I've been craving for raw oysters since I ate it last year at Joe Fortes. Surely more than a year wait is too long! Chewies Steam and Oyster Bar has daily buck-a-shuck (aka $1 per oyster) from 3 to 6pm. We went around 4pm on a Friday and there were only a few tables. Online I read that the service can be spotty during happy hour but our server was very attentive and we didn't have any problems.

The oysters for a buck that day were from Vancouver Island though I forgot the name. It came with horse radish and four house-made sauces that ranged in spiciness. Even the spiciest one wasn't that spicy to me though I enjoyed all the sauces with some made with red wine and others more vinegar based. The oysters were very fresh and well cleaned.

Raw oysters ($1 each)

During happy hour the appetizers, called first bites, are half-priced so we tried two. An appetizer name that stood out to us was Chicken Fried Gator and Hush Puppies. After asking the server, he confirmed that it was alligator meat deep fried like chicken and hush puppies are fried corn bread. The alligator meat was like a cross between fish and chicken, it was chewy but more moist than chicken. It came with jalapeno jelly to dip which wasn't that spicy.

Chicken fried gator and hush puppies ($13.5)

The other appetizer we got was the Pork Belly Cracklin' which reminded me of Chinese BBQ pork but thoroughly deep fried. The skin was crispy and the layers of fat and meat melted in the mouth. Though some pieces were tough because it was overly fried. I liked the Cajun sweet and sour apple sauce that came with it because the sourness made the pork belly a little less filling.

Pork Belly Cracklin' ($10.5)

Overall it was a great small meal at Chewies. Correction, small but very filling since it was mostly fried food. They're building an outdoor patio which I'm not sure will be finished by the end of this summer. If not I'd surely go visit it next summer.

I like eating Japanese izakaya because you get to try many small dishes. Guu Otokomae is only open in the evenings and didn't take reservations when I called. Luckily we didn't have to wait longer than 15 minutes before we were seated in the packed restaurant.

Salmon with Seven Friends: diced wild sockeye, natto, picked cucumber, picked daikon, garlic chips, crispy wonton, green onions, diced cucumber, fresh egg yolk, miso and garlic sauce. Our server thoroughly mixed the "seven friends" for us and showed us how to scoop a spoonful of the mixture onto the square pieces of roasted seaweed, wrap it up and eat. There were so many flavours in each bite and the coolness of the salmon made it a perfect summer snack. It's also a perfect sharing dish.

Salmon with 7 friends ($8)

Takoyaki: deep fried balled octopus batter with tonkatsu sauce, wasabi mayo, mustard mayo, bonito flakes and dried seaweed. I love eating takoyaki at the night market but they're always made in such a big rush that the quality lacks. The takoyaki here came hot and each bite had octopus bits. Yum.

Takoyaki ($5)

Duck and Popeye: red wine and soy sauce braised duck breast on sauteed mushrooms and fresh spinach. This was my least favourite dish that we ordered. The mushrooms were too salty and the duck breast had an aftertaste that I didn't prefer. Perhaps it was too raw for me.

Duck and popeye ($9.8)

The grilled pork cheek was delicious. It was tender with a good balance of fat and meat and grilled in a slightly sweet sauce. You should try this!

Grilled pork cheek

The grilled squid was another favourite with the slightly sweet sauce and tender flesh. The thick creamy mayo made it even better.

Grilled squid

Mushroom cheese bibimbap: white rice with sauteed mushroom, cheese, dried seaweed, green onions and seaweed sauce. When we mixed the ingredients inside the hot stone bowl the aroma came spiraling out. It was another flavourful dish and the cheese made it feel like a Japanese risotto. It's a filling bowl though so if you can, share it so you can try more of the delicious dishes at Guu Otokomae!

Overall it was a pleasant dining experience here with nimble service and getting our food quickly. Next time I'd probably go earlier in the evening so avoid the crowds since it is a popular restaurant.

We came to Burgoo on W 4th to celebrate a friend's birthday. We were swiftly seated with our reservation and the few spots left were quickly taken up during the lunch hour. I had heard a lot about Burgoo before coming here and they definitely lived up to expectation.

I got a French Onion Soup for the bubbling cheese but was worried that I wouldn't be full with just soup. It turned out that my worries were absolutely unnecessary! The soup is made with roasted onions in a beef broth with croutons soaked in and gruyere, emmenthal and mozzarella cheese on top. The thick layer of baked cheese with each spoonful of hot, flavourful soup combined with the fluffy bread was decadent. This is definitely the best french onion soup I've had.

Decadent french onion soup ($10)

A friend and I shared the fiesta guacamole which came with crispy white corn tortilla chips. The guacamole had avocado, black bean, pineapple, lime, jalapeno, red onion and cilantro. The pineapple definitely adds a tangy kick that I haven't tasted in other guacamole. Give it a try if you're looking for a starter!

Fiesta guacamole ($7)

Overall I really enjoyed my meal here. The service was great, the atmosphere was relaxing and the food is packed full of ingredients and flavours that will leave you wanting more!

We were walking down W Broadway with no specific restaurant in mind when we walked past Bob Likes Thai Food. The small restaurant had a bar on one side and some booth seats on the other. When we asked our server, she said that Bob is just a name and not the name of their owner.

