The Adventures of a Traveling "Foodie"

Simba's Restaurant (Denman)

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 23:44:00 -0700

Simba’s is an East African restaurant. The dishes we ordered were suggested by the chef and owner himself. He was the one who personally cooked and served our dish. Awesome service and great food!

Rating: 4 out 5. The food was good. Service was excelled as well. And the ambiance felt like we were really in Africa!

check them out: http://www.simbasgrill.com/index.html

Cache Bistro and Lounge (Yaletown)

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 23:37:43 -0700

Address: 1269 Hamilton Street

What we ordered:

Escargot for our appetizer

close up of the snail!

Cache Chicken cordon bleu stuffed with Swiss cheese, sauteed mushrooms with crispy risotto cake and grilled vegetables

White truffle infused mushroom risotto

Rating: 3 out of 5

I ordered the chicken but did not like it so much… my sister ordered the risotto and it was good! the escargot was also good but the fact that it’s a snail made me uneasy while eating it but it’s good especially with the mushrooms and the sauce.

check them out: http://cachebistro.com/

Seattle Series: The Cheesecake Factory (Seattle, Washington)

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 23:30:01 -0700

Seattle Series continued with Cheesecake Factory! delayed for months!:O

THE BEST CARAMEL MACCHIATO EVER!!!!!

Red Velvet!!!

I lost my pictures of the Reese’s, Dulce de Leche and White Macadamia!:( But they were all good!!!

Phnom Penh (Chinatown)

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 23:14:22 -0700

FINALLY! I can blog again after being on hiatus for months because of busy busy school schedule! I’m just glad school is over (although summer session is starting very soon!). Anyway, for my first post, the very popular and highly acclaimed Phnom Phen restaurant located in 244 E Georgia. I ate here twice this month. The first time with family and the second time with friends. Both trips were satisfying in terms of food, service and overall experience.

I apologize again because I forgot the names of the other dishes we ordered. All I remember was the chicken wings! I really apologize. But I can check on the names again in my next visit:) Below are the pictures from my first trip!

Chicken wings: this is really really good!!!! I would not say the best because I’ve tried better ones but definitely one of their signature dishes. It tasted like pepper corn tofu.. also, the sauce didn’t really do much and it was good by itself anyway.

I forgot the name sorry! But this was kind of like Vietnam’s version of chow mein or something. I found it ok but my brother really loved it. They have other noodle/noodle soups so I might try those next time.

Lettuce Wrap! so good!

forgot the name of this dish!

Oyster cake!! (photo by: Kristel Coso)

Chicken Wings!!! (photo by: Kristel Coso)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5. The chicken wings are good but I’ve tried better! This restaurant has been quite a buzz for some time but it’s worth the try!:)

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/181389/restaurant/Chinatown/Phnom-Penh-Vancouver

Vanilla Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche filling (made by me)

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 23:46:00 -0700

I love baking and cooking! But I do more baking because it costs less time and effort. Last weekend, I baked some cupcakes and made the icing all from scratch. The dulce de leche or “toffee syrup” - is just caramelized condensed milk which I boiled for about an hour and a half. I will upload some of my baking videos soon!:) I haven’t been able to post recently because of school but don’t worry, I will update as soon as possible!:) I would like to thank Alyanna Uy for this awesome photo!:)

Benkei Ramen (Fairview - W Broadway)

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 21:57:58 -0800

Hey readers! I have not been updating because of the load of school work I have to do-_- i have not even finished my Seattle series yet! Anyway, I will update it ASAP! For now, I’m going to do a quick review of Benkei Ramen, located at 545 West Broadway, near the Cambie Canada line. My friends and I did not intend to eat here but since the restaurant we wanted was full, we just decided to go with Ramen! Not a bad choice considering it was a cold, rainy night! So, what we ordered: Shoyu Ramen with Veggie toppings, Shio Ramen and Shrimp Gyoza. Thanks to Raissa Cheu for the photos!

Shoyu Ramen with Veggie toppings: Served with bamboo-shoots, spinach and nori! the soup base lacks flavor, but i liked the toppings. overall, an “ok” ramen

Shrimp Gyoza: I’ve tried better Gyozas but ok I will be lax on this since it’s shrimp and i love shrimps and i super love gyoza. but i’ve tried better. this is “ok” as well.

