Restaurant: C Restaurant
Cuisine: Seafood/Fine Dining/West Coast/Pacific Northwest
Last visited: January 25, 2012
Location: Vancouver, BC (Downtown)
Address: #2 – 1600 Howe Street
Train: Yaletown-Roundhouse Stn Southbound
Price Range: $50+

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: FMF Must Try

Food: n/a (Dine Out Menu)
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 5
Overall: n/a
Additional comments:

• Kambolis Restaurant Group
• Fine dining
• West Coast/Pacific Northwest cuisine
• Seasonal menus
• Local ingredients
• Award winning
• Leader in sustainable seafood
• Specializes in seafood
• Executive Chef Robert Clark
• Oceanfront view
• Heated patio
• Award winning wine list
• Ocean Wise
• Weekend brunch – see here
• Dinner Daily from 5pm

**Recommendations: Pumpkin Soup, any Velouté, Spiced Chocolate Pudding, The Pickled Beet Salad is good and also if you enjoy caviar you should check out their Northern Divine Caviar Dinner.

Dine Out Vancouver menus and events are at their halfway mark and there’s still another week to participate in this annual food festival. I recently posted on my thoughts about Dine Out Vancouver (see here) and I’m personally more interested in the events rather than the price fixe menus. I just have my biases with Dine Out Menus and find them more or less samples of what the restaurant can do on a regular night. Therefore I strongly recommend people to go back on a regular night regardless of how impressed or disappointed you were with them during Dine Out.

I am quite familiar with the regular menu at C Restaurant and have been there on several occasions. In fact I even saw some of the regular dishes offered on the Dine Out menu. However they were slightly altered, simplified and made more approachable for the price fixe. On this occasion I was invited to try their Dine Out menu, which I expected would either confirm or even better convert my preconceptions regarding Dine Out. I respect those of you who do participate in Dine Out Vancouver, and if you’re looking for options then I’m pleased to share my experiences and what is available.

C restaurant is an award winning fine dining seafood restaurant and they’re offering a 4 course menu for $38 during Dine Out Vancouver (January 20 – February 5, 2012). Most restaurants in the $38 category are only offering 3 courses, and although the price fixe is a bit more limited at C, the additional course balances it out. I must say I was incredibly impressed with my dinner, however a big part of that was due to the added supplements and wine pairings. If I just had the regular $38 Dine Out menu, I would be content, but not necessarily full or as enthusiastic to go back.

I find this experience quite common with many restaurants providing a $38 prixe fixe menu, since cost margins are harder for those specializing in fine dining. That was also one of the points I brought up regarding my thoughts on Dine Out. With the added supplements and wine pairings (which was a great investment at only $26) it would have been about $100, which is more or less standard for 4 courses + wine at C Restaurant on a regular night ordering a la carte.

I’ve become a fan of their sommelier, Sarah McCauley, who does fantastic wine pairings that really enhanced this meal. The $38 Dine Out menu is enjoyable, and a deal, but the supplements (which are more representable of the regular menu) and wine pairings is what impressed me most and what I would return for.

On the table:

Complimentary Bread & Butter

• I look forward to the bread here, specifically the seaweed bread, but they serve it differently each time.
• This time it wasn’t served warm, but they still had their three daily varieties.
• The seaweed bread is standard and also my favourite. It’s always good, but that tastes different each time too.
• It’s a buttery seaweed bread that’s somewhat sweeter and more like a loaf.
• It was super tender, soft, crumbly and moist with chewy bits of seaweed throughout and white sesame seeds to give it texture and nutty flavour.
• It was almost like cornbread and it’s fine without butter, but even better with it.
• The smoked sea salt butter adds a savoury smoky flavoour which I love.

First Course

North Arm Farms Beet Panzanella Salad - 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Harissa dressing, shaved ricotta salata
• Jackson Triggs White Meritage 2009
• This was the standard first course.
• I had this before for brunch (see North Arms Farm Pickled Beet Salad) and I must say I enjoyed that version even more.
• On the regular menu it’s served with shaved ricotta silata, scotch pearls and olive oil sorbet $13
• It was a very fresh and clean salad with shaved watermelon beets, baby golden and red beets, frisee and arugula.
• Beet salads are quite common, but the quality and types of beets is what made this one unique.
• It was served with two dollops of harissa dressing which is a North African dressing made with paprika, chili, garlic, and coriander.
• There was a nice sweetness and tang from the pickled beets and the dressing added bold flavour as well as complementing sweetness.
• This Harissa dressing almost tasted like a spiced Middle Eastern molasses, but not as thick and with a nice sweet and smoky balance without being spicy.
• There were a couple large crunchy homemade croutons on the plate for texture and I would have loved more shave ricotta salata since it was very subtle.

Second Course

Seared Albacore Tuna - 3/6 (Good)

• Winter minestrone, parmesan pistou and crisp basil
• Add burgundy truffles shaved tableside $12
• Wine pairing: SYL Ranch Nelly 2009
• This was the standard second course and although good, it wasn’t as memorable as the sauteed spot prawns (+$9 supplement).
• The tuna was seared rare, but I was looking for that charcoal grilled flavour to come through.
• It sat on a winter minestrone which was almost like a tomato orzo meets a ratatouille.
• The winter minestrone had butternut squash, carrots and tomato and it wasn’t soupy, but more of a sauce or side with the added orzo.
• The Parmesan pistou seemed more like an herb puree and I think a pesto would have worked better giving it more flavour.
• There was a slight cheesiness that showed up for short moments on random bites, but otherwise I was hoping for a bit more.
• It reminded me of the ahi tuna I had at Federico’s Supper Club – see Ahi Tuna Special.

Sauteed Spot Prawns – 5/6 (Excellent)

• Kale, chilli, lime and romesco sauce +$9 supplement
• Wine pairing: Jackson Triggs White Meritage 2009
• This was a new dish for me and I really enjoyed it, but again it was a supplement.
• It’s the first BC Spot Prawns I’ve had this year and it made me miss them even more.
• I couldn’t help to think what they did with the heads, and I was hoping they would be deep fried and served alongside.
• There was a very strong acidity to this dish with vinegar braised juicy kale, fresh lime segments, and a slight kick of chili that left a bit of heat, but wasn’t spicy.
• Romesco sauce is one of my favourite sauces and it’s a Spanish sauce made from fire roasted tomatoes and ground almonds.
• The sauce almost looked like pureed uni (sea urchin) and it was very creamy, rich, smoky and nutty and played well as a sophisticated “cocktail sauce”.
• The prawns were seasoned and cooked well without being mushy and the bursts of lime segments kept the dish fresh and bright.
• The crispy parsnip chips made for texture and there were also pieces of toasted pistachio nuts which I loved for crunch and flavour.

Poached Lobster - 4/6 (Very good)

• Lemon herb risotto, cognac cream +$12 supplement
• Add white truffles from alba shaved tableside $40
• Wine pairing: SYL Ranch Nelly 2009
• It’s ambitious offering risotto during Dine Out when it’s usually extra busy and dishes need to be sent out quickly.
• Everything about this was a time sensitive dish, but it was actually quite perfect and the risotto was cooked with care although I wouldn’t mind the Arborio even a bit firmer.
• It was rich and creamy with a hint of parsley, but I did miss a little more cheese because it was more buttery than it was cheesy. It wasn’t very cheesy at all.
• The lobster bisque was a wonderful addition except I couldn’t taste the lobster crustaceans and it just tasted a little like a tomato bisque, but not as acidic and more sweet.
• I could have used a hint of saffron in the risotto or bisque to give it another layer of flavour.
• The cheese and lobster bisque was rich in texture, and unusually subtle in flavour although not bland.
• The only real downfall was that the lobster was a bit overcooked and chewy, however there was a whole piece of it which was better than having it all cut up and mixed in the risotto.
• The lobster is pretty much the most important part to this dish, so it’s harder to forgive.

Third Course

Seared Lake Babine Salmon - 3/6 (Good)

• Squash puree, almond tapenade
• Wine pairing: NK Mip Pinot Blanc 2010
• I’m a bit biased with this dish because I’ve had the original from the regular menu – see here.
• On the regular menu it’s served with roasted North Arm Farms vegetables, creamed leeks, caviar-lobster hollandaise $35
• I’ve tried the Lake Babine Salmon Tasting Menu before and it is quite delicious – see here.
• This is kind of one of my issues with Dine Out and I was hoping they would serve things from the regular menu and just leave all the ingredients as is. I know caviar-lobster hollandaise is hard to give with a $38 price fixe, but that’s kind of the catch 22.
• Had I not been given the down low for why the Lake Babine Salmon isn’t served with the skin I would have been disappointed, but since I already knew I could let it go.
• The Lake Babine Salmon skin is hard to cook and make taste good so they just leave it out.
• I do wish there was an effort to replace the texture of the crispy skin though like they did for the same dish on the regular menu.
• The salmon was cooked medium and it was quite firm, but not dry. I do like Lake Babine Salmon, but it’s definitely not an oily or buttery breed of salmon.
• The almond tapenade was potent with olive, almond and I think pumpkin seeds which I love.
• The fish needed that texture and flavour of a heavy sauce and the sweet and creamy squash puree balanced out the saltiness of the tapenade.
• I liked the brussel sprouts, but would have like a couple crispy brussel sprout leaves and/or deep fried capers for texture, especially since there was no crispy salmon skin.
• The best salmon I’ve had at C (and one of the best in general) was the Seared Hawkshaw Salmon.

Roasted Beef Tenderloin - 5/6 (Excellent)

• Walnut polenta, tarragon butter, confit portobello mushrooms +$12 supplement
• Add spot prawns $8 Add poached lobster $18
• Wine pairing: Petales d’Osoyoos 2008
• A steak is a steak and I normally order steaks only at steakhouses. I wouldn’t think to order steak at a seafood restaurant either, but this was a very pleasant surprise!
• Everything on this plate melted in your mouth like butter, and the only thing that didn’t really melt was ironically the butter.
• The steak was excellent and it has a great crust and dry rub and I could taste the charcoal flavours. It was perfectly cooked to medium rare and it was a great steak.
• It was topped with a terragon butter which was very herby and not salted, but it didn’t really melt into the steak so I wish it was served a bit hotter.
• Even better is if that butter was a blue cheese mousse/butter… together with the walnut polenta I might have cried happy tears.
• The walnut polenta was probably one of the best polentas I’ve had and I could taste the freshly ground walnuts. The texture of that and the cornmeal was enough for me to remember for a long time.
• The polenta was creamy, nutty, buttery and rich and the au jus just folded nicely into it. It was better than a pommes puree and I love pommes puree.
• The sauce could have been a bit thicker and more reduced, but this was a sign of the restaurant getting busy, which it was since it was Dine Out (even busier).
• The confit portobello was incredibly oily (not greasy) and meaty in flavour, but not in texture. It pretty much melted in my mouth like silk and it seemed almost sous vide in duck fat, not just sauteed in it.
• I would have loved some actual toasted walnuts as a garish, but I still found this excellent.
• The wine was an amazing wine and I could drink it with or without the steak. It was smooth and well aged and I’d be interested in just buying a bottle for the weekend.

Spiced Chocolate Pudding - 5/6 (Excellent)

• Vanilla chantilly, crisp caramel puffed rice
• Wine pairing: Sumac Ridge Vintage Pipe 2006
• Again, I’m a bit biased with this dessert because I’ve had the original from their regular menu – see here.
• The original is actually one of the best desserts I’ve had at C.
• The chocolate pudding tasted like a mild chocolate gingerbread pudding.
• It was creamy, rich and in between a pudding and a mousse. It was almost smoother and creamier than a pannacotta if possible.
• It had nice warm spices of cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves and a hint of vanilla bean seeds.
• It was creamy and smooth and not too sweet and the crunchy caramelized puffed rice on top gave it great texture. It would have been great as pecans too.
• The vanilla chantilly didn’t have the vanilla bean seeds and I wish it did.
• This was excellent, but the original was just out of this world (as cliche as that sounds).

