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Edo Japan is opening this May Long Weekend at Pacific Centre Mall in downtown Vancouver! This Canadian fast food chain specializes in Japanese traditional Teppanyaki style cooking made with freshly prepared and delicious ingredients.

There are over 100 Edo Japan food court and storefront locations across Canada. Their menu includes Teppanyaki Grill, Sushi, and Noodlefull Bowls that are made with premium veggies, thin ramen-style noodles and your choice of flavourful chicken, beef, shrimp or veggies. All made to order. Check out their full list of their menu items.

Sometimes when I’m pinched for time but want something more nutritious than a greasy burger, Edo Japan’s sizzling sukiyaki beef with brown rice is my go to fast food option.

To celebrate Edo Japan’s grand opening this coming weekend we are giving away $50 gift card!

To enter this amazing giveaway, you must be Canadian resident (13+ years of age). Complete the following. Your chances increases the more items you complete and the more social media platforms you follow. Good Luck! DEADLINE: Thursday May 18th, 2017 11:59pm PST

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FOLLOW:

Hong Kong’s highly anticipated Mott 32 卅二公館 is officially open in Vancouver. It is located at Trump International Hotel & Tower Vancouver at 1161 W Georgia Street. The 148 seat restaurant sets a new gold standard for luxury Chinese culinary destination.

The space is designed by award winning interior designer Joyce Wang. It marries contemporary with the opulent classic Chinese elements consistent with Mott 32’s concept in Hong Kong.

Particularly, the space offers several themed sections including large abacus adored ceilings, booth seats with bird cage light fixtures paying tribute to the idea grandfathers of Hong Kong on the weekends showing off their different birds over dim sum, octagonal main dining area that feels like a traditional pagoda bringing an intimate setting. And of course, private rooms such as the Opium and Blue Jazz Room (modelled after Vancouver’s jazz culture).

Mott 32’s menu focuses on contemporary approach when recreating authentic Chinese cuisine using quality ingredients. The restaurant’s cooking is principally Cantonese with some signature Beijing dishes and Szechuan food.

Signature dishes include Applewood Roasted 42 days Beijing Duck and Barbecue Pluma Iberico Pork with Yellow Mountain Honey. Both are limited and require pre-order at least 1 day in advance.

Applewood Roasted 42 Days Peking Duck “Signature Mott 32 cut” 95

42天飼養北京片皮鴨 (蘋果木燒)

• Wok Fried Duck with Chili Soy 京式香脆爆鴨件 +20
• Traditional Minced Duck with Lettuce Cup (2nd course add on) 鴨鬆生菜包 (可選第二道菜) +20

Hong Kong Ice Tea 17: Paying homage to HK’s infamous lemon iced-tea in a to-go cup, this refreshing cocktail is made with Blanco Avion Tequila, Lillet Blanc, Blackcurrant and Jasmine Tea. It goes down so easily, you’ll want to order seconds!

Rose Garden 9: For those that prefer a non-alcoholic beverage, option for this slightly tart mocktail made with rose, rhubarb, Roselle and ginger.

Barbecue Pluma Iberico Pork with Yellow Mountain Honey 蜜汁頂級西班牙
黑毛豬叉燒 46:

Iberico pork imported from Spain is tender, juicy and rich. So soft it’s hard to go back to regular BBQ pork!

Cold Free Range Chicken 口水雞 18: One of my favorite appetizers in the Szechaun cuisine repertoire. Served chilled with Szechuan Peppercorns and Chili Sauce. This dish is spicy but not to the point that numbs your palate. If you pay attention, it has subtle sweet fragrance.

Evening and All-day dim sum is a dream of mine in Vancouver. Luckily, Mott 32 offers some delicious bite sized treats.

Hot & Sour Iberico Pork Shanghainese Soup Dumplings 酸辣小籠包 18: The presentation is everything. Individually served on its own “basket” with a different take on traditional Xiao Long Bao. It is recommended at the beginning of a meal to open up your appetite.

Black Truffle Siu Mai 黑豚肉松露鵪鶉蛋燒賣 18: Best eaten hot when this dumpling arrives to take advantage of the soft quail egg with its perfect yolky center. The Iberico pork is tender and pairs well with a touch of black truffle.

Maine Lobster Har Gow 金腿緬因龍蝦粿 18 ( per piece): This luxurious shrimp dumpling is made with lobster and Yunnan ham. Each bite is meaty.

