Foodology, Author at Foodology

In product

Easy 3 Ingredient Thai Iced Tea

January 9, 2018

Thai Iced Tea is an absolute treat and my friend finally encouraged me to make this at home instead of spending all my money drinking these at restaurants. There’s many variations of making Thai Iced Tea, but I don’t like buying so many ingredients that might go wasted if I don’t use them all. It’s always a hit when I have friends over and it’s pretty easy to make and you can’t go wrong with it.

This article contains Amazon affiliate links. All you need for this recipe is the Thai tea mix, granulated sugar, and cream. So simple! You can now have it at home all the time.

Thai Tea Mix can be hard to find in stores, so I opted to go get it from Amazon as well as a fine mesh strainer. The mesh strainer is important as it will remove as much tea leaves as possible to give you a clear tea. Sometimes some sediments will form even with a fine strainer, but it won’t affect your enjoyment of the drink. I preferred this option of buying online rather from hunting store by store in hopes they carry this tea mix. Plus, the 400g bag of tea mix lasts quite a while.

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Ingredients:

1 cup Thai Tea Mix
8 cups Water
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar ( or to your liking)
Cream
Ice

Instructions:

In a small pot, bring water to a boil. Add the Thai tea mix in a mesh bag strainer and let it boil for 15 minutes.
Add in sugar and stir to dissolve. Taste to ensure it’s your desired level of sweetness.
Turn off the heat and let the tea steep for 30 minutes as it cools. (The stronger the tea, the better the tea will taste.)
Take the mesh bag with the tea leaves out of the pot.
You can make the Thai Iced Tea ahead of time and have the tea chilling in the fridge OR if you can’t control yourself, drink it right away if it’s cool enough.
Fill the glass with ice and pour in the tea leaving a little room for the cream. About 3 tablespoons for a glass.
Stir and enjoy.

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In Korean

Bon Chon Chicken: Soy Garlic Fried Chicken

January 8, 2018

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.

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

In Colorado

Pho 95: Vietnamese Food in Denver

January 7, 2018

Pho 95 is a popular Vietnamese restaurant for locals in Denver Colorado to get their piping hot bowl of comforting pho. They currently have 2 locations – one in Littleton and Denver. When we were visiting Denver, we were all craving pho, so we went on Yelp and found this gem.

Pho consists of beef broth, thin slices of beef and rice noodles. Their pho soup comes in several variations; some contain soft tendon, flank, steak and brisket. People commonly like to add a hearty helping of fresh basil, beansprouts, jalapenos, lime juice, and sauces like Siracha or Hoisin sauce to their broth.

Interior

The space is pretty large and they were able to seat our large family right at the lunch time rush.

Tea

Dac Biet (Tai chim nam gau gan sach)

This has the rice noodle soup with a combination of a variety of meat – rare steak, brisket, flank, tendon and tripe. The broth was very delicious and had a depth of flavour to it. I got the small size, which is a good size for a regular person. A large is pretty large for my standards.

Don’t forget to add any of the extra herbs, limes, bean sprouts, jalapeno, or sauces to your pho.

Pho Bo Vien

This is their meatball pho, but we added in rare beef into it as well since they didn’t have that combination on the menu. The meatballs were nice and large.

Bun Ga Nuong

This bowl of vermicelli rice noodles is topped with marinated grilled chicken and served with cucumber, lettuce, beansprouts and chili lime sauce.

Bun Heo Nuong

Similar to the bowl above, it has grilled pork instead.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the pho here is good and the portions sizes were great too. Everything was flavourful to the right amount.

We Rate Pho 95:

Address:
1401 S Federal Blvd, Denver

Website:
http://www.pho95noodlehouse.com/

In Dessert

Momofuku Milk Bar: Disappointing Time in New York

January 6, 2018

Momofuku Milk Bar has seen better days. I’ve had it in Toronto and also my previous visit to New York at their East Village location. Since it was our first night in New York on this particular trip, I wanted to show my friends how delicious it was by ordering the cereal milk soft serve and the crack pie.

Since the Financial District does die down, the area was deserted, but Momofuku Milk Bar was still open. This particular location has a take out window.

