Kid Friendly Archives - Page 2 of 14

In Bakery

Peaked Pies: Aussie Comfort Food in Vancouver

January 17, 2017

Peaked Pies has finally opened in Downtown Vancouver on the West End. They specialize in Aussie Meat Pies, coffee and dessert. What makes their pies extra special is having them ‘peaked’ with mashed potato, mushy green peas and gravy.

We wanted a taste of Peaked Pies without going to Whistler, so we were happy their second location was in Vancouver.

Interior

The space isn’t huge, but they have more seats compared to their Whistler locations. There is one large communal table, a few tables and window seats.

They also have a self-serve kiosk if there are long line ups. Very easy to use and you can beat the line.

The few times that we were here for lunch, it wasn’t too busy.

I also love their lights with the familiar colours sprayed on them.

Aussie Pies

All the Aussie Pies and Sausage Rolls are on display and there are lots of flavours to choose from. I had a hard time choosing which one to get.

If it’s your first time, getting the Traditional Aussie, which has ground beef, onions and gravy is a good start. Make sure to get it peaked too.

We’ve been here several times, but a few of our favourites are:

Traditional Aussie
Chunky Pepper Steak
Chunky Steak and Mushroom

The fillings are delicious and the crisp flaky crust makes it so enjoyable. the mashed potatoes are fluffy and the peas were so good draped in gravy.

Their Sausage Roll has ground beef, onion and garlic. It tasted alright, but the best things here are their pies.

They even have Aussis desserts like Lamingtons.

Final Thoughts

Overall, same great pies as their Whistler location. I love their pies and I will definitely be back.

We rate Peaked Pies:

Address:
975 Denman Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.peakedpies.com/

In Canadian

Estrella’s: Delicatessen in Langley

January 14, 2017

Estrella’s has been one of our favourite places in Langley for their gigantic Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwiches. Everything is made from scratch, so the definitely don’t compromise on taste or quality.

They are known for their O Canada-sized sandwiches with smoked meat piled high. We come here on Saturday mornings as they are closed on Sundays.

Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich

This is a beast. Sliced Old Fashioned Montreal Smoked Beef Brisket on light rye bread with your choice of regular or dijon mustard. You can choose from lean, medium or fatty. Of course we chose the biggest size – O Canada and had it fatty. It’s so good and can be split between 2 people.

Poutine

A good Canadian classic – Poutine. Has crisp fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. You can also add some smoked meat on top too. We just went with the basics as we already had the huge sandwich to start.

Roast Beef Panini Sandwich

It has roast beef, caramelized onions, horseradish, mayo and swiss cheeese. It is served on crispy ciabatta bread and comes with a pickle. Not as monstrous as the smoked meat sandwich, but it was delicious.

Overall, I really love to go to this place for their Montreal Smoked Meat. The staff are friendly and it’s not too busy here. I’ll be back again.

We Rate Estrella’s:

Address:
5932 200th Street, Langley

Website:
http://www.estrellasdeli.com/

In Hawaiian

Pacific Poke: Poke and Panini in Chinatown

December 10, 2016

Pacific Poke has finally opened their doors in Chinatown on Main Street. I’ve been waiting for a long time to open as it’s the closest poke restaurant to my office.

What sets them apart from other poke restaurants in Vancouver is their clean, wholesome ingredients packed with bold flavours. When I saw they were finally open on Instagram, I went with a few of my coworkers to check it out as it was we needed some lunch.

Interior

You order on the left side and on the right side is their seating. They have a few tables and some seats by the window. The decor is simple, but the metal origami pieces are pretty cool.

Ordering

On the menu, you can build you own poke bowl or pick one of their many chef inspired creations.

I always end up building my own to cater to my own taste buds. They have 2 sizes – regular and large.

If you want something different, they have poke paninis. There are 3 kinds:

First, you choose your poke base. You can do a classic base of organic brown rice or traditional sushi rice, but I went with the kale salad base.

For the protein, you can choose from:

Sockeye salmon
Ahi tuna
Negitoro
Steelhead
Spicy tuna
Spicy Salmon
Albacore tuna
Crab
Shrimp

Some of their selection can change seasonally based on whats available. I went with the Sockeye Salmon and Ahi Tuna as those are very classic.

For the toppings, they have:

ginger jicama
tomato kimchi
pickled red onion
green onion sprouts
red beets basil
jalapeno
organic seaweed salad
fresh wasabi peas
seasonal offerings

I couldn’t decide what to get so I asked them for a bit of everything to add to my bowl. Why not get all the ingredients to try it all.

They also have some drinks, but their house-made iced teas and lemonade are amazing:

Strawberry Green Tea
Yuzu lemonade
Unsweetened Genmaicha

You can ask them to try them before deciding which one to get.

