Hu Ahyi Bubble Tea Place

Imagine you've been invited to a friend's house on a lazy Sunday for dim sum... you walk in, are greeted by friendly family members, children are sitting with their school bags and laptops, there is an AC in the corner and a few television sets scattered throughout, all are turned off. It's eerily quiet, minus the clinking of pots and pans from the kitchen. Your eyes are drawn to the golden wallpaper and glass table tops with lemon colored retro chairs. The pointsettas and Italian chef figurine are included in the decor along with traditional Chinese textile portraits on the walls... welcome to Hu Ahyi Bubble Tea Place. 

Hu Ayhi Bubble Tea Place is situated at 910 Columbia Place behind Kamloop's Great Canadian Superstore near the TRU campus. It's location is ideal for university students, and it's hours of operation are incredible, they're open until 10 through the week and even until 9 on Sundays. This is not somewhere you go all dressed up on a Friday night, I cannot stress enough that the atmosphere here feels identical to going to dinner at a friends house randomly one evening, please do not bring a date here. With that being said, I'm glad that after a hike out in the woods, I brought my mom here for her first bubble tea experience. 

Hu Ayhi Bubble Tea Place of course serves bubble tea and this was my first Kamloops experience of enjoying it locally as I've only ever had it in larger cities. For those of you who do not know what bubble tea is, I will get into that further along in this post. The menu also includes rice and noodle dishes such as bamboo ribs on rice, stewed beef on rice and special chicken thigh on rice. Soups, including miso and wonton, and your dim sum options. Dim sum refers to a traditionally prepared bite-sized or individually portioned food, served in either a steaming basket or on smalls plates. The dim sum menu items consist of wraps, steamed wontons and even steamed chicken feet, which my mother insisted that she would not dare try or even watch me order on this late lunch date.  We decided to both order a bubble tea, start with the seaweed tofu soup, followed by the dim sum dishes of BBQ pork buns, spring rolls and shrimp dumplings.

Bubble tea, or Boba tea, is a tea-based beverage blended with either fruit or milk in a variety of flavours from lychee, raspberry, coconut, vanilla and watermelon to name a few. There really isn't a flavour of bubble tea that doesn't exist in all honesty, I was so tempted to be festive and try the peppermint this time around but I wasn't feeling too outgoing this afternoon as my mom had already trumped by idea of ordering chicken feet. The bubble tea can be served warm, cold or slushy, and at the bottom, are wonderful tapioca balls called pearls. They have a gummy-like consistency with no flavour, and as you sip from the large bore straw they shoot into your mouth and if one is not careful, you will choke, but they are wonderful and fun. I have always steered clear of fruity flavored teas as the serving size of this beverage is often quite enormous and I could never handle that much sweetness, therefore I've always stuck with a milder sweetness milk version. I ordered the honey green milk tea cold with pearls and my mom had the vanilla milky hot tea with pearls. They were delicious, both were creamy an delightful, but I also felt like I was enjoying dessert before my meal. I would recommend enjoying your first bubble tea experience, or bubble tea in general, on it's own and not in accompaniment of a multiple course meal. 

Next I was greeted with a large mug-type soup bowl of boiling hot seaweed tofu soup. An oily plain broth filled to the rim, with heaps of hot seaweed and plenty of medium-firm tofu pieces immersed. It was a generous serving for one individual and I was very pleased with the taste of the dish itself. It was not salty like I had expected from the seaweed, the texture combination was great and it definitely warmed my stomach and filled me up. I usually opt for a miso or wonton soup, though I was happy to have experienced this alternative.

