Restaurant: Pizzeria Barbarella
Cuisine: Italian/Pizza
Last visited: January 10, 2012
Location: Vancouver, BC (Fairview)
Address: 654 East Broadway
Train: VCC Skytrain
Price Range: $10-20

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

Food: 4
Service: 2
Ambiance: 2
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Neapolitan meets New York style
• Local/organic ingredients
• Hand tossed pizza
• Wood burning oven
• Very casual
• Rather bare atmosphere
• Sit down service
• Reasonably priced
• Family friendly
• Previous owner of Ah-Beetz Pizza (Abbotsford)
• Accepts Visa/MC
• Dine In/Take out
• Tuesday – Sunday: 5pm-10pm

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

Oh dear. I kind of feel bad for the little guys like Elma’s Kitchen 2 for 1 Pizza & Salad Bar right next door to the newly opened Pizzeria Barbarella.

Pizza proves to be big business in Vancouver. I’m not talking about 2 for 1 pizza, I’m talking about real authentic Napoletana pizza. With a pizza place popping up every 3 months, I’m not sure how many more the market can sustain. But I guess for now the more the merrier, especially if it can only get better.

It’s almost getting to the point where it’s all good when you compare the creme de la creme of pizza. From what I’ve tried, that would include Nicli Antica Pizzeria, Pizzeria Farina, and Verace Pizzeria Napoletana and Enoteca, and maybe The BiBo (even though I personally wasn’t as keen). Regardless, the competition is tight. There are also a handful more I haven’t tried, but I’m satisfied with what I’ve tried so far, and I probably prefer them in the order I just listed too. The newcomer is Pizzeria Barbarella and I’d squeeze it in tightly between Pizzeria Farina and Verace Pizzeria Napoletana and Enoteca. The differences are quite marginal, but it can compete with the big boys, or the so called “best pizzas in the city”.

Pizzeria Barbarella is the newest pizzeria to hit Vancouver, but it’s not the newest to hit the Metro Vancouver pizza scene. The owner is actually the previous owner of Ah-Beetz Pizza which was located in Abbotsford.

For the last few years it was known as the only place in Vancouver to get authentic New York style pizza, and now he’s finally sold it and moved his pizza business to the big city! Of course big city means bigger competition. If it moved here before the pizza scene exploded last year, it would still be the front runner, but since great authentic Neapolitan style pizza isn’t as hard to find in Vancouver anymore, people can be pickier with the many options.

I rarely go to a restaurant when it first opens. Personally I like to give at least 4-5 weeks before I visit so that the menu, service and prices settle down to the market demands. However on this occasion it was somewhat unavoidable, so together with Sherman I checked it out on opening day. I do expect things to change with time, and it’s not a place for ambiance, but so far it is off to a solid start.

Pizzeria Barbarella specializes in hand tossed, wood fired oven pizza made with fresh and local ingredients you can taste. The pizza seemed like a combination of an authentic Neapolitan style pizza meets a New York style pizza.

It was much smaller than a New York style pie (see my post on Grimaldi’s Pizzeria in New York for reference), and more along the size of a Neapolitan style pizza. The crust was thin, crispy around the edges, soft and tender in the centre, but not soggy either (Neapolitan type), but the toppings were a bit heavier, not all from Italy, and it was served pre-cut (New York type). My only issues were that the crusts were a bit inconsistent and at times the pizzas were a bit salty, and I already have a high tolerance for salt. Other than that, the price was right for what you get and it’s nothing pretentious, but still good quality and worth revisiting.

On the table:

**Margherita – 4.5/6 (Very good)

• Tomato, fior di latte, aged mozzarella, basil, parmigiano reggiano and extra virgin olive oil $12
• It’s the staple. The Margherita is the most simple pizza, but it’s the one that tells all. You can’t hide anything.
• It was a hybrid of a Neapolitan style pizza and a New York style pizza. The crust and size was closer to a Neapolitan style pizza, but the amount and origin of toppings was closer to a New York style pie.
• It was heavier with the toppings which made it a bit saltier and the tomato sauce was thin, but not quite translucent to the crust.
• It was quite cheesy, salty and stringy and the three kinds of cheeses were generous as opposed to the standard two kinds of cheese for a margherita.
• The tomato sauce was fresh and a bit acidic, but I wouldn’t mind it a bit less salty if there were already so many cheeses and the crust was already salted.
• I did appreciate the generous amount of basil leaves, however traditional Neapolitan pizzas will usually have 3 leaves in the centre and that’s the authentic style.
• Personally I prefer a basil flavour throughout the pizza, so I liked this. It was also put on after the baking, which is how it should be done.
• There was freshly grated parmesan and some extra virgin olive oil to finish off the pizza.
• Although I normally like the olive oil addition, this one didn’t really need it since the cheeses had released so much oil on their own.
• It wasn’t a greasy pizza, but the natural oils were very present, yet not overwhelming.

