Kid Friendly Archives

In British Columbia

Family Road Trip to Victoria, BC with the 2024 BMW X5

August 23, 2023

When it comes to finding the perfect family car, safety, comfort, and practicality are of utmost importance for us. Combining the elegance and luxury of a premium SUV with family-friendly features, the BMW X5 stands out as a versatile and reliable choice for families of all sizes.

We worked with BMW Canada to craft a beautiful getaway through Victoria, BC and enjoy family-time together while having a smooth ride. We spent a few days testing why the BMW X5 is great for families and how it delivers an unmatched driving experience that caters to both parents and children alike.

We started off our journey leaving Vancouver, BC and heading off to Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal to make our way to Victoria. We got on the ferry and it was a smooth ride.

Spacious and Versatile Interior

With 3 adults and a toddler in the car, we felt like there was plenty of space for our luggage as well as personal bags to keep beside us. As we are only about 5’7, there was plenty of leg and head room.

Driving long distances, it was great to have the driver seat with power adjustable lumbar support as the lower back can get tired.

Ease of Parking and Getting into Tight Spaces

The front and rear parking sensors as well as the rear view camera are essential features for our family especially getting into tight spots like the ferry or narrower parking stalls. We were always able to make sure we had enough space to get in and out of the car. Especially with my round pregnant belly. I needed some extra space to get in and out of the car.

Right off the ferry, we headed to The Butchart Gardens as that’s were I really wanted to see as I haven’t been back since I was a kid. It’s an exquisite garden, which you can spend hours adoring through all the different seasons. It has over 100 years of history and it’s a must for locals and tourists.

We spent a good amount of time at The Butchart Gardens, so it was time to head to Prestige Oceanfront Resort in Sooke, BC. Traffic on the highway was pretty bad during rush hour, so Google Maps too us on some smaller side roads and we loved how the BMW X5 handled on high turns through the forest. It was very smooth and even our toddler fell asleep.

We picked Prestige Oceanfront Resort because it was very affordable and was away from the city, so we could relax and enjoy the views of the water. Our toddler loved seeing the seals basking in the sun on the rocks without a care in the world.

We had dinner close by at Stoked Pizzeria and wow, their pizza was so crispy and flavourful. The place was bumping in the evening. For breakfast, we checked out the new cafe inside Prestige Oceanfront Resort called Island Tarts Cafe & Catering, which is a local small business selling the most amazing coffee and treats.

As we checked out, we packed up our bags and put everything in the trunk. We loved the 2 piece tailgate was great to quickly grab items from the trunk, but if there was something that started rolling around in the back, nothing would fall out.

The rear window sunshades were fantastic for the kiddo in the backseat as it would be very sunny and having it up would help her relax and take longer naps on this road trip.

For the second day of our trip, we focused more of kid friendly activities since the kiddo wanted to get out of the car to see some animals. First stop was Beacon Hill Children’s Farm. It’s by donation and there’s even lots of goats to pet and brush. We stayed about 30 minutes and then headed off to brunch at Eva for some German cuisine.

We needed to get a bit closer to the Ferry, so we stopped at Sydney, BC which was a few minutes away from the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. We all made sure we did something a little different so we can enjoy the sights and sounds of Sydney. My husband went to visit Victoria Distillers for a gin tasting and they are best known for their Empress Gin. The kiddo spent some time at the Shaw Centre for the Salish Seas to learn more about the local animals in the area. The rest of the time, we spent wandering the pier before it was time to head to the ferry.

Getting to all these locations was easy because of the Apple CarPlay feature. We just connect our iPhones and we have our music and maps all ready with a touch of a button.

Final Thoughts

A family road trip with the 2024 BMW X5 is an exciting and comfortable adventure to help us get to our different destinations with ease. It’s known for it’s performance, spacious interior, and advanced features. Our family had a great little getaway and felt very safe. Definitely check out the vehicle if you and your family go on local getaways throughout the year.

This blog post was sponsored by BMW Canada but the opinions are all my own.

In Japanese

Raisu: Japanese Lunch Sets and Kids Meal in Vancouver

July 29, 2020

Raisu is a Japanese Izakaya in Vancouver and their sister restaurants are Kingyo, Suika, and Rajio. They specialize in Teishouku, which is Japanese for pre-set meals. It’s usually chef’s selection of items with miso soup and a bowl of rice.

We usually go to Raisu for dinner, but this was our first time having lunch at Raisu. They actually have some amazing lunch meals and kid sets available for dine-in.

We were invited to check out their lunch offerings at Raisu.

Patio

They have a patio and we always enjoy dining in this area. It is covered with a roof and there are fans to keep you cool.

Dining Room

They socially distance all the guests so eating indoors is comfortable and safe. Staff were all wearing masks too.

Kids Set $15

The kid sets are meant for children under 12 years old. You get a bit of everything to keep those picky eaters eating.

