TWK - The Lebanese Sandwich Spot

More often than not, when we are in need of quick eats, we default to the usual fast food joints.  For me, it is always Subway.  Say what you will about the place, but it does the job for me and I get some veggies to go with my sugar-loaded bread and salt-ladened deli meats...  Hmmm...  So maybe, it would be a better idea to find other options.  TWK Lebanese Sandwich Spot on Commercial Drive offers both 8" and 12" wraps that are competitively-priced compared to places like Subway.  In addition, if that doesn't satisfy you appetite, they also have fully-loaded platters for only $17.50.

Before we got to those wraps and platter, we tried their Falafel Pops.  These were deep-fried to order and came out uniformly crunchy on the outside.  Inside, the flavours really popped.  We got strong hits of earthiness, herbaceousness and just a hint of spice.  These were some of the most flavourful falafels I've ever had.  Adding some more nuttiness, the side of tahini offered up moisture too.  Good thing as texturally, the falafels were on the firmer side.

We continued with some more appetizers in the Fattoush Salad and 2 soups.  The salad was fresh with crisp greens, radish and peppers. It came with crispy pita chips and a sweet and tangy dressing.  As for the soups, I loved the Lentil Soup as it was herbaceous and earthy.  Really well-seasoned without being salty.  I liked how it was not overly thick, as some versions I've had are like paste.  The Tomato Soup was supremely fresh with mild-tasting and natural tomato flavours.  It was also earthy and slightly tangy.

We ended up with the Chicken Tawouk and Beef Shawarma Wraps, both in the 12" size.  I would say these would easily be enough food for one person as they were stuffed with plenty of meat.  For the chicken, it consisted of spiced and tender white meat with fries, pickles, coleslaw and garlic sauce.  Nice combination of tanginess, creaminess and earthy-spiced chicken.  For the beef, it had tender beef, parsley, tarator sauce and tomato.  This was bright due to the parsley and also the sauce as it was tangy and nutty.

Something a bit off the board, they also have 2 burgers available.  The first one was the Chicken Burger featuring evenly seared pieces of chicken breast.  The meat was not dry at all and had caramelized flavours.  Love the crispy fried cheese added to the mix.  As for the Beef, it was a pretty robust patty that had natural meatiness.  Combined with the crispy fries, grilled onions and pickles, there was plenty different textures and flavours to go around.

Essentially a deconstructed wrap, the Chicken Tawouk Platter featured grilled chicken, salad, pickles, hummus, fries and a grilled Lebanese bread.  I quite enjoyed eating it this way as the fries stayed crispier and dipping the crispy bread into the creamy hummus was satisfying.  The tender pieces of spiced chicken went really well with the flavourful yogurt dip while the salad featured some of the sweetest grape tomatoes I've ever had.

For dessert, they got Soft-Serve Ice Cream in the form of Rose Water with pistachio and Chocolate.  Really enjoyed the rose water as it wasn't as sweet as one would expect.  It was quite floral and of course nutty from the pistachios.  Chocolate was pretty standard, yet at the same time, wasn't too sweet either.  The soft-serve was decently creamy too.  We also had a Pistachio Cheesecake and it was rich and cheesy while also just sweet enough.  We downed some salty Yogurt Drink while eating our desserts and it was a good match.  Overall, there was some good eats at TWK and well-priced too for the quantity.  Would come back.

 

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post* 

 

The Good:

- Generous portions

- Well-priced

- Menu is focused, but still has a little for everyone

 

The Bad:

- It is mainly a takeout spot, so don't expect a lot of seats

 

White Rock Burger Co.

For all the places that boast smashburgers, not many actually do it right.  Sure, they are indeed smashing a ball of ground beef with a cast iron burger press on a flattop.  However, only a few places create a maillard where we have that nuttiness and aromatics.  Furthermore, a smashburger isn't a smashburger if there aren't crispy edges.  That is why Between 2 Buns has been my goto place for a proper smashburger.  Yet, there maybe a serious contender with White Rock Burger Co.  We dropped by to check them out and their take-out window at the back of the Wooden Spoon.  They operate from 4:00pm on from Wednesday to Saturdays.   

To get a baseline of sorts, we ordered the Big Rock sporting 2 smashed patties, double American cheese, pickles, caramelized onions, lettuce and co. sauce on a potato bun.  Remember when I mentioned that smash patties should have crispy edges?  This had it in spades where the fully seared meat was also nutty and aromatic.  Nicely seasoned as well where the cheese was a bit crispy as well.  Having the sturdy potato bun helped keep things together without being too dense.

