2010 Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Yearblog

Happy New Year! Welcome to my 2010 Follow Me Foodie Favourites, BEST of, Memories & Fullest I’ve Ever Been Moments! This is a recap and yearbook or “yearblog” of the BEST Follow Me Foodie (FMF) Food and FMF Foodie Moments in 2010. Cheers to another year!

It’s not necessarily “the BEST“, because food is personal and I can only discover so much in a year. These are just some worth mentioning in my books… or blog? Blog.
It’s more of a 2010 recap/summary. All experiences are from 2010 only.

Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

Top 15 Most Memorable/BEST Restaurant SAVOURY Dishes & Food in Vancouver:

Chef’s Special Lobster & Gnocchi – Ebo Restaurant

There’s so much more than this, and overall some of the dishes wouldn’t make it on this list, but I’m limited to what I had this year. Again, not necessarily the best, but very memorable.
Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. Cru Restaurant – Syrah-Braised Beef Short Rib

2. Ebo Restaurant – Chef’s Special Lobster & Gnocchi & Bison Steak

3. Tapenade Bistro – “Chaneterelles & Toast” & “Coq Au Vin”

4. Mis Trucos – White Truffle + Lobster Risotto

5. Bistrot Bistro – Rabbit Two Mustards White Wine Cream

6. The Helm – Open Faced Rarebit Sandwich with Housemade Bacon

7. Las Tortas – Cubana Torta

8. Cafe Medina – Fricasse

9. Le Gavroche – Duck Confit

10. Chambar Restaurant – Almost everything.

11. Moby Dick Seafood Restaurant – Fish & Chips

12. 100 Days – Lobster & Dungeness Crab Mac ‘n Cheese

13. Boonie’s Southern Soul – Honey Fried Chicken (Closed, but deserves a shout out)

14. Vita Bella – Linguine Fumante (Closed, but reopened under new ownership)

15. Tapastree – Duck Confit & Chicken Livers (Closed, but deserves a shout out)

Top 15 BEST ASIAN/FUSION Restaurant Dishes & Food in Vancouver:

Deep Fried Chicken Wings – Phnom Penh

I think this is a well deserved category for Vancouver. Some of these are easily better than the list above! Vancouver dominates and excels when it comes to Asian/Asian fusion cuisine.
Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. Phnom Penh – Chicken Wings & Butter Beef

2. Ramen Santouka – Toroniku Shio Ramen

3. Seri Malaysia – Beef Rendang

4. Japadog – Korubuta Terimayo

5. Sushi Garden – Alaska Roll

6. Empire Chinese Cuisine – Alaskan King Crab Dinner – 4 ways

7. Miku Restaurant – Aburi Salmon Oishi Sushi & Premium Aburi Sushi

8. Top Gun J & C Restaurant – Baked BBQ Pork Bun

9. Red Star Seafood – Dungeness Crab with Wild Rice

10. Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie – Shao Bing

11. Empire Chinese Cuisine – Deep Fried Black Cod with Special Garlic

12. Hapa Izakaya – Pork Belly Lettuce Wrap & Crab Croquette

13. Shanghai River Xiao Long Bao (XLB)/Steamed Pork Dumplings/”Juicy Pork Dumplings”

14. Gyo-O Kaisen Shokudo – BBQ Salmon Skin

15. Terracotta Modern Chinese – Terracotta Short Rib Sliders

Top 10 BEST Restaurant VEGETARIAN Dishes & Food in Vancouver:

Seasonal Salad – Gudrun Tasting Room

I’m not a vegetarian, but I do like vegetarian food. This is more to showcase options outside of salad.
Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. The Foundation Lounge – Sesamum Salad

2. Habit Lounge – Carrot & Brie Perogies

3. La Belle Patate – Traditional Poutine

4. Campagnolo – Crispy Ceci

5. Cru Restaurant – Organic Squash Carnaroli Risotto

6. La Taqueria – Rajos Con Creme Taco (Pablano Peppers & Corn)

7. Gudrun Tasting Room – Salads (One of the best I’ve had)

8. Shanghai House – Braised Bean Curd with Chinese Mushroom

9. Suhang Restaurant – Marinated Bean Curd with Special Vegetables

10. Bombay Se – Dahi Puri

Bonus: RAW/Vegan Coconut Lime Cheesecake (Recipe)

