Cafe Salade de Fruits

September 7, 2015September 5, 20151 Comment

I’ve always wanted to try Cafe Salade de Fruits, but I thought that it would be a bit of a walk from work. We decided to head over there anyways, and surprisingly, it was only a 10 minute walk, so it’s not too bad. This is such a hidden gem, since the restaurant name isn’t really obvious and there aren’t too many restaurants in this area. It’s tucked away in the French Cultural Center.

They have interior seating, but since it was a sunny day, we sat outside in their patio.

The spot is as French as it gets. All the employees have a thick French accent and many of their diners also speak French. This is the spot to go to if you want casual French bistro food.

Lunch starts off with complimentary bread and butter. The bread was extremely soft and fluffy.

Sandwich of the Day: Steak Sandwich with Fries

All the guys went for the Sandwich of the Day, which was a Steak Sandwich for $10. This came with your choice of green salad or fries. They all went for the fries. They were warned that they do not serve ketchup with fries, but rather mayonnaise only. That’s the way the French do it! Some of them wished that there was ketchup, but they had to make do with the mayo. The portions are huge! You get a good amount of steak and it was cooked to tender. Most of them couldn’t clear their plate of fries!

Moules et Frites (Regular)

Although I wanted to try the Steak Sandwich too, I had heard great things about their Moules et Frites. So, I spent a bit more for lunch to try this dish out and I couldn’t be anymore happier. I got the regular size for $16 and it was a huge pot! The mussels were one of the most fresh and plump mussels I’ve had. There were no empty shells. You can choose between some broths, and I went for the classic white wine and shallots. All the guys tried some and said they were delicious! It also came with a huge order of fries again. These were skinny and crispy. I ended up dipping them into my broth. I wished there was more bread to do so as well.

Overall, we were extremely pleased with Cafe Salade de Fruits. I think these are some of the best mussels I’ve had in Vancouver! They also offer a variety of soups, sandwiches, and quiches. A must try!

Pros:
– Mussels are fresh and plump
– Portions are huge and price is reasonable

Cons:
– Not much parking in the area

Price Range: $10-20

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

Food: 4 Service: 3 Ambiance: 3 Parking: 2 Overall: 4

Beijing Noodle House

September 2, 2015September 1, 2015Leave a comment

I drive by Beijing Noodle House pretty much every week and I’ve noticed that there’s always people dining in there. It’s been around for many years, but I’ve never wanted to try it since it doesn’t look very appealing from the outside. S told me that the food is actually pretty good there, so we headed over to try a few dishes.

Surprisingly, the inside looks much better than what I imagined. Still, it’s not the nicest ambiance, but everything felt clean, so that’s good.

Crispy Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin

S suggested we try the Crispy Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin. This was very crispy with the sauce being more of a thin consistency. The pork was slightly dry, but I quite enjoyed the flavours.

Stir-Fried Shredded Pancake, Beijing Style

The Stir-Fried Shredded Pancake, Beijing Style, was an interestnig dish. It tasted basically like noodles but more chewy. It tasted similar to knife cut noodles and I really enjoyed the chewiness. It was mixed with a variety of noodles and shredded pork. I quite enjoyed this dish.

Overall, I was surprised with this hidden gem. The prices are quite reasonable and the food is decent. I wouldn’t say the food blows my mind, but based on the dishes we tried, they were executed pretty well.

Pros:
– Food is decent
– Reasonable prices

Cons:
– Ambiance isn’t the nicest

Price Range: $10-20

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

Food: 3 Service: 2 Ambiance: 2 Parking: 2 Overall: 3

Nuba (Gastown)

August 31, 2015August 29, 2015Leave a comment

A trip to Bao Down ended up being a trip to Nuba. Since it was rather busy at Bao Down, N and I decided try Nuba. It’s been on my list of restaurants to try for some time now, but for one reason or another, I never made it here. Nuba offers Lebanese food, which I’m not very familiar with, so I was excited for this lunch.

The interior is pretty nice and hip. Their lunch plates are around $10-15, but will fill you up quite well. Dinner is a bit more pricey, so lunch is a good option to give it a try. The plates are beautifully presented and colourful!

Chicken Tawook Plate

I had the Chicken Tawook Plate, which featured grilled Mount Lehman chicken breast marinated in paprika, thyme, lemon, garlic confit and drizzled with tahini. All the lunch plates are also served with hummus, salad, pickled cabbage, olives, pita and your choice of organic brown rice or roasted potatoes. I had asked for roasted potatoes, but for some reason my plate came with half brown rice and half roasted potatoes…The chicken was moist and and tender. The seasoning wasn’t overwhelming, but rather simple. The pickled cabbage was very sour but was a good way to open up your appetite. The roasted potatoes were also delicious with a nice char on them. I quite enjoyed the hummus as it was drizzled with olive oil and I also asked for hot sauce on top which is optional. It was very smooth and paired well with the pita.

