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Field Trip to Kelowna

“FieldTrips” is either a day trip or a few days where I visit food areas of interest which may include farm visits, producers, wineries, restaurants and/or other places that people can visit. This is about offering Vancouver Foodster readers a chance to get out of town and take a “Field Trip” for the day or a few days to explore, learn, taste and experience.

Field Trip to Kelowna

As I was already in the Okanagan for a visit to Osoyoos I was driving a different direction than the usual route from Vancouver. It is a fairly easy trip of around 1-1/2 hours from Osooyos on Highway 97 North to Kelowna.

Through the pandemic the largest city in the Okanagan region has grown immensely with many moving to this Okanagan spot from areas back East as well as those on the West coast. There is a lot more to do here now than there was just a few years ago.

While visiting Kelowna you may want to check out downtown and the beautiful waterfront boardwalk. Go on a tour of the many local Okanagan wineries, restaurants, craft breweries, cideries, and distilleries. Hit the trails by bike, visit the historic Myra Canyon Trestles, or hike to the top of a mountain. Relax by the lake at one of the many beaches or take to the water for endless lake activities. Visit the farms, orchards, markets, or many local restaurants for delicious seasonal products grown right here.

After we arrived to Kelowna, we checked in to the Coast Capri Hotel to stay for a couple of days, a centrally located property to nearby Capri Mall, shops and restaurants. The staff at the front desk were super helpful and ready to assist guests whenever needed.

The hotel features free wi-fi and parking to pet-friendly rooms and suites including a heated outdoor pool (opened seasonally), and a fitness room. Our room had a king bed, bathroom and sitting area.

We headed out for dinner for a 30 minute drive North to Block One Restaurant in the nearby suburb of Lake Country. This was my second visit to this wonderful restaurant at 50th Parallel Winery where Chef Kai Karoll leads the kitchen.

Started out with a Pineapple Ginger Fizz mocktail and then shared some dishes with Lawrence, the Forager pizza was a winner with nettle & spring garlic pistou, wild & cultivated mushrooms, pickled wine things, asparagus, and arugula.

We then had the outstanding Peace Country Rack of lamb on a Vadouvan curry, with Israeli couscous, butter-roasted radish, mint chutney, sumac marinated red onion, romanesco, cilantro; and the Chickpea Panise with arugula pistou, asparagus, broccolini, peas, sunflower romesco, spiced crispy chickpeas, and Grana Padano.

We decided to head back to Kelowna for dessert and visited Parlour Ice Cream downtown, a popular spot amongst locals and tourists with a great selection of flavours that are made in-house.

They make their own waffle cones in house, I had the Birthday Cake Ice Cream on a waffle cone while Lawrence had the Salted caramel vegan on waffle cone.

After a good night’s rest, we headed downtown for an early breakfast on the patio at Sunny’s a Modern Diner. Getting there right when they opened meant there was no line to wait. This is a great spot that features comforting classics for locals and tourists to enjoy. I had the delicious RJB Triple Stack Pancakes with Okanagan fruit and mascarpone; while Lawrence had a Coffee and a Fruit Bowl.

After breakfast we drove to one of my favourite Kelowna cafes, Bright Jenny Coffee Roasters and Café which is located in the industrial area of town. They had a lot of seating both inside and outside at this popular café where they not only roast their coffee beans but they also do their own baking. We both had Espresso and Tonics which were refreshing as always.

A little later for lunch we visited nearby Frankie We Salute You that’s owned by notable Chef Brian Skinner. The eatery has a nice industrial vibe, serving an inventive vegetarian menu, plus cocktails & desserts.

I had the tasty Grilled Avocado Bowl with ticky brown rice, grilled avocado, sautéed greens, adzuki tempeh, spicy pickled onions, chickpeas, Thai cashew dressing; while Lawrence had the Chorizo Ranchero Bowl – Made from scratch plant-based chorizo, sausage, roasted beets, potatoes, sweet corn salsa, tofu cotija, chili sauce.

One of my friends back home had told me about spot that makes award winning gelato, so we headed over for a visit to QB Gelato and Bakery. After tasting some of their flavours, I settled for the outstanding Bakewell tart gelato and green goddess pistachio gelato; while Lawrence had the Guava and Blackberry lemonade sorbet.

