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Deli

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dunns-winner

Dunn’s Famous has undergone a facelift in their Downtown Vancouver location. The old restaurant looked like more of a sports bar rather than a Montreal smoked meat deli. They really wanted to give customers the experience of being in Montreal when the restaurant was founded in 1927. You will see original pictures from that day on their walls.

I came with a few food blogger friends – Sherman, Food Queen and VanFoodies to check out the space as we were invited by the owners.

dunns-inner

dunns-cut

Once you walk in, you will find their new deli counter right by the front door. You can see all the staff preparing your meal right in front of your eyes. The menu is still the same with a few additions like the Wholy Cow Sandwich.

dunns-pepsi

Pepsi is the ultimate pairing with a smoked meat sandwich. The classic cups really bring you back.

dunns-latkes

Latkes ($7) are potato and onion pancakes with sour cream. It comes with 4 pieces per order. They are fried till golden brown and its quite good with the sour cream. I love sour cream.

dunns-deep-fried-pickles

Fried Pickles ($5) has dill pickles that are beer-battered and served with a red pepper mayo. The batter was a tad thick and I wish they used something a bit different with more crunch to the texture.

dunns-motza

Matzoh Ball Soup ($6) has 2 hand-rolled matzoh balls in chicken broth with a sprig of dill. The matzoh balls were pretty large and went with the broth quite nicely.

dunns-meat-poutine

Dunns Poutine ($13) has a bed of fresh hand cut Kennebec fries with BBQ beef gravy and chopped smoked meat piled on top. The fries were really good and crisp. They make the fries in-house, so the fries were deliciously enjoyed by all at the table. No matter which poutine you get, you will enjoy it.

dunns-grilledcheese

Smoked Meat Grilled Cheese ($9) has cheddar cheese on white bread with smoked meat. The smoked meat had medium fat, which was good but pretty average I would say. Perhaps it needed more cheddar so it could ooze all over the place.

dunns-small

4oz Monteal Smoked Meat Sandwich ($11) is hand-sliced to order, served traditionally on light rye bread with yellow mustard. You can choose the different cuts of smoked meat and mustard if you want to customize it a little bit.

dunns-12oz

12 oz Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich is what we specifically asked for. On the menu it goes up to 8oz, but we knew it couldn’t hurt to ask. We got it with yellow mustard and a fat cut of smoked meat so it is extra juicy and delicious. Oh man, was it ever good! Since you are eating out, you must get the fat cut.

dunns-12

Yummy!

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Reuben ($16) has smoked meat double stacked on dark rye bread with sauerkraut, swiss cheese and thousand island dressing. It was delicious and the sauerkraut paired really well.

dunns-cake

Dunns Famous Cheesecake ($9) uses their original Montreal recipe, baked in house with fresh strawberries & strawberry coulis. It has a unique taste that is quite different that other cheesecakes.

dunns-outer

Overall, same great food with a new look. Definitely more casual dining that makes all customers enjoy the atmosphere.

We Rate Dunns Famous: 

Address:
827 Seymour Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.dunnsfamousbc.com/

Dunn's Famous Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

ridia-outer

Scouring for a place to eat lunch is getting quite difficult since I’ve been to a majority of the restaurants in Downtown Vancouver. It was a rainy day, so we decided to go down under into the Bentall Towers but then we realized there’s a good amount of shops and restaurants down there.

One place that caught my eye was Ridia Garden, at first I thought it was a sushi restaurant because of the word ‘garden’. Taking a closer look at the menu, they have Korean dishes as well as a lot of Western food like salad, sandwiches, mac and cheese, and lasagna.

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They have a lot of seating inside, so it is quite suitable for bringing a group of coworkers.

ridia-kimchi-fried-rice

Kimchi Fried Rice with Daily Soup was a large portion for lunch. The kimchi fried rice was ok, but it fell a bit flat. It definitely needed a bit more love to it. Perhaps a bit of beef to go with it. Or a fried egg would be amazing.

ridia-beef

Japchae is Korean dish made of sweet potato noodles with veggies and beef.  It was a large size too, so Mags had to take half of it back to the office. The noodles and the beef seemed a bit disjointed and you know they were cooked separately.

Overall, the food is acceptable, but not the best. The price is great for the portion.

We Rate Ridia Garden

Address:
Bentall 2
206-555 Burrard Street, Vancouver

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ridia-Garden/256712691106578

Ridia Garden Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

caplanski-deli-truck

Caplansky’s Delicatessen has been pitched on Dragons Den in 2011 to expand his business by opening food trucks, but was unsuccessful. He went on again to pitch a second time, but still unsuccessful due to their evaluation.

