Chinatown Night Market: A #ChowFind Mecca

Posted on May 21, 2013 by chowmarketing

This year, organizers of the Chinatown Night Market announced this event was going to be ‘revamped’– and they did not disappoint. With more vendors and food options, we couldn’t think of a better way to fill our bellies and spend a sunny Sunday.

These are just some of the sweet deals for $5 or less:

Some of our favourites were the dumplings, curry fish balls, and the deep fried oreos (!!!).

Do you plan on stretching your $5 bills (and your stomach) at the night markets this summer? What’s the best thing you’ve ever eaten from a booth? Tweet us @Chowmenow, tell us on Facebook, or post a review (yes, night markets count too!).

Vancouver Chinatown Night Market
May 17th – September 8th
Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday
6pm-11pm
Keefer Street (between Main and Columbia)
More info –> http://vancouverchinatownnightmarket.com

BIG NEWS CHOWSTERS: We’re launching ANOTHER CONTEST!

Posted on May 10, 2013 by chowmarketing

Well, we’ve done it again.

If you’re still miffed that you didn’t win the last FREE LUNCH CONTEST, we’ve got some great news: you’ve now got a second chance!

And to make it extra easy (because things are hard enough), it’s the same rules as last time. Need a reminder?

All you have to do is:

1. Be a Chowster (aka member of Chowmenow)
2. Post a review between now and May 17th
3. That’s it.

The more reviews you add, the more times you’re entered to win, so give us the chow down on your latest cheap eats. On Monday, May 20th, we’ll announce a random winner on our Facebook page. The lucky Chowster will receive a $25 Visa gift card (enough for 5 lunches).

Any questions? No prob, we’re happy to help. Tweet us @Chowmenow, or contact us.

Good luck!

Here’s the Fine Print. Contest Rules:
1.     Must be a registered Chowmenow member.
2.     Must post at least one review between May 10 and May 17, 2013.
3.     Each review counts as a chance to win, hence the more reviews, the
better chance you have of winning.
4.     Each time a review is added, the member’s name will be entered into
the draw.
5. Every time the tweet is sent by a registered Chowster, that member is
given an added entry into the draw.
6. The random draw will take place on May 20, 2013.
7.     After the winner has been announced on our Facebook page, we will
mail the winner a $25 Visa gift card (enough for 5 lunches).

#ChowFindFAIL

Posted on May 2, 2013 by chowmarketing

Expensive and food are two words that shouldn’t go together. To us, it’s an oxymoron. But for others with a tad more dollar bills to spare, there’s this:

#ChowFindFAIL

We present to you: The World’s Most Expensive Bagel. For $1000, you can chow on dough topped with white truffle cream cheese and goji berry infused Riesling jelly with golden leaves.

Or, not.

Bagels are a cheap eat staple, we’ve even made a top 5 for $5 bagel list on Vancity Buzz. Needless to say, there’s other things to spend your dough on. Pun intended.

What’s the most expensive dish you’ve ever seen on a menu? Tweet us and tell us the ridiculous #ChowFindFAIL’s!

Source: GyaanDarpan

A Chow Weekend

Posted on April 23, 2013 by chowmarketing

Weekends are for catching up with your PVR, never changing out of sweat pants, and getting in 2 days of non-stop Chowing down. This past weekend was no exception. We tried a few new things and also went back to a few classics, so here’s a round-up of some #ChowFinds.

Au Petit Cafe is a staple in our diet. We mowed on this perfectly toasted yet pillowy soft sandwich bursting with flavour for only $4.

Our advice? Stick to the banh mi. We made the mistake of ordering the salad rolls. For $7, it’s simply not worth it. After a 35 minute wait for them, it was only 2 measly rolls served with peanut sauce that tasted watered down.

Scotch Eggs at Bitter Tasting Room, $4.25. Hard boiled eggs wrapped in sausage and deep fried in bread crumbs. Oh yeah, totally a health food. And sooo worth it.

This chickpea curry over quinoa is a Chowmenow creation! Thought we were all good looks and big stomachs? While we prefer to eat out, sometimes we’ll throw a few things around in the kitchen.

What did you chow down on this weekend? Tweet us the goods!

Chowmenow’s Tips to Save Money

Posted on April 18, 2013 by chowmarketing

So you’re working hard, putting in overtime, and living frugally, yet it always seems like you’re scraping by until the next pay check. It’s not like you’re buying bottles of bubbly or renting jet planes, so what gives? Well, there are plenty of things that you’re wasting your money on. And they really add up.

