vancouver, pt. 2

After our big breakfast at Whistler and a Greyhound back to Vancouver, we vegged at Carm's apartment and somehow ended up watching True Lies on tv for a lot longer than I would have liked :P What is it with guys and Arnold Schwarzenegger?? I tolerated it because the weather was still fairly gloomy and not the best for walking around and exploring. Eventually though, my hunger prevailed, as it was well past lunchtime (around 3 pm). I proclaimed that I needed something to eat. Because we were expecting to have dinner with my cousin (who's been living in Richmond for the past few years) in just a few hours, we decided to go for something more on the snack-ish side. Not to mention that I was starving by that point and wanted something fast.

So Carm led us to Japadog. I'd noticed it earlier while walking from the Greyhound stop to the apartment, and mentioned that I'd heard of it from one of the blogs I read (can't remember which one though). It sort of goes without saying, but Japadog is street meat with a Japanese twist, featuring condiments you'd expect at your favourite sushi spot.

We ordered the #1 and #2 most popular flavours (according to the placard by the cash register):

#1 terimayo: jalapeno & cheese smoked sausage, seaweed, japanese mayo, teriyaki sauce
#2 oroshi: bratwurst, grated radish, green onion, soy sauce

There was also a little bar where you could top it with even more sauces/condiments. Carm said the dogs were good on their own, but the wasabi mayo was a must-try. Oh yeah, was it ever.

heck YES, wasabi mayo!

The great thing about Japadog is that it satisfies 2 cravings at once: meat grease craving (I'm not the only who gets that right??) and sushi craving! So needless to say I felt quite content after my terimayo dog.

Afterwards, despite the gloomy weather, we strolled the waterfront to see where all the action was during the Olympics. Then we walked to an area called Gastown (cobblestone, Toronto Distllery District feel) to explore and stop for a beer. Then a quick walk past Chinatown and it was back to the apartment to get ready for dinner.

yippee!!

As it turns out, my cousin wasn't able to join us for the actual meal, though he was able to meet us towards the end for drinks. To be honest, I think it was for the better, because I wouldn't have been able to engage in any sort of conversation with him, with all the amazing food that came to our table that evening.

We'd decided on a Japanese place called Hapa Izakaya based on a recommendation from Carm's friend Drew who owns his own catering business. I didn't get to talk to him much while I was out there, but after a quick glance at his blog (which I'll be exploring more of in the next few, I'm sure), I do wish I had!

When we were seated and given the menus, we knew immediately that we were in for something good. Two-thirds of the menu was a handwritten "fresh sheet" describing all the freshly caught and prepared delights that were on offer that evening. The menu also proudly denoted "ocean-friendly seafood choices as recommended by the Vancouver Aquarium". We started with a bottle of wine and it only got better from there. Every dish was delicate, balanced in flavour and texture, and just plain delicious.

so pretty.

kakuni: pork belly with steamed buns (soooo good, but still second to momofuku noodle bar's)

abure shime saba: marinated mackarel sashimi, seared at the table

sashi mori: succulent, tender, melt-in-your mouth sashimi

seared Qualicum Beach scallops with mushroom soy butter balsamic sauce

pork dim sum (not a great description, but my cousin had arrived by this time and I wasn't paying attention to the menu anymore)

Did I mention I was able to check something off my culinary bucket list with this meal? I've been wanting to try real, freshly grated wasabi root for the longest time, and I had it here! Oddly, it was with only one of our dishes, while the others were accompanied with the usual green stuff. Not sure about the heirarchy there, but meh, I tasted me some real wasabi!

After my cousin arrived, we all ended up downing another bottle of wine, multiple rounds of sake, and multiple rounds of Moosehead. Conversation flowed easily after all the good food and drink, and we all had a great time.

This restaurant is a definite MUST EAT recommendation from me if you're ever in Vancouver. Although, both Will and I were told before we left that any Japanese restaurant would be amazing, considering the Asian population and access to seafood fresh from the Pacific. If you do have to pick one though, try Hapa Izakaya!