The Peri Peri Shack recently opened up in 2020 on Kingsway and Fraser in Vancouver. They have been very popular since opening mostly for takeout and delivery. A lot of people will compare them to Nando’s or Barcelos.
We were invited to check out The Peri Peri Shack for their signature menu items and see how they compare to their competition.
They also offer catering options and they are planning to open more locations in Vancouver.
Interior
Most people do takeout and delivery, but if you want to dine in, you can. There are a few tables inside, but with Covid restrictions, it is 5 customers at a time. Do note, that this number will fluctuate as go through the pandemic. best to check with them to stay up to date on what they allow.
Safety Measures
They are committed to keeping staff and customers safe during this time. They are operating at reduced capacity to ensure physical distancing, sanitization, and regular cleaning.
This is their most popular dish! The chicken is marinated in their signature marinade for 24 hours & flamed grilled to perfection. It is served on a bed of Basmati spiced rice and topped with the sauce of your choice. We got the citrus and herb sauce with this bowl
The chicken delicious and their sauce just compliments so nicely. It’s a great takeout item as it stays nice and hot. We really enjoyed it.
Flame Grilled Chicken Sandwich
The sandwich has flamed grilled boneless chicken breast topped with peri peri mayo, red onions, crisp shredded lettuce & slice of tomato on a brioche bun. It’s a solid sandwich, but nothing outstanding.
Peri Peri Chicken (Quarter Leg and Thigh)
This is marinated in their secret blend of spices and flamed grilled in your choice of spice level. You can choose from Original, Mild, Citrus & Herb, Mango, Hot, and Very Hot. We tried all their sauces and they are good, but very hot is indeed very hot. Our favourite sauce to pair with flame grilled is the hot.
Peri Peri Wings
We got the wings with their hot sauce and wow, so darn good. Highly recommend it if you love wings.
Mac & Cheese
The mac and cheese is made of a blend of cheeses topped with breadcrumbs. It was a bit bland and needed some more spice. Maybe ask for a side of hot sauce.
Fries (Original)
Of the two fries, I like the original one better as it pairs better with food.
Fries Peri Peri Seasoning
The original fries seasoned with the peri peri seasoning. I did find it to be a bit salty.
Onion Rings
The onion rings were surprisingly addicting. I didn’t expect it to be, but it was crunchy and had a good breading to onion ratio.
Peri Corn Ribs
These are a recent addition to the menu and it is brushed with butter and their signature Peri seasoning and then flame-grilled. It’s really delicious and I highly recommend it.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I did enjoy the food and I’ll be back for the flame grilled chicken and their chicken rice bowls. A solid item for lunch or dinner as it’ll get you full.
I love seeing the rise of artisan yogurt shops in Vancouver. Krave Kulture Yogurt Yogurt Shop is the newest one to open in Edgemont Village serving up Artisan small batch yogurt made locally in North Vancouver.
We were invited to come taste a few of their signature yogurt bowls and frozen soft serve yogurt. My husband is a crazy yogurt lover and so was Baby E, so we made our way to North Vancouver.
Interior
There is a small eating area in the front with a few seats but with the pandemic restrictions, only one family at a time. Most people did take their yogurt to go.
PB+J Krave Bowl
This bowl has their base of organic vanilla yogurt, banana, peanut butter, chia seed, jam, granola, hemp hearts, date, and caramel.
It’s a must for peanut butter and jelly lovers. The star of the show is really the combination of the ingredients and the yogurt compliments it very well. It doesn’t over power any of the toppings which I found balanced very well.
Coffee Krave Bowl
This bowls has passion fruit, fresh berries, granola, slivered almonds, pecans, dark chocolate chips, coconut, coffee, and maple syrup. They add organic coffee yogurt to the base of the bowl.
It’s an interesting combination and even though we do love coffee, it was my least favourite bowl, but my husband loved it. We agree to disagree and that’s ok.
Cake Krave Bowl
This has their organic vanilla yogurt, chocolate banana bread, fresh berries, granola, almonds, and honey. Another delicious option and the chocolate banana bread makes this bowl a bit more filling. A good combination of different textures.
Mediterranean Krave Bowl
A savoury yogurt bowl may sound weird and I kept thinking that too until I tried it. This has the base of plain yogurt, marinated grape tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives, fresh basil, feta cheese, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, rice vinegar, and garlic salt.
This ended up being my favourite bowl because I was shocked at how well it worked! Imagine a Greek salad but with really creamy feta.
Tulum Krave Bowl – $9
This is another savour bowl and it has mango, avocado, jalapeño, cilantro, olive oil, lime, and tortilla chips. It’s essentially as taste of Mexico in a yogurt bowl. It worked well, but the Mediterranean Krave Bowl was still my favourite.
