Restaurant: Soirette Macarons & Tea
Cuisine: French/Desserts/Coffee/Tea
Last visited: January 21, 2012
Area: Vancouver, BC (Robson Street/West End)
Address: 1433 West Pender Street
Train: Burrard Skytrain
Price range: $20-30 ($15-20 mains)

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

Food: 5
Service: 2.5
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 4.5
Additional comments:

• Specializes in macarons
• All natural ingredients
• Gluten-free
• No dyes
• Coffee/Teas
• Loose leaf tea
• On site bakery
• Limited menu
• Stylish/sophisticated
• Limited seating
• Tea/macarons gifts to go
• Mon-Fri: 10am-7pm
• Saturday 11am-6pm
• Sunday 11am-5pm

**Recommendations: Parisian Macarons

This is a definite feel good post! It had all the qualities I look for in a macaron. What? Did you think I was going to say “man”? C’mon this is Foodie in the City, not Sex in the City!

Anyways, I feel great, because I found something great! Thanks to Follow Me Foodie reader Heather for giving me the suggestion to try Soirette Macarons & Tea.

By now, I will fully admit that I have become a macaron snob. I denied it for so long, but the fact of the matter is, is that I’ve written a post called “The Perfect Parisian Macarons“, which details what exactly I look for in a macaron. I’ve also intentionally detoured to Point G in Montreal just because it was the most highly recommended macaron shop, and last, but definitely not least, is that I’ve stood in line for 2 hours on the fifth day of the opening for the first ever Ladurée in the United States (see my pathetic experience here). So what does this all add up to? A waste of time? No, but thank you… it just means I’m still not quite satisfied and can get extra picky on my Parisian Macarons now.

Opened by the former Executive Pastry Chef Shobna, who apprenticed and worked in several of the best pâtisseries, is Soirette Macarons & Tea. This cute, sophisticated and stylish macaron and tea boutique is the answer to my macaron fetish! I’ve tried Thierry, Thomas Haas, Kitchening with Carly, The Urban Tea Merchant, Stewart’s Bakery, French Made Baking, CinCin Ristorante +Bar, Jean-Georges, Bouchon Bakery, Ladurée, Point G, and a few other macarons from hotels and bake sales, and for me, this comes right after Point G which is my favourite thus far. It really comes down to personal tastes, but when there’s new talent… there’s new talent! And this one well deserves to be recognized.

Soirette Macarons & Tea specializes in handmade macarons that are baked on site. Macarons are best eaten 2 days after they’re baked and I’m quite sure they follow that “rule of thumb” here. They have to be made, stored and served at the right temperature and they’re fincky things to make (yes, I’ve made them before), so I see their value since they’re always quite pricey. I could sense the passion and see the technique at Soirette and they really have a sense of product control and quality, so I have high hopes they are consistent.

These were the only other desserts at the moment and I’m not sure if they plan to expand the menu. It would be nice to have variety, but at the same time I’m a fan of specialty shops. Specializing in a few things and making them the best? I like!

Just to put things into perspective to show where I’m coming from, I’m going to reiterate my blog post The Perfect Parisian Macarons. Here’s a quick recap of what I personally look for in a macaron.

What I look for in a Parisian Macaron:

1) Smooth shells with no cracks or bumps
2) Macarons that hold their shape and don’t fall apart when you pick them up
3) Feet (the rim or edges of a macaron)
4) A gap between the shell and the inside of the cookie (if no gap, should be still crisp)
5) A crisp thin shell that cracks like an egg shell
6) Moist, soft, tender and smooth inside
7) Sweetness (flavour of ground almonds and not just sugar)
8 ) Filling (ratio, chocolate/buttercream/jam)
9) Quality of ingredients (natural, local, fresh or extracts)
10) Freshness/shelf life (best eaten 1.5-3 days after it’s made, not fresh or stale)
11) Size (authentic ones are bite sized, but I’m not picky about this)

To be honest, it’s not even like macarons are my favourite cookie or anything, but for some reason I’ve just become obsessed with finding the perfect one. Maybe it’s just the “foodie” in me? And what kind of foodie would I be if I didn’t do my research for you? “Follow Me Foodie to Food That’s Okay”… ew, no thanks. Anyways thank goodness I can tell you to Follow Me Foodie to Soirette Macarons & Tea now!

On the table:

Organic Matcha Latte – 4/6 (Very good)

• Petite $4.50 Grande $5
• It’s organic and unsweetened and the petite glass could pass for grande size.
• For the portion and quality of matcha powder it was great, although the latte art could use some work.
• I personally could use more matcha powder, but I think it would be fine for most people.
• The sugar is sugar syrup rather than packaged granular sugar too.

**Parisian Macarons – 5/6 (Excellent)

• Single $2 Box of 6 $11.50 Box of 12 $22
• The only thing stopping me from giving the 6/6 is only because I wouldn’t mind the flavours a bit stronger and I found them quite mild at times. That’s why I prefer Point G.
• They were served at the right temperature and again they’re best 2 days after baked.
• I liked that they were fresh (not long shelf life) and used natural and real ingredients as opposed to artificial dyes and extracts.
• They were all relatively smooth with no cracks and an occasional bump which is fine.
• They held their shape and didn’t fall apart when you pick them up.
• They had nice looking vertical feet and little garnish. Well made macarons shouldn’t be able to hold a heavy garnish anyways, so this was good.
• They were slightly larger than authentic Parisian macarons (I’m not picky about size), but I’d still consider them rather bite sized and worth the price.

• The best part of all was that they were crisp! All 6 of them were crisp! It cracked like an eggshell when I bit into it.
• The crispness seems to be the hardest quality for me to find in a macaron, so I was ecstatic that I had found it. And it was consistent!
• There was a tiny gap which I like (debatable if it’s “okay” to have it), but even if there is no gap, it should still be crisp.
• The inside was moist, soft and tender and I could really taste the almonds and not just sugar.
• The ground almonds (what macarons are made out of) were so strong and aromatic. It was almost like marzipan, but not pasty or overly chewy.
• The filling was all chocolate based rather than buttercream based. This is quite classic for macarons and pricier than using buttercreams.
• I could have used more filing and again at times the flavours were mild, but I still loved the composition and overall technique of these macarons.

Matcha Parisian Macarons – I found this stronger in white chocolate ganache than I did matcha. High quality matcha powder, which they use, still requires quite a bit to get the full flavour, so I would have loved more matcha. It wasn’t too sweet and I could still taste the almonds which is fantastic. Pistachio Parisian Macarons – Pistachio is probably my favourite kind of macaron and I loved having actual pistachio nuts in it. It was a white chocolate buttery pistachio ganache and I wouldn’t mind a bit more pistachio paste in the filling. It was still undeniably pistachio and not just an extract, but I love that thick texture of real pistachio paste.

This one just came out of the back and it wasn’t quite at the right temperature to be enjoyed ideally, but they did give the warning which I appreciated.

Caramel Fleur de Sel Parisian Macarons – The salt was very mild and only in the very beginning, but it quickly went away. I definitely wouldn’t mind more salt, but I’m also very keen on sweet and salty combinations in desserts.

The buttery fluid caramel is in the centre and the rest is dark chocolate ganache and I could taste a good balance of both. It wasn’t too sweet, sticky or chewy and I could still taste the almonds. Another amazing caramel macaron is Kitchening with Carly’s Natural Almond Macaron with Rosemary Salted Caramel and Vanilla Cream.

Malibu Parisian Macarons – This was a coconut based macaron with a white chocolate ganache filling and and I could taste the coconut, but again I wouldn’t mind it stronger. If those dried coconut shreds on top had been a bit more toasted that would have helped. The almond flavour really came threw, but I was hoping for more filling and this one didn’t have much.

Mandarin Parisian Macarons – This one was beautiful, but again a bit thin on the dark chocolate ganache filling. The mandarin flavour was more fragrant and it wasn’t particularly citrusy or even very tart. I could still taste the almonds and the orange flavour tasted light, but real. I’m not keen on artificial orange with poor quality chocolate and this was none of that.

If you’re into pretty macarons, I would suggest checking out the ones at CinCin Ristorante +Bar by Executive Pastry Chef Christophe. The look like works of art.

Pink Peppercorn Parisian Macarons – The pink peppercorn was unique, but very mild. I couldn’t taste the heat until after I completely finished the macaron and really waited for it. Pink peppercorns aren’t spicy, but they do carry a nice heat, but this one was still mild.

Follow Me Foodie to National Peanut Butter Day!

It’s Everything and Anything Peanut Butter!

What? Are you serious? There’s a National Peanut Butter Day? Um, you mean you didn’t know? Just kidding! I actually just discovered the news yesterday, since yesterday was National Pie Day. What? Don’t tell me you didn’t know it was National Pie Day!? (*Ahem* Sh*t Foodies Say) But yes, yesterday was National Pie Day and today is National Peanut Butter Day, and tomorrow is what I thought was Wednesday… but now that I think, I think it’s National Pretzel Day. Oh no, sorry, that’s actually April 26. Geez, how could I mess that one up! Forgive me.

So how am I celebrating National Peanut Butter Day? Well actually how is anybody celebrating National Peanut Butter Day? I feel like it’s banned from almost every school nowadays. It’s funny because in China peanut allergies are extremely rare. Everything is cooked in peanut oil and peanuts are so common that people are likely immune to the allergy there. It’s almost like how Japanese women still eat raw fish when they’re pregnant and French women still each unpasteurized cheese. Anyways there are your “anti-peanutters” and then there are your peanut butter lovers! This post caters to the latter.

Personally, I’m not particularly crazy about peanut butter although I do like it! I eat it, I buy it and I order stuff with it, but I’m not a “must find the best peanut butter cookie ever” person… oh my gosh… *insert clip art for light bulb here*… I must find the best peanut butter cookie ever! Okay, so I’d still be up for the challenge and I think I’m just obsessed with food in general. It could be an obsessive compulsive thing, but that’s what makes this Follow Me Foodie! So here we go!

Note: These aren’t necessarily “the best”, but they’re good enough to remember and I’d gladly purchase them all over again!

Follow Me Foodie to Everything and Anything Peanut Butter!

Monkey Butter

Oh gosh. If you don’t like peanut butter, you will now! It’s homemade gourmet peanut butter that started in Vancouver by two sisters Kathleen and Gillian Gook. It’s a home business and you can only order online or through e-mail at the moment.

I discovered Monkey Butter at the One of a Kind Show in Vancouver over the holidays. I ended up sampling their six flavours: White Chocolate Raspberry peanut butter, Dark Chocolate Cherry peanut butter, White Chocolate Pretzel peanut butter, Dark Chocolate Banana peanut butter, Salted Caramel peanut butter and Maple Bacon peanut butter and ended up buying them all.

Personally my favourites were the White Chocolate Pretzel peanut butter which actually has little bits of crispy pretzels in it, the Salted Caramel peanut butter which is as good as it sounds, and the Maple Bacon peanut butter which has little bits of bacon in it. All of them have a great salty and sweet balance and they’re good enough to say goodbye to jam. Actually I didn’t even need the bread… a spoon was enough.

Follow Me Foodie Tasty Twist: Try heating some up and pouring it over ice cream.

Peanut Butter Hedgehog

The Peanut Butter Hedgehog cake ($7 slice, Whole cake $34-39) from Giovane Cafe + Bakery + Deli is pretty much what peanut butter and chocolate dreams are made of. This is Giovane’s most popular cake and it’s a Reece’s Pieces Peanut Butter Cup in gourmet cake form. It’s super thick, rich, creamy, moussey and indulgent cake. It’s almost a one biter, but it’s possibly one of the best peanut butter and chocolate bites you’ll ever have.

The Peanut Butter Sandwich

So I mentioned that peanut butter cookie search in my introduction, and not that I’ve started it, but this Peanut Butter Sandwich would be a serious contender! Butter Bakery is responsible for this over sized traditional peanut butter cookie that tastes “just like Grandma’s”. (If you think your grandma’s peanut butter cookie can compete, I’d like to meet her). “It’s two big soft peanut butter cookies with a creamy peanut butter filling… for serious peanut butter lovers” $2.75. They offer it in chocolate as well.

Follow Me Foodie Tasty Twist: I actually buy both, twist it like an Oreo and then swap the cookies so I have half chocolate and half peanut butter. Warm it up and eat it with banana ice cream or vanilla ice cream

Peanut Polvoron

I recently professed my love for Polvoron. They’re Filipino shortbread cookies made from toasted flour, milk, butter, and sugar cooked and then molded. The most famous ones are the house made ones from Goldilocks. Although Pinipig (Crispy Rice) Polovrons are my favourite, the peanut kind is also great! They taste like peanut butter shortbread cookies, but drier, softer, nuttier and much creamier.

