Posted on

Van Foodster’s #SushiRollChallengeYVR rolls out

Get ready to roll! The Vancouver Foodster Sushi Roll Challenge is underway September 18 – October 7, 2018.

Vancouver Foodster has invited a quartet of Sushi Chefs to create their best sushi roll to enter in the Challenge.  The Chefs were challenged to be creative, and present something best representative of their establishment, whether it be traditional Futomaki, Hosomaki, Temaki or any new creative style of rolled sushi.  Above all, taste needs to be the star, fresh, unique with plenty of umami and care rolled into the foll are all to be considered.

Participating restaurants in the Vancouver Foodster Sushi Roll Challenge include;

Daddy’s Kitchen, 2586 Commercial Drive
Instagram @daddyskitchenpoke

Kitstaya Sushi, 3105 West Broadway
Instagram @kitstayasushi

Riz Sushi & Poke Bar, 2887 E. Broadway
Instagram @RizSushi

Uma Sushi, 450 W 8th Ave
Instagram @umasushi_bar

As with all of Vancouver Foodster’s food challenges, a panel of media judges (including myself) will taste and crown the Judges’ Choice Sushi Roll.  The public is also invited to try any or all of the entries, then vote for the People’s Choice Sushi Roll creation at vancouverfoodster.com/sushi-roll-challenge. When you’re out and about tasting the rolls, tag your images on social media with #SushiRollChallengeYVR, and see what others are enjoying along the Sushi Roll Challenge.

Vancouver Foodster Sushi Roll Challenge takes place September 18 – October 7, 2018.

Get out and maki the most of it!

Posted on

Power To Play Vancouver Challenges Teams

Next Thursday, September 20th , Power To Be hosts their annual fundraiser, Power To Play Vancouver, an incredible team-building event  in Stanley Park.  Power To Play Vancouver also promotes businesses interested in building community. Corporate teams of four will compete in a fun, action packed 10km race through Stanley Park, combining running, obstacle courses and mental challenges, with the goal of raising funds to support Power To Be’s programs, and putting their team name on the Power To Play Championship Shoe.

Since 1998, Power To Be has been helping people living with a disability or a barrier access nature. The idea grew into a community, connecting participants to adventures and supporters to opportunities, collectively redefining the definition of ability.

From their 78 acre hub at Prospect Lake, and other locations around Victoria and Metro Vancouver, the non-profit organization empowers people to explore their limitless abilities through inclusive adventures rooted in nature. Power To Be believes Everyone Belongs in Nature, and finances shouldn’t prevent anyone from accessing nature, and works to remove cognitive, physical and social barriers to the outdoors, supporting participants to explore who they are and what they are capable of achieving. With programs ranging from hiking, kayaking, to snowshoeing, bouldering and surfing or paddleboarding the sky is really the limit for what Power To Be participants can experience. Whole families can participate and share the experiences in multi-day ‘wilderness school’ adventures too.

Power To Play Vancouver Championship Shoe

As you might imagine, events like Power To Play Vancouver requires a lot of helping hands to go off without a hitch, volunteers are needed for this and other events. Donations to the Power To Play teams will directly help support Power To Be’s amazing programs.  If volunteering or a monetary donation aren’t a possibility, you can still show you support by coming out and cheer on the teams from noon – 3:30pm, starting at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park, on September 20, 2018.

Posted on

Join the Slow Fish Canada Dinner

Lovers of local seafood are in for a treat as the 5th Chefs’ Table Society of BC’s Slow Fish Canada Dinner returns to the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICA) on Sunday, September 23rd.

photo: Meighan Makarchuk

This annual event allows seafood lovers to interact with local chefs and indulge in local sustainable seafood. Starting with Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICA) culinary student-prepared canapés, and Frizzante Rosé from Salmon-Safe winery St. Hubertus & Oak Bay Estate Winery, attendees then flow through PICA’s eight professional teaching kitchens to meet the visiting chefs, who will each be preparing a tasting-sized portion of local sustainable seafood delicacies.  Chefs’ Table Society event committee lead by chef Darren Clay, executive culinary chef instructor at PICA, and Poyan Danesh, culinary director at Ocean Mama Seafood welcome guests to a sensational seafood supper.

