Taqueria Jalisco

Since returning from San Diego, I have been craving Mexican food. No joke. Despite my biases (as in Mexican food is not my favourite cuisine), when one gets to eat the real stuff, it can have a profound effect on one's perception. Emerging from the darkness of tater tots posing as "Mexi-Fries" and enough ground beef (if it is in fact meat...) to make one turn vegan, real Mexican food can be downright tasty. This desire for the real deal was somewhat satisfied with my visit to Taqueria Playa Tropical in New West not too long ago. Of course we have La Taqueria, but it only focuses on one thing (and in my opinion, does it well). So where to next? While perusing Urbanspoon (and Mary's blog), I noticed a place in Whalley that I must've passed many a time without even considering eating there. While most might find Taqueria Jalisco shady, for me it makes it more legit. C'mon, it's Mexican food here. No need for glitz or unnecessary frills thank you very much. Concentrate on the food!

And yes, as much as the outside is nothing to look at, the inside is pretty much the same. Part grocery story and part restaurant, it really is about the food here. We got off on a good start with the requisite complimentary Tortilla Chips with fresh pico de gallo, salsa verde and salsa roja. Right away, we knew this was legit since the sauces had a kick. I particularly liked the salsa verde since it had a crisp, clean taste to go with the spice. Mrs. Spray Bottle went with the Chimichanga and the darn thing was massive. Stuffed in the perfectly fried flour tortilla was big pieces of chicken breast, cheese and pico de gallo. Despite being deep-fried, the chimichanga was not greasy at all. The oil must've been at the perfect temperature since the tortilla did not absorb much of it. There was a good mix of ingredients inside that kept things moist without making the entire thing soggy. Hoops had the Enchilada and requested that it be topped with a fried egg. Apparently, he had it this way at a Mexican joint in Bellingham before. Well, egg or not, the Enchilada was topped with a lot of cheese and just the right amount of sauce.

We also tried their Barbacoa (Shredded Beef) Torta and man was it a steal for $5.50! The darn thing was huge. The roll (which looked like French bread) was crusty and crunchy where it stood up to the combination of pico de gallo, tender shredded beef, lettuce and cheese. Although the location has a lot to do with it, this torta at $5.50 makes the one at Las Tortas seem incredibly over-priced. On the topic of big, the Burrito de Salsa Roja was absolutely massive. If you look at the picture, that is a really large plate and the burrito took up almost all of it. With a generous amount of salsa roja, melted cheese and a dollop of pico de gallo, the darn thing looked enticing. Now, unlike many burritos, this was not packed with fillers. Yes, there was the usual rice and beans, but there was an equal amount of tender shredded beef and cheese. The wonderful beef really put it over the top because gave the burrito an "oomph" which was filling, yet eliminated that "starchy" fill-up-the-tummy phenomenon. With that being said, this would still be a challenge for someone to finish in one sitting. I must mention that none of the dishes we had were particularly spicy. In fact, they were quite mild which would appeal to most people. If you want spicy, add the provided sauces.

By default, we had to try some of their Tacos as well with one each of the Pollo and Carne Asada. Unfortunately, we weren't huge fans of the ones we had though. The carne asada (steak) was tough, chewy and dry. Flavour was okay though, as it was seasoned with some spice. The same could be said about the chicken as well. Of course being breast meat, it would be more likely to be dry. I wouldn't say it was incredibly dry though. At the very least, they didn't skimp on the meat. Something a bit different was the Cocktail de Camarones (or shrimp cocktail). If you were expecting a few cooked shrimp with cocktail sauce, think again. This resembled a gazpacho with shrimp more than anything else. Essentially a cold "soup" consisting of tomato juice, avocado, peppers, cilantro and onions with shrimp, this was a surprising hit. A touch sweet and refreshing, the plump, perfectly cooked shrimp added a nice snap and natural sweetness.

