Foodology
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In Granville Island

Dockside Restaurant: Fall Menu Sneak Peek

The Dockside Restaurant on Granville Island is a place locals and tourist love to come to for the views and the fresh seafood options on the menu. They like to keep their menu seasonal, so they have recently launched a few items on their menu to reflect the Fall season and use the freshest produce possible.

Interior

The main dining area is very nice with lots of windows, comfortable seating, and views of False Creek.

Super Food Buddha Bowl

This has organic quinoa, farro, wehani rice, house-pickled vegetables, heirloom tomatoes, romaine hearts, and a citrus vinaigrette. A good items to have to taste the fresh produce of the Fall. The hearty grains are delicious too.

Warm Fall Harvest Kale Salad

This has a medley of roasted root vegetables, Okanagan honey crisp apples, buttermilk dressing, and grana padano. We have delicious local apples, so this plate highlight more of the farms close by. The texture of the crisp root vegetables contrasts well with the kale.

Two Rivers Meats Grilled Beef Tenderloin (6oz)

This dish has AAA beef, potato yam pavé, butternut squash purée, red wine thyme jus, seasonal organic vegetables, and preserved cherry-basil compound butter. Having the beef medium rare is the best way to have this served.

Braised Lamb Shank

The tender lamb shank sits on top of Israeli cous cous, butternut squash, Okanagan plum jus, dukkah, and seasonal organic vegetables.

Forno Roasted Salmon

This has lemongrass-soy marinated Oceanwise salmon, pistachio mash, bell pepper aioli, and seasonal organic vegetables. The salmon was cooked nicely and the marination of the lemongrass-soy flavour.

Grilled Haida Gwaii Halibut

The halibut sits on lemon-herb spaetzle, dungeness crab bisque, house pickled and roasted organic vegetables. I enjoyed the combination of the spaetzle and halibut. A good combination as an entree.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

The sticky toffee pudding has spiced caramel sauce, rum and vanilla gelato on top. Such a lovely treat to end the meal.

Coconut Milk Cheesecake

This dessert has passion fruit chia seed glaze, honey toasted nuts and candied coconut chips. It is gluten-free, which is a good option for those with dietary restrictions.

Final Thoughts

Dockside Restaurant is a solid place to go to in Vancouver. The location is right on Granville Island and they do have lots to do in the area. My favourite dishes was the Grilled Haida Gwaii Halibut.

We Rate Dockside Restaurant: 

Address:
253 Johnston St, Vancouver

Website:
http://docksidevancouver.com/

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In Dessert

Kekou Gelato: Asian Inspired Desserts in Toronto

When I was in Toronto, my friends highly suggested I go to Kekou Gelato for a taste of their unique flavours of gelato. They specialize in Asian-inspired frozen desserts. Since I sometimes have a sweet tooth, I couldn’t say no to coming here with my friends. I had less than 24 hours in Toronto, so I needed to eat as much as I could.

Interior

There are lots of tables inside this location and the line starts on the right side of the shop. It was late into the evening, but there was a good amount of people inside.

Menu

Tasting

There were lots of flavours to choose from, so I tried a bit of everything. How could I resist? All the flavours were pretty darn delicious, so it made deciding on one flavour very difficult.

In a Cup

One of my favourite ones that I tried was the HK Milk Tea gelato. I got it as one scoop in a cup. It was pretty smooth and made well. The tea flavour stood out and was addictive.

In a Cone

Instead of a cup, you can get it as a cone too.

If you are in Toronto for a visit, I would highly recommend this place for a nice sweet gelato treat. I sure enjoyed it.

We rate Kekou gelato:

Address:
394 Queen Street West, Toronto

Website:
https://www.facebook.com/kekougelato/

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In Bubble Tea

T-Go Tea: Bubble Tea in Richmond

T-Go Tea in Richmond is a new bubble tea shop focusing on freshly brewed tea from loose tea leaves rather than powders like some other bubble tea shops in town. I was invited to check out a few of their drinks and see how they are. It’s pretty exciting to see more and more shops focusing on giving customers a healthier alternative to bubble tea.

Interior

The counter to order drinks is at the front but there is a room in the back where there are some seats and washrooms. Most people order drinks and have it to go.

All their teas are visible, so you can see they have nothing to hide.

 

Menu

There’s a lot of drinks on their menu, but you can easily customize them to your liking.

