Popularity of tea blossoms

Exquisite blossoming teas and supplies available in British Columbia

In the past coffee in Canada came in a Styrofoam cup and had little flavour or variety. Today Canadians are sophisticated coffee connoisseurs and even the local gas station offers a wide variety.

As our society becomes more global Canadians are becoming more aware of the benefits of drinking fine tea and are demanding more choice from cafés and restaurants. Will tea-drinking experience the same revolution as coffee drinking did? Experts say, yes, and there is already a wide variety available on the marketplace whether you’re looking for exotic teas or attractive serving dishes and utensils.

While you may be familiar with green tea, herbal tea, roobois and the other varieties that have become as popular as black tea in recent years, you may have overlooked one of the most attractive and beneficial types – blooming tea.

Fine Tea, is one supplier that can help proprietors deliver this exquisite beverage to their costumers. The main ingredient of the blossom is silver needle tea white tea, which is produced in China’s Fujian province using only the buds of the tea bush.

Your guests attention will be brought to the tea drinking experience as they watch the beautiful blossom unfold as the tea steeps – a moment that rewards patience and mindfulness.

To enhance the experience Fine Tea offers a variety of attractive glass vessels. Visit our Suppliers’ Mall at http://www.bcrestaurants.ca/users/man_productList.asp?mfid=1133&lang=2&mf= to see a full selection of products and learn about this unique product.

Great deals on Nirvana Indian cuisine

Looking for a deal on the ultimate Indian cuisine in Vancouver?

Nirvana Restaurant posted two new coupons on BCRestaurants.ca!

For a limited time receive 50 per cent off your second entree. Print the coupon at http://www.bcrestaurants.ca/couponscode/printCoupon.asp?couponID=282&title=NIRVANA.

Feel like eating in? Nirvana offers 10 per cent off take-away. Print the coupon here: http://www.bcrestaurants.ca/couponscode/printCoupon.asp?couponID=147&title=NIRVANA.

Table for two? Nirvana also has great combo specials, including a veggie dinner for two (pakoras with chutney, veggie jalfrezi, mutter paneer, rice(2), naan(2), papadum and kheer) for only $31 and a non-veggie dinner for two (chicken/veggie pakoras with chutney, butter chicken, lamb vindaloo, rice(2), naan(2), papadum and kheer) for only $35.

Nirvana is centrally located at 2313 Main St. at 7th in Vancouver. Treat your mom on Mother's Day and they'll treat her to a special dessert!

New deal at AKA Sushi

Join Reader Rewards for great deals

North Vancouver’s AKA Sushi has added a brand new coupon to BCRestaurants.ca’s Review Rewards Program.

This means that customers who visit AKA Sushi and write about their experience will receive a special deal on their next visit.

AKA Sushi is a very popular spot. In fact, it was the recipient of the North Shore News Readers Choice Awards covering North Vancouver and West Vancouver in 2007 and 2009 and came in second in 2011.

All you have to do is sign up as a member of BCRestaurants.ca, tell us what you think and you will receive a special savings coupon for a delicious roll.

Visit Chef Eric Chen and the rest of the staff at AKA Sushi and become a member of the Review Rewards club to receive great food at great savings. To sign up, click here: http://www.akasushi.ca/feedback.html.

AKA Sushi is located at 751 Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver.

Spring produce is on the way

Take advantage of the best of the season by biting into seasonal produce.

The best way to get most out of the produce you eat is to buy it in season. This means you can buy it when it’s fresh, not after it’s been on the road for days or weeks. The result is better taste and more nutrients.

So what’s in season in the spring?

Asparagus: A versatile veggie that’s not to be missed. Broiled, braised baked or blanched. Add some slivered almonds and lemon juice or cook it in a risotto. Nothing says spring like asparagus.

Cherries (coming soon): You might need to wait awhile longer, but you can still dust off your cherry pie recipe in the meantime.

Fiddleheads: Blink and you might miss these odd but delightful wild fern shoots. They can be served in ways similar to asparagus or look for more elaborate recipes online.

Lettuce: Delicious-tasting lettuce will start turning up in farmers’ markets across the province. You know what to do; wash and eat!

Mint: Mint can create a fresh spring taste to almost any dish.

Peas: Tender and delicious, peas taste best when they’re fresh.

Radishes: Crunchy and tasty this time of year, your salads are crying out for radishes.

Rhubarb: Sweet and sour, rhubarb is delicious in desserts or other sweet and sour recipes.

Strawberries: Canadian strawberries won’t be here until late spring, but we can always dream.

What are your favourite seasonal fruits and vegetables? Join our discussion. How do you prepare spring produce? Post your recipe at bcrestaurants.ca in our forum.

Get online without the hassle

BCRestaurants.ca hosts restaurants online

With more and more customers making their plans for the evening or the weekend online, it’s essential for restaurants to have a website.

