Three Beakers Archives - Page 2 of 63

In Hot Pot

Boiling Point Main Street: Now Open

March 4, 2018

Boiling Point opened their latest location on Main Street near King Edward. They are best known for the individual hot pot meals that is perfect for the cold rainy weather in Vancouver. I’ve been to their location several times and it’s a good solid meal that enjoyable, plus you don’t have to share the hot pot with others.

Interior

There are lots of seats inside for small to large groups. Nice decor with an industrial look of wood, steel and brick.

Spicy Beef

The first appetizer we had was the spice beef. It’s cooked beef with the yummy spicy sauce. A good item to start with before the hot pots arrived.

Spicy Cumin Lamb

Another option is the spicy cumin lamb. Good flavours as cumin and lamb go great together.

Garlic Pork Belly

Garlic pork belly is also another one of my favourites. You can see the layers of meat and fat.

Spicy Fermented Tofu

This appetizer isn’t for everyone. It has a fermented odour that not everyone enjoys.

Korean Bean Paste Hot Soup

One of my favourites and it has a good amount of spice and flavour. Inside, you will find soybean sprouts, nira, green zucchini, kimchi, pork belly, fish tofu, kamabok, tempura, rice cake, enoki mushroom, fish fillet, wok noodle, lobster fish ball, crown daisy, seaweed, and Korean paste.

I liked this flavour as it has the right about of spice and I liked the wok noodles that were in this.

Japanese Miso Hot Soup

You will find inside the pot – cabbage, udon, sliced pork, enoki mushroom, clam, fish ball, fish fillet, maitake mushroom, crab, fried tofu skin, soft tofu, egg, and green onion.

Milk Cream Curry Hot Soup

This is a newer item on the menu and you will find napa, vermicelli, pork, enoki, mushroom, imitation crab, fish ball, fried tofu skin, corn, tempura, mountain yam, Chinese string beans and sea salt cream.

Taiwanese Spicy Hot Soup

Taiwanese Spicy Hot Pot comes in only flaming spicy, so you don’t have an option to make it mild. Not for the faint of heart.

It has cabbage, instant noodle, sliced Angus beef, tempura, enoki mushroom, clam, fish ball, cuttlefish ring, pork intestine, pork blood rice cake, fried tofu skin, maitake mushroom, frozen tofu, greenonion, and topped with cilantro.

House Special Hot Soup

House Special Hot Pot has napa cabbage, fermented tofu, sliced pork, enoki mushroom, kamaboko, pork balls, clam, quail egg, pork blood, pork intestine, nira, preserved vegetables, tomato, and cilantro.

Milk Tea

All the dishes is best served with some milk tea. I like their Fresh Milk Tea as it is made with real milk and has a bolder tea flavour.

Milky Soft Herbal Jelly

Something different that they have is a milky soft herbal jelly, which they have limited quantities.

Final Thoughts

It’s a great addition to the neighbourhood and is starting to get quite busy at peak hours. If you’re looking for something warm and delicious during rainy days, you’ll enjoy this place.

We Rate Boiling Point:

Address:
4148 Main St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.bpgroupusa.com/

In Cafe

Black Fox Coffee Co. in New York City

March 3, 2018

We were staying in the Wall Street area during our trip and we needed some caffeine to get us started for the day before heading off on our flight back to Vancouver. We did quick search and there was Black Fox Coffee Co. a few feet away with good espresso beverages.

Interior

The cafe is hip and super cute and I just love their fox logo. There are lots of seats inside, but most people were taking coffees to go.

We saw some delightful pastries too, but we opted to just stick to coffee. They also sell 49 Parallel coffee beans, which is surprising since it travelled a long way to be in New York City, just like us. hahaha. 49 Parallel is from Vancouver, BC.

Latte

I got a latte and it was what I needed this morning. Good temperature and the right amount of espresso to milk ratio.

Final Thoughts

We sat here for a little bit as we planned the rest of our morning on our phones before heading off to see a few more sights before heading to the airport.

We Rate Black Fox Coffee Co:

Address:
70 Pine St, New York

Website:
https://www.blackfoxcoffee.com

In Colorado

MOD Pizza: Quick Lunch in Castle Rock, Colorado

March 1, 2018

MOD Pizza is a quick-service chain restaurant where you can build your own pizza and salad for a set price. We were shopping at the outlet across the street and wandered to MOD Pizza for lunch.

