Rating Archives - Page 99 of 99

Waazubee Cafe

August 18, 2010

IndecisiveGirl and I were leaving Simon Fraser University at 11pm after a meeting. We were craving for a late night snack in Vancouver. After countless failures to find a place open on Commercial Drive at midnight, we stumbled upon Waazubee Café.

We didn’t know much about the restaurant before hand, so we went in blind and asked the waitress for her recommendations. She suggested the Nachos, Mac & Cheese, Yam Fries and the BBQ Chuck Rib. After she told us about each of the items we had our heart set on the Mac & Cheese and BBQ Chuck Ribs.

As we sat waiting for our meals, I kept admiring the very strange wax candle holders and odd Jesus candle centerpieces, I couldn’t help but think about a past restaurant MedicalGiraffe and I went to the previous week – Subeez. After thinking and discussing the interior decor, Indecisivegirl told me to ask the waitress and sure enough, Wazzubees and Subeez are by the same owners!

As we devoured the Mac & Cheese, it was obvious that this dish has far surpassed the childhood Kraft Mac & Cheese! It was very savory and was made with some type of white cheese, it reminded me of the cheese you would use in cheese fondue but I can’t be certain. The Mac & Cheese was a great twist on the childhood classic. Even though this was made at 12am, you could still taste it was freshly made. The only thing we disliked from this dish was the green onion garnish on top. Perhaps the dish could have been better with finely chopped parsley.

The other dish we ordered was BBQ Chuck ribs, this came in nice thin slices upon a bed of some type of bean salsa. It was very nice and sour to balance the starchy taste of the beans. I personally do not like Potatoes or beans but it was a delight to try out.

Even though we did not try breakfast here, the breakfast menu did look very delicious! We will definitely hit this place up again to try their famous breakfasts!

Whether you are looking for a late night snack or a fantastic breakfast place, Waazubees is the spot to satisfy your cravings.

We rate Wazzubees:

Check Waazubees at: http://www.waazubee.com/

In Chinese

Sha Lin Noodle House

August 13, 2010

I started going to Sha Lin Noodles House after I saw it on an episode of “$40 a day” by Rachael Ray. I thought if Rachael Ray went there it should be amazing.

What I really enjoy about Sha Lin Noodles for their food since it tastes very clean unlike Pho places. They have a variety of different noodles, which you can choose from (Dragging, cutting, broad, etc). If you are lucky, you can even watch the chef make the noodles!

We both ordered the Dragging noodles with chicken and vegetables soup (Told you Indecisive Girl is indecisive). The noodles were cooked perfectly and had enough chicken and vegetables to go along with it. Adding a bit of chili sauce to the dish is pretty good too if you love an extra kick in your dish. I could finish the whole bowl and I was even tempted to drink the soup too. It was good to be at a restaurant where they do not put MSG into their food.

On the side we had Fried Bun, which came with condensed milk. It was really crispy on the outside and the inside was just so nice and fluffy. Definitely worth a try! But when you order it don’t eat it right away because it’s hot.

The interior of the restaurant is like a typical Chinese restaurant where it’s quite bland and feels slightly unsanitary. When Indecisive Girl and I were there, they took all the hot chili pepper sauce from all the tables and put it in a big giant bowl. They then cleaned all the containers and refilled it. If you plan to use the chili sauce, imagine kissing hundreds of people’s food.

If you are ever craving hand-crafted noodles with no MSG, check out Sha Lin Noodles. But beware of the Chili Sauce.

It’s a great place to go if you really want a cheap meal under $10.

We rate Sha Lin Noodle House:

Check out their location:

548 West Broadway

Vancouver, V5L 1E9

(604) 873-1816

In Kitsilano

The Naam

August 12, 2010

Vancouver sleeps early. It’s pretty difficult to find an eatery that serves food after 11pm. The Naam is one of the few; it’s open 24-hours, 7 days a week. After our night scuba lesson, Batman and I were famished, and met up with DesignGirl to indulge in some midnight snacking (more like, food-hoarding).

