Rating Archives - Page 8 of 99

In Brewery

Backcountry Brewing in Squamish

June 1, 2017

Backcountry Brewing in Squamish is another craft brewery that just opened up in April of 2017. They join the great craft brewery scene in Squamish as the 3rd craft brewery here.

Tasting Room

The tasting room has a very good size and very homey inside. It was pretty busy here on the weekend around 3pm. All the tables and the bar seats were occupied.

The beer was flowing and lots of pizza was being consumed here.

Flights

I got a flight and I had the Squamish Lagger, Ridgerunner Pilsner, and the Trailbreaker Pale ale. I got them to choose the lighter less hoppy beers. All 3 were delicious.

Oyama Sausage

The juicy Oyama Sausage is wrapped in pizza dough and there are some pickles on the side. The pizza dough was deliciously crisp and the sausage inside was super delicious.

Soppresetta Pizza

The pizza has soppressetta salami, kalamata olives, confit garlic, onion, chili, and cream sauce.

I love the thin crust and it’s so crunchy. A good amount of toppings and I love the subtle spicy kick from the salami.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we really loved our experience here. The beer is great and also the food is really spot on. I’ll definitely be back.

We Rate Backcountry Brewing:

Address:
405-1201 Commercial Way, Squamish, BC

Website: https://www.backcountrybrewing.com/

In Brewery

A Frame Brewing Company in Squamish

May 31, 2017

A Frame Brewing Company is one of the newer breweries in Squamish. The space has a cozy, family friendly, casual tasting room & craft brewery.

We drove up to Squamish just for a day to check out the craft brewery scene. Their outdoor patio was just a few weeks away from being completed.

Flight

As usual, I got a flight of beer so I could try a few varieties like the Christina Lake Vienna Lager, Okanagan Lake Cream Ale, Elfin Lakes Belgian Ale, and the Trout Lake Single Hop ESB. All of them were pretty good and perfect for the Summer weather. Super refreshing on a hot day like when we visited.

It’s an awesome place to stop by for a local or a tourist. You get to taste their amazing beer brewed right here and if you love it, you can even grab a growler.

We Rate A Frame Brewing Co:

Address:
38927 Queens Way #1, Squamish

Website: http://www.aframebrewing.com/

In BBQ

Hanwoori: Korean BBQ in Burnaby

May 30, 2017

Hanwoori Korean Restaurant in Burnaby is popular for their Korean BBQ Set meals. We came here on Mother’s Day and they were all booked up with reservations, but they still told us to show up early at 5pm as there would be seats open.

Interior

There is some ventilation in the restaurant, but it isn’t very powerful. If you are dining here, don’t wear your best clothes as they will smell. All the tables here are booth seating.

Korean BBQ

We went with Combo B, which serves 4-5 people. This comes with:

prime beef ribs
sliced beef
sliced chicken
spicy pork marinated in house special BBQ sauce
deep-fried pork and vegetable dumpling
stir-fried vermicelli noodles with pork and assorted vegetables
beef bone broth
steamed rice
5 complimentary side dishes

The deep-fried pork and vegetable dumpling came out first and it comes with 6 pieces. Crisp on the outside and savoury on the inside.

The stir-fried vermicelli noodles with pork and assorted vegetables was delicious and it has dominant flavour of soy and sesame.

All the meat arrived in one huge plate.

They add butter to the BBQ grill plate and begin placing the prime beef ribs first.

As we waited for the meat to be cooked, we nibbled on all the side dishes.

The grill does burn after awhile, so make sure to ask the staff for a new grill. We changed ours about 4 times in total.

Seafood pancake

We ordered the seafood pancake to add some more to our meal. It was good and had lots of ingredients packed inside. The way that they cut it, there ends up to be 16 pieces.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was a good meal, but we stunk like BBQ afterwards. Every single piece of clothing was smoky.

We Rate Hanwoori:

Address:
5740 Imperial Street, Burnaby

In Brunch

Fergie’s Cafe: Eggs Benny and Caesars in Squamish

May 29, 2017

Fergie’s Cafe in Squamish is a popular destination for brunch on the weekend. It was bumping on the long weekend and we were in for a little bit of a wait. The kitchen was backed up by 40 minutes, but that didn’t stop us or anyone else from continuing to wait.

