Submit your suggestions
Discovering a new source of good eats is one of my favourite pastimes. With so much available in the Lower Mainland, what places do you recommend we visit next? Want to come along?
Help shape what you see on Tiny Bites. Share your suggestions below!
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About Tiny Bites
Tiny Bites is a food blog that explores all things edible and imbibable in Vancouver, British Columbia. More >
Articles by Karen Hamilton
Read the food and non-food articles that I've contributed to sites other than Tiny Bites.
ok, gotta be first here too – you should definitely check out UVA right around the corner, maybe after they get their food menu together (according to UrbanDiner, ex-Lumiere chef)
another to-try is the restaurant in the Loden hotel, by my neck of the woods … although the hotel is nowhere near ready. i have a coupon for it, so maybe we can go when they open, another ex-Lumiere chef there, I think
Hi Jay,
But I’d be happy to join you in visiting both these places! UVA is already high on the must-try list.
Voya Restaurant at the Loden sounds interesting. Noticed that they are Green Table / Ocean Wise supporters. Always willing to patronize restaurants that have green practices.
Let’s plan for something in April, as I’m in Atlanta until then.
Hey K,
What about doing some features on local suppliers? You could tour the facilities, see what products they grow, find out who they supply…
DH
Dave,
Great idea! Barnston Island Herbs immediately springs to mind, if they’d be willing to be pestered with my presence / questions. Do you know of any other local suppliers that may be of interest?
Hey Karen, I will be going to Atlanta in 2 weeks so I am definitely reading up.
I went to Century House for Dining Out for Life and wasn’t exactly the best. The food that was offered for a $35 was decent, lamb chop as my Appie (was slightly burnt), Salmon for entree (was a bit overcooked), then an Avocado cheesecake for dessert which was a savoury dessert that didn’t satisfy my sweet tooth. But my friends Warm Chocolate Stack did. 
Hey Karen, thx for your suggestion of Seasons 52. I had the red velvet cake for dessert during my lunch. I couldn’t wait for dinner!
hey, i know i’ve sent this to you before, but i’m sending it again because they’ve expanded their site quite a bit and to include video submissions (not unlike yours) of people preparing recipes. they also have recently associated with HarperCollins Canada and the Northwest Culinary Academy on Main St. – is that local enough?
http://rouxbe.com/
http://blog.rouxbe.com/ (blog/news/etc.)
Maybe a “useful food site”? And no, I do not get anything for promoting them …
Annette: glad you liked Seasons 52. That red velvet cake was delicious.
Jay: Turns out that my regular server at Glowbal is friends with one of the women behind Rouxbe. Small world! I’ll be keeping an eye on it, especially on their professional techniques video series.
Karen, I’m spamming your site! Okay, a couple of things I think would be really neat – Edible BC if you haven’t already done it, and Jamon Iberico, which is JUST getting released in Canada this week. Super expensive stuff at 199$/kg, but maybe a few slices of its proscuitto or something? I plan on trying it late-week.
[...] check out the cooking demos at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm. I’ll also be visiting the Edible BC store (as requested by Christina) and dropping by the Artisan SakeMaker Studio that I learned of during last week’s Memphis [...]
Christina: thanks for the suggestions. I took some photos during the BC Spot Prawn Festival that involve Edible BC and jamon iberico. You’ll be seeing some visuals soon!
I think an analysis of rice brands and types is in order. There are so many variances of rice in terms of grain, sweetness, and texture. I want to know what rice is best as a side dish, in a consumme or used in a pudding or dessert.
Hi Kyle,
That sounds like an interesting project. Not sure how I can go about structuring an analysis, but perhaps we can throw a Rice Party this year (along with the long awaited Sausage Party that has yet to materialize) =)
Did you see Andrew Morrison wrote up your website in the food section of the Westender this week?
Hi Deirdre,
Yes I did, thanks to you and a few others that have passed word to me. How exciting!
your twitter reminded me … the comments rss feeds don’t – i don’t think the first one on the sidebar ever did … but the one down in the footer used to … but now it’s not updating.
i don’t really use the other feeds …
hi karen
just stumbled upon your blog the other day. i think it is great. I write and publish a m-f, free, opt-in newsletter about lifestyles in Metro Vancouver. I plan to do a write-up about your block in the next two weeks. keep up the great work.
george froehlich
Hello George,
Glad to hear that you are enjoying the content on Tiny Bites. I subscribe to the Savvy Insider newsletter so it would be a real treat to see Tiny Bites mentioned one day!
