Life in the Lower Mainland (BC, Canada)

January 31st (today!) is the last day to try  Mink 's first Hot Chocolate 2014 entry, "Paula Dean White Trash TrainWreck": 70% dark chocolate ganache with condensed milk, salted kettle chips, and vanilla whipped cream. Served with a 72% dark chocolate wafer. Don't fret if you miss it, however. The concoction is basically Mink's drinking chocolate on the bottom, a pile of potato chips (which weren't quite salty enough, I thought), and whipped cream on top. The separate layers contrasts it from many other Hot Chocolate Festival entries where you get a novel mixture of ingredients (which sometimes flies and sometimes flops). It is also a tall enough composition that you will likely make a huge mess if you try to stir it all together without eating some chips and whipped cream first. Sadly, none of the combinations of whipped cream, chips, and drinking chocolate were particularly interesting. The saltiness of the chips may have been meant to bring out mor...

Previously I had tried the Daiya Cheddar Style Wedge . I was astounded to discover that the Daiya Jack Style Wedge was very similar in taste. In fact, if I didn't have them side-by-side, I might think them identical in taste. In other cheese-like qualities, my observations on the Cheddar all apply here. A quick look at the ingredient list shows one additional ingredient in the Cheddar Style Wedge: annatto , used in colouring cheddar cheese. Jack Style: Filtered water, tapioca flour, palm fruit oil, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and/or safflower oil, pea protein, coconut oil, inactive yeast, salt, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, vegan natural flavours, gum arabic, lactic acid (vegan, for flavor),titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral), natural smoke flavour, vegan enzyme. Cheddar Style: Filtered water, tapioca flour, palm fruit oil, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and/or pressed safflower oil, pea protein, coconut oil, salt, inactive yeast, vegetable glycerin,...

FREE AFTERNOON TEA at Xi Shi Lounge! Value $38! January-31,2014 to February-28, 2014 Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver ushers in the Year of the Horse with a traditional Lion Dance and special Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea in Xi Shi Lounge. Adding to the festivities, any guest born in a Year of the Horse will receive complimentary afternoon tea. Offer is valid for one guest per table, with a minimum party of two. Guests must show proof of age; offer is non-transferable and non-refundable. Offer ends 28 February 2014. Those born in the years 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990 and 2002 are Year of the Horse in the Chinese Zodiac.

Unlike many places, East is East will still offer their full regular menu in addition to their Dine Out Vancouver menu. In competition with their Dine Out Vancouver $28 menu will therefore be their regular all-you-can-eat Chai Feast for $27 . For dinner, the kitchen opens at 5.30pm, but even by 5pm there will be patrons and by 5.30pm the place will probably be full, if the Saturday evening our party was there is any indication. Since the restaurant is already busy when the kitchen opens, you can expect your plates to come out somewhat slowly. Dine Out Vancouver 2014 Menu ($28) Appetizer Mango Prawns - Tiger prawns sauteed in a spicy mango, lime leaf and star anise curry on basmati rice. (Gluten free) picture or Tibetan Mantu - Dumplings stuffed with green onions, chives and herbs topped with dehydrated yogurt and lentils. (vegan) or Boulani - Traditional Afghan whole wheat roti stuffed with potato, green onion, yam and herbs. (Gluten free option) (vegan) Entree C...

The Parker was very busy on the Friday night I dropped in for Dine Out Vancouver. They were basically fully booked all night, but walk-ins can try sitting at the bar. For the lone diner (like myself), this worked out just fine. "Larger" parties of 2-4 with no reservation could expect a wait of a half-hour or more. It's a very small place! The bar seats, however, have no back to them so you definitely don't want to be too relaxed here and accidentally lean back. Handy purse/jacket hooks are all over the place -- just look under the table. No stickers on the door (they just don't like pasting stickers there) but they do take credit cards. Better ask about American Express, though. Dine Out Vancouver 2014 Menu ($28) Appetizer Chaat - Gluten Free & Vegan Roasted Yam, Red Potato, Black Chickpea, Chili Strings, Pomegranate Molasses & Mint Chutney BC VQA Wine Pairing: Joie '12 Muscat or Cauliflower - Gluten Free & Vegan Roasted Parsnip...

#51 - "GRANVILLE ISLAND GROCERY LIST" Inspired by the flavours of Granville Island, this is a beet and saffron hot chocolate. Served with a Gjetost macaron. Available: January 24 - 26, February 5 - 7 So last Friday I finally got around to going to my first Hot Chocolate Festival venue. I walked from the skytrain station, so I give the horrible traffic jam down West Pender a complete miss -- yay! At 5.45 pm, the store was devoid of any customers, though a little later a few people wandered in. End of the day is a horrible time to go if you are hoping for a wider selection of fresh macarons. For the hot chocolate festival, however, it's fine. The Granville Island Grocery List was a beautiful white chocolate drink with a red swirl on top. Quite sweet as expected, but I found the flavours a bit off-putting and had a "sickly sweet" feeling. Q's Quarter  had a completely different take on it, however. He really liked it, and found "layers of fla...

The last time I was at Nuba -- the same one, in Gastown , incidentally -- I was soundly disappointed by the dinner portions, especially for dessert. When I went back Tuesday afternoon for lunch with a friend (her pick of where to eat), I tried to reset my expectations to zero and give them another chance. I got there at 11.30 AM, and it wasn't open yet. The metal gates at street-level were closed, and there wasn't any sign of a line-up. I was seated at around 11.45 AM to wait for my friend, and there was a steady stream of people. Shortly after noon, the place was basically packed. No line-up yet, but any busier and there would have been one. Mjadra ($7.50 as mezze/appetizer)  Organic green lentils and rice with onions and jalapeño, served with avocado and caramelized onions. Served with pita and pickles. Vegan and Gluten-Free. I picked this in part because of the caramelized onions. It's not pan-fried softened onions, but crispy-fried shallots. In Teochew, we call...

No reservations on weekends at the Vancouver/Thurlow Red Robin location, and for good reason: Even at 6 PM on a Saturday night, you can expect the place to be quite full and a slowly-extending lineup all the way outside the front door. Not the most pleasant experience during the chilly winter time, either for yourself or the poor hostess who has to stand at reception in just the regulation T-shirt. But it's popular for a reason, right? Some of the black T-shirts proudly proclaim "You are in the Presence of Burger Greatness". The burgers aren't exactly the greatest, and hovering at $12 they are sort-of competing with gourmet burger joints that in the last few years have popped up in Vancouver. Gourmet burger places have a more relaxed atmosphere, and classier ad copy. But are they that much better? At Red Robin, you can count on a full-sized burger tall enough that it is inconvenient to bite all the layers at once. Choice of bun. Gluten free bun option. And fair...

As mentioned in my  Dine Out Vancouver 2014 tips post, some restaurants are offering a cheaper lunch menu, and West is one of them. The lunch menu is more limited than the dinner menu, but if you are vegetarian, that won't be a problem because the full dinner menu more or less just offers fish. DINE OUT VANCOUVER 2014 MENU Neighborhood:  South Granville Cuisine Type:  West Coast Dinner Menu Price:  $38 Lunch Menu Price:  $28 Gluten-Free Menu Option:  Yes APPETIZER LEEK ASH CRUSTED ALBACORE TUNA, SHAVED FENNEL AND RADISH,  SAKE MISO EMULSION   ( dinner menu only ) or GOLDEN BEET AND ORANGE SOUP, BACON PANKO, TARRAGON CREME FRAICHE or BABY CARROT AND WATERCRESS SALAD,  AGASSIZ HAZELNUTS,  PRESERVED STONE FRUIT VINAIGRETTE ENTREE PACIFIC PROVIDER WILD PINK SALMON, YUKON GOLD POTATO BLINI, SUNCHOKE PUREE,  BLACK TRUFFLE AND PARSLEY MARMALADE   ( dinner menu only ) or BRAISED VEAL BREAST, ROASTED CAULIFLOWER, PEARL COUSCOUS...

For various reasons it is actually quite pointless to review Daiya Cheddar Style Wedge vegan cheese: There aren't many options out there, and for vegans there is really no comparison to real cheese because they don't have that dietary option. For the vegan-curious, however, here's what you're getting yourself into: Tastes like cheese? Not even close. You can tell that they are trying to simulate various attributes of cheddar, however. There's a creaminess in texture and a saltiness to simulate sharper, older, cheddar. Melts like cheese? It can melt, but generally you want it to touch other hot surfaces. For example, if you are putting it on pizza, it's nicer if it is sandwiched by crust and ingredients. When exposed to heat, it can form a film that holds the melted cheese inside, so you get blobs that don't spread. If you've tried putting cheese slices (like Kraft Singles processed cheese slices ) in the oven, you'll see the same beha...

FROM THE WEBSITE : We know how to throw the perfect pizza making parties!  Prepare to get floured as you roll up sleeves & your pizza making host guides you through creating the perfect artisan pizza! Afterwards, enjoy your flatbread with the perfect pairing of one of our local craft beers or B.C. wines. WHAT’S INCLUDED: Party Nibbles:  Our famous flatbread with house made dips & organic salads. Pizza Making:  Your personal pizza making host will guide you in rolling out your dough, spreading our house made organic tomato sauce, sprinkling scrumptious Canadian cheeses & adding your favourite gourmet toppings To Finish:  Platters of warm double chocolate brownies served with heaps of creamy vanilla ice cream. All for just $25 p.p. plus tax & 18% gratuity. I'd never been to Rocky Mountain Flatbread before, so maybe their pizza-making party isn't the best way to experience them. Anyway, in this review, I will try to talk about only the party, ra...

