1020 Main Street, Vancouver (Chinatown-ish)
I seem to be going on an Italian streak recently! This time around, I went with my friend Elaine (the original foodie friend!) to Campagnolo on Main Street!I heard many great reviews of this place, as well as the full service cocktail lounge right next door called Campagnolo Upstairs, so I thought I would go give it a try! Elaine and I were pretty hungry so we got to Campagnolo pretty early, beating out the dinner rush entirely - as in, the restaurant wasn't busy at all, so we were free to sit pretty much wherever we liked. As we had our dinner, the restaurant started to fill up at about 6:30ish or so. We got there at about 5pm. After a lot of deliberation (the selection was incredible!), we decided to share the Funghi Bianco and the Dungeness Crab Risotto. Both of these dishes were excellent choices by Elaine, and Elaine said it best: "I will forever keep thinking of this pizza!" The Funghi Bianco pizza was a white pizza, with a very light cream sauce and olive oil and topped with very fresh mushrooms. The crust wasn't quite thin crust, but was not as thick as a regular crust, making it very tasty and just the perfect consistency and thickness. There was something about this pizza that was super incredible - the spices? The freshness of the mushrooms? The crust? In all it was one of the best pizzas I have ever had! Similarly, the risotto was a great choice. It tasted amazing - zesty lemon, grilled scallions and the dungeness crab made for an excellent combination. The portion size was okay, though I was hoping for a little more for what we paid ($25). I will have to go and check out the cocktail bar, as well as their other location (Campagnolo Roma) on Hastings Street!
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4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond,
One of my favourite dishes in Chinese cuisine is xiao long bao, which is a dumpling filled with a pork center and soup. An amazing place for this dish is Dinesty, which has multiple locations in Vancouver and Richmond! Serving up Shanghainese-Chinese cuisine, Dinesty is best known for their soup dumplings, as well as hand-pulled noodles (which are a must try)! I went to the location at Aberdeen Mall in Richmond with my friend Jeffrey and it was super good! We got there super late and just caught the last call for lunch (so be sure you plan your time so that you don't miss that call). Instead of having an actual lunch, we had got some dim sum for snacks. Xiao long bao was a must, and we also had an order of a Taiwanese Beef Stuffed Scallion pancake and a custard bun! These three dishes are probably my favourites and I highly recommend ordering these. You also will never go wrong with noodle dishes Dinesty either! I found out that this particular location is closing down, but don't worry! There are still four other locations to check out and try the amazing dishes at Dinesty! 102 - 4501 Kingsway, Burnaby
For my 21st birthday, I went with my family to go have Italian food - probably my favourite cuisine, hands down! To celebrate, we went to Trattoria in Burnaby (close by to Metrotown). I was so impressed with the interior of Trattoria - it's so beautiful! The selection of dishes was so extensive and it all looked so good! We definitely weren't disappointed with our choices: a pasta platter that consisted of spaghetti and meatballs, garganelli pollo and linguine pollo; fusili funghi; lunguini cabonara and lamb shank. Everything was super tasty and I was so glad that we went to go check out Trattoria, and I also had a lovely red sangria! I was also treated to a complimentary tiramisu for my birthday, which was such a sweet gesture. The staff were polite, the service was efficient, and I definitely would recommend going back for a fantastic Italian dinner, either with family, friends, or for a date! 2741 W 4th Street, Vancouver (Kitsilano)
If you ever wondered what Canadian cuisine was, The Oakwood Canadian Bistro may just be the place where you figure out exactly what it was. Located on bustling West 4th Avenue in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood, The Oakwood is like going to a friend’s house for dinner. Step past the outdoor patio and you are instantly greeted by a warm, candlelit room that brings together family dinners, catching up with best friends or romantic date nights. With leather booths, long communal tables and cozy fireplaces, it truly is like someone opened up their home to the neighbourhood - complete with a very fancy bar and kitchen, of course. The Oakwood offers an extensive wine list that features Canadian wines but also those from the United States and the rest of the world. With my dinner I had a Kettle Valley Pinot Gris, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Since I’m not a wine connoisseur by any means, I’ll leave it at that. If you are not a wine person, don’t worry: The Oakwood also has an extensive cocktail list that features some very unique cocktails, as well as a selection of craft beers. In terms of the food, The Oakwood serves each of their dishes in a share plate format, with dishes being served as they are ready. This means that patrons could potentially get their dishes all at once, one right after the other, or have long gaps of time between each dish, depending on what you order. Luckily for my friend Elaine and I, we fell in the category of getting one dish while we still were working on our first one. The dishes we tried were the fresh spaghetti and the ling cod. The spaghetti was absolutely delicious: fresh spaghetti with a roasted mushroom and brown butter cream, garlic pangrattato, pickled shemiji and topped with a poached egg. Let’s be real: I have no idea what some of these ingredients are. But what I do know was this spaghetti was unlike anything that I had ever tried. I’m so used to your stereotypical red sauce/white sauce pasta dishes that this was something completely different and out of my league. The butter smell was overwhelming, but in a good way. All of the savoury flavours blended so well together and were balanced out by the sourness of the pickled shemiji. Following the chef’s instructions, we cut open the poached egg and mixed it in, and it just brought the whole dish home. Despite it being served in a small bowl, the portion was perfect and definitely could be one person’s entree. Along with the fresh spaghetti, we had the pan roasted ling cod that had zucchini and cauliflower fritters, roasted garlic cream sauce, green beans, and topped with herb oil, pickled shallots, and puffed rice. This was another harmonious dish that, despite what I thought to be random ingredients, fit so well with each other. The ling cod was perfect and the fritters my favourite part of the dish. Aside from dinner, The Oakwood is a popular place for brunch, which I hope to one day return for. But regardless what course you are stopping in for, The Oakwood serves nothing but the freshest ingredients and showcases the great foods that Canada is known for. It is a bit of a stretch on your wallet, particularly if you are on a student budget; however, if you are looking to treat yourself to some good food, consider The Oakwood for a home away from home meal. You’ll feel right at home. W 33rd Avenue, at Cambie Street, Vancouver (Queen Elizabeth Park)
Part of the Sequoia Group of Restaurants, Seasons in the Park is located in beautiful Queen Elizabeth Park overlooking Vancouver. Surrounded by beautiful trees and flowers, the fare at Seasons is a tour of the great food and drink offerings from the West Coast. We went as a family to spend time together, and though the dinner was a splurge everything was incredibly delicious and just amazing. We started with steamed mussels and dungeness crab cakes. The mussels were incredibly fresh and the white wine was a great addition to the dish. The crab cake was a little underwhelming due to it's size but all in all was very tasty. For my entree, I had the 10 oz Fraser Valley Pork Chop that was served with a mango and green apple chutney, steamed vegetables and macaroni and cheese. The pork chop was delicious and the chutney went wonderfully with the pork chop. I was disappointed in the macaroni and cheese side dish though, because it was kind of bland! But the pork chop was undoubtedly the highlight, as it should be! Along with this entree I had a glass of Riesling wine, which was great! For dessert I had a warm carrot cake with rum raisin gelato and cinnamon sauce. Carrot cake is my favourite dessert and I have to say that this was delicious! Seasons is not a place that I will go back to any time soon, due to the fact that it's really out of my price point for a dinner, but it was great to spend time with my family and enjoy a good meal. 45 Blood Alley Square, Vancouver (Gastown)
Usually I would advise people to stay away from a place that is known as "Blood Alley sSquare". But you would totally be missing out if you avoided Salt Tasting Room. Located in an obscure alley sandwiched between Carrall and Abbott Streets, Salt Tasting Room truly is a hidden gem for fine wines, cheeses, and charcuterie. It is also the best place to really feel grown up, posh, and kind of like a mom. My friend Elaine and I came here before going to see a show, and she really wanted to go have a wine and cheese date. Upon researching for where a good spot would be, I came across Salt and decided to book a reservation to try it out. We definitely were not disappointed! After searching around for it, we finally walked inside and were greeted with a very homey interior. The original brick walls are still intact, side by side with wooden tables and shiny chrome appliances behind the bar. Two running lists of paper listed out the daily selections of cheese, wine, and meats. At Salt, you are able to create your own wine flight and leave it to the very knowledgeable servers to pair them with cheese and condiments, or the opposite. You can also be entirely in control or leave it entirely to them - the choice is yours! This freedom to do pretty much whatever I wanted (within the constrains of my wallet) was a very attractive quality in the restaurant. I am quite particular about my wine, so after choosing those I let our server surprise me with the different cheeses and condiments to go with them. Though I can't pronounce anything that I had that night, everything was incredible and delicious. Do yourself a favour and indulge in the wonderful wine and cheese that Salt Tasting Room has curated for themselves! Look out for the black banner that - wait for it - is a chef's hat AND an upside down salt shaker. You're welcome. 55 Dunlevy Avenue, Vancouver (Railtown)