Poke Bowls

After the first few bites, you can tell the toppings are super fresh and not coming straight from a can. They seem to put a lot of work into preparing each topping that goes into the bowl.

Even though the portion size wasn’t as large as some other poke places in town, the flavours of the sauces really shine and doesn’t over power the fresh pieces of fish.

How my coworkers and I describe this place is like the Tractor of Poke.

Poke Panini

The Poke Panini’s can be order in full or half size. My coworkers got their Salmon Poke Panini and they enjoyed other ingredients that came inside the panini like the tomato kimchi.

Final Thoughts

Easily one of my top favourite poke places in town. With so many poke places opening up in town, each place has their own unique difference. I really appreciate how Pacific Poke put a lot of love and care into each ingredient, you know it’s not from a can. Plus their drinks is worth a try. Their portions are a bit smaller and prices are a bit higher than the other places but I would come here again.

We Rate Pacific Poke:

Address:
625 Main Street, Vancouver

Website: https://www.thepacificpoke.com/

In Downtown

Salchicha: North African and Middle Eastern cuisine in Vancouver

November 23, 2016

Salchicha on Granville Street serves up Northern African and Middle Eastern cuisine in Vancouver. Pretty unique since there isn’t many places that serve that type of food.

I was invited to try a few of their signature items on the menu.

They use good ingredients in their dishes like preservative-free, premium free range meats and BC produce where possible.

You order at the counter and you can serve yourself. There is water by the wall. Alternatively, they can also serve you at your table.

Appetizers

Salada Platter has Tabbouleh salad, Hummus, Arabic salad and Baba ganoush with a side of focaccia bread.

There are a few dips you can add to the platter for a few dollars extra -Harrisa, Sahuog, and Tahini Dips.

Grilled Marinated Chicken Breast Skewers is served with a chipotle mayo house sauce. The skewers were ok but a tad dry.

Antipasti comes with roasted eggplant, bell peppers, yam, carrot,and zucchini topped a sprinkle of with EVOO and balsamic.

Sweet Liver Pate was an interesting item on the menu. The presentation wasn’t pleasant either. It has stir fried liver and onion and sweetened with cherry tomatoes and cinnamon.

Cherry Salad has 3 kinds of cherry tomatoes, lettuce, mint, red onion and a sprinkling of feta cheese. I really liked the salad as it was fresh and the mint paired very nicely. I would get this again.

Mains

Beef Kababs are pierced with a cinnamon stick and there is also potato cream purée under each kebab. I found this a bit dry.

Shakshouka with Maraguez Sausage is served on a hot skillet with tomato sauce, and poached eggs.

Couscous with Maraguez Sausage has spicy lamb sausage with a reduced Harissa sauce. Pretty good hearty dish with a hint of spice.

Spring Chicken with date molasses, and rice. The dish was ok, but not as interesting as the other dishes for the mains.

Dessert

Malabi was the dessert to finish off the meal. It is a milk custard thickened with corn flour and topped with rose water and maple syrup, coconut shavings and crushed peanuts.

Really good dessert with a hint of floral from the rose water.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the food was decent but it’s hard to figure out what will tickle your taste buds.

We Rate Salchicha:

Address:
1065 Granville St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.salchicha.ca/

In Japanese

Pepper Lunch on Cambie: Gyozas, Yaki Udon and Grilled Meats

November 22, 2016

Pepper Lunch launched a few items on their menu a few month ago. We went to their Cambie location to try a few of these items. I’ve been a big fan of their restaurant ever since I had it in Asia. The 2 Canadian locations are a lot better than the ones in Asia but to the sourcing of their ingredients.

The space has high ceilings with natural night during the day. Narrow space, but has spaces for small to large groups. They have a second floor that accommodates larger groups.

Gyoza

Gyoza is their new side dish and it comes in beef or chicken. There are 12 pieces per order. Both types were delicious but the chicken was very moist and addictive. Nice grill marks on the outside too.

Maple Flavoured Sliced Pork Steak

Maple Flavoured Sliced Pork Steak has sliced pork steak, bean sprouts, green beans, carrots and a bowl of rice on the side. This was surprisingly very good. The maple caramelized on the outside of the pork and added a touch of sweetness that isn’t over powering.

Dinner Specials – Prawns and Sliced Angus

Prawns and sliced angus comes with veggies, bowl of rice, miso soup, a drink and mochi ice cream.

I love hearing the meat sizzle on the hot plate from the cooking meat. Delicious and tender angus beef with lots of flavour.

Dinner Specials – 300g Kobe Burger

The 300g Kobe Burger comes with veggies, bowl of rice, miso soup, a drink and mochi ice cream. It’s a pretty big slab of burger. Super delicious and great for people who want a little extra food compared to the regular menu.

