Megan Halkett, Author at West Coast Food - Page 15 of 28
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Dine Out Vancouver Welcomes Chefs from Britain, Australia and Germany

By Alexis Baran The Dine Out Vancouver Festival graces plates from January 18th – February 3rd and along with three-course meals, culinary tours, classes and tastings all over the city, guest chefs from all over the world will be cooking up inspired collaborations. Each chef from abroad will be in the kitchen with a Vancouverite, and the pairs will work together creating something that shakes up the tastebuds. Look who’s teaming up: London, Great Britain Who: Chef Warren Geraghty and Vancouver’s Chef Felix Zhou Where: Heritage Asian Eatery When: January 22, 2019 Details: The two accomplished culinary stars first met working on the line at Vancouver’s acclaimed West Restaurant and later teamed up across the pond at Michelin-starred restaurant Galvin La Chapelle in London. During this one-night-only event, Zhou and Geraghty will work in tandem to prepare an internationally inspired multi-course tasting menu that showcases their respective global experiences. Sydney, Australia…

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Sweets

Holiday Treats from Thomas Haas on Vancouver’s North Shore

by Catherine Dunwoody Chocolatier Thomas Haas has revealed their brand new holiday collection of Christmas-themed chocolates and candies, plus stocking stuffers and baked goods. A long-time resident of North Vancouver, Thomas and his wife Lisa own two patisseries, one on Harbourside (where the production kitchen is as well) and the other on Broadway in Kitsilano. The holiday goodies include Santa’s Belly — a chocolate crafted Santa belly filled with an assortment of salted dark chocolate caramels, cocoa nib crunch and caramelized almonds and hazelnuts dipped in dark, milk and white chocolate. An internationally acclaimed pâtissier, Thomas Haas gained experience in Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe and North America before settling in Vancouver in 2005. Haas is a fourth-generation pâtissier, and has held stints as Executive Pastry Chef at the Four Seasons Hotel, Executive Pastry Chef at chef Daniel Boulud’s flagship eatery Daniel on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and has been singled…

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Cheap Eats around Metro Vancouver

The Happiest Hours in Vancouver

By Wade Kinley Since happy hour became a regular thing around Vancouver just a few years ago (thanks to nifty adjustments to some by-laws) local restaurants in the city have embraced the opportunity to showcase some of the incredible food being created in the city, without those big-city prices. Here are four of the happiest hours in Vancouver, to fuel that second round of urban rambling. Tuc Craft Kitchen As the name suggests, there’s always some innovative and exciting work being done within the rustic walls of this well-loved Gastown eatery. Think comfort-food with the wow turned up to 11, and some of the most alluring cocktail ideas in the city and you’ll get an idea why Tuc has remained at the top of “Vancouver’s Best” lists since they opened in 2013. Luckily, tastes of both are on offer at happy hour, every day from 4 to 6 PM. Classic…

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Gain Wah Chinatown Vancouver
Chinese

Savour 1970s Chinatown Nostalgia at Gain Wah in Vancouver

By Lenée Son In the 1970s in Hong Kong, Andrew Leung was still a young adult unsure of what path to take when his father encouraged him to work at a restaurant. His father, a fireball restaurateur who managed several eateries, asked the chefs at the restaurants he managed to mentor his son. Over 30 years later, Leung is the owner of Gain Wah Restaurant in Vancouver’s Chinatown and still makes his char siu (barbecued pork) the exact same way his teachers showed him. After emigrating from Hong Kong to Vancouver in 1973, Leung found job prospects to be limited for Chinese immigrants–but one way for new immigrants to support their families was to enter the restaurant business. “It was hard to find work for immigrants in those days,” said Leung, “my dad brought me into the restaurants in Hong Kong to learn how to cook and it ended up…

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Metro Vancouver Chef Stories

