Type Archives - Page 89 of 125

In Gastown

Rodney’s Oyster House: Gastown

April 29, 2013

Rodney’s Oyster House has opened a new location in Gastown. The have taken up the space of Cobre that used to be there. They have the same items like their Yaletown location. My coworkers and I came here for their happy hour from 4pm till 6pm. Oysters are $1.50 and their other items are on special too.

The interior is decorated similarly to their other location and has 2 floors too. They servers are really nice and know how to make their guests at home.

Complementary bread comes to the table with a lump of butter.

Zydeco Stew aka Caesar ($10.25) it contains the usual stuff with fresh grated horseradish and topped with a lemon and a huge shrimp. It was a really good caesar and the shrimp was fantastic.

Low Tide Oysters ($1.50) can vary in variety when ever you go. These were from Denman Island and are somewhat similar to a Fanny Bay Oyster. I found that this time around, they shucking wasn’t done as cleanly, so there were bits of shell when I ate some of them.

When the oysters arrived, it came with a whole platter of sauces – Worchester sauce, 2 types of Tabasco sauce, vodka pepper sauce, and 4 of their house sauces. If you want to burn in pain, try using the ‘back from hell’ sauce.

Pan Fried Oysters ($16.95), which are freshly shucked oysters, breaded and fried. They also some with tartar sauce and lemons for taste. Delicious as always and the oysters are a good size. The oysters are different kinds than the low tide ones as you can tell these are super long in size. This dish was ordered after the happy hour, so it was quite expensive.

Overall, the quality of good is great, but it will be quite expensive when it’s not happy hour. The only problem we had were the bit of sediments or shell that was left in the shell when we ate it. They usually shuck really well, but I guess I came on an off day.

We Rate Rodney’s Oyster House Gastown:

Address:
52 Powell St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.rohvan.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=52+Powell+St+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=52+Powell+St,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6B+2J1&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Four Beakers

Nuba Yaletown: Najibs Special and Beef Brochette

April 28, 2013

Nuba Yaletown is located on Seymour and Davie Street. If you are a fan of the Nuba chain of restaurants, this location is equally as good. Since Flo moved in across the street, we wanted to search for some dinner close by. When turning on the Urbanspoon App, we discovered this was literally half a block away.

They sell amazing Lebanese cuisine and fresh juices.

The interior is very different from the other Nuba’s. It’s smaller and structured more for take out orders. There are a few tables, but can get quite busy during peak hours.

Najib’s Special ($11.25) is crispy cauliflower tossed with lemon and sea salt, served with tahini. It also has hummus, salad, pickled cabbage, olives, pita and your choice of organic brown rice or roasted potatoes. I usually choose the organic brown rice. This item was very delicious as usual and is one of the most popular items. It’s vegetarian and gluten free.

Beef Brochette ($13) has a local grass-fed beef skewer and served with tahini sauce. It is also has hummus, salad, pickled cabbage, olives, pita and your choice of organic brown rice or roasted potatoes. Flo chose the brown rice for her dish. The beef was nice and tender and was super delicious.

Overall, food at Nuba is always great. The ingredients are fresh and the portions are good. I particularly like this location because they serve the lunch time items for dinner. I much prefer the lunch time items over dinner as the prices are better and its more of individual portions.

We Rate Nuba Yaletown:

Address:
1206 Seymour St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.nuba.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=1206+Seymour+St+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=1206+Seymour+St,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6B+3N6&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Downtown

Street Meet Food Truck: Mushroom Soup and Risotto Balls

April 27, 2013

Street Meet Food Truck is located on Pender and Burrard. It’s quite close to Burrard Skytrain. The chefs are very focused in providing great food while being as sustainable as possible in everything they do. They try to use local ingredients in their food and have gluten-free options too.

I came here during a lunch break with my coworker to grab something back to the office. They were raving about the risotto balls and I just had to join in the fun.

Wild Mushroom Soup ($3) has local mushrooms, cream and truffle. It’s smells amazing once you open the lid. They claim it’s ‘the best mushroom soup ever’ and it’s definitely great soup but could have more mushroom chunks. I really wish they had larger portions. I could drink this all day. I am a huge mushroom fan.

