Neighbourhood Archives | Foodgressing

Richmond Family-Friendly Dessert Spot: BlackBall Taiwanese Dessert

December 1, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

One of my favourite places to take my family for dessert is Blackball Taiwanese Dessert in Richmond. This international Taiwanese dessert chain opened up a few months ago at 1061-8300 Capstan Way.

Richmond Family-Friendly Dessert Spot: BlackBall Taiwanese Dessert

One our last visit along with our friend David (pickydiners.com), we had the following:

Fresh Milk With Purple Rice & Mini Balls
Fresh Milk with Matcha Jelly
Tie Guangyin Tea with Yam Balls & Boba
Longan Peach Gum Dessert
Mini Balls Grass Jelly Dessert

We really loved the Fresh Milk with Purple Rice & Mini Balls because of the chewy and nutty flavours of the purple rice.

The Mini Balls Grass Jelly Dessert was a great shareable dessert and featured a luscious grass jelly topped with brown sugar shaved iced and black sesame, matcha, yam, and white rice mini balls

The Longan Peach Gum Dessert was a warming, comforting and nourishing hot dessert with peach gum, longan and dates.

The mega-popular toy series, Bobo & Coco, is also available in store at Blackball. These come in box sets and for each box you buy you will also get a $10 gift certificate to dine at @liuyishouhotpot in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.

I definitely recommend Blackball as a great place for families to gather together for desserts. There’s something for everyone from cold to hot desserts and drinks. If you’re worried about kids getting too much sugar, I would say that you don’t really need to as the desserts aren’t really that sweet and certain drinks can be customized for sweetness.

To learn about other offerings at Blackball, see my previous post here.

BlackBall Taiwanese Dessert Richmond
8300 Capstan Way Unit 1061, Richmond, BC
www.facebook.com/BlackBall.Richmond

Yaletown CandyTown 2019: Self-Guided Cocktail Tour

November 26, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

CandyTown is Yaletown’s favourite holiday festival, transforming the neighbourhood into a winter wonderland on November 30 from noon – 7 pm. This one-day event is Vancouver’s only free outdoor winter market.

Yaletown CandyTown 2019: Self-Guided Cocktail Tour

CandyTown is not just for kids, alongside games and festive characters the event also offers a self-guided CandyTown Cocktail Tour that highlights festive cocktails from some of Yaletown’s best restaurants.

The CandyTown Self-Guided Cocktail Tour gives adult attendees of the annual CandyTown event, an opportunity to indulge in a little holiday spirit while exploring the festive activities happening in the neighbourhood.

Attendees can grab a copy of the CandyTown Tour map at the Winter Is Coming attraction and explore the various restaurant stops highlighted.

Holiday cocktails with flavourful infusions and creative garnishes will be available for one day only during the CandyTown event.

Cocktail highlights from this year’s participants include:

House Special who will be mixing up a Coffee Crisp cocktail that will give attendees of CandyTown the perfect buzz for mingling amongst a crowd.

OEB Breakfast will be serving up a Winter Sunrise that tastes festively fresh and an Apple Pie Moscow Mule that has hints of apple cider and garnished with an apple wheel and cinnamon stick for the ultimate cup of the holidays in a glass.

Ombre Social House will be pouring dessert in a glass with an irresistible Tiramisu Martini as well as the classic Dirty White Russian

Other participants attendees can check out on their self-guided tour are Sciue’, Banter Room, Tasty Indian Bistro, MeeT in Yaletown, and more.

Event Details

Yaletown Candy Town
November 30: 12 pm – 7 pm
yaletowninfo.com/event/candytown

Jingle Bao Vancouver: Rainbow Soup Dumplings [Review]

November 25, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Newly opened on Denman is Jingle Bao, a dumpling house offering soup dumplings, noodle soups and snacks.

jingle bao vancouver rainbow soup dumplings

The restaurant takes over the space at 774 Denman St formerly occupied by Rad on Denman (a hot pot place) and Ritual (a restaurant once famous for being the first certified living wage restaurant in Vancouver).

Since my family and I love soup dumplings, we decided to give Jingle Bao a try as it is also conveniently located in our neighbourhood.

Jingle Bao Menu

The signature item at Jingle Bao is their Rainbow Soup Dumplings (spinach, mushroom, shrimp, spicy Szechuan flavour, and original pork).

Other dumpling offerings include traditional xiao long bao (pork soup dumpling), Crispy Snowflake Pork Dumplings, Crystal Shrimp Dumplings, and Vegetable Dumplings.

They also offer dim sum staples like Pork Sui Mai and Shrimp Ha Gow as well as snacks like Chilled Garlic Green Beans, Salt and Pepper Chicken and Crispy Fish Fillets.