Cereal Milk Soft Serve

This was a good portion to share with my friends, but it tasted really bad. It was reminiscent of the milk at the bottom of your cereal bowl. It was more tart and creamy like yogurt. Not sure what happened there. We’ve had this before, but this time it really tasted very different.

Crack Pie

The crack pie was the redeeming factor. It does look a bit different due to the while stuff on top. Back in 2012, they didn’t have that but they must have tweaked the recipe. It has a toasted oat crust and a delicious centre made of butter, sugar, brown sugar and cream.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the quality has definitely gone downhill. I don’t know if it was just this location or if its across the board, but I really didn’t like it enough to return.

We Rate Momofuku Milk Bar:

Address:
110 Wall Street, New York

Website:
http://www.momofuku.com/restaurants/milk-bar/

In Chinese

Shu Jiao Fu Zhou Cuisine Restaurant in New York

January 4, 2018

Shu Jiao Fu Zhou Cuisine Restaurant is a simple Chinese cafe specializing in soups, noodles, and dumplings by hand. This hole in the wall has some really cheap food. Everything is $3.50 or under. That is an amazing price for New York standards.

Interior

The inside of the restaurant isn’t anything special. A little old school but theres a bit of charm in that. You order at the counter first and then find any seat available.

Dumplings

We got the pork and chive dumpling and they came out so quickly. We started with the small size but little did we know that these were so good that we ordered a few more large sizes.

Beef Tripe with Thick Noodle Soup

The size of the noodle soup was pretty good. A good amount of noodles to go with the beef, tripe, and veggies.

Wheat Noodle with Peanut Butter Sauce

You mix these noodles with the sauce and enjoy.

Final Thought

The food here was great for the price. We ate so much and didn’t make a dent in our wallets. The dishes are very homey tasting and simple.

We Rate Shu Jiao Fu Zhou Cuisine Restaurant:

Address:
118 Eldridge St, New York

In American

Sylvia’s Restaurant: Queens of Soul Food in Harlem

January 3, 2018

Sylvia’s Restaurant in Harlem is know for their classic Soul food and was recently featured in the Worth It series by BuzzFeed. When I knew I was going to New York, I had to add them to the list.

Sylvia’s Restaurant, the “The Queen of Soul Food”, was founded by Sylvia Woods, in 1962. Established in the historic village of Harlem, Sylvia’s is a community favorite, known as the world’s kitchen. Serving authentic soul food for over 55 years, this icon remains a culinary must-visit for foodies.

Interior

The space has a good amount of tables for small to large groups, but it is always best to make a reservation if you can. We had reservations later in the evening, but decided to come earlier because we were hungry, so we ended up waiting around 15 minutes for a seat on the weekend for 3 people.

Complimentary Cornbread

As we waited for our meal to arrive, we got a lot of cornbread with butter. It was delicious and we wanted to eat more but we wanted to save our stomachs for the entrees.

Southern Fried Chicken

This was served with 2 sides and we chose traditional collard greens and baked mac & cheese. The chicken was crisp on the outside and moist inside. It did take some time for the meal to arrive at the table.

Sylvia’s World Famous Bar-B-Que Ribs and Fried Chicken

The combo came with 2 pieces of the ribs smothered in Sylvia’s Original Sassy Sauce. I got dark meat for my fried chicken. For my 2 sides, I got Okra & Tomato Gumbo and Traditional Collard Greens. The ribs were pretty mediocre and lean. The chicken was great, but I still have my favourites from other restaurants around the world. The portions were great and it was pretty hard to finish every thing on the plate.

Grandma Julia’s Fruit Punch

The fruit punch was very sugary and M didn’t like it at all.

Home Brewed Iced Tea and Lemonade

The home-brewed iced tea comes sweet, which is essential a Southern sweet tea. My friend got the lemonade to pair with the meal. We both found that all the drinks were too sweet for our liking, so we waited for the ice to melt to dilute it a bit more.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was ok, but it’s pretty hard to find Soul Food where I come from in Canada, so it’s always a delight eating more soul food on my travels.

