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

Twisted Fork Bistro || Eatz

Brunch Time!

I am a huge fan of brunch; it has to be my favourite type of meal to eat. I love that it has all the breakfast components but it (a) comes with some lunchy options (b) slightly bigger portion. Mmmmm! Today, we are headed to a tiny bistro down Granville Street in DT Vancouver. When I say tiny, I'm not lying; my friend, Louise, and I, were chatting while heading down there and totally missed the the restaurant! But after a quick google map search and we were back on track.

This was my second visit to Twisted Fork and it hasn't changed a bit. The atmosphere is homey and warm and the smell in the restaurant just made my mouth water. It is a small restaurant; there's around 6 tables/booths, a bar top, and some window seats. We arrived at the restaurant just past 11:30 on a Wednesday so it wasn't busy at all. Now if you are wanting to come on a weekend, expect to line up for your meal. But as you wait, you might as well do some window shopping along Granville. Alright, now comes the fun stuff...the food!

Their menus is quite simplistic but still gives you a good amount of options. They've got classic breakfasts like scramble eggs, french toast, frittatas and eggs benedict. For brunch, all their meals are at a set price of $13.50. You might think it's a bit pricey at first but wait until you see the food. Louise and I took forever to decide on what to eat but we decided on the following: Gruyere Baked Eggs and Sausage and Poached Eggs.

First up for judgement is my meal...Spicy Italian Sausage and Poached Eggs served with Chipotle Ratatouille, Fresh Fruit, Sourdough Toast and House Made Jam (today's was raspberry). When it first came to the table my first thought was how I was possibly going to finish it; it was huge! Loved the simplistic presentation of the plate and it just made me want to dive in :) First thing I check were the eggs; poached eggs are not the easiest things the make and I've been to places where they've done it wrong. I wish I took a picture of the eggs -- the yolk was so yellow and it just waterfalled down my ratatouille. I was super excited to try their homemade bread and it was to die for! Came out lightly toasted and slathered in butter; it had a really good chew and it just soaked in all the butter. Now you can't have toast without the jam can you? Made in-house, their raspberry jam wasn't too sweet and all I could taste was the delicious red berries - brings so much joy to my tummy. Now this is what through me off -- the italian sausage and chipotle ratatouille. On the menu, it said it would be spicy so I was expecting some spice. The sausage was good; came out piping hot and had some meatiness to it but no spice. Like I could taste some herbs but it was definitely not spicy. And same goes for their ratatouille; love my vegetable and I was hoping for some well seasoned veggies. Unfortunately, it was kind of a let down; it was cooked down nicely and the texture was all there but no chipotle or, in general, the spice. Overall it was a good dish and it was tasty; I actually was able to conquer the plate sans the pineapples (I'm allergic to them).

Louise ordered their Well Done Gruyere Baked Eggs with Sourdough Toast, Bacon, Tomato, Rosti and Baked Beans. I didn't actually taste the food so I can't critque that aspect but I will give you guys just a quick tour of the dish. When it first came to the table, it definitely looked imtimidating; just like mine, it was a fairly large portion. it reminded me a lot of a typical english breakfast with the baked beans and tomatoes. When Louise cracked into her baked eggs, it was piping hot and you could just smell the gruyere cheese. She did say it was a little salty but that's probably because of the gruyere cheese. I was about to order the baked eggs but when I read that it was going to be well-done, I back down since I am not a huge fan of well done eggs. Everything else looked really good; roasted tomatoes, toasted sourdough, crispy rosti (glorified hashbrowns), and crispy bacon. Definitely a more hearty meal for brunch.

If you are one for brunches and want to venture down to DT Vancouver, I definitely recommend Twisted Fork. One of my favourite dishes from here is their stuffed french toast. Don't forget to walk off the food and stroll down Granville St. for some window shopping:)

Sorry for the quality of the pictures; I used my phone and it was quiet dark in the restaurant. Alright guys, until next time!

Twisted Fork Bistro

1147 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC
Price: $$

★★★✩✩

http://twistedforkbistro.ca/


Good Eatz Everybody!
- 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

Kimbap Cheonguk || Eatz

This is my first official eatz!

A good friend first brought me here for lunch and my first impression was questionable. Super small, hole-in-the-wall type of shop. I forgot to take a picture of the place but believe me it's definitely not your typical Michelin 3 star restaurant. But don't be fooled! 

I’ve been back a few times since, and this time I was brave enough to take multiple pictures of the food that my sister and I ate. I used my andriod this time but I might just bring my huge camera to the next eatz. There isn't a lot on the menu: the kimbabs, the rice, the soup noodles -- very normal korean fast eats. Took us a while but, my sister and I ordered some tasty noms!

First thing you'll notice is that they will give you a big plastic bottle of water. That is for drinking (of course). Then they will give you a teapot. Now you're thinking tea right? Wrong. Inside this amazing kettle is some really delicious broth. Yes, it's soup in a teapot! Just use the self-serve teacups that are beside you and pour yourself a cup of the goodness. The broth is super clear and very tasty. Unfortunately, I think they only serve this when the weather is cold.

Kimbab Cheonguk is well known for their kimbab. What is a Kimbab you say? Well ya’ll probably heard of sushi yes? Well you can call this the ‘korean sushi roll’. It’s still the rice and the seaweed but it’s a lot less complicated when it comes down to filling. The rolls all consists of some kind of vegetable (in this case carrots), yellow pickled radish, and burdock root. Once it’s all wrapped up, a good brush of sesame oil (for taste and the sheen) is brushed on. What makes them different is the last remaining filling. They have bulgogi (Korean marinated beef), kimchi (Korean fermented cabbage), tuna (canned) and, my favourite, cheese.

Yes cheese. And it’s not just any kind of cheese. They only use one type of cheese: processed cheese! You may think it’s weird but once you taste it, it’s the only kind of kimbab you will want to eat. Just imagine the crunchy veggies, the creamy cheese, the soft rice, and the chewy seaweed. Super tasty!

Next thing on the list is the Mul Naeng Myeon. This is a perfect dish for the summer time. The main component is the noodles. But this isn't just any kind of noodles -- buckwheat noodles. Super thin noodles but got a really good bite to it; you definitely need a good chew on these things. You are wondering why is said this is a summer dish right? The noodles are first boiled; then it is put into a bowl of broth with ice! With the noodles, it came with some thinly sliced beef,  sliced korean pear (we thought it was pickle radish), cucumbers and (the best part) boiled egg. Now before you eat it, ask them to cut it for you because, like I said, it's super chewy. Right beside you, you will find a clear bottle and a yellow one as well. Those contain the most important things: vinegar and mustard. Add those in and mix it up! You should get a sweet and sour taste and the famous sesame oil scent! The only thing that bummed me out was my egg. Sadly, my egg was over cooked and had the ugly gray rim around the yolk.

Last thing we order was an order of Soon Dae. On the menu, it kind of looks like a blood sausage. But this is (almost) vegetarian. Traditionally, it's made with a pig's intestine and is stuffed with pig's blood, rice, potato starch noodles. And that is exactly what we got! Now don't be grossed about it. Authentic sausages used intestines as the casing so this shouldn't be a problem. Because it's all rice and noodles, it doesn't have much of a flavour. The Soon Dae is served with some coarse salt and all you need to do is dip it in and eat! This is definitely an all starch dish so don't be fooled at how small it looks like.

We ordered two more kimbabs to-go and the total came up to just under $30. This is for two people plus take out! That is a steal! The last thing I will say is that this restaurant is authentic. Don't let the processed cheese and canned tuna fool you. It is run by Koreans and this type of restaurant would be considered their "traditional fast food". The restaurant is located in 'Koreatown' and boat loads of korean people come to this joint for a quick bite. 

Kimbap Cheonguk 

3A-341 North Road, Coquitlam, BC

Price: $

★★★✩✩

If you live around the Burnaby/Coquitlam are, check this place out!

Good Eatz Everyone!

- V