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In Burnaby Central

Mon Paris Patisserie: Mother’s Day Pre-Orders, Pickups, and Delivery Options

Mon Paris Patisserie is helping us all celebrate Mother’s Day a little bit different this year. With Covid-19 pandemic, holidays have come and gone but we haven’t lost sight of celebrating special events and milestones together while being apart.

We got a sneak peek of a few items from the Mon Paris Mother’s Day collection, which features chocolates and cakes with floral flavours and motifs.

Mon Paris Patisserie is offering free delivery on May 8, 9 and 10 on orders of $40 or more. They have cakes, chocolate bon bons, and some stunning chocolate show pieces that will bring a smile to mom’s faces.

Love You Mom Black Forest Cake

This heart shaped cake is stunning on the outside. What is hiding inside are decadent layers of Black Forest Cake, cherries, and delicious mousse. A classic cake flavour, but elevated.

Milk Chocolate Tea Cup with Truffles

This tea cup is made of milk chocolate and there are three assorted truffles hiding inside with some floral decorations. This is 100% edible.

Chocolate Bon Bons

They have individual chocolate bon bons to boxes of 16. Each piece is stunning and you won’t have the urge to eat them.

In the box, there are:

  • Tiramisu (Truffle with Coffee Ganache)
  • Jamaica (Pineapple and Malibu Ganache)
  • Cassis (Blackcurrant Compote Yogurt Ganache)
  • Champagne Truffle
  • Milano (Coffee Ganache with Gianduja)
  • Inaya (Milk Chocolate Ganache with Crunchy Caramel)
  • Guava (Guava Jam with Yogurt Ganache)
  • Granita (Pomegranite Ganache)
  • Red Currant Cheesecake
  • Maduixa (Balsamic Vinegar Reduction and Strawberry Ganache)
  • Havana (Lime, Mint, and Run Ganache)
  • Blue (Lemon Ganache and Hazelnut Crunch)
  • Earl Grey (Dark Chocolate with Earl Grey infused Ganache)
  • Passion Fruit (and Mango Truffle)
  • Mandarin (Mandarin and Dark Chocolate Ganache)
  • Sesame (White Coconut Ganache, Milk Chocolate and Sesame Seeds Ganache)

This box of bon bons is an adventure. So many unique and complex flavours that compliment each other.

Final Thoughts

Chef Elena Krasnova of Mon Paris Patisserie puts a lot of love and hard work into her creations. Since opening the store in 2017, customers from all over Metro Vancouver has been loving her sweet treats.

Put in your pre-orders for Mother’s Day before it’s too late. They will have some items available for last minute gifts, but to guarantee you have everything you need, make sure to order now.

Address:
4396 Beresford St, Burnaby, BC 

Website:
https://www.monparis.ca/

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In Burnaby Central

L’OTUS Cake Boutique: 5 Levels of Matcha Gelato and Crepe Cakes in Burnaby

Recently, coming back from Japan, I realized there are a lot of sweet treats not available in Metro Vancouver. Nanaya Matcha in Tokyo have 7 levels of Matcha gelato and I’ve been waiting for someone to create that in Vancouver.

L’OTUS Cake Boutique has opened their Burnaby location just behind Metropolis at Metrotown and has made 5 levels of matcha gelato and it’s exclusive to their Burnaby location. I saw this on instagram and I just had to come here with a few friends to check out this spot.

Interior

The space is really nice and it’s on the ground level of a newly developed apartment building. There are 4 booth style seats and a few tables. We came in the middle of the day and it was quite busy but we were able to get a table for 4.

They even have 2 high chairs available, which is nice.

Menu

5 Levels of Matcha Gelato

We had to get the flight of 5 mini matcha gelato for $15. Pretty expensive, but you really need one to share with a few friends. I wouldn’t recommend getting multiple because most people just want a few bites and that’s it.

You’re supposed to try it from lightest to strongest. After trying them all, we all loved level 4 the most. It has a good ratio of matcha and sweetness.

Once we tried everything and retried the flavours, 4 is still superior.

Soda Matcha

The matcha soda comes in a take out cup, which would have been nicer if they had cups instead of these take out containers. Anyways, there is the soda on the bottom and then the matcha on top, where you should mix it before drinking. It was an interesting flavour, but none of us really like it. The matcha could have been stronger as the sweet soda was the dominant taste.

Matcha Red Bean Latte

The Matcha Red Bean Latte comes in a clean milk carton glass and it’s pretty cute. There is a good ratio between the matcha, milk, sugar, and red beans. It was decent, but it wasn’t the best we’ve had.

Matcha Cheese Foam

This was like a matcha latte and then the cheese foam on top. It was a bit too much milk in my opinion.

Philippine Mango Crepe Cake

This was one of the most expensive slices of crepe cake at Lotus. It is $12 for a slice, but since it does take a lot of effort to make a crepe cake and the cost of the Philippine mango isn’t cheap at all.

It was really good. Nice ratio of cream and mango. One of our favourites.

64% Dark Chocolate Crepe Cake

This was decadent and delicious. Loved the darkness of the chocolate and also had a good ratio of cream, chocolate mousse and crepe layers.