You can choose their prebuilt salads and pizzas, or you can create one of your own with as many toppings as you like. All the ingredients are in front of you, so you can see all the options.

Salad

I went with something that is like a chicken caesar salad. I was going to stick with regular caesar salad but all the other toppings tempted me. It’s a good option.

Pizza

They have mini (6″) or mega size (11″) but we all got mini. It was fun for everyone to put their pizza together and share what they created. No matter how much topping choices you add to it, it never gets overloaded. The staff somewhat spreads them all evenly around the pizza.

Drinks

They have a variety of bottle drinks and fountain drinks. Also beers.

Final Thoughts

It was good to check out this chain, but we all thought it was decent for customizable quick -service food option in Castle Rock.

We Rate MOD Pizza:

Address:
4989 Factory Shops Blvd, Castle Rock, CO

Website:
https://modpizza.com

In Cafe

Blue Bottle Coffee in New York City

February 26, 2018

There are so many Blue Bottle Coffee locations in New York City. A taste of the West Coast in NYC. When we were visiting Chelsea Market, we made a stop here for coffee before we began walking the High Line.

The space is very small, so there is barely any room to sit, so we took our drinks to go.

New Orleans Ice Coffee

It was a hot day, so an iced coffee was what we needed. This is is cold-brewed for 12 hours with roasted chicory and sweetened with organic cane sugar. Then they add organic whole milk to it. It’s a bit sweet and creamy, but most importantly delicious.

We rate Blue Bottle Coffee:

Address:
450 W. 15th Street, New York

Website:
https://bluebottlecoffee.com

In Food Carts

The Halal Guys: Street Food in New York

February 24, 2018

The Halal Guys is a food cart on the south-east corner of 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue in the borough of Manhattan in New York. When we were in New York, we made sure to go to the right place to get some authentic Halal Guys. There are a lot of other copycat carts in the area, so make sure you’re at the right one.

We saw so many on the same street that we were confused. But we did end up at the correct place. The line moves pretty quickly as the staff are super efficient. Make sure you have cash on you as it’s cash only.

You can eat your meal on some benches close to the carts or you can take it back to the office.

Beef Platter

There is your choice of meat, salad, rice and bread. Initially we wanted the lamb but they apparently stopped serving it, so beef it was. It’s a pretty large meal for lunch, but it’s worth the price. The beef was deliciously spiced.

All meals come with your choice of red of white sauce. The white sauce is delicious like a mild ranch sauce, while the red sauce is really spicy hot sauce. Use the hot sauce sparingly as it’s like an inferno and we can usually handle out spices.

All that sauce!

Chicken Platter

The platter is the same but the meat is different as I chose chicken.The chicken was ok, but I would have liked it to be a bit more moist and hot.

To get best of both worlds, you can get a platter with both beef and chicken.

We Rate The Halal Guys:

Address:
South West corner of 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue

Website:
https://thehalalguys.com

In Malaysian

Green and Oak: Malaysian Cuisine in North Burnaby

February 18, 2018

Green & Oak is a new restaurant in North Burnaby on Hastings Street specializing in Malaysian cuisine. They took over the previous location – Mr Chili. A few of us came here for dinner to try it out.

Interior

The space is large and there are lots of seats for small to large groups. We made a reservation ahead of time since we had a large group for dinner.

Satay Skewers

The skewers come in chicken, pork or beef. Each order is 1 piece each, so we got 3 of each. The skewers were all ok, but could be a bit more juicy.

Roti-Canai

This is freshly made in-house and it is Malaysian flatbread.It comes with 2 pieces cut up and served with a curry dipping sauce.

Chicken Wings

These are deep-fried whole chicken wings and it comes with a garlic lemon dip. Very crunchy on the exterior and the meat inside was very juicy. It comes with 3 pieces per order.

Hainanese Chicken

The whole chicken comes with 4 soups and 4 rice dishes as well. It is a popular dish in Singapore as the chicken is cooked in delicious chicken stock and served in a red chili and ginger dipping sauces.

