Adventures of Fatmine & Fatmanda: Chatime

Chatime is actually a Taiwanese chain. On the wall, it has a bunch of cities that have Chatime...for some reason, SEATTLE isn't there. How could you.

Some major cities include Taipei (duh), New York, Boston, San Francisco, Sydney, Manila...yeah, there's a long list. You can find that yourself.

 

So yes, because of its raving global popularity, I HAD to try this place. The menu was so large O_O they had milk tea, smoothies, mousse, regular tea...I spent a good 10 minutes trying to figure out what I wanted, and then another 5 minutes trying to figure out extras, sugar, and ice options. I think it's pretty nifty how you can customize the amount of ice and sugar. :D

 

Fatmine ordered regular milk tea, but since they ran out of pearls, she got grass jelly and red beans with it. She ordered hers with half sugar and 70% ice.

I had the Oolong milk tea with pudding, half sugar, and 70% ice. To compare with other milk teas, I feel like this is really "real". I can usually tell if they use non-dairy creamer, but they used real milk, real tea, and they make sure the extra ingredients are fresh.

I gotta try their mousse next time :D

1545 W Broadway, Vancouver BC V6J 1W6

Peqish at the UBC Corner Store

The funny thing is...I wanted to go to Peqish, but if they serve their food conveniently at UBC, I ain't going downtown.

I've had several Peqish meals at the corner store; they have salad boxes, hummus boxes, sandwiches, small pasta or quinoa salads...and there's just...too much, haha. It's vegetarian friendly, the boxes are 100% biodegradable, and the meals with meat are quite healthy as well.

Today, I got the Cheese and Fruit box (I know right, so fancy~~). It comes with different servings of fruit and cheese; there are granny smith apple slices, red grapes, sweet oranges, and dried cranberries. The cheeses include brie, Monterey jack, and rolls of Swiss I like to dip in the cranberry sauce. At the bottom, there's also walnuts (there you go -- protein). On the right, the cheddar crackers with thyme and oregano are packaged to keep them dry from the fruit juices. Surprisingly, I felt quite satiated after eating this seemingly small package. I think the complementing variety is what makes this snack box really interesting.

Family Advnture: Paros Taverna (Greek/Italian Restaurant)

I haven't had Greek in so long...and I never knew such a good place was 15 minutes away from my house x__x According to the website, it's actually a Greek/Italian cuisine. They did serve pizzas and pastas, but we only ordered Greek stuff. Plus, I think they have a good drink menu, hence the long list of drinks and the fact that this place is a "taverna".

Also note that these items were only on the lunch menu. I guess I'll come back again to see what's on the dinner menu..? My guess is that the items are the same, but the prices are increased because they serve bigger portions.

I ordered the Lahaniko Piato, which is sautéed vegetables with a cheese/tomato/cucumber salad, tzatsiki sauce, and your choice of rice, potatoes, or both.This was pretty much the only vegetarian entrée on the menu, but I think we all know that customized orders do exist especially if the restaurant is quite westernized.

This was the shared appetizer. The hummus and tzatziki were very different from the kinds I've tried; they were thick a bit fluffy. The hummus even had bits of chickpeas left. The pink sauce is salmon caviar sauce called taramasalata. The pan with the lemon is basically fried cheese; such simplicity tastes SO GOOD, WHY. It's called Saganaki, on the menu; the description reads "Kefalotyri cheese pan-fried, served with a half lemon and pita." Dahammm.
The pitas were also quite different; the texture was more like regular bread.

9604 Cameron St, Burnaby BC V3J 1M2

How to destroy friendships: Durian

I love durian. Hands down, my favorite fruit.

 

The only problem is, the stench repels people, and it has to be imported ($14 for one of these babies). Oh yeah, and it's a @$!@$ to open.

 

Choosing one is fairly simple; I look for ones that have thawed a bit, and more brown than green, with as many compartments as possible (around 7-ish?). They should still have that pungent smell (Since it's frozen, I have to put my nose close to the fruit. I think smelling it also helps you know if it's ripe enough or not).

