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Wara Thai

April 4, 2020 Leave a Comment

Disclaimer: In light of COVID-19, I just wanted to say that I am doing my part and social distancing. This is a review based on contact-less delivery.

I know that you may want to go out and have fun, but it is crucial that we distance ourselves to slow the spread of the virus and flatten the curve before it gets worse. Yes, you may feel fine but you could be passing on the virus to someone who is immunocompromised or elderly that may not survive this virus.

Wara Thai is a Thai restaurant that quietly opened in Chinatown a year ago. I remember coming across the restaurant online last year while looking up food options in the area, but haven’t heard anything about it on social media or food blogs so I kind of forgot about it. While looking on Uber Eats, we decided to try Wara Thai because they were offering a $3.00 off coupon.

Compared to other Uber Eats places we tried, it took a really long time for our food to come. It took over a hour, almost close to 1.5 hours! Needless to say, we were hangry! I am not sure if this was due to Uber Eats or perhaps Wara Thai was just slow at preparing their food, but I try to be as informative in my reviews as possible.

Green curry w/ chicken: Out of all the Thai curries, the fiance and I love green curry the most. Naturally, we had to give this a try and compare it to other Thai restaurants!

Our first impression of the green curry was that it was very watery… like soup! We were confused and worried that it would be disappointing (especially after almost 1.5 hours wait) but thankfully the curry turned out to be delicious.

We ordered a medium spice level which was perfect for us! There was a spicy kick and the curry was very fragrant and flavourful. I am used to Thai curries being more creamy and rich, but this was still very delicious.

The tub was quite big so we had enough curry to eat the next day after cooking more rice. Speaking of rice, we also ordered a small coconut rice which was creamy with a rich, delicious coconut flavour!

Spicy basil fried rice: This was one of the specials that the fiance picked. This was absolutely delicious as well! There was a lot of ‘wok hei’ or grilled wok flavour, which is an absolute necessary in perfecting fried rice.

The chili was also pre-roasted which elevated the ‘wok hei’ taste even more. There was a generous portion of seasoned pork. The basil leaves added more excitement and texture to the fried rice. It also came with some freshly sliced cucumbers to help balance out the spiciness.

Another thing I appreciated about Wara Thai was that they catered to dietary restrictions. Their menu informed you whether or not it was dairy free, gluten free, or could be made vegan. As someone with dietary restrictions and chronic digestive problems, I really appreciate the small details and care that a restaurant puts into the menu to inform customers like myself.

We really enjoyed our meal from Wara Thai and would order again without a doubt! I would also love to visit the restaurant for a meal when this social distancing fiasco is over.

There aren’t too many Thai places in Vancouver to pick from (compared to other Asian cuisines such as Japanese, Vietnamese, or Chinese) so Wara Thai is a nice addition to Vancouver’s Thai food scene!

Sushi California – Cambie St

March 29, 2020 Leave a Comment

Disclaimer: In light of COVID-19, I just wanted to say that I am doing my part and have been social distancing. Luckily, I have some drafts saved up before this whole craziness began so please don’t attack me for posting restaurant visits.

Before this craziness began, Sangria’s Riskay Girls found ourselves at Sushi California after a morning of bridal shower and bachlorette planning for Sangria’s wedding! Unfortunately, everything is now being put on hold until the madness is over. Side note, my thoughts are with all the brides getting married this summer, it really sucks.

I actually haven’t been to this Sushi California location until now. I found this location to be less busy than the original Lougheed location. Parking may be a bit hard to find since this is such a busy area, but it is a minute away from Broadway/City Hall station.

Salmon sashimi: The salmon sashimi was delicious and satisfied my sashimi cravings. The sashimi was very fresh and the pieces were very large too!

Dynamite roll: The dynamite roll was alright. Nothing too special about it. I found it underwhelming compared to the other dishes we ordered.

Crunch house roll: The crunch house roll was delicious! It was a deep fried roll with crab meat, avocado, tuna and salmon sashimi. The teriyaki sauce was a pleasant, sweet addition to the roll.

Although the roll was deep fried, it didn’t feel too heavy or greasy to me, and had a light crunch.

Beef yakiudon: The yakiudon was delicious, with a creamy, mouthwatering sauce. I thought I tasted a bit of butter in the sauce but not too sure.

The only disappointing thing about this dish was that it was quite small so I didn’t find it worth the price. The photo is deceiving because it makes it look bigger than it was.

Okonomiyaki: Last but not least, the okonomiyaki! The okonomiyaki was delicious and very filling.

Overall, I enjoyed this location of Sushi California. Reliable, straightforward sushi at reasonable prices.

Manpuku Bento

March 24, 2020 Leave a Comment

Disclaimer: In light of COVID-19, I just wanted to say that I am doing my part and social distancing. This is a review based on contact-less delivery.

During this whole COVID-19 madness, the fiance and I have been mostly cooking ourselves. However, I browsing on Uber Eats and saw that they were currently offering no delivery fee for local restaurants!

We came across Manpuku Bento and it looked very delicious, so we placed an order to support our local business owners during this crazy time.

Manpuku Bento is located in Chinatown, and opened last summer. They are a small, Japanese quick serve style restaurant similar to Ebi-Ten. Manpuku Bento does not serve sushi, but rather cooked meals like rice dishes and curry. These types of quick serve places are very popular in Japan and are often very cheap there!

Miso soup: Both our orders came with miso soup. Taste wise, it was pretty standard. What set their miso soup apart for us was that they included a lot of ingredients in it. The soup contained some sliced red peppers, bamboo shoots, and onions.

Karaage bento: The karaage bento came with 3 large pieces of chicken karaage and rice. Since we ordered delivery, the chicken was not as crispy anymore but it was still delicious. The chicken meat was juicy and bursting with marinated flavour.

Katsu don: Again, since we ordered delivery, the pork katsu was soggy by the time it arrived. But nothing an air fryer can’t fix! Pop it in there for a few minutes and it is just as fresh, crispy and juicy.

The katsu don came with a bit more things such as caramelized onion, egg, and their house donburi sauce. The donburi sauce was delicious and the egg was slightly runny, which mixed perfectly with the rice.

Personally, I liked the chicken karaage more because the chicken pieces were so juicy and big, but I liked the donburi sauce and egg in the katsu don. So, if I could somehow order a chicken karaage don that would be perfect!

I’m really glad we discovered Manpuku Bento and I could see us ordering here again. It’s not the healthiest but once in awhile, you just need that delicious piece of fried chicken for your soul…. especially in unprecedented times like these!

Do Chay

March 21, 2020 Leave a Comment

Disclaimer: In light of COVID-19, I just wanted to say that I am doing my part and social distancing. Luckily, I have some drafts saved up before this whole craziness began so please don’t attack me for posting restaurant visits before this began.

Do Chay is a vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant that has been on my radar ever since it opened last summer. While looking for a place to have dinner with Avocado before this whole COVID-19 fiasco, I suggested this place because she is my buddy for trying vegetarian/vegan restaurants with!

Do Chay is the sister restaurant of House Special in Yaletown. I remember reading that the owners of Do Chay had another Vietnamese restaurant in Vancouver, but didn’t realize it was House Special. Tbh, if I knew it was House Special, I would have been less inclined to visit because House Special was disappointing.

Anyways, Avocado and I totally underestimated the atmosphere in here. We both thought, for some reason, that it would be a low-key, casual family-owned style restaurant. When we walked in, it was quite bougie and hipster. But after I found out that they were the same owners as House Special, it made more sense.

Ginger lemonade soda: I wasn’t going to order this, but it looked really good when I saw the bartender make it for another table. The selling point to me was how I saw her freshly squeezing lemons into the drink. The drink was really good if you like ginger-y things like I do!

Black truffle tofu: I was sold when I saw this on the menu as I am a huge fan of truffle! However, we both found this dish pretty disappointing and our least favourite of the evening.

We were under the impression that it would contain truffle oil to give it that wonderful truffle aroma, but it didn’t. The tofu was just your ordinary deep fried tofu with soya sauce, and not worth $8.

I would skip this because the other dishes were a lot better, as you’ll find out.

Coconut rice cakes: The coconut rice cakes were unlike anything I’ve had before. They were made with coconut milk and lightly pan fried. Usually rice cakes are chewy and dense, however the coconut rice cakes were slightly crispy on the inside, and creamy in the middle with a fragrant coconut taste.

To elevate the dish even more, the coconut rice cakes came with an ‘ish sauce’ which is a vegan fish sauce. The ‘ish sauce went perfectly with the coconut rice cakes and I found myself savouring every bite of this.

These are a must try because I’m not sure where else you could get these!

Satay noodles: The noodles came with a spicy peanut and sesame satay broth. Since the dish is called ‘satay noodles’, it could be interpreted as a stir fry but that was not the case.

It was very saucy, warming, and filling. The noodles soaked up the delicious broth.

Curry bowl: The rice curry bowl was warming and delicious as well. There was a very mild spice to it and was quite creamy. I loved the addition of the deep fried curly yam strings on the top! It gave the curry more excitement and some fun texture.

Overall, we left very satisfied with Do Chay with the exception of one dish. The food here is made with quality and care, and you can really taste it. Compare to Chau Veggie Express which is another vegan/vegetarian Vietnamese place nearby, Avocado and I both liked Do Chay more as we found the dishes more innovative and had richer, deeper flavour.

Do Chay is on the pricier side so I don’t see myself coming regularly, but it’s a great spot for something different and/or if you’re a vegetarian or vegan. Definitely don’t miss out on the coconut rice cakes!

Ricky’s Cafe

March 18, 2020 Leave a Comment

Disclaimer: In light of COVID-19, I just wanted to say that I am doing my part as a responsible person and social distancing. Luckily, I have some drafts saved up before this whole craziness began so please don’t attack me for posting.

I have not gone out to a restaurant/done non-essential activities outside, since public health officials have urged social distancing. I am taking COVID-19/coronavirus very seriously as should you.

Back in January, some of my coworkers and I found ourselves at Ricky’s at Brentwood SOLO. Many years have passed since I’ve been to Ricky’s. If we are talking about chain breakfast diners, I much prefer IHOP but Ricky’s was more convenient for us.

This Ricky’s location was relatively new, and clean. I remember the Ricky’s I went to a long time ago was quite dark, dingy and in need of a face lift but was relieved to see this was not the case.

I actually found out through writing this post that there are three restaurant’s owned by The Ricky’s Group: Ricky’s All Day Grill, Ricky’s Country Restaurant, Ricky’s Cafe.

Strawberry lemonade: The strawberry lemonade was delicious. You were allowed to get one extra refill. I like my lemonade quite sweet, so this hit the spot perfectly.

The Works Omelette: After being very indecisive, I picked The Works omelette which came with ham, mushroom, cheese, peppers, and onions. The omelette was ginormous and very filling.

Taste wise, it was meh… nothing special. I appreciated that it was stuffed full with ingredients though.The pancakes were a bit bland but was quickly saved by syrup.

Chicken and avocado omelette: My coworker went with an omelette as well, but the chicken and avocado one. Instead of pancakes, he went with toast and stuffed hashbrowns. The hashbrowns was stuffed with sour cream, cheese, and bacon. Very hearty and filling!

Mediterranean omelette: Seems like omelettes were quite popular that morning! My other coworker ordered the Mediterranean omelette, which came with feta cheese, spinach, and tomato.

Overall, I found Ricky’s to be meh. Definitely not a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd choice… if we are talking chain breakfast restaurants, I would pick IHOP, DeDutch, White Spot before Ricky’s.