vaneats Archives - Foodology

Cray Kitchen + Bar: Cray-vings Dining Package

September 13, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out their “Cray-vings” dining package and write a review about it. I got a complementary dining package for myself and I brought along CandiedZen to keep the review as unbiased as I could.

Cray Kitchen + Bar on Main street near Broadway serves Louisiana Style Crawfish and seafood. If you’ve ever heard of Crab Pot in Seattle, it’s like that but with plastic bags and lots of aromatic sauce. I came here with CandiedZen to check this place out.

Vaneats.ca currently has a dining package called “Cray-vings”, which you can get the following for only $18.50 for a limited time.

1/2 lb of Crawfish, shipped live from Louisana
1/2 lb of Shrimp, shipped from Thailand/Ecuador
Cod Nuggets, deep fried and crispy (3 pieces)
Deep Fried Oysters, spiced in a Louisana cajun fry batter (2 pieces)
Cajun Fries, cajun spice peppered

The interior was nice and has a good amount of seating. It’s good for large groups too, unfortunately, they don’t take reservations on Fridays and Saturdays.

The menu

When you order the Cajun Seafood Boil, your table will be lined with a large parchment paper and come with a bucket with bibs, paper towels, and gloves. Eating this type of seafood is messy and you don’t want to get any of your clothes dirty.

The first basket of goodies that arrive are 3 piece of cod nuggets, 2 deep-fried oyster, and a bed of cajun fries.

The Cod Nuggets are very very delicious! The outer batter is crispy and thin, so you can taste the amazing light and moist texture of the cod. I would highly recommend this!

Deep Fried Oyster were very large and plump. When I bit into them, it was very moist and flavourful! Even a bit of juice started running down my fingers. Highly recommend these as well!

Cajun Fries were crispy on the outside and seasoned with cajun spice. I thought it was ok, nothing too impressive.

You also get 3 dips to go along with your item – Tartar sauce, ketchup and spicy mayo.

As we waited for the 1/2 lb shrimp and 1/2 lb crayfish to arrive, we prepared ourselves by reading instruction and putting on our bibs. We didn’t bother with putting on gloves since we wanted to get down and dirty with our meal.

Our Cajun Seafood Boil came with choices of seasoning and spicy level. We chose the Mild Cray Mix ( Juicy Cajun +Garlic Butter +Lemon Pepper). It arrives on your table in a plastic bag.

The Crawfish were very tiny and it was just like a mini lobster. All of their Crawfish is shipped from Louisiana. You can acquire meat from this creature from its tail and claws. This wasn’t our favorite item since it takes a bit of effort to get a little bit of meat. Another problem, the meat had very little flavour from the sauce, so you need to dunk it into the sauce to add more favour to it.

Most of the crawfish is our bag was fresh, but there was one that was completely black on the inside. I’m not sure what happened here, but we decided not to eat it and discard it. If you come across one that looks like that…its probably best not to eat it.

The shrimps are from Ecuador and very massive. It’s almost the size of a spot prawn. It had a lovely sweet flavour to it. I would highly recommend the shrimp!

Our table definitely got messy. After eating everything that was part of the package, we were still hungry and craving more items, so we ordred more.

I saw that they had Sapporo on tap, so I got a pint of it to enjoy more of the meal! It’s one of my favorite beers. It was about $7 or $8 for a pint.

1lb of Clams ($11.99) in a mild garlic butter sauce. The clams tasted great in the sauce, but I felt the clams were a tad bit small. We ate these pretty fast since the bag is mostly the shells.

1 lb of Shrimp ($10.99) in a medium Cray mix sauce. I did enjoy the sauce more when you increase the spiciness of it. It definitely adds a lot more flavour.

Overall, the concept of getting messy with your food is very fun! I would definitely come here again, but I would not order the crawfish. I would order the cod nuggets, deep-fried oysters and the shrimp. Parking was a bit difficult since it was on a major street, so I parked a few blocks down in a residential area. Service was ok, but we felt it was a bit awkward at times.

You won’t get full by just having the amount of items included in the dining pass. you probably want to add an extra appetizer or a few extra pounds of seafood like what we did. Nonetheless, if you haven’t experienced getting down and dirty with your meal, I think the dining pass is a good opportunity to do that and try new types of food. You can get the dining pass at Vaneats.ca for $18.50.

Words of Wisdom:

Best to make reservations just in case it gets busy
Shrimps are massive and so are the deep fried oysters and cod nuggets
Metered parking a long the streets
Don’t wear white

We Rate Cray Kitchen + Bar:

Address:
2470 Main Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.getcray.com/

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In Downtown

Guanaco Truck: Guanacombo Dining Package Review

August 27, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out their “Guanacombo Dining Package” and write a review about it. I got a complementary dining package for myself and I tried to keep the review as unbiased as I could.

Guanaco Truck and VANEATS.ca have teamed up to create the “Guanacombo” Dining Package for only $9. I came downtown with Alvin to check this deal out. I’ve never been to Guanaco Truck, so I was pretty excited. Guanaco Truck serves authentic Salvadoran food.

Their truck explains their name and how to pronounce it. It’s good to note how to pronounce the name because I told people I was going to the Guantanamo Truck. I know, I am horrible and I was embarassed! Remember, it’s [gwah-nah-koh].

The Guanacombo Dining package comes with Pasteles, Yuca Fritas, Pupusas, Bebidas, and Curtido. It makes for a very filling lunch!

The line ups around noon were ok, but it did take a bit of time for the food to be ready. Everything is freshly made, so I am willing to wait a bit longer.

Bebidas is Spanish for drink. You can choose from

Horchata: beverage made of morro seeds, ground cocoa, cinnamon, sesame seeds, nutmeg, tigernuts and vanilla
Tarmarindo: chilled beverage made from the tropical tamarind fruit
Cebada: chilled beverage made from flavoured barley, coloured with crushed seeds

I chose the Horchata and it was ok, but at the end all the seeds settled to the bottom and created a bit of a paste. You may want to stir it up once in a while.

Time to dig in to the other items of this meal. The Yuca Fritas are made of deep-fried cassava root. They are really crunchy and taste nothing like regular fries. Definitely something to try.

Pasteles are deep-fried corn pocket stuffed with beef, cheese, and vegetables. I really liked it! Yummy flavours and it goes well with the sauce that accompanies this meal.

The pupausas come in 4 different flavours:

Revueltas, seasoned pork with vegetables, cheese and savoury refried black beans
Queso Y Frijoles, savoury refried black beans, and a mixture of fresh and aged cheeses
Ayote, savoury refried black beans, cheese and zucchini
Pollo, seasoned chicken with vegetables, cheese and savoury refried black beans

I chose the Pollo Pupausas since I really love chicken. The chicken was well seasoned and pairs nicely with the ooey gooey cheese.

Fresh Tomato Sauce comes with the meal and it’s great to dip the pasteles and pupusas into it.

Curtido is pickled slaw. It was alright, but nothing too amazing.

I personally enjoyed this meal since I don’t often eat food like this. It’s great exploring different types of cuisines. The downside is that some items are a bit oily. My favorite items were the pasteles and pupusas.

The menu is a tad confusing, but don’t worry, most people struggle with pronouncing the menu items.

You save about $4 with buying the Guanacombo dining package from VANEATS.ca. The package is available now on their site. If you are looking for something different for lunch, give Guanaco Truck a try.

