http://thehungrycouple.ca the hungry couple Thu, 08 Nov 2012 11:56:57 +0000 http://thehungrycouple.ca en http://thehungrycouple.ca/The-Fish-Shack-Brunch http://thehungrycouple.ca/following/thehungrycouple.ca/The-Fish-Shack-Brunch Thu, 08 Nov 2012 11:56:57 +0000 the hungry couple 4401814 Fish Shack - Glowbal Group - 1026 Granville Street November 2012 So recently Sanafir on Granville street closed down and the Glowbal Group changed it up to a Fish Shack. At first glance it is the Glowbal Group trying to imitate Rodneys/Chewies Oyster Bar, but do you really blame them? Vancouverites are crazy about oysters and a lively environment. I was at Rodneys enjoying their low tide menu last week as well. Vancouverites loveeeeee oysters. Mark and I stopped by for Sunday brunch and was surprised how there was no line at all. I think it was their first weekend serving brunch. The brunch menu was really simple. 4 bennys, and 4 other breakfasty items and all for $9.50. We were impressed how well priced it was and how they kept it under 10 dollars! <img src="http://payload105.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/4401814/IMG_2714_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload105.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/4401814/IMG_2714_o.JPG" data-mid="23316541" border="0" align="left"/> We've been on a drinking bender lately so we passed on the Caesers and just focused on coffee and brunching. (Caeser review to come next time). Mark got the Fish and Chip Benny and I ordered the Pesto Marinated Salmon Benny (servers recommendation). They even asked us how we wanted our eggs poached.. I dont think I've been asked that in a while. One thing that annoys us is when our eggs are medium-hard poached on a Benny.. that simply ruins brunch for us. (we're pretty passionate about our eggs). Marks Fish and Chip Benny was made with Cod and the batter was extremely fluffy and the fish inside just flaked off when you cut through it. The hollandaise was perfectly flavored. Not too heavy but still full of flavor. The battered fish was an interesting topping for a Benny, and it worked amazingly. <img src="http://payload105.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/4401814/IMG_2719_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload105.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/4401814/IMG_2719_o.JPG" data-mid="23316552" border="0" align="left"/> My Pesto Marinated Salmon was full of flavor. The pesto was made with really fresh basil and the flavors mixed with the hollandaise was delicious. The salmon portion was smaller than the battered cod, but it was a good size for me. The highlight for both our dishes were the potatoes. They were really crispy and had a flavorful seasoning powder (white ppl MSG?...haha). We both ate everything off our plates and was quite impressed for an under $10 brunch. <img src="http://payload105.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/4401814/IMG_2720_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload105.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/4401814/IMG_2720_o.JPG" data-mid="23316557" border="0" align="left"/> All in all the brunch was great. The table beside us ordered off the lunch menu and they had a $11 lunch box special. We'll definitely go back for lunch and dinner and try the rest of the menu. The menu didn't have any price listed out for oysters, but I'm sure it's at around the same pricing as Rodneys. They should definitely add a buck-a-shuck on the menu because i'm always a sucker (get it?) for oysters as an appy before brunch. <img src="http://payload105.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/4401814/IMG_2722_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload105.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/4401814/IMG_2722_o.JPG" data-mid="23316563" border="0" align="left"/> The space reminisced the old Sanafir, but they actually did a lot of reno changes to it, making it more 'Granville friendly' and less pretentious. I loved the simplicity of the palettes on the wall and the ceilings and my friend Kris Kupskay did the chalk art of all the different fish on the giant wall. If he ever gets to redo that wall I would love to help him out with some of the type (*nudge nudge*). <img src="http://payload105.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/4401814/IMG_2723_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload105.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/4401814/IMG_2723_o.JPG" data-mid="23316572" border="0" align="left"/> 9/10 + • brunch for under $10! • awesome flavors and well executed • nice space - • Mark and I loveeee the freebies that gets offered at all the Glowbal restaurants. The table beside us got a chowder sampler and it made me kind of sad. We always tip more when we get the freebies too :( • Needs buck-a-shuck oysters (just read on urbanspoon that this exists but its tucked away on the menu?) <img alt="The Fish Shack on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1710546/biglink.