Chef David Pan of Richmond’s Origo Club Keeps his French Cuisine Simple

By Catherine Dunwoody Modern and fresh French cuisine, in Richmond–you better believe it. We sat down with Origo Club’s David Pan to learn about his journey from Taiwan to Coquitlam to Burnaby, and a career in culinary. Where were you born? David Pan: Born in Taiwan and raised in Coquitlam since 8 years old. What was food like in your growing up household? DP: Classic Chinese cuisine from north and south regions. Comfort food, healthy and light in seasoning and oil. Quality ingredients. Did you cook at home during your childhood? DP: Yes, assisting my mother for simple preps like washing, cutting and tasting. Where did you study culinary and when? DP: 2002 at Malaspina University College in Nanaimo, now known as Vancouver Island University. Then I finished my apprenticeship and Red Seal at Vancouver Community College. Most rewarding experience in your earlier days? Any mentors? DP: Washing dishes together…

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Self-guided Tours around Metro Vancouver

Richmond’s Dumpling Trail Delights

By Jaclyn Jularbal Take yourself on a tasty adventure with Richmond’s self-guided Dumpling Trail.  With each location just a short walking distance from each other, the Trail makes it easy to experience new flavours that are sure to make their way onto your favourites list. Each restaurant has been hand-selected by Tourism Richmond to ensure a great experience, so travel as a group or take your best foodie friend with you and experience all of Richmond’s top dumpling hotspots. The Dumpling Trail is designed to take you on an exciting culinary adventure. Where to begin? Try one of these sure-fire places: Empire Seafood Restaurant 200 – 5951 No. 3 Road Tel: 604.249.0080 Avid dim sum lovers look no further. Empire Seafood Restaurant has all the staples, including an elegant white tablecloth and round-table environment to enjoy good dumplings over conversations with your whole family. The quality of each bite is…

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Coast Protein cricket bars
Producers

Packed with Protein, Coast’s Cricket Nutrition is Ready to Convert the Squeamish

By Kathy Mak Before you say yuck to cricket protein, you may be surprised to learn that a large portion of the world and most cultures are consuming edible insects by choice, a practice known as entomophagy.  For centuries, feasting on insects as a source of nutrition has been common in Asia, Africa and South America. The concept of eating bugs as an alternative protein has more recently started to make sense in North America. And one of the companies banking on bugs is Coast Protein. This New Westminster start-up is on a mission to normalize eating crickets as a viable, sustainable and healthy food source in various types of cuisine. Currently, they make edible cricket-based protein bars and powders that are available in 225 stores in Canada, of which there are 175 locations in British Columbia and 120 in the Lower Mainland. Crickets constitute the largest portion of the…

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Guided Tours in Metro Vancouver

Tour the Asian Cuisine of Metro Vancouver

By Brittany Tiplady When visiting a new city, choosing where to eat can be a daunting task, especially when the options are abundant! Metro Vancouver has an incredible amount of culinary options to enjoy, so, why not book a food tour and let your guide make the restaurant selections for you? Don’t know where to start? If you’re in the mood for fantastic Asian cuisine (Metro Vancouver has no shortage of that!) check out this list of tours available in Metro Vancouver. A Wok Around Food Tours Robert Sung’s guided food tours are unparalleled. Mr Sung is a third-generation Chinese Canadian who was raised in BC’s food hospitality industry–his family has been involved the industry for over 70 years. As a member of the  Chinese-Canadian Historical Society of BC and a current member of the Vancouver Chinatown Revitalization Committee, Sung has a wealth of local, culinary, and cultural knowledge. A…

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Hammid Attie Photography
Cheap Eats around Metro Vancouver

The Happiest Hours in New Westminster

By Wade Kinley New Westminster has grown out of the early settlement along the banks of the Fraser River into one of the lower mainland’s most charming cities. Now with a newly revamped waterfront showcasing entertainment, shopping, and dining, any time of day is a good time to visit New West, but we know the best time, and that is approximately 3:00 to 6:00 in the afternoon. Carlos O’Bryan’s Housed in the old Canadian Pacific Railway Station in downtown New Westminster, Carlos O’Bryan’s Pub is big on tradition. Sports, pool, darts and, of course a great draught list can all be found in the traditional Irish pub upstairs in the building built back in 1899. Luckily for us, they’ve kept the tradition of happy hour as well. From 2 to 5 PM daily, along with drink specials that range from $4.50 to $6, their extensive menu of appetizers are available…

