavenger hunt trying to find out what is what. My favourite items were the pork and longganisa.

Once everything was assembled on the table, it wasn’t as hot as we would have liked it to be. A few people at the table felt the chicken was dry. I understand why it’s not served when its ready for logistical reasons.

Halo Halo

At the end of the meal, we had halo halo, which I enjoyed as it has so many different ingredients inside. Super fun to eat and share.

Final Thoughts

Overall, good experience to have this once so I can say I had it in my life. I would rather have items off their regular dinner menu as it would be pipping hot and fresh compared to having it laid out of the table before arrival.

We Rate Kulinarya

Website:
http://www.kulinarya.ca/

Address:
2922 Glen Dr, Coquitlam, BC

Hulu Poké is now open at Pacific Centre in Downtown Vancouver serving up Hawaiian-inspired poké bowls and tostadas. There has been a surge of poke shops opening up around the Lower Mainland and there’s no stopping them. Vancouverites love their seafood and clean flavours.

They have 9 different types of pre-built Hula Bowls, so you can’t customize them like other shops. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as those who are indecisive don’t have to think so hard. Those who are picky, may not like these pre-built options.

Menu

Hula Bowls

All hula bowls have a base of rice and yuzu kale. There are 6 Hula Bowls and 2 Vege Bowl options on the menu.

  • Tiki with Togarashi Spicy Tuna
  • Bahamian with Coconut Rockfish
  • Lei with Togarashi Salmon
  • Koko with Gochujang Salmon
  • Ancho with Ancho Rockfish
  • Nikkei with Citrus Ahi Tuna
  • Cali Veg with Miso Ginger Tofu
  • Sweet Potato with Ancho Sweet Potato

If you don’t like cilantro of red chili peppers, you should tell them ahead of time.

 

Tiki

This has ahi tuna in togarashi mayo, cucumber, green onion, red chili, edamame, crispy onions, black sesame, hijiki, and cilantro.

Bahamian

This has rockfish, coconut and pineapple salsas, edamame, red pepper, green onion, jalapeno, coconut flakes and cilantro. This reminded me of a Hawaiian pizza of poke.

Koko

This has spicy gochujang salmon, carrots, white onion, avocado, cucumber, kimchi, furikake, black sesame, cilantro, and a miso ginger vinaigrette on the bed of yuzu kale and rice.

Ancho

There is rockfish in an ancho crema tossed in avocado, jicama slaw, green onion, red pepper, chili oil, cilantro and crispy onions.

Lei

This has salmon in togarashi mayo, cucumber, avocado, red pepper, green onion, red pepper strings, spicy peas and furikake. One of my favourites.

Nikkei

This has ahi tuna in peruvian citrus sauce, avocado, white onion, red thai chili, grapefruit, togarashi sprinkle, crunchy peas, black sesame seeds, tossed with wasabi lemon crema. One of my favourites too.

Cali Veg

There is the miso ginger tofu, snow peas, red pepper, avocado, carrots, black sesame seeds, red pepper string, hijiki, and picked cucumber. Apparently, this was a popular dish among vegans.

Sweet Potato

This has sweet potato, ancho crema, jicama slaw, green onion, red pepper, chili oil, cilantro and crispy onions.

Wai-Tais

There are 2 different Wai-Tais, which as fruit-infused coconut waters. There is strawberry hibiscus and pineapple lime. I gravitated towards the pineapple line and it was refreshing with poké.

Kombucha

They have 2 house-made Kombucha – Mint Mojito and Ginger Hibiscus. I had some of the Mint Mojito and it was delicious. It wasn’t too intense compared to some other kombucha I’ve had before.

Lava

This drink has DeVille Coffee poured over coconut milk. It was an interesting drink, but a bit heavy for my tastes

Plantain Chips

If you are looking for something on the go, they have plantain chips that are a bit salty and a bit spicy.

