Amber’s Choice Cafe

Amber’s Choice Cafe is a small little shop located just a couple of blocks from the Burnaby-New West border.  In addition to making everything in-house from scratch, they also have a catering service as well.

Chez Meme Baguette Bistro

Chez Meme has been on my list of places to try for quite a while but I haven’t found myself in the North Burnaby area for ages.  As it turns out, we happened to be in the neighbourhood looking for some eats and wound up parking right in front of Chez Meme.

Earls Kitchen & Bar (North Burnaby)

We drive by it all the time but the Earls on Lougheed Hwy. in Burnaby always skips our mind… partly because it’s a little hidden and tucked in a light commercial park close to a Home Depot.

Earl of Sandwich (Las Vegas – Planet Hollywood)

As the saying goes… Vegas never sleeps.  There’s a reason why you won’t find a clock or a window in a casino – they want you to forget about time and spend all of your hard-earned cash.

Fatburger (North Burnaby) – Chili Cheese Fries

I’ve actually eaten at this Burnaby Fatburger location before… ironically enough, while taking a first aid course at the nearby St. Johns Ambulance location.  If there was anything that could cause an instant heart attack it has to be chili cheese fries.

Tealips Bubble Tea & Coffee

Tealips is located behind Highgate Mall in Burnaby and serves up some of my fav foods… bubble tea – check, waffles – check, sandwiches – check.

Ingrid’s Village Cafe (Whistler)

The first day that we tried to visit Ingrid’s Village Cafe, they were just closing up shop so we made a point to come back the next day.

Quiznos (Arbutus Walk)

We were picking up some fruits from the new Edible Arrangements store on Arbutus when we were feeling the urge for some lunch.  We immediately noticed the aroma coming from the Quiznos located a few doors down and figured why not? 

Au Petit Cafe – Banh Mi Pilgrimage (4th Stop)

After my previous bánh mì pilgrimage visits to Kim Chau Deli, Tung Hing Bakery and Ba Le Deli & Bakery on Kingsway, I ended my trip at Au Petit Café located on Main Street.  While a little further away, it was well worth the trip.  Now, unlike the other 3 bánh mì spots, Au Petit is an actual full-fledged restaurant (albeit small) and serves a number of other dishes other than bánh mì.  I think Eating in Vancouver put it best by describing this place as a “hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese joint” but that didn’t seem to dissuade the number of diners that were already there (most of which were of a more advanced age).

Ba Le Deli & Bakery – Banh Mi Pilgrimage (3rd Stop)

We’re now halfway through my bánh mì pilgrimage after our visit to Kim Chau Deli and Tung Hing Bakery.  Unlike the previous two shops, Ba Le does have limited seating available (3 tables).  Oddly enough, while Ba Le calls itself a “Deli & Bakery”, it doesn’t seem to have as much deli items as Kim Chau or as much bakery items as Tung Hing.  Ba Le was fairly busy with a couple of people in line for bánh mì.

Tung Hing Bakery – Banh Mi Pilgrimage (2nd Stop)

Our second stop on our bánh mì pilgrimage after our visit to Kim Chau Deli is nearby Tung Hing Bakery.  Unlike Kim Chau, Tung Hing is a full-serve bakery and carries the usual egg tarts, bbq pork buns, cake slices, etc… as well as a station where they make the bánh mì right in front of you.  When you place your order, you can see all of the fresh ingredients laid out before you as they quickly and expertly assemble your sandwich. You can see some nice interior pics of the bakery at Eating in Vancouver’s recent post.

Kim Chau Deli – Banh Mi Pilgrimage (1st Stop)

I’ve been feeling in the mood for bánh mì lately so I figured the best thing would be to make a pilgrimage to the “Bánh Mì Triangle” – an area along Kingsway and Main Street that are known to have some of the best bánh mì vendors in town.  Okay, so most of the restaurants are on Kingsway but I thought it would be more dramatic to compare it to a triangle (à la Bermuda Triangle) since a properly made bánh mì can be just as magical and mystical as the mysterious patch of ocean in the Atlantic.