Foodie Trip #4: Big River Brew Pub and 007 date

Ronald suggested we should watch a movie on Sunday! We decided on Cloud Atlas but we couldn't make it to the showings. So we settled with Skyfall!

After reading GoodEat Janice's post about Big River, I suggested to give that a try! The pub was quite packed when we arrived. Ronald and I each decided on what we wanted to get and ordered right away. However, we did NOT expect the food to take 40 minutes to arrive. Yes, 40 minutes! The hostess was very apologetic about the situation. She explained that everyone wants to grab a bite before the movie, which was understandable.

Pesto Chicken Penne
Chicken, sweet bell peppers & onions in a creamy basil pesto sauce with parmesan and penne. Served with signature beer bun

Ronald got the penne! The bun on the side is actually a beer bun. The bun was soft and chewy with a strong malt or barley taste. Need to look up recipes on how to make this! Aside from the bun, the penne was average. It could have been served a bit more hot.

BBQ 1/2 Chicken
Half roast chicken smothered in adobo bbq sauce. Served with garlic mashed potatoes & fresh sauteed vegetables

My turn :D I had a chicken craving (again). Scanned the whole menu and settled for this! I was going to get what Janice recommended, but could not recall what she had suggested. The chicken was DELICIOUS! The meat was tender and juicy. The barbecue sauce was rich and definitely brought out the chicken flavour. It would have been nice if there was more sauce for the mashed potatoes as that was a bit dry.
                               

Blonde Ale

Since Big River is a brewery, I wanted to try their beer! I picked the one which seemed like everyone else was getting :P I thought the beer was decent! Definitely better than some of the ones that I have tried.

I would like to visit Big River again, only if I don't have to wait 40 minutes for my food! :(

Big River Brew Pub

180-14200 Entertainment Blvd.

Richmond, BC V6W 1K5

Steveston Village: Outpost Mini Donuts Co.

Yeeeeeeeee! Donuts :)
I have ALWAYS wanted to try this place! Actually, ever since Ronald and I walked passed by the store...:P
The window display of the shop looked really cute and dainty the last time we walked by!

Christmas theme window display

I didn't take a picture of the interior. The store is not too big! When you enter, you can see their open kitchen. On the left there is a fireplace with a sofa. So cozy :)

Assorted mini donuts - some Christmas specials                     

Frying area

My favourites were caramel apple (new, I believe!), cinnamon sugar and homemade maple! You may think this is like Timbits, but NO! Timbits is just coats and coats of sugar.  The flavours are all unique! My sister really liked the wild blackberry!

I highly recommend this cozy donut store! The ladies working there were very nice! Next time, I will definitely stay and enjoy my donuts in the store :)

UBC: The Moon

Update for October - I did not go to any of the places on my list. :( Maybe after final exams...

This was actually my lunch couple weeks ago! I haven't had time to write up a blog post. But here it is!

I got this meal combo at The Moon in UBC SUB's basement. I remember when I was in first year, this meal combo (combo A) was only $3.75. Now it costs $5!

Combo A consists of choice of fried rice/fried noodles and a choice of sides. For sides, they usually have stir-fry veggies, fried chicken wings, sweet and sour pork and something else :P. I go for the chicken wings every time!

The chickens are very crispy. But some times, I don't think the chicken tastes too fresh...and the fried batter masks that taste. So I don't eat this very often! Also, I prefer the fried rice over the noodles as the noodles tend to be kind too dry in my opinion.

This is lunch box fills me up every time! Definitely worth the price (since everything else in the SUB is so expensive...)

Check them out if you are craving for Chinese food :)

http://www.ams.ubc.ca/businesses/the-moon/

Foodie Trip #3: Ebi Ten

Chicken craving = SATISFIED!

After reading The Food Queen's blog post about That Barista Thing, I was really excited about it! Knowing Ronald has an interest in latte art, I asked if he wanted to go. Since the event was taking in Vancouver Public Library, I suggested to give Ebi Ten a visit as it has been a while since we went.

Ebi Ten is a Japanese fast food restaurant. The way the restaurant works reminds me of a cafeteria. So first you would pay for your meal. Then you get your receipt with a number on it. When your order is ready, they will call your number!

Menu

Layout of store

I finally remembered to take a picture of the store! As you can tell, there are not much seats available. If you are going with a friend, I suggest you to take turns to purchase your meals.

Sushi and snacks fridge

A) Ebi Ten Bowl ($8.25)

This Ebi Ten bowl was definitely catered to my preference *drools*. I was having a chicken craving (as always), but I also really like tempura shrimps! The amount of batter for the tempura was perfect; they were definitely not drenched in batter before frying. I quite enjoyed the teriyaki sauce. It was not too sweet like some teriyaki sauce I have tried; it was just enough to bring out a savoury taste.

Salmon Sushi Rolls

Ronald's salmon sushi rolls! They were probably made in the morning. So, it didn't taste really fresh.

