Espana

June 29, 2014Leave a comment

Espana Sangria – red wine, Spanish Brandy, Licor 43

For K’s birthday, I suggested we go relive some Spanish food and check out Espana. I realized that there’s barely any Spanish cuisine here in Vancouver. A lot of Latin American or Mexican food, but not traditional Spanish food. Espana is located on Denman Street, near the Davie area and there were tons of restaurants nearby. They don’t take reservations, but we luckily got a seat quite quickly. It’s dimly lit inside and it’s got a bar table as well. Seems like a great place to grab tapas and enjoy a glass of wine. For drinks, we decided to try their sangrias. Mom got the Espana Sangria, which I think was the best. It was mainly red wine with some brandy and fruits. The rest of them got the Tinto de Verano, which is red wine with lemonade. I really enjoyed the drink in Barcelona, but I didn’t quite like the one here as much.

Kalimotxo – Red wine, Coca Cola

For myself, I decided to try something weird and got the Kalimotxo, which was red wine and Coca Cola. It was such a bad choice. It tasted quite bitter and I wouldn’t recommend anyone getting it.

Iberian Ham Croquettes – quince & sherry aioli

Their food is all tapa size, so it’s meant for sharing. Of course, we had to get the Iberian Ham Croquettes. It came with an aioli sauce and they were fried to a light golden brown. I actually really enjoyed the light batter they used here. I think it might be better than some of the ones I had in Spain! You also got a slight Iberian ham flavour to it.

Serrano Ham – aged 14 months

Next, we got the Serrano Ham, which came with some toast that had been lightly slathered with olive oil. Serrano ham is another type of ham and is bred by white pigs. I believe it’s not as expensive compared to Iberian ham, since Iberian ham is only made from Iberian pigs which are acorn-fed. I actually preferred the Serrano ham though, since it doesn’t have that strong pig taste that I find Iberian ham has. Well, I guess that’s why people like Iberian ham so much, because of that taste.

Marinated White Anchovies, Piquillo Peppers & Quail Eggs on Toast

We decided to try their toasts, but they were fairly different from the ones I had in Spain. I think the main difference was the bread they used. It wasn’t thinly sliced like the montaditos we had. This was quite an expensive dish, with only two slices of toast. We chose the one with Marinated White Anchovies, Piquillo Peppers & Quail Eggs. All ingredients that are fairly common in Spanish cuisine. The flavours actually worked together very well.

Grilled Flat Iron Steak – patatas bravas, moritz mustard aioli

The Grilled Flat Iron Steak was probably our favourite dish. The steak was cooked to medium rare and was super tender. It came with a msutard aioli and some fried potatoes as well. Patatas Bravas are very common in Spanish tapas, but this was a play on it, with the sauce being a little different from usual. The steak was definitely a stand out though.

Grilled Octopus & Chorizo – roasted pepper, sun dried olive & caper bread salad, romesco sauce

The Grilled Octopus & Chorizo was a bit of a disappointment. It was a lot of the other ingredients, but lacked pieces of actual octopus. There were probably only 4 small pieces of octopus. It was more like a salad, with roasted peppers and other greens. You’ll also find a chorizo piece here and there. Felt like they lacked the main ingredients of the dish.

Ox Tongue & Warm Potato Salad – mustard, quail eggs, white anchovies, paprika aioli

The Ox Tongue & Warm Potato Salad was also a huge hit at our table. The ox tongue was sliced very thin, compared to what we normally get in Asian cuisines. It was so tender! Along with the quail eggs, anchovies and the mustard and aioli sauce, it was definitely very flavourful! It also came with some cubed potatoes.