Shio Ramen: my friend ordered this and she said it’s ok as well!

Overall, I’m rating this ramen place a 2.75 out of 5. It’s an “ok” place but there are better ramen places in Vancouver like Santouka and Kintaro. The service was efficient and friendly too. So, when you’re really craving for ramen and you happen to be around in the area, Benkei is the place. Although, there are lots of other great restaurants around this area too! And oh, did I mention that this is right next to Marble Slab? hahaha.

Check them out: Benkei Ramen

Happy Eating! -Llana :)

Seattle Series: California Pizza Kitchen (Westfield Mall, Tukwila, WA)

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:20:00 -0800

For my next Seattle Series, it’s CPK!!!!!! Oh how I’ve missed you!:> We ate here for dinner after a long and tiring day of shopping. This is again located at Westfield Mall, across a car dealer whose name I forgot. I think it’s Honda. But anyway, here are the food we ordered:

All photos are from Alyanna Uy. When the blogger is hungry, she cannot wait to dig in:P

Crispy Mac N’ Cheese: our appetizer! a twist to the classic mac and cheese!

Spinach Artichoke Dip: the dip is very very good!

The Original BBQ Chicken: so good!!!! I love the onions, chicken and bbq sauce!

Thai Chicken: I am not sure if this was the Thai Chicken but it was ok. It’s good but I liked the first one better.

Baby Clam Linguine: seafood + pasta = 101% perfect combination. enough said:)

Original BBQ Chicken Chopped: yummy! very very good salad I can eat this everyday and won’t feel too guilty:P

Kung Pao Spaghetti: again, so gooooood! this is my first time to try this I think because normally I would have it on rice but this is good!!:) I liked both pastas ordered.

Overall, I’m rating CPK 3.95 out of 5. Food was great, service efficient but the reason why I took of a .5 (was supposed to give them a 4) is because I did not get full. HAHA. I’m kidding! Most of the dishes are hits, still the same good old CPK I remember! Will definitely come back here. Between Boston Pizza, I’d go to CPK first. And oh if you’re wondering about the bill, we were 9 so we paid $11.50 each so not bad!:)

Check them out: CPK

Happy Eating, Llana

Seattle Series: Red Mango (Westfield Mall, Tukwila, WA)

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:38:00 -0800

I tried this in Manila, pretty normal. I do not know about the taste here in Seattle but one of the best I’ve tried so far is Timothy’s in Steveston. But worth to try!;)

Photo by: Alyanna Uy

Seattle Series: Auntie Anne's (Westfield Mall, Tukwila, WA)

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:33:03 -0800

For my second feature, it’s Auntie Anne’s pretzels!!!!!!! The best hand-made “mall” pretzels ever!!!! I love love love their caramel dip!!!:)

All photos taken by Alyanna Uy

Seattle Series: Jollibee & Red Ribbon (Westfield Mall, Tukwila, WA)

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:24:00 -0800

Hi readers!!!:) I’m on Reading Break right now so to start off the week, my friends and I went to Seattle for 2 days for a much-needed eating and shopping trip!:) To start my “Seattle Series”, I am proud to present the Philippines’ very own, Jollibee! Located at Westfield Mall in Tukwila, around 40+ minutes from Seattle Downtown by public transpo or 20+ minutes by car. I have not had Jollibee for almost 2 years so this was one of the highlights of the trip! I usually order my usual, 2-pc. burger steak and always with extra gravy but since I’m missing the classic chicken joy, I got the 1-pc. chicken joy and spaghetti. I would have gotten their pies as well (I swear, better the McDonald’s) but I needed space in my tummy so I resisted. Anyway, below are the pics from Jollibee. I also posted pictures from Red Ribbon but I did not get anything from there:)

All photos are taken by me unless otherwise stated.