As for myself, I had eyes for one thing on the menu and that was the Menudo (tripe soup). I gotta say, it was "offally" good (sorry for the bad pun). The soup was accompanied by tortillas, onions & cilantro and dry oregano. Unlike the one I had at Taqueria Playa Tropical, the one here was much lighter and less salty. That is not to say there was no flavour though. In fact, it was tasty with a balance of flavours (with only a hint of spice) and since they had properly cleaned the tripe, it wasn't very gamy. The tripe itself was perfectly prepared. The pieces were of a good size, tender and as mentioned, cleaned properly. I liked how it was soft while still maintaining a bite. Now a tripe soup wouldn't be enough for lunch would it? So I added a Tamale for good measure. Similar to a Chinese "juong", this combination of masa and shredded pork was wrapped in corn husks then steamed. This was a very good tamale since the masa was moist and had a pleasant texture. I even liked it better than the ones I had in San Diego actually. I'm sure the texture had to do with the good amount of lard used in the masa mixture. Moreover, the meat in the middle was not dry and well-seasoned. I could've eaten a few more of these, but that would blow my caloric intake... Yes, that is an important consideration since tripe is high in cholesterol as well.

Lastly, for no other reason than variety, we had the Chicken Quesadilla. Again, this thing was big and chalk full of large chunks of seasoned chicken breast meat and cheese. Loved the preparation on the flat top which didn't rely on grease for its colour or texture. This was served with a side of fresh guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo. The only complaint was that the chicken was slightly dry. Yet, there really wasn't a whole lot to complain about in general. The food was plentiful and well-priced. Furthermore, the food is authentic and made with care. Sure, the area might scare some people, but believe me, there is really nothing to be worried about. It is definitely worth visiting if you are ever in the area. This is a whole lot better than most of the Mexican stuff found in Vancouver proper.

The Good:
- Good portions
- Inexpensive
- Friendly staff/owner

The Bad:
- It is a bit sketch for some people
- Some of the meats could've been cooked less or be more tender

Dim Sum @ South Ocean

Whenever I meet up with Rich Guy for Dim Sum, it is generally an expensive proposition. I think it started in University where we'd go out for eats every now and then. One time, we spent like $60.00 at Imperial between the both of us (and that was only on Dim Sum items!). More recently, the bill at The Jade was pretty much the same. We wondered if the food warranted the price tag. In the case of Imperial, we thought it was too expensive for the quality of food. The Jade was more acceptable, yet still a pricey proposition. Hence, I figured that we should be less extravagant with our lunch and meet up at South Ocean instead. We actually missed $2.00 special, which ended before Noon. Whatever the case, we knew it would be significantly less than some of the nicer restaurants in Richmond.

With that in mind, we had reasonable expectations going into it. Therefore, we weren't bothered by the dated decor and slightly dirty interior. The lack of cleanliness was probably due to the use of push carts for Dim Sum (which is becoming a rarity these days). As such, our dish selection was at the mercy of what came around first, which was the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll. This was not bad. Although the rice noodle itself was on the thicker side, it was still soft. The shrimp were sparse and modest in size. For the price, we weren't too picky about it. Lately, I've been on a Shrimp-Stuffed Eggplant roll, so when it came around, we ordered it. Okay, this had the makings of a good dish, but the fact that it was oil-logged made it actually bad. First of all, the black bean "sauce" was more like an oil slick and the eggplant had absorbed so much grease, it was almost inedible. The oil probably wasn't hot enough.

Next up was some the most pale pieces of Honeycomb Tripe we've ever seen - Nicole Kidman would be jealous. The reason? Well, how about the lack of seasoning? Other than a token sprinkle of black pepper, the tripe was as bland as steamed tofu. Furthermore, the tripe was far from tender. It had the texture of rubber bands. This was one of the worst versions of tripe I've ever had. Continuing on, we had the Bean Curd Skin Rolls which were marginal as well. They were rather scrawny with little in the way of filling. Thank goodness to since the filling was gritty. Furthermore, the lack of sauce made the roll slightly dry and pretty bland. After 3 straight fails, we were quite surprised that the Black Bean Spareribs didn't suck. Clearly from the picture, it was a good portion size and the ribs were the good pieces (with actual bone, not cartilage nor fat). Furthermore, the meat was tenderized just enough so it was still a touch chewy. This was seasoned delicately and could've stood for more salt and garlic.

With push carts, it is usually based on pure luck or aggressiveness whether one can score the Haw Gow (shrimp dumplings) or not. Fortunately for us, we didn't have to stalk any carts to get our order. These were "okay". We weren't that thrilled with the dumpling skin because it was thick and doughy. On the other hand, the filling was better since the shrimp exhibited the desired snap and bounce texture. Too bad the filling had far too much sugar which made it artificially sweet. Along with the same cart, there was also the Sui Mai (pork and shrimp dumpling) which is forms the classic "haw gow, sui mai" phrase from the push cart lady. The sui mai was predominantly comprised of shrimp rather than the usual pork and a little bit of shrimp. Generous for sure in theory, but in practice, the whole thing was texturally wrong. It was especially problematic when the bits of pork were chewy and did not go well with the shrimp. Once again, it was predominantly sweet which made the flavour one-dimensional. With all that being said, the sui mai wasn't terrible.