Petit Fours

• Lemon Poppyseed Biscotti and candied ginger
• This was more like a soft and tender and slightly chewy lemon poppyseed shortbread than a biscotti, but it was good.
• I actually enjoyed eating it with a little candied ginger sprinkled on top.

Restaurant: Continental Seafood Restaurant 辛運海鮮酒樓
Cuisine: Chinese/Seafood/Dim Sum
Last visited: August 18, 2011
Location: Richmond, BC (Richmond)
Address: 11700 Cambie Rd
Bus: WB Cambie Rd FS No. 5 Rd
Price Range: $10 or less dim sum, $20-30+ dinner

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: FMF Must Try!

Food: 3.5-4
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Traditional Cantonese cuisine
• Chinese/English menus
• Live seafood tanks
• Popular for dim sum
• Push cart dim sum
• Popular for take-out BBQ meats
• Known to Chinese locals
• Nightly live entertainment
• Ballroom dance floor
• Very affordable prices
• Large space/venue
• Free parking
• Dim Sum/Lunch/Dinner
• Monday 10am – 12:30am
• Tuesday 10am – 12am
• Wed-Thurs: 10am – 12:30am
• Fri-Sat: 10am – 1am
• Sunday 10am-10pm
• Banquet dinner post

**Recommendations: Double Boiled Winter Melon Soup with Mixed Seafood, Black Cod & Eggplant, Sauteed Beef and Seasonal Vegetable with Satay Sauce, Golden Crispy Roasted Pork

Chinese New Year Eve is tomorrow so I’m continuing the Chinese theme! I posted on a few different types of Chinese New Year menus yesterday (see here), but perhaps there was still nothing you fancied? Well that just makes you picky because I had quite the variety! Kidding… sort of.

If you don’t have reservations by now, you’re likely screwed since all the “best” and popular Chinese restaurants have been booked for weeks/months. However here is an option that might still be available. It’s one of Richmond’s largest Chinese restaurants and you might be able to get seated for dim sum if not for dinner… and if neither, then there’s also their discrete take out window. It’s not the best place for Chinese food in Richmond or Metro Vancouver, but it’s not bad either, and your procrastination leaves you with slim pickings anyways.

I’ve been coming to this restaurant since I was in elementary and I’ve seen it change names, chefs and hands on a few occasions. To be honest, I usually dread coming to this place because I know I’m usually in for a long banquet dinner featuring very mediocre mass produced food. The thing I look forward to the most is the Dairy Queen Blizzard I get for dessert since it’s conventionally across the street.

Although I’m not crazy about the food, the reason for the return is usually due to mandatory obligations and the fact that my parents love ballroom dancing. Yup! This is the “hot spot” in Richmond for the Chinese baby boomers. They come to eat, sing and dance… or in their words, “eat, sing K, and disco”.

I’ve blogged about a banquet dinner at Continental Seafood Restaurant before (see here), and I’ve never really been impressed. I rarely come here for dinner since I come here enough for banquets throughout the year, but when “K and disco” are a must, then I can bet my parents’ dancing shoes that I’m likely to end up here.

Anyways, on this occasion I was definitely caught by surprise and I ended up being incredibly impressed with the food, quality, portions and price. I think the majority would agree that banquet dinners don’t properly represent a restaurant, and this is a perfect example. Sure, it might have just been a good day, but regardless, the food was good enough to make me want to come back on a regular night and that’s what matters.

Personally, I find it extremely difficult to order at pretty much all Chinese restaurants even if they have English menus. The menus are the size of bibles and the descriptions are vague or poorly translated. Well it’s no different here, but I’m hoping to help!

On the table:

**Double Boiled Winter Melon Soup with Mixed Seafood (Advance Order) – 6/6 (FMF Must Try!)

• $50
• You have to order this in advance and it’s enough for at least 10 people which makes it $5/bowl with more left for seconds.
• What better time of the year than to have this healthy comfort food/soup?
• It’s a premium soup that exists in Hong Kong, but it’s not that easy to find and it’s even harder to find in Metro Vancouver, so it’s quite special.
• It’s an entire winter melon that’s carved and used as a pot.

• Needless to say, I loved the presentation.
• Although it might not be “the best” in Vancouver, it’s not something easily made at home and this one was still excellent, so I would say it’s definitely still a must try.
• The winter melon is super tender from being boiled and the meat gets scraped and scooped into your bowl. At the end it’s just the outer shell of the melon.
• The winter melon is extremely tender, juicy, soft and creamy and it just absorbs all the flavours of the soup.
• It’s naturally sweet and very mild and neutral in flavour and comparable to a cucumber, zucchini or perhaps squash, but less filling and not starchy.

• The soup was full of ingredients like dried scallops (Chinese delicacy), fresh mushrooms, Shiitake mushrooms, straw mushrooms, Chinese broccoli (kai lan) slices, dried red dates, boneless dark meat chicken, little pieces of pork shoulder, pieces of duck, ham, crab, fresh prawn, and fish maw (Chinese delicacy).
• Fish maw (gas bladder) is a chewy, jelly-like spongy tube and it has a slight crunch. It’s a bit slimy and acquired, but I really like it. It doesn’t even really have a flavour and just absorbs the flavour of everything it’s cooked in.
• It was a clear soup that wasn’t oily and it didn’t taste like an intense meat and seafood soup.
• It was more of a savoury vegetable and chicken soup.
• The meat and seafood was obvious, but the flavours didn’t really infuse into the soup since there were no bones or shells used.
• It was more flavourful than a standard vegetable soup of course, and although it was a light broth, it was full of hearty ingredients and flavour.

Golden Crispy Roasted Pork & BBQ Duck – 4/6 (Very good)

• $15.80, 1/2 BBQ Duck $16.80
• Golden Crispy Roasted Pork – 4/6 (Very good)
• I had the suckling pig last time too (here), but it was even better than I remembered this time around.
• The pork was ultra tender, falling apart and almost melting as you can see in the picture.
• It wasn’t as fatty as last time with a better balance of lean meat and fat, but the fatty parts were still a bit chewy and gelatinous rather than creamy.
• It had a delicious crispy crackling skin that was well salted and overall it was delicious!
• BBQ Duck – 3.5/6 (Good – Very good)
• The duck had a sweet soy sauce marinade and it was tender and moist.
• For some reason it tasted more like squab than duck and it wasn’t juicy, but still moist.
• It wasn’t too fatty (which I like) and it had a crispy skin, but the fat part was still slightly gelatinous for my liking rather than creamy.
• It was a good BBQ duck, but there are others I prefer in Richmond.

Garlic Chicken – 3/6 (Good)

• Half $16.80 Whole $29.80
• I’m not really a fan of this dish, but it was still good for what it was.
• It was covered with crispy nutty fried garlic chips which I could have used more of.
• It was salty and oily with an unexpected spicy kick at the end, but I wouldn’t say it was a spicy dish.
• The chicken juices were strong and it was likely in a brine of cooking wine, salt, sugar, ginger and garlic before it was steamed and drizzled with sesame oil.
• The free range chicken was flavourful moist and juicy, but I prefer mine slightly more slippery and silky smooth.
• Usually free range chicken like this tends to be a bit on the dry side, but this one was nice and oily and well done.
• I had this last time too – see here, and I think it was better last time with more garlic.
• For a change I also recommend The Jade Smoked Grandpa Chicken from The Jade Seafood Restaurant.

Green Onion Ginger Oil -  This is the condiment for the chicken. This was a very chunky version of it and I liked it. The garlic seemed nuttier than usual because they fried it and it also had some fried onions/garlic/shallots in it for extra flavour. There was a good ginger and onion balance and it was well salted and I actually like the frying method better than having it raw (which I do also like).

Fresh Rock Cod Steamed – Whole Fish – 4/6 (Very good)

• Current price
• The fish was fresh and it was boneless and skinless so very easy to eat.
• The fish was firmer than expected, but not like halibut either. It was moist and light, but a bit mushy rather than flaky.
• The vegetables included carrots, scallions, snow peas and celery and it actually wasn’t all celery which is good.
• It was simply sauteed with soy sauce and a bit of garlic, ginger and onions, and it was quite a standard and simple dish, but done well.
• It was slightly oily, but only as oily as expected.

**Black Cod & Eggplant – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• $20.80
• I love black cod (sablefish) and eggplant, so naturally I’m going to love this dish.
• The sable fish was lightly deep fried in huge pieces and although the skin was slimy, it tends to be when it’s made in a clay pot like this since it’s covered with sauce.
• The fish was very moist and juicy (as black cod usually is), but it was a bit slimy since the gravy was a bit thick and oily (as it tends to be in clay pots).
• I expected it to be black bean sauce, but surprisingly it wasn’t.
• There was some ginger, garlic and onions and the sauce was the standard soy sauce, garlic and maybe oyster sauce gravy.
• The eggplant was tender and plentiful and super creamy with all the sauce and there were also pieces of fatty pork in it.
• The pork just made the dish richer, heartier and more flavourful.
• If you’re familiar with these clay pot dishes, than this was good, but if you’re not, then the slightly slimy texture may take getting used to.

Pan Fried Prawns with Wasabi Sauce – 1.5/6 (Poor-Okay)

• $18.80
• I was pretty disappointed with this modern Chinese dish and expected something very different.
• The menu said “pan fried”, but it was very obviously deep fried and the batter was very thick and mushy with no crispiness or crunch.
• It looked and tasted like deep fried prawns tossed in a mayo salad dressing and I couldn’t taste an Wasabi sauce either.
• The wasabi sauce was just some wasabi paste/powder mixed with some mayo an  perhaps honey. It had a bit of a powdery texture.
• It wasn’t spicy and more sweet and carried very little wasabi kick.
• The prawns were cooked well and tender with a crunch, but the batter and sauce just wasted it.

Buddha’s Feast with Pumpkin- 3/6 (Good)

• $16.80
• I know it sounds super “Caucasian” to order “Buddha’s Feast”, but the pumpkin was the selling factor for me!
• It’s basically a vegetarian dish, but this was a modern yet traditional Chinese way of making it.
• Note it’s not actually vegetarian because it had fish maw (gas bladder) in it (Chinese delicacy).
• The ingredients were traditional Chinese and a bit exotic, but the pumpkin was the modern twist.
• It was half a Japanese Kaboocha Squash used as the bowl and the whole thing was creamy, sweet and super saucy.
• It was perhaps too saucy and the vegetables were all a bit slimy and it was almost soupy.
• The sauce just tasted salty with soy sauce and it was quite basic and not offensive, but texturally a bit goopy.
• It was filled with fresh crunchy bamboo shoots, baby corn, crunchy chestnuts, a couple Shiitakes mushrooms, soft black wood ear mushroom, straw mushrooms and fish maw.
• I would have liked more Shiitakes and I wish the chestnuts were soft.
• The broccoli was tender and the fish maw (gas bladder) was unexpected, but it’s what made it worth the price.
• Again, fish maw is a chewy, jelly-like spongy tube and it has a slight crunch. It’s a bit slimy and acquired, but I really like it. It doesn’t even really have a flavour and just absorbs the flavour of everything it’s cooked in.

**Sauteed Beef and Seasonal Vegetable with Satay Sauce – 5.5/6 (Excellent!)

• $15.80
• We had chicken, pork, duck, prawn, fish and needed beef!
• This is a very typical dish, but it was excellent here! I was very impressed with the quality of beef and how tender it was.
• The slices of beef melted in your mouth and it was nice and saucy with a satay sauce likely made with garlic, ginger, soy, sugar and a little chili.
• It was sweet and savoury with a little heat, but it wasn’t spicy and just creamy in texture. It wasn’t dry at all.
• The seasonal vegetable was Chinese broccoli (kai lan) and it was young, tender and crunchy and cooked perfectly.
• I hope they’re consistent with this dish because it was a sure winner.

