546 West Broadway, Vancouver
Places dedicated to breakfast/brunch are super awesome. Even better are places dedicated to one particular brunch item, which in Yolks' case is eggs benedict (henceforth referred to as an eggs benny). Truth be told, I was never really a fan of eggs growing up. My appreciation for them only started with scrambled eggs when I was about 11 or 12. Any other method of cooking eggs - hard/soft boiled, poached, sunny side up - was not for me. I still have this resistance to this day, though I am slowly becoming more appreciative of eggs beyond their scrambled and omelette form. Since I was coming to a place that is known throughoutthe city for their eggs bennys (and people wait in lines for them!), then I knew that it would be foolish to get anything else. I went with my friend Jamie to celebrate the end of final exams, and we went to the more conveniently located West Broadway location (their commissary is on East Hastings at Commercial, a particularly run down and more difficult part of town to get to, though it can be done!). At Yolks, you are able to build your eggs benny, so I went with the classic English muffin with maple ham, the poached egg (of course) and topped with aged white cheddar, as well as added a side of the famous lemon truffle hashbrowns. Everything was incredible and tasty, and it helped my appreciation for poached eggs more and more! Yolks does not take reservations, and because of its popularity you might find yourself waiting for a bit. But I promise, it's worth it! Also, check out how ya girl was featured on Yolks' Instagram!
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622 W Pender Street, Vancouver (Downtown)
Vancouver has no shortage of fusion restaurants, and Gyoza Bar shows great promise among the landscape in Vancouver's fusion eateries. Located on the edge of Gastown, Gyoza Bar brings a fresh take on Japanese cuisine that isn't sushi. Rather, it showcases ramen bowls, extensive bao boards and the beloved dumpling - the gyoza. I went to Gyoza Bar with my friend Jamie, and we decided to get a couple plates to share. The menu was bursting with incredible dishes that all sounded incredibly delicious, and after a lot of deliberating we decided on getting the Japanese curry poutine, the lettuce wrapped crispy chicken tacos and of course, a platter of the pork teppan gyoza. Because did you really go to Gyoza Bar if you didn't have gyoza? Teppan is a style of Japanese cuisine that use iron griddle to cook food, and in this case, it was cooking the gyoza. Pork gyoza is a classic, and it was absolutely delicious! Our gyoza was served with a spicy mayo and umami soy dipping sauce, which really enhanced the flavours of it. I loved all of the dishes that night, but the gyoza was probably my favourite because it is so simple and yet so tasty! If you ever come to Gyoza Bar, the teppan gyoza is an absolute must. The Japanese curry poutine was definitely the most eclectic dish that we ordered and definitely was the epitome of fusion. Japanese curry is different from Indian curry in that it is less spicy and is typically very thick, making for an excellent gravy to pour over top of thick cut fries. The poutine was topped with pulled pork, pickled jalepenos and cheddar cheese. Reading the menu description honestly sounded so wrong, but somehow ended up tasting really good! I have tried many different kinds of poutine, but this is one for the books. Finally, the lettuce wrapped crispy chicken tacos were also quite delicious, although the name of the dish was a little misguided. There was no crispy chicken, but there were 5 deep fried gyoza which were delicious on their own. Using lettuce as the "taco shell", we placed the crispy gyoza inside and topped it with sriacha aioli, pico de gallo, and guacamole. While the dish sounded strange yet again, it still tasted really good. The deep friend gyoza really gave a nice crunch, but I wasn't too hot about the pico de gallo. All in all, Gyoza bar offered a fun and exotic atmosphere with dishes that are just as fun and exotic. It definitely requires a step - nay, a leap - outside of your comfort zone, but I promise that you will be rewarded with delicious food and a great experience. 350 Robson Street, Vancouver (Downtown)
I am a big pizza fanatic, and having passed Straight Outta Brooklyn Pizzeria numerous times, I decided to give it a try. And I am so glad that I did! My friend Emma and I went to hit up SOBP during our downtown date and we walked into their cozy and homey storefront on Robson Street, right across from the Vancouver Public Library. Upon entry you are greeted with so many delicious scents: cheese, tomatoes, meats and spices - all of which culminate the beautiful pizzas that are on display and ready for you to try! We went for two classics - Margarita and Spice (which had spicy salami, and according to Emma, a lot of heat!) The pizza was really good - you could taste the freshness of the ingredients. It was perfectly made and not too salty. The only downside to Emma's Spice was the pooling oil at the top, potentially from sitting in the display. Otherwise, it was delicious pizza, and it definitely satisfied my pizza craving! Individual slices start at $3.50 where as whole pizzas start at $13. Go get a slice of Brooklyn and give this pizza joint a try!