Kürtőskalács (chimney cake) is a fun twisty bread that you can just twist off from a spiral. You can get it at Transylvanian Traditions ($5.50 + tax = $5.78), but try to get it hot and fresh, or not at all. There's really no point in getting this in the evening because cold bread isn't that appetizing. The ones at Transylvanian Traditions have a slight citrus (lemony) flavour to them. If you do warm it up at home, try not to over-bake and make it toasty/crumbly. Other items at this bakery are sort of mediocre, although the price for portion size is quite good, usually around $4 for a largish slice.

It's time for Dine Out Vancouver again! Here are some tips... DON'T use the Vegetarian checkbox to limit your search. This picks up only those restaurants the fill out the special "Vegetarian Menu" tab. Many restaurants (such as East is East ) have at least one, if not more, vegetarian or vegan choices in their Dine Out menus. This issue probably won't get corrected until 2015, but really, if the restaurants weren't so lazy, they could have filled out the vegetarian menu as well and the Vegetarian menu checkbox would actually be meaningful. Check out the Lunch menus as well. For example, West offers a Dine Out Vancouver lunch menu that doesn't have the full array of dinner choices, BUT it is $10 cheaper . Hot Chocolate Festival Remember that the Hot Chocolate Festival runs more or less concurrently -- January 18 - Feb 14. It's generally not as well advertised, so be in the know and don't miss out. NOT every flavour will be availab...

The previous times I went to Gurkha, the appetizers were the best choices , and my latest outing confirms this is still the case. Mains are  filling because they come with rice and a token salad (which, by the way, really needs helps in composition and presentation), but for tasty bang for your buck, stick with appetizers. If you want mains, go instead to an Indian restaurant and ask for "mild" spiciness. One big advantage for Gurkha is, for vegans and especially for those who need a gluten-free diet, there is no shortage of stuff to order. Tibetan Tea ($3) This is butter tea, but so weak on the butter it's basically a chai. The now-closed Vancouver Tibet Kitchen used to serve a buttery-strong version of this, but it is definitely an acquired taste and icky to most anyway. Kothey Momo ($10) Works out to $1 per momo. I went for the Dalai Lama / Vegetable momo. The "kothey" option means you get it deep fried. The Dalai Lama momo has potato, cabbage,...

I got a loaf of KuchenMeister Amaretto Liqueur Cake for Christmas and it was surprisingly good! The loaf comes in a foil bag, and is a bit crumbly on the outside, but nice and moist nearer the centre, where the marzipan flavour is strongest. Even a thin slice has intense almond-y flavour, so this is great as a light accompaniment for coffee/tea when entertaining guests.

Aphrodite's Organic Café and Pie Shop  does not take reservations for brunch, but if, like us, you drop by on a Saturday morning before noon, chances are a small group of four can be seated quickly if not right away. The brunch menu, including fresh sheets, is pretty extensive. Prices look steep but portions are substantial for their brunch plates. Pie prices are also steep if you're used to picking up whole Farmer's Market pies at Superstore. What gets you a whole pie at Superstore gets you just a slice here. At about $7 per slice, Aphrodite's is more or less on par with other hand-made-pie places such as The Pie Shoppe  (also an organic-conscious, special flour , and small-waste-footprint operation). Pie slices are actually pretty wide, maybe 1/6th of a pie. Vegan and gluten free versions are $2 more per slice (ouch, right?). Plates of pies are decorated with cute cinnamon dust (?) hearts. Aww... Goddess Bowl ($17, gluten free) warm orange scented quinoa t...

Lost + Found Cafe has high ceilings and a long room, which makes it look cavernous when most of the seating is way at the back. (Closer to the front there is some bar and window seating, but not much.) The rest of the space is taken up by some artwork on and along the walls, but the rest is blank space. Room to move and mingle if you're a  large group descending on them unannounced -- in fact, the website reads, "We can accommodate small or large groups with no reservations necessary and offer catering services" . For a quick lunch there on Thursday, I opted for a lemon ginger tea (for $3 you get a whole pot of it), and two of the savoury buns at the counter. Just ahead of me was a young lady agonizing over her choice of what to get. Are they really that good? They weigh in at about $3, and are between a baseball and a softball in size. Comes with an unidentified dip which may have been salad dressing. Vegan options are basically limited to their salads. Mumbai Mash...

The Patty Shop has a storefront, but there are no seats inside. It's really just a take-out counter. No coffee either. Just milk, apparently. Fortunately, there's decent coffee next door at the BakeShop , which has counter seating and apparently they don't mind if you bring patties in from next door (maybe so long as you get coffee or tea). For $2 you can get a Jamaican Patty , which is sort of like a Pizza Pop , but with fillings that are a lot less messy, and a crust that is thinner and flaky. I ordered the three most expensive ones: Vegetable, Spinach, and Chicken. Completely unimpressed. Taste was mediocre and nothing to write home about. Don't order those three (well, maybe the veggie or spinach one if you are vegetarian and dragged in there by you friends). Maybe something from their $2 line-up will be better. No bulk discount either, sadly. What the Patty Shop is good for is quick, cheap, eats. Three patties stack up to a burger in volume at about half th...