Last month I spent a week test driving the Acura TLX 2021 car around Vancouver up the Sea to Sky to Squamish while trying some dishes at restaurants and cafes.
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I did a catch-up lunch with Chef Marc Marayag at Do Chay Saigon Vegetarian in Yaletown where we enjoyed the Daikon cakes and Monsoon rolls! I love many of the dishes from this restaurant which are all vegetarian as well as some being vegan.
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The next day I had a takeout lunch at Turf from their Kitsilano café having their Power Greens bowl with salmon that was delicious.
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That afternoon I stopped by Fife Bakery for a Cortado to go, this time it was made with Bows + Arrows coffee. This is one bakery that I love, though this time around I held myself back from the temptation to pickup some of their amazing chocolate chip cookies.
The next day I headed out to Richmond to a special media dinner that I was invited to, Pacific Plates a new monthly dinner series that celebrates The Tastes & Traditions of Richmond, presented by 75 West Coast Grill at Vancouver Airport Marriott Hotel.
The dinner began featuring a couple of courses which was actually considered the first and it was Taiwanese.
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Bubble tea flight watermelon slush, honeydew & cantaloupe, pandan & coconut; my favourite was the Pandan and Coconut.
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Coffin bread (milk bread) with seafood chowder & cheese gratin, chives; and I loved this dish.
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The 2nd course was the tasty Ginger soy chicken with pickled carrot & daikon, spiced peanut, ginger & garlic sauce & sweet chili
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The 3rd course: Build your own Sushi cones and this was a fun and interactive dish – California cone & spicy tuna cone
The 4th course: Kamayan feast and this is a Filipino experience like none other with roast pork belly lechon, garlic rice, assorted meats and seafood, dipping sauces and condiments, served on a banana leaf
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The 5th course: Mango custard falooda, this Indian dessert featured fresh mango, berries, almonds & pistachio, vanilla gelato. The whole dinner experience was wonderful and I hope people will have a chance to experience at least one of the Pacific Plates dinners.
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The front driver seat is quite spacious inside the Acura TLX. The TLX also boasts nicer cabin materials than its predecessor, including open-pore wood and real aluminum. The TLX also offers myriad interior colors, distinct leather upholstery, and desirable features.
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The next day I drove to Squamish to one of my favourite burger eateries, Flipside Burgers and this time around I had their tasty Cajun Chicken Burger.
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After my brief visit to Squamish, about 40 minutes later I arrived to North Vancouver to Krave Kulture Yogurt to try their newest flavour of frozen yogurt, Persian Saffron + Rose Water Fro-Yo topped with crushed pistachio and honey and it was so good.
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The Acura TLX was a fast car which offered up a smooth ride, it features a gutsy turbo V-6 engine, while the regular version has a potent turbocharged four-cylinder. It also featured 16 different settings on for the drivers seat as well as the front passengers seat providing optimal comfortability.
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The next day which was a Sunday, I drove out to Surrey for dinner at Spice Love Pizza & Wings; recently rebranded and my first time at this pizzeria specializing in Indian style pizzas.
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I tried a selection of the pizzas from their new Premiere line, the Lamb Kofta Pizza was my favourite of all of them, made with a rich gravy, topped with red onions, red & green peppers, tomato, housemade paneer, mozzarella cheese, cilantro and kofta sauce
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The other pizzas that we tried was the White Onion Aloo Bhaji pizza, Tandoori Prawn and Mango pizza and the Butter Paneer Masala pizza.
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In addition to the pizza, they also offer some other dishes and both the Housemade Baked Samosas with tamarind chutney; and the Chicken Tikka were delicious and I would order these again.
Inside, the TLX it has an expressive design that highlights its sporty character which includes attractive analog gauges and a prominent rotary drive-mode selector in the middle of the dashboard. Every TLX features a 10.2-inch infotainment system that’s primarily controlled through a touchpad on the center console. Some functions can also be manipulated via steering-wheel buttons and physical controls next to the touchpad. There’s also a padded resting place for your wrist below the touchpad that makes it more comfortable to operate. The TLX comes standard with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. Those who want the fanciest ELS sound system and a wireless charging pad will have to opt for the Advance package.
I really enjoyed the Acura TLX was a great car to drive in and outside of Vancouver to try some great eateries.
By: Richard Wolak
Disclosure: Acura Canada provided me with the 2021 Acura TLX for a week to test drive, and photograph.