Yolk's (Broadway) - One Hour Wait But SO WORTH

The second location of the famous Yolk's Restaurant opened up on November 17th on Broadway and Cambie. It's a 30 second walk from the Broadway City-Hall skytrain station (Canada Line) and the lineup can be upwards to an hour if you go during their peak times.

My girlfriends Fonzor, Rae, Sis, and I came here at about 11am on a Sunday and the place was completely PACKED. We were told our wait would be an hour long but we could leave our name/phone number and when the table was ready, we'd get a text. I loved that system because we were able to go warm up and chat at Starbucks without waiting outside in the cold!

Rae and I shared the Greens and Coconut ($7) which had kale, spinach, banana, yogurt, coconut flakes, coconut water, and fresh pressed apple juice. Even though it was pricey, this was worth every penny. The smoothie had just a hint of sweetness from the fresh apple juice, and all the other ingredients blended together so well. The coconut flakes were a really nice touch. I will definitely try to recreate this at home! 

With some people swearing that Yolk's serves the 'best Chicken and Waffles ($13.50) they've ever had', I came in with some really high expectations. Even with that though, I was still blown away when I took my first bite. My friends and I were having foodgasms at this point and we just could not get over how AMAZING THIS WAS. The chicken was incredibly moist, the sweet waffles were fluffy, and the gravy was beyond good (though I wish I had more of it). The hype is not fake, this is the real deal.

If you come here, you gotta try their poached eggs. It's called Yolk's for goodness sake! Sis and Fonzor got the Portobello Mushroom Poached Eggs on Truffle Lemon Hashbrowns ($12.75). 

Rae and I on the other hand got the Doubled Smoked Bacon Poached Eggs with Truffle Lemon Hashbrowns ($12.75) with hollandaise sauce on the side. The eggs were poached to PERFECTION and jiggled when we moved the plates. The egg was cooked enough to hold it's own but soft enough that when you puncture it with your knife, the yolk just flows out like golden lava. It's pure food porn.

Oh GAWD. Look at that yolk...

Even though the eggs were absolutely fantastic, the star of the show was really the Truffle Lemon Hashbrowns. Who knew potatoes could taste this amazing?! The scent of truffle oil perfumes the entire restaurant so we knew they were generous. You could taste it in the potatoes. Furthermore, the accent of lemon just heightens the flavours to a whole nother level.

All in all, Yolk's met and exceeded all expectations my friends and I had. With all of us being new to this restaurant and having heard SO MUCH about it on Instagram, it's a big feat. We couldn't find one thing we didn't like about our experience. Gah! Now I can't wait to bring Meta Knight here!

Service Rating: 4/5
Food Rating: 5/5
Price: $$-$$$

Overall Rating: 5/5

Happy Eating!


                                          #muchworth

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Frites (Granville) - Poutine All Day Every Day

Frites, not to be mistaken with Fritz (both french fry restaurants), is located in the downtown core a couple of blocks away from Pacific Centre. They boast authentic Belgian fries double layered poutine.

The owner that served me was super friendly and passionate about his product. It's great to support entrepreneurs like him because you know they put their heart and soul into their business.

They serve authentic Belgian fries on its own with a huge variety of gourmet sauces. From Gochujang (Korean hot sauce) to Jamaican Jerk, this place seems to have it all.

Everything on the menu looked so delicious it took me forever to choose! In the end I felt like I didn't choose the best kind of poutine so I might have to come back and try their other varieties. Marinated Smoked Meat poutine...Kimchi Frites...Pad Thai Fries.... HOMG I'm drooling just thinking about it.

I ended up choosing the Regular Traditional Poutine ($6.99) with one gourmet sauce (Rosemary Garlic Mayo).

I thought the gourmet sauce would be served on the side but it was actually all on top of the poutine. Because the fries were already drowning in gravy and cheese curds, the rosemary mayo was overkill and made it wayyyyyy too heavy. On the other hand, the fresh rosemary really shined through and you can tell they only use the best ingredients.

I wouldn't get the same thing again but I definitely won't write this place off until I've tried it once or twice more. The positive and friendly environment was infectious and I can't help but want to support this business, regardless of whether the poutine is the best in Vancouver! >.<

Service Rating: 4.5/5
Food Rating: 2.5/5
Price: $

Overall Rating: 3/5

Happy Eating!