Roasted Milk Tea with Pearls

One of my favourite drinks to get at any bubble tea shop is their signature milk teas to see how they fare against each other. If you can’t get a delicious basic bubble tea, what are you doing. Good thing T-Go has a delicious roasted milk tea that isn’t too sweet, which is great.

Osmanthus Green Tea

I had to try their tea with no sugar and no milk to taste how their tea is like without the sweetness. They use an espresso machine to brew the tea. Then they add ice to cool it down. It’s pretty decent brewed iced tea.

Bubble Waffles

They make their bubble waffles in-house, but during our visit, they seemed to have an issue with creating the bubble waffles. I twas pretty doughy and not crisp, so it doesn’t snap off easily.

I’m sure they need some time to perfect the execution of these treats.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the tea here is good, but I only tried 2 drinks out of their entire line up of beverages. If you are in the Richmond area and are looking for good bubble tea made out of loose leaf tea, give T-Go Tea a visit.

We Rate T-Go Tea: 

Address:
4720 Mcclelland Road #1810, Richmond

Website:
http://www.tgotea.com/

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In Coquitlam

Ma Now Thai Kitchen: Thai Restaurant in Coquitlam

Ma Now Thai Kitchen is located in Coquitlam and a friend – Hilda suggested we come here for dinner as it’s one of their favourite places to get Thai cuisine. I can’t believe I haven’t been here yet, but then again, there are so many hidden gems in the city.

Interior

The interior was very clean, modern, and had a good amount of tables. We sat here for a while and the traffic on a weekday night can be busy.

Tea and Water

As we sat down, they have us a cup of hot tea and another cup of cold water. I love the look of the water cup!

Thai Iced Milk Tea

I ordered Thai Iced Milk Tea and I absolutely love it. One of my favourite drink to get at any Thai restaurant. Highly recommend it.

Chicken Satay

These are fire-grilled chicken on skewers served with house-peanut sauce and pickles. It was delicious and juicy.

Pad Thai with Chicken

The famous Thai stir-fried noodles has egg and tofu; topped with bean sprouts, peanuts, and a lime wedge. We got it medium spicy and it had a very nice amount of heat. When they say its medium, it really is medium.

Green Curry with Chicken

Green curry of Keaw Whan is a Thai classic coconut cream curry with vegetables and Thai basil. We added chicken to this and there is also rice on the side. We ordered this as mild, but it has a very faint hint of spice, which is actually really delicious.

Craving Cashew with Shrimp

This dish is also known as Pad Med Ma Muang. It has fresh vegetables, chili jam, and cashew nuts and is served with rice, but we got coconut rice instead.

Think Thoughts

The food here is pretty good and I was glad I was able to enjoy it with good friends. I love how mild has a hint of spice because thats how Thai food should really be enjoyed.

We Rate Ma Now Thai Kitchen: 

Address:
 2755 Lougheed Hwy #29, Port Coquitlam

Website:
https://manowthaikitchen.ca/

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In Brunch

Bandidas Taqueria: Vegetarian Mexican Food on Commercial Drive

Bandidas Taqueria has been on Commercial Drive for a long time serving up vegetarian Mexican-inspired cuisine. It’s been a while since my last visit, but it was nice to see they have expanded their space to have more guests.  We came on a weekend and its was pretty busy.

Interior

Lots of tables inside for small to large groups. They don’t take reservations so it’s first come, first serve.

Chips, Salsa and Guacamole

To start off the brunch, we had this to munch on before getting our other dishes. Loved how the dishes were overflowing with salsa and guac.

Breakfast Tacos

There is 3 handmade corn tortillas topped with scrambled eggs, black beans, caramelized onions, roasted tomato salsa, cheese, and sour cream, and served with purple cabbage. I added guacamole for $1.50 extra.

Breakfast Burrito

This has scrambled free-range eggs, pinto beans, roasted tomato salsa, cheese, and sour cream wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla and grilled. Then, you can get this baked with cheese on top. We added roasted yam and potato hash for $2.50 extra.

Ronny Russell Burrito

This has roasted yams, guacamole, black beans, salsa verde, purple cabbage, and toasted pumpkin seeds. Baked and with added cheese too. These burritos are very filling.

Horace “Lefty” Burrito

This has spicy Mexican corn mix, pinto beans, fresh jalapeños, cheese, fresh-cut tomato salsa, sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips. This is also baked and added cheese on top.

Beer

They have a range of local beers on tap. I got a beer and my friends ordered the East Van Radler with Driftwood’s Fat Tug IPA and freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice.

