Restaurant: Xi Shi Lounge – Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea
Cuisine: Tea/Pacific Northwest/West Coast/Fusion/Desserts
Last visited: January 24, 2012
Location: Vancouver, BC (Downtown)
Address: 1128 West Georgia Street (At Shangri-La Hotel)
Subway stop: Burrard
Price Range: $20-30+ ($34 Afternoon Tea)

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

Food: 4 (for Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea)
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 5
Overall: 4.5
Additional comments:

• Inside Shangri-La Hotel
• Euro-Asian/Fusion menu
• Tearoom/Lounge/Restaurant
• Aafternoon Tea Service
• Lunch service
• Great for snacks
• Elegant/posh
• Cocktail/wine list
• Afternoon Tea with live classical piano
• 11.30am – 1am (Seasonal Patio from 11.30am – 11pm)
• 11.30am - 5pm (Saturday and Sunday)

**Recommendations: Afternoon Tea

Adding to the growing list of Chinese New Year menus in Vancouver is Xi Shi Lounge’s Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea (limited time). I’m loving the enthusiasm for the New Year and the various restaurant choices and menu options are more than welcome in a multicultural city.

Xi Shi Lounge opened late last year at the Shangri-La Hotel just underneath Market by Jean-Georges. It features an Euro-Asian fusion inspired menu with a focus on chilled and hot snacks, limited lunch items and a traditional Afternoon Tea. Yes, Afternoon Tea, not High Tea, there’s a difference (see my post here). On this occasion I was invited to their Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea which is offered from January 23rd through Sunday, January 29th from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm.

One of the things I valued most at the Xi Shi Lounge Afternoon Tea service was the live classical piano performance they had for entertainment. I’ve been to Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Vancouver, The Secret Garden Tea Company, The China Cup Tea Company, Applewood Country Gifts, Tearoom & Bakery, Tracycakes Bakery Cafe, and The Urban Tea Merchant, but this is the only one that featured live entertainment which really made it an elegant and upscale experience. This is featured on a daily basis even with their regular Afternoon Tea service.

It was nice to see Xi Shi continue the Asian theme with the Nikko chinaware rather than the English brands. When it comes to Afternoon Tea I can get quite particular because there are a certain set of expectations and traditions that come with it. Ambiance is a big part of it. It was an elegant, stylish and posh tearoom, and I found it carried more of a cocktail atmosphere fit for after work drinks.

I recently tried the “Year of the Dragon” Signature Afternoon Tea at The Urban Tea Merchant a block away. It featured a standard version of Afternoon Tea, but with some playful Asian influences. It was definitely still more Westernized, and if you’re looking for something more traditional to the Chinese culture, that isn’t quite authentic as dim sum, then I would suggest trying this Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea at Xi Shi. Personally, the “foodie” part of me enjoyed the food, value and overall experience at Xi Shi more, but the “tea lover” (not connoisseur) in me appreciated the luxury teas and tea culture at The Urban Tea Merchant. They both offer very different experiences and each have their strengths and clientele so it depends on what you’re looking for.

Even though I am very familiar with traditional dim sum, I still appreciated this Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea at Xi Shi, but on another level. I didn’t have expectations for authentic dim sum, but I was expecting a general understanding of the East meets West concept since the menu was developed by Chef Wayne Harris of Market by Jean-Georges upstairs. Jean-Georges is notorious for Asian fusion, so I was quite confident in the Chinese New Year menu even though the chef is of non-Asian decent. The selection of dim sum was more traditional than I expected from a place like Xi Shi, and if it can introduce or warm people up to traditional Chinese food via a modern context, I’m more than happy.

Now for the “stick to tradition” readers, I wouldn’t compare this Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea at Xi Shi Lounge to authentic Chinese dim sum. However, they actually did a good job replicating dim sum dishes making it more approachable for Western tastes. I would say the food was probably more Westernized than a place like Wild Rice (where the chef is non-Asian, but culinary trained in dim sum), but I do respect the extra effort they went on creating an entire menu just for the New Year and it was representable of Chinese food. Food authenticity aside, I would recommend this for anyone who values ambiance and style and it plays well into the Chinese New Year celebration.

On the table:

**Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea - 4/6 (Very good)

• $34/per person (Includes choice of loose leaf tea)
• Available January 23rd through Sunday, January 29th from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm.
• It was Western style dim sum, but again they did a respectable job with it.
• I was very impressed with what was delivered and the value was certainly there, especially when you factor in the provided classical piano performance.
• The menu featured great variety and every item was handmade and actually representable of traditional Chinese food.
• If you compare the items to the real deal, this doesn’t really do it justice, but it also wasn’t disappointing and I really did enjoy it.
• It’s supposed to be an Afternoon Tea, but with 9 hors d’ouevres, it’s definitely substantial enough as a lunch, and that’s coming from me! (I eat a lot.)

Choice of Loose Leaf Tea – 5/6 (Excellent)

• It was a premium brand of loose leaf tea from England, and I would have loved if they offered an Asian brand to suit their Asian theme.
• I have to admit, The Urban Tea Merchant is my shrine for luxury teas and it’s hard to compete with that quality.
• **Shangri-La Blend
• A black tea blend with pineapple, kiwi and plum.
• This is the signature tea. It was a fruity tea, but it smelled fruitier and sharper than it tasted.
• It was floral, with a hint of citrus, but I couldn’t pick up the kiwi although I enjoyed it overall.
• **Classic Chai
• An assam tea with exotic spices – India at its best.
• How can I resist “India at its best”?
• This was an excellent Chai and it was heavy with the cinnamon with a hint of cardamom and even spicy ginger notes.
• The spices were quite apparent and well rounded after adding cream.

Barbeque Pork and Puff Pastry, Vegetable Spring Roll, Shrimp Dumplings

• The items on this plate is representable of Cantonese style dim sum.
• It had something baked, fried and steamed and there was good variety.

The tier of hot appetizers were served with a soy and rice wine vinegar, Hoisin sauce, and lemon plum sauce. Traditionally the only item that would come with a sauce is the spring rolls, but this was the Westernized version.

Barbeque Pork and Puff Pastry - 4/6 (Very good)

• This is more or less an Asian inspired “sausage roll”, but it does exists in authentic Chinese dim sum. See BBQ Pork Pastry.
• This was meant to be eaten with the Hoisin sauce, which is the modern take.
• It was a soft and flaky buttery puff pastry that wasn’t dry and it was well stuffed with sweet and salty barbeque pork and green onions.
• The barbeque pork was lean, but not dry and although I prefer the authentic version, I still easily enjoyed this one.
• It was less saucy than the traditional version and since it had the Hoisin dipping sauce, it was understandable.
• If you like BBQ pork style buns, I would highly recommend these Baked BBQ Pork Buns.

Vegetable Spring Roll - 4/6 (Very good)

• A spring roll is a spring roll, but for a vegetarian spring roll, this was very good!
• It was well stuffed with carrots, cilantro and sweet Shiitake mushrooms and a bit of cabbage and celery.
• They were very crispy and the vegetables still kept their flavours and textures and it had a great crunch.
• There was a very subtle heat, but it wasn’t spicy. This was meant to be enjoyed with plum sauce and I was surprised that I even liked it at all since it was just a spring roll.
• A traditional Chinese style spring roll would be stuffed with prawns and the dipping sauce would be Worcestershire sauce. As for their vegetarian versions, I actually don’t think it’s as good as this one.

