7th Annual Vancouver Craft Beer Week

May 24, 2016May 24, 2016Leave a comment

“The seventh annual Vancouver Craft Beer Week is set to kick off with opening night festivities on Friday, May 27th and will run until Sunday, June 5th. This year’s 10-day line up of events includes the VCBW Festival, Canada’s largest craft-only beer festival, presented by the Donnelly Group.

The VCBW Festival weekend will take place from Friday, June 3rd to Sunday, June 5th at the PNE Centre Grounds (2901 E Hastings, Vancouver, BC) and will feature local food trucks, over 350 craft beers and ciders and live music provided by The World Famous CFOX.

Vancouver Craft Beer Week tickets are now available – including VCBW Festival Weekend passes ($95), Single Day Gate Crasher tickets ($40) and Single Day General Admission tickets ($35).

From May 27th – June 5th 2016, Vancouver Craft Beer Week will also host a number of craft beer events leading up to the festival weekend.

This year’s VCBW Festival is set to showcase over 100 breweries and cideries pouring over 350 craft beers and ciders from around the world. Local favourites include Parallel 49 Brewing Company, Postmark Brewing and Four Winds Brewing Company. The festival also includes a U.S Brewers Association section, offering craft beers never before seen in Canada.”

For more information on Vancouver Craft Beer Week or to purchase tickets, visit vancouvercraftbeerweek.com.

Facebook: Vancouver Craft Beer Week
Twitter: @vcbw
Instagram : @vcbw

Ramen Gojiro

May 8, 2016May 9, 2016Leave a comment

Seeing all the pictures of fried chicken on ramen on social media, I told S that this was a must try. Ramen Gojiro is part of the Menya Kouji group which also owns Ramen Butcher and Taishoken. Their newest ramen shop is located in the core of downtown featuring jiro-style ramen which means thick noodles and lots of toppings.

The interior is actually quite spacious and can fit quite a lot of diners. The kitchen is pretty much open so you can watch the action of the ramen chefs. Even though the space can fit around 20-30 people, there is always a line up! We arrived at around 5:30 and luckily were in the front of the line. By the time it was around 6pm, the line up was already very long.

The menu is quite simple. You can choose between fried chicken or chashu on your ramen. You can then choose to have their classic chicken and pork broth or the same broth with a spicy sauce. In addition, you can get the bakamori, which means you get more of everything. They also now offer tsukemen which are cold noodles in a separate hot broth you dip in.

Original Karaage

We were worried that having fried chicken on a hot broth would ruin the crispiness of the chicken, so we decided to order the Karaage on the side instead. You can choose to have this with a dipping sauce for $0.40 more, but we just got the original. These are big chunks of meat and are lightly battered so very crispy! They sure know how to make good fried chicken here.

Basic Chashu

S got the Basic Chashu and added an ajitama (soft boiled marinated egg). They will ask you if you want a fatty or lean broth, of which S chose the former. They will also ask you if you want garlic on top, which S got. The ramen noodles are quite thick (the size of spaghetti) and come loaded with bean sprouts. We were disappointed with the broth as we found it lacked flavour and depth. The chashu was also a miss for us as I found the meat very dry and the fatty parts did not have the melt in your mouth texture.

Spicy Chashu

For myself, I got the Spicy Chashu of which I found the broth to be slightly more rich and flavourful. I asked for mild spicy so this was the perfect amount of spice for me personally. The egg was decent, although I still prefer Marutama’s.

Overall, S and I were both not a fan of the thick noodles and all the bean sprouts but I know many enjoy this style of ramen. I don’t think we will be returning any time soon although we did enjoy their chicken karaage. Worth a try if you are interested in trying a new style of ramen or if you prefer thicker styles of ramen. Oh, and they offer you bibs to wear to avoid any splashing on your clothes!

