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In Dessert

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt: Cant Resist Froyo in Toronto, ON

May 29, 2012

Menchies Frozen Yogurt is another Froyo store on Bloor Street. There are 3 different froyo stores within a block or so away from each other…. but I ended up going to all 3 for some reason. It was close to BaguetteGirl’s place and we always felt like eating froyo.

It’s also a chain store and they recently opened one in Vancouver too. I was actually excited to go to this location since I haven’t been to the one in Vancouver yet.

The interior is very open and has a few seats and lots of space to walk around to create your froyo. The instructions are very basic – mix, weigh, and pay.

Everything basically has their mascots face on it, even their lamps.

Apple Tart froyo and original tart froyo with fruit toppings ($0.55 per oz). I enjoyed it!

More froyo.

I love their cute mascot! It makes eating froyo very enjoyable at Menchies because of the cute characters and bold colors.

Overall, they do have a large list of flavours and similar concept to the other froyo places on the block. Their consistency between each flavour is slightly different, so that could be improved. Nonetheless, it’s still a healthy dessert option! No matter which froyo place you go to on Bloor St. … it’s all about the same.

Words of Wisdom:

Similar prices to the other froyo places on the same street
Fun and unique spoons
Can try all the flavours before deciding which to get
Friendly helpful staff

We Rate Menchies Frozen Yogurt:

Address:
511 Bloor St W
Toronto, ON

Website:
http://www.menchies.com/

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In Food Tour

Vancouver Foodie Tours: Guilty Pleasures Gourmet Tour

May 24, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: I was invited to attend the Guilty Pleasures Gourmet Tour, but wasn’t pressured to write about it. I thought it would be informative for tourists and locals to try these food tours for a change.

Vancouver Foodie Tours was founded by Michelle Ng three years ago. They are currently offering a new tour called “Guilty Pleasures Gourmet Tour”. Where foodies embark on a 3 hour journey through 5 courses, 12 tastings, and 8 unique stories. As a local, I really was not sure what new experiences I would get from the tour, but I did learn to appreciate Vancouver a bit more. Since I was born in Vancouver and eat out quite often, I tend to forget how amazing our city truly is.

Our meeting place and our first location was at Kirin Restaurant on Alberni Street. The decor is very beautiful and the service was really good. We were seated at a table and shared a few items. We tasted:

Steamed Prawn and Pork Dumpling (Sui Mai)
Sticky Rice with Pork and Dried Scallop wrapped in lotus leaf (lo mai fan)
Jasmine Tea

The sui mai tasted alright, but I liked the lo mai fan because it was packed with so much filling, thus making it nice and savory.

Our second location is the Sutton Place Wine Merchant on Burrard Street. We were given a tasting of:

Domaine de Chamberton Bacchus

It was paired with some crackers and spicy jam. The white wine paired quite well with the jam and completely changed the flavour of the wine when they were eaten together. I am glad it was white wine since I really dislike red. The wine was sweet and very enjoyable. I may actually go back to purchase that bottle of wine too since it was good.

Our third location is Ensemble Tap, which is owned by Top Chef Canada Winner- Dale MacKay. They have some good ol’ comfort food with a large variety of beer. As we arrived, everything was already laid out for us. We sat at the bar and began snacking way on:

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich
Red Truck Ale

If you never watched Top Chef Canada, the BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich made Dale MacKay win one of the challenges in the show. The pairing of the beer was good as well. I wasn’t a fan of the pulled pork sandwich, perhaps it was because of all the hype I kept hearing about it. What made this portion of the tour super cool is that they showed us around to the kitchen! Unfortunately, Dale wasn’t there but it’s still awesome seeing where all the magic happens.

We then went to Shuraku Sake Bar and Bistro, which was only a few minutes walk. I’ve only been here for lunch, but it’s always nice to try other items on their menu that I would not usually order. We were given tastings of:

Artisan Sake Maker’s Osake Junmai Nama
Agedashi Tofu
Spicy Wild Salmon Tartar

The cup of sake was quite large, I had a hard time drinking it because I just never liked sake. If you love sake, you’ll love this portion of the tour since they pour a lot of it! I was in love with the tofu and the tartar because of their great tastes! Out of all the restaurants on this tour, it was my favorite. What can I say, I just love Japanese food!