The Hainanese chicken was ok but nothing amazing. We wished it was served a bit warmer.

The rice was a bit oily but the soup was delicious.

Seafood Laksa Noodle Soup

This is a curry-based soup with tofu, bean sprouts, egg, lemongrass, lime juice, coconut milk, vermicelli noodles and seafood. You can also ask for it with egg noodles too. The flavour is different than most laksas in town, so people either love it or hate it. I really enjoyed the broth and I could eat the whole bowl.

Mee Goreng

This has egg noodle with beef, shrimp, tofu, cucumber and tomato. It was ok.

Belachan Fried Rice

This is fried rice with dried shrimp, chili pepper, pork, shrimp, egg, and sou sauce. This was pretty average too.

Char Kuey Teow

This was delicious. It has fried rice noodle with shrimp, tofu, pork, egg, chili, and soy sauce.

Malaysian Curry Rice

This is put together with curry paste, lemongrass, shallot, onion, basil, other herbs and is served with steamed rice.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I love the look of the space and the service was decent. Some of the dishes are a hit and miss. I enjoyed the chicken wings, Char Kuey Teow, and the laksa.

We Rate Green and Oak:

Address:
3760 Hastings St, Burnaby, BC

In Chinese

Xi’an Famous Foods: Spicy Noodles in New York

February 17, 2018

Xi’an Famous Foods is a chain of fast casual restaurants based in New York City that serves authentic Northern Chinese dishes. When in New York, I had to try it since I love some good spicy noodles. We went to the location closest to MoMA and it’s literally across the street.

Interior

There is seating on either side of the walls, but no group tables at all. Those who are eating alone or with people don’t have to worry. It was busy in the evening, so we waiting a little bit till another group left.

Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Ripped Noodles in Soup

Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Ripped Noodles

Their hand-ripped noodles mixed with sauteed spicy cumin lamb. It was so so so delicious and comforting, but it had a kick of heat to it. There are good chunks of lamb in it. The noodles were a bit chewy.

Final Thoughts

It was great to have something in New York that wasn’t burgers or pizza.

We Rate Xi’an Famous Foods:

Address:
37 W 54th St, New York

Website:
http://xianfoods.com/

In East Village

Vietnamese Tea House: Pho in Vancouver

February 11, 2018

Vietnamese Tea House opened a few months ago serving authentic Vietnamese cuisine in the East Village on Hastings Street close to Nanaimo Street. A few of us were invited to come dine here for dinner. The restaurant is small but there is definitely a lot of soul in the kitchen for making good food with great value for what you are paying. Even tax is included in all prices. Everything is under $10.

Pandan tea

As we sat down, we were given a delightful pandan tea.

Avocado Rolls

This comes with 2 rolls cut in half, so you get 4 pieces per order. Nicely wrapped in a rice paper with lettuce vermicelli noodles and slices of avocados. There is a sauce on the side to dip in the avocado roll.

Beef Sashimi

Beef sashimi is cut thin and plated. It is topped with cilantro, peanuts, onions and sauce. Eat it up with a bit of everything on the plate. It was ok, but I felt like it needed some more acidity for my personal preferences.

Chicken Wings with garlic butter

The wings are golden brown topped with garlic butter sauce on each wing. With the addition of the sauce, it made the wing less crisp.

Chicken Wings with honey sauce

The honey sauce covers each wing but I guess kinda miss one of them. It was good but not as crisp similar to the other one. Some people do like saucy wings, but I prefer a bit crisp.

Stir Fried Corn with Shrimp

My favourite dish of the night was this dish of corn and shrimp. Such a simple item, but so full of flavour. It’s better known as a Vietnamese street food in Saigon, so you won’t typically find this in a restaurant.

Green papaya with beef jerky

The shredded green papaya and carrots are mixed with some basil, nuts and topped with pieces of beef jerky. Sounds like an odd combination, but this is another popular item in Vietnam.

Pork Spring Rolls

There are 2 spring rolls per order. Crisp on the outside and stuffed with a good amount of pork.

Pho

We chose ours with Beef Balls, Beef tripe and Rare Beef. A large is very affordable and you can add on all this meat. The broth is delicious and full of depth. tastes healthy too.

