tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31808864130496238052024-03-14T03:51:08.183-07:00BrewjiMmm...beer.brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-85947173547811244412022-07-09T09:28:00.000-07:002022-07-09T09:28:15.635-07:00Happy Days Pale Ale - Rascals Brewing Company<p>Hey hey hey! How's everybody been? It's been a few trips around the Sun, hasn't it?</p><p>Now, I'm not writing this review for the viewership (because let's be honest, I don't know if I'll ever get back to my peak in 2014) but rather for shits 'n' giggles. In terms of my interactions with the Irish healthcare system, it is <i>leagues </i>ahead of Canada's - especially when it comes to IBD. Enough said.</p><p>I'm well into my 30s now, and permanently residing in a small-ass seaside town outside of Drogheda with my wife and baby -- things have <i>changeddddd</i>.</p><p>Anyway, I thought I'd dip into the stockpile of craft beer I've had <br />stored up over the past few months (I've received loads as gifts - thank you to all of you!). This one's from a Dublin-based brewery called "<b>Rascals Brewing Company</b>". It's called <b>Happy Days (4.1% ABV)</b>, and it's advertised as a "Juicy, Session Pale Ale".</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNNGm3D3-wj-JLaMR1z47-jDq5LP8AlWixRGMLKdME8BqnaMr-zzBvFNe73G8UZRhjVL-AKYWlNeqDt9RBb_C-iDQh-Jp2APTC8TNo2KPoAbOVFrluzCfNYrRM_2b2HAU7bBjH6zCU0VwWBRkXI6TtDj8tBlCoUTj-cW-UIwwrmT5NKhYlu-KIEx7/s4000/Brewji_HappyDays_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNNGm3D3-wj-JLaMR1z47-jDq5LP8AlWixRGMLKdME8BqnaMr-zzBvFNe73G8UZRhjVL-AKYWlNeqDt9RBb_C-iDQh-Jp2APTC8TNo2KPoAbOVFrluzCfNYrRM_2b2HAU7bBjH6zCU0VwWBRkXI6TtDj8tBlCoUTj-cW-UIwwrmT5NKhYlu-KIEx7/w640-h480/Brewji_HappyDays_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Days Pale Ale by Rascals Brewing Company<br />Photo: Brewji</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>On first pour, it's got this beautiful golden-yellow straw colour to it. It had about a half-inch of head which dissipated almost entirely within a few seconds. On sniff, I can pick up a hint of tropical fruit along with some hops, but the hops aren't so apparent on the nose.</p><p>Now, for that first sip - my first flashback was the outdoor patio at the Hop and Vine Pub in Burnaby, B.C. I don't know why (maybe because those were happy days too?), because it's definitely not a crisp, ultra-sessionable lager, but it's definitely got a sip of enjoyment to it.</p><p>It's not too intense on any part of the spectrum. The fruitiness is well balanced by the strength of the hops without being pulled too far in either direction. The mouthfeel (what a strange word) is in the middle-ground, meaning it's not as thin and easy-going as a typical lager, but also not as bold as some of the hoppier or darker pale ales. It's not off-putting, but it's noticeable. </p><p>That's the thing about this beer, is it's not off-putting by any means, but each element of the brew is noticeable. Maybe it's just because I haven't had any real craft beer tasting in what, SIX YEARS? That's mainly thanks to my involvement with a certain "real ale" organization which were so full of 'beer snobs' it turned me off to craft beer for a couple of years. I'll happily drink a pint of mainstream lager if there's nothing else available (except Molson 67 (does that even exist anymore), just...no.).</p><p><b>The TL;DR Verdict</b></p><p>Before I forget -- this is a pint which I'd be okay with drinking in a pub, although I likely wouldn't go out of my way to order it myself as my <i>first</i> pour. I'd happily take a half-pint but then I'd want to taste one-of-everything (it's just who I am).</p><p>That being said, it's got the taste and texture, and it's sessionable enough that I'd give it a<b> did-I-just-post-a-craft-beer-review-in-2022-what-is-happening 7.0 out of 10</b>.</p><p>My wife "I like my lagers" Tammy gives it a <b>"3, or no, 4, I give it a 4" out of 10</b>.</p>brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-72691776791177532082018-04-20T01:57:00.000-07:002018-04-20T03:11:34.413-07:00Delicious Budget-Friendly Vegan Chili!Hey all,<br />
<br />
I think I've stumbled across one of my best recipes yet. I know I haven't ever really posted a recipe on Brewji, but seeing where my health and life have taken me the past few months...this is where I am now.<br />
<br />
Just to get it out of the way: <b>Yes. This chili is Vegan. It's also gluten-free and soy-free.</b><br />
I also don't add any sugar or thickener. All sugars in this recipe are naturally occurring.<br />
<br />
Why? Because this is what's been working with my Crohn's.<br />
<br />
Ever since I switched to a mostly plant-based diet in August of last year, I've felt a bit better and the GI doctor reported "there doesn't appear to be much – or any active inflammation at the moment, but there are still signs of narrowing (scar tissue) present from past episodes."<br />
<br />
---<br />
<br />
Now down to business.<br />
<br />
I've been searching for a great vegan chili recipe all over the internet, but a lot of them call for veggies that I can't digest, soy products, added sugar and / or gluten-based thickening products.<br />
<br />
Finally, I took matters into my own hands and have been experimenting for the past couple of months (my poor wife has had to deal with it) and we've found a winner. Thanks to her suggestion of adding sweetcorn, there is no need to thicken this chili.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4RJTEJx_mhCiqdo7CSNm6231gJ76CMumCm2TjnarvKPJPRHwK-Kp8z0pSeHxwIYd8XkJkRyJeIi4O158bI988CF6-VUulwP_AWuXYIsDiNFVRvnotPG5VrdAn2HYtsaFGXaWIPkiohk/s1600/IMG_20180419_153717_359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4RJTEJx_mhCiqdo7CSNm6231gJ76CMumCm2TjnarvKPJPRHwK-Kp8z0pSeHxwIYd8XkJkRyJeIi4O158bI988CF6-VUulwP_AWuXYIsDiNFVRvnotPG5VrdAn2HYtsaFGXaWIPkiohk/s640/IMG_20180419_153717_359.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegan Gluten-Free Soy-Free Chili @ Brewji Dublin<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
<br /><span style="font-size: large;">Brewji Vegan Gluten-free Soy-free Chili:</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Total estimated cost for
entire recipe: €3.55</b> ($5.55 CAD)</span><br />
<b style="font-family: inherit;">Serves 5</b><br />
<b style="font-family: inherit;">Cost per serving: €0.71</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> ($1.11 CAD)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Cost calculations are based on the purchase price of the full ingredient. Numbers are in EUR (€).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">INGREDIENTS:</span></b><br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-insideh: none; mso-border-insidev: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">- 1 tablespoon sunflower
oil<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 cents<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
- <span style="font-family: inherit;">1 medium red onion<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">12
cents<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
- <span style="font-family: inherit;">2 tablespoons garlic
puree (I use Al Noor brand)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">5
cents<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
- <span style="font-family: inherit;">¼ teaspoon hot red
chili flakes (use more if you can handle it)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1
cent<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
- <span style="font-family: inherit;">3 large celery
stalks, diced finely (1/2 cm or thinner)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">19
cents<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
- <span style="font-family: inherit;">¾ red bell pepper,
seeded and diced<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">17
cents<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
- <span style="font-family: inherit;">1
can (400mL) diced / chopped tomatoes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">45
cents<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
- <span style="font-family: inherit;">½ vegetable stock
cube with 250mL hot water (I use Tesco brand) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">5
cents<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
- <span style="font-family: inherit;">6
tablespoons (90 mL) tomato paste<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">45
cents<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
- <span style="font-family: inherit;">1
can (400 mL) kidney or black beans, drained and rinsed<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">70
cents<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
- <span style="font-family: inherit;">1
can (400 mL) navy beans or green lentils, drained and rinsed<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">70
cents<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
- <span style="font-family: inherit;">1
can (325mL) sweetcorn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">31
cents<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
- <span style="font-family: inherit;">2
tablespoons mild chili powder (or hot if you prefer)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">20
cents<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
- <span style="font-family: inherit;">2
teaspoons ground cumin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">8
cents<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
- <span style="font-family: inherit;">1
teaspoon dried oregano<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4
cents<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
- <span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2
teaspoon ground sea salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1
cent</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br />METHOD</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">:</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ol>
<li>Using a large pot, sautee your garlic puree and onion at medium-high heat until the onion starts to become soft (5-6 minutes). Give it a stir.</li>
<li>Add the diced red bell pepper, celery and the hot chili flakes. Sautee and cook down for 7 minutes to soften up the veggies a bit without losing their bite.</li>
<li>Add the vegetable broth (stock cube + boiling water), the can of tomatoes and the tomato paste. Mix the combination together well and increase the heat slightly to a higher "medium-high" heat. Let it cook for 2 minutes.</li>
<li>Add the rinsed and drained Black beans, Green lentils and Sweetcorn along with the spices (chili powder, cumin and Italian herb seasoning). Stir together well.</li>
<li>Simmer uncovered on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes (the longer the softer the veggies will be).</li>
<li>Turn off heat and serve with rice, corn tortilla chips, or quinoa for a vegan, gluten-free and soy-free complete meal!</li>
</ol>
<br />
<b>Tips:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Chili will keep well in the fridge for 3 days</li>
<li>For a complex carb & plant-based protein powerhouse, serve with brown basmati rice</li>
<li>I did all my shopping at Tesco in Dublin. You could probably find some ingredients cheaper at other stores (Aldi / Lidl in Ireland or Walmart / Costco in Canada)</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVs6smFeNokxvH820u8U_5acYVsSjMXNkWOM_nD5gUVyramIVo5aZbz-dTOtbNQlEzrfAljEbHL7mJbvb_xvcsfcfy5trBSr8CNb6oDwXTWmy3ALuy8x5xGjoQYpgFowBmildugYHWsM/s1600/IMG_20180420_102927_edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVs6smFeNokxvH820u8U_5acYVsSjMXNkWOM_nD5gUVyramIVo5aZbz-dTOtbNQlEzrfAljEbHL7mJbvb_xvcsfcfy5trBSr8CNb6oDwXTWmy3ALuy8x5xGjoQYpgFowBmildugYHWsM/s640/IMG_20180420_102927_edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegan Gluten-Free Soy-Free Chili @ Brewji Dublin<br />Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">NUTRITION INFORMATION</span></b><br />
Keep in mind these are estimates!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>PER SERVING (5 servings per recipe)</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-insideh: none; mso-border-insidev: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 54.9pt;" valign="top" width="92"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Calories<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="83"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">263<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 54.9pt;" valign="top" width="92"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Carbs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="83"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">36.5g<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 54.9pt;" valign="top" width="92"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Sugars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="83"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">11.8g<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 54.9pt;" valign="top" width="92"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Fat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="83"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">5.4g<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 54.9pt;" valign="top" width="92"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Protein<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="83"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">13.6g<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 54.9pt;" valign="top" width="92"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Fiber<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="83"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">12.3g</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
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<div>
<b>Comment below if you've tried the recipe, or have any questions about it!</b></div>
brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-87855714591879662392017-03-16T01:32:00.000-07:002017-03-16T01:32:03.120-07:00Bobos Burgers (Abbey St)Well, it's been awhile since my last post. I've been enjoying so much Kerala Kitchen and Kanum Thai lately that I haven't had a chance to get out and try anything new. Plus, those places have been generally safe for my gut, with so many gluten-, soy-, and dairy-free options on their menus.<br />
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Speaking of safe, my gut was in turmoil a week or so ago, so the abundance of new food has been sparse at best. Keeping things ultra-safe has been a top priority lately.<br />
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However, this morning I had to visit the blood clinic at a local hospital to get my blood-work done. After fasting from 7:30pm the night before, all the way to about 12 noon today, you can imagine how decaffeinated and hungry my body was.<br />
<br />
What better-feeling way to replace calories, than to take on a gluten-free burger at a new burger joint? Tammy and I went to <b><a href="http://www.bobos.ie/menus.html" target="_blank">Bobos Burgers</a></b>, in Dublin 1 on Abbey Street.<br />
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We'd heard great things about the place, and we even won "free burgers" through a Facebook post/contest thing. However, the vouchers expired months ago and they were only good Monday to Wednesday, during working hours. We were initially a little put off by this, but I was so hungry today and I wanted one of those burgers that I saw in the pictures—I got one.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIqzblq42y5qrUh61qg3lnNY3EzlG-F_CRn7EdmdSTnqzXs7rVnSuJwPY6HcrId8NU_HBvnkAVIYe0M1NphcIOJqB9w3CwoRNRhCqok0tVYm02GmlCQ6st6xcBlTnkuIZSvcOoXAyiUA/s1600/bobos3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIqzblq42y5qrUh61qg3lnNY3EzlG-F_CRn7EdmdSTnqzXs7rVnSuJwPY6HcrId8NU_HBvnkAVIYe0M1NphcIOJqB9w3CwoRNRhCqok0tVYm02GmlCQ6st6xcBlTnkuIZSvcOoXAyiUA/s640/bobos3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sex on the Farm @ Bobos Burgers, Abbey St</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I ordered the "<b>Sex on the Farm</b>" burger, with beef mince chili, Dubliner cheddar, a 7oz prime patty, lettuce, tomato, red onion, jalapeno red pepper sauce, and a bit of creme fraiche to top it all off—on a gluten-free bun. It was mega-sized.<br />
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I had to tackle this burger in two-bite sequences to start, alternating between bottom-half and top-half bites.<br />
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The flavour? <i>Oh my god</i>. Right away, this burger blew my previous 'perfect ten' out the window. It's like when you finally don't have to use a rubber and you know for a fact there's no risk involved. I don't think I can go back to regular burgers anymore! (*deep breath*) Let's just say I remember picking the burger up, stuffing it into my face and enjoying every moment of it, and then it was gone. <br />
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Oh, and we got a portion of chunky chips, too. They were proper chips. We added salt and pepper to taste.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu92eJC-tloBQP9i8cFjF4HlGVJBJvwr8vsMLY4OrlBTOflgoulhFfrvPgcIF3E7CO0e2FM1-PO7GZWhOiPVslKS1uBrzyzeLFjmlywO_G19emoDvxd_BEoDhnATtmc04rMqpRoBXX1HQ/s1600/bobos4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="579" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu92eJC-tloBQP9i8cFjF4HlGVJBJvwr8vsMLY4OrlBTOflgoulhFfrvPgcIF3E7CO0e2FM1-PO7GZWhOiPVslKS1uBrzyzeLFjmlywO_G19emoDvxd_BEoDhnATtmc04rMqpRoBXX1HQ/s640/bobos4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chunky Chips @ Bobos Burgers, Abbey St</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Tammy got "<b>The Applewood</b>", which she found absolutely incredible. She said the only imperfection was the apple relish was a teeny bit too sweet for her taste.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQk40CgJUn3rTkSDKz-lL0SpzGba7BMZ_zk0D7c-DjMQP-4t90Gt7M-6JlfZkysiUwVPfDB23sVhRet6wveZloPqxrtT4tmoqc-fBttgBp54n6HPfoqMouRtnm1MKIU_9JObCEzBcVaOE/s1600/bobos2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQk40CgJUn3rTkSDKz-lL0SpzGba7BMZ_zk0D7c-DjMQP-4t90Gt7M-6JlfZkysiUwVPfDB23sVhRet6wveZloPqxrtT4tmoqc-fBttgBp54n6HPfoqMouRtnm1MKIU_9JObCEzBcVaOE/s640/bobos2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Applewood @ Bobos Burgers, Abbey St</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I can safely say my burps tasted delicious, and my hands smelled like chili for the next while (and it made me so happy!). Oh, and I forgot to mention our service was pretty decent as well. We were a little rushed on the ordering, but that was our own fault. I said I was ready to order but I clearly needed more time (they have so much choice!).<br />
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Side note: Yes I understand there's dairy in the burger. I'm currently paying for it as I write this. But, I knew the risks ahead of time and it was my choice to take on pain for pleasure. This was sooo worth the lactose-intolerant aftermath.<br />
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We also ordered coffee, and it was pretty solid. As a Vancouverite (much like those from Seattle), I'm allowed to be picky with my coffee. I liked it here!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjB6genBoptgczqY3BkhT5NJ-WxFHTA8ZP4tDs26eVRFyNoVtgC3eA0z-uTlsbjeanmU3mQaO8tTdtvgdGcczyX2HQGCfRXAI2ymRMnJxdwEw5MkCJRUo2NQHn4VdBJWkEzXrvNyPxPiA/s1600/bobos1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjB6genBoptgczqY3BkhT5NJ-WxFHTA8ZP4tDs26eVRFyNoVtgC3eA0z-uTlsbjeanmU3mQaO8tTdtvgdGcczyX2HQGCfRXAI2ymRMnJxdwEw5MkCJRUo2NQHn4VdBJWkEzXrvNyPxPiA/s640/bobos1.jpg" width="376" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee @ Bobos Burgers, Abbey St</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<center>
<b>Bobos Burgers: </b>50 Shades of Burger Bliss<br />
<table cellpadding="10px" frame="box">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Food:</span></td>
<td><span style="color: green; font-size: large;"><b>10</b></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Service:</span></td>
<td><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b>7</b></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Value($):</span></td>
<td><span style="color: green; font-size: large;"><b>9.5</b></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Would we return?</span></td>
<td><b><span style="color: green; font-size: large;">YES</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-29942358194595551092017-02-24T00:40:00.000-08:002017-02-26T02:22:12.682-08:00Top 3 Donut Shops in DublinAlright, I don't know what's gotten into me but lately I became a little obsessed with donuts in Dublin.<br />
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Ever since we stopped in at The Rolling Donut, Tammy and I decided that we wanted to see what all the fuss is about with all these different donut shops around us. So, on Valentine's Day I surprised her with Off Beat Donuts. Then, a few days later we decided to drop into Boston Donuts and have a couple of their offerings.<br />
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This list ranks the donut shops, with the best appearing at #1.<br />
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Let's get to the donuts, shall we?<br />
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<h2>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">#3. The Rolling Donut</span></b></h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSY-DrDVP7wuxpKxbFBcj4Yp4LnRMkQaVHY2f3eKB6zzPikacytxllC1LsNI4aVCG6fXpD9kXjP8KJeE-BbtucTKKlJ4eL7r11jd3Wb13OCDrzigpCyZGZMaFnfquctp6uJ89wsHiCySE/s1600/Donut2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSY-DrDVP7wuxpKxbFBcj4Yp4LnRMkQaVHY2f3eKB6zzPikacytxllC1LsNI4aVCG6fXpD9kXjP8KJeE-BbtucTKKlJ4eL7r11jd3Wb13OCDrzigpCyZGZMaFnfquctp6uJ89wsHiCySE/s640/Donut2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 for €8 Box from The Rolling Donut<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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You may have seen me post about this place before. Why? They're the first 'fancy' donuts I've had. I don't think I've ever paid more than $2.50 CAD for a donut, because they don't cost that much in Canada—even at Starbucks.<br />
