Type Archives - Page 58 of 125

In Cafe

Bluebird Cafe: Coffee in Golden, BC

October 13, 2015

There were beautiful blue skies up on Kicking Horse Resort, but down below in Downtown Golden, it was all covered in fog.

As it was early in the morning, M and I needed a quick place to grab breakfast and some coffee. Our hotel recommended we make a stop at Bluebird Cafe. As it was on the way out of town, we thought it would be a good choice.

On the menu, they make all their items daily from scratch. They also have ready made meals and bagged lunches for those in a rush.

First things first, coffee was a must, so I grabbed a latte and M got an Iced Coffee. The coffee is brewed with Fratello Coffee beans from Calgary Ab.

Brekkie Burrito has scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, hash browns, roasted red peppers, green onion, salsa and sour cream. Also with a slice of orange. M added bacon into his burrito for an extra charge. M loved the mounds of salsa and sour cream on the side. You really can’t have a burrito without those two.

Brekkie Sandwich has scrambled eggs, bacon, cheddar in a grilled english muffin. Simple breakfast to settle the growling stomach.

Overall, it was good for a quick stop. Most people did take out in the early morning. They had good coffee and average breakfast.

We Rate Bluebird Cafe:

Address:
802 9th St N, Golden, BC

Website:
http://www.bluebirdcafegolden.com/

In Golden

Eleven22: Casual Dining in Golden, BC

October 12, 2015

Eleven22 is in the town of Golden, BC just right outside of Banff National Park. We made a stop here for the evening before we continued our road trip adventure. I asked a few locals where the best place for dinner in town was and most of them said Eleven22. Good enough for me.

Their menu is comprised of delicious comfort food. There is street parking in the front of the restaurant.

The atmosphere is very casual and unpretentious.

Complimentary bread arrived at the table with butter. The bread was piping hot like it was freshly baked. It was super hot inside, but it was good when used with the butter because it was super cold and hard.

Steamed Mussels with Chorizo ($14 +$8) uses P.E.I. Mussels, smoky roasted tomato cream sauce, and with a side of house bread. Delicious mussels with that sauce. The chunks of chorizo was nice. I kept dunking all the bread into the sauce.

Daily Pasta ($18) had chicken, peas, wild mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, green peppercorn brandy cream sauce. M loved it so much! He ate it so quickly like he just inhaled it.

Overall, it was a great meal. Prices were reasonable and the food was great. The atmosphere was comfortable and just what we were looking for as we were on our road trip.

We Rate Eleven22:

Address:
1122 – 10th Avenue South, Golden, BC

Website:
http://www.eleven22.ca/

In Cafe

Shuswap Pie Company: Lunch in Salmon Arm, BC

October 10, 2015

Shuswap Pie Company was our next stop on our BC Roadtrip and we wanted to come here since we saw it on You Gotta Eat Here on the Food Network. M was craving pie, so we thought it would be a fitting place to stop by for lunch on the way to our next destination.

Everything they bake is made from scratch on-site with natural ingredients, free from preservatives, mixes, lard and edible oil products.They doing things the old fashioned way; in small batches, using local ingredients.

It was pretty busy during lunch time for a weekday. They definitely have their lunch rush, but it was still easy to get a seat since most people did take out.

Pie is definitely a must, but they also have sandwiches and other monthly features.

Once you order, they give you an animal instead of a table number. It’s quite cute and it works.

Chicken Pot Pie is a staple and had to get it as a baseline indication of how their pies are. We got a side of coleslaw and it was a good item to pair with it.

Inside you will find chicken, carrots, celery, potatoes mushrooms and peas in a savoury blend of fresh thyme, sage and rosemary. M enjoyed it.

Sausage, Apple and Sage Pie was ordered since I was it on You Gotta Eat Here. It sounded like a good mix of ingredients.

Inside you will find English Pork Bangers, fresh apples and sage with a hint of grainy mustard and sour cream. It was ok, but not my favourite. I think the apples threw me off.

Pecan pie was fantastic. No matter where I go, it’s always a must. The crunchy pecan nuts on top with the sweet sweet filling under it. So good.

Overall, the savoury pies were ok, but that pecan pie was delicious. I still prefer some other pie places in Vancouver.

