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.