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Well, Tammy and I had a sh!t experience at McKenzie's in Stephen's Green, so we decided to go on a redemption mission for our day. How? We wandered into The Rolling Donut. We got a box of three to go.<br />
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Donuts are €3 each, or 3 for €8.<br />
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In short, these bad boys will dent your wallet (especially if you're going for just one). Three Euros translates to roughly $4.50 CAD for one donut, or the price of three donuts and a small coffee at Tim Hortons.<br />
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Let's see how The Rolling Donut stands up to the test:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIvs2DP9o_wBsBzxHrVEYcs3I9GcaNgybwIpJbn3HA0iEr6vHATu2rYNHP6GgiwLCDvAsmy0pZwjZrsK4sj-9h7Q6NfGgp7Z0w26tFBMyW3SyH9RXc7mXRUez_V0Ccae4IHRaubVct9ZE/s1600/Donut3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIvs2DP9o_wBsBzxHrVEYcs3I9GcaNgybwIpJbn3HA0iEr6vHATu2rYNHP6GgiwLCDvAsmy0pZwjZrsK4sj-9h7Q6NfGgp7Z0w26tFBMyW3SyH9RXc7mXRUez_V0Ccae4IHRaubVct9ZE/s400/Donut3.jpg" width="400" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">a) Peanut Butter and Chocolate</span></b></div>
While gorgeous, with its size and crushed peanuts on top, this donut did have its pitfalls. The dough was a bit chewy, and as you can see, this donut was 2/3 filling. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but in this case the filling was really dense. <br />
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Imagine the texture of Nutella that's been in the fridge. So you get the chewy dough-y donut with a nice chocolate icing and crushed peanuts on top, then you get to the centre where you gotta put in a little effort to bite through it.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5HcphMl8OgSLMuWW0xMBw2GWjcyMPqQsgCgS-GOnc1z7ytUuWucCqjpS2ZjZjEYvj5xnKGIAjSVZnHU6crJ3iArQSgzmLHmeJ3giK7BHjokSyBlqElE2gjXVO4BxEdCDvbZxfE3Cf6VA/s1600/Donut3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5HcphMl8OgSLMuWW0xMBw2GWjcyMPqQsgCgS-GOnc1z7ytUuWucCqjpS2ZjZjEYvj5xnKGIAjSVZnHU6crJ3iArQSgzmLHmeJ3giK7BHjokSyBlqElE2gjXVO4BxEdCDvbZxfE3Cf6VA/s400/Donut3a.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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All in all, the taste was great, but texture-wise next time I'd pass.<br />
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<i>Me: 6.0 / 10</i><br />
<i>Tammy: 7.0 / 10</i><br />
_____________________________<br />
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<div style="text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSGSRD0H-qRpzHQFxF4W6eWybNXP3ghxwM1_tjU4VapeCaSVRKjoffC-g8XWF24yNzMMRMAcMPxwYnu-XTP1F56LL8DjAui0TwLfecEFA0Why951LFOJy3ZkeKqE_vAVatLTl-tn_s_8/s1600/Donut3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSGSRD0H-qRpzHQFxF4W6eWybNXP3ghxwM1_tjU4VapeCaSVRKjoffC-g8XWF24yNzMMRMAcMPxwYnu-XTP1F56LL8DjAui0TwLfecEFA0Why951LFOJy3ZkeKqE_vAVatLTl-tn_s_8/s400/Donut4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">b) Coffee Lovers</span></b><br />
We saw the name contained the word "Coffee" and we had to go for it. We're sort of like children that way. Plus, you see pecans on the top of a donut labelled with coffee...and, you get it.<br />
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Again, this donut is gorgeous on the outside. It's got a white, vanilla frosting with some pecans on top. The donut dough is the same as the previous, and inside there's a much thinner filling than the last donut.<br />
However, the taste is incredible. Flavours of coffee and sugar erupt through the filling, with notes of coffee liqueur and caramel.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvC2yFARYrf5V1E2qEDtoY7bnlMQQtquzKyno-wXelvl3sGGD2P6mNBn6LkM1MmQhBd2XIJUGSk4FNvKIAZ4kaRpVnWNj4CfmUZaK-sA-aVxBFNyk5IrkQiWv_WbVNqSw5z4GWuTh-REA/s1600/Donut4a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvC2yFARYrf5V1E2qEDtoY7bnlMQQtquzKyno-wXelvl3sGGD2P6mNBn6LkM1MmQhBd2XIJUGSk4FNvKIAZ4kaRpVnWNj4CfmUZaK-sA-aVxBFNyk5IrkQiWv_WbVNqSw5z4GWuTh-REA/s400/Donut4a.jpg" width="400" /></a>If you love coffee (who doesn't?) and donuts, make this your first if you pay a visit to The Rolling Donut.<br />
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<i><br /></i>
<i>Me: 9.0 / 10</i><br />
<i>Tammy: 9.0 / 10</i><br />
_____________________________<br />
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<div style="text-align: right;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PjQM6eqwZeMBrEnE8pWaSoXEhiUvYG9C2URvPnoDyL0vsM8QWtyAM9UIf8pvYpsM9Gx_mMcQ8-I13KUXE5xg-Q3-rhNtJuopdW48p2taKZU0SsULS_moNSQIEqyKP4jpksL5rNs_XIQ/s1600/Donut5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PjQM6eqwZeMBrEnE8pWaSoXEhiUvYG9C2URvPnoDyL0vsM8QWtyAM9UIf8pvYpsM9Gx_mMcQ8-I13KUXE5xg-Q3-rhNtJuopdW48p2taKZU0SsULS_moNSQIEqyKP4jpksL5rNs_XIQ/s400/Donut5.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">c) Banoffee</span></b><br />
Now, initially we'd really liked this donut, a lot. But, you know the feeling when you find something better and you just can't go back to what you once liked putting in your mouth?<br />
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I'll say that before I had this donut, I'd never tasted Banoffee in my life. I was essentially asking "WTF is Banoffee?" Then, Tammy told me.<br />
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As I described to Tammy, the donut had a similar dough to the others, had a chocolate-toffee icing on top, and the middle tasted like a banana bread, banana-icing, and frosting all mixed together.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieb0X3djz8EzE8IiIDM8vEHjwgWOJn9VZHAaAchY1LVVIo4ixYu45vpZZZUFLr-4ig_Kn3gv3Dtzd3XlX-7CUsfp3Ht_ulscCvGazGrmVGLMEIsfBFs-MxL97SWXGM09KaH_Kf280xpc8/s1600/Donut5a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieb0X3djz8EzE8IiIDM8vEHjwgWOJn9VZHAaAchY1LVVIo4ixYu45vpZZZUFLr-4ig_Kn3gv3Dtzd3XlX-7CUsfp3Ht_ulscCvGazGrmVGLMEIsfBFs-MxL97SWXGM09KaH_Kf280xpc8/s400/Donut5a.jpg" width="400" /></a>The only problem? They were really skimpy on the filling. This cross-section photo looks good, but that's essentially all the filling that was in the donut, and there's not much behind there.<br />
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The flavours are great, but I wish there was more! All I got was dough and disappointment.<br />
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Me: 4.0 / 10<br />
Tammy: 6.0 / 10<br />
_____________________________<br />
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<center>
<b>The Rolling Donut: </b>...I guess you'll do.<br />
<table cellpadding="10px" frame="box">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Food:</span></td>
<td><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b>6.5</b></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Service:</span></td>
<td><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">7</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Value($):</span></td>
<td><span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><b>4</b></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Would we return?</span></td>
<td><b><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">MEH</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">#2. Boston Donuts</span></h2>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwzdMSShWQYzzDTesz8B5UNfojPxEM-h_9GfxqfhDdmY6kW63wBFtN9M_RynQj1AK0tomP3yB4x1QhV-NIIVMc0-9Rk7p3EP6amUtuoV06PuMhKDPIWUp6KrOmK7td71OrAv1rbmtdzM/s1600/BostonDonuts_edited_final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwzdMSShWQYzzDTesz8B5UNfojPxEM-h_9GfxqfhDdmY6kW63wBFtN9M_RynQj1AK0tomP3yB4x1QhV-NIIVMc0-9Rk7p3EP6amUtuoV06PuMhKDPIWUp6KrOmK7td71OrAv1rbmtdzM/s640/BostonDonuts_edited_final.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 for €5 Box from Boston Donuts<br />
Photo: Brewji<img height="16" id="ag6qius7taw4" src="data:image/gif;base64,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" width="16" /></td></tr>
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You might see these shops scattered about town. In fact, this was probably the first 'fancy' donut place that I saw here in Dublin, and thought "damn, I want a donut".<br />
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As you can see, we're already doing better than The Rolling Donut. Let's see how Boston Donuts stacks up. Here's a secret: They're better than the Bruins will ever be.<br />
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You can get a pack of 2 donuts for €5. I don't remember how much one costs...and they don't have prices on their website. That's a pet peeve right there.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">a) Nutella</span></b><br />
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKfDbGoj6rtgr-kiMOgAHoIziSZDIXZyRw19OT7NpCcKe7EqVKXMli46sZ3n1xgO6dnzNMHjSkCj2yBbCwGFDn9lwDO2Ng9SbRKKnqrkN6NWjA7KWueqNUuyGse6b9hkhYsSWtB6bMzI/s1600/BostonNutella_edited_final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKfDbGoj6rtgr-kiMOgAHoIziSZDIXZyRw19OT7NpCcKe7EqVKXMli46sZ3n1xgO6dnzNMHjSkCj2yBbCwGFDn9lwDO2Ng9SbRKKnqrkN6NWjA7KWueqNUuyGse6b9hkhYsSWtB6bMzI/s400/BostonNutella_edited_final.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></div>
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You don't have to do much to convince me that I'm going to want anything labelled "Nutella." I've loved the stuff as long as I can remember. I know it's got loads of dairy, but pain and bloating are trade-offs that can be fought through...for the deliciousness.<br />
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The first thing I noticed about this donut was that the quality of the dough knocks The Rolling Donut out of the park! Perhaps the ingredients were fresh? Or better? Either way, it's the same as comparing a Guinness that's sat out overnight from one poured fresh from the tap. That's how much better the dough is.<br />
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Sadly, there's nothing to this donut. I mean sure, the quality of the dough is there, but it's really just an overpriced plain donut with a bit of chocolate icing that sort of tasted like Nutella on top.<br />
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But at least the dough of the donut was good. That's a solid 5 points right there. No extra points from me though...you only got half of what you labelled on the product. Okay fine, half a point for the crushed hazelnuts on top.<br />
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<i>Me: 5.5 / 10</i><br />
<i>Tammy: 5.0 / 10</i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">b) Banoffee</span></b><br />
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What did I say earlier? That donut from The Rolling Donut called "Banoffee" didn't have enough filling. That's right. Their donut was all dough, no substance.<br />
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Well, step aside! In comes the Boston Donuts Banoffee.<br />
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With the higher quality dough, the perfect sweetness in the icing and the toffee drizzle, this is a new league of donut when it comes to banoffee.<br />
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Tammy was absolutely shocked at how much better this was than The Rolling Donut. The whipped topping in the middle had a lot of banana flavour, and mixed with the sweetness of the frosting and the drizzle make it so delicious. Hands down, a favourite.<br />
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If you go into Boston Donuts, and you love anything about bananas, toffee, or this so-called banoffee...this is a definite go-to.<br />
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<i>Me: 9.0 / 10</i><br />
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<i>Tammy: 9.5</i><i> / 10</i><br />
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<b>Boston Donuts: </b>Better dough, best Banoffee.<br />
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<td><span style="font-size: large;">Food:</span></td>
<td><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b>7</b></span></td>
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<td><span style="font-size: large;">Service:</span></td>
<td><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">7</span></b></td>
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<td><span style="font-size: large;">Value($):</span></td>
<td><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b>7</b></span></td>
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<td><span style="font-size: large;">Would we return?</span></td>
<td><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">PROBS</span></b></td></tr>
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">#1 Off Beat Donuts</span></h2>
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On February 13th, I finally got access to my first bank account in Ireland. This meant that I had to act fast to be able to not make a disappointment of myself. We don't really do much on Valentine's anyway, as it *is* a corporate holiday to set unrealistic expectations and make single people feel like crap.<br />
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When you're Tammy and me, most days are what people claim "Valentine's Day" should be.<br />
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That aside—Off Beat Donuts! I went to Fresh to pick up some specialty grocery items and found they had a donut shop. What I didn't know is that it was Off the Beat.<br />
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They have some donuts for €2 and some for €3. They do have a deal of three, six, or twelve which comes out to €2 each. Of course, I had to get three. And then I went back a couple days later and got three more! But out of the six, there were only five different ones...you'll see why there was a repeat.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>First Up: Apple Crumble</b></span><br />
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I don't want to give it away, but what you see pictured here is essentially the holy grail of donuts. If you like apple pie, apples, donuts, sweet things or if you've ever been happy at any point in your life—you'll like this donut.<br />
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The dough is a perfect density, flavour, and texture. The icing is glazed on top, with the drips of extra sweetness clinging to the sides, topped with a crumble topping you'd see on a real apple crumble.<br />
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The filling is exactly what you'd get on the inside of an apple pie. I'm not kidding. You bite into this donut and enter a world where apple crumble, donut, and apple pie mend into one glorious pop of flavour heaven. If I had one last donut I could ever eat, this would be it.<br />
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<b><i>Me: Perfect 10 / 10</i></b><br />
<b><i>Tammy: Perfect 10 / 10</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Second: Apple Caramel</b></span><br />
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While I liked the Apple Crumble donut the best, this one came in as a close second in our initial box of three. Replace the crumble topping with a thick layer of chewy, gooey caramel and a dollop of apple pie filling on top.<br />
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Bite into this centre for more apple pie filling and smother it on your taste buds with the decadent, caramel icing. I'm drooling just writing this!<br />
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Have we already established the dough quality? Beyond comparison. Winning all around.<br />
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<b><i>Me: 9.0 / 10</i></b><br />
<b><i>Tammy: 9.5 / 10</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Third: Cinnamon Sugar</b></span><br />
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Time to settle down just a little bit. Perhaps something not so ridiculous and over-the-top? Let's see how well they handle a classic.<br />
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This is your standard cinnamon sugar donut, enlarged and made with Off Beat's incredible dough. I mean, it's above average, yes...but they have far superior donuts I'd rather go for.<br />
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<b><i>Me: 7.0 / 10</i></b><br />
<b><i>Tammy: 7.5 / 10</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Fourth: Jam Donut</b></span><br />
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This is the one Tammy was looking forward to the most. If there's anything she misses about Vancouver, a precious Breka jam donut cracks her Top 5.<br />
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Note: If you're in Vancouver and you've never been to Breka, what are you doing with your life?<br />
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Does this stack up? Well, she says it was super tasty and delicious—but there's no beating a Breka jam donut. For me, I thought it was quite delicious too. Alas, I do prefer Breka.<br />
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<b><i>Me: 8.5 / 10</i></b><br />
<b><i>Tammy: 8.0 / 10</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Fifth: Ferraro Rocher</b></span><br />
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This one's mine. All mine.<br />
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Tammy's not the biggest fan of Nutella, and she's not super crazy about Ferraro Rocher either. Well, that just means more for me!<br />
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This donut has it all. If you want chocolate-Nutella icing, shaped to look like someone with a messy comb-over, you got it. You want some walnut chopped and sprinked on top? You got it.<br />
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Does it have the taste of the perfect dough, combined with the icing, and Nutella on the inside?<br />
Sort of.<br />
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What's that? A FERRARO ROCHER ON THE INSIDE. How can you not try this donut? Add this one (along with the Apple Crumble) to your must-try list. If you don't like Ferraro Rocher or Nutella...you can still buy one, just hand it to me.<br />
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<b><i>Me: 10 / 10</i></b><br />
<b><i>Tammy: 7.5 / 10</i></b><br />
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<b>Off Beat Donuts: </b>The Holy Grail of Dublin's Donuts<br />
<table cellpadding="10px" frame="box">
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<td><span style="font-size: large;">Food:</span></td>
<td><span style="color: green; font-size: large;"><b>9.5</b></span></td>
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<td><span style="font-size: large;">Service:</span></td>
<td><span style="color: green; font-size: large;"><b>9</b></span></td>
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<td><span style="font-size: large;">Value($):</span></td>
<td><span style="color: green; font-size: large;"><b>9</b></span></td>
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<td><span style="font-size: large;">Would we return?</span></td>
<td><b><span style="color: green; font-size: large;">YES</span></b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/dublin/offbeat-donuts-south-city-east" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about OffBeat Donuts, Brewji and other Restaurants in Dublin" target="_blank"><img alt="The Link Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16502964/minilink" style="border:none;width:130px;height:36px;padding:0px;" /></a>
brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-61380349144591440532017-02-20T00:37:00.000-08:002017-02-20T01:05:10.241-08:00Kerala KitchenNow, I've been craving Indian food since I got to Ireland. I mean, sure, we've made stuff at home...but nothing has really stood out—even in Dublin.<br />
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Enter Kerala Kitchen, an Indian restaurant that started small and finally has a permanent location on the quaint Upper Baggot Street, in Dublin 4.</div>
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We weren't expecting anything more than 'above average', as we've heard some good things from reviews on the web. I've grown up with Indian food, so I figured I've had it as good as I can get it. We were surely surprised!</div>
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I never really mentioned it, but Tammy and I were going out for dinner because today marks six months since we tied the knot! We had Indian food on our wedding day, so I figured it was only fitting that we have Indian food today as well.</div>
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When we arrived, we were greeted pretty warmly. They were very friendly, and even the Manager came out to say hello! Arun, the Manager, gave us recommendations and got to know us. The dining area is upstairs and on the smaller side. This means it's a bit more intimate, but has a wonderful feel in the atmosphere. He said at Kerala Kitchen, they pride themselves on the quality of their food above all else.</div>
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Alright—onto the food!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohH5R49LQLpiPduvwTFtpS3cJhGhPPgVYytGQKPQdRYxXn6Z4y_b50pQZChzXSOoarDC7rj6PG-ymg0bAgcT0GceP8byFwYJhVAxQ7Lo2TE0_aPRAejab6XbIAd-GyuQZp5daUy8mLIg/s1600/Full_Entourage_edit_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohH5R49LQLpiPduvwTFtpS3cJhGhPPgVYytGQKPQdRYxXn6Z4y_b50pQZChzXSOoarDC7rj6PG-ymg0bAgcT0GceP8byFwYJhVAxQ7Lo2TE0_aPRAejab6XbIAd-GyuQZp5daUy8mLIg/s640/Full_Entourage_edit_small.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lamb Seekh Kebabs, Dal Curry, Chattinad Curry, Onion Bhaji, and Pulao Rice<br />