Frozen Yogurt
If you’re looking for a frozen treat, they have frozen yogurt made in-house too. You can have it in a kids cone, regular waffle cone or their charcoal waffle cones. It’s been a while since my last froyo, but this hit the spot.
I didn’t feel guilty giving Baby E the frozen yogurt because it’s not as sweet as regular ice cream.
To Go Yogurt Jars
If you are looking for something more simple to go, they have their 1 Litre yogurt jar and their fruit bottom yogurt cups.
Their 1 Litre jars last for 4 weeks and as it comes in a glass jar, you can bring it back to get a discount. The first jar will cost you $18, but once you bring back the jar, the next full jar is $14. A nice $4 discount. The flavours do vary from season to season.
The fruit bottom yogurt cups feature their house-made jams topped with yogurt. These flavours change seasonally as well.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it’s great to have a yogurt shop in town as there aren’t any around. Locally made yogurt is so much better than the grocery store version and there is no comparison. Love how Krave Kulture Yogurt Shop is open and we recommend it.
Chung Chun Rice Hot Dog is an global chain for the popular Korean street food – Korean rice dog. They have a wide range of deep-fried rice hot dogs that are stuffed with sausages, mozzarella, or other items surrounded by a rice batter.
They recently opened on the corner of Robson and Denman serving up these addictive hot dogs. There aren’t a lot of places doing this, so they have been very popular since their opening.
With Covid-19 pandemic, they have been offering take out options. When you get to the store, there is a line up to order and then another line up to wait for your order outside. They do a great job making sure everyone is socially distant and wearing masks.
Menu
The menu has 16 different items and so many hot dogs to choose from. There are different toppings you can add to it too like honey butter, sugar, ketchup, and mustard among many.
When you get your order, a lot of the hot dog will look very similar, so they colour coat the bottom so you can see which one is which.
Chung Chun Rice Hot Dog Taste Test
We ordered 5 different rice hot dogs – jumbo, double cheese, sausage tteok, Squid ink cheese hot dog, and ramen chip hot dog.
If you’re doing take out and have to drive a fair distance to go home and eat, make sure you don’t sauce up your hot dog with ketchup or mustard and it will make the exterior of the hot dog a bit soggy by the time you get home. I also make sure to keep the box open so condensation doesn’t build up in the box.
I actually prefer having not too much cheese in my hot dog, so we gravitate towards the jumbo, squid ink cheese dog, and the ramen chip hot dog as there was more hot dog. With the thicker rice batter, I felt that the sausage add a lot more flavour to the experience. When paired with ketchup and mustard, its great. It’s like a corn dog but with rice instead. With the double cheese hot dog, it was 2/3 cheese and then 1/3 sausage.
Reheating
If your hot dog does need to be reheated, I put mine in a toaster oven for a few minutes. Simple and you only need a few minutes. It will also help crisp up the outside too.
Final Thoughts
For the price and what you get, it’s solid. We ate 2 each and were super stuffed. We love all the ones that have lots of sausage like the jumbo, squid ink cheese dog, and the ramen chip hot dog.
Check out Chung Chun Rice Hot Dog if you love Korean street food.
Teapressu is one of our favourite bubble tea shops on wheels, but recently we found out they have open a storefront in Burnaby on Kingsway. We were very excited, so we decided to give them a visit. Their hours are limited as they are in a very soft opening phase to work out any kinks.
They are known of their teas created using an espresso machine. It extracts great flavours from the tea, making each cup very strong and aromatic.
Their menu has a variety of bubble teas and even vegan options. Plus, soft serve too.
Menu
Pearl Milk Tea Soft Serve
I got the twist where it has the milk tea and vanilla together. Then I also added pearls to it based off their suggestion. It was really good and a nice treat, but it got quite messy when it melted. As the cup in tall and narrow, it would drip down the sides of the cup.
Pearl Iron Milk Tea
This is their number 1 best selling drink on the menu.
I got it at 100% sweetness, but it was a bit too sweet for me. Next time, I would do 50% or even 30%. Nonetheless, the pearls were nice and chewy. The tea was very fragrant too.
Apple Awakening
They have fruity beverages on the menu and my husband tried their Apple Awakening. It was very refreshing especially on a hot Summer’s day.
Final Thoughts
Teapressu is a great addition to the neighbourhood, but they do face tough competition as Chatime is just a shop away. Nonetheless, I do prefer Teapressu for their superior quality and affordable price. Support local as much as possible.
I highly recommend Teapressu, so if you’re in the Burnaby area, check them out.
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.
