Kitsilano Archives | Foodgressing

Nook Pasta Room: Fresh Pastas, Sauces, Burrata

June 1, 2020 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Newly opened in Kitsilano is Nook Restaurant’s retail operation, Nook Pasta Room.

Nook Pasta Room: Fresh Pastas, Sauces, Burrata

There you will find fresh pastas, sauces, burrata, spreads, olives, chilli oil and other products that you can find in their restaurants.

I stumbled upon their retail location and took a few photos of what they are offering.

They have Dinner for 2 kits which include a pasta, sauce and parmesan cheese for $20.

Other fun stuff include focaccia, whipped ricotta spread, chili oil, calabrian veggie spread, tuna in oil and more.

Their retail space looks well-organized and it looks like you might find quite a few products to create the perfect pasta meal at home.

Here are a few other places where you can find fresh pasta in Vancouver.

Nook Pasta Room
1867 West 1st Avenue, Vancouver
nookrestaurant.ca/the-pasta-room

Neverland Tea Salon Vancouver: The Mad Hatter High Tea

February 1, 2020 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

It’s Time for a Mad Hatter Tea Party!

Neverland Tea Salon in Kitsilano is one my favourite places for a high tea experience in Vancouver. I love their fanciful decor, selection of teas, quality of their high tea items, all at a reasonable price.

Neverland Tea Salon Vancouver: The Mad Hatter High Tea

For the month of February and now extended into March, Neverland Tea Salon is offering a Mad Hatter High Tea theme. Earlier today, I had a media tasting of this new offering. Here’s a look at my experience.

Mad Hatter High Tea Menu

Aside from regular, the Mad Hatter High Tea set comes in other dietary options: vegetarian, gluten free/dairy-free and vegan (see the menu here). The price is $38 per person or $48 for a bubble high tea.

There is also a children’s version priced at $24 per child (see menu here).

I took my older son for a media tasting and we had the gluten-free/dairy free set as well as the children’s set.

Mad Hatter High Tea (Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free)

Amuse-bouche: Chilled watermelon beet soup

Savoury:

Smoked paprika crab salad roll with red peppers, onions, chives and green goddess aioli
Coronation chicken salad on focaccia with green onions, cilantro, red pepper, mango chutney and Assam tea infused apricots
Roasted veggie croque monsieur with zucchini, kale, red peppers, and dairy-free cheese
Plant-based burger sliders with pesto aioli, arugula, and fresh tomato
Steel head smoked salmon pinwheel with asparagus and dairy-free lemon herbed cream cheese

Sweets:

Lemon Mousse Dome on a cashew and brownie base
Chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream
Mocha ganache sponge cake on a brownie base with chocolate glaze
Strawberry and coconut puree jelly
Citrus scone with ‘Devonshire cream’ and house-made jam

Mad Hatter’s Children’s High Tea

Sweets:

Queen of Hearts cake roll with strawberry cream
Toadstool chocolate tart
Stopwatch shortbread cookies royal icing
Citrus scone with Devonshire & cream

Sandwiches:

Cream cheese & cucumber pinwheel
Mini pizza bagel
Tomato cheddar on multi-grain egg salad on veggie roll

Decor

You’ll be impressed with the charming Alice in Wonderland theme decor to complement the theme featuring playing cards, toadstools, top hats and more.

Overall Impression

I thought the high tea items were creative, elevated and went well for the Mad Hatter theme. The citrus scones were very good in particular and I thought the sandwiches were quite delicious!

I have been to many high teas where the savoury sandwiches used pretty thick bread, but I think Neverland Tea Salon has it right with a reasonable good bread to filling ratio.

The very on-trend plant-based burger was a unique item to have for High Tea.

For the children’s tea set, they had a nice variety of kid-friendly items. My son enjoyed the offerings presented.

Overall, we had a lovely time at Neverland Tea Salon and I would recommend the Mad Hatter High Tea for a fun, delicious experience.

Neverland Tea Salon
3066 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC
neverlandtea.com

New Kitsilano Ramen Restaurant: Ramen Densetsu

January 20, 2020 by foodgressing 2 Comments

Signage has gone up for a new ramen restaurant in Kitsilano. Ramen Densetsu will be opening at 2825 W Broadway.

No word on who is behind the restaurant and what their menu will be like. Stay tuned as more information becomes available.

Bel Cafe Kitsilano: Salads, Pastries, Bowls [Review]

December 24, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Bel Cafe in Kitsilano is one of my favourite cafe’s in the neighbourhood where I can enjoy gourmet food and drinks, pastries and desserts made in-house daily. As a Chef David Hawksworth venture, you can certainly expect top-notch quality and expertly prepared foods.

