Robson Street/West End Archives

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

Taro Desserts and Bubble Tea at 3 Quarters Full Cafe in Vancouver

August 13, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

3 Quarters Full Cafe is one of my favourites places to eat in the West End as well as a place for delicious Asian desserts. As someone who loves Taro-everything, 3 Quarters Full Cafe has a nice selection of taro desserts which use real taro (not artificial taro such that the food appears bright purple).

Taro Desserts and Bubble Tea at 3 Quarters Full Cafe in Vancouver

Pictured above is the Taro Roll Cake, Taro Mille Crepe Cake, Taro Mochi and Taro Bubble Tea with Pearl.

The taro desserts all had a nice taro flavour. The Roll Cake is nicely light and fluffy. The Mille Crepe Cake has paper thin crepes alternating with layers of taro. The Taro Mochi does not use preservatives and had thin, chewy glutinous outer layer and a tasty taro filling.

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

NaMì Vermicelli Bowls Food Cart at Burrard and Davie

July 23, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Vietnamese food cart, NaMì, has just launched a second food cart but this time specializing in vermicelli bowls.

NaMì Vermicelli Bowls Food Cart at Burrard and Davie Vancouver

NaMì 2.0 can be found at the corner of Burrard and Davie Streets in the West End neighbourhood. The original NaMì is operating at the corner of West Georgia and Granville Streets and serves báhn mì sandwiches.

Grand Opening Special

As part of the grand opening, the cart is featuring a $7 vermicelli-bowl special throughout the first week of service until July 24.

NaMì 2.0 Menu

NaMì 2.0’s menu offers visitors and locals alike a taste of authentic Vietnamese home-cooking fused with modern techniques and fresh ingredients in a variety of bowls including:

Classic Bowl: vermicelli topped with pork or vegan spring roll, shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber and mixed herbs with a choice of protein and dressing
Banana Blossom Salad Bowl: banana blossom, kale and spinach topped with cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, cucumber, mung bean and mixed herbs with a choice of protein and dressing
Garlic Beef Vermicelli Bowl: vermicelli topped with sautéed garlic beef in a garlic, lemongrass and onion sauce with shredded cabbage, cucumber, mixed herbs and spicy chili lime dressing.

The NaMì 2.0 cart also features an array of sides:

Grilled Skewers: lemongrass chicken, beef, beef in betel leaf, prawns, tofu, eggplant or okra
Deep-Fried Spring Rolls: pork, shrimp, carrots, taro, mung bean vermicelli, mushroom
Salad Rolls: shrimp/lemongrass tofu, lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, vermicelli, cucumbers, peanut dip
Vietnamese coffee made with condensed milk or sweetened coconut milk

The cart also has a number of monthly rotating features and vegan-friendly fare.

What I Tried

I enjoyed a media tasting at Nami 2.0 and had the following:

Banana Blossom Salad Bowl was loaded with veggies, grilled prawns (your choice of protein) and an absolutely delicious deep-fried spring rolls (with carrots, taro, mung bean vermicelli, mushrooms).

The grilled skewers (chicken, beef and prawns) had wonderful smoky, charred flavours.

To wash it all down, I had a delicious Vietnamese Coffee with coconut milk.

NaMì was founded by foodie and entrepreneur Kevin Thach, who got his first-hand knowledge of the industry at his parents’ award-winning Pho Thai Hoa 1 Vietnamese restaurant in Vancouver.

I’d definitely revisit NaMì for their freshly prepared and tasty vermicelli bowls and would recommend others to give them a try.

For more information, go to namivietnamese.com, become a fan of /namivietnamese on Facebook and follow @namivietnamese on Instagram and Twitter.

Milksha Vancouver 迷客夏 Bubble Tea on Robson Street

July 15, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Another famous Taiwanese bubble tea brand is making its way to Vancouver. Milksha (迷客夏) has announced that they will be opening up Milksha Vancouver at 1258 Robson Street sometime this fall.

Milksha Vancouver 迷客夏 Bubble Tea on Robson Street

The brand is known as “Milkshop” in Taiwan and “Milksha” outside of Taiwan. The company currently has over 230 locations in Taiwan, as well as 20 in China and 2 in Hong Kong.

Voted No. 1 Bubble Tea by Students

Milksha has been voted No. 1 bubble tea by Taiwan university students (who are known to be hardcore bubble tea consumers).

