Type Archives - Page 66 of 125

In Cafe

Starbucks: Flat White comes to Canada

January 7, 2015

Flat White is an Aussie-style latte made with two shots of espresso, steamed whole milk and a dot for latte art. Starbucks in Canada and the United States just launched this drink and

Starbucks uses their 2 bold ristretto shots matched with steamed whole milk to create a not too strong, not too creamy flavor. The extra ristretto shot ensures that it’s bolder than a latte, yet steamed milk keeps it smoother than an americano.

When I ordered this in Waterfront Centre location, the barista’s were quite new to this drink and could not make the signature white circle in the middle of the cup. The whole milk does give it a very rich creamy texture, but I really didn’t like it.

I think I will stick with ordering dry cappuccinos to have the bold espresso taste.

Website: http://www.starbucks.ca/coffee/espresso/flat-white-beverages

In Cafe

Miracle Belgian Waffle: New Cafe in Coquitlam

January 5, 2015

Finding a good waffle in the subburbs is quite hard. I always end up gravitating back to Nero’s Waffle Bar, but sometimes it’s a bit of a drive.

A few people told me about Miracle Belgian Waffle near Coquitlam Centre Mall. They opened closer to the end of 2014, so they are still fairly new.

The interior is quite cute and I wanted to steal some items off the walls for my upcoming wedding. Love the strung up lights and banting.

The space is large enough for small to medium-sized groups. It might be difficult to get a big group in depending on the time. We came in the afternoon and it wasn’t too busy.

The first side of the menu has sweet waffles on either Brussels or Liege Waffles.

On the other side of the menu, there are savoury waffle options and a variety of beverages.

Cafe Latte ($3) is a good combination with the waffles.

Kiss Me ($6) has strawberries whipped cream on a liege waffle. KoreanGirl said it was good but Nero still reigns supreme for liege waffles.

Mango Paradise ($7) has whipped cream, condensed milk, mango ice cream and mango pieces. I got it on a brussels waffle. I love brussels waffles and they make it nice and crispy here!

The mango pieces could have been a bit fresher, but given the time of the year, it’s a bit hard to get fresh mangoes for cheap. The mango on this seemed like it was canned.

Overall, the waffles are good and I would come back again. No need to travel all the way downtown for just a waffle. It’s definitely one of the better places in the Tri-Cities area.

We Rate Miracle Belgian Waffle:

Address:
2950 Glen Dr
Coquitlam, BC

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Miracleshappening

In Gastown

Einstein Wrap House: Donair and Shawarma in Gastown

January 3, 2015

Einstein Wrap House is located in Tinseltown and they serve up donair and shawarma. I haven’t had a wrap or a platter in a long time, so I decided to drop by for lunch.

The prices are under $9 and it’s decent for the downtown area. There’s really no other donair/shawarma shop in the area. A lot of people love the platters since it’s a lot of food for under $10.

Chicken Shawarma Wrap ($6.25) has freshly sliced chicken, tomatoes, lettuce, hummus and tzatziki sauce. It was a good amount. Quality was decent but the hummus or tzatziki wasn’t very flavourful.

Can of Coca-Cola ($1.35)

Overall, I would come here again if I had a donair craving in this area. There are definitely better donair places in town.

We Rate Einstein Wrap House:

Address:
516 Abbott St
Vancouver BC

In Four Beakers

Nomad: New Restaurant on Main Street

December 30, 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We Rate Nomad Restaurant:

Address:
3950 Main St
Vancouver, BC

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

In Four Beakers

Invitro: Food Labs and Eatery in Vancouver

December 25, 2014

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

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

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

Even the utensils are unique and awesome.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We Rate Invitro Food Labs and Eatery:

Address:
2211 Manitoba St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://invitrorestaurant.com/

In Bakery

2% Jazz Coffee: Coffee Roaster in Victoria

December 23, 2014

2jazz-cup

2% Jazz Coffee has been serving coffee in Victoria since 1996. They offer a unique coffee experience with an open space concept where coffee roaster and cafe culture collide. The Roastery and Cafe is outside the historic Hudson building. Right by the Victoria Public Market and block away from Chinatown. I got a bit lost finding the place, but as long as you walk around the outside of The Hudson, you will find it.

Some of their coffee cups even have cool stamps on it. I want to say this one is of Star Wars.

2jazz-cookies

They even have some yummy baked goods.

2jazz-cappuccino

Dry Cappuccino (16oz) is one of my favourite drinks. I always find a regular cappuccino and latte very similar depending on how the barista makes it. So, I always ask for it as a dry cappuccino to add more frothy foam so I can taste more of the espresso.