Fully-loaded and sporting 2 slices of crispy pepper jack cheese, we had the Fuego with double patties, pickled jalapeños, pickles, caramelized onions, shredded lettuce and chipotle mayo on a potato bun.  This was monstrous with the crispy and nutty cheese as well as the equally crispy beef patties.  Lots of tanginess and bite from the crispy fried jalapeños.  Extra spice was provided by the earthy chipotle mayo and extra crunch from the pickles.

Another large burger was The OG on brioche and stuffed with double patties, aged cheddar, thick cut bacon, crispy onion rings, shredded lettuce, dill pickles and co. sauce.  Since they used a brioche bun here, the bread was lighter and just slightly less sturdy. However, that allowed the crunchy breaded onion rings and crispy bacon to be the main textures.  They piled onto that with crispy cheese and of course, the seared edges of the smashed patties.

Going in a different direction, but also maintaining a crunch of some sort, we had the Spicy Southern Fried Chicken.  I found the chicken itself to be fairly moist with a uniformly crunchy coating.  It was definitely spicy and a touch sweet.  Those bread & butter pickles provided crunch and another layer of sweetness to cut the spice.  However, fried jalapeños provided more tang and spiciness as well.  This was also served on brioche and that is the proper bun for this in my opinion.

Last burger was the Cajun Chicken which featured a grilled chicken breast.  It was well-charred being smoky and a bit spicy from the Cajun rub.  I wouldn't have called it juicy, but the chicken breast was far from dry.  It was nicely complimented by the crispy thick-cut bacon and that tangy tomato jam.  Completing the burger was some melted cheddar, lettuce and co. sauce.  Once again, this was on a brioche bun which was soft and light. 

Naturally, we had to get some sides too!  Fries were crispy with some potatoness left.  Really enjoyed the Mac & Cheese as they used Cavatappi which held onto the cheesy sauce well.  Poutine was solid with a mild gravy and legit cheese curds.  Loved that their Onion Rings were breaded (my preference).  They were very crunchy where the onions didn't fall out.  Lastly, my favourite was the Dirty Fries as they were completely coated being spicy with the cooling of the mayo sauce.

We tried some of their Dips including the Garlic Aioli, Co. Sauce, Spicy Honey Mustard, Cool Ranch BBQ and Chipotle Mayo.  For me, the classic aioli was the best as it was creamy and had big roasted garlic flavours.  Chipotle mayo was great too with earthy, smoky and spicy vibes.  Honey mustard was great with the onion rings with its spicy sweetness.  I found the Cool Ranch BBQ to be tangy with some herbaceous notes.

For drinks, we had one each of the Sparkling Lemonade and the Strawberry Sparkling Lemonade.  Truly refreshing to wash down the big burgers with measured sweetness and some fizziness.  Overall, we were really impressed with the smash burgers at White Rock Burger Co.  They do their patties right with crispy edges and compliment them further with crispy cheese.  Great textures and accompaniments.  Will be back in a heartbeat.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- Smashburgers done right

- Textures on point

- Large burgers

The Bad:

- Only takeout, so better have a place to eat it if you aren't going home

Fairmount Bagel

Continuing our frenetic quest to bring stuff home from our last day in Montreal, it brought us to Fairmount Bagel.  I've already had St. Viateur the last time I was in town, so I really wanted to see the other popular spot.  Naturally, there was a lineup to get in and of course, we proceeded to queue up.  If you are wondering about the parallel line next to it, that was for the gnocchi at Drogheria Fine (yes, we got some of that too).

But before we got the gnocchi, we were here for the bagels and instead of doing a plain as a baseline, I went for the Sesame.  Once toasted, it was pretty apparent that the bagels at Fairmount Bagel are completely different than those from St-Viateur.  The bagel from Fairmount was dense, but less dense and less chewy than St-Viateur.  They were a bit sweeter too.  I can't say which one I prefer more because they are both good in their own way.  

Their All-Dressed Bagel (or Everything) had a combination of sesame, poppy seeds, caraway seeds, onion and garlic.  Hence the name and also lives up to it too.  Beyond the texture from the seeds and aromatics, we had the slight saltiness of the bagel.  The onion and garlic provide pops of sweetness.  I did notice that the bagel was not as salty as St-Viateur though and could be eaten cold with less chew.