PB&J Bon Bons

Deep fried peanut butter anyone? PB&J Bon Bons is a heavy dessert I had the pleasure on trying at Local 360 in Seattle. They’re super indulgent and more than one was enough for me. Thank goodness it was served with a shot glass of milk because I felt like Mr. Ed the talking horse. They’re good if I stop at one.

Peanut Butter Crunch Bar

This Peanut Butter Crunch Bar is actually from Cactus Club Cafe. It’s one of my favourite desserts and it used to be served with sour cream ice cream when they first introduced the Rob Feenie menu. It’s now served with traditional vanilla ice cream which saddens me, but it’s still good of course. C’mon people! Try something new!

Follow Me Foodie Tasty Twist: I go ahead and sprinkle a little table salt in the caramel. It’s that salted caramel and chocolate combination and of course fleur de sel is ideal, but I take what I can get. Use only a little bit because table salt is saltier and sharper than fleur de sel.

Chicken Karekare

Bet you weren’t expecting this? Chicken Karekare is a traditional Filipino dish and it tastes like a melted peanut butter stew. It’s chicken and vegetables in a rich and creamy peanut sauce and the one above is from Kumare Restaurant.

Peanut Butter

I had to save this one for last because it’s the best peanut butter dessert I’ve had to date. This peanut butter masterpiece was from Redd in Napa Valley, California. It was a milk chocolate gianduja bar, peanut honeycomb parfait milkshake, and chocolate hazelnut mousse on a bed of candied roasted peanuts sprinkled with a touch of fleur de sel. OMG. I’m jealous of myself right now! It’s been almost 2 years and I still remember it like yesterday.

Restaurant: Egg
Cuisine: Breakfast/Brunch/Diner/Eclectic/Southern/American
Last visited: September 10, 2011
Location: Brooklyn, New York (Williamsburg)
Address: 135 N 5th Street
Subway: Bedford Av
Price Range: $10 or less

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

Food: 4.5
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Eclectic menu
• Local ingredients
• Southern influenced
• Local favourite
• Busy at peak hours
• Casual
• Family friendly
• Cheap eats/budget friendly
• Beer/wine available
• Cash only
• Breakfast until 6pm every day.
• Lunch at 11:30am on weekdays and 3pm on weekends.
• Monday — Friday: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday & Sunday: 8 a.m. — 6 p.m.

**Recommendations: Eggs Rothko

Egg. It’s a beautiful thing. I’m not referring to the restaurant, but the actual thing. I love eggs. Seriously, I love them so much that if I had to pick one ingredient alone to eat for the rest of my life, an egg would be up for consideration. It doesn’t need salt and pepper and it still tastes good. Hard boiled, fried, scrambled or poached, they all taste different… I will eat them here and there, I will eat them ANYWHERE! (That was from Dr. Suess’ Green Eggs and Ham in case you didn’t get that).

Anyways, when I was planning my Follow Me Foodie to New York itinerary I discovered Egg in Brooklyn. Well, in that case Follow Me Foodie to Brooklyn too! I will travel for food and I will travel for Egg. Williamsburg in Brooklyn isn’t even far from Manhattan and one of my other favourite New York restaurants, Traif, was also found there.

Egg is a classic local favourite in the hipster part of Brooklyn called Williamsburg. Ironically it’s a trendy neighbourhood, but there are lots of independent restaurants worth exploring. Egg is probably one of the most popular for breakfast and brunch and there’s an expected line up during the weekends.

It’s a very casual and quaint restaurant featuring local ingredients showcased in an eclectic and Southern light. I expected every single menu item to feature an egg, but that’s not really the case. There are a good amount of menu items with eggs, but there’s also options without them. It didn’t have any more or any less egg options than a standard breakfast/brunch restaurant would normally have.

Brunch is a big deal in New York and it’s one of my favourite meal times. On the scale of popular and iconic brunch places I tried in New York, I liked it better than Prune and The Fat Radish, but The Spotted Pig was probably my favourite. This is the most casual and affordable out of the listed though. If you’re planning on checking out Williamsburg then I would recommend starting your day off at Egg. It’s nothing fancy, although there’s effort in the menu creations and it’s a charming place to experience brunch as a local.

On the table:

**Eggs Rothko – 6/6 (FMF Must try!)

• Easy-cooked egg in a slice of Amy’s brioche and topped with Grafton cheddar. Served with broiled tomatoes and a side of meat or seasonal vegetables $9
• This is their claim to fame and what convinced me to check out Egg.
• It’s one of the best “Egg on Toast” creations I’ve had. This was Egg IN Toast!
• The idea is brilliant and it’s not necessarily hard to do if you can find a great brioche, so it seems replicable at home too.
• It was a very hearty, rich and filling brunch that would put you right back to bed.
• Alright so were is the star of the show? Where is the egg?!

*Gasp* O.M.G. I don’t know if I’m more excited for the cheese pull or the thought of an egg nestled underneath it!

• It was a nice thick slice of super soft and fluffy toasted brioche with an egg buried underneath a layer of melted cheese.
• The brioche was a fantastic brioche. It was moist with a stretchy texture and buttery rich flavour.
• There was literally a hole cut out of the middle of the bread.
• The egg was cooked in the hole so that it was almost melded together with the bread.
• It was covered generously with lots of ooey gooey white cheddar cheese and the whole thing was intense with buttery flavours.
• The cheese oils absorbed right back into the already buttery brioche.
• The edges of the brioche were crispy and flaky and almost like a croissant, and then the rest was all soft and moist and melted in your mouth.
• It was one of the best ways to enjoy an egg and grilled cheese sandwich.

Yes! I had to get the picture. I love runny egg yolks and this would be perfect for my Runny Egg Yolk Series.

• The brioche was the perfect mop for the egg yolk sauce. I promise you this plate was dishwasher clean after I finished.
• The Eggs Rothko had everything going for it. Heaven. This was truly a slice of heaven and a step away from a heart attack.

• The middle of the brioche that was cut out for the egg, but it was not wasted.
• It was toasted and then served along side with room temperature broiled organic tomatoes on top.

• Your choice of a side of meat or vegetables? Why not top things off properly with bacon?
• I chose candied bacon and they were good quality too!
• They could have been crispier, but they were thick and meaty and a bit on the leaner side.
• They were nice and sweet and being Canadian it reminded me of maple bacon served at home.
• This one didn’t seem like maple though and I think it was honey or another type of syrup.
• It was a good balance of salty and sweet and even better eaten on top of the Eggs Rothko.

Country Ham Biscuit – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Country ham from Col. Bill Newsom’s Hams in Princeton, Kentucky. Served on a biscuit with homemade fig jam, Grafton cheddar, and a side of grits $8.50
• If you’ve tried Pine State Biscuits in Portland, Oregon, then you’ve already had your ride in the Ferrari. If you haven’t, then this is a tease.
• This was another very rich and hearty brunch item.
• I like grits (ground corn) and this one was organic and good, but it does get better.
• The grits were very cheesy with grated White cheddar cheese, but not creamy. I’m not sure if they maybe just sat for a bit longer than they should have.
• This was almost like mushy rice meets oatmeal and it was stiffer than I prefer.

• Again, since I’ve had a Pine State Biscuit, I wasn’t necessarily impressed with this biscuit sandwich, but it was still good.
• This was basically a gourmet ham and cheese biscuit sandwich.
• It was a flaky and buttery homemade buttermilk biscuit with crispy edges, but it was crumbly and a bit dry and perhaps over toasted.
• The ham was from Kentucky so it would be nice to have an actual local ham on the menu, but I can overlook it.
• The ham was a bit too salty and jerky like and I wasn’t keen on it especially with the drier biscuit.
• It was pretty cheesy which helped with the moisture and the sweet fig jam was a nice contrast to the salty ham.
• I just wanted more sauce to this and I felt like adding a fried egg in it.

Duck Hash – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• Duck leg confit with potatoes and green onions and served with 2 eggs any style $12
• Duck confit is one of my favourite things, so this had to be on the table… even if it was for breakfast.
• I had it with 2 poached eggs with runny yolks so that I would have the perfect dipping sauce to eat the hash with.
• The plate was a bit bare, but the flavours delivered.

• The hash was made almost like a hashbrown omelette, but instead of an egg it was shredded potatoes.
• Like a taco, the duck confit was shredded and folded into the hashbrown like shell. It probably could have used a bit more duck for $12 though.
• The hasbrowns were crispy, but not over fried and the inner layer was tender moist shredded potatoes.
• The duck confit was creamy, juicy, not too salty and well seasoned and although basic, it was very good.
• I would have loved this to come with a side of apple sauce and sour cream… almost like a latkes or rosti would be served.

Seared Rabbit Sausage - 4/6 (Very good)

• With Goatfell chard pea tendril poached duck egg and heirloom tomato $12
• This was the special of the day.
• I love rabbit and if you haven’t had it, it tastes like chicken.
• The house made rabbit sausage was a bit inconsistent though. Some pieces were moist and juicy, while others at times dry.
• Rabbit is leaner than chicken though so naturally it might be a bit drier.
• It was good sausage and it was well seasoned with a nice herby thyme flavour and perhaps some chili flakes, but it wasn’t spicy.
• The organic chard pea tendril was sauteed with garlic and it was slightly tangy from perhaps some lemon or vinegar.
• Although very good, I just wanted something more to this dish like nugget potatoes sauteed in grainy mustard or even more heirloom tomatoes.

For dessert I ended up at an authentic hole in the wall Polish bakery called Northside Bakery (149-151 North 8th Street, Brooklyn, NY). This was the kremówka papieska (Papal Cream Cake) which is basically a Napolean. It was a huge triple decker sized sandwich slice of pastry for about $2 and the custard was ultra rich and thick. The place had a steady flow of old time Polish customers and while the dessert was good, I think the highlight is supposed to be the bread.

Restaurant: L’Abattoir
Cuisine: French/West Coast/Pacific Northwest/Eclectic
Last visited: December 18, 2011
Area: Vancouver, BC (Gastown/Downtown)
Address: 217 Carrall Street
Train: Stadium-Chinatown Skytrain
Price range: $30-50 ($25-28 Mains)

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

Food: 5
Service: 4
Ambiance: 4.5
Overall: 5
Additional comments:

• French-West Coast cuisine
• Innovative/creative cuisine
• Seasonal/local menu
• Casual fine dining
• Sophisticated, but not stuffy
• Moderately priced
• Award winning
• Popular for cocktails
• Full wine bar
• Nut free restaurant
• Late night hot spot
• Reservations recommended
• Monday – Saturday 5:30pm – 10:00pm
• Bar service until midnight
• L’Abattoir – Post/Visit 1

**Recommendations: Poached Egg with Burgundy Truffle, Pan Fried Veal Sweetbreads on Toast, Hanky Panky Cocktail, Confit of Albacore Tuna, Raw Pacific Oysters, Poached Egg, Caramelized Bananas

If you’re invested in Vancouver’s food scene, it’s likely that you’ve tried one of Gastown’s favourite and most raved about restaurants. L’Abattoir opened July 2010 and was recently named one of Canada’s Best New Restaurants of 2011 by EnRoute Magazine. I don’t know what their definition of a year is… but, sure. Joining this Top 10 list is also  Hawksworth Restaurant and Van Horne in Montreal which I checked out a couple months ago – see here. Anyways I paid a visit to L’Abattoir earlier last year (see here), and it was time for a revisit and an update.

In a nutshell, L’Abattoir is basically the restaurant Yaletown wished they had, Main Street secretly wished they had, and Gastown is pleased to have. For non-locals that just means it’s a happening, independent, hipster, but not so hipster restaurant that is somewhat disguised as non-pretentious, but is somewhat still a bit pretentious.

It’s a nice neighbourhood restaurant for those carrying a bit of extra cash, or for those living paycheque to paycheque, but enjoy the fancy things in life. Welcome to Vancouver! Memberships are free.

It’s casual fine dining with West Coast inspired French cuisine that is more or less appropriately priced for the area and style. It’s rich for West Coast standards, but not for classic Northern French standards. The portions are slightly on the small side as expected, but it’s fresh, creative, local and well delivered.