2jazz-coffee

Black Coffee (16oz) was what my coworker ordered. She liked it.

2jazz-beans

I also bought a few gifts for friends while I was here. Their Bourbon Sumatra Beans are heavenly! Perfect for those who like bourbon and coffee. 1lb is $24 and 1/5 lb is $12.

Overall, great coffee. If you are near the Victoria Farmers Market in the Hudson, definitely check them out for coffee.

We Rate 2% Jazz Coffee:

Address:
1701 Douglas Street
Victoria BC

Website:
http://2percentjazz.com/

In Brunch

John’s Place: Breakfast Place in Victoria

December 22, 2014

John’s Place has been serving breakfast, lunch and dinner for the past 30 years in Victoria, BC. They make all their dishes from scratch. They were also featured on Food Network’s You Gotta Eat Here.

They are best known for the fair prices and huge portions. I was here for a work trip with a few coworkers and someone suggested we should have breakfast here. It’s located right in the heart of downtown Victoria.

They have tons of pictures covering all their walls, so you will have tons to look at. There are posters, pictures and celebrity messages on the walls.

There’s a good amount of seats for small group and larger groups.

Caffe Mocha ($4.25) comes in a big mug and there is a lot of foam.

Hot Jasmine Tea ($1.95) came in a teapot and the servers do come by and refill the pot with hot water with no additional charge.

The Blackstone Benny (1/2 order – $9.95) is topped with grilled tomatoes, bacon, soft poached egg and hollandaise sauce. I had it served with a side of fruit. The regular ordered seemed pretty big for breakfast.

The butter hollandaise is quite rich and you can really taste the butter.

The 222 Headache ($10.95) with a belgian waffle, scrambled eggs, 2 chorizo patties. We also ordered a side of their cream cheese sauce, which is amazing on everything.

Overall, it’s a cool place to go to if love breakfast. We came here around 8:30am on a Saturday, so we didn’t run into any lineups.

We Rate John’s Place:

Address:
723 Pandora Ave
Victoria, BC

Website:
http://johnsplace.ca/

In Bakery

Patisserie Daniel: Bakery in Victoria

December 21, 2014

Patisserie Daniel is a little shop in Victoria that makes a crazy amount of baked goods, plus they are best known for their wedding cakes. In 2014, they were named as having Canada’s Prettiest Wedding Cakes by Wedding Bells.

The store has a lot of baked goods especially during the holidays. Floor to ceiling basically. The store is small, so there is no seating inside. Most people buy the baked goods and then take it home.

Chocolate candy cane bark

Candy Cane Biscotti was cute and goes great with coffee.

More Candy Cane Biscotti

A lot of great items for gifts if you are going over to a friends for the holiday.

They do have their other savoury treats

More sweet treats that aren’t holiday related. They have really yummy treats that keep patrons coming back.

Chocolate Tart was delicious. It has a bit of raspberry on the bottom with a bit of cake, them topped with chocolate mousse and strands of white chocolate. M and I gobbled these up.

You will want to come here early when they open when they have their full stock, within a few hours, most of the stock is all gone.

We Rate Patisserie Daniel:

Address:
1729 Cook Street,
Victoria, BC V8T 1C8

Website:
http://www.patisseriedaniel.com/

In Brunch

Jam Cafe: Long Lines for Brunch in Victoria

December 20, 2014

Jam Cafe is one of Victoria’s busiest brunch spots. Long lines can be seen at 9am, but the trick is to come when the turnover begins. Usually that is about 8:45am. You will be most successful if you come in pairs as those seats open up more quickly. We had a group of 4, so that was more tricky to seat us.

They don’t take reservations and its on a first come, first serve basis. They serve all day breakfast and lunch.

I usually don’t like lines, but I really wanted to see why Jam Cafe is so unique and attracts people from all parts. They have been features on You Gotta Eat Here, so maybe that adds to the hype too.

They are only open 8am until 3pm.

Once you are finally inside, they have some pretty cool vintage items on their walls. Lots to look at.

Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice ($3.50) is very fresh and has a little bit of pulp. We also ordered their apple juice and it was pretty good too! Can’t beat the taste of real juice rather than the simulated stuff.

On the table, you will find hot sauce, ketchup on the table to add a little extra kick to your food.

Blueberry Triple Stack Pancakes ($13.95) were massive!! The three layers of extra thick pancakes is way too much for one person. You definitely will want some help devouring this. It is also served plain with maple butter.

You can also choose from different sauces like banana walnut, spiced double chocolate or cinnamon cream cheese swirl instead of the blueberries.