Our last stop was Bella Gelateria on Hastings Street. We were given a few samples of different gelato and then James gave us a rundown on their processes and a bit about what they do. It was so informative that even a little boy was “adopted” into our tour. He clearly had as much fun as we did. We also got a tour of their “laboratory”, where they create the gelato. After that tour, we were given a cup of:

Salted caramel gelato
Meyer Lemon Sorbetto

I’ve never had these flavours before and after this experience. I can never stop having lemon or hazelnut flavoured gelato. True story, sometimes I wake up and start thinking about it. It sounds super weird, but i’m not kidding. I wasn’t a fan of the salted caramel since I found it too sweet. The other people on the tour loved it, so it really comes down to personal preferences.

Overall, it’s a pretty good tour if you are new in town and want a taste of a few cool places with a bunch of other strangers. They keep the numbers low to keep a nice intimate vibe. We even got to see a few hidden sites on the tour too. Food tours aren’t for everyone and can get expensive depending on which ones you do. $69 for the tour is a bit steep and I would rather use that all up for one awesome meal. I did learn a lot from the tour, but as I have lived in Vancouver all my life, I would not normally think about doing a food tour. These types of tours are good if you love food, but have limited time to eat at all the amazing places in Vancouver…and are probably from out of town.

Michelle was a fantastic tour guide and made sure everyone was happy and enjoying themselves. She is very knowledgable about Vancouver food and has been running these tours for the past three years.

Check out Vancouver Foodie Tours here for more information– http://foodietours.ca/

In Dessert

Yogurty’s Froyo: 16 Unique Froyo Flavours in Toronto, ON

May 24, 2012

Yogurty’s Froyo is another self-serve yogurt shop on Bloor Street in the Annex. There are tons of yogurt shops near by, such as YoYo’s Yogurt Cafe and Menchies within a few blocks of each other. I thought it was strange, but all of them were packed at night.

FaceMan, Batman, BaguetteGirl, CanuckGirl and I came here after dinner to finish off the day.

There are lots of space inside, but it’s super busy at 11pm.

Since it is self-serve, you just pay for the weight of what you put in your cup. The cup is only one size, but it’s a big cup.

Yogurty’s has about 16 flavours! It’s quite a large selection! You can taste test all the flavours before choosing what you want.

After you fill up the cup, you can add candy toppings or fresh fruit.

Wafer and Peanut Butter swirl Froyo ($0.55 per oz.) I added some brownies, cheesecake bits and cookie dough on top. Yummy.

There’s a good amount of fresh fruit to add on top too!

Overall, Yogurty’s does have a lot of flavours and good consistency between their yogurt. They also have lots of toppings to choose from too.

Words of Wisdom:

Try out a majority of the flavours before filling up your cup
Go place to chill and hangout
Wifi

We Rate Yogurty’s:

Address:
527 Bloor St. West
Toronto, ON
Website:
http://www.yogurtys.com/

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In Downtown/University of Toronto

Guu Izakaya (Toronto): Still got it Guu’d

May 23, 2012

Guu Izakaya is the first Guu location in Toronto. It is much smaller than its other location – Guu SakaBar, but it is very very popular. BaguetteGirl, CanuckGirl and I waited 1.5 hours for a table of 3. That’s quite nuts, but I have a goal of going to all the Guu’s in the world. It’s my favorite restaurant, so it just seemed like I needed to go. No line up will stop me. I’m just glad Vancouver has 6 Guus so I don’t have to wait so long.

The interior has bar seating, a few long tables and some patio seating. It’s quite hard to get a large table unless you come here early.

We sat at the bar watching the chefs cook up some delicious food and we saw this super cute cat!

Big Mug Sapporo ($9.50) is similar size to a ‘Mega’ Sapporo in Vancouver. It’s quite large…a liter of beer! I couldn’t finish it….but if I did…I probably wouldn’t be able to get home.

Gomae ($3.80) is blanched spinach with black sesame sauce. I liked the spinach, but I think there was too much sesame sauce.

