Vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians alike can get a fresh new fix when Tacofino and Beetbox team up to flex a new limited-time-only, plant-based ‘Not Today, Seitan’ burrito feature launching on World Vegan Day, Sunday, November 1.
Where and when can I get it?
Available at Beetbox (1074 Davie St.) and Tacofino’s Gastown Burrito Bar (15 W Cordova St.) from Sunday, November 1 to Saturday, November 7, 2020.
What’s in it?
The ‘Not Today, Seitan’ burrito offers a tasty spin on Beetbox’s signature Fried Chick-Un Sandwich and comprises breaded and fried seitan, pumpkin-seed macha, cashew-lime crema, white-cucumber kimchi, lettuce and lime chilaquiles wrapped in a Tacofino flour tortilla for $11.
Tacofino x Beetbox Collab
The creative burrito collab comes about as the result of a meeting of two like-minded culinary talents in Bryan Satterford, Chef and Co-Owner of Vancouver plant-based hotspot Beetbox, and Jason Sussman, Chef and Co-Founder of the beloved Baja-by-way-of-West-Coast Tacofino family of restaurants. Beetbox offers a 100% plant-based menu, while Tacofino prides itself on offering an array of vegan- and vegetarian-friendly fare at all of its brick-and-mortar restaurants across Vancouver and its roaming fleet of food trucks.
Bel Café recently introduced their new Bel Box, which is a lunch box on the go and it comes with your choice of a sandwich, a half Tuscan Kale salad, a cookie, and a small drink. Bring it back home or take it to the park for a picnic.
Senior Pastry Chef, Tessa Faulker, recently launched a selection of new pastries including a Cinnamon Morning Bun, rosemary twist, raspberry vanilla scone, miso almond kouign amann, and the ham & cheese bostock.
Lots of new things happening and we were invited to check out these delicious treats.
Bel’s Picnic Box
You can choose from these sandwiches:
Ham and Cheese Mt. Moriarty cheese, smoked ham, mustard, sourdough bread
Smoked Meat Montreal style smoked beef, pickles mustard, rye bread
We got our box with the smoked meat sandwich, chocolate chip cookie, half Tuscan Kale Salad, and Flow Water.
It’s a solid box with everything you need for lunch.
Rosemary Twist
The rosemary twist is quite large and has many flakey layers. It’s like a croissant but twisted with the aroma of rosemary and hints of salt.
Cinnamon Morning Bun
This is covered in sugar and cinnamon, which makes it like a churro croissant. A tad messy to eat, so becareful.
Ham & Cheese Bostock
This was our favourite pastry as we tend to gravitate towards savoury pastries. It had a good texture that complimented the ham and cheese.
Miso Almond Kouign
The miso almond kouign is sweet and delicious like an almond croissant. The miso is subtle but works well.
Raspberry Vanilla Scone
Lastly, the raspberry vanilla scone is pretty standard but a touch on the sweet side. It also has a crumbly texture, so be careful when you eat this.
Final Thoughts
Overall, lots of new things happening at Bel Cafe. Of the things we tried, we really like the Rosemary Twist and the Ham & Cheese Bostock the most. They really have quality savoury pastries that stand out. Cinnamon Morning Bun was good and it reminded us of a churro.
With the weather so great this summer, it’s great to grab a few things and head to the close by parks or beaches.
Ventura Room is located across from Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Downtown Vancouver and opened in October of 2019. They were best known for the live music, dancing, and cocktails.
Since the pandemic, they have closed but recently re-opened with safety measures in mind. The tables are spaced apart in respect to social distancing. There is patio space with tables and picnic tables. Also, all staff were wearing masks.
We were invited for food and drinks and to check out the space.
Happy Hour
They have happy hour from 3-6pm and 10pm – close daily. It’s all day happy hour on Sunday, which is a great deal.
Interior
They have a laidback Californian lounge and its usually open late with live music. With the pandemic, they’re trying to find their way to being that but with safety in mind.
Menu
Strawberry Basal Spritz
It has strawberry infused aperol, campari, basil, prosecco, and orange bitters. It was very easy to drink and refreshing.
The Daquirita
It has havana 7, altos plata, yuzu, and seared pineapple. It’s a strong drink that is citrus forward and clean.
California Love
They do have alcoholic-free beverages as well. This has fresh grapefruit juice, lavender, lemon, and soda. You get the floral notes from the lavender and the sour notes from the citrus fruits.
Crispy Cauliflower
The crispy cauliflower has charred jalapeño ranch, parmesan, and chili. This was one of our favourite dishes as it was well fried and seasoned. Plus, the dip complimented well.
Ahi Tuna Taco
These tacos have ginger chili tuna, yuzu aioli, avocado, and a cilantro slaw. It comes with 4 mini tacos per order. Looks great but the taste was lacking. It really needed more tuna and sauces.
Crispy Coconut Shrimp Roll
This has panko shrimp, avocado, green onion, Thai peanut sauce, and sesame. This was our server’s favourite item on the menu. It’s a very fusion items on the menu. The Thai peanut sauce and the green onion combination was nice. The peanut sauce is chunky and sweet, which is different. Not necessarily a bad thing.
West Coast Aburi Roll
This roll is their Ventura roll with torch seared chili ginger salmon & jalapeño. It was a decent roll but it definitely needed more flavour for one of their signature rolls.
Torch Nigiri
The different nigiri have a soy saké glaze on top. You have an option of salmon or tuna. The glaze give it a good amount of sweetness and the torched sauce caramelizes nicely. Not your typical Japanese flavourings but we liked it.
Hollywood Burger
The burger is topped with cheddar, iceberg lettuce, tomato, pickle, and special sauce between the toasted buns. It was a decent burger but nothing too special. For your side, yam fries are a great choice.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the location is great if you’re in the Queen Elizabeth theatre area before or after a show. The food was ok, but sometimes people just want to socialize with friends and not go anywhere too far.
