Shiny Tea- Burnaby Location

Hey everyone!

Today we went to Crystal Mall to check out some sunglasses and we stumbled upon the newly opened location of Shiny Tea on the 2nd floor, next to the food court. They also have another location in Aberdeen Centre (the new side of Aberdeen). We've seen many photos on social media of other foodies trying out their bubble tea so we thought we might as well give this place a try. This bubble tea shop originated from Taiwan and they have a green sign that states they've been authorized by Mr. Tsung-Ho Tu, inventor of Taiwan's Tapioca Milk Tea.

Anh & Chi

Hey everyone!!!

Hope you all are enjoying the nice hot weather in Vancouver. Hopefully it rains a lot at Fort McMurray soon so it can stop the fire from spreading. If you guys have not donated to Red Cross to help out the people there yet, pls do so! Here is the link: http://www.redcross.ca/?_ga=1.77344918.2093509003.1462670469, Since we are not there to help out, I hope donating would help all the people there, especially the young families with kids.

So last week, my parents and I went to the newly opened vietnamese restaurant located on Main Street called Anh & Chi. All foodies have been checking this place out and posting tons of photos of their food and interior through all types of social media. This location previously was called Pho Hoang and they revamped the space and changed their name but the people are still the same. The mom is working in the kitchen and I believe her kids took over and changed it to this new modern space but still holds authentic dishes!

Pho 24 Express

Hey everyone!

Went for Pho a few weeks ago and we decided to check out Pho 24 Express in Burnaby. Initially we were in the Brentwood area but we were not successful finding a Pho restaurant around that area so we decided to drive near Metro and see what there is. We've been to Pho 24 Express before but that was a couple of years back so we didn't know what to expect. There's free parking on the side streets so definitely check there first before parking at the front (which is meter parking).

Cimona Cafe

Hey everyone!

The weather in Vancouver recently has been amazing and I'm not talking about today. For the past few weeks we've been getting alot of sunshine here in BC. During these days, nobody wants to stay indoors and one popular location to hit up is at Steveston, Richmond. AKA. Storybrooke, the place they filmed and WILL continue to film forever and ever "Once Upon A Time". One of the hit shows on TV and also my personal favourite TV show at the moment. 

We were strolling around Steveston looking for a place to eat and we came across this restaurant called Cimona. I remembered my bro telling me about this place and how it has amazing deals and serves some amazing food. By the time we got there, majority of the tables were taken. Fortunately, there were two bar seats next to the window. We took it immediately and sat down. 

It's a very small little restaurant and you can tell most are regulars. Many are seniors, having their morning coffee & looking at their newspapers. Others with kids, eating pancakes and enjoying their family time. It gave me a very comfortable and warm feeling sitting in there. 

Bubble Waffle Cafe- Surrey

Hey everyone!!

If you've watched our vlog from last week, you'll know we went to Surrey to get our taxes done. After, we decided to just grab some lunch around the area. We came across a "trial opening" for the Bubble Waffle Cafe so we decided to just grab some lunch there. The first time I saw Bubble Waffle Cafe as an actual sit in restaurant. I always see them as food court vendors but this time around it was a different experience. 

Sekai Udon Bar

Hi Everyone!

Happy Chinese New Year! I feel like I haven't blogged in the longest time. I've been so busy with everything in life, I literally had no time to blog. BUT I am officially back and I have a few lined up blog posts which will be coming out very soon! 

If you read my blogs, you would probably notice a bunch of my reviews are within Richmond. All my activities 80% of the time revolves around Richmond, so its hard to get out of there at times. During the weekend we went to Metrotown to shop and we came across this new restaurant that I personally never seen before. Its right under the food court and its a Udon Bar. They definitely renovated the interior and it looks very big and spacious. I was happy to see on their menu they also have sushi roll options. I was really craving for sushi but we decided to go for their weekend deal instead.

Their lunch special only happens on weekends from 11am-3pm. You can choose a Udon option, a rice option, soup or salad and it comes with two sides, all for $10.50.

ORU Restaurant - The Fairmont Pacific Rim

Hey everyone!

Dineout Vancouver is back! There were so many options this year but we narrowed it down to a few restaurants we wanted to try. We went to Oru for our 5th year anniversary. Oru is located within the Fairmont Pacific Rim. They have a parking lot for guests and it costs approximately $14.00 to park. I would recommend taking the skytrain but if you are planning to dress all fancy to come here, you might as well drive and be more comfortable.

Fairmont Pacific Rim is a gorgeous hotel. Every detail from floor to ceilings were thought out and unique. Oru is located on the second floor to the left. Once you step up the stairs, you'll see this huge sign that says Oru. Then you'll see a narrow path down the hall and you'll see the hosts there to guide you in to your table. Phil and I thought the men who were working as hosts there were extremely good looking. They literally look like models to us. 

