Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

Roy’s Waikiki

226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

Roy’s in Waikiki is located right near the action in the Waikiki beachwalk neighbourhood. First started in Hollywood, California in 1984, Roy soon decided to head back to his hometown to open a restaurant in 1988. Roy’s is now a successful gourmet chain with restaurants all over the Hawaiian Islands and the rest of the United States. Their Hawaiian menu features local ingredients and Asian Fusion flavours. It was perfect for our sushi craving and love for sake.

Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

We started off our meal with a bottle of Ginjo sake, imported from Japan, it was light, easy drinking. This particular sake was delicate and fragrant in flavour and more of the soft and sweet side of the flavour palate as opposed to full bodied, dry, heavier sakes I’ve tried. It was a nice refreshing way to start our meal. I’ve always preferred drinking sake ice cold as opposed to warm, especially in tropical places.

Juntao roll, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

For our sushi craving, we ordered a couple of rolls. The Juntao roll was filled with tempura pork belly, cucumber, wasabi, aioli and dressed with some citrus ponzu gelee. They love ponzu sauce here on the Island, it’s present in many dishes and all the poke we have had was doused in the stuff. The pork belly was juicy in this roll, but there was only enough of it in each bite to tease our taste buds.

The Frying dragon roll, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

Our favourite roll was the “Frying Dragon,” filled with unagi, avocado, miso butterfish, macadamia nuts, and spicy wasabi sauce. This roll was amazing, it was gorgeous on the plate and I loved the crunchy outer crust. The unagi was also salty and delicious and even though the roll was thick, the big slices of sushi rolls held together as we ate, no crumbling rice here.

The Frying Dragon roll, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

Next up, I had to try some traditional Hawaiian poke. We ordered the traditional big eye ahi poke, it was mixed in with Maui onion, ogo, inamona, chili and sprinkled with Hawaiian salt. Poke is a traditional Hawaiian dish consisting of cubed raw fish, traditionally tuna dressed with sea salt, crushed inamona (a nut called candlenut in the walnut family), soy sauce, sesame oil and chili pepper. I’ve seen enough episodes of Top Chef to want to try this stuff. I had imagined it tasting like the sashimi salad we have in Vancouver, we were surprised to find that the poke was extremely salty. There were actually giant specs of Hawaiian salt that we spotted on the fish. The extreme saltiness in this dish definitely jolted our taste buds awake. Each bite left a lingering numbing feeling on our tongues as the Hawaiian salt melted away.

Poke, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

Wanting to sample as many items on the menu as possible, we ordered Roy’s Beach Walk Trio which had three of the chef’s signature dishes: Hibachi grilled salmon, macadamia nut crusted white fish and the critically acclaimed misoyaki butterfish served with a side of rice.

Roy’s Beach Walk Trio, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

We had heard rave reviews about the butterfish. When we told people we were eating at Roy’s, the misoyaki butterfish came up in conversation. We can see why, the butterfish was definitely the star of the trio. It had that incomparable ‘melt-in-your-mouth’ smooth, rich goodness to each bite. The fish was fragrant and beautiful in the dish, and tasted even better than it looked. The flavours were deep and seductive, salty, sweet with a hint of nuttiness. There is also a full order of the misoyaki butterfish offered on the menu too.

Misoyaki butterfish, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

The hibachi grilled salmon was no competition for that epic butterfish. Used to eating lots of salmon in Vancouver, we were very picky about the fish so we found Roy’s rendition only average and verging on the dry side. The flavours were fresh but the dish definitely didn’t have that elusive “je ne se quoi” element that made the misoyaki butterfish so memorable.

Hibachi grilled salmon, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

The macadamia nut crusted white fish was totally lacking a sauce. I love macadamia nuts or what they call here in Hawaii mac nuts. But I’ve found that restaurants don’t do much to dress up the nut, they just chop it up and sprinkle it on top of fish, pancakes or whatever else. The flavours of the mac nuts are incredible but this dish was missing something to melt the mac nut flavours into the white fish. The crispy crust on the white fish featured mac nuts but the crust did nothing to enhance the delicate flavours of the fish.

Macadamia nut crusted white fish, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

Our server asked us three times whether or not we wanted dessert, the strange thing was, he kept asking us in the beginning of the meal. We found out this was because the desserts take up to 30 minutes to prepare, the pastries are probably made-to-order.

Pineapple upside down cake, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

We chose the pineapple upside-down cake which turned out to be a gorgeous little golden cake with lots of sweet, caramelized pineapples and a buttery crust. It was the perfect sweet finish to a lovely meal.

