May 2017 - West Coast Food

Thai May 26, 2017

Freebird Chicken Shack Re-Opens in New Westminster’s River Market

By Catherine Dunwoody Chef Angus An’s restaurants go well beyond his flagship eatery, Maenam in Vancouver, and we’re doing a happy (chicken?) dance that his Freebird Chicken Shack in New West has reopened, this time in the River Market. Yep, after a short move from the previous location, some renos and a revamp of the menu, the new space is now open on the market’s lower level. The 800-square-foot counter-service eatery seats 24, including 4 bar stools. Eat-in or take-out, new deliciousness added to their already famous Asian-style rotisserie birds, includes an 8-piece bucket of fried chicken ($25), and a grilled chicken vermicelli bowl with fermented pork, fresh herbs, and nuoc cham (small for $11 or large for $15). Turmeric fried chicken with curry and roti ($11/$15) sounds amazing, and vegetables? How does fried brussel sprouts or fried cauliflower for $6 sound? Bonus? All chicken dishes are gluten- and dairy-free…

Festivals & Events May 24, 2017

Feast and Sip Through Scottish “Old Country” in Coquitlam in June 2017

By Anna Black The BC Highland Games and Scottish Festival is bringing a little bit of Scotland right to the heart of Coquitlam with a day full of food and festivities (including a whisky school!) planned at Percy Perry Stadium in Coquitlam, BC on Saturday, June 17th, 2017. The Games continue a tradition started in the Scottish “old country” that was a customary part of life in the highlands. Historically, the core of the games included tossing the caber, putting the stone, throwing the hammer, bagpipe competitions, and Highland dancing. Competitions were held to determine who could best represent various Scottish clans or work for the chief or chieftain. As the economy changed in Scotland, the tradition was brought by Scottish settlers to the Vancouver area where it has continued for over one hundred and fifty years. Although the competitive nature of the games still very much has a presence,…

Chinese May 19, 2017

Feel the Burn: Spicy Szechuan Food in Richmond, BC

By VisitRichmondBC.com When it comes to Asian food, you’ll find a broad spectrum of spicy dishes depending on the region and climate. Some spicy dishes are consumed in warmer climates to cool you down through perspiration, and some use chilis to prevent food spoilage. Various areas of Asia will use a different type of spice – for instance, you’ll find a different type of heat from a dish from India versus a dish from Thailand or Korea. Some cultures are steeped in heat, and today we’ll take a closer look at Szechuan – or Sichuan – cuisine. Best known for their bold flavours from the liberal use of garlic and chili peppers as well as the unique flavour of the infamous Szechuan peppers, these four restaurants in Richmond get Szechuan cuisine right. Golden Sichuan – heat scale: 7 3631 No. 3 Road, Richmond Golden Sichuan is a great place to…

Craft Beer May 18, 2017

Community Spirit on Show at Vancouver Craft Beer Week 2017

By Kristi Alexandra With indie breweries becoming almost as ubiquitous as Starbucks’ in Vancouver, you’d have to be wearing blinders to miss a brewpub or tasting room on any given block between Boundary Road and Kits Beach. But Vancouver’s not the only city under the influence, as the craft brewing boom has reached through Burnaby to the Valley, taking root in the communities in between. This year, brews from outlying towns are making a splash at the eighth annual Vancouver Craft Beer Week, running from May 26 to June 4. “We keep growing and changing every year because we want to create this beer experience that all of us want to experience ourselves,” says co-founder and events director Leah Heneghan. This year, it seems communities outside the big city are unofficially on show. The week-long fete’s feature collaboration beer is a shared effort between the four breweries that dot Port…

Canadian/American May 16, 2017

New Hendricks Resto-Lounge a Welcome Addition to Downtown Vancouver

by Catherine Dunwoody With floor to ceiling windows overlooking Vancouver’s Library Square, Hendricks Resto-Lounge is just what Robson Street needs. A hotel restaurant that’s not just there to service the guests sleeping in those Westin Grande Hotel Heavenly Beds, but a new eatery for breakfast, lunch and dinner that locals will love as well. Matter of fact, locals already are loving it plenty. Hendricks sleek bar bisects the room into restaurant to the right, lounge to the left. Serving up old-school drinks updated with fresh, bright flavours, like head bartender Matt’s Robson Roy cocktail with Apothecary Bitters from East Van. Note: check out the live music and DJ nights here too. Chef Chris Savino’s menus are impressive, with fresh BC seafood front and centre. The Shrimp Cocktail features tiny, tender and meaty Bella Bella humpback shrimp from Organic Oceans, shredded lettuce and green goddess dressing. The west coast salmon salad is a colourful plate with spinach &…

Recipes May 10, 2017

Recipe: Spicy Moscow Mule

By James Lester and Richard Klaus, Sons of Vancouver Distillery INGREDIENTS Vodka Vodka Vodka by Sons of Vancouver Distillery (1oz) Spicy Chili Vodka by Sons of Vancouver Distillery (1/2oz) Dickie’s Ginger Beer (3oz) DIRECTIONS Put the alcohols in a shaker with ice and shake until condensation is found on your shaker. Strain onto fresh ice, preferably in a copper mule mug. (You can also try it as a martini.) Top with 3oz of Dickie’s Ginger Beer and enjoy! For more about Sons of Vancouver Distillery, read our article here. Header image by Kathy Mak

Cocktails, Wines & Spirits May 9, 2017

Behind the Craft Spirits at Sons of Vancouver Distillery

By Kathy Mak The local craft spirit movement has been gaining momentum for the past five years in Greater Vancouver thanks to a burgeoning breed of small-format distilleries that produce atypical products for a thriving cocktail community. Nowhere is that truer than at the Sons of Vancouver Distillery, based on Vancouver’s North Shore. This self-proclaimed really, really small batch distillery has won over fans and followers with their grassroots energy and well-crafted roster of artisan products – a vodka, a chili-infused vodka and an amaretto liqueur. The dynamic duo behind Sons of Vancouver are James Lester and Richard Klaus who met during trade school. They are part of a breed of new artisan distillers shaping the craft cocktail landscape in British Columbia. These two enterprising friends and business partners are not ones to chase conventional dreams. When they started their adventure as one of a few local early-adopters in craft…

Cafés May 4, 2017

Try Glass Vacuum-Brewed Chinese Teas served with Local Goodies in Yaletown

by Catherine Dunwoody Tea time in Yaletown just got much more interesting, and authentic. Cha Le (pronounced chah•luh), which translates to Happy Tea) features more than 20 high-quality, handpicked teas for take home in large tins and small boxes, beautifully designed by Vancouver-based branding firm Glasfurd & Walker, as well as a full-service tea cafe serving a rotating list of proprietary teas, blends, tea lattes, herbal infusions and a small bites menu. The new Yaletown Cafe is not your typical Chinese teahouse – think a state-of-the-art, computer-controlled glass vacuum brewing system that customizes temperature and brewing times for each individual tea to ensure optimal results. But don’t think you’ll be sitting around waiting for a good steep. Most teas can be ready within 90 seconds, less than the time it takes to make an espresso latte. Whaa? We know right? Now let’s chat about food, shall we? Not only does…

Burnaby May 3, 2017

Go Way Beyond Granola with Hippie Foods from Burnaby

by Catherine Dunwoody You may be familiar with Left Coast Naturals, a Burnaby-based brand that started back in 1996. Owned by Jason Dorland and Ian Walker, they kicked off with a line of natural nut butters called Skeet & Ike’s that they sold on Granville Island Market on weekends. Things went well, the company ticked along for a long while, and then in 2005 they launched a variety of tortilla chips, named Hippie Chips, after the 60s hippie movement where people looked to raw, natural foods for better health. Hippie Foods has grown since then, and now is a whole line of healthy (and tasty!) snacks, cereals and cookies. See? Going way beyond granola. Though their granola is darn good. Here are some goodies to watch for in markets on Canada’s west coast. Bonus? All of these are organic, gluten free and non-GMO too: Hippie Snacks Coconut Clusters. Organic roasted…