Here are Chowmenow‘s tips on ways to save your money:

Lattes

These can easily cost you over $5 depending on variables like size, syrups, and soy milk. If you’re in desperate need of a java hit, order a small coffee in a medium cup, then fill it up with milk. If it’s a friendly barista, they may even steam the milk for free!

Clothes You Don’t Need

It’s your friend’s birthday. You’re planning a night out with the guys. You’ve got a hot date this weekend. Whatever the occasion may be, we all know the feeling of looking into your closet and thinking “I have nothing to wear!”. But before you drop bills on a shirt that you’ll likely only strut once, try a clothing swap! Invite 3 or 4 of your friends to bring clothes they don’t wear and then swap each other for some sweet new digs that cost you nada.

Brand Name Groceries
Did you know thats the no-name versions of your favourite products have the exact same ingredients as the fancy-labelled brands beside it? It’s always a few bucks cheaper, so don’t go wasting precious dough on marketing!

Eating Out

The fact that you’re reading this blog means you already know that you dont need to pay more than a #ChowFind to eat great grub. Whether it’s a coffee and crepe or a burger, we’ve got plenty of meals that are often less expensive than buying all the ingredients from the grocery store (plus no clean up!).

What are you money saving tips? Tweet us or post on our Facebook page so we can share the cheap love!

Photo Credit: Xconomy; She Knows; Sweet on Veg

FREE LUNCH CONTEST!

Posted on March 21, 2013 by chowmarketing

Want to win a week of free lunches? All you have to do is:

Be a Chowster (aka member). To become a Chowster click here.
Post a review between March 22^nd to March 31st.
That’s it.

The more reviews you add, the more times you’ll be entered to win, so give us the chow down on your latest cheap eats.See, doesn’t get much simpler than that.

The more reviews you add, the more times you’ll be entered to win, so give us the chow down on your latest cheap eats. Just remember that you have to be a Chowster to win.

On Monday, April 1^st, we’ll tally up the reviews and randomly draw a winner, which we’ll announce on our Facebook page. The lucky Chowster will be mailed a $25 Visa gift card – enough for 5 lunches!

Any questions? Hit us back, we’re always around and ready to chow down.

Good luck!

Here’s the Fine Print. Contest Rules:

Must be a registered Chowmenow member
Must post at least one review between March 22^nd and March 31, 2013.
Each review counts as a chance to win, hence the more reviews, the better chance you have of winning.
Each time a review is added, the member’s name will be entered into the draw.
The random draw will take place on April 1, 2013.
After the winner has been announced on our Facebook page, we will mail the winner a $25 Visa gift card (enough for $5 lunches).

Chow Chats with…Amy from Greedy Guts!

Posted on March 19, 2013 by chowmarketing

Born in Australia, this food blogger has travelled around the globe and now calls Vancouver home. Chow chatted with Amy to learn more about how she treats her tastebuds, her favorite #ChowFinds, and her tips on saving money while dining out.

What made you start a food blog?

I started blogging as a way of sharing my food experiences and to encourage people to venture to new places. My hope is that if Vancouverites can read about a place, and look at some pictures of the food, then they may be more inclined to support local, independent food establishments.

How long have you been a blogger?

I started blogging in early 2009, so it has been about 4 years now. It’s crazy how popular food blogging has become in that time. When I started in 2009 there were less than 50 food bloggers on Urbanspoon – there are now over 700 bloggers! It’s just exploded.

Is the culinary scene different or similar to Australia?

I find the culinary scene quite similar because there is a lot of cultural diversity in both countries, however, the big difference I notice in food is the lack of authentic South-East Asian food in Vancouver. Another noticeable difference is the market for organic or local foods. Vancouverites are quite knowledgeable about those sorts of things, whereas when I was living in Australia, this just wasn’t on people’s radars (granted that was a few years ago now!). I do think Vancouver has quite a way to go when it comes to the coffee and café scene.

What’s a food item/restaurant dish that you miss from back home?

I always complain about missing really great coffee (although Vancouver’s coffee scene is slowly improving) and fresh-tasting, modern South-East Asian cuisine, particularly Thai food. I also really miss all the yummy snack foods, like the biscuits and lollies (candies).

You’ve travelled quite extensively. What was the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?