Mimosa

Weekend brunch time calls for mimosas. It comes in a small mason jar, but it’s a good match for brunch here.

Horchata

For something non-alcoholic, they have horchata, which is a Mexican drink made with rice and is flavoured with cinnamon and sweetened with sugar.

Final Thoughts

We Rate Bandidas Taqueria: 

Address:
2781 Commercial Dr, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.bandidastaqueria.com

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In Event

Hapa Izakaya: Taste of Yaletown 2017

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

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

First Course

Beef Tataki

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

Ahi Tuna Yukke

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

Agebidashi Vegetables

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

Second Course

Chicken Nanban

fried chicken thigh, daikon tartar sauce

Crispy Panko-Fried Scallops

fried scallops, jalapeno mango mayo, lotus root chips

 

Foil Grilled Tofu and Mushrooms

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

Third Course

Hambagu Steak

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

Aburi Saba Sushi

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

Vegetable Poke Bowl

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

Drinks

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

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

Final Thoughts

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

We Rate Hapa Izakaya: 

Address:
1193 Hamilton St, Vancouver

Website:
http://hapaizakaya.com/

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In Event

The Keg: Taste of Yaletown 2017

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

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

Appetizers

Keg Caesar Salad

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

Baked Garlic Shrimp

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

Wild Mushroom Soup

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

Entree

Sirloin Oscar

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

Prime Rib

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

Peppercorn New York Steak

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

Pistachio Crusted Salmon

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

Dessert

Billy Miner Pie

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

Cheesecake

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

Spanish Coffee

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

Final Thoughts

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

We Rate The Keg Steakhouse: 

Address:
1011 Mainland St, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.kegsteakhouse.com

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In Burnaby Central

Lao Shan Dong: Taiwanese Beef Noodle in Burnaby

Lao Shan Dong has handmade noodles in Burnaby near Metropolis at Metrotown. My husband was in search of Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup, so he looked up this shop to go to on the weekend. They are known for the cheap inexpensive food, but it is cash only, so make sure you have some cash on hand. I didn’t mind going since I still haven’t made a visit until now.

Interior

The interior isn’t anything special, it’s just a large area with tables and chairs. You can tell this has been here for some time as the decor is a touch dated, but people really just come here for the food.

Menu

Tea

When you sit down, they give you a big pot of tea and some cups. I love it when the bring the whole tea pot since I guzzle tea like crazy.

Braised Beef Flank and Tendon with Noodle in Soup

We got the small bowl and it was a very good size. We have no idea how anyone else could do a large. If you’re super hungry, definitely do the large. M liked the chewyness of the noodles, tendons and beef flank. The flank was more on the lean side, so it’s not tender and fatty.

Mmmmmm…. noodles!

Sour Mustard Greens and Shredded Pork with bean thread in soup

I wanted to try something different and I am a fan of sour mustard greens, so I gravitated to this dish. The broth was very clean tasting and not too rich. I love a hot bowl of soupy noodles when the cold Fall weather has arrived.

Boiled Pork and Veggie Dumplings

We got the small size with 10 pieces, but there is the larger option with 15 pieces. Easily sharable with small or large groups. Since it was just M and I, we split them with our small sized noodles. The perfect amount.

Final Thoughts

Lao Shan Dong doesn’t have the best Taiwanese Beef Noodles in town, but it is well priced and has a very homemade taste to it.

We Rate Lao Shan Dong: 

Address:
4887 Kingsway, Burnaby

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In Bubble Tea

November Dessert: Chinese Desserts in Burnaby

November Dessert is a Chinese dessert shop located on Grimer Street in Burnaby. This street has a lot of dessert shops and cafes opening up in the last few months and locals are noticing. I’ve heard of November Desserts but haven’t made a visit until they asked me to come for a visit to try some of their different dishes. If you’ve heard of Scorpio M in Richmond, they moved their operations here, changed the name and the menu is very similar to what they had before.

Interior

The interior is large and can fit small to large groups. They have utilized the beautiful grey brick walls and incorporated some beautiful Chinese decor that gives it a unique look.

Menu

Their regular menu has different soupy desserts, pancakes, and limited drinks. They also have a beautiful afternoon tea set, but you need to order 24 hours in advance. You wouldn’t know they had it unless you look at their social media accounts. I missed out on the tea set since I didn’t reserve ahead of time, so we stuck to the regular menu.