Shrimp Dumplings - 2/6 (Okay)

• It’s ambitious to take on the shrimp dumpling.
• This is what dim sum chefs and restaurants pride themselves on and it’s one of the hardest things to master. You judge a Chinese restaurant based on their Shrimp Dumplings.
• This requires a lot of technique to make so it almost holds too much significance for me to enjoy unbiasedly.
• The skin was actually quite chewy and nice, but it was too thick and classically it should be very thin and transparent, but not breaking.
• The prawn was a Side Stripe (?) and it had a mild infused ginger flavour, but it was on the dry side.
• It just didn’t carry that desired juicy crunch of an authentic prawn dumpling – see “Har Gow“.
• The effort is commendable, but if you’ve had a great version of the real thing, this was tough to appreciate.
• It was served with a soy and rice wine vinegar which is very modern, but it actually made it taste better. Traditionally soy and vinegar sauces are served with fried meat dumplings.

Green Onion Pancake, Steam Buns, Crunchy Sesame Balls

• This was the starch tier that was in between sweet and savoury. It led up to the top tier of sweet desserts nicely.
• The items on this plate is more traditional of Shanghainese dim sum.
• Green Onion Pancake – 1.5/6 (Poor – Okay)
• Next time I would start by eating this one first. It hindered from being eaten cold. That being said, I’ve had cold versions of the green onion pancake that have worked better.
• Usually there is more green onion and it should be all crispy and flaky.
• This one was quite dense and chewy, but it tasted better with the Hoisin sauce, which is not an uncommon method to enjoy together.
• I prefer it fried, but traditionally Shanghainese cultures tend to deep fry it – see Grilled Onion Pancake (it’s not actually grilled).
• Crunchy Sesame Balls – 2/6 (Okay)
• I loved that they served these, but the only thing is that they under baked/fried them and the inside was still doughy and stretchy. The flour flavour was cooked out, but they were still under cooked.
• This is very traditional to Chinese New Year – see my post on Chinese New Year Food.
• Traditionally they’re known as “Laughing Sesame Balls” and they’re enjoyed as a dessert or sweet snack.
• The sesame balls have a crack or dent in them which represent a smile and the seeds are symbolic for “having kids” (procreation) so you’ll get pregnant after one… just kidding.
• It’s actually a deep fried sweetened pastry and usually it’s crusted with white sesame seeds.
• I actually liked the black sesame seeds better and it made it even nuttier and more aromatic.
• They’re supposed to be crunchy throughout, but these were crunchy just on the outside and then soft and bready in the middle and unfortunately still doughy in the centre.
• I really loved the flavour of these (even more than the traditional ones) because I think they used all butter rather than lard/shortening (which Chinese people use). It was richer, a bit sweeter and not as greasy or dry as the traditional ones – see traditional Laughing Sesame Ball Cookies.

Steam Buns – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• Wow. This was impressive. They did a great job with this and I was surprised to even see them. It was almost the “scone” on the tier.
• It’s traditionally a Shanghainese dish and they’re basically deep fried buns known as “Mantou buns”. Terracotta Modern Chinese actually uses them to make amazing Short Rib Sliders.
• These tasted very authentic and perhaps even better than some traditional ones.
• They’re meant to be dipped in condensed milk (in the centre) and enjoyed as a dessert.

• It’s deep fried, but it’s not a doughnut and it’s only the outside that is meant to be crispy.
• The inside was soft, somewhat spongy and fluffy as it should be, and the bread is a sweeter type of Asian white bread.
• The larger versions of mantou (loaves) are rolled like cinnamon buns before being deep fried and it creates a noodle like inside that Asian kids often enjoy. You can peel them like cheese strings.

Lychee and Osmanthus Flower Shooter, Red Bean Mochi Ball, Egg Tarts

• Oh gosh. Chinese desserts. Desserts is not the forte in Chinese cuisine and usually it’s just fruits, which I kind of expected, but this was still appreciated.
• I eat everything, but Chinese desserts and Indian desserts are hard for me to love.
• Indian desserts I find often too sweet and Chinese desserts often not sweet enough, and it bothers me that they’re usually served warm.
• Anyways, they took the “better” of Chinese desserts and I didn’t fear getting to the top tier.

Red Bean Mochi – 2/6 (Okay)

• Alright, so I kind of feared this so I ate it first. Save the best for last…
• If you know this blog, you all know how I feel about red bean. Basically, it’s something I think I’ll appreciate when I’m older.
• Red bean mochi is more of a Japanese thing, but Chinese people still have their own version and so do Koreans. I prefer the Japanese kind – see here.
• The mochi skin was a bit doughy, dense and starchy and sprinkled with coconut, the coconut I liked!
• The inside was filled with sweetened red bean paste that was smooth and sweeter than traditional Chinese red bean paste.
• This was very rich and pasty and it’s just not my thing. That being said I still swallowed my bite and it wasn’t bad for what it was.
• A mochi that is my thing that I love (since it has no red bean) is the one from Hapa Umi that’s filled with ice cream – see Passionfruit Mochi Ice Cream.

Egg Tarts – 3/6 (Good)

• They did a good job with the egg tarts and they’re made in house too.
• It was a sweetened, crumbly, soft and moist shortbread like tart and the egg custard was also smooth and well made.
• It wasn’t a flaky or crispy egg tart shell, but they were very tender and even better than some Chinese dim sum places.
• There are some amazing ones at authentic Chinese dim sum, but these were still good.

Lychee and Osmanthus Flower Shooter – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• When I heard “shooter” I expected a drink, but this was actually jello.
• Jello shooters at Afternoon Tea was new, but of course non-alcoholic… boo. Just kidding.
• This was a version of the traditional Longan & Wolfberry Pudding or Lychee and Gogi Berry Jello.
• The bottom was the Chrysanthemum(?) flowers and I’m not sure if they meant them to sink to the bottom, but traditionally the flowers float throughout the jello.
• The gogi berries usually float throughout the jello too, but they just had the one dried one on top. This is perhaps a bit “exotic” so I understand the interpretation.
• This lychee jello was probably the best lychee jello I’ve had to date. It was full of fresh lychee fruit flavour (how? I don’t know since it’s not in season), but I loved it.
• It was fragrant and fruity and definitely sweeter than most Chinese desserts, and as sweet as most American jellos.

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.

Follow Me Foodie to Shit Foodies Say!

SHIT FOODIES SAY!

A parody based on “Shit Girls Say”. Special thanks to Justin of Three Sixty Photo, Steve of SteveTan.net, Cento Notti, Goldfish Seafood and Chops, Hapa Izakaya, and Urban Thai Bistro for providing locations. “Shit Foodies Say” YouTube link here.

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“Like” Follow Me Foodie on Facebook here.

At the THOROUGHBRED – A Day at the Races

2011 Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Yearblog

Happy New Year! Welcome to my Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2011! This is a recap and yearbook/yearblog of the BEST Follow Me Foodie (FMF) Food and FMF Foodie Moments in 2011.

I wrote a Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2010, so I decided to do another one this year. I don’t even know where to start. It’s been a crazy year, and I’m so grateful for everything that has happened with this blog. I’ve loved every minute of it (even the parts where it hurt to laugh because I was so full) and I’m so happy to have shared these delicious moments with you. Thank you for following me foodie and cheers to another year of gastronomic indulgence!

NOTE: IT’S NOT NECESSARILY “THE BEST“, BECAUSE FOOD IS PERSONAL AND I CAN ONLY DISCOVER SO MUCH IN A YEAR. THESE ARE JUST SOME WORTH MENTIONING IN MY BOOKS… OR BLOG? BLOG. IT’S MORE OF A 2011 RECAP/SUMMARY. ALL EXPERIENCES ARE FROM 2011 ONLY.