Daily Paella

Last but not least, my parents wanted to try the Daily Paella. It takes a long time to be ready, so you need to order it right away. Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed with the Paella. It’s not Valencian style, but rather topped with lots of beans, white anchovies, and arugula. The flavour wasn’t my cup of tea at all. It tasted like tomato based beans. Super expensive too! It was around $32 I believe. And I thought the ones in Spain were expensive…

Overall, I was slightly disappointed with the food at Espana. It was nothing compared to the food I had in Spain. I find that their menu is not very traditional, but they grab bits of the Spanish cuisine and play around with the typical ingredients. Not exactly like the food I had in Spain. But I guess this is a good spot to try some Spanish flavours, since we really don’t have many Spanish choices in Vancouver. I also found the menu to be quite pricey and the portions were very small. Still, a restaurant with great ambiance. I’d come back for a small tapa and drinks.

Yolk’s Breakfast Restaurant and Commissary

June 26, 2014Leave a comment

Manmosa – P49 HayFever Saison, fresh squeezed orange juice

After exams ended, I met up with my Barca buddies K and U for brunch. I suggested we go try Yolk’s Breakfast Restaurant and Commissary. They have a food truck, but they also recently opened a restaurant near Knight and East Hastings. It was a far drive for me, but definitely worth it! We waited roughly 10 minutes and were given a seat. The restaurant is actually fairly large compared to many other breakfast spots. They don’t take reservations, like many of the popular breakfast restaurants. Our server was friendly and checked up on us once in a while. We first started off with some drinks. I went for the Manmosa, which came with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a bottle of beer. I was a bit skeptical of mixing beer and orange juice together, but it turned out great! It’s supposed to be the manly version of a manmosa, but I could care less! A bit of alcohol to start our day off!

Mimosa – sparkling wine, freshly squeezed orange juice

U got the girly version and chose the Mimosa. It comes in a skinnier glass and is already premixed with sparkling wine and orange juice. She said it was pretty good!

Yolk’s Caesar – Bacon infused East Van Vodka, Clamato juice, freshly grated horseradish, Worcestershire, Tabasco, lime, celery shrub

K got the Yolk’s Caesar. Very typical and nothing too fancy with the play on ingredients.

Hand Carved Honey Ham on truffle-lemon hashbrowns and English Bangers

For food, Yolk’s is famous for their Poached Free-Range Egg Sandwiches. Their menu has a cute design for this item, and it guides you through the options for this dish. You can choose the topping, whether you want two eggs or one, english muffin, hashbrowns or gluten-free buns, a sauce or cheese, and any additional sides. K got the Hand Carved Honey Ham, which came with fresh spinach & Yolk’s made Dijon. He also got two eggs and double everything. He chose the truffle-lemon hashbrowns instead which cost an additional $1.50. He had the double smoked bacon last time which he said he preferred. Other than the eggs, he also got the English Bangers which were perfectly grilled sausages. He said they were delicious!

Chicken & Waffles – organic fried chicken, Belgian waffles, chicken gravy & pure Canadian maple syrup

U didn’t go for the eggs, but rather their Chicken & Waffles. Yolk’s has a fairly simple menu, hence probably why they can execute good dishes. The chicken & waffles is also one of their famous dishes and it consists of organic fried chicken between two Belgian waffles. It also comes with a chicken gravy, but we all agreed it didn’t taste like gravy and was very bland. U said that the chicken and waffles, however, were very delicious! The chicken was moist and flavourful.

Poached Free-Range Egg Sandwiches – Portobello Mushroom on truffle-lemon hashbrowns

For myself, I also went for the Poached Free-Range Egg Sandwiches. I chose the third option which is Portobello Mushroom. It came with an aioli sauce and fresh arugula. Just like K, I chose two eggs and double everything and had my eggs on truffle-lemon hashbrowns by adding $1.50. I also chose the real hollandaise as my sauce. Cutting into the eggs, they were perfectly poached with the yolks running out. It doesn’t look like too much on the plate, but I was beyond full by the end of the meal. There’s plenty of hash and they were seasoned well! The option for two eggs and double everything comes to around $10.75. Since we substituted for hashbrowns instead of the English muffin, the total cost was $12.25.

Overall, I highly recommend Yolk’s for a breakfast spot. I know some people wait an hour for this, which I probably wouldn’t, but since I only waited 10-15 minutes, I really didn’t find it too bad. Plus, they have great drinks and the portion sizes of food are just right. A pretty reasonable priced breakfast. Only downside is how far it is for me!