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:200px;height:146px" /> Fish Shack - Glowbal Group - 1026 Granville Street November 2012 So recently Sanafir on Granville street closed down and the Glowbal Group changed it up to a... http://thehungrycouple.ca/Cray-Kitchen-and-Bar http://thehungrycouple.ca/following/thehungrycouple.ca/Cray-Kitchen-and-Bar Mon, 20 Aug 2012 23:20:21 +0000 the hungry couple 3946188 Cray Kitchen and Bar - 2470 Main Street August 19, 2012 What the heck is crawfish? It's a minature, freshwater, mini lobster. It's popular in the south and surprisingly China as well! Cray Kitchen and Bar serves crawfish and other seafood, Louisiana style. I went with my volleyball crew after a beautiful night at English Bay. My daring vball friends were willing to get messy with me. The crawfish is advertised as 'market price' on the menu and it was $14.99/pound. You get a choice of garlic butter, lemon pepper, cajun spice (or all 3 is called 'cray mix') and you get your choice of level of heat. You can add extras such as corn on the cob, sausage, potato for a minimal additional cost and they toss it right into the plastic bag of flavor. The server suggested us to each get 2 pounds of seafood. I wanted to play it safe and start with a pound of crawfish, cray mix, mild spice, with a corn on the cob (only 50cents for half!). I threw on my bib and put on my gloves and dug right in. <img src="http://payload82.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3946188/IMG_2435_700.JPG" width="700" height="700" width_o="1259" height_o="1259" src_o="http://payload82.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3946188/IMG_2435_o.JPG" data-mid="20619847" border="0" align="left"/> <img src="http://payload82.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3946188/IMG_2423_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload82.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3946188/IMG_2423_o.JPG" data-mid="20619472" border="0" align="left"/> pretty scary looking in there...warning.. temperature HOT!! The bag of flavor was HOT (temperature). I decided the gloves were just too slippery and went for it. They luckily give you a card with instructions and I tried my best to follow it, then i realized it's pretty much eating a prawn. The head of the crawfish was 2/3 of its size, which left the body to be very tiny. As a good asian, I sucked the head...of course I did. There was a lot of flavor from the crawfish as well as the sauce. The shell on the body was a bit hard to peel... and once peeled there really wasnt much meat on the crawfish. Inside the bag there were little pinchers that broke off.. a soft chomp opens up the shell and again... not much meat. It was a lot of work to get the amount of meat. The best part to this bag of flavor was the corn. In the future I would get more sides and make sure it's soaked in the flavorful sauce. Crawfish was meh.. but the corn and sauce was fantastic. <img src="http://payload82.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3946188/IMG_2420_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload82.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3946188/IMG_2420_o.JPG" data-mid="20619478" border="0" align="left"/> <img src="http://payload82.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3946188/IMG_2419_700.jpg" width="700" height="937" width_o="1936" height_o="2592" src_o="http://payload82.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3946188/IMG_2419_o.jpg" data-mid="20620164" border="0" align="left"/> my superstar vball friend following the optional step on the instruction card <img src="http://payload82.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3946188/IMG_2428_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload82.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3946188/IMG_2428_o.JPG" data-mid="20619483" border="0" align="left"/> Yes they look huge..but they just have a huge head and pinchers. Their tiny bods are tucked under the head. The server suggested me to get the shrimp ($10.99/pound) and I shared it with my friend. The shrimp were surprisingly large and the meat was cooked to perfection. 1 shrimp equaled to 3 crawfish bodies. You get more shrimp because it weighs less than crawfish, and you get more meat. WIN WIN! I like! My friend ordered the clams ($11.99/pound) and they got maybe 10-14 clams in the bag. Clam shells are heavy, so you don't get a very good deal. The size of the clams were quite large and they were sponge for the sauce. Very very tasty, but you don't get enough. The timing of the food came out really sporadically and unfortunately the kitchen lost our order mid meal and the server was really prompt to apologize a million times and tried to fix things right away. It was definitely not ideal because a few ppl were in a hurry to leave. I felt like they were genuinely apologizing and it was a freak accident type of situation. I tried to be proactive and pull out a pen and wrote out everything that we were missing. I have to say this was a really fun and cray-cray meal... especially if you go with a large group of friends. It was fun to lose the table manners and just get messy and not eat with cutlery and a plate. The table beside us had 6 people and they ordered 12 pounds on the menu (mix of crab, craw, shrimp, clams) and they were pretty happy. I highly suggest getting the extras to act as a filler. For 50cents, the half corn on the cob is a no brainer. This was one of those meals where you say that you've tried it and maybe go back in a few months. The crawfish was o-k... the next time I go back I would get 2 pounds of shrimp (cray mix), 1 corn, 1 potato (3 pieces)...yea im a fatty. <img src="http://payload82.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3946188/IMG_2432_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload82.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3946188/IMG_2432_o.JPG" data-mid="20619843" border="0" align="left"/> <img src="http://payload82.