Tag Archives: organic

The Templeton-Quality Food,Snappy Service!

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One place that packs them in every day is The Templeton Cafe on Granville Street.  The Templeton has occupied the space since the mid ’90′s but it’s been a diner since 1939 so the old school fixtures and vibe inside is totally authentic.

The place usually dies down around 1:30-2pm on the weekdays so it was a great time to visit and grab one of my favorite things and snap some pictures.

The shakes here are not to be missed, there made with hand scooped hard ice cream and whole milk, served in the mixing tin but glasses are available if you ask.  There thick and rich just like they were made back in the 50′s.

They also make custom made sodas as well, in the summer I’ve had many a cherry limeade made with fresh limes and cherry syrup and soda~crisp and refreshing it’s a diner classic.

This is the 777 Burger Platter, it’s a 100% certified lean organic beef on a sesame kaiser bun, all burgers come with mayo, lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickle and your choice of soup or mixed organic greens or house chipped fries or garlic mashed potatoes,  For $10.50 it’s a solid choice if you’re a burger lover.

The burgers here are really juicy and the organic beef is a great choice.

Fries here are classic skin on, thick cut chips, crisp and seasoned with some pepper as well as salt, you get a nice portion of them and they aren’t greasy.

If you find yourself downtown you should definitely check out The Templeton, it’s totally kid friendly and your sure to find something to satisfy your appetite with the varied menu that goes from breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The Templeton on Urbanspoon

Motomachi Shokudo 元町食堂 Revisit

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Now that the cold wet weather has set in hot bowls of yummy noodle soup are totally on the menu for me, some day’s it’s pho and on some its laksa but usually its ramen calling my name.

Motomatchi is a place I’ve been to on more than on e occasion since my first post 4 months ago and the dish that I’ve settled on hit’s the spot and fills your belly and the side dishes are a step up from the competition.

The petite pork bowl here is a step up from any other place I’ve been to, the addition of the shaved nori and the Japanese mayo make this one flavorful bowl.  The meat in it is nice and chunky yet super moist, when I eat mine I mix all the items up together resulting in a nice creamy touch from the mayo and for under $4 it’s a great deal.

This is the bowl of ramen that I have whenever I come here, it’s their Spicy Miso Ramen without the spicy chili oil.  I order this because if comes with organic chicken and more vegetables than their regular miso ramen and for some strange reason you can’t order the regular miso ramen with chicken so that’s how I was steered towards this.  The garnish is finely shaved leeks and they provide a nice texture in the soup in addition to the usual bean sprouts.

You also get green cabbage, snow peas, corn and diakon radish in the mix and the noodles here are cooked perfectly.  They do let you add extra chicken when you order for $1.50 ad its a worth addition otherwise you only get 2 medium-sized pieces.

If you’re looking for a great bowl of ramen check out definitely check out Motomatchi Shokudo, it does get busy but the table turn over is pretty quick but be warned the space is small and storage for your bags and stuff is limited.

Motomachi Shokudo 元町食堂 on Urbanspoon

The Four Seasons Vancouver YEW Restaurant and Bar

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If you’re looking for a treat meal one place to definitely keep in mind is YEW restaurant and bar in the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Vancouver.

The room is huge and beautifully decorated, the huge fireplace is a great divider between the open dining room and the bar/lounge area.  The service here is top-notch and your every need is taken care of effortlessly, the staff are very knowledgeable on the menu and take the time to answer any questions you could have.

Canadian chef Ned Bell came on board as the Executive Chef for YEW in August 2011 and the menu was completely reworked to what we have now, he brings his own food philosophy ‘Globally Inspired and Locally Created,’ – a process that begins with premium ingredients, sourcing the best of what is available locally and seasonally, and then focusing on flavor to the YEW space and to the menu and it totally shows.

I started with a Kronenbourg Blanc for $8 and glass, this is a favorite beer of mine.  It’s light and has a lavender floral note sightly, it was perfect to cut through the richness of my main and also works with a variety of different foods~if your new to drinking beer give this one a try.

This was my main and man did it hit the spot!, delicious lobster mac and cheese with corn and an amazing creamy sauce tied it all together nicely.

At $22 a bowl its on the high-end but it’s worth it if you’re looking for a treat, there was lobster chunks through out and the lobster was cooked perfectly, the tender buttery pieces of lobster melts in your mouth and its bathed in a rich buttery sauce that isn’t cheesy.  The sprinkling of bread crumbs on top were the perfect garnish.