Gindara ($9.80) is grilled black cod with Saikyo miso and white wine sauce. It was a bit small for the price, but it was very tender and flaky.

Karaage ($6.80) has deep-fried soy sauce marinated chicken served with a mayo sauce. I had the karaage at Guu SakaBar and they karaage does differ slightly. It seems like this one has a bit more battering to it. Nonetheless, it still delicious and tender on the inside.

Okonomiyaki ($6.80) is a deep-fried Japanese pancake with squid, tonkastsu sauce and karashi mayo. It comes in 4 pieces and quite delicious! It is topped with bonito flakes and seaweed! The bonito flakes move around as heat is emitted from the dish. It looks alive, but it isn’t.

Gyu Carpaccio ($6.50) has seared beef sashimi with ponzu sauce. It is topped with scallions, radish, garlic chips and mayo. It’s one of my favorite dishes! You take the slices of beef and put a little of everything on it.

Kimchi Udon ($7.80) has udon noodles with spicy cod roe and kimchi. It is topped with dried seaweed and scallions. You mix this together with your chopsticks to get everything incorporated. It’s not spicy at all! Very delicious and savory. Usually when you cook kimchi, it softens up and the spiciness disappears. Very yummy!

Overall, the items between all Guus in the words are quite similar. They have very similar items, so no matter where you are in the world, you can have their delicious karaage, sashimi, and udons.

Words of Wisdom:

Super long waits
If you hate waiting, go to Guu Sakabar for a shorter wait
Under $10 per dish, but can add up if you drink

We Rate Guu Izakaya:
Address:
398 Church St
Toronto, ON

Website:
http://www.guu-izakaya.com/toronto.html

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In Dessert

Loblaws Maple Leaf Gardens: Gelato Time

May 22, 2012

The newest Loblaws in Toronto is located in the old Maple Leaf Gardens near Ryerson University. It is very very large, but has everything you ever wanted from a grocery store. It has a very large selection of ready to eat food and deli section. I was so amazed by the sheer size and modern interior.

As we were waiting in line for Guu Izakaya a few blocks down, we decided to just roam around Loblaws and check it out.

They have a gelato section with 16 different flavours. BaguetteGirl and I were enticed by their flavours and decided to spoil our stomach before dinner.

Lemon Gelato ($2.99) was very tart tasting. The consistency was like a harder sorbet. It’s not the best gelato in town, but it was good considering it came from a grocery store.

Hazelnut Gelato ($2.99) was very fragrant and tasted really good.

Overall, it’s a strange place to go eat gelato, but we were not the only ones. A bunch of others were getting it to-go or sitting in their cafe area. What I like about the design of the store is that they still have left remnants of the old stadium and incorporated them into the design.

Words of Wisdom:

Large Selection of groceries with very modern look
Find ‘Center Ice’ in the Canned Meat section
Decent and Quick deli section and food

We Rate Loblaws Maple Leaf Gardens:

Address:
60 Carlton Street
Toronto, ON

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In Brunch

Senator Restaurant: One of Toronto’s Oldest Restaurant

May 21, 2012

The Senator is Toronto’s oldest restaurants, which can date back to the 19th century. It is located close to Dundas Square and is quite popular for breakfast. Dre from Bite Me Food Blog was kind enough to take CanuckGirl and I here. It is slightly hidden, so you need to look around for it.

The interior is very narrow, but they can still fit a decent amount of people here.

We came at around 9:30am and the place was quite packed when we arrived.

French Toast ($10.25) has thick slices of challah bread dipped in egg Batter & served with maple syrup & seasonal compote.

Senator Breakfast ($7.95 Before 11:30am) comes with bacon & eggs with challah toast, beans & home fries. Also your choice of tea or coffee. It was a good standard type of breakfast. I enjoyed it and so did CanuckGirl.

House Blend Coffee was much needed since 9:30am Toronto time is 6:30am Vancouver time.

Overall, good for breakfasts and has a cool diner feel to the interior. The breakfast selection is under $10 and has great value.