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3946188/IMG_2433_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload82.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3946188/IMG_2433_o.JPG" data-mid="20619846" border="0" align="left"/> The aftermath ps. is it crawfish or crayfish? im so confused... 7/10 + • cheap street parking! $1.60 got me 90mins • great flavors! get the cray mix! (urbanspoon had a few reviews saying it was really salty.. no complaints from our table) • tastes great with beer • shrimp and clams were the best - • if you get 2 pounds + sides it can get pretty pricey • skip the crawfish, not worth the peeling effort <img alt="Cray Kitchen and Bar on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1681598/biglink.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:200px;height:146px" /> Cray Kitchen and Bar - 2470 Main Street August 19, 2012 What the heck is crawfish? It's a minature, freshwater, mini lobster. It's popular in the south and... http://thehungrycouple.ca/Chambar http://thehungrycouple.ca/following/thehungrycouple.ca/Chambar Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:30:00 +0000 the hungry couple 3938161 Chambar - 562 Beatty St, Vancouver Mark and I celebrated out 3 year anniversary and as the boy he picked and made a reso at Blue Water Cafe. When he surprised me and told me where we were going the night before, I gave him a polite 'wtf'. Mark's not a huge fan of seafood..he's your meat and more meat type of guy. To me BWC is a place where you share a seafood tower and feel a huge dent in your wallet. We changed our reso to Chambar so I could have mussels and Mark was eyeing the lamb tagine dish. Am I meanest girlfriend because I declined Mark's date idea? Yikes.. i think i am. Let me say once we started eating I was so happy that we were there. I've been before, but it was Mark's first time eating at Chambar. We were sat in the back by the windows in the Belgium restaurant.. everything was just perfect. We started the meal with 'Grillade de boeuf et chorizo', which were bite sized lime and chili rubbed striploin and chorizo with chimichurri sauce. Every bite was full of flavor and tendor. It was an awesome teaser, bite sized appetizer. <img src="http://payload81.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3938161/IMG_2271_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload81.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3938161/IMG_2271_o.JPG" data-mid="20574071" border="0" align="left"/> look at at the wood grain on that table... swooon Onto the entrees. Mark ordered the Lamb Tagine (Tajine d’aziz à l’agneau - $29) and and I had the White Wine Cream Mussels (Coquotte - $24). The mussels was served in a never ending pot and the broth was pretty watery, but had a ton of garlic, wine and smokey bacon flavor. It was served with a side of perfectly fried fries. I wished the broth was a bit thicker so that I could actually dip the fries in it. Every mussel shell was open and the mussels were medium sized and the portion was HUGE. <img src="http://payload81.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3938161/IMG_2273_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload81.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3938161/IMG_2273_o.JPG" data-mid="20574114" border="0" align="left"/> The Lamb Tagine was served in a Tagine (yup!) with a side of cous cous and char roasted eggplant. The server advised him to mix in the couscous and eggplant into the tagine. The sauce had fragrant Moroccon flavors with notes of cinnamon, figs, and spices. The lamb shank fell off the bone. Mark loved the dish, and inhaled it pretty quickly. <img src="http://payload81.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3938161/IMG_2276_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload81.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3938161/IMG_2276_o.JPG" data-mid="20574116" border="0" align="left"/> The grand finale was THE BEST PART. There wasnt one item on the dessert menu that I didnt want. I don't usually have a sweet tooth either. We ended up deciding on the 'Le Nico Fumé' and the biggest thing that attracted us to it was bacon caramel and burnt milk icecream. Let me say the first bite blew me away. The little cup had bites of chocolate scotch cake swirled into it with chunks of crispy milk crumbs. It was seriously one of best desserts I've ever had...you must try. <img src="http://payload81.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3938161/IMG_2280_700.jpg" width="700" height="937" width_o="1936" height_o="2592" src_o="http://payload81.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3938161/IMG_2280_o.jpg" data-mid="20618924" border="0" align="left"/> 9/10 + • really good range of menu items (something for everyone) • the portions for the mussels was huge (came with fries) • great date night spot • Le Nico Fume - get it now! • a large selection of belgium bottled beers to choose from (nothing on tap) • VANCOUVER'S STRONGEST HAND DRYER IN THE WASHROOMS - • the table next to me received a little food sample treat and it made me sad that we didnt get one :( • no negatives.. this place is bomb dot com <img alt="Chambar on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/180339/biglink.