We Rate Shuswap Pie Company:

Address:
331 Alexander Street,Salmon Arm, BC

Website:
http://shuswappiecompany.ca/

In British Columbia

McDonalds Canada: More-Ning McWraps

October 7, 2015

When you go on a road trip, sometimes all there is are fast food restaurants all around you. M and I needed a quick breakfast and saw that McDonalds has their new More-Ning McWraps, where they combine breakfasts and wraps together. Imagine a bigger version of their breakfast burritos.

The packaging is the same as their other mcwraps.

Sausage & Hash Brown More-Ning McWrap has a hashbrown, scrambled eggs, processed cheese and a sausage patty. It was like putting a Sausage n’ Egg McMuffin into a wrap…but with no muffin. Lets be real, this was delicious. Breakfast in a handheld vessel. This one packs a punch at 700 calories. It’s shocking.

Kale and Feta More-Ning McWrap has kale, scrambled eggs, tomato and lots of feta. The kale is quite flat so they probably use a different type of kale. It tastes good too but obviously not as good as the sausage and hashbrown McWrap. It comes at 400 calories, so it is the healthier choice.

If you order a meal, you have the hashbrown to end the meal with. I enjoyed every bite of it.

Have you tried their More-Ning McWraps yet?

In Hotel Review

Manteo Resort: Waterfront Hotel & Villas in Kelowna

October 6, 2015

Manteo Resort is located on the shores of Okanagan Lake in Kelowna. It is minutes from downtown and of course the many wineries in the area. M and stayed here during our road trip across BC for one night. We were looking for a place that had a great view and right on the water.

Manteo Resort offers a “no surprise fee guarantee”, so there are no extra charges for use of amenities, local phone calls, internet, national newspapers and parking. All the parking is outside of the hotel in the rear. When you check-in, they will provide you with a parking pass for your stay.

M and I arrived here 45 minutes early for the check-in at 4pm. They checked us in right away and told us they would give us a call when our room was ready. This wasn’t a problem at all since they had a mini beach that we could relax as we sat on their huge colourful chairs as we waited.

15 minutes later they told us our room was ready.

M and I stayed in the one bedroom premium suite with a lake view. It can fit up to 4 people.

All the rooms have:

Free Wi-Fi
Flat-screen TVs
Duvets, feather beds and feather pillows
Alarm clocks with iPod docking stations
In-room safes
Daily newspaper delivery
Robes
Coffeemakers
Discounted hotel breakfasts at Smack DAB

This particular room also has:

Private bedroom with a King size bed
Living room with double pullout sofa
Fully equipped kitchen and dining area
Private balcony
Business desk
iPod docking station and iPod stereo

At first glance, the decor is a bit dated and all the furniture doesn’t exactly match. I have a feeling the colour of the couch and the blue chair is supposed to mirror their logo as it has blue, red and yellow.

The living room is spacious and great if you have kids.

Their iPod docking stereo is now outdated too. You can only use it on the older generation iPhones. You can also put in a CD if you happen to have one with you.

There’s a kitchen with a stove, microwave, a refrigerator and a Keurig. It’s convenient if you want to cook. For us, it wasn’t really needed since we spent our time eating out at the restaurants in the area. I can see how this would be great if you had kids with you or staying here for more than a night.

They have coffee and tea pods for the Keurig.

They even dropped off some cookies after we got into our room. A nice touch.

The only thing that bothered me about the dining area are the abundance of chairs in the suite. A bit much for the 2 of us, but if we had other people on this trip or kids, I think it would be handy.

From the living room, you can get to the balcony. It has a great view of the Okanagan Lake.

The bedroom has a king sized bed and looks more modern that the living room area.

There’s also a flat screen tv with cable. We spend most of our time watching Food Network.

Pretty basic washroom with one sink in this area.

There is a bath and shower combo.

The products that they have are from h2o+, which is a pretty good brand.

You can section off the bathroom from the toilet room with a sliding door. It’s good for letting others use the toilet when someone is in the shower. This also has its own separate sink.

While you are here, make sure you walk along the dock during the day or night. It takes you pretty far out into the lake, so great for taking photos of the area.

At night, I was able to catch the Super ‘Blood’ Moon at the docks.

Smack Dab is the restaurant inside Manteo Resort and they are open for breakfast buffet, lunch and dinner. They serve up new style classics with bolder flavours. You can grab a drink inside or be sitting outside in the patio. They have a good selection of craft beer with 12 on tap and 20 by the bottle. A good way to celebrate BC and what we make here locally. Don’t worry they also have wine and cocktails too.

They also have a private dining room that seats up to 22 people. Great for large groups if you are here for a family get-together or birthday party.

