EAT

sub culture

04-09-2009

special

Hands down the best Vietnamese subs in Vancouver are at Balé on Kingsway. A Bánh mì sandwich does taste better while on vacation in steamy vibrant bustling Saigon, but when you can get the same baked-that-morning baguettes and fresh ingredients right here in VanCity one must be thankful each and every time you bite into one. Mmmmm…pictured here is the ‘special’, an assortment of cold cuts(pork pork & pork), paté, lightly pickled daikon and carrots, cilantro, jalapenos and light mayo(home-made?)

They have recently renovated and are about to fire up their new big gleaming oven. You want to take the sub to a park or eat it on the run, or the car if you can’t wait even a few minutes to get home.

Bale Sandwich Shop(take-out)
21-701 Kingsway
(604) 875-6322

Salt Tasting Room – Farm to Table p2

By: Angela

26-08-2009

DRINK, EAT, EVENTS, VANCOUVER

This post is a bit late but on a hot summer night last month that my friend took me to Salt Tasting Room’s Cellar Event, fun I had, so i just have to post it. I dig this little gem tucked away in the bowels of Gastown, the wine selection is good and accessible, the ingredients for their plates are from the city’s best producers, and the cellar is a cool retreat on a sweltering summer night.

Best discovery of the night? Victoria Gin! Yes the olives were fantastic, the production lesson was informative but the gin martini was stupendous! All I wanted was another one. The initial flavours are star anise, then orange peel, finishing with woody oris root, gins are complex. With salt cured Italian Cerignola and Castelvetrano olives the martini is complete.

Salt Tasting Room-Cellar Events

Bun Suong, Ben Thanh Market, Saigon

By: Angela

29-05-2009

EAT, TRAVEL, VIETNAM

Ben Thanh Market

Noodles noodles noodles, I can never eat enough noodles, in broth, in miso, in curry, fried with thick sweet soy, deep fried topped with a mountain of veg, fried by a South Indian man, fried by a street hawker, made with well water from only one city in the world, pulled, cut or rolled, noodles made with egg, rice, buckwheat, mung bean, semolina or sweet potato, the varieties are endless.

When we were in Saigon, Vietnam, I had noodles in soup almost every morning for a month interspersed with a Banh Mi here and there. That made me happy as a clam, ready to start the outrageously hot day.

Bun Suong Noodles in Soup
When in Saigon we went to Ben Thanh market to check out the local food stands for breakfast. My eyes look around to find the stall most populated and with the freshest ingredients, we pull up a stool and order. We both have Bun Suong, while you cant actually see what’s in the bowl from our hasty photos, inside is shrimp paste rolls, huge succulent prawns and rice vermicelli in delicious broth and the customary plate of fresh herbs and sprouts, you know I could eat this every day. The big gringo orders another bowl, the stall girls giggle. Happiness.

Ben Thanh Market, Saigon
Walking around the market we eye more gorgeous foods and friendly smiles. Vietnamese are pretty smiley people, super hard working and industrious. Give a smile, get a smile, vice versa.

Boneta Loves You xoxo

By: Angela

21-05-2009

DRINK, EAT, VANCOUVER

Boneta in Gastown, Vancouver, BC

Dinner at Boneta, just look at that luscious braised short rib, scalloped potatoes, and decadent onion rings, wow that is a lot of food for one gal. All mouthwatering. But wait, there’s more! Home-made gnocchi with fried sage in brown butter is fat+starch satisfyingly good. And to add to the already heavy deliciousness is Brooklyn Beer on tap.

Gnocchi in brown butter with fried sage

Entrées at $25+ is pretty standard for this calibre of dining, its a good choice to taste local ingredients done contemporary. Also awesome is the ever friendly owner partner wine guru Neil Ingram (especially friendly when you hang with CBC’s Margaret Gallagher).

The ceiling dons framed mirrors angled and hanging. The walls are adorned with local artist Charles Forsberg’s very large canvases. Charles, can I store one of these in my living room for you?

You can kinda see the painting on the right in my layered night shot.

Boneta, painting, reflection

Les Faux(not Pho) Bourgeois

By: Angela

10-03-2009

DRINK, EAT, VANCOUVER

les_faux_bourgoise

My new favourite restaurant is 50-seat Les Faux Bourgeois snuggled in the triangle shaped swatch at Kingsway and Fraser.

