International Archives

In Chinatown

Okanagan Spring Brewmasters Dinner at Mamie Taylor’s

May 31, 2015

I had the pleasure of being invited to the Okanagan Spring Brewmaster’s Dinner at Mamie Taylors a few days ago. The event celebrates the start of Vancouver Craft Beer Week and the launch of Okanagan Spring’s new Sonder Hefeweizen.

As a beer lover, I’m always intrigued by the different pairings with food and how it can transform a dish.

Okanagan Spring brewmaster Stefan Tobler along with Chef Tobias Grignon from Mamie Taylor’s walked us through the 4 course meal.

At our table setting, we had the menu, a bottle opener, and some glasses.

Beer Caesar was the first drink that came to all the tables, it uses Okanagan Spring 1516 Bavarian Lager as it’s base. I’ve never had a caesar with beer before, but it definitely adds a light crisp finish to the end of your sip.

Okanagan Spring Pale Ale is my absolute favourite beer! It’s clear and copper coloured, it is fruity on the palate and hearty in hops with a nice, round finish. It’s very light and fruity, so thats why I enjoy it.

They paired the Pale Ale with a Tuna Smokie with fennelkraut and dijonaise. Beer and Hot Dogs go together duh! The flavour of the tuna smokie was phenomenal and that bun had great texture.

Okanagan Spring Sounder Hefeweizen is their newest beer. It is natural, unfiltered and crisp. The golden coloured German-style wheat beer is made with a unique yeast strain that gives it a malty aroma and subtle banana-clove flavours with a dry, yet refreshing finish.

Cornmeal fried rock fish with cajun spices, orange, fennel, parsley and old bay aioli. The rock fish really crispy on the outside and then the meat was quite dense but still a tad juicy.

Okanagan Spring Cloudy Amber Ale starts with a floral, hoppy taste followed by caramel malt tones, making it a well-balanced brew. It is a hazy deep amber colour and kept unfiltered for a unique cloud on the pour.

I found this beer to be quite strong and hoppy. It’s not the typical beer I would normally drink.

Slow Roasted Porchetta with roasted apples, polenta, and a olive & herb puree. I found the porchetta quite dry, but the polenta and the puree were very enjoyable. Plus, the skin on the porchetta was so crunchy and enjoyable.

Okanagan Spring Porter has a rich, full flavour. It is nearly black in colour with a creamy head and a nose reminiscent of a dry stout. Not for the faint of heart, this is a beer for dark beer lovers. It has a slight chocolate tasting finish to the beer.

Brown Sugar Cake with a custard made with Okanagan Spring Porter. I love brown sugar cake and such a sweet dessert goes well with a dark beer.

With all the beers I’ve tasted tonight, my top 2 favourites are Pale Ale and Porter.

Overall, it was a great event to meet other beer lovers out in Vancouver and try the different varieties of beer that Okanagan Spring produces. It was a great way to start Vancouver Craft Beer Week ( May 29th till June 7th).

Foodology Disclaimer: I was invited by a PR agency to attend the event with a few other bloggers. The service and food is not representative of their usual dining experience since it was a special event.

Website: http://okspring.com/

In Downtown

Mosaic Grille: Spring 2015 Menu

May 23, 2015

It’s Spring time and slowly going into the Summer season. With the amazing weather we are having in Vancouver, I needed a chance to catch up with Wongers and enjoy the new menu from Mosaic.

Their menu constantly changes and I don’t think I’ve never seen a restaurant so dedicated to fresh produce than these guys. You can probably come back in a few months and the menu will be revamped again. With the amazing Chef Jo Ong, she really makes this happen to create their signature items on the menu that are in season.

Coal Harbour ‘311’ Helles Lager ($6) is a German style lager brewed in the tradition of the Helles style of the Munich brewers. It is a light, straw coloured lager made in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot purity law of 1516. With 100% malted barley and German hops.

The staff recommended this beer as it is the lightest beer they have with fruity notes.

