Foodology
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yaletown

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In Brunch

The Parlour: Brunch in Yaletown

Yaletown’s favourite pizzeria – The Parlour is now offering brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 11am till 3pm. Who can say no to benedict pizzas? We’ve been a big fan of The Parlour for years and the thin crust on their pizzas are so good paired with their delicious toppings.

We were invited to check out their new brunch menu.

Patio

Their patio is open and there are some space to socially distance yourself from others. Definitely the best option is to sit out on the patio for brunch on a nice day.

If its full, there is still lots of indoor seating. There is also a private back room that opens just for weekends.

Classic Eggs Benedict

This comes with 2 poached eggs, black forest ham, tomato sauce, mozza, and hollandaise. The eggs benedict is served on their pizza dough instead of a traditional biscuit or english muffin. A nice twist to showcase their dough.

This dish was very good and not too heavy at all for brunch. It was never greasy either. It is also served with a side of fruit to balance out the meal.

Huevos Benedictinos

The Huevos Benedictinos looks similar to the classic eggs benedict. It has 2 poached eggs, salsa, chorizo, hollandaise, avocado, tomato sauce, and mozzarella. It is served on their famous pizza dough. The combination of the eggs benedict with salsa and avocado worked very well together.

Side of Red Potato Cajun Hash

We ordered the Red Potato Cajun Hash on the side. We loved how its so flavourful and crisp. On the inside, the potatoes were soft and really soaked in all that cajun spice.

Side Andouille Sausage

The sausage was served on the side on its own plate. It has a nice kick of flavour and was firm.

French Toast

The french toast has brioche, cinnamon, bourbon whipped cream, maple syrup and blueberry compote. It’s a big portion, but they also offer half portions as well if you don’t have such a big appetite.

Surprisingly, the dish wasn’t too sweet with the maple syrup.

Blackberry Smash

Brunch isn’t complete without a cocktail in hand. This has muddled blackberries, Hennessy VS, fresh lemon juice, ginger, and honey syrup. It’s a well rounded cocktail and not too strong. Good fruity pairing for brunch.

Final Thoughts

Overall. solid brunch that you can’t go wrong. They do also have their other menu if you want their classic pizzas during brunch. With the Summer weather getting hotter and hotter, the patio is a nice place to be.

Address:
1011 Hamilton St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://theparlourrestaurants.com/

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In Mexican

Chancho Tortilleria: Backyard Picnic Kits in Vancouver

Chancho Tortilleria is a casual counter service restaurant serving up authentic Mexican cuisine in Downtown Vancouver. Like many restaurants operating during this pandemic, they have recently shifted to offer Backyard Picnic Kits for Vancouverites to enjoy the Summer weather while enjoying good eats and drinks.

The kits include your choice of filling for your tacos, margaritas or Micheladas, and sides for a group of 4. Just the perfect group size for social distancing without people looking at you funny.

Backyard Picnic Kits

Chancho’s new Backyard Picnic Kits include a choice of either:

  • Maciza (pork shoulder/leg) $80 + tax
  • Panza (pork Belly)  $86 + tax
  • Campechano (pork shoulder and belly) $82 + tax 
  • Papas dia (potato) $74 + tax
  • Verduras dia (veggies) $74 + tax

Included in the price are the sides and drinks:

  • Fresh-made Native Corn Tortillas
  • Chips and Guacamole
  • Salsas and Black Beans
  • Choice of either Margarita (375 mL bottle of Hornitos tequila and mix) or Michelada (4 bottles of Pacifico lager and mix) kit.

How to order Chancho’s Backyard Picnic Kits

Orders for Chancho’s Picnic Kits can be made seven days a week from noon to 8 p.m. both in store (560 Davie Street) or by phoning the restaurant at 604-336-9219, with a 20% discount applied to all orders placed and picked up between 3 to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.

Thoughts

The kits are very delicious and flavourful, you have everything you need to have a great time with friends. If you’re looking for high quality authentic tacos, this is it. The price is higher than other taco kits around town, but you get alcohol included in this. Plus, the quality of the ingredients used are very good.

Address:
560 Davie St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2G4

Website:
https://www.chancho.ca/

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In Event

Taste of Yaletown 2019: West Oak $55 3 Course Menu

Taste of Yaletown is back for 2019 from October 17 – 27th, 2019. This is the 15th year showcasing the very best of Vancouver’s chefs as they present a unique set of cuisine, tasting plates and pairings for this distinctive festival.

West Oak is participating again with a decadent $45 and $55 3 course menu that will have you salivating. They specialize in local Canadian cuisine.

We were invited by the Yaletown Business Improvement Association to check out the space and menu.

Menus

Appetizer

The $45 and $55 menu have the same appetizers – prawns, beet & burrata salad, and beef tartare. All the appetizer options were decent, but the prawns as well as the beet & burrata salad were favourite among the table. The beef tartare was lacking more depth of flavour.

CHINOIS PRAWNS
House-made spicy, aioli, candied walnuts

BEET & BURRATA SALAD
Golden and purple beets, mandarin orange, candied walnuts, radish, basil oil, fennel mandarin vinaigrette

STEAK TARTARE
AAA steak, goat feta Salata, truffle, parmesan, toasted baguette

Entree

The entrees that we tried were from the $55 menu, so we didn’t try any dishes that were exclusively for the $45 menu. We did find that for $10 more, you get more unique dishes to choose from.

You can choose from – chicken, scallops, tenderloin, and veal chop. The dishes were executed well but the veal chop was very impressive for it’s size and hit the spot. The tenderloin was delicious and we got it rare, but you can choose the doneness however you like. If you get the scallops, they are massive and 3 pieces to the entree is a very good size. As for the chicken, it looks pretty plain, but it was juicy.