Takenaka Vancouver specializes in Japanese Bento Boxes to go. They craft these beautiful boxes using a combination of fresh local and Japanese ingredients. It’s not easy opening up a business during this pandemic, but these take out bento boxes are perfect for this time of year. With more picnics and get togethers during phase 3, these are a great way to feed small to large groups. They also have plans of launching their food truck and catering services soon too.
Owner and Chef Shogo Takenaka has spent the last 15 years at Kingyo Izakaya and Raisu showcasing his culinary talent. Both locations are known for their ornate bento boxes.
We were invited to try out their popular Family-sized bento boxes.
Pick Up and Delivery
You can order pick up at the Coho Commissary on East Georgia in Vancouver. When you get there, just call and they will bring out your order.
If you opt for delivery, they have partnered up with Uber Eats, Door Dash, Ordereze and Fantuan. You just need to be in the delivery zone.
Family-Size Deluxe Seafood Bowl
This is their stunning deluxe seafood bowl that serves 4-6 people. It comes on their bed of original sushi rice mix topped with sashimi, seafood cubes, egg, ikura, veggies, and spot prawns or uni depending on the season. They provide soy sauce and wasabi to go with the big bowl. It’s more like a sushi pizza or a platter. It is then topped with gold flakes for some extra bling.
I love how they use seasonal seafood to keep this as fresh as possible. They do recommend bring a cooler if you are travelling long distances to make sure it stays cool.
There is a lot of rice so you have to make sure you don’t grab too much sashimi and leave all the rice. It’s all about the ratio. This bento is definitely filling and you will want the soy sauce and wasabi to add a bit more flavour the dish.
If you don’t want want to go deluxe with the seafood, there is also the Family-size Seafood Bara Chirashi which is cheaper.
Family-Size TAKENAKA Special A La Carte Set
If you want more cooked items instead of raw seafood, this family-size TAKENAKA special A La Carte set is a great option. This also is great for sharing with 4-6 people. Chef chooses what goes in it and it’s usually a sampler of items from their menu.
Our set had these items and may change:
Chicken karaage
Ebi mayo
Sashimi Salad
Omakase Aburi Sushi
Pickled vegetables
Ramen eggs
If you wait too long, the karaage and the ebi mayo will go limp because of the moisture in the box. We put it in the oven to reheat and it did the trick. I thought this set was a great way to try the different items on the menu and it’s quite affordable.
This box was eaten up very quickly and our favourite items of it was the chicken karaage and ebi mayo. Can’t go wrong with fried goodness.
Final Thoughts
If you don’t have such a large group of people to feed, they have smaller bento boxes and salads as well. I really enjoyed these family-sized options as we are always with immediate family, so sharing food isn’t a concern as we see each other daily. Everything is very fresh and made to order.
Krispy Kreme has been coming up with a lot of limited edition donuts lately. The last one was the strawberry glaze, key lime glaze, and then the lemon glaze. Now, they released their trio of dessert donuts – Banana Pudding, Coconut Cake, and Mississippi Mud Pie. These are available now at select locations in North America. Luckily for us in Vancouver, their Delta location has all the latest donuts available.
You can get these donuts until June 24, 2020.
We made sure to get there 30 minutes before opening so we didn’t have to wait hours in line. It’s funny how the Covid-19 Pandemic is making people go crazy over sweets.
Banana Pudding
This doughnut is filled with Banana Pudding and topped with fluffy creme and vanilla wafer cookies. Just like a banana cream pie, what’s not to love? There is a good amount of filling inside too.
Coconut Cake
A delicious coconut flavored cake doughnut topped with cream cheese icing and shredded coconut. This was my least favourite just because of my own personal taste preferences and its not as exiting as the other ones.
Mississippi Mud Pie
A light and fluffy doughnut with Chocolate Pie creme, dipped in chocolate icing, and topped with cookie and graham crumbles and marshmallow drizzle. This was my favourite of the bunch as there was a great ratio of creme to donut. It worked very well together.
Final Thoughts
Overall, a fun trio of donuts to try. Banana Pudding and Mississippi Mud Pie were great but the Coconut Cake didn’t make the cut. Clearly, we love our sweet filled donuts.
Everything at Railtown Cafe and Catering is housemade and they strive to use premium, local, and organic ingredients where possible.
They have their new take out meal program, which is available for pick up and delivery at the Granville or Railway St locations. Their current promotion is when you purchase 5 meals you get the 6th free.
We got a sneak peek at a few of the items on the take out meal menu at Railtown.
Heat-and-Serve Meals
Their heat-and-serve meals are a great option for yourself or to gift others. There’s a little something for everyone.
Chicken and Roasted Mushroom Rigatoni with madeira cream.
Smoked Turkey Pot Pie with spring vegetables and puff pastry (deconstructed).