Crispy Risotto Balls ($5) is stuffed with homemade Italian sausage, and basil aioli. It comes with 2 pieces and it’s a great size if you don’t want a huge meal. It’s also good to split among 2 people. The exterior is nice and crispy and the inside is oh so delicious.

Tuna Nicoise Salad ($12) has Ocean Wise seared local BC albacore tuna, organic mixed greens, pickled beans, tomatoes, olives, egg, kettle chips, potatoes and dijon vinaigrette. This salad has everything, so many ingredients. It tasted alright but I felt there was too much sauce on the salad. Perhaps I will have the sauce on the side. Other than that, it was good.

Overall, really great food and different from some of the other food trucks in town. They also sell Cannoli’s but they weren’t available on the day we came here. Must make a return visit! Their location varies, so best to follow they on twitter – @StreetMeetTruck.

We Rate Street Meet:

Website:
http://streetmeettruck.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=burrard+street+and+pender+street&hl=en&sll=49.280328,-123.11844&sspn=0.100562,0.244446&hnear=Burrard+St+%26+W+Pender+St,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia&t=m&z=16 “]

In British Columbia

Tim Hortons: New Thick Cut Bacon?

April 26, 2013

Tim Hortons recently introduced their new Thick Cut Hickory Smoked Bacon on March 12, 2013. They have really made a large push to show their customers that their bacon has changed. They even created a bacon mascot called ‘Evan‘ to personify it’s change.

I do frequent Tim Hortons on a regular basis as it is a block away from work. I do admit, sometimes I can have a love affair with bacon. I always order the same thing….the Turkey Bacon Club with a soup and a double double. Luckily, I happen to come here before and after they made the bacon switch. Lets see if there is really a difference in their bacon.

March 11, 2013 – Tim Hortons

I Instagram every meal, so even if I don’t blog about it, I have a log of what I eat. The Turkey Bacon Club with Turkey and Wild Rice Soup with a double double.

As we take a closer look at the bacon, there are 2 strips and stacked up in the center. Looks pretty firm as well. I remember it tasting like any other TIm Hortons experience. Decent and got me through the afternoon.

April 09, 2013 – Tim Hortons

This time I had the Turkey Bacon Club with Turkey and Chicken Noodle Soup with a double double. From this time, you can definitely see more of the bacon protruding out, but thats not a clear sign of the bacon being any better or thicker.

This time around, the staff made the sandwich a little bit sloppy. The bacon is more visible, but it’s clearly not as cooked as before. It’s for flimsy. I like my bacon harder.

From another angle, you can see the bacon is still quite thin. If the new bacon is going to be thicker, it really doesn’t show.

I am going off my experiences from this particular location in Vancouver. It didn’t resemble the imagery of the bacon on their promotions and the taste of the overall sandwich was the same.

Do you find any difference with their bacon during your experience?

In Chinatown

Finch’s Market: This Place Be Hipster

April 17, 2013

If you have ever heard of Finch’s in Downtown Vancouver, you will love their sister restaurant – Finch’s Market. They have been open since December 2012 serving up their delicious sandwiches and salads. It’s located on East Georgia and Jackson Avenue in the heart of Strathcona. It is literally in a residential area, so it can be a tad difficult to navigate from Chinatown if you don’t have a map.

I came here with my coworker and we were so amazed by the neighbourhood. The houses are quite beautiful and reminded us of houses we would see in San Francisco. If you are going to Finch’s Market, do take the time and look around the area.

Given the location is quite out of the ordinary, the vibe of the restaurant is quite calm and enjoyable for lunch. What is so unique about Finch’s Market is the small selection of local produce and ingredients. You can find spices and baking ingredients. You can enjoy lunch and also grab some ingredients for dinner, whether it be milk, cinnamon sticks or some cane sugar.

You will definitely notice their large shelf full of items too. From pasta to hot sauce. There is a lot of the out of the ordinary items you won’t find at larger grocery stores.

They have baked goods too but we were here for the sandwiches and salads. muhahahaha.

They also have this weird coffee contraption too.

Water in mason jars.

Pear Baguette has prosciutto, roasted walnuts, oil, vinegar and blue brie. My coworker loved it! You wouldn’t normally think these ingredients go well together, but they do!