ROASTED CHICKEN
Organic free-range chicken, roast potatoes, broccolini, grainy mustard and white wine sauce

8OZ AAA TENDERLOIN
Grass-fed tenderloin, mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables

FRESH WILD SCALLOPS
Pan-seared sea scallops, quinoa, crisp apple, asparagus, baby carrots

14OZ VEAL CHOP “PARM”
fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil, tagliatelle Pomodoro

DESSERT

The meal ends off with the chef’s dessert. When we were here, the dessert were these mini donuts. It was covered in a good amount of sugar and still maintained its beautiful crunch a while after it arrived at the table. I really enjoyed it. The dessert is the same for the $45 and $55 menu.

Final Thoughts

At first, I thought the appetizers were a bit weak to start off with as it wasn’t outstanding. When the entrees arrived, it made up for it. Entrees were definitely very safe choices but had a lot of good flavour and the item were cooked well. The dessert of mini donuts was very fun.

It’s another solid dining choice for Taste of Yaletown. We tried mostly the $55 menu, so unfortunately we don’t know how the entrees are for the $45 menu.

Address:
1035 Mainland St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://yaletowninfo.com/event/taste-of-yaletown/
http://pmentertainment.com/westoak-yaletown/

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In Event

Taste of Yaletown 2019: WildTale $45 3 Course Meal

Taste of Yaletown is back for 2019 from October 17 – 27th, 2019. This is the 15th year showcasing the very best of Vancouver’s chefs as they present a unique set of cuisine, tasting plates and pairings for this distinctive festival.

WildTale is participating again with a decadent $45 3 course menu that will have you salivating. They specialize in fresh seafood with their coastal flavours.

We were invited by the Yaletown Business Improvement Association to check out the space and menu.

Appetizers

There are 3 appetizers to choose from kale salad, beef carpaccio or ahi tuna tostadas. All three appetizers I really enjoyed. Definitely a tie between the ahi tuna tostadas and the beef carpaccio. The sauces were so good.

ROASTED SQUASH & ORGANIC KALE SALAD
shaved pear, crumbled feta, pomegranate vinaigrette

BRANT LAKE WAGYU BEEF CARPACCIO
pickled shallots, shaved pecorino, horseradish aioli

FRANCISCO’S AHI TUNA TOSTADAS
corn tortilla, avocado crema, burnt salsa

Entrees

As for the entrees, there are also 3 to choose from – lamb, trout, and bolognese. Of the 3 options, I was surprised that I liked the trout the most. It was really tender and bursting with flavour.

PEACE COUNTRY LAMB DUO
roasted lamb sirloin, risotto of braised lamb shoulder Pinot noir jusor

CRAB & BRIE STUFFED STEELHEAD TROUT
rosemary whipped potatoes, buttered beans citrus & dill beurre blanc

BAKED VEGETARIAN BOLOGNESE MACARONI
porcini mushrooms, cauliflower, zucchini ragout roasted san marzano tomato sauce

Dessert

Ending off the evening with dessert is a nice finish. There is only one choice – the bittersweet chocolate tart. I wasn’t a fan of the crust but the mousse was delicious.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE TART
caramel & chantilly cream

Final Thoughts

For the Taste of Yaletown 2019 $45 menu at WildTale, it is a solid menu. My favourite dishes of the evening are the beef carpaccio, ahi tuna tostada, trout, and lamb.

Address:
1079 Mainland St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://yaletowninfo.com/event/taste-of-yaletown/
https://wildtale.ca/

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In Cafe

On Yogurt: Dorayaki with a Twist in Downtown Vancouver

Dorayaki is much love by Doremon and fall into any sinister trap that involve this sweet treat. Dorayaki is a Japanese treat made of pancakes sandwiched with red bean.

On Yogurt in Downtown Vancouver has launched a line of dorayaki sweet sandwiches. There are 5 in total, 3 have their signature rolled gelato and 2 others have other fillings.

  • Creme Brulee
  • S’More
  • Milk Tea Rolled Gelato
  • Matcha Rolled Gelato
  • Nutella Rolled Gelato

We were invited to give these a try.

Menu

Milk Tea Rolled Gelato

This was our favourite of all the Dorayaki. It has 3 rolled sheets of Milk Tea gelato, black sugar pearls and whipped cream. The taste of the milk tea was really good. Pearls had a good texture as well.

Make sure to eat it fast before the gelato starts melting because it’ll get messy.

Matcha Dorayaki

The matcha dorayaki has matcha rolled gelato, red bean paste, and crispy rice. We found this to be a bit sweet, probably because of the added red bean.

S’more Dorayaki

This has coffee crunch paste, chocolate cereal and the fluffy marshmallow. Definitely one of the sweeter items in this series.

Creme Brûlée Dorayaki

The Creme Brûlée has seasonal fruit and the fruits we had were blueberries and strawberries. Pretty good as well.

Nutella Banana Dorayaki

A classic combination and you can’t go wrong. This has Nutella rolled gelato, Nutella paste and banana.

Milk Tea

Their milk tea rolled gelato is pretty darn good, so we had to get the drink. It normally comes with small pearls, but we asked to have it with the big pearls, which are used for desserts only. Pretty good!

Final Thoughts

Overall, the creative dorayaki is a great idea and it give customers more options. The version with the rolled gelato can melt pretty quickly, so when eating it like a sandwich, you don’t want any of that gelato to melt away or fall out. If you’re a fan of gelato and dorayaki, definitely check it out. We highly recommend the milk tea version of the dorayaki.