Lamb Kafta

N got the Lamb Kafta, which featured grilled grain-fed halal lamb patty, seasoned with onions, parsley, and spices. I had a piece of this and it wasn’t too gamy in flavour. Very moist again. N quite enjoyed her dish.

Pita

This is the Pita that comes with your lunch plates. This was for the two of us and was the perfect amount for us to finish our hummus. Thinly rolled pita is rather bland by itself, but great paired with the hummus.

Overall, we were extremely pleased with the food at Nuba. The plates look small at first especially since you don’t seem to get a lot of meat (and I love meat), but I ended up being beyond full. Great place to feel healthy and they also have many vegan friendly dishes.

Pros:
– Vegan-friendly dishes
– Great assortment of nutritious items on your plate

Cons:
– Can be a bit pricey

Price Range: $15-25

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

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

Bob Likes Thai Food

August 29, 2015August 29, 2015Leave a comment

Located just on the corner of Broadway and Granville, Bob Likes Thai Food is a small joint that offers authentic Thai cuisine. It’s a colourful shop with quirky decor for ambiance. A couple of my coworkers and I came here for lunch since they have lunch specials for $10.

Pad Thai

All their lunch specials come with a side of green salad and wonton chip. E got the Pad Thai which featured fried rice noodles, prawns, tofu, peanuts, egg, and bean sprouts. She really enjoyed this and many of our coworkers said it’s probably the best around our area for pad thai.

Panang Beef

For myself, I got the Panang Beef and I asked for the curry to be mild. You get a bowl of coconut milk based red curry with beef, basil and bell peppers and a scoop of rice on the side. This was very flavourful and you could definitely taste the basil and coconut. Tons of sauce to smother over your rice. The beef was also very tender. Even though you ask for mild, you still get a bit of a kick which I liked. The wonton chips were literally just fried dough and was topped with some sweet chili sauce. I sort of wished there was some filling inside of it. Salad was dressed with a light sweet vinaigrette.

Overall, our table was quite pleased with the food. At $10 a plate during lunch, it’s quite reasonable for restaurants around our area. The food is served up quick so that’s a plus since office people are usually in a hurry. Portions are decent. I finished the dish easily, so for a hungry person, this might be a bit small. Service was efficient and friendly.

Pros:
– Reasonable lunch prices
– Decent eats

Cons:
– Portions are on the smaller side

Price Range: $10-15

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

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

Mango Yummy

August 22, 2015Leave a comment

Mango Yummy started out at the Richmond Night Market, and late last year, they opened their first store just across Richmond Centre on No. 3 Road. The interior is rather small, so you may need to get take out if it’s really busy. You first order at the front and then they will call your name for pick up.

Durian Shaved Ice

I came here looking to get some mango type of cold dessert, but I have no idea how S convinced me into getting two durian desserts… Apparently there is a durian menu and so we ended up with the Durian Shaved Ice as one of our desserts… A big bowl of ice with blobs of durian and topped with vanilla ice cream and condensed milk. I wished that the condensed milk was unlimited, but it wasn’t. Well the durian was creamy and fragrant and I think durian lovers will enjoy this dessert. This is one of their pricier shaved ice though since durian is expensive.

Durian Pancake

And next was the Durian Pancake. The pancake was thin and soft, but very smooth. It was topped with some whipped cream and chocolate pearls.

The durian again was very creamy so this dessert is quite mushy with all the cream. You get quite a good amount of durian though.

Overall, based on these two durian items, I thought Mango Yummy was pretty good and I would revisit to try their other items. I guess this visit should be called more like Durian Yummy for us though…

Pros:
– Large variety of desserts – hot and cold
– Reasonable prices for what you get

Cons:
– Not much seating
– Don’t expect any service

Price Range: $15-20

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

Food: 4 Service: N/A Ambiance: 3 Parking: 4 Overall: 3.5

Icy Bar 利源冰店 – ChineseBites Media Event

August 20, 2015August 20, 2015Leave a comment

NOTE: As part of the ChineseBites media event, all food and beverages were free, but all opinions are based on my own experience.

I attended another ChineseBites event a few weeks ago and this time it was at Icy Bar, located on Kingsway near Boundary. They also have locations on Kingsways and Knight, Parker Place, Crystal Mall, and the Richmond Night Market. I’m sure you have seen everyone holding those mango desserts if you’ve been to the night market!

The interior is simple and nothing too fancy. Their menu is basically only Taiwanese bubble tea drinks and desserts. Some interesting notes are that their mochi are made from scratch, pancakes are made fresh everyday and their fruits are fresh cut everyday.