Not quite sure what else to do here? They have indoor/outdoor pools, hot tubs, kids waterpark, saunas, movie theatre, fitness centre, tennis court, 9 hole putting green, playground, private beach and boat moorage.

Thats a lot of things you can do especially keep the kids entertained or to keep yourself relaxed.

Overall, our stay was great. It was right between downtown and Summer Hill Pyramid Winery. The service was good, beds were comfy, strong wifi signal and it has a fantastic view. The only 2 things that would have been improved would be an update on the living rooms decor, also the cable would cut out a bit in the evenings.

Address:
3762 Lakeshore Road, Kelowna BC

Website:
http://www.manteo.com/

In Lake Country

Gray Monk Winery: Vineyard + Tasting in Lake Country

October 5, 2015

Gray Monk Winery was established in 1972 by George and Trudy Heiss. Today, they have over fifty acres of lush vineyards overlooking Lake Okanagan, which produce some of the world’s finest wines. They have several award-winning VQA wine.

Look at all these awards. So many awards.

They offer Complimentary Winery Tours daily on the hour from 11am to 4pm. It lasts for 45 minutes.

Why wouldn’t you go and explore the breathtaking view. M and I got here at 11:15am and missed the tour.

We headed right to the Wine Shop for the complimentary tastings.

They have all their wines available in the shop:

Odyssey Series

Odyssey Cabernet Sauvignon
Odyssey Red Meritage
Odyssey Merlot
Odyssey Pinot Noir
Odyssey Rose Brut
Odyssey White Brut
Odyssey White Meritage
Odyssey III Port

Estate Series

Cabernet Merlot
Chardonnay Unwooded
Ehrenfelser
Gewurztraminer
Kerner
Merlot
Pinot Auxerrois
Pinot Blanc
Pinot Gris
Pinot Noir
Riesling
Rotberger
Siegerrebe

Latitude 50 Series

Latitude 50 Red
Latitude 50 Rosé
Latitude 50 White

For the complimentary tasting, you can choose from 4 wines from their Latitude and Estate Series. A majority of these wines are white. I didn’t mind since I love white wines. I liked the Gewurztraminer and Riesling.

You can also try their Odyssey Tasting, but it costs 3 wines for $5.00 or $2 per sample. It’s good if you are planning to buy some wine from their Odyssey series but want to try it before you purchase.

The prices are pretty good and very affordable. I would highly recommend Gray Monk for a great tasting wine that won’t break the bank.

They also have their Grapevine Restaurant and Patio. When you’re done your tasting you can enjoy lunch or dinner at their fine dining restaurant.

They are known for the creative and fresh dishes and pairs well with all of Gray Monk’s wines.

Plus, the view from the patio is incredible. Its on a beautiful slope overlooking Lake Okanagan and their vineyard.

So beautiful! We were quite lucky with the weather when we arrived since it was all blue skies.

Overall, one of the most beautiful wineries near Kelowna. It’s worth it!

Address:
1055 Camp Rd, Lake Country, BC

Website:
http://www.graymonk.com/

In Brunch

The Jammery: All Day Breakfast + Lunch in Kelowna

October 3, 2015

The Jammery is located north of Kelowna near Lake Country. They serve up all day breakfast and lunch daily until closing time. I was making my way to Kangaroo Creek Farm and had to stop here for breakfast before continuing on our road trip across BC.

They have also been on an episode on You Gotta Eat Here. The video footage is here.

The restaurant, gift shop and jam production facility is located on 7 acres of agricultural land. It’s surrounded by natural beauty.

You can sit inside or in their newer patio area with large windows so you can see the natural beauty outside.

Coffee is a must. The staff were really nice and diligent about filling these right up. We woke up pretty early to make the long drive to Golden, BC, so we made sure we loaded up on caffeine.

Bacon Cheeseburger has 4 pieces of bacon, two homemade beef sliders and poached eggs on a toasted english muffin smothered in their buttery hollandaise sauce and topped with cheddar cheese. It is served with oven roasted hashbrowns and a slice of orange.

It was pretty interesting to see this as a brunch dish, but it’s quite popular after it appeared on the Food Network. M enjoyed it.

Jammery Favourite! gives you the choice between 1/2 golden waffle or one piece French toast with 2 eggs any style, three bacon or three sausages or honey ham and oven roasted hash browns.

I went with the golden waffle, sunny side up eggs, and sausage. It give you a little bit of everything you need. The waffle was cooked very well and has a crispy texture on the outside.