Words of Wisdom:

Under $10
Near Dundas Square
Good hearty breakfasts

We Rate Senator Restaurant:

Address:
249 Victoria Street
Toronto, ON

Website:
http://www.thesenator.com/

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In Four Beakers

Buster’s Sea Cove: Fish Sandwiches at St. Lawrence Market

May 20, 2012

Buster’s Sea Cove in the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto is very very popular and there are always long lines on Saturdays. Even though the line is quite long looking, the staff are very efficient, so it shouldn’t take too long to order and then receive your items.

BaguetteGirl, CanuckGirl, Fabo and I went here to eat lunch since we heard the fish sandwiches were to die for. Plus, there was a long lineup, so there must be a reason why they were there.

New England Clam Chowder (S- $3.80) comes with a small cup of goldfish crackers. CanuckGirl thought it was good but not very creamy.

Calamari & Salad ($9.95) was actually just a box of calamari and then a box of salad. The calamari tasted fresh, but it wasn’t very crispy. It comes with a marinara type of sauce. The salad was pretty usual but it does come with a balsamic vinegar.

Shrimp in Rose & Herb Sauce ($11.95) comes with a bed of basmati rice and slaw. Fabo enjoyed the size and freshness of the shrimp.

Grilled Salmon Sandwich ($8.95) comes with a side of slaw. BaguetteGirls usual orders the sandwiches at Busters.

I stole a bit of BaguetteGirl’s sandwich and the salmon was so tender and perfectly done! I usually hate cooked salmon, but it was just so moist and delicious.

Overall, the seafood tasted very fresh and is a great place to go for a good lunch at the St. Lawrence Market. Definitely a go-to place if you visit the market!

Words of Wisdom:

Delicious Fish Sandwiches and Fish + Chips
Long waits, but goes fast
Decent amount of seating

We Rate Buster’s Sea Cove:

Address:
93 Front Street East
Toronto,ON

Website:
http://ww.busters-seacove.com/

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In Izakaya

Guu SakaBar: Still Guu’d in Toronto, ON

May 19, 2012

Guu SakaBar is another restaurant part of the Guu restaurants. They sell Japanese Izakaya items like tapas dishes. Guu currently has 6 restaurants in Vancouver and 2 in Toronto. Since I have already been to all the ones in Vancouver, it just seemed right to visit the other two in Toronto.

CanuckGirl and I headed down to this location during our first day in Toronto. We went at about 7pm and there was already a line up outside. Fortunately, we were able to get a table in about 10 minutes.

Guu SakaBar can easily be missed if you don’t pay attention since the sign is not very large.

The interior is huge! They have 2 rooms and can fit a lot of customers. That’s probably why people say this location is easier to get a seat. The other area has the bar and more tables.

Whats great about Guu is that it has a lively atmosphere and good food. Compared to the Vancouver locations, this Guu is much larger and has better interior decor.

Pot of Tea ($4) was expensive! In the Guu’s in Vancouver, you never have to pay for tea!

Maguro Tataki ($6.80) has seared BC tuna sashimi with ponzu sauce and garlic chips. It was delicious, but I still felt that Guu in Vancouver has better sashimi.

BBQ Pork ($6) has pork belly with a honey soy sauce. It was not too fatty at all and had a delicious taste.

Kabocha Korokke ($4.80) has deep-fried kabocha pumpkin croquette with a boiled egg inside. It is coverd with a spicy mayo sauce. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Karaage ($6.80) has deep-fried soy sauce marinated chicken with a side of mayo. The chicken pieces were quite large and very moist.

Yaki Udon ( $7.80) has pan-fried udon noodles with beef, mushrooms and scallions. There was a good amount of beef! It was savory and most delicious.

Overall, we did enjoy the dining experience at Guu SakaBar. The wait wasn’t too long for a table of 2 and the food came out at a good pace. The servers were nice and could speak english quite well.

Words of Wisdom:

No Reservations
Go early or dine later since it gets super busy
Tea is super expensive, so perhaps ask for water.. or hot water

We Rate Guu SakaBar:

Address:
559 Bloor St W
Toronto, ON
Website:
http://www.guu-izakaya.com/

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In Dessert

YoYo’s Yogurt Cafe: Frozen Yogurt in Toronto, ON

May 18, 2012

Yoyo’s Yogurt Cafe is located on Bloor Street in the Annex. They currently have 5 locations in Ontario. During the day, CanuckGirl and I passed by and this place was packed! A majority of the seats were occupied, even the patio. Seeing that frozen yogurt is a better alternative than ice cream, we decided to see how this place compared to the ones in Vancouver.