Words of Wisdom:

Under $10
Pasteles and pupusas taste awesome
Lines can get a bit long around 1pm

We Rate Guanaco Truck:

Address:
Seymour St & Robson St (Outside H Mart)
Vancouver, BC

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

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In Fairview

Maurya Indian Cuisine: Maurya’s Spice Dining Package Review

July 6, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out their “Maurya’s Spice Dining Package” and write a review about it. I got a complimentary dining package and brought along TenantGirl.

601121_432226886799587_915855082_n — Photo by: VANEATS.ca

One of Dine Out Vancouver’s favourites, Maurya Indian Cuisine has won multiple diner’s choice awards over the years. A big fan of flavourful indian food, I was really excited to help DesignGirl with this review.

Dining Package details

Dining passes are currently available for $18 each which gives you 6 courses (http://vaneats.ca/mauryas-spice/):

Garlic and Basil Naan, Indian leavened bread flavored with chopped garlic and basil
Mixed greens & beets salad, lightly tossed with vinaigrette
Seekh Kebab, minced lamb mixed with spices & skewed in charcoal oven
Mixed Vegetables, seasoned and pan fried broccoli, bell peppers, green beans, zucchini
Chicken Chettinad, Marinated chicken in South Indian chettinad paste of coconut and poppy seeds – 2009 Dine Out Vancouver Award Winner!
Daal Maurya, Maurya’s Pride! Black lentils cooked overnight. A real accompaniment to an Indian meal

The Experience

On a Wednesday night, I picked up TenantGirl from school and headed over to Maurya’s. We decided to order one of the Vaneats.ca packages and order an additional dish, the Saag Gosht – Tender medallions of lamb tempered with cumin folded into our spinach curry sauce.

The only thing that wasn’t part of the package was the Saag Gosht (the greenish dish) and the rice. Ok, now let’s dig in:

Similar to getting bread before a meal, they first dropped us off some papadum that you can eat accompanied with mango chutney, Mint sauce, or Tamarind sauce. I enjoyed them all but my favourite was the tamarind sauce that had a light sweet and sour taste to it. It was interesting switching between the three and it was my first time having papadum. At first I thought that maybe it was some type of flat bread but imagine having a super thin pita chip.

Pictured here are the three appetizers that they served this included:

Mixed greens & beets salad, lightly tossed with vinaigrette
Seekh Kebab, minced lamb mixed with spices & skewed in charcoal oven
Mixed Vegetables, seasoned and pan fried broccoli, bell peppers, green beans, zucchini

The salad was light, sweet, and perfectly dressed with a raspberry vinaigrette. The Seekh Kebab, I’d compare it to having hot pepperoni. I’d say that it was a bit on the dry side for me but definitely had balanced spices. TenantGirl said it was salty for her taste but I think that’s a part of this dish. The mixed vegetables had a nice butteriness to it and weren’t overcooked which is a pet peeve of mine. I wouldn’t say that either blew me away but it had great variety. For appetizers, next time I’d really like to try their Karawari Prawns on their regular menu.

Yum Yum Garlic Basil Naan! A staple to Indian cuisine, Maurya’s naan is a little different from most places because it gets added flavour from the garlic and basil. It was a flavourful, rustic and what a great way to enjoy the saucey dishes that follow. I have to admit though, there is a lot of garlic, so make sure you chew some gum after this meal. I swear i had the taste of garlic in my mouth hours after.

This is the Chicken Chettinad, Marinated chicken in South Indian chettinad paste of coconut and poppy seeds – 2009 Dine Out Vancouver Award Winner!

This dish was yum yum yum! It had a sweet spiciness to it, and almost sort of fruity. I could see why this dish was a winner. The white chicken meat was tender and flavourful with the sauce. Have it with your naan in there and you’re ready for more. I wouldn’t say that it was very spicy though. There was heat but it wouldn’t leave you reaching for water after just 1 or 2 bites. At first I didn’t taste the spice, but after a few more bites, the heat was noticeable (in a good way). I think that you can request it be the top level of spice.

This is the Daal Maurya, Maurya’s Pride! Black lentils cooked overnight. Again, you can eat this with your naan and I was amazed by how good this tasted. I’ve had Daal before but I haven’t had one that was as aromatic as this. Not that you could literally smell it when it arrived but once you take a bite, the subtle taste of the lentils fill your mouth and senses. If you’ve never had daal before, I guess you’d compare it to mashed peas but … so much better.

Saag Gosht – Tender medallions of lamb tempered with cumin folded into our spinach curry sauce. This was our addition of the night, but for two girls, we left the night with packed away rice and maybe a third of the Chicken Chettinad and Saag Gosht.

We ordered this with a mild spiciness but I couldn’t really taste the spice much and perhaps I should have gone for medium. The taste might have been overpowered by the Chicken Chettinad we ate before starting this dish. I know it looks green and mushy but that’s the spinach curry sauce that actually turned out to taste very creamy because of the spinach. The lamb was not gamey and was not overcooked, so the meat was perfect. I know I ordered mild but I think I expected more of the spices to come forth. I might need to give medium a try but I’m not sure if I’d order this again.

Overall, if you’re buying this package expecting spicey heat that will leave you sweating, that’s not what you will expect. I think it’s suitable for both those who like spices/flavourful food as well as those who have more sensitive tongues.

If I had ordered the chicken chettinad on it’s own it would have cost $12.95 and with the added $4.95 to make a full dinner with rice, naan, and daal, it would have totalled to $18.00 as well. So for going with the deal, you don’t get the rice, but you do get the extra appetizers with it. I wouldn’t say that their appetizers blew me away, but it’s nice to get your vegetables and have a bit more variety. I think if I had gotten the full meal with both rice and naan, I would have been wayyyy too stuffed.

Words of Wisdom

If you love/don’t love spice, make sure you mention whether you want mild/medium/hot.

We Rate Maurya Indian Cuisine:

Address:
1643 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.mauryaindiancuisine.com

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In Fairview

Thai House Kitsilano: Appe-THAIzing Dining Package Review

June 29, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out their “Appe-THAIzing Dining Package” and write a review about it. I got a complimentary dining package and brought along NewsBoy.

DesignGirl is on her travels again so PineappleBun (me) gladly stepped in to do this review.

Thai House Restaurant has multiple locations and has been running their businesses in Vancouver for quite some time now. Heard of Samba Brazilian or Pink Elephant Thai? That’s part of their group too.

Dining passes are currently available for $18 each which gives you 5 courses (www.vaneats.ca):

Lettuce Wrap, served with lean ground beef with chopped onion, bell pepper, basil and a touch of oyster & chilli sauce
Peeg Gai Yaad Sai, deep fried chicken wing stuffed with vegetables and glass noodles
Keang Kari Gai Ma-Mung, fresh mango & chicken in yellow coconut curry
Pad Kee Mao, stir fry rice noodles with beef, fresh basil, chopped veggies, bell pepper, onions and fish sauce
Kluag Tid Ma-Mung Ice Cream, deep fried banana served with mango ice cream

NewsBoy and I decided to start off with a few drinks to celebrate the little bit of sunshine we had peek out behind the clouds. Is it summer yet? Well, I can dream. I got the Coconut Lychee drink while NewsBoy decided to go for the Lime Soda. The Coconut Lychee drink is rich and creamy so if you’e expecting the taste of young coconut, that’s probably not what you want.

I don’t really like the taste of lime but the soda had fresh lime juice and Newsboy found it very refreshing. For me, The Coconut drink really helped bring the heat down from the food I ate.

So this is the Peeg Gai Yaad Sai, a deep fried chicken wing stuffed with vegetables and glass noodles. What are glass noodles? They pretty much look like clear vermicelli. The chicken Wing looked like it was about to burst! It was crispy, hot, and went perfectly when you dipped it into the chilli sauce. I’d say there was medium heat to the sauce and had a great sweet spiciness to it which I really liked. The chicken was really moist too! Definitely worth trying out. I wonder how they debone it… there were no bones inside! Take a bite and you’ll be surprised.