Address:
95 Smithe St, Vancouver, BC 

Website:
http://www.onyogurt.com/

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In Brunch

[Sneak Peek] OEB: Brunch in Yaletown

OEB Breakfast Co. is finally coming to Vancouver in the Yaletown neighbourhood. Originally from Calgary, Alberta and established in 2009, this little brunch spot is really expanding quickly across Canada with another location in Brentwood (Burnaby) coming soon.

OEB works closely with farmers in local areas to create high-quality, responsibly sourced ingredients that go into their dishes. For example, they source their bread from A Bread Affair located right on Granville Island.

OEB stands for Over Easy Breakfast and it is totally reflected on their menu. We were invited for a sneak peek of their Yaletown location to try a few of their brunch items.

Interior

The space is nice and bright with a lot of seating. On weekends it will definitely be busy, but you can use the Yelp Waitlist to reserve your spot and check wait times without waiting outside the restaurant.

There are tables for small to large groups and patio dining as well. Family friendly, which is great.

Menu

Mimosa

What breakfast with their ladies isn’t complete without mimosas? Obligatory pictures with them are a must, perhaps even a boomerang.

Coffee

Coffee is a must and comes with refills. They use Caffè Umbria, which is from Seattle Washington, but has family roots in Umbria, Italy since 1940.

Premium Fruit Juices

There are premium fruit juices on the menu – grapefruit, apple, mango, cranberry or pineapple. All pretty good and decent sizes for the price. Tastes really good.

Confit Duck & Egg

This has hand pinched pierogies, hardwood smoked bacon, duck confit, green onions, vinaigrette, and a free run organic egg. The perogies are sourced from A Taste of Ukraine from Port Moody and made just for OEB. This was our favourite dish and very surprising to have pierogies topped with confit duck and eggs. Usually they have a duck egg but they can’t source it locally just yet, so they used a chicken egg for the time being. All the ingredients work together and not too salty at all.

Farmer John’s Delight Omelette

This is their omelette with hardwood smoked bacon, rosemary ham, green onions, and field mushrooms. This omelette is huge as it covers more than half the plate. It is served with fresh fruit and a slice of bread, which we chose brioche. Very hearty meal. Surprised that they would have dragonfruit as one of their fruits but I guess its in season.

The Soul in a Bowl Breakfast Poutine

This has poached eggs, herb potatoes, Saint Cyrille curds, slow cooked bacon lardons, and brown butter hollandaise. We got these egg soft poached, and with a base of wedge fries. A twist on a Canadian classic. The curds were nicely melted and stringy. We tried the soft poached eggs and we were warned that it’s so soft that some part of the white are runny too. A nice option but after tying medium and soft, we prefer medium poached eggs from here.

Meat-Less to Say Breakfast Poutine

This is their vegetarian version (if you eat eggs) of the breakfast poutines and it has poached eggs, herb potatoes, Hass avocado, ripe tomatoes, Saint Cyrille curds, and hollandaise sauce. We got the eggs medium poached, which were done perfectly. We got the bowl with half arugula and half criss cross fries. Depending on what you decided to have on the base of your breakfast poutine, it can be light or quite heavy.

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of THIS!

This lovely dessert is made of New York style cheesecake stuffed French toast, and a Bailey’s crème Anglaise. It’s a very decadent dessert and best shared with those around the table. At first I thought it was a strange thing to have a cheesecake sandwiched between French Toast but man, it was good.

Final Thoughts

Overall, great spot of breakfast and brunch in Yaletown right by the seawall. Whether it is savoury or sweet, they’ve got something for you. If you’re a fan of this Calgary favourite, definitely check them out. Highly recommended if you want a solid brunch.

Address:
1137 Marinaside Crescent, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://eatoeb.com/locations/oeb-vancouver/

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In Japanese

Sushi Maro: Lunch in Yaletown

Sushi Maro is a a Japanese restaurant in Yaletown just steps from Yaletown Station. I came here for a quickie lunch with a friend as we’re never been here before.

There’s a lot of other Japanese restaurants around here but this is more of a casual low key restaurant mostly attracting people who work close by that want a decently priced quick lunch.

Interior

There are a lot of tables for 2’s and 4’s inside. As it was lunch hour, the space filled up quickly. You can make reservations if you want to be guaranteed a seat. They also do pick up and delivery too.

Lunch Menu

Miso Soup

If you order any lunch combos, they all come with miso soup. Pretty standard miso soup and nothing interesting.

Lunch Bento C

This has crispy chicken served on top of rice, salad, California Roll, and then tuna and salmon sashimi. It’s a good amount of food for lunch and you get a bit of everything. It’s not fancy but it fulfills the sushi and sashimi cravings.

All of the items in this bento box is standard. Nothing really stands out just like the miso soup.

Quick Lunch C

My friend got the quick lunch C Combo and it comes with 3 pieces of Sashimi of tuna and salmon, 2 nigiri sushi, and it was supposed to be a California roll, but she upgraded it for salmon and avocado roll for a few dollars more.

Final Thoughts

I like their cuts of sashimi and it was fresh tasting. If you’re looking for a quick sushi lunch that isn’t too expensive in the Yaletown area, this is a good option.

Address:
1168 Mainland St #101, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://sushimaro.com/new

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In Cafe

Ganache Patisserie: Saint Valentin 2019 for Valentine’s Day

Ganache Pâtisserie is always crafting up something new for each holiday season. For Valentine’s Day, they have launched their Saint Valentin Cassis Hojicha Chocolat 2019.

