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[Roundup] My 10 Favourite Bites/Sips in 2022

Posted in Asian, Beer, Bistro, Brewery, Burger, Canadian, Casual, Chinese, Dessert, Dinner, Favourites, French, Fried, Fusion, Hotpot, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Joyce, Lower Mainland, Meat, Michelin Guide, Neighbourhood Gem, No Reservation, Pasta, Portland, Restaurants, Roundup, Surrey, Sushi, U.S., Vancouver, Vancouver Island, West Coast, tagged 2022 Recap, 2022 Review, Bar Susu, Bluefin Tuna, burger, Butter Chicken, Cascade Brewing, Clove - The Art of Dining, Commercial Drive, craft beer, Durian, Extreme Eatery, Fresh Pasta, Frog Legs, Hei Hei Rice Roll, Hotpot, Linh Cafe, New Mandarin Seafood Restaurant, Oca Pastificio, Parksville, Portland, Rice Rolls, Roundup, surrey, Sushi Hil, tandoori chicken, Tortelli, Yushang Hotpot on January 3, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Hello 2023!! 2022 is a wrap and there’s so much to be grateful for and to celebrate. With things returning to a new normal, I had the pleasure of discovering a lot of new places last year. Many are worthy a repeat visit and of them all, here are my 10 favourite bites/sips. Now keep in mind this list is about the specific item listed, because one can’t possibly like everything at every single place. These dishes just really stood out for me. Interestingly, only a couple of these places were hosted tastings. The rest were paid out of our own pockets. Also remember, restaurants rotate their menu on a regular basis so what I had listed here may not be available anymore (and I will try my best to specify below), but I’m sure you would find something you like if you decide to visit these restaurants sometime soon.

And without further ado, in no particular order, here are the 10 items:

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[Roundup] 8 Metro Vancouver Restaurants You Should Go for Food and Craft Beer

Posted in Asian, Beer, Beer pairing, Brewery, Craft Beer Series, Fine dining, Happy Hour, Japanese, Joyce, Lower Mainland, Mexican, Neighbourhood Gem, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Pan Asian, Port Moody, Roundup, Taco, Vancouver, tagged BC Ale Trail, BC Beer, Beer pairing, Bells and Whistles, Field House Brewing, Food and Beer, Gyoza Bar, Luppolo Brewing, Osteria Savio Volpe, Roundup, Tap and Barrel, Torafuku, Wildeye Brewing on July 29, 2021| Leave a Comment »

There are so many options in Greater Vancouver for craft beer lovers to find amazing food and beer pairings. You are probably familiar with gastropubs and bars such as Alibi Room, St. Augustine’s and O’Hare’s. If you are looking for a date night idea, or to try something different while still being able to enjoy a pint or two, I’ve put together a list of 8 restaurants ranging from Lebanese to pan-Asian cuisine, to Italian favourites and hidden gem fine-dining.

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My Favourite Restaurants near Coquitlam Centre for Pick-up or Delivery #TakeOutDay

Posted in Asian, Casual, Comfort Food, Coquitlam, Delivery, Dinner, Fried, Hotpot, Italian, Joyce, Korean, Lower Mainland, Neighbourhood Gem, Pasta, Port Coquitlam, Restaurants, Roundup, Take-Out, Thai, tagged #TakeOutDay, bb.q Chicken, Chada Thai Fine Cuisine, Coquitlam, Coquitlam Centre, COVID-19, Delivery, DoorDash, Fantuan, Food Delivery, Jeong Na Gae, Korean Fried Chicken, Kulinarya Filipino Eatery, Pasta, Pasta Polo, Skip The Dishes, Support Local, Take-Out, Uber Eats, Vesta Grill on April 22, 2020| Leave a Comment »

As we are all practising physical distancing, we are also cooking more at home. Even though Mama Lam does most of the cooking in my household, it’s still nice to offer her a break. And that would also help support local businesses to keep them afloat during this challenging time. Even though I’ve been mostly active in Vancouver and Richmond, I actually live in Coquitlam (I’m willing to travel for food!). Here is a round-up of my favourite places near Coquitlam Centre that are available for pick-up or delivery right now.

Click on image to view map

Personally, even though it’s a hassle, I prefer to call the restaurant directly to order, and pick up my food order. That way, the restaurants don’t have to pay the hefty fees that delivery companies charge. However, not all restaurants take orders via the phone because that may take away their time to focus on fulfilling the orders.

Since last week, there’s a campaign called Canada Take Out, which encourages Canadians to support local restaurants by ordering take outs. The official #TakeOutDay is every Wednesday, but don’t forget, your favourite restaurants need your support everyday.

Lastly, of course there are more options in the area than the list below. These are simply my favourite places to go. And if you have suggestions for me to try, let me know! (more…)

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[Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival 2020] Chez Christophe

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.

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[Dine Out Vancouver 2020] The Rise Eatery – Cheeky Names and Uni Pasta #DOVF

Posted in Asian, Dessert, Dine Out Vancouver, Dinner, Drinks, Fusion, Joyce, Meat, Media Events, Neighbourhood Gem, Pasta, Restaurants, Steak, Vancouver, Vegan, tagged Arancini, Creme Brulee, Dine Out Vancouver, Dine Out Vancouver 2020, Duck Confit, matcha, South Granville, Steak Frites, The Rise Eatery, Uni Pasta on January 28, 2020| 1 Comment »

Where have you been so far for Dine Out Vancouver? I was quite excited to see The Rise Eatery on the list. Last year they did their own prix fixe menu for $30 and I took Mama Lam and Papa Lam there. It was a good deal and we really enjoyed the food. This year, it’s $35 and I still think it’s a solid menu; I had them on my list of recommendations. So when I got the invite to preview their menu, yes all the way!

Food

Brilliant as ever, the menu is a page of food puns. Let’s go over it one by one.

Chicken Seoul Good – as suggested, this is Korean style fried chicken, but with a twist of a mushroom gravy. The chicken was crispy and moist, and the scent of truffle can be smelled from miles away.