Going on Sunday for all day happy hour is a great deal. We recommend the crispy cauliflower and the torched nigiri.
Cold Tea Restaurant has now taken over the spot of the historical Tsui Hang Village Restaurant. The veteran owners have reimagined the space and have filled a hole in the market through creating a modern dim sum experience with a Vietnamese twist that is laid-back and accessible to everyone.
We were invited to check out a few of their dishes at Cold Tea Restaurant.
The restaurant’s name is paying homage to the history of the building they have leased, as their predecessor, Tsui Hang Village Restaurant, was notoriously known for serving late night tea pots full of beer, which you could order as “cold tea” after legal serving hours.
Interior
The space seats 130 people seated and 160 people standing, but with the pandemic, they currently can only have a 80 person capacity with social distancing. The space is unpretentious, inviting, modern, earthy, with classic Chinese elements.
Garden Fizz
This cocktail has Hendricks Gin, Pimms no1, strawberry syrup, lemon juice, and egg white. It was a nice drink strong in flavour with citrus notes. The addition of lemon juice made it very refreshing. It is served in a tall glass served with strawberry and fresh mint.
Dark Tea
This mocktail has blackberry tea syrup, black tea, lemon, simple syrup, bitters, and coke. The dominant flavours were of the blackberry and black tea. You can taste the hint of bitters with the coke. There is definitely a lot of depth to this drink. The drink isn’t too fizzy because of the coke. It was a good drink served in a tall glass with blackberry and fresh mint.
Pork Belly Bao
This has braised pork belly, marinated cucumber, pickled red onion, sriracha mayo, and scallions. This bao has a very nice flavour and it was tender.
Big Bird Bao
This other bao has fried chicken thighs, marinated cucumber, pickled red onion, sriracha mayo, and cilantro. It was ok, but we did like the pork belly bao more as it fit more with our flavour preferences.
Vegan Potstickers
We tried the vegan potstickers and it has kobacha squash, coconut cream, and lemongrass. We normally wouldn’t have chosen this option, but the flavour combination surprisingly worked. We wished there were more pieces to an order.
Lai Fun Carbonara
This dish is definitely very fusion. It has lai fun noodles, 5 spiced cured bacon, cream, sous vide egg, parmesan, green onion, and chili threads. This turned out to be very good. It was flavourful and not too salty. Since they do use lai fun noodles, they are more soft in texture than regular al gente pasta.
Green Papaya Salad
This salad has beef jerky, green papaya, cucumber, red bell peppers, cilantro, mint, Thai basil, and a sweet and sour fish sauce. The flavours are very nice and refreshing. A good balance of flavours so nothing is too overpowering. The strips of beef jerky was really good. There is also a vegetarian option with tofu on the menu.
Vietnamese Coffee Creme Brulee
This was a good end to the meal. This has French roast coffee in the creme brulee with condensed milk.
Final Thoughts
Overall, we liked how each dish is thoughtfully put together and well balanced. They really nailed the combination of Chinese and Vietnamese flavours. Well executed and we will definitely be back.
Cold Tea Restaurant is a great addition to the neighbourhood.
A classic tradition in our household is to go get brunch for Mother’s Day as we celebrate around the table stuffing our face full of food. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 Pandemic, we must celebrate a little bit differently this year.
Glowbal has found a way to bring the buffet experience to you. They have created their Mother’s Day Brunch at Home for $60 and it serves 2. My mom loves buffets and is probably obsessed. She’s the types of person that will browse through the buffet slowly and makes sure she tries everything. This usually takes up the entire time limit of our seating. It’s kinda cute.
How to Order
You can pre-order for pick up by Saturday, May 9th by:
Calling 604-602-0835
Emailing info@glowbalgroup.com
They also do delivery via UberEats, Skip the Dishes and DoorDash on Sunday, May 10th.
What’s Included?
Brunch Items
Classic Eggs Benedict with Honey Ham & Hollandaise Sauce
Smoked Salmon Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce
Classic Hash Browns with Parmesan Cheese & Fresh Herbs
Roasted Leek & Fennel Sausage
Carving Station
Carved US Prime Striploin, Crusted with Pommery Mustard & Fresh Herbs
Rigatoni Pommodoro with Fresh Basil, Roasted Tomatoes & Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Homemade Gnocchi Tossed in Pesto Cream & Sundried Tomatoes
Seafood & Salad Station
Chilled Snow Crab
Poached Tiger Prawns **Served with Cocktail Sauce & Lemon
Slice of Sockeye Smoked Salmon
Baby Mixed Greens
Quinoa Salad
Pasta Salad
Breakfast Pastry Station
Assorted Loaves & Miniature Muffins
Baby Sugared Donuts
Mini Tiramisu
Mini Assorted Pastries
Chocolate Nibs
Mimosa To Go
They also have Mimosas To Go for $30, which contains a bottle of bubble and orange juice to complete the meal.
Final Thoughts
It’s a great selection of buffet items for 2. You can pop it in the oven or microwave to reheat when it gets home. We found that more than 2 people can enjoy this great Mother’s Day Buffet as not everyone will want a piece of everything. It’s a great price and the quality is there. I personally loved the carving station because I love meat. My mom loved the seafood as per usual.
Definitely pre-order with Glowbal ahead of time to ensure you have your Mother’s Day Buffet for 2 ready.
Glowbal has brought back their limited time Burger Mania menu from March 16 – 27, 2020. This menu is available Monday to Friday from 11am to 6pm. Great for those who are working downtown and want a very filling lunch.
There are 5 different burgers which come with their own unique side dish. The prices do vary depending on the burger, but it’s very resonable.
Menu
BBQ Beef Brisket Melt
This beast of a burger has Montréal-styled smoked brisket, peppered bbq glaze, Swiss cheese, dilly kraut with bacon, and all in a toasted pretzel bun. It is served with deep fried dill pickles. A good pairing as you can’t go wrong with deep fried pickles.
The burger is pretty hefty and the brisket is really packed in there.
