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Blue Water Cafe

Blue Water Cafe  – I know this place has been around for years! They have sister restaurants – Araxi, CinCin, Thierry, West and etc. I think it’s a hit or miss at some of the restaurants. West is definitely on par with Blue Water Cafe. Thierry is great too, but perhaps it’s a little to rich for me to appreciate it. Araxi wasn’t as impressive compared to the rest. Blue Water Cafe; the first time I went was for my birthday this year. The hubs took me to show me the finer things of what Westcoast dining is all about in Vancouver. Overall, the feeling is contemporary, Westcoast warmth. Elements of golden tones and open kitchen and bar made the space very open and large. The service was great! My first time there, we sat out in the patio. Since this restaurant is all about seafood – we had to try the fresh oysters. I was confused at first since there was a large selection, but it appears they rotate the type of oysters they have frequently from the menu – so there are around 2-4 choices locally and internationally that are available amongst the list. However, do the issues of BC oysters, those options are not available at the moment. The oysters were we’re wonderfully fresh and delicious. It was a great start to a meal. I was reluctant on trying the sashimi and nigiri sushi since it’s operated by a non-Japanese establishment, so I wasn’t sure how it would taste. However, the menu indicated a Japanese sushi chef was preparing the fish, and the fact the restaurant is all about seafood, meaning the freshness is there. We had ordered the Hamachi sashimi. It was beautifully plated, and the taste just melted in your mouth. I am a big toro fan but this hamachi just impressed me so much. It was delicate but the sauce below just complimented the fresh so much that it provided a nice punch of a surprise. I feel like when I’m at any seafood restaurant, you have to go for the sablefish. I was told that the dish at the restaurant is a all time classic and favourite amongst repeat clients. I will say, it’s one of the best sablefish I have ever had. The tenderness, and fatty goodness was amazing. The broth underneath it was a great pairing that help elevate the sablefish as being the main star of the show for me – it was clearly an Asian influence taste. The hubs had the Ling Cod that reminded me of a Spanish/Mediterranean influence. It wasn’t as tasty as the sablefish but it was a nice light flavour fish that went well with the spices that was cooked in. Double thumbs up on definitely want to go again. Just be prepared to pay the money for it.

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K’s Oriental Dessert

K’s Oriental Dessert – Saw one of my friend’s posted on their facebook page that they found a place for durian pizza!!! I was so stoked that I dragged the hubs to come with me that same night to try it out. The location is located with very low traffic and tends to be very quiet. It just opened so I assumed it just needed some more awareness to get this place going. First entering into the space, it’s nicely decorated. The interior design feels very high end, chic and modern with very simple streamline and refine. It felt very out of place in where it’s located. Like the interior design. their desserts and drinks are also very pretty and high end. They definitely are very eye pleasing. However, I wasn’t there for the decor or the pretty cakes – although it was tempting to try them out. I was there for the durian pizza. The price point for the durian pizza is a premium – a little under $30 for around a little less than 6″ inches. The taste of the pizza was nice and light, but I am a fan of durian so it wasn’t as fragrant as I liked. The combination of mozzarella white cheese and the durian baked on top was a nice surprise. The amount of durian was decent however, the crust or dough was very disappointing. It was a heavy pita bread, which was dry and tasteless which left the entire experience or overall experience disappointing. Overall, I personally think they should change or think of a better dough to make the taste better. I would come back again if they change their dough since the price isn’t that worth it since it’s pretty small. This place feels like you have to have the money or be sort of an elite to really pay for this price to come to this place.

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Straight Outta Brooklyn Pizzeria

Straight Outta Brooklyn Pizzeria – This place has been open for a few years now. They have a total of 3 locations, and I’ve been meaning to try the Kingsway location for a while now. The perfect opportunity was when my buddy was craving for this pizza late afternoon. The location is located in a small food mecca where you can find all types of restaurants and eateries to satisfy your taste palette. So it’s always been on my lower priority list of food to try in the area since there is so many selections. I have heard very positive reviews about the place. For portion size and price, it’s pretty decent. We ordered their original – margarita pizza. I like that the pizza there are thin crust and the selection is small but all very good choices to choose from. I don’t think this is wood burning oven that bakes the pizza but overall the dough is nice and chewy and a light dough flavour that compliments the toppings. The toppings are also very fresh and well seasoned. Overall, I think it’s a solid place for some good quality pizza that you can take on the run without paying a premium. I was told that the owner also owns the very popular Via Tevere Pizzeria – which is the neapolitan style pizza!

