Shift Mama

Review: Chef's Plate Meal Delivery

The last of the four main Meal Delivery kits that I set out at the end of the summer to try out and review. 

 

I was pleased to learn that Chef's Plate has a BC packing facility, which means the food that travels to us spends less time in transit then the other kits that we reviewed.  

 

Registration and Order

 

I found the website fast and responsive, I was able to scroll through the different meal options and get an idea of what was in the recipes and how long they would take to make.  Chef's Plate has four different meal options: Classic, Family, 15 Minute, and Vegetarian.  We opted for Classic which gave us a variety of means to choose from, including some vegetarian, some that were 15 minute and some that were larger and designed to make two dinners and two lunches (these are an extra cost).   I did take advantage of a Three Free Plates offer from an internet friend - if you want to do the same please use this link:  ThreeFreePlatesFromShiftMama  so I ordered one of those to checkout out and was not disappointed! 

 

The average price for box is $65 for three meals for two people, and payment is through credit card only (again another one without paypal!). 

 

After the Order

We received an order confirmation and delivery tracking updates.  I didn't change the order after I made it unfortunately can't comment on how easy (or difficult) it is. 

 

Delivery and Presentation

Delivery to my area comes on one of two days:  Tuesday or Friday.  We did one box on Tuesday and realized that now The Kid is back to her full training schedule and I was working until 5, giving us a 5 minutes turn around window in between when I got home and leaving for the pool that getting a week day delivery was not the best.  The second week we switched to Friday which was fun - no worried about what to eat for dinner on the weekend and no need to rush for groceries on Saturday either.  It did seem like kind of a waste though, I'm not strapped for time on the weekend.  

 

This box comes with the food packaged in paper bags, which is fine now that I know to check the ingredients and store veggies where they should be - either in the crisper or not in the fridge.  I liked that this box came without the shiny foil paper lining it, it's easier to recycle.  

 

Freezer packs can either be reused or thawed and disposed of. 

 

Ingredients are individually packaged and some spices etc are in a small ziplocks while others are in a sealed packet.  I thought it was strange that it wasn't consistent. 

 

Meals:  

So funny story - because we have been so crazy busy with work, school and synchro training we mostly have been cooking the meals and then eating them so fast I haven't had a chance to take many pictures! 

 

 I do have a collection of pictures and some general feedback.  I did read some comments about the flavours of this box being a bit bland and to be honest we have seen that in a few meals.  In particular the 15 minutes ones tend to be bland and/or spicy - but just spicy not a spiciness that comes from flavours building and having time to develop.    The Kid kind of summed it up when she told me the flavours of this box are either amazing, boring or spicy.  There's no really middle ground. 

 

We did find that with this box the meals almost always made two dinners and at least enough for me to take for lunch the next day which was a really bonus! 

 

We have decided that this will be the box that we will continue with, cooking times have been consistent to what the recipe card says, there is a variety of meals to choose from, and the instructions are pretty easy to follow (we haven't had any issues so far).  The Kid even wants to pick some of the recipes in the future so she can make them herself! 

 

 

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps plus lunch. This was a more expensive option and included extra ingredients (rice) to make two lunches as well as the dinner. This was one of our favourite dishes out of the entire process!

Malaysian Mango Noodles, quick and easy to make. Found it it interesting that there wasn't a protein to go with it, seemed like more of a lunch than dinner.

Piri Piri Chicken, a 15 minute meal. It was quick but also spicy, I think if this was a longer prep meal the flavour would have been more than just spice.

Sweet and Sour Pork. This was our least favourite of all the meals we made. It lacked flavour but was easy to make.

Friday Food Fun: Sunny's - A Modern Diner

We are long time fans of RauDZ  in Kelowna (and the other restaurants that they operate: Micro and Terrafina at Hester Creek Winery) so were super excited to hear that they were expanding to open another restaurant in Kelowna.  Sunny's - A Modern Diner opened in late spring and is aimed at the breakfast and lunch crowd and is way more family friendly than their other locations: The Kid has eaten with us at Terrafina during an adventure down to Osoyoos, and although minors are welcome at RauDZ it is really best enjoyed in the company of adults.  Micro is 19+ so she'll have to wait a few more years.  

