Four Beakers Archives - Page 6 of 24

In Chinese

Hakkasan Bistro: Modern Chinese Bistro in Richmond

July 4, 2015

Hakkasan Bistro Cafe is located in a very obscure area in East Richmond close to Ikea and the International Summer Night Market. They are a family-run establishment opened in 2007 by a mother and her two daughters. Renowned for their tasting menus, Hakkasan aspired to refine and elevate the Chinese dining experience. After 6 rewarding years, Hakkasan underwent a big renovation in 2013 and recently relaunched with the re-opening of what is a now a trendy bistro cafe that offers a new diverse menu selection in addition to tasting menus.

I wouldn’t have thought this restaurant would be located here. There’s nothing but warehouses and furniture stores nearby. Since there is no other food alternatives close by, they do draw a crowd during lunch from the stores around it. They even have grab-n-go meals for those in a rush. A taste of home without cooking anything.

I came here to dinner with the Chinesebites crew to indulge on a customized tasting menu for us. You can find these items on their regular menu.

They can cater to large groups and smaller groups. It’s always good to make a reservation since you never know if they will be very busy or not.

Honey Roasted Pork Cheeks were so good! The sweet honey sauce enrobes the tender and fatty pork cheeks. This is probably one of my favourite places to get pork cheeks now.

Chef’s Signature Whole Coconut Pork and Snow Fungus Soup is doubled boiled for over 3 hours in a the beautiful young coconut. It comes steaming hot and stay hot for a while. It serves one person or you can split with someone else but why do that when it’s so good. You need to reserve this soup a day in advanced.

The reason it needs advanced preparation is that the slow cooking method allows the coconut meat flavour to infuse into the soup creating the unique aroma and taste.

Inside you will find pieces of pork and snow fungus in the delectable chicken broth infused with coconut. It was one of my favourite dishes here. It is pricey at $22 per soup, but if it was a special occasion, I would get it. You also need to reserve this a day in advanced.

Ancient Style Salt Baked Chicken is a specialty item that needs to be reserved in advance since they need to take time to prepare this item.

The chicken is marinated with a blend of 10 different Chinese herbs and spices, then the free-range chicken is wrapped in parchment paper, place in the clay pot with a mound of coarse salt.

Once it’s open, you will see the delicious chicken hiding inside the parchment paper. It’s like Christmas, but all you get is a chicken. This slow baking technique ensures the chicken stays tender, moist, and flavourful when its done.

They prepare the chicken and portion for everyone at the table. Because of the baking process, the chicken is tender and flavourful. Of course I loved the dark meat.

Steamed Specialty Odorless Garlic Lobster is served on a bed of jasmine rice. Our table agreed that there needed to be a bit more flavour in the rice. The rice was more oily than flavourful. Perhaps if it was fried rice instead of jasmine rice, it would be a bit more enjoyable.

Braised Pork Hock is pretty massive and I drooled over this. It was nice and fatty and so much flavour. Mmmm Mmm Mmmm. Everything just really melts in your mouth.

This is another item that needs advanced ordering.

To balance out the flavour are bao/bun that is served with it. You can make some mini braised pork hock sandwiches or just dunk it into the sauce.

Hakka Homestyle Steam Egg with pork with duck yolk is a very smooth like custard. The salty duck yolk balanced out the steamed egg.

Stirfry fish with pickled cabbage was ok, I didn’t really love this dish as I felt the star of the dish was masked.

Mui Choy Stirfry was ok. I found it was quite oily and hard. I would have preferred some other steamed vegetables.

Steamed Milk Egg White Custard was the dish to end the evening. It was an ok dessert, but it didn’t wow me. I thought their dessert would be a little bit more elaborate like some of the dishes we saw tonight.

With their renovations and a revamped menu, they have some pretty good food but it is pricey. Lunch here is definitely more affordable, but dinner is a whole other experience.

Foodology Disclaimer: I was invited by ChineseBites to dine at Hakkasan Bistro and my meal was comped. All thoughts are my own.

We Rate Hakkasan Bistro:

Address:
110-2188 Number 5 Road, Richmond

Website:
http://www.hakkasan.ca/

In Chinese

Shiang Garden Restaurant: Fourteen Course Meal

June 30, 2015

Shiang Garden Seafood Restaurant is an authentic Chinese restaurant featuring Cantonese dim sum and live seafood. They are located on No. 3 Road close to Parker Place. This is a popular location for weddings as they can seat a large amount of people, plus the layout is ideal for a large banquet wedding.

The restaurant is on the 3rd floor, so you have to go through the parking lot. Their other entrance is currently under construction.

Surprisingly I haven’t been here yet. I came here for a ChineseBites dinner with a few other bloggers to eat through this 14 course meal. I’ve been balancing weekly hikes with these dinners.

They have about 15 chandeliers in here as well as lots of round tables. In the centre of the room is even a visible dance floor.