Leonidas (Waterfront)

June 25, 201438 Comments

Hot Chocolate – Dark

I had bought the Social Shopper coupon for $12 at Leonidas which came with Belgian Liege waffles, hot chocolate & chocolate covered strawberries for two people. Since J was busy, I got his to go. For myself though, I sat down on the nice sunny day to catch up on some work and enjoy my desserts. For each item, you get quite a few options. For the Hot Chocolate, you can choose from white, milk or dark. I went for the dark chocolate. It came in a nice tall glass with a frothy top and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. It was actually pretty good with a strong chocolate flavour to it.

Belgian Liege Waffles – chocolate sauce and fruits

Next was the Belgian Liege Waffle. You can choose two toppings on your waffle. I chose the chocolate sauce and fruits. They actually put quite a lot of strawberries and bananas on it. It’s also presented quite nicely. The waffle was warm and fluffy and not too sweet. For J’s take out, they also put each fruit and sauce in a separate container so he could put it on himself when he ate it. I like the thoughtfulness they put in to make sure the waffle doesn’t get soggy.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry – dark

Lastly, I got the Chocolate Covered Strawberry. Again, you can choose between white, milk or dark. Of course I went for the dark! This was really good and the strawberry was very sweet. I think it’s as good as Godiva’s.

I was really happy with the service here even though I was using a Social Shopper coupon. It wasn’t as quick as I would’ve liked it to be, but there were only two girls working and there would be times with many customers all at once. One of the girls was extremely courteous and kept apologizing for the delay of my take out. I liked how she did the take out at the end of my meal though, to ensure that the hot chocolate and waffle was still warm. Definitely a great deal for two sets of the desserts! $6 would probably only get you a waffle at any other dessert shop! Plus Leonidas is known in Belgium to be one of the top. For two sets of these desserts, it would normally be valued at $24.80! Great deal!

Akari Japanese Restaurant (Revisit #2)

June 24, 2014Leave a comment

Akari Japanese Restaurant is located in the Coquitlam Town Center and they have made major changes in their menu since the last time I visited. J told me that they now have a $4.95 menu for every item on the menu, so you really need to do some math to figure out which items are a good deal. It’s a Korean owned restaurant, so it’s not exactly authentic Japanese food. We ended up getting several appetizers, but J began to eat them before I even got some pictures! Anyways, here are some of the sushi we got. This included Hamachi, Ebi, Tuna, Sockeye Salmon, and Saba Nigiris. We also got a Chopped Scallop Roll. So basically, each fish was priced at $4.95 and some of them would come with two nigiris or up to four. The salmon and tuna were pretty good deals as each nigiri would come to under $1.25. I found the rolls to be a bit pricey though, as you can usually find typical rolls at a lower price for the same quality. All in all, our food was average. It wasn’t the freshest I’ve had, but it did it’s job. You end up ordering quite a lot since it seems like a good deal, but in the end we ended up paying almost $20 each. You need to be wise when you pick your items here with the new menu.

Mimibuloveme (Revisit #2)

June 23, 2014Leave a comment

White Pasta – bacon and creamy Parmesan cheese

On my last day of final exams, that feeling I got walking out of the exam room was actually sort of bittersweet. I felt so relaxed, but at the same time, it would be my last final exam of my university life. I decided to celebrate so K came to pick me up along with others. She wanted her parfaits again, so we ended up going to Mimibuloveme. It was packed as usual, but we luckily scored a tiny square table for the four of us. I was extremely hungry after my exam, so I decided to actually get a meal. They recently added pastas to their menu, so I went for the White Pasta. I had originally wanted the Yellow Pasta, which is curry based, but they sold out! I like how it seems like their food is fresh as they will actually sell out! Anyways, the White Pasta reminded me of a Carbonara. A creamy white sauce with Parmesan cheese and loads of bacon. It also came with a small side of salad. I would say that their portions are quite small for the price, but the pasta was cooked to al dente.

