Masayoshi

Happy 7 years anniversary to me and my bf. I decided to plan our anniversary dinner at Masayoshi for their omakase. We arrived at 6pm sharp. We were the first ones there. The place only sits approx 15-20 ppl. We had the bar seating which I prefer so we can watch the chef work his magic. We were greeted kindly with 2 hosts. I started off with a green tea and bf had the sake. My green tea smelt like fishiness. I have a feeling they washed the cup with the other dishes that had fish residue on it. So that wasn't very attractive. Bf ordered the some sake which hee shared a shot with the chef as well.

We started our meal with the sashimi: chef’s choice of Mirugai, Bluefin tuna and mackerel.

The mirugai was chewy, the Bluefin tuna melted in your mouth and the mackerel wasn’t as fishy as I thought it would be.

Next, we had the Chawan mushi which was the egg custard. The tofu was silky smooth. This was a very warming dish on a cold day.

We also had a Japanese hot pot with fresh vegetables and fish that we can cook ourselves. This was quite lovely. Simple but delicious. The natural flavors came out of each vegetable and fish pieces we had.

We had the shrimp tempura and scallops. Simple but fresh.

The smoked salmon salad wasn’t as smoked as a liked it but it was very refreshing. The salmon was cold but it was candied. Overall, a visual experience to see the smoke come out of the dish.

We had a few selections of the nigiri from the chef from salmon to tuna to egg. Very fresh and most definitely a Japanese cultured experience at the bar.

We had the tofu cheesecake for dessert. This was very strong in cheese flavors and we were very full by this time. Delicately made.

The service was attentive and the waitresses were kind and friendly. Always there to assist you with your needs.

Overall, a great omakase experience close to home. I will definitely try it again but order the nigiri chef choice selection for my next meal experience.

Masayoshi
Location: 4376 Fraser St, Vancouver, BC V5V 4G3
Rating: ☆☆☆☆/5

Mr. Red Cafe

So I finally get to try this place out before bf leaves to Whistler for the weekend. We visited the Kits location. We got there around 6:30pm and the place wasn't busy at all. We ordered the regular Pho Bo Dac Biet (house special): beef noodle soup with flank, shank, beef balls and sliced rare beef. The broth was very clean but the broth was on the meatier, saltier side. I prefer the sweetness in pho broths but I think that's what msg does. Bf got the Bun Bo Hue which is a spicier beef noodle soup with pork hock, sliced beef and vietnamese ham. The broth is super clean as well and I love the flavours of it. One of the best Bun Bo Hue's we had. We also decided to try a non noodle dish which is the sticky rice with pate and mung beans. This dish was small for the price of $8.00. The noodle soups were both $10.00. So this place is definitely much pricier then the regular pho shops we go to. Overall, alright. I will definitely try the special family set meals that is only offered on the weekends.

Mr. Red Cafe
Location: 2680 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6K 2G3
Rating: ☆☆☆/5

Dhaliwal Sweets

Decided to have a siblings get together at home for dinner and I decided to order something local. So I googled a place on zomato that had a 3.4/5 rating. I ordered 1 lb of vegetable pakora $6.49, 3 vegetable samosa’s for $0.80 each, fish vindaloo (fish cooked with garlic, ginger and fresh vindaloo sauce), the lamb tikka masala (boneless lamb cooked with fresh onion sauce, bell pepper and spices), butter chicken (boneless chicken marinated in special sauce, cooked in garlic, ginger, cream and fresh tomatoes), prawn goa curry (prawns cooked with ginger, garlic, onion and coconut milk sauce), and 4 garlic naan. The price came up to be approx. $77 for 4 ppl. We had plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day. Overall, the butter chicken was great the white meat was dry though, everything was a medium level spicy but the lamb was spicier then the rest of the entrees. The pakoras were old, probably fried beforehand. Wasn’t fresh and there was no dipping sauce with it. Usually I have it with a red sweet sauce. There was barely any meat in the lamb, prawns and chicken dishes. Mostly sauce. The portions were ok. Overall, the flavors were good and I would come back again to try the other things.

Dhaliwal Sweets
Location: 6555 Fraser St, Vancouver, BC V5X 3T4
Rating: ☆☆☆1/2/5

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

Went to the Icebreaker Merino wool sale downtown with bf and afterwards decided to grab something nearby. So we waited for about 15 mins in front of Santouka. Never tried this place before bf said it was good. I ordered the Shoyu ramen. The broth was super flavorful. So much depth and impactful flavors. My only concern was that it was super fatty so at the end my tummy wasn't feeling very well. But it was the best ramen broth I had so far. The noodles were just right and a large is bigger then it looks. I was super full and I couldn't finish the rest of my meal. Bf had the Kara ramen which was the spicy version. I wasn't a big fan of the spices. Tasted like Chinese seasoning over ramen and it wasn't spicy at all. Bf said he will get mine next time. He wasn't a fan either. I preferred mine much more. Overall, a great place to visit. I would most definitely come back again if I can ask them to reduce the fat for me.

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
Location: 1690 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6G 1C7
Rating: ☆☆☆☆1/2/5

Bikram Yoga Tri-City

Decided to go back to yoga for a month trial at an older location in Coquitlam. My first class back was alright. My balance is a little off but the heat didn't bug me at all. The instructor I had was familiar to me because she also teaches at the Richmond location. Me and bf decided to try Yin yoga which consists of a 90 min class which holds each position about 3-10 mins long. This class was a deep stretching class. The only thing I don't like about this class is the positions were too long so my leg or arms will fall asleep and my blood circulation wouldn't flow. But, I enjoy the heat seating which is less hot compared to Bikram and there was also calming music in the background.
We also tried Power Yoga which consists of core building postures. The heat temperature is also less then the Bikram. My only concern is the music. They played musicals, oldies, korean music etc. This completely caught me off guard and my concentration was out of wack when the music was playing. Something I do not like about this class was the music. I feel like I should be dancing instead of doing yoga. This place is also older and less clean so the facility is a little run down. And the no shoe policy inside the changing room bugs me because the floors are dirty and they expect us to walk bare foot onto the floor which I find concerning. Overall, if you want to do yoga it is a spot to do so but there is nothing fancy here.

Bikram Yoga Tri-City
Location:108 Lougheed Hwy, Coquitlam, BC V3B
Rating: ☆☆☆/5