Restaurant: Aldea
Cuisine: Fine Dining/Portuguese/Spanish/Fusion
Last visited: September 12, 2011
Location: Manhattan, NY (Chelsea/Flatiron)
Address: 31 W 17th St
Nearby subway stops: 14 St
Price Range: $50+

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

Food: 5
Service: 3
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Owner/Chef George Mendes
• 1 Michelin Star
• Multiple award winning
• Opened May 2009
• Modern Portuguese & Spanish cuisine
• Fine dining
• Seasonal menus
• Lots of shellfish
• Very small portions
• Cocktails/wine
• Mon-Thurs 5:30pm-11pm
• Fri-Sat 5:30pm-12am
• Closed Sunday

**Recommendations: Sea Urchin Toast, Shrimp Alhinho, Arroz de Pato (Duck Confit), Pennsylvania Roast Suckling Pig

Photo from Aldea website

It was on my Follow Me Foodie to New York itinerary, but it wasn’t a priority until my last few days when I heard a New York “food snob” rave about it. Aldea opened in May 2009 so it’s not new to the New York dining scene; but its quickly earned 1 Michelin Star has created hype. It’s multiple award winning reputation is acknowledged to local foodies and food enthusiasts and I took the last minute bait.

I consider it fine dining, and the menu speaks of it, but the furniture and decor doesn’t really. The interior is inspired by the Iberian countryside and incorporates elements of wood, water, air, stone, cloud and Earth. It had a modern Zen like atmosphere and I found it quite relaxing and nice. The back features an open kitchen and more casual dining space, so it’s supposed to portray a rustic elegance, but I’m not sure how well it translates.

There are seats in front of the open kitchen which I didn’t realize until later. I love sitting in front of where all the action happens, so if you do too, I would make an early request.

The Chef and owner is George Mendes who is American born to Portuguese parents. He was also on Food Network’s Top Chef Masters. His global experience in world renowned kitchens all over the States and Europe has eventually led him to open Aldea, which means “village” in Spanish. Part of the highlight for me was actually having him in the kitchen and making the food, which apparently is common at Aldea. It doesn’t happen often with big name chefs, and even though it was more likely to happen here since he only has one restaurant, I still valued the fact.

Aldea specializes in modern Iberian cuisine which incorporates Portuguese and Spanish flavours. The majority of people, including myself, know it as a modern Portuguese restaurant with a bit of fusion flare, but Chef Mendes likes to call it “his own style”. I also call it “fine dining”, but they claim to be a “balance between rustic and refined”. Rustic I didn’t see in the food, but refined it was.

The food was generally very good and more often than not excellent, but the value wasn’t great. I guess “value” isn’t something you really consider when you fine dine anyways, but personally I think other restaurants of the same caliber (if not even higher) are more worth it in New York.

Aldea has the highly trained, extremely experienced, meticulous and passionate chef, but some of the portions were so small that I was quite taken back. I do expect smaller portions when fine dining, but at times it was almost too pretentious and it stunted my satisfaction and experience. I’m glad I tried it and some dishes were incredible, but I’d hesitate to recommend it.

On the table:

The complimentary breads are made in house and served on a tray.

Complimentary Bread & Olive Oil

• Bacon Corn Bread
• This would have been better if it was warm.
• It was cold, but moist, fire pit smoky, savoury and sweet.
• There weren’t really any bacon bits or actual corn like some can have, but I could taste infused bacon grease throughout.
• It was almost more like banana bread in texture than it was corn bread and I think I was just expecting more from it.
• Olive Baguette
• There was a good amount of salty olives, but it was really tough and tiresome to chew.

**Sea Urchin Toast – 4/6

• Cauliflower puree, mustard seed, lime $10
• The size of this toast was about 3.5 inches. It was really small and I thought it was an amuse bouche.
• The predominant flavour and star of the show was the sea urchin, which it should be, but it was more than simply “sea urchin on toast”.
• It was warm, creamy, buttery whole pieces of melt in your mouth briny sea urchin on a very thin, light, crisp and nutty cracker. It was almost like a home made Melba Toast.
• There was some freshly grated wasabi which opened the palate and in combination with the whole grain mustard seeds it was a burst of two kinds of heat.
• The tangy, sweet and creamy cauliflower puree added a smoothness and the hint of lime zest kept the flavours bright and made it not too fishy.
• There was a little smokiness in the aftertaste and I’m not sure where that was from.
• All the ingredients gelled together and melted away nicely.
• It was very good, but I still didn’t see the value even with the two pieces of sea urchin.

