Rating Archives - Page 94 of 99

In Bar and Grill

Pier 3132 Grill & Oyster House

December 25, 2010

InsecureGirl bought a Groupon a while back to try this restaurant since they serve oysters.

The interior is very nice and modern. It would seem like a good place to watch some games here.

Looking at the specials, they do seem really good! Thursdays… free entrees with 3 people. Sweet deal! Sadly we didn’t know about the deals… so we were a party of 2 🙁

We ordered the lager and it wasn’t too special.

These are the selection of oysters. Happy hours!! Buck a shuck!

We ordered Kusshi Oysters ($3.50 each). Kusshi mean “precious” in japanese. It had a smooth buttery texture and a sweet finish. They are small in size, but it’s a good choice for beginner oyster eaters.

The little Wing oysters were the feature of the $1 buck a shuck, so we ordered 4. It is sweet, well balanced oyster in a distinctive deep cup shell with a pleasant, fresh aftertaste.

Malpeque oysters ($3 each) are good transitional oysters, bigger and bolder than Kusshis, but still light-bodied and clean on the finish. Easy to eat, with the perfect balance of sweetness, brine, and pickle-like liveliness, they make great accompaniments to a pint of lager.

You can add tabasco or Xtra hot sauce to you oysters.

This is their menu if you want something else besides oysters.

We ordered the Fish & Chips ($16). It is a 10 ounce sable fish with tempura batter, home cut fries, accompanied with remoulade.

This is one of their most popular dishes and the sable fish works really well for this dish. The only thing we didn’t like about it was how easy the batter would fall off the fish. Despite this, InsecureGirl liked this dish.

We also got the Prawn Linguini ($18). The shrimp is this dish were huge. The pasta was cooked perfectly and had enough sauce! I really enjoyed this dish.

Words of Wisdom:

Great specials
Buck A Shuck
Parking on street

We rate Pier 3132:

Website: http://www.thecrabshack.ca/

Address:
3132 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC

In Chinese

Dragon Ball Tea House

December 24, 2010

Dragon Ball Tea House is a popular bubble tea place in Vancouver. They serve milky teas, slushes, real fruit, powder, and many other types of customizable bubble teas. If you are an indecisive person, you will be totally confused when they ask you if you want your drink as a milk or slush, or with pearls. They throw so many options at you, so I totally got lost.

The interior is not very big, so during busy times its hard to fit a large group of people.

Most of the drinks range from $3 – $3.50. If you add pearls or anything extra, it’s $0.50.

What we ordered:

Supreme Milk Tea: Just regular milk tea, nothing too “supreme” about it.
Passionfruit Black Tea w/ pearls: FragileBoy said the pearls were a bit too soft and chewy
Fresh papaya milk: I loved it. It had real papaya, so I was super happy! I hate the powdered stuff.
Green Tea Ice Cream: Had a good taste to it. If you like green tea ice cream, you’d probably like this too.

There is something about this washroom key that cracks me up. Can you see what it is? (Scroll down to see answer)

Yes, if you have spotted the 3 signs that say “Washroom Key”, you are right.

At least you know that if you ever need to go to the washroom, you can live in peace knowing that the washroom key is well highlighted.

Words of Wisdom:

You can have the most customizable Bubble Tea ever!
Parking on the side of building or parking on street
Cash Only

We rate Dragon Ball Tea House:

They are located at:

1007 W King Edward Ave
Vancouver, BC

In Dessert

Frappe Bliss and Qoola in Aberdeen Mall

December 23, 2010

Frappe Bliss serves up flavoured shaved ice at Aberdeen Mall. The flavours can range from Mango to Peanut. This little kiosk is actually owned by Fairchild. Isn’t that interesting? It’s like they practically own most of everything in the mall. Frappe Bliss has moved around in many locations in the food court, but they currently reside between the Mambo Cafe and the Anime store.

Frappe Bliss was actually my first job that I ever had. I was so glad the job didn’t last long because as an Chinese person who can’t speak Cantonese or Mandarin, it was a HARD job! It was like trying to guess what people were trying to order. It makes you think, why they even hired me in the first place.

If you are an indecisive person, you can choose from the items on the left or you can customize your own by choosing the flavour of ice and toppings.

They first take a block of flavoured ice and put it in the ice shredding machine to turn the block of ice into the shaved ice you know and perhaps love! If you compact all the shaved ice that you get….it comes out to be less than a cup of liquid. 🙁

I ordered the Peanut Iceburg ($3.60). It has peanut ice, chocolate sauce, and peanuts. This was pretty gross. The chocolate sauce was too sweet, and the peanut ice didn’t taste very peanut like. Three years ago, they had this amazing peanut sauce which you could have added, but I guess they stopped making it. I wasn’t satisfied with it. After eating this I wanted some frozen yogurt.

