Who can think of food when you just dropped a new single!?

Drinks of Japan - Part 2

We had a reallllly good time in Japan.  Which is why I need 2 blog posts to talk about their drinks.

Of course, we had our share of Sapporo's...but the MVP of the trip (or perhaps the ruiner, depending on how you look at it) was Kirin Strong.  A lovely tall can of a Grapefruit flavored cocktail.  Maybe even more lovely by the fact that you can't taste any alcohol despite it be 8%.  This drink was the starting point of many nights...I'm pretty sure I would make a small fortune if I started importing them into Canada.

And what better way to cure the hangover than going outside your hotel to a vending machine where you can buy a HOT can of Obama Coffee?  Ohhh Japan.

Drinks of Japan - Part 1

The Japanese like to have a good time.

Luckily (for me), none of the photos of me doing drunk karaokee are going to make this blog, but that doesn't mean I didn't have a good time as well.  I'm not exactly sure what it says on the mug, but they had some delicious beer over there.

However, without a doubt, the drink of our trip was Plum Sake.  As you can see from the picture, it was a little too sweet for me, so I would drink at a slower rate.  But the rest of the guys would throw down glasses like they were shots.  Speaking of Sake, the band we were on tour with (FACT) had their own signature bottles of Sake.  That rules!  When are we going to have our own signature 6-packs of Lucky Lager?

English Pub - Paris, FR

The title should seem a little weird.

After our of our UK tours, the guys headed to Paris )while I headed to Slovenia) for mini vacations.  So they had already experienced the fun of dropping some serious coin on delicious french food.  So when we finally got there for a show, I was the only person there for the first time.

Needless to say, I wanted to find the best restaurants the city could offer, but the guys were...over it.  And so often in our band, majority rules.  So we ended up at an ENGLISH PUB.  In PARIS.  After we had just spent 2 weeks in ENGLAND.  Argh.  So instead of eating, I sat there and pouted...and drank...but then in the end caved and had myself a little creme brule so I could at least tell people I had been to Paris.  Otherwise, I would have denied it, because I still feel I have not experienced the city. 

....But fuck was the creme brule tasty....haha

Salad King - Toronto, ON

As you can imagine, I would not too thrilled when my favorite Thai place in Toronto, Salad King, burnt to the ground.  However, they have picked up the pieces and re-opened since the last time I was in Toronto, so I am greatly looking forward to my return this fall.

And a large reason for that is the dish above, the Sea Queen.  And yes, the name is just a coincidence, they don't have some weird quirk where every name associated with the restaurant has something to do with monarchy!  Lightly breaded squid that has an amazing dipping sauce with thyme, chili, honey, and lime juice.  It's sweet with a LOT of kick.  Calamari wishes it tasted like this.

Roadside Cafeteria - Nagoya, Japan

We do a lot of driving...which means a lot of stopping off the highway for the usual parade of fast-food restaurants.  Luckily for us, in Japan, it wasn't quite the same

On route to our show in Nagoya, we stopped at this rest-stop that included a cafeteria where you would insert your money into a machine, pick your meal, and then a small ticket would come out.  You bring the ticket up to the "serving line" and are presented with your choice.  Perfect for a couple skids from Canada who aren't exactly fluent in Japanese.

And the food wasn't exactly Burger King quality.  You could tell people still took a lot of pride in the food they were serving you, even if you weren't sitting down in a nice restaurant.  Mmmm noodle soup

Tim Horton's - Leeds, England

Speaking of Tim Horton's...

We were doing the long drive up to Newcastle on one of our UK tours, and when we pulled over for lunch we were shocked to see a familiar banner.  I am not a big coffee guy, but even I will admit that there are few coffees I have tasted that match delicious Timmy Ho's (yes, you can even TYPE in Canadian).

It is a Canadian institution that has started to spread across the world.  We have started to see a lot of it when we tour in the North East US.  Anyways, word to the wise to anyone outside of Canada who makes the trip in...You better go, and wear your lumberjack clothes while you are at it

Coffee Shop - Pecs, Hungary

Nothing beats exotic treats.