Veggie Mushroom Burger

Veggie Mushroom Burger also has bean sprouts, green beans, carrots and a bowl of rice. I usually don’t like veggie burgers but they did a good job making these and the savoury mushrooms really made it taste great.

Yaki Udon

They also introduced yaki udon and you have the choice between beef or pork. It also has green beans, carrots and topped with bonito flakes and green onions.

Stir it around and it cooks all the items in the skillet.

Mochi Ice Cream

They also have a variety of mochi ice cream. I enjoyed the vanilla and black sesame ice cream mochi. All of them were pretty decent and its a nice sweet touch to the end of the meal.

Final Thoughts

Overall, its great to have a few more additional items on the menu. I usually have my go to dishes at Pepper Lunch, but I really enjoyed the Veggie Mushroom Burger and the Maple Flavoured Sliced Pork Steak.

We Rate Pepper Lunch:

Address:
2323 Cambie St. Vancouver

Website:
http://www.pepperlunchcanada.com/

In Gastown

The Poke Shop in Gastown: Bowls and Drinks

November 8, 2016

The Poke Shop is the latest restaurant to open serving delicious poké to Vancouverites. Located in Gastown across from the steam clock, this restaurant is a bit hidden, so look out for the Poke Shop sign outside. With many poké stores opening in Vancouver, I wanted to see how it compares to the other shops in town.

Poke bowls typically feature seasoned sushi-grade seafood on top of rice and garnished with various ingredients like seaweed salad, green onions and sesame seeds. The Poke Shop offers their own fresh take on poke with a variety of bases, proteins, toppings, and signature sauces.

Interior

The interior is small, but they have a few tables for seating. Since there will be a mix of people eating in and doing take out, it shouldn’t be too bad.

I liked the little hints of Hawaiian decor. They also have a mural on one side of the restaurant with a large wave.

Ordering

They have 2 sizes for their bowl – super large and large. Both are good sizes, but generally large is a good size unless you are super super hungry. Price is on par with the other poke stores in Vancouver.

Step 1: Pick your base

Japonica White Rice
12 Grain Organic Purple Rice
Organic Mix Greens
Baby Spinach
Zoodles (Zucchini Noodles)

You can choose more than one. I got a mix of purple rice, spinach and zoodles.

Step 2: Pick your proteins

Ahi Tuna
Albacore Tuna
Atlantic Salmon
Wild Sockeye Salmon
Baby Scallop
BBQ Unagi
Oven Roasted Organic Chicken
Grilled Organic Chicken

You choose 2 proteins and any more is $2 extra. I went with the ahi tuna and the spicy wild sockeye salmon.

Step 3: Pick your toppings

[one_half last=”no”]

Macaroni Salad
Red Onion
Fried Onion
Green Onion
Garlic Chips
Pickled Ginger
Red Radish
Beets
Pineapple
Mango
Peaches
Strawberry
Watermelon
Oranges
Pomegranate
Lemon

[/one_half]

[one_half last=”yes”]

Lime
Cilantro
Carrot
Cherry Tomatoes
Cucumber
Zucchini
Edamame
Organic Avocado ($1 extra)
Poached Organic Free range Egg ($1 extra)
Imitation Crab Meat
Tobiko
Wakame Seaweed Salad
Furikake
Nori

[/one_half]

The toppings are unlimited, so you can pack your bowl with your favourite ingredients. Just make sure you get fried onions, red radish, beets, pineapple, watermelon, cucumber, seaweed salad, nori and imitation crab meat!

Step 4: Pick Your Sauce

Signature
Horseradish Aioli
Sweet Chilli
BBQ Shoyu
Miso
Wasabi
Spicy

You can’t go wrong with their signature sauce thats top secret. I also liked the wasabi sauce to add a kick to the meal.

Thats all the steps to put together your poke bowl. They have a few pre-constructed bowls, but I found that it was better customizing it to cater to your own taste buds.

The Taste

Depending on how many toppings you add to your bowl, it could either be enormous or the same size as the bowl. Being me, I loaded up the bowl with my favourite toppings and 2 sauces. The poke was good and had lots of marinade on it. It was delicious and healthy fast food.

Specialty Drinks

For $2 extra, you can adda drink to your poke bowl. Or it’s $3.50 for just the drink. A pretty good deal!

They have:

Roasted Macadamia Milk Tea
Pineapple Plantation Iced Tea
3 Berry & Lemon Soda
Cucumber Agave Lemon Water
Hawaiian Chocolate & Coffee Milk Tea
Iced Matcha Green Tea with Honey

We didn’t try them all but we gave a few of them a try.

Roasted Macadamia Milk Tea had a strong milky tea taste with bits of macadamia nuts at the bottom. I liked the texture from the bits of nuts but it didn’t add a lot of flavour to it, just texture. Not too sweet, which I liked.

