Category

Late Night

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We are back at the 2019 Richmond Night Market to cover a lot of food stalls this year. Some new, some old, but always an exciting time to visit one of the best Night Market’s in North America. It’s open now and runs until October 14, 2019.

Admission

The line up to get into the night market can be long. It is $4.75 for adults and free for children (under 8) and seniors (60+).

Want to skip the long line for express entry? Check out their Express pass for $28, which gives you 6 entries to the night market and is transferable to others. It’s good for those who know they are going to the night market several times this Summer.

Shops

When you get to the night market, you’ll see a lot of stall side by side selling things from Korean socks, stationary, jewelry, and a lot more.

If you’re a food lover, skip this and go straight to the back for all the food stalls. You have time to shop later and not have your hands full with stuff you’ve bought.

Entertainment and Games

There’s always something going on at the night market with performances, games, and photo opportunities all over. Don’t be distracted just yet and go straight to the food stalls. There is time for entertainment later.

Food

This section is the big draw to the night market. Food, food, food and more food! Below is everything we had and if we recommend it or not. As we went to 37 stalls, it will be very brief.

La Meza Grill: Taco Trio (Lechon, Pork Sisig, and Tofu Sisig) [Recommended]

We loved the flavours of these tacos. Bite size and super delicious! If you ever get a chance to dine at their North Delta restaurant, it’s one of my favourite Filipino Restaurant in Metro Vancouver.

Afghan Yum: Mantu

These Afghan dumplings are definitely different and unique. Good flavours.

Rotato: Sour Cream and Roasted Garlic Pepper

A classic item to get at a night market, but make sure to go early or else the line up can get pretty long. You can choose a variety of flavours for your rotato.

Asomi Mochi: Cheesecake Mochi, Matcha Mochi, Chocolate [Recommended]

You can find this at a few retailers across Metro Vancouver, but their recently launched cheesecake mochi is pretty darn amazing if you like sweet mochi desserts.

Milk Cha

They are best known for their quirky colourful drinks in a baby bottle. They also have duo drink cups where you can choose 2 kinds of flavours off the menu.

MacSnacc: Four Cheese Mac n’ Cheese

This is massive and definitely really good to share among a group as you’ll probably get full off this.

iTofu: Tofu Parfait

Winner of the 2019 Chinese Restaurant Awards for best Tofu pudding in Vancouver! Really beautiful and delicious.

Big Beard: Skewers and Deep-Fried Squid

Richmond Night Market staples include assorted skewers and deep-fried squid. Great items for those who are going to the Night Market for their first time.

Mr. Crabzy: Deep-Fried Crab Claws

It is pretty expensive but if you want a solid deep-fried crab claws, this is the place.

Fluffy Souffle: Strawberry Soufflé Pancake

It takes a while for them to crank out these soufflé pancakes at the night market and come in a variety of flavours. The concept is very popular across Metro Vancouver, but this is the only place you can get it at the night market.

Say Cheese: Rainbow Grilled Cheese

This is the most instagrammable item to get this year at the night market. It is $6.50 and is visually stunning. They do add condensed milk into their grilled cheese, so it’s a bit sweet and savoury. Definitely not for everyone.

Mango Yummy: Mango Shaved Ice [Recommended]

Long time Richmond Night Market vendor – Mango Yummy is a must for their mango shaved ice. The summer time is perfect as mangoes are ripe and super sweet.

Chef James: Skewers and Roasted Corn [Recommended]

Chef James is the one place at the Richmond Night Market to get skewers and roasted corn. Really delicious and while you wait, it’s fun to watch them make all these skewers on the open flame.

Zzim Drumsticks: Spicy Drumstick with Rice Cakes [Recommended]

These are delicious and the sweet, savoury and spicy notes from their sauce is so good with their tender drumsticks and chewy rice cakes.

Salty’s Lobster Shack: Chowder and 1/2 Lobster Roll, Full Lobster Roll, Lobster Toast

Lobster, lobster, and more lobster. This is where you can get a taste of the East Coast on the West Coast.

Fusion Wrap: Kimchi Beef Wrap

A handheld meal wrapped up with a lot of good flavours. The roti-like wrap works well.

Sugarcane Juice

If you’re ever wondering what sugarcane tastes like, they have this at the night market freshly squeezed.

Tuk Tuk: Original Panna Cotta with Thai Cookies [Recommended]

The talk of the 2019 Richmond Night Market. A great dessert and the Thai cookies add such a great texture to the soft and smooth panna cotta.

Teapressu: Matcha Parfait with fresh fruit and twist soft serve on top

Cool down with some matcha parfait at Teapressu. Teapressu is best known for their delicious bubble tea but they recently launched their parfaits.

2 Sweet Guys: Deep-Fried Watermelon, Deep-Fried Cookie Dough

This is like carnival eats at 2 Sweet Guys. Very decadent and will satisfy your sweet tooth cravings. They also pride themselves for their deep-fried watermelon that has a very interesting texture that messes with your taste buds.

Mangoo: Rainbow Drink

Layer upon layers of different slushies to create this rainbow-like beverage.

Okonomi Bites: Tonkatsu Poutine

Poutine with a Japanese twist is what Okonomi Bites is all about. They solid out of their cheese tonkatsu version but we got their regular tonkatsu poutine.

Taco Tigre

They have fusion taco flavours like beef pho taco, chicken banh mi taco and 5 spice pork belly taco.

Nori Express [Recommended]

Sushi Noritaco with Tuna (Yellowfin Tuna, eel, sauce, veggies, and rice) and Spicy Salmon (Alaska sockeye salmon, spicy mayo, veggies, and rice.

This is like a sushi roll turned taco and it surprisingly works really well.

