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I love exploring new local vendors where you can get fresh and organic food directly from the farmers. Instead of doing research to find those farms close to you, DirectFood.store has it all in one place online. The quality is very good and a lot fresher than what I find at other larger grocery stores. You know it’s not sitting in a warehouse waiting for it to be added to store shelves.

It’s a win for the customer and the farmer as DirectFood.store helps connect the two together. They are based out of Abbotsford and is situated in a good location to be close to the farmers and vendors. The team behind DirectFood.store is adding more vendors, so I’ve been noticing more variety of items being added each week.

Delivery

When your order arrives, it isn’t all packed in one box. It’s straight from the farms, so it’s not sitting in a warehouse and then boxed for each order. They act as an intermediary to connect you with the best produce in BC and have it delivered to your doorstep. Their delivery schedule is every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

The driver will text when they are close by and also give you a call when they have arrived. It’s all contactless, which is great.

Until May 2021, there is FREE DELIVERY with NO MINIMUM order to their service area. After this promotional period, the minimum purchase order is $45, which is easy to reach compared to other online stores.

Safety Protocols

For most families, safety is a number one concern during this time. They have several COVID -19 safety measures to keep everyone safe including customers, vendors and staff safe.

Here are a few steps they are doing to help you get fresh, local, and healthy groceries from farmers in their local communities:

  •  Contactless delivery
  •  Frequent cleaning/disinfecting of surfaces and boxes
  •  All staff required to inform management of any illness and stay home if not feeling well
  •  Masks are mandatory for all our staff and delivery drivers when meeting anyone
  •  Practice social distancing when picking up/delivering food

Area’s Served

Here are all the cities DirectFood.store can deliver to.

  • Abbotsford
  • Aldergrove
  • Burnaby
  • Chilliwack
  • Coquitlam
  • Delta
  • Fort Langley
  • Langley
  • Maple Ridge
  • Mission
  • Pitt Meadows
  • Surrey
  • White Rock
  • Port Coquitlam
  • Port Moody
  • Richmond
  • New Westminster
  • Vancouver

What We Tried

We wanted to try a few of their kitchen staples to get a good sense of their most popular items. We got the below:

All of these farmers and vendors I have never been to as it’s a little bit far from where we live, but so happy we got to try them. I loved how fresh and moist the High Point Meat Shop marinated chicken were. We put them on the grill and it was so delicious and tender. The tandoori wings were our favourite of the two. The McGillvary Creek Farm eggs were great too! I love how the box indicates when the eggs were laid. Other eggs I’ve seen in stores just indicate the best before date. I’ve never had bannock fritters before but the Bannock Queen did a great job! Each piece was nice and big and we inhaled them so fast. If you add some vanilla bean ice cream to them, it would be a delicious dessert.

Direct Rewards + Referral

They have a rewards program where you can refer friends to DirectFood.store. Introduce a friend to DirectFood.store and both you and your friend receive 625 points. You can use these points to redeem for future purchases.

When you collect 1250 points you will receive $10 off your next order of $55 or more.

You can use my referral code to get 625 points:
https://directfood.store/Signup?Referral=BEFA8C5229AB212CE281DBA7EB913659

Final Thoughts

It’s great to see more online food stores during this pandemic and it’s so great for families like mine that love to support local and have the convenience of being delivered to our door at a great price.When your order arrives, all your food is packed individually by farmers and vendors. It’s straight from the farms, so it’s not sitting in a warehouse and essentially harvested or packed as orders come in.

I’ve had a hard time finding quality microgreens in Burnaby, BC, so I was so excited to see Burnaby Organic Greenhouse Ltd very close by.

There are a lot of deals to be had, so make sure you keep an eye out as it’s well priced and the quality is superb.

Website:
https://directfood.store/

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by DirectFood.store. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of DirectFood.store.

Archipelago Marketplace is an in-store and online space for Indonesia products sourced from Indonesia by Indonesians. Archipelago curates and delivers a wide variety of unique, high-quality products to North America, offering customers an authentic Indonesian experience and a taste of the culture.

They are able to increase the export capacity of Indonesian small and medium enterprises and help these businesses establish a sustainable market position in North America. It’s a great initiative put on by the Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC), an international extension of the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia. 

Indonesian Products

Up to 70 products will be available at Archipelago’s Amazon store and the local pop-up store in Vancouver, ranging from coffee to tea, to snacks and food seasoning, to cassava flour, coconut sugar and vanilla. Shoppers will find products such as:

  • Tempeh Chips – Tempeh, originated from Indonesia, has taken North America by the storm. Archipelago is bringing in kettle cooked chips using the finest fermented soybeans and enticing customers with flavours such as barbeque, lime and hot & spicy.
  • Sulawesi Tana Toraja Coffee – this arabica coffee is grown on the slope of Mount Rante Karua in the Tana Toraja region of South Sulawesi, between 1,500 to 1,700 metres above sea level. The producer applies an organic farming method to keep the balance and preservation of the natural environment and microclimate in the region, producing the best organic arabica coffee in the world.
  • Tongkat Ali (Indonesian Ginseng) – a herbal remedy that has natural benefits to boost our health and fitness. As Indonesia is known for its various herbal and spices plants, Archipelago works with a producer in Central Java to source this interesting product while ensuring fair trade with local farmers in Indonesia.