Hawaiian Chocolate & Coffee Milk Tea is good for those who love chocolate. A good balance of the chocolate and coffee. There are also cookie crumb bits at the top of the drinks, so its nice added texture.

Pineapple Plantation Ice Tea was our favourite. It’s light and refreshing to go with the poke.

Final Thoughts

It’s a great option for something fresh and healthy if you’re in the Gastown area. They only have poke bowls and drinks for now. I love their unlimited toppings and their specialty drinks menu. SO much better. Soon they will be working on some dessert selections. I’ve been to a majority of the poké restaurants in Vancouver and find that each one varies slightly and it all comes down to personal preferences.

We Rate The Poke Shop:

Address:
306 Water Street, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://thepokeshop.ca/

In Cafe

Ghirardelli: Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop in San Francisco

November 4, 2016

Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop is located near Fisherman’s Wharf. Ghirardelli is one of the oldest chocolate company in the US. They are also a division of Swiss confectioner Lindt & Sprüngli.

Since I was in town, I wanted to stop to try a few of their chocolates and grab a beverage.

Once you head inside, they give you a small piece of chocolate to sample. A nice little touch.

The shop isn’t very large, so you can buy a few gifts and get a snack or beverage here.

Sea Salt Caramel Hot Cocoa is topped with whipped cream and served with a a piece of milk chocolate. After taking the first few sips, it was delicious, It wasn’t overly sweet, but just the right amount. The texture was smooth and that sea seal caramel worked so well together.

Overall, it was fun to stop here for a drink before carrying on with out day. There’s not much to do there besides shop for chocolate and have a drink.

We Rate Ghirardelli:

Address:
900 North Point Street, San Francisco, CA

Website:
https://www.ghirardelli.com/

In Kid Friendly

Suhang Restaurant: Dim Sum + Dumpling Trail

October 31, 2016

Suhang Restaurant is a Shanghainese restaurant located in Richmond on Ackroyd Road.

We were invited by Tourism Richmond to experience the Dumpling Trail. Suhang is one of the restaurants featured in the trail for their diverse selection of dumplings from crispy to chewy to all types of textures.

Interior

We came here on a weekend around noon and it wasn’t busy at all. We did have reservations just in case it was busy.

Dumplings

Xiao Long Bao had a nice thin skin, so we were afraid to accidentally break them. All that precious soup inside shouldn’t be wasted. The meat filling inside was delicious.

Potstickers had a bit of the thick skin to them compared to some other restaurants. Nonetheless, the meat filling makes up for it.

Pan Fried Dumplings had a nice golden brown colour on the bottom. The bun was fluffy and the filling was delicious just like the others.

Other Dishes

Dan Dan Noodles were pretty bad and the worst dish of the meal. It was like eating peanut butter with noodles.

Hot and Sour Soup was delicious. Always a delight having hot and sour soup.

Stir-fried Rice Cakes has a chewy texture to them, but it was good to have rice cakes instead of noodles.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the dumplings were delicious here but a few dishes were a miss especially the dan dan noodles.

We Rate Suhang Restaurant:

Address:
100-8291 Ackroyd Road, Richmond

Website:
http://www.suhang.ca/

In Chinese

R&H: Chinese Food + Dumpling Trail

October 22, 2016

R&H Chinese Food is located in the Lansdowne Centre Food Court. They serve up delicious Chinese food that’s a bit different that the other stalls here.

We were invited by Tourism Richmond to experience the Dumpling Trail. R&H Chinese Food is one of the restaurants featured in the trail for their diverse selection of dumplings from crispy to chewy to all types of textures.

You can watch them make the dumplings right in front of you. I love watching them make dumplings since it’s really a craft. I’ve tried making dumplings and I can never make them look beautiful.

Potstickers with cabbage and pork filling had a nice colour on the bottom. As the skin is a bit thicker than the other ones that we ordered, these can be quite filling. Best to share dumplings among others.

Boiled Pork Dumplings with Chives was one of our favourites. Delicious filling and reminded me of a little taste of home.

Xiao Long Bao are steamed juicy pork buns and they come in a bamboo steamer. Nice thin skin, but the tops of them were a bit dense.

You should return the bamboo steam to them once you’re done.

Overall, R&H has a good amount of dumplings on their menu. If you want a taste of homemade dumplings and other Chinese food, come give them a try. Prices are very good too.

We rate R&H:

Address:
5300 Number 3 Road, Richmond

In Bubble Tea

Boba Guys: Bubble Tea in San Francisco

October 21, 2016

Boba Guys is a popular bubble tea shop for local and tourists. My hotel at Station Square and Boba Guys was literally a block away, how could I resist to try one of the most popular bubble tea shops in San Francisco. When I got here in the middle of the day, there was a bit of a line up but it wasn’t too long.

