Nancy's Quick Pick #6, Rajio Japanese Public House

I just tried the new Rajio Japanese Public House at West 10th at Alma St. for the first time and loved it.  This doesn't surprise me too much, as this is the new sister restaurant to Suika on Broadway, which I also love.  Rajio (as in radio) has only been open about three months, but everything seems to be running smoothly.  Perhaps as smoothly as their "smooth pudding" which is this amazing creme caramel cold dessert that so lives up to its name.  I've visited twice in total but on the first visit, it was a very chilly night and their big bowl of oden is perfect.  Thank you Y's Mommy (as credited in the menu for the oden)!

Kushi katsu - it's hard to go wrong with fried things on sticks.  They are served with a Japanese tartar sauce, onion relish, lemon salt, and kushi katsu sauce (thin and salty).  I liked all of the ones I had, but there was definitely a stand out for me - the braised pork belly was both melty and crispy.  I also love the chewy texture of mochi, so the rice cake was delicious.  You can customize and choose your own, go with one of their combos.  My first set on the first visit was on the fresh sheet and was called the premium set.  On my second visit, I chose eggplant, oyster, gyoza, camembert and pancake (which was really chunks of okonomyaki, Japanese "pancake" with pieces of cabbage) and they were all tasty (though I recommend going with the premium set if you can).  On the topic of cabbage, you are given a complimentary bowl of salt cabbage with some sort of salty relish on it.  They say it is for digestion, and it is the perfect light, crunch complement for the fattier izakaya foods.  I've tried two cocktails so far, and they were both fantastic - the homemade ginger highball and the special pineapple sour.   The tuna from the fresh sheet wasn't that great to be honest, but these things vary so much from day to day, I wasn't too worried about it.

 Homemade Ginger Highball, Complimentary Salt Cabbage and Condiments for Kushi Katsu

 Kushi Katsu Premium Set

 Disney glass is to put used skewers, Japanese Tartar, Lemon Salt, Onion Relish, Kushi Katsu Sauce

 Secret Oden (yes, there's a little weiner, and mochi in a soybean wrap)

Local Tuna (Albacore) on the fresh sheet 

Seafood Rice Cake Pizza

 Mentaiko Kimchi Yaki Udon

Mango Pudding

 Smooth Pudding (SO smooth!)

The seafood rice cake pizza (like a giant rice cracker) was a special, and was pretty good.  The udon dish was very tasty, but I would say that the texture of the noodles at Suika is slightly better, but I still gobbled this dish up here.  Mango pudding was excellent with a layer of tender  mango on top and a relatively light and creamy pudding underneath.

Their decor was pretty cute (lit up children's character masks on one wall) and casual, but I hope they replace metal folding chairs which are a little too casual looking and not that comfortable. There are some banquettes though, which were quite comfortable.

Nancy's Quick Pick #5, Nero Belgian Waffle Bar

Nero's Belgian Waffle Bar , on Robson at Bidwell St., makes waffles in both the Brussels and Liege styles.  Pictured above is a Liege waffle with banana and ample Nutella, with that denser, chewier  texture, uneven edges and bits of pearl sugar.  I will try the lighter, crispier Brussels waffle next time I go.  They have all sorts of interesting toppings including savoury ones, or you can just have your fresh waffle topless.  It's a cute little shop with several tables and charmingly authentic Belgian owners (a young couple who have just had their first baby).  They also make good espresso coffees, and seem to be open all the time - right now listing 11 pm closing times!  It's nice to be able to find an excellent dessert and coffee in a sit-down restaurant available after dinnertime downtown.  Too often, places close down early, or they just have mediocre desserts and rely on their ambience.  As of this posting, they are closed on Mondays.  Don't forget the savoury options though!  I've had brie, honey and walnuts on a waffle there too.  Their Facebook page seems to have more information right now than their website which is under construction.