The interior has a lot of space to walk around. You can sample the flavours before choosing what you want.

They have 8 different flavours to choose from and they do vary every week. There are 4 steps to make the yogurt processing easier.

Choose your flavour
Add the yogurt into the cup
Add toppings to it
Weight it and pay

They have a decent amount of toppings to put on.

I just wished there were more varieties of fruit to add on top.

You then can pay at the till. You can ask for a cup of water if you need it.

Frozen Yogurt ($0.55 per ounce). CanuckGirl and I got very different looking frozen yogurts. Unlike Pinkberry, you pay by weight and not per cup. Can you guess which bowl is mine?

I wish I was the one that ordered the full cup, but the way I can tell if I like a frozen yogurt place is trying their original flavour. Original works great with all the fresh fruit, but I wish it was a bit more tart. Mine came out to be about $5 and CanucksGirls HUGE cup was about $11.

Overall, it’s still a great place to chill with friends and eat dessert. Lots of seats to sit down. The staff were very nice and love to joke around with their customers.

Words of Wisdom:

Pay by weight
Self-Serve
Vegan/Gluten Free options
Open late

We Rate YoYo’s Yogurt Cafe:

Address:
417 Bloor St W
Toronto, ON

Website:
http://www.yoyosyogurtcafe.com/

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In Cafe

Green Bean Cafe: Airport Food Sucks

May 17, 2012

Green Bean Cafe is located at the Domestic terminal of Vancouver Airport after you check-in and get scanned by security. There’s not much around to eat at the terminal besides this place.

Since I had a hunch that no meals will be served on our WestJet flight, I decided to get something quick. Plus, early flights aren’t fun, so I needed a coffee. This was what I could find.

They have drinks, sandwiches, and other little pastries. The prices and service

Medium Coffee ($1.70) was alright, nothing too special about it. Everyone else in line was also ordering coffee.

Butter Croissant was bearable, but was not fresh at all. The cashier just popped it into the microwave to heat up.

Overall, pretty subpar offerings from this Cafe. Since it is “airport” food, I wasn’t too surprised. If I had known there was a Starbucks a bit further, I should have gone there instead.

Words of Wisdom:

Nothing Special
Convenient just before your flight

We Rate Green Bean Cafe:

Address:
3211 Grant McConachie Way
Richmond, BC

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In Downtown

Pig on the Street: Bacon, Bacon, Bacon

May 15, 2012

Word on the Street is that Pig on The Street is finally open! Pig on the Street is one of the newest food trucks opening this Summer in Downtown Vancouver. They are located at the library new Mom’s Grilled Truck and Tacofino.

Instead of the usual truck-style, they have converted and old Volkswagon into a kitchen. It seems a bit crazy, but it seems to be working. Pig on the Street sells wraps with BACON..and pastries with BACON. I came here with StarbucksAddict for lunch to check out this food truck.

As you wait for your order, you are given a little wooden piggy with a pig-related pun. In this case, we got “Ham Solo” that references Han Solo from StarWars. Super creative and better than a boring number system.

Since it was a sunny bright day, we decided to eat our lunch outside on the steps of the Art Gallery. Everyone else was doing it, so it doesn’t seem too weird at all.

Cheddar and bacon twisty bread ($2) was pretty awesome. Theres a strip of bacon hidden inside. The ratio between the bread, cheddar and bacon was perfect! So addictive!

Southern Piggy ($8.95) has double smoked bacon, bourbon BBQ sauce, grilled peppers, corn, cheddar, chipotle mayo and greens.

Piggy Blues ($8.95) has double smoked bacon, grilled mushrooms, creamy blue cheese, caramelized onion mayo, greens.

The bacon was nice and thick and meshed really well with the mushrooms and blue cheese. I usually dislike blue cheese, but it wasn’t too pungent. If you are a bacon lover, you’ll definitely love these sandwiches.

