The “Hapa Izakaya” Joints Have Joined The Scout Community…

All three locations of Hapa Izakaya are now proud member supporters of Scout. We will be publishing their news and press releases on our front page and hosting a page for them in our list of recommended places to check out. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for their support of our little website. Click ahead to read on or jump directly to their Scout page… Read more

Kits’ “Bistro Pastis” Venturing Through Auvergne and Gascony

News from Scout supporter Bistro Pastis

Vancouver, BC | Join us August 26 through September 22 as Bistro Pastis concludes its culinary ramble through France in the Auvergne and Gascony. The Massif Central, the rugged terrain of central France, informs the flavours of this region. Here are fast flowing streams fed by the Alps and sparse hills where sheep graze. Flavours here are big, bold and rustic. Look for Trout, succulent Lamb and Duck Confit. The dinner, like the season, ends with a touch of sweetness as you linger over a final digestif and relish the last of the red wine-marinated strawberries. As our summer draws to a close, you’ll be left with many happy memories of your virtual culinary tour through France and its Cuisine d’ Été. Find out all the details after the jump… Read more

Wild Mushrooms Arrive In Time For Funghi Feast At La Gavroche

News from Scout supporter Le Gavroche

Vancouver, BC | Le Gavroche has just received a bounty of hand-picked wild mushrooms from the Yukon and is celebrating with a special month-long Wild Mushroom menu. The three-course menu is available for $35, with wine pairings available for an additional $25. Take a look after the jump… Read more

Chambar’s Take On A Copycat Restaurant Opened In Shanghai

This is a goodie. From Chambar’s new website comes news that a rather enterprising fellow named Fissal Oubida has decided to open a Chambar Belgian Bistro of his own in Shanghai, China, without consultation. Chambar’s response is a little tongue and cheek, but their more than justified annoyance comes across loud and clear.

We’d like to offer our assistance with your menu, which aside from the mussels is getting repeatedly slagged on shanghai blog sites. Although this blogging phenomenon by self proclaimed food critics and possibly sex deprived individuals (why else would you be posting these comments at 2am) are not always complimentary, there are some great people who are genuinely passionate about food. Anyways, feel free to peruse the menu section of our website as it’s continually changing and an easy way for the conceptually challenged to get new ideas.

Please switch to using sustainable seafood, we know this is not a priority in China, considering they’re still serving shark fin soup – but give the our oceans a break will you.

We would strongly advise against serving half waffles (give people the whole damn thing) and DO NOT top with spray can cream and chocolate out of a tube!!

Ditch the gingham table cloths, Belgium has no alpine chalets & Heidi is not from
this country – although there are some hot blondes.

If you are going to advertise a url (www.cham-bar.com) you may want to register it first. Now that we own it, it points to this news page which exposes your blatant incompetence for being original.

If you are going to blatantly steal our logo, which took owner & designer Karri Schuermans about 100 hours to create old school typography style, please don’t insult her further by adding brush script text below it, and definitely don’t add photoshop glow filters – please, this is graphic blasphemy.

It was nice of you to be a patron of Chambar while you lived in Vancouver. We hope all our guests take home a wonderful experience – but not the name, logo and concept. Granted a Belgian style restaurant is by no means an original concept, it helps to have a Belgian chef as good as Nico Schuermans. Don’t get us wrong, we take no ownership of the cuisine from this small country (with a big beer list) that many can’t locate on a map.

Be sure to take legal letters that arrive in the mail quite seriously, especially the ones stating that the ‘Chambar’ name and logo you’ve used are already registered in China. Take this from someone’s foresight, which has now become your hindsight.

What a goof.

“Refuel” Pouring New Orleans Drinks at New Orleans Prices

News from Scout supporter Refuel

Vancouver, BC | Refuel Bar Manager Rob Scope recently returned from Tales of a Cocktail 2010, an internationally acclaimed festival of cocktails, cuisine and culture held annually in New Orleans, Louisiana. In an effort to bring a taste of New Orleans to Vancouver Rob Scope announces a New Orleans inspired cocktail list at New Orleans Prices. Scope encourages guests to join him at the refuel bar to hear his tales of New Orleans and the history behind the drinks while sipping on a 2oz Sazerac or New Orleans Fizz for $5…
Read more

Kits’ Bistro Pastis Celebrating Summer With Menu Provençale

News from Scout supporter Bistro Pastis

Vancouver, BC | Join us August 5 through 25 as Cuisine d’Été travels to Provence – the land where summer never ends and the sunsets are as rosy as its wine. This area is the home to Bistro Pastis’ namesake aperitif – Pastis, the anise-flavoured beverage favoured in countries around the Mediterranean.

Summer in Provence features ‘les fruits de mer’ – Sardines, Red Snapper, Calamari; as well as regional classics such as Daube de Boeuf. Pair with a glass or two of citrusy rosé or hearty red and in no time, you will find yourself transported to a café on La Croisette or a port-side bistro in Marseille.

Summer evenings were made for lingering over good food and good wine with good friends. We invite you to enjoy a summer evening in Provence at Bistro Pastis. Menu after the jump… Read more

Chambar To Celebrate “National Belgian Day” in Medieval Style

News from Scout supporter Chambar

Vancouver, BC | Join Chambar restaurant on Wednesday, July 21st to celebrate National Belgian Day with a feast fit for kings. History buffs will recognize this national holiday as a day that marks Leopold I taking the constitutional oath as the first King of Belgium on July 21st, 1831.

For one night only, Chambar will celebrate this momentous occasion medieval style with communal tables loaded with platters of meat, seafood and of course, Belgian beers. Outside on Beatty Street, Chef Nico Schuermans will be roasting a pig on a spit, while inside Chambar staff will serve beers by the glass or the metre. Guests should note that due to the medieval nature of this celebration, eating is going to be a hands-on experience only. Please note that vegetarian options and cutlery will not be available. Costumes and furs are deemed festive, but not essential. Get ready to be a little debaucherous… Read more

Le Gavroche Plates New Summer Dishes And Prix-Fixe Menu

News from Scout supporter Le Gavroche

Vancouver, BC | The sun is shining and Le Gavroche is welcoming summer with fresh new menu items and a special $35 sablefish and lobster three-course deal.

On Le Gavroche’s regular menu, new items have been added that celebrate the ingredients of the season. New summer starters include a fresh Gazpacho with Avocado Mousse, Lobster and Grapefruit Salad, and Arugula Salad with Candy Cane Beets, Goat Cheese and Strawberry Vinaigrette. New mains include Pork Tenderloin with Apples and a Bing Cherry Reduction, Smoked Duck Breast with a Fresh Red Berry Reduction, and Wild Salmon with Oven Roasted Tomatoes and a Sweet Pea Risotto. And for dessert, guests can enjoy first-of-the-season Okanagan cherries with a classic Cherries Jubilee with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream. Of course classic Le Gavroche dishes like Caesar Salad, Beef Tartare (both prepared tableside), and Mustard Crusted Lamb Rack are available as well.

For those looking for a great dining deal, until August 31st, Le Gavroche will also be featuring a special three-course sablefish and lobster prix-fixe menu. For a mere $35, guests can enjoy fresh Atlantic lobster and local sablefish in a variety of mouth-watering preparations (full menu below). And because a meal at Le Gavroche wouldn’t be complete without fine wines, guests can treat themselves to expert wine pairings from proprietor Manny Ferreira for an additional $25. Read the menu after the jump… Read more

Kitsilano’s Bistro Pastis Gets Set To Celebrate Bastille Day

News from Scout supporter Bistro Pastis

Vancouver, BC Ever since the end of the 18th century the French have been celebrating the storming of the Bastille and ‘le quatorze juillet’ as a national holiday – a time of parades, speeches, community dinners and dances (Bal Musette). Vancouver’s very own authentic corner of France, Bistro Pastis in Kitsilano, has become celebration central for its annual Fête de la Bastille – a tradition that goes back since the restaurant first opened its doors. This year is no exception. For one day only, Wednesday July 14th, proprietor John Blakeley is offering a very special three-course menu of bistro favourites for only $45. Read more

New Summer Menu At “Wild Rice” Pays Homage To Hawkers’ Fare…

News from Scout supporter Wild Rice

Vancouver, BC | Summer brings an abundance of fresh-from-the-farm/sea/producer ingredients bursting with flavour. It’s also a time when we naturally prefer to eat lighter fare. In recognition of this, Wild Rice’s new summer menu offers diners several different options to enjoy the season’s bounty.

“After the success of our Asian Heritage Month Platter that contained four ‘snack dishes,’ we thought that people might want to try mixing and matching a variety of flavours. In China there is a tradition of street food called dai pai dong where people wander from stall to stall trying different dishes – dumplings at one, soup at another, noodles in a different location and something sweet at a fourth. Our new summer menu reflects some of that sensibility,” says owner Andrew Wong.

Sharezies is the order of the day for summer dining. As in traditional Chinese restaurants, all dishes are designed to share and come with serving utensils and extra bowls. Food is served ‘family-style’ meaning that it comes out of the kitchen as soon as it is prepared. So if you like, you may roam the menu at will. There’s no set order to the food. It’s like eating at the Night Market but instead of physically moving from stall to stall you just meander through the menu. Read more

Next Page »