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PIVA

PIVA – I’ve been eying this place for a while since the reviews on this place was great. I drive by when I head home and it looks fancy so it definitely captured my attention. I wanted to wait for a special occasion to go; which finally happened. The food was a nice refresh on the classic italian dishes in a modern and bright location. I felt a more traditional style feel from the servers who were very knowledgeable with the dishes and very attentive to your needs. The food itself was beautifully plated and bright. We ordered a few items to share and an entree for the each of us. I decided on a gnocchi – the pasta had a nice chewy texture and the flavours paired well. However, perhaps it’s just me but I did find the artichoke a little too overpower in this dish if you don’t eat it together with a piece of gnocchi and the rest of the vegetables with it. The crabcake was nicely done and a crispy exterior. My fave dish would be the stuffed meatball! It was very nice and moist and the cheese was googy! I love that. I got a chance to taste the risotto and the spaghetti. Both dishes were done right and had the right flavours. I wish it was slightly bigger portions. The caesar salad was disappointing for me since I think I enjoy a salad where everything was incorporated well, but I found it lacking in flavour even with the croutons in it. Hy’s caesar salad is still by far my favourite place for it.  For dessert – we decided on a lemon tart and chocolate cake. For me, I love tartness – so personally I rate a good lemon tart based on the level of tartness and how well the lemon rind is incorporated into it. The tart had met my standard of enjoyment. I can’t say it’s the best since the best one I had was from the Stanley Park Pavilion, however, the pastry chef have long left. The chocolate cake was surprisingly moist and a nice velvety texture without any flour in it. It was tasty. I’ll go back again for the meatballs and their pasta!

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Restaurant Yugo

Restaurant Yugo – It’s a tradition to celebrate my birthday with cousin since we both have the same birthday. This year was extra special since he took the initiative to get together this time! I was following a friend’s timeline and she always have such amazing food adventures, and they all look so fancy. So I decided to browse around and found Yugo. Restaurant Yugo has 2 locations. Their first one is located on Denman and the second one is on Main. I was speaking to one of the staff, and they said Yugo was originally planned to have their first location on Main Street, but due to difficulties in finding a location, they opened the one in Downtown first. Yugo is a Japanese and French fusion cuisine. Stepping into the Main location, it felt very bright and with very modern neutral colouring. It felt more like a cafe, I didn’t see any particular elements of French or Japanese decor at all. Since it was our birthday, we decided to do the whole deal and splurged. We decided on a sake tasting flight – a total of 4 large 2 shots per glass tasting. That was very enjoyable to compliment the meal and fun to pair. As for the food itself, we ordered the brussel sprouts. I was expecting it to be roasted but it was more of blanched and stirred fried. It was a nice light taste, but personally for me, it wasn’t my favorite way to prepare it. We ordered the hamachi sashimi – it was very nice umai taste, and absolutely fresh.  One of the highlights of this meal was the foie gras nigiri – It was something I have never tried. It was fantastic. The combination of the buttery melting sensation that mixed with the mirin sushi rice was a great combo. It cuts down the heaviness but provides the right balance. The next dish two dishes was a scallop risotto and the maple syrup glazed halibut soba noodle. The scallop risotto had generous number of scallops and mushrooms. The taste was nice and creamy and was done very well. My personal favourite was the halibut – this dish was on special that day. The lightly pan fried halibut mixed with the maple syrup was a nice combo with the kale. The soba had a good infusion of flavour with it as well, but I felt the noodles fell a part too easily. Lastly, the dessert! Their matcha mille crepe was exceptionally delicious, based on price point and size of the dessert, I think it’s actually better than Sugar Lab. Overall, I think the restaurant at the moment is a win for me. I definitely would come back here again with friends or family. It’s a great hang out spot! But be mindful that it’s on a higher price point so it’s not a place to go every day.