Crispy Fried Chicken Burger
This Crispy Fried Chicken Burger has gooey aged cheddar cheese house famous hot sauce, and pickled cabbage slaw in a ciabatta bun. It is served with housemade bbq kettle chips. The BBQ Kettle chips were solid. The crispy fried chicken was big and crispy but can go limp quickly because of the moist ingredients in the burger.
We were actually surprise their hot sauce really packs a punch.
Surf n’ Turf Burger
This burger has double house ground chuck patties, buttery lobster & tarragon shaved fennel, and bearnaise sauce in a brioche bun. It is served with cheesy fried gnocchi bites.
The burger definitely needed more lobster and the pieces were cut up in small. The gnocchi bits were very gooey and best eaten when hot.
The Spicy Mexican
This massive burger has double house ground chuck patties, habanero & lime guacamole pico de gallo, and cilantro queso fresco in a brioche bun. It is served with waffle fries supreme.
The burger is very stacked with the double patties. It can be a bit messy to eat, but I like the fresh vibrant flavours from the lime.
Veggie Parmesana
There is a vegetarian option on the menu and it has a True veggie patty, crispy eggplant, parmesan, provolone cheese, tomato fondue, basil aioli, and rocket greens on a multigrain ciabbata bun. It is served with fried parsnip chips.
We all thought this wouldn’t be as good at the others but it’s solid. Very big burger.
Final Thoughts
The burgers and size are huge so you really get full if you can finish both the burger and side. There are a nice variety of burgers to celebrate Burger Mania. BBQ Beef Brisket Melt and Veggie Parmesana were my top choices. They paired the burger and sides nicely, but you can’t mix and match.
Joe Fortes is launching their new Happy Hour Menu starting March 2nd. It’s a great happy hour featuring a plethora of seafood dishes to snack on. Plus, drink specials too. We’ve been to happy hour a few times, so we’re excited to see the new menu.
We were invited to check out all the items on the menu so you can make an informed decision.
When is Happy Hour at Joe Fortes Available?
Here are the hours of the Happy Hour at Joe Fortes.
Monday to Friday: 3pm to 6pm
Saturday and Sunday: – 4pm to 6pm
7 Days a week: 9pm to 11pm
Menu
Bubbly
A glass of bubbly is the perfect way to start off happy hour after work especially if you’re celebrating something special.
Classic Margarita
They also have their classic margarita on special for $7. It’s a solid drink that you also can’t go wrong with.
Joe’s Chilled Seafood Platter
For $36.95 per tier, you get this platter with local oysters, marinated mussels and clams, prawns, albacore tuna crudo, scallop ceviche, and ahi tuna poke.
All the items on this platter was delicious and fresh. It’s a good platter to share with friends. It would be good for 2-4 people and then add some more happy hour items to round it out.
I really liked the local oysters, marinated mussels and clams, prawns, and albacore tuna crudo in this platter.
Oyster’s Rockefeller
Each order comes with 2 pieces to an order. Each shell has 2 cooked oysters in a decadent creamy sauce made of spinach, pernod, and hollandaise. Very delicious.
Mini Shrimp & Lobster Rolls
There are also 2 pieces per order. This has a mixture of shrimp, Atlantic lobster meat, and classic remoulade. There is a good amount of seafood in this which is nice. The roll is nicely toasted too. A must have item.
Crab & Corn Fritters
There are 4 crab and corn fritters per order and served with a dip and wedge of lemon. It was very crisp on the outside with the mixture of corn and crab.
Albacore Tuna Sliders
This item is new to the menu and comes with 2 pieces per order. It doesn’t look like much but it was good. The albacore tuna is very delicate and full of flavour.
Ahi Poke Tacos
This is a new item on the happy hour menu and there are 2 pieces per order. The ahi poke sits inside a deep fried wrapper and served with guacamole. Nice bite size pieces.
Jumbo Tempura Prawns
The tiger prawn tempura are huge and it is served with a togarashi mayo. Very crisp on the outside and just a delight to devour. Definitely worth getting an order. There are 3 pieces per order.
Crispy Calamari
The calamari was really tender and it is served with a sun-dried tomato aioli dip and a slice of lemon. We really enjoyed this dish.
Truffle Fries
The truffle fries are topped with grana padano, herbs, and sea salt. There is also ketchup on the side. A good item to munch on and share among the table.
Final Thoughts
Overall, a good selection of items for their happy hour menu and they continue to give their guests a good experience. Once the patio bar opens later this year once the weather warms up, you can have happy hour up at the bar on the patio.
Stock & Supply is located on the lobby level of Delta Hotels by Marriott Vancouver Downtown Suites on Hastings Street across from SFU Harbour Centre. They are focusing on providing a multi-sensory dining experience with a focus on shared plates, grazing options, and an extensive cocktail and beverage menu.
We were invited for a sneak peek to check out the space as well as the drink and eats.
Interior
The space holds up to 71 guests and is on a first come first serve basis, so no reservations are available. The space is quaint and they have a partnership with the Vancouver Art Gallery to rotate art pieces in this space.
It’s a great space for after work and into the evenings. They also welcome people to do some work here as there are plugs for laptops and to charge phones.
Menu
Build You Own Boards
The main feature of Stock & Supply is their BYOB – Build Your Own Boards. You could bring your own booze, but they have a very good selection at the bar.
All boards will offer a base, including fresh herb hummus, citrus spiced olives, baked garlic, warm baguette and beer-infused mustard, along with 3 items of your choice for $25, which feeds 2. You can also add on any additional items for $8 each to expand your board.
These additions can include a pickled carrot trio, house-smoked pork belly, bone marrow and a house-made beet tasting, along with many more options. They pride themselves of working with top producers in BC.
If you are indecisive, they also offer three pre-designed boards for weekend brunch, including The Garden’s Board which will showcase cauliflower fritters, toasted quinoa tabbouleh and fresh hummus.