Double Layer Cheesecake

This was also a hit too. It has the denser cheesecake on the bottom and then the soft and lighter cheesecake on top.

Final Thoughts

I wasn’t a fan of any of the matcha beverages as they were pretty mediocre. The mini matcha gelato fight is fun if you’re sharing with a few friends. The cakes are solid and we really enjoyed those but it is quite pricey.

Nonetheless, it’s a fantastic addition to Burnaby as we definitely need more delicious cafes to chill with friends. Plus, it’s a few steps away from the Metrotown skytrain.

Address:
4352 Beresford Street, Burnaby, BC

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In Bubble Tea

No. 1 Beef Noodle House: Taiwanese Restaurant in Burnaby

It’s been a long time since our last visit to No 1 Beef Noodle House in Burnaby. It was always our go to place to have late night eats when we were in University. Prices are fair and good portion sizes. It’s great to see that it’s still around after 10+ years.

Interior

There are a lot of tables inside for small to large groups. The interior has been updated over the years.

Menu

Their menu is huge and they have got everything you can typically find for a Taiwanese restaurant. Lots of selection. We were invited to give a few of their signature items on their new menu a try.

Mix Beef Noodle Soup

We got this Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup with beef flank, tendon, and tripe. We also decided to get the thick noodles for this dish. The noodles hit the spot on a cold day as it warmed our stomaches. A good bowl of noodles and the thick noodles has a chewy texture so it added a nice bounce.

Stir-fried Pea Sprout with Garlic

A solid menu choice if you want some veggies in your meal. It is cooked very nicely and great to share among the table.

Chive, Shrimp, and Pork Dumping

Dumplings are another great sharing dish. These were good and you can’t go wrong with them. Dip it in some sauce and eat it up.

Preserved Veggie, Pork, Rice Cake

Another great dish to be shared among the table. The rice cake has a nice chew to them and the combination of the pork and preserved veggies work well together.

Japanese style Omurice with Side of Salty Peppery Chicken

At first glance, it doesn’t look like much of anything. On the inside, the fried rice was very flavourful and a good texture.

As for the side, we got salt and peppery chicken. Very good and can’t go wrong. We love the fried basil on top.

Shredded Scallop and Sliced Fish with Egg Whites

This is always an interesting dish as the fillet themselves aren’t that flavourful or fresh, but the addition of the shredded scallop and egg whites.

Sizzling Plate

The sizzling plate that we got had steak, chicken, chicken wing, egg noodle with half black pepper and half mushroom tomato sauce. It’s got a bit of everything. It comes on this hot sizzling plate and it’s another decent dish. The chicken is battered and fried, so it did got soggy under all the sauce. Might have been better if the chicken was pan fried. Other than that, the steak had a nice texture and taste.

Tainan shrimp paste roll

With first glance, it looks greasy but it wasn’t. The taste was good and there is a decent amount of shrimp paste. Tainan is a city in Taiwan and is known for their shrimp.

Stinky tofu with Taiwanese style Pickled Cabbage

These small fried tofu are cute and it had a decent fermented stink to them. It pairs well with the pickled cabbage.

Mango slush

This was huge and you definitely get bang for your buck with the mango slush. It’s good to split this with one other person as it’s enough for 2 people.

3 Brothers Milk Tea

The bubble tea here is solid and is best half sweet. It has pearls, pudding and grass jelly, which is fantastic as those are the best 3 toppings in a milk tea. We did enjoy it.

Coffee Milk Tea

If you love milk tea but need an extra caffeine kick, this might be for you. It is referred to as a ying yeung as it has both parts to make a whole. It was a tad on the sweet side even though it was half sweet.

Dessert

For this particular dessert, you choose a base from the list – red bean soup, sweet tofu, grass jelly, or lemon jelly. Then you can choose your toppings at an additional charge – pearls, mini pearls, coconut jelly, pudding, grass jelly, mango star, mini taro balls, red bean, agar jelly, taro, or ice cream.

It’ great to see the customization and many combinations.

Final Thoughts

Overall, No 1 Beef Noodle House is solid and has been a neighbourhood favourite for a long time. The parking is horrible during peak periods as there aren’t that many available in the complex for the other businesses too. We always end up parking a block or 2 away.

There are so many items on the menu and you’ll find something to enjoy. You can either get an individual meal or share a bunch of different dishes with friends. You get your moneys worth and it’s casual and comforting.

Address:
4741 Willingdon Ave, Burnaby, BC

Website:
http://jynoodle.com/

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In Brunch

Me + Crepe: Chinese Breakfast Crepe, Tea Eggs, and Tofu

Me + Crepe is known for their traditional Chinese Breakfast called Jian Bing. They currently have 5 locations Greater Vancouver, so no matter which city you’re in, Me+ Crepe is somewhere close by.

We were invited to the Burnaby location inside the Old Orchard Shopping Centre for lunch.

Interior

The interior has 6 tables and its a good spot for a quick breakfast or lunch if you’re in the area. A lot of people were here for the lunch rush.

Most of the tables have chairs for 2 people. There was only one table for a group of 4.

