GLAMOUR SNAPS - TOKYO JAPAN FOOD TRIP SHOTS

I have taken a month absence to the land of incredibly exquisite and delicious food - Tokyo,Japan! 

I couldn't think of a better way to showcase the variety of delicacies I had than to create one large post of chosen glamour shots. Flipping through nearly thousands of pictures was not easy!Tokyo is a city filled so much excitement, I love how its cultured has been well preserved and each city within Tokyo paints a different story. 

Asakusa houses the Sensoji Temple, filling the streets with lanterns and drums in all shades of bright red. Harajuku is filled with fashionable teenagers and modern cafes. Ginza is a high-end, posh city filled with international brand names and extravagance. Shinjuku (where I stayed) is a towering city of offices, but has my favourite foodie street filled with scents of ramen, udon and beer.

This food journey had me eating 8 meals a day, each time eating a small portion. I thought Vancouver had good Japanese food, but boy is the authenticity lost across the Pacific Ocean. A walk into literally, any store, has a flavour of its own, a taste to remember. 

Stay tuned for some more in-depth reviews to launch later this week!

Follow me for some updated food journeys on instagram at:
web.stagram.com/n/jessimmica or @jessimmica :)

TEA-HEE - THOMAS HAAS FINE CHOCOLATES AND PATISSERIE - KITSILANO VANCOUVER

Thomas Haas houses my memory of the very first macaron in my life. Which is why I will always hold a dear string to this patisserie. 

But Thomas Haas is named for its fine chocolates and intricate cakes over its macarons. Their long practiced, and talented chocolate making is not longer merely for taste, but for the mastery of art and craftsmanship. Their intricate tea pairings and coffee grounds add not only pop to the tastebuds, but bring out a certain joy from the sweet yet bitter melts of chocolate. 


A group of four ordered-
White Chocolate Kalamansi Cake
Lemon Lemon Tart
Crispy Chocolate Raspberry 


Proscuitto Panini


Green Tea Latte
Caffe Americano
Green Tea with Peach

Disclaimer: Photos courtesy of my dear friend CCW <3

2539 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC

Dine Fine - [CLOSED] HAPA UMI - DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

Hapa Izakaya has a popular ring to Vancouverites all over town. Hapa Umi to my surprise, isn't as popular. Hapa Umi is the more upscale version of Izakaya with a twist of class and elegance. I seriously caught the late train. I didn't realize Hapa Umi closed down last month until I went to back for another plate of beef tataki. Nonetheless, I had pictures saved on my laptop, I felt a need to honour this loss love of mine. 

Hapa Umi is now replaced with Hapa Izakaya Coal Harbour. Unfortunately I didn't go in because I didnt have a reservation and I decided to choose another restaurant. It was said in their news release that customers "felt there was a greater, unmet demand for an izakaya style restaurant in the Coal Harbour area". In essence, the spirit of the Hapa chain is still there, but I think the higher class of Hapa Umi's spirit has transformed into a more approachable environment, striving for an authenticity vibe straight off the streets of Tokyo.

I have been here many times, each time without reservation, as Hapa Umi is consistently my "heat of the moment I am craving Japanese food" restaurant. Hapa Umi seems to be a sold out show all the time, believe it or not, I have never sat at the dining room. Each time I come last minute, I have been seated at the lounge. Which is not a big deal to me, there are higher couches and stools in a slightly darker section of the diner, serving the same menu. I need only to be happy to have a seat to enjoy the food. I much enjoyed Umi to Izakaya because I preferred a professional ambiance than a party mood. But now that Umi has shifted to an Izakaya, the food is cheaper and more diverse... I can't complain!

Lunch Munch: STACKHOUSE BURGER BAR - DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

I have found a new burger love! Burgers are the childhood love of all. But as I grew older, Ronald McDoodoo was no longer my idol and I slowly gravitated to more gourmet burgers. Burgers are usually hit and miss for me,   it tends to take a great deal of effort for me to find a perfect burger place. I find myself constantly complaining about the bun being soggy, or the patty being over cooked, or the presentation to sloppy, even little details like the onions aren't sweet enough. 

Burgers are such classic goods, it takes a quite a bit of oomph for a burger to bring itself out of the ordinary into something spectacular.

Stackhouse burger was definitely something different. It was amazing!

We ordered

Ahi Tuna Burger - 5oz Ahi tuna steak with miso aioli, watercress and creamy avocado. TOpped with fried onions, served on a brioche bun

Stackhouse Burger - 6.5 oz local prime rib patty with pancetta, portabellini, Cuiness cheddar, chipotle aioli and butter lettuce served on a brioche bun.

Poutine - seasoned fries served with local bocconcini, topped with truggle demi-glace

All entrees and sliders are served side fries of side mesclun salad

AMBIANCE | Despite the grey area its located in (the edge of downtown), the decor of the diner is surprising. The main theme of the restaurant is a fresh, but quirky feeling. Featuring ceiling to floor glass windows, a large mirror filled with graffiti, a white wall filled with booze and small random decors, Stackhouse has a minimalism, but bohemian texture. It reminds me of very chic, young, urban American cafes that are not popular here in Vancouver. 

