Kinome

July 5, 2016Leave a comment

K loves soba noodles, so for our family outing, we decided to check out Kinome which has been much talked about for their handmade buckwheat soba noodles. They are only open for dinner and are closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Be sure to make reservations as it is usually full.

The decor inside is simple but gives an authentic Japanese feel. They have a fresh sheet that changes up.

The inside is very small. They have around 5 tables of four and the rest is bar seating. Bar seating would be perfect if you order their popular omakase menu. The only downside is there is no air conditioner here so it can get super hot.

Dashi Egg Omelette

We started off with their famous Dashi Egg Omelette. The egg was layered with seaweed and flavoured just enough while remaining a hint of sweetness. So fluffy and moist.

Today’s Sashimi

One order of Today’s Sashimi features whatever the chef believes is most fresh. You can let the server know if you don’t like a specific type of fish. Our order came with 5 types of sashimi. Our selection included Red Tuna (sustainable bluefin tuna), Sockeye Salmon, Tobi-uo (flying fish), Mizu-tako (water octopus) and Shiro-ika (white squid). Flying fish was something new for us and wasn’t too bad! It has a slimier texture but wasn’t too fishy in taste. However, this dish is quite expensive at $30 for very small cuts. Very fresh though!

Grilled Marinated Squid Legs

Next up were Grilled Marinated Squid Legs which came with a side of mayo. I liked how they had a bit of char on the ends and were very tender.

Prawn Tempura

The Prawn Tempura was battered so lightly and the shrimp itself was very fresh because it wasn’t mushy like the ones you get at all you can eat. It had that bounce! It also came with some asparagus.

Braised Berkshire Pork Belly with Grilled Leak & Miso Sauce

The Braised Berkshire Pork Belly was a delicious fatty goodness with the fat melting your mouth.

Chopped Kale & Prawn Kakiage Tempura

A favourite of mine was the Chopped Kale & Prawn Kakiage Tempura. Never though you could tempura kale! It was filled with bits of shrimp and scallop too which was delicious!

Asakusa Soba

Next up was what we came here for – their handmade buckwheat soba! They have three choices. First was the Asakusa Soba which features hand made buckwheat noodle with green onion, tempura bits, radish, seaweed, and sesame. This dish is served cold and you pour a cold broth on top and mix it together. They advise you eat it as quickly as possible so the texture remains. This one was great with a very fresh take on the traditional soba.

Zaru Soba

The Zaru Soba was what I was used to. With this one, you can truly taste how fresh the noodles are. The texture has just the right amount of firmness. I can see why people go crazy over the soba here!

Kamo Seiro Soba

My favourite was the Kamo Seiro Soba though. This was the same handmade buckwheat noodle but served with a warm duck dipping sauce. The sauce was just so flavourful without being too salty. This soba is pricey at $16 but it does come with three tender pieces of duck and is irresistible!

Cold Udon

Kinome’s dishes tend to be smaller in portion size so of course we were still hungry. We decided to try their udon which is new on the menu. There are two choices so we got both. First was the Cold Udon which I absolutely loved. I think I might even like this more than the soba. The udon here is handmade as well and very thin. The cold broth really makes the dish refreshing and keeps that firm texture.

Warm Udon

The Warm Udon featured the same thin noodles, but I felt that because it sat in the broth, the texture of the noodles became slightly soft. Still, I really enjoyed both version of the udon.

Overall, I was very impressed with Kinome’s dishes, especially their soba and udon. Prices are slightly on the higher side for the size of their dishes, but I think it’s well worth it. Plus, they are extremely environmentally friendly which is always a plus. Service was also very friendly.

Pros:
– Handmade buckwheat noodle and udon is a must order!
– Ingredients are extremely fresh

Cons:
– No air conditioning may be a problem in the summer
– Prices are slightly higher for the portions

Price Range: $20-30/person

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food:4.5 Service: 3.5 Ambiance: 2.5 Parking: 3.5 Overall: 4

Tangram Creamery

July 4, 2016Leave a comment

With the sun out these days, I’ve been craving ice cream so I suggested we check out Tangram Creamery in the Kits area after seeing all the pictures on Instagram.

The ice cream prices are on par with most of the other gourmet ice cream shops starting at $5 for a single scoop. Cookie cones which are made in house and what Tangram is famous for is an additional $1 but a must purchase! They also have ice cream maracarons and affogato.

The menu is quite limited but they change it up about once a week so ensure to check out their social media to see what flavours are available.

We chose to get single scoops and got the Mango Sorbet and Salted Caramel. They pack quite a lot in a single scoop so the cone is filled inside as well. The mango sorbet was very refreshing, but the salted caramel was the star. I loved the mix of sweet and salty and the ice cream itself was very smooth. The cookie cones are also absolutely delicious and a great change from the typical waffle cones. I love how they dip the pointy end with chocolate so your ice cream doesn’t drip out.

Overall, S and I both really enjoyed the ice creams at Tangram Creamery. Service was very friendly and there is self-serve water available. There is limited communal seating, but with the nice weather, taking a stroll in the neighbourhood is a good option as well.

Pros:
– Delicious rotating flavours
– Love the cookie cone!

Cons:
– Very little seating

Price Range: $5-10/person

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food:4.5 Service: 4 Ambiance: 3.5 Parking: 3 Overall: 4.5

Sai Woo

July 3, 2016July 3, 2016Leave a comment

Super late post again but back in early May, us accountants finally celebrated the end of tax season! Our firm treated us to dinner and drinks at Sai Woo in the heart of Chinatown. Sai Woo doesn’t server your typical authentic Chinese food, it’s more of a westernized style of Chinese food.

We basically booked the whole restaurant and the inside decor is beautiful! I loved the fairy lights and the ambiance gave a nice chic and elegant feel.

Their cocktails are what I would come here for and they have a long bar on one side where you can come in if you want to just enjoy some drinks.

Sai Woo Sour

E and I decided to go all out that night (since we were’ paying!) and tried to go down the list of the cocktail list. Yes, huge headache the next day, but it was fun! We started off with the Sai Woo Sour which featured Bombay Sapphire East, Benedictine, ginger syrup, lemon juice, and egg white.

Elderflower 75

The Elderflower 75 was my favourite and consisted of Finlandia Vodka, St. Germain, lemon juice, and sparkling cava. This was the fruitiest drink and extremely easy to drink. Plus, it’s always classy to have some cava in hand.

Smoking Gun

The Smoking Gun is the men’s drink and the process in making the drink is super cool to watch. They light up the drink and some smoke comes out then they throw in this huge ice cube. The drink consisted of El Dorado 12 year old rum, bitters, brown sugar, oak, and tea smoke. A very bitter drink and great for those who like to drink straight rum. The guys said it was too sweet from the brown sugar though…but us girls found it bitter!

Carioca

Another favourite was the Carioca with Cacha 51, guava juice, orange juice, lime juice, and sloe Gin float. Another one of those lighter and fruitier drinks which I enjoyed.

Tuna Tartare

As we booked the place up for a private event, our menu was already pre-ordered and it included some canapés to start. I didn’t get pictures of all of them but a memorable one was the Tuna Tartare which came with nori on top. Quite yummy! They also seem to enjoy using raw ingredients at Sai Woo.

Wagyu Beef Carpaccio

We were able to choose two appetizers each. For myself, I chose the Wagyu Beef Carpaccio which came with broccoli puree, crudite, rye crumble, sorrel, and candied lime. To be honest, I found this to be just average. The beef lacked flavour and the plate itself was also extremely small for the price.

Beet Salad

E got the Beet Salad which came with buckwheat cracker, yoghurt, blackberry sauce, fermented grapes, and herbs. A colourful dish but E also said it was just average.

Sai Woo Salad

My second appetizer was the Sai Woo Salad which comes with smoked sockeye salmon, gem lettuce, frisee, pickled tomato, blue cheese cream, and fennel. Again, something was off about this dish. It was way too acidic with the pickled tomatoes overbearing the whole dish. The smoked salmon was also more like cooked salmon as it was fully cooked. Everyone agreed this dish was too pickled.

Pressed Lamb

For my entree, I got the Pressed Lamb which was my favourite of the dishes. The lamb was packed into a rectangle and was crispy on the outside while staying very moist in the inside. It came with seasonal vegetables of what appeared to be brocolini, braised shallots, kale, sherry jus and a side of long grain rice.

Ling Cod

Some of the other diners got the Ling Cod which came with oyster mushrooms, green onion puree, greens, and jasmine rice. Apparently this was extremely salty for some while being perfect for others. Seems like they have inconsistencies in seasoning.

Lemongrass Chicken

The other entree option was the Lemongrass Chicken which came with vermicelli noodles, bitter greens, and a sunny side up fried egg.

Baklava

Dessert was just as disappointing. the Baklava was unappealing to look at and consisted of pistachio nuts, toasted nuts, honey rose pearls, and phyllo chips. This was sort of an deconstructed baklava but something about it just didn’t seem right.

Chocolate Cake

The Chocolate Cake came with candied fennel and orange marmalade and it appeared that most diners did not enjoy this. Perhaps it was gluten free and therefore the cake itself was very hard and dry.

Overall, we found the food at Sai Woo to be underwhelming but we think it might be because they aren’t experienced with catering to a large group. Most diners who have gone to Sai Woo on a regular day have had good experiences, so I would probably give them a try during their regular service. I have to say that their drinks are great so I wouldn’t mind coming here to grab a drink. Plus the decor is beautiful inside!

Green Leaf Sushi

June 21, 2016June 19, 20162 Comments

After seeing so many beautiful pictures of aburi sushi on Instagram, I suggested to SP and SK to check out Green Leaf Sushi.

I’ve been hearing there are long line ups so I came a little earlier to grab a seat. Luckily, it still wasn’t very busy on a Sunday for some reason. Ambiance is simple and nothing special.

Aburi Sushi Platter

We decided to get the Aburi Sushi Platter since we could try most of the aburi sushi. This came with the following:

Sime Saba Oshi Sushi
Yukke Tuna Oshi Sushi
Aburi Tobiko Roll
Salmon Oshi Sushi
Hotate Oshi Sushi
Basil Ebi oshi Sushi

This is around $60 so definitely a platter to share. Between three girls, we were beyond full and could barely finish it in the end. The sushi all have a very creamy topping which made it very filling and by the end of it, we felt like each one tasted very similar. I would suggest splitting it with more people so you’ll find each one more satisfying. Our favourite was the Salmon Oshi and of course I had to compare it to the famous Miku’s. Although the price is cheaper, Miku’s is still much better. We found that the rice easily fell apart and the sauce was too creamy at Green Leaf.

Overall, based on the aburi sushi platter we tried, Green Leaf was a good alternative to Miku especially for its price. However, I would still go to Miku if I wanted to treat myself. I would need to revisit and try their other dishes to really comment on the restaurant overall though.

Pros:
– Great variety of aburi sushi
– Prices are quite reasonable

Cons:
– Rice fell apart easily from the items we tried
– Found the aburi sushi to be too creamy

Price Range: $20-25/person

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 3.5 Service: 3.5 Ambiance: 2.5 Parking: 3 Overall: 3.5

Parallel 49 Brewing – 4th Anniversary Party

June 20, 2016June 20, 2016Leave a comment

Last Thursday, Parallel 49 Brewing celebrated their 4th anniversary with a fiesta party along with the launch of their newest beer. We were invited to join the fun!

The anniversary was celebrated in style with sombrero hats, tacos, beer and live music.

We were able to sample some of their top beers, including the Craft Lager which won gold in the category of North American Premium Style Lager for their Craft Lager. Brewed by Graham With, Head Brewer at Parallel 49 Brewing Company, the Craft Lager is a light lager brewed with malted barley and local Sterling hops grown at Satori Cedar Ranch in Chilliwack, BC.

Parallel 49 is also known for their super wacky artwork label designs on their beer bottles as well as hilarious names for their beers. Since opening in 2012, they have brewed up over 60 varieties of beer including many collaborations with other breweries.

Other than the many beers we sampled, we were here mainly for the launch of their newest beer.

Their newest beer is the ¡Orale! which is a salted lime tequila Gose. There is a slight citrus flavour from the lime and this would be perfect for those who enjoy tequila.

Congratulations to Parallel 49 for 4 years in business and many more to come!

17°C Dessert Cafe – ChineseBites Media Event

June 19, 2016Leave a comment

Note: All food and beverages were complimentary, but all opinions are based on my own personal experience.

After our huge meals over at Golden Eats, the ChineseBites crew walked a block over to the newly opened 17°C Dessert Cafe. Pictures have been all over social media and they even ran out of ingredients on their grand opening.

They focus mainly on fruit shaved ice and offer some drinks as well. The interior is rather small so can only fit around 20 people or so.

They also have the famous Lightbulb Drinks featuring four flavours right now.

Cantaloupe Icy

We started off with the Cantaloupe Icy with a milky shaved iced and melon balls scooped out on top along with popping balls. It also comes with condensed milk to drizzle on top. This was refreshing with the shaved ice being very creamy. I quite enjoyed this as it was not overly sweet.

Watermelon Icy

Another popular icy of theirs is the Watermelon Icy. Again, same concept with the watermelon being scooped out into balls resting on top of the same milky shaved ice. This one came with thinly shaved almond and Pocky sticks. The watermelon was not very sweet, so it really helped that a scoop of vanilla ice cream sat on top.

Pineapple Icy

We got to try one of their new menu items which was the Pineapple Icy. Same concept again, but I would say you get less of the pineapple balls just because of the size of the fruit. I was surprised they were able to scoop these out though since it can be quite difficult with a pineapple. This came with blackcurrant gummies which were pretty good on their own but I didn’t think it added much to the dessert overall. This was pretty good since it had a nice balance of sweet and tart.

Lightbulb Drinks

Lastly, we tried their series of Lightbulb Drinks. We tried the passionfruit, kiwi, lemon, and red pomegranate. This were slightly fizzy as they were carbonated and you could choose to mix it with green tea. Frankly, I found these underwhelming as they tasted like artificial flavour. They only look good in pictures but flavour is a definite miss.

Overall, I quite enjoyed the shaved ice but would skip the lightbulb drinks. The shaved ice do come at a price at $14.99 for both the cantaloupe and watermelon but I guess you are paying for the fruit itself and the labour of scooping the balls.

Cabrito

June 15, 2016Leave a comment

K has been talking about Cabrito forever so we finally decided to check it out on a Friday night after work. With the nicer weather we have now, the patio is up and running! Note that this is an extremely late post (2 months ago), so apparently the menu has changed up a bit.

The restaurant is quite spacious and uses mostly natural light. There is a bar if you want to just grab some drinks and light snacks.

The colourful painting of the Spanish bull was a nice touch to the decor.

Cabrito Sangria

We started drinks off with their signature Cabrito Sangria. Although at a higher price and smaller portion than many restaurants, I loved how they added cinnamon on top which paired really well. Plus, this didn’t taste watered down.

Campo de Borja – Torres 5G

Near the middle of the night, we ended up opening two bottles of red wine. They have a huge selection of Spanish wines here.

Since K’s fiance works as a chef here on the weekends, we got to try some items that were off the menu. These are K’s favourites and they were some sort of lamb patty with sun-dried tomatoes and topped on some delicious bread drizzled with olive oil. They need to put this on the menu since it’ delicious!

Ceviche

We had the Ceviche which was loaded with scallops. These were fresh and the sauce was not overwhelming. Highly recommend this!

Smoked Patata Brava

One of my favourite Spanish tapas are patatas bravas. It can be a simple dish, but is delicious with a good glass of beer. The Smoked Patata Bravas here are made with Kennebec potatoes & topped smothered in a delicious Piquillo sauce. This version is mostly tomato based and skips the aioli sauce.

Chorizo

The Chorizo dish featured the Txistorra Basque chorizo which was not too spicy for me and enjoyed.

Jamón Ibèrico de Bellota

Jamón Ibèrico is cured ham from 100% acorn fed pata negra pork leg and is aged 36 months and hand carved. This was delicious! It had the right amount of fat to meat ratio and it pretty much melted in your mouth. A must order for beginners to Spanish tapas.

Lamb

Next up was the Lamb dish which featured roasted lamb lollipops and potatoes on a squash puree. The lamb was cooked to a beautiful medium rare and was extremely tender. Paired with the silky smooth squash puree, this was a stellar dish!

