Bits and Pieces of Vancouver

Vu and I spent last week in the Pacific Northwest, soaking in the summer sun, fresh sea breeze, and scent of the pine forest. We are sharing some of our favorite finds in Vancouver.

Our first stop was Le Marche St. George, a charming and rustic café/pantry down the street from Vu’s cousins’ house.

It’s a hidden gem of Vancouver. The shop is stocked with products made from local artists as well as an impressive collection of teas, pasta, olive oils, honey, and pantry items.

While Vu and our lovely tour guides were enjoying their delectable pastries, coffee, and tea, I was snapping pictures after pictures.

What a lovely cafe. I can spend every morning here even though I don’t drink coffee.

Our lovely tour guides.

Our second favorite store was Old Faithful Shop in Gastown.

The owner and genius behind Old Faithful Shop, Walter Manning, sources beautiful products from around the world, whether they are enamelwares from England, syrup from New York, coffee from San Francisco, or home grown products right in the heart of Vancouver.

And of course, I couldn’t walk away empty handed. I bought a few items for our kitchen.

With limited time, we made a quick stop at the Granville Island Public Market for some tasty pates from Oyama Sausage Company.

I was amazed at their diverse selection of pates, prosciuttos, salamis, and sausages. We ordered the duck prosciutto and four different types of pate which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Unlike our past trips, we focused more on exploring Vancouver and less on the culinary scene. There were a couple restaurants that were memorable.

For our last morning in Vancouver, Vu’s cousins took us to Santouka for ramen which did not disappoint.

It’s comparable to our favorite ramen restaurant in San Diego. The broth was flavorful and the meat was tender.

For one of our dinners, we went to Blue Water Café and Raw Bar. The appetizers were not impressive, but the scallops and sable fish entrees were delicious.