The other appetizer was the Lettuce Wrap, served with lean ground beef with chopped onion, bell pepper, basil and a touch of oyster & chilli sauce. It came out hot and I just love basil! The lettuce wrap also had a medium spiciness to it but the oyster sauce also makes it have a sort of sweet, savouriness to it. The lettuce helps cut the heat to give a cooling effect.

I’ve never had Keang Kari Gai Ma-Mung (fresh mango & chicken in yellow coconut curry) before but I was definitely surprised! Again, the sweet spiciness theme came up and I was surprised to find mango slices in the curry dish. I’ve had curry where they give you a lychee with it but mango was a nice change.

Say hello to Pad Kee Mao, stir fry rice noodles with beef, fresh basil, chopped veggies, bell pepper, onions and fish sauce. It kind of looks like the Cantonese beef fried noodles but the Pad Kee Mao noodles are a bit thinner in width. Overall, I thought this dish was good and I do prefer this over the typical Pad Thai which usually tastes a little more sour.

This dish wasn’t part of the package but it was the Red Curry Tiger Prawns. I came with a guy so one package to share definitely wasn’t enough. I expected that I’d order another dish so we chose this one. The prawns were a good size, fresh, and plump. I just thought that curry sauce on its own was a bit salty but together with the prawns in your mouth balanced the taste. This also came with rice.

To end the night and as part of the package, we were presented with Kluag Tid Ma-Mung Ice Cream, deep fried banana served with mango ice cream. To tell you the truth, i’ve never had a deep fried banana before but it was good together with the ice cream! The mango ice cream was great and together with the warm banana just made it comforting. On the dish, they’d look like two separate things but give it a try and eat them together.

For 18 dollars, this deal was amazing for the amount of food you get. Actually, I can’t imagine myself finishing all 5 of those dishes. If you like spice and would like an introduction to Thai food, you’ll really enjoy it. I hate making decisions about food so this is perfect for those indecisive people. Less work and more bang for your buck.

Purchase the deal at www.vaneats.ca

We Rate Thai House:

Address:
1766 W 7th Avenue
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.thaihouse.com

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In Downtown

Kamei Royale: Kamei Kiss Dining Package Review

May 31, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out their “Kamei Kiss” dining package and write a review about it. I got a complementary dining package for myself and I brought along M to keep the review as unbiased as I could.

Kamei Royale Japanese Restaurant is located on Burrard near West Georgia, thus very close to the Burrard Skytrain. They are owned by the Kamei Group that also owns Ebisu and Daimasu. I’ve visited Ebisu and Daimasu before, but I have not been to Kamei Royal until this experience.

The guys at VANEATS.ca is offering a new dining package called Kamei Kiss for $19, where you get 4 courses consisting of:

Healthy Agedashi Tofu
Crab Salad
Oda Roll
Ice Cream Tempura

The interior is quite nice and the interior is large too. I would think this would be a good location for large parties. Some of the staff are even dressed up in kimonos.

Crab Salad has a crab mixed with avocado, mango, mayonnaise and tobiko. It is garnished with tomatoes, fried lotus roots, sprouts and greens. It is served in a martini glass and was a little bit difficult to figure out how to eat it since we were unsure if we should be eating the large leaf of lettuce or not. In the end, M and I just at the crab mixture and the garnishes and left the large leaf. M enjoyed the amount of crab and the accompany ingredients.

Healthy Agedashi Tofu is deep-fried and topped with kinpira, nameko mushrooms, edamame beans and lotus roots. It sits on top of a bed of ponzu sauce. The outer skin of the agedashi tofu was a little big soggy due to the ponzu sauce and the ingredients on top. It’s best to eat the item fairly quickly when it arrives at your table before the skin gets too soft. Nonetheless, the tofu does have a delicious flavour that balances with the sauce.

Oda Roll has mango, avocado, cucumber and salmon inside. It is topped with tempura eel and cream cheese. The server comes by and torches the top of the cream cheese with a blowtorch. It’s a fun little show, plus it looks amazing. I’ve never seen cream cheese being torched since it’s usually raw fish.

The creaminess from the cream cheese and the avocado made it a delight. The scorched cream cheese added a nice smokey taste that accompanied the tempura eel quite well.

Ice Cream Tempura has vanilla ice cream deep-fried in tempura batter, drizzled with chocolate and topped off with powdered sugar and a cherry. It’s about the size of a baseball. When we cut into the ice cream tempura, the inside was still cold, but it does start to melt quite quickly. M really enjoyed the dessert and was tempted to purchase another one just for himself.

Overall, if you look at Kamei Royale’s regular menu, you will see that the dining package is a steal! The Oda roll by itself is $15.50, the crab salad is $8.50, agedashi tofu is $5.95, and then tempura ice cream is $5.50. You save about $16.45 with getting the package. If you get the package and an additional noodle or rice dish, two people can get full.

The package is on sale now till it’s sold out, so you can grab this at VANEATS.ca for $19.

Words of Wisdom:

Beautiful decor and food presentation
Good for large groups
Tea costs $1.50 🙁
Overpriced for what you get, there are many cheaper options Downtown

We Rate Kamei Royale:

Address:
1030 W Georgia St
Vancouver, BC

Website:

http://www.kameiroyale.com/

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In Downtown

The Kaboom Box: Kaboom in a Box Dining Package Review

May 3, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out their “Kaboom in a Box” dining package and write a review about it. I got a complementary dining package for myself and I brought along MeatLover to keep the review as unbiased as I could.

The Kaboom Box is a food cart near Granville and Robson street that sells amazing items with Oceanwise certified seafood. They try to be very sustainable and only use biodegradable and compostable packaging. I eat here once in a while and I always get the Oyster Po Boy. It steals my heart every single time.

The guys at VANEATS.ca is selling a dining package called ‘Kaboom in a Box’ where you get a sandwich, poutine and a drink for $8.50. You can choose one of two sandwiches – The World Famous Hot Smoked Salmon ‘Salmwich’ or The Gulf Island Fried Oyster Po’Boy.

Lines can be seen at lunch time, but food does come out quickly.

Since the cart is quite small, you can see everything they are doing. It’s kinda cool seeing them in action!

The Gulf Island Fried Oyster Po’Boy has fried panko breaded oysters with tartar sauce and coleslaw in a toasted bun. The oyster are delicious for all those seafood lovers out there. I find that with this sandwich, it can get quite messy as the coleslaw tends to fall out. Nonetheless, its fun to eat and the flavours of the oysters really shine through.

The World Famous Hot Smoked Salmon ‘Salmwich’ has locally sourced Oceanwise salmon that is smoked . It also has spicy mayo and a maple mustard slaw in a toasted whole wheat bun. My coworker ordered this and she said it was a bit dry on the edges, but it was moist and tender on the inside. She also said the toasted bun was a bit tough and dense. It definitely can make you full fast.

BC Poutine has crispy fries topped with a mushroom gravy and cheese curds. This was so delicious because I just love anything with mushrooms. It had a great savory taste and was a good addition to the meal.

For $8.50, the portions are quite good. you will definitely be full. It’s cheaper than some of the other options for lunch Downtown. You will definitely get full! If you haven’t tried Kaboom Box, I think it’s time you tried it. Grab your dining passes at VANEATS.ca before they run out.