Sunny's is one of the few locations on Bernard that really feels family friendly to me.  That's not to say that many other restaurants in the downtown area don't welcome families, it's just that it seems most establishments are focused on drawing tourists down for drinks after a day boating or wine touring.  Great for the summer economy but doesn't do a lot to continue to draw locals down when the tourists head out in September. 

Anyway - we made our way down to Sunny's bright and early in mid-June to check it out.  Although it was before 8am we weren't alone at Sunny's there were several other groups already there enjoying the relative quiet of downtown Kelowna before the weekend really takes off.  

We are early risers, so definitely count ourselves as breakfast people.  The menu had a lot to chose from and I personally loved that coffee came in large cups - no tiny 1/2 cup size vessels here!   We did appreciate the assistance of our server translating some of the diner lingo for us - we ordered Chicks on a Raft, Cluck and Grunt, and BBBenny & the Jets  (check the menu link for translation!) 

We also decided that  we had to order the breakfast poutine to share (you only live once, right??).  It was too much food but it's was a fun time trying four different dishes. 

Cluck and Grunt and Breakfast Poutine at Sunny's

Everyone enjoyed what they ordered, the breakfast poutine turned out to be the least favourite of all the dishes, but we still enjoyed it but it just didn't have enough heat melt the curds, loved the fried egg on top though!   We also really enjoyed seeing that a few of the dishes on the menu are also found in The Okanagan Table cookbook, which we already own and have since tried replicating a few of the breakfast/lunch dishes - the favourite there being what Sunny's calls Chicks on a Raft, but the cookbook has listed as Sharp Cheddar Scramble on PB Toast (Chicks on a Raft has a better ring to it), we have some how taken to calling it Chicks on a Stick at our house, likely a throw back to our days at Panorama Ski Resort where there was a ladies day ski group called Chicks on Sticks. 

Sunny's is a fun, relatively quick service, restaurant with cheery atmosphere and just steps from the lake front.  It's a great addition to Bernard and hopefully a step in the right direction towards bringing families back to Bernard. 

Sunn'y Decor is light and welcoming

 

 

Type:  Breakfast/Lunch, Family 

Kid Friendly: Yes, we had out daughter with us and several other tables had kids with them as well.  Breakfast is one of the most kid friendly meals I find! 

Wifi: Uncertain, however I am pretty sure that the wifi from the Tim Hortons two stores down would reach. 

Budget Friendly:  Moderate 

Special Diet Options:  Unknown

Reservations Required:  Nope

Would Visit Again: Yes, we'll head down again in the offseason for lunch or maybe just to sample a milkshake

 

Friday Food Fun: The Sandwich Company

It's funny how the busier we get the more I feel the need to grab a quick meal (that someone else cooks) and yet just can't seem to get the time to go out!  

My work schedule has changed slightly giving me more time home in the evenings, so really I do have lots of time to cook dinner (even if I don't want to) so instead of a dinner out Friday Food Fun I've got something slightly different! Friday Food Fun - The Breakfast Edition! 

The Sandwich Company is located in the Landmark Buildings in Kelowna, they are in building directly across from the one I work in, so it's a quick two minute walk over to grab a Sandwich, soup, poutine, or breakfast.  A lot of my friends dash over for lunch and I have in the past also stopped in for a sandwich, they have ready made ones as well as a selection of other sandwiches and burgers that you can order from the menu.  I've done both and have enjoyed everything I've ordered, although admittedly they are a bit over my usual under $10 for lunch budget. 

 Breakfast options on the other hand are bit closer to my budget.  The Sandwich Company has three breakfast offerings (plus assoted muffins, pastries and standard items like toast).  I've had two of the three and have been happy with both of them. 

