From the category archives:

Events

Following my visit to Van Dusen Botanical Garden (click here to check that post – will open in a new window), on the following weekend, I chose to go to another local park/garden. In this case, Queen Elizabeth Park. I must mention it was raining on the prior days and started to rain again an hour or so after I left the park so I was really fortunate I took advantage of that small window of opportunity. So, without further ado, enjoy this photo essay!

Note: For a larger version of the picture, just click on it – will open in a new window.

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Vancouver’s Bakers Market

by KimHo on October 22, 2009 · 6 comments under: British Columbia,Events,Food

Vancouver’s Bakers Market
118 – 408 East Kent Avenue South
Vancouver, BC
Saturday only event – check website for hours/days

Note: Today, I have a two-post “special”. The second post – Uprising Bread Bakery, can be found here.

Although Vancouver is nowhere near the largest cities in the world, at least we have lots of eateries and food related events. Where to go? What to eat? While I am sure a lot of us food bloggers have filled that niche to a certain extent, there is still the question: where do *we* look for events/places to eat? We look at each other, of course! Fellow blogger Mijune of Follow Me Foodie wrote about a bakers market not long ago and, while I have overgrown that mad desire for sweets and not fond in any way of cupcakes, I thought “hey, why not!”. So, ready with some insulin along, I went to the local Vancouver’s Bakers Market.

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Colours of Fall 2009

by KimHo on October 18, 2009 · 2 comments under: British Columbia,Events,Photo Essay

Note: Today, I have two post! This is the second one of two – the “other” one is called “Cooking Shows“.

In the last couple of days, the weather has gone sideways. Weather almost hit 0C/32F for a couple of days and we are not even winter yet! Likewise, it has been raining in the last couple of days! Now, rain as in actual rain, not that drizzle that seems to last forever. Anyway, in a small gap between those two wacky instances of Vancouver’s weather, I went to my favourite garden: Van Dusen Botanical Garden, which I have blogged previously – 2008 Festival of Lights, 2008 Festival of Lights Dancing Lights and pictures in spring. (On that note, I also visited Queen Elizabeth Park, my other favourite garden/park. Pictures coming next week!). So, enjoy this photo essay!

Note: For a larger version of the picture, just click on it – will open in a new window.

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To those who have read this blog for some time, to those who know me, specially those whom I have broken the bread with, know I am quite adamant about attending open houses, receiving “freebies” and similar situations. It is because I am an average person who just happens to write a blog which tries to describe experiences average consumer would have. However, you can’t deny that, despite my public notes about what to expect from this blog, once in a while, people in charge of PR have tried to contact me (the most hilarous one being one from a local restaurant – which shall remain unnamed – asking me to wear my stilettos and attend an event). So far, I have chosen not to attended any events from places restaurants in Vancouver but, I was quite puzzled when I received this email:

Hi! I have a review offer for you from President’s Choice. President’s Choice is celebrating Canada’s culinary cultural mosaic
with 1000 Tastes of Canada.

Would you like to sample some of these products? We’d like to send you:

I’ve also got a release, backgrounders and images I can send. You can also learn more at www.presidentschoice.ca.

Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll have the samples shipped to you. Thanks so much for your time!

Rather than say yes or no outright, I checked with some other local food bloggers because, while I had some thoughts, I wanted to hear their thoughts too. In general, they were quite enthusiastic about it. However, I still had to ask one question in mind:

Dear ************,

Thanks for your email.

I will safely assume you sent me the email because I write a food related blog. But, before I answer your question, can you, please, tell me the expectations from your side if I choose to accept the samples? I.e., Do you expect I will blog it after I have sampled them? Will I have an independent opinion of the products? Please advise.

Now, before anybody tells me I might be making up this email, let me assure you, others were BCCed on this email… And, here is the response I got:

I was looking through Vancouver-based blogs when I found I’m Only Here for the Food. I saw that you write about a diverse range of foods (as you said Vancouver has a wide variety of offerings), and thought this 1000 Tastes of Canada campaign would be perfect for you. We would like to send you the sample products and hear your honest opinion. If you hate the food and don’t want to post about it, that’s perfectly fine. If you hate the food and want to write about how much you hated it, that’s your right, also. You are not entering any kind of agreement with us by accepting these products for review.

I hope this answers your questions, but feel free to get back to me with any other concerns.

Let me translate that just in case: Although I received these free samples, I have total editorial control over this post. No $$$ was provided in exchange for writing this post. In fact, rather than me keeping them for myself, I had a really good idea (something echoed by the people I BCCed): Do a mini-gathering and cook with these products!

Note: For a larger version, please, click on the image – it will open in a new window.
Note 2: To readers outside of Canada, President’s Choice is a private label brand of Loblaws, who operates different supermarkets in Canada, the best known being Superstore and the recently purchased T&T.

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A landmark in Vancouver is the PNE – the Pacific National Exhibition. However, during the last couple of weeks before Labour Day long weekend, The Fair opens… And, based on my experience last year, I chose to go there again this year! Here is a photo essay of my visit (thought the pictures are not necessarily in sequential order, hehehehe).

Before you continue, I must mention that some of the pictures are below par for several reasons: lots of people moving around, zoom (and crop) to take snapshot of other’s dishes and so on. I apologize for that! Also, while there will be a lot of comments, there are also 50+ images (around 15MB total). If you are on a slow connection, please, be patient!

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Latin Summer Fest 2009

by KimHo on August 23, 2009 · 8 comments under: British Columbia,Events,Food

In the last month or so, I have been blogging the different festivals in Vancouver and more often than not, I post about it on Sunday. However, this one is slightly different. In previous posts, the festivals were two day (or more) festivities and I usually attend the first day. However, Latin Summer Fest, which is the celebration of the Latin American countries, always take place on a Sunday – this year, August 16. So, in a way, this post is a week late… ^_^;;;

Now, unlike my previous visits to festivals, I asked Ms. H to join me and along was also Drea of TBDFBTI. While waiting for them (I arrived “early”), I went around Trout Lake (the festivities take place in the parking lot of the community centre there) and looked around. So, enjoy this photo essay of the Latin Summer Fest 2009!

Edit: Kevin of 604 Foodtography also blogged about this event! Check it here.


I swear this exactly the same banner used last year, except they “changed” the date.

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Brave Bull’s House of Steaks
1298 E Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC
Brave Bull's House of Steaks on Urbanspoon

After our visit to Alvin Garden, I “volunteered” to organize the next food bloggers outing. But, I will say it right away: boy, I really messed up this time. I mean, who suggests an outing in the middle of summer? Add a last minute communication snafu and failure was only steps away (*). But, thankfully, Jenny (My Secret Eden), Jessica (Yumorama) and Frank (Vanfoodies) were able to make it… And the place for this gathering? Brave Bull’s House of Steaks.

Edit: Jessica’s post is up! Check it here!
Edit: Jenny’s post is up! Check it here!

(*) OK, Drea, feel free to blame me for all the epic fails we have had so far… :P

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