In their gift shop, they sell their signature jams. Instead of making wine, The Jammery makes a lot of jam.

Overall, it was nice stop on the way to our next journey across BC.

We Rate the Jammery:

Address:
8038 Highway 97, Kelowna, BC V4V

Website:
http://www.jammery.com/

In Farm to Table

Krafty Kitchen + Bar: Casual Farm to Table in Kelowna

October 2, 2015

Krafty Kitchen + Bar is a casual farm to table eatery in Kelowna. They focus on using local Canadian ingredients in their dishes where possible. They also have Kelowna’s only Duck Fat Fryer, so you know their fries will be amazing.

The interior is beautiful and it has an industrial feel to it. They have tables that can seat large groups to small groups.

There is also bar seating if you want to engage with the staff a bit more and see them at work.

Their menu is pretty fun and puts a good spin on classic comfort dishes.

Seasonal Italian Soda is on their menu and the daily flavour that they had was raspberry vanilla. It sounded great, but when we drank it, it fell a bit flat. It could have been a tad sweeter with more bubbles.

The Worlds Most Interesting Fried Cheese comes with 2 pieces of Halloumi cheese, topped with corn, tomato jam and greens. The dish was ok, but we felt the cheese could have been more hot in temperature. It still had good flavours though.

Okanagan Salad comes with greens, stone fruit and chili vinaigrette, goat feta, and toasted seeds + nuts. It was delicious and the toasted seeds + nuts were so good.

Krafty Dinner with Pork Belly arrived at the table. We were surprised the pork belly was so thick and crispy.

I couldn’t stop eating this dish. It was sinfully delicious! It’s the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had. You have to order it with the pork belly.

Market Tart has the base of puff pastry, pesto, fresh tomatoes and creme fraiche.

It was a good twist on pizza with the puff pastry to give the flakey crisp crust.

Overall, the food was good. I wish I had the stomach to try more dishes. The atmosphere was good and it was indeed casual. I enjoyed the Krafty Dinner dish the most.

We Rate Krafty Kitchen + Bar:

Address:
281 Lawrence Ave,
Kelowna,BC

Website:
http://kraftykitchen.ca/

In Kelowna

Mission Hill Winery: Vineyard + Tasting in Kelowna

October 1, 2015

Mission Hill Family Estate welcomes guests around the world to experience winery tours and wine tastings. My second stop in Kelowna was to Mission Hill to take a look at their breathtaking architecture as well as taste some wine.

We drove up a long hill and through some large gates to get into the winery. It definitely has a high-class feel when you walk around the property.

It gave me a sense of a University town when I walked in.

The winery has a vast art collection, including one-of-a-kind sculptures.

To see more of the winery, they do offer tours as most areas are only accessible through tours. I didn’t have a lot of time, so I skipped the tour and went straight to the tasting. They do have different types of tours and you should try to reserve ahead of time.

Terrace Restaurant overlooks the rows of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the vineyard. It is an award-winning restaurant and has been named the top five winery restaurant in the world by Travel + Leisure magazine. Also, 2015 Diners Choice winner from OpenTable.

If you have time and want to indulge, it’s a pretty good choice to have dinner or lunch here.

Instead of dining here, you can bring some snacks with you. You can sit at their tables and just enjoy the surrounding scenery.

To find the tasting room, head past the statue in the fountain. The statue kind looks sad but I love the reflection.

At the Tasting Bar, they offer one complimentary white and one complimentary red wine.

You can also do 4 additional tastings for $8 to try their other wines. I gave the additional tastings a try and split it with M since he only wanted 2 more and I wanted 2 more too. The ice wine stood out as it wasn’t too too sweet.

They even have the World’s Best Pinot Noir.

Overall, it was nice to stop at Mission Hill to get a sense of their wines. Next time when I’m out dining at a restaurant, I’ll remember which wines from Mission Hill are my favourite.

Address:
1730 Mission Hill Rd,
West Kelowna, BC

Website:
http://www.missionhillwinery.com/

In Kelowna

Quails’ Gate Winery: Vineyard + Tasting in Kelowna

September 30, 2015

Quails’ Gate in West Kelowna was our first stop on our BC road trip across the Okanagan. It was highly recommended by friends as they have beautiful views, complimentary tastings and their Old Vines Restaurant.

It is located minutes away from Mission Hill Winery, so make sure you add this to your stops if you are ever in Kelowna.