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:200px;height:146px" /> Chambar - 562 Beatty St, Vancouver Mark and I celebrated out 3 year anniversary and as the boy he picked and made a reso at Blue Water Cafe. When he surprised me... http://thehungrycouple.ca/Sushiyama http://thehungrycouple.ca/following/thehungrycouple.ca/Sushiyama Wed, 15 Aug 2012 19:14:55 +0000 the hungry couple 3922733 Sushiyama - 371 E Broadway, Vancouver August 8, 2012 Sushiyama is my volleyball's team 'go to' for quick, cheap and huge portions of japanese food. The quality of food is not 'holy fresh' amazing, but if you order the right things it hits the spot. My personal favorite is their sashimi dinner bento box. For $13.95, you get a miso to start, giant slabs of sashimi, ebi sunomono, assorted tempura, gyozas and a house roll (spicy tuna roll). The only thing I'm not crazy about in the bento is the Gyoza because it's fried and a bit dry. Other than that everything in this box is right up my alley, and I get it almost every time because it satisfies all my cravings. <img src="http://payload81.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3922733/photo 1_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="1296" height_o="968" src_o="http://payload81.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3922733/photo 1_o.JPG" data-mid="20488684" border="0" align="left"/> Another item my vball team goes crazy over is the 'hwe-dup-bap' ($12.95). It is not on the menu, but you can pretty much order it at any Korean owned sushi restaurant. It's pretty much the Korean version of a Chirashi Don (sashimi on rice). The Korean version comes with chopped tuna and salmon sashimi, salad leaves, japaleno peppers and raw garlic slices all tossed in a sesame oil sauce and topped with tobiko. All the delicousness is served with a side of rice and a big bottle of spicy sauce (same spicy sauce as what they use for spicy rolls). You toss the rice in, squeeze in the hot sauce and give the bowl a stir. The garlic and sesame oil adds a punch of flavor. I usually toss in a bit of soy sauce as well to give it a better consistency. You gotta try this.. if you dont remember hwe-dup-bap, just ask them for 'korean chirashi'. You wont be disappointed! <img src="http://payload81.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3922733/photo 4_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="1296" height_o="968" src_o="http://payload81.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3922733/photo 4_o.JPG" data-mid="20488686" border="0" align="left"/> Last but not least you have to get a martini glass of spicy tuna sashimi. The tuna is bite sized and tossed in the spicy sauce. It's incredible and the portion is huge!! <img src="http://payload81.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3922733/photo 2_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="1296" height_o="968" src_o="http://payload81.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3922733/photo 2_o.JPG" data-mid="20488685" border="0" align="left"/> Other favorites: • Sushi pizza • Salafornia roll (deep fried roll) • Tuna tataki • Garlic Toro <img src="http://payload81.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3922733/photo 5_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="1296" height_o="968" src_o="http://payload81.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3922733/photo 5_o.JPG" data-mid="20488772" border="0" align="left"/> 8/10 + • free parking in the back • short wait.. they have really quick turnover • cheap eats • giant portions • really good variety in their bento boxes - • salmon sashimi is farmed • could be a bit hectic and busy inside <img alt="Sushiyama on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/181748/biglink.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:200px;height:146px" /> Sushiyama - 371 E Broadway, Vancouver August 8, 2012 Sushiyama is my volleyball's team 'go to' for quick, cheap and huge portions of japanese food. The quality... http://thehungrycouple.ca/2-Chefs-and-a-Table http://thehungrycouple.ca/following/thehungrycouple.ca/2-Chefs-and-a-Table Thu, 26 Jul 2012 02:00:20 +0000 the hungry couple 3811679 2 Chefs and A Table - 305 Alexander Street, Vancouver July 21, 2012 My friend Venita from tofino was in town for the weekend and she's all about finding new gems in Vancouver. It made me realize I've been sticking to my 'favorites' and cheap and cheerfuls since I've been back from Thailand. I suggested to go to 2 Chefs and a Table for brunch because I've seen my friend Kraig tweet about eating there. We arrived around 12:30 and I was mentally prepping myself during the drive to be in line for a couple of hours and surprisingly we were the next table to be sat! We were sat at the common table and I was stoked because it was right in the middle of all the action and I got to absorb the whole environment. Right off the bat I loved the decor and the open kitchen layout. We ordered Caesers and Mark ordered the Bourbon and Bacon which was DELICIOUS. It was pretty much a bloody mary with a bacon infused bourbon. The bacon flavor was mild, but it worked with the drink. Onto the menu. Mark and I both eyed the Chicken Fried Steak and since he's the 'man' and MEN EAT STEAK....he won the battle. My next choice was the Chicken and Waffles and Veni ordered the Veggie Hash. (for 'the sake of the blog' we usually avoid ordering the same thing.. we love our variety) <img src="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3811679/photo 1_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="1296" height_o="968" src_o="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3811679/photo 1_o.JPG" data-mid="19846801" border="0" align="left"/> My