In-Store Experience

The Archipelago Pop-up Store is located at the new Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre at 310 West Cordova Street, Vancouver.

The store is open 10am-4pm, Monday to Saturday.

Online Amazon Store

Archipelago is now open on Amazon and is offering a 20% off Grand Opening discount.

Visit https://www.archipelago-store.com/products to shop.

Shipping

For residents in Greater Vancouver, you can pick up your purchase at the pop-up store and the online shipping fee will be refunded. Simply complete the purchase on Amazon and pick it up at the pop-up store within 72 hours, or it will be shipped via Canada Post.

Sungiven Foods has opened their latest location in Richmond, BC on Bridgeport. The Burnaby-based company has been expanding rapidly to give customers more options for high quality Asian produce and products at a good price. I’ve been a fan since they opened as they carry really fresh local and imported fruits and vegetables.

Their other current locations are in Vancouver, Burnaby, and White Rock. The next planned locations will be in South Surrey and North Vancouver.

We checked out Sungiven Foods in Richmond to check out the space and unique products they offer customers.

Covid Proticols

They monitor how many people come in and out of the stores. On weekdays it’s less busy, so no lines. On weekends when it’s busy, they will have a line to make sure everyone has room to socially distance themselves.

They provide hand sanitizer and sanitize the baskets too. I felt very safe here. You will notice there will be bunching of people that occurs at select areas in the store like freezer section, but with a but of patience, people will clear out.

Produce

The produce section is my favourite as you can find some unique imported fruits like Korean muscat grapes, Japanese Melon, and Passionfruit. I like their variety of Asian vegetables too. They all look very very fresh and well priced.

Snacks and Ramen

There are a decent amount of Asian snacks above the freezer section from chocolate to chips. There are some that ways ends up in my cart. hahaha.

Freezer Section

They boast a lot of hot pot items in their freezer section, so they have everything that you need. The quality is good, well priced, and many options.

Don’t forget to check out their selection of imported ice cream bars.

Kitchen

There is a hot food section, which looks remarkably clean and uncrowded.

Baby+

The Baby+ section is different than their other locations. I noticed they have a lot of imported products and essentials for babies. It’s not cheap, but it is convenient.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s a nice addition to Richmond with more options for consumers. A lot of people call the Asian version of Trader Joes based on the large amount of their own branded items, plus the store has a very rustic look.

Address:
9771 Bridgeport Rd, Richmond, BC 

Website:
https://sungivenfoods.ca/

Sungiven Foods is the latest Asian grocery store to open up their newest location in North Burnaby on Hastings and Gilmore. They have taken over Westminster Savings Credit Union’s old location to offer an array of Asian grocery store items.

They emphasize that they are dedicated to carry items that are natural, less processed and with fewer additives.

They opened up right on Easter long weekend and it was sure busy with people lining up to get a look even though we are supposed to stay indoors during the Covid-19 Pandemic. I needed to get some fresh fruits and vegetables for the family, so I decided to line up as the line up wasn’t too bad.

They had a promotion for a free pound of garlic mussels with a $25 purchase, but has since run out. I just missed out on it too.

Line Up

The line pictured here takes about 10 – 15 minutes depending on how slow of fast people do their shopping. I did find that a lot of people are taking their time to browse as its a new store.

Safety

To ensure everyone’s safety, they gave out gloves to all customers and wiped down surfaces regularly. They also wipe baskets and carts after each use.

Asian Trader Joe’s

The look of the entire store is very reminiscent of Trader Joe’s in the United States. If you took a quick glance inside, you would actually think it’s Trader Joe’s. You won’t find any of their products here.

Private Brands

Sungiven has their own private brands – Sungiven, OnTrue, OneTang, and Yuho. Usually items from these brands are cheaper and give you bang for your buck.

Fruits
Fruits
Meat section
Sungiven Pork
Bakery Section
Prepared Foods
Kirin Dim Sum
Hot Dishes
Sungiven Tasting Corner
Freezer and snack aisle
Freezer and snack aisle
Freezer and snack aisle
Beverage aisle
Cup noodle section
Juice section
Different aisles of dried goods and snacks
Dried noodles
Instant macaroni
Frozen Cooked Scallop with Cheese
Dried Noodles
Dried Noodles
Spam

Final Thoughts

Not the best time to open up a grocery store during a pandemic, but the neighbourhood welcomes them with open arms. It’s good to have a larger Asian grocery store without traveling a little bit further to get some staple kitchen items. It was definitely needed in the area as there are other smaller farm markets and big box grocery stores with limited Asian produce and goods.