Icy Bar [Recommended]

Summer Special Icy with fresh strawberries, mango, basil seed, strawberry puree, coconut milk, shaved ice, and tapioca sago. Icy Bar is also another Richmond Night Market staple. If you can’t make it here, they also have a few cafe’s located across Metro Vancouver.

Rainbulb

Drinks served up in a flashing lightbulb is very aesthetically pleasing but just tastes like a normal soda. It’ll light up your night at the night market.

Bella Gelateria

We got 2 scoops of gelato in a cone – Akbar Mashti and Yuzu Citrus. They have a good range of flavours on their menu to keep you cool this summer.

Final Thoughts

So many food stalls that draw a serious crowd! There are people everywhere and that really makes the food area bumping. Later in the evening, you might just be shoulder to shoulder with other people going through the aisles of food. Sometimes I have thoughts that someone might accidentally poke my eye out with a lamb skewer as they walk past.

Address:
8351 River Rd, Richmond, BC

Website:
https://richmondnightmarket.com/

Colony Northwoods is a bar and restaurant in North Vancouver. This is a great location as it’s in a new plaza close to Seymour Mountain and Deep Cove.

They have a large selection of local craft beers and a variety of new fresh dishes created by Executive Chef Karen Lyons. A good spot after a hike or snowboarding on the slopes. There are other Colony locations in Kitsilano and Mount Pleasant as well.

Interior

The interior is quite large with 130 indoor seating and 130 more on their heated patio. The space looks very nice and spacious with the high ceilings. This location is a lot larger and modern that the other 2 locations.

Drinks

Beers, wines, cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages are on the menu. If you don’t see something you want on the menu, you can ask them if they have the ingredients to create something more for your taste.

Corn Dogs

Who doesn’t love a classic corn dog? There are 2 kinds available – regular and veggie. It is house-battered with a Nathan’s Famous Dog in the centre, then served with dijon mustard, and ketchup. A fun dish that comes with 4 pieces so you can share among the table.

Yam Fries

The crisp yam fries are served with a chipotle mayo sauce. Another great items to snack on while you have a drink.

Loaded Tater Tots

Tater tots, an all time favourite is loaded with banana peppers, jalapenos, sour cream, green onions, chipotle mayo, and pico de gallo. If you don’t love banana peppers and jalapenos, you can always ask them to omit them. This was one of our favourite dishes to snack on.

Rainbow Glory Bowl

If you want something a bit more healthy, they have different filling bowls with quinoa, spinach, fried tofu, cucumber, beets, Carrots, Pumpkin Seeds, Almonds, Tahini Dressing. Delicious!

Chicken Wings

Classic pub fare and this one is coated in Frank’s Red Hot, which is always a nice spicy flavour, There is also Lemon Pepper and Sriracha Salted. You can also request salt and pepper as well.

Crunchy Chicken Sandwich

On the bun you have a big piece of crispy chicken with house pickled red onion, arugula, and herb mayo. You can have it served with either fries or salad.

CB Burger

This burger has 100% Pure Beef Patty, aged Cheddar, butter lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, and burger sauce. A good burger and nothing complicated.

Baby Back Ribs

This dish has the whole rack of Danish baby back ribs slathered in their housemade BBQ sauce. Then it is served with some veggie skewers and fries. It was a so-so dish as some parts were drier than others.

Salmon Cobb Salad

This hearty salad has a piece of Wild Pacific salmon, grilled leeks, charred corn, gem tomatoes, and their Goddess dressing. It was a large portion and tasted good. The salmon was moist.

Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches

In each order, you get 3 macarons with vanilla bean ice cream. It was surprisingly really good. A bit pricey, but it was the perfect bite to the end of the evening.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the food is good for the price you pay and there really aren’t too many options in this area. It’s a great place to have a drink with friends and some bites together. They have a variety of items if you want a fuller meal or just finger food.

Address:
2100 Dollarton Hwy, North Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://colonybars.com/north/

Personas at the Grand Villa Casino in Burnaby showcases a variety of over the top drinks and bites for your group of friends. We were invited to check out a few items off their menu just to see what they offer their customers. Since I live in Burnaby, I’m always excited to check out what’s new in the neighbourhood.

Interior

The space here is nice and it can get pretty busy on the weekends with large parties. Best to make reservations if you have a group.

Weekly Specials

Mexican Bulldog Para Dos

This impressive drink has 2 Coronas, Sauza Gold Tequila and lime slush in a huge martini glass. It will cost you $19, but its a drink that is meant to be shared among friends. This drink is very extra but fun to take pictures of too.

Personas L.I.I.T.

This is part of their Iceberg drinks as it is made with rum, vodka, gin, tequila, Triple Sec, Coca-Cola, and lime slush.

Cotton Candy Cosmo

Another fun drink is their Cotton Candy Cosmo with Smirnoff Raspberry, Vodka, Contreau, Cranberry, lime and the fluffy cotton candy on top.

California Sushi Taco

There are 3 pieces per order with crab, avocado, nori, cucumber, togarashi mayo, wasabi, sushi rice, and served up in a gyoza taco shell. Good texture with the crunchy shell. Very tasty and one of our favourites.

Ebi Prawns

Another Asian inspired dish made of tempura prawns, Japanese mayo, bonito flakes, and black sesame seeds.

Sticky Ribs

What makes these ribs stick is the galbi sauce. It is then garnished with sesame seeds and shreds of green onions. Definitely inspired by Korean-cuisine with that tasty sauce.

Chicken Wings

They have chicken wings on the menu they are first crispy and deep fried. You can choose it with Salt & Pepper, gochujang, chili sauce or galbi sauce. This particular one we had was gochujang sauce and it had a kick of spice to it.

General Hao’s Chicken

This cute dish is where sweet and spicy collide. There are bits of chicken lightly breaded and deep fried till a golden brown. Then it is tossed in the Generals secret lemon chili sauce. Their version of General Tso’s chicken.