 

 

And now the danger; cracking the dang thing. My uncle did it by dropping it a few times so that a crack could form, but I've seen some people just hack away with a cleaver. The key thing is to find where the needles are more concentrated and tighter; that's where you know there's a split that divides the different compartments of fruit.

 

After creating a crack, you have to pry it open with your fingers. Using a knife is definitely helpful, so hack when necessary :D

Look at this beauty. It is beautiful. It is.

You can tell if there is still fruit left by observing the needles again, or by feeling the slices of the durian. Apparently, the tradition with durian is to put salt and water in the compartments and drink from it..that's what my uncle did. Some say it's to cool you down (this is Vancouver though, haha), and also to wash your hands from the smell...but I really don't know. I think it's more of a tradition than a proven fact.

Vegan Adventures: Chopped Leaf

I've been downtown many times, but I'm surprised I never bumped into here...especially since it's right next to Starbucks O_o Just to be clear, this place is vegan friendly.

 

I got the ~*sunshine*~, hehe. They wrapped it so cutely :3 Had to snap a pic of the wrap.
Their salads are on the pricier side, but I think it's still worth it. They serve their salads as a wrap or a salad. For on the go purposes, I ordered mine as a wrap.
I think what drew me to pick this one was that A) It was one of the vegetarian options and B) there was avocado :P definitely satiated my craving for that yummy fruit.

They also serve soups and charge $1.50 for fruit-soaked water (really now.. -__-).

488 Robson Street
Vancouver, BC

Vegan Cheese, Chia Pudding, and another Fatmine & Fatmanda Adventure with Mango Lassi

 I finally bought vegan cheese :D This brand is called Earth Day, and the cheese has a very palm/coconut taste to it. If you're not into that, you probably won't like it. To me, it tastes yummy :P It even melts nicely too.

The chia seed pudding was very easy to make; it's just one part chia seeds, 3 parts any kind of liquid. I used chocolate almond milk, ahohohoho...good stuff.

 

Afterwards, I took five mangoes from my house and made mango lassi with Fatmine!! HEHE

 

 

There are many versions of mango lassi, but essentially, you only need to put mangoes and yogurt in a blender (it's not culturally correct, but simplicity is the best <3 )

Ours was made with mangoes, 10% honey Greek yogurt (so thick!), and coconut milk topped with little tapioca :P

Now, witness Fatmine's horrible pouring skills! (Just kidding)

Green Moustache (Again) ~~ Vegan Adventures

I've made it a goal to try every item on the menu. Goodbye wallet (jk).

 The only issue I had with this was mixing it together; it's too full (actually, it's more like the bowl wasn't big enough). The portion is medium sized, but they put it in such a small bowl O_o

 

 My favorite part was the sauce :P I'm not entirely sure what it is...all I know is that it has garlic. That's not really helpful, haha.

 

Buddha Bowl ingredients: tomatoes, carrots, beets, cucumbers, lettuce, sprouts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, quinoa, rice, cabbage, avocado

Adventures of Fatmine and Fatmanda: Cafe Joie

Another successful adventure. This place is close to Metrotown.

 

Aren't those macarons cute?? Too bad they're so EXPENSIVE ;__;

 

I ordered a cheese Panini. It comes with a teeny salad and corn (or seed?) chips. It's a relatively small portion, but that's a good thing; the cheese will make me bloat. In my opinion, it's not that bad.

Fatmine's latte.

Matcha waffle!!! Yeaaaah, we definitely got fat from this...it was a lot of food...if you're looking for a sugar rush, uuuh look no further...(but the matcha has ECGC...lol, I still feel guilty)

look at our beautiful art.

 

110-6125 Sussex Ave, Burnaby BC V5H 4G1

Adventures of Fatmine & Fatmanda: Richmond Night Market

Richmond part....3.5...I don't really know.