Mom’s Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots, and country gravy.
Traditional Lasagna, bolognese, mozzarella, parmesan, and basil.
PoachedSalmonand quinoa salad with roasted mediterranean vegetables, and citrus herb dressing.
Chicken and Rib Combo, white and dark meat, slow cooked baby back ribs, baked beans, cornbread, and caesar salad.
Four Cheese Lasagna with spinach and house made ricotta (vegetarian).
Neha’s Sweet and Spicy Butternut Squash Curry with basmati rice (vegan).
Bread
What I was surprised to learn about Railtown is that they have a great bread program. They have demi focaccia, demi baguette, and ciabatta bun for sale. I didn’t know this and when we tried the focaccia and baguette, we really enjoyed it.
Seasonal Ice Cream Flavours
For their Spring/Summer ice cream flavours, there are:
Vanilla
Chocolate brownie
Pistachio
Burnt honey almond
Cold press coffee
Caramel corn
Lemon creme fraiche
Peach sweet tea
Passion fruit sorbet
Strawberry sorbet
Final Thoughts
It’s another option for take out that you can just heat up quickly without any fuss. The bread was very very good and we would definitely order that again. The portion sizes are great for an individual and will fill you up.
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.
Fior di latte Gelateria And Caffe (FDL Cafe) just opened a few weeks ago in Burnaby Heights. With the Covid-19 Pandemic, it was unfortunate timing as all dining rooms are closed.
If you’ve been to a few farmers markets in Vancouver, the name R. Nathaliae Pattiserie will ring a bell. They are behind FDL Cafe and have so much to offer their customers. Their pastries were stellar! So, I was really excited to check them out again as FDL Cafe.
They are now back for take out and delivery via UberEats.
Chickado Sandwich
This massive sandwich has miso roasted chicken, fresh kimchi from Salty Cabbage Kimchi, avocado, and mixed greens. 1 sandwich can feed 2 people, it’s crazy. Plus, crazy delicious. I love the meaty pieces of tender chicken paired with the creamy avocado and crunchy kimchi.
London Brisket Sandwich
This has a lot of slow roasted beef brisket, which has been dry brined, mixed greens, and cheese. This sandwich is also a winner. The brisket is really tender and so flavourful.
Spinach and Feta Pita
This isn’t your regular pita bread. It’s more like a phyllo pie were it has filling inside. This one has spinach and feta.
Mushroom Pita
This doesn’t look like much from the outside, but wow, it is stuffed with so much mushroom mixture inside. Highly recommended. Just look at that. The pastry is thin and theres lots of mushroom hiding inside.
Mushroom Tart
Clearly, I love mushrooms. They have mushrooms tarts too. The pastry is very flakey and the mushroom is creamy and savoury. Delicious too.
Blueberry Danish
They have a few different types of fruit danishes, but we picked up the blueberry version. It’s very fresh and bursting with flavour. It’s very crisp and enjoyable so make sure you capture all the crumbs that fall.
Bacon Cheese Roll
This is so indulgent. This bacon cheese roll is enrobed with freshly melted cheese in the oven. Highly recommended.
Sour Cherry Turnover
The pastry is so flakey and the sour cherry is perfectly hiding inside. Well balanced in flavour too.
Peach Galette
Another beautiful pastry! The peaches are delicious and paired with the flakey pastry is a good combination.
Final Thoughts
Everything we had hit the spot and we were not disappointed at all. Highly recommend FDL Cafe to anyone in the area. Their pastries and sandwiches are really delicious and it made me crave them even more. We will be back soon.
Tacomio has shut down their locations in Vancouver due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, but has quickly adjusted their new menu for take out from their central kitchen in Strathcona.
As we are staying at home to flatten the curve, eating together at home made us come together as a family. It’s the highlight of our day and what better way than have a fun interactive taco dinner. They sent us their taco kit for 2 to give it a try.
The taco kits are very affordable:
Taco Kit for 2: $25
Taco Kit for 4: $45
The taco kits are massive and can definitely feed more than the suggested amount of people.
In the taco kit, you get:
Your choice of 3 taco fillings
Large rice
Large beans
Mild, medium and spicy house made salsas
Pickled jalapeños
Pickled red onions
Pickled veggies
Fresh cilantro
Corn chips and roasted tomatillo salsa
Corn tortillas
Frituras (tradicional Mexican wheat crisps)
Valentina hot sauce
Fresh lemon
Chicken A La Plancha – Sautéed bell peppers, caramelized onions, chipotle tomato sauce, and shaved cabbage.Beef Salpicon – Angus beef in Guajilo sauce, nugget potatoes.Roasted Cauliflower – Chipotle hummus, shaved cabbage, cilantro, lemon vinaigrette.Large RiceLarge BeansCorn chipsFrituras (traditional Mexican wheat crisps)
Final Thoughts
The Tacomio Taco Kits are a great affordable choice for an interactive meal. There’s a lot to this meal and you have to get the cauliflower as one of your fillings.