@ Kerala Kitchen, 5 Upper Baggot Street, Dublin 4<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
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Tammy and I went all out: we got two starters and two mains, with two sides.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1n8ed0p_kcG6NDBjj8e6jwQPjX043CEiUZF3n5zkZZS-V-exu3ww-uP5hjYTUM1ccWnX4rmgR-fyx_26Tif4ELCCVlEKUz9B5OZ6r2eQVpU3CY_SJMLcQ1Em7BhdnLfCfe5L-0qxj2iA/s1600/Poppadums_edit_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1n8ed0p_kcG6NDBjj8e6jwQPjX043CEiUZF3n5zkZZS-V-exu3ww-uP5hjYTUM1ccWnX4rmgR-fyx_26Tif4ELCCVlEKUz9B5OZ6r2eQVpU3CY_SJMLcQ1Em7BhdnLfCfe5L-0qxj2iA/s640/Poppadums_edit_small.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poppadoms with 3 Dips<br />
@ Kerala Kitchen, 5 Upper Baggot Street, Dublin 4<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
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Before we get to our Starters: the staff realized I was Brewji, and they gave me some complimentary dips to go along with the poppadoms (which are generally complimentary). There were three dips. One tasted like a mango chutney, one tasted like a yogurt-based dip, and one was perhaps a tamarind chutney. I generally love my poppadoms without too much dip, but I couldn't get enough of the mango one.</div>
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<b>Our Starters: Lamb Seekh Kebabs + Onion Bhaji x2</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJC3xHvICe5-ybKcoEY1GrIJV0bu87uoWfxf7ZbdXEK5mKbLmZG4Akon99fY0-ahBBUE40-jE_cQyoWK5SMSAOiSURqb3qeMvJ4IlpomyK9Q-cVcwCU5vqdNyyUxtG4xt60OyYrUqpiwM/s1600/OnionBhaji_edit_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJC3xHvICe5-ybKcoEY1GrIJV0bu87uoWfxf7ZbdXEK5mKbLmZG4Akon99fY0-ahBBUE40-jE_cQyoWK5SMSAOiSURqb3qeMvJ4IlpomyK9Q-cVcwCU5vqdNyyUxtG4xt60OyYrUqpiwM/s640/OnionBhaji_edit_small.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Onion Bhaji + Dip<br />
@Kerala Kitchen, 5 Upper Baggot Street, Dublin 4<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
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<div>
We started with the Onion Bhaji, because the last time we ordered Indian food we had Onion Bhaji and we liked them. However, these were so much better! The Onions were perfectly fried, the right amount of chana flour holding it together, and the onions had that perfect crunch without being overbearing in flavour. The filling made it addicting to the point where I couldn't put it down. It was served with what seemed to be a mint-infused raita. I'm not sure if that's what it was, but it was delicious. I'm normally not a person who gets into the dips or sauces, but I was loading my Bhaji with the stuff. For under €4, you really can't go wrong with this one.</div>
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<i>Tammy: 9.5 / 10</i></div>
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<i>Me: 9.5 / 10</i></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPZLhHqjmcFzYtXp_OVDojFP8Vz9YczUGC7c6WEeJwWWcL6pytB9O28LDIhz-fuJvdF0QzeYMi3Us6f7L-YBo3vNmc4f9edoX6EPcL-NNFm6BQ_Oaq7pWJwiRdporOZR3x5I4ld0jFvZQ/s1600/SeekhKebabs_edit_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPZLhHqjmcFzYtXp_OVDojFP8Vz9YczUGC7c6WEeJwWWcL6pytB9O28LDIhz-fuJvdF0QzeYMi3Us6f7L-YBo3vNmc4f9edoX6EPcL-NNFm6BQ_Oaq7pWJwiRdporOZR3x5I4ld0jFvZQ/s640/SeekhKebabs_edit_small.jpg" width="586" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lamb Seekh Kebabs<br />@ Kerala Kitchen, 5 Upper Baggot Street, Dublin 4<br />Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
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Moving on, we dove into the Lamb Seekh Kebabs. I remember the first bite, so tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned with just the right amount of spice, retaining the juicy flavours of the lamb. Each and every bite was succulent. These kebabs were served with a similar dip to the Bhaji, although perhaps there was a bit of spice in this one? Or maybe it was just the taste of the kebabs. Either way, I was loading this dip onto my food as well! Serious mission accomplished...as I said I'm normally not a dip guy but I couldn't resist. The best Lamb Seekh Kebabs I've ever eaten.</div>
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<i>Tammy: 10 / 10</i></div>
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<i>Me: 10 / 10</i></div>
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<b>Our Mains: Chettinad Chicken Curry + Dal Curry</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvVHb6bzRRg-4zsbj34mpDicU_NAv3l3qbLEZg6PTbxqn_LpD2M5x9viHOwKMp3owIgjx2umPY6tU1K6zTgbWqEUJFmCTJ4jsbbLWU-H-03a2Q7WU2glCez_6tbiW5hmag0Zy0u63iIx4/s1600/Chettinad_edit_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvVHb6bzRRg-4zsbj34mpDicU_NAv3l3qbLEZg6PTbxqn_LpD2M5x9viHOwKMp3owIgjx2umPY6tU1K6zTgbWqEUJFmCTJ4jsbbLWU-H-03a2Q7WU2glCez_6tbiW5hmag0Zy0u63iIx4/s640/Chettinad_edit_small.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chettinad Chicken Curry<br />
@Kerala Kitchen, 5 Upper Baggot Street, Dublin 4<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Brewji</span></td></tr>
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Onto our mains: we chose one chicken dish and one vegetarian. We decided to go with the Chettinad Chicken Curry because the description sounded lovely, and the picture in their online menu looked pretty irresistible (I'm pretty sure my snapshot is pretty good too, eh?). Let me tell you—it tastes way better than it looks. While I ended up sweating bullets due to the heat, I enjoyed this dish thoroughly. It has the most pronounced flavour of anything we ate tonight. This, for me, was the hands down star of the show. I was emotionally engaged with my meal at the point of tasting this dish. </div>
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<i>Tammy: 10 / 10</i></div>
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<i>Me: 10 / 10 * I think it's safe to say I'm in love with this dish. My wife doesn't mind.</i></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-c4fxKT6KXujFpl-dwLUjLp8pqREBK929-lLJhyEOvNRoS_EmLdxVHadLXF6LCgl7AbGv63P12wtAdsWztXQjW-O5gnvh-wVIPQ7IHCsno0YwoeYglDAyIMtuI94bhLWDDh8th2BGhM/s1600/Dal_edit_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-c4fxKT6KXujFpl-dwLUjLp8pqREBK929-lLJhyEOvNRoS_EmLdxVHadLXF6LCgl7AbGv63P12wtAdsWztXQjW-O5gnvh-wVIPQ7IHCsno0YwoeYglDAyIMtuI94bhLWDDh8th2BGhM/s640/Dal_edit_small.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dal Curry<br />
@Kerala Kitchen, 5 Upper Baggot Street, Dublin 4<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Brewji</span></td></tr>
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We ordered the Dal Curry because we didn't want to get too stuffed by having a lamb curry alongside a chicken curry. Plus, if there's ever a day where Tammy and I are both exhausted and we want a quick, easy and nutritious takeaway meal, we might have one. This Dal Curry has four different types of lentils in it, and according to their menu doesn't contain dairy or gluten! This means bonus points for us. We were finding flavours that we didn't even know existed in this Dal Curry.</div>
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When I was little, my mom told me that when she was growing up, Dal Curry (or as she called it, Daar Saag) was a type of food that was eaten by people who didn't have a lot of money. This was because it had two main components: Lentils and a type of cream/milk base. This was something they could cook and the entire village could feel satiated. Well, mom, this is still a staple (except now it's luxurious, too!).</div>
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<i>Tammy: 9.5 / 10</i></div>
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<i>Me: 9.5 / 10</i></div>
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<b>Our Sides: Pulao Rice, one for each of us</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoY1acnE9WaKTxcdi3fvKg1vekjNB8qzFWIp2CD7brSXsmyK2FdGaKa3n0E7kJthHC1aWbV-oXeHyFhHa2ShA5z6EP8tpt27DAa9v9csrqVrrbojauwQ10VfmnQdm8WFFdRHEvRQjHrzI/s1600/PulaoRice_edit_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoY1acnE9WaKTxcdi3fvKg1vekjNB8qzFWIp2CD7brSXsmyK2FdGaKa3n0E7kJthHC1aWbV-oXeHyFhHa2ShA5z6EP8tpt27DAa9v9csrqVrrbojauwQ10VfmnQdm8WFFdRHEvRQjHrzI/s640/PulaoRice_edit_small.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulao Rice<br />
@Kerala Kitchen, 5 Upper Baggot Street, Dublin 4<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Brewji</span></td></tr>
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The Pulao Rice is a seasoned basmati rice, topped with a few fried onions. It's slightly more aromatic and flavourful than plain basmati rice, and only costs an extra 50 cents.</div>
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<b>Bonus:</b> </div>
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At one point while I was eating, the waiter stopped by and I asked for a napkin. I was sweating profusely and I didn't want to appear offensive to the other guests. He apologized for the spice level of the dish (it wasn't even their fault!), but I said no worries, as I usually sweat a lot when eating spicy food. He said okay, handed me a napkin, and I hoped I hadn't offended anyone.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPuwg_oG6F_DmYA8Q-S-8b5l6sFiQnPilmnPbZK-uUaXMnehBwFfcRycIEUVnxbJQgbbZg5leUiPq_XWBByALpV1s3YNkq_ic0jekWCWSWrarpa1_gdz9tlup-erkDxuCdolsz2wPJ378/s1600/KeralanCoconut_edit_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPuwg_oG6F_DmYA8Q-S-8b5l6sFiQnPilmnPbZK-uUaXMnehBwFfcRycIEUVnxbJQgbbZg5leUiPq_XWBByALpV1s3YNkq_ic0jekWCWSWrarpa1_gdz9tlup-erkDxuCdolsz2wPJ378/s640/KeralanCoconut_edit_small.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keralan Coconut Chicken Curry<br />
@Kerala Kitchen, 5 Upper Baggot Street, Dublin 4<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Brewji</span></td></tr>
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Moments later, Arun came around with a complimentary half-portion of the Keralan Coconut Chicken Curry! He said it's similar to the Chettinad, but a little more mild and creamy. I felt bad, as I didn't mean for my sweat to say that anything was wrong. In fact, the Chettinad was my most favourite dish! </div>
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However, this was on another level of its own. It reminded me of the best butter chicken I've ever eaten, but made with coconut cream instead of dairy cream. That, and there was a unique blend of spices that just made it distinct in its own way. It's a beautiful dish that shouldn't be overlooked at all. It's a popular one for a reason!</div>
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<i>Tammy: 10 / 10</i></div>
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<i>Me: 10 / 10</i></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWRbKMWWbOxeORxG8tjhaynC4WWq7Pc1uq7sPG-bg7oCvShj2SRN7OfnQQMa82HWI5cj1qKo2laBzMcaTjk4F4Q7VvKFrgJ52HW31kVWPHnLG4DfdCbx918nwM7TX6ZIyrGWN26je4fQ/s1600/TikkaMasala_edit_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWRbKMWWbOxeORxG8tjhaynC4WWq7Pc1uq7sPG-bg7oCvShj2SRN7OfnQQMa82HWI5cj1qKo2laBzMcaTjk4F4Q7VvKFrgJ52HW31kVWPHnLG4DfdCbx918nwM7TX6ZIyrGWN26je4fQ/s640/TikkaMasala_edit_small.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Tikka Masala<br />
@Kerala Kitchen, 5 Upper Baggot Street, Dublin 4<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Brewji</span></td></tr>
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Earlier when Arun introduced himself in the evening, he'd learned that Tammy's usual go-to Indian dish is Tikka Masala. So, for Tammy, he also brought a half-portion sample of their Chicken Tikka Masala! It's safe to say we'll be returning customers for sure. I love being a blogger!</div>
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Tammy does usually go for the Chicken Tikka Masala. I can't blame her, it's a solid dish that's usually always a safe bet. But when we got some at the table, and Arun said they make a "mean Tikka Masala", I couldn't resist digging in myself. I don't know what it is, maybe the freshness of the ingredients? It felt like we could taste the quality difference between this Tikka Masala versus any we've tried before. This was just a notch higher on the quality scale. I could tell Tammy loved it because by this point she was speechless, and at a state of making quiet noises in awe of the food she'd just had.</div>
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<i>Tammy: 9.5 / 10</i></div>
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<i>Me: 9.5 / 10</i></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9WBAA6yl2K9KD6GdL93cqq_sV5WJvskjxNXB8tEISLTY4lTDWlb1xHxOBy1ROhT_5OZsPp0lDLWgnUQ2jO0h6yIj1qC-mYu0zwA_9clJfecUwbrAxd7lbdRZG3RRcPpI3yV_ZLTQsnk/s1600/Chai_edit_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9WBAA6yl2K9KD6GdL93cqq_sV5WJvskjxNXB8tEISLTY4lTDWlb1xHxOBy1ROhT_5OZsPp0lDLWgnUQ2jO0h6yIj1qC-mYu0zwA_9clJfecUwbrAxd7lbdRZG3RRcPpI3yV_ZLTQsnk/s640/Chai_edit_small.jpg" width="396" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chai<br />
@Kerala Kitchen, 5 Upper Baggot Street, Dublin 4<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Brewji</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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When we decided we were throwing in the towel because we couldn't manage another bite, the waiter happily agreed to pack up our food so we could take the leftovers home. But when he came to pick up the food, he brought over some masala Chai. I don't remember what it was called on the menu, but that's what I've known it as all my life. This was nostalgia in a cup, and it really hit home for me. I felt the tears welling up in my eyes at how happy and emotional I felt. Feels weird to say this, but I felt things I hadn't felt in 20 years. It was like parts of my childhood were fresh memories in my mind.</div>
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Tammy had never smelled or tasted a tea quite like this. I mean sure, it wasn't dairy-free by any means, but it was so delicious! She didn't care, she downed the whole cup. It was the best masala Chai I've had since I was a child. Just as warm, soothing, and hug-in-a-cup as I remember.</div>
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<i>Tammy: 10 / 10</i></div>
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<i>Me: 10 / 10</i></div>
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Okay, I have to make sure I get this across to you guys. <i>I was NOT paid to write this</i>. I'm telling you, this is just the best food I've eaten. This is the best Indian food, the best food from the continent of Asia that I've ever tasted, the best meal I've ever paid for—ever.</div>
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<center>
<b>Kerala Kitchen: </b>Beautiful, Delicious + Made with Love.<br />
<table cellpadding="10px" frame="box">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Food:</span></td>
<td><span style="color: green; font-size: large;"><b>10</b></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Service:</span></td>
<td><b><span style="color: green; font-size: large;">10</span></b></td>
</tr>
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<td><span style="font-size: large;">Value($):</span></td>
<td><span style="color: green; font-size: large;"><b>10</b></span></td>
</tr>
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<td><span style="font-size: large;">Would we return?</span></td>
<td><b><span style="color: green; font-size: large;">OH GOD YES</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-65254445399943087032017-02-17T13:02:00.000-08:002017-02-18T00:39:56.554-08:005 New Brews @ Gasworks Pub<h2>
BREWJI'S BACK, BITCHES!</h2>
For the first time in over a year, I'm doing a night of beer tasting. I'm at the point where a little gluten isn't killing me as bad as it used to. Plus, I can always rely on Buscopan in times of peril. It's something that's apparently not legal in Canada / USA, because it actually works and prevents the need for other medication.<br />
<br />
Anyways, Tammy and I went for beer tasting and a burger at <b>Gasworks Pub</b>, attached to the <b>Grand Canal Hotel</b> in Dublin.<br />
<br />
We ordered a 3-brew taster flight each (3 Beers for €5). There were 5 different beers, as we both wanted to try the Stormy Port.<br />
<br />
<b>Tammy ordered:</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbDzT_aXgshAPvAYTDdPwHgARSUKz68FWGsPe0XeJTt7S15dzUOTm-S8yQrEuRH7AosXQaILesm6A5MhGkqUrzkcBG8GTMWJfb3u6FBj-w6Hl4oVAwaP7J3EVYTJw_8qWYms0N-Rz7AQ/s1600/BeerTasters_2_sm_final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbDzT_aXgshAPvAYTDdPwHgARSUKz68FWGsPe0XeJTt7S15dzUOTm-S8yQrEuRH7AosXQaILesm6A5MhGkqUrzkcBG8GTMWJfb3u6FBj-w6Hl4oVAwaP7J3EVYTJw_8qWYms0N-Rz7AQ/s640/BeerTasters_2_sm_final.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Gypsy Ruby Ale, Fisher Helles Lager, Stormy Port<br />
@ Gasworks Pub<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Let me just say, Tammy asked me to pick beers off the board for her to try, because it was so far away and small that she couldn't read it from where she was sitting. Luckily, I look like a dork and I wear glasses. So they came in handy for once.<br />
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Here are the brews I picked for her (pictured left to right):<br />
<br />
<b>1. White Gypsy Ruby Irish Red Ale (ABV 4.6%) </b>by White Gypsy Brewery, Ireland<b> </b><i>(pictured left)</i><br />
I just saw the words "Gypsy Ruby" on the board, and I decided this reminded me of Parallel 49's Gypsy Tears Ruby Ale.<br />
<br />
For a 'ruby' ale, this didn't have much redness or amber flavourings to boot. I got nothing on the nose, a very mild hop note on the tongue, but what made it really delicious was the velvety texture from the nitro. Essentially, this beer was moderately tasteless but just went down so well. It's the first taste of beer I've had in a long time! That's probably why we're giving it such a good rating.<br />
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Tammy even says "Not much flavour to this one, but it's so smooth!" Much appreciated. Generally anything on nitro is a good bet.<br />
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Tammy: 8/10<br />
Me: 7/10<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>2. Fischer's Helles (ABV 5.2%)</b> by Fischer Brewery, France<b> </b><i>(pictured middle)</i><br />
Well, this was essentially yellow nothingness in a glass. Cold, tasteless suds that could be shotgunned at a frat party (or used in a game of beer pong, if you're one of my kind). Either way, it was cold and it went down without a fight.<br />
<br />
Imagine drinking a Molson, but without that nasty corn-like taste because this beer didn't have a taste. If this is your kind of beer, I'm sure there's a cheaper option out there for you. There was no beer pong table, unfortunately, or I would have cleaned house.<br />
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Tammy: 4/10<br />
Me: 3/10<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>3. Stormy Port Irish Porter (4.8% ABV, 31 IBU)</b> by Galway Bay Brewery, Ireland<b> </b><i>(on the right)</i><br />
This is the beer that both of us wanted to try. Galway Brewery maintains the standard beer here, and we were excited to see what and Irish brewery's 'Irish Porter' would taste like.<br />
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<a href="http://galwaybaybrewery.com/stormyport/" target="_blank">On their website</a>, Galway Bay Brewery claim this beer has "roasted coffee notes" and "certain sweetness" and "chocolate notes".<br />
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Unfortunately, this had less body than a glass of sparkling water and less taste than the Twilight series. I'm sorry, but I haven't had a glass of beer in a year and this was both underwhelming and disappointing. I mean, I get that it's a dark glass of sudsy water, but it doesn't change how much this isn't a porter—at all.<br />
<br />
Maybe it was just the end of the keg? Or a bad pour? Or the wrong beer entirely? Our server did say she was new and knew nothing about beer...<br />
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Tammy: 5/10<br />
Me: 3.5/10<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>I ordered:</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Y_sVeN_OT6nGpOebhiq267RVsh_GWAHFn8ql4FvYsjXLRzCO4bs3EN5yDnBD0PpGDp6RPUQp_ROiBhhyphenhyphen14lqXQsVamP-JHWG_I_B-cAKew6Zry6O1B3J18Wo5q_UemwTHEXfw1MZwto/s1600/BeerTasterOne_sm_final1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Y_sVeN_OT6nGpOebhiq267RVsh_GWAHFn8ql4FvYsjXLRzCO4bs3EN5yDnBD0PpGDp6RPUQp_ROiBhhyphenhyphen14lqXQsVamP-JHWG_I_B-cAKew6Zry6O1B3J18Wo5q_UemwTHEXfw1MZwto/s640/BeerTasterOne_sm_final1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Forest, Founders All Day IPA, Stormy Port<br />
@Gasworks Pub<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>4. Black Forest Cherry Porter (ABV 6.2%) </b>by Galway Bay Brewery, Ireland<b> </b><i>(pictured left)</i><br />
<div>
Honestly, I couldn't tell what type of beer this was from reading over top of people's shoulders across the bar on the board. I just read the words "Black Forest" on the board, thought of black forest cake and hoped for the best.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What did I get? A glass full of dark stuff. It ended up tasting like an "extra stout". Nothing disappointing, but nothing really special. It's a stout for sure, but it kind of tasted like a glass of stale, light-bodied Guinness.<br />
<br />
After research, I found that this beer was supposed to be a cherry porter. There was absolutely no nose or taste of cherries. There wasn't even the smoothness or distinct porter taste. I'm sorry, but this *has* to be the wrong beer.<br />