Order

We lined up to order first before getting a seat.

Seating

There is indoor and outdoor seating, but it was a very nice and hot day outside, everyone opted for and patio seat. As we waiting, we relax on their sun-drenched deck and enjoyed the fabulous views as our food was being prepared.

All the food is fresh, locally-sourced and lovingly prepared.

They gave us a spoon with a number, so when our orders are ready, they’ll bring it over.

Drinks

Coffee is a must to go with brunch. Always helps me keep awake. We also got a cinnamon bun to share too. Delicious.

Matcha latte is on the menu too.

One of the best drinks is the Caesar, you can get it as a single or a double. It’s made fresh and you can tell they don’t skip any corners with this caesar.

Eggs Benny

Dubliner Benny has a homemade butter biscuit, sauteed onions, apple, bacon, poached eggs, hollandaise, Dubliner cheddar and a side of hash.

Smoked Salmon Benny has a homemade buttermilk biscuit, smoked salmon lox, poached eggs, avocado, capers, hollandaise, and a side of hash.

I loved it! So good and simple but full of taste. I would highly recommend this.

Ratatouille benny sits on a bed of hash, steamed kale, eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and poached free-range eggs with hollandaise. Dee really enjoyed this benny.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we loved the brunch here! Such a nice hidden gem in Squamish. We will definitely be back for more bennies and caesars in the future. If you’re passing by Squamish, definitely add this to your list of places to visit.

We Rate Fergie’s Cafe:

Address:
70002 Squamish Valley Rd, Squamish, BC

Website:
http://www.sunwolf.net/fergies/

In Cafe

Galileo Coffee Company: Coffee Break in Britannia Beach

May 28, 2017

Galileo Coffee Company is on the way up to Squamish and Whistler. It is located by Britannia Beach, which is where there Britannia Mine is. A lot of people were here early in the morning either getting coffee or lining up for the washroom. It was recommended to me by a friend that I come take a visit.

There is lots of parking out front, so it wasn’t too crowded. People usually don’t stay too long. They either have a quick bite or get take out.

Interior

Inside, there are a few tables to relax at. They have more tables outside too. There was a decent sized line up, but they are pretty quick and efficient to getting your order in and making it. The line up for the washroom was a bit longer.

Coffee

An americano and a cappuccino were our coffees of choice for keeping us awake as we continue to Squamish. I got the cappuccino and it hit the spot.

We put on our lids and rolled out.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was nice stopping here for the views and just to refresh ourselves before driving further along our journey.

We Rate Galileo Coffee Company:

Address:
173 BC-99, Britannia Beach, BC

Website:
http://galileocoffee.com/

In Seafood

The WaterShed Grill in Brackendale, BC

May 26, 2017

The Water Shed Grill is in Brackendale, BC, which is minutes away from Squamish. It has a casual bar and restaurant with West Coast eats with a riverfront patio.

This places sits right right above the Squamish River and is absolutely beautiful.

Interior

The interior has a very casual feel and as a local or a tourist, you’ll fit right in. The view from the heated patio is awesome. If you are into sports, they have a few screen to watch the game.

Blue Lip Steamed Mussels

The mussels are in a creamy white wine and garlic broth. It is served with focaccia bread. The mussels weren’t as plump, but it still tasted good and naturally sweet.

Local Fish and Chips

You get 2 3oz filets of local cod dipped in a beer batter and then its deep-fried. It is served with fried, tartar sauce, coleslaw, and wedge of lemon. It was pretty good and you can taste the quality of the cod. Moist and delicious.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s a very great place to have food and drinks with friends. The food is very Westcoast and they source their seafood from sustainable places, so thats great. They also have good burgers too.