• It was a thin crust with a tender soft centre and it was nice and foldable with crispy edges and a charcoal crust.
• The crust wasn’t particularly salty, but it was salted and it was quite thick and chewy, but not tiresome to chew until it got cold (which is natural).
• I kind of wish there was more consistent blistering and leoparding around the edges of the crust too.

The leoparding on the bottom was visibly there, but it wasn’t blistering and I couldn’t taste the charcoal flavour I always look for. Again, at times the crusts were baked a bit inconsistent (ovens can have hot spots), but generally I enjoyed them.

Amatriciana – 4/6 (Very good)

• Tomato, fior di latte, aged mozzarella, house smoked pancetta, red onions, fresh garlic, chili flakes, parmigiano reggiano and extra virgin olive oil $16
• Again, it was a hybrid of a Neapolitan style pizza and a New York style pizza. The crust and size was closer to a Neapolitan style pizza, but the amount and origin of toppings was closer to a New York style pie.
• To read more about the crust see the Margherita crust section, but this one was slightly thicker so I’m not sure if it’s consistent.
• This one was perhaps the most New York in style because it had the heaviest toppings and it weighed down the pizza a bit. However it would make most diners feel like they got their money’s worth.
• The toppings ended up being more of a focus than the crust, and usually that’s the best part, but when it comes to high quality pizzas like these, the crust plays an equally or even more important role.
• There were nice spicy onions, thick salty cuts of pancetta and a little chili for some heat, but it wasn’t really spicy.

**Funghi – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• Bechamella, fontina, oven roasted cremini mushrooms, parmigiano reggiano and white truffle oil $17
• Again, it was a hybrid of a Neapolitan style pizza and a New York style pizza. The crust and size was closer to a Neapolitan style pizza, but the amount and origin of toppings was closer to a New York style pie.
• To read more about the crust see the Margherita crust section.
• I love bechamel and mushrooms, and fontina, parm and truffle oil… okay so basically I love all the ingredients on this pizza a lot, so naturally I’m going to gravitate towards it.
• This one was perhaps the saltiest, but I still loved it and nobody else that I’m aware of is making pizza with bechamella right now.
• Bachamella or bechamel is pretty much one of my favourite sauces of all time. It’s a creamy white sauce made with flour, butter and cream and it’s just so velvety smooth and silky like a pommes puree.
• It was a super creamy and rich pizza with lots of salty, nutty, buttery and mushroomy flavours and it was almost the “comfort food” pizza.
• It wasn’t particularly strong with truffle oil, but it was still heavy with mushroom flavour.
• It wasn’t garlicky, which might have been nice so I might add that topping next time.

Bianco Rosa - 4/6 (Very good)

• Red onions, rosemary, pistachios, parmigiano reggiano and extra virgin olive oil $14
• Again, it was a hybrid of a Neapolitan style pizza and a New York style pizza. The crust and size was closer to a Neapolitan style pizza, but the amount and origin of toppings was closer to a New York style pie.
• To read more about the crust see the Margherita crust section.
• This one had the least leoparding around the edges, but could have benefited with having the most since it was almost all about the crust as a Bianco.
• I needed to try the Bianco and I’m a huge fan of pistachios and nuts so I was excited about this one.
• It was definitely the drier pizza of the four, but I could taste everything on it although the toppings came across a bit bittier adding to the dry quality.
• It wasn’t a dry pizza, but since there’s no tomato sauce, minimal cheese and nuts, it’s naturally drier.
• It was garlicky and herby with a rosemary finish in the nose and I could taste its aromatics throughout the pizza.
• The thin shavings of crunchy red onions were the dominant flavour and they were sweet, but not yet caramelized or melted in texture. They were still crunchy and cooked during the baking process rather than pre-caramelized and baked.
• There was a generous amount of toasted unsalted pistachios and I loved that. The more pistachios the better! And none of them were burnt.
• The crust really stood out more on this one and it was the lightest in flavours.
• Some may find it a bit boring or dry (perhaps more olive oil to finish would do it), but I enjoyed it.

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.

Swallow Tail Secret Supper Soiree

Psst. The Swallow Tail Secret Supper Soiree is back. Five Courses. Four Wine Tastings. Two Secret Locations. That’s what it all comes down to, but it delivers beyond that. It’s one of the many Dine Out Vancouver food events happening this year and one that I was pretty excited to attend. I’m more enthusiastic about the Dine Out events rather than the Dine Out Menus for the reasons I wrote about here. Anyways on this occasion I was invited to attend the Swallow Tail Secret Supper Soiree which is a “pop up restaurant event”. I had no idea what to expect and I can only share so much of my experience without ruining the element of surprise, which is all part of the “Secret Supper” experience.

I’ve actually attended one of the Swallow Tail Secret Suppers in the past. It’s one of the few underground restaurants in Vancouver and this event was cleverly created and hosted by the same organizers. It wasn’t as intimate as their underground dinners, especially since this was intended for a much larger group, but it caters well to those who appreciate event style dining.

