Magic at the Night Market

BBQ at night

Being an introvert in Vancouver can be a bit difficult given the huge variety of things to do. On any given weekend there are parades, races, parties, festivals, and more. One of my favorite summer activities is the summer night market in Richmond. Imagine going from Canada to China and back one evening. There are so many wonderful things to see and do that everything becomes magical. With over 200 vendors and 70 food stalls, there is an amazing experience for everyone. Need socks? How about some crazy Korean ones at 5 pairs for $10? Jewelry? Sometimes tough to find the classy amongst the tacky, but I managed. What about bedding? Or iphone covers? Have a burning desire for everything Hello Kitty? And this only covers a small portion of the non-food vendors!

Why yes, my socks do say "I am a sheep and a strawberry"

But let’s talk about the food for a second. Imagine traveling across Asia for months trying to sample delicacies from every region. Now imagine condensing those months into a few nights in Richmond. I wish I could say that I have tried every stand, but the thought makes my stomach hurt. Plus there are way too many squid stands. I can assertively say that the Xin Jiang Style BBQ is to-die for! New coconuts are always delicious as well, although at $5/each, I would rather get something else next time. I would recommend trying a potato hurricane as well as the bbq. Sadly, I was absorbed in eating the hurricane and failed to take a photo, but I promise to rectify this next time.

Abalone shell jewelery

In the end, all I can say is that the night market really does deserve the highest praise.

Summer Night Market

Career Adventures

In the five months since graduating from culinary school, I have been trying desperately to find my bliss and stay afloat financially. This blog has become more than a hobby; it is closer to being an obsession. I think up posts weeks in advance, read books on food photography, and apply for one in a million blogger jobs. This is my passion, but sadly, it doesn’t provide me with income yet. I spent the first month out of culinary school, selectively choosing places to apply. In that month I applied to maybe four jobs. Nothing happened. In the second month I began to get worried and applied to about twenty jobs. I had an amazing interview, but again, nothing happened. Month three was a rush of job applications, with at least one daily, but despite my best efforts, I remained jobless. Last month I decided to take my own kind of action. If I had trouble getting an excellent job, then I would just create one myself.

My dear friend Jaime created her business Allow Me-meals to go, and I decided to do something similar. Thus Adventures with Salt meal prep was born. This was the first week of actually being in business and I believe that the Quiche Lorraine with Garlic Rosemary Mushrooms and Tomatoes was a huge hit. This is the start of a new beginning and with any luck I will soon start to make a profit instead of trading services with wonderful people such as my dog walker Denise. I truly hope that I will soon be able to rely fully on my prep meals and blogging, thus living the dream! For more information about the Adventures with Salt meals, please comment or email adventureswithsalt@gmail.com

Brunch at Ensemble Tap

I have never been much of a breakfast person. Despite my love of most breakfast food, not to mention my addiction to bacon, it just didn’t seem worth it to wake up early and eat. Which is why brunch is one of the best creations ever. Recently I received a coupon for a free mimosa with brunch at Ensemble Tap on Smithe. I visited the original Ensemble last year and was excited to try the new restaurant (and get my free mimosa). 

First of all, the mimosa was amazing! They come in guava flavor as well as orange and were delicious and perfect for brunch. I ordered the pulled pork with barbeque beans and was amazed by the depth of flavor in the bowl. The only problem was that the beans and pork were so well flavored that I couldn’t taste the poached eggs.  Despite this, the dish was excellent. I was lucky enough to have my mom as my brunch buddy and she ordered the three farm eggs with bacon. Despite the comparative simplicity of her meal, the eggs were amazing and had vibrant yellow yolks. Her plate also came with the best sourdough toast I have tasted at a restaurant. 

Overall the meal was excellent. There were some small imperfections, but I strongly believe that Ensemble Tap will become a popular new brunch place. And since I left with a new mimosa coupon, I definitely intend to visit again.

Lolita's

One of the biggest problems with my move to Vancouver has been the lack of high quality Mexican food. There are plenty of Mexican fusion places and a few chain burrito shops, but traditional Mexican food is difficult to find. When I first moved here I was told that Lolita’s has the best Mexican food in the city. For months I postponed visiting, primarily because of the high cost, but finally I caved in to the allure of margaritas and good food. 

First I should say that Lolita’s is not really a traditional Mexican restaurant. Although they have several traditional dishes, most menu items involve Pacific Northwest ingredients such as albacore tuna, B.C. salmon, and ling cod. Since I was on a mission to find true Mexican food, I stuck with traditional items such as carne asada and achiote chicken tacos, guacamole, and chips. The food was excellent and the portions were large. The chips were made fresh and I could not stop eating them. The guacamole had good flavor and was clearly made fresh, and the bean dip was a pleasant surprise. Both of the tacos had excellent flavor, but were unfortunately drowning in red cabbage coleslaw, which was delicious on its own, but did not belong on tacos.

In the end I can say that Lolita’s deserves a positive review, but has some key kinks to work out. Mexican food is meant to be an inexpensive treat, but at Lolita’s the prices are higher than I would like to pay. My search is for traditional Mexican food with flair and a reasonable price tag. At Lolita’s the food is delicious, but I strongly believe that there is better Mexican food to be found in Vancouver at a much lower price.

 

Guu is Guu'd

 

Rarely is a meal so spectacular that you are still in awe of it a week later. Luckily there are still some amazing meals where every aspect is perfect. Excellent service, tasty drinks, sublime food, and an exciting ambiance can come together to make an unforgettable meal. This was my experience at Guu. Behind the extremely bland exterior of an awning on a rather unremarkable street lies one of the best restaurants in Vancouver.

Because celebrating my Mom’s birthday motivated my visit to Guu, we started out the evening with some nice cocktails. I definitely recommend the sake mojitos and since all cocktails are under $9, I will be enjoying more in the future. Most of Guu’s menu items are authentic Japanese tapas. And I know that Japanese tapas sound like a bit of a contradiction, but trust me that they are delicious! The atmosphere is almost controlled chaos with an open kitchen, bar, and limited space. Despite this, the high energy only made our meal better.

Between my Mom and I, we had six dishes including dessert. We started with the Aigamo Salad, which was a roasted duck salad with a wasabi dressing. Truly one of the best salad dressings I have ever tried, but this was my least favorite of the dishes. Up next was the Ebi Mayo, which was a deep-fried prawn with chili mayo. I cannot think of tasting a better prawn dish in my life. Sadly my photos of the prawns don’t really reflect how delicious they were!

Next was a daily special of mussels in a garlic butter sake broth. The mussels were tender and the broth was light and refreshing. Fourth came Hotate Butter, a delectable garlicky scallop dish served on some of the best bread I have ever tasted! Our last savory dish was Tuna Tataki in a ponzu sauce. I am a self-confessed tuna addict and Guu did not fail me here! The meal was completed with green tea ice cream that left me wanting more. 

In the end I have to say that I wish I could visit Guu every day. Or work there, learn their secrets, and gorge on tuna tataki and prawns for the rest of my life. Mmmm. 

 

Simple Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

Some days are just painful. Migraines, knee injuries, and rain combine with a huge need to clean and do laundry before family arrives for a visit. At the end of the day it can be difficult to even think about cooking, let alone make a healthy meal. Luckily I have a simple recipe to cure even the worst bad-day blues. The salad dressing lasts for up to two weeks, it can be made in advance. Usually I always have a supply in my fridge for all kinds of salads.

Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 shallot finely chopped

1 t Dijon mustard

2 T balsamic vinegar

½ cup olive oil

•  Combine shallot, mustard, and vinegar in a bowl

• Slowly whisk in olive oil-note that the amount of oil specified is for my personal preference and can be adjusted

Beet Salad

3-4 whole beets (any variety will do, I used golden in the photos)

1 batch simple balsamic dressing

goat cheese

• Steam beets for 45 minutes

• Peel and slice into thin cylinders

• Drizzle salad dressing on top of beets and top with crumbled goat cheese

Enjoy!

Whole Foods Grocery Store Review

Years ago when I was first starting ballet lessons my long-suffering mother was stuck driving me over an hour to ballet class, feeding me, and driving another hour home at least three times per week. In these dark days of parental self-sacrifice, there was a single glowing beacon: Whole Foods. The Santa Fe Whole Foods was paradise in the form of a grocery store and I ate many delicious meals from their deli, not to mention the amazing ciabatta bread loaves! Needless to say, Whole Foods already had a dear place in my heart that was not disappointed by my recent visit to a Vancouver Whole Foods.

When I first moved here, I was overjoyed that there was a Whole Foods a mere seven blocks from my new home. Sadly I didn’t realize that five of those blocks were an uphill battle while walking home and laziness and convenience won out. Now this Whole Foods is much smaller than what I am used to, but still manages to have an excellent produce section. I hadn’t planned on buying many vegetables, but was too tempted by the reasonably priced artichokes and delicious looking golden beets. I should also mention that Whole Foods is one of the few places you can find crucial popcorn ingredients such as nutritional yeast and paper bags. In fact the only disappointment about this Whole Foods was the butcher’s counter. Not only did they have limited meat options, but also the staff had no real knowledge of the products. Despite this, I was very impressed with the organization, selection, and price of the Robson St. Whole Foods. It may not be as good as Santa Fe, but it is still an excellent choice.

Leg of Lamb Sold Out
Panko $3.99/227 g
Star Anise $5.99/20 g
Artichokes 2/$3 (current special sale, regularly $2.49/each)

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Urban Fare Review

Whole Foods Robson St.