North Burnaby Archives - Page 5 of 7

In Brunch

IHOP: Chocolate Chip Pancake Nostalgia

October 15, 2011

M and I decided to grab some breakfast at IHOP since it was close and convenient. I think he just wanted to go here for pancakes. I had no preference, so I went.

IHOP stands for the International House of Pancakes and is a large chain restaurant located all over the Lower Mainland.

The inside has lots of booth spaces and is usually pretty full on weekends.

They have 4 types of syrups at the table, so you can totally try them all. I’m not a pancake person nor a syrup person, so I never try these things.

What I love are the 2 types of tabasco sauces! At most other places they just have the red ones.

Spinach & Mushroom Omelette ($12.99) has spinach, mushrooms, onions, cheese in an omelette. There is a hollandaise sauce and diced tomatoes on top. It is also serves with a choice of pancakes of toast.

It tasted alright, but I found that the mushroom inside were not cooked very well. It didn’t have too much flavour and was bland, so I poured quite a bit of tabasco sauce on this. I love tabasco sauce so I love to put that stuff on everything.

Pick – A – Pancake Combo ($10.69) you get your coice of flavoured pancakes, 2 eggs, hash browns, bacon or sausage.

The combo gives you the best of both things…sweet pancakes and savory dish. M thought it tasted good but the hash browns could be crunchier. M did the same thing and put tabasco sauce all over this too.

Chocolate chip Pancakes was what M chose as his side of pancakes. These pancakes were nostalgic to him because he has not had any chocolate pancakes since he was young. It was good for the small size, but by the end, I think he was sick of it because the chocolate was a bit sweet.

Overall, it was an OK breakfast, but not crazy amazing.

Words of Wisdom:

Convenient Locations
Mediocre bland food
Lots of breakfast choices

We Rate IHOP:

Address:
9855 Austin Rd
Burnaby, BC

Website:
ihop.com

In North Burnaby

The Ladle: Grilled Cheese + Soup

September 28, 2011

The Ladle is one of the few places on at the SFU Burnaby campus that will really cater to vegetarians. It’s close by since I’m always at the West Mall Center. It’s cheap and won’t run you out of all your money.

Spicy Vegetable Soup was really nice it is like a tomato soup filled with vegetables. The best part is the spicy kick. It’s not over powering, but it does tingle your taste buds a bit.

They have lots of different types of soups, so you really gotta choose wisely. You can ask to try the soups too if you are unsure of what to get.

Grilled Cheese is my favorite! It is made of whole wheat bread with cheddar and mozzarella cheese in the middle. I honestly think the cheese slices aren’t real slices of cheese but rather the processed slices. I could be wrong though…

Nonetheless, the sandwich was grilled perfectly and had a nice crunch on the outside.

I would say go here if you don’t want to walk all the way to the cornerstone. Too bad there’s no meat here.

Words of Wisdom:

Grilled Cheese, Creamy Mushroom Soup, or shepards pie are my Favs
Mac & Cheese is super super bland…get some salt and pepper if you get the dish
Under $10
Vegetarian/Vegan/Gluten-Free Friendly

We Rate Ladle:

Address:

8888 University High St
Burnaby, BC

In Brunch

Cozmos Cappuccino Bar & Grill: Decent Food, Cold Service

September 8, 2011

MedicalGiraffe was back in town and she really does love brunch! The closest brunch place near our hood is Cozmos Cappuccino Bar & Grill. It’s quite popular in the Burnaby North area. If you are a student from Burnaby North Secondary School, I am sure you’ve heard of this place as well.

They have lots of seating and aren’t too busy during weekend brunch. At least when we went there, it wasn’t very full.

They have a few cool interior pieces that make this place stand out. They have metal Greek god art pieces and in the back of the restaurant they have a mini waterfall.

Their menu is very limited and you can get the usual omelets, and egg dishes.

Latte was nothing special. Just taste like any regular latte.

I tried ordering normal drip coffee, but the server didn’t know what I was talking about. So, I just ordered this. After ordering our meal, I didn’t get a good vibe from him. He seemed very cold towards us, like we were a bother to him. MedicalGiraffe and I were quite puzzled why he was so cold.