Nancy's Quick Pick #4, Shuraku

 

 

Shuraku on Granville at Robson St., downtown is my fourth quick pick.  I went for lunch and chose the "gozen", a set meal for lunch and was presented with a beautiful and delicious array of food (about $17).  The photo above shows the meal, and miso soup, rice, and green tea ice cream for dessert were all included.  It was more than enough food.  I also had a sake flight (I think this was $12 for the three samples of sake), and loved especially the bottle pictured above that has a distinct taste of tea.  The owner of Shiraku seems to be a big fan of sake and brings in bottles that you can't get on your own.  The food is great.  My service that day was slow because they were running around trying to keep up with the big Boxing Day crowd, but they are friendly and attentive otherwise.  This place can seem pricey to someone who is used to cheaper sushi places, but the food quality and taste is high, so I think it is well worth it.

Nancy's Quick Pick #3: España

España at 1118 Denman St. at Pendrell St. is a great little Spanish Tapas restaurant with delicious food.  They do not take reservations and during my mid-week visit, there were people waiting for tables at the door later in the evening.  There were so many things I wanted to eat on the menu, but I settled on the crispy chickpeas, the chicken liver, anchovy, and sherry pate on country toast, Padron style peppers, and an endive, serrano ham,  egg, and manchego salad.  They have a nice list of wines by the glass, and I chose a glass of red.  I finished with coffee and a sherry trifle with pomegranate and strawberries.  All of these were delicious, and I heartily recommend them.  I fell in love with a little tapas joint in Barcelona, and I think Espana might be the closest thing to it that we have in town.  Service was excellent as well.

Nancy's Quick Pick #2, Forage

Forage is the new restaurant at the Listel Hotel on Robson St. at Jervis St., replacing O'Douls.  The restaurant is in a completely different space and to me, the decor is a vast improvement to the old, dark O'Douls.  Really bright and cosy with flannel blanket-like wall covers.  Unfortunately though, the live jazz aspect is lost, I think.   The focus is on sustainability, and I've been a fan of Chef Whittaker's approach to food for a long time.  I've only had a chance to have brunch there so far, but hope to check out dinner soon.  My brunch (a great hash with winter veggies and turkey sausage, with eggs and toast (served with house made cherry and berry jam) was delicious and reasonably priced at $12.  Coffee was good too.

Nancy's Quick Pick #1, Sal y Limon

I must admit I'm finding it hard to write full blog posts like I used to.  So in an effort to get things rolling again here, I'm going to post a series of quick picks.  Basically if you think your taste is similar to mine, just go.  These are places that I'm strongly recommending based on just one very recent visit where I experienced a problem free meal (food, drink, service, decor, etc.).  I'm keeping it simple so I'll just give you the name and location of these restaurants.  But only the best are going to be good enough to be quick picks.

Nancy's Quick Pick #1 is Sal y Limon, Kingsway at Fraser St., a great, authentic casual Mexican counter service restaurant.  Just go.

Living Up to the Hype and Expense: Per Se Restaurant in New York

Chef's Tasting Menu (personalized and taken home)

There is just too much to say about my meal at Per Se in New York City, that I'm just going to go ahead and post just the photos without a lot of commentary.  Everything was exceptionally delicious and beautiful, and the experience that the staff present was really lovely.  It lived up to all expectations.  New York is an exciting place to visit and my friends and I were able to dine at the restaurants ranked #6 (Per Se) and #10 (Eleven Madison Park) in the world by The World's 50 Best Restaurants while we were there.  I've dined at the restaurant currently ranked at #2 (El Cellar de Can Roca, Girona Spain) and I've got to say that Per Se does hold its own in comparison.  These are grand experiences where every detail is carefully thought out and executed.  I would say that Per Se excelled in making us comfortable and accomodated us in every way (even though we were hyper, touristy, fangirls taking countless photos of everything).  In this way, I found them to be better hosts than our experience at EMP, which did feel ever so slightly snooty to me, and more restrictive.   I would absolutely love to dine at the French Laundrey in California, and I would dine at Per Se all over again too.  

