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Chill with Vancouver Foodster Iced Tea Challenge

Just in time for sunny, summer weather the Vancouver Foodster Best Iced Tea Challenge is here to find you the coolest chilled summer drink in the city.

Until August 5th, 2018, Vancouver Foodster has challenged cafes around Metro Vancouver to create their best cold tea drink.  Sweet, tart, milky, black tea, green tea and anything in between is being poured into glasses. Get out and try any or all of the unique Iced Tea entries prepared by the participating cafes.

The restaurants have entered their favourite glass of chilled tea either existing from their menu or they have come up with a unique recipe for their Vancouver Foodster Best Iced Tea Challenge cup. The chef’s entries range from simple to fancy, from whole leaf teas, to bubble tea, or milk tea, fruits and infusions might also be on the menu.
As with all of Vancouver Foodster’s food challenges, a panel of media judges (including myself, eatwithmao.com and vieamaggi.com) will taste and crown the Judges’ Choice Best Iced Tea.  The public is also invited to try any or all of the entries, then vote for the People’s Choice Iced Tea creation at vancouverfoodster.com/ice-tea-challenge. On social media, tag your iced tea drinks with #IceTeaChallengeYVR and see what other’s are enjoying along the Best Iced Tea Challenge.
The participating cafes in Vancouver Foodster Best Iced Tea Challenge are;

Boba Monster, 5766 Fraser Street, Vancouver

Sencha Tea Lounge, 3468 W Broadway, Vancouver

Taan Char, 7908 Granville Street, Vancouver

Treasure Green Tea, 227 East Georgia Street, Vancouver

Vietnamese Tea House, 2526 E. Hastings Street, Vancouver

T-Go Tea, 4720 Mcclelland Road #1810, Richmond

For more details and how to vote for your fave Iced Tea Challenge entry visit vancouverfoodster.com/ice-tea-challenge

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August 15th Dine Out for Les Dames d’Escoffier Summerdine

This August 15th, Les Dames d’Escoffier BC Chapter present their unique annual dining event Summerdine.  A delicious province-wide dining celebration featuring fabulous food and glorious wines, Summerdine takes place on one evening only at different restaurants, wineries, and culinary venues across BC. It could be in a vineyard, aboard a yacht, at a picnic table or in an elegant dining room.

Some of the locations participating in Summerdine 2018 include:

Forage Private Courtyard

VANCOUVER

  • AnnaLena in Kitsilano
  • Boulevard in The Sutton Place Hotel.
  • Burdock & Co. on Main Street
  • Forage on Robson Street (weather permitting, in the private courtyard)
  • A long table set on Pacific Yacht Charters moored in Coal Harbour
  • A private dining room at Vij’s on Cambie Street

OKANAGAN

  • al fresco dinner hosted by Dame Wendy Rose at Bella Wines on the Naramata Bench
  • Terrafina at Hester Creek by RauDZ
Sea Cider Ciderhouse

VICTORIA

  • al fresco long table at Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse  in Saanichton catered by Dame Chef Ali Ryan of Victoria’s popular Spinnakers Gastro Pub.

See the complete Summerdine list and book tickets online at lesdames.ca/summerdine for locations, menus and photos.  Regardless of the location, all diners will be treated to a specially-designed multiple-course menu, wines selected to complement that menu, a special table or location and an opportunity to meet and chat with the chefs and restaurateurs. 

All Summerdine dinners are priced at $80 per person and include the multi-course meal with wine (gratuity not included). One exception is the Victoria event at Sea Cider which is priced at $100 per person. All funds raised from Summerdine go to support Les Dames d’Escoffier BC Chapter’s Scholarship and Outreach programs.

Les Dames d’Escoffier is a world-wide philanthropic society of professional women leaders in the fields of food, fine beverage and hospitality, with a mandate to support the advancement of women in the hospitality and culinary domains as well as fostering industry excellence through educational and charitable activities.

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Dinner In The Sky elevates your dining experience

Dinner In The Sky North Vancouver takes your dining experience to new heights.   Until July 29, 2018, Dinner In The Sky, presented by Westcoast Sightseeing, combines unique views and an exceptional dining experience over North Vancouver.

Dinner In The Sky was founded 30 years ago in Belgium and has expanded to 60+ countries around the globe. After a sold-out month-long trial last summer, Vancouver now has it’s own Dinner In The Sky experience.

