Back in Vancouver

First place we stopped at was Dinesty :P Just tried some new things I was curious about, especially since Dinesty's menu is pretty much never ending.

This is lotus root stuffed with sticky rice and drizzled with honey. From the taste of it, it was steamed. It's a delightful appetizer :P Seems pretty simple to make too.

Vegetarian dumplings. I just loved how they're so full P:

I also got to try the over-hyped Popbar in Metrotown. I didn't hate it though, it was just overpriced. I ordered a matcha popsicle dipped in dark chocolate and pistachios. It was quite yummy, not too sweet, and surprisingly not that difficult to eat. However, I think this was almost $7 CAD? :/ Aiyah.

I also stopped by T&T and tried this mango yogurt desserts that were on sale. The little jar is just so adorable :3 The pudding also has real mango and gelatinous milk. It has more of a jello consistency than pudding. It was yummy :)

My professor has this place listed as one of the places he wants to try. It's kinda pricey, but the quality and the portions are there, in my opinion. At night, it can get really busy, so make sure to get a reservation. When we went here for lunch, which was around 11am - 12pm, there wasn't a wait, and the staff were much more attentive than when I visited around 7pm. Also, from the reviews I've read and my experience, the staff isn't so friendly when they're super busy. I tried to call for a reservation, and they didn't even pick up the phone .__.

But enough about that, let's talk about food :) When I saw this on the menu, I knew I had to get it. This is deep-fried seaweed and rice. It's super crunchy and satisfying :P The insides are still slightly chewy, which is a great contrast from the crispy outside. The seaweed taste keeps it from being too plain.

We also ordered a tofu soup, which came with clear noodles, spinach, and bamboo shoots. The tofu was my favorite; they dunked just-fried tofu, which soaks up the soup in a delightful way. It's soggy and sounds gross, but it reminds me of bread pudding. The only thing I didn't like was that the soup was way too oily :/

We also got this fried pumpkin dessert with red bean in the center. I was disappointed though, because the pumpkin was mixed with mochi. :/ I was expecting the texture of a croquette. Oh well, it was still pretty tasty.

Pizza Guy and I went to get some ice cream, after our initial plans were foiled for several weeks .__. I was so happy that I finally got ice cream :D Rain or Shine reminds me of Washington's Molly Moon's; they make their cones in the store (which is why the store smells so nice), their ice cream is homemade, and they both have really good seasonal and always flavors. Both are also vegan friendly, although I think Rain or Shine has a bit more options for vegans by providing sorbet. I ordered the ginger beer sorbet, which was vegan :D Tasted like ginger ale, but in sorbet form. Yumyum. Rain or Shine also has great winter flavors, so I definitely recommend coming here during any time of the year.