Hydra Vancouver is an estiatorio Mediterranean restaurant & bar that just opened at the newly renovated luxury EXchange Hotel on 475 Howe Street (between Pender and Hastings.) The 180-seat Greek restaurant itself is a stunning bi-level, washed with natural light from its six-story atrium lobby. It has opulent mirrors and an irresistible raw bar – right as you enter the restaurant on the second floor!

The name “Hydra” (pronounced ‘hee-dra’) – is named after the beautiful culinary Greek island in the Aegean Sea.

The EXchange Hotel is Vancouver’s first LEED™ Platinum Heritage Conversion and is the former home of the original Vancouver Stock Exchange.

Last night I had the pleasure to experience the debut menu of this elegantly modern Greek-inspired flagship estiatorio. The menu focuses on quality Mediterranean dishes such as vine-ripened tomato salad with flat parsley and feta, tender grilled octopus garnished with lemon juice and olive oil, or lamb chops served straight from the grill with hints of garlic and oregano. Chef Ioannis Gerolymatos pays homage to his roots and honours ingredients and traditional cooking styles.

We started the evening with cocktails and a collection of spreads ($10 each and comes with freshly made to order pita bread.) Opt to add crudite +$3.

MELITZANA
TARAMA
FAVA
XTIPITI
TZATZIKI
MENTA

Next on the menu was a selection of Hydra Favorite starters. There is a good variety of appetizers from saganaki fried cheese to deliciously crispy paper-thin zucchini chips!

GRILLED OCTOPUS 21: Tender flame grilled baby octopus dressed in lemon and oregano olive oil and served with a fava bean purée.

HYDRA SPECIAL 18: We bet you can not just eat just one! These guilt-free paper-thin zucchini are super delicious and comes with spicy eggplant tzatziki.

KEFALOGRAVIERA 17: Crispy on the exterior and melty, gooey, cheese inside. This fried saganaki dish is lovely.

TOMATO SALAD 19: This Greek salad includes vine-ripened tomatoes with fresh feta cheese flown from Greece.

GREEN SALAD 13: Simple and refreshing. Finely chopped hearts of romaine, scallions and served with a light dill hydra vinaigrette.

ORGANIC HEIRLOOM BEETS 14: Tender heirloom leafy beets tossed in red-wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.

Now that our appetite’s been warmed up it is time for Today’s fresh selection of seafood from the Aegean & Salish Seas and world’s oceans, on display at the Raw Bar. Choose how you’d like your fish to be cooked – salted baked or grilled. Served with greek fried potatoes, and sautéed greens.

WHOLE FISH IN SEA SALT MP: salt baked with herbs. Mildly flavourful and full of natural sweetness from the fish.

GRILLED WHOLE FISH MP: flame-grilled with olive oil & lemon sauce.

Family Style Hydra Platters from the land.

WHOLE FORNO ROASTED CHICKEN 48: Tender marinated chicken with herbs and lemon

FORNO ROASTED WHOLE LEG OF LAMB 89: marinated with oregano and lemon. Carved in the kitchen and served with natural drippings.

LOBSTER PASTA 59: Scrumptious whole lobster served with fresh pasta, tomatoes, ouzo and lobster sauce.

The menu at Hydra Vancouver is intended to be explored and shared with friends and family. Thank you for the amazing night over good company and delicious eats. The plethora of unique dishes and choices is incredible. There is something for everyone! I can’t wait to come back and try their Charred Cauliflower, forno baked Black Cod, Spanakopita and Crab Cakes and of course the flame grilled whole lobster!

more: Wine Festival 10 Things To Know | GUSTO LATINOAMERICAO 2018 | LA VITA RUFFINO | WINES OF VENETO & SICILY | Italian Dinner at Yew Seafood

 

 

 

FOLLOW:

 

Hydra Estiatorio Mediterranean & Bar
URL: http://hydravancouver.com
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Seafood, Greek

 

Hours:

Mon 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
Tue 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
Wed 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
Thu 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
Fri 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
Sat 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
Sun 7:00 am – 11:00 pm

Breakfast 7 days a week 7am-10am
Lunch Mon-Fri 11am-3pm
Dinner 5pm-11pm

 

 

475 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2B3
(604) 416-0880

 

 

 

Booking.com

 

Where to eat for Mother’s Day Weekend? Are you wondering where to take Mom out for Brunch, Lunch or Dinner in Vancouver this year?