Lastly, we had the Silken Tofu with Shrimp Mousse. This was a simple, if not, pleasant dish. There is not much you can do to mess up steamed silken tofu, especially when it is topped by such a delicate ingredient such as shrimp (you wouldn't oversteam it unless you overcooked the entire dish). So the only thing that was a variable was the shrimp mousse on top. In this case, the mousse was good. It was cooked just right and the mix of whole shrimp and mousse made for a good texture. Much like the haw gow, it could've used a little less sugar since the shrimp would have had a sweetness of its own.

Okay, this is a tough one. On one hand, the food in general was mediocre at best (with a few exceptions). Add in a very old-looking decor that seems not only dated, but a bit dirty as well with indifferent service, it is easy to dislike South Ocean. However, their prices are indeed cheap - even more so during early Dim Sum. So what to do? Simple. Under normal circumstances, I would recommend people to stay away. Far away. Yet, I cannot deny the value here. So if one was not too picky and could put up with the shortcomings, South Ocean is an option for those who don't want to spend an arm and a leg for food in Richmond.

The Good:
- Cheap
- Food is edible

The Bad:
- If it weren't for the low prices, I'd not eat here
- Dated decor
- Indifferent wait staff

Tako Sushi & Pho

*Restaurant is now closed*

Have you ever driven along on your merry way and then see something that totally floors you? Sure, it could be a car accident of some sort, a pretty lady or man, the lineup at Anton's or a properly observed 4-way stop in Richmond. For me at least, I usually stop dead in my tracks when there is a new restaurant. Now imagine one that serves sushi and pho? Uh... Well, that has happened before with Japolo Sushi (which surprisingly turned out well). Now there is another called Tako Sushi & Pho on Canada Way. Actually, it would be hard for me to stop dead in my tracks here since the location is pretty awkward to get in and out of (especially if you were traveling Westbound).

So I finally made it out there along with Big D and Slick for some multi-cuisine action. Unluckily for me, they both had Pho which made for a lack of diversity. Well, that is why I ended up ordering a combo consisting of a California Roll and Sashimi. Well, it was a California roll. *Yawn* There was nothing amiss with it other than the bland and slightly dry rice. It was edible and non-offensive. I was impressed with the look of the Sockeye Salmon and Tuna Sashimi. The colours were good and it looked fresh. That would be true with the salmon as it was sweet and had a nice texture. Not for the tuna though, I found it mushier than usual (as tuna is mushy already).

Of course I had to also try a bowl of Pho too. Unfortunately, they do not receive a passing grade on it. First of all, the portion size was not very large. Most other places would be a half-size larger. Furthermore, the broth was bland with no impact at all (the little that was provided). At the very least, the meats and noodles were okay. Big D and Slick pretty much had the same problem with their bowls too. They were neither good nor a great value. Unlike Japolo Sushi, Tako does not succeed in meshing the 2 cuisines together. Although the sushi was not bad, it wasn't great either. As for the Pho, well, you already got the idea.

The Good:
- There is variety
- Prices are okay
- They have a parking lot

The Bad:
- Pho is below par
- Portion size is an issue
- Difficult to get into and leave if you're not traveling Eastbound

Bright Point Fusion

"Let's do lunch at Pho Tam sometime", suggested Big D while we were suiting up for Sunday night hockey. Although that sounded like a great idea since Pho Tam is probably the best in the GVRD, I wanted to try something new. I persuaded him to join me at a new Chinese restaurant in Whalley, not too far from Pho Tam. Now, Dim Sum and Surrey doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Strange really, when you consider the large Asian population. So when I saw a place offering Dim Sum, it piqued my interest. Located in the former City Central Palace, Bright Point Fusion is hard to miss with its bright lime green paint.