Once you park in the lot, their Wine Shop is the main centrepiece of the public vineyard. It was built in 2007 and looks modern and beautiful. They have a patio on the second floor, so you can see the stunning views of the Okanagan Lake and their vineyards.

How can you not love this beautiful view? So awesome.

Inside the Wine shop, there are tons of things to buy, but most people gravitate to the tasting bar at the back by the windows.

Complimentary tastings are available everyday. They have one white and one red. When I was here, they offered:

2014 Chasselas – Pinot Blanc – Pinot Gris
2012 Old Vines Foch

2014 Chasselas – Pinot Blanc – Pinot Gris is their most popular white wine. I quite enjoyed it, its fresh and fruity. Great for the summer.

2012 Old Vines Foch has black ripe cherry, milk chocolate with notes of toasty vanilla. I’m not a red wine drinker, but M did enjoy it.

If you want to keep on trying more wines, they have Tasting flights, 3 choices for $5. But, it’s waived if you buy 2 or more bottles of wine.

You can choose from:

2014 Dry Riesling
2014 Chenin Blanc
2014 Gewurztraminer
2014 The Bench Pinot Gris
2013 Quails’ Gate Chardonnay
2013 Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay
2014 Rose
2013 Quails’ Gate Pinot Noir
2013 Stewart Family Reserve Pinot Noir
2013 Quails’ Gate Merlot
2013 Stewart Family Reserve Old Vines Foch

All the wines they have for the tastings are available to purchase. I bought 2 bottles and got the tasting fee waived.

They also do private winery tours for at least 10 people. Since it was just M and I. We just wandered around their vineyard and looked around.

Grapes! It was cool to see them on their vines.

There is also have a picnic area if you brought your own lunch. The view is great too.

Overall, it was a great stop along the Winery Trail in Kelowna. There’s lots of vineyards to see, so make sure you pace yourself and not get too drunk.

Address:
3303 Boucherie Rd,
Central Okanagan, BC

Website:
http://quailsgate.com/

In Kelowna

Old Vines Restaurant: Dining at Quails’ Gate Winery

September 29, 2015

Quails’ Gate Winery is located in West Kelowna and is a beautiful vineyard right by Okanagan Lake. Their wine ship is the centrepiece at the estate, which houses their tasting bar and gift shop. Complimentary tastings are available daily, year round. They also do additional flight tastings and tours.

Old Vines Restaurant is just located on the left side of the Wine Shop. Their menu highlights the abundant resources of the Okanagan Valley.

M and I were quite hungry driving from Vancouver, so we made this our first meal on our Kelowna adventure.

We came at the end of September, so sitting outside was a tad chilly around noon. This didn’t stop other groups from soaking in the sun and the beautiful view.

Sitting inside is equally as beautiful. Just ask for a seat by the window.

Their wines are available on their menu. If you aren’t too familiar with them, maybe you should do the wine tasting in their wine shop prior before dining here.

2014 Dry Riesling (5oz -$8) has a crispy and zesty taste. You can notice the subtle notes of honeysuckle, lime cordial, and orchard fruits. I mainly got this since it pairs well with the crab cakes appetizer.

Sparkling Lemonade is non-alcoholic and made by Boylan Soda. M said it was good.

Dungeness Crab Cakes ($19) has shaved fennel & apple slaw and a buttermilk “rémoulade” dressing.

This crab cake is packed with crab and no filler. Very good! It is quite pricey for an appetizer, but when on vacation, you gotta indulge.

Farm Crest Chicken ($24) is served with pattypan squash, creamy polenta, and chicken jus. They suggest pairing it with the 2013 Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay. The chicken was juicy and had a nice char on the outside.

Cache Creek Natural Dry Aged Beef Burger ($24) has a Tiger Blue dressing, Spanish onion, Brassica aioli, and bacon. It is served with fries. They suggest a pairing with their 2013 Merlot. The burger patty was cooked to a medium rare. Good tasting burger, but it was pricey for a burger.

Overall, the food was good, but pricey. It is expected since it is a restaurant on a vineyard. We wanted to dine here as a treat to ourselves. The view from the restaurant is beautiful.