The first place my friend Christina took me to when I came to Hungary was this coffee shop that she described as the 'Hungarian Tim Hortons'....which is a pretty easy sell for any Canadian.  It was only 10am, but I was ready for something a little heartier than a muffin.  Then I spotted this giant pig-in-a-blanket type treat.  A german sausage baked in a cheese pastry.  mmmmHmm

Icebar - Stockholm, Sweden

You just spent the entire night partying in Stockholm, and you need something to take the edge off the killer hangover.  Here is a great idea, go have another drink in a freezing cold bar...that will slap you into shape pretty quick.

As a Canadian, you may think I would have plenty of experience drinking in a bar made of ice...Not the case!  I rolled in during the afternoon on the last day of my Stockholm trip and I was pretty beat up.  But even with them supplying a hulking winter jacket and mittens to everyone who comes in, you wake up pretty quickly when your lips hit the cup (that of course, is also made of ice). 

Definitely worth stopping in for a drink or two



Schwartz's - Montreal, Canada

Meat feast.

I cringe at the thought of eating a Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich anywhere except at Schwartz's in Montreal.  To say they have set the bar too high is an understatement.  When you are an original, and you have that many decades of history, you are the gold standard and everyone else is just a wanna-be.

While they are various things you can order there, but realllllly, there are really only 3: a sandwich, a small plate, and a large plate.  Obviously I go for the large plate with a cherry coke...and out comes an insanely huge plate of perfectly spiced and smoked beef  brisket, along with an entire loaf of Rye bread and a nice big bottle of mustard.  It is truely one of the most unique meat experiences you can have in this world.  Come hungry, and prepare yourself for a meat sweat like you have never experienced before.

Restaurant Menu - Yokohama, Japan

Food Rule #5: You should always know what you are eating

You never know when you might accidentally order a cute Japanese baby for dinner.

Block House - Hamburg, Germany

During a day off in Hamburg, we hit the town to celebrate Craig's birthday.

When you think of Germany, seafood is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind, but we took a chance on Block House and were not disapointed.  Except Spracklin, who decided to get deep fried Turkey...at a seafood restaurant...*shaking head*...But, when you think of Germany, you DO think of giant scooners of beer and we were alllll on that train.

Daniel saw a mustard soup on the menu, so he took a chance on it (which you can see poking out of the right side of the picture).  I am a huge fan of soups, especially when it is a flavor combination I have never had before in a soup.  I had my doubts about the mustard soup...but it was delicious.  Creamy with a strong grainy mustard taste that was not overpowering. 

And for dessert?...We went back to the hotel and stayed up until 7am watching the Edmonton Oiler's first game of the season.  4-0 Victory over the Flames.  Good night...sadly, the Oilers season didn't go so hot after that...

Corner Liquor Store - Glasgow, Scotland

5.5

Food Rule #4:  Sometimes you get a deal, sometimes you get ripped off...But most of the time you get what you paid for

After a show in Scotland we spent the night partying with a couple new friends.  In Glasgow, they have these magical little corner stores that sell booze, cigarettes, and PIZZA.  It basically combines all your 2am needs into one trip.

Our merch guy Spracklin was a little low on cash so he decided to buy this bottle of Scotch for under $10.  I may not be a whisky aficionado, but I am a big whisky enthusiast, and I can tell you a good bottle of Scotch should be a lot more than $10.  Well, as it turns out this was not Scotch, it was some sort of bathtub liquor called 'SCOTCHed' (see the picture).  As you can see, we could only get through half of it before we threw in the towel...and we have been known to drink some terrible, terrible stuff.

Lesson learnt Spracklin.  If you are going to cheap out, do not cheap out on something that should be expensive. 

Venice, Italy

One of my bigger mistakes was not having a camera in Venice.  I bought a disposable, which somewhat did the trick, but all my best food pics did not turn out because of the low light.  Which is a shame, because I had a couple amazing meals when I got out of the tourist district.

Instead, I included a beautiful picture of the canal with a couple shots of me doing a couple stereotypical things you just need to do.  The first being eating some delicious Tiramisu.  It ranks up there with coconut cream pie & peanut butter pie as king of desserts.  I had it twice while I was there, and the authetic thing was better than the North American bastard version...but let's be honest, the bastard is still pretty awesome.