Thank you,
Karen
hey, just met you a couple of minutes ago at the Thai food booth at the Fremont market. Nice site. Will read up more when I pack up and get home.
Hi Tobias, that was quick! Great meeting you as well. Photos are already up from our day trip in Seattle and the corresponding write-up is being drafted as we speak =)
Hey all,
I went to the Trout Lake Farmer’s Market and tried their freshly made buckwheat crepes. It was first time at the market and certainly not my last. The crepes change based on the ingredients they purchased from the market and its definitely one of a kind. They have savoury and dessert crepes. I had the Ali Baba which was GOOD… Vegetarian.. Its a mom, pop and daughter shop and they are really nice and friendly! The market is open from 9am – 2pm. Check it out before the summer is over!!
Check out Song Huong. Vietnamese resto on E Broadway and Nanaimo. On Nanaimo beside the gasoline station. The number 1 soup and number 33. Chili clams with Vietnamese bagoong and noodles. Super! Mostly Vietnamese nationals dine here.
Tommy Haas in North Vancouver past the auto mall beside Bodwell school. Best and most interesting pastries in all of Vancouver. Sollys cinnamon rolls on Main st
Hi Sandy,
Thanks for dropping by and for your suggestions! I’m still dreaming about the adobong kangkong I had at your restaurant a few months back and my brother’s being poking me to return for another lunch.
I’ve been searching for a new Vietnamese restaurant to try so sounds like Song Huong is my next stop. Typically, you can find me at Pho Tan or Pho Van, ordering all the tendon I can find.
Haven’t had the chance to go to Thomas Haas’ place just yet but I’m a fan of his chocolate sparkle cookes that you can get at Edible BC.
Regards,
Karen
Hi Annette,
Thanks for reminding me of Creperie La Boheme at the Trout Lake farmers market. I’ve photographed it but hadn’t had the chance to actually do a taste test.
Next time, I’m on it!
Hi Karen,
Go check out Feast of Fields at UBC farm in early September:
http://www.ffcf.bc.ca/feast
I was there last year and had an amazing time. The food! The sun! The setting! You might want to commit and get tickets ahead of time.
In other news, let me know if there is any interest in organizing a food crawl with fellow tiny bites devotees. We can do it around a theme, like hotdog stands, coffee or ice cream.
Thanks,
Charles
Speaking of Song Huong, I remember them having one of the better bowls of Bun Bo Hue that’s not from my mom’s stock pot.
I’ve been to other places that claim to have Bun Bo Hue on the menu but really are using the same soup base as their Pho dishes.
Hi Karen,
Next Sunday (Sept 7) we have a special winemaker’s dinner at Gastropod with Laughing Stock and Oyama … I’d like to invite you to join us as our guest.
Please contact me if you would like to attend. Thanks!
Ryan
Hi Karen.
Just wanted to say I’ve been enjoying reading your blog…. I took some time off of it but now I’m back and trying to catch up. Really impressed with the amount of restaurant reviews, some of these places i’ve never even heard of but might be more inclined to try now.
Oh and i’ve started my own blog if you’d like to check it out…. http://eat-think.blogspot.com
take care and happy eating.
-Oliver
Hi Ryan,
Been trying to make time for Gastropod, but no luck thus far. Now I’m kicking myself that I’m in Victoria on business on Sept 7th. Any way I could take a raincheck?
Charles: Couldn’t make it to Feast of Fields but we may wind up in Kelowna during the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival. As for food crawls: I’m planning another Tiny Bites dinner gathering for October and hope you will be able to attend. Details are still fuzzy so stay tuned for more info or join the discussion thread that’s happening on the Tiny Bites Facebook page: http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Tiny-Bites/12994448102
Bruce: okay, now we know where to go for our next pho (or bun bo hue) outing!
Hey, did you hear, is it true that Hon’s is opening a branch near the BCIT Downtown campus?
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I found the most amazing snack the other weekend, and just had to share! Cosmos caramel corn…..this stuff is unlike any other caramel corn you have ever tried….it is baked, has no hulls or kernels, and the carmel is to die for! A couple local stores sell it but you can also order it online…….
This stuff is addicting! Enjoy!
Karen – I definitely have been enjoying your blog – keep up the good work.I noticed you were assisting with “Scout Magazine” – I tried to access it on google with http://www.scoutmagazine.ca but no luck – can you help me out.
Thank you
I was “googling” around today, looking for delivery and I stumbled upon an interesting site.
To simplify what they’re all about, here’s how they describe themselved on their site.
