Y. Cherski

During my recent layover, I stumbled upon a spot within the airport that almost transported me out of the terminal and into a genuine city bar, all thanks to its convincingly authentic ambiance. The beer menu was impressively diverse representing well what the region has to offer. Now, when it comes to food, I hate to be the bearer of less than glowing reviews, but the wings just weren’t to my palate. I've always been partial to split wings with tips removed, as they tend to cook more uniformly. The ones here, however, seemed to grapple with a dual identity of being simultaneously charred and under-seared. Moreover, the seasoning, though bold and robust, felt a bit too dominant for my liking. Lastly, a gentle piece of feedback for the staff: patrons typically prefer to determine tip percentages on their own. While I wouldn't necessarily write this place off for other travelers (airport dining can be a mixed bag, after all), I personally might venture elsewhere on my next pass-through.

I must confess that Singaporean fare was an uncharted territory for me until recently. An enticing local joint promising home-style Singaporean dishes seemed the perfect venue to dip my toes into this food culture. When the much-recommended Hainanese chicken first arrived at my table, its unassuming presentation gave me pause. However, any reservations vanished with the first bite - the dish's deceptively simple appearance belies an extraordinary burst of flavors, particularly when enhanced with the accompanying bouillon, which is a distilled symphony of taste. The Roti Canai also won me over with its flaky exterior, moist interior, and outstanding curry dip. The experience has sparked a new culinary fascination for me, and I can confidently say that it won't be long before I find myself returning.

It is nice that the food court experience becomes more pleasurable with better cutlery, packaging, etc. Take-out packaging of the Special Tempura Bowl at Kaneko Hannosuke surprised me in a good way, as it is immaculate. Unfortunately, that was the highlight of the meal for me. Food-wise, egg tempura was great; I can't say I've tried anything like that before. But everything else was very mediocre and unmemorable. It is a bunch of deep-fried items and plain rice, making a pretty dry combination. It was missing some binding element, maybe a sauce or something, and provided soy sauce wasn't enough, at least for my liking.

It is safe to say that Powell Brewery is a well-known player on Vancouver's craft beer scene. So it was nice to visit their tasting room. The tasting room is pretty small; however, it has that nice cozy feel to it which I liked. I think we were pretty lucky to get seats. The member of staff was amiable, and service was quick. Beers are solid, and you can tell lots of attention and expertise goes into its creation. My favorites are Old Jalopy and Lazy D'Haze. And the place is dog-friendly, so we got a chance to hang out with a cool dog — nothing to complain about.