Ling

I would go with shelora's suggestion and ask around at Urban Fare. I am quite sure I saw them there a few weeks ago, but I didn't notice any when I was there yesterday.

I baked 2 large (maybe 10oz?) salmon fillets for 15 minutes at 325F and they came out perfect--very moist, quite rare, with the fat just melting and coating the silky rose-colored flesh. I had topped the salmon with garlic, slices of Meyer lemon, s&p, and parsley. Also sauteed some mushrooms, and had tater tots (yum--easiest side dish in the world!) And an inexpensive Riesling to drink.

Yeah, I assumed there were better deals in town. But I don't know how to get to Victoria Dr. Sad, isn't it? I should start learning my way around the city.

This is a fond memory when I went to UBC. There is (or was) a sandwich shop on the lower floor of the Student Union Building and there was this plump woman from New Zealand. She made great sandwiches, asked all the right questions ( she used to say "butta-mustaad-mayonaaaize" like it was one word ) great rye, black pepper and salt etc. Every now and then I think about popping out there for one ( or two ) sandwiches but I feel that it might have turned into a chain type sandwich shop or something and then the spell would be broken and I could never reflect on the great sandwiches again. ← If it is the sandwich place in The Deli, it's still there and their menu is still pretty extensive. I've never heard of Fresgos Inn but I'm looking up the address right now. Thanks for the tip! I don't really like eating at Bread Garden...then again, I can't be too picky so late at night, can I? I had a few too many drinks Sunday night and got home around 2am (no I didn't drive). Was a bit hungry when I got home, so I changed into my sweats and went out in search for food with bf. Capped off the evening with coffee and a look at Neil's picture in the Georgia Strait.

thanks DameD: I've always enjoyed Illy too, and I finally sucked it up and spent the $17 bucks to get a can of the ground coffee at Urban Fare today. I remember seeing Illy at Gourmet Warehouse for less, but I don't go out there very often.

Did anyone mention decent late-night food yet? I was walking up and down Davie Street at 3am this morning looking for something to munch on, and my choices seemed to be limited to Denny's, a few pizza places, a greasy Chinese place, and Blenz. I had an espresso and a nanaimo bar at Blenz and then went home for a snack.

I had my first espresso today. Actually, I had 2 double espressos. And this was about an hour after I had my 2 morning coffees. I don't think I'd ever felt so jittery in my life! I was meeting a student at Brighouse library (in Richmond) today and I noticed that Tree Organic Coffee had set up a little stand right by the entrance. Remembering this thread, I ordered a double espresso, and the man asked me if I wanted a long one. I said (somewhat hesitantly): "Uhm...I don't know. This is my first espresso. I usually drink Starbucks." The last word out of my mouth was met with snorts of disgust followed by admonishment from all three baristas. The man made me 2 doubles and only charged me for one, which was so kind of him. I didn't add any milk or sugar, but I was surprised that it was really good! The crema (foamy stuff?) at the top was delicious. I much prefered the espresso made with less water. The man (I'm assuming he's the owner) also explained to me briefly that Starbucks can't control the roasting temperature of the beans correctly because they roast in such large batches, so a lot of the beans burn. The little stand inside the building is permanent, and the cheesecakes and apple pie in the display case looked homey (in a good way) and tasty. Tree Organic Coffee apparently has a downtown location too.

I tried the C restaurant new caper and red onion crackers at the Feast of Fields event in September and they were extremely good. I've been on the look out for them as I thought they would become my new favourite snack. I saw them for sale for the first time at Les Amis du Fromage last week, but they were so expensive for a very small amount that I just couldn't bring myself to buy them. ← How much were they on sale for? I bought a box at the regular price at Les Amis du Fromage today (I think it was $6.95?) I like the caper and red onion crackers much more than the other flavour they have, the sesame and nori.