Pineapple upside cake, Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

Roy’s Waikiki, 226 Lewers St., Honolulu, HI

Since Roy’s is located in the heart of downtown Waikiki, we got to enjoy a nice evening stroll along the beach walk.

Stoney’s Bread Company, Oakville, 325 Kerr Street, Oakville, ON

Stoney’s Bread Company

I’ve heard endless stories about Stoney’s Bread Company. They were even featured on the Food Network Canada show, You Gotta Eat Here. The menu actually looks pretty unassuming, no obvious stand-out items or quirky ingredients. But I heard the thing to order is the smoked salmon pizza. Unfortunately, they don’t have it on the menu any more. There’s still a smoked salmon sandwich though. Growing up in British Columbia, I am very picky about smoked salmon.

Stoney’s Bread Company, Oakville, 325 Kerr Street, Oakville, ON

Stoney’s was packed when we arrived and it was a weekday. It’s run like a deli, you line up to order at the counter and they give you a table number after you order. We had to split up to find a table, it was so crowded.

Just like the quaint little village where Stoney’s is located, the restaurant gives off a charming, small-town feel, in a good way, like a less cheesy episode of Gilmore Girls. Before you ask about the restaurant’s name, no, they don’t actually make all their own bread. There is one bread that they bake in-house but the rest of the breads on the menu are bought from local suppliers.

Smoked Salmon sandwich, Stoney’s Bread Company, Oakville, 325 Kerr Street, Oakville, ON

The smoked salmon sandwich truly lived up to what I was expecting (homemade bread or not). The silky smooth salmon lox was delicious: fresh, soft and extremely tasty. It really made the sandwich.

Smoked Salmon sandwich, Stoney’s Bread Company, Oakville, 325 Kerr Street, Oakville, ON

We also ordered the Regina pizza, it was topped with figs, caramelized onions, mozzarella and my two favourite ingredients: prosciutto and gorgonzola.

Regina pizza, Stoney’s Bread Company, Oakville, 325 Kerr Street, Oakville, ON

I’ve never had figs on a pizza. Turns out, they’re quite amazing, holding their shape and adding intense burst of juicy sweetness onto each slice of pizza. The gorgonzola also gave the pie a musky kick only to be cut by ribbons of intensely salty and delicious prosciutto. I loved this pizza almost as much as I loved that incredible smoked salmon sandwich.

Regina Pizza, Stoney’s Bread Company, Oakville, 325 Kerr Street, Oakville, ON

We meant to visit for dinner as well, but we had a big group and figured that we’d never get a table. I’ll have to drop by again soon for my smoked salmon fix.

Doolin's Irish Pub, 654 Nelson Street, Vancouver

Doolin’s Irish Pub

654 Nelson Street, Vancouver

Just in time for NHL Playoffs, Doolin’s launched their new spring and summer menu tonight and offered a tasting to bloggers. Rick and I checked it out with our fellow food bloggers, Dave and Ann from Me plus food, Amy from Food Queen and Mary from Vancouver Bits and Bites Blog and photographer, Maurice Li.

The new menu definitely reflects the gastropubs of Europe as opposed to the nachos and beer Canadian pubs here. I love the new upscale items and what’s better than watching Ryan Kesler score the winning goal while sipping on craft beer and nibbling on duck confit flatbread?

Doolin's Ale, Doolin's Irish Pub, 654 Nelson Street, Vancouver

Before our entrees were served, we each ordered a beer and enjoyed some appies. I stuck with the Doolin’s Ale, which was refreshing and slightly sweet and nutty. A great thirst quencher because the little duck bites were salty.

Duck bites, Doolin's Irish Pub, 654 Nelson Street, Vancouver

Duck bites, Doolin's Irish Pub, 654 Nelson Street, Vancouver

The duck bites were scrumptious little pieces of duck marinated in chipotle, ginger and picked jalapenos and (wait for it…) wrapped in bacon! They were delicious and addictive. A wonderfully creative and fun snack for a pub. And like I said, I’ll eat anything wrapped in bacon. The salty meat was kicked up a notch in flavour with the hit of spice from the chipotle and jalapenos so that’s when the Doolin’s Ale came in handy.

Crab & Asparagus flatbread, Doolin's Irish Pub, 654 Nelson Street, Vancouver

There were three types of flatbread, each featuring local ingredients and each more delectable than the next. My favourite was the crab and asparagus flatbread. It was so rich with two types of cheeses: mozzarella and parmesan with some creamy Alfredo mixed in. I also loved the big chunks of crab throughout the flatbread. The seafood picked up all the salty flavours from the cheese and the sweetness from the roasted red peppers. Again, another great accompaniment for the Doolin’s Ale.

