Downtown Archives | Foodgressing

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

Showcase Restaurant & Bar Refreshes Menu for Family-Style Sharing

August 4, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

It is always a pleasure to dine at Showcase Restaurant & Bar at the Vancouver Marriott Hotel. The restaurant is known for their Pacific Northwest cuisine and sustainable seafood. Showcase recently refreshed their menu to feature more family-style sharing.

Fresh, Local, Social Dinner at Showcase Restaurant & Bar Vancouver Marriott Hotel

Chef de Cuisine Westley Feist and Executive Sous Chef Jesse Hochhause recently invited media to try out the new menu. Here’s a look at the deliciousness that ensued.

Fresh, Local, Social Dinner at Showcase Restaurant & Bar

Small Plates

Oceanwise Pacific Albacore Tuna Tataki

Ginger-soy vinaigrette, mango, pea shoots, togarashi, wonton

Devils on Horseback

Double smoked bacon wrapped dates, smoky tomato sauce, house-made chorizo

Oven Roasted Baby Carrots

Gochujang-mirin glaze, hazelnuts, Barnston Island pea shoots

Oceanwise Grilled Pacific Humboldt Squid

Romesco sauce, watercress, fennel, charred lemon vinaigrette, pine nuts

Glazed Japanese Eggplant

Soy butter, crispy shallots, sambal

Medium Plates

Slow-Cooked Pork Belly

Charred scallion purée, gai lan, sesame

Salt Roasted Beets & Burrata

Sherry vinaigrette, olive oil, cracked pepper, fennel pollen, walnuts

Oceanwise Seared Oceanwise Scallops

Ajo blanco, caramelized cauliflower, Calabrian chili

Oceanwise Haida Gwaii Halibut

Ricotta gnocchi, Sole Food Street farms vegetables, herb vinaigrette, crispy onions

Large Plates

16 oz Ribeye Steak

Peppercorn jus, cipollini onions, puffed beef tendon

Dessert

Japanese Cotton Cheese Cake

Pink grapefruit, yogurt cremeux, white chocolate puffed rice

Strawberry + Rhubarb

Caramelized puff pastry, pickled rhubarb, vanilla bean ice cream

Showcase always does a great job and I have enjoyed the Asian-inspired flavours that they incorporate into their dishes. My favourites were: Pacific Albacore Tuna Tataki, Glazed Japanese Eggplant, Oven Roasted Baby Carrots, Salt Roasted Beets & Burrata, Haida Gwaii Halibut and Japanese Cotton Cheese Cake.

Showcase Restaurant is open daily from 6:30 am – 10 pm. Visit www.showcaserestaurant.com for more information.

Showcase Restaurant & Bar
1122 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC
www.showcaserestaurant.com

Le Cassis Pâtisserie & Cooking School [Review]

April 17, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

I love my French pastries and desserts, so I had to check out the newly opened Le Cassis Pâtisserie in Downtown Vancouver. Le Cassis opened just two weeks ago at 910 Beatty St and is part-bakery cafe as well as a cooking school.

Le Cassis Pâtisserie & Cooking School Vancouver Beatty Review

According to their website, Le Cassis is chef-owned and operated by Chef Hoda Shoghi who trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.

Le Cassis Interior

The interior of Le Cassis certainly coasts a touch of Paris with pastel colours, colorful armchairs, an overhanging chandelier and a banquette at the back the shop.

The space along the window showcased many of their macaron towers with delicate, beautiful and intricately designed macarons.

Le Cassis Menu

On the menu at Le Cassis are French pastries, freshly baked baguettes, viennoiseries, croissants, danishes, macarons and so forth. They also offer espresso-based drinks and teas to accompany your treat. The coffee they coffee is from Mogiana Coffee.