Whole Foods a little over a week ago. I had some sort of chicken salad from the deli. It was OK, but definitely not worth $10. Samurai Restuarant on Davie Street. I had the hamachi sashimi and a half order of salmon sashimi. My bf had their rainbow roll and a 1/2 order of their enormous house roll (lots of tasty fillings, not a lot of rice). Just got back from Umami Restaurant on Davie Street. What can I say except that I feel very lucky to be living only 5 minutes by foot from this fabulous little tapas place! We had the tuna spring roll wrapped in nori, which was very tasty (nice big piece of tuna, and a very tasty, slighty sweet sauce that matched wonderfully). Then we had the foie gras and bbq eel on daikon. The foie gras was nice and crispy on the outside, rich and creamy like it should be on the inside. I very much enjoyed this dish; it had an incredible depth of flavour from the brothy-soupy sauce. And then we had the rack of lamb with a delicious double-baked potato. I usually don't find anything very special about baked potatoes but there was something in this one that made it just taste sooooo good (maybe there was an umami element? ). I drank Township7 Merlot and my bf had the Township7 sauvignon blanc. For dessert, we both had the incredible Popular Grove blue cheese creme brulee--the very reason why I had to try this restaurant tonight, after Montrachet posted about this dessert! It really exceeded all my expectations. I swear it was so good, I didn't want to swallow it. I didn't really know how the blue cheese/creme brulee pairing would work--I was expecting maybe chunks of intensely flavored cheese interspersed in a not-very-sweet creme brulee, but it was actually a bluish-greenish colored, mildly sweet creme brulee. The cheese had been somehow totally incorporated into the creme brulee base. It was served with frozen grapes, and I drank some port with it. A perfect ending to an exceptional meal. I can't wait to try the other delicious-sounding tapas on the menu! btw: bf's favorite dish of the night (and my 2nd favorite) was the tuna spring roll. I was saying during dinner how I wish I could eat like 50 pieces of this stuff. YUM!

I was just going to post the same thing! They look so moist and creamy yellow--I see that he adds half and half to it. Maybe that's the secret? I had 5 scrambled eggs and 2 cups of coffee for breakfast. Sadly, my eggs did not look like Percy's. (btw Percy, was that breakfast pie leftovers from your Thanksgiving dinner? The crust looks really good.)

I used to eat condensed milk straight from the tin, with a spoon. (Actually, I've done this as recently as 2 months ago... ) I remember the sugar and cinnamon on warm, buttery bread. That was one of my favourite after-school treats!

It's fried rice and noodles that are served at the end...I was assuming the quiz meant the everyday white rice served with the side dishes.

Another Starbucks drinker! I am not the only one...

I've never heard of a cheesy creme brulee! Sounds interesting...must try that (and the coffee too!) edit: I was going to go for Greek food tomorrow night, but the idea of blue cheese creme brulee is too inticing. Must try it after yoga tomorrow.

Yeah, that reminds me...nicer restaurants DO serve delicious coffee! I remember really enjoying the coffee from Parkside and West. I asked the server at Parkside for the brand of coffee they use, but I lost the slip of paper she wrote it on. Too bad! She said she thought they only supplied their beans to restaurants though.

thanks for the tip, steve!

Has anyone tried the Poilane bread from France they stock at Urban Fare? They will sell you half a slice for 2 bucks. Pretty pricey!

(Is Americano merely a watered-down espresso?) I add cream and sugar to my Americano and drink it like coffee (or is it already considered coffee, I'm not too sure). I like a full, deep flavour that isn't very bitter (maybe this is why I add so much sugar and cream to my Americanos?) I'm not a huge fan of Starbuck's drip coffee, or Seattle's Best, which I also find very bitter.

I made some lucky guesses, so I didn't actually do well on the quiz either. I think everyone who got the China question wrong should add 1 extra point to their score.

Maybe it's because I don't have kids yet, but I think what your kid said was too cute! Thanks Daddy-A and phaelon56 for the help! I think I'll have to try my espresso with sugar and the milk, because I don't like black coffee, or coffee with just sugar.

This is probably a stupid question, but does one add cream and sugar to an espresso? My coffee-drinking experience is sadly limited to Americanos from *gasp* Starbucks (I can always find a location!) and I've been to Caffe Artigiano a handful of times.

I had a quick meal of Japanese curry (Glico), with pork, potatoes, and veggies. And a frozen banana for dessert. lovebenton0: that turkey and dumpling dish looks hearty and delicious!

I agree, I think it's only impolite if you take the last portion of the side dishes. You are supposed to finish your rice or each leftover grain will be an extra pockmark on your spouse!

8/11 I thought it was considered rude to not finish your rice (in China). At least, this is what my parents taught me. Asked my bf and he was taught the same thing.

Last night, I topped a hanger steak with a sauce made from olive oil, garlic, parsley, and anchovies. And for dessert, I had the apple crisp I made the night before.