Words of Wisdom:

BC Poutine is super good!
Sandwiches can be a bit messy to eat, so grab napkins
Great Lunch option to avoid sitting at restaurants
Close to Granville Skytrain Station

We Rate the Kaboom Box:

Located on:
Granville and Robson

Website:
http://www.thekaboombox.com/

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In Downtown

VANEATs Latest Dining Package: “Oh My SalaThai”

April 18, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached DJ Roman J and I to try out the “Oh My SalaThai” dining package and write a review about it. The review does not guarantee 100% similar service you might normally get from the restaurant.

Roman J and I review the “Oh My SalaThai” Dinning package from VANEATS.ca . Both Roman J and I have been to Sala Thai before but this package gave us a chance to try out other dishes which we haven’t had before.

The inside of the restaurant is full of vibrant Thai décor. DJ Roman J liked the elephant near the entrance.

The package consists of:

3 Appetizers

“SOM TOM”, shredded green papaya, tomatoes, green beans, ground peanuts, fresh chilies & lime juice
“GAI HOR BAI TOEY”, tender pieces of chicken marinated in a chef sauce wrapped and cooked in pandanus leaves
“THAI CRISPY SQUID”, lightly battered and tossed with mixed Thai herbs and spices

2 Mains

“ROYAL PAD THAI CHAO WANG”, our most popular Thai rice noodle dish with shrimp, egg, tofu, bean sprouts & ground peanut
“GAENG KEAW WHAN”, sliced chicken, simmered in coconut milk, Thai green curry with bamboo shoots, eggplant, bell peppers & sweet basil leaves

1 Dessert

“KLAUY TOD”, deep fried banana served with homemade coconut ice cream

SOM TOM. This salad was a good start to our meal. It packed both sweet and savoury flavours. It was refreshingly crisp and the vinaigrette had a bite of fish sauce. DJ Roman J stated that “ this dish will make you love papaya”.

GAI HOR BAI TOEY. The chicken was sweet, juicy, and tender. It had a nice char on the outside and I assume it was grilled prior to being steamed. DJ Roman J could not believe it was steamed in pandanus leaves.

THAI CRISPY SQUID. The batter was nice and light. It was well seasoned with salt and other spices. It was so flavourful that it does not need a sauce.

ROYAL PAD THAI CHAO WANG. I’m picky when it comes to Pad Thai so I can honestly say this was really good. DJ Roman J thought the eggs were a nice addition to the noodles. We also like how the noodles were sweet and how the dish was filling.

GAENG KEAW WHAN. I personally love spicy food and I usually pick green curry dishes when I eat Thai food. Naturally, I loved this dish! However, this dish is not for the timid, especially if you are sensitive to spicy food. DJ Roman J thought this dish got spicier with every bite. The chicken is very tender and overall the dish is tasty.

KLAUY TOD. After having delicious appetizers and mains I was sadly disappointed when this dessert came out. I am huge dessert person, so when I saw how small the serving was I had to think, “That’s IT!? ”. It is not made for two people, only a bite and a half per person. DJ Roman J found the batter to be a little too thick and the slice of banana was too small. Both of us did not enjoy how the ice cream was frozen hard in the center. If the ice cream had been thawed out a bit more, the dish would have been more enjoyable.

Koh-ito ($6.25) is a Thai Mojito with coconut and lime. This drink had a dominant lime flavour which was balanced out with sugar. Overall, this was a refreshing cocktail.

Overall, DJ Roman J and I found this VANEATS dining package to be a must buy! The package is great for two but the only downfall is the size of the dessert. The package offers a spectrum of flavours from sweet and savoury to very spicy.

The “Oh My SalaThai” Package can be bought for $18 at VANEATS.ca and will be good from April 18th to June 18th.

Tidbits

Very busy during dinner times, reservations are a must
Daily drink specials
Good service

We Rate SalaThai:

Address:
102-888 Burrard street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1X9

Website:
http://www.salathai.ca/

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In Commercial Drive / Grandview

Palki Passion Dining Package Review

April 12, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out there “Palki” dinning package and write a review about it. I got a complementary package for myself and I brought along Abbytizer to keep the review as unbiased as I could. The review does not guarantee 100% similar service you might normally get from the restaurant.

Hello Internet! Abbytizer and I reviewed VANEATS latest dining package for “Palki Passion”. Palki serves up traditional Indian cuisine on Commercial Drive.

The dining package consist of a sample platter of various appetizers and main course meal.

Sample Platter consists of:

“Vegetable Samosa”, spiced vegetables stuffed in a savoury pastry.
“Lamb Barrah Kebob”, rack of lamb marinated with garlic, ginger and spices.
“Chicken Tikka”, tender piece of boneless chicken marinated with our special ingredients and grilled in the Tandoor.
“Tandoori Prawn”, jumbo prawn marinated and cooked in the Tandoor
“Murg Malai Tikka”, tender chicken marinated in sour cream and fresh spices from Tandoor.

Main Course consist of:

“Butter Chicken”, boneless chicken first broiled in the Tandoor and then cooked in a butter and cream sauce.
“Onion and Cilantro Naan”, Indian style onion and cilantro.

You can purchase the dinning package at VANEATS.ca for only $14 from April 11 to June 11, 2012.

The interior of the restaurant has a very nice modern look with Indian inspired decor. Upon walking into the restaurant, you are welcomed with the wonderful aroma of spices.

Lentil Wafer with Black Pepper Seeds. We found this mini appetizer to be delicious. The Lentil wafer is very crispy and after a while of eating, you definitely will taste the presence of the black pepper.

The sample platter comes on very hot sizzling hot plate.

Vegetable Samosa has spiced vegetables stuffed in a savoury pastry.
One samosa is cut into two halves. The samosa is well seasoned, is crispy and isn’t greasy like other samosas we’ve had.

Lamb Barrah Kebob is a rack of lamb marinated with garlic, ginger and spices then roasted in the Tandoor. The lamb was delicious. It was nicely grilled and juicy. The lamb does have a bit more spice compared to the other samplers.

Chicken Tikka has tender piece of boneless chicken marinated with Palki’s special ingredients and grilled in the Tandoor. Abbytizer enjoyed how juicy the chicken was. The tandoori seasoning was not overwhelming and the chicken had a nice char grilled flavour to them.

Tandoori Prawn has jumbo prawn marinated and cooked in the Tandoor. Abbytizer describes it to be perfectly cooked as the prawns were tender. The seasoning complemented the sweetness of the prawns.

Murg Malai Tikka has tender chicken marinated in sour cream and fresh spices from Tandoor. Abbytizer enjoyed the chicken, as it was moist and tasty. The grill and char on the chicken added to the overall flavour of this dish.

Along the side of the hot plate are grilled green bell peppers, which were delicious. The peppers have the taste of tandoori from the other dishes beside them.

Butter Chicken has boneless chicken first broiled in the Tandoor and then cooked in a butter and cream sauce. Abbytizer and I both agree that the butter chicken was delicious. Each piece of chicken was very tender. The sauce was delicious. Abbytizer thought that the sauce permeated the chicken so well. Palki’s butter chicken sauce is slightly different from other butter chicken sauces because it had a hint of sweet smokiness. The butter chicken was so delicious that Abbytizer cleaned out the serving dish with the onion and cilantro naan!

Onion and Cilantro Naan has Indian style onion and cilantro. Abbytizer describes it to be a great vehicle for carrying the butter chicken sauce. The naan was tasty in its own right, as it had onions and cilantro, which added little bursts of flavour with every bite.

Granvilla Island Pale Ale Beer ($3.75) The beer is quite refreshing on a sunny day.