Mushroom & Cheddar Cheese Omelet ($8.75) comes with hash browns and a slice of orange. MedicalGiraffe thought the omelet was quite mediocre. Nothing mind-blowing, but quite bland. Perhaps they should have seasoned it a bit more.

The hash browns are deep fried, so you do get that nice crunch when you bite into them.

Eggs Florentine ($8.75) has 2 poached eggs with spinach and hollandaise sauce on english muffins. You also get hash browns and a slice of orange. I thought this dish was not too bad. The poached eggs were nice and runny on the inside, so when you cut into it, all the delicious yolk just runs out and covers everything. Yum. One thing I didn’t like was the english muffin, didn’t seem very fresh to me at all.

Just like MedicalGiraffe, I did like the hash browns! Nice and crunchy!

Overall, the food was alright, but we were very turned off by the cold service we received. Just because of his attitude when he took our orders, it made us feel very uneasy throughout the entire meal. Maybe they were having a bad day, so perhaps if you go, you might get different service.

Words of Wisdom:

Limited Brunch menu
Italian-feel to the restaurant
Under $10
Decent food
Very cold service
Eggs Florentine is a popular item

We Rate Cozmos:
Address:

6691 Hastings Street
Burnaby, BC

In French

Chez Meme Baguette Bistro: Baguettes and Slow Service

August 31, 2011

Chez Meme Baguette Bistro is a hot spot for sandwich lovers! They are best known for their selection of baguettes and french onion soup. Since Louieseries is a sandwich fanatic, I just had to take her here!

I don’t find it wrong to revisit places, I really do love it because each visit is a story of its own and it reminds me of all the fun eating times I have with my friends.

The place was packed and we did have to wait in line for a table. We spent a large potion of the time here waiting. That seemed to be the trend since we waited for a table, waited for a menu, waited for water, waited for someone to take our order and waited a long time for our food to arrive.

If you do come here, do have a bit of patience. The 2 times I’ve been here, you probably spend more time waiting than eating. Their food is worth the wait.

Jambon- Brie Baguette ($9) has Black forest ham, brie cheese and mustard in a nice baguette. What Louieseries liked most about this is how the ham is wrapped around the brie. She enjoyed the melty brie and ham. The bread is quite crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

She also added an additional $3 to get the french onion soup. It has onion soup, beef stock, bits of baguette and swiss cheese on top. It’s really one of the must have side dishes! Some may not like the soup since it can be very bold with flavour and a bit salty.

Nordique Baguette ($9.25) smoked salmon, red onions, cucumbers, and lemon dill cream cheese in the fresh baguette. It is one of the lighter baguettes that they have. I liked it since it was simple are the cream cheese and the salmon were the stars of this baguette.

I had the side salad with the balsamic vinaigrette dressing. I found the greens in the salad were not very fresh. You can tell by the dark edges around some leaves. It was a bit scary, but I just ate it anyways. The only reason why I ate it was because of their balsamic vinaigrette sauce. I really love the acidity and the tingly sensation it gives my lips.

Overall, consistant slow service, but the food is pretty good…except the part with the wilted greens.

Words of Wisdom:

Amazing French Onion Soup! Must order!
Free Parking on adjacent streets
Busy during lunch hours
Slow service
Under $10

We Rate Chez Meme Baguette Bistro:

Address:

4016 Hastings Street
Burnaby, BC

In Bubble Tea

Sweet Puritea: Fresh Fruit Bubble Tea

August 7, 2011

Near Gilmore Skytrain Station, there is a small Cafe called Sweet Puritea. They specialized in Bubble Tea and drinks that are made from 100% fruit. They also have teas that are infused with real fruit rather than the artificial flavourings. They also offer lunch specials too! This place comes in handy when you live in the apartment above.

I find that this place can be quite empty at times, so it is a good alternative to come with a group of friends if you want a more quite environment compared to places like Bubble World.

There is not a super large amount of seating, but it can suit you and a few friends quite comfortably. Very good for group meetings!