Gin & Tonic is what Wongers ordered, but she was a tad disappointed that they didn’t have the array of cocktails as Grain Tasting Bar, just downstairs from Mosaic. If you are ever at Grain, she would highly recommend the House -made Gin & Tonic, which uses Wallflower Gin, Simple Syrup and Cucumber. It’s probably the simple syrup that adds a new dimension to the drink.

You are served biscuits prior to the meal. These were cheddar and chive biscuits which are always a treat.

Roberts Creek Dungeness Crab from Barnston Island is served with greens, avocado, Okanagan Apple, and fennel pollen. The crab taste is quite subtle and can get a bit buried in the sweet apples. The dish tastes quite clean and could use a little bit more seasoning to make the crab pop more.

BC Spot Prawns is served with foraged miners lettuce, wild watercress, mixed radish, nasturtium, and green garlic. The Spot Prawns were plump and seasoned with butter and garlic. Very flavourful and it does mask the delicate sweet taste of the prawns.

Haida Gwaii Weathervane Scallops are beautiful! It is served with pickled garlic scape, salsify, and preserved meyer lemon. The scallops are huge, plump and flavourful. One of our favourite dishes of the night.

Squid Ink Bucatini Pasta is served with razor clam, charred octopus, peas, nduja sausage and fiddlehead fern. It was a well balanced dish and I loved the amount of spice that oozed from the nduja.

Queen Charlotte Sable Fish is served with fingerling potato, sugar snap peas and pickled wild spring onion. The sable fish is cooked very well. It has a nice crust on the outside while the rest of the meat just falls apart. Very good! Another favourite!

Peace Country Lamb is served with fava beans, mint, stinging nettle gnocchi, and pea shoots. The lamb was cooked to a beautiful medium rare.

The New York Cheesecake was quite dense and crumbly when you cut into it. It is also served with strawberries, rhubarb, mint and chocolate granola. The dessert was ok, but not the best.

Deconstructed Lemon Meringue Pie was an interesting take on the dessert. I wasn’t a big fan of the dessert since I don’t like marshmallows or lemon. Wongers ate more of this dish than I did.

Overall, they did utilize fresh ingredients that were in season. I always love how they use unique ingredients that I would never eat on a normal basis. My favourite items were the spot prawn salad, scallops, lamb, and Sable Fish. All their entrees are pretty top notch.

We Rate Mosaic:

Address:
655 Burrard St
Vancouver, BC

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

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

In Brunch

The Drake Hotel: Amazing Scones in Toronto

May 31, 2014

I was meeting up with BaguetteGirl and her other half in Toronto and they took me to The Drake Hotel to eat some brunch.

The brunch menu is available on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am till 4pm. Whether you are an early riser or wake up past 12, you will make it on time for brunch.

Coffee ($2.95) is a must in the morning.

Warm Scone Plate ($9.50) has the scones, fresh berries, preserves, and cream. These were some awesome scones! It was crispy on the outside and a bit warm and fluffy on the inside. Probably the best scones I’ve ever had.

Southern Fried Chicken + Waffle ($15.95) has an herb waffle, Niagara cherry jam, crème fraîche and maple syrup. I found the cherry jam to be quit sour so it didn’t compliment the chicken or the waffles. The waffle was soggy but the chicken was really delicious and moist.

Caleb Eggs Benny ($15.95) has house smoked salmon, 2 poached eggs, hollandaise sauce on arugula and a poppy-seed bagel. It is also served with home fries.

Drake Rancheros ($13.95) has 2 poached eggs under the tomato braised beans, arugula and feta. It’s served with crispy tostada, salsa and sour cream.

Overall, it’s a pretty cool place to just hang out for brunch. The hotel has a young vibe and the food is pretty good especially their scones.

We Rate The Drake Hotel:

Address:
1150 Queen St W
Toronto ON

Website:
http://www.thedrakehotel.ca/

In All You Can Eat

Bacchanal Buffet: Awesome Buffet in Las Vegas

April 23, 2014

Bacchanal Buffet in Caesars Palace is The Strip’s newest buffet. It was named Best Buffet in Las Vegas by USA Today, Las Vegas Review Journal and Las Vegas Weekly. They are heavily advertising all over The Strip and it’s very hard to miss.

