The food in France is exceptional. Just about anywhere in the town you can find good food, shall I thank the authors at Lonely Planet (France) as well?

The Adventure

This is “Andouillette with Fries” I tasted in Monte Carlo. It’s a speciality dish in France.
It’s pork intestine. Guess, the French could be like the Cantonese in terms of the exotic food. The bad taste of the intestine is suprisngly not there thanks to the strong pepper seasonings and the sauce.

I also ordered the Rock Fish Stock Soup to start. It’s the best 16 Euros I spent on soup!

A Suprise

Dim Sum Plate in Nice! Can you believe it? The round dumpling located at the “4-o’clock” of the steamer is a dumpling I like a lot, but even I couldn’t find that in Hong-couver!

The sweets

Of course the day cannot end without desssert! It’s fruit Clafoutis. It’s a different rendition of the one I had at Provence Marinaside in Vancouver. It’s made out of eggs (like quiche but sweet taste) with lots of exotic fruits and a light tart base. On the topm it’s like creme brulee, it’s burnt a bit. It’s exceptional. Thanks to the recommendation from Lonely Planet.

The Snacks:

We brought this Smoked Salmon cone at Monoprix (I think it’s like a supermarket giant that sells just a bit of everything. It’s like a upscale Safeway with London Drugs and Winners all in one!). Inside the cone, it’s a pate of Smoked Salmon topped with some cream and the gello with chieves.

A Regular Lunch in Nice

We went to a nicely decorated place on Boulvard de Jean Medicine in Nice. I guess the French will call this place “sympthatic”. It’s the Combo I picked to satisify my eggs craving. It’s a Sandwich of American Style and with the toxically delicious White Chocolate Raspberry Tarte!

• Shanghai Fast Food
• 13, Rue du Verdun  04 67 92 07 58

Yesterday, my classmate Carrie and I wandered around the street and found a very “sympathique” (I had to use this french word that means nothing in English!) takeout Thai places. Things are measured in 100g, and I ordered a 100g of Pad Thai and another 100 g of the rice vermicelli. It was divine! Very good quality in that place, aibiet the service was a bit chaotic.Tomorrow would be my first time driving in France on the Autoroute! It would not be as exciting as the Autobahn, but still I am driving in Europe!

• Grasse
• Nice
• Monaco
• Aix-en-Provence
• Marseilles [Bouillabaisse]

Highlights for Bouillabaisse!It’s all started with my first love at Provence Marinaside in Yaletown, Vancouver. Since my first tasting of Bouillabaisse (a tomato stew with fresh seafood and herbs cooked in the Provençal style), my passion for seafood has only grown stronger by the day. Marseilles is the Mecca of Bouillabaisse. This 30€ Bouillabaisse is complimented with a lovely terrace at Le Mérou Bleu on rue St-Saëns. (1)

Restaurant tasting calendar:

• Nov 20 – Dec 8: Montpellier
• Nov 24 – 26: Sete, Carcassonne, Toulouse
• Dec 1 (Friday)
• Montpeller (1:30 pm) —- 4 hr —-> Cannes (530 – 10 pm)
• — .5 hr —-> Grasse (1030+) [Hotel]
• Dec 2 (Saturday)
• Grasse (900-1230am) —- 0.5 hr —-> Nice (1pm+) [Hotel]
• Dec 3 (Sunday)
• —- 0.5 hr —> Monaco (930-4:30) — 0.5 hr —> Nice (430pm) [Hotel]
• Dec 4 (Monday)
• Nice — 2 hr —> Aix-en-Provence (1100-1300) —- 1/2 hr —-> Marseilles [Bouillabaisse] (1) (130-700) — 2 hr —> Montpellier (@ 900)
• Dec 9 – 16: Paris
• Dec 12 – 14: Barcelona
• Dec 21: Depart Paris for Vancouver.

Stay tune for more updates. If you have any suggestions for restaurants in region, feel free to send me a message.

Yoshoku Ya is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in Vancouver. Their ambience isc carried over from a traditional German restaurant. It’s cozy and homey. Price is very reasonable and it offers one of a kind Japanese Western food in Vancouver.

Tonight’s craving was the Hamburg Steak. Nice, juicy, and tender with the Japanese BBQ sauce on it served with colourful carrots, peas, and potatoes.

