Cafe Medina

Cafe Medina, probably the most popular and well known brunch restaurant in Greater Vancouver. I've been wanting to try their food for the longest time and finally had the chance to this summer. All the hype and praise for Cafe Medina energized me to get up early on a summer weekday and ride the Skytrain with my brother to get a hefty breakfast. But where my expectations too high? Let me expand...

The line up at Cafe Medina

To begin, Cafe Medina is extremely accessible by public transit. It is around the corner from the Stadium-Chinatown skytrain station, no exaggeration used. Just follow the signs and exit to Beatty Street and turn right. I'm very glad we had no troubles trying to locate the restaurant because that area can be kind of sketchy.

Another indicator that assured us we were at the right place was the mass of people standing around on the sidewalk. Cafe Medina is known for long line ups. Just earlier that Sunday, my best friend's mom was going to take us there for brunch but we were told over the phone that there was a 1 hour and 45 minute wait... So we went to Phnom Penh instead, you should check that uber popular restaurant out too! 

The first thing to do when arriving at a busy restaurant is to put yourself on the waitlist as soon as possible. Those one or two tables that wrote their names down two seconds before you did will make a big difference when growling stomach syndrome begins. The waitlist is on a very narrow clipboard that is hung on the doorframe inside the restaurant. There should be a pencil on the counter next to it.

We arrived at 10am on a Friday and waited 45 minutes. It was a very long 45 minutes as I got hangry beginning at 10 minutes into my wait time. I understand that the restaurant is small, very small. There were many groups of two (like us) waiting so I suppose that was part of the reason for the long wait. A lot of people bought a latte to drink while waiting and some people come just to get a latte to-go. Many tourists also visit Cafe Medina, that's how famous it is.

Cafe Medina Brunch Menu

When we finally got seated, we were given ice water and a menu. Even though it was a Friday, a brunch menu was given to us. Maybe since it's summer, brunch is served on extra days? Twisted Fork Bistro is doing so. I already knew I was going to get the Paella but my brother was rather ambivalent. He said he wanted something 'heavy' so I suggested the Les Boulettes, spicy lamb and beef meatballs with two poached eggs. One thing I didn't expect, was that the prices were more expensive than listed on their website. About a dollar more for each entree item. Not a lot, just something I noticed.

Waffles ready to be served

Their waffles are very famous, but as I was waiting, I noticed they were not made to order and therefore, probably served room temperature. I read on Follow Me Foodie that the waffle batter is from Damien's Belgian Waffles in Richmond. That kind of takes the 'special-ness' out of the waffles. So, I saved my waffle quota for later in the day to spend at Nero Belgian Waffle Bar (posts here and here).

Lavender Latte (8 oz. for $3.85)

I got a Lavender Latte to sip on while our food was being prepared. A little splurge for myself for waiting patiently (psht, what an excuse :P). Lavender is the most popular flavour so I figured I couldn't go wrong choosing that one. The 8 ounce cup looked larger than I expected and was more than enough. The latte was very smooth and had a mild lavender flavour. Not bitter at all (as I'm not a regular caffeine drinker). Although I can't say I'll be dreaming of this latte, it was very good and worth trying. Swirling the foam with the cute tiny spoon is how I passed time. The whole cup was cleared well before the food arrived.

Top: Paella, Bottom: Les Boulettes

Paella - I haven't tried a traditional Spanish paella before, so this fusion one is my first dish labeled with the name paella. I expected the dish to be served baked in a mini cast iron skillet like in other people's photos, but it was in the same dish as my brother's. It was quite a large portion (for one person at least) of curried orzo, mixed with vegetables and chorizo, topped with fresh herbs, avocado, and a single poached egg (our server asked if we wanted fried, but poached is healthier). This dish was very rich and extremely filling since the orzo expands in my stomach with all that latte I just downed. The avocado must have been drizzled with lemon juice because it had that tang to it. The chorizo was sliced very thinly and after being baked, resembled Chinese sausage. Didn't really enjoy the dry sausage, or the saltiness from that. The egg was poached perfectly, but that's probably the only highlight. Overall, it was a good meal but just weighed me down for the following hours. Not a dish I'd be running back for but sparked my interest in trying more paella.