chicken and waffle arrived with candied pecans, a deep fried thigh and drumstick, a slab of maple butter and syrup on a waffle. The chicken was perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I tried to be lady-like (since I was sharing the table with strangers) and it was difficult to eat fried chicken with a knife and fork. The combo of the butter, syrup, waffle and chicken in one bite was insanely good. I'm not sure why but I expected the waffle to be crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, but instead the whole waffle was dense. Veni's a waffle connoisseur and she approved this style of waffle, so I knew i wasn't eating a stale waffle. I saved the pecans for last because I couldnt stick my fork into them. The pecans were a treat to end the meal...a bit too sweet for my liking, but I'm much more a savory kind of girl. <img src="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3811679/photo 2_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="1296" height_o="968" src_o="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3811679/photo 2_o.JPG" data-mid="19846805" border="0" align="left"/> I only took one bite of her Veggie Hash and I have to say the hollandaise was light, but still tastey. I will have to go back to try a benedict. They have 3 choices and they are only $9. <img src="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3811679/photo 3_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="1296" height_o="968" src_o="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3811679/photo 3_o.JPG" data-mid="19846808" border="0" align="left"/> Mark's chicken fried steak looked amazzinngg when it arrived. (btw: a chicken fried steak is actually steak...beef steak. It is tenderized/pounded out steak that has been breaded and pan fried). The poached eggs were perfect and had a white gravy on top. The steak was served medium and was really flavorful and tender. Due to the eggs and sauce on top the breading lacked the crunch, but at the same time the breading soaked up all the flavors. The biscuit and hashbrowns served its purpose to soak up the egg and gravy, but it wasnt outstanding. Mark normally prefers his CFS a bit more pounded out and with more crunch. He still thoroughly enjoyed this dish, just a different style of CFS. <img src="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3811679/photo 4_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="1296" height_o="968" src_o="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3811679/photo 4_o.JPG" data-mid="19846809" border="0" align="left"/> <img src="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3811679/photo 5_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="1296" height_o="968" src_o="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3811679/photo 5_o.JPG" data-mid="19846811" border="0" align="left"/> 8/10 + • great space and decor • short wait... or was I just lucky? • free parking (awesome considering it is still considered a part of gastown) • simple and fresh menu with great prices ($9 benny!!.. must try) • every dish was pretty solid. eggs were poached perfectly. - • a bit of a dodgey neighborhood. (try the richmond location?) <img alt="Two Chefs and a Table on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/740860/biglink.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:200px;height:146px" /> 2 Chefs and A Table - 305 Alexander Street, Vancouver July 21, 2012 My friend Venita from tofino was in town for the weekend and she's all about finding new gems... http://thehungrycouple.ca/Colorado-Eats-1 http://thehungrycouple.ca/following/thehungrycouple.ca/Colorado-Eats-1 Tue, 24 Jul 2012 19:50:16 +0000 the hungry couple 3808724 <img src="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3808724/417597_10150911803735334_1209145975_n_700.jpg" width="700" height="465" width_o="720" height_o="479" src_o="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3808724/417597_10150911803735334_1209145975_n_o.jpg" data-mid="19828019" border="0" align="left"/> Photo by: Ali Kaukas One of my favorite things about my job at lululemon is that I get to travel a few times a year..and the best part is that I get to travel to participate in yoga events. In July I got to go to Wanderlust Festival in Copper Mountain, Colorado (kind of the equivalent of Whistler is to us). Wanderlust is a festival that brings together yoga and music. I did tons of yoga classes during the day and got to enjoy really cool music acts at night. I was lucky enough to take classes by amazing teachers such as Seane Corn, Shiva Rea, Janet Stone and Schuyler Grant. And at night I got to see Siggy Marley, Beats Antique and Dj Gramatik perform...i was whipped by lots of dreads on the dancefloor but I had an amazing time (jk). First food stop was at the layover in Seattle. I didnt get the restaurants name, but it had something to do with seafood. They were the only sit down inside our terminal that served breakfast. The biscuit was insanely tastey..served with cinnamon butter. Gotta love the americana breakfast. <img src="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3808724/photo 1_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="1296" height_o="968" src_o="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3808724/photo 1_o.JPG" data-mid="19828040" border="0" align="left"/> <img src="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3808724/photo 