Top 15 Most Memorable/BEST Restaurant DESSERTS in Vancouver:

Miku Restaurant – Blueberry-Lavender Coconut Cream Tart

Of course I had to have a dessert category! I probably eat as many desserts as I do savoury courses. I had better luck finding great desserts in the city this year than last. Sweeten up your day with these!
Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. Giovane Cafe + Bar – Sugar Bun, Peanut Butter Hedgehog

2. Miku Restaurant – Blueberry-Lavender Coconut Cream Tart

3. Fratelli Bakery- Saint Honoré Cake

4. Kitchening with Carly – Almond Macaron with Rosemary Salted Caramel and Vanilla Cream

5. Chef Kev Cookies & Chocolate – Gluten Free Marzipan Ginger Cookies

6. TacoFino Cantina – Chocolate Diablo Cookie

7. Savary Island Pie Company – Lemon Buttermilk Pie

8. Be ‘wiched Cafe – Triple Cream Cheese Citrus Bar

9. Faubourg – Lemon Tart

10. Café Régalade – Monaco Torte

11. Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill – Olive Oil

12. ManCakes Bakery – Breakfast ManCake, Buffalo Wing ManCake

13. Gorilla Food – Avocado Pie

14. Seasonal 56 – Squash Ice Cream and Ginger Cookie Sandwich

15. Thomas Haas – Stollen

See “Follow Me Foodie Best of 2010 Desserts” here.

See the full “Follow Me Foodie Best of 2011″ here.

Miku Restaurant – Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi

2011 Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Yearblog

Happy New Year! Welcome to my Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2011! This is a recap and yearbook/yearblog of the BEST Follow Me Foodie (FMF) Food and FMF Foodie Moments in 2011.

I wrote a Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2010, so I decided to do another one this year. I don’t even know where to start. It’s been a crazy year, and I’m so grateful for everything that has happened with this blog. I’ve loved every minute of it (even the parts where it hurt to laugh because I was so full) and I’m so happy to have shared these delicious moments with you. Thank you for following me foodie and cheers to another year of gastronomic indulgence!

NOTE: IT’S NOT NECESSARILY “THE BEST“, BECAUSE FOOD IS PERSONAL AND I CAN ONLY DISCOVER SO MUCH IN A YEAR. THESE ARE JUST SOME WORTH MENTIONING IN MY BOOKS… OR BLOG? BLOG. IT’S MORE OF A 2011 RECAP/SUMMARY. ALL EXPERIENCES ARE FROM 2011 ONLY.

Top 20 BEST ASIAN/FUSION Restaurant Dishes & Food in Vancouver:

Suika – Beef Short Rib

Being in Vancouver, we’re spoiled by great Asian/Asian Fusion cuisine, so I decided to make it a separate category. Vancouver dominates and excels when it comes to Asian/Asian fusion cuisine.

Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. Suika – Beef Short Rib

2. Aki Japanese Restaurant – Black Cod (Sable Fish)

3. Pho Tam – House Special Pho

4. Wing Kee – Fresh Steamed Scallops with Vermicelli and Garlic

5. Dan Japanese – Tuna Chili Sashimi

6. Wang’s Beef Noodle House – Beef Brisket Noodle

7. Kirin Seafood Restaurant – Black Cod Braised with Squash and Roasted Pork Belly

8. Jade Seafood Restaurant – Steamed Mushroom Dumpling

9. Rainflower Restaurant – Pan Fried Tiger Prawns with Basil

10. Tokyo Joe’s Sushi Factory – Volcano Roll

11. Empire Chinese Cuisine – Alaskan King Crab Dinner – 4 ways

12. Red Star Seafood – Dungeness Crab with Wild Rice

13. Motomachi Shokudo – Bamboo-Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen

14. Tokachi Japanese – Tuna Gomaae

15. Empire Chinese Cuisine – Deep Fried Alaskan King Crab Knuckles

16. Ichiro Japanese – Dragon Roll

17. Delicious Cuisine – Deep Fried Shrimp with Salted Egg Yolk

18. Hapa Izakaya (Kistilano) – Salmon Shooter

19. Suhang Restaurant – Steamed Soup Buns with Pork Filling (XLB)

20. Jade Seafood Restaurant – Jade Smoked Grandpa Chicken

Honorary Mentions from 2010 list: Miku Restaurant – Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi, Top Gun J & C Restaurant – Baked BBQ Pork Bun, Hakkaido Ramen Santouka – Toroniku Shio Ramen

See “Follow Me Foodie Best of 2010 Asian/Fusion Dishes” here.

See the full “Follow Me Foodie Best of 2011″ here.

Making Croissants at Bouchon in Las Vegas

2011 Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Yearblog

Happy New Year! Welcome to my Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2011! This is a recap and yearbook/yearblog of the BEST Follow Me Foodie (FMF) Food and FMF Foodie Moments in 2011.

I wrote a Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2010, so I decided to do another one this year. I don’t even know where to start. It’s been a crazy year, and I’m so grateful for everything that has happened with this blog. I’ve loved every minute of it (even the parts where it hurt to laugh because I was so full) and I’m so happy to have shared these delicious moments with you. Thank you for following me foodie and cheers to another year of gastronomic indulgence!

NOTE: IT’S NOT NECESSARILY “THE BEST“, BECAUSE FOOD IS PERSONAL AND I CAN ONLY DISCOVER SO MUCH IN A YEAR. THESE ARE JUST SOME WORTH MENTIONING IN MY BOOKS… OR BLOG? BLOG. IT’S MORE OF A 2011 RECAP/SUMMARY. ALL EXPERIENCES ARE FROM 2011 ONLY.

Top 25 Most Memorable/BEST Dishes Internationally:

At the 5th day of the opening for the first ever Ladurée in the United States in New York

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee on Blue Mountain, Jamaica

Food is undeniably a focus when I’m traveling. This year I was grateful to take Follow Me Foodie to Bowen Island, Seattle, Las Vegas, New York, Portland, Los Angeles, Montreal, Quebec City and Jamaica.  Here are some of my best international indulgences this year. So Follow Me Foodie to some of my favourite foods and restaurants abroad with just one click!

Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. Pine State Biscuits – The Reggie Deluxe Biscuit Sandwich – Portland, Oregon

2. Pambiche – Masitas – Portland, Oregon

3. Local 360 – Fried Chicken – Seattle, Washington

4. Beecher’s Handmade Cheese Cafe – World’s Best” Mac & Cheese – Seattle, Washington

5. Nove Italiano - Shrimp Francaise – Las Vegas, Nevada

6. Bouchon – Truite Grenobloise – Las Vegas, Nevada

7. Traif – Crispy Pork Belly – Brooklyn, New York

8. The Spotted Pig – Gnudi – Manhattan, New York

9. Katz Deli – Pastrami Sandwich on Rye – Manhattan, New York

10. Jean-Georges – Manhattan, New York

11. BonChon Chicken – BonChon Chicken Wings – Manhattan, New York

12. Peasant – Cannolichi, Suckling Pig (Porchetta) – Manhattan, New York

13. Boqueria – Croquetas Cremosas – Manhattan, New York

14. Blue Hill – Chilled Corn Soup, Berkshire Pig - Manhattan, New York

15. Scotchies – Jerk Chicken – Ocho Rios, Jamaica

16. Blue Mountain Coffee – Blue Mountain, Jamaica

17. Schwartz’s – Smoked Meat Sandwich – Montreal, Quebec

18. Le St-Urbain – Coffee Glazed Sweetbread – Montreal, Quebec

19. Van Horne – Melon Canari (Canary Melon) – Montreal, Quebec

20. Le Bremner – Kimchi Snow Crab, Lobster Toast Au Gratin – Montreal, Quebec

21. Café Clocher Penché – Duck Confit – Quebec City, Quebec

22. Laurie Raphaël – Apple Crumble, Carrot Cake – Quebec City, Quebec

23. La Traite – Wendake, Quebec

24. Au Goût d’Autrefois (Dining at the Duck Farm), Quebec

25. North End Caffe – Kahlua Pig Egg Rolls – Los Angeles, California

Estrella’s Montreal Smoked Meat – Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich

2011 Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Yearblog

Happy New Year! Welcome to my Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2011! This is a recap and yearbook/yearblog of the BEST Follow Me Foodie (FMF) Food and FMF Foodie Moments in 2011.