Sungiven Foods in Burnaby isn’t large, but some produce prices are worth it. I wouldn’t drive very far for it as their offerings aren’t unique. T&T has better variety, but sometimes its a touch far to get to if you’re living in Burnaby Heights.

The shelves are a touch bare right now, but hopefully they get more items in stock soon.

Address:
4106 E Hastings St, Burnaby, BC

Website:
https://sungivenfoods.ca/

The Shop is an eatery and butcher shop under one roof at Two Rivers Meats in North Vancouver. We were invited to try their winter menu, which features their specialty meats and seasonal produce available from local suppliers.

Interior

The space is bright and welcoming. The left half is an eatery with an open kitchen and family style seating.

The other half is a butcher shop with an array of ethically and sustainably raised meats. Two Rivers Meats proudly offer meat products from farms all over BC & Alberta who “raise their animals in open spaces without the use of antibiotics and growth hormones.”

Help yourself to popcorn while you wait for your order!

Menu

Their winter menu is a good mix of shareables, food from the grill and rotisserie, as well as options for the kids.

After placing your order, grab a popcorn and your bone marrow table number.

We decided to sit right by the bar facing the grill so we can feel the warmth of the fire (it was cold and raining outside). Meats were cooked over an open fire using alder and birch wood.

We ordered the burger with tallow fries, sausage platter, the beet slaw, and the ramen.

65 Day Dry Aged Beef Burger

Their signature item is the 65-day dry aged beef burger, which is served with aged cheddar, charred tomato, zucchini pickles, iceberg lettuce, and white BBQ sauce in a brioche bun. We opted to add bacon.

This burger is delicious! There’s a depth of flavour in dry aged beef that is hard to describe but is easy to distinguish by taste. The bacon is good, but this burger didn’t need it. It’s great as-is.

As a side, The Shop offers Tallow Fries and I recommend that you get them each and every time you visit. (Fun fact: McDonald’s Fries were originally fried in tallow–it’s now made in vegetable oil…and additives to mimic the taste of beef tallow.)

Sausage Platter

The sausage platter is good for sharing and the selection rotates every other day based on the season and availability. It’s served with pickled onions, zucchini pickles and mustard. The pickles are fresh and are made in-house.

When we visited, the three sausages featured were Buffalo Chicken, Toulouse and Chaurice. This is a great option if you’d like to try their sausages or to share with the table.

Two Rivers Ramen Bowl

The Two Rivers Ramen is miso bone broth, soft poached egg, bean sprouts, noodles, charred garlic chili oil, spiced nori, crispy pork and green onions.

Ramen in a butcher shop?! I was initially suspicious, until I realized they have a ready supply of bone, marrow and fat to make an amazing soup broth.

The miso bone broth in this ramen is rich, buttery and tastes amazing. The noodles has a good bite and the garlic chili oil topped egg was a nice touch. It was perfect on a rainy day. My only hesitation about this dish is the five-spice crispy pork which overpowered the taste and did not complement the soup. Next time I visit, I’ll ask if there’s another meat option available or simply ask for the crispy pork on the side.

Final Thoughts

Two Rivers Meats have supplied Vancouver retailers and higher end restaurants for over a decade. Their meat is from BC and Alberta farmers who make sure their animals are raised ethically and sustainably. Best of all, they’re making it available for everyone to easily purchase and taste these products at The Shop.

Their menu is solid and the food tastes great. They’re a great option if you’re considering eating less, but better sourced meats. It would be an afternoon well-spent to drive up to North Vancouver, try their burger and fries, then purchase a selection of their sausages for the week ahead. My only regret is that I forgot about the cookie, so I’ll need to come back and try it.

Address:
180 Donaghy Ave, North Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://tworiversmeats.ca/the-shop/

Hopcott Premium Meats is a third generation family-run butcher shop located on their family farm in Pitt Meadows. They are committed to bringing quality, local, farm-fresh products to their customers. I personally find it hard to seek a good transparent butcher, so it’s great that there are more options that just going to a chain grocery store.

We spent about an hour here shopping as well as enjoying food at their bistro.

Interior

The space is a good size filled with local produce and goods that will take your meal to the next level. They partner with a lot of great local producers, so you will find some unique products here like sauces, rubs and marinades. Keep an eye out on their shelves because there is a lot of unique items.

Butchery

As beef is raised and grown on their farm, they can guarantee it’s non-gmo, no-added hormones or steroids added. The other local meats are source from reliable local producers as well. If you need some more guidance, their friendly and knowledgeable team can help you make the right and healthy choices for your family’s next meal.

Looking at their display cases, the meat looks fresh and there are so many cuts to choose from.

They have weekly specials posted on their website every week, so you can see what they deals are before you come for a visit. There are some marinated meats too if you want an easy meal.