The Peacock ($8.00) is made of kiwi, lime, lemon, blue curacao, melon liqueur and soda. Abbytizer describes to be a very refreshing cocktail. She enjoyed the sweetness of the kiwi and questioned if it truly was alcoholic! It was such a good drink she sipped on 2 Peacocks during our dining experience.

Spiked Mango Lassi ($6.75) is made up of mango, special yogurt with rum. Abbytizer describes it to be another great cocktail, especially if you like something that is creamy. The restaurant makes its own yogurt, which is used in this drink. They use fresh mango and mango pulp, and toss all the ingredients, including the rum, in a blender. The ends result is a fruity and enjoyable drink.

Mango Kulfi ($4.25) this is two scopes of rich Indian Mango Ice-cream. I found this dessert to be delicious; there is some sort of seasoning added to the ice cream, which gives it a chewy texture.

Gulab Jamon ($4.25) round sponge like cake in a honey syrup. Abbytizer describe it to be the dessert of choice, especially if you have a big sweet tooth like she does! The sponge cake balls were warm and soft. She especially enjoyed how they soaked up the honey syrup! The addition of toasted nuts gave the dessert a crunchy textural contrast.

Overall, Abbytizer and I both agree that the VANEATs dinning package of “Palki Passion” is worth the $14 dollars. The package is a wonderful way for anyone to get introduced to Indian cuisine. The servers were very friendly and answered any curious questions we had about the dishes. Abbytizer intends to return to Palki when she craves Indian food. When redeeming your package at the restaurant you can choose the degree of heat, ranging from very mild, to very spicy.

Words of Wisdom:

Drink Specials
Nice atmosphere with friendly servers
Can choose level of heat

We Rate Palki Indian Restaurant:

Address:
1130 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC
Website:
palkirestaurant.com
Twitter:
@PalkiRestaurant

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In Downtown

La Casita Botanas Dining Package Review

March 22, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out their “LA CASITA BOTANAS” dining package and write a review about it. I got a complementary dining package for myself and I brought along Abbytizer to keep the review as unbiased as I could. The review does not guarantee 100% similar service you might normally get from this restaurant

Hello Internet! Abbytizer and I reviewed VANEATS latest dining package for “LA CASITA BOTANAS!”. The dining package consists of a 5-course sharing platter.

“Chipotle Prawn”, grilled in butter, garlic, & La Casita’s special chipotle sauce
“Chicken Wings”, served with mole sauce on a bed of rice
“Quesadillas”, handmade folded tortillas with melted cheese and Mexican chorizo sausage
“Cabbage Salad”, served with avocado
“Super Nachos”, beef & bean salsa, cheese & veggies on fresh corn tortilla chips

You can purchase the dining package at VANEATS.ca for only $18 between March 21st and May 21st, 2012:

The interior of the restaurant has a very distinct Mexican feel to it, with piñatas hanging from the ceiling, and luchador masks displayed at the bar. An old black & white Mexican movie played from the TV, while Mexican music played throughout the restaurant.

Tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole. Casita’s guacamole was superfine and has a slight kick to it that increase with every bite. The salsa is very fine, and doesn’t have big chunks of tomato that many people may be accustomed to with a salsa.

The sharing platter is quite big, with the Super Nachos in the center and each of the other four courses are placed on the corners of the large plate.

In this corner we have the “Chipotle Prawn”, grilled in butter, garlic, & Casita’s special chipotle sauce. Abbytizer describes it to be quite spicy with a nice smoky flavour to accompany the heat. She thought that the prawns were cooked perfectly as they were very tender and also slightly sweet. Overall, the dish balanced nicely between spicy, smoky and sweet notes of flavour.

“Chicken Wings”, served with mole sauce on a bed of rice. Abbytizer describes the wings as being very tasty. She said she would eat anything with the mole sauce. She also thought that the rice was flavourful. The only downside to this dish was that the wings were very small and there were only 5 wings. We would have loved larger wings and more of them!

“Quesadillas”, handmade folded tortillas with melted cheese and Mexican chorizo sausage. The sausage within the quesadilla looked like ground beef. The quesadilla is small and has a delicious taste to of it. One thing that Abbytizer and I both noted was that the sausage was quite dry and would have benefited from a sauce, perhaps, sour cream, salsa or mole, just to give it more moisture.

“Cabbage Salad”, served with avocado. This salad has sliced tomatoes, orange peppers, purple onions, and is seasoned with lime. I found this salad to be refreshing and quite enjoyable. Each bite of the salad had a delicious crunch to it. Abbytizer also like the salad and enjoyed the textural contrast between the crisp cabbage and the smooth, creaminess of the avocados.

“Super Nachos”, beef & bean salsa, cheese & veggies on fresh corn tortilla chips. These Super Nachos are very good. The refried beans had a great flavour and made the nachos taste delicious.

Horchata ($3.25) is a sweet drink traditionally made of rice, and is flavoured with cinnamon and sugar. Abbytizer loved it and said that it takes the heat of the spicy dishes. She described it to taste like a “liquefied churro”. If you like churros you’ll love this drink.

Casita Sundae ($6.50) Two churros in vanilla ice cream, topped with whipped cream and strawberry puree. I found the dessert to be delicious. The vanilla icecream and the strawberry puree blends perfectly with the cinnamon churoo. Abbytizer describes this dessert to be a sweet tooth’s dream. She enjoyed the crunchy churros and how the rich ice cream complemented it perfectly. The strawberry puree was a nice added flavour. It was a very good dessert, and Abbytizer would definitely have it again!

Overall, The “LA CASITA BOTANAS” dining package is worth its value, and all the dishes in the platter were muy delicioso. The platter is suitable for two to three and will get you satisfied. The platter is perfect for anyone who wants to try Mexican food and is curious to see what La Casita has to offer.

Words of Wisdom:

Free Wifi
Weekly Specials
Authentic Mexican Drinks

We Rate La Casita Botanas:

Address:
101 West Cordova St. Vancouver, BC V6B 1E1

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In Downtown

First ImPrestons Dining Package Review

February 29, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out their “First ImPreston’s” dining package and write a review about it. I got a complementary dining package for myself and I brought along Abbytizer to keep the review as unbiased as I could. The review does not guarantee 100% similar service you might normally get from this restaurant

Abbytizer and I have never been to Preston’s before. From the outside it looks like a very nice, sleek lounge for drinks. The VANEATS “First ImPreston’s” dining package can fully satisfy one person, but is minimal for two people to share.

The Preston’s Dinning Package consists of 5 dishes:

Appetizer

Dungeness Crab Cake
Preston’s Pulled Pork Poutine
Chicken Karrage

Entree

1/2 Rack of Baby Back Ribs

BC Halibut Wrapped in Double Smoked Bacon

Dessert

Maple and Double Smoked Bacon Creme Brulee

The interior of the restaurant is very modern. There is a wall with a cool graphic display that illuminates a pink light throughout the restaurant.

On the left: “Dungeness Crab Cake” with panko breading, tomato dressing, micro herb salad, and fried capers.

The Dungeness Crab Cake, Chicken Karrage, and the Pulled Pork Poutine come as a trio in an appetizer. The first one we tasted was the Dungeness Crab Cake. The texture of the crab cake is crunchy and it was perfectly warm throughout. Abbytizer and I both enjoyed this dish. Abbytizer described it as “packed with real crab meat, which made it very tasty. The sauce that came with it was a perfect match. She enjoyed the crunchy texture of the panko breading because it gave the crab cake a good bite. The only negative thing she had to say about this dish was that it was a little awkward to cut in half in the presentation it came in”.