Lychee Slush, Fresh Taro Milkshake, Mango Slush

We all started off with some drinks. I had the Fresh Taro Milkshake and this was very smooth and creamy, but the taro flavour was quite light. Their bubble teas are quite large and you can also let them know if you want it less sweet.

Traditional Eight Mix Icy 八寶冰

We started off with two varieties of Traditional Eight Mix Icy. You can customize your shaved ice with a variety of toppings. Pictured above was fresh mango, strawberries, lychee, pineapple, watermelon, melon, rainbow jelly, popping pearls and a scoop of green tea ice cream. Eight toppings go for $10.00, four toppings for $6.75 and three toppings with coconut milk cup for $5.50. Ice cream is extra and can range from an additional $2-4 depending on the flavour.

This customized mix icy has fresh mangoes, red bean, green bean, kidney bean, taro, peanuts, mochi balls, green tea mochi balls, mango mochi balls, almond jelly, grass jelly, chendol, basil seeds, and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The shaved ice are huge, so you can share with friends. Minimum charge per person is only $3.50, so quite affordable.

Strawberry Mango Ice Cream Icy 芒果草莓雪糕冰

You can also order their icys with topping that are pre-set. These are their most popular combinations. We tried the Strawberry Mango Ice Cream Icy topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a mango sauce drizzle. You sure get a ton of fruits!

Mango Ice Cream Mochi Icy芒果雪糕冰

The Mango Ice Cream Mochi Icy was one of my favourites since you get fresh mangoes, mango mochi balls, original mochi balls, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and mango sauce on top. Their mangoes are fresh and sweet. I also love their homemade mochi balls.

Pancake Series 班戟

The Pancake Series come in four choices for flavours: taro, durian, mango, and strawberry.

These pillowy pancakes are filled with fresh cream and the respective fruits. I tried the durian pancake and it was definitely very creamy and strong in durian flavour. The taste lingered in my palette for quite some time…

Black Rice with Coconut Milk 椰汁黑糯米

The Black Rice with Coconut Milk was slightly sweet and very coconuty in flavour. The black rice gave this dessert a nice chew.

Tea Egg茶葉蛋

One of their very few savoury items is the Tea Egg, which is a very common snack in Taiwan and Asia. The cracked appearance comes from pre-boiled egg which is cracked and boiled again in tea and other sauces.

The yolk is fully cooked and firm and I liked the star anise and tea flavour.

Chocolate Honey Toast 巧克力金磚

Back to some sweets, we had the Chocolate Honey Toast. The toast is cut into the cubes and topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Surprisingly, this wasn’t too sweet and the toast was crunchy.

Plant Pudding 盆栽布丁

The Plant Puddings were both pretty to look at and tasted great. There are five flavours to choose from: Original, durian, mango, Oreo, and tiramisu. My favourite was the tiramisu as the ingredients like the cream and coffee just naturally went well together. If you like durian though, you will find this the durian plant pudding quite satisfying as there are chunks of durian in the dessert.

Red Bean Green Tea Ice Cream on Thick Toast 红豆抹茶冰淇淋

Another thick toast was the Red Bean Green Tea Ice Cream on Thick Toast. Green tea and red bean naturally go well together, so this was quite good. The toast also kept its firmness and the dessert was not overly sweet.

Tofu Pudding豆腐花

To finish off our night, we got to sample the Tofu Pudding with a variety of toppings (same toppings as shaved ice). Even though I piled a lot of toppings on top, the tofu pudding wasn’t too sweet, which I liked.

Overall, Icy Bar has a large variety of desserts and there is something for both the hot and cold days. My favourites of the night were their shaved ice and tofu pudding. Great spot to chill with friends and share some desserts.

Tacofino Taco Bar

August 15, 2015August 14, 20151 Comment

The Taco Bar at Tacofino has been open for quite a while now and it’s been on my list of must try restaurants. Finally, I visited the famous Taco Bar with A, M, and K. M and A had arrived early, but we still had to wait for over 30 minutes to get a table. This place is so busy, so be sure to arrive early and place your name on the wait list. They will send you a text message when your table is ready. Also, the Taco Bar is situated behind the Burrito Bar which is for take out. You can enter the restaurant from the front, or from the Blood Alley.

The inside ambiance is super cool. I love the whole design of the restaurant with tiled floors and brick walls. Super hipster! Too bad it was rather dim inside, so it was difficult to take good pictures. They also have a patio outside, perfect for those sunny warm evenings.

Pitcher of Sangria

We ended up sharing a pitcher of red Sangria, which seems to be offered during the summer season. It’s a rather small pitcher for the price, but we still managed to get 4 full glasses.