Bun Bo Hue

This is the spicy beef vermicelli soup loaded with lots of meat. Another favourite dish of the evening.

Vietnamese Crab Noodle Soup

They use real crab in this noodle soup, so it can be too crabby for some people. I liked it because it was hearty and goes well with the Vancouver rainy days.

Lemongrass Chicken and Pork Patty Vermicelli

The bottom has vermicelli noodles and topped with veggies, lemongrass chicken, pork, nuts and green onions.

Shredded Pork Banh Mi

The banh mi has the pork pickled veggies inside the soft bun. The exterior was a bit crisp but could have been a bit more.

Chicken Curry on Rice

The chicken curry comes in a small bowl with a huge plate of rice and veggies.

Then there is also a soup that accompanies this meal too. The curry sauce was a bit thin and could have been a bit better. I could stick with the other dishes and pass on the curry next time.

Special Vietnamese Pandan Milk Tea

Being called a Tea House, the tea better be good. I had the special Vietnamese Pandan Milk Tea with coconut jelly. The pandan milk tea is subtle but was yummy.

Avocado Slush

Avocado slush is made with real avocados. There is even a slice on top.

Jackfruit Slush

Everyone loved the jackfruit slush. Not very icy compared to other places around town and its great that there are a few pieces of jackfruit on top. If you’re looking for something quick, casual and affordable, this is the place to go.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised about this little restaurant. It has good pho, appetizers and drinks at great prices with tax included.

We Rate Vietnamese Tea House:

Address:
2526 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://vietnamese-tea-house.business.site/

In Bubble Tea

Mr Moustache: Now Open in Burnaby

January 29, 2018

Mr Moustache has opened their next location right outside Metropolis at Metrotown taking over Cafe Joie. They have quietly opened up here for a soft opening but it was still busy on a Tuesday evening. They are popular for their bubble tea. They also have cakes and some games here too. The space is a decent size for small to medium sized groups.

Bubble Tea

Their bubble teas are pretty large and they come in a pitcher mug. Everyone comes here gets one.

Oolong Milk Tea with Pearls

I got this half sweet, but since it’s normally not too sweet, full sweetness is perfect for my tastes.I should have gotten this with fresh milk instead of powder if I’d known as I don’t like how frothy it gets on top. Either way, it was still good. They do have a section of the menu for fresh milk.

Mango Slushie

The mango slushie has mango bit on top, which is a nice touch. My friend added coconut jelly to this.

Green Tea Macchiato

This looks like a beer but it has the green tea on the bottom and cheesy foam on top.

Sweet Treats

They have a few sweet treats to go with bubble tea.

I got the Praline Chocolate Mousse. This was familiar and turn out it’s from Faubourg, a French bakery and cafe in Vancouver. A nice treat to share with a friend.

Canelé is a small French pastry flavored with rum and vanilla with a soft and tender custard centre and a dark, thick caramelized crust.

Final Thought

The bubble tea drinks here are good and I would come back to hang out with friends. The pastries were ok, but it’s good that there are those options if you want to much on something while having bubble tea.

We Rate Mr Moustache:

Address:
110-6125 Sussex Ave, Burnaby

In New York

When in New York, go to Joe’s Pizza

January 28, 2018

We were in New York for a week and one of places the internet told us to go to is Joe’s Pizza for an authentic New York slice. We went to their original location in Greenwich Village for a snack. For around $3 a slice, it’s not bad at all.

Interior

The shop is small and has limited seating. If you’re lucky enough to grab a seat, you should eat the pizza fresh. We ended up getting it to go and back at the apartment. They put our 2 slices in a take out box and it was easy to take on the subway.

Slice

Pepperoni Pizza and Fresh Mozzarella pizza were our picks. The slices were of good size and the crust was still a bit crisp with slight char.

Final Thoughts

Was it the best pizza we had? Of course not. For the convenience and price, it was decent. There are still lots of places in New York that make a good pizza especially in Brooklyn.

We Rate Joe’s Pizza:

Address:
7 Carmine Street, New York

Website:
http://www.joespizzanyc.com/

In East Village

Raclette NYC: Delicious Melted Alpine Cheese

January 27, 2018

A popular place is Raclette NYC is the East Village for some savoury melted cheese over your meal. How can you deny such a glorious thing? When we visited New York, we couldn’t say no. It’s gotten very popular in the news lately for this classic Swiss dish.