We both took some time to relax in and around the hotel during the rainy afternoon. There were 2 spots we were yearning to have dinner at that night, so we made a couple of reservations and visited both, starting off at Raudz Regional Table downtown, where we enjoyed a couple of dishes. The Panfried Handmade Parmesan Gnocchi with nettle pesto roasted preserved tomato, spinach leaves; was very good as was the Grilled Salmon Burger on a Okanagan Grocery potato bun, baked fries with blackberry ketchup.

For our 2nd dinner of the night or part 2 as we shall call it, we got back in the car and drove about 30 minutes to West Kelowna where we visited Crown and Thieves Winery and their Angel Share restaurant. This is where Chef JP Holmes offers up an almost daily changing menu using as much local seasonal ingredients as possible at this outside rooftop restaurant that offers an incredible view.

Here we shared the unique Roasted carrots with chili, peanut butter powder, chocolate; and the Peri Peri Chicken and pork belly fried rice; finishing of with the Pop Tart Ice cream Sandwich with pistachio ice cream for dessert when they did last call.

The next morning we went to the other popular downtown restaurant for breakfast, visiting the Bohemian Café a restaurant that had been around for many years. Here I had the Build your own breakfast with organic yogurt, half avocado with salsa and whole wheat toast with their house-made strawberry jam. Lawrence got the Bohegger Breakfast sandwich bacon cheddar which he loved.

Afterwards we headed nearby to the Slow Side Coffee Bar and had the tasty Comp set (coffee with milk in one cup and an espresso in another) featuring Tim Wendelboe coffee (Norway) along with a delicious Lemon Meringue croissant.

Right next door, through the adjoining space is Sprout Bread where they bake an extensive selection of breads as well as baked goods. I had the delicious The Ploughman Sandwich with peach chutney, mustard, cheddar, salami, shallot for my lunch.

Lastly before leaving town, we visited Karat Chocolate and Pastry Boutique for some Iced Americano’s and chocolate bars at this notable chocolate shop owned by Chef Julian Helman.

It was a nice couple of days visiting Kelowna and area.

Stay tuned for my next Field Trip outside of Vancouver.

By: Richard Wolak

Disclosure: Coast Capri Hotel provided us with complimentary accommodation, Tourism Kelowna assisted with providing complimentary meals and such. As always, all opinions and photos are my own.

Field Trips Latest Travel
Angel Share Restaurant Block One Restaurant Bright Jenny Coffee Roasters Chef Brian Skinner Chef JP Holmes Chef Julian Helman Coast Capri Hotel Crowns and Thieves Winery Frankie We Salute You Karat Chocolate and Pastry Kelowna Parlour Ice Cream QB Gelato and Bakery Raudz Regional Table Slow Side Coffee Bar Sprout Bread Sunny's a Modern Diner The Bohemian Cafe Tourism Kelowna
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Food, Travel & Lifestyle | Writer | Food Contributor @cknw980 | Host of The Vanfoodster Podcast | Influencer | richard@vancouverfoodster.com

Richard Wolak
It has been more than a few years since I had dine It has been more than a few years since I had dined @labattoir_van which has always been one of my favourite restaurants in the city. Chef Lee Cooper has always had his eye on perfection from the very beginning some 12 years ago and our visit last night was as exceptional as I remember. Back in the fall @chaddillack joined the team as the Dir of Operations and he has made some refinement changes to keep it all flowing smoothly.

Started off at the bar where I had a Boulevardier zero-proof mocktail and  @thelawrencelife had an Aperol Spritz zero-proof mocktail.  I was impressed by the bartender’s who are now trying to create more mocktails with top shelf ingredients as they push boundaries for guests.

We had the Chef’s Tasting Menu with it’s multiple courses, starting off .....

