Caffe Artigiano – Seoul

August 10, 2014August 9, 20142 Comments

Grapefruit and Vanilla Ice Cream Patbingsu

Caffe Artigiano is actually a Vancouver based coffee shop, and I’ve actually been there once for a latte. I expected to see Starbucks in Seoul, but to my surprise, they also had a Caffe Artigiano. I don’t like to go into these international franchises when I’m traveling, but the other girls wanted a quick snack and to recover from all the walking. We ended up ordering some Patbingsu to share. I was surprised to find that they sold this at the coffee shop. I guess their menu is quite different so that it can cater to the Koreans. Patbingsu or Patbingsoo is Korean shaved ice and is often topped with sweet ingredients. My friends chose the Grapefruit Patbingsu, which brought some acidity to the dish. It also came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Quite refreshing after a long day in the heat!

Red Bean, Kinako, Mochi, and Vanilla Ice Cream Patbingsu

K and I shared the Red Bean Patbingsu. It came with some mochi slices, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and lots of kinako. Kinako is roasted soybean flour, which is slightly sweet. A very popular topping for patbingsu and mochi.

Overall, the patbingsu were average. I didn’t find them to be too special. Plus, I found it quite expensive. They were around $9 each, which is quite pricey in Seoul. I’m sure you can get it for a cheaper price.

L’Opera Patisserie

August 7, 2014August 6, 2014Leave a comment

L’Opera is located on Minoru Blvd next to the shops near Hilton Hotel. It’s an odd location for such a fancy looking patisserie. But good for me, since I don’t need to travel all the way downtown for some good pastries! There’s also free parking behind the Sheraton/Hilton parking lot. Anyways, I’ve purchased a pastry for a friend here, but I haven’t actually tried them myself. C gave me a box of L’Operamacarons for my birthday, so I am finally able to write about them! It comes in a beautiful box with a ribbon. The owners are Asian, but had training in Paris, so the shop and decor are all very Parisian.

When you open the box, you have a little note which tells you how long and how to store your macarons. They use natural and organic ingredients, so they can spoil if not kept properly.

Green Tea, Caramel, Coffee, Chocolate, Pistachio, Rose

The macarons were actually quite small in size. Dainty and light. I found them smaller than the ones at Thiery. What I liked about them was that the colours were all very faint and light. It’s a sign that they probably didn’t use food colouring to achieve the colours. Creamy fillings and the shell itself is up to standards. I also like how they aren’t too sweet. My favourite was the coffee. It had such a strong aroma of coffee and I think there were some crushed coffee beans in it too.

Overall, very satisfied with the macarons at L’Opera. They come at around $2 a piece, so quite standard. It’s also super close to home, so I’ll definitely be visiting more often. They also have afternoon tea, which I hear is pretty good. Will definitely give that a try next!

The Cake Workshop

August 6, 2014Leave a comment

On my birthday, my family pre-ordered a birthday cake for me. Instead of going to the usual mainstream bakeries, my dad has been frequently ordering cakes at The Cake Workshop. It’s a bit of a hidden gem, but the baker actually only recently opened an actual cake shop in the food court of Pacific Plaza Mall on Odlin Cres. He started the business at home, but eventually had too many orders and so it was better off to open an actual shop. My dad says he’s an experienced baker and used to bake in Hong Kong for years.

I chose to have the Tiramisu, which came nicely decorated with strawberries and whipped cream. This was a 6″ and cost only $18. Much cheaper than many other bakeries out there. The cakes are simple and nothing too fancy, but of good quality! I think most people enjoy his cakes because they aren’t as sweet as most of the cakes at other bakeries. If you’re someone who finds cakes too sweet, than this might be the choice for you.

The cake part of the tiramisu was moist, light and fluffy, whereas the mascarpone cheese was smooth and creamy. You do need to pre-order the cakes in advance. There aren’t any cakes for walk in sales at the shop. You also have the choice of getting the cake delivered for free if it’s within Richmond, or you can pick up at the shop.

Guu Richmond (Lunch)

July 31, 2014Leave a comment

Negitoro & Spicy Sashimi Chirashi Set

For my birthday, N took me out for lunch and since we were too lazy to drive all the way Downtown, we settled for Guu Kitanoya in Aberdeen Centre. It was actually my first time at Guu for lunch, so I was excited as I heard they have good lunch sets and deals. They have daily lunch specials from 11:30am, and on Saturday, they featured the Negitoro & Spicy Sashimi Chirashi Set for only $10.80. I went for that set and it was super filling and delicious! It came with a miso soup and a spicy cold mini udon. The udon was one of those with a little bit of soy sauce, but it also had a kick to it. I loved it! Then, there was the chirashi set, which came with negitoro, spicy sashimi, and seasoned jelly fish with perilla sauce on rice. The chirashi set was negitoro style, as it was all minced sashimi. I really enjoyed the seasoned jelly fish though. It had a distinct flavour, and I loved the crunchy texture. Definitely was filled up with this set!

Chirashi – assorted sashimi on sushi rice

N got the Chirashi Don. It was super colourful and pleasing to look at! It came with a miso soup and a side of cold macaroni. The macaroni was seasoned with a bit of spice and was quite interesting. Her don featured salmon, tuna, surf clam and more. It looked really delicious! I think she enjoyed her meal just as much as I did, and she was very filled as well.

Overall, Guu never fails to satisfy me! I absolutely love their lunch sets too. They’re of such great value, quality, and quantity! They have a variety of other lunch sets, which I want to revisit and try!