It all started at the meeting location where all guests were conveniently picked up and chauffeured to the two secret locations. The theme of the event is 1930′s so they encourage everyone to dress in 1930′s attire. They say “fancier the better”, but being that this is Vancouver, that translated to a clean pair of jeans. Personally I love dressing up so I was excited to play, but the event is rather casual so I wouldn’t sweat it, but I also wouldn’t wear sweats… although I never really wear sweats.

The first location totally caught me by surprise! As much as I want to tell you, I can’t, but I will give you a clue. We entered a room which featured this chalkboard and I actually thought this was the dinner menu. I guess that’s the “foodie” in me, but I honestly got a bit excited since I’ve never tried spleen or thymus before. I’m not sure how many of you think I’m joking, but I’m actually being serious. Anyways, the chalkboard ended up just being part of the unexpected venue.

The event kicked off with a cocktail (Pimm’s Cup a la Boardwalk Empire) and the first two courses which I considered more of an amuse bouche than actual courses. It was all enjoyed in the context of a standing room which I preferred since it allowed more opportunity for socializing.

First course: Beet Salad with blood orange granita, BB microns and pomegranate seeds. Yes, the beakers suited the venue.

Second course: Tomato Consume with pickled cauliflower and Hijiki seaweed.

The second secret location was my personal highlight for the whole Swallow Tail Secret Supper Soiree experience. Yes, it even beat out the food. I loved the venue. Being a born and raised Vancouverite who’s rather familiar with the food scene, I was rather shocked that I never knew about this place. Of course there’s always secret locations to discover, but this one really impressed me. Again, I can’t tell you where we went exactly, but I will tell you that those barrels were meant for wine and not for monkeys.

Although the dinner offers 4 BC wine pairings there are also wines available by the glass for purchase.

The dinner took a while to start and it can be assumed that it would be a bit “banquet style dining”. That being said, the meal was elegantly prepared and presented with colours in mind by Chef Andrea Carlson (formerly of Bishops, an award winning fine dining restaurant). The quality of ingredients were high and the menu was sophisticated, but at times it suffered slightly from being cold or room temperature. On that note, it was also food that could be still enjoyed at room temperature.

The third course, which felt more like the first course, was a Poached Hen’s Egg with forest mushrooms and a red wine reduction paired with a 8th Generations, Pinot Noir, 2010.

Put an egg on anything and I’ll be happy. It was a substantial salad with the added egg and the toasted baguette was a lovely mop for the bright orange runny egg yolk – another perfect addition to my Egg Yolk Series. The bread could have been more toasted and it was already a bit soft, but given the context, these hiccups were somewhat expected. The fourth course was the main course and there was a given vegetarian option. The meat course was standard and it was a Pitt Meadows Flat Iron Steak with potato pave, root veggies and a huckleberry & rosemary jus paired with Therapy, Syrah, 2008. It was a refined “meat and potatoes” which again could have benefited from being served hot, but it was still good room temperature. The meat was closer to medium rather than medium rare, which is what I prefer, but they made a flat iron steak and potatoes look $50, and that was appreciated.

The fifth and final course was the Riesling Baba with Orange Blossom SemiFreddo, persimmon puree and pistachios paired with Lang, Off-dry, Riesling, 2008. I usually find Baba Rum Cakes too sweet and it was no different here, however I loved the creative twists on it. They took a very simple dessert and elevated it with sophisticated flavours making it appropriate for fine dining standards.

It had a dominant floral and perfume like flavour and would cater to those who like rose water and lavender. The semmifreddo was refreshing and delicious, but the cakes were a bit over baked, cold and intensely sweet from being soaked in Riesling syrup, but I loved the concept and flavour combinations.

To top things off there was some fabulous swing dancing for entertainment to enhance the 1930′s theme. It was charming and enjoyable to watch, and of course the dance floor is open to guests, but next to these professionals I think everyone chose to remain seated.

Overall it was a very well organized event, with a few timing issues here and there, and if you look at the whole picture it was worth it ($129 w/wine, $89 w/o wine). On the other hand, if you’re in it for the food it feels more like a 3 course than a 5 course and most of us headed for drinks and snacks afterwards. The wines were local and the food was pretty good taking into consideration it’s being made for 50-60 people. I probably appreciated the unique experience more, but it would be nice to see a theme change for each soiree in the future. It’s a bit of a novelty, but it can be equally enjoyed by locals and tourists.

For dates and ticket info see here.

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.

Restaurant: BREAD
Cuisine: Breakfast/Brunch/Italian/Sandwiches
Last visited: September 11, 2011
Location: Manhattan, New York (Nolita)
Address: 20 Spring Street
Subway: Spring St
Price range: $10-20

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

Food: 4 (Based on items I tried)
Service: 3
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Modern Italian menu
• Italian paninis
• Home made bread
• Organic eggs
• Pasta/Mains at dinner
• Homemade desserts
• Local favourite
• Busy at peak hours
• Casual/cozy/quaint
• Cocktails/wine
• Online ordering here
• Brunch Sat. & Sun. 10:30am-5pm
• Daily Lunch Specials until 5pm
• Lunch/Dinner menu
• Sun-Wed 9am-12am
• Thurs-Sat 9am-12:30am

Recommendation: BREAD Tomato Soup, Prosciutto di Parma Panini

The three kitchen staples: milk, eggs and bread… and maybe butter. So I had my taste of Milk and Egg, so now it was time for BREAD. Unfortunately I didn’t get reservations for Butter, so I’ll have to save that for Follow Me Foodie to New York round 2!

