Vancouver - The Hungry Nomad

The art of eating a soup dumpling | Vancouver, B.C.

August 11, 2015 2 Comments

Before arriving my friend and partner-in-eating asked me where I wanted to eat while in Vancouver. My response was “everything Asian: Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Thai, whatever, as long as it’s Asian”. That in short sums up what I will be eating for the next few weeks. In a city with such a large community of Chinese, Koreans and Japanese, one thing is sure: the food will be amazing and options, endless to say the least. On our first day together we decided on dumplings. Because nothing can beat a little ball filled with a mixture of heavenly goodness. Being downtown and having no access to the Chinese mecca that is Richmond, we decided on the Dynasty House located on lower Robson street. Most of our Asian food adventures downtown revolve around the two block radius of lower Robson and Denman where many variety of Korean, Japanese and Chinese restaurants reside.

Dynasty Dumpling had a small line up out the door which can never be a bad thing. But within 15 minutes we were quickly seated (despite a little hiccup over having a child and stroller with us). Guests were quick to offer their table so as to accommodate us, on the other hand, the hostess was not very happy about us having a stroller. But in the end, a nice man offered up his table after witnessing the commotion.

I’ll skip a few lines detailing the bad service and get to the good part: the soup dumplings. The menu features Shanghaise dishes including a page filled with a variety of soup dumplings. We ordered the original pork dumplings and the pork and kimchi dumplings along with a variety of other dishes including other dumplings beef and rice cake, and honey glazed lotus roots. The first time I had a soup dumpling happened to be on a Chinatown tour in Philadelphia. It was there that I was taught the secret of how to eat a soup dumpling. Once served If you bite into one right away you will surely burn your tongue. It is best to wait at least a minute to let it cool. Then gently dipping your chopstick in the vinegar you can pick up the dumpling right underneath the chopstick and place in spoon. You will then have two options: 1- poke a hole and let the broth ooze onto the spoon before eating, or 2- biting off the top and sipping the broth before devouring the whole thing. Either way you are sure to feel the same effect: pure and simple ecstasy.

Travel, Vancouver

Am I crazy for loving Seagulls? | Vancouver, B.C.

August 9, 2015 No Comments

The anticipation of traveling to Vancouver with my son has been building up for the past few months. It is the first trip just the two of us which meant feelings of anxiety and excitement played a tug of war. But, finally excitement overshadowed anxiety and we made it. For the next month I will share with my son and viewers my perspective on Vancouver. This includes many nature walks, farmer’s markets and a variety of Asian food adventures.

Growing up I was itching to move away from home to go explore the world. I wanted to be anywhere but here and found any excuse to pack my suitcase and hop around Europe for months and years on end. But that was in my twenties. Now, in my thirties, with more travel options and more opportunities, all I do is dream and yearn to come home for the summers and winters and all the months in between just to take in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. It is funny how distance can put so many things into perspective and create so much gratitude where none existed.

And so here we are- just me and my baby boy.

The first morning we woke up to the sound of our neighborhood seagulls. They start early and keep going until just after sunrise. Some people have roosters. We have seagulls. I know It may seem absurd to some but its those very seagulls that I miss when I am away. Those seagulls represent so much more than what most think of them as: loud, large birds that grab your food at the beach. To me they represent the vicinity of the sea, the vast blue sea surrounding Vancouver which I took for granted growing up. So many places I’ve lived don’t have access to ocean, to sea-life and everything else the ocean represents. I miss and yearn for the sea. I miss the seagulls. Now I live in a place with no direct access to the sea. No seagulls. And who wants to live in a place that doesn’t have seagulls?

Later on in the morning, we went for a walk along the seawall towards Stanley Park. The sea breeze, fresh crisp air and sound of waves quickly caressed baby boy to sleep. We passed English bay and walked into the park towards lost lagoon where the nostalgic scent of blackberries started hovering in the air. It’s funny how a scent can bring back so many memories. That sweet smell of blackberries takes me back to my childhood picking berries in these very woods with my mother. It was our own paradise back then. Towards lost lagoon we walked through a family of Canadian Geese. How I have missed the site of these wild geese. They represent home. Along the lagoon, I parked under a tree, baby boy still asleep. I looked at his innocent face deep in sleep and wondered what a peaceful way to take a nap. So different than where we live where 40+ degrees in the summer prevent us from stepping foot outside. I sat at that bench for a while trying to take it all in, to cherish every moment because now unlike before I am a visitor in my own hometown. I have a round-trip ticket that makes every day spent here worth cherishing. And I will do just that-cherish every moment spent with my son in my beautiful city.

Gourmand, Japanese, Organic, Vegan, Vegetarian

Sushi-heaven at Shizen Ya (Vancouver, Canada)

April 15, 2014 1 Comment

Shizen Ya is one of the best sushi spots in Vancouver with two convenient locations. One on Hornby street directly across from the courthouse making it a great lunch destination. If you are a health-conscious eater searching for vegetarian, organic and vegan eateries then you will absolutely fall head over heels for Shizen Ya. The quality of the food is quite possibly one of the highest I have tasted and is definitely above many other downtown sushi locations. There is no doubt that all ingredients down to the brown rice and wasabi are organic. Given that it is all organic it tends to be a little pricier than other sushi spots but then again you are paying a bit extra for the quality. Each plate of food that was brought to our table reinforced the passion and dedication that goes into their ingredients and preparation making Shizen Ya one of my favorite sushi spots in town. Definitely a tiny gem downtown that should be visited by all (if you can find room in the tiny eater).

We started off with the organic wild rice and tofu salad with quinoa. I have never tasting anything so fresh and flavorful as this salad.

An order of salmon sashimi.

and brown rice shrimp tempura and avocado roll.

Belgian, Canada, Dessert, Vancouver, Waffles

Waffles at Nero Belgian Waffle Bar (Vancouver, Canada)

March 4, 2014 No Comments

Vancouver has many things but one thing that it lacks is a good selection of dessert shops that are open late. The only place to have desserts in the west end used to be True Confections who, let’s be honest, no longer serves good cake. So the opening of Nero Belgian Waffle Bar is a welcoming site in the west end.

As the name suggests the shop offers a range of waffles served with the likes of nutella, bananas, strawberries, chocolate… and the list goes on.

The Waffle Bar itself is extermely small with only a few small tables. However, there is also a take out window on the outside where you can order your waffles and coffee/tea to go.

We ordered two waffles to share. One served with bananas and nutella and the other strawberries with whipped cream. The presentation was perfect and the waffles themselves were crisp on the outside yet soft on the inside and slightly chewy. Overall, it was the perfect dessert and is a great spot for sweet-tooths like me looking for a midnight sugar fix.

Asian, Food, Japan, Ramen, Vancouver

Addicted to Gyoza King since 2003 (Vancouver, Canada)

February 27, 2014 No Comments

It seems that the majority of my time was spent eating in the West End where there is a densely packed number of Korean, Japanese, Malaysian and other Asian restaurants. Gyoza King is no new addition! It has been around for over a decade. The tiny Japanese restaurants specializes in handmade gyozas with different fillings including the pork, prawn and chives, prawns and pork and chives. They also serve pages and pages of other Japanese delicacies typically found in Izakayas.

As a regular, I have the menu memorized and always order two servings of the pork, prawn and chives and pork and chive gyozas. You just can’t go wrong with these pan-fried dumplings. They are as good as it gets and you would do yourself a huge injustice if you went to the restaurant and failed to get the dumplings.

Next, I always order the Agadeshi Tofu. Pieces of skilen firm tofu are cut into cubes, lightly dusted with potato starch and deed fried to a golden crisp. They are then served in a bed of hottentsuu borth made of dashi, mirin and sho-yu (Japanese soy sauce) and topped with finely chopped spring onions, grated daikon and dried bonito flakes which dance in the heat to give this dish the ultimate visual appearance. The agadeshi tofu at Gyoza King is the best I’ve ever had through my trips around the world.