Even at midnight, the Naam is brimming with business, mostly from starving students. We pulled up a few seats near the back as courtyard dining was not available at such a late hour, but the dim lighting and deep foliage that lined the courtyard made it irresistibly romantic. You’ll find an eclectic group of diners here – everything from lululemon-wearing yogis to blockbuster celebrities such as The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and Jessica Biel. The appeal of the Naam rests in its simplicity – the Naam serves up huge portions of simple, warm, comfort food. Hempwear and dreadlocks are common. Oh, and did I mention that it’s completely vegetarian? But even the most meaty meateaters go gaga for the Naam.

DesignGirl opted for the Buddha’s Feast – and it is what it sounds like – a heaping plate of stir fried vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, tofu, peppers, zucchini, beets, carrots) atop organic brown rice. The veggies are meant to be jumbled together and post-mixing, we arrive at a dish that’s undeniably delectable. The vegetables are crisp and well-cooked, the tofu is flavour-bountiful, and the brown rice is soft and savory.

Batman’s quite affectionate about avocados, and ordered the cashews and avocado enchilada, which came with a side salad. His dish arrived piping out, with guacamole gushing below a tortilla coated in melted cheese. Batman’s verdict “avocado, beans, and other hippy vegan veggie stuff (which is good for you) baked inside cheese. Need I say more? The salad was interesting too.” Personally, I found the enchilada to be too heavy on the avocado – a few spoons would have satisfied me, but eating a whole enchilada was just too rich. The side salad had your standard greens, tomatoes, and sprouts. The dressing was their homemade ‘miso-gravy’ dressing – light and different, without the usual acidic zing of a vinaigrette.

Batman also ordered a beer – the Deadfrog Brown Ale: “The deadfrog brown ale is not dead at all. It was hoppy and jumping all over the place! Settling down with this refreshing beer made me feel grateful to be alive and well. (I think he was just happy to have alcohol) For me, it’s not as consistently drinkable as a lager or pale ale, but I enjoyed the glass of this acquired taste. It made me feel like a froggin’ King.”

I finished everything off with a large carrot juice – which by the looks of it, did not come in a very large glass – and with this being The Naam, I knew it was freshly squeezed.

The service was horrible, I’ve could’ve friven home, planted and harvested my own carrots for juice, with the time it took them to take out order.

For huge portions of organic veggie eats that will fool even the most clever carnivore, The Naam is your best bet – especially for those late night cravings.

We rate The Naam:

Check out their website: http://www.thenaam.com/naam/

In Cafe

Yavis Cafe

August 11, 2010

My favorite place in Richmond for tea and dessert is Yavis Café. Since Medical Giraffe made a frozen cheesecake the other day, I wanted to show her a place that served Glacier Cheesecake.

When you first enter the café, you will enjoy the look of their interior design, which will connect to their menu. The menu starts off with a story about the concept of their café and how they came up with the famous glacier cheesecake.

I ordered their best selling cheesecake – White Romance; it is a normal cheesecake with fruit compote on the side. It was really nice and the fruit compote was a nice addition. I really wished there was more of the compote and not just used on the design of the plate. I also got a Japan Genmacha tea to go with it. It came in a really cool looking cup. It is overpriced tea but it does come with refills so keep on drinking until you get your money’s worth.

Medical Giraffe ordered the Lavender Cheesecake, which really tasted like lavender. If you do not like spices, this may not be the cake for you. The waiter said this was a very popular choice from customers. But, personally, the taste of lavender was not to my liking.

Medical Giraffe’s cousin ordered the Green Tea Glacier Cheesecake. It is like a normal cheesecake, but frozen. The texture is similar to ice cream. Don’t spend too much time ogling and look of the cake because it will melt.

This place stays open pretty late till 1am but make sure you don’t go on a Monday because its closed the whole day.

If you are ever in Richmond and are craving for a late night dessert, head over to Yavis Café and try out their unique cheesecakes.

