Freybe Brat Haus inside the Vancouver Christmas Market

Bratwurst! Sausage! How can you go wrong? Answer: you can't. Personally, I love the sauerkrat!

Das Brat: THE Brat is seasoned with marjoram and caraway and served on an artisan bun with warm sauerkrat.

Das Gulasch Haus inside the Vancouver Christmas Market

We really weren't planning on ordering here, but it's chilly, and the person selling was really trying hard, so we end up enjoying a tender beef in a bread bowl gulasch.

Tender beef stew inside a bowl of bread

Das Gulasch House

On their menu, they have a short description, which I will quote below.

Gulasch is a delicious warming stew found primarily in Austria and Hungary, where it had its origin as shepherds dish in the 9th century. In the 19th century Vienna, the center of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a special type of Gulasch developed with more meat and fine Hungarian paprika."

Das Karoffel Haus inside the Vancouver Christmas Market

Kartoffelpuffer is basically German potato pancakes. Based on the description, it's like hashbrown or potato patties (depending on how you call it) but in a circular shape.

Kartoffelpuffer served with apple sauce and sour cream.

Kartoffelpuffer

I'll transcribe below what's in the signboard included in the second picture.

"A quintessential German treat beloved across every region of Germany, Kartoffelpuffer are not only a favorite dish to serve at home but are also a popular street food found at local events like the Christmas market.

Kartoffelpuffer are made from potatoes that are grated raw and grated finely. The shredded potatoes, finely grated onion and salt are then fried to light golden. The end result is a crispy exterior and soft interior.

Kartoffelpuffer can be served sweet or savory. Most commonly, they're served with applesauce, sugar, and sour cream. Sometimes they are served with salmon and/or brie as a part of a meal.

In a word, they're simply DELICIOUS!"

Mr. Pretzels inside the Vancouver Christmas Market

This is the best pretzels I have tried EVER! Where can I get these all year round?

Salted Pretzels

They have a Fun Fact poster that you can read while waiting in line. It says, "The first pretzels were baked as a soft squshy bread, like the soft pretzels of today. Pretzels may have been originall called bracellae, the Latin term for little arms, which later turned into the German bretzel. Pretzels were used in some cultures' wedding ceremonies, which may be where the term tying the knot originates from. Despite the ancient origins of the pretzel, the Mr. Pretzels you are about to consume was probably baked less than 15 minutes ago."

Staying Dry in Starbucks

Today, hubby and I decided to go to the Vancouver Christmas Market. Unfortunately, it started raining. We decided to hang out at the Starbucks across the street to wait for the rain to pass.

Bagel and Salted Caramel Mocha

Lunch at Peaceful Restaurant

We first heard of Peaceful Restaurant at Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. It's one of the places Guy Fieri visited in Vancouver, so we tried it once, and we keep coming back.

For today's lunch, hubby and I ate with my mom. Peaceful is known for their hand-pulled noodles, so we ordered all noodle dishes. For us, we ordered our usual (when it's available) food.

We ordered the same dishes from Lin's Chinese Restaurant and Fortune Garden Restaurant. We got Xiao Long Bao (at Fortune, we got the dumpling they have available), Dan-Dan Noodles, and Shanghai Stir-fried Noodles.

Xiao-Long Bao Steamed Buns
Filled with minced pork, ginger and a savoury a sauce

Shanghai Stir-fried Noodles
Shredded pork, cabbage & light soy sauce

Dan-Dan Noodles
Spicy, tangy peanut sauce, minced pork & spinach

We also ordered something we love only from Peaceful Restaurant: Beef Rolls!

Peaceful Beef Rolls
Five-spiced beef rolled in a crispy green onion flat-bread & sweet hoisin sauce

I'm so glad we now how "default" order at Chinese Restaurants. We have the same "default" set of dishes from Japanese restaurants, depending on what they offer.

New Bagels at Tim Hortons

As expected of our Sunday routine, hubby and I had breakfast at Tim Hortons. We usually try new items they have on the menu.

