Oops! I missed the deadline T-T

Ooops. Crud, I missed posting this morning. Many apologies to anyone (if any) who follow this blog. I will be back to our regularly scheduled Friday morning posts next week.

I was caught up getting ready for a big Lolita swap meet that I'm hosting tomorrow and a release of gorgeous jewelry made by a couple of friends down in LA. So instead today, I'll be giving them a shout out! Call this the frilly part of the blog ;)

Please check out the gorgeous jewelry designed and created by Automatic Honey!

The graphic artwork that Alex creates is absolutely stunning! The high level of detail and beautiful aesthetic get me every time.

Here you can see the 4 colour ways of the necklaces for this release. This time they went with metal and acrylic mediums. The last release was all metal and enamel.

And a closeup. Their jewelry sells out very quickly but you may luck out and nab something on the site still. They had some of their previous release (Witch Academy) up for sale which may stick around longer. Great to grab if you're a Harry Potter or any sort of wizard school fan!

2016 Foodie Finds: Japadog (Robson location)

Japadog

Address: 530 Robson St, Vancouver, BC

Phone: 604-569-1158
Website

Right downtown, just off the Granville strip is Japadog's only actual physical store/restaurant location (at least in Vancouver for now). Japadog has been around for years in the city, but originally in cart form. Their carts are still all over the place however there are just a few things you can get at the restaurant that you can't find at the carts.

The carts however, were my first experience with Japadog, way back in the day and are still my prefered location - except when I want something only the Robson location can offer.



The unfortunate part of the brick and mortar location of Japadog is that it can get very busy (this was the lineup after I got my dog and left). The restaurant is tiny inside and can seat a handful of people. The lineup in the case wound down the length inside and back and out the doors. If you time it right (i.e. go early or just avoid mealtimes) the lineup is relatively small. I believe the window is only really used in the summer when it's warmer for people wanting to grab a dog and run.



The menu has gotten pretty extensive over the years, especially at the restaurant location since they have the room, however, be warned, popular items (like the butter shoyu fries) do sell out (you can see the pink sticky note above - one of the deserts is all gone and after I got through the line, the croquette dog and spicy dog was also all gone).



Today I grabbed a combo since I had a hankering for Japadog fries. It'll run you just under $9.50 CAD (for those US peeps right now that's just over $6.75). I always tip because, well, I do, though most people don't if they're getting take out. FYI I always advise to eat right away even if it means plonking my behind on a railing near by the cart (or in this case staking out table and seat). If I were just grabbing the dog it would have run around $5 (depending on what kind you get).



I ordered something not terribly popular, the Oropon hotdog. When I'm feeling like I want something a little lighter and less sauce heavy I grab this one. It's a brat covered in shredded daikon (white radish), green onions and a sweet mild soy. I had to get mine to go so I could catch the bus home though :( so it wasn't terribly hot by the time I got to it, though still good. The sausage is juicy, flavourful and not too fatty, not too lean - just right. The daikon is moist and cool, refreshing really, while the green onion and soy add a layer of sweet and saltiness to balance it out and give this hot dog a uniquely Japanese flavour blend.



Most people typically go for the more popular kurobuta teri mayo dog - the kurobuta sausage (literally translating to black pig) is very tasty, and I'd definitely recommend it if you've never tried it before. Most people who are not terribly familiar with Japanese foods but want to be adventurous tend towards this hot dog as it mixes in teriyaki sauce and Japanese mayo with a liberal sprinkling of shredded seaweed on top. It is quite yummy :)



Now if you ate in, typically this is what you'd be getting (though this is display only so the fries and dog are not for eating and probably made early in the day, or are plastic :( they don't look as good as the real deal in case you were wondering).  And as the sign says, LA you'll be getting a cart soon too if not already! I think there is one in Santa Monica already but I may be remembering incorrectly. 



Unfortunately, as I mentioned I had to get mine to go so it looked more like the above. I did eat those fries right away though as I walked, since honestly, damp soggy cold fries are just nasty.