The menu has a good amount of drinks to choose from. Since it was my first time here, I couldn’t be too adventurous as I wanted something pretty standard so I can compare to the other bubble tea shops I’ve been to.

Classic Milk Tea with tapioca balls and half sweet. As a Canadian, I still find it funny how it’s called boba since I’m use to calling it pearls. The subtle differences when it comes to our 2 countries. Half sweet was the right amount of sweetness for me since the tea stand out and the quality of the tapioca balls were really good.

Overall, the quality of tea, milk and tapioca balls were great.

We Rate Boba Guys:

Address:
429 Stockton Street, San Francisco

Website:
http://www.bobaguys.com/

In Kid Friendly

Samsoonie: Korean Food in Richmond + Dumpling Trail

October 18, 2016

Samsoonie Noodle & Rice is located in Richmond and they serve Korean cuisine. I love Korean restaurants especially for their dumplings – mandu, so I couldn’t wait to try this place out.

We came here as part of the Tourism Richmond’s Dumpling Trail trying out the different dumplings in town. Richmond is a foodie city filled with amazing Asian cuisine. They get pretty busy around noon, so make sure you beat the rush.

Interior

The inside looks ok, but people come here for their food as they have a good variety of Korean food on the menu.

Dumplings

Wonton Soup was delicious. Good flavour of the broth and the wontons inside. A nice twist on what I’m used to having.

Boiled Dumplings come in either 5 or 10 pieces. We went with the 5 pieces so we could try more dumplings on the menu. It comes with a soy sauce mixture to dip your dumplings into. The filling was good but a tad dry.

Pan Fried Dumpling is half way between boiled and fried dumplings. We found this filling was a bit dry too. Perhaps it was the batch for these dumplings.

Deep Fried Dumplings was the favourite of the bunch as this filling was a bit more moist compared to the pan-fried and boiled dumplings. A nice crisp exterior with the juicy filling on the inside. Very good.

Side Dishes

I love the different that arrive at the table complimentary. At bean sprouts and kimchi are the ones that come to the table. Both very delicious.

Other dishes

Sweet and Sour Pork is very different that what you would find int a Chinese restaurant. It is deep fried in a batter and then has a little bit of sauce on top.

Korean Style Roll has carrot burdock, spinach, egg and radish pickle. Is like a Japanese sushi roll but cut thinner and uses similar ingredients in a bibimbap. A good item to share with the table.

Pork Bone Stew has big pieces of pork and a very flavourful stews. It really hits the spot for days when its cold and wet outside.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Samsoonie is a pretty decent Korean restaurant in Richmond. It brings me back to some of my favourite Korean dishes.

We Rate Samsoonie:

Address:
8211 Westminster Highway, Richmond

In Japanese

Yayoi: Japanese Teishoku Restaurant in Palo Alto

October 13, 2016

Yayoi opened their first US location in Palo Alto on University Avenue serving up teishoku-style Japanese restaurant, which are set meals which typically includes smaller side dishes like rice, miso soup, side dish and pickled vegetables with the main course.

My friend took us here when we were visiting for a few days. I was pretty excited since I always love trying new food.

Interior

The interior is nice and large, so there are a good amount of seats. We found that a lot of young families were dining here around dinner time.

Ordering

We browsed through the menu and then we started playing around with the iPad, where you input your order. You do everything on here and it ensures your order is correct and maximizes efficiency.

We even ordered our glasses or water on it too. No need to wait for someone till fill up our glasses.

Dinner Sets

Katsu Toji Teishoku has pork cutlet simmered in sauce and egg. It comes with ice, soup and side dishes.

I ordered the Omaze Don with salmon sashimi, okra, tororo, natto, tomago, seaweed and ontama. You mix it all together in the bowl and enjoy.

It comes with rice, miso soup, and side dishes. It was a very delicious and clean meal. The natto isn’t for everyone as it is fermented beans, people seem to have a love/hate relationship with them.

Nasu Miso Teishoku has eggplant, pork belly, and veggies in a miso sauce. It is served with rice, miso soup, and 2 side dishes.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the portion were good and we were pretty stuffed. The meals were well balanced and I enjoy set meals and you get a little taste of everything. The service was pretty good and they don’t require tipping. I ended up tipping anyways since it was a good meal.

We rate Yayoi:

Address:
403 University Ave, Palo Alto

Website:
http://www.yayoi-us.com/

In Dessert

MagiCream: Nitrogren Ice Cream in Kerrisdale

October 12, 2016

MagicCream is the latest addition to the Kerrisdale neighbourhood featuring liquid-nitrogen ice cream with over 40 different flavours.

We were invited to try their ice cream and to see how they differ from the other nitrogen ice cream shops in town.

Process

They use liquid nitrogen instead of dry ice in their ice cream and it is completely safe.

Choose your base
Choose your flavour
Choose toppings
Let the magic begin

Once you choose what you want, its really fun to see them put together your ice cream.