There were a few risks and exotic meats, slight variations on similar rich sauces and creamy melt in your mouth textures in most dishes. The circular presentation and simple use of vegetables were usually used as delicate decor or pretty confetti, and I can’t help but to to think there is a slight disinterest for fruits, vegetables, and nuts. The nuts I get because chef is apparently deathly allergic, but everything is somewhat catered for a carnivorous appetite. It’s food for the metrosexual man disguised under a subtle prettiness that women would awe at and men would find sexy. Pretty sexist comment, but… yeah it’s just a pretty sexist comment.

Personally, my feelings haven’t really changed since my first visit. The food was great, but I still wouldn’t mind the envelope being pushed further especially with the name L’Abattoir which means slaughterhouse. There is still somewhat of a safeness and I just wanted it to commit even more and introduce me to new things that I’ve really never had before. It’s new and creative, but also not really a “step ahead” and I kind of expect that result at a restaurant like this. On the other hand I’d still recommend it, support it, and I appreciate it for being consistent and “pretty”.

On the table:

Complimentary Bread Basket

• It’s everyone’s favourite bread basket!
• It’s also due to the fact that there are hardly any restaurants in Vancouver making their own bread and giving it away free.
• It was pretty much just as I remembered, the same variety, served warm and still complimentary.
• Anchovy Twist: This was still my favourite and most interesting for me and the anchovy flavour was much stronger than last time. It was a soft, flaky, very buttery and savoury puff pastry twist with a prominent salty anchovy flavour.
• Bacon Brioche: It’s a soft brioche with diced bacon rolled into it and the bacon tastes more like ham since it’s not crispy. It was okay, but I still don’t find it as light, buttery or fluffy as a traditional brioche should be.
  
• Sesame Crisp: The flatbread crisp tastes Indian or Middle Eastern and it was spiced with lots of smoky cumin, sesame seeds and poppy seeds, but the cumin is strongest. I liked it then and I like it now!

**Confit of Albacore Tuna – 5.5/6 (Excellent!)

• Smoked pork fat, egg, crispy bits $13
• Personally, that description translates to “order me”.
• This is one of their permanent menu items and I’ve had it in the past too.
• I stopped reading after I saw “confit”. Anything “confit” is usually on my table.
• If salads were this exciting all the time I would order them a lot more often.

• It was an ultra buttery, rich, creamy and savoury melt in your mouth piece of tuna.
• The whole piece of tuna was marinated with a lemon herb sauce on top, which I didn’t take too much notice of last time, but it was more apparant this time. It helped ease the richness of the fish.
• There were salty crispy cubes of airy light juicy pork fat that played their role as croutons! This idea is also being used at Hapa Umi too now – see their Tonkatsu Caesar.
• The pork cracklings held their oils so eaten with the tuna it gave juicy salty bites that enhanced the smokiness in the tuna.
• These crispy cubes of pork fat aren’t as intense or as the crunchy as the “cracklings” from Meat & Bread, but they’re different style and they sure do its job in this dish regardless.
• The flavour was so well developed via cooking methods and the textures were fantastic.
• There was a thick tangy lemon aioli on the side that just added to the tuna’s buttery texture and the tang just helped bring out the fish’s natural flavour. The dish didn’t even really need much of it though.
• The egg was actually interpreted as white cubes, and the texture was like marshmallows.
• It could have been made with egg whites and they were a bit spongy like soggy bread, but in a good way.
• I think a quail’s egg would have been nice, but I also think the yolks may have been used to develop the richness in the lemon aioli it was served with.
• As rich as it was, it didn’t feel heavy and the wild arugula and tanginess helped balance it out.

**Poached Egg with Burgundy Truffle - 5.5/6 (Excellent!)

• Potato gnocchi, leeks, pecorino $18
• If there’s a poached egg being served at dinner, it’s likely it’ll be on my table.
• Last time I had their Poached Egg - Smoked potato, red onion marmalade, potato granola which I preferred even more than this one, but this one was still excellent.
• It’s a hot appetizer and the size isn’t enough as a main, but the flavours, textures and components certainly are.
• The description sounded rich and hearty and so did the presentation. This was comfort food.
• I’m a lover of rich foods, but even this was hard for my heart.
• The concept sounded almost over decadent (if there’s such a thing) with potato gnocchi, a rich, creamy, thick sauce, and last, but not least topping it all with an egg.
• It was serious business and heavy food.

• Oh god yes. The poached egg seemed sous vide and it was perfect with the white part being bubbly and fluid the pool of yolk being ultra runny giving the dish another layer of sauce. It could join my Egg Yolk Series.
• The gnocchi was topped with a super creamy thick sauce that was almost like a hybrid of hollandaise, béarnaise, pommes puree, and truffle mayo. It was heavy and as thick as pudding.
• The egg yolk actually helped thin out the creamy sauce, so that just tells you how thick it was. It wasn’t thick enough to hold up a fork, but it was almost like melted mashed potatoes.
• The gnocchi was such a heavy choice of pasta to use and it was more of a creamy gnocchi than a fluffy one. A gnocchi is needed to hold this sauce though.
• They were lightly pan fried, but not really crispy and they were moist and good, but just super rich with the sauce and runny egg.
• It would’ve been nice if the gnocchi was made with some nettle or basil to give it that freshness.
• It didn’t have the authentic fork ridges which is an aesthetic I appreciate, but can overlook.
• As for the gnocchi itself, the best gnocchi I’ve had is still from Federico’s – see Gnocchi Pomodoro.
• Thank goodness for the crispy leeks to give it some texture and I actually wouldn’t mind some deep fried capers, a drizzle of balsamic, or something tangy to help break up the textures and flavours even more.
• I’m a bit curious to see how that sauce would have turned out had it been a silky smooth cauliflower and celeriac root puree with a bit thinner texture.
• There was a hint of truffle oil (I think), and then shaved Burgundy truffle on top.
• For $18 it would be nice to get the truffle shaved at table side, but this was still good.
• I wouldn’t mind more of the pecorino since I totally forgot it was in there and couldn’t taste it.
• If anything I would say it had a cheesy texture, but not flavour and it’s such a strong cheese to start with.
• It was no doubt a delicious dish if you have a palate for creamy rich foods.

**Pan Fried Veal Sweetbreads on Toast – 6/6 (FMF Must Try!)

• Sauce gribiche with veal tongue $14
• Well hello there. There is a major lack of love for sweetbreads in Vancouver, so I was pleased to see these on the menu. Yes please!
• This was probably my favourite thing of the night.
• It was a thin and crispy grilled brioche toast spread with a layer of sauce gribiche (an egg salad, pickles and smashed caper spread that almost tastes like egg salad and tartar sauce) mixed with minced veal tongue, topped with pan fried sweetbreads, shallots, chives and drizzled with a syrupy sweet and tangy demi glace or pan jus.
• There were so many things going on and it was again quite rich and heavy so I wouldn’t want any bigger than this.
• The egg salad spread (sauce gribiche) made this even more filling than it already was with 3 sweetbreads laid over top.
• The only thing I wasn’t keen on was the execution of the sweetbreads.
• The sweetbreads weren’t very crispy and they were quite meaty rather than pillowy, creamy and light.
• I loved the crunchy textures and creamy spread and there was a nice pickled flavour going on and the sweetness came from the demi glace.
• Everything was just super saucy and it had a good amount of fresh parsley to give it aromatics.
• The veal tongue was almost a waste though because I couldn’t taste it and it just felt a bit pointless.
• The veal tongue I tried by itself, and alone it was ultra tender like tofu but I just wanted more presence from it.
• If the veal tongue was shaved and placed on top of the toast, that might have done it. With the egg salad it would almost be a bit Russian.
• I was imagining this with a mini sous vide quail’s egg on top of each sweetbread… oh god, see I told you I had a rich palate.
• Not comparable, but if you like sweetbreads, the best one I’ve had to date is the Coffee Glazed Sweetbread from Le St-Urbain.

Steak Diane – 5/6 (Excellent)

• Charred onions, potato fondant, peppercorn condiment $27
• I rarely order steaks unless I’m at a steakhouse. It takes 10 minutes to make and if you have a good supplier it’s something I can make at home.
• On the other hand, this steak was impressive for what it was and I could see it’s value.
• Steak Diane or sexy Diane? The sleek black slate it was presented on just made the dish look even more stylized than it was.
• The way it was plated almost looked like it was meant to be shared, so I took half.
• The filet mignon was sous vide and the fat was well marbelized, but it was still a bit chewy and not as tender as it tasted or looked. I think it might have been just the quality of the filet mignon.
• It was bright pink and since it’s sous vide it comes medium rare.
• It was good, but not an excellent quality steak.
• So instead of a traditional salt and pepper crust, or steak rub, there was a pile of peppercorns. It had to be executed this way since it was sous vide.
• The pieces were topped with a variety of crunchy and nutty deep fried peppercorns so it was very aromatic, fruity from the pink peppercorns and then spicy with a flavourful peppery heat.
• It would be great if there were some fried juniper berries as well because I always find that to be an amazing match with all red meats.
• It came with a syrupy well reduced demi glace or red wine reduction. It was sweet, tangy and savoury and it tasted the same as the one drizzled on the sweetbreads.
• I prefer potato fondant to frites and onion rings, so I was on board.
• The potato fondant was exactly how a potato fondant should be.
• It had a shallow cut which allowed it to get crispy and creamy during the confit process. It was creamy and buttery and not dry or noticeably pre-made.
• It would be interesting to have a bit of deep fried panko crumbs or crispy onions to mimic a deconstructed onion ring though.
• The grilled onions were caramelized and charred and they sat on top of a creamy and rich onion and thyme gel which tasted like an herby bechamel.
• The onion and thyme gel almost tasted like a sweet velvety smooth pommes puree meets a creamy rich bechamel and it was one of the highlights of the entire meal.
• It had that je ne sais quoi since the thyme was infused and not actually visible, but when you knew it was thyme, you really knew it was thyme.
• The onion and thyme gel just neutralized the peppercorns and it was almost the “mashed potatoes” to the steak. They added a richness which couldn’t and wouldn’t want to be denied.
• I would have loved another vegetable like green beans or golden beets for colour as well.
• The last component was a bone marrow croquette.
• The croquette had a crispy panko exterior and the inside was almost like a very finely minced rice pilaf with what seemed and tasted like rice, mushrooms, parsley, onions, and chestnuts.
• I was hoping for more of the meaty marrow flavour to come through and I would have preferred a bone marrow risotto croquette instead. It wasn’t dry, but it was mealy and I think creamy would have been great.

Boneless Quail and Crispy Chicken Sausage Roll – 4/6 (Very good)

• Roast foie gras, mushrooms, cauliflower $27
• The portion for this looks quite small, but it is quite rich. Foie gras? Yes please!
• I had a hard time figuring out what direction it was going in even though it was presented in a streamline.
• I’m quite  indifferent about this dish because parts of it worked and parts of it were hard to understand.
• It showcased 3 types of birds which included chicken, duck, and quail.
• I almost wanted 3 types of duck, like a confit leg, rillette or pate, and foie gras. I would have been all over that!
• The veggies were pan fried chanterelles and simple cauliflower florets and I was hoping for a bit more colour from maybe fava beans and love for the veggies in general. I do love golden chanterelles though and I appreciated them there.
• I just couldn’t find the thread with all the components and it just seemed slightly random and separate.

• The quail was executed like their Loin of Rabbit Stuffed with its Legs dish.
• It was cooked medium rare and the inside was a bit gelatinous and chewy, but I still enjoyed it more or less.
• The quail was very tender, but a tad fatty and it was drizzled with the same demi glace, or slight variation of the ones served with the sweetbreads and Steak Diane.
• Again I saw another rich, creamy and velvety bechamel like sauce, but this time it tasted like a cauliflower puree with a bit of lemony tang. It was slightly different, but almost the same as the onion and thyme gel from the Steak Diane.

• Foie gras should always be the star of the show if it’s on the plate, so I found it a bit under appreciated as a “chopstick holder” for the cigar wrapped chicken roll.
• The foie gras was a fair portion and it was simply pan seared, which I think is fantastic!
• However I wanted it served with either some sweet fruit puree or over a bed of sliced pears or apples.
• I was also looking for something acidic to help cut the richness of it, so something pickled would have been great.
• The foie gras was good as it normally is, but I just felt like there was more room for it to be showcased in a better light.
• The chicken sausage roll was my least favourite of the trio, and I wasn’t keen on this component.
• It was almost like a pureed chicken meatball and it seemed steamed and almost the texture of spongy tofu or a light omelette and it was perhaps heavy on the egg.
• It didn’t taste like chicken and in the context of a crispy spring roll I was quite lost.
• If it was stuffed with duck sausage, duck rillette, or some veal chicken and pork sausage that might have done it.
• I’m not sure if they wanted a light component to go with the rich and buttery foie gras, but I just found it a bit out of place.