Brownie Banana Parfait – chocolate ice cream, organic banana, brownie

The rest of them got some desserts. E got the Brownie Banana Parfait. It had a huge scoop of chocolate ice cream and a slice of brownie on the side. Underneath were slices of banana and topped with loads of whipped cream.

Black Sesame Parfait – black sesame ice cream, vanilla bean ice cream, mochi balls, gluten free graham crackers

K got the Black Sesame Parfait. It came with a scoop of the black sesame ice cream and lots of mochi balls which I liked! The black sesame ice cream was also rich in sesame flavour.

Chocolate Banana Waffle

Dad got the Chocolate Banana Waffle. The waffle itself isn’t too special, but you get loads of ingredients on top and on the side. They don’t cheap out on the slices of bananas, and there’s also a lot of chocolate brownie cakes on the side. A huge scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and whipped cream to top it off.

Overall, the food is always quite good at Mimibuloveme. The service is also very friendly, although the wait time can be a bit long. They only have 2-3 people working, so don’t expect fast service here. Prices are average like anywhere else. I guess the seating is the biggest problem here. This place is good for a maximum of 4 people. It’s also extremely difficult to find a seat during busy hours and weekends.

Mercante

June 21, 20141 Comment

Alla Salsiccia – chorizo, tomato, basil, oregano and mozzarella

Ever since coming back from exchange, I’ve noticed a new building at UBC when I drive towards the Henry Angus Building. My friends later told me that the building was called Ponderosa Commons. So when we had a final exam and were looking for a place to study and grab a quick snack, my friends suggested we go to Mercante. It’s a new Italian cafe and they offer a large selection of pastas, salads, pizzas, and soups. Their pizzas are also made ready to order and are baked in a stone oven. We chose the Alla Salsiccia, which was topped with tons of chorizo, tomatoes, basil, oregano and mozzarella. The dough was light and fluffy and they didn’t cheap out on the ingredients.

Al Pesto – pesto, pancetta, zucchini, basil, mozzarella, and roasted artichokes

We also shared the Al Pesto, which had a pesto base, lots of pancetta, zucchini, basil, mozzarella and roasted artichokes. This was my favourite out of the two. I loved the addition of zucchinis in it! It felt healthy and again there was an abundant of ingredients.

Very affordable food as well, with most pizzas priced at no more than $10. Other than great food, they also have a really hip area for you to eat if you choose to dine in. I love the wooden tables and benches and the outdoor sunlight they rely on. Many students study here too. We then discovered that they had 3 study rooms! It seemed like you didn’t need to book them in advance and it was more like a first come first serve. Extremely nice rooms to study in, and the rooms are completely sound proof. I wish I discovered this spot earlier, but for anyone looking for a chill place to study at UBC, here’s another one!

Memory Corner

June 19, 2014Leave a comment

Memory Corner just opened this year and it seemed to catch many people’s attention. It’s located at the corner of No.3 across the city hall. That location has changed restaurants multiple times, probably because it’s an odd location. Well Memory Corner now takes the spot and they offer what many say is authentic Taiwanese food. I decided to try it out with J for a late lunch. I had saw tons of pictures online, so I had to give the Potted Milk Tea a try. I’m the type that will try things that look cute, even though it might not be amazing. Anyways, this was definitely a disappointment. Although it was very whimsical to look at, I definitely didn’t like that so called “soil” on my drink. It was basically cookie crumbles and I found it difficult to go down my throat. Imagine drinking some rough sediments. Not a great feeling. On the other hand, the milk tea itself was quite good. I wish I had just ordered a regular milk tea…

Satay Beef Fried Noodles

J got the Satay Beef Fried Noodles. I like how the food here looks very home cooked, so I feel like it might be more authentic tasting. J said it was pretty good.

Taiwanese Sausage

J also got a side of Taiwanese Sausages. This was my first time trying them. I found that they reminded me of a mix between Chinese sausages and typical American sausages. It was definitely interesting, although not my favourite. J is Taiwanese though, so he seemed to really enjoy them.