I discovered BREAD as I was waiting for my table at Lombardi’s Pizza. It was dinner time and the place was packed, but all the restaurants in the Nolita area are almost always packed with expected line ups. The name BREAD caught my attention, but the style of the restaurant is what really kept me interested. I was easily charmed by the porch like seating area and modern cottage like atmosphere, so I put it on my “hope to try” list.

Well that “hope to try” list came sooner than I thought! It was coming to the end of my New York food trip and restaurant selection was getting crucial. It was time for another brunch spot and I had narrowed my list down to Prune, ABC Kitchen, Clinton St. Baking Company & Restaurant, and BREAD. By process of elimination I decided on BREAD and that was due to the extra bit of convincing from some locals. On a side note, doesn’t that guy kind of look like a young Ashton Kutcher?

Anyways I was hoping to check out their dinner menu, although it looked more like a brunch spot. The night time crowd was perhaps even bigger and they do offer a full bar and separate dinner menu. It’s a cozy and quaint restaurant, but it’s still quite spacious with group dining in the back.

I came in expecting a menu full of different kinds of homemade breads, and almost just bread, but that wasn’t really the case. The bread is well known here, but it’s not a bakery and more of a neighbourhood restaurant. The lunch menu is rather limited and simple, but the food is fresh and homemade. The menu is Italian inspired with a focus on paninis for lunch and pastas for dinner, but it’s American in style. The place is trendy, the portions are fair, and the prices are reasonable and affordable for the area, which makes BREAD an easy local favourite. Personally I would value it more as a local than I would as a tourist, but I still loved the vibe and enjoyed my brunch and BREAD experience.

On the table:

Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice – ($3.50 a la carte) It was the simple details of freshly squeezed orange juice that I appreciated. It was really good orange juice, but of course this varies depending on the season. I prefer pulp, but this was pulp free and it was naturally sweet and not very tart at all.

Complimentary Bread

• At BREAD, they start you off right with of course bread!
• It was served with extra virgin olive oil and vinegar.
• They called it a Ciabatta bread, but I actually wouldn’t have guessed it.
• It almost looked like a sourdough, which would have been random.

• It was served cold and it was super moist, stretchy, fluffy, but still dense and not crusty.
• It was very soft, doughy and chewy and not salty, sour or floury in flavour, but it almost seemed half baked it was so moist.
• The bread almost peeled in layers and there were no apparent large holes like a traditional Ciabatta bread would have.
• I really loved the bread, but it was very different from most Ciabatta I’ve had and it was unexpected.

Eggs Normandy – 3/6 (Good)

• With Smoked Salmon. All brunch served with any juice and coffee, or tea $15
• It was served with roasted potatoes and a Mesclun Salad.
• The brunch menu is very limited to about 3 options of eggs benedict and this one came recommended.
• Being from the West Coast (Vancouver, BC) I’m spoiled with smoked salmon, so this just didn’t do it for me. It was good, but it’s hard for me to be unbiased about it.
• The salmon was very salty and it had a couple bones in it, which is pretty taboo.
• It was almost like toro (tuna belly) and it wasn’t smoky, but just salty.
• I could have used a lot more hollandaise sauce which was very tangy with lots of lemon. I prefer mine creamy, buttery, thick and rich too and not just lemony.
• The best part for me was the crispy thin toasted English muffins which were chewy and spongy and they seemed homemade and good quality.

There was a nice runny egg yolk sauce, but an excellent eggs benny needs and excellent hollandaise.

• The potatoes were crispy with tender, creamy and moist centres and well seasoned with chives. They had great flavour.
• The Mesclun salad was fresh and simple and easily dressed with super fruity olive oil and lemon.

**Prosciutto di Parma Panini – 4/6 (Very good)

• With Mozzarella and Cherry Tomato on Ciabatta $11 a la carte
• Lunch special: 1/2 sandwich and soup $11
• This was the most recommended panini.
• It was a thin crispy Ciabatta bread that was still a bit spongy and not hard or tough.
• It seemed different than the complimentary Ciabatta, but I couldn’t tell because it was panini pressed.

• The sandwich fillings weren’t generous, but they were fair.
• The quality of ingredients were fresh and good, but I was hoping for Heirloom tomatoes over cherry tomatoes and perhaps a few added basil leaves.
• The prosciutto was salty and buttery, but not too salty and there was enough to give the panini a meaty bite.
• The buffalo mozzarella is actually hand made mozzarella and it was springy, spongy and a bit chewy and it was done pretty well.
• It was simple, but the ingredients were good with a balanced ratio and I really give credit to the home made bread and cheese.