Pork Shoulder Cooked in Milk – 4/6 (Very good)

• Turnips, salsa verde $25
• See! Again! The pretty confetti of simply treated veggies. In this case it was with baby turnips and a couple pearl onions.
• It was a fairly large portion, at least out of the mains, but I felt like it was missing a component or extra ingredient.
• I was told it was a rich and hearty dish… well then, that’s pretty much perfect.
• However it wasn’t as rich as I was imagining and it didn’t have a rich creamy bechamel like sauce like everything else had.
• It did have an herb oil and syrupy sweet, salty and tangy pan jus or demi glace again though.
• One of my favourite parts of this dish was actually the kale.
• There was some sauteed kale and they were super juicy! They completely absorbed all the sauce as if it were bread.

• I ditched my knife with the pork.
• The two chunks of pork shoulder were extremely tender and I was curious what would happen if they used coconut milk. This was just regular milk though.
• It doesn’t taste like milk or anything, but milk just helps with the tenderization of the meat.
• The pork didn’t have a particular flavour, spice, or herb besides the sauce it was served in and the salsa verde.
• The pork was melting as I shredded it with my fork and it was a beautiful thing.
• It wasn’t too fatty or lean and it was incredibly moist and juicy.
• It was topped with a significant amount of salsa verde which was strong with tangy smashed capers, cilantro, mint, vinegar and onions.
• The salsa verde was really sharp and acidic and I found it a bit too acidic and strong.
• I almost wanted an avocado puree or compressed yogurt to help neutralize the tangy salsa verde.
• There was a bit of chili flake in it too, but it wasn’t spicy and very mild in heat.
• It ended up really overwhelming the pork and I kept just tasting salty capers and tangy vinegar and the pork wasn’t that rich to need that much contrast.
• The pork was great, but the salsa verde was only okay with the pork.
• I wouldn’t mind swapping some shaved turnips for a few shaved radishes for the extra spice too.
• Personally, my favourite pork dish of the season (probably the richest too) is the Pork Confit Shoulder at Hawksworth Restaurant.

Desserts

What!? Where are they? I know. I know. They sounded amazing and the table next to me had this pear tart for 2 that looked heavenly, but I had reservations at CinCin for dessert. I planned on making a major dent in their dessert menu since they recently got a new pastry chef after Thierry opened Thierry. So no worries, I passed here, but I didn’t forget to balance my diet.

Restaurant: Blue Hill
Cuisine: French/American/Fine Dining/Local
Last visited: September 12, 2011
Location: Manhattan, NY (Greenwich Village)
Address: 75 Washington Place
Nearby subway stops: W 4th Street
Price Range: $50+

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

Food: 5.5-6
Service: 5
Ambiance: 5
Overall: 5.5
Additional comments:

• Farm inspired fine dining
• Local ingredients/Seasonal menus
• Family owned
• 2 locations
• Elegant/Sophisticated
• Executive Chef/Co-Owner Dan Barber
• 1 Michelin Star
• Top 10 Best Lists
• Multiple award winning
• Hidden gem/Local favourite
• Wine list
• Reservations highly recommended
• Monday thru Saturday, 5:30 pm – 11:00 pm
• Sunday, 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm

**Recommendations: Try to visit the Blue Hill Stone Barns location. Reservations must be made months in advance. Chilled Corn Soup, Berkshire Pig, Stone Barns “Freedom Ranger” Chicken, or the Farmer’s Feast (Tasting Menu).

It’s fine dining in New York, but away from New York. It would have been even more so if I made reservations at their other location in Stone Barns. Blue Hill has 2 locations in New York, one in Manhattan and one 30 miles north of New York City in Stone Barns. It’s an all year working farm, education centre and on site restaurant which features no formal menu, but a list of 100 seasonal farm ingredients to choose from. I still plan to visit it one day because the experience is completely different from the Blue Hill in Manhattan, but you need to make reservations months in advance.

Blue Hill was another restaurant that didn’t show up on my original Follow Me Foodie to New York itinerary. Once again I got the recommendation from the head chef at Jean-Georges, who had already given me amazing recommendations for Peasant and Dessert Club, ChikaLicious, both of which I loved. Well actually I got the recommendation from him and Jean-Georges’ brother, Phillipe Vongerichten, who had recently celebrated his birthday at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. So, it was quite the recommendation that needed little convincing to take up.

It was my last dinner in New York and I wanted something memorable. I already had 11 days of gastronomical magic, so this was supposed to be the icing on the cake. Blue Hill is a hidden gem that experienced foodie locals know about and tourists have yet to discover. I wanted my trip to end with passionate food, wrapped around a great experience, topped with exceptional service, and garnished with something uniquely New York, and that’s more or less what I got here.

Tucked away on a rather quiet residential area of Manhattan and away from the noise is Blue Hill. It’s a 1 Michelin Star restaurant and it’s not as hyped as many of the other fine dining restaurants in Manhattan, which is kind of part of its charm. (I took this photo at the end of the night, but otherwise the restaurant was fully booked).

Blue Hill was definitely one of my better fine dining experiences globally. However the concept of “farm to table” dining is really nothing new to me being from Vancouver, BC. Even the idea of dining on farmland isn’t particularly foreign, and quite often our local restaurants will have dinners where you can even meet and greet the local farmers and artisans. With Market Mondays at Raincity Grill, Gumboot Dinners at Seasonal 56, and even places like Krause Berry Farms, where you’re actually picking the fruits and vegetables on the farm, I must say we often don’t know how good we have it until it’s taken away. I must mention La Traite and  Au Goût d’Autrefois in Quebec too since those are the best farm to table experiences I’ve had on the East Coast to date.

Of course I appreciate, value and support the philosophy of farm to table and the restaurants embracing it, but it has to mean something when they do it. Almost every restaurant is “farm to table” or “100 Mile Diet” these days and at times it can feel like a whole marketing “thing”. Personally when I dine “farm to table” I like it casual, on big long wooden communal tables, with big portions served family style, and fresh flowers over candlelight… and sometimes outdoors (I say sometimes because I hate bugs and I get cold easily).

Blue Hill in Manhattan was certainly still a rewarding choice, but Blue Hill at Stone Farms is the real experience. I haven’t been there yet myself, but I’ve researched, read and spoke with others about it and already I felt the difference. I think I would have felt the heart and passion of the restaurant at Stone Farms even more, and here I saw and tasted it in the food, but I didn’t absorb it in the ambiance. I probably would have even tasted it more at Stone Farms since the ingredients have less of a distance to travel and are probably picked when ripe. Regardless, in the end it really depends on what you’re looking for and by no means was I disappointed in what I got here.

On the table:

Complimentary Bread & Butter

• These warm mini house made baguettes were so good they almost had me full before the amuse bouche even started.
• They are super crunchy and crusty on the outside and soft, fluffy and chewy inside.
• They weren’t tough to chew and they had great flavour and a bit of salt.
• Even the butter was better. It was freshly churned and it was sharper, saltier, grassier and likely from a grass fed cow.

• The baguettes came with 3 other condiments: whipped lardo with paprika, homemade butter, and dehydrated tomato powder with salt.
• They had me at the bread, but the butter was even better. I was just impressed with the attention and care to detail.
• Whipped lardo with paprika – this was really greasy and it just tastes like pork rinds, but it was too rich for me and I needed more paprika. It was what it was though.
• Homemade butter – This butter was different than the one they served once I sat down. This one was sweeter and almost less sharp, but still grassy.
• Dehydrated tomato powder with salt – It was tangy like sun dried tomato and smoky from paprika and maybe chipotle and the spice lingered. I could eat it by the spoonful and it wouldn’t be salty, so it was light with the salt. I could use it on popcorn and I liked it!

Amuse Bouche – Summer Vegetables

• Romaine, Baby Summer Squash, Baby Cucumber, Heirloom Cherry Tomato, Gooseberry
• Apparently they do this at Blue Hill at Stone Barns too.
• It really set the tone for dinner and it was the perfect amuse bouche to represent the restaurant.
• It might seem crazy to go in detail about each vegetable, but each one was treated differently.
• Romaine – It was a crisp romaine heart seasoned with salt and pepper which had already dissolved, but it was nice.
• Baby Summer Squash – It was crunchy and raw, but also treated.
• Baby Cucumber – It was crunchy, salted and tangy, but not really pickled and there was a mild heat of paprika.
• Heirloom Cherry Tomato – It was juicy, very acidic and also seasoned.
• Gooseberry – It was very sweet and almost like honey and it was great to end with.

Amuse Bouche – Tomato Ricotta & Almond Cheeseburgers

• Cute! The entire meal was very good, but this little amuse bouche was one of my highlights.
• The buns tasted like a moist, ground almond marzipan cake. It was sweet like cornbread, but definitely almond in flavour.
• They were filled with fresh tomato sauce, fluffy, soft and creamy ricotta, and a bit of frisee.
• They were delicious! It was nutty, sweet, salty, tangy and just full of flavour and fresh good quality ingredients.
• Some slivered almonds would have made for great crunch and texture, but I’m not complaining.

Amuse Bouche – Dark Chocolate Glass Brûlée Shell Sandwiches with Paté

• The amuse bouche was gradually getting better and I didn’t even expect anything more after the mini “cheeseburgers”.
• I love paté and I’ve had it in many forms, but this was one of the most memorable!
• Again the sweet and salty was so well played.
• It was fatty, buttery and creamy pork paté and the paté wasn’t particularly the highlight, but the whole thing overall was brilliant.
• The flavours complemented so well with contrasting flavours and textures.
• It was almost like dessert, but almost like a savoury appetizer and I’ve never had anything like it.
• The crisp dark chocolate brûlée was almost like crackling on a suckling pig.
• The chocolate brûlée was sweet initially followed by bitter charcoal flavours. It gave an earthy and smoky tone to the rich salty pork.
• It was the savoury version of an ice cream sandwich ideal for any carnivore.
• If you’ve never tried pork and chocolate it’s delicious. Try chocolate covered bacon strips, cocoa rubbed pork tenderloin or chicken and mole sauce. The idea is already there, but this interpretation was the best I’ve tasted for it.

Amuse Bouche – Chilled Corn Soup – 6/6

• Chanterelle mushrooms, pancetta ($15 a la carte)
• ‘hnakl;dnlgkna OMG. Delicious! Things were just getting better and better and I didn’t even think it was possible.
• I’ve had chilled corn soup before, and we get amazing corn on the West Coast, but this was the best chilled corn soup I’ve ever had.
• It tasted like pure corn juice.
• It was refreshing and clear, not like a creamy chowder, and almost like a watered down smoothie and very slightly starchy.
• It tasted like they had taken the corn right from the backyard and hand squeezed each kernel after cooking it.
• The soup was incredibly sweet and juicy and sweeter than eating corn off the cob. It was naturally sweet too though.
• I could taste a hint of white pepper that was almost unnoticeable and it was absolutely delightful.
• I was drinking this like my last sip of water.
• This was one of the highlights from my whole New York trip and it was an amuse bouche!

String Beans, Peaches and Nectarines – 5/6

• Homemade Lardo, Fennel and Cucumber $18
• I rarely order salads, but this was recommended and at a restaurant emphasizing farm vegetables, it’s usually a sure bet and something to try.
• It was fresh and well dressed with thick and fruity quality olive oil, a minty dill vinaigrette and some balsamic vinegar.
• The salad was incredibly aromatic and herby and the greens were interesting, which is what I look for in a salad at a fine dining restaurant.
• There were various types of snow peas, different kinds of skinny green beans, strong dill and parsley.
• The cucumbers were perfectly cut in rounds and they were super crunchy and pickled with a mild licorice flavour from the fennel or anise.
• The tender and juicy nectarines and peaches were also perfectly char grilled with criss cross marks, but only on one side which I found unusual.
• The only thing is that the fruits were a bit tart so I’m not sure if they were vine ripened, but at last they weren’t mushy.
• The peaches and nectarines were infused with spices like coriander and cumin and the vinaigrette had a lemony tang so it was a nice refresher.
• The lardo was basically the bacon bits, but there weren’t many. I would have loved some nice cubes of pork cheek croutons!
• There were good crunchy textures and summer flavours, and I did like it, but I wanted a bit more to this salad.
• It was very herby and tangy, so perhaps some candied nuts, crumbled goat’s cheese or blue cheese with a touch of wildflower honey would have done it.