Deli

Their deli section is large too with different kinds of pepperoni,  salami, and other cured meats. When we were here, all pepperoni sticks were $1, which was an awesome deal.

You’ll also find hams and various types of bacon too.

Fresh Produce

If you’re looking for fresh produce, they have a small section where you can find what you need.

As it’s now apple season, there is an awesome chart where you can see how all the apples in BC compare in sweetness and sweetness. A good guide since I always forget.

Don’t forget gourds and pumpkins too. Since it’s almost October, this means pumpkin pies and beautiful Fall decor.

Whatever is in season, you’ll most likely find here.

The Bistro

Inside Hopcott Premium Meats, you’ll find their bistro serving up homemade lunch and drinks. They use their own meats and locally-sourced ingredients into their menu.

Menu

The prices are fair. It’s a small menu but there something for everyone.

Seating

The bistro has a good amount of seating and on a nice day, you can head out to their patio to enjoy lunch and the sunshine.

Cappuccino

We got cappuccinos to start off our lunch. Nice ratio of foam to espresso, plus a sprinkling of cocoa on top.

Bob’s Burger

We got this because of the name. hahaha. It’s a great cartoon show. This burger has panko crusted pickled Jalapeños, Honey Chipotle sauce, cheddar and Monterey jack cheese , tomato and lettuce in between toasted burger buns. You get your choice of fries or salad on the side.

If you don’t want the added carbs, you can get your burger in a lettuce wrap.

Clubhouse

I love a good clubhouse sandwich, so it has turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on marble rye bread. It was a hefty sandwich as it had 3 layers of bread. Really good and I had to balance it with the fries. I asked them to make them extra crispy too.

Final Thoughts

Hopcott Premium Meats is a great place to do some quick shopping for quality ingredients and while you are there, you can stop for some lunch at their bistro. I’ll be back for sure to get some nice cuts of meat for dinner or even for the grill. Whatever specialty cut you need, they can help you out.

Address:
18385 Old Dewdney Trunk Rd, Pitt Meadows

Website:
https://www.hopcottmeats.ca/

Uncle Tetsu is best known around the world for their famous Japanese Cheesecakes. They opened up at Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby, BC and there are always long line ups even though it has been open for a few months.  Be prepared for a line up from anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour.

This is their 6th location in Canada but first in British Columbia. The rest are in Ontario.

As you get closer in line, you can see the workers putting together all the cakes and confections. The demand is very high that they can’t pump out the cheesecakes fast enough, but that’s ok since that means it will be very fresh. I went to another location in Honolulu that wasn’t busy and the quality wasn’t good at all.

Uncle Tetsu’s Cheesecake

These 7 inch cheesecakes are a must and made by hand every day. Because of the long line, these are always fresh, so it comes very warm. Even when we got home, it was still nice and warm.

I was a bit skeptical about Uncle Tetsu, but upon having a slice, I would see the allure of the soft and fluffy cheesecake. It’s flavourful and you must have more than one slice.

Honey Madeleine

Honey Madelines are another item that they sell at this location. It is a moist and buttery cupcake with a subtle sweet honey taste. They recommend you pop it into the microwave for 15 seconds to warm it up.

Final Thoughts

The Cheesecakes and Honey Madelines are delicious, but the only thing that throw me off are the wait times. It is slowly decreasing, but waiting around 1 hour is too much for me. Thankfully my mom was nice enough to share with me her bounty from Uncle Tetsu. If you can get your hands on the cheesecakes, it is very delicious.

Address:
4700 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC

Website:
http://uncletetsu-ca.com/

Fresh Ideas Start Here is a great local store to get fresh sustainable seafood in Burnaby and Kitsilano. They recently launched their sustainable poké bar with 6 different poke bowls or your can build your own. There isn’t space to eat in here, so it is all for take-out. I bought mine and headed home and has it for lunch.

The prices are higher, but you definitely get quality items in your bowl. All the fish is Oceanwise certified, which is really nice. I preferred to build my own bowl since I like to keep my poke as simple as possible.

Step 1: Pick your base
Japanese White Rice, Brown Rice, or Salad Mix

Step 2: Pick your fish
Wild BC Sockeye Salmon
Cooked West Coat Octopus
Pacific Yellowfin Tuna
Pacific Yellowfin Negitoro

Step 3: Pick your toppings
Salsa, cucumbers, seaweed salad, pickled red onion, Oshinko (pickled radish), kimchi, pickled ginger, imitation crab meat, sweet inari, masago, edamame, or Squid Salad.

Sauces:
Classic, spicy mayo, Korean Chili, or Thai style

Step 4: Pick your finish
Green onion, Furikake, fried onion or toasted sesame seeds.

All the ingredients looked really fresh and I couldn’t wait to dig in at home. I got a regular bowl and then a snack sized bowl.