When we dined here, our Kids Set came with:

Chicken karaage
Ebiten with tartar sauce
Japanese omelet
Salad
Meatball with miso demiglace sauce
Grilled Veggies (bean, pepper, and corn)
Miso soup
Dessert (Japanese Lemon Cheesecake, but changes seasonally)
Drink ( Choice of orange juice, Calpico water, or Calpico soda)
Small Kid snack (Koala Bear cookies)

This is a really fun meal and a lot of adults wished they could have it too. It’s a good selection of fresh veggies, fried food, and treats. It was all good especially that Japanese Lemon Cheesecake. It was a pleasant surprise.

Lunch Meal Special $24

On the menu, you choose 2 items from these 4 available choices:

Chef’s choice sashimi (3 kinds)
Deep fried food (2 kinds)
Today’s meat dish
Today’s grilled fish

The set comes with rice, miso soup, small dish, pickles and salad.

The Chef’s choice sashimi was salmon, tuna and scallop served in a bowl with radish threads, seaweed, sprouts, and tobiko. Very fresh and good quality.

The grilled fish available today was salmon and mackerel served with lemon, minced daikon, and sauce. Mackerel is generally has lots of bones, a touch dry but very buttery in taste. If you don’t like picking bones out, this may not be the dish for you.

The meat dish today was beef steak served with green and mushroom. It was a touch overdone for our liking.

The deep fried food was a jumbo scallop with snow crab, and a 100% wagyu croquette. Solid dishes with the use of panko.

The small dish of the day was braised melon. It’s tasty but a touch on the salty side if you eat it by itself. It’s best eaten with rice to really enjoy this.

The salad, rice, and miso soup complete the meal. A filling lunch and you can’t so wrong with this. Very enjoyable.

Yuzu Lemonade

This is light and refreshing with carbonation and hints of sweet yuzu. Drinks aren’t included in the set, but it’s a nice accompaniment to the meal especially on a hot summers day.

Raisu Punch

This has Calipico, kiwi, pineapple, and aloe juice. we got this omitted with the kiwi because of personal allergies. It’s also a very light and refreshing drink to pair with the meal. It is a bit sweeter than the yuzu lemonade but it has more flavours going on.

Yuzu Parfait

Highly recommended even if you’re super full. Dessert is a separate stomach right? This has RAISU original yuzu gelato, yuzu rare cheese cake sponge cake, and yuzu cream on top. The yuzu gelato is really good and brings this whole dessert together.

Final Thoughts

The lunch sets for kids and adults are fantastic and fun. It’s a good way to try a bit of everything they have to offer. You definitely want to see what is on their daily special menu as it can rotate daily.

Don’t forget to end you meal with the Yuzu Parfait as we absolutely adored it.

Address:
2340 W 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.raisu.ca/

In Farm to Table

Rocky Mountain Flatbread: Now Open in South Surrey

October 26, 2019

Rocky Mountain Flatbread has opened their newest location in South Surrey. It’s great as it gives people especially families a new spot to eat a meal with their kids.

They have gluten free and vegan options for brunch, lunch & dinner.

Interior

The interior is spacious! Very beautiful with a lot of natural light. Lots of tables for small to large groups. Very family friendly.

They can seat up to 60 guests.

We love the signature garage door style windows. We had a dog with us so she could sit outside as we ate inside while keeping an eye on her.

Drinks

White Raspberry Sangria has BC VQA white wine, house made lemonade, Triple Sec, house made raspberry syrup, and lemon slices. It was nice and strong.

Triple Berry Mojito has Havana Club Rum, fresh mint, house made berry puree, simple syrup, soda, hand pressed lime juice, lime and mint Garnis. It was not too sweet and there was a nice balance of refreshing berries.

Bruchetta

This is made of organic bread with diced marinated tomatoes and Parmesan. It was really good and we highly recommend it. Tomatoes are so fresh with nice tangy sourness. The baguette had a garlic spread which made the whole dish super good.

Basil & Blackberry Salad

This has assorted greens, crimini mushrooms, mango, roasted red bell peppers, basil and blackberry dressing, and Vancouver grown sunflower sprouts. We also added smoked salmon to it. It was a solid salad. Very good start to the meal to get your taste buds going.

Pesto Shrimp Pizza

This pizza has organic tomato sauce, Mozzarella, Ocean Wise shrimp, red onions, artichokes, three herb pesto, and Asiago cheese. It was really good when you get it right away. The herb pesto sauce really stands out and pairs well with the shrimp. We liked the chewiness of the flatbread dough too.

Smoked Bacon and Snap Pea Pasta

This pasta has organic rotini, double smoked bacon, red onion, oyster mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes, sugar snap peas , white wine cream sauce, and Parmesan. It’s a really good quality pasta with fresh ingredients. Very comforting.