Bel Cafe Kitsilano: Salads, Pastries, Bowls [Review]

Note: This is not a sponsored post. None of my food was sponsored and this review was done anonymously.

This past summer, I had lunch there and the spread included Lavender Tea Latte; Iced Chai Tea Latte; Salmon Sushi Salad; Aged Cheddar, Bacon & Leek Croissant; Chicken Bibimbap; and Strawberry Vanilla Cake.

The Salmon Sushi Salad ($18) is a deconstructed dish of salmon sushi and it was very delicious! Brown rice was used and avocado pieces were scattered throughout the salad while the flavour was from a citrus soy vinaigrette.

The Chicken Bibimbap ($14) was a nourishing bowl of carrot kimchi, brown rice, and white ponzu.

The Lavender Tea Latte ($4.7) with its vibrant blue hue certainly garnered a lot of attention from other customers. It had a very smooth and floral flavour.

For dessert, a Strawberry Vanilla Cake which was moist, light, fluffy and not overly sweet.

Bel Cafe certainly has a wide range of options from breakfast to lunch and snacks. I definitely recommend visiting them for grab-and-go or a sit-down meal. Rating: 5/5

Bel Cafe Kitsilano
1780 W 3rd Ave
Vancouver, BC
belcafe.com

Little Kitchen Academy Vancouver: Cooking School for Kids

July 27, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Little Kitchen Academy is a newly founded, first of its kind cooking academy for kids and they have just started offering classes this summer.

Little Kitchen Academy Vancouver: Cooking School for Kids

The school aims to teach kids the important life skill of cooking in a Montessori-inspired environment through creative, mindful and interactive teaching.

The flagship location in Vancouver is at 3744 West 10th Avenue in Kitsilano where classes run for 3 hours and host 10 students per class.

I recently visited Little Kitchen Academy where my son had the opportunity to be part of a class.

The shiny, bright and modern teaching area which was outfitted with cooking stations complete with oven, cooktop, and individual equipment (look at those Kitchenaid mixers!) was certainly impressive.

Each three-hour class will have kids learn through counting, measuring, touching and preparing food. The academy aims to support kids in learning how to eat right by prepare their own food.

Each student dons a chef coat and is fitted in Birkenstock kitchen shoes.

My son learned to make a watermelon and strawberry salsa with toast and he had so much fun throughout the class. The teacher was so lovely and patient and guided him in the steps for the recipe. I was so happy to see him so focused!

The living food wall is an exciting feature of Little Kitchen Academy as kids can go up and see, learn about and collect fresh herbs for their recipe.

Table manners are also learned by sharing meals around the academy’s communal table. It is made from over 33,000 recycled chopsticks, and the chairs are made from recycled plastic bottles.

There are different options for summer sessions right now including weeklong camps (5 days, 3 hours per day), or weekends only (once a week either Saturday or Sunday). The cost comes out to be $25/hr which I thought was very reasonable for what you get.

Little Kitchen Academy has also partnered with world-renowned chef, best-selling author and restauranteur Cat Cora to enable an authentic, sustainable experience.

Cat Cora made television history when she became the first-ever female Iron Chef on Iron Chef America. She also became the first female inducted into The American Academy of Chefs Culinary Hall of Fame, went on to cook at two 3-star Michelin restaurants in France and is the founder of her own non-profit charitable organization, Chefs for Humanity.

The Kitsilano flagship location is currently the only opened location but there are already has plans for other chapters around the Lower Mainland and globally.

For more information, visit www.littlekitchenacademy.com

Little Kitchen Academy
3744 West 10th Ave, Vancouver, BC
www.littlekitchenacademy.com

Italian Food Kitsilano: Fiore Famiglia – Pizza & Pasta

January 3, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Last month, I visited Fiore Famiglia in Kitsilano for dinner with some family and friends. Their focus is on simple, Italian dishes including pizzas and house-made pastas along with an Italian wine list. I had been to their South Granville location before and had a decent experience. Unfortunately, this was not the same case when I dined at Fiore Famiglia Kitsilano.

Italian Food Kitsilano: Fiore Famiglia - Pizza & Pasta

Note: None of the food and drinks in this post were complimentary. This is not a sponsored post. This review is done anonymously.

Interior

The interior of Fiore Famiglia was simple, modern yet warm and inviting. There is a mix of dining tables for 2 -4 people as well as an L-shaped bar.

What We Tried

Our party of 5 ordered several dishes. First was the pappardelle bolognese ($24). This is a dish I tried at their South Granville location and I found it to be equally delicious. The pappardelle was wonderfully al dente and went nicely with the rich, meaty bolognese sauce.