They have over 500 items available and once you step inside, you will actually believe it. There’s a long line up, so when we arrived at 5:30pm, we were the last people they let line up. After that, everyone else makes electronic reservations and come back a few hours later. We waited about 45 minutes until we got seated. Even if you have a reservation, you will still be waiting.

If you are a fan of buffets, it’s definitely worth the wait. It costs $50 for the dinner buffet.

The dining is very nice. There’s tons of table inside.

When we got our table, the staff was nice enough to give us a quick tour of where everything was located. We were very amazed by the size of the buffet.

They have a mini juice bar. There’s horchata, grapefruit juice, and some other weird flavours. It was a cool concept but most of the drinks tasted bad.

Included in the buffet price are the usual tea, pop and juice. Orange juice..apple juice…the usual.

The seafood section was the first place where we gravitated towards. It’s where you get your moneys worth! Seafood! These ones are chilled crab legs.

You can alternatively get hot steamed crab legs in the back section of the buffet. They give you a plate full of them.

There are mussels! They were beautifully presented.

Piles of shrimp!

I couldn’t say not to shrimp, so i got some. There are also oyster shooters in a red sauce.

Oyster and mussels. They were ok, but not very fresh, which is expected because they don’t have an ocean nearby.

Ceviche comes in small shot glasses. It didn’t taste very good. Crab gaspacho was the orange item in the shot glass.

Crawfish were there too. It looked spicy, but thats just the colour of their shells. The size of them were a tad small.

All that bread! All those carbs.

A good amount of cheese selection.

Of course, there is also a lot of cured meats. So good.

Feeling like asian food? They have dim sum and a few noodles, rice and soup items.

Even congee with chinese donut. It was pretty decent.

The meat section was beautiful, you can ask for ribs, beef brisket, sausages, ribs, etc. They have a wide variety to order.

There’s also a bunch of sides too. A lot more than this image.

Fried chicken comes in cute little baskets and there are hot dogs and sliders.

There’s scallops, fish, and some veggies.

Beef Brisket, ribs, prime rib and some mac and cheese.

It was so good my other sister got the same thing.

The mains are pretty good, but the dessert has its own selection and boy….there are a lot of choices.

Cake pops look cute.

Panna Cotta and cheese cake.

Macarons, cookies, and some other things.

Lots of cupcakes to choose from too.

Rows of panna cotta and custard. The caramel custard was pretty damn good.

Gelato and ice cream.

There’s so much dessert.

Chocolate covered Long steamed strawberries are a must!!!

There’s a shaved ice station too.

Crepe station and you can top it with whatever you want. Your sweet tooth will love you.

Strawberries, chocolate lava cake and the mochi ice cream.

Macarons, tarts, ice cream and more strawberries.

Shaved ice, strawberry, chocolate, cake and mango pudding.

Overall, it’s a pretty good buffet with LOTS of selection. Pretty decent quality.

Afterwards, we walked to Bellagio to look at the fountain.

We Rate Bacchanal Buffet:

Address:
3570 Las Vegas Boulevard S
Las Vegas, NV

Website:
http://www.caesarspalace.com/restaurants/bacchanal-buffet.html

In Buffet

The Buffet at the River Rock

July 22, 2013

The Buffet at the River Rock Casino is located on the second floor of the building. Every night of the week they have “themed nights” where they feature certain types of food. My mom loves buffets, so she was just itching to come here.

We came here on a Thursday night and the theme was Memphis BBQ Night. They feature ribs, fried catfish, pulled pork and pies.

Dinner begins at 5pm and costs $24.95 for adults, $21.95 for seniors , and $12.50 for kids. You pay for the buffet before being seated.

There are 260 seats in the restaurant, so you can go in really large groups if you like.