MaryMac was curious as well and joined us for Dim Sum. In fact, Big D dragged 2 more people along which was a good thing, especially for Dim Sum. Entering the place, it seemed like the renovations were a combination of the old and the new with mismatch light fixtures and chairs. I'm pretty sure there was a great deal on lime paint as well somewhere... No matter, decor is one thing, but food is another. It was obvious this was a family run operation since we were greeted by the son who was taking care of a baby. We were presented with a menu and a sticky note pad to make our selections. At first, I was concerned that our order might be confusing since we were marking down numbers of the items as well as the number for the amount of each. In fact, it did end up confusing our server as one of our dishes was reversed (rather than 2 of item 1, we got 2 of item 2, not sure how that occurred though).

Anyways, we started with the Fried Squid and boy was it drenched in oil. We were one of the first customers there and I can only assume the oil wasn't hot enough yet. It was really too bad since the squid had a nice flavour - good balance of saltiness and a touch of spice. Now onto what I would categorize as one of the worst things I've ever attempted to eat was the Seafood Salad Spring Roll. The name on the menu was misleading as it said "Seafood Spring Roll". Rather, it was a salad roll consisting of canned fruit, mayo and barely any seafood. The roll was a greasy, oil-logged mess. When we bit into it, the melted mayo leaked out. With only canned fruit in the middle, this was not appetizing at all.

Thankfully, the Pan-Fried Daikon Radish Cake was decent. It was on the stiffer side, but not terribly so. Good daikon flavour with intermittent pieces of Chinese sausage strewn throughout. It was fried up nicely and wasn't greasy at all. Now for the dish we didn't order but got 2 of - the Scallop Dumpling. These were alright I guess. The filling was a mix of shrimp of pork which was topped off with scallop. The texture of the filling was bouncy and decently seasoned while the rice flour wrapping was slightly dense. Probably one of the better items of the meal was the Sui Mai (shrimp & pork dumpling). I found the pork to have a good bounce texture which was easy to chew while not completely mushy either. The shrimp inside was okay, it could've had a better snap. Taste-wise, it was on the "porkier" side. Not that it was a bad thing though.

Another decent offering was the Black Bean Spareribs. Most of the pieces were of the actual rib variety with little fat and cartilage. These were more chewy than tender, but it wasn't hard to eat though. As evidenced in the picture, there was plenty of black bean and some red chilis as well which added some kick. Now, typically, I am not a proponent of ordering a Shanghainese dish in a Cantonese restaurant. It never seems to turn out right. This is especially true for Xiao Long Bao. As simple as it appears, to make a good one, it takes lots of skill. I think the only non-
Shanghainese joint that makes a decent one is Dinesty. So we were not expecting much out of the ones offered here. The skin was predictably thick and the amount of broth inside meager. However, I would say that it wasn't terrible. In fact, the meat filling was pretty acceptable and the flavour was pleasant. And of course I was not even attempting to compare it to an actual XLB from a Shanghainese restaurant.

With an overly thick oyster-based sauce, the Bean Curd Skin Rolls, much like the other dishes, were okay. They were a bit scrawny with little in the way of pork filling. The textures were alright though. I didn't find the pork gritty nor the bean curd skin too tough. The sauce, however, was a bit off-putting since it was goopy and actually slid off the roll itself. Lastly, we waited for our original order of Haw Gow, which was left off the bill due to the do-it-yourself-blank-sticky-note ordering system. I'm pretty sure they rushed the order because the centre of the shrimp filling was slightly undercooked. I'm sorry but there is no other way to describe these other than they were not very good. The dumpling skin was doughy had no elasticity whatsoever. Furthermore, the shrimp filling was mushy with no snap, bounce or real texture. At the very least, it tasted okay though. Just to cover all the bases here, I do realize these were slightly undercooked, but the shrimp filling itself was lacking in whole pieces of shrimp which would explain the texture as well.

Okay, I'm really torn on this one. First, the restaurant is run by a very friendly family which are only out there to make a living. So by totally trashing the place in this post would be rather tasteless. Furthermore, I really don't want to offend the person who tweeted me the recommendation. However, the bottom line is the food was pretty mediocre at best. Considering most of the dishes are only $2.75, it tempers one's expectations and makes it more acceptable. Also, the fact there is no real good Dim Sum around in the area might help its cause. Yet, for me personally, I'm probably not their target customer.