                                        #datYOLOlife

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Glowbal by Glowbal Group (Telus Garden) - Flagship Restaurant Just Ok

Glowbal recently relocated their Yaletown location to the Telus Garden on West Georgia and it is apparently their big, bold, new flagship restaurant. From the outside, the restaurant looks impressive. From big human sized bird cage booths to large steaks drying behind a glass wall, you'll feel like a baller just dining there.

Meta Knight and I came during their Happy Hour (50% off - 2:30pm-5:30pm everyday) and ordered their Truffle and Rosemary Fries ($7). It satisfied our truffle craving but were definitely not the best truffle fries we've had.

Kusshi Oysters ($3.70/ea) are our favourite so we got four of them to share. Although they're small, Kusshi oysters deliver a sharp bold taste that is hard to beat.

This sounded good on the menu but unfortunately was the worst dish of the meal. This Whole Roasted Acorn Squash ($10) had maple brown butter, kale, and hazelnuts. Sounds like a winning combination right?? The 'maple butter' tasted like pure maple syrup and the entire dish was drowned in it. It was so sweet we could barely eat 1/4 of it.

Even though we normally go with the truffle spaghetti and meatballs, we decided to be adventurous and get the Short Rib Pappardelle ($24). It was a good choice, and we both really liked the thick flat pasta. It soaked up the sauce real good so we would definitely get it again.

Overall, Glowbal didn't impress us with the food so I would only recommend going there for their Happy Hour.

Service Rating: 3.5/5
Food Rating: 3/5
Price; $$-$$$

Overall Rating: 3/5

Happy Eating!


                Sweet like that acorn squash dish >.<

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The Belgard Kitchen - Grilled Cheese and Tomato Fondue is Da Bomb!

This little hidden gem called The Belgard Kitchen is located in the DTES area inside the Settlement Building. My friends Queen B and Hipster heard this place serves up wine flights so they really wanted to give it a try. I just tagged along for the ride. :P 

It's unassuming on the outside so I would definitely recommend using Google Maps to guide you here.

Once you step inside, the environment transports you to a different world. Full of rustic wooden and metal steel decor, it's half brewery and half pub/restaurant. When I say half brewery, I literally mean they brew the beer next to where you eat and you can see the 'factory'. Super cool.  

 They had a pretty good selection of beer for the Beer Flights ($8.00). I honestly don't remember the exact names, but all of them were premium craft beer.

I went with the White and Pink Wine Flight ($12) and I absolutely loved it. I am in no way a wine connoisseur so it was really interesting to taste all the different flavours and tones of the white and pink wines. All were delicious and if it weren't a little pricey, I would've gotten another one. :P

They don't give you that much wine in each flight so I would recommend trying the flight, finding the one you love, and getting a glass of that.

 The Shrimp Spaghetti Nero ($16) while super delicious and was everything I love about squid ink pasta, the portion was a bit small and lacked depth of flavour. For 16 dollars I feel like the portion could definitely have been doubled but that's just my gluttony talking. :P

Now this ladies and gentlemen, should be the reason you visit The Belgard Kitchen. They elevated the comforting homey grilled cheese and tomato soup to a dish called Tomato Soup Fondue with Grilled Cheese Toasties ($13). The cheese could not be gooeier and more delicious when paired with the concentrated tomato fondue. So good....just...so good.

The Red Wine Flight ($12). I didn't try this so I can't speak to how the red wine was. 

Flank Steak with Chimichurri ($15). Very delicious but similar to the other dishes, I wish there was more of it.

Even though the Belgard Kitchen offers a lot of unique offerings I have yet to find in other Vancouver restaurants like wine flights and tomato soup fondue, I found the price/portion ratio to be a bit off for me. We all spent around 45 dollars and when I got home I was already hungry again!

Service Rating: 3/5
Food Rating: 3/5
Price: $$$$-$$$$$$

Overall Rating: 3/5

Happy Eating!


                      I'm always hungry >.<

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Sushi by Yuji - Will Definitely Come Back Again

I recently visited Sushi By Yuji after seeing some ridiculously yummy pictures on Instagram. I rarely eat nigiri's and often stick to rolls at Japanese restaurants. But I realize now that nigiri is so much better! Especially when paired with fresh ingredients.

This is a very tight and small family own business. The restaurant itself can't probably hold more than 14 people so I'd definitely recommend calling in advance to make a reservation.

Ordering nigiris can get expensive if you choose everything you want and not look at the price tag. Meta Knight and I are on a budget so we chose wisely and ended up spending less than 16 bucks per person.

As you can see, the scallops they use are huge! I just wish there was a little more filling near the end to even it out.