The Eggie Sandwich:  Standard breakfast sandwich with a bit of a surprise with the addition of of their tomato bacon jam adding combination of sweet and tangy bite to the breakfast.  Although I do prefer a crunchier bread for my breakfast sandwiches (like an english muffin or toasted biscuit) the bun was tasty and altogether this was a filling breakfast for just over $5. 

More impressive (and filling) is The Bowl.  Two fried eggs served over a sweet potato and potato hash with mushrooms and spinach.  With the runny egg yolk I couldn't help but thing of this as a breakfast poutine (minus the cheese).  Super filling and a great blend of flavours and textures. This so far is my favourite breakfast/lunch dish.  The Bowl is $6 (or maybe $6.50?) and totally worth it.   I was running late the day I had this one, so no picture unfortunately - you'll just have to trust me when I say it was great. 

 

Type:  Bistro/Cafe

Kid Friendly: Yes, but being located in an office building environment the hours are Mon-Friday 9 to 4 so don't plan on visiting over the weekend.

Wifi: Yes

Budget Friendly:   Moderately, you can find cheaper sandwiches out there but also more expensive.

Special Diet Options:  I believe so.  I think there are some gluten free options. 

Reservations Required:  No

Would Visit Again:  Yes 

 

Friday Food Fun: Bliss Bakery Bernard

I really had no idea Kelowna had so many great local coffee shops and bakeries to chose from until I really started to look.  Bliss Bakery has been a favourite of ours since we first moved here, but I realized I have never share the love! 

Bliss Bakery has a four locations to visit (plus a fifth location where they make all the food for the retail location) so if you don't want to venture into downtown Kelowna to check out this amazing option, no problem - you can visit them in West Kelowna or Peachland. 

We usually head to the location on Ellis, but recently stopped in for a coffee and treat on a Sunday morning at the Bernard location.  It's just steps from the lake, so was the perfect stop for us after a winter lakeside walk. 

Bliss Bakery - Sunday Morning Coffee and Cookie

Both the Bernard and Ellis locations have a warm and cozy feel to them, with lots of seating (as far as coffee shops/bakeries go).  We have never been disappointed with the treats that we have chosen, and so far each time we've picked something new so we don't have favourites to share with you yet ....  there are just so many things to try that it is too soon to pick a favourite.    I can recommend the peanut butter chocolate chunk cookie though (in case you are stumped and need help choosing!). 

Bars, Tarts, and Other Goodies at the Ellis Location

 

So Many Cookies to Choose From!

We loved the atmosphere of the Bernard location, it has several different areas to it - the front/middle with standard tables and chairs - prefect for a quick bite. The back area has a collection of comfortable arm chairs and a relaxed coffee house feel which would be great for catching up with friends over a coffee.  They also have another room tucked off to the side that can be reserved for meetings or gatherings which I think is a really great idea - Kelowna is really lacking in meeting places for small groups so think this will get a lot of use! 

Cozy Seating at Bliss

 

More Seating at the Front of Bliss Bakery

 

Quick Review Notes Bliss Bakery on Bernard: 

Type: Bakery/Coffee Shop

Kid Friendly: Yes

Wifi: Yes

Budget Friendly:  Similar to big chain coffee shop pricing. Expect to pay between $5 and $7 per person depending on order

Special Diet Options:  Yes, some Gluten Free Options were present 

Reservations Required:  Nope

Would Visit Again:  Yes, great location downtown means we pass by regularly and try and visit a few times a year. 

Friday Food Fun: Mr. Mozzarella

Happy Holidays Everyone!  

Just wanted to put up a quick Friday Food Fun post for all the exhausted parents out there.  December is jam packed with activities, events, parties, and the need to get out and enjoy this first bit of winter so dinner plans sometimes get hard to make.  We have a favourite place to grab a quick dinner close to our house: Mr. Mozzarella.  This local pizza place is a life saver. They do pizza by the slice, as well as traditional order and pick up full pizzas.  You can also pick up wings, pasta, salads and deserts but we've only ever had pizza from there. 

