Feast your eyes on this Phancouver readers, a GINORMOUS cream puff cake with mini cream puffs on top! HEAVEN! :)
I have been a coming to Estea for their food and bubble tea ever since I was in high school. That must mean something. Although they have altered their staff, decor and dishes many times over and over again, I will still drive the distance for great bubble tea, chewy pearls and consistently good food. Years ago, their deep fried pork chop on rice with an amazing 'duck sauce' over rice paired with marinated egg and tofu was my favorite. Now the sides have changed and portions have become a wee bit smaller but it still remains a Phan fave. However, in the picture above, you will see my latest favorite, deep fried chicken on rice. I love how BBT places always have interesting sides to pair with their meals - it's a surprise every time. Delicious and reasonably priced at around $7-8.
This is also hands down, my all-time-favorite bubble tea flavor in the world! Assorted bean slush, hold on the pearls because you will be dang full after you've sipped the last bean. To non-Asians, it may sound weird to have beans in your cold, icey dessert drink but trust me on this one!!! Green, red, kidney, all types of beans blended with condensed milk = one satisfying Phan fave drink!
Like I mentioned before, on the rare occasion, my sister MP will whip out her skills and attempt to cook us all a delicious meal. This time around, she managed to perfect some exceptional chicken enchiladas for a special fella's birthday. Paired with some Uncle Ben's Spanish rice, (which is the first flavor I came across that I wouldn't really recommend because it's way too salty) and a nice fresh salad, dinner was complete! I swear she made about 20 of them oozing with sauce, flavor and cheese. Yum!
Offering a wide variety of sides for the romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, strawberries, cucumbers and avocado made for a delicious sample of accompaniments.
Give this recipe a whirl and let me know how it goes. Because really, if MP can do it, SO CAN YOU! ;)
Damn. This is one freaking good chicken dish. Chicken 65 from House of Dosas. Legend tells it that this tender meat is marinated for 65 days, in a combination of irresistible sweet, salty and spicy herbs. Then served with a tangy ketchup-like sauce, this tiny ball of goodness is sure to set your mouth on a fiery path to pure food heaven satisfaction. I strongly urge you to give this dish a whirl as it's a Phan fave! AND, to top it off, RW introduced this to me who, if you remember, also termed my food blog, Phancouver.
Another Phan fave of mine is their Mango Lassi. I've had it at a few other places but this one trumps them all. Mango perfection blended with yogurt and other secretive spices to create a mouthful of soothing smoothie to calm my palate during a spicy Indian meal. Those who know me, know that I can't take spice but I will suffer the pain to endure the wonderful taste of the Chicken 65.
So my friends and I gathered at House of Dosas on a Monday evening, forgetting that on Mondays, their dosas are 5 dollars and the wait is super long! Plus, there is a DJ spinning some Jamaican-Indian infused songs so it's a pretty bumpin' place to be. I hope the picture does the dosa justice as they are long and intimidating. But don't be afraid. These Indian crepes are quite airy and filled with a curry to your liking as you can see below with my table eye's view.
It's too bad that I really don't remember the names of anything we ordered but I know that they were all delicious! I think I had tastes of similar dishes to eggplant curry, paneer, chicken and beef madras galore. Portions are generous and flavor is a plenty. Side dishes include rice, naan, pampa dam and tiny bowls of yogurt, coconut and other interesting accompaniments. Plus if you really enjoy cricket, that's all they play on their TVs!
Oh and I almost forgot to mention, I also saw a mouse here. :( Although that did freak a few of my friends out, that won't deter me from coming back!
First, I'd like to say that I really love allrecipes.com. That's where I got this recipe for mushroom sauce baked pork chops. When I'm bored at home, browsing this site has taken over my time allotted to celebrity gossip sites. It's a great way to kill time and gain more knowledge in the cooking world!
Arrange sliced potatoes evenly in prepared baking dish. Arrange chops on top of potatoes. Pour soup mixture over chops. I love using a medley of sweet potatoes, yams and potatoes because it gives the dish that much more flavor and sweetness. Hearty, comfort food. My fave.
Bake, covered for 30 minutes in the preheated oven at 350 degrees F. Uncover, and bake 30 minutes more or until potatoes are tender and voila!
And of course I always like to pair my big meals with a fresh cut green salad with different veggies and fruit. This time with cucumber, yellow pepper and organic strawberries from my pal JS. Trust me, you really CAN taste the difference!
My sister LC introduced my piggy cousin LW and I to an extremely refreshing drink to cool you off in the Vancouver heat. Buy a bottle of concentrated black current juice (Ribena Original above) and simply mix with some tonic water. The key is to add many cubes of ice to keep it ice cold. Oh and a lime wedge for that extra kick. You can add, mix, and pour to your heart's content. You will definitely say 'Ahhhhhhhhhhh.....' after your first sip.
That's right folks, this delicious looking slice of homemade chicken pot pie was made by yours truly from scratch! (Minus the Tenderflake crust of course, haha.) This easy to follow and cook recipe was passed on by my fellow foodie KM who has many other wonderful recipes up her sleeve as well. Adapted just a tad, here it is, captured in its true gooey, lusciously rich essence by my BB camera.
