Medina Cafe

Medina Cafe is located on Richards Street in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Their menu mostly focuses on Mediterranean, Moroccan, and Middle Eastern cuisines.

This brunch spot is extremely popular with locals and tourists alike. I arrived past nine o'clock in the morning, and the place was already packed, with a short wait list. Coming in solo, I was able to quickly nab a seat at the counter.

The Liege style waffle ($3.15 each) is one of their bestsellers. There are various toppings or dips you can get for $1 each, including various chocolate sauces, maple syrup, and fig orange marmalade.

Having a bit of an appetite, I opted for a good, savory dish. The Les Boulettes ($17) starts with a black olive and tomato stew, roasted peppers, spicy Moroccan lamb meatballs, and two poached eggs on top. It's served with raita (Indian/Pakistani yogurt-based side) and grilled foccacia.

A hearty and delicious dish. The three meatballs had a bit of density but were well-cooked. Excellent focaccia and raita.

I basically kept getting torn between three dishes: Les Boulettes, Tagine (featuring Merguez sausage and a stew of chickpeas), and the Paella (featuring spicy chorizo and seasonal vegetables).

There is also a full espresso bar to satisfy your coffee needs.

Since I don't get to enjoy this type of cuisine often near Portland (although I'm sure we have it there), I had to enjoy the experience at Medina Cafe. A wonderful spot to hit up if you're in the area. 8.5/10