Words of Wisdom:

Popular ice flavours – Strawberry, Mango, yogurt
Best to order fruit toppings
Discounts found on their Facebook account (Usually 10%)
10% using membership card

We rate Frappe Bliss:

Website: www.frappebliss.com

They are located at:

4151 Hazelbridge Way
Richmond, BC

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Since FinanceGirl didn’t want Frappe Bliss, the went downstairs to Qoola to get some dessert.

She got the chocolate frozen yogurt and SFUPretender and I thought it had a very sour taste for chocolate but we assumed it was the yogurt taste.

I guess she was in a very chocolaty mood since she added chocolate chips and chocolate sprinkles all over her chocolate frozen yogurt. If you are a traditionalist, stuck with the regular one or the green tea flavour. You can’t go wrong with those.

Website: www.qoola.com

They are located at:

4151 Hazelbridge Way
Richmond, BC

In Cafe

Boss Restaurant

December 23, 2010

The Boss Restaurant is located in Metrotown near Zellers. When you are walking around the mall and you are craving chinese food, this is where most people go.

There are always lineups during peak hours…huge groups of people can be seen around the outside of the restaurant….thats how you know its packed. The Boss undergone renovation last year and looks a lot more amazing than before!

We arrived at about 5pm and they told us it’s going to be a while till we got a table. There were 4 of us…and when we looked through the windows we saw tons of booths empty… half the restaurant was empty…so…I wonder what happened!

Since TaiwaneseGirl and KoreanGirl decided to go do some more shopping, we decided to wait. It took us only 10 mins to get a table. But, half our group left..so CanuckGirl and I sat there looking at the menus and playing with our Iphones.

The interior.

As we waited, we both got tea. with my meal, I ordered a coffee and tea mix ($3.50). Basically it’s milk tea but with some coffee in it. It was good but I always hate how there is always so much ice. Did you know, when there is ice in your drink, you get less liquid? True Story!

CanuckGirl ordered the dried oyster and century egg and pork congee ($5.95). It was on one of their specials. It was good congee and very flavourful. When the dish arrives at the table, it smells amazing due to the sesame oil drizzles on top. Everything was blended well together. One thing CanuckGirl hated was the ginger.

I did the same thing too, but I had the drink with it. The only thing I didn’t like about mine was how there wasn’t enough century egg. I love those gross looking black eggs. I grew up with them, so I don’t think they are weird at all.

When TaiwaneseGirl and KoreanGIrl arrived, they ordered the breakfast special ($5). It came with congee of the day and your choice 1 of 4 dishes.

The congee of the day was Clam Congee.

KoreanGirl had the fried noodles and TaiwaneseGirl had the radish cakes.

Overall, the food was decent. A bit on the pricey side for the food you get compared to other HK Style Cafes. I only really come here for the convenience of the location.

Words of Wisdom:

Tons of Parking
Long waits during peak hours
Usually have set meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Can’t go wrong with congee

We rate the Boss Restaurant:

They are located at:

4720 Kingsway
Burnaby, BC

In Greek

Stepho’s Greek Taverna

December 22, 2010

Stepho’s Greek Taverna on Davie Street has been a really popular restaurant in Vancouver for their affordable greek food.

I have always had the misconception that greek food in Vancouver is fairly expensive. When I eat Greek food in Burnaby, an entree would cost anywhere from $15 – $20. BUT, at Stepho’s, you can have large portions for under $10. This is the reason why Stepho’s is always packed with customers during lunch and dinner time.

When we arrived at 5pm, we thought it shouldn’t be very busy, but there there was already a line up and most of the tables were full. Since it was just M and I, we quickly found a table for 2. Despite the large size of the interior and several tables, it was all full.

The menu comprises of the usual greek dishes you would find any other restaurant, but for way cheaper.

I enjoy playing with candles….so if you are a waitress or a waiter and you see the candles are messed up….ya…it was me. Stepho’s does not use traditional candles, like many other restaurants, they have adopted to use the electronic candles to simulate the same feeling. It took me a while to figure out why the candle did not feel hot.

We ordered the Saganaki ($4.95) for an appetizer. Saganaki is essentially fried cheese. I know it sounds grotesquely fatty….very fatty, but something about melted cheese just makes your heart melt every single time. Maybe it’s just me…but I would kill for melted cheese on any type of bread.

For the Saganaki, it came with a pita bread cut in half. We divided up the cheese and put it on our half of the pita bread. Since it is fried, you get a bit of “ooey gooey” and crispiness to the cheese.

If you are watching your weight, this is probably not a good appetizer.

M ordered the Roast Lamb Platter ($9.95). It came with a Roast Lamb, Greek Salad, Vegetable stew, Roast Potato, Rice Pilaf, Pickled Jalapeno, and a lemon. M devoured the greek salad, it was loaded with Feta cheese. The roast lamb was very flavourful, tender and succulent. It was not dry at all. The meat fell off the bone easily. He also enjoyed the rice since it was flavourful.