Menu

You can check in on Yelp for an extra free egg or you can Instagram or Facebook a photo as well.

Soymilk

One of their popular drinks here is their soymilk, which you can order ala carte or as part of the combos. It comes hot or cold, but whichever one you decide, it both tastes delicious and goes well with the Jian Bing. I personally like it cold but my parents liked it hot.

Tea Infused Egg

This also comes with the combo, or you can get it free by checking into Yelp or taking a photo on Instagram or Facebook.

I really enjoyed the eggs and there was a good amount of tea flavour in the eggs. One of the better ones I’ve had so far.

Peking Duck

Crepes (Jian Bing)

We ordered a few of the different crepes on the menu.

With more than 23 ingredients that can be customized into each crepe, you can create any crepe and flavour you want (or pick from the menu of specialized crepes. I’m indecisive, so we got 4 of the pre-made ones.

  • Bing: Origin
  • Double Down
  • Lamb Cumin
  • Peking Duck

We got a mix with the Chinese donut and Fried Fritter. I felt that the fried fritter helped keep the shape of the crepe better as well it was more crispy.

All of them were pretty filling as combos. For the Bing:Origin, I wish I added a few more item inside to make it a bit more filling compared to the other three. Nonetheless, overall delicious.

Double Down (BBQ Pork & BBQ Duck)
Bing Origin
Cumin Lamb

Tofu ‘Now’

These items are so unique that I’ve never had anything like this in Vancouver. They are served hot and have a lot of flavour from the sauces.

We tried three different options on the menu.

  • Traditional Tofu ‘Now’
  • Spicy Tofu ‘Now’
  • Hot & Sour Tofu ‘Now’
  • Century Egg Tofu ‘Now’

These are essentially savoury version of tofu pudding. Of the four we tried, I liked the traditional Tofu ‘Now’ with the preserved and fermented veggies. It’s a unique taste and really reminded me of mapo tofu. If you like mapo tofu, you’ll enjoy the Tofu ‘Now’.

Hot & Sour Tofu ‘Now’
Traditional Tofu ‘Now’
Spicy Tofu ‘Now’
Century Egg Tofu ‘Now’

Final Thoughts

Overall, we were impressed with Me+Crepe. So many options and very customizable to your taste. It’s a quick and casual spot for breakfast or lunch. Highly recommend getting your crepe as a combo.

Address:
#27 4429, Kingsway, Burnaby, BC V5H 2A1

Website:
http://www.meandcrepe.com

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In Burnaby Central

Masita Korean Restaurant in Burnaby: Review

Masita Korean Restaurant on Kingsway in Burnaby is serving up traditional Korean cuisine in this space. Masita translates to ‘yummy’ in Korean. They have been around for a few years but I haven’t made a visit until now for lunch. I heard they have good lunch sets that are very affordable.

There are a few parking stall out front, but can get all full during peak lunch and dinner times.

Interior

There are lots of tables for small to large groups. It’s very family friendly during the day and can get more rowdy at night. I was lugging around my daughter in her infant car seat and they were kind enough to seat us at a booth where she could rest peacefully as we ate.

Menu

Complimentary Banchan

Banchan are Korean side dishes that come complimentary with a meal. It’s kind of expected from Korean restaurant to provide these free of charge.

We got marinated potatoes, seaweed and kimchi. They tasted very homemade, so that was delicious.

BBQ Combo

This combo comes with Beef BBQ, rice, and your choice of beef or seafood hot pot. It is available for a limited time and is only available until 3pm.

For $15, you do get quite a bit of food and it’s great for someone that is very hungry. You get the most value out of this combo. The beef BBQ was tender and full of flavour. The hot pot has a nice kick of spice and a decent amount of seafood inside.

Gamja-Tang Hot Pot Meal

This has boiling hot pork back bone soup and a bowl of rice. You can order this non-spicy upon request. I got it with spice and it wasn’t too spicy at all. A good amount to really enhance the flavours. The pork bones were full of meat and tender. I really liked it.

Masita Fried Chicken

This are bits of deep-fried chicken with a sweet chili sauce on the side. The taste was ok and I was expecting pieces of drumsticks and thighs but it was more like boneless chicken pieces deep-fried in a panko-like crust.

Final Thoughts

Their lunch combos are definitely worth it and I would come back again for it because you get quite a bit of food.

Address:
6516 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC

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In Burnaby Central

Handworks Coffee Studio: Cafe and Antique Store in Burnaby

Handworks Coffee Studio is hidden away on the border of Burnaby and New Westminster serving up coffee, tea, and treats in an ornate space filled with antiques reminiscent of childhood. They opened up this shop on May 2017 after a stint at Basho Cafe.

I’ve wanted to come to this coffee shop for some time but as they finally open on Sundays now, I came here for a visit with a friend.

Interior

The space is small and it’s very very unique. It reminds me of an antique store or being transported back in time to the 80s and 90s…or perhaps even earlier than that.

There are a few seats inside for small groups but come early to snag seats if you have a slightly larger group. Best for groups of 2s and 4s, but nothing too large.

There are so many things to see on the walls and tables. Plus, little knickknacks for sale.

You have to look closely or else you’ll miss seeing something.

