Typical of my solo trips to Vancouver are alternating periods of activity and rest. Fitted in between calmer days of editing and pilates would be outings with friends - normally those extending from the mid-morning to late evening. It was only wheen navigating as a unit with the Thai ahgase that back-to-back travel could not be escaped.
During the previous day's stopover at The Amazing Brentwood shopping centre, I engaged in unplanned retail therapy at Thinka. The Miniso/Mumuso replica had previously been spotted replacing Nature Republic inside Aberdeen, though fur-less, fruit-shaped plushies and stationery items had been of little interest to me. The Burnaby location offered an assortment of household items akin to Miniso, prompting the purchase of innisfree sheet masks (terribly tragic to locate in store these days) and tools to leave behind in the city for my next visit.
Lunch comprised of leftovers from the days prior: soft-boiled eggs, seaweed salad from T&T, and kimchi fried rice and fried chicken from DooBoo.
In consideration of the light lunch, I proceeded to unveil Paragon Tea Room's cookies for investigation and evaluation.
 |  |
The thin discs had been pricey, extraordinarily so, yet I wasn't about to hold back after seeking them out in the rain. Having been deterred from purchasing the Matcha White Chocolate Cookie for its supposedly sweeter profile, I had taken to the Cornflake Earl Grey Cookie (at $4.50) and Okinawa Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Cookie (at $4.00). Their diameters spanned greater than palm's width, yet their cross-sections uniformly compact.
Okinawa Sea Salt Dark Chocolate triumphed easily over the Cornflake Earl Grey Cookie, which was needlessly gritty from coarse bits of tea leaves. The cornflake bits adorning the surface were also found to be bland and soggy, rather than nutty and crunchy. In contrast was the Okinawa Sea Salt Dark Chocolate's sweet-savoury profile, wherein, perhaps the only aspect left to be desired were melty pools of luscious chocolate. The utilized variety appeared to be baking chocolate instead of couverture.
 |  |
Approaching supper time, I began to browse options for iron intake. Options were plenty on UberEats, however prices were steep for strictly veggie-based dishes. After a great deal of economic evaluation, I resolved to Yuu Japanese Tapas' Housemade Styled Teriyaki Hamburger and Housemade Gyoza with sides of Steamed Broccoli and a Single Salad.
The entire order totalled just under fifty dollars, fees included and Uber Pass discount applied.
 |  |
I was pleasantly surprised to discover the assortment of items included in the order. Broccoli and Salad portions were larger than I had anticipated for the price, and more veggies had been included as part of the Teriyaki Hamburger set. Steamed short grain rice accompanied the combo in a separate container, constituting enough for upwards of three meals. Two pieces of prawn tempura were wrapped in wax paper and spaced atop the spread, as to prevent condensation of the scrumptious, flaky batter.
 |  |
The meal was delicious, unthinkably so. With the exception of soggy fries and tacky gravy, I could deduce not a single flaw. The salad had been dressed ever so lightly, the prawns tender, the gyoza delicious with a citrusy ponzu sauce, and the Teriyaki Hamburger was well-textured and gratifying. It remains a fact that Vancouver can do Japanese cuisine no wrong.
RSS Feed