Our lovely waitress forewarned us that the wait for any steamed dishes, which would be our dim sum items, would be about 15-20 minutes, which was fine. I understand that any appetizer-sized items in any restaurant require more time to prepare and are more meticulous to create. We were presented first with our spring roll dish on a small multicolored plate with a side of sweet chili sauce ( not sure why plum sauce wasn't included rather than a Thai sauce but it was nice nevertheless). There were three spring rolls with a slightly oily/crispy exterior and a chewy pork filling which was decent, they definitely had a "home-cooked" taste to them and would be satisfying for an individual to enjoy after a long night at a Christmas party, I'll leave it at that. Next, on another mismatched plate, came our BBQ buns and shrimp dumplings. As having never ordered these items before, I did not realize that our plate would be overtaken by all white components, did it look appetizing? No. Were the elements of each piece delicious despite their attractiveness? Well.... The BBQ pork buns were mainly a thick dumpling batter which was of a slightly sweet doughy consistency, yet once you got to the center, there was a modest amount of shredded pork awaiting you. They were satisfying, though also very heavy and probably not the best choice for a light lunch. The shrimp dumplings however, were perfectly steamed wontons filled with a delectable shrimp that was light and mouth-watering which made me wish that we had ordered another steamed wonton option rather than the heavy battered pork item. 

I would like to emphasize that I have nothing completely negative to say about Hu Ayhi Bubble Tea Place, although my critique of the menu items we ordered may appear to be in the contrary. If I had been hungrier, had it not been my first meal of the day, and most likely if I had had the opportunity to order the chicken feet with my bubble tea as dessert rather than as a starter, I imagine that this post would have much more positivity throughout. It's a hole in the wall restaurant, the atmosphere feels like you're in a strangers home filled with lovely relatives, the menu items are VERY inexpensive which allows you to be open-minded and give new/exciting dishes a try and we are extremely fortunate to have a bubble tea option in Kamloops. 

If you're in search of a home-cooked Chinese meal, welcome home to Hu Ahyi Bubble Tea Place. Ask them to turn on the five o'clock news, order a hot bowl of soup and finish with a boba tea with peals, relax in it's awkwardly quiet environment and remember: even though it feels like you're at a friend's house for dinner, you don't have to offer to help with the dishes.

Bon appetit. 

Burger & Cafe JOY Authentic Teriyaki Burgers & Green Tea Sweets Cafe

This very well may be the only burger joint I frequent for as long as I'm living in Kamloops, what a Joy indeed.

Burger & Cafe JOY is located in Kamloops' Sahali mall at 945 Columbia Street. I have yet to include a website link for any of the restaurants I've blogged about, though I'll be sure to include Joy's, as it is visual appealing. I wish that it had an "About Us" section however so that I could understand fully how this Teriyaki burger & green tea sweet cafe came to be in the small city of Kamloops.

I'm not a hipster, but I would like to start by stating that this very well could be one of the coolest "hipster" burger joints in Kamloops. Instagram would be filled with photos of Joy's decor and dishes: #zen #cool #foodporn. This small space sandwiched between what I believe was a hair salon and ink refill store, is a chill retreat from the cream colored mall walls and tile. Black streamlined sofas, wooden slatted tables with seating for groups of two or four and bar seating at the window. A LED screen displays their menu items, there is free Wifi, and just in case you were in the market for smart phone accesories, they've got some of those for sale too. I treated myself to lunch here and was one of three individuals dining alone. A precious rendition of "Is This Love?" by Bob Marley was playing, covered by a a soft-spoken female artist, and that, along side the smiling and charismatic Japanese hostess, made me feel like I could spend the afternoon there sipping on a green tea latte. It was ideal.

Joy is exactly what it claims to be, a teriyaki burger and green tea sweets cafe. The menu includes beef, chicken, pork, seafood and tofu burgers along side various options to accompany their deliciousness, such as edamame, miso soup, seaweed salad, and their new, squid salad. Traditional french fries are also an option. They have daily specials of more traditional Japanese dishes to boot. In terms of their green tea cafe items, let me tell you, I had to hold off on ordering one of everything, as they all looked luscious. Green tea roll cake, green tea pudding, green tea ice cream and both hot/cold green tea lattes, to name a few. I decided to go with a teriyaki tofu burger with a side of seaweed salad and a bottle of water. My bill came to $10.20 all in, it was fabulous. 

