marulilu cafe: comforting japanese breakfast (but we're too into the western to notice)

marulilu cafe is a tiny shop on west broadway that is known for the breakfast offerings (both western and japanese) as well as many specialty japanese specialties such as rice burgers, oyako dons and omu rice. my two best friends and i made a visit down here one day and tried out some of their low priced but delicious offerings! 

eggs benny without hash browns ($6.49): they did not have any ham that day so we went with bacon. the hollandaise was quite good and eggs were cooked well! a very simple and not too greasy rendition

3.85/5 

katsudon ($7.99): deep friend pork chop over rice with onion and egg. this was pretty good although there could have been more sauce to go with the rice. the pork cutlet was not too chewy though! 

3.85/5

breakfast plate A ($5.99): two eggs any style, choice of sausage, ham or bacon, toast, hash browns and tomatoes. this was a pretty good deal although all the food is very generic tasting. it isn't too greasy and was plenty to fill the three of us up

3.5/5

takoyaki ($3.99): octopus balls!! i love these and 6 pieces for 4 bucks was a great deal! these were fresh out of the…machine? but I'm not sure if they were homemade. still very enjoyable! 

4/5 

overall: the ambience is so cute and homey with a diverse menu at good prices. nothing special in their western breakfasts but i would love to try their japanese offerings! 

sushi ame: special rolls are so beautiful

sushi ame is located deep in downtown on robson with really good reviews so i decided to grab takeout from here for dinner! although the food was good, it was a bit pricey for the amount of fish to rice but i did enjoy the special rolls more since i love non-authentic sushi. 

negihama roll ($2.95): a little lacking in the fish department 

3.5/5

salmon avocado roll ($4.50): not bad but nothing amazing, thicker on the rice

3.5/5

spicy crispy roll: prawn tempura, cucumber in a roll with avocado, yam tempura and crunchy flake with sweet chile sauce ($7.95): this was probably a bad choice to have for takeout because the tempura was a bit soft. i asked for it without the spicy worrying my dad couldnt take it but it ended up being a bit bland. 

3/5

black tiger roll: spicy tuna, crab meat, cucumber in a roll topped with avocado and unagi ($10.95): my favourite of the bunch..all my favourite ingredients in a roll and beautiful presentation! 

4/5 

overall: would return to try more of the special rolls but there are lots of other sushi options that i think are a better value. not bad for robson street though. 

hanok: korean lunch to satisfy the spicy craves

trying to hit up all the korean restaurants in richmond, my mom and i ventured into hanok korean restaurant on "eat street" and were given a nice surprise when we were presented with loads of food for a very small price. 

their lunch specials (which i do not know if they still exist) are an amazing deal with an entree and side dish for $8.99. 

banchan: complimentary and standard. love the sweet potatoes!! 

bibimbap ($8.99): this was actually quite large and filling for a lunch size that came with a side dish. the egg wasn't raw but otherwise it was a good meal! 

4/5 

japchae side dish (with bibimbap): surprising portion again, we HARDLY made a dent in this as we were too busy eating up all the bibimbap goodness but it was a good balance of flavours although it stuck together a bit

3.95/5

pajeon (with soft tofu soup): a little more doughy and less seafood that i wouldve liked but not too oily (also a bit "colder" since it wasnt served on the hot plate)

3.75/5

seafood soft tofu soup ($8.99): bubbly perfection! the soup was nice and spicy with the raw egg getting cooked up in there. it had a small amount of seafood but plenty of tofu! came with a bowl of rice as well! 

4.5/5

overall: their prices are SPECTACULAR and the food is pretty dang good too. there was way too much food for two people (yes mostly carbs) but still!! definitely recommend for a cheap and delicious korean lunch. 

la casa gelato: try all the cheesecake/nutella/chocolate flavours!

la casa gelato, everyone remembers its pink walls and prominent location on venables. there are over 200 flavours inside and is almost always crowded. the best part is trying the different flavours and being the boring kid i am, i tried the not so strange flavours but YOU KNOW WHAT, thats who i am :D 

pineapple ($5): good fruit flavour 

4/5

ferrero rocher ($5): delicious hazelnutty chocolate flavours with swirls of thicker paste of hazelnut and chocolate. its so good…

4.5/5 

flavours tried:

tiramisu cheesecake: couldnt taste the tiramisu, only cheesecake chunks

strawberry cheesecake : artificial tasting

vanilla cookie: like cookies and cream

cappa mocha: tastes like coffee

Hazelnut Frangelico with Chocolate Shavings: strong flavour, but not hazelnut

creme brûlée: tastes like caramel 

overall: everyone has to come at least once, its iconic. although not the best ice cream ever and $5 a cone, you get at least half a scoop - 1 scoop in the different flavours you try!