La Notte: Gelati is plural for Gelato?!

Finally have a chance to come here on another fine Tuesday for $8.99 pasta! =D Really close to UBC (aka far away for me) but cheap pasta, why not give it a try?

Restaurant: La Notte (visit their website here)

Location: 3307 Dunbar Street, Vancouver
Cuisine: Italian
Price range: $10-$20





Date of visit: November 5, 2013
Atmosphere: 4/5
Staff/service: 4/5
Food variety: 4/5
Food quality: 3.5/5
Buck worthy? 4/5

Started off with some focaccia bread, it was a bit cold by the time we got down to nom nom on it, since KW and LZ arrived earlier (I was a WEE late). Still quite good, a bit hard by the time I got to it =(

Moving on, KW ordered a Proscuitto E Melone ($9.00), which was interesting because I've usually had it paired with melon and not cantaloupe. The cantaloupe wasn't very fresh, had a wine-y taste to it but the proscuitto was decent. Together it wasn't a memorable dish. But YES. Those grape-looking things at the end were full olives! Very strong taste, but interesting.

The main attraction, pasta! Bonnishii and LZ both ordered Fettuccine Alla Veneziana ($8.99- Regularly $15.00). It was deliciously rich and creamy (I sneaked a bite), with a few decently sized prawns. Bonnishii said it was a bit much near the end because it was so rich, but otherwise delish!

KW wanted to try their basics and ordered a Spaghetti Bolognese ($8.99- Regular $14.00). Very tomatoey, and had nice chunks of ground beef. Pasta was al dente and overall I liked how the flavors worked out. But then again, it WAS just your typical spaghetti bolognese. They just didn't' mess it up xD

I've been on this clam-addiction lately, and just can't get enough! Ordered a Linguine Alle Vongole ($8.99- Regularly $15.00). There were indeed whole and baby clams, which weren't very flavorful at all. They were rather chewy and bland =/ Definitely a disappointment for me. Not much wine taste in the sauce either, although it was far less rich than Bonnishii and LZ's pasta. I managed to stuff it all in me, which says something about the portion size. Either way, pasta was great, clams not so much, and it wasn't overly oily (not too light either!).

To finish off the night, there's desserts of course! We were confused about the "Gelati" ($6.00 I believe... forgot the price), turns out it was PLURAL for Gelato!! (Learn something new every day!) Anyways, there were a few options, and we decided on the one with three flavors. Pistachio (tasted like medicine), Vanilla (Had dried fruits and nuts in it which diminished the experience), and Hazelnut (which was surprisingly not like Nutella, and was the best part of the Gelati). Oh! Our servers were very friendly and helpful, brownie points for them! ^-^

LZ went with tradition and ordered a piece of Tiramisu ($7.00). She felt the cake layer was overly soaked in coffee and negatively impacted her overall experience. Otherwise your typical Tiramisu.

Bonnishii's impression of me while I was nibbling on that focaccia bread xD

For this price I was ok with coming here, although for a bit more at La Trattoria, I feel I would pay the extra bit for better quality food. La Notte give a very homey feel and is more casual though. So depending on what environment you're looking for, its a decent pasta place. Me? I don't see myself returning. #notafoodsnob #Ijusthavehigherexpectations Toodles~ <3

Hog Shack Cook House: Why are my ribs so dry?!

Craving some MEAT today, and Adorables managed to find a coupon, so here we are!! =)

Restaurant: Hog Shack Cook House (visit their website here)

Location: 160-3900 Bayview Street, Richmond
Cuisine: American, Barbecue
Price range: $20-25





Date of visit: October 18, 2013
Atmosphere: 4/5
Staff/service: 4/5
Food variety: 3.5/5
Food quality: 3/5
Buck worthy? 3/5

A very family-cozy-feel establishment, we were at first ignored by the waitress, but eventually were seated. Their menu selection was limited and we just looked for items recommended by online reviewers. Since I'm staying away from beef, we decided on the Hog Shack St. Louis Style Side Ribs- Half Rack ($17.00). They noted that it was meatier than the back ribs, so I'm glad we got this. The flavors were smokey, BBQ sauce, and meat. I found it rather dry though, not very juicy-- perhaps that's how it's made St. Louis Style? Anyways, the sides were good though. Veggies were varied and cooked properly. And YAM FRIES. They were pretty amazing-- very fresh, crisp, soft and fluffy on the inside.

We also ordered 2-Piece Fish and Chips ($14.00), where the pieces of fish were decently sized, should have just got one (but it was a $3 difference I believe). Anyways, this was really fresh and your typical good fried fish. The fries on the other hand were mediocre, sorta dead and old =/

Of course, we couldn't finish all this food, but either way, it was an enjoyable visit-- will I be back? Maybe. The waitresses were very friendly though!

Trattoria Italian Kitchen: Pasta craving satisfied-- deliciously!

Had a craving for pasta and Adorables suggested this! Bonus that it was their Tuesday pasta special, so all pastas were only $11! =D So. . . why not? ^-^

Restaurant: Trattoria Italian Kitchen (visit their website here)

Location: 1850 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver
Cuisine: Italian, Pasta
Price range: $15-25





Date of visit: October 15, 2013
Atmosphere: 4.5/5
Staff/service: 4.5/5
Food variety: 4/5
Food quality: 4.5/5
Buck worthy? 5/5

Luckily for us, there was a table quickly available, it was super busy for a Tuesday night! (as compared to many other restaurants). Ordered some drinks to start the evening. Adorables ordered a Citrus tea ($3.50) for me to try, and it was decent. Came in a nice package, the tea itself was fragrant and tart-- none of the bitter tea taste, not bad to accompany our meal.

He ordered a Trattoria Lemonade Passionfruit flavor ($3.50) and I tried some-- it was amazing! So many flavors exploded in my mouth. First it was just tart and bubbly, then came the sweet and fragrant tastes of fruit (passionfruit, pear, and I couldn't figure out what else-- those are guesses too haha).

I was rather torn between a few pasta options, but finally decided on the Tagliatelle Nero Vongole ($11.00-- regularly $17.95). Basically it was a squid ink pasta with clams and tomatoes. The pasta itself was al dente and flavorful. But the highlight of the dish was the clams. They were so fresh and full of clam flavor-- it was amazing. I couldn't stop myself from picking them out and munching on all of them first (I refrained after a while). A bit on the oily side, but the dish itself was overall very satisfying.

Adorables decided on the Truffled Spaghetti and Signature Meatballs ($11.00-- regularly $22.95). Simple as this dish may seem (spaghetti and meatballs, pretty much), I loved the creaminess of the sauce after the cream and tomato sauces were mixed. I thought it would be too saucy and thick, but it wasn't overwhelming at all. It came with three pretty giant meatballs, which were not bad, there was some texture to the meat and the flavors weren't too overwhelming-- matched well with the whole dish.

Finally, to finish our wonderful meal, a Tiramisu ($7.95) was ordered. I felt the chocolate on top did little to enhance the flavors, rather it was too grainy and affected the texture negatively. Otherwise the display and taste was well executed. The quality just didn't justify the price charged. However, the biscotti on the side was beautifully delicious.

Friendly service, delicious food, pasta specials, amazing company-- a very memorable and awesome evening indeed. I shall be back on another Tuesday to try their other delectable pastas! Adorables also ordered a lasagna (only available on Tuesdays) to go, which he said was average-- it came with a side salad though! ^w^

ShiZenYa, Vancouver: Too healthy for my palette!

Was around the VGH area, and saw the high ratings of this place! Gluten-free, organic, natural, brown rice? Sure, why not give healthy a try?

Restaurant: Shizen Ya (visit their website here)

Location: 1102 West Broadway, Vancouver
Cuisine: Japanese, Sushi, Brown Rice, Gluten-free, organic
Price range: $15-$20




Date of visit: September 14, 2013
Atmosphere: 4/5
Staff/service: 4/5
Food variety: 4/5
Food quality: 4/5
Buck worthy? 3/5

It was a cute little store with an interesting menu. Their gluten-free menu consisted of mainly quinoa-based dishes, with a few vegetarian options. Intrigued, I ordered a Sakura Blossom Roll ($12.95). This wasn't as bad a it looked, the flavors were well-rounded and the ingredients were fresh. It consisted of smoked salmon, salmon, avocado, real crab meat, cucumber, wrapped in brown rice. The salad in the middle however, was disastrous. Besides being bitter, the leaves weren't very fresh at all.

Adorables ordered their Dinner Combo A Kheema Curry ($14.95). It consisted of miso soup, ebi sunomono, sashimi, and curry with rice. The miso soup had veggies in it, interesting. Ebi sunomono was made with tiger prawns and... not your typical glass vermicelli. It looked more like brown rice vermicelli. Adorables seemed to find the sashimi acceptable though.

Last but not least, the chicken curry. Paired with brown rice, this didn't taste one bit Japanese. It was a very strong curry flavor and herby-- no milky flavor that I'm used to for sure. Saw some unsatisfied expressions on his face, taking that as the curry wasn't enjoyable for him either xD It also was a bit dry and barely any chicken in there, loaded with a myriad of beans though.

Honestly, I'll just stick to my "unhealthy" Japanese food. This was far too health-conscious that it lost the meaning of food. If this is the price to pay for my health (maybe not even that much of a difference), I'd rather starve (maybe not literally though... MUST KEEP EATING). Munch on!! <3

Random picture of the night scenery ^-^ The beauty that is named, Vancouver~

The Morrissey Pub, Vancouver: Burger week contestant!

Tried to be a good foodie and join in on the festivities! Burger week 2013 is Sept 1-7, hopefully some of you got to try some amazing burgers on discount this week! =D

Restaurant: The Morrissey Pub (visit their website here)
Location: 1227 Granville Street, Vancouver
Cuisine: Pub Food, Burgers, Drinks
Price range: $15-20

Date of visit: September 6, 2013
Atmosphere: 4.5/5
Staff/service: 5/5
Food variety: 2/5
Food quality: 4.75/5
Buck worthy? 4/5

The burger they entered for the burger week contest is the Lamb Royal ($10). It came with either fries or a salad, and I chose the salad option, since SexyNapkins ordered fries =P. First off, I must say the burger was ginormous. I couldn't fit it in my mouth! The deep fried eggplant added another layer to the whole burger, but it was a great addition! The lamb was so fragrant and lamby I loved it. The eggplant added some crisp and juice to make it less dry, without being overwhelming with the flavor. The bun itself was quite chewy (which I really like) and moist (not in a bad way). The salad itself was pretty good too, pieces were a bit large to fit nicely, would've been better if they had chopped it into smaller pieces =) It was smothered in a zesty vinaigrette.

SexyNapkins ordered their Morrissey Burger ($13) and it too, was HUGE! It looked super juicy and she said it was delicious. A bit more messy than mines because of the sauces, but worth it =) The fries were crispy and packed full of potatoey goodness. Nothing super exceptional, but they were made well.

I felt the ambiance and feel of the pub was very cozy and a great place for a relaxing evening of girl talk ;) Waitresses were very friendly, and I felt really comfortable there (even though I was messily eating a burger).

So adorable how she drew hearts around our totals <3 May try to get a foodie event to happen here! -- Sorry for the bad quality of pics, it was sort of dark in there! However, it didn't give me a dirty feeling as do many dimly lit establishments, which is a pro! =D