Chambar Restaurant (DOVF Stop #3)

Looks like my life only consists of school and food these days, I'm either at school, out eating, or studying at cafes.... Since Dine out is over, I'm sort of on a mini diet, so I won't be visiting a lot of restaurants, only occasionally with my parents or healthy ones. Meanwhile, I can start writing all those reviews that I haven't had time to work on.

On the second last day (Saturday too .__.) of this year's dine out fest, my friend and I called at least 10 restaurants but we failed to make any reservations... damn, It's true that every story starts with a reservation! or else you would have a hard time getting a table during dine out season... I've learned my lesson.. Fortunately, We eventually got a spot at Chambar, but tables are only available after 9:00pm. Oh well, better than nothing! We studied untill 8:40pm and headed straight to Chambar.

When we arrived, my friend and I immediately regretted not going home and change to a some what formal attire. I think people were giving us the awkward look since we were carrying heavy backpacks with textbooks...We both felt out of place.. Haha, this should give you an idea of the restaurant vibe. The atmosphere was lively and busy. Not the elegant type of fine dining, but more of a pub-like environment.

Since it was past 9pm when we seated. we decided to share one menu. ($38)

This Year's Dine Out Menu

I started off with a Lavendar Fizz (Mocktail $5.00 4.5/5)
Very refreshing from the sweet and sour taste with a hint of lavender flavour. Although the serving was kind of small, it was still a nice drink to start off with.

For appetizer, we got the COQUILLES ST. JACQUES A LA ‘BOB’ (5/5)
-Pan seared scallops, mint pea puree, tandoori papadum, pickled grapes.

Completely shocked by how tender the scallops were (not rubbery at all), perfectly cooked and paired nicely with the side ingredients, I could alone eat at least 10 of them.

For entree, we went for the CURRY D’OMBLE DE L’ARCTIQUE (4.5/5)
-Roasted arctic char, parsnip & miso curry, kale, sorrel, fresh pomegranate, pine nuts.

If you follow my blogposts or Instagram, you would know that I'm not a big fan of seafood, I was originally going to order the trio de porc, but my friend really wanted to try this dish, so I agreed.
The surface was crispy. and the Arctic char was once again, prepared and cooked perfectly. The miso curry was light but unique, combined well with the char. The nuts and pomegranates added an interesting taste to it, however I didn't like the veggies.

Lastly, dessert!

We were actually sick of cheesecake, and the other selection was cheese and crackers, so LA BARRE DE CHOCOLATE (3.5/5) was our only choice.

-Hazelnut praline chocolate mousse bar, sherry vinegar, burnt cinnamon milk foam. 

The chocolate was not overly sweet, but it didn't taste special to me. It was just a normal chocolate bar stuffed with some sourly fruity mousse and sided with whip cream. Good, but not good enough for a $38 menu dessert. 

Overall Experience:

My favourite type of fine dining, I don't need to be overly cautious with what I do. Very Satisfied, although the portions were minimal, but their appetizers and entrees blew my mind. Even if they are famous for mussels, their other dishes are still phenomenal. Everyone that visited also got a $10 coupon to use before 3pm everyday. I'm definitely going back to get some eggs benny and waffles. Sunday Brunch anyone?

The Old Spaghetti Factory Gastown (DOVF Stop #2)

TGIF! Sorry for being fashionably late! As I mentioned on my Instagram, it's midterm season and grade 12s are extremely sensitive during this period of the time with countless exams and university applications to complete. But thank goodness for these occasional food therapies to destress the pain!(by the way, the dates that I scheduled here are the actual dates of me visiting the restaurants not the dates that my reviews are posted!)

Well Well Well, The Old Spag; A classic, "home style" Italian chain restaurant in Canada. Known for it's pasta of course. When I first visited around 6 years ago, I was honestly not impressed by the quality of their food, and after that I didn't revisit until this new years eve. Since it was the second dinner of the night for my family and I, we didn't order a lot, but I enjoyed every dish. Not to mention the price of their food!  >>> Fast forward to Dine out 2015, I know that the Old Spag participates in DOVF every year, but I normally don't go to restaurants that carry $18 menus, but after Nando's I was quite satisfied! Always have faith in $18 menus, sometimes they even top $38 menus.