 The Vegetable Option (none of us chose this one unfortunately)

I think this is the Crown Jewel (Oxley English Dry Gin, Hibiscus Syrup & Basil).  It was tasty.

 Perfect Gougères

The Famous Cornets - Salmon Tartare with Sweet Red Onion Crème Fraîche

Oysters and Pearls 

I think my favourite was the Thomas Keller signature dish, Oysters and Pearls, which I've heard about for years as it's served at The French Laundrey.  Thomas Keller has said that he's never actually eaten this dish.  A shame, as it's the kind of dish you consider licking the plate after, and I was trying to savour every last molecule.  A great beginning, along with the goucheres and the cornets.

 Two Wonderful Butters From Different Regions

 Salts That Came With My Friends' Foie Gras

Delicious Buttery Roll 

 The View At Our Table (just at the edge of Central Park)

 Hearts of Palm Salad

Foie Gras (Not mine)

 The Bread

It's all in the details.  My favourite was the composite bread shown in the lower right.  It had an unlevened hat on top of a leavened head underneath.  

Atlantic Striped Bass

 

Lobster

Quail

 A Peek Inside the Quail

 Lamb

 Cheddar

 Sake-Soda, Green Tea Ice Cream 

I think this is the best palate cleanser I've ever had.  Fizzy and refreshing!

 Cake with Great Textures and Chocolate and Hazelnut

I wish I could get this cake all the time. 

Strawberry Tea

 Gift for the Birthday Occasion

 Pretty Cup and Saucer for Cappucino

 Amazing Chocolate Selection

At this point, we were all painfully aware that we couldn't fit more food in, and then they come at us with the chocolates and other mignardises and tempt us by describing all the flavours.  Every single one was a different flavour and they were all intriguing.  They were good enough to wrap up some of our mignardises for us to take home when we asked.  And they send us off with a folder of our menus, a booklet about their food sources an amazing little cotton pouch of various candies!  

Mignardises Included Truffles, Macarons, and Caramels 

Presented in a beautiful silver three tier tin that folds out.

  

Baby Mangos! Awwwww!

I just bought some of these super adorable baby mangos from a produce store in Kitsilano. I tried eating one with the skin, and it was delicious. I loved the chewy texture of the skin, which really added to the mango experience. I usually don't eat the skin of the big mangos. And as a bonus, when you're eating a tiny mango, skin and all, it is extremely tidy, making them a great addition to a lunch bag. I find that if I am eating a regular-sized, juicy mango, I want to do it in the privacy of my own home, close to a sink and a towel. I hope these stick around. I didn't see the whole kiwi berry thing take off here. If you see them, buy them up!

In Memory of My Foodie Cat

[Please note that the following is a departure from my regular food ramblings to express some thoughts about my recently deceased cat, whom I was attached to like he was my own child. He is survived by long time companion, Mango. I adopted both of them on Dec 25, 2010.]

Dear Cole,

Thank you for the fourteen and a half months that we had together. It really seemed like we've known each other for so much longer. I loved you and cared for you with everything I had and I genuinely felt that you appreciated it - I often sensed that I gave you and Mango a much better home than you came from. You gave me so much love, so freely. Your generous, proud and affectionate spirit charmed everyone who met you. Your openness and forthrightness and trusting nature was unusual and beautiful. That openness extended to your desire to try new foods, and we had that in common. From spicy dishes to that good baguette from a French bakery, you always wanted to try everything I was eating, or at least the quality stuff. Never saw you going after the regular supermarket bread. I love that you and Mango have such different personalities and preferences. With you, it was food, and with Mango, I have a love of music and a critical ear in common, for example. She and I will comfort each other while we miss you and grieve for you.