The size was so astounding that people sitting at nearby tables wanted to take a picture of it.

Old Town Breakfast ($11.95) has two eggs any style with hash browns and toast with your choice of sugar-cured bacon, sausage, ham steak or avocado. For your toast, you get a choice of sourdough, multigrain, rye or cranberry flax. This is a good choice for simple breakfast, plus those hashbrowns are crispy and oh so delicious.

The one above is with bacon and an over easy egg.

This is also the Old Town Breakfast with the scrambled eggs, bacon and an extra side of sausage.

The Little Charlie ($11.95) is their version of a hash with crumbled biscuit, hash browns, diced ham, green onions, cheddar and sausage gravy topped with two sunny side eggs. This is the half order and it is still quite massive. I can’t imagine how the regular Carlie Bowl would look like.

I found that there was definitely a lot of carbs from the crumbled biscuit and hash browns. They just soaked up all the gravy and didn’t leave enough sauce around.

Sugar Cured Bacon ($4) was thick and a tad sweet. It’s a nice change to the salty bacon.

At the end of the meal, you get Dum Dums. A fun treat for little kids….or big kids. It was a fun time at Jam Cafe, the food is good but their massive portions will be leaving you full for the day, plus you will have leftovers for later.

We Rate Jam Cafe:

Address:
542 Herald Street,
Victoria, BC V8W 1S5

Website:
http://www.jamcafevictoria.com/

In Farm to Table

Ulla: Top Restaurant in Victoria

December 19, 2014

ulla-sign

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

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

ulla-lamp

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

ulla-map

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

ulla-bread

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

ulla-pilsner

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

ulla-drink

They also make some good cocktails.

ulla-whippedtuna

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

ulla-canolli

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

ulla-oup

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

ulla-salad

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

ulla-scallop

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

ulla-steak

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

ulla-loin

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

ulla-pear

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

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

We Rate Ulla Restaurant:

Address:
509 Fisgard St
Victoria BC

Website:
http://ulla.ca/

In Four Beakers

Roast: Meat and Sandwich Shop

December 17, 2014

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

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

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

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

They sell a variety of sandwiches and even whole roasts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We rate Roast Meat and Sandwich Shop:

Address:
1701 Douglas Street
Victoria, BC

Website:
http://roastsandwichshop.com/

In Kid Friendly

Inn at Laurel Point: Canada’s National Gingerbread Showcase

December 15, 2014

The Inn at Laurel Point is hosting Canada’s National Gingerbread Showcase from November 22nd till January 4th. It is open daily from 9am till 9pm. A lot of local companies and residents of Victoria participated in this challenge to create beautiful sculptures.

I spent a weekend in Victoria with my coworkers and since we were staying at the Inn at Laurel Point, we decided to check out all the Gingerbread sculptures. It wasn’t all just houses.

You can vote for your favourite gingerbread creation and make a donation to Habitat for Humanity Victoria.

The theme for 2014 focused on ‘Where Things Live’. Imagination ran wild, inviting bakers to dream up visions of building what a snowman’s home would look like, the inside of an elf’s den, or even the pasture for Santa’s reindeer.

If you are in the Victoria area, definitely check it out.

Of course there were cats, lots of cats!!

Website: http://www.laurelpoint.com/christmas-2014/gingerbread.htm

In Farm to Table

10 Acres Bistro, Bar & Farm: Dining in Victoria

December 14, 2014

10 Acres Bistro, Bar and Farm is located in Victoria, BC and they offers a unique West Coast experience showcasing the freshest foods from the island including meat, cheese, seafood and the finest seasonal produce direct from their farm.

I came here with work colleagues for dinner after coming off the ferry. They suggested 10 Acres would be a great place to go to.

The restaurant is quite large! THey have an inside area, a bar area, and then the outside patio. We were seated in the patio and even thought it was the winter, they have lots of heated lamps to keep this space warm.

They even had a cool heated fire in the centre. It was really hot but I loved it.

Stanley Park Pilsner – Turning Point Brewery (Sleeve – $5) is a beautiful light beer thats won various awards. I really liked it because it was light and fruity.

Sooke Trout ($19) comes from the 10 acres farm. It is served with organic vegetables and herb oil.

Salt Spring Island Mussels ($16) comes with your choices of garlic + white wine, green curry or tomato chorizo sauces. I went with the tomato chorizo because I wanted some meat. It is also served with grilled bread.

The mussels tasted fresh and were flavourful and plump. A good reflection of the West Coast.

Tagliatelle with Rotisserie Chicken ($14 + $3) has wild mushrooms, vegetables, asiago, and a citrus brown butter cream sauce. The chicken was very flavourful.