Avocado and Walnut Salad comes with tomatoes, cucumbers with a balsamic dressing. It also comes with bread. The salad was very filling and held up to the same standard as the other Finch’s.

Overall, we both left full and happy. It was a lovely surprise to see such a restaurant in Strathcona. The prices are a bit pricey, closer to the $10 mark, but it’s good food.

We Rate Finch’s Market:

Address:
501 E. Georgia St
Vancouver, BC

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=501+E.+Georgia+St+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=501+E+Georgia+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6A+3E1&gl=ca&t=m&z=14 “]

In Fast Food

Arby’s: Loaded Curly Fries

April 15, 2013

Whenever we’re at the food court, we kinda like to see what new products are being created by fast food chains. It’s kind of a weird obsession of mine. Also, Arby‘s is one of my favorite fast food chains. Seriously, those curly fries are so good. I’m sure you know what I mean. Who can make curly fries better than Arby’s?

There is only 1 country that McDonalds sells curly fries and that’s in the Philippines…but they call them twister fries.

They just introduced the Loaded Curly Fries. It has Arby’s signature curly fries, topped with creamy cheddar cheese sauce, sour cream and bacon bits. At first, I was quite skeptical of this item, it’s like a weird version of a baked potato but with curly fries.

I didn’t really notice too much amazement from the additional toppings since the curly fries are still the main spectacle of the dish.

Have you tried the Loaded Curly Fries yet?

In Canadian

Mosaic Bar & Grille: Local, Sustainable, Creative, and Delicious.

April 14, 2013

I was invited to Mosaic Bar and Grille by Chef Thomas Heinrich to explore their amazing cuisine. They specialize in locally sourced produce, sustainable seafood and choice ingredients with careful and creative preparation. When you look at their dishes, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Mosaic is located inside the Hyatt Vancouver Hotel on the 2nd floor. It is easily missed if you come out from the Burrard Skytrain. It’s right above Grain Tasting Bar.

When you sit by the window, you get a great view of Georgia Street and Burrard.

Right now, they have teamed up with Vaneats.ca to create a 3 course dining pass for only $22. Seriously, it a really good deal!

We start off with complementary biscuits that arrive as you wait for your meal. Good bite-size pieces and you can always ask for more.

Spring Creek Beef Carpaccio has 15 thinly sliced pieces topped with fried capers, crispy chives, castillo de canena smoked olive oil, and a 68-degree yolk.

It was really good! If you’ve ever had beef carpaccio, this will blow you away! The crispy capers and chives add an amazing texture to the savoury beef slices. Highly recommended!

Pork Jowl lays on top of pickled radish, and snow peas. The dish has a galbi marinate sauce drizzled around the dish. The dish is garnished with crisp lotus roots and edible flowers. The pork jowl was deliciously fatty and super tender.

Local Seasonal Spring Salad looks amazing. Probably one of the prettier salads I’ve seen in a while. The greens are very fresh and you can definitely tell they put a lot of care into sourcing the ingredients. The housemade sheep milk ricotto and the citus/mustard dressing liven the dish.

Warm a la Minute Smoked Skuna Bay Salmon arrives on your table with a dome-shaped cover. Insides the dome is smoke. When they remove the dome, the delightful smokey smell envelop your senses.

Once the cloud of smoke goes way, you will see the salmon, avocado terrine, maple matured sherry bourbon oak vinegar gel. The presentation is really amazing, so it was hard to take the first bite out of it. You can tell the restaurant puts so much love into their food. Each item is beautifully arranged. Highly recommended!

Grilled Skuna Bay Salmon lays on a bed of British peas and topped with a lemon foam. The salmon was beautifully cooked, so the center was very juicy and tender. I usually don’t liked cooked salmon, but they do a fantastic job!

Oceanwise Long Line BC Gray Cod has a bed of baby bok choy, shiitake mushrooms surrounded by a dashi broth. The combination of all the items have it a bit of an Asian flare to the dish.

8 hour braised short rib with BC foraged ramps, sweet onions, and morel mushrooms. The meat is tender and the morel mushrooms was a treat to devour.

Lamb Medallions were cooked nicely with fresh greens on the side.

