Platform 7

June 29, 2019 ~ Willow ~ Leave a comment

During a recent trip to Trees Organic on Arbutus (review on that coming up) I decided to stop by Platform 7 for a quick bite. The latter is a cafe located on Broadway, in Kits. They are a very popular hangout: I was lucky to be able to grab a seat. I got a Stumptown Milkshake and a Deluxe Ham Breakfast.

Stumptown Milkshake & Deluxe Ham Breakfast

Sandwiches

Stumptown Milkshake ($5.25):

4/5
I asked what this was, and was told that it was a coffee milkshake. I think it was similar to a frappuccino, but creamier and less sweet. It had a pretty good flavour of coffee and wasn’t at all icy.

Deluxe Ham Breakfast ($5.50):

Deluxe Ham Breakfast

3/5
This consisted of an English muffin filled with egg, ham, cheese and some vegetables. The muffin I got had a pretty large and thick piece of eggs inside, which I found to be a little underseasoned. Strangely, even though there was definitely ham and cheese inside, I couldn’t really taste much of it. The sandwich was just, overall, a little too bland for my liking.

I’m not a big cafe person; I don’t really understand the appeal of doing work at a noisy shop where I can’t really focus. I did, however, quite enjoy the milkshake I had at Platform 7. The price is a bit on the higher side, but it’s not too outrageous considering the quality. I can’t speak on whether it’s a good local hangout, but I think it’s worth visiting for the drinks alone.

Summary:
Food: 3.5/5
Price: 3.5/5
Service: N/A
Overall: 3.5/5
Recommendations: Stumptown Milkshake

Bento Sushi – UBC

June 28, 2019 ~ Willow ~ Leave a comment

During a trip to Boston a few weeks ago, I was walking through the Toronto airport looking for something to eat. One of the spots that I passed by was Bento Sushi. They are a fast food sushi place that’s apparently got a number of locations throughout North America. While I didn’t visit the spot at the aforementioned Toronto airport, there is another Bento Sushi that’s located at UBC, right next to the Sauder Building. I decided to check the joint out recently. The menu they have seem to be more limited: they have noodles, rice bowls, and of course, various sushi rolls. I got their Rice Bowl with Grilled Chicken and Pork Gyoza.

Rice Bowl with Grilled Chicken ($8.99):

2.5/5
They have several varieties of rice bowls; I had their grilled chicken variety. I’m pretty sure that the food was already premade and reheated in the microwave. The chicken appeared to be white meat and was covered in a teriyaki sauce. It was fairly tender, and I did actually enjoy the teriyaki sauce; however, it just isn’t the same as freshly grilled, skin-on chicken. The rice was fairly good though.

Pork Gyoza ($4.99):

Pork Gyoza

2/5
Again, the gyozas were premade and reheated in the microwave. The skin was, of course, not crispy and somewhat gummy in places. I wasn’t a big fan of the pork filling either, which had a pretty strong garlic taste.

I’m generally not particularly picky when it comes to fast food, but I really didn’t enjoy my visit to Bento Sushi. The food was just passable, and the prices weren’t really much cheaper than an actual restaurant with made-to-order fare. I honestly cannot recommend this spot to anyone: quite frankly, I think that McDonalds is a better choice.

Summary:
Food: 2.5/5
Price: 2.5/5
Service: N/A
Overall: 2.5/5
Recommendations: N/A

European Breads Bakery

June 25, 2019 ~ Willow ~ Leave a comment

The crappy thing about being a lone diner is that it can be a little awkward going out to joints to eat, especially if said joint is empty. That was the problem I encountered during my recent visit to European Breads Bakery, which is a small bakery/cafe located on Fraser Street, not far from King Edward Avenue. They have a menu of Eastern European breakfast and lunch items, crepes, drinks, as well as various baked goods. I originally wanted to eat lunch there, but the cafe was empty when I arrived, and I thought it was going to be just too awkward. So instead, I went over to Prado Cafe. I did pick up some of their food, including their Meat Pie, Blueberry Pie, and Poppyseed Cake.

Baked Goods

Meat Pie ($2.95):

Meat Pie

3.5/5
This was filled with ground beef. The pastry outside was quite flaky and had a nice flavour. There was a fairly good amount of ground beef feeling inside. I did, however, find the beef to be a little dry and bland.

Blueberry Pie ($2.95):

Blueberry Pie

3.5/5
The pastry was similar to that of the meat pie, but was a bit sweeter. There was a good amount of thick blueberry filling inside. The blueberry was a bit on the bland side for me, but probably good for those who don’t like overly sweet pastries.