We rate Old Vines Restaurant:

Address:
3303 Boucherie Rd,
Central Okanagan, BC

Website:
http://quailsgate.com/restaurant/

In British Columbia

A&W Canada: Maple Chipotle Burger

September 28, 2015

A&W Canada just released their Maple Chipotle Burger available as a Papa Burger, Mama Burger and Grandpa Burger. It is made of pure beef patties, sesame seed bun, processed cheddar cheese, A&W seasoning, bacon, chipotle mayonnaise, maple barbeque sauce, pickles, crispy onions, and raw onions.

Maple Chipotle Mama Burger is what I got as it has a single patty. I really loved the taste of maple that comes through the sauce and it wasn’t very sweet at all which worked for the burger. I really enjoyed it and I would order it again.

Maple Chipotle Papa Burger was what M ordered since he wanted a little extra meat in his meal. He also echoed similar comments about the sauce.

Overall, the flavours really work together! Love it.

Website: http://www.aw.ca/

In Granville Island

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant: Dining on Granville Island

September 27, 2015

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant is located on Granville Island right by the public market. They are best known for their selection of fresh Oceanwise seafood, which is sustainable and ethically caught.

They can seat up to 300 people in their space and you can see the Granville Street Bridge and False Creek.

Zomato hosted an intimate meetup in their private room for a few of their foodies and bloggers that use their site. It was a good chance to meet new foodies and of course enjoy some delicious eats.

Everyone else had a nice looking cocktail but I was a rebel and asked for a beer. I quite enjoyed the beer with the different arrays of seafood and fried items.

Raw Oysters were the first to arrive. It came with a vinaigrette sauce, horseradish, hot sauce and lemons. The oysters were shucked well so there were so bits of debris in it. They also do testing on their oysters to make sure they are free from any illness.

Ahi Poke has scallions, sesame seeds, sesame oil, soy, and a garlic chili sauce. This dish was quite heavy on the sesame oil and was quite salty from the soy sauce.

Seafood Croquette comes with a chili lime aoili sauce. There’s a lot of seafood packed inside and it was cooked well so the outside is super crunchy.

Wok Squid has garlic, chilis, onions, cilantro and ginger. It was ok, but could have used a but more chili.

California Roll and Special Scallop Roll both had very fresh ingredients but taste ok as well. It was odd how it was served with ginger and wasabi but no soy sauce. Maybe they forgot to bring it.

Sandbar Tower has jumbo prawns, oysters, clams, mussels, crab, lobster, with housemade cocktail sauce. It’s a delicious tower with plenty of seafood. A real west coast feast.

Dragonboat Platter has bbq ribs, fried oysters, spicy green beans, and wok squid.

Chocolate truffle cake, white chocolate cheesecake, lemon pie, Belgian chocolate pudding, and creme brulee.

It was all pretty darn awesome! We loved every bite of the dessert platter. My favourites were the Chocolate truffle cake and the Belgian Chocolate Pudding.

Assorted Cheese Plate 4 different types of cheese to end the meal.

Overall, the food was delicious and fresh. For the dishes that had more asian influences, those dishes fell a bit flat and needed some more refinement to them. My favourite part was the seafood tower and the Belgian chocolate pudding.

We Rate Sandbar Seafood Restaurant:

Address:
1535 Johnston St, Creekhouse #102
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.vancouverdine.com/sandbar

In American

reLiSH Gourmet Burgers on Commercial Drive

September 22, 2015

reLiSH Gourmet Burgers on Commercial Drive opened in the Summer serving the community with yummy burgers. The restaurant comes from the East Coast of Canada – New Brunswick. They also have another location on Davie street and will soon open another in North Vancouver.

M suggested we eat burgers for dinner since it was National Cheeseburger Day. Since I didn’t want to make dinner, I happily agreed.

The Great One ($8.96) has cheddar cheese, bacon, and roasted garlic mayonnaise in the sesame and poppyseed bun. I got it with the angus beef patty and it was pretty delicious. I love the char on the patty.

Beefeater Onion Rings ($4) didn’t come with very many on the side, but they were surprisingly delicious. It was the right amount of batter on the onion rings. Very crispy texture on the outside.

The Italian Stallion ($9.95) has tomato basil marinara sauce, Italian sausage, and mozzarella. M chose the angus beef patty to go with this. The Italian sausage was cut quite thinly, so it was really hard to get a balance of it with the patty. Still, nonetheless, M loved the burger. The burger was put together nicely and I was surprised it wasn’t too messy to eat.

reLiSH Green Peppercorn Poutine ($6.45) the poutine comes as a side and it was also a bit small for the price. The fries were nice and crisp, but it could have used more gravy and cheese.