For dessert I went with their dessert trio.  It features all three of their dessert tapas and for $8 it’s a great deal.  They also have fresh berry pies and fresh fruit crumble on the menu if that’s more of what you’re looking for and also they offer a cheese selection.

Duck egg custard tart was first up, it was a rich and creamy custard with hints of vanilla, the pastry for the tart was the perfect vessel for this yummy dessert.   The one thing i was concerned with when ordering this was the duck egg flavor and if it would be to intense but I didn’t taste any kind of eggy flavor in the dish.

This is a Australian Candied Sugar Cherry Ravioli in a young coconut pineapple consomme.  It’s molecular gastronomy and was a blast to eat, you take it like a shooter and when you squish the cherry ravioli it explodes in your mouth and you taste a flood of sweet cherry juice.  I could throw back 5 or 6 of these!

Finally we have the Espresso Banana Milk Chocolate Lollipop.  The espresso is in the homemade marshmallow that encapsulates the lollipop, inside the milk chocolate is semi soft and melts in your mouth, all of the flavors combined with a definite treat.

If your interested in checking out YEW feel free to visit there website here  and if you’re looking for a great hotel check out the Vancouver Four Seasons website here and follow them on Twitter @FSVancouver .

YEW Restaurant + Bar on Urbanspoon

Edible Canada At The Market

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Edible Canada and the Granville Island Public Market has opened it’s doors and is offering something that is a perfect fit on the island and is serving up some authentic local fare that is partially sourced right from the on site public market. It’s more than just restaurant here though, they offer public market tours, chef table market dinners and one of the best patios in Vancouver.

They also offer a store featuring all Canadian products, you can also get Championship BBQ Pit Master Rockin’ Ron Shewchuk’s BBQ pulled pork that’s vacuumed sealed and just needs to be reheated and enjoyed. One other thing to note is all the planter boxes outside contained edible items, from the one pictured with different lettuces to flowering lemon thyme and other herbs and they also feature electric vehicle recharging stations in front for you to use for free.

The purpose for this visit was to try there burger and there fries but these aren’t just ordinary fries-there cooked in duck fat and served with a bacon aioli!

My burger was made from meat sourced from the market and was cooked perfectly, the toppings were BC double smoked bacon, Canadian cheddar cheese, farm fresh heirloom tomatoes and it’s served with a homemade ketchup and housemate dill pickle served on a house made roll. I love the idea of a burger made completely from local products, the burger itself was OK, the meat like I said was cooked perfectly but the local greens on top added a grassy flavor and the housemate pickle was a disappointment-it tasted like was seaweed smells like and didn’t work with me, other than that the other ingredients of my burger were good.

Next up we have the duck fat fries, I loved the extra flavor from the duck fat and the fries were really crispy and I wish more places offered these. The bacon aioli is a bit on the salty side but I love the idea and this was a good way to really see what their homemade ketchup tasted like, compared to the famous brand we all grew up with this one was more sweet than sour. One negative was the fact a lot of my fries were small-like little fry nibs, once I got thru the big ones on top the rest of the fry cone was these fry nibs-perfect for poutine but not on their own.

At the end of the day the rest of the menu at Edible Canada is really good and they provide the best dining value for your buck on Granville Island and is the best way to sample some real Canadian cuisine.

Edible Canada at the Market on Urbanspoon

The Juice Truck

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One of the more unique food trucks on the Vancouver street food scene is the Juice Truck, operated by Ryan and Zach with help from the smoothie queen Aviya, they’re putting out some of the healthiest street food you can get.

Zach and Ryan got passionate about the power of juices when they traveled around the world and ended up learning about healthy juices everywhere they visited. When they came home to Vancouver the street food program was underway and they got in on it and they’ve been embraced with open arms and have filmed an episode for the Food Network show Eat St. that should be airing in the upcoming season.

Featuring a menu of totally unique menu of smoothies and cold pressed juices, soups and a few dessert options like a no bake raw cacao coconut bar and an ingenious frozen treat make from frozen blended banana’s and other yummy treats. They have started a line of treat smoothies that are sinfully delicious yet totally healthy and the first in this series of smoothies contains Erin Ireland’s “It’s To Die For” Banana Bread-yes that’s right-a banana bread smoothie!