Braised Fish Head and Tofu in Brown Sauce – 4/6 (Very good)

• $19.80
• It wasn’t the actual head, but pieces of the head. It’s the best part of the fish and has the most flavour although it might sound intimidating. It’s for the “real fish eaters”.
• This is for those who have graduated from eating fish with the skin and bones, and if you’re not even at that point, then you might not want to start here.
• It had the collar or neck, and pieces of the cheek which is my favourite part of the fish. The collar and neck is great too! They have great texture and flavour.
• The fish pieces were lightly battered and fried and it was a bit greasy, but that was a bit assumed.
• The pieces of fish have a lot of meat and the cheeks were big pieces of cheek.
• The meat was also easy to eat because the bones are big and easy to remove. The cheek just slides off the bone.
• It was sauteed with garlic and a typical soy sauce/fish sauce gravy and it even had a little bit of dark meat chicken in it.
• The tofu was lightly deep fried and crispy, just like the fish, and it was an interesting component for those who don’t eat fish.
• It should have come in a clay pot since it was braised, but it didn’t. It didn’t really bother me, but it adds to the fresh factor having it bubbling hot in a pot. On the other hand this makes it easier so people don’t pick through the dish.
• There were some hidden baby bok choy and mushrooms underneath as well.

Fried Rice with Shrimp & Chicken in 2 Different Sauces – 4/6 (Very good)

• $16.80
• Popularly known as Honeymoon Fried Rice, or Ying Yang fried rice, this is one of my favourite fried rices to be served at a Chinese banquet dinner, or really any Chinese dinner.
• It wasn’t exactly 50% of each sauce, but I do like the red sauce better so I was happy. Most like the cream sauce, but I actually like it best mixed.
• The tomato sauce was a bit too neon for me and I like it a deeper darker red – like this one at Gingeri – see Fried Rice with Shrimp and Cream & Chicken in Tomato Sauce.
• The tomato side has onions, chicken and tomatoes, but the chicken was a bit dry. It’s typically a Ketchupy sweet and sour like sauce, but this one wasn’t that tangy.
• The cream side was creamy, but could have been creamier and it was slightly gluey from the corn starch.
• The cream side had tender baby shrimps and peas, but it was slightly bland overall.
• The fried rice underneath was just regular white rice and I was hoping it would have some scrambled egg in it at the very least.

Dessert - Red Bean Soup - n/a

• You bet there was complimentary red bean soup! And you bet right again that I left before it even came! Dairy Queen across the street was about to close!
• I’m not a fan of red bean, and like I said in the intro of this post, usually when I come to Continental I look forward to the Dairy Queen after (just out of convenience).
• It’s almost the only time I have DQ unless it’s an ice cream cake at someone’s birthday.

Dairy Queen

Bananaless Split

• I was incredibly disappointed they ran out of bananas and the service was actually pretty awful.
• I had to ask them not to charge full price for a banana split that had no bananas. Then they made it into a blizzard which wasn’t what I requested and sold it to someone else at full price. Ouch.
• This ended up being a triple sundae with marshmallow cream, pineapples and strawberry sauce.
• Really not the same without bananas and I should have just went with an ice cream sandwich or Oreo Blizzard.

Caramel Toffee Cookie Blizzard

• It was the flavour of the month so I was curious, but it was way too sweet for me. It was almost hurt your teeth sweet.
• The toffee cookie was pretty hard and again I should have just went for a reliable Oreo Blizzard or ice cream sandwich.

Restaurant: House Guest
Cuisine: French/West Coast/Pacific Northwest/Eclectic
Last visited: January 12, 2012
Area: Vancouver, BC (Gastown/Downtown)
Address: 200 – 332 Water Street
Train: Waterfront Skytrain
Price range: $20-30 ($15-20 mains)

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: FMF Must Try!

Food: 3.5
Service: 3
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• West Coast cuisine
• Eclectic comfort food
• Seasonal menu
• Moderately priced
• Hipster/hip vibe
• Spacious
• Late night hot spot
• Good for groups
• Cocktail/wine list
• Restaurant/Lounge/Bar
• Reservations recommended
• Thurs. 5pm -  Late
• Fri. 5pm – Late
• Sat. 5pm – Late
• Sunday Brunch

**Recommendations: Duck Donair, Crab Tater Tots & Tarragon Remoulade

4 times! FOUR times! Actually no, 6 times! I tried twice without a reservation too. It’s also closed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and only open for dinner Thursday-Saturday, with a Sunday brunch, so it’s not the most convenient or accommodating restaurant.

I’ve been trying to make reservations to try House Guest since mid-December and I finally got my foot in the door. Mind you it was Christmas so they were busy, but still; and to top things off they only accept reservations by e-mail. They have a phone number, and it rings, but that’s as far as you’re going to get. Hard to get. Yes, they play that game very well, but as one of the newest and hottest restaurants to hit Gastown, they can, and I was persistent.

Finally. A restaurant that can hopefully hold the spot! It took over the old McLean’s which was previously So.cial at Le Magasin. Although the location is huge and on the main strip it still remains very hidden and discrete. With tinted windows and the tiniest signage, which is essentially just a symbol “NXG”, or I mean “HXG”, I don’t even know if it’s called “House X Guest” or “House Guest”?

With the opening hours, reservation/phone system, ambiguous website, and now the name(s) of the restaurant, I could smell “hipster, but don’t call me hipster” from across the street. I couldn’t even call you “hipster” even if I wanted to though because you don’t pick up your phone! I’m half kidding and half hoping they sign up for opentable.com (unless that goes against hipster rules?).

Anyways the inside wasn’t as dark and mysterious and actually quite stylish and refined. In a nutshell it was for the hipsters that have a little more money and prefer dining on the second floor rather than the basement. I mean that quite literally too because the basement here seems more like the unused lounge.

The vibe was night and day with a slow start and a loud finish. It started off feeling more like a restaurant, but by 8pm it quickly transformed into a packed night club with a DJ. It felt like Montreal or New York, and it didn’t bother me since I expected it. The food didn’t come secondary, but I would say it could be more impressive if you think about it coming from a nightclub context.

It got to a point where I didn’t know who was serving and who was dining. The staff and the customers looked the same and I couldn’t tell one pair of black rimmed glasses to the next. Someone would pick up a plate and I didn’t know if they were cleaning it or wanting to sample it. It was all quite quirky and the theme continued to the ladies washroom. If you use the right sink the hot water comes from the right handle and the cold water from the left. It might have been like that before the restaurant change, but it added to the overall quirkiness.

I knew about House Guest when it opened in October last year and the menu sounded right up my ally. It was a more unique interpretation of “comfort food with a twist” and everything sounded innovative and indulgent which is what I like. However the menus are seasonal and I missed out on the old menu which sounded more catered to my tastes. The new menu is a bit more tamed and not as decadent, although still rich.

I was slightly more inspired by the concept and menu descriptions than I was with the outcome of some of the dishes, but I did appreciate the creativity and intention. Everything is made in house except for the macaroni noodles and Israeli cous cous, but I was still expecting a bit more in flavour and execution, and sometimes the ideas were ambitious for the price. Occasionally there were sacrificed ingredients and a few dishes tasting too simple and feeling slightly overpriced, but generally it’s a fun place with a playful menu.

At the end of the meal I learned that the chef is Kayla Dhaliwall, who I actually met at the 12th Annual Healthy Chef Competition last year. She was on The Well restaurant team and she is now running the kitchen at House Guest. It was an unexpected surprise and on that note she did bring out a couple complimentary dishes at the end of the meal (which I’ve noted), but otherwise everything was paid for and I came unannounced.

On the table:

House Guest’s Bait - 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)

• Gin, orange bitters, lemon, egg whites, cointreau, rhubarb bitters $10
• You can ask for it sweeter or more tart and I don’t think there’s an official bartender so it may vary.
• It was strong with orange and it tasted quite simple for $10. It was more or less like an orange and lemon juice with gin.
• I was hoping it would be a bit more foamy with the egg whites and it was good, but for $10 it was okay.

PMC - 3/6 (Good)

• Pimento mac‘n’cheese croquettes / red eye ketchup $9
• They were served with a Red Eye Ketchup which basically tastes like a BBQ sauce.
• It’s actually a mixture of Ketchup and coffee and I think this one had some HP sauce, BBQ sauce or Worcestershire sauce because it had a nice kick and depth to it.
• The coffee grounds are completely dissolved so you can’t taste the texture of coffee, but there was an intense smokiness and earthiness.
• There was a well rounded bitterness in the aftertaste, which I really liked.
• As much as I liked the sauce, it ended up overpowering the mac and cheese croquettes.

• I love deep fried mac and cheese, but I expected these to be much richer and cheesier.
• They were hot with a crispy and thin panko batter and that was good, but the mac and cheese was a bit buttery more so than cheesy in flavour.
• It wasn’t stringy or creamy and the noodles were a bit soft, but that’s usually the case for deep fried mac.
• I could only taste orange cheddar cheese and I was hoping for a richer cheesier sauce even if it required a thicker rue or maybe just additional cheeses.
• A smoked cheddar might have worked to stand up to the Red Eye Ketchup.
• The Parmesan shavings would have benefited more from being melted into the filling rather than used as a garnish.
• They were well seasoned with a gentle heat from the pimento seasoning on the panko crumbs, but more cheese please!
• Black & Blue actually used to make a really decadent deep fried mac and cheese croquette with a truffle & white cheddar cream sauce for dipping. The sauce really made it!

Prawn Guac – 3/6 (Good)

• Chilled prawn guacamole / smoked tomato / blue corn chips $13
• I usually wouldn’t order guacamole at a restaurant because it’s something I can make at home, but I heard good things about this one.
• The guacamole was just okay and quite literal, but the real highlight was the smoked tomato emulsion underneath the guacamole. That’s what really brought the dish to life and made it good.
• The guacamole was creamy with pureed and roughly chopped avocado, chopped prawns, and a bit of tomato, and I found it quite ordinary. It wasn’t heavy with lime or cilantro and it was missing some acidity, brightness and overall flavour.
• The tomato emulsion ended up being the acid and it was also really smoky and a bit garlicky with perhaps some chipotle mayo because there was also some heat. I really liked this!
• The guacamole just tasted really simple and it was a bit small for $13.
• I know there are prawns to justify the price, but the prawns were just cold prawns and they kind of took a back seat.
• I would have loved grilled prawns and an avocado dip, but that would be even pricier.
• Currently the blue corn tortilla chips are also being made in house too.
• If you like this idea I do have a recipe for a Pistachio, Avocado, Sour Cherry & Black Sesame Dip with Prawns.

Lobster & Waffles – 2/6 (Okay)

• Bacon wrapped lobster sausage / pretzel crust / lemon mascarpone waffle $16
• This jumped off the menu, but for $16 I questioned how much lobster there was going to be. I didn’t expect much, but it sounded delicious!
• I’ve had the notorious Fried Chicken & Bacon Waffles at Hash House a Go-Go and it’s a real Southern treat that has made it’s way to Vancouver… finally!
• I loved the idea, but I expected something very different.
• The waffles were really flat, thin and crispy throughout and I couldn’t taste the lemon or the mascarpone in them.
• I would have preferred the waffles more traditional, fluffy and airy light, with a crispy outside and cakey soft inside.
• I thought there was going to be lemon zest in the waffles and a mascarpone dollop on top, but it was much more of a savoury dish than a sweet one.
• Even so, I was hoping to taste the rich creamy mascarpone with a slight tang in the waffles.
• I found it kind of a waste to deep fry lobster and turn it into a sausage, so it probably would have worked better with just the typical chicken.
• I did enjoy the salty crunchy crispy pretzel crumb crust, but the inside could have been crab and I wouldn’t have been able to tell.
• The lobster was quite hidden and the filling quite mushy with what seemed like minimal lobster flakes.
• There was a nice piece of thick bacon wrapped around the lobster before it was deep fried, but it didn’t really do anything or help the lobster shine.
• The bacon might have been better just candied and crumbled on top of the whole thing.
• The waffles were crunchy and so was the lobster sausage so I was just hoping for a bit more texture overall.
• The sauce tasted like a house made mayo and having it with waffles didn’t really do anything for me although it was okay with the lobster.
• I think a maple brown butter sauce, lobster hollandaise or a mint crème fraîche would have been suitable if it wasn’t going to be a dollop of mascarpone. I just saw the dish going in a different direction.