We Rate Sylvia’s:

Address:
328 Malcolm X Blvd, New York

Website:
http://sylviasrestaurant.com/

In Cafe

Beanery Coffeehouse & Eatery: Sandwiches, Pizza and Coffee in Coquitlam

January 2, 2018

Beanery Coffeehouse & Eatery is a local family-run business serving up, coffee, pizza, and sandwiches. They are located on Panorama Drive in Coquitlam hidden up in the Westwood Plateau residential area. I haven’t heard of them until they sent me a message to come check them out. Since I am in Burnaby, it wasn’t too far away to come here for lunch.

Interior

There is tons of parking space outside and also a few people walked to get here as there are houses everywhere. It’s a very family friendly space with a few games to keep kids entertained.

At our table, we found a box and inside it was a wooden puzzle. We also saw a tic tac toe game at another table too.

Pomme de Terre Pizza

This has thinly sliced Potatoes seasoned with garlic, Fresh Mozarella, Fresh Basil Leaves on Italian Herbs and Olive Oil base. I haven’t seen a of pizza’s topped with potatoes, but we surprisingly enjoyed it. We could taste that a lot of care went into this pizza and it shows.

The bottom of the pizza ha a nice golden brown colour and is pretty crispy.

The crust is also crispy and it’s the dough is nice an thin. Good ratio of toppings to dough too.

Spicy Mango Chicken Pizza

This has a Hot Sauce Base, Chicken, Parmesan, Mozza, Green Peppers, and Red Peppers. We wanted to try something that had meat and was spicy.

They use Mango Reaper by Admiral Hot Sauce and it really packs a punch. It used both Carolina Reapers and Ghost Peppers, so they aren’t kidding around.

There was lot of chicken on this pizza and the colours of the bell peppers kinda make it a bit festive.

Shaken Iced Tea and Lattes

They have a variety of shaken ice teas and also coffee using JJ Bean.

Final Thoughts

It’s a nice hidden gem in the area for those looking for locally crafted pizzas, sandwiches and drinks in Coquitlam. I like how to can find classic pizzas and some creative ones on the menu.

We Rate Beanery Coffeehouse & Eatery:

Address:
101-2591 Panorama Drive, Coquitlam

Website:
http://beanery.ca/

In BBQ

Chinatown BBQ in Vancouver: Review

January 1, 2018

Chinatown BBQ is a new restaurant on East Pender in Vancouver’s Chinatown. They put their own spin on classic Cantonese-style meat shops by making it new and fresh to attract customers of all types.

With more and more restaurants and shops opening up in Chinatown, it’s good to see more of these BBQ shops.

When you first walk in, you see all their delicious meats hanging from the display case.

Interior

There are a lot of seats but during lunch, it can get pretty busy. Turnover is pretty quick, so you’re never waiting too long. The interior evokes a bit of new and old in this space and I really liked that.

Tea

When they seat you, you are given some hot tea.

Chef’s Plate

The Chef’s Plate comes with BBQ Pork, Soy Sauce Chicken, Roasted Pork and half a salty egg over rice. For $14.50, it’s not exactly cheap. The quality of their meats were delicious, but it did bother me a bit that the cuts were a bit thin for what I’m used to. My favourite was the roasted pork since the skin is so crisp.

Beef Brisket Curry on Rice

The portion size was good. Lots of curry to rice ratio. The taste of this was decent, but not the best I’ve had.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the quality of food is good and I like how the space is new and clean. The prices are a bit higher than most places, but understandably due to rising costs.

We Rate Chinatown BBQ:

Address:
130 E Pender St, Vancouver

Website:
http://chinatownbbq.com/

In Four Beakers

Russ & Daughters: Best Lox Bagel in New York

December 31, 2017

I have an addiction of smoked salmon and when my friend told me about Russ & Daughters in New York, we had to go. You can go to their shop, cafe or the Jewish Museum to get a taste of their awesome food, but we opted to go to the original shop on East Houston Street.

They are purveyors of the highest quality smoked fish, caviar, baked goods, and specialty foods in New York City. Since 1914, this landmark New York City institution has been owned and operated by four generations of the Russ family. Russ & Daughters has continued to provide the tastes and traditions of a true New York experience from the same spot on East Houston Street for more than a century. With the constant line of locals and tourists, that isn’t wrong at all.

Interior

We came early in the morning on the weekend and we were just glad there wasn’t a line out the door as it’s pretty chilly in the winter. When we got inside, we grabbed a number and waited out turn.