As I mentioned above-this is the banana bread smoothie, it contains the killer banana bread, soy milk, cacao nibs, frozen banana’s and topped with macadamia nuts. It’s the perfect treat and you can taste all the different flavors of the banana bread as well as the other delish ingredients. This smoothie is only around for the month of November and $1 from every banana bread smoothie sold goes to the Movember F— Cancer campaign so get down and get yours.

This smoothie really shows off the boys creative side, it’s an avocado pineapple smoothie!, it has avocado and fresh pineapple of course but also contains coconut water, lime, vanilla and agave. The avocado isn’t the star of the show here-it’s the pineapple and coconut, this smoothie blew me away and I’d totally order it again in a heart beat.

The guy’s gave me one of their raw cacao coconut bars to try and I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it but that was changed at 1st bite-it was delicious. It’s a great mix of walnuts, pecans, cacao, coconut meat, coconut flakes, raisins & maple syrup.

If you find yourself in Gastown do yourself a favor and stop by The Juice Truck and have one of the best smoothies or juices you’ve ever had and don’t forget to support Movember – it’s a great way to try a banana bread smoothie and help fight cancer by donating to a great cause.  Follow The Juice truck on twitter by clicking here or adding @juicetruck to your follow list.

The Juice Truck on Urbanspoon

Mangal Kiss Mid East BBQ Food Cart

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This week I stopped by the Mangal Kiss BBQ cart down by the VAG on Georgia Street and I must say that I had one of the best sandwiches for flavor and the inventive ingredients put it over the top.

Hitting the streets 2 months ago, people have been quick to receive the Mangal Kiss BBQ cart, their offering one type of food item-the shishlik, a local meat kabob (Fraser Valley rib eye and Rossdown Farms Chicken) on Iranian flatbread called Taftoon.  The meal is all local and you have you choice of chicken or beef (I went with the beef) and it’s packed with super fresh salatim (toppings) like hummus, tahini, purple cabbage, beets, pickled turnips, pickles, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, spice Moroccan carrots, radish and tabbouleh.  They also offer 3 different types of sauces-baharat (mild spiced BBQ sauce), amba (spicy & savory mango) and zhug (Middle-Eastern hot sauce).  My meat was grilled fresh in front of me:

there is noting like fresh rib eye steak being grilled and smelling that BBQ smoke!, then this caught my eye:

the colors were the same as her apron~BEAUTIFUL!

I LOVE BEETS!

The couscous is some of the best I’ve tasted and was loaded with herbs.

Now the freshly grilled steak.

Everything is rolled up in one tight package.

And this is what your presented with!, the bread is a bit chewy but not overly and when your taking bites of this sandwich you get tons of different textures and flavors form sour to sweet to some heat from the sauce and the fact there isn’t a ton of meat in this isn’t missed-it’s a traditional middle eastern sandwich and they usually aren’t heavy on the meat and focus more of pickled and fresh vegetables.  After lunch I was full but I wasn’t in a food coma which was nice and it was the best $7 I have spent in a long time, I’ll definitely be going back to the Mangal Kiss BBQ cart and hopefully I’ll we’ll be seeing them on Eat St.!

**UPDATE because of the Occupy Vancouver demonstration Mangal Kiss has had to relocate to Georgia and Burrard on the North East corner (by the church), please visit them at there new temporary location and enjoy some of the best street food Vancouver has to offer**

Mangal Kiss Mid East BBQ on Urbanspoon

Cento Notti

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Cento Notti is the new restaurant in the Opus Hotel in Yaletown, it replaces the vivid and bold 100 Nights space and the decor is equally eye catching and appropriate for the modern Italian menu.

Executive Chef Paul Marshall is really making magic in the kitchen, pretty much everything is made in house including the burrata cheese in my salad I had and sourcing form local farms your getting the freshest ingredients turned into spectacular dishes.

I stopped in at lunch time and what caught my eye outside was the $35 three course dinner menu, I asked the server if I could possible get that menu for lunch and it wasn’t a problem at all.

San Pellegrino $7.95

Burrata Salad-vine-ripened tomato, basil, olive oil.  I’m a sucker for burrata and when I see it on a menu I have to try it, usually burrata comes from Italy and it’s highly perishable so freshness is key, at Cento Notti they make theirs from scratch everyday and one of the few to do so in Vancouver.  The cheese was creamy and sweet combined with the balsamic and tomatoes it was a match made in heaven.