Overall, the burgers were pretty tasty, but when you add the side to it, it can get pricey. The sides could be a little bit bigger too.

We Rate reLiSH Gourmet Burgers:

Address:
2290 Commerical Drive, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.relishlife.com/

In Chinese

Kirin Starlight: Dim Sum near New Westminster

September 21, 2015

Kirin Starlight is our families go to place for Dim Sum. Since we live in Burnaby, it’s convenient for us to drive to on the weekend. They have several other locations throughout the Lower Mainland.

It gets pretty packed around noon, so make sure you have a reservation or else you might be waiting around 30 mins – 1 hour for a table.

When you get seated, they ask you what type of tea you would like. I usually get Jasmine tea or oolong tea.

Golden Sand Tofu is one of my favourite dishes. It is soft and silky on the inside with crispy exterior and sprinkled with salty bits on top. M always asks for this item at Dim Sum since it’s the one of the few items he can say in Chinese.

Shimp Dumplings (Har Gow) is a must order item. It comes in 4 pieces in the bamboo steamer.

Pork and Shrimp Sui Mai is another must. It also comes in 4 pieces and is a mixture of pork, shrimp and mushrooms.

Make sure you use the XO sauce for the dumplings. It’s pure magic and quite addictive.

Beef Rice Noodle Roll has minced beef in the centre and wrapped with the rice roll. You can pour soy sauce all over to bring it out some more flavour. They also have this in a shrimp version too.

Congee is a great item to order. Its like a soupy rice dish with different protein inside. There’s a lot of different versions too.

Zhaliang is a Chinese donut wrapped in rice noodle. Similarly to the beef rice roll. above. It is topped with pork floss and green onions. You get 2 sauce to dip it into – hoisin sauce or sesame paste.

Spare Ribs with black bean sauce comes in a bamboo steamer. It’s another popular item to order at dim sum. It does have bones in it

Sticky Rice (Lo Mai Gai) wrapped in lotus leaf comes with 3 piece. It’s really good and inside you have things like chicken, shitake mushrooms, preserved Chinese sausage, scallions, and dried shrimp.

Custard buns are a treat at the end of the meal. The filling is a sweet yolk filling inside. It’s super hot, so make sure you don’t bite into it right away. Sometimes these sell out, so if you are dining here later in the afternoon, you may be out of luck.

Most of the food was good, but its is slightly more expensive than other Dim Sum restaurants in Vancouver.

We Rate Kirin:

Address:
Starlight Casino, 350 Gifford Street, Metro Vancouver

Website:
www.kirinrestaurants.com/index.php5?page=starlight

In Bubble Tea

Chatime: Best Bubble Tea in Richmond

September 20, 2015

Chatime is a bubble tea cafe located all over the world. I remember seeing it in Asia when I was travelling a few years ago. They differentiate themselves from competition by using fresh tea. They don’t use pre-made teas or powdered flavourings.

I came with a few friends to their Richmond location near Blundell Road.

The space is quite large compared to their downtown location. There are more tables and chairs.

Roasted Milk Tea with Grass Jelly is my favourite drink here. I get it with less ice and slight sugar. I’ve never had a bubble tea that I went this crazy for. It has a unique flavour that isn’t like your typical milk tea.

Brown Rice Green Milk Tea is my second favourite item. It has a very subtle flavour of rice. It reminds me of those Korean rice drinks. I also got less ice and slight sugar.

Thai Milk Tea is a new flavour they introduced at the beginning of September. It has a unique flavour and I also got it less sweet since it’s made with condensed milk, which is sweeter.

They also have a Thai Coffee Milk Tea, which is highly recommended with their coffee jelly.

Overall, if I had to have their roasted milk tea and brown rice green tea everyday of the week, I’ll be one happy lady. It’s been a long time since I’ve found a place that I just adore.

We Rate Chatime Richmond:

Address:
9100 Blundell Road, Richmond

Facebook:
http://www.ichatime.com/

In irish

Dubh Linn Gate: Irish Pub in Vancouver

September 19, 2015

Dubh Linn Gate is an Irish pub that recently opened in Vancouver close on Main and Terminal. They also have their original location in Whistler.

I was pretty excited when it opened because it’s only a few minutes from my office. This area around False Creek is definitely growing with new restaurants and breweries popping up.

The interior is quite cozy. There are long tables, booths, a bar. Even with their high ceilings, they were able create a nice vibe here.

The decor is nice and there so many little trinkets that will make you bring you back to Ireland.