Highly recommend it for yourself or even as a gift.
C Market Coffee is located in Coquitlam near the IKEA and they have been around for years serving up delicious coffee to the neighbourhood. My friends and I would have mommy hangouts there before the Covid-19 pandemic as it’s very kid friendly. Unfortunately with dining rooms closed, they had to work fast to adapt to take out and delivery.
There were 2 things I’ve been searching for that my local grocery store would always be low on – Oat Milk and Yeast. I love that they carry a few staples for the home kitchen as well as many local products in addition to their coffees, pastries and meals.
I put in an online order to get some kitchen staples and coffee of course. They were kind enough to put in a few more extras into our order, which was very nice of them.
Black Salt Cream Coffee
This coffee has an Americano base with pure cane syrup, sweet cream, and Black Lava Salt. This is one of my favourite drinks here. I love the combination of the sweet cream and salt.
Mocha Frappe
I got a Mocha Frappe for my husband and he loved it. Not too sweet and had enough caffeine to get through the day. It’s also quite nice with the whipped cream and chocolate.
Meatloaf Sandwich
The sandwich is made with homemade meatloaf, pickled onions, lettuce, tomato, and cheddar cheese. It has a strong BBQ flavour that pairs well with the meatloaf. The bun is soft and squishy.
Chicken Salad + Grape Sandwich
The chicken salad sandwich is made with natural Chicken breast, lettuce, grape, mayo, celery, red onion, pepper, salt, mustard, lemon, cranberry, and dill. It uses the same soft bun.
Frozen Corn Flake Crusted Chicken
They are selling their frozen corn flake Crusted chicken in 5 piece packs. In the cafe, they use this for their chicken and waffles. It’s great that it keeps in the freezer for a long time. They do suggest you deep-fry these to get a really nice crispy exterior.
It’s pretty good and we paired it with mayo and teriyaki sauce.
Korean Beef Bulgogi
You can get raw marinated Korean Beef Bulgogi. You also have the option to add a veggie pack to it as well. It comes with more sliced onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms.
You can make this at home by putting it in a hot skillet. You can also put this on a Korean BBQ grill too if you want to get the extra charred flavour. We with the the frying pan method.
Chocolate Walnut Drop Cookie
This was really good! If you put it in the microwave for 10 seconds, it gets soft, warm, and gooey. Highly recommended.
Macarons
They have 5 different macaron flavours on the menu – green tea, clack sesame, strawberry, yuzu, and earl grey. They’re pretty big size and delicate.
Cheesecake
I really enjoyed the cheesecake. Simple and it hits the spot.
Carrot Cake
The carrot cake was also very enjoyable as the added nuts really give it more body and texture. It’s not too sweet and there is a good ratio of cream cheese frosting.
Groceries
They have a small section for groceries and they have a good amount of items there. We picked up come yeast and oat milk as it was hard to find at the bigger grocery stores.
They are always adding new items, so if you are looking for something in particular, definitely message them.
Final Thoughts
I do love that cafes like C Market Coffee offer more than what they normally would. Even the expansion of grocery items help a lot when people don’t want to venture off into crowded grocery stores.
Times are changing with the Covid-19 pandemic and restaurants like Torafuku have created new menu items that are ready to be enjoyed at home. The Torafuku@Home is a new collection of heat-and-serve offerings featuring long-loved favourites and Kuan family recipes. It’s a great way to get a taste of their dishes without dining in.
The new Torafuku@Home dishes come in convenient packaging for storing or freezing; all meals can be prepared within 10 minutes. Each item or meal package is accompanied with reheating instructions. Most items are vacuum-sealed and require only a quick drop into boiling water to reheat.
All menu items can be ordered on their website at www.torafuku.ca
As a family of 7 (8 if you count the little spud), I built our dinner around the Family Meal for 4, then had a few extra items to add to the meal. We also made rice to stretch out the meal. Our family loves a taste of everything.
They have recently launched their regular menu for takeout and delivery. Now, you can have their classics like the Kickass Rice Bowl and Crack Salad. If you really can’t wait to reheat up the meal kits, these ready-to-eat dishes hit the spot.
Pick Up
Orders are available for pickup daily between 3:00pm – 5:00pm from the restaurant.
Delivery Options
Delivery is available for pre-ordered items and is complimentary for orders over $50 within Vancouver. Delivery to Richmond and Burnaby is available with a $10 fee. Delivery service is available daily between 5:00pm – 7:00pm.