Top 15 BEST Restaurant DESSERTS/SWEET Food in Vancouver:

Pistachio Sour Cherry Tart – Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates & Patisserie

I have a sweet tooth and that’s an understatement. I never skip it after any meal. To be honest, I haven’t found that many good dessert places in Vancouver, but here’s what I came up with. There are some highlights in there, but almost all my favourite desserts have been discovered abroad.
Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates & Patisserie

2. Butter Bakery – Butterscotch Blondie Bar, Peanut Cookie Sandwich

3. China Cup Tea Company – Scones

4. Patisserie Lebeau – Original Leige Waffle

5. Polonia Sausage House – Polish Poppy Seed Bread

6. Romer’s Burger Bar – Drunken Donuts

7. Miku Restaurant – Chocolate Chestnut Slice

8. Q4 – Kitsilano – Ciliage Filate & Brownie

9. Chambar Restaurant – Almost everything.

10. Bella Gelateria

11. XOXOLAT – Cardamom Creme Brulee Chocolate

12. Ganache Patisserie – Caramel-Chocolat

13. Chop Restaurant + Lounge – Caribbean Rum Cake

14. Coast – Mascarpone Chocolate Brownie

15. db Moderne Bistro (No post)

Top 20 BEST Restaurant FOOD ABROAD – from 2010 Follow Me Foodie Travels:

Smitty’s Market – Sausages – Lockhart, Texas

Sichuan Da Ping Huo Restaurant – Szechuan Private Kitchen – Hong Kong

Caramelized Diver Scallops – Redd (Yountville/Napa Valley, California)

Food is undeniably a focus when I’m traveling. It’s a great way to explore cultures. I’ve been really lucky this year with my 2010 foodie destinations to Salt Spring Island, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Napa Valley, San Diego, Colorado, Las Vegas, Texas, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Korea. Here are some of my best international indulgences this year. So Follow Me Foodie to some of my favourite foods and restaurants abroad with just one click!
Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. Bakery Nouveau – Blackberry Pistachio Cake – Seattle, Washington

2. Salumi Aritsan Cured Meats – Porchetta Sandwich – Seattle, Washington

3. Incanto – more for “offal-ly” unique reasons – San Francisco, California

4. In-N-Out Burger – Double Double Animal Style – LA, California

5. Bouchon Bakery – Parisian Macarons – Yountville (Napa Valley) California

6. Redd – EVERYTHING – Yountville (Napa Valley) California

7. Morimoto Napa – Fig Tempura – Yountville (Napa Valley) California

8. Urban Solace – Biscuits & Duckaroni – San Diego, California

9. Extraordinary Desserts – San Diego, California

10. Hash House a Go Go – Andy’s Sage Fried Chicken & Bacon Waffle Tower – San Diego, California

11. Smitty’s Market – Sausages – Lockhart, Texas

12. Salt Lick Bar-B-Que – BBQ Beef Ribs – Driftwood, Texas

13. Round Rock Donuts – Texas-Sized Donut – Round Rock, Texas

14. Kau Kee – Beef Brisket Noodle Soup – Hong Kong

15. Sichuan Da Ping Huo Restaurant – Szechuan Private Kitchen – Hong Kong

16. Fung Shing Restaurant – Prawn Toast & Deep Fried Milk – Hong Kong

17. Korean BBQ Beef (the best)- Korea

18. Didi’s Gaufres – Authentic Belgian Waffles – Korea (Yes! IN Korea!)

19. Lemon Garden Cafe Buffet & Dessert Buffet – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

20. The Loaf – Cranberry & Cheese Butter Roll, Longan Danish, Chocolate Danish – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Top 15 Most MEMORABLE Follow Me Foodie Moments:

Follow Me Foodie Christmas Gelato Flavours Launch – Available NOW until Jan. 8, 2011. Only at Bella Gelateria.

Follow Me Foodie Winter/Holiday Drink Launch – Available NOW until end of Feb. 2011. Only at Creme de la Crumb.

This year has brought several moments that I’ll never forget. Here are only a fraction of my foodie highlights!