Seaweed salad is something that I actually have cravings for, and when I see it on the menu, regardless of it's cost, I will order it. When one imagines a seaweed salad they made wonder what it's texture is like. It's most likely exactly like what you've imagined. It's cold, slightly slippery, though has a crunchy texture and amazing bright green color and tasty flavor. I have purchased seaweed salads comparable to this one in terms of it's portion size for almost $6 before - this side was $3.35. If you're bored by a tossed salad, opt for this one next time.

Next I sunk my teeth into a teriyaki tofu burger, I have yet to enjoy a veggie burger as much as I enjoyed this tofu option. To make a teriyaki dish an item is first broiled, grilled or baked after being marinated in a teriyaki sauce giving it it's sheen (teri). My lightly breaded gigantic serving of medium tofu was warm and perfectly glazed. Caught between a fresh hot white bun with a slice of fresh juicy tomato and lettuce for garnish. It was juicy, it was messy, it was mouthwatering and amazing. If Joy managed to grill my tofu to perfection, I wondered what they are able to do with a chicken breast or fish fillet. I will definitely be bringing a few protein-hungry male friends along with me next time to try those options out.

As my meal's finale, the lovely hostess/waitress timidly approached my table and placed down my "Thank-you". A petite crisp cookie with creamy smooth chocolate spread between it's layers and a thin single pretzel like cookie dipped in strawberry yogurt. It was a great finish, they were pretty, cute and very satisfying after a savory meal.

If you want to take yourself for lunch, please check out Joy. Relax at a table, take your time, sip some antioxidant rich green tea and get messy with a scrumptious, juicy, teriyaki delight, no one will judge you. The ingredients are fresh, their combination in the menu items is innovative and pleasing. Forget your previous favorite burger location and breathe in the calming relaxation inside the four walls at Joy. Tanoshimu = Enjoy.

Bon appetit.

www.burgercafejoy.com

Quilas Mexican Restaurant

Step in from the cold streets of downtown, experience the passion and warmth of Quilas.

It's -10 degrees outside... You need to intensify the heat, Mexican cuisine is amazing for that. From sensual Latin music, to warm inviting decor, the friendly presence of the wait staff and yes , the salsa that pairs perfectly with every dish you devour ... Welcome to Quilas, one of two Mexican cuisine restaurants situated in Kamloops. 

Quilas is located at 330 Victoria Street, downtown Kamloops. It is a small space, though the decor commands a great impact. It is intimate and sexy, with crystal chandeliers strung from the ceiling and fascinating over sized mirrors placed on the walls . This is the ideal place to take a lover to . The staff are energetic and accommodating, and their accents are intriguing. 

Quilas menu is lovely. A compilation of delicious appetizers, salads, main courses and desserts. The meal descriptions and ingredient listings even sound romantic and interesting. There are you traditional Mexican fare options, which a North American may be familiar with, such as fajitas, chimichangas, and burritos, though once again, I would like to plea with you, try something new. Ask your server which items are popular or favorites in his/her home town. What do you really have to lose? You can go to Taco Bell any day of the week for a burrito. With that being said, my date and I decided on the guacamole to start, followed by the steak fajitas for two (which neither of us had had the pleasure of enjoying for quite some time leading up to this meal).

I chose to kick off this  experience with a beautifully blended mojito. White rum, soda water, sugar muddled with mint leaves and fresh lime, it is a must try if you have never experienced one . I might add, Quilas also has an apple cinnamon flavored mojito which is divine, and a go-to cold cocktail for a brisk night out . Our water (and my mojito), was accompanied by a decent serving of fresh tortilla chips and homemade salsa to start. The salsa, as pointed out by my friend, was slightly salty, though did not deter us from finishing the entire serving before our appetizer. 

