NaBloPoMo Day 6 - Janzen Tea and Pho Hoa Restaurant

Janzen Tea and Pho Hoa Restaurant

NaBloPoMo 2017 Day 6 

I was first introduced to Janzen Tea in the summer and happened to go for a late lunch during happy hour.  Happy Hour is a perfect time to try different types of food and drinks because the fruit tea and smoothies, salad rolls, and spring rolls are all on sale.  It's hard not to try a little bit of everything.

We went to the location in Coquitlam 3025 Lougheed Hwy #750 closest to Coquitlam Central Skytrain Station.  On Mondays they have Meatless Monday specials with their Vegetarian Pho.  There are other locations in Vancouver, but I've only visited the location in Coquitlam.  

The hardest part is deciding what you want to try.  Janzen tea is the Taiwanese tea part of the restaurant that serves fruit, milk, smooth or snow sips.  So many different types to choose from.  The Pineapology is pictured below with a shrimp salad roll and peanut sauce.  In the other picture is the vegetarian pho.  I've tried the delicious popcorn chicken as well and spring rolls.  Even just writing this blog is making me long to return to Janzen Tea and Pho Hoa to treat myself to Taiwanese teas and Vietnamese appetizers and pho.  That sounds like a winning combination for the winter.  Time to plan my next trip!

Vancouver Restaurant: Medina Cafe

The best part about having visitors and family come visit, is being able to explore the city and spend time trying new places.  When my "sister" from London came for the new year, I took a day off work so I could spend time with her.  She wanted to go downtown Vancouver and suggested we try Medina Cafe.

I vaguely had heard of the name of the restaurant in passing but not much else.  Perhaps it was one of those brunch restaurants that would normally have a line up out the door.  Luckily for us since everyone was back to work, our wait was not very long, maybe 20 minutes instead of an hour.  That is the trick for those restaurants who do not take reservations and have a first come first serve policy.  Just go to them on your day off!  

The Medina Cafe Menu had such unique items with a Mediterrean or Middle Eastern flair.  It was a difficult decision as to what to try.  Everything on the menu looked tasty and I would definitely return.  I ended up going for the Harissa Burger with two fried eggs on top of a pita with beef, hummous, baba ganoush.  It was a gourmet breakfast and soo super flavorful!  

If you come to Vancouver and are staying downtown and want a unique brunch, check out Medina Cafe.  If you are in a rush, they also have waffles to order on the go.  #Yummy

Thrifty Tuesday: Viet Sub on Robson Street

Downtown Vancouver have lots of restaurants that are almost like a food truck but instead of eating standing on the street you can eat at the bar stools at the window.  Viet Sub is a Vietnamese "restaurant", there is bar stool seating but not much else.  Don't let the decor stop you.  

It has a simple menu with salad rolls, spring rolls, Vietnamese subs, and a few other Vietnamese dishes.  But as their name suggests, it is famous for Vietnamese Subs.  I tried a "Special" sub and it was delicious!  The french bread was fresh and soft and the sauce soaked the meat and vegetables.  Yummy!  

Viet Sub is at 520 Robson Street and Yelp has given it 4 stars out of 5.  As this is Thrifty Tuesday, I've saved the best for last.  This Viet Special Sub pictured above was less than $5.  Just talking about it is making my mouth water.  Ahh, so happy for friends who know where to eat for cheap!  

Thrifty Tuesday - Chachi's at Metrotown Food Court

Vancity Girlfriend Carolyn is an avid foodie and always wanted to try Chachi's at Metrotown Food Court.  I guess pictures of Chachi sandwiches had hit Instagram and even though Chachi's has been open since May 2016, we figured it was better latet than never.

Even though I had seen the Chachi's sign in the food court, I never went because I wondered if a sandwich would fill me up for dinner.  Not this time!  It was a special food court date just to check out and taste Chachi's sandwiches.  I decided to go for the Pulled Pork with Macaroni and Cheese sandwich.  WOW!  Macaroni and Cheese in a sandwich.  Now that's a mouthful.  I had a cherry iced tea to go with it.  The sandwich was flavorful and delicious and it did not disappoint.  Chachi's was worth it.  The perfect dinner at the Metropolis food court.  