The cake is inspired by their current Fall/Winter collection and continues with the fragrant hojicha theme.

Saint Valentin 2019 

There is a combination with layers of fragrant hojicha chocolate cake, a fruity cassis mousseline filling, a hojicha créme brûlée, a lavender-cassis guimauve and fresh blackberries.  The entire cake is finished in a pink and grey marbled buttercream with a dripping chocolate glaze that is adorned with white chocolate fans, pink rose macarons, gold-dusted blackberries, Valentine’s chocolate decor, crispearls and gold flakes.

The cake was delicious and not too sweet at all. The layers were moist and almost brownie-like. The hojicha makes its presence known and works with all the other ingredients in the cake to really balance out the fruit.

The cake is designed to be shared generously with that special someone, though able to feed 4-6 people. It is available starting Friday, February 8th for $39.95 and pre-orders are highly recommended for pick ups on Valentine’s day.

Bonbon aux The Chocolat

If you’re looking for something else Valentine’s Day themed, they have their Bonbon aux The Chocolat, which has 3 different bonbons in a box – Earl Grey milk chocolate, matcha dark chocolate, and hojicha milk chocolate. It makes for a great gift for those who love tea infused in their chocolate. You can’t go wrong with any of those flavours.

Final Thoughts

Of course, they still have their regular menu with an assortment of cakes and other sweets, but definitely check them out for some of the best cakes and sweets in town for your special somebody.

Address:
1262 Homer St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.ganacheyaletown.com/

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In Dessert

Bake49: Japanese Desserts in Yaletown

I have been waiting in anticipation for Bake49 to open since they announced their location in Yaletown. I’m a sucker for Japanese desserts, so I had to make my friend go with me despite being on a diabetic diet until the baby comes. Rules are meant to be broken.

Bake 49 is headed by Iljin Kyung and Haram Lee and had quite a buzz since they opened with lines out the door and sells out everyday. Great for them but sometimes it’s hard to get there before they open at 1pm. They really pride themselves of keeping their production to small batches and made from scratch daily to ensure quality.

Interior

The space is very small, so only a small amount of people can line up inside. Also, there are only 2 seats for dining in. Most people do take out or eat it outside.

Menu

The menu currently has 4 items to choose from.

Croquant Choux

This is a long a crunchy, textured almond crusted choux pastry filled with vanilla-bean custard creme. It reminded me of the delicious filling of a Beaded Papa with a super crunchy exterior. It was really good but I wish it had a touch more custard cream inside but at least it didn’t ooze all over my shirt. This will costs you $4.50 each.

Sapporo Style Japanese Cheese Tarts

This is a double-baked tart shell filled with fluffy, gooey cream-cheese mousse. It has a rich and cheesy tang to it. It was warm when it was served and I liked it. Some people get a whole box of 6 for a discount but I just went with one all for myself. It’s $3.80 per piece or 6 for $19.

Double Fromage Cheesecake

They cake is 5 inches wide and will run you $27 and there are limited quantities everyday as they must make it ahead of time. It is a very rich and creamy cake and it comes with a small container of strawberry syrup and real strawberry pieces. The container of the sauce was too small, so I wished it was bigger or had the option to purchase more.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s definitely a great addition to Yaletown with some delectable Japanese desserts. They run out quickly, so it’s too bad that not everyone can get a taste. Make sure to come early to beat the rush to ensure nothing is sold out. Prices are a bit high but given the labour costs, ingredients, and the rent in the area, it makes sense.

Address:
1066 Mainland St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://bake49.com/

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In Italian

Robba da Matti: Date Night in Yaletown

Robba da Matti feels like the small, cozy restaurant you found by chance on a stroll while on vacation that became the highlight of your trip.

They offer authentic Italian food with signature ingredients flown in from their suppliers in Italy. The menu features a combination of specialties from the two chefs’ regional origins: one is from Rome and one is from south of Puglia.

Interior

The space is cozy. There were about 22 chairs inside the main dining area and about as many in the enclosed, heated patio.

You can see, smell, and hear your food being made. It’s small but it’s not cramped–the simple decor, warm lighting, open kitchen, and well choreographed dinner service by the staff provided a very comfortable ambience.

Date Night Menu

We were invited to try their Date Night menu, which include your choice from the antipasti, pasta and dessert menu, plus a bottle of wine.

The Date Night offer is part of their regular menu, but it is perfect for Valentine’s Day, a celebratory date night, or when you want to treat yo’ self to an amazing Italian dinner. It’s also a great way to try multiple items in their menu.

Upon placing our order, we were provided olives and our wine.

Proscuitto & Burrata

The date night menu includes 2 antipasti, Yaletown antipasto or proscuitto & burrata to share. We chose the proscuitto & burrata since it features one of their signature ingredient.

Robba da Matti import their signature burrata mozzarella directly from Puglia, Italy. It’s creamy, fresh and pairs perfectly with the prosciutto. The bread is served warm. It’s a good size to share between two people.

Osso buco & rissotto alla Milanese

This classic dish from Milan is hearty and full of rich flavours. The braised beef shank is cooked for up to 14 hours, and has the texture and depth of flavour that can only be achieved with cooking it slowly. The saffron risotto was perfectly cooked, it was creamy but still had some bite. I was pleasantly surprised that the saffron did not overpower other flavours. The gremolata cuts through the rich flavours and brightens the dish. If you’re eating this, please don’t forget to eat the bone marrow!

Pappardelle “Rosche Rosche”

This is a dish I will keep ordering. The meat and sauce is cooked for 8 hours, then served on a bed of pasta made in-house. It’s hearty, delicious and tastes like quintessential comfort food. The braised beef short rib melts in your mouth, and the sauce adheres nicely to the pasta so each bite is full of flavour. Please try this dish in your first visit.