Pros:
– Chicken karaage is moist inside and crispy on the outside
– Portions are pretty big, especially if you get the bakamori

Cons:
– Personally did not enjoy all the bean sprouts and thicker noodles
– Chashu was too dry and had too much fat

Price Range: $10-15/person

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

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

Bubble Tea Shop

May 5, 2016May 5, 2016Leave a comment

The Bubble Tea Shop is tucked away underneath the Superstore parking lot in Richmond and opened up over a year ago. Since then, they have opened up a new location on Robson as well. Trying to get a spot at Snowy Village on a Friday night was pretty much impossible, so we decided to come here instead.

Parking is easy here (when people aren’t out and about doing groceries) and the shop itself is quite spacious. However, the decor is quite cheap and they were playing the most vulgar music even though there were children dining here… They also have a consignment area although I wonder how many people purchase items here.

Ferrero Rocher

S and I decided to share a drink and a dessert. We chose the Ferrero Rocher drink which was more like a slush and topped with whipped cream and a ferrero rocher ball. Frankly, we both found this to be just average as it was more icy than hazelnut flavour.

Super Matcha Bubble Waffle

I also wanted to try their bubble waffles which makes up most of their menu. We got the Super Matcha Bubble Waffle which comes with strawberries, a scoop of green tea ice cream, red bean, and icing sugar. The bubble waffle itself is also matcha flavoured but it was not very strong. With the heavy moist toppings on top, it really made the bubble waffle soggy and their bubble waffle in general isn’t very good. It tasted more like straight batter rather than having a chewy center. Strawberries were also sour so honestly the overall execution was underwhelming.

Overall, we were not too impressed with the desserts we tried at the Bubble Tea Shop. The drink was around $6 and the bubble waffle was almost $9. I much rather go to Bubble Queen for similar items which are more executed much better.

Pros:
– Large selection of deluxe bubble waffles and drinks
– Usually easy parking in the evenings

Cons:
– Items we tried were just average and not well-executed
– Ambiance and service is not that great

Price Range: $10/person

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

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

Pearl Castle Cafe – ChineseBites Media Event

May 4, 2016May 4, 2016Leave a comment

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

Pearl Castle Cafe has been around for many years and is a favourite among both young and old for Taiwanese drinks, snacks, and meals. I used to frequent here a lot back when I was in school as it was great for late night catch ups with friends. However, being a food blogger meant trying new places all the time, so I hadn’t actually visited Pearl Castle in a while. When ChineseBites invited us to do a menu tasting, I couldn’t say no!

We visited the Continental Centre location, but they now have several different locations across the Greater Vancouver area. I brought S along who is a huge fan of Pearl Castle and we dined with Naomi and her guest. Just like all their other locations, the ambiance is modern and clean.

Ferrero Rocher Frappe

We started off with some drinks. S chose the Ferrero Rocher Frappe which comes topped with the hazelnut chocolate ball and lots of whipped cream. The hazelnut flavour was strong throughout the drink but is very filling due to the cream.

Roasted Rice Lattea

The Roasted Rice Lattea was very interesting as it had a foam at the top of the drink. The manager told us that you don’t drink this with a straw to best enjoy the foam.

Sunset Love with Aiyu Jelly

For myself, I chose a drink off their new special drink list. The Sunset Love was a mix of orange, pineapple, and peach and was very fruity with a bit of fizz. The manager suggested I pair this with Aiyu Jelly which I really enjoyed. They are white jelly like balls which have a nice texture. If you find tapioca balls too chewy, then you may enjoy this.

Rose Milk Tea

N got the Rose Milk Tea which took a little longer to prepare as they brew the tea fresh. They use real rose petals so the floral flavours are quite strong but very fragrant. If you enjoy floral flavours in your food and beverages like me, you will enjoy this drink.

Fried Fish Cake

Onto appetizers! First up were the Fried Fish Cake which were crispy and had a bouncy texture. Great to share and snack on.

Taiwanese Sausage

The Taiwanese Sausages at Pearl Castle are homemade and were very crispy on the outside and packed full of flavour. I highly recommend these.

Fried Chicken Nuggets

S loves Fried Chicken Nuggets and he orders it literally everywhere he goes. The nuggets here are very crispy with the chicken still moist. However, I prefer ones with a hint of basil which these lacked.