As their box says Chachi's works with local bakeries, butchers and cheese makers and it shows.  Yummy!  We loved it and will be back.  There are so many different hot sandwiches and options to try.  What will it be next time?

Check out their website for more:  http://www.chachis.ca/

Thrifty Tuesday: Bourbon Street Grill at the Metrotown Food Court

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Blogging Everyday in November 

#NaBloPoMo Day 15 - Thrifty Tuesday Bourbon St Grill

Metrotown Food Court in Burnaby, BC which is one of the largest shopping malls in British Columbia is a popular place for a fast and affordable dinner.  The hardest part is always deciding what type of food to buy for dinner.  Do you go to the place with the shortest line up?  Or the longest line up?  Do you follow your tastebuds and follow the type of cuisine that you want to eat?  Or do you follow your pocket book and try to figure out which fast food place will give you the most for your money?

Well I decided to go to the newest place.  There was a shiny big sign that said Bourbon Street Grill.  I imagined good old southern home cooking with corn, and meats, and cornbread.  At the buffet holding trays, they had corn as an option.  And if you say "Can I try the Bourbon St Chicken?", they will give you a toothpick and a piece of chicken to taste.  Wow, that was nice!

What I actually meant was "I'll take the Bourbon St Chicken".  So I decided to order the Bourbon St Chicken, Bourbon St Rice with mixed vegetables.  Now it pretty much is a Chinese style food with a sweeter sauce anytime they say "Bourbon".  It was still good for my tastebuds and I would return if I am looking for a Chinese Canadian food.  I really cannot call it southern food at all.  It was still a dinner for less than $10 so it's a good deal for Thrifty Tuesday.  

Sunday Funday: Meal Prep Sunday

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Blogging everyday in November

#NaBloPoMo Day 13 - Meal Prep Sunday

I love being in the kitchen but often I am too tired or find myself too hungry to enjoy cooking.  Sundays are different.  Some people call them Meal Preparation Sundays #mealprepsundays.  This is the one day when you meal plan, prepare and cook your meals or lunches for the week.  I love the idea and Sundays are lazy days for me so I was super happy that it was raining and I had time to try a Meal Prep Sunday.  

First I use my meal planner called Plan to Eat to plan the meals that I want to cook.  I have recipes from the web that I want to try and like to see how the meals will work for the upcoming days.  Plan to Eat has grocery lists for grocery shopping but since I am only cooking for two, I don't use that function very often.  I did in the beginning when I first started using Plan to Eat.  Feel free to visit my referral link to check it out:  https://www.plantoeat.com/ref/couponchef  Or you can keep it simple and write down the meals on a piece of paper.  There is nothing wrong with that!

So I wanted to get started with some baking.  I hadn't baked in a LONG time.  I decided to make Mini Pumpkin muffins using the following recipe:  http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-mini-muffins because I had a can of pumpkin puree in the pantry.  After I put the first batch of muffins in the oven and was putting away the leftover pumpkin puree I licked the spoon of with the last scraps of the pumpkin purree in the can and YUCK!  It tasted awful!  Then I looked at the top of the can of pumpkin puree and saw the expiry date.  It read October 2015.  What a letdown to my first baking experience back in the kitchen!  Lesson learned, if you have pantry items that you want to use, check the expiry dates.  I learned the hard way.  

So I didn't let that stop me from Sunday Funday Meal Prep Sunday.  (Just stopped the baking).  Take a look at what recipes I prepared for my first Meal Prep Sunday.

1.  Easiest Eggplant - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/70142/easiest-eggplant/

I had a lonely eggplant in the fridge that needed cooking up so this is what I made.  I figured we could eat this as a snack or to accompany a main dish.

2.  Brocolli Apple Salad - http://paleoleap.com/broccoli-apple-salad-walnuts/

This will be a great starter to any meal or to bring as my brown bag lunch.

3.  Korean Glass Noodle Chap Chae - http://steamykitchen.com/180-korean-glass-noodles-jap-chae.html

We actually ate this all up for Sunday lunch.  Next time I would need to double it up if I wanted more for lunches.  Great vegetarian recipe!

