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.

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: 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.

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.

Making Croissants at Bouchon in Las Vegas

2011 Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Yearblog

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

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

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

Top 25 Most Memorable/BEST Dishes Internationally:

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

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee on Blue Mountain, Jamaica

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

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

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

2. Pambiche – Masitas – Portland, Oregon

3. Local 360 – Fried Chicken – Seattle, Washington

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

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

6. Bouchon – Truite Grenobloise – Las Vegas, Nevada

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

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

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

10. Jean-Georges – Manhattan, New York

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

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

13. Boqueria – Croquetas Cremosas – Manhattan, New York

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

15. Scotchies – Jerk Chicken – Ocho Rios, Jamaica

16. Blue Mountain Coffee – Blue Mountain, Jamaica

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

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

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

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

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

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

23. La Traite – Wendake, Quebec

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

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

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

2011 Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Yearblog

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

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

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

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

Cobre Nuevo Latino – Maple Chipotle Tamarind Glazed Wild Boar Belly

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

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

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

3. Café Régalade – Braised Short Ribs in Pepper Sauce

4. Pair Bistro – PAIR Signature Oysters

5. El Barrio Restaurante – Tostada Carnitas

6. Mis Trucos – Sezmu Beef Flatiron Steak

7. C Restaurant – Parsley Veloute, Northern Divine Caviar

8. Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill – Pappardelle

9. L’Abattoir – Poached Egg

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

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

12. Hog Shack Cook House – Burnt Ends

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

14. Anatolia’s Gate – Iskender Kabob

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

16. The Well – Pulled Pork Eggs Benedict

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

18. EBO Restaurant – Albacore Tuna

19. Mochikas Peruvian Cafe - Chupe de Mariscos

20. Nicli Anitca Pizzeria – Margherita Pizza

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On the table:

Complimentary Bread & Butter

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

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

Amuse Bouche – Summer Vegetables

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

Amuse Bouche – Tomato Ricotta & Almond Cheeseburgers

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

Amuse Bouche – Dark Chocolate Glass Brûlée Shell Sandwiches with Paté

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

Amuse Bouche – Chilled Corn Soup – 6/6

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

String Beans, Peaches and Nectarines – 5/6

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

Grilled Mackerel – 5/6

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

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

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

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

**Berkshire Pig - 6/6

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

White Eggplant Puree – 2/6

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

Raspberries – 5/6

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

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

Complimentary Chocolates & Candies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On the table:

**Vanilla Custard Cookie Éclair – 6/6              

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

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

**Butterscotch Chronic – 5/6

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

**Vanilla Bean Soft Serve – 6/6

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

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

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

Restaurant: Restaurant Le Continental
Cuisine: French/Fine Dining
Last visited: November 7, 2011
Location: Quebec City, QC (Quebec City)
Address: 26 rue St-Louis
Train: Québec
Price Range: $30-50+

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

Food: 2.5-3 (based on what I tired)
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Since 1956
• Fine dining
• Old fashioned setting
• Famous for flambé
• Traditional French cuisine
• Traditional service
• Table side cooking
• Extensive wine list
• Lunch/Dinner menu
• Mon-Wed 11:30am-10pm
• Thurs-Fri 11:30am-11pm
• Saturday 5pm-11pm
• Sunday 5pm-10pm

**Recommendations: Beef fillet en boîte Gran Special

It was my first dinner in Quebec City and this was probably the most stereotypical French restaurant I could have gone to. I probably wouldn’t have chosen it on my own, but I was invited to Quebec City on a culinary tour and this was on the itinerary. Restaurant Le Continental, commonly known as Le Continental, was established in 1956 and it really felt like it. Comparing it to something at home in Vancouver, BC, it almost felt like visiting Hy’s Steakhouse and it would make Bacchus seem very modern and new.

It’s definitely dated with the carpeted floors and generally old fashioned in the atmosphere, but it is considered a classic for older generations. I did a little outside research and asked some middle aged locals about it and the general consensus was “it’s where my parents would go to celebrate their anniversary”. Oh. Well that certainly put things into perspective.

Nonetheless atmosphere is one thing and food is the other. Oh wait! I almost forgot to mention service! The service is a big highlight here. The good thing about traditional old fashioned service, is that it never fails. They’re experienced and a lot of dishes are prepared table side. One of the things they’re actually most famous for is…

Flambé! *Clap hands*… and again all together! I swear that’s what I felt like doing when the flames went up… and then I wanted to tilt my head up with one hand on my chest and give an opened mouth laugh. It was that kind of place.

The food and recipes are very traditional and predictable and it probably hasn’t changed much since 1956 too. What was “classic” came off as simple and a bit rustic to me. I love classic French cuisine and flambé, but their interpretation for it wasn’t really my style. The only other place I know doing flambé in Quebec City is Le Champlain, the restaurant at the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac just walking distance away. I’m not sure if the quality is comparable, but that style and atmosphere is a bit more for me if I was looking for flambé.