<br />
I'm betting that this isn't the best of Ireland's craft beer scene. If it is, step aside because I'll out-brew all these chumps. A blahhhh stout-wannabe that makes me want to crawl back to Canada.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Tammy: 6/10</div>
<div>
Me: 5/10</div>
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<b>5. Founders All Day IPA (ABV 4.7%)</b><i> (pictured middle)</i></div>
<div>
This was my last hope to have something redeeming drink-wise for the night. Fear not, friends! North America has come to the rescue (again!). Founders brewing from Michigan, USA makes their "All Day IPA", which I'll admit I've never had until tonight.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The flavours of this mid-west-brewed West Coast IPA definitely come through. Even on the nose (where most of the beer was lacking tonight).<br />
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It's citrusy, and it's got notes of hops and a little malt as well. However, there's no lingering bite of an aftertaste. It's quite crisp in that way, and it's definitely something I can drink all day! Even Tammy liked it, and she's not a fan of IPAs.<br />
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Very sessionable, and medium-bodied. It's one taste that reminded me of being back at home. Thank you, Founders.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Tammy: 8/10</div>
<div>
Me: 9/10</div>
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---</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQCWg3gHLhGVU4DuhtG8cdoAdO9H8h0TznWYNxMbXagvkgi9UczYw5yd6roTP0Po6Eo_HdUafM2ScPbBOnbBLgfXqsyOgkDE-35uodRYQBepZjWUgt3dNUFC4ImQYGh4fgfiDwWjdHOE/s1600/BurgerFries_1_sm_final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQCWg3gHLhGVU4DuhtG8cdoAdO9H8h0TznWYNxMbXagvkgi9UczYw5yd6roTP0Po6Eo_HdUafM2ScPbBOnbBLgfXqsyOgkDE-35uodRYQBepZjWUgt3dNUFC4ImQYGh4fgfiDwWjdHOE/s640/BurgerFries_1_sm_final.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steak Burger (added Red Cheddar and Bacon) with Chips<br />
@Gasworks Pub<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<div>
In addition, we were hungry as balls! It was a hectic work week, and I hadn't had any dinner. We each decided on a <b>Steak Burger with Chunky Chips</b> (€13.50 + €1.25 Bacon + €1.25 Cheese + €1 GF Bun).<br />
<br />
The patty was enormous. I'm talking the size of 1.5 Red Robin patties, and the quality of the beef was superb. It was so tender, so juicy, and really flavourful!<br />
<br />
The gluten-free buns were actually quite good. They maintained their texture and were soft enough that you'd think they were regular burger buns! Not sure where they get their burger buns, but I'd for sure like some for home!<br />
<br />
The cheese melded in with the patty to make it extra rich, and the sauces just dripped from the burger and my chin, each bite more foodgasmic than the last. The lettuce added the needed crunch (and veggie serving), while the tomato brought some freshness to each bite.<br />
<br />
Hands down, this is one of my all-time favourite burgers. I will be back—mark my words. Maybe next week?</div>
<div>
<br />
It's just...the size of the burger was so big! We only managed 3 beer tasters each. After the burger, we could only get through so many chips! And these were proper chunky chips. I'd definitely order a side of these the next time I have their wings.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>I give the Steak Burger a tasty-as-f&ck 9.5 / 10</i><br />
<i>Tammy gives the Steak Burger an "omnomnom" 9.5 / 10</i><br />
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<br />
<b>A Note to Galway Bay Brewery:</b><br />
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<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
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<ul>
<li>I'd sure love a taste/tour of the Galway Bay stuff, because I'm almost 99% sure that what I was served wasn't the beer I ordered. </li>
<li>I've heard so many better things about your products, and I'd like to personally make sure I'm tasting the correct beers. </li>
<li>We weren't keen when the server said she had no knowledge of beer...so I want to make sure my reviews are accurate. </li>
<li>Plus, I want to make sure I have something delicious that I can take home in growlers!</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div>
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<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<center>
<b>Gasworks Pub: </b>GET. IN. MAH. BELLEH.<br />
<table cellpadding="10px" frame="box">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Food:</span></td>
<td><span style="color: green; font-size: large;"><b>9.5</b></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Service:</span></td>
<td><b><span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">7</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Value($):</span></td>
<td><span style="color: green; font-size: large;">9</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Would we return?</span></td>
<td><b><span style="color: green; font-size: large;">HELL YEAH!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-33570934061229411532017-02-14T14:20:00.000-08:002017-02-14T14:20:14.119-08:00McKenzie's Ovenbaked Fresh ChickenWe've been looking for a place that serves gluten-free chicken strips or nuggets for a long time, and one place in particular popped up on our radar: <b>McKenzie's</b>.<br />
<br />
Since we settled into the Drogheda area back in November, we've always said we'd go down there to see what the hype is about, and whether or not we'd feel any pain after we ate there.<br />
<br />
Needless to say, it's all baked, and all gluten-free. We each got a <b>Chicken Tenders Meal</b>, which came with chips (fries) and a choice of either 2 dips or a gravy. If you've known me for more than 5 minutes, you'll know I opted for the gravy, while Tammy opted for 2 dips. She got BBQ and Cajun Mayo.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnvjat0rSCEaJRPlwEplhhU2Lrm_jQq_DjnO_7uouiVgljCVb8Q0TgB5XVYQUpSyfpXnSMfadmZEhbxlpW7KZBM8twhaSHjPTR7tXwfmjPEJ3Yf2auBqQoafxsnhL6_yvUo9GWDgVefY/s1600/Mackenzies2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnvjat0rSCEaJRPlwEplhhU2Lrm_jQq_DjnO_7uouiVgljCVb8Q0TgB5XVYQUpSyfpXnSMfadmZEhbxlpW7KZBM8twhaSHjPTR7tXwfmjPEJ3Yf2auBqQoafxsnhL6_yvUo9GWDgVefY/s640/Mackenzies2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Tenders, Chips, and Dips @ McKenzie's Ovenbaked Fresh Chicken<br />
Stephen's Green, Dublin 2<br />
Photo: <a href="http://totallytammy13.blogspot.ie/" target="_blank">TotallyTammy</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The chips were great. They seemed to have a little bit of spice on them, but it was probably a type of seasoning salt.<br />
<br />
The chicken? Well, I'm from Vancouver, so for me it tasted like the frozen chicken strips you can buy from M&M Meat Shops or Safeway. Tasted like I baked them in the oven, so nothing great or special, besides the fact that they were gluten-free. I do love me some chicken strips, so I was a big fan.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIIt8EVVHAv2m7cNaqBwBsv7XKDkQIw65k6TyBd1UcZnEsrg7BZQeMH2nulkzpnMnWb1hBAwLyCjZjB4EmaprzOShgOv7hCpBEOq3P9VvEUPW_MPPIMs2VIcfTorosXxZx0yy4CiHC_Rk/s1600/Mackenzies1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIIt8EVVHAv2m7cNaqBwBsv7XKDkQIw65k6TyBd1UcZnEsrg7BZQeMH2nulkzpnMnWb1hBAwLyCjZjB4EmaprzOShgOv7hCpBEOq3P9VvEUPW_MPPIMs2VIcfTorosXxZx0yy4CiHC_Rk/s640/Mackenzies1.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Tenders and Gravy @ McKenzie's Ovenbaked Fresh Chicken<br />
Stephen's Green, Dublin 2<br />
Photo: <a href="http://totallytammy13.blogspot.ie/" target="_blank">TotallyTammy</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The gravy is pretty good. It's quite salty for a gravy, and a little thin, but otherwise it's gluten-free so you can't expect KFC-level gravy quality. Yes, KFC gravy is the holy grail of gravy. I said it.<br />
<br />
So it was all fun and games until Tammy stopped eating, looked at her food and asked "Why do I always get the hair in my food?" I had to take a look...and it definitely wasn't her hair! She immediately lost her appetite, but I was really hungry so I kept going at my food.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-5-Mlsf6rQvBCVUHG3ayUrbHVt7B1UAmQoK_cLYu_pF0JMAu5zDYyQ6tmo01sX6U6x80R4-jQYxDYzTTRYbkDLQLKZ87v9Nlj0YMh2baMQIQRYoc6ZQhqjahUfQpOki9YNSt-UVFPmE/s1600/Mackenzies3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-5-Mlsf6rQvBCVUHG3ayUrbHVt7B1UAmQoK_cLYu_pF0JMAu5zDYyQ6tmo01sX6U6x80R4-jQYxDYzTTRYbkDLQLKZ87v9Nlj0YMh2baMQIQRYoc6ZQhqjahUfQpOki9YNSt-UVFPmE/s640/Mackenzies3.jpg" width="397" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hairy Chicken Tender @ McKenzie's Ovenbaked Fresh Chicken<br />
Stephen's Green, Dublin 2<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It wasn't as bad as the Santé Gluten-Free Cafe in Victoria, because here the service and quality of the food (apart from the hair) was actually quite good. The only problem here was the hairy situation.<br />
<br />
Overall, I was going to give McKenzie's a solid 6 for being gluten-free and tasting good. But, I'm a stickler for clean kitchens and food safety, especially when you're serving the public. So that drops them 5-ish points.
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<br />
<center>
<b>McKenzie's Chicken: </b>Nooope.<br />
<table cellpadding="10px" frame="box">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Food:</span></td>
<td><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>0.5</b></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Service:</span></td>
<td><b><span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">7</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Ambiance:</span></td>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">N/A</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Would we return?</span></td>
<td><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">NO</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-15463670727833297292017-02-10T10:15:00.000-08:002017-02-17T06:58:02.969-08:00The Rolling DonutI've had my fair share of donuts growing up, especially in high school when I topped out at 260lbs+. But have you ever walked past those fancy donut shops with the clean, perfectly laid-out toppings and just wondered what they tasted like?<br />
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Well, <i>curiosity got the best of us.</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQURi6xNIheXymJ8UzxUQ3oqY5L2AQJXX6flS-kl2EuowYqi7PkoJvOsKAfSXSXuP8_fvkSGRzih8RtNzqwUsCWcbXVbesDCI7vRTMx2nC2IPkjVBAYcynNVK3vIGZ9Bd-6-zWvhVSL1Y/s1600/Donut2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQURi6xNIheXymJ8UzxUQ3oqY5L2AQJXX6flS-kl2EuowYqi7PkoJvOsKAfSXSXuP8_fvkSGRzih8RtNzqwUsCWcbXVbesDCI7vRTMx2nC2IPkjVBAYcynNVK3vIGZ9Bd-6-zWvhVSL1Y/s640/Donut2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 Donuts for €8 from The Rolling Donut<br />
@Brewji IE<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Tammy and I decided to pop into <b>The Rolling Donut</b> and ordered a box of 3 for €8. That's roughly $11 CAD for 3 donuts. My Canadian friends must be dropping Timbits at the sound of those prices.<br />
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What exactly did we order? Check them out! We made sure to be thorough with our photos:<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>1) Peanut Butter and Chocolate</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wnwbAMK4EqMHfAKW7HAmKnnaExRZ0KYUTBf51hvLl-Hx8J2sga4eE7KFTNPx-7ysFnhgZrFUfdB82PMj1TjzVAoztx2eX8RqQ6UPrett-wXttI6B-C3h_qlBHRTiVkGMTXMEH639Icw/s1600/Donut3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wnwbAMK4EqMHfAKW7HAmKnnaExRZ0KYUTBf51hvLl-Hx8J2sga4eE7KFTNPx-7ysFnhgZrFUfdB82PMj1TjzVAoztx2eX8RqQ6UPrett-wXttI6B-C3h_qlBHRTiVkGMTXMEH639Icw/s640/Donut3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Peanut Butter & Chocolate" from The Rolling Donut<br />
@ Brewji IE<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Tammy's normally not a fan of filled donuts. She says the only time she'll eat one is if it's a jam donut. Well, seeing as one of her favourite combinations in the world is chocolate and peanut butter, we had to give this a whirl.<br />
<br />
The dough of the donut is soft, perfectly dense and there's a generous amount of filling. It's a Reese's fan's dream. The filling is a little thick, and takes a bit of effort to get through. It's well worth it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Q24IUZqh5ieMbuWQjGnwUSLUCuqGjqXQJ2AAGYk8XmMQAbYxBh3VVsz36LEUhBaS8qlMe67ZTOFHudGOgCMemx_K6Y2HyG7UPEWv91z7BUm-du-oUPoIqeOP31iHclt8882t9F0uHJk/s1600/Donut3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Q24IUZqh5ieMbuWQjGnwUSLUCuqGjqXQJ2AAGYk8XmMQAbYxBh3VVsz36LEUhBaS8qlMe67ZTOFHudGOgCMemx_K6Y2HyG7UPEWv91z7BUm-du-oUPoIqeOP31iHclt8882t9F0uHJk/s640/Donut3a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cross-section of "Peanut Butter & Chocolate" from The Rolling Donut<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">@ Brewji IE</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Brewji</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This donut has got chocolate icing on top with crushed peanuts, and it's got more of a massive PB+Choc ganache filling. If only Purdys could make a Peanut Butter and Chocolate hedgehog that tasted like this!<br />
<br />
I give the Peanut Butter and Chocolate a damn-son-that's-a-lot-of-filling 6.5 / 10<br />
Tammy gives the Peanut Butter and Chocolate a speechless-smile 7.5 / 10<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>2) Coffee Lovers</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpEKlYRVxPD7m8-hdwcDssHQ7ptvYXVeXWuOEfaSrp59uvuamTOzgvpx6Mq1d5pMXAHTKP_xwulOk48Jyv9kvje7I1JqJzd_FLK5TbfGHJq05c3zwU1mJFW9MDNQUjvGRP1X-uIlF33s/s1600/Donut4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpEKlYRVxPD7m8-hdwcDssHQ7ptvYXVeXWuOEfaSrp59uvuamTOzgvpx6Mq1d5pMXAHTKP_xwulOk48Jyv9kvje7I1JqJzd_FLK5TbfGHJq05c3zwU1mJFW9MDNQUjvGRP1X-uIlF33s/s640/Donut4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Coffee Lovers" from The Rolling Donut<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">@ Brewji IE</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Brewji</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This was by far the one I was looking forward to the most. I love coffee, and I love coffee-flavoured sweet things. The white icing on top was the only confusing part to me, as coffee is a dark-brown colour to me. But, either way, I was down to stuff this in my face.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3N-AS9MxG36CM-JR0tslVR1KCnN9DlaKqe6Npv1ofqt-6gIwrmusqX_J87Bw3b0eK5oLvA5u6l4MenEcPbmoOSs5Khp4yOQ3NfEA9yKSmdBBmFq1XxX5zB9T0T7_gb83zblsS0brXrs/s1600/Donut4a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3N-AS9MxG36CM-JR0tslVR1KCnN9DlaKqe6Npv1ofqt-6gIwrmusqX_J87Bw3b0eK5oLvA5u6l4MenEcPbmoOSs5Khp4yOQ3NfEA9yKSmdBBmFq1XxX5zB9T0T7_gb83zblsS0brXrs/s640/Donut4a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cross-section of "Coffee Lovers" from The Rolling Donut<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">@ Brewji IE</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Brewji</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The inner filling looks way more like the colour of a coffee with a bit of (coconut) milk added to it. It reminded me of a coffee icing, with a slight aftertaste of a coffee liqueur. The filling had a thinner viscosity than the PB+Choc, but to me it tasted so much better. This is essentially the best filled donut I've ever tasted, outside of a Breka jam donut.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I give the Coffee Lovers a hey-looked-they-named-a-donut-after-me 9.0 / 10</i><br />
<i>Tammy gives the Coffee Lovers a lovingly-addicting 9.0 / 10</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>3) Banoffee</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6OFB1l7NYKkXKPy_mIaq2jlBN5-nNGZfypRVM-p0DOwQ2DqgacR3AtXJPwmBIIDLQ_s8Nkl-gCGZegljMPB3j21LD8I06lQGCqugrXkTS04dIG23MRaLJf85G6jI2PC-UiRNNKTnShg/s1600/Donut5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6OFB1l7NYKkXKPy_mIaq2jlBN5-nNGZfypRVM-p0DOwQ2DqgacR3AtXJPwmBIIDLQ_s8Nkl-gCGZegljMPB3j21LD8I06lQGCqugrXkTS04dIG23MRaLJf85G6jI2PC-UiRNNKTnShg/s640/Donut5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Banoffee" from The Rolling Donut<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">@ Brewji IE</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Brewji</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Third, we got ready for the Banoffee. What the f&ck is Banoffee? Hell if I knew. I've never had it before, but Tammy explained to me that it's a combination of Toffee and Banana. Why haven't I heard of this before?<br />
<br />
The inside of the donut smelled like bananas and mixed together it smelled like a banana-bread-icing-donut mixture. It smelled heavenly.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6oRr3vDIuX5vL0s-ht50Lo1eQ_ZBzL6hSXVsJzQ-GlIKbQ75qVH7MyFNIa4Wd0ox79HohRP2SpwoenNdK_QTb_zDoSDuya0QXXxlsAJOBzEiCrNVboYgIOO6eODLvMCXnRy8cnwF3cJc/s1600/Donut5a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6oRr3vDIuX5vL0s-ht50Lo1eQ_ZBzL6hSXVsJzQ-GlIKbQ75qVH7MyFNIa4Wd0ox79HohRP2SpwoenNdK_QTb_zDoSDuya0QXXxlsAJOBzEiCrNVboYgIOO6eODLvMCXnRy8cnwF3cJc/s640/Donut5a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cross-section of "Banoffee" from The Rolling Donut<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">@ Brewji IE</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Brewji</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The taste was new to me, and different. The only drawback is I wish there was more of it! Sadly, this donut didn't have as much filling as the last two, but the taste was spot on. This would rank with the elite Coffee Lovers if it just had a bit more filling in it!<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I give the Banoffee a you-won't-get-a-treat-like-this-at-Tim-Hortons 7.0 / 10</i><br />
<i>Tammy gives the Banoffee a how-did-they-get-this-into-a-donut 8.0 / 10</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<center>
<b>The Rolling Donut: </b>Not quite Off Beat.<br />
<table cellpadding="10px" frame="box">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Food:</span></td>
<td><span style="color: #99cc00; font-size: large;"><b>7</b></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Service:</span></td>
<td><b><span style="color: #b3b300; font-size: large;">6</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">VALUE ($):</span></td>
<td><span style="color: #ff9900; font-size: large;"><b>4</b></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Would we return?</span></td>
<td><b><span style="color: #ff9900; font-size: large;">MAYBE</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-18009972659758492782017-02-05T13:22:00.001-08:002017-02-20T13:24:45.986-08:00Kanum Thai in DublinHey all!<br />
<br />
I'm finally settling into the Ireland a little better now. Tammy and I have moved to a great part of Dublin, and I <i>almost </i>have a bank account.<br />
<br />
We tried one of our local pubs on Friday, but after our dear friend Cormac's 40th birthday party last night, the last thing I want to think and write about is anything pub-related.<br />
<br />
Anyway—<br />
I was really craving fried chicken tonight, but when am I <i>not</i> craving that shit? You can never go wrong with fried chicken.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQuThyNApcxH6tOq0dA39ek38HG7c0VPTtOmvG3fUb68dR9p9yjFOFYoz0ExX4-NTcD5b_jm26d01xocIAobjymzGzVG3tpe1bYHyoKitGrbzcvR0HYZScNP7VvMbU0m-4c1f4bQ7nyk/s1600/KanumThai_Container.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQuThyNApcxH6tOq0dA39ek38HG7c0VPTtOmvG3fUb68dR9p9yjFOFYoz0ExX4-NTcD5b_jm26d01xocIAobjymzGzVG3tpe1bYHyoKitGrbzcvR0HYZScNP7VvMbU0m-4c1f4bQ7nyk/s640/KanumThai_Container.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pad Thai (Chicken & Prawn) from Kanum Thai @ Brewji IE<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Either way, Tammy was feeling Thai food, and we decided to order delivery from Kanum Thai, which Tam spotted as she zoomed into Google Maps in our neighbourhood.<br />
<br />
Ordering online was simple enough, and the food arrived really quickly.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx83IR3M0QG6D4DYiuKk7IZIA0KDx7YNUJi3M_AYNPCggBRnWsrGGHXLRMJ5qZn3NCppw7NDYNdRbXPZ3ciUf-ChaskcShXWJNIjOFuOE46qMfawT8Cnc7y1YhEtfEcAj23r1w_91uVks/s1600/KanumThai_DuckRoll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx83IR3M0QG6D4DYiuKk7IZIA0KDx7YNUJi3M_AYNPCggBRnWsrGGHXLRMJ5qZn3NCppw7NDYNdRbXPZ3ciUf-ChaskcShXWJNIjOFuOE46qMfawT8Cnc7y1YhEtfEcAj23r1w_91uVks/s640/KanumThai_DuckRoll.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aromatic Duck Roll from Kanum Thai @ Brewji IE<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
First up, we tried the Aromatic Duck Rolls. I know these aren't Gluten-Free, but Crohn's is picky sometimes and I had a good feeling about these. I'll admit, I've never ordered duck from a restaurant before. These rolls had a thin, supportive pancake on the outside, and the leek + cucumber julienne alongside the duck paired really well with the hoi san dip.<br />
<br />
Tammy went crazy for these guys, and for good reason.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8QeBr05YAsntdRFuAgV7jEMmO690qlGwgNQ3Wa_wGyOekh55Y912OVlGfXfghEAmXLZEL9uZL1s4DvugIvaT8DHH40l-Ov5Ny8_BbnwdhoTa5ZtIzzYM4j3-QsK2xO7iA-JmOrw3gokg/s1600/KanumThai_Samosa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8QeBr05YAsntdRFuAgV7jEMmO690qlGwgNQ3Wa_wGyOekh55Y912OVlGfXfghEAmXLZEL9uZL1s4DvugIvaT8DHH40l-Ov5Ny8_BbnwdhoTa5ZtIzzYM4j3-QsK2xO7iA-JmOrw3gokg/s640/KanumThai_Samosa.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Curry Puff from Kanum Thai @ Brewji IE<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Next up, we had Chicken Curry Puffs. Yes, as the brown man I ordered the damn samosas. But holy hell were they ever delicious! It's like having a thai curry infused into a samosa filling, wrapped in a lighter pastry and fried perfectly. You'll notice I never got a cross-section of these...because I just shoved them into my face.<br />