I went a few times and the first time I ordered a fresh pineapple juice and the next time I ordered the fresh watermelon juice. These were really good and super refreshing on a hot day. Way better than Bubble World or Estea! The other normal Bubble Teas taste good as well, but if you are unsure of what to order, you can always ask them for a recommendation!

Words of Wisdom:

Fresh Fruit options
Fruit infused teas
Quiet environment, great for group meetings
Lunch specials/ snack specials
Free Wifi

We Rate Sweet Puritea:

Address:

4248 Dawson St.
Burnaby, BC

Website:
www.sweetpuritea.ca

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/sweetpuritea

Twitter:

@sweetpuritea

In Dessert

Coldstone Creamery: Everything Tastes Better in a Waffle Cone

August 1, 2011

Cold Stone Creamery is slowly gaining popularity and has about 7 locations in the Lower Mainland. To make their way into the Canadian Market, they have partnered up with Tim Hortons and make it part of their store.

If you look inside, it looks exactly like a Tim Hortons and at times it’s really hard to find a seat to sit at.

They have signature creations that you can choose from without making the decision of which ice cream to get with what topping.

If you want to be a bit different, you can make your own creation or just have some smoothies and milkshakes.

They have a few flavours to choose from. They have the usual mint, cotton candy, coffee, etc.

They have a lot of choices for toppings, so make sure you don’t go over board because it will cost you! You can even put your ice cream in a waffle cone. I had a horrible experience last time at the Coquitlam Coldstone by choosing my own toppings.

When you choose everything, they begin mixing it together on a “cold stone”, get it? It’s actually quite cool seeing them mash up all the ingredients together.

M ordered the ‘Cookie Doughn’t You Want Some’ in a ‘Like It’ Size with a chocolate waffle cone.

It has Vanilla Ice Cream, Chocolate chips, cookie dough, fudge and caramel. M liked it for the first few bites but felt it was quite sweet, so he was glad he got the smallest size.

I ordered the ‘All Lovin No Oven’ in a ‘Like It’ size with an original waffle cone.

It has cake batter ice cream, cookie dough, fudge and whipped cream. I really did not like the addition of the whipped cream, it felt way too sweet and added such a slimy texture to the ice cream. I also found that the waffle was quite old and stale. It didn’t have the nice crispy “snap” when you break it off.

Overall, we both found their signature creations to be too sweet and not really suited our tastes. I prefer my gelato or froyo.

Words of Wisdom:

“Like it” Is a good size if you don’t want to over indulge
Found their creations to be too sweet
Lots of Parking at Metrotown.

We Rate Coldstone Creamery:

Address:

Unit 1157 – 4700 Kingsway
Burnaby, BC

I found this on a forum, so I hope it’s legit and you can redeem it and see for yourself.

http://smartcanucks.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/coldstonecreamery.jpg

In Bar and Grill

The Keg: Lobster Summer Menu

July 29, 2011

M and I spent an interesting day shopping and returning things at Costco in Burnaby. Seriously, sometimes you can spend forever in all the aisles. Since The Keg is super close to Costco, we were super tempted for some meat!!

I really enjoy The Keg for their prime ribs, atmosphere and more meat.

I walked in looking for prime rib, but when I saw that they had a lobster summer menu that features their fresh batch of lobsters from the east. It sounded really good, so I had to try something off the menu.

Something wrapped in a white cloth came to the tables. Can you guess what it is? TA DA! It’s the complementary sourdough bread! It was a bit crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. It’s cut up into 4 pieces for you to share between 2 people. I found that eating one piece was good enough for me since I didn’t want to fill up my stomach.

Sometimes I wonder… how much bread do they waste in a month if people don’t finish it all.

M ordered the Tender New York striploin with mashed potatoes. M was so happy! 12oz of yummy yummy meaty goodness. He ordered it medium rare and it came out perfect. It wasn’t tough and it was seasoned with peppercorn on the outside.

I had the Seafood Sirloin ($27.95) grilled sirloin steak, topped with lobster, shrimp and scallops in a chive velouté sauce. Instead of mashed potatoes I ordered the house salad for the side. The salad was alright, nothing very special. Should have gone with the mashed potatoes…

I was disappointed by the size of my sirloin and the minimal seafood. The seafood really didn’t shine in this dish and as always, I could have always used more meat. Beside the size, I really loved the sirloin! Perfectly cooked medium rare with great flavour.