When I went to sit down for some espresso, I thought the two prices were for small & large, but it turns out you had to pay extra if you were sitting down rather than just taking it in a to-go cup.  The 'economist' (that's code for cheapness) in me said save the money and go...But I was in VENICE.  It wasn't about saving money or rushing around to see everyone.  Spend the extra money, enjoy your drink, and just watch people flood by for an hour.  It's worth your time.

Lobster Feast - Edmonton, AB

There will not be many posts of me cooking at home...But this certainly deserves one

I acquired a 30lb box of fresh maritime lobster.  It was caught Friday just off the coast in Halifax, boiled on the dock, and then flown directly to Edmonton to go into my belly.  The first night, we did exactly what you are supposed to do: don't mess with a good thing.  Ocean fresh lobster, dipped in hot butter.  So good.

Round two was the next morning/afternoon.  My sister Courtney and I put in the hard work getting all the meat out of the claws after dinner (while everyone else was just eating lobster tail after lobster tail) and used it for amazing lobster rolls for lunch.  You can't beat that.

And for the final act, lobster alfredo.  Great timing consider last blog's rant about getting pasta at a restaurant.  I bought enough whole wheat pasta for 4 people (that was literally made an hour earlier) at Bucas in Edmonton, whipped up an alfredo sauce, and added in the chopped lobster with lobster roe (lobster eggs, aka, cavier) to give it a little more taste and color.  Excluding the lobster it cost me $10...for 4 people...And with the money I saved, even if I had to buy the lobster myself, the savings would be amazing.

Coffein - Pecs, Hungary

Food Rule #3: Ordering pasta at a restaurant is for chumps

It's not news to anyone that pasta is basically flour and egg.  Paying $15-$20 for flour and egg at a restaurant?  That is just not right.  Especially since most restaurants probably aren't making fresh pasta from scratch a couple hours before their dinner service.  I love pasta, it is delicious.  But for someone who isn't the best cook, I can make an amazing dinner by going down to the farmer's market to pickup some FRESH pasta, some delicious organic meats or seafood, and whip up a sauce...for really really cheap.

What a perfect lead-in to a story about me breaking my own rule, haha.  While in Hungary, I went to Coffein with friends and they had a lunch special of homemade gnocchi (a potato pasta, so it still counts).  It was definitely fresh and well made, but the thing I remember was the unbelievable sauce it was in.  It wasn't just a tomato cream sauce...it had heat, and spice, and was full of flavor.  And it was cheap, so I am letting myself get away with this one!  The whole lunch was very colorful...from my split pea soup to my pink lemonade.  Made for some tasty looking pics :)

Conveyor Belt Sushi, PART 2 - Tokyo, Japan

One night Sandy felt adventurous with his sushi choices and took a 'MYSTERY SUSHI' off the belt.  Once you take it off the belt, it's yours to eat.

On top of the rice was what appeared to be a cluster of bean sprouts...narrow little white/transparent tubes of goodness?  Yeah that sounds about right...Except these bean sprouts had a couple black dots on the end.  These bean sprouts were actually minnows.  Sandy manned up and ate them, but it went down as the worst thing eaten in Japan (and you will soon see we ate some pretty 'out there' stuff).  Even our Japanese friends were grossed out by it and refused to try it.  That's legit!

It sounds pretty simple, but my all-star of Japanese sushi was Salmon Mayonnaise.  A clean piece of salmon with a miso mayonnaise drizzled over it.  Pour a little soy-sauce over that bad boy and you will truly understand the amazingness of sushi.

Conveyor Belt Sushi, PART 1 - Tokyo, Japan

Alright...

Let's talk sushi.  Specifically the conveyor belt sushi restaurants that Tokyo is covered in.

Let me explain.  You walk in and there is an Itamae making various sushi and putting it on a conveyor belt that surrounds him.  Then someone like me walks in and takes whatever they want to eat and pays when they are finished based on how many plates they have taken off the belt. 

Let's cover why this is amazing:

~   The price per plate is the same, and that price is CHEAP.  Instead of paying double for the upper echelon sushi, you get whatever you want for the same price.  No more BBQ eel taking away my baby's college fund!
~   There is almost always a green tea tap built into the counter where you sit to eat.  Go ahead and pour yourself some, it's free ya turkey!

~   You can eat as much or little as you want, and you don't have to wait a minute for it.  I can't tell you how many times I capped a night by eating two plates of sushi before walking back to the hotel.  In & out in 5 minutes.

