January 2020 - West Coast Food

Recipes January 29, 2020

Recipes: Yin and Yang Hot Chocolate

By Origo Club, Richmond Enjoy these two hot chocolates made for you at Origo Club until February 14, as part of the Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival. Yin Earl Grey Hot Chocolate A creamy dark hot chocolate blend, infused with aromatic earl grey tea. INGREDIENTS: Avalon organic whole milk (175ml) Rishi Aromatic Earl Grey Tea (75ml) 70% Dark Chocolate Valrhona fèves (30g) 55% Dark Chocolate Valrhona fèves (30g) INSTRUCTIONS: Steam milk and steeped Earl Grey tea together Using splash of milk/tea mix, melt dark chocolate fèves Blend with a hand blender Pour into 8oz latte mug, top off with remainder of steamed milk Using a stencil of yin-yang (using only ‘yin’ side), shave 55% Dark Chocolate Valrhona on top Yang Yuzu Blonde Hot Chocolate A unique, bright and smooth yuzu blonde hot chocolate. INGREDIENTS: Avalon organic whole milk (250ml) 32% Blonde Chocolate Valrhona fèves (35g) Yuzu White Valrhona fèves…

Chef Stories January 27, 2020

Two Rivers Butcher Katarina Edwards: From Farm to Block

By Gail Johnson Katarina Edwards grew up on a farm in 100 Mile House and was plucking chickens by the time she was a teen. These days, she’s a butcher at Two Rivers Specialty Meats. The North Vancouver-based eatery and butcher shop works with small farms across B.C. and Alberta–like Brant Lake Wagyu, Peace Country Lamb, and Pemberton Meadows Natural Beef–that produce sustainable, ethically raised meat. Here, Edwards shares a glimpse into a day in the life behind the chopping block. What was it like growing up on a farm? My mom comes from a family of 11 children from Germany. They had a farm, restaurant, and butcher shop in New Brunswick. She passed all that knowledge along to me and my two younger sisters. We had a variety of animals: pigs, goats, chickens… We always had our own meat in the freezer. We would milk the goats and we…

Indian January 23, 2020

Meet the Women Cooking Those Line-Up Worthy Meals at Vij’s

By Gail Johnson After more than 25 years in business, Vij’s has become a Vancouver icon, one of those standout restaurants that forever changed the city’s culinary landscape. Early on, co-owners Vikram Vij and Meeru Dhalwala (who were formerly married and have two grown daughters) established what roles suited them best: Vij, with his ability to connect with customers, would handle front of house operations. Dhalwala, who has a knack for coming up with new, inventive Indian dishes despite no formal culinary training, would handle the cooking. It’s been a recipe for success ever since. When the restaurant first opened in 1994 as a 14-seat space, Amarjeet Gill, whom Vij had met through a mutual acquaintance, was his part-time dishwasher. She had come to Canada in her 20s in a happy arranged marriage and spoke no English. Within weeks, Gill was right by Dhalwala’s side, chopping, slicing, and stirring. She…

Where to Eat January 20, 2020

Where to Get Lunar New Year Treats in Vancouver for Year of the Rat 2020

By Kristi Alexandra This Lunar New Year rings in the Year of the Rat, with celebrations taking place all over Metro Vancouver. Lunar New Year is celebrated in several Asian diasporic communities, including Taiwanese, Vietnamese and Chinese. On January 25, expect to see paper lanterns, lion dances and fireworks across Vancouver and surrounding areas–but most delectable of all these ancient and vibrant traditions are the treats that help celebrate the occasion. Here are some classic Lunar New Year goodies from a few different traditions and where to find them as the holiday approaches. Dumplings Galore! It’s no secret that people love to gather together and share dumplings on any given day–just ask any dim sum restaurateur. Dumplings are especially significant during Lunar New Year as they can denote families spending time together and, even more auspiciously, resemble ancient Chinese money known as gold ingot. There will be tons of regular…

Recipes January 16, 2020

Recipe: Brok Da Mout’ Hot Chocolate

By Honolulu Coffee Take your hot chocolate game up a notch with this decadent recipe from Honolulu Coffee. Inspired by the Hawaiian Pidgin saying about delicious food (i.e. ‘that food was so good it broke da mouth’), Brok Da Mout’ Hot Chocolate is a blend of dark chocolate, hibiscus ginger tea, ginger with honey, steamed coconut milk and a trace of cardamom. Try making it yourself, or head to Honolulu Coffee (88 Nelson Street or 2098 West 41st Avenue) during the 10th Annual Hot Chocolate Festival (January 18 – February 14) for a cup prepared by the experts, and enjoy it with a house-made coconut chocolate biscotti. INGREDIENTS: Fleur de Cao™ 70% Dark Chocolate (35g) Coconut milk (5oz) Honey-ginger sauce (10g) (see below) Hibiscus ginger tea concentrate (10ml) (see below) METHOD: Melt dark chocolate in a saucepan Steam coconut milk with melted chocolate together to 155F Pour over honey-ginger sauce…

Sweets January 16, 2020

Warm up with the 10th Annual Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival

By Mary Ann Bell With a mind-boggling 114 different hot chocolate flavours on offer from 44 vendors, there is a cup of chocolatey-goodness to suit everyone’s tastes during the 10th annual Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival. Running January 18 until February 14, this year’s event is bigger and better than ever, with Vancouver’s best chocolatiers, cafes, pastry shops, bakeries, gelato and ice cream makers serving up cups of decadent hot chocolate that are definitely not the powdery hot chocolate your mom used to make on snow days! As temperatures dip below zero in Metro Vancouver, there couldn’t be a better time to wrap your hands around a steaming cup of hot chocolate, and remember the festival’s motto, “Hot Chocolate Makes You Happy!” … body and soul! We’ve scoured the offerings, and have put together a list of must-try cocoas from across Vancouver, Burnaby, North Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey and White Rock. Vancouver…

Craft Beer January 15, 2020

Funky Beer, Funky Coffee and a Beer-Wine Hybrid at this Brewery on Vancouver’s North Shore

By Gail Johnson House of Funk Brewing is funky indeed: the small-batch Vancouver’s North Shore brewery specializes in beer that has been fermented, exposed to wild yeast, or spent time in wood. Located at 350 East Esplanade in Lower Lonsdale’s burgeoning Shipyards Brewery District—with a view of Vancouver Harbour—the brewery is a family affair. Darren and Jody Hollett, a husband-and-wife team with a newborn and a toddler, run it with his brother, mom, dad, uncle, and a few dear friends. Darren, formerly of Mission Springs Craft Brewery and Hearthstone Brewery, among others, fills us in on what House of Funk is all about. What exactly do you mean by “funky” beer? The name House of Funk comes from the style of beer we’re after, using a lot of wild yeasts, a lot of bacteria and bugs. They make beer taste funky, so it has a barnyard funk and rustic character…

Thai January 13, 2020

Eat (and Learn to Cook) Thai Food with Passion at Ban Chok Dee

By Kristi Alexandra If Ali Wong’s character in Always Be My Maybe had been inspired by a real-life restaurateur, it would be Langley’s Parinya Loptson. Known as “Chef Parinya” to those who watched her on Get Cooking With The Stars, Lopston is the owner, executive chef and manager of Ban Chok Dee, an award-winning Thai restaurant known for its authentic Thai flavours and its just-as-appetizing artistic presentation. The restaurateur, who’s been at the helm of Ban Chok Dee since 2009, is part-chef, part artist, part business owner and part master teacher. With two locations—one in Langley, and another in Maple Ridge—Parinya’s meals are served seven days a week in the Lower Mainland. If you find yourself inside one of the 120-seat fine dining eateries, you won’t want to miss out on the restaurant’s specialties. Try the Crying Tiger Salad, made with BBQ steak, sliced in Thai spicy sauce with a…

Festivals & Events January 8, 2020

Taste the World at Dine Out Vancouver’s Annual World Chef Exchange

by Tourism Vancouver Take your taste buds abroad at Dine Out Vancouver Festival’s most anticipated culinary event. The fifth annual Vancouver World Chef Exchange, will bring award-winning chefs from global culinary hubs to Vancouver for a series of four collaborative dinners, featuring flavours from Toronto, Cork, Monterrey, and a cross-Pacific Indigenous Nations collaboration with chefs from Edmonton and Auckland. During each event, the visiting and local chefs will join forces to produce an incredible multi-course dinner at the Vancouver chef’s restaurant, taking inspiration from their respective restaurants’ most popular dishes; their own cultural influences and favourite fare; and local and seasonal ingredients. Here are this year’s pairings: All-Canadian Toronto’s Chef Charlotte Langley & Vancouver’s Chef Shelome Bouvette Where: Chicha Restaurant When: January 21 at 7:00 PM Details: An all-female, all star east coast meets west coast seafood dinner and wine pairings. Chef Charlotte Langley (East Coast) and Chef Shelome Bouvette…

Middle Eastern January 6, 2020

Feel Right At Home At Sabà Café and Bistro in Fort Langley

By Kathy Mak Walk into Sabà Café and Bistro and it’s immediately apparent that the place and food are special. Situated in an unhurried corner of Fort Langley, Sabà is very much a gathering place that nourishes and anchors people. It’s one of those eateries – cozy ambiance, feel-good food, wonderfully convivial – in which, immediately, you feel right at home. Afterall, this café-bistro is a family affair, passionately owned and led by husband-and-wife team Enrico Campani and Simone Hurwitz, and assisted by their daughters Laura, Dannielle and Emma. Hurwitz mainly works on the food while Campani handles logistics and front of house hospitality, including performing on live music nights. The girls pitch in between their studies, from marketing to serving. Danielle, a budding photographer, is usually behind the lens of their beautiful Sabàgram images. From living in Italy, the family moved to Fort Langley about 10 years ago. “We…

Craft Beer January 2, 2020

Winter Beers from Richmond You Need to Try

By Brittany Tiplady Richmond has a lot to offer. Most notably, the beautiful Steveston village and boardwalk and, recently, a burgeoning craft beer community. Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks recently took home some serious hardware at the BC Beer Awards, which means, you now have no excuse not to visit their tasting room, and tack on a few others too. Check out the seasonal goodies pouring this fall and winter in Richmond. Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks 11220 Horseshoe Way #103, Richmond Bean Me Up Espresso Milk Stout, 5.7% Coffee, meet beer. We think you’ll get along perfectly, and so do the follks at Fuggles & Warlock. This delightful, winter-friendly stout made in collaboration with Notch Coffee is extra creamy and sweet from the added lactose. Enjoy it on tap, or in cans. Britannia Brewing Brewery: #110-12500 Horseshoe Way, Richmond Brewpub: 12240 Second Ave, Richmond, Steveston Sirens Chai Saison, 5.75 Basically just…