Overall, we really like this place for their steaks, but some dishes can be overpriced.

Words of Wisdom:

No reservations, so go early or go late
Slightly hard to drive to, so make sure you are driving from the south
Can get a bit pricey
Amazing steak and prime ribs

We rate The Keg:

Check out their website: http://www.kegsteakhouse.com/en/locations/BC/burnaby/burnaby-keg/

In Indian

Himalayan Peak: Naanwich, New Sandwich Technology?

July 23, 2011

Being on the SFU Burnaby Campus once a week still gives me plenty of time to check out their food. There really isn’t too much variety, but one of the better restaurants is the Himalayan Peak. They serve up Indian food!

There’s plenty of space for large groups or just a small bunch. They also take reservations. I would always go here with my coworkers for the all-you-can-eat buffets during lunch. Always a good deal for buffet.

Fabo and I ended class and headed here for their Naan-wich. I had it a long long time ago and I remembered it was a pretty strange concept.

When we sat down at the table, we instantly saw a little sign about the naan-wich. I read “A New Era in Sandwich Technology”, I thought it was a super weird tagline for the sandwich. I mean, how revolutionary can this be? Or do they just have horrible marketing?

The naan-wich comes in 2 choices chicken or vegetarian for $7. Since Fabo and I were meat eaters, we both had the chicken naan-wich.

The naan-wich was cut up into 4 quarters and resembled a quesadilla. I found that this was quite messy to eat since one of the naan breads would want to fall off as the other ingredients tried to slide off the other half. They really needed more stickiness on one side to stay adhered them together.

Fabo and I had different strategies of eating this and I just adopted the pizza way of eating this. You will need napkins. Even though this is so, the flavours were pretty good and naan is just so good! I really love naan bread!

The few days later, I was having lunch Downtown with my supervisor and she was taking about the “naan sandwich” at SFU, so I whipped out my camera and showed her. We thought it was a bit funny how it was such a coincidence that I had the photo on my phone.

When you pay your bill at the counter, you will find this strange bowl of candy with a spoon. It is Candied Fennel Seeds. It is very crunchy and tastes like anise or licorice. It refreshes your pallet after the meal!

Overall, it was a good snack and I really love the unique concept.

Words of Wisdom:

Regular items on the menu are quite pricey
All you can eat Buffet at noon is quite popular
Naan-wich is recommended or the paneer
No free parking anymore 🙁
SFU Student? Free Parking at UniverCity (they don’t check the 2 hr limit)

We Rate Himalayan Peak:

Address:

8901 University High St
Burnaby, BC

Website:
www.himalayanpeak.ca

In Four Beakers

G-Be Izakaya: Dragon Ball Z Inspired Sushi

July 18, 2011

The last time I was here, they were still doing a soft opening. After many many many month, they finally fully opened. Since M and I were not super hungry, we decided to grab a few dishes since we were in the area. G-Be Izakaya, as the name suggests it’s an izakaya restaurant serving up Japanese tapas.

The interior was still the same and is very very calming in here. It’s not very noisy compared to places like Guu or Hapa Izakaya. It’s a good place … for the older generation or people who want a quiet place to dine.

The menu has dramatically changed since last time. There are way more choices and includes pictures.

Tea still isn’t free, so you have to pay for it. I got the genmaicha green tea ($1.25). You get refills of your pot so it’s not too too bad.

Ebi Mayo ($7.50) was ok, but not the best I’ve had. I really don’t like how it was drenched in mayo. It really overpowers the delicate taste and texture of the shrimp.

Tori Kara ($6.00) is deep fried chicken covered in a rice crisp. The chicken is incredibly moist as usual. I really did not like the salty seasoning that comes with the dish. It was much better with a miso/sesame sauce like last time.

Salmon and Multi-grain Rice Croquette ($7.00). It’s a deep fried salmon and rice ball with a tonkatsu sauce. It’s actually pretty good and tastes super healthy with the multi-grain rice. Unlike the usual potato croquette, the rice does capture a lot of flavour from the salmon.