~   One more thing...It's sushi.  In Japan.  It's amazing.  So forget what you know about sushi because the worst sushi places in Japan are better than anything you have eaten.  And their best places?  Oh dear god, hold on tight.


Coming up in PART 2, a story about Sandy and his adventure with sushi

Nick's Sushi - Vancouver, BC

Japan ruined sushi for me.  It was too amazing for my own good.  But if there is one place that gives me hope, it is Vancouver.

Everyone has THEIR sushi place in Vancouver.  The fact is, there are so many great places, but I have picked two places that I consider my favs.  The first is Hiyoro (which I sadly didn't snap any pictures at) because they have the best special rolls I tasted in Vancouver, and they are huge, and for a very fair price.  But steps away from our house in Kits was this place, Nick's Sushi.

This cute (yes, I said cute) little joint seats about 15 people and delivers amazing sushi.  Probably not as good as the overhyped (and overpriced?) places like Tojo's or Miko...but what makes it my fav is the quality considering the price.  Behold, the Crispy Roll!  $4.25 for 8 pieces of tuna, asparagus, tobiko, and crispy flower.  And of course, you are in the Pacific Northwest, so if you aren't getting some Wild Salmon Nigiri Sushi, you are a complete failure at life.  Sorry, but not even Japan can match our wild salmon.  But you will soon read why they dominate us at everything else...

The Reef - Vancouver, BC

Every city in Canada is severely lacking Jamaican/Caribbean restaurant options.  Except Toronto, which has an INSANE amount of good ones, which mean the competition allows you to find some awesome places for really cheap (that will no doubt be a future blog).

The Reef is constantly voted Vancouver's best, so I went to check it out their Goat Roti.  Yeah, most people get the Jerk Chicken Roti, but live a little!  There is a lot of confussion what  you are talking about when you say 'ROTI', but in this case I am talking about a delicious treat that is mostly compromised of potato, chickpea, and your chosen meat...all wrapped in roti bread.  As you can tell by the picture, not the most delicious LOOKING thing once you cut it open.  But trust me, layer that baby with hot sauce and then enjoy some good eating. 

It was pretty good, and worth the money.  But I am counting the days until we are back in Toronto because me and Craig will be marching off the plane and getting ourselves a giant delicious roti for around $6.

Home sweet home...

My portion of the new record is done, so I am back in the always tropical Edmonton AB. 

I will be posting up a few more of my Vancouver pics this week and then moving on to my stockpile of international goodies.  There is a lot of good stuff, especially from Japan & Europe...and I am sure I will even take the time to go visit and post about my favorite local places now that I am home for most of the summer.  Good times!

Nuba - Vancouver, Canada

As soon as I post a blog of my favorite Vancouver restaurant, a new contender throws their name in the race.  We have been working at a studio 2 blocks from the historic Waldorf hotel in Vancouver, which recieved quite the facelift inside and now hosts a bunch of Vancouver nightlift including Nuba, a nouveau Lebanese restaurant.  I will be the first to say I am not well versed in Lebanese food, but wow am I going to be.

I started with Lamb Hushwie, which was a spice lamb served on hummus, avocado, pine nuts, and cabbage.  Then I got the Beef Tenderloin, which was served with a pomegranate & red wine reduction and some sort of a feta cheese & potato pastery.  Such unique flavour combinations, all of them home runs!  The menu is mostly medium plates so you need to order at least 2, but for the quality of stuff they are pushing out, it's at a very reasonable price.

The whole vibe of the place was fun, so after we finished work for the night, we returned to the Tiki Bar and sucked down a couple coconut drinks.  Luckily, the pictures for the night stopped when I was a cooouple drinks in and started to eat the coconut shells.  Mmmm coconut.

Cafeteria - Vancouver, Canada

The new album is almost done, so I better fit in some great Vancouver food before I go.

Cafeteria could be my favorite restaurant in Vancouver (thank you Kristen for the heads up!).  On the wall inside this tiny restaurant is a menu board consisting of 5 starters (for $10), 5 mains (for $20), and 3 desserts, that changes every day.  Small room and small changing menu usually means attention to detail and the freshest possible ingredients.  It fits the stereotype and every single course I have had there has been packed with flavour.