Prawns Salad with Papaya has half a papaya filled with fruit, mayo and 2 plump prawns. I’m usually not a fan of mixing savoury and sweet items, but its a strange combination that works. It makes a great appetizer since it is refreshing.

Tremella with Chicken & Crab Meat Soup and topped with tobiko. You can add a little of the red vinegar to add a tad more flavour. Soups are definitely essential to a good Chinese dinner.

Whole Chicken in Abalone Sauce is decorated like a peacock with the veggies and cherries. It even comes with its head. They really don’t waste any part of it…but you’re not supposed to eat the head anyways.

The chicken was very moist and went great with the abalone sauce.

Diced Beef Tenderloin in Honey & Pepper Man, the beef is really tender and I could eat this all day! So good! Also, whoever cut those cucumbers has mad knife skills and a super sharp knife.

Specialty Layer Pork with bok choy. A slab of oh so delicious pork belly cooked slowly till pure perfection. It was moist inside with a great deal of flavour. Well executed as the bok choy balanced out the fattiness of the pork.

Lamb Chop with Honey & Pepper reminded me of the diced beef tenderloin. Perhaps similar sauce and both were uber tender. So good!

Whole Tilapia in En-Ping Style is deboned and the flesh is quite delicate. Also comes with head, which can be a freaky thing.

Lobster in Salted Egg Yolk is not a very common flavouring for lobster in a restaurant. It is very delicious and unique. I would still prefer it tossed in a lighter sauce. They did cook the lobster very nicely.

BC Dungeness Crab in White Wine Sauce is always a little bit more difficult to eat since you need to open up the legs and dig for the meat. Definitely not for everyone, but it is a Chinese staple in a large dinner like this.

Steamed Spot Prawns in Garlic were prepared in a unique way. I have never seen prawns sliced down the middle. It made picking at the meat difficult. I really love them whole and I can peel them apart with my bare hands like a beast, but of course thats not very civil in a restaurant setting.

As it is closer to the end of the Spot Prawn season, these were on the small side.

Sauteed Mixed Seafood on a bed of snow peas and beautifully cut cucumbers and oranges. I love seafood and this dish has a good variety of it.

Buddha’s Feast Roll with Cabbage is a vegetarian dish. They did a good job putting together the rolls as they did not fall apart. It was cooked well and I also enjoyed this dish even though it has no meat.

For dessert, we had Baked Durian Pastry and Osmanthus Flower Cake Pudding. I had half a durian pastry, but it just taste like onions to me. Some people love this stuff. As for the cake pudding, it has a very subtle taste and its a nice way to end the meal.

Overall, all the dishes were well executed and tasted fabulous. No wonder people have weddings and go crazy over dim sum at Shiang Garden. Definitely try to make reservations ahead of time. I wasn’t disappointed by any dish. I’ll be back!

Foodology Disclaimer: I was invited by ChineseBites to dine at Shiang Garden and my meal was comped. All thoughts are my own.

We Rate Shiang Garden:

Address:
Empire Centre
4540 Number 3 Road, Richmond

In Four Beakers

The Black Forest Restaurant: German Cuisine in Harrison Hot Springs

June 21, 2015

M and I spent 2 days at Harrison Hot Springs. Sometimes it’s nice to just get away from the city and enjoy some more nature. The first thing that we did here is eat. M always talks highly of the German restaurant called The Black Forest Restaurant.

The Black Forest Restaurant serves up authentic German cuisine. I was super excited to come here since I miss my University days backpacking through Western Europe. Germany was one of my favourite countries to visit.

The interior is dated and you can tell this place has been her for a long time.

Krombacher Pilsner is what M ordered to go with his schnitzel. I was suprised he ordered it since he rarely orders beer to go with his lunch. It’s a great light beer that has a bit of a citrus finish. Great German beer to go with German food.

Bratwurst is served on a bed of SauerKraut, topped with fried onions and peppercorn sauce. It is served with pan-fried potatoes, steamed vegetables and dijon mustard. Very delicious!

Schnitzel is pan-fried till it’s golden brown and crunchy. It is topped with mushrooms and a peppercorn sauce. It is served with red cabbage, steamed veggies and pan fried potatoes. M loved it.

Overall, our quick lunch here was delicious. I’d definitely be back again. The decor here isn’t very nice, but we were really drawn by the food. It’s pretty hard to find good German food in Vancouver.

We Rate The Black Forest Restaurant:

Address:
180 Esplanade Street,
Harrison Hot Springs, BC

Website:
http://www.blackforest-restaurant.com/

In Dessert

Earnest Ice Cream: Dessert near Olympic Village

May 29, 2015

Earnest Ice Cream‘s second location is on 2nd and Quebec St, which is close to Olympic Village. They create small batches of artisan ice cream with seasonal ingredients that will surely knock your socks off.

You can get their ice cream as a single scoop or get a pint of it.

The space really accommodates line ups and in the Summer, you will definitely see lots of line ups. Since it was on a weekday around lunch hour, it was not busy at all.

Cookies and Cream with a cone was what I had. It’s every kids dream! There were tons of cookie bits and I really felt like a kid again.