Other highly recommended dish is “Chicken Cream Korokee”

• Niche: western style Japanese food (one of a kind). German Restaurant Decor, Hamburg Steak, Schnitzel-like Stuff Chicken
• (604) 687-4970
• Tuesdays closed

• Niche: Friendly Japanese-owned (Neighborhood) Sushi. The chef greets every single client with respect and he even speaks “Bonjour” and “Merci Beaucoup” to French clients.
• 1888 W. Broadway [Map]
• (604) 731-5577
• Mon – Fri 1130-1430 1700-2100
• Sat 1700-2100
• Sun & Holiday closed

Ahi-Tuna Salad at Joeys

A new restaurant chain – Joeys Restaurant – opened on Broadway and Granville a few months ago. My friend and I paid a visit and were fascinated by the nice ambiance. I was equally impressed by the food presentation of my Ahi-Tuna Salad. The Ahi-Tuna is a bit on the rough side, perhaps it was a busy night. Will try out more next time. The burger was surprising good and reasonably priced.
1424 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC
Phone: 604-732-JOEY

Seafood Platter at Seafood Cannery

Celebrating my 10th anniversary of knowing my first friend in Canada, we have decided to splurge on our $350 dinner at the Seafood Cannery by the Wall St along the Georgia Strait by the Second Narrow’s Bridge. The sunset view of the Lion’s Gate Bridge is worth about $200 already. The seafood is fresh and of course, we made a big mess when eating all the shellfish.
This is what we ordered:

• COAST PLATTER FOR TWO
  1.5lb lobster, 1/2 Dungeness crab, scallops, jumbo prawns, steamed mussels, grilled oysters in the shell, and Halibut and Trout.

The Cannery Seafood House

• Niche: Fresh seafood + spectacular view overlooking Burrard Inlet/Lion’s Gate Bridge
• along the coast in East Vancouver
• (604) 254-9606
• Tips. Getting there is a bit of an adventure, but it’s worth the challenge. It makes you feel more secluded. [Map]

Tracy at Sweet Revenge

Sweet Revenge Patisserie

• Niche: Fine dessert / Retro English Decor
• 4160 Main Street [Map]
• 604-879-7933
• Monday – Thursday: 7 P.M. to 12 Midnight
• Friday – Saturday: 7 P.M. to 1 A.M.
• Sunday: 2 P.M. to 12 Midnight (Afternoon High Tea served from 2 to 6 P.M.)

Ahi Tuna Salad @ the Watermark Restaurant

This very chic and minimalistic restaurant, housed in the west coast architecture of wood and glass on the Kitsilano beach in Vancouver. Equally surprising, it’s the high quality Ahi Tuna and potato salad on the menu. The Ahi Tuna is grilled to perfection with just enough rawness inside and without overpowering the fresh tuna taste from the grill.

The wasabi soya dressing was exquisite. Paired with the Japanese style potato salad.Tips: Remember to ask for a table with a view. Go on a sunny afternoon and it’s the perfect spot to see sunset in Vancouver.

* Niche: Awesome seafood menu. Speculator view of West Van/ Bowen Island and Sunset
* (604) 738-KITS
* 1305 Arbutus Street, Kitsilano Beach [Map]

Yellow Curry Pad Thai Pad Si-Ew

• In English: The Thai food in Seattle is probably the best in North America. My favorite plate of this restaurant is always the “Pad Thai”. This restaurant on Broadway in Seattle is called Rom Mai Thai Restaurant.
• 613 Broadway East [Map]
• Seattle WA 98102
• Tel: 206-726-9058

After lunch at Rom Mai Thai, I’d recommend venturing to Redmond (about 45 minutes east from Downtown) and visit the Microsoft Campus Visitor Center.

Beautiful installations of a wall of Pocket PCs @ Microsoft’s Redmond, WA’s Campus

• The Pocket PCs are Toshiba SmartPhones.
• en francais: La cusine Thailandise à Seattle est la milleure de l’Amerique de Nord. Mon plate prefére “Pad Thai” est toujours dans la restaurant sur rue Broadway, qui s’appelle “Rom Mai Thai Restaurant“.Seattle est situaté 200 km sud de Vancouver. C’est une grande ville de la côte ouest des états-unis. La zone climatique et la geographie de Seattle sont tres semblable de à salle de Vancouver. Donc, Il pluie beaucoup et il y a fort vent. La centerville est composeé de 4 ils. Ils sont quartiers Fremont, Westlake, Eastlake, Madorona, et Queen Anne.Beaucoup de ponts sont utilisee pour connecter les ils. J’aime la quartier Fremont. Les habiants mangerant toujours biologqiue, n’aimes pas de grande marque de monde, et aime mangerant la produit bioloquie.

Best Dessert / Dessert Art @ Ganache, Yaletown

The pastry Master Mr. Peter Fong’s rendition of art. The newly wedded created just about the most creative cake I have seen in Vancouver. The Strawberry Flamobase on the bottom left on the above image is like a canvas of a young budding artist in the Art Gallery on South Granville.

If you go an excursion in Yaletown on Homer Street, it’s very advisory to bring your camera with you to this cozy patisserie. The pastry display on the fridge is like jewels.

Recommend: The flagship, Chocolate Banane and my personal favorite is the Green Tea and Chestnuts cake which are only available in the summer for a limited time.

• Ganache
• Niche: High-end French Pastry (looks like a piece of fine art)
• Yaletown
• ganache@telus.net
• (604) 899-1098
• Tue – Thurs 1100-1900
  Sunday 1100-1700