Smoked Pork Scotch Egg
This is served with pickled onions and beer infused mustard to compliment. It is essentially a beautifully boiled egg wrapped in ground smoked pork. It’s delicious and you can’t go wrong with this.
Crab Fritters
On the side, there is a mint and cilantro yogurt to balance out the fried fritters. It was alright but the crab could have stood out a bit more. The mint was a tad overpowering.
Poutine
There is a base of double cooked fries, St. Albert Cheese Curds, Smoked Brisket, Ale Gravy, and a sunny egg. Very indulgent, but the gravy was a bit salty.
Tomato Flatbread
The flatbread has confit heirloom tomatoes and garlic, balsamic onion, goat cheese, and kale pesto. One of the more filling snacks and easy to share with a group.
Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
The wings are paired with a Roasted Garlic Aioli dip. The chicken wings were pretty salty, so if you get this, request that they go easy on the salt.
Charro Beans
This has house smoked bacon, fresh avocado, lime creme fraiche, and fried tortilla. Interesting dish on the menu, but it wasn’t really exciting.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it’s a great addition to Downtown Vancouver as people are looking for the next place for small bites and drinks after work. There are options for more filling dishes if you’re wanted to get more full.
YEW Seafood + Bar has launched their 2019 Fall Menu. The menu explores traditional Pacific Northwest ingredients infused with international influences created by Restaurant Chef Evan Morgan. Executive Pastry Chef Suraj Karmakar has created a collection of desserts with local and tropical flavours.
We were invited to check out a few of their new dishes on the menu.
Appetizers
We tried a few of their new appetizers and classic items on the menu – grilled octopus, prawn cocktail, crab cake, and burrata. The grilled octopus is the new item on the menu and it was pretty tender with a lot of flavour. Loved the texture of the crispy grains, and the squash.
All of the other appetizers are solid and you can’t go wrong with them.
The 3 new seafood dishes – seared scallops, Maple Gochujang Glazed Sablefish, and the Peppercorn Crusted Lingcod. All 3 dishes were very impressive. The scallops were cooked perfectly with a nice sear on each side. The gochujang sablefish was very flavourful and loved the rice cakes which adds great chewy texture to the dish. The addition of the beans adds a heartiness to the dish for the fall. The lingcod was moist and the cheese gnocchi was outstanding.
Executive Pastry Chef Suraj Karmakar has crafted 3 new desserts on the menu – ‘Fall-en’ Stone, Oven Roasted Pear + BC Blueberry Crumble, and Beyond the Black Forest. Of the 3, the Oven Roasted Pear + BC Blueberry Crumble was perfect for the fall weather. You have the warm crumble with the contrast of the cold vanilla ice cream.
‘Fall-en’ Stone Banana Mousse, Makrut Lime Cream, Kalamansi MarmaladeOven Roasted Pear + BC Blueberry Crumble Spiced Caramel, Choice of Housemade Ice CreamBeyond the Black Forest Rosemary Mousse, Amarena Cherry, Chocolate Shortbread, Raspberry Sorbet
Final Thoughts
Overall, the new Fall items as it’s perfect for the season and some classic items are great year round. My favourite items were the grilled octopus, gochujang sablefish and lingcod.
Passione Gelato is a new gelato shop that has opened up in Parq Vancouver earlier this year. They are a small gelateria, which uses fresh organic ingredients and infused with Italian roots. Owner Salvatore Boccarossa has spent many years behind the gelato lab at Bella Gelateria and has now ventured into his own business. He learned the art of gelato making at Carpigiani Gelato University, which has been renowned world-wide for their artistry in gelato making.
Passione Gelato and Parq Vancouver has teamed up to create 2 limited edition flavours to celebrate some great milestones – Parq Vancouver’s 2nd anniversary and Vancouver Canucks 50th Season.
Power Play Popcorn
Available as of October 7th
To celebrate the Vancouver Canucks 50th Season, this gelato flavour incorporates popcorn, a staple at Canucks home games, with fan favourite salted caramel. There is blue and green sprinkles on top too. Of course, it is also a FIN approved flavour.
A portion of the proceeds from each scoop purchased will go to the Canucks for Kids Fund to support children’s charities from across BC.
I liked the texture of the added popcorn and it pairs with the salted caramel. It’s good that there’s salted popcorn and not coated in sugar. The flavours stand out and is more balanced.
Parq Autumn
Available as of October 16th
In honour of Parq Vancouver’s 2nd anniversary, Parq Autumn is inspired by an Old Fashioned. This autumnal flavour is made in small batches with Bulleit Bourbon Whiskey and French Valrhona chocolate and garnished with a candied orange.
The French Valrhona chocolate really stands out, then the whiskey and orange come in next. I didn’t think I would like this flavour but it was really fantastic. The candied orange also gives it an added chew and texture.
Final Thoughts
These 2 limited edition flavours at Passione Gelato inside Parq Vancouver are fantastic and it left me wanting more. While you’re there, get a sample of their other flavours too. The quality of their flavours are unreal. I was amazed!
Let us know which flavour you would try – Power Play Popcorn or Parq Autumn.
School of Magic Afternoon Tea is back again this year at Trump Champagne Lounge in celebration of the iconic Harry Potter series. This is their second year offering up the School of Magic Afternoon Tea theme, so you’ll be able to experience a new set of savoury and sweet creations crafted by Pastry Chef Fumiko. Whimsical items like Deathly Hallow Ganache Cake to Butter Bubble Beer are on the menu. Chef Fumiko and her staff worked hard creating all these fun treats.
The School of Magic Afternoon Tea set is $65 per person and available as of Monday, September 15, 2019. There is also a $118 option served in cage with a glass of sparkling wine and a limited edition dessert box.
Menu
Tea Selections
The menu has a selection of black teas, Red Teas, Green Tea and Herbal Teas. There are sugar sticks and cream on the table to mix it however you like.
Scones
There are 3 different scones that are part of the set:
Philisopher’s Scone (Red Velvet)
Jelly Bean Scone
Matcha Scone
These are served with homemade clotted cream, lemon curd, strawberry and rhubarb jam. Very fun scone options that you won’t find anywhere else.