I wrote a Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2010, so I decided to do another one this year. I don’t even know where to start. It’s been a crazy year, and I’m so grateful for everything that has happened with this blog. I’ve loved every minute of it (even the parts where it hurt to laugh because I was so full) and I’m so happy to have shared these delicious moments with you. Thank you for following me foodie and cheers to another year of gastronomic indulgence!

NOTE: IT’S NOT NECESSARILY “THE BEST“, BECAUSE FOOD IS PERSONAL AND I CAN ONLY DISCOVER SO MUCH IN A YEAR. THESE ARE JUST SOME WORTH MENTIONING IN MY BOOKS… OR BLOG? BLOG. IT’S MORE OF A 2011 RECAP/SUMMARY. ALL EXPERIENCES ARE FROM 2011 ONLY.

Top 10 BEST Sandwiches/Burgers in Vancouver!

Finch’s Tea & Coffee House – Pear, Blue Brie, Prosciutto Baguette

Sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and food carts dominated the Vancouver food scene last year and this. The following sandwiches and burgers are limited to the ones I tried this year, so they’re not necessarily “the best”, but definitely worth mentioning and trying!

Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. Savary Island Pie Company – Grilled Chicken and Fresh Basil Sandwich

2. Belle’s on Thirty Two Restaurant – Lambwich

3. La Brasserie – Brass Chicken Sandwich

4. Hubbub Sandwiches – Pork Sandwich

5. Finch’s Tea & Coffee House – Pear, Blue Brie, Prosciutto Baguette

6. Coma Food Truck – Kalbi Burger

7. TacoFino Cantina – Pork Gringa

8. Meat & Bread – Porchetta Sandwich

9. Estrella’s Montreal Smoked Meat – Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich

10. The Oakwood Canadian Bistro – Burger

See the full “Follow Me Foodie Best of 2011″ here.

At the Canadian Red Cross “Red Carpet Soiree” at Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar

2011 Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Yearblog

Happy New Year! Welcome to my Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2011! This is a recap and yearbook/yearblog of the BEST Follow Me Foodie (FMF) Food and FMF Foodie Moments in 2011.

I wrote a Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2010, so I decided to do another one this year. I don’t even know where to start. It’s been a crazy year, and I’m so grateful for everything that has happened with this blog. I’ve loved every minute of it (even the parts where it hurt to laugh because I was so full) and I’m so happy to have shared these delicious moments with you. Thank you for following me foodie and cheers to another year of gastronomic indulgence!

NOTE: IT’S NOT NECESSARILY “THE BEST“, BECAUSE FOOD IS PERSONAL AND I CAN ONLY DISCOVER SO MUCH IN A YEAR. THESE ARE JUST SOME WORTH MENTIONING IN MY BOOKS… OR BLOG? BLOG. IT’S MORE OF A 2011 RECAP/SUMMARY. ALL EXPERIENCES ARE FROM 2011 ONLY.

Top 20 Most Memorable/BEST Restaurant SAVOURY Dishes & Food in Vancouver!

Cobre Nuevo Latino – Maple Chipotle Tamarind Glazed Wild Boar Belly

The list is limited to what I tried this year. Again, not necessarily “the best”, but very memorable.
Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. Be ‘Wiched Cafe – Chain Gang Chili, Apple Pie Stuffed French Toast

2. La Belle Auberge – Seared Foie Gras with Apple Tart Tatin, Pork Belly Spring Roll

3. Café Régalade – Braised Short Ribs in Pepper Sauce

4. Pair Bistro – PAIR Signature Oysters

5. El Barrio Restaurante – Tostada Carnitas

6. Mis Trucos – Sezmu Beef Flatiron Steak

7. C Restaurant – Parsley Veloute, Northern Divine Caviar

8. Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill – Pappardelle

9. L’Abattoir – Poached Egg

10. Cobre Nuevo Latino – Maple Chipotle Tamarind Glazed Wild Boar Belly

11. La Quercia – Stinging Nettle Risotto for 2, Gnocchi

12. Hog Shack Cook House – Burnt Ends

13. Hawksworth Restaurant – Confit Pork Shoulder, Yellowfin Tuna Carpaccio

14. Anatolia’s Gate – Iskender Kabob

15. Market by Jean-Georges – French Toast, Sweet Pea Soup

16. The Well – Pulled Pork Eggs Benedict

17. The Apron – Side Stripe Prawn (Change of chefs)

18. EBO Restaurant – Albacore Tuna

19. Mochikas Peruvian Cafe - Chupe de Mariscos

20. Nicli Anitca Pizzeria – Margherita Pizza

Follow Me Foodie, OpenRoad Lexus & Nature’s Path Donation to the Vancouver Food Bank

2011 Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Yearblog

Happy New Year! Welcome to my Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2011! This is a recap and yearbook/yearblog of the BEST Follow Me Foodie (FMF) Food and FMF Foodie Moments in 2011.

I wrote a Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2010, so I decided to do another one this year. I don’t even know where to start. It’s been a crazy year, and I’m so grateful for everything that has happened with this blog. I’ve loved every minute of it (even the parts where it hurt to laugh because I was so full) and I’m so happy to have shared these delicious moments with you. Thank you for following me foodie and cheers to another year of gastronomic indulgence!

Note: It’s not necessarily “the BEST“, because food is personal and I can only discover so much in a year. These are just some worth mentioning in my books… or blog? Blog. It’s more of a 2011 recap/summary. All experiences are from 2011 only.

Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

Top 20 Most Memorable/BEST Restaurant SAVOURY Dishes & Food in Vancouver:

At the Canadian Red Cross “Red Carpet Soiree” at Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar

The list is limited to what I tried this year. Again, not necessarily “the best”, but very memorable.
Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. Be ‘Wiched Cafe – Chain Gang Chili, Apple Pie Stuffed French Toast

2. La Belle Auberge – Seared Foie Gras with Apple Tart Tatin, Pork Belly Spring Roll

3. Café Régalade – Braised Short Ribs in Pepper Sauce

4. Pair Bistro – PAIR Signature Oysters

5. El Barrio Restaurante – Tostada Carnitas

6. Mis Trucos – Sezmu Beef Flatiron Steak

7. C Restaurant – Parsley Veloute, Northern Divine Caviar

8. Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill – Pappardelle

9. L’Abattoir – Poached Egg

10. Cobre Nuevo Latino – Maple Chipotle Tamarind Glazed Wild Boar Belly

11. La Quercia – Stinging Nettle Risotto for 2, Gnocchi

12. Hog Shack Cook House – Burnt Ends

13. Hawksworth Restaurant – Confit Pork Shoulder, Yellowfin Tuna Carpaccio

14. Anatolia’s Gate – Iskender Kabob

15. Market by Jean-Georges – French Toast, Sweet Pea Soup

16. The Well – Pulled Pork Eggs Benedict

17. The Apron – Side Stripe Prawn (Change of chefs)

18. EBO Restaurant – Albacore Tuna

19. Mochikas Peruvian Cafe - Chupe de Mariscos

20. Nicli Anitca Pizzeria – Margherita Pizza

Top 20 BEST ASIAN/FUSION Restaurant Dishes & Food in Vancouver:

Suika – Beef Short Rib

Being in Vancouver, we’re spoiled by great Asian/Asian Fusion cuisine, so I decided to make it a separate category. Some of these are easily better than the list above.

Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. Suika – Beef Short Rib

2. Aki Japanese Restaurant – Black Cod (Sable Fish)

3. Pho Tam – House Special Pho

4. Wing Kee – Fresh Steamed Scallops with Vermicelli and Garlic

5. Dan Japanese – Tuna Chili Sashimi

6. Wang’s Beef Noodle House – Beef Brisket Noodle

7. Kirin Seafood Restaurant – Black Cod Braised with Squash and Roasted Pork Belly

8. Jade Seafood Restaurant – Steamed Mushroom Dumpling

9. Rainflower Restaurant – Pan Fried Tiger Prawns with Basil

10. Tokyo Joe’s Sushi Factory – Volcano Roll

11. Empire Chinese Cuisine – Alaskan King Crab Dinner – 4 ways

12. Red Star Seafood – Dungeness Crab with Wild Rice

13. Motomachi Shokudo – Bamboo-Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen

14. Tokachi Japanese – Tuna Gomaae

15. Empire Chinese Cuisine – Deep Fried Alaskan King Crab Knuckles

16. Ichiro Japanese – Dragon Roll

17. Delicious Cuisine – Deep Fried Shrimp with Salted Egg Yolk

18. Hapa Izakaya (Kistilano) – Salmon Shooter

19. Suhang Restaurant – Steamed Soup Buns with Pork Filling (XLB)

20. Jade Seafood Restaurant – Jade Smoked Grandpa Chicken

Honorary Mentions from 2010 list: Miku Restaurant – Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi, Top Gun J & C Restaurant – Baked BBQ Pork Bun, Hakkaido Ramen Santouka – Toroniku Shio Ramen

Top 10 BEST Sandwiches/Burgers in Vancouver:

Finch’s Tea & Coffee House – Pear, Blue Brie, Prosciutto Baguette

Sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and food carts dominated the Vancouver food scene last year and this. The following sandwiches and burgers are limited to the ones I tried this year, so they’re not necessarily “the best”, but definitely worth mentioning and trying!
Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. Savary Island Pie Company – Grilled Chicken and Fresh Basil Sandwich

2. Belle’s on Thirty Two Restaurant – Lambwich

3. La Brasserie – Brass Chicken Sandwich

4. Hubbub Sandwiches – Pork Sandwich

5. Finch’s Tea & Coffee House – Pear, Blue Brie, Prosciutto Baguette

6. Coma Food Truck – Kalbi Burger

7. TacoFino Cantina – Pork Gringa

8. Meat & Bread – Porchetta Sandwich

9. Estrella’s Montreal Smoked Meat – Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich

10. The Oakwood Canadian Bistro – Burger

Top 15 Most Memorable/BEST Restaurant DESSERTS in Vancouver:

At the THOROUGHBRED – A Day at the Races

Of course I had to have a dessert category! I probably eat as many desserts as I do savoury courses. I had better luck finding great desserts in the city this year than last. Sweeten up your day with these!
Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. Giovane Cafe + Bar – Sugar Bun, Peanut Butter Hedgehog

2. Miku Restaurant – Blueberry-Lavender Coconut Cream Tart

3. Fratelli Bakery- Saint Honoré Cake

4. Kitchening with Carly – Almond Macaron with Rosemary Salted Caramel and Vanilla Cream

5. Chef Kev Cookies & Chocolate – Gluten Free Marzipan Ginger Cookies

6. TacoFino Cantina – Chocolate Diablo Cookie

7. Savary Island Pie Company – Lemon Buttermilk Pie

8. Be ‘wiched Cafe – Triple Cream Cheese Citrus Bar

9. Faubourg – Lemon Tart

10. Café Régalade – Monaco Torte

11. Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill – Olive Oil

12. ManCakes Bakery – Breakfast ManCake, Buffalo Wing ManCake

13. Gorilla Food – Avocado Pie

14. Seasonal 56 – Squash Ice Cream and Ginger Cookie Sandwich

15. Thomas Haas – Stollen

Top 25 Most Memorable/BEST Dishes Internationally:

Making Croissants at Bouchon in Las Vegas

At the 5th day of the opening for the first ever Ladurée in the United States in New York

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee on Blue Mountain, Jamaica

Food is undeniably a focus when I’m traveling. This year I was grateful to take Follow Me Foodie to Bowen Island, Seattle, Las Vegas, New York, Portland, Los Angeles, Montreal, Quebec City and Jamaica.  Here are some of my best international indulgences this year. So Follow Me Foodie to some of my favourite foods and restaurants abroad with just one click!
Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. Pine State Biscuits – The Reggie Deluxe Biscuit Sandwich – Portland, Oregon

2. Pambiche – Masitas – Portland, Oregon

3. Local 360 – Fried Chicken – Seattle, Washington

4. Beecher’s Handmade Cheese Cafe – World’s Best” Mac & Cheese – Seattle, Washington

5. Nove Italiano - Shrimp Francaise – Las Vegas, Nevada

6. Bouchon – Truite Grenobloise – Las Vegas, Nevada

7. Traif – Crispy Pork Belly – Brooklyn, New York

8. The Spotted Pig – Gnudi – Manhattan, New York

9. Katz Deli – Pastrami Sandwich on Rye – Manhattan, New York

10. Jean-Georges – Manhattan, New York

11. BonChon Chicken – BonChon Chicken Wings – Manhattan, New York

12. Peasant – Cannolichi, Suckling Pig (Porchetta) – Manhattan, New York

13. Boqueria – Croquetas Cremosas – Manhattan, New York

14. Blue Hill – Chilled Corn Soup, Berkshire Pig - Manhattan, New York

15. Scotchies – Jerk Chicken – Ocho Rios, Jamaica

16. Blue Mountain Coffee – Blue Mountain, Jamaica

17. Schwartz’s – Smoked Meat Sandwich – Montreal, Quebec

18. Le St-Urbain – Coffee Glazed Sweetbread – Montreal, Quebec

19. Van Horne – Melon Canari (Canary Melon) – Montreal, Quebec

20. Le Bremner – Kimchi Snow Crab, Lobster Toast Au Gratin – Montreal, Quebec

21. Café Clocher Penché – Duck Confit – Quebec City, Quebec

22. Laurie Raphaël – Apple Crumble, Carrot Cake – Quebec City, Quebec

23. La Traite – Wendake, Quebec

24. Au Goût d’Autrefois (Dining at the Duck Farm), Quebec

25. North End Caffe – Kahlua Pig Egg Rolls – Los Angeles, California

Follow Me Foodie’s Adventures/Moments/Series of 2011:

Canada’s 2011 Bocuse d’Or Chef Ryan Stone’s Culinary Creations

With the grand prize winner of Food Network Canada’s Recipe to Riches, Glo (Luscious Lemon Pudding Sweet Pies & Puddings)

1. Follow Me Foodie on Food Network Canada’s Recipe to Riches (Recap)

2. Follow Me Foodie’s 1st Webisode at The YEW Restaurant & Bar at The Four Seasons Hotel

3. 2011 Bocuse d’Or Chef’s Culinary Challenge & Tasting Event

4. Follow Me Foodie on News 1130 AM Foodie Friday

5. Follow Me Foodie to an Epic Summer BBQ

6. The Beauty of an Egg… YOLK!

7. The Asian Noodle Series (Top 20)

8. The Pork Belly, Bacon & Fatty Meat Series!

9. Follow Me Foodie to Van Houtte Coffee Bootcamp in Old Montreal!

10. 10 Things to Look for When Dining Vietnamese

11. Follow Me Foodie to the Stollen Smackdown!

12. Vancouver’s 1st Foodie Feast

13. Follow Me Foodie’s 5 Star Food Blog Award

Follow Me Foodie to the Stollen Smackdown!

Eating my way through 18 stollen to find THE BEST in town!

Be stollen my heart! 18 stollens traveled near and far for a spot in the “Stollen Off” or “Stollen Smackdown”! From Vancouver to Victoria, Quebec and Ontario, and of course even Germany, it was a search for the best stollen in town… or just out of whatever we could get our antsy hands on!

I’ve done some pretty crazy foodie things in the past and this was one of them! Let us loose and we’ll just embrace the fat kid inside. From epic summer BBQ’s, to pie parties, and now stollen smackdowns, we’re a rowdy bunch of food obsessed geeks and the only shame we have is on the person who brought the worst thing. Or what’s worse? The person who brought the generic mass produced “grocery store” brand. Yes, put us all together and you might not even want to be invited, although I promise the only thing being judged is your food. We save the juicy talk for after you leave

Anyways, this year, or holiday season, I became obsessed with stollen. It’s happened before when I get on these mini food obsessions and go on mini hunts to find “the best” of whatever I’m craving for at that moment, and this was one of those times. I’ve done it with pizza, tacos, XLB, tamago, duck confit, runny egg yolks, short ribs, poutine, Japanese sablefish, wontons, egg tarts, BBQ pork buns, ramen, macarons, almond croissants and small things like that, but not to this degree. This was legendary.

Boy I must have been super good this year to be invited to this magical holiday moment. Of course being the Gemini I am being super good also meant being able to be super bad. So bring on the stollen (pronounced schtollen) and let’s get this party schtarted. It came down to 18 stollens (some doubles), 8 stomachs, 2 jugs of Avalon eggnog, one winner, and no Pepto Bismol.

Okay for those of you who don’t know what stollen is and think we stole 18 loaves of bread, no, that’s not the case.

What is Stollen?

Stollen is traditionally a German cake, or sweet and rich German bread eaten during Christmas. It is traditionally hand formed in a loaf shape and made with milk, butter, sugar, eggs, yeast, rum soaked raisins, dried or candied fruits (usually orange and lemon), almonds and Stollen spices which may include cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, mace etc. There are different types and styles of stollen, but my favourite has a stick of marzipan (ground almond paste) baked into the centre which is called Marzipan Stollen. All stollens are covered with sugar, icing sugar or powdered sugar after it bakes. It is best eaten a few days to a week and a half after it’s baked so the flavours have time to set and the texture is right.

I have to say that this is not a typical “Christmas Cake”. I guess it is a “German Christmas Cake”, but it’s definitely not one of those gross Christmas Cakes most of us feared as kids and thought only moms and grandmas ate. This is Christmas Cake 2.0 even though it’s existed for centuries.

The first stollens were actually made without milk and butter due to advent and respect to religion, and it wasn’t until later when people protested for the ban to be lifted. Those are my kind of people! And then to celebrate they threw stollen into the water… just kidding, it’s not the Boston Tea Party!

This may be the only occasion when I discriminate against shape and size. Authentically, the shape of the loaf has a bump in the middle to resemble the camel’s hump. The stollen is symbolic for the camel and the gifts it brings to Christ Child on its First Christmas. The “gifts” and “treasures” are supposed to be the candied fruits. Others say the stolen is supposed to resemble Christ Child in a blanket, which sounds super creepy to me, but in the end it just better taste really good!

What I look for in a Marzipan Stollen:

1) Freshness (best eaten 5-10 days after and not fresh or stale)
2) Size/Shape/Density
It should have a hump in the middle, and if it has marzipan it should be 5% of the Stollens’ total weight. It should be dense, but not hard.
3) Aroma
There is an aroma when you take it out. It smells like rich bread, warm spices, almonds, or fresh citrus fruit.
4) Sugar coated exterior
There’s a thin dusting of sugar, powdered sugar or icing sugar.
5) Moist and rich buttery flavour in the bread
6) A lemon or orange scent and flavour which can be mild
7) Texture is consistent and not crumbly, too bready, or chewy
8 ) Sweetness of bread and marzipan
The bread shouldn’t be that sweet since it has the fruit, and the marzipan should have the flavour and texture of ground almonds, but still be creamy.
9) Ratio of marzipan to bread (A good amount of marzipan)
10) Quality of ingredients (butter or margarine, natural or extracts)
11) Type/Amount of raisins and candied fruits
No fake candied fruit. Slivered or whole almonds as opposed to sliced, moist rum soaked raisins as opposed to dry, and a good amount of fruit without being a fruit cake.
12) Stollen spices (not overwhelming, but noticeable)

Of course what is traditional is arguable and what is “authentic” might not be what tasted best, so in the end it’s always what you enjoyed most and personal tastes. The perfect stollen can be forever debated and I’m not a professional pastry chef, but there was a professional German baker testing these stollens out with us and guiding us along the way. Generally all stollens are sweet cakes that are always pretty good, but when you have them back to back like this, you can really separate the “bad” from the good.

Note: The “ratings” are just my personal tastes and only for the stollen and not for the bakery.

On the table:

**Thomas Haas Stollen - 6/6

• Small about 350g $17 Large about 800g $27
• Available at Thomas Haas stores and Whole Foods Market.
• I know it seems like the most obvious and the “I could have guessed it” choice, but you try all 18 and you tell me this wasn’t the best. I bet it’ll be in your top 3 at least.
• We knew it was known as “the best in town”, but the thought of it getting better at some less known bakery was something worth researching.
• This was the first stollen I’ve ever tried, and that’s pretty much getting Dom Pérignon as your first sip of champagne.
• I love Thomas Haas, but even in a blind tasting I still picked this and the Four Seasons Stollen as my tops.
• It had a classic granulated sugar and dusting of powdered sugar on the exterior, but it was thin so it wasn’t too sweet.
• It was one of the richest and butteriest in flavour without being oily and greasy.
• It was almost like a moist and rich shortbread cake and very buttery in an authentic stollen way, not a butchered “American stollen” way too.
• From bread to marzipan the whole thing was creamy and consistent in texture with all parts being moist.
• The marzipan centre was fairly large and it wasn’t that sweet and I could tell it was actually made with ground almonds and not just all sugar.
• The marzipan was creamy and soft and it had a real almond flavour and not just extract, although I wouldn’t mind a bit more extract.
• It had no grainy granulated sugar texture either and it was less sweet than most.
• It had a good amount of slivered toasted almonds, lots of juicy plump big golden raisins and moist rum soaked dark raisins.
• I prefer all golden raisins, but I don’t mind the dark, which are the ones usually used anyways. The golden ones are a bonus.
• It had an orange scent, but no candied orange or lemon pieces. I like candied citrus fruit if it’s fresh, and I’m neutral to them being in stollen.
• The stollen spices were on the mild side, likely to suit tastes of the mass market, but overall it was delicious.
• The only other thing was the shape. I wish it had been the traditional stollen shape with the hump in the middle. It didn’t affect flavour, but it’s part of the aesthetic.
• I was actually told that they used to make it in traditional shape, but I guess with the high demand, it’s now the more mass produced looking rectangular loaf.