Mosaic Chocolate Cake is their signature triple layer cake. This cake has been with Mosaic for years and years and year. The recipe has never changed and will probably be there for more years to come. Anyone that comes here raves about how huge this cake it. I’ve had this twice and it’s quite hard to finish. But have no fear, there is always a takeout box for it.

Banana Split is huge! There is caramelized banana, vanilla ice cream, almond brittle, chocolate sauce and fresh fruit. What I love about Mosaic is that their desserts aren’t small.

Overall, I loved my experience at Mosaic. After this experience, I came back with a bunch of my friends with 11 Vaneats dining passes. They all loved it too. 3 courses for $22 is totally worth it because a regular entree is a about $20. I would go back again for special occasions and pay regular price. I am usually not impressed by fine dining, but I’ve enjoyed my 2 visits to Mosaic and was not disappointed.

Words of Wisdom:

Steps away from Burrard Skytrain
Free Mosaic Chocolate Cake on your birthday
Beef Carpaccio is a must!
Great service

We Rate Mosaic:

Address:
655 Burrard St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://vancouver.hyatt.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=655+Burrard+St+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=655+Burrard+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6C+2R7&gl=ca&t=m&z=14 “]

In BBQ

Friend’s BBQ Restaurant: Just Stay Away

April 12, 2013

Friend’s BBQ Restaurant is a new restaurant in the former location of Mui Garden on North Road. We came here thinking it would be a BBQ place where we could grill our own meats. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. They specialize in HK style food similar to Mui Garden but has an emphasis on the BBQ meats like crispy roasted pork or BBQ duck.

As we entered, a majority of the decor was the same as Mui Garden but a few little changes here and there. When we sat down, we immediately knew the place was going to be bad. Even though the restaurant was fairly empty, we had a really hard time flagging down a server to take our order. They all congregated by the cashier and one of the managers were eating in the hallway near the kitchen and washrooms. We thought this was a strange sight.

When one of the servers finally took our order, they forgot all the drinks that we ordered. So, we had to get another server to grab us our drinks. Instead of getting the drinks, they gave us a receipt… and the drinks came about 10 minutes later. The food took another 45 minutes to arrive. All we ordered were BBQ meats that are already cooked….so we were very confused why putting rice on a plate and chopping up BBQ meat would take that long.

Daily Soup came with our order of 3 BBQ meats on rice. It was a nice touch since it makes it more of a complete meal. The soup was good and had lots of beef and radish inside.

3 BBQ meats on rice ($8.50) took 45 minutes to arrive. By 8pm, they only had 3 meats left so we had no options to choose from. We really wanted BBQ Roasted Pork or BBQ Duck, but that wasn’t available. We had the BBQ Pork, Soy Chicken and Ribs. The quality of meats were passable, but not as delicious as some other places in town. It was a bit tough and riddled with lots of bones. Rice was very dry. I would still say T&T has better BBQ meats.

Red Bean Soup came at the end of the meal. It wasn’t very sweet, which I liked.

Overall, the prices are decent and the amount that you get will surely fill you up. I usually can handle crappy service, but the service was down right BAD. The servers took inaccurate orders, food took too long to arrive, and very inattentive. When we wanted to grab the bill to pay, none of the servers turned around from the cashiers area. We decided to go up and pay. As we paid with debt, the machine declined the card. Then we tried credit card and it declined the card too. The machine flashed “Cannot connect to base”. The server said the machine worked fine and didn’t believe us that it was the machine. So we just paid cash and left. With so many restaurants in the area, you can go elsewhere.

Words of Wisdom:

Quality not as good as Mui Garden
Horrible service
Decent prices and set meals
Not open on Wednesdays

We rate Friend’s BBQ Restaurant:

Address:
4327 North Road
Burnaby, BC

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=4327+North+Road+Burnaby,+BC&hnear=Bikram+Yoga+Burnaby,+4501+N+Rd,+Burnaby,+British+Columbia+V3N+4R7&gl=ca&t=m&z=14″]

In Downtown

Guu Garlic: Lunch Time

April 7, 2013

Guu Garlic is open for lunch from Tuesday to Sunday 11:30am till 2:30pm. It’s a nice place to go for lunch if you want to spend about $10 and have a good Japanese meal. I was never able to make it here during a weekday since my office is too far away. M and I were downtown during St. Patricks Day and was looking for a place downtown to eat. As we wanted something Japanese, we decided to go to Guu as they have lunch specials.