Interior

It was busy for lunch, so reservations are recommended to ensure you have a seat. We made reservations a few days in advanced and they did call us a day before to confirm our attendance.

Parsienne

The Parsienne has a 7 oz pan-seared marinated skirt steak, sautéed mushrooms, roasted asparagus and potatoes. The we got the black truffle cheese from France. One of the most popular choices. The best part of this experience is seeing the staff bring the raclette to your table and scrape the oozy cheese onto your plate right before your eyes. The stake was done medium rate and it was delicious.

Savoyarede

This dish has roasted potatoes, cornichons, and pickled white pearl onions. I wanted something simple and not too heavy as I already had a meal prior to this. I chose to have the porchini cheese from Switzerland. Delicious and cheesy with the savouriness of porchini. The overall dish was pretty meh, but then again, I chose a dish that wasn’t as interesting.

Final Thoughts

You pay for the dish and then you pay for the addition of the cheese. So, the menu is a bit deceiving even though these are both raclette dishes. If you’ve never tried this before, it’s still fun to try out and remember to get a reservation.

We Rate Raclette NYC:

Address:
511 E 12th St, New York

Website:
http://raclette.nyc/

In Hastings-Sunrise

Riz Sushi and Poké in Vancouver

January 25, 2018

Riz Sushi and Poké is located in a small plaza on Renfrew and Broadway in Vancouver. Their main business is catering, but they serve up lunch and dinner at their shop. You can find sushi combos, poké, udon, teriyaki and appetizers on their menu. We were invited to check out their poké bowls.

Interior

They have this epic mural on the wall of iconic artists. Even Kanye kissing Kanye can be seen.

Order up front and then you can find a seat and wait till your order is ready.

Onsen Egg

The onsen egg is delicious as it’s a egg cooked in a low temperature and then it sits in a soy broth with some green onions and tempura bits. We slurped it up and was tempted to get another.

Poké

We got one bowl with salmon and then another with tuna. I like the simplicity of the topping choices as you don’t really need too many toppings to over shadow the rest of the bowl. I personally found that there was too much sauce added to the bowl that you can barely taste the fish or the ingredients in the bowl. You probably want to tell them to go light on the sauce. As the tuna seems to be marinated in advanced, it created a gummy texture that I didn’t really enjoy.

On the other hand, my husband did enjoy their poké bowl with all the sauce. It all comes down to personal preferences. I’m a purist when it comes to poké so clean crisp flavours and my husband likes it saucy.

Final Thoughts

Both of us couldn’t come to a consensus so we agreed to disagree. Their hours of operation is 12pm – 8pm during weekdays. They are closed during the weekends.

We Rate Riz Sushi and Poké:

Address:
2887 E Broadway, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.rizsushi.com/

In Afternoon Tea

Neverland Tea Salon: High Tea in Vancouver

January 24, 2018

Neverland Tea Salon is located in Kitsilano and is a popular cafe serving up high tea. They take inspiration from Peter Pan, thus the name Neverland. What stands out is their variety of high teas that can cater towards vegans and those who are gluten and diary free. Good for groups of people with dietary restrictions, so they can dine together. We made a reservation ahead of time to ensure a spot.

Interior

There are a few things that remind you of Peter Pan in the dining area, like a big quote.

The details of the tea cups, chairs and utensils give it a nice look.

Demi Tea

Two of us got the Demi Tea set which includes 6 items (3 savouries, 2 sweets, and 1 scone). It also comes with up to 2 pots of tea for $25 per person.

English Breakfast

I got the English Breakfast and added some honey and milk to my cup of tea. A classic.

Savouries

Tarragon chicken salad with candied walnuts, salt-roasted pears & pickled grapes.

Lemon-herb mascarpone, cucumber and arugula.

Thai red curry egg salad with mango chutney, cucumber and red pepper.

Sweets

New York vanilla cheesecake on red velvet blondie base.

Cinnamon crumble date square.

Citrus scone with cream and house-made strawberry jam.

Tiger Lily Jasmine

For my second pots of tea, I got the Tiger Lily Jasmine as a good way to end the meal.

