The Flying Pig Took Me to Heaven and Back

Review Snippet

Overall: The service was far from spectacular but the food makes it a "will return" spot

Food: So good! West Coast cuisine

Price: A little on the pricey side; $30 per person incl. tax and tip

Ambiance: Romantic but a little noisy because of the small seating area

1168 Hamilton St.

604 568 1344

The Flying Pig immediately went up on my "To Eat List" posted back in December after Sohee and I failed to get in due to the hour long line up.

Finally, after some of my major final exams were done, we made a bee-line to The Flying Pig again. And this time, it was meant to be as we got there even later than before but only had to wait for 5 minutes! Lovely.

Located in the Yaletown-home-of- the-yuppies area, I never really found a reason to venture out there due to my shallow pockets (I was always more of a Gastown kinda gal anyway). But there is now a reason to return.

The top 2 dishes of my choice were the BBQ Wild King Salmon and the Veal Piccata. I liked that the salmon came with gnocchi and a pumpkin cream glaze, but was skeptical about the salmon itself as many places tend to overcook it. So I questioned our waiter quite a bit about the 2 dishes and probably pissed him off after choosing  the Salmon after his recommendation of the Veal. But whatever lol.

 And I definitely made the right choice. The salmon was perfectly cooked- soft and moist. And the sides of potato gnocchi with a creamy pumpkin glaze over top, so goood! Although this was a filling dish, I polished off almost all of it. 

Unlike me, Sohee was decisive. She went with the Wild Seafood Pappardelle with a spicy rose sauce. This also tasted as yummy as it looks, and there was a generous dose of seafood.


We ended off the night with the signature T.F.P Drumstick, which tasted like an ordinary ice-cream cone. I wished we got the maple sugar pie instead, but this gives me extra reason to return! They also serve brunch and I think I definitely want to make a trip back for a sampling of their daytime menu.


All in all, TFP is one of my top places in Yaletown to dine at. However, be prepared for the wait as they do not take reservations. -Sara

Phnom nom nom nom Penh

Review Snippet

Overall: Thumbs up; will definitely be back
Food: Vietnamese; Chinese; Asian
Price: Reasonable; $10-$15 per pax
Ambience: Dingy, could use a new coat of paint

Phnom Penh Restaurant
244 East Georgia St.
Vancouver, BC V6A 1Z7
604 682 5777

Chicken Wings

Reminiscent of the chicken wings from Singapore, it was crispy on the outside, succulent on the inside. The chicken wings dusted with salt, sugar and pepper and yet turned out to be a pretty good combination. Almost every single table in the restaurant ordered a plate of this and some even ordered two large plates. 

Mee pok

This was a spicy one. Unlike the ketchup/tomato base one back home, this was an equally satisfying experience, albeit the strange shreds of liver. The portion was quite large for a single serving. And i loved the fact that they had the variety of meats and seafood!

Beef Noodle

Tender beef, oh how tender it was, being the highlight of the dish! The beef balls tasted rather ordinary, like the pre-packed ones and was also tough to chew on. It was served with plain, flat white noodles but with a tasty vietnamese broth.


Enough said, we will absolutely return to a restaurant which serves oyster omelette. O oyster omelette that has such oysters in it. Let's start eating you at once( slathered with chili sauce)! The egg/flour part of it was delightfully crispy, crunchy and oily, but definitely worth your calories.


Phonm Penh is redeemed with its appetising food (:
-Isabel

To Eat List

A recent eat at Suika

School has kept this foodie, blog and restaurant-hopping deprived. Sorry for the lack of updates! I have many food pictures stowed away in my camera...


To eat list (in case I forget):
1. Jimoco Cafe & Pasta
2. Tamarind Hill
3. Le Bretagne Creperie (again)
4. The Flying Pig
5. Marulilu Cafe
6. Thomas Haas (double baked almond croissants <3)
7. Meat and Bread
8. True Confections (I want the Devil's Food cake)


Maybe you can try these places before I do and let me know how they are. Otherwise, check back in a few weeks!