Thai Shrimps Flatbread

The Thai Shrimps flatbread has onion, sweet pepper, lemongrass aioli, red Thai curry mozzarella, baby shrimps,, sweet basil and toasted coconut. It’ was very yummy and it was unique to taste the flavours of Thailand on flatbread.

Fig, Cheese and Honey Flatbread

There is caramelized onions, figs, mozzarella, parmesan, goat cheese and honey. Its’ cheesy and sweet at the same time.

Tropic Thunder Flatbread

This is one of the most popular menu items. It has grilled chicken, alfredo sauce, grilled pineapple salsa, bacon, cilantro, BBQ sauce drizzle and some chili threads.

Falafel Wedge Salad

For those who want something healthier, this dish has crispy garbanzo beans, sundried tomatoes, cucumber, pickled turnips, lemon-tahini dressing and sumac.

Poke Bowl

This isn’t your regular poke bowl. It has ahi tuna, cucumber, edamame, spicy mayo, gochujang chili dressing, kizami nori on regular rice. The ahi was well marinated and was super tasty. One of our favourites.

Persona’s Burger

This leans towards their pub fare and goes great with a pint of beer. This has 100% AAA ground beef chuck, lettuce, tomato, pickle, red onion, garlic aioli on their brioche bun. You can do some add-ons to it if you want like bacon, mushroom and cheddar.

The curly fries were really good and the garlic aioli dip is best with them.

Bourbon St. Blackened Chicken

It has a bed of brown rice, seasonal vegetables, and the blackened double breast of chicken with the bourbon maple jus. This dish was ok as more of the seasoning on the chicken took over.

Short Rib Pappardelle

This has toasted pine nuts, wild mushroom ragout, goat cheese, extra virgin olive oil and a grilled garlic crouton. This dish was good but the goat cheese was a bit overpowering to let the short rib shine.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of different menu items from pub fare to Asian Fusion. It’s good that Personas is in Burnaby to give residents in the area and travellers more options in this area because there really aren’t that many. Our favourite items of the evening were the California Sushi Tacos, Thai Shrimp Flatbread, Poke Bowl and the Personas Burger.

 

Address:
4331 Dominion St, Burnaby, BC

Website:
http://mypersonas.ca/

Dublin Calling is a Irish Pub and Kitchen on Granville Street. They recently launched their rooftop patio for the Summer for guests to gather over drinks, food and savour all the sunshine that will come our way. The the main floor, they have a lot of games like skee ball, darts, pool, ping pong and TV screens for the ultimate party setting. Check out our previous article about the space.

Rooftop

Just head upstairs to the 3rd floor and you’ll find the rooftop. There are 2 bars  to get your drink on and also lots of high tops and booth seating for seat small to large groups.

They can seat up to 283 people in this space and is open until 2am.

It’s one of Granville Streets only roof-top patios, so you’ll get lots of natural light if you want to kick back and relax after work.

Drinks

They have lots of drinks on tap, cocktails, caesars, and even margaritas in buckets.

This is such a cute idea since I don’t know who’s has ever drank an alcoholic drink out of a child’s pail. It definitely caught the attention of many people on the rooftop. Slowly everyone started getting this too.

Address:
900 Granville St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://dublincalling.com/vancouver/

Mosquito is a dessert and champagne lounge in Vancouver located right in the heart of Gastown. There aren’t that many high-end dessert shops in the area, so we decided to come here after dinner for a drink and sweets. The lounge is very small, but is very relaxed for just hanging out with friends.

Menu

Pistachio Mille-feuilles

This layered dessert has pistachio crème légère, roasted strawberry, cocoa nibéstreusel,  strawberry jelly, and cocoa nib ice cream. We really enjoyed this dish due to its textures of the pistachio cream and streusel. It was devoured quickly and enjoyed by us all. The dessert is really a work of art since there are so many elements that make up the dish like those white chocolate feathers.

Thai Basil & Raspberry Chocolate Bar

This is constructed out of light chocolate mousse, Thai basil parfait, raspberry marmalade, blackout sponge, raspberry and chocolate ice cream. The ice cream was more like a sorbet due to the raspberry. This was a beautiful dessert but when it came to texture, it was all soft. It would have been nice to have a crunchy texture to the dish.

Earl Grey Tea

To go with dessert, I got their Earl Grey Tea in a small pot. We had some drinks before coming here, so we opted to caffeinate instead.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s one of the only sit down dessert restaurants in Gastown with a good vibe.  It’s definitely a place if you want to keep the conversation going after dinner with drinks.

We Rate Mosquito

Address:
32 Water St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://mosquitodessert.com/

MYST Asian Fusion in Burnaby is a Taiwanese restaurant and they have recently revamped their menu to add even more dishes. We came to try a few of these new dishes. Since they have opened, this restaurant has been very busy at peak hours attracting people in the Lower Mainland.

Golden Sand Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk

This dish was delicious. The salty yolk is coated on the exterior, so its pretty yummy sucking on it.

Marinated Combo

Pork intestines, beef tripe, and beef tendon were the items my friend chose for this trio. I didn’t particularly like it since I’m not always a fan of organs.

Chinese Style Tea Smoked Duck

I love tea smoked duck and I still enjoyed it even if it was slightly over cooked. The smoked aroma just gets me every time.

MYST Deluxe Fried Rice

This fried rice is topped with pork floss, egg and a skewer of prawns. Delicious and easily shareable among the table or have it all to yourself.

Preserved cabbage, bamboo, green soy beans and sliced fish

I really enjoyed this dish since it has delicate dish, chew of the bean, and crunch of the bamboo. Healthy too. One of the favourite dishes of the night.

Sichuan dan dan noodle with spicy peanut sauce

This dish was so good. It had a little kick to the dish which was good as it pulled the dish together. I would order this again.

