Spring Break is over and last night was my final night in Vancouver. Since I was so busy with packing and preparing for my trip back to New York City, I didn't have the time to blog about this event. We celebrated with a bang. Since Vancouver is known for it's amazing and fresh sushi, we went to Miku Restaurant in downtown Vancouver.

The restaurant is found right in front of the ocean, hence, waterfront.

As soon as you enter, you feel the modern and hip ambiance that the restaurant offers.

We were sat at the sushi bar, which surprisingly had a of space.

I didn't really know what to expect. Usually, sushi is sushi. It's either fresh or not. Nothing more and nothing less.

But what surprised me the most was the way they prepared their sushi. This is the first time I've seen Aburi Sushi. Aburi is inspired by the idea of sear-flaming sushi. It really added a new dynamic for the Japanese dish. Typically, they add the sauce then sear-flame it on top of the sushi. Miku Restaurant is famous for being one of the few spots that serve this style of sushi.

Here's a little demonstration:

Our waiter also said that Miku Restaurant sushis don't require any soy sauce for dipping. Each sushi has its own special sauces that is already added within the sushi itself.

Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi - $16

The first thing we ordered was the Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi. It had BC Wild Sockeye Salmon, jalapeño, and miku sauce. What is interesting about this is its unorthodox presentation. Rather than the common round sushi, the sushi is square shaped. This was probably one of the freshest sushis I've ever had. The special miku sauce complemented the sushi perfectly and the fact it was sear-flamed made it taste even better.

Miku Roll - $18

The next thing we ordered was the Miku Roll. This was AMAZING! it had salmon, crab, cucumber, sea urchin, and it is rolled in flying fish roe. Also, it has the same sear-flamed miku sauce.Very delicious! It almost melts in your mouth! I thought that having all these ingredients would be overwhelming and confusing, but everything seem to have created a dynamic flavored sushi that held the name of the restaurant.

Pan Seared Scallops - $18

We also ordered the Pan Seared Scallops. It is market fresh orange, watercress, frisée, crème fraîche, and yuzu puttanesca. I don't even know what more than half of these ingredients are, but the scallops were perfectly cooked. It wasn't too chewy or too soft and it was seasoned well. The orange also added a nice tangy flavor that aided the taste of the scallops.

Premium Aburi - $26

Finally, we ordered the Premium Aburi. It is the chef's selection feature seafood, lightly flame seared aburi style, and each paired with a unique house made sauce. It is really difficult to explain all of these, but each one of these sushis had a very unique taste. All of these were also sear-flamed. The only problem was that for its price, I would've wanted more!

Overall, everything I ate was amazing. If it wasn't for its expensive price, I would go here everyday! This place is definitely a place I would go to to celebrate special events!

"Don't dunk your nigiri in the soy sauce. Don't mix your wasabi in the soy sauce. If the rice is good, complement your sushi chef on the rice."

-Anthony Bourdain

Quick update guys!

So recently, someone from the "The Province and The Vancouver Sun" newspaper (equivalent to NY Times) contacted via Instagram (@NothingButNorg) asking me to contact them if I was interested to have my foodie photos featured in their Gastropost column. After going back and forth with a few emails, I am now taking weekly "missions" from Gastropost that could potentially have my pictures featured in their newspaper!

Starting from nothing and now being featured in a local newspaper, this is VERY exciting for me!

You can find my picture second from the bottom left! It was an older photo I posted from Gusto Di Quattro.

Hopefully I can be featured more often in their weekly columns!

"Beware the hobby that eats"

-Benjamin Franklin

Congratulations to Winnie and Ken Lineham!

The newly wed couple, my mother and Ken, had a beautiful wedding yesterday afternoon in Stanley Park. My girlfriend, my uncle, and I coordinated the wedding at The Teahouse. We had around 54 guests, many of which are people I met for the very first time.

One of the people I met was Thomas, he was in charge of the decisions in the dessert buffet table and the cake. And since I was too busy running around and helping with the celebration, the only pictures I could take were the items on the dessert table.