Pacific Yellowfin Tuna

For the snack-sized bowl, it comes with one type of fish, 2 toppings and a finisher. I got the Pacific Yellowfin Tuna, seaweed salad, cucumber, furikake and the classic sauce on mixed greens.

Wild BC Sockeye Salmon and Pacific Yellowtail Negitoro

A regular bowl gets you 2 types of fish, 3 toppings and a finisher. I got the  Wild BC Sockeye Salmon, Pacific Yellowtail Negitoro, edamame, seaweed salad, tobiko, toasted sesame, brown rice and the classic sauce.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed the poké bowls and the toppings are simple and complimented the fish well so it still stands out. The best part about coming here for poké bowls is that you can also go shopping for good other seafood items if you want to make dinner.

We Rate FISH

Address:
#180 -7515 Market Crossing, Burnaby, BC

Website:
http://www.eatfish.ca/

How many times have you heard from a co-worker “what should I eat today? I don’t want to go too far, it’s raining.” Joining the ranks of food straight to your door, 7-Eleven has partnered with Nomme, a food delivery service, to deliver in Richmond (BC), Calgary and Edmonton. This new service is done via an app called Nomme.

For a limited time, delivery is free too! Courtesy of 7-Eleven, Diana and I enjoyed pizza, hot wings, a slurpee, chips and loads of candy with our coworkers.

While we didn’t have it in our delivery, you can also get things like Tylenol and Pepto Bismol.

Is slurpee as good without the sun beating down on you as you walk from the playground with your allowance janggling in your hoodie pockets? You bet it is.

Tips for adult slurpee enjoyment: mix in some vodka or sake and you’ve got an original Bellini creation.

Website:
https://www.nomme.ca/

The Pie Hole opened their new location in Burnaby this weekend. Their first location is on Fraser Street and since it was a hit, they opened this one in Burnaby. Great for me since I live in Burnaby. Jenell Parsons is the owner of The Pie Hole. She spends countless hours in the kitchen baking, creating new recipes and delivering pie delicious pies to those in the Lower Mainland. I remember way back in 2011 when they first started out at the Baker’s Market in Vancouver. They have come a long way in 7 years.

Interior

The space in the Burnaby location is pretty large. There are 3 large refrigerators that have ready to cook pies and ice cream. Pie and ice cream go great together.

Near the counter are the pies that you can buy by slice or the whole pie. You can find sweet and savoury varieties.

You never know what pies they will have, so you might want to order the pies that you want online and then pick it up. We wanted some banana cream pie, but it wasn’t ready when we were there.

Hand Pies

Since it was early on in the day, we picked up some savoury hand pies to enjoy for lunch. We took them home and reheated them at 350F for 10 minutes.

Chicken Carbonara

Chicken Carbonara pie sounded pretty unique and is made with chicken, cream, parmesan cheese, bacon, flour, butter, peas, onions, mozzarella, garlic, sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, water, and free run eggs. Delicious flakey exterior and meaty pieces of chicken inside.

Bacon Cheeseburger

Bacon Cheeseburger pie is made with ground beef, cheddar cheese, milk, flour, butter, mozzarella, bacon, pickles, mustard, onions, salt, sugar, pepper, water, sesame seeds, vinegar, and free run eggs. One of the popular flavours and it was moist with good flavour.

Mini Pies

They were giving way 100 mini pies to their first 100 customer when the store opened, so, the hubby and made sure we were the fist people to get there. I got the Butter Pecan and he got the Buttermilk Apple Crumble.

Buttermilk Apple Crumble

In this delicious mix are Granny Smith apples and Gala apples mixed with that butter brown sugar crumble. Nice flaky crust with the crunch of the crumble.

Butter Pecan

This is my ultimate weakness. Ooey gooey and  has a good amount of pecans. My favourite kind of pie.

Chocolate Cream Pie

This slice was beautiful as it has dark chocolate ganache, chocolate silky layer, fresh whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle.

Final Thoughts

About time for a pie shop to open in Burnaby. I enjoyed their sweet pies over their savoury pies but maybe thats because I have a little sweet tooth. Either way, it’s good to have more pie options in the subburbs.

We Rate the Pie Hole

Address:
7832 6th St, Burnaby

Website:
https://www.thepiehole.com/

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

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

Interior

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

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

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

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

My Creation

I made mine with:

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

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

We Rate Russ & Daughters

Address:
179 E Houston St, New York

Websitehttp://shop.russanddaughters.com/

Sugarfina, the world’s finest candy boutique, introduces it’s first Canadian boutique to Metropolis at Metrotown. Metrotown has definitely gotten a little bit sweeter as it’s located beside Build-a-Bear.

The instagramable boutique welcomes shoppers to candy heaven with a sweet selection of treats for every occasion, from perfectly-packaged hostess gifts to Champagne Bears for brunch.

Inside, guests will find 80+ gourmet candies from around the world, three-quarters of which are exclusively available at Sugarfina. There is a lot more available here compared to the other location inside Nordstrom in Downtown. It’s like a candy museum.

