Meet & Eat: Facelift for an Oldie

I’m back! After a bit of an unplanned hiatus, I’ve come back to my passion of writing about food….well my real passion is eating food, but telling people about food is a close second! Perfect timing for a comeback, the last 2 days have been filled with foodie events that are definitely worth mentioning. Let’s begin with my first ‘Meet & Eat’ at The Baker and The Chef. This Gastown classic used to be the General Store Bakery & Café that had a lovely aged vintage look situated beside The Cambie Hostel and directly across from Revolver. The gentrification of Gastown was an enveloping wave and the owners felt it was time for a facelift in order to keep up with the quickly changing historical area.

The Cordova sandwich....are you hungry?

The visual appeal of The Baker and The Chef is brilliant. In keeping with the old vintage feel, they maintained the red brick walls inside, providing a warm cozy feel; added accent lighting that matched the space and a splash of neon green for colour. Now getting down to the food…the baker and the chef truly have a love affair going on, their food complement each other.  The joint is full of good eats but after sampling many different items such as panini’s, sandwiches, soups, salads and desserts, there are a few that really stood out and I know I will be craving them in the future.

The Baker and The Chef trademark dessert: Carrot cake

The quinoa salad was full of different flavor dimensions and textures. The crunch of the veggies, the robust punch of garlic and fresh cut herbs and the visual appeal from the bright colours made for a refreshing healthy option. One of my favorite aspects of this locale is the names of the sandwiches and panini’s, they’re named after streets of Vancouver. What better way to keep authentic by incorporating your city into your food! If you’re craving something different, grab the Cordova sandwich. It has melt in your mouth capicolla, made in-house zesty pesto, hot sauce, mozzarella and their fresh made multi-grain bread.  Something I haven’t eaten in a very long time is sausage rolls. Why? It’s felt like sausage rolls have become a generic source of food, lacking in flavor, and a temporary hunger stopper until the real meal. NOT HERE! These sausage rolls are jam-packed filled with in house made pork sausage, juicy and meaty with a light filo pastry. I think what would have escalated the flavor would have been a bit of hot mustard, but it’s not a necessity for this traditional classic. Finally, the trademark dessert, the carrot cake. It was ridiculous!!! I’m an icing person, it’s my favorite part of any dessert but it has to be distributed in proportion to the cake and that’s what they’ve done. The icing was made of cream cheese, a bit on the sweeter side rather than tart and the cake was very moist. Beautiful harmony is made from this combination of cake and icing!

Gastronomical Adventurer tasting a sausage roll and champagne.

If you're a traveller staying at The Cambie Hostel or a local wanting to try a new eatery, The Baker and The Chef have your savory and sweet for a very reasonable price. It’s worth trying some local food in one of the original spots in VanCity.

Eggs for Breakfast: Reviving A Classic

Just recently I came across a pretty fantastic food blog called Pinch of Yum. It inspired me to make a classic breakfast dish that I completely forgot about.......Parmesan Baked Eggs! How could I forget such a sumptuous dish?!?! I don't know how it happened but it won't happen again, I promise. It was ironic that I stumbled across this blog as I was looking for another creative egg recipe to do for the weekend. The incredible combination of herbs and runny egg yolk can only be described as a beautiful union. My absolute favorite type of egg is sunny side up as it allows for the ideal duo of the healthy egg white and runny egg yolk. What better way to put a spin on a basic than adding addicting herbs and robust red onion!!!

Pinch of Yum's recipe can be found here:

http://pinchofyum.com/parmesan-baked-eggs

Healthy Parmesan Baked Eggs

I adjusted this recipe to make it healthier by substituting margarine for the butter, almond milk for the cream and egg whites for the second egg. Due to the ingredients in my house (as it was a spontaneous decision to make this dish), I substituted red onion for the shallots (roughly the same amount), used light grated parmesan cheese, used dried thyme and rosemary and added 1 TBSP fresh basil. Lindsay (author of Pinch of Yum) was correct, timing is everything for this dish. I was extremely nervous that I would over cook the eggs with the 7 minute allotment however, they ended up being drastically undercooked, so I cooked them for another 5 minutes and then switched over to the exact same broiler time. I figured it was due to the multiple differences: the oven, ingredients and possibly ramekin size. All of those required me to make a time adjustment.

Gastronomical Adventurer digging into the yolk-y goodness!

 The visual appeal, house filling aroma and drippingly gooey yolk make the Parmesan Baked Eggs a household success! Everyone loved it…including me! I’m my biggest critic. Thank you Pinch of Yum for the inspiration and helping me remember that classic dishes can always be revived.