Warm Double Chocolate Brownie

This popular dessert is made with Callebaut chocolate and served with house made vanilla ice cream. The decadent brownie was really good and loved the texture and crunch to it.

Affogato

The affogato has organic house made vanilla ice cream topped with Callebaut chocolate flakes and double espresso on the side. This is such a good way to end the meal. We liked how the espresso on the side rather than in the vanilla ice cream so you can control how much you add.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we love the look of the new location with their amazing farm to table menu items. It’s a great addition to the community who are wanting fresh, good quality ingredients in their food, plus being very kid friendly.

Address:
5570 152 St #105, Surrey, BC

Website:
https://www.rockymountainflatbread.ca

In British Columbia

Pirate Pak Day Featuring Adult Pirate Pak Menu for 10 and Over

August 12, 2019

Pirate Pak Day is back on Wednesday August 14th! For every Adult and Kids Pirate Pak and select entrees that sell on this day, White Spot will make a $2 donation to the Zajac Ranch for Children. It’s a great cause since it’s a summer camp that brings joy to children and young adults with serious medical conditions.

Over the years, over $780,776 for the Zajac Ranch has been raised to give kids an awesome summer camp experience they’ll never forget.

We were invited for a sneak peek of this year’s Pirate Pak offerings.

Adult Pirate Pak Options

If you’re over 10 year old, there are a number of Adult Pirate Pak options that will sure fill you up. There’s definitely more than the standard Kids Pirate Pak options.

All Adult Pirate Paks come with creamy coleslaw, endless Kennebec fries plus a soft drink, our famous chocolate coin and a scoop of ice cream.

The Legendary Burger

The traditional ¼ lb. 100% fresh Canadian beef burger with their signature Triple “O” sauce & a pickle on top. You can add Jack or Cheddar cheese, or crispy bacon, or sautéed mushrooms for an additional charge.

Bacon Cheddar Burger

The ¼ lb.100% fresh Canadian beef burger with crispy bacon, Cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion & their secret Triple “O” sauce.

We ordered this and it was pretty delicious! Big thick pieces of bacon and the patty was juicy too. We upgraded our fries to Sweet Potato Fries and it sure hit the spot. To finish off, we had chocolate ice cream to go with this.

BC Chicken Burger

A Chargrilled fresh BC chicken breast, Cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion & their secret Triple “O” sauce.

Brie and Mushroom Veggie Burger

A crispy veggie burger with brie, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, mayo, arugula, tomato and balsamic glaze.

The White Spot Club

This has fresh turkey breast, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo and chili sauce on your choice of toasted white, multigrain or sourdough.

The Spot’s Fish and Chips

This has two pieces of our crispy tempura battered cod. You can add extra pieces for an extra charge.

Dippin’ Chicken

There are crispy breaded chicken tenders with dip.

Nat’s Original Beef Dip

Slow-roasted and tender Certified Angus Beef piled high on garlic panini bread. Served with au jus. You can load up your dip with Jack cheese, sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions for an extra charge.

I got the loaded beef dip and subbed the fries for zoo sticks. It comes with a lot of zoo sticks, but there were pretty darn good.

Final Thoughts

The meals were quite large and perfect for an adult appetite. It’s fun feeling like a kid again, enjoying the company of your family, and supporting a great cause like Zajac Ranch for Children. Their goal this year is to help 400 kids saddle up and ride this season, make 800 dips in the water and toast 1300 marshmallows by the campfire.

Pirate Pak Day is Wednesday August 14th, 2019, so make sure to head to White Spot early with the family to have a great meal.

Website:
https://whitespot.ca/piratepakday

In Dineout

[Sneak Peek] Dine Out Vancouver 2019 at Rocky Mountain Flatbread

January 25, 2019

Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. has 2 locations in the Lower Mainland; one on Main Street and another in Kitsilano. The other 2 locations are in Banff and Canmore. They serve up handcrafted organic flatbreads and bakes them in their wood fired oven. They also have organic pasta dishes, salads, soups and decadent desserts. They are also know to have a very family friendly atmosphere with a play area too.

They are one of the participating restaurants on the Dine Out Vancouver 2019 list. We got a special sneak peek to see what they are offering customers. You will be treated to their $25 menu lunch or dinner menu.

Interior

There are lots of tables for small to large groups. Best to make reservations just in case it gets busy during peak hours.

Dine Out Menu

What is great about this menu is that there are so many options to craft your meal and you’re not limited to just whats on the Dine Out Menu.

Paloma Mocktail

The meal starts with their house craft mocktail. When we were here, it was the Paloma mocktail with pink grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed lime, simple syrup and soda. You can spice this up with tequila or vodka for $5 extra.

Appetizers

For appetizers, you have 3 choices of a salad, Mushroom Caps or house made soup.

