Noshwellmenu

[rating:2] :

Nirvana means the ultimate. The absolute. The highest state. Tonight, I don’t think Nirvana has yet reached Nirvana. This cozy Main Street restaurant used to be one of our favourites, but has seem to lost its way. Nirvana serves Northern Indian Cuisine, which uses a lot of dairy products such as yogurt, milk, paneer and ghee (clarified butter). Rotis and Naan are also popular with Northern Indian cuisine, as are the use of goat and lamb meats.

The new bold, burgundy and white sign in the front makes it hard to miss Nirvana. The door squeaks as you open it, and you feel like you’re stepping into an exotic place. The intense burgundy colors throughout the room smack you right in the face. The owners appear to be fond of the colour burgundy. Traditional Indian music plays quietly in the background, transporting you to someplace a little further off from Main Street.

The multiple award winning Gastropod is located on the trendy West 4th corridor. I’ve famously made a conscious effort to avoid reviews on trendy hotspots. This is primarily because the usual local rags have likely already fawned over them ad nauseum.

This weekend, however, was a special occasion, so I thought it only appropriate to take Case out to somewhere a little more special; somewhere with matching silverware, clean dishes and re-usable table napkins. I jest. Really.

[rating:3] :

Tre and I met with my dad for dim sum at the Westview Oriental Restaurant in North Vancouver. I’ve been here before in the past, but couldn’t remember what the food was like. Which usually means it wasn’t all that memorable. So, this time around, I wasn’t too sure what to expect.

[rating:4] :

Peanut Polvoron is a type of Filipino powdered milk candy made with a special blend of toasted flour, milk, butter, and sugar. It is then cooked and molded into round shapes. The consistency is sweet and powdery, something between a cookie and a candy. The texture can be unfamiliar to some, but I like it. It comes in different kinds of flavours: peanut, hazelnut, and cashew. I like the peanut the best. A friend had given me one to try before, and I have been hooked ever since. I highly recommend the Polvoron, but it’s not for everyone. Obviously, if you’re allergic to nuts, don’t try this. Don’t even come near it. It’s also really difficult to eat without getting the crumbs all over the place. The only real downside is they aren’t cheap. It’s about a $1 a piece, but I suppose that’s the price you pay for something yummy.

[rating:2] :

I don’t what happened to this place, but it’s gone downhill. Pink Pearl has been around forever. I use to come here with my grandparents when I was just knee high. I wouldn’t be surprised if people have fond memories of this place. The food used to be solid and the atmosphere lively. My memories will now be of the disgusting, sticky, oily chopsticks that Tre and I had to eat with. Pink Pearl states on their website that they use the freshest ingredients — I question that.