On a Thursday night studying at Starbucks, I bumped into my best friend and one of her peers, we instantly agreed to get dinner together. (I seriously love random food trips)  We all needed fuel so we can stress more! (lmao, uni students are probably thinking why high schoolers are so stressed) Anyways, long story short! we all wanted (more like needed) to pig out and the Old Spag was in the the area and it was dine out season so BINGO. We went to hunt down some good pastas!
(and we got to sit in the train! How cute!!! damn, girls are easily amused...)

We ordered 2 sets to share among 3 girls , and we were planning to order a flatbread as an addition, but little did we know, we were too full to even finish the desserts...

This year's Dine Out Menu

Yay for complimentary bread! I'm not a big fan of sourdough, but their garlic butter never disappoints!

For Appetizers we shared the good old caesar salad (4/5) and sweet potato (Yam) fries with chipotle mayo sauce (3.5/5). First of all! round of applause for the size of their portion! The caesar salad was really creamy and cheesy, if you like strong flavoured salads then you'd like this one! but again, there's nothing much to say about caesar, it's just a basic S (get it? it's like basic B but with S? okay I know It's 3 am in the morning, I'm not making sense...) Yam fries were nice and crispy,  I prefer thick yam fries, but for $18, It was good enough.

Okay, now on to dee pastas!

Pesto Linguine (3.5/5)
- homemade pesto sauce with fresh basil and pine nuts is mixed with a touch of cream and served over linguine noodles.

This one was too starchy, instead of smooth and creamy. I thought the noodle was going to be soaked in pesto sauce, but it was rather dry. However my bff really liked this one. Opinions do differ!

Penne with Chicken (5/5)
Tender pieces of chicken breast, penne noodles, mushrooms, peppers and fresh tomatoes tossed in a rich basil cream sauce.

Oh my, I don't even know where to start! The fact that I can still remember its flavours from a week ago as I'm writing this definitely means that this one's a keeper! The basil sauce was so rich and creamy, spices were strong but they hit my tastebuds in a very tender way. (did I just create a paradox?) My friend said this dish reminded her of bacon, and the chicken pieces apparently tasted like bacon as well?! haha, I guess they kinda did! Smoky, smooth, rich, creamy, tender,pasta cooked al dante, etc etc!! Too many good things were going on under its simple name!

Finally, every girl's favourite part of the meal! Dessert timeeee!

We were actually SO full when the dessert came,  and had to pack half of each slices home!

Ultimate Cheesecake (4/5)
 - New York Style Cheesecake, subtle vanilla flavours.

A very basic New York cheesecake, but it was still a cheesecake, so it had to be good!

Choca-block Torte (5/5) (LOL my friend had a hard time pronouncing the name, it was hilarious)
- A moist chocolate cake layer cradles milk chocolate ganache covered with a dense dark chocolate mousse.

This one was more unique than the cheesecake, It had a layer of sponge cake, a layer of mousse and a layer of brownie/ganache. I loved the difference of the densities, It was also very rich, but not too sweet. Some may argue that It is but I thought it was just right.

Overall Experience:

Very satisfied! I repeat! We shared 2 dine out menus among 3 people, so it was around $15 per person and we were stuffed!!! Their menu was SO worth, and it's still relatively cheap if you visit during the rest of the year. The service was great, the restaurant vibe was calm and warm. A great come back for a girl who used to dislike the restaurant!

49th Parallel & Lucky's Donut (Kitsliano Store)

Living in North Burnaby/Burquitlam, it's extremely hard to find a nice cafe where you can sit and chat with your friends, or to study in a nice environment. Ahhh.. Ironically, I'm a cafe and coffee shop lover who loves to discover new cafes, and relax while I sip on my coffee. Sometimes, Starbucks is just not enough!

49th happened on a Wednesday after a whole day of tests. My friend and I decided to travel all the way to West Van to explore this magical place with not only good coffee, but creative donuts. (I repeat! DONUTS! Yes, It's donut not doughnut, I'm still Canadian..)
What a lovely place!! I absolutely adore it's interiors, very refreshing and stress relieving (you would understand if you've been to this location), especially with the mint/light green coloured wall, garden plants and marble tables. Love at first sight!

Coincidentally, Hot Chocolate Festival was on! (In fact, it's still going until Feb.14th). According to other foodies, Lumberjack was a cool flavour to try out, while its other featured hot chocolate: Nanaimo Bar, was too sweet. So naturally, I ordered the Lumberjack Hot Chocolate ($6.00 3.5/5) served with maple marshmallows and a chocolate covered wafer log. I also ordered a Coffee Cruller ($3.00 4.5/5) to go with my Hot Chocolate.