All that smoke goes pouring out when the nitrogen and creates a cloudy magical scene.

Nitrogen Ice Cream

We got to try a variety of flavours and combinations in family size.

Chocolate ice-cream with brownie bites and chocolate sauce
Caramel popcorn
Rootbeer with gummy bears
Strawberry with Cheesecake bites
Black sesame with coconut and Reese’s cups
Coffee with Cookie Dough and Mochi
Ovaltine with walnuts
Milk tea with pearls and mango jelly
Mango sorbet with mango & lychee jelly

All the flavours were well made, smooth with no icy chunks inside. The ice cream didn’t melt too quickly compared to some other places in town. Prices are decent too.

For my personal taste preferences, I didn’t like the very sweet ones with sweet toppings. I can see those would be very fun for kids to eat, but I found that as I got older, I like my snacks less sweet. The downside of getting older.

A few others found root beer to be a pretty unique flavour.

I really liked the Milk Tea Ice Cream with pearls and mango jelly.

Another favourite was the Ovaltine classic with walnuts. They also have a Chinese version of Ovaltine that tastes slightly different, but I went with the classic. I chose the walnuts for texture.

Final Thoughts

Overall, there are a lot of flavours at MagiCream, which is great for groups who have diverse tastes. You can also customize it is any way that you want. They also sell them in 3 different sizes.

I’ll definitely be back for the milk tea and Ovaltine flavours.

We Rate MagiCream:

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Magicream/302810806753718?fref=ts

Address:
2009 W 41st Ave, Vancouver, BC

In Fusion

Sushirrito: Sushi Burrito in Palo Alto

October 11, 2016

Sushirrito is the original sushi burrito concept before it went big around the world. When I was in San Francisco and Palo Alto, I knew I had to check this place out.

Sushirrito is made-to-order with a mix of Asian and Latin flavours. It’s the perfect alternative to fast food.

In Palo Alto, the Sushirrito is located on University Ave close to Stanford.

When we came here for lunch, it was packed. Its also located beside Blue Bottle Cafe. There are limited seats inside.

Lava Nachos

Lava Nachos are in limited quantities each day. It has brown rice chips topped with tuna picante, melted Pepper Jack cheese, ginger guac, green onions, nori strips, and Sriracha aioli. A very flavourful dish and great for a few people to share.

Geisha’s Kiss has Yellowfin Tuna (Hand-Line Caught), tamago, piquillo peppers, lotus chips, namasu cucumber, green leaf lettuce, ginger guac, yuzu tobiko with a sesame white soya sauce.

I liked the clean fresh taste of the tuna with the crunchy texture of the lotus chips.

Sumo Crunch has shrimp tempura, surimi crab, shaved cabbage, cucumber, ginger guac, and Sriracha Aioli. It is then covered in red tempura flakes. This version was pretty good as well.

Genmai Horchata is one of the drinks they have. It is their blend of green tea and horchata.

Overall, it was a good quick lunch for us and with the 3 items ordered for 2 people, it was plenty of food. The sushirrito reminded me of a large uncut sushi roll with different types of filling and sauce.

We rate Sushirrito:

Address:
448 University Avenue, Palo Alto

Website:
http://www.sushirrito.com/

In Kid Friendly

JapaDog: Dining at McArthur Glen Designer Outlet

October 2, 2016

JapaDog has a location at McArthur Glen Designer Outlet in Richmond just a few stops away from YVR Airport. For those who have a short layover at YVR but want a little taste of Vancouver, this is a good option if you’re around.

They are best known for their Japanese street style hot dog that has taken the world by storm. I remember my relatives would want us to take them here when they visit.

Drinks

They have draft beer, bottled beer and cocktails. I went with a Sapporo to go with our meal of JapaDogs and shake fries. Sapporo just pairs so well with fries and hot dogs. A combination that is perfect.

Cocktails are exclusive to this location only. There are 4 different ones to choose from.

Shake Fries

There are a few flavours of shake fries to choose from:

Regular
Black pepper
Ume katsuo
Aonori
Butter & Shoyu
Shichimi & Garlic

The most popular of them all is butter & shoyu. Shichimi & garli, and aonori are most other favourites too. The size of the fry reminds me of McDonalds but it’s a bit more limp that crisp.

JapaDogs

Avocado JapaDog has a beef hot dog topped with cream cheese, Japanese mayo, and avocado. Surprisingly good if you love avocado.

Ebi-Tempura Japadog has the crunchy shrimp tempura on top of rice and seaweed.

Love Meat JapaDog has Arabiki pork sausage, cheese, and a Japanese meat sauce made of beef. It is saucy, but great for meat lovers.

Okonomi has kurobuta pork sausage, Japanese traditional sauce, Japanese mayo, fried cabbage and topped with bonito flakes. It’s okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) in hot dog form.

