the review: Today Sam and I headed over to Butter on Dunbar for an amazing high tea.  Walking into Butter, you are taken aback by how beautiful the décor is.  It features floral wall paper, chandeliers, and a checkerboard floor, while each table is adorned with perfectly mis-matched tea sets.

For $14 I got their smaller high tea which included two sandwiches, a chocolate hazelnut scone with clotted cream and preserves, 5 different desserts, and my choice of tea.  It was more than enough for one person and totally amazing.  All of their baked goodies are of the up-most quality and I especially adored the scone and mint nanaimo square.

the rating: Butter scored a 5 on ambiance, a 4 on menu, a 3.5 on pricing, a 5 on service, a 5 on presentation, and a 5 on taste generating an overall score of 4.5 stars.

the quote of the day: “A high tea for high expectations!” – Lynnfield

the website: http://www.butterbakedgoods.com

the decor

the table settings

high tea

Sam and I

the delicious spread!

the review: After a busy day, a tough Finance exam, and some COLD Vancouver weather, Sophie and I decided to warm up at Burgoo, Point Grey with some classic comfort food.

Burgoo, is a local Vancouver chain, that focuses on providing the best comfort foods from around the world.  The interior of each of their locations is inspired by log cabins so you instantly feel warm and cozy when you enter their oh-so-inviting restaurants.  Burgoo is especially a staple in wintertime when you need to warm up over a hot bowl of soup.

Today, I enjoyed their macaroni and cheese, while Sophie ate their straight up tomato soup and gooey cheese grillers.  There macaroni and cheese was rich, creamy, cheesy, and delicious!!!  Sophie loved her soup and grilled cheese.  She was also really inpressed with the large portions sizes and had enough to take home for a second meal!

the rating: Burgoo scored a 4 on ambiance, a 4 on menu, a 4 on pricing, a 4 on service, a 4 on presentation, and a 4 on taste generating an overall score of 4 stars.

the website: http://burgoo.ca

gooey cheese grillers and straight up tomato soup!

Sophie

the review: Today a huge group of us checked out La Taqueria Pinche Taco Shop at Cambie and Broadway.  This colourful little spot offers some of the best tacos in Vancouver made from local, organic, and sustainable products.  This location as well as their West Hastings location is always buzzing with a loyal crowd and you feel nostalgic for Mexican vacations past as soon as you enter the doors.

They feature a well-rounded menu with just about every flavor of taco you can dream up.  For $9.50 you can get 4 meat tacos or pay $7 for 4 veggies tacos.  I enjoyed a Pollo Con Mole (chicken mole), a Pescado (fish) , a Tinga De Hongos (spicy mushroom) and a Raja Con Crema (creamed corn) taco plus a cinnamon milk drink that Mauricio, our resident judge, recommended.  All of my tacos were delicious and I love that variety that you get with each one. The spicy mushroom, to my surprise, would definitely be my favorite!!!

All the guys and girls on today’s blog LOVED the tacos, but the guys said they could have used some additional sides to fill up on.

Fun fact:  Per Mauricio, “Pinche” means “f#@k” in Spanish, therefore La Taqueria, F#@king Taco Shop.

the review: La Taqueria scored a 4 on ambiance, a 4.5 on menu, a 3.5 on pricing, a 4.5 on service, a 4 on presentation, and a 5 on taste generating an overall score of 4 stars.

the quote of the day: “The fish taco tastes fishy”- James

“Los tacos estaban deliciosos, pero me comí una de más y ahora me temo que podría cagar mis pantalones jugando al hockey. Delicioso!” – Dave

the website: http://lataqueria.ca

la taqueria- f@#king taco shop

today’s panel

so many tacos

happy customers

the crew

the review: Today, Aldin, Brian, Andres, and myself checked out Beaucoup Bakery in Kits.  This new French bakery has been generating a lot of buzz on Urbanspoon and I have driven by it a few times and it has always looked busy.

As with my previous drive-bys, Beaucoup Bakery was really busy when we checked it out.  It is quite small so finding seating was a little difficult due to its popularity.  That being said, as soon as you walk into Beaucoup Bakery, you fall in love with the ambiance and décor.  You instantly feel like you have been transported into a Parisian bakery.