Poppyseed Cake ($3.59):

Poppyseed Cake

3/5
This is like a swiss roll that’s filled with a poppyseed filling. The cake was a tad on the dry side, but still soft and moist. The poppyseeds were a bit on the bitter side; I don’t know if that’s how they’re supposed to taste, but I wasn’t particularly fond of the flavour personally.

Even though I didn’t have the opportunity to try any of the breakfast or lunch items, I did quite enjoy the baked goods at European Breads. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of the popyseed cake, but the pies were pretty good, and the prices were fairly reasonable. All in all, this is a joint that I’d recommend checking out.

Summary:
Food: 3.5/5
Price: 4.5/5
Service: N/A
Overall: 3.5/5
Recommendations: Pies

Prado Cafe – Fraser

June 23, 2019 ~ Willow ~ Leave a comment

During my recent visit to European Breads Bakery (review on that coming up) I stopped by a nearby Prado Cafe to grab a bite to eat. They are small but popular hangout with several locations in Vancouver. Their menu consists of breakfast items, sandwiches, and fresh-baked goods. I had their Grilled Cheese Sandwich and 8 oz Mocha. I also had a Magic Bar, Bread Pudding, and Cookie with No Name for later.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich & Mocha

Baked Goods

Grilled Cheese Sandwich ($7.25):

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

4/5
This consisted of cheddar, bocconcini, & parmesan on sourdough, and is served with a small side of greens. The bread was perfectly toasted, and was crispy without being too hard. There was a good amount of gooey cheese inside. The greens were also well dressed, rich and flavourful.

8 oz Mocha ($4.95):

8 oz Mocha

3/5
The mocha was not overly sweet and had a mild, chocolaty flavour. I did find it to be a tad grainy on the bottom, however.

Magic Bar (around $4):

Magic Bar

3.5/5
This contained pieces of chocolate, coconut, walnuts, and other items. There was a very generous amoung of filling inside; I particularly enjoyed the walnuts, which were fragrant and lent a nice bit of texture. It was quite sweet however, and may be a little too much for some people who don’t have a sweet tooth.

Bread Pudding (around $4):

Bread Pudding

3.5/5
This contained large pieces of chocolate, raisins, and other pieces of fruit inside, and seemed to be made with pieces of croissant. The interior was quite moist; I particularly enjoyed the chocolate. The exterior was a tad dry, but still good.

Cookie with No Name (around $4):

Cookie with No Name

3.5/5
This was a really thick cookie that contained oatmeal, chocolate chips, marshmallow on top, and various other fillings – I did detect some peanut butter flavour in it too. The cookie was quite soft and moist. It was quite filling; I was only able to finish half.

I quite enjoyed my visit to Prado Cafe; the food there was fairly good and reasonably priced, although the drinks were a bit on the expensive side. All in all, this is a solid cafe that’s worth checking out.

Summary:
Food: 3.5/5
Price: 4/5
Service: N/A
Overall: 3.5/5
Recommendations: Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Cookie with No Name

Triple O’s – UBC

June 22, 2019 ~ Willow ~ Leave a comment

When I first started at UBC, there used to be a White Spot located near Sauder building, right next to Tim Hortons. It has since been remade into just a Triple O’s. Their menu seems to be a little more limited compared to other locations: they serve a small variety of burgers, milkshakes, and some other fastfood items. I had their Original with Cheese Burger Combo, which I upgraded to a small Cookies & Cream Milkshake for an extra $1.99.

Original with Cheese Burger Combo ($7.69 + $4.99):

Original with Cheese Burger Combo

Original with Cheese Burger

Fries

3/5
This comes with fries and your choice of drink; I upgraded to a small cookies & cream milkshake for an additional $1.99. The burger wasn’t bad; I found the bun to be a little dry, but the patty, cheese and condiments were fairly flavourful. I didn’t care for the fries however, which were soggy and dry.

Small Cookies & Cream Milkshake ($4.79 alone, $1.99 with combo):

4/5
The milkshake actually contained small pieces of oreo cookies blended inside. It was a bit on the thinner side, but still creamy and not icy. It was not overly sweet, and had a nice blend of vanilla and cookie flavour.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of Triple O’s. The burger was mediocre, the fries weren’t good, but the milkshake was very good. The price is on the higher side, and I’m not sure if it’s worth it for the quality. Don’t get me wrong; this isn’t a bad joint, but it’s not necessarily one that I’d recommend either.