Love,
Sara

To Eat List

A recent eat at Suika

School has kept this foodie, blog and restaurant-hopping deprived. Sorry for the lack of updates! I have many food pictures stowed away in my camera...

To eat list (in case I forget):
1. Jimoco Cafe & Pasta
2. Tamarind Hill
3. Le Bretagne Creperie (again)
4. The Flying Pig
5. Marulilu Cafe
6. Thomas Haas (double baked almond croissants <3)
7. Meat and Bread
8. True Confections (I want the Devil's Food cake)

Maybe you can try these places before I do and let me know how they are. Otherwise, check back in a few weeks!

Love,
Sara

In Love With Miku

Review Snippet

Overall: My favourite Japanese restaurant now <3
Food: Top notch Japanese fusion; one of the few (if not only) Aburi sushi places around
Price: ~$25 per person (incl. tax & tip)
Ambience: Trendy night out


Miku Restaurant
1055 West Hastings St
Vancouver BC V6E 2E9
604-568-3900


Miku is undoubtedly my favourite Japanese restaurant at the moment. I've been dying to go back ever since my boss took me there over the summer. This prime opportunity presented itself last Friday when I met Sohee for dinner for some girl talk. However, it was more her telling and me listening because I practically have no life now between six classes, recruitment and NIBC. But that's alright :)


Aburi sushi is quite distinct in that its lightly seared, infused with savoury sauces and artfully presented. At least, Aburi done the Miku way. I fell in love at first bite. That night we shared 2 sushi dishes and a vegetable tempura.

This is no ordinary vegetable tempura. Not only was the batter light and the end product super crispy and tasty, the fundamental vegetables chosen were so unique! Asparagus, lotus root, some kind of bean, mushrooms and yam or sweet potato. My favourite part was that aside from being served with the usual tempura sauce, it came with green tea and garlic salt for dipping.

We also shared their special roll for the night. It was a spicy tuna roll and wasn't that spectacular. I'm not sure why I ordered it but it must have been the waitress claiming that it was "very popular". Herd mentality overcame me. Despite it being rather ordinary, the fish was very fresh and the roll packed quite a punch with the spciy sauce AND a slice of jalapeno pepper on the top. 

Always the best for last- the Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi. Between layers of pressed salmon and tasty Japanese rice, smothered with their home-made Miku soy-sauce, I was in gastronomic heaven! A must-try if you are at Miku. 


I would recommend Miku for any meal, any time of the day. But if you are are on a budget, much like starved students such as myself (although I never starve, because I love food too much), Miku's lunch menu gives you more bang for your buck. Definitely try the Aburi Select which is a sampling of their aburi, roll and oshi sushi. Also, the ebi fritter is worth mentioning. I will definitely be back and hopefully I will have room for their tempting desserts! -Sara

Boneta Loves You

Review Snippet

Overall: Like!

Food: Quality over quantity. Those who eat with their eyes won't be pleased.

Price: >$30 per person

Service/Ambiance: Attentive and trendy

Boneta

Courtyard of 12 Water St., Gastown

604-684-1844

Sohee recently held her birthday dinner at Boneta, a trendy restaurant located in the heart of Gastown. Packed away in a corner, we had to walk through a darkened alley way to reach this private enclave...only making the virgin visit that more exciting! 

Filled with trendy restaurants, avant garde cafes and boutiques, Gastown is just wonderful now. It definitely attracts its fair share of the hipster and yuppi crowd. 

My lovely friends.

First up on the menu: Angus Beef Short Ribs, Cauliflower Puree, Chantrelles, Amaranth & Walnuts. This was Sophie's and Gigi's dish. I managed to sneak a taste of it and was pretty pleased. This says a lot given that I'm not really a fan of beef in general. Gigi and Sophie were speculating what the crispy layer over the dish was. Conclusion: Fried fat, which Gigi absolutely loved! Definitely not for the weight-conscious.