Assorted seafood spicy hot pot

This was really spicy. Because of the heat, it really numbs your mouth after a few bites. The fragrant aroma was there but it was a touch too spicy for me.. and everyone else at the table.

Steamed sliced fish with diced hot red peppers

It’s not as hot as it seems. The fish was very moist and delicious.

Myst assorted deep fried basket

If you like a diverse amount of fried item in one basket, this has squid tentacles, green beans, salt peppery chicken and black rice cake on top of shrimp crackers. Great item to share with a large group.

Myst deluxe feast platter

This is a bit different than the fried basket and it has fries, prawn chips, tiger prawn skewers, pineapple and sausage wrapped in bacon, and deep fried prawns.

Three Spice Chicken

I enjoyed this for the excessive amount of fried ginger and chicken. It would taste really good with a bowl of rice.

House special fried sliced noodle with beef

This is a very classic dish of any Chinese restaurant and it was good. The beef was tender and the noodles had a good bite to it.

Mango Shaved Ice

This mystical dessert was an exciting end to the meal. When the water hits the fdry ice, it’s quite a show. You’ll want to take pictures or even a video. When we went, it wasn’t mango season, so the mango wasn’t fresh. Now that it is in season, it will be super fresh.

Condensed milk thick toast

This was the last item to arrive at the table and it’s not as exciting as the shaved ice.

Final Thoughts

Myst continually adds new items to their menu and its good to see the variety especially if you come with a group with differing tastes. There’s always something for everyone here. Sometimes Myst can get very busy and parking can be a bit tough, but there is parking on the main road.

Address:
6400 Kingsway, Burnaby

Website:
http://www.myst6400.com/

Kosoo Resaurant is a fusion restaurant using typical Korean and Japanese ingredients with French cooking techniques. A very interesting flavour combination but can work well together. The restaurant is located by Cardero and Robson Street in the West End of Downtown Vancouver. They are open for lunch and dinner.

Interior

There are a good amount of tables inside for small to large groups. If you’re in a large group, its best to make a reservation in advance for big groups.

Kosoo Set Menu

The best deal on their menu is their lunch course set for minimum 2 people. It’s a lot of food, but for $15 per person, it’s very good. It comes with:

  • Oyster
  • Mushroom salad
  • Bibimbob balls
  • Kosoo Taco
  • Japchae
  • Sweet and spicy assorted sashimi salad
  • 24 hour pork belly, miso marinated pork belly with salad and pickle
  • Mackerel
  • Beef Soy Bean Paste Soup
  • Kimchi
  • Matcha Creme Brûlée

Caprese

This beautiful dish has tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and a bed of pesto sauce. Very good way to start off the meal, but isn’t what you would normally think would be on the menu.

Tartare Sampler

The sampler comes with beef, tuna and salmon tartare. A good way to taste all three tartares on the menu. I really enjoyed it.

Toro Sashimi

Toro is the deliciously fatty portion of the tuna belly. It’s rich fat content gives it a melt in your mouth texture. The toro is wrapped up in a rose. Just unravel it and eat it with some wasabi and soy sauce.

Gomae

This dish has sauteed spinach sitting a top of a sesame seed dressing. It’s a little bit Japanese and a little bit Korean.

Spicy Tuna Roll

On the base is a California roll topped with seared tuna and jalapeños drizzled with spicy mayo and their secret sauce.

Unagi Roll

This also has a base of California roll but has variations of eel (unagi) and avocado.

For both the rolls, I thought it was ok. Nothing special, but if you’re here and craving sushi, you have options here.

Cheese Chicken Galbi

This is one of their signature dishes and it’s quite popular. It has chicken galbi in the centre with veggies. On the side, there is corn with yam puree and mozzarella cheese.

Tomato Mussel Stew

It has fresh mussels in a broth of Korean spices, prawns and other aromatics. I didn’t really like the taste of the dish as it was salty, fishy and sour all at the same time.

Gambas

This dish has extra virgin olive oil, garlic mussels and prawns. Mussels were on the small side.

Spicy Popeye Gyoza

The crispy gyozas have a spinach cream cheese and prawn inside the crispy wrap.

Drinks

There is beer, wine, cake, soju, and other spirits on the menu. They have recently added Sangria to their menu. They have a Red Wine Bloody Berry and White Wine Fresh Citrus sangrias.

Good for a hot Summer’s day. Fruity, refreshing and sweet.

Final Thoughts

Overall, a unique concept that fuses a variety of cuisines but is predominantly Korean. Their best dishes are those signature dishes like the cheese chicken galbi.

Address:
832 Cardero Street, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.kosoorestaurant.ca/

It’s been a long time since coming to No 1 Beef Noodle House in Burnaby. The last time was about 10 years ago when I was in University. It’s a good, quick and affordable meal.
The only thing that bugs me is the lack of parking. As there are other businesses in the plaza, there are usually no spots at peak hours. I usually park in the residential areas a block away. Just make sure you be careful about the parking regulations.

Interior

The space has been updated, so it’s still modern. Lots of tables for small groups and large groups.

Crispy Salt and Peppery Chicken

A classic item to order here. Since we had a large group, we got this basket to share as an appetizer. You can also turn this into a combo with rice and some side dishes for a meal of your own.

Deep Fried Abalone Mushroom with basil

This was surprisingly very good as well. You have a good amount of the deep mushrooms and they were crispy.

Trio of Marinated Dishes

We got to choose 3 different marinated items for this dish, so we chose marinated eggs, marinated large intestines, and marinated beef tripe. I wasn’t a fan of this dish since I don’t really enjoy intestines but the other people sure did.

Sticky Rice Sui Mai

There are 7 pieces per order and each one if stuffed with sticky rice and then steamed.

House special fried sliced noodles

We got ours with beef and it was a really good item to order. Very tasty, the beef was tender, and I would definitely order this gain.