Menu

Pastries

At the counter, there is a small selection of pastries for the day from cookies, banana loaves, to mochi muffins. A good little snack to go with the coffee and teas on the menu.

I went with the Belgian Chocolate Espresso Brownie, vanilla mochi muffin, and matcha mochi muffin. Of the 3 items, the brownie was my favourite by far, it has a good rich texture and balance between the chocolate and espresso. The mochi muffins were more cakey than mochi.

Matcha Latte

The matcha latte has beautiful latte art on top and the matcha is nice and vibrant. It tastes delicious and not sweet just the way I like it. If you want it sweet, you can add some sweetener to it to adjust the taste to your liking.

Final Thoughts

Overall, a cute place in Burnaby/New Westminster for coffee and catch up with friends. It’ll give you nostalgia as you look around the cozy space. If you’re in the area, definitely give them a visit.

Address:
7705 6th St, Burnaby, BC

Website:
https://www.handworkscoffeestudio.com/

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In Burnaby Central

Soft Peaks Ice Cream: Now Open in Burnaby

Soft Peaks Ice Cream has opened their latest location in Burnaby on Kingsway close to Crystal Mall and Metropolis at Metrotown. This popular shop got it’s start in Gastown and has finally made it’s way to Burnaby. It’s pretty exciting because it means fans don’t have to travel all the way downtown for their delicious treats.

Interior

The interior is large and spacious with lots of seating inside. It’s not your typical seating as there are benches on the side.

Menu

Strawberry Milk Tea

They even have milk tea on the menu. It is made with real strawberry puree, and you can tell the difference with the artificial ones. It’s fresh, light and milky. Great choice for the summer.

Blueberry Milkshake

They also have a blueberry milkshake on the menu. It is made with their signature organic milk soft serve, milk, and real whole blueberries. Really nice to sip on this thick milkshake and enjoy the pairing of the sweet blueberries.

They also have other rotating flavours based on seasonality.

Organic Ice Milk Bars and Swirls

Their ice milk bars are made fresh in-house with their signature organic milk soft serve recipe. You can have them as is or smothered in chocolate. They have a bunch of rotating flavours on the menu.

We tried the dipped matcha as well as the strawberry. The size of it isn’t too large, so you won’t feel too guilty eating the whole thing. They are very creamy, but we liked the matcha.

Honeycomb Soft Serve

Their handcrafted soft serve is made with Avalon organic milk, a touch of sweetness, and is then churned to smooth consistency. There is crunchy corn flakes on the bottom and its’ topped with a piece of Okanagan and Fraser Valley honeycomb. It wasn’t too sweet at all, which was very nice. It’s a classic combination, which was made popular in Korea many years ago.

Other  Soft Serve Flavours

There are a few other flavours pictured here:

  • Matcha Forest
  • Snowberry with matcha condensed milk drizzle
  • Sunrise in California (Yuzu marmalade)

There are a lot other signature flavours on the menu too like the Mudslide, which is my personal favourite with TimTams.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of delicious treats here at Soft Peaks. They have added a few new items to the menu since my last visit. From soft serve to drinks, there is something that will help you cool you down this Summer.

Address:
115-4603, Kingsway, Burnaby, BC

Website:
http://softpeaks.ca/

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In Burnaby Central

Uncle Tetsu’s Japanese Cheesecake at Metropolis at Metrotown

Uncle Tetsu is best known around the world for their famous Japanese Cheesecakes. They opened up at Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby, BC and there are always long line ups even though it has been open for a few months.  Be prepared for a line up from anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour.

This is their 6th location in Canada but first in British Columbia. The rest are in Ontario.

As you get closer in line, you can see the workers putting together all the cakes and confections. The demand is very high that they can’t pump out the cheesecakes fast enough, but that’s ok since that means it will be very fresh. I went to another location in Honolulu that wasn’t busy and the quality wasn’t good at all.

Uncle Tetsu’s Cheesecake

These 7 inch cheesecakes are a must and made by hand every day. Because of the long line, these are always fresh, so it comes very warm. Even when we got home, it was still nice and warm.

I was a bit skeptical about Uncle Tetsu, but upon having a slice, I would see the allure of the soft and fluffy cheesecake. It’s flavourful and you must have more than one slice.

Honey Madeleine

Honey Madelines are another item that they sell at this location. It is a moist and buttery cupcake with a subtle sweet honey taste. They recommend you pop it into the microwave for 15 seconds to warm it up.

Final Thoughts

The Cheesecakes and Honey Madelines are delicious, but the only thing that throw me off are the wait times. It is slowly decreasing, but waiting around 1 hour is too much for me. Thankfully my mom was nice enough to share with me her bounty from Uncle Tetsu. If you can get your hands on the cheesecakes, it is very delicious.

Address:
4700 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC

Website:
http://uncletetsu-ca.com/

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In Burnaby Central

No 1 Beef Noodle House in Burnaby

It’s been a long time since coming to No 1 Beef Noodle House in Burnaby. The last time was about 10 years ago when I was in University. It’s a good, quick and affordable meal.
The only thing that bugs me is the lack of parking. As there are other businesses in the plaza, there are usually no spots at peak hours. I usually park in the residential areas a block away. Just make sure you be careful about the parking regulations.