The Good:
- Super cheap
- Friendly proprietors

The Bad:
- Dim Sum is below-average
- Decor is interesting

Prairie Cafe

Sometimes pure randomness leads to pleasure. No, I'm not talking about something dirty (get your minds outta the gutter!). Rather, when we end up at a restaurant by fluke or accident, it could lead to a surprise or two. Well, the surprise could be actually bad as well since random visits are a 50/50 proposition. This was the case when we tried to visit Davidson Pitt Stop in Fleetwood. Upon arriving at our destination (after several wrong turns thanks to the GPS, how ironic), we discovered it was closed (apparently for good). Yikes! What now? Thankfully, I had a backup plan in the Prairie Cafe. However, I had no clue about the place and upon walking up to the front door, it was a bit confusing. The name Prairie Cafe gave me thoughts about farms, small communities and good ol' comfort food. However, the fact that the signage had Chinese characters was totally unexpected.

I guess being Asian kinda confused them as well, since they look a bit surprised when I walked in. I won't lie to you, from the outside, the place looked like a dump. On the inside, it was way nicer than I would've guessed. Quite homey with nice Korean proprietors actually. So I wasn't surprised to see Bulgogi on the menu in that case. The fact that I ordered it at 9:45am might've been unusual though (for Western standards). However, rice and some form of meat is not really a stretch for breakfast in Asia. Take Tocilog for instance. Although the veggies looked vibrant and the rice had a chewy texture, the lack of meat made it underwhelming. I could've eaten another meal after this one. Furthermore, there wasn't enough wok heat (or pan heat or whatever they used), thus the food was watery and kinda bland.

Mrs. Spray Bottle did the right thing and ordered the Bacon & Eggs with hashbrowns and toast. She asked for over easy eggs and they were more or less that. Bacon was aesthetically-pleasing and crisp while the hashbrowns were okay. We liked how the breakfast was neatly prepared and not merely slapped on the plate. For reference purposes, the Ham & Eggs was equally good with fluffly scrambled eggs and a generous helping of ham. What else to eat in a diner? How about a BLT with fries? Yah, not the most exciting thing in the world. The trick with simple food is to have good ingredients and proper execution. That was mostly the case here. The tomatoes and lettuce were fresh while the bacon was crispy. Fries were pretty good too (for generic fries that is). We just would've liked to see the toast with more colour. It was a pasty white which didn't even look toasted at all. Yet, what did we really expect from a random food adventure anyways? Prairie Cafe does the job for most people looking for a quick freshly made meal. Nothing fancy, yet nothing life-changing either.

The Good:
- Polite staff
- Carefully made food
- Kinda homey inside

The Bad:
- Not sure of the Bulgogi
- With carefully made food, it takes awhile

Wallflower Modern Diner

While we were dining at Osaka Sushi, my hockey team wondered why I had not met them for eats after each game despite my knee injury. That was a good point. How come I haven't done that already? Isn't sports only an excuse to gather a bunch of people together for eats afterwards? Boy, what the heck was I doing for the last 2 months? I really dropped the ball on this one. Seeing how the first game of the New Year was an early one, that meant we could escape the "late-night wonton noodle trap". We ended up heading over to The Wallflower since well... I suggested it. Apparently, the team has been so lost without my lead, they have actually been going home hungry with no idea where to eat. I didn't know I mattered so much!

Yet another one of the many eclectic Main Street eateries, The Wallflower tries to be a little of everything including an extensive Vegan section on the menu (where some of the regular items could be as gluten-free as well). Ginseng was inspired by the veganism and went for the Cajun Tofu. These were pan-fried and served with a spicy peanut dip. The dip itself did have a mild kick and plenty of peanutty goodness, however, the tofu sticks were bland. This would've been better if the tofu was crispier and had more seasoning. Emilicious and I couldn't stand for eating only one dish, so we decided to share a few items including the Stuffed Yorkies. This particular appie is showing up on more menus, which makes me happy since I love it. Basically mini-Yorkshire pudding stuffed with roast beef and sauced with horseradish mayo (au jus on the side), these were a traditional roast beef dinner in one-bite. The Yorkshire pudding was very good with a crunchy exterior, however, the beef was far too stringy and dry. Too bad really because all of the other components were good.