Lavender crème brûlée and mousse di fragole

The date night menu also includes two dessert items. I usually opt to share one dessert item with my partner, so this is such a treat!

The crème brûlée had a delicate lavender flavour. The extra thick caramelized sugar crust on top balances the herbal taste in the custard.

The mousse di fragole is a family recipe from one of the chefs. It’s a chocolate mousse made with dark Belgian chocolate and topped with…even more dark chocolate. It’s airy, flavourful, and a must-try for dark chocolate lovers.

Final Thoughts

The date night menu from Robba da Matti offers great value for amazing authentic Italian food. It’s perfect for having your favourite and trying something new!

The portion size is generous, and does not compromise the quality and taste. Their service was wonderful and all servers seamlessly tended our table. My final advice would be to order extra bread on the side, so you can use it to sop up the remainder of your pasta sauce.

Address:
1127 Mainland St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://yaletownlantipasto.com

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In Cafe

[Sneak Peek] Ganache Patisserie: Bûches de Noël for the Holidays

Ganache Patisserie has launched their newest Bûches de Noël which will feature 2 modern interpretations of the classic yulelog and 2 of their classic flavours. We got a sneak peek of these 4 flavours of their Bûches de Noël.

Traditional Bûche de Noël
Bûche au Marron Café

Bûche au Marron Café takes a coffee chiffon cake rolled with a Zephyr Caramel coffee ganache, a chestnut mousseline filling, chestnut pieces and vanilla buttercream finish.

Both yulelogs are decorated with meringue mushrooms, fondant snowflakes, woodland inspired chocolate decor in contrasting colours.

The cake is super most and surprisingly good. A nice strong coffee aroma when devoured.

Bûche au Chocolat

Bûche au Chocolat takes a chocolate roulade sponge rolled with a dark chocolate ganache and dark chocolate mousseline filling with sour cherries and chocolate buttercream.

This one reminded us of Black Forest Cake due to the chocolate and cherries, but of course an elevated version.

You can order yule logs in 2 sizes depending on how many people you intend to feed:

  • 8” size (feeding 8-10 people) for $46.95
  • 12”size (feeding 12-15 people) for $65.95

Modern Bûche de Noël

Bûche Caramel Cafe Pistache 2018

This starts with a base of moist chocolate cake covered with a coffee cocoa nib crunch supporting a duo of espresso milk chocolate mousse and Zephyr Caramel chocolate mousse while a hidden core is composed of moist chocolate cake, a dark chocolate mousse with cranberries and a pistachio parfait. The entire bûche is sprayed in milk chocolate velvet with a dripping Zephyr Caramel chocolate glaze and is adorned with marbled milk and white chocolate leaves, pistachios, cranberries, cocoa nibs and white chocolate bark bookends.

Eating this was a symphony of flavours and a lot of textures from the pistachios, cocoa nibs, and cranberries.

You can order this in 2 sizes depending on how many people you intend to feed:

  • 6″- $39.95 feeds 6-8 ppl 
  • 12″- $69.95 feeds 12-15 ppl

Bûche Coco Amande Chocolate

This is comprised of a dark chocolate almond mousse studded with caramelized almond pieces surrounding a middle of a coconut cream, pineapple curd and toasted coconut sablé with a chocolate coconut brownie base. The bûche is covered in a coconut chocolate glaze with glittery gold glaze stripes, white chocolate bark, caramelized almonds, white and dark chocolate crispearls, coconut shavings and dark chocolate curls and endplates.

If you love almonds, this is the cake for you.

You can order this in 2 sizes depending on how many people you intend to feed:

  • 6″- $39.95 feeds 6-8 ppl 
  • 12″- $69.95 feeds 12-15 ppl

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for something unique and festive this year to take to holiday get togethers, check out Ganache Patisserie for their Bûches de Noël.

You can now pre-order and available in-store starting Sunday December 8th, 2018. They advise to order in advanced for pick ups between Dec 20th and 24th as holiday hours will be in affect afterwards.

If you want something smaller, don’t forget about their smaller cakes made just for the Fall and Winter.

Address:
1262 Homer St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.ganacheyaletown.com/

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In Fusion

Milssam Tacorea: Korean-Mexican Fusion in Yaletown

Nothing says comfort food like tacos and fried chicken. Milssam Tacorea brings another iteration of Korean-Mexican fusion to the city. This time in the heart of Yaletown at 1130 Mainland Street. The spot is cozy with a big fire pit up front, a selection of booth, regular table and communal table seats and a projector for hockey games.

Sister restaurant to Damso Korean Restaurant and Mr. Osmad Souffle Cheesecake in the West End, Milssam brings favorites from both, like the cheesecake that gives Uncle Tetsu’s a run for their money, while creating new dishes for taco lovers.

Tacos

My favorite taco of theirs, pictured in the middle above, is the cauliflower one. Taking inspiration from the classic Korean saucy noodle dish jjajangmyeon, the taco features warm and crunchy fried cauliflower, corn, avocado flavored with black bean mole sauce with pickled onions and greens. Unlike the usual chocolate mole, black bean mole has a salty richness that packs this taco with flavor.

The namesake taco, the Milssam Taco, was so popular at Damso that it sparked the creation of Milssam Tacorea itself. Beef belly, onion, lettuce and gochujang vin in a soft steam bun shell. The gochujang is mild with just enough of a sweet kick to linger delightfully on your lips.