3.  One Pot Chicken and Mushroom Tettrazini - http://www.jocooks.com/main-courses/poultry-main-courses/one-pot-chicken-and-mushroom-tetrazzini/

This was my Sunday favorite One Pot Chicken and Mushroom Tettrazini!  It was the first time that I made a one pot dish and guess what?  It worked!  We ate this for dinner and there was some leftover this time for our lunch tomorrow.  

What did I learn from my first Meal Prep Sunday? 

I learned to check the expiry date of canned foods, and also that I might not have actually done meal prep sunday since I do not have a week's worth of lunches in the fridge.  I have one lunch, eggplant snacks, and three small containers of salad.  I also have ingredients all ready for tomorrow's Chicken Stirfry dinner.  All in all, even though there's room for improvement for #MealPrepSunday, it was a successful #SundayFunday because I had fun in the kitchen!

Vancouver Restaurant: Trattoria Burnaby Pasta Tuesday

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Blogging everyday in November

#NaBloPoMo Day 8 - Pasta Tuesday at Trattoria Burnaby

While pasta Tuesday is known at Boston Pizza, I'd say skip BP and go to Tratt Tuesday at Trattoria Burnaby instead.  They have amazing pasta and every Tuesday these signature pasta dishes are only $12 for a gourmet dinner.  Now that is a special feature that is win win for everyone.  Plus I have found that they are quite fast at preparing the dishes on Tratt Tuesday and I know why.  If they are giving away their pasta dishes at $12 then they want to turn over as many tables as possible.  I love it!  

Sometimes I just want a good meal fast and Trattoria Tuesday did it for me.  I'm not sure if we just got lucky that night.  Lucky since we didn't have to wait for a table and they seated us on the bar seats and table by the window immediatly.  We ordered our pasta dishes and they were served quickly, then the bill was brought promptly to our table.  It was wonderful fast service which is how we like it.  Delicious food and the ability to pay and leave conveniently and quickly without any pressure to buy drinks or dessert.  I'm sure that they have busier Tuesdays where you have to wait depending on the number in your party.  All in all I'd take Pasta Tuesday at Trattoria Burnaby over Boston Pizza any day.   Take a look at that tasty Tratt Tuesday!  

Trattoria Tuesday 

Vancouver Restaurant: Cactus Club Bentall 5

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Blogging daily in Novmeber

#NaBloPoMo Day 7 - Cactus Club Bentall 5

Cactus Club Coal Harbour is good for large private groups or when you want a table with a view.  However Cactus Club Bentall 5 on Burrard and Dunsmuir is perfect for meeting visitors and is easy to find as it is right beside Burrard Skytrain Station.

When I went on a weekday evening it was perfect because they could seat a table of 4 immediately without any reservations or maybe I was just lucky.  We had a nice booth and ordered a variety of food from the menu.  We decided to go family style so we were able to try a lot of comfort food from the menu.  

We started the culinary journey with the Tuna Tataki.  Normally I don't like tuna, but the tuna tataki was seasoned well and tasted delicious.  It was a great appetizer because they had several pieces of tuna to share with the group.

Cactus Club is a Canadian dining restaurant known for contemporary West Coast style with head chef Rob Feenie.  It is known for steaks and so it is not a surprise that I chose the Four Mushroom Sirloin served with mashed potatoes and asparagus.  The steak melts in your mouth and the asparagus are perfectly tender crisp.  There was also short rib pasta and chicken fajitas.  There are a lot of variety on the menu worth trying.  Surprise your tastbuds with a foodie adventure!

Vancouver Restaurant - Hai Phong Vietnamese Restaurant

I love trying new foods, and it is a bonus to discover a restaurant with a Vietnamese friend who knows exactly what to order.  As an adventurous foodie, I easily leave the ordering to someone who has been to the restaurant before.