The center: “Chicken Karaage“, is flash fried marinated chicken with garlic sake, served with spicy sambal lime aioli and miso cabbage slaw.

The chicken karrage was a let down. There was nothing special about the chicken; it was borderline dry and lacked flavour. Abbytizer stated that it needs more aioli sauce to accompany it. The coleslaw is sweet and tasty, but it wasn’t enough to save the dish.

To the Right: “Prestons Pulled Pork Poutine“, with crispy French fries, Quebec cheese curds, and Rickards Red Gravy.

Abbytizer and I both enjoyed this dish because this poutine was not like any other poutine we’ve had before. There is a distinct sweetness from the pork and sauce. The pork is really soft and tender and it blended perfectly with the gravy and the cheese. The fries were crispy and added a nice textural contrast to the dish.

The presentation of the appetizers is quite nice, but the portion size is very minimal for two hungry people. The appetizers would are just enough for one person.

Before we received our main dish, we were presented with a tiny pellet that holds a compressed cloth. When soaked in water the cloth expands, and when peeled a part, the cloth becomes bigger. The tiny pellet became a wet nap. This process was quite amusing to Abbytizer and I before we had our main meals.

“1/2 Rack of Baby Back Ribs“, with sweet hoisin & ginger glazed pork ribs, roasted fingerling potatoes and crunchy coleslaw.

This meal is very pleasing to the eyes. Abbytizer enjoyed it very much. She described the dish as savory and delicious. The sauce was so tasty, she nearly licked her plate clean! The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and the fingerling potatoes were perfectly seasoned with the right amount of salt. The coleslaw added a nice crisp contrast to the softness of the ribs. Overall, this entree was a winner!

“BC Halibut Wrapped in Double Smoked Bacon“, ($26) served with creamed leeks, quinoa and honey shallot j’us .

I ordered the Halibut to try the other entree offered in the “First ImPrestons” dining package. I never had quinoa before and the quinoa was delicious. The quinoa carried the flavor of the dish. The halibut, however, lacked flavor even though it was wrapped in bacon.

Green Tea Matcha Crème Brulee served with julienne slices of pickled granny smith. The restaurant made a mistake of giving us the green tea crème brulee instead of the maple and double smoked bacon crème brulee.

The green tea matcha crème bruelee was served in a tiny ramekin. However, it was packed with matcha goodness and was very enjoyable. The julienne slices of pickled granny smith apple have a distinct sour taste that is refreshing. People who don’t prefer sour tastes may not like the apples in this dish.

“Maple and Double Smoked Bacon Creme Brulee“, is a very interesting dish. It has a strong initial taste of bacon grease, and after a while of having it, you can taste the smokiness of the bacon. The top of the crème brulee is sweet and when broken and mixed with the crème, it tastes sweet and salty. Abbytizer described it as an acquired taste, especially for anyone who finds bacon as a very unusual dessert flavour.

Chocolate Brownie Sundae ($8) with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and raspberry coulis.

Abbytizer enjoyed this dessert. She described the brownie as soft and moist, with a rich chocolate flavour. The raspberry coulis cut through the richness and sweetness of the brownie nicely, and the vanilla ice cream is a wonderful addition to the dessert. The portion of this dessert is large enough to be shared between two people.

The Chuck Norris ($9) with Beefeater Gin, Triple Sec, Lilet Blanca, fresh limejuice and Absinthe. This drink has a very strong initial taste of lime and a strong after taste that is a kick to the face. Who needs shots when you can drink a Chuck Norris.

Hot and Dirty ($9) This is a blend of Absolut Vanilla, Absinthe, lime juice, cordial and a dash of Bols Blue. Abbytizer found this drink to be pretty and potent. It was not as sweet as she anticipated it to be. Overall, a good cocktail.

Overall, one main entrée at Prestons cost just as much as the VANEATS dining package. The VANEATS “First ImPrestons” pass is great value for your buck, especially if you want to try out a restaurant with great food. However, the pass is suitable for one person, so if two of you are dining, you may want to order another appetizer or entree.

You can purchase the “First ImPrestons” Dinning Package at VANEATS.ca for $21 starting on February 29^th.

Words of Wisdom:

Large drink menu
Nice lounge area
Bathroom is outside the restaurant

We rate Prestons:

Address:
1177 West Pender Street
Vancouver, BC V6E

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In Downtown

Verace Amore Dining Package Review

February 21, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out their “Verace Amore” dining package and write a review about it. I got a complementary dining package for myself and I brought along CandiedZen to keep the review as unbiased as I could. This review does not guarantee 100% similar service you might normally get from this restaurant.

I always pass by Verace but never went inside until VANEATS.ca began offering the Verace Amore Dining Package. The package was designed to feed one, but CandiedZen and I found that it’s best to share it and order an additional dish. This is because not everyone will love all the items in this package due to personal reasons. Some people hate olives, some people love olives. The dining package comes with 4 items:

Salati Assortiti
Burrata
8-inch Brick Oven Baked Pizza (half funghi, half Prosciutto e Rucola)
Lemoncello Layer Cake

The interior has lots of tables and can get busy on game days or holidays.

Limonata Al Mosmario has freshly squeezed lemons, rosemary and soda. We tried ordering the Italian Soda, but the waiter highly recommended this to us. It tasted really good with a strong lemon soda taste with a subtle hint of rosemary. It’s not part of the dining package, but it was nice and refreshing to go with the meal.

Burrata is burrata cheese finished with balsamic reduction, lemon oil and served with warm rosemary pizza bread.

CandiedZen and liked this dish since the rosemary bread was crunchy and melded well with the soft burrata cheese.

Salati Assortiti come with a daily selection of cured meats and cheese, vegetables, and marinated olives. It comes with more warm rosemary pizza bread.

Good selection of items, but not for everyone. That’s why its good to share one of these with another person. CandiedZen and I eat everything, so it worked well for us. For myself, I really loved the pickled artichokes and the cured meats.

8-inch Brick Oven Baked Pizza is handmade with naturally leavened dough

½ Prosciutto e Rucola – plum tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella topped with prosciutto, fresh arugula, grana padano and evoo (extra virgin olive oil)
½ Funghi – mushroom cream, cipollini balsamic onions, mixed crimini, portabella, and oyster mushrooms. Topped with fresh oregano, grana padano and evoo

The Prosiutto e Rucola was good, but it was a bit hard to eat with the arugula on top. The Funghi was really good since it had the fragrant mushroom cream sauce. It was strong, but I am a huge mushroom fan. The pizza is smaller in size than their regular pizzas. The regular ones are about 12 inches instead of the 8 inches. I did like this pizza since it gives you a sample of their top 2 pizzas.

Chili oil and garlic oil comes to the table and you can add it to your rosemary bread or pizza. I personally love the garlic oil since it has a subtle taste and goes well with most bread-y items.

Lemoncello Layer Cake has limoncello infused lady fingers layered with lemon curd and mascarpone cream.

It was a nice dessert at the end and its great they used lemoncello, which is an Italian lemon liqueur. It had a good taste and the ingredients went well together.

Candies come in the end when the bill comes!

Overall, we found the dining package was worth the $15, since a regular pizza on their menu is about $15 anyways. It’s a well-built package that shows you the variety of items that they offer.

You can purchase the Verace Amore Dining Package at VANEATS.ca for $15 beginning on February 22nd at 7am. All the items are on their regular menu too!