Today, they have Spinach & Mozzarella Bagel and Jalapeno & Cheddar Bagel. We got both as a breakfast sandwich.

I had the Jalapeno & Cheddar Bagel with sausage while hubby had Spinach & Mozzarella Bagel with bacon. I'll try both bagels next week toasted with cream cheese.

Tim Hortons Breakfast

Coffee Date at Waves Coffee House

It's our first time going to this coffee shop. The location along West Broadway (at Spruce Street) is spacious, with natural light coming in from the west and south side.

Hubby and I had our "annual review and planning meeting." We usually do this during December to discuss what we're grateful for this 2019 and what our goals are for next year. It's also an excellent time to look back on all the memories we have created and what we want to accomplish next year.

We had our discussion while enjoying our Italian Calzone, Eggnog Latte, and Salted Caramel Eggnog Latte.

Italian Calzone

Salted Caramel Eggnog Latte

I wish this coffee shop is much closer to our apartment. The Starbucks and Blenz near us are much smaller and not as well-lit as this Waves Coffee House.

Dinner at Marquis Grill

It's our neighbourhood bar. It's a block away from our place, and yet tonight is our first time here. There are so many exciting options, and I want to try them all! After a lengthy discussion about what to get, we ordered the following.

The Truffle Fries smells fantastic with the truffle, but the parmesan cheese is what made is stand out. This is a great start to dinner.

Truffle Fries
Fried sage, truffle oil, and parmesan

I love pesto, and when I saw the Pesto Tagliatelle, I knew I had to get it. It was delicious. I wish there were a garlic bread that came with it.

Pesto Tagliatelle
basil pesto, blistered tomato, spinach, and shaved parmesan

My colleagues and I were just discussing fried chickens from Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. When I showed him a photo of the giant Taiwanese fried chicken from Big G, he mentioned about it looking like a schnitzel. In the menu of Marquis, there just so happened to be schnitzel.

Chicken Schnitzel
Panko-crusted chicken, green onion mash, braised cabbage, mushroom gravy

The only downside of the schnitzel is the burned Brussel sprouts. Otherwise, it was terrific.

Lunch at Ebi Ten

We went to the Santa Claus Parade! Seating on the same spot for 2.5 hours on 2 degree Celsius weather with a forecast of snow wasn't fun. I couldn't feel my legs afterwards. It was worth it, though, and we had fun.

We picked a spot close to Burrard street so I can grab breakfast at Tim Hortons, which we ate near our spot at the side of Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. After the parade, we walked going to the library to warm up a bit. After an hour or so, we went on Robson street for a place to grab late lunch. We were initially hoping to grab lunch at Russet Shack, but it was already closed. We walked going west to see which restaurant has available spots since we have our foldable chairs. We found Ebi Ten!

Ebi Ten in Robson Street

It's a fast-food chain of Japanese food. I had the Katsu Curry while hubby had Yakiniku.

Food from Ebi Ten

The Yakiniku was good if you're into sweet, savoury beef.

Yakiniku Beef (stir-fried 100% Canadian beef and onion with steamed medium grain rice)

You know that I love Katsu Curry, so I try it every chance I get, the curry sauce was delicious while the katsu was not as tender as I'd like.

Katsu Curry (deep-fried pork cutlet in Japanese curry with steamed medium grain rice)

I didn't know they had snacks until after I checked in the Swarm App and was reading through the tips! I went back to the counter and found the snacks menu on the side. They have takoyaki, kara-age, and gyoza.

We ordered both Gyoza and Kara-age. I didn't like gyoza, and I don't recommend it. However, the kara-age is my fave part of the meal. The batter was crispy and light. The chicken was juicy. I'm willing to come back just for that fried chicken.

Gyoza (deep-fried dough filled with ground pork and vegetable)
Kara-age (Japanese style, crispy, and tender deep-fried chicken)

There are a lot of food choices in Downtown Vancouver, so I'm not sure if I'll be coming back here any time soon, but when I do, I'll order that fried chicken again!

