Kaboom Box

Here is another segment of our Eat St experience. We all know that food carts are on the rise in Vancouver recently and are becoming really popular, I think it's because the menus are creative, their truck designs are witty and it makes us coming back for more.

Usually open for lunch to 3 p.m. daily

Michael and I have  walked by Kaboom Box at Granville and Robson many times. This little red wagon serves classic west coast cuisine such as fish and chips and salmon burgers. Their menu isn't very big but it offers a good choice and variety.

Gulf Island Fried Oyster Po Boy

Michael instantly knew what he wanted to get the Gulf Island Fried Oyster Po Boy ($8.04). Michael's lunch comes with three fried oysters, coated with a thick crust and paired with tartar sauce for dipping. Of course Michael saved the best for last, the good boyfriend he was, he let me try some of his fries, we both agree that the fries were cut and fried to perfection. They are served skinny cut fries and tasted very light, crispy outside and fluffy inside. We could eat a whole plate of these fries and wouldn't feel sick afterwards. Marvellous.

House Salad

As for myself, I really didn't know what to get for my lunch, I didn't have much of an appetite but I knew I should eat something anyway. I ordered the House Salad ($8). Almonds, smoked salmon and cranberries. All of this yummy goodness was rested on top of mixed greens and served with a dressing that I can't quite put my finger on but seems like a creamy type of vinaigrette with a hint of garlic. Quite the tasty thing.

I felt rushed because I was the only one standing at the cart, and I felt an awkward tension between me and the cashier.  When my salad was served, I saw cranberries, and for those who don't know me I despise fruits, but surprisingly the cranberries didn't taste all that bad. Since they were dried, there wasn't a strong berry aroma, and the cranberries really balanced out the tangy sour taste to the dressing. The almonds added a hint of saltiness and crunchiness to everything and was really nice. The salmon, oh my it was good. Light, smoked to perfection, very moist  and delicious with the greens.

Although my salad was amazing, I have to say that the portion served could've been bigger. For $8 I expected a bigger portion to the salad, even if it everything was just greens. Street carts, you better up your portions or lower your price. But other than that, keep on roaming the Vancouver's streets.


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Freshii

Feeling healthy? Have no fear, Freshii's here.

Michael got a gift card from his work and decided to give the 870 W Cordova Street cafe a try. We've never heard of this place and was wondering what this cafe had to offer when I found out it served food that was healthy and organic. I was hesitant to go with Michael because I know that he doesn't always make the healthiest decisions when it comes to his meal, but I can't put all the blame on him, I am not always the healthiest person as well. So I was also afraid I wouldn't be able to find anything I like to eat there.

The place is located in the busy part of Vancouver waterfront and it seems to be pretty hidden, so you'll have to keep an eye out for it.

Freshii is all about the healthy

 
The atmosphere seems reminded me of  one of those healthy organic cafes that you would find in Los Angeles where you take a shot of  wheatgrass after your meal. Yum? Freshii really encourages  healthy living with their biodegradable cutlery and utensils and of course healthy eating with lots of choices of veggies, fruits, and various proteins.

You grab a menu and a pencil then make your selection

When we walked in we didn't know what to expect, you could even say we walked in like headless chickens, not knowing where to go. A worker of the cafe greeted us and explained their ordering system. We were to grab a piece of paper and check the items that we wanted to get. Salad ($6.99), bowls ($6.49),wraps ($5.99), and soups ($6.29). For toppings we get to choose the type of cheese, protein, nuts, and fruits, with an extra charge of course. As for the unlimited topping, it is just the normal veggies, such as broccoli, carrots, spinach, etc, for for no extra charge.  We also get to choose to the type of  dressing and how much of that dressing you want on your dish.

Salad with albacore tuna and lots of toppings

I honestly didn't know what to get, my paper ended up being so messy with scribbles because I was so indecisive and couldn't make up my mind. Sadly, the verdict was a plain old salad with albacore tuna (extra $1.75) and unlimited amounts of corn, cucumbers, diced tomatoes, crispy wonton and edamame. For my salad dressing I chose aged balsamic vinegar lightly drizzled on the salad. My salad tasted just like any other salad, but after seeing a lot of the people ordering the rice noodles, it made me jealous because it looked really delicious and it looked much better then my boring old salad.  Although I think the crispy wonton they give you was a nice substitution to croutons. I got complimentary pita bread to go along with my salad, too.

