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

Lunch Munch: GUU GARDEN - DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

I used to love Guu. Guu gastown was my favourite, Guu Garlic on Denman was a close second. Guu Richmond and Guu Thurlow didnt cut the chase for me. 

As I grew older (uhh like in the past 2 years), I started getting very annoyed with loud and crammed restaurants.  The first time in Guu I loved the authenticity of servers yelling warm Japanes greetings around the restaurants, but by the tenth time I walk in, the excitement is gone, and I really rather not wait in line in a stuffy and crowded atmosphere. While Guu izakaya snacks are so unique - each plate being full of surprises, I chose other restaurants such as Aki over Guu. Well, until Guu Garden.

AMBIANCE | Guu Garden is located in the office area of Vancouver. Located upstairs Gyu-Kaku, Guu Garden is much more ventilated, much more open, and much more comfortable. There are floor to ceiling windows that outlook a Japanese garden shaping a simple and earthy environment. Splashed with colourful, but pastel pillow seats, and decorated with simple wooden tables, Guu Garden actually feels like a garden. A simple rural garden, not extravagant, not luxurious, but simple, easy and calm.

We ordered:

Garden Bento 1

Tonosama Bento: Deep friend breaded shrimp & veggies, grilled or stewed fish of the day, four kinds of sashimi, kobachi, rice and miso soup

Garden Bento 2

Businessman Bento: Saikyo miso black cod, three kinds of sashimi, salmon and saba sushi, kobachi and miso soup

Dessert: Sake pulp and Sea Salt Ice cream

Menu found here

FOOD | For lunch, they offered bento boxes ranging from $9-15.80. We ordered two of the $15.80 "Garden" boxes, and while the size looks small, it was actually really filling! Having just returned from Japan, in terms of presentation,Guu Garden is legitimately a restaurant that is plucked from Japan and placed in Vancouver. The placement of the foods are delicate and detailed (even a small umbrella for the grapes) and I would even call the bento box "cute" and "comfortable". The food is also finely made. Each tempura is freshly fried, each sushi is delicately made. 

My favourite of the meal was definitely the dessert. I have been to gelato places with numerous of strange and interesting flavours, but "sake pulp and sea salt" flavour is by far the most interesting and appetizing I have ever seen. The ice cream is based off a vanilla icecream with subtle hints of sake and salt. I absolutely loved it, and would recommend it to everyone. 

M101-888 Nelson Street 
Vancouver, BC V6Z2R9
604-899-0855

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

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