Family Meal for 4
I got the family meal for 4 because it was a good way to try an array of items off their Torafuku@Home menu. This serves 4-5 people.
You get:
2 x Yuzu Pomme Puree
1 x Le Tigre Style Pork Belly
1 x Sake Braised Beef Shank
2 x Miso Veggie Chowder
2 x Everyday I’m Brusselin’
1 x Gone Fishing
They have instructions on how to reheat everything and it was easy. Since I was running around with the kid, my sister decided to reheat this slowly using a sous vide machine. Of course you don’t have to be fancy like us, but we just needed an excuse to use it.
Yuzu Pomme Puree
Mashed potato isn’t boring anymore! This has creamy and buttery mashed potatoes with house made yuzu butter and Japanese yuzu peels. It was a bit hard to wrap my head around eating dinner and having an Asian fusion dish of mashed potatoes. It was different but the yuzu was very fragrant and complimented nicely.
Le Tigre Style Pork Belly
The pork belly is braised with orange, star anise, and sweet soy. Tender and melt in your mouth pork belly. Remember to save the sauce and put it on your rice.
Sake Braised Beef Shank
These are sake and soy braised beef shanks with Torafuku house-made chili oil, house-mixed five spices, ginger, and shaoxing wine. This is also the asme beef shanks in the Beef Noodle for 2 kit. The beef shank is thick but still flavourful and tender. Very meaty and was enjoyed.
Miso Veggie Chowder
Miso vegetable chowder has cabbage, carrots, fingerling potatoes, Japanese Kabocha squash and onion. It’s not a thick chowder at all. It’s more like a soup.
Everyday I’m Brusselin’
This salad has grilled brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, balsamic black bean vinaigrette, crunchy chick peas, roasted almonds and crispy quinoa. It is so good. It’s always been my favourite dish. Highly recommended.
Gone Fishing
They take a whole market fish and deep fry it. It is paired with a tamarind sweet and sour sauce, mixed herbs, and fried soybeans sprinkles. This dish is great when you dine in at Torafuku, but the texture of the fish does suffer a bit.
Beef Noodle Soup Kit for 2
There are 4-5 pieces of sake and soy braised beef shanks, 1L of Torafuku beef noodle soup with hand-pulled white noodles (uncooked), Asian sauerkraut, and marinated soft-boiled eggs for 2 people.
The says it serves 2, but you can stretch it to make 4 bowls if you wanted to. The broth has a depth of flavour and a kick of spice. The beef shank just melts in your mouth and is so meaty. The noodles have a nice bounce to them and so enjoyable. Highly recommend this kit!
Pork Napa Stew
This is a traditional Taiwanese stew with marinated pork shoulder, Japanese Napa, shiitake mushroom, enoki mushroom and eggs. Add some rice to this dish and it soaks up all the sauce. The pork shoulder was nice and tender too.
Fried Egg Floss Cabbage Stew
This is Traditional style Taiwanese cabbage stew with wood ear, shiitake mushroom and house made fried eggs floss. Love the crunch of the wood ear mushroom. Definitely reminds me of home cooking. You will want some rice with this too.
Old Grandma’s Tofu
This is Mapo Tofu style with house-blended chili bean paste, green onions, garlic, ginger, and ground pork. There is 16oz in each pouch and easily reheated. It has a depth of aroma to this dish and it wasn’t too spicy at all. Very fragant and is amazing on rice to soak up all the flavour.
Three Cup Chicken
This has Taiwanese-Style saucey pan-fried chicken thigh with ginger, garlic, shaoxing, soy, basil and a touch of Thai chili. Another delicious dish that does great on rice. There is 20oz in the pouch, so its good for 2-3 people. Just make sure to make a pot of rice.
We saved the leftover sauce and added more chicken into it the next day to make a new dish. Their sauces are very very fragrant and can’t be wasted.
Ugly Zongzi (Frozen 2pc)
This is their Southern Taiwanese Style Zongzi, a special nostalgic food with flavoured sticky rice, marinated pork, salted egg yolk and mushroom. It is also paired with Torafuku’s house-blend special condiment.
Each Zongzi is smaller but the quality is nice and very very flavourful. That marinated pork with salted egg yolk is heavenly. It was good to have this in the freezer and ready to heat up either by boiling it or steaming.
I Love Dumpling (Frozen)
There are 20 pieces of frozen classic pork and chive dumplings. This is served with Torafuku’s house-made chili oil vinaigrette. Very good pairing. A quick boil for a few minutes and it’s ready. Very delicious and hits the spot. Can’t go wrong with dumplings.