Summary:
Food: 3/5
Price: 3/5
Service: N/A
Overall: 3/5
Recommendations: Milkshakes

Thu Hien Deli

June 19, 2019 ~ Willow ~ Leave a comment

Thu Hien Deli is a Vietnamese deli/grocery shop located on Kingsway, right next to Knight. I’ve passed by the joint a number of times on my way to Famous Foods, and have recently decided to check the place out. In addition to various Vietnamese grocery items, they also have a small menu of sandwiches, rice noodles, and other items. I got their Shredded Chicken Sub and Cold Cuts Sub.

Shredded Chicken Sub ($6):

Shredded Chicken & Cold Cut Sub

Shredded Chicken Sub

4/5
The pieces of chicken inside is actually chunks rather than “shredded”. There was quite a generous amount of meat present, which was tender, juicy and flavourful. I also quite enjoyed the pickled vegetables and condiments, which had a nice tanginess and creaminess.

Cold Cuts Sub ($5):

Cold Cuts Sub

3.5/5
This was filled with various cold cut meats, as well as pickled vegetables and condiments. Again, there is a good amount of filling inside; I didn’t find the meat to be as flavourful as the chicken, however. I did really enjoy all of the pickled vegetables and condiments.

I’m glad to have finally visited Thu Hien Deli: the sandwiches there are quite decent; the prices are also very reasonable. While I haven’t tried any of the other items at the joint, I think the place is worth visiting for their sandwiches alone.

Summary:
Food: 3.5/5
Price: 4/5
Service: N/A
Overall: 3.5/5
Recommendations: Shredded Chicken Sub

Maxim’s Bakery – Fraser

June 17, 2019 ~ Willow ~ Leave a comment

While returning home from a recent conference in Boston, I stopped by the Maxim’s Bakery on Fraser Street to grab some food. The latter is a Chinese/Asian bakery with several locations throughout Greater Vancouver. I’ve previously visited their location on Victoria Drive. While I was tempted by their sliced cakes, I was still carrying my luggage and thought it was going to be difficult to carry a box of cakes without wrecking them. Instead, I ended up getting their Chicken Steamed Bun, Mango Cake, Pineapple Taro Bun, Pineapple BBQ Pork Bun, Coconut Cream Bun, and Lotus Paste & Egg Yolk Pastry. I cannot remember the exact prices of the food, except that they’re all priced at around $1.5 to $2.

Cakes

Chicken Steamed Bun

Chicken Steamed Bun

3/5
The bun did have a nice texture that was fluffy and slightly chewy. There was a fair amount of filling, which had quite a bit of vegetables mixed into it to provide texture; I wasn’t keen on its flavour, however.

Mango Triangle Cake

Mango Triangle Cake

4/5
This consisted of layers of mango-flavoured sponge cake sandwiching a cream filling. The cake was light and fluffy, and not overly dry. It had a nice flavour of mango. The cream was sweet and sightly bit salty.

Pineapple Taro Bun

Pineapple Taro Bun

4/5
The bun itself was quite fluffy and soft. It had a wonderful, crispy topping that’s slightly bit crunchy. There was a good amount of taro paste inside, which was creamy and mildly sweet.

Pineapple BBQ Pork Bun

Pineapple BBQ Pork Bun

3.5/5
This is similar to the taro bun, but with BBQ pork instead of taro. The filling is a tad bit stingy in this case. The pork was quite tender and flavourful.

Coconut Cream Bun

Coconut Cream Bun

3.5/5
The bun was soft and fluffy. I quite enjoyed the cream inside, which had a great hint of saltiness, although it was a tad greasy.

Lotus Paste & Egg Yolk Pastry

Lotus Paste & Egg Yolk Pastry

4/5
This is very similar to a mooncake. I really enjoyed the lotus paste inside, which was sweet and creamy. The egg yolk was salty, and provided a nice bit of oiliness. I also quite enjoyed the surrounding pastry, which was flaky.

I enjoyed my latest visit to Maxim’s Bakery. The food wasn’t mindblowing, but still solid. All in all, this is a good bakery that’s worth visiting.

Summary:
Food: 3.5/5
Price: 4/5
Service: N/A
Overall: 4/5
Recommendations: Mango Cake, Pineapple Taro Bun, Lotus Paste & Egg Yolk Pastry

La Grotta Del Formaggio

June 15, 2019 ~ Willow ~ Leave a comment

La Grotta del Formaggio is a small Italian deli/grocery that’s located on The Drive. While they sell a variety of different imported good, they are probably best known for their sandwiches. You pick your bread, fillings, and condiments, and they’ll make your sandwich for you. I had a Small Bun with Proscuitto and a Half Focaccia with Porchetta, at least I asked for porchetta. The lady behind the counter seemed to be a bit hard of hearing, however, and gave me mortadella for the latter instead of porchetta. Oh well.

Small Bun with Prosciutto ($7.75):

Small Bun with Prosciutto

4/5
I had the sandwich with pesto mayo, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, red peppers, edam cheese, red peppers and spinach. There was a large amount of proscuitto inside the sandwich, which was very salty and savoury. The bread was also quite thin and toasted and crispy.

Half Focaccia with Mortadella ($9.95):

Half Focaccia with Mortadella

3/5
I had the sandwich with chipotle mayo, red peppers, gouda cheese, red peppers and spinach. I asked for porchetta in my sandwich, but the lady was a little hard of hearing and gave me mortella instead. That was fine though, because the mortella was still quite tasty. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a big fan of the bread, which was a little too grainy for my taste.

I quite enjoyed my visit to Le Grotta del Formaggio. While I wasn’t a bit fan of the focaccia, which I found to be a bit dry and grainy, I really enjoyed the bun. The prices are a bit on the expensive side, but they do come with a generous amount of fillings, so I think it’s worth the price.

Summary:
Food: 4/5
Price: 3.5/5
Service: N/A
Overall: 3.5/5
Recommendations: Sandwiches

McDonalds – UBC

June 15, 2019 ~ Willow ~ Leave a comment

It is currently summer, meaning that McDonalds now has the promotion of summer drinks going, with many of their drinks being priced at $1, $2, or $3. Seeing that there is a McDonalds located at University Village in UBC, I decided to head there a week ago to get one of their Coffee Frappes, which is currently priced at $2. I also had one of their Sasuage, Egg & Cheese McGriddles.

Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddles ($4.19):

Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddle

3/5
This is like a McMuffin, except with two griddle cakes instead of the regular English muffin. The cakes were a little tough and gummy, but had a nice sweetness. I quite enjoyed the filling, in particular their sausage patties, which have a nice bit of spice to them.

Small Coffee Frappe ($2 during summer):

3/5
This is currently on promotion during the summer, and is currently priced at $2. The coffee is a little on the sweeter side and didn’t really have all that much coffee flavour. It does also get a little icy. I much prefer frappuccinos from Starbucks, although this is certainly much cheaper.

On a separate visit, I got an Oreo McFlurry.

Oreo McFlurry (around $3.57):

Oreo McFlurry

3/5
This consists of vanilla soft serve that’s mixed with crumbled cookie pieces. The ice cream isn’t really the best quality, but is still fairly enjoyable; the cookie pieces provide a nice crunch.

I know that McDonalds doesn’t exactly have a good rap, but to be honest, I actually still quite enjoyed the food I’ve tried there. Sure it isn’t great, but I honestly don’t think it’s that much worse than fancier shops albeit being offered at a much lower price. This isn’t really a place that I’d recommend, but I don’t think it’s a bad place to drop by for some food.

Summary:
Food: 3/5
Price: 4/5
Service: N/A
Overall: 3/5
Recommendations: N/A

Roots Cafe

June 7, 2019 ~ Willow ~ Leave a comment

Roots Cafe is a small shop located on the corner of 49th and Main. They have a pretty large menu consisting of drinks, breakfast and lunch items, and baked goods. They are probably best known for their Butter Chicken Poutine, for which they apparently won a prize for in a poutine challenge several years back. Of course, I had to order the dish, along with a Mocha Milkshake.

Poutines

Baked Goods

Sandwiches

dav — Mocha Milkshake & Butter Chicken Poutine

Butter Chicken Poutine ($10.95):

4/5
This consists of French fries, cheese curds, and pieces of chicken breast that are covered in a butter chicken sauce as well as red hot sauce. The fries were very crispy and stood up well to the sauce, which was very flavourful and had a great bit of heat. I did find that the amount of chicken was pretty stingy; however, I didn’t mind in this case because the sauce itself provided enough flavour on its own.

Mocha Milkshake ($5.85):

3.5/5
The milkshake was a little on the thinner side, but was very flavourful and had a great balance between sweetness and bitterness. The coffee flavour was quite strong and fragrant.

I quite enjoyed my visit to Roots Cafe. Although I found the amount of chicken to be a little stingy, I thought the poutine itself was already flavourful enough on its own. The prices for the food were fair; I did find their drinks to be a little on the expensive side. All in all, this is a cafe that I highly recommend checking out.

Summary:
Food: 4/5
Price: 3.5/5
Service: N/A
Overall: 3.5/5
Recommendations: Butter Chicken Poutine