My friend had the risotto al funghi ($19) featuring mushroom duxelle, seared crimini, parmesan, basil, and balsamic. He thought it was reasonable.

Unfortunately, the pizzas were really horrendous and mediocre. There was too much sauce which made the pizzas soggy. The crust was bland and too thick. The toppings were not particularly flavourful. I took at look some Yelp reviews and some reviewers were also disappointed in the pizzas they tried.

The three pizzas that we ordered were the prosciutto e pera ($21) (bianco sauce, pear, taleggio, leeks, parsley, prosciutto), piccante ($18) (tomato sauce, chorizo, tomatoes, roasted peppers, chili, parmesan) and the formaggi ($17) (olive oil, mozzarella, smoked cheddar, provolone).

Service

The service was standard. Nothing really was bad but nothing stood out either.

Overall Impression of Fiore Famiglia

The pasta fared much better than the pizzas we tried at Fiore Famiglia. Unfortunately, the poorly executed pizzas made for a disappointing dinner experience at the restaurant. I would not be interested in returning. Rating: 2/5

Fiore Famiglia
2603 W 16th Ave, Vancouver, BC
fiorerestaurants.ca/famiglia/

Related post:

Dinner at Fiore South Granville

Koko Monk Chocolates Opens Second Location

December 7, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Newly opened in Kitsilano is Koko Monk Chocolates’ second location at 2883 West Broadway. This new store is a 1,100-square-foot space featuring a dedicated Hot Chocolate Lounge and an onsite production facility. The new location came to fruition after Koko Monk’s founder and chocolate maker, Paul Dicer, launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to raise $10,000 toward the cost of a new location. The original location, at 1849 West 1st Avenue, remains open.

Disclosure: I attended a media event at Koko Monk Chococolates’ second location.

The Art of Chocolate

Dincer draws inspiration from his comprehensive background and education in fine art, literature and philosophy in creating his chocolate products. His creations are one-of-a-kind, complex flavour fusions using raw chocolate (unadulterated, unprocessed cacao beans). The Koko Monk name highlights a philosophy of living and working with one’s environment and employing natural ingredients, rather than forcing synthesized solutions that go against their natural functions.

Hot Chocolate Bar

Koko Monk has drawn raves for its variety of hot chocolates (BuzzFeed ranked it among the “Greatest Places in the World to Get Hot Chocolate)”, and its new 16-seat lounge is the perfect environment in which to savour them. Koko Monk currently offers 14 unique — and uniquely named — flavours of hot chocolate, including “A Non-Conformist’s Plea for an Imaginary Summer” (tomato hot chocolate with rose and raspberry), “Strange Gravity” (oregano hot chocolate with melon and a touch of anise), and “Brunette Bangle” (curry hot chocolate with coconut liquor).

The specialty hot chocolates come in small ($5.95), medium ($7.85), and large ($9.50). Can’t decide on just one flavour? Go for a hot-chocolate flight featuring three mini servings, available every Saturday ($10 per person, minimum order of 2). I tried the “Istanbul Blues” (dark hot chocolate with ottoman ‘salep’ root and cinnamon), the “Cosmic Rose” (vegan coconut milk – dark hot chocolate with salted rose caramel and cardamon) and the sneak peak of 2019 Hot Chocolate Fest participating drink tentatively named “Love and Pain.” I particularly loved the “Istanbul Blues” with its floral flavours and would love to have it again. “Love and Pain” really tasted like its namesake being sweet but then turning into sweet, spicy and bitter afterwards.

Other Artisan Chocolate Products

Guests will also find other artisan chocolate products including individual chocolates, fruit and nut barks, vegan bars, and sugar-free selections plus Turkish coffee, espresso-based beverages, and locally-made pastries.

At the media event, our tasting plate included the “La Mer” (watermelon sea-salt infused chocolate), “Bacchanalia” (balsamic vinegar caramel with sea salt) and “Flirt” (salted red rose caramel with raw sugar and Himalayan sea salt). I particularly enjoyed the La Mer due to the uniqueness in incorporating watermelon flavour into chocolate.

In 2019, Koko Monk will begin to produce its “ready-to-brew” Hot Chocolate Cubes, which were part of Dincer’s successful Kickstarter campaign (offered as rewards for backers). The new creations will be available in both of Koko Monk’s locations, allowing everyone to stir up Dincer’s addictive creations at home at their convenience.

Koko Monk Chocolates
Address: 2883 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC
Website: ‎kokomonk.com/

Vancouver Foodster Tasting Plates Kitsilano Recap

May 10, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

It was another fun night yesterday attending Vancouver Foodster’s Tasting Plates Kitsilano edition. Attendees visited 4 participating establishments located on West Broadway between Collingwood and Larch. Here’s a recap of the evening.

Disclosure: I attended the event as media where all food and drinks were complimentary.

Story City Coffee

We started off at Storm City Coffee, an independent cafe in Kitsilano where their coffee is locally sourced and their baked goods are crafted in-house from scratch. In fact, their house speciality are cream puffs. Available from 10 am every day, their cream puffs are made from a light and fluffy chop pastry and filled with a variety of cream fillings.

For the event, they offered two kinds of cream puffs (vanilla and salted caramel) and Apple Mint or Black Currant shrubs (vinegar-based fruit-infused drinks).

Storm City Coffee
Address: 3403 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC
Website: www.stormcitycoffee.ca

Super Hiro’s Restaurant

Super Hiro is a Japanese fine dining restaurant that is chef-owned and operated by Hiroki Watanabe, who is Chef Hidekazu Tojo‘s nephew. It is an omakase restaurant where you leave it up to the chef to create the multi-course menu. We tried the Unkai (a savoury rice pudding with shrimp, fish on top), deep fried white fish with Italian parsley dressing and 2 nigiri (ahi tuna and snapper).

Super Hiro’s Restaurant
Address: 2585 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC
Website: www.superhiros.com

Be Fresh Market

Be Fresh Market is a health-focused market and cafe with multiple locations in Vancouver. We visited their Kitsilano location for this event and tried the mini house-made vegan burgers served with vegan chipotle mayo; vegan potato salad; Juice Box Watermelon juice; and Be Fresh Holy Fudge dipped bananas.

Be Fresh Market & Cafe
Address: 2951 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC
Website: www.befresh.ca

Sencha Tea Lounge

Sencha Tea Lounge specializes in Asian fusion dishes and bubble tea beverages. We tried a tea flight featuring Alishan Jasmine Green Tea, Honey Camellia Milk Tea, Assam Milk Tea, and Oolong Milk Tea. There was also a snack try of Teriyaki Chicken Donburi and Sencha Chicken Wings.

Sencha Tea Lounge
Address: 3468 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC
Website: www.senchatealounge.com

Ice Queen Offers Snack Tea Cup Combos

January 16, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Ice Queen is known for their fried ice cream rolls but did you know that they also serve Taiwanese-style street snacks? Last month, Ice Queen introduced the Queen Snack Tea Cup Combo featuring 5 savoury options: takoyaki, deep fried nuggets, deep fried squid, fish cake and fries. Subject to availability, these savoury snacks are around $8 and are an extra $0.25 for additional topping. Drink options are cold, hot or slush and include milk teas, coffee milk teas and fruit teas.

Disclosure: I was invited to a media tasting. All food and drinks in this review were complimentary.

I tried the a mix of takoyaki and deep fried nuggets with a cold taro bubble tea. I found both the takoyaki and deep fried nuggets quite tasty. The takoyaki had a nice grilled batter on the outside and delicious octopus filling. The nuggets were very crispy, nicely seasoned, and tender. Some might find the price a bit on the higher side with combo being about $15 but I guess there’s a premium for convenience.

Ice Queen
Address: 2967 West Broadway, Vancouver | 2355 – 4000 No.3 Road, Richmond
Website: www.facebook.com/icqueenqueen/‎

Thomas Haas Matcha Yuzu Bûche de Noël (Yule Log)

December 26, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

It’s that wonderful time of the year where our favourite bakeries in town create special holiday creations. One of my favourite places is Thomas Haas and this year I decided to pick up one of his holiday cakes. Available on Dec 23 and 24 only, Thomas Haas created 8 delicious Bûche de Noël yule logs inspired by his 8 most popular cakes. I went with the Matcha Yuzu cake ($37) which was made with light matcha mousse, exotic yuzu-passion fruit coulis, soft almond cake and matcha shortbread.

Note: None of the food in this post was complimentary. Opinions are my own.

The texture of the cake was certainly melt-in-your-mouth. The yuzu flavour was most pronounced while the matcha was subtle but still present. And I also picked up a few star-shaped sable cookies which had a nice, zesty flavour and buttery, crumbly crust.

When I made the order online, I had to pick a specific time slot for pickup. It seemed that the Thomas Haas staff followed the schedule quite diligently but was able to accommodate some early and late pickups. The fun part was meeting Thomas Haas himself who was there in the shop meeting orders. He even presented and packed up my cake!

For your next celebration in which you need a cake, I would recommend Thomas Haas.

Thomas Haas
Address: 2539 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC
Website: www.thomashaas.com