photo: Meighan Makarchuk

This year’s participating chefs include:

Julian Bond, Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts
Andrea Carlson, Burdock and Co.
Welbert Choi, Forage
Warren Chow, Juniper
Jason Harris, Colette Grand Café at Holt Renfrew
Edgar Kano, Four Seasons Hotel
Greg McCallum, Le Crocodile
Mark Singson, Food Art and Music (Top Chef Canada Finalist Season 6)

Dishes will include the chefs’ creative interpretations of how to serve sustainable local sturgeon, arctic char, Humpback Shrimp, Honey Mussels, Spiny Scallop Geoduck, Albacore tuna and Octopus.
Wines pairings from Peacock & Martin, and several Salmon-Safe BC wineries, will compliment the chef’s creations.

photo: Meighan Makarchuk

The Slow Fish Canada Dinner takes place at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, on Granville Island, September 23, 2018, 6pm-9pm.

Tickets are available online now. Only 100 tickets are available for the Slow Fish Canada Dinner. Early Bird $99 (+ taxes and fees) tickets are on sale until September 9th, before rising to $109 from September 10th until sold out.

The evening’s proceeds, as with all Chefs’ Table Society events, help fund scholarship; including one that will be awarded at the Dinner. In addition to fundraising, the event also aims to raise awareness for Slow Fish Canada (a Slow Food initiative) and its role in protecting our oceans.

Posted on

CONTEST: Win a night at #DasOriginal Oktoberfest Vancouver

The clock is counting down for the start of Oktoberfest. If you can’t make it to Munich volkfest with thousands of visitors, you can make it to Vancouver Alpen Club, THE place to celebrate Oktoberfest right here in Vancouver.

#DasOriginal, Vancouver Alpen Club has been the city’s main Oktoberfest celebration for over 30 years.   Starting Friday, October 5th, and Saturday, October 6th, 2018, festivities take place every Friday and Saturday for three weekends in a row. Live music from The Continentals will encourage guests to kick up their heels and take a spin on the dancefloor. Get inspiration for your footwork and spins from Vancouver’s very own Schuhplattler dance group the “Alpen Plattlers”. 

Traditional Bavarian cuisine, like sauerkraut, schnitzel, and sausage is loaded on plates while mugs are filled with German ale.  To bring centuries of brewing history to the kegs, Vancouver Alpen Club Oktoberfest cooperates with the German breweries Krombacher, Erdinger, and Hofbraeuhaus Muenchen.  Over the course of the three weekends of Oktoberfest, over 7000 litres of beer will be served to 400+ visitors each day.

Oktoberfest at Vancouver Alpen Club is kindly giving a reader & a friend the opportunity to come out and raise a mug with us!

The prize package includes: two tickets to the cheer on the Friday October 5th opening night of Oktoberfest at Vancouver Alpen Club including one food & beer voucher per person to top off the German Oktoberfest experience.

To enter the contest:

Leave a comment below telling us the person who would share your Oktoberfest experience (1 entry)

Tweet the Following & Tag an Oktoberfest Buddy (1 entry) :

RT to #Win an @AlpenClub #Oktoberfest experience via @jminter http://ow.ly/S8V330lCUld #contest #dasoriginal

Contest entries will be accepted until Noon on Monday, September 10, 2018. One winner will be chosen at random. Please note, you must be 19 years or older to enter; Vancouver Alpen Club will require photo ID to access Oktoberfest.

Posted on

Early Bird Gets The Tasting Plates Vegetarian Edition

To welcome in autumn, Vancouver Foodster is hosting the first Tasting Plates Vegetarian Edition, coming up September 26, 2018.  Harvest season is the perfect time for a tour of the city’s abundance of plant-based eateries.

Like all Tasting Place events, guests will check-in at their starting location, this time Living Produce Aisle in Yaletown, collect their Tasting Maps & Menus then set off on a flavourful adventure.  Not confined to a single neighbourhood, Tasting Plate Vegetarian Edition will explore vegetarian options all around downtown Vancouver.  Chefs will present the meat-free dishes and cups that they think best exemplify what their kitchens are all about. It’s your chance to learn from them and mingle with other foodies and friends as you devour the tasting plates offered.