Overall, it was a decent place to dine for dinner. It is really great to know all the ingredients are from their local farm.

We Rate 10 Acres:

Website:
http://www.10acres.ca/

Address:
611 Courtney St Victoria, BC

In Downtown

Mosaic: 2014 Fall Menu Preview

December 9, 2014

hyatt-mosaic-view

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

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

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

hyatt-mosaic-inner

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

hyatt-mosaic-biscuits

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

hyatt-mosaic-drinks

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

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

hyatt-mosaic-amuse-bouche

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

hyatt-mosaic-tuna

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

hyatt-mosaic-baby-beets

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

hyatt-mosaic-pate

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

hyatt-mosaic-carpaccio

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

hyatt-mosaic-rissotto

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

hyatt-mosaic-cod

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

hyatt-mosaic-pork-chop

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

hyatt-mosaic-chocolate

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

hyatt-mosaic-cremebrulee

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

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

We Rate Mosaic:

Address:
655 Burrard St
Vancouver, BC

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

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=655+Burrard+St&sll=49.2852009,-123.1200369&sspn=0.0053748,0.0109864&t=m&hnear=655+Burrard+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6C+2R7&z=16″]

In Brunch

Good Wolf Kitchen and Bar: Weekend Brunch

December 8, 2014

Good Wolfe? Good Wolf? I’m not quite sure which name they are going for. Weird how they have dropped the ‘e’ in their name. It turns out Chef Josh Wolfe, the original owner has left the restaurant earlier this year. Good Wolf has been on my list for a while, but too bad I didn’t come here sooner before he left.

Good Wolf Kitchen and Bar specializes in European food and they try to get most of their ingredients sourced from the West Coast.

I came here for brunch with a few of my friends to catch up over some good food.

Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice ($4) comes from across the street at Chaser’s Fresh Juice & Deli. Its yummy and has a good amount of pulp.

Kale & Potato Hash ($12) has 2 soft poached eggs, chorizo, mushroom, and hollandaise sauce. CanuckGirl and FloRida thought this dish was quite one dimensional and missed the mark. The hash really wasn’t as flavourful as they had imagined.

Signature B.E.L.T ($14) has house cured bacon, fried egg, lettuce and tomato. It is served with home fries on the side. The bun was an interesting surprise because this made it seem more like a burger. With the amount of bun, the ingredients inside really didn’t shine through. Plus, those home fries needs some work.

Breakfast Spaetzle ($12) has 2 soft poached eggs, bacon, chorizo, and maple syrup. The eggs were so soft that the yolk just popped right out. I do like a good soft poached egg. The bacon was really the best part of the dish as it added more flavour. It was quite a large portion and I could barely finish it.

Cinnamon Brioche French Toast ($13) has a blueberry compote, whipped cream, and maple syrup. This was really good! The french toast has a nice crunchy exterior and the blueberry compote was yummy.

Overall, the french toast was a winner, but every other dish we ordered wasn’t as delicious.

We Rate Good Wolf Kitchen and Bar:

Address:
1043 Mainland St
Vancouver BC

Website:
http://www.goodwolfe.ca/home.html

In Downtown

Gingerbread Lane at Hyatt Regency Vancouver

December 7, 2014

If you are in Downtown during the winter holidays, stop by the Hyatt Regency Vancouver to check out their Gingerbread Lane. It’s located right in the heart of Downtown and easily accessible from the Burrard Skytrain.

The gigantic centerpiece of Gingerbread Lane shows a building measuring 11 feet tall and 16 feet wide, using 500 pounds of gingerbread dough, 400 pounds of confectioners’ sugar and 1,400 egg whites. You can also see the Gastown Steam Clock in Gingerbread form.

With the real Gastown Steam Clock under repair at the moment, this is as close as you will get to the real thing.

The display runs in their lobby from Wednesday, December 3, 2014 through Thursday, January 1^st, 2015.

Local schools, culinary professionals and amateurs alike have contributed more than 30 individually crafted gingerbread creations, rounding out the sugary lavish displays.

It’s free to enter and there’s really some outstanding gingerbread buildings. This event supports and raises tens of thousands of dollars for Make-A-Wish Foundation in BC & the Yukon.

Website:
http://vancouver.hyatt.com/en/hotel/news-and-events/events/gingerbread-lane-at-hyatt-regency-vancouver.html

In Burmese

Wahh Tee Burmese Restaurant: Hidden Gem

December 6, 2014

Wahh Tee Burmese Restaurant is close to Joyce Station in Vancouver. My mom has been searching for a good authentic Burmese restaurant for a long time as she spent part of her childhood there.

