CHEWIE'S BISCUIT CO

Southern United States cuisine lacks in Vancouver and while there are more fried chicken and barbecue restaurants popping up, what about biscuits and gravy? Chewie's Biscuit Co is a fairly new eatery located on the West side in Kitsilano and specializes in biscuits! In addition, Chewie's offers all day breakfast until 5:00pm (Sunday to Thursday) and 7:00pm (Friday and Saturday).

We visited on a weekday morning right when the restaurant opened at 9:00am and shorty others followed. The menu covers everything from bennies and breakfast bowls to of course biscuits and dessert, such as bronut and french toast!

HILLTOP DINER CAFE

Literally between the Langley and Aldergrove border situates Hilltop Diner, a diner that has been around for over 60 years! Hilltop Diner was featured on You Gotta Eat Here! and filmed in popular movies such as The Butterfly Effect (which I recall enjoying and watched a few times!) and TV series, Supernatural.




We arrived after 11:00am so their speciality breakfast dishes were over, however the classic breakfast such as eggs, ham and sausage run all day.

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.

Lily Mae's Comfort Café

Lily Mae's Comfort Cafe is located in Gastown and the interior looks very cute, resembling a french bistro with a homestyle atmosphere. The comfort cafe has been on my list since the beginning of the year, but my interest to visit has been delayed since there are some negative comments regarding the service. However, Lily Mae's was still my first choice when looking for a cute breakfast date with a friend. My friend actually suggested going to Cafe Medina's new location for an Instagram worthy photo, but I gave her a dirty look because she agrees that the food is only average.

When I walked in to meet my friend, our server provided us with menus within minutes. I was a bit sad she did not say hello to me or one word in fact, considering the restaurant appears to be a family operated business. In addition, as she poured water in our drinking glasses, I could not help but notice the red pigment at the bottom of the jug inside. She also spilled some water on the table which was left alone, so my first thoughts were that the little things are overlooked here.

My friend mentioned she was greeted and offered any table in the restaurant upon arriving however, and the server was friendly throughout our breakfast.

Every table is set up with white cloth napkins, cutlery, water glasses and a mini vase. We seated near the window and of course me being OCD, took a look at the window sill and was very pleased to not see one speck of dust! Doing the "finger swipe" is actually more accurate… lol. Dining at "historic" or old places are not really my thing, but I certainly do not mind clean restaurants such as Lily Mae's. I could not help but think back to how the The Pie Shoppe looked too, which I visited the day before here. Both restaurants have a homey atmosphere but one looks clean.

Sunshine Diner

After another facial date with C'est la vie a Maggi, my choice for breakfast was at Moderne Diner. Although unfortunately, the restaurant was closed for a week so we walked down the street to Sunshine Diner. No idea why but when I think of Sunshine Diner, Smile Diner on West Pender stands out to me and I expected sort of an old run down interior. However, this is the opposite. The interior is clean and the restaurant has an upbeat atmosphere.

Walking in, there is an aroma of beef patties and breakfast food but the restaurant is well ventilated. Sunshine Diner has a vintage hollywood theme and there are paintings as well portraits of Elvis, James Dean, Lucille Ball, Marilyn and The Beatles. The interior looks fun and is something different. There are red, blue as well as checkered walls, red vinyl booth seats and a jukebox. Furthermore, the televisions are tuned to the sports channel and episodes of I Love Lucy.

As for the food, the restaurant offers very generic diner fare. There are the usual breakfast items like egg benedict, omelettes and sandwiches, as well as burgers and milkshakes. Speaking of milkshakes...

Oasis Coffee & Bistro

After checking out of the Harrison Resort, it was around 11:30am and we wanted some breakfast at Muddy Waters. However, unfortunately the restaurant stops serving breakfast at 11:00am and we had to drive out to Agassiz. Having explored the small town before, we remembered that Oasis offers all day breakfast so we dropped by. The restaurant has a high ceiling, is well ventilated as well as squeaky clean, and the chalkboard menu is at the front. The staff is also very friendly and welcoming.

LONG HAUL, OASIS EGG BENNY AND TOMATO ROASTED GARLIC.

Chuck and Kitty's Country Cafe

Chuck and Kitty's Country Cafe, the only reason BF and I made the trip to Harrison! Well, I could not justify driving all the way out to Harrison just to have some pie… so we decided to make a one day trip out of it and stayed at the hotel. Before checking in at the Harrison Resort, we made the trip to the very anticipated cafe. This time I prepared a game plan because on the last visit, we had breakfast as well as a slice of pie each and we  felt full until 8:00pm. And by the time we were hungry, every restaurant was closed and we had to drive out to Agassiz for Dominos Pizza! Not this time though. I carefully planned our eating schedule so we could have dinner at a proper time LOL. Meaning, pass on the pies and grab some the next day after we check out.

The restaurant is a small family owned pop and ma joint with less than ten available tables. Walking in, the vibe was much more different than our previous visits. Rather than the last visits which were filled with tourists and a friendly teenager and as well as an older lady working at the front of the house, the restaurant was operated by the owners and had a few local regulars. The vibe turned out to be more like we were intruding LOL.

HOME TOWN BURGER AND WEST COAST BAGEL.

Yolk's Breakfast

The most important choice at Yolk's, poached eggs or chicken n' waffles?

Being a lazy eater, chicken n' waffles seemed less messy and easier to eat, plus, many people rave about them. I was not really hungry when I ordered from Yolk's but now looking back, I should have ordered more food such as the poached eggs, hashbrowns and orange juice. Because now, I have to make another trip just to try everything, sigh. The good news is, I am a picky eater and want to come back, that must mean something right? The line up was not very long and the friendly cashier mentioned there would be a fifteen minute wait. If there is usually a somewhat long wait, this may be a problem for those who are on their lunch break, but hey, at least everything is made to order!

Denny's : Burquitlam location

Denny's in Burquitlam newly renovated and I am not sure why, the restaurant never looked run down at all. Although it is a possibility since I only come here for late night dinners, I have never noticed the interior. I doubt it though, I think it was fine before. The walls and ceiling are newly painted and the booth seatings have completely changed. I guess the tables, carpet and whatnot has changed as well, but I do not remember what they looked like before. Anyways, I was looking forward to visiting Denny's after trying the egg bennies at White Spot, blech.

Fresh Restaurant and Lounge : Sheraton Guildford

As I was laying in bed thinking where I want to go for brunch this morning, I used the OpenTable app and found Fresh at the Sheraton. 1000 points, brunch buffet, why not? The restaurant's interior is amazing, I love it and rarely say this. I like the comfortable and wide suede chairs. But, I might only like the restaurant because it is empty. After seating, our server asked what drinks we would like and we were off to take photos get food.

ADULT $29.95 CHILD (4-12) $14.98

ON THE LEFT, BAKED GOODS CONSISTING OF CROISSANTS, DANISHES, SCONES AND MUFFINS. ON THE RIGHT, THE SALAD BAR CONSISTING OF CAESAR SALAD, HOUSEMADE DRESSINGS AND, SPRING MIX AND ARUGULA SALAD. 

CONTINUING WITH THE SALAD BAR, GREEK SALAD, SPINACH WITH FRISEE SALAD WITH STILTON, TOASTED WALNUTS AND BLUEBERRY VINAIGRETTE, VEGETABLES WITH ONION RANCH DIP, COLD CUT PLATTER OF ROASTED TOM TURKEY, BLACK FOREST HAM, ROAST BEEF, GENOA SALAMI AND, OLIVES AND PICKLES.

THE LAST OF THE SALAD BAR, POTATO SALAD, CORN AND MANITOBA RICE SALAD, PASTA SALAD, CRYSTAL NOODLE SALAD WITH BABY SHRIMP AND PEANUT DRESSING AND, FIELD TOMATOES AND RED ONION SALAD. ON THE RIGHT MOVING TO THE SEAFOOD SECTION, THE SMOKED AND/OR CANDIED FISH?

GREEN LIP MUSSELS WITH SALSA FRESCO, INDIAN CANDIED SALMON,

WHISKY DILL CURED SMOKED SALMON, POACHED PRAWNS AND,

SALMON BELLEVUE, SMOKED SALMON.

OUR FIRST PLATES

MY FIRST PLATE CONSISTING OF MUSSELS, SMOKED SALMON, A CREAM PUFF AND FRUIT (WATERMELON, HONEYDEW AND CANTALOUPE). The mussels taste fresh and the salsa does not make the mussels tangy. For the smoked salmon, both taste fresh and I prefer the sockeye more (since I am used to it and I do not like curing for the other smoked salmon). The fruit is fresh, but only the watermelon is ripe. I am not sure what the rectangular dessert is, but it tastes like an almond bar. My favourite thing on the plate is the cream puff, there was only one too:(. I like any simple cream puffs.

HIS FIRST PLATE CONSISTING OF SALAD, POACHED PRAWNS, SMOKED SALMON, MUSSELS AND A MUFFIN.

The OMELETTE WITH CRAB MEAT, AVOCADO AND SALSA. This is included in the brunch but you have to order it. The omelette has a good amount of crab meat and diced avocados. The salsa is slightly tangy but does not ruin the omelette (I do not like salsa other than on my nachos and I like the omelette). It seems like the cook who made the omelette took his time. The eggs are beat throughly and looks like he made sure the egg was cooked before putting the ingredients in. Later on, our server mentioned that she wanted to take a peek and see if it was correctly made since it was not the usual person making it. I like this, a lot.

THE HOT FOOD SECTION CONSISTING OF XIAO LONG BAOS, SHAO MAI, HAR GAO, DUMPLINGS, SPRING ROLLS, TARRAGON MUSTARD SEED CHICKEN AND WILD MUSHROOM POLENTA, 

PAN SEARED SALMON, CITRUS JASMINE RICE, CHARDONNAY CREAM SAUCE, SAUSAGES, BACON,

SCRAMBLED EGGS, EGG BENEDICT WITH HAM, SLICED HAM, 

BEEF STEAK WITH MASHED POTATOES AND AU JUS, VEGETABLES, AND ROAST POTATOES.

OUR SECOND PLATES

MY SECOND PLATE CONSISTING OF VEGETABLES, SALMON, BACON, STEAK, EGG BENEDICT, CARROT CAKE AND AN ALMOND BAR. The salmon is neither moist or too dry, the bacon is not too salty and there are soft as well as crispy pieces and, the frosting on the carrot cake is a bit too sweet and the cake has a nice spongy texture.

On the left, the beef steak is cooked to a medium and tastes very chewy as well as dry, I do like the seasoning though. On the right, the egg benedict is perfect. The poached egg has a nice crusting with a runny yolk. The hollandaise sauce is light and has a slight butter as well as an egg yolk taste. The english muffin is a bit soggy, but it does not really matter because the hollandaise sauce and poached egg is delicious. Isn't it funny when you get better egg bennies at buffet brunches which are pre-made, and failed ones which are freshly made at some restaurants?

HIS SECOND PLATE CONSISTING OF SLICED HAM, SAUSAGE, SALMON, VEGETABLES, SMOKED SALMON AND AN EGG BENEDICT.

THE LAST SECTION, DESSERT. FRENCH TOAST, SYRUP, WHIPPED CREAM, STRAWBERRY SAUCE AND MIXED BERRIES SAUCE.

CAKES. CAKES. CAKES. OH, AND JELLO AND FRUIT.

CRACKERS AND CHEESE PLATE

OUR DESSERT

MY DESSERT IS THE FRENCH TOASTED WITH WHIPPED CREAM AND MIXED BERRY SAUCE. The french toast has soft bread but it does not taste eggy, buttery or creamy. The whipped cream is delicious and tastes good with the french toast. What doesn't taste good with whipped cream? The mixed berry sauce is not overly sweet and to be honest, I cannot really tell what it tastes like with all the whipped cream.

HIS DESSERT IS JELLO. It is what it is, not watered down and no complaints.

POSITIVES

- Free underground parking

- Professional, attentive and friendly service

- Champaign and mimosas included

- Food is fresh (more fresh than Hilton which is around the same price and does not have a carving station either)

NEGATIVES

- Limited selections

- No carving station (cheaper price makes up for that)

LITTLE THINGS

- Only had 45 minutes to eat, would have liked to try a bit of everything (brunch ends at 2:00pm)

- Server is probably the best out of all buffet brunches we have been to and not just because we were the only people here

- Wanted to try some salads :(

- No cheesecake (only because I do not like chocolate cake)

- Woop woop 1000 OpenTable points

Food: 2.5/5

Service: 4.5/5