Sweets
Do you start off with sweets or savouries? If you are a sweet tooth, you’ll definitely start with all the delectable sweets.
Golden Snitch Chocolate Truffle
There is also salted caramel inside as well. This was definitely one of the sweeter items in the set.
Butter Bubble Beer
This unique twist on butter beer has bubble tea pearls and non-alcoholic butter scotch. Its definitely not like the Butter Beer at Universal Studios, but it was like butterscotch and soda with pearls.
Deathly Hallows Valrhona Dark Chocolate Ganache Cake
This was delicious and had a good balance of sweetness. Definitely one of our favourite sweets. Loved the texture of the ganache cake and the nuts.
Harry’s Favourite Treacle Tart
This has vanilla Chantilly with chocolate garnish. It wasn’t too heavy at all nor was it too sweet. Just the perfect balance.
Cauldron Mousse
This has ube mousse with mascarpone whipped cream. Yet again good balance of sweetness and ube flavour in this treat. Plus it looks really cute.
Muggles Book of Magic
The detail of the book and sorting hat is stunning! It is made mostly with baumkuchen cake, a German pastry. Very delicious.
Hogwarts’ Acceptance Letter Sugar Cookie and Harry Potter Sugar Cookie
These look very cute and gave it the Harry Potter vibes but the icing on the sugar cookie is hard and a tad thick.
Magic Wand
This is a chocolate covered cookie stick. Imagine Pocky but tastier. We did feel like the candies and sprinkles did takeaway from the overall taste.
Savoury
To balance out the sweets, savoury treats are an important part of the set. I personally love savouries, so bring it on.
Pretzel & Cheese Broomstick
The cute broom stick is made with Havarti cheese and Chives. Very creative. Wouldn’t have thought it would look great but it does.
British Sausage Roll
You can eat the sausage roll in a bite or 2. Very simple.
Smoked Chicken Tea Sandwich
This was essentially a chicken salad sandwich. Pretty standard.
Steak and Guinness Pie
This is definitely more Irish, but this is a similar item sold at Universal Studios at the Leaky Cauldron inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter area. It’s a 2 bite pie that works for in an afternoon tea set.
Mrs. Sprout’s Pasty
This is a British style crispy pocket with seasonal vegetables. Crisp on the outside and stuffed with the delicious vegetables.
Ron’s Chicken Leg
They use a lemon honey garlic spice on the leg and it tasted home made and comforting. I would definitely recommend eating this right away as it will go cold and won’t be as enjoyable.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the School of Magic Afternoon Tea is very visually appealing and it great for any Harry Potter fan. There is a lot of creativity that goes into each item to reflect that theme and it’s not your cookie cutter cucumber sandwich and scones. They really put the effort in making this a fun experience.
As for the tastes of the sweets and savouries, items are hit and miss. We would recommend starting with the savouries first as they should be eaten warmer.
TWG Tea Salon & Boutique in Vancouver Moon Route Tea Mooncake Collection for the mid-Autumn festival, a harvest festival celebrated by the Chinese. It is usually celebrated eating mooncakes and having dinner with loved ones.
This year, TWG has several traditional mooncakes as well as snowskin mooncakes, which as infused with the luxurious TWG Teas.
You can find theses at TWG Tea Salon & Boutique in Vancouver from August 9 till September 13, 2019.
We were invited for a sneak peek of the Moon Route Tea Mooncake Collection.
Moon Route Tea
This tea pairs well with all the tea-infused traditional and snowskin mooncakes in the collection. This is a subtle and creamy blend of green tea and red fruits. It is accented by a sweet note of rare citrus which lingers on the palate.
Traditional Mooncakes
The traditional mooncakes are contemporary while maintaining the integrity of what a baked mooncake should be. These are more dense and sweeter than the snowskin mooncakes.
There are 4 types to this collection – Constellation, Jewel, Harvest, and Moonlight.
Constellation
This has a golden crust, a smooth and elegant brown lotus filling infused with Singapore Breakfast Tea. There is roasted melon seeds and an embedded salted egg yolk inside the filling. This was definitely the most classic out of the four types.
Jewel
This mooncakes has their Chocolate Tea infused in the brown lotus paste and sprinkled with chocolate chips and crumble. Then, it is wrapped in a baked chocolate crust.
Of the four traditional mooncakes, Jewel was our favourite. It was sweet and delicious. We loved how it has melted pieces of chocolate throughout the mooncake.
Harvest
This unique mooncake has a black crust with Mistral Tea and lemongrass infused white lotus filling, and strawberry almond paste centre.
Moonlight
The last traditional mooncake has white lotus paste infused with Matcha, and a Amarena cherry centre.
Snowskin Mooncakes
Snowskin mooncakes are a modern approach that appeals to the younger demographic. It makes for an icy cold dessert at the end of a meal.
There are also 4 types to this set – Pure, Blossom, Illumination, and Serenity.
Pure
This one has a white snowskin covering white lotus paste infused with Moon Route Tea and a lotus cream centre.
Blossom
This bright orange snowskin mooncake has Geisha Blossom Tea infused white lotus filling and a peach confit in a white chocolate centre.
We really enjoyed this one.
Illumination
This black mooncake has a brown lotus paste infused with Earl Grey Fortune and an orange lotus cream centre. We really enjoyed this too.
Serenity
This yellow snowskin mooncake has Lemon Bush Tea infused brown lotus filling and a centre of tangy lemon lotus cream.
Final Thoughts
The Moon Route Tea Mooncake Collection for Mid-Autumn Festival sets are perfect to give to family and friends to celebrate this great occasion. If you’re looking for something unique, this is it.
Of the eight mooncakes, we really enjoyed Jewel, Blossom, and Illumination.
Black Rice Izakaya is always innovating their menu and trying to use the freshest produce for the season. As it is now Summer, they’ve launched some new items to pair with the beautiful hot Vancouver weather.
