Elite Event @ Wild Rice

Pretty cool event. I’ve never been to Wild Rice, but now I have. Most of the food was great! I think my favourite was the curry bun. I also wish the Gray Monk guy would have been a little more generous with the wine, but alas.
However, the spot prawn toast was really greasy. so greasy that I had an upset tummy. Sorry, but they were not good at all:(There is no reason for a small piece of toast should be that grease laden.
It was a really chill crowd I thought, and sometimes that’s a good thing!
I left early so can’t say what happened the rest of the night! Thanks again Crystal.

Siu mai’s will never be the same!!!
Mmmmm…Sloping Hills pork and prawn siu mai’s, served consistently!!! Other favourites were the Fraser Valley Lamb gyozas, mini curry veggie buns, spring rolls, tofu bacon, and the BC spot prawn toast. Sesame, prawns, all on top of a delicious toast!
Up one flight of stairs, was the Grey Monk wine pairings. Pinot auxerrois, and pinot blanc, complemented perfectly with the toast and the tofu bacon!
Up another flight, was the awesome super cute photobooth. Hello Kitty props?! I’m in love! Other random props included farmer’s hats, see lai visors, umbrellas, lanterns… I had so much fun doing random poses!
As for the venue, it was as good as I remembered it. For this event, I enjoyed it even more. The whole space was utilized, without being too tight on space. Bartenders were always friendly; we were even handed our passion fruit and Tom Collins cocktails. These were very tasty too!
Last but not least, the wonderful Unilocalers that made the night so much fun. Got a chance to meet some Newbie Elites, and also got a chance to catch up with others.
Again, thanks Crystal for always organizing a great party!

This place was delicious! I’ve been here once before and now I wanna go back. The prawn toast was absolutely amazing, the curry dumplings were quite good too.
The whole Asian theme was fun.
I love when the Unilocal events are at classy restaurants like this one. Can’t wait to go back and eat a proper meal there.
Crystal, great job organizing it all! It was awesome!

Great party, Crystal! And thanks to «owner guy» for welcoming us into his space — and feeding us so well! The spot prawn toast was definitely my favourite, but my plus one loved the siu mai. Both of us agreed that the lamb potstickers were fantastic too!
I’ve got to give thanks to the servers last night — they were fantastic. Earlier in the evening when it wasn’t too busy they actually noticed when my drink was empty and came to offer me another one. No going to the bar for this lady! They were also quite good about making sure everyone got a chance to try the food, not just the people near the kitchen.
Learning about wine pairings was nice, and the pinot blanc we got to try was quite lovely. The photobooth area was lots of fun too, although I’m a little scared to see our pictures!

Delicious food and fabulous company! Tipsy Hello Kitty nonsense! These events just keep getting better.
A nice, more intimate and laid back event and venue this time around. Wild Rice has a great vibe and some really cool people working there. There wasn’t any food that I didn’t like, and some I am already day dreaming about (spot prawn toast? curried veg steam buns? more please!). I can’t wait to go back.
Drinks, as usual, were both good and plentiful. The Grey Monk pairings were lovely, and the ginger collins could easily become a new summer fav. The beer was unmemorable.
And the photobooth? Only Crystal could think that up and manage to persuade us all to join in. So much fun! Although, there is now photo evidence of me tying up three boys with Hello Kitty packing tape… not sure if that is good or bad thing. I *did* snag that tape to take home too, woohoo!
The best part of these events is always the people. We are lucky to have such an awesome group of people in such a fantastic foodie city!

My first time attending an elite event (and my first time at Wild Rice)! I was one of Evilyn’s guests.
Those Passionfruit Ginger Collins (is that what they were called?) were so delicious! I probably had too many, but that’s alright.
I wasn’t too big on the spring rolls. I found them slightly bland and I was expecting a lot more flavour because I could smell the curry inside when I picked it up. The veggie curry steam buns were awesome though! I loved the texture! I want more! Very nice flavour on these.
The tofu bacon triangles with the butternut squash purée and ginger were DEFINITELY my favourite of the night. I was dreaming about these when I got home and went to bed. The texture on the tofu was great, not too crispy! The squash purée was soooo amazing. I could probably eat a giant bowl of that and die happy.
The photobooth with all the Hello Kitty props was hilarious! I wanted to take it all home with me!
Sadly I waited until the last minute to try the wine tasting so there wasn’t any left and I got a glass from the bar instead. Very delicious, although I don’t know which of the two I had…
Normally I really don’t like ginger, but I enjoyed every single thing I had here last night. Thanks Wild Rice for finally making something with ginger that I didn’t hate!

