Vancouver West side
We were really happy to find this luxurious treat from Whole Foods Market. The sample size cost more per unit, but the cost for larger quantity at $10.99/lb is actually not that bad. This added truffle flavour may not be for cheese experts as I do find the flavour getting boring after a while. However, the Klare Melk Truffle Gouda would definitely impress your friends who haven’t tried them. It would be perfect for a cheese party or even pot luck.
My platter came with salad, hummus as sides and Basmati rice below the meat. It is served in a styrofoam container. I grabbed a spoon and a fork, then onto enjoying my lunch. The salad was simple lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. They are crispy and refreshing, I can taste how fresh it is. The lamb was very thinly sliced. They are very tender and juicy with lots of flavour. The juice flows into the Basmati rice to make them moist. Of course, the mouthwatering sauce on top also contributed to that. I find the chicken a little dry with a hard crust. I think it worked pretty well to have two types of meat. It provided alternative texture, but I probably wouldn’t order the chicken again. The lamb worked much better for me.
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.
Aside from the things I have said about the bubble tea served in Share Tea, I quite enjoyed my stay here. I think that is the princess within me talking. The tea is actually not bad once you get past the sweetness. As long as I know the taste profile for Share Tea is over-sweetened, I can customize my drink according to my taste anyway. That is not a big deal. The $4.80 for a large cup of bubble tea is very affordable, considering other places are serving $7 per cup. I was also very happy that the credit card machine didn’t even have a tipping prompt. I would recommend Share Tea but perhaps ask for half sweet with extra ice.
Biting into the ice bar reveals the consistent texture of the interior. I could feel the slight icy texture, but that actually provided a little bit of the refreshing sensation. The taste is wonderfully designed. This ice cream bar has a very rich taste of milk. The sweet taste is complemented by some savory taste to make each bite interesting.
Our server brought us tableware and tea. They are the generic plastic material with some graphic to resemble Japan. These tableware are light and feel cheap. It is quite fitting for the Sushi California to use these. They look Japanese, but cheap and lack integrity once you interact with it. I don’t understand how you can have a “Small Party Tray for 2” and give out 9 pieces of nigiri sushi. I mean… Who does that? Let’s not even talk about who gets salmon or the masago. One person is going to eat 1 sushi less and still fork out 50% of the price. This party tray should be called “The Breakup for 2” instead.
Nana’s Green Tea is a very good matcha dessert shop. They lived up to their name, everything related to matcha has a rich taste to it. It is well controlled so it doesn’t taste bitter. The cost of $8 per person on average is a little high, but their premium matcha is from Kyoto. It is very authentic and nothing is watered down. Please note that they also serve Hojicha dessert, ramen, and Donburi. I would definitely recommend Nana’s Green Tea.
Vij’s has been around for a couple of years. In the beginning, there was always line up outside the door. They allowed reservation a year after. I just show up at the door on my visit. It was 6:00 pm and there was no line-up. The food still tastes pretty good, but I do question some of the business decisions they have made. Overall, the curry at Vij’s has a lot more complex flavour profiles compared to your normal Indian buffet places. It does cost about $45 per person, and the tips on the credit card machine are set to 18% as a minimum. This pretty much triples any other Indian restaurants. It’s a good place for special occasion, but not recommended for daily visits.
Chatime’s drinks cost are considered average compared to most other bubble tea places. Grass Jelly Roasted Milk Tea costs $5.85 each. The Brown Sugar Pearls Fresh Milk cost $6.35. Most of the tea served here are pre-made and kept in different casks. They might not be the best bubble tea place, but the taste really entice my palate.