Crab and Asparagus flatbread, Doolin's Irish Pub, 654 Nelson Street, Vancouver

My second favourite flatbread was the Mediterranean with gorgeous and sweet grape tomatoes, juicy kalamata olives and lots of mozzarella, feta cheese and pesto, artichoke hearts and red onions. I’m biased to all things Mediterranean so naturally, I loved this flatbread. A tad bit on the salty side, but more reason to drink beer! I am also impressed that for the most part, the bread was barely soggy, it was nice and crispy until my last bite.

Mediterranean flatbread, Doolin's Irish Pub, 654 Nelson Street, Vancouver

The third flatbread was the duck confit. Although duck is one of my favourite meats, I don’t think they put enough of it on this flatbread. Unless I got the piece that had the least duck on it! I only got a few pieces of duck, but those pieces were tender and flavourful. I liked the deep, rustic sweetness from the sun dried tomatoes.

Duck Confit flatbread, Doolin's Irish Pub, 654 Nelson Street, Vancouver

Duck Confit flatbread, Doolin's Irish Pub, 654 Nelson Street, Vancouver

For our entrees, we got to choose from what I still consider a fancy menu for a pub. I went with the mahi mahi (when do you see that in a pub?), pan-seared and seasoned, served with pico de gallo salsa and cilantro-lime rice pilaf.

Mahi Mahi, Doolin's Irish Pub, 654 Nelson Street, Vancouver

The 8oz mahi mahi fish steak was huge when it came to the table. I was definitely impressed, and it smelled delicious too! I loved the cool and light flavours of the sauce and the rice pilaf. The fish itself was tender enough to just slice apart with my fork, and even though it doesn’t look heavily seasoned, the fish was still very flavourful, salty along the surface with fresh and clean flavours in the centre. I always forget how firm mahi mahi meat is, and I was getting pretty full before I even finished this dish! This would definitely make a great dinner while watching the game at Doolin’s.

Mahi Mahi with pico de gallo, Doolin's Irish Pub, 654 Nelson Street, Vancouver

The pico de gallo salsa also added a wonderful moisture to the dish with some sweetness and herb flavours.

Baja fish sandwich, Doolin's Irish Pub, 654 Nelson Street, Vancouver

Ann ordered the Baja fish sandwich, it’s labeled on the menu as being served with mild hot sauce but being the wimp that I am, I was nearly finished off in two bites. My tongue was pretty tingling for a good 15 minutes after that. I’m not a good judge of spice though. Rick thought the spice level was nearly non-existent. I loved the soft and tender texture of the fish though.

Pulled Beer can chicken sandwich, Doolin's Irish Pub, 654 Nelson Street, Vancouver

Dave ordered the pulled beer can chicken sandwich, which thankfully was not spicy. Maurice mentioned that it reminded him of La Brasserie Street‘s famous food cart sandwich and I agree! The crispy and stringy onion straws were definitely reminiscent of the food cart’s chicken sandwich. I still liked Doolin’s version. The chicken was wonderfully moist, soaking up all that homey gravy and herbs.

Blackened sesame salmon, Doolin's Irish Pub, 654 Nelson Street, Vancouver

Rick ordered the blackened sesame salmon. I really liked the firm and flavourful crust on the top of the salmon. It really encased the moisture inside the fish so the meat in the middle was juicy and succulent. I also loved the nutty and sweet flavours from the sesame.

Walnut ice cream and carrot cake, Doolin's Irish Pub, 654 Nelson Street, Vancouver

Dessert was the best part. Walnut ice cream was served with a little square of dense carrot cake topped with a lot of cream cheese icing. If there’s one thing I hold close to my heart, it’s cream cheese icing. I live for it. And Doolin’s definitely does not skimp on icing. Topped to the max is the sweet and slightly salty cream cheese icing in all its sticky and gooey glory on top of a very dense and moist carrot cake. I hate vegetables but will be more than happy to eat them when put into a pastry!

Walnut ice cream, Doolin's Irish Pub, 654 Nelson Street, Vancouver

The ice cream was divine, nutty and also bittersweet with little flakes of dark chocolate mixed in. The ice cream was cool, thick and creamy, the perfect match to the sweet carrot cake.

Carrot cake, Doolin's Irish Pub, 654 Nelson Street, Vancouver

I can totally see myself grabbing after work eats at Doolin’s or catching a playoff hockey game in the near future.

