All entries in the 'Vancouver' Category
Dona Cata in Vancouver
Truly good Mexican food has always been hard to come by in the Vancouver area. For years it seemed that Las Margaritas or Pepitas were the only Mexican options in the area. Over time the available options increased with the likes of Topangas, Andales and Mi Mexico but I always wondered if the Mexican food here could still get better. With a love for Mexican spices, tortilla and salsa I’ve always been up for trying a different Mexican gem. Doña Cata Mexican Restaurant & Taqueria is located deep in East Vancouver on Victoria Drive and E. 35th Avenue. Open now for three years, the restaurant sports an incredibly colourful storefront yet somehow retains an unassuming appearance.
Doña Cata’s has a fairly intimate setting (read small) offering multiple tables for parties of two, four, and six to eight people. But don’t get any ideas about planning your next big event here, I doubt the place can seat more than 30 people.
Known more as a taqueria, Doña Cata’s specialty is, tacos. Mexican, (specifically from the region of Morelos) style tacos is what occupies most of the menu. For the review we sampled a number of dishes. Two tacos (bisteck and pollo), combo taquero (bisteck, carnets, and longaniza), “Alambres preparados” Doña Cata Special, nachos and of course the lime margarita. You may be thinking, “Holy cow that’s a lot of food”, but don’t worry the review was actually split into two visits.
The two tacos is easily one of the best deals that can be had. Two tacos for FOUR dollars (plus GST) with the option of marinated pork, chopped steak, cured pork sausage, shredded pork loin, slow roasted pork, and chicken or lamb. We chose the beef and chicken. The beef (bisteck) were chunks of juicy sauteed meat instead of the typical ground beef in Tex Mex tacos. The chicken (pollo) was shredded chicken breast, nicely flavoured but a little over cooked this time around.
Dim sum at Bing Sheng in Vancouver
Its been a while since I had dim sum. After hearing about Bing Sheng from Jeremy, I went there to have dim sum this weekend. Seating and service are usually not an issue for us because we typically have dim sum at 9AM-10AM. Why do I have dim sum so early? Its because I hate crowds and I like to do my weekly grocery shopping early in the morning! I was a little hesitant about Bing Sheng from the outside appearance.
The outside of the restaurant was very misleading. I felt much better upon walking in. The restaurant was nicely decorated with chandeliers, Chinese paintings and antiques, and a LCD TV. I was able to choose a table by the window because I wanted the natural light for my photos. The waitress used our Pu-erh tea to make the pot of tea. They offer a Chinese and English dim sum menu, but there no pictures and you have request for the English menu. We quickly checked off the dishes we wanted to eat and placed our order.
August 17, 2009 | Danny | Comments 0Joe Fortes: 2-Course Lunch @ $13.95 & FREE Oysters
Enjoy three oysters on us on your next visit! Present this coupon to your server the next time you visit Joes for three delicious oysters.
One card per person, limit of two per table.
Expires January 31, 2010
Source: RFD
Joe Fortes is offering any 2 courses for only $13.95 during lunch available from 11am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.
Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House
777 Thurlow Street
Vancouver, BC
604-669-1940
Trixi’s Crepe & Coffeehaus in Vancouver
I was walking around the Cambie Village on a photo walk and was craving for some dessert. I decided to visit Trixi’s for the second time. During the first visit, I tried their savory crepe which was very enjoyable. The owner was very hands on, making most of the crepes.
July 25, 2009 | Danny | Comments 0Summer BBQ Series: Butter chicken sausage
Granville Island was the destination of my photo walk. I walked past a sausage vendor while taking photos inside the market. Then I remember watching a food show by Discovery interviewing Vij’s. Vij’s is a husband and wife restaurant owned by Vikram and Meeru. I vividly remember Vikram introduced a butter chicken sausage made by Oyama Sausage.
Oyama Sausage Company is a small family run business providing sausages and cheese. The staff is friendly and welcoming. You can pretty much sample anything cooked. My favorite is the prosciutto. Prosciutto can get pretty pricey at Oyama. You might be able to finder it cheaper from an Italian store on Commerial Dr. Most items are fractionally more expensive than the supermarkets.
July 22, 2009 | Danny | Comments 2