The buffet isn’t very large when you go inside. I thought there would be more choices…but there really wasn’t.

There’s a salad bar in the middle with lots of greens to choose from and the toppings to go on your salad. Everything was pretty typical and not too exciting.

There’s also a section of Chinese food… from wonton soup to deep-fried tofu.

Another section made more heartier items to choose from like curry beans, noodles, etc.

The popular items for the night – BBQ ribs, BBQ chicken, and pulled pork was in another section under heat lamps and being served by staff.

The dessert section had fruits with fondue.

It also had other sweeter items to go with the fondue.

Of course there was cake too. A few varieties of cake but a lot of them looked really sweet.

The pop and juice are self-serve but alternatively the waitress can grab you a drink at your table. There’s also coffee, tea and water that you can ask for. The servers are very nice and attentive.

There is an ice cream machine and you can create your own cones. The machine can make vanilla and chocolate…or ever a twist cone!! This machine is a favourite among kids.

A lot of the food here was ok, but the featured items of the night like the ribs and BBQ chicken were very juicy and flavourful.

The beef brisket and the deep-fried catfish were alright as well. The brisket was pretty dry on its own, so you really need that gravy.

I had an addiction for the mushrooms and their chicken. The wonton soup was alright.

The desserts were ok, but the only item that I genuinely liked was the cheesecake.

Overall, I felt underwhelmed about the variety of food here. The quality was ok but I wasn’t very impressed. For $25, I might as well eat a meal somewhere else. I probably wouldn’t return again. Our buffets in Vancouver can’t really compare to the ones in the united states.

We Rate The Buffet at the River Rock:

Address:
8811 River Rd
Richmond, BC

Website:
http://www.riverrock.com/dining/the-buffet.aspx

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=8811+River+Rd,+Richmond,+BC&sll=49.2399859,-122.95816940000002&sspn=0.1721632379598321,0.3516140337636478&t=m&dg=opt&hnear=8811+River+Rd,+Richmond,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia&z=16″]

In International

Eight and a Half Lounge: Dining Package Review

February 20, 2013

Eight and a Half is a lounge on Main and 8th. I came here a while ago for brunch, but haven’t been here for dinner yet.

Right now they are doing a dining package with Vaneats.ca, where you pay $15 for a flight of beer, an appetizer and a pizza. Not bad actually. I was browsing through the menu and you save about $10 or $15 dollars. I came here with M and Scarface to try the package and order a few items on the side.

The interior is loungey and has a large bar.

The flight of beer arrived featuring 2 types of Stanley Park Brewery’s beer.

The first 2, which are lighter in color is the Amber, which has a cleaner finish when you drink it. You don’t taste a lot of the hops either.

The other 2 darker beers is the Bruns. The flavour profile is supposed to contain distinctive dried fruit aromatics, complex chocolate, roasted nut and malt biscuit. I’m not a beer expert, but it paired nicely with the food.

Dungeness Crab Cakes is served with lemony yogurt, avocados, and arugula. This is a badass crab cake. Really good and there wasn’t a lot of filler that went into it. You could taste all the meat!

The other options for the package is the tortilla soup or the Baked Brie.

For our pizza, we chose the Wild Smoked Salmon thin crust pizza. It is topped with BC smoked salmon, creamy dill, capers, red onion, and craisins. Any bite that you get the smoked salmon is pretty awesome. We really didn’t like the crasins in this pizza because once its cooked in the oven, the crasins get very hard. For some reason, we were charged an extra dollar and a few cents for this choice. I’m not really sure why, but I’m not the type to argue.

When we finished the package, we were still hungry, so we ordered a few more items to complete the meal.

Steak Bites ($9.50) are gluten free, but I guess you can tell since there isn’t just meat and a salad. The steak bites were marinated in a chili rub and done to medium rare. It is accompanies by a creamy parmesan dip. The steak was very pepper and over spiced.

When we saw that the baked brie was part of the package, we knew we wanted it, but we could only choose one appetizer. So we ordered it separately.