1. Follow Me Foodie Winter/Holiday Drink Launch

2. Follow Me Foodie Christmas Gelato Flavours Launch

3. Vancouver’s 1st Cupcake Challenge – from Follow Me Foodie & Nicole Marie Events

4.  My Search for the BEST Poutine on Davie Street

5. Chef’s Across the Water Series at Hastings House Country House Hotel

6. 11th Annual Healthy Chef Competition

7. Edible BC Bacchus Market Dinner – Cooking with Chef Lee Parsons

8. 2010 Foodbuzz Food Bloggers Festival – San Francisco, California

9. Redd – Yountville (Napa Valley) California – Possibly the best meal I’ve had this year.

10. Smitty’s Market – Lockhart, Texas

11. Sichuan Da Ping Huo Restaurant – Szechuan Private Kitchen – Hong Kong

12. Private Cooking Class with RAW/Vegan Chef – Hong Kong

13. Korea’s Fish Market – Eating Raw Octopus (still moving) – Korea

14. Busiest Restaurant I’ve ever been to – China.

15. Eating Bugs in Hong Kong

The FULLEST I’ve Ever Been Moments in 2010:

Steveston Village Seafood Feast

If Cinderella was a foodie, I feel like I’ve been lucky enough to find her other shoe sometimes… or at least have a literal taste of her day.

Some of my fullest days have also been the most memorable, for extremely delicious and also painful reasons. There’s no blood (well maybe just from pigs), but (meat) sweat and tears are definitely in order. With that being said, I am really grateful to always have food and I don’t take it for granted. So really, I don’t regret one bite… even at the times when I was about to burst… yes, there were many times.

Take for example the following times at the:

1. 2010 Foodbuzz Food Bloggers Food Festival – 10 food carts in one night

2. 2010 3rd Annual Ocean Wise Seafood Chowder ChowDown – 16 bowls of chowder in one night

3. Ocean Wise Turns 5 Media Dine Around – 3 restaurants, 7 courses in one night

4. Richmond Tourism Noodle-Mania Tour – 11 bowls of noodles + 2 bubble teas in one night

5. Redd – Just because everything was so good I had no self-control

6. Granville Street Foodie Tour – 8 restaurants in 3 hours

7. Lemon Garden Cafe – The best buffet I’ve been to thus far

8. McLean’s Restaurant – 7+ mains and ALL the desserts on the menu

9. Hash House A Go-Go – just massive portions + trying to finish

10. The Search for The BEST Poutine on Davie Street – 4 poutines in 2.5 hours (I ate 2.5 poutines)

11. 11th Annual Healthy Chef Competition – 10 entrees + 10 desserts in one night

12. Steveston Village Seafood Feast – 3 restaurants + 9 courses in one night

13. The Helm – 26 courses in one night for Food Network’s David Adjey’s show The Opener

14. Valentine’s Day – 15 course homemade dinner

15. Food Fight! The Battle for Brunch – 9 mini brunches in one afternoon + gelatoS

16. 3rd Annual HSBC Chinese Restaurant Awards – 15 courses in one afternoon

Mohamed Nazar Curry House – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

BEST Global Hole in the Walls/Dives:

Who doesn’t love bang for your buck dives?! I’ve been to more, but the following are the delicious ones from 2010.

1. Seri Malaysia – Vancouver, BC

2. Phnom Penh – Vancouver, BC

3. Bo Laksa King – Vancouver, BC

4. El Inka Deli – Burnaby, BC

5. Burma Superstar – San Francisco, Californi

6. Mohamed Nazar Curry House – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

7. Kedai Makanan Seng Huat – Bak Kut Teh (Pork Bone Tea) – Kuala Lumpur (Klang), Malaysia

The MOST “DIFFERENT” or “Unusual” FMF Adventures/Encounters

Bugs at Delicious Inn in Hong Kong

1. Street Food in China

2. Ice Cream on Salad

3. Raw cow’s intestine

4. Eating Live Octopus

5. Eating Bugs in Hong Kong

6. Incanto – Pigs Blood Parapardelle, Cod Sperm etc. Offal or Awful?

7. Floata Seafood Restaurant – **ATTN: YVR Health inspectors

Cheers to another year!