Dragon Ball “G” ($12) has eel inside the purple rice, covered in avocado and the signature soy-milk croquette on top. It also has a ceasar sauce on the side too. We really enjoyed this roll because it was named after the popular Japanese anime – Dragon Ball Z.

The sushi itself is not that incredible, but it’s really about the croquette on top. It kinda has a texture like mozzarella inside. The roll is quite expensive for what you get, but at least you can eat this and reminisce about the TV show.

Overall, it was good unique food as usual, but it did cost us a bunch for 2 drinks and 4 dishes. Since it’s located at the Grand Villa Casino, maybe thats why the prices are so high. Made me want to gamble a bit before eating dinner, but I know I always lose.

Words of Wisdom:

Free Parking
Most dishes under $10
Healthy ingredients
Expensive compared to Guu
Unique dishes

We Rate G-Be Izakaya :

Address:

4331 Dominion St
Burnaby, BC

Website:
www.g-beizakaya.ca

In Fast Food

Costco: Dirt Cheap Eats

July 8, 2011

Sometimes you don’t have a lot of time to eat, but thankfully most grocery stores have a little food area where you can guy good cheap food. Since M and I were at Costco picking up a cart full of buns and water for a BBQ, we thought we would check out their food court area.

All of their items on their menu are from their Kirkland brand. Everything is really cheap!

There is a bit of seating on the side as well. It reminded me of a mini inside picnic.

M got the ¼ pound hot dog with pop ($1.99). He said this was the biggest hotdog he has ever eaten in his life. A quarter pound of meat isn’t too bad, plus with a drink too? Good deal! He really enjoyed it as well!

We shared the Pizza (2.99). I love the pizza here! The crust is really crispy and the meat and cheese are just so good! Who doesn’t love meat and cheese? When you order the pizza, they always cut it in half since it’s easier to eat. It’s a huge pizza, so imagine fitting that all into your mouth.

I had the Montreal smoked meat sandwich ($4.99). It came with a huge pickle. I love pickles! It was a good addition to the sandwich.

I also enjoyed the sandwich because it came with a mound of smoky peppery meat. If they had some Dijon mustard, this would have been perfect. I wasn’t a big fan of the bread. I would have preferred something that was fluffier.

Overall, we had a good quick lunch before heading back to SFU. The prices are good and you get a decent snack.

Words of Wisdom:

Hundreds of parking spots
Grocery shop and eat at the same time
Hot Dog is the best deal
Cash only

We Rate Costco:

Address:

3550 Brighton Avenue
Burnaby, BC

Website:
www.costco.ca

In Italian

Anducci’s Cucina: Horrible Service and No Bread

July 3, 2011

AuditGirl was back in town and we usually get together with a few high school friends to catch up. Since pasta is always on Auditgirl’s mind, it seems fitting for her to come here.

I use to go to this Anducci’s back in high school, but back then it was very very dead, hardly anyone here for lunch. Now, its super packed especially dinner. Things have really turned around.

Auditgirl and I shared a pitcher of Sangria ($26). Honestly, it was not very good and for the price…I might as well travel a bit farther for the Sangria at Havana’s.

AuditGirl ordered the Laverne + Shirley Ziti Pasta ($12). It has slow roasted chicken, prawns, garlic, and caramelized onions in a light white wine cream sauce.

This version is different that the other branch of Anducci’s near Lougheed. Tasted really good and the ziti tubular pasta really captures a lot of the flavour inside as well.

ShyGirl had The Hulk ($12). It has whole-wheat pasta with mushrooms, avocado, roasted tomatoes and spinach quickly sautéed in garlic, olive oil and white wine. Finished with crumbled goat cheese + pumpkin seeds.

She really did not like the taste of whole-wheat pasta and the texture and taste of it ruined the dish for her. The Hulk pasta felt very very earthy.

SwimmerGirl has the Spicy Prawn, Scallop + Clam Linguini ($12). Fresh seafood simmered in white wine, tossed with linguini and tomato sauce.

She enjoyed it since it had lots of sauce and a little bit of a spicy kick.

