The Union

Had brunch at The Union today. I wasn't sure what to expect from something so close to Chinatown, but was pleasantly surprised.

The decor was a typical hipster minimalist concrete / wood mix. It was very bright, clean, and open - a good atmosphere for brunch. We got there right as they opened at 10am and were the first ones there. There was no line up and only three other tables when we left and hour and a half later.

I had the Bao Bun Bennies, as usual, I had to start with the Bennies. The presentation was nice and my friend thought my breakfast looked better than his. He did let me try his lemongrass pork sausage which reminded me of eating at a Vietnamese restaurant.

My bennies were solid. The egg poached to a perfect soft. The hollandaise sauce was a bit bland. It tasted like nothing but had a creamy texture to it. The Asian guacamole was quite interesting. All I tasted was the lime (or whatever made it sour). It was good though and helped balance the creaminess of the hollandaise sauce. The bacon was well cooked to a perfect crispness that made it very easy to cut.

I liked the fact that it was served on a Chinese bun as it wasn't as filling as an English muffin. Sometimes I find the dense English muffins too much, especially if there's also hash on the side. The has. Was coated in curry powder and was very flavourful. It also went really well with the great selection of hot sauces.

All in all I had a great experience. Now that I know the bennies are solid, I'm intrigued enough by the other menu selection to return. I'm surprised it wasn't busier, but I like not having to wait. I'd recommend it, but am afraid it'll be too popular and then I won't be able to return without waiting in line.

Craft Beer Market

Went to Craft Beer Market for brunch today by recommendation of my brunch date. It was pretty quiet which is great for me since I don't like waiting. We grabbed a table near the window with a view of the water.

My friend said she had the bennies and they were good, so I decided to go for the Avocado and Cheddar Bennie.

The bennies were served on a biscuit instead of English muffins. In theory, that sounds good- but when I think of biscuits, I look forward the the crispy exterior and the soft interior that melts butter as soon as you spread some on it. The hollandaise sauce made the biscuit rather soggy and the biscuit wasn't hot enough. So it wasn't quite what I was expecting.

The hollandaise sauce was different but I liked it. It was kind of more tart than normal, and less rich. The hash browns were well seasoned, but a little soft. I was craving some texture after the soft biscuit and soft egg. It just needed some crunch overall.

Overall solid brunch. Good service while it's quiet - can't say what it'd be like if I went back when it's busy. I'd probably go back on another quiet day and didn't feel like cooking.

Catch 122

Went to Catch 122 for brunch today. It was kind of weird when we arrived. There were several empty tables and we were asked to wait 15 minutes. No one was seated before us though. I think it has to do with whether or not a server is ready to serve a table, but seriously, they could've sat us down and have us wait with a glass of water instead of making us stand at the door.

We ordered mimosas and a coffee and they brought us some muffins to start while we waited for our dishes.

I ordered the truffled-scented mushroom omelette. It was pretty good, nice and light. Good amount of goat cheese in it to make it creamy as well. The sides didn't have any truffle taste, but there was more by the middle.

My friend ordered The Catch 122. It came with a perfectly cooked medium poached egg. Well seasoned, the salmon and dill perfectly balanced each other.

Overall a good experience. They didn't rush us after our meal, but not too many people were waiting. We've had dinner there before and it was a good experience. We just don't go back often because we don't want to pay for parking. I would recommend visiting Catch 122 though- for brunch and dinner!

Kessel&March

Went to Kessel&March for lunch today. My two friends ordered coffee, B ordered a lemonade and I ordered iced tea, which they actually didn't have, but was able to bring me a tea and a glass of ice- which worked out perfectly because I don't like my iced tea sweetened.

I ordered the Pate Sandwich. The sandwich was good, they mixed some cucumber into the pate, so it was fresher and not as heavy. I found the bread a little over toasted, and it kind of hurts when I bite into it. Otherwise, it was decent. I liked the minimal dressing for the side salad.

B ordered the Chorizo Hash. It was okay, he enjoyed it. The flavour was boring and he wished there were more chorizo, but it was good. The egg was cooked perfectly and the brown toast tasted fresh. You can tell it was made in house.

My friends ordered the Meat Skillet and the Benedict Royale (shown in order). I didn't get to taste it but they said it was really good. The eggs looked perfectly cooked too, nice and runny.

You may remember from a precious post that I am often disappointed by lava cakes that aren't runny and gooey. This Lava Cake at Kessel&March was made to perfection.

As soon as you put your spoon in it, the chocolate came flowing out. It was rich, chocolately, and not too sweet.

Unfortunately for Kessel&March, they're located right next to the Port Metro Vancouver container terminal so the neighbourhood stank. At first we couldn't smell it anymore when we stepped into the restaurant, but it crept in near the end.

Overall, it's worth a try, but I probably won't return because although the food was good, it was not worth the trip or the smell.

Twisted Fork Bistro

Finally had a chance to try out Twisted Fork for brunch - we had heard good things but never had a chance to try it without having to wait in line. Today was the day. We arrived just in time to snag one of three remaining tables.

We ordered the banana stuffed brioche French Toast. It was a little disappointing. The crust was so burnt it was rock hard. The bananas weren't evenly spread, so not every bite had bananas in it. It just didn't stand out. We prefer the banana French toast from Jethros over this any day, however long the line.

We also had the Eggs Benny with avocado filler. It came with sautéed spinache, rosti, and baked beans. The baked beans were okay - for the first two bites, then it tasted overly sweet and nauseating. Maybe the portion size of the beans and the rosti could've been switched. The rosti was crispy, but could've had more seasoning. What could also have had more seasoning were the spinach and the hollandaise sauce. The spinach was overcooked and dry, and there were no taste to the sauce at all.

The Benny at Quatro was the same price, but served with delicious potatoes. I felt like it was cheap when I ordered it. Here, I felt like I was being robbed - it's a wonder what the quality of food can do to legitimize the price.

To add insult to injury, there were fruit flies everywhere. This corner of a piece of artwork behind has almost 20 flies - and it's just one-sixth of the panel. A little disgusting.

Overhyped, overpriced, underwhelmed. Will not return nor recommend.

Regal Beagle

It was a late Sunday when we visited Regal Beagle - because Evelyn's was closed. We pass by it often and every time we're surprised they serve brunch. They shouldn't.

I had the Sundried Tomato Pesto, Spinach & Goats Cheese omelette. It was flat and bland. The potatoes that came with it were not crispy at all. For $11, I expected something of the Crave calibre (theirs was $10). It wasn't. I suppose it's difficult to make a really good omelette, but the ones we make are pretty solid.

We also had the Banana Bread French Toast. It was really dense, but tasted alright and was really big. I guess it's difficult to go bad with sweets. But it was really, really dense and completely drenched in maple syrup.

Will not return for brunch, but will try their lunch at some point.

Gramercy Grill

Went to Gramercy Grill for brunch on Sunday. Great choice.

We were given banana bread as a starter. Extra would be $0.50 each. They were so delicious and I was so hungry, it was gone before I could take a picture of it.

I had the Chef's Blend Mushroom Benedict. It was flavourful and rich. The sauce was a little tarty, it was good.

B had the ham, cheddar and banana pepper omelette. It tasted alright but the stuffing wasn't evenly distributed.

The potatoes were too soft. They could've been fried a little longer.

Solid price for great service and good food.