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!

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!  

#Throwback Thursday - Joyeaux Cafe Vietnamese Restaurant

National Blog Posting Month

Blogging Everyday in November 

#NaBloPoMo Day 17 - Joyeaux Cafe

After a relaxing massage at the spa and snacking on nuts and dried fruit, it can stir up an appetite.  I told my spa date girlfriend that I wanted to go out to eat after the spa but I was on a budget so I wanted a place that was $10 or less. 

We walked from Waterfront up towards Pacific Centre Mall and there at 551 Howe Street was a quaint little Vietnamese restaurant for comfort food.  It is a cozy place that has lots to choose from.  At first I was going to order Pho but then my friend told me to try something new and I am glad I did.  It's nice to go to places with a friend who knows what tastes good.  She is an expert especially when it comes to Vietnamese cuisine.  Let's take a look at some delicious Vietnamese soups and dessert at the Joyeaux Cafe and Restaurant.  Dessert was amazing!  We shared a cup of fresh fruit in coconut milk and it was delicious.  Yummy!  Just writing this post is making me hungry.  #tbt

Joyeaux Cafe - Spicy Beef Soup

Joyeaux Cafe - Seafood Soup

Joyeaux Cafe - Dessert (Fruit in Coconut Milk)

Check out the Joyeaux Cafe Webiste here:  http://www.joyeaux-cafe-restaurant.com/

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

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

Burnaby Restaurant: Pho 24 Express

As the winter draws near and the darkness falls, I long for good old fashioned comfort food to feed my soul.  Often after returning home from work and exercise, it is hard to cook for one.  That's when I steal from my cookie jar and step out in my yoga pants to look for a quick meal close by.

Pho 24 Express in Burnaby at 4250 Kingsway was inviting me in.  When I saw the CASH ONLY sign at the door, I didn't hesitate because I had my purple $10 bill in my pocket.  I just wanted a snack, something to warm me up on a cold night.

I sat at a table and noticed that the other two diners were also dining alone which is also comforting because it is a quiet introvert place.  Even though the staff was eating themselves at 8pm, they immediately stood up to give me a menu and brought me a teapot of tea for one.  The menu had an assortment of Vietnamese food include pho, rice, spring rolls, and more.  I knew exactly what I longed for.  It was a nice large bowl of Pho.  After all when you go to a restaurant where Pho is in its name, you need to get their signature dish.  They had three sizes of Regular, Large, and Extra Large.  I ordered a large House Pho.  Pho really doesn't take long to prepare and I am eating in no time.  It arrived with fresh bean sprouts, lime wedge and basil.  On the tables they already have the cutlery and sauces so once the meal has arrived, it is a nice quite time alone with the comforting bowl of Pho (Vietnamese Soup).  

It was exactly what I wanted and at an affordable price, less than $10.