DINE FINE - FRAICHE - WEST VANCOUVER

This is the BEST date restaurant I can recommend. Here's why:

- I love the surprise factor. 
The drive up the mountain to West Van is a tedious, but filled with anticipatory. As we drove through the residential area, where each street seems to look exactly the same - trees and mansions on both sides, I was starting to get worried that we might have gotten lost. Then in the middle of nowhere, the restaurant stands.

- The INCREDIBLE view.
When the ocean, the Stanley Park, the Lions Gate Bridge, heck, the entire Vancouver is celebrating the meal with you, I cannot ask for more. A rather bittersweet moment for me actually, our day turned out to be a thunderstorm. We lost what could have been a gorgeous sunset, but we gained a chance of a lifetime while the lightening flashed across the sky.

- The classy yet not-intimidating ambiance.
Fraiche is exactly the type of restaurant, that is simple but elegant. Fine decor, not empowering or over the top. Feels very down to earth with a mix of class. (Though for the price, no, it is certainly not down to earth). But Fraiche creates a great ambiance for bonding and chatting. The servers are impeccable.

FOOD | The food at Fraiche is what I call art from inside out. I mentioned in my last post how some restaurants seem to focus more on the presentation while sacrificing the quality of the food. Fraiche brings in the perfect balance. The food is interestingly paired. While there are lots of interesting ingredients, all ingrediants work its part, nothing more, nothing less.

Apologies I had such a wonderful time I have completely forgotten the names of the dishes, the online menu does not include the "Chef's Creations" that we ordered. 

2240 Chippendale Rd.
West Vancouver BC
V7S 3J2

TEA-HEE- HELLO KITTY X LADUREE PARIS - GINZA TOKYO JAPAN

This little cafe with a big name was certainly hard to find. Located inside of the Ginza Mitsukoshi Shopping Center, if I did not purchase a travel guide, nor did my homework, I most definitely would have missed it.

Above all, I can now say I am a 90% macaron-er, for I have finally tried the father of macarons, Laduree. The final 10% is my quota left for the original store in Paris. 

 Tokyo Laduree Les Macarons in order from top to bottom:
Cafe - Coffee
Fleur de Cerisier - Cherry Blossom

Fleur d'Orange - Orange Blossom
Rose - Rose
Citron - Lemon

Pistache - Pistachio

I decided to savor my macarons back in the hotel, so I was given a small ice pack to keep the macarons fresh. How cute!

Brunch Munch - SUVAI RESTAURANT - KERRISDALE VANCOUVER

Suvai is a sweet and cozy restaurant, with a sidewalk patio decorated with garden benches and flowers. As we sat on the side-walk patio, covered under an arch of leaves and blossoms, I temporarily lost myself and thought I was in some place outside Vancouver - probably in Paris or Nice. I can absolutely picture this local and home-ran bistro to be sitting exactly off the streets of France and Montreal.

AMBIANCE | I love local bistros with small wooden tables, white table cloths and shiny silverware. Though it sounds like I am describing a majority of restaurants, Suvai has its own cozy flavour. I shall let the pictures speak its volumes. 
While I has having brunch, next to us sat an older couple, each drinking their orange juice and having a great time. As kill-joy as I was, I was actually playing on my iPad and eating my omlette and the same time. I was promptly interrupted by the older couple, and we actually engaged in a warm conversation as the older gentleman was thinking of purchasing a tablet and wanted to know our feedback! Vancouver is certainly a friendly city, but the atmosphere of Suvai certainly sets up an even more warm and neighborhood enviroment.

FOOD | I have nothing much to rave about the food here at Suvai. The omlette and eggs Benny were of the expected. Portion size was decent. I say the atmosphere certainly increased the food presentation, as the warm feeling of Suvai certainly adds happiness and enjoyment to the meal. 
I have heard that dinner prices at Suvai are leaning rather high, but brunch for $10-18 sounds reasonable to me.  I say, the next time you decide to go for brunch at good old chain Boathouse again, why not give local Suvai a try? The price ranges are similiar, and Suvai's atmosphere is a worth a visit on its own.

We ordered:

Bacon Eggs Benedict

Omlette and Toast

Side of Sausages

2 glasses of Orange Juice 

2279 West 41st Vancouver

V6M 4L3
604-261-4900

TEA-HEE - THOMAS HAAS FINE CHOCOLATES AND PATISSERIE - KITSILANO VANCOUVER

Thomas Haas houses my memory of the very first macaron in my life. Which is why I will always hold a dear string to this patisserie. 

