FOODIES ON BOARD : ALL DAY BRUNCH

Next to Production Way skytrain station in Burnaby, Rod's Kitchen and Grill closed its doors and made room for another breakfast and lunch eatery. Foodies on Board is an unassuming all day brunch restaurant serving sous vide poached eggs, in house protein (bacon, ham and Italian sausage) and focuses on a healthier way of cooking.

THE ELLIS

Alongside many of the restaurants in the West End and within a walking distance from Kitsilano beach sits one of the newer gastropubs, The Ellis. What lead us to The Ellis was Vanfoodster's Burger Challenge and we figured why not go for a whole meal? This was a big deal for me because if it was not for the burger challenge, I most likely would not have given this restaurant a try since I am neither the type to head to a bar or gastropub for snacks or a meal.

When we walked in, I was impressed by the interior and atmosphere. The restaurant looked chic, bougie and literally what you would find if you Googled gastropub.

WATER ST. CAFE: HAPPY HOUR

Across the street from the famous Gastown Steam Clock (literally) and in the heart of Gastown, Downtown Vancouver situates a west coast cuisine restaurant Water St. Cafe. The restaurant has an Italian influence as well and offers pasta made from scratch. However, we were here to take advantage of their happy hour menu and to try as many plates as we could! Happy hour at Water St. Cafe runs 7 days a week (yes, including weekends!) from 3:00pm to 5:00pm.

The atmosphere at Water St. Cafe is very bright and inviting. Outdoor seating is available now that patio season has arrived and there are private rooms upstairs for larger parties.

GREEN LEAF CAFE : BURNABY LOCATION

For those of you who have never heard of Green Leaf Cafe, it is a very popular Japanese restaurant located in Kitsilano. The Japanese restaurant specializes in aburi sushi (flame seared pressed sushi), is known to be a cheaper alternative compared to Miku and Minami (creators of aburi sushi) and they recently opened a second location in Burnaby near Lougheed Mall.

The Burnaby location is a lot more spacious compared to the restaurant in the West End and has an inviting atmosphere. There are a few Japanese restaurants in this area and considering that Green Leaf is newly renovated, it is definitely the restaurant with the nicest decor as well as more modern dishes.