**Four Seasons (The YEW) Stollen – 5.5/6

• About 450g 1lb $20
• Available at Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver at The YEW Restaurant.
• This was easily my second favourite and part of the creme de la creme of stollen.
• It had a classic coating of crispy granulated sugar that wasn’t too thick, but I do prefer the powered sugar (not icing sugar) and that’s just personal.
• It was super moist and buttery without being oily or greasy and it’s very slightly less rich than the Thomas Haas one.
• It was still like a rich shortbread cake, and just like the Thomas Haas one the whole thing was creamy and consistent in texture with all parts being moist.
• It was sweet, but not too sweet and full in flavour.
• It had a pretty big stick of marzipan (bigger than the Thomas Haas one) in the centre that was soft, but slightly floury in texture with less almond flavour than the Thomas Haas one. I was hoping for a bit more almond extract or natural almond flavour.
• The marzipan was heavy and still made with ground almonds and smooth in texture.
• It was mild on the stollen spices, but it had lots of crunchy toasted almonds, no dark raisins, and only juicy plump golden raisins which I think is best. It tasted better than most of the raisins we had in all the other stollens.
• It didn’t have much or any orange and lemon peel though, which again I’m neutral to if it’s fresh and good quality.
• Like the Thomas Haas one it was the loaf shape instead of the traditional hump shape, but at least it didn’t affect flavour.
• The differences between this one and the Thomas Haas stollen are extremely marginal, and in the end it comes down to personal preference.

Even side by side they looked almost identical. I liked that the FSV stollen was made with all golden raisins, but I liked the richer flavour of the Thomas Haas cake.

Note: It’s interesting to note that Thomas Haas’ (who previously worked for Four Seasons before opening his own shop) stollen recipe is likely inspired by the long time Four Season Vancouver pastry chef, Gerhart Witzel, who comes out of retirement to make the FSV stollen.

Sweet Thea Stollen – 2.5/6

• 350g $10 600g $15
• Sweet Thea found at the local Farmer’s Markets in Metro Vancouver.
• This was the first one we tried and it was pretty dry and there weren’t many stollen spices.
• It wasn’t very buttery in flavour and it had some raisins which weren’t very plump or juicy and some almonds, but no apparent citrus fruit flavour.
• The marzipan was noticeable grainy and very sugary and sweet.
• The outside was dusted with icing sugar and I prefer granulated or powdered sugar.
• It didn’t really taste like a stollen and it was lacking in flavour in the bread part and in general.
• It would be good for bread pudding and we had a bread pudding pile.

The Sutton Place Hotel Stollen – 4/6

• 450g $15
• Available at La Boulangerie at The Sutton Place Hotel, Vancouver
• This was decorated with a candy cane and fondant flower and it looked a bit bake sale like.
• Oh no! Is that a green candied cherry? I can’t say I’m a fan of those anytime I see them.
• This was more bready with layers than cakey and it wasn’t too sweet, but it didn’t have as many raisins or almonds.
• It actually tasted like a Hot Cross Bun/Cake, so it wasn’t really stollen. The bread part was almost layered.
• It wasn’t too sweet and it was moist with some raisins and some candied lemon and orange zest.
• It also had some sliced (not slivered) almonds, so they were almost unnoticeable and just added in texture.
• I could taste more stollen spices in this than the Thomas Haas and Four Seasons Stollen which I liked.
• The marzipan was on the small side and off centered, but it was creamy and it wasn’t all sugar. It had a good amount of almond extract in it and it had great flavour. It was a good marzipan!
• The outside was a crust of granulated sugar and icing sugar and it was a bit thick, but not overwhelming either.
• Despite it being more like a Hot Cross Bun than a stollen, I liked it!

“Last Year’s Winner” Home Made Stollen – 2/6

• This was last year’s winner at the Stollen Off and it was the exact same recipe this year, but it didn’t turn out so well.
• It ended up breaking apart and was a bit dry and crumbly, so it just shows you how high maintenance and technical it is to make.
• Bread pudding pile.

The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver Stollen – 3/6

• $22
• Available at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.
• This one is a bit difficult to order because Hotel Vancouver doesn’t really advertise it.
• You kind of have to ask for it and you might want to call ahead to avoid confusion. The person who brought it did called ahead, but there was still confusion.
• It comes wrapped in plastic wrap and it’s quite rustic, but the whole ordering/picking up operation is a bit “black market” stollen.
• This was the most yellow in colour out of all the stollens.
• It had a bit of a floury aftertaste which I only noticed going back to it after the Thomas Haas and Four Seasons Stollen. I thought it would be an eggy aftertaste if anything.
• The marzipan stick in the centre was a bit small, but it was super creamy, melt in your mouth soft, almost a bit doughy, but not chewy and also not too sweet. I actually really liked the marzipan in this one! It was one of my favourite marzipans.
• I could taste the stollen spices, but it wasn’t too strong and it had nice pieces of orange peel, lots of moist dark raisins that weren’t particularly large or plump, and some almonds although not many.
• My other concern was that the outside was a bit dry and the centre was moist so it was slightly inconsistent.
• The outside was very lightly dusted with powdered sugar which I liked.
• Despite this not being an authentic stollen, although it did have the nice hump, it was actually pretty good.

Fieldstone Stollen – 1.5/6

• 800g $15.95
• Available at Fieldstone Artisan Breads in South Surrey/White Rock, BC.
• This was just sitting on the table and it didn’t look like their specialty. Their other baked goods looked fantastic though!
• It was crusted with a thick layer of icing sugar on the outside which was way too sweet.
• It tasted quite stale and bready and the raisins were a bit dried out and there was a lack of flavour and stollen spices.
• It wasn’t very eggy and the marzipan was small, creamy and not sweet, but almost oily looking.

This is just to show proper shape for an authentic stollen.

Artisan Bake Shoppe Marzipan Stollen – 4.5/6

• Rum Stollen: Small (500g) $9.99 Medium (700g) $13.99 Custom order large (900g) $19.99
• Marzipan Stollen: Small (500g) $12.99 Medium (700g) $14.99 Custom order large (900g) $29.99
• Available at Artisan Bake Shoppe in North Vancouver, or the German Christmas Market in downtown Vancouver.
• Their Marzipan Stollen still has a bit of rum because the fruits are soaked in it.
• This one had a sugary granulated sugar coating that was a bit too thick and crunchy for my liking.
• There was a gap between the marzipan and bread which isn’t very ideal, but can be overlooked. I’m not sure if it’s like that all the time.
• It smelled and tasted like a dense cinnamon raisin bread more so than a stollen, but it had a good amount of stollen spices and aroma.
• The cake had a nice butteriness, but not as rich as the Thomas Haas and Four Seasons one.
• It had moist dark raisins, juicy plump golden raisins, a bit of candied orange pieces and a decent amount of almonds, but the bread was slightly dry.
• The marzipan was creamy and almost not that sweet at all, but I could have used a bit more extract or almond flavour. There was a good amount of it.
• It took on the authentic shape of a stollen and it was pretty good!

Plöger Marzipan Stollen – 1/6

• Marzipan Stollen: Small (350g) $20 Large (680g) $24.95
• No Marzipan Stollen: Small (350g) $10 Large (680g) $12
• Available at Plöger Delikatessen in Vancouver.
• Plöger Delikatessen is a traditional German Bakery in Kitsilano that’s been open since 1935.
• I haven’t tried their other stuff, but this was probably one of my least favourite stollen and it was the most expensive without the quality to back it up.
• The bottom was scorched and there were very little raisins and it was the driest stollen with the least flavour.
• There were no almonds and the marzipan was almost like a jelly and it didn’t seem house made.
• It had a dusting of icing sugar and the right shape, but it was quite stale and disappointing.