We love the variety of pizzas and their sauce - it's not too spicy like some non-chain places can be, but at the same time not bland, so all the tastebuds in our house are happy.   Mr. Mozzarella pizzas also have a thick crust, soft and chewy with just a bit of crunch on the bottom, and I like the amount of cheese on the pizzas as well - just the right balance of cheese to toppings. 

Pizza generally takes about 20-30 minutes between ordering and pick up - this timing as well makes it the perfect holiday (or workday meal) you can order when you are leaving whatever event or activity you are at, and by the time you navigate Kelowna traffic is ready and waiting for you. 

Mr. Mozzarella has three locations in Kelowna: Upper Mission, Glenmore, and West Kelowna.   Looking for a recommendation on what to order?  Our top three choices are: Pizza Lover's Dream, The Canadian, and the Mr. Mozzarella.  A medium pizza is the perfect size for when it is just the kid and myself, if the Husband is home we go with two mediums, or one large (if we can all agree on one type!) 

Next time you are stuck (or just don't want to cook!) and need a quick dinner, give them a try! 

Mr. Mozzarella Pizza

 

Pizza Lover's Dream Pizza

Also, this totally counts for "Go Out For Dinner" on my Working Moms 2018 Countdown! 

 

Fun Food Friday: Third Space

So I'm back to work!  And back in an area of Kelowna that I love working in - the Landmark Area.  It's mostly full of office buildings but over the past few years more residential building have come in and along with that comes more places to eat (and not just during the work hours).  I've mentioned a few other favourite places in the Fun Food Friday series so I'll throw those links in at the end. 

This week it's all about coffee.  My new job includes learning a lot of things, about the company, about the services we provide and about all the software we use - and almost every program is brand new to me!  So that means, coffee....lots of coffee.

I started the week by showing up early to the new job (seems like I got an email message that was meant for the crew in Toronto that was starting the same time) so I had about half an hour to kill and decided to head over to Third Space for a coffee.  Third Space is a coffee shop, meeting space,and wellness organization/provider.  It does a little bit of everything.  I don't know anything about the wellness side so I'll just focus on the coffee space.  

I love the wide open layout of this place, the natural light, and the acoustics, unlike some other coffee spots in the city that also have wide open spaces this one was designed so that you can still hear the people you are grabbing a coffee with - it's not quiet but also not noisy. And there are a variety of seating options - coffee chairs, bar stools, and tables.  It's a great mix and you can almost always find the seat that you need.  We've also attended a special event/work shop hosted at Third Space - it was our first introduction to Third Space.

Coffee here is great, and in line price-wise with other coffee shops.  I do find that the food is fairly pricey, I've been stuck a few times and grabbed a sandwich or salad from their cooler at the same time as my coffee and have been surprised at the price (it's a great kick in the pants/reminder to never forget your lunch).  That being said the last time I was there (Friday at the end of the week) there wasn't any food in the coolers, so maybe they have moved away from that to focus more on coffee and baked treats? 

Third Space is high on my recommended places to meet in Kelowna, especially now that they are open later in the evenings and on Saturday.  If you haven't been, definitely check them out! 

 

Interesting Seating and Comfy Atmosphere

 

Lots of Windows for Natural Light

 

Occasional Special Events and Classes are Hosted Here Too!

 

 

Other Spots to Grab a bite (or coffee) in the Landmark Area that I have written about...more to come! 

Dunn Enzies Pizza Post

Mount Royal Bagel

 Valoroso Foods 

Komatsu Japanese Market

 

Friday Food Fun: Pakwaan Restaurant

It's been a while since we've been out but today seemed like a good day to take a walk and check out a recently opened restaurant in the neighbourhood. 

Pakwaan opened in the Glenmore area of Kelowna this summer and has an interesting mix of cuisine: Indian and Greek.  It's an odd combination but one that we really enjoyed.  

Pakwaan is a small space and they seem to still be working on the decor (it's pretty minimal) and the service.  We arrived just before every other seat in the place filled up, and it was clear that the single server was a bit overwhelmed, but did a pretty decent job keeping everyone happy even though the food took quite a bit of time.  