Baked Brie ($8.50) is so amazing! It’s a filo wrapped brie with the sweetness of honey. When you cut into the brie, it just oozes out. Once you get it onto the bread, it’s just fantastic. We all loved this and you can’t say no to yummy cheese…unless your lactose intolerant.

Pacific Bacon Sliders ($12.50) contain mini beef patties, alder smoked bacon, pacific pepper cheddar, Dijon aioli, fresh corn salsa, tomatoes and pickles. Pretty good sliders.

Overall, the food was good, but not crazy amazing. By being able to use the use the dining package and ordering off the regular menu, I would definitely recommend getting the package because you save a good amount of money. Our regular items excluding the dining package items came to about $37 for 3 appetizers.

We Rate Eight and a Half Lounge:

Address:
151 E 8th Ave
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.eightandahalf.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=151+E+8th+Ave+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=151+E+8th+Ave,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5T+1R8&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In American

Joeys Burnaby: Ahi Tuna Deliciousness

January 17, 2013

I got a lovely email from Joeys with a $50 gift card for the holidays. A nice surprise, so I decided to have dinner with ShyGirl. Joeys has come a long way and I remember a time when they only had one location in Coquitlam. Super addictive place! That was probably 5 or 6 years ago.

I always wanted to try having dinner here and see how the menu has evolved. Joeys Burnaby location is in the old location of Shark Club near Brentwood Mall.

The location is quite nice and their menu has slowly evolved over the years. It’s definitely funny to see sushi on the menu.

Sapporo ($6) is a beer that I must have and it’s on tap too! It’s light and crisp.

Ahi Tuna Tacos ($12) has seared tuna, toasted sesame ginger coleslaw & wasabi aioli. It’s not spicy at all. It tasted great and the sesame and tuna is a perfect match. I’d definitely recommend this item, but it can be a tad expensive.

Sashimi Tuna Salad ($17.50) has seared rare ahi, mixed greens, mango, peanuts, avocado & cilantro mint lime dressing. I had no idea what to expect from the salad but when it arrived at the table, it was SO pretty. I really didn’t want to eat it since it looked like art.

After staring at it for a long time, I dug in and the flavours were really good. But for $17.50, it was an expensive salad!

Rotisserie Chicken ($22) comes with its natural juices, dirty rice & seasonal vegetables.

Overall, the food was delicious and presented nicely on the plate, but it sure is quite expensive. You still get a great meal and the service is great as well. There is free valet parking in the parkade too.

We Rate Joeys Burnaby:

Address:
1899 Rosser Ave S
Burnaby, BC

Website:
http://www.joeyrestaurants.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=1899+Rosser+Ave+S+Burnaby,+BC&hnear=1899+Rosser+Ave,+Burnaby,+British+Columbia+V5C+6R5&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Culinary School

JJs Restaurant: Hidden Gem in Downtown For Lunch

May 6, 2012

JJ’s Restaurant is located in the Vancouver Community College’s Downtown Campus. They are open for both lunch and dinner. The restaurant gives their culinary students real experience with dealing with paying customers. The students do rotations so they get to experience how the back and the front of the house works.

On my very last day of work, I came here with a few coworkers to dine here. The menu is always great and affordable.

Complementary bread arrives at the table and you get a few varieties too.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad ($4) is always awesome to order if you love shrimps and avocados. Plus, it just looks so gorgeous. It’s highly recommended!

Charred Vancouver Island Octopus, chorizo and chick pea stew ($4) was quite enjoyable if you love an appetizer that is a bit hearty. It’s a good size for an appetizer too so you will still have room for your entrée.

Salmon, Prawn and Scallion cake ($4) comes with Thai lemongrass sauce.

Fragrant green Thai curry with chicken, basmati rice and mango chutney ($9) it also comes with a papadam cracker on the side too.

Lamb Cooked two ways ($10) has slow cooked leg of lamb and pan roasted loin with rosemary jus. It also has vegetables and a phyllo wrapped mashed potatoes. My coworker liked everything except for the orange looking thing.