Classic Japanese Style Egg Fried Rice

A new item on this menu is this dish that is great for sharing or just for one if you’re up for it. It is topped with mayo, bonito flakes, seaweed and an egg.

House Special Mini Lamb Hot Pot

The lamb hot pot comes with rice and 2 sides of veggies. I wasn’t a fan of the hot pot since the lamb had bones in most of the pieces. I would have preferred slices of lamb.

Preserved Egg with Pork Congee

A good classic item if you’re not feeling well. It’s comforting and good.

Beef Noodle Soup

There are a few variations on their beef noodle soup, but we went with their special home style beef shank noodle soup and the tendon & beef noodle soup.

The noodle soup is delicious with depths of flavour in the broth.

If you come here, you definitely need to order this.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s a good place for lunch or dinner, but you need to bring cash as they don’t accept debit or credit cards. The parking lot is atrocious, but if you can get past those 2 things, you’ll enjoy a solid meal at good prices.

We Rate No 1 Beef Noodle House

Address:
741 Willingdon Ave, Burnaby, BC

Website:
http://jynoodle.com/

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

Interior

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

Menu

Soy Garlic Signature Fried Chicken

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

Bibimbap

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

Beer

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

We Rate Bon Chon: 

Address:
104 John St. New York

Website:
https://bonchon.com

There’s a new Irish Pub in Downtown Vancouver and it has taken over the former Ceili’s location. It is Dublin Calling and it has opened its second location in Canada right on the Granville Strip. The first location opened in Toronto in 2015 and has been successful. Dublin Calling will be your new go-to spot to watch the big game and kick back with a few beers and Irish-inspired pub grub with a modern twist. Roman and I checked the place out and here’s a recap of what to expect.

Interior

 

Dublin Calling’s space is large enough to have a group event. There are plenty of TV screens so you can catch the game. In between appetizers, you can enjoy pool, ping pong or darts. We noticed some people lingering in the corner by an arcade game and quickly realized it was a Super Shot Basketball arcade. Roman and I enjoyed challenging each other on it, as we both tried to gain a high score. Too bad we didn’t make any bets since I scored more baskets between the two of us!

Food

We had no expectations for the food as we know that pub food is pretty much standard in terms of what is offered. However, Dublin Calling pleasantly surprised us with what they had. In addition to trying the Shepherd’s Pie Bites, we tried the Roast Beef Stuffed Yorkshire Pudding (with mashed potatoes), Mini Sliders, Fish & Chips and Forest Mushroom Pizza. The Irish-inspired pub grub was tasty. The modern twist was found in dishes like the Pulled-Pork & Mango Pizza. First of all, you don’t expect pizza at an Irish pub. Second of all, I would have never thought to combine pulled-pork and mango together. The savouriness of the pork was complimented well by the sweetness of the mango. It was unexpected, but it was good! We also really liked the Shepherd’s Pie Bites. Can’t go wrong with deep-fried mini Shepherd’s Pie with Guinness bacon cheese sauce! It was the perfect appetizer in a place like this.

Shepherd’s Pie Bites

Roast Beef Stuffed Yorkshire Pudding with Mashed Potatoes

Pulled-Pork & Mango Pizza

You’re sure to be entertained with all the games, TV screens and tasty bites that Dublin Calling has to offer. Just looking for a place to drink? They have a variety of beer on tap too. With the holidays around the corner, this spot is sure to be bustling with work parties and get-togethers. If your looking for a casual spot for a fun night with friends, Dublin Calling is the place.

   

Website:
https://dublincalling.com/vancouver/

Address:
900 Granville St, Vancouver, BC

Bandidas Taqueria has been on Commercial Drive for a long time serving up vegetarian Mexican-inspired cuisine. It’s been a while since my last visit, but it was nice to see they have expanded their space to have more guests.  We came on a weekend and its was pretty busy.

Interior

Lots of tables inside for small to large groups. They don’t take reservations so it’s first come, first serve.

Chips, Salsa and Guacamole

To start off the brunch, we had this to munch on before getting our other dishes. Loved how the dishes were overflowing with salsa and guac.

Breakfast Tacos

There is 3 handmade corn tortillas topped with scrambled eggs, black beans, caramelized onions, roasted tomato salsa, cheese, and sour cream, and served with purple cabbage. I added guacamole for $1.50 extra.

Breakfast Burrito

This has scrambled free-range eggs, pinto beans, roasted tomato salsa, cheese, and sour cream wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla and grilled. Then, you can get this baked with cheese on top. We added roasted yam and potato hash for $2.50 extra.

Ronny Russell Burrito

This has roasted yams, guacamole, black beans, salsa verde, purple cabbage, and toasted pumpkin seeds. Baked and with added cheese too. These burritos are very filling.

Horace “Lefty” Burrito

This has spicy Mexican corn mix, pinto beans, fresh jalapeños, cheese, fresh-cut tomato salsa, sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips. This is also baked and added cheese on top.

Beer

They have a range of local beers on tap. I got a beer and my friends ordered the East Van Radler with Driftwood’s Fat Tug IPA and freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice.

Mimosa

Weekend brunch time calls for mimosas. It comes in a small mason jar, but it’s a good match for brunch here.

Horchata

For something non-alcoholic, they have horchata, which is a Mexican drink made with rice and is flavoured with cinnamon and sweetened with sugar.

Final Thoughts

We Rate Bandidas Taqueria

Address:
2781 Commercial Dr, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.bandidastaqueria.com

Bells and Whistles on Fraser near Kingsway opens up today and we were given a quick preview of their space and menu. I’ve passed by a few times and I was eagerly awaiting their opening since I love beer and food. The neighbourhood is definitely changing and its great to see new options. They have 18 craft beers on tap – local and international, 5 types of soft serve ice cream, and 6 types of burgers in addition to other items.