Their seafood ceviche taco is a refreshing addition to the meal. Marinated shrimp and snapper, avocado, shallots and soy vin. The meat is tangy and sweet and the shell stayed crisp even though it was on the table for some time for pictures. The layering was well thought out to keep those conditions.

Makuli and rum “majito”

Milssam also has Korean-Mexican fusion drinks like a makuli and rum “majito” pictured above, Songria (soju and sangria) and Shikhae Horchata (horchata with malt, pictured below).  Makuli, rum, mint, lime and soda are a fantastic combination. The idea of the soda threw me off when I read the menu but I highly recommend giving it a try.

Shikhae Horchata

This wouldn’t be a taco place without Jarritos but in fusion cuisine fashion they’ve also imported the Korean 7-Up, Chilsung Cider.

KFC, Korean friend chicken

Their KFC, Korean friend chicken is exactly what you would expect from a good Korean bar. Glad Yaletown finally has an option for this.

Cheesecake

Seems a little confusing why a souffle cheesecake is on the menu at a Korean taco place but when you have a bite, you’ll ask no questions and only be glad that it’s there instead of halfway across town. I prefer it with the strawberry compote, but I have a sweet tooth. Light, fluffy, freshly made in 30 minutes. So, if you plan to have one, order it when you order your food. Just as good as Uncle Tetsu’s without the lineup. I’m not sure this photo shows off the size of the cake, but I’ll tell you that it can generously serve 4 after the fried chicken.

Address:
1130 Mainland St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://milssam-tacorea.business.site/

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In Indian

Tasty Indian Bistro: Indian Cuisine in Yaletown

Tasty Indian Bistro has opened up their second location in Yaletown and I’ve been so excited since they announced it because their Surrey location is great, but the drive was a little long.

I came here after work with M and BusanGirl to try a few of their classic menu items. Imagine them as a higher end Indian restaurant.

Interior

In the evening, the interior is very dark but the aesthetic is nice as usual. For a Friday evening, it was pretty packed with people even eating outside on the heated patio.

Menu

Sparkling Water

I wish I could have a drink but being pregnant means no more alcoholic drinks for me until next year.

Veggie Pakora

We started with veggie pakora, which are assorted vegetables fritters that are deep fried. It comes with 2 types of chutney for a dipping. Each piece was very crisp and delicious. The chutney helps accentuate the flavours too.

Tandoori Chicken

The tandoori chicken is another popular dish, It has chicken marinated with traditional spices and cooked in their tandoor oven. It is served with lime and an avocado-like mint sauce. It was really tender and it comes on a super hot skillet.

Lamb Vindaloo

This curry has lamb with a curry made of roasted cinnamon, mustard seed, cloves and other spices. It was good with chunk of lamb. The lamb was tender and the curry sauce was tasty too.

Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer is made with spinach and Indian cheese cooked in spices. This is always my personal favourite dish. I like ordering a meatless item to compliment the other curries.

Butter Chicken

This is a classic item to get as it has boneless tandoori chicken cooked in a rich tomato cream gravy. Highly recommended.

Rice

Rice is a good item to go with the curries as it can soak up all the delicious sauces.

Tandoori Roti

This is leavened wheat bread baked in a tandoor oven. It tasted pretty plain when eaten on its own.

Garlic Naan

This was delicious! It is garnished naan with garlic and herbs. Good eaten on its own or with curries. We much preferred this.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the dinner was good and is a great addition to Yaletown. There are lots of options on the menu and extensive drinks menu too. With the addition of this location, you don’t have to travel to Surrey for Tasty Indian Bistro anymore.

Since they don’t take reservations on busy nights, you’ll want to come early to avoid waits.

Address:
1261 Hamilton St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://tastybistro.com/

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In Cafe

Ganache Pâtisserie: New 2018 Seasonal Flavours for the Fall and Winter

Ganache Pâtisserie has been one of our favourite bakeries in Vancouver for a long time. Situated in Yaletown, they have been creating amazing pastries since I can remember. It’s always a treat when I go to birthday parties or some sort of celebration and someone has bought a cake from them.

For this Fall and Winter, they have crafted 4 new seasonal flavours for the holiday season. We were invited to give these cakes a taste test.

Hojicha Sake Sésame

Hojicha Sake Sésame pairs hojicha, or roasted matcha tea, parfait with a coconut sake kasu panna cotta, elderflower-soaked goji berries with a black sesame chiffon cake and hojicha chocolate glaze.

This may look sweet because of the chocolate glaze, but it wasn’t as sweet as we thought. A good balance of flavours too.

Earl Grey Chocolat

Focusing on a classic black tea,  Earl Grey Chocolat layers a moist Earl Grey chocolate cake  with a fragrant Earl Grey mousseline filling and a layer of caramel crunch while an Earl Grey ganache is drizzled over top and accented with a dark chocolate tile and gold flakes.

The earl grey flavours really translate well through the cake and the layer of caramel crunch was a good added texture.

Paris Brest au Marron

A new take on a classic French pastry, Paris Brest au Marron fills the donut-shaped creampuff with a buttery chestnut mousseline containing crushed pumpkin seed nougatine, savory chestnut pieces and a Chai-spiced chantilly cream.

Different than the other cakes due to the shape, but it’s not too sweet either and good flavours for the holiday.

Noisette Caramel Chocolat

Noisette Caramel Chocolat combines a hazelnut milk chocolate cheesecake with a layer of moist chocolate cake, a light hazelnut Zephyr Caramel chocolate mousse and a milk chocolate caramel glaçage, dusted with toasted hazelnuts and fleur de sel.

Perfect for those who have a sweet tooth and are chocolate lovers.