**BREAD Tomato Soup – 4/6 (Very good)

• $6 a la carte
• The soup is a house favourite and popular choice.
• It wasn’t rich or creamy and I wouldn’t be surprised if there was no dairy or flour, but I’m not sure.
• I could taste the infused onions and garlic, but it made for aromatics more so than flavour because it wasn’t necessarily garlicky.
• It was really fresh and I could taste the fresh pureed tomatoes, pulp and skins which is what I prefer.
• It was quite acidic and tangy and topped with a fresh Parmesan Ciabatta crouton and basil leaves.

Restaurant: Sweet Revenge Patisserie
Cuisine: Desserts
Last visited: December 28, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Riley Park/Little Mountain)
Address: 4160 Main Street
Bus: NB Main St FS E 26 Av
Price Range: $10-20

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

Food: 2.5 (based on what I tried)
Service: 1.5
Ambiance: 3.5
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Desserts only
• All natural ingredients
• No preservatives
• Cute/quaint atmosphere
• Intimate/cozy room
• Neighbourhood favourite
• Long waits/line-ups
• Organic coffee/teas
• Wine/Beer
• Limited seating
• Reservations recommended
• No reservations Fri-Sat
• Sunday – Thursday: 7pm-12am
• Friday – Saturday: 7pm-1am

**Recommendations: n/a

Sweet Revenge Patisserie is one of Vancouver’s few dessert only restaurants. I haven’t been here in over 10 years, but it’s been around for ages and it’s part of the Main Street classics. Given that I have a major sweet tooth and obsession with desserts “Sweet Revenge” and “dessert only” should be music to my ears. However I can also get quite particular with them and specific with what I look for.

If you’re more than 2-3 people, it’s really difficult to get seated here. There is almost always a line up and the place seats maybe 25-30 people, but it feels like it’s made for 10. It’s a very intimate atmosphere and it gets really warm, so make sure you like who you eat with.

The restaurant feels like eating in grandma’s living room and apparently some of the chef’s recipes are from Grandma as well. With the vintage furnace, floral upholstery and old fashioned trinkets, it was almost like playing house, or admiring a Main Street garage sale.

Unfortunately my experience fell short of my infatuation. The service wasn’t great, a bit passive and quite inexperienced, and I already expected very casual service to start. However, even overlooking the service the desserts I tried were quite average, although I appreciated the use of all natural ingredients. It just wasn’t very inspiring for a place that’s supposed to be dedicated and passionate about desserts.

It’s a traditional menu, but what I had didn’t make me want to explore much further, and for the size of the restaurant it’s attempting a lot. Therefore it’s assumed that their desserts will be quite basic and somewhat premade as much as it attempts to avoid being in that “mass-produced” category. The desserts just seemed a bit dated and routine rather than progressive and improved. I was charmed by the quaintness of the room, but the home made aspect of the desserts didn’t translate nearly as much as the ambiance suggested.

On the table:

Sweet Revenge - 2/6 (Okay)

• A torte-like cake, rich and dense, coated with dark chocolate ganache $6
• This is supposed to be the signature dessert.
• For being called the “Sweet Revenge” it wasn’t that sweet at all except for the chocolate coating.
• It wasn’t rich in the initial bites, but it’s a heavy cake so the richness catches up.
• It was a cold and dense cake coated with a hard, sugary and sweet chocolate ganache icing.
• I prefer a stronger chocolate than sugar aspect to chocolate ganache, so this was one I kind of scrapped off. At the same time it was the only other component to the cake so it almost needed it.
• The strawberry garnish kind of bothered me since it’s out of season, but the restaurant doesn’t emphasize local ingredients, so I can overlook it.

• The torte-like cake had maybe one thin layer of chocolate or buttercream in between, but it was barely noticeable.
• It was very simple and I wanted many more layers. Usually a torte will have many more distinct layers.
• The cake was quite dry, crumbly and nutty and made with ground almonds.
• Naturally a torte will be on the drier side, but this one was drier than normal.
• This just lacked some love and detail and there was nothing very memorable about it.
• As a signature dessert I just expected more “wow” factor.

Apple Pie - 2/6 (Okay)

• Served warm or cold, with real whipped cream $7 (a la mode + $1.50)
• This reminded me of the Baked Apple Dumpling from The Oakwood Canadian Bistro, but this came first.
• This had a very premade aspect to it. I kind of expect that from most pies, but I hoped it wouldn’t come across so easily in the taste.
• It almost seemed warmed up in the microwave rather than baked in the oven and the shell wasn’t crispy, but almost soft and very chewy.

• The pastry shell or crust is a very important part to a great apple pie for me and this one wasn’t flaky or that buttery.
• The filling was quite stiff rather than creamy and most of the caramel sauce inside had somewhat absorbed.
• The apples were more crunchy than tender and more tart than sweet and spiced with cinnamon.
• It was on the gummy side so there was probably a bit much cornstarch in the mixture.
• For a mom and pop shop I understand it would be difficult to make ice cream, so the store bought didn’t bother me.
• I’m really not keen on Breyers ice cream though, but if I had to choose one of their products it would be the All Natural Vanilla ice cream which this was.
• I’m still not crazy about it and I find most Breyers ice creams too creamy, and for store bought I generally prefer Häagen-Dazs.
• I think it would be great if they served the Mountain Dairy Ice Cream in Abbotsford or The Udder Guy’s Ice Cream Company especially since they’re local too.
• Personally I prefer the Apple Pie from Savary Island Pie Company.