I will miss your classic flop and roll maneuver to elicit a belly rub (a remarkably open gesture that characterized how you lived in general). I will miss watching you walk into every room with your tail held high. I will miss the tender way you look up into my eyes when you are feeling particularly content in a cuddle, and want to connect. You never held a grudge, and you looked to me with trust right to the last moment when you lay your head down gently in the emergency clinic. Know that I truly believe it to be the right time to let you go for your sake, and that it would have only been selfish of me to try to extend your suffering.

Life seems so fragile right now. I spent a week dreading your loss last year when I was waiting for the results from the tumour removal. This time, there was no time to contemplate the possibility. There's just time now to mourn. Endless time, really. It's hard to describe how attached I was to you. You were up with me every morning when I was getting ready for work, and you met me at the door whenever I came home. Sometimes I would catch you staring at me so intently. You were so adorable when you burrowed in to the comforter and just barely poked your head out. Or when you and Mango were cuddled up and grooming each other. You looked out for me, and always came over when I called.

I'm reminded that any of us could die at any time, in any number of ways. It seems so unfair that such a good and kind being as you should have your life cut short but horrible hateful beings live out their lives to the very end. A friend has told me to think about the things that I brought to your life in this time of grief. I think having you in my home was a very good thing for both of us. Death, well, this is part of adopting cats. You take on the likelihood of dealing with the death of the cat in the future automatically upon adoption. Even more likely when you decide to adopt older cats. It is worth it. I wouldn't give up knowing you, Cole, for anything. I hope you understood my gratitude every day, as I expressed it in taking care of you. In turn, you took care of me.

So this letter is a final thank you from my heart.

Yours,
Nancy

Ohhhh, That's The Big Deal...Macarons by Kitchening With Carla

Just a quick note about one product. I honestly didn't really get what the big deal was about macarons. I had some nice ones, but didn't think it was my thing.

At a party, someone introduced me to a macaron from Kitchening With Carly. You can order them online and see who carries them at her website: http://kitcheningwithcarly.com/.

I get it now. This little meringue-y treat was really delicious. I love the texture of the crispness of the outside and the soft inside, and combination of flavours with the jam in the middle. It made me reconsider macarons as not just something for fashionistas with disturbingly high sweetness tolerances. It's something for me too.

My New "Secret" Spot - Adesso Bistro

I realize I've been a bit out of touch - just a natural combination of dieting, slipping deeper into aging homebody mode, and being occupied by other things, but this restaurant is good enough that I would have expected someone to have clued me in, even if they had to knock on my door and drag me over there. And yes, this restaurant is so good, it warrants resurrecting a sleepy blog just to fuss over it too.

Adesso Bistro is in the cosy west-of-Denman hideaway that used to house Parkside and later, L'Altro Buca, at 1906 Haro St. at Gilford St. (604.568.9975). It certainly has already captured the attention of several restaurant reviewers, but this little gem somehow managed to slip past the radar of myself and perhaps many other folk; it was pretty quiet the night that I went, and a small poll at a party didn't get any signs of recognition). Though as I write, there is an active Groupon that will no doubt draw the ravaging bargain-hunting hoards to descend upon it (no disrespect intended, as I am speaking as one of you).

One night this week, I was just driving around looking for free parking, intending to grab a quick bite to eat on Denman. The spot I found was right across from Adesso, and decided to check it out since I was in the mood for pasta anyway. I wound up having the best meal I can remember in the last few years. Every detail seemed absolutely perfect. I imagine that this is what it's like to be a piano teacher for beginners in a small town and getting used to listening to pieces mangled day in and day out, and then every year or two making it in to the city to hear a masterpiece by a visiting maestro tackling a difficult piece with seemingly effortless grace. There were no trade-offs in this meal - quite rare in my recent dining. Mind you, this sort of dining isn't cheap, but honestly I found the regular pricing very fair, and they even had a lovely three course prix fixe for $32, and I've seen not only the Groupon offer, but also a website discount, so there's not even a complaint there.

So I'll list the notes that they hit so well.