Dinner at The Manchester Pub Eatery

After Mass tonight, we had dinner at The Manchester Pub Eatery. It has multiple TVs all in TSN, a dart area, and a pool table.

Night Sight made this photo so much brighter than it really is.

The food is alright. We picked items from the "Classic" section of the menu, which only includes FIsh & Chips and Mac & Cheese. Is this Manchester classic food?

I ordered the Fish & Chips. Please avoid it. The batter wasn't crispy, and the fish was not fresh.

Fish and Chips
Menu Description: Ginger beer-battered Pacific cod on a bed of Kennebec fries. Served with a side of slaw. Add a second piece

Hubby got the Mac & Cheese and added pulled pork. The pulled pork is the best part of the meal.

Mac & Cheese
Menu Description: Baked in a three-cheese beer sauce made from Ridge Brewing Wind & Sea pale ale. Added pulled pork.

I kinda regret not adding pulled pork to the poutine. This is still better than the Fish & Chips, but I can't appreciate the green onions on top of the poutine.

Poutine
Menu Description: Kennebec fries, gravy, locally sourced cheese curds from Golden Ears Cheesecrafters.

Since it's a pub, maybe we should have ordered the nachos. Will I come back again? Not anytime soon, unless there's a compelling reason to do so.

Black Friday Shopping Dinner at Assembli

We went to Best Buy for Black Friday Shopping! I wouldn't call it shopping really because hubby and I purchased two things. The charger for his laptop, which he needs and a phone tripod which I want.

After that, we went to Assembli to have dinner. It's our first time here! I picked the Cauli Curry Spin, and it was delicious. It smelled and tasted like curry in a pizza.

Definitely worth a try. You can also build your own if you know what flavours you want.

Cauli Curry Spin
Menu Description: Roasted cauliflower, mozzarella, chopped spinach, green onion, cilantro, curry tomato sauce, yogurt drizzle

When we head out, we noticed this sign outside.

Happy US Thanksgiving dinner at Denny's

Today is Thanksgiving in the United States. Hubby and I thought we should have dinner somewhere that serves turkey. I checked Foursquare for "turkey," and one of the viable suggestions is Romer's Burger Bar and Denny's. We did a toss coin, and Denny's won.

They have a Festive Holiday Feast menu, which includes turkey. We also found that they have a pot roast, and I think both items are something my aunties in the US cooks during this time of year.

Hubby had the Turkey and Dressing Dinner while I have the Slow-Cooked Pot Roast.

Slow-Cooked Pot Roast
Menu Description: Slow-cooked pot roast, sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions covered in rich gravy. Served with Fresh Sautéed Zucchini & Squash and Sweet Petite Corn

Turkey & Dressing Dinner
Menu Description: Tender carved turkey breast, savoury stuffing, turkey gravy and cranberry sauce. Served with Garlic red-skinned mashed potatoes and wavy-cut fries

For dessert, we ordered the Pecan Pie from the Festive Holiday Feast menu.

Pecan Pie

After dinner, we walked home. It's a bright, cold, beautiful night, and we discussed things we're grateful for.

Top 3 Breakfast Spots in Fairview

I'm a morning person, and I love breakfast, brunch, and breakfast-for-dinner. Perfect eggs benedict, chicken and waffles, stuffed omelette, fluffy pancakes are some of my favourite morning food.

When I say "Fairview" in this post, I really mean between Hemlock Street and Granville Avenue and north of 10th Avenue.

The Breakfast Table

This place will close soon (based on the announced plans for the new Skytrain station), so be sure to try their breakfast offerings.

Update: They moved to Granville Street (between 14th and 15th Avenue). Complete address is 3014 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3J8

 A personal favourite is the Fried Chicken Omelette. I'll go back just for those fried chicken, and I think it will perfectly go well with half a waffle for a Chicken & Waffle meal.

Fried Chicken Omelette

Paul's Place Omelettery Restaurant

I'd like to think of Paul's like a breakfast institution in South Granville. This is what I envision a traditional breakfast spot is. Though, their menu is really extensive going beyond breakfast. Of course, when you're in an omelette restaurant, you get an omelette.

Veggie Omelette

Slickity Jim's Chat & Choux

Why is Slickity only third? Because they open as late as 9 AM (I know, the horror!) while Paul's is already serving omelette at 7 in the morning while The Breakfast Table opens at 8 AM. What I love about this spot is how it feels like home. The servers are super friendly, and the food is yummy.

Update: The Slickity Jim's Chat & Choux in Fairview (7th and Hemlock) closed last November 2020. They still have a branch in Main Street, though.

Avocado, Roasted Red Pepper, and Goat Feta Eggs Benedict with roasted potatoes.

McDonald's

If you need a quick and relatively cheap breakfast, there's a McDonald's between Hemlock and Granville along West Broadway.

Company Holiday Dinner at West Restaurant

Tonight our small team of eleven people went to West Restaurant to celebrate the holidays. I know it's earlier than most companies, but this is the only night where all remote team members are also in Vancouver.

Why West Restaurant?

West Restaurant is closing by the end of the year. I want to support the business before that happens.

Great food from West Restaurant!

Ambiance and Service

The place was beautiful and 90s upscale, which I like. Thankfully, almost everyone in the team dressed up for the occasion, and we didn't look like we belong don't in such a place. The service was excellent, from the time we sat down until we leave, everyone was friendly, and we were taken care of.

The Food

We had a healthy budget per person, so this is what I had.

Appetizer

After we placed our orders, they provided this one-bite hummus thing (I hate that I can't remember what it's called). It was delicious, and it set the tone for the meal for the whole evening. Instead of ordering from the appetizer section of the menu, I picked the "wild and foraged mushrooms" from for the table section.

The Hummus Thing

wild and foraged mushrooms

It's not the best mushrooms I've tried (I thought the Seasons of the Park mushroom is still the best), but it's a close second.

Main Course

I knew from looking at the menu that I'm getting the salmon, and I loved it! The Keg had my favourite salmon meal from any restaurant, but this meal just dethroned that.

BC Salmon, olive oil pomme puree, leek, broccolini, and chorizo sofrito

The skin is crispy and crunchy. The salmon was perfectly cooked and fresh. Lastly, chorizo sofrito was a pleasant surprise.

Dessert

The most important part of the meal is dessert. I decided to pick the banoffee over chocolate souffle, and my colleagues are puzzled with what a banoffee is. It was a great banoffee just not presented the way I thought it would be.

Banoffee
Menu Description: Banana Curd, Graham Cracker, Cinnamon Milk Jam

Drink

I had a non-alcoholic Coliah (I think that's what its called). It was not as sweet as I thought it will be, and I love it. It has coconut milk and hibiscus.

Will I come back?

Definitely! I know they are closing before the end of the year, so I plan to have a dinner date with hubby to West before they close and try that souffle two of my colleagues were raving about.

Dinner at Vina Vietnamese

Mall food court is a challenge or an adventure, depending on your take on it. It's a love or dislike kind of situation.

I don't love eating at a food court, but when I do, I make sure to try each location from "start to end" (with multiple visits). As such, we have tried all the food stalls at the CF Pacific Centre Urban Eatery (food court).

After watching Frozen II at Scotiabank Theatre and playing more Pokemon GO, we went to Urban Eatery and decided to have dinner at Vina Vietnamese. It seems to be only available at food courts.

I love the beef stew because it's so tender and flavourful. It pairs quite nicely with the crunchy spring roll that comes with the meal.

#13 Beef Stew

Hubby had the lemongrass chicken.

#11 Lemongrass Chicken

If you don't want a meal, the spring roll is pretty decent, too, for a Vietnamese spot in a food court.