Grocery Store Dinner (Harvest Community Foods)

Tonight featured a long-overdue get-together with Mylo and Prancine, 2 of the former 3 M's (unfortunately Oli, the third M, has moved back to Ontario). The last time we dined together was probably in April when we went to Fat Dragon (wow, I really haven't been updating this thing. I would normally have written about trying out a new restaurant!). (And I do like adding the bracketed item here and there, don't I?)

Mylo has had a whirlwind of a year with lots of travel and positive changes in her life, including a much more active lifestyle than when I first met her four years ago. Now she runs half-marathons, goes hiking, and swims weekly, so with a new fast-paced life it was easy to have the past six months fly by. I'm still wondering how it is mid-October already, now that I think about it.

The two M's asked me to choose where we'd eat (they insisted on celebrating my birthday), and after lots of whiny frustration at not being able to make a decision (what a #FirstWorldProblem), I remembered Prancine's suggestion a couple of months ago to try out Harvest Community Foods. Where ramen is, so I will be...especially on a rainy day. The funny thing is that when Mylo Googled it, she quickly texted me asking "Isn't that a grocery store?"; and after reassuring her that food was indeed served there, she was still skeptical as to whether I was serious.

Harvest Community Foods

A long, wet, and crowded bus ride to Chinatown later, we found ourselves in a grocery store...that also served ramen. It was quite cute -- the seating consisted of a few wooden tables with old-school classroom chairs, and the shelves were stocked with interesting organic produce. I helped myself to some lavender and lemon peel soda and started taking pictures of everything with Scylla.

I had more than a sip of this, contrary to what its name recommends

I ordered their signature fatty pork ramen with candied bacon and an egg. It looked great but I was a bit disappointed with the broth. It wasn't as flavourful as that of the fabulous ramen-paradise known as Santouka (how the milly have I not written about this either?!). Prancine got their last special oxtail ramen of the day which tasted much better.

Ramen with fatty pork, candied bacon, and an egg

Maybe it was because I have never been a fan of bacon or whole eggs. But really it is because Santouka's ramen is the best.

After eating and watching locals acquire produce before our very eyes, we decided it was time for dessert. Unfortunately we couldn't think of anything in the area so we thought we'd head to Gastown to look. But a few metres down Union Street brought us to the doorstep of The Parker, a 10-day old vegetarian restaurant that also served dessert! We sat at the bar and each ordered their chocolate dessert with peach compote, pumpkin, and maple, along with a different glass of wine each. I had the Wild Goose '11 Gewurtztraminer. When the dessert came, instead of peach or maple we found tiny little beets. And Mylo pointed out that their kitchen was a tiny corner near the bar area.

Where's Jaldo?

Prancine asked a very good question while we were eating -- if you could start your own business and money wasn't an object, what would you do? I knew right away that mine would be travel blogging. If there's a way to live off of travelling, writing, eating, and taking pictures, I am there.

To read about anticipated Vancouver restaurants, check out Scout Magazine (aka the Hipster Vancouver magazine). Thanks to the 2 M's for spoiling me today!