We started with Vegetable Pakora, amazingly The Kid really loved them and wants to learn how to make them, which is a great for me because it seems like an amazing way to use up all the random veggies in the fridge! 

We took full advantage of the fact that the menu had two different cuisines: The Kid went with the Greek menu and I chose from the Indian options.  She had Chicken Souvlaki which came with greek salad, potatoes, and pita and tzatziki  .   I opted for butter chicken with naan (next time I would also order rice).  

 The food was worth the wait and I am sure as Pakwaan gets a few more weeks under their belt the issues with service time will get worked out.   We'll be repeat customers for sure! 

 

Friday Food Fun: Marmalade Cat Cafe

Marmalade Cat Cafe is a cute local cafe located on Pandosy Street in Kelowna.  It has been on my list of places to check out for ages and we finally got there! 

I first noticed the cafe one day a few years ago when I was at a nearby school helping with their Jump Rope for Heart day, I'm really disappointed with myself that I opted to go to a chain place across the street for coffee instead of stopping here on that day!   The Marmalade Cat has a great menu with lots of variety of baked goods, drinks (hot and cold) and does wraps, panini, salads, and soups, as well as breakfast options.  

The Kid and I visited Marmalade Cat on a Sunday morning.  We decided to just get baked goods and coffee to go but could have grabbed a table and eaten there, soaking up the easy going Sunday morning vibe.  The prices are quite reasonable, we had two coffees (ok, steamed milk and a latte), a muffin, a lemon bar, and two macarons and it cost us just over $13 - we did have a coupon for one of the drinks, so without that it would have been around $18.

Marmalade Cat Cafe has gluten free and vegetarian options so there is something for everyone.   If you go I recommend getting the egg muffin - the staff member that was helping us described it as life changing....I'm not sure it was life changing but it was very good and has a surprise inside, a fully cooked hard boiled egg! 

We visited on a weekend morning, which meant there was lots of parking to be found in the area, and it was free.  During the week days you will have to pay for parking and it can sometimes be challenging to find parking!  The great thing is though that this area has a lot of fun shops to check out on your way to the cafe, if you have to park somewhere farther away!

I also recommend grabbing your coffee to go and heading to one of the nearby beaches to enjoy the scenery and your coffee (and macarons!). 

Grab a Seat and enjoy the cafe!

Menu Board and Display Case

Egg Muffin: How did they get the egg in there?

Adorable Kitty Macaron!

Cheery exterior to brighten the day!

Friday Food Fun: Bean Scene & The What Shall We Eat Jar

Right, so the whole thing with Friday Food Fun and the What Shall We Eat Jar is that we randomly pull a place to eat for the next week from the jar and that is where we (are supposed to) go. Except when the restaurant pulled is a super fancy french restaurant!   Last week after our Pulp Fiction visit The Kid pulled Bouchons Bistro from the jar.  I knew that it was slightly fancier than the usual places that we would go for Fun Food Friday but didn't realize just how much fancier (read: pricer).  When The Kid updated the jar at the end of the summer she found a website listing places to eat in Kelowna and asked me how many $ is too many for the jar - I said $$ because honestly anything over that is just way to much for a quick family dinner.  Somehow Bouchons snuck in there!

Not to say that we won't go there, I have heard amazing things about the food and overall experience but I think we'll wait for a special occasion to try it out.  

 

Instead we opted for a quick visit to Bean Scene after Sole Girls (an awesome tween empowement and running club).  Maybe grabbing a steamed milk and giant peanut butter cookie after running isn't the healthies option but it was good. 

 

Bean Scene is a local company with three outlets.  The one we visited was in the Landmark area, again close to my work, and I have been there many times. We also like their Big White outlet and are looking forward to popping into their new opened place on Bernard (they moved a block away from their former Bernard store front). 