I had the Prosciutto + Arugula Pizza ($10). It has roasted garlic olive oil rubbed pizza with sea salt, crushed chilies + mozzarella. Topped with thinly sliced prosciutto and arugula.

I found this pizza lacking any cheese to keep the prosciutto adhered to the bread. It felt like taking some flat crispy bread with a bit of seasoning and throwing the prosciutto and arugula on top. I really liked the prosciutto, but the pizza as a whole was messy and hard to eat.

It seems like they over baked the dough with the cheese on top and then threw on the prosciutto and arugula.

One thing that we were all waiting for was the usual bread that comes to the table, but it never came. We asked the waiter and he neglected to tell us that there is a new policy that they implemented. Since they were wasting so much bread before, they only give out bread on request. We found this funny when most of the tables around us had bread… we were not impressed by this new policy. There is no mention in the restaurant or menu about this. Plus, the bread really is the best part about Anducci’s.

The service was also not very good either, it would take us a while to get the waiters attention to give him our order and the food did not come out at the same time either.

Overall, the food was just decent, but I would rather go to the Lougheed branch.

Words of Wisdom:

Lacking service
New bread “policy”, must ask them for bread
Free parking in front or rear
Sangria is horrible
Some pasta dishes are a hit of miss

We Rate Anducci’s Cucina:

Address:

6011 Hastings St
Burnaby, BC

Website:
www.anduccis.com/home.shtml

In Cafe

Renaissance Coffee: Butter Chicken

July 1, 2011

In the Academic Quadrangle at Simon Fraser University, there is a branch of Renaissance Coffee that sells the usual items plus butter chicken! I always see my past coworkers eating it, so I thought to myself, if everyone else is eating, I should try it as well!

Sure enough I tried it with Fabo during lunch.

The butter chicken comes with basmati rice, the butter chicken, side of lettuce and cucumbers. For the price of about $6, it’s not too bad for a lunch on campus.

Since all the sauce is on top, it’s best to stir all the sauce and rice together so it is evenly distributed. I did this and I didn’t have too much issue with the sauce/rice ratio. I also didn’t mix the rice under the salad.

Fabo didn’t mix her sauce and rice, so she really needed more sauce with hers. We also felt that the butter chicken could have had more chicken as well. Chicken was a bit overcooked, tough and dry.

I also got a London Fog. Probably one of my favorite places to get it at campus.

Overall, it was not bad for campus food. KoreanGirl also had it the other day and she thought it was good, but it was not something she would get over and over again. You do get full from this, so it’s a good thing.

Words of Wisdom:

Long line ups during peak times
Butter chicken at AQ Location
Panini’s & soups at Cornerstone Location
Usually the greek salad, pasta salad, wraps and yogurt are good choices for quick eats

We rate Renaissance Coffee:

Address:

8906 University High St
Burnaby, BC

In Japanese

Sushi Town: Quantity over Quality?

June 27, 2011

I always came here in high school since it was less than a block away. For a student, it is the perfect place to eat for cheap. Ever since M kept getting very sick after eating here… we knew that something wasn’t right. He didn’t just get sick once or twice, but three times. Later on we found out some of the chefs do not wash their hands after smoking and/or going to the washroom. I am sure this happens at other restaurants as well, but it’s just kinda gross when you know about it.

Since I was kinda sick of campus food and BusanGirl insisted we go here for Alaska rolls, I agreed. It is a fact they have some damn good Alaska rolls.

We arrived at noon on a weekday and it was slightly busy.

My greatest fear of Sushi Town is the scary machine that hangs above the back table.

Their menu layout has changed too.

BusanGirl had the chicken teriyaki ($7.95). It has bean sprouts, broccoli, carrots, chicken and teriyaki sauce. You also get a bowl of rice too. She said she liked it. The chicken was nice and tender as well.

I ordered the spicy tuna sashimi (half order $5). I had this a long time ago and I was never disappointed. This time, I was disappointed; the tuna was chopped up in very ununiformed pieces. Some pieces were as large as their usual sashimi pieces.

I then got the Chicken karrage ($3.95), which comes with 6 large pieces of wings. I really love these simple types of fried chicken wings. My favorite!