Buffalo chicken wrap

As for Michael he got the Buffalo Chicken wrap ($10) which wasn't part of their DYI menu, it has romaine lettuce, buffalo chicken, tomatoes, celery , carrots, cheddar and a blue cheese  dressing. Michael thought the wrap was a little dry and made him extremely thirsty, but other then that problem it was a stand up wrap.

DIY soup

He also ordered from the DYI menu, soup with rice noodles and vegetable stock, with carrots, broccoli, celery, chick peas and mushrooms. Michael likes the concept of building his own soup with the ingredients that are being put in, but said the broth could have had some more salt.  Overall he doesn't think it was anything specular or special, but that it's pretty good for something he built on his own.

Moving on to desserts friends, I love frozen yogurt, and it's something I love eating with my best friend. Hand hug sista. At Freshii they offer frozen yogurt, and unlike the usual places you pick your own toppings, at Freshii we can only choose two and for extras theres a $0.50 charge.

Cinnamon and granola frozen yogurt

That's okay, I can live with two toppings. I love cinnamon and granola together, so just the thought of it in delicious frozen yogurt sounds like heaven to me. The vanilla frozen yogurt tasted really good, it was light and creamy. The cinnamon was divine, and granola added a nice crunchy mixture to everything, like chocolate chip cookie and milk. Surprisingly, it all tasted a lot better then I thought it would be and actually better than some of my favourite places.

I really hope I get to return to Freshii one day, I am dying to taste that rice noodle and of course that wonderful  frozen yogurt. Michael said that he would consider it but he wouldn't go out of his way.

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ABC Cafe

ABC Cafe, not exactly an original name with pretty mediocre food. Michael decided to go to Aberdeen Center in Richmond today and he got hungry after going on a hunt for some shoes. There were a few restaurant decisions but we ended up choosing the cafe at the 4151 Hazelbridge Way mall, tucked away in the property's back halls. It's not a very visible location and seems like not a lot of people would venture down to its corner. Michael and I have been to the restaurants at this location before ABC came along, but all these restaurants all ended up disappearing sooner rather than later.

ABC Cafe is suppose to be a classic Hong Kong diner menu with set menu with soups and drink and various other a la carte meals such as baked spaghetti, rice and noodle dishes. But ABC added a fancy element to the restaurant and also serve king crab and lobsters, which we found a little odd because we rarely see fancy meals like this served at a Hong Kong diner. The restaurant was not busy at all, which is not surprising because of its location, although the unit is pretty big.

Penne with Italian sausage

Although I wasn't hungry I didn't want to order something big, but Michael  insisted that I order the set menu because it's cheaper and comes with a drink. So I did, lately I have been craving to eat pasta but never got around to fulfilling that crave. I got the spaghetti menu ($9.50), I love tomato sauce from Hong Kong diners because they tend to taste creamier than the tangy taste from western restaurants. I picked Penne with Italian sausage, although I thought it was going to be spicy like chorizo, I think it tasted like regular sausage.

Hong Kong borscht

Michael got the sizzling grill menu ($12.95), which is when the meal is served on a hot plate. He got to choose two dishes and a side dish. It also comes with a soup and drink. Michael chose the Hong Kong  borscht. Which is made from tomatoes rather then the traditional Russian borscht made from beats.

Steak and chicken with mushroom sauce, served with rice

The server said they don't have the hot plate today though, so Michael was disappointed and found it very odd. He chose the chicken and steak and rice with mushroom sauce and thought the chicken tasted very good, the skin was crunchy and it came in a big portion. But the steak on the other hand was not that great. It wasn't seasoned that well but the mushroom sauce did help it a little.

Hong Kong style sweetened ice lemon tea

Michael and I both agree that we can live without coming back here. The restaurant seem like they don't serve the greatest food and for Hong Kong diners, Michael and I think we have visited better ones.

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