105 E Pender Street, Vancouver (Chinatown)
"Chinatown's finest currywurst," it says on Bestie's simple website. A quick Google search on what exactly currywurst explains that it is a type of German fast food which consists of a German bratwurst that is served with curry ketchup. Having never heard of or tried anything of this nature before, I had always been eager to try out Bestie's unique fare, and I recently had the opportunity to do so. After a long day of biking, we wandered into Chinatown and checked into thehumble restaurant; Sporting white walls and colourful vinyl furniture, the smell of bratwurst and fries filled the room. I ordered the Salad Banger Combo which consists of any bratwurst and two sides. I chose the classic pork Thüringer and paired it with cheesy fries and a salad of the day, whch was a mean black bean salad. It was the perfect portion size. The bratwurst was DELICIOUS! My friend tried something also quite interesting: a Leberkäse Melt, which is Bestie's take on a Bavarian burger that has fine German meatloaf with onions and apples. My favourite part about the whole meal was the sauces - the amazing mustard and the curry ketchup! I wish I had more room for their ice cream sandwiches - one of these days, I will return for those! Go check out Bestie, with your bestie! 1305 Commercial Drive, Vancouver (The Drive) I've always loved board games growing up as a kid, and when I found out that board game restaurants were actually a thing in the city, I knew that I had to check it out! On this holiday, Victoria day Monday, my friends and I checked out Storm Crow Tavern on Commercial Drive., which is dubbed by the restaurant as "Vancouver's original nerd bar". And they are indeed right - the vintage-y wooden furniture is decked out with Star Trek posters, Minecraft swords, comic book clippings, and a huge shelf that was filled with various board and card games. To combat the not so sunny weather, we deicded to check it out and play a classic, Monopoly. We got there right when it opened, so we were able to get seats right away. I heard that it usually gets quite packed in the evenings, so this was super nice to get a seat without having to wait! Due to the fact that it was a holiday, they were serving their weekend brunch. We each ordered Eggs Benny, which you could build yourself. The Benny came with the English muffin and the poached egg x 2, and you could two items such as cheese, bacon, sausage, avocado.. the list goes on. This dish comes with some fruit and super yummy hashbrowns. Everything was delicious! To add the already competitive nature of our Monopoly game, we ordered mimosas, which were also quite nice. Great atmosphere, friendly service, and definitely something unique in the city where you can have fun the old school way! However, one thing I did notice is that the brunch menu that they have on their website versus what I had in front of me in persion is completely different - online, they advertise that they have things like "Fantasy Frittata" or "Stuffed Banana Bread French Toast", neither of which I saw on the menu today. I'm not sure if the regular lunch/dinner menu is like that too, so I would defiitely suggest not getting too attached to a dish when you are checking out the place online, just in case the menu is completely different! Other than that, the place is an absolute gem and a whole lot of fun. 12 Water Street, Vancouver (Gastown) | 4288 Main Street, Vancouver (Main Street)
I've begun to realize how many vegetarian/vegan friends I have as well as how abundant Vancouver's vegetarian/vegan scene has become! Spoiler alert: vegetarian food is awesome! One evening I went with my old friend Rebbecca to Meet, which is a vegan restaurant that boasts a super chill vibe and delicious vegan fare. The original location is on Main Street, but earlier in 2016, they opened a second location in Gastown! The restaurant is located in the inner courtyard behind Coffeebar, and it is all kinds of perfect. One of the walls even opens up to the courtyard, giving off the feeling of eating outside while sitting comfortably inside. We showed up around 6:30, which was apparently the perfect time. After about 10 minutes, we got our table, and once we started dinner, we looked to see that it was not only packed inside but outside as well - the wait was apparently 45 minutes to get in! The food was incredible - I tried their Mac and Cheese, which, when vegan, uses no cheese at all. Regardless, it was incredibly flavourful and delicious and didn't taste any different from regular Mac and Cheese. Rebbecca had the organic quinoa and roasted yam salad which looked incredible, and she enjoyed! Great atmosphere and service at Meet! The one thing I will say about the place is due to its popularity and busy-ness, it gets quite loud, so talking and catching up becomes a challenge. If you are looking for a quieter place to talk to someone, Meet might not be your place. Nevertheless, Meet has got me all hyped up for vegetarian and vegan food and I will definitely be back again! 2610 Main Street, Vancouver (Mount Pleasant)