We Rate the Watershed Grill:

Address:
41101 Government Rd, Brackendale, BC

Website: http://thewatershedgrill.com/

In Happy Hour

Urban Thai Bistro: Happy Hour in Yaletown

May 21, 2017

Urban Thai Bistro has happy hour from 3 – 6 pm and 9 – 10 pm. $4 drinks, $6 appetizers, and $8 salads. Since Summer is coming very soon, what better way to celebrate than happy hour after work. We invited to try all their happy hour items.

Interior

The interior has lots of space for small to large groups. They also have a patio. There are a few ornate statues inside and gives this restaurant a modern Thai look and feel.

Drinks

Thai Iced Tea is a must here. The unique taste of the tea with milk and added sweetness. It’s very addictive.

Thai Iced Coffee is on the menu as well. This was really creamy and sweet, which I didn’t like too much. I would have liked a bit more coffee intensity in this.

Royal Thai is another popular beverage. It is a mix of fresh coconut milk and lychee.

Appetizers

Fish Cakes comes with 6 pieces topped with onion, cucumber, sweet chili and a fried basil leaf.

Vegetarian Spring Roll are deep-fried to a golden brown colour. There is a sweet chili sauce on the side.

Urban Thai Shrimp Balls were good to munch on with some beer. It comes with 6 pieces, so its good for groups to share.

Wings comes in 3 different flavours – red curry, chili basil and sweet & Sour.

A good combination of sauces and wings. Recommended for happy hour with beer.

Thai BBQ Chicken was good with a nice char on the outside.

Thai BBQ Pork was really good and comes with many slices.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce was ok, but a bit on the dry side.

Calamari with crispy batter and a sweet chili sauce. All shaped like rings.

Crispy Fish with homemade sauce was good when it’s fresh out of the fryer.

Salad

Spicy Beef BBQ sits in a lettuce cup. The slices were thin but not very spicy.

Spicy Thai Prawns Salad was not that great. The prawns didn’t seem that fresh.

Chicken Lettuce Wrap is always a fun dish to have at the table and get interactive with your food. The crisp wrap with the savoury filling.

Som Tum Papaya Salad was ok.

Final Thoughts

Overall, some items were hit and miss but anything deep fried with drinks can’t go wrong. They have a lot of options of the happy hour menu.

We Rate Urban Thai Bistro:

Address:
119 Hamilton St, Vancouver

Website:
http://thaihouse.com/urban-thai-bistro/

In Brewery

Powell Street Craft Brewery in East Vancouver

May 18, 2017

Powell Street Craft Brewery is small independent microbrewery in East Vancouver close to a bunch of other breweries too. The brewery opened December 2012, but moved into their current tasting room in 2014. We came here to visit their tasting room and grab some beers.

Tasting Room

The tasting room is cozy and there are only a few tables here. There is a small look into the brewery from the tasting room. All those large containers making our favourite beers.

Flight

I always love getting flights so I can try a bit of everything. I asked them to choose 4 beers that weren’t as hoppy. They chose Dive Bomb, Test Batch, Old Jalopy and the Ode to Citra. All 4 were really good and I would order them again.

Snacks

They have some snack here to go with the beer. I got the honey garlic sausages and it had a good flavour. A bit floppy in texture compared to some other sausages out there.

Overall, I really enjoyed the chill atmosphere and great beer.

We Rate Powell Street Craft Brewery:

Address:
1357 Powell St, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.powellbeer.com/

In Brewery

Andina Brewing: Ceviche and Beer in East Vancouver

May 15, 2017

Andina Brewing Company in East Vancouver. It was founded by Colombian/Canadian brothers, Andrés and Nicolás Amaya. The Amaya Brothers have lived in Vancouver for more than 18 years and are passionate about beer, music, culture, and family and friends.They offer an environment that is a unique blend of South American and Canadian flavours. If you are looking for something new and out of the ordinary stop by their brewery and try the Ceviche paired with their beers.

The Tasting Lounge

You can get growler fills at the counter or enter the Tasting Lounge with lots of tables to enjoy your drinks and food. It was pretty busy on a Saturday night, so we had to wait a little bit until we were seated.

What’s a better time than having a few beers with friends and having fun.