<br />
I am absolutely in <i>love</i> with these things. I could eat a plate full of these and not even need a main course. This was my selling point, knowing we'd be ordering from Kanum at some point again in the near future.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvb9ci1tiDut3Cie5FT3l5Vs4C0bvoqIAbgccNqLJfNXisT6c5J0xHdGRVWJtnAQP4kcxxcO-C-K5n4MSrU0Q4ENw9BpI11S1cmQMDAwi2FRi0AIWz84GOIdfQ67Y0w6mdrEPOsRqeD1M/s1600/KanumThai_RoastDuck1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvb9ci1tiDut3Cie5FT3l5Vs4C0bvoqIAbgccNqLJfNXisT6c5J0xHdGRVWJtnAQP4kcxxcO-C-K5n4MSrU0Q4ENw9BpI11S1cmQMDAwi2FRi0AIWz84GOIdfQ67Y0w6mdrEPOsRqeD1M/s640/KanumThai_RoastDuck1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roasted Duck from Kanum Thai @ Brewji IE<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Now, for the mains! We'll start with Tammy's. She got their Sunday Special, which lucky for her (seeing as she loves duck so much), was Roasted Duck.<br />
<br />
I just asked her how she'd describe her dish, and she responded with "...DELICIOUS. Is that enough?" Nah, she says more.<br />
<br />
"The sauce was perfectly portioned. There wasn't too much, so I wasn't eating BBQ sauce with a little bit of duck. It was a lot of duck, with a flavouring of a thai-inspired BBQ sauce." It's true. I had a few bites of her duck dish, and I quite enjoyed it!<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuuHONM0VvJSv7_uVNgJh5jmHgtDpFOe4t4WfdLqA3TGc00oVpXemyiSurdeYhKL0Nl1UQoTHegdAJ8kYtUoNndXisTIDVqK9l9_V21D1S4KUQpzep5mP1aqat4oIttqn_a_UnN8j3kNM/s1600/KanumThai_PadThai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuuHONM0VvJSv7_uVNgJh5jmHgtDpFOe4t4WfdLqA3TGc00oVpXemyiSurdeYhKL0Nl1UQoTHegdAJ8kYtUoNndXisTIDVqK9l9_V21D1S4KUQpzep5mP1aqat4oIttqn_a_UnN8j3kNM/s640/KanumThai_PadThai.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pad Thai with Chicken & Prawns from Kanum Thai @ Brewji IE<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
However, now we'll get to my main: Pad Thai. You can't go wrong with this classic. You've got rice noodles, prawns, chicken breast, egg, peanuts, and a delicious sauce that melds it all together into a one-container super-meal.<br />
<br />
If you've ever had Pad Thai, you'd know a general idea of what to expect. Tammy? It was her first time (yes, I see the opportunity for that joke but I enjoy being happily married).<br />
<br />
For me, this was hands-down the best Pad Thai I've ever eaten. The ingredients taste fresh, and the prawns were so juicy! The sauce was full of flavour, but not overpowering. The rice noodles cooked perfectly, and slices of chicken breast were thin and cooked just right. The crunch of crushed peanuts gave the dish depth, and a bit of lime juice squeezed over each bite just made it heavenly.<br />
<br />
All in all, there were definitely sex noises made as we devoured all this food. The best part? We got it delivered and we only spent about €35 for an amount of food that would have surely been labelled family-sized.<br />
<br />
<center>
<b>Kanum Thai: </b>Incredible Thai Food.<br />
<table cellpadding="10px" frame="box">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Food:</span></td>
<td><span style="color: green; font-size: large;"><b>9</b></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Service:</span></td>
<td><span style="color: green; font-size: large;">N/A (Delivery)</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Value($):</span></td>
<td><span style="color: green; font-size: large;"><b>8.5</b></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-size: large;">Would we order again?</span></td>
<td><b><span style="color: green; font-size: large;">YES</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-43676808599722628102016-11-30T14:35:00.001-08:002016-11-30T14:35:59.551-08:00The Bare Food CoWandering Drogheda on a dreary-looking day, Tammy and I were fed up with banks and their sh!t policies and even worse customer service. I swear I feel like writing a rant on the obtuse policies of obtaining a bank account in Ireland at some point instead, but luckily our lunch stood out as a great alternative topic of conversation.<br />
<br />
Off to the side, we saw a sign that said "Bare Food Co." and Tammy immediately said she'd recognized the name because a friend recommended it. Apparently they had some gluten-free and dairy-free options or something. So, we decided to take a gander and investigate for ourselves.<br />
<br />
As we walked in, there was a small take-away section where you could grab a fresh-pressed juice, a sandwich, and coffee (among other things). It looked pretty Vancouver-hipster-esque, like a small shop in the Mount Pleasant area. Needless to say, it felt kinda like home.<br />
<br />
We opted to sit in, and we each took a look at the menu. Tammy was feeling more like something handheld, while I was in the mood for comfort grab-a-spoon-or-fork-and-stuff-it-in-my-face kind of food.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIA_shaKwZ79eE4FGuD15u99ZrrirdKEQFIelxoYuUQjY1RstrHHOxuHfCVFlkISRWd6gfbLCh7jWgFLQCqPhLjrjOYCKeLTQVaneg81GGkeBpcAoIQP4GjZtT_iBYG1PfFEhZOkbzr34/s1600/BareFood2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIA_shaKwZ79eE4FGuD15u99ZrrirdKEQFIelxoYuUQjY1RstrHHOxuHfCVFlkISRWd6gfbLCh7jWgFLQCqPhLjrjOYCKeLTQVaneg81GGkeBpcAoIQP4GjZtT_iBYG1PfFEhZOkbzr34/s640/BareFood2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honey Chicken Sandwich @ The Bare Food Co<br />
Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Tammy ordered the Honey Chicken Sandwich, without cheese as we're both intolerant to dairy products. It's served on gluten-free bread, which is a plus because in Canada you'd normally have to pay a premium of 2 to 4 dollars for some store-bought crap bread. At Bare Food (as well as most of Drogheda so far), there is no premium for being born with the inability to digest something.<br />
<br />
While her sandwich did arrive with cheese, we were too tired of dealing with things from the day to say anything about it. Lucky for her, Comte cheese is very low in lactose and didn't produce too much bloating. That, and it added extra texture and taste to the sandwich (yes, I had a bite) that made it taste absolutely delicious.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5-LBMdVZJd1rZqWpxs4if7acTyhy8XsyzJ5V4-FgHKnhn2RSeohumRNIA20G_yo_e77S-jyKo_SWqWZnUwg9_nPmkv56o41mY9QhvBB5fNFrht6GtHEMrbMprbQiZ5gdPmOGxhOfJiQ/s1600/BareFood1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5-LBMdVZJd1rZqWpxs4if7acTyhy8XsyzJ5V4-FgHKnhn2RSeohumRNIA20G_yo_e77S-jyKo_SWqWZnUwg9_nPmkv56o41mY9QhvBB5fNFrht6GtHEMrbMprbQiZ5gdPmOGxhOfJiQ/s640/BareFood1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Curry, with added Chicken @ The Bare Food Co<br />
Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I on the other hand, ordered the Red Curry and added chicken to it. It ended up being a Thai curry, and it was both gluten and dairy free. I remember just the smell driving me wild with excitement. It had been so long since I'd had any sort of Thai curry. Let me just say, this dish is packed with flavour. I had so much going on with my taste buds, including a kick of heat. Lucky for me, the heat was just at my threshold for spice, which meant it didn't really hurt my Crohn's at all.<br />
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Tammy also ordered an Americano, which turns out was kind of blah. She said it wasn't anything special.<br />
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Now, let's fast-forward about a week. Yes, a week.<br />
<br />
The two of us decided to meet up with Tammy's friend who she hasn't seen in years. Today, we each got the same dish. We initially wanted the smoked cod, served with coconut daal and Indian pesto, but the server came back after about 15-20 minutes (they were super busy) and let us know that the cod hadn't come in that day and they couldn't serve the dish. Instead, she offered us the other fish special that day which included haddock, served with a chorizo and bean casserole. We appreciated her letting us know, and double-checked that the special was gluten and dairy-free. Sold!<br />
<br />
In addition, we each had an Americano. This time around, I thought it was quite delicious. Tammy agreed. She said this time was like a night-and-day difference. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt here; I'm sure their Americanos were always great and we just let the stress get to us the last day. They even gave us some almond milk with our drinks and didn't charge us for it! Vancouver, your shops could learn a thing or two from this place. Dear Vancouver: We shouldn't have to pay premiums for being born with food intolerances.<br />
<br />
Back to the entrée -- I'm not really a fish person. Usually I get my fish deep-fried with a set of chips and gravy. However, this was moist, flavourful, and gone pretty quickly. We were so hungry I didn't even get a picture. Granted, it took like 45 minutes to eventually get our food because of the "no cod" situation, and they were in the middle of lunch rush. There's usually no time for pictures when the stomach becomes hangry.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOF2Mx1UA4k_ks3IIlxU1PwOIutJ6p7ACEDIXa5HDOKRrbHr5UAerOjnYqhPLHXE1jFq7L9LYuIvoRjL6ZQwDV0Vwob7lxj4w6dcBUBZXFhT16hDngM0d08BR6qDF8YArVyEKknGN_z-E/s1600/BareFoodMenu1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOF2Mx1UA4k_ks3IIlxU1PwOIutJ6p7ACEDIXa5HDOKRrbHr5UAerOjnYqhPLHXE1jFq7L9LYuIvoRjL6ZQwDV0Vwob7lxj4w6dcBUBZXFhT16hDngM0d08BR6qDF8YArVyEKknGN_z-E/s320/BareFoodMenu1.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpNjmYJUf4dzjyiKoTrzOYUBZdkO-Ywkea5PZ3wcWl9Oi56ZZcSzUTc5t64dX7o8j-YvMSuRX_ICF8N6Y3-ZgL6QJKAnE_catHDFHPeEZ7aH6e60Ogff97xaGXL-1IiCDtNVwZLkOQcU/s1600/BareFoodMenu3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpNjmYJUf4dzjyiKoTrzOYUBZdkO-Ywkea5PZ3wcWl9Oi56ZZcSzUTc5t64dX7o8j-YvMSuRX_ICF8N6Y3-ZgL6QJKAnE_catHDFHPeEZ7aH6e60Ogff97xaGXL-1IiCDtNVwZLkOQcU/s320/BareFoodMenu3.jpg" width="194" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJUDAxkIPGmoJQqZNI1afCkeeaE-S_2-ka9v1xdDbKn7ryIeSG5YXV-LPgjbKyQL2njcmONGgHXToKBCZBDwli3C1UoiSmPT8bGvEl6p4RD88U0oSMDc4qjyX_b6Qt8AauikmJAexrbmU/s1600/BareFoodMenu2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJUDAxkIPGmoJQqZNI1afCkeeaE-S_2-ka9v1xdDbKn7ryIeSG5YXV-LPgjbKyQL2njcmONGgHXToKBCZBDwli3C1UoiSmPT8bGvEl6p4RD88U0oSMDc4qjyX_b6Qt8AauikmJAexrbmU/s320/BareFoodMenu2.jpg" width="212" /></a> </div>
Instead, I got some shots of the menu while we waited. Keep in mind, Vancouverites -- all these prices include tax, and people don't really tip in Europe. Why? Because they get paid enough to live by their employers; not the <a href="http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=10.25&From=CAD&To=EUR" target="_blank">equivalent of €7.20</a> per hour, only to pay $1000 per month to share a small apartment with two other people. This means what you see is what you pay, case and point.<br />
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What else can I say? We'll be back.<br />
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We really enjoy this place. The food is delicious and affordable. The service is always friendly, even during a rush. The bathrooms are also very clean, which is a plus for the both of us. I'm really looking forward to trying one of their fresh-pressed juices next time. Either that or a steak sandwich...depends on how I feel I guess.<br />
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<i>Tammy gives the Bare Food Co. a can't-wait-til-next-time 8.5 / 10</i><br />
<i>I give the Bare Food Co. a just-keep-putting-stuff-in-my-mouth-my-wife-is-okay-with-it 9.0 / 10</i>brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-5020675600289765962016-11-23T04:05:00.000-08:002016-11-23T04:05:49.237-08:00Dairy-Free Milk Alternatives - AlmondSince <a href="http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/vegdiets/what-is-lactose-intolerance" target="_blank">most of the world is lactose-intolerant</a>, and in case you didn't know: the <a href="https://www.cancertutor.com/china-study/" target="_blank">main protein in milk (casein) is linked to cancer growth</a>, I've decided to task myself with finding the best options for dairy-free milk alternatives. Well, I'm also doing this because milk products cause myself and Tammy incredulous amounts of pain, bloating, discomfort, and other odd reactions.<br />
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After walking through shops in Ireland such as <a href="http://www.tesco.ie/" target="_blank">Tesco</a>, <a href="http://www.dunnesstores.com/" target="_blank">Dunnes</a>, <a href="https://www.aldi.ie/" target="_blank">Aldi</a>, and <a href="http://www.lidl.ie/en/index.htm" target="_blank">Lidl</a>, I've found more variety than I thought existed. Our Bettystown Tesco has more variety of gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan alternatives than the giant Brentwood Whole Foods from back home. And for my folks back in VanCity: Bettystown is like a classy, quaint version of Mission (in terms of distance and size from the city).<br />
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Today, I'll start with two unsweetened almond milks from Tesco, under their own brand name. In addition, I'll throw in the Alpro unsweetened almond milk.<br />
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In terms of breaking them down, I'm going to put each product through the three basic uses that I have for dairy-free alternative milks:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Pouring over cold cereal</li>
<li>Adding to hot cereal (Ready Brek or porridge)</li>
<li>Adding to hot beverages (coffee and tea)</li>
</ol>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQvWCBUePClhH4rftZc3cTDd2BZkRWdTHpvy6FOAqEqRIk6vgHVioo_HOMKYZn5HrGK8ycc1i6BJ_wnzRIiyHdCX5QEWGha65BmmrJYbncoxQIIAMbDPUUiTufk4we_k0kIcsBRGwuBQ/s1600/TescoAlmond1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQvWCBUePClhH4rftZc3cTDd2BZkRWdTHpvy6FOAqEqRIk6vgHVioo_HOMKYZn5HrGK8ycc1i6BJ_wnzRIiyHdCX5QEWGha65BmmrJYbncoxQIIAMbDPUUiTufk4we_k0kIcsBRGwuBQ/s640/TescoAlmond1.jpg" width="366" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tesco: Almond - Alternative to dairy milk<br />Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
<b>1. Tesco: Almond - Alternative to dairy milk (Unsweetened)</b></div>
<div>
First up, we have Tesco's value brand (or so it seems). It's priced the cheapest at €2 for a 1L carton when it's not on sale. Now, we initially tried a few different brands before this one. This means we have comparison to make!</div>
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<div>
When pouring over cereal, it I get the most unmasked taste. It's sort of like a soy milk with a nutty flavour instead of the nasty soy taste. Not bad at all, but there are still brands in Canada that could knock this out of the park. Either way, I enjoyed it. What would I change? Add more almonds! There's not enough almond kick in it to convince me that I'm drinking almond milk.</div>
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<div>
Mixed into Ready Brek, this acts as a good alternative to milk, as it mixes well and doesn't cause any textural issues. However, it still has a lingering nutty taste that is just a little sub-par. It's a good choice for a budget dairy-free alternative.</div>
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<div>
In coffee, it does its job. Because of the coffee masking most of the taste, it's nothing spectacular. However, it allows me to have my coffee at a drinkable temperature and mixes well with sugar (if sweetened coffee is your thing). I'm just asking Tammy over my shoulder if she liked it in her tea. Her exact response was "Yeah, it was grand."</div>
<div>
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<div>
Overall, I give the Tesco: Almond a budget-friendly 6.0 / 10</div>
<div>
Tammy gives the Tesco: Almond a yeah-it-was-grand 6.5 / 10</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwzNhRodZue-fluokdI2ive_8XzZMwZm4H64uE9nPYa98bLZyIaHRZUaJnLgIdcnMe_aNl1p8xDpyRZV9AeKVh0dVuoekC8jlUPQDbOufbdEEMNDOhm9fbaLDMuLry76yqeqiChyyxf8/s1600/TescoAlmondFreeFrom1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwzNhRodZue-fluokdI2ive_8XzZMwZm4H64uE9nPYa98bLZyIaHRZUaJnLgIdcnMe_aNl1p8xDpyRZV9AeKVh0dVuoekC8jlUPQDbOufbdEEMNDOhm9fbaLDMuLry76yqeqiChyyxf8/s640/TescoAlmondFreeFrom1.jpg" width="326" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tesco Free-From Milk: Almond Drink (Unsweetened)<br />Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<div>
<b>2. Tesco Free-From: Almond Drink (Unsweetened)</b></div>
<div>
Next, we have a product from the Tesco "Free From" range. Let me first say, the Tesco "Free From" range of products is an equivalent to the President's Choice range from Superstore back home, except the quality is much better. We prefer these "Free From" products to most expensive, brand-name products. It's not even that pricey, at €2.29 for a 1L carton.</div>
<div>
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<div>
If you've ever had Alpro almond milk, this tastes very similar. It might even be the exact same product with different packaging. But, you just don't get almond milk that tastes this good back in Canada.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Over cold cereal, it's like having milk with the flavour of slivered almonds in it. It's a great texture, not too thin, and thick enough to be a perfect companion to my cereal. In porridge, it works wonderfully and adds a nutty flavour that's quite pronounced and much enjoyed. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Finally, my favourite use for this is in coffee. It works well in tea, too -- but it shines in coffee. It's better than adding milk and almond flavouring to a coffee. It's not as thick as cream, but adds that silky element to coffee while making it taste just right.</div>
<div>
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<div>
I give the Tesco Free-From: Almond Drink a why-doesn't-this-come-in-a-bigger-carton 8.5 / 10</div>
<div>
Tammy gives the Tesco Free-From: Almond Drink a solid 8.0 / 10</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pPkqYt8rHyeBl9PR9XzSwVX7vHLXryV91PGotJPIrrqPIhcFdLayzgm1DK7ZaPqxJ36zRnfr9SKx0bIKOPy0BSMd-p49sP6Za8yycYtToj4og5Dkq6dahuA7w-3AytSl5YVjoLUrpog/s1600/AlproUnsweetened.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pPkqYt8rHyeBl9PR9XzSwVX7vHLXryV91PGotJPIrrqPIhcFdLayzgm1DK7ZaPqxJ36zRnfr9SKx0bIKOPy0BSMd-p49sP6Za8yycYtToj4og5Dkq6dahuA7w-3AytSl5YVjoLUrpog/s640/AlproUnsweetened.jpg" width="356" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alpro Roasted Almond Unsweetened<br />@Tesco, Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland<br />Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>3. Alpro Roasted Almond (Unsweetened)</b></div>
<div>
Packaged in a similar container to the Tesco Free-From, the Alpro is also slightly more expensive at €2.49 for 1L. However, sometimes at Tesco it'll go on sale with a deal like 2 cartons for €3. This would be the time to stock up! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I honestly can't tell much of a difference between this and the Tesco Free-From Almond milk. I haven't compared the ingredients from the back of the package...mainly because I accidentally already recycled the packaging. However, I'd consider this on par, or *slightly* higher than the previous. I may rate this slightly higher, but it may just be because this was the first truly great almond milk I tried in Ireland. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On cereal, it seems to have a more almond flavour than the Tesco, slightly. I really appreciate this, as I love almonds in my cereal! In hot cereal such as Ready Brek, this is a no-brainer. Who wouldn't want nutty flavours in their porridge? Well, those allergic to it I guess. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In coffee, I add two sugars and some of this almond milk...and I have no cravings for any fancy coffee. It's just that good. I'd love to get an espresso machine and see how this fares in a mocha or a latte.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>I give the Alpro Roasted Almond (Unsweetened) a maybe-I'm-biased-but-my-heart-says-yes-please 9.0 / 10</i></div>
<div>
<i>Tammy gives the Alpro Roasted Almond (Unsweetened) a best-of-the-three 9.0 / 10</i></div>
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<div>
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<h4>
<b><br /></b><b>Do YOU have any recommendations for a Canadian like me? </b></h4>
<div>
Let me know! Comment below, or Tweet me <a href="https://twitter.com/brewji" target="_blank">@Brewji</a></div>
brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-36367278060109149472016-11-18T10:14:00.000-08:002016-11-18T10:14:13.315-08:00Esquires Coffee in DroghedaWell well, Tammy and I have our boots settled in (actually, I've yet to get myself a pair of boots of any sort), and we've started trekking through the nearest town of Drogheda. Situated on either side of the River Boyne, it's the nearest place where we can hit up a Penney's, Tesco, a chip shop, and grab a fancy coffee all at the same time.<br />
<br />
After an unfortunate encounter at the bank trying to set up an account (because the guy working there was a moron), I spotted one of the employees looking stressed and drinking out of an Esquires cup. This made me want to pop into the cafe when we walked past it. Initially, we tried their Americano last week and it was incredible.<br />
<br />
