Cafe Medina

Cafe Medina is located in Crosstown and it's owned by Executive Chef Nico Schuermans and his wife/business partner Karri Schuermans. Cafe Medina is right beside Chambar on Beatty Street very close to the Stadium/Chinatown station and it's both ventured by the Schuermans.  If you ever dine at Chambar, I recommend you their mussels!   It's succulent and ABSOLUTELY delicious!!  The Schuermans and former Chambar Sous-Chef David Robertson also co-owns Dirty Apron Cooking School.

Cafe Medina has delicious unique food and they serve breakfast, brunch, lunch, many choices of coffee and tea and pastries as well.  It is named after the 2nd holiest city after Mecca, meaning enlightened city.

Les Boulettes $15

2 poached eggs, spicy Moroccan meatballs, cilantro, hummus, raita, Grilled Foccacia

My boyfriend ordered les boulettes. I tried this dish last time and I really enjoyed it.   I think it's partly because I was starving before I had the meal.  Also, the meatballs were seasoned really nicely (almost salty) but it went really well with poached eggs.  When I poked the egg open, the yolk oozed out and it tasted great with the sauce/meatballs.

The Moroccan meat ball dish came with raita & hummus and foccacia.

The grilled foccacia is crispy outside, moist and soft inside. I think I ate most of my tomato base sauce by dipping my foccacia in it.

Cassoulet $15

2 fried eggs on baked beans, saussison de Paris, double smoked bacon and andouille. Grilled foccacia.

I ordered the cassoulet this time.  I was disappointed at the burnt double smoked bacon.. but other then that, it was a decent dish.   I loved the tomato base sauce and the baked beans!!Taking a bite out of the foccacia and then the andouille tasted like a party in my mouth.

My friend ordered the same dish last time...The bacon is definitely less burnt in this photo.. (taken from my iphone)

Saumon Fume (served all day) $12

open faced ciabatta sandwich. Fried egg, smoked salmon, caper cream cheese, sliced avocado, arugula, peppadew and artichoke salad

 I can't say much about this dish because I never got to try it.

Waffle $3.15+ topping $1

You can choose the topping from these choices:

Dark Chocolate

Milk Chocolate Lavender

White chocolate pistachio rosewater

Fig Orange Marmalade

Raspberry Caramel

Mixed berry compote

These Belgian waffles were great!  It's not as sweet like the one at Michi waffle house (On Robson) and the toppings really made the waffles tasty.   The topping above was white chocolate pistachio rosewater and it wasn't overly sweet and it complemented the waffle very well.  I expected the white chocolate to be overpowering but the sweetness was just enough.

I've tried the milk chocolate lavender the last time, and I was afraid that the lavender might taste soapy.  This wasn't the case and the lavender was very subtle.

One thing you should know before visiting Cafe Medina,

 it's usually quite busy so be prepared to line up!

555 Beatty Street, Vancouver