Final Thoughts

Overall, 4 great flavours for the holiday and any occasion in the Fall and Winter. Ganache Pâtisserie has always been knocking out amazing pastries in Yaletown and continue to do so.

Address:
1262 Homer St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.ganacheyaletown.com/

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In Brunch

Huevos Dias is Fayuca’s new brunch menu

I thought Yaletown’s Hamilton street would be bustling on a weekend brunch hour. Instead, it was quiet and empty. Early morning yoga, barre and spin cyclists silently stream out of the studios after their classes. A brunch spot is needed for this area and Fayuca is stepping up!

Huevos Dias is Fayuca’s brunch menu served every Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 3pm.

Menu

Their new brunch menu features signature Mexican breakfast items such as huevos rancheros, chillaquiles and enfrijolada. It also lends Mexican flavours to typical PNW brunch fares including avocado toast and bennies.

Juices

Fayuca has a great selection of brunch cocktails, but we opted to try their non-alcoholic drinks. Jugo Verde was refreshing and tasted very healthy. It has cactus, parsley, celery, pineapple and orange. Licuado is whole milk blended with fruit and cardamom which was very tasty.

The Food

Chilaquiles

Crispy tortillas in salsa verde, two fried eggs, beans, onion, creme fraiche, avocado and feta cheese. These are breakfast nachos with an egg on top (which makes everything better)! This would be good to share with the table, to pick at as you drink and chat. Or eat it by yourself because it’s a mix of everything you love in one bowl.

Mexican Benny (Benny Mexicano)

I needed to try their take on the classic eggs benedict. Benny Mexicano features two poached eggs on crispy corn sopes with pork carnitas and hollandaise.

The corn sopes has more bite and texture than your typical english muffin, but it’s not dry because of the rich blend of hollandaise, avocado and yolk slathered on top. The toasted pumpkin seeds impart a nice nutty flavour.

It’s served with a salad with a tart dressing which help cuts through the rich flavours from the benny.

Birria “Hangover Stew”

Jalisco, Mexico is known for tequila and for birria stew. Putting these two concepts together is perfect, because this makes for a really good hangover cure.

Fayuca’s Birria is a traditional spicy brisket stew with crispy tortilla, onion, cilantro and limes. Squeeze a healthy dose of lime juice and sprinkle the crispy tortilla on top for a filling, savoury meal. This stew would be good any time of the day, especially while it’s dreary and raining.

Final Thoughts

Part of the immigrant experience is recreating your beloved foods using ingredients that are available in your new home country. Beyond the taste, food is tied closely to memories, culture and identity. Fayuca applies the same approach in their brunch menu. The food draws upon their childhood memories from Northern Mexico—the gatherings, the fun and the flavours—and expresses them through Pacific Northwest ingredients. I really love this concept and it’s so well executed.

The Yaletown restaurant strip on Hamilton is oddly devoid of early weekend brunch spots and Fayuca is filling that need. If you’re hungry after your morning exercise or if you’re rolling out of bed after a hard night out, indulging on filling and flavourful brunch at Fayuca is a solid choice.

Address:
1009 Hamilton St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.fayuca.ca/

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In Event

Taste of Yaletown 2018 Preview: The Greek by Anatoli

Taste of Yaletown is back for their 14th year, where you have the opportunity to select special tasting menus from participating restaurants, each at $25, $35, or $45 price points.  This starts October 18 to the 28th and you can celebrate and savour Vancouver’s best dining district sure to tempt the most adventurous foodie.

The Greek by Anatoli

We got a sneak peek of The Greek by Anatoli and their $35 and $45 Taste of Yaletown menu consisting of  your choice of an appetizer, entree, and dessert. It’s good that they have more than one menu to give you a wider range of options.

$35 Taste of Yaletown Menu

Appetizer:
Homous
Taramasolata
Calamari

Entree:
Vegan Moussaka
Souvlaki Platter with choice of chicken or pork
Pastitio
Kreotopita

Dessert:
Emek
Chocolate Mousse

$45 Taste of Yaletown Menu

Appetizer:
Dip Trio
Spanakopita (1 piece)
Keftedes
Calamari
Greek Salad (Small)

Entree:
Vegan or Meat Moussaka
1/2 Roast Chicken Platter
Country Lamb Platter

Dessert:
Emek
Chocolate Mousse

We tried a few items off the menus to get a taste of what they offer their guests.

Dip Trio

Greek Salad

Homous and Pita Bread

Calamari

Keftedes

Spanakopita

Pastitio

1/2 Roast Chicken Platter

Souvlaki Platter

Country Lamb Platter

Final Thoughts

The 2 menus for Taste of Yaletown is great as it gives you variety to try items off their menu. The atmosphere is always lively in the evenings and the staff works hard to make sure you’re have a great time. We even ended our night with a shot. The food is delicious and you can’t go wrong with any of the platters or the classic Greek dishes.

Address:
1043 Mainland st, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://thegreekbyanatoli.com/

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In Event

Taste of Yaletown 2018 Preview: House Special

Taste of Yaletown is back for their 14th year, where you have the opportunity to select special tasting menus from participating restaurants, each at $25, $35, or $45 price points.  This starts October 18 to the 28th and you can savour Vancouver’s best dining district. It’s sure to tempt the most adventurous foodie.

House Special

We got a sneak peek of House Special and their $35 Taste of Yaletown menu consisting on an appetizer, entree, and dessert. You will need a minimum of 2 people as items are shared family-style. If you are vegetarian, there is another menu as well.

House Special is a modern Vietnamese restaurant located in Yaletown. They have been dazzling locals and visitors for years with their delicious creations and tempting cocktails.