2_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="1296" height_o="968" src_o="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3808724/photo 2_o.JPG" data-mid="19828041" border="0" align="left"/> Once we landed in Co, we made a pit stop in Cherry Creek, Denver and popped into the only restaurant that was open (it was July 4th). The restaurant was called Margs, Taco Bistro and it was delicious. They had over 10 different tacos ranging from asian inspired to veggie favorites. Their taco platter included 3 tacos + rice and beans was only $9.95! What an insane deal! I had the similar plate at Lolitas for $17.75 and Margs was 90x better. The fillings were extremely fresh and the flavors were incredible. <img src="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3808724/photo 3_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="1296" height_o="968" src_o="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3808724/photo 3_o.JPG" data-mid="19828044" border="0" align="left"/> Honestly I didnt get to eat much during the the festival. I had a muffin in between classes and was running on adrenalin most the weekend. On the second last night, the lululemon Colorado team put together a 'Farm to Table Dinner' and invited all the instructors and founders of Wanderlust. The meal was prepared by Chef Taladay. All the ingredients were local to Colorado including Colorado Natural Beef, Haystack Goat Cheese, Honey Smoked Salmon, Red Bird Chicken and seasonal fresh produce. The buffet style meal was incredible! The prime rib was juice and succulent and surprisingly the salad bar was my favorite! <img src="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3808724/IMG_0196_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3808724/IMG_0196_o.JPG" data-mid="19828022" border="0" align="left"/> Fresh roasted veggies with quinao <img src="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3808724/IMG_0197_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3808724/IMG_0197_o.JPG" data-mid="19828026" border="0" align="left"/> Veggie and ricotta lasagna <img src="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3808724/IMG_0198_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3808724/IMG_0198_o.JPG" data-mid="19828032" border="0" align="left"/> <img src="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3808724/IMG_0199_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3808724/IMG_0199_o.JPG" data-mid="19828034" border="0" align="left"/> Salad plate with gazpacho <img src="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3808724/IMG_0200_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload75.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3808724/IMG_0200_o.JPG" data-mid="19828039" border="0" align="left"/> My delicious plate with roast beef and veggies Photo by: Ali Kaukas One of my favorite things about my job at lululemon is that I get to travel a few times a year..and the best part is that I get to travel to... http://thehungrycouple.ca/Ramen-Jinya http://thehungrycouple.ca/following/thehungrycouple.ca/Ramen-Jinya Fri, 20 Jul 2012 00:26:52 +0000 the hungry couple 3785402 Ramen Jinya - 270 Robson Street, Vancouver July 19, 2012 After the Thurlow Benkei closed down, the next closest ramen to our home is Ramen Jinya. I wished and hoped that it was amazing but everytime we go it falls short and has me craving to go to Motomachi for a good bowl of ramen. <img src="http://payload74.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3785402/photo 2_2_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload74.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3785402/photo 2_2_o.JPG" data-mid="19693315" border="0" align="left"/> Tonight we went by and sat at the bar. The server came by right when we sat down and I panicked to order. I went with the first thing on the menu. The Black Tonkotsu Ramen and Mark with the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen (medium spice). Tonkotsu means 'pork bone' in japanese. We also ordered a gyoza to start. We both substituted our noodles to the thick noodles, because we had the thin the previous time and they were too soggy. Once we sat down and got our waters I noticed their summer menu. It had a cold ramen, tan-tan noodle (peanut broth) and a spicy-miso, which wouldve easily been my first pick instead. next time? <img src="http://payload74.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3785402/photo 1_1_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload74.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3785402/photo 1_1_o.JPG" data-mid="19693314" border="0" align="left"/> The gyozas were pretty good. served bottom up like Shao Lin, these were crispy at the bottom and juicy inside. These were pretty awesome. I would recommend ordering the chicken karage here. That is by FAR the best thing on their menu. <img src="http://payload74.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3785402/photo 3_3_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload74.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3785402/photo 3_3_o.JPG" data-mid="19693317" border="0" align="left"/> The Black Tonkotsu Ramen was $10.75 and came with pork broth, port slices, bamboo shoots, spinach, flavored egg, nori and black garlic oil. I strangely didnt taste much of the garlic oil. It tasted just like a thick, cloudy, salted, (generic) pork broth. There weren't any special flavors to it. The noodles had a good chew to it and the egg had a lot of flavor. The pork slices were decent and didnt have too much fat on them. Overall it was o-k....meh.. but ok. <img src="http://payload74.