 

Just to warn you, the food is generally overpriced in terms of quality, but everything is very affordable. I probably spent a total of...$20, including the $3 entry. For one meal, that's expensive, but you're going to want to try a lot, and you're going to feel hungry from walking everywhere.

 

 

This was the first place we went to; Belgium waffles on a stick. I ordered the S'mores and chocolate, which took 25 minutes since they only had one waffle machine that cooked 4 at a time. Aiyah. They told us to come back later when our orders were finished.

This caught my eye instantly; mango and durian?? Uh, my favorite fruit + my 4th (?) favorite fruit, heck yeah. Not only that, the line and wait wasn't very long because not many people like durian. More for me guys.

My durian pudding, with the realest durian ever. I hate artificial durian >:( it's not the same.

Fatmine got Taiwanese kimchi tofu for me and fish cakes for herself. The kimchi wasn't spicy; just pickled (using kimchi instead of picked vegetables is a clever marketing strategy). The sauce was very salty for my taste, but the tofu was very plain by itself. In my opinion, I find that really difficult to eat when the two aren't already mixed together (like an unmixed salad..grr). I decided to smashed up the tofu and eat it like that.

And now, the ICE CREAM CANE. Apparently, it's really popular in Korea; they have those articles taped on their booth (nice try...it worked... >__> ) Essentially, it's a waffle cone (either rice or corn based) that's been shaped into a 'J', filled with ice cream. There's also only one flavor of ice cream.... -___- not too impressed, but I thought it looked cool.

Richmond Night Market: 3063-8700 McKim Way, Richmond BC V6X 4A5

Home Adventures: Mango Lassi

Easy cookin'.

I peeled two mangoes (without stabbing myself, kudos to me), scooped three lumps of lowfat yogurt, and squirted a reasonable amount of whipped cream into a blender. Then I pushed "smoothie". Tadaaaaa.

Next time, I'll probably fiddle around with some spices; I could add cinnamon, turmeric, or maybe even cocoa powder.

Oh yeah, don't put the mango pits in the blender, because that's a terrible idea.

Crepe Delicious ("De licious")

Honestly...not the best crepe I've ever had, and overpriced for the quality, but if you're looking for crepe at Oakridge Centre, you can come here.

 

For my taste, I prefer the wrapping to be thin and moist, but they had thicker, crustier crepes. I think they should've lowered the heat on the pan so that the crepe would stay moist.

 

Also, the insides are too creative; just fancy names. I can't say I didn't hate it though, it still tasted pretty good besides the simplicity of their recipes.

 

This is the $5 Mother's Day special; it's De Leche, which has de leche syrup, bananas, and coconut flakes.

Oakridge Centre: 650 West 41st Avenue
Vancouver, BC V5Z 2M9

Adventures of Fatmine and Fatmanda: UW Night Market.

Yes, Fatmine and I do not go to the University of Washington. But...it was a night market...with...food.... >___>

 

Our hands were too full to take a lot of pictures :((( We had other interesting food, but this was the only shot of food that I managed to take. I'm great guys.

 

It's called "basil seed drink", but it's really chia seeds in diluted canned-fruit syrup, with some of the canned fruit and citrus. Good for digestion? xD The brown bagged had custard and red bean pastries, and we got cotton candy, popcorn chicken (well, Fatmine did), and seaweed sticky rice. In my opinion, everything is pretty cheap, and it was fun trying different things despite the horrendous lineups.

 

Ahem, sorry for the lack of pictures.

Home Adventure: Yogurt Garlic dip with Garlic Pitas

My family bought a tub of Lowfat yogurt, and no one has been using it -__- so, I present to you...this garlic dip.

Basically, I put oregano, garlic powder, salt, and cheddar cheese. It tastes like really like sour cream, so if you're into that creaminess, this might not be the best for you. However, if you're looking to "lighten" things up, this option might not be so bad. It was easy, tastes okay, and got rid of some yogurt.

The pitas...I did not make from scratch, lol. They were frozen >__>

Family Adventure: Purple Cafe

Purple Café is one of my favorite places to eat, though the food is definitely overpriced. Besides that, I've thoroughly enjoyed a lot of the selections.

