are you gonna eat that? » CANADA

VANCOUVER: Xi Shi Lounge Chinese New Year Tea

are you gonna eat that? — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:03:25 +0000

I love Chinese New Year in Metro Vancouver, surrounded by family and everyone eating a whole lot. A limited-time event that piqued my interest was the Chinese New Year afternoon tea ($34/person) at the Xi Shi Lounge in the gorgeous Shangri-La Hotel in downtown Vancouver. It ends this weekend. (Follow Me Foodie has an [...]

VANCOUVER: Save On Meats

are you gonna eat that? — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 02:34:18 +0000

The iconic neon piggy on West Hastings in Vancouver’s notorious Downtown Eastside stood among the big red Woodward’s W as one of the most recognizable signs of my childhood.

I was keenly interested to read about the efforts of restaurateurs Mark and Nico Bran to reopen the butcher shop and diner (which closed in [...]

#visaeveryday 5: Nu Greek

are you gonna eat that? — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 06:23:27 +0000

I was starving by the time I grabbed a late lunch at Nu Greek on Robson. This is from the same owner as fancy restaurants Raincity Grill and C. Nu Greek is not to be confused with Nu (its sit-down restaurant on Granville), or Nu Street (its food trucks), or Nu Greek Broadway. Got [...]

#visaeveryday 3: Browns Socialhouse

are you gonna eat that? — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:49:29 +0000

(This is a sponsored post.)

Made only one purchase today for #visaeveryday. We had brunch at the Richmond location of Browns Socialhouse.

Normally, grammatical offences would have knocked this casual dining franchise off my list. First, its name. Shouldn’t it be Brown’s or even Browns’? Socialhouse is not a word. And its noun-verb mixed motto of “Restaurant. [...]

#visaeveryday 2: Grounds for Appeal Indian curry

are you gonna eat that? — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 05:36:26 +0000

(This is a sponsored post.)

Day 2 of using my VISA for daily buys to see how my cash-back rewards add up. According to today’s purchases, I’m all about food (duh) and mundane errands squeezed in before work. I cut new keys ($11.76), bought some shoelaces ($5.59) and got an impromptu boot shine ($9.52).

As usual, [...]

VISA Everyday Day 1

are you gonna eat that? — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:40:59 +0000

My wallet is usually stuffed with receipts because I try to use my credit card for almost everything. It’s gotten quite a workout lately after three months of renovations and the associated costs of moving this week. So when VISA asked me to spend up to $50 on “small things” for five days to see [...]

VANCOUVER: Sushi Kimura omakase

are you gonna eat that? — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:00:45 +0000

Sushi Kimura had food blogs and critics buzzing this spring. Chef Itsuroku Kimura moved from L.A. — where he owned and ran four restaurants — to retire in Vancouver for the better air quality. But he got bored of playing golf so he opened Sushi Kimura in a very unlikely spot in East [...]

CALGARY: Home Tasting Room

are you gonna eat that? — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:34:20 +0000

This is an example of about how it doesn’t ever hurt to ask.

We were heading back to Calgary for a short weekend visit and of course I wanted to try a newer restaurant that I’d never been to. But because H had outgrown his travel tie chair and I didn’t want to lug a [...]

RICHMOND: Gudrun wine bar

are you gonna eat that? — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:55:06 +0000

Gudrun fromagerie and wine bar is literally a hidden gem in Steveston. It’s down an alley protected by a big tree, and as its website states “tucked behind the Filipino karaoke hair salon.”

It’s unique for many reasons. In an area dominated by seafood restaurants and coffee shops, Gudrun is a cool spot for [...]

VANCOUVER: Big Al’s American Thanksgiving

are you gonna eat that? — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:43:43 +0000

“Big Al” Robinson came to Vancouver from Louisiana 40 years ago to play as a rookie for the BC Lions. But an injury prevented him from ever playing. Instead, he stayed and turned to cooking. He’s run several restaurants and now a catering business. Thanks to this fabulous article from Vancouver is Awesome, I [...]