We rate Yavis Cafe:

Check Yavis Cafe at: http://www.yavisclub.com/

In Brunch

Cafe Medina: Lunch of Champions

August 5, 2010

Fricassee was on my mind. I heard that the best fricassee in town was at Café Medina, so I called up DesignGirl for a taste quest. Sitting on Beatty Street, Café Medina thrives adjacent to its classy Belgium nighttime counterpart, Chambar. When we arrived, the cafe was bustling with alfresco diners relishing in the summer sun and Café Medina’s renowned Belgium waffles.

While waiting for a lunchtime seat, we were startled by a “Hellloo there!” behind us. I realized then that this was a warm welcome from our host and server – there are no apron-donning busboys, or penguin waiters (the classic black and white look) here! Medina’s servers are warm and casual – blending well with the clientele and truly lending the café an ‘at home’ feel.

I have a fresh-squeezed juice addiction and needed my fix that afternoon! For an eatery that prides itself on brunch items, Café Medina surprisingly does not offer freshly-squeezed juice. Nonetheless, I settled for a “just as awesome” OJ, upon our server’s recommendation, while DesignGirl opted for a vanilla latte, after deliberating between chocolate, vanilla, or raspberry caramel. My OJ arrived – although lacking the subtlety of fresh OJ – and still tasted smooth and saccharine. Anal Beads DesignGirl’s latte came oddly in a glass juice cup, but she said that the coffee tasted so delightful and looked so pretty that it wouldn’t have mattered if it arrived in an egg shell! Her coffee came with leafy latte art, and after sneaking a few sips, I concurred that it indeed was a luscious latte. The menu also has a wide selection of mimosas and beers.

Café Medina’s menu has extensive breakfast, lunch, and brunch options, ranging from the classic omelet to exotic paella. We saw that there were two items served all day – the fricassee and the saumon fume (smoked salmon). Without hesitating, we decided that these two must have been the most popular to allow for its AM-to-PM availability.

My fricassee arrived with two fried eggs (I love runny yolks!) and verdant arugula greens covering the roasted potatoes, braised short ribs, caramelized onions, apple, and chedder cheese beneath. The fricassee is meant to be mixed to allow the juiciness of the ribs and the smokiness of the cheese to mingle with the succulent onions, and crispy greens and apple bits. The side of focaccia bread came unadorned of any herbs – warm backed Italian bread that perfectly complemented the firework of flavors from the fricassee, without taking way from it. The fricassee is a breakfast item, but I recommend selecting it for either brunch or lunch. I found it to be a very heavy breakfast-eat due to its large quantity and overabundance of meat, and would wish for more applewood chedder.

DesignGirl’s saumon fume was served as an open-faced ciabatta sandwich, with smoked-salmon, caper cream cheese, and fried egg on one side, and arugula pepperdew and artichoke salad on the other. The two sides of the sandwich offered contrasting textures and tastes – the cold smoked salmon mixed well with the warm runny yolk of the fried egg, creating a richer feel upon the palate; the arugula and artichoke salad held a an acidic vinaigrette and offered a light zest and freshness.

Even with our stomachs satisfied, we couldn’t pass up the chance to sample Café Medina’s fresh Belgium waffles, especially with their aroma wafting through the café corridors. The waffles come with a variety of toppings – everything from dark chocolate to yoghurt to white chocolate pistachio rosewater. Our waffle arrived daintily dusted with confectioner’s sugar and a side of white chocolate pistachio rosewater topping. At first, I thought the name was just a fancy tag, but upon digging and dipping into our topping, we could really taste the smoothness of the white chocolate, the nuttiness of the pistachio, and the softness of rosewater – what a surprise! The waffles were not overly sweet and were the perfect ending to a delectable lunch.

Cafe Medina’s varied menu provides an amazing array of choices at a reasonable fare (most items range between $10-$16). They also offer grab-and-go coffee/tea and impeccable service.

We rated Cafe Media: