Life in the Lower Mainland (BC, Canada)

We need your help! Name the new Finest Chicken Burger. If the name you submit WINS, you and a friend will EAT FREE FOR A YEAR. An all-natural, 7-oz. fire-grilled chicken breast over arugula, covered with Gouda cheese and peppered bacon on an artisan telera bun spread with oven-roasted tomato aioli. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest ends 12/27/15. For Official Rules, how to enter without making a purchase and how to enter, visit www.redrobin.com/namethatchicken .

We were warned that the portions for Minami's Taste of Yaletown 2015 were going to be small, but fortunately that turned out to actually not be the case. They aren't huge either, but unless you are a really big eater, you will probably leave satisfied but not feeling too full. And there's a tricky workaround as well -- read on. I ordered the vegetarian option because I knew no one else would, so my experience of the "normal" Taste of Yaletown menu is limited. Garden Trio Soy Paper Quinoa-Avocado roll was horridly bland and boring. Tasted like avocado with rice. Which it mainly was. And you got four pieces of this. Was I supposed to pair it in the same bite with the tomato-with-pesto? Honestly those "fresh market vegetables" stood out better. Okra. Yuck for their sliminess once you start chewing -- BUT before you set them aside, there's a brown strip of sharp and slightly spicy-hot sauce that really helps with the flavour and makes it almos...

The latest sample from SocialNature came in the mail yesterday: Tega Organic Tea , Lemon Hibiscus Green Rooibos flavour. Lured by the promise of a "crisp and tangy lemon blend" (as stated on the box), I was disappointed that the lemon flavour seemed quite weak on the first 1-cup steeping. I'm not expecting a lemonade, but definitely something stronger to qualify as "crisp" or "tangy". Caveats: My expectations were set really high by the ad copy promising "crisp" and "tangy". Could have been a fluke weak batch. One flavour should not damn an entire brand. Try something else. Apparently there are good reviews of their breakfast teas. Check out their average 4.5 star reviews on SocialNature . As teas go, it's okay. As lemon teas go, it's okay. It further distinguishes itself from "just tea" with its certified organic ingredients, so I feel that's the main reason to purchase Tega. Online pricing i...

Last year our dining group wanted to try Fable Kitchen and it turned out that for larger tables, they enforce a group menu with "served family style" elements. It's still the same. I had totally forgotten about it, and when I tried to expand our reservation from 6 to 8, I got "the e-mail": Parties of over 6 guests usually dine on our four course group menu (attached) so our small kitchen can run smoothly. It is $45/person plus tax & 18% gratuity. This is a great menu for parties, as it decreases time looking over menu options and makes for more time to socialize! The menu is personal salad to start, family style appetizers from our popular choices, choice from four of our most popular entrees, and dessert served family style. This is a great menu to sample through all of our most popular items. Menu items do change as seasonal product does, and I know that Chef may well make changes, but the 'bones' of it will remain the same.  We have serve...

Dropped by ShuRaku Friday night after Nordstrom closed on me at a ridiculously early 9pm. Although ShuRaku looked empty from the outside, it was surprisingly busy inside, especially for after 9pm. I think our server was a manager or something because I later saw her giving instructions to another server. In any case, all staff seemed very attentive and prompt to help or execute requests. I was there with a friend just for a late-night snack and we ordered just three things. Ei-Hire ($4.50) Dried and barbecued sting ray fin This was on the special menu of the day, not in the regular menu. Winner! This turned out to be very thin slices of fish. Slightly sweet, not very fishy. Chewy but not insanely so. Strangely tasty because of the mild sweetness and fun to eat because of the chewiness. Net portion of maybe a half cup is less than appetizer-sized. Still, worth a try. Chopped Scallop Maki Sushi ($4.95) With tobiko (fish roe) and mayo Really boring. You get exactly what ...

Just got this in my inbox today from Overwaitea Food Group: " Win a $2,000 Gift Card from our Grocery Partners! " -- apparently including Save-On-Foods, Overwaitea Foods, PriceSmart Foods, and Cooper's Foods.

I'd been to Dynasty Seafood Restaurant earlier this year (and you can see Vanbrosia's excellent review and pictures) and didn't think I'd be back quite so soon, but just this weekend a friend from China told me about "steamed buns with runny egg", that was apparently a staple of dim sum. I don't go to dim sum very often, so I'd honestly never heard of it. In my mind, I thought it might be like xiao long bao, but with some tasty soft-boiled egg inside, or something like that. Another friend was regaling me with tales of how you have to carefully nibble it instead of chomping down and having all that tasty yolk explode everywhere. Sounded like great fun! So we resolved to and Dynasty Seafood Restaurant got picked. Turned out "Steamed Bun with Egg Yolk" wasn't quite as interesting as I imagined. It's a smallish steamed bun, each about half the size of a tennis ball. The "egg yolk" part looked like oily melted cheddar a...

I'd been to the Union for brunch and was not particularly impressed with my particular order. But my friends liked it enough so I had it in mind to go back for the dinner menu. Finally got around to it tonight. Sweet & Sour Fried Fish Bánh Mì ($10) Vietnamese sub with spicy sriracha aioli, jalapeños, daikon & carrot pickle, cucumber, cilantro I was intrigued by the idea of bánh mì for dinner, so I ordered two and asked for a knife to cut them into sections to share. Bonus points to the restaurant for not only offering to cut it for us, but presenting each section in a paper pocket. At $10 per order, I had high hopes, especially as you can get a decent bánh mì for $4. It turned out to be absolutely the worst bánh mì ever. Anything from Subway or Quizno's would have been better. You can get a better one for $3.95 from Saigon Fare Cafe . Not sure whether to laugh or cry at the token content between the bread. And I'm not just talking about the pitifully na...

