Labour Day, Vancouver, B.C.

Hubby and I went to Vancouver, B.C. over the Labor Day weekend for a foodie getaway. We headed straight to Motomachi Shokudo for some yummy ramen after checking into our hotel. It turns out Kintaro Ramen was only a few doors down from Motomachi.  Luckily, our wait at Motomachi was less than 5 minutes compared to the long line snaking out the door from Kintaro.  I ordered the New Generation Miso Ramen with bean sprouts, menma, onions, Japanese leek (lots of it), corn, BBQ pork, and green onions.  The soup was very tasty and the pork was very good with a nice grilled flavor. Hubby ordered their specialty Bamboo Charcoal Ramen with soft poached egg, menma, Japanese leek, BBQ pork, and green onions. The broth was mixed in with bamboo charcoal powder which explains the black color and claims to be healthy for you.

We really enjoyed the ramen at Motomachi and can't wait to go back. We took a stroll along Robson after dinner and stumbled upon Guu on Thurlow.  They were open late so we decided to try some izakaya dishes before heading back to the hotel.  They even make their own beer called Guuu'd Ale. One bottle costs $8.50!  We skipped the drinks and just ordered a few dishes to nibble. We had the takoyaki, tako wasabi, karaage and pork intestine. The takoyaki could have used a bit more octopus, otherwise, the food was okay.

Since we were surrounded by Chinese restaurants in Richmond we decided to grab dim sum for breakfast the following day.  We went to Fisherman's Terrace in Aberdeen Center and were one of the few early birds there. The service was very efficient and attentive. As soon as we were seated, we looked through the menu and marked what we wanted on the order sheet (they didn't push carts around like most dim sum restaurants typically do). The food was good but I don't think I would make a special trip back there next time we're in the area.  Hubby said he would go back just for the sticky rice.

After breakfast, we went back to the hotel to check out and decided to get some xiao long bao (soup dumplings) from Shanghai River. I was craving soup dumplings very badly but we were turned away when we got to the restaurant. Apparently, reservations are required in order to eat there. :(

Our failed attempt to eat at Shanghai River set us back on time. We originally planned to tandem bike around Stanley Park after breakfast, grab a late lunch and get gelato before heading back home. We had to forgo biking and went to eat lunch instead at Miura Waffle Milk Bar. What can I say, I love my waffles!  Since we wanted to save room for gelato, we decided to share a savory waffle sando (short for "sandowichhi," Japanese for sandwich). We ordered the bulgogi with beef, egg sauce, kimchi and bulgogi sauce. I wished the waffle was crispier but the sandwich itself was good. I would like to try tiramisu waffle sando next time.

We couldn't have picked a better day to go to Vancouver. The weather was beautiful and so perfect for a nice cold treat at Yaletown Gelato. We ordered a piccolo size consisting of two scoops gelato - blood orange and hazelnut. And that concludes our 24 hour food adventure.  

Parmesan Garlic Pita Chips with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

It's starting to feel chilly around here and I don't like it one bit. I'm not ready to say goodbye to summer! I want to do more BBQ's and picnics. The photo above was taken in July when we had our first and only picnic this year at Discovery Park in Magnolia. I believe the park is the largest in Seattle. We didn't explore much due to time constraints (we got there at 7pm), but we did manage to find a nice spot overlooking Puget Sound to have our picnic. I made pita chips and hummus to accompany our sandwiches and they were so addictive. Who needs to buy pita chips when you can make it at home yourself?  You just need pita bread and a few basic ingredients. Same with the hummus and they go so well together. 

Parmesan Garlic Pita Chips

Ingredients
4 whole wheat pitas
2-4 T olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400° F. Cut the pita rounds into 8 wedges. Toss the pitas with olive oil, parmesan, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper if desired, and place on baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 8-10 minutes. Monitor the pita chips in the oven because they burn easily. Remove from oven and let cool.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients:
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 (4 oz) jar roasted red peppers
3 T  lemon juice
1 1/2 T tahini
1 T olive oil
2 clove garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt


In a food processor, puree the chickpeas, red peppers, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, garlic, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Process, using long pulses, until the mixture is smooth. Make sure to scrape the mixture off the sides of the food processor in between pulses. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Blueberry Cream Chese Scones

Blueberries remind me of my favorite scones from Diamond Head Market & Grill in Kapahulu.  I can finally savor these scones when I go back to Hawaii in less than three months!  In the meantime, I made some homemade version of these with the abundance of blueberries I've picked this summer. It was a sticky mess to make but it was well worth it. These are best eaten warm after they're baked. You can refrigerate the rest and reheat it in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones
Makes 8 scones

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 T baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
6 T cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces (I grated the butter)
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 oz. cream cheese, cut into little pieces

Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in center. Combine butter, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl and cut with a pastry blender or two butter knives until crumbly. In a separate bowl, stir egg and buttermilk until well combined. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients, and stir in cream mixture until dough forms into ball. Gently fold in blueberries and cream cheese. Spoon mounds of dough onto ungreased baking sheet, and press lightly to flatten. Tuck in berries and cream cheese as much as possible. Bake until golden brown, 18-20 minutes. Transfer scones to wire racks to cool.

Adapted from here and there.