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Last month we were invited to the 2nd Annual Tasting Plates Downtown Vancouver edition. This is a series of events put on by Richard Wolak of Vancouver Foodster. At this event, participants, with the help of an event map, self-guided around downtown Vancouver to try out nine restaurants in one evening.

Map that guides you through downtown

Knowing that we couldn’t hit up all places, my friend JN and I had to strategize and plan our route. Of course, we started out at the kick-off spot, Vancouver Fan Club, with musician guest Gio Levy.

Live entertainment at Vancouver Fan Club

Our tasting plate included Barbeque Chicken Wings, Mac & Cheese, Pulled Pork, Barbeque Brisket & Chicken. They were quite generous with the serving, but I had to pace myself so I only asked for a small portion. The barbeque chicken was very moist, and the chicken wings had a hickory smoke flavour to them.

Tasting Plate at Vancouver Fan Club

And off we go! Next stop was Red Card Sports Bar + eatery. On the menu were Poutine Italiano, Margherita Flatbread, and Italian Sausage Flatbread. The poutine was interesting; instead of gravy, they used a bolognese sauce, so it felt like you’re eating spaghetti. The two flatbreads weren’t bad. The crust was nice and chewy, but it could’ve been grilled a bit more to have a crispier texture.

Tasting Plate at Red Card Sports Bar + eatery

For the route to make sense, we had to make a dessert stop at Betty on Burrard, which is a Blenz location with a different decor theme. Here I finally had a chance to try the famous To Die For Banana Bread by Erin Ireland along with coffee spiked with Bailey. The banana bread was moist inside with a crispy crust around the edges. Paired very well with the spiked coffee!

Tasting Plate at Betty on Burrard

A few blocks later, we arrived at Pink Elephant Thai. Once again, abundance of food for us to feast on. The items were:

• Alberni mango wrap (Vegetarian)
• Shrimp ball
• Green curry chicken with noodles
• Larb pork with crispy wontons

Love the shrimp ball! The green curry chicken was also lovely, with some heat in the broth (but not overly spicy). Overall, I think this was one of the tastier plates I had that evening.

Tasting Plate at Pink Elephant Thai

Le Tigre was supposed to be our next stop, but it started to rain outside and we regrettably had to opt out of it. So we ended up at our last stop of the evening, Soirette Macaron & Tea. The plate included Coconut and Braised Pear Mousse Macaron dessert, Pink Grapefruit & Jasmine Tea Pâte de Fruit, and Thyme Sablé. Boy, desserts will always be my best friend because this was definitely my favourite plate of the evening!!

Tasting Plate at Soirette Macaron & Tea

The pink grapefruit & jasmine tea jelly was fragrant and the flavours were prominent. The macaron dessert had multiple layers of texture, starting with the chewy, nutty macaron, then pudding-like coconut mousse, lastly the soft poached pear pieces. It was really good.

All in all it was a fun evening. I like that we got to walk a few blocks between stops so we had the chance to work off the food we ate, while chatting just about anything along the way.

If you are interested in Tasting Plates, the next one is the Dessert edition and tickets are now available at tastingplatesyvrdesserts.eventbrite.com.