**Duck Donair - 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• Duck Confit OR White Beans & Truffle Falafel / sheeps Feta / herb & citrus tabouli / “tatziki” $15
• Duck confit of course! I love duck confit and it’s a must if it’s on the menu.
• It’s not big and it’s a bit pricey, but it’s duck confit so I get it. It was also really good though and not comparable to a $5 donair on Granville Street, although those are good too!
• It was wrapped in a very soft homemade grilled naan and there was a good amount of duck.
• The duck wasn’t too salty and it was moist, juicy, tender and well shredded.
• The wrap had actual pieces of fresh orange segments in it which really helped contrast the rich duck giving it a bit of juicy zing and freshness.
• Orange and duck also go hand in hand so I loved how it was played here.
• It was a very fresh wrap and I could taste all the components of the salty rich sheeps feta, a little tabouli (which used Israeli cous cous instead of the traditional bulgur) and the fresh tzatziki yogurt.
• If anything I wouldn’t mind some raisins for a bit of sweetness.
• I could also taste some whole toasted fennel seeds being used for a slight licorice aroma and I loved the French meets Middle Eastern theme.
• The salad was well dressed with duck fat dressing (brilliant), some sliced radish and topped with lots of crispy salty fried onions and duck cracklings (more brilliant) which was the best part… the fried onions and cracklings with the wrap was even better. The salad was delicious though!

Charred Cauliflower Flat Bread (With Added Braised Shortrib) – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Charred cauliflower / potatoes lyonnaise / nicoise olives /cauliflower puree / grana padano $14
• I told you I had a decadent palate! I love braised short rib, so I requested short rib for an additional charge.
• It was a toss up. Short rib flatbread or duck confit flatbread? I had the duck confit donair so I decided to go with the vegetarian flatbread and add the short rib!
• The braised short ribs were in pretty large chunks and the flatbread was made in house which I liked.
• The short ribs were moist, but not juicy and they used to be offered in sliders and in a short rib poutine, but unfortunately they’re both taken off the new menu.
• I really don’t know if I would like this Cauliflower flatbread as much without the short rib.
• This would have been even better with a drizzle of tzatziki from the duck donair, and with the added short rib the tomato emulsion would have worked too!
• I was hoping for more texture and everything was quite soft so I wanted something crunchy or crispy like fried capers, fried onions or toasted pine nuts since the flatbread wasn’t crispy.
• It was pretty hearty with the slices of buttery Russet(?) potatoes on top of the flatbread and I couldn’t taste the cauliflower puree or grana padano.
• It wasn’t a cheesy or saucy flatbread and I was hoping for more cauliflower puree or perhaps a hummus spread for more flavour and texture.
• I love the pieces of charred cauliflower which gave a nice nutty flavour and the bite of salty olives and sprinkle of basil was also great.
• It was still pretty simple and the interesting part would have been the cauliflower puree, but I couldn’t really taste any.

**Crab Tater Tots & Tarragon Remoulade – 5.5/6 (Excellent!)

• $7
• Oh god. Thank goodness chef brought these out!
• I can’t believe I almost left without trying them, although I would have ordered them had they been on the menu.
• These are from the old menu and not on the new menu, but they still make them so you just have to ask.
• They’re made in house and likely the best tater tots you’ll try. Bacchus also made good Saffron & Tomato Taters as an amuse bouche, but these were fantastic!
• They were crispy, salty and well seasoned and the inside was creamy and smooth with what seemed like a mixture of melted mashed potatoes and minced potatoes.
• The potato filling was so creamy and rich and it almost seemed like a pommes puree.
• I think there was some pimento in them for a bit of heat, but I enjoyed these more than the PMC (deep fried pimento mac and cheese appy).
• To be honest, I couldn’t taste much crab although there were minimal flakes of it in each tater tot, but for $7 it doesn’t really matter and they’re still delicious.
• The tarragon remoulade tasted like a lemony tartar sauce (that’s essentially what remoulade is) and it kind of tasted like dill mayo too. It was good with or without the dip.
• Personally I would have dipped these in the tomato emulsion from the prawn guacamole appy.

Churros – 4/6 (Very good)

• Fried churros, spiced sugar, dolce de leche, red velvet sauce
• It’s usually a choice of 3 sample sized desserts for $12, but the dessert menu wasn’t it full gear yet so chef brought these out complimentary.
• I loved the presentation and I’m a sucker for anything served in miniature dishes. The mini paint pails tempted me to paint the wooden plank… but I didn’t.
• I like churros, but I’m not crazy for them. They’re super easy to make, but for what they are, these are very good!
• The churros were fried completely crunchy, which is actually authentic. I do like the ones with the soft doughy centres as well, but those are a different style.
• They were nicely dusted with sugar and cinnamon and the added chili was a great touch!
• They weren’t too sweet or spicy, but the heat came in on the second bite. It was very subtle although noticeable even if you didn’t know it was in there.
• The caramel sauce was delicious! It was a homemade dulche de leche and it was thick, creamy, sweet and rich and fluid enough as a dip for the churros.
• The red velvet sauce was too thin and drippy, but the flavour was good. It tasted more like espresso than chocolate though and I was hoping for more chocolate.
• I’m excited to see the new dessert menu, but this type of restaurant would be a great place to introduce Vancouver to Chocolate Potato Doughnuts or even PB&J Bon Bons.

Restaurant: Nan Chuu Japanese Izakaya 南廚
Cuisine: Japanese/Tapas
Last visited: January 3, 2012
Location: Richmond, BC (Richmond Central)
Address: 1160-8391 Alexandra Rd
Train: Lansdowne Station Northbound
Price Range: $10-20+

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: FMF Must Try!

Food: 3.5 - 4
Service: 2.5
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Gyoza King Group
• Japanese chefs
• Izakaya/tapas
• Traditional menu
• Authentic
• Very casual
• Good for sharing
• Ramen available
• Reasonably priced
• Beer/cocktails/wine
• Reservations recommended
• Mon-Sat 5:30pm – 1am (often later)
• Sunday 5:30pm-11:30pm
• Closed Wednesday

**Recommendations: Negi Chashu, Salmon Nanban, Saba Shioyaki, Gyoza, Tori Karaage, Deep Fried Oysters

Nan Chuu is part of the Gyoza King Group which also owns Gyo-O in Richmond and Chicco Cafe and Gyoza King in downtown Vancouver, BC. They used to own G-Men Ramen in Richmond too, but due to rent issues they recently closed shop. It was quite a shocker since G-Men Ramen was always busy with line ups, but the ramen menu is now being served at Nan Chuu.

I think the owners of Gyoza King are actually Chinese, but the food at all their restaurants are prepared authentically by Japanese chefs. Each of their restaurants are very different, and not like how each Guu or Hapa Izakaya is different. Each Gyoza King Group restaurant specializes in a specific category of Japanese cuisine like ramen (G-Men), seafood/sashimi (Gyo-O), Japanese desserts (Chicco Cafe), traditional izakaya (Nan Chuu) and fusion izakaya (Gyoza King). I’ve tried all of their restaurants and generally I do like them. Of course I can’t clump them all together, but so far I haven’t had a bad experience.

Located on Richmond’s famous “eating street”, Alexandra Road, is Nan Chuu Japanese Izakaya. I’ve been waiting ages to try this place and after several unsuccessful attempts and unforeseen closures it is finally reopen. It was closed the whole summer for apparent renovations, but I’m not sure what has really changed besides the signage.

The restaurant is really long and narrow with a small bar, some tight booths and group dining in the back. At first glace it really took on that traditional Japanese izakaya feel, but it wasn’t until later that it felt a bit enclosed. The on again and off again quirky jazz music alternating with the at times working silence just didn’t seem as lively or ideal for this style of dining.

Izakayas are Japanese pubs, so they’re supposed to be casual and fun watering holes for people to drink and eat tapas until wee hours. In the context of Vancouver they’re usually quite glorified and pricey, but it wasn’t the case here. The menu makes it one of the more traditional izakayas I’ve been to so far with reasonable prices and portions.

The food isn’t fancy or creative, so it might not be as exciting or interesting, but it is simple and authentic. Guu with Garlic is also great, but the menu items are more fusion and modern. If I forget about authenticity and focus on what I like, I personally like Suika, but overall izakaya is one of my favourite styles of dining and I like a lot of them. There are way more than the few I mentioned and generally the izakaya scene is solid in Metro Vancouver.

On the table:

Asahi Black

• $5
• A good izakaya place should have an extensive and affordable drink list featuring beer, cocktails and sake.
• I’m not a beer drinker, but you should drink beer with izakaya. It’s like having champagne on New Years.
• Izakaya food is more or less catered for it.

Goma-Ae - 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)

• Spinach salad in sesame sauce $3.50
• I almost always order goma-ae. This one is considered cheap.
• The spinach was very watery and that affected the sesame sauce and made it runny, so overall it was too wet.
• The sesame sauce was house made with freshly toasted sesame seeds, but it was on the salty side and I have a high tolerance for salt already.
• I prefer a bit more sweet salty balance and more sesame seeds and flavour.

Seafood & Avocado Salad – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Shoyu dressing $11.95
• This was a huge salad and it was enough for 4.
• The romaine leaves were cut in huge pieces so it was really messy to eat. I would have preferred the standard mixed greens, but this was fine.
• It came with a good amount of ahi tuna, salmon sashimi, a few pieces of scallop sashimi, and 6 wedges of avocado sprinkled with tobiko.
• It was pretty standard with some shredded daikon and a few julienne red bell peppers.
• The shoyu dressing was sweet, salty and tangy, but it tasted like shoyu-ponzu (citrus) dressing.
• The other dressing was a sweet Japanese mayo, but it wasn’t that tangy and usually that sauce would taste like Thousand Island dressing.
• I prefer the sashimi salad at Guu with Garlic or even better at Hapa Izakaya with the deep fried prawn heads (see here).

**____ Negi Chashu – 5.5/6 (Excellent!)

• BBQ pork slice, and thin cut green onion $7.50
• It was simple, but still something I wouldn’t be able to make at home.
• It was almost like a BBQ pork salad that was served room temperature. It was my kind of salad.
• The pork was the BBQ pork used for their ramen and it was incredibly tender and flavourful and not too salty.
• The pork was on the leaner side and it wasn’t juicy, but not dry or chewy either.
• The fatty parts of the pork were all chopped up, not gelatinous and practically unnoticeable. They came across as creamy bits mixed with BBQ pork slices.
• The spicy raw green onions helped cut the grease, but it wasn’t even greasy. It just lightened up the dish.
• It was all lightly dressed in a sweet soy sauce (shoyu?) mixed with sesame oil, which was really strong and aromatic.
• I just wish this had crispy garlic bits on top for more texture, but at least there was a refreshing crunch of onions.

Takoyaki – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Grilled octopus balls 4 pcs $3.75, 8 pcs $7
• These were a bit smaller than normal and about the size of golf balls.
• They were generously sauced with sweet Japanese mayo and sweet and tangy Takoyaki sauce.
• It was topped with bonito flakes which is standard.

• These are rich one biters and basically lightly grilled balls of creamy fluffy Japanese pancake batter.
• They were melt in your mouth, pillowy and creamy, but not potatoey or floury.
• Each one is stuffed with a little piece of octopus tentacle.
• Authentically there should be some flavour of pickled ginger or green onion, but this one had none and I missed that.
• They are lighter than croquettes and great as hot snacks.
• Nan Chuu’s sister restaurant Gyo-O Japanese Restaurant (also in Richmond) used to make a stellar takoyaki, but I haven’t had them in a while.

**Saba Shioyaki – 4/6 (Very good)

• Grilled mackerel $6.75
• I always get Black Cod/Sablefish, but it wasn’t on the menu, however it’s not in season anyways.
• For mackerel, it actually didn’t taste that fishy and I really enjoyed this. I do like mackerel though.
• This was a very traditional version of a saba shioyaki and it was very good, but I was hoping for more robata (grill) aromatics/flavour.
• The skin was crispy, but I prefer it a bit more charred.
• It was marinated in sake and soy sauce, but it wasn’t too salty at all.
• The meat was incredibly juicy, moist and tender and it was almost flaking like cod.
• The juices were leaking onto the plate and it was likely one of the juiciest mackerel I’ve had.
• It was traditionally served with grated radish and lemon and overall this was very good.
• I prefer the Grilled “Saba” Mackerel from Guu with Garlic (see here), but that version is fusion.