They have a lot of things to buy in their display case as well as around the shop. Since we were visiting, we were eyeing the different types of smoked salmon for our bagels.

A lot of people recommend the Gaspe Nova as it is mild and the pure, fresh North Atlantic taste and satiny texture will be savoured by any palate.

It took a little bit to get past the line and order. The staff take their time and don’t rush past each person to get through the queue.

My Creation

I made mine with:

Everything Bagel toasted
Gaspe Nova Salmon
Cream cheese with scallion
Onions
Capers

It was one of the most expensive lox bagels I’ve ever had at $13, but it was the best lox bagel I’ve had in my life. The quality of the ingredients really shine through. So damn good.

We Rate Russ & Daughters:

Address:
179 E Houston St, New York

Website: http://shop.russanddaughters.com/

In Bubble Tea

Chatime Alexandra Road is Now Open

December 30, 2017

Chatime on Alexandra Road is the second location in Richmond right in the middle of “Food Street”across from the Four Points Sheraton. A great addition to the rows of eateries on this block. They open today for their soft opening from December 30 – January 4th from 3-11pm, but it is cash only. They officially have their grand opening on January 5th with regular hours and will take cards. Also expect the buy one get one promo that happens on their grand opening day too.

There is a parking lot in the plaza, so you don’t need to fight over a spot like other restaurants in the area.

Interior

The space has an industrial feel different than the other locations, but it is huge. They have a maximum occupancy of 155 people.

There are lots of small and large tables to sit at. There are also outlets, so if you decide to pull out your laptop to do some work or to charge your phone, you can do so.

Roasted Milk Tea with Grass Jelly

My favourite Chatime beverage is their roasted milk tea with grass jelly. I get it half sweet and less ice which is to my liking.

Final Thoughts

I love the space of this location as you have lots of seats to stay and chitchat with friends while having bubble tea. A good addition to the block and I’m sure it will be quite popular.

Address:
160-8351 Alexandra Road, Richmond

Website:
http://www.chatimebc.com/

In New York

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA): How to Get Free Admission

December 30, 2017

As a local or tourist, saving money here and there is always a plus. When we were in New York, we wanted to go to the MoMA and saw that they have “UNIQLO Free Fridays“. Admission is free for all visitors during UNIQLO Free Friday Nights, every Friday evening from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.

To avoid long lines, we arrived after 6:00 p.m. I was carrying a backpack and my DSLR Camera, but they let me in with no problems and we didn’t have to check any of the items in. They just told me to carry my backpack in the front, but thats it. The line begins at the Museum’s 54 Street entrance.

With the free ticket, it permitted entry to all Museum galleries and exhibitions. Film admission is free, but a separate ticket is required.

It was crowded but not too bad at all in the Fall, plus it’s free, so there is going to be guaranteed a crowd.

One of the most popular pieces is Starry Night by Van Gogh where there is always a crowd in front of it.

For more free nights and discounts to attend MoMA, visit their discounts page to get all the different ways to get discounted entry.

https://www.moma.org/visit/discounts

Address:
11 W 53rd St, New York

In British Columbia

Beauty and the Beast at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage: Review

December 29, 2017

Beauty and the Beast is back at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage by Arts Club until January 13th, 2017. Having been produced by the Arts Club four times since 2005, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is a proven favourite among audiences and creative teams alike in Vancouver. Is it any surprise that this is my 4th time watching it? I’ve loved Beauty and the Beast since I was a little kid and the story never gets old.

Many of the cast, crew, and designers have returned for the company’s fifth production of the musical. Jonathan Winsby, starring as the Beast, performed in the previous productions as Gaston, and Susan Anderson, Shawn Macdonald, Peter Jorgensen, Darren Burkett, Vincent Tong, and Bernard Cuflling are reprising their respective roles.

Bill Millerd also returned to direct the production, one of his last as the Arts Club’s Artistic Managing Director. “Our original production of Beauty and the Beast was a wonderful creation, but I decided to go with a redesign of the set by Alison Green, along with new costume and lighting designers (Barbara Clayden and Gerald King), and production choreography by Scott Augustine based on the original choreography by Valerie Easton,” says Millerd.