TASTE: 5/5 SERVICE: 4/5 PRICE: $$ A cozy little nook on Main Street, Charlie's Little Italian boasts yummy Italian food in a modern and minimalist setting. My friend and I went on a Friday night, and Charlie's dim candle lit ambiance just screamed date night. With the wide selection of wine and stone brick oven baking fresh pizza, I had been waiting to go to Charlie's for a long time and finally was able to go with a fellow vegetarian. I personally am not vegetarian, but since it was Lent I was a temporary vegetarian for the night. We indulged in the mushroom dishes - Strozzapretti con Funghi (pasta with wild mushrooms) and Funghi thin crust pizza. Both were delicious, flavourful, and came quickly. We finished off our (very filling) dishes with a tiramisu cheesecake, which was not too heavy or sweet. The overall dinner was well balanced and the service was amazing. Definitely a cute place to hit up for a romantic date, or if you just want to indulge in some homey Italian food! 115 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver (Olympic Village/False Creek)
I have nothing but good things to say about Bao Down and now their new restaurant location. Bao Down Gastropub + Raw Bar rang in 2016 with a bang, bringing to Olympic Village a vibrant take on Thai food. The first Bao Down opened in Gastown as a petite stand that served up steamed bao (buns) with incredible combinations of fillings, adding a unique twist to the typical bao. Bringing the creativity to the next level, Bao Down Gastroppub + Raw Bar brought with it new takes to traditional Thai dishes. They also have raw oysters to shuck, if you're down for some shellfish! I went with my friend Christian to catch up, and I'm so glad that we got to try Bao Down in the midst of its grand opening. I had some Vancouver brewed 33 Acres beer to go with my VeVo Pad Thai, while Christian had the Fly Rice. The flavours were authentic and definitely had a Canadian spin to it. Really good food, friendly and knowledgeable waiters/waitresses, and an all around cool vibe. If you are familiar with the wall mural at the Gastown location, you will be blown away by the one in the Olympic Village location! Go check them out for lunch and dinner for a good time! I also heard through the grapevine that they have a Hawaiian-style weekend brunch available now too! 85 West 1st Avenue, Vancouver (False Creek/Olympic Village) People that know me well know that I don't really like the taste of beer. So why oh why would I go to a place called Craft Beer Market, which boasts 100+ different kinds of beer on tap in their restaurant? In this foodie adventure with fellow peer leaders and friends Kim and Shelby, our girls night out took us to Olympic Village where we enjoyed the various kinds of beer on tap and their delicious comfort food classic, macaroni and cheese. The restaurant is in the old Salt Building, and it is massive. The atmosphere is so lively and the huge bar that runs along the center of the floor houses all the various taps for beer, anything from pale ale to lager to malts and stouts (and yes, I had to Google all that). My friend Kim is a bit of a beer connoisseur, and she was the one that told us about this lovely place and also had a coupon for a free appy - fish tacos! And as mentioned above, we had their craft mac & cheese, complete with breadcrumbs, a blend of three cheeses, bacon and poblano peppers which added an extra kick. But the beer was obviously the star of the show. Upon asking our waitress what she would recommend to someone who has zero knowledge of beer, she brought over three different kinds of beer - Fruli, Stiegl Radler, and some pale ale or another. I ended up going with the Stiegl Radler, which had the taste of grapefruit, sparkling, and did not taste like regular beer at all. This is how I ease my way into beer... I see myself going back again and again in the future, definitely! |
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