Interior

The space has been updated, so it’s still modern. Lots of tables for small groups and large groups.

Crispy Salt and Peppery Chicken

A classic item to order here. Since we had a large group, we got this basket to share as an appetizer. You can also turn this into a combo with rice and some side dishes for a meal of your own.

Deep Fried Abalone Mushroom with basil

This was surprisingly very good as well. You have a good amount of the deep mushrooms and they were crispy.

Trio of Marinated Dishes

We got to choose 3 different marinated items for this dish, so we chose marinated eggs, marinated large intestines, and marinated beef tripe. I wasn’t a fan of this dish since I don’t really enjoy intestines but the other people sure did.

Sticky Rice Sui Mai

There are 7 pieces per order and each one if stuffed with sticky rice and then steamed.

House special fried sliced noodles

We got ours with beef and it was a really good item to order. Very tasty, the beef was tender, and I would definitely order this gain.

Classic Japanese Style Egg Fried Rice

A new item on this menu is this dish that is great for sharing or just for one if you’re up for it. It is topped with mayo, bonito flakes, seaweed and an egg.

House Special Mini Lamb Hot Pot

The lamb hot pot comes with rice and 2 sides of veggies. I wasn’t a fan of the hot pot since the lamb had bones in most of the pieces. I would have preferred slices of lamb.

Preserved Egg with Pork Congee

A good classic item if you’re not feeling well. It’s comforting and good.

Beef Noodle Soup

There are a few variations on their beef noodle soup, but we went with their special home style beef shank noodle soup and the tendon & beef noodle soup.

The noodle soup is delicious with depths of flavour in the broth.

If you come here, you definitely need to order this.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s a good place for lunch or dinner, but you need to bring cash as they don’t accept debit or credit cards. The parking lot is atrocious, but if you can get past those 2 things, you’ll enjoy a solid meal at good prices.

We Rate No 1 Beef Noodle House: 

Address:
741 Willingdon Ave, Burnaby, BC

Website:
http://jynoodle.com/

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In Burnaby Central

Liuyishou HotPot: Comforting Chongqing-style HotPot

It’s been a while since coming to Liuyishou Hotpot and their interior and menu have been revamped. Founded in 2000 in Chongqing China, Liuyishou Hotpot has grown to over 1000 locations worldwide over the past 17 years. From a single location on a small street in Chongqing, Liuyishou has expanded to a prominent franchise with locations in China, Canada, U.S., Dubai, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Thailand, and France.

Hot Pot

Hotpot is an interactive method of cooking and eating Chinese food as diners simmer their food in a pot of delicious broth, giving the food a blast of true Chinese flavour while cooking food to the perfect temperature.

You start by selecting the types of broth for your hotpot. I can be spicy or more of a mild broth. I love getting my hot pot with both spicy and a mild broth.

Chongqing style hotpot is extremely popular in China and many other regions, is well represented by Liuyishou, and the recipe of traditional hotpot broth. Prepared with special premium butter, red hot chili, Sichuan peppercorn, and many other exotic herbs and spices, it is the secret of how to achieve spicy, stimulating, umami and aromatic pleasures to astonish all your senses.

Then you add an array of veggies, meat, and seafood, or noodles to the meal. You start by cooking the raw food in your part in a particular order – meat, seafood, mushroom, veggies and noodle. All items are good quality and it’s a la carte unlike some of the all you can eat hot pot restaurants.

Sauce Bar

Liusushou hotpot has a huge sauce bar with so many items you can add to your sauce that you can mix for the cooked food items.

There are also diagrams if you don’t know what to mix your sauce with. I always a little bit of my favourite sauces like satay sauce, garlic, chili oil, sesame sauce and green onions.

Drinks

The best drinks to go with hot pot is beer, pop, and plum juice especially if you have the spicy hot pot.

Sweets

Golden Mantou buns with condensed milk is a sweet treat with the meal outside of the hot pot.

Bing Fen is a traditional Sichuanese cold dessert jelly with different toppings.

Liuyishou Hotpot Week

For a week-long celebration, join Liuyishou Hotpot at any Canadian location to celebrate the year of The Dog with a special menu offering. The holiday dinner specials (available 5:30 pm – 10:30 pm only) include the dinner set for 2 and the dinner set for 4 from February 26 to March 2, presented by Vancouver Gourmet Tours. More details and tickets are for sale now on Eventbrite.ca:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/vancouver-gourmet-tours-16495752595

Address:
5507 Kingsway St, Burnaby, BC

Website:
http://liuyishouna.com/

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In BBQ

Happy Tree BBQ: Now Open in Burnaby

We were originally in Richmond wanting to go to Happy Tree BBQ there but the wait was an hour long, so we drove to their Burnaby location as the line as shorter. When we got there, we were seated right away as the space is larger. They specialize in skewered street food especially cumin lamb skewers. I’ve heard lots about this place and it’s always packed.

Make sure you bring cash if you are spending less than $50. I just came with one friend and we spent $49, but they were wanting us to pay in cash. Since there were no signs, they eventually eased up and let us pay by Credit Card.