An order of kimchi Udon is only one of many servings of udon offered at Gyoza King. Udon served without the broth is what I would explain to those who have never tasted it as the Japanese version of spaghetti. Instead of meatballs and tomato sauce the Japanese have come up with their own concoction of tasty sauces to blend the udon with making it a hit at the dinner table each and every time. All this food would not be complete had it not been for the bottle of unfiltered sake which made everything taste even more delicious but yet filled us up too quickly. I was sad that I was too full to eat all my other favorites on their menu like the Chicken Karagge (Japanese fried chicken), ebi mayo (fried shrimp with mayonnaise) and tuna tataki.

Japanese, Ramen, Vancouver

Ramen Time at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka (Vancouver, Canada)

February 23, 2014 No Comments

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka has long been on my list of Japanese restaurants to try. Sadly, with all the other delicious selections in the West End, I never had the chance and each time that I did try there was always a long line up out the door making me think twice.

On my last trip to Vancouver, I finally made it in the door and was seated within minutes (a miracle according to restaurant fans). For those of you who still don’t know, I love Japanese food, Japanese culture, and anything and everything Japanese. My love for ramen- that steaming hot bowl of Japanese soup is like no other. I would give up an arm and a leg for a good bowl of Ramen. One night after watching the ‘Ramen Girl’ on TV- I decided that I would quit my life and school and move to Japan to learn how to make a great bowl of ramen. That dream never panned out but you if you are ever looking for me, try your nearest Ramen shop. I might be in there slurping away on some good old ramen.

Santouka Ramen is a Japanese chain restaurant which opened doors in Vancouver a few years back, given Vancouver’s large Japanese population. It seems quite popular with both expat Japanese and local Vancouverites. The menu consists of a list of the basic ramens and other dishes for those who arent too big a fan of ramen.
We ordered a side of Gyoza (Japanese pan-fried dumpling) to start. Oh how I have longed for a taste of these delicious treats in my days in Louisiana where authentic Japanese food is non-existent. What suffering I go through. These gyozas were delicious and gone within minutes. A friend who has never tried ramen- shyed away from the thought and ordered a bowl of Salmon Don. The serving was on the small side making it an ideal starter for those who are extremely hungry. As for me I always order the Tonkotsu ramen– a mild, pearl-colored soup where the pork bones are simmered for 20 hours to make the perfect broth. Before serving the vegetables, noodles and other ingredients are added to make magic. I’ve been to several Ramen shops in Vancouver and found this ramen to be only average. I’ve definitely had better in neighboring ramen shops located on Denman street.

My partner in food in Vancouver and I both looked at each other and agreed that this Ramen joint is by far not the best in town. Leaving us with the same question? What is all the fuss about? Why such line-ups when there are plenty of other good authentic ramen places in the West End? Perhaps, nostalgia brings those expats here reminding them of their home. While the food is consistent and good it is definitely not worth waiting an hour for (although the other ones definitely on Denman definitely are). (see post on Motomochi Shokudo)

Canada, Pastries, Travel, Vancouver

Viennoiserie at Beaucoup Bakery (Vancouver, Canada)

February 10, 2014 No Comments

If you know anything about me, you know that the one thing I do best and often is to travel. My latest trip took me to my hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia. I hadn’t been back home for almost two years which meant there were many new restaurants to try and review. But after two years of being away all I really wanted to do was visit old favorites. A few newer places were on the must-eat list including the most talked about bakery in South Granville, Beaucoup Bakery.

I gathered all my girlfriends for a day of venturing into Vancouver’s food scene. It was the most perfect and beautiful sunny day for it. We walked across the Granville Street Bridge and followed our stomach’s to Beaucoup Bakery. The place was packed forming a line almost out the door. I felt at home and was immediately transported back to my college years in Paris.

An assortment of Viennoiserie sat perfectly in the baskets along the wall including my favorites: Pain au Chocolat, Chausson aux Pommes and Croissants.

A pain au chocolat and pain aux raisins were my choice while my friend ordered the most tempting creation: a blue cheese and raisin twist which was truly amazing. While butter is a key ingredient to French pastries, these were drowned with butter to the point where each bite released a mouthful of butter. My girlfriends while enjoying every bite felt that theirs too was too rich in butter…if there ever was a thing. I’m not one to complain of too much butter and definitely enjoyed every bite. My girlfriends loved it so much that rumor has it they are now big fans. Me? Unfortunately I left Vancouver shortly after my first visit.