Les Boulettes - Three large meatballs floating on a large serving of thick tomato stew. My brother said it was more like sauce than stew, as it was quite thick. A side of hummus was also included. Whether the grilled foccacia was for dipping into the stew or spreading hummus on, I'm not sure. The potent flavours of every element of the entree kept my brother from finishing it. The stew (or sauce) was so packed with spices it wasn't possible to eat by the spoonful (not that they provided you with a spoon). Nor can you eat hummus by the spoon... The meatballs were juicy and also very flavourful, but after a few bites the inside of our mouths were just lingering with spices so it was rather difficult to pinpoint what the tatse was. My brother said that it this dish was tasty but the spices were so powerful he got tired of it quickly.

Would I recommend this restaurant? Not reeeeally. (gasp!) Majority of people probably would, giving Cafe Medina's food rave reviews, but the it didn't blow me away. There are other restaurants I would recommend before this one. The common con from myself and the brother was that the flavours were too strong, it made our mouths call for water to dilute it a bit. Prices are very reasonable and portions are plenty, but the food was just not worth our nearly one hour wait. I felt like a simple breakfast sandwich from Yolk's a few steps away would have left a better impression.



Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Soirette Macarons & Tea

My brother always hears about my eating adventures in downtown, about all the yummy food, and everything we can't get our hands on near home. Summer is the perfect time to walk around the streets of downtown, so I agreed to take him on a day trip.

Soirette Macarons & Tea storefront

After a heavy brunch at Cafe Medina, our mouths were all salty and desperately called for something sweet. But our stomachs were waving their hands saying "no more food!". We compromised and by walking around a bit to assist our digestion. I saw the Soirette pop-up store inside Holt Renfrew but none of the macaron flavours appealed to me. After my brother showed interest in trying macarons, we continued our walking to Soirette instead of taking the bus. I couldn't quite recall if Soirette was located on West Pender or West Cordova, resulting in extra walking to be done.

This isn't my first time visiting Soirette, but it was my first time trying their food. Papaya Crumpet once dragged us here on one of our foodie adventures. The distance in my mind seemed a lot longer than it actually is. Probably because all I remember is Peanut Crumpet barely making it to Soirette because of a full bladder. "It's around here!" "We're close!" said Papaya Crumpet.

It's strange that my brother would be interested in macarons. Macarons are usually a 'girly' thing at tea parties or given as gifts. "I thought your brother was into manly foods like burgers and bacon.", Peanut Crumpet said to me. "He just eats everything.", I replied. If he is willing to pay for these delicate cookies, then I can't complain.

Desserts and Sweets at Soirette

I expected to see fashionably dressed women chatting over high tea when I arrived on a Friday at 3pm. However, there was absolutely no other customer to be seen. My brother and I stared at the colourful assortment of macarons in the display case, tried a few macaron samples, and admired the other beautifully presented pastries and cakes beside. I picked out 6 flavours of macarons to try and we took our little box outside. We selected almost all the summer seasonal flavours. The summer flavours are s'mores, cherry pie, blueberry pie, charred corn, pandan, basil & strawberry, apricot & fennel, and mango.

Plant decoration at the colourful tables

We took a set at one of the three brightly coloured garden tables right outside the entrance. I really loved the colour combination of the tables and chairs, it is adorable! Makes me happy to be sitting at a pretty table eating pretty macarons.

My brother and I had a taste of each macaron; I would take a bite or two and he'd eat the rest. Here are our (mostly mine, because he's not quite the foodie yet) thoughts:

Half a dozen of macarons from Soirette

Healthy Very Vanilla Cupcakes

It's time to celebrate another birthday! Be prepared for a few more birthday posts coming soon, as there are quite a few August birthdays (including our very own Papaya Crumpet!). My dearest friend Rose wanted something 'vanilla' so I made her vanilla cupcakes topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting. All white (technically, off-white) and classy.