The pad thai came hot and had a good mix of rice noodles, prawns, tofu, peanuts, egg, bean sprouts and chives. The first few bites were delicious but the more I ate the more uncomfortable I felt. That was because the dish was too sour. The sauce was too flavourful and the sourness from a pickled vegetable in the pad thai was overpowering.

Pad thai ($13)

The masaman beef curry is made with coconut milk, tamarind broth, bay leaf, cinnamon, star anise, palm sugar, beef, potato and peanuts. The curry was very rich and aromatic without being too spicy. The beef was definitely overcooked and a bit tough to chew. The curry doesn't come with rice which you can order for an extra $2.

Masaman beef curry ($13)

We opted for the Thai iced tea with lime instead of with milk. It was cooling and refreshing but tasted very similar to sour plum juice. The taste is not for everyone so if you know you dislike sour plum juice then I'd suggest ordering the iced tea with milk instead.

Overall the flavouring of their food is quite strong but in general I had a good meal here though I'm not sure if I would return.

Guu Garden is located on Nelson Street and only a short walk from City Centre Station or Granville Station. The restaurant was quite full for the weekday lunch period but we did not have to wait to be seated.

It was difficult to order off the Lunch Special menu (at end of post) because all the choices looked so good! In the end I chose the Kobe Beef Rice Burger Bento ($12).

Kobe Beef Rice Burger Bento

I will say right off the bat that I was very happy with my meal. The shrimp avocado salad was drizzled in a wasabi dressing and was a great texture with the crunchy lettuce and smooth avocado. The green bean fries were delicious with its tempura batter. The buns of the burger are replaced with two rice rounds that are crispy on one side and soft on the other. The soft side soaked up the juices from the kobe beef patty which was slightly sweet from sauce and not at all overcooked.

Service was attentive and I enjoyed the amount of light coming in from the many windows. Another Guu franchise tried and loved!

Click to enlarge

A friend found this place and invited me to come along to try and I'm glad I did! When I first entered Waffle Gone Wild I immediately compared it to Nero Belgian Waffle Bar in my head. The physical space was similar in size (small with the kitchen area at the store front and a few small tables further in). However they are not directly comparable because WGW has a more Asian twist.

The menu at WGW is less expensive than Nero and includes matcha waffles and drinks like bubble tea. You can see from the photos below that the presentation of the food is different too with WGW being more "cute."

We shared two waffles ($7.99 each): Japanese matcha waffle and Okonomiyaki waffle.

The Japanese matcha waffle came with a green tea ice cream mochi, strawberry, mandarin orange, red bean, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream sprinkled with matcha powder. The waffle itself had a sweet exterior and chewy interior. I thoroughly enjoyed this waffle because I love matcha and the bunny decoration was too cute!

Japanese matcha waffle

The Okonomiyaki waffle is something new that isn't common. The waffle was sweet and topped with crab meat, okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, seaweed, and bonito flakes. The side is a potato salad and three thin slices of apple. It was very yummy with a more solid texture than traditional okonokiyaki.

Okonomiyaki waffle

Overall highly recommend checking this place out! Service was prompt with refilling water and getting our order. I look forward to trying the other waffles on their menu!

First blog post in 4 months! I was in Southeast Asia and food was delicious there, of course, but it's good to be trying different delicacies in the Vancouver area again.

While away I went to Vietnam and got to try the cuisine beyond pho. My favourite new food that I tried there is called banh xeo and I will be on the lookout for it here.

In the meantime to fix my Vietnamese food craving I tried a relatively new Vietnamese restaurant in Richmond. Pho Ho Vietnamese Noodle Soup is located in Continental Plaza on the side facing Cambie Road and not inward facing where the Pearl Castle is. There is generally less business for restaurants on this side of the plaza which is unfortunate because I had a great experience at Pho Ho!

They opened at the end of 2013, taking over a previous hot pot restaurant. The owners were very friendly and kept the place clean. Prices were affordable and portions quite large.

We ordered:
1) A large beef pho (about $9) which came with a free iced lemon tea
2) A chicken banh mi combo (about $12) which came with fresh spring roll, fried spring roll and a red bean drink (not pictured)

The beef pho was very large and flavourful. I enjoyed a mix of beef briskets and tendons. Comparable to beef pho I tried in South Vietnam (North Vietnam pho broth is different!)

L to R: Fresh spring roll, fried spring roll, beef pho, lemon tea, bean sprouts

I had really really delicious banh mi in Ho Chi Minh City for USD$1.5 that was the size of a footlong. I don't think I can ever find anything comparable in Vancouver because of the ingredients but this banh mi still tasted good to me. The chicken was slightly sweet and juicy and I love the crunch of the vegetables in banh mi.

Chicken banh mi

Special mention for the fried spring roll because it was hot and crispy. I believe there was some pork type stuffing inside. To be honest I didn't pay attention to the stuffing much because I was focused on the crispy wrapping!

Closer look at the banh mi combo side dishes

Overall I enjoyed my meal here and will return whenever I want Vietnamese food again. Food and service were both great.

Inside of Pho Ho