The gomae (spinach in sesame dressing) lightened up our carb heavy meal and it was pretty light.

Now for the main star! We got two pieces of the Uni (sea urchin), Ikura (fish roe), and Negitoro with Quail Egg (Mixed chopped tuna with green onion). Every mouthful was so great and it just reflects positively on Vancouver's abundance of fresh seafood. Every time I eat great seafood here I always feel grateful to be living in Vancity.

My only comment would be that the uni was a little fishy. Not the best uni I've had but definitely not the worst.

We followed up with two more pieces of Ika/Shiso (squid/herb leaf) and Ika/Mentaiko (squid/fish roe).

All in all, Sushi by Yuji is one of the most no-thrills, homey, down-to-earth Japanese restaurant I've been to. The vibe reminds me greatly of Sushi Hachi in Richmond. If you're into real authentic Japanese nigiris then definitely check this place out!

Service Rating: 3/5
Food Rating: 4/5
Price: $$-$$$

Overall Rating: 4/5

Happy Eating!


            Two thumbs up!

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Hawksworth - Fancy Schmancy Brunch

If you are a regular follower of my blog, you know I'm pretty frugal when it comes to food. Quick, comfy, affordable restaurants are my go to's and expensive posh restos are usually reserved for my friend or family's birthdays. Nevertheless, I always dream of going to these restaurants and pretend I'm baller enough to make it rain. :P

On my birthday, my coworkers surprised me with a huge gift card for Hawksworth located inside the Rosewood Hotel Georgia. My team truly knows the key to my heart <3.

Meta Knight was the lucky chosen one to accompany me to this exciting award winning restaurant (2012 and 2013 Restaurant of the Year from Vancouver Magazine). Hawksworth emphasizes on contemporary Canadian cuisine with a focus on using local quality ingredients. With every bite of this Spaghetti De Nero ($26), I could taste the freshness of the sea, earthiness of the microgreens, and rawness of the house-made squid ink spaghetti.

Meta Knight opted for the Steak and Eggs ($27) which was accompanied by half an avocado, perfectly crispy rosti, beautiful mini salad, and jalapeno salsa verde.

Everything was on point and it was one of those meals where no one has to say a word but you both know you're experiencing something special. If I had to choose again I would get his steak and eggs over my spaghetti just because there was more variety on the plate and the portion was more substantial. Our lunch came up to $70 (cray!) for the both of us and luckily I still have quite a bit of money left over in the gift card to enjoy a nice dinner.

Hawksworth definitely lives up to it's name, location, and awards. Meta Knight and I were even smiling from ear to ear coming out of the restaurant, both lingering at the thoughts of our delicious food, while already planning our next trip back for dinner service!

Service Rating: 5/5
Food Rating: 5/5
Price: $$$$$+

Overall Rating: 5/5

Happy Eating!


                  the meal was... so good..

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Eggs 'n Things - Loco Moco and the Healthy Acai Bowl

As an avid egg lover, Meta Knight and I both knew we had to try the local Eggs 'n Things at least once while in Waikiki. This little local brunch spot is never seen without line ups which made us excited for what could be inside.

I did a little research prior to going and found out their specialties were in waffles, pancakes, and egg dishes (obvs). Their pancakes are elaborately decorated with a mountain of whipped cream, which looks really impressive, but will probably give you diabetes if you eat the whole thing.

Their menu is EXTENSIVE. Everything is in tourist pricing so while I wouldn't call it a 'tourist TRAP', expect to drop $10-15 USD per person.

At Eggs 'n Things you actually pay and order first before you sit down. Its different but I guess they have it this way to prevent dining and dashing?

Meta Knight and I shared the Hawaiian Loco Moco ($12.25) and Hawaiian Acai Bowl ($7.45).

The Acai Bowl was smaller than I thought but was quite packed with fresh pineapples, strawberries, blueberries, and bananas. With Hawaii being so hot (it was nearly 30 degrees when we were there), the bowl was really refreshing!

Hawaii is known for their 'loco moco' so we just had to try it when we saw it on the menu! The Hawaiian Loco Moco consisted of white rice, mushrooms, bacon, onions, gravy, and two sunny side up eggs. While we both thought it was only okay, this is like the best hangover food because it's got grease, eggs, and gravy. The rice soaked up the salty gravy real good and the egg yolk porn also rounded the dish out.

Service Rating: 3/5

Food Rating: 3/5

Price: $$

Overall Rating: 3/5

Happy Eating!

                                      Loco Moco!!

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