We were invited to check out a few of these dishes.
Miso Ceviche
The miso ceviche is served with taro chips. It was a delicious dish that was fresh and light. The crisp texture of the taro chips paired well with the acidity of the ceviche.
Soy Chicken Karaage
This is Korean fried chicken and you can request it at different spice levels. We got mild and there was only a little spark of spice, so that was good for those who can’t handle spicy. The chicken is deep fried twice and its crisp and tastes great.
Ika Feast
The ika is cooked two ways – grilled and fried. The deep fried ika was delicious, which is essentially calamari. The grilled ika was very plump and grilled quite well so its tender with good depth of flavour. The sauces that accompany this dish was great to dunk into.
Spicy Cold Sashimi Soup
Spicy cold sashimi soup is Mul-hoi in Korean. It was served with sea bass today, but it can depend on Chef’s choice sashimi – The sea bass was so good as it was fresh and sweet. The soup base does have a kick of spice to it.
Pad Thai Yaki Soba
This is their version of Pad Thai and Yaki Soba combination. It leans more towards a Pad Thai, but with soba noodles. It was good but we still prefer the chew of Pad Thai noodles.
Final Thoughts
The new dishes as part of their Sumer menu is asian fusion for sure which is reminiscent of their other dishes on the menu. The dishes were food and worth a try and the sashimi is very fresh.
Who doesn’t love a good brunch. You can now get brunch atYew Seafood and Bar on the weekends from 11:30am – 2:30pm.
They recently launched their 3 course brunch deal, so you can try more items on the menu. Just add $20 to any brunch entree to receive an appetizer, dessert, and a coffee or juice. That is one awesome deal and you’ll end up feeling stuffed.
Their new revamped menu has a good variety and we were invited to check it out.
Mimosa
Brunch isn’t complete without a mimosa. A mix of freshly squeezed orange juice and champagne definitely gets the weekend started.
Latte
I had to get a latte too because I get very little sleep in between taking care of an infant and of course blogging, so I was in need of some caffeine.
Brioche French Toast
The brioche french toast comes with 3 pieces and topped with charred cinnamon syrup, and candied hazelnuts.
Gluten Free Pancakes
There are 3 pancakes on the plate topped with 70% Chocolate, Banana, and Peanut Butter Powder. A good portion size as an appetizer. I liked the darkness of the chocolate and it pairs so well with banana and the peanut butter powder.
Belgian Waffle
There are 2 cute little waffles with black pepper mascarpone, and cardamom honey candied lemon.
House Made Granola Parfait
This beautiful bowl has a base of Greek yoghurt, seasonal fruit compote, and fresh berries. It’s so good to get this now as raspberry, blueberries, and raspberries are in season. Very filling even though it is an appetizer.
Croque Madame
Between two slices of toast is the shaved ham, gruyere cheese, and topped with more gruyere cheese and a fried egg. It was served with fries to complete this entree. It was cheesy and delicious.
Crab Hash
There are two poached eggs, dungeness crab, roasted potatoes, wilted spinach, charred cherry tomatoes, Nduja, and a Mornay sauce. The egg was poached perfectly and was very soft. You can always request your eggs to be poached well if you don’t like it runny.
Southern Fried Chicken
This is served on a cornbread waffle, maple glaze, smoked onion aioli, and compressed jalapeño. The fried chicken was moist and crisp on the outside and the compressed jalapeño just gives it an added kick to the dish.
Pineapple Carpaccio
This a plate of thinly slices pineapples with crème fraîche sorbet, and caramalized rosemary.
Chocoholic
There is liquid chocolate mousse and Baileys ice cream. It’s like a trio of chocolate on this dish. Great for chocolate lovers and that mousse is pretty amazing.
Hidden Garden
Inside the glass is yogurt panna cotta, green tea sponge, chocolate soil, edible flower, and cherry smoke. This dessert is mesmerizing. There’s definitely a lot going on in this dessert.
YEW Hazelnut Rocher 2.0
This has praline Chocolate Mousse, Liquid Caramel, and Hazelnut Ice Cream Flambé. This dessert is so fun! It is set on fire! The dessert is definitely reminiscent of a Ferrero Rocher.
Final Thoughts
Brunch at Yew was pretty good and the prices are fair. It’s a killer deal that they have for the 3 course brunch and you’ll be leaving stuffed.
Yew has always delivered great meals that are west coast inspired and with lots of variety.
Showcase Restaurant inside the Vancouver Marriott Downtown has launched a new menu and concept. The menu offers new sharing plates which highlight everything local that is Vancouver. It features fresh, seasonal west coast flavours by Chef Westley Feist.
I’ve dined many times at Showcase restaurant and the food is solid.
Interior
There are lots of seats inside, a few booths, and a private room. They also take reservations too.
House Made Sourdough
The bread is cut up into slices and served with their rooftop bayleaf honey with whipped butter. Who knew honey and butter would go so well together. Very delicious!
Salt Roasted Beets and Burrata
This is served with frisée, sherry vinegar, olive oil, and cracked pepper. One of my favourite dishes of the evening. That burrata is so good and makes you not want to share it with the table.
Sous Vide Pork belly
It is paired with charred scallion purée, gai lan, sesame and chilli threads. The pork belly was tender and flavour, plus the purée worked really well with this dish.
Grilled Pacific Humbolt Squid
It is served with romesco sauce, watercress, fennel, charred lemon vinaigrette, and pine nuts. The squid was tender and easy to chew apart.
Seared Oceanwise Scallops
The scallops were served with ajo blanco, caramelized cauliflower, and Calabrian chili. The scallops were seared nicely and the caramelized cauliflower was tasty.
Haida Gwaii Halibut
The halibut sits on top of ricotta gnocchi, Sole Food Street farms veggies, herb vinaigrette, and crispy onions. It was good to see different textures in this dish but I did feel like the halibut was a bit dry.