There are seats inside, but since it was a hot sunny day, we made sure to enjoy the sun. Best lunch break ever!

Overall, it’s always a great time getting ice cream at Earnest. The flavours are amazing and you’ll end up wanting more. That’s why I always have a few pints in my freezer at home. I do love the larger space at this location compared to their Fraser location.

We Rate Earnest Ice Cream:

Address:
1829 Quebec Street,
Vancouver

Website:
http://earnesticecream.com/

In Cafe

Platform 7: Coffee Shop like a Train Station

May 15, 2015

Platform 7 is located in the heart of the East Village on Hastings Street near Nanaimo. When you step in, you will be magically transported to a Victorian London Train Station to experience beautiful hand-crafted espresso and coffee brew bar drinks. They use Stumptown Coffee for their beans.

I stopped here with my bridesmaids a day before my wedding as we were in the area getting our nails done. It’s really a great setting to hang out with the girls and chat for a little bit. With all the hard wedding planning, I really needed some caffeine.

They also serve up a bunch of different pastries from locally-sourced artisan bakers in the area.

Hazelnut Brownie ($3.50) was amazing! It was very moist and so rich with chocolate flavour. It also has salted caramel. This was really the perfect brownie and we all shared a bite of it.

Iced Pour Over Coffee was just what BaguetteGirl and KoreanGirl needed for the hot weather.

Chai Latte ($3.50) was what Mandu ordered.

London Fog ($3.50) is what I ordered. I know, I should have tried their coffee, but it was the middle of the afternoon and I know if I have coffee late in the day, I won’t sleep. Plus, I needed my beauty sleep because my wedding would be the next day. The london fog was delicious!

Overall, Platform 7 is a pretty awesome café and I would come back with more friends to show them the awesome space and coffee.

We Rate Platform 7:

Address:
2331 East Hastings Street
Vancouver BC

Website:
http://platform7coffee.ca/

In Cafe

Linh Cafe: French Cuisine with a Twist of Vietnamese

April 16, 2015

Linh Cafe is located on West 4th in Kitsilano. I’ve heard very good things about this café, so when I saw a deal on Groupon for $49 to get 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts, I thought it was a steal. An entree is around $25, so getting the Groupon was awesome! What can I say? I like a good deal!

The other half of the restaurant by the front entrance looks for like a café.

Their menu is quite unique as it serves French Cuisine with a Vietnamese twist. Owner and Chef Tai Nguyen merges his two loves of French food and family.

Mussel ($16.50) comes with a wine and fresh herbs cream sauce. It is served with 4 pieces of bread on top.

The mussels were nice and plump! Very delicious and the sauce was great. We dipped a lot of the bread into the sauce.

Nem Cha Gio Spring Roll ($10.50) is packed with shrimp, pork, wood-ear mushroom, and glass noodles.

I loved how crisp the outside was. One of the best spring rolls I’ve had.

Cassoulet ($23.90) has duck confit, house made sausage, pork confit, and white beans in a hot skillet. This was really good! How can you not love all this meat in a pan?

It also came with frites. Very crispy on the outside.

Gigot ($27.50) has 12 hour braised lamb legs in red wine and mirepoix. It is also served with bread.

I found the meat to be a tad dry and the portion is a bit on the small side.

Don’t forget to dunk it into the stew.

By this point, M and I were quite full from the meal, so we had to take the dessert home.

Apple Chausson ($4.50) are French Apple Turnovers. I popped it into the oven until the pastry crisps up a bit more. It’s pretty good, but I wish I had some vanilla ice cream to eat it with.

Three Chocolate Mousse ($6.95) M loved it. He was very satisfied with the dessert.

Overall, the entire meal was very delicious and I loved the combination of French and Vietnamese. You really get the best of both worlds. Our entire meal would have been over $90, but with the Groupon, it was around $50. Not bad at all. You know it’s a good meal when M can’t stop raving about the restaurant.

We Rate Linh Cafe:

Address:
2836 W 4th Ave
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.linhcafe.com/

In Cafe

Cafe de l’Orangerie: Amazing Japanese Pasta

April 13, 2015

Cafe de L’Orangerie is now located in Marpole, a few minutes away from the Vancouver International Airport. They are a Japanese-style cafe serving up their interpretation of Western food.

After coming here, I really wish they had more locations. I love this type of food. You will find on their menu – pasta, curry, hamburg steak, beef stew, and teriyaki. Sounds pretty boring, but once you eat it, you won’t regret it.

I came here with the lovely ladies of Gastrofork – Dee and Nat to film a short interview … and eat of course!

London Fog ($4.55) is a black tea latte with vanilla and steamed milk. Mmmm my favourite! Seriously, I’m going on a long streak of ordering london fogs. It’s essentially my coffee alternative.

Campari Lemon ($6.50) is an alcoholic beverage with the bitter taste of Campari and limonata lemon juice cocktail. Nat and her early morning cocktails. She even got ID’d.