1pc Chicken Joy and Jolly Spaghetti (photo credits: Alyanna Uy)

Burger Steak (photo credits: Alyanna Uy)

Jollibee menu

Red Ribbon menu

Red Ribbon cakes (photo credits: Alyanna Uy)

So I’m writing this Jollibee branch a 4.25 out of 5. I love their chicken and tmy friends said the burger steak tasted the same. But the spaghetti was a bit different. Not entirely different but only a slight one, like with the sauce, cheese and meat. Service was efficient and the restaurant was nice and clean. No long and chaotic line-ups!:) As for Red Ribbon, the cakes were pricey. I wanted to try the Brazo but they don’t sell them by slice so I did not get it. So when you’re in Seattle, don’t forget to drive down to Tukwila and try Jollibee and Red Ribbon! A taste of the Philippines!;)

-Llana

Soirette Macarons & Tea (West End)

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:28:15 -0800

I discovered this quaint place when Socialshopper.com featured a deal from them. Soirette is located at 1433 West Pender Street. Please do not dare to walk it, I walked it from Burrard! Save yourselves and take the 19 bus! Anyway, I came here unexpectedly after dropping by Thierry and finding out that their macarons were sold out! I was disappointed so I came here instead. I ordered a box of 6 worth $12 in total with tax. I ordered rose, caramel fleur de sel, violette, rocher, raspberry and strawberry.

cute packaging!

macarons - strawberry, rose, violette, caramel, raspberry and rocher

this came with the box! it’s back to back but i forgot to take a picture of it.

one got smushed because my camera fell on it as i was trying to take the picture for the first time…:(

Honestly, I didn’t really like the macarons. First, the size is too small for me. Secondly, it’s overpriced, Thirdly, lacks flavor. I like Thierry better (review to follow soon!). Thierry has bigger servings and it’s more delicious. Cheaper as well. My dad didn’t find anything special in these too. But among the flavors I tried, I liked the strawberry, violette and raspberry. But you really had to chew well in order to taste them. This was kind of a let down because I had higher expectations since this received high ratings in urbanspoon. But, I will give this another chance and come back. The lady was nice anyway and I liked the interior. I won’t give any ratings first since I’m coming back. HAHA. Check them out at:

http://soirette.com/

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1619490/restaurant/Robson-Street-West-End/Soirette-Macarons-Tea-Vancouver

-Llana

Nori Seaweed

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:49:45 -0800

Nori was part of my childhood<3 I remember my classmates and I would always share this back in gradeschool! those were the days….:>

Happy Eating!!!! -Llana

KitKat Green Tea and Pumpkin Cheesecake

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:44:21 -0800

I would like to thank my friend, Hannah for sharing these chocolates with me!:) I know you can only buy these in Japan or HK..so sad they don’t have it in Vancouver!:( unless some Japanese/Asian stores carry it. So as mentioned above, it’s green tea and pumpkin cheesecake flavors! I am not a fan of green tea but this didn’t taste bad at all. I actually liked it. As for the pumpkin one, it’s kinda weird at first because you can really taste the pumpkin and I’m not as adventurous when it comes to chocolates mixed with other flavours but this was a good experience to try. She said that there are other flavors like ginger! and I also searched it online they have caramel macchiato, fruit parfait, blueberry cheesecake etc… only in Japan I guess!:) oh well, enjoy the pics!

Hey hungry guys and girls! I would like to share this video from...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:06:00 -0800

Hey hungry guys and girls! I would like to share this video from Inside Vancouver, showcasing the best dining experiences of Vancouver featuring a diverse mix of cuisines from all over the world! That’s one of the best things in Vancity, you don’t have to go far to experience the cuisines of different countries!;)

Happy Weekend!

-Llana

Diplomat Bakery Cakes (Steveston)

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:28:01 -0800

I haven’t been to their actual store yet in Steveston but I really love their cakes!!! I’ve tried a couple ones but here are the latest cakes for my cousin’s and aunt’s birthday - Red Velvet and the other one is Mango Cream Cheesecake I think. Both so yummy and so rich. I like both but the adults or the older ones prefer the Mango I think..:)

Check them out - Diplomat Bakery

Green Tea Mochi

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:18:00 -0800

My dad bought this from T&T I think… and it’s good! I don’t usually eat green tea-flavored like ice cream but this was an exception! I think I found a new favorite!

