Breakfast With Kirby- Triple Berry and Double Chocolate Chip Coconut Pancakes

This is just a simple post showing you different variations of using your boring ol’ pancake mix to make breakfast! You don't always have to eat plain pancakes with maple syrup so be a little creative and add whatever comes to mind. :)

My first variation is Triple Berry Pancake and the second variation is Double Chocolate Chip Coconut Pancake (yes... it is rather indulgent for the morning :P).

For my Triple Berry Pancakes, all I did was use regular “Aunt Jemima” pancake batter mix and tossed in a few blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries. 

It makes for a fruity pancake and is packed full of flavour (and vitamins!)

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Ninkazu Japanese Restaurant- Raw Oysters, Fruit Jell-O, and Shark Fin Sushi

For my birthday celebration with Dup, Dirtygirl, Pudding, Meta Knight, and Cupcake, we went to Ninkazu for an AYCE (all-you-can-eat) feast! I totally forgot to make reservations and we were told it would be a 45 minute wait. Luckily, we couldn’t decide on where else to go, and they somehow got us a table in about 20 minutes. Yay!

 We were super duper hungry because we played sports beforehand so please forgive me for the blurry pictures. I tried to take a picture as soon plates landed on our table but I couldn’t let the camera focus fast enough before chopsticks started digging in! :P We are a savage bunch.

We ordered off their Deluxe Dinner Menu ($22.95) because I specifically wanted the raw oysters (Kaki Pon). I absolutely love raw oysters!! These were of decent size (considering you can get as many as you want) and tasted quite fresh. I pretty much finished the whole plate... :D

The Ebi Sunomono was average. It’s refreshing, sour, and a great way to start off the meal.

I didn’t try the Chopped Scallop Cones but I assume they were okay because I heard no complains. The Soft Shell Crab Roll was super good 2 out of the 3 times we ordered it. Our first time ordering it, awesome.  Second time, tasted like mush. Third time, awesome! So if you get a bad roll, just do what we did and order it again Muahahaha.

I was pleasantly surprised that they took the effort to make the presentation of the sashimi look pretty! In this platter, we had Salmon Sashimi, Toro Sashimi, Tako Sashimi, Hokkigai Sashimi, and Tuna Sashimi. These were all pretty decent. My only criticism would be that their Toro was frozen which is always a no-no.

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Seattle: Beecher's Handmade Cheese- Who Doesn't Love Cheese?! :D

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese is located inside Pike Place Market and is always packed full of people. A lot of people (including me!) visit this place because they’re fascinated by the cheese making process and you can literally... if you stand long enough LOL, see them churn the milk whey into curds, and then press them into blocks of cheese!

They have a small counter where they sell cooked food (all made with cheese of course!) for people who want to try some fresh delicious cheese. :D

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Seattle: Best Clam Chowder Ever & Russian Baked Goods

When you visit Seattle, make sure to check out Pike Place Market because  there are tons of places to see (and eat) there! One of the places I always have to visit is the Pike Place Chowder because they have won numerous awards for their amazing clam chowder. I agree! They serve the best I've ever had.

There is usually a huge line just to order, but during this particular visit, it was empty! Score!!

photo courtesy of FW

They have a variety of chowders including: Clam Chowder, Smoked Salmon Chowder, Manhattan Clam Chowder, Seafood Bisque, Seared Scallop Chowder... and much more. 

On that particular day, their special 'chowder' was the 'Crab and Shrimp Clear Chowder'. 

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Seattle: Crab Pot- Unique Experience, But Once Is Enough

During the summer, I went to Seattle a few times and I haven't had the time (until now) to blog about all of the places I visited during each trip. On this one particular trip, I went to Seattle with Rae and FW. 

all photos in this post courtesy of Rae

After a quick tour around Pike Place Market, we headed over to the Crab Pot on Pier 57. I've read numerous blogs on this place and have even watched it on "Man vs. Food", so going in I was expecting some epic meal time. However, FW had been there before and she told us that it wasn't really as special as people make it out to be. After having been there, I agree.

When you walk along Pier 57, there will be a giant sign that says "The Crab Pot". You can't really miss it. :P

We ordered two orders of The Westport ($25.95 per person) between the three of us because we weren't that hungry after munching at Pike Place Market earlier. The Westport contains dungeness crab, snow crab, shrimp in the shell, steamed clams and mussels, andouille sausage, corn on the cob, and red potatoes in their jackets. Look! They give you bibs!

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Flying Beaver- Perfect Spot to Chill, Watch the Game, & Eat a Burger

In Richmond, there aren't many good pubs out there. Actually, there aren't many pubs in general because the only ones I know of is Shark Club, Legends Pub, and Flying Beaver. I periodically dine at Flying Beaver whenever I'm craving a burger, or when my friends and I want to be savage and devour cheap wings during a Canucks game. Btw, they have $0.40 wings on Weds and Sundays after 5pm!