 

Just to clarify, Purple Café is more for people who want wine, haha...but I don't like wine >__> so..I eat food.

 

This is the lunch combo; you can pick two items (salad, soup, or sandwich) for $14. Yeah, $14 for a small portion, but ordering an individual salad and sandwich will cost you $20+, no joke. I had a mozzarella caprese sandwich with a quinoa and arugula salad.

This is what my mom ordered, but my little brother ended up eating it because he didn't like his vegetable hash. I couldn't take a picture of the hash because my brother already started eating it. -__- The dish is basically fish and chips, which costs about $10. Aiyah, my wallet. 

Woodinville (the one I went to): 14459 Woodinville Redmond Rd Ne, Woodinville, WA 98072
Bellevue: 430 106th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004
Seattle: 1225 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

The Root Beer Store

If you're touring in Seattle, this place is definitely worth a try. Each bottle might be $1.83 or $2.18, but it's really good root beer x___x This is the type of store where you should only visit once every 6 months, otherwise you'll becoming a serious fatass.

 

The Frostie, which is the second one from the right, is the most popular selection. It's vanilla-flavored *__* I had the GinsengUp and AJStephan's Butterscotch root beer. The GinsengUp was pretty nice; it didn't taste like medicine. The ginseng taste is also quite delicate. The butterscotch root beer tasted more like lychee, but it was still really good. I read the ingredients, and it contains caramel, so I'm not sure why it tastes like lychee (but I'm not complaining).

If you're looking for classic root beer, the Fitz's is a good one. It tastes exactly like root beer candy. I don't really remember what the brownie tasted like (not like brownies, ahaha), and I didn't try Dad's. What you see here is not even 1/4 of the collection, so if you decide to go, go ham.

7102 180th Ave Ne, Redmond, WA 98052

Family adventure: Boom Noodle House

This place is so good; basically a 20/10 for me. I was so sad that the one in Bellevue closed down...the one in Seattle is just a bit too far from my home :( boohoo.

One of the best parts about this place is the dessert menu, which is actually taken from Tokyo Sweets. Tokyo Sweets is a crepe place that is a part of Boom, but the desserts served in Boom aren't on the Tokyo Sweets menu (at least I think so...last year, I tried looking for the ginger mango crepe from Tokyo Sweets and it wasn't there).

My brother ordered chicken pho; a very simple order. Boom's pho is pretty good, just like almost any other pho.

Below is the Tonkotsu Ramen, which is basically pork, soft boiled egg, bamboo shoots, egg noodles, pickled ginger, and shittake mushrooms served in pork broth.

Here is my mother's Tokyo ramen, which is almost like Tonkotsu except it uses chicken-pork broth, and no picked ginger.

Here is my Mizuna salad with fried tofu :P I loooove this dish. It comes with a choice of tofu or chicken, but since I'm vegetarian, I chose tofu. Personally, I love Boom's salad and appetizer menu, and this dish is one of my favorites. It includes mizuna, sweet peppers, acorn squash (favorite part), edamame, radish, cucumbers, carrots, and light dressing.

One of the crepes they serve is this one, called the s'mores crepe. I never tried this one, since I usually get ginger mango. It was super good :P The chocolate crepe was the best part because it wasn't too sweet (especially since that would be overkill -- marshmallows, chocolate syrup, and sweetened batter would be too much).

After two minutes...

BUT to be honest, my brother ate 90% of it ;)

University Village Shopping Center, 2675 NE Village Ln, Seattle, WA 98105

Kukai ~~

Another visit to Kukai :) I can only order the vegetable ramen though, hahah...but they do allow customized orders. You can order ramen without the meat and meat broth and add your own toppings. The servings are also quite large; finishing one is such a struggle x__x If you're looking for authentic Japanese ramen and some good Japanese appetizers (and apparently Hello Kitty beer??), come to Kukai :)

14845 Main St, Bellevue, WA 98007