“Smooth Operator” – 3/6 (Good)

• Fresh raspberries and mascarpone cheese with whipped cream, layered over raspberry liqueur-soaked chocolate sponge cake, sprinkled with white chocolate shavings and drizzled with raspberry coulis Single: $10.00 Double: $19
• This is supposed to be one of their favourites.
• It was smooth, moist, somewhat light, but still creamy and the better one of the three desserts.
• It tasted like a Raspberry Black Forest Cake, so it still wasn’t that special and possibly something you’ve tried before.
• If you cringe when you hear “Black Forest Cake” because you think of those gross artificial cherries, this wasn’t like that. This was better, but still not particularly better than a fresh Black Forest Cake.
• The chocolate sponge cake was quite standard and it wasn’t dry or even wet from being soaked. It wasn’t as moist as Betty Crocker’s “Super Moist” either.
• I couldn’t taste any of the raspberry liqueur soaked into the cake and it actually didn’t seem like it was soaked in anything.
• The chocolate flavour in the cake was very subtle and it tasted quite plain.
• I tasted more white chocolate and whipped cream and hardly any mascarpone cheese.
• The mascarpone cheese was really the selling ingredient for me that was supposed to make it different too.
• There were some actual fresh raspberries folded in the whipped cream and they were quite tart being out of season.
• There was kind of a sweet and tart balance, but it tasted much more simple than the description.

Strawberry Beer

• Framboise, Mort Subite, Belgium $6
• This is my kind of beer.
• I’ve had it in The Netherlands before and found it again at Gudrun Tasting Room in Richmond, BC. That was Früli strawberry beer though.
• It was nice to know I can get it here too now and it’s more affordable.

Hot Water

• $1.50
• I would have appreciated a mention that I would be charged for hot water before the bill arrived.

Follow Me Foodie On Dine Out Vancouver 2012!

My thoughts on Dine Out Vancouver & A Preview of the Hapa Umi & Cento Notti Dine Out Menus!

It’s that time of year again. It’s the 10th Annual Dine Out Vancouver from January 20 – February 5, 2012. I don’t know if it really needs any explanation, but it’s basically Canada’s largest restaurant festival featuring 231 restaurants offering a set menu for $18, $28 or $38 – see the full list of restaurants and menus here. Adding to the festival this year are 70 culinary-focused events, tours and activities.

The original purpose of the event was to help give restaurants a boost during a slow time of the year… when most people are still trying to save money and loose weight from the holidays. It’s a bit ironic, but it works and people still love it, or it wouldn’t be on its 10th year.

This is quite an interesting post for me to write and I’ll be totally honest about it. I wrote a semi-controversial post about it last year stating why “I Don’t Dine Out Vancouver” (see here) and basically my thoughts haven’t really changed. I could easily make this into an even longer essay, because I have so many thoughts about it, but I’ll keep it in a Follow Me Foodie oversized “nutshell”.

There’s nothing wrong with Dine Out Vancouver, but I’m actually not the target market for it. Personally I prefer going on a regular night because I find it more representable of the restaurant. I usually find it even better too since it’s not as busy or rushed and I’m not limited to the prix fixe menu. I’ve also found some restaurants to jeopardize the ingredients or portions to meet the cost of the price fixe so I rather just go on a regular night. Last but not least I do like a good deal, but I’m willing to pay for food at a restaurant that I want to try regardless of the extra incentives. I’m not saying I wouldn’t participate in any Dine Outs, and I’ve done them before in the past, but I enjoyed them more for the company than the food.

I appreciate Dine Out Vancouver more as a food festival and I’m happy if it gets people trying restaurants and enjoying food. However I still highly recommend people to go back to their favourites on a regular night because Dine Out is really more or less just a sample. I wouldn’t really base my opinions on a restaurant solely on their Dine Out Vancouver menu. Personally, I’m more interested in the 70 culinary-focused Dine Out Vancouver Events which include Street Food City (Jan. 24-26), Dine Academy, Secret Supper Soirée, and Brasserie Mystère.

If you’re looking for Dine Out recommendations I can pass on what I know since I was invited to the Dine Out Vancouver 2012 media preview. Each group was taken to two surprise restaurants and mine were Hapa Umi and Cento Notti. However my thoughts are just for their Dine Out 2012 menus and not for the restaurant on a regular night.

I have tried Hapa Umi in the past and I still enjoyed it more on a regular night, but their portions were quite generous for the Dine Out menu and I saw the value (depending on what 3 courses you end up choosing). As for new Italian pop-up restaurant Cento Notti in Yaletown, I found it more of a hit and miss and I expected it to be in the $28 category (Update! It is now $28!), but I have yet to try it on a regular night for comparisons sake.