Healthy Very Vanilla Cupcakes

Somewhere on this blog, I have previously mentioned my back luck with cupcakes. Traditional butter-laden versions and healthy versions alike have problems when I attempt to bake cupcakes. Usually the top is covered in holes or the texture is heavy and dense. But this vanilla cupcake recipe seemed to end my streak of bad luck! We can celebrate this too, haha!

Piping Cream Cheese Frosting Roses on Healthy Very Vanilla Cupcakes

This recipe was so quick to put together and yielded round cupcakes that rose above their liners. Only one mixing bowl needed! No problems were encountered when I switched these to make regular sized cupcakes instead of mini ones. I was so excited to see they looked like normal cupcakes when pulled out of the oven. No need for extra fiddling with the oven temperature and watching them like hawks. One toothpick check and they were finished~

Healthy Very Vanilla Cupcakes

This is a considerably healthy cupcake because of the low amount of sugar and oil. For one loaf or a dozen cupcakes, I always stay under half a cup of sugar. Since these vanilla cupcakes were for friends, I used half a cup. However Eat Good 4 Life noted that a third cup is sufficient if adding icing. She even used whole wheat flour, which would up the amount of fibre but in sacrifice for a darker colour. Either way, I approve of this recipe and would try it again! It is a cupcake I could eat without knowing it will completely sabotage my diet.
 
The texture wasn't the lightest and fluffiest cupcake I've had (check out Papaya Crumpet's earl grey cupcakes if you're looking for a fluffy cupcake), but they were acceptable. Maybe this is due to the fact I only had half a cup of pastry flour to use so some all purpose flour was mixed in. Vanilla paste or extra vanilla bean would make these even better. That's how these cupcakes can become 'very vanilla'.

Healthy Very Vanilla Cupcakes with Rose-shaped Icing

I kept with a 'rose' theme with the gifts I was giving her, and icing these cupcakes using my Wilton 2D Closed Star tip was a no brainer. Plus, it gives the cupcakes that 'professional cupcakery' look. I used a traditional cream cheese frosting, which was the only unhealthy part. No recipe is included below because I kind of just made it from scratch. Mixing the cream cheese and butter by hand (because poor Coconut Crumpet doesn't even own a hand mixer...much less a beautiful pink Kitchen Aid...) and adding icing sugar until the consistency I wanted was achieved. To be honest, I think I must've added too much because it was a bit too sweet. Thank goodness the cupcakes themselves weren't already filled with sugar!

Healthy Very Vanilla Cupcakes

Yield: 11 large cupcakes

Adapted from Eat Good 4 Life

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
• ½ cup pastry flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• A few grinds of Himalayan pink sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together egg, oil, milk, vanilla, and sugar until well combined.
3. Sift in flours, baking powder, and baking soda. Add a few grinds of Himalayan pink sea salt.
4. Fold batter until just combined. Over mixing yields large holes in the cupcake!
5. Scoop batter into prepared pan using a cupcake scoop or ice cream scoop.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.
7. Cool completely before frosting.

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Yew Seafood + Bar - @ Four Seasons Hotel, Vancouver

My family has been coming to Yew Seafood + Bar for quite a few occasions now. We often came for their prix-fix specials which were really great value for a fine-dining atmosphere. After VegFest Vancouver and some shopping that afternoon, we decided to try out their new "ocean to table" concept. Of course I didn't mind as I knew that Yew has developed a vegan menu as well; i was thrilled to try out their menu items.

Even their designed changed quite a bit as we walked in, but we were still greeted by the same welcoming servers and a warm atmosphere. We got seated right away without having made reservations and were given some iced water promptly after sitting at a table.

Our server that night was beyond amazing. He was so welcoming and willing to answer any questions you have about the menu. Upon ordering, we were given a basket of complementary mini biscuits (I recall they were earl grey with sea salt?). I told the server I was vegan and he quickly told me he'd bring a vegan bread for me! 

The vegan bread turned out to be a crusty baguette kind of bread, drizzled generously with extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkled with some fresh parsley. I could really tell the olive oil was of high quality because of that strong decadent olive taste to it.

For dinner, my family ordered the Westcoast Paella, Mussels & Clams, as well as a side dish of Kennebec Fries. I ordered the Sweet Corn & Summer Squash.

Westcoast Paella

The Westcoast Paella consists of mussels, salmon, halibut, spot prawns, scallops, chorizo, and saffron rice. It's a seafood lover's pan of joy. Although I did not try this I can say that my family really enjoyed it, especially the saffron rice. Saffron is one of the most expensive spices, therefore rarely used in regular households. The flavour was strong in the rice and they surely didn't skimp out on the saffron when they list "saffron rice" in the paella (although I think a little of it goes a long way).

Shellfish & Clams

The Shellfish & Clams is served in a cioppino broth with a grilled pizza bianca on the side. As pictured above, it turned out the "pizza" was the complimentary vegan bread that I received prior to our meal! I was pleasantly surprised that they would give me something that's on the menu for free... and two big slices of it!

This cioppino broth past of the dish was rather salty for my family, as we're used to more "bland" foods we cook at home. So if you aren't a salt fan, don't order this dish.

Kennebec Fries

As a side dish, my family ordered the kennebec fries which came with a lobster and bacon aioli. The fries were thick-cut and crispy without being greasy. I did try this, but not dipped in the aioli. My family who tried the aioli with the fries really enjoyed it, saying that there was actually lobster in it. So if you are feeling some gourmet hand cut fries, don't hesitate to order this!

Sweet Corn with Summer Squash

My dish was sweet corn with summer squash, consisting of arugula, chanterelle & asparagus salad, and lemon vinaigrette. The lemon vinaigrette was defnitely the star of the dish. It was so lusious and lemony without it being too sour. I did enjoy this dish very much, but I had hoped for a bigger portion because although I am vegan, I don't eat carrot sticks and lettuce for a living. I do eat a large amount, maybe even kind of scary for some people... ask Coconut Crumpet for confirmation ;)

Don't get me wrong; if you have a smaller appetite than I do, which I can honestly say you do, this dish won't disappoint. Everything on this plate complements each other perfectly and I love how the woody earthy flavour of every vegetable can be easily distinguished from the dish, not hidden from some heavily seasoned sauce. The dish was super fresh, perfect for a summer day.

Organic Chocolate Mousse (Vegan!)

This is the part of the meal I enjoyed the most. So. Good. This is definitely my definition of a perfect finish to a meal. I've got to reinvent this and share it with you all!

It is an Organic Vegan Chocolate Mousse with tapioca, mango compote, and coconut sorbet. Doesn't that sound like utter bliss? Trust me, it is. Please don't leave Yew Seafood + Bar without ordering this. Heck, you can just walk in the restaurant ordering this one thing and your life would be complete. Well... for me, that is. 

The chocolate mousse is so smooth and with just the right amount of sweetness that I love (I'm a dark chocolate kind of girl), along with a delicious mango compote made with fresh mangoes. The tapioca adds a chewy touch, and the coconut sorbet just makes it cool and perfect.

Of course, my family would order one cappuccino to pair with dessert. The coffee was strong without being too bitter, and came with a little biscotti cookie. 

To end the meal, we were given a plate of vegan cookies and fish shaped chocolates, one for each person. The cookie was delicious, consisting of many nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, much like the ones I often make at home. My family was too stuffed to finish the fish shaped chocolates, so we ate the cookies and packed the chocolates home. 

I would really recommend Yew Seafood + Bar for those special occasions, because they really have something for everyone to enjoy. The service was first class, and the servers are willing to meet any dietary needs you have. Just make sure if you aren't a fan of salt, refrain from ordering any broth types of dishes, as those can be too salty. 

Oasis Date Gardens

My only goal in Palm Springs was to visit a date garden. Or maybe two.

With only one full day to spend in the Palm Springs-ish area, we wanted to make the most out of it. I knew I wanted to visit Shield's Date Garden, which was pretty much around the corner from our awesome hotel (Homewood Suites in La Quinta!), but my dad found a brochure for Oasis Date Gardens a little further away in Thermal. So we went there first.

Date Shake

I've heard rave reviews about the date shakes at both Oasis Date Gardens and Shields Date Gardens. The name 'date shake' made me think it was a date-flavoured milk shake. But it's not. Soft serve ice cream blended with date crystals. We got this half-cup size for free because we had a coupon for a free date shake with a purchase of like $10. Contrary to all the rave reviews, I didn't find this date shake anything close to amazing. It was good ice cream, but it didn't deliver with the date flavour. Vanilla soft soft ice cream is what I tasted. The full-size version of this is really large, an stuffed cup full of date shake for around $4. However this sample size was more than enough for the four of us because it wasn't that exciting. After trying Oasis' date shake, I was no longer interested in Shield's version as I believe it's the same thing.

Medjool Dates from Oasis Date Gardens

The store portion of Oasis Date Gardens is pretty small. And there were no other customers when we arrived at 10am, which made it rather awkward to browse around. The shelves were a bit empty and the gift sets looked like they had been sitting there for a while. (I'm just guessing by the slightly drier-looking appearance of the medjool dates) We tried a few samples, and bought a pound of medjool dates from the bulk area. We just wanted to buy something, try a date shake, and get out of there. 

I actually didn't have much expectation for these medjools, because who knows how long they've been there? However, I am extremely impressed with these. Perhaps their bulk and wholesale boxes sell a lot quicker than the gift boxes. These medjools are meaty, moist, and super caramel-y. I would describe them as nature's caramels. In fact, these are better than caramels! I crave them every single day.

So, would is it worth going to Oasis Date Gardens? Hmm... Since Shield's is closer and they have medjools just as juicy and caramelly, I'd say it isn't necessary to drive the extra distance. 

And a tip for those that often use a GPS to navigate around, Grapefruit Blvd is actually Highway 111. Our GPS didn't have Grapefruit Blvd as a choice so we looked at a physical map and saw Highway 111 ends and then turns into Grapefruit Blvd. Why don't we get cool street names like that in Vancouver? I wanna live on Blackberry Street or Blueberry Lane...

Oasis Date Garden
59-111 Grapefruit Blvd, Thermal CA 

Reviews on Yelp

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Whistler Sunday Farmer's Market

I love farmer's markets. Brightly coloured produce, unique goods, and happy locals make it a very pleasant way to purchase groceries or just kill time. It also makes for a fun activity when on vacation, especially if a kitchen is available to use where you're staying. After my trip to Honolulu, I make sure to drag my family to a farmer's market if there is one in the city we're visiting. Okay, I failed to do so in Los Angeles but...

Follow the Whistler Sunday Farmer's Market sign!

On this sunny Sunday (ain't called Sunday for no reason!), I marched my family to the base of Blackcomb Mountain to visit the farmer's market. Since we were staying in a vacation condo and often cooked or barbequed our meals, I had an excuse to actually buy produce. I told my mom to only pack as much food as we needed for the first two days so we could spontaneously purchase groceries to cook dinner on Sunday. We bought corn for grilling, which is the most delicious way to eat corn on the cob, baby summer squash, and blackberries for munching. The corn was pretty expensive, but not many stands sold it. I believe we bought it for 50 cents each or a little bit more than that. The summer squash was about $2 a pound. The blackberries were of the best value; $4 for a heaping paper basket of giant, plump, fresh, blackberries. The blackberry season just started and first of the crop is always the best. 

Fresh Local Berries

At the very end of the market, there is a stand that sells blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, and strawberries for 3 for $10, which is the cheapest at the market. They were out of raspberries when I passed by at 11:30am and said another shipment would arrive in the afternoon. I would recommend purchasing at this stand if you're interested in buying local berries from Pemberton.

Baked Samosas (Top: Pemerton Potatoes, Bottom: Yam)

Besides fruits and vegetables, we also bought a few prepared goodies to try during dinner that night. Our first purchase was two baked samosas from an Indian-owned stand. We got one with yam and veggies and another one similar but featuring Pemberton-grown potatoes instead of yam. Both were vegan and served with mango chutney. When we were paying for the samosas, another couple (who I believe were also Indian) came by to pick up two to take with them on a hike. They turned to us and said "These are the best samosas ever!" Our samosas were part of dinner that night, reheated in the oven and cut into four sections so each of us could try both. Unfortunately, my family didn't really enjoy these as they were very dry. The mango chutney was thick and sticky so it wasn't convenient to spread or dip. I appreciate that there are many healthy vegetables in these and are baked instead of fried, but I think I would rather put my three or so dollars to try something else. 

Fruit Pocket Pies

Dessert that night was purchased from a stand selling square-shaped, fruit-filled pocket pies at the very end of the market. We chose the blackberry version. I believe they were $5..? This pie was so delicious. The blackberry filling was prominent and not too sweet, and the crust was super flaky. It was a large enough pie to share between four people and each get a two inch square. Highly recommend eating this pie warm, and maybe with a scoop of vanilla ice cream ;) Or you can gobble this up on the spot right after buying it, that works too.

Aussie Pie

On the way out of the market, a stand selling Australian hand pies caught my mother's eye. She said we didn't have enough food for dinner and wanted to pick up one more food item to share. We had quite the difficult time deciding which flavour to get but ended up settling for the original. It was also around $5. We saw many people eating them while strolling through the market. They are sold hot and ready-to-eat or cooked but cooled down to bring home and heat through when you wish to eat it. We got the later one since it would be a good half a day before we would eat it. The original aussie pie is filled with ground beef. The size of the double-crusted pie is slightly larger than a muffin. This was actually really tasty! The filling was well seasoned and the crust was super, super, super, super, SUPER soft, tender, and buttery. The whole thing was melt-in-my-mouth. I don't know how many calories one quarter of that pie had, and I don't want to know, but I do know it was worth trying. I know there is a food truck in Vancouver that sells aussie pies, and I'm curious to know if the pies are similar. Hmm...must find a time to give it a try...

At the Sunday Farmer's Market in Whistler, there is everything from produce stands, ice cream, baked goods, stone oven pizza, artwork, dog treats, onomoyaki, plenty of food samples, and live music. I remember stopping to try goat cheese (which I actually tried the exact stand at the Winter Farmer's Market in Vancouver), looking at leather bibs for babies, eating root chips, and looking at a rainbow of carrots, beets, and chard. My family was blessed with beautiful weather during our time in Whistler and the farmer's market was a good place to take advantage of the nice weather. The Whistler Farmer's Market is a great place for foodies and families to visit. The market also happens on Wednesday, if you're not around on Sunday. 

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Mizuki Buffet

Needing to fill our tummies before jumping on an evening flight to Los Angeles, my family went out in search of a buffet. My dad discovered Mizuki on the internet and the reviews were okay so we took a risk (Asian buffets, you know?) and gave it a try. In short, it wasn't a bad idea!

Seating inside Mizuki Buffet

Once we entered the restaurant, we were surprised at how many people were having lunch on a Monday afternoon. We noticed that there were especially a lot of Asian customers, most of which were Korean or Mandarin speaking. There wasn't much of a wait, just a minute or two for a waitress to escort us to a table. There are a lot of tables in the restaurant, so it can fit a lot of people. However the noise level can get loud because there isn't much insulation in the ceiling to reduce the noise (ew, physics...) 

My sushi plate vs. dad's sushi plate

In many reviews, people seem to think the sushi is the best part of the buffet. I kind of disagree though. Yes there are at least five chefs constantly making sushi but I didn't really like the sushi. I'm pretty sure they don't use real fish roe. Neon green 'fish roe' is rather sketchy to me. The sashimi is mushy and flavourless. 

Here is my thoughts on what I ate:

The Griddle Cafe

Our first night at a hotel near LAX Airport was supposed to include a continental breakfast. But it was the saddest breakfast of any sort I had ever seen. A few mini cinnamon rolls and coffee-flavoured water. Not even cold water for me to fill my water bottle up with. So, after taking some touristy photos in Beverly Hills, my family was ready to get some real breakfast. The Griddle Cafe serves just that. 

The Griddle Cafe in Hollywood

When I was researching for restaurants in Los Angeles, The Griddle Cafe quickly made it to my list. Humongous pancakes in eighteen different flavours? Count me in! For those that have read my Honolulu post probably know I love pancakes.

We arrived on a Tuesday at around 11:30am. Before going to find street parking, my dad dropped my mom and I off in front of the restaurant. There were a lot of people standing standing in the vicinity, of which all were people waiting for a table. I was so worried my mom would say "the wait is too long" and make us find another food source. My imaginary beads of worry sweat were wiped away when I put my name on the waitlist and was told there was a 15 minute wait. I was a bit skeptical at first, because there were at least 15 groups ahead of me. Where they using the Chinese "tell them the wait is shorter so they'll stay and we can get their money" tactic? Nope. The steady wave of people coming out of the restaurant and quick service made our wait, maybe even less than, 15 minutes. Hurrah!

Barry Yellow Pancakes at The Griddle Cafe

Their red velvet pancakes are very famous, however there is only one pancake per order, compared to three for all other pancakes. Since we would rather not have to go through the tedious process to decide what other food to order, I chose the Barry Yellow pancakes. "Raspberry and lemon folded into our buttermilk batter" is how the menu describes it. I was blown away when it arrived at our table. Each pancake could easily be 12 inches in diametre. And there's three of them! Eating one quarter of this plate is like eating a regular serving of pancakes. The staff are very efficient and provide extra plates with all pancakes, because realistically, everyone will have to share this...right? The massive pancakes here are dirt cheap at $10 to $12.

Golden Lake Seafood Restaurant 湖濱海鮮酒家

Golden Lake Seafood Restaurant 湖濱海鮮酒家

On our way home from Whistler, my dad wanted to have some dimsum for lunch. A four day fast from Chinese food is too much for him, haha! Family friends have mentioned Golden Lake Seafood Restaurant and it required no detours to get to, so we gave it a try.

The larger seating section of the restaurant

By the way, if I remember correctly, all orders placed before 11am get 20 or 30 percent off the final check. We juuuuuust missed it...:(

Sneak Peak of Menu

The menu is quite vast compared to our local dimsum restaurant. But since it's a 'fancier' dimsum restaurant, items are categorized into small, medium, large, and specialty prices. And most of the time, there are barely any small items. So expect to pay at least $4 per item. There are larger dishes like noodles and fried rice on the backside.

Dimsum at Golden Lake Seafood Restaurant

1 -Eggplant stuffed with shrimp paste ($4.50)

The eggplant pieces were fairly large and served very hot. Pretty good. The black bean sauce was slightly on the bland side though.

2 - Beef rice roll ($4.50)
Standard rice roll. The beef is the same as the beef balls; not 100% beef but mixed with fish paste.

3 - Chicken and Chinese sausage rice casserole & Beef short rib rice casserole ($5.95 each)
Rice is not cooked in the hotpot so no crispy rice at the bottom :( There are more bones than meat in both casseroles. Not the best we've had. Only good aspects were that there was a lot of rice and I liked eating the broccoli.

4 - Chiu Chow dumplings ($3.95) (they spell 'Chiu Chow' really funny on the menu but I don't remember what it was...)
One of my favourite dishes to have, and not every restaurant serves it. Plus, it's usually cheaper because it's a 'medium' item. :D Golden Lake's has a good amount of peanuts (yay!) and radish. The skin was slightly dry on the outside since it was pretty thick. Other than the skin, the filling was good. The best I've had was at Po King in Burnaby, but it's closed now *teartear*

5 - Beef ball ($3.95)
Pretty large, tastes very standard. Not too 'fish-pastey', which is good.

6 - Beef tendon ($4.50)
Cooked until very soft and the sauce has a good level of spiciness. There are a lot of large pieces that are good to eat. Just a little oily like all beef tendon dimsum out there.

All the dishes we tried were very standard. Not special or different enough to be worth the higher dimsum price. There is also a charge for tea per person ($0.80 per head). Charging higher prices just for gold-fabric-covered chairs ain't gonna cut it at a Chinese restaurant. There is very limited parking so be prepared to try and find some street parking around the area. We were lucky enough to nab a spot right as we arrived. Inside the restaurant is pretty small, so expect to wait for a table during peak hours. Overall, our experience wasn't disappointing, but not amazing enough to have a reason to purposely come back. 


 
Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