You can customize your own candy gift with the Design Your Own Candy Bento Box experience, which features an eye-catching wall of the brand’s finest chocolates, caramels, gummies, and jellies, packaged into signature lucite Candy Cubes. Customize a 3pc, 4pc or 8pc Candy Bento Box, or go over-the-top with the luxurious Sugarfina Candy Trunk which holds 20 Candy Cubes.

A good gift if you want to turn someone’s frown upside down. They also do in-store sampling where they offer complimentary daily samples and a candy Happy Hour each Thursday night where guests can sample a entire flight of candies.

Holiday Collection

For some, it may be too soon for the holidays, but I love it. My husband was mesmerized by some of the seasonal flavours like:

  • Santa Gingerbread Cookie Bites
  • Reindeer Noses
  • Party Penguins
  • Pumpkin Pie Caramels
  • Fiji Apple Caramels
  • S’mores
  • Pale Ale Pints

Makes for great gifts and stocking stuffers for kids or adults.

Hanukkah Collection

I thought it was great and inclusive that they have gifts for Hannukkah too. Inside the Hanukkah Candy Bento Box are three kosher Candy Cubes packaged with Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels, Robins Egg Caramels, and Champagne Bubbles.

Sanrio ❤ Sugarfina Collection

Their popular Sanrio ❤ Sugarfina Collection is available and they have lots in stock.

Sweet Bake Shop x Sugarfina

At the grand opening, they invited guests to learn how to decorate Sugarfina-inspired cookies with Tessa Sam from Sweet Bake Shop.

I’ve been following Tessa for a while and learning some basic techniques was pretty fun.

I tried my best but I am not very good at decorating. I’ll leave it to the experts as I just eat.

If you’re at Metropolis at Metrotown looking for a good gift for any occasion, you’ll want to check out Sugarfina.

Address:
4700 Kingsway, Burnaby

Website:
https://www.sugarfina.ca/

Sugarfina has launched their Sanrio ❤ Sugarfina Collection and it is every kids dream. As a late 80’s kid, I remember watching Hello Kitty and her twin sister – Mimmy going on crazy adventures. Gudetama is a new addition, but who doesn’t love the lazy egg.

There are 7 different kids in the collection:

  • Hello Kitty’s Mama’s Apple Pie Gummies
  • Hello Kitty Bow Tie Gummies
  • Keroppi Donut Pond Jelly Beans
  • My Melody Sweet Pearls
  • Badtz-Maru Mischievous Pops
  • Gudetama Lazy Gummy Eggs
  • Chococat Chocolate Caramels

Each individual box retails for $10.45, but they also have 2 different collector bento box sets $24.95 and $39.35. Definitely more premium that your regular candy. These are best given as gifts to really impress that certain somebody.

 

3 Pieces Pop-Up Candy Bento Box

You can mix and match what types of flavours are inside. I got mine with Hello Kitty Mama’s Apple Pie Gummies, Badtzmaru Mischievious Pops and Keroppi Donut Pond Jelly Beans.

I love how they really pack the gummies in the boxes and its all so organized. Of the bunch, I really enjoy the gummies. Very fruity and flavourful. The Keroppi Donut Pond Jelly Beans has a sweet, tart key lime flavour. The Badtzmaru Mischievious Pops lived up to it’s name as it is crunchy chocolate filled with popping candy inside.

Address:
799 Robson St, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.sugarfina.ca

Choices Markets is a BC owned and operated grocer focused on delivering high quality, organic, natural, and specialty foods. I wanted to challenge myself to purchase only BC grown produce and products made in BC. Since my local farmers market isn’t open on Sunday, Choices Markets is a good option to find a plethora of local products.

What I like about their produce section is that they label were the produce comes from. You won’t have a hard time knowing if it’s from Canada or the US. Choices has gained recognition as an advocate of supporting the great number of BC dedicated food producers.

My Grocery Haul

A lot of people thinking buying local and organic will cost you, but if you look out for sales and know whats in season, it can help cut down in costs. Since it is the Fall, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, apples, and many other items are in season. I found looking for packaged products made in BC a lot harder since it’s not always evident from the packaging. Luckily, I noticed a few great items in store since I always have an eye open in the BC food scene. Wize Monkey Coffee Leaf TeaSpread em’ Kitchens DipsRoyals Kombucha, and Better With Ice Cream are a few local products that are gaining quite a buzz lately.

My Dinner

Here is what I made with a few of the items I picked up at Choices Markets. Deliciously tender rack of lamb, potatoes, green beans and tomatoes. A simple healthy meal and I cooked everything in one pan in the oven. We are pretty lucky living in BC since we do have some great farmers growing a diverse amount of crops and raising different types of animals.

