Three Beakers Archives - Page 7 of 63

In Downtown

Masaladobo: Indian Mexican Cantina in Downtown Vancouver

April 2, 2017

Masaladobo is a Indian Mexican Cantina in Downtown Vancouver. This fusion cuisine is almost entirely gluten and dairy free, which is great for those with dietary restrictions. They now bringing healthy and delicious food to those who need a quick bite in the area.

The skytrain is just located a few steps away, which is very convenient for those taking the Canada Line.

Interior

The interior is fun, casual and full of colour. During peak hours, you order at the counter, but for other times, they can serve you at your table instead of going up.

There are lots of tables inside, so there shouldn’t be a problem finding a table.

Tacones

Tacos rolled up into a cone shape for easy eating. It has roti-taco-handroll hybrid red shred, masaladobo (spicy sweet indo salsa), raita verde, in a plancha tortilla, which is all gluten-free on corn tostada.

There are many kinds you can order but we tried the ginger duck kebabs and it has a very unique taste, which blends Indian and Mexican flavours together. The OceanWise options are great too with wild salmon pekora or the seared albacore & shrimp kebab.

Blackened tuna tikka taki

This has dry tikka spice and the albacore tuna is seared lightly. The item is on their Cantina Menu, where on Monday to Friday, it’s 2 for 1 from 2pm to closing. A good deal and it tastes great.

Masaladobo bowl

Masaladobo bowl with added ginger duck kebabs also has golden basmati and sofrito-coconut gravy with fresh greens , pickles and masaladobo.

Margaritas on Tap

They have margaritas on tap. It’s not a party without margaritas. A great item to have after work or sometime closer to the Summer during the hot months.

Indian Cola

A unique non-alcoholic beverage with all the syrups made in-house. It’s very different that your average soda.

If you want something stronger, they definitely have that too. Try a shot of tequila and a fresh-pressed juice chaser.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s a unique concept mixing Indian and Mexican flavours. You won’t find a lot of red meat on the menu besides duck, but if you have dietary restrictions, they cater well to those people that are dairy-free or gluten-free, and vegetarians.

We Rate Masaladobo:

Address:
433 Granville Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.masaladobo.com/

In Greek

The Greek by Anatoli: Happy Hour in Yaletown

March 27, 2017

The Greek by Anatoli in Yaletown has just introduced Happy Hour and we were given a sneak peek into what customers would have on the menu. Some dishes in this review aren’t the right sizing for happy hour and may be a bit smaller.

From Monday March 27 -31 2pm – 5pm, the Happy Hour food items will be only $2 and then they go back to regular price. A pretty good deal since you really can’t get anything for $2 these days.

The hours are a bit hard to make if you work 9-5 Downtown, other happy hour places end at 6pm.

They also have 12oz 1516 Lager for $4, Glass of Anatoli Meritage or Viognier for $6 or a Ouzo shot for $4. A good way to start the evening with some drinks and food.

Keftedes

These are traditional pan-fried meatballs served in tomato sauce. The meatballs were moist and full of flavour and the tomato sauce worked well.

Homous

There is chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and parsley served with a side of pita bread. The portion is a little bit different than this image as they gave us more to share. A good item to fill up on and the homous is delicious.

Dolmathes

These are grape vine leaves stuffed with beef and rice, cooked in avgolemono broth which is a egg-lemon sauce. I love this stuff. It’s so good but I know some people don’t like it.

Spanakopita

This was everyone’s favourite. This portion is actually 2. It has spinach, feta and herbs, wrapped in filo and baked. It comes with a Tzatziki Sauce on the side. I loved every part of this dish from the flakey filo to that Tzatziki sauce.

“True Greek Pork” Souvlaki

The Souvlaki is served kalamaki style on pita bread with a side of tzatziki. It was really good, but then again when is pork not delicious? It was seasoned well, but had a slight toughness about them.

Calamari

It’s classic, crispy and served with a side of lemon and tzatziki. An item that will definitely be very popular. It was really good and I would order it again.

Greek Salad

This items isn’t on the happy hour menu, but sometimes you need veggies. It has fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, feta from Greece, capers and olives.

Mythos Beer

Mythos is a Greek Lager Beer. It is light, refreshing and pairs well with the food.

Anatoli Caesar

The caesar is garnished with a pickled bean, lime, a grilled prawn and a rim of salt and pepper. The drink looked great, but it needed more spice and heat to this drink. I like my caesars hot, but I could mostly taste vodka.

Karpouzi Watermelon Basil Mojito

Outside of the happy hour dishes and drinks, there were a few different items we tried like this Watermelon Mojito. Very refreshing and perfect for the warmer weather.

Final Thoughts

It was good to see what their happy menu has. Although it’s not extensive, it has a good amount of dishes that would keep customers happy. I do love good cheap food especially during happy hour.

We Rate The Greek by Anatoli:

Address:
1043 Mainland Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://thegreekbyanatoli.com/

In Gastown

Crab Park Chowdery: Clam Chowder and Soups in Gastown

March 26, 2017

Crab Park Chowdery is located in Gastown and they serve up chowders and different soups in a cup or a bread bowl. A little taste of Seattle up in Vancouver.

I came here with M after work to give some of their items a try.

Interior

The shop is very narrow and can’t fit too many people here. Really large groups wouldn’t fit here, but groups of 2 or 4, would fit so perfectly.

New England Clam Chowder

The most popular item here is the New England Clam Chowder. Hands down. There are lots of clams and ingredients packed inside. M loved every bite of it to go with the sourdough bowl.

Eat it with a spoon or dunk the bread from the top into the chowder.

Smokey Tomato

The smokey tomato soup was a bit thicker, but there is a layer of cheese between the bowl and the soup then topped with green onions.

It was a good smokey tomato soup, but the acidity of the soup with the sour dough wasn’t the optimal combination. This bowl was like a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup.

Sauces

There are a bunch of hot sauces at each table to spice up your soup or chowder.

Final Thoughts

Overall, a few of the soups are pretty solid. We also taste tested some other soups as well. They also have some chowders of the day that aren’t always on the menu.

A few of my favourites are:

New England Clam Chowder
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Mushroom Soup

We Rate Crab Park Chowdery:

Address:
221 Abbott Street, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/crabparkchowdery/

In Downtown

Earls Test Kitchen: Happy Hour in Downtown Vancouver

March 25, 2017

Earls Test Kitchen is the place to go for happy hour before watching a movie at night. What is different about this Earls is that it is a culinary playground to craft different dishes and drinks that may influence the other Earl’s menu in North America.

The place was packed and we wanted to come here to catch happy hour. All items are smaller versions of what on the regular menu, but cheaper.

They have this menu every day from 3:00pm – 6:00pm and 9:00pm – close.

Interior

The interior is nice and there are tons of tables. Best to come earlier for happy hour as it is very busy.

Rhino Beer

Sleeves are $3 and Pints are $5. I got the lager as I wanted something light and fruity to go with the meal.

Garlic Fries

The garlic fries were crispy, skinny and full of potent garlic flavour. The fries seemed oddly short.

Super Avocado Toast

There are 4 pieces to this order for $7. It is smashed avocado on olive oil toasted baguette, garnished with confit tomato, sriracha drizzle and radish. I enjoyed it as a nice bite to help fill me up.

Bigger Better Burger

This burger has vine ripened tomatoes, onion, lettuce, pickles, mayonnaise and mustard, on a freshly baked brioche bun. You can also add cheese or mushrooms to the burger. M went with cheese. It was an ok, burger but it wasn’t too outstanding. For $9, this was the burger only.

Baja Fish Taco

The crispy battered cod taco is topped with fresh cut salsa, cabbage slaw, on corn tortillas with a wedge of lime. It’s a pretty big size and for $3, it’s a good price.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was a good quick meal before the show. It’s funny how the servers can guess who is here for dinner before a movie. It’s just steps away from the theatre and the food is solid.

We Rate Earls Test Kitchen:

Address:
905 Hornby St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://earls.ca/locations/test-kitchen

In Indian

India Bistro: Indian Cuisine in Vancouver

March 24, 2017

India Bistro is located on Davie Street and they have an all you can eat lunch buffet. I actually came here with a friend for dinner to try out a few different items from their menu. I love Indian food, but I don’t eat it as often as I do.

There is lots of paid parking outside on the street.

Interior

The restaurant has lots of tables and if you don’t have a reservation, you’ll be ok. It’s always best to have reservations just in case they get super busy. The interior has dark and has dim lighting.

The menu is pretty large and has a good amount of items on the menu. It’s easy to identify any vegetarian or gluten-free options here.

Mango Lassi

A classic drink made of yogurt and mangoes. They make it all fresh here and was delicious. Pairs well with the food here.

Fish Tikka

Fish Tikka was one of my favourite items of the meal. It has fish marinated in fresh ginger, garlic, Indian spices & char-broiled to perfection. It is also served with other veggies too.

The spices were aromatic and the inside of the fish was very moist. I would definitely order this again.

Indian Salad

This salad wasn’t what I expected. It has sliced onion, tomato, cucumber, lemon and green chilli. It was a bunch of chopped vegetables and I think I should of gotten the cucumber salad or buddha salad as it’s more of a traditional salad.

Papdi Chaat

It has thin crisp papdi topped with potatoes, yogurt, sweet and sour tamarind with mint chutney. This is a dish served cold, which was interesting and unique. When the papdi arrived at the table, it was n’t as crisp anymore due to the sauces.

Palak Paneer Naan

Instead of the usual naan, I wanted to try something a bit different. It has white leavened bread stuffed with spinach and cottage cheese. Delicious and it goes well on its own or dunked in curry.

Raita

It has homemade yogurt with cucumber, carrots and seasonings. It was delicious and paired really well with the naan.

Butter Chicken

A classic dish and it has pieces of boneless chicken breast. You can have different levels of spice in this and we got it medium. It had a nice kick and we could have definitely gotten it hot, but then again, I love my food really spicy.

Lamb Rogan Josh

This has lamb cooked with onions, garlic, ginger and traditional Indian herbs & spices. We got this at medium spice as well. Really good lamb dish and I enjoyed it.

Rice Pulao

To go with the curry, we had to order this. It has basmati rice cooked with cumin, onions & aromatic spices.

Gulabjamun

The dark brown round shaped cheese balls comes in a honey syrup. We got ours served warn and it was really delicious, but it is sweet because of the honey.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the food was really good here, but there were a few items I would pass up. The curries were delicious as well as the fish tikka. The location is great as it is in Downtown Vancouver. Good friendly staff and yummy food.

We Rate India Bistro:

Address:
1157 Davie Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://indiabistro.ca/

In Kensington

The Eastwood: Pub on Fraser Street

March 20, 2017

The Eastwood is a new restaurant on Fraser Street. They serve brunch and lunch, but we decided to come for a visit for dinner. The place got busy later in the evening with people coming here to enjoy the game, have some bites and of course beer.

Interior

As the sun goes down, the TV screen light up the space. It is a bit dim, but a lot of people were enjoying the different games playing on the screens. There was cheering whenever a favoured team would score a point. For me, I was really here for the food.

Drinks

Beer is a must to go with the pub-style food here. I got the Kronenbourg Blanc and a radler. Fruity and refreshing.

Dirty Sanchez Burger

This burger has a 6oz beef patty, Monterey Jack, Guacamole, pickled onion, pickled jalapeno, lettuce, tomato, garlic aioli and a pretzel bun. It comes with a salad or fries. Since we had ordered other fries, we went with a caesar salad.

The burger had a nice kick from the jalapeno, but I felt the ration between the bun and patty were a bit off.

Fraser Fries

This is their house fries with bacon, sundried tomatoes, herbs and garlic. The fries were nicely fried and was crisp on the exterior. You can get ketchup or other aioli dips to go with it. We got ours with a garlic aioli.

Mussels Vino Blanco

It has a full pound of mussels, white wine, butter, shallots, garlic, parsley and served with grilled bread and fries. The mussels are Ocean Wise certified mussels. The broth was delicious and enjoyable to dunk the bread of fries into.

Tuna Poke

The tuna poke is made of mango salsa, avocado, ahi tuna, sesame seeds, herb chili oil and green onion on top of the tortilla chips. The delicate flavours of the poke didn’t go too well with the tortilla chips.

Final Thoughts

It’s great to finally have a pub in the area to watch the game and enjoy some beer and bites. Some items on the menu is a hit and miss, but there is a good selection of pub favourites that will appeal to customers.

We Rate The Eastwood:

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/TheEastwoodVan

Address:
4245 Fraser Street, Vancouver, BC

In Filipino

Siga-Siga’s Filipino Food in Vancouver

March 18, 2017

Siga-Siga’s Filipino Food is located near Broadway and Fraser. We were going to a nearby restaurant and saw a sign for their ‘To Die For’ Wings. How could we not? Might as well go on an impromptu eating adventure.

They are a small hole in the wall restaurant with one person working.

Interior

It is a very small shop and has no public washroom, which was odd.

Wings

10 wings for $5.99 and made to order were a bit on the smaller side, but went well with the sauce that was at the table. It had a nice acidity to it that it matched with the wings.

I wouldn’t die for these wings, but they were ok.

BBQ Chicken Leg

One item the owner suggested was the BBQ Chicken leg with garlic rice and a side of salad. The BBQ leg was delicious and flavourful. The garlic rice needed a bit more salt for the flavour to shine through. We added some of the vinegar sauce to it and it was so good.

Potato and Tomato Stuffed Squid

The tomato and potato stuffed squid had a nice char on the outside and was packed full of veggies. The quid was a bit chewy.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the food was meh, but the prices were really good.

We Rate Siga-Siga’s:

Address:
650 East Broadway, Vancouver

In Cafe

Mikan Cafe: Japanese Pasta and Poutine

March 17, 2017

Mikan Cafe is the sister restaurant of Cafe de L’Orangerie. They have poutine, Japanse spaghetti, sandwiches and other items on the menu. This cafe use to be called Jean Talon, but they changed up their menu and has a new name.

Interior

The interior is cozy and has a few tables inside. The days that I’ve been here, it’s been a bit quiet. I’ve never had to make reservations here. The staff are very nice and helpful.

Poutine with Mikan Style Beef Stew

The crispy fries is topped with beef stew and cheese curds. We got a smaller order and it was a good size for 3 people to share. The fries are really crispy and I like how it’s not soggy at all.

Masago Creamy Spaghetti

This popular spaghetti has squid, mushroom, asparagus, roe, and cream. It was very delicious and I love the use of the Japanese ingredients that meld with pasta.

Strawberry Cream Roll

A great way to end the meal is by getting some of the desserts. The strawberry cream roll is light and fluffy.

Final Thoughts:

I love the addition of Japanese pasta on the menu. If you love Cafe de L’Orangerie, you’ll love Mikan Cafe, plus it’s not very busy. I love this location as I don’t have to travel so far to get their delicious pasta.

We Rate Mikan Cafe:

Address:
670 East Broadway, Vancouver, BC

Website: http://mikancafe.cafedelorangerie.ca/

In Langley

Ban Chok Dee: Thai Food in Langley

March 16, 2017

Ban Chok Dee Thai Cuisine is a restaurant in Langley. I was shopping in the area and needed to find a place for dinner with the family.

I’ve heard lots about this place and I wanted to give it a try. It’s a bit far from where I live, so it was a perfect time to visit to see how it compares to places in Downtown Vancouver.

Interior

The interior was ok with a few Thai pictures around the restaurant. You can make reservations, but we just walked in without reservations and there was plenty of seats.

Stuffed Chicken Wings

The chicken wings are marinated with Thai spices and stuffed with sautéed shredded vegetables, vermicelli noodles, egg, ginger and garlic steamed and then fried to a golden crisp and served with sweet chili peanut sauce. There are 2 pieces to an order. The wings were really packed with the filling, so you can taste a lot of the egg and noodles.

Papaya Salad

This has shredded green papaya with lime juice, cherry tomato, green bean, roasted peanut and fresh chili served with sticky rice and two grilled prawns on a skewer. A great presentation in a clear glass cup but it made it a bit hard to scoop onto a plate to share. Other than that, the flavours were really good and had a good balance.

Chicken Satay

These are chicken skewers marinated in traditional Thai spices, broiled and served with peanut and cucumber plum sauce. It comes with 4 pieces per order. The chicken was surprisingly moist and the sauce was really good. I’d definitely order this again.

Pad Thai

Their Pad Thai has pan-fried rice noodles in tamarind sauce, with chicken or prawns, egg, tofu, green onions, bean sprouts, topped with ground peanuts. We got it with prawns. It was good but I felt it was a touch sweet.

Red Curry

We got this with beef. The curry has red curry paste, coconut milk, bamboo shoots, red and green bell peppers, lime leaves and sweet basil leaves. Slightly watery, but the flavour was nice.
We rate Ban Chok Dee:
Address:
20563 Douglas Crescent, Langley, BC
Website:
http://banchokdee.com/

In Mexican

Las Tortas: Mexican Sandwiches in Vancouver

March 10, 2017

Las Tortas is a restaurant on Cambie Street that serves up Mexican cuisine as is known for their tortas – Mexican sandwiches. M and I were in the area and needed some dinner, so I thought we should stop here to grab a quick bite since I haven’t been here before and we are both huge fans of Mexican food.

Interior

The interior is small and decorated with movie posters. You order up at the counter and find your seat. We came here right after work, so it wasn’t busy at all.

Horchata and Mexican Cola

We got a drink each. I went with the horchata and it was good but a little gritty on the bottom from the almonds. Finding Mexican Coca-Cola is a joy as it tastes better as its made with cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.

Tortilla Soup

The tortilla soup comes in a large bowl, so M and I split this between us. The tortillas were hiding inside and got soggy by the time we dug in. I didn’t really like it.

Chorizo Con Huevo Torta

This torta has Mexican spicy sausage, egg, and veggies between the buns. It was a delicious blend of egg and sausage.

Carne Asada Torta

This was similar to the other torta, but it has grilled asada steak and Oaxaca cheese. This was our favourite of the 2 tortas. It is more meaty, but the jalapenos were a bit much for me.

Churro

Churros are made fresh and it is powdered with cinnamon and sugar on the outside. Too bad that it doesn’t come with dipping sauces.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was a great place to stop by for a torta. I enjoyed the tortas, but the other items were a bit of a miss. They also have tacos, which I will have to come back for a revisit.

We Rate Las Tortas:

Address:
3353 Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://lastortas.ca/

In Cafe

Black Milk Water: Coffee Shop in Coquitlam

March 5, 2017

Black Milk Water Coffee and Dessert is a new cafe that opened up on North Road between Burnaby and Coquitlam. This cafe is located on the bottom floor hidden in the left corner of the plaza.

Interior

The interior has an industrial look to it with the cement, steel and wood textures. Lots of seats and the space is quite open.

It wasn’t too busy here, so it was easy to find a seat in the middle of the day on a weekend.

Matcha Frapp

Matcha Frapps come in a plastic cup, but if you want it in a glass jar, you can ask them ahead of time.

The matcha frapp was good and a great treat. Very cold, but it is a bit icy once you drink most of the liquid.

Duo Cups

They have these duo cups where you can have 2 different iced coffees. I had a iced vanilla latte and mocha. When you need 2 boosts of caffeine, this is for you.

Cappuccino

The cappuccino hit the spot and it’s made with Timbertrain coffee beans. A taste of the downtown coffee shop in the subburbs.

Final Thoughts

It’s a pretty solid coffee shop, but their dessert selection could be a bit larger. With other desserts and coffee shops in the same plaza, there’s definitely some competition. I find that most coffee shops are super crowded on the weekends, so if you are looking for an alternative, this might be the place for you.

We Rate Black Milk Water:

Address:
4501 N Road, Burnaby

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/black_milk_water/

In Fairview

Benkei Ramen: Peko Ramen and Vegan Ramen in Vancouver

March 3, 2017

Benkei Ramen in Vancouver has always been innovating their ramen to cater to those who love authentic Japanese ramen as well as those with dietary restrictions. I was invited with a friend to try their new Peko Ramen as well as some other items off the menu. As my friend has a seafood allergy, they have a few vegan options.

Interior

The interior is nice with wooden walls and bamboo. The staff are nice and friendly.

Green Tea

Start off with a hot cup of green tea.

Housemade Gyoza

You can order it as a side portion with your ramen or a full order for the table. They only have a pork filled gyoza but are working on a veggie gyoza to add to their menu in the near future.

The pork gyoza was a good accompaniment with a hot bowl of ramen. Great to share with a friend too.

Peko Ramen

Their Peko Ramen is a silky milk broth made of tonkotsu broth, milk, shio-dare and brandy. The broth is very clean, rich and not oily at all. It wasn’t salty at all and with the amount of veggies in this bowl and the slices of lean chicken meat. I slurped up the bowl.

This is back for a limited time until March 31.

Black Vegan Ramen

For those with dietary restrictions, it’s hard to enjoy ramen. Benkei introduced their 2nd vegan ramen – Black Vegan Ramen along side their vegan miso ramen.

Vegan black is deliciously rich. The broth is made with rich vegetable stock, black sesame miso, and drizzle with coconut milk and roasted red pepper. The noodles are also eggless.

More Vegan Ramen

A sneak peek into another vegan ramen they are in the process of creating. They introduced this to me as their white vegan ramen, but they are still tweaking the recipe and name.

I really do appreciate how they are expanding their menu to those ramen eaters with dietary restrictions.

Sauce

Raw Garlic and chili sauce is available for free, all you have to do is ask for it. It’s helpful to enhance the broth if you are feeling its a bit bland.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Benkei Ramen has a lot more to offer than just their usual ramen. I’m impressed they are continually trying new ramen creations.

We Rate Benkei Ramen:

Address:
545 W Broadway, Vancouver

Website:
benkeiramen.com

In Brunch

Hart House: Brunch in Burnaby

March 2, 2017

Hart House Restaurant has Sunday Brunch from 11am – 2pm at their beautiful heritage building. It’s a popular place to have dinner and a place to host weddings. They specialize in West Coast cuisine. There is a good amount of parking out front .

Complimentary bread

Fresh warm bread arrived at the table with jam and softened butter. A good way to start off the meal by nibbling on bread.

Daily Seafood Fritata

This is what my mom ordered and it comes with house potatoes, 2 pieces of fruit and bread. The choice of seafood that goes into this changes, but it should look somewhat similar.

Classic Eggs Benedict

It has back bacon on english muffins, topped with poached eggs and hollandaise. It is served with 2 pieces of fruit and house potatoes. You can add sides to it if you need a bit more to the meal. M added a sausage, but it was pretty small compared to the additional price of it.

The eggs benny was mediocre compared to the other items on the brunch menu.

Braised Veal Cheek Hash

The dish has two poached eggs, wild mushrooms, asparagus, truffled hollandaise, and toast. This dish was delicious and full of flavour. Melt in your mouth delicious!

Hart House Breakfast Sandwich

The sandwich has a fried egg, crispy pork belly, smoked cheddar, arugula, tomato, and spicy mayo. It is served with fruit and house potatoes.

The crispy pork belly pieces were absolutely delicious.

Drinks

Get got coffee and tea to go with our meals and it comes with refills of coffee and water.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Hart House had a good selection of brunch items, but some dishes were a bit basic.

We Rate hart House:

Address:
6664 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby

Website:
http://www.harthouserestaurant.com/

In Coquitlam

Smoking Pig: Korean Food in Coquitlam

February 24, 2017

Smoking Pig is a new restaurant that opened up in Coquitlam and it’s opened by the people who created Ramengers. I came here with the family for lunch. The parking is limited as there are only a few spots out front.

They have Korean comfort food like stews, soup, rice bowls, and smoked pork.

Interior

The interior is very simple, but it is decorated with comic books and cases of figurines. The look is a bit confusing as its hard to tell if it’s a family restaurant or a restaurant for younger people.

The menu is very cute as there are piggies drawn for each dish.

Side Dishes – Banchan

Before the dishes we ordered arrived, a few side dishes arrived to munch on. There was pickled radish and cabbage with a light sauce.

Pork & Rice Soup – dwaeji-gukbap

Pork soup with chives, green onions, and pork meat. This is one of the features dishes.

Pork Backbone Stew – Gamja-tang

Spicy pork backbone soup with meat, potato, cabbage, green onion, and perilla seeds.

Boneless Fried Chicken

You can either choose fried spicy chicken or fried soy chicken. We went with the fried soy chicken with half a chicken. You can also get a whole chicken too.

It was crisp and and covered in the delicious soy sauce.

Fried Dumpling

Fried dumpling comes with 6 pieces and is served with a sweet sauce. The fried dumplings were a bit mediocre.

Final Thoughts

The soups and stews were very delicious and comforting. When I went there, they were short staffed, so a few other items on their menu were unavailable. There were a few hits and misses, but they have opened quite recently, so they have some kinks to work out.

We rate the Smoking Pig:

Address:
1043 Brunette Ave, Coquitlam

Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/smkpig

In Downtown

Sala Thai: Thai Cuisine in Downtown Vancouver

February 22, 2017

Sala Thai serves up authentic Thai cuisine in Downtown Vancouver. They are a family-run restaurant and have been operating for over 20 years. I came here with some friends for dinner and it’s been a long time since I’ve been here.

Thai Iced Tea

Thai Iced Tea is a must when going to Thai restaurant. It’s milky and a bit sweet. Highly recommended.

Gai Hor Bai Toey

This is chicken marinated in a chef’s sauce, wrapped and cooked in pandan leaves. It comes in an order of 4 but we added 1 more extra for our group. The chicken was moist inside those pandan leaves.

Golden Angel Wings

These are boneless chicken wings stuffed with shrimp, pork, vegetables, vermicelli noodle, herbs and served with homemade sweet chili sauce. The crisp chicken wings were so delightful and super easy to eat.

Sala Thai Salad

It has green leaves, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, onions and boiled egg with their house dressing. Not a very exciting salad.

Gaeng Dang

This red curry has coconut milk Bamboo shoots, bell peppers and Thai basil leaves. It comes with your choice of beef, pork or chicken. We went with chicken for our dish. It was very flavourful and we ordered 2 bowls of rice to accompany this dish.

Pad Thai

This is their most popular Thai rice noodle dish with shrimp, egg, tofu, bean sprouts and ground peanut. Mix this up and its quite delicious too.

Final Thoughts

Sala Thai has been a great place to go to since they’ve opened. It’s authentic and great to see how they are hiring Thai staff to make sure all of the food stays true.

We Rate Sala Thai:

Address:
888 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.salathai.ca/

In Canadian

Cactus Club: Frozen Blood Orange Margaritas and Appetizers

February 20, 2017

Cactus Club Cafe has one of their most stunning locations at Jack Poole Plaza by the Olympic Cauldron. After work, a few of us stopped by to try their new Frozen Blood Orange Margaritas as well as try a few of their appetizers. It’s always best to spend time with friends over good drinks and food. Cactus Club has always been a solid spot for me to some after work for drink and nibbles.

Frozen Blood Orange Margarita

The frozen blood orange margarita has the cool, citrus flavours of blood orange and lime, blended with tequila and Triple Sec. It is topped with a candied orange.

It was a really good drink and I can see it bing a popular drink once the weather in Vancouver starts warming up. It’s only here for a limited time.

Szechuan Chicken Lettuce Wraps

The chicken is cooked in sweet and spicy Szechuan glaze, peanuts, and wontons. On the side, there is Korean chili sauce and spicy yogurt. The lettuce wraps are on the side and you scoop them in and eat up.

Ceviche

The ceviche has lois lake steelhead, sustainably harvested prawns, red onions, thai basil, mint, cilantro, and nuoc cham. The ceviche is delicious and I could eat this all day.

Beef Carpaccio

The beef carpaccio is peppercorn-crusted, and topped with dijon aioli, capers, grana padano and served with crostini. A good appetizer to share and i like the contrast between the grana padano and capers with the beef.

Truffle Fries

The fries are fried and covered with truffle, herbs, grana padano, and garlic aioli. Another great item to add to the table as people can munch on it.

Tuna Stack

The tuna stack is made of Ocean Wise albacore, citrus tamari vinaigrette, nori, sesame, avocado, micro cilantro, and served with wonton chips.

Final Thoughts

Overall, when the table is full of delicious food, drinks and friends, it’s hard to have a bad time. The food was well executed and had fresh flavours and ingredients.

We Rate Cactus Club:

Address:
1085 Canada Place, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.cactusclubcafe.com

In Kid Friendly

Nando’s Canada: Garden City Location Now Open

February 5, 2017

Nando’s Canada has open their latest location in Richmond on Garden City. Nando’s first opened in South Africa in 1987 and soon became famous for its Portuguese style flame-grilled chicken with their PERi-PERI sauce.

They currently have 39 restaurants spanning 3 provinces.

We came here for a sneak peek of their new space and try their famous chicken. We were served family-style, so it is a bit different than the usual order.

Interior

Although you will find subtle differences in each of the restaurants, you will always find a relaxed atmosphere, friendly service and delicious food, not to mention the Afro-Portuguese heritage that is reflected in many unique ways inside the restaurants.

It’s been a while since my last visit to Nando’s, but they have really improved the decor.

It is believed that Nando’s globally has the world’s largest contemporary South African art collection, inside their restaurant, you will see a few of these art pieces on the walls.

Peri Peri Chicken

Their chicken is marinated for 24 hours and basted in your choice of flavour and flame-grilled to perfection.

We tried their chicken smothered in a few different sauces. Medium as well as Lemon & Herb were my favourite. Their garlic peri-per hot sauce was awesome as well. While you’re here, you might as well try a few different ones.

Whole Flame Grilled Wings

Their whole wings are pretty good too. It has both the wings and the drumettes.

Sides and Salad

Along with the chicken we tried a few different sides to accompany the meal. Some popular items are the spiced rice, hearty coleslaw and the peri-peri fries. If you want something healthier, they do have salads on the menu too.

Drinks

They have pop dispensed from a cool machine with a touch screen. You can make your own flavour combinations like cherry coke.

If you want something a bit more strong, they so have alcoholic beverages.

Final Thoughts

It’s great to have another location in Richmond to enjoy their delicious peri-peri sauce. Something about their sauce is just so magical.

We Rate Nando’s:

Address:
#1005 Building E, 4711 McClelland Road, Richmond

Website:
http://www.nandos.ca/

In American

The Holy Crab: Louisiana-Inspired Seafood in Vancouver

February 1, 2017

The Holy Crab has opened their first location in Canada and it’s located on Vancouver’s Robson street. It’s very interesting to see something new open up in this neighbourhood that isn’t Japanese food. I was invited to try a few things off the menu, so I was ready to get my hands dirty.

The Holy Crab has partnered with suppliers to bring the best selection of local and premium sustainable seafood to its tables, with many of them Ocean Wise.

The menu includes a variety of seafood such as Dungeness crab, King Crab, Snow Crab, lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels, oysters, and crawfish. Seafood is boiled and served with a choice between garlic pepper or The Holy Crab’s signature Cajun sauce.

Interior

The 2,900 square foot, 92-seat restaurant aims to focus on sustainable seafood offerings in a casual and friendly southern-inspired setting.

Preparation

They give you gloves, a bib, utensils and lots of paper towels to make sure you’re ready to begin devouring all the food. They have many different kinds of scissors too for cutting up the various types of seafood. The staff are nice and they will give you through how to each each item.

Dungeness Crab

The dungeness crab comes from the Pacific Northwest, on the coast of Washington. It is best known for its sweet and succulent taste. It is about 2lbs and is OceanWise certified. It was hard to figure out how to crack this open, but my trusty friend Gastrofork did all the dirty work and I just reaped the rewards. It’s good to have skilled friends.

It is topped with their original cajun garlic pepper sauce and you can have it as mild, medium, spicy or HOLY MOLY!. Of the bunch, we liked the holy moly as it has more flavour but it can be spicy for some people.

Crawfish

The freshwater crawfish also known as crayfish is like a tiny lobster. I would say this isn’t my favourite seafood as it’s mostly shell. You have to work hard to get a small piece of flesh.

Shrimp

The shrimp was pretty good and you can’t go wrong by adding corn to it. One of the easier items to peel with your hands.

King Crab Legs

Hailing from the Northern Pacific, these gigantic King Crab legs are filled with tender, slightly salty white meat. As the legs were spikey, it was a bit hard handling them and cutting into them.

Maggi was super determined to de-shell this for the table. Props to all her effort.

Clams

Clams are OceanWise certified and I found the meat inside the shells to be a bit tiny.

Onion Rings

Onion Rings were lightly battered and had a nice crunchy texture to it but it was missing some seasoning.

Crispy Soft Shell Crab

These baskets are so cute. The soft shell crab is delicious, I have a secret soft spot of soft shell crab.

Crispy Fish Fingers and Cajun Fries

This was one of our favourite sides. The fries and fish dipped into the tartar sauce was so good. We gobbled this right up.

Sweet Potato Fries

Another delicious item. Super crisp and you can’t say no to sweet potato fries.

Steamed Vegetables

Nothing exciting here, but if you need a balance of veggie goodness, it’s an option.

Drinks

The have alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. My favourite thing to have with good Cajun seafood boil is beer. Besides beer, there are mocktails and cocktails.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was great to give The Holy Crab a try as there have been other seafood boil restaurants popping up in Metro Vancouver. It’s very unique in the West End on Robson Street. The flavours of the sauce aren’t overpowering and goes well with the items on the menu.

We Rate The Holy Crab:

Address:
1588 Robson St, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.theholycrab.ca/