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!
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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! 201-800 Carnarvon Street, New Westminster
TASTE: 3/5 SERVICE: 4/5 PRICE: $$ If you're looking for something different, quirky, and new, then I would highly suggest going for Mexican in New West. You heard me. Stemming from their original cafe in Port Moody, Original's Restaurante Mexicano is a new Mexican restaurant adding to the diversity of food choices in New Westminster. Conveniently located at the New West skytrain station, Original's has a wide expanse with lots of space to sit down in it's cozy, candlelit dining area. After much debate and searching, my friends and I literally stumbled upon the restaurant and went inside to give it a try. I had a chicken taco and flautas, which are basically Tacquitos (remember those?), and my friends and I shared a chocolate cake and, to be really bold and adventurous, fried plantains. Our food came relatively quick and it was delicious. However, I think because it is a fairly new restaurant, it has yet to pick up a following. That night it was pretty empty, so we got served pretty much immediately. But if you like Mexican food and live in New West or the surrounding area and don't want to go downtown, then head down to Original's and give it a shot! One day I'll also make it out to Port Moody to their cafe as well. 2420 Main Street, Vancouver (Mount Pleasant)
The Wallflower is a modern, hipster diner with a predominantly vegan menu. Walking in on a cold, rainy evening, the atmosphere was cozy and rustic. The first thing that drew me into the restaurant was the black and white floral wall designs lit up with lights on one side. The other thing was the Etch & Sketch artwork hanging on the wall behind the bar, which was up for sale. Personally I am not a vegan, so I decided to take full advantage of this new experience by trying the Vegan Mac and Cheesy with side salad. It was delicious and just as creamy as typical mac and cheese, despite the fact that it is not made with any cream, milk or cheese. It was definitely a different experience that I will try again in the future. Vegan food has become more accessible lately, so I guess it's time to take advantage of that fact! If you aren't a vegan, never fear: their menu is also loaded with omnivorous options that are just as delicious. They also have a weekend brunch menu that is something that I would like to try in the future. One tip for this restaurant is to make a reservation online instead of going right at dinner time or for brunch. When I went around 5:30, we were seated right away because of the fact that we made reservations. But we saw many people being turned away because there was no room in the very intimate dining area. Give their website a look around, check out their food and reserve yourself a spot! 3431 West Broadway, Vancouver (Kitsilano)
TASTE: 5/5 SERVICE: 5/5 PRICE: $ Even if you never get the chance to go check out The Eatery, go check out their website. Websites aside, The Eatery is a funky place for Japanese food. Owned by the same person who owns The General Public, the eclectic atmosphere is just as weird as the names of their rolls. I brought my friend Cielo down here on her first downtown adventure, and an adventure it certainly was. Cielo and I shared a Crazy Spice Roll, a Barbie Roll and a Tuna Crunch Roll along with a Chicken Yakisoba. The food was delicious and just as eccentric as the decorations hanging from the ceiling and the walls. It was all very good, and it came relatively fast as well. Just the same as The General Public, I recommend getting there a little earlier just to avoid the wait. However, the menus for The General Public and The Eatery are exactly the same, so at the end of the day it really doesn't matter which one you go to. If you are a relying on transit, then The General Public is an easier place to get to. If you are driving, then it's up to you! Both are incredibly strange but really delicious. 45 8th Street, New Westminster (Quayside)
TASTE: 3/5 SERVICE: 4/5 PRICE: $ As part of spontaneous dinner date that was nice and close, the reason why I wanted to go to Ki Sushi was solely for the Angel Roll - but I digress. Elaine and I started with a takoyaki, and followed it up with a spicy oyster roll, a house roll and the Angel roll. My favourite roll was probably the spicy oyster, something that I have never tried before in any other Japanese restaurant. But the other thing that I have never had was ice cream on sushi, also known as the Angel Roll. Green tea, mango and coconut ice cream over top of a cucumber, mango and avocado roll. I have to say that the sweet and savoury, soft ice cream and rice was a weird feeling but nonetheless, I commend Ki Sushi for something so innovative. The rolls were good but not exceptional, but the prices were definitely affordable. Worth trying and going back to! *Note: my sister went recently to Ki Sushi and told me that the Angel Roll (below, right with ice cream) is no longer served on the menu. Sorry about that!! 2521 Main Street, Vancouver (Mount Pleasant)
TASTE: 3/5 SERVICE: 3/5 PRICE: $$$ So I'll be really transparent for a second - the only reason why I wanted to come to Miura Waffle Milk Bar was because I wanted to try their alcoholic bubble tea option. Aside from the adult version of my favourite drink, Miura is well know for their waffles, both sweet and savoury. Having tried sweet Belgian waffles before, I decided to try something new and have one of their "waffle-wiches" as I liked to call them. With Asian inspired mixes such as Bulgogi or wasabi salmon or the Asian nod to chicken and waffles, the waffle-wiches were filling and delicious, filled with fresh veggies and meats and tons of flavour. The bubble tea options are comparable to that of Bubble World or Pearl Fever. The one thing that sets it apart is the bubble tea cocktails - milk tea with Kahlua, strawberry and amaretto, gin and passion fruit - just to name a few. Like other places, it costs $0.50 to add pearls, but it definitely is worth it to try alcoholic bubble tea. The alcohol content is not too overpowering, but it is just enough to make it taste a little more "adult like" than your ordinary bubble teas. Miura Waffle Milk Bar definitely has something that sets itself apart from its counterparts, but at the end of the day, the bubble teas and waffle sandwiches are a little pricey. I think it's more of a novelty thing, so while I did enjoy it, I probably will not return again. |
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