Uses Fresh Milk

The company was founded in 2004 by a dairy farmer, Kevin Lim, who decided to set up his beverage brand, using milk as the main ingredient rather than creamer. Their drinks and pearls are made without preservatives or artificial colouring.

Honey Boba Pearls

Milksha is also known for their honey boba pearls in which cooked pearls are soaked with honey so that they can absorb the flavour. Because the pearls have no artificial ingredients, they have are clear in colour rather than brown.

Milksha Best Drinks

Milksha’s five signature beverages are: Azuki Matcha Milk, Fresh Taro Milk, Refreshing Orange Green Tea, Earl Grey Latte with Honey Pearl and Valrhona 100% Cocoa Milk.

The matcha they use is imported from Izumo Tousuien ( 桃翠園), a century-old matcha specialty brand from Japan.

Milksha also uses taro from Dajia (大甲) in Taichung, Taiwan which is a region known for producing high quality taro.

They use premium Valrhona cocoa from France for the Valrhona 100% Cocoa Milk.

Robson Street is quickly becoming a hub for bubble tea with other brands (Chatime, Prime’s Thai Tea, Jenjudan) within distance.

Milksha Vancouver Menu

Stay tuned to what the Vancouver location will be offering.

Milksha Vancouver 迷客夏
1258 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC
www.instagram.com/milksha_van/

Little Pig Mochis with Peanut and Black Sesame Powder on Shaved Ice

July 13, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

LITTLE PIG MOCHIS WITH PEANUT AND BLACK SESAME POWDER ON SHAVED ICE!

This new menu item at 3 Quarters Full in the West End neighbourhood of Vancouver just launched two days ago and will have you squealing for joy!

Piping hot little pig mochis are served with peanut and black sesame powder on a bed of shaved ice. Priced at $9.50.

The mochis are handmade and the peanut and black sesame powders are all roasted in-house. Check out more behind the scene photos from my media tasting.

3 Quarters Full Cafe
1789 Comox St, Vancouver, BC
www.instagram.com/3quartersfullcafe/

Prime’s Thai Tea Vancouver 素匠泰茶 on Robson Street

July 12, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Newly open on Robson Street is Prime’s Thai Tea, a Chinese brand which specializes in Thai-style milk teas. The brand was founded in 2015 and originated from Jianmen, Guangdong. Prime’s Thai Tea is one of the largest beverage brands in China with over 500 stores.

Prime's Thai Tea Vancouver 素匠泰茶 Robson Street

Prime’s Thai Tea opened up a location in White Rock last year and this new outpost at 1194 Robson Street is their second.

Prime’s Thai Tea Vancouver Menu

Prime’s Thai Tea Vancouver menu is divided into:

Cheese and Tea (like Cheese Green Tea and Cheese Jade Matcha)
Thai Tea Special Drink (like Mango Milk Foam and Black Sugar Cocoa Pearls)
ZhiZhi Fruit Tea (like ZhiZhi Berry and ZhiZhi Kiwi)
Prime’s Thai Tea (like Peach Gum Tremella Coconut Milk and Red Bean Pudding Milk Tea)
Fresh Fruit Tea (like Strawberry Meets Guava and Queen Passion Fruit Tea)
Fresh Fruit Bubble (like Peach Oolong Bubble and Lemon Butterfly Star)

The drinks are priced around $5- $7.

They also have a few snacks like Original or Chocolate Bubble Waffle (~$5) and Snowflake Crisps.

To see a larger photo of the menu, click here or download below.

Prime’s Thai Tea Vancouver Menu Download

Topping choices include Pearl, Red Bean, Red Glutinous Rice, Sago, Milk Cover, and Konjac.

One thing I found was that the menu was not as descriptive as I would like. Some drinks already contain toppings but it’s hard to tell which ones based on the names of the drinks.

Interior

The Vancouver location is small with a few dining tables along the window and some on the outside.

The plaza just outside Prime’s Thai Tea is car-free and has a few picnic tables for the public to enjoy.

What I Tried

I ordered three of their recommended drinks: Signature Thai Cake Milk Tea ($6.80), Signature Thai Coconut Milk Foam ($6.80) and Zhizhi Dragon Fruit ($7).

The Signature Thai Coconut Milk had delicious blend of mango puree, milk foam and konjac. This drink could not be customized for sweetness and ice levels.

The Zhizhi Dragonfruit had dragonfruit juice, dragonfruit puree, sago and a salted cheesecap. The dragonfruit flavour was on point and the sago were very good being soft and chewy. I liked the complex flavour profile of the drink being salty, sweet, cream and also fruity.