You must experience Quilas' guacamole. On the menu it indicates that the guacamole will be prepared at your table, which it certainly is. In walks our server, Ricardo, with an inviting smile, his fold out table and his numerous bowls of ingredients along side fresh avocados. He cleans his hands then proceeds to add the multitude of ingredients to a stone bowl and mash the avocado right before your eyes. The guacamole is certainly fresh. It is spiced to perfection, and the consistency is delectable. 

Let us proceed to the fajitas. If you are not familiar with the term "fajita", let me enlighten you. It is in Tex-Mex cuisine, commonly referred to any grilled meat usually served as a taco or on a flour or corn tortilla. First we were presented with a platter of garnishes, including salsa, avocado, Mexican rice , sour cream and shredded cheeses. Next, a container filled with warm, soft, flour tortillas. Finally, a smoking hot skillet with steak, onions and bell peppers grilled to perfection. Ordering a dish of fajitas is in itself, an experience. An experience worth the 28$ price tag. The course was not only satisfying for a party of two, it was also mouth watering and fun to put together and customize our own individually.

Quilas warmed not only our stomachs, with it's delicious spice and fresh ingredients, it also warmed our hearts with it's seductive decor and atmosphere. No need for hot company to join you for this experience. Whether dinning alone as a single, as  a group of friends out on the town, or as an intimate night out for two, prepare to fall in love. Let Quilas Latin flare and passionate ambiance entice you, to not be so modest, to crank up the heat , and to let your senses guide you into a uncontrollable desire to have , just one more bite of guacamole and sip of wine. Experience the sultriness of Quilas, I promise you will not be disappointed. 

Bon appetit. 

SalaJai Thai Restaurant

If you've been in search of the perfect spring roll, look no further

SalaJai restaurant, located at 542 Tranquille on Kamloop's North Shore is Kamloops only remaining completely Thai cuisine restaurant. Warunee's Thai Restaurant, which was also situated in the North Shore district closed last winter, and I was very pleased to hear advertisements this past month about SalaJai. Sala , meaning "rest area", and Jai meaning "heart", translates to the owner's motto for this, their third Thai food restaurant, as "rest area for the heart". The couple had previously owned two other locations located in Blind Bay and Salmon Arm BC. I have to say, I had pretty high expectations for this meal out as a close friend of mine had only months ago gushed about the "amazing Thai food restaurant in Salmon Arm" that "I had to try!" I was pleasantly surprised to hear that this new restaurant then, was under the same ownership and now in Kamloops. In terms of my expectations of the Thai food experience, I have to say that I had none. I have had limited experience in the discovery of  Thai cuisine, really only once while out at Warunee's and with my own Pad Thai creative cooking at home. For whatever reason I have always been drawn to want to experience more... might it be the spices they use? Spicy heat and peanut sauces, rice noodles, and yes, I've always loved sweet Thai chili sauce, which seems to be a flavor that I seek on everything from potato chips to dipping sauces for coconut shrimp. My mouth was watering in anticipation of this happening in SalaJai.

A lot of hole in the wall restaurant locations are just that- in an unexpected area, generally amidst shops and stores that one wouldn't normally frequent, that's all I'll say about it's site. Enter SalaJai... hear the "dong" as you enter, and are greeted by, at that time, one of the restaurant owners, Ken. I have to admit, personability is not his strong suit, however, the lovely and accommodating young Thai gentleman who took over our meal mid-service, made up for Ken's shortcomings in terms of enthusiasm and customer service. The restaurant is a large space, there are less tables then one would expect for such an area which leads it to feel a little bit under furnished and cold. The walls are a deep rich purple with imagery from Thailand and an amazing elephant head sculpture hanging from the wall, which has to be darn near life-size. It has character, it also is very clean and new feeling. 