The Lumberjack was spicier than I expected. I thought it'd be cool to try a spicy dark hot chocolate, but I'm not used to the weird sensation, the spice was too strong for me, however, I was still able to finish it. The wafer log was really good, but the marshmallows tasted artificial. I think I would enjoy the Nanaimo Bar more since I am a sugarholic. 

The coffee cruller saved this whole trip! The texture was nice, slightly chewy, slightly fluffy. The flavour was on point as well. The only reason why i deducted 0.5 points was because of the oil, It'd be perfect if the donut had less oil. 

Overall Experience:

I have had 49th parallel coffee at Prado Cafe before, so I know the quality of their coffee is no doubt amazing. But this hot chocolate was disappointing, I'd like to revisit and try the Nanaimo Bar if I have time. Nonetheless, A wonderful place to talk and do work, It's officially on the top of my favourite cafes in Vancouver. Many returns in the future! And make sure you ALWAYS get a donut! 

Shanghai Elan Restaurant

As a Shanghainese Vancouverite, I'm very excited to write my first review on a Shanghainese restaurant. I compare the food to my grandparents' homemade dishes and some of my favourite authentic restaurants in Shanghai. I think my opinions represent most Shanghainese people's taste, but like I always say! Everyone has different tastebuds. I'm happy to share my personal thoughts and experiences with you, but don't solely take my opinions! Read more reviews and a variety of perspectives before you order ! :)

Shanghai Elan, like many other SH restaurants, it specializes in traditional Shanghainese dishes and is located at crystal mall. I have been to this place about five times, their food has been generally consistent. At one point, Jin Jiang topped Shanghai Elan when it first opened, but since Jin Jiang is going down hill with the quality of their food, Shanghai Elan is now my favourite SH restaurant in the area. The room is very limited, but I'm very used to the style of Chinese dining so it wasn't a big problem for me. (However, it'd be nice to get a renovation.)

*Just in case you didn't know, The photos on the wall are athletes Liu Xiang and Yao Ming. Why are they up there? They are both Shanghainese, and are two of the most famous olympic champions in China and worldwide. (ayyyyy Shanghainese pride! )

Okay I'm talking too much, Lets get to the main reason why I'm writing this, THEIR FOOD!

Pork pot stickers 锅贴  $5.50 4/5 (Price and name unsure since my dad ordered everything and I couldn't find this on the online menu. If you really want to try this dish, show them the picture!)

The meatballs were soft and juicy. The skin was decent, but could have been crisper. Overall, a simple yet decent dim sum.

Sliced beef and Pork Lungs in Chilli Sauce with crushed peanuts and Cilantro 夫妻肺片 $8.50 4/5

I usually don't eat organs but this one is an exception! I really like the combination of cilantro, crushed peanuts and sliced meats, mixed with mild spicy chilli sauce. I have had better ones in Shanghai, but this one was good enough. 

Wok-Fried Cauliflowers with mushroom and Shepherd's purse 荠菜群菇花菜 $12.50 2.5/5

Broccolis and cauliflowers look very similar, but personally I like soft cauliflowers rather than chewy ones. The mushrooms were good, but the cauliflowers were under cooked which basically ruined the dish.

Salted Pork In Hot Pot 腌笃鲜 $16.50 3/5 

Possibly one of the most famous Shanghainese soup. According to my dad, there was a chance that the soup base was made out of powder instead of the real ingredients which ruins the whole concept of this soup. Meat was over cooked but the tofu knots were great. 

Smoked Duck 樟茶鸭 $18.50 5/5

I used to hate this dish because my parent's always order it at Jin Jiang and their smoked duck was salty and over seasoned, I thought they just naturally taste weird due to the smoking effect? I didn't understand why my mom would order it again this time, but one bite and I was so amazed by how good it was, It was at least ten times better than the ones at Jin Jiang, and every detail was on point. I strongly recommend this dish. (Let's hope this one's consistent since it was the first time that we ordered.)

XLB 小笼包 $5.50 4.5/5

By being Shanghainese, I think I have consumed over 10000 of these things during my 17 years of existence. LOL

Fun fact! Xiao Long Baos are actually not suppose to be juicy! Because if they are, why don't we just call them soup buns instead? But even restaurants in Shanghai make XLBs full of juice,  oh well! they do taste better!  