Pig on the Street does face a bit of competition with other food trucks like Tacofino and Mom’s Grilled Cheese. Since there is such a large concentration of businesses around, I don’t think it would hurt their business at all. When I walked into the area, I just loved how there are so many options to choose from. You can come down with your coworkers and not be limited to just one truck.

Overall, I really enjoyed Pig on the Street! The food wasn’t too greasy and the ingredients really shine through. Plus, bacon is awesome. For the vegetarians, they do have meatless wraps too. Even though they have a small truck, they pack some serious flavour in the food! Don’t let their small size fool you!

Words of Wisdom:

Popular items can sell out super fast, so get here early
Under $10
Not too long of a wait
BACON!

We Rate Pig on the Street:

Location:
Howe and Robson (near Art Gallery)

Website:
http://www.pigonthestreet.com/

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In Bar and Grill

Rogue Kitchen & Wet Bar: Salad Drenched in Dressing

May 14, 2012

Rogue Kitchen & Wet Bar is located inside the Waterfront Skytrain Station. They serve a lot of different types of craft beers and other drinks. It’s a beautiful place to dine with coworkers and have a few drinks. I came with a few people to have dinner and chill.

Chicken Cobb Salad ($14.99) has chicken, avocado, roma tomato, rough chopped bacon, soft yolk egg, blue cheese, and ranch
dressing. The soft egg yolk was pretty awesome and delicious, but I felt the salad was way too dressed with the ranch sauce. It made the leaves less crisp. The chicken was good and tender.

Overall, I still prefer the burgers or sandwiches to get the best deal and it tastes good. The decor is really nice, but the service was quite bad. Our server disappeared for long periods of time and it was really hard to get her attention.

Words of Wisdom:

Rogue burger and Fries x3 recommended
Pay parking in adjacent lot
Large selection of drinks
Some items can be expensive
Beautiful decor
Located in Waterfront Station

We Rate Rogue Kitchen & Wetbar:
Address:

601 West Cordova Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
www.roguewetbar.com

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In Cafe

Mochikas Peruvian Cafe: Hidden Gem in a Car Wash

May 13, 2012

Mochikas Peruvian Cafe is hidden inside the Platinum Touch Autospa on Pine and West 5th. I drove by this place and I totally missed it because it really doesn’t stand out at all.

I came here with the Vancouver Gastronomical Brouhaha group to chow down on some Peruvian food. I’ve heard much about this place but never had the chance to come here till now.

The interior is quite small and so is their kitchen space. I find it amazing how they can do everything in such a small space. They can’t fit too many people in this space, but you will be ok with a group of 4 or 5 people.

Ceviche de Pescado ($13) has fish marinated in lime juice, rocoto sauce, garlic & Italian parsley served with sweet corn, toasted Peruvian corn, sweet potato & red onions.

Ceviche Mixto ($14) has fish, calamari, shrimp, octopus and mussels marinated in lime juice, rocoto sauce, garlic & Italian parsley served with sweet corn, toasted Peruvian corn, sweet potato & red onions. The sauce is very sour, which isn’t a bad thing since it’s what you need in a ceviche. I loved it.

Chupe de Mariscos (Small – $12) is a spicy, hearty seafood chowder with fish, clams, shrimp, calamari, mussels, cream, Aji Panca, smoke paprika, Peruvian oregano, rice & feta cheese. It looks spicy, but it wasn’t spicy at all. Highly recommended.

Yuca frita con chicharron is deep-fried pork belly and cassava root that’s like a potato. It’s a pretty delicious dish! The only issue was that the meat in the pork belly was a bit dry and tough.

Aji de Gallina ($12) has hand shredded chicken & potatoes in a creamy Peruvian yellow pepper & parmesan cheese sauce served with rice.

Overall, it can get quite pricey and the portions aren’t too large. The service did take a while between the dishes, so some people had to wait a while till their dish arrived. The food is definitely delicious regardless of the wait.

Words of Wisdom:

Pay parking on the street
Ceviche is awesome
Long waits for food
Small interior
Slightly pricey for the portions

We Rate Mochikas Peruvian Cafe:

Address:
1696 West 5th Avenue
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.mochikas.ca/cafe/

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In Cafe

Mink Chocolates: Willy Wonka of Chocolates

May 11, 2012

Mink Chocolates has a chocolate cafe in Downtown Vancouver near the Convention Center. They have fondue, waffles, parfaits, drinks, and specialty chocolates.