I ordered the Small Chicken Slouvaki ($7.95). It came with tzatziki sauce, greek salad, roast potatoes, Rice Pilaf, Pickled Jalapeno, lemon wedge, and a skewer of chicken.

This was a small…I can’t imagine how large, the large size would be. I enjoyed the rice pilaf, greek salad, tzatziki sauce, and the roasted potatoes. One thing I didn’t like was how dry and burnt tasting the chicken skewer was.

We also got more pita bread with our entrees.

Overall, we both had a good experience. The portions were large and at an affordable price. Don’t expect to have the best tasting greek food at Stepho’s, but one thing is for sure…you will be full. The service on the other hand was not great, we often felt rushed with our meal. We spent a total of 35 minutes at Stepho’s. It’s either we eat fast, or they were trying to get us out as fast as possible.

Words of Wisdom:

Limited Parking in the rear
Street Meter parking in the front
Long line ups during peak hours
Large portions for under $10

We rate Stepho’s :

They are located at:

1124 Davie St
Vancouver, BC

In Cafe

Berry Good

December 21, 2010

I went to Berry Good with my food buddies – SFUPretender and FinanceGirl. Berry Good serves desserts, coffee, and tea. Their specialty is Japanese and Korean inspired desserts. Perhaps the owners are Korean and Japanese.

They are located in Richmond near Garden City Road. The location is slightly hidden in a plaza, so you may want to google it before you go.

The interior is small and cozy. Since it is getting close to Christmas, they even put up a small tree.

Most of their daily desserts are displayed near the cashier. You have to go look at them before you order. They have about 8 cakes on display. Not a large selection, but you know they put effort and care into their desserts by keeping the quantity low.

They offer combos with a dessert and drink from $6- $9. These drink can range from cold and hot teas and coffees.

SFUPretender ordered the Raspbery Chocolate mousse. The raspberry chocolate mousse is layered within chocolate cake. I tried a bit of it and it was ok.

FinanceGirl had the White Chocolate Cheesecake. It was really good. it was on top of a bed of oreo cookies. The cheesecake was very flavourful and rich. I would recommend people getting this.

I got the green tea mousse cake. The bottom was made out of vanilla cake, then green tea mousse, red beans, and green tea jelly on top. I originally thought the red beans would be through out the cake, but as I was eating it, it was only on the outside. If you hate red beans, there really isn’t that much, so don’t be scared by it. The green tea mousse seems to be a popular choice at Berry Good. It’s unique!

After we finished our dessert, the restaurant became packed. All the tables were full an everyone seemed like they were enjoying the desserts. There were lots of couples too.

Words of Wisdom:

Parking in font
If you afraid of disappointment, look online for more reviews.
They accept cards and cash.

We rate Berry Good:

They are located at:

#1120-8766 McKim Way ( In Excel Centre)
Richmond, BC

In Chinese

Excellent Tofu & Snack Ltd

December 19, 2010

Excellent Tofu and Snack LTD. looks pretty sketchy from the outside but they make some amazing tofu dessert. Perfect for a snack or after dinner dessert….or if you are a tofu fanatic…you would just come here anytime.

The inside looks like a typically crappy asian place. Plain decor, but if you can put that all aside, you should have an amazing tofu experience.

Their menu has pictures so you know what you are going to get.

They also have another menu with english and chinese, but I avoided it because I was afraid I would order the wrong thing. Sometimes I wish I could read Chinese.

SFUPretender and FinanceGirl both got the Soy Pudding with pearls ($3.50). It was basically tofu pudding topped with a good amount of pearls. You can sweeten up with their syrups – liquid sugar or liquid ginger sugar. If you are unsure which one you prefer, try it before you pour it all over your tofu dessert.

The syrups can be found in these tubes around the restaurant.

I ordered the tofu pudding with mixed fruit with light milk ($4). The fruits are the typical fruit that come from cans and are preserved in syrup.

I love this place because they make all their tofu from scratch and it smells heavenly! When I was walking to the washroom, you can really smell the soy beans.

Words of Wisdom:

Parking in the parking lot, but it’s usually full during peak hours. Alternative parking at Aberdeen Mall or Parker Place.
Tofu dessert is a must!
Really inexpensive, should cost you less than $5
They also sell a variety of soy drinks and soy desserts to go.

We rate Excellent Tofu & Snack LTD. :

They are located at:

160-4231 Hazelbridge Way
Richmond, BC

In Four Beakers

Shoryumen, Fumisen and Bakudanyaki Foodcarts

December 12, 2010

SFUPretender highly recommended we visit the 3 foodcarts in Richmond near River Rock Casino, so we decided to take a trip! I’ve heard people talk about the foodcarts, but never really had an urge to go until now.