The menu has a wonderful array of options, all of which can be made vegetarian (as indicated in print), and there is also a heat scale, indicating the spice factor which an individual can use to depict the intensity of flavor they would prefer. It was unclear however, whether or not the heat scale was only pertinent to the curry dishes, or for the entire menu, as I found when I ordered all of my mom and my dishes "extra hot" and was told the extra heat would be served on the side. As we went through our second request for "extra hot sauce and chillies please", I questioned whether or not they had not made our dishes extra spicy initially because they didn't believe we could handle the heat, or if the chef merely could not crank it up with the dishes we ordered. In any case, when ordering right from the menu, do not worry to have your socks knocked off by an intense heat, it's not there.  

There are appetizers, soups, salads, seafood dishes, main courses, noodle dishes and coconut curry dishes. The menu list of items is quite extensive, which is lovely, though there are only two items for dessert, which are typical Thai items, and so didn't detract from the large array of other options on the menu. I might add, at this time, they are also lacking a liquor license. On a night out I do enjoy pairing my spicy ethnic foods with wine, tonight, as having to work afterwards, the fact that they couldn't serve wine was disconcerting, though I could anticipate that them not having one in the not so distant future may turn away perspective clientele. Printed on one side of the menu are instructions for how to order a satisfying meal experience, they suggest ordering two or more menu items per group of two. It hurts me to say this, but it has to be said : my first thought about ordering two dishes was, "There is not a dish under $12 (minus appetizers), I don't feel the need to order two of anything..." I feel that when there are menu items that are $10 or less, I am far more inclined to order a multitude of items to have a full dining experience. Therefore, we decided to start with vegetarian spring rolls (2), an order of Tom Yum Gai, and a Pad Thai to share. 

Now let me tell you about these spring rolls! Flaky, crisp and fresh. They tasted as though they hadn't touched the hot oil of a deep fryer, and had a mild sweet chili sauce for dipping. They were a fair size and left me licking my fingers and considering placing an order for more. I reluctantly refrained. Generally speaking, in any Chinese food restaurant, I usually have a hard time enjoying an egg roll/spring roll... this was not the case tonight. If you have sworn off of oil-ladened spring rolls at any other restaurant, though have always ordered them still, please take a chance here and nab at least two.

The Tom Yum Gai was a beautiful melody of mild and soothing flavors. A lemongrass soup with slices of fresh ginger root, fresh cilantro, and plenty of mushrooms and chicken bobbing at it's surface. The soups are said to be sufficient for a party of four, and that is the case. If you have not had the pleasure of experience lemongrass in any dish, please take a leap of faith and dive into this dish. If you are currently battling any type of cold symptom, which my company was, then this is the perfect comfort soup for you. The fresh cilantro and delicate broth blend beautifully together and if you happen to have an accidental bite of the ginger root, firstly, pleasure do not swallow it because the after effects of indigestion are awful, but secondly, savor it. The ginger only adds to the flavor profile of the soup, it also aids in digestion. 

With trying to sound as positive and happy-go-lucky as possible, I will now move on to the Pad Thai. Pad Thai is one of those dishes that I feel is a safe bet for any North American wanting to break into the Thai cuisine scene. It is a dish composed of broad rice noodles, tofu, shrimp, and a cooked egg tossed in at the end of the cooking process, lightly but completely covered in a mild-spiced peanut type of sauce. It's like the macaroni and cheese of Thailand. It's a simple dish, it's also delicious. It's hearty and warm and delicious, this Pad Thai, for it's portion, was also overpriced. There was not an over-abundance of small shrimp or tiny tofu pieces, which is fine, and to be expected as protein is always the first item to be skimped out on in restaurants due to cost, but the rice noodles, if anything, could have been doubled to compensate for the $13.50 price tag. With that being said, the lack of protein and small rice noodle portion left a bitter taste in my mouth, even with how delicious the meal itself was. I couldn't help but ask myself "would I have been satisfied with this as a meal to myself?" and the answer was "non". Not that the entire portion for one individual would not suffice, but rather, that there still would be more to be desired. 

