Sherman's Food Adventures: Olympic Village Brunch Crawl (Presented by Vanfoodster & Dine Out Vancouver)

Olympic Village Brunch Crawl (Presented by Vanfoodster & Dine Out Vancouver)

Fresh off the Gastown Brunch Crawl, Viv and I were looking forward to our first stop on the Olympic Village Brunch Crawl.  You see, the day before, it was pouring rain (liquid sunshine for those in Vancouver) and lining up for registration was as fun as rush hour on #3 Road.  This time around, we got to wait in the warm and comfy confines of Whole Foods on 8th Ave and Cambie.

After a short wait, we were presented with our first few bites of the brunch crawl with Hoisin Shortrib on a bellini and Salmon Bacon and Mousse on a potato tuile.  Unfortunately, the shortrib was stone cold (and not like Steve Austin), hence it probably didn't eat like it was intended as the bellini was also compromised being soggy.  It did taste good with a balanced sweetness (as hoisin can be rather overwhelming).  I did enjoy the salmon bacon as it was crispy and caramelized while the tuile was equally crunchy.  

We then made the short stroll over to Solly's Bagelry where we endured a short wait.  However, the wait was worth it since they wanted to present their items in the best way possible - freshly made (unlike Whole Foods).  We were treated to 3 items including a Potato Knish, Potato Latka and Cottage Cheese Muffin with strawberry jam.  Everything was warm and yummy.  The knish featured a lightly crispy exterior giving way to a soft pillowy potato goodness.  Crunchy and slightly oniony, the latka was topped with sour cream.  We found the muffin to be densely soft with the sweetness of jam.

Taking a break from food, we went for some bevvies at Milano Coffee Roasters.  We were started off with a Single Shot Macchiato.  This was pretty rich and full of body as it was made with their cognac espresso.  We snacked on some Granola with almond milk from Granola Girl as well.  From there, we sampled some Juices from Nectar and then finished off with a Stove Top (Americano with liquid gold and cream).  From the selection available, I was most surprised by the Hazelnut Almond Milk as it could've fooled me for a lightly sweetened chocolate milk.  It wasn't as creamy, but the flavours were good while the sugar content was minimal.

Still trying to forget the disappointment from Bao Down (Gastown) the day before, we were a bit apprehensive about visiting Bao Down on West 4th.  Well, everything was at least 100% better with a more refined version of their Morning Glory Bao and Beignet.  From the eggs to the hashbrown, the textures were on point while the banana ketchup brought everything together with a smooth sweetness.  As for the beignet, it was crunchy (not hard like the day before) with a soft interior, but they put far too much sugar on it.  Just a like dusting would've been sufficient.

Our last stop was Glory Juice Company where we sampled 3 juices which were all flavour explosions.  Without adding any water, the flavours were super concentrated and impactful while being healthy.  This was in contrast to the ones we sampled at Nectar.  However, this would be highly subjective as to what type of juice you are looking for.  Last but not least, the Seed Bar we were given to try was pretty good with a butterness from the coconut oil and nice crunch from the ingredients. It reminded me of Chinese coconut candy.  At the end, we thought this crawl was seemed a bit less fulfilling than the one in Gastown.  However, if you like juices, this would've worked for you.

*All food and drinks were complimentary*

The Good:
- Not particularly heavy food
- Walkable

The Bad:
- Heavy on the beverages
- Juices were only samplers without full servings 
 

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