Hi Belle！！　

溫哥華美食季第二發~

The second dineout of 2021~

很開心可以約到Water St. Cafe的時間，這是我第一次光臨。大家來到市中心(尤其是觀光或是第一次造訪)都會溜搭到Gastown看看有名的蒸汽鐘，每到整點就會冒出蒸氣還有可愛的音樂，像是一個骨董音樂盒。在情人節前夕更加浪漫! 我跟女生朋友約了時間一起享受Water St. Cafe。今年dineout 美食季選擇有限，很多餐廳都漲價許多。還記得往年最貴的菜單都是高級餐廳，一個人最少也有三四道菜的選擇，一組最貴$45/客人。各家餐廳也會使出拿手絕活讓人客吃到最好的菜餚流連忘返。今年最貴菜單跳到無極限! 甚至看到$155/客人的菜單，不可思議呀! 很多速食店也開始餐與(好事一件)但開價不斐...比如一個漢堡加上薯條就$25加幣...

It was my first time visiting Water St. Cafe. It was my friend who sought out this place and recommended to me. Dineout RSVP started on Jan 25, 2021 and we were lucky to secure a booking for their brunch service. The cafe is located in the famous Gastown - a must-visit for all travellers and tourists. Unfortuntely, the place is no longer crowded as before, since tourism has come to a halt. Perhaps some local visitors would be around taking pictures and enjoying the time; nonetheless, we were blessed to enjoy the dineout and have a moment of girls' time - it helps to curb the weather blues LOL. The dineout menus have drastically changed this year... previously, the dine-out menus range from $25 - $45 (being the top restaurants); however, the price has skyrocketed to $55 to $144/person. Many new restaurants have joined the dine-out festival, so definitely check them out and try something new! Most offer take-out so you won't be missing out on the comfort of having great food at home :D

Back to our dineout experience hehe. It was snowing today so it was extra romantic <3

轉回主題~ 這天下大雪所以路途特別冷卻也特別浪漫(笑)

我們預約11:00，我是第一位進入餐廳的唷~哈哈~ 

外觀有點恐怖XD入夜的Gastown有點危險，我推薦女孩子們晚上不要輕易踏入這一區

The cafe looks a bit daunting from the outside... I must advise not to travel alone during nighttime in Gastown,  especially when you are not familiar with the area. Just be mindful of your surroundings.

The interior:

餐廳內:

餐廳裝潢清簡氣質，很像到了英國或是歐洲某個地方。我喜歡這種簡單無壓力的裝潢，點到為止的優雅。

遵守安全社交距離所以桌子之間擺放了小桌子，小桌子上有假花還有一些裝飾當作隔離。服務生也都配戴口罩還有手套，經常消毒洗手。

添水服務暫時停止(減少接觸)，所以服務生普通會提供一灌水讓你自己添加。

I really like the simplicity of their design. It's elegant and clean. All the tables have been kept at a safe social distance. The restaurant,cleverly, placed a mini table in between each dining table ot ensure the distance is kept. 

2nd floor - there is an individual room that you could book for the love day (Valentine LOL).

((樓上的包廂↓↓ 看來特別有心人要給另一半surprise XD))

Dineout menu: http://www.waterstreetcafe.ca/menus/dov-2021-dinner-menu/

我們選的是brunch menu (11am-3pm) $24/人，內容看起來豐富還滿划算。讓我們慢慢看下去~

We chose the brunch dineout menu, which is $24/person. We started with appetizers (see below).

前菜: Appetizers:

我們選擇凱薩沙拉還有butternut squash soup 冷冷冬天可以暖胃

We chose Caesar salad & maple butternut squash soup, which is just-in-time for the snowy morning. Friend said the soup was on the sweet side, but she finished it clean regardless, so it must have been super delish! My Caesar salad was well seasoned. I could taste the crispness and freshness of the ingredients. The portion was fair and we were probably 40-50% full after the appetizer.

Butternut squash soup ↓↓ 朋友說有點偏甜但非常溫暖呢~

我的凱薩沙拉↓↓分量滿大，蔬菜新鮮卡滋卡滋很爽口

前菜的份量不錯，第一印象優 (Great impression, eh!)

主餐: Brunch entrees:

下面兩樣需要另外加錢，所以我們專注於不需加錢的上方XD畢竟我們就是衝著dine out美好價錢來的!! 哈哈

Stuffed French Toast & Smoked Salmon Benny讓我考慮很久...因為法式吐司我不會做(嘗試過但做得跟餐廳等級差很多Q_Q，所以每次在餐廳裡看見這道菜我都會心動!) 但早上吃太甜也不好...年紀增長以後變得很在意血糖還有飲食方面XD，Salmon Benny在家裡更不會做所以我跟朋友都點了Salmon Benny (煙燻鮭魚水波蛋加上沙拉)

I am a fan of French Toasts because I haven't been successful at my attempts at home - always missing something! I was tempted by the French Toast but to have something too sweet to start the morning was probably unwise... too much of a sugar rush! We both chose Salmon Benny - since it's also a difficult one to replicate at home. 

I must say, we were impressed by the Salmon Benny! The eggs were poached to perfection. It was runny inside but half solid at the same time. It's runny enough so you could break it open and use was sauce to moisten up the dry toast underneath. If you prefer eating the egg on its own, it won't create a mess either! The best of both worlds, I say!

The pan fried potatos were excellently made. The outside was crsipy with a fluffy middle. We were quick to finish the plate <3 this is how tasty the Salmon Benny was hehe.

旁邊還有炸小馬鈴薯，很好吃呢!

水波蛋熟度剛好不會太稀，可以當作"果醬"讓吐司不至於太乾。想要豪爽吃水波蛋也不會弄得到處都是，熟度控制很好

土司上還另外抹了牛油果醬(加分) 

分量十足，我們差點吃不完! ((所以很推薦來大吃大喝一下XD))

To make the entree even more special - they have an avocado spread on top! (These days... avocado toasts are seen as GOLD! Cray...!) 

Then it's dessert time~

吃完主餐一定要點心~ 

Dessert menu:

提拉米蘇或是當季的水果sorbet 

下雪天看見sorbet我就在心裡打寒顫，當然點提拉米蘇不然我會變雪人　哈哈

We both chose tiramisu. Seasonal sorbet sounds good but we may turn into snowman after LOL

提拉米蘇: Tiramisu

提拉米蘇有添入酒精，朋友吃完以後說她有點頭暈暈，酒量不好的各位要斟酌食用

蛋糕本身甜度高好，蛋糕體鬆軟綿密真的非常好吃

是我目前吃過最棒的提拉米蘇(啾咪!!) 雖然我已經很撐蛋還是全部吃光光，我還刮盤子捨不得任何一口

The tiramisu is soaked in Kalua - and they are not cheaping out! You could taste the alcohol for sure; the bitterness was neutralized by the chocolate sauce and whipped cream on top. It's a perfect mix of sweetness & bitterness. Friend was saying she felt a bit dizzy after... so if you have a low tolerance, please consume with caution lol (or have a trustworhty buddy with you!) We finished the dessert regardless because it was too delicous! I scraped the plate clean, unwilling to part with any bits. It was THAT GOOD. It's probably the best tiramisu I've had.

整體心得: Overall:

服務快速，服務態度優。餐廳整潔滿分，讓人放心。餐廳廁所在2樓(廁所不錯看 哈哈) 2樓還有獨立包廂可以使用。

會再回去拜訪嗎?? 會! 菜單的CP值高，味道都很好，份量也不錯。如果有機會會再次光臨的! 餐廳還有happy hour 大家可以考慮平日去踩踩或是趁著dineout進行中快點預約! 

Service level:

4.5/5 - server was attentive. The restaurant was clean and spotless. The servers were wiping down tables and chairs after each service - awesomeness!

Chances of second visit:

For sho! It's a great restaurant for causual dining and special events (just imainge the lights outside in the evening.. sitting on the second level and taking in all the romance <3) 

The menu selection was fair - not overly expansive or confusing - they know what they are doing! The portion was great (won't be paying an arm and a leg for birdie-bite portions). High CP!! If you haven't frequented this lovely cafe, do give it a try.

Happy Belated Valentine, lovlies. xoxo