Hawksworth: Worthy of Your Time And Money

Hope you all had a great long weekend! I totally did. I spent a lot of the weekend indulging in many different types of foods with friends and family. Started off the long weekend a bit early, with some good friends and my husband, we entered the world of Hawksworth Restaurant in the heart of Vancouver at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia. I had heard some amazing reviews in the past little while about the ambiance, setting, service and most importantly the food. From brunch to dinner, this restaurant seemed to do no wrong. I had to find out for myself!  

Hawksworth 48hr beef shortrib

The head chef or the more recently termed phrase Chef de Cuisine is Kristian Eligh has respectfully developed relationship with local community based vendors such as Trout Lake Farmers Market as well as local farmers. Luckily, bringing friends with you to eat out allows you to try their dishes and of course vice versa. There are many dishes so I will get right in to it. My friends ordered the 48hr beef shortrib which sat cozily on a black pepper jam snuggled with honeydew, green papaya, peanut, thai basil. This dish exuded Asian flare from the first bite which was surprising yet delightfully pleasing. It was obvious the beef had been marinated for the 48hrs as it fell apart in my mouth and the flavor of the marinade released its essence from the inside out.

Hawksworth foie gras parfait....yumo!

Foie gras parfait. How happy are those words combined together! It was miraculous, a brilliant dish. The foie gras parfait was surrounded by a green apple jelly, walnuts and foie gras cotton candy!!! Yes I said it, foie gras cotton candy. It was savory, sweet and at the end a tad salty. Unbelievable. Even writing this, my mouth is watering and craving the ingenious garnish. In house mini brioche was served with the parfait as the best companion to this all-star starter.

Hawksworth seasonal dish: Halibut in smoked bacon broth

The men in our group opted for the same food option which left us 3 plates to try, 1 of which was the seasonal option the halibut in a smoked bacon broth. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Yes that’s right…Everything tastes better with bacon! Completely true for this dish. Initially the server brings the plate with the perfectly seared halibut on a bed of kale, arugula and crispy onion and innovatively pours the steaming hot smoked bacon broth in the bowl. Definitely table side service. The fish was moist, flaky, not fishy and in one bite full of robust flavors adhering to a distinct classiness.

Hawksworth sablefish in tom yum broth

The sablefish on a mountain of chanterelle and chayote was served in the same innovative fashion but with a tom yum broth. The uniqueness of this dish was the deep-fried rectangular cubed rice as it was unexpected but not absurd. The sablefish was like butter immediately melting in the mouth once it touched the palate.

You would think we would have been tired of duck but we were quite content on eating the house out of all their duck. The men had yarrow meadows duck breast drizzled in a foie gras vinigrette, patched on soft polenta, red beet and coffee. It is indescribably wonderful. From the fluffy lightness of the polenta to the succulent juiciness of the duck, this dish just knocks it right out of the park.

Hawksworth yarrow meadows duck breast

It was a full restaurant experience in the truest of forms. The service was impeccable as well as impressive; almost a hierarchy of order was set from the kitchen to the table. Comfortable luxury is the setting you walk into but the food is at the center of attention. Every item we tried quickly captivated our sense of smell and dazzled in our mouths. Inspiring sophisticated dining with a twist of realness, Hawksworth is the complete foodie package.  Compliments to the chef!

Pork Gyro Challenge: Will The Challenge Be Accepted?

 While backpacking Europe with my husband, we quickly discovered the international food amongst the countries was donair. Depending on the country, donair was also called gyro or shawarma (these terms will be used interchangeably though I know the spices are different for each). My husband likes to joke around that “it was the only food that consistently provided vegetables”. The most memorable of these was the gyro in Athens, Greece located adjacent from the metro station called Bairaktaris Restaurant in Monastiraki Square. That was the first time we had tried a pork gyro, ever! Much of the time the only options were chicken or beef with the occasional lamb but not once in our 4 months of backpacking (prior to Athens) had we thought of a pork gyro. Turned out to be the best we’ve ever eaten and we had consumed many, many gyros on that trip.

Pork gyros with a side of fries: Bairaktaris Restaurant in Monastiraki Square

The pork gyro had the texture of crispy bacon on the outside intertwined with pulled pork juiciness on the inside. The pork laid in a grilled pita with lettuce, tomato and onion smothered in a ridiculous amount of Greek yogurt but we normally substituted it with tzatziki sauce. Typically fries are also inside the gyro, however, we often eat the fries first before biting into the gyro, we ask for no fries or ask for them on the side. One bite of the pork gyro was absolutely divine! It was quite unique, as the juiciness of the pork mixed with the vegetables and sauce as an inseparable joyful union that can only be described as heavenly. After licking our fingers of all the sauce, we looked into our paper holders that used to house the gyros, looked at each other, looked around, and then slurped back the remaining juice. All I can say, it was a paramount foodie moment.

Gastronomical Adventurer taking a bite out of the souvlaki pork in pita

Coming home to the multitude of donair, shawarma or gyro places, the only place we were looking forward to eating at (at the time) was Falafel King. We wouldn’t recommend Falafel King now, due to their health code violations but back then it was our favorite place to eat at but not even they carried a pork shawarma. It’s been a few years since we’ve been home looking for a pork gyro in Vancouver and only recently have I found it. Takis’ Taverna on Davie Street in Vancouver has pork souvlaki in pita. This lunch time meal gives you a full dinner plate sized portion with rice, roasted potatoes, vegetables, Greek salad and of course the pork souvlaki in pita. Great customer service, accommodating restaurant and superior quality food, I highly recommend this eatery as would many of my co-workers.

Souvlaki pork in pita at Takis' Taverna

I’m well aware that souvlaki pork in pita isn’t exactly the pork gyro but it is the closest I’ve come across thus far, giving me hope that one day soon, someone will begin serving pork gyros comparable to Greece. Here’s to hoping that the future pork gyros will be done the same as the chicken gyros, with slabs of real pork meat alternating one on top of each other on a vertical spit. Rotating slowly, cooking against a vertical rotisserie, shaved when ready and placed into a pita. A challenge to all restaurants and food trucks, if you make this type of pork gyro, I will be a frequent customer along with my husband and I’m sure many others!

Biting Into A Blast From The Past

Out in the city in the typical pouring rain this past weekend, my husband, mother and I were a tad bit hungry. No better place to drive by than Bon’s Off Broadway! We’d heard a lot about Bon’s just recently from an acquaintance and it had made the list for Best Breakfast in the Georgia Straight’s Golden Plates 2012 Awards. Excited to enter this red awning inconspicuous, now infamous eatery, it was clear when we walked in that first impressions are truly everything. Not going to lie, I smiled from ear to ear. It wasn’t a typical Vancouver joint it was clearly a hipster type place. Immediately bombarded with feelings of old school rough dive ambiance, I knew this place was going to be fun.

Gastronomical Adventurer biting into the egg blanketed Monte Cristo

This is a long lasting Vancouver staple, it’s been around since 1996, and if you’re from Vancouver that’s actually quite the duration in a foodie town. Looking around, there were lots of posters of old movies and artists from the past; we were surrounded by Chronicles of Riddick, Dude Where's My Car, Destiny's Child, Catwoman, and the Beatles. Flashy yellow textured walls with patrons’ names chaotically immersed as graffiti by the booths and blue painted movie film randomly dispersed on the walls. Really cool vibe, really chill and laid back.  Though the outside looks like a hole in the wall on the busy Nanaimo Street it has tons of character where no one bothers you. You’re not annoyed with the Jersey Shore wanna-be's, try-hards and show offs as there are all types of people from business men to families and grunge hipster types.

Bon's Off Broadway Clubhouse sandwich with fries

Bon’s claim to fame is the ‘All Day Breakfast for $2.95’. It has an honest menu, so much so that it mentions that they serve canned soup! We weren’t feeling breakfast so we decided to ask for the other signature dishes, they include: fettuccini alfredo, fish n’ chips, turkey dinner, Monte Cristo and much, much more. We opted for the monte cristo and clubhouse sandwiches. Let’s start with the side of fries, they were the old school cut fries that you might see come from a fresh frozen McCain’s bag, however, these were definitely no McCain’s fries! These fries were thick cut with ruffled edges, light crisp outside with hot mash inside. Both sandwiches were cut into fours, much like when I was a child and my mom would do so to all my sandwiches. My mom couldn’t get over how delicious her clubhouse was, to quote her “it brought me back to a moment in time”. The sandwiches were made from homemade thin white bread lightly toasted and it maintained the fluffiness on the inside, filled with real meat. What do I mean? I mean it was roasted turkey made in house, juicy and moist, the bacon in the clubhouse was full flavored good old fashioned crispy bacon and the mayo didn’t taste like any mayo from a bottle I’ve ever had.

Bon's Off Broadway Monte Cristo with fries

The Monte Cristo was dipped in egg giving a French toast twist and wrapping the entire sandwich in an egg blanket. The filling was house made ham, not processed honey ham, but house made!!! I’ve not had a real piece of ham in a sandwich at a restaurant in a very long time. Combined with the ham, were the juicy moist turkey and 2 slices of Kraft cheese singles. What an oxymoron, homemade bread, ham and turkey with processed cheese! But it is truly symbolic of the past, when women used to be more in the kitchen and less in the workforce a generational difference and a blast from the past. The entire meal was scrumptious and we can’t wait to go back for the signature breakfast, but most important, Bon’s provides affordable meals, with generational experiences and great food!

Ethnic Flare Transformed Leftovers

Brunch is my most favorite meal to have on the weekend. Whether I go out to eat or I am making brunch at home, it’s an opportunity to start the day off right! Last night, my mom made a shepherd’s pie but she said she was inspired to do something different. Instead of mash potatoes on top of the ground beef mixture (including peas, carrots, onions and corn), she used Betty Crocker’s scalloped potatoes on top and covered it in Kraft shredded cheese. It’s not traditional but it saves on time, it provides another take on a classic British/Irish dish and it was definitely delicious. So why am I telling you this if I’m talking about brunch? Well, I too found inspiration for a classic brunch dish, breakfast hash.

Gastronomical Adventurer Mexican Shepherd's Pie Hash

With the leftover shepherd’s pie, I made a breakfast hash with an ultra-spin and minimal ingredients. I broke up the shepherd’s pie so that the meat and potatoes were intertwined; added orange peppers and chipotle chilies in adobo sauce to the shepherd’s pie mix and sautéed them together. Fried an egg in a separate pan and plated everything with tomatoes, salsa and sour cream as garnish.

The shepherd’s pie had all the basics that I was able to build on and revamp into a unique spin converging ethnic flares. With the chipotle chilies, orange pepper, tomatoes, salsa and sour cream, this shepherd’s pie transformed into a loosely translated Mexican hash. The time to make this dish was less than 15 minutes, it was filling, rustic and hearty.  Like many of you, I have lots of things to do in a day, so spending little time towards making a good meal is vital. Most important, inspiration can come from anywhere, allowing that inspiration to make it to the kitchen can create superb dishes that make your family and yourself happy. Go ahead, get inspired!

Harmonious Chicken Taco Salad

Yesterday was just one of those really busy days, so much so I barely had time to make dinner and clearly unable to post a blog. But that doesn’t mean I forgot about it, it just means I’ve been simmering on a topic and waiting for time to open up to write it.


With life being so go-go-go, it’s quite hard to find time to cook in the kitchen. Between a full-time job, commuting, working out, hanging out with friends, visiting with family, spending quality and quantity time with my husband and writing my little piece of pleasure, this blog, cooking takes last place on the list. Why is that? Food is an essential part of the day, why is it that most young people with busy schedules do not cook for themselves on a regular basis. Possible reasons include but are not limited to: easier to eat out, social experience, time consuming, sandwiches get really boring quickly and I just don’t cook!

Harmonious chicken taco salad

Well here’s a little meal I pulled together in less than 20 minutes with very little cooking involved. Are you interested? My husband and I often buy the BBQ chicken at the grocery store; quite simply, it is easily makes 6 meals, that means 3 meals per person. The dollar goes a long way which is very important during these budget conscious times. It’s a twist on a chicken taco salad, low carb, full of protein, veggies and flavor. Again, a healthy meal that isn’t boring….very important!

I’m all about preparation; it makes your life easier and for faster cleanup. As Tim Duncan says “it’s all about the fundamentals” or was that Shaq making fun of Tim Duncan, I never remember. Normally, we consume about 1/3 of the chicken prior to me making a dish like this, so the remaining chicken (both dark and white meat) was shredded and put into a bowl. At this point, I prepared all the veggies I wanted to include, starting with the red onion. I diced the red onion up into small pieces and soaked them in lemon juice and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Why you might ask? It cuts the sharpness of the onion, displaces the water, allowing for the balsamic vinegar to be absorbed into the onion instead. I let that sit while I prepped the rest of the veggies; lettuce shredded into bite size pieces (whatever was in the house at the time), roma tomatoes (chopped), black olives (sliced) and finely chopped garlic. My cilantro-garlic-sour cream was next, which was used as the dressing. I placed the finely chopped garlic, a handful of cilantro and 2 dollops of light sour cream in my Magic Bullet and blended them together until a smooth texture was formed. After it was blended, I put the dressing in the fridge to solidify slightly.

Signature cilantro-garlic-sour cream dressing on chicken taco salad

As for the chicken, it was lightly sautéed in a frying pan, sprayed with PAM. Once the chicken had a chance to heat up, I sprinkled a few herbs and spices. The spices used this time were: basil, parsley, oregano, chili pepper, cumin and thyme.  I don’t normally measure out how much spice I put in, I go by taste. Around 2-3 minutes passed, the chicken was ready and it was time to compose the myriad of ingredients. I drained the red onions using a strainer and devised a make-shift pipette bag to dress the salad with the cilantro-garlic-sour cream.  The bowl was piled with lettuce, then chicken, Tex-Mex shredded cheese, red onions, olives, tomatoes and garnished with salsa and nachos. This quick, low calorie, healthy creation was artfully constructed, infused with a series of lively elements allowing for a memorable harmony with food.