Signature Smoked Black Cod 煙燻黑鱈魚 42: This dish plays with all your senses. It arrives in a glass dome filled with Chrysanthemum smoke. There is a heavy fragrance smokiness and this smokiness elevates the flavor profiles with each bite. The skin is crispy and the black cod itself is moist and flaky.

Crispy Pomelo Peel with Sesame 糖脆柚皮 16: To cook pomelo peel takes a lot of time and preparation. Deep fried and gently tossed with a coat of rock sugar. Sticky and crunchy outside with a soft and textured. Let rest before consuming. The center can be still very hot.

Sweet & Sour Pork 陳年黑醋咕嚕肉 24: Not your average neon-orange colored sweet and sour pork. This dish made with aged black vinegar in a traditional recipe passed down from generations. The flavors are perfectly balanced between tartness and sweetness.

Wok Fried Kale Clay Pot 馬拉盞蝦乾 黑豚肉碎芥蘭煲 24: Gai Lan vegetables served in a ripping hot clay pot with dried shrimp, minced pork with shrimp paste. There is no bitterness to the tender adolescent Gai Lan and makes for the perfect side dish!

Crispy Triple Cooked US Black Angus Short Rib 醬烤三弄 美國安格斯牛肋骨 42:  Simply put – Thrice cooked and MELTS in your mouth.

Mott’s Amber 杞子桂花糕 12: This traditional Chinese gelatin pudding with Osmanthus flower with Wolfberry is one of my all time favourite desserts. I love the subtle sweetness and the fragrance of the blossom. Mott’s rendition is done right without the sourness of goji berries and the bitterness that often lingers from Osmanthus.

Strawberry – Soy Sauce Ice Cream 草莓醬油雪糕 14: A delicious play on fresh strawberries and the delicate salty presence of soy. Served with freeze dried strawberries for texture and tartness. I would come back just for this alone!

Birthday Buns: steamed birthday buns with lotus paste and a salty egg yolk. What an amazing evening spent celebrating my birthday!

At the end of your meal, make sure to catch the whisky cart for an aperitif. Also on rotation is the Gin and Tonic cart. And during lunch, also watch for the Mimoso cart with freshly squeezed orange juice and basil leaves.

I highly recommend making a reservations at Mott 32 to experience the celebration of Hong Kong culture and cuisine.

I was invited by Mott 32 卅二公館 and Trump International Hotel & Tower Vancouver for a menu tasting.

FOLLOW:

Samsoonie Noodle and Rice is a dive-y Korean restaurant in Richmond. It is located at 8211 Westminster Hwy. The place looks beat and could use a face lift. Regardless, this place is busy and it’s a good idea to make reservations.

They offer a good selection of Korean cuisine ranging from bosaam, mandu dumplings, bimbimbap stone rice and Korean Ramen noodles (instant and regular).

Pan Fried Dumplings: Nice crispy pan fried skin with a juicy filing inside. I like that it was meaty and plump.

Bosaam: a plate of pork belly served with vegetables and spicy pickled radishes and jalapenos. The meat was tender but I wished it was there was some way to keep the plate hot. Our meat got cold pretty fast.

Spicy Beef Noodles: I would not recommend this. The broth is no different than pre-packaged instant kimchi ramen and lacked profile. There was not enough broth and just meh overall.

Ban Chan: Kimchi and seaweed. The table complimentary dishes were weak and could offer a better selection.

Tonight’s ladies night with @bitesofvancouver and @indulge_with_mimi over Bossam pork belly veggie wrap 🌿🐽, Korean pan fried dumplings 🍙 and Spicy beef noodles 🍜 . . @_samsoonie_ @visitrichmondbc . . _____ #instanomss tag a BFF ↡↡↡ . . . . . #foodbeast #eatfamous #infatuation #zagat #mychefstable#f52grams #buzzfeedfood #foodpornshare #yahoofood#thatfoodcray #foodintheair #feedyoursoull #eeeeeats#beautifulcuisines #huffposttaste #spoonfeed #thekitchn#onthetable #tryitordiet #foodporn #foodstagram#foodstyling #getinmybelly #먹스타그램 #vancouverfoodie#yvreats #vancityhype #korean #koreanfood

A post shared by Nancy Wu 📍Vancouver (@instanomss) on Apr 5, 2017 at 9:50pm PDT

Overall I’m pretty disappointed with this Korean restaurant and feel sorry that I dragged my two GF’s here. Hope they don’t hate me!

FOLLOW:

Ford Canada graciously took us out with their brand new Ford Fusion 2017. What a better way to exemplify this vehicle by going to a town in Vancouver that is experiencing the combination of old traditions and new changes.