Cucumber

For $4.95, this is a lot of cucumber in a spicy sauce. So delicious and it was a great item to pair with all the lamb skewers.

Lamb Kebob (Original)

Of all the skewers, this is the most popular and most delicious. Covered in delicious spices like cumin. There is a minimum order of 5 skewers, but for 2 people to devour it, it wasn’t a problem at all. You must order this.

Lamb Kebob (Special)

This lamb kebob is served on a metal skewer and also has a minimum 5 pieces per order. A good sprinkling of spices, but the original still wins out by a hair.

Angus beef Kabob

This also have a 5 piece minimum order with the angus beef. It has similar spices as the lamb but the texture of the beef was a bit tougher.

Chicken Wings

Unlike the other skewers, there is a minimum order of 2 skewers of the chicken wings. Delicious exterior and moist mean on the inside.

Steamed Buns

On each skewer, there are 2 pieces of the steamed buns which are them grilled. This could have used a bit longer on the grill as it cooked a bit unevenly. Not as delicious at the other meaty skewers, but it was go to try out.

Coconut Juice

Beer is a no-brainer with this type of food, but they have juices and non-alcoholic beverages on the menu. When I was looking at other people, I had to get it as its a good coconut drink.

Final Thought

Overall, the skewers were delicious and a great place to go to with a large group. The spices on the skewers were delightful. I would come back again.

We Rate Happy Tree BBQ: 

Address:
3502 Kingsway St, Vancouver, BC

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In Bubble Tea

Mr Moustache: Now Open in Burnaby

Mr Moustache has opened their next location right outside Metropolis at Metrotown taking over Cafe Joie. They have quietly opened up here for a soft opening but it was still busy on a Tuesday evening. They are popular for their bubble tea. They also have cakes and some games here too. The space is a decent size for small to medium sized groups.

Bubble Tea

Their bubble teas are pretty large and they come in a pitcher mug. Everyone comes here gets one.

Oolong Milk Tea with Pearls

I got this half sweet, but since it’s normally not too sweet, full sweetness is perfect for my tastes.I should have gotten this with fresh milk instead of powder if I’d known as I don’t like how frothy it gets on top. Either way, it was still good. They do have a section of the menu for fresh milk.

Mango Slushie

The mango slushie has mango bit on top, which is a nice touch. My friend added coconut jelly to this.

Green Tea Macchiato

This looks like a beer but it has the green tea on the bottom and cheesy foam on top.

Sweet Treats

They have a few sweet treats to go with bubble tea.

I got the Praline Chocolate Mousse. This was familiar and turn out it’s from Faubourg, a French bakery and cafe in Vancouver. A nice treat to share with a friend.

Canelé is a small French pastry flavored with rum and vanilla with a soft and tender custard centre and a dark, thick caramelized crust.

Final Thought

The bubble tea drinks here are good and I would come back to hang out with friends. The pastries were ok, but it’s good that there are those options if you want to much on something while having bubble tea.

We Rate Mr Moustache: 

Address:
110-6125 Sussex Ave, Burnaby

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Sugarfina Opens at Metropolis at Metrotown

Sugarfina, the world’s finest candy boutique, introduces it’s first Canadian boutique to Metropolis at Metrotown. Metrotown has definitely gotten a little bit sweeter as it’s located beside Build-a-Bear.

The instagramable boutique welcomes shoppers to candy heaven with a sweet selection of treats for every occasion, from perfectly-packaged hostess gifts to Champagne Bears for brunch.

Inside, guests will find 80+ gourmet candies from around the world, three-quarters of which are exclusively available at Sugarfina. There is a lot more available here compared to the other location inside Nordstrom in Downtown. It’s like a candy museum.

You can customize your own candy gift with the Design Your Own Candy Bento Box experience, which features an eye-catching wall of the brand’s finest chocolates, caramels, gummies, and jellies, packaged into signature lucite Candy Cubes. Customize a 3pc, 4pc or 8pc Candy Bento Box, or go over-the-top with the luxurious Sugarfina Candy Trunk which holds 20 Candy Cubes.

A good gift if you want to turn someone’s frown upside down. They also do in-store sampling where they offer complimentary daily samples and a candy Happy Hour each Thursday night where guests can sample a entire flight of candies.

Holiday Collection

For some, it may be too soon for the holidays, but I love it. My husband was mesmerized by some of the seasonal flavours like:

  • Santa Gingerbread Cookie Bites
  • Reindeer Noses
  • Party Penguins
  • Pumpkin Pie Caramels
  • Fiji Apple Caramels
  • S’mores
  • Pale Ale Pints

Makes for great gifts and stocking stuffers for kids or adults.

Hanukkah Collection

I thought it was great and inclusive that they have gifts for Hannukkah too. Inside the Hanukkah Candy Bento Box are three kosher Candy Cubes packaged with Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels, Robins Egg Caramels, and Champagne Bubbles.

Sanrio ❤ Sugarfina Collection

Their popular Sanrio ❤ Sugarfina Collection is available and they have lots in stock.

