Trendy with a capital tea
With a new batch of tea vendors selling taste experiences in a 50g canister, tea can now have as much bite, flavour and personality as even the most well-personalized double espresso. The verdict is in. Tea is officially trendy, and it is exploding.
Outside the (take-out) box: The Water Shed Arts Café
Despite the rather clichéd feeling of a coffee shop that serves sandwiches, sells local art and has local events – it’s becoming rare to find a spot that does this authentically. It seems to be a shtick for businesses to play this up – especially for chains to play this up – so in this The Water Shed does offer something unique.
Outside the (take out) box: My Thai
Situated in a building between Everything But The Groom and the empty shell of a now moved-on credit union on the one-way in downtown Langley, My Thai has become famous as one of these private little haunts.
Outside the (take-out) box: AfterMath
All in all, the atmosphere was pleasant with an enjoyable music selection and the staff was attentive, yet not overly-so. The food, though, could be better.
Outside the (take-out) box: Vi-La Palace
Upon opening the menu, I found there to be a wide selection of appetizers, pho dishes (both chicken and beef noodle soups), wonton soups, seafood noodles, rice dishes, vermicelli bowls, specialties, as well as a selection of Vi-La combinations, and vegetarian dishes.
EAT! Fraser Valley
EAT! Fraser Valley was held at the Tradex Exhibition Center last weekend, and Amy Van Veen and Sasha Moedt of The Cascade were there to cover it, from cheese seminars to local organic food options.
Outside the (take-out) box: Little Farm House in the City
In the heart of Abbotsford’s old downtown, a little surprise of a restaurant has made its home. The aptly named Little Farm House in the City offers patrons fresh food at decent prices within a homey, country atmosphere.
Outside the (take-out) box: O’Neill’s Home Cooking
Open since August 2010, Vern O’Neill’s Home Cooking has been catering to a wide variety of Fraser Valleyans. From junior high to high school, college students to employees of other eateries in town, Vern attracts people from all over with his reputation for good food, good prices and that delicious sweet potato bun.
EAT! Fraser Valley: get your teeth into it
If you want to get your teeth into a bit of Abbotsford this September, look for the upcoming food and cooking festival EAT! Fraser Valley, a medley of food and beverage tasting, menu-surfing, and education. It takes place at the Tradex Exhibition Centre September 16 to 18.
Outside the (take-out) box: Little Japan Sushi
Little Japan Sushi sits at the corner of McCallum and Marshall and though the outside looks a little bland, the inside stands out from other Japanese restaurants. With a sleek interior, it may be presumed that the menu would make many a student’s wallet sweat; however, their prices are reasonable and their portions are plenty.
Outside the (take-out) box: Duke of Dublin
Duke of Dublin Olde Irish Pub in Abbotsford is one of two Irish restaurants with the same owners, and no, that other pub is not the Langley watering hole. Its other location is in Chilliwack and is rather redundantly named Duke of Dublin Social House Restaurant Bar. The names would lead me to assume that Abbotsford’s location is more of a traditional pub with the “olde” spelling, instead of a rather Western “social bar.”
Outside the (take out) box: Penang Szechaun
After pulling into the parking lot of Penang Szechuan, there was the gnawing feeling that ours would be the only table filled. However, this probably had more to do with the fact that it was Game 5, and less to do with any reflection on the restaurant itself. It takes up residence in a little detached building on South Fraser Way just west of Five Corners that used to house a number of other restaurants that have now moved on. The façade echoes something in the realm of a Spanish villa, but the cuisine is a combination of Malaysian and Chinese.
Outside the (take out) box: Milsean Shoppe
Aldergrove is often the forgotten town between Langley and Abbotsford, but just two blocks south of the liquor store on Fraser Highway there’s a little café with big surprises. The Milsean Shoppe takes up the retired residence of an old fire hall that has been refurbished to serve members of the community looking for a good cup of coffee, some fresh food, and a nice atmosphere.
Outside the (take out) box: Hilltop Café
The Hilltop Café on Fraser Highway and 240th Street is easy to pass by on the commute through the Lower Mainland, but it is worth the stop. They’re open Tuesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for breakfast and lunch.
Outside the (take out) box: Wendel’s
Fort Langley is home to many little treasures, but there’s only one little coffee shop whose reputation precedes it. At the end of Glover, right before the train tracks, Wendel’s Bookstore & Café sits on the corner, beckoning passersby in for a freshly made treat or two.
Outside the (take out) box: Dublin Crossing
Though parking at Dublin Crossing makes finding a spot on campus during high traffic class times seem like a breeze, it is worth the trek from here to there. Located in Clayton at Fraser Highway and 188th Street, this little bit of Ireland offers customers a taste of that verdant nation without costing the price of a semester.
Outside the (take out) box: Go Go Beans
In the newer strip mall on Trethewey and South Fraser Way lies a little eatery that offers customers much more than their Go Go Beans name suggest. Though the name elicits ideas of a take-away coffee place, lying inside that small space is an ample all-day breakfast, lunch and dinner situation. All-day breakfast is a hard thing to come by, and having it complimented by a homey atmosphere is even rarer.
Outside the (take out) box: Porter’s Coffee & Tea House
The historic Porter’s Coffee & Tea House located on the northeast side of the five corners roundabout offers much more than its name suggests. This little Murrayville treasure at the crossroads of 216th St and 48th Ave boasts an array of freshly made sandwiches, cookies, drinks, soups, salads, and lasagnes, not to mention their vast selection of candies, conjuring up feelings of yore when little kids saved up their allowances for one cent candies instead of iPods.
Outside the (take out) box: The Preserved Seed
Pulling into the small parking lot to the left of The Preserved Seed Café, I thought I would be able to taste some flavoursome organic eats in an interesting little hippy locale. Half of the above statement turned out to be true.
Outside the (take out) box: Paliotti’s Italian Restaurant
Paliotti’s is one of two family owned and operated Italian eateries. With three generations of Italian eating and dining supporting these two locations, one in Abbotsford and one in Maple Ridge, the inspiration of a certain boot-shaped country is clearly evident.
Outside the (take out) box: Nikko Sushi
There may be a few Japanese restaurants that go by the name Nikko, but none of them can hold a finger to Murrayville’s top sushi joint. From the moment you step under that neon sign and across the threshold, it is readily apparent this place is different.
Outside the (take out) box: Mystic Mug
Soups and sandwiches, muffins and squares, Mystic Mug packs a punch with ample beverage options, platters, lunches, all day breakfasts, sides, and even alcoholic options for evenings out. The prices are more than reasonable, especially for a starving student, and their whereabouts offers even more.
Outside the (take-out) box: Tracycakes
Tracycakes Bakery Cafe has three locations across the lower mainland. In White Rock, it’s nestled on Marine Drive overlooking our little corner of the Pacific; in Fort Langley, it has taken up residence in an old home on 96th Ave just off the main drag; and in Abbotsford, it takes up one of the renovated spaces in Downtown Abbotsford on Montrose Ave. Tracycakes lives up to its name: it is an extraordinary bakery with homemade treats ranging from miniature, single serving apple pies to freshly baked scones and muffins filling its locations with a cozy aroma eliciting thoughts of maternal domesticity.
Outside the (take-out) box: Beatnik’s Bistro
Often dinner out can get mundane, routine, and a little too expected, and it’s hard to know which restaurants offer more than the usual experience. For those looking to be surprised with good service, a cozy atmosphere, and unexpected dinner choices, head down to the main strip of Fort Langley and experience all of its small town charm with a high class menu at Beatnik’s Bistro.