Yum yum dumplings!
Hubs and I are convinced that the secret to a seamless and FUN event is: Crystal!
The space was great for mingling and catching up with fellow elite Unilocalers. It’s always great to see everyone again – especially when it’s over drinks and yummy dumplings. I agree with Larry about the sui mai. I think i must have seen plates of them continually circulating whereas the rest of the menu was a bit sparse in making its rounds.
All in all, delicious nonetheless! The setting of the Gray Monk wine tasting /​pairing upstairs was a nice touch as it added a bit of intimacy to the space allowing us to hear the schpeel.
I loved the photobooth area – Hello, Hello Kitty! Tiny paper umbrellas, samurai-​esque robes, and floral bonnets helped my creative juices flow – Can’t wait to see the pics!
Great job on organizing yet another GRRREAT event Crystal!

I’ve ALWAYS wanted to go to Wild Rice but I never got around to it! I was surprised at how small it was! Certainly a more intimate, more mingly event, than the last couple.
I was nervous! Crystal (in her gorgeous cheongsam) was kind enough to greet my guests and I and she remembered to introduce my shy little self to Reena M, who recently added me on Unilocal!Thank you kindly!
From there, I was led to another Unilocaler who I was told to meet, Johnson C. Thank you so much to those that shared a few words with me! I had the most adorable conversation with a guest of a Unilocaler. Her name was Betty. If anyone is the owner of this sweetie, please tell her to join Unilocal and add me! ^_​^
The photobooth was hilarious, I loved it. Almost as much as I loved the shrimp toast. My lord, those things were glorious.
Thank you for event #3! I’m having too much fun (liquid and otherwise)!

I have never been to Wild Rice before, so I was kind of excited to go on a new foodie adventure. I brought +2 with me, since we’re all ghetto-​fabulous and would probably skip dinner and spend more money on clothes if we had to, so at least we knew we’d get a few nibblies thrown our way if we made an appearance.
The giant picture of the chickens being cooked at the front door freaked me out. Not only because I don’t eat meat, but because the little chicken bodies look like small be-​headed children skinned alive and burning over a rotisserie… eek! Luckily the servers were quick to stick a ginger cocktail in my hands so I could drink the pain away.
The servers were all super nice, the ones who were bringing the orderves knew we were vegetarian so they made sure to bring us the veggie appies before they all disappeared. My favourite was the veggie curry dumplings, I will be back for those again for sure! I didn’t really care for the «bacon-​flavoured» tofu, I think that the smokey taste just didn’t appeal to me, but had it been made as regular tofu with a yam topping I probably would have liked it. Personally, I am just not a fan of smokey flavours. The spring rolls were also yummy, but the veggie dumplings were definitely my favourite. I looked up the regular menu at Wild Rice when I got home to see if they had more veggie dishes and if it would be appropriate for the BF to take me on a date there. The answer is YES!

Once again, another fun and fabulous evening with my ever-​expanding group of new Unilocal friends. My slight hangover this morning is testament to how awesome the party was. I always meet new and cool people and have so much fun seeing the usual people each time, that I really look forward to these events.
Although the event wasn’t just about the people. There was food! And booze! And damn, those spot prawn toasts were so good I think I dreamed about them last night. I enjoyed Richard’s wine pairings, and was pleased to see a Pinot Auxerrois. Andrew also provided a lot of great info on the restaurant and their food sourcing. Really great to see a place doing so well while using sustainably sourced food. Huge props. I am a definite fan of Wild Rice now. Why had I never been? The food was mouth watering, and I really wish I had got a second try of those veggie steamed buns. They were awesome.
The beer, wine and passion fruit/​ginger drinks were all perfect, and went well with the food. I pretty much like anything with ginger in it.
I’m still laughing about the photo booth. I love props. Those pictures are hilarious.
Well done, Crystal. Well done.

What a great event !!! Crystal, you got it right again — awesome venue, amazing food, great drink pairings, and fun people! It’s great to see the community develop in Vancouver over the past few months and more and more familiar faces!
I enjoyed the never ending supply of lamb potstickers, bc spot prawn toast, shiu mai, and steamed buns! The generous pours of Grays Monk worked well with the food and to get me super happy. At the Photobooth, the Hello Kitty props plus random stories of Hello Kitty experiences in Japan also was memorable and awesome. Can’t wait to see the pictures.
I always have a good time at Unilocal party but I’d say last night was one of the most memorable. I enjoyed the smaller space, it was easier to catch up with everyone and meet new people.
Thank you Crystal !!!