P.S. It could be just be me – but the decor is intentional so that the beauty and the food presentation is what shines and impresses people!

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Food for Thought on Real Estate – May 2018

 

  •  Seller’s market – A seller’s market is when there are more people looking to buy then there are homes available. This causes a rise in price above the long-term average rate of inflation. Typically this is indicated by a sales-to-active listings ratio of 20% or higher.
  • Buyer’s market – In contrast, a buyer’s market is when there are many more homes for sale than there are buyers. As a result, prices increase slower than the long-term average rate of inflation. In extreme circumstances this can cause prices to decline. Typically this is indicated by a sales-to-active listings ratio below 12%.
  • Balanced market – A balanced market occurs when supply and demand are about the same, with home prices rising in line with long-term average rate of inflation. Typically this is indicated by a sales-to-active listings ratio between 12% and 20%.Summary Over a sustained period of time:
    • a seller’s market is represented by a ratio of 20% or higher
    • a buyer’s market is represented by a ratio of 11% or lower
    • a balanced market rests between 12-19%

Highlights From the Real Estate Board, May 2018

“With fewer homes selling today compared to recent years, the number of homes available for sale is rising,” Phil Moore, REBGV president said. “The selection of homes for sale in Metro Vancouver has risen to the highest levels we’ve seen in the last two years, yet supply is still below our long-term historical averages.”

“For home sellers to be successful in today’s market, it’s important to price your property competitively given the shifting dynamics we’re experiencing,” Moore said. “It’s also important to work with your local Realtor to better understand these changing conditions.”

For all property types, the sales-to-active listings ratio for May 2018 is 25.1 per cent. By property type, the ratio is 14.7 per cent for detached homes, 30.8 per cent for townhomes, and 41.7 per cent for condominiums.

Sales of detached properties in May 2018 reached 926, a 40.2 per cent decrease from the 1,548 detached sales recorded in May 2017. The benchmark price for detached properties is $1,608,000. This is a 2.4 per cent increase from May 2017 and a 0.1 per cent increase compared to April 2018.

Sales of apartment properties reached 1,431 in May 2018, a 29.3 per cent decrease from the 2,025 sales in May 2017. The benchmark price of an apartment property is $701,700. This is a 20.2 per cent increase from May 2017 and a 0.1 per cent increase compared to April 2018.

“NOTE: this representation is based in whole or in part on data generated by the Chilliwack & District Real Estate Board, Fraser Valley Real Estate Board or Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver which assume no responsibility for its accuracy.”

Download The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver’s May statistics Package. Click Here

Download Fraser Valley’s Real Estate Board’s May Statistics Package. Click Here

 

June 2018 Newsletter Introduction

Hello Again Friends –  

The weather of May have been so wonderful. We’ve been so lucky on that part. May surprisingly is a little quiet for me this year. Usually, in the Estate market cycle – Spring is usually the business time – late April and May are at the peak months of the year. I assume due to the fact that our government have announced there will be an increase in interest rates in July and the stress test that was implemented in January, those factors played a role in dampening the rapidly competitive real estate market to a more balance and sustainable one. It gives buyers more time to think things thoroughly and ensure they laid the proper foundation to purchase a proper home instead of a lemon due to a quick bidding war purchase. I personally think in the interest of both parties, this is a good thing. Also, May is my favourite month since it’s a transition phase from the Spring to the Summer, and the days are getting longer and it’s getting warmer. This year in particular, I was very well loved with tons of birthday wishes, and a wonderful family wedding celebration. I am so lucky!!!  Anyways, stay tune to what other criteria that the government have when it comes to implementing this new interest. 

– Sam

# 201 1661 E 2ND AV, V5N 1E1

2ND AND COMMERCIAL DRIVE

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