Bel Café || Eatz

This post is long overdue! I think this visit was all the way back in late March. Woops! My friend Mahal and I have wanted to meet up to catch up but with out busy work schedules, we never got the chance to do it until then. We are both foodies and love to try new things. Now, I’ve passed by Bel Café many many times while I am in Downtown but I never actually ventured in. I asked Mahal was she wanted to eat and she was game for anything, so I suggested this joint. Let me say this, Bel Café did not let our hopes down.

Bel Café is right next to David Hawksworth’s main restaurant Hawksworth; Bel Café is actually owned by David Hawksworth! This I did not know that until we saw the sign and I was super excited! Bel Café is small café tucked in the corner of the Rosewood Hotel Georgia; it serves as an eat-in restaurant but it also has a take out counter for the quick pickups. If you are looking for simple food, look no further because this is the place to be at. After much deliberation, Mahal and I decided to share two dishes – the ­­­­­spicy chicken salad and their seared albacore tuna sandwich – and both dishes were excellent!

Their chicken salad was right up my alley and I would have it everyday if I could. There was a lot of julienned daikon and carrots, vermicelli rice noodles, perfectly done chicken and topped off with black sesame seeds. It comes with a lemongrass ginger dressing and we asked for it on the side. And it’s a good thing that we did; a little bit of dress went a long ways and it was nice that we had the control of how much we wanted. A perfect lunch; proportion size was just right, not to heavy, has all the nutritional elements needed, and the presentation was simple.

I’ve had many albacore tuna sandwiches and it takes skill to make it perfect. It needs to have a nice sear on the outside but majority of the fish much be pink in the middle.  Bel Café’s version was decent; it was good but not the greatest. Good thing Mahal and I shared that salad and sandwich because this sandwich was tiny! But if I have to put that aside, the sandwich tasted very good. Their homemade bun was really soft and buttery; it just melted in my mouth! Inside the sandwich was simple the albacore tune, lettuce, tomato, red onions,, daikon and a few pickles. Some highlights they had on the menu for the sandwich was their bonito mayo and yuzu pickles. Unfortunately, I couldn’t taste a major difference and, honestly, was very pedestrian when it came to the taste of both elements. It comes with a small serving of spinach and radish and some sweet pickles to snack on. Overall, it’s not the worst dish I’ve had but I wouldn’t order it again.

Bel Café also does French pastries, macarons, and coffees but we were too full to ingest anything else (plus Mahal had given up sweets for lent and, I, coffee). If you are a workaholic working in downtown core and wanting a quick pick up or you want to sit down and savor some simple eats, drop into Bel Café for a bite to eat!

Bel Café and Bel Café to go

801 W Georgia St. Vancouver, BC

Price: $$

★★★✩✩

Good eatz everyone!

- V

Café Medina || Eatz

Happy Thursday!

It's almost the end of August and I am so behind on my posts! Today, I'm taking you to one of my favorite eatz: Café Medina! Just off the Chinatown-Stadium Station in Downtown Vancouver, walk down Beatty Street and look for a storefront trimmed with black metal work and a robin egg blue sandwich border. I forgot to snap a photo of the front (again) but at least I got the sandwich board. This hole-in-the-wall café is a sister restaurant (and right next door) of the famous Chambar. Here you will find elevated café-inspired dishes combined with a rich twist of ethnic culture from countries like France, Italy and even Morocco!

The hours are tight: they only serve breakfast and lunch, and because of it's popularity, expect to wait in line for a table (no reservations). They are open 7 days a week: Monday to Friday at 8:00am, Weekends at 9:00 and, always, closes at 4:00pm. Today I had a brunch date at 11:00am with my good friend Mel; I placed my name on the list at 10:30 and, by the time she arrived, we were seated around 11:15. Yes it's that busy. When your name gets called, you will be led by the host into the dining room. Now don't be scared if they start leading you into a creepy hallway. The restaurant is long and narrow and they have an extended dining area in the back of the building. 

Now that we're seated, let's eat! Since we were seated before noon, we had to order from the breakfast menu (weekends you can order breakfast anytime) but that's okay because I like the breakfast menu better. On one side of the menu is the drinks; They served the wines, beers and teas but they are well-known for their espresso drinks (made with tender love and care). It doesn't say on the menu but they do offer milk alternatives like soy or almond so don't be scared to ask. I love my lattes and decided to get a lavender soy latte. This is not your typical Starbucks latte; Medina does it the traditional way where it is mostly espresso with a hint of milk. The lavender is not too strong but just enough to taste the floral notes. 

Their main menu has a good selection of options and they will be more than willing to suggest dishes to fit your dietary needs (ie: vegetarian, vegan). They have main dishes but you can always drop in and order a quick breakfast of yogurt and fresh fruit and pair it up with an espresso. But I'm not here to talk about yogurt; let's get on with what I ordered! I usually order the 'La Santa' but decided to switch things up and tried the 'Fricassé' and it was super tasty! I am not a huge meat eater but who can say no to short rib! It comes in a cast iron skillet and it's hot. The dish consists of 2 eggs sunny side up, short rib, potatoes, bitter greens and topped off with julienne apples; all of this is sitting in a steamy hot bath of delicious juices from the short rib. The short rib is braised to the point where it is tender and flaky. Comes with a small piece of toasted focaccia; I was stupid and left it for last and it got cold. Make sure you break open the yolk and let it drip into the juices because it makes a beautiful rich sauce for the short rib :) My only complaint is the peppercorn; I know that it's a must ingredient for short rib but I really don't like it when I bite into one. But overall, really good and I'm definitely going to order it again. I just need to watch out for those peppercorns :)

Café Medina is also really known for their waffles; I wish I had room for waffles but I was stuffed. Light fluffy belgium waffles with your choice of topping (ie. fruit, chocolate, sauces); a perfect way to round of your meal (if you're not yet full). The next time I stop by Medina, I will order waffles just for you. 

Before I end it off, I just want to quickly touch base on the overall look and feel of the place. Like I said, this café is long and narrow, so seating is going to be tight and the table space will just fit your plates. But that's typical with cafés. I am in love with the exposed brick walls, polished wood tables and the cute lightbulb fixtures that double up as an art installation :) It's warm and cozy yet it's light and airy with the high ceiling. It was super packed in the restaurant so I couldn't snap a shot of the interior.

Check out Medina's website for a full breakdown of their menu and take a look at their gallery to see how the place looks like.

Café Medina
556 Beatty Street, Vancouver, BC
Price: $$
★★★★✩


Good Eatz!
- V