I don’t consider myself a particularly adventurous eater. I’m not someone that enjoys sampling weird dishes, like snake’s blood or sheep’s eyes, so I’d say the most unusual thing I’ve eaten recently was a dessert I had in Paris called Tocino del cielo. It was the gooey texture (like a warm egg yolk) that just really creeped me out.

So naturally we have to ask you, what are some of your favorite $5 or less cheap eats in Vancouver?

I have a sweet tooth so I’d have to say any pastries from Beaucoup Bakery, or donuts from Cartems or Lee’s. On a savoury note, I enjoy the veggie bahn mi from Vietsub on Robson.

Pain au Raisin at Beaucoup Bakery

If there were a meal/dish that you could eat every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

It would have to be pizza or pasta. I’m a sucker for carbs.

Do you have any money saving tips for students and travellers when it comes to eating out?

Don’t order drinks when eating out. I’ve noticed that I can save a lot of money by just ordering water and using the money saved to splurge on more food!

What would your “last meal” be?

It would have to be a repeat visit to either The French Laundry or Eleven Madison. Both were incredible!

Learn more about Amy’s Greedy Guts and culinary adventures on her blog!

Would you like to Chat with Chow? Email shnane@chowmenow.com for more info.

Things that make you smell, “Mmmm!”

Posted on March 12, 2013 by chowmarketing

We’re always up for something new at Chowmenow. Sure, there have been a few choice dishes we’ve chowed on that make us say “hmm?”, but as long as it doesn’t cost more than a fiver, we’re always up for a challenge.

However, there are a few things that best belong on the plate and not on your body…or do they? Check out these random food scented products and you be the judge.

Who needs a BBQ pork sandwich when you can just smell like one? We bet you’ll have a line of hungry construction workers following you!

Ya think you’ll want to add a layer of ketchup onto your lips?

Think we’d rather smell like pullled pork than okra. You?

Now this would be pure torture.

Wonder if it gives you a new fortune every time you apply this?

If you had to flavour a lip balm or lotion with a food scent, which would you choose? Tell us what makes you smell “Mmmm!” on Twitter and Facebook.

Pictures from Huffington Post

Chowmenow Thursday #ChowFinds

Posted on February 28, 2013 by chowmarketing

Hungry? Well, Chowmenow’s got your back, as Thursday is all about the cheap eat #ChowFinds…

Whole Foods on Robson Street

5 for $5 is tonight starting at 3:30p until 5:30pm

Curry 2 U on Granville Island

Tiffin Thursday – Bring your tiffin for a $5 refill (eco and delicious)

The Denman Taphouse: WING NIGHT & NAME THAT TUNE ! Chowmenow

$4.95 a pound and over 30 flavours to choose from
Name that tune: Guess the song, win bar money

Got a great Thursday #ChowFind cheap eat? Give us the goods!

Join the POD-y!

Posted on February 18, 2013 by chowmarketing

Food trucks are arguably the best thing to hit four wheels, and since they’ve rolled in to Vancouver, foodies and the like can’t seem to get enough. So brace yourself, because it’s about to get a whole lot better. We’ve got 3 words for you: Food. Truck. PODS!!

Let’s have a crash course on food truck pods. The first generation of food trucks came about after the American Civil War in Texas. Food trucks (also known as chuckwagons) were invented by Charles Goodnight, a cattle herder who wanted to provide food for his fellow cattlemen as they were on the road for months at a time.

By the 1890s, wagons were popularized in big cities like New York to cater to night-time workers. Later versions of the food truck were mobile canteens that operated for the U.S Army in the 1950s.

Fast forward a few decades, and the food truck revolution came alive once more in Portland, Oregon, as a way to support its small and locally-owned businesses that didn’t have the capital to open up their own full-fledged restaurants.

Now ordering from a window has become all the rage thanks to good food and affordable prices. The rise in popularity may also be credited to social media, making it easier for vendors to connect with hungry feasters on menu items, hours, and location changes. The only issue you may have is deciding what to do when the line-up is too long. Some food trucks are equipped with wireless internet to allow their customers to tweet their experience or play at online gaming sites like FoxyBingo to pass the time. Which way do you chill out before you chow down?

Although plans are still in motion, word has it the city is already considering a few sites that could hold a cluster of food trucks in areas like Downtown, Kitsilano, Fairview, and Mount Pleasant.

So don’t forget to support local businesses and check out the food trucks offering cheap #ChowFinds around town!