Posted in BBQ, Burger, Burnaby, Home Cooking, Joyce, Lower Mainland, Meat, North Vancouver, Roundup, Special Occasion, Vancouver, tagged BBQ, BBQ Kits, Butcher, Father's Day, Meat Kits on June 15, 2020| Leave a Comment »
If going out for afternoon tea is a tradition for Mother’s Day, then same can be said about BBQ for Father’s Day.
While it is easy enough to visit your local butcher or a grocery store to pick up some meat and veggies for the barbecue, local restaurants have also put together gourmet BBQ kits that you can bring home and surprise your father. Here is a round-up of local BBQ kits this year. Make sure to check the order details for each one to not miss out!
Posted in Beverage, Bubble Tea, Burnaby, Drinks, Joyce, Lower Mainland, New Westminster, Restaurants, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver, tagged Boba, Bubble Tea, Chatime, Chatime Canada, Durian, Durian Milk Tea, Milk Tea on June 1, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Durian – yay or nay?
This tropical fruit has a hard, spiky exterior. Inside, you would find pieces of soft, creamy fruit meat embedded in several segments. Growing up in HK, I watched market vendors went to the extent to use a screwdriver to ply it open. And fresh durian smell is more pungent than frozen ones. We could only find frozen durians here in Vancouver and the smell is nothing compared to what fresh, ripen durians smell at those markets in HK.
Durian is definitely an acquired taste. Those who love it would find the fruit sweet and fragrant. Those who hate it would say the fruit stinks like rotten egg. In fact, the opinions are a split in our household. Mama Lam wants nothing to do with it, yet Papa Lam enjoys it once in awhile.
Right now, for a limited time only, participating Chatime locations are selling Durian Milk Tea and Durian Roasted Milk Tea. I was provided complimentary drinks to taste test it.
Posted in Afternoon tea, Baked Goods, Burnaby, Joyce, Roundup, Special Occasion, Take-Out, Tea, Vancouver, tagged Afternoon Tea, Delivery, Mother's Day, Take-Out, To-go on May 2, 2020| Leave a Comment »
It’s a yearly tradition that I would take Mama Lam out for either afternoon tea or brunch for Mother’s Day. I can’t believe we’re only one week away! Planning for this year is a bit different since there’s no dining in service, so we’re resorting to to-go offerings and they don’t require reservations weeks in advance.
If you are looking to do something similar with your mom, here is a round-up of afternoon services available as to-go this year. Pre-order is required but deadline is different for each place. Delivery may also be available.
Posted in Bakery, Beverage, Burnaby, Cafe, Chocolate, Dessert, Hot Chocolate Festival, Joyce, Neighbourhood Gem, tagged Burnaby Heights, Chez Christophe, hot chocolate, Hot Chocolate Festival, Macaron, Ruby Chocolate, Tumeric on February 7, 2020|
Another hot chocolate stop I’ve made was Chez Christophe in Burnaby. I remember meeting Christophe at a work conference years ago when he was doing cooking demonstration. That was before he opened his shop in Burnaby. Since then, I’ve been there a few times for pastries, but this was my first time trying their hot chocolate fest creations.
Both of Chez Christophe’s creations are inspired by popular fantasy stories. First, the Ruby Slippers was true to its name, donning a pretty hue of pink thanks to the use of ruby chocolate. I could taste the fruity, acidic note in ruby, combined with the fragrant, floral note of rose water. The two notes actually complemented each other very well. The ruby covered macadamia nuts were a nice combo of sweet and salty.
The Golden Genie was a tumeric white hot chocolate with turmeric, served with a macaron with caramel cardamom ganache.
Posted in Burnaby, Chinatown, Coquitlam, Culinary Events, Dine Out Vancouver, Gastown, Joyce, Langley, New Westminster, News, North Vancouver, Port Moody, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver, West Vancouver, Yaletown, tagged Announcement, Dine Out Vancouver, Dine Out Vancouver 2020, News, Prix Fixe, Recommendation, Tourism Vancouver on January 10, 2020| 4 Comments »
Dine Out Vancouver is back! Running from January 17 to February 2, the prix fixe portion of this year’s program is the same as last year, with 4 price points at $15, $25, $35 and $45. There are also lunch options, usually at a cheaper price than dinner. Menu may not be the same as dinner, though, so the value for money is a bit debatable.
The menus are now live and reservations are open. As I was going through the menus, I noticed a lot of new restaurants, ones that I’ve never heard of before. There’s been a lot of openings and closures last year so it makes sense – but it’s also nice to know it’s not the same old list. Here are some suggestions, based on past experience (Dine Out or not) as well as menu attractiveness (e.g. value for the money, choice of ingredients, creativity in the menu, enough options for two people, etc.). Now keep in mind I curated the list based on my preference (as you know, I’m a meat lover and I’m biased against chicken and salmon), my way of thinking, so it may not all suit your taste. But hopefully this gives you a place to start.
I’ve included links to the menu to make it easier for you.