When I was in Toronto, I saw them at special events, but didn’t have time to stop by their truck. They have claimed to have Downtown Toronto’s best smoked meat, so when I was at the airport, I knew it was my last chance to give it a try.

caplanski-deli-airport

In August 2014, they opened their first franchise at Toronto Pearson Airport in Terminal 3 after the security check. They bring their famous BBQ beef brisket and deli classics like blintzes and kniches to people traveling out of Toronto. I had dinner here before my flight back to Toronto.

They have a dining area and also a take out area for people in a rush. It was really busy during dinner time, but I had to give it a try before my flight. You will find them near gate B39.

caplanski-deli-coke

Coke ($3) is what I ordered to quench my thirst and add a little kick of caffeine without drinking coffee.

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Smoked Meat Deli Sandwich ($9.95)  comes with a slice of pickle.

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The quality of meat was ok, but wasn’t as succulent as they portrayed on tv. The smoked meat with pretty lean, but did need their signature mustard to add more flavour. This item was featured on Diners, Dive-ins and Dives, but it doesn’t look the same, but perhaps its because it’s a franchise.

We Rate Caplansky’s Delicatessen:

Address:
Terminal 3
6301 Silver Dart Dr Mississauga, ON

Website:
http://www.caplanskys.com/

Caplansky's Delicatessen on Urbanspoon

blackforest-store

Black Forest Delicatessen makes a lot of appearances at German-inspired events like the Christmas Market and trade shows around the Lower Mainland. They have some pretty fantastic cured meats to choose from. Their main processing location is in North Vancouver, but they have retail locations in North Vancouver and West Vancouver (Park Royal – South).

Park Royal has gone through much changes over the years and it’s in their newer section of the South side close to the construction.

I really wanted to come to Black Forest Delicatessen after attending the Fraser Valley Food Show and tasting their award-winning pâté at the sausage contest. It was so addictive.

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The store isn’t too large, but you will find a large deli counter and a few shelves of items that go well with their cured meats.

blackforest-counter

Lots of varieties of sausages, cold cuts, bratwurst, liver sausages, bacon, ham, turkey, salami, dried cured meats, pates, and a lot more.

blackforest-sausages

I find that their staff are very helpful when trying to figure out what to buy. There really are a lot of choices.

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I bought some spicy salami snacks, liver sausage/pâté and savoury crisp crackers.

The savoury crisps were a bit expensive, but it works perfect with the pâté.

blackforest-pate

I got about 50 grams of their herb liver sausage and it was between $1 or $2. I can’t remember the price, but it was cheap! I don’t think I could ever go back to ordering pâté at a restaurant.

blackforest-spread

I ate the pâté with the savoury crisps and it was perfect! Mmm Mmm Mmm.

Black Forest Delicatessen is pretty awesome and has a lot of delicious meats.

Address:
2002 Park Royal South
West Vancouver, BC

Websitehttp://www.bfmeats.ca/

Black Forest Delicatessen on Urbanspoon

Kaplan's Deli

I was wandering around Oakridge and needed a place to eat lunch. I don’t come to this area often, so I asked the people of Twitter where I should go. Sherman chimed in and suggested Kaplans or Applause. Since I’ve already been to Applause a few years ago, I decided to head over to Kaplans. There’s always time for a good sandwich full of meat.

Kaplan's Deli

Walking through the first part of the restaurant looked like a deli, but in the back there are a bunch of tables and booth seating. The servers were really relaxed and didn’t seem like they were happy.

After a while, we recognized that it was a Jewish deli. It can definitely be seen in the menu with items like matza balls and kosher food.

Kaplan's Deli

Lemonade and Root Beer were our choices of beverage to tackle the large sandwiches.

Kaplan's Deli

On the table, there are several condiments – ketchup, hot mustard, regular mustard, dijon mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Kaplan's Deli

Mega is about $14 .95 and comes with cheese and a pile of meat between house made bread. The tooth pick in the sandwich was definitely necessary or else it would fall apart.

There is also a pickle and coleslaw that comes with it.

Kaplan's Deli

Even thought the cross-section of the sandwich is quite thick, it really is just bunched up in the middle. It’s size isn’t even comparable to the ones found in the states.

Kaplan's Deli

Norman Norman is chicken pastrami, cheese and sauerkraut sandwiched between 2 slices of buttered bread. It comes with coleslaw and your choice of fries or latkes. M chose the latkes since he loves them.

He thought it tasted ok, but the price was a bit high for what you get.

Overall, the food was ok, and the service was ok. There wasn’t anything that was particularly amazing.

We Rate Kaplan’s Deli

Address:
5775 Oak St
Vancouver, BC

Kaplan's Deli & Catering on Urbanspoon

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Apple Deli

Apple Deli is right under Main Skytrain station. They sell simple soups, sandwiches and salads. On my first day of work, people warned me not to come here. Did I listen to them? I don’t think so, it made me more curious. How bad can a sandwich really be? It’s just slices of bread with filler.

