Meet my new 2 year old Pomeranian, Teddy Bear. He was a stray dog who got put into an animal control shelter in California, and rescued by Pamela’s Dogs, a local small dog rescue organization.  Teddy is getting used to city life with me, and is adjusting very well to being a city dog.  Being a dog owner in downtown unlocks an entirely new perspective of Vancouver for me.  I’ve been frequently visiting Bosleys in Yaletown, Vancouver Pet Store, Bow Wow Haus, Barking Babies as well as Pawsh Dog Spa to get myself in tune with the pet-owner world.  Teddy will also be starting personal one-on-one dog training with Nik at BarkBusters this week, to work on the separation anxiety issues that many rescue dogs have.  Stay tuned on Modern Mix Vancouver for upcoming posts on pet-related features.

In the meantime, if you’re interested in fostering or trial-adopting a small dog, check out Pamela’s Dogs!  Or attend one of Pamela’s small dog adoption events at your local Bow Wow Haus (Davie & Jervis, West 4th Ave & Pine or Broadway & Macdonald).

By Manveet Virk, Modern Mix Vancouver writer

Are you set to hang on to winter for one last blast Vancouver? Illuminate Yaletown is just around the corner with fourteen artists putting in their hearts and souls to give us awesome interactive light shows that will make the streets glow from blocks away.  Part of the popular City and Slope Event, Illuminate Yaletown is for those who want to stay within city limits and witness Yaletown making a remarkable transformation. If you still need convincing, check out the images from last year’s Flickr 2011 Illuminate Yaletown Photo Contest. All I can say is… eat your heart out LiteBright!

As I have previously written on Modern Mix Vancouver, Hidden Restaurant  is located on the second floor inside the Westin Grand Hotel in Downtown Vancouver. Every time I have gone there for a meal, I have been impressed by their extensive menu pairing and excellent service – going there for brunch was no different!

Our meal started off with complementary breakfast pastries – a raspberry crown, a maple syrup plait and a cinnamon swirl.  (By the way, my pasty names could be totally off, I found this image off Google and matched ‘em up).

I noticed that many of the breakfast and brunch menu items have a slight flavour twist to them.  For example, the Buttermilk and Lemon Waffle ($16) were made with lavender butter, which is a unique butter pairing, or the Mexicana Benedict ($16) which was topped with a chili-lime hollandaise.  I ended up ordering the Frenchie’s Breakfast Poutine ($15) which consists of two poached eggs served over roasted potato hash, little qualicum cheesery curds and topped with hollandaise.  I liked how the hearty serving of fresh cut potatoes was the focus of this meal – often in breakfast dishes, hash-browns are off to the side.

My friend ordered the Sausage Split ($19), which is a breakfast spin off from a banana split, consisting of three poached eggs on hash browns stuffed between a roasted toulouse sausage and finished with a sweet pepper relish.

We also ordered coffee, and our server was thoughtful enough to put our last complementary refill in a disposable cup so we could keep the coffee with us while walking around downtown.  Not too many places would offer to do that – I think other breakfast restaurants have a lesson to learn from this!

Lastly, if you are a local resident of Vancouver, you get 25% off your bill for breakfast & brunch at Hidden Vancouver!

By Joanna Lee, Modern Mix Vancouver writer

Award-winning pastry chef Thierry Busset opened Thierry Patisserie in early August in partnership with the Top Table Group (CinCin, West, Araxi and Blue Water Cafe). Busset led the pastry programs at CinCin and West with his talent and creativity such that Vancouver Magazine said he is “widely regarded as one of North America’s finest pastry chefs.” Located in Vancouver’s downtown core on Alberni Street, Thierry can be found under a large awning with an outdoor patio that evokes the storefront patisseries in France.

Thierry Patisserie is also a chocolaterie and cafe, offering a variety of hand-crafted chocolates made from artisanal dairy products, and an assortment of French pastries, macarons, croissants and madeleines. Everything is made daily using fresh seasonal fruits and premium chocolate ingredients.

The shop at Thierry is a many splendored thing. An extensive range of exquisitely packaged products is on display, handcrafted daily and using only premium ingredients: the freshest fruits, artisanal dairy products and, bien sûr, the world’s finest chocolate. Splendid, too, are a variety of signature macarons and rich ice creams and sorbets, each ready to take home or present as a gift.

In addition to Thierry’s sweet delectables, one can also find a grilled prosciutto, salami or salmon sandwich on house-baked bread, as well as a super green quiche and daily gazpacho, which are designed exclusively by Chef Todd Howard of CinCin Ristorante. Thierry is a fully licensed cafe, offering spiked coffees and teas, aperitifs, spirits, and beers. Wines are also available and have been chosen to pair with Thierry’s chocolates.