Lucky Dumpling- Vegetarian (Frozen)
There are 20 pieces of frozen vegetarian dumplings with eggplants, wood ear, konyaku, kale, shiitake mushrooms, and gem tomatoes. This is also paired with the Torafuku house-made chili oil vinaigrette.
Another solid option as we always have frozen dumplings in the freezer. It was delicious and I loved the combinations of veggies inside.
Final Thoughts
Clearly, we have tried a lot of items off the Torafuku@Home. It’s a nice variety of items to choose from for families that are big or small. There are more asian fusion flavours and then the more traditional flavours inspired from Mama Kuan’s recipes.
As they do delivery and takeout, it’s easy to gift these items to friends and family or even enjoy for yourself. Of all the takeout options I’ve had during this pandemic, Torafuku is by far our favourite.
I like to browse the take out apps to see what is new out there around my neighbourhood. One of the restaurants that kept popping up is Pampanga’s Cuisine for their Pampanga-style of Filipino cuisine. They are located right by Joyce Skytrain Station serving up their delicious cuisine.
I normally would order through food apps for delivery, but I wanted to make sure more money goes into the pockets of the owners.
Staff Meal
Pampanga’s Cuisine has joined the “Staff Meal” program initiated by Say Mercy, another local restaurant. There is a $2 donation per order and it is donated to the Vancouver Food Bank. It’s a great way to help those who need it.
Menu
Compared to their online menu, they have more specials and desserts listed in the restaurant.
Crispy Sisig
The Crispy Sisig has crispy chunks of pork with ginger, onions, chilli and their secret seasoning spices. The seasoning spices at first is quite strong and tart, but after a little bit, it does subside. For takeout, I was surprised how crisp the pork was even when we got home.
Beefsteak
The Beefsteak has thin slices of beef, marinated in soy sauce and lemon, topped with onions and potatoes. The beef was tender and the sauce was very nice. A great item to go on top of rice.
BBQ Chicken
This has chunks of chicken marinated in special mixture, grilled and mixed with their homemade special bbq sauce. It was good and has a nice char to the chicken.
Adobo
This adobo has chicken and pork cooked in vinegar and garlic soy sauce with diced potatoes. Definitely Filipino comfort food right here. A good depth of flavour.
Pinakbet
This has an assortment of vegetables such as bitter melon, okra, long beans and squash with shrimp and sautéed in shrimp paste. This was very delicious. The vegetables definitely standout and was a good accompaniment to the other meaty dishes in our meal.
Ginisang Monggo
This was a dish I’ve never had before. It has sautéed mung beans with sliced bitter melon and shrimp. The bitter melon was good and it wasn’t too bitter. I usually try to avoid that vegetable, but I wanted to give it a try. My parents also enjoyed this.
Pancit Palabok
This has thick rice noodles with sauce made of ground pork garnished with boiled eggs, onion leeks, shrimps and lemon. Their version was ok, but it needed a bit more sauce to go with the noodles.
Spaghetti
This has spaghetti noodles with Filipino style sweet sauce, ground pork and cheese topping. This was ok, but we felt the spaghetti needed to be mixed with the sauce. The spaghetti was underneath and then the sauce was on top. It didn’t get the chance to soak in the flavours of the sauce into the noodles.
Pork Spring Roll
The pork spring rolls are really cute. It’s their homemade pork spring roll with a sweet chilli sauce on the side. They look like cute little cigars, but they taste very good.
Ube Halaya
Onto dessert! This is purple yam cooked in evaporated milk and sugar with latik and desiccated coconut flakes on top. I really enjoyed this! It’s not too sweet and it’s like a soft pudding thats room temperature. I would get this again.
Buko Pandan
A classic Filipino dessert – Buko Pandan. This has sliced green jello & coconut strips mixed with whipped cream and pandan flavour. The pandan flavour isn’t strong as there is mostly a stronger coconut flavour.
Final Thoughts
It’s hard to be a restaurant at this time during the Covid-19 Pandemic, but the family behind Pampanga’s Cuisine is making this work. The dishes are well priced and tastes homey. The noodle dishes were mediocre but will give them another chance once dining rooms are open again.
They were busy for take out and delivery during the weekend lunch hour, so that was great to see.
Like many Chinese restaurants, dining rooms are close and have to rely on delivery and take out. Chef James on Hastings is only during take out at the moment and we saw an ad in the Chinese paper for a great promotion when you order. I’ve never dined at Chef James on Hastings, but only heard raving reviews from customers. It was my dad’s birthday and we would normally go out to a Chinese restaurant to have dinner, that isn’t possible because of Covid-19. We opted to order take out.
It’s a pretty good promotion. No indication when it ends, but when you call to make you order, just say you saw it on the paper and on their Instagram.