The famous 3 foodcarts – Shoryumen, Fumisen and Bakudanyaki sell sushi cones, ramen, and giant takoyaki.

We drove and there was tons of parking! If you don’t have a car, they are located right across the street from the Canada Line.

Bakudanyaki sells giant Takoyaki the size of baseballs. Their filling the the takoyaki does vary once in a while, but today they had the Seafood Bakudan for $5.

You can choose what type of mayo you would like your bakudanyaki.

For my Bakudanyaki, I chose the wasabi mayo.

When you begin eating the bakudanyaki, you are greeted with the various ingredients – egg, shrimp, calamari, corn, onion, carrot and potatoes. You might be wondering when you have so many ingredients packed inside, but if the ball was just made like a normal takoyaki, it would be fragile and fall apart easily.

The bakudanyaki was well made and it really did taste like a big takoyaki.

Clearly a great idea and I would get this again.

We rate Tenku Bakudanyaki:

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Shoryumen is the ramen food cart. You can choose from ramen noodles or udon noodles. you can choose miso, curry or shoyu (Soy sause) soup stock. You can add extra toppings for 50 cents.

For my ramen, I got the curry ramen with corn and garlic chips ($7.75). The egg was cooked perfectly and was not over or under cooked. The garlic chips were not a crunchy as I would have liked. They ended up just sticking to my teeth.

FinanceGirl got the Miso Udon ($6.75).

SFUPretender got the Shoyu Udon ($6.75).

In the end we finished it right up. Instead of just disposing the bowl with soup in the trash, you can give it back to them to properly dispose of the soup.

We rate Shoryumen:

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Fumisen sells sushi cones in 3 sizes – small ($3.75), medium ($5) and JUMBO ($8.50).

There are 4 steps into making your sushi cone:

pick a type of rice
pick a protein filling
pick 2 vegetable fillings
pick a sauce

I got a medium cone with salmon rice, scallop chop chop, salmon sashimi, avacado, tobiko, and wasabi mayo. I wanted to try both the scallop chop chop and salmon sashimi, so they were nice enough to give me both! What I LOVE about the cones was how fresh the seafood is.

If you don’t know what toppings to add into your cone, you can always ask the staff because they are the experts.

Apparently, they buy their sashimi and seafood in small batches to ensure quality and freshness.

FinanceGirl got the Medium cone with salmon sashimi, lettuce, tobiko and mayo.

SFUPretender got a small cone with chicken teriyaki, mango…and I am not 100% what else was in there. It looks good and it tasted good so I guess whats what matters!

We rate Fumisen:

All the carts are located at:

8740 Charles St
Richmond, BC

In Japanese

Kintaro Ramen

December 9, 2010

Kintaro Ramen is one of the more popular ramen shops in Downtown. They are known for their large bowls of ramen, with customizable ingredients that go inside. People always complain about their long line ups… but today I thought of a very ingenious way to beat the line up.

Since it was the Santa Clause parade, TaiwaneseGirl and I spent a few hours waiting in the cold watching all the floats go by. Since we were grown cold, we thought a big bowl of ramen would make the day complete! We stood right by where the parade started, so we could watch every float and dash to Kintaro while everyone is still at the parade.

Sadly, others had that in mind too, so there was about 4 people in front of us, good thing the turn over is quite fast, so we got a table in about 10 minutes.

Kintaro is quite small and most seating is shared with strangers. They only have 3 tables that seat 2…while the other is bar seating or a large table. There isn’t much else you can do, but it does force you to meet strangers.

After we sat down, there was a rush of people wanting to get a taste of the Kintaro Ramen. When you walk in, you wil be able to see their open kitchen where the chefs prepare the meal. Some say it’s fun eating at the bar because you can see exactly what they chefs are doing to each meal.

We started off with the Gyoza ($5), it was nice and crispy on one side and it had a citrus soy sauce. It was good, but it wasn’t the best ones I’ve had. Especially, if you are paying $1 per piece, totally not worth it. When you bite into them, a bunch of juice would start leaking out.

TaiwaneseGirl had the Miso Ramen ($7.95). She asked for the lean pork rather than the fatty pork. It also had bean sprouts, corn, bamboo shoots and green onion.

I had the Shio ramen with medium soup and lean pork ($7.25). One thing that puzzled me was how much fat there was in the broth. It had eggs, bean sprouts, green onion, and bamboo shoots as well.

After hearing all the hype over Kintaro, the noodles were just average. It’s decent for it’s price and large , but this is not the best. After thinking about another Japanese Ramen place – Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, I prefer their overall taste.

Words of Wisdom:

Good prices, large portions
Long waits during peak hours
Limited seating, you may be sharing tables

We rate Kintaro Ramen:

They are located at:

788 Denman St
Vancouver, BC

In Bar and Grill

Moxie’s Classic Grill (Robson)

December 8, 2010

It was a lovely dinner with the SFU Student Marketing Association. We had dinner, raffles and played “white elephant”, which is an evil version of secret santa. All proceeds went to the BC Children’s Hospital, which is an amazing plus!

I’ve been to Moxies a few times on many special occasions. I even met David Choi here too!

Moxie has their special Winter Features on their menu, which is available November 4 to December 30th.

They even have big Bad Boy sized beers such as Heineken for $7 special. This was big! I was about a glass and a half worth of beer. We decided to put it side by side with a regular sized bottle…and you can tell…it’s quite massive.

InsecureGirl had a bellini.

We started off sharing the moxie’s combo platter ($25), which had calamari, chicken tenders, avocado spring rolls, med bread, chicken wings + three great dips. It was supposed to come with 3 dips….but for some reason 2 only came with the platter.

The platter overall was pretty big, but for some reason it came at the same time as our entree….so we had to tell them to hold back the entrees.

There could have been more calamari since it was so little compared to everything else.

TaiwaneseGirl had the coconut curry rice bowl, which had apples, ginger + curry-buttered naan bread, and chicken.

InsecureGirl had the beef dip, which has house-roasted beef, sautéed mushrooms & swiss cheese on baguette with au jus. She even got a daily soup as well.

Even though this is on the lunch menu, you can order it at dinner time too.

KoreanGirl and I both had the winter stew with puff pastry ($15), it has turkey, mushrooms & vegetables simmered with shallots & creamy white wine sauce, topped with puff pastry. The first few bites were delicious and the creamy taste of the stew blended nicely with the puff pastry.

As time went on, the taste got very boring and we got full fast because the stew was very rich. We felt really “fat” after eating this because we know it was just cream.

We rate Moxie’s:

Located at:

808 Bute St
Vancouver, BC

Website: www.moxies.ca

In Dessert

Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates & Patisserie (Kitsilano)

December 7, 2010

Thomas Haas is famous for his amazing chocolate creations. From cakes, to pastries, to chocolates…they are just amazing. I’ve got the chance to try the North Vancouver location, but not Kits until now.

FinanceGirl and SFUPretender got bored and decided to come here to just chill and talk.

Walking inside, you feel this little place is very very cozy. The ceiling reminded my of a honey comb. Even Thomas Haas was in the restaurant as well!

Many different types of cakes.

Lots of little chocolates.

A variety of pastries.

They even serve sandwiches!

Since it is te holiday season, there are new creations for Christmas!

FinanceGirl got the Milk Chocolate Passionfruit ($5.50), it contained light milk chocolate mousse, refreshing passionfruit cream, soft almond cake and crispy hazelnut wafer. I think this was everyones’ favorite pick since it had chocolate mousse.

I got a latte ($3.50)and Fresh Fruit Galette ($5.50). What I liked about the Galette was how easy it could be cut without falling apart. None of the toppings fell off or was too hard to cut off. I found this to be a healthier alternative to the rich chocolate cakes!

Crispy Chocolate Raspberry ($5.50), it contained dark Manjari chocolate-raspberry mousse, light vanilla Bavarian, chocolate sacher cake, and crispy hazelnut wafer.

And so with our drinks and cakes, we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon!

Words of Wisdom:

Free parking in the back
Best in smaller groups
Limited seating

We rate Thomas Haas:

Visit Thomas Haas website: http://www.thomashaas.com/

They are located at:

2539 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC

In Italian

CinCin Ristorante + Bar

December 7, 2010

CinCIn Restaurant + Bar is a high end restaurant where many locals and celebrities like to dine. I came here a few years ago for Dine Out and I was not in love with this place. I heard it tends to happen during dine out.

Today, the Finance Club execs headed over to CinCin for a nice social dinner.

The interior has a very nice italian feel to the decor. Nice soft dim light are used to simulate romantic atmosphere.

In the main dining room, you can see their chefs cooking. Yet again you can see more of the warm italian looking decor.

Bread with olive spread

CFAGirl and I both had the Osso Buco Milanese ($34.00) which is milk fed veal shank with saffron risotto, hazelnut gremolata, and parmigiano reggiano. The meal fell off the bone very nicely. The hazelnut topping gave the meat a very nice crunch to the bite.

They even give you a small spoon to eat the bone marrow.

It was highly recommended by the waiter!

FinanceGirl got the Branzio ($36.50). It is a whole mediterranean sea bass, citrus and fennel salad with salsa verde. She accidentally ordered this and was so amused that she had a fish on the table when everyone else had meat or pasta.

She really enjoyed it even though it was just a piece of sea bass and a small salad, she really enjoyed dissecting her meal. There are bones, so this is not good for those people who hate working on their meal.

To end off the meal, I had a latte.

CFAGirl and FinanceGirl had the Dorian Grey tea.

