Nancyland, Vancouver Foodie Fun

Continuation of the Bamboo Shoot Saga...

2011-10-07T14:10:00.004-07:00

Dan Dan Ramen at Sanpachi (Broadway location)

I just wanted to post that I discovered that I have not given up on all bamboo shoot in ramen noodle shops. I've been to Sanpachi Ramen a couple of times (3132 W. Broadway at Balaclava St., 604-738-3132) and their bamboo shoot has considerably less rotting whale flesh flavour than the Benkei Ramen. I still don't think I would consider it a food that I would choose to eat, but it's getting better.

Another note about Sanpachi is that they have a great deal on for happy hour. I'm not sure if this happens at the Robson location. I managed to catch happy hour twice at the Broadway location so far. Between 5 pm - 7 pm, they have 40% off all ramen and izakaya items. This means all the food, but not the drinks. Nice little ramen stop, with a new chef and menu. I've had their Dan Dan ramen (like the Chinese noodle dish with minced pork and peanut-y sesame sauce) which is pictured above and I think I had their shio ramen. I really like the taste and texture of their noodles. The broth on the Dan Dan was too rich for me to finish. I will probably order one of the other ramen dishes next time. I also had some gyoza which were fine. I had some tuna nigiri, which tasted fine but fell apart on me when lifting it up. I had a hankering for dessert and had their sesame ice cream which was okay, but too icy and not smooth and creamy enough for me to recommend. Service is very good. They also have plenty of cocktails and other alcoholic drinks. Sanpachi is part of a chain of restaurants in Japan. The 40% off deal brings this comfortable sit down restaurant with good quality, very filling comfort food to the price point of fast food. I'll be back.

Unfortunate Random Taste Associations and Good Ramen

2011-08-26T23:19:00.002-07:00

Have you ever had the smell or taste of one item completely ruin the smell or taste of another item for you? Perhaps some wonderful artisan cheese would have been a beautiful experience for you had it not been for the smell of your brother's feet after a football game indelibly imprinted on your brain as a toddler? I myself hadn't really experienced this before until recently. And mine is a doozy.

I am a big fan of the new Biodiversity Museum in Vancouver (those who know me in real life would not be surprised). To help tell the story of the blue whale skeleton impressively hanging in the atrium, the education staff and volunteers at the museum create a multi-sensory experience with various specimens. One of these is a tiny jar of rotting whale flesh and dirt which has a smell that naturally repulses most people and helps visitors to appreciate the ordeal of unearthing the buried whale carcass and getting the skeleton cleaned. Well thanks to that tiny little jar (and repeated exposures), I can't eat the bamboo shoot included in big bowls of ramen at Benkei Ramen. Now, I can't be sure that I wouldn't have disliked them anyway without the rotting whale flesh smell jar, but I have eaten plenty of Chinese bamboo shoots. Anyhow, I just made another attempt yesterday to eat the bamboo shoots after having made that taste connection during the previous ramen meal. I now know to say "hold the bamboo shoot" when ordering ramen. I have never been one to ask to hold anything that came with a meal I wanted anywhere, so this is disappointing. And think about it, bamboo shoot isn't even a sea organism, so why do they smell/taste the same? And I usually make it a rule to give things the ole' three tries before rejecting anything since so many things are acquired tastes, but I'm at the point where I'm just too repulsed by the association. Maybe I'll give it a try in the future when I'm not exposed to rotting whale flesh so often.

Oh, and by the way, Benkei Ramen is great. I've now tried both the Robson location on Thurlowe St., just off Robson, and the 3217 W. Broadway location. Nice noodle texture, and a hot, hearty meal under $10, which will be especially satisfying once the rain comes back. And should you be curious about my particular association, I've got a great rainy day plan for you - spend a morning at the Biodiversity museum, and then have a nice bowl of ramen in Kits right after.

Looking for Sophistication and Refinement?

2011-05-22T21:14:00.006-07:00

Perhaps you have had too many sloppy burgers lately, or you've been going to restaurants with toddlers flinging crayons and wait staff singing manic birthday songs. Are you craving a very civilized dining experience? I had afternoon tea at the Lobby Lounge at the Shangri-La Hotel (1128 West Georgia, at Thurlowe) recently. Service was perfect. The food was tasty (though perhaps not as remarkable as the pastries and sandwiches at The Secret Garden Tea Company in Kerrisdale, which remains my favourite high tea spot). And the room and china was beautiful. It is about $36/person, and reservations are required. The high tea is offered between 1-5 pm.

I have also had lunch upstairs at Market by Jean-Georges as well. Their sable fish with a miso based glaze is so wonderfully tasty.

They have a selection of $35 prix fixe lunches with two dishes and a dessert. I had the below a while ago, but I do remember it being very tasty. There is beef rendang in the picture below. There are lots of Asian influences, and it all works fairly well. And you're going to get the amazing service you expect with a fine hotel. Treat yourself (and your dining companions) to some serenity.

The School "Cafeteria" Has Good Food?!?

2011-05-01T23:25:00.003-07:00

It does if you are an international ESL student and your school cafeteria/restaurant/bar is Eh! Restaurant, on the second floor, on Alberni St. just off of Thurlowe St. It's staffed by the international students, and the food is fantastic and great value. I've eaten there several times, and love their deals too. Steak Fridays give you steak and prawns for $10.50. There's Tuesday movie and dinner for $14.95, where you can have a very nice mixed grill with grilled lamb chop, beef tenderloin and garlic prawns, complete with veggies and potato, plus a movie certificate good for a year! I've had their onion rings, and they were fantastic.

The drinks are great value too. There are cheap and delicious drinks like a freshly muddled mojito for $4.25 or daily drink specials (under $5!) like Caipirinha - even better when mine was mixed up strong and authentic by a Brazilian. The taste is on par or better than any restaurant in town, and imagining the trendy socialites buying their drinks at 2 -4 times the price next door at Coast restaurant makes me giddy.

The room is comfortable, casual, and even has free wifi (when I was there last).

The down side? As of writing this post, they are only open until 7 pm Monday to Friday, and closed on weekends and civic holidays. However, they are open early, so if you are looking for some bacon and eggs in that area, or a great huevos rancheros platter, you're in luck.

It's No Secret

2011-04-19T15:03:00.001-07:00

Had a delicious afternoon tea at the Secret Garden Tea Company (Kerrisdale, Blvd, off of 41st Ave). Every tiny bite, from the little roasted vegetable sandwiches on wee little perfect cheese scones to the lemon tart, was delicious. And of course the tea itself was grand. I had their vanilla almond black tea. Service was perfect and atmosphere very relaxing. It's a place I recommend often, but don't make a point to go myself often enough.

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Wimaan Thai Restaurant

2011-03-02T21:52:00.002-08:00

So much flavour packed into the red curry with pork that I ordered! It was so good. I also had a really good padd thai. I was going to stop there, but I was tempted by the server telling me that the fried banana was really good. It was fantastic. Nice and crispy, served with vanilla ice cream. The place was very relaxing, but I'm not sure why they weren't busy when their food is so good. I'm definitely going back to Wimaan. It's on Broadway, just west of Oak St.

Olympia

2011-03-02T00:44:00.002-08:00

With a late night at work, I was so hungry, I thought I was going to finish my entire roast lamb platter at Olympia on Denman. I almost did, but still had a little left to take home. It was a very satisfying comfort food meal.

Best Thing I've Eaten in Weeks - Irashai's sushi

2010-09-15T17:47:00.003-07:00

I had this delicious sushi roll at Irashai Grill on Pender St., just off of Broughton St. (1368 West Pender, 604-688-8697) in the Coal Harbour area. It was called the Black Eel Roll ($11.95), and had mango, avocado and cucumber in the middle, with a magical tempura eel (unagi) on top. The tempura was perfectly crispy, with a super thin batter, still hot, with all the other ingredients complimenting rather than confusing matters.

Irashai is laid back, stylish, and has killer cocktails, along with their amazing sushi and hot dishes. The simple things are done very well too, like the perfect texture of their noodles in the beef yaki udon ($7.25) that I had. Their vinagrettes tend to be a bit on the subtle side for me and are more French-inspired, than Japanese (I like a bit more acid), but still tasty - served on the side for their sashimi salad (about $12).

It's tucked away in Coal Harbour, and does feel a bit like a neighbourhood locals hangout, which in this neighbourhood means it's not cheap and everything feels very "VIP" as they say on their website, but I think the prices are fair and worth it based on the food quality alone. It's easy for me to get carried away, but they have some really nice set dinners for about $17 too.

But it's comfy too. There are swanky red suede-like upholstered semi-circle booths, but several flatscreens around the room too, so it manages to look expensive without being formal. It looks like a good date restaurant if you're looking for something classy that will impress your date yet still has interesting food. They've managed to combine that lux North American casual fine dining comfort (big cushy chairs, big everything) with good quality Japanese cuisine.

Chau

2010-07-02T22:32:00.003-07:00

Just a short note to say that I approve of Chau Kitchen and Bar (604-682-8020, 1500 Robson St. at Nicola St.), a Vietnamese Restaurant on Robson that's gotten some good press. Fitting for its location, it's a little pricier than what I'm used to for a typical pho spot, and the decor is a lot prettier. They are going for a modern take on the Vietnmese Restaurant, and now you can have your pho in trendy surroundings with ambient electronica in the background, a cute flower on your table, and friendly service. On a quiet late afternoon for lunch, I had my choice of the "brick side or the pink side." I ate a decent rice noodle bowl with lemon grass chicken, and a nice deep fried taro roll (with the crisp texture of those roll dips that I like so much). I also had a salad roll with prawns, and they put a little crunch in the middle and have a subtler sour sauce, rather than a sweet gooey peanut sauce to dip it in. I appreciated the difference, but I have to admit that I like those thick gooey peanut sauces. I ended up with a Vietnamese coffee. I would definitely go back. All the veggies were fresh and crunchy, and everything was beautiful, and if you get a window seat or a spot on the patio, it's great for people watching. A part of me wishes I could have one those dirt cheap places nearby too as an option in the West End, but if dirt cheap means that the place feels a bit dirty, then Chau is a welcome and refreshing move away from that.

Spot Prawn Tip

2010-06-18T11:30:00.003-07:00

So fresh, live spot prawns have popped up on everyone's menu, which is great. My suggestion would be to get to a Mui Garden before the season is over, and order yourself (at least) a couple of pounds. There are four locations, and the ones fried and then tossed in soy sauce were so good last year at the Burnaby location on North Road that it was my Dad's Father's Day choice this year. I'm looking forward to it, and will verify after Sunday night whether they are still as good as we remember. Oh, and feel relatively good about eating them too - local, lived a wild life (except for the brief period they are kept alive in the tanks at the Chinese restaurants before cooking), and are sustainably caught.

Cinnamon Buns

2010-05-12T22:31:00.003-07:00

I love a good cinnamon bun. It's one of my favourite baked goods. I think I've liked them since I was a kid, but really got addicted to them while I was a student at UBC. Sadly, as far as I can tell, the food services there these days doesn't have the same amazing, warm, pillowy, mass of sticky bread-y goodness that I remember from my student days. Or perhaps they are just more difficult to find now. I can go two ways with the buns. I like them as puffy and light as possible (like the old UBC recipe, or I like pastry dough versions that are nice and flaky and light. That leaves out the more common denser version. The photo above is from a nice weekday morning at Uprising Breads (1697 Venables just west of Commercial St., 604-254-5635. I love cinnamon buns both with and without icing. This nice fluffy one had lots of icing and raisins, and was huge. I had a great cup of coffee there, sitting at one of the tables, watching a steady stream of cheery people stopping in for their morning coffee to go and baked goods. The place had a great energy, and lots of goodies to choose from.

I've also had a decent cinnamon bun from Mom 'N Pop's Bake Shoppe in Kerrisdale (2068 W. 41st Avenue at East Boulevard, 604-261-2338).

So, I'm always in search of a good cinnamon bun. Let me know if you've found a source.

Red-legged Millipede Cake

2010-03-31T15:07:00.001-07:00

When I see a chocolate bundt cake with dark chocolate glaze, I see a red-legged millipede waiting to be released.

It's A Small World: Flavour-Seeking Culture Sponges Descend Upon Vancouver's Ethnic Restaurants

2010-03-14T21:01:00.025-07:00

Mutton Rolls at JR's Taste of Ceylon

Can you differentiate the subtleties of Sri Lankan food from other South Indian cuisines? Or perhaps you simply want to meet other people who care about such things? A new dinner club on Meetup.com, the popular social networking website, provides an opportunity for local food lovers to gather together and learn about cuisines of the world. Meetup.com was founded in 2001 and now boasts over 5.7 million members world-wide, and over sixty-six thousand groups meeting in person in their local communities to explore common interests. The Flavour-Seeking Culture Sponges is one of the many groups dedicated to food topics, and takes full advantage of the cultural diversity in Vancouver Restaurants.

Exploring the fantastic array of ethnic restaurants in Vancouver is like eating your way around the world, but without the jet lag and the neck pillow. In a city where many diners already like to think of themselves as culturally saavy and knowledgeable about ethnic food, this dinner club seems to be discovering new foods and tasting its way around the city without any danger of running out of adventures. They are finding small, authentic, and off-the beaten path establishments. Shame on you if you live in this mecca of international flavours and find yourself going to the same casual fine dining chain over and over.

Marty, the cordial host and founder of this group, has a wealth of knowledge to share, and points to his belly for proof, saying "No, I'm not pregnant. I just know about food." He is the self-appointed tour guide on this trip, and he started this group on January 29th, 2010. The beauty of the internet as a networking tool is how quickly it works. Although it's been less than two months, there have been seven events so far, and to date, 152 members have joined. The group is made up of people of various age groups and backgrounds, and yet their common enthusiasm for food spills out in typical dinner conversation topics such as cross-border cheese shopping. They have gastronomically explored Vietnam, Bosnia, and Ethiopia. They have also surveyed a variety of Indian cuisines, noting the variations between Pakistani, Punjabi, Tamil (South Indian) and Sri Lankan food.

For a recent meetup, thirty-four people came out to fill up the small family-run restaurant J.R.'s Taste of Ceylon (3929 Knight St. just off Kingsway, relocated from their previous Fraser St. restaurant, 604-708-3008). The Sponges feasted on a specially-prepared meal that introduced the group to Sri Lankan cuisine with milder spicing and plenty of friendly explanation to ensure the meal was approachable for newbies. The group was told that the food of Sri Lanka is normally extremely spicy, more so than other Indian regions, and many seem to be thankful for the restaurant's mercy. Although the restaurant has South Indian, Malaysian and Singaporean dishes on its menu as well, distinctive Sri Lankan dishes were the focus of the evening. Hot, crunchy finger foods called "short eats" started the meal as the forty participants of this event trickled in and introduced themselves to one another. These snacks included mutton rolls, tasty little deep-fried packages filled with spiced mutton and potato. For main dishes, several Sri Lankan style curries were served, including those made of beets, chickpeas and coconut milk, eggplant, and cabbage along with the chicken dish. Brown and white Sri Lankan rices and a labour-intensive multi-step ground rice dish accompanied the curries. The staff presented with pride their Sri Lankan specialties such as the delicate bowl-shaped "hoppers" made from a fermented batter of rice flour, coconut milk and palm wine. Dessert included a steamed pudding made with the sap of the Kitul palm tree. The owner described it as Sri Lanka's version of maple syrup.

In a world where technology and urbanization threaten to further isolate us from our neighbours, this group is a delightful example of the internet contributing to a sense of local community and being used to actually bring people together, in real life. The Flavour-Seeking Culture Sponges seem to have some momentum going, and you might spot them breaking bread together in your favourite ethnic restaurant soon.

Yummy-a-Day: Pourhouse Cocktail

2010-02-11T14:43:00.002-08:00

Ginger Beer Man and I popped into Pourhouse in Gastown for drinks at the bar last night. A truly delightful barkeep took care of us, and he was clearly passionate about the craft. He made a delicious "white" cocktail ($12) for me from their simplified Olympics menu, which honours the Canadian flag colours. It had gin, Lillet Blanc, white chocolate, and lemon. I love the twenties style and vibe there. They also had the intriguing Fentimen's Ginger Beer, an old-fashioned botanical brew that uses juniper and yarrow extracts.

Oops, Pho Pas!*

2010-01-31T07:50:00.013-08:00

Okay, I feel a bit duped. I should have known better. I could tell something was up. I saw some subtle signs that made my foodie senses tingle. Of course, I didn't pay enough attention to them. Little details about the appearance seemed a bit out of place. The sign out front was gone. The prices had gone up. Some of the tackiest neon decorations were missing and I think the tables changed their cloths like they were trying to impress a different person. I was suspicious and confronted the server about it - I came right out and asked if there was someone else...new owners maybe, or new manager... but he didn't understand my question, and so I didn't really get an answer. Miscommunication. Maybe we can still make this work, I thought to myself. Maybe I'm being paranoid. I should give this a chance. I went ahead and sat down in the completely empty Vinada Vietnamese Restaurant (1260 Robson St, between Bute and Jervis) and hoped for the best. I've spent many a happy quick meal here before...maybe their management is different, but it still might be good, I thought. But things have changed. This is not my "beautiful" pho shop. Okay, the shop was never that beautiful, I have to admit, but the food was. Unfortunately, it's the food that has really changed, and the shop looks more or less the same.

Though, once you've sat down, there's really no turning back, is there? I had an uneasy feeling about it, but I kept talking each of the red flags down to size. None of the old servers were anything to pine over (it always seemed to be someone's kid who didn't really know how to interact with people), so maybe they just changed staff, I thought optimistically. That's not a bad thing. And the guy that was there there actually seemed like a slight improvement. I saw that they are still using the same extensive menu (same choices, same photos), just with the prices bumped up. After all, it IS Robson Street, tourist central right in the middle of the Olympic hooplah, so paying a bit more than your typical pho shop isn't really that surprising. It's still going to be cheaper than the average meal in the area. I'll pay ten bucks for my vermicelli combo with those fluffy-crisp roll dips that I get the urge for once in a while.

Hell, if I've dragged my friend, Chicken Curry Man all over Burnaby on a desperate 3 am quest for one, an extra buck is not really that much trouble. I'm sure you can picture it: we're driving out to the 'burbs to satisfy a very specific craving, and found ourselves on a wacky adventure, facing all manner of obstacles (well, except for running into Neil Patrick Harris...that would have been cool) and those other spring rolls would just not do. I need the thick ones with the bubbly crispy wrapper and stuffed with vermicelli. Yes, it could have been a fantastically fresh road trip movie with the rare Chinese and Southeast Asian representation: "Dumpling Girl and Chicken Curry Man Go To Pho House"...nahhh, a movie like that would never work, eh?

Anyhow, back on track. Normally, I try to focus on reviews of restaurants that I have enjoyed and generally recommend. I’m not really sadistic, and I know that the Vancouver restaurant business is tough enough without every yahoo online nitpicking every minor detail of every restaurant experience. But today, I feel like I actually need to warn people about this place...think of it as a friendly neighbourhood public service announcement from me to you. I don't want anyone else who might have gone to the previous place to feel cheated or misled. I've been there many a time in the past, but not for quite a few months, and went in expecting a nice, solid Vietnamese vermicelli combo. I mean, it's not rocket science, is it? Even all the mall food court Vietnamese stands make something I like to eat, though not quite as large, fresh, and tasty as a bowl made to order at this place before the change.

I still got free tea. But the bowl came out with the greasiest spring rolls that I have ever had in a restaurant, even though they are still using the old menu that pictures the roll dip. No fresh crunch bean sprouts were there. The lettuce and veggies were okay, but it seemed like it the cucumber was pickled instead of crisp and fresh. The worst part was the grilled pork. It had the look and dried out consistency of something that had been left out from the night before and re-microwaved, rather than the succulent treat that freshly grilled pork should be. The rice noodles were fine, and maybe it was me, but they felt a bit old too. They did include two large prawns with the meal which were okay. And there was plenty of everything. And, yes, I ate it. But it is NOT in the same league as the place before, and I would rather have food from a food court. I actually felt badly for being visible in the window as various tourists passed by the place contemplating it for dinner. I wanted to have a sign to wave around saying, "No! I am not recommending this place, I was duped! This is not representative of the quality of ethnic cuisine in town."

Anyhow, I can't see it lasting the way it is now. I imagine they'll still get lots of walk-by traffic from unsuspecting tourists (which I think is sad, because you can hardly walk a block downtown without bumping into something worthwhile to eat). The least I can do is warn my dear Nancylanders, and hope the restaurant people either figure things out (like how to get the oil in their deep fryer to the right temperature so that the spring rolls don't come out greasy), or that someone else takes a shot at that location.

In contrast, change of management does not have to be a bad thing. On a happier note, I have just come out of La Crepe Bretagne just a couple of blocks away on Jervis St., off Robson (another old favourite that I haven’t been to in a while), and while there’s new management there, you can still get the same yummy crepes that were there before.

*Just a note to say that the correct pronunciation of pho (with a short “uh” sound) wrecks the intended French pun (there are plenty of French influences in Vietnamese food because of the country's French colonial history), unlike the much better and just as appropriate “What the Pho?” but I didn’t want to steal the line from the Seattle establishment that Bleuet told me about. Bottom line, Vinada is all pho’d up now.

Yummy-a-Day: Chirashi Don at Oysi Oysi

2010-01-19T22:12:00.003-08:00

I just had a fantastic chirashi don (about $15) at Oysi Oysi (1136 Alberni St. @Thurlowe St., 604-682-0011) and I was very surprised at what a great experience it all was. I haven't gone to Oysi Oysi in years, and remembered it as being mediocre food. I feel like it's a completely different place now. The service was extremely attentive for this price range, and the chirashi don was very tasty and reasonably priced. My tea was thoughtfully refilled throughout the evening. The sashimi fish tasted fresh and cut properly. The rice is flavoured with shredded seaweed, mushroom bits and pickle bits. They even gave me a nice little complimentary ice cream afterwards. I stopped by after swimming tonight, and felt completely cosy there - the room is fairly quiet and relaxed, the food network (with close captioning) was on the tv, I got hot tea right away, and there were plenty of things to choose from in the brightly photographed menu. In fact, they even have some Chinese dishes there, making it a great place to graze on lots of small dishes and I can even supplement my meal with an order of garlic gai-lan! I find I tend to miss getting enough greens when dining in Japanese restaurants, so I am all for the non-Japanese dishes being on the menu. If you haven't been to Oysi Oysi for a while, I think it's definitely worth checking out again.

Little Bandidas Tacqueria is Growing Up!

2010-01-08T09:51:00.003-08:00

Bandidas Tacqueria (2781 Commercial Drive at 12th Ave., 604-568-8224) celebrated their one year anniversary with a great little party, with cheap drinks, free tacos, and a fantastic band called The Creaking Planks (gotta love their accordian rich, jug band covers like Beastie Boys' Fight for Your Right to Party, Talking Heads' Psycho Killer and NIN's Closer and their real washtub base). Bandidas is a vegetarian restaurant that does delicious modern takes on Mexican and Mexi-cali food (like nachos and burritos). They use tasty things like roasted pineapple, and spiced breaded walnuts, which make the food fun and satisfying even for a someone with my carnivorous habits. It's run by an eco-conscious group, and has a nice casual vibe making it pleasant to hang out for a while and drink their cheap sangria ($8 for a half litre, $15 litre) amongst the mis-matched furniture, bicycles, and vintage lamps. They're open for brunch and dinner, have super friendly staff, and great veggie and vegan friendly food at great prices.

Yummy-A-Day

2010-01-07T21:07:00.003-08:00

In an effort to get myself back on the blogging wagon, I am going to try posting even when I don't have time to do a full review or article. I'll try to make little quick notes in the evenings about one notably yummy food or drink item that I've consumed during the day.

Today's yummy-a-day is "The Sunriser" breakfast at Kyle's Cafe (2627 Commercial Drive at 10th Avenue, 604-872-5885) one of my favourite regular breakfast haunts. Nice quiet spot where you can get Chinese and "Canadian" cuisine, both of good quality. The Sunriser has two eggs, two bacon, two sausage, hash browns, toast, and two pancakes! It's a huge breakfast for a nice start to a day off, and with bottomless coffee plus tax and tip, I've filled up for the whole day for about $10 (it's more of a brunch for me than just breakfast). They have a breakfast special for $2.95 without the pancakes which is also fantastic value (I think the Sunriser is about $5.95).

A lot of people express a great love for the breakfast special at nearby Bon's Off Broadway. For the same price at Kyle's, you can get a better tasting coffee, that is actually served and refilled for you by the server; you never have to line up for a table (this is huge for me - lining up for my first coffee and food of the morning is just not my style); you never really have to wait for service, and you get a fairly quiet, mellow room with sunny yellow walls and natural light coming in. Sure, you don't get the eclectic atmosphere of Bon's, but I'm sure there's some student that you know living in a messy, dark basement suite with movie posters on the wall that you can visit if you really need your fix. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy Bon's, but most days, I'd rather hit Kyle's Cafe. Oh, and I like their house special chow mein too.

Lunch Perfection at Trafalgars

2009-12-08T23:01:00.008-08:00

You might think of Trafalgars Bistro (2603 W. 16th Ave. at Trafalgar, 604-839-0555 ext.1), as just a great place to choose a decadent dessert from a beautiful array of fancy sweets, and this slice of carrot and hazelnut cake was indeed very satisfying, but I found out that it's also a great place for a hot tasty lunch. I had spent the morning mucking about in pouring rain on muddy trails, and was looking for a lunch spot in the west side where I could warm up, dry off, fill my tummy up, and re-energize for the afternoon.

I went into Trafalgars and had their Moules et Frites for $15 on their lunch menu. The mussels were in a delicious tomato caper, lemon and chili broth, which I devoured right down to the last drop sopped up with the generous fresh basket of warm baguette (with butter) that you are presented with at the beginning of the meal. I had a hot cup of tea, and the mussels were like a super tasty tomato soup, perfect for that cold rainy day. The fries made the meal incredibly filling and satisfying, and they were crispy and even topped with a little hot spice which made them more interesting. I finished off with that carrot and hazelnut cake ($8) served with a beautiful striped chocolate curl stick, and mango coulis with a bit of a vanilla cream sauce.

Service was perfect, and incredibly welcoming considering I came in somewhat grubby, wet and muddy. The room was completely filled with people conversing and lunching leisurely, and yet it managed to be calming and relaxing. It was a cheerful spot and perfect lunch.]

Pad Thai At Your Own Pad

2009-10-16T18:20:00.010-07:00

I made Pad Thai tonight for the first time...sort of...or at least a Pad Thai-inspired noodle dish. I didn't have some key ingredients around such as bean sprouts (substituted julienned broccoli) and tamarind pulp (substituted Japanese "bulldog" sauce, vegetable and fruit sauce for dishes like yakisoba, which has a similarly sour, sweet, and fruity quality, I'm guessing). I was also missing garlic chives and green onions, so I sliced up a yellow onion instead and started with stirfrying that. I did have Thai rice stick noodles, tofu, prawns, eggs, red chili, and fish sauce though. I was very pleased with the result, especially the mouth-feel of the noodles.

I found a great detailed explanation of how to make it (not exactly a "recipe") online at Chez Pim that is really worth checking out if you've never made it before, or even if you have and want to refine your technique. Apparently, it's closer to the Pad Thai sold in the streets of Thailand from carts and doesn't have that mysterious red oil stickiness that seems to be more common in western Thai restaurants. Give it a try.

If you'd rather eat out, I recommend the Pad Thai at Maenam Thai Restaurant (1938 W. 4th Avenue, between Cypress and Maple St., 604-730-5579), the second incarnation of Gastropod. Actually, everything that I ate there was super tasty when I checked it out shortly after it opened. Really, really tasty. Really.

For a trip down memory lane, here is my last meal at Gastropod before it turned into Maenam.

Okay, I didn't eat ALL of this. Some of it was for Bac'n Girl and Ginger Beer Man too! Well...alright, I admit, I ate most of it. Very rich. Too much food. And a very good time.

But I am very happy with what the chef has done with the Thai menu too. I thought I had pics from that night as well, but I was probably too gaga to remember to take photos. It was an "anniversary" date night that included walking over to the Stanley for a great production of Les Mis. Again, very rich. Too much food. And a very, very good time.

Remembering Hopscotch 2008

2009-09-25T17:52:00.001-07:00

Last year, I was treated to a fantastic night of scotch tasting at the Hopscotch festival, which ran November 11 - 16th, 2008. Ginger Beer Man won tickets for us, and we must have sampled about a dozen premium scotches along with tasty bits of food, some beers, and even a tequila.

Pre-sale tickets will be on sale for this year's event on October 1st. Just sign up for their email newsletter on the website, and the event runs November 16 - 22nd, 2009.

The grand tasting event tickets give you admission to the Thursday or Friday main tasting event, five tasting tokens ($1 each) and a little souvenir tasting glass to use as you hop from booth to booth. You buy more tokens at the event, and there is even a complimentary shuttle afterwards (though after all that scotch, it was a great night to waddle off happily to the Main St. skytrain station on our own, from the Rocky Mountaineer Station off terminal (near Home Depot). Various seminars are also included during the evening, so if those interest you, get your name on the list early on in the evening. We wound up needing all the time to make our way around the booths.

Last year, my first year at the fest, was a spectacular event. Some of my favourite tastes of the night were:

an old single malt by the name of Penderyn (misplaced my notes, but I think this was my favourite)
fall off the bone ribs made with Jack Daniels and Rickard's beer.

I highly recommend the event. I remember the night fondly.

Foodies at the Movies: Julie and Julia

2009-08-11T22:52:00.003-07:00

Julia Child, foodie blogging, cooking, women finding themselves, and relationships...this movie had everything I needed to get me excited before I even stepped into the theatre. And I have to say, it didn't disappoint. Meryl Streep does a charming, amusing, believable AND respectful portrayal of Julia Child. For a huge Julia Child fan who grew up watching and loving her cooking show, an irreverent impression could have easily killed this movie for me. Not to worry though, she had it covered and managed to beautifully convey that love of food familiar to many of us and is so fun to watch in people. I also wound up caring for and rooting for Julie, the writer who vowed to cook every dish from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking cookbook in a year and blog the entire experience. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and recommend it for foodies and non-foodies alike. Ginger Beer Man saw it with me and enjoyed it as well, so I don't think you have to be a food blogger to get it, but it certainly doesn't hurt. This inspires me to make a top ten movies for foodies list. Coming soon...

Trade-offs

2009-08-06T23:15:00.002-07:00

I was thinking about the "breakfast of my dreams" and I started wondering if I really know what I want. The ultimate breakfast place I wrote about has everything I've dreamed about except that I can only go there some of the time. It's expensive and indulgent, and not something I want to do every day. I don't imagine the same spread at a place that I could afford to visit everyday. I am happy with the idea that if I find a breakfast hang out that I could go to every day, that it won't be quite as exciting and filled with the same variety and quantity of treats. I don't even bother fantasizing that I could have it all and have it there all the time. It's a trade-off. A part of me wants to keep dreaming of the ultimate everything place that will always be there for me. A part of me thinks that I will find the perfect everyday sort of place much more easily and would enjoy it more if I didn't spend time fantasizing about having it all. Experiencing the indulgent place is nice though, and it is comforting to know that I can be that satisfied, albeit rarely. Hypothetically, if for some reason all the restaurants in my vicinity were wiped out except for one, and I had the power to decide whether that one would be the fancy indulgent place that I could only go to once in a while, or the reasonable place that fits most of my needs that I could go to all the time, I'm not too sure what the right choice would be. Would I get bored of the second option after a while? Would I be content with the limited time with the first? Meh, I'd probably move.

Breakfast of My Dreams

2009-07-08T08:36:00.003-07:00

I finally found the breakfast buffet that I've been questing for years. Some place that has great food, great service, great ambiance and is right downtown. I must admit it's on the expensive side for breakfast ($26.00/person), but it's incredibly satisfying, a beautiful all you can eat spread along with made to order omelettes if you wish, and the price includes bottomless tasty coffee, teas and fresh juices (orange, apple, grapefruit, cranberry). It's the big breakfast buffet at The Westin Bayshore's Currents in Coal Harbour (1601 Bayshore Drive, 604-682-3377). It's served from 6:30 - 11:00 am, which is fantastic for someone like me who likes to sleep in on a day off and have a long leisurely breakfast with a copy of the newspaper (plenty of all three major papers here are provided at a big round table at the front).

For good food, I want all of the hot breakfast favourites in unlimited quantities, "properly" done. Crisp bacon, eggs that are not overcooked (a made to order egg option helps a lot with this, good sausages, a variety of pastries and fruit and some interesting or unusual items, and of course, decent coffee with easily accessible refills (but I'm not too concerned about whether this is due to a diligent server or a help yourself coffee station). In this case, it's super attentive service where they ask you if you want refills before you even think of it yourself. And their theme is "superfoods" so there are all sorts of fun items rich in nutrients, like a variety of nuts and dried fruit including high quality dates. They also have some great smoked salmon, and a beautiful salad, and different items such as roasted yams or veggies. There's a variety of fantastic pastries in nice reasonably small sizes, and even little portions of thick fruity smoothies. Their yoghurt muesli is tasty too. They even have a eggs benedict type dish in the hot buffet section, and as I said earlier, it's nice to have the option of having an omelette or eggs made to order as well.

In terms of good service, I want a place that actually makes me feel welcome even though it's early in the morning, and I'm not really a morning person. For buffets, the servers pretty much just need to not get in the way. The food is always ready when you are, so you're not waiting for someone to bring you things generally. Essentially, you just need to staff to keep things clean, the buffet station looking nice and inviting, and sometimes to provide coffee, juice, water, and made to order items.

For ambiance, I like to have a place relaxed enough that I can read the newspaper and bonus points if they provide those newspapers, and especially if there is enough for everyone, and you don't spend every morning just coveting the paper at someone else's table. I generally like a place that is clean and comfortable. I'm pretty flexible about the decor. I do tend toward pretty surroundings but am happy with eclectic or old places as long as it's not ugly or uncomfortable. I like big windows and good natural light in the morning. This place is beautiful, comfortable, and has expansive windows looking out onto a pool and landscaping.

Generally, I like good value, where I feel like the price is fair. That sometimes means that it is incredibly cheap, but sometimes it means that you get such a good experience that it feels worthwhile. This falls in the second category, and is actually on the lower end of the big fancy hotel brunches in town, which can go up to $40+ per person.

I like the fact that there is no wait and it's quiet, where I can easily get a window seat. I almost worry that telling too many people about it may ruin the serenity of the place, but it's a big room, and they seem to have their system down too, so I'm sure they could handle a crowd if need be. I didn't feel rushed ever, so it's a great place to catch up with someone over a long breakfast.

It's a splurge (in calories and temptation as much as in price), so it can't be my regular breakfast hang out, but it's nice to know that the breakfast of my dreams does exist and is there for me any day of the week that I want it. There is an a la carte menu also for those who have more restraint than I do...or perhaps for those who don't have enough restraint for a buffet.

Bandidas Taqueria

2009-04-26T11:57:00.004-07:00

I am trying to get back on the blogging wagon. Hopefully I'll be galloping along at full speed soon, but in the meantime, I'll try to at least post some quick and dirty recommendations. Check out Bandidas Taqueria, a relatively new vegetarian Mexican inspired restaurant that gives great value, friendly service, and tasty tacos, nachos, burritos and more.

Prices are fantastic, with two tacos at around $4 to $5.50 with interesting ingredients like breaded spicy walnuts or roasted yams and a half litre of yummy sweet sangria for $11. We also ordered a "small" order of nachos that included roasted pineapple. The four tacos, generous plate of nachos, and the sangria were enough to stuff us silly.

Their environmental conscientiousness makes you feel good about visiting this neighbourhood spot on The Drive. And they even blog!

Catch Gastropod Before It Creeps Away

2009-04-22T20:30:00.002-07:00

Gastropod is closing down on May 2nd, so make your way down to this Kitsilano gem in the next week or so if you can. Not to worry though, Angus An, the chef, will still be cooking at that location when it reopens as the authentic Thai restaurant, Maenam. It's unfortunate that the economy has prompted some fine dining establishments in town to downscale, but perhaps after Maenam is up and running, Gastropod may be resurrected again in a different location. I'm hoping to have one last meal there before the closing though. If you haven't ever been, it's definitely worth checking out. I'm looking forward to trying Maenam as well.

Connor Butler Restaurant

2009-02-16T15:54:00.002-08:00

Save up some money, think of it as dinner and a show all wrapped into one and just go. My typical format for a review is to go into great detail about my personal experience at a restaurant and I try even to relay information from several visits to each restaurant. But sometimes, it just feels like I should have a huge spoiler alert before each post. I think that sometimes it is just nice to be completely surprised by an experience. Which is essentially what happened to me one day when I went in on a whim and had Restaurant Connor Butler's (2145 Granville St, at 5th Avenue, 604-734-2145) six-course tasting menu. I hope to post details one day, but if you are looking for a fine dining experience in town, and you have an adventurous palate and an appreciation for the creative spirit, just go.

Mahek of a Lot Better Than the Indian Food I've Been Eating Lately

2009-01-22T09:33:00.000-08:00

Okay, when East Indian friends of yours choose a particular Indian restaurant for their wedding dinner reception, you know that things look good for it to be a blog-worthy spot and a very good meal...

Mahek Restaurant (9470 - 120th St., just before 95th Ave, near the Royal Bank, Surrey, 604-585-3331 or 604-585-3332) did a great job of handling the festive group dinner, with no shortage of fantastic food and geniality. My friend, Curry Chicken Man, had his wedding on a snowy December day, and it was already a good food day with the morning tea offerings and the vegetarian lunch at the temple before and after the ceremony.

At dinner, we had appetizers of crispy and tasty pakoras, samosas, and a sort of salad like dish of crispy bits, chickpeas, yoghurt and chutney called chatt. We then moved onto an appetizer of cilantro tikka chicken which looks a bit unusual at first because of the bright green colour (I thought it was chunks of avocado at first sight), but it was delicious, served on sizzling platters with onions and peppers. We also had a fantastic lamb curry and butter chicken, rice, naan, and raita. I finished off with a nice cup of their chai. All of it was fabulous and we stuffed ourselves silly.

The room is warm, and inviting. The staff were fantastic, and even wrapped up the leftovers for the wedding guests (yup, you betcha, Ginger Beer Man and I scored a big bag of leftovers, hee hee). The restaurant is a bit out of my way, but I'd happily make the trek out to eat there again, and I'm sure it will be a much faster drive on roads that aren't snow-covered. Beware though, it's on a road with two other Indian restaurants that also start with the letter M, so look carefully for it. It's a nice enough spot for a special date or a celebration dinner, but seems very homey and family-oriented too, with reasonable prices. Looks like they are open seven days a week for both lunch and dinner and even the time in between.

Gouuuulash Weather

2009-01-21T11:37:00.011-08:00

Apologies to my dear Nancylanders - I haven't blogged in ages. And to be honest, this winter season, I've spent a lot more time cooking at home or eating other people's home cooking than I have going out to new restaurants. But I pledge to blog more this New Year. Even if my eating habits have changed, you can be sure that I am still eating, hehehe.

I love the fog that has descended upon Vancouver...so mysterious. Though I was happy enough to get out of the fog briefly this past weekend at Salt Spring Island, and I will post about the good eating I did there soon. For now, here is the recipe for the goulash that I like to make in the winter. I often say that I make it so that I can say the word goulash more... It's simply a meat stew (in my case, more of a soup), that can be traced back to nineteenth century Hungary, and was also loved by Austrians, and there are many different versions. At it's simplest, it was meat and broth, made by farmers, and placed in a bag made of an animal's stomach, and cooked down until all the liquid was gone. It could be eaten dried or water could be added to turn it back into a stew. I omit the traditional animal stomach container in my recipe, but I do use both Hungarian paprika and caraway seeds that traditionally season the stew either individually or in combination.

This recipe is based on the one in The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook, with my modifications:

a few tablespoons of flour to lightly coat beef
about 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1.5 cups of chopped onions
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 green pepper, roughly chopped
a cup of roughly chopped mushrooms
1 large garlic clove
6 cups of water (or more, to completely submerge meat and veggies)
2 pounds of beef stew meat, cut into 3/4 inch pieces (I prefer a chuck roast)
2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
3 teaspooons salt
1/4 teaspoon caraway seed (I like more)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I use more)
1 or 2 bay leaves
1.5 pounds of potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch cubes (I don't bother peeling)
1 cup of carrots, chopped (or those pre-cut ones)
1 16-ounce can of whole tomatoes

1. Coat the beef cubes in a light dusting of flour. In a large soup pot, preferably not a non-stick one, brown the beef cubes on all sides (in small batches if necessary) by searing on high heat in oil. Set aside beef.

2. Cook onions, celery green pepper, and garlic in the same pot until onion is soft on medium low heat (about 10 minutes), stirring up all the little bits of browned meat stuck from browning the beef.

3. Add water, beef, paprika, salt, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, and caraway seed. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 1.5 hours or just until meat is fork-tender.

4. Add potatoes and carrots, cover and cook 10 minutes longer or until both are tender.

5. Drain liquid from can of tomatoes and add to soup. With a small knife, coarsely chop tomatoes and stir into soup just a few minutes before serving soup (keeps its tangy fresh flavour when added at the last minute).

6. Cook until soup is just heated through. Makes 10-12 servings. Takes about 2.5 hours to make.

Serve it with nice chunks of toasted bread, and you have yourself a good hearty meal for a cold winter day.

Sentimental Favourites

2008-11-07T05:58:00.006-08:00

I've written before about the effect of the context and company on the success of the food. If you think back to your best meals, likely there were special people and special circumstances that amplified the efforts of the restaurant cooks, servers, dishwashers, designers, food producers and anyone else involved in putting together the dining experience. Or just as likely, your best meals were put together lovingly in someone's home. Romance, for example, can make even the simplest snack of toasted bread into something memorable and ridiculously wonderful in your mind. Or maybe it's just me? I know, I'm a sap. And this post is all about being a sap about these things. But there are times when being too sentimental about meals can be detrimental. Do you have any strong associations of particular restaurants with particular people? In the case where these people aren't still in your life, do you ever "save" these restaurants in your memory for these people? I wrote about getting over that a while back, when returning to the restaurant of my very first date. Not that I don't keep my sweet memories, but I'm not going to cross off a good restaurant (or lets face it, dozens of them, haha) because of who I had been there with. I realized I can keep the memory safe and go back to the scene without jeopardizing the preciousness of it all.

I've recently had a birthday, and I'm actually feeling just ever so slightly wiser. I am enjoying the fact that I have had a lot of interesting experiences so far in my life. I am a person who enjoys variety, and I've had a LOT of variety...in my restaurant experiences.

I took Ginger Beer Man to the Afro Canadian Restaurant in Gastown (324 Cambie St. between Hasting and Cordova, 604-682-2646) which means that I've had a different date each time I've gone, with years in between each visit. The restaurant remains the same comfy little haven of spicy goodness that it's been for 15 years. I, on the other hand, feel like I've grown quite a bit in the last few years. Emotionally, that is. And while I'm not in contact with the other two previous dining companions anymore, I still hold some fond memories of them and the meals. But that doesn't take away even one granule of enjoyment I had on the last visit (so my enjoyment is granular? Yah, sometimes...like the grains of sand in an enjoyment hour glass, hahaha).

Anyhow, this is just a reaffirmation for you Nancylanders who might already be familiar with the restaurant - Afro Canadian remains a simple yet sastifying gem in this gritty area, serving tasty stews like the jerk chicken, lamb, and beef dishes that we chose for our meat platter ($17 for enough food for two, three choices of meat dishes). It was served along with salad and rice all on the nice flat spongy injera bread that sops up all those juices as well as serving as an eating utensil. It's a place that was shared with me my first time, like a juicy little secret, and now I enjoy passing it along to others. But only to those that are worthy.

Baking Therapy

2008-09-20T15:45:00.003-07:00

Baking for me is relaxing and yet very rewarding and productive - a perfect therapeutic activity and cheaper than, say, "retail therapy," a phrase I actually first heard from a straight male acquaintence...a well-groomed one, as you might expect. An added benefit of baking therapy is that it tends to make people around me happy too. I once went through a short cheesecake experimentation period, and it was just the act of making them that I found comforting. I wound up supplying cheesecake to everyone in my immediate vicinity. I've even been known to share my "breakup buns" with the ex-boyfriend I broke up with.

Some cooks who are uppity about their preference for making up a recipe as they go will scoff at baking as being too restrictive and just about following rote instructions precisely (when following rather than developing recipes), but I find that there tends to be plenty of opportunity for creativity and modification; there's adjustment to taste, technique improvement through experience, the enjoyment of learning new techniques and tips, and especially a great expression of artistic creativity in the aesthetic design of the product (think crazy gingerbread people or a fabulously decorated cake), and in serving presentation (garnishes, sauces, dustings, accompaniments). Also, by integrating multiple elements to make a dessert, you can express your creativity in flavour combinations, just as you would when coming up with a main course that has several savoury components. I often think fondly of the six-course dessert menu with wine pairings that I had at Espai Sucre, an all dessert restaurant in Barcelona, Spain that profoundly changed my perception of what dessert can be. There really is no limit.

But I also enjoy the simplest desserts. Sometimes you just can't beat a homey favourite like an old-fashioned slice of pie and coffee. My favourite pie has been banana cream pie for years (with warm blueberry double crust pie, served with vanilla ice cream, a close second), yet I've never made one until today. I discovered that it's really an easy thing to make, and for guidance, I used the Five Roses, A Guide to Good Cooking cookbook (as well as my usual Googling cross referencing habit when tackling a new dish). The Five Roses is a classic Canadian cookbook first published in 1967 and given to me as a gift by someone who bakes for a living. A good pie is one of those things that seems a bit hard to come by (or at least something I seem to be particularly particular about), so I think mastering pies at home is a worthwhile project.

My first banana cream pie wound up being a bit too sweet, but that can be easily corrected next time. Part of the problem was that I went for a sweet graham cracker crust because I had a bunch of graham crackers that needed using up, but I would omit the sugar recommended in the book. I also used the very sweet meringue topping suggested in the recipe, to use up the egg whites (as the custard requires egg yolks), but I think next time I would just go with whipped cream only next time, and use the egg whites up later in an egg drop soup or something. The meringue does make for a very pretty topping though. But it's not a pie that keeps well. I'm quite pleased with how simple it is to make though. It may just wind up getting on my roster of potluck contributions one of these days. Uh oh, I see a pie phase coming. Maybe I'll start with a Banana Cream Pie Period, and then, of course, move onto my Blue(berry pie) Period, hehehe.

The Vehicle of My Dreams

2008-09-14T20:52:00.004-07:00

I was watching Daily Planet tonight, and they did a show on Burning Man 2008. There were all sorts of amazing pieces shown on the show, but there's one I really crave: a personal muffin car. There's a group that built about a dozen muffin and cupcake cars, and have been going to Burning Man for years with them. They even let Jay Ingram drive the blueberry muffin for the show segment. I could just imagine riding around town in one of these, complete with little topping hat. I hope the creators don't mind me posting this photo of their amazing vehicles. I want to go to Burning Man one day. Baby steps, I guess - I had a blast at the first Pemberton Festival in June this year, and now have a taste for traveling to festivals.

Summer's Almost Over? Check Out Some Great Patios While You Still Can

2008-08-24T11:05:00.006-07:00

On this rainy late August day, I'm sure the thought that "summer is almost over" is creeping up on many minds in Vancouver. But the rain reminds us to appreciate the sunny days while we have them, and I think we'll get some more beautiful warm days before it ends, so let's make the most of them. There's nothing like a great patio meal on a summer's night in Vancouver. Here are a few of my more obscure and relaxed favourite patios. Check them out when the rain clouds clear.

1. Afghan Horsemen Restaurant (#202 1833 Anderson Street, 2nd Floor, 604-873-5923) has a nice big patio at their new location upstairs, just before Granville Island. You can see photos of the patio on their website, and when Bac'n Girl and I went, we had the patio to ourselves, well, except for one strange cell phone user who chose to stand right next to us to talk on the phone despite the expanse of patio space available to him. The patio is complete with a nice canopied area, plenty of greenery, and palm tree with fake coconuts. Try their Horseman's Platter that can be made up for two (about $25 per person) or more people. They still have their wacky drinks for two, and a nice pillowed area inside where you can sit on the floor.

2. New India Buffet (805 West Broadway at Willow St., with free underground parking at night that you can access from Willow St., 604-874-5800) has a nice big array of choices and plenty of food, and good maintenance of the buffet. It's a basic, casual place without a lot of service, but they have some dishes that stand-out sometimes. I have noticed nice tender chicken in their butter chicken and really good galub jamun (syrup soaked doughnut-like balls). This find was a tip from a regular Nancylander (thanks, SaabKen. Please see his update on the place in the comments section) on patios last year and I've been there several times now. There is plenty of room for groups here, even on the outdoor patio overlooking the city.

3. Guu with Garlic (1698 Robson Street at Bidwell Street, 604-865-8678) Get here early for a spot on this tiny patio, and people watch the Robson pedestrian traffic while enjoying tasty izakaya food. So many izakayas, just like many other western pubs, are somewhat cave-like (dark colours, windowless enclosed spaces). It's nice to be able to sit out on an open patio and watch the world go by.

4. The Do it Yourself Patio. Summer is also beach weather, and when you can't quite find that perfect combination of water view, pleasant outdoor eating area and really worthwhile food, then take matters into your own hand, and bring take out to eat at the beach. The last time I did this, I sat on the big rocks at Sunset Beach (next to English Bay), eating a lovely tostada from Casablanca Restaurant, (1102 Davie Street at Thurlow, 604-633-9950) a relatively new, tiny Mexican restaurant with charming staff.

Sometimes you don't even need spectacular food, just something satifying. Bac'n Girl and I went on a night time bunny count at Jericho Beach just armed with McDonald's hot fudge sundaes. Incidentally, I've recently tried the banana cream pie flavoured Blizzard from Dairy Queen and was introduced to the concept of Drive-Thru Dairy Queens (uh oh).

Another night, I enjoyed a satisfying green tea flavoured cream puff from the new Beard Papa next to English Bay (1184 Denman Street at Davie Street, 604-681-3163) the space used to be all Amy's Cake House). English Bay is a great beach to eat at because there are lots of logs to sit on there if you don't have a blanket. It's a Japanese chain that makes big beautiful cream puffs with a crispy outer shell, and soft chewy insides, filled with a nice custardy cream. Definitely go for the the vanilla flavoured cream puff rather than the green tea one (seasonal special flavour that was available the day I went), if you like a nice rich flavour. The green tea cream was subtle and light, and pleasant though. Check out the website cartoon cream puff story of Beard Papa. They inject the cream into the puff after you order it and carefully sprinkle it with powdered sugar. It may appear expensive when you first arrive ($2.75 for a cream puff? A box of six costs nearly $10?) but they aren't tiny little cream puffs. They're huge and satisfying and have good vanilla flavour. They have other treats at the store too, that look interesting.

5. And just a quick list of good drinking patios with great service (I tend to like a good cocktail list) that are not so obscure:

Zin Restaurant on Robson Street between Jervis St. and Bute St. Great Robson St. people watching. Unfortunately, they renovated, and toned down their formerly fabulous deep red cosy room and have made it feel more open, but the cocktails and the patio are still great. The lounge side used to be one of my favourite rooms in the city (for restaurants). I think they took the dividing curtain out between the lounge and the dining side, and toned down the red colour.
Earl's on Top on Robson Street at Bute St. Great service, and relaxed patio.
Nu on the seawall, under the downtown side of the Granville St. bridge. Great water view. Desserts have taken a turn for the worse, and food can feel pricey for what you get, but it's a beautiful patio looking over to Granville Island and a marina.
Fiddlehead Joe's on the seawall at the Concord Pacific side of False Creek. Great water view.
Hudson's Landing Pub at the Coast Hotel (1041 S.W. Marine Drive at the Vancouver side of the Oak St. bridge). They have a small patio hideout - very casual and relaxed. Typical pub grub offerings, done at a decent quality level. I enjoyed their smooth-style spinach and artichoke dip and dry ribs.
O'Doul's Restaurant on Robson Street at Jervis Street I haven't gone in ages because both service and food have been slightly hit and miss for me and I have less tolerance for this at this high a price range, but I mention it because I do have great respect for the chef there (formerly of Zin) and I was very pleased to have discovered their little courtyard patio hidden in the middle of the restaurant. The website has been nicely updated and it's probably worth checking out again sometime.

Western Lake Chinese Restaurant

2008-08-18T11:47:00.003-07:00

If you're looking for a Chinese restaurant in Vancouver with very good quality food, check out Western Lake Chinese Restaurant (4989 Victoria Drive between 33rd and 34th Ave, 604-321-6862). I went there for a group family dinner a while back, and everything on the set group menu for six impressed me (you know, the one written only in Chinese. If you don't read Chinese, just take a chance and order it. Make sure they are not giving you a non-Chinese version though. Not sure if they have that there, but some restaurants have a "western" or "gwai-lo" and a Chinese version of the set menus). In particular, I remember that the texture of the fried rice was amazing, and may be the best I had ever had. I realized I must be doing something wrong at home when I make it. It's been a while since I went, but since finding a good Chinese restaurant can be somewhat less accessible to people, I wanted to make mention of this one. Portions were generous and prices were good. The place was absolutely packed with people, and there were lots of large groups. If you have a large group meal coming up, consider making a reservation here. They have daily dim sum here too, but I haven't had a chance to try it yet.

What? Another Izakaya? Toratatsu is my new fav!

2008-08-08T12:22:00.006-07:00

Saba (mackerel) Getting Torched, with Barley-fed Pork Salad in Foreground

Seriously Delicious Saba, Post-torching

Onigiri ($4)

Buta Shabu Salad - Barley-fed Pork Salad ($7.30)

Avocado Fries (I know!) and Negitoro

Cheesecake (made with Camembert) with Honey

Okay, so I'm walking along Denman, like I've done hundreds of times before, and I notice a little Japanese izakaya. I go in, I am pleased by the fun menu, I order, I am blown away, and I ask, how long has this been here. A year! I could have been eating here for the last year! I come back again another day and everything is tasty again. I come back with friends (some Vancouver ex-"pats" that have moved to Calgary). Everything is tasty again. The name of this little gem is Toratatsu Japanese Tapas Bistro (735 Denman St. at Alberni St., 604-685-9344).

The place is worth checking out for their negitoro dish ($7.80) alone. I am a huge fan of tuna with green onion anywhere, but this place serves it as a dip for avocado fries! Yes, you heard me. They deep-fry avocado, and it's absolutely delicious. They coat it with panko (light and crispy Japanese bread crumbs), and it goes great with the negitoro dip that is chopped tuna and green onion dressed with rice wine vinegar, a little fish roe, mayo and other things that get all mixed up together. I've never had deep-fried avocado before, and it seems a bit extravagent, but it's really good. It almost doesn't need any sort of dip, but what the hell, if you're going that far anyway, you might as well top it with negitoro too. I love their little tempura skewers (they will call it different things on the menu - kushiten or fritters, $7); they include a wonderful selection of bite-sized crispy coated veggies and fish cake, seafood or meat. I really enjoyed their sablefish in particular too. The have some nice starch dishes too, like their rice dish in a hot stone bowl (when I went, it was eel and cucumber) and their Tarako Kimchi Udon, a fried udon dish that was very tasty and satisfying.

Another fun bit about the restaurant is that they have fresh fruit smashed drinks. They list the fresh fruit available that day on the board, and you can have it with the liquor of your choice (vodka, sake, shochu...) (only $5.50). They also serve sake in a freshly cut piece of bamboo, which I have not tried yet ($9) and have a few cocktails, like the Dark and Stormy rum and ginger beer drink that I enjoyed ($8). They have quite a wine list too for a Japanese place. Service has been quite good, and the cute young chefs pop out to bring you the food too. Don't be surprised that these folks know what they are doing though. This restaurant has only been open since June 2007, but the owner/chef is the youngest son of the same family that ran the now closed Yaletown restaurant Shiru-Bay Chopstick Café, which was the Lower Mainland extension of a successful chain of restaurants in Tokyo. The chef trained at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts and incorporates flavours and ideas from Europe on the menu.

It seems like the staff of all the izakayas in town are very connected to each other. I wonder if that would make a good tv show setting? This place is just a few blocks away from Kingyo, which is another fantastic izakaya (a bit bigger, with great service and excellent food too). They are also close to the Japanese charcoal grill restaurant Zukkushi which is tasty, but I haven't been back for a while, feeling like it was a bit pricey when I went. And now there is a new izakaya off Robson St. on Jervis (next to my favourite crepe place) called Kakurenbou Japanese dining. I've only been once, during it's soft opening with a reduced menu, and the place looks sharp, and it has very traditional flavours such as a lot of sancho and fresh shiso leaf. The name comes from the Japanese for hide and seek, and meant to refer to the space which is small and intimate, and like a little hideaway. I will give it a try again now that they have their full menu before posting fully about it, but in general I am much more excited by Toratatsu, and generally get more of a cosy home-y feel from it. I went to Toratatsu again recently, and they had their AC blowing, so it was quite comfy, and it was a hot summer day, so I received a nice refreshing cold towel upon arrival. The first time I went, they had these little tablets that they poured water on, which magically expanded into a disposable wet towel, but they were quick to tell you that they were towels and not some sort of candy. That was fun and cute, but it's nice to have the reuseable towels now. They're open seven days a week, and take reservations.

Takoyaki at the Richmond Summer Night Market

2008-08-03T22:15:00.005-07:00

I had a great time at the Richmond Summer Night Market, and the above photo is one of the things that make it worthwhile for me. I fell in love with takoyaki as a young teenager visiting Japan on an exchange program. It reminds me of experiencing the summer festivals there and of being fresh and naive, curious about the world, and joyfully sucking in Japan like a brand new sponge. I love street food, and our city is definitely lacking. I remember a time when bylaws made the environment hostile to even the hot dog stands. Mind you, I appreciate that someone is looking out for hygiene and that health standards are high here for food safety and all that. But I'm a five second rule type of gal (maybe even 15 seconds), and a bit of a risk taker. Hey, my delicate sheltered belly survived Mexican taco stands and the deep fried goodies down there and I don't even live there. So I am all for more street food here.

Anyhow, I was glad to see that the Richmond market is alive and well, and I want to support it, since it did take some effort to save this event. Sure, when I went there seemed to be fewer food stalls than the previous years, but I heard that more were coming later (there may already be more now). And we had no problem stuffing ourselves silly with what was available there (even needing to strategize, as there were a couple of things I just couldn't fit in at the end).

Our adventure at the night market started right when they opened, so it was relatively uncrowded, and I even snagged a parking spot right next to the market. We had veggie-filled fish waffles, so many lamb skewers (Bac'n Girl came back with fistfuls of them for us...I love how happy she looks when she's got a bunch of meat), the takoyaki of course (toasted doughy balls with a chunk of octopus in the middle and lots of toppings), giant fried chicken breast, halibut taco, duck-filled pancake, sweet rice flour balls, super spicy curry fish balls (which weren't that spicy), korean potato noodles, stuffed peppers, and dragon beard candy and other sweets. I enjoy the wandering about and getting excited about a food item. It's different from just having a meal where people bring you all the food and take care of your every need. There is an element of conquest to the market experience. "Oh, we have to get some of that!" "Okay, I'll go get this while you get that!" It's somewhat dirty and messy, inconvenient, awkward to eat, and a hell of a lot of fun.

Prepare to Descend on the Richmond Summer Night Market on Sunday, July 6th, at 7 pm

2008-07-02T23:31:00.002-07:00

This Sunday will be my first trip to the Summer Night Market in Richmond this year, and I'm inviting fellow foodies out to meet me. Meet me 7 pm in front of the food stalls. I am unsure of the exact layout of the site, but I am guessing that there will be one main entrance to the market, so proceed through that and continue until you find the cluster of food stalls (hopefully this will be obvious and in one location). I will hover there precisely at 7 pm, wearing a small official nancyland button, and will have buttons to give out. Look for a small group of drooling foodies looking like they are waiting for other foodies. We will gather there, and then pounce upon the food stalls so if you make it there later, look for us amongst the goodies. If you plan on coming to the market to look for us, leave me a comment at this post or an email and we'll look out for you. Bring cash in the form of loonies and toonies, an empty belly, and friends.

Like a Roving Colony of Ravenous Foodie Army Ants: new Nancyland Meet at the (Richmond) Summer Night Market!

2008-06-30T15:14:00.005-07:00

I've been waiting and waiting for the Richmond Summer Night Market (12631 Vulcan Way, behind Home Depot on Sweden Way) to open. First, I was just waiting for the summer to come; then I heard about the original founder cancelling the event due to the lease running out; and then found out that Paul Cheung, Lions Communications, was a new organizer that had rushed in to save the day (yay!); and then I heard about legal problems, construction sabatoge, and finally (and the most heart-breaking) plumbing problems which delayed the food vendors for weeks after official opening. But the word on the virtual street is that the food vendors came back last weekend (June 21st), and things are in full swing!

So that means that I can finally make an outting to the market, and I'm inviting Nancylanders to join me in wandering the food stalls as a pack, devouring all the Asian street food that crosses our path like a ravenous colony of foodie army ants. I will announce a trip for next weekend, either July 4,5,or 6th.

Transit from Vancouver looks pretty easy. Get yourself to Metrotown station and take the 430 Richmond Exchange from Bay 8 and get off on Bridgeport Road, just west of Sweden Way or take the 98 Burrard Station B-Line to Bridgeport Road and then transfer to the 407 Gilbert that travels along Bridgeport, getting off just before Sweden Way. There are pay parking lots as part of the market too, details can be seen at the link to the summer market website.

Post a comment (or email me at nancyland.vancouver.foodie.fun@gmail.com) if you are interested in attending and feel free to leave a preferred date. I am looking at starting early in the evening, at 7 pm when the market opens, so that we have empty bellies to start, and the grazing serves as dinner.

Jonker Street Restaurant

2008-06-28T21:39:00.002-07:00

Just one visit so far to the little Jonker Street Restaurant (1128 Pacific Blvd, at Cambie St. 604-688-8565), and I was thoroughly impressed with the Malaysian food there. It seemed very authentic, tasty, with fresh bright flavours and not too greasy. The room is bright, casual and clean, and the service is very personable. It seemed like the man serving us was the owner, and he was a great host. It has a very relaxed atmosphere.

I must have roti canai ($2.80), a flaky somewhat sweet bread served with a curry sauce, anytime I see it on a menu. So Bac'n girl and I started with sharing an order of that (next time I'll get my own order) and an order of gado-gado ($7.50), a mixed salad of tofu, bean sprouts, green beans, potato and boiled egg, and covered with a tasty peanut sauce. The Roti Canai was one of the nicest ones I've had, and the Gado-Gado was a perfectly crunchy and filling salad. Bac'n Girl had been advised by a Malaysian friend that would serve their KL Hokkien Me noodles ($9.50) with the traditional bits of deep fried pork fat that you might find if you ordered the dish in Malaysia (but omit it if you don't ask for it...I'm thinking they probably found that the typical Yaletowner would not be attracted to "deep-fried pieces of fat" on a menu). The bits of fat were delicious of course, and the thick yellow noodles with mixed seafood and vegetables braised in a special dark sauce were great. I ordered their Nasi Jambori ($13.90) with was a sampler of chicken curry, beef rendang and prawn sambal. It was served with boiled egg, side salad, pappadum and jasmine rice. Everything was very tasty, and I loved having such a variety of dishes. I was impressed with the quality and freshness of the little salad too, and it was all very filling. I remember enjoying their big plump prawns in the spicy sambal sauce. In fact, we both noticed that someone sitting beside us ate everything on their plate, except for two big prawns, and it seemed such a waste that we were tempted to say that we'll eat them. They have some Malaysian drinks too, and Bac'n Girl and I ordered a couple of those too, though I can only remember that mine was cold and sweet, and hers was a hot tea. And for dessert, the Sago Gula Melaka ($3.80), chilled sago (a root starch, like tapioca) pudding served with coconut milk and fragrant palm sugar was perfect.

I'll definitely go back, and it's a great addition to this area; geographically just outside of the hub of snobby trendoids that makes up much of Yaletown, but worlds away in terms of atmosphere and value. If you park in the Urban Fare underground parking lot, Jonker St. will reimburse you for the first hour.

Kitsilano Farmer's Market and Greek Day on Broadway

2008-06-22T09:53:00.002-07:00

I'm checking out the nibbles at two summer events today:

1. the Kitsilano Farmer's Market at West 10th Avenue and Larch St. runs Sundays 10:00 am - 2:00 pm throughout the summer.

2. Greek Day on Broadway between Blenheim and MacDonald Avenue is just on today, Sunday, June 22nd, from 11:00 am - 9:30 pm.

If you happen to spot me there today, ask for the first ever Nancyland collectable item. I will leave it as a surprise for now, but I can tell you it has Ha Gow, my little dumpling character on it. I'll be wearing one myself, and I'm wearing grey pants and a black top. And then there's the free jazz down in Gastown all day, with the last band going on at 6:30 pm.

Century

2008-06-19T22:28:00.007-07:00

I was pleasantly surprised by Century Restaurant and Bar (432 Richards St. between Pender and Hastings St., 604-633-2700). Even though I know enough to take the reviews on a particular post-your-own-restaurant-review type website with a grain (or a big pinch) of salt, I was still a bit wary having read the reviews after choosing the restaurant. Well, I wound up having a really satisfying meal there with great service, and left completely impressed. The restaurant has changed chefs a few times, so this restaurant has likely been different places at different times during its short life, possibly explaining the mixed reviews in its past. The building itself has certainly been different places during its long life, starting out as bank at the turn of the century. However, there's no dispute online or otherwise that the current decor is amazing, and I was looking forward to seeing it. The architectural details of the 1911 bank are all there, with the beautiful barrel vaulted ceilings, chandeliers and even the old bank vault. The restaurant design is also gorgeous with it's hip Latin cowboy feel, Che Guevara and cowboy murals in rich browns, and beautiful suede-covered curved booths. The seating was not only attractive but extremely functional and roomy. Sitting in the half circle bench feels very cosy, and the half circle tables can be put together for larger groups. The restaurant is actually a bit smaller than I imagined and very comfortable. It's a room that makes you want to live in it. Imagine it as the ultimate party loft with a big bar for all your swanky parties...even if you don't have swanky parties now, with a pad like that, you'd have to start.

But when we arrived at the beautiful refinished heritage building, we initially felt a bit of trepidation as there appeared to be only one customer - a man at the bar - and no staff in sight. In actuality, there was a table in the back around the corner, and the one server was just away getting something. Another large party did arrive later in the evening, but I do hope that people come to this restaurant and keep it alive.

I started with an "El Che" ($7.75) - one of several tasty sounding cocktails. I liked it so much, I even reproduced a version of it at home later. It's made with pomegranate vodka, apple juice, fresh cucumber, and fresh jalapeno. Spicy hot and refreshing at the same time. The server was sweet, genuine, down-to-earth and personable (which seems to be increasingly rare in the mid to fine dining scene). And she made a great "El Che" too.

The evening involved a bit of indulgence. First, this was simply because I was dining with Bac'n Girl. We seem to naturally enable each other's food splurging on any occassion. Secondly, we were talking about boy trouble, and that always seems to warrant a "what the hell, go for it" attitude with the ordering. I'll start worrying when I start instigating the boy trouble just to get the great post-break-up wallow-meal. Until then, it's merely a happy side effect.

Bac'n Girl has a thing for chicken tostadas apparently, so we had to order it. This one ($10) with its fried corn tortilla and chicken topping and mesclun, was nice and tasty, though I could have taken more spice and heat in the chicken filling personally.

We then had their queso relleno's ($10), which was on top of cheese crisps that tasted just like parmesan crisps (though the menu now says warm manchego) with a tasty chipotle potato filling on top.

We then went with a fairly safe choice by sharing a nice steak. We chose their Alberta ribeye ($22), and the fun thing about their mains is that you get to choose the sauce and two sides. Mix and match can be fun if there are some tasty sounding choices, and you are cocky like the two of us in our food matching skills. We decided easily on the green peppercorn port sauce, grilled veggies and barbecue frites. No regrets at all. The steak was properly cooked to our preference. In other words, we ordered a medium rare and received a medium rare, just the way it should be. It had tasty charred bits of fat on the outside and a rich flavour (ribeye is my preferred cut), and the accompaniments all had good flavour too. I remember the sauce being particularly tasty.

I like the Latin-inspired menu quite a bit, and there seems to be many things on there that I would like to order. There very easily could be some misses on that menu too, but we didn't order any that night.

The dessert menu was similarly tempting. I settled on the Century cheesecake ($7) - a continuation of the Latin themes, this was an avocado lime cheesecake, sour cream mint topping, praline crust, served with fried plantains, sesame candy, lemon sorbet, raspberry coulis, and strawberry garnish. The cheesecake was delicious. It was smooth and creamy and really tasted of avocados and limes. The crust was a perfect accompaniment (a bit of a sticking point for me, as I seem to be a bit particular about pie and cheesecake crusts in general). The fried plantain slice was fantastic with it too, and the contrasting texture and acidity of the lemon sorbet was also a great choice. With dessert, I had a nice satisfying post-meal coffee in one of the most comfortable mugs I've ever held (use it in your right hand).

Bac'n Girl had the Dark Chocolate Fortress ($7), a somewhat phallic mocha glazed, dark chocolate tunnel with a crème anglaise centre spilling out the end, served with French Vanilla ice cream and almond brittle. This was also very good.

I found out later that the old bank vault is actually a private dining room. That is SO cool - definitely worthy of my mental list of possible large dinner party venues. That tickles the same part of my brain that made me as a child vaguely yearn to have a birthday party in a McDonald's caboose whenever walking past one. Their upstairs lounge has a perfect name to reference the old bank building, "Heist." I'd like to check that out sometime too. I think this place might be suffering a bit from an awkward location, but it is not difficult to find. It just seems to have a bit of an "out of the way" feeling. Which makes it even more appealing to me, as I don't always like the hustle and bustle of the latest new thing. I like the idea of a secret little retreat. I think it's worth looking for. On this one visit, I saw reasonable prices, good flavours, an interesting menu, comfortable seating, great service and a great relaxed atmosphere (mid-week). I'll check it out again.

Krazy for Kingyo

2008-05-27T19:48:00.006-07:00

"Kingyo (871 Denman Street at Haro St., 604-608-1677) has style, charm, good taste, and a sense of fun." I wrote that sentence quite a while ago, after one of my first visits to what is now one of my favourite restaurants in the city after several visits. And looking at the sentence now, they sound like attributes I might look for in a date as well.

But what I realize is that there are even more important attributes that I like about Kingyo - an authenticity, a sense of family/teamwork, a spirit of generosity, a vitality, a positive energy, and a general gratitude that you are there, which are all things I really want in a date that I could be serious about. My point is that there is a lot of depth to this restaurant, which may not come across in peeking through the window because it is a very slick, dimly lit, stylish restaurant, which is usually packed with all sorts of happy, shiny people. But it is as much about the human warmth delivered by the staff (front of the house and kitchen act as one unit with it's open kitchen and with kitchen staff even popping out from behind the counter to greet regulars and joining in on some merriment), as it is about the amazing food and the fun atmosphere. It seems that all the Lower Mainland izakaya people are tied to each other in some way, and I think this place was started by some ex-Guu staff.

You can get a lot of information peaking through a window though, sometimes. I think the moment I really fell in love with this restaurant was shortly before last Christmas, when I happened to be walking by, and my eye caught a glimpse of the most adorable fuzzy reindeer costume. Then I realized that ALL the serving staff had on these ridiculousely cute reindeer costumes and were actually doing their entire shift in them. Here's the key though - they all looked happy doing that. That amazed me. I do have a thing for mascot costumes anyhow (and yes, I actually collect pictures of mascots, even though I'm in my thirties). I had to go in and have a meal. Damnit, now that I think about it, I should have gotten a photo with one of them to add to my collection (crossing my fingers for this Christmas). So I guess the sense of fun is way up there on my list for me.

The good-naturedness of the restaurant is infectious too. One visit I had the pleasure of meeting and really, in a sense, dining with, one of the regulars - a very drunken old Japanese man. He explained to me that he had lived here in Vancouver over 30 years but his English still wasn't very good. I was seated at the counter, and he was seated next to me, and one of the very first things he said to me, in a thick accent, slurred with the effects of his heavy drinking at another establishment, and with an apologetic yet unashamed giddiness was "I'm sorry, I'm very very drunk!" He clearly loved this restaurant, and insisted on ordering food for me, and explaining Japanese culture to me through the food. I resisted at first, but his drunkeness was cute and non-threatening, and he was pushy, and who am I to refuse the windfall of a chance hands-on class on Japanese food culture? Kingyo's positive energy was everywhere, and they happily welcomed this drunken old man like their own each night, pouring more red wine into his glass, as he set about to educate me about Japan. Although I've once lived in a Japanese home in Osaka for six weeks, and I've been enthralled with the cuisine since my first sushi experience at 12, I still managed to learn new things from this stranger this strange evening. It played out like my very own personal food version of the Karate Kid (except for some weird male-female dynamic that I was trying to avoid).

"Take the beef tongue off the hot rock now, Daniel-san...Beef tongue on, beef tongue off...Here are the three salts...This is sansho. Try it...No, you eat the prawn's head. It is only good part. You eat it. Yes, eat the eyeballs. All of it."

"Okay, Drunken Mr. Miyagi"

Eating the deep fried prawn head (only after insisting Drunken Mr. Miyagi eat one first), trying sansho mindfully, learning about the special rock needed for the hot rock dish, and really thinking about the pickled ginger cleansing my palate between different types of sushi and sashimi to be able to appreciate each sushi piece were all revelations for me that evening. He watched me intensely each time I tried something, which made me a bit nervous, and he even got on my nerves when he was telling me I needed a man, but in the end was just a harmless old divorced man who drowns out the loneliness four - five nights a week who told me how happy he was that night because he met me, and asked nothing from me, other than my company and the opportunity to share his culture. It was one of those cool little odd experiences that usually happen when you're travelling in a strange town, and this little restaurant is almost enough to make you feel like you've travelled to some far away place. It was also fun because I so rarely get to play the Daniel-san role in a restaurant, and most naturally revert to the Miyagi role of introducing other people to my finds, and they ask me food questions with the assumption that I am the wise one and I know the answers.

My last visit at this restaurant was a really delightful one, where I excitely introduced Captain Pickled Herring to the place. We sat at the communal table with the bamboo in between. It's a very functional design element - enough bamboo to feel not too exposed and have a sense of privacy, but because it is all one table, other diners tend to talk to you and recommend things to eat.

We had a stone bowl dish because I love that crusty effect when the rice sits for a while on the hot stone bowl. We had their delicious negitoro sushi ($6.80 for three pieces), some salmon sashimi, and a nice mixed shredded veggie tempura. The meal was full of the excitement of new experiences and possibilities. Seeing the place through new eyes made me appreciate the details more and reminded me how special certain touches are. I think I've been enjoying the hot towel custom any time it happens, but maybe I've started to take it for granted. And I've gotten too used to the whole crew yelling welcomes and thank yous upon entering and exiting.

There is never a shortage of items to order, and there is a full page of specials too. On my first visit, I was told they had some fresh tai (snapper) that they recommended. Tai isn't usually an item that gets me that excited, but it wasn't until that day that I realized how good it can actually be. It must have been the freshest tai I had ever had. It really blew my mind that I could still experience something new like that, considering the amount and quality of sushi I've had in my life. I also had their pretty sashimi trio, served on a half bamboo stalk, garnished with Japanese maple leaves ($14). The presentation of their food is amazing, and the cute little goldfish logo (Kingyo means goldfish, and is a recurring image in Japanese art) can pop up delightfully as a little carved carrot garnish. Their cocktails are fun, and they have a Japanese children's soda that comes in a special bottle, which is served with grown-up vodka. I like their fruits icecube sangria ($6.50) and their lychee cocktail. When Bac'n Girl and I went, we wanted to order everything on the menu. We managed to narrow it down to six dishes, and got out of there at a very reasonable $62 (after tax, before tip, including a cocktail and tea). The prices are quite good, really (despite what you might read from diners on another site). There is a bibimbap stone bowl dish ($7.20) in addition to the unagi rice one. Their chicken kara-age ($6.80) is the thinking diner's chicken kara-age, with its accompanying three types of salts to taste and discern. Pork cheek ($6.80) was delicious. And of course, we just couldn't resist ordering their "famous invicible and undefeated Tan-tan noodle" ($8.80). Don't worry about it being overhyped - theirs is a delicious rendering of the Shanghainese dish.

If you go and there's a wait, get on the list, leave your cell phone number if you have one, go on a little walk, and come back. Or practice catching flies with chopsticks. You don't run into a place like this every day. A restaurant like this is worth the wait.

Best Vancouver Restaurant Name Ever - Gastropod!

2008-05-09T22:06:00.007-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that not only am I obsessed with food, but I'm also obsessed with invertebrates (more commonly known as "bugs") and all things zoology related. Gastropod means stomach foot, and is the name of the wonderful group of animals that includes the beloved snails in the French dish, escargot. It's my favourite restaurant name ever, I think. However, escargot is not my favourite gastropod ever. That spot is taken (at least for the moment) by the stunningly awkward creature called the Dromedary Jumping-slug (Hemphillia dromedarius). Yes, to me, the key word here is "jumping." Imagine in the depths of the Vancouver Island forests, a very rare (rare enough to be considered BC species at risk) hump-backed brownish slug, that sort of flails about quite vigorously to evade predators (do check out the slow-motion action on the video clip). This animal is so marvelously weird, you'd think I'd have made it up. But no, they're out there. Anyhow, I digress. This blog is about Vancouver restaurants, and perhaps you might be more interested in Gastropod the restaurant (1938 W. 4th Avenue, between Maple and Cypress St., 604- 730-5579), rather than various writhing or non-writhing slimy beings.

Okay, so onto some photos taken in August 2007 when Bleuet came into town. A Bleuet visit means one thing in particular to me - some good eating is going to happen! This woman can out food/wine-geek me! And that is a lot of fun. So after this great group meal at Gastropod with really fabulous food from Chef Angus An, and great atmosphere, I figured I'd be going back soon, but it has yet to happen, so I'm posting my first visit photos now...and maybe some Nancylanders out there can pipe up about their more recent Gastropod experiences. So here's to eating with your eyes (and not many notes because it was just too long ago)...

I'm still a fan of foam, and this one was really tasty, covering yummy chanterelles.

A Foie Gras dish (ordered by some of the others)

The Scene, with my red wine flight in the middle

Pork Trio

Halibut

How Hip People Eat Black Forest Cake

Molten Centre Cake Before

Molten Centre Cake After

Gelées for Everyone

Latino Love

2008-04-12T12:07:00.018-07:00

I've been on something of a Latino kick for the last half year or so; taking a Spanish language community centre course, falling in love with Spain, and going on a pilgrimage through central Mexico to see the overwintering Monarch butterflies have all contributed.

I used to eat flour tortillas once in a while before all this, but now I have a huge stack of yellow corn tortillas sitting in my fridge, and I'm discovering that practically everything tastes good with them. Last night it was merguez (spicy lamb) sausage from Oyama, with organic kale buds fresh from the farm, avocado bits, and rice, for example. This morning, it was fresh eggs picked up at a Langley farm where I could see the chickens walking about. Having seen them with my own eyes, free run might be overstating it...more like free milling, but at any rate, they were delicious eggs.

Of course, the tortillas here and whatever I stuff in them just doesn't compare to the experience of getting blue corn tortillas freshly made in front of me with a hand press at a little stand at the base of a Mexican mountain before a hike up to the huddle of fir trees "drenched" with masses of Monarchs who have had their own amazing journey across the continent. Those blue tortillas filled with just queso and flor de calabaza (cheese and squash blossoms), accompanied by the much needed cup of coffee, and combined with the clean, chilly fresh air of the early morning and the anticipation of the sight that we had travelled so far to see, it was the ultimate breakfast and the best meal I had on the trip.

Blue Corn Kernels

The Masa

So the tortillas have a lot to do with just reminding me of this great trip. And this has affected my restaurant choices lately too. I've gone to an unremarkable Mexican restaurant off Marine Drive (near Granville), that's not really good enough to mention (however there is one on Granville that isn't bad). I continue to enjoy the El Salvadorean fare from Rinconcito Salvadoreno (2062 Commercial Dr., between 4th and 5th Avenue, 604-879-2600).

And Baru (2535 Alma St., just south of Broadway, 604-222-9171) recently got bumped up on my list of restaurants to try. Just one visit so far, but I enjoyed the atmosphere, service, and the food. I went for drinks and appetizers with Wine-o, and the food was fine, but not spectacular (say, like Lolita's, though I don't really like going there because it's so slow). Shown in the photo below are the dishes we chose. We had their Baru Ceviche ($12) which had large, firm chunks of shrimp and halibut, with fresh lemon juice, avocado, tomatoes, onion and cilantro. I really enjoyed this. The Octopus Tiradito ($12), very thinly sliced octopus with fresh lemon juice, had a nice texture. Latin Chips were crispy, thin, fried cassava, yam and plantain chips served with three salsas. I thought the Latin Empanadas, three little corn turnovers filled with beef, were pretty tasty.

I also had an interesting drink from their cocktail list called the Pisco Sour ($9), made of pisco, blended with egg white & fresh lime, producing a white frothy drink. I'm a big fan of tequila, and a snifter of premium tequila served as dessert. Although it was a bit of a splurge, I was tempted because they had a brand I hadn't tried before and probably isn't available in the LCB. Even if it were available, I'm not likely to pay over $100 for a bottle of something I'm not even sure I like. The 4 copas ($18), was pleasantly sweet, full bodied, and fragrant, but a bit on the harsh side for me. I enjoyed the experience, but I'm still on the lookout for the perfect tequila.

There are a number of interesting main dishes ($18 - 20) on the menu, as well as other interesting sounding items. The room is cosy and modern, and the place was packed by the time we left, even though it was the middle of the week. I would go back. I might check out the live music on Tuesdays, and their main dishes.

Service Superstar

2008-03-30T17:37:00.002-07:00

Generally, I take a lot of dining risks. I like to try new places all the time, and I understand how variable dining experiences can be for even the restaurant who has everything down. There are busy nights, being short-staffed, personal emergencies, overworked staff, and all sorts of things that can suddenly go wrong. So everyone deserves to be cut a little slack on occassion. But there are also times when I want to make sure that I am going to have great service. Maybe I'm treating myself after a rough week at work, and I'm just not in the mood to risk having my meal ruined by some snarky or oblivious waiter. Where do I turn for sure-fire great service? Hotel restaurants. Fine hotels are a shrine to good service - it's a core part of the product that they provide, from the moment you check in, to housekeeping, and right down to their dining establishments. It's definitely a priority, and on top of that they also need to be able to impress an international and very particular clientele. Therefore, you wind up having an establishment in town that meets the highest service standards in the world, rather than doing just enough to appease the laid-back locals. There is likely some sort of formal training program in place, and all the details of the craft of fine dining service are imparted to all the staff. Incidentally, hotels are also a great place to find a clean washroom, especially when you are sightseeing in a town and doing a lot of walking.

The other easy sure-fire good service option, besides hotel restaurants, is to find a good authentic Japanese restaurant, because you're just not likely to find a snarky server in a Japanese restaurant. It can be a less formal experience (for example, it doesn't involve bringing you all sorts of cutlery throughout the meal), but can be just as detail-oriented.

So who's my service superstar for this post? A gentleman at the downtown Hyatt's Mosaic Bar and Grill (655 Burrard Street at Georgia St., 604-639-4770). I didn't get his name, but he is an older Chinese gentleman with glasses who is a true professional server. I'm certain he takes pride in a job well done. The other benefit of hotel restaurants is that many tourists staying at the hotel come dressed in various outfits, so service is not dependent on what you wear, at least not at this hotel. The menu at Mosaic is also very interesting, with plenty of dishes that sound good to eat. I had their tasting menu, and in particular enjoyed their butter-poached lobster starter and the amuse bouche that evening - a hot, creamy potato-y soup served in a shot glass. The environment is quite soothing, with low lighting, comfy chairs and big windows overlooking the city street-scene of Burrard. There is also a more casual lounge side which would be a nice spot for a relaxing drink. I don't hear too many people speaking about this restaurant, but I think their menu is really nicely put together, and wish I could provide a link to it, but they don't have it posted on the website. They have a Sunday brunch buffet ($35) menu posted though, which sounds great. Obviously, fine dining in hotel restaurants can cost quite a bit, but if it's well done, I think it's well worth it. Drop in for a cocktail and an appy for a lower cost version of the treat.

The Joy of All Day Breakfast

2008-03-29T15:39:00.004-07:00

The Thorn Tree Cafe (3204 Dunbar St. at 16th Avenue, 604-737-2577) is one of those little restaurants that I wish was on my block, so I could wander down, bleary-eyed and be treated to a comforting breakfast and a copy of the newspaper any time I want. I stopped by for a great plate of breakfast at lunch time the other day. It's quaint and comfortable, with simple wood furniture, and a great breakfast menu complete with a few benny's for about $8-9. I had the standard two-egg breakfasts (about $5-6) and I really liked their chunky "hash browns." There's a Spanish influence here, and hot sauce is brought to the table with the ketchup. The coffee was good. The poached eggs were the type that are made in the mold, rather than in boiling water, but it was still tasty, so no biggie. It's a simple place - exactly what I want in a neighbourhood breakfast joint.

Restaurant Types at Risk - Cart-style Dim Sum

2008-03-24T17:40:00.005-07:00

Restaurants are as susceptible to the whims of fashion as skirt lengths and those poor little Mexican dogs, and Vancouver sees its share of trends. Of course as trends come, they must go eventually, and I want to lament the demise of a couple of my favourite restaurant types. It seems that the dim sum cart is a dying breed, giving way to the presumably less labour-intensive dim sum method of marking off your choices on a printed list to order from a server, who brings your choices directly back to you. With this checklist method, you don't get the feisty dim sum cart waitresses yelling out their items as they santer around the room with their towers of steam baskets. You don't get to peruse the array of food before making your choices. Sometimes, to convince you which item to get, a waitress will lift up the top of the steam basket to show you the contents. You don't get to eyeball your favourite item winding its way around the crowded room until it gets to you. And you don't get to just point and point and point at whatever delights you. And you don't get to eat a little, chat a little, evaluate your hunger, eat a little more, and re-evaluate, and so on. With the ordering by checklist, it feels like you must plan out the whole meal ahead of time, which to me, is so not in the spirit of a leisurely dim sum experience.

But today, I visited Harbour Pacific Chinese Seafood Restaurant (4524 E. Hastings, at Willingdon, southeast corner, in Burnaby, 604-294-8059) and they were kickin' it old school with their dim sum. I was quite pleased with it overall, and a good variety of items came out, all on carts, at a nice rate, especially for a holiday Monday about noonish. They were nicely busy, but there wasn't a wait for a table. We didn't eat any ha gow or other similar dumplings, which tend to be a handy measuring stick with which to compare dim sum places. However, everything we had seemed to be of good quality on this one visit. We had deep fried tofu stuffed with shrimp and served with black bean sauce to dip (a nice touch, as opposed to just slopping it all over the crispy tofu, risking premature sogginess). They served some nice pieces of gai lan as garnish for their rice roll stuffed with beef. Their cha sui pastry and cha sui baked buns were great. The beef tendon and chicken feet were good. They had a steamed garlic fish dish that was quite nice, and a little unusual. And we had some nice coconut jelly. I think we got out of there for about $22 for three people. So this place basically fulfilled my dim sum wish list. The carts and food variety are important, as well as good execution of classics (I have to have rice rolls), and a few unusual or unique items. The place has baroque style chairs which are pleasingly slightly out of place, and the service is very friendly (at least with my parents around). The women pushing the carts were also pushing some of the food- i.e. making their recommendations, which I find charming and reminds me of old dim sum times. I'm sure there are more cart dim sum restaurants around, so let me know your favourites.

The other dying restaurant type that I'm sad to see go is the old Chinese Canadian flashback to the 70's diner. Usually it is a Chinese family who run a diner with all-day breakfasts, and typical diner fare like burgers and fish and chips, but who also put up Chinese dishes like chow mein and stir fries. Is it racist for me to say you can count on Chinese people to make a mean plate of fish and chips or fry an egg properly? And there's just something so comforting to me about eating a good plate of chow mein while sitting on duct-taped repaired vinyl booth seating. Don't ask me why. It just works for me.

Perhaps some sort of recovery program could be put started to ensure that we have these restaurant styles for generations to come. Can you imagine them disappearing from Vancouver for good?

Relaxed Fine Dining...No, I don't mean Earl's!

2008-02-18T07:23:00.010-08:00

Hitting an atypical balance between full service, casual comfort, and serving food that is worth eating (even when you're watching your calorie count), Senova (1864 West 57th Avenue, just east of West Boulevard, about five blocks west of Granville, 604-266-8643) has become one of my favourite Vancouver restaurants. People from the neighbourhood come dressed in jeans (and some are dressed up), and sit nestled in the warm wood-covered surroundings, and get the sort of service you would find in any other stuffier fine dining establishment. And all the fine dining details are there - like a great bread basket served with butter. It's really nice bread, served generously. They even give you a delicious little plate of marinated olives too. It's very Vancouver to me - dressed down, with it's open kitchen and homey feel, but with fantastic flavours and perfect service. Service and decor are warm and inviting like a big spoonful of honey in a hot cup of tea.

They serve food from the Iberian peninsula - Spanish and Portugese. I've been there a few times, and I would have nearly everything again. Pillowy soft salt cod fritters ($9) with a thin crisp outside shell are served with a thin fiesty piri piri. I've had these twice, and the first time they were really dreamy. For those who can't handle the heat, don't worry, there are plenty of dishes for you. Sunday was prime rib day (though this may change), and it's a straight ahead dish with some nice veggies. I've had the caldo verde with chorizo ($8), a tasty potato and kale soup, and an excellent grilled squid dish smothered in capers and other yummy bits. If you see the squid dish, I highly recommend it. They also fillet their sardines, and those are great too, served with a tapenade and sweet peppers ($9). I had their pork and clams, and it was so tasty. Some of the pork cubes seemed dry and some were really succulent. They all looked pretty uniform in size, so I'm not too sure how this happens unless different cuts of pork get tossed in. But the whole combination was just so tasty, it's a minor quibble. It's a surprisingly generous portion for an appetizer, and I'm starting to give myself a craving just remembering the dish. I enjoyed their version of the classic tomato salad as well - goat cheese instead of bocconcini, with tomato, greens, and a balsamic vinagrette. I've had more appetizers than mains (in the spirit of tapas), but Bac'n girl enjoyed her duck breast and duck confit main. And I've enjoyed their prime rib. Main courses run about $25-32, I think, but you can choose from any of their dishes for a $35 three-course meal or $45 for a four-course meal (with a small upgrade for certain dishes). They'll do wine pairings too, but I always find myself driving to this restaurant. For dessert, I have had a fantastic warm chocolate bread pudding that they make with their cornbread, and Bac'n girl and I have had a dessert trio as well, which was fun to try, but I remember truly enjoying just one of the three. I think the favourite was a cheesecake, and the meringue was fine, and then there was a brulée. I would go for the bread pudding over any crème brulée dessert, as I'm a bit of a stickler for a super thin sugar crust. I happen to be a fan of bread pudding in general though, but theirs was memorable. The trio changes though, so it's worth asking about.

There are still dishes on the menu that I want to try. And apparently there's paella day and roasted suckling pig day too. They're also open for lunch most days of the week. I honestly think it's one of the most underrated restaurants around the city, but they seem to have always have a steady stream of people in there, probably from the surrounding neighbourhood, as their name (good neighbour, in Portugese) suggests. It would be a great stop on the way home with an out-of-town guest who has just flown in at YVR. I also think it's worth the trip if you just want to go for a nice dinner somewhere. At least there's free parking.

I first went to this restaurant after I came home from my first and only trip to Europe, which was mostly spent falling in love with Spanish food. I really think that we should have more Spanish restaurants in town, especially with the abundance of seafood available here. Senova is a good start though.

Junk Food Wars!

2008-02-09T19:50:00.000-08:00

I have an idea for the ultimate potluck party: ultimate junk food inventions! Everyone should bring some ultimate junk food creation, with prizes for Creativity, and Best Taste. Maybe some random prize categories should be added, such as Most Complex, Best Food on a Stick, and Best Use of a Pork Product. I was inspired by a couple of posts I found on the internet. First, I saw a picture of the tornado potato, a whole potato, spiral cut, stuck on a stick, and deep fried...and dusted with cheesy powder, of course. This is apparently a fairly recent addition to the Korean street food scene, which is rife with all manner of junk food on a stick. I think it's brilliance on a stick; that's what I think! Then at the end of the article, it mentioned deep-fried Coca Cola! Apparently it was served at the Texas State Fair, and involves coke batter, deep-fried, topped with coke syrup drizzle, whipped cream, and a cherry. This is exactly the type of thing we need our best minds to be working on! What sort of junk food creativity has caught your eye recently?

Giving Me the Chicken Eye

2008-02-07T21:45:00.001-08:00

Okay, this is just for any of you long time Nancylanders: The chicken's eye was closed. I'm sure you all needed to know that. No chicken eye this Chinese New Year's, yay! It's looking like a good year already, I guess! And it's my year too! That's right. Rat, and proud of it. Too bad I don't believe in astrology, because I quite like being both a rat and a scorpio.

Name That Vancouver Restaurant #8 - A New Favourite Restaurant

2008-01-29T19:02:00.000-08:00

When I started this blog, I decided to list my current favourite restaurant in my profile section, and let myself change it whenever the whim struck me, and I was particularly pleased with a restaurant. I feel a whim coming on. So let's pull out everyone's favourite Nancyland Game (yes, it's the only Nancyland Game), Name That Vancouver Restaurant! This little "new (relatively) neighbourhood" restaurant serves food from the Iberian Peninsula. It's owned by someone known for his romantic French restaurant, but hales from Portugal himself. Let's see how long it takes for someone to "Name That Vancouver Restaurant!"

I'll also document my past blog favourites here, and when they randomly held the esteemed spot. They tend to be places I have a desire to go back to over and over again. The exception was Rare, as I never got the chance to go back to it (and changes have taken place since then, so I can only really talk about that one great time).

January 2005 - October 2005: Guu with Garlic (15 + visits)

October 2005 - November 2006: Yuji's Japanese Tapas (10 + visits)

November 2006 - January 2008: Rare (only based on one visit. Still a regular at Yuji's)

January 2008 - ?: *Today's Mystery Restaurant* (2 visits so far)

Southern Barbecue Roundup

2008-01-27T12:14:00.000-08:00

Having spent a few years in the American Deep South, I have a deep affection for that regional style of barbecue, where the meat is slow cooked for hours from indirect heat. Actually, it probably didn't take years for the fondness to develop. It was more of a love at first bite thing. A group dinner at Migz (2884 West Broadway, just west of MacDonald St., 604-733-3002) prompted me to try this place, and I was certainly excited at the prospect of another place in Vancouver to get my beloved barbecue. Memphis Blues brought barbecue to Vancouver. I tried Dix barbecue in Yaletown once, was terribly disappointed with food, service and atmosphere, and continued to return to Memphis (both the Commercial and Broadway locations). Well, it's back to Memphis again for me. The dinner at Migz was organized to catch their Dine Out Vancouver menu. I'm not a big DOV fan, but I will give them credit and say they did a nice job of making their Dine Out menu a good bargain. Migz was in full sports bar mode that night, with a blaring hockey game that made it difficult to hear each other, and resulted in a hoarse voice for me at the end of the evening (though the waitress was kind of enough to turn down the sound in our corner for us when someone asked). There was heavy rock mixed in with the game at some points. I will give them credit though - we all felt like we got a good deal for our $15 (for Dine Out) including a small salad -mine was actually dressed really nicely with a sweet, fruity vinagrette, a plate of two side dishes and either pulled pork or a handful of ribs, and a small piece of pie. The pie was great. I chose the pecan pie, and it was served with a little whipped cream. (I don't think I've ever met a pecan pie I didn't like though). The ribs were fine (but not something to write home about) and the pulled pork was watery and not very flavourful. There wasn't any extra sauce on the tables (a standard down south), and they were kind of skimpy with it on our plates. I would not have pulled pork there again. The room was packed with the young, loud, beer-drinking sports bar crowd, which I might actually tolerate if the food were worth going back for. Not this time. For those looking for cheap drinks, their highball special of $3.95 was a good deal that night. Service was great. I'm sure the restaurant will do just fine. But it's hard to compete with a place like Memphis Blues and their beautiful Elvis platter. I won't be back to Migz.

Another Great Restaurant Bites the Dust

2008-01-21T16:00:00.000-08:00

Waaaaa. My favourite neighbourhood sushi place will be closing down, after 25 years. I've mentioned Sakae, at the corner of Alberni and Thurlowe before. It's a little secret gem, tucked underground and out of sight that had sushi and authentic dishes with just a bit higher quality than the myriad of Japanese restaurants surrounding it, out in the open. They also had this amazing dinner set of $25 that included clam miso soup, big bowl of rice with topping (some chopped salmon bits), fantastic sashimi (or sushi or something else, depending on which set you choose), fancy cold appetizers, black cod (aka sablefish), soba noodles, pickles, some sort of seaweed dish, and chawanmushi. This place had great quality food that just went that extra bit. For example, they grated fresh horseradish into their wasabi, giving it a bright and fragrant quality. It looks like the couple that own it have just decided to retire, now that their lease is coming to an end. Their last day is January 31st, and it was closed on Sunday night when I found it was closing by the note posted on their door. I'm going to try visiting before the last day and I'll miss it a lot.

Tomato Fresh Food Café in Kits

2008-01-19T13:52:00.000-08:00

After travelling through Mexico for twelve days exploring the fascinating cuisine of that country while being careful to not get sick from contaminated water, I was all too ready for a restaurant with a vegetable (okay, fruit) in it's name, as well as the word "fresh." After all the spicey goodness, fried thingies, loads of meat and cheese and tortillas and sour cream, all I really wanted was a big salad. So, having been a bit out of it lately, I discovered that Tomato Fresh Food Café (2486 Bayswater Street, at Broadway, 604-874-6020) had moved to Kits, (incidentally, perfectly close to the Hollywood theatre which has great double features). I feel badly for all those Cambie Street businesses that have been suffering due to the construction, and I'm glad that Tomato is alive and well. I was also happy to visit after they've had a chance to adjust to the new location.

The new place is a big (really big!), open, comfy space with pleasant lighting and has at least one exceptional server. I'm not sure how the others were, but the one waiter we had was perfect. He was enthusiastic, prompt, refilled our water glasses, and was exceptionally polite. For example, my dining companion asked for the "cream brulée", and I watched as the server quickly stifled the urge to repeat "crème brulée" to avoid correcting him. I also saw that he was checking on us throughout the dinner, yet trying not to be obtrusive or interrupt conversation. He even automatically refilled our bread basket without asking if we needed more. (For those of you thinking this is a given, I once had a waiter at O'Doul's who had the audacity to ask me if I wanted more bread or do I want to skip the empty filler. He made some other comment later about restraint with dessert, I think too. If I wanted to be nagged about my weight or my eating habits, I'll just go to a nutritionist or a doctor. That's not what I pay for when I go to a restaurant!). To be honest, I would go back simply because the service was so good. I also talked to a very pleasant woman on the phone when I called ahead to see if I should make a reservation. However, I was greeted by one of the other servers, and I suspect that I was lucky and wound up getting the best server that evening.

I enjoyed my meal, including a Raspberry Ma Ma, one of their two cocktail specials for the night. It was something that I was expecting to be on the syrupy sweet side, but turned out to be quite the "grown-up" cocktail, and very nice. It was early, so quite quiet in the big restaurant, and perfect for conversation with my friend, Hamburglar.

I had this yummy starter dish of veggies: roasted tomatoes, long stem artichoke hearts, grilled asparagus with feta, hazelnut oil and grainy mustard dressing ($9).

Then I had more veggies: The Westcoaster is a dish of warmed Indian candy smoked salmon, sweet peppers, organic celebration greens and goat cheese, tossed in maple balsamic dressing ($15). I polished it all off and enjoyed it, but it is a dish of sweet upon sweet upon sweet, so it is probably not for all tastes. The maple balsamic glaze is a bit cloying, so I think I would have enjoyed a little bit of lightness or acidity to counter the sweetness of the salmon and sweet peppers, but I should have expected it with the description. I really liked the chewy Indian candy.

Hamburglar's cannelloni stuffed with ruby chard, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan baked in a savoury tomato sauce ($17, or $19 with chorizo). I had a taste of the sauce, and it seemed quite nice and bright with lots of fresh basil.

I had the warm, upside-down pineapple cake with vanilla gelato or sorbet. It was pleasing enough. The crème brulée was very nice.

Had I not been veggie-crazy that night, I certainly would have gone for their tuna special or their free-range chicken, or the bouillabaise or their antibiotic and hormone free beef tenderloin. My salmon dish had the Ocean Wise stamp, and it's nice to see a restaurant be mindful of these things, as well as supporting fresh local products and organic farmers. I've heard a couple of times what a good value this place is, but dinner prices don't seem that low to me, with the meat mains ranging from $23 - 28. However, I think they have a $28 three course special (possibly the tuna on the fresh sheet when I went - I didn't pay too much attention). Oh, and the bread basket to start you off was quite good. They also has a good-sized wine list. So while it has a casual feel, it has the details of a fancier place, so the prices definitely feel fair. But it's not cheap. It strikes me as a nice safe date restaurant for early on. I should note that my dining companion was sick later that night, but I was fine. This place is also open breakfast and lunch. I can definitely imagine it being a popular brunch spot.

I Miss Summer!

2007-12-30T22:29:00.000-08:00

Remember the days of sitting on a seaside patio sipping a crisp white wine, and eating seasonal local produce like heirloom tomatoes, while the sun leisurely sets itself down in a clear sky? I can't wait for those warm summer evenings! I love that the days keep getting longer. Here are some photos of a summer meal on the Nu (1661 Granville Street, just under the bridge on the Concord Pacific side of False Creek, 604-646-4668) patio to remind you what it was like. I had an heirloom tomato and longbeen salad with a little shaved fennel, a big bowl of mussels with a really nice glass of white wine I wish I could remember, and this lovely fresh cherry tart with black pepper sorbet. I remember stellar service, complete with competent wine recommendation, and a cosy little lap blanket to keep me warm as the sun set next to the Granville Island view.

Simple and Beautiful - Heirloom Tomato Salad

Cherry Tart with Black Pepper Sorbet

This dessert was delicious, though quite different from the brilliant mini desserts that were originally on the menu. I really enjoyed the black pepper sorbet with the rich cherry tart. And something that doesn't happen too often these days for me - I actually had a hard time choosing because several desserts on the menu piqued my interest. I really enjoy the little service details at Nu too, such as their regular coffee coming in a cute silver pot, giving you several cups of coffee. This was a spur of the moment quick meal that renewed my faith in Nu. Now if we could only get them to take that damn music off their website.

Expectations

2007-12-29T23:45:00.001-08:00

I was thinking about expectations today, and I'm starting to think one way to have real success is to set up people to have relatively low expectations, and then surprise them by exceeding them. I've talked about this before in several posts, including my experience at the very casual (and now closed) Lucky Diner where the food quality and service really knocked my socks off because of how casual the restaurant was. The photo above is another example. It's the "portabello" brunch dish at Lift Restaurant in Coal Harbour. They highlight the portabello mushroom in the menu description, and make it the star of the dish. But then the dish comes, and you have this bounty of fresh seafood surrounding the single mushroom cap, and some nice little potato pancakes, and suddenly you're thinking "Wow, look at all the seafood!" It's quite a nice dish, and you can't beat the view on a sunny day, but be warned that the service was just so-so when I went on a weekend afternoon a few months ago. The hostess initially tried to stick me at the bar because I was alone, even though there were tables, and I had a hard time flagging down a server to even take my order, and managed to only flag down the other server two times when I needed one, rather than the one assigned to my table. Good service at the fine dining level usually means not having to "flag" someone down at all, and at the most, it should just take a bit of eye contact.

Expectations are also set by what you receive at other surrounding restaurants. I wasn't even consciously aware that I was getting used to a certain amount of underlying snobbiness in fine dining service until I walked into Senova for the first time, and was pleasantly and warmly greeted by the host, given my pick of tables, and checked on throughout the meal by the server and the host. That meal was a success because they exceeded my low expectations based on my recent experiences at other restaurants. I ate out constantly in Spain, Italy and France on my trip for a couple of weeks, and never ran into the service problems that I've had here...not even in the simplest places there, and they don't even work for tips there, plus they had to deal with a tourist that didn't even speak their mother tongue. I really think we could do better here.

I am aware that I am a person prone to having high expectations in a lot of areas of my life. Right now, I'm realizing that sometimes it's nice to have slightly lower expectations, and to just be mellow and enjoy things for what they are. But around the corner, there's usually a pleasant surprise waiting. Here's to getting your expectations exceeded.

A Perfect Birthday Dinner at Le Crocodile

2007-11-28T21:13:00.000-08:00

Although I've meant to go to Le Crocodile (100-909 Burrard St., on Smythe, downtown Vancouver, 604-669-4298) in the past, a shared birthday dinner in October was my first time at this established Vancouver restaurant. They've been there, tucked away just off Burrard street, for over 20 years, and let me tell you, the experience shows. In my mind, the service was absolutely perfect, and the food was a delight. The charming French waiter looked like he had been at the restaurant for much of that time. I was pleasantly surprised by how many choices there were on the menu, as well as several specials. I have to admit, my expectations were high, and I think they were actually exceeded. Below are pictures of some of the dishes we had. I don't have pictures of the appetizers that Bac'n Girl and I had. The escargot in tiny pastry cups dish that I ordered was probably the only thing I wouldn't recommend of the dishes we had that evening. I was impressed by how crisp the pastry shells stayed but the dish just involved too much butter for me (yah, I didn't know that was even possible for me). I think Bac'n Girl had the wild mushroom ravioli which was really delicious. And we shared a beautiful pan-fried goat cheese on curly endive salad. That was great too, and much larger than I expected.

This was Bac'n Girl's main dish of Chilean Sea Bass, which was one of the specials of the day. I didn't order this because I think this species is still being overfished, but damn, is it ever a tasty fish. Those piles are potato purée, and she got a cute little pastry fish garnish. I can't remember the sauce right now, but do remembered we both enjoyed it.

Pommes frites came with dinner, yay! And they were really crispy and perfect.

This was the main dish that I chose, off the specials of the day. It was a beautiful piece of halibut served with a lemon butter sauce. The dish also had lobster tempura and noodles. It was delicious.

We were given complimentary servings of their fantastic pear sorbet. Best I've ever had, with its deep pear flavour and texture. It was a sizeable scoop too, not just a little palate cleansing mouthful. Bac'n girl impressed me with her ability to "Name That Pear!" and identified it as a Bosc pear sorbet. Yum.

Then came the desserts.

This is Bac'n Girl's pear tart, which was delicious.

I was very happy with my choice though - a Grand Marnier soufflé, which the server gracefully served in the traditional manner of poking a hole into the top and pouring in the yummy crème Anglaise. Soufflés are one of those things that are absolutely worth the wait. Though to be honest, I don't remember this taking longer than other desserts (but then again, we were engrossed in the pear sorbets). I have had soufflés before, but the texture of this one really knocked my socks off. I loved the crispness of the outside of the poof. This is the way it should be done. Dessert was finished off with their adorable little light and dark crocodile chocolates. Yup, we polished those off too.

The room was warm and cosy feeling, with its golden walls, traditional decor, and the animated chatter of all the happy people around us, filling the room on a Wednesday night. This was definitely not a stuffy atmosphere. As much as I love modern decor, sometimes they can veer towards the austere. This was a lovely change. There is a nice little bar where I had a drink while I was waiting for my dinner companion. Again, service could not be better. Our waiter graciously made us feel comfortable to linger and talk after desserts, and saw us out the door, like a host saying goodbye to dinner guests at home. I left the restaurant kicking myself that I hadn't walked through those doors sooner. This is partly because I couldn't afford it in the past. But if you can, it's a fantastic place to treat yourself and your friends.

Kitchen Nightmares

2007-11-22T19:58:00.000-08:00

I was watching Kitchen Nightmares last night and I had the realization that the appeal of the show is exactly the same as the appeal of the classic show, The Littlest Hobo. Chef Ramsay is the grumpy, foul-mouthed chef version of that beloved German shepherd hero of Canadian television. Think about it. Ramsay wanders from town to town, he stops in and finds a restaurant in trouble, hangs around, barks a lot, solves their problems, and then happily trots off to the next restaurant in need once his work is done. In the episode I saw last night with Ramsay helping a restaurant in a small town called Paloma, they even did the classic shot of the hero wandering off into the distance at the end of the show (after everyone's teary-eyed thanks), and I got the exact same gooey, happy feeling at the end of the show that I used to get watching the ridiculously hokey, yet effective Littlest Hobo.

Top 20 in Vancouver

2007-10-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

A co-worker mentioned Mia Stainsby's recent top 20 restaurants in Vancouver article and it's a lovely piece. She is one of those food writers that are very easy to agree with, which is not really all that common. Anyhow, I thought I would take a stab at a top 20 favourite restaurants in Vancouver. These would be the ones that I'd mention to a fellow foodie who is just about to visit Vancouver for the first time, has a big wad of cash, and really wants to explore the food here. I had great restaurant recommendations for Barcelona when I went, and I'd love to do the same for anyone visiting. Out-of-towner recommendations tend to be a bit on the safer side. You know they only have a limited amount of time, so you tend to recommend sure-fire hits, and leave the riskier ones to the locals. They tend to focus on things that are particular to city as well. In Vancouver's case, I would say that Cantonese dinner, dim sum, sushi, Japanese izakaya and West Coast seafood is where it's at. Also, like any restaurant list, the shelf life is very, very short. It's also just about what makes me tick these days. So for right this minute, here is my Must Eat Vancouver list. I've talked about many of these before, so there are only a few notes.

1. Amarcord

2. Bin 941 or 942 Be prepared for the tight squeeze and the wait for a table though. It's not for everyone.

3. Bishop's

4. C

5. Fleuri, at the Sutton Place. The chocolate buffet is a great idea. They also do a Sunday Jazz Buffet, but I've never been. Dinner is very nice too.

6. Gastropod

7. Guu with Garlic

8. International Chinese Restaurant for Dim Sum, or someplace in Richmond if you staying closer to there. Dim sum and sushi are definitely eating musts for Vancouver, and there are plenty of choices for each.

9. La Crepe Bretagne. I go for a quick breakfast/lunch all the time. Great crepes, and I love their soups and sandwiches too, but it's a great casual stop to have a flaming dessert too, after a hard bout of shopping

10. Le Crocodile. This classic French restaurant has a really large and appealing menu. It's surprisingly cosy for a "fancy restaurant" and they've been doing it so long, they know how to treat you right. By that, I mean that I received what I feel to be perfect service. I just went last week for the first time, andf feel like I've been missing out all these years. It was a perfect birthday dinner spot.

11. Le Gavroche. Please note that I have not been there in years. But I can't imagine it being different.

12. Lumiere. I must admit that I haven't been there in years, since it's heyday, but it's probably still worth the trip. It's really the only restaurant that still does exclusively tasting menus (at its tables, there is the tasting bar too), and I love tasting menus. It's like dinner and the theatre all in one.

12. Mistral. If the visitors are getting too much French food, then how about Memphis Blues (but only if they are not from the American South and can get barbecue anytime they want).

13. Nu's patio (if it's summer) - I thought this place had lost its spark, but had a really nice meal there this summer.

14. Parkside

15. Phnom Penh is a great, very "accessible" stop if you need a lunch in Chinatown after wandering around that area.

16. Senhor Rooster is a homey favourite of mine. Warmth and good value. It's not fine dining like much of the rest of the list, so it's not about expecting perfection or getting a mind-blowing culinary experience. It's more that I am confidant that people will have a good time and get well fed when they go there, and that's what it's all about for me.

17. Sweet Revenge (desserts only, but an adorable stop, which gives you a bit of that Main St. neighbourhood feel).

18. Tojo's (for the more budget minded, try Sakae in the downtown core instead)

19. Yuji's Japanese Tapas

20. Here's a tie for an afternoon tea pick: The Fish House if you're in Stanley Park or Secret Garden Tea Company if you can get up to Kerrisdale.

There are a handful of restaurants that I want to put on for some reasons, but just don't deliver the consistancy that makes it an all out recommendation without hesitation.

For example, I wish I could put Aurora Bistro on the list, as their whole concept is about showcasing local products, and they have a passion for BC wine, and I've been several times and had some really nice things to eat there. But I wouldn't want an out-of-towner to get my recommendation and get a cold server, and possibly a mediocre dish. Their experience on the whole will most likely be positive, but there is that bit of uncertainty. I think C can represent the local bounty with more assurance.

Raincity Grill is another great restaurant to represent that West Coast cuisine. It's good. Certainly one of the best in it's vicinity. It sits in a nice little spot in English Bay, which is a pretty convenient stop if you're site-seeing. I think sometimes that I'd rather go to Banana Leaf across the street. I find that more interesting, I guess. Staff are exceptionally warm though at Raincity, and I've only had great service there. And the tomato menu during tomato season is very special too.

West is conspicuously missing from the list, and that is somewhat a personal preference as well. I don't feel the staff are warm enough, which makes the food less fun to eat. Who wants to pay hundreds of dollars to interact with someone cold for a couple of hours? The last time I went, the warmest person that approached our table was one of the kitchen staff who ran a dish out to us. She was great. I wanted her to be my server. In the case of West though, I have a great deal of trust in their ability to deliver outstandingly well-prepared food though. And if wine is your main focus, perhaps it will appeal to you more. But it's not a place I get excited about or has a menu that particularly excites me. It'll be interesting to see how the new Hawksworth restaurant turns out when it opens in the renovated Georgia Hotel, and equally interesting to see how West changes with the head chef's move.

There are restaurants that I just can't put on because I don't know them well enough, or haven't been reacquainted with them lately, too. Then again, Le Crocodile won me over entirely right away, and I put it on the list, despite having only been there once. It was a recent visit though, so I am quite confident in them. Rare would be on my list, but I just haven't had a chance to go back. It was really spectacular the one time, but the Chef de Cuisine left, and the owners have opened up a new restaurant Metro (not my cup of tea when I visited in their first few months), so I'd really like to visit again to be sure.

Elixir might have made it onto my list, but I got horribly sick after my one visit, and felt that the manager dropped the ball in my communications with him afterwards. I might go to that restaurant again some day though as the actual meal was quite good.

Horizons, The Pear Tree, and The Cannery are all beautiful restaurants but are just a bit far, and I haven't had a chance to go recently. Diva at the Met was one of my favourites before, but have not had a recent visit. I enjoyed Vij's a couple of times long ago, but I just don't line up for restaurants, so it's not on my list.

There are several restaurants that I suspect might make my list, but I have not had a chance to try. Here's a few that I'd like to hit soon: Restaurant Connor Butler, Fuel, So.cial, Boneta, La Regalade (have had the chef prepare a meal in front of me as a cooking class, and that was fabulous), Blue Water, Cioppino's, Bacchus, Senova, and The Beachhouse at Dundarave Pier. Having recently fallen in love with Spanish cuisine on my trip to Europe, I am most excited about trying the tucked away Senova on 57th Ave.

Other fun foodie stops for the out-of-towner:

Capstone Teahouse for bubble tea (or someplace similar, because bubble tea is just fun, especially the first time).

Granville Island for picnic-y type grazing (typical trip - croissant from La Baguette et l'echalote and bread to go with charcuterie, coffee from JJ Bean, charcuterie, pates, and cheeses from Oyama Sausage Co., fresh fruit from various stands, maybe sake from the new sake store/brewery, maybe a tasting tour of the Granville Island brewery, and a stop at Barbara Jo's Books for Cooks)

Korean restaurants like Ap Kung Jung. I didn't put it in my top 20 because frankly, I don't know Korean restaurants well enough. Does anyone have a pick that is definitely going to impress, and not have service issues? They are all very similar to me, and can have good and bad days. But it's a great choice for a meal if someone is unfamiliar with the cuisine. And then there's always Korean barbecue at a place with a grill embedded right into the table, which is great fun and is tasty.

Lift for a drink at the bar at night.

Richmond Night Market (if it's a summertime weekend)

Salt for some nice wine and snacks and Shebeen Whisky House/Irish Heather for some whisky and atmosphere (new location across the street coming soon, while the original goes through seismic upgrades).

Sun Sui Wah or another Cantanese restaurant for dinner. Sun Sui Wah does belongs in the top 20, and is a great restaurant and my hesitation to include it comes from a desire to not overhype the one restaurant. There are just too many good Chinese restaurants and this one seems to garner all the English-speaking media attention. They do a particularly nice job with the service though, and the room is very attractive with its Bing Thom architectural details. Golden Ocean in Kerrisdale has great food too. And there are plenty of Chinese restaurants in Richmond too. Victoria Restaurant in Royal Centre connected to the Burrard skytrain station is great as well, or at least seemed so when I was there for a wedding reception. It's a handy location too. Shanghai dumplings can be found in many places, but a very accessible choice is the modern Dinesty (yes, that's how they like to spell it) on No. 3 Road in Richmond. And if you're in Richmond, you might as well find a Chinese noodle house and have some Won Ton and chunks of roast pork with that wonderful crunchy skin, barbecued duck, and barbecued pork (cha sui).

New Restaurants List

2007-10-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

The current issue of Cityfood has put together a great resource for any Vancouver foodie: a nice list of the new restaurants of the last nine months - can you believe 99!? - as well as upcoming new restaurants that will open soon. It looks like they are still tweaking the electronic version to incorporate all updates, but I really like how you can sort the list by category, location, opening date or alphabet on the website. In skimming through the list, my thought was "wow, I must really eat out a lot". I've hit many of these restaurants, many of them quite randomly, with no pre-meditated thought. They're mostly drive-by decisions. With this list, now I can plan my attack in a more systematic way. I've had a few of the new restaurants on my list for a while now. I've also had some old-timers on my list for a very long while now, one of which I am finally hitting tomorrow - Le Crocodile! And then my birthday choices yesterday for lunch and dinner with my brother and my parents respectively? Nothing new and exciting at all - little non-descript dim sum place and a White Spot. Totally satisfying. See, I'm not always a fine dining diva! Happy eating, everyone!

Rekados on Main St.

2007-10-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

There seems to have been quite an internet war raging over this young, little Filipino restaurant, but that doesn't interest me. I went; I don't know Filipino food; and I liked it quite a bit. I'd happily go back to Rekados Grill (4063 Main Street, between 24th Ave and King Edward Ave, 604-873-3133). This restaurant is going for a more refined experience, with it's modern decor, pretty bathroom, and more modern plating. From what I've read, the handful of other Filipino restaurants around town offer a more casual, hole-in-the-wall experience geared towards Filipino customers, while Rekados is totally accessible to the uninitiated (with all dishes well explained in the menus). I just visited Rekados the one time and it was great fun to experience a cuisine that is totally new to me (even if it is tweaked for Western palates) and I found the place cosy and friendly. Portions were generous, and quite well-priced in my opinion. The menu explains that Filipino cuisine is a fusion of Spanish, Chinese and Malay cuisine. I needed warming up that day, and had a pot of their honey orange tea. I also had a great big clay pot of a vegetable soup with a sour, spicy broth and hearty chunks of eggplant, bok choy and other veggies. It was well under $10 and would serve two generously. I followed that up with a nice grilled fish dish (tanigue, or kingfish) with a chunky fresh salsa-like topping piled high over it, which was about $10, I think. This really felt like good value. I personally like my fish a little underdone (and the time I went it was very thoroughly cooked), but it was still a tasty dish with the salsa. I ordered some rice too. I don't remember the Filipino names for the dishes unfortunately, but the menu is filled with all sorts of small plate choices, stirfried noodles, grilled meats and seafoods, simmered coconut dishes and hotpots, as well as desserts. I think I remember a martini or cocktail list too. They also serve lunch from Tuesday to Friday. The service was fairly attentive, but probably a bit on the slow side. This really didn't bother me at the time though, as I was happy to unwind in the relaxed warmth of the restaurant that day, and prefer that sometimes to being rushed out of a place (they even offered me another pot of tea with the bill). I was in the mood for an ungreasy, light meal that day and was able to get that quite easily with the light veggie soup and the grilled fish, but I think I would like to try the heavier stewed and fried dishes next time. I really like that sort of variety in the menu. Come with an open mind and compare this restaurant only with other restaurants in the same price range. It can be a really nice comfy-casual spot to fill you up and try something new. My visit was a few months ago. Let me know about your experience if you have visited.

Hotpots come out simmering over a flame at the table.

Nice Orange Honey Tea

Grilled Tanigue (Kingfish)

Iron Chef Junkie

2007-10-19T00:03:00.000-07:00

I just got sucked into signing up for cable because of a promotion, and I've become an Iron Chef America junkie...only because that seems to be the only thing that the food network airs...but I'm loving it. I want to dine with Alton Brown - he is my food geek hero (or drizzle his body with the truffled olive oil I bought in Nice...one or the other). I want to sit front row in kitchen stadium. I want to be a judge. I have the urges, simultaenously, to both slap Bobby Flay for barking at his assistants and to savour the food he's arrogantly preparing. And most of all, I want to see the challengers beat the iron chefs. I clearly need a twelve-step program...

Awwww! Another One Bites the Dust!

2007-10-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

Japone's Monthly Special in July

Okay, just a quick whine about another one of my fav restaurants disappearing (yup, I still haven't gotten over Lucky Diner): Japone on Oak St. at 67th was a fairly regular stop for me and now it's gone! A quiet and comfy restaurant with surprisingly special food in a little unassuming mini-mall island surrounded by a sea of South Vancouver residential neighbourhood. I went there for creative, flavourful and beautiful Japanese food that was clearly a cut above your average sushi joint. I kept meaning to "spill the edamame" on their new "monthly special" - $15 got you two generous slices of miso black cod (otherwise known as that buttery goodness called "sablefish"), a generous basket of the lightest crispy tempura ever (don't mind the photo...sometimes I get too excited and eat most of something before remembering to take the picture), fantastic tuna sashimi, rice, miso soup, and a really spectacular chawan mushi - silky smooth savoury egg custard with big chunks of seafood and chicken embedded inside. And it wasn't once a month...it was the special for the entire month! All of it was served on beautiful pottery, and the service got quite good at the end. Anyhow, it's been replaced with a more typical Japanese restaurant called Applause. Good quality sushi, friendly sushi chef/co-owner, but for goodness sakes, couldn't they have stolen the secret to Japone's tempura before chef/owner Hiroshi Kudo left? And did he take his charcoal grill with him? Even the unagi was carefully grilled by the chef, imparting that wonderful smoky charcoal flavour to it, back in the day of Japone. Now, mind you, Applause actually does what it does quite well, and of course the price point is quite a bit lower than the former restaurant, but Japone was a tough act to follow (especially after they started doing the monthly special and their weekly specials). I had quite a nice chirashi don there the other day, with a great scallop, really nice, deep red salmon, and a pleasant touch of minced ginger and green onion on the saba. The room has not been changed at all except for the sign on the outside and the addition of some lights, so the place still has the comfy cushion lined window seat-like corner in the front, and the lovely fabric dividers that give a sense of privacy and intimacy to the other tables. At least Japone wasn't replaced with something crappy. I can only hope that it turns up again somewhere else.

Weird Food Combinations That Shouldn't Work, But Do!

2007-10-09T21:31:00.000-07:00

I work with a bunch of similarly food obsessed people (I knew there was a reason I liked this office...) and we have a nice big round lunch table that we gather around and we are lucky enough to also have a full kitchen. So you can imagine, the treats abound, and one of the office vices is to have communal bags of chips in the centre of the table. Anyhow, one day sitting around the lunch table, one woman says some words of genius: "you know what they should come out with? Chocolate-covered chips." And I totally agree. Well. Guess what. We had some chocolate - and actually some pretty darn good quality stuff in disk form, leftover from s'more-making (like I said, I love this office). I headed straight to the microwave with a handful in a bowl. And we only had two choices with the chips. No plain chips, like we would have naturally gravitated towards though...just chili garlic and curry flavoured. We discussed briefly, and decided the chili and chocolate combination would work best because it would be like the classic Mexican chocolate flavours. The garlic part, we were less sure about. Wouldn't you know it, the whole combination was absolutely magical! The flavours came at you in layers - first the chocolate, then the garlic, and then chili heat came last. The experience was downright Willy-wonka-ish! One by one around the table, even the more apprehensive of the lot were won over by this concoction. If you get a chance, please try it! Of course, feel free to tell us we're a bunch of weirdos if you try it and find you don't like it. Maybe I shouldn't have blogged it publicly, and gone into the chocolate-covered chip business instead... Do you have any weird food combinations (that work well) to share? Incidentally, I gave the curry chip/chocolate combo a try just to make sure, and our instincts were right on that one!

Jules Bistro

2007-10-07T06:11:00.000-07:00

I walked by this place a couple of times shortly after it opened in Gastown, and it was packed with the fashionable. Basically, it looked like one of those restaurants that the trendy "oh, there's a new restaurant!" crowd descends upon initially, and then moves on its way, like a ravaging hoard of well-dressed army ants eating up everything in its path. Same reaction I got when I happened to pass by Italian Kitchen during its VIP grand opening...ick. So I waited a bit for Jules (216 Abbott Street, just off Water St. and Trounce Alley, Gastown: 604-669-0033), but heard good things in the meantime - a bargain prix fixe, and general good value. Well, they were right. I tried this place out in August, on a relatively quiet night, with Potato Salad Boy, and we had lovely, down-to-earth service, genuinely tasty food, and were pleased with the value. They do indeed have a cheap prix fixe of steak frites ($21 for the salad starter, steak frites and a chocolate terrine dessert, that time), which is what I was in the mood for all week, but wound up opting for another steak dish they had because I'm not really a fan of thick, rich chocolate desserts (chocolate terrines, paté's, flourless cakes)...plus the sides on the dish I wound up getting sounded great. Filet de boeuf Poele a la Crème aux Morilles - beef tenderloin with a morel cream sauce, ratatouille and scallop potatoes ($22). It was yummy. Potato Salad Boy was very happy with his Filet de Thon mi-cuit a la Provencale - slow cooked rare ahi tuna "Provencale", eggplant caviar and roasted vine tomatoes ($17). Potato Salad Boy was also very pleased with his rice pudding and rhubarb compote dessert ($6) and I enjoyed my melty centred chocolate fondant ($6) but must admit the steamed mushy texture of the cake itself was not really to my liking, and prefer a slightly drier cakey texture. I wasn't able to figure out if this was how it always was or something went a little wrong, so I'd be willing to give it another go at some point. If we had been hungrier, there are a number of starters that sound good too. I'm sure I'll be back. They're closed Sunday and Mondays, but open for lunch and dinner Tues - Sat.

Beef tenderloin with a Morel Cream Sauce, Ratatouille and Scallop Potatoes

Slow Cooked Rare Ahi Tuna "Provencale", Eggplant Caviar and Roasted Vine Tomatoes

Rice Pudding and Rhubarb Compote

Melting Chocolate Cake, Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream

I'm Ba-ack!

2007-09-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to say that I've returned from Europe, and that I'm sorry for turning Nancyland into a ghost town this last while. I'm ready to eat and blog again, so thanks to any of you who are still hanging around! Well, it's not like I've ever stopped eating... And if you thought that Vancouver was a great foodie town, you all need to go to Barcelona, Spain and the surrounding area! It blew my mind. I will going off the topic of Vancouver food for bit and I'll be posting a few highlights from Spain in the future just because the food was so wonderful.

I was literally in tears (of joy) waiting at the train station in Girona for a ride back to Barcelona because of the surprise tasting meal that I had in El Celler de Can Roca, a highly acclaimed restaurant (11th on the Restaurant magazine's 50 Best Restaurants in the World list ain't too shabby, eh?) in a smaller city a couple of hours from Barcelona, run by three brothers, right next to their parent's traditional Catalan restaurant (which unfortunately, I did not have time to try). These brothers are third generation restaurant people; dividing the roles of cuisine, wine, and dessert among them, and together they produce a very exceptional experience. It was certainly one of the best meals I've ever had, and the best service I've ever encountered. This grand nine course (plus "snacks" and petit fours) lunch capped off a mind blowing five days worth of exploring Barcelona on my own, before meeting up with my family for the rest of the vacation, so of course, as always context has so much to do with making a meal a special experience. The tears at the train station were about the amazing meal, including experiencing the warmth and exceptional craftsmanship of all of the staff there, but also about how the travelling had touched me, and the melancholy of having the trip end. I soaked up every bit of Barcelona I could in the week that I was there, and I want more. Eating out is a huge part of the culture there. And I've read that for Catalans, it is more usual to meet up with friends out at a restaurant than to invite them to their homes, unless they know each other very well. Barcelona was the only city outside of France to be named the Gourmande city of Europe by Michelin. Design and architecture are also huge parts of the psyche of the city. And the people are generally very friendly. This all makes for a really fun restaurant town - the decor, atmosphere, food presentation, food taste, food innovation or alternatively respect for tradition, wine, service and attitude of the restaurants all come together in a package. My dream job right now would be to start up a gastronomic tour company in Barcelona. That's it, I'm taking more Spanish classes. Who wants to go to Barcelona with me? We'll go to one of the best markets in the world, and we'll dine at a restaurant where you can get a six course menu of dessert dishes, and I'll show you this great little tapas restaurant I know...

A Little Food Porn to Tie You Over

2007-09-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

Wow, that post title came out naughtier than I was expecting. Anyhow, just wanted to write a note to say that I have LOTS of good eating to report, and posts are in the works (including positive experiences at Mistral, Gastropod, and Jules Bistro. Also, I'll report on positive return visits to some older places: Kedah House and Nu). In the mean time, join me in my Spanish food fantasies, as I prepare for my Europe trip. Here is a beautiful little slide show from Restaurant Cinc Sentits, in Barcelona, Spain.

Travels in the Land of Giants

2007-07-28T17:29:00.001-07:00

Hey, everyone's had mini-marshmallows at some time or another, but most people do not realize their enormous potential. Mini-marshmallows are actually just the tasty seeds used to grow larger marshmallows. For us humans, we like to harvest most marshmallows at their nice handy 1.5" long size (also known as "baby marshmallows"). But venture out into the land of giants around this time of year, and you will see the spectacular harvesting of giant marshmallows from the fields in which they grow. I caught one of the giants' little minions operating the specialized harvesting equipment, collecting the precious confections at their peak. Oh, imagine the s'mores you could make with these babies!

"Now THERE'S a marshmallow!"

A field full of marshmallows ready for harvest time.

The marshmallow farmer carefully moving the freshly picked marshmallow.

Loading up the truck, very gently. Note that some of the vines are still attached.

Speed Blogging

2007-07-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

It's summertime, it's hot, and who wants to be in front of their computer all day? So here are some quick 30 second impressions from a slew of restaurants that I've visited in the past, but haven't fully blogged. Whether any or all of these are a match to your own tastes is up to you.

Lolita's South of the Border Cantina (1326 Davie St., 604-696-9996). Delicious, genuinely tasty and interesting food, with very long waits for said food. Hugely busy, cramped, and popular with the cool kids, which makes the wait often just not worth the trouble unless you catch it at a less busy time. Great big glasses of Sangria will help with the waiting. Pricey for Mexican food, but fair for the quality of food. Go there when you have very good company, a lot of time to kill, and when you're not starving.

The Secret Garden Tea Company (5559 West Boulevard, just North of 41st, 604-261-3070). Home of my favourite tea - Creamy Earl Grey. Wonderful little treats for high tea, in a setting perfect for when you have a hankering to feel girly. Demi High Tea (12.95) is also available. I always leave this place happy.

Tacos Mexico Rico (309 West Pender, at Hamilton St., 604-688-7426). Cheap, tasty, and what I can only guess to be authentic Mexican fare in a friendly little quiet hole in the wall.

Kingyo (871 Denman St., near Robson, 604-608-1677). Great izakaya food that will appeal to the foodies who enjoy things like detecting the differences between the three kinds of salt served with their chicken karaage. Take their fresh fish of the day recommendations. I had the best Tai (snapper) that I've ever had there when I visited, but this is the kind of thing that varies constantly. Service is eager, yet sadly inexperienced, and when I went, almost a bit overbearingly attentive, but again, that's something that can vary considerably too. Stunning presentation on some sashimi served in a half-pipe of bamboo and decorated with Japanese Maple leaves. Worth a try, but expect to spend money on it.

Hamilton Street Grill (Yaletown). My second visit there, and my second experience where I had another lovely dinner foodwise, but had some service issues. Can't tell if it's because they're doing the "I'm only putting effort into the service when the customers look like they're going to spend big" or if they are just a bit disorganized in assigning tables to servers. At any rate, it's a good restaurant, with a nice owner/chef, but could do with some front of the house tweaking.

Danny's Wun Tun Restaurant (11666 Steveston Hwy #3050, Richmond, 604-277-3317). If you ever find yourself hungry while at the Ironwood Plaza Shopping Centre in Richmond, this is a nice little wun tun house. The real reason they are noteworthy is because the owners are just totally charming hosts, making this place popular with the Asian and non-Asian crowd.

Milestones, White Rock (3085 152nd St. in the South Point Exchange Shopping Centre of Highway 99). Just a note of caution that not all Milestones are created equal, despite their efforts to standardize. The kitchen at this one just does not seem up to snuff. Recipes must be fairly strict, but I have had over-vinegared, and over-salted food there that is barely edible. I've had mushy vegetables. I've had their spinach dip served in a bowl with tonnes of crusted over spinach dip clinging to the outside of their bowl that makes you wonder if it was from the contents or from another day. I've had a dirty mug brought to the table for my tea. Yes, I'm sure you're about to berrade me for going there in the first place, but it's really the only sit-down restaurant (aside from the new Cactus Club around the corner) in that shopping area, and it just happens to be a convenient stopping point on one of my routes. I have stopped going there. I have not given up all Milestones though. I go to the one on Robson St. sometimes.

Orchid Delight Restaurant (2445 Burrard St., north of Broadway, 604-831-0221). Nice, attractive Malaysian restaurant that shows Vancouver that you don't have to dine in a dive to have good Malaysian food. Solid renditions of tofu goreng ($6), spicy sambal kang kong ($11, it's a green veggie), and roti prata ($4.95) were presented. Good service. Only glitch that night was that I got the spicy sambal, even though I ordered mild, and thought throughout the meal that the spicy must REALLY be killer, if I was having trouble with the mild. Found out from the bill that it was just a mix-up. I was fine though.

So, tally up. Would you like to have dinner with any of these? At the risk of sounding terribly bitter, it seems as if there is almost always some sort of trade-off; do you want beauty, brains, authenticity, "sex appeal," attentiveness, boldness, adventure, and a good heart all in one (restaurant) package, or are you willing to settle for some combination of these? For me, I seek different combinations for different moods, but secretly, I am always questing after the whole package.

Do Chefs Have Groupies?

2007-07-11T22:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, just when I start really latching on to Zin (on Robson, near Bute), Chef Chris Whittaker decides to move across the street to O'Doul's at the Listel Hotel. On one hand, I'm thinking, will I still be able to get beautifully executed food at Zin, like the special of the night I had a couple of weeks ago - sablefish, big California scallop, and arctic char, served with a beurre blanc sauce, new potatoes, greens, and so many wonderful oyster mushrooms ($26). Absolutely delicious, and of course perfect service to match. On the other hand, I'm thinking O'Doul's would be such a nice spot if the food, menu and drinks were up to snuff. I had one terribly mediocre experience with pricey, unsatisfying food and somewhat odd service at the bar from the bartender (a menu item promised a trio of appetizers paired with a flight of wine, and the bartender just seemed unwilling make pairings, and made no effort to consult anyone else on the pairings either, and in fact seemed rather against the idea of pairing food and wine in general) one night at O'Doul's long ago, and I haven't been back. There is live jazz there, which could be a lot of fun. I'll check it out once the chef gets settled in.

Our Curry is PROBABLY the Best in the World

2007-07-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

Right on! I hate those "Best Whatever in the World" signs, but this I can live with. I thought this sign was a hoot when I passed it, then I realized it was a new express version of the restaurant I was just about to post about anyway. I'm enjoying some leftover curry from Mui Garden, North Road location (4327 North Road, just South of Lougheed Highway, 604-421-8838), as I work on this post. This was my parents' pick for some recent casual family dinners. The best thing about these dinners was not their specialty - free range Hai Nam chicken, but these fantastic live prawns (kept alive in the tanks until just before cooking), deep fried and then tossed in soy sauce.

I must admit I really enjoyed their curry. When I first tasted it, my thought was "wow, this must be really bad for you in some way, because it is damn tasty!" I think it's pretty rich in coconut milk, which is quite fatty. We were having the curry beef brisket, which is a pretty fatty cut of beef too. And to top it off, we were having it with the "Hai Nam style rice" which is cooked in a lot of chicken fat rich stock, so it has an oily sheen and a wonderfully fatty taste. But it's not something to make a regular part of your diet, I suppose. We had their fresh oysters, cooked on the half shell too, at the North Road location, which were quite nice too, and I've had the satays at the Victoria Drive location, and they were good. If you go for the Hai Nam style chicken (steamed with the skin and bones on, cut into chunks), take note that the restaurant uses both free range and non-free range chicken, so be sure to request the free range. If you are used to non-free range chicken, this will be leaner. It's not really my favourite dish, but my parents seem to like it. The decor is very simple and casual. Go for the food, not the ambiance. Or get some take out on Robson, and head to the beach. They all take cash only. There are four restaurants total (Victoria Drive, Main Street, North Road in Burnaby, and Minoru Blvd. in Richmond) plus the new little one at the Robson Public Market (1610 Robson at Cardero, 604-683-7983).

Nancylander Meet and Greet - Ratatouille

2007-06-26T22:47:00.000-07:00

"I can't help myself...I like good food, okay?"
- Remy, the Rat in Ratatouille

Is anyone else excited about this movie? What could be better than a Pixar animated story about a rat who has a dream to be a chef at the best restaurant in Paris, but must figure out a way to overcome the considerable challenge of being a rat in a restaurant kitchen. I want to see this movie on the first night that it is in the theatres, and I figure it might be a fun way to meet some Nancylanders. I will be trying to go to "7 something" show at Tinseltown Cinemark on Friday, June 29th. My search on the internet indicates there should be a 7:10 pm show that night. I'll try to get into the theatre by 6:55. If you would like to say hi, meet inside, seated in the theatre. I will wear or carry my blue plaid fedora hat to make myself easily recognized. Afterwards, if there is interest, we can walk to Salt for a glass of wine and nibbles. I'll try my best to post any changes to this plan on here. If you don't wind up finding me, at least you'll still see what should be a great movie. If you want me to look out for you, just type a comment here. I will try and linger near the front of the theatre right after the movie.

Top Five Secret Patios (not Five Top Secret Patios)

2007-06-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, to be honest, none of these are that much of a secret. Generally, keeping your restaurant a secret isn't really good for business anyhow. But for the most part, these do have a nice out-of- the-way feel to them, which is what I'm typically in the mood for these days. The cool kids can hang out at their hot spots and try very hard to look cool. I just want to lurk in the corner, and chill.

1. La Bretagne. (795 Jervis, off Robson. 604-688-5989). Yes, I've spoken about my favourite little neighbourhood crepe place before, but they just got new patio furniture in time for summer and their little patch of outdoors is looking even more inviting as a result. I've been there countless times and I enjoy their food everytime I go. I do enjoy the atmosphere a bit more when it's quiet than when they are in the midst of their weekend brunch rush. They have kir royale on their menu, and a nice slightly alcoholic apple cider, and their menu is surprisingly versatile for a little crepe shop - you really can have a very light meal perfect for summer or get pleasantly filled up with a nice, rich choice. You can have a very light crepe or have one of their very pleasant little salads (I like the one with the goat cheese toasts and tomatoes). Or you might be in the mood for french onion soup and a cheese covered baked crepe stuffed with seafood in wine sauce, and a flambeed dessert special crepe at the end. The bonus? They have great coffee, and they're great at keeping it flowing.

2. Zin (1277 Robson Street, between Bute and Jervis, 604-408-1700). I admit it, I've generally dismissed this restaurant in the past, thinking it all beauty with no substance, at least on the food front. That was due to a pleasant but bland visit back in 2001 when they first opened, and maybe the appearance of their goat cheese fondue at some event or other, which was pleasant enough but not a food epiphany to me like the servers seemed to imply with their praise for the dish. Things have changed apparently. Chef Chris Whittaker has been at the helm since 2003, and it appears he is the man to thank for the interesting globally inspired (yet not fusion) food, dessert, and cocktail menus, as well as the restaurants support of Friends for Life and A Loving Spoonful, and their use of sustainable products.

Since my original visit, I have at least fallen in love with the lounge and have many a time in the last year wished the lounge half didn't close down so early (it's been a while, but I've seen the place close the bar a couple of times before midnight). The plush red modern decor, cosy velvet couches, big arm chairs, fireplace, and small monitors showing not sports, but the food channel all hit my decorating soft spot. So basically, I've been considering Zin a great place to go for drinks, and nothing more.

But then one recent bright evening, I was looking for a patio in the area. Atmosphere was the priority, and I already knew that I loved their cocktail list, so I went for drinks and small plates. I was attracted by their bright little patio strip with shiny metal furniture right out in the prime people-watching property of Robson Street. Service was exceptional, as is often the case with hotel restaurants. But what surprised me was the food that I had. I was in the mood for a big bowl of mussels, but I also chose it because I know it's difficult to mess up. In retrospect, I don't think I needed to worry, but I was very happy with the choice anyway. Their mussels ($12) were quite tasty with white wine, double smoked bacon, garlic, shallots, tomato concasse, and pommes frites piled on top. At first sight, my thought was that I have had bigger pots of mussels before at other places, but theirs comes with those great fries, so it was pretty filling and a nice size for an appetizer. The server suggested some bread to sop up the juices in the bowl, which I love. However, I noticed a 75 cent charge for "extra bread" on the bill at the end, which I didn't expect as bread is so often complimentary (and also since I didn't really get any bread before dinner anyhow). It didnt' bother me much though, and if I had known about the charge, I would have gone ahead with it anyway. The little slices of brown and white baguettes came out nicely warmed and they were perfect for the mussels. I had a tasty, and beautifully garnished coriander gimlet ($5.95 for 1 oz). To start, I was given a nice little amuse bouche of tiny sablefish and arctic char flakes in a sweet marinade which was a very pleasant touch, and gives me some confidence that their fish main dishes are worth trying on another visit. I didn't have much room left in my tummy, and I thought about trying many of their other small plates. Ultimately, it was the chef-inspired cocktail list that lured me, and I had a drink that was much like a liquid dish. It was a masala caesar ($9) - not for the faint-hearted, the tomato drink was intense with the masala spices, but had a lovely refreshing big cucumber pickle spear sitting in it to balance it all out.

A quick look at the tempting dessert list told me it was time to move on. I had the rhubarb brulee which I enjoyed immensely with my Earl Grey. Spiced shortbread cookies, strawberry "chutney" on top, garnished with the prettiest sprinkling of fresh flower blossoms, and the big test? Yes, the sugar crust was thin and crispy and marvelous. The custard itself was thick, heavy, and rich, with little chunks of rhubarb, and quite luxurious in a way - not a classic light and creamy creme brulee texture, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

It was during dessert that I finally figured out the subtle taste in their tap water. They put slices of cucumber in their water instead of lemon or lime. It's a nice detail, especially for the summer. It's enough to make me wish I had a yard so that I could throw a barbecue party and have pretty glass pitchers of ice water everywhere with slices of cucumber floating in them. I can definitely see myself heading back to Zin for food whether on the patio or indoors after the summer. But I think I better be careful, because it's an easy place to spend a lot of money on a meal. There are lots of intriguing items on their food menu and their cocktail menu, and it makes me want to make my way through their menu.

3. Shebeen Whisky House (9 Gaoler's Mews, Gastown, 604 915-7338). The ultimate historic Vancouver hidden patio. This bar offers 160 scotches, and is situated in one of Vancouver's oldest spots - across from the private courtyard of a 19th century coach house, Gaoler's Mews. We ate from the Shebeen/Irish Heather menu of hearty gastropub grub, out on a table in the courtyard. When we were a bit chilly, we went back inside the glass enclosed back room. The front of the house is of course, The Irish Heather. Pavlova Boy and I had a pint of prawns, a pot pie, meatloaf, a sherry trifle, and I had a Shanty - a sweet mix of a light coloured beer and lemonade.

4. Ap Kung Jung Korean Bar and Grill (1642 Robson, between Cardero and Bidwell, 604-681-8252). A tiny patio in front of the two level Korean restaurant on the quiet end of Robson Street, just before the bustle of Denman St. I had a pleasant little lunch with Bak'n girl there last year on the patio, including one huge plate of fried chicken legs, done in two styles - dry and drenched with a sweet red chili sauce. From our viewpoint, we could watch people relaxing on the Capers patio, enjoying their healthy, organic snacks while we ripped into the fried chicken. One woman looked particularly interested in us - perhaps she was jealous. We also had a nice plate of the translucent potato starch noodles, and enjoyed their selection of banchan, little condiment/side dishes. These pickled tidbits, along with chilled barley tea (I can't remember if they serve this by default or not, but some Korean places do when it's hot, and others give you ice water right away instead) are just perfect for summer. It's casual, cheap, and often bustling with energy, as are the other Korean restaurants in the immediate area. The patio that afternoon was nice and relaxing though. I can imagine it being a great shady dinner spot to get filled up on a particularly hot evening.

5. Senhor Rooster (850 Renfrew St. a few blocks south of Hastings, 604-434-1010). A secret because the patio vision I'm talking about doesn't even really exist yet. Chef Daniel let me have a peek at his latest project - a giant outdoor barbecue that he's busily welding together. I got excited when he said something like "I could put half a cow in here." It's been a few weeks since I had dinner there, so he may have rolled out the beautiful metal monster from it's underground incubation chamber by now. And on Friday and Saturday nights, you can have dinner and then dance; he's got live music -a jazzy trio with a female singer, and a dance floor. That, plus the taste of charcoal on barbecued meat? You've got yourself a party. Try his cornish game hen. His new source is certified organic, and it's really tasty. Service was excellent the last time I went, and I had a great time.

Cafe Carthage

2007-06-08T20:42:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon Cafe Carthage (1851 Commercial Dr at 2nd Ave, 604-215-0661) on the Drive and had a wonderfully satisfying meal. This is a Tunisian and French restaurant, and just the perfect "little something different" with a restful atmosphere that I was looking for to feed myself after running an errand in the area after a long week at work. A big plate of Couscous Carthage ($18.25), which had lamb sausage, a chicken leg and a lamb shank and autumn vegetables and tomato sauce, was hearty and flavourful. Unfortunately, I only had the patience to take the one blurry photo before setting my camera aside and excitedly digging into the mound of food.

It came with a sauce boat of harissa, the red Tunisian hot sauce made with chilis. I kept trying this sauce to see if I could like it. It was a pleasantly complex chili sauce with a big kick of heat, but I detected a distinct rose flavour, which I've never been fond of. I have looked the sauce up since (try the link) and apparently a well-known expensive version of the sauce does include rose petals. It was certainly fun to be introduced to a new condiment for me though.

In fact, much of the pleasure of this particular meal was in this feeling of being transported to another place. Maybe even another time. This doesn't feel like a typical Commercial Drive hole in the wall. Instead, it's quite an elegant little oasis. Dark wood everywhere, middle eastern tile work, wonderful lamps hanging from the ceiling, white and navy blue tablecloths and napkins, and female servers dressed up all in black, looking particularly proper and demure. In fact, one server's dress with black lace and heels was the perfect outfit to make me feel like I suddenly walked into a period film about French colonial Tunisia, or at least what I might imagine French colonial Tunisia to look like because I really have no knowledge of Tunisian history (maybe it's just what she likes to wear and really has no relation to the restaurant. Anyhow, I liked it). To add to this immersive experience, I had the Moroccan tea, sweetened, with lots of fresh mint and an appropriate small glass to drink from.

Having spotted other people's big dishes, I knew that I wouldn't have room to try an appetizer, but I managed to squeeze in some dessert. Their dessert menu is filled with French classics. I went with the creme brulee. This had a lovely custard, but the burnt sugar topping was too thick for my taste. I prefer just the thinnest little crisp sugar coat. I was certainly tempted by the chocolate ganache cake on the menu, but just didn't feel like something so heavy after my couscous gorge. I also had a Tunisian coffee with dessert, which is very strong and thick (with the grounds settling down to the bottom, like a Turkish coffee), served sweetened, in a metal flask, with an espresso cup and saucer to pour into. I quite liked that. Service was excellent, and the room had an overall relaxed and refined feel to it on this pleasant sunny summer evening. I really enjoyed this restaurant, and part of the charm was that it is so different from other restaurants on the Drive, and the frenetic energy that I associate with the neighbourhood in general. Check out their website, linked above, for a history lesson on Carthage. Check out their restaurant for a stimulating meal in a place where you can slow down and explore it.

Just one last note - I never did get to try the previous incarnation of the restaurant, Zanzibar, the Moroccan cafe. From Adam's list, I see that the owners were different, and the place was a much more casual affair, without credit card and alcohol. Cafe Carthage has both, and is more upscale.

Underrated?

2007-06-04T21:03:00.000-07:00

Is there any dish, restaurant, or food-related item that you think is undeservedly flying under the radar? Do you want to put the spotlight on one of your favourites? Did something food-related make you feel like you got your money's worth and then some lately? Do you feel like you're the number one fan of some food? Is there some food item that the people around you just don't get? Tell me your underrated items. This is a much harder list to make than the overrated one, since internet foodies tend to be a very well-networked bunch; hidden treasures just don't stay hidden for long (even when you want them to). This is a difficult list for me too because I usually blab my finds right away in here. I'm not really keeping any secrets from you, dear Nancylanders. Well, there IS one secret I haven't shared - when no one's looking, I really like to eat Chef Boy R Dee Beef Ravioli. There. I said it. Do you still respect me? Oh well. I am what I am. Though I suppose if a can of beef ravioli gave me super-human strength my love of it might be more understandable. I feel like I just admitted I still sleep with a stuffed animal from my childhood. Same sort of thing, really. Anyhow, back to the underrated. Just a few to get started:

Thousand Year Old Eggs. One of those love 'em or hate 'em things, I guess. Well, love 'em, hate 'em, or fear 'em...
One of my current favourite cocktails actually resides in a mega-chain: the Mister Tea (vodka, Earl Grey tea, passionfruit liqueur, lemonade) at Earls (at least the one of Robson St. upstairs, particularly if you're sipping one while soaking up the sun and people watching from a perch on their patio. But just one problem - the straw is awkwardly too short for the pretty tall glass). Certainly the masses go to Earl's and I've always felt it's a particularly overrated chain in the past (in part due to a particular food reviewer who is a fan), so I don't mean that Earl's is underrated. It's just sort of a novelty for me to be a new-found fan of something on their menu, and for any foodie to be unabashadly touting something from one of the big casual fine dining chains. Well, I love Earl Grey tea. The fact that it's named after a beloved 80's icon doesn't hurt either. I pity the fool that makes fun of this post!
Korean food, in general. It took me a while to get it, and I think there's a lot of potential for plenty of other people in the city to get more familiar with it. Maybe Vancouver needs a Korean "Earl's" to make it more accessible to the masses.

Overrated?

2007-06-04T20:21:00.000-07:00

Have you had a good rant lately? Here's your chance. Has some particular dish, restaurant, or vaguely food-related item disappointed you lately? Did something make you feel ripped off? Are you tired of hearing about something? Do you find yourself wondering what all the fuss is about after trying some food item that the rest of the world seems to rave about? Let's start an overrated list. I'll go first:

Godiva Chocolates ("Did I just pay almost $3 for a mediocre tasting, clumsy chocolate?" Yes, I do mean one chocolate.)
The quality of movie theatre popcorn in town (It seems like forever since I've had really good popcorn. I mean, even the stuff we used to make in the grimy little cart at the UBC Film Club was better, and we didn't ask anyone to sell their only child for a bucket of the stuff either)
West (No hate mail please. It's just not my cup of tea...)
Griffins brunch buffet and dessert buffet at the Vancouver Hotel
Rachael Ray
Turkey legs at Disney World It's certainly amusing to see everyone walking around gnawing on massive turkey legs, but really it's a bit sickening too.
and the master of the overrated: Starbucks. (and before any Starbucks fans write to tell me what I'm missing, do me a favour and go order an espresso drink from the Elysian Room on 5th Ave, off Burrard, then get back to me). And for goodness sakes, stop supporting the evil empire already. As much as world domination plots fascinate me, do you really want to see a Starbucks plopped next to, say, the ancient pyramids of Egypt?

And The Winner of the Best New Restaurant of the Year is...

2007-05-30T23:04:00.000-07:00

Nu! Though the news of this is certainly not new. Here are photos from the EnRoute Air Canada Magazine 2006 award ceremony/press release/cocktail party in that I was invited to way back in November that I have talked about in other posts. Vancouver was well represented by Nu, in first place, and Rare, placed at No. 5. I was a much bigger fan of Rare, personally, but now that patio season has rolled around again, I will probably find myself at Nu again. Though I do hope they have some time to mix things up a little and rework their menu. Their stuff is exciting and fun the first couple of times, but I want to see new (haha, sorry, I just can't stop) things from them. I have not had a chance to re-visit Rare, after their (sous?) chef Quang Dang left. The party was a great time though, and my first media event resulting from this blog, so this was all quite exciting for me. I was once frenetically invited to talk on CBC Radio, but wound up missing out on that opportunity unfortunately. The event organizers for the EnRoute Magazine event, in an attempt to be coy about who won, sent out the invite to the event with the address and yet not the name of the restaurant. Nu had an opportunity to show off their game at this event in the form of neverending cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, including one of their most talked about signature items - a little fried oyster impaled on beer-filled pipet. This is meant to squeeze the cold beer right into the hot little oyster as it goes into your mouth. I'm happy enough with a dry, crispy, salty battered oyster without the beer, myself, but it's certainly fun to try.

Crispy Oyster with Granville Island Lager Injection

Ginger Beer Cocktail - this is a really nice cocktail that I have ordered a few times at Nu. Lots of interesting things happening in it, with the spicy ginger beer and the muddled mint.

Beet Chip with Creme Fraiche

Tuna Tartare

Lobster Bisque. I think I enjoyed this little cup of soup the most out of the bunch of nibblies that came out. These were all labour intensive hors d'oeuvres incidentally. Almost all of them required the serving staff to come back and grab the serving vessel, utensil, or lab equipment it came with. I'm not too sure about this trend. The little cups or chinese spoons do make for beautiful presentation, and opens up a variety of foods that would not otherwise be able to be served in this format, and the staff were quickly swooping in to collect them, so you weren't left trying to find a place for the little things, but I quite enjoy the more old-fashioned idea of being creative with various edible carriers.

This is me getting on TV! And yes, a coworker confirmed for me the next day that he saw me on the news.

My Favourite Part of Nu's Decor - the Neon Chandelier

Harry Kambolis accepting Best New Restaurant in Canada for Nu

Tim of Rare which made No. 5 in the Top Ten New Restaurants in Canada. A very friendly guy and I hope all goes well for his new restaurant. I haven't heard anything about Metro since chatting with him about this at this event in November, but I'll look out for it. There is a slew of new restaurants I want to try these days, and it sounds like some of them have had enough time to get into their groove.

Nu's Kitchen

The Busy Bar (note the lovely cocktails ready to go, and Jamie Maw)

Duck Rillette with Cranberry Jelly, and a stubby pretzel to eat it with

Drunk and hungry for something more substantial, I tottered along the seawall until I found myself at Fiddlehead Joe's. I posted about my lovely experience there before, and I was truly pleasantly surprised by the place. Below are the photos from this again. For more details, see my Christmas post.

Beet Panna Cotta, Fiddlehead Joe's

Meringue in Chocolate Chili Sauce

Lucky Diner

2007-05-21T21:19:00.000-07:00

This one even surprises me. I mean, I expected to like this place before I even got there, just because I knew that it is one of Sean Heather's establishments, and I can tell the man has taste in food, style (someone who really appreciates the Gastown neighbourhood) and lures quality staff just from having gone to Salt. But a diner in Yaletown? For a girl who loves going to old dingy Chinese-run "authentic" diners that still have 70's glassware hanging around and duct tape on their vinyl booths, isn't this place going to feel overpriced, ingenuine, and snooty? The answer? Not at all. I loved it. I loved it so much, I had to go back just to make sure it wasn't the Jim Beam bourbon milkshake (which I loved too) that was making me bourbon goggle the place. I ate at this place three times in the span of a week and a half (partly because I almost lost my new camera there). Something about the place makes you feel as if whatever you are eating is the best in its class. I found myself wondering "are these the best onion rings I've ever had?" and that's a hell of a lot of fun when you find yourself thinking that thought for just the garnish! There were a few lovely batter-covered onion rings stacked on top of the steak dinner I ordered on a return visit. They just go ahead and call their Reuben "The Best Dang Reuben Sandwich" which is what I ordered on my first visit. With a side dish, it was only $11, which I thought was really reasonable since the time I bought some of Mike Vitow's corned beef at Granville Island, the smallest chunk I could get was $10, which made about a sandwich and a half. So upon seeing the prices, I was pretty happy and feeling like I was going to get good value, which was a nice surprise in Yaletown. I wasn't even expecting the $11 to include a side dish. For my side dish, I chose the green salad since I figured ordering fries on top of ordering a fat reuben and a bourbon milkshake must break some sort of law of decency somewhere. I'm all for indulgence, but sometimes you've got to set some sort of limit. The dressing on the salad was nicely balanced - something that I think I must be a bit sensitive to these days, as a lot of times, I feel like dressings are too sour. And on top of that, have you ever received an "amuse bouche" in a diner? The charming and attractive waiter brought me a lovely bowl of their tomato cumin soup. Very yummy. Um, I mean the soup, of course...

Anyhow, this restaurant is really suited to my taste lately. High quality food in a completely casual and comfy environment. I wouldn't be able to find a speck of snootiness in that establishment if I had a magical snoot-detecting magnifying glass. Okay, that was an awkward phrase. Let me elaborate. That steak dinner I mentioned with the great onion ring garnish? It also had for its veggie sides: golden beets, braised fennel, and swiss chard! I've had this theory about the key to setting up a really successful restaurant is to set yourself up to exceed people's expectations, and this place is perfect for that. Make it a diner so that people are just expecting typical fare, and then blow their socks off with the ultimate versions of those classic comfort foods. The steak dinner also came with buttermilk smashed potatoes, and the meat was tender and not overcooked (which I'm also a bit sensitive about, having recently had a medium rare order come to me totally brown at a chain restaurant). So I got this great main dish that would hold its own in a finer dining establishment, yet I felt totally comfortable sitting in the room with my grungy work cargo pants. The perfect comfort food restaurant. The slogan? "Come sad, leave happy." The burger I had one night was really thick and beefy, on a great housemade roll, and it had a wonderfully agressively horseradishy sauce on it. (I think it takes some balls to put a sauce like that on a standard item like a burger, and have the confidence that people will like it). I had the fries with that one and found myself playing with the thought "are these the best fries I've ever had?"

And just now, as I'm typing this post (a redo of a post I worked on earlier but lost during my recent computer death), I just did a search for the link to their online menu again, and found the news on Urban Diner that the place is closing! Just when I found my perfect "neighbourhood" restaurant. They even get their coffee from the place I like getting my coffee from - JJ Bean. Oh well, all good things must come to an end I suppose. I just wished I had found it earlier. I really wanted to make my way through the entire menu. I especially wanted to try the mac and cheese, and potato salad. Looks like I'll be trying to make my way back before the place closes, if it hasn't already. Perhaps someone will take over, for a third time (it was originally Diner before Lucky Diner, and I didn't have any interest in visiting then). Anyhow, it may not have been appreciated by the masses, but I certainly was a fan.

New Nancyland Game

2007-04-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to think that I'm pretty predictable these days. Honestly, I don't think I'm that hard to please when it comes to restaurants. Mainly, I just want the staff to be nice to me, and I want tasty food at prices that make me feel like I've gotten good value for my money. This can happen at high-end or low-end restaurants of course. And unfortunately, so can the converse. Anyhow, here's my new game. I call it: "Did Nancy Like It?" The rules are simple. I'm going to name a restaurant that I just tried for the first time. Just guess whether I liked it or not, using the sum of your foodie knowledge from word-of-mouth reports, foodie reading, perhaps your own experiences at the restaurant, and your familiarity with my habits. I have one friend who rarely agrees on restaurants with me, to the point where I think he now checks out a restaurant if he sees a negative review from me. Does this bother me? Absolutely not. To each his own! To make this game really test your local foodie knowledge, I'm not going to bother giving you any background knowledge, or even a link to the restaurant website. There is, just like in any fun game, an element of chance too, because every good restaurant could have a bad day, and I guess a bad restaurant could have a good day. Since I'm only visiting once, anything could happen. So Nancylanders, let's see how you do...

Tonight I went to Lucky Diner, in Yaletown.

So, "did Nancy like it?"

Birthday Nachos and Sashimi Salad

2007-04-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is my kind of sports bar. Ebisu on Robson (604-689-8266, 827 Bute Street, website not up at time of posting, but should come soon), occupying the old Hooter's upstairs space at Robson and Bute, is a totally Vancouver joint. First of all, you can find both nachos (complete with ground beef and avocado for only $9 - beat that, any sports bar in town) AND Japanese tapas offerings like sashimi salad. When I was there, a group of what looked to be Japanese students were there for a birthday, and got the PA system Happy Birthday song, as well as candles in one of their nacho plates. Cute, eh?

As always, expectations have a great deal to do with how one receives a restaurant, and I've read some online comments that this place doesn't measure up to the creativity of Guu or Hapa Izakaya which are nearby, or Shiru-Bay in Yaletown. However, from what I can tell, they are going for something different anyway. The place has a huge screen, and smaller screens at the bar, showing the hockey game when I was there. That immediately gives you a more casual atmosphere than any of the other izakayas. They continue the sports bar theme by offering typical sports bar offerings like the nachos, and pitchers of beer at really reasonable prices, so you can come here to drink, watch sports and nibble very casually. Pitchers Sunday to Thursday are only $9.99, going up to $12.99 on weekends. Pitchers of white or red sangria are $12 for the small and $18 for the large. Wings are $4.99 for a half dozen, and can come salt and peppper (like I enjoyed), or with sports bar type sauces like spicy hot, teriyaki or barbecue. I had a sashimi salad ($9.55), while not mind-blowing, was very competent, with fresh sashimi, and a pleasant creamy dressing, mango and tomato concasse, and good mesclun. I also had their oyster motoyaki, which is three Royal Miyagi oysters with cheese, creamy sauce, spinach and mushrooms baked in the half shell for only $5. There are a wide range of fancy rolls in the menu that look good too in the $10 - 13 range.

I'm not really a sports bar person. I'm not that into beer, and tend to only drink it when there's some interesting microbrew or Belgium beer available, or if I'm just being social with a group. I'm not really into watching sports. And I'm a little bit picky about food, and rarely find pubs and sports bars to have a menu or level of food quality that appeals to me. I do, however, enjoy a nice casual atmosphere with cushy seating, a good plate of nachos or wings, and the freedom to drink and nibble rather than have a full meal. Ebisu seems to be the perfect sports bar for non-sports bar people. There is a huge variety of food to choose from, and it appears, from my three choices, to be good quality. There is a wide range of drinks at reasonable prices, including the hot sake I had for $7.95, beer, sangria, wine, shooters, "martinis," as well as premium sakes, champagne, and wine. The music is upbeat and "clubby" but I didn't mind it too much. The booths are big and comfy, and the high ceilings and room to stretch out make it a much different atmosphere from other izakayas in town.

The crowd on a Tuesday were all young, urban Asians gathering socially. No one was really watching the sports on screen. I went mid-week, and the atmosphere was low-key enough for me, and service was fine. Apparently it can get quite busy on weekends. Overall, from my one visit, I think this is a nice place to get drunk.

Kiwi Berry

2007-03-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

I discovered Kiwi Berries last week! They're soft-skinned, hairless tiny versions of Kiwi Fruit, that you can just pop into your mouth directly, which most people don't do with the big hairy ones. I have actually seen friends just bite right into a regular kiwi, and enjoy eating the hairy skin and all. As a result, I've tried it myself, and it is indeed not as itchy and irritating as one might guess from appearances. But I still went back to just eating the flesh after that. With Kiwi Berries, you can, just like the marketing blurbs say, eat them like grapes. I tend to pluck that tiny bit of stem off them, so I think it's more like eating strawberries than grapes. They're sweet, flavourful, and addictive. I saw them in the little corner independent grocery store near my place, and decided to try them, but I wasn't expecting them to be as wonderfully sweet as they were. I first thought that they were "baby kiwis," but of course that doesn't make any sense, as fruit in general doesn't get sweet until they mature, whereas a baby vegetable like a zucchini is wonderfully sweet and tender. But then again, zucchini and other squash ARE the fruit part of the plant, bearing the seeds. They just have the capacity to grow huge and unsweet. Kiwi Berries are actually a marketing name for another species of fruit closely related to kiwi fruit that is called hardy kiwi (Actinidia arguta), so this is as big as they get, and they grow in big, adorable bunches on the vine.

I can see them hitting the local fancy dessert garnish scene:
"What's this?"
"Oh that's a kiwi berry. Kiwi berries are the new gooseberry."

But I'm sure there will always be a place for the original kiwi fruit. For one thing, they have always reminded me of some particular private parts, perhaps like peaches, mangoes, and bananas to some. You do lose that pleasant body part association with these tiny, hairless ones. But I've had that conversation with a few people, and maybe this is one of those "is it just me?" things. But there's definitely a general fruit - body part association that doesn't happen, say, with dairy products. Um, wait a second...I mean, grain products (please don't write me to tell me about the history of sexual imagery in grain products. I am happy to be unaware, thank you.). For another thing, it's just kind of fun to scoop the flesh out of kiwi halves, kind of like eating soft-boiled eggs out of the shell. And also, I have no idea how expensive those kiwi berries were. I like my grocer, and I just trusted that it couldn't be too bad. But I suspect that I probably could have bought a lot of kiwi fruit for the same price. But certainly worth the splurge, if there was one. Anyway, have fun with your fruit...

Missing Pho-to

2007-03-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

I just realized I had my camera with me while at a little Pho restaurant and didn't think of taking a picture. I was coming home from a great bike ride on my new super-cool folding bike, and randomly picked a small restaurant on Hastings street. Success! Pho 888 (2474 East Hastings, just East of Nanaimo St., 604-258-9092) was nice, clean, and had good food. I just had their combo that included a small house special pho, a salad roll (it had prawns and pork in it), and a can of pop. Not normally something I'd whip out the camera for anyway, but the food was good, and I was quite pleased. Maybe I'm easily impressed because the Vietnamese place closest to my place still insists of giving lemon wedges instead of lime wedges with their pho. The broth was decent, and the peanut sauce for the salad was good too. It really hit the spot. I also like the fact that the big pot of jasmine tea came out right away after I was seated (with no charge).

I also randomly picked a place on the way to the bike path (Brunette-Fraser Greenway, which I recommend also), and found a great little Chinese run diner/family restaurant place to have an all-day breakfast special. I've unfortunately forgotten the name, and wasn't really intending to blog it either. I do love those type of places, with the comforting old 70's style glassware and decor, and the Chinese owner lady who gives impeccable service (gotta love those bottomless coffee warm-ups) and a cook in the back who knows how not to get crusty bits on sunny side up eggs, and knows how to make a seriously fluffy pancake. There's also the great bonus of being able to read the day's paper, which is always kicking around places like this. I think this one was around the 4000 block of Hastings, just one door in from the Northeast corner, because I remember noticing the going out of business sale signs in the Helen's children's clothing store with the great girl-in-a-swing neon sign.

Though these two restaurants probably don't sound all that blogworthy, there are two things that made them noteable for me. First, I like spinning the roulette wheel of unknown small restaurants. I was feeling lucky today. And just that element of chance makes the successful spontaneous pick all that more satisfying (as opposed to the intent research that usually goes into my restaurant picks for myself, and anyone who might ask for a personal recommendation). The Chinese family restaurant felt especially like a gamble because I walked into an entirely empty room on a Saturday afternoon, and almost walked right out (you could see my thought process all over my face, I'm sure, after I opened the door: uh oh, empty room, bad sign...oops, she saw me, too late!). Thus, when the attractive breakfast plate arrived, it was like a wonderful little jackpot...of fat and sugar. Secondly, I enjoyed these places because they really had a lovely neighbourhood feel to them. East Hastings feels more like a real community than dining downtown. In both restaurants, regulars walked in and were treated by the staff like old friends. I like that down-to-earth "homeyness." I guess I have a nostalgic fondness for East Hastings because it reminds me of my roots, having been raised nearby. Anyhow, I'd go back quite happily to both of those places if I was in the neighbourhood, and I would probably not ever go to Anton's - drove past the queue , which must have had about 20 starving student types standing outside to get their cheap pasta. I wanted to pull over and say, "People, this is Vancouver...you don't have to line up for cheap food." Incidentally, the pho special I had was $8.25. Or $5.50 for just the pho. The breakfast special was about that too. The real question is, how expensive was it all calorically? Here's hoping my bike ride was at least enough to break even.

Sentimental Saves

2007-03-09T20:06:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had such a sentimental association with a restaurant that you wind up "saving" it and not returning, or alternatively, returning often to relive the memory? Minato Sushi (992 West Broadway, 604-732-6554), a little sushi joint in the mini mall at Broadway and Oak, is one of the former type for me. I had my very first official date ever in that restaurant, eons ago, while I was still in university. The boy I went with quickly became my first love, and it was everything I could have wanted from a first relationship. Let's call him Breadboy, since he was the one who taught me to bake bread, and in fact was the first person to ever teach me to cook. How funny it is to remember myself so timid in the kitchen. Cooking is really (as so many things in life are) all about just deciding to have the confidence that you can do it. Not being one to follow "the rules" of dating, or at that point in my life, to even be aware of them, I remember I wasn't shy with the ordering. I didn't hide my hunger, nor did I really comprehend that he would be so insistant in paying for the whole meal. Back then, sushi was still a big treat, even the mediocre stuff, and we both loved it. Yay! Something in common for the nervous young would-be couple. So we ordered. And ordered. I have this memory of boat-load after boat-load of sushi coming at us, and us both gorging ourselves happily, while getting more and more comfortable with each other. We're talking a fricken' fleet here, and all-you-can-eat sushi hadn't really descended upon the city yet. Anyhow, Minato still stands, and for me, it's like a little monument that holds that beautiful memory of that first date. I never went in again after that first date. I moved away, and I moved back, and I often smiled fondly when passing the restaurant, but I would never go back. It wasn't really a purposeful thing. Often, if I was looking for a restaurant in the area, I would be with another boyfriend, and always felt that I would wind up being too sentimental going back there, and figured that wouldn't be terribly considerate to whomever I was dating at the time. I mean, how boring would it be to have dinner with someone mooning over their first date at that restaurant. That's what blogs are for, hee, hee! Well, on the spur of the moment recently, I went to Minato's, alone, for a quick bite on my way from one place to another. It's just the same all these years later. It's good and reliable, and relatively cheap. And I know it's just a sushi joint. But it's made it through all these years in this town full of sushi joints. And I'm glad.

Name that Vancouver Restaurant No. 7

2007-03-04T11:52:00.000-08:00

Okay, rev up those restaurant guessing engines. This one isn't exactly a full restaurant. It's a fantastic coffee shop with amazing food. Savories AND sweets! And oh my, those sweets... It's almost my ultimate dream coffeeshop that I'm still questing after. Great coffee, great atmosphere, nice staff, not too loud, and great food. Very reasonable prices to boot! The only things that are missing are 1. being open late night - it's current hours are 8 am - 8 pm (understandable as it's owner operated, and the fact that he's there is part of the charm), and 2. being closer to my place. It's on the North Shore, which I don't get out to that often, but that one is a minor quibble, since it's actually transit accessible - just a few blocks away from the seabus terminal. Are those enough clues for you? Okay, just one more, that should seal the deal if you have been there. The owner is an artist. Guess away!

Email Eaten

2007-03-04T11:28:00.000-08:00

Was my email yummy, Hotmail monster?! Just a note to say that I really do appreciate any and all correspondence through the email account I set up for this blog: nancyland-vancouver_foodie_fun@hotmail.com, but being a hotmail account, it actually resets itself and erases all emails and saved emails if the account isn't checked regularly. Oops! My apologies if any of you have written me at that account in the last while - they're all gone and that's why you haven't heard from me. Please do write again. Feel free to put a message in the comments section of any of the posts to direct me to your private email as well. Thanks!

I am alive!...and more importantly, still eating!

2007-03-03T10:46:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the absence, Nancylanders. I have been distracted, working lots, and also in a mild state of hibernation for this winter, but things are warming up, and I'm going to chew my way out of this coccoon. But not to worry, I have not been starving these last few weeks, and I have some great finds to post. To start, here's one a wee bit further out of the city core than my average post.

Looking for a lazy weekend day adventure now that the weather is warming up and the days are longer? Be a tourist in your own town. Toss your bikes in your car and visit charming Fort Langley. Bike the Fort-to-Fort trail from the original Fort Langley site in Derby Reach Regional Park to the town of Fort Langley, if you like that sort of thing, then wander around the cute shops, historical museums, have a coffee at Wendel's, the coffee shop/bookstore right in the middle of town, treat yourself to a funky hat (or two, like I did when I went) at the hat store, and then have a nice dinner at the Lampliter afterwards. I asked the hat lady what her favourite restaurant is, and she really came through for me. She recommended the Lampliter Gallery Cafe (9213 Glover Road, 604-888-6464) a few doors down, and also the Adobo Grill for something a little more low-key. Incidentally, I've tried the "what's your favourite restaurant?" tactic with a couple of gas station attendants while in unfamiliar territory (because I usually have to stop and get gas), and I haven't been all that successful. Usually the answer is much too diplomatic, such as "there are lots of restaurants on so-and-so road." So it was a real pleasure to get this tip. Cosy little room, wonderful fine dining service, complete with confident and friendly wine reccomendation (which was also a real pleasure to get considering I wasn't really dressed for the restaurant, as it was a last minute decision after a long work day), and really tasty food. I had the cornmeal crusted mahi mahi special ($17.95), which was served with a delicious ratatouille, vegetables, and choice of starch. I chose the potato, which was a lovely potato strudel made with phyllo pastry. The fish was served with a creamy leek sauce. Very tasty, and the meal was that much better because this restaurant experience was way more refined than I was expecting to be able to find "out there" at the last minute. Mind you, I was drinking a little wine, and I was very hungry after work (just a cold cheese sandwich for lunch), so that always makes everything taste even better. Another little pleasant surprise there too (wine snobs may look away now) - I really enjoyed the local pink wine I had - Jackson Trigg's white merlot. The best part of the meal was the dessert, with a really good cup of coffee to accompany. Having resisted the temptation of getting an appetizer, I was able to fit in their amazing dessert sampler ($8.50). It consisted of three small portions of some beautifully high quality desserts, nicely plated with fruit and whipped cream: passionfruit mousse that was intensely flavoured with the fruit, yet totally cloudlike in texture; a warm maple bread pudding with ice cream; and a really delicious Belgian chocolate mousse torte . And for me, a good chocolate cake is hard to find. This dessert sampler is worth the trip in itself. Afterwards, ride your bikes back to your car to burn it all off (if you have time before dusk, otherwise, drive your car to town before dinner). The restaurant takes reservations, they're open for lunch and they're closed Mondays and Tuesdays. I remember dropping by Fort Langley in hopes of Sunday Brunch one summer day, and the restaurants were just packed, so reservations are probably a good idea.

The Pear Tree

2007-02-06T21:59:00.000-08:00

I picked The Pear Tree (4120 Hastings St., 604.299.2772) for my birthday dinner with two close friends back in October. A safe choice for a special occassion. It's an intimate place, with everything clean, simple and beautiful - a little oasis of elegance on Hastings Street. It's not just "good for Burnaby," but just plain good for any part of town. I'm going to let my horribly fuzzy photos speak for the meal. Rest assured that everything tasted as lovely as it looked. I was even enamored enough with the butter presentation to take a photo of the little elliptical pat. And the bread basket was filled with buttery little brioche-like things, which I liked. As Bac'n Girl noted, many of the dishes had the pleasant little crunch from sea salt that hasn't dissolved. It's a nice little stylistic touch to the cooking. I'm glad to finally post about this meal, as Chef Scott Jaeger recently represented Canada in the Bocuse d'Or culinary competition in Lyon France, ranking 7th in the world, among 24 teams, with this menu. Congratulations!

I've read some complaints online about uppity service, but we had great service and plenty of warmth. At least for me, husband and wife owned restaurants have their own particular charm that comes through, kind of like visiting someone's home. The name of the restaurant, The Pear Tree, in fact probably refers to various folklore tales involving a husband, a wife, and a pear tree, but I'm not sure which one, as there are tales of deception and infidelity. There's probably a cute story about the choosing the name of the restaurant. It had been years since I last went to the Pear Tree, and they used to have only half the space. The room looks great. The menu remains small, yet it all sounds quite appealing, so I still had difficulty choosing. Contrast that with some restaurants who have extensive menus but it's like looking at your closet full of clothes and declaring "I have nothing to wear!" - some menus might have many choices, yet there still doesn't seem to be anything to eat. I can't remember many details about the desserts, but my chocolate dessert with ice cream was great, and I remember the sugar topping to Potato Salad Boy's crème bruléé to be quite crisp, and it was amusing to see him attack the big garnish.

Cute Butter

Lobster Cappuccino, dashi custard with fresh Atlantic lobster foam

Terrine from the Table d'hote menu, with slaw and brioche toast

Orange Caramelized Scallops with Double Smoked Bacon Risotto

Wild Queen Charlotte Coho Salmon, Maple Seared, served with Chive Potato Froth

Scallops (as a main dish portion)

Halibut from the Seasonal Table d'Hote menu

Chocolate Dessert from Table d'Hote Menu

Lemon Tart

Crème Bruléé

It was a great birthday meal, among several great birthday meals that week or two (including that amazing meal at Rare, a Chinese restaurant lunch on my birthday with the parents that included lobster with noodles, a Nancyland meet, Shiru-Bay, and the monthly birthday potluck lunch at work too). Here's to aging and eating well.

"Enough With the Valentine's Day $%*@ Already!"

2007-01-31T12:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, I fully admit it; I'm a romantic. A sentimental fool. And I have my girly-girl moments, especially when playing the part of the wooee in a new relationship, with a suitably gallant wooer hovering about. But I'm very happily single right now, and yet I am still getting bombarded with unnecessary Valentine's suggestions and advice through the mostly food related email mailing lists that I am on. Yes, I know receiving a heart-shaped cheese - like the mini couer aux petales de roses from Les Amis du Fromage pictured here, especially as part of elaborate home-made candlelight meal would make me absolutely melt; or conversely, would be so fun to include in a romantic meal that I could make for someone special. The cheese is a "fermier (farm made) heart-shaped, young raw milk chevre, produced in the Loire valley. It has a sprinkle of wild rose petals on top. This young cheese has a delicate, crumbly texture and has a tangy sourness that is sure to make it a perfect choice for a goat cheese salad for two" the email tells me. But I think sending this out to all the sentimental, single foodies is just cruel. It may sound like I'm not as happily single as I say I am, but hell, I was happy enough before imagining all the lovey dovey couples around me giving each other cheeses from Les Amis!

Incidentally, not all of that advice I'm getting in email looks all that helpful, so here's a quick rant. One article gave advice for Valentine's gifts that "don't scream stalker." I can imagine too many men taking to heart the message that you don't want to appear too eager or like a "stalker" by giving too romantic a gift too early in the relationship. I say don't worry about this too much. Good chocolates and flowers, are a cliché for a reason, and if your date is threatened by them or by another gift, perhaps that's just a sign that the two of you shouldn't be dating. I mean really, think back to the last time you were really attracted to someone - would you freak out it they gave you wonderful chocolates? Actually, I can't think of anyone that I wouldn't like to receive wonderful chocolates from, but that's probably just because I like receiving chocolates. Note that I'm talking only about women receiving them from men because I can only speak from my point of view. Maybe some men would think "stalker" if they got a really good Valentine's gift from a new flame, but most likely they'll just think "oh damn, I hope my gift is good enough." or "oh my god, I didn't get her anything."

Well, enough of my false bah humbugging. I really do like Valentine's Day, whether an active participant or just cheering on from the sidelines. Why else would I subject the single foodies who read my blog to even more of the Valentine's propaganda I'm supposed to be complaining about - by the way, apologies if you are one of them (just go get your mum something nice if you're really down about it, or donate to the food bank, or just find someone nice and randomly do something nice for them). And while I love the classic chocolates and flowers, if you have the stuff it takes to wow someone with something personal and creative, go for it. Here's an example from a movie I just saw, "Stranger Than Fiction." The character that Will Ferrell plays is just about to win the heart of the baker played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. There's a lot of build-up to why this gesture is so sweet, but I won't get into it because I hate spoiling movies for people. So what's the gift?...

...Why, he brought her flours, of course!

Chocolate and Zucchini, a Paris Food Blog

2007-01-16T12:47:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to highlight one of the latest additions to my links list, Chocolate and Zucchini. Although I like to focus on local foodie sites, I thought Nancylanders might like to daydream about little food adventures in Paris once in a while. I certainly am, as I research travel in Europe, looking for potential adventures for my trip in September. This blog caught my eye while I was dreaming about El Bulli again, and doing a search on how people get reservations. Turns out I thought about the restaurant only a few months too late. As Clotilde Dusoulier, Chocolate and Zuchinni blogger, found out, they take requests for reservations for their May through September season in October of the previous year. Look here for her terrific account of her meal, complete with photos, and even practical information such as cost (with their water, coffee, and wine - which they let the sommelier decide without limits - it looks like their thirty-five course tasting menu cost the equivalent of $330 CAD/person, before wine $250). I think this blog is inspirational also because she wound up quitting her day job as a software engineer, two years after starting to blog, to write about food full-time. She has Chocolate and Zucchini cookbook coming out soon!

Some Days I Just Feel Scattered, Smothered, Covered...and Chopped, Chunked, Capped and Topped

2007-01-15T13:29:00.000-08:00

I admit to being a very nostalgic person, and the enjoyment of food to me has a lot to do with the context in which it is experienced. Minutes ago, I had a nostalgic craving strike me suddenly. Striking is absolutely the word I want to use for that, like having a big, plump, friendly chef (he has a bushy, black moustache for some reason) sneak up behind me on tip toes and wack me swiftly on the head with a big baguette. After the impact, I imagine him laughing "Ha HA!" in a big booming voice, which means "Crave that, you fool!" Heehee, don't worry, I'm not on anything. Imagine my hallucinations if I actually was!

Well, if any of you have been to the Waffle House, maybe you'll understand this one. The American Deep South is scary and charming all at the same time, and the food is no different. There's a lot of charm to be had in the food, even (or maybe I should say especially) the greasiest junkiest food down there. It's a place where the greasy spoon chain, and the really old burger joint can become iconic places of history. I have no problem with that. I loved the Waffle House when I was down there, for a place to get breakfast, but especially as a place to go late into the night. It's a place where hash browns aren't just hash browns, like they are up here. They're a meal. A greasy, messy, beautiful pile of a meal. Here's how to have them:

"scattered" across the grill

"smothered" with onions

"covered" with cheese (you know what I'm talking about here, right? Yah, I'm not ashamed; I eat processed cheese)

"chunked" with diced ham

"topped" with chili

"diced" with diced tomatoes

"peppered" with jalapeno peppers

"capped" with mushrooms

What a wonderful, cheap indulgence it was for me - a "starving" (yah, I know, well, it's as close to starving as I get) student living in Athens. Just a handful of dollars for the whole mess of it, plus a cup of bottomless coffee. It even includes entertainment - I used to love watching the system - the cook, master of the grill, brandishing his trusty spatula, sucking in the hollered lingo-laden orders from sassy waitresses, and shooting out the food like a machine - keeping their cool, in the middle of all that sizzling, spinning and bubbling around them. Now that I think about it, the hollering is a bit like some of the izakayas around here. Except you go to Waffle House after the drinking, not during. I had my first serving of grits ever in a Waffle House, late night, post-partying. I was a bit skeptical about the whole concept of grits, while my friend enthusiastically tried to convince me of their merit. I think the main selling point was that you have to have them smothered in butter and cheese... They turned out to be okay, but he treated the ordeal like it was a rite of passage. And of course, because of that, it remains a cute, warm WaHo (to borrow a blogger's term of endearment) memory for me. Okay, I have to go buy some potatoes now.

The Dine-Out Burn-Out

2007-01-12T16:44:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else find themselves saying "bah humbug!" to the yearly end of January, beginning of February Dine Out Vancouver (DOV) event? Yes, I know there are some good deals out there, but is it worth wading through the incoming herds of "frugal" suburbanites, the need to book dinner nearly a month in advance, and the on-the-edge servers who are just one "water only table" away from snapping like the sugar topping of your creme brulee? Jason Chin, a fellow blogger at Eat Vancouver.net, is opting out this year. And I think I am too. So, for anyone else displaying the symptoms of Dine-Out Burn-Out, here is a quick top five list of under $35 non-DOV bargains to be found in our great food city. They're not necessarily going to be fine dining, but you should be able to eat very well, and be treated very nicely, without breaking the bank.

5. Senhor Rooster (Renfrew St., at Venables, four blocks south of Hastings), Rack of lamb about $35. You can pretty much order whatever you want off their menu and get out well under $35 a person, but go ahead and splurge on the whole rack of lamb if you get a chance. I don't see it on the online menu, but it is probably on the specials list when you go to the restaurant. You might think this price is comparable to the rack of lamb at other restaurants, but you'll often find you get a half rack or less at the same price elsewhere. I haven't had a chance to try the new location, but it's open for business. Next time I go, I'm going to try to call ahead and try their salt-encrusted Cornish game hen.

4. Raincity Grill (Denman at English Bay) Early Bird Menu $25 between 5-6 pm. I haven't tried this one out myself yet, but I've had a number of nice meals at Raincity over the years, and hope to try this out sometime. Three courses of West Coast focused food in a crisp, clean room.

3. Rinconcito Salvadorean Restaurant (Commercial Drive, between 4th and 5th Ave.) Lots of food for $25 each - my friend and I ordered enough food to stuff ourselves silly, including their famous papupas (flat corn tortilla filled packages of pork beans and cheese at $2.50 each), a whole fried fish with beans, rice, avocado and salad, a mini chicken tostada salad, fried yuca root with fried pork chunks, yummy tamarind drinks (non-alcoholic), and carmelized plantains with vanilla ice cream.

2. Sakae Sushi Restaurant (Downtown, Thurlowe and Alberni St.), Dinner Set $24 More authentic Japanese food than you can shake a stick at. Well, maybe not if you're really good at shaking sticks...at any rate, it's a lot of high quality food for under $25.

1. Mistral (W. Broadway at Trafalgar), Three Course Lunches $18 - 22. Another one on my Places To Try Soon List. I've heard good things about this one, and the menus look great. And if you're a guy looking to impress a lunch date, this should do, don't you think?

Sakae Japanese Restaurant, Downtown

2007-01-10T20:15:00.000-08:00

When did my comfort food become Japanese cuisine? Maybe it stems from my very first trip away from my parents, just after graduating from highschool - I had a glorious six-week homestay experience in Osaka, Japan. It was like I found another place in the world that felt like being home, even though it was completely different from being actually home, which was (and is now) Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Sakae (745 Thurlowe St. off Alberni St., 604-669-0067), hidden in a tiny, downtown, underground mini-mall of restaurants (next to Samba Brazillian Barbecue, and Aki Japanese Restaurant), is my current favourite traditional Japanese restaurant. By traditional, I mean both that the food feels quite authentic, and also that the menu offers what the original wave of Japanese restaurants in Vancouver offered - not izakaya small plates, but sushi, sashimi, tempura, noodle dishes, robata, rice dishes, and combinations. I just came back from having a fantastic dinner set ($24), which I thought was delicious and good value. They currently have a sushi, sashimi and unagi don dinner set, and these are not your run-of-the-mill Vancouver dinner sets. Be forewarned though, that in the summer time, I was looking for their dinner sets and they didn't offer them, but they're back now. I chose the sashimi one, which had a beautifully fresh plate of sashimi (garnished with real shiso leaf, and a very fragrant wasabi - maybe it's freshly grated?). I chose to start with this part separately, and it had lovely slices of salmon, mackeral, a very good amaebi, and snapper, I think. Then an exciting array of goodies came on a tray. There was a generous portion of grilled marinated black cod that was really tasty. There was a good chiwan mushi (savoury steamed egg custard) with assorted meat bits, topped with a pretty slice of fishcake. I enjoyed the delightful plate full of small cold things including egg omelet, a seafood pate, lotus root slices, a deep fried breaded dumpling ball, two meaty balls on a pick, and a pate topped with eel. There was also a little bowl of zaru soba, and a fried dumpling served in sauce, covered with bonito flakes (sorry, I don't know what it was exactly, but it was tasty). There was a really tasty sunomono type salad (but not the type with the noodles swimming in lots of liquid). It had a sweet, vinegar dressing, as well as a thicker orange dressing, and was fragrant with the smell of fresh cucumber. It had chunks of a white-coloured protein (maybe a clam?), and chewy transparent, colourless threads, that I think were some sort of seaweed product. There was a dish of daikon and cucumber pickles too. I also received a big bowl of rice garnished with what I'll call salmon pixie dust and a very nice miso with clams in their shells and tiny bits of shiso. Does this sound like a lot of food? It was. And I was happily stuffed. I also had a small bottle of warm Gekkeikan sake ($4.50), perfect for coming in out of a snowy, wet night. The room is quiet and cosy, and like a little underground hideaway - a nice, place of stillness to replenish your energy stores (both mental and physical) or have a quiet talk with someone about life.

Service was perfect tonight, with my tea cup being refilled diligently, and every bit of hospitality displayed despite my disheveled jeans, sweatshirt, and raingear appearance.

Now here's my big confession for this restaurant to end this post. I've lived closeby to this restaurant for about 8 years now, and I only learned about this place less than a year ago and I heard about it from, of all people, someone in Seattle! This place is a part of my neighbourhood, and I had to have a tourist point it out to me in order for me to pay attention to it! An eGulleter in Seattle was recommending a Japanese restaurant to someone else in Seattle who was going to visit Vancouver. The Seattlite who was due to travel was asking my advice, and the other Seattlite piped up. I am very glad s/he did. It's a wonderful little hidden gem, made all the more charming because it is off the radar for many. Shhh, don't tell too many people.

New Year's Food

2006-12-31T19:45:00.000-08:00

One new year's day, my friend Bac'n Girl invited me to her family's home for their traditional Japanese New Year's Day lunch. It was an impressive feast, with hand-pounded mochi and all sorts of interesting things to eat. Maybe you have some new year's food traditions. If not, you can always make up something. Here's hoping you eat something noteworthy tomorrow. And here are some traditions from around the world. Cheers!

Red and Green Food

2006-12-25T13:47:00.000-08:00

Beet Panne Cotta

Just a quick post on Christmas Day to wish Nancylanders happy holidays! This bit of red and green was a delightful dish I enjoyed at Fiddlehead Joe's (1-1012 Beach Ave, 604.688.1969) on the north side of the False Creek Seawall, under the Burrard Street bridge, amongst all the Concord Pacific highrises. The beet "panne cotta" was soft and silky, made from organic roasted beets, served with goat cheese, gorgonzola and organic greens ($10). The meal I had at Fiddlehead Joe's was really a pleasant surprise. I had never paid much attention to this little restaurant on the water, despite having cycled and walked past countless times. It's actually been around for about seven years. Service from the bartender (in retrospect, I'm wondering if it was Fiddlehead Joe himself?) was absolutely delightful and the little dishes I had were creative and tasty. I also enjoyed a soup that was like tasting the forest in a bowl - fiddlehead (as you may know, they are unopened Ostrich fern fronds, and have an appealing coiled shape) and forest mushroom soup ($6). It was a nice brown, earthy broth, which I thought was quite fun, at least conceptually. As for flavour, I'm more of a thick, creamy soup person, so I might not order it again, but it was good and worth trying. I also had some great pomme frites with a mayonnaise based dip. And last but definitely not least, I had a fantastic dessert. The chocolate chili sauce had just a perfect amount of heat to really make this dessert interesting. It worked perfectly with the crisp rounds of meringue and the dense chocolate mousse underneath ($8).

Toasted Meringue with birds eye chilli infused chocolate mousse

I actually wound up going to this restaurant on the spur of the moment, as I was trying to sober up from the EnRoute magazine cocktail party at Nu where they announced their Best New Canadian Restaurants awards. The funny thing is that this experience at Fiddlehead Joe's won me over more than anything else that evening. I'll definitely check it out again sometime. I was in the mood for something light and interesting that evening, but they also have "medium plates" for $15 and "large plates" for $24. I'm now eyeing the trio of quail under the medium plates section of the current dinner menu. They serve brunch and lunch too. In fact, it seems as if they're always open. I'll also keep it in mind for large groups, as the restaurant was almost entirely taken up by a large group when I was there eating at the glowing bar, and the staff seemed to be doing quite well with them.

The Best Restaurant in the World? Guess I'll Have to Take Their Word For It

2006-12-18T21:56:00.000-08:00

I'm drooling over the thought of my very first trip to Europe in September 2007, which starts in Spain. Naturally, I'm thinking ahead to the meals. This is my naïve line of thought: "Hey, isn't elBulli in Spain?" A quick look at the elBulli restaurant's website confirms that they were touted as the "Best Restaurant in the World" as voted by 500 critics, chefs, and gourmets from around the world that put together the 2006 list of the World's Best Restaurants for The Restaurant magazine. "I know about this trip nine months in advance, maybe I can save up all my money for one unbelievable meal, or a snack, or..something..." I poke around the site and find the very serious "synthesis of elBulli cuisine" - twenty-three statements laid down like restaurant commandments. The pretension of it all feeds my curiousity rather than squelches it like I might expect it to. I skim through the bios of the chefs. Again, very serious stuff. *CLICK* - the reservations page. They are filled up for the 2007 season. Aw, man. The whole year. Well, I really shouldn't be surprised. I know how hard it is to get in to even the French Laundrey. So then, feeling a bit silly for thinking this would be easy, I go looking for the menus, to really rub it in. The history of all of their dishes from 1983 - 2006 are photographed and catalogued beautifully. I've borrowed the phrase graduate level dining before, but I think the phrase really applies here. The geek in me savours the elegantly organized documentation of their creations. Is this place overrated? Who knows? Possibly, but I would so like to take that gamble and experience it in person. I mean, I just started slow with the food porn on their site by clicking on last year's cocktails...and even that looks wildly creative. Also, I'm actually quite fond of foams, so I'm good to go. So join me and feast, virtually, upon some wonderfully ambitious food and drink here. You'll have to click your way through. There is always an English option (EN), go past the ad for the books, and click the "enter to elBulli.com" at the bottom of the screen. Find the catalogue under gastronomy. Bon appetit!

...And the Winner of the Nancyland Best (New) Vancouver Restaurant of the Year Is...

2006-11-27T14:15:00.000-08:00

Rare Restaurant (1355 Hornby Street, at Pacific, 604.669.1256 )! This is a pretty bold declaration since I've only been able to go once, but that one time was a really fabulous experience. And, having had the pleasure of briefly meeting Tim Keller (at the enRoute Magazine event that I will post about soon), and having read about many of their events, including frequent charity dinners and black box type dinners which sound like a blast, I am fully prepared to declare Rare my new current favourite restaurant (with the caveat that I've just been once). That night the restaurant operated as if it could do no wrong though. It was the whole package - food, service, and atmosphere. In other words, tasty, charming, and good-looking. I was thoroughly seduced. Details like the personalized menus, being given the table for the entire evening (yes, they only have one seating a night), and being treated to wonderfully personal and knowledgeable service makes this a great place to celebrate a special occasion. In this case, it was my impending birthday that gave fellow foodie, Cheeseboy, and I an excuse to splurge. I had been wanting to go since before they even opened, as I was following their opening soon blog, and also because there was some talk about developing innovative non-alcoholic drink pairings, which I think is still a great idea.

I arrived to a tastefully elegant, yet cosy room in neutral tones, and fabric covered surfaces. A smiling, and very gracious host greeted us. We were originally attracted to the restaurant for that evening by a promotional prix fixe three course dinner, but when we got there, I really just wanted to have the chef give us whatever he thought best with the six-course tasting menu. In my opinion, the six courses for $65 is a bargain, and definitely worth the splurge. There is also a very convenient option to have them pair wines for $25, $40, or $65. I say, just go for it, and have the pairings. Cheeseboy was driving that night, and I'm a lightweight with alcohol, so we shared a $25 pairing, and our server very generously split it for us, and served every pairing in two glasses for us. I had expressed an interest in the Guinness Bread Pudding dessert, and the server very kindly arranged for us to get both a cheese plate and bread pudding for dessert. He had also arranged to get the prix fixe menu that I enquired about initially specially printed for us too. Really, even without the spectacular food, this evening would have been worthwhile for the service alone. Since the chef created the menu for us, I don't have a written version of the menu, and I won't be posting detailed descriptions of the dishes. It was one of those meals that you just have to sit back and enjoy all the sensations - all the flavours and textures popping out at you, and how they combine with the carefully chosen pairings. Any effort to make fastidious notes about wines and plate components would have detracted from that experience, and this night was all about indulgence, baby. It's all a happy blur in my memory. I didn't take a photo of the bread, or the amuse bouche, but like all the details, they met the high standards that Rare has set for itself. Plus, this was a birthday celebration after all, and I can start blaming my fuzzy memory on my age now. With apologies to the chefs, I will just make up my own names for the dishes.

Chanterelle Soup That Eats Like a Meal

Tender Octopus Sous Vide with the Best Ratatouille Ever

Prawn-like Animal with Incredibly Crispy Little Potato Thingies

Quail and His Friends, Fresh Fig, Yummy Sauce, and Chanterelle

Tasty Beef and What the Hell, Go Ahead and Put Cheese On Top Too!

At this point, we were starting to lose count of where we were in the meal, so my reaction was an excited "oh my god, there's a beef dish too!" Remember kiddies, today's special word is "INDULGENCE." But I wouldn't say it was over the top, because while this beef dish would have been great without the melty cheese on top, it was even better with it.

Mango Sorbet and Lemon Curd Sauce Pleasing Palate Cleanser

Really Good Cheese Platter with Cute Grapes

Guinness Caramel Sauce Bread Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream

This sweet sauce was smooth and the Guinnessy quality made it through without having any unpleasant "beer aftertaste" for those of us who aren't big beer drinkers. A great dessert for a cold evening. The flavours of the entire meal were classic, and exceptionally well-executed.

If you'd like to know about one of the people behind all this, Chef Quang Dang is featured in EAT Magazine's November/December issue. I picked mine up at the wine store on Davie St. And it's a fantastic piece - he's submitted recipes for the magazine's "black box" feature, where he was asked to come up with dishes for quail, duck, pheasant, cornish hen and squab. The photos are beautiful too. To my delight, I noticed right away that the delicious ratatouille is included. I've never been a fan of ratatouille until now. Perhaps because I've only had very harsh, acidic versions. His version (or perhaps it's Brian Fowkes') was mellow and delicate, yet still packed with flavour. The article notes that Chef Quang Dang has now left Rare to deal with personal matters in Calgary, but I believe he was in the kitchen that night in mid-October.

Here's another little tidbit I'm very excited about. While chatting with restaurant director and sommelier, Tim Keller, I got the scoop that he's working on opening a new restaurant downtown, near the Canada Place side! It's going to be called Metro, is a large space, and is replacing a Japanese Restaurant at 200 Burrard. That's all I know for now. Keep your eye open for an opening soon blog, like the one chef/owner Brian Fowkes and co-owner Tim Keller wrote in setting up Rare.

One last note of interest for Rare - their website says they are open for lunch Monday to Friday for the month of December. They also have a "lounge" area in the upper, back part of the restaurant that I've been meaning to pop into too. I hope to visit again soon, to see if I have another great experience. It will definitely be high up on my list for intimate, indulgent celebration restaurants, right up there with C. I love tasting menus; it's like dinner and a show all in one package. It might be funny to call a $90/person meal ($65 six-course meal plus $25 wine pairing) a bargain, but I think it's probably one of the best fine dining bargains in town and definitely the best tasting menu bargain.

Ode to Adam's Eve (Vancouver)...Or An Elegy?

2006-11-24T23:28:00.000-08:00

Sadly, there are only 38 days left before Adam retires from his incredibly thorough directory of Vancouver Restaurants, Adam's Fabulous Vancouver Dining Guide at www.evevancouver.ca. He has had a note on there for a while about taking over, purchasing, or leasing the site, but I've never really been able to wrap my head around how much work it would be to maintain that site to the level that he does. Yes, even eating at restaurants and writing about it can be hard work. Thank you, Adam. I can't even count the number of times I've used that site to locate a restaurant, or to help me pick a place to eat. The geographical organizational scheme of that site is very handy in many ways. Here's hoping someone takes over. But even if someone does, I'm sure I'll miss Adam's style, his discerning palate, and his particular take on the restaurant scene. I'll miss his ranting about bastardized dishes, and most of all, his delight in a really great find.

Thank You Adventurous Nancylanders!

2006-11-14T20:18:00.000-08:00

A very belated thank you to the Nancylanders that came out to the first ever Nancyland meet on October 14th, 2006. It was great to meet some of the people who have stumbled onto my blog, and confirm my suspicion that Nancylanders are a pretty neat bunch of people, at least judging from the brave souls that ventured out to Le Piazza Dario Ristorante that night to have dinner.

Embarassingly, the restaurant let me down in a big way, being downright rude, as well as serving rather mediocre food. An Italian restaurant seemed like such a safe choice, too. I mean, how many times have you had bad service or bad food at an Italian restaurant? This is a culture that usually knows how to entertain. Also, I had a great birthday dinner (a friend's choice for her birthday) there, in a half-full room, a year before that was really exceptional in both food and service, and I even loved the decor (see October 2005). But this place was really dismal the night we went. We were rushed, and given a time limit upon arrival without having been told about the time limit at the time of booking. There is a diplomatic way of doing this, and then there is the way they did it that night - to the point of actually being discouraged from ordering dessert with the line "you have 15 minutes left, if you think you can finish dessert in that time." The food was just okay, and the decor loses its romantic charm when the room is full. We did have some last minute cancellations, but I had someone call ahead about that before the dinner started. We offered to move to a smaller table or to move over so that they could change the arrangement of the table, but they didn't accept the offer. We did have a bit of a late start, but I was pretty open about that happening when I made the reservation in the first place. They were abrupt enough with us, that I will not bother giving them another chance though. I'm not going to worry about it too much, because the food wasn't really that great anyway.

Don't let this discourage you from future Nancylander events though. It was great fun to meet more people who love to eat, and, well, to eat with them! Maybe we should get a gang together for Daniel's new Senhor Rooster location, now that he has moved to a bigger space, on Renfrew St., just a couple of blocks south of Hastings. He was telling me before that there will be a dancefloor!

Below are some pictures of some of our food at Le Piazza Dario. But since I can't recommend the restaurant, I will recommend one of my favourite dependable Italian places again instead - Amarcord, which I have not been disappointed with in my four visits there. It's not somewhere I would think of for a large group, but a very lovely place for a small number of people (particularly for two).

Cannelloni

Chicken

Spaghetti with Turkeyballs

Lamb

Another Natto Adventure - Shiru-Bay Chopstick Café

2006-10-29T16:05:00.000-08:00

Natto ice cream. That's right. I ordered it, I ate it...and, I loved it! Some of you may have read about my first experience with natto, the Japanese fermented (read rotting) soy bean product that oozes long sticky, mucous-like threads. I survived, but I didn't really take to it. But when you put it in some vanilla ice cream, add dark molasses and corn flakes, and mush the lot together? You wind up with a truly inspired dessert. This was the ending to a great dinner with Nori Boy at the Yaletown restaurant, Shiru-Bay Chopstick Café (1193 Hamilton St., at Davie St., 604-408-9315). The fuzzy photo below shows the dessert, after the extremely thorough mixing at the table by the server at Shiru-Bay. Unfortunately, I didn't capture the dessert when it was presented at the table. Also, the photo doesn't really show off the sticky consistency of the natto that is retained even in the vanilla ice cream, and accompaniments, but trust me it's still there. Check out the photo on the restaurant's website (in fact, all of their dishes are beautifully photographed and displayed there). The strong molasses flavour actually masks the fermented flavour of the natto, but there is something so appealing about the texture of the soft little beans amidst the gooey ice cream, as well as a bit of crunch every so often from the cornflakes. It was a huge portion at only $4. Actually, it was enough to share between two people, and I managed to talk Nori Boy into having a spoonful, but he wasn't a fan of it, like I was. He had considerable previous experience with natto and has never really liked it anyhow, but I think it had to do more with him not being a fan of dessert immediately after dinner. Kudos to him for being adventurous enough to try it anyway. In any case, this is a warning that although I liked this dessert, it is probably not for everyone. Funny thing is, I'm not even a fan of Chinese desserts that have red beans in them. For that matter, I'm not really that into beans in general. But I think that I liked this dish because the red beans in desserts are grainy and heavy feeling, whereas the soybeans are smooth and so tender. They just have such a great "mouth-feel" for me.

Natto Ice Cream, post table-side mixing

A few notes about the rest of the restaurant. Despite its Yaletown location, I found the food reasonably priced, and the atmosphere very warm and inviting. Heh, I might have to stop dismissing Yaletown so much - there are now several restaurants that I enjoy there (Amarcord, the smoked meat sandwiches at Phat, Hamilton Street Grill, Elixir in the Opus Hotel, the nearby Kolachy shop, and now Shiru-Bay Chopstick Café). I admit to being a bit of a Japan-ophile, and really enjoy the izakaya format, so perhaps I'm predisposed to enjoying this restaurant. Shiru-Bay is a chain of twenty izakaya restaurants (along with the Raku restaurants) in Tokyo, Japan. The Uno family opened the first 30 years ago, and this Vancouver restaurant is their first outside of Japan. On the Saturday night, it was busy, everyone was young and fairly casually dressed, and there was a nice upbeat energy in the air, yet we were still able to relax and hear each other talk easily in this room.

Nori Boy and I ordered the popular Chili Ebi Mayo ($9.80), and it was fantastic - big, plump prawns decadently drenched in spicy mayonnaise, served with almonds and (decorative) wonton skin chips. I loved the look of the dramatic slash of chili sauce across the plate too.

Chili Ebi Mayo

We also had the seasonal sashimi salad ($9.80) which was very nice, big, and well-dressed (yes, I'm still talking about the salad), and the tako wasa ($4.50), wasabi marinated raw octopus. This was served with small sheets of nori, and I ate it, and it was fine, but it wasn't to my taste. I would probably not order this one again, but that is purely personal preference. I am sure that it's a very competent rendition of that dish. We also enjoyed their drink special for that night of the week, a pitcher of sangria. We chose their white sangria, which is a nice cocktail for my sweet-tooth, with little tiny cubes of strawberries and other fruit floating in the white wine mixture. Our server was delightful to talk to, and service was great throughout the evening, including even our departure, where a staff person was ready at the door, offering us a chocolate Hershey Hug before we stepped outside. I've only had one visit so far, but I'd love to go back. Too bad tonight is the last night of "Taste of Yaletown" but I think this place is great even without any special deals. You'll still spend a little more money than at a Guu restaurant, but it's great to add another nice izakaya to the list of options around town. I would say that because of the large size of the place and the lack of server shrieking, it's a nice pick for a pleasant, casual date with an adventurous eater. Well, really, why would you want to date an unadventurous eater anyway?

Name That Vancouver Restaurant No. 6

2006-10-19T21:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick round of everyone's favourite Nancyland game, "Name That Vancouver Restaurant." This small Japanese restaurant quietly turns out some amazingly creative and tasty food, and sits at the foot of a bridge to Richmond. The chef has submitted a recipe to the fun little cookbook, Vancouver Cooks, which has dishes from chefs all over town. I browsed through a copy of the book in the restaurant, while waiting for my "Eggplant Volcano" and now I want to pick up a copy. I definitely think this place deserves more attention. Name that Vancouver Restaurant!