We got a couple of fruity bagels in the Blueberry as well as the Cinnamon & Raisin.  Since the bagels at Fairmount are sweeter compared to St-Viateur, the fruit portion of the bagel helped make it taste almost dessert-like, even without the cream cheese.  I didn't mind it as it was tasty while the less chewy texture made it less dense.  As said before, these didn't need to be toasted to eat.

Our last 2 bagels were colourful in the Raspberry Chocolate and the Rainbow Bozo.  For the raspberry, the bagel itself was only a bit sweeter than the rest while still sporting a fluffy chew.  For the huge rainbow, it was actually less dense due to its larger size.  It didn't taste remarkably different than the sesame bagel but was super filling.  Overall, we enjoyed the bagels at Fairmount.  They are different than St-Viateur, but I like them both.  One it sweeter and softer, while the other is saltier and chewier.

The Good:

- Not as dense and chewy as St-Viateur for those who like it that way

- Sweeter than St-Viateur for those who prefer it

- More unique options

The Bad:

- The reverse is true for the good if you prefer St-Viateur

Automne Boulangerie

On our last day in Montreal before an evening flight, we decided to hit up a few places where we could bring some things back to Vancouver.  One of which was Automne Boulangerie.  Opened in 2016 under the partnership between Seth Gabrielse and Julien Roy, their mission was to use local ingredients to craft their high-quality products.  They work with local mills and the results speak for themselves.  They are now up to 2 locations with the original being on Avenue Christophe-Colomb and the one we visited at 1470 Rue Bélanger.

Fortunately, it wasn't too busy for a Sunday morning (at 10:30am) as we were able to walk right up to the counter and order.  We even scored a table!  Beyond a few hot bevvies, we got a collection of baked goods including the Butter Croissant.  Gotta say, this was a good croissant.  It was flaky and shattered when I bit into it.  Nice lamination, yet the inside was a bit dense.  Definitely could taste the butter and was nicely aromatic.

One of the more striking items we tried was the Chocolate Danish.  However, it looked more like a sweet version of their Croissignon.  With a spiral design on the outside, it had plenty of texture in the form of firm crunchiness.  It was also plenty aromatic and buttery. Inside, there was some softer buttery portions encasing a semi-sweet chocolate filling.  Adding more crunch was some cocoa nibs on the outside.

Another interesting item was the Cruffin à la Cannelle.  So as the name suggests, this was a hybrid of a croissant and a muffin.  Consisting of croissant dough, this was flaky and buttery.  Due to its compact nature, it was not as light and airy as the butter croissant.  Inside, the cream cheese filling was creamy and not too heavy.  It was purposefully sweet while still maintaining a rich cheesiness.

Looking quite delicious, the Noeud Cardamome or Kardemummabullar is a Scandinavian cardamom knot pastry.  So think cinnamon bun but in a different shape and of course focusing on cardamom.  I loved the crispiness of the exterior, especially the sugary crunch on the top.  Inside, the bun was soft with some elasticity.  The cardamom did come through and it wasn't too strong so the sweetness was at the forefront with only a bit of background aromatics.

Heading to something fruity, we tried the Brioche Saisonnière featuring blueberries.  This was fairly light pastry where the brioche was soft and airy as expected.  However, on the outside, it great colour and just a touch of crunch.  Nestled in the middle we found the juicy blueberries in a semi-sweet glaze.  There was enough of it for every bite of the brioche.

Our last item was an Muffin aux Pommes which had classic apple cinnamon vibes.  It was pretty sweet, but had enough tang with the apple to balance.  The muffin itself was somewhere between fluffy and dense, which was a pleasant texture.  A bit of crunch on top added more sweetness and butteriness.  In addition to these items, we had dined on Automne Boulangerie sourdough several times when we were in Montreal.  Really good bread with a crunchy exterior where the inside was moist with a pleasant chewiness.  Overall, the stuff at Automne is solid, especially their sourdough.  Definitely can see why they are one of the best in Montreal.

The Good:

- That sourdough

- Solid baked goods

- Now they have 2 locations

The Bad:

- Croissant could be more airy inside

Bernie Beigne

While walking to the metro station after our visit to Lester's, we noticed a huge lineup for donuts at Bernie Beigne.  Not only that, we watched where they took freshly fried donuts and hand-dipped them into glaze.  Then they hung them for all to see in the window.  Wow, if that wasn't a call of the wild for some donuts!  We proceeded to get in line for our chance to grab some of these highly-sought after fried dough rings.  We ended up getting a half-dozen only because these donuts were pretty large.