On this particular day, the item that caught my eye was Crispy Pork Belly (New Orleans Style).  The pork was a meat paradise, with a tasty grainy dijon mustard sauce.  Top it off with a cajun classic, red beans, chorizo & rice...and I think it was the best meal I have had out here so far.  HOWEVER, I chose to pass on ordering the Peanut Butter Pie for dessert.  I fucked up.  I fucked up really bad.

Sophie's Cosmic Cafe - Vancouver, BC

Everyone has been bugging me to try Sophie's Cosmic Cafe, and I have been putting it off even though it's a couple blocks away from our Vancouver house.  There is a lineup down the street there every weekend morning for Brunch.  The decor of the place is pretty 'cosmic', it reminds me of the Bovine Sex Club in Toronto (before you make any assumptions...it's a bar...not an actual sex club) because their walls are covered with antiques, toys, and junk. 

I got the special, which was Smoked Salmon Eggs Benny.  You can't fuck that up, and if you do, you suck at life.  I wasn't blown off my feet, but I will give them the benefit of doubt for now because it appeared that everyone who ordered something that wasn't the special was given a mound of food that no sane person should eat in one sitting.  Big food, big value.  And after we got our food, they placed a bottle of their signature home-made hot sauce on the table.  Home-made hot sauce?  Yeah, that's a power move.

C Restaurant - Vancouver, Canada

Food Rule #2: Food is always more delicious when you don't pay full price

I am a huge fan of Groupon, Living Social, and all those sites that offer discounted coupons for restaurants.  Why eat at Denny's when you can eat an expensive restaurant for the same price? ...Well Denny's is delicious, that's why... But that is beside the point.  I love justifying fancy meals by discounts.

So I got this Groupon for a 4 course tasting lunch at C Restaurant for $20 (regular price $40).  Am I going to pay $40 for lunch ever?  Absolutely not.  But for a meal this good, I can understand the price-tag.  The main course of halibut bouillabaisse was exactly what you would expect from a restaurant like this...Amazing, nothing I could come close to making.  The real treat was the surprise I got from the two starter courses

The salad came with a maple vinigrette.  Maple dressing on a salad?  That was a first for me, and it was awesome.  For the starter soup, the waiter came out and left a large bowl with a mound of smoked trout & crème fraiche...and then returned to pour out the potato & leek soup into the bowl from a kettle.  That is a POWER move.  That's like getting someone to shave your face in front of a group of people.  After a start like that, you know you are in for a good lunch.  However, word on the street is that without a Groupon, the bill gets a little out of control at this place...and people are not too stoked on that.

Pelikan - Stockholm, Sweden

Another quick break from Vancouver...I start vocals on the record this week so I will be stockpiling some serious lunches now that I have control of the vehicle.

Last European tour I took a trip to Stockholm, which ended up being my favorite city from around the world (so far).  A city of luscious green islands connected to each other, loaded with buildings from the 13th & 14th centuries.  Never seen a mix of history and modern hipness quite like it.  The first thing I did when I got off the plane was ask where the best authentic Swedish food was.  They eyed me up and down and asked me how much I was willing to spend, and I said money was no object...they smiled and immediately knew where to direct me.

It took me some time to find it, but Pelikan lived up to their billing.  After walking in to the uniquely classic decor, you open the menu to read a story of the history of the restaurant and the origins of the home-style food you are about to eat.  I went cliche (on the recommendation of the waitress) and got Swedish meatballs.  They were huge, moist, and the gravy was a perfect match.  But the best part was been how well the lingonberries & dill pickle paired up with a big bite of meatball and mashed potatoes.  You could taste every flavor, and they all went so well together.  Then wash it down with some beer and start again...

Ensemble - Vancouver, BC

I don't consider myself a foodie, a food expert, or a food critic.  But I gotta admit, I felt pretty cool tonight going to the opening of Ensemble, the restaurant of my favorite Top Chef Canada contestant, Dale MacKay.  It's one of the few food shows that everyone in the band is into, so I got Sandy & Patrick to come with me while the others were stuck in the studio recording guitars.

The waitress told to us that the menu was designed for you to order a bunch of small to medium plates.  We shared the muscles, which were in a curry sauce, and a delicious five spice pork belly.

I also had the chilled Mango Soup with Dungeness Crab, which is the picture I included above.  You might remember an episode where Dale needed to create an amuse bouche (one perfect bite) to avoid elimination against 2 other contestants...well this dish was based on that.  Very original, and it kicked ass.  Haven't you always wanted to know what it was like to be a judge on Top Chef and actually taste what they are judging?  Looking forward to going back and trying a few of the other things that caught my eye.

Take It and Like It - Food Blog

I just want to give a quick shout-out and plug to my sister Courtney's food blog that she runs with her sister-in-law Brooke, Take It and Like It.  My family inspiration for starting a food blog!  While I am busy eating delicious food and trying to save money on it, she is making it posting: recipes, local food tips, restaurant reviews, and just general good stuff.  Definitely worth taking a look and following.  My neice Helen has slowed down the updates a tad, but she has also blessed my sister with the dreaded baby arm.  An arm so powerful (always having to carry her around), it is no doubt a weapon in the kitchen, and I can only imagine the prep time on recipes has been sliced in half.

Roadside Gas Station - Brussels, Belgium

Taking a breather today from my journey of finding Vancouver's best food to post one of my many tour food pictures.  I remember on our last European tour we had a big drive up to Denmark, and our driver Jon hated to stop for breakfast because he thought a Snickers bar at 9am was a great start to the day, so I was often forced to figure out breakfast when we stopped for gas.  That often lead to a lot of bitching and grumpiness from me, but there were some exceptions.

I remember in Belgium & Germany there were these little kiosks with one worker inside some of the gas stations that would make you a fresh pork schnitzel sandwich.  It was honestly some of the best schnitzel I had while I was over there, even though I usually prefer hot food over cold.  They had this delicious mayo they would put on it, and the kicker was a perfectly sliced up hard boiled egg to put on top.  Subway, take note on that little gem.

CRU - Vancouver, Canada

Food Rule #1:  Lunch > Dinner
One of my favorite things to do is go to a fancy restaurant for lunch.  Most of the time, you get the same food that is offered at dinner for a much smaller price.  If not, you will at least get the same quality and maybe just a smaller portion (Patrick hates small portions and does not share my food rule).  I am reserving my big spender meals in Vancouver to a few other spots, but the lunch at CRU looked right up my alley.  I got the Crispy Duck Leg Confit with warm bacon vinaigrette, spätzle and goat cheese hash for $15.  Ahhhhh, yeah buddy.

Meat & Bread - Vancouver, Canada

It's rare that a restaurant's name can get me this excited.  We have stopped here a couple times already on the way to studio to have lunch.  The menu is only 4 sandwiches, with the crown jewel being their Porchetta sandwich.  I am usually not a fan of pork sandwiches because they are usually dry, but this could be the most deliciously seasoned and moist pork I have ever tasted.  And the kicker: they double cook the skin so it's extra crispy and then chop it up into the pork so you get a big crunch every bite.  Never have the meat sweats felt so good after a meal.

Slickity Jim's - Vancouver, Canada

A few years ago me and Daniel stumbled across Slickity Jim's on Main Street in Vancouver.  The next time we were back in Vancouver, the building was burnt to the ground...literally.  A couple years later we are back doing the record and they just reopened at a new location.  Dan says the food and vibe is 'wicked vintage'....which makes him a weirdo

Banana Leaf - Vancouver, Canada

My friend Sandy (not the bearded one) got a tip from her sister about Banana Leaf, a Vancouver restaurant that dominates the local Malaysian food awards every year.  It is addicting to say the least.  I have gotten the Nasi Goreng already twice this week.  It's a fried rice dish with beef, shrimp, egg, tomato, green beans, and onion...and it's only $8, which is just awesome.

Welcome

Welcome to Music To Your Belly!

For the past 8 years I have been touring across the world with my best buds in a little band called Ten Second Epic.  For most of those years I was too picky to eat anything except fast food...but luckily I stopped eating like a 5 year old who got to pick their own meals, and started experiencing the amazing food and restaurants the world had to offer.

I am currently shacked up in Vancouver recording our 3rd full length album, so I am taking the time to check out some of the best spots in the city and posting about them.  After that, I am going to start posting the many food pictures I have taken over the past few years touring across Canada, US, Japan & Europe.  So get stoked, and hopefully very hungry.

Andrew