I got the dark chocolate + lemon semi-freddo ($12.50), which has hazelnut nougatine and cherry sauce and caramelized winter fruits. The nougatine encrusted semi-freddo gave this dessert more body and texture.

I had this all to myself, but I soon realized it was meant to be shared. After eating such a large entree, your stomach may not have enough space.

FinanceBoy had the rhum baba ($12.50), which is fresh fruit salad with whipping cream and rhum raisin gelato. This dessert tastes quite alcoholic, so if you don’t like the strong rum taste, this dessert will not be for you.

FinanceQueen, Finance Girl and CFAGirl all got the tiramisu ($11.50). It has house made lady fingers soaked in espresso and kahlua and mascarpone cream.

At the end of our meal, we were given our bill of $280 (ouch) and 3 hazelnut butter cookies, and 2 banana bread tasting mini muffin things.

Words of Wisdom:

Expensive, good for special occasions
Oven fired pizzas are popular
They are open for Lunch in December, if you don’t want to go for dinner
Osso Buco Milanese is good

We rate CinCin:

Website: http://www.cincin.net/

They are located at:

1154 Robson St
Vancouver, BC

In Brunch

Brioche

December 6, 2010

Brioche has great food and atmosphere. They are known for their amazing daily specials. Located in Gastown, Broche offers up amazing items from pastas, soups and sandwiches.

Their daily specials are located on a chalkboard. The door leads to the washroom, so its not a good idea to stand in front of it just incase someone is inside and they happen to open the door. What is bad about the specials is that they do not specify the price. On their larger, there are prices.

The little cafe is a good place to have a nice little chat. Most of the tables either eat 2 or 4 people. Not good for large groups.

I got a latte. I didn’t think their lattes were extraordinary or anything. It was not as strong as other places.

I got the Grilled NY Steak Panini. It came with wild mushroom sauce. The bread was very fresh, it was very light and fluffy on the inside and nice and crispy on the outside. I was kinda skeptical about this sandwich, but the cut of the NY Steak was very tender and very easy to chew. This was a really really good sandwich and you will get full. The mushroom sauce worked well with all the ingredients.

It came with a greek salad. It was yet again very fresh and I did enjoy it. The latte, NY Steak Panini and the side of greek salad came out to be $18. I don’t remember the breakdown of this, but I was surprised how expensive it was for a lunch. Nonetheless, I did enjoy the panini and salad.

MedicalGiraffe had the Cioppino Mix Seafood Stew ($18), it had Sauteed Seafood, Penne Noodles, Veggies, and simmered in a Garlic Tomato Broth. She thought it was pricey, but she did enjoy the stew. It came wit 2 pieces of bread, but she wish there was more to eat with the stew.

Words of Wisdom:

Food is a bit pricey
Best in small groups
Panini’s are really good
Parking garage across the street. Discounted parking for SFU students after 6pm.

We rate Broioche:

Website: http://www.brioche.ca/

They are located at:

401 West Cordova Street

Vancouver BC

In Dessert

Sweet Revenge

December 4, 2010

Sweet Revenge is always the place to be when you want to be transported into a victorian setting. At Sweet Revenge you will be spoiled by the different types of desserts and beverages.

This place is pretty dark from the outside, so I always manage to accidentally walk past without noticing.

Once you walk inside, you know what type of Victorian setting I am talking about. It is covered in ornate paintings, red walls, fireplace and lighting. It is a very small space, so big groups are a no no unless you can get a reservation.

MedicalGiraffe and I shared a Medium London Fog ( Earl Grey Tea and Vanilla Syrup). You can customize your London Fog with any type of tea and syrup they have. We thought it would be best to stick with the original London Fog.

You get to enjoy their teas in nice little cup and saucers.

I got the apple pie ($6.35). It can be served hot or cold. On the side you will also get sliced strawberries and whipped cream. I really didn’t like the apple pie. It was a bit sweet and didn’t taste as good as it should of. Perhaps more cinnamon? I usually can finish a whole dessert but I left about 1/4 of it.

MedicalGiraffe has the chocolat pudding cake ($6.35). This I believe is the best thing on the menu. It was rich and chocolaty, but not too too sweet. Perfect!

We also added sides of ice cream with our desserts. I think it was either $1.00 or $1.50 more. I don’t think it was worth getting a side of ice cream, but it really depends which dessert you get. We thought sometimes it was good to have a taste of ice cream to break the constant taste of the cakes.

Words of Wisdom:

Best for small groups
Chocolate Pudding Cake is a must
Parking is hard to find
A lot of the dessert choices are a hit or miss

We rate Sweet Revenge:

Website: http://www.sweet-revenge.ca/

They are located at:

4160 Main Street
Vancouver, BC, Canada

In Brunch

Two Chefs and A Table

December 2, 2010

When MedicalGiraffe was back in town, she told me that we should try Two Chefs and A Table. I have never heard of this place before and decided why not! They are known for the simple food with AMAZING flavours! Looking around the neighbourhood of where Two Chefs and A Table are located, you would never expect such a popular restaurant would be hidden!

