Lunch Munch: STACKHOUSE BURGER BAR - DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

I have found a new burger love! Burgers are the childhood love of all. But as I grew older, Ronald McDoodoo was no longer my idol and I slowly gravitated to more gourmet burgers. Burgers are usually hit and miss for me,   it tends to take a great deal of effort for me to find a perfect burger place. I find myself constantly complaining about the bun being soggy, or the patty being over cooked, or the presentation to sloppy, even little details like the onions aren't sweet enough. 

Burgers are such classic goods, it takes a quite a bit of oomph for a burger to bring itself out of the ordinary into something spectacular.

Stackhouse burger was definitely something different. It was amazing!

We ordered

Ahi Tuna Burger - 5oz Ahi tuna steak with miso aioli, watercress and creamy avocado. TOpped with fried onions, served on a brioche bun

Stackhouse Burger - 6.5 oz local prime rib patty with pancetta, portabellini, Cuiness cheddar, chipotle aioli and butter lettuce served on a brioche bun.

Poutine - seasoned fries served with local bocconcini, topped with truggle demi-glace

All entrees and sliders are served side fries of side mesclun salad

AMBIANCE | Despite the grey area its located in (the edge of downtown), the decor of the diner is surprising. The main theme of the restaurant is a fresh, but quirky feeling. Featuring ceiling to floor glass windows, a large mirror filled with graffiti, a white wall filled with booze and small random decors, Stackhouse has a minimalism, but bohemian texture. It reminds me of very chic, young, urban American cafes that are not popular here in Vancouver. 

FOOD | $15-20 a burger with fries is like 5 times the price of a McDoodoo burger. Was it worth it? Absolutely. The Ahi Tuna Burger with avocado was an interesting combo. I've never had anything quite like it. Ahi Tuna and avocado are two of my favourite things. I even upgraded the fries to my favourite POUTINE! The meal was a super favourite for me! I could use a little more avocado, and a warmer bun... but the Ahi Tuna was cooked to prefection - ever so slightly raw. The Classic Stackhouse burger was the special of the day at $10! I made Mr. F choose the Salad to make me feel better about eating such heavy lunches, and I could not have been more pleased with the salad. The salad is a simple veggie and vinegar x olive oil mix, but it has a touch of edamame beans! Such a wonderful surprise!

I have recommended Stackhouse to many people and each time they come back to me as pleased as can be. Stackhouse in my opinion, masters the art of creating a unique spirit in simple, classic foods. I will be back!

1224 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 2G6

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

Snack Quack - CUPCAKES BY HEATHER AND LORI - VANCOUVER

With CUPCAKES in town, everyday is Valentine's Day, everyday is a day worth celebrating, worth smiling :)

Presenting: CUPCAKES BY HEATHER AND LORI Special Edition Valentine's Day Cupcake

1168 Denman Street, Vancouver
604-974-1300
Please visit their website for addresses to their 7 locations

DINE OUT - SIP RESTO LOUNGE - DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

Dine Out Vancouver post #2!

I struggled with this post. I had a great time at this restaurant, my company was great, the service was impeccable,everything was going well, except the food. My last visit at Cardero's left me with a better impression of the Dine Out Vancouver gimmick, but it seems like I'm in for a roller coaster ride.

I understand $18 Dine Out Menus are the cheapest one, I also understand Dine Out means busier nights and pre-made food - but it doesn't mean I'm not expecting quality food. You may say "what you pay is what you get", but the intention of Dine Out Vancouver is to offer a chance for restaurants to showcase their kitchen at a discounted price, in hopes people will return for their regular menu. To me, Dine Out Vancouver is supposed to be a gateway for restaurants to attract potential customers, not drive them away.

AMBIANCE | I have heard about SIP on the radio numerous times. I have always been curious about it, and finally suggested to try it with a girlfriend. SIP is a small restaurant, its partnering restaurant, The Refinery sits upstairs. The restaurant itself is very cramped, we sat in a booth that fits only one butt (haha), I could barely fit my purse next to me. Our coats were hung on a hook to the side of the booth - this irritated me. As you probably guessed, I am an incredibly picky person, I get very paranoid when my coat is hung there as servers walk quickly next to it. I always imagine my coat falling to the floor or somebody spilling something on to it. Its open kitchen 3 meters away from me didn't help my paranoia either.

We had an amazing chance to be served by the owner of the restaurant. We didn't find out until we started chatting and he even offered us a free drink! He is an amazing guy with a great personality, strong management skills and incredible sense of humour. He was definitely the hi-light of our night.

 Food Ordered:

 Tuna Tower - marinated albacore tuna, cool coleslaw, tropical pineapple
Beef Carpaccio - arugula,  garlic aioli, aged parmigianno

Guiness Grilled Chicken - free range, organic chicken, roasted garlic mas, season veggies, guiness gravy

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin - bacon wrapped, apple and caramelized onion filling, roasted garlic, seasonal veggies and strongbow cider pan sauce

Frangelio Chocolate Cake - chocolate ganache, seasonal fruits

FOOD | This was my first time trying an $18 Dine Out Menu, and I probably never will again.

The beef carpaccio is naturally a expensive dish, so for a $18 menu, I wasnt expecting too much.

The tuna was not a tower, nor was it coleslaw, but a mixture immersed in very salty sauces with a cracker on top.

The chicken sounded amazing on the menu but was only flavourful when loaded up in hot sauce (which we asked the server for). I really only enjoyed the mash potatoes. The mashed potatoes were amazing.

The bacon with stuffing  I could not even tell what was stuffed inside, until I looked up the menu again to type up this post. But it tasted quite alright! This dish was perhaps the only one that I enjoyed.

The chocolate cake as expected, was far too sweet. I didn't finish it.

I hate being a harsh critic, but in a nutshell, the food was very mediocre, very disappointing.

The service is a drive for me to come back if my friends decide to pick this restaurant in the future, but I most likely will not be choosing this restaurant myself.

1117 Granville Street
604-687-7474 

Snack Quack - CAFE CREMA - AMBLESIDE WEST VANCOUVER

A sweet little pit stop I made on our way to Whistler. On an early morning, located along the quiet Ambleside Bellevue Street Strip in West Vancouver, Crema is the hidden treasure of coziness.

  

Mr. F and I ordered -  Mocha Espresso Coffee

Prosciutto de Parma Poached Eggs on Toast

Panna Cotta 

1495 Bellevue Ave

604-922-2294