Kurobuta Terimayo JapaDog is the most popular item. It has Kurobuta pork sausage, teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, fried onions and topped with lots of seaweed.

Oroshi JapaDog has pork bratwurst with radish/daikon, green onions and their special soy sauce. One of my favourites cine I love radish.

Final Thoughts

Since I live in Vancouver, getting a JapaDog is not a regular occurrence. I have it once in a while but it’s very accessible in Downtown Vancouver as there are various locations. They have expanded a lot but the quality is still there.

It’s definitely a good food option at McArthur Glen Designer Outlet if you want a quick bite.

We Rate JapaDog:

Address:
1064 Templeton Station Road, Richmond

Website: http://www.japadog.com/

In Bakery

Shop the Neighbourhood with French Made Baking

October 1, 2016

Shop The Neighbourhood by Yellow Pages celebrates small businesses all year round, and reminds Canadians how shopping locally makes a difference in our lives and directly impacts the local economy. Small businesses are our economic backbone: they create jobs, funnel funds back into the community, keep decision-making power localized, and generally contribute to building healthy, thriving neighbourhoods.

In partnership with Yellow Pages, I wanted to highlight my favourite small business – French Made Baking located in Mount Pleasant.

French Made Baking

Mount Pleasant is a vibrant neighbourhood known for its unique stores, heritage buildings, artistic residents, and fun community festivals. The area is popular with urban professionals and young families. What better place than a French patisserie shop to appear. The Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Area has worked with them over the years to help promote their business at local events and on social media.

David and Catherine Introligator

French-from-France couple, David and Catherine Introligator produce authentic and tasty French pastries. They are dedicated to their craft and have been around since 2011. I remember meeting them at various bakers markets and special events before they had their storefront.

Yummy Treats

They have croissants, madeleines, caneles, and other items but their most popular items are their macarons.

Their macarons are fabulous! The texture and the flavours have always been spot on. I don’t think I’ve found one I didn’t like yet.

My usual order at French Made Baking is a canelé and a pack of macarons.

Canelé is a classic French pastry made from eggs, milk, flour, and sugar. It is a small pastry with a balance of sweet and savoury flavours. What I love most is the crunchy caramelized crust.

Macaron is another classic French treat characterized by 2 pieces of meringue cookie sandwiched with filling like ganache, buttercream or jam. It is generally made with egg white, icing sugar, granulated sugar and ground almond.

They have rotating flavours, but a few of my favourites are:

L’Anglais: Earl Grey tea infused milk chocolate ganache
L’Oriental: rose & litchi white chocolate ganache
Le Provençal: lavender & honey white chocolate ganache
Le Praliné: hazelnut & almond praliné buttercream
Pistache: roasted pistachio white chocolate ganache

Sometimes they make limited edition macarons for special events. I remember one when they made totoro macarons.

They also have larger macaron cakes.

They also sell 11 kinds of Kusmi Tea, a tea company which has been around for 140 years. Delicious high quality tea.

Classes

What to learn how to make macarons, croissants, or choux pastry? They offer hands-on classes with David at their “Atelier” kitchen on Kent Avenue.

A fun way to learn how to make French pastries the correct way while having fun with friends or coworkers.

Go for a visit

French Made Baking is one of many amazing local businesses in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. When you come for a visit, say “hello” or “bonjour” to their amazing staff as they serve their customers in both English and French.

Local businesses are neighbourhood-oriented. Business owners and staff share the community’s interests, and are personally invested in the welfare and future of the neighbourhood.
If you want to learn more about Shop The Neighbourhood, follow Yellow Pages on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Address:
81 Kingsway, Vancouver

Website:
http://frenchmadebaking.com/

In Chinese

Empire Seafood: Dim Sum + Dumpling Trail

September 26, 2016

Empire Seafood Restaurant is located in Richmond on No. 3 Road and New Westminster Hwy. Surprisingly, I haven’t been here for dim sum before. With so many amazing dim sum restaurants in town, this is one of the popular ones to go to.

We were invited by Tourism Richmond to experience the Dumpling Trail. Empire is one of the restaurants features in the trail for their diverse selection of dumplings from crispy to chewy to all types of textures.

Interior

Dumplings

Shrimp dumplings (Har gow) are a staple in Chinese dim sum. The dumplings are filled with shrimp and wrapped in a tapioca starch pastry. It is them steamed in a bamboo basket.

It comes with 4 pieces in each order. I enjoyed the bounce of the shrimp inside and the skin was a good thickness. Best eaten with some hot sauce or XO sauce.

Pork and Shrimp Dumpling (Siu Mai) is a dumpling stuffed with pork, shrimp and then topped with roe. It is wrapped in a yellow wrapper. It is also steamed in a bamboo basket.

