Vancouver East side
Purebread has a very solid presentation. Everything looked very good and was tightly placed together. I have not walked into a bakery that I was unable to make my decisions like in Purebread. The baked goods were made early in the morning, so some of the items may be a bit stale. I would recommend re-heating with a small convection oven at home before enjoying them.
If I was the emperor to receive this cup of tea as a tribute, I would have wiped out their civilization really quickly. Perhaps my expectation was set too high after reading Gong Cha's business philosophy. Unfortunately, they did not live up to the standard they have set out on their own website. Today, I have had a cup of tea that fails at the forefront of the tea's body, the topping, and even the size. I cannot think of any reason to recommend Gong Cha.
Todak Todak Korean Cuisine is a fried chicken focused Korean restaurant. They also serve deep-fried pork cutlet on rice among other sides. Currently, they do not serve liquor, but I have faith in them getting it eventually. I really enjoyed their fried chicken for their flavour, crispy batter, and juicy meat. However, I think they may have put too much baking soda in the batter. For $25 per person, it is a little pricey. I would bring more friends to keep the cost down. They also have cheese flavoured boneless fried chicken, which is something I am coming back to try.
Yes, Kikyouya Shingen is popular in Japan, and the Kikyouya Shingen Mochi Popsicle tastes very good as well. However, the candy version did not live up to my expectations. The most essential part is the mochi, but the texture was ruined in exchange for shelf-life longevity. The package cost $2.99 for 16 candies, which is a convenient way for the taste of Kikyouya Shingen. That's about the only value I see in these candies. I don't really recommend them.
Kook Korean BBQ Restaurant is one of the newer Korean BBQ places in Vancouver. Their strength is the premium ingredient quality and the service provided. It is not a down to earth restaurant like Wang Ga Ma in Coquitlam and the $33 per person price point definitely includes the cost of their decoration. I would recommend this place if the portion is larger. On my restaurant list, it is being categorized as a premium Korean restaurant in Vancouver East.
My Frosty's bingsoo has very high quality in terms of flavour and insulation of the shaved ice. A lot of the other bingsoo I have tried elsewhere have the ice melting as soon as it's made. My Frosty's shaved ice retained its form. It took me 12 minutes to finish my bingsoo, and the shaved ice remained reasonable flakiness until the end. A large bingsoo cost $14, and I would recommend this to everyone. Just make sure you don't come here when they're busy.
This bowl of rice looks very cute when served. It has consistent texture that is sticky but not too much. The rice grain were whole and unbroken even after stirring and scooping. Chewing on the rice gave me a satisfying feeling. It is moist without being soggy. The grains are sticky but each grain can be separated without much effort. It has good aroma, and the starch gave it a mild sweetness.
This is the first time that I feel that my vocabulary is too narrow to describe an establishment. I don't think this article did justice to this neighbourhood cafe grocery store. I simply cannot praise Le Marché St. George enough. This is what a restaurant with integrity and superior standard. They preserved tradition and created a safe haven in the neighbourhood. Parents would bring their young children here for Sunday outing. The children would know exactly what to do, shouting out what they want from the menu, and sitting down in their favorite spot to play. Coming here really made me wonder. Perhaps this is what we work so hard for. Le Marché St. George costs about $15 per person, and this is a place you owe it to yourself to try.
Normally, when I get an alternative flavour of the same product, the expectation is to have a consistent texture and flavour profile. With the taste and texture both lacking far behind its Milk ice bar counterpart, I cannot justify the $8.99 price tag. It is really rare to see someone screw up an Oreo product. I simply cannot recommend Meiji's Milk Cookie Ice Bar.