When you look inside, you can see the chefs hard at work preparing the meal. The open kitchen really shows customers that they have nothing to hide!

The interior decor is nicely decorated and modern. The waiters are really nice and helpful! Hey look it’s a garlic painting.

I started off with a green tea ($2). It even came with a little tray of honey.

I ordered the Tomato, Feta, Ham Frittata ($9), which also had spinach and basil pesto. It also came with potatoes and 4 pieces of whole wheat bread. The frittata was superbly made, the only thing i wished they had were more feta cheese.

The bread was very simple and was spread with butter. Nothing fancy, but it’s the way toast is supposed to be like.

MedicalGiraffe was in a dilemma about her meal. She couldn’t decide between the Monsieur Andres brunch or the scrambled benedict. Mark, our waiter took away our menu and left it up to a surprise. You could tell MedicalGiraffe was really excited. When does a waiter ever do that and make the choice for you?! I was excited too because i didn’t know what to expect.

After waiting for the mysterious dish to come out, Mark brought MedicalGiraffe the Monsieur Andres Brunch ($9). He said “Anyone who comes here must try the Monsieur Andres”. The Monsieur Andres has chacuterie meats and cheese within grilled sour dough. On top there is an over-easy egg and Parmesan Hollandaise. On the side there are potatoes as well.

This was an amazing take on the Traditional French Croque Monsieur (Twisted Fork Bistro). The Monsieur Andres was much smaller and had a better rich bold taste. The ingredients worked really well together!

And thus, we enjoyed our last meal together in November until MedicalGiraffe comes back for Winter Vacation.

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Since I had a positive experience, this could not stop me from visiting again with FinanceGirl. We needed to catch up on SFU Finance Club matters, so I suggested we go here.

In a few days since the last visit, they decked out the restaurant in christmas decorations. Take note of the art piece on the left in the black. They replaced the garlic with 2 Christmas StarWars figurines. Darth Vader and Yoda! FTW!

I always have a habit of always ordering the first thing on the menu. Today for Lunch, I got the Mac and Cheese. It had a 4 cheese sauce and topped with a layer of cheddar cheese. I chose to have the salad as the side. this Mac and Cheese was so good and cheesey. It may have looked small, but I was satisfied with the size. I looked around and 4 other people at different tables had it too. The salad was quite bland and too drenched with mango sauce that the leaves just ended up being very soggy.

FinanceGirl had the Grilled Chimichurri Wrap ($9). Inside this grilled wrap was Argentinean green sauce, grilled chicken, chipotle mayo, cheddar, tomato and rice. She seemed to enjoy this wrap. It’s pretty filling too if you want to be full. Yet again, the ingredients did go together really nicely. SO jealous of her fries too.

I was surprised by Two Chefs and A Table. It is true when they say it’s a hidden gem! I will return for dinner someday and I hope it meets my expectations!

Words of Wisdom:

Affordable brunch and lunch
Must try Mac & Cheese and the Monsieur Andres
Very sketchy neighbourhood
Free parking on side of road
Best for small groups

We rate Two Chefs and A Table :

Visit their website: http://www.twochefsandatable.com/

They are located at :

Gastown

305 Alexander St
Vancouver, BC

In Bar and Grill

Romer’s Burger Bar

December 1, 2010

Romer’s Burger Bar is the new burger joint in town. They serve up gourmet burgers with the freshest ingredients and stay true to being sustainable.

Romer’s Burger Bar has parking on the side, you will have to enter from the back alley. It is pay parking, so expect to pay $1.50 per hour. If you are impatient, this may be a better solution than stalking parking stalls and spending 15 mins roaming the block. (I try to be cheap and find free parking…but sometimes it just too hard).

The inside really does look like a bar. Tons of screens to see the game, lots of seating, and great interior decor.

M started off with the Fentiman’s cola ($4). This is a botanically brewed soda. I am not sure what that means, but it must mean something good. This cola had very strong flavours compared to Pepsi or Coca Cola. You can tell the makers of this soda took their time and care into producing them. It tastes like liquified cola balls…those silver candy balls.

TaiwaneseGirl had the Wicked Deadly Cheese Burger ($10). It had all-natural beef, plenty of cheese, red onion, Tuscan greens, tarragon Russian dressing.

I had the Magic Mushroom ($10), which had all-natural beef, plenty of chopped BC portobellos, arugula, herb and garlic Boursin cheese, and caramelized onions. With one bite, you can really taste the fresh ingredients used in the sandwich. It was very flavourful compared to other burgers i’ve had. The bun was very light and fluffy so you get the full taste of the mushrooms and the patty. The burger does not come with any sides…so you have to order a side.

