I recently spent a week test driving the Honda Accord Hybrid 2019 car around the city while I was out and about trying some new dishes and such at restaurants and cafes inside and outside of Vancouver.
After picking up the Honda Accord Hybrid I headed over to central Richmond to get some lunch and visited Banh Mi Tres Bon for the first time for a Vietnamese Sub, as it was lunch hour the place was packed, therefore I took my Banh mi Poulet (grilled lemongrass chicken sandwich) to go.
In the afternoon I headed downtown to Robson to visit Papparoti which is located at 1505 Robson Street. Here I tried the Spinach and Feta Pastry as well as one of their delicious Coffee Buns which I took to go to eat in the car.
The next day on my way to CKNW radio I stopped in to Westcoast Poke for a poke bowl to go for lunch, they are conveniently located on 8th Avenue just East of Cambie Street and it is a great spot to stop if you are heading towards downtown.
Visited Half Baked Cookie Company at 1211 Nanaimo Street for some of their delicious treats, loved the refreshing Pineapple Meringue Pie as well as the tasty Matcha Red Bean Pie; and the Millionaire bar all which I had here for the first time. The bakery and can be reached by phone at 778-848-01015 as well you can follow them on instagram @halfbakedcookieco
Some of the unique features of this Honda Accord Hybrid are the Heated seats (offering 3 settings) for the driver and front passenger. There is the digital display in the window which shows the speed the car is going. Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system2 (HS*) is another very food feature as is the 3 view reverse camera makes it convenient when navigating through tight spots. I also love the large size monitor and touch screen, with Sirius xm radio, Apple car play, map navigation and so much more.
Inside the car it’s spacious with lots of leg room even for the rear seated passengers, there is the Inductive charger (wireless charging of mobile phone), also the front and rear passengers get USB ports to charge their devices. The driver seat is adjustable with 12-way power adjustment including 4-way power lumbar support.
Visted Bodega on Main to join some friends for some Spanish tapas at this favourite gem located on the edge of Chinatown at 1014 Main Street, phone to reserve at 604-565-8815, and find them on Instagram @bodegaonmain
We started off with their Cheeses and Meats platter along with some of the Tomato sauced bread and Chefs special Caesar Salad.
Next we enjoyed the Piquioll peppers, Prawns Gambas, Patate braves, Meatballs, and Beef Shortribs.
More dishes included the outstanding Chicken in wine, Meat platter of lamb chops and beef skewers, and Seafood paella finishing off this great meal with their popular Churros.
The next morning, I visited Eggspectation for the first time, this newly opened restaurant is located in Richmond adjacent to the Accent Inn at 10551 St Edwards Drive. This Montreal based eatery recently opened this first location in the Vancouver area; known for their all day breakfast and lunch options.
It was a brightly lit eatery, to start the day I had an Orange Juice; followed by the French Toast Flambe with strawberries, the High Rise Pancakes with turkey bacon and potatoes, layered with real Canadian maple syrup; and then tried the Tropical Chicken Salad with fresh baby spinach with mango, papaya and grapefruit tossed with their balsamic. The salad came topped with honey-mustard grilled chicken and roasted sunflower seeds.
It was a beautiful Saturday morning and I headed over to Dockside Restaurant on Granville Island for some breakfast, love this restaurant which offers a beautiful window view overlooking False Creek and their marina. I had the Steel Cut Oats and the Avocado Toast
Dockside Restaurant is located at 1253 Johnston Street (Granville Island) for reservations, you can call them at 604-685-7070.
On Sunday I visited one of my favourite spots for Afternoon Tea in the city, this time to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
TWG Tea Restaurant and Boutique is located at 1070 West Georgia, in downtown Vancouver, they feature many different types of Afternoon Tea experiences as well as many to celebrate the various holidays throughout the year.
I really enjoyed the newest Honda Accord Hybrid, I loved how the motor self charged while driving which made it great on fuel as it used less gas, it was a great car to drive in and around Vancouver in the to try some great eateries.
By: Richard Wolak
Disclosure: Honda Canada provided me with the 2019 Honda Accord Hybrid for a week to test drive, and photograph.