So what did we order?  We ordered the Vietnamese pancake which is filled with bean sprouts, shrimp and served with lettuce and basil and the special sauce.  Originally when we ordered a pancake, I thought it would be like Korean or Chinese pancakes where it is served on a dish and you just cut it up in pieces to eat.  With a Vietnamese pancake it looks more like an omelette and the special way to eat it is to take a piece of lettuce and wrap a piece of pancake with the basil and sauce.  If you wrap it properly, everything stays together.  As a beginner, I am not a good wrapper and had a shrimp fly out of the bottom of my lettuce wrapped pancake.  Fun times!  Kind of feel like being a kid again eating a Vietnamese pancake.

Vietnamese Pancake

 For the main dish, I tried the Duck and Bamboo Shoot Noodle Soup.  That was a unique combination, I'm used to trying the regular Beef Pho Soup.  The duck comes on the side.  To eat this soup, the duck is dipped in sauce and then eaten with soup and noodle.  Wow, this was work to eat a Vietnamese dinner.  I'm glad my friend brought me here to try something new.  Everything was delicious and super filling.  

Duck for Duck and Bamboo Shoot Soup

Want to read more?  Hai Phong Vietnamese Restaurant Website

Vancouver Restaurant: CHAU Veggie Express

I decided to do a lunch exchange with a friend at work.  I made Hong Kong Chicken Curry and love sharing it since my husband doesn't eat or like curry flavored foods at all.  Anyways, my Vietnamese friend said that she would make a Vietnamese lunch on Friday.  Or that's what I heard.  

CHAU Veggie Express

What she really intended was to take me to a vegetarian, vegan, Vietnamese restaurant on Victoria Drive in Vancouver called CHAU Veggie Express for DINNER.  Ohhh, what confusion but once I walked into CHAU Veggie Express it made all of the miscommunication and confusion worth it.  

CHAU Veggie Express is a hidden gem on Victoria Drive.  It's unexpected and it has a colourful menu full of vegetables.  It felt like a Vietnamese fusion vegetarian meal.  It was difficult to decide which of the creations to try.  The menu is simple and colourful and when you are ready, you pay at the counter.  Then your food arrives and is full of colour and makes me want to cook more vegetarian meals (culinary art I should say) at home.  CHAU Veggie Express if a fresh taste on Vietnamese food and I would return to try more.  It is very reasonable and I would love to try to copy the idea of Vietnamese Vegetarian food at home.  Light and fresh and filling.  Yummy!

Rickety Rickshaw Bowl with Tofu and Egg

Non La Spring Rolls

Red Sand Dunes Soup

Vancouver Restaurant - Trattoria Burnaby

One evening after dinner and a bike ride, I went to Trattoria Burnaby for drinks and a snack.  Living in Burnaby, Trattoria is a convenient restaurant with a cozy atmosphere and a wood burning oven.  On Thursdays their signature cocktails had a discount so I decided to try their Limoncello Peach Mojito.  This was a nice refreshing drink for a summer's night and made my cheeks rosy.  Of course it doesn't take much for that to happen.  Some drinks just go down a little too easy.  

For our snack, we shared a Squash pizza and it was a burst of unique flavours that I never imagined would go so well together and look so picturesque.  It almost makes me want to be a vegetarian if meals were this delicious.  The squash pizza had pesto, roasted squash and hazelnuts and tallegio.  Even if you are not a vegetarian, it is worth tasting and so much more adventurous than boring pepperoni pizza which does not exist on Trattoria Burnaby's menu.

If you're in the neighbourhood, check out Trattoria Burnaby's Menu.  They also have a Cocktail hour from 2:30-5:30pm and 9:30-close everyday.  Trattoria Burnaby is so close to home that I know I'll be back to try more.  

Trattoria Burnaby Blog Posts:  Brunch or Breakfast and Weekend Brunch

Travel Tuesday - Whistler Weekend and Spa Scandinave

This year we Vancity Girlfriends decided to have the Girl's Weekend Getaway in Whistler, BC.  Our hotel of choice was Pinnacle Hotel in Whistler because it had a kitchenette with a stove, fridge, microwave, and dishwater for our bottles of wine and tapas dinner.  Having a kitchen is a fabulous way to save money and cook at home.  

Pinnacle Hotel also has a jacuzzi tub which we did not use (except for storage) but if you wanted to return for a romantic weekend away, it is all ready for you.  It was the perfect affordable Whistler home for a girl's getaway.  We arrived on Friday night and tried to open a bottle of wine which was corked and were not successful even after efforts of attempting a YouTube experiment with a shoe and wall.  Perhaps we were not British enough to pull off that YouTube trick of opening a bottle of wine without a working corkscrew.  Alas, luckily we brought several bottles of wine and gave up.  We started with an easy individual sparkling wine bottles instead.  

The next day we slept in, had breakfast, and walked around the village before we got ready to take a taxi to the Spa Scandinave.  This is a real time saver and super cheap because from our hotel to the spa it is only ten minutes.  We could relax and treated ourselves.  Spa Scandinave is amazing.  There are hot pools, cold pools, saunas, relaxation areas and then you do it all again.  We went in the afternoon and it was really hot so definitely remember to hydrate and drink lots of water.  Once you enter the spa there is no re-entry so be ready to take it easy and relax.  Spa Scandinave is a silent spa so there is no talking allowed.  Since I'm an introvert this was my dream place.  I would definitely return but go back on a  summer evening when it is not so hot.  




Upon returning to the hotel after hours of afternoon relaxation, we put together our own tapas plate of crackers, cheese, grapes, prosciutto, and pepperoni.  This paired well with a bottle of white Greek wine.  

I love these Girlfriend Getaways that we do every year.  Whistler is a beautiful resort and I love it more and more every time I go.  

Vancouver Restaurant - Freshbowl

My foodie girlfriend recommended that we meet up at Freshbowl at 360 Cambie Street before my Meditation and Calligraphy class.  I loved the idea.  Freshbowl is a Vancouver fast food restaurant that offers healthy food options of South East Asian.  It is an affordable South East Asian fusion food that has a variety of combinations for every taste.  It has influences from Malaysian, Indonesian and Chinese food.  

There are three rows that you can choose from to create your Freshbowl meal.  They have rice, noodles, or salads.  With each there is a sauce that you can choose and then your choice of protein or combinations.  Originally I was going to go for the Prawn Laksa with round noodles however it was a sunny day and warm inside the restaurant that I decided to try the Pad Thai Flat Noodles with Prawns.  Each bowl is quite photogenic and picture perfect.  Since each bowl is only $9.95, I splurged and tried a side order of Roti.  

The restaurant was empty when we arrived and left so it did feel like I was meeting girlfriends in my dining room where I didn't have to do any cooking.  What a lovely way to entertain!  I would absolutely return to try different combinations.  Freshbowl is worth a try if you are in Gastown in Vancouver and are looking for a fast meal.  What's your favorite Freshbowl combination?
http://www.freshbowl.ca/menu/

Freshbowl - Roti Side Order

Freshbowl - Flat Noodle Pad Thai with Prawns

Freshbowl - Bali Salad with Peanut Sauce and Prawns

Freshbowl - Bali Salad with Maple Lime sauce and Prawns with Chicken

Montreal Smoked Meat Restaurant - Dunn's Famous BC

Hello Vancity Girlfriends,

Upon looking back, I truly can't believe that it has been 2 years since my first visit to Dunn's Famous BC famous for Montreal Smoked Meat.  In my first review I loved it and we vowed that we would return.  Who knew that would be 2 years ago?  Where does the time go?

This time I took my own advice and followed what Carolyn ordered the first time.  Knowing that the "Best Reuben Sandwich" was a monster of a sandwich to eat alone because of the Vancity Girlfriend blog post, I suggested a sharing approach to this lunch date.  This is the best way to taste and eat a three course meal and enjoying every bite.  Don't be shy and share with your bestie!

We started with the deep friend pickles and then shared the reuben sandwich (AMAZING!), Quebecois poutine, and ended our meal with their Cheesecake.  I would totally return to do the same.  We chose the perfect combination and everything was SOO GOOD!  Take a look - mouth watering, ain't it?

Dunns Famous BC Deep Fried Pickles Appetizer

Dunn's Famous BC Quebecois Poutine

Dunn's Famous BC Reuben Sandwich

Dunn's Famous BC Cheesecake for Dessert

Vancouver Restaurant - Dinesty Dumpling House

Hello Vancity Girlfriends,

Seafood Noodle

The first time I went to Dinesty Dumpling House it was on Robson Street with a girlfriend to celebrate Chinese New Year.  She arrived early to put our name on the waiting list and we stood outside in the sunshine before they called our name.  The shanghai style dumplings were AMAZING!  It was a packed restaurant but the food that arrived at our table was worth the wait.  It is flavorful and fresh.  They make dumplings and handmade noodle in house.  

So I was super excited to find that there was the same Dinesty Dumpling house in Burnaby on Kingsway.  So convenient!  This was a great spot to take a friend to lunch after a fun Zumba workout upstairs at GoodLife Fitness.  This time we did not have to wait for a table.  Dinesty Dumpling House on Kingsway is spacious and it was just a few minutes before they seated us.  The service was fast and efficient.  Of course we ordered the Pork Dumplings, Seafood Noodle, and deep fried bread with condensed milk.  DELICIOUS!  

Deep Fried Bread with Condensed Milk

Pork Dumplings

Breakfast or Brunch in Burnaby #AtoZChallenge

Breakfast or Brunch

Breakfast is as many say the most important part of the day and it is the work day that we mostly refer to.  It is also the meal that can easily get skipped.  

I've made yogurt parfaits at home the night before to have a quick breakfast in the morning when I wake up at 6am.  As you can imagine on those busy weekday mornings, the last thing I want to do is make breakfast.  If I don't have breakfast at home, I eat breakfast at the cafeteria at work.  So I can literally get up and go.  Breakfast is rushed but fast and easy. 

Brunch is usually on the weekends and is a combination of breakfast and lunch.  It is the best of both worlds depending on your taste buds.  On the weekends, we sleep in and we don't need to have a quick breakfast on the go.  Instead we can take our time and luxuriate with coffee (for those who drink it) and enjoy brunch over a few hours.  There is no work week rush.  

Burnaby Trattoria opens at 11am for their weekend brunch.  Most of the time when we go, we are greeted at our table with a complimentary bread pudding with chantilly whipped cream.  Such a nice appetizer to start off the day before we order our meal.  They have a small select number of brunch items which I am slowing tasting through the menu with each visit.  

Breakfast Pizza

What's on the menu?  

Breakfast pizza as pictured is topped with double smoked bacon, egg, and tomatoes.  WOW!  It comes full size so I could only eat half.  If you want a savory meal and are hungry, order this one.

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict or Traditional Eggs Benedict which comes with hashbrowns and a green salad.  Both are what you would expect from a morning brunch.  Eggs benedict as always are topped with hollandaise sauce.  

I'm curious to try their Truffled Mushroom Frittata next.



Trattoria Burnaby Brunch Menu 

Sunday Funday - Ready to Pay at The Burrard Public House

Hello Vancity Girlfriends,

So what do you do on a rainy Sunday?  We decided to venture to Port Moody, BC to try the "Ready to Pay" app that is making its debut at the Burrard Public House.  

"Ready to Pay" does as the title suggests, when you are finished your meal and instead of waiting for a server to get the bill and then bring back the machine for you to pay, you just pay from right there on the spot with your cell phone and walk away.  Okay, to be polite it is courteous to let the server know you've paid with "Ready to Pay" so they don't chase after you ;)

"Ready to Pay" is now available on Apple and Android devices.  Every menu has a specific table number.  After we ordered, we could even check the prices and what we ordered on the app to make sure the server got everything correct before our food arrived.  It's super easy to use and it was nice that when we were ready to pay, we had control over it.  I think the server liked that too.  

Chicken Wings and Dry Ribs

Right now the app is available at the Burrard Public House in Port Moody, BC and even though it sounds far, it was only a 15-20 mins drive from Metrotown in Burnaby. 

So what was The Burrard Public House like?  It's an old fashioned pub.  Affordable drinks, and cheap appetizers on Sundays.   Every Sunday they have a menu of appetizers for $6 each from 3pm - closing so that's a great deal!  We ordered the chili lime chicken wings and dry ribs from the appetizer menu.  Totally worth it!  There are over a dozen wings on that plate.  I'd go back just for those generous portion sizes.  

For the main course, I had the Bacon Cheeseburger with fries and gravy.  Boy, I was completely stuffed!  

Bacon Cheeseburger with fries and gravy

The menu at the Burrard Public House is quite extensive and I can't wait to return to try more of their comfort food.  Next time, we're thinking of going for the Sunday brunch.   If you're thinking of going to the Burrard Public House, don't forget to download your free "Ready to Pay" app so you can pay when you're ready.  Super cool Sunday Funday!

Find out more:  Ready to Pay and The Burrard Public House

Vietnamese Restaurant: Pho 101 in Burnaby

It is always so nice to eat out in restaurants and dishes instead of plastic containers.  This was one of those days.  Pho101 is a Vietnamese restaurant at 5937 Hastings Street.  Especially for those cold rainy dark days, it is always nice to have a bowl of warm comfort soup.  I decided not to go with Pho (soup) and instead enjoy their Vermicelli which you can't see in the picture because that is hidden underneath the grilled pork, sugar cane, spring roll, and pork patty.  Wow, that dish has a little bit of everything and is super delicious.  Just writing this blog is making my mouth water.  

If you prefer to order by numbers, this one's #35.  

They are also on Skip the Dishes:  https://www.skipthedishes.com/pho-101

Vancouver Restaurant: Firepots

Hello Vancity Girlfriends,

Winter is the perfect time for hot pot.  With many people getting the flu or cold the idea of sharing a hot pot is not ideal but we still want our hot pot so Firepots is perfect because they have individual hot pots.  Each person can order what type of hot pot they want and it is cooked on the warmer in front of your seat.

Why did we choose Firepots?  It's in Burnaby which is a convenient location.  There is a coupon in the Entertainment Book that has a 2 for 1 entree at Firepots.  I buy the Entertainment Book every year to support my niece's school so while I have it I might as well try different types of restaurants and save money at the same time.  

I tried the Fiery Schezuan Lamb which they made milder for me except for when I bit down on a fiery peppercorn.  I did eat it all up.  My friend's Tom Yum Goong Seafood Hot Pot looked amazing and I'm curious about the Satay Beef.    The Chocolate Fondue is a nice sharing dessert.  Three of us shared one and it was perfect!   Even without an Entertainment coupon, it is quite reasonably priced at $15 per individual hot pot.  It's definitely a foodie adventure.

Signature Hot Pot -Tom Yum Goong Seafood Hot Pot

Chocolate Fondue - Melting the chocolate on the warmer

Firepots Website:  http://www.firepots.ca/menu

Vancouver Restaurant: Hamilton Street Grill in Yaletown for Dine Out Vancouver

Dear Vancity Girlfriends,

Dine Out Vancouver Festival is back in town again for another year of restaurants participating!  With so many restaurants, the big question is which one to choose.  I've learned a few tricks over the past few years.  The first is to choose a date ahead of time with your girlfriends what is the perfect date especially if you are trying to get a group together as reservations on the weekends will fill up quickly.  Then narrow down your neighbourhood or type of food that you want to eat to have fewer restaurant menus to look at.  It can be overwhelming if you are searching all the menus of all of the restaurants participating in the Dine Out Vancouver Festival.  

I already knew that we wanted to eat downtown and I narrowed down my search to "Steakhouses" and found Hamilton Street Grill in Yaletown.  

Hamilton Street Grill has a $30 Dine Out Menu here and the photos below are of the three courses that I choose from our girls night out.  It was a flavourful and filling steak dinner.  Dine Out Vancouver Festival is on until the end of January.  And if you hashtag your experience in #MyDineOutStory #DOVF you can have a chance to win foodie gift certificates. 

Dine Out Vancouver Menu for Hamilton Street Grill:  http://www.dineoutvancouver.com/listings/Hamilton-Street-Grill/18575/0/

Bison Carpaccio with horseradish cream and arugula salad

Grilled Angus Beef New York Steak with Brandy Peppercorn sauce, garlic mashed and fresh vegetables

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake with raspberry coulis