2328 Cambie Street, Vancouver
I have to give props to Shishinori for bringing a fresh new twist on Japanese food. Sitting at the intersection of Cambie and West 7th, Shishinori is a quaint little restaurant that has minimalistic furniture and extra festive Christmas decorations. Shishinori boasts "healthy eating", and all their dishes are chock filled with vegetables and uses brown rice and whole wheat bread. I have to say that I did feel pretty clean after lunch! The other thing that Shishinori is known for is matcha, matcha everywhere: their matcha soft serve parfaits are super popular with patrons, and it is something that I will try the next time I go! The two kinds of entrees you can get are their subs, which are all under $5, or their bowls (which are actually served on plates), which range from $9-$12. You can add $2.50 to the bowls and make it a meal, and that gets you a drink and side soup or dessert of the day. Eleanor and I opted to go drink (midnight in Paris, aka lavender tea) and dessert (matcha pudding) with our real crab meat California bowl, and a cream cheese and beef teriyaki sub. The food was incredible, filled with veggies and actual real crab meat! Everything tasted really fresh and was seasoned great. Even the odd things that I thought wouldn't go (apples in rice? beets? grapes in the salad?!) all fit together in harmony (so cliche) and was really delicious. The matcha pudding was also a hit, not too sweet and not too strong. I will definitely go back to Shishinori to try out their other dishes, and also their brunch items that they serve until the late afternoon. Because it is a small place, you may have to wait for a table, especially during peak hours. In the end though, I think it's worth it!
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219 Union Street, Vancouver
As I was walking to The Union with my friend Marinelle, we figured that outside of the obvious reason as to why it was named what it is (The Union is on... Union Street, ironically enough), it could also be named The Union because of the fact that it was a union of many different Southeast Asian dishes. Upon entry into the little restaurant right on the corner of Union and Main, the familiar smells of spices and the minimalist furniture took me in, making me quite excited to try this new restaurant. After ordering (non-alcoholic) drinks, our dishes - Singaporean fried noodles (the daily special) for Marinelle, Indonesian Peanut noodles for me - came quickly after, which was quite impressive. Having never tried Indonesian food before, I had nothing to go by in terms of authenticity. However, the portion was huge - enough for lunch the day after - and quite delicious. I must say that the Singaporean fried noodles were nowhere near what they should be in terms of taste, but it was still a tasty and valiant effort. With quick and friendly service, The Union is definitely great choice for anyone who loves Southeast Asian cuisine and wants to try something new. 780 Richards Street, Vancouver Cafe Medina has been on my radar for a very, very long time, and the other day I finally made it with Elaine! The iconic pale blue sign stood in front of us as we patiently waited patiently for our turn past the glass doors. As I had been reading the menu for hours on end before we went, I quickly learned that Cafe Medina's stamp of identity came from their Mediterranean style cuisine and homemade Belgian waffles. Placed at the bar with the waffle heater in full view, we were greeted by very cheerful baristas and waitresses, who told us that the waffles were a must - an enlarged amuse-bouche, if you will - and was definitely the best way to start off our brunch service. The Liege-style waffles were incredible, with a nice sugary crunch on the outside and a warm and soft center. The treat was the dipping sauces that came with it: milk chocolate lavender for myself, and peach and bourbon butterscotch for Elaine. Shortly after came our brunch entrees, both of which were delicious, timely, and fresh with a Mediterranean twist. The portions were manageable and beautifully presented, and it kept me wanting more! The pictures below don't do it justice, but I recommend that you go and give it a try! Despite the fact that Cafe Medina is open from 9-3, the growing popularity of it creates long line ups and waits of upwards of two hours. My suggestion is to get there as early as possible, and if you can't get there earlier, then wait it out - it definitely is worth it! 322-5300 No. 3 Road, Richmond Ever since my dad started cooking Singaporean food at home, we started to become more culturally aware of this new kind of Chinese food - so new that it needed it's own label for it. Singaporean mixes a fusion of Chinese and Malaysian food in it's cuisine, and in came a series of restaurants that we tried around the city. One of them was Tropika, in Lansdowne center. We tried a variety of ethnic dishes that my dad was a world expert on - different kinds of noodles like fried Hokkien Mee, curry, coconut rice, and satay skewers. There is a lot of vocabulary that even I am not familiar with, so I think I will leave it at the fact that this ethnic dinner was delicious. We also had a wonderful dessert that seems to be quite popular among these kinds of restaurants - friend banana with ice cream. Singaporean food has become one of my favorite cuisines, in part because of its expansive flavor palate as well as how unique everything is. If you are looking for something different from your usual Chinese take out, give Singaporean food a try! Clockwise from top left: coconut rice, beef curry, satay skewers, fried banana, Fried Hokkien Mee
#344 - 800 Carnavron Street, New Westminster
With three locations and an ambient and unique atmosphere, Hub Restaurant elevates classic comfort and pub food. My friend Abby and I went to the New Westminster location, which overlooks the Fraser River. The dining area is very expansive with iconic graffiti walls, wooden decor and a massive bar in the middle of the room. The menu boasts comfort food like macaroni and cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches, burgers of all kinds and fany pastas with mussels and various steak cuts. There is a lot of fresh energy from the barely two year old restaurant, which has climbed onto the back of its other locations' success. Abby and I both had burgers - I had the Crack(ed peppercorn) burger which had an onion ring covered in cracked peppercorns, offering a crunch with a heat. Of course, dinner with a friend would not be complete without dessert - Hub offers desserts of various kinds, but it's signature dessert is the Pazookie. If you have ever been to Boston Pizza, you will instantly connect with the BP Panookie, a chocolate chip cookie baked in a cast-iron pan, topped with ice cream and chocolate and caramel drizzle. Similarly, Hub has the Pazookie in four flavours: Classic Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Chocolate, Triple Chocolate Brownie and White Chocolate Macadamia nut. Of course, we had to go for the one with the most chocolate, and our decision was well worth it. I would definitely recommend checking out Hub at it's convenient New West location, or at it's other locations at Yaletown and Denman for a fresh take on your favorite foods! 2611 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver If there is one word to describe your experience at Dark Table, it would be mysterious. Eating at Dark Table is an entirely new dining experience because of the mere fact that you are eating in complete darkness. Not just with the light off or in a black room, but complete darkness. No phones, no electronics, no lights of any kind. Just you, your food, and your senses. They say that when one sense is taken away, all your other senses are heightened. I found that to be 100% true. Not being able to see your food at all enhanced the tastes and the smells of the high end 2 or 3 course meal. When you enter, you pre-order your 2 or 3 course meal in the only lit area, the outside waiting area. After that, you are guided into the eating area by a blind or visually impaired waiter/waitress. This is what really impressed me and made me value my sight. The service is quick, friendly, and very efficient. Having gone to O.Noir in Montreal and experiencing something very similar, I knew that this was a place that I had to take my friend to try out for themselves. Tips:
- Reservations are highly recommended, just because of how popular the restaurant is! - A Groupon is also highly recommended - when I went with Elaine, the original bill came to $92. but with the Groupon we only had to pay $12! Finding something on Groupon or Living Social Deals is definitely worthwhile to purchase so as to enjoy the experience and not make a major dent in your wallet. - You have to option to do the full 3 courses (appetizer, entree and dessert) or 2 courses (appetizer & entree OR entree & dessert). The 3 course option is definitely worthwhile though! |
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