For the salad option you have a few to choose from so you’re not limited to just one kind. Your choices are Fresh Herb Salad (Vegan), Basil & Blackberry Salad, or Fig & Goat Cheese Salad. They have pretty good salads but my favourite is the fig & goat cheese salad.

The BC Mushroom Caps have 4 different flavours to choose from:

Bacon, Leek & Cheddar
Spinach & Goat Cheese
Roasted Veggies
Sundried Tomato Hummus

Of the ones we tried, the bacon, leek and cheddar was my favourite as the saltiness from the bacon married well with the mushroom.

As for soups, there are 2 to choose from – Seasonal Soup or their Spicy Organic Tomato Soup, which is vegan. The seasonal soup was potato and leek but it can change depending on when you go. Very comforting and not salty at all.

Entrees

For the main dishes, you can choose from pizza or pastas on their menu.

There are 12 different pizzas to choose from on the menu and you can customize for gluten-free pizza crust or artisan pizza for an extra charge.

Some of my favourites are the Fig & Brie Artisan Pizza, Farmers Market, and Pesto Chicken.

Pasta is the other entree option and you have 4 types to choose from:

Chef’s Pasta Feature
Roasted Vegetable Rotini
Bacon and Three Cheese Penne
Penne Bolognese

The pastas are created with organic pasta and local seasonal veggies. I really enjoyed the bacon and three cheese penne. Delicious!

Dessert

The best part of the meal is when it comes to dessert. You can choose from:

Warm Double Chocolate Brownies Served With Vanilla Ice Cream
Baked Cheesecake With A Toasted Coconut Base (Gluten Free)
Seasonal Sorbet (Gluten Free & Vegan)
Apple Cinnamon Crumble Served With Coconut Vanilla Ice Cream (Gluten Free + Vegan)

A good selection but the warm double chocolate brownie is by for the most popular. I tried the apple cinnamon crumble and it was also very very good.

Final Thoughts

For $25 3-course menu and a mocktail, it’s a good price. There is a lot of flexibility to the menu for lunch and dinner to cater to varying dietary needs and it’s very family-friendly. Kids can choose items from the regular menu or even do the kids 3-course menu for $13.50. Highly recommended for parents that want a night out and may have to bring kids along.

Address:
4186 Main St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.rockymountainflatbread.ca/

In burger

The Shop at Two Rivers Meats in North Vancouver

November 16, 2018

The Shop is an eatery and butcher shop under one roof at Two Rivers Meats in North Vancouver. We were invited to try their winter menu, which features their specialty meats and seasonal produce available from local suppliers.

Interior

The space is bright and welcoming. The left half is an eatery with an open kitchen and family style seating.

The other half is a butcher shop with an array of ethically and sustainably raised meats. Two Rivers Meats proudly offer meat products from farms all over BC & Alberta who “raise their animals in open spaces without the use of antibiotics and growth hormones.”

Help yourself to popcorn while you wait for your order!

65 Day Dry Aged Beef Burger

Their signature item is the 65-day dry aged beef burger, which is served with aged cheddar, charred tomato, zucchini pickles, iceberg lettuce, and white BBQ sauce in a brioche bun. We opted to add bacon.

This burger is delicious! There’s a depth of flavour in dry aged beef that is hard to describe but is easy to distinguish by taste. The bacon is good, but this burger didn’t need it. It’s great as-is.

As a side, The Shop offers Tallow Fries and I recommend that you get them each and every time you visit. (Fun fact: McDonald’s Fries were originally fried in tallow–it’s now made in vegetable oil…and additives to mimic the taste of beef tallow.)

Sausage Platter

The sausage platter is good for sharing and the selection rotates every other day based on the season and availability. It’s served with pickled onions, zucchini pickles and mustard. The pickles are fresh and are made in-house.

When we visited, the three sausages featured were Buffalo Chicken, Toulouse and Chaurice. This is a great option if you’d like to try their sausages or to share with the table.

Two Rivers Ramen Bowl

The Two Rivers Ramen is miso bone broth, soft poached egg, bean sprouts, noodles, charred garlic chili oil, spiced nori, crispy pork and green onions.

Ramen in a butcher shop?! I was initially suspicious, until I realized they have a ready supply of bone, marrow and fat to make an amazing soup broth.

The miso bone broth in this ramen is rich, buttery and tastes amazing. The noodles has a good bite and the garlic chili oil topped egg was a nice touch. It was perfect on a rainy day. My only hesitation about this dish is the five-spice crispy pork which overpowered the taste and did not complement the soup. Next time I visit, I’ll ask if there’s another meat option available or simply ask for the crispy pork on the side.

Final Thoughts

Two Rivers Meats have supplied Vancouver retailers and higher end restaurants for over a decade. Their meat is from BC and Alberta farmers who make sure their animals are raised ethically and sustainably. Best of all, they’re making it available for everyone to easily purchase and taste these products at The Shop.

Their menu is solid and the food tastes great. They’re a great option if you’re considering eating less, but better sourced meats. It would be an afternoon well-spent to drive up to North Vancouver, try their burger and fries, then purchase a selection of their sausages for the week ahead. My only regret is that I forgot about the cookie, so I’ll need to come back and try it.

Address:
180 Donaghy Ave, North Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://tworiversmeats.ca/the-shop/

In Downtown

Wasabi Robson: Aburi, Sushi Rolls and Bento Boxes

October 12, 2018

Wasabi Robson is the newest sushi restaurant to open up in Downtown Vancouver at the Vancouver Public Library. I saw them on Instagram and wanted to make a visit as they make a few aburi-style sushi items on the menu as well as more affordable items like bento box sets, curry and udon. They seem to cater those who want a quick meal and those who want a bit more of an indulgence like aburi at lower prices.

Interior

They take reservations after 3pm, so I made one for my group of friends. The restaurant is half seating and half kitchen. The traffic fluctuated through the night but if you are in a larger group, reservations are best.

They are fairly new and have some kinks to work out. Service was very mediocre, so we were rarely given tea until we asked and also they didn’t clear the dishes or give us the bill. Also the abundance of fruit flies were very bothersome.

Crown Tart

The Crown Tart is made with scallop, wild salmon, tuna, avocado, sushi rice, and aburi sauce. Then topped with lemon slices and shrimp. It’s a good size and very delicious. You can have it by yourself or share with the table.

Wild Salmon Aburi Oshi

This comes with 6 pieces per order and it has flame-seared wild salmon sushi with their signature aburi sauce on top with a piece of jalapeño.

Saba Aburi Oshi

This has flame-seared mackerel sushi with their signature sauce on top. The saba is a salty mackerel that is always very delicious in aburi form. The sauce on top is different than the other aburi items.

Ebi Aburi Oshi

This has flame-seared shrimp sushi with their signature sauce on top. Another delicious item.

Gyoza

It comes with 5 pieces but we asked them to make it 6 pieces and added a dollar extra so it would be easier for the table to split as we were a party of 6. It was good but it would have been nice is there was some sauce or dip to go along with it like ponzu sauce.

Salmon Avocado Roll

This uses wild salmon and avocado rolled up in sushi rice. Perfectly ripe avocados and good quality wild salmon.

Final Thoughts

If you want a good inexpensive simple meal, the bento boxes are the way to go as they are just over $10. Good for a quick cheap lunch. For this visit, I went more the aburi items and they were good for the price. The only things that bothered me were the service and cleanliness. Those are the two things they should really work on.

Their hours are limited as they aren’t open weekends and close early into the evenings on weekdays.

Address:
202-345 Robson St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.wasabirobson.com/

In Kid Friendly

Rocky Mountain Flatbread : New Summer Menu, Vegan “Cau” Cheese, and Fresh Ingredients

June 29, 2018

Rocky Mountain Flatbread just launched their new summer menu which features fresh, local ingredients. Since it is the perfect time to get amazing produce in and around the city, they really do their best to highlight these items. The summer menu is akin to shopping at the farmer’s market, getting the best seasonal ingredients, and knowing how to combine it all to create delicious salads, pastas, and pizzas.

Heirloom Avocado Toast

For me, the highlight is seeing the consideration they put into selecting their ingredients, including using the right tomato for a dish. For example, the Heirloom Avocado Toast featured sliced red and yellow heirloom tomatoes, while the Fire Roasted Pizza had multi-coloured cherry heirloom tomato. It is also topped with sunflower sprouts and hemp hearts.

Fire Roasted Pizza

Rocky Mountain strives to offer nut free, gluten free, and vegan options. New to the summer menu is the Vegan “Cau” Cheese, their house-made vegan, nut-free cheese substitute made from cauliflower. It was used in the Vegan Fire Roasted Pizza, Harvest Farmer Pizza and the Plant Based Summer Green Salad.

Chorizo and Cod Pizza

While there’s an emphasis on fresh greens and vegetables, there is no shortage of options for omnivores. My favourite dish was the Chorizo and Cod Pizza, which starts with a spicy tomato base, chorizo, bell pepper, red onions, sun-dried tomato, mozzarella, and green onions, then topped with pan seared Ocean Wise cod. It’s packed with flavours, textures, and just the right amount of heat.

Fig and Goat Cheese Salad

Rocky Mountain salads are always tasty, always piled high, and the Fig and Goat Cheese Salad was no exception. It features assorted greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onions tossed in Black Mission Fig dressing, then topped with sliced figs, goat cheese crumbles and Vancouver-grown sunflower sprouts.

Final Thoughts

The Rocky Mountain Flatbread’s summer menu is now available and it’s a great spot to take those who love pizza and salads. Rocky Mountain Flatbread has always been known for a space that is kid friendly in a relaxed atmosphere.