Websitehttps://www.choicesmarkets.com

 

Half Fool is a boutique and general store, which also serves smoothies, juices and coffee. A little bit of everything here. They are located in Chinatown and since I’ve passed by quite a few times, I thought I should come here for a visit with my friend.

Boutique

At the font of the store, you’ll find a bunch of their different nicknacks. Take you time browsing because you might miss some cool unique gifts like, card, artisan cosmetics, jewelry, and other things.

General Store

As you move deeper in the store, you’ll find some great products beautifully places on shelves.

Beverage Bar

At the back of the store, you’ll find them serving up, smoothies, juices and coffee. There are some baked goods to purchase here too.

Cappuccino

I ordered a Cappuccino as that’s my usual drink at any coffee shop. It was good and kept me awake for the rest of the afternoon.

No 1 Smoothie

My friend got smoothie No 1, which has mango, kale, spinach, celery, ginger, tumeric, cayenne, and orange juice. My friend enjoyed it and noted the tumeric is pretty prominent.

Final Thoughts

A good addition to the Chinatown neighbourhood. Stop by to grab a drink and browse their shop for some pretty cool gifts.

We Rate Half Fool: 

Address:
18 E Pender St, Vancouver

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

Half Fool Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Did you know the first Starbucks store in Canada opened at the Waterfront Skytrain Station in 1987? Starbucks is celebrating 30 years in Vancouver by opening the doors to its renovated Mount Pleasant location – its first Western Canada store to feature an experiential Reserve coffee bar. We were given a sneak peek before the official opening.

This elevated coffee experience encourages customers to immerse themselves in various brewing methods, and witness the expert craftsmanship that goes into each cup of coffee.

With seating surrounding the experience bar, customers have a front row view to the theatrics of these up-level brewing methods, including Siphon and Clover brewing techniques, and the smooth pour of Starbucks new Nitro Draft. Seriously, so much fun watching them.

Interior

This location was designed to be a favourite destination for this vibrant neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant. Brick walls and concrete floors contrasted with golden blonde oak and walnut, warm the space creating a comfortable and conversational atmosphere.

The space showcases sketches and photography of the flagship Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle, as well as artwork by local artist – Diane Nelson of Brandon Johnson Art & Design. The woodwork was all hand crafted by a local millworker and the loose furniture was primarily produced by a local furniture shop, celebrating local Vancouver talent and connecting with the community.

Siphon Brewing

Siphon brewing method brings out the intense flavours of the coffee. This uses halogen lights or butane flames to produce heat for boiling water and the movement of coffee through chambers. Vapor pressure pushes water upward to brew coffee in the top glass globe, then filtered coffee cascades back down into a glass carafe. This process makes a rewarding cup for those who enjoy well-defined flavours dominating the coffee.

We tried the Rwanda Abakundakawa and the Malawi Sable Farms with the Siphon brewing and it really brought out the flavour of both coffees.

Pour over coffee with Chemex

For a rich-bodied and flavourful cup of brewed coffee, you can use the Chemex method. This combines elegance and function using a pour over method with a glass decanter. Ground coffee is immersed in hot water for all or most of the brew, and then filtered at the end. The Chemex amplifies the coffee’s body but produces the cleanest cup with complex flavors, meaning, no single characteristic will dominate and will eventually wash away clean.

Starbucks Reserve Beverages

You can find some unique items here outside of the regular menu and the reserve coffee. They can make Iced Hazelnut Bianco Latte, Iced Dark Chocolate Mocha and a House Affogato. This location really has it all if you really want to be immersed in the Starbucks experience.

Nitro Cold Brew

Nitro Cold Brew is Starbucks’ take on its signature Cold Brew, infused with nitrogen for a smooth, creamy texture. It is cold right out of the tap so it is served without ice and is unsweetened to highlight the flavour the cold brewing process brings out in the coffee.

I’ve had this before and it’s really good but a grande really gives me the jitters afterwards.

House Affogato

One large scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and a shot of espresso is freaking delicious.

If you’re ever looking for something to cool you down in the Summer, this is it.

The classics

The reserve bar area is only half the experience, the other half has all their regular items too. Lattes, black coffee, cappuccinos, frappuccinos…it’s all still here.

Final Thoughts

Adding to the elevated experience, all partners are Coffee Masters or currently working on their designation. This designation is the highest level of coffee education for Starbucks where baristas have perfected their craft through coursework and exploration of all Starbucks coffees and are awarded the honour of wearing the black apron. I loved the experience here because it’s like coffee lovers meeting other coffee lovers.

It’s more than just a cup of coffee as you really get immersed in the Starbucks experience. I left learning a lot more about coffee. Seriously, there are so many ways of brewing coffee. If you’re looking for a unique Starbucks to hang out at and you have some time, definitely come here.

