Dot. Desserts (CLOSED)

Du wop da Dot!

Food:

This place is one of my relatively newly-found (and quite low-key) favourite dessert place! Been here a few times and have quite enjoyed it, really.  Dots is unique in the sense that it offers Japanese style parfaits, (savoury & sweet) crepes, and bubble tea.

On this night, we ordered the amazingly-divine Black Sesame Parfait and the equally as amazingly-divine Caramel Apple Crepe.  For $2.00 more, I had the 'crepe combo' where I added a Honey Green Tea drink with half coconut jelly and half pearls.  Unfortunately, they were out of  pearls that night, and so I opted for the mango stars replacement.  It was a great substitute; the mango stars were basically mango-flavoured coconut jelly! They were cute, chewy and lovely.

This night turned out to be a win-win situation for my dining companion and I as the server working there (owner?) had mistakenly made a Caramel Apple Parfait instead of the Caramel Apple Crepe that we had ordered.  She gave it to us at no charge and we were also given our Caramel Apple Crepe too (which arrived very shortly after).

Caramel Apple Parfait

For those of you who haven't had a Japanese style parfait before, it is essentially a multi-layer parfait filled mainly with ice cream, fruits and whatever 'special ingredient' you desire - served in a tall glass.  The Black Sesame Parfait was comprised of black sesame and vanilla ice cream, sponge cake, mochi, and corn flakes - topped with whipped cream and shaved chocolate flakes with a cute little blackberry on top.  The amalgamation of sweet, crunchy and chewy flavours inherent in this concoction was absolutely orgasmic!

The Caramel Apple Parfait was darn heavenly as well.  Think soft and delicious vanilla ice cream, sliced sweet and tangy cinnaomon-coated caramelized apples, topped with corn flakes, whipped cream and more caramel. Mmmmm....the Caramel Apple Crepe was very similar but was served cold (which I liked).  It too comprised of caramelized apples and whipped cream, with a side of vanilla ice cream.  The crepe itself was a bit more doughy and hence, chewier than the crepes that I was used to, but I still very thoroughly enjoyed it!

Service:

Attentive and friendly

Value:

Reasonable

Ambience:

This little parfait/dessert bar can only seat about 15 people or so, and the times that I've been here, there have only been about 2 tables occupied.  The white modern decor with the white stools and the high table are reminscent of a bar setting, but with dim lighting, a quite ambience and soothing music - this place is the ideal dessert place to take a date!

Overall: 8/10

Yay:  Late store hours (open til 12 am everyday) to satisfy those with late-night sweet tooths :), come here for meticulously-made Japanese style-parfaits, sweet and savoury crepes, and bubble tea...all admist a nice, cozy sombre yet romantic ambience!

Nay:  This place is quite small (5-6 tables of 2-3 chairs each) and definitely not ideal for large group gatherings!




Posted by: J

Miura Waffle Milk Bar

felt like I just died and went to waffle heaven...

Bulgogi Waffle Sando

Food:

I fell in love with Miura's waffle 'sandos' (which means 'sandwiches' in Japanese) the first time I laid my taste buds on them.  Not only do they offer both 'savoury' and 'sweet' waffle sandwiches, but were also created with a Japanese (and Korean) influence.  On my first visit here (on Canada Day), my dining companion had their Bulgogi waffle sando and their special of the day which was a Maple Marshmallow S'more Waffle sando filled with marshmallows, chocolate, and maple syrup (maple syrup as a tribute to Canada :)).  Both waffles were devoured in seconds; they were very fresh-tasting, delightfully delicious and epitomized the quintessential gourmet waffle sandwiches.

Maple Marshmallow S'more Waffle Sando

On my second visit here, my dining companion wanted to try the very same Bulgogi Waffle sando.  It was just as appetizing and appealing as when I had it the first time.  It was filled with marinated barbeque beef (Korean 'bulgogi'), small chopped up pieces of boiled egg that were reminiscent of an egg salad, and kimchi.  Sandwiches between 2 crispy halves to complete a waffle sando, it sure did not disappoint.  To satisfy our sweet craving, we opted for special of the day which was their Banana Caramel Waffle sando.  This waffle sando was not crispy, but was rather more fluffier.  This was fine and very suitable to the overall ingredients that it contained.  The ratio of banana to caramel was good.  I should also mention that it does contain whipped cream, but I had asked for a lesser amount (of whipped cream).  This sweet sando was overally very satisfying and would pair even better with a latte.

Banana Caramel Waffle Sando

Being branded also as a 'milk' bar, I felt the need to have to try one of their yogurt milk concoctions.  We oped for the Blueberry Yogurt Milk.  It tasted literally like yogurt liquid with freshly blended (?) blueberries.  Though I wish it was more of a smoothie texture, it tasted fine.

Service:

Friendly and polite

Value:

Waffle prices range from $4.00-$6.99 ~ price is a little steep for the more 'gourmet' sandos but they're worth a try!

Ambience:

Been here twice and I feel like they need a bit of soothing music or something to accomodate the cafe-like ambience, love the smell of waffles wafting in the air

Overall: 8/10

Yay: Yummy, yummy made-to order savoury and sweet waffles.  Love the creation of the waffle 'sandos' they have come up with - where else can you have bulgogi in a waffle and have it taste like you just died and went to waffle heaven? They've also got free Wifi!