It was hard to figure out how each item on the menu differentiated itself from another, so I had to get my mom to translate some parts of the menu since I can’t read Chinese.

Drinks

I started with the milk tea, they use oolong tea as their base, but when they mix it together with the milk it’s eerily frothy, perhaps they use powdered milk, which I really do not like.

Mango and Durian Pancakes

The pancakes are wrapped like little packages. The skin is thin and is filled with whipped cream and the chosen fruit inside.

Durian

The durian pancake has a good chunk of fruit inside and all the durian lovers will enjoy it. It’s an acquired taste, so you will either love or hate it. I’m more on the neutral level since it taste like onions to me, but everyone’s experience if different.

Mango

Mango is a classic and a hit with everyone unless you are allergic to mangos. One of my favourite items to get here.

Snow Ice with Chopped Strawberry

We also added taro mochi, grass jelly, and papaya. I love this bowl since it has the cute little polar bear in the centre. I really enjoyed the toppings and the snowy ice flavoured with a bit of condensed milk.

It’s a good item to share with friends and you chat away and pick at this.

Mango and Black Sticky Rice with Homemade shaved ice

The shaved ice was milky, which was enjoyable. It is  topped off with 2 large scoops of black sticky rice and chopped mangos. This was ok, but not that special.

Mango, kiwi, homemade riceball with homemade shaved ice

 

Final Thoughts

They have improved their desserts since they were Scorpio M, but with the tough competition of dessert cafes in the area, it’s hard to stand out since there is another cafe doing similar desserts. The space here is quiet, so we did notice some people studying here.

We Rate November Dessert: 

Address:
5358 Grimmer St, Burnaby

Website:
http://mdessert.ca/en/

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In burger

Bells and Whistles: Brew Pub and Eatery on Fraser Street

Bells and Whistles on Fraser near Kingsway opens up today and we were given a quick preview of their space and menu. I’ve passed by a few times and I was eagerly awaiting their opening since I love beer and food. The neighbourhood is definitely changing and its great to see new options. They have 18 craft beers on tap – local and international, 5 types of soft serve ice cream, and 6 types of burgers in addition to other items.

Interior

I love the interior design and they got it spot on to really cater to their clientele. There are lots of tables, so they can easily seat small to large groups.

There are longer picnic style tables and with the large screen, you can watch different sports games.

They have 3 arcade games by the washroom – skee ball and basketball. 2 of the best retro games.

Menu

Beer and Cocktails
Four Winds x Bells and Whistles

Fours Winds collaborated with Bells and Whistles to create this hoppy ale which is dry-hopped with Denali & Galaxy. A good beer to try that is exclusive to this location.

Southern Belle

This cocktail ha Southern Comfort, iced tea, lemon and club soda. The drink is shaken and the strained over fresh ice. It was a very well balanced drink and since I could drink a ton of iced tea, it was a great alcoholic version.

Purple Haze

This cocktail is mad with Absolut vodka, blueberry juice, Averna, lime and served frozen with an umbrella.

Snacks and Starters

Pimento Cheese Dip

The pimento cheese dip is served with thin pretzel chips, grainy mustard and tiny pickles. Pimento cheese us very comforting but the pretzel chips were pretty fragile when I spread the dip on top. The consistency of the dip is smooth compared to how it is normally made at home, its chunky. A different twist that they put on it.

Fries

Fries are served with an herb aioli. We thought it was a bit unnecessary that they seasoned the fries in addition to having the aioli sauce as it provided enough added flavour.

KFC

This isn’t your normal Kentucky Fried Chicken, it is Korean Fried Cauliflower served with pickled cucumber, green onion and cilantro. If you aren’t a cauliflower fan, you can have it with chicken instead.

Onion Rings

These onion rings are pretty good and is served with tangy honey mustard. Crispy on the outside and the onion is cooked well.

Ahi Tuna Poke

Their ahi tuna poke has green onions, cilantro, cucumber, black and white sesame seeds, and avocado. You get a good portion of tortilla chip too. It’s decent and its a lighter option compared to the other items on the menu. I can never say no to ahi tuna.

Burgers

The Classic

The classic burger has aged cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and their secret sauce. It is served with fries or you can substitute with onion rings, garlic fries, or caesar salad for an extra charge. Their patty is hand-formed and made with a mixture of short rib, brisket, and chuck. They also have gluten-free buns too.

Fat Stevens Sandwich

You will find inside this bun beer-brined chicken, gravy, mayo and crispy fried onions. Really comforting and reminded me of Thanksgiving but with chicken.