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3785402/photo 4_4_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload74.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3785402/photo 4_4_o.JPG" data-mid="19693319" border="0" align="left"/> Mark's spicy tonkotsu had much better flavors than mine. It had a good kick to the noodles and the spice complemented the tonkotsu broth. The pork was served in chunks which was interesting, and mark ended up liking it. Mark's not a fussy ramen eater, so anything with full flavor, noodles and meat (not fishy)...he's satisfied. His favorite is still the curry ramen at Benkei. <img src="http://payload74.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3785402/photo 5_5_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload74.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3785402/photo 5_5_o.JPG" data-mid="19693325" border="0" align="left"/> 6/10 + • really good chicken karage • decent gyozas • spacious seating - • nothing amazing..there are better ramen places out there • broth needed more depth <img alt="Ramen Jinya 陣家 on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1602269/biglink.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:200px;height:146px" /> Ramen Jinya - 270 Robson Street, Vancouver July 19, 2012 After the Thurlow Benkei closed down, the next closest ramen to our home is Ramen Jinya. I wished and... http://thehungrycouple.ca/Stuffed-Portabello-Mushroom http://thehungrycouple.ca/following/thehungrycouple.ca/Stuffed-Portabello-Mushroom Mon, 16 Jul 2012 00:35:12 +0000 the hungry couple 3758587 July 14, 2012 Dinner time! Mark was in charge of cooking the rib-eyes and I was in charge of freestyling some stuffed mushrooms. These stuffed mushrooms were super flavorful and filling! They looked pretty bad-ass too. INGREDIENTS (makes 2 caps): 2 caps of portabello mushrooms olive oil on paper towel Stuffing: 80g crumbled feta 2 tbsp sundried tomato pesto handful of chopped spinach 3 chopped artichoke bulbs 2 minced cloves of garlic INSTRUCTIONS: 1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees (bbq friendly too!) 2) Clean mushroom cap with a wet paper towel 3) In a bowl mix together all the stuffing ingredients 4) Put a few drops of olive oil onto a piece of paper towel and wipe the outside of the cap. 5) No need to drizzle olive oil in the caps. The oil from the cheese and pesto will cook the mushroom. Use a spoon to divide the stuffing into the 2 caps. 6) Put it in the oven. Depending on the size of the portabellos. It should take 15 minutes and then broil for 5 minutes (until the top is golden brown). 7) Serve and eat! <img src="http://payload72.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3758587/IMG_2184_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload72.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3758587/IMG_2184_o.JPG" data-mid="19543170" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload72.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3758587/IMG_2185_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload72.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3758587/IMG_2185_o.JPG" data-mid="19543175" border="0" align="left"/> July 14, 2012 Dinner time! Mark was in charge of cooking the rib-eyes and I was in charge of freestyling some stuffed mushrooms. These stuffed mushrooms were... http://thehungrycouple.ca/Glowbal-Grill-Lunch http://thehungrycouple.ca/following/thehungrycouple.ca/Glowbal-Grill-Lunch Mon, 16 Jul 2012 00:13:12 +0000 the hungry couple 3758473 Glowbal Grill - 1079 Mainland Street, Vancouver July 14, 2012 Glowbal Grill is just footsteps from our place in yaletown. We always forget how good their brunch is and always go somewhere disappointing. We stopped in Saturday morning and was sat the patio and the seating was TIGHT. Mark's elbows were 3 inches from the table next to ours. Since I'm not a morning person it was tough to be sat 6 inches from strangers. We decided to move inside and our brunch began. Within seconds we had 2 shots of blueberry, strawberry smoothie at our table and within another few seconds we had complimentary fresh mini donuts. What a start! We ordered our coffees and went through the menu and decided to be a bit cray cray and order lunch. I asked the server about the tuna melt and made sure it didnt come out of a can and Mark ordered the prime rib burger. Both the burger and the sandwich came with not just 1 choice of side, but it came with a soup, fries AND salad. My tuna melt was pretty delicious. The bread was nice and buttery and the tuna tasted pretty fresh. I was worried about the excess mayo and cheese, but it was perfectly sauced. Mark would've preferred more 'melt'...cheese, but it was perfect to my liking. The punchiness of the arugula was amazing. I'm obsessed with arugula. <img src="http://payload72.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3758473/tuna_700.jpg" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload72.