First, make sure you have 2 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crusts. I use Tenderflake but I'm sure the other brands are just as good. I don't usually measure the ingredients for the filling (but an ingredient list can be found below) as I can always use the leftovers for another purpose but basically gather together cubed chopped veggies including mushroom, peas, celery, carrots, corn, and whatever else fancies your liking. Then add in cubed boneless chicken breasts and boil. Now wasn't that 'easy as pie'? Time for the filling!
As for the rich creamy filling, cook the onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk, and simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place the other crust on top, seal edges, make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape and bake in oven for 30-35 minutes at 425 F. Remember how I said the banana bread recipe was no-fail, same goes for this! Give it a whirl and let me know how it goes. YUM!
Behold, junk food lovers, Society in Yaletown presents the ultimate junk food platter!!! Designed for 2-4 to share, we doubled the order to satisfy the sweet tooth cravings of 7 girls.
Let's have a round of applause for my healthy eating friend KL, (who does not cook too often but should because she makes a killer tofu) for providing us with this delicious AND nutritious salad! Boasting savory tofu made with sweet Thai chili sauce, soya sauce and a dash of honey, this choice of protein complimented the salad perfectly. Other tasty components included feta cheese, cranberries, and almonds. I have been requesting her to make this again and she is going to make my wish come true for next week (perhaps this complimentary blog post helped?)!
My other vegetarian gal pal MR, who dreams up the tastiest dishes made an amazing cold quinoa salad mixed with red pepper, cherry tomato, parsley, mint, cucumber, kale and toasted sunflower seeds. I usually love to eat lots of meat and the unhealthiest foods but these girls are the best at trying to slowly convert me and disguise the healthy foods with irresistable flavors. This is the best way to pig out and feel good about it after. :)
Out of all the Vietnamese subs I have ever had in my life, honestly, Tiem Banh Dong Khanh takes the cake! Nestled on Kingsway street just after Fraser, in Vancouver, this is the ultimate Phan Fave. It's a Vietnamese bakery that also freshly bakes their baguettes of course and has many different types to choose from! They load on the ingredients on the spot and are sandwiched in a foot long sub for only $3.50! Definitely a great meal to be had. 
The garlic chicken sub. Moist, marinated and salt and peppered to every one's liking. Done deal for satisfaction.
The special sub featuring a few mystery meats. But who doesn't like themselves some mystery meat once in a while? It looks a bit funky but tastes delicious. I'm sure it's just made up of some pork, pork grind, fat, skin and everything delicious in a pig. Yummy.
The pork sausage sub. Imagine an Asian marinated pork hamburger but in kabob slices. Juicy and flavorful. Hits the spot every time. They also have a few more subs that I haven't tried before but please, I'm telling you - GIVE THIS PLACE A WHIRL!
My friend GL makes a mean pizza - from scratch! However, he's just bad at emailing me the recipe which is why you'll have to take my word from the photo. GL is a one of a kind guy. He has a one track mind and has timely obsessions. In this case, and to my delight, it's FOOD! Not only does he only cook from scratch, he'll know the origin of every ingredient he uses and has an explanation for why he uses it! I've also tried his risotto and Korean chicken and it's to die for. I sure am glad he chose cooking as his passion this time around. In the above picture, GL kneaded some pizza dough, added fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, prosciutto and his secret touch - no pizza sauce! Yummy!
Dr. Oetker's Ristorante pizzas tastes just like delivery! No, better! Like homemade! My gal pals MR and JG introduced me to these amazing oven-baked pizzas not too long ago and I must admit, I always have one in the freezer. Pop it in the oven for 10 minutes and voila! The cheese is crusted to perfection at the edges, bubbling in the middle and ready to serve. The thin crust ones are the best! My Phan faves are: Quattro Formaggi, Mozzarella, Funghi, and Spinaci. So delicious and satisfying! Sometimes, they're even on sale, 2 for $10!
For part 3 of our cultural culinary nights with my luvas, we trooped over to the German Haus for some good ol' hearty food. To start, RHM brought over some bacon wrapped dates oozing with blue cheese, oven baked to a crisp. They were so good, she brought them again to Part 4! (stay tuned for more details...)
For the entree, the German bombshell TS outdid herself. She made our tummies happy with some home-made-with-love rinder (beef) rouladen which is thinly pounded beef, slow cooked and wrapped with a pickle and bacon inside. Her delicious sides included sauerkraut (of course), simmered in thick gravy for 1.5 hours, rotkohl (red cabbage), and bratwurst simmered in a frying pan with the sauerkraut. Just the right amount of meat paired with savoury sides - that's how we luvas do it up!
Golden kiwis straight from New Zealand. Please go out and get yourselves some! They are yellow in color and super sweet! Something refreshing to have in the middle of a hot summer day, or after work snack. Cut in half and serve with spoons - perfection I tell ya.
My friend MR also puts together an amazing fruit salad with yummy kiwis, strawberries, grapes, mangoes (a MUST) and topped off with coconut flakes. The best thing to have to cool you down for the evening.