It comes with 4 pieces too. Good mixture of shrimp and pork inside without too much fat.

Taro Dumpling (Wu Gok) is made with steamed mashed taro with mushroom, shrimp, and pork in the centre. It is deep-fried so it gets the wispy texture on the outside. It comes with 4 per order too. You typically get this cut in half before eating.

A nice texture since you get the crunch from the outside and the savoury filling inside.

Fried Pork Dumplings (Ham Siu Gok) has a crisp crust on the outside and inside the the minced pork centre. The filling is pretty good.

Other items

Spring Rolls come in 4 pieces but are cut up into 8 for easy sharing. These are deep-fried and filled with a delicious shrimp centre.

Chicken Feet is a staple in dim sum but not everyone can stomach it. I grew up with chicken feet at most dim sum meals, so this isn’t out of the ordinary for me. It has a nice sauce and essentially you are eating away at the skin and cartilage.

Spareribs with squash comes in one serving in a bamboo basket.

Shrimp Rice Roll comes with 3 pieces and are cut in half. The shrimp is nice and fresh, good colour and tastes great when you pour the soy sauce over top.

Veggies

Pea tips in broth is a delicious dish. The sweetness from the pea tips is really good. Do be careful of bugs since I did find a caterpillar in my portion.

Sweets

Egg Custard Tart is a bit different here since they add some coconut into it. It was good, but unexpected as we devoured these.

Egg Yolk Bun is pretty good here too. The steamed buns have a week yolky centre. Very delicious and you can’t leave here without one.

Final Thoughts

Empire Seafood has some pretty solid dim sum and good prices. Just be aware that they do charge for tea. So don’t be surprised when that pops up on the bill. Try to make reservation in advanced and try to go earlier in the day before some key items run out.

We Rate Empire Seafood Restaurant:

Address:
London Plaza, 5951 Number 3 Rd #200, Richmond

Website: http://www.empirerestaurant.ca/esr/dimsum/

In Four Beakers

Kilala: Japanese Restaurant in Burnaby

September 25, 2016

Kilala has been in the North Burnaby neighbourhood for about 10 years now. After all that time, I finally came here for a visit with M. It is a small sushi bar, so it can get pretty busy around dinner time. The outside of the shop may not look like much but their sushi is delicious.

They started us off with some tea and even gave us a whole pot of it so we could refill it ourselves.

We started off with some nigiri to see how it compares to other places.

Tamago was nothing like other restaurants. I loved the layers of the egg and how it towered over the ball of sushi rice. M loved it and i think its so far his favourite tamago.

Hokkaido Scallop Nigiri was really fresh and the pieces of scallop were very plump.

Next was the Unagi Battera with eel on top of pressed sushi rice. I love the car on the unagi and its so flavourful. It’s a pricey item to order, but its so good.

Look at that. So So good!

Toro Sashimi comes with 7 pieces and it is nice and fatty. The chef really knows his stuff.

Assorted Nigiri comes with 14 pieces of sushi – 1/2 tekka maki, 1/2 kappa maki, and 8 nigiri selections from the chef. There is a little wasabi hidden under the sashimi, so watch out.

All of the nigiri were pretty delicious. My favourite were the tamago and saba. All the others were pretty standard.

Overall, it’s a nice hidden gem in North Burnaby for good Japanese sushi. The prices can be high for some items, but the quality is here. You won’t find too wide a selection for cooked food. It is mostly sushi rolls and raw items.

We Rate Kilala:

Address:
4749 Hastings Street, Burnaby

Kid Friendly

Interior

Aussie Pies

Final Thoughts

Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich

Poutine

Roast Beef Panini Sandwich

Interior

Ordering

Poke Bowls

Poke Panini

Final Thoughts

Appetizers

Mains

Dessert

Final Thoughts

Gyoza

Maple Flavoured Sliced Pork Steak

Dinner Specials – Prawns and Sliced Angus

Dinner Specials – 300g Kobe Burger

Veggie Mushroom Burger

Yaki Udon

Mochi Ice Cream

Final Thoughts

Interior

Ordering

Step 1: Pick your base

Step 2: Pick your proteins

Step 3: Pick your toppings

Step 4: Pick Your Sauce

The Taste

Specialty Drinks

Final Thoughts

Interior

Dumplings

Other Dishes

Final Thoughts

Interior

Dumplings

Side Dishes

Other dishes

Final Thoughts

Interior

Ordering

Dinner Sets

Final Thoughts

Process

Nitrogen Ice Cream

Final Thoughts

Lava Nachos

Menu

Drinks

Shake Fries

JapaDogs

Final Thoughts

French Made Baking

David and Catherine Introligator

Yummy Treats

Classes

Go for a visit

Interior

Dumplings

Other items

Veggies

Sweets

Final Thoughts