Fol Epi Organic Stollen – 4.5/6

• 550g $26
• Available at Fol Epi Organic Bread & Pastry in Victoria, BC.
• This was an organic stollen and you could tell the ingredients were high quality.
• It was quite dense and it had the strongest cardamom flavour of all the stollens.
• It was loaded with a variety of raisins, currants, lots of fresh candied citrus fruit, and whole toasted organic almonds.
• It was definitely more like a fruit cake than a stollen.
• The marzipan was also the most noticeable and it was the only one where it wasn’t smooth and I could actually bite into ground almond crumbs. I actually kind of liked that too because it made the ingredients taste really fresh.
• It was almost overly moist, but all the ingredients are organic so I’m not sure if that’s why it was like that. It could be from the abundance of fruit too.
• It came across as a Christmas Cake meets a raisin bread and the overall flavour was strong with spices and fruit.
• The outside was dusted with granulated sugar and there was an apparent cinnamon and clove flavour coming from it as well which made it very aromatic.
• It had the strongest cinnamon and cardamom flavour of them all.
• The bakery itself is worth checking out despite the stollen not being the best.

Stickling’s Marzipan Stollen – 2.5/6

• Small (450g) $10 Large (1200g) $20
• Available at Stickling’s Specialty Bakery in Peterborough, Ontario.
• The marzipan centre was very small and it was grainy and sugary without much ground almond flavour and texture.
• It had almonds, raisins, candied orange and the bread was quite moist, but inconsistent.
• The outside was a bit dry and the centre of the bread was moist so you had to eat it together.
• It had a light dusting of powdered sugar and it was edible and okay, but not necessarily a good one.
• This went in the bread pudding pile.

Ruby Eats Stollen – 1/6

• 750g $10.99
• Available at Ruby Eats Toronto, Ontario.
• This one smelled like cheese so I’m not sure if it went off or if it always smells like that.
• The fake candied fruit was overwhelming and visually displeasing already.
• It was quite dry and stale and it tasted more like a shortbread cookie.
• The coating looked like cheese and smelled like it, so we didn’t put this in the “bread pudding” pile.
• If you toasted it, it would be passable biscotti.

Nougat Marzipan Stollen – 1/6

• 480g $7.50 (He said it was a “special price” on Dec. 14, so it could vary.)
• Available at Nougat Bakery & Delicatessen in Kitchener, Ontario.
• This was one of the least favourite and it was incredibly stale and hard to cut, bite and chew.
• There were big hazelnuts in it which is unusual and the marzipan was almost a sheet in the centre.
• I love hazelnuts, but these ones tasted a bit old.

Grain Harvest Marzipan Stollen - n/a

• Sizes, with or without marzipan all between $5-11
• Available at Grain Harvest Breadhouse and St. Jacob’s Farmers Market, Ontario.
• This one smelled like rotten eggs so I think the outer coating went off during travel time. That’s why I rated it “n/a”.
• Nonetheless, it didn’t look good with the giant pieces of candied green cherries that I really dislike.
• I did try the bread part and it tasted like regular bread with no spices and it was quite dry.
• The whole almonds were the best part and I just plucked those out.

La Mir Matinale German Christstollen Stollen – 3/6

• 2lbs (1000g) Stollen Dresden, 1lbs (750g) Stollen Dresden
• Available at La Mie Matinale bakery in Montreal, QC or you can order online.
• This is a lesser known bakery in Montreal and they use a stollen recipe that’s been in the family for 50 years.
• This had an overwhelming amount of icing sugar coated on the outside and it was just cracking into bits as we sliced it.
• Not only did it have and an icing sugar crust, but it also had a coating of granulated sugar so it was extra sweet on the outside.
• There was very little marzipan that was off centered and it was a bit stiff, chewy, grainy and sugary and almost like fondant.
• It was very dense and loaded with almonds, plenty of semi-moist raisins, lots of candied orange and lemon pieces.
• It even had walnuts and dried sour cherries which aren’t traditional to a stollen although still tasty. This was the only one with those ingredients.
• It was bordering on a Christmas/fruit cake, but the minimal bread part there was, was quite dry and crumbly.
• I could taste the cardamom and aromatic stollen spices and it had a ton of ingredients in it, but it was on the sweet side.
• If it wasn’t for the overload of icing sugar crusted on the exterior and the grainy marzipan it was actually pretty good.

KuchenMeister Stollen - 2/6

• Available packaged at specialty grocery stores like Galloway’s Specialty Foods in Richmond, BC. Marzipan stollen in a box $11.49, Marzipan stollen not in a box$7.49.
• KuchenMeister – Imported from Germany. 750g for$10.99 online.
• This is a very popular store bought brand of stollen in Germany.
• It had lots of raisins, cranberries, candied orange and lemon peel which were a bit fake.
• The marzipan was moist, but off centered and it didn’t have much ground almonds.
• The coating of icing sugar was overwhelming and it was really sweet overall and bready and it had a perfume like aftertaste.
• It’s servable, or good for bread pudding.

Bahlsen Edel Marzipan Stollen - 2/6

• Available packaged at specialty grocery stores. Bahlsen – Imported from Germany. 500g for $9.39 online.
• This is another popular store bought stollen in Germany.
• It wasn’t as sweet as the KuchenMeister Stollen and I’d rather serve this one if I’m serving something in a package.
• The marzipan was in a swirl rather than in the middle so it was almost like a Marzipan Stollen roll.
• It was soft and bready and the crust separated from the cake.
• The raisins were quite dry and it was good for bread pudding and not bad for being mass produced and packaged.

Oebel Marzipan Stollen - 1/6

• Available packaged at specialty grocery stores. Oebel – Imported from Germany. 500g for $7.59 online.
• This is made in Köln in Germany and it was another packaged stollen.
• The icing sugar was too heavy and the bread tasted stale which was obvious in flavour.
• The marzipan was chewy and there were a lot of raisins, but it tasted like dry raisin bread.

Swiss Bakery Stollen - n/a

• $15 $20
• Available at Swiss Bakery.
• I tried this one at The One of A Kind Show in Vancouver and I liked it so much I bought it.
• However now that I’ve tried so many, I’m actually not sure where this one would stand anymore so that’s why I rated it “n/a”.
• This one had just the powdered sugar coating with no granulated sugar or icing sugar which is what I prefer, and it’s not thick so I liked it.
• The marzipan is pretty big, but since the stollen is so large overall, the marzipan looks a bit small and the ratio is a bit off.
• There were a ton of moist plump dark raisins, lots of cranberries and whole almonds.
• It had no orange or lemon candied fruit or flavour or golden raisins. I do like the golden raisins better.
• I actually liked the flavour of the marzipan better than the Thomas Haas one, but it was small relative to how much bread there was.
• The marzipan was softer, creamier, a bit sweeter with a tad more almond extract, but it didn’t have as many ground almonds as the Thomas Haas one either.
• It was a bit more on the bready than cakey side and it was moist with a decent amount of stollen spices, but not a lot.
• This one is made with natural and artificial rum flavours.

**Fol Epi Panettone – 6/6

• Available at Fol Epi Organic Bread & Pastry in Victoria, BC.
• This was pretty much the star of the show, which isn’t even fair because it’s comparing apples to oranges, but it was hands down the best panettone I’ve had to date!
• Do you hear what I hear?… Do you see what I see?” Perhaps a Follow Me Foodie to the Pannettone Playoffs in 2012!?