Mural by @sloppyjohansson at 800 Granville Street.

IMG_1409 (1).jpg — Fall in Vancouver

Travel Dates: September 9th - 12th

We had to make another visit to Vancouver again. This time British Columbia lifting a few restrictions which includes permitting travellers and locals to enjoy dine-in experience. The last time we were there, it was in May and we were unable to dine-in due to restrictions. Originally, it was just going to be my sister and I but we didn’t want our brother feeling excluded so we had to ask him. With no hesitation, he asked his work for a Friday off and went online to purchase a ticket. I don’t think anyone can say no to Vancouver to be honest. We are fortunate to find frequent flight deals from Edmonton to Vancouver using Swoop or Flair Airlines. You can’t say no to this city because it’s a beautiful balance of city life, nightlife and nature. Amazing, renowned restaurants serving delicious and diverse cuisines; wonderful shopping; astounding parks, and beaches to enjoy. Vancouver is just a vibe!!! This time around, we decided to situate ourselves in the heart of Robson Street and stayed at the Blue Horizon. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Blue Horizon and I would highly recommend it. The location of the hotel permitted us to travel by foot with ease to the many restaurants and attractions we wanted to visit. I think we only took the Uber two or three times.

With this September trip to Vancouver, I truly fell in love with Chinatown and Gastown, especially, Chinatown. I know sometimes people are afraid to make their way to Chinatown but there’s so much character and beauty. Not to mention the amazing shops and great eats found in Chinatown. One of my favourite restaurant has to be Phnom Penh. It’s phenomenal! A staple and local favourite in Chinatown and I can see why! If you ever get the opportunity, visit Phnom Penh for lunch and then make your way to the major attraction, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. This is my second time visiting the garden and I’m still in awe with its beauty and how serene this place is. Fun Fact! Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is the first garden built outside of China.

I love the essence of Chinatown. And yes, there are shifty areas but do not let that deter you from visiting. Chinatown has a mixture of new and old. New and hip, trendy restaurant and cafes. Old, historical building with the trademark landmark, the Vancouver Chinatown Millennium Gate. I love the hustle and bustle of it all, people shopping and exploring the open markets and little shops. Customers enjoying the sunshine while dining at the restaurants’ outdoor patios.

Here’s a little taste of Vancouver in September.

Zara - Taupe Brown Vest w/ Slit / American Eagle - Floral Dress / Nike - White Huarache Sneakers

Neighbourhoods to Explore

Chinatown

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

Address: 578 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5K2

The first ever “scholars” garden built outside of China. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is an urban oasis located in Chinatown. I love this place and I don’t think I will tire of visiting. It’s so peaceful here. A wonderful place to be one with nature. As you slowly walk around the garden, taking in the beauty of the place, you can hear the sounds of nature. The koi fishes swimming in the pond, the rustling of trees and the sounds of birds. I was fortunate this time to spot a crane waiting patiently for its lunch and a little hummingbird feeding on a flower. It’s a great date spot or come here solo and just breathe. Take it all in. I know my pictures doesn’t do it justice therefore, when you visit the city, pleases come to the Chinese botanical garden. Fully experience it for yourself and see the calm beauty it has to offer.

Gastown

Another area of Vancouver which is well-known is Gastown. It’s known for its infamous Gastown Steam Clock and Hotel Europe aka “The Flat Iron Building” of Vancouver. What I love about Gastown is the amazing architecture of the buildings, cobble stone walk-ways, the many lovely boutiques, trendy cafes and plentiful of trendy restaurants serving delicious cuisines. While you are in Gastown make your way to my favourite thrift and vintage shop, Community Thrift & Vintage FROCK SHOPPE and hit up Revolver for amazing coffee and good vibes.