Adesso Bistro (West End)

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:19:00 -0800

A semi-fancy dinner with the girls! Adesso Bistro is located at 1906 Haro Street. You can take the 5 Robson bus and get off Denman and walk towards Haro then turn right. Adesso is on the left side. I read about this restaurant at Scout Magazine’s website. This is a quaint Italian restaurant away from the hustle and bustle of Robson street. They have a wide selection of wines and drinks. They have appetizers, pastas and house specials too. What we ordered: Anatra, Cinghiale, Salmone alla Ligure, Aragosta, Linguine alle vongole and Pizza (the name of which I forgot-_-)

Anatra: this is what I ordered! Braised duck and potato gnocchi with chanterelle, cherry tomato and parsley. I love what I ordered. I have never eaten duck actually, or maybe I have but not cooked this way. Also, I wanted to try gnocchi (after watching it on Food Network). The meat was very chewy and yummy, the gnocchi was very good as well. I also like the chanterelle mushrooms and cherry tomatoes and the sauce as well. overall, a good dish.

Cinghiale: wild boar ragu with paprika and tagliatelle. I don’t speak Italian so the only thing I understood was the boar. HAHA. I didn’t get to try this but my friend liked it!

Salmone all Ligure: salmon fillet with lightly stewed tomatoe, olive, pinenut and potato. my friend really really liked this dish and I also read in other reviews that people also liked this!

Aragosta: poached lobster, lemon, saffron and lobster sauce. hmmmmm lobster..who can go wrong with this heavenly sea creature! my two friends who ordered this dish really liked this. i got to try this too and the lemon and saffron flavors did give a kick to it. really good!

Linguine alla Vongole: manila clams, white wine and herbs. it just takes that to whip up this simple yet delectable dish. you can never go wrong with seafood!;)

Pizza: last but not the least, the PIZZA, the name which I forgot…or could not find in their online menu. but this pizza is really really delish! classic Italian style (you know the kind of pizza they make in legit Italian restaus… the crust is thin and crispy, sort of like a thin pita or biscuit of some sort).. really yummy!

Overall, I’m giving Adesso a 3.75 out of 5. The food was great, the service was really efficient and nice (we had a reservation and we were late and yet they accommodated us very well), ambiance is very nice although it was noisy at that time, sounded like a classy noisy Chinese restaurant, washrooms are clean and well-stocked.. overall, it was a nice, “hidden” place with good Italian food. If you like to get away from the hustle and bustle of Downtown, this is THE place.

Check them out foodies!!!

Urbanspoon, Yelp and Adesso Bistro website.

Bon apetito! -Llana

*****All photos were taken by the talented, Chelsea Go. I do not own any of these images!*****

Urban Thai Bistro (Yaletown)

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:33:14 -0800

This is my first Dine Out Vancouver for this year. Urban Thai Bistro is located at 1119 Hamilton St., a short walk from the Canada Line. Here’s their Dine Out menu for only $18!

I came here with a friend so we got to try most of their items. What I ordered: Tom Kah Goong for appetizer, New Zealand Lamb Loin Chops for the main, and Deep fried Banana with mango ice cream for dessert!

Tom Kah Goong:this hot, spicy and sour soup with tiger prawns, mushrooms, lemongrass and coconut milk! I’m not a big fan of anything coconut but this soup is pretty good actually. The blend of spicy and sour adds zest to the coconut milk so it’s very creamy and has lots of flavors. pretty good and warm considering it was cold that night.

New Zealand Lamb Loin Chops: So I got this for my main! I would have gotten my usual and favorite Pad Thai but I wanted something new. Lamb is not my favorite but I don’t mind eating it, but after this I now know what people meant by the aftertaste so now I won’t eat lamb anymore. HAHA. It does have the aftertaste! but the dish was good especially the green curry sauce. Although I won’t appreciate it anymore because of the aftertaste that I just realized after eating this. hahaha. But if you love Lamb, go for it.

Deep Fried Banana with Mango Ice Cream: YUMMY! I love deep fried banana!!! especially mango ice cream!! simple dessert, evocative combination!