The All Day Breakfast

This beast of a burger has maple sausage pork patty, American cheese hash browns, secret sauce and a fried egg. Super comforting and rich. You will really want a beer to go with this.

Soft Serve

Troy Tulo-Whiskey

This has original custard, whiskey caramel, roasted pecans, peach jam, and ice tea crystals. I found the soft serve very soft that it looked melted. Maybe they were having an off night with their machine.

Aaron Fudge

This has their twist soft serve, oreo chunks, strawberry sauce, fudge sauce, rainbow sparkles and marshmallows.

Coco Crisp

There is chocolate sauce, Skor bar crumble, white chocolate and pretzels sprinkled on top. Of the 3 soft serves, I liked this one compared to the other 2.

Twin Sails Stout Float

You have their original soft serve custard with a pour of their Twin Sails stout or porter depending on what that have on tap. If you are a beer lover, you’ll enjoy this combination.

Final Thoughts         

Overall, I’m happy that Bells and Whistles has joined the Fraserhood neighbourhood  and this type of venue was needed to have a great time with friends over beer, cocktails, and wine paired with comforting food. Plus, how can you say no to skee ball and basketball.

We Rate Bells and Whistles: 

Address:
3296 Fraser St, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.bellsandwhistlesyvr.ca/

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In Bubble Tea

Rad Tea Room: Bubble Tea inside Granville Skytrain in Vancouver

Rad Tea Room is in the Granville Skytrain serving up premium bubble tea and drinks made of loose leaf teas. I’ve been keeping an eye out when this would open since it’s always nice to have another option in the area. My friend told me that they opened and we decided to check it out. Imagine it as a hidden gem as it’s hiding in the skytrain station and they actually have some pretty good bubble tea.

Interior

The interior is clean, nice and quiet too. On their menu, they have bubble teas, smoothies, milk tea caps, matcha lattes, tea mocktails and cold brewed teas.

They have a large table in the front if you want to have a big group of friends. Alternatively, there are some seats for smaller groups in the back.

Milk Tea with Pearls

There’s so many versions of milk tea you can create and customize. I personally love the roasted oolong milk tea with pearls. Since the normal sugar levels are lower than most places, I keep it regular sugar and less ice.

Another feature of Rad Tea is that you can ask for almond or soy milk. Great for those who are lactose or vegan to be able to enjoy bubble tea like everyone else.

Cold Brew Pu’er Tea

They don’t serve coffee, but they do have cold brew teas. Today, they had the Pu’er Tea, which is a strong black tea. I love my black teas and this was good to have a good dose of caffeine.

Winter Melon Tea Cap

Another drink I also really enjoyed was the Winter Melon Tea Cap. It has a good balance of flavour and sweetness compared to other places. If you are a fan of Winter Melon, I would highly recommend their version at Rad Tea.

Strawberry Tea Mocktail

If you are looking for something a bit different, they have strawberry inflused tea mocktails with pearls if you want.

Matcha Tea Cap

They use ceremonial grade matcha, so it is deeper in colour and has a stronger matcha taste. I use it at home for drinks too and it’s definitely not for everyone.

Waffles

If you feel like you want something to nibble on, they have waffles served with different sauces for an additional charge. There is Salted Caramel, Lavender Chocolate, Matcha Cream or Dark Chocolate. Our group was torn between the lavender chocolate or the matcha cream. I personally prefer the matcha cream as it isn’t too sweet. The waffle itself was meh since the sauces stood out a bite more.

Final Thoughts

If you are looking for an independently owned bubble tea shop outside of all the Taiwanese chains, use loose leaf tea, and has milk alternatives like soy and almond milk, Rad Tea Room is definitely a place you should check out. The location is a bit hidden in Granville Skytrain, but enter through the Dunsmuir Street entrance and you’ll find it at the bottom of the stirs on the right. I’m a tea lover, so what really attracted me in the first place was their good taste in teas and how they balance the sweetness of the bubble tea.

We Rate Rad Tea Room: 

Address:
80-678 Dunsmuir Street, (The Granville Station – Dunsmuir Exit)

Website: https://www.radtearoom.com

Rad Tea Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Brunch

The Gray Olive Cafeteria: Best Brunch in Burnaby

The Gray Olive Cafeteria in Burnaby Heights is a hotspot for brunch on the weekends. I’ve come here quite a bit for brunch and every time, it’s consistent and very delicious. Plus, it’s just minutes away from place.