1st course: Tuna tartare
Bluefin Otoro, shiso (flavourful)

2nd course: Raclette croquant
Pear, honey, truffle

3rd course: Duck foie gras
Financier, blackberry, persillade
.
4th course: Pacific oyster (baked)
Black truffle, garlic butter (this was heavenly and the server explanation was spot on) 
.
5th course: Ling cod
Sake, brassicas, Oscietra caviar (loved this)
.
6th course: Consommé à la royale
Spot prawns, custard, Jerusalem artichoke (unique dish) 
.
7th course: Venison
Beetroot, pepper, red fruits (with radicchio cooked over charcoal to give it the Smokey taste)
.
Palate cleanser: 
Pear sorbet
Verjus sabayon
.
8th course: Rum cake
Pineapple, raisin, tonka bean (this was outstanding) 
.
9th course: Millionaire’s shortbread (talking about creativity, here Oliver has matched the floor tiles of the restaurant to the finishing course) 
.
The service is as spot on as the impeccable Chef’s Tasting Menu that changes often. As many of my friends know, I often look at dessert menus in the restaurants I dine at to see what type of creativity is involved and what I could have to end the meal. One pastry chef that I have been following on instagram for years is @oliverbernardino an exceptionally talented pastry chef who creates the desserts here.
Our Art, Eat and Sip @granville_island event as pa Our Art, Eat and Sip @granville_island event as part of @dineoutvanfest was a great success the other night where guests had a chance to explore Granville Island and enjoy many different types of food, drink and art experiences.#ArtEatSipyvr

@preservatorytoastbar served Ricotta Crostini with whipped lemon ricotta & Raspberry Merlot & Peppercorn preserves with @vistadoro walnut wine.

@artisansake offered pairings of
Osake Junmai Nama w/ @dussas.Granville Olive
Osake Junmai Nama Genshu w/ @oyamasausage
Osake Junmai Nama Nigori w/ @bentonscheese

@offthetracksbistro brewed a Hazelnut and ashwaganda infused coffee with coconut whip and Chocolate pretzel macchiato alongside a Level-up Grilled Cheese w/or wo prosciutto on house made rosemary and roasted garlic artisan bread

@granvillebeer featured a Crispy fried chicken slider, paired with their Kitsilano Juicy Hazy #IPA and @hypechocolate.co featured a collaboration creating a Winter Ale float by combining the beer with vanilla ice cream and a winter ale chocolate bar.

We also featured some of the island’s artists and the works of painter @amystewartart, photos by @shiragoldphotography and @banquetworkshop paper and print atelier where they featured canelés from @labisebakery

Over  @bonmacaronpatisserie they featured a hands-on demonstration of their macarons featuring tastes of the Beetroot, goat cheese and honey Macaron and the Pear and black currant Macaron.

@kasamachocolate offered a delicious drinking chocolate along with samples of three 70% dark chocolate from Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Ecuador.

Next door, featured a collaboration of artist Peter @newleafeditions & @hypechocolate.co combined the printmakers work with the dessert. A New Leaf print on #HypeChocolate edible wafer paper with a Belgium Chocolate Mousse and cookie crumble.
As they celebrate their 20 year Anniversary this y As they celebrate their 20 year Anniversary this year @coastrestaurantyvr recently completed renovations to the interior, and exterior of the restaurant along with a new private dining room. I had a chance to see the notable changes of this beautiful spot while tasting some of their new dishes and desserts.

The Sablefish Wellington was divine as was the Paella, Sushi and the desserts that included a Honeycomb cake, Lemon meringue tart and a Ricotta & Pistachio cake.
A few months ago I had the pleasure to be intervie A few months ago I had the pleasure to be interviewed on Just Here for the Beer radio @jhftb Hosted by @joeleary & Rick Mohabir on @sportsnet650 for their 12th Anniversary show. For all those that don’t know, I previously hosted a food segment on their show in the early days for 2 years from 2011-2013; and here we are together again, congratulations to you both on your milestone.
This is what dreams are made of, the Caramel Pecan This is what dreams are made of, the Caramel Pecan Roll @thetrucafe ❤️
Food Network Fav @cassandracakeco that won 1st Pla Food Network Fav @cassandracakeco that won 1st Place in our Vancouver Cake Challenge this past year 2022 created by Chefs Cassandra and Emily. This cupcake was decadent and featured a wonderful surprise inside, It was their Foodnetwork winning flavour- chocolate cake with a chocolate orange ganache, salted caramel crispearls, vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream with candied orange peel and candied walnuts. #cakechallengeyvr 

Swipe ⬅️ for photos of the award winners
Fishworks in Lower Lonsdale in North Vancouver @fi Fishworks in Lower Lonsdale in North Vancouver @fishworkslolo is featuring a wonderful menu for this year’s  @dineoutvanfest that starts today and goes through to February 5.