This time, we met up with one of Tammy's friends and we each had a large ("Grande") Caffe Mocha made with coconut milk, and a slice of -- get this -- Toblerone Almond Cake. How awesome does that sound? Best of all, it was gluten-free. The cake was definitely not dairy-free, which meant bloating was destined for us. However, it was a treat and a special occasion which meant we were willing to put up with a little pain in exchange for deliciousness.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWANqeHVLq1UtE17ONtUiaKiIDkXITylzbGhn2utwdmAI1WXpAVlRULUBWlUb3lC6-rp2w2xGbSskk37k_sviGB0mTyQQ78tJOPFBohdtGgC893aU-wYXc7XSjNih2gKoZ5ju1NBhdlV0/s1600/Esquires1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWANqeHVLq1UtE17ONtUiaKiIDkXITylzbGhn2utwdmAI1WXpAVlRULUBWlUb3lC6-rp2w2xGbSskk37k_sviGB0mTyQQ78tJOPFBohdtGgC893aU-wYXc7XSjNih2gKoZ5ju1NBhdlV0/s640/Esquires1.jpg" width="458" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caffe Mocha with Coconut Milk @ Esquires Coffee<br />13 West St., Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland<br />Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Let's start with the Caffe Mocha. First, it was honestly the biggest cup of coffee I've ever been served in a cafe. I'd say it was probably a 20oz mug, a proper pint. The frothy foam lead into a beautiful warm, sweet caffeinated home of coconut milk and oh-so-glorious chocolate.<br />
<br />
It was served at a perfectly drinkable temperature, and was not overly-sweet or bitter. I'd give this a perfect ten, reminiscing about the mocha I had at the East Cafe back in Vancouver. The main difference was that in Esquires there's no extra charge for non-dairy milk, and the size of the coffee was twice as big while the price is comparable.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgacEBR7zwGTbvlA6BklTQkWZWRf1msz3gQrso1PONLFRypNtxMCt6eMnxojAf7MsNssBsLOnyTthJs0idGv07C0VeGFF9cWUhhcfHvAv6j3K_B4uAEtV-P53rsVDnmUHK0BTnzRNsGgs/s1600/Esquires2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgacEBR7zwGTbvlA6BklTQkWZWRf1msz3gQrso1PONLFRypNtxMCt6eMnxojAf7MsNssBsLOnyTthJs0idGv07C0VeGFF9cWUhhcfHvAv6j3K_B4uAEtV-P53rsVDnmUHK0BTnzRNsGgs/s640/Esquires2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toblerone Almond Cake (Gluten-Free) @ Esquires Coffee<br />13 West St., Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland<br />Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
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Now, the gluten-free cake...Toblerone Almond Cake. I don't think I've ever imagined something like this being created. I'm almost at a loss for words. Layered like a deep dish pizza, the bottom is a crumb-like crust. The middle of the cake is layered like a lasagna, with crust in between sheets of a chocolate-y, nutty paste. Finally, the cake is topped off with what seems like melted Toblerone chocolate and crushed almonds. It's mouth-watering and absolutely delicious. If they ever have it again, I'm probably getting another slice for myself (it was worth the pain!).<br />
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Tammy and I both enjoyed ourselves here, and the quality of the products and service solidifies that we'll be back. It's our new favourite coffee shop, because Insomnia messed up our drinks twice and we've only been there twice. That, and we can't quite visit East Cafe back in Vancouver anymore.<br />
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<i>I give Esquires Coffee a gluten-free-with-coconut-milk-in-heaven 9.5 / 10</i><br />
<i>Tammy gives Esquires Coffee a solid 9.0 / 10</i>brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-7190145233063146332016-11-13T00:29:00.001-08:002018-04-20T08:04:10.803-07:00Orchard Thieves Cider (Brewji Ireland!)<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-5e9d86c8-5cc9-5617-2f50-530e3d9108eb" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline;">Since landing in Ireland, I've had many new challenges and opportunities as I begin to adjust to the lifestyle here. There will be posts about everything from groceries to Gluten-Free and dairy-free products, to cider and drinks and coffee.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline;">I've yet to obtain a laptop adapter (should arrive in the mail in a few days!) so I'm writing this on my Nexus 5 smartphone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline;">That said, today I've gone for a new cider that was recommended to me by a former coworker at Clio, when she visited Vancouver from their Dublin office. I picked up a 660mL bottle of Orchard Thieves Cider (ABV 4.5%) while grocery shopping at Tesco! (Yes, you can buy liquor at grocery stores here.) Oh, and on the plus side it's gluten free, as it should be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline;">Anyway, let's get to the review!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Orchard Thieves Cider @Brewji Ireland HQ</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Donacarney, Co. Meath</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Photo: Brewji</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">The Orchard Thieves pours a clear golden colour, with an initial amount of golden-white head that fizzles away very quickly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline;">On sniff, I get semi-sweet and tart apple. Essentially, it smells like a proper, crisp and dry cider. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrLzyBu3TL9nQ5o9cjykON-QVIKgzKUvI_Se5U-PWvROw5kBJEzYQbvLlu1nBxeGFDsEaxHJQH49be4iRgC9bhnz9zjnnaUuNkeNRBeviSi2nGBnLyUp2mnVPoCS-yu14HyL2gyZp7Yc/s1600/IMG_20161113_084941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrLzyBu3TL9nQ5o9cjykON-QVIKgzKUvI_Se5U-PWvROw5kBJEzYQbvLlu1nBxeGFDsEaxHJQH49be4iRgC9bhnz9zjnnaUuNkeNRBeviSi2nGBnLyUp2mnVPoCS-yu14HyL2gyZp7Yc/s640/IMG_20161113_084941.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Orchard Thieves Cider @ Brewji Ireland</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Donacarney, Co. Meath</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Photo: Brewji</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Taste is sweet, but not overly sweet in an artificial sense. It doesn't feel like one of the many BC “dry and crisp” craft ciders which were neither very dry nor very crisp.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline;">However, as Tammy pointed out to me: If you let this cider warm up a bit, the taste disappears and you're left with remnants of a warm apple juice-like beverage. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline;">If you're new to ciders, this might be a gateway. It's light-bodied and mellow at 4.5% ABV.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline;">I'm not sure if this is available in BC, but I've sent a WhatsApp message to my crew and recommended it in case they see it. If you do spot this at the BCL or private liquor stores, pick one up!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline;">The Orchard Thieves Cider gets a refreshing-and-harmless 7.0 / 10</span>brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-80940847163678553912016-10-26T12:53:00.000-07:002016-10-26T12:53:18.411-07:00Gluten-Free Epicurean & Matchstick CoffeeWhat are some of the best combos in the world? You've got peanut butter and chocolate, chicken nuggets and gravy, Sho-Ryu-Ken, whiskey and a glass, Tammy and myself...the list goes on.<br />
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Adding another epic combo to the list, Tammy and I traveled to the Gluten-Free Epicurean with one of our good friends, Becca! She seems to know the ins and outs of this city, and has some of the best recommendations for food and drink.<br />
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The GF Epicurean is a bakery that's completely gluten-free and serves up hot and cold baked goods. They also have a selection of take-and-bake essentials such as pizza shells, bagels, and cookies. But, what did it all taste like?<br />
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Before I can answer that question, let me tell you that while they don't serve coffee themselves, there is coffee available. A couple of doors down is a place called Matchstick. The two spots allow customers to bring coffee into the GF Epicurean, or bring baked goods into Matchstick. I love the collaboration and community feel going on in this hood! It's one of the few things I feel like I'm going to miss about Vancouver.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matchstick Coffee + Cinnamon Bun + Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownie<br />
@ Gluten-Free Epicurean, Vancouver BC<br />
Photo: <a href="http://totallytammy13.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Totally Tammy</a></td></tr>
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Down to the details -- I ordered a Peanut Butter + Chocolate Brownie, and Tammy got a Glazed Cinnamon Bun. Both were completely gluten-free, and I believe both were dairy-free as well. I'll be honest, I didn't get a taste of the cinnamon bun, although I'm sure she offered me a taste at some point. But, the brownie was incredible. The icing on top was creamy, sweet, and peanut-buttery. The brownie didn't taste much different from a normal glutinous brownie. It was rich, chewy, and took me to a whole new world for a little bit.<br />
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What about the coffee? Matchstick has a few pour-over coffees available, and I'm not quite sure which one I got now that I think about it. However, mine had more of an apple and fruit undertone to it, while Tammy's was a bit more complex flavour-wise. We both thoroughly enjoyed our coffees, and would definitely return. The pour-over wasn't quite as caffeinated as Revolver, but we got bigger cups with more coffee, and it tasted just as good. Plus, it wasn't priced at $5-6 a cup like Revolver, but rather a more modest $3-4.<br />
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I haven't tried any of the teas at Matchstick, but Becca did get some tea at the GF Epicurean (where we ultimately decided to chill out). Tammy also had a slice of gluten-free, dairy-free pizza, which was made with a cashew-based cheese. I didn't have a bite, because I can't digest some of the veggies that were on it. She swears it was delicious, and still talks about it even though it's been about a week since we've been there. That's a sign that they do a damn good pizza.<br />
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Would we come back? Absolutely.<br />
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But, I'll be in Ireland with Tammy within a week, so it'll have to wait until next time! We just wanted to get the word out there -- you gotta try these places! They both get Brewji's stamp of approval for sure.<br />
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<i>I give the Gluten-Free Epicurean + Matchstick Coffee a should've-got-a-brownie-to-go 9.5 / 10</i><br />
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<i>Tammy gives the Gluten-Free Epicurean + Matchstick Coffee a can-you-open-in-Dublin-please 9.0 / 10</i>brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-52450534779615830992016-09-24T18:54:00.002-07:002016-09-24T18:54:09.289-07:00Sante Gluten-Free Cafe - in Victoria!I'm back in Victoria this weekend with Tammy to finish off one of my Provincial Instructor Diploma courses. It just happens to coincide with the royal visit - you know, those fancy people from England.<br />
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Well, class ended early one of the days. Tammy and I decided we wanted to grab some gluten-free cake and a coffee, as we've had such troubles with gluten lately. My crohn's has been especially affected, and her gut (undiagnosed, thanks to BC rejecting her 3 times for MSP) has been bothering her as well.<br />
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Google and Zomato both pointed to Sante Gluten-Free Cafe, on Quadra Street. With pretty good reviews, and a selection of non-dairy milks for coffee, we decided to take the 30 minute hike from our hotel for some warm, caffeinated goodness.<br />
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When we got there, we found a variety of baked goods in the glass cabinet, as well as a freezer full of goodies in the back. There's no shortage of options, that's for sure.<br />
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Tammy ordered an almond milk latte, and I ordered a coconut milk Mocha. We also got cupcakes; I got a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting, and Tammy got a carrot cake cupcake with frosting. Keep in mind, all this is gluten-free.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjM6PEFIJkcHglJ30WJCrpSkgdiWxQUOIkKWh8H0ZYsiuNGHe3NL-y1WCABwZG6etvhv7j2UmAArj3nelPCr574t-GtAwfk4zI9AANk0gzAFtQRaLy9l8owYJT2B3SjSwbFe0hQ9kFWn4/s1600/IMG_20160924_162759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjM6PEFIJkcHglJ30WJCrpSkgdiWxQUOIkKWh8H0ZYsiuNGHe3NL-y1WCABwZG6etvhv7j2UmAArj3nelPCr574t-GtAwfk4zI9AANk0gzAFtQRaLy9l8owYJT2B3SjSwbFe0hQ9kFWn4/s640/IMG_20160924_162759.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrot Cake Cupcake and Chocolate Cupcake (Gluten-Free) @ Sante Gluten-Free Cafe<br />Victoria, BC<br />Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
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Since this is my birthday weekend, Tammy treated me. However, the total before tip came to just under $18! That's about 2 hours of work if you earn minimum wage. Not only that, but the card machine buttons stopped working when it asked for a tip. That should have been our first clue.<br />
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We sat at a table by the window, and started eating our cupcakes while we waited for our drinks to be made. My chocolate cupcake had crunchy bits in it, sort of like rock candy or crystallized sugar chunks. I'm not sure if that's intentional, but I wanted Tammy to taste it to see what she thought.<br />
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I went to give Tammy a bite. However, she noticed a problem with the cupcake. It was a bit of a hair-y situation (see picture). It wasn't the only hair in the cupcake. This makes me wonder -- more than one hair means they're not using hair nets, which leads me to believe that they're probably not following FoodSafe protocols. With a gut as sensitive as mine or Tammy's, this doesn't fare well - especially with the price point. (As I type this, my stomach is turning. I'm trying to wash out the taste and calm my stomach with a Tim Horton's steeped tea.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_CMVszErDGoEdcZVQEv62ZCjoTzfNQWWUuscQiBfBtQitWk06jgVPyb-r1A4En6PF9MXKBnaLKOaqTtAvaxFRyjQ4Qn3E-yfss-gbAhsx6ApzLEXbB8jrq_ILWQD0bcxYVkYc4wOexY/s1600/IMG_20160924_163151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_CMVszErDGoEdcZVQEv62ZCjoTzfNQWWUuscQiBfBtQitWk06jgVPyb-r1A4En6PF9MXKBnaLKOaqTtAvaxFRyjQ4Qn3E-yfss-gbAhsx6ApzLEXbB8jrq_ILWQD0bcxYVkYc4wOexY/s640/IMG_20160924_163151.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bit of a hairy situation (hard to capture with a phone camera)<br />Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
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I'm using my Nexus 5 camera, so it's not the greatest. But click the image and you'll see one of the few hairs that was entwined in my cupcake.<br />
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To be frank, they were polite and apologetic, and got another cupcake for me. Hair-free, thankfully. I'm not the type of person to send food back, as I've worked in a restaurant and seen some things I'd rather not. But with multiple hairs in one cupcake, we were both kind of put off. Tammy's cupcake was pretty decent, but nothing special.<br />
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Onto their drinks, which were probably in 10oz mugs. Tammy's almond milk latte was okay for the first sip with some almond milk and foam, but the espresso left a bitter and burnt aftertaste. She said the taste was so bad, she's currently washing it down with Tim Horton's coffee as I type this.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bX-5HqdxgSWyCX678eCzWOna4WFqt8lQfqiWYVOdjbbk5ajFfmWMfLcHpxAhWY0fEstMByMjF3KIF_jd4zDG3fjg_OIXJOaG6YNyZjBczZgFDQ-29CH50AEOGoiuFqrDeIOc5FILeUY/s1600/20160924_163910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bX-5HqdxgSWyCX678eCzWOna4WFqt8lQfqiWYVOdjbbk5ajFfmWMfLcHpxAhWY0fEstMByMjF3KIF_jd4zDG3fjg_OIXJOaG6YNyZjBczZgFDQ-29CH50AEOGoiuFqrDeIOc5FILeUY/s640/20160924_163910.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For $4.50, you can get a cup of burnt espresso too.<br />Photo: <a href="http://totallytammy13.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">TotallyTammy</a></td></tr>
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As for my coconut milk mocha...she didn't put anything sweet into it. It was essentially the same burnt-tasting espresso as Tammy's, with a little bit of coconut milk in it. I honestly don't mind the taste of the espresso as much, seeing as my craft beer tastes span to include burnt coffee stouts and such. However, a mocha is definitely supposed to have a sweet characteristic to it. To be blunt, I didn't get what I ordered, and I wasn't about to go up to the counter and ask them to fix this either.<br />
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As Tammy said to me "If it's going to be priced higher than Starbucks, it better taste better than Starbucks". Well, first they better make the right drink.<br />
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I don't mean to be rude, but if my wife is paying $18 + tip for 2 coffees and 2 cupcakes, I'd expect to get what we ordered, without the added hairs. I get the hair wasn't intentional, but if they intentionally refuse to follow food safety protocols, then it's their fault for sure.<br />
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If you have money to blow, and you're celiac or have a gluten intolerance, then by all means take your chances and pray you don't get sick.<br />
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In fact, here's my first Pros and Cons list I'm going to make about a place:<br />
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<b>PROS:</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Gluten-free baked goods variety</li>
<li>Non-dairy milk selection for drinks includes Soy, Almond, and Coconut</li>
<li>Staff are decently polite</li>
<li>"Free" Wi-Fi</li>
</ul>
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<b>CONS:</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Baked goods may include natural, hairy additives</li>
<li>Drinks may not have all the ingredients you thought</li>
<li>Your wallet will hurt</li>
<li>Your stomach will probably hurt, too</li>
<li>The toilet doesn't flush properly (I have Crohn's! And they're lucky it was just pee!)</li>
<li>Credit/Debit card machine doesn't work properly (it won't let you tip, not that you'd want to)</li>
<li>The Wi-Fi is password protected, and the password isn't given</li>
</ul>
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Overall, I'd describe my experience here as a bad decision, and a learning experience.</div>
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We're washing this away with Tim Hortons. Let that sink in for a minute.</div>
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Tammy gives Sante Gluten-Free Cafe a 1.0 / 10 because their carrot cake cupcake wasn't awful.</div>
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I give the Sante Gluten-Free Cafe a recommendation-to-use-a-hair-net-and-make-my-drink-right-instead 0.0 / 10 -- never coming back. I'd rather wipe my ass with an owl, thank you very much.</div>
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DISCLAIMER: ** I understand this is a small, locally-owned business that works hard to make sure they have local, organic ingredients. However, we work hard for our money, too. We pay the premium for these ingredients and we obviously ran into an unfortunate situation. It doesn't change our opinion, and I want to make sure others are aware of this as well. Hopefully they see this and start wearing hair-nets and enforcing FoodSafe protocols. **</div>
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<br />brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-36237528484883344392016-09-14T13:07:00.003-07:002016-09-14T13:07:33.117-07:00Hillside Coffee & Tea in VictoriaWell, since I'm enrolled in the Provincial Instructor Diploma Program (PIDP) at Vancouver Community College, it means I have to take one of my courses in-person. To get this done as soon as possible, I took the offering that's in Victoria for a couple of weekends this month.<br />
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Tammy came along with me for last weekend, and we decided to stop at one of the well-reviewed cafes near our AirBnB. We stayed near Hillside Shopping Centre, and decided to pop into <b>Hillside Coffee & Tea </b>before leaving for the ferry.<br />
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It's got a hipster-y, small-town cafe feel when you enter. It definitely wasn't empty either. We went closer to the end of the day, and it was still really busy. That's usually a good sign. They have options for Almond and Soy milk, but their prices were a bit outrageous. That, and our barista / service person was quite cold and rude -- contrary to the amazing and friendly people we encountered in Victoria.<br />
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Imagine ordering a Venti drink at Starbucks...maybe $5? That's the price of most drinks here. An iced coffee is about $4. That, and their baked goods are about $3.50 to $4 per piece. I mean, sure they've got bite-sized morsels of food for $2.50, but that's not enough for a snack.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_JNVp7OMmU8J7hlYNtNepZszfrzLBnRnI9zqIbFjp9QnI99NF-KXagpvx-G5CVPhkLOyrN_FD0pyeAIkJz2PPB1i5QGBIbFnQQKJiYFTi-PiK22EuwPqQ7IHDKTUsny3gbyZ6ua2HH4/s1600/hillside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_JNVp7OMmU8J7hlYNtNepZszfrzLBnRnI9zqIbFjp9QnI99NF-KXagpvx-G5CVPhkLOyrN_FD0pyeAIkJz2PPB1i5QGBIbFnQQKJiYFTi-PiK22EuwPqQ7IHDKTUsny3gbyZ6ua2HH4/s640/hillside.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrot Cake, Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte, and Iced Coffee <br />@ Hillside Coffee and Tea, Victoria, BC<br />Photo: Brewji<br /></td></tr>