Sweet Bake Shop x Sugarfina

At the grand opening, they invited guests to learn how to decorate Sugarfina-inspired cookies with Tessa Sam from Sweet Bake Shop.

I’ve been following Tessa for a while and learning some basic techniques was pretty fun.

I tried my best but I am not very good at decorating. I’ll leave it to the experts as I just eat.

If you’re at Metropolis at Metrotown looking for a good gift for any occasion, you’ll want to check out Sugarfina.

Address:
4700 Kingsway, Burnaby

Website:
https://www.sugarfina.ca/

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In Burnaby Central

Lao Shan Dong: Taiwanese Beef Noodle in Burnaby

Lao Shan Dong has handmade noodles in Burnaby near Metropolis at Metrotown. My husband was in search of Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup, so he looked up this shop to go to on the weekend. They are known for the cheap inexpensive food, but it is cash only, so make sure you have some cash on hand. I didn’t mind going since I still haven’t made a visit until now.

Interior

The interior isn’t anything special, it’s just a large area with tables and chairs. You can tell this has been here for some time as the decor is a touch dated, but people really just come here for the food.

Menu

Tea

When you sit down, they give you a big pot of tea and some cups. I love it when the bring the whole tea pot since I guzzle tea like crazy.

Braised Beef Flank and Tendon with Noodle in Soup

We got the small bowl and it was a very good size. We have no idea how anyone else could do a large. If you’re super hungry, definitely do the large. M liked the chewyness of the noodles, tendons and beef flank. The flank was more on the lean side, so it’s not tender and fatty.

Mmmmmm…. noodles!

Sour Mustard Greens and Shredded Pork with bean thread in soup

I wanted to try something different and I am a fan of sour mustard greens, so I gravitated to this dish. The broth was very clean tasting and not too rich. I love a hot bowl of soupy noodles when the cold Fall weather has arrived.

Boiled Pork and Veggie Dumplings

We got the small size with 10 pieces, but there is the larger option with 15 pieces. Easily sharable with small or large groups. Since it was just M and I, we split them with our small sized noodles. The perfect amount.

Final Thoughts

Lao Shan Dong doesn’t have the best Taiwanese Beef Noodles in town, but it is well priced and has a very homemade taste to it.

We Rate Lao Shan Dong: 

Address:
4887 Kingsway, Burnaby

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In Bubble Tea

November Dessert: Chinese Desserts in Burnaby

November Dessert is a Chinese dessert shop located on Grimer Street in Burnaby. This street has a lot of dessert shops and cafes opening up in the last few months and locals are noticing. I’ve heard of November Desserts but haven’t made a visit until they asked me to come for a visit to try some of their different dishes. If you’ve heard of Scorpio M in Richmond, they moved their operations here, changed the name and the menu is very similar to what they had before.

Interior

The interior is large and can fit small to large groups. They have utilized the beautiful grey brick walls and incorporated some beautiful Chinese decor that gives it a unique look.

Menu

Their regular menu has different soupy desserts, pancakes, and limited drinks. They also have a beautiful afternoon tea set, but you need to order 24 hours in advance. You wouldn’t know they had it unless you look at their social media accounts. I missed out on the tea set since I didn’t reserve ahead of time, so we stuck to the regular menu.

It was hard to figure out how each item on the menu differentiated itself from another, so I had to get my mom to translate some parts of the menu since I can’t read Chinese.

Drinks

I started with the milk tea, they use oolong tea as their base, but when they mix it together with the milk it’s eerily frothy, perhaps they use powdered milk, which I really do not like.

Mango and Durian Pancakes

The pancakes are wrapped like little packages. The skin is thin and is filled with whipped cream and the chosen fruit inside.

Durian

The durian pancake has a good chunk of fruit inside and all the durian lovers will enjoy it. It’s an acquired taste, so you will either love or hate it. I’m more on the neutral level since it taste like onions to me, but everyone’s experience if different.

Mango

Mango is a classic and a hit with everyone unless you are allergic to mangos. One of my favourite items to get here.

Snow Ice with Chopped Strawberry

We also added taro mochi, grass jelly, and papaya. I love this bowl since it has the cute little polar bear in the centre. I really enjoyed the toppings and the snowy ice flavoured with a bit of condensed milk.

It’s a good item to share with friends and you chat away and pick at this.

Mango and Black Sticky Rice with Homemade shaved ice

The shaved ice was milky, which was enjoyable. It is  topped off with 2 large scoops of black sticky rice and chopped mangos. This was ok, but not that special.

Mango, kiwi, homemade riceball with homemade shaved ice

 

Final Thoughts

They have improved their desserts since they were Scorpio M, but with the tough competition of dessert cafes in the area, it’s hard to stand out since there is another cafe doing similar desserts. The space here is quiet, so we did notice some people studying here.

We Rate November Dessert: 

Address:
5358 Grimmer St, Burnaby

Website:
http://mdessert.ca/en/

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In Burnaby Central

Jinya Ramen Bar: Open at Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby

Jinya Ramen Bar has finally opened in Burnaby outside Metropolis at Metrotown. It’s been under construction for a while, but we are so happy they have opened their doors for a soft opening. Finally, I don’t have to always travel Downtown to get a taste of Jinya. They are a popular Ramen chain restaurant and they have 3 locations in Vancouver so far.