There was a beautiful stack of rainbow colored macarons. I've always loved macarons growing up and it has been a long time since I've last had them. But after trying these different mixes, I've had cravings for more!

I didn't really try these cupcakes. I took a bit of the ones with the circular icing. It was a carrot cake cupcake! I'm not a fan of carrot cakes, but this was actually pretty good. Not too sweet, but not too bland!

These little bowls had tiramisu inside of them! It was really good! Now, tiramisu is one of my favorite and the cake was really moist and delicious.

Here is the Wedding Cake! It was red velvet. I thought that the only problem was that it was too filling! The icing was so thick and sweet. But personally, I think the best part about were the edible rose petals. Mmm... edible rose petals...

Again, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BRIDE AND GROOM!

"In all of the wedding cakes, hope is the sweetest of plums"

-Anonymous

It's funny how you can find great places to eat when you actually get out of your house and walk around your neighborhood. Buddha-Full was one of those unique places that I just so happened to have stumbled upon.

This vegan-friendly place was the definition of hipster. First of all, the name itself was really creative and made me interested to see what it was.

106 1st St W #101, North Vancouver, BC

When you enter the store, you'll notice that everything had a raw feeling to it. The benches and shelves looked as if it were built by a local young carpenter.

Their menu was amazing. I really liked the chalk art and their menu was colorful and eye catching. It was the focal point of the store.

They also sold vegan and raw products. They even have gluten-free desserts and sandwiches! (AND COOL, 100% VEGAN LIP BALMS!)

This place makes you feel healthy as a whole.

The Lobo - $8.40

There were so many choices in their menu, but I ended up choosing The Lobo (Lonsdale Bohemian). It had hemp protein, dates, peanut butter, banana, and almond milk. This smoothie was so filling and smooth! The peanut butter was not too overwhelming but allowing the other flavors to be noticeable as well!

Overall, this place is great. It's a bit expensive because of its organic ingredients, but it was well worth my money. The store has a tranquil mood and its a great place to meet with friends (your yoga hippie friends, jkjk). It's actually quite funny because a few hours later, one of my gluten-free friends, Yannick, recommended me to check this place out. That just made me realize this place's popularity within the organic-lovers community.

"Let your food be your medicine, let your medicine be your food"

-Hippocrates

I've been so busy the last few days that it was almost impossible for me to find time to post. Now that I have time for myself, I can finally post about the dinner I had a couple days ago.

I went out with my siblings, my mother, and my soon-to-be-step-father to Burgoo Bistro. This place was unique for its filling comfort food. Its wooden interior was also relaxing and set a comforting mood. 

One thing that is really unique about this place is that they serve foods from many parts of the world. Not only that, but they also write the location of each item on the menu. For instance, Palak Pakoras, IND or Mussels Cocotte, FRA. I really enjoyed this interesting concept.

ANYWAYS...

Since I'm FINALLY LEGAL, we had appetizers and drinks at the bar.

Bloody Caesar - $6.50

I ordered a Caesar, CAN. I have yet to explore the world of alcoholic beverages so I can't differentiate between a good and a bad drink.

Nacho Fuego - $13

We started with the Nacho Fuego, MEX. This is probably the best nachos I've ever had and, by far, my personal favorite. It has chorizo, red pepper, chipotle, guacamole (optional), and melted cheese. The chips they used are amazing as well!

They also have quite the liquor collection.

Fonduemental - $15

When the table was ready, we were kindly led by our charming server to our booth. We ordered a Fonduemental, CHE. It's molten Gryere & Emmenthal, white wine and Kirsch. It's one of those basic fondues. It is also served with bread, apples, and grapes. It's quite good and kinda addicting to eat. The only problem is that it's such a small bowl of cheese!

"After School Special" (Gooey Grilled Cheese and any soup) - $16.50

My sister and my mother ordered Gooey Grilled Cheese, GBR (what does GBR even mean?!). The bread is so crunchy and buttery, and its cheese is really gooey. Everything about this sandwich is great! It also goes perfectly if you dip it in the sweet Straight Up Tomato, GBR. People go to Burgoo for the combination of the grilled cheese and the tomato soup!

Meatball Sub - $15

I ordered their Meatball Sub. It's REALLY filling, but I had one problem. I thought that the meatball itself wasn't very tasteful. It tasted like it had too much italian seasoning. I did like the tomato sauce and cheese that covered it though. Other than that, the sandwich didn't blow my mind.

Overall, this is a great restaurant. I've gone here 3 times this week with different people and it's really one of the best places to eat on the Lower Lonsdale area.

"The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese."

-Willie Nelson

I had brunch today with my mom and her friends at Moodyville Café. This place is apparently the oldest restaurant on the Lower Lonsdale area. It was just a cute little cafe.

101 Lonsdale Ave, North Vancouver, BC

One with a sense of humor too.

It's also a popular little place for locals to visit.

I ordered the Traditional Eggs Benedict. I thought it was okay. The sauce they used was not only buttery but you could really taste the lemon. It was pretty good. The potatoes were alright, nothing special. Everything was really pretty average over anything else.

Honestly, although the food wasn't absolutely mind blowing, the ambiance and the mood of the place made it for me. I would definitely go back here with friends for brunch!

"Damn you, Eggs Benedict!"

-Charlie Harper (Two and a Half Men)

The past three nights, I've been accustomed to have dinner at Lonsdale Quay area. First Raglan's, then Burgoo, and now Gusto Di Quattro.

Gusto Di Quattro is my girlfriend's GO TO restaurant. Whether it's birthday or any day of the week, she would never pass up an offer to go to this place. I mean, she's also a little biased because her father has been the manager of Quattro in Whistler Village for as long as she remembers.

Since this is restaurant is between casual and fine dining, it can get a little pricey unless you go when they offer their great deals, which is one of the reasons we went on a Monday night. During these nights, appetizers are $5, pastas are $10, and house wines are $5! That's how you get customers!

We started with Cheesy Garlic Bread. It was definitely cheesy! The tomato sauce was like a marinara-type of sauce. The bread was well seasoned and the cheesy, was well, cheesy. Just a heads up, this appetizer is not a permanent feature on their menu, it is only available during on the Monday/Tuesday special menu with the 10$ pastas and 5$ appetizers/house wines. 

First of all, I just want to say that Italian food is not my forté when it comes to knowing what it's suppose to taste like. 

I ordered the Linguine Carrettiera. It has tuna, pancetta, mushrooms, and parmesan. It's a pretty simple recipe, but the combination of the few ingredients made for a tasteful Italian dish. 

My girlfriend ordered their famous Spaghetti Quattro. This is what she has to say about it:

"Antonio, the owner of Quattro Restaurants, created this dish years ago and now it's the pride and joy of the the four Quattro locations! A spicy dish made for the true Italians at heart, it has been my favorite item on their menu--as well as my absolute favorite food--for years!"

Again, I had the perfect company.

For dessert, we ordered something called the Resurrection. You guys know what a Lava Cake is? It's basically the same thing. It's a molten chocolate lava cake, vanilla bean gelato, and warm chocolate sauce. This was the second time I've had it and this time around, the inside was perfectly made. With just one scoop, the hot chocolate flowed out creating a a delicious pool of fudgy goodness! 

"Life is not worth if I cannot have pasta or bread again."

-Monica Seles

After going to the gym with my girlfriend today, we had a difficult time deciding where to go for lunch. Chipotle? Chinese food? There were too many to choose from! We eventually realized our craving for fish and chips, so after our workout, we took a five minute walk to Lonsdale Quay and found my "Go To" fish and chips place, Montgomery's Fish & Chips.

Lonsdale Quay Food Court

This little shack is just one of the many small food stores found in the Lonsdale Quay's food court. This place truly stands out because of its design is unique compared to the design of the other food stores. The servers were very friendly as well.

Halibut & Chips

For the expense that I paid, which was plenty, everything was as delicious as I expected. We ordered the Halibut & Chips. The fish was golden, crispy, and tasteful.

And the fries... oh man... the fries were delicious. It has all sorts of textures going for it. I'm the type of person who likes their fries both soggy and crispy, which is why I thought it was well done.

Prawns & Chips

The next thing we ordered was the Prawns & Chips. Personally, this is my favorite item on their menu. Really, it's because I like prawns. The batter was filling and flavorful, and it all tasted perfect with the tartar sauce.

Final thought: for a food shop in a food court, this place was quality!

But you can't have the perfect meal without the perfect company.

"It's okay to eat fish because they don't have any feelings."

-Kurt Cobain

There's nothing like ending your night with a little ice cream. I just thought that I'd do a quick post on what I did tonight before I hit the hay. I spent most of my day working out and swimming. Later during the day, my girlfriend came over to watch our favorite show together, The Walking Dead. Great episode, btw!

Anyways, after that I walked her home and we stopped by Marble Slab Creamery. Alright, so for those of you Americans who don't know what Marble Slab is, it's basically a Cold Stone. You choose an ice cream and toppings and they'll slab it all together for you.

I got the Cookie Dough Drizzle. It basically had Oreos bits, cookie dough, fudge, and birthday cake ice cream. I also got it on White Chocolate Oreo Waffle Cone (that's a mouthful!).

The whole thing was sweet, delicious, and EXTREMELY creamy. I can't really suggest an ice cream flavor to try, but everything looks pretty good to me! So one tip when coming here: just try something interesting. Mix all your favorite toppings and ice cream flavors together to create one perfect, cold treat!

"Forget art. Put your trust in ice cream."

-Charles Baxter

Hey there foodies! Quick update: I am back in Vancouver for Spring Break until Sunday (March 30th). So just to update you guys, from now until then, my posting will be the foods in the Vancouver area!

View from Lonsdale Quay Dock

On February 11, 2014, I turned 19 years old. Unfortunately, I turned 19 (legal in Vancouver) when I was in New York, which the legal age is 21. So it was really difficult to truly celebrate my birthday drink.

ANYWAYS!

Today was my first day back to Vancouver for Spring Break! Woohoo! I spent it with my lovely girlfriend (Sydney) and my family. It was a a beautiful day out today so I spent most of it outside the house and in Lonsdale Quay area.

Straight to dinner: Sydney and I went to a local Tiki-Style bistro called Raglan's Bistro. And for the first time in my life, I ORDERED MY VERY FIRST ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE IN A PUBLIC RESTAURANT.

15 Lonsdale Ave, North Vancouver, BC

The whole place is really creatively designed. With tiki decorations all over the place, a little straw hut as a bar, and surfboards as tables, this place was definitely unique. Our server was really helpful and friendly too. The staff was very kind and showed great customer service.

I ordered a margarita to start. To be specific, a Strawberry Kamikaze. Mmm... girly drinks...

Kamikaze - $7.25

This wasn't our first time here, so we went straight to what I know Raglan's for: their poutine. For those who don't know, poutine is a Canadian dish from Québec that is made of french fries, gravy, and cheese curds. From the selection of poutines such as the classic poutine, cheeseburger poutine, and pulled pork poutine, my girlfriend wanted to try the Ancho Chicken Poutine.

Ancho Chicken Poutine - $13, Meaty Nachos - $18

Ancho Chicken Poutine was made of french fries, gravy, cheese curds, grilled chicken, bacon, mozzarella, crispy onions, and chipotle sour cream.

Two words: Absolutely Delicious!

We also order their Meaty Nachos, which had everything nachos had, but with grilled chicken, chorizo, and bacon.

This was good as well.

Overall, this place is a great place to go especially for the Summer time. They have burgers, sandwiches, margaritas, tacos, nachos, poutine, and many other foods that are perfect for those bright and sunny days. I wish we had been seated outside at their patio seating so we could've enjoyed the sun. But if you go to Raglan's Bistro, be sure to order ANY of the poutines. You won't regret it!

"If bacon ate, bacon would eat poutine"

-Chris Jones (Esquire Editor)

It's my roommate's (Josh) birthday weekend and its my mother's wedding in a week and a half. This created the conflict between choosing to go through an intense diet before the wedding or properly celebrating my friend's birthday. Clearly, as the foodie that I am, I chose the food route.

Josh found out, from word of ear, about a place that had Donut Ice Cream Sandwiches. That's right! DONUT ICE CREAM SANDWICHES! It sounded too amazing to pass up. Holey Cream was the place for this.

796 9th Ave, New York, NY (Between 51st and 52nd Streets)

 This place was just outside Time Square. We found this place in a quieter part of the neighborhood. This quirky little place would be an amazing place to go to during the Summer time.

The inside of the place was quite basic. A very typical ice cream shop.

Looking at the menu, we were searching for the Donut Ice Cream Sandwich sections, but it was no where in sight.

Still no where... Until one of the employers offered it to us.

So this is how it works:

1) Choose 3 different Ice Cream flavors

2) Choose either Vanilla, Chocolate, or Strawberry for the donut ice cream

3) Finally, Choose a topping

I chose Dulce de Leche, Peanut Butter Crunch, and Moose Tracks Ice Cream. Then I chose the vanilla icing and the classic sprinkles as a topping.

Everything they served was quite fresh. The donut was made right in front of us and the ice cream was delicious. Out of the three flavors of I chose, I thought the best one was Moose Tracks. The vanilla ice cream was smooth and the chocolate chunks were very complimenting. My least favorite ice cream was the Dulce De Leche, I just thought that its consistency was a little too sticky, although it was still delicious.

Overall, this sweet monster was well worth the $8 I spent. It was hard to eat like a sandwich so we approached it with a spoon. This place is definitely a MUST VISIT during Summer in New York City! Yum yum!

"I am having a love affair with this ice cream sandwich"

-George (Arrested Development)

What do you do for dinner after the night you just had ramen? Get more Ramen!

Last night my friend, May (WHO RECENTLY GOT CASTED IN "FLOWER DRUM SONG"), was really insisting me to go with her to grab some real, asian ramen after Footloose.

249 E 49 St, NY, New York, 10017

After hours of research of which Ramen shop stays open past midnight, we found Seo Japanese on 49th Street. This cute little Japanese store was quite traditionally decorated. When you enter that back room, you're given a beautiful view of a Japanese garden with bamboo and . The atmosphere inside this place made it feel like you weren't in New York anymore.

Edamame - $4

We ordered the classic Edamame. There's not much to review about this item. Most edamame are almost identical, so this one was good. 

Shio Ramen - $9.50

I ordered a Shio Ramen, which was a salt-based ramen. The broth was good, a little bit watery, but it was good. I was really craving a miso-based type ramen but the menu was literally so small, they only offered 3 types of ramen. Their drink menu was larger than their actual menu.

The noodles were similar to the ones in Hinata Ramen. There was a lot more than I expected. It was also not one of the softer kinds of noodles, which has been a pattern in New York ramen places so far.

The chasu was excellent but tiny! It was soooo fatty! The fattier the better (when it comes to chasu)! I like how the edges were slightly burnt and added a greater seasoned flavor.

My friend, May, ordered the Shoyu. To be honest, I was kind of jealous, her's tasted better. Other than the more flavorful broth, everything was basically the same.

Overall, Seo Japanese has great ramen for much cheaper than Hinata Ramen, but their choices were incredibly limited. Hinata had at least 6 ramens to choose from and Seo had only 3. Their appetizers weren't too appealing either. From choices from cold tofu to pork on rice, there wasn't really anything that caught my eye. Although this was their only flaw, the ramen was great.

"Although the food was good, the company could've been better."

-May Yoshioka