The Sardine Can isn't a restaurant per se. It serves appetizer plates at horrific prices if you are hell bent on putting together a dinner together with them. And it looks like a lot of people do try it. Don't try it. Eat a light (cheap) meal elsewhere, then just try a few things at The Sardine Can that pique your interest. Treat them as snacks to go with a drink. Price for portion, even looking at them as appetizers, is very high. Gambas al ajillo ($13.75) Spicy garlic prawns Didn't taste particularly spicy or garlicky. Tasty enough and quite a few prawns (10?) Estufado de pulpo ($11) Octopus, potato and chorizo casserole This tasted like olives in tomato soup. If you got a bite of olive in your mouth, it dominated any other flavour. Tostas de sardinas ($8.25 for five) Smoked sardines on toast Very crunchy thin slices of baguette generously topped with sardine. Tastes like sardine (not the in-tomato-sauce canned ones) on toast. Pass. Paella de la casa...

Most of the items on the Taste of Yaletown 2015 menu for La Pentola are on their current seasonal menu, so keep in mind that this review is really only for their Taste of Yaletown 2015 menu, and doesn't necessarily reflect on the restaurant itself. That said, you could infer that they won't always blow you away with their creations on the 7- or 10- course family-style dinners. But with so many courses per dinner, there will be bound to be some hits and misses. $45 Taste of Yaletown Dinner Menu 1st course Cauliflower and Endive Salad with bagna cauda and pecorino or Parmesan Soufflé with roasted beets and balsamic carrots (veg)   2nd course Taglierini with octopus, arrabiatta and bottarga or Tagliatelle Bolognese or Taglierini with arrabiatta , bocconcini and basil (veg)   3rd course Grilled Skirt Steak with arugula, pine nuts, balsamic and parmesan or Ling Cod with roasted tomato purée, peppers, baby squid and black olive oil or Wild Mushroom Risotto Dolce Lemon C...

Jambo Grill is a fairly large restaurant with quite a bit of Africa-inspired decor. Try to somehow go during a quieter time for a better experience and to enjoy the decor more: We went on a Saturday night and it was busy till 9pm, line-up at the door till at least 8pm, and what appeared to be a line-up near the kitchen for takeout. They take reservations, however. We were a large party in a full restaurant, so I expected our food to come out slowly--but still not take over 1 hour and with some persons getting theirs very, very late. Pretty much all the food came cold. Wait staff were friendly and always smiled whenever they came to a table, so they were doing their best under the circumstances. TIP: Do your Yelp check-in BEFORE ordering. The server refused to accept it and had to call over a manager to OK the free Chai at the end of the meal. ALSO, for parties of 6+, you must present your check-in at the start of ordering in order to get the free appetizer. TIP: Masala Chai ...

Looks like a hole in the wall. No ambiance, really. Some seating and a TV, but the dingy, dilapidated feel makes this a take-out place. What Milk & Sugar Cafe has going for it is cheap drinks, like $1.75 for a Two Leaves and a Bud peppermint tea, sized like a Starbucks grande. Menu is also really extensive for such a small place. It even spills over to the tiled wall under the TV. Supposedly has free wifi, but I couldn't connect. Looks like the modem was off (?).

Ended up at the River Market looking for vegan eats last night. My friend and I wandered into Longtail Kitchen during the dead-time before any sort of happy hour (between 4pm and 5pm) and we inquired about what might be vegan. The suggestions were the tofu pad thai and eggplant stirfry. There's a wall of very limited south east asian groceries, assorted seating in two's, four's, and a longer communal table; and a condiment station with self-serve water. If you look around, a sign thanks you for bussing your own table, and since everything is disposable plates and cutlery, it's easy to do so. Pad Thai with Tofu ($10) Portion is slightly smallish for $10 but passable. Taste is pretty good. Nothing too special looking here, BUT you can load up with chili flakes, sriracha sauce, or crushed peanuts at the condiment counter. Stir Fried Seasonal Veg on Rice ($10) When we were there, it was eggplant. Pretty tasty considering its eggplant. Plus the rice included...

After our large-party slow-burger disaster last time at The Cannibal Café , management invited us back for a re-do. Only 8 persons from our original party could make it this time, but for the persons who showed up, The Cannibal Café let us have our food (but not alcoholic drinks) free. Honestly, I thought we'd just all get a free burger, so some of us went ahead and ordered an appy to share. But holy moly, they gave those to use for free as well. So, BIG DISCLAIMER -- I paid $5 for my order (as tip) and I got to try some appetizers other people ordered. Maybe because we were a smaller group, our burgers came in a timely fashion this time. Mine was dead last and they made a point of reassuring me that it was coming shortly (and it did). So, service seemed normal this time. Diablo Jalapenos ($9.95) Battered jalapenos stuffed with Manchengo cheese, served with a side of smokey red pepper mayo Despite "diablo" in the name, if you're looking for anything spicy...