FYI, their current offering is smaller than what they have posted on their website.

House-Made Dumplings

The dumplings are made in-house and guests can observe the process through the open window to the counter.

Here is a bit of footage that I took when I was there:

View this post on Instagram

I checked out the newly opened #JingleBao @westendbia – a dumpling house serving soup dumplings, noodles and snacks. – They serve rainbow soup dumplings with different fillings (spinach, mushroom, shrimp, spicy Szechuan flavour, and original). – You can observe the dumpling making process right at the front counter. It was fun to see the different coloured dumpling wraps. #NotSponsored – #igvideo #video #vancouver #yvr #instagramvideo #videograms #vid #vancouverisawesome #vancity #weamaze #dumpling #videooftheday #dessert #dimsum #instavideo #asianfood #foodgressing #xiaolongbao#vancouverfoodie #yvreats #xlb#bestvideooftheday #foodbeast #feedyoursoull #eater #eeeeeats #buzzfeast #f52grams

A post shared by Areta | Food & Travel Blogger (@foodgressing) on Nov 23, 2019 at 4:32pm PST

What We Tried

We ordered the following from Jingle Bao:

Traditional Pork Soup Dumplings (5 for $5.95)
Rainbow Soup Dumplings (5 for $6.95)
Shrimp Ha Gow (4 for $7.95)
Crispy Snowflake Pork Dumplings (6 for $8.95)
Crystal Shrimp Dumplings (4 for $7.95)

The Pork Soup Dumplings (original xiao long bao) didn’t disappoint being nicely aromatic with a hot, rich broth and thin wrappers.

The Rainbow Soup Dumplings with different fillings (spinach, mushroom, shrimp, spicy Szechuan flavour, and original) were also good in general. The mushroom filling had the strongest flavor while the shrimp filling had the weakest.

The Crystal Shrimp Dumplings were also tasty and not just a dish pretty in pink for the novelty factor.

We also really enjoyed the Crispy Snowflake Pork Dumplings which had a tasty pork filling and was nicely crispy on the edges but not overly greasy.

The Rainbow Soup Dumplings did take a bit of time to be made while all the other dishes were delivered to us much more quickly. I initially ordered three rounds of Rainbow Soup Dumplings but they only delivered one to us after a half hour.

It was slow to receive those dumplings considering we were the first customers in the restaurant for the day. I had to cancel the two other orders as we needed to head out.

The ha gow were OK with nicely, thin, translucent wrappers and bouncy, shrimp fillings. However, they were on the expensive being $2 per piece and I can’t say it was worth it.

The original Pork Soup Dumplings ($1.20 each) and Rainbow Soup Dumplings ($1.40) were more worth it in terms of taste and value.

Service/Operations

Service felt a bit scattered as there was only one server. At one point, one of the staff in the kitchen decided to help the front of the house.

My table was also pretty wobbly so I decided to fix it myself by putting some tissue underneath.

Hours of Operation

The hours of operation posted on Google and on their website aren’t quite accurate. They currently open at 11:30 am and close somewhere around 9 pm according to staff.

Overall Impression of Jingle Bao

All in all, I’d be interested to return. The food and prices were reasonable but the food was slow to come out. I saw a lot of tables which seemed to be idling due to the long wait. They will need to have a faster table turnover if they want to make it on Denman. Rating: 4/5

Jingle Bao
774 Denman St, Vancouver, BC
jinglebao.com

Tempura Tendon Hannosuke Tokyo Set to Open in Vancouver

November 18, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Signage has gone up on the 1700 block of Robson Street for the upcoming opening of the iconic Tempura Tendon Hannosuke Tokyo.

Known as Kaneko Hannosuke in Japan, the brand specializes in tendon – not a fibrous connective tissue but rather a meal of tempura served over a bowl of hot rice.

Kaneko has been known to draw long lineups for their delicious tempura at reasonable prices.

While the original location is in Chuo Ward, Tokyo and there are other branches in Japan, Kaneko has also expanded overseas to the US (California, New Jersey, Chicago, Hawaii) and Taiwan. This location on Robson Street in the West End will be there first Canadian outpost.

THE HISTORY OF KANEKO-HANNOSUKE

Hannosuke Kaneko was a renowned Japanese chef, serving as the second chairman of “Isshin-kai,” – a Japanese chef’s association. He had a passion for Japanese cuisine and personally kept a recipe book named “Enma-Cho.”

His grandson, Kaneko Shinya, inherited the recipes and discovered the secret to the “Edomae” sauce for a rice bowl dish. With the secret sauce recipe and numerous times of trial and error of what ingredients would best go with it, he came up with tendon – a rice bowl with tempuras on it.