Ceviche

Ceviche preparation and consumption is practically a religion in the coastal South and Central America. In Andina you will have a ceviche lineup that includes Peruvian, Colombian, Mexican and vegetarian versions. I ordered the House Ceviche with shrimp and it comes with 3 plantain chips. We all loved it and was surprised at the quality. It is a bit expensive, but it is so worth it.

Tasting Flights

The tasting flights for with 4 types. I didn’t know what to choose so I got them to suggest 4 kinds that were not too hoppy.

Totuma, Kölsch
Ay Ay Ay, Pale Ale
Andina, Session Ale
Mapalé, Milk Stout

Overall, I really enjoyed our time here with ceviche and beers. Definitely check this brewery out.

We Rate Andina Brewery:

Address:
1507 Powell St, Vancouver

Website: https://andinabrewing.ca

In Chinese

Mr Chili Noodle House: Chongqing Cuisine in Burnaby

May 11, 2017

Mr. Chili Noodle House in Burnaby specialized in Chongqing cuisine. Sherman had a coupon he had to use up before it expired, so he was nice enough to invite myself and some other foodie friends to check out this place. I’ve passed by this restaurant so many times, but never though about coming here till now.

Interior

The interior is beautiful. It reminded me of a cafe, but with no coffee. I didn’t expect this place to look so nice and modern.

Drinks

You can ask for tea or water when you get a seat. The cups are really cute too.

Spicy Pig Ear

The pig ears were thinly sliced and had a good amount of spice to them. It was really good.

Chicken with Chili

So damn good. This is their smaller size and the chicken was so moist and flavourful. Even if you took the chili sauce away, the chicken would be fantastic on its own. I would highly recommend this.

Hot and Sour Potato Vermicelli

This was definitely spicy and it had a good balance of spice and sourness. There is minced meat and peanuts in here too.

Beef Noodle Soup

There are chunks of beef in this soup with nice marbling of fat. The broth was clean and not overly salty. They don’t use any MSG in their dishes. A good sold beef noodle but I felt like it was missing something.

Spicy Fish Tofu in Soup

This is one badass dish with tons of Szechuan peppercorn and the fish and tofu hiding inside. We tried not to eat the peppercorns as it would numb our mouth. The soup wasn’t very spicy at all.

Curry Beef Brisket Pot

Here is a pretty big bowl of curry to share with the table. You probably want to order this with some rice.

Stir Fried Green Beans

The stir fried green beans were ok, but we found it to be a bit old as it didn’t have a nice crispness to it.

Kung Pao Prawns

This dis was ok as well. You need to grab a piece of chili to go with the prawns to balance out the sweeter sauce with the pepper.

Final Thoughts

The spicy dishes were super delicious but a few other dishes were a miss. Its still really good to have a Chongqing restaurant in North Burnaby as its hard to find.

We rate Mr Chili:

Address:
3760 Hastings Street, Burnaby

Website: http://www.mrchilinoodlehouse.ca/

In Gastown

Chambar: Belgian Cuisine in Vancouver

May 7, 2017

It’s been a while since my last visit to Chambar for dinner. Usually I come in the morning to get a waffle and a lavender latte. Today was special occasion as it was my sister’s bridal shower. What better restaurant to indulge in? They are one of Vancouver’s top restaurants specializing in Belgian cuisine. We made a reservation for dinner and the service was superb.

Interior

The interior is absolutely stunning with the beautiful furniture, cool lighting and rustic wooden accents. Tacofino has similar lights too. I love the look of it.

Drinks

We had a mysterious friend call Chambar ahead of time to buy us our first round of drinks. Pretty awesome and surprising! Our server was tight-lipped about who it was.

Lind’s Lemonade

The cocktail menu is a good size and you can also request drinks that aren’t on the menu too. I went with Lind’s Lemonade, which has Matusalem Platino rum, housemade limoncello, hibiscus, fresh lemon, Talisman Pale Ale, and thyme. It was delicious and refreshing. With Summer coming quite quickly, this is perfect.