Grilled Mackerel – 5/6

• Cherry Tomatoes, Preserved Lemon and Hazelnuts $18
• The presentation was beautiful! The portion was larger than expected too.
• I was ready to get lost in this random yet organized maze of perfectly cut and grilled mackerel.
• The herbs included chervil, parsley, tarragon, and chives and it was another herby appetizer. I liked it being herby though and it enhanced the farm to table theme.
• Mackerel is such a strong tasting fish with a prominent fish flavour, so it always works well with lots of herbs. However, this mackerel wasn’t fishy tasting and it was actually clean and mild in flavour.

• The skin was chargrilled, crispy and almost puffy and the fish was pretty much sashimi rare. It was almost Western style aburi (seared sashimi) and it tasted like ahi tuna.
• I could taste the burnt charcoal that gave the appetizer such an earthy tone. The tangy preserved lemon and acidic burst of cherry tomatoes balanced out that earthiness.
• In between the pieces of fish were dollops of fruity olive oil with crunchy toasted hazelnuts and dressed micro herbs.
• The hazelnuts made for great texture and it was interesting eating them with the mackerel.
• It was almost like a deconstructed interpretation of a pesto, and I loved all the flavours, but it was missing a sweetness again.
• I like to taste salty, tangy, and sweet in my dishes so I just wanted that missing note, but I still loved it.

**Stone Barns “Freedom Ranger” Chicken – 5/6

• Cannellini Beans, Zucchini, Corn and Pancetta $36
• The “Freedom Ranger” chicken is a breed of chicken which started in France and it’s known for its premium taste and quality since it is raised in a free range and slow growth environment. The bird is naturally inclined to go outside.
• I know chicken can be such a sleeper on the menu, but I’m telling you, it’s making a come back! People are making them shine and if you’re served a good quality chicken, it has a ton of flavour.
• This chicken was not just a sous vide chicken, but this was treated a bit differently and it was made interesting.
• The thigh and breast were executed differently.
• The thigh was poached in olive oil and the breast in buttermilk so both were incredibly tender and soft.
• The chicken skin on the thigh was crispy and it kind of reminded me of Chinese style “Crispy Chicken” and it was infused with herbs and I think some thyme because it was a bit fruity, lemony and tangy.
• The breast was poached in buttermilk and it was a bit smaller which is typical of Freedom Ranger chickens.
• The breast was drizzled with a sauce that tasted like a bacon caramel sauce. It was viscous and gelatinous chicken au jus and it was thick, syrupy and well reduced.
• The chicken breast was silky smooth and almost like tofu it was so tender, but the flavour of the thigh was just superior (probably because it was dark meat too).
• It was served with a succotash made with firm cannellini beans, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, sweet pops of corn and crispy salty pancetta served over a creamy bed of velouté, which is my favourite type of sauce.
• Velouté is basically a béchamel like cream and butter sauce and it was silky smooth like velvety rich and creamy pommes puree.
• The succotash was another highlight and I could have eaten 10 bowls of it. They should offer it as a side dish.
• There’s just something about corn, bacon and velouté that will have you at your knees.

**Berkshire Pig - 6/6

• Peaches, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes and Shiitake Mushrooms $36
• This was probably the best version of a Berkshire Pig I’ve had. It was definitely worth it.
• It featured various cuts of the pig and it was almost like an individual serving of a Whole Hog Dinner.
• Being Asian, I’m used to eating all parts of the animal, but I still really enjoyed this dish on a Western level. They did a great job!
• Clockwise from 12 o’clock: Jowl, snout, tenderloin, shoulder
• I’m pretty sure all of it was sous vide again at one point and it was served with a salty and sweet pork jus reduced with some wine.
• It was served with a side of chargrilled sweet corn, peaches, tomatoes and Shiitake mushrooms
• The jowl was my favourite and it tasted like Chinese roasted pork or suckling pig. It was better than the toriniku (pork cheeks) at Ramen Santouka.
• It was creamy, buttery, juicy and almost 70% fat, but the whole thing just melted and it wasn’t gelatinous or chewy at all! I could have spread it on bread like butter.
• The pork skin was crunchy like candy and well caramelized and the meat was silky smooth and it was literally melting oils on the plate.
• It was served on top of a stewed peach salsa which was really tangy and herby and a bit sweet so it was a nice contrast.
• The snout is naturally a bit more gelatinous and sticky so the texture is perhaps more acquired.
• It was a bit too salty and chewy for me, but it was made really well for what it was.
• Personally I prefer the snout all chopped up and in a terrine (see here) or served the Filipino way like in Sisig – see Sizzling Pork Sisig.
• The tenderloin medallions were the most traditional and ordinary, but it was still amazing for being a pork tenderloin.
• It was perfectly cooked with a pinkish middle and it was still tender although not necessarily juicy.
• It was infused with rosemary and garlic flavour and it was the only cut where that flavour was obvious. I’m not sure if anything else was infused with it.
• Last was the shoulder, which tends to be one of my favourite parts due to texture and flavour after it is braised.
• This one was smoky in flavour and a bit resistant and chewy which was unusual. It didn’t seem like shoulder to me.
• It was pretty fatty and well seasoned, but there was no dry rub or anything.
• The side of corn and veggies was simple, fresh and light. It was acidic and herby and a great accompaniment to the more indulgent pork.

White Eggplant Puree – 2/6

•  $8
• This reminded me of baba ganoush (Middle Eastern roasted eggplant dip).
• I love eggplant, but I was really not digging this, but eating it more because it was there.
• It was just unexpected and it seemed more like a dip than a side. It was like a cold creamy mayo spread and I couldn’t eat it alone.
• It was very rich and very heavy on the mayo and was almost all I could taste.
• There was eggplant texture more so than flavour, and it was pureed with what tasted like a lemony yogurt sauce with some mint and parsley.
• It was a bit spicy, but it really didn’t seem like a side and I also thought the eggplant took a back seat.

Raspberries – 5/6

• Passion Fruit Souffle, Lemon Thyme $12
• It was quite small, but I enjoyed it as a summer dessert and it was well executed and representable of the restaurant’s theme.
• I question the passion fruit though, unless they really manage to grow it at Stone Barns or source it locally.
• I prefer a deep and tall souffle over a shallow one, but this was very well made.

• It was a very soft, tender and fluffy cloud of passion fruit souffle, but I could taste more lemon than passion fruit. The thyme I couldn’t taste though.
• The souffle was airy, light and whipped and almost like a lightly baked marshmallow with a very fluid and custard like centre that just melted in your mouth.
• It actually sat on a thin sponge like tart shell which gave it nice contrasting texture, but it wasn’t crispy or crunchy.
• The souffle was placed on top of a tart raspberry coulis, with lots of fresh raspberries, and a vanilla creme l’anglais, which needed more vanilla beans.
• I could taste a hint of liquer, but I’m not sure if it was from the raspberry or the souffle.
• There was a nice tangy and sweet balance and I did love it, but I also wanted a bit more from it.
• It wasn’t necessarily memorable, although I enjoyed it in the moment. I just expected something perhaps a bit more intricate, detailed, or with more components.

Complimentary Chocolates & Candies

• There were caramelized flax seed clusters, chocolate raspberry truffles, and candied hazelnuts.
• The flax seed clusters were something new! They were super crunchy and like kettle corn, but a bit bitter from the flax. It was like chocolatey rice krispies.
• The raspberry truffles were creamy and full of bittersweet chocolate, but the ganache was faint with raspberry flavour.
• The candied hazelnuts were large crunchy candied hazelnuts dusted with cocoa powder. In France they’re known as Grignotine – a snack.
• It was all served on top of cocoa nibs which I could have eaten spoonfuls of and all the chocolate used was great quality.
• I love chocolate, but personally it would be nice if this summer meal ended with some fresh fruits. It would just add to the charm and theme of the “farm to table” restaurant.

Restaurant: Dessert Club, ChikaLicious
Cuisine: Desserts/Bakery/Ice Cream
Last visited: September 12, 2011
Location: Manhattan, NY (East Village)
Address: 204 E 10th Street
Nearby subway stops: 3 Av
Price Range: $10 or less

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

Food: 5 (based on what I tried)
Service: 3
Ambiance: 2,5
Overall: 4.5
Additional comments:

• Dessert only
• Local favourite
• 2 shops
• Creative/gourmet
• Home made ice cream/sorbet
• Very casual
• Family friendly
• Limited seating
• To go dessert
• Whole cakes available
• Mon – Thurs 1PM – midnight
• Friday 1PM – midnight
• Sat. noon – midnight
• Sun. noon – 11PM

**Recommendations: Van Custard Cookie Éclair, Éclair Ice Cream Cone and Butterscotch Chronic. The Red Velvet Cupcakes are supposed to be amazing, but I didn’t try those.

It was the tail end of my Follow Me Foodie to New York trip and restaurant selection was becoming more crucial. I didn’t have many dining opportunities left so I had to pick and choose carefully. I had a foodie itinerary for New York that would last me at least a couple months and it was impossible to do them all within the precious 2 weeks I had. Not only that, but my itinerary continued to grow once I got to New York too.

The recommendation for Dessert Club, ChikaLicious actually came from the head chef at Jean-Georges in New York. I know, it’s quite the source for a recommendation. I had the opportunity to chat with him and it turns out he has a major sweet tooth. Well that works out perfectly since I have a major sweet tooth. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you definitely know that fact already. He was also the one to give me the recommendation for Blue Hill, and one of my favourite restaurants in New York, Peasant, so I was already confident in his suggestions.

I was on my way for lunch at Prune and I decided to make a pit stop at Dessert Club, ChikaLicious. I’ll call it a sweet appetizer or “amuse bouche”. A place called “Dessert Club” was something I had to be a member of.

It turns out the restaurant has 2 locations that are literally right across the street from each other. The ChikaLicious Dessert Bar is the more formal, sit down, after dinner location with fine dining presentation. The Dessert Club, ChikaLicious is the more casual and quick location with desserts available to go. The seating is very limited and it gets really busy at night, so come early or in the afternoon. Some dessert items overlap, but ChikaLicious Dessert Bar has a more impressive menu so I would recommend going there if possible. It wasn’t open when I went, so I missed out.

Just like every dessert place in New York, the cupcakes are a major feature. They looked amazing, but I didn’t come for cupcakes. I actually didn’t know what I came for, but they had a lot of selection. From cookies, macarons, ice cream sandwiches and cakes, I was pretty much in dessert heaven. They’re probably most famous for their Éclair, and I know all the things I listed sound pretty “normal”, but everything was better than it seemed. For example, if the menu read “Vanilla Bean Soft Serve”, it was likely going to be the best Vanilla Bean Soft Serve you’ve ever had in your life.

The pastry chef and co-owner is Chika Tillman, hence the name ChikaLicious. The divey looking location is unassuming and all the desserts are gourmet, made in house with high quality ingredients and at fine dining standards. The prices are also really reasonable for what they’re serving, and if you’re a fan of dessert I wouldn’t miss this hidden gem.

On the table:

**Vanilla Custard Cookie Éclair – 6/6              

• $4.95
• This is one of their signature desserts and most highly raved about items. It’s a must try.
• It’s not about presentation at Dessert Club, ChikaLicious, so it was served in a disposable hot dog wrapper. If you want real plates you go to ChikaLicious Dessert Bar.
• I like éclairs, but I never really order them because they’re usually dry with a greasy whipped cream filling.
• But, if they tasted like this, I’d order them all the time! It’ll change the way you feel about them.
• It was definitely the best éclair I’ve ever had so far, but it was also a bit different from most.
• The éclair choux pastry shell was chilled and the custard was piped upon order.
• The pastry had a sugary baked crumbly meringue like topping that was almost cookie like. It added some crispy texture and it was really tender.

• The inside was generously filled with home made fresh custard that was bursting with vanilla bean seeds (although you can’t tell in the picture).
• The topping made it a bit crispy, but the choux pastry was thin, light, airy and a bit flaky with a slight stretch.
• It wasn’t dry at all and it wasn’t hard either so your teeth just sunk into it.
• As soon as I bit into it, it oozed out a sweet thick and creamy rich custard with a lovely floral vanilla scent.
• The whole thing was super moist, but never soggy, and it wasn’t too sweet either.
• I can’t say it was “just an éclair” because the custard was the best custard and the pastry was the best pastry, so it became even better than what it was.

