6 Food and Drink Events to Try in May 2025

*Snips the ribbon of Farmers Market Season*  

We are off to the races and the summer bounty starts right here. As I write I have my first rhubarb of the season covered in sugar in a mason jar so I can make a shrub. For dinner tonight I’ll have spring salmon and asparagus. The first strawberries are here, and we can still walk around on a carpet of cherry blossoms. Right now, life feels very precious and a little hopeful. As always, here is your indispensable guide to what’s fresh and fabulous this May. Grab some napkins! It’s gonna get messy. 

Eat This Awesome Sweet Treat

It’s true that dessert doesn’t get its fair share of love in this column as I am unrepentantly savoury rather than sweet. But I was gifted a couple of Brahttzy Panderia’s Tres Leches cakes and OHMYGOD—amazing. Just sweet enough and wonderfully moist, they come in different flavours including chocolate and dulce de leche. They are also handily packaged in pleasingly portable packs, perfect for picnics and hikes. Find them in the El Paisano stores at Granville Station, Davie Street, Cristal Mall and Royal Oak, or order direct from them on Facebook.

 

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A Cool New Speakeasy

No passwords, no snootiness, just a direct line to good times at Vancouver’s newest speakeasy, Call Me Back at the Terminal City Club. Head into the Lion’s Pub and you’ll find the not-so-secret bar behind the classic British red phone booth. With just 22 seats, delicious cocktails—and plenty of retro phones—this is one call you won’t want to miss.

Spot Prawn Season Is Back

Celebrate the return of those super-sustainable B.C. beauties—spot prawns—down at Fisherman’s Wharf on May 25th for the Chef’s Table Society’s annual Spot Prawn Festival. This year you can attend cooking demos and  family-friendly events for free, as well as buying up prawns straight off the boat. Book a serving of velvety spot prawn bisque with a bun ($10) or enjoy the Spot Prawn Brunch between 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 1:30 to 3 p.m. featuring six spot prawn dishes, local beer and wine pairings and  a sweet treat ($79). Tickets will inevitably sell out, so catch yours now. 

Feed the Soul

What can I say about the tragic events of the Lapu-Lapu festival? Our hearts are broken for everyone whose loved one didn’t come home that day, and our thoughts are with the whole Filipino community. It’s been wonderful to see everyone gather to support those who are grieving right now. It’s no surprise that one of Vancouver’s most generous chefs is preparing and delivering food packages to those in need, making sure folks are fed and nourished with culturally comforting foods such as adobo chicken, lumpia and sinigang. You can support TJ Conwi and  the other chefs in this project  by donating to Vancouver Food Runners or to Filipino BC at filipinobc.com. 

Road Trip

Head on over to Vancouver Island for some swashbuckling good times over May 8 to 11 at the Esquimalt Buccaneer Days. I’d not heard of this event before, but it sounds like such a good time for families and groups: community breakfasts and BBQs, tasty bites on the Midway, parades, music bingo and plenty of fun events like cornhole, volleyball tournaments and carnival rides.  

 

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Full Colour Coffee

‘Grammers and Tik-Tokers stand by. The very first full colour printed coffee has landed in Cloverdale at Elena’s Café. Full confession, I have not travelled out there to check this out, so here’s the low-down from the café: “Elena’s Café uses organic food colouring, and they can print just about anything onto the foamy surface of your latte: favourite photos, birthday or anniversary messages, pets, selfies, or even a spur-of-the-moment snapshot taken right at the café.” You just upload an image via a QR code and watch the magic happen in just 30 seconds. The printing comes with a small $2.25 surcharge.