**Gyoza – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• $5.25
• The gyoza is signature to the restaurant brand, so it’s almost a must try.
• As a gyoza, it was better than most gyoza, but it was still just a gyoza.
• They were house made and fried pretty perfectly with nice crispy bottoms. However I think they sat a bit before serving because they weren’t as crispy as they looked.

• The skins were nice and thin and not too chewy or doughy and they were stuffed with a good quality pork mixture and big pieces of chives.
• The pork was lightly seasoned with soy, tender and moist, but not super juicy either.
• It wasn’t strong with sesame oil or ginger and they tasted a bit better than normal, but I wouldn’t guess it was their signature.
• They have more varieties of gyoza at their downtown restaurant Gyoza King – see here.

Ebi Mayo – 2/6 (Okay)

• 6 pcs Deep fried fresh tiger prawns dipped in mayo sauce $6.50
• This is one of the favourites here, but unfortunately I didn’t get it.
• They came out quite soggy and the batter was really thick and doughy.
• They were heavily sauced with sweet Japanese mayo and I missed a chili kick and spice.
• As a non spicy ebi mayo, usually the mayo would still have a bit of a tang to it, but this one had no tang either.
• It was just super intense with mayo and the prawn was crunchy, but hidden by the heavy batter.
• I prefer the ones at Hapa Izakaya – see here.

Deep Fried Oysters – 4/6 (Very good)

• $7.50
• It was what it was, but they did a great job with them!
• I’m not keen on cooked oysters, but I’ll eat them.
• These were medium sized, plump, and juicy and perfect as is or for a Po Boy Sandwich.
• They were crunchy and panko crusted and fried until golden brown.
• They weren’t even that oily for being deep fried and the white paper they sat on wasn’t clear at the end.
• The dipping sauces were sweet Japanese mayo and Tonkatsu sauce (Japanese style BBQ sauce with Worcestershire kick).
• A squeeze of lemon and dip of each sauce was the best way to enjoy these.
• They kind of reminded me of the deep fried oysters from Rodney’s Oyster Bar in Yaletown, and I remember liking those too.

**Salmon Nanban – 5.5/6 (Excellent!)

• Deep fried salmon marinated in “nanban” vinaigrette with onions and carrots $4.50
• This was likely my favourite dish of the night.
• It was a big portion for the price and it was the daily special.
• It was about 7-8 pieces of boneless salmon and they had a soggy skin due to the sauce.
• I wish they removed the skins and deep fried them separately and sprinkled them on top.
• The salmon pieces were slightly dry, but after you dip them in the delicious vinaigrette it was easily forgotten.
• The Nanban sauce was amazing enough to forgive the slight dryness.
• Nanban sauce is made with rice wine vinegar, mirin, soy, sugar, Worcestershire, boiled radish/konbu seaweed and a bit of chili so it has depth and it’s not just regular vinaigrette. This one didn’t taste spicy though.
• It was super citrusy, tangy and salty and intense with lots of flavour and it just made the dish pop and come alive. I was drinking it alone! (Dying of thirst after)
• It was a juicy dish and the crunch of raw spicy onions was refreshing and made it like a salad.
• The Chicken Nanban at Miku Restaurant is my favourite “Nanban” dish, but this is a serious competitor!

Assorted Sashimi – 4/6 (Very good)

• Fresh tuna tataki, salmon & scallop sashimi $12.50
• This isn’t a place for sashimi so the selection is very limited, but I needed a break from the fried stuff.
• For not specializing in sashimi it was a bit more pricey, but the quality was actually pretty good and I liked it.
• The salmon was surprisingly buttery and good.
• The scallops were fresh and sweet and topped with tobiko.
• The tuna tataki (ahi tuna) had a salt and pepper crust, but it wasn’t done that well.
• The tuna was good tuna though, but it seemed more like ahi tuna than tuna tataki.
• My favourite tuna tataki so far is from Suika – see Tuna Tataki or Taka’s Take-Out – see Peppered Tuna Tataki.

Beef Yukke – 3/6 (Good)

• Fresh beef sashimi marinated in yukke sauce topped with quail egg $7.50
• This was best eaten immediately. No surprise there.
• It’s Japanese beef tartar, but it didn’t look appetizing.
• I have no problems with beef sashimi, but the way this one looked was a bit unsettling.
• It actually looked like raw ground beef ready to be made into patties and I thought it would be cut into mini cubes or slices.
• Mixed together it was better, but it was all quite slimy and texturally acquired.
• There were a few pine nuts which helped, and the spicy onions broke things up a bit, but that was about it.
• The yukke sauce is a predominantly sweet and syrupy garlic soy sauce with sesame oil and it absorbed into the meat well.
• It should have been served with crostini, prawn crackers, or lotus chips because it was a bit repetitive and excessive alone.
• I’ve tried their Salmon Yukke at the Gyoza King location and Guu does one as well – see Salmon Yuke. If you want to be even more adventurous try the Salmon with 7 Friends from Guu with Otokomae. (That was totally an unintended play on words)

Dessert – There was only ice cream ($3) so I passed. It wasn’t homemade or anything, so I just had dessert at home.

Restaurant: Portobello Ristorante
Cuisine: Italian
Last visited: December 28, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Fairview)
Address: 1429 West Broadway
Bus: WB w Broadway FS Hemlock St
Price Range: $20-30

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: FMF Must Try!

Food: 3.5-4
Service: 3.5
Ambiance: 3.5
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Italian family owned/operated
• Casual, but nice
• Intimate/cozy
• Price fixe menus
• Moderately priced
• Wine list
• Free parking at rear
• Tues-Sun 5pm – 10:30pm
• Closed Mondays

**Recommendations: Fungo Portobello Gratinato, Gnocchi Alla Cardinale, Ossobuco Classico

Photo from Portobello Ristorante website.

It’s a hidden gem that’s been around for at least 5 years and I only noticed it a couple years ago when dining at Cru Restaurant + Wine Bar located further up on the same block. It’s easily missed and it’s one of those restaurants that locals have yet to discover, but people in the neighbourhood might already know about. I was curious, but not eager to try it, so I put it on the plan B list. Well I ended up resorting to that list when the wait at Vij’s was 2.5+ hours and Portobello Ristorante was conveniently nearby with seats to be filled.

I always imagined the restaurant to be a bit fancier with white tablecloths and napkin service, but it is more casual than expected. It is still nice, but just not formal and I thought it would be more along the lines of Cru or West nearby. There is still napkin service and candlelight, but it had a very family owned feel that is more quaint and charming than it is professional. It definitely feels more like an intimate spot for neighbourhood locals. The atmosphere is a bit dated, but it also features art from local artists.

It is Italian family owned and operated and the food is supposed to represent Southern Italian cuisine, but I noticed a lot of Northern Italian dishes too. In terms of authenticity it isn’t as authentic as La Quercia, but it is more authentic than most of the Italian restaurants in Metro Vancouver. In terms of goodness, everything I had was pretty good, but the pastas fell short and seemed more or less “like the other guys”. The food still feels catered to West Coast tastes and there are a few forgivable hiccups along the way. Overall I’d say it’s better than average, but not amazing.

On the table:

Complimentary Bread & Butter

• This was actually quite impressive! I was expecting basic Italian bread if anything.
• It was served warm from the oven and it was crusty and chewy, but didn’t have the big holes and texture of a great Ciabatta.
• It was likely from a local Italian bakery and the gesture was nice.

It was served with butter, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Parmesan cheese. The cheese was unexpected. My friend learned from an Italian friend to mix the cheese into the oil and vinegar and I’ve never done that before, but it made for a good dipping sauce.

Bocconcini Alla Caprese - 4/6 (Very good)

Restaurant: Locus Restaurant & Lounge
Cuisine: Pacific Northwest/West Coast/Eclectic/International/Brunch
Last visited: December 19, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Riley Park/Little Mountain)
Address: 4121 Main Street
Bus: SB Main St FS E King Edward Av
Price Range: $10-20 ($15 sandwiches, $20+ mains)

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: FMF Must Try!

Food: 3.5 (based on what I tried)
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Pacific Northwest cuisine
• Restaurant/Bar/Lounge
• Sandwiches/Pastas/Mains
• Neighbourhood favourite
• Popular for brunch
• Daily features
• Eclectic menu
• Extensive menu
• Extensive drink list
• Cheap drinks
• 10pm daily (3.25 Singles / 5.25 Doubles)
• Mon-Fri. 10am – 2am (Kitchen closes: Mon – Sat 1am)
• Saturday 9am – 2am *Kitchen closes: 1am
• Sunday 9am – 1am  *Kitchen closes: 12am

**Recommendations: Hot Pulled Wild Boar Sandwich, Yam Gnocchi

It’s been around for probably about 10 years and I always wanted to check it out, but it’s taken me a while… at least 10 years a while. It’s really popular for brunch, but it also attracts a late night crowd since drinks are cheap after 10pm everyday. I would say it’s one of the Main Street classics. It has somewhat of a dark hipster vibe and eclectic menu that’s supposed to feature local and seasonal ingredients.

I came here after watching The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which made the experience even more gloomy and creepy. The red lights brought me back to memories of the Narrow Artist Lounge, which is another very hidden gem on Main Street. It’s a very casual and laid back atmosphere and the menu is more impressive than what I would assume.

Based on what I tried the food was good, but at times bordering on pub food. I’m not sure if there’s an absence in chef, but it just seemed to deliver a bit more on the menu. I have a feeling it really depends on who’s making your food and I came pretty late at night. Everything was still home made with pretty decent quality ingredients and eclectic flair, but what I tried wasn’t necessarily memorable.

I wasn’t really impressed or disappointed and I’m still interested to try their brunch. For this type of food in this area I personally prefer Habit Lounge or Crave on Main, but this was still good. The menu is pretty extensive and the mains get surprisingly pricey for the type of restaurant. I was more inspired by the intention of the menu than the actual food, and I just wish it committed more because it had a lot of potential.

On the table:

Complimentary Bread

• I really didn’t expect house made complimentary bread, so this was quite impressive.
• It was served cold and it was soft, fluffy, moist and seasoned with herbs, salt, black pepper and maybe paprika (?). I was biting into actual spices in the bread.
• It almost seemed Indian spiced and I thought the heat was coming from the butter, but it was from the bread.
• I thought the butter was a creamy whipped sun-dried tomato butter, but there was no sun-dried tomato and it almost tasted like paprika or an Indian spice again.

Organic Hot Chocolate – 3/6 (Good)

• $4
• It was topped with whipped cream and a Pocky Stick which I thought was cute.
• It was made in house, but it wasn’t indulgent, or that chocolatey or very sweet for that matter.
• I thought it was going to be really rich and creamy, but it was quite light and milky which also made it easy to drink.
• It wasn’t a dessert or a sipping chocolate and I was hoping for more chocolate, but it’s still good.
• For a really decadent and chocolatey hot chocolate try the mocha or hot chocolate at Mink Chocolates.

Feature Pizza – 3/6 (Good)

• Grilled flat-bread made in house with roasted tomato sauce, genoa salami, red onions, spinach, Quebec cheese curds & feta cheese $13
• This was definitely more of a flatbread than a pizza.
• It looked really “pub food”, but it actually tasted pretty good. Of course, anything covered with this much melted cheese would be though, so it was bordering on munchies good.
• It was more or less something you could do at home, but they didn’t skimp on the ingredients and it was quite heavy.
• The tomato sauce was regular and the genoa salami quality was okay and more like ham, but it covered the whole flat bread in one even layer.
• The Quebec cheese curds were completely melted like mozzarella so they weren’t that fresh or they would melt and squeak in your teeth. On the odd occasion I had a squeak, but I would barely call it a cheese curd.
• It was pretty salty with the added feta and tomato sauce and I would have preferred basil over spinach, and it was a basic 5 minute flatbread pizza.
• I personally prefer the flatbread from Joey’s like the Tandoori Chicken Flatbread and the Pesto Shrimp Flatbread which are great.