**Butterscotch Chronic – 5/6

• Brown sugar custard with Granny Smith green apple sorbet and frosted pecans $5.95
• Again, it’s not about presentation at Dessert Club, ChikaLicious, so it was served on a cardboard plate. If you want fancy plates you go to ChikaLicious Dessert Bar.
• This is another signature dessert and it was highly recommended by the staff. It’s one of the favourites at ChikaLicious Dessert Bar too.
• It was a play on a caramel coated candy apple, but this was 100x’s better for me since I don’t care much for candy apples unless they’re fresh, handmade and gourmet.
• The brown sugar custard was maybe the size of a teacup and it was a really small portion, but it was enough.
• It was a real brown sugar custard and almost like a creme caramel, but it wasn’t as sweet as most caramel, butterscotch, or toffee.
• It was a creamy, thick, rich, buttery smooth and silky caramel and it was almost like a pannacotta (cooked cream).
• The custard tasted like melted caramel candies and the ingredients were just super fresh and high quality.
• The drizzle of syrup over the custard tasted like maple caramel syrup and I could have used less of that, but it went well with the sorbet.
• The Granny Smith green apple sorbet I was most excited about and it was super fresh, refreshing and tasted like pure apple sorbet.
• It was nice and tart and a fantastic contrast to the sweeter brown sugar custard.
• The frosted pecans were also really sweet, but I liked the crunchy texture they added and I wanted more of them.
• The dessert would have been 6/6 for me if the pecans were cinnamon spiced and the caramel sauce was salted for more of a balance and less sweetness, but that’s my personal tastes.

**Vanilla Bean Soft Serve – 6/6

• Cone $3.50 Cup Small $4.50 Large $5.50
• I love ice cream and it’s my favourite category of desserts out of ice cream, cake, cookies, doughnuts and pie.
• If you like ice cream as much as me, then you have got to try the soft serve here. AMAZING!
• Did you see the cone? Definitely get the cone over the cup!
• They use a homemade éclair for their cones and they fill the whole thing up with ice cream and continue all the way to the top. Brilliant!
• This was no doubt the best soft serve vanilla bean ice cream I’ve ever had.
• I love soft serve ice cream, and this was top quality.
• It was better, less rich and less heavy than Dairy Queen and Big Gay Ice Cream (which I didn’t really like). It was heavier than McDonald’s soft serve, and it didn’t have a greasiness.
• The ingredients were fresh and good quality so it tasted different than most out there.
• It was creamy, but not sickly rich and had lots of real vanilla bean flavour.
• I had the sudden urge to be like Moe from the Simpsons and just put my head under the ice cream dispenser and lay there all day.

The soft serve vanilla bean ice cream is bursting with real vanilla bean seeds!

When you get down to the cone it can get a bit messy, but the ice cream never really leaked out of the éclair or made it soggy. You’ll finish it before it even gets to that point. I’m a fan of ice cream, so the éclair was amazing with it, but it’s also incomparable to the traditional vanilla custard. I’d say try both. It’s apples and oranges and what’s another dessert?

Restaurant: Russ & Daughters
Cuisine: Sandwiches/American/Kosher
Last visited: September 3, 2011
Location: Manhattan, NY (Lower East Side)
Address: 205 E Houston St
Nearby subway stops: 2 Ave
Price Range: $10 – 20

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

Food: 5 (based on what I tried)
Service: 4
Ambiance: 2
Overall: 5
Additional comments:

• Since 1888
• New York institution
• Family owned/operated
• “Appetizing” store
• Multiple award winning
• “Best in City”
• Local favourite
• World famous smoked salmon
• Double whipped cream cheese
• House made bagels
• Fish “deli” and bakery
• Caviar selection
• Specialty grocery store
• No seating
• Ships nationwide
• Cash only
• Sunday 8am – 5:30pm
• Mon-Fri 8am-8pm
• Saturday 9am-7pm

**Recommendations: Smoked Sablefish, Caviar, Cream Cheese

It was fate! I wasn’t even looking for it, but it was on my Follow Me Foodie to New York itinerary! I was on my way to Katz Deli for my world famous pastrami sandwich and Meg Ryan orgasmic experience, when I looked up and noticed Russ & Daughters! Well then, I couldn’t just ignore it. What’s another sandwich anyways?

Russ & Daughters is no doubt a local favourite and long time player in the New York food scene. I refrain from calling it a “deli”, because it isn’t. Many people call it a “deli”, but it’s actually an “appetizing store” and one of the very few remaining ones in New York. It’s an institution that has withstood the test of time since 1888 and still remains family owned.

Appetizing stores were started by Eastern European Jews and they’re places that sell things normally eaten with bagels. These items include smoked fish, cream cheese, salads, and preserves that are traditionally eaten as appetizers. The places selling cured and pickled meats were known as “delis”, and Russ and Daughters specializes in smoked fish. Seafood is not considered meat, so it is considered kosher to eat fish and dairy together as you would here.

It’s a small take-away only appetizing store operated by third and fourth generation Russ’. It’s not really a “touristy” place with long line ups, but it is part of New York history which locals still frequent. As a tourist, it’s good for a quick, casual, and affordable lunch on the go.

I got the recommendation from trusted foodie friends in Vancouver and I was given a specific order. I confidently walked up to the counter, put my elbow on it, and looked Russ in the eye (it wasn’t actually Russ, but I thought it was… Russ would be almost 100 by now), and asked for “Smoked Sablefish and Wasabi Caviar”. Okay, I wasn’t exactly that dramatic about it all, but I felt like a local doing it and I was really excited about trying this specific order!

Anyways “Russ” looked right back at me with a question mark and tossed me a menu. Oh crap! There’s a menu? I wasn’t told there was a menu! I scanned the items looking for “Smoked Sablefish and Wasabi Caviar” and it wasn’t on there! I was in panic mode. I ended up breaking down and confessing I was a tourist and that I was told I had to try “Smoked Sablefish and Wasabi Caviar” and even pulled out the e-mail to show him.

So it turns out this isn’t the name of a particular menu item or off the menu item, but it’s just products they sell. Smoked Sablefish and Wasabi Caviar. Oh! That makes sense! The menu did have signature bagel sandwiches, but you can customize your own too.

So I got THE Smoked Sablefish… which he actually let me sample first which was nice…

…and I got my caviar cream cheese (I missed the “wasabi caviar” or “wasabi-infused flying roe” because it wasn’t offered in a cream cheese. However, now that I think about it, I should have just ordered it as an extra filling)…

all wrapped up in a housemade bagel called the SHTETL! Yes, it was the S***!

This ended up being my appetizer on my way to Katz’s Deli for dinner (a couple walking blocks away). I thought it made perfect sense since Russ & Daughters was an “appetizing store”. Two sandwiches later also meant two desserts to balance. So I had gelato at Il Labartoie Gelato and ice cream at Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream afterward. It was day number two in New York so I celebrated with two of everything. Doubling up and I was just getting started!

On the table:

SHTETL Bagel Sandwich - 4/6 (6/6 for the sablefish

• Smoked Sablefish & All Natural Goat Cream Cheese on a Bagel or Bialy $13.25
• I ordered it with a housemade poppy seed bagel.
• Gah! $13 for a bagel sandwich?! It better have caviar in it! And it did!
• It had sablefish and caviar, so it’s not cheap, but the price is somewhat understandable. However you could choose any cream cheese in your bagel and it would be the same price.
• I loved everything about this sandwich, except for the bagel.
• It’s obviously a New York style bagel, and not a Montreal style bagel so the hole is smaller to accommodate the fillings. It’s also not dipped in honey like Montreal ones either.
• The bagel is made in house, but it’s not a bagel factory and they didn’t seem as fresh.
• The bagel was super hard and chewy and a bit dry and dense, and I just thought it got in the way of the silky sablefish texture.
• Next time I would just get the the sablefish and cream cheese alone.

• **Smoked Sablefish – 6/6
• $43.96/lb online ordering
• The sablefish is caught in Northern Pacific Waters and smoked to Russ & Daughter’s specifications with  light dusting of paprika that’s supposed to seal in moisture and round out the flavours.
• The sable is probably one of the best things I’ve eaten. I love sablefish in general, but this smoked sablefish was insanely good.
• The smoked sable fish melted in my mouth with buttery flavour and it was silky smooth and slippery in texture and glided in my mouth!
• The fish was so naturally oily with an infused smoky flavour and I could have eaten the entire fish.
• Caviar Cream Cheese- 4/6
• Double-whipped cream cheese mixed with malossol fresh black whitefish caviar. $9.49/lb
• The cream cheeses are all double whipped and they’re amazing. They looked like mountains of whipped cream!
• It’s creamy, rich and very fresh and fluffy without being too airy.
• It doesn’t have a strong gamey goat’s cheese flavour either which I’m not keen on and it just tasted like cow’s milk cream cheese.
• It’s not the best quality caviar in the cream cheese, which would be a waste anyways, but it’s still good although not particularly noticeable.
• I would recommend checking out their other caviars (not in cream cheese) because they have quite a selection of high quality caviar and an in house caviar specialist too.

Restaurant: Motomachi Shokudo 元町食堂
Cuisine: Japanese/Ramen/Noodle Shop
Last visited: December 4, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Robson Street/West End)
Address: 740 Denman Street
Bus: EB w Georgia St FS Denman St
Price Range: $10-20

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

Food: 4.5-5 (based on what I tried)
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Authentic Japanese ramen
• Sister to Kintaro
• Small/tight seating
• Limited menu
• Busy at peak hours
• Local favourite
• Healthier ramen
• Casual/quick
• Cheap eats
• Interac accepted
• Mon-Sun 12pm-11pm
• Closed Wednesdays

**Recommendations: Bamboo-Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen

I haven’t had ramen since Momofuku Noodle Bar and the delicious Ippudo in New York, but I’m happy to say Vancouver’s ramen scene is pretty good! My go-to ramen place is always Ramen Santouka just a couple blocks away, so Motomachi Shokudo always slips my mind. I consider it the “hidden gem” and dark horse of ramen in downtown Vancouver, BC.

I just finished watching the Santa Claus parade… okay no, that’s a lie. I just finished watching the parade for about 10 minutes before I got too cold and hungry. Okay, no that’s another lie. I got too cold and I wasn’t necessarily hungry, but a hot bowl of ramen was more appetizing than a hot coffee or tea, so off I was for some ramen.

Motomachi Shokudo is pretty much neighbours with Kintaro Ramen, which already had a line up. Actually not only are they neighbours, but they’re also related… by broth not blood. Motomachi Shokudo came after, but it is sister to Kintaro Ramen which is one of the first ramen shops in Vancouver. Comparing them is really apples and oranges though. They both specialize in ramen, but the styles are very different.

Kintaro Ramen is more casual, has more options, and is much richer and greasier, unless you get the light broth, which I don’t think is that great. Motomachi Shokudo on the other hand is more refined, lighter and healthier, and almost has its own style. I’m a fan of rich foods, but Kintaro Ramen is overkill for me and I find the quality isn’t as great as when it first opened. Everyone has their own tastes, but personally I prefer the style, ambiance, food and value of Motomachi Shokudo. It’s probably my second favourite ramen place in the city after Ramen Santouka so far.

In a way I can’t really compare it to Ramen Santouka either though because even these two have different ramen styles. Ramen Santouka is more representable of the Southern style ramens in Japan where they tend to roast the pork bones. Motomachi Shokudo is more representable of the Northern styles where they don’t roast the pork bones and it’s even chicken-based too. There’s no right or wrong or more authentic etc., it’s just different regions and styles. Therefore Ramen Santouka, Motomachi Shokudo, and Kintaro Ramen may be walking distance apart, but when it comes to their ramen, they’re styles and/or regions apart.

On the table:

**Shio Ramen – 4.5/6

• Angel-haired Japanese leek, Menma (bamboo shoots), green onions, soft-boiled local organic egg, white pepper, BBQ pork, seasonal green vegetable, thinly sliced chili pepper $8.95
• Ramen with light clear soup using all-natural salt imported from either the Himalayas or Mongolia. Best of the best! – Motomachi Shokudo
• Shio is basically the staple ramen, or the “test” for ramen and the chef will pride himself on this broth.
• If this is good, the rest should be too because it’s the purest broth and flavour.
• The broth was served hot, but not piping hot and traditional Japanese ramen isn’t served piping hot.
• The broth here is intentionally lighter and healthier than most places and it’s chicken based not pork. I prefer pork, but this is still great!
• It was clear and noticeably lighter than most Shio Ramen, but it wasn’t bland and there was depth in flavour.
• It wasn’t as rich and milky as Ramen Santouka and not as greasy as Kintaro Ramen.
• I actually liked that it didn’t have fatty floating white bits on top, even though this can be traditional in some Japanese ramen.
• The broth was naturally oily and although it was chicken based, I still felt like it had some pork flavour in it.
• It wasn’t a strong chicken or pork flavour and there’s no roasting of chicken or pork bones either, so it’s a Northern style ramen.
• It wasn’t too salty (not dying for water after) and I could actually taste the white pepper and a gentle heat in it, but it’s not spicy.
• I have a feeling they use either bonito flakes (fish flakes) or some sort of fish in the broth because there’s a slight fishy aftertaste.
• It’s not a fish broth, but there is a subtle fish flavour that is noticeable if you pay attention.