On the opportunity to re-design the set, Alison Green says, “Revisiting the design for Beauty and the Beast has been a gift. We have come a long way in our production capacities since the original was built, with such talent and expertise in our production staff. I took the set out of the 2005 version’s Gothic and into 18th-century France for this production. I was inspired by the colourful folk art of the Alsace for Belle’s world, and by the rococo fantasy of the Loire Chateaux for the Beast’s castle.”

The show-stopping musical numbers, astonishing sets, and lavish costumes is great. The songs are familiar and a few new ones are added to give it more feeling.

This production is the best one yet as Shannon Chan-Kent plays Belle and Kamyar Pazande as Gaston. For a musical, they captured the essence of the movie, but the part that we felt was a bit rushed was the romance between Belle and Beast.

If you can get your hands on any remaining tickets, it is a must if you are a Beauty and the Beast fan. Highly recommended. If it comes back for the sixth time, I’ll definitely be there.

Website:
http://artsclub.com/shows/2017-2018/disneys-beauty-and-the-beast

In Downtown

Black Rice Izakaya: Winter Menu

December 29, 2017

Black Rice Izakaya in Vancouver is always trying to have seasonal items on the menu to keep items fresh and also cater to the tastebuds for the winter months. They have released 6 new dishes for the cold winter season.

Interior

There is a lot of space for groups of 2s and 4s, if you have a larger group, best to get a reservation so you don’t have to wait during peak hours.

Hamaguri Dobin Mushi

This has Hamaguri, water, salt, pepper string and yuzu peel. It is a very comforting broth that is peppery and ends with the citrus yuzu peel.

Goma Tuna

You have chunks of the tuna marinated in delicious sauce. Then a crisp rice cake on top. There is also a cucumber cup filled with uni. I liked this dish as it has nice clean flavours.

Kichi Scallop Motoyaki

In the shell is kimchi, chopped bell pepper, butter and cheese. A rich dish due to the butter and cheese, but cooked kimchi is very comforting in the winter months.

Neapolitan Spaghetti

There is soba noodle, tomato sauce, ketchup, bacon, sausage, onion and egg. I found it a touch too sweet, but some people at the table really enjoyed it.

Kimchi Nabe

A hot warming hot pot that is kept warm by the fame under it. It’s not too spicy at all. I find that some kimchi is better is soups where its flavours can really shine through.

Terikayi Wagyu Steak

This sizzling plate has Teriyaki glazed US wagyu beef from Snake River Farms, Monterey Jack and mozzarella cheese with mashed potatoes. It’s cooked till a medium rare for the quality of meat to shine through.

Sake Drinks

Of course it’s not winter without some delicious sake cocktails to go with the meal. With the winter, there is lots to celebrate around the table during the holidays. They have a lot of options on their beverage menu.

Beer

If you’re like me, I enjoy beer more than sake for the crisp bubbly taste. There is Sapporo and Asahi on top, but I usually gravitate towards Sapporo.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the new items are good additiona to the menu to give customer more options during the winter. I didn’t love all the dishes as I prefer more of a clean taste to my food, but I did like the Hamaguri Dobin Mushi and Goma Tuna.

We Rate Black Rice Izakaya:

Address:
782 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.blackrice.ca/

In British Columbia

Jugo Juice: Daily Fuel While Out Shopping

December 28, 2017

As you’re shopping up a storm this week getting all the discounts, Jugo Juice has release a few new items for the holiday season. I am a big fan of Jugo Juice as it’s a quick healthy snack while at the mall. The holiday season is a fast-paced time for many, from parties to shopping to wrapping up projects at work in time to relax. Jugo Juice‘s two limited time items – Mega Matcha Smoothie and Cranberry Chia Pudding will help keep you going when you’re out and about or just need that daily refuel.

Until January 9, if you buy a Jugo Juice gift card of $25 or more, you will receive a free smoothie of your choice. Nothing beats a little something extra for yourself.

Mega Matcha Smoothie

The Mega Matcha smoothie blends the delicious and unique flavour of matcha green tea with pineapple, unsweetened almond milk and our vanilla whey protein to create the ultimate on-the-go smoothie, packed with 25g of protein plus a kick of caffeine from the matcha. It was super subtle, not sweet at all. You’d have to really enjoy matcha to like it.