In terms of pricing, I did find their pastries a bit on the expensive side for the size but perhaps fair for being in the Downtown core. For example, their regular croissant is $3.95 (versus ~$3.25 elsewhere), Pain Au Chocolate is $5.00 (versus ~$4.00) and Almond Croissant is $5.00 (versus ~$4.00). The desserts are priced at $6.50.

Around the shop, you’ll also notice that they sell a variety of confections like nuts, candies, and madeleines.

What I Tried

I picked up a few items to go including a regular croissant ($3.95), Lemon Meringue Tart ($6.50), Matcha Opera Cake ($6.50), Cassis Cheese Cake with BlackCurrants ($6.50) and two macarons ($3.25 each).

The Cassis Cheese Cake is apparently their signature dessert with a blackcurrant shell, cheesecake on the inside and a blackcurrant filling. I found it to be not to sweet, very moist, and had very nice fruity notes.

Le Cassis makes these charming Hello Kitty and Chicken macarons. They had a nice, thin egg-shell like crust and a smooth, light but not sticky filling.

The regular croissant was a little denser and not as light and fluffy as I would like but still OK. I personally would still drive to L’Atelier Patisserie on Main and East 5th for their croissants.

The Matcha Opera Cake was pretty good with alternating layers of chocolate, buttercream, matcha and almond sponge. I did find a bit on the sweeter side and would have liked to have more of a stronger, bitter matcha taste to balance it a bit more.

The Lemon Meringue Tart was quite good as well and had a nice buttery crust and zesty lemon filling.

Overall Impression of Le Cassis

In terms of selection, pricing and quality, I don’t think Le Cassis would be go-to place for croissants or vienoiserries. However, their desserts and macarons are quite good and I’d be interested trying more of them. Rating: 3.5/5

Le Cassis Pâtisserie & Cooking School
910 Beatty St, Vancouver, BC
www.lecassis.com

Where to Stay in Vancouver: Fairmont Waterfront Hotel

March 1, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

If you’re looking for an upscale, luxurious accommodation in Vancouver within the Downtown Core and that offers unparalleled West Coast views, the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel is just be the place. Located in Vancouver’s vibrant harbourfront area, the Fairmont Waterfront is a world-class luxury hotel that offers easy access to everything for an unforgettable visit to Vancouver.

Where to Stay in Vancouver British Columbia: Fairmont Waterfront Hotel

I recently enjoyed a hosted overnight stay at the Fairmont Waterfront. Here’s a look at what you can expect.

Harbour View Suite

To start, I had the pleasure of staying in the hotel’s Harbour View Suite which offers stunning views of the Vancouver harbour, North Shore Mountains and Stanley Park.

I really liked the room’s inviting design featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and a colour palette of neutral creams, golden caramels and warm browns.

The Fairmont is known for their personalized service and that even translates to personalized bathroom amenities. It was very nice of them to print my name on the shampoo, conditioner and shower gel bottles.

Health Club

The Fairmont Waterfront’s Health Club is a great place to unwind or energize yourself. Some of the features of the health club include an outdoor 50 ft heated pool, indoor whirpool, steam rooms, fitness centre and so forth. The outdoor heated pool has such impressive views overlooking Stanley Park and the North Shore Mountains.

ARC Restaurant

ARC Restaurant is the hotel’s onsite restaurant led by Executive Chef Anthony Marzo. ARC is known for offering urban artisanal cuisine using fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

Some of the ingredients incorporated into the dishes come from the hotel’s very own rooftop herb garden and beehives.

The ARC Bar can help quench your thirst and unwind with cool cocktails, a selection of craft beers, and live music nightly.

For dinner, ARC offers simply inspired, handcrafted fare in a relaxed setting. They also have special offers like the 3-course Indigenous-inspired Talking Trees Menu available until the end of May.

Brunch at ARC takes place 11:30 am to 14:30 pm on Saturday and Sundays. ARC’s simple and focused brunch menu features Breakfast Nachos, Wild Mushroom Roesti, Lamb Shakshuka, Longshoreman’s Breakfast, Croissant Sandwich, and Corn Crusted French Toast.