Fried Pork Chop

It was my first time trying the Fried Pork Chop and I was pleasantly surprised by how tender these were. I usually find pork to be easily overcooked and too dry. These were spot on and not overly salty.

Fried Red-Fermented Pork with Fried Rice

Pearl Castle has great set meals. We tried some out including the Fried Red-Fermented Pork with Fried Rice. You can get each of these dishes separately as well. The red-fermented pork is sweet and salty at the same time and battered in a delicious crispy coating. The fried rice is one of our favourites at Pearl Castle as it is always packed with flavour.

Scallion Beef Slices

Another new item we tried was the Scallion Beef Slices. The beef was very tender and paired with the sweet scallions, this was delicious to pair with rice. This meal also comes with daily side dishes, but I found these to be just average.

Kimchi Shredded Pork Fried Udon

The Kimchi Shredded Pork Fried Udon is perfect for those who enjoy some Korean flavours in their dish. This is a huge plate of noodles and had a good amount of ingredients.

Milk Seafood and Pork Hot Pot

My favourite of the night was the Milk Seafood and Pork Hot Pot. I enjoyed the creamy milk flavour along with the sweet seafood and tender pork slices. This combo comes with a side of satay sauce which pairs very well with the pork slices.

Overall, Pearl Castle didn’t disappoint. Their dishes are always consistent and they have updated their menu with some new dishes including a vegetarian menu. Reasonable prices and great portions.

Bubble Waffle Cafe – ChineseBites Media Event

May 1, 2016May 1, 2016Leave a comment

NOTE: All food and beverages were complimentary, but all opinions are my own.

Bubble Waffle opened a sit-in location in Kerrisdale and ChineseBites invited us to a media tasting.

The interior is rustic and the owner said he wanted to give a HK style feel to it. The prices here are a little higher than the food court stalls, but they are still affordable.

They even have a mural painted on the wall showcasing Hong Kong.

I sat with Instagrammers, Tina, Sharon, and Elaine. First up, we got to sample all the different soup bases. This was great since there are a few soups that I wouldn’t normally order, like the really spicy ones.

We then got to sample a selection of their Bubble Waffles.

They have a variety of flavours here, including original, chocolate, Oreo, cheesecake, matcha and cinnamon. These were okay, but not crispy enough.

My favourite was still the original although I found the cheesecake flavour surprisingly quite good. The cinnamon flavour was probably my least favourite.

Next up were some Taiwanese snacks. The Taiwanese Sausages were quite a hit at our table. They are a mix of sweet and savoury and have a firm texture.

My favourite snack was the Deep Fried Stinky Tofu. The outside was very crispy and the inside was piping hot. Along with the sweet and spicy sauce, this was delicious. A miss for some because of the fermented smell.

The Fish Siu Mai was quite typical and I found that it was soaked in too much soy sauce. I kind of wished it had a chili sauce on the side.

I enjoyed the Takoyaki quite a lot as these were filled with a generous amount of octopus bits and the inside wasn’t doughy like some I’ve tried.

The Taiwanese Chicken Nuggets were a hit as they were crispy with the chicken itself very moist. I loved the salt and pepper flavouring.

The Fried Shrimp Balls were a beautiful orange colour but I found them to be slightly bland. It needed a sauce to go with it.

Overall, Bubble Waffle Cafe has a great variety of snacks which you can order on its own or pay extra to add on as a side with your noodles.

The drinks came along and I got the HK Style Iced Milk Tea. Their milk teas are actually made with a blend of 5 different Sri Lankan teas. The tea also goes through a filter and is pulled, a common way of making milk teas in Hong Kong. Very silky smooth as a result.

Finally our noodles which we got to customize arrived! E got the Laksa soup base which is one of my usual orders. The soup is flavourful without being too spicy.

T got the Satay soup base which again is very flavourful. It almost tastes like you’re having hot pot!