Order $35+ and get free Hai Nam Chicken on Rice
Order $60+ and get a free Half Hai Nam Chicken
Order $80+ and get a free Curry Beef Brisket
It’s definitely a difficult time for all restaurants, so we try to do take out a few times a week to support local restaurants.
We ordered the items below:
Daily Soup
Deep Fried Crispy Whole Chicken
Peking-style Pork Chop
Pan-Fried Pea Leaves with Garlic sauce
Tofu and Rock Cod Hot Pot
Gai-Lan with Beef
Curry Beef Brisket
All the items were pretty good and we ordered enough for 7 adults. As this was takeout, the Deep Fried Crispy Whole Chicken wasn’t crispy anymore by the time it arrived, but it’s bound to happen. None the less, we loved everything else that we ordered. It was nice to have a Chinese meal together where we didn’t have to cook it.
Plus, the Curry Beef Brisket was definitely a highlight.
Final Thoughts
They only do online orders for pick up and delivery for a certain area. As we are outside of the area, we decided to pick up.
Hopefully once the pandemic is over, we can go dine inside Chef James on Hastings to experience what it is like inside the restaurant.
Masayoshi is back and offering their new takeaway and staff meal program. It’s been a while since our last visit which was for Valentines Day in 2016. It was a memorable meal and always great for a special occasion.
Since the restaurant industry is really suffering because of Covid-19, I really wanted to support them anyway I could. Plus, the takeaway menu looks very good and is a decent price.
My husband actually took the initiative to put in an order on their website at 8am (he even set a calendar reminder so he wouldn’t forget). Some items sell out very quickly, so you have to act fast before its gone. He bought a bunch of items so we could have a date night at home. Since we can’t go outside to dine, we bring the food home.
Staff Meal Program
Chef Masayoshi has joined the “Staff Meal” program initiated by Say Mercy, another local restaurant. This program offers exceptional value to customers on certain dishes and it’s a great opportunity to give back to those in need.
There is automatic $2 donation per Staff Meal order at checkout (as Shipping) for the Vancouver Food Bank. The items that are listed as a staff meal is already a good price, so adding the $2 on top is a good way to help those who need it.
Same day pickups ONLY from 4:30pm – 6:30pm at Masayoshi.
Make sure to follow them on social media just in case any information has changed.
Shabu Shabu Salad 豚しゃぶサラダ おろしポン酢
This salad has pork, Chinese cabbage, daikon radish, ponzu, sesame and green onion. I love all the items in this salad. It doesn’t look like much but it is good.
Salmon Kasujiru サッカイサーモンの粕汁
The Salmon Kasujiru is a soup made with sake kasu or sake lees, a by-product of sake making. The sake kasu is full of savory taste and the salmon and vegetables also bring out the flavor of the broth. There is also wild sockeye salmon, deep fried tofu, green onion, burdock roots and carrots. This dish was ok, but not my favourite.
Edomae Chirashi
This is the most popular item on the menu and it gets sold out quickly. I’ve heard anywhere from 5 -30 mins and it’s gone. It’s stunning, so how could you not want a bite of this dish. It is topped with an assortment of marinated fish and seafood on a bed of sushi rice.
I really wanted to like this dish more, but I thought there could have been a little bit more sashimi. Their photo on the website just looks so good and lush. I clearly eat with my eyes. I just felt there was a bit too much rice.
Soboro Don 三色そぼろ丼
This is this new donburi on the takeaway menu. It is a classic Japanese comfort food and Chef Masa made his version with minced beef, shrimp, eggs, and topped with 2 pieces of shrimp and ikura over a warm steamed rice. There is a limited quantity per day. At first we weren’t sure about this dish, but once we popped this into the microwave for a short amount of time, it tasted a lot better. Very filling.
Pork Belly Kakuni 角煮
The kakuni takes a whole day to prepare, so you get the melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. It’s definitely a labour of love. The tender soy-glazed pork belly is great with a bowl of rice. When we got home, we made sure to pop this in the microwave to reheat it. Yum. Really delicious. Even the shredded cabbage dunked in its juices is good too.
Buri Yellowtail Teriyaki
This yellowtail is amazing. My husband usually hates cooked fish, but he said this is one of the best cooked fish dishes he’s ever had. We made sure to put this into the microwave to reheat, but wow, we both really enjoyed it.
The yellowtail is cooked really well and the flavour really penetrates deep into the flesh.
Final Thoughts
It was nice to have a taste of Masayoshi at home. They do have many more items on their menu that we didn’t order. They seem to be a hit once they opened up for takeout orders.
It’s a nice treat to have some really good Japanese food at home. We absolutely loved the kakuni and Buri Yellowtail Teriyaki.