Here’s what my friend got: Lettuce Wrap for appetizer, Goong Pad Ma-Mauong Hin Ma-Pan for main and also the Deep Fried Banana for dessert!

Lettuce Wrap: this was my favorite dish of the night!! i love the grounded chicken and all other veggies in it! So good! And now I’m craving for more of this! The portions were small though (it is only an appetizer) but I wished they have given us more! HAHA. but this was really good!

Goong Pad Ma-Mauong Hin Ma-Pan: Goong Pad what?! The name is complicated and long but it simply: stir fried tiger prawns with roasted cashew nuts and chili. HAHA. I will be biased again because i love seafood especially shrimps so I must say this was also good, but nothing exciting about it. The dish was pretty simple so nothing special. All our main came with white rice btw.

Overall, I would give this restaurant a 3.50 out of 5! Very good service (it was not packed, only a few tables were occupied when we arrived), the food was good and ok -I really loved the lettuce wrap! Some dishes were strong but some are just average, the place was nice - dimly lit, cozy ambiance, and the washrooms (for women) were clean. I would love to come back here and try their Pad Thai and other dishes!

Check them out:

Urbanspoon, Yelp, Thai House website.

*Urban Thai Bistro is a subsidiary of Thai House Restaurant Group. They have other Thai Restaurants across Vancouver so check them out!

Happy Dine Out!

-Llana

Next Noodle Bar (Downtown)

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 08:43:00 -0800

Hey everyone! I’m going to post about one of my favorite go-to restaurants, Next Noodle Bar located at 560 Robson St. I’ve been to this restaurant a lot of times (can’t count.. i think 5 or 6 times already) and have always been very satisfied with every visit! Here are the items we ordered:

Char Keow Teow: one of my favorite dishes here! SEAFOOD (my favorite!!)+egg+assorted veggies. This is so good! I never get tired ordering this! HAHA. I don’t like spicy food that much but this one is an exception. I always forget to request it as less spicy but still good!!!

Wor Wonton Noodle: my friend ordered this and she said that it’s delicious! I also read another review on this in Urbanspoon and says it good too.

Seafood Tofu Soup

Jumbo Prawns Chow Mien

Crispy Ginger Beef: this dish gets my seal of approval because it’s so good!!!! this is so good that “once you pop, you cannot stop!” Just ask my friend who loved this so much she said she could eat this everyday! hahaha. the sauce is very good! This is definitely a must-try for all first-timers! so good! I came across this dish when the lady suggested their best-seller so ever since, I’ve been ordering this.

Overall, I am rating this restaurant 4 out 5! Good food, great service (the lady was so nice and they kept refilling our water and tea!). nice ambiance and decent washroom! HAHA. Has always been my go-to restaurant. I will never get tired of eating here as long as they keep the quality as it is (or make it better) and be consistent in their food and service. They make deliveries too and we tried it once, efficient service and good, hot food:)

*thanks to my friend http://cosogirl.tumblr.com/ for lending me her camera to take these pictures.

Check them out: Urbanspoon

Happy eating!

Llana

Basil Pasta Bar (Yaletown/Davie Street)

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:53:13 -0800

I found pictures from my visit here last year June and I’m excited to share with you this unique place where YOU create your own pasta! Everything is your choice, from the pasta, to the toppings (meat, veg), to the sauce and the ganache. Basil Pasta Bar is located at 636 Davie Street., corner of Granville and Davie.

I really really love this place since you can customize your dish and for the price of only $7.95 all day, it’s definitely worth it. They have pre-set combos too if you’re too lazy to choose or having a hard time deciding. Here’s what we ordered. I don’t have names because it’s customized. They have house specials too like pasta + soup.

Overall, I give this 4.5 out 5! I came here last year of June and I was really happy with my visit that time. The food was good, service is nice, location is convenient and affordable too. I haven’t had the chance to come back again but if I do, I will update this post. If you want a quick eat pasta joint, this is Highly recommended! Basil Pasta Bar is like the McDonald’s of Pasta places! hahaha. :D

Check them out in Urbanspoon, Yelp and their website.

Buon apetito!

-Llana