Cranberry Chia Pudding

Cranberry Chia Pudding is a quick, nutritious snack packed with the naturally delicious flavours of coconut and cranberry, topped with a blueberry and strawberry compote and Terra Breads’ artisanal granola. 7g of protein and half your daily intake of fibre will help keep you feeling full and ready to keep going. A good treat that’s healthy and filling. There’s a strong cinnamon flavour so you want to make sure you’re into that before you get it.

Mighty Kale Smoothie

We tried their Mighty Kale smoothie made with mango, spinach, kale, apple juice, orange juice, and pineapple. It’s their beset selling smoothie right now and you can’t taste the kale at all. It’s basically a treat that’s packed with nutrients. My personal favourite.

Smoothie Bowl

There are currently 3 different types of smoothie bowls Jugo Juice offers – Dragon Detox, Power Plant and Berry Benefit.

This particular bowl we tried was the Dragon Detox made with strawberries, unsweetened almond milk, ginger, watermelon, cranberry juice, and dragonfruit. Then it is topped with fresh banana, granola from Terra Breads and chia seeds. They started purchasing granola from Terra a couple years ago to make sure the ingredients were local and better for their customers.

Blue Majik Juice Shot

This is a new item on the menu made with Coconut water and blue majik powder. It’s a nutrient dense variety of spirulina, a superfood plant source of protein, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. It promotes energy, focus and balance.

Website: https://www.jugojuice.com/

In Cafe

Spade Vancouver: Italian Supper in Vancouver

December 27, 2017

Spade, a beautifully designed cafe-bistro bringing an eclectic blend of authentic Italian flavour to Vancouver’s vibrant Commercial Drive neighbourhood. Owned by Sammy Piccolo (Award-winning Barista, Prado Café owner), Spade features freshly baked in-house Italian pastries, classic egg sandwiches as well as plenty of authentic Italian tapas and family-style dishes to transition you from day to night.

Interior

Since we were invited, they had us at the long table that can accommodate a lot of guests.

Pickled Vegetables

The house-made pickled vegetables was a nibble before the meal started.

Insalata di Halloumi

This has berries, pesto, walnuts, and halloumi a top a piece of endive. The natural crunch of the endive and the halloumi cheese paired well together.

Nachos Italiano

A twist to this classic has eggplant conserva, roasted red pepper, pickled red onion, and served with a side of salsa verde.

Gnocchi

This was one of my favourite dishes. There is squid ink, black garlic, cream, and lemon. I would highly recommend this dish.

Cauliflower

This dish has roasted cauliflower, ricotta, salsa verde, and seeds. A nice healthy accompaniment to go with some of the other dishes.

Octopus Conserva

This dish has artichoke soubise, potato, dill, and pickled vegetables. The octopus was very tender and enjoyable, but it would have been better if it was warm.

Papardelle with Lamb Shoulder Ragu

This dish was another favourite. Simple but with so much flavour and great texture. I would order this again.

Burrata

The burrata is paired with fennel, citrus, serrano jamon, basil and breadcrumbs. Burrata is awesome and you can’t go wrong with it.

Meatballs

The meatballs are served with a rosemary garlic cream sauce, mushrooms, braised endive, gorgonzola and walnuts.

Chocolate Cake

To end the night, we tried the chocolate cake, which reminded me of black forest cake. It was ok.

Cafe Latte Panna Cotta

The Cafe Latte Panna Cotta was delicious! A small sweet taste to the end of the meal.

Latte

Ending the night off with a decaf latte is great. The warm milk is so comforting. Highly recommend decaf if you’re sensitive to caffeine int he evening.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed dinner here and I’ll definitely be back. The concept of an Italian Coffee bar really shows and I loved all their pasta dishes. Even if you’re not a coffee drinker, you’ll want to come here for their homey pasta.

We Rate Spade:

Address:
1858 Commercial Dr, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.spadecoffee.ca/

In product

KitKat Rubies: Review

December 26, 2017

I saw KitKat Rubies on sale at the grocery store and made them my sweet gifts for this year. You can find them at most stores for a limited time. It seems to have been released just for the holiday season.

Inside the box are individually wrapped gems of delicious truffle and fine hazelnut pieces draped over a classic Kit Kat crispy wafer. 10 pieces inside each box.