Ultra Early Bird tickets are now on sale, before the full line-up of restaurants have been released. A few of the locations that plan to participate in Tasting Plates Vegetarian Edition include:

Living Produce Aisle – 1168 Hamilton Street

Davie Dosa Company – 1235 Davie Street

Saj & Co – 813 Davie Street

La Cantina Tacos – 722 Nelson Street

Firecrust Neapolitan Pizza – 808 Davie Street

More restaurants may still be added to the vegetarian tasting adventure but get your tickets now on Eventbrite (fees & tax extra)

Ultra Early-Bird Tickets:  $29 per person until September 14, 2018
Early-Bird Tickets: $35 per person after September 14th
Advance Tickets: $45 per person after September 20th
Regular Tickets: $60 per person after September 24th

If you can’t wait until September 26, check out Vancouver Foodster’s Tasting Plates South Granville on September 12th, for another great neighbourhood taste exploration.

Posted on

Ce Soir Noir Free Public Picnic Returns for a 4th Year

With all the smoke darkening the skies, it’s a perfect time for Ce Soir Noir 2018 (This Black Night) to return to Vancouver.  The free public picnic descends on a new location, Creekside Park for its fourth year, this Thursday, August 23th.  Created by artists  George Vergette and Graeme Berglund invites people to don all-black and become part of the mass public art installation.

In contrast to the other brighter and whiter, strictly structured al fresco dining event happening on the same night, Ce Soir Noir is relatively unstructured. Organizers ask guests to just show up, in black, sometime between 5pm – 10pm, whenever suits your schedule.  Bring friends, a picnic, a positive attitude and do nothing much but spend an evening chilling out on the shores of False Creek. Enjoy the company of old friends and meet some new ones.

Creekside Park is a public space, to keep Ce Soir Noir a free community event be good neighbours.  Treat the space with respect and leave the park as clean or cleaner for the following day.  As long as you can take it home with you, bring what you want.  Guests are asked not to bring square folding tables, chairs, dogs and, of course, no open flames are allowed in these tinder dry conditions.

Ce Soir Noir takes place August 23rd between 5pm and 10pm at Creekside Park, 1455 Quebec Street (near Science World).

Posted on

Fit more summer in a Honda Fit

2019 Honda Fit

Summer is blazing, get your errands done in a flash then make a break for it and get out to the country like we did recently for a day trip to Cultus Lake Marina the Honda Fit is a perfect fit.

I recently had the opportunity to drive the peppy subcompact Honda Fit EX-L Navi for a few days and was pleasantly surprised. In most small cars I tend to either hit my head on the inside roof or have to slouch down to see and sit comfortably, but in the Honda Fit this was not the case.  The Fit, quite simply fits, I could sit upright, and still have plenty to head clearance and plenty of viewing through the large front windows. The EX-L Navi trimline takes the simple car up a notch with HondaLink system, leather trims, HD radio/Sirius XM, automatic climate control, all added to the standard Fit features like; keyless entry, 6 speaker audio system, multi-view rear camera, steering wheel cruise control and audio controls.

Throw everything & everyone in the Honda Fit

The 60/40 split rear seats and cargo cover for when the seats are up, allow the Honda Fit to pack in a lot of people and stuff for your getaway.  Great fuel economy is a huge plus, especially with the current fuel prices, making it easier to justify hopping in the car for any reason.  The subcompact is a dream to park too, perfect for everyday errands around the city.  Unlike some subcompacts that lack power, the Honda Fit handles highway driving nicely with enough pep to get in and out of traffic and on to your destination in a breeze.

Honda Fit fits everywhere

Overall, I was quite impressed with the Honda Fit EX-L Navi for a great economical, easy-to-drive, subcompact, and starting at around $15,500 for the base trim models, plus good fuel economy, it can definitely fit in most everyone’s budget.

For specs and details on all trimlines of the Honda Fit visit honda.ca/fit