Nachos

M recommended the Nachos and said they were really delicious. When I saw it, I thought it looked average, but boy was this delicious! The nachos are crunchy and layered with salsa fresca, chipotle and sour cream. We also added guacomole on the side for an extra $4. The portion may look small, but it will fill you up and we shared this among four girls.

Since we weren’t sure how much we could eat, we all started off by ordering one taco each for ourselves. In the end, this was just perfect for us. Their tacos are quite big and the filling is very generous. If you come here just for the tacos, you can probably fill up with just two. Most of their tacos are $6 to $7.

Al Pastor

I really wanted to try all the tacos, but since I had to pick one, I chose the Al Pastor. The only reason I chose it was because it said “while quantities last” on the menu. I immediately thought this would mean it’s one of the best and they sell out quick! Well luckily, they weren’t sold out yet and this was amazing. It had roasted pork, pineapples, pickled onions and cilantro. I loved the mix of the fruity pineapple with the meat. Who knew they would go together so well! I also like how they sort of toast or grill the tortilla itself first, so it doesn’t taste as bland.

Steak Taco

M went for her all time favourite Steak Taco, and I got to sample a bit of her steak bites. It was delicious, with a nice char and seasoning on the steak. The soft shell taco is filled with grilled skirt steak, pickled chayote and pineapples. Again, M commented that the pineapples surprisingly paired very well with the steak.

Mushroom Quesadilla

A got the Mushroom Quesadilla, which featured two tortillas sandwiched with seasonal mushrooms, aged cheddar, and cotija. She said it was pretty good but had way too much mushrooms. I guess she likes her meat… This is more of a taco for vegetarians.

Potato and Mushroom Taco

K got the Potato and Mushroom Taco. Unfortunately, the taco was a hard shell, which K was pretty disappointed about, since she had assumed all tacos were soft shelled. She found it to be a bit more messy to eat since the hard shell tacos usually crack at odd spots when you bite into it. It was filled with collard greens, almond herb crumb, chipotle crema, queso fresco, and of course potatoes and mushrooms. She said that there were way too many potatoes compared to mushrooms though.

Overall, I was very happy with Taco Bar. I can see why people love this place and will wait for it. If you’re in a rush, then you can visit the Burrito Bar, although they only sell burritos. It’s essentially the same fillings though. Otherwise, enjoy some amazing tacos and drinks inside the Taco Bar with a cool ambiance. Oh and if you didn’t already know, they also have their Tacofino Commissary in East Van and their food truck which is usually in downtown.

Pros:
– Nachos are the bomb!
– Tacos are filled generously and taste delicious

Cons:
– Long waits
– Service is average – our waitress wasn’t very friendly

Price Range: $15-20

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

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

Amsterdam Cafe Pub

August 14, 2015Leave a comment

Canadian Beef Dip

I actually didn’t try many new restaurants this time around up at Whistler since I wanted a relaxing trip where I could just eat and enjoy my food without needing to get pictures before. We did end up trying Amsterdam Cafe Pub for an early dinner. They have a patio area outside with heated lamps, so great since we were up on the mountains on a rainy and chilly weekend. The pub has minimal service, with you going in and looking for your own seats and a waitress coming to take your order. We shared two dishes including the Canadian Beef Dip, which featured a roasted beef inside a toasted baguette and a side of au jus for dipping. It also came with a serving of fries. At around $12, this was a relatively reasonable price knowing that Whistler can be quite expensive for average food. I like it when my roast beef is medium rare, but this was definitely well done, so it more rough and dry than I’d like. The good thing is that you get the au jus to dip in, so it moistens the beef. However, the au jus was overly salty. Fries were average.

Honey Garlic Chicken Wings

The other dish we got were the Honey Garlic Chicken Wings which came with a ranch dip. The wings were dressed heavily in sauce and topped with chopped green onions. I thought they were okay and would’ve gone great with beer. Wings were crispy on the outside and moist in the inside.

Overall, based on the items we tried at Amsterdam Cafe Pub, I thought it was average. Your typical pub food, so don’t expect too much. Service was also a bit slow since it was basically one waitress running around to serve all the tables. Good spot if you want food at Whistler that’s priced reasonably though.

Pros:
– Reasonable prices
– Decent eats but not amazing

Cons:
– Service can be a bit slow

Price Range: $10-20

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

Food: 3 Service: 2 Ambiance: 2 Parking: N/A Overall: 2.5

Every Day is a Food Day

Category: $$

Cafe Salade de Fruits

Beijing Noodle House

Nuba (Gastown)

Bob Likes Thai Food

Mango Yummy

Icy Bar 利源冰店 – ChineseBites Media Event

Tacofino Taco Bar

Amsterdam Cafe Pub