Life in the Lower Mainland (BC, Canada)

Just got back from a hot chocolate crawl downtown where we tried four locations: Thierry - "Milk & Coffee" - 39% Valrhona “Andoa” milk chocolate. Served with coffee flavoured whipped cream with dark chocolate semifredo made of 63%  “Illanka” Peruvian chocolate langue de chat Price came to $10.45 after tax! If you focus on just the hot chocolate, then it definitely is pricey -- remember that you are paying for the whipped cream and biscuit as well.  It's January 30th, so when I asked the person behind the macarons, I was quoted the "Dark & Saffron" drinking chocolate (the correct one according to the schedule; could not see the schedule anywhere in store). But when I ordered the hot chocolate festival's hot chocolate, they gave me this "milk and chocolate" concoction instead, which was supposed to have had its last day on January-29th. Drink was not hot! Flavour was tame and the drink felt on the thin side. Bel Cafe - ...

Small but very popular restaurant. Expect lineups by around 6pm or shortly after and through till maybe 7.30pm or so; as well as tons of take-out bags stacked at the bar. Lots of gluten-free options, but you really need to ask as it's not indicated on the menu. Onion Bhajia ($5.95) fusion style onion rings If you are looking for onion rings, these are OK. Not crispy on the outside, but they compensate for it with a curried batter. THIS IS NOT onion bhajji , if that's what you were hoping for. Aloo Kulcha ($3.45) naan stuffed with potatoes, peas, and a blend of Indian spices Where's my potato? When I got the bill, I realized they gave me ONION Kulcha instead of what I ordered. Onion Kulcha ($3.25) naan stuffed with diced onions, cumin, spices, and fresh cilantro Mostly tasted the diced onion. Where's the contribution from the other stuff? Dal Makhani ($11.95) black lentil stewed on a slow fire overnight, garnished with cream and coriander Gluten-fr...

I was pretty sure my out-of-town guest hadn't had che before, so I dragged her to Che-Licious to try it. She tried the Dark 'N Delicious ($5.75; grass jelly, tapioca perals, red beans, coconut milk) while I made a custom drink to try the "popping boba". The "popping boba" is definitely worth a try. They are little fish-egg-like sacs of concentrated fruit juice. No idea what the pea-sized sacs are made of and whether the juice is straight fruit juice or some sort of processed concentrate. Probably the latter and you probably don't want to look into the ingredients -- so if you're anxious about it, best to just go for fresh fruits and stuff here. But the experience is definitely worth a try. Each popping boba choice gives you ONE fruit flavour -- not a mix of all three flavours. They are best savoured once the ice melts and you can use the bubble tea straw to suck up a bunch in your mouth. What happens is when you crunch down on the bubbles, ...

The Olympic Village Terra Breads is notable for being licensed -- they have wine! They also bake 24-hours a day (but the place is not open 24 hours, however), so unlike some other cafes, what you see in the counter might actually still be fresh no matter what time you go, instead of end-of-the-day leftovers if you go late afternoon or evening. Their Hot Chocolate Festival 2016 entries are very strong for being interesting in taste and good price for portion. Drawbacks include being not very hot by the time it got to us; and the underlying hot chocolate seemed a bit thin and mediocre. Honey Buns ($4.95) Venezuelan dark chocolate, house-made chili honey, cinnamon, bourbon vanilla bean. Served with cinnamon sugar brioche. We got a very friendly front counter person who also let me try a spoonful of their chili honey. The chili flavour is there and there's a good burn in the back of your throat but it starts slow. For several seconds all you get is the normal sweetness of ...

Kingyo was a winner last time I went so when my friend came to townI took here here as a safe bet. Their "famous invincible and undefeted tantan noodle" ($9.80 for a big bowl) was still good, and this time I got to try other stuff as well. Overall these choices were not as interesting or tasty, but price for what you get and for the portion is fine. Corn Steamed Egg Pudding ($6.80) super smooth egg pudding with corn and crab flakes There's crab? Rather small portion for price. Also watery/soupy. Interesting to try but might be an acquired taste; otherwise not that tasty. Pressed Mackerel Sushi ($12.80) Lightly seared marinated mackerel pressed sushi with sweet kelp, sesame, takana pickles topped with our original green onion ginger and mustard dressing This was OK. Works better if you try not to lose too much of the green onion dressing, which tends to fall off. Sizable pieces add up to quite a filling portion of rice. Grilled Pork cheek ($7.80) Kingyo...

Despite having been recognized as having the best $18 menu in the 2015 Dine Out Vancouver, this place has remained under the radar, possibly because it's out of the way and not very transit friendly. I can confirm it has a really excellent $20 menu for Dine Out Vancouver 2016. Not only tasty food but excellent value at the price. It's a small place, so it can get booked up fully. Last seating is 8pm and for larger groups, I recommend it. Dine Out Vancouver 2016 Menu : Appetizer DIGGING IN THE GARDEN {V} freshly picked vegetables, cashew, mushroom crust, hummus aioli or CALAMARI & TOMATO SALAD {GF} sautéed calamari, roasted cherry tomato, arugula, spinach, red pepper, red onion, grilled lime, lemongrass & peanut vinaigrette or LAMB & ONION SOUP lamb shoulder, caramelized onion, irish guinness cheddar crouton Entree FLAT IRON STEAK {can be GF} charbroiled AAA steak, roasted garlic yukon gold mashed potato, hand-picked seasonal vegetables, crispy...

Nice bright and open space at the newest Dinesty Dumpling House near Metrotown . They've jammed as many tables as they could into it without compromising too much on spacing. The result is you could have some substandard spaces like being right next to the server station, the entrance, or the bathroom. Still, decor is nice even if the privacy isn't quite there all the time -- tables near the walls are quite close together. The Xiao Long Bao here come in steamers of 8, and each bao is about the size of a ping pong ball. Luffa and Shrimp Xiao Long Bao ($7.95 for 8) Where's my shrimp? More importantly, where's my soup? Steamed Shrimp, Scallop & Pork Soup Dumplings ($7.95) Delicious soup. Filling tasted fatty but otherwise quite tasty. Where's my shrimp and scallop? Deep Fried Chicken Rolls with Asparagus and Ham ($9.95) Asparagus is token -- one piece slightly bigger than the eraser at the end of your pencil. Meaty portion! It's like a qua...