Poulpe

The dish is composed of octopus tiradito, chimichurri, tamarind, and chipotle. Very good sauce to go with the octopus. The best part of this dish was the super tender octopus.

Le Bison

This has a line of Buffalo tartare, “vichyssoise”, fried leek, quail eggs and crostini. This was our favourite appetizer. The tartare was very fresh and the vichyssoise balanced so well with it.

Calamars Farcis

We have veal stuffed calamari, taro chips, with a chili aioli. The squid was tender and delicious with the stuffed veal.

Foie De Canard “villa Lorraine”

This has a spiced foie gras terrine, port reduction, kriek granita, and 2 pieces of truffled brioche french toast.

Canard et Gnocchi

The dish has spice rubbed duck breast, gnocchi, goat cheese, celery and apple salad, hazelnuts, and sauce bigarade. The duck was delicious but the gnocchi was starchy and gritty compared to other gnocchi we’ve had in the past.

Fletan aux Trois Façons

There are 3 tasters to this dish:

Roasted Halibut, black garlic coulis, nori
Halibut beignet, coconut jalapeño rémoulade
Halibut and fine herbes mousse, tomato & curry leaf sauce

The concept sounded great, but when we dug into it, we did not like it. The tastes of all 3 items fell flat. There were 3 of us that ordered it and it was definitely not a hit. We all wished we got the mussels instead. None of us would recommend this dish.

Congolaise Moules Frites

There are 3 types of broths that go with the mussels. The Congolaise Moules Frites has a hot pot of mussels and a broth made of tomato coconut cream, smoked chili, lime, and cilantro. The size of the dish seems to have gotten a bit smaller over the years.

It’s delicious and what our friend did was take the extra sauce home. She wanted to reuse the sauce to make some pasta for the following day. That was her pro tip to share with everyone.

Desserts

They knew we were celebrating something special, so they put together a plate of petit fours at the end of the meal. A very nice touch.

Mama Rizk

This is beautifully presented and has caramelized honey custard, orange chiffon, and pistachio ice cream.

Final Thoughts

Chambar has changed a bit since my last visit several years ago. Some food items are a hit and miss especially the Fletan aux Trois Façons. The staple items like the Moules Frites are always on point. The service is still fantastic.

We rate Chambar:

Address:
568 Beatty St, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.chambar.com

In Bubble Tea

45 Degree Bubble Tea House in Coal Harbour

May 6, 2017

45 Degree Bubble Tea House in Coal Harbour is a new bubble tea shop close to Stanley Park. M told me about this place, so one day when I was waiting for him to get off work, I came here to get a drink. I love bubble tea, so I’m always on the look out for the best bubble tea out in Metro Vancouver.

Interior

The space is nice and simple with a few tables for groups. I came at 3pm on a Monday, so it was pretty dead. The staff were very nice to guide me through the menu since my order seemed pretty basic. They made a lot of suggestions for me.

Sakura Oolong Mousse

The sakura oolong mousse was very floral and light. It complimented the mousse on top very well. It kinda reminded me of beer because of the colour. It was interesting trying to find the best way to drink this but it seems like they instruct everyone on how to drink it. You press you lips into the cup and tilt it 45 degrees to drink the you get a good ratio of the cream and tea in each sip. If you lift the tab up on the drink, you get too much foam.

Black Tea Mousse

I grabbed this to go. It was delicious but it was stronger because its black tea. A good option if you straight up asian tea without the floral taste. When I ordered this I found it was funny how they tried suggesting other drinks to me too.

Final Thoughts

They have a good selection of coffees and teas. Even a few items were sold out. The teas are great here and brewed fresh, which is awesome. I would definitely come back to try more.

We Rate 45 Degree Bubble Tea House:

Address:
1467 W Pender Street, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.facebook.com/45-Degree-Bubble-Tea-House-1394743023927257/

In Cafe

Flying Rose: Asian Dessert on Robson Street

May 5, 2017

Flying Rose is an Asian dessert cafe on Robson Street. I was passing by and noticed it since they serve things like mango desserts. I came with a few friends to give it a try since all other cafes were super busy.

