Vancouver - The Hungry Nomad

Canada, Gourmand, Irish, pub food, Vancouver

Long Table Series at the Irish Heather (Vancouver, Canada)

February 12, 2012 No Comments

I was invited to the Irish Heather’s Long Table Series a few months back. The concept is interesting: a long table of friends gathering for drinks and family style cooking. Although, technically we weren’t seated at a long table and were separated from our group by a wall. We were told they had no room for our whole party which begs the question what then is the purpose of the LTS if you can’t be seated with your entire party?

On this occasion, the special was sunday pot roast served with vegetables and Yorkshire pudding. I wasn’t expecting much given that I have never heard anything great about English food (although I do enjoy a good Shepards Pie). Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised when our food arrived. It was delicious, filling and ever so tasty. The meat- tender and juicy, and that Yorkshire pudding- who knew it would have tasted so good? I would go back just for that pudding which isn’t really a pudding but a baked puff like bread served with a special tangy sauce.

The entire meal and one pint of beer was $18. I liked it and think its a great idea for a large group of people…if you can actually be seated at their long table.

Canada, Gourmand, Macarons, Sweets, Vancouver

Soirette Macarons & Tea (Vancouver, Canada)

February 8, 2012 No Comments

What could be more delightful than a shop dedicated to macarons and only macarons in every possible delicious flavour you can imagine?

Soirette Macarons and Tea has done just that! Located on West Pender street this new gem caters to all of those out there who are crazy about macarons. The design inside is very modern chic with a splash of colour here and there. There is a large glass display of colourful macarons set against a backdrop of cans of marked tea. On this occasion, we opted for the lavender tea latte- always a delicious option with a colourful choice of macarons including the Rocher (my personal favourite), Violetta, Matcha green tea and Coconut. The macarons were just perfect and one of the best I’ve tasted in Vancouver. Perfect texture, chewiness and flavour. I tasted a bit of condensed milk… don’t know if that is an ingredient in all of the macarons but since I drink condensed milk by the can (occasionally!!!) I didn’t mind the hint of flavour it added to the macarons.

Canada, Gourmand, Steak, Vancouver

Dinner at Black + Blue (Vancouver, Canada)

January 25, 2012 No Comments

Dinner at Black and Blue exceeded our expectations. Not one single empty seat in the house so we were offered to sit at the bar which turned out to be more pleasant anyway. Our bartender was very nice and attentive- he even brought over a sample of every beer until I found one that I liked. He then thoroughly went through the menu with us and taught us about all the different steaks. Who knew there were so many different types of meat?

On this particular evening, we went specifically for the steak and steak is what we had. The sides come separately to order and there were many to choose from. We ordered the stuffed baked potato which was incredibly amazing and really the best stuffed potato I’ve ever tasted. It was stuffed and gooing with sour cream, bacon and cheese. Oh My. Definitely not on the calorie friendly side but worth every bite. The steak fries were also good and baked and fried to perfection. The steak came with four different sauces to choose from but it was so delicious and tender that I didn’t want to take away from the taste by adding any sauce.

The ambiance of the restaurant also makes it a great spot for drinks. The decor…absolutely amazing! Highly recommend for a fun night out on the town.

Canada, Food Truck, Gourmand, Sandwich Shop, Vancouver

La Brasserie Street Food Truck (Vancouver, Canada)

January 24, 2012 No Comments

What an amazing chicken sandwich. I have never tasted anything like it. I am really impressed with all the creative culinary dishes around town and feel inspired that I am a part of this amazing city.

This sandwich is itself a creative masterpiece: a combination of beer brined rotisserie chicken, fried crispy onions and chicken gravy. It is so heavenly…and ever so filling. The fried crispy onions mixed with the tasty gravy and juicy chicken…oh I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

I highly recommend this food truck to all of you out there who enjoy a good and tasty sandwich. These guys know how do it right. Also make sure to try their butter tarts for dessert. Amazingly fresh and delicious as well.

Word’s Best Butter Tarts

Mmm Crispy Onions

La Brasserie Street (West Georgia & Granville) on Urbanspoon

Canada, Gourmand, Vancouver

Pizzeria Farina (Vancouver, Canada)

December 21, 2011 1 Comment

Pizzeria Farina is a cozy little spot on Main street serving one of the best Neapolitan style pizzas in Vancouver. So good, simple and delicious. The spot is small, minimalist and modern with a general hipster vibe. Many get the pizzas to go since it is very small and so far does not carry a liquor license. However, it does have flat and mineral water on tap which I thought was really creative and a nice touch. On the night we went their special was mortadella pizza with pistachios! I know, I know you must be surprised at the combination, but I have to say that it was a delicious. Above my head was a bike hanging from the ceiling. It’s a really great little spot and I highly recommend those who love pizza as much as I do to pay it a visit you won’t be disappointed.

Canada, Gourmand, Malaysian, Vancouver

Banana Leaf Kitsilano (Vancouver, Canada)

December 11, 2011 No Comments

I had never tried Malaysian food and have always wanted to try Banana Leaf- the one Malaysian restaurant in Vancouver that has been voted the best year after year. And now that I have finally been I can’t believe I’ve never been there before. Its been around forever and now has four separate locations including the newest addition on Davie St. On this occasion we went to the Kitsilano location.

Malaysian food is a mixture of culinary tastes from India, China, Thailand and Indonesia. It combines the best of South East Asia, from India’s roti canai (seen below), Singapore’s laksa, to China’s Hainanese chicken rice.

There is so much selection to choose from so don’t hesitate to ask your server for their favorites. The roti canai- a serving of flaky layered break with curry dip, was a must- so delicious and definitely set the tone for the rest of the meal. In fact I think I filled up quickly on just the roti itself.

Our meal was served very quickly and all of us cleaned our plates in less than minutes!!

Everything was so fresh- all the vegetables in the curry were fresh and crunchy including the okras (one of my favorite vegetables). I would really love to learn to make some of their dishes. In fact it would be great if they would offer some cooking classes.

For our main dish we ordered the boneless chicken curry, the lamb curry and sole curry. Every single dish was more than amazing. Not that we had any room for dessert but given that our main dishes were so good we had to order dessert which was even better. You MUST try the coconut filled crepes and the deep fried banana. Both are really delicious. I haven’t been to the other locations yet but I will keep my readers posted if and when I do.

Chicken coconut red curry served with okras, eggplants and yellow/red bell peppers

Coconut crepe crepes….amazing!

Deep Fried Banana served with ice-cream

Canada, Gourmand, Sandwich Shop, Sweets, Vancouver

Bel Cafe (Vancouver, Canada)

December 7, 2011 No Comments

David Hawksworth’s Bel Cafe opened up last month offering a variety of pastries, sandwiches, macaroons and drinks. A bit dangerous for me given that I pass by every morning before work and have been tempted an embarrassing number of times in the mornings to treat myself to Mr. Hawksworth’s fabulous flaky and buttery pain au chocolate creation. Folks- there is nothing more amazing than this pain au chocolate in town! If anyone disagrees I’d like to hear where they are getting their croissant fix! It is definitely made with butter and although its not so friendly on the calorie side it definitely tastes friendly!

I’ve also been there for lunch where I had their vegetable soup and ham and cheese sandwich served with a side of cornichon. Again…delicious! We were also treated to their pate au fruis which was sooo good and something I would not have necessarily selected before but have since purchased a few times.

Bel Cafe brings a touch of a modern Parisian bistro to the heart of downtown Vancouver.

Ham and Cheese: French ham, emmenthal and dijon

Photo courtesy of Bel Cafe.com

Canada, Gourmand, Japanese, Vancouver

Suika- Japanese Izakaya (Vancouver, Canada)

November 17, 2011 No Comments

We are so spoiled in Vancouver…on many fronts but particularly on the food front. Thanks to the various immigrant groups that have made this city as colorful as it is today you can have any type of food your little heart desires any time of day and night. I’ve searched the world through and through (excluding Japan) and can hands down guarantee that we have some of the best Japanese Izakayas in the world. This confidence was bolstered by my last visit to a new Izakaya (its been around for 1 year now): Suika Izakaya.

This place was recommended by fellow bloggers. Wanting to try something outside of the downtown core we headed over the bridge (5 minutes over the bridge) to Suika- located on Broadway and Burrard. It is a great Izakaya place: good food, great service and great ambiance. The decor is really well done. I especially loved the empty sake bottles hanging chandelier.

Tuna Tataki

Lotus Roots- Delicious

Duck

You all know by now that I love everything Japanese so its no surprise to hear that I loved this restaurant from the food, decor and our super sweet Japanese server. We will be back soon Suika (don’t let Guu know okay? It will be our little secret!)

Shopping, Vancouver

The Old Faithful Shop (Vancouver, Canada)

September 20, 2011 No Comments

The Old Faithful Shop is situated in historic Gastown. The owners — Savannah Olsen and Walter Manning — source eclectic goods from all over the world, most of them handmade. Homeware, small leather goods, desktop lamp, flower pot, stationery and books are a few examples. If not to buy you must take a look inside as the duo has really done a great job with the design…but I trust if you step inside you won’t leave empty handed. If you do don’t fret- they also offer an online shop.

The Old Faithful Shop is located at:

320 West Cordova Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 1E8
(778) 327-9376

Gourmand, Vancouver, Vietnamese

One Saigon (Vancouver, Canada)

September 15, 2011 1 Comment

Lucky for me, I have a Vietnamese restaurant literally in my backyard. One Saigon is a tiny restaurant offering different specials every day of the week (including phos, Vietnamese sandwiches and shrimp spring rolls). The best part is that it is fast and cheap…making it a great place for a quick work lunch.

One Saigon is located on Hornby street just across from the Vancouver Court House.

Beef Ball Pho