Feastro, the Rolling Bistro, Thurlow and Cordova Street, Vancouver, Canada

Feastro, the Rolling Bistro

Thurlow and Cordova Street
Vancouver Canada

With Vancouver’s dramatic mountains and iconic Olympic cauldron in the backdrop, the bright purple Feastro food truck is hard to miss. Parked beneath the tall office towers on the corner of Thurlow and Cordova Street, downtown, Feastro, the Rolling Bistro hails from my old stomping ground of the Sunshine Coast. Serving up fresh seafood, incredible sweet potato fries and cold refreshing drinks, this truck is one of the best ones this season.

We took advantage of Vancouver’s sunny and warm weather to eat outside near the water. We left the office before 12 noon, but a long line was already starting to form at Feastro. This place is popular! Thanks to the wonderful weather, and lively music blaring from Feastro’s speakers, the wait in line was actually quite pleasant. Plus, Feastro’s menu is so large for a food cart, that it takes a while to decide what to order. Feastro also features a Fresh Sheet that changes on a weekly basis.

We decided on the Fanny Bay Oysters that were breaded and fried. Due to Feastro’s high customer traffic, we waited quite a while for these oysters, almost 15 minutes.

Now get ready to cringe because this is my story that goes along with these delectable oysters. After our long wait, we were pretty famished, and anxious to taste these fried, plump oysters. We sat down amongst the other customers on the nearby benches. Keep it mind that although sunny, it was a very windy day, and I’m hazy on the exact sequence of events, but I think I must have swatted at the napkin on my lap as the wind blew because in the next second, the back of my hand had hit the plate of oysters and the plate flipped and flew. My pants were covered in sauce and the biggest, plumpest oyster landed with a thud on the floor. We managed to save the other 3 oysters, thank goodness! Now, embarrassing factor aside, how would you, my dear readers apply the 5-second rule at this point? Does it matter that this is outdoors, and the food is on concrete? Does it matter that at least 10 strangers are sitting around you? And lastly, does it matter that it’s a fried oyster? I was too distraught to take a photo of our actual fallen oyster but see below for the sad, oily smear stain on the concrete where it landed.

It made me extra sad to have dropped that oyster after I discovered that they tasted amazing. Crispy on the outside, and moist and succulent on the inside. Even underneath the batter, the oysters tasted fresh and clean. These are definitely comparable to the famed oysters at Rodney’s Oyster House.

Having the sun on our backs, and also watching everyone walk away with glistening cool cups of Strawberry Mango Lemonade slush, we had to order that too. This was one of the items on Feastro’s Fresh Sheet. Prepared right in front of us in a blender next to the order window, the frothy, refreshing drink definitely hit the spot on this warm day. The natural sweetness from the fruit came through, and I could taste the tartness in the strawberries and also felt the hit of sour from the lemon. This was a great, cool combination of sweet and sour with crushed ice.

Feastro is famous for their tacos. We ordered the Prawn and Prosciutto taco.  The prawns in this taco are gigantic, and also cooked perfectly: tender and moist. Their texture was a great contrast to the crisp prosciutto, which was not overly salty but flavourful enough to compliment the sweetness in the prawns. The flavours in the prawns and the prosciutto were further enhanced by the generous dollop of sour cream in this taco.

Our next taco was the Sockeye Salmon, which like the other tacos is served with lettuce, salsa and crispy seasoned onions. The salmon was incredibly moist and flaky, just falling apart at the prick of my fork. The fish tasted very fresh and flavourful. It was too difficult to eat this delicate fish taco with my hands (plus, I am traumatized by my oyster spilling disaster!) so I used a knife and fork to carefully dig into this taco. If you are dedicated to eating tacos as how they should be eaten, folded and held in your hands, then you’ll be happy to know that the taco shell, even thought it’s a soft shell,  is very thick and sturdy. The shells are grilled, making their texture a little firmer and strong enough to hold all the delicious ingredients.

The Sweet Potato Frites are the most incredible fries I have ever tasted. I am not exaggerating. It’s just always shocking to me that gourmet food can be served out of a mobile kitchen like a truck or cart. I have to admit that we only ordered this item because we saw that everyone else was ordering it. We found out soon enough that not only are the fries gorgeous to look at in their deep golden glory with accordion crinkles, all piled high on top of each other in a mound of goodness but they also tasted just as good as they looked.

The fries were very crispy on the outside, even though we waited for a little while before eating them. The fries were crispy to the very last one at the bottom of the pile. Lightly salted on the outside, the fries were sweet on the inside, tasting faintly syrupy in that addictive and comforting way that fries always do to complete a meal or satisfy a guilty pleasure.

Usually opened on weekdays, Feastro is open this Saturday, May 21 from 11 am to 3 pm ish, so make sure you swing by and try their amazing menu!