I enjoyed both savory, a cheese and onion scone, and sweet, a pain au chocolat.  The pain au chocolat was as good as those in France- buttery, flakey, and delicious.  I also ordered a tea which was served on a beautiful tray complete with a little sand timer to ensure it was steeped to perfection.  Aldin and Brian both raved about the how delicious the scones were.

the rating: Beaucoup Bakery scored a 4.5 on ambiance, a 3.5 on menu, a 3 on pricing, a 4 on service, a 4.5 on presentation, and a 4.5 on taste generating an overall score of 4 stars.

the quote of the day:  “the scone is great!” – Aldin

the website: http://www.beaucoupbakery.com

straight from paris

delicious goodies

the lovely ambiance

tea timed to perfection

sweet and savory

Aldin

Andres

the review: Tonight Onur, Jon, and myself checked our Bob Likes Thai Food on Main Street. Together we shared some spring rolls, a prawn pad thai, a cashew chicken, a yellow curry with fish, and a coconut rice.  Everything was cooked perfectly and could not be improved upon.  I would have to say that this is the BEST thai food I have had in Vancouver and offered at a very reasonable price.

the rating: Bob Likes Thai Food scored a 3 on ambiance, a 4 on menu, a 4.5 on pricing, a 4 on service, a 4 on presentation, and a 5 on taste generating an overall score of 4 stars.

the quote of the day: “Probably the best thai food I’ve had in Van!” – Onur

the website: http://www.boblikesthaifood.com

loyal blog followers: Onur and Jon

spring rolls

cashew chicken

pad thai

the review: Today 13 of us headed to my fav restaurant in Vancouver, Bao-Bei.  While I was living life through rose coloured glasses, when I thought I could include this restaurant on my under $15 list, we all decided to splurge for this special occasion.

When entering Bao-Bei, you are instantly inspired by the hipster-meets-asian influenced décor, the good looking waiters/bartenders sporting suspenders and bow-ties, the amazing floral wall paper, and the awesome vintage street fighter arcade game at the front.  The vibe at Bao-Bei is ultra chic and totally hip.  We were lucky enough to score their chefs table at the back which we all squeezed into.

We opted for a $30 tasting menu, in which our server chose a selection of Bao-Bei’s best dishes.  We dined on marinated eggplant and sichauan cucumbers to start.  Then moved onto a round of prawn/chive dumplings and truffle dumplings, which Janelle and myself, the resident dumpling enthusiasts, adored. We then dined on beef tartare, shan tofu, lamb flatbreads, steamed pork buns, duck fried rice, sticky rice cake, and sides of brussel sprouts and king pea tips. I was an amazing feast and the best part is that everything is locally sourced and ethically raised!!!

With the tasting menu, I tried new and delicious dishes outside of my usual norm for Bao-Bei.  My classics always include the crispy tofu, the kick ass fried rice, the seasonal fish, the dumplings, and the king pea tips.  Tonight, however, I totally fell in love with the Shan tofu which features chickpea tofu, greens, mushrooms, and chili. A definite must!!

While everyone adored the unique asian-fusion cuisine, we all decided that the price point definitely puts Bao-Bei into a “special occasion” category and it doesn’t fit into the everyday student’s budget.

Finally when visiting Bao-Bei, be prepared to wait, put your name on the list and head down the street to Keefer bar for some amazing drinks.

the rating: Bao-Bei scored a 4.5 on ambiance, a 4.5 on menu, a 3.5 on pricing, a 4.5 on service, a 4.5 on presentation, and a 5 on taste generating an overall score of 4.5 stars.

the quote of the day: “Cozy family place with great tasting food and special history to discover.”- Oana

the website: http://bao-bei.ca

the girls: Kim, Oana, Lynnfield, Janelle, Katrina, Leslie

Ivana, Britta, Thomas

Preeth, Fraser, Lumi

the spread

sticky rice

pork bun

lamb sandwich

beef tartare

Katrina

the review: Today Arpit, Breanne, Jeff, Daniel, Karthik, and myself tracked down and checked out Vij’s Railway Express. Bonded by our love for Indian cuisine, we braved the elements and enjoyed lunch outside in the COOOOOLD -1 degree weather.

Despite the weather, we were all anxious to try “Canada’s best food truck” and the unique creations from the same chefs who brought us Vancouver’s favorite Vijs and Rangolis.

What’s cool about the Railway Express is that not only is the location different everyday, but so too is the menu.  Each month, they cycle through a variation of 10 new dishes and each day is a slightly different menu. Follow them on Facebook or Twitter to determine their daily location and menu.

Today, I enjoyed the butter chicken snitzel which came with naam bread, rice, and sprouts.  It was absolutely AMAZING!!!! Well worth the hype and I would concur that it is the BEST food I’ve eaten from a truck yet.  Daniel had the lamb kebab and stated “AMAZING kebab. Must try!!!”  Our resident Indian judges on today’s panel, Arpit and Karthik both tried the vegetarian-friendly chickpea salad and both really enjoyed it’s flavor. Arpit, requested that his be made “spicy” and he said that they even made it to his level of spice.

