Tuesday, April 28, 2009

West Coast Wanderings - Part I

Hola Bloggies!

So I'm in Whistler for my conference and it's going well. Tomorrow will mark more than the half-way point of my trip.I've had a good time so far - hanging out in Van (couver) with my girls was particularly fun.

Shall we catch up? What follows is a highlight reel of my trip thus far! :o)


I flew out of my Rocky Mountain airport early on Friday evening. It was a beautiful day so I snapped a picture for you bloggies as I walked on the tarmac towards my Air Canada plane.

Our flight was uneventful (just the way I like my flights) and soon I arrived in Vancouver. It was late at this point and I went to bed early so I could get to all the wonderful adventures and yummy eats we had planned for my weekend.

This was the weekend I finally got to try these guys:


Can you believe this was my first introduction to the beauty that are steel cut oats? I wasn't sure what to expect but I knew they had to be good. After all so many bloggers swear by them!


To our oats we added a bit of chopped almonds and some creamed honey. Verdict? WOW! Steel-cut oats are completely worth the investments. They were a world apart from quick cook oats.

I've been toying with the idea of getting back into morning oats and I think I may just have to go steel-cut or go home! :oP

But don't worry bloggies - I also indulged in some other serious breakfast eats. I had a beautiful croissant courtesy of the wonderful Thomas Haas cafe in North Vancouver:


I don't think I've had such wonderful flaky and buttery croissants since the last time I saw Paris. The tiny bit of home made jam was also amazing. Needless to say I thought this treat was well worth the calorie expenditure!

While I was waiting in line to pay for my breakfast I also happened to notice an amazing chocolate sculpture:


All edible and all made of delicate chocolate! Outside of FoodTV I had never seen one of these beauties. Want to see a close-up?


Beyond amazing! And nothing less than what I would expect from a Master Chocolatier! :o)

While in Vancouver I also got to indulge in some yummy ethnic eats. Specifically - Asian food! On one of those occasions we headed to a local Korean restaurant:


One of my favourite things about Korean food is the little dishes of pickled vegetables, kimchi, potatoes, and (usually) bean sprouts that come complimentary with your meal:


While I nibbled on some potatoes I tried to decide on my main meal. Finally I chose a spicy cured tofu seafood soup. Yeah it sounds strange but it's not. It's like an amazing spicy stew chock-full of seafood and vegetables. It came with a bit of rice on the side - which is a good thing because it helped to take the heat (muy picante!) off!!!


Oh yeah the soup came with a single egg cracked inside. You stir it with your chopsticks and soon enough it cooks and mixes in with all the other ingredients. Some may think it gross but I think it makes for an awesome presentation!!!! Oh and it doesn't hurt that the soup was seriously good. So good I'm considering going back for more when I return to Vancouver on Friday.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that on Saturday afternoon I had what is possibly the best cup of coffee I've ever had in my life:


This heart-shaped beauty (cappuccino) came courtesy of Cafe Artigiano. I had my lovely cup of java at the original location adjacent to the Vancouver Art Gallery. Turns out this location is home to the Canadian Barrista Champion for many years running! :o)

I often say I'm deprived of yummy eats in my small Rocky Mountain town. But I think I've more than made up for it this last little while! lol

Stay tuned tomorrow night for the next installment of my West Coast Wanderings!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Even before I scrolled to see the pic & text, as soon as I read "best cup of coffee" I thought, I bet you were at Cafe Artigiano. I'm not a coffee drinker, so I wouldn't know good coffee from a hole in the wall, but I've heard it's pretty much amazing. They've acutally opened up one in Vic, I believe.

Love the Korean food - sounds like a great stew.

And I love airports where you actually get to walk on the tarmac! Nice photo.

A Toronto girl out West said...

Marianne,

lol Yeah their coffee was all that and then some! It's crazy because I don't really drink coffee anymore but if I worked in the neighbourhood I'd probably become an addict all over again !:oP lol

Oh and I'm happy you like the airport pictures - it was a stunning night!

Sharon said...

WHOAAAA, the chocolate sculpture looks amazing! And oooohh korean food!!!

Run Sarah said...

Loveee thomas haas! I need to go to Cafe Artigiano...there is one literally across the street I have a free latte for. You've inspired me! Hope the rest of your trip is great!

Krista said...

Love that chocolate structure and the crossiant looks amazing!

Steel cut are are the best!

Chic Runner said...

That is amazing that you were on the airport tarmac, I love it when I get to do that and the scenery there is AMAZING! :) Also, that "food network" type dessert is amazing, I can't believe you got to be so up close and personal with it :)

A Toronto girl out West said...

Run Sarah,

Everyone seems to rave about Cafe Artigiano! You should totally give it a shot! If nothing the leaf or heart or whatever cool design they put in your drink will certainly brighten your day! :o)

Sharon,

The Korean food was SO good! The place was kind of unassuming so I never expected it!

Krista,

I can definitely see why everyone raves about them. Who knew. Plus I was completely astounded to see how muck cooked oats you can get from a small amount of raw oats. Good yield!

Danica,

On a cold day not so amazing but on a night like that one it was spectacular. Honestly such a perfect night for flying. When I saw the crystal clear mountains and pretty plane I knew I had to take a pic for the blog! :oP

PS: I can't believe they let me near the sculpture either! lol Brave souls!!

Anonymous said...

sounds liek a great time! glad you loved the steel cut oats, and omg that korean food looks amazing! and that coffee? BEAUTIFUL! this post was gorgeous :)

www.dailygoods.wordpress.com

Balance, Joy and Delicias! said...

Karen, I got the package! THANK YOU!!!! I'm drinking the chai and love it!!! :)

Bec said...

sounds like a great time!

A Toronto girl out West said...

Coco,

I'm so EXCITED that you love the stuff and that they arrived safe and sound! I was particularly worried about the maple butter! lol

Bec,

It was!!! :o)


ashley,

I'm glad you enjoyed it! :o) And yeah the Korean stew was a total star!!! So much better than I anticipated it would be!