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3758473/tuna_o.jpg" data-mid="19542769" border="0" align="left"/> Mark's prime rib burger was the hottest (temperature) burger I've ever had. The giant burger had pancetta and an over easy egg on top. The beef was really high quality and had a lot of flavor. I wonder if they use the same ground beef as their 'kobe meatballs'... I won't be surprised. The burger and the tuna melt was served with a carrot ginger soup, an herb salad and crispy fries in a box. I think the fries are in a box because they know it's an oversized meal and most people would need their fries to go. Mark and I swapped half a tuna melt for half a burger.. i couldn't finish the burger. I was STUFFED. I was really impressed with the serving size and the price point for these lunch items. The tuna melt was $14.95 and the burger was $16.95. For the service, complementary goodies, food quality, portion size and location...I was REALLY impressed. Now I need to make a trip there for dinner and try out their satays. <img src="http://payload72.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3758473/burger_700.jpg" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload72.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3758473/burger_o.jpg" data-mid="19542888" border="0" align="left"/> <img src="http://payload72.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3758473/chomp_700.jpg" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload72.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3758473/chomp_o.jpg" data-mid="19542918" border="0" align="left"/> chomppp 8.5/10 + • huge portions • fresh ingredients • sandwiches came with 3 sides • amazing service (complementary mini donuts and smoothie!) - • the patio is really really tight (opt to sit inside) • portions are too big? this might be my first time complaining about portion size... <img alt="Glowbal Grill Steaks and Satay on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/180708/biglink.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:200px;height:146px" /> Glowbal Grill - 1079 Mainland Street, Vancouver July 14, 2012 Glowbal Grill is just footsteps from our place in yaletown. We always forget how good their brunch... http://thehungrycouple.ca/Dunn-s-Famous http://thehungrycouple.ca/following/thehungrycouple.ca/Dunn-s-Famous Sun, 15 Jul 2012 21:32:27 +0000 the hungry couple 3757862 Dunn's Famous - 827 Seymour Street. Vancouver July 10, 2012 When we go out for dinner on a Tuesday night, the obvious choice is usually Twisted fork for their 8lb of mussels special. Unfortunately the wait was over an hour so we decided to stay local and walk over to Dunn's Famous. This isnt the first time we've been. We've been there plenty of times and devoured many smoked meat sandwiches. But this time I decided to try something (semi) healthy and went for the BBQ chicken salad. I say semi, because in the end this salad was covered with bacon and cheese. The presentation was beautiful and it had plenty of tender chicken. I can't say what the dressing was, but it was sweet and perfectly dressed and worked really well with the mandrin oranges slices. It was delicious and hit the spot, but deep down inside I know it was one of those 'unhealthy salads'. Good on me for trying to make better choices. Since it's unhealthy already, next time i go i might ask to substitute the chicken for some smoked meat? <img src="http://payload72.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3757862/IMG_2165_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload72.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3757862/IMG_2165_o.JPG" data-mid="19538315" border="0" align="left"/> Mark decided to stick to the norm. Super giant montreal smoked meat with a side of poutine... wow. The sandwich was delicious as usual, with a generous portion of smoked meat. It was our first time trying the poutine here. The gravy tasted like the Swiss Chalet sauce. Personally, I'm not a big fan, but the east coasters love that stuff. (Mark can drink that stuff by the gallon). I like my gravy simple and meaty tasting. Gravy should be really simple.. skip the herbs and powder flavors. For an additional $3.50 I dont think the poutine was worth it (not like the plate needed more food, but if you pay that extra $3.50 you would think you would get a 'super giant' side). The coleslaw at Dunns is usually pretty good, but this time it was soggy and over dressed. <img src="http://payload72.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3757862/IMG_2166_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload72.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3757862/IMG_2166_o.JPG" data-mid="19538318" border="0" align="left"/> <img src="http://payload72.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3757862/IMG_2167_700.JPG" width="700" height="522" width_o="2048" height_o="1529" src_o="http://payload72.cargocollective.com/1/2/92457/3757862/IMG_2167_o.JPG" data-mid="19538320" border="0" align="left"/> All in all Dunn's is a great cheap eats restaurant. I find it surprising how quiet it is in there all the time. I guess it is off the beaten track a bit. I know personally when I'm at the Robson and Seymour block I get distracted with Viet Sub. Food is a bit hit and miss, but it's great for a quick bite and cheap beers. I recommend the Matza Ball soup as well. 7/10 + • great for a quick bite • the smoked meat sandwich is pretty solid • generous portions • never a wait..plenty of seats • cheap beer - • hit and miss with the quality of food • not a big fan of the gravy (overpriced add-on for poutine) <img alt="Dunn's Famous on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1580656/biglink.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:200px;height:146px" /> Dunn's Famous - 827 Seymour Street. Vancouver July 10, 2012 When we go out for dinner on a Tuesday night, the obvious choice is usually Twisted fork for their 8lb...