Address:
2980 Main Street, Vancouver

Website: https://www.starbucks.ca/

Starbucks Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Shoppers Drug Mart launched their first enhanced food section at 2748 East Hastings Street in Vancouver close to PNE. I have a Shoppers Drug Mart close to my house and it is handy having to pick up last minute items before going home or heading out to a friends place. Not all neighbourhoods are in close proximity to large grocery stores, so they are carefully rolling this concept out to areas where it makes sense. They officially launched on April 22 and was welcomed by the neighbourhood. They will also be opening this concept at 11800 Cambie Road in Richmond as well. Perhaps more to come in BC and other provinces.

We were invited to see a sneak peek of the new renovations and get a better understanding of the new changes that customers would enjoy. Pharmacists at these stores were also provided nutrition training and health information to better help customers and patients to find better options for their diets. A cool concept.

Enhanced Food Section

All Shoppers Drug Marts have a few aisles of food items, but with the new concept, they’ve added more variety with over 750 new fresh items.

Produce

You’ll be able to find popular produce for any last minute ingredients for creating your dinners at home. As they are a Loblaws company, you can trust they are getting their produce from trusted suppliers.

Specialty cheeses and deli meats are available as well from the larger brands and their President’s Choice offerings too. That last minute charcuterie plate can be put together here. It’s a small section but they have a good selection.

Common items like bread is here too. Surprisingly it’s very handy especially during Summer BBQs when you are short a few buns. You can now run over here to get a loaf.

They have a dairy section too.

On the Go Meals

You can also find a selection of locally prepped easy meals, sandwiches, cut fruit and other items. You can also find T&T products like baked goods and sushi that is delivered daily.

A few other Shoppers locations will have this added Grab & Go area for added convenience in Vancouver:

  • 30120 West Broadway
  • 3303 Main Street
  • 1202 West Pender Street
  • 370 East Broadway
  • 1780 West Broadway
  • 586 Granville Street
  • 1006 Homer Street

Other locations will remain the same.

We also found more variety of Asian cooking ingredients, which is helpful given the demographic of the neighbourhood.

Instead of driving further to go to T&T, they have a few staple items here.

Frozen and Packaged Goods

There is a lot more frozen items in the store since they are able to put freezers along the walls. I was also surprised by the amount of aisles in the food section, it looked like it was about half of the store.

Final Thoughts

It’s definitely an added convenience for those in the neighbourhood who are looking for last minute grocery items. I’ve been in that situation many times before too. They obviously don’t have a full selection like a grocery store, but I was impressed with what they had. Since they are a division of Loblaws, the selection of President’s Choice products is plenty at great prices.

If you’re living in the neighbourhood or just passing by and need a last minute ingredient, you can find it here at the Shoppers Drug Mart located close to PNE.

Website:
https://www1.shoppersdrugmart.ca/

Address:
2748 East Hastings Street

Decoding nutrition labels can be confusing. With the start of a new year, eating healthier is on the top of everyone’s mind. But sometimes healthy food choices might not always be obvious, or easy.

At Loblaws owned stores like Real Canadian Superstore, Your Independent Grocer, and No Frills, all labels have guiding stars to help take the guesswork out of choosing foods that are nutritious for you and your family. For myself, picking fruits, vegetables, dairy and different proteins are easy to figure out what is best for you, but when it comes to packaged products, it’s very hard to tell, at least for me, it’s a mystery. Having those stars there help me choose the best product to purchase.

Healthy Chicken Enchiladas

I wanted to make some Chicken Enchiladas, so with a little help from Guiding Stars and Loblaws, they helped me supplement healthier ingredients into this meals by “trading up” the ingredients in the recipe.

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Ingredients:

  • Around 1 lb chicken breast (traded up from dark meat)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (traded up from vegetable oil)
  • 6 (8 inch) whole grain tortillas, softened (traded up from white tortillas)
  • 1 1⁄2cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1⁄4cup unsalted butter (traded up from salted butter)
  • 1⁄4cup wheat flour (traded up from all-purpose flour)
  • 15 ounce, low-sodium chicken broth (traded up from regular chicken broth)
  • 1 Greek yogurt (traded up from sour cream)
  • Chopped red chillies to taste

Directions:

  1. In frypan, cook chicken and onion together in oil over medium-high heat until chicken is just done.
  2. Divide cooked chicken evenly between 6 tortillas; add 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese to each tortilla.
  3. Roll enchiladas and place seam-side down in 9×13″ baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with no-stick cooking spray or olive oil
  4. Melt butter in a medium saucepan; stir in flour to make a roux; stir and cook until bubbly; gradually whisk in chicken broth then bring to boiling, stirring frequently.
  5. Remove from heat; stir in YOGURT and chilies; pour sauce evenly over enchiladas.
  6. Top with remaining 3/4 cup cheese (baking dish may be double-wrapped and frozen at this point) and bake at 400F for 20 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce near edges of baking dish is bubbly.

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It was surprisingly really good. M gobbled it up for dinner and said it’s the best thing I’ve cooked in a while. It was a hit and I’ll most likely make it again. It was easy to make.