Pineapple

The dried sugared pineapple half coated in a sugar and dipped with coconut. There are 2 pieces to a package.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Hula Poké isn’t for everyone. If you like more control of what goes into your bowl, this isn’t the place for you. For those who aren’t picky and like a good healthy quick meal in a food court, this is your place. It’s refreshing to have a poké shop at Pacific Centre to give customer better options. Even though they have only been open for a few days, it’s really popular for those visiting the Pacific Centre food court.

We Rate Hula Poke:

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

Address:
Food Court, 701 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC

Sushi Bar Maumi is located on Davie Street in Vancouver and specializes in nigiri sushi for his omakase menu. Reservations are required, so they will not take walk-ins. Omakase is $75 per person and if you want to order more, you can do so after the 10 pieces.

They try to give customers an authentic and memorable sushi bar experience. Since there are only 2 seatings per evening with 10 seats each. There are a few rules you need to follow in order to have a good time with other guests. Make sure you read their website in it’s entirety.

It’s definitely not cheap, but it’s an experience watching Chef Maumi Ozaki create each piece of nigiri and eating such delicious simple flavours. Just make sure you follow his rules.

Green Tea

As we sat down for our 6pm seating, we were given a pot of green tea to sip on through out our meal. Since I am a tea guzzler, they did refill everyone’s pots during the evening.

Suzuki – Japanese Sea Bass

The first piece was suzuki nigiri, which is a Japanese Sea Bass. It has a good mouthfeel and chef puts a brush of sauce on top for added flavour.

Surume Ika – Japanese Flying Squid

Ika is usually tough, but the chef cuts it slightly with a criss-cross to break apart the connective tissue. The sauce that is brushed on top collects in these slots and holds a good amount of flavour.

Aji – Japanese Horse Mackerel

The flesh is more pinkish compared to the others. It is topped with ginger and scallions. It has a delicate and sweet flavour.

Kuruma Ebi – Japanese Tiger Prawn

One of the more expensive nigiri at Maumi, if you want more, it will cost you $18 per piece. The head is removed to be used in the miso soup later in the evening. It is sweet and full of umami taste.

Shima Aji – Stripped Jack

The flesh is more white and milder in flavour. Still a good piece of nigiri.

Hokkaido Bafun Uni – Sea Urchin

The uni is harvested at peak season and it topped with a small bit of ginger. The uni is sweet, briny, and creamy.

Miso Soup

Up next was miso soup made with the prawn heads. It came pipping hot, but very delicious soup which was so warming.

Nama Hotate – Fresh Scallop

The scallop was sliced thinly and draped on top of the sushi rice. Fresh, subtly sweet and has a soft texture.

Medium Fatty Bluefin Tuna marinated in special soy sauce

This was a joy to eat. So damn good!

Saba – Mackerel

One of my favourites as it has firm flesh and its rich and fatty with yummy flavours.

Anago – BBQ Sea Eel

This was the last item of our omakase was the anago. It was nice an hot covered in this delicious sauce.

Hon Maguro O-Toro – Fatty Bluefin Tuna

Almost everyone ordered this at the end. It will cost you $12 per piece but you have to try it once. It’s really good and it melts in your mouth.

Sanma – Pike Mackerel

We ordered this because everyone else did as well. They seem to know what they were ordering, so we followed along. It was fatty and rich similar to saba. This is served with ginger and scallions on top.

Ikura – Salmon Roe

This is like little dragon balls. The roe are salty and it’s fun to pop them in your mouth.

Tamago

This is handmade egg omelette with fish, prawns, mountain potato and dashi. It had a sweet finish to the taste and served cold.

Final Thoughts

This was a fun experience to eat at a sushi bar served by Chef Maumi Ozaki. The food is great, but we did have to order a few more pieces after the omakase to get full. You have to be a fan of nigiri to fully enjoy the experience. One person dining just ate the fish on top and left all their rice. Our bill between us was over $200, so you need to be here for a special occasion.

We Rate Sushi Bar Maumi:

Address:
1226 Bute St, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.sushibarmaumi.ca/