You don't get a huge amount of fries so I typically don't bother getting them unless I really have a hankering for them. I believe they finish frying in a pan of butter and then sprinkle with the magical shoyu powder/mix. The result is a lovely buttery french fry with only the shoyu to salt it in perfect balance. The flavour is just bursting with tastiness, I'm sure it must be terrible for you. You don't need any condiment for these lovelies - and that's saying a lot since I really am not a fan of potatoes in general, and will avoid eating them typically.

Anyways, all in all, I do quite love these hot dogs even though this type of food is not typically on my radar. If I'm around in the area I typically do drop in for a bite unless other plans have been made, though I don't usually make specific plans to go. If you've never been, you should take the time to try it out. If you're being super adventurous you can always try the ageice/ageisu (pronounced ah-geh eye-soo) for dessert or some of the other hot dogs. If you check out the website you'll find more types of hotdogs than you can shake a stick at.

2016 Foodie Finds: Kuma Japanese Restaurant

Kuma Japanese Restaurant: Dinner Service

Address: 3446 Dunbar St, Vancouver BC

Phone: 739-0170
FaceBook Page

This week I'm writing about a small little hidden gem that's only a stone's throw away from my house. I hadn't planned on trying this restaurant, however I was tired of the multiple Chinese and Korean run Japanese restaurants in the area, and decided to give a new place a try.

I'm fairly picky in my Japanese eateries, having sampled some of the best in Tokyo, and while this little place isn't the best in town, the price and a good dose of authenticity make it a good go to in the Dunbar neighbourhood. The restaurant is run by a cute Japanese family, and they hire Japanese wait staff. My first time here, I noticed that most of the local Japanese families make this a regular pit stop, which is a good sign in my books.



When the restaurant is open they hang up their lanterns and sandwich sign (which looks very cute once the sun has gone down).



Inside is a bit hodge podge, and the restaurant isn't very large. However it is clean and unlike some of the more unsavory sushi joints that can be found in town, doesn't smell fishy or the least bit off putting (you'd be surprised how many 'favorite' sushi joints I've been to that stink).



The menu is presented on a wooden board, and they obviously have seasonal menu items (the top page) that changes from time to time as it differs from the regular menu pages.



I was very much in a tuna mood so ordered tuna don and  o-toro nigiri. A friend got nabiyaki udon, and another got a roll combo. 

The tuna has a lovely texture and served at a perfect temperature - not icy frozen like some places that can't get through their fish fast enough so need to keep it frozen or go through too quickly they don't have time to defrost. The sushi rice is prepared well and ingredients balance with a nice short grain rice - not all sushi rice is prepared equal, I've had some places use the pink powder stuff before which was shocking.

The tuna belly (toro or o-toro) was quite nice as well though not the really expensive cuts you can get at high end restaurants, but that was to be expected for the low price tag at this restaurant. It was, however, passable - better than many places I've tried before.


I didn't eat the things my friends had ordered but they looked good and my buddies said they enjoyed the food very much.

I have been here and tried the Kansai style Okonomiyaki before which is quite tasty (note that it does take them 20 mins to make given the thickness and all). They offer this in several variations and it's a popular menu item.

Overall, while not the best Japanese restaurant in town, it is a good price for the authenticity and quality of food you're getting. It's also super conveniently located for me, so you'll probably see me here when I have a craving for some Japanese food while being too lazy to travel too far to get it.



On a completely side note, I took my friends to the DairyQueen just down the street. The owner there, Simon, is a real sweetheart and makes the best Blizzards you can get in town. He also has special off the menu Blizzard flavours that my family and I love (if you love peanut butter, order the 'Dunbar' Blizzard).

Happy Chinese New Year! 2016 version!

Hoping everyone has a happy and festive Chinese New Year. 

If you haven't had the chance to go and join in the celebrations, you can watch the parade in historic Chinatown (starting at the gate) on Feb 14th. It's a bit late this year considering the new year is actually on the 8th, but it's still fun to go, wander the shops and maybe sit down and have some Chinese food (there are tasty dim sum places around there and if you fancy some Hong Kong style cafe food, Goldstone is right there). 

You can find more details on the parade here.

The organizers of the parade are also having a post parade banquet feast over at the Floata Seafood Restaurant (#400-180 Keefer Street) - tickets for that are $35 per person.