Tempura Tendon Hannosuke Tokyo Menu

There is no specific menu information for the Vancouver outpost yet but other overseas locations have the following items. You can expect something similar for the Vancouver location.

Shrimp Tendon
Edomae Tendon
Chicken Tendon
Tempura & Zaru Soba
Tempura Box
Tendon & Zaru Soba Set
Kakiage Tendon
Original Tendon
Tempura Plate

Stay tuned to more information on Tempura Tendon Hannosuke Tokyo Vancouver.

Halloween Mochi Ghost at 3 Quarters Full Cafe

October 27, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

If there’s something strange in your neighborhood. Who you gonna call? ??

I’ve always enjoyed 3 Quarter Full Cafe’s mochi and this time they are offering mochi ghosts with taro or red bean/strawberry filling now until Halloween. What Halloween treats are you enjoying this year?

Disclosure: I was invited for a media tasting.

You can also order from 3 Quarters Cafe via foodora (delivery or pickup) and Ritual (pickup only).

3 Quarters Full Cafe
789 Comox St, Vancouver, BC
www.instagram.com/3quartersfullcafe

Tractor Digital at 666 Burrard: Order Online and Grab-and-Go

October 21, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

What’s a quick, easy way of grabbing a healthy, meal in Downtown Vancouver within a 90-minute window? Try Tractor Digital!

Tractor Digital at 666 Burrard Order Online and Grab-and-Go Vancouver

Tractor’s seventh location, Tractor Digital, is a cashless restaurant. You make your order online and swing by their location at 666 Burrard, grab the order with your name on it, and go!

You can select your desired pick up time at check out, thereby eliminating the lines and wait times typical during the weekday lunch rush.

No lines and no waiting. Pre-ordering is also great for the kitchen team as it allows them to prepare customers’ meals precisely for when customers walk in the door.

While Tractor Digital will share the bright, modern aesthetic of other locations, the new eatery is grab-and-go style and will not have dine-in seating.

All of its 1,800 square feet is dedicated to the full kitchen serving seasonally inspired and locally sourced salads, sandwiches, soups, stews, and bowls made-to-order.

Tractor Digital is open from 10 am to 8 pm Monday to Friday for lunch and dinner.

Disclosure: I was invited to try Tractor Digital.

Taste of Yaletown 2019: West Oak & Wild Tale Menu Previews

October 19, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

The 15^thannual Taste of Yaletown (TOY) is now on until Oct 27. Restaurants are offering diners the choice of special menus at set prices of $35, $45, and $55, or dining casually with Happy Hour deals. I had the opportunity to see what’s being presented by two participating restaurants: West Oak and Wild Tale.

West Oak

Since opening in 2013, West Oak has been known as a local hotspot in Yaletown for Vancouver’s elite, professional athletes and celebrities. West Oak’s dishes feature locally sourced ingredients including naturally raised beef from Two Rivers Meats, Oceanwise seafood and free-range chicken. For Taste of Yaletown 2019, they are presenting $45 and $55 menus.

Appetizers

Entrees

Dessert

Taste of Yaletown 2019: West Oak & Wild Tale Menu Previews

My favourites for a 3-course dinner would be the Chinois Prawns, the 8 oz AAA tenderloin, and the mini donuts.

Wild Tale: $45 Menu

Wild Tale is known for serving wild and fresh seafood dishes up in a warm and friendly atmosphere, paired with great wines, local beers and creative cocktails. They are presenting a $45 menu this year.

Appetizers

Entrees

My ideal 3-Course dinner would be the Brant Lake Wagyu Beef Carpaccio, Crab & Brie Stuffed Steelhead Trout and Bittersweet Chocolate Tart.

Lumière Vancouver 2019: 25 Interactive Art Installations

October 18, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

The annual, family-friendly Lumière Vancouver event returns to Vancouver’s Downtown and West End neighbourhoods Nov 1 – 3 from 5 pm – 10 pm.

Lumière Vancouver 2019: Nov 1 - 3 — Credit: Lumière Vancouver

Inspired by light and artistic expression, Lumière Vancouver includes more than 25 interactive art installations that add dazzle and wonder to four beloved sites:

English Bay
Jim Deva Plaza
Lot 19
šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (formerly known as the North Plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery).

Each site’s interactive art installations honour a different theme:

• Nature (English Bay)
• Pride (Jim Deva Plaza)
• Local (Lot 19)
• Interactive (šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square)

Free Vancouver Trolley shuttles will be available to transport viewers between each site.

Public Disco will be hosting a free outdoor dance party each night of Lumière Vancouver at Jim Deva Plaza in the Davie Village.

Dance and light-inspired performances will further mesmerize audiences at all four sites.

Lumière Vancouver 2019 runs November 1 – 3, from 5 pm – 10 pm nightly.

(Select installations will remain up for the remainder of the fall season for spectators to enjoy nightly.) For more information, visit lumiereyvr.com

Coquitlam Coffee Shop: C Market Coffee

September 23, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

C Market Coffee opened up a few months ago in Coquitlam and is a small-scale boutique café and roastery. Their casual menu features all-day breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner with Korean influences as well as in-house made pastries.

On-Site Roastery

As its name suggests, C Market takes coffee seriously. The owner, Bridgette Hyun, tells me that the shop is named after the coffee commodity market, also known as the C Market. That is where the global price of coffee is determined every single day by traders at the New York Stock Exchange.

C Market roasts beans in small batches every day at their on-site roastery.

C Market Menu

The all-day menu at C Market features benedicts, gourmet sandwiches, salads, soups, bowls, wraps, and even tapas. Their offerings have a mix of Western and Korean flavours.

What I Tried

I visited C Market Coffee as I was a media judge for the Vancouver Foodster Eggs Benedict Challenge. Their participating dish was the Porco Rosso.

It’s a Korean-style, Spicy Pork Eggs Benedict featuring toasted English muffin layered with romaine lettuce, spicy pork, and a poached egg complemented with housemade, golden hollandaise sauce and crispy onions. It was served with hash, fresh fruit, and house special pickle.

I liked the incorporation of Korean flavours for this eggs benny dish. The bulgogi was nicely spicy and flavourful. Perhaps they could have thought of using something else rather than a traditional English muffin to add a more creative element.

I also tried their Bulgogi Bowl ($14.50) featuring Korean style soy sauce marinated beef, bell pepper, onion, mushroom, spinach, kimchi slaw, fried egg, jasmine rice and dressing. It was a very flavourful bowl and I liked how they presented the Gochujang dressing on the side so you can spice it up however much you want.

The Marshmallow Latte was a cozy and comforting drink. It is prepared by smearing a marshmallow spread along the rim of the cup and torching it. Grab a graham cracker to get some toasted marshmallow and wash it down with the delicious latte!

It definitely brings you back to those campfire feels. The sweetness of the marshmallow and graham crackers contrasts with the slight bitterness of the espresso.

The menu at C Market Coffee is very extensive and I’d be interested to return in the future to try more of their offerings.

C Market Coffee
11-100 Schoolhouse St, Coquitlam, BC
cmarket.ca

Shipyards Commons Water Park in North Vancouver [Review]

September 2, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

The Shipyards Commons complex on the Lonsdale waterfront of North Vancouver opened up this past summer. The space featured an 8,000 square feet water spray park open daily from 10 am – 8 pm through Labour Day.

We visited the new water park last month and my son enjoyed the interactive water features as well playing on the colourful mounds. There is plenty of seating in the area (under the sun or under the shade) including beach chairs and concrete benches.

Public washrooms are also available in the complex. There are some great food options within the complex including Welcome Parlour (for ice cream), JamJar Canteen and Larry’s Market.

The water park was open for the summer only but in the winter it will turn into a 12,000 square feet outdoor skating facility.

For more information, visit www.cnv.org/parks-recreation-and-culture/city-waterfront/the-shipyards-lot-5

The Shipyards
125 Victory Ship Way, North Vancouver, BC

Richmond Family-Friendly Dessert Spot: BlackBall Taiwanese Dessert

Yaletown CandyTown 2019: Self-Guided Cocktail Tour

Event Details

Jingle Bao Vancouver: Rainbow Soup Dumplings [Review]

Jingle Bao Menu

House-Made Dumplings

What We Tried

Service/Operations

Hours of Operation

Overall Impression of Jingle Bao

Tempura Tendon Hannosuke Tokyo Set to Open in Vancouver

THE HISTORY OF KANEKO-HANNOSUKE

Tempura Tendon Hannosuke Tokyo Menu

Halloween Mochi Ghost at 3 Quarters Full Cafe

Tractor Digital at 666 Burrard: Order Online and Grab-and-Go

Taste of Yaletown 2019: West Oak & Wild Tale Menu Previews

West Oak

Appetizers

Entrees

Dessert

Wild Tale: $45 Menu

Appetizers

Entrees

Lumière Vancouver 2019: 25 Interactive Art Installations

Coquitlam Coffee Shop: C Market Coffee

On-Site Roastery

C Market Menu

What I Tried

Shipyards Commons Water Park in North Vancouver [Review]

About Me

Recent Posts