16 oz Ribeye Steak
They steak has peppercorn jus, cipollini onions, and puffed beef tendon. I think this was cooked medium, but I would have preferred medium rare. The puffed beef tendon was a nice addition to the dish for added texture.
Oven Roasted Baby Carrots
The carrots have a gochujang mirin glaze, hazelnuts, and topped with Barnston Island peashoots. A good sharing plate to make sure everyone gets some tasty carrots.
Glazed Japanese Eggplant
The eggplant is paired with soy butter, crispy shallots, and sambal sauce.
Japanese Cotton Cheese Cake
To finish off the night, this fluffy cheese cake has pink grapefruit, yogurt cremeux, and white chocolate puffed rice. I was surprised to see this on the menu but it was good.
Strawberry + Rhubarb Caramelized Puff Pastry
This has pickled rhubarb, strawberry puree, and vanilla whipped cream as well. I didn’t take a liking to this as the strawberries were quite tart.
Final Thoughts
I love the transformation of the menu and the dishes are more sharable, so you can do it family style and try a bit of everything rather than having the traditional plate to yourself.
My favourites were the Salt Roasted Beets and Burrata, Seared Oceanwise Scallops, Grilled Pacific Humbolt Squid, and Sous Vide Pork belly.
Roasted Lamb: smoked berry salsa, huitlacoche tortilla served by el Santo
Brewery and The Beast is back for 2019 and it is essentially a sustainable meat festival, where you can eat and drink to your hearts content. The focus of the festival is food sustainability. Their aim is to educate and inform guests of the importance of being a conscientious consumer.
By knowing where your food comes from, and where they can be purchased, it helps empower more people to asked crucial questions about what they’re eating. Brewery and The Beast wants to keep our local and regional food systems thriving while continually supporting the local restaurant and food & beverage industry.
This year, Brewery and The Beast was sold out in 10 minutes! It was the hottest ticket in town. As the ticket is inclusive of all drinks and food, it’s a great afternoon spent outdoors.
We were invited this year to check out Brewery and The Beast and see some of the new additions.
Confit Pork Jowl: baby Yorkshire pudding, Granny Smith apple sauce, Green Hill Cider jus served by The Cascade Room
Eat + Drink
There was so much to eat and drink!! The menu was revealed on the website a day before and I was shooook. There was about 74 items or so. 3 hours to eat 74 items would be very impressive if someone actually finished all that.
Pork and Octopus Kushiyaki: pickled sole food vegetables, Sichuan chili oil served by Showcase Restaurant
Everywhere we went, there were grills on high with meat sizzling away. The aroma was just intoxicating and smelled so good.
Backribs by Two Rivers Specialty Meats
Every bite was really delicious and there was a lot of variety. From ribs, to tacos, to sliders, and a lot more.
Beef Kabob: tabbouleh Butter, pickled turnips served by Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts
The line ups were long at some stalls, but it went by very quickly. Our strategy was to go to one booth, grab the food, and then eat it in line at the next booth.
Pork Jowl Kushiyaki: charcoal and gochujang sauce, crispy shallots and cilantro gremolata served by PidGin
You can find Vancouver’s best chefs at Brewery and the Beast. So many familiar faces if you follow the scene.
Porchetta with ember roasted potatoes & salsa verde by Chef Bruce Kalman
Besides consuming food, it was fun watching all the chefs crafting up something tasty. A lot of meat just roasting away. I was mesmerized by it all.
Pulled Rotisserie Chicken Taco: served by H2 Rotisserie & BarTexas Brisket: coleslaw, homemade pickles and St Louis ribs served by The Yale SaloonCrispy Chicken Skin Double Down: jalapeño queso, pickles, shredded lettuce, fancy sauce served by Juke Fried ChickenHoney Harissa Chicken Hearts: black pepper ranch served by Homer Street Cafe and Bar
In the hot hot sun, we needed to cool off and there were many ways to do so. There were shaded area, a misting area, but there were some other stations serving up drinks and desserts.
Ice Cream Sandwiches served by Mister Artisan Ice CreamCold Brew by Oughtred CoffeeVanilla Ice Cream, Maple, Double Smoked Bacon & Walnut Granola: served by Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship FoundationFresh Local Fruit : served by BerryMobile Fruit Distribution, Inc.
Halibut over Fire
Chef Charlotte Langley was on-site cooking entire BC and MSC-certified halibut over a live fire – a first for this previously meat-centric festival. There is more than just beef and pork at this festival.
At the Whole Foods booth, they made halibut tacos with fresh salsa with the large fish that was cooked by the open fire.
Duck Giblet Yakitori: heart, gizzard, liver, leeks served by Ugly Dumpling
Get your Grill on
If you walk about some of the booths, there are a few grills that are actually up for sale and used once just for the festival.
Grilled Beef Cheek: bing cherry chimichurri served by Burdock & Co. Restaurant
The Kerrisdale Lumber and Co. was on site showing off the Napoleon Pro Cart Grill and Napoleon Prestige 500 Stainless Steel use at Brewery and the Beast. You can even purchase the ones used in the festival for a great discount. Perhaps you can create some of your favourite items on these.
Shopping
If you wanted to do some shopping, Brewery and the Beast has a bunch of merchandise that can be picked up like their branded T-Shirt and Cups.
Filson, a top mens’ retailer had their pop up shop with some really nice items.
The Electric Timber Company is a collective of musicians brought together by myriad musical influences, from roots and rock to blues and bluegrass. Along with other guests, they kept the crowd entertained.
As we needed to escape the sun for a little bit, we listened to the tunes and enjoyed some beer and meats.
Roasted Leg of Lamb Slider: graham masala cauliflower slaw, fluffy sesame bun served by Timber
Final Thoughts
It was a really fun day and I enjoyed it with my friends drinking and eating. You get a lot for the price you pay for, so spent the entire 3 hours here and just eat away at all the food stalls if you can.