Ramune is a Japanese soda and they have their own Guu branded bottles. The bottle is sealed with a marble, so when you open the bottle, it makes a ‘POP’ sound. Imagine it as like a 7-up, but without the lime flavour.

Pork Cutlet on Rice ($9.25) was the St. Patricks Day special. I’m pretty sure there wasn’t any extra green to this dish besides the green onions for the garnish. Anyways, the meal came with miso soup, and pickled vegetables on the side.

The pork cutlet was nicely cooked with egg, cucumber and green onion on top. M did enjoy it and the size was perfect for lunch. He thought the pork was nice and tender without bones.

Deep-Fried Assorted ($9.20) comes with karaage, cream croquette, pork tenderloin, pickled vegetables, miso soup and rice.

Fried things for lunch probably isn’t the most healthiest thing, but when it’s at an izakaya, they make it taste amazing. The chicken karaage and the cream croquette is always a hit. I’ve never had pork tenderloin battered and deep-fried, but it tasted great as well. It was a good thing that there were vegetables and miso soup to complement these items. I’d probably order this again during lunch.

Overall, pretty good choice for lunch. When looking at their lunch offerings, there’s a lot of fried items. It’s a nice space to eat too if you love the izakaya feel.

We Rate Guu Garlic:

Address:

1698 Robson St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
www.guu-izakaya.com

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=1698+Robson+St+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=1698+Robson+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6G+1C8&gl=ca&t=m&z=14 “]

In Bar and Grill

Falconetti’s East Side Grill: Dining Package Review

April 5, 2013

Falconetti’s is located on Commercial Drive near 1st Avenue. They are famous due to their sausage. Even Guy Fieri came here to film Diners Drive-ins and Dives. They make all their sausages in-house on the right side of the restaurant and the right side is a restaurant.

Right now they are doing a dining package with Vaneats.ca, where you pay $16 to get a mini poutine, 2 4oz glasses of beer, slow smoked pork ribs, and one of their famous sausages. I came here with my sister during the evening to try the package.

The interior is narrow and has a long bar on the right side. They have special performances at night too.

The 2 4oz glasses of Phillips Beer’s Blue Buck arrives first. As you wait for your meal, you can enjoy the taste of beer. The Phillips Blue Buck Beer is a deep amber coloured beer with a crisp finish featuring a delicate hop aroma. If you like your beer, you know just 4oz won’t do the trick. You’re just getting started.

The Mini Poutine is made of skinny fries with gravy cheese curds and a bit of pepper. This item was our favorite of the night. The skinny fries were crisp and it was the perfect type of fries to have in this poutine.

The slow smoked pork ribs comes with 4 pieces and is slathered in their special rub and tequila BBQ sauce. The meat was quite tough, so it made the eating a bit difficult. We thought this would be tender, but it wasn’t.

Honey Bratwurst was the sausage we chose for the package. it is an old world flavor, dressed with honey mustard, and caramelized onions on top. My sister and I were torn on the sausage, she thought it was very moist and I thought it was kinda dry. Clearly, we have different tastes.

Outside of the menu, we ordered the Polish ($12) that has beef sirloin sausage with sauteed sauerkraut, onions & grain mustard. We got the yam fries on the side. Their fries are pretty damn good. As for the sauasage, it was ok.

This is probably not a very healthy dining package, but it get us really fully. I’m not a huge fan of pub food, so this wasn’t my favorite package, but you do save some money by getting the Falconetti’s Fix package from Vaneats.

We Rate Falconetti’s:

Address:
1812 Commercial Dr
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://falconettis.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=1812+Commercial+Dr+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=1812+Commercial+Dr,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5N+4A5&gl=ca&t=m&z=14 “]

In Four Beakers

Nuba on Main: Munching on Lunch

April 4, 2013

Whats awesome about my new job is that I’m so close to some pretty yummy food. When I discovered Nuba is close by on 3rd and Main…I just had to have a taste of their food. I come here at least once a month since the closest places – Starbucks, McDonalds and Tim Hortons are not the best options for lunch.

Nuba offers up authentic Lebanese cuisine that is fresh and healthy. Trust me, its good stuff! I usually go for lunch for their plates.