The flatbread was grilled, but it wasn’t crispy and it was just soft and chewy.

**Hot Pulled Wild Boar Sandwich - 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Mushroom gravy, spinach, roasted garlic aioli, & jalapeno jack on house made whole wheat Kaiser $14
• The pulled boar is one of the signature items.
• I’m a huge fan of pulled pork and pulled wild boar sounded even more exciting.
• I loved the pulled wild boar, but the sandwich as a whole could have been better.
• It came with a salad and roasted herb potatoes which were really good!
• The potatoes had crispy skins and they were tender, creamy and well seasoned, but at the same time they seemed like they were under a heat lamp, although not dry.

• It was a heavy sandwich and I appreciated the home made bun, but the kaiser was dry and not crispy and it just didn’t seem very fresh.
• I could have used more meat and it ended up being too much bun. I was hoping for a crispy, lighter, fluffier and softer bun.
• Wild boar is more tender but also leaner than pork, so I was a bit nervous it would be dry.
• The pulled boar ended up being incredibly moist and juicy and even fattier than expected.
• The meat is naturally sweeter and nuttier than pork too and there were some delicious crispy charred bits.
• This one was also very smoky and tasted like it was made in a smoker and it didn’t taste like liquid smoke.
• There was no BBQ sauce but it was still saucy from a rich mushroom gravy.
• I really wish there were actual mushrooms in the gravy because it had none and it didn’t taste that mushroomy at all.
• I liked the creamy roasted garlic aioli and mild kick of the jalapeno jack cheese which added to the richness, but the bun really kept it from shining.
• I also missed the textural contrast and crunch of a cole slaw and the spinach just didn’t carry the sandwich.
• The pulled boar was fantastic, but I just wish the rest came together for it.

**Yam Gnocchi – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• With caramelized onions, wilted kale, and goat cheese, tossed in sage brown butter $18
• This was actually pretty good and I liked that it didn’t skimp on the goat cheese. It was quite a substantial dish.
• The gnocchi was pan fried and semi-crispy, but I did find it on the doughy side and a bit dense and chewy rather than soft and fluffy. I wasn’t keen on the gnocchi, but I am a bit picky with gnocchi.
• The fluffy goat’s cheese wasn’t that strong and gamey, which I prefer, but due to the amount the dish ended up being quite salty.
• It was very lightly sauced with a simple brown butter sauce and the kale gave it a nice earthiness, but I couldn’t really taste the sage.
• I was getting the sweetness from the caramelized red onions more than the yam gnocchi, but the onions were great especially with the salty cheese.
• It would be nice to have the kale sauteed in a bit of balsamic for a contrasting tang too.
• It was missing some texture and some added nuts or one more ingredient would have been great.

Gingerbread Creme Brulee – 3/6 (Good)

• $7.50
• All the desserts are from Sweet E’s in Vancouver.
• The caramelized creme brulee crust was a bit thick and uneven.
• It was a pretty firm, creamy and eggy creme brulee and it was very mild with the gingerbread spices.
• It almost tasted like Chai with a little cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves (?).
• It was very light and not that sweet, but I was hoping for more gingerbread flavour.
• As a side note, for a local restaurant the garnish would be better as a gingerbread cookie instead of non-seasonal fresh fruit.

Cranberry Cherry Chocolate Mousse Tart – 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)

• $7.50
• All the desserts are from Sweet E’s in Vancouver.
• This was really rich and a 1-2 biter for me even though I really like desserts.
• The chocolate was bittersweet and good quality, but it was just way too much.
• It was more like a stiff and dense chocolate ganache torte and I was hoping for more balance and layers with all the ingredients mentioned.
• I was expecting a thinner chocolate layer and the top to be covered with plump Amerena cherries and cranberries.
• The crust was a bit hard, crumbly and dry, but it eventually got soft when the chill came off.
• There was a thin layer of tart cherry puree with dried cherries/cranberries in between the chocolate and tart shell, but not really enough.
• I couldn’t taste the mousse at all and I’m not sure if it was supposed to be thawed from the fridge before enjoying because it was almost like a chocolate bar.
• It’s only because it’s supposed to be a local restaurant that it bothers me, but it probably shouldn’t have strawberries and blueberries as a garnish since it was winter.

Chocolate Ganache with Cashew Brittle Tart – 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)

• $7.50
• All the desserts are from Sweet E’s in Vancouver.
• This was almost the same as the Cranberry Cherry Chocolate Mousse Tart.
• It was a 1-2 biter and it was really rich, dense and heavy with chocolate and more like a chocolate ganache. It would hold a fork.
• Again it was good quality bittersweet chocolate, but just too much of it and I was hoping for more components and texture.
• I really couldn’t taste much cashew or cashew brittle and I thought the top would be covered with it.
• Again the crust was a bit hard, crumbly and dry, but it eventually got soft when the chill came off.
• I can’t help but to notice the garnish again… non-seasonal. I wouldn’t mind if there wasn’t an emphasis on local.

White Chocolate & Chestnut Rum Mousse Tart - 3.5/6 (Good-Very Good)

• $7.50
• All the desserts are from Sweet E’s in Vancouver.
• This was the best dessert of them all and the best of the tarts for sure.
• I always prefer dark chocolate to white chocolate, but this just worked better as a whole.
• It wasn’t as rich, dense or heavy as the other tarts.
• It was very light and fluffy with a nice moussey layer that was apparent.
• There was very little rum and very little chestnut, but I could taste a bit of that chestnut texture and flavour whipped into the white chocolate.
• Some actual chestnut pieces or an actual chestnut puree layer would have been nice too. I was hoping it would be like the one in Chinese style fresh fruit and chestnut cakes.
• It wasn’t that sweet and more dominant with white chocolate flavour, so I still could have used more layers and components.
• Again the crust was a bit hard, crumbly and dry, but it eventually got soft when the chill came off.
• There was a nice tart raspberry sauce to contrast the sweetness, and the non-seasonal fruit garnish should be changed for maybe roasted chestnuts.

Restaurant: Fray
Cuisine: American/Local/Pacific Northwest/West Coast
Last visited: December 22, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Kensington)
Address: 3980 Fraser Street
Bus: SB Fraser St FS E 23 Av
Price Range: $10-20 ($15 mains)

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: FMF Must Try!

Food: 3.5
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3.5
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Local ingredients
• Comfort food w/twist
• Fun/retro diner ambiance
• Good for groups
• Gluten free options
• Vegetarian options
• Reasonably priced
• Beer available
• Board games available
• Accepts credit cards
• Sat-Sun – 9AM brunch
• Mon-Sun. Dinner 5pm-10pm

**Recommendations: Rosemary Potato Chips WITH Parmesan dip or truffle aioli, Portobello French Fries, Fray Burger WITH added Egg, Fray Poulet Chicken Dinner

Vietnamese restaurant, Vietnamese restaurant, dive, Vietnamese dive, nail polish salon, karaoke shop, “for rent” space, Fray, Vietnamese restaurant, no wait! Stop! Back up! Back up! Back up! What’s that? What’s Fray? Well that’s what I wanted to know too! It’s definitely an unexpected location for a Pacific Northwest restaurant. Fray is one of Vancouver’s newest restaurants offering creative comfort food made with local BC ingredients. It’s new and refreshing to the neighbourhood and faces little competition in an area saturated with mainly “the typical” Vietnamese restaurants.

I actually received an e-mail from the owners notifying me of its opening, but due to scheduling I ended up randomly visiting unannounced on my own time and dime. The space is large and spacious and they even offer boardgames to their guests. It’s very casual, playful, laid back and more or less something you would expect to see on Main Street or Commercial Drive. I question if it would do as well if it was actually on those streets facing similar competition though. It kind of reminded me of a slightly fancier The Red Wagon and less fancy Commune Cafe. It has a diner like appearance, vintage feel and modern retro decor, which is quite exciting and charming to the area.

The food is modern comfort food with an approachable twist, which is quite popular in Vancouver, but this time it’s not overpriced, which is a rare find in Vancouver. It’s a place where you can eat and get full and I could sense the passion and the effort. As for the whole “local/organic” bit, I wasn’t as convinced since there were lots of non-seasonal ingredients. I wouldn’t have guessed that was the theme, but it was definitely marketed that way.

I get what they’re trying to do, but I’m more infatuated with its unique location than the actual food, but the food was good for the price. I’m not raving about it, but I’m satisfied with it and it’s a fun place. I’d be more surprised and impressed if I found the restaurant randomly with no expectations though. I like the intention of the restaurant, and it manages to be inventive and affordable without sacrificing quality or portions.

On the table:

Fray’s Famous F-Bombs – 2/6 (Okay)

• Our signature dish; fresh figs wrapped in Fraser Valley bacon with a balsamic reduction $7.95
• They’re usually a 6/6 thing for me. If you’ve never had them and you like sweet and savoury you’ll likely enjoy them.
• Bacon wrapped dates are one of my favourite things and I’ve had a lot of versions of these in the States, so I only found these ones okay.
• The figs weren’t big and plump and they were quite soft and mushy and the bacon wasn’t crispy enough to contrast the fig.
• The figs tasted like sticky dried figs although they were moist. I’m not sure where they would get fresh figs at this time of year anyways… ?
• It was what it was and there was a nice salty and sweet balance with an acidic sweet tang of balsamic reduction and I appreciated the thick strip of bacon.
• Personally when I make them at home I like to stuff them with almonds and brie or blue cheese for extra texture and flavour.
• Just for comparisons sake, here are some excellent ones outside of Vancouver that I’ve had – Dátiles con Beicon from Boqueria, Griddled Bacon Wrapped Dates from Tasty n Sons, and the one who apparently started the trend was Firefly Tapas in Las Vegas. I’m glad the idea is finally in Vancouver, but they can get better.

**Rosemary Potato Chips – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• A stacked bowl of house made rosemary infused potato chips $4.95
• I started eating them with Parmesan dip (from the Sex Pistols) and the truffle aioli (from the Porotobello French Fries) and it was even better.
• I highly recommend ordering the dips separately with these chips! You have to make the request.
• This was one of my favourite things and I would never think to order them.
• It was a huge bowl of warm, salted, crispy, thin cut potato chips that were perfectly seasoned and baked.
• It was more like a gourmet and fresh Lays chip than a Pringles or Mrs. Vickie’s.
• I could taste the aromatic rosemary and they were naturally a bit oily, but I enjoyed them thoroughly.

**Portobello French Fries – 4/6 (Very good)

• The death of the French Fry! A jenga tower of breaded portobello strips lightly fried and served with truffle aioli $8.95
• Everyone loves these and I did as well, but I also love portobello mushrooms. This was a pretty heavy appetizer.
• They were very crunchy with a thick panko batter, but the mushrooms were also thick cut and meaty enough to make it taste like it wasn’t just batter.
• The batter didn’t slip off the mushroom and it was never floury, soggy or mushy.
• The mushrooms were juicy and they were well executed, but I couldn’t taste much truffle in what I thought was just garlic aioli.

Sex Pistols – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• A stack of sauce-loaded chicken drumettes. Choose from hot sauce with parmesan dip or honey curry with tandoori $9.95
• These were hot sauce with parmesan dip, but they weren’t very hot at all.
• The wings were good and not dry with a small kick, but for being called “sex pistols” I thought they’d be much spicier.
• The parmesan dip tasted like sour cream with some actual parmesan cheese in it so it wasn’t smooth and pureed.
• The parmesan dip was cooling with the mildly spicy chicken, but I enjoyed it most with the Rosemary Potato Chips.

Seasonal Soup – n/a

• A cup of fresh soup served with grilled focaccia. Ask your server for today’s special. $4.50
• It was chicken noodle soup and I didn’t order this, but there was no rave or complaint.