Artichoke and Wild Mushroom Bolognaise ($8.50) has Tagliatelle Pasta that is a broader type of noodle. This is a vegetarian dish, but it’s so savory and delicious that you won’t realize it’s missing any meat.

Overall, this dining experience was good, I highly recommend it if you want something super delicious that won’t break your wallet. It’s a great place for office lunches.

Words of Wisdom:

Lunch is also super affordable!
Closest Skytrain – Stadium
Under $10
You’re missing out if you don’t visit this place!
Make reservations especially during the holidays!

We rate JJ’s Restaurant:

Address:
250 W Pender St
Vancouver, BC

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In Dineout

C Restaurant: Dine Out Vancouver

January 25, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: I was invited by a PR firm to try out C Restaurant’s Dine Out menu. This review does not guarantee 100% similar service you might normally get from this restaurant.

I’ve been to C Restaurant about a year ago with my parents and I thought the meal was really well executed and service was great. I actually never got around to writing about it, so I’ll use some of that past experience as a reference point.

For Dine Out Vancouver, they are offering up a 4-course meal for $38 with options to upgrade if you want. Considering their regular entrees can be around $30, you are getting your moneys worth. It’s a great way to try their different dishes without breaking your wallet too much.

Since I came with a few others (Alvin Lee , Stephanie Yuen, Shermans Food Adventures, Van Foodies, and GourmetFury), do check out their amazing blogs and perhaps they will have some different perspectives about the Dine Out menu.

There are seats upstairs and downstairs. The view of the main dining room gives you a good look at Granville Island and False Creek. Its gorgeous during the Summer time and a bit romantic at night.

This is the type of view that you will see, but depending at where you sit, you’ll probably see fewer boats.

Amuse Bouche is some finger food that comes before the appetizer. Depending on how many people you have at the table, this will probably vary. On the table we had seared tuna, prawns, quail egg, beets and a smoked salmon cannelloni.

My favorite was actually the smoked salmon cannelloni since the flavours went so well together. Kinda like a Philadelphia roll, but with the salmon and cream cheese.

Here’s a closer shot of them! Who could resist taking a bite out of these little cute things?

There is also some bread and butter.

VQA Wine Parings (+$26) If you are a wine lover, you might want to indulge in this. If you’re not, you probably wouldn’t want this addition. You get 4 pairing to go with the 4 courses.

North Arm Farms Beet Panzanella Salad also has harissa dressing and shaved ricotta salata. I never eat beets, but it tasted good. I wasn’t a big fan of the 2 croutons on the plate since it tasted a bit stale to me.

Sauteed Spot Prawns (+$9) if you don’t feel like having the beet salad, you can get this option for $9 more. The prawns were delicious, but I felt that the romesco sauce and the kale were quite salty.

Seared Albacore Tuna with winter minestrone, parmesan and topped with a crisp basil.

I really loved the tuna since it was beautifully seared on the outside and really delicate on the inside. It was a tad small, but with C Restaurant, you do get 4 courses, so you will be full at the end.

Seared Lake Babine Salmon comes with a squash puree on the bottom with brussel sprouts and on top there is an almond tapenade. The salmon was jaw droppingly good! I usually hate cooked salmon, but since it was just seared, you do get the amazing natural flavours of the salmon. The squash puree has cinnamon spices in it, so at first it did taste a bit odd. Later on it kept bringing me memories of eating cinnamon pancakes.

Roasted Beef Tenderloin (+$12) has walnut polenta, tarragon butter, portobello mushrooms and the beef drippings. The beef was really tender and was a very good meat dish. You do have to add extra money, but if you do have more money to spend, you can go for this option.

Spiced Chocolate Pudding has vanilla chantilly (like whipped cream) with crisp caramel puffed rice. The chocolate pudding has such a variety of spices that blended nicely together. I really enjoyed it.

Petit Fours is a sweet little bite sized treat at the end of the meal. You get a Lemon poppy-seed Biscotti.