Here is a preview of our delicious dinner  where they are offering a South American theme for this year’s dine out menu, reflecting upon the region where their Sous Chef is from. I have always loved this North Shore gem, and this is a great time to visit them if you haven’t in the past or visit them again for some South American flavours. It is only $49 for the 3-course menu, and they are also offering an optional wine pairing for an extra charge. 

APPETIZERS

Wild Pacific Halibut Ceviche
Spanish onion, Peruvian corn, yam, tiger’s milk; this dish was outstanding and it was my favourite.
or
Grilled marinated Octopus
squash puree, chimichurri; this was my 2nd favourite
or
Parihuela Seafood stew

ENTREES

Poached Egmont Sturgeon
thyme butter sauce, house made tortellini; this dish was spectacular and this was my favourite
or
Steamed Whole Fish, Tunisian Sea Bass
lemon drop pepper, ginger, tamari; talking about value, you get the whole fish as your entree, and I suggest that if you are going with another person that one of you gets this and the other gets the Sturgeon and you share both; and this was my other favourite
or
East Coast Grilled Scallop
mole, radicchio pumpkin seeds 

DESSERTS

“Suspiro de Limena”
caramel pudding, meringue; WOW, WOW, WOW this one was my favourite
or
Poached Pear, coconut ice cream, maple almond, my 2nd favourite
or
Chocolate Hazelnut Tart
Our Dumpling Fest Vancouver Winter Edition dining Our Dumpling Fest Vancouver Winter Edition dining tour around Vancouver took place at these restaurants and establishments last night and here are the tasty plates and desserts they served. ##DumplingFestYVR

@hypechocolate.co they served a very creative HYPE CHOCOLATE DUMPLING ICE CREAM SUNDAE with a house-made cherry sauce, vanilla ice cream, steamed dumpling filled with chocolate ganache and five spice, topped with shaved dark chocolate.

@lemon_fusionkitckenandbar served their Global Fusion specialties  Hong Kong style Schezwan Momo,  Afghani Momo, American chop suey and for dessert  a Shahi D Tukda (fried bread dipped in sugar syrup, with sweetened flavoured milk pudding)

@z_and_w_shanghaikitchen served a selection of Shanghainese dumplings, Vegetable & Meat Dumpling Soup, Spicy Dumpling, Pan-fried Dumpling, and for dessert a 
Sweet dumpling.
they paired it up with a  @russell_beer tasting of their Lemon Raz Radler. 

@crabhotlau.vancouver they served the Northern Vietnamese specialities;  Pillow Cakes (bánh gối) and CRAB Square Rolls (Nem cua biển)

@arabesquecafebakery they served a selection of  Syrian and Mediterranean dumplings.
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PRODUCTS

Baking with the Evie & Charlie Cookie Dough at Home

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There is a great new local company who is making creative cookie dough flavours that are ready to bake! I had some fun making a couple of their delicious flavours recently. My favourite of the two flavours was the Carbon…

Cooking with Chef Vikram Vij and the Vij’s For You Spices
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Making Tortillas at MaiiZ Nixtamal
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Summer Soba Noodle Salad and Umami Bomb
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RECIPES

Lunar New Year Cooking Malaysian Halibut dish with Organic Ocean Seafood

January 27, 2022 / no comments / 1549 views

I spent the past few days cooking a selection of fish dishes at home to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year. Locally based Organic Ocean Seafood now offers a Home Delivery service providing their restaurant quality bundles of nutritious sustainable…

Lunar New Year Cooking Vietnamese Cod dish with Organic Ocean Seafood
January 26, 2022 / no comments
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January 25, 2022 / no comments
Gochujang Glazed Eggplant
January 11, 2022 / no comments
Japanese Squash Curry
October 21, 2021 / no comments

CHALLENGES

Vancouver Signature Coffee Drink Challenge

January 11, 2023 / 508 views

Welcome to the 9th annual  Vancouver Coffee Drink Challenge. Cafes from around the city were invited to enter their respective signature coffee drink creation into this challenge. Each café will be featuring their Signature Coffee creation on their menu from January…

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TRAVEL

Experiencing Cornucopia 2022 in Whistler

December 13, 2022 / 325 views

It had been 5 years since I had attended my last Whistler Cornucopia weekend and it was time to get back for another festival of tasting. I started off by attending The Life of a Barrel of Whistler on Friday…

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