**Fray Burger WITH added Egg – 5/6 (Excellent)

• A patty of house ground Pemberton BC beef with cranberry tomato ketchup and mayonnaise served with house salad. $10.95
• YES! That is an an added FRIED EGG to the burger which was done upon request.
• This had an added tomato ($2) and a fried egg ($1).
• The photo is perfect for my Beauty of an Egg Yolk Series.
• The egg was only a featured option for The Fray BLT, but it was what made this burger amazing.
• I just wanted to top it off with wedges of avocado… and pulled pork and bacon.

• The egg really made this burger, and I’m not sure how I would have felt without it.
• The burgers are popular here, but I wish they were available medium rare since they are house ground.
• I found the bun much too thick although soft and chewy.
• It was the Filipino purple yam buns, but it didn’t taste or really look like the ones I’ve seen before.
• The patty was quite thick, not dry, and very well seasoned.
• The patty could be juicier, but the slab of mayo and egg yolk helped sauce it up.
• I couldn’t taste the cranberry tomato ketchup and if I removed some of the bun, I enjoyed it!

Porchetta Sandwich – n/a

• Roast pork with caramelized onion and horseradish mayo on rustica bread $8.95
• If you’ve had the Porchetta Sandwich from Meat & Bread, then you’re going to want to compare them.
• I’m judging purely on looks since this wasn’t my order, but I was hoping for some cracklings.
• My friend said the pork was generous, but it didn’t seem freshly made although still good.

TaunTaun Burger - 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Inspired by the Empire Strikes Back: beef patty with pulled pork, bacon, cheese, ketchup & BBQ sauce, on a purple yam bun. Slit it open and climb on in! $15.95
• Yes! Layer anything with pulled pork and I’m there.
• The pork isn’t the same one they use for their pulled pork sliders (which they ran out of on this night), but this was good and juicy.
• The bacon was crispy and the patty had a good thickness and it was moist and very well seasoned again.
• It was white cheddar cheese and again there was too much bun for the burger, but it was a good burger.
• Again, the bun is soft, but a bit chewy and it still didn’t taste or look like the Filipino purple yam buns I’m used to seeing.
• I would have preferred a fluffy white bun or brioche bun.

**Wild Mushroom Ravioli – 4/6 (Very good)

• Filled with mushroom and marscarpone with brown sugar sage and roasted cashews $13.95
• These ravioli are the chef’s recipe, but they’re made somewhere else.
• It was a fair portion with lots of cashews which I appreciated. If it wasn’t pine nuts, then buttery cashews are a good alternative with ravioli.

•  The ravioli was cooked al dente and the inside was filled with minced mushrooms and some herbed bread crumbs. It still had a dominant mushroom flavour though, so it wasn’t all filler.
• It was nice and buttery and well sauced, but I wanted more sage presence and the butter wasn’t quite browned yet.
• The marscapone was very mild and barely noticeable, but it was still a very good pasta dish with a nice nutty crunch of cashews.
• As a restaurant with a focus on local ingredients, I would have loved to see fire roasted cherry tomatoes, actual pieces of Portobello mushrooms and some whole leaves of sage though.

Mac and Cheese (with sausage and bacon) – 2/6 (Okay)

• Artisan radiatore pasta with sharp cheddar, bechemel sauce and spices. A real winter warmer $12.95
• Add tomato, mushrooms $1 each Blue cheese, sausage and bacon $2 each
• This one had added sausage and bacon ($16.95), but there wasn’t enough to justify the cost and the portion isn’t very big overall.
• If there was no sausage and bacon it would have been quite bland.

• The cheese sauce was more like a thin white sauce and it tasted more like a butter sauce with a hint of cream than a creamy cheese sauce.
• I couldn’t taste cheese or spices and the sauce just didn’t stick to the noodles.
• The noodles were quite overcooked and very soft and the sausage was homemade but not particularly noticeable or memorable.
• The bacon and sausage didn’t seem infused in the sauce and it just seemed like buttery noodles.
• It was sprinkled with a crispy panko crust and that was my favourite part.

Mac and Cheese (with Blue Cheese) – 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)

• Artisan radiatore pasta with sharp cheddar, bechemel sauce and spices. A real winter warmer $12.95
• Add tomato, mushrooms $1 each Blue cheese, sausage and bacon $2 each
• If you order the mac and cheese you almost have to add blue cheese ($14.95), even if you’re not a fan of it, because otherwise it just tastes like melted butter with a bit of cream.
• I couldn’t taste any cheese without the crumbled blue cheese.
• There wasn’t too much blue cheese, but it was the only thing giving the dish flavour.
• I loved the cripsy panko gratin crust, but the noodles were overcooked again and the sauce on the runny side.

Pacific Salmon de Orzo – 1.5/6 (Poor-Okay)

• Fresh west coast salmon pan-seared and resting on a bed of orzo pasta $14.95
• This was quite disappointing.
• For this type of restaurant I didn’t expect the salmon to come with the skin, but I always prefer the skin. I’ll overlook that though.
• However, the salmon was dry and slightly overcooked and so was the orzo (rice shaped pasta).
• Both were quite bland and the orzo really just tasted like pasta with spinach and a bit of red pepper. I actually make the same one at home, but I add feta, lemon and dried cranberries.
• For a local and organic type of restaurant I expected more presence of greens.
• I think they’re capable of something more like the Seared Salmon Risotto from Commune Cafe.

**Fray Poulet Chicken Dinner – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• 5 spice half roasted BC chicken served with seasonal vegetables, artisan herb gnocchi and chicken pan gravy $16.95
• This was maybe my favourite dish. It was unexpected!
• It was a huge roasted chicken and it was super juicy, tender and moist and dripping sauces everywhere.
• The dry rub was fantastic and it was just Chinese 5 spice powder, but it tasted fresh and it was very strong and aromatic.
• I could taste cumin, cinnamon and cloves with some black pepper and maybe cardamom. It tasted like freshly ground house made 5 spice.
• I was hoping the seasonal veggies would be seasonal though, and turnips or root vegetables would be nice to see over green beans.
• The gnocchi was also fantastic and they were generously sauced with a creamy buttery chicken gravy.
• The gnocchi was semi-crispy and very soft, pillowy and moist with a nice tender chew and good potato flavour. It was a very well done and certainly one of the better gnocchi I’ve had in Vancouver and in general.
• I would love to see fresh herbs incorporated into the gnocchi or pan fried with the gnocchi too.

Restaurant: Asakusa Sushi
Cuisine: Japanese/Sushi
Last visited: December 17, 2011
Location: Burnaby, BC (Burnaby South)
Address: 4729 Kingsway
Train: Metrotown Skytrain
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3
Service: 2
Ambiance: 2
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Vietnamese owned/operated
• Popular for sushi
• Cheap bento boxes
• Cheap lunch combos
• Casual/quick
• Family friendly
• Budget friendly/cheap eats
• Limited free parking at rear
• Accepts credit cards
• Mon-Sat 11am-10:30pm
• Sunday 5pm-10pm

**Recommendations: Spicy Chopped Tuna. The rolls seemed decent and the bento boxes and lunch specials are cheap.

Basically it’s the cheap sushi restaurant you go to when Sushi Garden turns you down. It’s only a block away and when the line ups are unbearable or Sushi Garden is full, you come here. It’s somewhat plan B, but for many locals it’s often considered as their secret neighbourhood favourite that is still unknown to most.

For me I like the variety and menu better at Sushi Garden, but the execution is a bit more presentable here. Sushi Garden is Korean owned and operated and Asakusa Suhi is Vietnamese owned and operated. It doesn’t really matter who runs it, but it’s not Japanese people in case you’re curious. They’re both cheap hole in the wall sushi joints that aren’t particularly amazing, but they’re good for the price.

I’d say it’s steps up from all you can eat sushi and a step up from Samurai. I can’t really think of anything better for the same price in the Metrotown area, but at the same time it doesn’t necessarily make it good. It’s no fuss, bang for your buck sushi, and it does the job on a dime.

On the table:

**Spicy Chopped Tuna - 4/6

• $5.75
• This was my favourite of what I ordered.
• The portion was very generous.
• The spicy sauce tasted different than most spicy tunas I’ve had though. It was almost like a yellow brown peanutty coloured sauce rather than a red one.
• The sauce tasted like the apple and onion Japanese vinaigrette/salad dressing they put on top of the basic Japanese “garden salad”.
• There was some Shichimi (Japanese chili pepper seasoning) mixed into it for heat.
• The tuna was nice and chilled and cut in random pieces and the sauce was sweet and almost seemed like gommae with some sesame seeds too.
• The spiciness takes a while to kick in and it was a mild-medium spicy if anything.

Sashimi & 1 Roll Combo B (BC Roll & Salmon Sashimi) – 4/6

• $8.25
• I added 5 pieces of Toro (Tuna Belly) sashimi $7.25
• You only save $.50 ordering a combo and I just realized that now. I would rather order a la carte.
• I don’t really order combos, but the lunch combos and bento boxes are really popular and cheap here.
• The portions are also bigger than normal, which isn’t authentic, but it’s almost a given at places like these.

BC Roll (Salmon skin) - 3.5/6

• $3.25 a la carte
• The BC Roll was actually pretty good for what it was and the price.
• It was fairly large (2 biter), but not just all sushi rice.
• The rice was moist and sticky, but slightly on the blander side and the seaweed was a bit chewy.
• The salmon was crispy and grilled and the fish was slightly dry, but kind of what it is usually like too.
• I actually don’t order BC rolls often, so I don’t have much to compare to, but I tasted crispy salmon and the rice was passable.
• It was drizzled with a bit of Teriyaki sauce and it was good with clean presentation and pretty cheap.

Salmon Sashimi - 3/6

• 5 pieces $5.50 a la carte
• It was a step up from Samurai, so it’s not great quality, but it’s cheap.
• I would say stick to the rolls, but it’s okay for cheaper kinds of sashimi like salmon and tuna.
• It was huge slices and I prefer the more delicate thinly sliced salmon, but it was edible and still not bad.

Toro (Tuna Belly) Sashimi – 2/6

• 5 pieces $7.25 a la carte
• I love toro and it’s one of my favourite sashimi, but it was only okay here.
• I wasn’t keen on the quality and flavour of this one and it was served almost too chilled, but not frozen.
• You can get away with “okay” salmon sashimi and not have it taste bad, but not really with toro.

Restaurant: ReFuel Restaurant & Bar – Whole Hog Dinner
Cuisine: Pacific Northwest/West Coast/Eclectic
Last visited: November 30, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Kitsilano)
Address: 1944 W 4th Ave
Bus stop: EB w 4 Av NS Cypress St
Price Range: $30-50+ ($20-25 mains)

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5 (Just for Whole Hog Dinner)
Service: 2.5
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Neighbourhood gem
• Local ingredients
• Seasonal menus
• Sophisticated/intimate
• Local favourite
• Higher priced
• Wine list/cocktails
• Lunch: Mon-Fri. 11:30am-2:30pm
• Dinner: Mon-Fri. 5pm-10pm
• Brunch: Sat-Sun 11:30am-3pm
• Dinner Sat-Sun 3pm-10pm

**Recommendations: n/a

*Oink* It was a dinner date with a pig and at the end of the night my lips were greasy and I don’t wear lip gloss. It was the annual Whole Hog Dinner at ReFuel ($59 + taxes and gratuities) featuring 10 courses made with various parts of the pig. From the brains, snout, ears, hock and of course belly, it was a feast I could also call Sunday dinner at grandmas. Being Asian, head to tail dining is all too familiar, but for North American tastes it is considered “exotic”.

Not only was the concept familiar, but so was the style because it happened to be Asian inspired. I’m really biased when it comes to anything Asian fusion because generally I can find the same thing for better and cheaper at an Asian restaurant. On the other hand, it’s not really fair to compare, so I have to take it as is. Some courses were better than others, which is usually the case, and although I haven’t been to ReFuel on a regular night, I have a feeling it could be better.

The Whole Hog Dinners are served family style over long communal tables, which I like, but it tends to work better when it’s actually your own family or friends. The dinner starts off as a mad house, which is understandable since everyone is so hungry from “dieting” for the day. It’s nothing against the other diners we were seated with, but the set up for the feast wasn’t great.