Interior

The space is gorgeous and is similar to the look of the Downtown location in Vancouver. It’s sleek, modern, and hip. They were extremely busy despite the empty seats. Our group of 5 waited 1.5 hours to get seated. Luckily, they have an electronic system through Yelp where it tells you how many tables are in front of you. We ended up going shopping to kill the time.

Menu

Chef’s Special: Karaage Chicken Ramen

This has a chicken broth topped with crispy chicken dressed in chili sauce, green onion, bamboo shoots, seasoned egg, nori dried seaweed. It is served with thin noodles but you can always ask for thicker noodles.

Spicy Creamy Vegan Ramen

This vegetable broth is amazing, I personally think it’s one of the best. It also has tofu, onion, green onion, spinach, crispy onion, garlic chips, garlic oil, chili oil, and sesame seeds. It is served with thick noodles instead of the thinner ones.

Pork Chashu

To go with the vegan ramen, I added a side of pork chashu. I put it into the bottom of the bowl and let the broth heat it up and man, was it melt in your mouth delicious!

Jinya Tonkotsu Black

This is one of the most popular flavours.  It has a pork broth base with pork chashu, kikurage, green onion, nori dried seaweed, seasoned egg, garlic chips, garlic oil, fried onion, and a spicy sauce. It is served with thin noodles.

Premium Tonkotsu White

This has a mix of pork and chicken broth and served with pork chashu, kikurage, green onion, half seasoned egg, fried onion, and spicy sauce. This is served with thin noodles. My friend got this without the spicy sauce since she doesn’t like anything too spicy.

Sauces

At the table, there are a few sauces that you can add to your meal – seasoning suace, gyoza sauce and hot sauce.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I enjoyed the ramen here. The waits can be long, but you can always go shopping at the mall until you table is ready. The space is really nice and you’ll love the ramen. My personal top favourite ramen flavours are – Tonkotsu Black and Spicy Creamy Vegan ramen.

We Rate Jinya Ramen Bar: 

Address:
4575 Central Blvd, Burnaby

Website:
https://jinya-ramenbar.com/

JINYA ramen Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Burnaby Central

Sugar Lab: Cafe in Burnaby

Sugar Lab is a new dessert cafe in Burnaby and they specialize in Mille Crepes. A few other cafes in Richmond have them, but now it’s closer to the suburbs of Burnaby. It’s a bit hard to find but keep your eyes open. It’s on Grimmer Street and Kingsway.

Interior

The place is small an cozy with one large communal table and 4 other smaller tables. Some people do take out to avoid the lines.

Menu

Green Tea Crepe Cake with Red Bean

The layers of all the crepes and cream were pretty good. The red bean is a bit sweet, so it over powers the subtle green tea crepes.

Tiramisu Mille Crepe Cake

The chocolate and coffee taste is stronger in this crepe cake. Good texture and it was delicious.

Mango Pancake

Mango Pancakes come 2 pieces per order. Inside the square crepes is whipped cream and a chunk of mango. I always enjoy this kind of dessert.

Serradura Pudding Plant

There are layers of pudding, cream and crushed up graham crackers. It was a decent dessert. Not too sweet either.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s a cute new cafe with great desserts. It’s pretty unique when it comes to Burnaby. Always great to have more variety of desserts here.

We Rate Sugar Lab: 

Address:
5376 Grimmer Street, Burnaby

Sugar Lab Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Buffet

Saffron Indian Cuisine: Lunch Buffet in Burnaby

Saffron Indian Cuisine is a popular restaurant for their lunch buffet as it is a very affordable price. My family was in town, so we called ahead for reservations to ensure all 9 of us would be seated for lunch promptly. I’ve heard lots about this place but I haven’t been here yet.

Interior

For weekday lunch, this place was packed. A few walk-ins and a few reservations. There was a good flow of people until around 1:45pm.

The interior isn’t that impressive, but it does the trick. The lunch buffet area is on the right side with all the dishes all lines up.

Naan

Naan bread is delivered to the table and you can ask staff anytime to refill your basket.

Round 1

I went with salad, veggie pakora and tandoori chicken for round #1. The tandoori chicken could have used more depth of flavour and spice. You can tell the spice level is toned down.

Round 2

This round, I got more curry to eat with the naan bread and a few more pieces of veggie pakora. All goof flavours but I wished there were more options in the buffets with spicier dishes.

Dessert

Kheer is a rice pudding, which I really enjoyed. It sweet but not overly sweet. The other items was like a mango yogurt with grapes. I personally didn’t like it.

Final Thoughts

The buffet lunch is a great deal but as it’s made in large batches, it caters to their general customer. If you love extra heat in your curry, you might want to order from the regular menu. I would have preferred playing a similar price for one really good dish at medium heat. Thats just my personal preference. If you like your dishes mild and have more variety, the lunch buffet is for you.

We Rate Saffron Indian Cuisine: 

Address:
4300 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC

Website:
http://www.saffroncuisine.ca/

Saffron Indian Cuisine Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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