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Get your tickets now for Vancouver Foodster’s Dumpling Fest!

Almost every society has a form of dumplings, those tasty, comfort food morsels cover the globe.  Vancouver Foodster’s Dumpling Fest Vancouver is bringing all those flavours together for one spectacular bite-sized festival.

Tickets are now on sale for the November 7, 2018 event. Travel the world with your taste buds at restaurants from Olympic Village, Chinatown and Commercial Drive broil, boil, fry and steam up up different kinds of dumplings, from Cantonese soup dumplings, to Russian Pelmeni to Indian Kofta to Italian Gnocchi and more.

Like the Vancouver Foodster Tasting Plates events guests will check in at the first stop (to be announced) to receive their map and menu cards, then venture out to explore the Dumpling Fest Vancouver participants. Each restaurant will be serving up Tasting Plates and Bowls for guests to enjoy.  Get your friends and family together to make it more fun as you visit many different types of restaurants throughout the event, meet some new food loving friends, meet the chefs, and learn about each of the participating restaurants.

A teaser of the participating restaurants in Dumpling Fest are:

Hon’s Wonton House  25 E 2nd Ave, Vancouver
A Chinatown dumpling institution for over 45 years!

Hey Dumplings! 208 Keefer Street
Specializing in Pelmeni – a Russian stuffed dumpling.

Bombay Indian Kitchen and Bar 1018 Commercial Dr, Vancouver
Serving authentic Indian dishes from the Bombay region and Malai Kofta Indian dumplings.

More restaurants will be added in the coming weeks to bring a more of the world of dumplings to your dish on Dumpling Fest!

Tickets for Vancouver Foodster’s Dumpling Fest Vancouver are on sale now via Eventbrite:
Ultra Early-Bird Tickets: $29 per person up to October 23rd
Early-Bird Tickets: $35 per person after October 23rd
Advance Tickets $50 per person after November 2nd
Regular $60 per person after November 4 and at the door.

If you can’t make it to Dumpling Fest Vancouver, check out Vancouver Foodster’s upcoming Tasting Plates Gastown, October 24th. Tickets are also on sale now via Eventbrite.

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Vancouver Foodster Sushi Roll Challenge – Results

The Vancouver Foodster Sushi Roll Challenge has wrapped up, and the results are in! From September 18th to October 7th, public and media judges including Deanna Woo, Shelley Hayashi and myself were out and about trying the participating restaurants’ Sushi Roll Challenge entries.

Four diverse entries from around Vancouver tickled our taste buds. As with all Vancouver Foodster food challenges, chefs were invited to be as innovative and adventurous as they desired in order to highlight their skills and establishment, this challenge was on-trend with rolls including aburi, poke, no-carbs to offer something for everyone.
It was a difficult, and tasty, task to judge the entries, I’m sure the public had just as much fun trying to decide their faves, as well.

The result are in:

Judge’s Choice: 

First Place: Uma Sushi
Entry: Dark Magic Roll

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second Place: Riz Sushi Bar & Catering
Entry: Sans Riz (rice-less roll)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Third Place (tie): Daddy’s Kitchen
Entry: Poke California Roll

 

 

 

 

 

 

Third Place (tie): Kitstaya Sushi
Entry: Aburi Prawn Salmon Roll

 

 

 

 

People’s Choice:

First Place: Daddy’s Kitchen
Entry: Poke California Roll

Second Place: Uma Sushi
Entry: Dark Magic Roll

Third Place: Riz Sushi Bar & Catering
Entry: Sans Riz (rice-less roll)

Looking for more flavour challenges? Check out Vancouver Foodster’s Best Pasta Challenge, on until October 28th, or explore the neighbourhood on Tasting Plates Gastown edition on October 24th.

 

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Tasting Plates Downtown Vegetarian Edition – Recap

Last night, a sunny Fall evening brought out a bounty of the season as downtown restaurants participated in Vancouver Foodster’s Tasting Plates Vegetarian Edition.

Dozens of hungry tasting platers, explored downtown Vancouver on the plant-based journey.  Participants checked in and collected their menus and map cards then set of to find that the harvest has put on the plate.  Chefs were invited to be creative and present items that best exemplifies their restaurant’s meat-free options. Don’t let it be said that vegetarian food can’t be satisfying and substantial, the tasting platers were rewarded with a global journey of vegetarian menu to fill their bellies.

Tasting Plates included:

Living Produce Aisle: 1168 Hamilton Street

It’s always harvest season at Living Produce Aisle, the check-in and first stop on this Tasting Plates tour. The fresh greens and produce hydroponically grown in store makes for a fitting location to start of the first Tasting Plates Vegetarian Edition.  A quick shot of wheatgrass was followed by a light salad of fresh picked greens, alongside a creamy PB&J smoothie.

 

Saj & Co: 813 Davie Street

Chef Malik was working the piping hot, domed saj overtime as he cooked a platter of Middle Eastern flavours, a hearty flatbread wrap, beautifully creamy traditional and squash hummus, along with a refreshing chickpea, couscous salad were all packed with taste, textures and colour.

 

 

Firecrust Neapolitan Pizzeria: 808 Davie Street

The choose-it-yourself pizzeria is a dream for any fussy eaters, dozens of selections (veggies and meat) to top your pizza truly customize each crispy crust. Choosing one of the “We Build” vegan selections makes the decisions simple the Salsiccia Vegano consisted of Italian Tomato Sauce, YamChops Vegan Crumbled Italian Sausage, House-Made Vegan Mozzarella, Caramelized Onions, Roasted Red Peppers & Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Davie Dosa Company: 1235 Davie Street

Davie Dosa delivers the flavours, their plant-forward South Asian dishes pair perfectly for a vegetarian menu.  A traditional potato filled dosa, Idly – a rice and lentil steamed cake, Medhu Vada – a savoury lentil donut, vegetable and lentil soup, with tomato and ginger chutney on the side.

 

La Cantina Urban Taco Bar: 722 Nelson Street

Head south of the border in the middle of Downtown Vancouver, La Cantina has almost as many vegetarian options as meat fillings. The Portobello – mushrooms, bell peppers, tamarind sauce topped with coleslaw, and the Mestizo – rice and black beans, avocado sauce and radish, were both substantial, filling and full of flavour.

 

If Tasting Plates tickled your taste buds, get ready for the next edition, Tasting Plates Gastown coming October 24, 2018. Also check out one of the Vancouver Foodster Food Challenges; Best Sangria Challenge, or the Best Sushi Roll Challenge both running until October 7, 2018

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.