Artisan Sourdough Bread

With all the wine, we decided to grab some more dishes to fill up. We got a side of Artisan Sourdough Bread which comes with extra virgin olive oil. Something about just dipping bread into olive oil was so addicting… I guess they serve good bread here.

Meatballs

We found out that Cabrito was participating in Vanfoodster’s Meatball Challenge, so we decided to order the Meatballs. I believe these were beef and chorizo meatballs. I found these slightly on the dry side, but since it came in a bowl of delicious tomato sauce, it helped moisten the meatballs. Plus, the sauce was great for dipping the bread too.

Rotating Cheese Board

With wine in hand, we thought we should end dinner with some cheese. They do a variety of cheese boards, and also a rotating cheese board which features cheese from around the world. We decided to select our own cheese and got the Blue Cheese, a Cheddar, and Manchego. I’m not a fan of blue cheese so I skipped that. I don’t remember what type of cheddar the middle one was, but it was slightly sharp and great paired with bread. The Manchego is a 12 month aged sheep milk and originates from Spain, which is where I first tried it. These were thinly sliced and delicious when paired with the side of sweet honey.

Scrambled Ostrich Egg

We finished dinner off with a little surprise from K’s fiance and this was a Scrambled Ostrich Egg! How cute is that! It was my first time trying ostrich egg, and I have to say, I can’t really tell the difference, but this scrambled egg was moist and on point.

Overall, we had an amazing time at Cabrito and I will definitely be back. I love the sharing plates and large selection of drinks. The vibe in here is just great. Portions are slightly small for the price, but I’ve realized that most Spanish tapas in Vancouver are priced like this. This is when I miss how affordable tapas were back in Spain!

Pros:
– Well-executed and quality dishes
– Large selection of wines, beers, and cocktails

Cons:
– Your bill will easily add up!

Price Range: $40-50/person

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 4.5 Service: 4 Ambiance: 4 Parking: 3 Overall: 4

2016 VCBW Festival

June 14, 2016Leave a comment

NOTE: I was invited as media with complimentary tickets to the event. All opinions are based on my personal experience.

One week after the Opening Night, we attended the 2016 VCBW Festival presented by Donnelly Group. This was a three day event at the PNE Centre Grounds filled with beer, food, and music.

It was the perfect weekend as the sun came out and it was even a little too scorching for us. Good thing they had mists on set to cool you down!

Other than beer and food, some interesting set ups included Barber & Co where you could get your hair cut amidst drinking your beer.

There were over 100 breweries and cideries at the event. Again, most vendors had at least two types of beers to try, if not more. Food trucks were present as well if you wished to purchase some munchies.

Tickets ranged from $35 – $95 depending if you wanted express entry or a full weekend pass. The ticket gets you into the festival and includes your 4oz taster mug. All beer and cider samples are additional. All samples are 4oz and cost 1 token, with tokens being priced at $1.50 each.

Since we had our fair share of beer at the previous event, we decided to tackle some of the cideries since I’m a huge fan of ciders. One cidery we really enjoyed was the Howling Moon.

We were drawn into this Basque cider called Shacksbury because of the beautiful set up. This cider is unfiltered and was very tart and different from typical ciders on the market.

Storm Brewing had a massive line up so we had to see what it was all about. They were serving up really funky and unique brews, including the Cucumber Jalapeno Pilsner, and Basil IPA. Sounds weird, right? We tried the Pineapple Paradise Pilsner and Raspberry Vanilla Ale and really enjoyed the slight fruity flavour without being too sweet.

My favourite of them all had to be the Fruli Strawberry Beer. I guess by now, you can tell I enjoy fruit beers! This was delicious and didn’t even taste like a beer! Plus, it’s vegan and there are no added sugars or sweeteners. The sweetness is all from the strawberries themselves! The same vendor also had a Cherry Beer from Kriek Lambic. Also delicious but not as sweet.

Overall, we had an amazing time at the VCBW Festival and already can’t wait for next year’s! A wide selection of beers and ciders to sample from and a great event to have some fun with friends.

For more information: http://vancouvercraftbeerweek.com/