Overall, it was a pretty solid Dine Out menu with good execution. You definitely get your moneys worth. If you dine here on a usual night, you’ll end up spending way more. If you are looking for seafood-type dishes, its good here.

Words of Wisdom:

Dine Out worth the $38 especially when the menu is quite flexible to add additional dishes or upgrade
If you aren’t doing Dine Out, these items are also on their regular dinner menu
Sustainable and local ingredients
Well executed fish dishes
Good Service

We Rate C Restaurant:

Address:

2-1600 Howe Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z

Website:
http://www.crestaurant.com/

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In Coquitlam

IKEA Restaurant: All About The Meatballs and Nothing More

January 2, 2012

There is more to IKEA than just Swedish furniture. They have a restaurant to chill at since the whole store is so large that their patrons might get hungry. They are most famous for their Swidish Meatballs and other cheap affordable dishes. It’s very kid friendly too.

Since we were watching a movie across the street, we thought it would be a good idea to stop by IKEA for some uber cheap eats. The holidays have left us all quite broke, so this is how we compensate.

They also serve alcohol, which is super awesome, but I didn’t feel like drinking in such a public place with other peoples children. They have Stella, Sleeman and white wine.
I guess this section is for the parents that need to relax a bit.

They also have these weird Swedish juice flavours – Dryck Flader and Dryck Lingon. I haven’t tried it yet, looked a bit creepy.

They also have some desserts, but trust me, do not get them!

Self Serve Pop can be added to your combo for I think $1… but I could be wrong. The lingonberry drink wasn’t that good and tasted like on odd version of cranberry.

10 meatballs ($2.99) comes with lingonberry sauce and your choice of mashed potatoes or fries. Its also topped off with gravy. For a $3 meal, I quite liked it! It filled me up and I was happy.

15 Meatballs ($3.99) looks so much more appealing than the 10 piece. just look how it fills up the plate. It’s a good choice if you want to eat lot and lots of meatballs.

Apple Pie was really horrible! Not even close to what a decent apple pie should taste like.

Overall, I think the best item are the meatballs. I think the staff don’t really cook anything except reheat food and serve it out. Thats why you can’t go wrong with the meatballs.

Words of Wisdom:

$1 Breakfast before 11am everyday
Really cheap meals under $5
Only get the meatballs to avoid disappointment
Bad service

We Rate IKEA:

Address:
1000 Lougheed Hwy
Coquitlam, BC V3K
Website:
http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_CA/IKEA_Food/restaurant.html

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In Culinary School

JJs Restaurant: Dining On A Budget

December 22, 2011

My coworkers and I went to JJ’s Restaurant in Vancouver Community College for our Christmas party. It’s really a perfect location since we work closely with all post secondary institutions. JJs is a great place since it’s cheap and a great learning experience for their culinary students.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad ($4)is one of my favorite items since I love shrimp. I’ve had it before and they’ve added an additional layer of coleslaw on the bottom. It worked really well since it added a unique texture to accompany the shrimp and avocados. On top is garnished with a cherry tomato that was skinned.

Some of us didn’t really like the addition of the cherry tomato because it felt a bit strange with the other flavours.

Lamb Cooked Two Ways($10) has Slow cooked leg of lamb and pan-roasted loin with rosemary jus. In addition, there was brussel sprouts, red cabbage, and mashed potatoes wrapped in phyllo pastry. I wasn’t in love with the pan roasted loin, but the slow cooked leg of lamb was very tender and flavourful. Overall, its still a pretty good dish. Price is awesome too.

Dark chocolate mousse with caramel espresso ice cream ($3) the mousse was nice and chocolatey and went really well with the ice cream. One of their awesome desserts. I did find the dessert a bit cake-like, but it still had the rich chocolate taste.

Overall, great lunch experience at a very affordable price! Sometimes the service is a bit strange, but remember they are all students that are learning. If you are on a budget and want some good food, this is the place to go.

Words of Wisdom: