Jul 29th - Noodle Box and Sushi Bar for Bard on the Beach Picnic

Best laid plans fell apart tonight.  We like to see Bard on the Beach at least once a year.  It is a lovely event held during the summer in Vancouver.  There are a number of circus like tents set up on Vanier Park near Granville Island that produce at least 4 Shakespearean plans every summer.  They also hold other special events like Opera nights.  I am a huge Shakespeare buff and funnily enough it is D who always has to remind me to buy the tickets each year.  I used to go with Dad every summer when I was a teenager in Toronto to the High Park productions.  I´ve seen many more of the plays than D, so I tend to be pickier.  Luckily, they always have a nice selection of plays so you can choose to see some of the more obscure ones that are not often produced or read in school like Titus.  That way I can avoid seeing ones that I find downright offensive like Taming of the Shrew.  Why do they keep showing that misogynistic play!?

We had tickets to Antony and Cleopatra tonight.  The plan is we meet at Go Fish and take away a 3 piece with fries to eat as a picnic either on the Bard on the Beach grounds after they open the gate or in line Vanier Park beforehand.  Seating is a free for all so people arrive early to wait for the opening.  It's a pleasant environment so not a big deal.  If you wait until after the gate opens, you will have to eat rather quickly.  Gate opens around 7h30 and the show starts at 8ish.

Well, D got home rather late and Go Fish was no longer taking orders at the window.  It was strange since they normally extend their hours to sunset but they were closed by 6h30.  Hohum.  Last minute plan was to drive up to 4th and get our own choices up there.

Noodle Box Cambodian Jungly Curry with Prawn

I went to the Noodle Box, my original craving anyway, and go Cambodian Jungle Curry (medium-hot) to go in their cute little old fashioned asian takeaway box.  I wanted to try something different from the Peanutbutter Sauce one I normally order.  I am glad I tried it but was ever ever so wrong in my selection of heat.  I could have sworn that I normally get 'Hot'.  I am customarily admonished by the girl at the cash that 'Hot' is very hot and have I eaten there before.  So this time, I thought, I want to taste the food, as D would say, and ordered 'Medium-Hot'.  As Lisa said once on the Simpsons after eating Apu's curry, I could see through time.  The first few bites were okay but as I arrived at more and more of the Birdseye Chilis, I could taste nothing else.  There were lots of vegetables and mango and it was nice and hot.  I will try it again but that Medium Hot was ridiculous.  D took one bite and pushed it away.  I made my way through most of it but picked out alot of the chilis.  Call ahead for takeaway orders around dinner time!

D went across the road to the Sushi Bar.  They are normally great with their Brown Rice Sushi rolls.  D ordered a few to go: Kamakazi, Futomaki and Tuna.  He was not overly thrilled.  The Kamakazi fell apart and for the size of the filling cut way too thin to pick up.  The Futomaki fell apart immediately trying to pick it up.  Actually, I find that all the time with the huge Futos. We have eaten in before and loved it so rather disappointed this visit.  Still, I do like the idea of Brown Rice Sushi.

Sushi Bar disappointing Kamakazi Roll

So in the end, I started eating while standing in line and then rush ate it at the picnic tables on the Bard grounds.  D insisted on waiting until we sat down. 

Time for Take-Out: Not bad, 10 minutes for to-order sushi

The Sushi Bar
1822 W 4th Ave
Kitsilano
Vancouver, BC V6J
(604) 737-3999


Time for Take-Out: Slow, they said 15 and it took 25. It was very busy. Call ahead and err on the side of caution on time.
The Noodle Box
1867 W 4th Ave
Vancouver, BC V6J
(604) 734-1310
www.thenoodlebox.net