• East and West
• Old and New
• Traditions and Modern Technique

I grew up around Chinatown (my parents would take me every weekend for grocery shopping), and often thought it was a forgotten town in Vancouver. When I walked around as a child I would see mostly senior citizens reside in this area. The buildings were historic, but mostly abandoned.

As I paid more attention to the culinary scene of Vancouver, I realized a revolution was happening in Chinatown. New and talented chefs would seek store fronts in these spaces of Chinatown that has been vacant for many years.

Sai Woo at 158 East Pender Street popped up on my radar before it was opened. This restaurant paid homage to Sai Woo Chop Suey, which opened in 1925. Inside you see a complete renovation while displaying keepsake of heydays. Falken Reynolds balance designed between old and the new, with symbolic allusions throughout the two-level, 188 seat restaurant and bar.

During Dine Out Vancouver, Sai Woo offers only the $40 per person Prix Fixe menu. Popular a la carte items are off the table.

Moscow Mule Mocktail (right) | Chinatown Mule (left) for a refreshing and spicy twist. Jack Daniels, Dickies Ginger Beer, lime and bitters.

Hakka Style Stuffed Tofu: Saoxing wine glaze, minced pork, braised leeks, chili vinaigrette.  Heavy salt content that makes this dish cringe-worthy.

Korean Beef Tenderloin Yukkae: this beef tartare was fresh and loaded Chinese sauces and oils. Served with Asian pear salad, egg yolk, and nori.

Szechuan Veal Cheeks: 24 hr sous vide veal cheeks was soft, moist and tender. Served with smoked cauliflower puree, market chinatown vegetables (bak choy).

Cantonese Style Garlic Prawns: This reminded me of black bean stir fry prawn dish may parents would make at home. Garlic confit, chili, and market Chinatown vegetables.

Nama Chocolate: Rich and smooth chocolate dessert and sprinkled with sea salt and espresso crumble. Break the sweetness with Yuzu curd.

Matcha Coconut Panna Cotta:  Perhaps my only favorite dish of the night is this heavy creamed panna cotta. Fragrant and smooth. Served with grape coulis, candied pistachios, and coconut shavings.

We may or may not have taken the new 2017 Ford Fusion around the corner for some gourmet plant-based Virtuous Pie. Thank goodness for back up cameras and the Fusion being so nimble parking in tight spaces. After all, it is a #FusionFoodie kind of night!

This post is sponsored. All opinions are my own.

SAI WOO DINE OUT DINNER MENU 2017

• Dine Out Menus are available January 20th to February 5th, 2017
• Neighborhood: Chinatown
• Cuisine Type: Chinese
• Dinner Menu Price: $40
• Lunch Menu Price:
• Gluten-Free Options Available: Yes
• Vegetarian Options Available: Yes

APPETIZER
korean beef tenderloin yukkae – asian pear salad, egg yolk, nori (gf)
BC VQA Wine/Beverage Pairing: desert hills gamay noir, 2015, VQA, Okanagan Valley
or

hakka style stuffed tofu – saoxing wine glaze, minced pork, braised leeks, chili vinaigrette (gf)
BC VQA Wine/Beverage Pairing: volcanic hills gewurtztraminer, 2015, VQA, Okanagan Valley
or

grilled romaine kimchi salad – grilled baby romaine, korean fermented chilies, baby radish (gf)(v)
BC VQA Wine/Beverage Pairing: elderflower 75 house cocktail

ENTREE
szechuan veal cheeks- 24 hr sous vide veal cheeks, smoked cauliflower puree, market chinatown vegetables (gf)
BC VQA Wine/Beverage Pairing: 1sr row pinot noir, 2013, VQA, Similkameen Valley
or

cantonese style garlic prawns – garlic confit, chili, market chinatown vegetables (gf)
BC VQA Wine/Beverage Pairing: 1sr row pinot gris, 2013, VQA, Okanagan Valley
or

vegetarian jap chae -vegetable medley, sweet potato noodles, smoked shitake (gf)(v)
BC VQA Wine/Beverage Pairing: desert hills gamay noir, 2015, VQA, Okanagan Valley

DESSERT
nama chocolate – yuzu curd, espresso crumble (v)
BC VQA Wine/Beverage Pairing: desert hills ambassador port style wine, Okanagan Valley
or

matcha coconut panna cotta – grape coulis, candied pistachios, coconut shavings (gf)(v)
BC VQA Wine/Beverage Pairing: desert hills ice wine , Okanagan Valley