Tonight was a special occasion - I was taking my mom out for dinner to give us an opportunity to catch up and reconnect, just the two of us, and eat some delicious food! It was a no brainer to take my mom to Belgard Kitchen in Railtown, in the historic Settlement Building. Upon entry into the restaurant, I was instantly taken by the beautiful, rustic interior - comfy couches, an ornate fireplace, wine barrels and trendy bar tables. It was like walking into a cozy family home, and who better to enjoy it with than my mom! We were torn on what to drink, and mh mom wanted to try some craft beer, so we decided on getting a tasting paddle. Belgard serves up beer from Postmark Brewing, who brews in house right on the other side of the restaurant behind the wine barrels. Our tasting paddle included a Hefeweizen (wheat beer), and Postmark's Raspberry, Blonde, and West Coast Pale Ale. Our shared favourite was the Blonde, though my mom thoroughly enjoyed the West Coast Pale Ale! The food was incredible! Belgard encourages sharing plates, and what a great idea that is - the food is made for sharing, and it gives you an opportunity to try out different things! We ordered the Roasted Mushrom + Country Bacon Pizzette and the Shrimp Spaghetti Nero, both of which I highy recommend! There are a lot of great options on the menu, and there is something for every tasting palette. All in all it was a wonderful evening with fantastic service and great food. I will definitely be coming back to try more! One tip I would recommend is to get your reservations in early, either online or by phone; however, they do keep half of their restaurant in for walk ins. Depending on how busy the night is, they will put a cap on how long you can stay. Finally, I would also strongly recommend going in a group and going when it is daylight out, because Railtown is a little on the sketchier side, and you definitely want to be safe rather than sorry. 62 East Cordova Street, Vancouver (Gastown)
I was definitely in the mood for pizza all this week, and to finish off the week I went with my friend Douglas to Nicli Antica Pizzeria on the edge of Gastown. Though the area around where Nicli's is isn't really my first choice to hang out, the interior of the restaurant completely made up for it. Super modern with sleek white furniture, brick walls and hardwood floors made the place look upscale and homey all at once - not to mention the smell of freshly baked pizza coming out of the ovens in the back corner of the restaurant. After being seated, Douglas and I pored over the menu, failing at the pronunciations of all the menu items but eventually settling on items that we could vaguely translate. Douglas had the Pesto BBT pizza which had pesto, bacon, tomatoes and fresh basil, and I had the Cavolo Nero E Funghi, which was a white pizza that had three kinds of mushrooms and kale. Each of the pizzas are "individually sized" with the intention that each person has their own. Depending on how hungry you are, you might be better off sharing a few pizzas and appetizers, but Douglas and I were able to finish our own pizzas over time. The trick is to definitely pace yourself, making time for good conversation in between bites. The pizzas were delicious, and definitely on the higher end of the price scale. Despite the price, the pizza is worth the splruge and you won't regret it. Also, make sure you check out the "secret pizza" that is found on the back of the menu! Yelp tip (which I unfortunately did not notice until I left the restaurant) - check in on Yelp and get 10% off your purchase! :) 4433 Main Street, Vancouver
An extremely fragrant and amazing journey of all the senses! East is East brings to visitors amazing and rich flavours and unique takes on classic Indian dishes. My family and I went after dropping my sister off at the airport. We each had one of their rice bowls, all which could be customized with the type of rice and choosing between meat or vegetarian toppings. All of us couldn't have enough of the great flavours, and without a doubt it was one of my favourite Indian restaurant experiences. The rice bowls were the perfect size! Shown in the picture below, we had (clockwise from top left) the Alu Gobi (potatoes, cauliflower, and Indian spices), Saag Paneer (spinach with Indian cheese), Southern Fish Curry and Wild Salmon curry. We were also enchanted with the smell of authentic chai as we walked in the door, and were even treated to some house made chai before our meal! This definitely was nothing like the weak chai tea lattes one would get from Starbucks - this chai had spice and sweetness, and was definitely much bolder than Starbucks' chai. The interior of the restaurant is also very colourful, with comfy pillows and oriental rugs against wooden tables and chairs made out of branches. Make sure you come and check out East is East at their Main Street location during their dinner service - on the weekends, they have live music and dancing! 122 West Hastings Street, Vancouver (Gastown) I finally made it to Catch 122 Bistro's brunch!! One of the few places offering brunch throughout the week in the city, Catch 122 did not disappoint. With a rustic charm to its decor, it felt like walking home and having amazing food. I was able to reunite with two long time friends (and fellow foodies) for a girls day out brunch. Pushing my legality I indulged in a mango mimosa and paired that with the Catch 122 - scrambled eggs, house-smoked salmon with dill creme-fraiche in a croissant alongside an arugala salad and Yukon potato nuggets. All of the brunch items are $12 and sound so good - it was a difficult choice to make, but it smelled so good in there that it's probably safe to say that anything you order is great! If you're craving brunch during the week, check out Catch 122 - it's less crowded! All the same, definitely make a reservation through opentable.com to ensure that you have a seat for your weekend brunch!
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