Interior

The interior is bright, colourful and has large tables for big groups. We came around 8pm, so it was still early in the evening. You order and pay up at the counter instead of at the table.

Sago, coconut milk, mango puree, fresh mango and pomelo

We were looking forward to this, but it was pricey for what we got. There was barely any mango and pomelo in this and it was super gritty tasting from the coconut milk. Very disappointing.

Fresh Mango Crepe

Each order has one piece and for some reason came out separately even when we ordered 2. It took a long time for them to put this together. There was about a ten minute gap between each crepe arriving at the table.

Once we got both, it was delicious. The crepe was thin and had the right texture. The fresh mango and the whipped cream were great, but still pricey.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the experience was pretty meh as the service and execution was pretty poor. Desserts from the kitchen came out really slowly and I’m sure one of our desserts were made incorrectly. They definitely have some kinks to work out.

We Rate Flying Rose:

Address:
1517 Robson Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.flyingrose.ca/

In Cafe

Passion8 Dessert Cafe: Shaved Ice in Vancouver

May 4, 2017

Passion8 Dessert Cafe on Cambie Street is a hot spot for shaved ice, drinks and other treats. I came here after dinner with some foodie friends to give this a try since they all heard that I haven’t been here yet. We were 10 minutes away and we called ahead to see how busy it was here. It wasn’t too busy yet, so they were able to set aside a table for 5. Definitely nice of them to do so.

Interior

You order up at the counter and then you find a seat. There are a few tables in the cafe, but when it’s super busy, you’ll be waiting a little bit. The interior is nice and a good place to chill with friends over desserts.

Maldive Latte

There are 3 distinct layers to this drink – espresso, milk, and some blue liquid. You then stir it up and enjoy.

Honey Cream Cheese Toastery

We got the Honey Cream Cheese Toastery. it has delicious flakey layers like a croissant. Very buttery but super delicious. Very unique kinda like a cronut on toast.

Real Tiramisu Milk Shaved Ice

This has a slab of tiramisu on top of the milk shaved ice topped with cocoa powder and chocolate bits. There is also a container of espresso to pour over all of it. I really like this and would order again to share with friends.

Matchacha Milk Shaved Ice

The milk shaved ice is topped with Japanese matcha powder, mochi, red bean, almonds and a dehydrated orange. This is another one of their popular flavours. It was good, but since I love chocolate, I naturally gravitated towards to tiramisu instead.

Final Thoughts

Overall, there’s a good variety of desserts and drinks here. You definitely want to come early or call ahead to see if there is a line up. The shaved ice is delicious.

We Rate Passion8:

Address:
3010 Cambie Street, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.passion8cafe.com

In American

Monarch Burger at The American in Vancouver

May 3, 2017

Monarch Burger is a completely made from scratch burger restaurant. They are currently operating out of the American on Main St. close to Torafuku, Pizza Farina, and Campagnolo. I tagged along with a friend for their opening night to try these burgers. I am a huge fan of the Dirty Burger at Campagnolo Upstairs, which was originally create by Robert Belcham. When I heard Robert was starting up Monarch Burger, I had to see if the burgers held up to it’s name. They have a happy hour special where you can get a beer and burger for only $12 during 5 – 7pm.

Interior

The space is huge and there are 150 seats in The American. There’s a live DJ, pool tables, foosball, skeeball, and other arcade games. This is the ultimate place to hang out with your friends over some drinks…and now some burgers too.

The mid part of the restaurant has long tables to fit a lot of people. One one side of the restaurant, there is booth seating if you want to be in a more private seating area.

On the other side, there is a whole line up of pinball machines.

There are so many pinball games to play and they are $1 per play, which isn’t too bad, so make sure you bring some spare change.

Familar pinball games like Game of Thrones, Star Trek and Simpsons can be found.

Great for novices and experts. Lights. Lights. Lights.

We even saw a skeeball machine.

Monarch Burger

The menu is pretty simple. Choose your burger and put any add-ons and sides. This place has bar service, so you need to go to the bar to order your drinks and food.

Once you put in your order, they give you a number. Once it’s ready, they will bring out all the food.