Brunch, lunch and dinner rise over the scenic location at 415 West Esplanade on the North Vancouver waterfront, other locations for this summer will be announced later.  Twenty-two guests along with chefs, servers and safety officer lift off to over 100ft and take in the 360degree views from their secure, rotating, reclining seats.  Guests will enjoy a menu created by Dinner In The Sky Chef Ambassador Ned Bell.  With Chef Bell at the lead, you can be sure that the menu is going to be a masterpiece of local, sustainable quality ingredients.  VIP experiences include sparkling wine and canapes in the ground-level lounge.

Tickets for Brunch In The Sky, Lunch In The Sky, Happy Hour In The Sky and Dinner In The Sky range from $149 t0 $549, most experiences are two hours overall, with one hour in the sky.   Private packages for group experiences can also be arranged. Guests must present identification, and sign a waiver, when they check in 45 minutes prior to the lift.  Guests under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult, and must be a minimum of 4 feet 9 inches in height.
Lifts will take place in rainy weather but may be cancelled or postponed when the wind is strong or during thunderstorms.

Visit dinnerintheskycanada.com for tickets, package details and more information about Meal in the Sky options.

 

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Wing It with Vancouver Foodster Chicken Wings Challenge

The Vancouver Foodster Chicken Wings Challenge is back for its 2018 edition with more tasty and creative chicken dishes.

From June 21st to July 15, 2018, Vancouver Foodster has challenged restaurants around Metro Vancouver to create their best Chicken Wings.  get out and try any or all of the unique Chicken Wing dishes prepared by the participating restaurants.

The restaurants have entered their favourite Chicken Wings from their menu or have come up with a unique recipe for their Vancouver Foodster Chicken Wings Challenge dish. The chef’s entries may range from simple to elaborate, feature unique and innovative ingredients, they may be breaded or naked; saucy or dry seasoned; baked or fried.

As with all of Vancouver Foodster’s food challenges, a panel of media judges (including myself, Joyce Lam @VanFoodies and Sherman Chan @ShermansFoodAdv ) will taste and crown the Judges’ Choice Chicken Wings.  The public is also invited to try any or all of the entries, then vote for the People’s Choice  Chicken Wings creation at vancouverfoodster.com/chicken-wings-challenge . On social media, tag your chicken wings experiences #ChickenWingsChallengeYVR and see what other’s are enjoying along the Chicken Wings Challenge.
The 2018 participating restaurants are;

Vancouver

Davie Dosa Company, 1235 Davie Street

U & I Thai, 3364 Cambie Street 

Mission

U & I Thai, 33261 1st Ave 

Abbotsford

U & I Thai, 3757 South Fraser Way

Langley

Ban Chok Dee, 20563 Douglas Crescent

Maple Ridge

Ban Chok Dee, 20395 Lougheed Hwy

For more details on the Chicken Wings Challenge restaurants and dishes, visit vancouverfoodster.com/chicken-wings-challenge .
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Explore Tasting Plates West End – June 20th

Kick off Summer 2018 with a flavourful evening during Vancouver Foodster’s Tasting Plates West End.  As with all Tasting Plates, the neighbourhood’s restaurants and eateries will offer participants a tasting plate or cup that best exemplifies their establishment and chef.  During the evening, join other foodies and friends to sip and savour the flavours both new and established.  Visit with others over the bites, as questions of some of the chefs, learn about the West End and enjoy the last day of Spring.

Starting at Milano Coffee at 849 Denman Street, Tasting Platers will check in to receive their Tasting Plate passport and menu, then off they’ll go to complete the passport and get their fill of the West End. Other eateries on Tasting Plates West End, along Denman and Davie Streets, include;

Davie Dosa Company, 1235 Davie Street, Vancouver

Pasture to Plate, 1061 Denman Street, Vancouver

Tartine Bread and Pies, 1069 Davie Street, Vancouver

Izakaya Gon’s, 854 Denman Street, Vancouver

Get your tickets to Tasting Plates West End on Eventbrite now:

Advance Tickets: $45 per person until June 18, 2018
Regular Tickets: $60 per person after June 18, 2018
*Eventbrite fees and tastes extra

Ticket price includes a tasting plates at each of the participating eateries throughout the evening. (Beverages are included at some locations, as noted on menu, you are welcome to purchase wine, beer, cocktails or mocktails at each of the participating restaurants).