Since it was anti-bullying day, they had a special beet juice on special. I’ve never had beets before and wow, did it ever taste like dirt. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but the taste profile of beets is very earthly like dirt. If you had beets, you will know what I’m talking about. It’s also quite healthy for you too.

Lamb Hushwie ($9) has sauteed lamb, onions, peppers, pine nuts and spices on top of hummus. There is avocado, pickled cabbage and a spicy sauce.

Sometimes they have specials and this one was a lamb of some sort. I should have written it down, but alas my memory does fail me.

Najib’s Special ($11.25) has crispy cauliflower tossed with lemon and sea salt, served with tahini. It also has hummus, olives, pickled cabbage, and salad. The crispy cauliflower is deep-fried and tastes sinfully delicious. It’s a very popular dish during the lunch hour. All the ingredients are fresh and it’s so addictive.

This was my first time going to this location and I have to say, the food was pretty consistent. It can get pretty busy during a weekday lunch.

We Rate Nuba on Main:

Address:
146 3rd Ave E
Vancouver, BC

Website:
nuba.ca

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=146+3rd+Ave+E+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=146+E+3rd+Ave,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5T+1C8&gl=ca&t=m&z=14″]

In Cafe

Ali Shan Restaurant: Meal Under $10

March 31, 2013

Ali Shan Restaurant is a Taiwanese Restaurant located in Crystal Mall. I was in the area with my coworker and we wanted some lunch before heading back to the office, so we went to Ali Shan for a quick bite.

All items either come with daily soup or cold tea. We chose the tea as we wanted something refreshing. It was good and it was sweetened.

Braised Pork Belly with Red Fermented Sauce ($7.20) comes with egg on rice, pickled vegetables and a side dish.

Beef Hotpot ($6.90) was inexpensive, but the hotpot broth was rather bland. Even though it is a good deal and has lots of items packed into the pot, it’s not the most delicious thing I’ve eaten. It’s decent for the price.

Overall, I wasn’t too impressed with this place but the price is good if you want an inexpensive lunch. The service is alright, but it does take a bit of time for the food to arrive at the table. There are a lot of other options in the area too. They are cash only.

We Rate Ali Shan Restaurant:

Address:
4500 Kingsway
Burnaby, BC

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=4500+Kingsway+Burnaby,+BC&hnear=4500+Kingsway,+Burnaby,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5H&gl=ca&t=m&z=14″]

In Fast Food

Wendys: Son of Baconator and Poutine

March 29, 2013

When it comes to fast food, I love the stuff. We all know Wendy’s famous Baconator – a tower of bacon strips, cheese and 2 quarter pounder patties. Sometimes that burger is way too big and has so much meat. Wendy’s came up with a new alternative called ‘Son of Baconator’. It is essentially a smaller version of the baconator with smaller patties.

Son of Baconator has 2 small patties, 2 cheddar cheese slices, 4 bacon strips, ketchup, and mayo. It was way smaller than the baconator, but its a good choice if you aren’t too hungry.

Poutine has canadian cheese curds, and loads of gravy on top of their fries. Obviously not the best poutine, but it was alright.

After ordering the combo, I was stuffed! I really do enjoy Wendy’s for their fast food. Much fresher ingredients than some of the other fastfood chains out there.

Do you love the baconator? or the Son of Baconator?

In Cafe

Scandilicious: Delicious

March 21, 2013

After finishing dinner on The Drive at Havana’s one dark and rainy Tuesday night, my friends and I were craving something sweet.

We wracked our brains for a while thinking of a dessert place in the area and could only think of La Casa Gelato. It was pretty cold out so we weren’t really in the mood for ice cream.

I hopped onto Urbanspoon and saw a name that I didn’t recognize – Scandilicious. It was only 1 block away so it was perfect!

Scandilicious is a new waffle café that opened on The Drive about a month ago. They serve 5 different types of waffles with so many sweet or savoury options!

Liege – served hot, a dense chewy and sweet waffle
Brussels – The typical waffles you see served at most places
Vaffler – a thin, tender, lightly crispy waffle spiced with cardamom
WOS – Short for Waffle on a Stick
Gluten Free – Good option for those with dietary limitations

They also make their own sauces that they are looking to bottle up and sell soon in store.

