Faubourg -- Come Here for Croissant!

2156 West 41^st Avenue, Vancouver

Food: 3.5
Service: 2.5
Price: Cheap in the Cafe. Moderate to Expensive in the Bistro.
Reservations: Recommended if you want to dine in the bistro.

Faubourg has been a welcome new addition to the mix of cafes scattered about in the Kerrisdale area since late last year. Much has been talked about this place for awhile, and not much for a typical latte, but more for a sit-down experience that whisks your imagination away to Paris!

     Indeed, as I have found out, this is true J When I do come here, I find myself sitting in its tight cafe space amongst a mix of English and French accents with a warm flakey croissant in one hand and a cup of cappuccino in the other. Absorbing the smells of the bakery and capturing a black a white motion picture projected on a wall in the top corner of my eye, I can’t help but feel I’m like I’m somewhere else!

     A characteristic Kerrisdale experience this place also offers is an Afternoon Tea Service. My friend C was enormously excited about organizing an afternoon tea get-together at Faubourg after experiencing “Paris” first-hand with her mother not long ago. And of course, as a girl in love with afternoon tea, I did not hesitate to take-up the invitation J

Pho Thai Hoa (Kingsway), revisited – Good All-Around Vietnamese

1625 Kingsway, Vancouver

Food: 3.5
Service: 2.5
Price: Cheap

Previous Review: http://dishingonthe604.blogspot.com/2011/05/pho-thai-hoa-not-bad-but-inconsistent.html

It’s only been a month since my last write-up on Pho Thai Hoa (on Kingsway), but my Asian soul wasn’t complete without a fix of pho on subsequent weekends. As I frequented this place more and ate a bit of everything else I honestly believe that I owe it to people who read the last write-up a revised review. By no means was I untruthful last time around, but there are some minor points I should backtrack on.

Taco Luis (Oakridge Mall) -- Tex-Mex has Invaded South Vancouver!

F4 - 650 West 41st Avenue, Oakridge Centre Food Court, Vancouver

Food: 3

Service: 3.5

Price: Cheap

I don’t know a fast food stall much like Taco Luis in town. It’s been a favourite Tex-Mex stop amongst the public at Landsdowne Mall for years. There’s nothing particularly special about its food per se, but with a staff that sings you through your selections and a boss that treats customers like VIPs, it’s been able to garner more attention for food court
Mexican than your average Taco Time. I, myself, have been trekking all the way down to Richmond for my Taco Luis experience for the last few years, but now with its brand new location in Vancouver at Oakridge Mall, I can very well (but will halt myself from) have(-ing) it everyday J

Kawawa Japanese Ramen – High Quantity, but Low Quality Ramen

E15-4700 Kingsway, Metropolis at Metrotown, Burnaby

Food: 2.5

Service: 3

Price: Cheap

As I mentioned in my most recent post, Japanese ramen shops are just popping up everywhere in town. I was alluding to just Vancouver, but really, they’re plotting themselves outside the city too. I was convinced of this on a Thursday night at Metrotown Mall, where my friend L and I were on the run, and I had 4 criteria for dinner: something cheap,

Motomachi Shokudo -- Unique Gem in the Ramen Shop Rough



The Fresh Blossom was so Pretty!

740 Denman Street, Vancouver

Food: 4
Service: 3
Price: Cheap to Moderate

I like ramen A LOT. And if I were to pick between it and pho, I would swing my vote to ramen. There’s more of a variety of soups to choose from and the ingredients you can combine with these noodles are much more diverse than your average pho bowl—Sorry pho lovers! So to my delight, there’s been a proliferation of ramen shops around Vancouver of late, but with all the ramen shops around town that serve the same miso/shoyu/shio-chasu-noodle combinations, something has to make each one stand-out. Kintaro has the line-ups, Benkei has the stamp cards, and Motomachi, as I just found out, has the nicest presentation and the unique-est ingredients.

El Barrio Restaurante Latino -- Hit and Miss Mexican

2270 East Hastings Street, Vancouver

Food: 3
Service: 4
Price: Moderate

I thought I'd tasted most of the notables on the Mexican scene in the 604 until I found out about El Barrio not too long ago. I admit, I'm a Tex-Mex girl at heart, so I've never been on the look-out for an authentic Mexican spot. What brought me here was a little invitation from my friend G to watch her husband's band play the night away on a Saturday night. Though I was a little sick that night, I couldn't resist a night out,

Simply Delicious (SD) Galleria and Sushi Lounge– Grungy with Cheap Deals



The night was young....Yes, it was bright.

4316 Main Street, Vancouver 


Food: Small meal, so individual items are rated below.

Service: 3

Price: Cheap



Sometimes you just don’t know what’s around the corner until you stumble upon it, and that’s definitely the case I had with SD Galleria. I’ve passed it time and time again while making my way down the Main Street strip on the weekends, but never had an inkling to walk my way up to this 2^nd floor sushi eatery.

It just so happened that my girlfriends wanted to watch playoff hockey, and we needed a place to