Apple Deli

The inside has lots of seats and there were a few group of people inside having lunch as well.

appledeli-menu

I just wanted a sandwich, so I looked at the menu and chose the Avocado and Bacon sandwich.

Apple Deli

Avocado and Bacon Sandwich ($5.90) It’s nothing fancy, but it’s like a sandwich you can make at home.

Apple Deli

They load it up with a ton of alfalfa spouts, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and mayo. The ingredients were very fresh, but the bacon and the guacamole were quite minimal. Nonetheless, I still felt healthier  eating this that eating at any other restaurant…probably because most of it was vegetables.

You won’t find anything fancy or creative here, but it’s decent. Imagine it like your kitchen, but having to pay for your food.

We Rate Apple Deli: 

Address:
189 Terminal Ave
Vancouver, BC

Apple Deli on Urbanspoon

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=189+Terminal+Ave+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=189+Terminal+Ave,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6A+4G3&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

M, Jewels, and I decided to have dinner at El Inka Deli. It’s a hidden restaurant in the Burnaby Central area. I’ve never heard it until someone told me I had to check it out. It’s also beside the Burnaby Hospital, so if you are in the area, do check this place out.

El Inka Deli serves Latin American food and it’s very unique to find this type of food in Burnaby. It is family owned and you will get a sense of that once you walk in the door.

Jarritos Lime was ordered by M and he really enjoyed the fizzy sour taste of it. I had half of this and it’s really good Mexican soda.

Horchata is a traditional drink made out of almonds, sesame seeds, rice and barley. The way they made the horchata was very gritty and had a strong sesame seed taste. We were not a big fan of this.

Chicken Empanadas was an item was started out with. It was crispy on the outside and nicely toasted.

The inside had a good amount of filling and was delicious. Yum!

Cheese empanadas was even better than the chicken empanadas. It took a while for it to arrive at the table, but ooey gooey cheese was inside this empanadas! SO GOOD!!! If you love cheese, you will go GAGA over this!

Picada Criolla has pork chop, pork, sausage, fried plantains, fried cassava, corn bread, and potatoes. It was definitely a meaty dish. The sausage tastes good, but the pork chops and ribs were really dry. The fried cassava were like fries, really really delicious. M and Jewels both ordered this, but I don’t think they would order this again.

Mixto Ceviche has raw fish and octopus with corn, yam, onion and cilantro in a acidic sauce. It was huge!

It was probably one of the better ceviches I’ve had and the portion was very very large. It’s a good size for sharing!

I wanted a bit of heat in my ceviche, so they give a hot sauce on the side. It’s not the usual hot sauce you would think of, but this was spicy and it did the trick!

Overall, the food can be a hit and miss at El Inka Deli and take a while to arrive at your table too. I would still come again because it’s close to where I live and I love ceviche!

Words of Wisdom:

  • Paid parking in front (but can be very confusing how to park)
  • Decent prices
  • Ceviche is delicious!
  • Slow service

We Rate El Inka Deli:

Address:
3826 Sunset Street
Burnaby, BC

El Inka Deli on Urbanspoon


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What on earth is there to eat in Downtown Seattle early in the morning at 7am? M and I just used a food app to look it up and we just went to I Love New York Deli in Pike Place. There’s not many reviews, but it was the mystery that we wanted to unravel.

They are best known for their HUGE sandwiches that are packed full of flavour. Since they are located in the Market Place, the prices are very affordable!

They don’t have many seats, so you may need to fight for a seat or eat outside. You can also just walk elsewhere in the market place and find alternative seating.

Canarsie Reuben ($11.95) is loaded with pastrami, pepper jack cheese, russian dressing and horseradish sauce on marbled rye bread. It comes with a side of your choice and a wedge of pickle.

Look how sexy this sandwich is!!!! This is what I call a sandwich!! Piled full of meat. I thought this sandwich was ok since I am not a fan of the taste of pastrami. If you like pastrami, you will probably like it.

Empire State ($10.95) has roasted brisket, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and horseradish sauce on marble rye bread. It also comes with a side and a pickled.

I LOVED this! The meat is very tender and works well with the caramelized onions. You must get this!!

Overall, it was a super cool unique find! This is my kind of comfort food! I’ve never been so excited for such a large sandwich.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Around $10
  • Your choice of sides and type of bread.
  • Can also build your own
  • Best known for Overstuffed Sandwiches
  • The brisket is to die for
  • If you go early morning, they might not have all their ingredients

We Rate I Love New York Deli: 

Address:

93 Pike Street #4
Seattle, WA

Website:

http://www.ilovenewyorkdeli.net/
I Love New York Deli on Urbanspoon

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