The “Flat-Iron Building” of Vancouver - Hotel Europe - Address: 43 Powell St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1E9

Gastown Steam Clock - Address: 305 Water St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1B9

Nika Design - Address: 205 Abbott St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2K7

Community Thrift & Vintage FROCK SHOPPE located at 311 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2J4, Community Thrift & Vintage has a stellar selection of thrifted items. I was very pleased with the selection here. I was lucky to find two incredible items at a bargain price! A vibrant teal trouser from Nordstrom, made in Japan and a Chinese qipao in mint green with little floral details. The teal trouser fitted so well and I purchased it at a price of $29.00. For the lovely mint green qipao it was rather big and I didn’t want to leave the boutique without it. It was on the sale rack with a price tag of $24.00 but an additional 50% off on the sale price. What a steal for $12.00! How can I not resist a price like that! I purchased it with no regrets and brought it to my tailor who was able to work her magic and tailor it to my body.

Old Faithful Shop located 320 W Cordova St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1E8, is a beautiful, curated shop with all things home accessories. A beautiful place to browse around and very tempting to buy everything you see here. I didn’t buy anything from here but my sister purchased a Hasami Porcelain Plate, Made in Japan. A lovely edition to the many dishwares we have at home.

Mount Pleasant

Mintage Mall is located at 245 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5T 1W4. If you have time to browse then come to Mintage Mall. There are plenty of thrifted and vintage finds over here. My trick for shopping at consignment or vintage places. Go in with no expectations or shopping list. Be patient, explore and you might come across something special. I was lucky to find a beautiful floral silk dress for only $10.00. The original price was $44.00. Yes, it had some holes and tears around the armpit areas due to people trying to squeeze into it but it was still a steal for me. It’s so pretty! I brought it to my tailor and at first she was unwilling to fix it. I tried it on and with some convincing she said she would fixed my dress because there was room for her to work with. I can say, the floral dress is fixed and fitted. I’m so happy and I can’t wait to style and wear it out.

Coffee Shops To Visit

Propaganda Coffee

Address: 209 E Pender St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1T8

This is my second time to Propaganda Coffee. I love Propaganda for its open and beautiful space. It’s a perfect spot for natural lighting hence a great space for selfies. Every time we are down here, it’s pretty chill and not too busy. Customers are busy working away on their laptops while enjoying a cup of coffee or two. My sister enjoyed her go-to, cafe latte and I ordered of their menu, a delicious pour-over.

I told you the lighting is good here! Selfie Sammy!

Revolver

Address: 325 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2N4

Another one of my favourite coffee spot is Revolver Coffee on Cambie Street. I love it here! I never have the opportunity to sit down because its always full inside but its a vibe over here. I usually take my coffee to go and just park myself right in front of the shop’s front. This time around, it was lightly raining but it didn’t stop me from enjoying my black coffee. I must say, there’s something enjoyable about having a hot coffee on a gloomy day. It just warms your heart.

My favourite place to sit as I enjoy a coffee-to-go.

Phnom Penh

Address: 244 E Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1Z7

My #1 spot! You got to eat here!! A staple of Chinatown and when you eat at Phnom Penh you will understand why. A go-to spot not only for tourists but Vancouverites. Make sure to come here early for lunch or dinner as it does get crazy busy. I believe they do take reservations but only for large groups of 6 or more. It’s truly rare to find great Khmer restaurants in Canada compared to the States so you must cherish and visit. Anytime I come to Vancouver, Phnom Penh will definitely be my go-to spot to dine. We truly enjoyed every dish we ordered. And if you saw how clean our plates were at the end of our meals, you would think we never ate the whole day! Mentionable items had to be the Marinated Butter Beef, Phnom Penh Deep-fried Chicken Wings and Phnom Penh Hot and Sour Soup with Fish. Everything we ordered we loved! Let me start with the Marinated Butter Beef. Damn it’s addicting!!! My mouth is already watering! I can taste the sourness in my mouth from the vinegar and citrusy sauce. Oh how tender the butter beef felt when I was chewing!!! The plentiful of cilantro and fried onion garnishes were wonderful elements to the dish. What a satisfying and memorable dish! Next is the deep-fried chicken wings. I don’t how they can make it so crunchy and airy at the same time! That’s talent right there. It’s a dish you have to order and they offer half orders and full size. If you have the opportunity to dine in Phnom Penh, take a look around and I swear, there’s no tables without an order of Phnom Penh Deep-fried chicken wings. Now I’m not some chicken wings feen like my sister and brother but with those wings at Phnom Penh, I can devour plenty for sure. They accompany the wings with a lime sauce with black pepper as a dipping sauce but just the wings alone hit the spot for me. What a truly great experience we had at Phnom Penh for delicious Khmer and Vietnamese food that reminds me of home. Maybe even better!!!

What we ordered: Phnom Penh Hot and Sour Soup with Fish, Marinated Butter Beef, Phnom Penh Deep-fried Chicken Wings and Phnom Penh Dry Rice Noodles.

Marinated Butter Beef, — Marinated Butter Beef

Happy Noodle House

Address: 630 Davie St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2G5

We found this spot out of sheer luck when we were down here in May and luck was on our side because Happy Noodle is an incredible spot serving delicious authentic Chinese food. We were in awe last time and this time, our love for Happy Noodle grew stronger. I asked our server and she informed me the restaurant has been open for only two years. For some reason, I was surprise because the restaurant looked like a staple spot on Davie Street. A go-to spots for locals if they want their Chinese take-out fix! I can see Happy Noodle surviving for a very long time. The portions are great, the prices are affordable and they have a great selection of items on their menu.

Happy Noodle House was our last meal before we departed Vancouver and I’m so happy it was. What a great finish to our trip! This time we made sure we ordered some new items on the menu to enjoy. New items we enjoyed were the Lanzhou Beef Soup Noodles and the Beef Rolls. What stood out for me is the crispy and flavourful beef rolls. It was savoury and had a hint of sweetness. And OMG, the Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup. The broth was flavourful and it was slightly spicy from the hint of chili oil. The serving size of beef noodle soup was huge! It’s something I couldn’t finish by myself. Props to anyone who can finish the bowl on their own.

Happy Noodle serves delicious and satisfying food to fulfill your cravings of authentic Chinese food. You can enjoy xiao-long baos, delicious noodle soups, tan tan noodles and more. With the limitless items on their menu you cannot go wrong! One of our favourite spot in Vancouver for a heart-full meal.

What we ordered: Lanzhou Beef Soup Noodles, Xiao-Long Bao Steamed Buns, Beef Rolls and Szechuan Green Beans

Kingyo

Address: 871 Denman St, Vancouver, BC V6G 2L9 (Phone Number: +16046081677)

A lovely place with great ambiance and delicious Japanese food. I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner experience with my sister at Kingyo. This place gets busy with a 1 hour wait-time so make sure you make reservations via phone. I have to highlight a few of our favourites. We first started off with raw takowasabi which is chopped octopus and pickles marinated in wasabi flavoured sauce and served with dry seaweed. When I ordered it, I didn’t know what to expect. When it came to our table, I was perplexed. I was like, “what the heck did I order?” I grabbed a dry seaweed and spooned the chopped octopus and pickles on it. I took a one biter with no hesitation. The raw chopped octopus had a chewy texture and the hint of wasabi crept in right away. It was surprisingly delicious! Even my sister enjoyed it and she’s not one to try new things. The 5 kinds of sashimi consisted of blue fin tuna, sockeye salmon, tuna, spotted shrimp and scallop. The sashimi were so fresh and it melted in our mouth. I especially enjoyed the sweetness of the scallops. The highlight of the night had to be the stone-grilled Kobe beef. The presentation was amazing! The server came to our table with a hot heavy stone and our raw Kobe beef. It had such a beautiful colour and marbling. We were informed by our server to grill the Kobe beef on each side for a few seconds. I did what I was told and popped one in my mouth. I’m telling you, that’s the best piece of meat I ever ate!!! It was OISHI!!! The Kobe beef was so juicy and it melted in my mouth. A order consisted of 6 pieces and it was plentiful for my sister and I to devour! I highly recommend the stone-grilled Kobe beef for an unforgettable experience!

What we ordered: Raw Takowasabi, Daily Assorted Fresh Sashimi Omakase “Chef’s Choice”(5 Kinds), Stone-Grilled Kobe Beef, Kingyo Negitori Sushi and Blue Fin Tuna & Avocado Carpaccio

Stone-Grilled Marinated Kobe Beef w/ 2 Kinds of Kingyo Original Sauce

Ramen DANBO

Address: 1333 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6E 1C6

Don’t laugh at me when I tell you I waited in line for 45 minutes with my brother for ramen. What’s even crazier is that we we waited in line around 9:00 pm! You might think we’re having a late dinner but no, we already ate dinner. It was an early dinner so we had time for our food to digest properly in order for us to make room for some delicious ramen at the very popular Ramen Danbo on Robson. Now, I keep telling you I don’t wait in line for things but I’m recalling my previous travel posts and I do wait in line! I wait in line for ramen! Guaranteed you wont’ regret waiting in line for ramen over here. The ramen was extremely satisfying. It really reminded me of the ramen I had at Ichiran Ramen in Brooklyn and I loved it there! That bowl was memorable and I must say this bowl was too!

Ramen Danbo serves authentic Japanese Fukuoka-style ramen. I very much enjoyed the broth. Even though it was rich and creamy it was still light. The chashu was tender and the noodles were skinny so it held the flavour of the broth with each slurp. It was the perfect bowl of ramen. Very satisfying and yes, I would line up again. Any time of day!

What we ordered: Classic Chashu-men w/ their signature Tonkotsu Pork Broth

Cafe Medina

Address: 780 Richards St, Vancouver, BC V6B 3A4

Is there a time when your walking by and you see a massive line-up for a brunch spot and you almost want to laugh at the people lining up? You think it’s ridiculous people are waiting in line for expensive breakfast. A spot with mediocre Eggs Benedict, Chicken and Waffle or your standard Breakfast Bacon and Eggs. Cafe Medina definitely proved me wrong and the haters rolling their eyes at people lining up for brunch. It’s a worthy and mentionable brunch spot that is worth the wait. Take my word for it! It’s a very unique brunch spot from the ones I find in my city. Cafe Medina serves you not-so-basic brunches and its to die for! The Middle Eastern flair is what sets their dishes apart from other restaurants serving brunches.

Every bite was pact full of flavours. I ordered the Les Boulettes which consisted of 2 Poached Eggs, Spicy Moroccan Lamb Meatballs, Roasted Peppers, Black Olive & Tomato Stew, Raita, Grilled Focaccia. I love dipping my focaccia into the saucy delightfulness with a little of everything. My sister ordered the Cassoulet which had 2 Sunny Eggs, Medina Bacon, Andouille Sausage, Saucisson de Paris, White Beans, Red Wine, Roma Tomatoes, Grilled Focaccia. She was extremely pleased with what she selected and cleaned her plate. We were so full but we had to make room to try their famous liege style waffle. We ordered one to share and it was so divine. It was light, sweet but not to sweet and it was lovely with the fresh berry compote. I must say, my top brunch experience thus far!

Tip: To avoid lining up, make sure to make reservations. You have to line-up before they open their doors but the lovely host/hostess will inform customers with reservations to move to another line and seat you immediately.

What we ordered: Les Boulettes, Cassoulet, and Liege Style Waffle w/ Mixed Berry Compote

Marutama Ramen Westend

Address: 780 Bidwell St, Vancouver, BC V6G 2J6

My sister and I both enjoyed the Shoyu Ramen at Marutama. The noodles were chewy and the chicken broth was creamy and rich. The highlight for me had to be the pork chashu. It was tender, sweet and succulent. I added an egg because how can you not have an egg with your ramen! We also shared the Dashimaki, which is a Japanese Omelette. It was lightly sweet and perfect starter while we wait for our delicious bowl of ramen.

What we ordered: Shoyu Ramen w/ egg and Dashimaki (Japanese Omelette)

Shoyu Ramen - Soy & Bonito flavour with Creamy chicken broth, pork chashu, spinach, bamboo shoots, green onion with thin noodle.

Mello

Address: 223 E Pender St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2T9

My brother is always a hater when it comes to me suggesting anything. I remember showing him pictures of the donuts at Mello before our trip and he said it didn’t look good. Oh how he was so delightfully wrong! I was surprised to see Mello in Chinatown because I had it on my list but I had no clue where the shop was located. I decided I would order three to-go and restrain from eating it all to myself until my brother arrived later in the afternoon. Every type of donuts displayed looked very pleasing but I decided to order the strawberry cream, lemon curd, and cereal milk donut.

My brother had a few bites of the three donuts and let’s just say, he now thinks they are the best donuts he has ever had!!! That’s pretty big coming from my brother. His most favourite was the cereal milk donut. To this day, he still raves about the cereal milk. For me, I prefer the lemon curd and strawberry cream. Just because I prefer desserts that are citrusy or has fruits as toppings.

What we love about Mello donuts is that it reminds us of the malasadas we would get when we travel to Honolulu and visit the famous Leonard’s Bakery. The donuts at Mello’s are sour dough therefore airy and chewy. The fillings were abundant and it was the perfect amount of sweetness. I would definitely come here again and buy a half dozen or even a dozen! Other flavours I would love to try are the tiramisu, matcha and PB&J. Thank you Mello donuts for shutting my brother up and proving him wrong!

Left to Right: Strawberry Cream Dount, Lemon Curd, and Cereal Milk

Meat & Bread

Address: 625 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5J3

I’ve always heard great things about Meat & Bread and every time I’m in Vancouver, I walk pass by it but never get the opportunity to enjoy their food. Meat & Bread has four locations in Vancouver and a location in Calgary. We visited the location on Robson Street and ordered a porchetta sandwich, meatball sandwich and a side of tasty pickles for my sister. My favourite between the two sandwiches was the meatball sandwich while my brother and sister enjoyed the porchetta. Both sandwiches were tasty but I just love anything with meatballs. I can see why they have several locations. It’s a great place to grab tasty sandwiches. You never can go wrong with some Meat & Bread!

What we ordered: Porchetta & Meatball Sandwich w/ a side of Pickle

Dinesty Dumpling House

Address: 1719 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6G 1C9

Who can say no to Xiao Long Baos!!!

What we ordered: Steamed Pork Soup Dumplings (6), Steamed Crab Meat & Pork Dumplings (6), and Steamed Shrimp, Scallop & Pork Soup Dumplings (6)

Bao Bei

Address: 163 Keefer St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1X4

We already ate but didn’t want to leave Chinatown just yet, so we decided to catch a vibe and some sunshine while enjoying some refreshing cocktails at Bao Bei’s lovely patio. Would love to come here next time and enjoy their food items.

What we ordered: Gochu On My Mind, Koji Cure, and Hong Zhi

Left to Right: Koji Cure, Hong Zhi, and Gochu On My MInd

Ebisu on Robson

Address: 827 Bute St, Vancouver, BC V6E 3Y4

Ebisu is a great place to meet up with friends and enjoy their extensive menu offering Japanese cuisine. Friendly staff and a great ambiance all around. I especially love the red lanterns and banners displayed. We came here for Happy Hour to enjoy the plentiful of fresh oysters, appetizers and a nice, cold Sapporo beer. KANPAI!!!

What we ordered: Royal Miyagi Oysters from Northern Gulf Island BC, Tuna Tataki Delight, Wagyu Beef Sushi and Sapporo Beer