When I arrived at the store, I was greeted with such a warm scent. I was also mesmerized by all the options. After debating for awhile, we finally got to ordering.

Vaffler with espresso sauce topped with vanilla ice cream

WOW. This was my absolute favourite of the night. The pairing of espresso with vanilla ice cream is perfect. My favourite part of it was the espresso sauce. It was flavourful, not too sweet, and had a butteriness to it like caramel.

The Vaffler itself on its own was really good and spiced with cardamom, which made it have a nice subtle and light gingery taste to it.

Vaffler with Coconut spread
The coconut spread was similar to the Malaysian Coconut Spread called Kaya but was more flavourful and richer. It wasn’t overpowering or artificial tasting either. It initially looks like it might not be enough sauce but it definitely is enough for such a delicate waffle.

Vaffler with dark chocolate cherry sauce

The dark chocolate cherry sauce wasn’t my favourite but that might also be my taste preference. It was a little grainier compared to their other sauces.

Brussels Waffle with Almond Butter

This style of waffle is one that you see often. It was light and crispy. My friend chose the almond butter that was quite thick and tasted just like ground almonds.

To sum up my experience at Scandilicious, I was surprised and will definitely be back again soon. It’s a great addition to the neighbourhood and provides lots of options for those looking for something heavier, sweeter, or lighter.

The price point is also good – see their menu for prices.

They have lots of sauces and it just so happens they’re hosting a sample night on Friday, March 22, 6pm to 7pm at their quickie take out window. Stop by if you’re in the area (limit one sample per person)! Check out their website or facebook page for more information.

Words of wisdom

Ask them for help and suggestions if you’re overwhelmed by the options
Experiment with flavours and be creative!
Good on the wallet!

We Rate Scandilicious:

Address:
1340 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.scandilicious.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=1340+Commercial+Drive+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=1340+Commercial+Dr,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5L+2T6&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Bubble Tea

Lazy Den Bubble Tea: $5 Bubble Tea Combo

March 20, 2013

If you are from the Port Moody area, you must know Lazy Den Bubble Tea. I vaguely remember coming here in 2008 during my early University days cause it was open pretty late. Where else can you get bubble tea in Coquitlam/North Burnaby at 11pm? Sure, there are tons of places in South Burnaby, but thats quite a bit of a drive. I’m not a huge bubble tea fan, so I didn’t come back till now.

We came back here again because some friends told us they have good cheap food at night. All I heard was food, so I was happy to come here. I was really hungry during this day.

The interior isn’t pretty, but it’s a good place to chat and chill with friends over bubble tea till midnight.

On their menu, they have 4 items. All under $6 with a food item and a bubble tea. Not bad at all! It’s not a large selection, but it will do.

Meat Sauce with Noodles and Green Milk Tea ($5) is the most popular item. It’s not relatively amazing, but it’ll satisfy your hunger without breaking your wallet.

If you are needing a cheap place to go at night for $5 noodles and bubble tea, definitely come here.

We Rate Lazy Den Bubble Tea:

Address:
#105 – 3003 St. Johns Street
Port Moody, BC

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=%23105+-+3003+St.+Johns+Street+Port+Moody,+BC&hnear=3003+St+Johns+St+%23105,+Port+Moody,+British+Columbia+V3H+2C5&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Bakery

Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe: Buttery Goodness

March 18, 2013

Beaucoup Bakery and Cafe opened at the end of 2012 and their customers have raved about their amazing croissants. After seeing my sister bring home boxes full of their croissants, I decided to come here with my girls – KoreanGirl and Mandu. They love to eat, so an afternoon catch up session definitely needs coffee and pastries.

On a Saturday afternoon, this place was packed! There were swarms of people almost out the door. There’s not a lot of seating, so you kinda need to wait patiently for some spots to free up.

The croissants smell so good and look good too. Once you walk through the door, your eyes will just stare at them intensely to figure out which pastry you’ll devour.

They have more than just croissants.

The perfect items for 3 girls.

Latte is made with 49th Parallel coffee and went well with the pastries. Anytime coffee that is made with 49th Parallel beans, you know its good stuff.

Macchiato had a cute little heart.