We then shared the Alaska roll ($3.95), it has avocado, cucumber, tobiko, salmon, and topped off with their citrus sauce. For $4, it’s a good roll.

Overall, the food isn’t too bad. You really can’t go wrong with the rolls.

Words of Wisdom:

Poor Service
Well priced dishes
Best to share items with friends
Very busy during peak hours
No reservations
Good specialty rolls
Amazing Alaska Roll
Not the most cleanly restaurant

We Rate Sushi Town:

Address:

5935 Hastings St
Burnaby, BC

In Food Carts

When Japadog goes to SFU

June 25, 2011

Japadog comes up to the SFU Burnaby Campus once in a while to help support student clubs or charities. It’s really great that they support students and their causes.

The last time they were at SFU, they helped out with the Japanese relief and this time, the Stepping Bridge Organization (not sure what they do). The student club I use to be a part of researched into getting Japadog to SFU as well, and they make about $0.50 per Japadog sold. It was a few years ago, so I’m not sure if it’s still the same case.

As you can tell, the prices are $1.50 higher than in Downtown.

Nonetheless, people still line up 30 mins to get a bite of the awesome Japadogs. I got lucky and arrived prior to 12pm before the lunch time crowd arrived. I probably spent 5 mins in line.

CandiedZen and Fabo both had the Okonomi Japadog ($7.75). It has a pork sausage, cabbage, mayo, okonomi sauce and dried bonito.

They both said it tasted fine, but it was a bit on the small side.

I ordered the EbiChili Japadog ($7.75). It is made with a shrimp sausage, chili mayo, dried shrimp, red pepper and fried onion.

This is by far my favorite Japadog! When you bite into the shrimp sausage, it s not just shrimp paste, it’s bits of shrimp put together. The addition of the fried onions was very very good!! Everything worked very well together surprisingly. The dried shrimp on top initially turned off my friends, but I really didn’t mind.

Something didn’t seem right about the Japadogs. Its either the bun was bigger or the sausages were smaller. If you look at the images, you can really hardly see the sausages.

In the future, it’s probably best to head Downtown to get your fill of Japadogs for their regular size. If you do want to support your fellow students for a good cause, totally get one on campus! I really didn’t mind spending a little bit more to help a fellow student organization out to raise funds. Raising money is not as easy as it seems.

In North Burnaby

The Ladle: Vegetarian + Vegan +Gluten-Free Options

June 3, 2011

One good thing about SFU is that they have a shop that offers vegan and healthy vegetarian cuisine at decent prices. They have soups, salads, wraps and other random things.

They are located in the Maggie Benson Center near Convocation Mall. Its a good place to go if you want a healthy alternative to the other items on campus.

Just so you know…I’m not a vegetarian…I just end up coming to these places by random chances.

All of us ordered the Mac & Cheese. This Mac & Cheese tasted worse than Kraft Dinner. It was crunchy at the top and mushy under neither. It lacked any taste and felt like a chore eating it. I could go on exaggerating, but plain and simple – it was just bad. The only way to have it somewhat edible was to mix in some salt and pepper. Perhaps they forgot to add salt to their batch of Mac & Cheese?

If you do happen to get the Mac & Cheese, do gram a few packages of salt and pepper just in case the same thing happens for you.

I also had the Small Minestrone soup. I was expecting to be the other type of minestrone soup with herbs and more yellow. The soup still tasted fine, but I guess it has more of the dominant tomato taste.

Overall, it’s a good alternative but food isn’t that great. My 2 favorite items here are the shepherd’s pie, creamy mushroom soup and the grilled cheese. Everything else here is pretty meh. It’s safe to say the SFU really does not have great food. Natures Garden might be a good alternative if you want other vegetarian food.

Words of Wisdom:

Grilled Cheese, Creamy Mushroom Soup, or shepards pie are my Favs
Under $10
Vegetarian/Vegan/Gluten-Free Friendly

We Rate Ladle:

Address:

8888 University High St
Burnaby, BC

In Fast Food

Triple O’s: Missing Pickles

May 29, 2011

Up at SFU, there really isn’t too many to places to eat at. One of the more convenient and popular places is Triple O’s in the Academic Quadrangle.

