ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
While browsing through T & T Supermarket in Richmond, B.C., some instant noodles caught my eye. What intrigued me was that they were manufactured in Singapore, by a company called Prima Taste. At C$2.99 each on sale, they were a better bargain when converted to US dollars (about $2.33 at the time). I would discover later when I... Continue Reading →
The convenience of having a restaurant attached to a theater is very appealing. Before or after a performance, all you need do is walk a few steps. It's also a bonus when the restaurant is well regarded. No additional driving, no fuss. Fins Bistro happens to be next door to Village Theatre in Issaquah. There is even a... Continue Reading →
A Hawaiian food blogger once asked me about Seattle's ramen culture. Knowing how robust it was in Honolulu where the blogger lives, I was apprehensive about answering him. Here was the Seattle area, having as much claim as any big West Coast city to strong economic and cultural ties to Japan, a history of Japanese immigration and community, a... Continue Reading →
One of my favorite public markets is located only three-hours drive north in Vancouver, B.C., which also happens to be one of my favorite nearby cities to visit. Granville Market is part of a much larger complex of shops, artist studios, galleries, restaurants, theaters and more, on Granville Island just south of downtown Vancouver. Finding parking... Continue Reading →
It's simply called Fried Radish Cake, the English shorthand for the more descriptive Chinese ideograms on the menu. Customers of The Jade Seafood Restaurant in Richmond order it as part of a dim sum meal or as a snack. The chefs at Jade don't make the radish cakes in the usual way, which is to steam, then pan-fry a mixture of... Continue Reading →
I bought this basket of the most amazing collection of fruit from Granville Market in Vancouver—raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, red, green and black grapes, kumquats, strawberries and golden gooseberries. And for a mere $6.99. None of it is local, but what a deal!
When Chef Angus An used tamarind sauce and palm sugar to make pad thai, Thai food lovers in Vancouver were introduced to an authentic flavor. There was no ketchup (or peanut butter). The striving for taste authenticity while using local ingredients has been a hallmark of An's. He's also a perfectionist who would go to great lengths to get... Continue Reading →
Anyone who travels along the Seawall Walk around Stanley Park can't help but notice Siwash Rock. It stands out as a rugged, basaltic outcropping slightly offshore in stark contrast to the smooth sandstone hillsides. Adding to its distinctiveness is the Douglas fir growing on top.
The entrance to Vancouver's Stanley Park from the south is lined with cherry trees. I was fortunate to have seen them in full bloom just before the first day of spring. The most spectacular were the kwanzan cherries whose fluffy pink blossoms cover the entire tree crown. Also heavy with flowers were the tulip magnolias.
A spinach salad is kind of like something you feel you should eat in order to get your greens for the day. Not glamorous or exciting, just—healthy. That was our thinking anyway—and maybe a nod toward St. Paddy's Day when we wanted to quaff beer instead of drinking an artificially green cocktail (even if it was a house... Continue Reading →
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