The Fairmont Waterfront is a place where you can feel like home while staying in Vancouver. For more information, visit www.fairmont.com/waterfront-vancouver/

Fairmont Waterfront Hotel
900 Canada Pl, Vancouver, BC

Related posts:

Fairmont Waterfront Hotel Package: Talking Trees

Vancouver Weekend Brunch: ARC at Fairmont Waterfront Hotel

Vancouver Sunday Brunch: The Victor at Parq Vancouver

February 23, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

While The Victor at Parq Vancouver is known for their Pacific-Northwest-focused cuisine featuring contemporary and classic seafood and steak, they also serve brunch from 10:30am – 2:30pm every Sunday.

Vancouver Sunday Brunch: The Victor at Parq Vancouver

Sunday brunch highlights include Lobster Frittata; Oscar Egg Benedict; Steak & Eggs; Foie Gras French Toast; Wagyu Breakfast Burger; Dim Sum and more. I was recently invited to a media tasting of the Sunday brunch menu. Here’s a look at what you can expect.

Drinks

Start your brunch off with bubbles, mimosas, an espresso-based drink or build your your own Caesars and Marys at the table side mule cart.

One of the media attendees received some beautiful latte art in honour of the Year of the Pig for Lunar New Year.

Starters

Dim Sum

To start, we had an assortment of dim sum including Shrimp, XO Lobster and Vegetable Dumplings; Northern Divine Caviar Shu Mai; Chicken & Ginger Bun; Shrimp Spring Roll; and the Victor’s signature Crispy Chicken & Mushroom.

Chicken & Mushroom
Shrimp Spring Roll
Chicken & Ginger Bun
Shrimp Dumpling
XO Lobster Dumpling

Chef’s Sushi Platter

The Chef’s Sushi Platter featured Avocado Crunch (avocado, cucumber, mango, shiso aioli, puffed rice); Karashi-Su-Miso-Salmon; and Chu Toro Tuna.

Mains

AVOCADO & SMOKED SALMON

Solly’s bagel was topped with avocado, smoked salmon, pickled red onions, crushed eggs, and sunflower shoots.

FOIE GRAS FRENCH TOAST

One of the more unique mains we enjoyed was the Foie Gras French Toast with seared Quebec foie gras, foie gras mousse, and cherry gastrique.

LOBSTER FRITTATA

For an elevated frittata option, there was the Lobster Frittata with roasted zucchini and squash as well as salsa verde.

B.E.L.T

If you really love your bacon, the B.E.L.T. is a good option. The bacon was very thick and the dish also came with soft scrambled eggs, taleggio cheese, tomatoes, and arugula.

TOMAHAWK FOR THE TABLE

To take your brunch to the next level, you can order a Tomahawk steak to share with the table. Accompanied with crushed fingerling potatoes, onion rings, brussels sprouts, and a trio of sauces.

Dessert

For a sweet finish, the Victor has a variety of brunch desserts including Liege Waffles; Cheesecake Donuts with Strawberry Jam; and Carrot Cake.

Liege Waffles with Whiskey Caramel Sauce

Cheesecake Donuts with Strawberry Jam

Carrot Cake

The most adorable dessert feature was the “planted carrots” which were carrot cakes with white chocolate coating.

There was also live music playing during Sunday Brunch at the Victor.

My favourite starter, main and dessert were the Northern Divine Caviar Shu Mai, Lobster Frittata, and Cheesecake Donuts. For some extra brunch indulgement, I would recommend the Tomahawk for the Table.

For more information on Sunday brunch at The Victor, visit here.