Location - it feels so tucked away and off the beaten path, but it is right downtown, so it should be easy to get there. It's in my neighbourhood, which I love. I managed to even find free street parking across from the restaurant for those of you who live farther away and like that.

Greeting - friendly and welcoming, and he gave me a choice of spots available. This is significant, as I came in alone, female, Asian, and without a reservation and although you might imagine that most of these things should not result in a less than welcoming reception at restaurants, it far too often does in this town.

Decor - as I mentioned, I've been a fan of this cosy location in the past, and whatever they've changed or not changed in the decor makes for a beautiful, relaxing room in classic style with paintings referencing Italy and a patio to look forward to when the weather warms. It's nicely lit so that it's worthy of any special occasion or full-on romancing dinner while not being too dark to see what you're eating. The tables are spaced apart enough for those intimate dinners too. You would feel at home dressing up here, but it doesn't have an overly formal feel, and the "bistro" name feels appropriate. I was completely comfortable.

Menu - there were many enticing things on the menus to choose from. There were plenty of wines by the glass to choose from. Prosecco cocktails and other cocktails were all there too. There was also a great prix fixe $32 that night that featured salmon or veal for the main course which seemed like a great deal, and I was just in the mood to try other things. I wound up choosing a pizza with roasted mushrooms, truffle fonduta, and fontina cheese to start. Braised duck and gnocchi dish with mushrooms, tomato and parsley for a main. And a steamed lemon cake with yoghurt sorbe. Shouldn't all the food sound like it will be delicious when you're reading the menu? That's what I liked about their menus.

Olives - I was given a little dish of tiny olives right away that were remarkably delicious.

Bread - there seems to be a bit of a trend for places that are expensive enough to have a bread basket to skip the complimentary bread offering. Here, you get a wonderful warm focaccia with that yummy crunch of salt on top, served with very tasty olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Service - this is a big one. The service was flawless throughout. And charming. And helpful. My server even suggested that I might take home some of the pizza when I ordered, foreseeing that there would be too much food for me, and that it would be a shame to be too full for the duck and gnocchi dish. He was always available, checked on me often, but not in any sort of overbearing way, and generally anticipated every possible need. Dishes were whisked away at exactly the moment I would want them to be. It's the type of place where they offer to arrange a cab for you afterwards too.

My savoury food - the restaurant focuses on the Ligurian region of Italy, home of pesto and full of seafood. I started with the mushroom pizza ($13) that was so fragrant and delicious. The edges were very crispy, the crust was very thin, and yet it was hugely satisfying. I could only eat half. Then I had the beautiful stewed duck, tomato, mushrooms with gnocchi ($20). Gnocchi were soft and lovely and mixed in with the luxurious, rich "pulled duck" braise. Mmm, mmm, MMM, pulled duck and potato dumplings (I'm so excited, a bit of my hillbilly is showing through).

(edited to add: My wine - I chose a glass of Santa Christina Chianti, $10, which was delicious alone and went very well with my duck and gnocchi dish, but not as well with the mushroom pizza, I thought. I am sure that I would have had extremely skilled pairing suggestions from my server had I asked. There were also pairings laid out right on the prix fixe menu, and I think the menu with the pairings was only about $45).

My Dessert - now I don't know what's actually happening in the back and who's doing what, but because restaurants often have separate chefs and pastry chefs, sometimes one outshines the other. In this case, I can't even decide whether the savoury or sweet shows more talent, because the dessert was just as delicious as the rest of my meal. I was surprised by how good it was. The steamed lemon cake ($8) was beautifully delicate, warm, and tasty. The frozen yoghurt and berry sauce complimented it very well. I might have been anticipating a clumsier cake, because I was so delighted by the unexpected airiness that is uncommon with a cake that is served warm. Great texture. I could have that dessert over and over again (yah yah, I mean on different days, of course).

Branding/Concept/Restaurant Name - Adesso means "now" in Italian, and knowing that, the name of the restaurant feel perfect too. As their website says, "now", as in today...modern...fresh. With fresh, organic, and local ingredients.