Other suggestions I heard from friends who tried different restaurants on the media preview was that Bitter Tasting Room ($18) was well worth it and impressive. I also heard there was amazing food and portions at Kitsilano Daily Kitchen, and raving reviews about Salmon n’ Bannock Bistro ($28) which I’ve been meaning to try since last year. We didn’t try all the restaurants and I didn’t get feedback from everyone, but those were some highlights.

Hapa Umi – Dine Out Vancouver 2012 – $38 Menu

Appetizers Choice:

Albacore Tuna Tataki – Salsa verde, crispy tortilla ribbons

• I found the portion generous and the quality of the tuna was very fresh and high.
• I could taste the infused smokiness in the sear and there was a slight heat from the Shisito seasoning on the crust, but it wasn’t spicy.
• The salsa verde wasn’t meant to be traditional and it was a nice switch up from an expected avocado puree.
• There may have been a bit of avocado, but it tasted mostly of lime and cilantro.
• The tortilla chips added a great crispy texture and I think it would be fun to see those as crispy fried ramen noodles.

OR

Tofu Salad – Citrus Soy Dressing

• This was even healthier and lighter than the ahi tuna choice and the tofu is organic. It was a huge salad too.
• I probably would have preferred firm smoky soy marinated tofu as opposed to this soft one which kind of fell apart in the salad.
• The tofu seemed like an imitation of fresh mozzarella and I just needed a stronger dressing.
• There were nice crunchy textures, deep fried lotus root, crisp sweet matchstick apples and fresh green beans, but it was a bit bland overall for my tastes and I like tofu.

OR

Edamame Potage Soup – Grilled Sake Sausage

• Oh god. I really hope this is on the regular menu because I would go back to order this a la carte. This again was a good portion.
• This was the richest and heaviest choice for the appetizers which also makes it my favourite. It really tasted the best too though.
• If you like pea soups, this was similar and it was almost like a pommes puree or velouté, which is my favourite kind of soup.
• It was creamy and velvety smooth and was thick enough to coat the roof of your mouth and stick to your spoon.
• I bet the soup was made with dashi (Japanese stock) and it just had a wonderfully rich and developed flavour throughout.
• The sausage was juicy and flavourful with snappy skins and I think there was a hint of mint in the soup to keep it bright and fresh.

Entree Choice:

Umi “Salisbury” Steak – Pork and beef steak, ume emulsion, sweet potato crema, corn-butter poached vegetables

• This dish and steak wasn’t that big, but the steak was full of flavours and it would be fantastic in a burger bun.
• It was cooked perfectly with the juices locked inside and the mixture of pork and beef made for an incredibly tender and flavourful patty.
• There were also crunchy bits of water chestnuts in the patty to give texture.
• There were some nice crispy leeks on top and the ume (Japanese plum) sauce gave it a sweetness similar to apple sauce, but also much sharper.
• The corn-butter poached vegetables were slightly random and perhaps a bit too sweet. Since corn is out of season it would be nice to see butternut squash being used as an alternative to achieve the same sweetness.
• The spoonful of sweet potato crema on the side was cold though and I wish it was plated underneath the steak so it would still stay warm from the heat of the meat.
• Overall all the sauces were sweet, so I did miss some savoury components and even some tang or heat for more balance.

Poached Ling Cod – Yuzu Kosho gel, vegetable and umeshiso fritters, nori paint

• I loved the quality of the flaky ling cod, but I really missed having the skin. I did expect the skin at a restaurant as sophisticated as Hapa Umi too.
• The fish seemed steamed and quite Chinese in style.
• The plate had a lot of components and sauces so I was almost eating everything separately.
• I love nori sauce, but this one seemed pureed with little bits of seaweed rather than smooth and melted like the ones I’ve often had.
• The yuzu kosho gel had good flavour, but it ended up being almost like a gelatinous clear sheet of sauce and it would be great if it was executed as gel capsules. I find gels are best presented in capsules when using molecular gastronomy.
• I wasn’t too keen on the umeshiso fritters because the rice ended up being a bit mushy, but the flavour was there.
• The daikon was juicy and well infused with dashi (Japanese stock) and that was prepared excellent.
• Again there were interesting textures and colours to the overall dish, but it was perhaps a bit overly ambitious.

Tofu Steak – 8 grain risotto, scallion-ginger soy

• This was the vegetarian option and although I do like tofu and vegetarian dishes, I would enjoy this more as a side. It would be a great side to that Salisbury steak.
• The tofu looked like a giant toasted marshmallow and it was lightly deep fried and crispy with a soft and silky middle.
• The risotto had a lot of texture and it was nutty from all the various grains, but it was a lot of one thing.
• Usually a risotto is creamy, but this one was very firm and it contrasted the tofu nicely, but I felt like it was missing an ingredient.
• There were some onions, zucchini, and eggplant sauteed into the risotto and I was more favorable to the concept.