Here are a few places in Metro Vancouver that are hosting special events for Mother’s Day May 11 and 12, 2019. To avoid lengthy wait times, reservations are highly recommended.

This list is updated as information becomes available. If you are a restaurant and want to be added, please contact me at nomss[DOT]home@gmail.com.

 

FOLLOW:

 

more: Wine Festival 10 Things To Know | GUSTO LATINOAMERICANO 2019 | GUSTO LATINOAMERICANO 2018 | LA VITA RUFFINO | WINES OF VENETO & SICILY | Italian Dinner at Yew Seafood

 

 

Food Advertisements by

 

SO VERY SMOOTH. BEHOLD THE NEW TEAVANA^TM/MC BLACK SESAME TEA LATTE

AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY IN CANADA

Starting today (March 5) Canadians can enjoy a delicious new addition to the Teavana Tea Latte line-up the new Black Sesame Tea Latte is available only at Starbucks stores across the country

Building on Canadians’ love of tea, Starbucks Canada is continuing to drive innovation with the introduction of an exclusive new drink available on March 5. Introducing the Teavana Black Sesame Tea Latte. It’s the first addition to the popular Teavana Tea Latte line-up introduced in Canada last year.

Inspired by black sesame ice-cream and halva, the luxuriously smooth Black Sesame Tea Latte packs global appeal. The handcrafted drink features bold black tea steamed with milk* and a rich, black sesame sauce. The result is a subtly-sweet, nutty flavour profile. A signature black sesame praline, made with black sesame seeds and caramel bits, is sprinkled on top for a deliciously crunchy finish.

“We’ve harnessed the magic of black sesame to create a rich, nutty sauce to bring out its fullest flavour potential,” says Lindsay Maclachlan, director of food and beverage, Starbucks Canada. “The subtly-sweet notes of blacksesame pairs perfectly with our black tea to deliver a delicious drink that will appeal to customers interested in new ways to enjoy tea.”

The Teavana Tea Latte Line-Up

Last year, Canada was the first market in the world to introduce an innovative way to enjoy tea with the launch of Teavana Tea Lattes. The drinks are all handcrafted from finely-ground, premium whole tea leaves instead of tea brewed from a bag. The powdered leaves are blended with steamed milk and sweetened with cane sugar**. The result is a full tea flavour with a luxuriously smooth texture that’s been described as ‘cashmere’ or ‘a hug in a cup’.

The Teavana Tea Latte line-up now includes:

• BLACK TEA: Sourced from India, Kenya, & Sri Lanka; the flavour is bold and rich.
• MATCHA TEA: Sourced from Japan, China, and Korea; this new blend features subtle floral notes and a rich vegetal taste, with a sweet lingering finish.

• ROOIBOS TEA: Sourced from South Africa, this naturally caffeine-free herbal tea features a vanilla, honey-like aroma, with hints of caramel and malt for a slight sweetness.

• BLOSSOMING ROSE: Inspired by Japanese sakura tea, this drink delivers a true rose profile without being perfume-y. It pairs well with the natural red-hue of rooibos tea but can be added to black or matcha as well. The rose syrup is reminiscent of rose water with added rhubarb bitters and a hint of strawberry jam. Hibiscus crystals are sprinkled on top for a fabulous floral finish.

• BLACK SESAME (NEW): Starbucks new luxuriously smooth Black Sesame Tea Latte is a handcrafted blend of bold black tea steamed with milk* and a rich black sesame sauce to deliver a subtly-sweet, nutty flavour profile. A signature black sesame praline, made with black sesame seeds and caramel      bits, is sprinkled on top for a deliciously crunchy finish.