Grilled Octopus and Sausage: served by La Quercia
Keep an eye out on social media or join their mailing list to see when tickets come out for 2020. It’s definitely an event you don’t want to miss. You definitely want to act fast so you won’t be disappointed.
I have been very impressed by the Afternoon Tea sets created by Fumiko Moreton at The Trump Champagne Lounge . Every time they come up with a new tea set, I am just in awe at how creative they can get. I’ve been to a lot of afternoon teas in Vancouver and you can definitely return here without getting bored.
For their Picnic Inspired Afternoon Tea set, instead of the usual 3 tiered tower, it is served on a custom made picnic bench that holds all the sweet and savoury treats.
The Summer Picnic Afternoon Tea set is $65 per person and available as of Monday, July 22nd, 2019.
Tea Selections
The menu has a selection of black teas, Red Teas, Green Tea and Herbal Teas. There are sugar sticks and cream on the table to mix it however you like.
Scones
The Scones that come with the set are:
Peach Pie Crumble Scone
Chopped Chili and Sweet Corn Pinwheel Scone
Matcha Scone
The scones are accompanied with homemade clotted cream, lemon curd, and a strawberry & rhubarb jam.
I like the variety of scones with different flavours. My favourite was the chopped chili and sweet corn pinwheel scone. It doesn’t go with the condiments as it is good on its own.
Cucumber Lemon Tea Sandwich
Savoury Selections
My favourites are always the savouries in an afternoon tea set.
Cucumber Lemon Tea Sandwich
Deep Fried Oyster with tartare sauce
Watermelon and feta salad
Seven Layer Dip with Tortilla Chips
Chicken Karaage Skewer
My favourites were the Cucumber Lemon Tea Sandwich, Chicken Karaage Skewer and the deep fried oyster.
Seven Layer Dip with Tortilla ChipsChicken Karaage SkewerDeep Fried Oyster with tartare sauceWatermelon and feta saladFlamingo Meringue Pop and Pineapple Cookie Pop
Sweet Desserts
The items here will satisfy your sweet tooth and I love how creative each item is. You won’t find these is any other afternoon set in town.
BC Fruits ‘Sandwich’ Cake
Pina Colada Mousse
Carrot Cake Slider
Fresh Cream Eclair ‘Dog’
Clam Shell Meringue Macaron with Pearl
Flamingo Meringue Pop
Pineapple Cookie Pop
I was really impressed by these items. Fumiko Moreton is so talented, I’m always in awe. The BC Fruit ‘Sandwich’ Cake reminded me of a Japanese Roll Cake and it was just perfect. The Carrot Cake Slider was good and moist, plus I love how it was transformed into a slider. The Clam Shell Meringue Macaron had a great mouthfeel and texture too.
If you want to be a little bit over the top, you can get the Picnic Afternoon Tea served in a cage with a glass of champagne, and a special dessert box for $118. A bit pricey, but good for those who really want to impress.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I really enjoyed the Summer Picnic theme for their afternoon tea. All the items were crafted well and worked with the picnic theme.
For $65 per person, it’s not a bad price at all and it’s unique compared to the other afternoon tea sets in Vancouver. I highly recommend it!
Bovine Rice Bowls has been hiding in Downtown Vancouver serving up Pan-Asian rice bowls. I work Downtown and I can’t believe I haven’t heard of this place until now. They have been around for the past year and their 1 year anniversary is coming up in a few days.
They pride themselves of using great local ingredients and striking up partnerships with companies like Fife Bakery and Food Peddlers to name a few.
Interior
They are a counter-service restaurant with sit-down and take-out lunch service on weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The space is very small, but there are a few seats inside and outside. Most people grab their items to go.
Steak Bowl
Each piece of steak is draped over white rice and finished with different sauces, onsen egg and greens. A hearty bowl of steak, egg and rice where you can’t go wrong at all. It’s comforting and the flavours hit the spot.
Roast Beef Bowl
The delicious and tender roast beef sits on top of rice and topped with green, sauce, and an onsen egg. Each bite I had, I really enjoyed.
Just look at that roast beef, it’s beautiful. The ratio of meat and rice was good too.
Signature Garden
This is their vegetarian option and I was pleasantly surprised by this dish. This has a rotating blend of fresh veggies including crispy cauliflower, yam, baby potatoes, carrots, green beans, eggplant and tofu over a rich Japanese curry.
Their curry sauce is just so good and the different textures of the crisp tofu and veggies work very well. If this can impress a meat eater, it’s pretty darn good.
Rotating Specials: Creole Jambalaya
They have rotating specials as the 4th item on the menu. Last week it was the Creole Jambalaya with slow roasted chicken, andouille sausage and shrimp. The sauce has a bit of a kick of spice, shrimp was large and plump too.
Roast Beef Sandwich
This is specially launched for their one year anniversary and only available until quantities last. To thank customers for a successful first year, the first 30 customers at the restaurant on Wednesday, June 26 will receive a free Roast Beef Sandwich, no purchase necessary. To continue the anniversary celebrations, the sandwich will be offered at 50% off ($6) between Wednesday, June 26, to Friday, June 28 until supplies last.
This sandwich has slow-roasted Canadian Ribeye, fried free-range egg, caramelized onion jam, horseradish kewpie, fresh cucumber, pickled watermelon radish, sunflower sprouts, Japanese-style milk bread by Fife Bakery) served alongside kettle chips for $12.
I took one bite of this and loved it! The texture and the flavours go so well together. You can really taste the quality of the ingredients inside. I hope they bring this back permanently because this was so good.
Final Thoughts
Overall, their menu is refined and only has a few items so its great for those who are indecisive. All the items I really enjoyed, but my top favourites is the Roast Beef Sandwich and the Signature Garden. They are my favourites as they were the most surprising to me. The steak and the roast beef bowls were great too.
This is Asian comfort food. Simple, yet well executed. A great hidden spot to grab a lunch in Downtown, Vancouver. Highly recommended.
Address: 1050 W Pender St unit #118, Vancouver, BC