Interior

The space isn’t large as it’s pretty narrow. It’s pretty hard to fit large groups in here unless you go really early or wait for a while. I usually like to come here around 10am since after than. lines start to form. If you are a group of 2, waits are never that long.

If there is a wait, put your name and number on the list and take a stroll in the neighbourhood. They will call you when your table is ready.

Latte and Iced Coffee

Coffee is best to have in the morning if you love to be caffeinated. If you like it hot or iced, you can’t go wrong pairing it with brunch items.

Thai Iced Tea

They also have 2 versions of Thai Iced Tea, one with half & half and then another with coconut cream. Both of them are super damn good and I’ve had it several times.

Chicken & Waffles

A little bit pricey, but you have 2 fried boneless thighs, waffle, spicy Korean ketchup, maple syrup, and whipped brown butter. The waffles are well made, crisp on the outside a fluffy inside. The thighs we juicy and so delicious.

The Kitchen Sink

This has 2 eggs, sauteed veg, green onions, sausage, bacon, cheese, the g.o. potatoes. A little bit of everything in this bowl and it’s filling.

Pork Belly Breaky Sandwich

This sandwich has a thick cut of pork belly, egg, arugula, chives, chili marinated tomatoes, toasted sesame mayo, and a burger bun. The egg is supposed to be marbled egg, but my friend got it cooked through.

G.O. Potatoes

The side of G.O. Potatoes with the smoked shallot aioli is a must. Those potatoes are crispy and addictive.

Avocado Toast

The avocado toast has mashed avocado on sourdough and topped with oven roasted tomatoes, and balsamic reduction.

Final Thought

Overall, ever since my first bite, I’ve been hooked and have taken so many of my other friends here. A great weekend spot for brunch and I’ll be back.

We Rate The Gray Olive: 

Address:
4190 Hastings Street, Burnaby

Website:
http://www.thegrayolive.com/

The Gray Olive Cafeteria Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Chinatown

The Union: Wings and Beer in Chinatown

The Union is an industrial-chic hub serving creative cocktails and Pan-Asian eats. They have happy hour and weekly features, so my coworkers and I like coming here for celebrations and farewells. Many good late nights have been had here. They have happy hour drink specials and their weekly features. On Wednesday, you get Wings and Beer for $15. Wings and normally $15, so it’s essentially getting a free beer.

Interior

There are long tables for large groups and smaller tables for a more intimate atmosphere.

Menu

  

Indian Masala Wings

These are dry wings using their house curry spices. The exterior is crunchy, but the amount of spices is a bit overwhelming. I tried some of there people’s wings like the Street Hawker Thai and it was delicious.

Beer

With the weekly Wednesday deal, you can choose to have the wings with any Main St Brewing beer. I went with the Main Street Saison No. 7. It has a blend of three Saison yeasts. Light in colour with a golden haze, this Saison shows through with fruity esters, pepper and citrus notes. One of my favourite beers.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s a decent place to go to in Chinatown to have some eats and drinks with friends. It is a bit pricey for some items, but it’s a good atmosphere and the service is pretty good.

We Rate The Union:35rating

Address:
219 Union St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
 http://theunionvancouver.ca/

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In Bubble Tea

ZenQ: Now Open in Vancouver

ZenQ is an international dessert chain originated from Taiwan within the same parent company as Chatime. They are quickly expanding in Canada, Vietnam and Hong Kong this year. They specialize in desserts that have grass jelly and Q balls (matcha, yam and taro flavoured).

Menu

Their menu has drinks and desserts.

Waffles

Orea Cocoa Waffle

There are 4 pieces of waffles with a sprinkling of Oreo cookies, bananas, chocolate sauce and a scoop of chocolate ice cream. Good for chocolate lovers.

Fresh Fruit Waffle

There are 4 pieces of waffles too with a drizzle of honey and as scoop of ice cream. The fruits that were on the plate are mangos, strawberry, honey dew, and banana. Of the two waffles, I liked this one because of all the fruits.

Creamy Frappe Series

Mango Creamy Frappe

They have a bunch of different snowy ice desserts, but this one has mango frappe, fresh mango, mango jelly, vanilla ice cream, condensed milk and fruit loops. The mango frappe was delicious and the textures of the mango and jelly went well together.

Tofu Pudding Series

Tofu Pudding No 3

In this dessert, there is Pearls, Q Balls, Peanuts, and Sweet Potato a top tofu pudding. The Q Balls were nice and chewy like mochi.