Matcha Green Tea Latte ($4.55) was what Dee ordered. Looks very vibrant and green due to the matcha. You can’t go wrong with this drink.

Curry with Pork Cutlet ($11.95) looks delicious and has a generous portion of curry to rice ratio.

Spaghetti Carbonara ($9.80) has bacon, mushroom, garlic, egg, cheese, and cream. OMG so good! I ate all o fit and didn’t even leave a single noodle on the plate. SO GOOD!

Zunda Dango Parfait ($6.95) is a dessert made with rice balls, sweet edamame bean paste, red bean, ice cream and black sugar sauce.

I would definitely come back! It’s the type of food that M and I love. Love the Japanese twist to Western food.

We Rate Cafe de L’orangerie:

Address:
1320 W 73rd Ave
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://cafedelorangerie.ca/

In Cafe

Prado Cafe: New Location in Gastown

April 1, 2015

Prado Cafe has finally opened their second location in Gastown. Their first location is on Commercial Drive and it’s a loved cafe in the neighbourhood. They really focus on crafting the perfect brew and creating a great atmosphere.

They use Parallel Forty Nine coffee in their brews, plus they have quality baked goods, sandwiches, light snacks and sweets.

I came before work to grab a coffee and a pastry before the work day begins. It’s always important to be caffeinated.

Their drinks are reasonably priced and the staff seem to be friendly.

Some of their yummy treats are presented quite nicely especially their bars.

Magic Bar ($3.60) was chosen because of it’s name. It has chocolate chips, toasted coconut and a buttery sugary mixture like a butter tart.

Cappuccino ($3.60) was really good! Just what I needed for the morning to wake me up.

I love how they name some of their baked goods especially the cookie with no name.

Overall, it’s a good addition to the neighbourhood. It’s also a very comfortable space to do some work and sip on coffee. I will definitely be back.

We Rate Prado Cafe:

Address:
100 W Hastings St
Vancouver, BC

Website: http://pradocafevancouver.com/

In Chinese

Chef Tony: Chinese New Year Feast

March 14, 2015

Chef Tony opened in Richmond in early 2014 as an upscale Cantonese Eatery. The restaurant is quite beautiful with elaborate decorations. They have a banquet hall with 16 large tables plus 4 private VIP dining rooms. A good venue if you have a large group to host. This restaurant is pricier than the average.

It was recently voted one of the top 10 new Vancouver restaurants in 2014 by the Globe and Mail.

You’ll notice instantly that this place is much fancier. Its in the details and the service.

I opted for beer. Seriously, the best drink for Chinese food is beer to keep your palate refreshed.

They presented us with a few appetizer before the meal began. This tasted like an egg roll, but in a square-shaped form. Flakey and delicious. I really enjoyed it and reminded me of childhood.

Gluten cubes remind me of tofu but it’s not. Very spongey and it does suck up a lot of flavour from the sauce.

Marinated Cloud Ear Fungus has a slimy texture with a bit of a crunch.

Salted Peanuts has always been a weird item that comes with Chinese dinners. I could never figure out why they serve this before the meal.

Assorted Cold Cuts Platter with Black Truffle Chicken was delicious. It’s a visually stunning dish, plus there’s lots to try. I love picking at every item since it’s like a sampler.

Deep Fried Tender Squabs is so good. Theres no words to explain how good it is. Its one of my favourite dishes.

Braised Oysters and Pig Tongue in Oyster Sauce with black moss is a strange-looking dish but tasted quite good if you can tolerate the texture and ingredients. I grew up with the type of food, so I’m not stranger to it.

Dried Scallop and Crab Meat with Pea Leaves is shaped like a ying yang. The pea leaves have a slightly sweet taste that pairs well with the salty mixture on top. I love pea leaves!

Double Boiled Chicken Soup with Matsuke Mushroom and Conch comes in a huge pot. It is served in individual bowls by the servers. Very clear broth with nice depth of flavour.

Pan-Fried Lobsters with House Stock the pieces are carefully cut up so you don’t have to get messy eating all the pieces. Just grab a fork to extract the meat. In Chinese culture, a lobster symbolizes a strong marriage and family bond.

Deep Fried Crispy Free Range Chicken was cook slightly under so the bones are still red. It’s intentional as the meat is still juicy and flavourful.

Pan-Fried Beef Shoulder Tender with Mastuke and Ling Oyster mushroom

Steamed Fish in Soy Sauce Rock Cod is another common item to see at the table during New Years. The whole fish with the head is a symbol of long life and good fortune. Their fish was really good here. I am usually indifferent bout fish but mmmm it was awesome.

Fried Rice with Assorted Meat and Seafood in Brown Sauce was yummy. We had so many dishes during this dinner and I was about to pop.

Egg Noodle with Enoki Mushroom with Abalone Sauce its an essential dish to have during the New Years as noodles mean longevity to ensure a long life. Whatever you do, don’t cut the noodles.

Steamed Brown Sugar Sponge Cake is served hot and really yummy.