This French bistro is the brainchild of Andreas Seppelt(co-owner of Go Fish and the old Bukowski’s) and Stephan Gagnon (a former co-owner of Jules Bistro in Gastown). The consulting Chef was Tina Fineza of Flying Tiger.

The food is great and I won’t go on about it except for the fillet de boeuf grillé, all elements perfectly done, the escargot’s got garlicky goodness and the sweetbreads sandwich will make you swoon. But one of the best things about the vibe there is that its causal and friendly, while some of the accents of French waiters and bartender takes you half way around the world. So lovely.

The other thing that brings me back is that it has a long bar with nice selection of affordable wines by the glass, woo, no tables available? No problem, I can sit at the bar and eat a full meal or hang there for some social time with a friend. Highly lacquered wood walls and wood everything comforts you as you walk in, combined with low lighting gives it that popular ‘dive bar’ feel says owner Andreas.

Its been very busy since it opened last summer. Les Faux Bourgeois is now open on Sundays too. Make a rezzie or drop in after 9pm if you want a table!

Lobster lady – Nha Trang

By: Angela

17-02-2009

EAT, TRAVEL, VIETNAM

lobster lady clams & conch

Oh I love Nha Trang, I love it in all the touristy ways, lounging at the beach, temple seeking, hunting for art and hanging out with local artists or clinking glasses with expats, but most of all I love the food! Food, food, delicious fresh Vietnamese food.

I swear it is the easiest cuisine to eat, whether you are a vegetarian, meatatarian or fusspot. So my fav meal just so happened to be on the beach, it was a late lunch of fresh bbq-ed lobster & steamed conch with sweet, salty, sour chili dip. Just wait for lobster lady to come by in the afternoon, you’ll recognize her by the biggest smile beaming from her tanned face, her wiry body carrying her wears on shoulder baskets.

Concurring with Batali and Bourdain’s ‘last bite’ being Vietnamese food, mine might just have to be grilled lobster from Nha Trang lobster lady.

Babi Guling @ Bu Oka, Bali

By: Angela

02-01-2009

EAT, INDONESIA, TRAVEL

Where can we get a local cheap meal in Ubud, Bali we asked our friend? We wanted authentic fare not a for tourist only resto, so buddy suggested Bu Oka west of the town market(for tourist) and across from Ubud Palace. We walked by and it was just what we were looking for and they sold ice cold Bintangs too, hello!

The sight of a freshly roasted pig stuffed with spices then slow roasted over a fire pit with glistening dark coconut water basted skin was very exciting. We ordered up 3 plates and jostled for a spot streetside. You can sit inside(which is just roofed, sans shoes) but we like the pig carving action and the thought of catching a breeze that never came.

As you can see from the photo, our plates did not disappoint. Flavour of the pork was piggy-li-cious, it was moist and skin cracked between your teeth, veggies were spicy, random fried innards were tough but good(but what were they?), there was some blood sausage thingy, all washed down with a frosty beer and a cheers to good health etc., all was good.

Also check out Anthony Bourdain’s Bali/Indonesia episode for his experience at Bu Oka.

Note: not open for dinner

Inside Out wining & dining

By: Angela

20-10-2008

DRINK, EAT, VANCOUVER

One of my favourite places to take in Vancouver’s scenery and indulge in some fresh local seafood Pacific Northwest style and of course cold beer and local wines(also boasts an international collection of 1800 bottles) is the Sandbar Restaurant on Granville Island, Vancouver.

Its mostly always busy and there is a after work crowd around the main level bar on weekday afternoons, don’t let that deter you because the view through all the exterior glass walls on the main level or the upstairs patio is excellent! Totally like being a tourist in your own city.

The best part of the experience is the view from the upstairs(3rd level) outdoor covered patio, thoroughly outfitted with heat lamps and personal lap blankets for those chilly VanCity nights. Its hard not to just sit and catch the sunset and cheers the night away, maybe you’d be lucky enough to score a table with personal fireplace, maybe you are ok with sitting at the small bar but you def have to sit outside! The last visit ended with much scotch and rum on the rocks…ow!

Their website here

Cobre Latin Restaurant

By: Angela

26-09-2008

DRINK, EAT, VANCOUVER

We had the local albacore tuna ceviche to start, love the ceviche!

Then to share, Maple chipotle glazed beef short ribs with sweet potato chips, and Pan seared BC sablefish y fennel sausage chilaquiles, achiote azafran tomato broth y mole amarillo.