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.
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.
The next day I had a takeout lunch at Turf from their Kitsilano café having their Power Greens bowl with salmon that was delicious.
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.
Bubble tea flight watermelon slush, honeydew & cantaloupe, pandan & coconut; my favourite was the Pandan and Coconut.
Coffin bread (milk bread) with seafood chowder & cheese gratin, chives; and I loved this dish.
The 2nd course was the tasty Ginger soy chicken with pickled carrot & daikon, spiced peanut, ginger & garlic sauce & sweet chili
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
The other pizzas that we tried was the White Onion Aloo Bhaji pizza, Tandoori Prawn and Mango pizza and the Butter Paneer Masala pizza.
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.