Hot Grass Jelly Series

Hot Grass Jelly No 2

This has grass jelly, taro, pearls, Q balls, and a ball of brown sugar.The grass jelly and the pearls were nice and chewy.

Royal Sweet Soup Series

Red Bean Soup No 3

Sweet potato in a red bean soup was ok, but we all personally didn’t like red bean soup.

Longan Black Glutinous Rice Series

Longan Black Glutinous Rice No 3

This version also has Sweet Potato right in the centre. The consistency is thicker and you get a lot of texture from the rice.

Oreo Cocoa Ice Diamond

If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll like the oreo chocolate drink.

Hot Hand Made Taro Milk Tea

There are pieces of taro in this and it’s pretty hard to find a taro milk tea with real taro. Make sure you mix this around as the taro sinks to the bottom.

Winter Melon Latte

The winter melon taste is faint as you can taste more of the milk and it has more of an almond taste to this.

ZenQ Milk Tea with Grass Jelly

Classic item to get at any bubble tea shop. Since they do specialize in grass jelly, it’s a must.

Strawberry Black Tea

The sweet strawberry paired with the black tea. Good for those who like a bit of caffeine and a fruity touch.

Mango Green Tea

The mango green tea I felt was a bit sweet for my taste preference.

Final Thoughts

Overall, some food and drinks were a hit and miss. If you want to impress your friends, go with the classic milk tea, waffles, grass jelly desserts or their tofu desserts. It’s good to have more options in town where there are desserts and bubble tea to hang out with friends.

We Rate ZenQ: 

Address:
495 SW Marine Dr, Vancouver

Website:
http://zenq.ca/

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In Chinese

Deer Garden Signatures: Now Open in Burnaby

Deer Garden Signatures has been expanding in the last few months with 5 locations in total. Their Burnaby location is on Sperling and Kingsway. They took over the location of Pearl House Restaurant. I came on the weekend for lunch and it wasn’t as busy as their Vancouver location, so that was great for us.

Interior

There are a few booth-style seating for larger parties, but there is also smaller tables for those with 2 or 4 people. The space isn’t too large but they can still seat a good amount of people here.

Menu

You order your meal using the form provided to you. You can customize your noodles anyway you like. I’ve also noticed prices have gone up since my last visit back in 2014 by a few dollars.

Milk Tea

Whether you have cold or hot milk tea, you still gotta get it. M got the cold house special milk tea and I got the regular cold milk tea. Both were really good.

Laksa Noodles

This is the laksa soup base with beef brisket, beef balls and egg noodles. M loved it and he was able to eat this entire bowl, which is massive.

Coriander and Century Egg Soup Noodles

The coriander and century egg broth is one of my personal favourites. It has a very comforting taste and I had it with beef brisket, fish balls and thick rice noodles. So good! I wasn’t able to finish all the noodles but I tried my very best. Most people end up getting their remainder to go.

Pan Fried Boneless Chicken with Teriyaki Sauce

This chicken was delicious! The skin was crisp and the meat was very moist.

Desert Wings with Ginger

There are 3 pieces to an order and I also love this item too. Very crisp and the ginger is subtle. Pairs so well with soupy noodles.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s a great additional to the neighbourhood. It’s the same ol’ delicious noodles, so they have kept the quality consistent. I’ll be back for more.

We Rate Deer Garden Signatures: 

Address:
7150 Sperling Avenue, Burnaby

Website:
http://deergarden.ca/

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In American

Johnny Rockets: Open in Downtown Vancouver

Johnny Rockets has finally opened their first location in Downtown Vancouver. They are expanding fast and their next location is on Oak Street in Vancouver. Since 1986, Johnny Rockets has been a favourite place for all-American burgers, fries and shakes in the States. When we heard they had opened, my foodie friends and I made a visit for dinner.

Interior

The interior has an interesting look that is different from some other locations in the states. They call this ‘Diner 2.0’ for this modern contemporary diner look.

‘

The group of us didn’t know how we felt about the look as it seemed a bit cold compared to the cute retro diner at the older location in the states.

On the bright side, there are plugs and USB outlets at each table so you can charge your phones, laptops or whatever else. On the table, you’ll find difference sauces.

