ensemble Restaurant and Bar

Prawn Cocktail

Black Cod with Pork Thai Broth – Bok Choy, Coriander, Chili Oil

Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio – Radish, Crisp Shallots, Rosemary Bannock

Beef Shin and Fritz – Carrot Purée, Watercress

Strawberry Soufflé

As a Top Chef fan, who got excited when we had Top Chef Canada, the discovery of ensemble Restaurant and Bar meant more excitement! Top Chef’s first Canadian winner Dale MacKay opened ensemble sometime last year in the spring, actually before Top Chef Canada was actually aired, and hearing pretty good reviews, I was excited to finally go try it out! Clearly, he did not disappoint! The Black Cod with Thai Broth had great flavour and the cod was cooked perfectly so that it was still moist. This was also top rated on his menu, and from what I remember, it was also featured on Top Chef. If you love carpaccio, the Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio is a must try! It was probably my favourite dish that night. It was extremely fresh and the seasonings were great! Lastly, for dessert, the Souffle of the Day was a Strawberry Souffle, which I enjoyed a lot. Not only did it look pretty, but it was fluffy and light and I liked the hint of strawberry twist to it. It’s interesting to also note that if you go to their website, they call themselves a French Restaurant, but I have to say that the food is more like contemporary WestCoast food.

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Triple O’s Strawberry Sundae

Craved some ice cream at school the other day…and Triple O’s was closest so I decided to give their Strawberry Sundae a try! I’m guessing no one really ever orders sundaes here, since the cashier paused for a second before processing my order. Pretty good vanilla ice cream, and you can even see the little black spots of vanilla in it! Came with a little wafer stick too! Not bad. At least it satisfied my cravings!

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McCafe

I don’t know if we have this in Canada, but when I saw it in the States, I decided to try it! It’s the McDonald’s McCafe Strawberry Lemonade. It looks really pretty, but I found it a little too tart for my taste. Really refreshing on a hot day though. Probably not something I want to drink right now though! It’s freezing here!!

Urban Tea Merchant

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!

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What8ver Cafe

Ice Cream Toast

I finally got a chance to try What8ever Cafe. Yes, such a weird name eh? This small bubble tea shop is located in Richmond, and when I say small, it really is SMALL. There are a total of 4 booths I believe, with two outdoor tables. Service is also extremely slow, so if you’re in a hurry, this is not the place to go. I hear they also have extremely long waits during late nights, but luckily, I got there early and had no wait. They have typical Taiwanese dishes and drinks, but they also have cream floats which aren’t found at most bubble tea shops. Definitely a must try! And of course, their famous ice cream toast! It’s basically a loaf of bread with the center block cut out. It is then cut into small sticks, and are like french toast sticks, that are put back in. It is finished with ice cream and topped with fresh strawberries, banana, Pocky sticks and an Oreo cookie. Delicious! Be sure to make reservations if you want a seat though!

Check out their site for the menu: http://www.what8ver.com/

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