Next was my dish, which Sohee also ordered: Ling Cod, Baby Leeks, Potato Ravioli, Lobster Mushrooms & Roasted chicken Jus. This was absolutely amazing. The fish was soft and tender, the potato ravioli was well-stuffed, lobster mushrooms were interesting and the sauce was creamy and tasty. I only wished they had more   ravioli with this dish. Two was definitely not enough to satiate my (always) ravishing appetite. Definitely cleaned out this dish. Lol.

Kevin's dish: Rockfish "Bouillabaisse" Mussels, Clams, Fennel, Saffron & Seafood Broth. I didn't get a chance to sample this dish but reading from Kevin's expression, he was not impressed. 

Popular at Boneta is also their poutine. I really wanted to order it but I was not satisfied with just having fries for dinner.Luckily, another of Sohee's friends ordered it and I managed to have a taste. The poutine lived up to its expectations. If you're the sort of person who loves big portions, eats with your eyes, likes value for money (you get my drift...) Boneta is not for you. This restaurant is all about the ambiance, quality and presentation of its dishes. -Sara

Jethro's Is Why Breakfast Was Invented In The First Place

On Labour Day weekend, I finally had the opportunity to try Jethro's Fine Grub on Dunbar &18th. I had heard amazing things about this breakfast joint but because its slightly out of the way, poor-vehicle-less students like myself find it a bit of a chore to make the trek out there.


Fraser's parents were in town that weekend and my friends were all back after the summer break. Breakfast (BF) at Jethro's was definitely called for.


Review Snippet
Overall: In the list of my fav breakfast places in Van
Food: Delicious, creative and intimidating (pancakes mostly)
Price: Reasonable; $12 per person (incl. tax & tip)
Ambiance: Cosy; a little hipster
Service: BAD. The only downside of this eatery

So let's just get the bad stuff out of the way as I am a positive person. The only thing I disliked about Jethro's was the lengthy wait. Usually, couples or quads wait about 30 mins in line to get in...we were a party of 8. Imagine my horror. Enrico got up to some mischief along the way...

Finally menus! We were pondering over our choices during the interminable wait so the order was snappy.

Enrico's dish: Huevos Rancheros. I can't speak for it given that I didn't try this dish. Encompassing warm corn tortillas topped with tomato salsa, 2 basted eggs, black beans and rice, it didn't look very appealing to me. But this is probably because beans are a total turn off.

Riley's dish: South of Denver. Smokey pulled pork,sauteed onions, smoked gouda, peppers and jalapenos, served with hashbrowns and toast, I was very tempted. But I somehow never get omelets at BF places.

Miranda's heavenly Apple Cobbler French Toast. The alternative to my choice. BF is always a tough choice for me- I always want the sweet stuff ie. french toast/ pancakes/waffles but its always the time of day when I crave something savoury. This time, I had the traditional eggs benny (top of my BF favs) but I definitely want to get the french toast next time! This was not too sweet and the toast remained crispy from the cinnamon crunch batter. The french toast was also perfect  as an alternative to their crazy pancakes- still creative but in manageable portions.

Finally, I saved the best for last. I went for the classic eggs benedict because I feel that this is often the test of a good BF place and there's something enjoyable about the simplicity of english muffins, poached eggs, ham and hollandaise sauce. It sauce was rich thick and creamy, eggs were runny, ham was overflowing, hash browns were substantial yet crispy around the edges. This was pretty darn good.


Next time though, I definitely want to try their pancakes. Most go to Jethro's for their crazy pancake concoctions and I felt I missed a little piece of the action by not ordering it. I definitely would have if not for its monster of a size.... Riley said his leftovers weighed 1kg (2.2 lbs). -Sara

Shakespeare would've loved Korean and Jap too

Review Snippet
Overall: Probably my favourite Korean place now
Food: Korean
Price: $12/ person
Ambiance: Dim and busy like most korean places, with a large tv screen (good place to watch games) and a decent outside patio
Service: Good, the manager was very friendly


Ap Gu Jung Restaurant
1642 Robson St.
Vancouver, BC V6G 1C7
(604) 681- 8252


Last Saturday, Isabel and I made the trek into Vancouver to catch the play, As You Like It, as part of the annual Bard on the Beach festival. Having seen another play two years ago and thoroughly enjoying it, I was excited for this year's as well. The weather was also perfect, with clear blue skies, bright sunshine and the vanier park beach, serving as a picture-perfect backdrop. 


The icing on top of the cake, was funnily enough, our dinner expedition. We headed down Robson, either for Ramen or Korean food. After much indecision and footsteps, we settled on Ap Gu Jung, a place we hadn't tried before. It was mostly the restaurant setting, resembling a traditional korean house, and the patio dining that caught my eye.

Both craving something spicy (as always), the spicy kimchi hotpot was a must. It comes with either pork or tuna and we opted for the former. I think it would be pretty spicy by most standards but it was perfect for us. The ingredients of veggies, tofu and pork, were ample and we definitely enjoyed this dish. It would have been even better if they added some 'shrooms.

Our next korean favourite, potato noodles!! Although this looks like a plate of earthworms dug out from the soil, the picture doesn't do it justice. The noodles, spring onions and beef slices soaked up the gravy perfectly and every bite was a piece of heaven. Even though I eat pretty slowly, I polished off my servings in seconds.

Lastly, the banchan- one of my favourite items at korean places. Every dish was very tasty, expect for the bean sprouts but I may be biased because I never really liked them anyway. Despite kimchi being my usual favourite, this time, the seaweed was actually really good- sweet and tangy all at the same time.


Ap Gu Jung is now my favourite korean spot on robson st and I definitely want to go back and try the seafood pancake and some of the meat dishes. The staff were efficient and competent and the manager, friendly. We had a good conversation after dinner and I recommended that they should add beef bugolgi (my favourite) on the menu ;)


Walking up the street after a filling and carbo-laden dinner, my eyes darted around for some dessert... -Sara


Review Snippet
Overall: So good!! Will be back
Food: Japanese Ice Cream Parfait
Price: A little on the high side-$7.50/ cup
Ambiance: Cutesy, wooden interior, channeling traditional Japanese houses


Chicco

1504 Robson St
Vancouver, BC V6G
(604) 633-1286

Black Sesame Parfait

Thanks to the sharp eyed girl in the picture below, we had this heavenly creation( at 1/2 off, special promo for the day)  after our extremely filling and spicy dinner of korean fare. The many layers, consisting of black sesame ice-cream, red bean paste, mango jelly, whipped cream, corn flakes, vanilla gelato and sponge cake equated to a really awesome dessert, compounded by the fact that we had gotten it at 3.50 instead of the usual 7.00 made us #superhappygirlsforthenight.

*Happiness*

What a happy trooper...
-Isabel
Sara: I have to add that I REALLY want to go back and try the green tea or hazelnut parfait flavours...let me know if anyone wants to come with!

Ciao Bella- hello beautiful (pasta)

Review Snippet
Overall: Very good value for money especially on Mondays and Tuesdays
Food: Authentic Italian fare
Price: $10- $12/ person
Ambiance: Busy but probably romantic on other nights; Live music (piano) Wed-Sun


Ciao Bella Ristorante Italiano
703 Denman St
Vancouver, BC V6G 2L6
604 688 5771


Last Tuesday, I finally met up with Chad after our much postponed noodles dinner. We were going to get ramen  given our immense love for spicy miso ramen and honestly, I was daydreaming about it while at work. However, we (mostly chad) made the spontaneous decision of trying Ciao Bella, seeing how it was their special pasta night (all pastas were 50% off!) and lines were snaking out the door. Thankfully, we didn't have to wait long as things would not have been pretty...you should know that patience is not one of my virtues. But as my good friend very wisely put, good things come to those who wait :)

Like all Italian places, complimentary bread! Served warm, with a toasty crust and fluffy, soft inside, this was above average bread. Dipped into a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar, I was a happy girl!

Linguini Alla Diavolo. This had diced chicken breast, with roasted bell peppers, garlic and basil in a curry tomato cream sauce. I think Chad enjoyed the cultural fusion in this dish. Portions were big and he had ample to pack home.

Mine- Ravioli Di Mari. I wanted a stuffed pasta as I hadn't had one in ages. The ravioli was stuffed with seafood and was served with shrimp in a lobster rose sauce. Hmmm it was gooood. It had all my favourite ingredients! So of course I cleaned out the plate in no time- ravioli, sauce and all. 


Ciao Bella is definitely a good place for italian fare, especially on Mondays and Tuesdays where all pastas are 50% off! The pasta is pretty authentic but I think I still prefer Italian Kitchen. The ambiance is probably more delightful and romantic on non pasta special nights and they have piano performances from Wed-Sun. The patio is also nice for the summer time. Will be back, after I have satisfied my ramen craving. -Sara 

As divine as mink

Review Snippet
Overall: Definitely Recommended
Food:  Chocolate; Coffee; Desserts
Price:  $5-$10
Service: Efficient; Friendly


Mink Chocolates
863 W Hastings St
Vancouver, BC V6C
(604) 633-2451


On a warm saturday afternoon, after an arduous journey of apartment viewing across Vancouver, alas the weary travellers were seeking a place of refuge, to refuel their energy for the night ahead. Having seen cactus club and joey's around the corner, we knew that a coffee joint was of close proximity.Keeping our eyes peeled for an "independent" cafe, we stumbled upon....Mink Chocolates.

Left to Right: Blended iced coffee, Chai fog, Blended iced dark chocolate 

The picture speaks for itself, everything was splendid. For once, the ice blended drinks were not overly sweet but just right. The chai fog was surprisingly delightful as well! It was a light drink and not overly creamy. Perhaps it may have been somewhat a psychological thing from an unsuccessful afternoon ,but the drinks did indeed taste really good! My energy level went from nay to yay in those few moments.

 The ambience at Mink's was cozy and the scent of chocolate will intrigue you, once you step into the cafe. A perfect place to chillax if around the area.- Isabel

Penang Delight- Welcome to the Simple Life

About a week or so ago, we met up with my mum's cousin for dinner. It was good catching up, having not seen them for quite a while. We decided to go to Penang Delight and I was excited, to say the least, as I terribly miss my hometown comfort food. I have heard of this place in passing and was excited to try a place that was hopefully more authentic than your run-of-the-mill Tropika, Banana Leaf etc.. (that's not to say I don't enjoy the food at these places)


Review Snippet
Overall: Good; A good change from the usual Singaporean haunts
Food:Singaporean/Malaysian
Price: $10-$20 per person
Ambience/Service: Chaotic


Penang Delight
3885 Rupert St
Vancouver, BC V6R 2G7
604-566-9898

The restaurant was simple and quaint, channeling the rustic village atmosphere of Malaysia/Singapore in yester years.

We started out with some appetizers. From top to bottom: penang shrimp roll (ngoh hiang), penang tofu, roti canai and chicken skewers (satay).The appetizers were all really good and picking a favourite would be tough... The ngoh hiang was perfectly crisp and power-packed with shrimp, chestnut and meat filling. The penang tofu(which was more like thai-syle tofu) was crisp on the outside, soft on the inside with a good amount of thai sweet chilli sauce over top. Chicken satay was very tender but the peanut sauce lacked a certain kick. And the roti canai was a little sweeter than the roti prata i'm used to back home but it was still tasty- perfectly doughy yet crispy all at the same time.

These were my favourite mains! The sambal prawns were juicy and the sauce was pretty tasty but could have been spicier. Everything in Canada can be spicier :P Given that sambal is hard to prepare I was just happy to be able to have a sambal infused dish. 


The mango fish was more thai than malaysian but I enjoyed it a lot. The fish was fried to perfection while leaving the meat tender. The sweet chilli sauce was great and the sour mango slices complemented it really well, adding an extra punch.


The malaysian specialty vegetable dish was quite good as well, especially the eggplant.

The curry based dishes were a little disappointing mostly because the curry was not "lemak" or coconut-y enough. But there were ample ingredients in the laska dish as well as the chicken curry dish.

Now, on to my fav part of the meal- DESSERTS. Missed my nonya kuehs (little cake things) sooooo much! So this made me very happy :) The one at the top is malay kuih. It has a green base that is gelatinous but slightly firmer and topped with a coconut layer, coconut flakes and milk. My favourite was the bottom dish which was a pandan crepe that wrapped a filling of coconut pieces drenched in brown sugar (gula melaka). Heavenlyyyy. This two dishes are defintely must-haves for the coconut lover! I definitely want to come back and try the rojak (one of my fav singaporean dishes) and the friend banana (goreng pisang) with vanilla ice-cream. Goreng pisang is my childhood dish.. I have so many memories of my nanny going to the nearby market and getting fried banana and sweet potato fritters for an afternoon snack...probably did not help my loyal membership to the TAF club at school, but that's okay. TAF stands for trim and fit, for those unaware of the eccentricities of the Singapore school system. It is essentially a program for fat kids in public school. Oh the wonders of the schooling in Singapore...


I will definitely be back to Penang Delight for a sampling of their many other offerings! Their menu is extensive and left us spoilt for choice. But probably for lunch as it was a bit too chaotic at dinner time for my liking. -Sara

Zefferelli's- Italian Food and Service

I met my good friend Sohee for dinner the other night as she has just returned from her exchange in Italy. It was a fun night of gossip- on italian (and local) boys, food and fashion- and just catching up in general, all over good, hearty italian food! Despite having just returned to Vancouver, she was saying how she already missed italian food. I'm not surprised. 

We headed over to Zeferelli's on Robson St. I was pretty excited as I have been wanting to try this eatery for quite a while now.

Review Snippet

Overall: Good, hearty italian fare. Suitable for all kinds of dates- platonic,romantic and the like.

Food: Italian- quite a good range of pastas

Price: $20 per person (incl tax and tip)
Service: Slow (to the point of slight irritation)

1136 Robson St
Vancouver, BC V6E

(604) 687-0655

We were seated at a nice table by the window, overlooking Robson St. This was perfect given the cool evening breeze that came through the huge windows. Looking at the menu and hearing the specials, I was honestly spoilt for choice. Unfortunately, with similar taste-buds, we settled for pastas that were nearly the same. 

I had the Linguini Putnesca. The noodles were perfectly enveloped in just the right amount of spicy tomato sauce, and were topped with succulent (although slightly dwarfed) prawns. Capers and olives finished off the dish nicely, adding the extra sour zing that I appreciate.

Sohee had the Linguini, one of the alternatives I was debating between. This dish had an ample portion of crab meat, some roasted peppers, artichokes and cream. It had a good combination of flavours and what I liked most about the dish was the right proportion of cream to pasta. I often find some places engulf their cream-basted pastas with far too much sauce. Noodles were served al dente. 


All in all, I would recommend this place for hearty, traditional italian fare. It is a little on the expensive side, but there is quality in the food, portions are huge (definitely enough to take home!) and the ambience is nice. Sharing would have been a good option for us, given our small tummy space, but as usual my eyes were bigger than by gut. 


My only complaint was the incredibly slow service. This was place was really Italian- right down to their service.  Being a slightly impatient person, I could not stand how they took close to 15-20 mins to settle our bill. It was not even that busy a night, nor did they look particularly understaffed so I honestly did not understand their inefficiency. Zefferelli's is a good alternative to Italian Kitchen a couple of blocks down the road, apart from their service. -Sara