The Victor @ Parq Vancouver
Address: 39 Smithe St, Vancouver, BC
Website: www.parqvancouver.com/restaurants/the-victor/

Related post:

The Victor at Parq Vancouver: Steak, seafood & wine

Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver: Chinese Wedding Banquet

January 4, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

A few months ago, I attended a wedding held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver. The dinner reception featured a 10-course Chinese banquet. While a wedding at the Four Seasons is certainly grandiose, I thought the dinner was quite lackluster and fel short of my expectations.

Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver: Chinese Wedding Banquet

According to this article from 2012, the Four Seasons Vancouver has a dedicated Chinese kitchen. The food is prepared in partnership with Grand Dynasty restaurant in Burnaby.

To start, the dishes tasted really bland and needed salt and seasoning. I don’t know if this was requested by the hosting families as low salt is favoured for the health of elders.

The presentation of the dishes certainly lacked oohs and ahhs. The dishes came in individual portions and were served in more of a Western-style. In a traditional Chinese banquet, the dishes as a whole are presented to the table first and then subsequently divided. Perhaps this is not as logistically feasible in a hotel setting.

I also thought the compartmentalized dinner plates looked a bit odd. It made some of the dishes looked rather sad especially the rice and noodles. They sort of looked like food served for toddlers on a kid’s plate.

One of the dishes that was simple yet poorly executed was actually the fried rice! It had a burnt taste to it. I had others taste it and they also concurred. However, it just seemed that my dish was one of the isolated cases.

Service was terrific as the pace of the dinner was good and servers were friendly. It was unfortunate that the food was only about average considering the price tag.

My sense is that the Western-style plated dinners or buffet might fare better than the Chinese banquet. It was a good effort but the food and its presentation could be improved in my opinion.

Here are the dishes we had for the 10-course dinner:

Four Seasons Signature Platter

The platter featured roasted pork, cold jelly fish with sesame oil, mixed diced seafood in bean curd, and pastry with whole abalone.

Sauteed Chicken & Squid with Baby Bok Choy

Conpoy, Dried Seafood & Bamboo Piths in Soup

Lobster Cooked in Superior Broth

Sauteed Three Kind of Fresh Mushrooms & Season Vegetables

Roasted Crispy Chicken

Braised E-Fu Noodle with Abalone Sauce & Assorted Fresh Seafood Fried Rice

Baked Lotus Paste Pastry & Deep Fried White Sesame Pastry

For a wonderfully delicious and well-executed Chinese banquet dinner, see my post Peninsula Restaurant:

Peninsula Seafood Restaurant Dinner Reception

Happy Hour at Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Downtown

January 3, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ has been my go-to place for a Japanese Yakiniku dining experience where you grill bite-size meat and vegetables over a flaming charcoal grill. In Vancouver, they have three locations (Downtown, West Brodaway and Richmond) but they actually have over 700 world wide including Japan, US, Hong Kong, Indonesia etc.

Happy Hour at Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Downtown Vancouver

I had some friends in town from Europe this holiday season and we decided to go to Gyu-Kaku on Boxing Day. While the restaurant does take reservations over OpenTable, all the spots were taken and we decided to just do a walk-in and wait in line.

The location in Downtown Vancouver is nicely spacious but the lighting is generally quite dim. I like the West Broadway location which has more natural lighting.

We waited for 40 minutes and it was Happy Hour by the time we got a booth. All combos are 20% off during Happy Hour and we went with the Samurai combo for 4 people.

Happy Hour Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Downtown Vancouver

Starters

The starters included Gyu-Kaku Salad, Edamame, Miso Soup, White Rice, Spicy Cold Tofu, Fried Chicken Karaage, and Beef Garlic Noodles.

One favourite was the Spicy Cold Tofu featuring soft tofu topped with kimchi and spicy, crunchy garlic sauce. The flavour was very good and had a nice spicy kick. The garlic chips added texture to the dish.

The Fried Chicken Karaage was also very good being crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

All the other starters were reasonable.