• I liked that it came with some toppings (although not much) because I hate when you have to add everything and at the end your $9 ramen is $17 (happens at Ramen Santouka).
• It came with a couple crunchy strips of bamboo shoots and half an egg.
• The organic egg was pretty good with a creamy soft middle and it was really well marinated and almost sweet.
• It was reminiscent of a soy sauce egg which is rare, but I liked it.
• It came with a big slice of pork that was medium fatty.
• The pork was very tender, soft and moist and well infused with savoury soy sauce flavours.
• The fatty parts were on the whole tender with maybe a couple bites being a bit chewy.
• I really enjoyed the pork and it had its own flavour apart from the broth, but I couldn’t tell it was barbequed or grilled.

• The noodles were nice and chewy and not overcooked.
• I prefer a thinner noodle with Shio ramen and this was a bit thicker, but I still enjoyed it.

**Bamboo-Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen – 5/6

• Angel-haired Japanese leek, Menma (bamboo shoots), soft-boiled local organic egg, green onion, BBQ pork, thinly sliced chili pepper, white pepper, seasonal green vegetable, chili pepper powder $9.75
• Our blackened soup is a happy meeting of powdered bamboo charcoal and our rich miso soup, a healthy blend with greater depth of flavour. – Motomachi Shokudo
• This is what I really came for and it’s their specialty.
• So far, it’s the only place offering this Bamboo-Charcoal Ramen that is from Japan.
• The broth doesn’t look great, but it’s delicious and the bamboo-charcoal powder is very healthy for you, so this is their “health-conscious” option.
• It was thicker, richer and fuller in flavour than the Shio broth and back to back you could notice the fishiness in the Shio broth even more.
• I could taste the somewhat mild chicken broth, and again no roasting of bones, and it seemed a tad more oily than the Shio broth.
• I could taste the miso, but it also had an infused tang of menma (bamboo shoot) to it, but it’s not tart.
• It wasn’t as strong as a miso broth in a miso ramen.
• If you like menma you would probably like this because it had a sweet and pickled flavour of menma in the broth. It was light, but it was there.
• It didn’t taste burnt, bitter, or even really smoky, and it didn’t have a powdery mouth feel.
• It didn’t have a nuttiness of black sesame or anything, but it was almost more like a mild Chinese black bean flavour.
• This broth is a bit spicier than the shio broth, but I wouldn’t say it’s spicy. It just has a mild spice.
• All the ingredients in the soup are used rather minimally, but it developed a well layered depth of flavours.

• The noodles were nice and chewy and not overcooked, but a bit softer than they were in the Shio Ramen.
• I’m not sure how consistent their noodles are, so I need to try it again.

• Again, I liked that it came with a selection of toppings and they were the same as the Shio broth.
• For more about the egg and pork, see the “toppings” section in the Shio Ramen description above.

Follow Me Foodie to l’île-d’Orléans, Quebec!

Corking cider, eating cheese, dining at the duck farm and sipping on Cassis!

If you’re in Quebec City, and you want a culinary tour that’s off the beaten track, then you should consider visiting l’île-d’Orléans! It almost felt like touring Kelowna and it was a real treat to meet some of the local artisans in the area. It’s only 5km away from Quebec City and it’s the largest historical district of Quebec. I’m no history buff, but when you throw food into the equation, sign me up!

I was invited to explore the culinary side of Quebec City and I must say that this was one of the most exciting things on the itinerary. “A country side tour of l’île-d’Orléans”? What? We’re going to New Orleans?! No, not quite. I didn’t even know what or where l’île-d’Orléans was, but it sounded like something different, and it was!

It is kinda of a “touristy” thing to do, but it’s also a very “foodie” thing to do, and the places you visit are one of a kind. The area is full of local artisans and family owned farms and we planned to visit four. A lot of them close for the Winter too, so it’s best to put this on the summer itinerary. For more details on l’île-d’Orléans or their tours – see here.

I started the morning corking cider at the apple farm! Actually, I was just having fun, but the apple farm was our first stop. The Cidrerie Verger Bilodeau is the first cider house on l’île-d’Orléans and apparently they’re known for the best apples. Of course that’s what every farm would claim, but to be honest, these apples did come up often even outside of this tour context.

I got to sample a few apple products including their apple ciders, apple chutney, apple jam and apple butter and they also offer apple pies. Everything was very pure and simple to showcase the quality and natural flavours of their apples. It was interesting because it was here when I learned that apple pies in Quebec City don’t use cinnamon, but instead maple syrup. I saw cinnamon being used in apple pies in Montreal though.

The second stop was at Les Fromages de l’isle d’Orléans frommagerie. The costumes are exactly that, costumes, and not their everyday wear. Yes, it was the country side, but also 2011. The lovely couple Jocelyn and Diane specialize in Le Paillasson, which is a 3-4 day old cheese that is grilled upon serving. Grilled cheese for breakfast? Yes please!

It was a delicious cheese! It doesn’t have to be grilled, but it’s how it’s meant to be eaten which is a bit rare for an artisan cheese. It’s a pasteurized raw cow’s milk cheese and it was squeaky like a fresh cheese curd, and almost tasted like one too. It was somewhat comparable to mozzarella, but saltier.

This was my third stop, which was also my lunch stop! It was one of my highlights from my whole trip and maybe my whole year. Keep reading, I’ll get back to it!

The last stop was a visit to Cassis Monna et Filles, which is famous for their internationally recognized blackcurrant liqueur. They offer everything black currant, but the Crème de Cassis was the highlight. It’s a family owned winery, gift shop and small cafe that is now operated by the two sisters, Catherine and Anne.

Restaurant: Au Goût d’Autrefois
Cuisine: French/Canadian
Last visited: November 10, 2011
Location: Ste-Famille, Quebec City (l’île-d’Orléans)
Address: 4311 Chemin Royal
Price Range: $50+ ($45-75 for 3-4 courses, $95 for 5 courses)

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

Food: 5
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 6
Overall: 6
Additional comments:

• Organic, free range meats
• Famous for duck/foie gras
• Dining on the farm
• Eco-friendly
• Sustainable
• All natural
• No spices/seasonings
• Home style cooking
• Small gift shop
• Very casual
• Bring your own wine
• Limited/Set menus
• Dinner service only from 6:30pm

**Recommendations: Trio of Rillettes (especially the wild turkey one), Duck anything, Foie Gras

Tada! See, I told you I’d get back to stop 3! I’m not going to say I was saving the best for last because all of the artisans were unique in their own way, but this was my personal favourite! Of course it was the lunch stop too! The restaurant was literally on the farm.

Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O! And on his farm he had some organic free range all natural chickens, E-I-E-I-O! The site was covered with well taken care of feathery friends… which were also for consumption. So who was the king of this farm?

No not him! Although he seemed like it with his head up high… but where is he… ?

Ah, there he is! Bonjour! I introduced to you Monsieur Jacques!

Forget Mother Goose, this was a real life Father Goose!

Owner, chef and host Jacques and his wife organically breed geese, ducks, pheasants, guinea fowl and wild turkeys on their small farm. They sell them locally, at their gift shop and use them at their restaurant. These animals are his babies. It may sound wrong to eat your babies, but as a farmer doing this for a living, I don’t think I’ve met anyone so in tune with his animals. Honestly. Watching Jacques interact with his animals was like watching a Fido commercial. I’ve met many passionate people, but he took it to a whole other level that I could only admire.

Of course, what’s a farmer without a side vegetable garden too?

Mmm foie gras. Okay, stop. I know it’s a touchy subject, but these are sustainable foie gras. They are not force fed or living in poor conditions. If anything, the ducks probably eat better than the owner! He treats them like people. They were happy ducks and he loved/loves (?) them to death… uhhh or is that too literal?

Since Jacques naturally feeds his geese (wheat, barley, oat, corn) it takes up to 8 months before he can sell his foie gras, whereas non-organic or non-sustainable places take only 2 weeks to meet the demand. I 110% believed him when he said he would rather shut down his farm than force feed his ducks just to make a bigger profit.

This is really farm to table. More than 90% of what they serve is organic and sustainable and prepared on the farm. It’s also eco-friendly because he uses no motors. Don’t expect anything fancy besides the classy French music. The recipes are simple with very minimal ingredients and no spices, but that’s the style. Au Goût d’Autrefois is really about the high quality of the pure ingredients and showcasing the natural flavours.

Sure the whole experience and story probably made for an ultra-orgasmic meal, but the farming techniques and quality of the ingredients speak for themselves. Even if they didn’t, we had Jacques at the table explaining every little detail of how he raises each animal and prepares each dish. He almost sounded like me! Lol! He loves what he does and it shows. It wasn’t just a business, but his life, and it was a place that had heart.

On the table:

It’s a “Bring Your Own Wine” restaurant which is always nice. We had a William 2010 Vin Blanc, Quebec to start, a Domaine les Brome Reserve Baco, 2008, Quebec and a Isle de Bacchus Réserve Alexandre, 2009, Quebec to follow.

**Trio of Rillettes & Crostini – 6/6

• Goose, wild turkey, duck with Ste-Famille croutons. $55 for 3 courses.
• Omg. If god wanted us to eat rillettes, it would be like this. Heaven on Earth!
• I thought the duck or goose would be my favourite, but surprisingly it was the wild turkey that I loved! It was almost the same for the whole table too.
• The rillettes are cooked in their own fat for 12 hours at a low temperature.
• Duck and goose fat is actually healthy for you, and he adds no other animal oils or grease to make his rillettes.
• He uses only a pinch of salt and it’s all really natural to showcase the high quality and flavour of his birds.
• Goose – He uses the legs of the goose. It was creamy, oily and tender fine shreds of meat and the flavour was very mild.
• Turkey – It was oily and moist and tasted saltier and just had a bit more flavour than the rest. It was surprising, but back to back it was obvious that this had the most flavour and it was the best for me.
• Duck – This one was super buttery, oily and creamy. It was probably the oiliest, but it didn’t have as much flavour as the turkey still. I’m not sure if the turkey just had more salt because usually duck would have more flavour.
• All 3 of his rillettes were available at his small gift shop at the restaurant.

Farm Style Goose Breast - 5/6

• Farm style breast of goose marinated in Island maple syrup and apples gently smoked with applewood, served with seasonal organic vegetables from our garden $55 for 3 courses.
• See, it’s really simple food and presentation.
• The quality of ingredients are premium, but it’s very homestyle cooking with basic recipes and flavours.
• The potatoes were super creamy and cooked in duck fat and infused with flavours of garlic and celery to the point of almost tasting like celery root. They were delicious!
• The broccoli and carrots were almost unseasoned and a bit overcooked, but you almost forgive that kind of stuff at a place like this. It was part of the charm.

• It was marinated for 12 hours in maple syrup and apple cider from The Cidrerie Verger Bilodeau, which was also the cider house we visited on the tour.
• He slowly smoked it for 12-14 hours over applewood and it had a natural sweetness and a slight smokiness, but it was mild.
• You had to really breathe it in to taste the syrup and smoke, and if he didn’t say, I’m not sure if I could tell there was maple or apple in it.
• It didn’t have much of a fat layer and the skin was chewy and not crispy or tender, but the meat itself was very tender.
• Mine was a bit overcooked and I prefer medium rare, but it was still tender and moist with good flavour.
• The meat itself is likely one of the best tasting, but overall the dish is very simple with no jus and little spices and seasonings.
• The quality of ingredients is undeniable, and I appreciate it for what it was, but it was a bit simple for my tastes.

Maple Syrup Mousse with Jellied Cranberries – 1.5/6

• $55 for 3 courses
• This is the standard and only dessert, but I can’t say I loved it.
• The cranberries were just frozen and it was made with duck eggs which followed the theme.