Okay, now to qualify some of this gushing. I want to make it clear that I have only visited the restaurant once. I have no idea if I just happened to luck out and get a fleeting perfect storm of events (maybe I got the very best server who doesn't work other days, maybe I chose the absolute best on the menu, maybe the unexpectedness of the meal heightened the effect of everything, etc.) to produce this wonderful meal. Having read some of the reviews after my meal, I suspect not, and am hopeful that they are consistently great. I am visiting again soon (having gushed to other people and demanding to drag them there myself just before the Groupon magically appeared hours later). I wasn't able to take any decent photos as the camera that I usually have on me (you know, the one I'm always lugging around just in case I run into circumstances like this) was not on me that night. I'll update with my second impressions, and hopefully photos. Buon appetito!

Continuation of the Bamboo Shoot Saga...

Dan Dan Ramen at Sanpachi (Broadway location)

I just wanted to post that I discovered that I have not given up on all bamboo shoot in ramen noodle shops. I've been to Sanpachi Ramen a couple of times (3132 W. Broadway at Balaclava St., 604-738-3132) and their bamboo shoot has considerably less rotting whale flesh flavour than the Benkei Ramen. I still don't think I would consider it a food that I would choose to eat, but it's getting better.

Another note about Sanpachi is that they have a great deal on for happy hour. I'm not sure if this happens at the Robson location. I managed to catch happy hour twice at the Broadway location so far. Between 5 pm - 7 pm, they have 40% off all ramen and izakaya items. This means all the food, but not the drinks. Nice little ramen stop, with a new chef and menu. I've had their Dan Dan ramen (like the Chinese noodle dish with minced pork and peanut-y sesame sauce) which is pictured above and I think I had their shio ramen. I really like the taste and texture of their noodles. The broth on the Dan Dan was too rich for me to finish. I will probably order one of the other ramen dishes next time. I also had some gyoza which were fine. I had some tuna nigiri, which tasted fine but fell apart on me when lifting it up. I had a hankering for dessert and had their sesame ice cream which was okay, but too icy and not smooth and creamy enough for me to recommend. Service is very good. They also have plenty of cocktails and other alcoholic drinks. Sanpachi is part of a chain of restaurants in Japan. The 40% off deal brings this comfortable sit down restaurant with good quality, very filling comfort food to the price point of fast food. I'll be back.

Unfortunate Random Taste Associations and Good Ramen

Have you ever had the smell or taste of one item completely ruin the smell or taste of another item for you? Perhaps some wonderful artisan cheese would have been a beautiful experience for you had it not been for the smell of your brother's feet after a football game indelibly imprinted on your brain as a toddler? I myself hadn't really experienced this before until recently. And mine is a doozy.

I am a big fan of the new Biodiversity Museum in Vancouver (those who know me in real life would not be surprised). To help tell the story of the blue whale skeleton impressively hanging in the atrium, the education staff and volunteers at the museum create a multi-sensory experience with various specimens. One of these is a tiny jar of rotting whale flesh and dirt which has a smell that naturally repulses most people and helps visitors to appreciate the ordeal of unearthing the buried whale carcass and getting the skeleton cleaned. Well thanks to that tiny little jar (and repeated exposures), I can't eat the bamboo shoot included in big bowls of ramen at Benkei Ramen. Now, I can't be sure that I wouldn't have disliked them anyway without the rotting whale flesh smell jar, but I have eaten plenty of Chinese bamboo shoots. Anyhow, I just made another attempt yesterday to eat the bamboo shoots after having made that taste connection during the previous ramen meal. I now know to say "hold the bamboo shoot" when ordering ramen. I have never been one to ask to hold anything that came with a meal I wanted anywhere, so this is disappointing. And think about it, bamboo shoot isn't even a sea organism, so why do they smell/taste the same? And I usually make it a rule to give things the ole' three tries before rejecting anything since so many things are acquired tastes, but I'm at the point where I'm just too repulsed by the association. Maybe I'll give it a try in the future when I'm not exposed to rotting whale flesh so often.