Croissant is very flakey on the outside and soft in the middle. This croissant is definitely one of the crispiest in town.

Look at all those layers! When you bite into it, you will know this is loaded with butter to get the crispiness.

Mini Chocolate Croissant was really good as well. The size was perfect, so you get a few bites without feeling guilty afterwards.

Citrus Scroll was sticky and sweet kinda like a marmalade. It was good, but not overly sweet.

Marcona Almond Bar was one of my favorite treats! It is packed full of nuts on top and a piece of gold foil. Definitely recommended.

Overall, we enjoyed our time here…especially the food. Coming on a weekend, it is quite busy, so the place will be packed. Will definitely be back!

We Rate Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe:

Address:
2150 Fir St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.beaucoupbakery.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=2150+Fir+St+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=2150+Fir+St,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6J+3B5&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Downtown

Kita No Donburi: Lunch Downtown

March 11, 2013

Kita no Donburi is located near Seymour and Hastings street. Kimbob E Ramyun used to be in this location before Kita no Donburi took over. It’s very close to Waterfront Skytrain. We were having a meeting nearby and needed a quick spot for lunch.

They sell Japanese food and have a huge menu. We arrived too late for their lunch menu, so we had to settle for other items on their menu.

You order up at the counter first and then take a seat as you wait for your food to arrive. It kinda reminded me of those fast food restaurants in Asia.

Oyako Don ($6.95) contains egg, chicken, onions, and topped with seaweed and sauce. It comes with a side of miso soup too.

Buta Kimchi ($9.50) has marinated pork chop, kimchi, and vegetables in a hot stone bowl.

Shogayaki Don ($7.80) contains pork, egg, onion, green onion on top of lettuce and rice.

Overall, the prices are quite fair for the food you get. It’s not the most amazing food, but good for a lunch.

We Rate Kita No Donburi:

Address:
423 Seymour Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.kitanodonburi.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=423+Seymour+Street+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=423+Seymour+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6B+1L6&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Delta

Akari Japanese Restaurant: Sushi In Delta

March 10, 2013

Akari Japanese Restaurant is located in Delta at Strawberry Hill. I would have never thought to have Japanese food in this area. Plus, I never frequent this area anyways. The restaurant has been around for 15 years and is operated by Koreans, so you will see some of that influence come out in their cuisine.

This place was packed on a weekend and was quite busy.

When we sat down, we received some tea.

M and Scarface as usual always orders a coke wherever they go.

Complementary edamame beans arrived soon after.

Secret Castle Salad ($11.95) contains crab meat, salmon, tuna, avocado, tobiko, and sprouts with 3 kinds of dressing. This item was pretty impressive and looked amazing.

You can see the layers of all the ingredients. You need to dig in to discover all the ingredients in this.

Spicy Delight ($6.95) contains salmon, tuna, tobiko with a spicy sauce served in orange cup.

Akari Island ($8.95) has spicy sashimi wrapped by seared salmon, and tobiko on top spicy house sauce. The salmon that wrapped around the roll could have been a bit more smooth or seared more lightly.

Crazy Roll ($10.95) is a deep-fried California roll with Tobiko. You can substitute it with black rice, so its more healthy.

Black Cod Miso Yaki ($12.95) the cod is marinated with miso and sake and then grilled. It is served on a hot plate with vegetables.

Akari Roll ($10.95) has tuna, salmon, Aasparagus, tobiko, ebi, avocado, crabmeat with a soy wrap instead of seaweed.

Rock Cracker Roll ($10.95) contains double prawn, cucumber, avocado, crab meat on top with deep-fried scallop, spicy flakes, and tobiko.

Coffee Ice Cream came with 2 scoops and was very enjoyable. We were surprised this was even an option since most places only have green tea or mango ice cream. This was our favorite.

Green Tea Ice Cream was the other ice cream we got. It was good and was a good way to end the meal.

Overall, Akari Japanese Restaurant is good if you live in this area. It isn’t the best but one of the better ones in the Delta area.

We Rate Akari Japanese Restaurant:

Address:
7261 120th Street
Delta, BC

Website:
http://www.deltaakari.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=7261+120th+Street+Delta,+BC&hnear=7261+120+St,+Delta,+British+Columbia+V4C+1B4&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]