I wouldn’t say it’s pretentious, but it is a bit stuffy, although the service is genuine and warm. I see it more for business meetings or 50th anniversaries, which isn’t a bad thing, but I’m just not the demographic for it. However I should mention that almost every single Prime Minister has eaten here except for one (I don’t know which one), and it’s pretty much part of Quebec City tradition. It was a “Happy Birthday Mr. President” kind of place, so if you care for eating where the “president” has, then be my guest! Or be their guest, I guess!

To be fair, I should mention that the other side of the restaurant is the newer side. It’s modern, younger and more like a classy bar/lounge. I was almost looking for the piano player. This portion of the restaurant sparked my interest a little more.

On the table:

Complimentary Bread & Butter

• It was served cold, like they normally are in France, but I kind of expected this restaurant to serve it hot since it was a bit “steakhouse” like.
• The baguettes were soft and a bit chewy and I kind of hoped they would be crusty.

Duck Foie Gras “Au Torchon” – 2/6

• Brioché and candied vegetables
• It’s a long process to make Torchon style foie gras, and it’s almost like eating it raw.
• It should have a blubbery raw texture (it’s cooked quickly) and it should be strong in foie flavour, but this one was firm and almost like a chilled stick of butter in flavour and texture.
• It was very oily, but not foie gras oily, and I couldn’t taste the liver so I just found it okay.
• There was some grainy mustard, caramelized onions and candied carrots, but I was hoping for some pickled fruit or fruit puree.
• The brioche was soft, but a bit dry and it was just a bit of a basic interpretation of the dish. I was hoping for more details and presentation.
• Personally, I preferred the Que l’Odeur des Bois Sature (Foie Gras Torchon) at La Traite in Wendake, Quebec.

And this was a thing of beauty! Raw meat has never looked so good. Quality on a plate! They bring it out to show you first.

The flambé dishes are their signature dishes, so if you come, you must try one!

All the flambé dishes are prepared table side by their very experienced servers. It’s all very old fashioned, but it’s entertaining and makes for a personal and memorable experience.

**Beef Fillet en Boîte Gran Special - 4.5/6 (6/6 for the beef, 3/6 for the sauce)

• $45 (At least 8-10 ounces)
• This is perhaps the star of the show on their flambé menu, and also their entire menu.
• I usually only order steaks if I’m at a steakhouse, but if this is their claim to fame, I had to try it!
• Filet Mignon is my favourite cut of steak too, so I was really looking forward to this!
• It was pretty much swimming in a pool of gravy.
• The gravy was very old fashioned with a traditional rue base (flour + butter), and I’m really not keen on flour thickened gravies.
• It was very thick, creamy and starchy with a red wine reduction, beef stock and some freshly cracked black pepper.
• It tasted like the flavours of French Onion soup and I prefer my gravies much more syrupy and more like an au jus.
• Had it been a flourless red wine reduction or demi glace, this would have easily been a 6/6 for me.
• I still ate and used the sauce and it had good flavour, but it’s just not the kind I prefer.
• The big parsley garnish was just a bit dated again. I know it’s “classic”, but I couldn’t really appreciate it.

• The steak itself was probably one of the best I’ve ever had to date. It was as good or even better than the one I had at Gotham’s.
• The quality of the Filet Mignon is premium and the fat was incredibly well marbleized. I could witness that when they brought it out raw.
• It was cooked perfectly to my requested medium rare and the texture was smooth like butter.
• It sliced like butter and melted in my mouth like cheese. Delicious!
• It didn’t have a crust, but it was seasoned with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
• Again, loved the steak, but not the sauce.

Side Vegetables – It was served with a side of seasonal veggies which included carrot puree, mashed potatoes, baby carrots, red pepper, cauliflower, green beans and a parsnip chip. The potatoes were quite bland and just buttery and everything else wasn’t particularly seasoned, but it was what it was.

The restaurant has a huge dessert spread (18+ items) featuring cakes, tarts, and various other desserts. They’re famous for their Crèpe Suzettes which are again prepared flambé  at your table side, so the decision was made!

Crèpe Suzettes – 4/6

• I rarely order Crèpe Suzettes, but I do like most desserts, however I also don’t like overly sweet ones.
• For what it was, it was very good, but I probably wouldn’t order it again because it’s not a dessert that I love.
• They’re doughy soft egg crepes which are prepared in the back kitchen, but the sauce is cooked at table side.
• The sauce was very sweet, tangy and syrupy and it tasted like a burnt caramel and orange sauce.
• It was made with orange juice, Grand Marnier, lots of sugar, and maybe some brandy.
• The crepes were quite chewy and a bit thick for me and they just got a bit too soggy from so much sauce.
• Some actual orange zest or segments would have been nice, but again they’re very simple with what they do here (for the style at least).

Digestif - To continue the flambé theme, there was more flambé! *Clap hands*. It tasted like Sambuca or Ouzo which I’m really not keen on. It pretty much tastes like black licorice. It was good for the 8000 calorie meal I had though, so it did its job!