They’ve sold these in other countries but I think it’s the first time they have had this in Canada. They look like gems inside the box.

Each bar is small and in bite size pieces. Two bites and its done.

The taste is like if KitKat and Ferrero Rocher had a baby, it would be KitKat Rubies. The texture from the nuts are a nice touch to the crisp wafer.

With the holidays coming to an end, it’ll mean these will go on sale.

In Four Beakers

Atlas Steak and Fish: Burnaby

December 25, 2017

Atlas Steak + Fish is the new restaurant inside the Grand Villa Casino and Hotel in Burnaby. It has taken the old location of EBO and is a modern twist on the iconic North American steakhouse.

They selecting fine ingredients, explore global flavours, showcase unique cooking techniques, and engage through table-side service. These are all elements that speak to their commitment in crafting a truly distinctive dining experience in Burnaby.

Interior

The dining space is very nice and great for any occasion. They even have a private room with lots of seats if you want something more cozy and intimate for your group.

El Diablo

Start the night off with an electrifying cocktail. It has Sauza Silver Tequila, Crème de Cassis, fresh lime juice, and Ginger Ale presented with sparks of fire using cinnamon. From the name of the cocktail, you would think it would be spicy, but this was such a refreshing cocktail. We really enjoyed it.

Agua de Valencia

This yummy drink has dry English gin, fine orange liqueur and orange.

Lobster Bisque

At the centre of the bisque is a seared scallop and roe. The broth had a lot of depth and essence of the lobster. It may not look that great, but it was delicious.

Steak Tartar

This has hand minced tenderloin, miso mustard, pickled daikon quail’s egg, and gnocco fritto. Mix the ingredients together and then eat.

Steaks and Mains

Only the top percentage of Alberta Angus Reserve Beef and U.S.D.A Prime make the ATLAS cut and are selected for dishes. Sourcing from North America’s top producers, they seek out the ultimate commitment to quality and stewardship to ensure the best in marbling, tenderness, and flavour. The steaks are hand-butchered from the top breeds, hand-selected, and aged before being prepared in our mesquite-fired Josper oven.

Chili Ribbed Cowboy Rib Steak

With got the steak done medium rare without the chili rub. The steak was very tender and it was 16oz, so it wasn’t small at all.

There were some leftovers, but we were happy to have it for another meal.

Tomahawk Pork Chop

This has snake river farms kurobuta pork chop, smoked pork belly and apple relish with warm potato salad. It was suggested that we order this as medium. This was recommended by the staff and it was also tender and delicious. We enjoyed the pairing of the apple relish on top.

Whipped Brie Mashed Potato

We got this on the side to share and it was so smooth and fluffy. Who knew brie and mashed potatoes would be so good together. Highly recommended.

Roasted Wild Mushrooms

Ultimate savoury side dish to share for the table. I enjoyed the variety of mushrooms in this. Another winner.

Salted Caramel Creme Brulee

It comes in a mason jar with the torched sugar on top. It is served with chocolate dipped biscotti. A good comforting classic dessert.

Baked Alaska

If you’re looking for something unique, try the baked Alaska that is flambed tableside. How cool is that? It’s a dinner and a little show.

The layers are made of raspberry coconut ice cream, lemon sorbet, orange vanilla cake, and italian meringue.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we enjoyed the experience and it’s something that Burnaby is lacking. They bring some exciting dishes that aren’t easy to find in the area. I would recommend Atlas for intimate dinners for special occasions.

We Rate Atlas Steakhouse and Fish:

Address:
4331 Dominion St, Burnaby

Website:
http://atlassteakandfish.com/

In product

SoFresh Almond Nogg: Review

December 24, 2017

For the holiday season, there is an alternative to egg nog for those are lactose intolerant – Almond Nogg – a creamy, delicious blend of traditional egg nog flavours and real almonds. This rich and dairy and egg free holiday nog fortified almond beverage might be what you need to liven up a party.

Mix some spiced rum, cinnamon and almond nogg to spice up your holidays. It’s not bad at all. I avoid egg nogg since sometime my stomach doesn’t agree with too much dairy. You can still have fun if you’re lactose intolerant or just avoiding dairy for dietary or health reasons.

Website: https://drinksofresh.ca/