The Thai Cake Milk Tea definitely resembled a cake with a layer of whipped cream on top with an Oreo crumb base. It was a very pretty drink from the swirls of Thai tea and whipped cream.

I enjoyed the black tea flavour with the added creaminess from the whipped cream. The cookie bits went well with the drink combination. I ordered the drink without any sugar and ice and it was just right for me.

All the drinks came in a plastic drink jar with a lid that had an open slot for a straw. The store only offers plastic straws, but you can always bring your own reusable straw. I liked that they sealed the top with some plastic.

Customers might be paying a bit of premium for a sturdy drink container. I don’t mind as I have unfortunately dropped bubble teas before and had the container break and contents spilled out. Such flimsy plastic!

Here’s my receipt for reference.

Service

The staff was noticeably in training mode as some of them donned “training” tags on their uniforms. Because the menu was not as descriptive as I would like, I asked the staff a few questions to which they seemed unclear on how to respond. If you have dietary restrictions (like to dairy), it might be an issue.

Overall Impression of Prime’s Thai Tea Vancouver

The drinks I tried from Prime’s Thai Tea were really good and we drank unitil the last drop (nothing wasted). They seemed to have a lot of interesting options so I’d love to go back and try more. Hopefully, the staff becomes more capable in describing the menu as the menu itself doesn’t do a really good job to detail what’s in it. Rating: 4/5

Prime’s Thai Tea Vancouver
1194 Robson St, Vancouver, BC
www.instagram.com/primethaitea/

Vancouver West End Italian Restaurant: Robba Da Matti

July 9, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

A Yaletown favourite has just opened up a second location in the West End. Robba da Matti has taken over the space formerly occupied by Adesso Bistro at 1906 Haro Street (just off Denman within the residential area).

West End Italian Restaurant Robba Da Matti Haro Vancouver

Hidden Patio

The restaurant features a beautiful patio which offers guests a secluded al fresco dining experience in a garden oasis. It’s the perfect romantic setting for a date night.

Cozy Dining Room

Patros can also enjoy their meal in the cozy, spacious dining room featuring dim lighting and overhanging industrial lights.

Date Night Menu

Robba da matti has a 3-course Date Night Special priced at $122 for 2 people. This includes choice of 2 antipasti or Yaletown Antipasto or prosciutto & burrata to share; 2 any pasta mains; 2 desserts; and 1 bottle of wine (Nespolino Sangiovese/Merlot or Tolloy Pino Grigio). The great thing is that you are choosing items which are on the regular menu.

I was invited to a media tasting of Robba Da Matti’s Date Night menu. Here’s a look at my experience.

To start, we went with the Tolloy Pino Grigio to complement our meal.

We ordered the Prosciutto & Burrata featuring prosciutto di parma (aged 22 months) paired with mozzarella flown in from the Southern region of Puglia. However, due to the popularity of the dish, burrata had run out and we were offered mozza balls instead.

The thin, marbled slices of prosciutto were buttery and flavourful; it went well with the soft mozza balls.

One of the mains we had was the Spaghetti Allo Scoglio, a Venetian-inspired dish. It came with cherry tomatoes and assorted seafood (mussels, clams, tiger prawns, and calamari). It was a delicious, seafood pasta with al dente noodles in a flavourful red sauce.

The Pappardelle “Rosche Rosche” was also excellent featuring boneless short ribs, Italian sausages and a hearty ragu.

To finish off a fantastic meal, we enjoyed the Lavender Creme Brulee with a perfectly crystallized top and subtle floral notes.

The Chocolate Mousse was also very smooth and delicious; it had the right amount of chocolate without it being too rich and sweet.

Robba Da Matti’s Date Night menu presents a great value for couples to enjoy well-craft Italian dishes in a charming and inviting setting. For more information, visit www.robbadamatti.com

Robba Da Matti
1906 Haro Street, Vancouver, BC
www.robbadamatti.com

Vancouver Date Night Restaurant: Robba Da Matti

Papi’s Seafood & Oyster Bar: New English Bay Restaurant

June 20, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Newly open in the West End at 1193 Denman Street is Papi’s Seafood and Oyster Bar, offering casual, seafood-focused dishes as well as cocktails, wine and craft beer. Papi’s is open for lunch, happy hour and dinner seven days a week and weekend brunch.

Papi’s Seafood & Oyster Bar Vancouver West End English Bay

Occupying the space that was formerly Beach Bay Café and Patio, Papi’s Seafood and Oyster Bar is the latest project for the Viaggio Hospitality Group, which also owns and operates Cibo Trattoria, UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar and Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio.

I was invited to a media event recently and had the opportunity to sample some of their offerings and see the space.

Patio & Panaromic Views

The restaurant features a spacious dining room, oyster bar and outdoor patio offering panoramic views of English Bay.

The inspiration for the restaurant is derived from Poseidon, mythical Greek god of the sea and waters, and is reflected in the monochromatic colour palette as well as the use of trident motifs throughout the space.

The centerpiece is a full-wall mural depicting the Greek sea goddess Amphitrite that was painted by local artists Arden Marow Ross and Peter Ricq.

Papi’s Seafood & Oyster Bar: New English Bay Restaurant

Papi’s Seafood Menu

Papi’s oyster bar offers as many as a dozen daily varieties on the half shell. A half-dozen oysters are also featured as part of Papi’s seafood platter that includes a prawn cocktail, ceviche (lime, red onion, cilantro), crudo (soy vinaigrette, fresh cucumber, radish) and mussel escabeche.

Other highlights of Papi’s menus include Papi’s chowder, crab cakes, kale salad, Papi’s burger featuring Beyond Meat, fish n’ chip, and steamed mussels (aromatic curry or white wine broths).

Papi’s Bar Menu

At the bar, Papi’s features summer-friendly signature cocktails such as charred peach bellinis, honey water margaritas, sea wall bangers, Papi’s Caesars and mermaid sours.

The bar program also offers Champagne and sparkling wine, mimosas, craft beer on tap, and oyster shooters available in single shots with a choice of tequila, vodka or whisky or all three in a Papi’s ‘Oyster Trident’.

Papi’s front-of-house team is led by General Manager and Sommelier Alessandro De Pieri, a veteran of the European hospitality industry and luxury hotel circuit. Max Straczek, who appeared on The Food Network Canada’s latest season of Top Chef Canada and was a mainstay at Fable Kitchen and Fable Diner for five years, takes the back-of-house helm as Head Chef.

Hours and Address

Monday to Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Weekend Brunch: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Happy Hour daily 2 to 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close

Papi’s Seafood and Oyster Bar
1193 Denman St., Vancouver BC
www.papisoysterbar.com/

Spring Menu 2019 at CinCin Ristorante

June 4, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Cincin Ristorante on Robson Street to try out a few of their spring features. Leading the kitchen is Chef de Cuisine Andrea Alridge as Executive Chef Andrew Richardson splits his duties between Cincin and and Elisa.

Spring/Summer Dinner Menu 2019 at CinCin Ristorante

To start, we enjoyed a pair of sweet and succulent spot prawns.

The first course was burrata from Puglia with grilled red fife bread topped with crushed garbanzo beans and lemon, mint and arugula.

We also enjoyed a very bright and refreshing organics green salad with raw shaved vegetables, edible blossoms and elderflower dressing.

Next was the pasta course: stinging nettle and ricotta tortellini topped with marcona almonds, grana padano, summer truffle and dressed in a smoked citrus vinaigrette.

The seafood main was Pacific halibut with pea tip brodo English peas and Hannah Brooke farms asparagus.

Cincin is known for their wood-fired cooking and the fourth course featured a wood grilled tenderloin of beef accompanied by potatoes, prosciutto, parmesan collard greens in a tangy, buttery salmoriglio sauce.

To finish off the amazing meal was the Black Forest – a beet chocolate sponge cake with cherry and amadei chocolate cremeux, tonka bean chantilly, and griotte cherries.

The evening featured delightful wine pairings by Wine Directors Shane Taylor and Michael Littleford.

Thank you to the Chef Alridge, Restaurant Director Richard Luxton, Restaurant Manager Elle Boutilier, Wine Director Shane Taylor, Assistant Wine Director Michael Littleford and Bar Manager Shion Fujita for a wonderful evening of food, wine and company.

For more information, visit cincin.net

YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea on Robson in Downtown Vancouver

April 20, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

YiFang Fruit Tea is a popular Taiwanese-based bubble tea and fruit tea chain with locations worldwide. YiFang has expanded quite quickly within Metro Vancouver with 13 locations (some opened while some are in the works). One of their first locations in town is at 1725 Robson Street in Downtown Vancouver.

YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea Robson Downtown Vancouver

Yifang Robson Street

The Robson Street location is fairly small with limited indoor seating. It seems more like a takeaway place so that you can continue enjoying the sights and sounds of the Downtown Core while having a drink. They accept CASH OR DEBIT ONLY.

YiFang Robson Street Menu

Yifang’s menu is divided into Teas, Tea Lattes, Fruit Tea, Cane-based drinks, Cream Lattes, and Black Sugar Pearl. Extra toppings include Pearls, Aiyu Jelly and Grass Jelly. They are best known for their Fruit Teas and Black Sugar Pearl drinks.

Most drinks can be customized for sweetness (30%, 50%, 70%, or 100%) and ice (0%, 30%, 70%, or 100%). Their drinks are typically priced between $4.50 – $8.

All their ingredients are imported from Taiwan while the juices they use are fresh and cold-pressed. The brand prides itself on using natural ingredients rather than artificial flavours and powders.

At YiFang Robson, their famous Black Sugar Pearl drinks are freshly made by 3 pm and 7 pm daily.

BEST YIFANG FRUIT TEA DRINKS | TOP YIFANG FRUIT TEA DRINKS 一芳水果茶

Want to know which are the best drinks to order at YiFang? Here are the recommended drinks named by YiFang Canada.

Jinfeng Roselle Lemon Slice Juice
Pearl Black Tea Latte
Grass Jelly Tea Latte
Mashed Taro Milk
YiFang Fruit Tea
Pineapple Green Tea
Ilan Kumquat Green Tea
Xijgyi Green Plum Green Tea
Luye Ginger Tea (Winter Special)
Longan and Red Date Tea
Shikou Cane Jade Tea
Oolong Tea Cream Latte
Black Sugar Pearl Milk
Black Sugar Pearl Tea Latte

What I Tried

When I visited the store, they were offering samples of another one of their popular drinks, the Jinfeng Roselle Lemon Slice Juice. Based on the sample I tried, I thought it was pretty good and decided to get the full version ($5.50) with 30% ice.

Unfortunately, the sweetness is fixed and when I had the full version I found the drink to be too sweet! I went home and diluted my drink with water to make it more drinkable for me. In terms of flavours, it’s tart, sweet and pretty refreshing. However, I prefer their signature Fruit Tea more.

Get your YiFang drinks delivered

foodora.ca can deliver you drinks from YiFang Robson. With my referral link, you can receive $10 off your first foodora order with a minimum order of $20. Using your mobile device, click here to receive the deal: https://bnc.lt/YR5e/KBFpLDf9XV. The link directs you to the download the app. New customers only.

Overall Impression

YiFang’s Robson location is more of a takeaway sort of counter rather than a sit down place. I continue to be a fan of YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea. Rating: 4/5

Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea Robson Street
1725 Robson St, Vancouver, BC
www.instagram.com/yifangtea.canada

Related posts:

Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea on Gilbert Road in Richmond

Best YiFang Fruit Tea Drinks | Top YiFang Fruit Tea Drinks

YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea Locations in Metro Vancouver

Lumière Vancouver 2019: 25 Interactive Art Installations

Taro Desserts and Bubble Tea at 3 Quarters Full Cafe in Vancouver

NaMì Vermicelli Bowls Food Cart at Burrard and Davie

Grand Opening Special

NaMì 2.0 Menu

What I Tried

Milksha Vancouver 迷客夏 Bubble Tea on Robson Street

Voted No. 1 Bubble Tea by Students

Uses Fresh Milk

Honey Boba Pearls

Milksha Best Drinks

Milksha Vancouver Menu

Little Pig Mochis with Peanut and Black Sesame Powder on Shaved Ice

Prime’s Thai Tea Vancouver 素匠泰茶 on Robson Street

Prime’s Thai Tea Vancouver Menu

Interior

What I Tried

Service

Overall Impression of Prime’s Thai Tea Vancouver

Vancouver West End Italian Restaurant: Robba Da Matti

Hidden Patio

Cozy Dining Room

Date Night Menu

Papi’s Seafood & Oyster Bar: New English Bay Restaurant

Patio & Panaromic Views

Papi’s Seafood Menu

Papi’s Bar Menu

Hours and Address

Spring Menu 2019 at CinCin Ristorante

YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea on Robson in Downtown Vancouver

Yifang Robson Street

YiFang Robson Street Menu

BEST YIFANG FRUIT TEA DRINKS | TOP YIFANG FRUIT TEA DRINKS 一芳水果茶

What I Tried

Get your YiFang drinks delivered

Overall Impression

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