The menu is the same for lunch and dinner.

Beermosa is on special between 3pm – 6pm for $4.75. I quite like this as its light and easy to drink.

Also for their daily happy hour, they have the House Lager for $4.75

Chip n Dips (Large – $7) comes with a bowl of fries and your choice of garlic mayo, sour cream and chive dip. The fries are quite addictive and to munch on, plus the dips are tasty too.

Banger and Mash ($16.50) has Two Rivers produced custom Guinness infused pork banger, served with creamy mash, pale ale onion gravy and topped with a crispy sage leaf.

Guinness Burger ($16.50) has 6oz St. Helen’s beef burger on a brioche bun with Guinness cheddar, roast garlic mayo, stout bbq sauce, lettuce, pickled red onions and tomato. The burger was delicious and the beef patty had a very nice flavour to it. Fries were great too.

Steak and Guinness Pie ($16) has AAA Alberta beef cooked tender in rich Guinness gravy with spuds and carrots, baked bubbly with a flaky golden pastry top. This comes out piping hot, so make sure you don’t bite into it right away. It stay hot for a long time.

I find the drinks and food great, but the value you pay is a bit on the higher side for a pub. An entree is around $16 – $25, which is a bit much even for lunch. They don’t have any daily specials except for drinks. $14 for wings as an appetizer makes me sad.

We Rate Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub:

Address:
1601 Main Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://vancouver.dubhlinngate.com/

In Coquitlam

Hearthstone Pizza: Build Your Own Pizza with Unlimited Toppings

September 17, 2015

Hearthstone Pizza is located in Port Coquitlam close to Michaels. They serve up thin crust pizza where you have the choice to build your own with unlimited amounts of toppings for a flat rate.

There are lots of seats in the shop, but all the magic happens up at the front counter.

You get to choose between 2 sizes – small ( 9 inch – $6.95) or regular (11 inch – $8.95). The ones pictured above are smalls. After you select your dough, you can choose any of their sauces, cheeses, meat and vegetables.

Sauce:
red sauce, white sauce, olive oil

Cheeses:
mozzarella, low-fat mozzarella, feta, ricotta, parmesan, blue cheese

Meats:
pepperoni, spicy pepperoni, grilled chicken, ham, meatballs, anchovies, italian sausage, bacon bits

Veggies:
mushrooms, pineapples, spinach, garlic, red onions, green onion, black olives, tomatoes, banana peppers, red peppers, green peppers, basil, jalapeno, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, zucchini, onions, capers, cilantro

Post-bake sauces:
pesto, hot sauce, EVOO, roasted red peppers, black pepper, BBQ sauce

They evenly distribute the toppings so each slice will have a taste of each topping. We piled on a lot of toppings, but they did a good job making sure it would still be enjoyable without a mound of toppings.

Once its all put together, you get to sit back, relax, and watch your pizza bake in the 600 degree open hearth wood stone oven. It takes about 4 minutes to bake.

Once it comes out of the oven, the crust is crispy with a slight char. You can ask them to have less char, but we asked them to keep it in longer so it can get really crispy. I love a good crispy crust.

Meat Lover pizza has pepperoni, meatballs, mozzarella and red sauce. It could have used a bit more meat, but if you overload it with toppings, the centre will go limp and soggy.

I like their signature pizza selection since you don’t have to build it yourself. I am indecisive sometimes, so it stresses me out building a pizza since I don’t really know what would go together.

Margherita Pizza has tomatoes, garlic, basil, mozzarella, and red sauce. We chose this as it is always a good baseline of how a pizza tastes. Of course it isn’t an authentic margherita pizza, but it was ok. I wasn’t a fan of the tomato slices.

This pizza was made by Sherman, he went with white sauce, mozzarella, blue cheese, chicken, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, artichokes, basil, bacon bits, and pesto. This combination was a lot better than what I built, I think because of the white sauce.

I went with the red sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, Italian sausage, mushrooms, pesto, meatballs and olive oil.

Overall, I enjoyed the pizza. I’m a sucker for thin crispy pizza. It’s not authentic Neapolitan pizza, but they aren’t trying to be like that. I enjoyed the experience and it was good. I can imagine it would be fun bringing kids here so they can build their own meal with all the silly topping combinations that they can come up with.

We Rate Hearthstone Pizza:

Address:
2755 Lougheed Highway, Port Coquitlam

Website:
http://hearthstonepizza.com/