Steamed Rice with Salted Meat and Vegetables 咸肉菜饭 $12.50 4.5/5

A Shanghainese classic and my childhood fave! My grandmas make the best ones! This one was decent as well. But it would have been better if it was less oily, and had more vegetables. 

Overall Experience:

Not bad! It's a bit pricy but is in the range of most Chinese restaurants. The order of the dishes was badly mixed up. How awkward is it to get a cold appetizer in between soup and hot dishes? Nonetheless, Elan is approved by my family, with lots of possible improvements though! But If you are craving Shanghainese Cuisine in South Burnaby, give Elan a try!

Midam Cafe&Bistro

By being a Burquitlamer, I've heard about Midam Cafe many many times, but I never found the time and opportunity to go even though I pass by K town/North Road almost everyday. Today after lunch, my mom randomly wanted to visit since her friends were talking about it as well.

What a hidden gem. It is located between Hannam Korean Market and Bikram Yoga (First Floor), You would probably never find this place by its awkward location and dark exteriors. But yet It's still well known in the community so you think it must be phenomenal! ...But is it really?

The cafe has a basketball theme from all the mini models of bball players, It gives off a young vibe, but I spotted 3 floor seatings that are very traditional and cultural. I liked the clash of time periods, and I would love to sit in one of the floor seatings next time! (However, It'd be cute if the theme of this cafe is more girly, but I guess they already have enough customers to renovate the interiors.)

I knew that their shaved ice is super popular, with no doubt, I ordered the Green Tea Shaved Iced ($10.99 3.5/5). I expected the bowl to be twice the size, but when the server came with a medium-small bowl, I wasn't pleased... (They all looked huge on Instagram D: ).
Oh well, Let's see how it tastes then? The red bean paste and the green tea ice cream combined perfectly, but I noticed that their green tea mochi/rice cakes were too salty. Midam actually specializes in rice cakes, but I really didn't like how they were salty, I needed my sugar fix not a sodium rise! The bowl lacked ingredients, over 2/3 of the bowl were just plain shaved ice. :/
Overall I was pretty disappointed, I've had way better shaved ice at Dae-Ji. They have bigger sizes with more ingredients for only $9.99. (and Dae-Ji is just located on the second floor of the same court!)

My sister ordered the Chocolate Fondue ($8.99 4/5) with fruits and rice cakes. I didn't taste any of her food due to her illness, but according to her, It was good. She said she would rate it 4/5. It is a great plate to order for kids, but also very easy to make at home.

Meanwhile, My mom didn't listen to my advice and insisted to order the Red Bean Fondue. ($6.99 2/5).  It looked sketchy on the menu. The Red Bean Fondue was sweet yet the rice cakes were really salty. This isn't salted caramel so personally I think the flavours of sweet red bean and salty sticky rice cakes definitely didn't go well together. We strongly disliked it, and their rice cakes. (But our opinions might differ! If you are curious, give it a try, It isn't very expensive.)

Due to the dissatisfaction of the desserts, my mom wanted to order another dish. We decided to get the spicy chicken with cheese. ($17 3.5/5) (Didn't I just say I want a sugar fix? ... and yeah I know it was very awkward to order a main dish after desserts.. Don't Judge! haha)
I eat spicy, but I know Koreans are crazy about their spices, thus I specified that I wanted the sauce to be MILDY spicy. Okay... either the server forgot or they just eat super spicy... The dish was actually very good but we couldn't bear the extreme spiciness, so we had to bring it home and think about another way to enjoy it!

Overall Experience:

Man, It sounded like a terrible experience with such high hopes in the beginning. Nonetheless, I will revisit at least 2 more times to see if it's worth it or not. I haven't tried its parfaits, waffles as well as beverages, maybe their other shaved ice if I'm in the mood.
The service was not bad, this place is generally for young crowds and couples. However I went in the afternoon, so it was pretty much empty and very quiet. Next time, I will deliberately go at night, some time after dinner,  and maybe I will enjoy my food more with a better vibe.

Nando's Chicken On Davie (DOVF Stop #1)

DINE OUT VANCOUVER FINALLY STARTED! but...I've been insanely busy with school since midterms are coming up... ugh, why can't dine out be in March or April instead of exam season?
Anyways, I'm lucky enough to go on the second day of the festival after my miniEnterprize conference on Saturday, and my friend really wanted to go to Nando's. I agreed because I've never had Nando's, (what kind of foodie am I.. ) and I heard all positive things about them, so why not? (plus they were rated the best $18 menu last year or the year before.)