• It was an airy light foam instead of a mousse and it just tasted like maple flavoured whipped egg whites.
• It was like a warm foamy marshmallow bubble bath in my mouth.
• I expected it to be creamy like a real mousse and it just seemed like an unfinished dessert that was missing a step or ingredient.

Follow Me Foodie to l’Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations!

Kumbaya my foodies! A bite of First Nations cuisine at La Traite.

Uh, Follow Me Foodie to where?! A hotel for our national premiers? No. It’s the First Nations Hotel in Wendake, Quebec! It’s a 4 star boutique hotel featuring a First Nations restaurant La Traite and that was initially why we came. However after a tour of the hotel, I really wanted to spend the night or weekend there!

I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited to write about a hotel restaurant! This was honestly one of the most unique hotels I’ve ever been to. Forget Vegas, resorts or castle like hotels, this was a side of luxury I’ve never experienced before! I honestly want to go back to Quebec just to come here again!

I was invited to Quebec City for a culinary tour and when I saw that a hotel restaurant was on the itinerary I was pretty disinterested, until I did my research. Well, dinner at a First Nations Hotel was something different, and I was game… and ready for game meat.

Okay let’s get the stereotypes out of the way, because I feel like they could be crossing your mind. No, you’re not living in tepees, long houses, igloos or even having to use an out house… at all! However you’re situated right on the Akiawenrahk River and surrounded by forest, trails and pure nature.

Okay now throw all the stereotypes back in because these are the rooms and they have fur everywhere!

And boom! Flat screen TV! I’m not a camper or outdoorsy person, but I can manage this no problem!

The theme of the hotel is to experience First Nations art and culture and way of life… but in the 21st century. It’s actually a really nice hotel and the authentic experiences are quite luxurious, so it’s only as traditional as to still attract tourists. And as a tourist, I was attracted!

The hotel embraces the First Nations theme and we were taken to the outdoor fireplace where we were taught to make bannock from scratch. I’ve done this before on a field trip to a long house in elementary school and I was just as excited to do it again! Some things never change!

This is just an example of one of the many ongoing First Nations activities they offer at the hotel and there’s even a daily Labrador tea ceremony for guests. It was almost like First Nations “Disneyland” for adults, and it was just an all around fun, educational and adventurous experience.

Okay, so back to the original reason we were here. It was to have dinner at La Traite, which is the restaurant inside the hotel. This isn’t just any “hotel restaurant” though, this is a First Nations restaurant featuring traditional First Nations cuisine with French techniques, Quebecois twists and modern execution.

For a minute, the decor transferred me back to Colorado… or Calgary. If you’re vegetarian or fear dead animals on walls, you may want to reconsider… but everything is sustainable with respect to the environment if that helps.

It was visually overwhelming and I just couldn’t stop taking pictures because everything looked so interesting! It was the natural outdoors brought to the refined indoors, and it was successfully portrayed in the theme of the hotel, ambiance and food.

Beaver cushions… they’re in the rooms, at the restaurant… and on our nickles!

Restaurant: La Traite (At l’Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations)
Cuisine: First Nations/Canadian/French/Fusion
Last visited: November 10, 2011
Location: Wendake, Quebec (Wendake)
Address: 5, Place de la Rencontre (At l’Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations)
Bus stop: Bastien / au 16
Price Range: $30-50+ ($20-25 mains)

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

Food: 5
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 5
Additional comments:

• Located inside First Nations Hotel
• Authentic & modern First Nations cuisine
• Casual fine dining
• Exotic meat & game
• Fresh seafood
• Local/organic ingredients
• Home-smoked fish and game
• Seasonal menus
• Affordable set menus
• Wine list/in house sommelier
• Great view/outdoor patio
• Indoor and outdoor fireplace
• Private room
• Sunday brunch
•  Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch/Dinner/Late

**Recommendations: n/a
We were presented a 6 course dinner ($69) paired with wines ($115) which I thought was incredibly worth it. They also have 3 courses for $39 and 4 courses for $40, so the set menus are very reasonable. You can order a la carte too and the menus are seasonal so they change all the time, but they can be considered “adventurous”. In Vancouver, the closest restaurants we have offering this cuisine is probably Salmon n’ Bannock or maybe Wild Salmon Restaurant.

During dinner we had the honour to watch a few First Nations song and dance performances which happen on occasion at the hotel.

La Traite features lots of wild life and fresh seafood and it embraces First Nations cuisine, yet tries to make it appeal to a mass market without “dumbing it down”. It was more refined than the traditional, but they didn’t hold back either. Of course, as a hotel, they’re bound to a bit, but I think they did a good job finding a balance. In the end it just matters if the food was good, and I thought it was. I probably valued the overall experience most though, and it’s something memorable, different and worth making an effort to visit.

And to top things off I got to meet the Premier of Quebec, Monsieur Jean Charest, who was attending an event at the hotel that night!

On the table:

Domaine de l’Idylle “Cruet” Vin de Savoie 2009, France (It’s a very rare grape!)

Complimentary Bread & Butter

• It was nice to see the bannock come up again, and there was also a baguette.
• The baguette was very chewy and a bit tough on the outside, but soft on the inside.
• The bannock was thin and soft and made with some chives and it was almost like corn bread. It was quite moist, and cakey, but not really sweet or savoury.
• Sometimes they make the bannock with cheese, which is not traditional, but I can imagine it to be delicious!

Face Cachée de la Mer - 5.5/6

• Bonbons of smoked certified ecological salmon with sour glasswort
• This was one of my favourite courses of the night.
• Being from the West Coast I’m familiar with my smoked salmon, but I’m not familiar with glasswort.
• I loved the colour and presentation and the salmon was cured and smoked in house.
• The salmon was meaty, smooth, oily, well cured and salty, smoky in the nose with a hint of black pepper to follow.
• It sat on top of crème fraîche, which is a classic match so there was a nice tang and richness to complement the fish.
• If I didn’t know it was glasswort I would have thought it was just mixed herbs. I could taste some mint and grassiness of alfalfa sprouts in the mix as well.
• Glasswort is a type of plant that looks like a pathetic baby cactus or weed, and it just came across as a micro herb to me.
• It was simple, fresh, representable of the restaurant, well executed and delivered and we were off to an excellent start!

All Natural Seal Meat – 1/6 (Not how it’s normally served)

• I feel really bad about this. I was the one that was keen on trying seal meat when I heard it was on the menu. It’s sustainable, but I feel bad I didn’t like it.
• This is not how it’s normally served, but they were nice to give us a sample since I was so curious to try it.
• It tasted like beef tenderloin with a pronounced liver flavour that lingers for a long time with a slight iron finish in the nose.
• The texture of the meat is very tenderized, marinated and almost pounded, but you would think it was beef in the initial bites… until you started breathing it in and letting your palate absorb the flavours.
• The iron and liver aftertaste honestly lasts for a long time, maybe 10 minutes, and I felt like I ate a plate of rusty pennies.
• I’m going to say it’s acquired. I’m glad I tried it, but it’s not for me.

Morgon Les Charmes La Louve, France

Que l’Odeur des Bois Sature – 4/6

• Foie gras Torchon with haskap berry spread on toasted bannock bread
• It’s a long process to make Torchon style foie gras, but I like it better than paté because you get more natural texture and flavour of the foie.
• The Torchon foie gras is almost like sashimi. It has a blubbery raw texture (but it’s cooked quickly) and it’s marinated in wine and topped with some salt and served chilled.
• I wish the grilled bannock was served warm though and I wouldn’t mind if it was non-buttered/oiled because the foie was already rich and buttery enough.
• I liked the Haskap berry spread which tasted like cranberry meets raspberry sauce.
• It was a nice twist to the classic strawberry and foie pairing and it was nice and tart rather than sweet to cut the richness.
• There was also a sweet honey (foie needs a sweetness to complement) and herb infused oil condiment. I thought it was a basil or parsley oil, but I think it was glasswort oil.
• It was an interesting, yet somewhat expected First Nations interpretation of foie gras.

Courville Domaine Les Brome Cuvée Julien 2009, Quebec (made with 2 grapes that grow in the Winter)

Qui Roucoule dans la Broussaille – 3.5/6

• Roasted half-squab glazed with molasses and birch syrup and served with cattail sauce
• Whoa! Cattail sauce? It’s those straw like plants that grow by ponds! I didn’t know they were edible! This was going to be a first!
• The cattail sauce tasted like chicken gravy, but it was a bit tangy like it had lemon in it. I think it was made with cattail pollen and other ingredients, so I’m not sure what the cattail alone would taste like.
• The sauce was served on top of parsnip puree which was smooth and silky like a pommes puree.
• The squab was very rare and I prefer it medium rare, but it wasn’t very tender so I needed to use a steak knife to cut it.
• The birch syrup was served on the side and also reduced with some balsamic vinegar.
• The syrup was sweet and not really tart, but almost a bit bitter in the aftertaste.
• I appreciated the creativity, but I wasn’t keen on the squab although I enjoyed everything else.

Lavia Monastrell Syrah 2006, Spain

L’Inattendu – 4/6

• Elk tartar with fir jelly, thyme liqueur and salsify chips
• Again! Staying true to its roots by featuring elk and fir! I really like elk, so I was looking forward to this.
• Elk is a game meat, but it’s not gamey in flavour. I’m sensitive to gaminess and this wasn’t gamey.
• It’s a very lean meat, but it was very rich and creamy as a tartar and it almost had a stickiness from the marinade.
• The texture of it is meatier and thicker than beef tartar and sweeter than it too.
• The fir jelly enhanced the sweetness of  the elk, but I was hoping for a more intense flavour and perhaps a berry sauce since elk can handle strong sauces.
• There were some red onions, chives and what seemed like little dried hay pieces in the tartar, but it wasn’t distracting and barely noticeable. I’m not sure what they were though.
• I could have used more salsify chips for more contrast in texture, but I did enjoy the tartar alone.
• The herbs were all more mild than expected, and I liked it more with the wine pairing which just helped bring it to life.

Kangaroo Paté – 4.5/6

• This was an alternative to the tartar which I also got to try.
• I’ve had cooked kangaroo on pizza before and it tasted like beef, but it was my first time trying it as tartar.
• It tasted like pork pate and it wasn’t gamey and you probably wouldn’t have guessed it was something else unless you knew.
• It was a bit dense and chunky rather than creamy and smooth and it had a peppery seasoning that wasn’t spicy.
• It was topped with a berry sauce for sweetness, herb oil and some sort of honeyish red berry sauce. It was the same sauces from the Torchon foie gras course.
• I really like pate and I enjoyed this, although I think I’ll remember it based on being kangaroo rather than the flavours being particularly memorable.

Blancas Nobles Barranco Oscuro, Spain

Au Pays du Nord – 5/6

• Sieur Corbeau, Rivière Rouge and Comtomme cheeses served at just the right temperature with hazelnut fantasy
• This was a fantastic cheese plate, but it was a shout out to Quebec more than it was an ode to First Nations cuisine.
• The cheeses were served perhaps a bit warmer than room temperature, but they weren’t melting.
• They were nice and soft and their oils were coming to the surface so I could really taste their flavours.
• The Sieur Corbeau (left) was a semi-soft cow’s milk cheese. It was creamy like a lighter brie cheese with a thin rind. It was quite oily, buttery and almost a bit like White Cheddar meets brie.
• The Rivière Rouge (middle) was a saltier, firmer and thicker cheese, but it’s not hard. It was almost waxy and buttery and it coated the roof of my mouth.
• The Comtomme (right) was a soft raw cow’s milk cheese with a very mild flavour and it didn’t seem very rich.
• The hazelnut fantasy was like a Raincoast Crisp meets a biscotti and it was loaded with toasted hazelnuts and brown cherries. I loved it!
• The apples were a bit powdery, which I found quite common in a lot of varieties in Quebec, unless they were just old apples I kept getting.

La Part des Anges 2001, Quebec

Délice Boréal - 4/6

• Crème brulé with chocolate and strawberry and frozen maple crystals
• A crème brulé is a classic choice for dessert in Quebec and the maple crystals made it more unique, but I was hoping for more of a First Nations dessert or twist.
• It was a rich creamy smooth bittersweet chocolate, but it wasn’t too sweet although a few bites was satisfying enough for me.
• It had a great brulé crisp that wasn’t burnt and it was very good for what it was, but I was just hoping for something more unique since everything else was.

Inuit Herbal Tea – They serve this tea during the daily Labrador tea ceremony for guests as well. It was almost like a chamomile meets mint tea and it was really light, mild and soothing.