Porcini Risoto-fresh thyme,Grana Padano Parmesian and a balsamic port reduction.  Who can so no to risotto with porcini!, it’s traditional Italian with a modern twist with the reduction.  My bowl of risotto was rich and creamy like a great risotto should be, the mushroom flavor was earthy and meaty and the cheese melted into my dish.

Chocolate Panna Cotta-Roasted strawberry’s and a kalamata olive infused fig jam.  I was curious about how roasted strawberry’s would taste but what blew me away was the olive jam~olives with the chocolate was totally weird and at first I thought it was balsamic in the jam~I never would have thought olive, it was totally delicious, the panna cotta was rich and creamy and the strawberry’s were still firm~I thought they would turn to mush from the roasting.

I’m already looking forward to my next meal at Cento Notti and with the Taste Of Yaletown coming up I think it’s going to be on my list.

Cento Notti on Urbanspoon

Moms Grilled Cheese Truck

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The newest addition to the Vancouver food truck/cart scene is Moms Grilled Cheese Truck and it’s a match made in heaven like grilled cheese and tomato soup!

Owner Cindy Hamilton is the lady behind this fine food truck, hailing from London Ontario, she’s a 20 year veteran of the food industry including restaurant, catering and movie/TV craft services on films including Kill Bill, The Great Raid, Ultra Violet, The Painted Veil, Mission Impossible 3, The Kite Runner, The Mummy 3 and Ramona and Beezus.

It’s safe to say she knows her food and to keep true to great ingredients, all the cheese for the sandwiches come from La Grotta Del Formaggio and she features old school Pop Shoppe beverages.

All the orders are prepared fresh and the service is great and everyone is super friendly.  Mom’s is planning on being open 11:00am-3PM Mon-Fri and be prepared for a bit of a wait around the lunch hour rush.  Ordering is simple, you get your choice of bread-classic white, sourdough, marble rye or multigrain, choose your cheese-Cheddar, Havarti, Pepper jack, Provolone (lactose free) and decide if you want any add one-they feature 2 different categories here-deluxe and super deluxe for .50 and $1.50 respectively.  Gluten free bread and vegan cheese is available as well for .75 each extra.  Besides the grilled cheese sandwich Mom’s also offers a selection of specialty grilled cheeses that include a meatloaf grilled cheese and a big boy called the Jackson 3-a sammy that three pieces of sourdough surrounded by melted, Brie, Boursin and Gruyere.  Dessert isn’t forgotten well, they have a desert grilled cheese called the sweet thangs-Caramelized apples, candied pecans, and cinnamon mascarpone cheese on Brioche that I want to try.  Roasted tomato soup and Karen’s killer chilli as also on the menu here.

Seeing it was late in the day a lot of items were sold out so I went with a basic sandwich and an orange Pop Shoppe drink.

The Swiss Cheese on Marble Rye with Sliced Tomato $6.  All sandwiches come with a slice of dill pickle and chips in the bottom of your sandwich cone

They get great marks for packaging quality, the wrapper that your grilled cheese goodness is packed in is nice and thick so it wont rip.

My Swiss cheese was great and you could taste the nuttiness in the cheese and the marble rye was rich and hearty like a great rye bread.  The sandwich wasn’t overly greasy like some grilled cheese can be mad the selection of cheese offered makes Mom’s grilled Cheese a total winner in my books and I can’t wait to try the roasted tomato soup and the Jackson 3 sandwich, Mom’s if defiantly on my favorite street food list for comfort food like my mom couldn’t make!

Updated Oct 14,2011

I went back and had myself this:

The Jackson 3 $8.50.  Three pieces of sourdough surrounded by melted, Brie, Boursin and Gruyere, this took the disappointment away from me getting a iPhone 4s!, it was full of cheese and the sourdough was great-word of caution the brie is the molten lava so use caution!

momsgrilledcheesetruck.com

Mom's Grilled Cheese Truck on Urbanspoon

Milano Coffee and To Die For Banana Bread

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Gastown is becoming a dining, drinking and now a destination for tea and coffee lovers. With the addition of Après mid tea and the amazing Revolver Coffee, Milano Coffee has opened up shop with the addition of one really great item to have with your cup of Joe-Erin Ireland’s to die for premium banana bread.

The inside is large with high ceilings, exposed brick and modern furnishings and the coffee bar features 2 big espresso machines and an individual drip brew system for your premium cup of Joe.  There all about choice here and the menu is descriptive and informative and all this greatness is coming from a Vancouver owned and operated company.

I went with the La Futura blend for my Americano, the blend was described as a avant-garde super blend with luscious body, toffee, spice, floral notes and a full spectrum finish.  It was  a good blend of espresso that did have lots of flavor notes but I enjoyed that Revolver selections a bit better.

This was the star of the show I must say tho, I’ve heard of this fabulous banana bread in the past and it was featured at the PNE this year.  It’s hand-made by our Vancouver home girl Erin Ireland who is also the food reporter for Vancouver’s daily publication Metro.  She started making it for the public about a year ago after all her friends and family raving about it and it’s taken off like a rocket, Milano Gastown is the only location but a couple other restaurants in the Vancouver area have it~like Commune Cafe in the downtown core.  This isn’t the banana bread that your mom made-It’s banana bread taken to the next level with macadamia nuts and Callebaut chocolate in it.  It’s definitely really good banana bread and should not be missed so now you have 2 better reasons to visit Gaston and Milano Boutique Coffee Roasters-killer coffee and the best banana bread in Vancouver.

Milano Boutique Coffee Roasters on Urbanspoon

La Taqueria Downtown

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Craving good authentic tacos I knew La Taqueria would satisfy my craving for authentic Mexican tacos made with heart. They make their tacos from traditional recipes with local, organic and sustainable products so it’s good eats all around.
The outside is bright and lively and with the Virgin de Guadalupe in beautiful tile mosaic while the inside is long and narrow with seating for 15 or so and ordering is simple~meat tacos are $2.50 each or 4 for $9 and the veggie tacos are $2 each or 4 for $7.  I went with a plate of 4 meat and a plate of 4 veggie so let’s get on to the food shall we.
De Cachete, pollo con mole, carnitas and al pastor $9
The Al Pastor, this is one of my favorite tacos and at La Taqureia they do it authentic with the pineapple on top and it’s also in the achiote marinade for the pork.
The Carnitas, pork confit with pickled onions, cilantro and finely diced white onions, now only if all the other places in town did carnitas like this!, the meat is nice and moist and the pickled onions cut the richness of the confit pork beautiful-it’s like the pulled pork of Mexico.
The De Cachete, show braised beef cheek with mild green salsa, finely diced white onions and cilantro.  I love beef, pork and lamb cheeks big time and I’m happy this is a regular item on the menu here, the meat is melt in your mouth tender and if you’ve never had it before I highly recommend it.
The Pollo Con Mole, traditional Mexican mole mixed with shredded chicken and sesame seeds to garnish, I added some of the mild green salsa to this bad boy, it’s one of the most popular tacos they make here, it’s not uncommon to see someone order 4 of these alone, it’s a traditional mole with a million ingredients including Mexican chocolate as a finishing ingredient so you definitely taste that sweet note and when you mix it with one of the salsa you’re in HEAVEN.  It’s definitely one of the best mole’s in Vancouver if not North America.
Mushroom with Garlic Sauce and cheese daily special,Rajas Con Crema and Frijoles Charros Con Cueso tacos $7
Mushroom,garlic sauce and Mexican cheese daily special, wanting to try just veggie tacos but not really wanting to try the tofu taco I grabbed a couple of these, the mushrooms were the predominant flavor and the cheese was nice and creamy, the garlic sauce was nice and not to strong so all around it was a good taco.
Frijoles Charros Con Queso, described on the menu as re-fried cowboy beans with Mexican cheese I wasn’t expecting the cheese to be so strong like it was, it almost was like a provolone level of sharpness, the beans were spiced nicely but the onions they have and sauces on hand really added another level of flavor and texture otherwise it would have been really mushy texture wise.
The Rajas Con Crema, roasted poblano peppers cooked with cream corn, Mexican cheese and sour cream.  My favorite veggie taco by far was this one, it was creamy from all the dairy in it and smoky from the peppers and the corn added a sweetness and crunch, the onions again capped it all off nicely.
La Taqueria has two locations in Vancouver to serve you some of the best, most authentic taco’s outside of Mexico and is not to be missed, the other location just opened at Cambie and Broadway so check them out.

La Taqueria Taco Shop on Urbanspoon