Gotta add some drinks to the mix. We went with something lighter instead of cocktails, so we had beer and cider.

Cheeseburger

We got the cheeseburger and it comes with lettuce, tomato, pickles and their secret special sauce. Their beef is sourced from local farmers who pasture raise and tend their animals with care. They then age the beef for 45 days, grind it fresh daily and hand form every burger. It came to the table very greasy and the cheese was just everywhere. This was definitely a messy burger to eat. The patty was more cooked compared to the Dirty Burger at Campagnolo Upstairs. It was a solid burger but it still doesn’t out do Campagnolo Upstairs.

Double Cheeseburger

Go big or go home. We got the double cheeseburger with an egg and bacon. The fried egg was cooked thoroughly, so there wasn’t as much drippage. Similar with the first burger we had, it was very greasy and you needed a handful of napkins to keep somewhat clean.

Poutine

The poutine was decent but it was a bit heavy handed on the salt.

Kale Caesar Salad

This was delicious. The croutons were airy and crisp. The kale was lightly dressed and topped with parm to give it more dimension. I really enjoyed this and it pairs with the burger nicely.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the burgers could have been less greasy and heavy. I appreciate the use of good fresh ingredients, but it didn’t hit the mark this time. I still prefer Campagnolo Upstairs for their Dirty Burger. The one thing that stood out to me was the Kale Caesar Salad. I still love The American for their awesome space with all the games around the venue.

We Rate Monarch Burger:

Address:
928 Main St, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.monarchburger.com/

In Downtown

Yui Japanese Bistro: Affordable Aburi in Vancouver

May 2, 2017

Yui Japanese Bistro recently opened in Downtown Vancouver and is a hidden gem tucked away in a business building. They pride themselves of making aburi sushi at affordable prices. Yui is located on the first floor. The restaurant is pretty small, so go for dinner earlier in the evening. They are open daily from 11am – 8pm except Sunday. I came with Dee for a visit at 7pm and there was a wait of about 20 minutes.

Tea

Before the meal begins, they bring over cups of tea. You can also ask for a small pot of tea.

Aburi Oshi

My favourite spot is at the bar, so you can see all the action of them putting each dish together.

They have 3 kinds on their menu – ebi, saba and salmon. Each sushi is torched with charcoal.

Salmon Aburi Oshi

They use sockeye salmon on top of the sushi and one embedded inside the rice. They apply the house-made sauce and then torched for added flavour. It is then topped with pepper and a jalapeno. So delicious and made to perfection. Also it’s only $10.25, which is very affordable.

Ebi Aburi Oshi

A block of rice topped with Shrimp, ume sauce and lime zest. The lime was a very interesting addition to the pressed rolls to bring more freshness and liven the flavour. The flame really transforms that ume sauce to add some smokiness.

Saba Aburi Oshi

It is topped with mackerel, shiso, and a miso sauce. The charcoal flame also lightly kisses the mackerel and miso sauce. Delicious as well.

Karai Rice Bowl

Bincho toro, okra, spicy kimchi cabbage, amakuchi soy, and some greens sits on top of white rice. You mix it all together with the soy and it makes a great dish for lunch. Very healthy too.

Salmon Carpaccio

The salmon carpaccio is beautifully cut and they use sockeye salmon.

Each order has 5 pieces and then its torched with some charcoal. They then top it off with some decadent garnish and sauce.

It was all really good and we just wanted more. hahaha. There are some black dried olives on top that balanced nicely.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I loved my experience at Yui Japanese Bistro. This small restaurant is bursting with flavour and it’s very affordable compared to some other places out there in Vancouver. I’ll be back!

We Rate Yui Japanese Bistro:

Address:
1185 W Georgia St, Unit 102, Vancouver

Website:
http://eatatyui.com/

In Cafe

Yama Cafe: Japanese Cafe in Vancouver

April 30, 2017

Yama Cafe has taken over Basho Cafe a few months ago. Everyone was so sad that Basho closed their doors, but Yama has kept the essence of Basho and put his spin on the menu. I came here with a few foodie friends to check out the space and have a treat. They serve up drinks, rice bowls, salad bowls, bread, and soup.