Steamed Brown Sugar Honey Cake is yummy! They have a similar dessert at Jade restaurant too. SO addictive and not too sweet. Asian desserts are usual not as sweet as Western desserts.

This was definitely a delicious dinner at Chef Tony. All the dishes were prepared well and stands out as a Chinese restaurant. The dishes are pricey, so it’s definitely not an everyday restaurant. Good for special occasions.

We Rate Chef Tony:

Address:
101-4600 No.3 Road
Richmond, BC

Website:
http://cheftonycanada.com/en/

In California

Cactus Taqueria: Mexican Food in Hollywood

March 3, 2015

When in Los Angeles, get your Uber driver to recommend places to eat. Thats what we did. We really wanted Mexican food, but it was so hard finding something close to the place we were staying at. It’s pretty hard navigating Yelp and Urbanspoon to find the right place.

Our driver dropped us off at Cactus Taqueria in Hollywood. He guaranteed us it would be amazing. He told us how one of his drunk passengers made him drive here in the middle of the night just to get a few tacos. Clearly he was feeling the late night munchies.

We had no idea where we were but that was ok since there was a long lineup for tacos. The staff were friendly. Seating is outside but it can get a bit chilly in the winter. We decided to do take out as our place was a short distance away.

We ordered a bunch of items to go and took tons of sauce and pickled vegetables. The sauces all tasted amazing!

Carnitas Tacos ($1.25 each) is topped with onion and cilantro. Definitely grab some of their signature sauces and add them on top. Mmm so good.

Fish Taco Supreme ($2.25 each) is topped with cilantro, onions, tomatoes, and sour cream. Very delicious and the sour cream works so well with these tacos.

Cheese and Avocado Quesadilla ($5) was cut up into 4 pieces and was oozing with delicious cheese. The avocado was a nice addition.

Wet Chicken Burrito was delicious! So saucy and so good. You will definitely need a knife and fork for this item.

Overall, the food was great! We were glad our Uber driver recommended this place for dinner. The prices were great and we loved every single bite.

We Rate Cactus Taqueria:

Address:
950 Vine St
Los Angeles, CA

Website:
http://cactus.menutoeat.com/index.cfm

In Cafe

Forty Ninth Parallel Cafe & Lucky’s Doughnuts: Hot Chocolate Fest

February 11, 2015

The Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival is back for it’s 5th year and Forty Ninth Parallel Cafe & Lucky’s Doughnuts is participating. They are currently serving 3 types of hot chocolates:

Hot Chocolate and a Donut
Delicious dark hot chocolate and a Lucky’s doughnut of your choice.

The Nanaimo Bar
A 72% dark chocolate paired with butter icing sweetened milk and topped with a coconut whipped cream. Served with a doughnut-shaped financier.

The Lumberjack
Spicy dark hot chocolate. Served with maple marshmallow and chocolate covered wafer logs.

These are available January 17 – February 14, 2015.

All my friends went with the Hot Chocolate and Donut. The hot chocolate was delicious and rich. They go perfect with donuts.

Coffee French Cruller is their spin on the traditional French cruller. It has a nice coffee taste infused in the dough and in the icing.

Classic Old Fashioned is a sour cream old fashioned topped with their signature vanilla glaze.

Overall, good drinks and donuts with the girls.

We Rate Forty Ninth Parallel Cafe and Lucky’s Doughnuts:

Address:
2902 Main St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.luckysdoughnuts.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=2902+Main+St,+Vancouver,+BC+V5T+3G3&sll=49.2399859,-122.95816940000002&sspn=0.1721632379598321,0.3516140337636478&t=m&dg=opt&hnear=2902+Main+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5T+3G3&z=16″]

In European

The Spud Shack Fry Co: Burgers and Poutine in New Westminster

January 15, 2015

The Spud Shack Fry Co is located inside the New Westminster Skytrain station. They open up everyday at noon and serve up twice cooked Belgian Frites and artisan draught beers.

They have $5 happy hour on the weekdays from 2pm – 6pm, where you can choose between select beers, wine or a medium poutine.

It’s literally a few steps from the platform. Great for a quick stop to grab a bite.

Looking at their menu, I was impressed by the amount of beers they had available. They also have a variety of poutines too. They have the usual poutines and then creative ones like ‘The Night Market’, ‘The Squealer’, and ‘The Brat’.

There aren’t too any seats, but good size for groups of 2’s or 4’s.

I tried a flight of a few of their different beers and its great they are using some pretty local craft brewers like Steel & Oak, Whistler Brewing, and Four Winds Brewing.

Frites are 100% local Kennebec potatoes cooked in high quality gluten-free Canola oil and tossed with Italian sea salt. They definitely take their time to prepare these fries since it was so good and crispy.

They have a variety of delicious sauces to choose from. If you have fries, you must order a sauce to go with it.