Interior

I love the interior design and they got it spot on to really cater to their clientele. There are lots of tables, so they can easily seat small to large groups.

There are longer picnic style tables and with the large screen, you can watch different sports games.

They have 3 arcade games by the washroom – skee ball and basketball. 2 of the best retro games.

Menu

Beer and Cocktails
Four Winds x Bells and Whistles

Fours Winds collaborated with Bells and Whistles to create this hoppy ale which is dry-hopped with Denali & Galaxy. A good beer to try that is exclusive to this location.

Southern Belle

This cocktail ha Southern Comfort, iced tea, lemon and club soda. The drink is shaken and the strained over fresh ice. It was a very well balanced drink and since I could drink a ton of iced tea, it was a great alcoholic version.

Purple Haze

This cocktail is mad with Absolut vodka, blueberry juice, Averna, lime and served frozen with an umbrella.

Snacks and Starters

Pimento Cheese Dip

The pimento cheese dip is served with thin pretzel chips, grainy mustard and tiny pickles. Pimento cheese us very comforting but the pretzel chips were pretty fragile when I spread the dip on top. The consistency of the dip is smooth compared to how it is normally made at home, its chunky. A different twist that they put on it.

Fries

Fries are served with an herb aioli. We thought it was a bit unnecessary that they seasoned the fries in addition to having the aioli sauce as it provided enough added flavour.

KFC

This isn’t your normal Kentucky Fried Chicken, it is Korean Fried Cauliflower served with pickled cucumber, green onion and cilantro. If you aren’t a cauliflower fan, you can have it with chicken instead.

Onion Rings

These onion rings are pretty good and is served with tangy honey mustard. Crispy on the outside and the onion is cooked well.

Ahi Tuna Poke

Their ahi tuna poke has green onions, cilantro, cucumber, black and white sesame seeds, and avocado. You get a good portion of tortilla chip too. It’s decent and its a lighter option compared to the other items on the menu. I can never say no to ahi tuna.

Burgers

The Classic

The classic burger has aged cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and their secret sauce. It is served with fries or you can substitute with onion rings, garlic fries, or caesar salad for an extra charge. Their patty is hand-formed and made with a mixture of short rib, brisket, and chuck. They also have gluten-free buns too.

Fat Stevens Sandwich

You will find inside this bun beer-brined chicken, gravy, mayo and crispy fried onions. Really comforting and reminded me of Thanksgiving but with chicken.

The All Day Breakfast

This beast of a burger has maple sausage pork patty, American cheese hash browns, secret sauce and a fried egg. Super comforting and rich. You will really want a beer to go with this.

Soft Serve

Troy Tulo-Whiskey

This has original custard, whiskey caramel, roasted pecans, peach jam, and ice tea crystals. I found the soft serve very soft that it looked melted. Maybe they were having an off night with their machine.

Aaron Fudge

This has their twist soft serve, oreo chunks, strawberry sauce, fudge sauce, rainbow sparkles and marshmallows.

Coco Crisp

There is chocolate sauce, Skor bar crumble, white chocolate and pretzels sprinkled on top. Of the 3 soft serves, I liked this one compared to the other 2.

Twin Sails Stout Float

You have their original soft serve custard with a pour of their Twin Sails stout or porter depending on what that have on tap. If you are a beer lover, you’ll enjoy this combination.

Final Thoughts         

Overall, I’m happy that Bells and Whistles has joined the Fraserhood neighbourhood  and this type of venue was needed to have a great time with friends over beer, cocktails, and wine paired with comforting food. Plus, how can you say no to skee ball and basketball.

We Rate Bells and Whistles

Address:
3296 Fraser St, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.bellsandwhistlesyvr.ca/

The Union is an industrial-chic hub serving creative cocktails and Pan-Asian eats. They have happy hour and weekly features, so my coworkers and I like coming here for celebrations and farewells. Many good late nights have been had here. They have happy hour drink specials and their weekly features. On Wednesday, you get Wings and Beer for $15. Wings and normally $15, so it’s essentially getting a free beer.

Interior

There are long tables for large groups and smaller tables for a more intimate atmosphere.

Menu

  

Indian Masala Wings

These are dry wings using their house curry spices. The exterior is crunchy, but the amount of spices is a bit overwhelming. I tried some of there people’s wings like the Street Hawker Thai and it was delicious.

Beer

With the weekly Wednesday deal, you can choose to have the wings with any Main St Brewing beer. I went with the Main Street Saison No. 7. It has a blend of three Saison yeasts. Light in colour with a golden haze, this Saison shows through with fruity esters, pepper and citrus notes. One of my favourite beers.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s a decent place to go to in Chinatown to have some eats and drinks with friends. It is a bit pricey for some items, but it’s a good atmosphere and the service is pretty good.

We Rate The Union:35rating

Address:
219 Union St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
 http://theunionvancouver.ca/

The Union Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

It’s been 3 years since my last visit to Rajio Japanese Public House and I remember a lot of great nights here but I’m glad I’ve come back for more of their Osaka-style dishes.

Interior

The interior is fun and gives you a mix of traditional and modern feels. The space isn’t very large, but there are a decent number of tables.

Rajio’s Famous Fruit Punch

Their cute punch is served in a fresh watermelon or pineapple. Great for the Summer or what you need a smile on your face.

You cab have it with alcohol or without to customize your experience.

Beer

My favourite beverage to pair with Japanese food is beer as it helps cut the grease off some fried items. Plus, I love how light and refreshing it is.

Craft Ginger Ale

They have their original ginger ale recipe with freshly grated ginger, lime, lemon, and sweet brown sugar. It’s definitely different than the ginger ale at the stores since it has an extra kick of ginger balanced by the brown sugar.