Burmese cuisine is actually quite interesting as it takes influences from India, Thailand, China, and Laos. So, when you take a look at their menu, don’t be surprised to see samosas here.

The restaurant seats about 16 people and only has 4 tables. We came here at 2pm, so it was quite dead, but we did see a few people do take out.

Myanmar Tea Leaf Salad ($5) has fermented tea leaves mixed with assorted fried beans. This is one of my favourite dishes! The fried beans give an amazing texture to the salad. There’s not a lot of tea leaves, but man, those beans are crunchy.

Noodle Salad ($5) has white flour noodles mixed with shrimp powder, tamarind sauce, bean powder, shredded cabbage, onions, and cilantro. It comes with a bit of soup on the side. This was really good! The flavours are really amazing! My little sister wanted to eat this all to herself.

Spicy Fish Noodle Soup (Large – $7.50) has rice noodle with fish broth, banana tree root, lemongrass, and cilantro. It was really good! It isn’t very spicy either but the broth was quite nice. I love the crunch of the fried bean crisps.

Spicy Fish Noodle Soup (Medium – $5.50) just a tad smaller, but still delicious.

Fish Noodle Soup (Medium – $5.50) was good too but was a bit bland, but they did provide some spicy peppers to add in. Man, adding those peppers made it hotter than the Spicy Fish Noodle Soup. The spicier the better! Mmm Mmm MMMM!

Deep Fried Vegetable Samosa was 6 pieces for $5. It comes with some spicy sauce on the side. It came super hot but once it cooled down it very delicious.

Beef Fried Rice ($8) uses jasmine rice the dish was quite bland by itself, but with the addition of some curry, it tastes pretty good.

The fried rice came with a mini salad with spicy sauce.

Shrimp Curry ($8) we didn’t get the rice to do with this since we had the fried rice already, so we ate it together.

Overall, the dishes were very cheap and affordable. The noodle dishes and salads are pretty darn delicious! This passed my mothers taste test, so it must be good.

We Rate Wahh Tee Burmese Restaurant:

Address:
4942 Joyce St
Vancouver, BC

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/WAHH-TEE-Burmese-Restaurant/1501041706779853

In Downtown

The Keg: Spending a Special Anniversary

December 4, 2014

The Keg Steakhouse + Bar has been around since 1971 and now has locations all across Canada and select states. They specialize in tender, juicy steaks, slow roasted prime rib, shellfish, and desserts.

M and I go to The Keg to celebrate all our anniversaries. On this particular day, it was our 1 year wedding anniversary, so as per all our special traditions, we come to the Keg to have a steak. It’s a chill environment to just enjoy our company together, chow down on steak and have a few drinks.

Our server was quite nice and asked us if we were celebrating a special occasion. We weren’t dressed up fancy, but yes, we were celebrating our anniversary. Of all the times we’ve dined at The Keg on our dating anniversaries, this was the first time anyone has asked!

The waiter said because we were celebrating such a grand moment, we would be getting a Billy Miner Pie on the house, so we should save room for it.

Their menu is pretty standard, but prices are slightly higher. I would say about $2 more from what I noticed.

We found a smaller menu on the side of the table and there’s more items! The prime rib burger sounds pretty good.

Heineken (Small $6.50) was a nice choice in size since I didn’t want too much beer.

Pepsi and Amaretto ($6.50) arrived at the table in 2 separate containers.

M felt so sophisticated mixing the two together. Made him feel like a sir.

Complimentary bread arrived at the table like usual with whipped butter.

Prime Rib (10oz – $27) is aged for extra flavour and tenderness, rubbed with their unique blend of spices and slow roasted. It is hand-carved and served with horseradish and red wine herb jus. M chose to have mixed vegetables as his side. It tasted good but it did have a fair bit of gristle.

Filet Mignon (7oz – $34) has the tenderloin wrapped in applewood smoked bacon and served with Bernaise sauce. The filet mignon is tender and so smooth. Once you have this, you can’t go back to any other cuts.

For my accompaniment, I had mixed vegetables.

Billy Miner Pie ($9) has mocha ice cream on a chocolate crust with hot fudge, caramel and almonds. Because it was our anniversary, this dessert was on the house. Very special touch from The Keg!

The pie was delicious, but it was pretty hard to finish with just 2 people. It’s a big slice of pie.

Overall, it was a great experience at the new Downtown location at Alberni above UrbanFare. After all our anniversaries spent at a Keg, we still like it.

We Rate The Keg:

Address:
1121 Alberni St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.kegsteakhouse.com/