Address:
1876 W 1st Ave, Vancouver

Website: http://rockymountainflatbread.ca/

In Four Beakers

Original’s Café Mexicano: Authentic Mexican Cuisine in Port Moody

May 23, 2018

My friend Hilda told me about Original’s Café Mexicano on Clarke Street in Port Moody in this heritage house. I had no idea it was in such a cute place. We came here after work on a weekday and it was busy here later in the evening. They also take reservations, so if you have a large group to secure your table, definitely do that.

Interior

The space is literally in a house, so it has a very cozy friendly feel just like entering someone’s home.

Guacamole and Chips

We started the meal with guacamole and chips. The tortilla chips are made fresh and fried to a beautiful golden brown. The guacamole is is so damn good. There is a good amount of acidity and I like how it is topped with some diced tomatoes. Really good flavour.

Prawn Ceviche

This was their feature ceviche when we went. It changes, so ask them what kind it is as it may be different. The prawns are cured in lime and served with guacamole, onions, cilantro, tomatoes, and avocado. It was really fresh.

Enchiladas de Mole

Their special mole has nuts, chocolate, a bunch of different dried peppers and spices. We chose to have chicken on the inside, but you can ask for different proteins or veggies too. The mole has depth of flavour and it was very tasty.

Los Tacos

They have tacos on the menu and we can’t say no to tacos. We ordered the:

Baja Style Taco: breaded white basa with chipotle mayo, lettuce and avocado.
Carnitas: slow cooked fried pork with hints of cinnamon and orange.
Chilorio: Slow cooked pulled porl in ancho and huajillo pepper.

On the table, there are also different kinds of hot sauce you can add.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was a great find in Port Moody. The food is great and there is nice atmosphere in the heritage house, makes you feel right at home. As the weather is getting hotter, there is some outdoor patio seating too.

We Rate Original’s Café Mexicano:

Website:
http://www.originalsmexicano.com/

Address:
1-2231 Clarke St, Port Moody, BC

In Gastown

Haru Korean Restaurant in Gastown

July 4, 2017

Haru Korean Restaurant is open in Gastown serving homey Korean food. My friend and I were passing by for dinner and decided we wanted to give this place a try. We love to wander around downtown to find whatever restaurant interests us so we can find more of the hidden places around town.

Interior

The interior is mostly wooden with accents of this colourful stripped fabric. There is a decent amount of space for small to large groups. For large groups, they take reservations.

Tea

As we sat down to look over the menu, they gave us some hot tea.

Complimentary Salad

The green salad has radishes and a light vinaigrette. A nice start to the meal.

Complimentary Kimchi

Kimchi is a must at any Korean restaurant and it usually comes complimentary, It’s part of the whole experience.

Kimchi Fried Rice

This is fried white rice with kimchi, pork, onion and topped with a round fried egg. The kimchi fried rice was ok, I found that it needed a bit more kimchi and it was very very oily with the onions.

Jap-Chae Noodle

There is stir fried clear noodles with veggies seasoned in house special soy sauce. A good portion for an individual.

Seafood Pancake

The seafood pancake is pretty big. It has seafood and green onion in the batter, but I thought it was pretty average. Nothing special to have it stand out.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the food here was average and nothing stood out. Some dishes were pretty oily and unnecessarily greasy. I can see this would be a good lunch spot.

We Rate Haru Korean Kitchen:

Address:
324 Cambie St, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.harukoreankitchen.com

In Bubble Tea

Shiny Tea: Bubble Tea Ice Cream in International Village

April 19, 2017

Shiny Tea inside International Village is serving up soft serve ice cream. They still have their classic milk teas and other drinks. After work, I came with a few friends to begin the long weekend and to enjoy some ice cream. It was close to the office, so we thought it would be great for a visit. It got busy later into the evening.

Interior

There are about 14 seat inside, so it’s not great for really large groups. But, the food court is a few steps away, so you can go there instead to sit and eat.

Soft Serve Ice Cream “Italian Gelato”

They have 2 flavours on rotation – Peach Mango Green Tea and their Sri Lankan Black Tea. You get 1 sauce and toppings are extra. The flavours change every week, but they usually have one tea-based flavour and a fruity one. They let you taste the flavours before you purchase, which is nice.

There is only one size, so it’s still good for individual consumption or sharing.

Yaaassss…condensed milk.

I got the Sri Lankan Black Tea with white pearls, black pearls and condensed milk.

They did have suggested toppings and sauces, but I wasn’t feeling it, so I crafted my own and it turned out delicious.

My friend got the Peach Mango Green Tea with brown sugar honey and it was a bit on the sweet side.

Milk tea

There are lots of drinks on the menu to choose from, but my favourites are the milk teas.

My friend got the 3Q milk tea. It has black pearls, white pearls and coconut jelly.

Overall,

We Rate Shiny Tea:

Address:
88 W Pender St,Unit 2113, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.shinytea.ca/

In Commercial Drive / Grandview

77K Freeze: Nitrogen Ice Cream on Commercial Drive

April 5, 2017

77k Freeze is a new nitrogen ice cream shop that just opened on Commercial Drive. I came with a friend for a sneak peek of their shop before their grand opening. They are named after the low boiling point of liquid nitrogen – 77 Kelvins.

The owners, which are scientists discovered the joy of using liquid nitrogen to make frozen desserts while doing cryogenic experiments. They created a Cryogenic Control Unit to control the liquid nitrogen for making ice cream.

Interior

The interior is all white with snowflake decorations and blue accents to give the space a cool atmosphere.

There are seats out front, but they also have this lounge area that can be booked for events.

It’s great if you want to host an ice cream party or some gathering.

Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream

You can create your own ice cream selecting the base, flavours, toppings and sweeteners. Or, they also have a few creations of their own creations like Snowflake, Oh Canada, Blueberry Pine, and Vancouver Red Velvet.

When you choose what you want, they start mixing it up and thats when the liquid nitrogen works its magic.

I tried a few of their flavours but I really enjoyed the Oh Canada with the milk base, a bit of maple to sweeten it and it has crunchy bacon bits and poppy seeds. I loved the crunchy texture of the whole ice cream, but at $8 for their signature flavours, the price needs a bit of work as it’s very expensive compared to the other shops in town.

As they just opened, they have some kinks to work out, but hopefully with more customers giving feedback, they will improve.

Website:
http://www.77kfreeze.ca/

Address:
2240 Commercial Drive, Vancouver

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 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 British Columbia

White Spot: New WS Legendary Pirate Paks

February 12, 2017

White Spot’s Pirate Pak has been redesigned. Their icon look hasn’t changed since 1968, but on February 13th (Family Day), families will encounter a fun surprise when ordering the classic Pirate Pak.

More than 25 million Pirate Paks have been sold since 1968, when White Spot founder Nat Bailey wanted to provide a unique dining experience for kids.

The ‘WS Legendary’

The interactive Pirate Pak features a fresh cast of animated characters and revamped treasure map, plus the new W.S. Legendary pirate ship that allows kids of all ages to join the crew on their legendary (mis)adventures.

The 3 new characters includes:

Captain Beak Rogers, wanted for masterminding tasty heists
Penny Poulet, faster than her flipper
Drumbstick Nick, no-napkin, never-ceasing nibbler

The Food

Never fear, the food that comes with the Pirate Pak will remain the same. You will get to choose your:

Beverage
Entree
Side Dish
Dessert

Same food that will entice your kids, but new look to keep the kids entertained during the meal. The top selling item is their Hamburger, Fries and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

Download the App

In addition to the revamped look, they are launching their first 3D augmented reality kids program by a Canadian chain restaurant. They are bringing Pirate Pak’s to the digital age.

You download the app for your iOS and Android device and you can begin interacting with the menu and the pirate ship to play games like Doubloon Debacle, Bookadoodle Boom, Pirate Ship Battle and Cannon Bowling.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I can see parenting-styles differ when parents take their kids out to restaurants. I wouldn’t want to give them a cellphone to play with as we eat. Other parents just want to get some peace and quiet when going out. I can see this new launch of the pirate pak cater to those who are a bit restless when it comes to sitting still. Some kids need to do something as they wait for the meal to arrive.

As of February 13th, the new Pirate Paks will be launching at all locations.

Address:
405 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.whitespot.ca/kids

In Chinese

Ford Fusion Foodie Goes to Heritage Eatery

February 10, 2017

The 2017 Ford Fusion Sport has come out and what better way to explore Metro Vancouver, than to indulge in some fusion cuisine. Partnering up for Ford Canada, we headed to one of the newer restaurants in Vancouver for Pan Asian Cuisine – Heritage Eatery.

Check out my review of the 2017 Ford Fusion Sport as I drove it all around town. The trusty navigation guided me to Heritage Eatery easily even in rush hour.

https://foodology.ca/2017-ford-fusion-sport-review/

Heritage Asian Eatery

Heritage Asian Eatery brings together the flavours of different countries in Asia. They blend together fresh, locally sourced ingredients, prepared with a modern take on the authentic flavours of the Far East. I’ve heard lots about this place, so it was time to make the visit.

Interior

The interior as metal and wood features that give it a cool industrial look. Up on their shelves, there are metal bells, abacus, Asian hat and some other cool items.

Bao

Bao means bun in Chinese. It is a Chinese steamed roll with a filling of meat or vegetables.

The 5 different flavours are:

Cotechino (house made sausage)
Shitake
Duck
Pork Belly
Pork Shoulder

I ordered the Cotechino, Duck and Pork Belly. It all came together in a cute bamboo steamer. The bao is soft and fluffy while the filling is very delicious. Each bao have different complementary toppings and sauce used.