During a visit with B-Boy, Sis, and Pooh^2, we ordered four appys because it was Monday and they have 2 for 1 appys on Mondays after 5pm. Each person also has to order a drink in order to get the special. 


Starting from the left going clockwise, there is the Spinach and Artichoke Dip ($10.95), Coconut Prawns ($9.95), Crab Stuffed Portobellini ($12.95), and Steak Bites ($9.95). They charged us for the two most expensive appys so it ended up being $24.00 for the above which is pretty good. The spinach dip was great and the tortillas were freshly fried. The steak bites were a bit tough so I probably wouldn't order that again. The coconut prawns and the crab stuffed portobellini were my favourite though by far! 

 

For the entree, Sis and I shared the Homemade Bison Burger ($11.95). It consisted of a homemade bison patty with Guinness infused cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, a pickle, and a choice of salad or fries. Since we wanted a bit of everything, we added $1.50 to get 1/2 fries, 1/2 salad. The burger was amazing! I find Flying Beaver's burgers to be exceptional and always fresh which is one of the reasons why I keep coming back. Their fries are double fried so they are super crispy and delicious. :D

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Bauhinia Restaurant- Upscale HK Style Cafe

As I mentioned in my birthday freebie post, my family and I came to Bauhina Restaurant for dinner to celebrate my birthday!

I noticed that they don't have many customers, even during peak lunch/ dinner hours because when we arrived at 7:00pm (prime dinner time), there were only 3-4 occupied tables.

I saw the Lobster section of the menu before on my previous visit with Meta Knight (post below) and I've always wanted to come back to try it. So without hesitation, I chose to share this with Kirbro (my bro) as our entree. We chose the Combo for 2 ($49.95) and the "Baked Portuguese Style Lobster w/ E-Fu Noodle". The combo also comes with a Prawn Fruit Salad, Lobster Soup, dessert, and a beverage.

The prawn salad came first and both Kirbro and I received a plate. The salad essentially consists of three prawns, cubes of honeydew and cantaloupe, and Japanese mayo. The combination of ingredients may seem odd if you have never tried it, but it actually tastes pretty good together.

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Izumi-Ya Japanese Marketplace- Authentic Sushi, Bento Boxes, and Dons

Izumi-Ya is a large Japanese Marketplace where they sell handmade chocolates, raw meats, vegetables, snacks, and an array of ready made sushi and bento boxes...etc. I am so glad that this place is located close to my house because it is so convenient when you don't have time to just grab a satisfying lunch or dinner.

I've taken pictures of a few items from Izumi-Ya but they totally don't represent all they have to offer because their selection is ENORMOUS. You can get everything here from udon, to rice balls (wrapped in seaweed),dons, sushi rolls, tapas... you get what I mean. The picture above is the Katsu Don ($5.25) consisting of fried pork cutlet with egg, caramelized onions, and green onion on top of a bed of rice. 

Once you heat it up, the Katsu Don is really delicious! 

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Mazazu Crepe- Not Very Impressive

I don't know why, but Aberdeen Center food court is always my go to place whenever I want a snack, quick lunch, or when I can't think of where to eat. On one particular day, Trixie and I headed over to Aberdeen food court (once again) to get a snack at Mazazu Crepe.

Mazazu Crepe is known for their unique Japanese style "cheesecake" and "brownie" crepes. I've had them before and I didn't find them amazing to be honest, so I just normally stick with their normal crepes.

No matter how many times I've seen this display, I always take a second glance whenever I walk by. :P It's just so captivating!

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Chez Meme- You Gotta Check This Place Out :D

Chez Meme is a tiny little bistro on Hastings in Burnaby and they serve mainly breakfast and baguettes for lunch. Their hours are quite limited (they're only open till 3pm on weekdays) and because the restaurant seats very little, you may have to wait a bit for a table. Their service is also slow but that's because they only have one server.

I ordered the Schnitzel ($8.75) baguette and it comes with either a side salad, fries, or the daily soup. I heard about their famous "Onion Soup" beforehand so I upgraded my daily soup to the onion soup for an extra $3.00.

The Schnitzel baguette consisted of fried pork loin, lemon caper mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, and grainy dijon. The combination of all ingredients made for a delightfully light and fresh sandwich. The grainy dijon mustard gave great flavour to the sandwich and provided a slight "crunch" if you will, to each bite. And the baguette... it tasted like it was fresh out of the oven with it's crusty exterior and soft interior. Probably the best baguette I've ever had!

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