*Black Sesame Tea Latte is customizable depending on dairy preferences.

**Each drink is completely customizable depending on dairy and sweetener preferences.

SIPPING ON A CLOUD
Also new is Starbucks Cloud Macchiato beverages featuring whipped cold foam made by combining 2% milk (or a dairy alternative) with Cloud Powder (think meringue!) and a hint of flavor. The whipped cold foam is then topped with espresso and finished with Starbucks signature caramel drizzle cross-hatch. Macchiato means “marked” in Italian, and the espresso shots “mark” the whipped cold foam. The name Cloud refers to the texture of the finished product. Starbucks Hot and Iced Caramel and Cinnamon Cloud Macchiato beverages are available beginning March 5 at Starbucks stores across Canada and the US.

ABOUT STARBUCKS

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at www.starbucks.ca and the Starbucks Newsroom at www.news.starbucks.com.

FOLLOW:

More: TEALEAVES | TWG Tea Canada | Neverland Tea Salon | Notch 8 at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

This post contains affiliate links and/or products submitted to Nomss for editorial consideration. To find out more, please visit our About/Disclaimer page.

Remove Ad-Block to view shopping guide!

If you are looking for different ways to celebrate and ring in Lunar New Years, I am excited to share with you the Year of the Pig themed afternoon tea at H Tasting Lounge at The Westin Bayshore in Vancouver, Coal Harbour neighbourhood. The stylish lounge is offering a Chinese New Year inspired high tea with traditional Chinese dim sum cuisine such as BBQ Pork Puff, Braised Pork Belly Bao, Shrimp Dumpling, Seared Nian Gao, etc. delivered to you on a playful carousel display makes for a photo-worthy table situation.

The Year of the Pig Chinese New Year afternoon tea is available between February 2 to 24th at $55 per person.

H Tasting Lounge features a great tea selection from TEALEAVES. For this particular Lunar New Year, it features two green tea blends from their Fortune Collection: Floral Jasmine Green (fresh mellow overtones with a slightly astringent finish) and the Dragonwell Organic Green (3rd grade Dragonwell with mature tea leaves picked during later spring that is mild tasting with a beautiful pale celadon liquor).

Or option to add Year of the Pig Cocktail. The Year of the Pig cocktail ($16) will be available throughout the remainder of February. The aromatic blend includes Johnnie Walker Black Scotch whisky, golden apple and ginger-infused vodka, Buddha’s hand citron jelly, yellow chrysanthemum tea, and lemon juice.

If you prefer to share your mocktail drinks with your toddler like we did, I highly recommend their Free Spirited Beverages:

Tea & Tonic (red): Tealeaves Mountain Berry Tea, freshly squeeze lemon juice, raspberry syrup, Ms. Betters Bitters green strawberry bitters

Yuzu Spiritz (green): Yuzu syrup, freshly squeezed lemon juice, Ms. Betters Bitters cucumber.

Every afternoon tea set includes cotton candy and scones. It’s hard keeping your hands off it!

SAVOUR

• BBQ Pork Puff
• Braised Pork Belly Bao
• Shrimp Dumpling
• Pork Soup Dumpling
• Fried Pork Dumpling
• Ginger Chicken Bao
• Iron Guanyin Shortbread
• Charcoal Lava Bao
• Seared Nian Gao
• Water Chestnut Jelly

We recommend taking photos quickly otherwise dishes will get cold quickly (without a steam basket).

Here’s wishing everyone a great prosperous year of the Pig!!! #豬年好運，恭喜發財，身體健康！

I was invited by H Tasting Lounge for a menu tasting.

FOLLOW:

More: TEALEAVES | TWG Tea Canada | Neverland Tea Salon | Notch 8 at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

This post contains affiliate links and/or products submitted to Nomss for editorial consideration. To find out more, please visit our About/Disclaimer page.

Remove Ad-Block to view shopping guide!