Since it was my last day of work, I had to bring something awesome for my coworkers. Since I am usually strange, I thought I should bring some strange chocolate to the office.

It’s a great place to sit and chill as you have a coffee or desserts.

Open In Case of emergency ($6.25) has mint, bourbon with chocolate ganache inside a dark chocolate shell. I liked the texture and the rich chocolate taste, but I felt that it was quite hard tasting the mint and bourbon.

PB Wannabe ($6.25) has almond butter and grape jelly in milk chocolate. It really brings out the kid in you as it puts together the flavour combinations of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

No Grumpy ($6.25) has espresso in a dark chocolate bar. The chocolate does have a strong espresso taste and will definitely liven people up. If you love coffee, you’ll love this.

Overall, they are quite unique and I love their strange flavour combinations in their chocolates. It’s definitely a great place to bring friends or relative that are out of town! On the downside, it’s not cheap either. Each item is around $5, so it can add up.

Words of Wisdom:

Good Hot Chocolate
Lots of amazing chocolate bars
Makes good unique gifts
Is a bit expensive
Closest Skytrain: Burrard or Waterfront

We Rate Minks Chocolate:

Address:
863 W Hastings St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.minkchocolates.com/

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In Coquitlam

Soup Plus: Louisiana Poor Boy and Killer Mushroom Soup

May 10, 2012

Soup Plus is a little mom and pop restaurant in Coquitlam that sells sandwiches and soups. They attract mostly people in the area and aren’t well known outside of Coquitlam. I have passed by several times, but it is quite easy to miss.

One of my Twitter followers – Viola (@vyqchen) suggested I try out Soup Plus and recommended a few items to order. Since M wanted lunch, I thought we could try out Soup Plus and order the items Viola suggested.

Mushroom Soup (~$3) is very delicious and it is not even comparable to Campbells canned mushroom soups. It has tons of mushrooms and isn’t too creamy at all. I finished this bowl of soup pretty fast. I’m actually craving another bowl right now as I type this.

They have about 5 freshly made soups everyday, but I heard the mushroom soup is the most popular.

Louisiana Poor Boy Sandwich (~$5) has lettuce, tomatoes, pepper and meat covered in BBQ sauce between freshly made house bread. This was our favorite sandwich, the meat was tender and has a subtly spicy taste to it. In a way it reminded me of a sloppy joe.

Meatloaf sub (~$5) has tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, pepper and slices of meatloaf in between house bread. The meatloaf is delicious on its own, but when you eat it with everything else in the sandwich, it takes away from it’s taste and texture.

Overall, we loved the mushroom soup and the Louisiana Poor Boy Sandwich! Definitely take a visit for lunch if you are in the area. It’s a nice little family owned restaurant that has something delicious to offer. The service was good, but for some reason they wouldn’t let us tip them. I still have no idea why!

Words of Wisdom:

Free parking in front
Under $10
Highly Recommended: Mushroom soup and Louisiana Poor Boy Sandwich

We Rate Soup Plus:

Address:
1102 Austin Avenue
Coquitlam, BC

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In Four Beakers

Burger Heaven: Awesometastic Burgers in New Westminster

May 9, 2012

Burger Heaven is located in New Westminster and of course they specialize in burgers. They are known for their crazy and creative sandwiches. The interior is quite ugly and super outdated, but their sandwiches is what their customers rave about.

M and I decided to come here for lunch since we don’t live too far away from New West.

Insanity Burger ($16.14) is a swiss & bacon burger between two grilled mozza & cheddar cheese sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, red onions and sauce. You get your choice of salad or potato wedges as your side.

This sandwich is quite massive. I am also sure the calorie count is through the roof. M liked their large juicy patties, but it didn’t mesh too well with the two grilled cheese. He said the grilled cheese was quite bland and the cheese isn’t sharp enough.

Either way, it’s still a super huge sandwich and it’s definitely a challenge to eat.