Andalusia mayonnaise
Bacon mayonnaise
Chipotle mayonnaise
Truffle mayonnaise
Parmesan mayonnaise
Malt vinegar mayonnaise
Curry mayonnaise
Jalapeño mayonnaise
Dill pickle mayonnaise
Dutch mayonnaise
Curry ketchup
Chipotle ketchup

Effing Good Burger has smoked onion mayo, BBQ sauce, tomato jam, bacon, lettuce, pickle, and Monterey Jack cheese. It’s also served with regular frites.

I was surprised by the smokiness of the burger, really god depths of flavour. Mmm Mmm Mmm!

The Classic Poutine has frites, cheese curds and gravy. That gravy is really good and just tasted so comforting. Plus, the frites were still crispy!

Overall, I really enjoyed the food here. I’ve been searching a long time for a poutine that has crispy frites. It’s good stuff and I highly recommend coming here for a visit. Just hop on the skytrain.

We Rate The Spud Shack Fry Co:

Address:
352-800 Carnarvon Street
New Westminster, BC

Website: http://www.spudshack.ca/

In Four Beakers

Kazu Japanese Restaurant: New Japanese Restaurant in Burnaby

January 10, 2015

Kazu Japanese Restaurant opened in 2014 and they are serving delicious sushi in North Burnaby. It’s on Madison and Hastings to be exact. M and I were looking for dinner after work and decided to pop in here.

There have been a bunch of Japanese Restaurants opening on Hastings like wild fire, but none of them are really good until now. Kazu Japanese Restaurant is run by really nice and friendly people and the food is just back to the basics yum. Japanese owned too!

Their menu is quite limited and you will find the usual items on the menu, but they make it right. Simple but so delicious.

Tuna and Salmon Sashimi ($7.25) came in small pieces but the quality was definitely there. M just loved this and couldn’t stop eating it.

Toro Nigiri ($2 each) is one of our favourite items to order and the quality again was very good! Delicious and fatty. M put this into his mouth and instantly started smiling because it was so good.

Unagi Nigiri ($2.75) is BBQ eel on top of rice. Really delicious too!

Chicken Karaage ($5.50) was simple and delicious served with a slice of lemon. It is deep-fried boneless chicken.

Gyozas ($3.75) comes with 5 pieces and they are pork and veggie dumplings.

Special Scallop Roll with Tobiko ($4.50) also has mayo, masago and cucumbers.

Tamago Nigiri ($1.25) was delicious according to M.

Tuna Tataki ($9.50) comes with 7 pieces. The tuna is lightly seared on the outside and dressed with ponzu sauce, shiso leaves, and sprouts. Very delicious.

Overall, M and I enjoyed our experience at Kazu Japanese restaurant. It’s getting quite popular, so try to make it here early or on a weekday. The food is back to the basics simple and tastes authentic. Staff are really friendly too.

We rate Kazu Japanese Restaurant:

Address:
4332 Hastings St
Burnaby, BC

In Four Beakers

Nomad: New Restaurant on Main Street

December 30, 2014

Nomad Restaurant is located on Main Street and King Edward. Their menu features fresh ingredients from around the Pacific Northwest, all prepared in-house by their team. Their chef – Ryan Reed won an episode of Chopped Canada on the Food Network in late 2013.

The drink list follows the same idea of local fresh ingredients with many bitters, syrups and tinctures created by their bartenders. They also have a Happy Hour specials for select beverages are from $5 – $6:

Weekdays from 5-6PM and 10-Midnight.
Weekends from 3-6PM and 10-Midnight

Macaroni and Cheese ($12) comes with their house made meatballs. It was one of their specials and it sounded really good. It was very creamy and has tons of cheese sauce. They were also kind enough to split it up into 2 bowls for us. The meatball was full of flavour too.

Hanging Beef Tender ($25) has a celeriac purée, crispy potato net, red wine jus, roasted brussel sprouts, and roasted potatoes. The beef was tender. M really loved this dish and kept stealing my meat.

Braised Lamb ($24) has fenugreek ricotta gnocchi, cauliflower, and edible flowers. Lamb was tender and not too salty.

Overall, M and I were quite full from sharing the 3 dishes. The food was great and you could see a good amount of technique in the execution. Presentation was good too. The service was ok, even though the restaurant wasn’t very full, they did seem to forget about us for a while. It took them a long time to get our bill.

Besides that hick up, it’s still a nice place to dine. Tons of seats for small or large parties. Great for after work drinks since they have the happy hour.

We Rate Nomad Restaurant:

Address:
3950 Main St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://nomad-vancouver.ca/

In Four Beakers

Invitro: Food Labs and Eatery in Vancouver

December 25, 2014

Tucked away in a house close to Mount Pleasant is Invitro Food Lab and Eatery. The restaurant is owned and operated by Sarah Kashani, who has renovated the house to open her dream restaurant. She must have the best commute to work ever! Just walk downstairs to go to work.

They are currently only open for dinner, but you can call ahead of time to see if they will open for lunch.

This place is charming and cozy. I love hidden restaurants like these. Once you get here, you’ll fall in love.

Even the utensils are unique and awesome.

The menu looks pretty good and the prices are very good! Nothing is over $20.

They offer a variety of cocktails that taste really good! They only use fresh juices in the cocktails.

Dageraad Blonde is local and brewed in Burnaby. I never knew there was a brewery in Burnaby; so close to my house too!

It’s citrus and spicy flavours compliment salads and desserts, while its tartness and effervescence cut through fat and refresh the palate, making it a good counterpoint to heavier dishes. Dageraad Blonde is also excellent paired with semi-soft ripened cheeses and charcuterie.

The Typical Caprese ($11) has Buffalo Bocconcini, pesto, smoked prosciutto, oven-dried tomato, balsamic reduction, olive oil and basil. This dish is bursting with flavour, I highly recommend it.

The Payoff ($15) has baked brie with roasted garlic, olive oil, and crostini served with local fruit preserves. This is a fun sharable plate. You can’t deny the amazing taste of creamy brie, with the sweet preserves and the aromatic garlic.

Bolognese ($18) has home-made egg noodles served with veal, sausage, beef, & lardons, garnished with parmesan cheese and fresh herbs. Hand making noodles is really a labour of love and you can taste how fresh the pasta really is. There is bountiful amounts of meat in this dish. Really good!

Leeks & Cream ($18) has home-made egg noodles served with cream, parmesan cheese, butter, leeks and white wine. It’s creamy and the leeks really shine in this dish, a great combination.

Steak ($18) is a filet mignon and it’s best cooked a bit under medium rare to really let the flavour shine. It also has a salad and mushrooms. The price is really great for a filet mignon. Once you have filet mignon, its can’t compare to any other cut. It’s so smooth and buttery. Yum!

Time for dessert since that’s the part where everyone’s inner child just jumps for joy.

Chocolate Brownie with rosemary toffee, bourbon whipped cream, and berries.

Pavlova is meringue with whipped vanilla cream, nuts and fresh fruit. This portion is twice as big as normal since FoodQueen and I were sharing. The pavlova was like a big fluffy marshmallow.

Overall, the food was really good. I’ve recommended this place to a few friends and they all loved it.

We Rate Invitro Food Labs and Eatery:

Address:
2211 Manitoba St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://invitrorestaurant.com/

In Farm to Table

Ulla: Top Restaurant in Victoria

December 19, 2014

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After a long day at work, the coworkers and I wanted to go out and celebrate Js Birthday at Ulla in Victoria. Whenever I come to Victoria, all the popular restaurants don’t take reservations, so you have to wait in line.

I’m glad Ulla takes reservations and if you’re not in town, they take email reservations so yo don’t have to waste long distance minutes.

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Their interior is beautiful from their tables all the way to their light fixtures.

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What I find so amazing about Victoria and their restaurant is how there is an increasing trend towards sourcing food that is hyper-local. They even show you on a map, where exactly on the island they source their food from.

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Complimentary bread arrives at the table with a dish of olive oil. It’s soft and fluffy on the inside with a hard crust on the outside.

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Hoyner Pilsner comes in a big bottle. It’s a nice light and crisp beer.

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They also make some good cocktails.

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Whipped Albacore Tuna Belly ($6) with sriracha and squid ink crisps. It only comes with 3 pieces on the plate but the different texture really worked well. The crispiness of the squid ink crisps and the soft and fluffy albacore tuna belly. It’s one of my favourite items.

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Chicken and Morel Mushroom Cannelloni ($14) with bacon, parmesan crumb with veloute sauce. It comes with 3 pieces.

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Broccoli soup ($12) with cauliflower, carrot and ‘cheddar’ egg with a brioche crouton. The egg isn’t an egg, it looks like an egg with the cauliflower on the outside and the carrot on the inside making it look like an egg.

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Autumn Vegetable Salad ($12) has sunflower seed and yogurt ‘cheese’, kasha crisps and cider dressing.

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Scallop boudin blanc ($15) with winter squash, pine mushroom, potato purée and pumpkin seeds. The scallops were pureed and made into a new shape. It had a neat texture and tasted really great.

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Bavette, heritage angus beef ($27) is served with potto roesti and puree, mushrooms, onions, creamed greens and a pepper sauce. The beef was cooked to medium and it was very tender.

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Still Meadows Farm Pork ($27), cheddar perogies, cabbage, celery root, apple cider jus The pork loin definitely had a lot of fat on of the ends, but it was still very delicious.

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Poached Pear ($9) with calvados sabayon, autumn spices, buttermilk sorbet, and almond streusel. A nice light dessert to end the meal.

Overall, it was another fantastic dinner at Ulla. Although it can be a bit pricey for the portions, it’s not an everyday restaurant. It’s great for special occasions.

We Rate Ulla Restaurant:

Address:
509 Fisgard St
Victoria BC

Website:
http://ulla.ca/

In Four Beakers

Roast: Meat and Sandwich Shop

December 17, 2014

Roast Meat and Sandwich Shop at the Victoria Public Market at The Hudson serves up delicious sandwiches that rivals Meat and Bread. They are commitment to providing delicious, natural, and humane meat you can feel good about buying and eating.

While I was in Victoria for a work trip, I had to stop here to get a porchetta sandwich.

There’s something about watching a man carve meat that compels you to stop what you’re doing and consume immediately. This is quite true and so many people at the market just stopped, smelled the meat, and then lined up to get a piece of it.

It smells really good with the aroma of roasted chicken, beef and pork in the air.

They sell a variety of sandwiches and even whole roasts.

Oh man, look at their carving station with long strips of chicharron.

You can’t deny how amazing that prime rib looks.

All that porchetta staring at you. Delicious crust of crackling.

Porchetta Sandwich ($9.50) has naturally raised pork, provolone, broccolini, and salsa verde in the Portuguese Bun.

I love the broccolini and the slab of salsa verde, it helps cut the grease from the pork and balance out the flavours.

Beef and Pork Sausage Rolls sell out fast! We came here on a Saturday at 2pm and all of them were sold out, so we kindly asked them to save us a few for Sunday to pick up before our ferry ride back to Vancouver. I was super excited to devour these.

The sausage roll had lots of filling! It was packed full of meat and the crust was crispy. It’s really good and perfect for kids to eat.

They also sell chicharron by the weight so I got a piece to go for a late night snack in the hotel. Mmmm Mmmmm. You probably want to drink this with beer or some soda since it has a very smokey flavour.

Overall, Roast is very good and offers a variety of sandwiches, roasts, and salads. I would definitely come back again for my next trip to Victoria. The prices are a tad high, but you won’t walk away disappointed.

We rate Roast Meat and Sandwich Shop:

Address:
1701 Douglas Street
Victoria, BC

Website:
http://roastsandwichshop.com/

In Downtown

Mosaic: 2014 Fall Menu Preview

December 9, 2014

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Mosaic is hidden away in the Hyatt Regency Vancouver on Burrard Street. It’s a nice spot to spy on people when you are seated by the window. Clearly, I am a people watcher.

Their menu focuses on locally sourced produce, sustainable seafood and select ingredients with careful and creative preparation. The menu is seasonally inspired with simple and fresh ingredients. You can definitely see it in their menu as it changes every few months.

Mosaic recently switched up their menu to utilize the produce available in the Fall. Sous Chef Jo Ong shared with a me a few of their signature dishes on their new menu.

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I find it’s a nice place for a company dinner or a date. It’s not very crowded and there’s lots of space. Great for a calm and peaceful environment.

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Cheddar and chive biscuits are served with butter. A yummy start to the meal with these buttery biscuits.

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Coal Harbour ‘311’ helles lager is on tap and it’s one of their lighter beers. It also has some fruity notes to it too.

Coke and Disaronno is M’s drink of choice. Disaronno is an almond liqueur and when it’s mixed with coke, it tastes like Doctor Pepper.

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Amuse Bouche is a bite-sized appetizer that arrives at the table prior to your meal. We got a taste of their roasted butternut squash bisque. It smelled heavenly with the cinnamon on top.

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Yellowfin Tuna ($19) is presented on the dish with pickled radish, sea beans, cucumber, black garlic, yuzu dressing. The delicate tuna was really delicious and the dressing paired perfectly.

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Earth Apple Farm Baby Beets ($14) is paired with endive, Okanagan goat cheese and a citrus vinaigrette. I’ve grown to really love beets over the years. Beets do have a natural earthy flavour, but it’s so good! I gobbled this dish right up.

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Foie Gras Torchon ($23) has brioche crisps, quince and grounded up pistachio. Foie Gras is the fatty liver of duck and no matter how many times I’ve tried it, I’ve never seem to be a fan of the dish. Perhaps I’m not sophisticated enough.

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Smoked Venison Carpaccio ($18) is thinly sliced with dehydrated granny smith apple, baby kale and pomegranate. Oh man, this was so delicious! The venison was very full of flavour.

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Aquerello Risotto is crazy delicious with wild mushroom , 64° egg and a parmesan crisp. The 64° egg is to die for and just oozes over the risotto screaming for you to eat it. This was my favourite dish of the night. Mmmmmm!

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BC Ling Cod is beautifully cooked with Salt Spring Island mussels, leek saffron nage and baby fennel. The mussels were delicious and plump.

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Sloping Hill Farm 12oz Pork Chop is so flavourful and tender. M couldn’t stop eating it. It is served with broccoli rabe, sweet potato, and calvados jus.

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Valhona Dark Chocolate Mousse with port wine poached pears and cacao nibs. The chocolate was rich and full of chocolaty goodness.

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Chestnut Creme Brulee is served with chestnuts and house-made toasted marshmallows. It’s quite large, so you definitely want to share.

Overall, it was great to see the new dishes on the Mosaic menu featuring the fresh Fall produce.

We Rate Mosaic:

Address:
655 Burrard St
Vancouver, BC

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

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