Dear Crystal: You rocked it big time, asian style!
Wild Rice was a perfect venue. Sleek, comfy, spacious. Love the two separate loft-​like areas. Home to Gray Monk tasting table and the LOL-​filled photo booth with the most random asian props.
Feeling the love of Hello Kitty, I squeezed myself into the pink Hello Kitty jacket. Going one step further I was flash attacked by Crystal with Hello Kitty tape. What can’t you buy that has Hello Kitty on it?
Food wise the star was the spot prawn sesame seed topped toast triangles. Sure it was soaked in oil, but damn was it good! I’m no where near a wine expert but the Gray Monk pairing was perfect.
Whistler Brewing Lager was one of the best lagers I’ve had. Light, refreshing, and a caramel after taste. The ginger passionfruit drink was refreshing, but I couldn’t taste the booze! Throw in another shot or two and it would be a winner.
As always, it was fun to catch up with fellow Elites, met a few ‘Newbie’ Elites, and of course the energetic first-​timer +1’s who all got a taste of what Unilocal is about.
Thanks to Crystal, the awesome staff at Wild Rice, Gray Monk and Whistler Brewing.

Probably best venue thusfar for the Elite parties I’ve attended — thanks to the awesome staff at Wild Rice and the great use of the intimate space. It was my first visit to Wild Rice — while I’ve heard of it before, I’ve alway been skeptical of upscale Chinese-​fusion — but I just may have to rethink my position.
The food was relentless — wave after wave of food came out. Like many others, my favourite was the delicious prawn toast and the lamb potstickers were a close second — and the non-​stop siu mai was a crowd-​pleaser. I wasn’t a big fan of the veggie dumplings or the tofu bacon (substituting something as perfect as bacon is ambitious if not sacrilegious in my world). However, some of my friends (and other Unilocalers, judging by the reviews) loved them. There was something for everyone.
The passion fruit and ginger Tom Collins was unique, but I found it to be overly bland and vague as the night progressed. Probably a great cocktail for a warm afternoon, but probably far too tame for the usual boozefest at Unilocal parties. Am I the only one that thinks the liquor sponsor (Banff Ice this time) should be allowed a chance to shine by itself and have a ‘straight-​up’ or ‘on the rocks’ option? I think it would be great to sample some straight local vodka — vodka tasting, anyone? I’m either a shameless vodka-​o or a gourmand — take your pick. But Whistler Lager to the rescue and the bartenders were blazingly quick.
Having the Asian ‘si lai’ (middle-​aged Chinese women) visor at the photobooth was genius and made for awesome photo opportunities with the various Asian costumes and knick-​knacks.
As usual, a great crowd with some familiar faces and the chance to meet some fun people. The only complaint: if we’re going to stick with tradition, at least wait until the end of the night before using me as your nametag disposal unit/‘innocent’ groping victim. The next time I’m going to yell, «STRANGER DANGER!» at the top of my lungs if you decide to be an eager-​beaver… or decide that a hard slap is the only way to secure an adhesive to me. Why do I get the feeling that if I ever passed out at a Unilocal party, I’ll wake up with Sharpie-​aided phalli on my face?
Psychological/​physical damage aside, Crystal shows once again why she’s the queen of party planning — good times and a memorable night.

Being an Elite does have it’s perks, as I finally learned from coming to my very first Elite event, and I must say it was awesome. Shouts out definately to Crystal, as she is definately the hostess of the show, and thank you to Wild Rice, for hosting such a wonderful event.
Coming from a first timer, I did not know what to expect, but seeing faces that I was only able to see on my computer screen like a small stamp on a postcard and getting to know them at a social event was just cool.
Also meeting other Elite’s and their guests and to know that we might come from a different life, but we are all here due to one common thing, and everyone being so approachable was amazing.
The food, it just kept coming, plate after plate wasn’t being vultured, as I think much had to do about with the company surrounding them, and there was plenty of people, and food to go around.
Upstairs, where the wine tasting was happening, by Gray Monk, the wine sponsor, was excellent, as they were able to pair food with the two wines being presented to the crowd.
Drinks were a plenty too, and the service by the people who were helping out at the event was great. The only thing I missed out was the photo booth upstairs, but looking at what happened with the tape, I probably should have went up!
As a first for me, I hope to see more faces the next time something like this goes down.