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Egypt comes to Royal BC Museum

Journey back to a time when civilization grew along the Nile, pyramids rose above the desert and the people believed gods walked among us, with Egypt: The Time of Pharaohs at the Royal British Columbia Museum.

Running until December 31, the impressive exhibition, now open with more than 300 original artifacts, some up to 4,500 years old, covering all aspects of ancient Egyptian life, from the emergence of ancient Egyptian civilization along the fertile Nile valley to the Ptolemaic and Roman eras millennia later. 

Egypt: The Time of Pharaohs includes a mix of interactive displays, video and dioramas, to support the ancient artifacts which include the coffin of Nakht, an 790 kilogram sandstone bust of Hatshepsut, thousands of year old stoneware and pots, ornate gold and stone jewellery and much more.

Step into the exhibit’s temple doors, and learn about everyday life on the fertile belt of the River Nile, to the worship of the ancient Gods. Look at the life of the Pharaohs – Gods among men, and test your heart to see of you’ll make the voyage to the afterlife.

The only Canadian stop for this one of a kind collection, guests will be the among the first in North America to see the collection of artifacts curated from the collections of the Egyptian Museum in Berlin, the Roemer-und Pelizaeus-Museum in Hildesheim, Germany, the Gustav Lübcke Museum in Hamm, Germany, and the University Museum of Aberdeen in Scotland.

Egypt: The Time of Pharaohs runs at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria until December 31, 2018.  In addition to the exhibit, visit the IMAX Victoria in the Royal BC Museum to watch Egypt: Mysteries of Egypt, a perfect companion to the exhibition.

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Vancouver Foodster 5th Taco Challenge – Recap

The votes are in and the 5th Vancouver Foodster Taco Challenge crown has been decided.  Over the past weeks, public and a panel of media judges, including myself, have been tasting and voting for our favourite tacos.

As with other Vancouver Foodster challenges, chefs were invited to be as creative as they like in order to highlight an already existing menu item or they could create a completely unique dish for their Taco Challenge entry.

For the 5th Taco Challenge, six chefs wrapped up their take on tacos, resulting in a great diversity of flavours to sample.  The tacos were served at eight different eateries from all across the region, from Chilliwack to Richmond and downtown Vancouver.  The public was encouraged to try any or all the Taco Challenge entries and then vote on Vancouver Foodster’s website for their favourites to be crowned People’s Choice Taco.  The media judges were also busy trying all the selections to choose the Judges’ Choice Winner.  Maizal Restaurant topped both polls with their Ebi Chamois, a creative combination of Mexican and Japanese flavours.

Maizal : Ebi Chamoi

Maizal: Ebi Chamoi
Japanese Mexican fusion, Tempura prawns with a mango salsa and umeboshi glaze, all on top of a hibiscus tortilla.

 

 

 

 

 

The other entries in the 5th Taco Challenge were (random order):

Las Tortas

Las Tortas: El Campechano 
Grilled Sirloin Beef & Chorizo, mixed with bits of crunchy chicharron & nopalitos (cactus leaves), on a bed of refried black beans in a Chipotle Tortilla, topped with sweet habanero mango crema, queso fresco, & pico de gallo.

 

La Cantina Tacos

La Catina: Gobernador
Shrimp, melted Oaxaca cheese, peppers and onion, topped with a chile de arbol Sinaloa style salsa.

 

 

 

 

 

Hopcott Meats

Hopcott Meat: YeeHaw Taco
Ancho chili marinated, shredded, chicken topped with cowboy caviar, cilantro crema and pickled onions on a whole wheat tortilla.

 

 

 

 

 

Hugos Churros

Hugos Churros: Meatless Taco
Papas con chorizo vegano, serrano cashew crema, avocado, grilled corn, lemon-pickled onions, cilantro.

 

 

 

 

Patron Tacos and Cantina

Patron Tacos & Cantina: Caribbean Vibes
Green plantain tortilla, topped with tilapia chicharrón seasoned with spices, cilantro aioli, topped with mango/habanero/cucumber chutney, garnished with green & red bell peppers.

 

 

 

Visit vancouverfoodster.com to find out the top three winners from each category.