Unfortunately, my friend and I ended up getting seated in what I call “the crack”. It’s the part of the table that’s considered “no mans land” where the food never gets served and is last to get passed to. Normally it would be fine if there was enough for everyone, but we ended up getting a bit shafted. The food ended up being divided by groups and not by person and everyone paid the same price. I don’t want to sound like a pig, but we really got the scraps of almost every single plate, but two, and one was the salad. In the end I was getting full off the leftover vegetables and condiments, which is almost wrong at a Whole Hog Dinner.

The quality of the dinner was generally good for being prepared for about 60 people, but the logistics and serving arrangements weren’t ideal. ReFuel features one of these feasts on a monthly basis and I would consider it a decent value if you get your fair share. Again, I’m pretty biased because I know I can order 10 courses of various parts of the pig a la carte at an Asian restaurant for about $40/person, or even have an 8-10 course Alaskan King Crab meal for the same, but it’s apples and oranges.

The Whole Hog Dinner is unique to the somewhat “safe” Vancouver food scene, and I appreciate the concept and intent of showcasing the use of the whole animal and not wasting. Just pick and choose your seat carefully and avoid “the crack”.

On the table:

Condiments

• It had all the ingredients ready for a banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) and it included pickled daikon, pickled cucumbers, pickled carrots, cilantro, and jalapeno.
• There was a Japanese whole grain mustard seed sauce and an apple and ginger sauce for the shredded pork pancakes.
• There was a bowl of Chinese green onion and ginger oil, which is traditionally eaten with chicken, so it was interesting to see at a pork feast.
• The green onion and ginger oil also tasted Japanese. It was sweetened with mirin and tangy from rice wine vinegar which are both not normally used.
• Pickled condiments are best with such a rich, hearty and greasy meal, but it would rarely be served like this.

Kimchi – 4/6

• It was a Western take on kimchi.
• It didn’t have the traditional Korean Gochuchang paste so it wasn’t red, pungent, or as sweet or spicy.
• The cabbage was crunchy and it was still spicy and tangy, and commendable for a non-Korean restaurant.
• Again, it was a smart condiment to have since everything was so rich and greasy.

Pigs Ear & Offal Head Cheese Terrine – 4/6

• Normally I’m not a head cheese fan and it’s a texture thing, however this one I really liked.
• I’m not a fan of the Chinese style head cheese or grocery store head cheese, and this one was just so much better.
• It was still incredibly gelatinous and gelatin like in texture, but the flavours were good enough to overlook it.
• It tasted like layers of solidified soy sauce gravy and it was sweet and savoury and made with good pork stock.

Eggplant & Tofu Rice – 4.5/6

• This was a bonus dish!
• It looked like Ma Po Tofu meets that Chinese egg and tofu dish.
• Initially I was so excited that there were black Century Eggs in it, but then I realized it was eggplant. I love eggplant too though, so I was still happy. Both would have been even better!
• It was definitely a Western take on Ma Po Tofu served over steamed rice, and it wasn’t as sweet or spicy as the original and I prefer it with the added black beans and szechuan peppers.
• For a non-traditional Ma Po Tofu it was still very good, but just more mild.
• The sauce was a soy based sauce with some chili flakes for a little heat, but it wasn’t spicy.

Mizuna Salad with Pickled Brain Vinaigrette & Crispy Pig Ear – 4/6

• This was the “healthy” salad.
• Mizuna tastes like arugula and it was lightly dressed in a Japanese whole grain mustard seed and pig brain vinaigrette with shaved cheese on top.
• The pickled brain was almost dissolved into the vinaigrette so you wouldn’t even be able to tell it was in there. I couldn’t even taste it.
• Instead of croutons it was crispy pig ear, which is even better than croutons in my opinion. It’s like gourmet “bacon bits” or bacon chips.
• They were incredibly crunchy and salted with a pork fat aftertaste and it was nice with the tangy salad.
• If you like the sound of this I also recommend the Tonkatsu Caesar at Hapa Umi with pork cheek croutons.

Pig Snout Fried Rice with Meatballs – 4/6

• This was a portion for 6 and by the time I got the plate there were no meatballs left so I had to ask my neighbours for one of theirs. That shouldn’t happen at these dinners.
• I got to try one meatball and it was delicious, which made it even worse that I only got one. My friend only got one too.
• The meatball was well browned and very meaty with no added fillers.
• It was a chunky meatball and it was very moist and well seasoned, but not particularly spicy or herby.
• The fried rice was really wet and mushy though, but it tasted good and was full of oyster mushrooms which I love.
• I actually couldn’t find any of the pig snout in the rice, so I’m not sure if that was all eaten by the time I got it, or if there just wasn’t much to begin with.
• It was a delicious dish, but the most impressive part were the meatballs.
• Had this been a Chinese restaurant, the fried rice would be more unforgivable.
• This was also the “non-adventurous Western dish”, but good is good. I liked it!
• If you like the sound of pig snout fried rice, you should also try the Sizzling Pork Sisig at Kumare.

Sweet & Sour Pork - 1.5/6

• I don’t get excited for it, but I actually don’t mind sweet and sour pork. Good versions of it do exist.
• There is a Western version and a Chinese version of it, the orange deep fried one (sometimes with pineapples) is the Western version.
• This was overly battered and soggy though and the pork was tough.
• The sweet and sour sauce was quite standard and not glowing orange which is nice, but it was really “mass-produced” and I wasn’t feeling it.

Crispy Pata/Fried Pork Hocks – n/a

• By the time I got the plate there wasn’t much left, so I’m not even going to rate it.
• If you like pork hock though, I’m going to recommend the Braised Pork Hock at Pink Thai Elephant.

Shredded Pork Pancakes - 3/6

• I didn’t even know there was supposed to be pork in these pancakes and I definitely which it had more.
• This was meant to be eaten with the apple and ginger sauce which I actually really liked. It tasted like a fresh puree of stewed apples and ginger and it was sweet and aromatic, but not spicy.
• An Asian restaurant would have served this with Hoisin sauce, but the apple sauce seemed like a German or Eastern European take.
• The ginger was Asian, but it generally tasted Western.
• I thought the pancakes were going to be like Malaysian roti or Shanghainese style crispy green onion crepes, but it was more like an American pancake.
• The pancakes were soggy and a bit doughy and I kept thinking how good they would be with some shredded potato if they were going to be Western anyways.
• It did have some green onions, but they were slightly bland.
• They were good in a buffet style context, but I wouldn’t be as pleased if I had ordered them a la carte.

Offal & Deep Fried Tofu – 4/6

• The deep fried tofu was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, but it was bland.
• It really need to be seasoned with 5 spice powder or even just salt and pepper especially since tofu is so bland already.
• It was topped with a delicious mixture of minced offal (liver, hearts, kidneys), and I could taste the liver which I like.
• The offal was the salt to this dish and it tasted very Chinese to me and sauteed with garlic, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil and topped with sesame seeds.
• It was a really great dish, but the tofu not being seasoned really limited its potential.

Whole Roasted Pig – 2/6

• Pork’s belly. It’s what everyone looks forward to and knows.
• Ohhh it’s hard to beat the Chinese BBQ places in Richmond serving this. I would compare them too because I think that’s what they were going for here.
• It was thick strips of fatty pork belly and the pieces at the end were almost pure fat.
• The best part of this was the crackling, or pork skin. It was crunchy like meat candy and I always love that part.
• The pork belly meat was really tough though and if it was my first time trying pork’s belly, I wouldn’t want to try it again.
• It was really chewy and I needed my knife.
• I just missed the Asian style Suckling Pig or the Porchetta at Meat and Bread which I guess is different though.
• It was also served with their house made green onion and ginger oil which is unusual to eat with roasted pork. I could see the theory, but there are better sauces to complement the pork belly.
• There was a sweet Japanese soy sauce and sesame vinaigrette which was great, but I would have liked some Hoisin sauce too.
• Totally different style, but the Maple Chipotle Tamarind Glazed Wild Boar Belly at Cobre is divine.

Asian Pear Strudel with Blood Chocolate Ice Cream – 4/6

• This was supposed to be a portion for 6. Six.
• Yes, I asked myself the same question, why are there only 4 scoops of ice cream? I asked it out loud too, and the response was “it’s really rich”.
• Richness isn’t really a concern for anyone at a Whole Hog Dinner, but the 4 small scoops of ice cream for 6 people was a bit stingy.
• The pastry for the strudel was delicious and it was super flaky, tender, sweetened and also not too thick.
• It was stuffed with some Asian pears, but they were too lightly seasoned and Asian pears need a lot of help because they’re quite watery and mild fruits.
• The blood chocolate ice cream tasted like a malted chocolate ice cream and I wouldn’t have even known there was pig’s blood in it. It didn’t have any flavour of pig’s blood, but it had that sort of grainy texture of the blood.
• It was good ice cream though, but I wish it wasn’t all melted too.
• It was a great dessert overall, but I wouldn’t mind more pork blood flavour and some bacon sprinkles on the strudel or just more flavour in the pears.
• It’s not dessert, but if you’re into pork’s blood, a great pork’s blood dish is also the Dinuguan at Kumare.

Restaurant: Taverne Gaspar
Cuisine: Canadian/French/British/Pub
Last visited: November 4, 2011
Location: Montreal, Quebec (Old Montréal)
Address: 89 Rue de la Commune Est
Price Range: $20-30

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5 (based on regular menu)
Service: 3
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• British Pub meets French Quebecois cuisine
• Casual, comfortable, lively
• Saint-Lawrence river view
• French & English menu
• Some Quebecois specialties
• Daily specials
• Good for sharing
• Good for groups
• Moderately priced
• Local beers/wine available
• Breakfast: everyday 6:30am – 10:30 am
• Sunday to Wednesday: 5:00pm – 11:00pm
• Thursday to Saturday: 5:00pm – 12:00am

**Recommendations: ”Popcorn” Sweetbreads, Brownie

It was my first night in Montreal and I was taken straight to Old Montreal, which is pretty much the most gorgeous part. The cobblestone streets and European architecture was a little taste of Europe and I thought all of Montreal looked like this. The area is full of nice restaurants and I know I could spend a good month trying them all out, and then have to walk back to Vancouver, BC because I’d be too poor to fly home.

All of the restaurants in Old Montreal looked like hidden gems with discrete signage, and some of the local favourites are always the ones that are tucked away, much like what I experienced in Europe, or anywhere for that matter.

Luckily on this occasion I was with locals, so I didn’t have to do any previous research or random guessing. I was invited on a Van Houtte Coffee Getaway and Taverne Gaspar was the restaurant choice for the evening.

It felt like a nice neighbourhood hang out with a relaxed atmosphere. The random dish drying cloths for napkins were unexpected, but I guess the bar environment can cause for spillage so they did come in handy. The menu is inspired by British gastropubs with French and Quebecois influences and it came off as British comfort food with a Quebecois twist. It wasn’t really a special restaurant, but I felt the French-Canadian flare and the menu was fun and easy to warm up to.

The group was quite large so everything came out family style which also means it was a bit “mass produced”. Therefore I never find it representable of what the restaurant can do, although it gives me an idea. The food was generally good until it got to the mains, which were perhaps a bit rushed, but there were a few things that I would go back for and it has potential. I wouldn’t put Taverne Gaspar as a priority on my foodie list for Montreal, but I’m also not getting British-Quebecois pub meets bistro food in Vancouver, so I still think it made for a good foodie experience.

On the table:

Spiced Mixed Nuts – 4/6

• $5
• I love nuts, but I usually wouldn’t order them alone since I’m not a beer drinker. These were simple, but good.
• It was mainly peanuts with some almonds, cashews and pecans and they were initially sweet and then mildly spicy.
• I enjoyed the seasonings and it wasn’t that candied or sugary and probably had more of a spice than it was sweet.
• I still snacked on these, but I mainly used them on top of the lobster roll, salads, green beans, carrots, lentils and brownie. These made all of them even better and gave it a nice kick!

Mixed Olives – 3/6