If you're the type that wants to give out the lucky red packets and New Year's decorations, most Chinese malls (Aberdeen and the like) will be setting up booths as usual and selling said items. If you're only looking for the red packets, most banks in Vancouver offer them. You'll probably even have noticed that many of the malls that service higher populations of Chinese people have already started to decorate for the festive occasion. Many will have their own stages set up and performances for the big event.

Aberdeen Centre has already put out their schedule (set for tomorrow and the day after) so if you're at a loose end, go check it out! I'm also thinking Parker Place will likely have something going on over the next week or two.

Other things you may want to do:

• If you want to celebrate the new year exactly at midnight, Aberdeen will be open late and be doing a countdown.
• Fly Over Canada - Flight of the Dragon (Catch the FlyOver Canada show back-to-back with Flight of the Dragon, which follows the travels of a mythical dragon as it soars over the Chinese countryside, through mountains and valleys, and over powerful waterfalls)
• Lunarfest - In Oakridge mall now until the 15th
• Spring Festival & Year of the Monkey Temple Fair - at Sun Yat Sen Plaza Feb 13-14th
• Year of the Monkey Celebration - at the International Village Feb 11-14th

All in all, take some time to go out and enjoy something - it's going to be Family Day on Monday so you might as well stay out and have some fun especially if you've never celebrated Chinese New Year before.

2016 Foreign Review: Parfait Terrace Milky Way, Ikebukuro Japan

Parfait Terrace Milky Way (Ikebukuro, Japan)

Address: 豊島区東池袋1-12-8 富士喜ビル2階
Toshima, 東京都 〒171-0022
Japan

Phone: 03-3985-7194
Website (Japanese Language Website)

What can I say? I love to travel, and having friends and family in Tokyo means I get to go visit fairly often if I am monetarily able to do so. That being said, there is always a new place to go try out every time I go. New restaurants and cafes open (and close) all the time. With such a high population density and great transit system, the food options are crazy!

But for the first of my Frilly Foodie Foreign Reviews (hmm shall I keep calling them that? or just F3R lol), I went with one of the themed cafes I visited last October (2015). Parfait Terrace Milky Way (call Milky Way Cafe by most) is located on the eastern side of Ikebukuro and not too far from the JR station.



This is likely the first thing you'll see as it's on street level. A cute display of the cafe's food and more importantly, parfaits! 



The actual cafe is up a flight of stairs and looks very cute and on point with the theme even before you get inside.



Here you'll get an even better look at what they have to offer in the window in front of the restaurant.




Inside is just as cute as the outside if not better!



Even the bathrooms were on point!




Unfortunately for those who don't read/speak Japanese, the menu's are English free, and the staff do not speak English, however, there are lovely photos so you can pick out what you want. The serving staff were about on par with any regular restaurant/cafe in Tokyo, but the nice thing was that they were able to accommodate a large group of us (10+) without making reservations or having to wait - something that is not typical in Japan as many eateries are small / full and can't spontaneously seat a large number of guests without warning.

Being themed, the parfaits are all based (loosely) on the zodiac signs - but there are 13 of them instead of 12. You can see where your birthday falls as each parfait lists a range of dates. Strangely enough, I'm a Taurus by this calculation (not a Gemini).



So a number of us ordered drinks (as you can see above) and they were for the most part quite lovely if on the sweet side.



And here is what I ordered! The Taurus parfait and melon soda ice cream float. We only came for deserts in the evening so no one ordered any of the savory foods unfortunately, though I have heard they are ok. The parfait was a lovely combination of traditional Japanese confection (mochi, red bean paste, jelly and the like) with ice cream, a touch of whipped cream and starry cookies. I had been tempted to order a different parfait (which my friend ordered and is pictured behind mine) since I love waffles and strawberries. I did get to try that other parfait and I like both very much.

Overall it was an enjoyable experience. A little bit on the pricey side for the portions, and the ice cream could be a little nicer (one scoop was not as consistently nice as the other). If I was in the area again I'd definitely go, however if I wasn't anywhere near Ikebukuro, I probably wouldn't make a special trip out.