FOOD | $15-20 a burger with fries is like 5 times the price of a McDoodoo burger. Was it worth it? Absolutely. The Ahi Tuna Burger with avocado was an interesting combo. I've never had anything quite like it. Ahi Tuna and avocado are two of my favourite things. I even upgraded the fries to my favourite POUTINE! The meal was a super favourite for me! I could use a little more avocado, and a warmer bun... but the Ahi Tuna was cooked to prefection - ever so slightly raw. The Classic Stackhouse burger was the special of the day at $10! I made Mr. F choose the Salad to make me feel better about eating such heavy lunches, and I could not have been more pleased with the salad. The salad is a simple veggie and vinegar x olive oil mix, but it has a touch of edamame beans! Such a wonderful surprise!

I have recommended Stackhouse to many people and each time they come back to me as pleased as can be. Stackhouse in my opinion, masters the art of creating a unique spirit in simple, classic foods. I will be back!

1224 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 2G6

Brunch Munch - PROVENCE MARINASIDE - YALETOWN VANCOUVER

Nothing beats having an sunny side up egg on a non-sunny day! Jokes, I'm being a pest because it was raining when I got to Provence. In Provence, its always sunny! I love their quirky slogan: "Enjoy the South of France without a Jetlag!"

Provence has such an amazing location in False Creek, next to the Yaletown Roundhouse Community Centre, its always nice to enjoy a luxurious brunch there no matter the weather.

We ordered (Party of three)

Smoke Salmon Eggs Benedict - Poached eggs, smoked salmon on pancakes

Seafood Crepes - Salmon, baby scallops, shrimps, spinach, veloute

(Me) Provence Panini - Goat cheese, pesto, sun dried tomato, prosciutto

Cafe Cappucino

Berry and White Chocolate Clafoutis- French style cake served warm with vanilla ice cream

Menu found here

1177 Marinaside Cresent

Vancouver, BC

Dine Fine - BEARFOOT BISTRO - WHISTLER

The unstable and unbalanced college life of me always looks for ways to loosen myself up, whether it a stroll by the Seawall or a massage at the Spa. By far, Whistler is one of my favourite places in the world to be. From the scenic drive on the Sea to Sky Highway to the natural aura of the Village, the commute already eases one's stressful mind. The shift of focus from the polluted streets to the breathing of frosty brisk fresh air - Whistler isn't just a place for those who ski and snowboard, its a place for everyone.

We walked into Bearfoot, which was located a little walk off of the Whistler main village, and to my surprise the restaurant was large, but with only a few tables seated. We were offered a seat by our lovely waiter towards the back of the restaurant, it felt like we had bought out the restaurant for the night. I immediately thought "Bearfoot Bistro is the most underrated restaurant I have ever been to. This restaurant deserves the much more recognition! Well, at least from what I see from the amount of people seated in the restaurant on a beautiful Sunday evening."

The restaurant is not only elegant, extravagant (though it a very approachable way), it holds the most unique food experience of my life - The Belvedere & Canada Goose Ice Room, Nitrogen Ice Cream and BC's largest Wine Cellar (excluding private collections).

Mr. F and I each ordered the three course menu.
Forgive me for forgetting the exact name of some dishes, they have either been taken off the online menu now or was a special item at that time

Mr. F ordered - Nova Scallop in Maple glaze

Braised beef shank
I ordered - Artic Char salad

Opal Valley Lamb Loin

Both finished off with Nitro Ice Cream (minimum two people to order)

The food was wonderful, but despite lengthy reviews of praise, I have decided to focus only on the top three most memorable moments of the night.

BELVEDERE & CANADA GOOSE ICE ROOM

There is a selection of over 50 different types of Vodka to choose from and your very own Vodka specialist to explain/tour, plus here's the cute part - learn how to say "cheers!" in the language of where your Vodka is originated. Intially we were going to go for the 2 shots each, but ended up going with the $98 per person deal for 4 shots (one in between each course of dinner and an additional one at the end). At -26 degrees, the chill of vodka is at its finest - a definite must try in Whistler.

NITROGEN ICE CREAM

Ever watch ice cream made in front of you? In less than 5 minutes? Using magic? Wheeling out a wooden cart and a large tin bowl, the server mixed a white vanilla liquid together with so liquid nitrogen, smoke and gas emerged and within minutes of mixing, fresh ice cream appeared. There was only two small golf ball sized lumps of ice cream for each of us, but the ice cream was velvety smooth and the toppings were cute. For an extra $20 per person, i'd say its a memorable experience.

BC'S LARGEST WINE CELLAR

Mr. F and I didn't order any additional alcohol other than the Vodka shots, but we didn't didn't find out about Bearfoot Bistro's amazing wine cellar until after dinner. The wine cellar is under the restaurant, its entrance way a discreet and narrow stairway in the middle of the dining room. Housing some of the world's finest and most expensive wine's and champagne, I can't wait to come back again.

Bearfoot Bistro has given me a moment that I cannot forget. Three surprises in one night  merely begins to describe the feeling of that night. The ambiance, the service and the food - you can get absolutely anything you want here: a relaxing lounge, chilled vodka room, any wine and champagne pairing you can name, any seafood and meat, even fresh ice cream. I cannot imagine anything that is missing from this restaurant. Perhaps though, many will argue, you will be missing an inch of paper from your wallet. This dinner was one of the most expensive dinners of my life - but dining is not always just about the food; its also about the atmosphere, the mood you came in with, the people you dine together with and most importantly, its about creating moments that you treasure and remember.

Hear me, one word - unforgettable. 

4121 Village Green
Whistler, BC