Bean Scene, Big White Location

 

I have grabbed lunch from Bean Scene in the past and have been happy with the choices.  They are maybe a bit more expensive then I would ordinarily like to pay for lunch, but their lunches are healthy - lots of whole grains, fresh produce, and in house made dressings.   Lunch does come in under $10 but I do find it pricey for the amount of lunch compared to the amount of $.  I guess though the arguament can be made that you are paying for quality not quantity. 

 

My usual order, both at Landmark and Big White is a vanilla latte. I will say that I get confused when ordering sizes at Bean Scene.  At Big White you order by cup colour (green or blue) and at Landmark the sizes are short, tall, and a third one that is just too big and I can't remember the term!  Cookies at bean scene come in one size GIANT or share-with-a-friend.  I am huge fan of the peanut butter one and ginger molasses one. 

 

 

 

On to the jar.  Although I really like the surprise of genuinely not knowing what is in the jar, I did have to take a look at all the slips of paper to evaluate for price and location (we have already eliminated a take out pizza place located in SE Kelowna - that's a bit too far to drive for a slice!).  Here is the most recent list for the What Shall We Eat Jar. 

 

Bon Ga (Korean)        

Amora Pizza (*currently for sale so who knows...)

Bohemian Cafe and Catering

Yamoto (Asian, connected to the Oriental Grocery Store)

Mad Mango 

Mekong 

Bliss Bakery

Makoto

Mama Rosa (Italian)

Okanagan Street Food

Little Hobo Soup and Sandwich 

Central 

Greenleaf Cafe

Giobean Espresso

MTL (Montreal Smoked Meat)

Sandrines (Desert)

Yamas

Cecil's Perogy

Momo Sushi

O'Zeiki 

Mabui Sushi 

Da Tandoor Fusion 

Naked Cafe (Vegan) 

Sunset Organic Cafe (at Summerhill Winery) 

Mon Thong Thai 

Hansen's Classic Pizza

Sofie's Asian Market and Bistro

Curious Cafe 

Zabb Thai 

HQ 49

Jamica Mi Crazy 

Antico Pizza 

El Taquero

Pho Soc Trang 

Joon's Kitchen

Wasabi Izakaya

Soul Cuba Cafe 

 

Next Week:  Little Hobo Soup and Sandwich 

 

 

 

Friday Food Fun: Pulp Fiction Coffee House

I know last week I mentioned that this week's Friday Food Fun would be Jitterbug Diner in Downtown Kelowna but.....when we went downtown to grab a quick lunch we discovered Jitterbugs is permanently closed! 

This discovery led us to add a new rule to Friday Food Fun:  when something that has been opened less than a year and/or is located downtown is pulled from the jar we must also pull a second option (just in case).   Downtown seems to be a tough place for small restaurants to make a go of it.  Very few small places seem to be able to ride out the fluctuation of business that comes with high traffic tourist season (May through August) and low traffic local season (the rest of the year). 

So, after wandering bit and deciding we didn't want sushi, which eliminated about 75% of the downtown options, the kid suggested we just grab coffee.  Deal. We headed to a funky little shop that we "discovered" last year. Pulp Fiction Coffee House has been a locals mainstay for quite a while, it's located just off Bernard so unless you are looking for it, you'll probably miss it.  Pulp Fiction has a cool 50s furniture decor vibe and is connected to Robbie's Rare Books, an antiques and used book store.   Robbie is the standard poodle that resides in the Rare Book side.  The first time we visited we thought he was a statue - he's so calm and just watches the customers. 

We've really only ever had coffee at Pulp Fiction but they do have a selection of baked goods, treats, and sandwiches on offer.  Pulp Fiction is a great spot to grab a coffee and people watch (sit inside or out, they have lots of sidewalk tables and chairs) or grab a to go coffee and head down to city park for the ultimate Kelowna people watching experience.  Sometimes it is worth venturing off the beaten path, bypassing the mega chains and walking into a small local spot Pulp Fiction proves that to us!

 

Next week: We drew Bouchons Bistro out of the jar. It looks extremely fancy though, so not sure if we'll head there or redraw.  Check back next week to see! 

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