We sat at a table where we can clearly see the kitchen, and their kitchen is amazing. I took a panoramic picture of the kitchen down below for you guys to see. Their kitchen was very well lit, bright and clean. The staff in there looked very professional and I was stoked to try out the food. 

Their Dineout menu was $40.00 and you get to pick an appetizer, an entree & a dessert with the options provided.  (Pls note, the food photos were edited due to the dim lighting at the restaurant.)

Bob Likes Thai Food- Broadway

Hello everyone!

Happy Friday!! I feel like this week felt extra long.. probably because I'm still stuck in holiday mode. Anyways, last week when Phil was off for the whole Christmas/New Years period, he came to find me during my lunch hour. I decided to bring him to Bob Likes Thai Food a long Broadway. He was initially against going to a Thai restaurant because he's not a big fan. But me being, the Thai fan I am, I kinda forced him to go with me. (awesome Fiance I am right?)

On the menu, they have a section for lunch specials (11:30am-3:00pm). All their lunch specials are for $10.00 and it comes with rice, organic greens, fried wonton wrap with housemade plum sauce. 

The restaurant is very narrow and tight. The tables are really close to one another so walking into the inner seats or even sitting at the bar area was not comfortable. 

Pearl Castle

Hey everyone,

Recently I've been going to Pearl Castle a lot. I've always liked their food but because of past bad service experiences, it always stopped me from going. With their Richmond Center location its just a very convenient spot to meet up with friends and also a great place to go to after shopping. I went there twice this week, first time was after shopping and second time was to meet a friend for dinner. Despite the slow services, the food is actually really good here. 


Here is my go-to dish, the Chicken nuggets with fried rice ($9.25). This dish is under $10.00 and comes with a generous portion. The chicken nuggets taste delicious and the fried rice is very flavorful. Within the fried rice, there is green onions, onions & carrots.

Gami Sushi

Hey everyone!

The other day when I went to work, one of my co-workers were raving about this sushi place located in Richmond called Gami Sushi. My co-worker is within the older range of age but still rather picky so I decided to trust his opinion and go try this place out. This sushi restaurant is located on No.3 & Williams and it's part of this huge plaza filled with other vendors, so finding a parking spot is not an issue. 

When I first stepped in, I was pretty impressed with the decor. Their interior design incorporated darker brick, wooden tables and really nice wall paneling with a good visual of the television too! By the time I got there, my bros already sat down, so I didn't have to wait or anything. 

I actually went a second time with Phil the other day during dinner hours and they require you to write down your name on this white board which is located on the left hand side when you first enter in to the restaurant. So if you are walking in, please don't forget to jot down your name, otherwise you might not be seated for a long time. This restaurant is small but they can still manage to sit approximately 40 people within the restaurant. They have 3-4 booth seating along the right hand side of the wall and the rest are just regular table seating. Also, during dinner hours they do get pretty busy so if you don't want to wait, you can always order take out. They offer a 10% discount if you order take out too!

Pho TEN

Hi everyone,
 
There's literally so many pho options out there and the deciding factor for me to go back to a pho restaurant for a second time is purely based on soup base, atmosphere & the quantity in meat. I was never picky about Pho because I really thought they all taste the same... but after blogging so much and going to so many different restaurants within the past few years, I guess you can say I became a tad pickier. I'm not a professional food critic but I guess throughout these years, I can finally be 100% sure what i think is good and what's not.

We went to Pho Ten on a Friday night and surprisingly finding parking was not an issue. We stepped in for the first time coming to this Pho joint and it was very spacious and roomy. The space was very well lit with different light fixtures & tall side windows, nice wooden furniture's & it was clean.

Jitlada Thai Restaurant

Hey everyone!

I came here for lunch with my colleague because she was raving how good the food was. We searched up online for their menu to order in advance so we were able to eat our food right when we got there. Initially we were going to get it to go but we changed our minds and decided to sit in.

For lunch, they have a lunch special, where every dish is for $11.50 and it comes with homemade salad & spring rolls. You can check out their lunch menu HERE.

For signage, I only noticed the one outside their doorstep which I passed by multiple times not noticing its existence until my colleague told me about this place. The interior was very clean and bright. Its a very casual dining area to just relax and chat with friends.

Maruwa Sushi Japanese Restaurant

Hey everyone!

As you guys may all know, I am a major sushi fan, so wherever I am I'll always recommend eating sushi. A few months back I actually stumbled upon a Japanese restaurant located in the Ironwood Mall with my bro but for some reason I totally forgot to blog about it! So here it is!

When we first saw the menu, it was very limited. There were assorted combos or individual rolls, sashimi and appetizers for ordering. The lunch menu was like any other standard sushi restaurant, serving the usual types of dishes. The interior was pretty small but its clean and bright. The waitresses were prompt in serving us. 

First off, we ordered the Chicken Karaage. I thought this was one of the best chicken karaages I've tried. The exterior was crunchy and the interior was soft and juicy. It was very mouthwatering and I really enjoyed this alot. The portion was a good size to share among two people. I highly recommend this dish if you were to come here.

Tin Tin Seafood Restaurant

Hey everyone,

Our family loves going to Dim sum during weekends because we designate that time for family time. Last weekend was Moon Cake Festival so booking a table for Dim Sum last minute was probably not the best idea. I had to call up several places until I came across Tin Tin Seafood Restaurant and they had tables available. When we got there, surprisingly we found parking. They have their own parking lot but its not the biggest. When we walked in, it wasn't as busy as we thought it'll be, which was somewhat good, because we were starving.

Bistro Verde

Hey Everyone,

So Nordstrom finally opened up in Vancouver last week, and while Jess and I were there checking things out, we noticed this restaurant on the 3rd floor by the men's section. It looked pretty cool from the outside so we had to try it out and let you all know how it is!

UYU Ice Cream

Hey everyone!

This years Summer trend has been rotating all around ice cream. New ice cream vendors are popping up all over the grounds of Vancouver. Even though Summer has ended and Fall is coming, it doesn't stop us Vancouverites from eating our favorite cold dessert. One of the latest additions to the Ice Cream list is UYU Ice Cream shop located in Gastown. Their interior has a very interesting pattern that repeats throughout the store but they kept everything else very minimalist, so it still feels very clean & chic.

Reel Mac n Cheese

Hey guys!

Late post on this but I thought I'll still write about it because food trucks travel to multiple locations throughout the year, so in case you come across it somewhere else, you know what I think about it. From Phil's previous post on Bao Chau, you may know we went to PNE a few weeks ago. PNE is always PACKED full with different Food truck vendors and also they have the BBQ ribs section. When we went this year I didn't feel like eating the ribs therefore I was in search of a food truck that appealed to me. Every single food truck had a long line up so I really wanted to choose something that will not be a disappointment. To be honest, in these situations I don't expect much out of the food, because the workers there are in such a fast pace environment, they are more keen on getting the food out there than keeping their food at a standard expectation. We came across this Food truck called "Reel Mac n Cheese", the only ones on their menu that appealed to me were the "Godzilla" ($9.00) & The "Jurassic Pork" ($12.00). Considering the price difference, I just went with the Godzilla. Which came with seaweed, teriyaki sauce & mayo. Yup, sounds pretty simple right? But I was hungry, so I'm buying it!

Anyways, service was very quick. Once I finished paying, the food was already ready on the side. Considering all the other options and the prices, I think this was a good choice at the PNE. I don't recommend getting their other versions of Mac n Cheese because some random dude before us in line told us his was crap. But in terms of MY Mac n Cheese, it was good but obviously nothing out of the ordinary. It was easy, simple and filling. All the options at the PNE are basically over priced food, so the main thing for me was just choosing something that is not TOO expensive and yet filling.

Service: N/A

Food: 3/5

Price: $

Overall Rating: 3/5

Enjoy!
-Jess

 

Chill Winston

Hey everyone!

Last week I went to Downtown with my friend, Ali. Our main mission of the day was to go explore Downtown and check out the Map wall art at the Shangrila Hotel. But before exploring, obviously we have to go fill up our bellies first. We had several options on our list so we went with the one we favored most. But the top 3 options were COMPLETELY packed full of people by the time we got there. Each place notified us that it'll be around 45 minutes to 2 hour wait. WHAT???

So we ended up strolling among Gastown area and came across Chill Winston. Chill Winston has been on "My List" for a while but never got a chance to try it! All the tables were filled up outside so we were very scared the wait would be ridiculous. We took a chance and stepped up to ask anyways. We were surprisingly shocked that they had plenty of table indoors. It was a super gorgeous day so sitting outside would be the ideal seating BUT by that time me & Ali got there we were starving already therefore we were completely satisfied with an indoor seating.

The interior space looked amazing! Super luxurious but still have a sense of the whole Gastown characteristic. Gastown is all about the brick, so obviously in their interior they had brick walls. They had really comfortable padded seatings and the light fixtures were very unique. Overall, I was just amazed at the interior design and it was definitely a comfortable atmosphere to just relax and chit chat.

Memory Corner

Hey everyone!

A month ago, Phil & I went to a Taiwanese Restaurant across from Richmond Center called Memory Corner. We're always looking for new Taiwanese restaurants in Richmond because we always tend to go to Bubble World when we don't know where to go. This time around, we searched up on Zomato in advance to see what other Taiwanese Restaurants are in the area. The ratings and reviews look pretty positive for Memory Corner so we decided to give it a try!

When we first stepped in, we were instantly intrigued by some of the displays shown in their restaurant. At the back of the restaurant were two Chinese looking dolls that were being displayed at the back. Their menu was also written and designed in a very traditional style. 

Legends Pub

Hey Everyone,

Jess and I recently went to the relocated Legends Pub, which is now at Blundell and Garden City. 

I have been to Legends at their previous location but since they moved, we had to check it out. The nice new interior is pretty nice!