Mediterranean Crêpe from Kara's Crêpes | Kitsilano Farmers Market

Happy Sunday to you! After Mass today, I asked hubby if we can take a walk to Kitsilano Farmers Market and just explore. I've only been to Riley Park Farmers Market so I wanted to compare. At 12:00 NN, the Kits market is very much alive. There are more produced than Riley Park and everything smelled so good. Yum!

For lunch, we grabbed two crêpes from Kara's Crêpe. For our savoury lunch, I opted for Mediterranean. I absolutely love the flavour combination of hearty msuhrooms, sweet caramelized onions, and tangy sundried tomatoes. While the tender and delicate crêpe is a great contrast to slightly crunchy melted mozzarella cheese. I wish I didn't have to share.

Mediterranean Crêpe from Kara's Crêpe
Sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, sundried tomatoes, mozzarella, and pesto

My terrible attempt to take a picture of the crepe after taking a few bites.

For our sweet crêpe, I chose the classic Nutella and Banana. The rich and creamy hazelnut spread is beautifully complemented by the natural sweetness of ripe bananas. It's so satisfying.

I didn't bring justice to the Nutella & Banana Crêpe from Kara's Crêpe

Yay for slow summer weekend when we're not rushing to events or places. Thank God!

Tiramisu Cookie and Nutella Cookie from Plant-Based Bonus Bakery

When we think of vegan or plant-based, we usually think of a vegetable-filled diet of salad, and that could be true for some people. Still, today, I can't believe that my favourite cookie in Vancouver has come from Bonus Bakery, which makes plant-based goodies. I saw their booth at the Riley Park Farmers Market.

Nutella Cookie from Bonus Bakery

The gooey interior of the Nutella Cookie from Bonus Bakery

We got two flavours: Tiramisu and Nutella. They're both worth how many calories they have. 

Tiramisu Cookie from Bonus Bakery

A peek inside the Tiramisu Cookie from Bonus Bakery

Hubby and I agreed that we prefer the tiramisu better. The cookie base is soft and crumbly, while the topping is sweet and sticky. It's such a fun and messy way to eat. I should have gotten a box of six and enjoyed it with tea.

Steamed Buns from Bakers Breakfast Joint | Riley Park Farmers Market

After warming up with the Chili Tank, we walked around the Riley Park Farmers Market, and I spotted Steamed Buns from Bakers Breakfast Joint. They also sell soy milk. This combination is a traditional breakfast in Taiwan.

We ordered Brown Sugar Steamed Bun and Green Onions Steamed Bun with a glass bottle of 32oz of soy milk.

Brown Sugar Steamed Buns from Bakers Breakfast Joint

Brown Sugar Steamed Buns from Bakers Breakfast Joint

The buns are both heavy and filling. They're less fluffy than I'd hope, but it's definitely a perfect breakfast item and can last you for hours without feeling hungry. I prefer the Green OOnions because I have a bias for savoury flavours.

Green Onion Steamed Buns from Bakers Breakfast Joint

Green Onion Steamed Buns from Bakers Breakfast Joint

My favourite, though, is their soy milk. If I see them again, I'll try the Special Bao (I'm looking at your Pork Belly Bao). 🤤

Fresh Soy Milk from Bakers Breakfast Joint is made locally.

Chili from Chili Tank | Riley Park Farmers Market

It's our first meal of the day (not counting the Madeleine we ate while walking to Riley Park from our home). It started raining heavier than a drizzle when we arrived at the park, and the first stall we saw was Chili Tank. As you may have guessed, they sell inside a tank, specifically a World War II Field.

A bowl of Beef Chili from Chili Tank

I have a small sample size to compare this chili, but it's so delicious. Perfectly hot, medium in spice, and beefy. This is the best beef chili I have tried in Vancouver. They also serve it with a couple slices of bread, which is perfect for dipping. I didn't want to share with my husband. 🤣 

Beef Chili from Chili Tank

Do you have a recommendation for restaurants that sells excellent chili? Let me know on Instagram or comment below!

Super Dishes Egyptian Halal Cuisine at Riley Park Summer Farmers Market | Flavours of Hope

After enjoying the empanada and croissant, I couldn't resist the falafel and baklava from one of the stalls (Super Dishes Egyptian). Even the pita chips looked great, so I picked them too. But, unfortunately, we're too full, so we decided to bring it home.

Best food at Farmers Market: Super Dishes Egyptian

After paying for our items, the lady offered us a free taste of the dolmas. I took a bite and was blown away. 🤯 I can't believe I haven't heard of or tried the dish before. It's savoury and sour. It's delicious. I was raving about it the whole time during our walk home.

Dolmas
Delicious authentic grapevine leaves stuffed with rice, parsley, onions, tomato sauce, and spices made in Egyptian style. Ready to eat!

When we got home, I started munching on the pita chips and holy smokes; why is this so good?! It has the crunchiness of chips but is still chewy like pita bread. I can keep eating it all day long.

Pita Chips

The next item is the falafel, the best one I have tried in Vancouver, replacing the one on West 4th Avenue. The only thing I regret is not buying the hummus. After the first three bites, it becomes dry without any sauce.

Falafel
A traditional family recipe from Alexandria, Egypt, made of chickpea, parsley, onions, garlic, cumin, coriander, and spices.

Five Falafel

The last thing we enjoyed was the baklava. It's the best baklava I tried in Vancouver. To be fair, I am not an expert in this Mediterranean dessert, but the ones I have attempted to are overly sweet; while this one has that sweetness, it's the taste of walnuts you will get.

Baklava
Classic Middle Eastern dessert with walnuts, simple syrup, and puff pastry.

What a delicious booth! I can't wait to try their food again. It's my first time trying Egyptian dishes, and I can't wait to eat more and learn about the culture.

June 22 update:

We're planning to walk to Riley Park again to enjoy the offerings from Riley Park Summer Farmers Market and as I am going through the vendor list I discovered "Flavours of Hope." I like the name, so I thought of checking their website and they're a "non-profit social enterprise that supports refugee newcomer women to earn livable income and build social connections in communities through cooking and sharing culinary traditions and stories." Guess what? Super Dishes Egyptian Halal Cuisine is supported by Flavours Hope and I am looking forward to tasting more delicious dishes from Flavours of Hope members.

Croissant from Ça Croustille at Riley Park Summers Farmers Market

After enjoying the empanada from Empanada Gals, we grabbed a croissant and chocolate twist from a French bakery, Ça Croustille.

The butter croissant was not flaky, but the lamination was excellent. It's also the chewiest croissant I have tried in Vancouver.

Butter Croissant

A peek inside the Butter Croissant

My husband chose the chocolate twist, which has the same lamination as the croissant but with chocolate providing sweetness. I liked it.

Chocolate Twist

Overall, a great second vendor to get food from at the Farmers Market.

Empanada from Empanada Gal at Riley Park Summer Farmers Market

Happy Saturday! We went to the Nat Bailey Stadium parking lot today to pick up my free shirt for the 2022 RBC Race for the Kids, which is happening tomorrow. After getting my shirt, we dropped by Riley Park Summer Farmers Market to buy breakfast and lunch.

The first meal of the day is beef empanada from Empanada Gal. It was delicious, but the best part was the sauce. I would happily buy that sweet, spicy, tangy sauce in a bottle to take home and enjoy with any bland food I end up cooking.

Beef Empanada by Empanada Gal

4 pieces of Beef Empanada in one order

They also sell frozen empanada, which you can cook at home. Unfortunately, I don't have an oven, and my air fryer was recalled, and I haven't purchased a new one. So next time, I'll get frozen empanadas and cook them at home for breakfast.