Yay for Elite events! I too had never been in Wild Rice before but have been past it more times than I could ever count. I loved the space, with the tiny 2^nd and 3^rd floors and will definitely be back for a meal. Especially due to the spot prawn toasts. My goodness. Absolute delights! I don’t know if it was the honey or the crunchy toast or the rave reviews heard all throughout the restaurant, but those made my night.
Drinks were delights as always. The passion-​fruit collins was a new twist and was refreshing with tiny pieces of ginger floating about. The Pinot Blanc from Grey Monk went perfectly with the prawn toasts and is topping my list of favorite brands.
And always, the company was fabulous. Through going sans a plus 1, I was able to meet fabulous Unilocalers who kept me highly entertained all night! Thanks so much Crystal and I look forward to the next fabulous event.

Those prawn toasts were deadly! Deep-​fried, sesame covered, sweet chili goodness. Paired with the yummy Gray Monk wine, resistance was futile — There goes the diet :)
Such a great event — Crystal, you are just too awesome for words! Loved your hair and outfit too! Wild Rice owner-​guy and Grey Monk non-​owner guy, you guys rock too! The servers and bartenders were so friendly the whole night, this was just the perfect venue.
Shout-​out to the photobooth too, the Hello Kitty props were the best! A surprising number of guys were able to fit quite nicely into the Hello Kitty raincoat.
Food-​wise, everything was good (siu mai, curry dumplings, yam spring rolls) but my favourites were definitely the prawn toasts and the lamb gyozas with truffled pea purée. I can and did snack on those the whole night!
Thanks to everyone involved for putting together such a fabulous night!
SYOY!

Wow! You guys are so fast??? What do you rush home after the event just to be FTR?
Great event. I had fun this time. Not that I don’t have fun, but today was especially fun for me. Got to see some familiar faces and meet a few new ones. Was able to bring out my friend to the event in hopes of getting her re-​energized and Unilocaling again like she used to!
My camera jammed alot, but I was able to take some pics and hopefully got everyone. Some didn’t turn out again, so my appolagies in advance. I’ll post them up later.
Now for the event and the location itself. It was great! I liked the multi levels, the wine tasting and food pairings in the back room.
The Photo booth in the front upper level. What a blast! The photobooth provided some antics in portrait that will surely bring laughter and joy to those who particpated. Some were even involved in a little bit of bondage! Naughty!
While in the back, there was some hanky panky as well. All in good fun! Making new friends is always a good thing.
The dumplings were scrumtious. I did have alot of those siu mai and never really got enough of the other ones it seems.
Regardless, all in all, it was a fun and well kept event.
SYOY!

It just doesn’t stop does it? Thanks to a very cute boy i have ended up with a hello kitty beating toy that makes me want to beat strangers with it. Well well well Wild Rice you have changed my mind. I have not returned in over 10 years and if i had known you had such fabulous flavours like tofu bacon covered with butternut squash sauce and some sort of scrumptous spot prawn infused sweet dish, i would have come back earlier. I always have loved this space. It’s easy to mingle from the front, to the bar, to upstairs to people watch, and then the photo booth for some asian stereotypical debauchery.
Grey Monk served up some of my summer faves, in the white wine department. I am always a fan of local and fruity white wines. and these fit the bill nicely. At the bar the Tom Collins, ginger infused drinks went down rather smoothly but i am not complaining.
It was great seeing all the Elites again. look forward to the next one!

Awww Vanessa G. beat me to the FTR! Awesome event! Drinks were flowing. Food kept coming. Loved the wine pairings and chats with the wine enthusiast and the owner. Crystal H. did an awesome job as usual organizing the awesome event. It was great to meet and chat with so many new Elites. The passion fruit ginger collins drink was amazing! However, the Gray Monk Pinot Blanc wins my vote.
As for the best dish, everything was so good. The lamb potstickers, siu mai, prawns toast. But I think the best thing was the smoked tofu with butternut squash purée and pickled onions. Actually, it was tied with the BC spot prawn toast.
And of course, it was fun to bash my sister with a blow up hello kitty mallet!

This event was AWESOME, thanks to Crystal for another winner.
The food was great, especially that tofu bacon thing. And the wine paired with it, pinot aux-​something, is one of my new faves too. The atmosphere of the place was great, both me any my plus one were surprised that such a nice restaurant exists just a stone‘s throw from crackhead central. We might definitely come by Wild rice sometime in the future when not elite Unilocaling it up.