For myself, I chose the Chiu Chow Style Minced Pork Fish Soup along with rice noodle, sliced beef, sliced beef brisket, fried shrimp ball and fish ball with shrimp. All noodles come with cabbage and bean curd. For some reason, my soup also came with corn.

Overall, Bubble Waffle is great when you’re craving hot noodles in soup on a rainy day. I also love the ability to customize everything from the soup to the toppings. You’ll be very full by the end of your meal for sure with the large portion sizes and affordable prices. A nice option to be able to eat at a location with a nicer ambiance compared to the food court now.

Ken’s Chinese Restaurant – ChineseBites Media Event

April 20, 2016Leave a comment

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

Last month, I was invited by ChineseBites to do a tasting at Ken’s Chinese Restaurant. The restaurant has been around for many years and serves traditional Chinese dishes as well as some HK style cafe dishes.

Fish Soup with Winter Melon & Dried Scallop 瑤柱冬瓜粒魚湯

Chinese dinners always start with soup, and we got to sample the Fish Soup with Winter Melon & Dried Scallop. Flavourful with lots of ingredients and great for a cold rainy night.

Ken’s Specialty Chicken 南軒走地雞

Ken’s Specialty Chicken was tender with a nice layer of jelly under the skin.

Lobster with Konnyaku in Hot Pot 芋絲龍蝦煲

One of their signature dishes is the Lobster with Konnyaku in Hot Pot. This was very flavourful with the lobster cooked just right and the konnyaku noodles soaking up the delicious broth. A must order!

Crab with Garlic & Spicy XO Sauce XO 金蒜炒蟹

We got to sample two of their signature crab dishes. The first was the Crab with Garlic & Spicy XO Sauce. The sauce is more of a dry sauce and great if you love spicy flavours. I could eat the whole dish if I didn’t have to share!

Golden Dungeness Crab 金沙蟹

The Golden Dungeness Crab was one of my favourites as I love crab or lobster that is coated with a salty egg yolk batter. Very flavourful but some found it to be too filling because of the egg yolk. I loved it though!

Braised Fatty Layer Pork 杭州東玻肉

The Braised Fatty Layer Pork seems like a must order at ChineseBites events, and this one didn’t disappoint. A good layer of fat to meat ratio but I did find that this one felt more oily than others I’ve had.

Pan Fried Chicken Fillet with Spicy Thai Sauce 泰汁煎雞扒

The Pan Fried Chicken Fillet with Spicy Thai Sauce was quite average for me as I didn’t find it too special. The chicken was quite tenderized, but nothing too special with the sauce as it tasted like store bought Thai sweet chili sauce.

Malaysian Style Fried Rice 馬拉臘味炒飯

I actually quite enjoyed the Malaysian Style Fried Rice as it had a bit of a kick to it. Good amount of ingredients in the rice.

Black Pepper Diced Beef Tenderloin 七彩黑椒牛柳粒

I was pleasantly surprised with the Black Pepper Diced Beef Tenderloin as I find that this dish can be easily overdone. This was however delicious with the beef extremely tender and cooked to a nice medium to medium rare. The colourful peppers also made the dish visually appetizing and tasted great.

Baked Seafood on Rice 焗海鮮飯

Lastly, we had the Baked Seafood on Rice. This was quite average with a nice layer of white cream sauce and melted cheese. Nothing too special compared to your typical HK style cafes.

Overall, there were some hits and misses, but I would highly recommend trying their crab and lobster dishes. A great casual Chinese restaurant for families but ambiance is rather dated. Reasonable prices and some great dishes though.

[GIVEAWAY] Lick Your Plate: A Lip-smackin’ Book For Every Home Cook

April 3, 2016April 7, 20161 Comment

The Bite Me Sisters, Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat launched their third cookbook on March 29, 2016: Lick Your Plate. The cookbook is available in store at Indigo or online at Indigo.ca and Amazon.ca.

With 160 recipes which are fast, fresh, foolproof and family-friendly, this is perfect for all home cooks.

The photographs are colourful and fun and it feels like you’re having two best friends in the kitchen with you when you read along the recipes! I enjoyed the personal touch in the introductions for sure!