The Rocket

The classic cheese burger has cheddar cheese, leaf lettuce, tomato, white onion and special sauce. They source the meat from Canada for their patties, but I felt the burger was ok. Solid, but nothing special. I ordered the combo, but one thing I didn’t like was the lack of customization, so I couldn’t swap my fries for onion rings even if I wanted to pay more. The fries were mediocre. Nothing wrong with them, but I personally like my fries with a crisp exterior.

Smoke House

This has smoked bacon, crispy onion rings, cheddar cheese, and their Smoke House BBQ sauce.

Bacon Cheddar

It has thick-cut smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, leaf lettuce, tomato, sliced onion and special sauce. The bacon was on point, a very very crisp.

Onion Rings

When you order onion rings, it comes on a tray by itself. My friend ordered a burger with it but they didn’t put it together even though they both on one tray.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the food was ok and didn’t stand out compared to the other options in Downtown Vancouver. If you are a fan of Johnny Rockets, you may like what they’re cooking up.

We Rate Johnny Rockets: 

Address:
755 Nelson St, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.johnnyrockets.ca/

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In Dessert

O! Taho: Filipino-Style Tofu Dessert on Fraser St

O! Taho has been on my list of places to go to for a while to try their Filipino-style Soya Pudding. There’s only a handful of places to get handmade soya pudding in Metro Vancouver, but I’ve never heard of the Filipino version. My friends were having lunch close by, so we decided to come here.

Interior

The interior isn’t very interesting. Simple, but they focus their efforts of their food. There are 2 small tables to eat here, but most people do takeout. They have on the menu Filipino congee, various longanisa, lumpia, empanada, BBQ, halo-halo and the soy pudding. When we were here, they didn’t have any more congee, so we stuck with the soy pudding.

Hot Soy Pudding

We decided to share the 1 serving size for $5. They also have cold soy pudding too. We went with the hot and it is served with the sweet brown sugar syrup and tapioca pearls on top. Mostly everyone takes it to go, but we had some time to kill, so we had it here.

The tofu was delicious and very smooth. I’ll definitely try it cold next time.

We Rate O! Taho:

Address:
4223 Fraser Street, Vancouver

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In Burnaby Central

Jinya Ramen Bar: Open at Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby

Jinya Ramen Bar has finally opened in Burnaby outside Metropolis at Metrotown. It’s been under construction for a while, but we are so happy they have opened their doors for a soft opening. Finally, I don’t have to always travel Downtown to get a taste of Jinya. They are a popular Ramen chain restaurant and they have 3 locations in Vancouver so far.

Interior

The space is gorgeous and is similar to the look of the Downtown location in Vancouver. It’s sleek, modern, and hip. They were extremely busy despite the empty seats. Our group of 5 waited 1.5 hours to get seated. Luckily, they have an electronic system through Yelp where it tells you how many tables are in front of you. We ended up going shopping to kill the time.

Menu

Chef’s Special: Karaage Chicken Ramen

This has a chicken broth topped with crispy chicken dressed in chili sauce, green onion, bamboo shoots, seasoned egg, nori dried seaweed. It is served with thin noodles but you can always ask for thicker noodles.

Spicy Creamy Vegan Ramen

This vegetable broth is amazing, I personally think it’s one of the best. It also has tofu, onion, green onion, spinach, crispy onion, garlic chips, garlic oil, chili oil, and sesame seeds. It is served with thick noodles instead of the thinner ones.

Pork Chashu

To go with the vegan ramen, I added a side of pork chashu. I put it into the bottom of the bowl and let the broth heat it up and man, was it melt in your mouth delicious!

Jinya Tonkotsu Black

This is one of the most popular flavours.  It has a pork broth base with pork chashu, kikurage, green onion, nori dried seaweed, seasoned egg, garlic chips, garlic oil, fried onion, and a spicy sauce. It is served with thin noodles.

Premium Tonkotsu White

This has a mix of pork and chicken broth and served with pork chashu, kikurage, green onion, half seasoned egg, fried onion, and spicy sauce. This is served with thin noodles. My friend got this without the spicy sauce since she doesn’t like anything too spicy.

Sauces

At the table, there are a few sauces that you can add to your meal – seasoning suace, gyoza sauce and hot sauce.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I enjoyed the ramen here. The waits can be long, but you can always go shopping at the mall until you table is ready. The space is really nice and you’ll love the ramen. My personal top favourite ramen flavours are – Tonkotsu Black and Spicy Creamy Vegan ramen.

We Rate Jinya Ramen Bar: 

Address:
4575 Central Blvd, Burnaby

Website:
https://jinya-ramenbar.com/

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