Words of Wisdom:

Good Pizza
Closest Skytrain: Stadium
Free Parking at Tinseltown (Just make sure the mall doesn’t close) or pay parking underground near T&T

We Rate Verace Pizzeria:

Address:
189 Keefer Pl
Vancouver, BC
Website:
http://www.veracepizzeria.com/

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In Japanese

Ebisu Flair Dining Package Review

February 7, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out their “Ebisu flair” dining package and write a review about it. I got a complementary dining package for myself and I brought along Flo (she’s a picky eater) to keep the review as unbiased as I could. This review does not guarantee 100% similar service you might normally get from this restaurant.

I’ve been to Ebisu several times and I see it more as a place for large birthday parties since I only come here for that. For Flo, she sees it more as a place to drink and have appetizers. Essentially its a restaurant lounge.

With the VANEATS Ebisu Flair Dining package, it can either make 1 person really full or for 2 people. The package doesn’t say how many it can feed. Flo and I just shared a package and then ordered an item off the menu. It worked out pretty well.

The Ebisu Flair Dining Package comes with 5 items:

Aigamo Duck Salad
Salmon Carpaccio
Tiger Mayo
Crunch & Munch Roll
Mars Attack

The interior is a good size, but some seating is a bit tight if you’re not sitting in a booth. The package doesn’t seem like its meant for a large group type of setting, but more for a date type of thing.

Tiger Mayo has deep fried Black Tiger prawns with a sweet chilli mayonnaise sauce.

The tiger mayo did not have very much flavour on it’s own. The batter and chilli mayo adds a little bit of a kick since there are bit of spice in it. The batter is coated quite thin, so you can tell the tiger prawns are a nice plump size.

Salmon Carpaccio has Atlantic salmon marinated in olive oil topped with citrus white wine mayo & garlic chips

This dish was good, but I felt that with the mayo and the bundle of sprouts covered up the salmon carpaccio. You kinda have to dig to find the salmon. It’s just a personal preference of mine.

Aigamo Duck Salad is made of roasted duck and sauteed button mushrooms served on greens and peppers in a citrus infused ginger dressing.

The salad was quite good and the duck was nice and tender. I thought the orange slices added a dash of color to the dish. The dressing went well with the salad.

Crunch & Munch Roll is made of prawn tempura, cucumber, tobiko wrapped with unagi & avocado. Its served with unagi & wasabi cream sauce on top.

It’s good to eat this when it arrives before the tempura gets a bit soggy. You wouldn’t want the crunch to disappear. This roll was alright, but it wasn’t too amazing or anything.

Mars Attack is made with a deep fried Mars Bar served with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream on corn flakes.

When this arrived at the table, the atmosphere got way too romantic between Flo and I hahaha. This dessert is perfect for dates since its a fun kind of dessert. I really liked the deep fried mars bar since the chocolate and caramel is a bit melted. The ice cream does cut a bit of the fried taste.

Stamina Beef Don ($10.50) has slices of medium rare beef on rice with yakiniku sauce. Flo and I didn’t like this dish at all. The meat was cut quite large and it was very tough to eat. It was very hard to eat.

Overall, we found the the dining package was worth the $20, if you split it between 2 people all you need to do is add an extra dish to get full. The service can be a hit or a miss. In the past I’ve had good and bad service here. The only thing that I really didn’t like was how they charge $3 for tea when most places don’t charge, plus the waitress never said anything.

You can purchase the Ebisu flair Dining Package at VANEATS.ca for $20 beginning on February 9th. Its a good way to see their variety of dishes that they offer without breaking your wallet.

All the items are on their regular menu too! Seeing the Crunch & Munch roll on its own is already about $11, you definitely are getting a good deal.

Words of Wisdom:

$3 charge on tea 🙁
Some dishes are a hit or a miss
Pay parking in the rear
Reservations highly recommended!

We Rate Ebisu:

Address:

827 Bute St.
Vancouver, BC

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In Bar and Grill

Hurricane Grill: Hurricane Fiesta Dining Package

December 11, 2011

Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out their “Hurricane Fiesta” dining package and write a review about it. I got a complementary dining package and brought 3 friends to keep the review as unbiased as I could. This review does not guarantee 100% similar service you might normally get from this restaurant.

Hurricane Grill is located near False Creek Marina. It’s a popular place to watch the game while munching on their delicious creations.

This month, VANEATS.ca is offering a Hurricane Fiesta Dining Package where you can choose 2 of their signature salads and their Bruschetta. To try out this package, I brought 3 of friends to see how this package adds up. The package is meant for 2 people, but there seemed to be a lot to eat.

There are a lot of comfortable seats and lots of TVs to watch the game. They also have a large selection of alcohol too.

Hurricane lager ($4.99) tasted very light and did not have much taste to it. If you do like light beers, I would say it might be the beer for you.

Bruschetta ($10.99), classic made with tomatoes, parmesan, extra virgin olive oil, basil, balsamic reduction, mozzarella and goat cheese

Their bruschetta blew us all away! This is not the usual hard crunchy bruschetta you would find. It was toasted on the outside and was soft on the inside with the delicious savory ingredients on top. It’s a must have!

The Grill Salad ($16.99), six oz N.Y. steak on grilled vegetables, spring mix and tossed together with a balsamic reduction

You have a choice of how you would like your steak done and we chose medium-rare. It was cooked perfectly. What I liked about this salad is that it’s not your typical salad with leafy greens, it has large chunks of other vegetables. The balsamic vinegar added a nice acidity to the dish, which I enjoyed.

Fiesta Salad ($14.99), romaine lettuce, corn, black beans, avocado, blackened chicken, salsa, nacho cheese, sour cream and a cilantro mint dressing

This salad may look simple, but hands down, this is the best salad ever! The blackened chicken and avocado adds a punch into this dish. The chicken has a lot of flavour!! One bite of the chicken and everyone at the table instantly loved this.

The Classic Nachos ($14.99 + $2.99 for Guacamole) were taller than a pint of beer. We were really scared this would topple over, but they have mastered the art of nacho making! There is a good amount of cheese and toppings that everything holds nice and firmly. It’s not included in the Hurricane Fiesta Package, but highly recommended to try it out sometime.

Even though the food was great, the service confused us a lot. It took them a long time to figure out what ‘Hurricane Fiesta’ was. As they were confused, it made us more confused. They didn’t explain how the package was going to work, so my friends were very confused…until I had to fill them in on what we were ordering. After this little mishap, all was understood and the service improved.

Overall, the prices are reasonable for what you get and I was impressed with the overall quality.

The Hurricane Fiesta package is available starting December 15th for $25 from VANEATS.ca and you get your choice of 2 salads and the bruschetta. You save about $18 and get some killer food.

Words of Wisdom:

Nachos!! Most popular item!
Lots of seats and great for sports games
Closest Skytrain: Yaletown Skytrain
Fiesta Salad is good!

We Rate Hurricane Grill:
Address:
1137 Marinaside Cres
Vancouver, BC
Website:
http://www.hurricanegrill.ca/
Twitter:
@hurricanegrill

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In Japanese

Ebisu: Cheers Ebisu Dining Package

October 28, 2011

Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out their “Cheers Ebisu” dining package and write a review about it. I got a complementary dining package for myself and I brought along 2 of my friends to keep the review as unbiased as I could. This review does not guarantee 100% similar service you might normally get from this restaurant.

Ebisu is a great place for drinks and tapas. I remember going here a lot before when people would hold birthday parties here. It’s actually a very popular place for people to dine at before they head off to the club.

There is lots of room in the restaurant. Good for large groups or small groups. The weekdays are not that busy, but when it’s Friday and Saturday, it does get busy, so best to make reservations.

When you arrive at the table you are given the hot towels to wipe your hands. Great idea since it’s cold and flu season!