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Tammy and I got a slice of carrot cake, and a drink each. I got an iced Pumpkin Spice Latte (because I can, so sue me). Tammy got a plain iced coffee (black). <b>The total? About $13.40.</b><br />
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The Pumpkin Spice Latte was made with almond milk, and on the first few sips it tasted absolutely delicious. I don't know how or why, but after about 1/4 of the glass, it tasted like I was drinking plain soy milk. It tasted like that until the end...so I wasn't too enthused.<br />
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Tammy's iced coffee tasted like we went to Timmy's, bought a black coffee and chilled it in the fridge for a few hours. It wasn't really anything great.<br />
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The saving grace was in the carrot cake. The cake was moist, the frosting was delicious, and I could definitely see myself spending another $4 on this if I went to a cafe somewhere.<br />
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Either way...we probably won't be back. Sorry, but $13 is a lot for unfortunate service and mediocre drinks. Maybe a tea would've been better?<br />
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<i>Hillside Coffee & Tea gets an I-wish-the-coffee-was-as-good-as-the-cake 3.0 / 10</i>brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-2358919708792797312016-09-08T21:48:00.000-07:002016-09-08T21:48:16.981-07:00East Cafe: VanCity's Hidden Gem.Hey all! It's been awhile. My excuse? I've been sick. Really sick.<br />
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Since I went on hiatus, I'd developed both a gluten and beer intolerance. It turns out my Crohn's Disease had just flared up throughout my entire digestive tract, causing increasing resistance to food and drink of all types. I still do have lactose-intolerance; that is without a doubt (just sniff the air around me).<br />
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In other news, I'm married! YES, I married my dream Irish girl, Tammy :) and <a href="http://totallytammy13.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">she has her own blog</a> on hiatus, too.<br />
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I've been put on Prednisone, which means my stomach has become a bottomless pit, and I'm able to tolerate a lot more food now! I just have to stay away from alcohol during my treatment, and I should be on the road to recovery. Here's to some good luck in my future.<br />
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Besides all that, Tammy and I paid a visit to the East Cafe, near Nanaimo and Hastings in Vancouver. We used to live about 3-4 blocks from this place, and I'd sometimes wake up before Tammy and sneak out in the morning, only to return to her with a mocha or latte of some sort to wake her up with.<br />
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They also have the BEST freshly-baked muffins I've ever tasted. They come out of the oven when the cafe opens, and just watching them spoon them out of the tray like they're homemade makes my heart melt. My personal favourite? The chocolate chip muffin. Tammy always goes blueberry (can't blame her).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYAAYcdOticpIUuCHfJEQ5FU-sLzVs2bZeKAi70PMzI55mz_1e5kZx1J5ZCWSp6EHLh232JcgIX3IJAdGNVn6wBQG_puNzbkAxr5YTFDsFQJEBOsqhCOTRZ_1gZDZ_IukwWTzzGk5UB8/s1600/IMG_20160904_145350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYAAYcdOticpIUuCHfJEQ5FU-sLzVs2bZeKAi70PMzI55mz_1e5kZx1J5ZCWSp6EHLh232JcgIX3IJAdGNVn6wBQG_puNzbkAxr5YTFDsFQJEBOsqhCOTRZ_1gZDZ_IukwWTzzGk5UB8/s640/IMG_20160904_145350.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mocha, made with coconut milk @ East Cafe<br />Vancouver, B.C. #nofilter</td></tr>
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Tammy and I got their Mocha, mine with coconut milk and Tammy's with almond milk. This was the creamiest, smoothest, and most delicious mocha I've had in years. The espresso fluidly passed through the dark-but-not-too-dark chocolate and coconut milk combination.<br />
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I also got a maple-walnut muffin, and Tam got a blueberry...but those were eaten so fast we didn't get a picture. The cozy, warm and friendly atmosphere of this place reminds me of a Central Perk from Friends. We love to sit on the couch near the back. The staff are great as well!<br />
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A side note: Our visit back to the area was followed by a venture to Tacofino, where we inadvertently got sick after eating. No fault of their own, I'm assuming. Probably our digestive tracts screaming "THIS IS SPARTAAA" in sync.<br />
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In the end, if you ever have the privilege of being in this area, hit up this coffee shop! They are right on the corner of Nanaimo and Hastings. They also sell local jams, preserves, baked goods, and more. Much better than Starbucks. I wonder if they'll ever introduce a pumpkin spice latte?<br />
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<i>I give the East Cafe a wish-this-was-my-local-again 10 / 10</i><br />
<i>Tammy gives the East Cafe a 10 / 10</i><br />
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brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-40873911993542092542016-02-11T17:20:00.000-08:002016-05-14T12:59:31.052-07:00Spud Shack - Round TwoMy first time at Spud Shack was back in August 2014; I got the royal chance to be invited to Spud Shack Fry Co. in Downtown New Westminster. Dan, the head chef / owner / master poutine-guy, allowed me to sample some of the best items on his menu. I had the Effin' Good Burger, the Night Market Poutine, and some great craft beers in a <a href="http://brewji.blogspot.ca/2014/08/beer-and-food-tasting-pairing-spud-shack.html" target="_blank">food + beer pairing post</a>.<br />
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A couple of weeks ago, I visited Spud Shack with some co-workers and got a few snapshots of our poutines before we wolfed them down.<br />
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My co-worker Robyn got the Night Market Poutine (as per my "skilled" recommendation). She said she loves Kimchi, and probably stopped listening after I mentioned it. As far as I can tell, it looks just as delicious as it did in 2014.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfEcH42x5j-lmHu06Ktjg9_sEqMB0Bbthr2c8bCHALToKU64Rnkb1jSrNbUD34GaBN4OwOu3rHa1Bjk5zeDDqMFFqTGNeXwsZnI_reITCRJduwFBKhiQQhOeqokFN3AgD7bh-q1-IFJk/s1600/IMG_20160129_180038_edited_watermark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfEcH42x5j-lmHu06Ktjg9_sEqMB0Bbthr2c8bCHALToKU64Rnkb1jSrNbUD34GaBN4OwOu3rHa1Bjk5zeDDqMFFqTGNeXwsZnI_reITCRJduwFBKhiQQhOeqokFN3AgD7bh-q1-IFJk/s640/IMG_20160129_180038_edited_watermark.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Night Market Poutine @ Spud Shack Fry Co.<br />
New Westminster, BC<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
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As for myself, I got the Butter Chicken Poutine. Now, I've had the version from New York Fries, which I was moderately impressed with, and on the same level sickened with. However, this medium at Spud Shack had my foodie-senses tingling. I could smell the sauce, and the presentation was just beautiful.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUW3K3wNh-jS7K9yIA6SnoKSEJE_RFLL5wm5z2JeXt8I_Th5XBUaCsdd_tami-VU33yv9lRG6BqRTBiyQI7F4aOz4AYGvp_GmgzIKVxo-KBLFhnMDu9brJWkByEsB-xtbIrFPK7KHDFo/s1600/IMG_20160129_180210_Watermarked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUW3K3wNh-jS7K9yIA6SnoKSEJE_RFLL5wm5z2JeXt8I_Th5XBUaCsdd_tami-VU33yv9lRG6BqRTBiyQI7F4aOz4AYGvp_GmgzIKVxo-KBLFhnMDu9brJWkByEsB-xtbIrFPK7KHDFo/s640/IMG_20160129_180210_Watermarked.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butter Chicken Poutine @ Spud Shack Fry Co.<br />
New Westminster, BC<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
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On first bite, I'm immediately struck with a *real* butter chicken sauce. This seems like it was actually made from scratch. Heck, it's better than half the Indian restaurants' butter chicken sauces in the city! It's got such a rich, vibrant taste, with an albeit humble appearance. Dan, you rocked it again.<br />
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<i>I give Spud Shack Fry Co. a poutine-revolution 9.0 / 10</i>brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-76901716589416113972016-02-02T16:49:00.001-08:002016-05-14T12:55:35.503-07:00Bump 'n' Grind CafeDuring this never-ending search for the best cup of coffee in Vancouver, we stumbled upon a little cafe tucked into the wall near Commercial Drive and Venables Street. After already making ourselves a pot of Kicking Horse in the morning, we shuffled our way up the drive and turned into this little slice of caffeine.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhHn0EA_LsmOyxSR1lomqUs035-FVk4-q7Vzz2AIVOJ0e6yAHdpweHQHVy2fzFckPABZDyfn6a47ci6vOqp4cAKNDTXW5frfErDOpwW15RpzDY6h-hgmwLFb4DxZTYKLyTAp3ibWwnxQ/s1600/bum3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhHn0EA_LsmOyxSR1lomqUs035-FVk4-q7Vzz2AIVOJ0e6yAHdpweHQHVy2fzFckPABZDyfn6a47ci6vOqp4cAKNDTXW5frfErDOpwW15RpzDY6h-hgmwLFb4DxZTYKLyTAp3ibWwnxQ/s640/bum3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Menu and atmosphere @ Bump 'n' Grind Cafe<br />
Vancouver, BC<br />
Photo: Brewji, Totally Tammy</td></tr>
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On entry, the place seemed cozy and comforting. It was lightly populated with what appeared to be students "working hard" on their laptops, along with a family with children. Not to mention some sensual smells of brain-boosting caffeine.<br />
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They had a decent selection of baked goods and edibles, but it seemed a little pricey so <a href="http://totallytammy13.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Tammy </a>and I just opted for some coffee.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1xbq2c1RBwrOW5uR3J4emzf8kzlf2BKaJucwpRQWtPe4ynBd5fmh_7WGUar4LFn_EjYmuJB_PMdkv3r8R1Sbx-ZGahZBJD7v-UHk0cGMF-kO_ZU7FzQD2qBZQ4TYaV_tvEJEzurF5xE/s1600/bum2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1xbq2c1RBwrOW5uR3J4emzf8kzlf2BKaJucwpRQWtPe4ynBd5fmh_7WGUar4LFn_EjYmuJB_PMdkv3r8R1Sbx-ZGahZBJD7v-UHk0cGMF-kO_ZU7FzQD2qBZQ4TYaV_tvEJEzurF5xE/s640/bum2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baked Goods @ Bump 'n' Grind Cafe<br />
Vancouver, BC<br />
Photo: Brewji, Totally Tammy</td></tr>
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Of course, we decided to drink our coffee black to see what it actually tastes like. It smelled delicious, as our barista ground the beans fresh for each cup.<br />
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When sipping this roasted, scalding concoction, many flavours flashed into the front of my mind. There were fruity notes, and nutty undertones with some acidic flavours. Best of all, this was a coffee with many characteristics but it all just worked together and simply tasted amazing!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYLo9cxoJyPtHTtLmoml0P6Otz7hLJ2k2e26q3sZEo1t_hjA1G32-cQ36EIxRpkgyBRQ49jaurefvzYxGRi4WtdNJZiMMocnIVq8RR7_WQb0Wg4SWkxI7vLkiHcyw7bcWk5n_M2RaX9E/s1600/bum1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYLo9cxoJyPtHTtLmoml0P6Otz7hLJ2k2e26q3sZEo1t_hjA1G32-cQ36EIxRpkgyBRQ49jaurefvzYxGRi4WtdNJZiMMocnIVq8RR7_WQb0Wg4SWkxI7vLkiHcyw7bcWk5n_M2RaX9E/s640/bum1.jpg" width="452" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Coffee! @ Bump 'n' Grind Cafe<br />
Vancouver, BC<br />
Photo: Brewji, Totally Tammy</td></tr>
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As the coffee cooled down, its flavours grew slightly more prominent. This is one of the many gems in our city!<br />
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<i>I give the Bump 'n' Grind cafe a will-slow-dance-for-coffee 9.5 / 10</i><br />
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<i>Tammy gives the Bump 'n' Grind cafe a next-time-I'll-try-the-peanut-butter-cups 9.0 / 10</i>brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-70219742306566473792016-01-28T15:39:00.000-08:002016-05-14T12:58:03.137-07:00The Cannibal CafeEver since I discovered that ground beef, cheese, and toppings could be eaten between two pieces of bread (since forever), I've been on the hunt for the best burger in Vancouver.<br />
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I've had my fair share of burgers, ranging from Romer's to Steamworks (yes, their lamb burger is amazing), to Stackhouse, and Relish. I've also been to the main burger chains, like Red Robin, A&W, White Spot...you name it -- I've been there.<br />
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Then, one glorious day I decided to take <a href="http://totallytammy13.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Tammy </a>out to <b>The Cannibal Cafe</b> (1818 Commercial Drive). We'd heard good things about the place, enough to entice us into the burger joint and give their menu a try. Keep in mind, the first time we were here I wasn't prepared to take photos. I just wanted my damn burger.<br />
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We were very impressed the first time around! I had the Kowabunga burger. This burger was grilled to perfection. First off, the patty is made from three different cuts of beef. The combination makes for a meaty, juicy patty with so much flavour! It had provolone cheese, marinara sauce, and I can't remember what else, but it was perfection in between burger buns. The only downfall is I didn't get a picture of this beauty.<br />
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So, I brought my best friend Mike and his girl Megs along with myself and Tammy for Mike's birthday. We both tried to order the Kowabunga (just a few weeks after I first had it), and they DISCONTINUED IT!! Now, I'm not complaining, but guys, please, bring back the Kowabunga!<br />
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Instead, I ordered the "<b>Bacon Bad</b>". Yes, it's a play on the show Breaking Bad, and I'd hoped that the burger would live up to the name. Oh dear lord, did it ever.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5kSEObjhQWZXQzAKDUuzndDf6n1b5PT74WhxbgLiHqtocW5zz8l3YtYfdhPxx0pMqlokwMQM-q2alEzqfDFrzOqYG0LYe5jiftuUEyve2fRqNwfl37I0Ibk2HAzd-Ug6l6DmuHe4PZw/s1600/IMG_20151115_133925_blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5kSEObjhQWZXQzAKDUuzndDf6n1b5PT74WhxbgLiHqtocW5zz8l3YtYfdhPxx0pMqlokwMQM-q2alEzqfDFrzOqYG0LYe5jiftuUEyve2fRqNwfl37I0Ibk2HAzd-Ug6l6DmuHe4PZw/s640/IMG_20151115_133925_blog.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bacon Bad @ The Cannibal Cafe<br />
1818 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC<br />
Photo: Brewji</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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This bad boy had everything you'd ever want on a burger. It had a solid patty (not sure how many ounces), but the patty is <i>stuffed</i> with bacon and cheddar!! On top of that, it had a serious helping of applewood-smoked bacon, a generous slice of Canadian cheddar, maple bacon bourbon jam, and roasted garlic mayo. On top of that, your usual lettuce, onion, tomato, and pickle.<br />
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If you're not drooling after the picture and the description, maybe the slightly-darker-than-golden battered onion rings will tickle your fancy. They're crispy and golden on the outside, topped with Parmesan cheese, and served with a delicious smoky red pepper mayo.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHiLzBEvyEnN3Rv0ggW2mBiLLIACXMW6wfujlRrrHPwDcIL-7sv_JbTYhwPpeLm0Ag6n-y8CVZqdR3mxnlSaOdvdglLHq9PnNwBxxl-WS3wGZU3n1DrP0w539Yxp_TcEZalBe3r9sHhs/s1600/IMG_20151115_133929_blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHiLzBEvyEnN3Rv0ggW2mBiLLIACXMW6wfujlRrrHPwDcIL-7sv_JbTYhwPpeLm0Ag6n-y8CVZqdR3mxnlSaOdvdglLHq9PnNwBxxl-WS3wGZU3n1DrP0w539Yxp_TcEZalBe3r9sHhs/s640/IMG_20151115_133929_blog.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bacon Bad + Onion Rings @ The Cannibal Cafe<br />
1818 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
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On first bite, the burger is exactly what you'd imagine. It's like biting into all the little things that make up taste-bud-heaven. There's bacon, there's beef, there's cheddar, there's more bacon, there's the roasted garlic mayo, then bacon-bourbon jam, and oh yeah -- more bacon! It's like they invented someone's "last meal" and put it in between two buns. The onion rings make an awesome sidekick to this powerhouse.<br />
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If you love burgers, you'll love The Cannibal Cafe.<br />
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<u>Bonus: BRUNCH!</u><br />
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Tammy and I were so happy with the burgers and our beers, that we decided to come back for Brunch! Unfortunately, the effects of alcohol and hunger and all other things made sure that I only got a poor-quality snapshot of the brunch we ate.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hungry Man Breakfast + Caesar @ The Cannibal Cafe<br />
1818 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
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For a mere $9.95, we each got the Hungry Man Breakfast. It consists of 3 Eggs any style (we like them over-medium), fresh made hashbrowns, sausage, applewood-smoked bacon (the same as on the Bacon Bad), tomato, onion, mushrooms, and a biscuit.<br />
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Tammy also got a Caesar. I don't drink that stuff (yuck!), but if you do, she says they're great. She also wants to point out that they ask you what type of alcohol you'd like in your Caesar. Apparently they don't normally do that at places. She's happy about that!<br />
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<i>Tammy gives The Cannibal Cafe a bring-back-the-Kowabunga 9.0 / 10</i><br />
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<i>I give The Cannibal Cafe a jaw-dropping-full-mouth-of-drool 10 / 10</i>brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-76019368063962062112016-01-26T17:30:00.002-08:002016-01-26T17:30:53.233-08:00Gingerhead Gingerbread Stout by Central CityWell, I've officially broken in the new year with a new beer! I know, I've been hesitant to get back on the brew-wagon since that epic New Year's Eve.<br />
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Either way, Tammy and I picked up the <b>Gingerhead Gingerbread Stout (ABV 6.0%)</b> by <b>Central City Brewing</b>. It's classified as an Irish Dry Stout, but we'll see what my Irish girl and I think of this. Most beers I've had from Central City have been pretty spot-on, if not spectacular. I've mentioned before that I used to frequent their brew pub in Surrey when I was an SFU student. However, their food has become more "high-class" and their prices have reflected that (as of my last few visits...their nachos used to be killer!).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gingerhead Gingerbread Stout by Central City Brewing<br />@Brewji HQ<br />Photo: Brewji, Totally Tammy</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The stout poured well, albeit with little to no head. I know I don't have the "proper glassware", but I was still expecting some. It appeared to have more carbonation than most other stouts.<br />
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It smelled mildly sweet, with barely a hint of toffee and/or caramel. However, this was just after being taken out of the fridge. As a rookie mistake, I forgot to let it sit for a few minutes to warm up and let the flavours come out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gingerhead Gingerbread Stout by Central City Brewing<br />@Brewji HQ<br />Photo: Brewji, Totally Tammy</td></tr>
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After 10-15 minutes of letting it warm up, I could really taste a hint of gingerbread cookies! The first sip was robust yet sweet, with notes of oatmeal, ginger, and cocoa (or chocolate). This is seriously a hit! If they released this in six-pack bottles, we'd probably pick up a few for friends and family when they visit.<br />
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All that being said -- if you're not a stout person, give this a go. It's smooth, tasty, and definitely puts a winter-y twist on an Irish Dry Stout without losing its merit. If you don't like gingerbread cookies or stout, then chances are you should be looking at some of my other posts.<br />
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<i>Tammy gives the Gingerhead Gingerbread Stout a forget-the-cookie-gimme-a-beer 8.5 / 10</i><br />
<i>I give the Gingerhead Gingerbread Stout a no-wonder-Ron-got-Hermoine 9.0 / 10</i>brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-79186944077261842262016-01-23T17:42:00.000-08:002016-01-23T17:42:37.478-08:00Jules Cafe (Burnaby's Hidden Diner)Now, don't get me wrong, there are a few places in Burnaby (and the Greater Vancouver area) that do a mean breakfast. But, what we're missing is a place that's close to home, that feels like home, and that doesn't kick the crap out of your wallet.<br />