Interior

The interior is still the same with their wooden rustic look and bunting spread across the room. There were lots of people inside here, but if you come at off-times, there are tables.

Treats

They have a selection of treats like brownies, moffins (made with mochi), and other treats. You can’t go wrong with any of them as they are very well made. They are delicious and it’s just the right amount of sweetness to go with their drinks.

Matcha Latte

Their matcha lattes can be sweet or unsweetened, I went with the unsweetened kind as I don’t like to much sugar in my drinks. It was delicious and they did a very pretty latte art on top.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I love this space. It’s so cozy and great for hanging out with friends. Their drinks and baked goods are delicious too. I’ll definitely be back.

We Rate Yama Cafe:

Address:
2007 E Hastings Street, Vancouver

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Yama-Cafe-699753386865794/

In Cafe

L’Éclair de Génie Canada is Now Open in Vancouver

April 29, 2017

L’Éclair de Génie has officially opened their first location in Canada. It is located on Robson Street in Vancouver. L’Éclair de Génie is a pastry concept started by renowned chef Christophe Adam. Christophe has dedicated the last 14 years to creating a chic snacking version of the French pastry landmark, the éclair, and the store now offers over 250 flavours. L’Éclair de Génie is adored worldwide with 25 boutiques throughout France, Japan, Hong Kong, Italy, and now here in Canada.

They specialize in eye-catching eclairs. There are also other treats and beverages here. I was invited for a sneak peek to try a few different items. Paris-trained, Vancouver-based local chef, Melanie Patricio is behind this magic to keep Christophe Adam’s concept to standard.

Vanille Framboise

This has vanilla cream, raspberry confit, fresh raspberries and white chocolate. Very refreshing with the raspberry on top.

Chocolat Grand Cru

This is filled with chocolate cream inside and topped with chocolate on top. Great for chocolate lovers.

Vanille Pecan

This is stuffed with vanilla cream and topped with caramelized pecans. I really like the vanilla cream in the centre and those crunchy pecans.

Framboise Passion

This is filled with passionfruit cream, raspberry confit and topped fresh raspberries and a passion fruit jelly.

Pistache Framboise

This eclair is stuffed with raspberry confit, then pistachio chantilly, fresh raspberries and roasted pistachios.

Caramel Beurre Salé

This has salted caramel and mascarpone cream. It’s really delicious and I love the shiny top to this eclair. One of my favourites.

Praline Noisette

This is stuffed with caramelized mascarpone cream, hazelnut praline and topped with caramelized hazelnuts. So good. I love the contrasting texture of the hazelnuts. I would recommend this too.

Matcha Bambou

This is stuffed with matcha cream and white chocolate. It has a sweet white chocolate that dominates the matcha.

Siroup D’erable

This is made just for their Canadian store and it is stuffed with maple cream and its surprisingly not that sweet at all. A good balance. On top, I <3 Vancouver is written on top.

Citron Yuzu

This has lemon yuzu cream inside and topped with crispy meringue dots.

Anastasia Tea

This is a blend of earl grey, lemon and orange blossom. You can also get this as a hot beverage too.

Detox

The detox is a blend of maté, green tea and lemon grass.

Cappuccino

If you want something a bit stronger, they have espresso-based beverages. I got a cappuccino with a strong espresso topped with light airy foam. Goes well with eclairs too.

Iced Caffé Latte

They also have iced cold espresso drinks too. With hotter days coming to Vancouver, a good iced beverage perfect for the Summer.

If you aren’t into eclairs, they also have pastries and chocolates.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the eclairs are delicious. They will costs you between$5.85 – $6.75 depending on which kind you get. The price point is good for a few bites of decadent eclairs. I’m really excited to see L’Éclair de Génie opening up in Vancouver and giving us a taste of Parisian eclairs by chef Christophe Adam.

We rate L’Éclair de Génie Canada:

Address:
1210 Robson St, Vancouver

Website:
http://leclairdegenie.ca/