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Where to Eat Ramen in Vancouver
Where to Eat in Metro Vancouver

Where to Eat Ramen in Metro Vancouver

By Kristi Alexandra When the weather cools and our palate warms up, sending Metro Vancouverites on the search for soups, stews and steaming bowls of noodles. Welcome to ramen season! Traditionally, ramen is a Japanese noodle dish served up in a meat or fish-based broth, flavoured by shoyu or miso, and topped with accoutrements such as sliced meat, eggs, dried seaweed and more. There’s no one-way to do ramen, as evidenced by the ramen variations that represent different regions of Japan—from the mild-tasting, cloudy ramen of Kagoshima to the miso-style ramen of Sapporo. So, perhaps there’s really no tradition at all. In fact, a great ramen experience is all about choice and customization. One can choose to have their noodles thick or thin, chewy or soft; their broth with a pork-bone base (tonkotsu), or with fish or miso; then topped off with dressings to their heart’s content. We’ve rounded up…

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Cultural Culinary Classes and Dinners in Vancouver
World food in Metro Vancouver

Cook Dinner with a Vancouver Local: In My Kitchen offers Cultural Culinary Experiences

By Ariane Fleischmann Cooking and eating at home has always been a part of Paula Mohammed’s life. Her parents, immigrants from India and New Zealand, always made the kitchen a place to gather with friends and family to share stories and recipes, to talk, and to open their minds. Mohammed has an early memory of her grandmother’s Dunbar apartment: it smelled of Indian spices; her grandmother’s bracelets jingled while she stirred a pot of curry peas. Before that day, Mohammed hated peas. “I remember that opening up my mind to try everything more than once,” she says. As a child, Mohammed spent time in New Zealand for a time before moving back to Canada. At the time, her father had a number of Japanese business partners, and instead of going out for dinner, he would invite them to their home where everyone cooked together. With her background in marketing and…

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Best donuts in Vancouver
Sweets

Try These Decadently Innovative Doughnuts in Metro Vancouver

By Brittany Tiplady For West Coast Canadian 90s kids, donuts serve up some serious childhood nostalgia. Tim Hortons trips before hockey, Long John’s served with elementary school hot lunches, boxes of Krispy Kreme at a birthday party. You get the jist. Today, donuts are somewhat of a cultural currency. The beloved pastry continues to be elevated and topped with unique, showstopping ingredients that are as delicious in real life as it looks on Instagram. Hungry yet? Browse the list below to find some local favourites to indulge in. Doppio Zero Pizza 1655 Como Lake, Avenue, Coquitlam Because, you can never eat too many carbs in our opinion, after dinner try the Graffe. It’s an Italian made-to-order style doughnut drizzled with hot caramel. Outpost Mini Donut Company 110-12240 Second Avenue, Richmond Located in the heart of Steveston’s idyllic village, Outpost Mini Donut Company lives up to its name, serving up gourmet…

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Macarons in Vancouver
Sweets

5 Must-Try Macarons on Vancouver’s Granville Island

By Joyce Chua, Vancouver Foodie Tours Though the Granville Island Public Market is most known for its supply of specialty ingredients, foodies can leave the details with Bon Macaron Patisserie when it comes to macarons. The boutique was opened by two talented French bakers who wanted to bring a bit of France to the Canadian west coast. The macaron, they decided, is the perfect French dessert, as they are rich, light, and decadent, with infinite flavour possibilities. Infinite indeed – Bon Macaron has over 50 flavours to choose from, both savoury and sweet. Here are 5 macaron flavours from Granville Island you absolutely can’t miss: Fuzzy Peach It’s the exact punchy-tart peach flavour from your childhood, complete with sugar crystals on top. Candied Pecan The shop on Granville Island has a few exclusive flavours made with ingredients from the Public Market. This nutty macaron is made with Candied Pecans from…

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BIg Heart Bannock
Indigenous Cuisine in Metro Vancouver

Dig into Vancouver’s only Indigenous Brunch at Skwachàys Lodge

BigHeart Bannock serves brunch from 10 am to 2 pm on weekends, where Lodge guests and non-guests can dig into dishes like baked or fried bannock with a choice of house-made jam (featuring flavours like sage-smoked woodland berry and sweetgrass strawberry), baked bannock French toast, bison sausage hash, or a wild boar sausage patty with elderberry barbecue aioli, among other offerings.

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Farms

Cranberries in Richmond and The Fraser Valley

By Alexis Baran Every October as the air gets cooler, the colours become warmer and brighter and vast lakes of ruby-red cranberries start a colourful patchwork in the farmlands of Richmond and the Fraser Valley. Despite the variety of crops BC cultivates, cranberries are one of just a few that are actually native to the land; when European explorers landed in Canada, they were traded with Indigenous peoples and valued as an effective way to prevent scurvy. Uniquely “wet harvested” by flooding the fields they grow in, cranberries are tart treats packed with vitamin C, vitamin E, and fibre; they are a bright shake-up to many desserts, sweets, and beverages. Cranberries are BC’s largest crop according to Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada, and most of North America can say they’ve delved into a glass of BC cranberries at some point; approximately 60% of our harvests are grown for Ocean Spray, a…

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Living Lotus - Vegan, Raw, Vegetarian sweets in Vancouver
Vegetarian & Vegan

Living Lotus is Making the Healthy Life Sweet in Vancouver

By Kathy Mak Audrey Wong is the force and founder behind Living Lotus, a Vancouver company focused on satisfying your sweet tooth with dreamy desserts that have better-for-you, rawsome ingredients.  Without turning on an oven, Wong is crafting an array of luscious plant-based desserts made from minimally processed whole foods that are packed with nutrients but gluten-free, vegan and devoid of chemicals, additives and refined sugar. Uniting delicious and nutritious – as sustainably as possible – has long been a priority for Wong who has been a vegetarian for over 26 years and a vegan for five.  Her mindful-eating interest turned to raw foods in 2007, inspired by Matthew Kenny’s book, Raw Food/Real World.  While gluten-free and vegan foods are becoming more commonplace, Wong found few options for dessert alternatives using only whole foods. After studying raw nutrition culinary arts, Wong made the leap to start a dessert company with…

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Craft Beer in Metro Vancouver

Five Local Beer Staples for Patio Sipping

By Joyce Chua, Vancouver Foodie Tours If you don’t mind a light jacket and a slight chance of needing to move inside while a shower passes through, there’s still time to soak up British Columbia’s stunning vistas outside with a cold beer in hand this year. For the sunny days still to come, take note of these five local beer staples – easy-drinking, crowd-pleasing, ultra-refreshing – that you can find almost anywhere. 33 Acres of Sunshine 33 Acres Brewing, Vancouver This French Blanchè beer is inspired by the sun.  Fruity, orange-like, with a slightly sweet aftertaste, you’ll easily spot it on the shelves from its minimalist white label. Destiny IPA Fuggles and Warlock, Richmond Let’s say you’re the kind of person who picks beer by the label. You might already be familiar with Fuggles and Warlock for their whimsical illustrated labels and quirky names. The Destiny IPA has the hoppiness…

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Beer Ramen at Yuu Japanese Tapas, Richmond, BC, Canada
Japanese

Three Cheers for Beer Ramen in Richmond

By Kristi Alexandra While most noodle lovers equate ramen to a warm bowl of comfort, Yuu Japanese Tapas presents its noodles in a way more familiar to college kids—cold, foamy and in a beer glass. Teetotalers need not worry, though. There’s not a drop of actual beer (or any alcohol at all) here. The Richmond eatery—which boasts a full menu of tapas such as takoyaki and deep fried tentacles in sriracha mayo along with housemade drinks like the “shot slush”—is more concerned with innovation than authenticity. Owner Julia Kubotani along with masterchef (and her uncle) Sam Chan blend fusion tastes and a warm environment for an experience that has adventure-seekers and ramen-lovers alike coming in for the novelty, and staying for the tastebud-tantalizing fare. “For me, personally, I like to eat and I love variety,” says Kubotani, who first opened Yuu in 2010. “I don’t like to eat the same…

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Shops & Markets

Taste Middle Eastern Roasting Traditions at Ayoub’s Dried Fruit & Nuts in Coquitlam

By Ashley Lockyer The scent of toasted cashews wafts into the streets and ornate Persian silverwork adorns a shop brimming with baskets of colourful flavours. But, this isn’t a bazaar in the middle east, this is Coquitlam. Step inside Ayoub’s Dried Fruits & Nuts here or in several locations across Metro Vancouver to sample the roasting traditions and ambiance that embrace the shop’s origins in Iran. “In the middle east, there are nut stores on every corner, people are used to them. But here, we had to build a culture,” said Amir Hosseini, owner of Ayoub’s Dried Fruits & Nuts. Amir’s father, Ayoub himself, opened a small roasting store in Iran. The country is completely saturated with toasted nuts shops, so it’s a tough market to crack. Ayoub worked at crafting distinct recipes and mixes, and people went nuts! Soon, he had a million dollar business shipping all over the…

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White Rock

Dine Outside: Al Fresco Feasts in White Rock

By Lenee Son While the temperatures are still warm, take your dining experience outdoors. And what better place to dine al fresco than White Rock? Bordering the Semiahmoo Bay, White Rock is a stunning seaside city with a sandy beach that stretches eight kilometres across the city. From the oceanfront promenade to the grassy open spaces, there are plenty of places on White Rock beach to enjoy a bite to eat and the fresh, open air. For a Romantic Stroll: Cool off from the summer heat by dipping your toes in the water and walking along the shore. Away from the crowds, the shoreline is the perfect place to share an intimate conversation with a partner. Enjoy your peaceful walk and appreciate the slower pace of life with light eats like a flaky Jamaican patty or savoury Johnny cakes from PG’s Jamaican Takeout. Take your pick from chicken, beef, or…

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East Van Bees Urban Honey
Producers

EastVan Bees Get Around with Hyper-Local Honey Flavours

Almost immediately after the first harvest, many years ago, Sandve noticed something delicious about neighbourhood hives: each one tasted different. “It’s because whatever is in that neighbourhood, the bees are collecting,” he explains. “Some neighbourhoods have really nice streets lined with linden trees, or they’re near a ravine with lots of blackberries, or there’s a predominant [plant] in that area the bees like.

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Seafood in Metro Vancouver

Get a Taste of Hawaii on Canadian Shores at Steve’s Poke Bar

By Kristi Alexandra With sushi being a long-held staple of the Vancouver diet, it’s a wonder that Hawaiian poke—a cubed raw fish salad served atop rice—hadn’t hit the city’s mainstream earlier. Since 2016, though, it seems a new poke-fusion place is cropping up on every block. So, pescatarians rejoice! Now, the raw fish dish can be found trickling in to communities outside of Vancouver, and Steve Huynh is bringing his authentic poke to the community. But what is authentic poke, anyway? “Poke means chopped in Hawaii,” imparts Huynh, owner of Steve’s Poke Bar, “there’s different variations of raw fish. In Japan, you get sasami; if you go to Puerto Rico or Mexico, you’ll get ceviche. Different dishes have different ways to present raw fish,” the restaurateur tells WestCoastFood. Huynh and his wife, Camy opened the doors to Steve’s Poke Bar at SFU Burnaby in early 2017, serving up an authentic…

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