To celebrate the launch, I’ve partnered up with Bite Me More to offer one lucky winner a copy of Lick Your Plate so you can create these amazing dishes at home!

To enter to win one copy of Lick Your Plate, do one of the following:

1. Follow @everydayisafoodday and @bitememore on Instagram. (1 entry)

2. Follow @sophia_ho and @bitememore on Twitter. (1 entry)

3. Subscribe to our email list to ensure you are up to date with our newest blog posts: Just click the “Follow” button on the top right side bar of this page. (1 entry)

4. Leave a comment below telling us why you want to win the cookbook. (1 entry)

Bonus entries: Check out our Instagram post for more ways to enter on Instragram!

Contest entries will be accepted from the time and date of publishing until 11:59 p.m. PST on April 9. One winner will be chosen at random and contacted through the platform by which they enter. Only open to residents of the Greater Vancouver area. Good luck!

Firebird Cafe

March 21, 2016March 20, 2016Leave a comment

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

ChineseBites invited Naomi (Constant Cravings) and I along with our guests to sample some dishes from Firebird Cafe. Located in Continental Plaza, it took over Tasty Rice Noodles, which was short-lived in the original Deer Garden spot.

The interior looks exactly the same as Deer Garden and the menu is fairly similar.

They are famous for their customized noodle soups and have pretty much the same order sheets as Deer Garden and the previous Tasty Rice Noodles. All of us were not really feeling a noodle soup that night, so we skipped this.

A new addition is their custom sizzling grills as well as their custom steamed rice. For $13.95, you can choose two items for your custom sizzling grill. It comes with your a soup of the day, choice of a side (rice, spaghetti, fries, or mashed potatoes) and choice of a sauce (black pepper, mushroom, onion, garlic, and gravy). Coffee or tea is included with additional charges for cold or specialty drinks. Additional toppings are $3.95.

House Special Milk Tea with Grass Jelly, Taro Milk Tea with Pearls, Peach Green Tea with Pearls, Mango Slush with Coconut Jelly

We started off with an assortment of their specialty drinks. They were all pretty well made but don’t expect them to be as good as the ones from a specialty bubble tea shop.

Deep Fried Taiwanese Chicken Nuggets

For appies, we had the Deep Fried Taiwanese Chicken Nuggets which were surprisingly really good at a HK style type of cafe. Topped with loads of basil and lightly battered, these were extremely flavourful with the chicken remaining moist inside.

Custom Sizzling Grill

W got the Custom Sizzling Grill with Chicken Wings, Fish Fillet, Chicken Steak, Spaghetti and Mushroom Sauce. We were suprised how moist the grilled items remained. The grilled items were all very flavourful so the sauce was not really needed. I do find that for additional toppings, it can get a bit pricey.

Custom Sizzling Grill

S got the Custom Sizzling Grill as well but with Chicken Wings, Ribeye Steak, Chicken Steak, Fries and Black Pepper Sauce. I really enjoyed the ribeye steak as it was very tender. Veggies were rather bland, but again, all the meats were very flavourful.

Baked Pork Chop on Rice

For myself, I chose the Baked Pork Chop on Rice. This was a huge portion for under $10. The pork chop was moist and crispy, but I wish there was more sauce as I found myself left with lots of rice near the end.

Curry Boneless Chicken with Rice

N got the Curry Boneless Chicken with Rice which I really enjoyed! It was a lot spicier than most HK style curries. I liked the crispy potatoes and sauce!

Deep Fried Squid Tentacles

Lastly, we got the Deep Fried Squid Tentacles which took quite a while to arrive. We suspect that it was because they were taking the time to plate it so nicely… Anyways, they were slightly disappointing because the batter was slightly soggy. The squid itself was pretty good as it was chewy without being tough. They use a seaweed seasoning on top along with a sweet chili mayo, which is a little odd. This was just alright.

Overall, I quite enjoyed their baked dishes and custom sizzling grills. Portions are great for the price. Not a bad spot if you are looking for HK style cafe food.