BBQ Items

BBQ items included Premium Ribeye Steak, Harami Skirt Steak (Miso), Gyu-Kaku Kalbi Short Rib (Sweet Soy), Filet Mignon (Salt & Pepper), Toro Beef (Sweet Soy), Pork Belly (Shio White Soy), Shrimp (Garlic), Chicken Thigh (Basil), Zucchini, Eggplant and Broccoli.

The portions, quality and seasoning of the BBQ items were good.

Dessert

For dessert, there were S’mores and choice of ice cream. We went with Green Tea and Lychee.

Service

The service was pretty good considering how busy it was. All the dishes were brought to us in a timely manner.

GET REWARDS

Gyu-Kaku also has an app where you can earn points towards rewards after each meal. For rewards, you can get free dishes (like Shrimp Garlic, Filet Mignon and so forth) and even $25 off your next visit.

Overall Impression of Gyu-Kaku

I continue to be a fan of Gyu-Kaku and would love to return again in the future. It was definitely a better deal to come during Happy Hour and get 20% off the combo. Rating: 4/5

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
888 Nelson St g3, Vancouver, BC
www.gyu-kaku.com

Halloween Donuts from Breka Bakery

November 1, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Things got really “out of hand” at the Halloween party this year…

I picked up these Halloween goodies from Breka Bakery: Pumpkin Dule De Leche Donut, Long-John Ghost Donut, Chocolate Spider-Web Donut, and Finger Cookies. Hope you had a spooktacular Halloween!

Downtown Vancouver Tiki Experience: Sneeki Tiki

September 22, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Say “Aloha” to Sneeki Tiki, Vancouver’s newest Tiki experience located on Granville Street in Downtown Vancouver. Inspired in part by tiki carvings and mythology, Tiki culture began in the United Stations and is a 20th-century theme used in Polynesian-style restaurants and clubs.

Disclosure: I was invited to a media event where all food and drinks were complimentary. Opinions are my own.

At Sneeki Tiki, you will be transported to a tropical paradise with their Tiki-inspired drinks and food menu. I was invited to a media event at Sneeki Tiki. Here’s a look at what you can expect.

For drinks, Sneeki Tiki offers Signature and classic rum-based cocktails, Tiki Bowls to be shared between 2-4 people, Sneeki Cocktail creations, draft beer and wine.

We orderd the Scorpion Tiki Bowl featuring light rum, gin, brandy, triple sec, orgeat, falernum, cane sugar, guava, and papaya juice.

To accompany these drinks, Sneeki Tiki has a menu of Island-inspired eats with a twist. There are Maui Sliders featuring 2 mini pineapple buns stuffed with braised short ribs and kale slaw, the Tiki Bap (their take on the Korean bibimbap) and the Rockin the Stick ( mahi mahi fish sticks panko served with potato wedges or asian slaw) and so forth.

Polynesian dance and live music will also be featured at Sneeki Tiki on select dates and times.

For a funky, playing and unique experience, Sneeki Tiki might be worth checking out.

Sneeki Tiki
Address: 1100 Granville St, Vancouver, BC
Website: sneekitiki.com/‎

Dinner Tasting Menu at Botanist

August 18, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

One of the most exciting new restaurant openings that took place last year was Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim. The restaurant showcases the botany of British Columbia from a culinary perspective. Botanist is open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner and features a cocktail bar and lab, garden, dining room, and champagne lounge – all inspired by the principals of botany.

Last December, Diana (foodology.ca), David (pickydiners.com) and I visited Botanist to try their multi-course dinner tasting menu priced at $108 per person. Note: This is not a sponsored post. The food and drinks were not complimentary. Opinions are my own.

Friday Night Reservation

We came in on a Friday night for an 8 pm reservation and the restaurant was buzzing. The lighting was dim in the main dining area which was a contrast to the well-lit open kitchen.

What I Tried

Drink

To start, I had the Not Yet, a spirit-free drink featuring carrot, beet, ginger, lemon and sparkling water.

Bread

We then received a complimentary order of bread topped with herbs and seeds.

Amuse Bouche: Sturgeon Chicharron

With a vibrant presentation, the crispy, crackly dried sturgeon chicharron with fermented vegetables was a great start.

First Course: Beets and Goat’s Cheese Salad

We were then presented with a salad made with beets, pecans, oranges, and Ashley’s Goat cheese. The ingredients were fresh and flavourful and the arrangement of the salad was very pretty.

Second Course: Lobster

Next was the lobster with a sunchoke veloute and chive chantilly. The buttery, tender and juicy lobster went well with the creamy, nutty and smooth lobster veloute.

Third Course: Diver Scallop

The diver scallop was seared perfectly and was very tender. It was accompanied by Brussel sprouts, guanciale (Italian cured pork) and celeriac foam.

Fourth Course: Bison

Our fourth dish was the bison which was lean, slightly gamy, slightly sweet. At this point, we were getting pretty full but we pushed on! The meat was accompanied by Saskatoon Berry which added to the sweetness, mushrooms and cauliflower.

Fifth Course: Dessert

For dessert, we had the Hakuju chocolate pate, passionfruit pulp and licorice ice cream. It was a creative dessert with a unique presentation that had sweet, bitter, salty and sour flavours.

Service

The server for our meal was stellar and she explained all the dishes wonderfully. The pace of our multi-course meal was also on point.

Overall Impression

We had a great time with the tasting menu at Botanist. I enjoyed the creative take on the dishes featuring BC ingredients, the super service, and the inviting environment. I would recommend the tasting menu at Botanist and at a price of $108 per person I thought it was fairly valued. Rating: 5/5

Botanist at Fairmont Pacific Rim
Address: 1038 Canada Pl, Vancouver, BC
Website: ‎www.botanistrestaurant.com

Related posts:

Small Plates

Oceanwise Pacific Albacore Tuna Tataki

Devils on Horseback

Oven Roasted Baby Carrots

Oceanwise Grilled Pacific Humboldt Squid

Glazed Japanese Eggplant

Medium Plates

Slow-Cooked Pork Belly

Salt Roasted Beets & Burrata

Oceanwise Seared Oceanwise Scallops

Oceanwise Haida Gwaii Halibut

Large Plates

16 oz Ribeye Steak

Dessert

Japanese Cotton Cheese Cake

Strawberry + Rhubarb

Le Cassis Interior

Le Cassis Menu

What I Tried

Overall Impression of Le Cassis

Harbour View Suite

Health Club

ARC Restaurant

Drinks

Starters

Dim Sum

Chef’s Sushi Platter

Mains

AVOCADO & SMOKED SALMON

FOIE GRAS FRENCH TOAST

LOBSTER FRITTATA

B.E.L.T

TOMAHAWK FOR THE TABLE

Dessert

Liege Waffles with Whiskey Caramel Sauce

Cheesecake Donuts with Strawberry Jam

Carrot Cake

Four Seasons Signature Platter

Sauteed Chicken & Squid with Baby Bok Choy

Conpoy, Dried Seafood & Bamboo Piths in Soup

Lobster Cooked in Superior Broth

Sauteed Three Kind of Fresh Mushrooms & Season Vegetables

Roasted Crispy Chicken

Braised E-Fu Noodle with Abalone Sauce & Assorted Fresh Seafood Fried Rice

Baked Lotus Paste Pastry & Deep Fried White Sesame Pastry

Starters

BBQ Items

Dessert

Service

GET REWARDS

Overall Impression of Gyu-Kaku

Friday Night Reservation

What I Tried

Drink

Bread

Amuse Bouche: Sturgeon Chicharron

First Course: Beets and Goat’s Cheese Salad

Second Course: Lobster

Third Course: Diver Scallop

Fourth Course: Bison

Fifth Course: Dessert

Service

Overall Impression

About Me

Recent Posts