In addition, I got the Fresh Garlic with tasted Sea Salt ($4) as my side. Wow, was the garlic fresh! It was raw garlic and it very potent. I think it would be better if the garlic was fried to bring out a more savory taste. Perhaps i should have gotten some dipping sauce to dull the strong taste. I should have brought some mints with me because my breathe was vile! At least I kept the vampires away.

M got the righteous rib burger ($12), it had all-natural beef, thick-sliced applewood bacon, braised short ribs, sweet onions, Gorgonzola garlic sauce, fresh thyme leaves. M could tell this was a very healthy type of burger with really good ingredients.

M got the GORGONZOLA GARLIC SAUCE serrano chili, and applewood bacon fries ($7) for his side. He thought it was ok, but way overpriced for $7.

Overall, Romers Burger Bar was a good experience. All the ingredients used in all their food really shined through. I can really say Romer’s Burger Bar sells gourmet burgers. The good balance of ingredients and the rich succulent taste can’t be matched by any typical burger joint. But, be expected to pay a bit more than your average burger.

We rate Romers Burger Bar:

Check out their website: http://romersburgerbar.com/

In Brunch

Havana’s – Revisit

December 1, 2010

A few months ago, we wrote a post about Havana’s. Since MedicalGiraffe was back in town, we thought it would be most appropriate to go back to Havana’s to try out some more tasty treats.

I started off with a latte ($4 or $5). This latte is huge! It’s like comparing it to a really big mug? Ok, that was just a bad comparison. This latte was not as strong as some other places. It lacked a very bold strong flavour.

Last time I had the Tuna Burger ($16) and this influenced MedicalGiraffe to get it! This is still my favorite burger of all time. YUM!

I had to try their brunch since I am in such a brunch phase these days. I got their Chorizo Hash ($13). I had 2 poached eggs, peppers, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, chorizo sausage, brown toast and Hollandaise sauce.

I found this breakfast to be a bit heavy, but for some I guess this is what you need to get you started for the day.

The poached eggs were done soft. You can tell by the super runny yolk.

We rate Havana’s:

Visit Havana’s Website: www.havanarestaurant.ca

In Four Beakers

Toratatsu

November 29, 2010

Toratstau is slowly becoming my favorite Izakaya restaurant. They are located near Robson and Denman. They have a good variety of choices to choose from. The downside about this place is that it’s quite small, so reservations are a must on busy days like Friday and Saturday.

In their menu, if you are indecisive, they have a set course for 2. It basically gives you a taste test of everything on the menu. I had this a few months ago. M and I basically fell in love with Toratasu after having the set course. It did cost us a total of $60…but for that amount of items, it was decently priced compared to the other Izakaya restaurants. Today we didn’t order this, so sorry no pics.

M and the men has the bamboo sake ($9.50). It comes in a really cool bamboo container. Even the little cups are made of bamboo. The sake does come cold rather than the traditional hot sake. The guys said hot sake tastes better than cold ones. But we all try things for the experience, so now they can always tell people the story of when they had sake from a bamboo shoot.

FragileBoy and InsecureGirl ordered the Sashimi Platter($15.80). It’s really cool that they give you a little “show” to your meal. They bring over a blowtorch to sear the top of the makerel.

The Ebi Mayo ($8.00) is THE BEST ebi mayo we have ever had! The battered prawns give the sense that these prawn are bigger than they really are. Its not a bad thing, but the batter does give it more body and more of the mayo sauce covers the shrimp. Each Ebi Mayo even comes with a fried wonton skin. For about $2 a piece, it does seem very pricy, but it is the best ebi mayo ever and I would pay for this every time!

I got the SukiYaki Hot Pot ($14.00ish). Apparently it serves 2, but I just ate it all myself. I know, it may seem piggish but there really wasn’t that much to eat. It had barley fed pork, tofu, enoki mushrooms, napa cabbage, and 2 organic eggs. I thought it would be different than Posh, but it tasted quite similar. But, without the “all you can eat” aspect to the dish.

Everything up to this point was fantastic! Dun Dun Dun. It took them about 45 minutes to get the Ishiyaki Risotto ($8.30). It really made us wonder why it was taking so long. Everyone else was maybe 80% done their meal, till their risotto finally arrived. Not really sure what the reasons were, but maybe it was a super busy night and we did order 5 of these.

Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable risotto. It was a bit different than what you would normally expect. This Risotto had seared scallops, mushrooms, Iwanori seaweed served in a hot stone bowl. Yes, in a hot stone bowl. Imagine korean bi bim bap but with risotto.

All in all it was a good experience at Toratasu. For some reason the service started decreasing after half way through our meal. It took us a long time to flag down a waitress for the bill. It took even more time trying to get them to bring the debit/credit machine over. In that whole time of flagging down a waitress, another table wanted to leave but no waitresses in sight. Very puzzled by the odd service since last time we came here, it was great service.

Words of Wisdom: