Noode Box Time Season 2!

The Noodlebox

Location: 1867 West 4th Avenue

Phone: 604-734-1310

During my visit to The Noodlebox, my adventurous side led me to order the Coconut Ginger Deep Fried Banana. The concept of deep fried fruits may definitely not be enticing for all; however, I must say that this dish was quite good. 

It did take very long for the deep fried banana to arrive at my table. In terms of appearances, it looked exactly like what I had expected a banana to resemble after it has been breaded and deep fried. The banana itself has a crispy exterior, and is soft on the inside. There is also a light drizzle of ginger sauce for dipping on the side. I couldn’t really taste the “coconut” flavoring, but overall, the deep fried banana was very good. I recommend it as an interesting dessert option. 

Rice Meter: 3.5 

Noodle Box Time!

The Noodlebox
Location: 1867 west 4th avenue
Phone: 6047341310

A popular lunchtime spot for locals, the Noodlebox offers a wide variety of Asian fare catered to a western market. They have a made-to-order menu, offering wide selections such as satay skewers, and various rice and noodle dishes.

Pictured above is the Spicy Peanut Noodle box with chicken. You can choose how spicy you would like your dish to be, and I asked for medium spiciness. This dish was delicious and perfect against the winter blues: the peanut sauce was of a good consistency, the noodles were cooked perfectly, and the dish was seasoned well. The portion size is also very reasonable. If you enjoy peanut butter, you must try this! I would definitely order this dish again.

Rice meter: 4

La Brasserie Time!

La Brasserie

1091 Davie Street

Vancouver, BC V6E 1M5

(604) 568-6499

La Brasserie is a that I have been really impressed with this year; it serves expertly prepared European food in a cosy, intimate setting, and their kitchen is an open one. 

During a recent visit, I ordered the Free Range Rotisserie Chicken. For $22.00, you will get a tender roasted chicken on a bed of vegetables and a side of thick cut fries. I was not particularly fond of the vegetables; they had a sour taste to them because, I think, they are cooked in some sort of vinaigrette. The chicken, however, is absolutely delicious and is the best rotisserie chicken I have had at any restaurant. Also, La Brasserie also makes their own “ketchup” to go with their fries, which speaks volumes about their dedication to food quality. 

Rice Meter: 4.0

Death by Chocolate Time!

Death by Chocolate

1598 West Broadway

Phone: (604) 730-2462

Dessert lovers are certain to be familiar with Death by Chocolate; this establishment offers a wide variety of cakes and other desserts which are certain to please. Despite the name, I decided to try something that wasn’t chocolate-flavored, and ordered “The Last Straw”, which is described on the menu as being belgian waffles served with strawberries, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and syrup. 

After I placed my order, I was informed that there was no more vanilla ice cream and was given a choice to pick from their other selections; I chose raspberry. When my order arrived, I immediately noticed that my belgian waffles looked alarmingly like Eggo waffles, and tasted exactly the same. I have had belgian waffles before, and found these lacking in comparison. The ice cream, strawberries, syrup as well as the whipped cream did make this a very good dessert overall. However, unless you are a fan of Eggo waffles, I recommend trying other desserts ... such as a chocolate cake, perhaps?

Rice Meter: 3.0 

Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House

Location: 777 Thurlow Street

Phone: 604-669-1940

Pictured above is one of my favourite desserts of all time: the Duo of Chocolate of Joe Fortes. In essence, it is a molten center lava cake with a cookie-like biscuit on the side, and generous amounts of whipped cream and icing sugar. Now, you may find it strange that I would choose to speak about Joe Fortes desserts and not, perhaps, their seafood, but I do feel that this is one of their sublime offerings.

For one, the chocolate cake itself is served warm, and is very rich. As soon as you progress further, you reach the “molten center” which contains more rich chocolate sauce that mixes nicely with the sprinkled icing sugar. The live piano music and classic decor of the restaurant only makes this experience more enjoyable. Overall, I would highly recommend this dessert (my only complaint being that it is too small!) as well as dining at Joe Fortes, even if the prices can be steep.

Rice Meter: 5

Tenku Bakudanyaki Time!

Tenku Bakudanyaki

Location: 8740 Charles Street
 

Tenku Bakundanyaki is simply the big brother version of Tako Yaki, otherwise recognized as miniature octopus covered in dough and slathered with teriyaki sauce, mayonnaise, seaweed, and other Japanese delicacies. These treats can be found anywhere from food stalls in the popular summertime “Night Markets” in Vancouver and Richmond, or even in mainstream Japanese restaurants, and usually come in multiples of 6 per order. Tenku Bakundanyaki, however, likes to be eaten solo. 

It was my first time sampling Tenku Bakundanyaki, and one of the few times I have purchased food in a parking lot. However, do not underestimate their minimal set up! These giant octopus balls (as I like to call them), are quite delicious, and unique. For a mere 500 cents (yes, they do convert menu pricing from dollars to cents, which makes no sense to me, but that’s beside the point), you can choose between several flavours of Tenku, including curry, wasabi mayo, and mustard mayo. 

Being a fan of wasabi, I ordered wasabi mayo, whereas my significant other chose mustard. Our orders arrived neatly encased inside a conventional Chinese take-out box with chopsticks and napkins thoughtfully tucked into the crevices. I found the mustard flavoured Tenku a little bland, and much prefer the little spicy kick which the lightly flavoured wasabi sauce provides. I do feel that Tenku Bakundanyaki gives you nothing to write home about if you have already had Tako Yaki in the past, although I would recommend this food stand on account of its novelty and low price point. 

Rice Meter: 4

Sanafir Time!

Sanafir

Location: 1026 Granville Street

Phone: 604-678-1049

As one of the restaurants in the Glowbal Group, Sanafir means “meeting place” in Arabic. Indeed, the branding and decor of this restaurant do suggest that it is a social environment, and I was looking forward to sampling the food it has to offer.

I went during the lunch hour, and immediately decided that I was going to order the Grilled Beef Striploin Salad. My order arrived with generous slices of medium rare striploin sitting on a salad heavy with tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette. The meat was cooked very well and had a very good texture. The salad itself was very flavorful and was a nice companion. Overall, the striploin salad is a great lunch dish and good value for money. As a side note, I do believe that this salad is only offered in their lunch menu.

Rice Meter: 4