Final Thoughts

The scone was delicious and so were the sweets. I felt like the savouries were a bit of a let down as they weren’t as interesting, but the Thai Red curry egg sandwich has a good depth of flavour. What’s good about Neverland Tea Salon is their varieties of high tea. You can get different sizes of the high tea and there are vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options. Good to get a group together that has varying dietary options.

We Rate Neverland Tea Salon:

Address:
3066 W Broadway, Vancouver

Website:
http://neverlandtea.com/

In French

Lunch at Kitchen by Yugo in Downtown Vancouver

January 22, 2018

Kitchen by Yugo is located on Denman and Robson specializing in French and Japanese Fusion cuisine. I’ve heard lots about this place and I decided to come with a friend for lunch as it’s interesting how they will marry these two types of cuisines together.

Interior

The interior is nice with seating mostly on the left side and a kitchen and bar on the other.

Lunch Menu

Fish Miso Soup

This was the soup of the day and it was delicious, It has a piece of scallop and fish on the rim of the bowl. The miso soup had good depth of flavour. Highly recommended.

Pressed Aburi

This is pressed sushi with chef’s choice of assorted flame seared fish. It comes with 6 pieces and some fried veggie chips. My friend thought it was meh when you compare it to the other places in town that make similar aburi sushi.

House Bento

The house bento comes with 4 small dishes and served with rice. This seems to be quite popular item to order as you get to try a variety of items.

The items are:

Grilled Salmon with miso
Cauliflower Karaage
Tuna Tataki
Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Lardons and Onions

The flavours of the bento box is more on the Japanese side beside. The salmon was delicate and the miso paste on top paired well. Usually I see this combination on black cod, but salmon was good too.

The roasted brussel sprouts were more on the heavier side taking on the French influences. Tasty but was a bit of the odd dish out as the others were more delicate in flavours.

The tuna tataki was great. Nicely seared on all sides with some veggies and ponzu sauce.

The deep-fried cauliflower was a nice touch to compliment the meal with added textures and crunch.

Final Thoughts

Being to pull off French and Japanese fusion is pretty hard and I applaud the chefs for finding the balance as the styles are very different. Japanese is simple and delicate where French is most heavy and rich. Somewhat polar opposites.

We Rate Kitchen By Yugo:

Address:
792 Denman St, Vancouver

Website:
http://restaurantyugo.com/

In Dineout

BlackBird Pub House: $20 Dine Out Vancouver Menu

January 20, 2018

This year’s Donnelly Group Dine Out Vancouver menus blend new food program highlights with a number of fresh dishes created by the culinary team. With hearty entrees, satisfying vegetarian options, and tempting desserts-all made-from-scratch-Donnelly Group is proud to offer delicious, value-packed $20 Dine Out menus. Donnelly Group’s culinary team Alvin Pillay, Sarah Stewart, and Chris Stewart have put their stamp on menus which are built around a core group of 14 dishes, mixed and matched to create unique offerings with multiple options at each location.

I went to dine at BlackBird Pub House near Burrard and Dunsmuir with my husband with the added wine pairings too.

This special menu goes on from January 19th till February 4th 2018.

Interior

The space is large and super packed during happy hour, but if you come after 6:30pm, it’s not as crazy.

Kale Caesar

The kale caesar has green apple, garlic croutons, and pumpkin seeds. A good portion for the first course and the dressing is light which I enjoyed a lot. It is paired with Summerhill ‘alive’ organic white from the Okanagan. It was delicious and I liked how the green apple played off notes from the wine.

The BC VQA wine suggestions are from Bar & Beverage Director Trevor Kallies, and this year, each selection is available singly and in different sized pours for sipping, sampling, and sharing.

Cauliflower & Brie Soup

The soup had a hearty depth of flavour with a base of charred lemon yogurt. This was paired with the Gehringer Cabernet Merlot.

Brisket Cavatappi

There is tomato, oregano, olives and grana padano. It’s a pretty big portion with a big chunk of tender shredded brisket. Very comforting and not overly complicated. The only ingredient that threw me off a little bit were the olives.

This dish is paired with Tinhorn Creek Merlot which goes well with the sauce.

