Kelowna Dining Adventure - Lunch

The freshness of the Okanagan comes alive at this charming little house in downtown Kelowna called the Yellow House Restaurant.

Menu options are varied and all look good. But looking at their dinner menu is making me salivate - maybe next trip.

Meanwhile, here's the lunch selection that was efficiently served in generous servings format.

The largest and thickest bruschettas were more than enough to share.

Bigger than any bruschettas seen before, those were served on crunchy thick baguette and were full of flavour.

But the main was the real treat.

Alberta Lois Lake steelhead salmon encrusted with pumpkin seed and served with five spice blueberry compote.

Now I am looking at their dessert menu and regretting not asking to see it while there.

An orange creme caramel is sounding very tempting at this point.

Too late....time to go home.

The Yellow House Restaurant

526 Lawrence Avenue

Kelowna, BC

www.theyellowhouse.ca

 

Kelowna Dining Adventure - Dinner

Nestled in a residential area, walking distance to downtown Kelowna, is a gem of a French Restaurant - Bouchons Bistro.

They do the French Bistro well. The service - efficient, but not rushed; French but not rude or short.

The ambiance - a bistro; beautiful music oldies from France and beyond (including my favourite Doris Day).

The food - an experience for all the senses. Ignoring fat content (which is expected with authentic French cooking), there is nothing about the food other than perfection.

Hors D'Oeuvres - Tartelette de poires.

The subtle roquefort cheese in the tartelette melting around the warm pears against the walnut oil vinaigrette is simply sensual.

House Specialty - Le Cassoulet

Three meats (duck leg, smoked lamb chop and Toulouse sausage) slithering in a lingot bean ragout.
 
So sexual.

Les Pommes Frites

Obviously hand cut, freshly fried and for the first time I eat fries in a restaurant that are not sprinkled with salt after frying.

Orgasmic.

The crescendo of sensuality exploded with a white and creamy pavlova.

Thank you for a wonderful night Bouchons Bistro.

Bouchons Bistro

1180 Sunset Drive

Kelowna, BC

www.bouchonsbistro.com

 

 

A Wonderful Celebration

My dear readers:

I know that birthday celebrations have been monopolizing the blog recently, but it is not my fault that I am surrounded with people born mainly between May 14 and August 9; so there, the birthday season is almost over.

But this is a special birthday celebration. It is special in how wonderfully simple it was. It is special in who was celebrating along. It is special in being such a pleasant, fun, loving and relaxing evening. 

And most special is the birthday boy did not have to do anything except sit back and enjoy.


The croque monsieur was perfected based on a 150 year old recipe - the best I have ever tasted.

The gifts were a reflection of love of humans and catses.

The pre dessert guava salad was exoticness at its best.

The surprise roses, beautiful roses, simply sealed the perfection of the evening.

The sweets were in the form of black and sprinkley.

And a perfectly wonderful white and creamy cake.

With scraps for a midnight cake pudding snack.

 

Belated...

"Take you out or bring dinner over?" Of course, bring dinner over.

Dinner showed up as a fancy European style picnic including a freshly baked corn bread and...the cigarettes.

 Along with freshly made delicious wild greens and beans salads.

All those healthy vegetables were nicely balanced with cold cuts, sausages and cheeses (remember those pickled sour grapes I talked about earlier in the week - read The Story of Jardin Grape Vine.  They were tried and were exceptional).

And there was a home made plum cake served as the stars appeared in the sky.

 
And hanging around the picnic table until the beginning of the next day.

Thank you so much my dear M.

 

Indian Breakfast

Would you like to go for an Indian Breakfast, asks my dear lovely neighbour, as we examine the beautiful entrance to Himalaya Sweets and Restaurant.

Who in their right mind would say no.

The welcoming owners, the lovely Indian morning Gurbani music, the smells, the cleanliness - very quickly you know you are in for a pleasant eating experience.

Specially, when an Indian is ordering a typical Indian breakfast.

The breakfast is simply Puri with Aloo Mutter and Dal Makhani.

Dipping warm freshly baked (or was it fried?) Puri in the spicy Mutter and Makhani was one of the best breakfasts I have ever had.

And we tried the Golgapa, a not to miss experience.

Pluck a hole in the little pastries, add the spiced chickpeas and tamarind cumin water and throw it in your mouth (without spilling any of the liquid on you).

The welcoming owner surprised us with the fresh from the kitchen Indian sweets.

Those are made with chickpea flour, yogurt and butter and covered with edible silver leaves.

Yum.

Himalaya Sweets & Restaurant

110 - 4011 No. 5 Road

Richmond, BC

(604) 247-2252

Le Marché St. George

If any place to eat in this city should be written about again and again is this one - Le Marché St. George. (Read original article, Un Vrai Marché).

A corner store that has been around for decades, passing hands from one family to another, is still operating as a market, café, creperie, even a boarding house, to name a few of the many offerings at Le Marché St. Geroge. 

But my favourite remains a breakfast of savoury crepe with hot chocolate.

The crepes are made to order right on the spot. 

They come in savoury and sweet options. I have tried the salmon and gruyere cheese as well as the eggs and gruyere cheese and both are amazing.

If you live in East Vancouver, it is worth putting it on your list of favourite neighbourhood places to hang out at. If you live further, it sure is worth the trip. Let me know and I will meet you there.

 Le Marché St. George

4393 St. George Street

Vancouver, BC

www.marchestgeorge.com

 

 

 

 

 

Pancake Dinner

When my dear lovely neighbour said that she is serving Aunt Jemima pancakes instead of dosas for dinner, I knew I landed a great Wacky Thursday story.

Yes, a beautiful very hot curry was served over pancakes.

The curry, really spicy with its hot peppers, turmeric and cloves base, went perfectly well over the tender, somewhat sweet pancake.

Wacky? yes. Inventive? very much so. Tasty? yum yum and more yum.

Thank you my dear lovely neighbour (again).