Maji

July 29, 2014Leave a comment

N had just come back from exchange, so along with S, we headed to Maji for dinner. Maji has opened for some time now, and I kept hearing good reviews about this Taiwanese restaurant. It’s located on Alexandra Rd. right next to Leisure – also Taiwanese owned. When we arrived, it was quite empty, with only one or two tables for dinner. However, it was a random weekday. I hear that it’s quite packed on weekends. Apparently, it’s been quite packed recently as well, since they just launched their Taiwanese beers in mid July. They seem to have a large variety of beers and drinks, so it would be a great place for a night out. They also open until quite late.

Kimchi Pork Fried Rice – fried rice with kimchi, shredded pork, and egg

Maji is a great place to share dishes. It’s not like Pearl Castle and others, where you order your own set of food. Hence, we ordered 4 dishes to share. First, the Kimchi Pork Fried Rice. This was actually my favourite dish! A hint of spicy kimchi, but very addicting! The rice is also on the moist side compared to Chinese fried rice, which I really liked. I could not stop eating this! Very flavourful, but I didn’t feel like it had MSG in it since I wasn’t thirsty after.

Spicy Eggplant – pan-fried eggplant stir fried with chili-bean sauce, ground pork, dried chili, and soy sauce

I’m not a fan of eggplants, but J loves it, so we ordered the Spicy Eggplant. I ended up having some too, and it was quite delicious! The chili-bean sauce was what really made the dish for me. I don’t really like the flavour of eggplants, but the sauce and spiciness overpowered the flavour of eggplants.

San-Pei Squid – squid stir-fried with San-Pei sauce; tossed with basil

Next was the San-Pei Squid. This was more mild and the only non-spicy dish we had. Still, very flavouful with the San-Pei sauce. The squid were also very tender and easy to chew.

Kung-Pao Chicken – spicy boneless chicken leg stir fried with Sichuan pepper, dried chili, and nuts

Lastly, we had the Kung-Pao Chicken, which I unfortunately, took a blurry picture of. I found this dish quite spicy since there are Sichuan peppers and dried chili in it. However, it was super tasty at the same time! Love the nuts in it too. I believe they were cashews.

Overall, I was very pleased with the food at Maji. Prices are also very reasonable. It’s more about the food than presentation here. Since it wasn’t busy, we were also able to sit for quite some time to just chat and the waitresses kept refilling water for us. Great service and good food!

Original Joe’s Restaurant & Bar

July 8, 2014Leave a comment

Raspberry Burst

After checking out the Greek Festival, K and I decided to look for a patio back in Richmond to enjoy some drinks and the sun. I wouldn’t say there are too many patios in Richmond. Most of them are also quite pricey and more fancy than what we were looking for. We settled for Original Joes, which I’ve only been for lunch at the Broadway location. Original Joes in Richmond is tucked away on Steveston Highway, a bit further away from the rest of the restaurants in Ironwood Mall. Anyways, we sat outside in their small patio area. I chose the Raspberry Burst, which included vodka, raspberry syrup, sprite and lime juice. You can’t taste too much of the alcohol, so I really enjoyed the drink. A hint of sweetness and very refreshing.

Joe’s Sangria

K chose Joe’s Sangria. It had red wine, Scotch, Triple Sec with lemon, lime, pineapple and fresh orange juice. Her drink looked very nicely presented, but it also tasted pretty good! Drinks were around $7 each, so quite typical for any restaurant establishment. Overall, we were quite satisfied with the drinks and service wasn’t too bad. It’s pretty quiet in the afternoon, so it’s a good place to hangout and chat.

Gudrun

June 30, 2014June 30, 2014Leave a comment

When K came back, I suggested we go try Gudrun. It’s been opened in Steveston for quite some time, but I always just past by it without looking into it too much. Finally, we decided to go on a rainy weekday.

They seem to change their menu daily, based on what’s fresh in the market. Their menu is fairly simple with probably under 10 main menu items.

The inside is dimly lit and filled with wooden tables and chairs. There’s also a long table – great for large groups. It’s an open kitchen and there’s also a bar table. The service was amazing, with our server being super friendly and checking up on us occasionally. He might also be the owner, but I’m not sure. It was really relaxed and chill, and we didn’t feel rushed or pressured to order more. He would actually chat with customers, but he saw us having our own conversation, so he gave us plenty of space. I also love how they have pillows so you can feel like you’re at home. Absolutely love the ambiance here!

Mac & 5 Cheese with Side Salad

K got the Mac & 5 Cheese which came with a side of salad. The Mac & Cheese was definitely very cheesy and creamy. It might be a little pricey for a mac & cheese, but you can tell that this ain’t any cheap Kraft Dinner!

Meat Sandwich – sopressata, red peppers and cheddar

J and I both got the Meat Sandwich. It came with sopressata, which is an Italian dry salami. It also came with a side of salad, which had a really good light dressing. A bit of those tiny little pickles and olives too. A very simple dish, but it tasted amazing!

The sandwich was also filled with red peppers and cheddar. I loved the pairing of the peppers and salami. It wasn’t too salty, and the bread was grilled perfectly!

Overall, we were extremely pleased with Gudrun. It may be a bit pricey, but the relaxing environment really makes it a great place to chill and catch up with friends. They also have a large selection of wines and meat or cheese boards, which would be perfect for a late night hangout. Fresh ingredients with well-executed dishes and impeccable service!

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.