“Sliced Tomatoes is a ready-to-cook meal delivery service in Vancouver. We deliver packages of freshly prepared ingredients along with cooking instructions to your home or office. Our healthy food gives you home cookin’ without the shoppin’ and choppin’. We’re the convenient way to have a fresh, healthy, and balanced home-cooked meal!”
http://www.slicedtomatoes.ca
I was thinking, that maybe we could get together and try this out.
Shelley: I’ve tried samples of Cosmos caramel corn when I went to EPIC this year. It was pretty good though not at all what one expects to taste when eating candied popcorn.
Carole: Thanks for saying hello! Be patient with Scout Magazine’s presence on Google; sometimes it takes weeks or months for a new site to be crawled. It took Tiny Bites 3 or 4 weeks before it caught Google’s attention. For now, type in http://scoutmagazine.ca directly into your browser.
Kyle: Oooooh! We are *so* doing a Sliced Tomatoes evening next week! Tell me what looks good to you on the November 18th menu and we’ll set something up.
FYI, certain Gastown restaurants are donating 100% of their net food revenues on special days to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.
Revel – December 16
Cobre – December 17
source: urban diner
Great looking blog, Karen.
Drop me a line through my blog – we should talk!
darren
You know what you never see?
Classy vegetarian restaurants. Bo Kung is good, but most veg. joints are either Indian or “Starshine’s organic sprout cafe” and sometimes you feel like dressing up but don’t feel like curry.
Vancouver have anything that fits that description?
It’s not fine dining, but it’s definitely good food on the run… Licious Living is amazing. They just opened up a retail outlet in the Bentall Centre. They do a food delivery service which is incredible, especially for people who want to eat healthy or lose weight. It’s fresh gourmet food which is very tasty. I used it after I had my baby and it made such a difference. Anyway, the retail outlet is great… yummy and healthy.
John: I’ve polled a few people in the food and hospitality industry about your question. The general response is that most fine dining establishments “worth their salt” could cater to most dietary restrictions, whether it be vegetarianism or otherwise. I’ve also noticed that Urbanspoon and Dine Out Vancouver now have search functions for vegetarian menus / vegan-friendly restaurants.
Willow: Thanks for the tip on Licious Living. Is this similar to Sliced Tomatoes?
I’d love to hear any suggestions for good eats around town, whether it be cheap spots, fine dining, or something interesting to cook with.
Awesome, thanks for the suggestions Willow & Karen.
I suppose it’s not too weird then to go to a given upscale restaurant and just tell them that I’m a vegetarian, so bring me whatever meal satisfies that?
Karen,
As a constantly learning and loving it food photographer I have to same I’m in awe of your photographs! And I’m puzzled and amazed by your lighting. Your restaurant photos are so bright and clear. Do you use a lot of flash or a trippod. It doesn’t look like it, but I don’t don’t know how else you get some of these shots. Simply stunning!
Hi Tami,
Thank you for your kind words. I also still have a lot to learn.
I shoot in RAW and edit in ACR (you can use Lightroom, too) to get the white balance and density the way I want it.
My favoured lens is a 50mm F1.4 prime. It’s fast enough to capture shots without flash or tripod – two things that would seriously disturb restaurant staff and diners. And it’s already bad enough that I’m a distraction with my huge SLR!
If I were to do it over again, I’d purchase a 30mm of similar speed (F1.4 or faster). Still non-zoom, as you’ll probably get better quality glass and for cheaper. I find that a 50mm on an SLR that has 1.6x magnification acts more like an 80mm, meaning you’d sometimes have to move your chair or stand up in order to be far enough away from your subject.
Hope this helps! I’ll keep an eye on your site and your photography =)
I’ve came across your site during my search for a place to have a high tea in Van and have been returning ever since! But I’m surprised that you have yet to write about The Foundation. The place is very popular, good tasting food at reasonable price. Only downer(for meat lover) may be that it’s vegan. As far as one of your entry have mentioned, the tequila bar in Yaletown? Both me and friend thought the place was not worth the return visit.
Hi Tami,
Have you tried r.tl, Regional Tasting Lounge in Yaletown?
They just opened in December and have an interesting food concept of offering different regional menu options each season.
Check them out if you can, here’s their site: http://www.r.tl.
Great blog bty!
Karen,
your blog and photos are great!
I have a humble suggestion, as an amateur photographer myself, I am always learning new things and open to suggestions myself. I understand you shoot in raw and adjust the color balance yourself, but have you ever tried using a white balance card or using the manual white balance setting on your camera against a piece of copier paper or a napkin? It may be that you balance the color on your photos in a matter of personal taste, but sometimes I wish I could see a particular photo of yours where the white balance had been set according to a white balance card. I got one for about $30 at leo’s cameras and it is a compact plastic one (my previous one was made of cardboard and it was ruined when I spilled soup on it).
I know I have a lot to learn myself about photography so I would gladly accept your constructive criticisms about my photos as well!
I’d be interested in joining your dining group sometime, maybe we could swap photo ideas!
cheers,
Geoff Peters
John: yes, from what I understand, most reputable fine dining places will be happy to accommodate your dietary needs if you give them a heads up. You could just show up, but if you are already making a reservation (by phone or through opentable.com), it’s best to mention it in advance and have them describe the choices you’ll have at your disposal.
Ji: I have been to the Foundation once and I’m sad to say that I found it very hit and miss. That being said, it was better than Radha. Would try Foundation another time if enough readers clamour for a vegetarian Tiny Bites Dinner Date =) Tequila Kitchen – it closed several weeks ago so it seems like they weren’t getting many seats in bums.
Geoff: Drop me a line anytime. It would be terrific to do a joint food photography outing. We could do high tea and talk tech about white balance and such. I once considered getting a white balance card but my current gear is already threatening to burst out of my bag. Oh! I have a film SLR loaned to me temporarily and have been looking for photogs that are game for a day of random snaps. Interested?
Hi Karen,
Met you at the Social Bites event awhile back – been religiously visiting this site since!
Not sure if you enjoy Vietnamese food but a friend of mine owns a restaurant on Kingsway call Hai Phong. Was hoping you’d be able to pay the place a visit. Let me know if you have time for this as I know you’re super busy!
Forgot to give you a bit of background information on them..
They’re are restaurant that serves not only the regular beef noodles and lemon grass chicken meals that most Vietnamese places have but also authentic home-made style dishes and a large selection of Southeast Asian Style hotpots. They recently re-opened their doors after a period of extensive renovations.
Thanks for the suggestion, Trudy. I love Vietnamese cuisine and am constantly looking for above par hot spots.
What would you recommend on the menu?
They have quite an extensive menu..and a lot of the items may be new to most people but I highly recommend their tamarind crab, thai hotpot, or the vietnamese hot and soup soup; these dishes are big so it’s meant for sharing.
If you’re wanting to have noodles, their Pho is really good and my personal favorite is the Hue Noodles(I’m not sure if they call it this on the menu) but you must like spice to enjoy it!
Let me know what you think of the place! Perhaps I’ll even run into you there as it’s one of my favorite casual dining spots.
Hi Karen,
I tried replying to your email but was unsuccessful after multiple tries so I have to resort posting my response on here. Would love to meet up for dinner. Let me know which day works for you!
Hello Karen,
Can you email me a number I can reach you at?
I work for CBC Radio here in Vancouver and would like to discuss all things food with you.
Or if you’re able to give me a call either today or tomorrow, you can reach me at 604 662 6080.
Cheers,
Manusha Janakiram
Associate Producer
On the Coast
CBC Radio One,
Vancouver BC
Hi Karen, this isn’t a suggestion but I’m dying to know: how is that that you eat all that you do and still manage to stay so slim? I try to avoid dining out (even though I want to) just so I don’t gain any weight!
I’d really appreciate any answers you may be able to provide. Thanks in advance.
Hi Angela,
Feel free to think that my appetite is balanced by an active lifestyle, healthy ingredient choices, minimal ingestion of processed foods, and moderate consumption of fats and proteins…since you may not like my honest answer…I inherited a fast metabolism from my family!
I also dance salsa every week at an average of 4-6 hours. It can be pretty strenuous if you are on your feet non-stop.
Working and living downtown helps as well. My husband and I walk to most destinations and we only use the car if we’ve got to cross a bridge.
So yes, my genetics have blessed me with an ability to eat continually with little variance in mass…but I do try to supplement that with moderate eating habits and with conscientious choices towards health and fitness.
Hope that answers your question.
PS: you really should try salsa dancing. It’s a lot of fun!
Hi Karen! If you are in Abbotsford you should stop by SerendipiTea for their high tea service. They do require reservations but I think it’s well worth it. It’s a lovely step back in time. A disclaimer: I supply them with the miniature sweets for their high tea so I’m a little biased.
[...] whom I had met during the inaugural Social Bites dinner last fall, asked me to try her go-to Vietnamese place: Hai Phong. Rather than go it alone or drag my errant [...]
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