Of course we had to get the classic Glazed Donut that we saw majestically hung for all to see in the front window.  Well, I'm glad to report these were as good as they looked.  The donut itself was soft and airy, but at the same time, had a good chew.  There was a good flavour where it was lightly sweet but also had some balancing amount of salt.  As for the glaze, it was definitely there with sweetness, but enough of it had dripped off that it wasn't overly sweet.

Coated with a bright red glaze, the Strawberry Donut was not really our favourite.  Let's start with the positives first.  Same as the glazed donut, the base product was really good.  However, the strawberry glaze was too artificial-tasting, so it was quite sweet and strawberry candy-tasting.  Now, this is my own subjective opinion.  I can totally see this being completely acceptable to other people, especially children.

Now for 2 donuts that had the same glaze in the Maple Donut and the Maple Bacon Donut.  Of course the maple glaze was sweet, but it came with the territory.  Nice aromatics and an unmistakable essence.  With the addition of a whack load of fairly lean bacon, this totally transformed the donut.  The salty smokiness really elevated the flavours where it completely balanced the sweetness of the maple glaze.  Of course maple bacon is such a complimentary combination that has breakfast vibes.

Now for 2 fruity creations, we started with the Lemon Meringue Donut.  This one they totally nailed it with the same soft fluffy texture with an appealing bite.  Inside, we found a considerable amount tangy lemon curd.  There was enough in every bite.  On the outside, there was some lemon glaze topped with torched meringue.  There was some smoky sweetness to go with the airy creaminess of the meringue.

One of the more under-the-radar donuts was the Apple Spice.  It featured an apple pie-like filling that was sweet with a touch of light tanginess.  On top, we had some frosting glaze with an apple crumble-like topping.  Classic combination that provided that apple crumble experience in a donut.  Overall, I liked the donuts from Bernie Beigne.  They were light, but still retained a chew.  The dough was seasoned well and the flavours popped.

The Good:

- Impactful flavours (lots of toppings)

- Nicely textured yeast donuts

- Donuts are large

The Bad:

- Most are pretty sweet, but I'm sure many people like that

Saigon Drip Cafe

You'd think that heading into Downtown Seattle, in particular Pioneer Square, on the Sunday of the NFC Championship would be a great plan right (yes, they already won the Superbowl...)?  Well, we had a date with Saigon Drip Cafe blocks away from Lumen Field.  But there we were, amongst the sea of Seahawk fans decked out in their blue and green.  But we were about to see it was worth the trouble!  Go Seahawks!

We got to the main event with the Ribeye Hot Pot (or Bún Bò Huế for 2).  This featured a heated hot pot with a rich and savory broth that had brininess and definite spiciness.  We found 2 large beef ribs with tender meat that included 6 ounces of shaved ribeye.  There was a wealth of meat and also some pork's blood.  By having the noodles on the side, it ensured that they stayed al dente with a wonderful elasticity.  The usual compliments such as cabbage, banana blossoms, basil, lime and chilis were there to customize your bowl.  This was a lot of food and could feed more than 2 people if you ordered some other dishes.

Some of those other dishes included their Pho with steak, meatball and brisket.  Again, this was fully-loaded as the picture suggests.   I found the amount of meat to be generous.  There was enough all the way to the last bunch of noodles.  The meat was sliced thin and extremely tender.  Noodles were al dente despite sitting in the hot broth while we took pictures.  About that broth, it was clean and not overly salty.  Therefore, the natural meat flavors were present.  Solid bowl of Pho.

We also got their Vermicelli Bowl with Pork.  Staying with the theme of large portions, this was loaded with tender and charred pieces of marinated pork.  Lots of caramelized sweetness and definitely savoriness.  It came with a crispy spring roll that was stuffed with tender pork that was well-seasoned.  The rice was fluffy while still firm at the same time.  Perfect for accepting the nước chấm.

They have a section of the menu dedicated to Bánh Mì and we chose to try the Bánh Mì Drip featuring a boatload of beef brisket.  There was so much of it that we could barely keep it all in the baguette.  It was tender, saucy and full of umami.  The bread was light and crispy while the side of bone marrow soup could be used as a dip.  However, I didn't do that as there was plenty of moisture already.

