I had been wanting to try España for the longest time. The idea of small plates dining still appeals to my small appetite…being able to experience a bunch of flavours and textures in one meal without being committed to a single entree. But what if not every dish hits the mark? Have all the good cooks moved on to their sister restaurant, The Fat Badger?
Continue reading Eh-spaña: Tricky Tapas at España
The owners at Mui Ngo Gai on Kinsgway near Victoria Dr. really have their heart in the right place. The menu is varied, but not in an unfocussed, sprawling sort of way, but more of an adventurous, curious way. On paper this would be the kind of place that I’d die for, but unfortunately it’s held back a bit by spotty execution.
Continue reading Trying to do something a bit different: Mui Ngo Gai Vietnamese
DISCLAIMER: Please take this review with a grain of shio. I wouldn’t even consider it a real review because it was Gyoza Bar’s grand opening and things there will definitely change and get tweaked and hopefully improved as time goes on and they develop their rhythm. Take this as a snapshot of the night and their food at that particular point in time. All opinions are still my brutally honest opinions of what we were served though, so read on and come to your own conclusions.
Gyoza Bar + Ramen is the latest “concept” from the Aburi line of restaurants which include Miku and Minami. In a nutshell, elevated food with a twist and a price tag to match. They’ve done sushi, now Gyoza Bar is their take on gyoza and ramen.
Ramen Koika is the latest entrant in the Vancouver ramen sweepstakes. They had their soft-opening in late June featuring all ramen bowls for $6 but now they’re on their regularly-priced menu. Not much web presence except for a Facebook page. Apparently people behind Ramen Koika are the same people behind the Korean-owned 3-location mini-chain Sushi Bella.
I’m a sucker for Hawkers Market. That combination of music, food, drinks, even a bit of art, all combined in a warehouse party space really gets me excited. But the lack of new vendors plus special food selling out way too fast is giving me second thoughts about Hawkers Market. (Also Vancouverites are still way too uptight to dance in public unless they’re plastered.)
Continue reading Same Old, Same Old? Main Streat Hawkers Market – July 5 2014
Did you know that Cartems Donuterie serves lunch? Without donuts? Neither did I! So I had to try what they had on offer… Continue reading Lunch Without Donuts at Cartems Donuterie
The two best Malaysian restaurants in Vancouver right now are probably Penang Delight on Rupert and Kaya Malay Bistro on Broadway. Both good restaurants. The difference in a nutshell: Penang is a bit on the greasy side (sometimes a good thing), Kaya is a bit cleaner and more upscale. Hawker’s Delight is a cheap guilty pleasure too. But I’m always on the hunt for better Malaysian/Singaporean food because it’s one of our favourite cuisines, and one that hasn’t been done justice yet in Vancouver. I heard about Ipoh Asian House on Hastings on Twitter, thanks to Moyenchow:
SPOTTED: Ipoh Asian House on Hastings near Penny’s, just opened. If they have Ipoh Chicken, might have to TOFT. pic.twitter.com/hBW9nIsqkB
— Moyenchow (@moyenchow) April 24, 2014
So naturally we all went to check it out!
BTW, they don’t actually have the real “Ipoh Chicken” dish despite the name. 🙁 Continue reading Ipoh Meh-sian House
I’ve been craving a bit of northern Vietnamese-style chicken pho ever since having it at Turtle Tower in San Francisco. I’ve heard about Cafe Phin on Denman for a while but haven’t had the opportunity to try it until a recent sunny Spring lunch. Continue reading Chicken Pho at Cafe Phin
I’ve never been to Tableau before, even though I’ve worked down the street for the past few years. I was lucky enough to be treated to lunch there, so I had a little taste of Tableau. Continue reading Small Taste of Tableau