Thierry Patisserie is at 1059 Alberni Street and is open 7 days a week until midnight.

Vancouver’s The Word On The Street is back for its 16th year with another full free day of indoor and outdoor author events, exhibits, performances, a marketplace, and all-round reading and writing excitement.  Festival-goers will find 100+ diverse readings and acts that are all free in a lively environment that includes a marketplace with 150+ interesting book and magazine-related exhibitors.  Drop by on Sunday, September 26 (11am to 5pm) at Library Square and CBC Plaza (Homer and Hamilton Streets between Robson and Georgia).

The word “Sabai” means relaxation and comfort in the Thai language. The first location of Sabai Thai Spa was opened on the North Shore in 2005 but earlier this year, its second location opened in Coal Harbour (571 Cardeo Street). I was invited to try one of its spa services and I chose the “Nuad Pra Kob”, an ancient Thai Herbal Compress Massage because Sabai Thai is one of the few Thai spas in Canada which offer this ancient service.

An incredible treatment that uses many Thai herbs: plai, ginger, lemongrass, turmeric and cumin; all wrapped in an incredibly soothing, warm cotton compress. When the compress is steamed, and applied to the skin with a specific massage technique, the essential oils from the herbs are transferred to the lucky recipients skin. This unique combination of heat, herbs, aromatic scent, and massage help to reduce muscular tension, increases blood circulation, stimulate lymphatic drainage and ease a restless mind.

My first impression of Sabai Thai Spa noted its earthy, oriental decor.  Stone floors, some Thai decor and several plants.  While waiting for my room to be prepared, I sat on a wooden bench among some silky cushions and drank a cup of warm ginger tea made from a Thai powdered mix and available to purchase at the spa.  Identical to other spas, my massage took place in a dimly lit room with calm music playing.  As the Thai Herbal Compress massage started, I could almost compare it to a hot stone massage – but with a softer texture.

Basically, an assortment of healing herbs and spices are packed tightly into a mesh-y cotton knot and  steamed to a hot temperature.  The warm cotton compress is then pressed onto various pressure points over your body as a massage – your back, shoulders, neck, arms, legs, etc.  The warmth from the cotton compress allows the healing properties of the herbs to reach deeper into your muscles, helping to reduce tension, increase blood circulation, and give you an overall relaxation.

After my massage, I was fortunate enough to meet Neata Auttapong, the Thai owner of Sabai Thai Spa, who was able to tell me more about “Nuad Pra Kob”.  Neata explained to me that the Thai Herbal Compress massage originated thousands of years ago in farming culture.  After a long day of working the fields, cotton wrapped herbs were used to soothe sore muscles.  Nowadays, however, Neata wants to preserve this ancient technique, but use it as a relaxation technique – a beneficial treat, not necessarily as a method of easing pain.  At $110 for the hour-long compress massage, it’s a bit pricy to do on a regular basis, but would be a great occasional treat for something that’s more cultural than your average hotel spa. Would be great if you lived in the Coal Harbour area too, as the spa is slightly out of the way from the downtown core.

In addition to an assortment of Thai massages, other services available at Sabai Thai Spa include body wraps and exfoliants, organic facials, hand and foot treatments and waxing.

Inspired by pop-up concepts in London and New York City, One Hundred Days (350 Davie Street) is a bold 100 day long experience inspired by the unique collaboration of graffiti art and innovative cuisine.  When my friend Jody and I went to One Hundred Days for brunch last weekend, we thought we had entered an after, AFTER, hours club.  In fact, the dance music was blasting so loudly in the morning, we thought we had just finished a night of dancing and was heading for a hangover breakfast.  It was the strangest combination – eating eggs and toast while a DJ was playing loud house beats.

Brunch was good – nothing out of the ordinary.  I got the Opus Benedict, while my friend got some sort of open-faced breakfast taco.  I can’t remember the name of it, but it was a trio of small tortillas, with scrambled eggs, beans and diced tomatoes on top.  What makes One Hundred Days special is its pop-up concept and eclectic decor.

To reinforce the unique style and design of One Hundred Days, genius duo, renowned interior designer Robert Bailey and energetic graffiti artist Vince Dumoulin will create an edgy, urban and constantly changing environment. Using the stripped down dining room and exterior of the former Elixir Restaurant as his canvas, Dumoulin will be enhancing his work over time, reinforcing its reputation of being uniquely stylish and always fresh. The ever-changing space will serve as a backdrop to the raw, urban and industrial décor.

I took some photos with my iPhone.  Check them out.