For the Cheers Ebisu dining package ($25) from VANEATS.ca , you get:

4 pcs of Chikuwa Cheese
2 Cajun Tuna Tacos
2 pcs of Tiger Mayo
2 Kansai Steak Sliders
5 pcs of Chicken Karaage
Thunder Fries
1 pitcher of Sapporo

Pitcher of Sapporo

It’s really good to drink beer with the whole meal since there is quite a bit of fried foods with the meal. In the pitcher, you can get about 4 glasses from the pitcher.

Thunder Fries, fresh house-cut fried sweet potato sticks served with our popular house cajun dip

We were quite impressed by the thunder fries since they seemed like fries with steroids. They were really big and thick and had a good taste of the sweet potato. The cajun dip went well with this nicely!

Chikuwa Cheese, deep fried fish cake stuffed with melted mozzarella cheese

I’ve never had anything like this fish cake with cheese?! It had a chewy texture and then the ooey gooeyness. Yum.

Chicken Karaage, deep fried boneless chicken

I also liked the chicken karaage, there are no bones, so you don’t need to get your hands dirty. It was moist and had a good flavour.

Kansai Steak Sliders, sauteed sliced beef marinated in yakiniku sauce sandwiched with avocado, onions, mushrooms & mayo

I didn’t really like the sliders since they were on the salty side. There could have been a bit more avocado to cut through the saltiness. M had no problems with it, but maybe thats because he’s a man. I don’t know, probably a thing of personal preference.

Tiger Mayo, deep fried Black Tiger prawns complete with our chefs sweet chili mayonnaise dip

The tiger mayo did not have very much flavour on it’s own. I also think we didn’t get the sweet chili mayo dip, so we just dipped it the thunder fries sauce.

Cajun Tuna Tacos, seared fresh tuna & shredded mixed salad dressed with our tantalizing house ginger sauce

The tuna taco was good, but it was very hard to eat without the shell breaking. I’ve had this years ago and it’s still tasty, but make sure you have a plate in front of you to catch everything when it breaks.

Take sake ($9.50) comes in a cool bamboo container. M didn’t want any of the beer since it makes him full, so he decided to get himself the sake. He dubbed this sake, the sake that kept on giving because it seemed pretty endless. Until…well it ended after many many shots. He liked the crisp taste too.

Jalapeno Shrimp ($6.95) is shrimp seasoned with jalapeno flakes, battered and fries. It sits on a bed of fries too. We thought it would have been spicier, but it’s not too bad. everything was nice and crispy.

They also give you ketchup and hot sauce so it went well with the Jalapeno shrimp.

Overall, we found the the dining package was worth the $25 since a pitcher of beer can come to $15. There is quite a bit of fried foods, but the beer will cut right through all of that. I grabbed 2 other friends to eat this with me and it filled us up. This package is supposed to feed 2 people, but I think it can be feed 3 if you add an extra dish to it.

You can purchase the Cheers Ebisu Dining Package at VANEATS.ca for $25, there’s only 150 available, so get it fast! Starts November 1st and is redeemable till the end of the month!

Words of Wisdom:

Pay parking in the rear end
Reservations highly recommended!

We Rate Ebisu:

Address:

827 Bute St.
Vancouver, BC

In Japanese

Suika: Suika Me Silly Dining Package

September 29, 2011

Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out their “Suika Me Silly” dining package and write a review about it. I got a complementary dining package for myself and bought an additional one for a friend to keep the review as unbiased as I could. This review does not guarantee 100% similar service you might normally get from this restaurant.

I’ve been to Suika before and its always seems so busy, even for a weekday! Suika is a Japanese Snack Bar on Broadway. They are similar to the other Izakaya restaurants in Vancouver. VANEATS.ca is offering a “Suika Me Silly” Dining Package in October, which has 6 different items for $16. I came with InsecureGirl to see if the dining package lives up to expectations.

The first thing I noticed was that almost all the tables had reservations! I felt bad since I didn’t make a reservation beforehand, but they were nice enough to find a table for us. (If I accidentally took your table, I am very very sorry!!!!)

I love their lights! It’s made from old Japanese glass bottles. Seems pretty cool and makes good photos.

Before InsecureGirl and I dug into the dining package, we needed our fix of Japanese beer! The dining package does not come with drinks, so you have to order it on top of the dining package.

Asahi Black ($6.40) is InsecureGirls pick of beer. Asahi Black is a dark lager made with barley, maize and rice. Even though it is called “black”, it is in no way like Guiness! It’s not very heavy or bitter. Just like the normal Asahi, it is still crisp and light, but with a strong nutty taste.

Sapporo Pint ($5.80) is my favorite beer of all time. The taste is light and crisp, but not as heavy as the Asahi Black. Its great with raw food and doesn’t leave a strange taste lingering in my mouth.

“Beef Tataki”, smoked AAA beef filet tataki.

This is the first dish that will arrive at your table. It is thinly sliced beef filet with the accompaniment of crisp garnishes. InsecureGirl and I both liked it, but I found the slices to be a little bit too thick for my liking. InsecureGirl didn’t think it was too thick, but it is a bit thicker than the beef tataki at Guu. It’s just personal preferences. If you just focus on the quality, it’s pretty good. The beef is nicely marbled with fat, so it is tender.

“Ma-Po Rice Cake” and “Corn Kakiage”

This will be the second plate that will arrive at your table. It has 2 different items.

“Corn Kakiage”, organic corn niblets fried with cilantro batter, soy sauce and butter

We really really loved this dish. Its something different that most restaurant. Plus, corn is just delicious! The cilantro batter holds all the niblets together and doesn’t fall apart too easily. The addition of the butter complements the corn nicely…thus thats why butter and corn is so popular.

“Ma-Po Rice Cake”, deep fried rice cake w/spicy ground pork sauce dusted w/Japanese pepper

InsecureGirl and I did not really like this dish. The sauce tasted nice, but we didn’t think it matched well with the rice cake. If they had fried tofu instead, it would have been good. It was just so hard to eat the rice cake since it’s so sticky and had to chew.

I personally find that rice cakes are a korean thing and the ma-po sauce is a Chinese or Taiwanese thing. It was just weird mixing the two. Some people may disagree.

“Negitoro Battera”, pressed sushi with tuna belly, scallions, avocado & sesame topped with home made soy dressing & seaweed sauce

InsecureGirl was not really impressed by this dish since she’s had it during a previous dinner here. She finds that there is too much rice and the flavour of the negitoro does not shine through.

I found that this pressed sushi falls apart quite easily, but the seaweed sauce was a good accompaniment to the negitoro. I also agreed that it can be hard to taste the flavour of the negitoro with all the rice.

Not that many restaurants offer the “pressed-sushi”, so it is something new to try.

“Aburi Shime-Saba Sushi”, seared cured mackerel pressed sushi served with mustard soy dressing

Yet again we both found that is also fell apart easily and had a lot of rice. The mackerel on top tasted very nice. It does have a fishier taste than salmon, but some people like that.

“Matcha Brulee”, frozen matcha creme brulee with fresh whipped cream & red bean sauce

This was really good. I have never had frozen matcha creme brulee before. It was like eating ice cream.

Overall, we felt that the ‘Silly Me Suika’ provides a good value for $16. To a newcomer to Suika, it’s a good way to get a sense of their menu offerings. Usual dishes are priced at $7ish, so you do save money.

You can purchase the Silly Me Suika Dining Package at VANEATS.ca for $16, there’s only 50 available, so get it fast! Starts October 1st and is redeemable till the end of the month!

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