Nay: Parking may be an issue

** Interesting fact: Recently, there have been an influx of online coupon sites where you can purchase discount vouchers redeemable at a variety of local restaurants, food stores, speciality shops, tourist attractions, etc.  Some discount vouchers are valid only on the day (of) when you purchase the voucher, while others have a reasonable validity period.  Luckily, I was able to get my hands (mouse, haha!) on them and was able to snatch up a couple of discount vouchers for Miura when they were featured on the Social Shopper website.  I purchased 2 vouchers at $5 each but were worth double the amount! Who can ever resist such a win-win situation? :)



Posted by: J

Rodney's Oyster House

                                                                                      a 'shuck' of a good time...

Food:

On this highly-anticipated night, after more than an hour and a half wait, we were finally seated at the oyster bar - extremely excited at the thought of devouring and gorging on oysters, oysters...and more oysters.

We were so hungry (and impatient) by the time we arrived that we hardly thought about what to order (I usually like to take my time, carefully weighing my options).  We just knew we wanted oysters. And lots of them.  Luckily, the lone-oyster-dude-shucker sensed our anticipation and asked if we wanted a dozen fresh oysters.  We immediately gave him the thumbs up.

Prior to the arrival of the oyster mania.  We each had a Caesar - which was very appetizing.  I liked how they used crushed ice, as opposed to cubed ice.  It was also wonderfully garnished with a nice piece of prawn, and sprinkled with freshly-grated horseradish.  Bread was also given, though it was fresh, but nothing to praise about.

Now onto the oyster mania.  We were presented with a dozen of freshly-shucked oysters (there were 3 kinds: Kumamoto, Kuushi, and some other one I don't recall) which were the 3 personal favourites of the oyster shucker's.  I'm glad we allowed him to choose the oysters because we slurped them down in seconds. They were amaaaazingly fresh tasting.  The bonus were once again, topping the oysters with the freshly-grated horseradish and the accompanying house-made sauces!

We also had the Pan Fried Oysters which were so succulent tasting with a crispy battered coating.  They were probably my favourite of the night.  The Oysters Rockefellah were darn delicious as well - soaked and baked in butter, spinach, garlic and whatever wonderful ingredients it may have contained. We also had the Seared Scallops, which although weren't huge and plump, there was a good 6-7 scallops, accompanied with a wonderful salad (everything was devoured so quickly, I don't even remember what I ate! lol)

Pan Fried Oysters ...
(note: on the left was the Fried Halibut that was mistakenly given to us)

Service:

We didn't really have our own personal server per se; our order was taken by the shucker dude (who was situated in front of us all night long) at the oyster bar.  There was also an order mix-up between the people sitting next to us and ours (hey, more food for us!) We didn't realize it until it was too late.  Otherwise, the service was good  - friendly and chattable.

Value:

A little steep - $2.50 - 3.50 per fresh oyster

Ambience:

This place is extremely LOUD, and can therefore either make or break your experience.  It's essentially a large wooden cabin, filled with loud campers (dining patrons) with the cabin 'leaders' being the huge, muscular oyster stuckers (haha).

Overall: 8/10

Yay: Come here for freshly-shucked oysters, pan-fried oysters, oyster rockefellar, and however you like your cooked cooked (or prepared) :)

Nay: Make reservations - I say at least 3-4 days in advance. I called the day before to book a reso for 2 and they were all full with the reason being that they only reserve the upstairs (approx. 6-7 tables). As a result, upon arrival, we were told that it would be a 1 hr and 20 min. wait before a table was available for us. We then ventured to Cactus Club for a drink, came back 1 hr and 20 mins later and waited for another 15 mins. before being seated.


The noise level can be extremely overwhelming especially if you're on a date or what not.  Also, I don't think this is the most kid-friendly place.  Prices are steep as well.

*** Interesting fact: They have a location in Toronto too and from what I've read, it's equally as bustling and busy!




Posted by: J

Locus

great brunch joint on Main...with a ~spooky~ feel

Food:

Excellenttt brunch.  Both my dining companions (and I) enjoyed our dishes very much.  On this morning, I opted for the Venison Benny (with mushrooms and homemade-herb ricotta cheese).  The hollandaise sauce was very good - not too yolk-y or runny.  The venison flank was grilled to perfection and was of marvelous texture. I loved the accompanying fingerling potatoes (felt so much healthier as opposed to the usual deep fried hashbrowns/potatoes) and the paired fruit was good too (a slice watermelon, honey dew, pineapple and orange).

We also were served delicious bread (focaccia and a raisin bread) with even more appealing types of butter: spicy and a raisin rum butter (which was sweet).  The butter was light and fluffy (which I loved) and it paired extremely well with the bread.  Oddly, the bread was served the same time as when our food arrived.

My smoothie wasn't too thick and was a great boost for the morning.  Weird thing was that it was served a huge wine (?) glass and the other downside was the price: $6.95! It wasn't worth it but I really didn't feel like having tea or anything else, lol.

Service:

Great.  Our server was nice and chattable.  The owner (pretty sure) kept on checking up on us from time to time and was quite pleasant.

Value:

Strawberry, organge and banana smoothie - $6.95 (:S)

Ambience:

Very Main Street-esque.  The whole restaurant is clad in dark wooden tables and chairs, with imitation wooden trees throughout and canvas art for sale.  It's totally got a grungey feel to it and I felt like I was walking through a haunted house on my way to the washroom.  (edited: 'Eclectic' is the word that totally sums up this place!) Pretty cool.

Overall: 8/10

Yay: Yummy-in-my-tummy brunch.  Come here if your like the modern-grungey type of ambience :)

Nay: Looks kinda sketchy from the outside...but hey, hasn't your mom ever taught you to not 'judge a book by its cover'?

Posted by: J

Go Fish

Go(oooood) Fish is more like it!

Food:

Everything we ordered was so fresh and delicious! On this beautiful Saturday, my dining companion and I shared: 2 pieces of Halibut and chips, a Qualicum Bay Seared Scallop Sandwich and one Salmon Tacone.  The fish was nicely battered, meaty, huge and crispy while the 'chips' were actually pomme frites (delicious and so fresh-tasting).  It also came with a side of coleslaw, which I liked for its non-drenchiness.  It was coated in a Asian sesame-like dressing, as opposed to the usual creamy dressing.

The Scallop Sandwich arrived on a fresh Portugese-style bun, loaded with plump nicely-seared scallops (4, to be exact), caramelized onions, iceberg lettuce, mayo and sweet chili sauce.  The salmon tacone was generally filled with grilled salmon, cilantro-infused salsa, coleslaw and a chipotle sauce.  I only had a bite of this but it was enough to make my tastebuds tingle! ~

Service:

Ok, not the friendliest and not the speediest either

Value:

Pricey

Ambience:

It's located steps away from Granville Island...come here for the grub and scenery! Especially on a hot summer's day? Perfection.

Overall: 8/10

Yay:  Come for the food and scenery - no questions asked

Nay: Lineups, lineups, lineups! We came here on a Saturday afternoon at about noon-ish only to be presented with a huge line-up filled with fellow fish'n'chip grabbers alike.  We waited in line for about 25 mins, ordered our food and had to wait for another 15 mins. 

The service we witnessed wasn't the greatest either (somebody had take another person's order and the woman (manager? owner?) working there was quite rude).

It is pretty darn pricey here, too.  2 pieces of halibut & chips totalled $14.50, while the scallop sandwich was $12 :/

 

Spice Islands Indonesian Restaurant

Just a taaad overrated, if you ask me...

Food:

Roti Prata - Arrived in 8 (med. sized pieces) with a green curry sauce.  Not as flaky as I expected (and would've liked).  It leaned towards the crispier side, but flavours were good.

Chicken & Beef Satays - Skewers were a little on the small side, beef was a bit too done while the chicken was a bit fattier than preferred.  The satay sauce wasn't thick, but was quite peanut-y :)

Mango Salad with Calamari - This was one of their specials, but it wasn't as appetizing as I expected.  It had romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, small pieces of mango in a ginger-y vinegarette dressing.  It came with 2 (quite small) skewers of grilled calamari (which was healthier tasting as opposed to it being fried, which I liked).

Java Curry Chicken - Great flavours, thickness of sauce was good (not overly thick or watery).  Ample portion. 

Mussels in Curry Sauce - Not sure if it's mussel season right now, but they were very tiny.  Plentiful portion though, and the curry sauce was good.

Coconut Rice (side)- Very nicely presented (in a pyramid shape).  The coconut flavour was very minimal, so I was a bit disappointed.  The rice wasn't very thoroughly cooked either!

Service:

Our server was very nice, polite, courteous and knowledgeable.  I think he was predominantly the main server for the entire restaurant, so it took him a while to come and place our order. 

Value:

A taddd overpriced - but it is located in a more affluent neighbourhood

Ambience:

We chose to sit outside on this nice summer evening, so we couldn't really experience the ambience inside the restaurant, per se.  It was quiet and dim inside the restaurant as I took a quick stroll through the restaurant to get to the washroom (which is, by the way, single-stall washrooms separated by sex).  We arrived at 8 pm on a Thursday evening, and there were about 3-4 tables occupied.  Mind you, it is a fairly small restaurant (8-10 tables, max).

Outside, we sat on green plastic chairs (accompanied with green plastic tables).  It wasn't the best of the dining furniture, but it was alright.  I also noticed the (long overdue or just super early) Christmas lights hung around the railings of the restaurant, lol.

Overall: 7.3/10

Yay:  There aren't very many Southeast Asian restaurants in the area, so if you do happen to be in the area and am craving Malaysian/Indonesian food, this spot will be able to satisfy your cravings. 

Nay:  Over-rated -just a bit above average at best (Tropika and Banana Leaf are better!). Not ideal for big groups.

**Interesting fact:  This place was the Gold Winner of Vancouver Magazine's Restaurant Awards for 'Best Other Asian' - a little over-rated, in my opinion!



Posted by: J