Taiwanese Deep-Fried Crispy Chicken Thigh in Noodle

I got the Taiwanese Deep-Fried Crispy Chicken Thigh in Noodle and the chicken came in a separate bowl so it wouldn’t get soggy. I love Taiwanese crispy chicken, and currently Sunway is my favourite place for them. Here, they were also quite crispy with a thin layer of batter. The seasoning wasn’t too strong or salty which I liked. I don’t think it beats Sunway’s though!

As for the noodles, I really enjoyed them! They were cooked to al dente, which is not common for Asian noodles. Something about the noodle’s texture was really good! It had a slight chew to it. I wonder if they were handmade. The broth was a bit of a disappointment though. Seemed more like a plain chicken broth with garlic chips in it. It really lacked flavour.

Overall, I was quite happy with Memory Corner’s food. The food is affordable, but keep in mind that the interior is nothing impressive. It’s really casual and similar to what you would see in Asia as a snackbar. They also only take cash and debit cards. I hear that they are famous for their lamb though. Will definitely give that a try next time!

Zakkushi Charcoal Grill – Denman (Revisit 2)

June 17, 20141 Comment

Zakkushi Set – Umeshiso Yaki, Momo, Me Maki, P-toro & Oropon Beef

For M’s birthday, he wanted a cool, chill atmosphere with great snacks and lots of drinks. Off we went to one of his favourites – Zakkushi! There are two Zakkushis – one on Main St and one on Denman. We went to the one on Denman just because it’s usually more lively. They also used to have a third location, but it recently closed down. Since we made reservations, we were quickly seated. The restaurant is very small at this location, so we probably took up a quarter of the space. A lot of my friends shared a large variety of different skewers. Zakkushi is known for their yakitori and izakaya type of food. Yakitori are essentiall grilled chicken skewers. For myself, I chose the Zakkushi Set. Starting from the left was the Umeshiso Yaki, which was a chicken thigh with a sour plum sauce and Japanese basil. Next was the Momo, which was a chicken thigh with a nice barbecue sauce. In the middle, was the Me Maki, which were garlic stubs wrapped with pork. I actually didn’t even realize they were garlic stubs. They didn’t give me that garlic breath at all, and I thought it was just asparagus or some type of veggie. Next, was the P-Toro, which was a crunchy and juicy pork. It reminded me of porchetta. My friends and I agreed that it was more fat than meat though. Last but not least, on the very right was the Oropon Beef which came with grated daikon and Ponzu sauce. Oropon beef is essentially their ‘AAA’ beef, so it was very tender and the daikon and Ponzu sauce was very light and refreshing. Overall, a good deal for 5 skewers priced at $9.20.

Matcha Mochi Ice Cream

Other than food, we also had tons of Sapporo and their plum wine. The plum wine was really good! For dessert, MC and I shared the Matcha Mochi Ice Cream. This was the perfect way to end the night! The mochi balls were still slightly frozen and filled with matcha ice cream. It came with some whip cream, red bean paste and topped with matcha powder on the top. After ordering, everyone at our table ended up getting it too. Unfortunately, some weren’t able to get their orders as they were eventually sold out. Definitely a best seller!

Matcha Chiffon Parfait

We realized that another table was also celebrating a birthday, and the restaurant would turn off their lights and bring out a dessert for the birthday customer. They also sang the birthday song! We immediately sneaked over to the waitress and asked for a Matcha Chiffon Parfait for M as well. Again, they shut off the lights and sang the birthday song carrying the cake over. Pretty nice place to celebrate your birthday. The dessert came with a chunk of matcha chiffon cake, topped with whipped cream, mochi and red bean. Not bad.

Overall, we had a good night at Zakkushi on Denman. They gave us great service even though we were pretty loud and probably sat their for quite a while. The bill came to be quite expensive due to the drinks, but everyone enjoyed their night. It’s a great place to grab a small snack, but it is definitely expensive if you want to be fully filled up.