Xiu Mai Sliders

These are traditional Xiu Mai pork meatballs on a jalapeño herb biscuit. The biscuit holds well together and the meatballs were so flavourful and delicious especially when paired with the other items on the side.

Banh Hoi Platter

This interactive dish has a grilled meat platter with fresh greens & herbs. It is served with rice paper for wrapping. You can create your own lettuce wraps or salad rolls with:

  • Lemongrass beef tenderloin brochette,
  • Sugarcane minced pork,
  • Betel-wrapped Beef,
  • Crispy wonton-wrapped shrimp,
  • Marinated pork jowl, and
  • Vietnamese seafood coral.

It’s such an interactive meal and we all enjoyed it very much. If it’s your first time here, they will help guide you through how to make a wrap.

Mix a little bit of everything in your wrap and you can’t go wrong.

Dessert Three Ways

You get an assortment of traditional Vietnamese Che desserts all on one plate for the table. There is sweet rice and mango, their modern version of che, and sticky rice red bean item on a spoon.

Vegetarian Menu

There is also a vegetarian menu for those who can’t have any meat in their diet. It’s great that they offer this option.

Mushroom & Egg Slider

There is mushroom and egg on a jalapeño basil biscuit

Vegetarian Banh Hoi & Banh Xeo Platter

This version has a platter of angel hair vermicelli, fresh herbs and traditional veggies for wrapping. Also served with:

  • Banh Xeo
    (Crispy turmeric crepe with jicama, mushroom, beansprouts, and pickled vegetables)
  • Vietnamese Coral
    (Taro, sweet potato, carrot, mung bean fritter)
  • Vegan Spring Rolls
  • Salted Radish & Green Onion Omelet

Dessert Three Ways

Final Thoughts

It’s a great menu for any special occasion or a good night out. Be sure to make reservations ahead of time or else you may be disappointed as House Special is a very popular restaurant in the neighbourhood. For $35 per person, the menu is well crafted and gives you a taste of modern Vietnamese cuisine.

Address:
1269 Hamilton St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.housespecial.ca/

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In Thai

Simply Thai in Yaletown: Review

Simply Thai in Yaletown has been around since 2000 with Grace Rerksuttisiridach as the owner and Executive Chef. She is one of the only female owners and executive chefs in the Yaletown neighbourhood, which is a major accomplishment and we respect her for that. Her talents come from studying PenPen Sittitrai, who is a teacher and trainer of chefs for the Royal Thai family. We were invited to check out a few of their signature dishes.

Interior

They have seating indoors as well as outside on their patio. Since the weather is still warm, sitting outside on the patio with drinks and food is the best way to do it.

Thai Iced Tea

Thai Iced Tea is a popular drink at any Thai restaurant. It is made with the bold Thai Tea, sweetener and milk. Make sure to give it a good mix to incorporate the ingredients. We found the drink to be a bit sweet, so best to see if they can make it less sweet.

Cho Muang

This dish comes with 5 pieces of beautiful steamed violet-coloured flower dumplings stuffed with minced chicken, onion, and their special Thai spices. One of our favourite appetizers and tasted really good.

Mummy Prawns

The prawns are covered in crisp wonton strands that make it looks like mummy bandages. It is served with a sweet chili sauce. If you like crunchy textures and prawns, this is your dish.

Ghiaw Grob

For each order, you will find 8 pieces of deep fried-wonton wrappers stuffed with ground chicken and spices.

Mango Salad

A refreshing salad made with mangos as the star of the dish. A good item to have if you are also getting the deep-fried appetizers.

Tom-Yum Goong

You can choose between prawn or chicken, but we got it with prawns. This is a hot & sour soup with fresh mushrooms, lemon grass, kaffir, green onion, cilantro, and Thai chilli paste. It has a good balance between the ingredients and isn’t too spicy.

Tom Kha Gai

This soup is different as it has a base of creamy coconut milk with sliced chicken, mushrooms, green onion, cilantro, lemon grass, galanga root, and kaffir leaves.

Gong Prig Paow

There is sautéed prawns in sweet chilli paste with seasonal vegetables, green onion, and fresh thai basil.

Pla Pad Hang

This dish has deep-fried snapper fillet with stir-fried straw mushrooms, bell pepper, carrots, and green beans topped with green onion and cashew nuts.

Curry in Fresh Young Coconut

You can get their curries served in fresh young coconuts. Make sure to have a order of Jasmine rice with it or if you want to have more coconut flavour, they have steamed coconut rice too. The two pictured here was the yellow and red curries. You can adjust the level of spice if you want it more hot or mild.

Salmon Panang Curry

This dish has wild salmon in thick red curry with coconut milk and bell pepper topped with fresh Thai basil and lime leaves.

Gra Paow Ped

This dish features their succulent duck in a light brown sauce with onion, bell pepper, green beans, mushrooms, and fresh Thai basil.

Pad Thai Talay

This classic dish has pan-fried Thai rice noodles in sweet and sour tamarind sauce with a mix of seafood like mussel, squid, prawns, and scallops. There is also tofu, egg, green onion, sprouts, and ground peanuts. Delicious and you can’t go wrong with this dish.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of dishes on the menu and after indulging on so many dishes, a lot of the stir-fried dishes has similar ingredients so it started tasting the same even thought the proteins were different. Our favourites were the appetizers like the Cho Muang, mummy prawns and Ghiaw Grob. They go very well with beer too. As you get a little bit from each part of the menu, you’ll have a good time.

Address:
1211 Hamilton St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://simplythaivancouver.com/

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