Super Rib Steak

This $38 hug 2lb beef rib steak comes with sharp wasabi and a garlic soy sauce. I’ve always ordered their huge steaks before and they are a joy to eat. It is best to be shared among the table. Super tender and medium rare.

Modern Yaki

This is a featured dish, so it’s not on their permanent menu. It is a combination of Osaka Okonomiyaki and Yakisoba. I liked the concept, but the execution wasn’t ideal. As the dish cooled off, the okonomiyaki portion of it peeled off from the yakisoba hiding underneath. It was also quite rich and heavy compared to some other items that we had.

“Uni Bonara” Sea Urchin Carbonara

This was delicious item with the creamy udon paired with the fresh uni and the ikura. I enjoyed it and it was a good twist on an udon dish.

Y Mommy’s Assorted Oden

I love oden as it’s a warm bowl of comfort. There were so many items in this bowl with a bit of karashi, which is a spicy mustard. Put a little bit in as it really transforms the broth. Add more if you love the stingy wasabi-like feeling.

Chef’s Choice Sashimi

You can choose between 7 or 9 different types of sashimi chosen by the chef. It changes seasonally, but you can always ask ahead what you’ll get.

Hot Stone Crab Bibimbap

In the hot stone bibimbap bowl, there is snowcrab, crab miso, ikura, julienned omelet, shiso and scallions with a drizzle of their original sauce and a bit of ginger.

Kushikatsu

These skewers are Rajio’s signature skewers from Osaka. We got an assorted set with a mix of veggies and meat. One of my favourites are the shiitake mushroom, lotus root and eggplant.

Aburi Shime-Saba Sushi

There is delicious cured mackerel with Hokkaido kelp and vinegar is lightly seared and drizzled with a sesame mustard soy. Delicious and I love the taste of mackerel.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the atmosphere at Rajio is lively and fun. The food at Rajio is solid except for a few small misses in certain dishes.

We Rate Rajio:

Address:
3763 W. 10th Ave.
Vancouver, BC

Facebook:
http://www.rajiopublichouse.com/

Rajio Public House Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Hi Five Baked and Fried Chicken is a 24 hour shop offering locals fried chicken, sandwiches and nuggets anytime of the day. We came here after a long day and wanted to check this place out after hearing about it. With Duffin’s and Church’s Chicken also open 24 hours, we wanted to see how they ranked.

Interior

When you get inside, you order at the counter and then there are a few tables to eat. It kinda reminds me of Church’s chicken since you can see right into the kitchen where they make the chicken.

Fried Chicken

I went for a 3 piece combo with a pop and potato wedges. It came with 2 thighs and a leg. I got 2 original flavours and 1 spicy just to see how it is.

I got 2 thighs and the size of the two I got were inconsistent. One was a good size and the other was pretty small.

I find that the chicken tasted pretty oily and left a heavy taste in our mouths. It was decent, but it didn’t hit the mark when we compared it with the other choices out there.

The potato wedges were ok. Crisp and fresh out of the frier and lots of spices encrusted around it. They gave you a good amount in the box, but I didn’t really care much for it.

Overall, it was a bit below average and with the other 24 hour fried chicken places around, it doesn’t stand out too much.

We Rate Hi Five Chicken

Address:
203 SE Marine Dr, Vancouver

Website:
http://hifive24.com/

Hi Five 24 – Baked and Fried Chicken Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

I went with a few of my foodie friends to the Richmond Night Market and we tried to find some of the most delicious items here. With over 100 food stalls, we only made a tiny dent in comparison to the 500+ food options here. We had grand ambitions, but failed miserably, we are only human. Here are all the stalls we went to.

Chef James Xin Jiang Man BBQ

A familiar stall for those who have been at the Richmond Night Market for several years. They specialize in grilled skewers – lamb, beef, chicken, honey garlic prawns, and a few more types. It’s our favourite place to get the best skewers at this years Richmond Night Market.

Your skewers are freshly prepared, but waiting is no problem as it’s really fun watching them work.

We even made him recreate his signature pose with all the delicious skewers. Spicy lamb, beef and chicken are my go-to favourites. Highly recommended.

Sippy Tea

Sippy tea is super cute as it’s served in a customized ziplock bag…or shall we call it siplock bag? Anyways, inside these bags are iced tea and coffee mix with different flavours your can choose from. It’s a popular drink to have in Hong Kong called Yuenyeung. We got the black tea, jasmine and raspberry-rose flavours. I am a purist, so the classic black tea and jasmine tea is a good choice.

Tabetai Tacos

If you know Cooking with Ben from Instagram, he has opened up 2 stalls at the Richmond Night Market – Ohana Poke and Tabetai Tacos. We went to Tabetai Tacos for their Kakuni (pork belly), Gyutan (beef tongue) and Soft Shell Crab tacos.

Gyutan (beef tongue) taco has a lot of the tender flavourful meat. Usually The taco is pretty hefty, so there are so great texture in here.

Kakuni (pork belly) Taco has sliced apples to balance out the fattiness from the pork belly.

Soft Shell Crab tacos was the hit of the 3 tacos. A healthy portion and love the meatiness of the crab and the crisp batter.

Mamak La

Mac and Cheese Roti with Bacon and Jalapeño comes with 4 pieces to an order. The mac and cheese reminded me of Kraft dinner, but it was amplified by the jalapeño and the put in between thin sheets of grilled roti.

Coco Bomb has Fresh Coco Shell Sorbet Ice Cream. I went with one scoop as I wanted to make sure I had room for all the other stalls. It is then topped with pineapple, corn flakes and chocolate syrup.

Mango Yummy

Sherman went with a classic mango sago pomelo drink. If you’ve been to past night markets or have been to their store, you know they have pretty awesome refreshing drinks.

Soft Serve with Golden Leaf

Turning something basic into a luxury ice cream is what Maggi was eyeing.