But Thomas Haas is named for its fine chocolates and intricate cakes over its macarons. Their long practiced, and talented chocolate making is not longer merely for taste, but for the mastery of art and craftsmanship. Their intricate tea pairings and coffee grounds add not only pop to the tastebuds, but bring out a certain joy from the sweet yet bitter melts of chocolate. 

A group of four ordered-
White Chocolate Kalamansi Cake
Lemon Lemon Tart
Crispy Chocolate Raspberry 

Proscuitto Panini

Green Tea Latte
Caffe Americano
Green Tea with Peach

Disclaimer: Photos courtesy of my dear friend CCW <3

2539 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC

Brunch Munch - PROVENCE MARINASIDE - YALETOWN VANCOUVER

Nothing beats having an sunny side up egg on a non-sunny day! Jokes, I'm being a pest because it was raining when I got to Provence. In Provence, its always sunny! I love their quirky slogan: "Enjoy the South of France without a Jetlag!"

Provence has such an amazing location in False Creek, next to the Yaletown Roundhouse Community Centre, its always nice to enjoy a luxurious brunch there no matter the weather.

We ordered (Party of three)

Smoke Salmon Eggs Benedict - Poached eggs, smoked salmon on pancakes

Seafood Crepes - Salmon, baby scallops, shrimps, spinach, veloute

(Me) Provence Panini - Goat cheese, pesto, sun dried tomato, prosciutto

Cafe Cappucino

Berry and White Chocolate Clafoutis- French style cake served warm with vanilla ice cream

Menu found here

1177 Marinaside Cresent

Vancouver, BC

Dine Fine - CHAMBAR - GASTOWN VANCOUVER

Chambar is rated as one of the most romantique restaurants in Vancouver, and what better time to taste this restaurant than on Valentine's Day?

Honestly, I had such a love hate relationship with this restaurant I actually got a little ticked off inside. I loved the decor, loved the atmosphere, loved the vibe of Chambar... but I cannot say the food is for everyone. 

AMBIANCE | If you could only describe Chambar in a sentence, it would be something like sexy romantic... cozy but mysterious... utterly charming. 

The dining portion of the restaurant is a long L shape, the entrance decorated with small couches, ideally the beer lounge. As you move towards the back (where we sat) tables got larger and it was a gorgeous dimly lit dining room. The overall ambiance is rosy burgundy, bricks and vines... mysterious but cozy. I'd definitely come again just to breathe the environment again. 

Mr. F ordered - Les coquilles St. Jaques - Seared scallops, smoked kurobuta pork cheek, pickled cheek, pickled green beans and horseradish vinaigrette

Bison et Choron fume - Peppercorn crusted bison flatiron, wild forest mushrooms, caramelized baby potatoes, cornichons, smoked tomato bearnaise

I ordered - Venison Shortloin Carpaccio - (removed from online menu apologies for forgetting the ingredients)
Taijine d'aziz a l'agneau - Braised lamb shank with honey, figs, cinnamon & cilantro, served with cous cous and zalouk

Paired with Gruen '09 Riesling White

Menu found here

FOOD | Now the genre of food is European mixed fusion food (or that's what I'd call it). They are most famous for their Belgian beer and Moules Frites - which I did not try, I had white wine instead. I have heard wonderful things about their Moules Frites being the best in Vancouver, I will definitely return to try.

But as for their dining appetizers and main courses, I have a bit of a funny story. Mr. F ended up swapping appies because he didn't fancy his appie so much, and I swapped my main course with him because fancy my main course. The server noticed our switch-a-roo and we sparked at cute conversation. 
From the ingredients, I could tell the chef did a thoughtful job of putting together fusion pairings on the menu. But I cannot say the tasting suites everyone, at least not all the tastes suited me and Mr. F. The scallops were amazing, Mr. F didn't prefer the pickled cheeks and picked green beans. My braised lamb shank was cooked to a tender meat, but I would've preferred a difference sauce and herbs. That said, the Venison (similar to deer) Carpaccio and Bison were definitely more universal items in terms of flavour, which I enjoyed more.

Universality can be a positive and negative thing to restaurants. By all means, it makes no impact towards the rating of culinary skills, rather the restaurant should be rated on a different scale. Ethnic foods are full with flavour and culture, unfamiliarity on my part only makes me sound extremely ignorant. I am not disappointed, rather I can say I was surprised. That said, I will return to Chambar, there are plenty of other delicious foods on the menu that are awaiting me to try, the Moules Frites and Belgian beer for sure. 

562 Beatty Street
Vancouver, BC