The Flying Pig @ Yaletown, Vancouver

While we were in Vancouver, we just DYING to soak in everything that the city had to offer; the neighborhoods, the atmosphere all the diversity of food and culture that makes Vancouver so alluring!

So a neighborhood that sounded amazing was Yaletown, a part of town that was formerly an industrial area, so it was filled with beautiful warehouse architecture and revamped spaces that was just wild!! I could have stayed in that area all day and just explored it was that fascinating...

In our original plans, we were slated to hover around a restaurant that had some pretty high accolades: Blue Water Cafe and Raw Bar. But upon arrival, it looked a little stuffy and formal, and we were not into that scene at all (suits make me itch and the presence of them make me hurl)... So instead we ventured to stroll around and found a bustling venue: The Flying Pig- the name alone grabbed us so we decided to try it out.


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Cafe Medina @ Beatty Street, Vancouver

Restaurants that take great pride in their breakfasts have a special place in my heart.  The comfort and care it requires to service the grumpy, hungry, caffeine deprived customer such as ourselves deserves accolades and recognition way beyond a monetary tip.



Cafe Medina is a picture  perfect venue that provides a quaint, intimate setting, much like a cocoon, to gently arouse your sleepy disposition to receive the day...and in the case of Vancouver, that can be a cold, rainy and cloudy one!


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Hidden Tasting Bar and Social Lounge @ Grand Westin, Vancouver

We had arrived to Vancouver from Seattle, and after a long wait at the Border Patrol, we were a little tired.  Since we were staying at the Westin Grand in the Downtown area, we thought it'd be best to have a little something at the Hotel Dining venue, which is The Hidden Tasting Bar and Social Lounge.  Now normally, I'm not a big fan of Hotel food in general and for the most part it can be either pretty subpar food, or some celebrity chef attached to the place that makes it unnecessarily pretentious and underwhelming.....

So to my amazement, I found the Westin to be a very modern hotel, the amenities were contemporary and the design pretty sleek!  This was going to be a good trip and upon entering the restaurant, my hopes were high!





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Kirin Mandarin Restaurant @ Alberni Street, Vancouver

Barbecue Pork Pastries

Vancouver is an amazing city, I can't believe that it took us this long to get there!  I mean, it's got great architecture, beautiful natural scenery, the nicest people and some of the best food available on the Pacific Northwest (Okay.......so the weather ain't great.....)

It's well known that Vancouver has an incredibly large Asian contingent, and we wanted to dive into it and get ourselves immersed in a delectable Far East food coma.....

Now, it's been a while since we've had Dim Sum, (in Vegas, you go to Ping Pang Pong or the New East Ocean Dim Sum & Seafood) and it is a real treat to go, (how does everyone eat so much and stay so frickin thin?).


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Revolver @ Cambie Street, Vancouver

  

Given our hopeless addiction to coffee and coffee paraphernalia, we were on an exploration in Vancouver to find some good Java! (there's really only so much Starbucks I can handle...I never used to be like when I live in NYC...)

I was given a magazine in a tea shop one day and as I was reading, it had a great article about Revolver-a super evolved coffee bar that specializes in the art of drip coffee.  And given the naissance of individual coffee brewing that has finally reached our shores in the U.S., we couldn't ignore the opportunity to enjoy what Canada has to offer us!

To begin, We were in love with this shop!  Located on the corner of brick building in Gastown, this store had an awesome feel and ambience that exuded the rich aroma of ground coffee, with images of sipping a cup on a cloudy day starring outside through the large panes of glass watching people walk by, contemplating their next moves...

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Japadog @ Robson Street, Vancouver

Kurobuta Terimayo

So this being a first for the both of us to Vancouver, I went all over the internet trying to find some good grub that would be unique and diverse;  I came across an episode of, 'No Reservations' with Bourdain, and seeing that it didn't involve an entire show about him drinking until his ass fell off the chair, or some diatribe about the slow decay of society morals and woes, I trudged thru the hour with him traipsing all over Vancouver, stuffing his inebriated pie hole with late night snacks...(I actually like watching him, but for some reason I also like making fun of him more)!

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Roaming Dragon Foodtuck @ Downtown, Vancouver

So I was sitting outside at Blenz Coffee on Robson, trying to get my caffeine on, attempting to dry swallow an incredibly sweet and undesirable Cinnamon Bun; when out from nowhere, Roaming Dragon Foodtruck rolls up to the curb in front of me and starts to set up shop...If that isn't a sign for me to try it, I don't know what is!!!

But I had to wait a bit for the sugar high to settle....so I watched them set up and get their groove on...Meanwhile, I looked them up to see what they were about....

So their byline is: 'Bringing authentically unauthentic Pan-Asian deliciousness to Vancouver, offering unique interpretations of dishes and flavors familiar throughout Southeast Asia.  In terms of awards, Roaming Dragon Foodtruck has received  Vancouver 2011 Restaurant Awards Gold Best Food Cart.




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Capilano Suspension Bridge and Cliff Walk, North Vancouver, British Columbia

Capilano Suspension Bridge

The Capilano suspension bridge is located in North Vacouver, British Columbia.  Originally built in 1889 (don't worry its been updated since then!!), the bridge is 446 ft long and 230 ft above the water.   The park covers 26 majestic acres and includes a Treetop Adventure, 7 smaller suspension bridges in the evergreens, Cliffwalk, a cantilevered walkway attached to the granite cliffs high above the Capilano Canyon, and Totem Park, a collection of story poles placed there by local natives over the years.

View from the bridge

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Totem Poles @ Stanley Park, Vancouver

  

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Images of Gastown, Vancouver BC

Statue of, "Gassy' Jack, Gastown

Gastown Steam Clock

Gastown is an old historic neighborhood in Vancouver right by the waterfront and railroad tacks; named after seaman 'Gassy' Jack Deighton who opened up the first Saloon, it was Vancouver's original Downtown core, it's now a mixture of hip and funky fashion stores and contemporary interior boutiques alongside touristy stores, reminds me of the West Village in NYC with the old historic architecture mixed with eclectic, even somewhat gritty inhabitants and head shops...

It's such an interesting mix of new and old architecture, with cafes, architecture offices and antique stores all crammed into one neighborhood, it's a real time look at the evolution of a culture.  Definitely when you get a chance to visit Vancouver, it's a great place to hang out and spend the afternoon!!







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