8) Buta-Mayo
Gingered stir-fried pork on rice with cabbage and mayo

Ronald's again! At first, I thought it was just pork with cabbage because I didn't see the rice. Ronald thought it was just "okay". He said he expected "chunks of meat instead of slices". So this didn't really fill him up.

I wouldn't recommend getting their sushi. But, try the Ebi Ten Bowl!! It was delicious :) 

Ebi Ten is great if you are in a hurry but still want to grab a decent lunch!

Ebi Ten

388 Robson Street 

Vancouver, BC V6B 2B2

Microwaveable meal: Salisbury Steak Meal

After I got off work today, I was hoping to go home and eat some leftovers from today or yesterday's dinner. But, no luck. My parents went out to eat so there wasn't anything to eat at home...except this.

I always try to stay away from microwaveable foods. Well, I did learn the process of how frozen foods are produced, but it is still considered "fast food". 

Banquet - Salisbury Steak Meal

Nutrition Content

Of course, being a nutrition student, I always look at the Nutrition Facts Table! First off, this meal is only 230 Calories. Daily diet for women should be around 2000 Calories/kcal. This being said, I think this meal will only be considered a "snack" or part of a meal. Next thing that caught my attention is the sodium level. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for sodium is ~2000 mg. This meal itself is already 930 mg. And this is the reason why a lot of Canadians and Americans are consuming much higher levels of sodium than recommended. With high levels of sodium in our diet, this will lead to an increased risk of various health concerns such as high blood pressure, kidney disease and stroke.

Another thing that was interesting to point out, was folic acid. From my understanding, folate is the natural form and folic acid is the synthetic form. Does this suggest that external sources of folic acid was added?

Final product after microwaving for 5 minutes

On to the taste of the meal! Well, the steak obviously did not really taste like steak. It tasted plastic-y. The sauce was savoury! The high sodium content can probably be traced back to the sauce. The corn was on the dry side. I had to put add some sauce to mix it up. I guess the best part was the mashed potatoes! It is kind of difficult to mess up mashed potatoes :P

I believe my parents got this at WalMart in the states for around $1.25 USD.

Ikea Restaurant: Swedish Meatballs

First time I ever had Ikea food was when I went to Portland with my family a year or two ago! Of course, the prices were cheaper and portions were bigger.

I have been to the old Ikea probably gazillion times, but have not tried their food. But I suspect all Ikea foods should taste the same. My sister, Kimmie, had a sudden craving for Ikea food (meatballs, to be specific), so we decided to go after I got off work!

Menu

The set up of the "restaurant" is pretty much like a cafeteria. You grab a tray, pass it along the tray line and just take what you want to eat!

Garlic Bread

(Left to Right) Meatballs, Salmon, Ribs

(Left to Right) Haddock, Fries

Swedish meatballs with gravy, lingonberry jam, and fries (top)
Swedish meatballs with gravy, lignonberry jam, and mashed potatoes (bottom)

So we both ended up getting 15 meatballs ($3.99 for Mondays-Fridays; $5.99 for Saturday&Sunday). You get to pick your own choice of sides (fries, mashed potatoes, pasta with tomato sauce, vegetables or salad). I decided to go with the mashed potatoes while Kimmie got the fries. 

The texture of the meatballs was soft and meaty. Don't expect it to be like Chinese fish/beef balls! I wasn't particularly fond of the lingonberry jam. I thought it was an odd complement to the savoury meatballs and gravy. I really enjoyed the mashed potatoes though! The texture is very creamy and smooth; just how I like my mashed potatoes. I took a couple of Kimmie's fries and thought they were just alright (nothing special).

For $3.99, I really couldn't ask for more! I think after Kimmie and I finished up, we didn't eat dinner but instead had a snack later at night.

My mouth is watering as I reminisce on this lovely meal :P Ikea date anyone?

Toshi Teppanyaki @ YVR

This, my friends, is one of my many comfort foods!

I usually get this delicious looking chicken steak yakisoba during my dinner break at the airport! It is sort of a "treat" for myself for working hard (not really...it really is just an excuse for me to satisfy my never-ending chicken craving).

This costs $8.95, which is quite a bit for food court standards. But, airport food is always expensive!
The chicken has a crisp outer layer, which I love. But the noodles on the other hand, I don't like as much. Sometimes I find it too soggy. I figured it was probably due to the fact that I go around 7 p.m. and their store closes at 8 p.m. so the noodles have been sitting around for a day (?). Once, I went earlier, at around 6 p.m. and it was better! The sauce for me is a hit or miss thing. At times it may be a bit on the salty side.

Chicken Steak Yakisoba

Overall, I think it is not bad for food court standards. But, it is a bit on the pricey side! I can't help it...I love chicken a lot!

Location: Domestic Departures Food Court (Level 3) at YVR