Teppan Bossam

Get a taste of Korean pork belly from Teppan Bossam. It is topped with more sauce, sesame seeds, green onions and served with kimchi on the side.

Hand Made Senbei

This famous Japanese street food is from Enoshima, Kamakura. They create this large cracker using high pressure to cook the seafood into this form. There is no oil and its not deep fried.

Bao Bar Sweets

EatwithMao got their favourite soy milk ice cream with chinese donut.

Rain Drop

The raindrop cake has 2 beautiful edible flowers embedded inside. It is  served with a sprinkling of soybean powder called kinako and a sweet syrup. There really isn’t a lot of taste to the raindrop cake as it’s just agar.

Final Thoughts

I love the night market in Richmond, but it is definitely crowded closer to 9pm. When we came here at 7pm, it wasn’t too too busy, but line ups to get inside were long. It’s the place to be this Summer, if you are a food lover. Of all the night markets in Vancouver, this one is the largest and most lively. Make sure to bring cash to avoid extra charges using their ATMs.

Address:
8351 River Rd, Richmond, BC

Websitehttp://richmondnightmarket.com/

Richmond Night Market Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Illumination Summer Night Market is located close to IKEA in Richmond. The different night markets at this location over the years keeps changing to compete with the other night markets in the Lower Mainland. There is a $3 entry fee with complimentary parking and family fun entertainment. But lets be real, everyone goes to the night market for Korean socks and all the different types of food. It runs until September 10th.

There are a handful of stalls selling jewelry, electronics, clothing, and other things here.

There’s a lot of cute areas to take photos with yourself, friends or family.

The area also has a bunch of lights surrounding the night market this the name – Illumination Summer Night Market.

Below are a few different food item you can check out the the Illumination Night Market. There are over 60 food stalls, so tons of food options. We only made it to 30 stalls.

Ice Cream Taiyaki

Gluten Skewers

Dragon Crepe

Mango Slush

Halal Skewers

Spicy Crawfish

Deep Fried Squid and Deep Fried Chicken Nuggest

Bubble Tea

Mocktails

More Skewers and Quail

Cheesy Potato

Dim Sum

Shaved Ice with fruit

Pork Fries

Chengdu Skewers

Chinese Escargot Rice Noodle

Potato Spirals

Bubble Waffles

Fruit Cups

Radish Cake

Salad

Pineapple Juice

Dumplings

Fruity Teas

Korean Bi Bim Bap in Cones

Fresh Watermelon Juice

Szechuan Jerky

Final Thoughts

There are lots of options here and there are less crowds compared to the other night markets. It’s a good location for those who have been to all the other night markets to find the tried and true types of night market eats. The food stalls here are a hit and miss, but I didn’t find any food item outstanding or very innovative. It’s good for families and there’s lots of opportunities to take photos.

Address:
12631 Vulcan Way, Richmond BC

Websitehttps://www.summernightmarket.com/

Illumination Summer Night Market Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Monarch Burger is a completely made from scratch burger restaurant. They are currently operating out of the American on Main St. close to Torafuku, Pizza Farina, and Campagnolo. I tagged along with a friend for their opening night to try these burgers. I am a huge fan of the Dirty Burger at Campagnolo Upstairs, which was originally create by Robert Belcham. When I heard Robert was starting up Monarch Burger, I had to see if the burgers held up to it’s name. They have a happy hour special where you can get a beer and burger for only $12 during 5 – 7pm.

Interior

The space is huge and there are 150 seats in The American. There’s a live DJ, pool tables, foosball, skeeball, and other arcade games. This is the ultimate place to hang out with your friends over some drinks…and now some burgers too.

The mid part of the restaurant has long tables to fit a lot of people. One one side of the restaurant, there is booth seating if you want to be in a more private seating area.

On the other side, there is a whole line up of pinball machines.

There are so many pinball games to play and they are $1 per play, which isn’t too bad, so make sure you bring some spare change.

Familar pinball games like Game of Thrones, Star Trek and Simpsons can be found.

Great for novices and experts. Lights. Lights. Lights.

We even saw a skeeball machine.

Monarch Burger

The menu is pretty simple. Choose your burger and put any add-ons and sides. This place has bar service, so you need to go to the bar to order your drinks and food.

Once you put in your order, they give you a number. Once it’s ready, they will bring out all the food.

Gotta add some drinks to the mix. We went with something lighter instead of cocktails, so we had beer and cider.

Cheeseburger

We got the cheeseburger and it comes with lettuce, tomato, pickles and their secret special sauce. Their beef is sourced from local farmers who pasture raise and tend their animals with care. They then age  the beef for 45 days, grind it fresh daily and hand form every burger. It came to the table very greasy and the cheese was just everywhere. This was definitely a messy burger to eat. The patty was more cooked compared to the Dirty Burger at Campagnolo Upstairs. It was a solid burger but it still doesn’t out do Campagnolo Upstairs.

Double Cheeseburger

Go big or go home. We got the double cheeseburger with an egg and bacon. The fried egg was cooked thoroughly, so there wasn’t as much drippage. Similar with the first burger we had, it was very greasy and you needed a handful of napkins to keep somewhat clean.

Poutine

The poutine was decent but it was a bit heavy handed on the salt.

Kale Caesar Salad

This was delicious. The croutons were airy and crisp. The kale was lightly dressed and topped with parm to give it more dimension. I really enjoyed this and it pairs with the burger nicely.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the burgers could have been less greasy and heavy. I appreciate the use of good fresh ingredients, but it didn’t hit the mark this time. I still prefer Campagnolo Upstairs for their Dirty Burger. The one thing that stood out to me was the Kale Caesar Salad. I still love The American for their awesome space with all the games around the venue.

We Rate Monarch Burger: 

Address:
928 Main St, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.monarchburger.com/


The American Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato