Broadway : Tiny Bites

On the 1st day of Christmas, I’m craving congee from Congee Noodle House

1 Comment Karen HamiltonDecember 10, 2011

On the first day of Christmas, Foodsters drove to me
A steaming bowl of chicken congee.

From Congee Noodle House, of course.

Every time I’ve gotten sick this year–which has been pretty often since flu season kicked in–my poor husband drives over to Broadway and Main for the only food I eat when my throat burns and my lungs ache.

It’s quite the ordeal. First, he has to stop by at the bank to ready himself for the cash-only counter, then wait 10-20 minutes for the order, then return home to an ailing and grumpy wife who was trying desperately to stay awake to prevent their exuberant toddler from trashing the place.

It’ll be much easier to get Foodsters to deliver it.

From December 10-22nd, I’m a media sponsor for Foodsters’ 12 Days of Christmas Food Drive. Follow along as I share what my top 12 food and restaurant cravings are this season (with some poetic license to boot).

Categories: Blogging for Social Change, Broadway, Food, Food Purveyors, Restaurants

Visual Bites: Peaceful Restaurant

2 Comments Karen HamiltonJune 11, 2009

I’d been wanting to try the fare at Peaceful Restaurant for quite some time, but leaving the cocoon of downtown Vancouver is always hard for this reluctant commuter. Luckily, dining companion and design partner Jason Lau was willing to play chauffeur during one lunch hour last week.

The restaurant sits across the street from the new London Drugs and 50 paces from the sparkly Whole Foods along the Cambie corridor. Also nearby are a camp of similar noodle shops such as Sha Lin and Lucky Noodle. Why these restaurants decided to operate under such stiff competition is beyond me, but Peaceful Restaurant scores a point in my book for most engaging storefront.

Despite the array of items that peddled housemade noodles of every variety, our eyes were drawn to their selection of dumplings. We opted for the Mandarin pork dumplings pictured above – 10 pcs for $6.95.

We also couldn’t resist the Schezuan hot chilli wontons for $5.95. Its nomenclature leant towards redundancy, but it was a fitting name and our favourite of the meal.

Rather than the usual order of cutting noodles with beef or pork, we selected a stew-like dish called Xin-Jiang noodles: chicken, potato, star-anise reduction, and 3 types of hot pepper with a bed of hand-pulled noodles. The neighbours to my left were riveted by the arrival of this bowl as it sizzled and crackled and wafted rich spice in their direction. It was enough diversion for them to tell us that they’ll order the Xin-Jiang noodles on their next visit.

What’s on the menu for our next visit to Peaceful Restaurant? Another bowl of those fabulous chili wontons and further exploration of their affordable dumplings and noodle soups.

Peaceful Restaurant
532 W Broadway | Vancouver
(604) 879-9878
www.peacefulrestaurant.com

Peaceful Restaurant: Mandarin pork dumplings

Peaceful Restaurant: Schezuan hot chilli wontons

Categories: Broadway, Food, Restaurants

Football-friendly recipes for Super Bowl XLIII

4 Comments Karen HamiltonJanuary 28, 2009

Update — Buzz Bishop and I discussed Super Bowl food options on Virgin Radio 95.3 this evening. Below is a clip of our chat, where Buzz suggests selecting beer according to team colours. Great idea!

Tiny Bites talks about Super Bowl XLIII eats on Virgin Radio (95.3 FM)

Do you go gaga over the NFL? If so, you’re either hosting a Super Bowl party this Sunday or going to one. This year, we’re finally doing the former (even though Kurt’s Broncos and my beloved Patriots are not in the running…boo hoo).

You shouldn’t be surprised that we won’t be ordering pizza. Instead, we’ve scrounged the interweb for munchies that will represent the cuisine of Pittsburgh and Arizona without getting too gourmet on our football-crazy friends.

Below is our shortlist of dishes from which we’ll choose from.

Go Steelers! Pro-Pittsburgh eats

BBQ Chipped Chop Ham Sandwiches (Accidental Hedonist)
The Ben Roethlis-Burger, with bacon weave upgrade (BBQ Addicts)

Go Cardinals! Pro- Arizona eats

Sliders with Chipotle Mayonnaise (Food Network – Bobby Flay)
Soft Pretzels with Queso Poblano Sauce or Mustard Sauce (Food Network – Bobby Flay)

[What can I say? We like us some Bobby Flay.]

Other football-friendly eats

Memphis Blues Super Bowl Party Pak - Don’t have a grill or the time? Feed 8 people with a slew of barbecued meats, chili and wings from our favourite BBQ house. Order ahead for this $89.95 take-out special.
Our rendition of Spicy Oven-Baked Chicken Wings (adapted from Fearless in the Kitchen: Innovative Recipes for the Uninhibited Cook by Christine Cushing)

Partisan beer choices

If you’re a guest to our or others’ Super Bowl parties this year, consider bringing beer representative of the team you’re cheering for. Iron City seems to be the popular choice for Pittsburgh brew while Arizona-founded Chili Beer looks mighty intriguing. See if you can find them in Vancouver – I’ve been having a tough time with this search myself.

Beers of Pittsburgh (Beer Expedition)
Pennsylvania breweries (Wikipedia)
Arizona breweries by city – check out Glendale or Phoenix first (Beer Expedition)
A guide to Arizona breweries (United Nations of Beer)

Brew connoisseur Rick Green of BC Brews chimed in with a pseudo-Arizona pick from Victoria-based Phillips Brewing Company. Look for their Phoenix Gold Lager at a BC Liquor Store near you.

Enjoy the game around town

If the bar scene is more your style, check out what some of Vancouver’s pubs and restaurants are offering for sustenance on February 1, 2009. Know of others showing the game in the city? Drop me a comment here.

Library Square Public House – my husband’s fave after-work hangout. Stadium-style menu, $16.10 buckets of Budweiser, $3.90 sleeves of Granville Island brew, and a roast pig! Come in after 3pm.
Kingston Taphouse – 11am marks the start of Kingston’s Super Bowl specials . Drop in to enjoy the game, door prizes, and even a comedy act, or buy a $20 ticket to assure you a seat, a Prime Rib Burger and some Granville Island Beer.
Memphis Blues’ Super Bowl All-You-Can-Eat Party – The fun gets going at noon. $10 pitchers. Another $20 gets you unlimited pulled pork, chicken, catfish, rib ends, coleslaw, potato salad, BBQ pit beans, and Memphis Blues’ signature BBQ sauce. (Commercial and North Van locations only)