Dessert Choice:

White Sesame Panna cotta – black sesame ice cream

OR

Matcha Mille Fuille – puff pastry, matcha custard

OR

Chocolate Mousse Roll Cake – Chocolate genoise, cinnamon ice cream

We actually ran out of time for dessert and had to make it to the next restaurant

**My thoughts are just for the Hapa Umi Dine Out 2012 menu and not for the restaurant on a regular night.

Cento Notti – Dine Out Vancouver 2012 – $38 Menu (Update! Now $28!)

Mocktail – Agri Dolve Fresh puree of blood orange, white cranberry juice and ginger ale $5

Appetizers Choice:

Baby Beet – Arugula salad, house cured goats cheese, candied hazelnuts

• It was quite a typical beet and goats cheese salad.
• The cheese was quite thick and dense rather than fluffy and soft and it wasn’t that heavy and gamey in flavour, but still noticeably a goat’s cheese.
• I liked the beet chips and the tender sweet red and golden baby beets underneath.
• It brought me back to memories of the Pistachio crusted goat cheese croquettes I had in Quebec City – see Vegetarian Plate (Chevré).

OR

Fontina Ravioli – Sweet onion and thyme broth

• This was very similar to a French onion soup.
• It was a very flavourful soup with a very strong thyme flavour, but I’m not sure how I feel about the little bits of what seemed like dehydrated garlic or onion bits floating on top.
• There were also some minced carrots and I guess I expected the carrots to be infused in the stock rather than visually and texturally there.
• There was one giant ravioli floating in the centre and it was super creamy and rich with a polenta like filling flavoured with melted cheese.
• The filling just oozed out of the ravioli and the skin was also nice and firm which I liked too.

Entree Choice:

Braised Lamb Cheek mafalda pasta – saffron beech mushrooms, tomato concasse

• This was a very saucy and rich dish.
• It was perhaps slightly over sauced, but the noodles were really firm and al dente which I liked.
• The lamb cheeks were decadent, melt in your mouth and delicious!
• They were incredibly tender and glazed with a sweet and tangy demi glace or red wine reduction, and it was nice and syrupy.
• I could see some finding the dish salty, but I have a high tolerance for salt so it was okay for me.
• I also really like sauce so I’m not too bothered by the amount, but it was a lot of sauce.

OR

Lois Lake Steelhead Trout – Tomato/Basil risotto, pickled zucchini salad

• I love Steelhead Trout and I loved that they served it with a crispy skin, but I question how it will turn out when Dine Out hits and they get really busy.
• This was moist and juicy, especially since it had some of the belly, so I hope they can keep the execution consistent.
• I think there are going to be complaints that there are some bones in it though.
• Chef explained that the bones were difficult to remove due to the cut of trout and how it had to be presented, but without being told this, there might be some issues.
• It was topped with an escovitch (pickled salad) which is really common in Hispanic cultures and the Caribbean, but it’s more common to have it with deep fried fish.
• The risotto was al dente, creamy, and strong with Parmesan cheese with a little acidity of tomato and I enjoyed it. I hope this is consistent too since risotto isn’t forgiving.

OR

Roasted Porchetta – Cannellini bean puree, braised pork cheek arancini

• I love porchetta, but I found this one quite dry and tough to cut through.
• I usually look forward to the crunchy crackling skin, but this one was just the roasted loin.
• It was stuffed with dried apricots and there was a lot going on, but it was hard to look past the dryness.
• The bean puree was nice and it reminded me of pureed chestnuts which always goes well with pork.
• The braised pork cheek arancini was my favourite part and it was almost like a deep fried creamy and cheesy risotto croquette.

Dessert Choice:

Cento Classic Frozen Tiramisu

• Everyone raves about this and loves it, but I’ve been eating frozen tiramisu and frozen fruit cakes since I was a kid, so it wasn’t particularly new for me although I did still like it!
• It was almost like a semifreddo and if you like tiramisu for the rich creamy texture, fluffy marscapone and slightly cheesy flavour, that’s not what you’re going to get here.
• This was strong with chocolate and coffee more than heavy with marscapone in flavour.
• The whip was also more like whipped cream than marscapone too, so I did miss the marscapone which is the best part of a tiramisu for me.
• At times the lady fingers can be dry due to the freezing, so I did miss the moisture of a soaked lady finger from a non-frozen tiramisu.
• The bar on top looked like a brownie, but it was actually a very light and dry espresso like biscotti.

OR

Lemon Tart – Marscarpone Creme

• The lemon tart was sweeter than it was tangy and it was actually not very tart at all. I do prefer a zing in lemon tarts.
• I did love the creme brulee crispy top it had and the tart contrast of plump and juicy Amerena cherries (?) were a nice alternative to a typical raspberry coulis.
• The dollop of marscarpone creme was much stronger with marscarpone flavour than the one served on the tiramisu and I really liked it with the lemon tart. I do wish it was the same one served with the tiramisu too though.

**My thoughts are just for the Cento Notti Dine Out 2012 menu and not for the restaurant on a regular night.

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

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

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

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

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

Photo from Portobello Ristorante website.

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

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

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

On the table:

Complimentary Bread & Butter

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

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

Bocconcini Alla Caprese - 4/6 (Very good)

Restaurant: 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.

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.