Since it was Tuesday, They have a deal called “Triple O’s Tuesday”, where you get the original burger for $3.33. The burger is very sloppily put together with lettuce, tomatoes, Triple “O” Sauce, and the beef patty. There is also supposed to be pickles with it, but they did not give us any. By the time I figured this out, I was too lazy to go back for pickles.

The burger tasted ok, but it’s not the best burger. It’s something just to satisfy your craving. I added the combo to it since I knew just eating the burger wouldn’t be enough to fill me for lunch. You get thick cut fries and pop to it. I’m not a huge fan of the fries since they were not very crispy.

M was very very hungry, so we got the Double Double Combo (~$9). It is essentially the original burger, but with 2 patties and 2 slices of cheese. Yet again …no pickles. M did enjoy it since it had all he wanted – meat.

Overall, don’t expect perfection from the SFU’s Triple O’s. I only go when it’s convenient and I don’t want to walk far.

Words of Wisdom:

Triple O’s Tuesday Deal
Under $10

We Rate Triple O’s:

Address:

8888 University Dr
Coquitlam, BC

Website:
www.tripleos.com

In Cafe

Higher Grounds: Tea & Coffee Place

May 26, 2011

I’m usually pressed for time when I move from the SFU Burnaby Campus to the SFU Harbour Center Campus. Time does not really permit me to have a big snack or even a lunch when there is 1 hour between class and the bus ride can take about 45 mins.

I was really dead and tired one day, so I decided to quickly go to Higher Grounds for some tea and a small little something. Their prices are quite reasonable and won’t break the bank compared to some other places. The Simon Fraser Student Society runs it and the money goes back into the school.

I ordered a soy London Fog and a chocolate cookie with white chocolate ($4.60). The London Fog was perfect, I find it so much better than Starbucks and way cheaper! It’s not too sweet or too bitter, but just right.

The cookie was also pretty darn good and hits the spot. Having the white chocolate chips inside made this cookies just melt in your mouth.

Overall, it’s my favorite place to go on campus for tea and a snack.

Words of Wisdom:

The food isn’t that good
Go for the drinks and pastries

We Rate Higher Grounds:

Address: Maggie Benson Centre
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, BC

In Bubble Tea

Pearl Drops: Bubble Tea

May 2, 2011

Pearl Drops was my “high school hang out” many years ago. During our breaks or even after school, we would drive here, drink some Bubble Tea and just chill. Ever since I graduated, I seldom go here even though I live in the same area and SFU is pretty close by. I’m not exactly sure of the reason, but perhaps its because I’ve learned how to drive further distances, discovered more of Vancouver and found other Bubble Tea restaurants.

Pearl Drops is quite quiet and has changed much over the years. They use to strictly only have drinks, but now they offer sandwiches and dessert. The reason I find Pearl Drops different from the usual bubble tea places is that for certain teas they use real tea leaves and its not a premade batch of tea…unlike some bubble tea places. They have fresh fruit options as well.

For indecisive people, they have a top 5 list of their popular Bubble Teas. You know you can’t go wrong with them unless you are allergic to the flavours or they are your most hated fruit in the world.

KoreanGirl ordered the Mango Slush + Mango Stars ($4.05 +$1). It’s just a regular mango slush with mango stars, nothing too different than what you would get at other places.

M ordered the Strawberry Milkshake ($5). It essentially is made out of milk, ice cream, and strawberries. Just the regular and nothing too different. M said that it was a lot better than the fake syrup flavours found in most fast food joints, so if you’re itching for a strawberry milkshake, come here!

I ordered the Iced Honey Jasmine Tea with Mango Stars ($3.63 +$1). I found this drink to be a bit sweet due to the honey. You can really taste the honey! I am a type of person who does not really like sweet drinks. Perhaps next time I should ask for half sweet. I also think I chose to have mango stars in the wrong drink. It really doesn’t go well together. I just really really craved mango stars.

I find that this place is quite limited and some items still use powder. If you are new to this place, you might have trouble figuring out what’s fresh fruit or not.

Words of Wisdom: