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Cobre- Nuevo Latino Tapas, (Vancouver, Canada)

November 4, 2011 1 Comment

I know this place has been around for a few years now…but clearly I have not been because I am sure I would have discovered it much earlier. My nomadic lifestyle has taken me from Vancouver to Switzerland to France to Calgary, back to France, to Miami to New Orleans and back…as a result I JUST discovered this Gastown gem only a few months ago. These photos do not do it justice since they were shot with my iphone however, believe me when I tell you that everything on the menu from the sangria to the ceviche is amazing!

I love the concept of tapas because it gives you the most selection and a range of flavours for your food palette. Cobre offers just that. A long list of tapas ranging in recipes from Peru to Spain. They also bring the tapas according to the number of people at your table… so you won’t be fighting for the last piece.

First on our list was the Peruvian ceviche. And again…the flavours…the flavours were so amazing. Spicy and tangy with a drizzle of olive oil.

Fish tacos- I have to admit this was my least favourite on the menu…but not because it wasn’t delicious but because there were so many MORE delicious items on the menu.

Beef croquettes drizzled with chimichurri and jalapenos.

Delicious steak served on top of a mini Caesar salad and garlic mashed potatoes…Another mouth watering dish.

Scallops and palm

My birthday dessert…clearly you can see that no one could wait for me to take the photo. It was too good.

This is by far one of my top picks of places to drink and dine in Vancouver. Let me know what you think!

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Casba Iranian Restaurant (North Vancouver, Canada)

November 2, 2011 No Comments

Casba is an Iranian restaurant located in…. you guessed it: North Vancouver- otherwise known as Tehrancouver. If you are craving Iranian food at its cheapest with no frills and gimmicks this is the place for it.

Delicious skewers of kabob served with a full serving of rice and salad for as low as $8!!! No where in Vancouver can you find quality food for that price. But wait- not only can you get your kabob-fix you can also choose from a variety of Iranian stews from Ghormeh Sabzee to Khoreshteh- Fesenjoon (Walnut and Pomegranate Stew).

The only thing I can say is that I was very disappointed with the Kashk Bademjaan- as it was watered down and tasted nothing like the real dish. In fact I am pretty sure we left the entire plate untouched. I hope that they either take it off the menu or attempt to serve the real deal.

This place is usually packed on the weekends so call in advance to find out about the wait before you head over.

Nooshe- Jaan (Bon Appetit)

Kashk Bademjaan (Eggplant, fried onions, mint and Kaskh)

Tahdig (Crispy fried rice) served with Gheimeh Stew (Beef and chickpeas)

Soltani dish- a skewer of steak mean and a skewer of ground beef served with basmati rice and salad

Persian Chaii and Bamieh pastry

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La Brasserie- French Food (Vancouver, Canada)

October 31, 2011 No Comments

La Brasserie is a 35 seat small cozy Franco-German restaurant located on Davie street between Thurlow st. and Burrard st.

If you feel like French food with a twist of German you will love La Brasserie. Everything from the decor, the wine and beer list and food will take you straight to a french bistro.

I have been there a few times and it has been hit or miss each time. Some times the service is amazing…other times like my last visit the service is off. Sometimes the food is fabulous other times its nothing above average.

Things started off with a serving of onion soup which was less than amazing… it had no real flavor and was too watery, not enough salt and not enough cheese on top. But to make up for the soup was the delicious warm bread, butter and chicken pate paste which was served as a starter. I didn’t touch the soup and instead went straight for the bread. For those who know me well it just goes to show how tasteless it really was because I rarely pass up food.

On a brighter note, for our main dish I ordered the ‘steak onglet and fries’ and my friend ordered the moules-frites. The steak was great (although a bit chewy) but I guess that is really dependent on the type of meat served rather than anything else. I LOVED the mushroom sauce and the fries were really good. My friend’s mussel and fries were in her words ‘very average’ but just more expensive.

I hear that La Brasserie also serves an amazing brunch. I’ll definitely have to go back to experience it for myself. But for now I’ll have to get my Brasserie fix through the Brasserie food truck located close to my office.

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The Pourhouse (Vancouver, Canada)

October 26, 2011 No Comments

The Pourhouse is one of my favorite places in Vancouver. It’s got a great ambiance, good live music on the weekends and great food for the soul. It also reminds me a bit of many places in New Orleans- which makes it even more special in my eyes.

They serve a special lunch menu with some delicious sandwich options during the week making it a great place for a quick work lunch. I personally opt for the burger each and every time (it comes with a delicious serving of fries). On this particular occasion a friend and I went there for lunch. The prices are a bit on the steeper end but then again most restaurants of this calibre in the area offer similar prices (without the live music and great ambiance).

I definitely recommend the Pourhouse for any autumn/wintery day.

Lunch special: Sandwich and Soup

Cod, Pepper, Red Wine and Chorizo

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The Italian Kitchen (Vancouver, Canada)

October 24, 2011 No Comments

The Italian Kitchen is another one of the the Global group restaurants. It offers authentic Italian dishes in an upscale setting located in the heart of downtown. I personally enjoy all the G group’s restaurants. Their food is good, consistent and the ambiance is great for a night out.

On this particular evening, we opted for the beef carpaccio which was one of the best I’ve yet to try and for the main dish the portobello mushroom hand crafted pizza. They also offer an extensive list of wines. It is a bit on the pricier side but I guess you pay for the location and atmosphere. There are definitely better Italian restaurants in the city but this offers an overall great experience. Buon appetito

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Origenes (Playa del Carmen, Mexico)

October 13, 2011 No Comments

The Riviera Maya on the Caribbean coast of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula is more traditionally thought of as dead space for the adventurous foodie. Most (like myself) assume that, like Cancun, it’s filled with American chain restaurants and overpriced resort food (although there are some good places in Cancun as well). To some extent that’s true, but there is also some excellent street food, regional restaurants not aimed at tourists, and a growing group of internationally trained chefs that are utilizing the products of the Yucatan.

If you want to escape from the 5th avenue tourist crowds and restaurants walk to 38th street (calle) and down to the water to Origenes restaurant. Not only is the food amazing but they have one of the most incredible Spanish guitarist and vocalists. The Count and I went there on our last night in Playa for a romantic candle-lit dinner. The service and ambiance was absolutely wonderful.

Tuna tartar with avocado and mango

Green salad with prawns

Victor Mayer

Origenes is located at:

Calle 38 y Flamingos, Playa del Carmen 77720, Mexico
984 8732270

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Sugar High at Thierry Patisserie (Vancouver, Canada)

October 12, 2011 2 Comments

Could it be true? A french patisserie in Vancouver offering a colorful range of Macaroons, pain au chocolats and cafe au lait?

Words cannot describe how ecstatic I was as soon as I stepped into Thierry for the first time. Vancouver definitely needs more desert shops. I have a major sweet tooth (especially after 6 pm) and have often struggled to find good dessert spots in Van city and have often had to turn to my bottle of Nutella. Thierry is a well needed (and well deserved for the sweet tooths) addition.

Folks this is the real thing. The maitre patissier Thierry Busset (formerly at Cin Cin) has done a fabulous job of bringing a bit of his homeland France to our city.I don’t know if I should admit that I’ve been there everyday over the weekend…I was really doing it for my readers- how can I review a pastry shop if I have not tried everything on the menu? At this point, I feel confident enough to recommend Thierry to my readers. But do be careful as it is highly addictive and open late. On my last visit (or second to last visit) we went around 11 pm and the place was packed with stylish Vancouver fashionistas and foodies. It also has a liquor license which is great when you want to try one of their fabulous baguette sandwiches.

Day 1: Latte and Pain au Chocolat

Day 2: Apricot danish

Day 3: I heart you too Thierry- Latte and apple turnover- crispy and delicious

Day 3 (Night): OK. I went twice in one day. But I was dragged there by friends…really its true. They made me.

Day 4: Macaroons (Pistachio and Raspberry… there was no chocolate 🙁

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Jules French Bistro: Save your money and RUN! Horrible service by rude staff…(serving overpriced food) (Vancouver, Canada)

September 3, 2011 No Comments

Dear Readers,
I usually don’t write reviews on places I absolutely dislike but I really feel that its my duty to tell the world about this horrible place in order to save them their money, peace of mind and time.
Jules French Bistro claims to have french food and apparently french attitude?
What can I say about this place? In a city with amazing restaurants at every corner there is NO need to put up with this sort of service anywhere. After all we are not in France and even in France they don’t treat you as badly as the host treated us last night (and I should know- I lived in Paris for 2 years and NOWHERE in Paris were staff so outrageously RUDE).
An old diva with dyed blonde hair is the host or manager at this place and he was not only rude to us but every single person that walked in the restaurant. No wonder they were about to close for business a few years ago. With that sort of attitude this man is chasing the customers away (he definitely chased us away last night). Reservations were made for 8:30 for a group of 7. We arrived at 8:25 to have the nasty host tell us we were early and walked away. Then the rest of our party arrived except our one friend who was at home putting her newborn to bed. Our table was clearly not ready at 8:30. We waited around until 9 pm… having not been acknowledged by anyone at the restaurant we asked when our table would be ready. We were told that our entire party wasnt there. We asked if our table was ready and he said NO. So what difference would it make if our friend arrived when there was nowhere to seat us in the first place? At any other restaurant the host would probably apologize for not having a table ready for us when reservations were made for 8:30. However here we were to blame because one of our friends had not arrived even when a table was not available. His complete arrogance and tone of voice added to the disappointment. The host was so rude we ended up turning around and leaving to Cobre ( A much better ambiance and food) and the host said to us: SEE YA!
Clearly we are not the only ones that feel this way about this disrespectful rude man at this restaurant… I checked out reviews on this place and most people have had similar treatment by the same host. There should be a law against allowing men like him to interact with customers. Word to the owners if you want to stay in business perhaps you should think about hiring a new host with an agreeable attitude!!!!