Donburiya

December 2, 2011May 4, 2013Leave a comment

Takoyaki

Chicken Karage

Curry with Pork Cutlet on Rice

I’ve always wanted to try those restaurants down Robson Street – the ones past all the shops. Their store front or ads on their windows always attract me but I’m never in the mood to eat at that time! Finally a day where I was craving some food and of course I walk past Donburiya. This chicken karage picture on their ad outside totally attracted me, and it’s actually not the first time. I remember seeing it a long time ago and wanting to try it. And aren’t I happy that ad pulled me in! The chicken karage comes in a bowl of 4 for $3.50 and are boneless. The batter isn’t very thick so it wasn’t very oily. Also decided to try the takoyaki which I have to say is one of the best I have had. And lastly, the curry with pork cutlet on rice was a great deal as it was a huge plate for only $9.25, compared to places such as Aoyama which charges around $13 for a small plate that isn’t as good as this one! The place is however very small and can probably only sit 20 people and it is more like a self serve restaurant. You pick up your own utensils, seasonings, and water. They do however bring you your food in a tray. So perhaps take out is the way to go. They are famous for their rice bowls which I saw many people eat and it looked delicious. It seemed like a lot of Japanese people were eating here too so it must be good Japanese food! Definitely going back here again!

Chicco Coffee & Dessert Bar

December 1, 2011May 4, 2013Leave a comment

Cheesecake Parfait & Green Tea Parfait

I’ve been seeing pictures of these delicious parfaits in food magazines for a long time but never really knew where Chicco was. Finally decided to search it up, and found it was on Robson St, past all the shops. A very small store, but greeted immediately with friendly employers that seemed to be Japanese. They have a variety of hot and cold drinks, cakes and other small desserts, and their famous parfaits. My friend and I decided to try the Cheesecake Parfait and Green Tea Parfait. Both have pieces of cake at the very bottom, then a layer of cornflakes, then a layer of jelly depending on the flavour, and some whipped cream along with ice cream. The cheesecake parfait came with vanilla flavoured ice cream topped with a piece of Japanese soft cheesecake and drizzled with strawberry sauce. The green tea parfait came with green tea ice cream, red beans, mochi, and a piece of green tea sponge cake. Definitely satisfied my sweet tooth!

JapaDog (Robson Store)

October 10, 2011May 4, 2013Leave a comment

I Love Meat & Terimayo

Shake Fries

Another trip downtown means getting some Japadogs! This time, I tried the I Love Meat, and it was real cheesy. I still prefer the Terimayo though. Most original! And also grabbed some shake fries. I forgot what the name of these were though, but much better than the butter-shoyu I had last time. I found that one too salty and soggy. This one was dry with some sort of flavouring powder. Delicious!

Italian Kitchen

October 2, 2011May 5, 2013Leave a comment

Cocktails

Risotto Sample

Linguine Carbonara – pancetta, scallions, free range egg, parmesan

Penne Arrabbiata – crispy pancetta, peperoncino, basil, tomatoes

Went to Italian Kitchen in Downtown Vancouver for a girl’s night out dinner. Somehow, we ended up there really late, almost at 9, but the place was still packed and luckily, they were still serving dinner. Atmosphere is very nice and modern and a perfect place to get a little dressy. We were also given a sample of risotto for free and it was very creamy and delicious! Lots of pastas to choose from, and I had the linguini carbonara and it was very good. Service was also wonderful. Great place for a night out!

Falafel and Friends

September 26, 2011May 4, 2013Leave a comment

Chicken Shawarama

This is kind of a late post, but during August, I went to English Bay to have a beach day with friends. Walking towards the beach, I was attracted by many different restaurants and snack shops along the way. And since I’m always hungry for food, I was craving some wraps and ended up in Falafel and Friends. The owner, I’m guessing, was really friendly and a little weird I would have to say, but he was pretty funny in a way. I got the Chicken Shawarama, and requested to have no tomatoes and parsley, and he started making fun of me. Weird. When my friend was paying for her wrap, she was digging for some change, and he said it was fine. Kind of weird in my opinion, but the food was quite good. Large portions as well!

Trees Organic

August 27, 2011May 4, 2013Leave a comment

Mango Cheesecake

Trees Organic is an European style cafe with many locations. This one is take-out from the downtown location. They serve 100% Organic & Fair Trade Coffee, decadent cheesecakes, fresh pastries, sandwiches, vegan treats and more. I tried the featured special – Mango Cheesecake! It actually had bits of mangoes in it which was a surprise. Quite delicious! I would love to try their blueberry cheesecake next!

Urban Tea Merchant

August 18, 2011May 4, 2013Leave a comment

Mango Sorbet with Strawberries

Petite Afternoon Tea – macaroon, chocolate dipped strawberry, cinnamon chocolate tart, scone, curry sandwich, cucumber sandwich, tuna in crepe.

Creme Brulee Green Tea – subtle bouquets of red fruits and strawberries

Urban Tea Merchant was offering a great deal for a petite afternoon tea so my friends and I decided to go. At a regular price of $25, the afternoon tea was offered for $19 for a specific time from 12-2pm. This set also included $5 that went towards your choice of tea. We were quickly greeted and seated by our server and he had a great knowledge of the teas, helping us figure out what we would like based on our personal tastes. My favourite was the mango sorbet as the strawberries and hint of mint complimented it very well. It was refreshing on a hot, sunny day and was great to start the meal off with. And although the high tea set looked very small, it was plentiful and filled me up by the end. The creme brulee tea was also nice as it had a hint of fruits. Ambiance was wonderful with the sound of water and soothing music in the atmosphere. They are also offering chilled teas for the summer which sound delicious! A great place to have some tea as they have such a large variety to choose from!

Aki Japanese Restaurant

August 18, 2011May 4, 2013Leave a comment

Taro with Tuna

Assorted Sushi

Grilled Squid

Tuna and Salmon Sashimi

Spider Roll

House Roll

Aki Restaurant is located in downtown Vancouver and is often known as the local gem for Japanese food. It offers traditional Japanese dishes at a reasonable price. Service and ambiance is also pleasant and the chefs and servers are all Japanese. A great place for some authentic Japanese food!