Oh, and by the way, Benkei Ramen is great. I've now tried both the Robson location on Thurlowe St., just off Robson, and the 3217 W. Broadway location. Nice noodle texture, and a hot, hearty meal under $10, which will be especially satisfying once the rain comes back. And should you be curious about my particular association, I've got a great rainy day plan for you - spend a morning at the Biodiversity museum, and then have a nice bowl of ramen in Kits right after.

Looking for Sophistication and Refinement?

Perhaps you have had too many sloppy burgers lately, or you've been going to restaurants with toddlers flinging crayons and wait staff singing manic birthday songs. Are you craving a very civilized dining experience? I had afternoon tea at the Lobby Lounge at the Shangri-La Hotel (1128 West Georgia, at Thurlowe) recently. Service was perfect. The food was tasty (though perhaps not as remarkable as the pastries and sandwiches at The Secret Garden Tea Company in Kerrisdale, which remains my favourite high tea spot). And the room and china was beautiful. It is about $36/person, and reservations are required. The high tea is offered between 1-5 pm.

I have also had lunch upstairs at Market by Jean-Georges as well. Their sable fish with a miso based glaze is so wonderfully tasty.

They have a selection of $35 prix fixe lunches with two dishes and a dessert. I had the below a while ago, but I do remember it being very tasty. There is beef rendang in the picture below. There are lots of Asian influences, and it all works fairly well. And you're going to get the amazing service you expect with a fine hotel. Treat yourself (and your dining companions) to some serenity.

The School "Cafeteria" Has Good Food?!?

It does if you are an international ESL student and your school cafeteria/restaurant/bar is Eh! Restaurant, on the second floor, on Alberni St. just off of Thurlowe St. It's staffed by the international students, and the food is fantastic and great value. I've eaten there several times, and love their deals too. Steak Fridays give you steak and prawns for $10.50. There's Tuesday movie and dinner for $14.95, where you can have a very nice mixed grill with grilled lamb chop, beef tenderloin and garlic prawns, complete with veggies and potato, plus a movie certificate good for a year! I've had their onion rings, and they were fantastic.

The drinks are great value too. There are cheap and delicious drinks like a freshly muddled mojito for $4.25 or daily drink specials (under $5!) like Caipirinha - even better when mine was mixed up strong and authentic by a Brazilian. The taste is on par or better than any restaurant in town, and imagining the trendy socialites buying their drinks at 2 -4 times the price next door at Coast restaurant makes me giddy.

The room is comfortable, casual, and even has free wifi (when I was there last).

The down side? As of writing this post, they are only open until 7 pm Monday to Friday, and closed on weekends and civic holidays. However, they are open early, so if you are looking for some bacon and eggs in that area, or a great huevos rancheros platter, you're in luck.

It's No Secret

Had a delicious afternoon tea at the Secret Garden Tea Company (Kerrisdale, Blvd, off of 41st Ave). Every tiny bite, from the little roasted vegetable sandwiches on wee little perfect cheese scones to the lemon tart, was delicious. And of course the tea itself was grand. I had their vanilla almond black tea. Service was perfect and atmosphere very relaxing. It's a place I recommend often, but don't make a point to go myself often enough.

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Wimaan Thai Restaurant

So much flavour packed into the red curry with pork that I ordered! It was so good. I also had a really good padd thai. I was going to stop there, but I was tempted by the server telling me that the fried banana was really good. It was fantastic. Nice and crispy, served with vanilla ice cream. The place was very relaxing, but I'm not sure why they weren't busy when their food is so good. I'm definitely going back to Wimaan. It's on Broadway, just west of Oak St.

Olympia

With a late night at work, I was so hungry, I thought I was going to finish my entire roast lamb platter at Olympia on Denman. I almost did, but still had a little left to take home. It was a very satisfying comfort food meal.