In the end, were we happy with the SalaJai experience? Somewhat. We left feeling like, had we ordered differently, we might have had a more pleasureful Thai food experience. We felt as though we had potentially ordered wrong. With that being said, I will be giving Salajai another chance, at least once. To venture into unmarked gustatory capabilities. The dishes were lovely, they did not disappoint, though after receiving the bill in the end, after the compilation of the experience in it's entirety, was considered over-priced. 

SalaJai is worth a shot and a drive to the North Shore. On a cold night, with some hot company, at least try it out, order a hearty-portion of soup to start and follow with an entree to share, and don't forget to try the spring rolls. Introduce your drab evening to the heat that Thailand cuisine has to offer, especially if you have no other experience to compare it to other than the gluttony of enjoying far too many sweet chili flavored crackers. Welcome to Salajai Thai Restaurant, let your heart be at rest, order some extra chillies on the side, and enjoy the rouse of  your inner incalescence. 

Bon appetit.

forget about doing dishes

dine out!

Let me be clear. I am a young active individual who agrees with experts that cooking at home and sitting around the kitchen table is more beneficial for your physical health. Dining out may/will eventually lead to a widening waistline and a slimming pocket book, but if you're anything like me, a foodie, that won't stop you. I workout hard and budget to allow me to enjoy the social experience of grabbing some company or enjoying my own and trying a new spot or local favorite in town for a meal. I live to eat rather than eat to live, that's what makes me a foodie! The delight of finding a new hole in the wall restaurant with amazing dishes and an atmosphere full of flavorful aromas is nothing short of spectacular, it's a hobby, it's more than that, it's a passion.

I am not a gourmand, though I enjoy cooking, being cooked for, and eating. I have zero culinary training, besides the skills I was forced to incur in homemeck class in high school. I have a decent idea of what array of spices and ingredients do exist, though I could not differentiate between the multitude of different types of curry. I do not claim to be an expert of any kind. What I am able to offer though is this : an awareness of my complex and diverse palate, an open mind and curiosity to try every dish imaginable (at least once), a honest opinion which harbors on constructive criticism rather than on judgement and finally, I'm frugal, yet love to feel wealthy by living well. 

I grew up in a small mining town with a pizza parlor and small cafe, yet at home my mother ensured that every dish that came across our kitchen table was unique, creative and ETHNIC. Louisiana hot sauce and salsa were condiments on our table rather than salt and pepper. She awoken my taste buds to a vast array of spices and cuisine at a very young age and therefore made me incredibly easy going and open minded to trying everything culinary wise from then until now. I have no fear. I have discovered that some of the most authentic and traditional dishes with the hardest names to pronounce can be the tastiest. I do not always judge a meal's potential by the way it looks, it's when it gets inside my mouth that really counts. I look for the beauty and delectable qualities in everything I come across, food items and dishes included. I have yet to come across any fare that I despise. I'm also an optimist, and will give any dish a second try if the first experience was less than enjoyable. With that being said, I DO expect that when I dine out that the items be well-priced for the portion size, that I leave feeling satisfied with the experience ie: the atmosphere, the customer service, the menu options etc., because I have in fact just spent a decent amount more dining out than had I stayed in. Call me crazy. And so, for all of the reasoning listed above, I have decided to write this blog, as the Lovely Local. 

My wish is to introduce locals to the endless culinary experiences right in their home town, and to hopefully attract visitors to those same locations. To support local business rather than restaurant chains with North American cuisine. To inspire individuals to venture out of their comfort zone and experience other types of foods. I love the city that I live in, though if it were up to me, I would be well traveled and this would be a foodie blog incorporating my experiences from around the globe. Though for now, I will experience other cultures and their specialties throughout the small city I am currently situated in. Kamloops' restaurant culture has the potential to awaken your taste buds and transport you to experience world wide diversity if you will allow it- I'm here to show you that. 

In closing, after a long winded introduction, I am the Lovely Local. Providing positive feedback and genuine accounts of my experience dining in local joints, the good, the potentially bad, and the possibly amazing.

Bon appetit.