The potato wedges were very crispy and golden brown. I love them more than Mcdonald’s fries.

Breakfast Burger ($13.69) is the 9th most popular item that is ordered. It contains a beef patty, mozzarella, fried egg, bacon and vegetables. I got a salad on the side since I felt guilty.

You can’t go wrong with bacon, cheese and egg in a burger! Plus, the bacon looked very delicious. The whole burger isn’t exactly breakfast food, but these are the perfect ingredients in a burger!

Once you put the two halfs together, the burger is huge. The beef patty is phenomenal! One this that M and I could agree on was the beef patty is really really good. I loved my sandwich!

You also get some tabasco if you want to spice up your burger!

Overall, I thought the sandwiches were good, but it can get quite expensive if you get more of their specialty burgers. I went at lunch and it wasn’t too busy, but I hear it can get packed for dinner. The interior is basically a shack, so don’t be too turned off by the place until you have had a bite.

Words of Wisdom:

Burgers are around $15
Top item is the BBQ Cheddar and Bacon Burger
Pay parking in front

We Rate Burger Heaven:

Address:
77 10th St
New Westminster, BC
Website:
http://www.burgerheaven.ca/

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In Sandwich

Between Two Buns: Poutine and Sandwiches

May 8, 2012

Between Two Buns is another sandwich shop that has opened up in Yaletown. All their sandwiches have very provocative names. Just think very pervertedly and you’ll know what I mean. The interior of the restaurant is very open, but doesn’t have too many seats, but it’s good if you do takeout.

LazySusan, KevKev, LiLi and I went before a school event to check out the place and grab some lunch. It was around noon and most of the tables were taken up.

All their items are around the $10 range. Their menu is small but you should be able to find something that suits your taste buds.

Poutine Special ($9) has cajun fries topped with seared tuna, avocado sauce, whole runny egg, and green onions.

This is a pretty awesome poutine since it’s quite hearty and it adds a bit of kick due to the sauces and hot spices. It’s not too hot, but is bearable.

Half Maniac Sandwich with side of fries and gravy ($9 +$1)

The Maniac sandwich has double smoked bacon, baby arugula, spicy marinara, asiago cheese, roasted garlic parmesan aoli, and an oven roasted tomato. I thought the sandwich tasted ok, but I felt like flavours could have stood out a bit more.

The fries and gravy were ok as well. The gravy is made from scratch so it is not very salty, but it didn’t have very much flavour to it.

This is the maniac sandwich in it’s full size.

Overall, the sandwiches are ok, but definitely not the best. As there are more and more sandwich shops opening up in Downtown, there is definitely some competition. I am sure they will perfect their menu and try new flavour combinations.

Words of Wisdom:

Delicious Poutine Specials
Around $10 for lunch
Close to Yaletown Skytrain on the Canada Line

We Rate Between Two Buns:

Address:
1271 Homer St
Vancouver, BC
Website:
http://www.betweentwobuns.ca/

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In Cafe

Apres-Midi Teahouse: Tea Lattes & Desserts

May 6, 2012

Apres – Midi Teahouse is a hidden teahouse in Gastown. It can be quite difficult to find since it’s not near any main roads. They specialize in tea. They also serve desserts and coffee.

HipsterGirl and I needed to kill some time before an event, so I decided to take her to Apres-Midi Teahouse. I have passed by a few times, but finally decided to check it out since I am a lover of tea.

It’s quite relaxing inside with the rustic brick walls and natural lighting. They have their main level with lots of seats.

They also have an upper level too that is also relaxing. You can spend lots of hours just catching up with friends or even doing some work.

Gastown Fog was what HispterGirl ordered. It wasn’t exactly like a London Fog since the tea they used was slightly different that earl grey. She still enjoyed it.

Matcha latte is bright and vibrant green. I asked it to be half-sweet and you can special request stuff done to it too. It was delicious and creamy!

Chocolate Mousse Cake comprised of mostly mouse, which was awesome . it was light and airy but packed full of chocolaty goodness.

Overall, we had a great time just chilling here. The teas and desserts are good, but it is a bit expensive. Each items is around $5, but considering that it’s in the Gastown area, it is fairly priced.

Words of Wisdom: