Cinnamon Buns

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

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

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

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!*

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.