This year's Dine Out Menu

Hungry and Tired, 4 girls bused from UBC all the way to Davie, and ran in the pouring rain with heels and business formal attire... just to get Nando's? yeah we are crazy like that, but hey! Their menu did not disappoint.

For appetizer, I went with the good old Caesar Salad with garlic bread. There isn't much to say about this basic dish, Everyone can make it at home.

Entree, I chose the Flame-Grilled Half Chicken with rice, garlic mashed potato and peri fries.
Their portions are huge (I was actually half full after a full plate of salad). The side dishes were on point, except for its rice, It had no flavour at all. But if you add some Nando's special sauce then it should be fine. Chicken was no doubt, juicy and tender, very well done. I asked for medium spicy. If you are a big fan of spicy food, go ahead and order extra hot!

Everything was great until my dessert came, all my friend ordered the candy shell gelato but for some reason, I wanted to try the Portuguese nato tart, I imagined it to be ... well not a simple egg tart,  but when the server came with an egg tart I was thinking: what is this??! I can totally get better and cheaper ones at T&T or just make it myself.
Lesson of the story.. DO NOT ORDER THE TART! unless you really like egg tarts... I had a bite of the gelatos, they were amazing, binded perfectly with the candy shell... *SIGH* so much regrets.

Overall Experience:
I'd give its menu a 4/5. Appetizers could have been better, possibly a soup and salad combo. Dessert would've been fine if I ordered the gelato with everyone else. However, their entree was nearly perfect! It was a pretty good deal for $18 and I will definitely revisit to try its non dine out items.

Easy Frittata #CookingwithJens

Ingredients:

-Filling

15ml oil
1/3 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 onion, finely chopped
15ml grated carrots
1/6 zucchini, slice thinly
*optional: any other vegetables of your choice

-Egg mixture

1ml salt
pinch of black pepper
25ml water
2 eggs

-Topping

25ml grated cheese
2 stems parsley, finely chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F°.

2. Wash and prepare all vegetables in the "FIlling" Category. Saute in a small frying pan with oil using medium heat until tender.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients in the "Egg mixture" section.

4. Pour egg mixture into the saute mixture into the frying pan. (DO NOT STIR)

5. Sprinkle grated cheese and chopped parsley on top of the egg mixture.

6. Place frying pan into the oven

7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or when the center of frittata do not jiggle.

8. Remove frying pan from oven.

9. ENJOY!

Insadong Korean Restaurant

I'm finally done with Artona and it's time to feast again! I decided to go with Insadong because I haven't been there in a long time, and I wonder if their food is still consistent or not.

The interior is normal like any Asian restaurants, so I didn't take a lot of pictures. The food is obviously more important than the atmosphere for this type of dining! I remembered that Insadong was usually crazy busy, but surprisingly, it was only half full when i went tonight.

My parents and I ordered the couple BBQ combination for 2-3 people ($59.99 4/5), It was more than enough for 3 people! (and my dad eats a lot lol). I think the price isn't too high at a rate of $20 per person. This combination includes beef salad, radish seaweed roll, a choice of seafood non-spicy soft tofu soup or soybean soup , a choice of seafood pancake or bulgogi japche. For BBQ: a piece of marinated beef ribs, marinated beef, spicy pork and chicken bulgogi and 3 pieces of marinated short ribs. For seafood BBQ: 3 mussels, 3 prawns and 2 oysters.

Beef salad and the radish seaweed roll were very refreshing, It's good for appetizers as well as "desserts" to clean up the heavy flavours. Seafood tofu soup was okay, It was too much for my taste since I don't like seafood that much. The pancake tasted bland, so I added some sauce. They gave us a lot of sauces and side dishes, I loved their kimchi, it's not super salty like other ones but sweet and crispy instead, I actually finished the dish by myself!

The BBQ meats were mostly tender, (It also depends on how good you are as a griller?!) The only exception was that some ribs were hard to chew because they had too many tendons attached. But overall the meats were well marinated and flavourful. and once again, I didn't eat any seafood BBQs.

Overal Experience:

The service was really good, they managed to change our grill FOUR times! The food is still consistent even after all these years in service. Side dishes gave me chills, especially their kimchi! I'm pretty sure a lot of people still prefer the salty ones, but I like it when it's slightly sweet. 

Parking wasn't too tough,  just park near Pho 99 and It takes 30 seconds to walk to Insadong.