A short visit to Vancouver and brunch on the weekends

It's been a while since I've written anything on here and I apologize to all of you for my absence. I guess part of it was that I was busy, part of it was that I'm lazy and most of all, I really haven't done anything really interesting in the last little while.

Recently though, I've going to this little brunch place on Queen St. West called Niche, it's a cute little place west of Bathurst and it makes pretty good omelettes. 

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On this particular visit, I got a single shot latte and their French toast, which was quite nice. The sauce for the toast was very yummy and perfect for dipping the bread. 

They do latte art for those who are into that kind of thing

I know the sauce doesn't look super appetizing, but trust me, it really was a great combination with the bread and don't knock it till you've tried it!

Overall, this has become my favourite go-to brunch place for now and I would definitely recommend anyone else looking for a good cup of coffee or weekend brunch to check them out!

Vancouver

So I had the good fortune to visit Vancouver for a bit a few weeks ago and I was able to document my time while I was there. Unfortunately, it rained every single day while I was there, but at least the weather was warm unlike Toronto, who was experiencing -20C weather at the time.

Vancouver has always been one of my favourite cities ever since my first visit in '06. It was so green, and nice and interesting and it was just a pleasure to be able to go back. As one of the largest cities in Canada, they played host for the Winter Olympics in 2010 and I still have a pair of lovely red mittens from that year.

Part of what they're famous for in Canada is that the city values the environment and being eco-friendly. I saw some green roofs from the window of my hotel and it was a nice break from the concrete jungle.

I wish I was able to take a stroll on the roof...

I had dinner on the first night at Black + Blue, a local steak restaurant in downtown Vancouver.

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It had a nice atmosphere and the lighting inside was very cool. This feels like the kind of place where people go to celebrate their xx wedding anniversary or business people meet for important meetings.

Huge wine selection

The restaurant comprised of two levels and it was nice to be able to look down from the top and see the people below and the colourful bar area.

They had a guy with a mobile drinks station making martinis for people at their tables. I decided to try one of his specialty drinks. 

He was so enthusiastic...how can you say no?

My drink was beautiful and delicious, but I can't remember what it was called :(

I got the "Steak Diane" which was tenderloin medallions in a mushroom sauce with spinach. The meat was very tender and the sauce complimented the meat. 

There were a lot of other things on the menu that I didn't get to try but I would love to go back some day. Even though things were a bit pricey, I would still recommend you to give it a try. After all, how often does one find themselves in that side of the country with access to perfectly cooked steak?

On the second night, I had Malaysian cuisine at Banana Leaf. Because I've never had Malaysian food before and I didn't really know what to get, we decided to get their tasting menu to try a bit of everything. This ended up being a good idea since the dishes were small so you didn't get full from one plate but you still got to eat a lot of different things.

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But what is dinner without a colourful, tropical drink? I got myself a mango smoothie and it was de-lish. 

The starter menu started with a papaya and pineapple salad. It was very light and refreshing, and perfect for a starter. We then had some steamed mussels and the cream sauce was to die for!

I love seafood...yum!

We had a few more dishes including a curry beef,  a prawn dish and sauteed green beans.

Overall, I really liked the Banana Leaf since it was a more casual atmosphere compared to the first night and there was an abundance of choices. The prices were also a bit lower then the night before so I would recommend this for the average tourist.

So I hoped you enjoyed my adventures in Vancouver and hopefully I'll be updating this blog a bit more often over the next couple of months. I'm hoping to see the annual Cherry Blossom bloom at High Park this year so keep an eye out for that. Have a good week everyone!