Food & Beverage

Yamato Sushi is on Davie Street (616 Davie Street to be precise) is great. Affordable, yummy and quick. The place is tiny so if you want to eat in its cosy. Cosy in a fun way. Take out is the norm but anything goes.

Always fresh.

Splitz Grill is on Main St somewhere around 27th Ave. It is one of the best Burgers I have had. The portions are generous, the 'special Plitz Sauce' is worth ordering and the staff are great. It has a nice old school feel to it. The other thing to keep in mind is that they are affordable. They have a lunch meal special for meat lovers or vegetarians which is about $5 for a burger and drink.

So, if you are in Vancouver, and are travelling down Main St then get your self into Splitz Grill for some nom nom noms.

4242 Main Street, Vancouver, BC V5V 3P9, Canada

Had an Artigianos coffee this morning from Caffe Artigiano. Very tasty and highly recommended if you find Starbucks coffee a little milky. There are a few around Vancouver. I went to the one one on Granville Street. I have been told Blenz is nice as well but have not tried it.

Went to Bathers Pavilion in Sydney on Balmoral Beach. Firstly the location of the Restaurant is beautiful. Right on the beach. I gather it is an old change rooms building or similar which has been turned into a Restaurant.

There are two sides to the restaurant. One is a more formal dining restaurant and the other is more of a Cafe. We had breakfast in the cafe and dinner and it really was awesome. Nice food, great ambiance and how can you not love being on the waters edge.

I went to stay with family recently in Burnaby which is a suburb in Vancouver. Near his house there is an amazing little Sushi restaurant called Asa Sushi. It isn't really a Japanese Restaurant, more like a takeaway place that has some stools and tables if you wanted to eat there.

Anyway the point is it was the best value sushi in Vancouver, in fact anywhere I have ever traveled to. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

I think there is more than one Asa Sushi Restaurant in Vancouver but this is in Burnaby.

(604) 419-0233
Burnaby South
7608 Royal Oak Ave
Burnaby, BC V5J

I went out to dinner in Vancouver last night. On the recommendation of friends we tried Vij's Fusion Indian Restaurant. To say it was great would be an understatement.

We had to wait an hour to get a table and they don't take bookings. But the wait was easy to pass with a drink in the bar and they bring around tasters to keep your appetite in check. A very nice touch. Once seated the food is timely and tasty with other small inclusions like Naan bread as standard. The atmosphere of Vij's was buzzing and the service was brilliant.

So I know I said Maketu Pies were good but since then I have tried a fair few more. One of the latest award winning Pie shops (cause you can't have enough pie shops) is Patricks Pies in the Bethlehem strip mall. Mince and Cheese = YUM.

Grindz in Tauranga on 1st Ave make great food but best of all awesome coffee. They also sell coffee beans or ground from Fusion but I always get a fresh flat white in the morning.

If you're a bit of a foodie and like going to the very latest restaurants, check out - it's got all the news on what's brand-new and upcoming on the London restaurant scene, and handily brings together all the critics' reviews on a single restaurant page.

If you are in Vancouver there is a really nice little Sushi place on Denman St. It is the kind of place you could walk past being quite narrow with only a few tables but Denman St isn't that long so it is fairly easy to find. It is nearer the beach than the Stanly Park side of things.

Sushi is widely available in Vancouver. There are plenty of Sushi Restaurants but this is a good choice.

This is one of the best retaurants I have ever been to. Food is great, service is good and the restaurant itself is sublime. If I lived in the Hawkes Bay I would save up regularly just to eat there. We arrived and were greeted well and offered to have drinks before dinner - we did and we were taken to the end of the Restaurant where an open fire and luxurious couches abounded. So nice.

If you have the cash and love your Sushi then get into Nobu - Japanese/Sushi restaurant London. The one in Mayfair is the best.

The Sherlock Holmes Pub is a Pub I only went to once but it certainly is one of the top London Pubs I ever went to. Really loved it. It is not a particularly big pub but this is London and there are not very many big Pubs, or anything for that matter. If you are anywhere near Charing Cross, West End or Trafalgar Square it is definitely worth a visit.

If you have visited the Sherlock Holmes Pub and liked it make sure you Vote this up so others get there!

A bit of the History of the Sherlock Holmes Pub

If you are shopping on Oxford St it can get a little overwhelming. All the dodging people, carrying bags, avoiding getting run over by buses. If you do find yourself in need of a break from shopping there is a Borders Bookstore and Cafe on Oxford Street east of the Oxford Circus tube station. It is across the road from Top Shop and Urban Outfitters and down a bit. On the top floor there is a Starbucks which should provide you with some rest from all your shopping.

There is also a McDonalds a bit further down should you want to eat some less healthy but still have a rest.

Trolley service Yum Cha (Dim Sum) restaurants are harder to come by outside China, especially outside Hong Kong. There is one place left in London that still does it well and has good Dim Sum. The chinese restaurant is called Chen Cheung Ku and it is located just around the corner from the main Chinatown strip in London near SOHO. The closest Tube Stations are Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square, from there it is a very short walk. I have tried to attach a Google Map to help.

This Japanese Restaurant is definitely a locals tip. In Ealing Common across from the Tube Station entrance there is a small unassuming Japanese Sushi Restaurant. Hands down a good as any Sushi I have eaten, even comparing it with Nobu (and it's much cheaper). It's called Sushi-Hiro.

Note that it's Ealing Common not Ealing Broadway.

Tesco is the largest Supermarket chain in the UK. If you are traveling in London or the UK and need supplies, Tesco is a good place to get them. They also do affordable travel lunches, very affordable. So if you are out and about and need a sandwich and drink it can be nearly cheaper to buy it at Tesco than make your own.

We all know how sightseeing can take it out of you.

I would say I have had the best Indian food in London. In Ealing go to India India or Cardamom on Northfields Ave (closest Tube Northfields). In the West End you can try Chowki which is good also.

If your in Auckland and need food and you are near Mt Eden Rd then find Al Volo Pizza. It is on the Cnr of Nikau St and Mt Eden Rd. They look like the just opened when we were there but maybe it was a refurbish. They have a really nice wood fired pizza oven and a great Menu. From the accents I would say the owner was Italian.

Chances are you might be going to the Powerstation for a Gig or the Kings Arms Tavern. Both are close although Powerstation is super close.

Seriously good wood fired, fresh, tasty pizza.

Found their website.
www.alvolo.co.nz

On Brewer St, one of the back streets near Piccadilly Circus there is a great little Japanese Restaurant called Taro. I think there are a couple in London now including Sth Kensington. But the Taro on Brewer St is the one I know as the original. Great Sushi and other dishes. It is not a Sushi train. I sometimes get the Chicken or Salmon Teriyaki which is yum yum yum. Very filling and tasty and I am out of there for £10 including a Beer.

Pret a Manger, or Pret as the locals call it is a chain of fresh gourmet sandwiches in the UK (and in the US now maybe?). It isn't the cheapest but it is fast, fresh and tasty. There are plenty around so you won't have difficulty finding one. It's like the Starbucks of Sandwiches. And speaking of Coffee the Pret coffee is good, although this is an acquired taste. I like it, some friends don't.

There is another chain similar to Pret called EAT but I don't enjoy their food as much. Don't get me wrong, it's still good, just not quite as good.

It seems weird to recommend a Butchers as a travel tip but this guy is probably one of the best Butchers in New Zealand IMO. Doug (Doug Jarvis Butchers Papamoa) is actually English so you can get a few home treats if you are an expat. and the cleanliness of the Butchers Shop is top notch. Get down there if you are having a BBQ or want some decent Sausages etc. I have only been about 2 times but have eaten his food many times at others.

The Shop is on Parton Rd, Papamoa which isn't that hard to find as it is in some shops at the front of industrial units.

Vinopolis is on the South Bank just near Shakespears globe and is worth a trip if you like your wine. It's not all cheap but it's good value and you get alot in.

http://www.vinopolis.co.uk/

I might be wrong, but this is the only Chinese restaurant we could find in Tauranga that serves dim sum at lunchtime. What I found most interesting about this restaurant is that they make all their own dim sum. Most of the dim sum than I'm used to is bought premade and then steamed fresh for service. This gives this Chinese restaurant a unique flavour as it clearly uses local produce and meat.

It fresh, if not a little different to what we were used to eating in London and Hong Kong. Would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a good Chinese restaurant in Tauranga.

Quite near the main center of Antwerp City, a couple of blocks away from the main town square, and only 2 from the Catherdral, there is a super little restaurant called Ulcke van Zurick which has won many food awards and when you eat the food you can see why. Specialising in Steaks/Meat I had the best, and one of the larger Steaks I have had. Perfectly cooked and really high quality food. Can't remember how much we paid but it wasn't super cheap. Not celebrity prices but more than a typical Pizza and Pasta evening. The restaurant is unassuming but a really nice experience.

About 50 meters from the Sth Kensington Tube Station there is a small Cheese and Wine shop called Le Cave a Fromage. If you like cheese they have alot of it. Not super cheap but great selection and quality.

There are a few restaurants in London under the Kulu Kulu banner but I think the best one is at South Kensington. It might not be but I like it the best. Kulu is affordable Sushi and you can normally get out happy for under £10. Awesome. Free green tea I think, never looked at the bill.

It is a Sushi Train style but so fresh, the Salmon will melt in your mouth and this is a place I have been to more than once. Don't go into Yo Sushi - find a Kulu Kulu.

Two maps attached for Sth Ken and Soho

Sth Kensington
39 Thurloe Place, London, SW7 2HB - ph 020 7589 2225

Soho - Kulu Kulu

It's so good and there are pubs which will have a Belgiun Beer for everyday of the year. Try white beer there also, delicious and Duvel which is the more 'popular' beer which is available around the world but better from Belgium...or maybe it's the setting.

Duvel, a typical blond belgian ale.

Maketu Pies - Seriously the best thing I have tasted. Not super gourmet but tasty nonetheless. I had a Mince and Cheese pie which is popular in New Zealand overall and maybe Australia. The place is called Maketu Pies.

Maketu is not that big so easy to find.

This is a weeny little place but it rocks right into the night and attracts more people than Bears to honey. If you like open spaces and fine dining stay away. This place is popular, hip and serves great Tapas and it's own made Champagne. It easy to find if you follow the attached map from the underground Metro train service. You might need to really wedge yourself in here but that is half the fun, don't be shy and you'll be fine. Cheapest bottles of Champas I have drunk at about £3.00 and a couple of Bocadillo (sandwich) will cost about £2 to compliment.