Bowls

There are 4 types of rice bowls at Heritage:

Pork Belly
Duck
Chicken
Eggplant

We went with the Pork Belly as it’s the most fatty and delicious. We also added an extra egg to the bowl. It normally comes with 2 halves. The bowl is very hearty and its good for one person. The other veggies in this dish balance out the egg and pork belly.

Wings

We got a side of wings since we heard it was irresistible. The right amount of spice coat these crisp wings and drumettes.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the food was delicious and even thought the menu is a bit small, there’s lots of variety to each dish. Highly customizable to what you want. Eating fusion food and enjoying the Ford Focus was a fun night out.

Address:
1108 W Pender Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.eatheritage.ca/

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 Cafe

Shop the Neighbourhood: Lisa Lou’s Chocolate Bar

January 18, 2017

With the holidays behind us, shopping local should still be top of mind for Vancouverites. Local businesses keep dollars close to home. Dollars spent within our neighbourhoods directly benefit the local economy and are re-invested within the community in the form of local employment or the contracting of locally-based suppliers and services.

Shop The Neighbourhood, a local shopping initiative from Yellow Pages, celebrates small businesses all year round, and reminds Canadians how shopping locally makes a difference in our lives and directly impacts the local economy. Small businesses are our economic backbone – they create jobs, funnel funds back into the community, keep decision-making power localized, and generally contribute to building healthy, thriving neighbourhoods.

In partnership with Yellow Pages, I wanted to highlight another awesome shop that opened in 2016 near Chinatown – Lisa Lou’s Chocolate Bar.

Lisa Lou’s Chocolate Bar

The area in and around Chinatown on Main Street is definitely changing with new restaurants and shops popping up every month. Last year, Lisa Lou’s Chocolate Bar was born; a 12-seater chocolate, ice cream, and coffee shop. They join other restaurants like Campagnolo, Torafuku, Bodega and Kobob Korean Burgers just a few steps away. Given great foot traffic and a transit friendly area, this up and coming neighbourhood was a great fit for Lisa Lou’s.

Lisa Lou’s vision is to be fun and whimsical with their package design and characters, and to have a strong stance on natural and ethically sourced ingredients, supporting the local community, and offering outstanding service to their customers.

Lisa Gardin AKA “Lisa Lou”

Lisa Gardin has been in the chocolate industry for 15 years working at places like the Wedgewood Hotel, Thomas Haas, and Chocolate Arts. It has been a long time dream for Lisa to open her own boutique chocolate shop. She always wanted to put her own whimsical spin on chocolate, making products that are more accessible than some of the higher end chocolate shops around town.

Lisa Lou is a nickname inspired by her father. It embodies that fun nature of her shop, brought to life by the bold turquoise on their packaging and the shop’s interior décor.

Yummy treats

You can see the fun and whimsical side of Lisa Lou’s in their package design and characters. They currently have three lines of their chocolate bars. These are the shop’s signature items:

The Boys – Pete, Joe, Marc, and Frank
This line is fantastic. I particularly love the Joe, featuring coffee cardamom caramel, shortbread, and pistachios.

The Hipsters – Zoe, Lily, Oscar, and Kylo
They are wheat free and vegan and have crispy chocolate mixed with fruity caramel.

The Ladies – Joan, Ruth, Sue, and Helen.
The Ladies feature sweet, fruity jellies and crunchy, nutty, chocolatey pralines.

These lines are great for gifts or for your own personal snacking.

There are so many good products on the shelves of Lisa Lou’s and one of the items that just make my taste buds sing is their candied almonds.

In addition, Peanut Brittle was an especially hot item over the holidays.

When it was warmer in the summer, I remember coming here for ice cream with my coworkers all the time. They have some really unique flavours like Bourbon Caramel Ripple, Coffee Cardamom, and many other flavours on rotation. Two of my favourites were the Caramelized Banana and the Assam Tea. You can get these in 8oz or 16oz sizes. Also, you can turn them into ice cream sandwiches or ice cream floats.

What’s Next?

More collaborations are on the way for 2017. Look out for birthday parties, workshops, and community events hosted in this space. If you’re curious, give Lisa a visit to see what is possible.

In particular, Chocolate Hazelnut Hearts, along with a few other items, are on their way for Valentine’s Day.

Go for a Visit

Lisa Lou’s Chocolate Bar is one of many amazing local businesses near the Chinatown neighbourhood. Stop by and grab a coffee or tea along with some tasty chocolates to enjoy. You’ll definitely find something unique for yourself or for a friend!

Local businesses are neighbourhood-oriented. Business owners and staff share the community’s interests, and are personally invested in the welfare and future of the neighbourhood.

If you want to learn more about Shop The Neighbourhood, follow Yellow Pages on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Address:
1007 Main St, Vancouver

Website:
http://lisalouschocolatebar.com/