Of course we couldn't forget about the drinks too right?  We went for the Cafe Sua Da & Salted Foam as well as the Cafe Sua Da & Durian.  I found the coffee itself to be rich and aromatic as Vietnamese coffee is typically like.  The salted foam added some creaminess and further intensified the flavors.  Absolutely loved the durian as it was definitely funky, but just enough to give the coffee some extra without being overwhelming.  Overall, some solid eats at Saigon Drip Cafe and served in large portions too.  Great place to grab a quite bite on your way to the game!

 

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

 

The Good:

- Solid eats and drinks

- Large portions

- Reasonable pricing

 

The Bad:

- Limited seating other than 2 large tables

 

Thai Lucine

It seems like I am doing a lot of Thai food wherever I go.  It is especially true when I'm south of the border as the Thai food game in Seattle and especially in Portland are on point.  One of the newest in the Emerald City is Thai Lucine, which is a quick-service concept that offers traditional Thai favorites for dine-in and take-out.  Prices are reasonable and portions are generous.  Jackie and I checked it out on a Sunny, but cold January afternoon. 

Being a quick-service restaurant, the food is prepared fast and served in to-go packaging.  The place is certainly nice enough to dine-in, but for those who need to be on the go, Thai Lucine fits that bill.  We started things off with the Laab Stix.  Crispy with a tender meat filling, these fulfilled the promise of laab flavours with tanginess and some spice.  We found some jimjew sauce on the side.

One of their best deals is their Dinner Set for $19.99 that includes Thai Clear Soup, Chicken Pad See Ew and Lime Chili Wings.  We watched our noodles being wok fried and were not surprised at caramelized and smoky flavors from the wok hei.  Those wings were large and plenty juicy.  Batter was crunchy and we did get some tang from the lime.  Soup was clean and really nice for a cold day.

We tried one of their salads in the Thai Chili-Lime Dressing Salad with shrimp.  Consisting of a mixture of spring mix and other veggies, the salad was topped with quinoa and plenty of shrimp.  This was a refreshing salad as the dressing was tangy and sweet with just a touch of spice.  Loved the shrimp as they were buttery with a crunch.  Served in a to-go cup, the Tom Yum Soup was packed with big slices of chicken.  The broth itself was classic hot and sour with plenty of aromatics from lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal.  Really great for on the go, instead of a coffee.

Continuing with shrimp, we had the Pad Kee Mao with that particular protein.  This was full of wok hei as you can see clearly in the picture.  Good sear on the ingredients with caramelized flavors and smokiness.  The noodles had a pleasant chewiness while the seasoning was on point with a decent spice level.  This was tempered by the sweetness of palm sugar.

Equally delicious, the Thai Fried Rice with Beef was also full of smokiness from the fiery wok fry.  Each grain of rice was discernible and not clumpy.  There was a good chewiness to the rice and aromatic nuttiness.  Once again, the seasoning was there providing enough flavor without being salty.  There was plenty of tender slices of beef as well.

Going for one of their wraps as well, we had the Keow Waan Wrap with Beef.  Sporting a wealth of tender beef, the wrap also contained veggies, almonds, pumpkin seeds and of course, Thai green curry dressing.  Loved the spice level as well as the generous amount of tender beef.  The greens really complimented the whole thing by keeping things from being heavy. 

We also had some drinks to compliment our food in the Thai Iced Tea, Thai Pink Milk and Cold Brew Coffee.  With balanced sweetness, the Thai Iced Tea was creamy and full-bodied.  The creamy Thai Pink Milk was rather sweet, but helped cool down some of the spices.  Cold Brew was strong and great for people who like black coffee.  Overall, a solid experience at Thai Lucine.  Great quick service spot with generous portions at reasonable prices.  They carry 5 homemade sauces that were great with our food.  I particularly enjoyed the Massaman sauce, so aromatic and flavorful.  Pro tip, get their membership and enjoy a BOGO (buy one, get one of any soup, salad, wrap or entree.  Also every $15 spent, you get 1 stamp.  Collect 5 stamps for 1 free appie and 10 stamps for free wrap or salad.  Until April 30th, 2026, you can get 10% off if you use the code "sherman10" at checkout!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Good wok hei and caramelization of flavors

- Reasonable pricing

- Generous portions

The Bad:

- Since it is mainly a takeout operation, you won't have proper plates or bowls when dining in

- Parking is a bit difficult in the area