Spicy Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

On top is the sweet potato mash with bourbon bbq gravy and on the bottom is the spicy lamb. It was interesting to see it some in a pot since it’s not really a shepherd’s pie.

This was paired with Adega Malbec.

Chocolate Praline Bar

It has peanut butter in the centre and topped with sweet cream and bits of peanuts.

It is pair with the Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve, which pairs really well with the dessert. My husband loved it as it has a palate of citrus, baking spices and toffee framed by notes of vanilla and oak.

Coconut Panna Cotta

The coconut panna cotta is topped with peach compote and candied ginger. Along with 2 ginger cookies. This portion was larger than the chocolate praline bar and there’s quite a bit to it.

I had it with the Monkey Shoulder, a blend of three Speyside Single Malts aged in ex-bourbon casks which impart a smooth and mellow vanilla flavour into the whisky with hints of zesty orange, honey and spiced oak.

Final Thoughts

For a $20 3-course set meal, this was pretty good and affordable. If you get the pairings, it will definitely be a lot more than you imagined, but you don’t have to pair with every single dish. All the dishes were good except, the Spicy Lamb Shepherd’s Pie. The best dish of the night was the coconut panna cotta.

We rate BlackBird:

Address:
905 Dunsmuir St, Vancouver

Website:
http://donnellygroup.ca/the-blackbird

In Colorado

Four by Brother Luck in Colorado Springs: Review

January 13, 2018

Last Fall, I was visiting Colorado Springs and all the locals were raving about Four by Brother Luck and how he will be in Top Chef. He is no stranger to the culinary scene as he appreared on Beat Bobby Flay and won. Also he and appeared on Chopped. His restaurant – Four by Brother Luck focuses on the four providers behind his cooking – hunters, fisherman, farmer and gatherers.

Interior

The interior is pretty casual with lots of tables around the restaurant. We came here pretty late into the evening so it wasn’t too busy.

Popcorn with Pork Fat

As we waited for our dishes to arrive, some popcorn arrived for us to nibble on. It was cooked in fat and covered in some spices.

Broccoli Rabe Toast

For the starter, we chose the broccoli Rabe Toast which has mozzarella, pimento cheese, and garlic toast. This was ok, but I left the garlic toast took over this dish.

Charred Octopus

The charred octopus was delicious and was very tender. It is served with soy caramel, squid ink and kalamata. One of my favourite items.

Game Hen

This dish is gluten-free and it has apples, salsify, sunchokes, carrots and sorrels. The game hen was well seasoned and the root vegetables were enjoyable.

Beignet

The beignets is served with whipped milk, orange sugar, and espresso syrup. A sweet treat to end the night. Since it was my birthday, they added a candle in the centre.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the thought this restaurant was ok.It was one of the “fancier” restaurants in Colorado Springs, but none of the dishes stood out in particular.

We Rate Four by Brother Luck:

Address:
321 N Tejon St, Colorado Springs, CO

Website:
http://www.fourbybrotherluck.com/

In Korean

Bon Chon Chicken: Soy Garlic Fried Chicken

January 8, 2018

Bon Chon Chicken is a South Korean-based international fried chicken restaurant chain in New York. Majority of the US locations are in California and New York. We came on Thanksgiving long weekend and they were open. We wanted to come here for a visit as their fried chicken sounds and looks good.

Interior

This particular location near Wall Street wasn’t anything special. There is a large bar on the right side and seating on the left. Since it was the 5 of us, we were seated right away as Wall Street tends to die at night.

Soy Garlic Signature Fried Chicken

We got the medium size of drumsticks with 10 pieces per order. The chicken drumsticks were pretty huge and crispy even with the soy garlic sauce. Highly recommended.

Bibimbap

This has white rice, assorted seasonal vegetables, topped with egg, served in a sizzling stone bowl with Korean red pepper paste on the side. We added bulgogi to this item. The dish was meh.

Beer

Of course, if you have fried chicken, you need beer. Just stick with fried chicken and beer at Bon Chon.

We Rate Bon Chon:

Address:
104 John St. New York

Website:
https://bonchon.com

In Chinese

Shu Jiao Fu Zhou Cuisine Restaurant in New York

January 4, 2018

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

Interior

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

Dumplings

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