For our mains, we split the Perogies which were fantastic. These dumplings were not heavy-at-all with a surprisingly fluffy skin and a soft, flavourful filling. They were pan-fried until crispy on the bottom and the aroma from the onions, large bacon pieces and sauerkraut was intoxicating. Normally, a side Caesar is as defaultish as one can get, however, this was not the case here. With a housemade dressing that had a rich flavour from the Worcestershire and anchovies (and it showed in the colour), this was a good Caesar. The second item we had was Grandma's Fried Chicken with pan-fried chicken thighs, sauteed onions, veggies, mash potatoes and gravy. The 2 large thighs were really moist and juicy. The thick gravy had a good natural flavour which was not salty. Loved the consistency since it adhered to the meat perfectly. One thing I would've liked to see was the gravy served on the side since it essentially nullified the crispiness of the skin. The few bits
that I did salvage were well-seasoned and crunchy. Although we appreciated the housemade mash potatoes, it could've stood to be creamier. It appeared that they were too
conservative with the cream and butter.

Milhouse had the other dish that I had been eying other than the fried chicken - Meatloaf Wellington. Yes, you read it right, they took a meatloaf and wrapped it in puff pastry and baked it. The picture doesn't really show that there are two large slices of meatloaf on the plate. And to on one's surprise, Milhouse dusted it off. He offered some of his meatloaf for me to try and I thought it was pretty moist and flavourful
(something doesn't sound right in this sentence). However, Emilicious tried his meatloaf too (another bad sentence...) and thought it was dry. So we could only surmise that due to the baking, some parts dried out, especially the more browned portions of the puff pastry. In the end, Milhouse said he'd order it again since it was good as a whole. When Gordo's Spicy Chorizo Penne arrived, we all marveled at the portion size. Not bad for 12 bux. As advertised, the pasta had a kick and finished off with a lingering spiciness. A good amount of chorizo and peppers ensured that the dish wasn't boring. However, the penne could've stood to be cooked a lot less.

Sweet Tooth originally stated she was not hungry, but ended up dusting off a whole Reuben consisting of pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss, grainy mustard on marbled rye. She thought that the bread was nicely crisp while the ingredients were balanced (she particularly liked the tangy and crunchy sauerkraut), although the meat was slightly dry. As for the fries, they were not very good. They had a stale quality to them (and I'm not saying they were stale) which made them very starchy and dry. Although there was something to pick at about every plate of food, there is no denying that The Wallflower offers up decent comfort food at reasonable prices late into the night (or morning that is).

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced and fair portions
- Vegan and gluten-free options
- Nice vibe

The Bad:
- Tight seating
- Food is mostly good, but there were issues with every plate

Soirette

I'm sure it comes to no surprise that the latest food fad to hit Vancouver is the macaron. Don't confuse this with the macaroons you see in the boxes of Neilsons (those are toasted coconut chocolate treats) for around a dollar at Walmart. Rather, the macaron is a French import consisting of a meringue almond powder "cookie" sandwiching a filling of some sort. Despite the vibrant colours, the meringue part of a macaron generally is not flavoured. That is reserved for the filling. In terms of appearance, there needs to be a uniform shape and size with the obligatory "feet" (rough edges around the base of the meringue). Okay, I can go on and on about the macaron, but I'll stop here. As mentioned, it has become quite popular here in the past couple of years. You can find them at places such as Thomas Haas, Thierry and Kitchening with Carley to name a few. Now we can add the newest entry, Soirette, to the mix.

As you might already know, I'm not a huge sweets person. However, I am a sucker for macarons. They just look so darn cute. Did I just say cute??? I meant manly. Wait... Nevermind. Anyways, Rich Guy and I decided to hit up Soirette after Dim Sum. Its location is in a somewhat quieter part of Downtown near Coal Harbour. The place is simplistic, elegant and focused. They only serve macarons and tea folks - a good thing when you want to specialize in one thing. On the day we went, there were 17 flavours to choose from. I decided on a box of 12 and just in case you were wondering what they were, starting from the bottom left clockwise: Raspberry, Malibu, Rose, Pistachio, Matcha, Lemon, Caramel Fleur de Sel, Cappucino, Passionfruit, Chocolate, Pink Peppercorn and Lavender. For me, the highlights were the pistachio, chocolate, caramel fleur de sel and pink peppercorn. I though the texture of the macarons were bang on being crispy and delicate. The flavours were very real while not being too sweet. For example, the pistachio really tasted like pistachio without any hint of "artificialness". For me, these are legit and would be immediately in my top 3 in Vancouver. Dare I even say the best?

The Good:
- Does one thing and does it really well
- Carefully prepared and it shows in both appearance and taste
- Competitive pricing in relation to other places

The Bad:
- I did say they were competitive in pricing, but in the end, they are an expensive treat