A website needs to whet the appetite of your customers and keep them coming back for more.

But for owners, who are busy dealing with customers, suppliers, new menus and crunching numbers, it can be almost impossible to find the time to fit website design into the day.

BCRestaurants.ca has the answer. We already have the targeted web traffic that you want to reach, and we can design and host your website online. There is no need to learn about search engine optimization or worry about your Google Analytics. With a website on BCRestaurants.ca, you can reach 4.7 million website visitors per year.

Visit BCRestaurants.ca for more information about website design and hosting.

BC residents support Japan

Fundraisers underway across B.C.

With the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, B.C. residents are opening their hearts and doing what they can to help.

Friendship between British Columbia and Japan runs deep and one of the ways we show our friendship is with food. That’s why there’s been so many restaurants hosting fundraisers and specials with proceeds going to Japan.

Individuals can help in their own way. Consider hosting a party. Instead of bringing gifts, guests can bring a donation to the Red Cross: www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=000005&tid=003.

Do you have an idea for a fundraiser, or would you like to report on a fundraiser you attended. Visit our Facebook page or our forum at bcrestaurants.ca/foodbbs/foodbbs.asp?languageCode=2&lang=2. Are you a restaurant that is considering hosting a fundraiser for Japan? Visit bcrestaurants.ca for information on how to post an event.

Rising food prices hit consumer pocketbooks

Look for local deals when eating out

Rising food prices have us all thinking about how we can stretch our budgets whether we’re restaurant owners or consumers.

Some restaurants are raising prices or offering smaller portions for the same price. Some are switching to less expensive ingredients.

Some of the hardest hit ingredients are sugar, coffee, chicken, beef and bread. Experts say it’s global unrest and rising fuel costs that are causing the increase. It may be time to start looking for local produce at your grocery if you want to keep your spending in check. If you can’t find local produce, some farms sell direct to consumers, or check out your local farmers market here: www.bcfarmersmarket.org.

Customers can help ease the impact on their budgets and still enjoy eating out. It just takes a little bit of research before hand.

You can find coupons and deals on bcrestaurnts.ca/couponscode/getDBcoupon.asp.

How are you adjusting to rising food prices at your home or business? Join the discussion in our forum or visit our Facebook page.

Patio’s are in season

Carefully consider the costs and practicalities if you’re thinking of adding a patio to your business

With spring approaching the streets are alive with Canadians starved for fresh air and outdoor dining experiences.

There’s nothing like hearing the sounds of music and laughter wafting from a roof top patio or down the alley from the back of a restaurant.

There’s no doubt that during the warmer months, a patio can increase your restaurant’s attractiveness. But, on the other hand, with only a few months of comfortable weather in Canada, is it worth the expense?

Before you decide if you want to create a patio, you might want to look up your city’s regulations. An excellent resource for this is http://www.bizpal.ca.com. Here you can type in your postal code and details about your business, and the site will refer you to what permits you may need.

Another important thing to look at is smoking regulations. B.C. allows smoking on patios that aren’t enclosed as long as the smoke isn’t entering the restaurant. However, your municipality or local health authority may have additional regulations you need to consider. Even if you’re satisfied that your customers may legally smoke on your patio, you may want to consider how you will address complaints by your neighbours or by fellow diners.

Another major factor restaurants need to consider is the space they have available. You may have room for a patio in your back lane, but is this going to be an appealing space for diners? You might have to look at “greening” the area by planting trees and shrubs or totally fencing off the patio to screen customers from the sight of dumpsters and compost heaps. Check out some decoration suppliers at http://bcrestaurants.ca/products/products.asp?cateid=10&cate=Other+Services&lang=2&subid=93&subc=Decoration.

Are you a contractor who can help with building, design or décor of restaurant patios? Do you sell patio furniture? Link your services to thousands of B.C. restaurants at href=http://bcrestaurants.ca.

Another thing to consider is whether you have sufficient staff to service a patio. There’s nothing worse for a customer than sitting outside wondering if the wait staff knows you are there. Consider hiring temporary staff for the summer months.

Are you thinking about just a few tables on the sidewalk? Again it’s important to check out your municipality’s regulations. It’s also important to consider the comfort of pedestrians. If you’re customers are smoking, are they going to complain? Are your tables impeding their movement? They won’t consider eating at your business if your tables become a nuisance. Also consider how you will deal with people who are using your chairs and tables as a public rest area. Staff may not relish the idea of having to police the outdoor tables. Fencing can help make it clear to the public that the area is for customers.

What do you think? Is a patio worth the time and effort? Have you added a patio? What are some of the challenges you faced and how did you overcome them? Are you considering adding a patio? What questions do you have? Join our forum to discuss your ideas and concerns at http://bcrestaurants.ca/foodbbs/foodbbs.asp?languageCode=2&lang=2, or follow bcrestaurants.ca on Twitter and join the conversation.