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Tammy and I made the 35 minute walk to <b>Jules Cafe</b> (5205 Rumble Street; near Rumble and Royal Oak) last weekend, and were we ever surprised! From the moment we walked in the door, it felt like a small town diner. It seemed that everyone there were regulars, and she knew right away that we weren't from there. I'm not sure if Jules is the older Asian lady behind the register, or if the place was named after someone, but everyone there was so courteous and made our experience feel like home.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee with Soy Milk @ Jules Cafe<br />Burnaby, BC<br />Photo: Brewji, Totally Tammy</td></tr>
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We started with a cup of coffee each. Since we're both lactose-intolerant, we asked if they had any non-dairy milks available. We weren't expecting anything, as they're a diner and not a specialty coffee house (especially after Fondway sucked it hard by claiming they only have "real milk"). The kind lady behind the counter had no problem with providing us with soy milk. She even asked us to sit and get comfortable, and she walked the coffees out to us.<br />
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What we didn't expect was they had different types of coffee available as well (and our coffees were good!). I didn't get a good look at where they source their coffee from, but it looks like its either fair-trade, or something unique. The best I could make out with my glasses on was they had a medium roast, dark roast, and there was at least a third option. We'll figure it out eventually.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super Traditional Breakfast with Bacon @ Jules Cafe<br />Burnaby, BC<br />Photo: Brewji, Totally Tammy</td></tr>
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Since we'd pretty much just hiked through part of Burnaby, we were starving. After taking a look at the menu, we decided to each get the <b>Super Traditional Breakfast</b>. For <b>$8.00</b>, you really can't go wrong. It comes with 3 Eggs (any style), your choice of either 3 Bacon Strips, 3 Sausages, or Ham, alongside Hashbrowns and Toast.<br />
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The quality of the food was better than we'd expected. For the price, this even destroys IHOP and Denny's, not to mention in quality of ingredients and the service we received.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super Traditional Breakfast (2) @ Jules Cafe<br />Burnaby, BC<br />Photo: Brewji, Totally Tammy</td></tr>
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We will definitely be back to either have more breakfast, or to do lunch. They serve burgers as well, and have a daily special from the chef.<br />
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<i>Jules Cafe gets a cozy-comfortable-and-affordably-delicious 8.5 / 10</i>brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-30543006055356764092016-01-22T23:26:00.000-08:002016-01-22T23:26:36.895-08:00Dinesty (on Kingsway)Apologies for the loss of the post!<br />
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Blogger *sucks* and lost my entire post! So, I've had to re-write EVERYTHING. /end rant<br />
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These last few weeks, I've begun to realize how much I love food. It's a double-edged sword, with the amount of digestive issues I put up with. That aside, I bring you to a new-ish location of Dinesty Dumpling House, which has their main location in Richmond, and another location in Vancouver.<br />
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Tammy and I decided to take a walk along Kingsway, and we found ourselves at Dinesty Dumpling House. We didn't wait long to be seated - maybe five minutes or so. This was during a busy lunch rush, so we were appreciative of that!<br />
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The service was quick and polite. We had our tea poured for us, and we decided to share three items. The first dish to come to our table (within five minutes of ordering!) was the Shanghai Fried Noodles. The noodles were perfectly cooked, tossed in a savoury seasoning sauce, with some stir fried vegetables. They were addicting, and the plate was cleaned up pretty quick! They were only $9.95, and a portion of these could satisfy (close to) my entire appetite if I was super hungry. Okay, maybe it would satisfy everything-but-dessert. Either way, decent portion for the price.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shanghai Fried Noodles @ Dinesty Dumpling House<br />Burnaby, BC<br />Photo: Brewji, Totally Tammy</td></tr>
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Next up, we received our Xiao Long Bao (XBL) soup buns. They were smaller than I was expecting, but they looked delicious. We decided to get the steamed chicken XBLs, as most people get the pork -- I wanted to make sure they could do chicken well too!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Steamed Chicken Xiao Long Bao (XBL) @ Dinesty Dumpling House</span><br style="font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Burnaby, BC</span><br style="font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Brewji, Totally Tammy</span></td></tr>
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I'd eaten XBLs with chopsticks once before in my life. Using that previous "experience", I attempted to try and teach Tammy (with assistance of the guide in the menu), how to approach the XBLs. First step is to pinch the top of the buns with your chopsticks, and place the XBL in the soup spoon. Then, poke a hole into the XBL and drain the broth into the spoon. From there, enjoy the broth and then eat it! These dumplings were delicious. The broth was on point, and the filling was tasty as well. At a price of $7.50, I've been told it's steep, but it satisfied us both.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Pan-Fried Beef Dumplings @ Dinesty Dumpling House</span><br style="font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Burnaby, BC</span><br style="font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Brewji, Totally Tammy</span></td></tr>
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Pictured above were the Pan-Fried Beef Dumplings. These guys were the star of the show! Golden, fried and crispy outside, filled with juicy beef and more pastry. Who doesn't love fried pockets of beefy goodness? We could have easily ordered a few more of these, but we were stuffed after the first two courses. Two of these babies cost a mere $4.25. </div>
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Overall, a restaurant that can serve up tasty, sizeable portions at a price my wallet doesn't cry over, makes for a good review! The service was quite pleasant as well, which bumps this up on the rating scale.</div>
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<i>Dinesty Dumpling House (on Kingsway) gets a so-good-it-needs-to-be-re-written 8.5 / 10</i></div>
<br />brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-89050813834472361142016-01-17T15:11:00.000-08:002016-01-17T15:11:47.206-08:00Fondway Cafe (Near Metrotown)Well, we've been getting sick of all the coffee shops around Metrotown really sucking it big time lately.<br />
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There's a Waves near Patterson station - let's be honest, nobody likes Waves. There's a Starbucks every time I open my eyes, and a Tim Hortons around every corner. There are a few non-chain coffee shops around Metrotown, but they've all lacked a particular lustre, character, quality of product, or service.<br />
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With my cell phone in one hand, and <a href="http://totallytammy13.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Totally Tammy</a>'s hand in my other, we walked over to Fondway Cafe (4462 Beresford Street) and hoped for the best.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fondway Cafe (Entrance)<br />Burnaby, BC<br />Photo: Brewji, Totally Tammy</td></tr>
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We entered the cafe, and nobody else was in line, but it took about a full minute for the guy behind the counter to acknowledge us being present. Not kidding - he just stood there, knew we were standing there, and proceeded to ignore us.<br />
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He never greeted us, so we had to ask if we could place our order. So we're off to a grrreeeat start - they're not very courteous, nor do they have personalities. It was hard to find any passion for their products whatsoever. Trust me, if you go into EVR (East Van Roasters) in Vancouver, they <i>know</i> passion, because they <i>love</i> their product.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhg9umo3ZcWpLJHd9aiF151XAJbfNIIIlpe6epaiRXNYaPPOsPICVCwUF6D9jcymPZlek9hE9htCpG3M8yTXpG7glbK89n4tfaLxYYRmwbZG7nWCEbtbw2Ctdbb5QGUpv-pA_crmIJl4k/s1600/IMG_20160114_115739_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhg9umo3ZcWpLJHd9aiF151XAJbfNIIIlpe6epaiRXNYaPPOsPICVCwUF6D9jcymPZlek9hE9htCpG3M8yTXpG7glbK89n4tfaLxYYRmwbZG7nWCEbtbw2Ctdbb5QGUpv-pA_crmIJl4k/s640/IMG_20160114_115739_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caramel Nut Tart @ Fondway Cafe<br />Burnaby, BC<br />Photo: Brewji, Totally Tammy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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One of our first questions was "Do you have any lactose-free or non-dairy milks for coffee/tea/lattes?" - The answer was "No, we only have real milk." Big time failure on their part. How do you open a non-chain coffee shop in the Greater Vancouver area and not understand that 90% of coffee shops (outside of Timmy Ho Ho's) carry at least Soy or Almond milk?<br />
<br />
I don't mean to be "one of those" people, but both of us are lactose-intolerant. Actually, more than half of us are lactose-intolerant, but the dairy/meat/wheat industries run the food business...and that's another rant in itself.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4QDYYfeo09Ipj2ad2C_5ZoSk8MnjRB_NofIVhqHj8DQgq9RLQwvOHb1HW5TXb4RmIkXasEAsWpq18aeHC2fPlSmoPSiMVB04irAV8s_S9XKEMYPGDJudgLCH4on7H9_Yk2j_9XRMjj4/s1600/IMG_20160114_115443_a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4QDYYfeo09Ipj2ad2C_5ZoSk8MnjRB_NofIVhqHj8DQgq9RLQwvOHb1HW5TXb4RmIkXasEAsWpq18aeHC2fPlSmoPSiMVB04irAV8s_S9XKEMYPGDJudgLCH4on7H9_Yk2j_9XRMjj4/s640/IMG_20160114_115443_a.jpg" width="472" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Menu @ Fondway Cafe<br />Burnaby, BC<br />Photo: Brewji, Totally Tammy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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If you're a rich, indecisive tea-drinker, this place might tickle your sack. They've got a wall of tea that looks pretty intimidating. Definitely not as friendly as David's TEA, but you might get that one weird tea you've been searching for. They've got printed details of each tea as well.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazVPFHggg4fnBTDLYuvhX3Qxry37LPFCuXtSz2HmO3TzMNsJaqSYCBaTs5XN_HQt3a4hypK6AxxUn8Fferjg0XYhh_lwWuOknzgFmYFUDbmwrJDaTPWhz22olZxx1z1R0z4a1nUT_IMY/s1600/IMG_20160114_115839_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazVPFHggg4fnBTDLYuvhX3Qxry37LPFCuXtSz2HmO3TzMNsJaqSYCBaTs5XN_HQt3a4hypK6AxxUn8Fferjg0XYhh_lwWuOknzgFmYFUDbmwrJDaTPWhz22olZxx1z1R0z4a1nUT_IMY/s640/IMG_20160114_115839_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea Selection @ Fondway Cafe<br />Burnaby, BC<br />Photo: Brewji, Totally Tammy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1vk9eQ1NzDrJOC4CvKgxUfaSxbSEkjwJc4Gr0NqEcSGnPdc5_wF78KFc6_80flSE3x3ypPmDR9p3Nu3iCcmxAgywptNjGWdsHtl4JiRyswMVDp37FgST857X797w8lGBsT9UZbw3ivs/s1600/IMG_20160114_115855_a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1vk9eQ1NzDrJOC4CvKgxUfaSxbSEkjwJc4Gr0NqEcSGnPdc5_wF78KFc6_80flSE3x3ypPmDR9p3Nu3iCcmxAgywptNjGWdsHtl4JiRyswMVDp37FgST857X797w8lGBsT9UZbw3ivs/s640/IMG_20160114_115855_a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detailed Tea Description @ Fondway Cafe<br />Burnaby, BC<br />Photo: Brewji, Totally Tammy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The only real up-side to this place, is the decor. But even that looks like they bought it out of a "how-to-look-hipster-and-vintage-without-being-cool" catalogue. It just felt so...fake. So pretentious and "upper class".<br />
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Did you want a regular coffee? Sorry, you'll have to order pour-over or Americano only. Not only that, but it'll cost you upwards of $3 after tax (and tip, if you can afford it).<br />
<br />
Well, my coffee fix usually involves hard, dark, and cold brews (just like my beer). I got a large cold brew, which wasn't very big. Tammy got a hot Americano, because they didn't serve regular coffee, and she didn't want to pay $5 for a pour-over. I also got a cookie, because I'm awesome (who doesn't like cookies?).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-1tnfi0uWoK5jBXm0nSX2FC-kn2xM_QD9kKndOiU5WaMbtcZ_OP-lyAvu0l5q9UVQbac-y7l4J83K-j05OgkoHpcdiB28uXuMrivZbCx2tNet5LXImafGk42ysCZNS1GbSrR6H5R6io/s1600/IMG_20160114_120043%257E2_a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-1tnfi0uWoK5jBXm0nSX2FC-kn2xM_QD9kKndOiU5WaMbtcZ_OP-lyAvu0l5q9UVQbac-y7l4J83K-j05OgkoHpcdiB28uXuMrivZbCx2tNet5LXImafGk42ysCZNS1GbSrR6H5R6io/s640/IMG_20160114_120043%257E2_a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overhead Hipster Foodie Shot (Cold Brew, Americano, Cookie) @ Fondway Cafe<br />Burnaby, BC<br />Photo: Brewji, Totally Tammy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0kFV85suiuSEJY5zjLY_GjEC89Arx6IFoKNelmeMJ0xzBd7of9LMJ12TV3t0VUxJ4GR4UfxdyoDMRj_fCE5l0lvvhYCbeL2NSxXH5s846Awd0-JVtf3xWC-EdPY-qCMtDK9mgoiYi4E/s1600/IMG_20160114_120119_a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0kFV85suiuSEJY5zjLY_GjEC89Arx6IFoKNelmeMJ0xzBd7of9LMJ12TV3t0VUxJ4GR4UfxdyoDMRj_fCE5l0lvvhYCbeL2NSxXH5s846Awd0-JVtf3xWC-EdPY-qCMtDK9mgoiYi4E/s640/IMG_20160114_120119_a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cookie, Americano, Cold Brew @ Fondway Cafe<br />Burnaby, BC<br />Photo: Brewji, Totally Tammy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The cold brew was poured on tap with Nitrogen so it has a smooth, velvety stout-like mouth-feel to it. It wasn't very bitter, and there were some fruity undertones to the brew. It was quite nice, and had a nice caffeine punch to it. It wasn't quite strong enough for $5, but it did its job.<br />
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Tammy seemed to enjoy her Americano, but you can read more of what she thought <a href="http://totallytammy13.blogspot.ca/2016/01/fondway-cafe.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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The cookie would have been better left as a Toonie. Tim Horton's makes better cookies, as does Subway. This felt like one of those stale, Blenz cookies that looks like it's suppose to be chocolate-y and chewy but falls short on every aspect of being a cookie.<br />
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I don't mean to tear these guys a new hole, but it shouldn't feel like I've been screwed in mine.<br />
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<i>Fondway Cafe gets a stop-opening-these-fake-coffee-shops-with-these-new-condos 4.5 / 10</i><br />
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<br />brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180886413049623805.post-49161981380807302982016-01-13T19:38:00.002-08:002017-02-26T02:15:47.896-08:00Saffron Indian Cuisine! -- Wait, isn't this food? Why am I reviewing food?Yes, Brewji has to eat, too! So, why not show off all the delicious grub while I'm at it? I already have my Zomato Profile.<br />
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Since Zomato doesn't make it easy to link your blog posts to their reviews (I still can't get my blog linked after hours of effort), I'm going to post it all here! Besides, what goes better with beer than food (or more beer?), right?<br />
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To kick off the year, I started with my post on Russell Brewing's holiday brew package. Now, I'm going to show you what my city has to offer! By "My city", I mean the Greater Vancouver area.<br />
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Tammy and I were at Saffron Indian Cuisine near Metrotown on New Year's Day. It was one of the only places open, and we finally decided we didn't want a grease-fuelled hangover cure (for dinner).<br />
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Before we got our appetizers or our mains, we were treated to some complimentary Papadum (chickpea flour cracker). I thought every table got some, but it turns out we were special :)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37pPTMPkO_aHT1n1AXGvALiQGDJsRqRNYgbk1BbwmcOQe-v-FW-P2q_950fCJhLVc1MzVz45F-k34zZTS30Qn8VByORVSW59NRmljmuquW5QlotEmcnJfHPwprDlYu1r9RDKFplDh8iA/s1600/IMG_20160101_163619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37pPTMPkO_aHT1n1AXGvALiQGDJsRqRNYgbk1BbwmcOQe-v-FW-P2q_950fCJhLVc1MzVz45F-k34zZTS30Qn8VByORVSW59NRmljmuquW5QlotEmcnJfHPwprDlYu1r9RDKFplDh8iA/s400/IMG_20160101_163619.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Papadum (Complimentary)<br />
Saffron Indian Cuisine, Burnaby, BC<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We opted for an order of Vegetable Pakoras to start.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbtphlhKOaDbZqppZH4tn0-P7xAGQ8wnaNZrNCwAlKYpJrNbiG3CYoUldo-vFzzTTn-y9d0xhQVt9nuwuJOGpjjL0IkmcCb3ZNGCirRRuZDdrno6KQV5T0lZB2H2ufcvtGtI4jXqFyLw/s1600/IMG_20160101_164311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbtphlhKOaDbZqppZH4tn0-P7xAGQ8wnaNZrNCwAlKYpJrNbiG3CYoUldo-vFzzTTn-y9d0xhQVt9nuwuJOGpjjL0IkmcCb3ZNGCirRRuZDdrno6KQV5T0lZB2H2ufcvtGtI4jXqFyLw/s400/IMG_20160101_164311.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegetable Pakoras with Tamarind Chutney<br />
Saffron Indian Cuisine, Burnaby, BC<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Then, our mains -- a Thali, each. What's a "Thali"? I dunno, but it sure is a ton of food!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGT2ZEQhsIiPR8wTiwIn1lqWEEUIRBurINf38pd5z6-Fbw3VnUhc5-ntgen9SFEJIwkjyDNj1vkpW8xVpYu2u-W70bHlsrEQFBx1GN2bigmVhpGUo7jkGyZ0AIZHjaTjYEANdNq60OrU/s1600/IMG_20160101_170035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGT2ZEQhsIiPR8wTiwIn1lqWEEUIRBurINf38pd5z6-Fbw3VnUhc5-ntgen9SFEJIwkjyDNj1vkpW8xVpYu2u-W70bHlsrEQFBx1GN2bigmVhpGUo7jkGyZ0AIZHjaTjYEANdNq60OrU/s640/IMG_20160101_170035.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thali (Regular) - There is a vegetarian option as well<br />
Saffron Indian Cuisine<br />
Photo: Brewji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Tammy's Thali is pictured above.<br />
Here's a breakdown of what it contains:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Butter Chicken</li>
<li>Lamb Curry</li>
<li>Daal Curry</li>
<li>Chicken Tikka (just a couple of pieces)</li>
<li>Rice</li>
<li>Naan</li>
<li>Dessert (Kheer - Rice Pudding, or Gulab Jamun - like an Indian "Timbit" with sugar syrup)</li>
<li>Salad (what am I, a rabbit?)</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Butter Chicken is your standard Indian restaurant butter chicken, taken to the next level. It's one of the better ones I've had in Vancouver, and I believe it's Tammy's favourite.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Lamb Curry was my distinct favourite. The Lamb was perfectly cooked, and it melded in with the spices and created a flavour that my palette didn't know existed. I'm pretty sure I would destroy this if it was ever in the buffet. Who needs rice when you have a spoon?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Daal Curry was good, but the Lamb Curry stole the show for me. Daal is a mung bean curry, cooked with spices. It's definitely a staple if you're going to have a variety of dishes and aren't sure what to go with.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Oh, and the Chicken Tikka was delicious. You get the spices, which envelop the savoury juicy chicken pieces, and that little tiny bit of char to remind you of the home-cooked feel.</div>
<div>
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<div>
Tammy's Kheer? She loved it. She was stuffed full and still demolished it.</div>
<div>
My Gulab Jamun? I didn't get a chance to take a picture...more like "What Gulab Jamun?"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The rice was on point (as you'd expect), and the Naan was soft, fluffy, and so, so useful in eating my Lamb Curry.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I didn't touch my salad. I don't like salads. Mainly because with Crohn's, digesting anything raw that has tons of fibre will hurt like hell (plus, I'm mildly allergic to some raw, uncooked veggies like raw bell peppers and stuff, so I'm not risking it).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>The Veggie Pakoras</b> were <b>$5.95</b></div>
<div>
<b>The Thalis</b> were <b>$18.95 each</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We definitely got our money's worth.</div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Overall, I'd give Saffron Indian Cuisine a flavourful-and-repeatable 8.5 / 10</i></div>
<div>
<i>Tammy gives Saffron Indian Cuisine a let's-try-more-types-of-curry! 8.5 / 10</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i></div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/saffron-indian-cuisine-central-burnaby-burnaby" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Saffron Indian Cuisine, Central Burnaby and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Saffron Indian Cuisine Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16618292/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a> brewjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917173542636651112noreply@blogger.com0