Additionally, since it was so cold out, we all kept ourselves warm with Vij’s chai which featured toasted almond flakes.  It was totally delightful and a definite must when visiting the truck!

the rating: Vij’s Railway Express scored a 3 on ambiance, a 3.5 on menu, a 4 on pricing, a 4 on service, a 4 on presentation, and a 5 on taste generating an overall score of 4 stars.

the quote of the day: “Amazing experience of having hot spicy food on a cold morning with friends”. – Arpit

the website: http://www.vijsrailwayexpress.com

the truck

chickpea salad

butter chicken snitzel

lamb kebab

warming up with chai

digging in

today’s panel

the review: Today Onur and I checked out Cartem’s donuts.  This is the little donut company born out of our MBA creativity class at UBC.  Walking into Cartem’s you are instantly hit with the delicious smell of warm, fresh donuts right out of the oven.  You also get a really great view of all of the bakers working away at the next batch of donuts.

Onur and I each got a donut and additionally shared one.  I tried the key lime pie donut which was absolutely delicious.  It was a bread based donut filled with rich key lime cream.  We also shared the beesting which is the perfect combination of sweet and savory.  It features a cake donut with what I believe to be a sweet glaze married with savory cheese and pepper to add a little kick.

Each donut cost $3, which while 3 times the price of a regular donut, we felt was priced appropriately given it’s premium quality and flavors We also ordered tea and coffee to go with our donuts and what’s cool is that they filtered and brewed your coffee right in front of you and directly into your cup.

I had a group meeting to head to shortly afterwards so I bought a ½ dozen additional donuts to share with them.  They absolutely loved the donuts and the unique and unexpected flavor pairings offered.  They donuts were quickly devowered right down to the very last crumb.

the rating: Cartem’s scored a 4 on ambiance, a 3.5 on menu, a 3.5 on pricing, a 4 on service, a 4 on presentation, and a 4.5 on taste generating an overall score of 4 stars.

the quote of the day: There’s cheese on the donut??? – Onur

the website: http://cartems.com

Cartem’s

mmmmm donuts

key lime pie

Onur

assorted

Adi

Mark

the review: Today my lulu crew and I caught up at Sushi Bar, a sushi spot on 4^th frequented by lululemons at lunchtime. This quant lil’ spot offers up great sushi with amazing presentation at a good price.

I enjoyed their chicken teriyaki bento box which features chicken teriyaki, rice, assorted tempura, salad, miso soup, california rolls, and an orange all for ~$12.  The girls enjoyed an assortment of various rolls and loved them all. Sara’s plate won best presentation with a little lantern made from a daikon radish.

the rating: Sushi Bar scored a 3 on ambiance, a 4 on menu, a 4 on pricing, a 3 on service, a 5 on presentation, and a 4 on taste generating an overall score of 3 ½ stars.

quote of the day: “mmmmm, so good!” – Sara

the website: http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/181732/restaurant/Kitsilano/The-Sushi-Bar-Vancouver

the menu

lots of sushi for a lil’ lady

Katrina and I

Sara and her daikon lantern

the review: Today, 10 of us checked out Toshi’s at 16^th and Main.  Toshi’s, arguably the best Japanese in Vancouver, always boasts a huge line.  I got there ½ hr before it opened at 5 in hopes of securing a spot.  Despite my best efforts, there were still about 20 other people before me with the same idea.  We ended up waiting approximately an hour, but once we got in, it was well worth it.

Jon, Juan, Onur, Claudia, and I crowded into a corner table and shared a mix of appetizers, sushi, sashimi and my favorite spicy agedashi tofu.  Toshi’s doesn’t try to re-invent the wheel with their sushi, but rather focuses on perfecting the classics and offering them at a good price.  Everyone raved about how fresh the sashimi was and how delicious the rolls were. And many said it was the best sushi they had experienced in Vancouver.

Due to the wait, we had all worked up such a HUGE appetite that after eating our first round of food, we decided we needed seconds.  I definitely broke my $15 budget tonight, but it was SO SO good!!

the rating: Toshi’s scored a 3.5 on ambiance, a 4 on menu, a 4 on pricing, a 3 on service, a 4 on presentation, and a 4.5 on taste generating an overall score of 4 stars.

the quote of the day: “食べ物はおいしかったです。私は良い人です。” -Dave

“Best sushi I’ve had in Vancouver” – Thomas

the website: http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/181856/restaurant/mount-pleasant-main-street/toshi-sushi-vancouver

Claudia, Jon, and I

besties: Onur and Juan

today’s panel

Kim, Thomas, Leslie, Preeth & Dave

the best spicy agedashi tofu

rolls

sashimi