In and Outside the City in the Honda Insight 2021

I recently spent a week test driving the Honda Insight 2021 hybrid car around Vancouver up the Sea to Sky to Squamish and driving points East to the Fraser Valley while trying some dishes at restaurants and cafes.

I drove to the Chinatown neighbourhood to have lunch at newly opened restaurant Nancy Go Yaya which specializes in Singaporean street food. The décor was done well, the service was top notch and everything just flowed. I was seated on my own went to the counter to place my order and then happily waited until I was served.

I had their Teh Tarik = ‘pulled tea’.which I had never had before, a process to enhance taste and to form foam: black tea + milk (condensed + evaporated) is poured, aka ‘pulled’, from a height between two vessels, repeatedly, until bubbly. The higher the better. I also had the delicious Kaya Toast (pandan mochi toast with coconut jam and butter)

The next day I drove to the Kitsilano neighbourhood to have lunch at newly opened Simit Bakery that specializes in Turkish baking. .

I had the delicious Aspendos sandwich with smoked salmon on a Simit bagel. I enjoyed a Turkish Tea as well.

A few of my favourites from their bakery lineup were the Tahini Swirl pastry along with the Su Bourek pastry layered with feta and parsley; and the Revani a delicious sweet dessert.

Later that night I went for Spanish Tapas at Bodega on Main one of my all time favourites with my close friend Ajay Masala Puri for a catchup dinner as we hadn’t dined together since before the pandemic began. We started off with a wonderful Cheese, Fruit and Nuts board to share.

We then had the Citrus and Fennel Salad followed by the Patas Bravas – famous twice-fried potatoes, zesty dressing.

We had their delicious Croquetta del Dia, along with the Chuletillas de Cordero – Rosemary marinated and grilled lamb chops. Next up, we shared the Vegetarian Paella Jardinara and then finish off with their Crème Brulee.

This car has excellent fuel economy and that is one thing that I love especially now when gas prices are so high; the Honda Insight Hybrid car battery charges itself while you are driving which truly economizes on the gas consumption.  This hybrid sedan falls between their civic and accord models, but it takes full advantage of the battery pack to increase its fuel mileage.

The next day I headed up the Sea to Sky (Highway 99) to visit Squamish for coffee and then lunch. I have been loving my visits to Squamish over the past year, it is always a nice 45 minute drive from the city to enjoy some fresh mountain air. I visited Counterpart Coffee who roasts their own coffee beans, their off the beaten track small café features a fully espresso bar lineup and some baking. This time around I had their pour over coffee.

For lunch I visited Flipside Burgers, one of my favourite eateries in the area. This time around I had their delicious Flower Power burger (plant based) with their tasty Yam Fries.

Another great feature is the three selectable drive modes, and the driver can choose with a push of a button located on the centre console. The Normal, Econ and Sport settings allow for varying customization between efficiency and performance.  these are the three drivetrain operations. In EV Drive, power comes solely by its electric drive motor, drawing power from the battery. In Hybrid Drive the gasoline engine drives a generator motor to supply electrical power to the drive motor. Engine Drive operation connects the gasoline engine directly to the drive wheels.

The next day I drove out to Burnaby to visit The Amazing Brentwood and Small Victory Bakery and Café that had just opened. The café is beautiful and it’s the nicest and busiest one for the local company. I had one of their delicious Double Baked Almond Croissants along with a Cortado.

The next day I headed back to Kitsilano to visit one of my favourite Italian eateries, Casereccio Foods for a morning Cortado and one of their delicious Pistachio Croissants.

I really enjoyed the Honda Insight it was a great car to drive in and around Vancouver to try some great eateries.

By: Richard Wolak

Disclosure: Honda Canada provided me with the 2021 Honda Insight for a week to test drive, and photograph.

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