It’s a blurry photo, but just to show you some perspective in serving size. I could have zoomed out more.

Portuguese Sardine on Brioche - 4/6

• Smoked trout caviar, shiso, lime $11
• I think this was 3.5 inches again.
• Sardines are typical at a Portuguese restaurant so I had to try it.
• Of course you have to love strong fishy flavours to appreciate this, and I do.
• It was a salty, fishy, and polished sardine marinated in lime juice and topped with an even layer of salty smoky caviar.
• The shiso was very mild and barely noticeable, but it’s the ideal herb to go with strongly flavoured fish like mackerel, or in this case sardines. It has a minty-licorice flavour, but I could barely taste it here.
• The home made brioche was a bit soft and I wish it had been crispy.
• There was a thin layer of I think aioli spread on the brioche and it lent a nice richness.
• Again it was enjoyable, but I didn’t see the value.

Photo from Nicknamemiket

**Shrimp Alhinho – 5.5/6

• Garlic, coriander, pimenton, pressed jus $16
• This is one of the most raved about dishes.
• It was very meaty and crunchy shrimp and it almost tasted like lobster tails.
• The pimento, garlic and saffron gave it a nice smoky sweetness and intense aroma that was undeniable.
• It was smoky with a mild bitterness at the end, and it was a bit acidic from tomato to keep it balanced.
• The pressed jus was oily and buttery with an intense shrimp crustacean and shrimp head flavour without the creaminess.
• The garlic, shrimp shells and head were very well fried and infused into the oil.
• I could taste some fresh mint and cilantro leaves being used, but it was never Indian tasting.
• It wasn’t spicy or hot like the colour suggested, but the pressed jus and shrimp had so much infused flavour, aromatics and depth.
• Although excellent, it was missing something texturally. Maybe I just wanted the deep fried shrimp heads too.

**Arroz De Pato - 6/6

• Duck confit, chorizo, olive, orange $27 (Image above is a split portion)
• This was a gourmet fusion version of a home style Portuguese dish “duck rice”. It’s comfort food you want to curl up to.
• I almost always order anything confit and this is one of the favourite dishes here.
• It was a slow poached duck breast with very little fat that was slightly chewy, but the meat was incredibly soft, tender and almost like the texture of cheese or tongue.
• The duck leg was super juicy, moist and melting off the bone and it had a nice crispy skin which I look forward to when having duck confit.
• Orange and duck are a classic combination and the orange, tangerine, and clementine syrup played right into the sweetness of the duck while carrying some citrus tang.

• I loved the crispy, chewy, nutty, toasted and fried rice which reminded me of the stuck on rice you would find at the bottom of Korean bibimbap or Chinese clay rice pots. It’s always the best part.
• The rice was garlicky, oily and infused with duck broth and fried in duck fat, so the flavour was as intense as the meat.
• It kind of seemed like a duck paella instead of seafood paella and I think there was even some saffron in it to give it colour and aromatics. It was subtle, but I could taste it.
• The added slices of thinly shaved chorizo was also like a paella, but I wish they had been crispier and a bit spicy since I found them quite mild.
• The little bits of diced olives in combination with the orange gave the dish a nice salty and fruity aspect.
• The yellow dollops of puree were obviously orange in flavour, but it wasn’t citrusy and even a bit bitter, so I think it was made with pureed zest and it had a pastey texture.
• I almost wanted some candied orange bits for a little more sweetness and even a bit more citrus tang or saffron yogurt to balance out the smoky and nutty flavours even more.
• Regardless, it was an amazing dish and I didn’t let any bit go to waste. If I could eat the duck bones, I would have.

**Pennsylvania Roast Suckling Pig – 5/6

• Mango brulee, pickled kohlrabi, crispy potato $34 (Image above is a split portion)
• I’m so glad this was the other recommended main because I had my eyes on it. Just like duck confit, I’m a sucker for roast pig too.
• Ordering pig at a Portuguese restaurant is almost a must and there’s cultural pride in a roast suckling pig done well.
• This was even richer and heavier than the duck confit rice above.
• This was definitely done contemporary and Portuguese dishes are rarely sweet and savoury like this.
• It was best to get everything in one bite because the creamy sweet mango contrasted the juicy pork with salty crispy skin, and the bite of crunchy pickled kohlrabi was the tang.
• Using mango was a nice alternative from the usual apple.
• The mango was warm and sweet with a semi-crispy caramelized brulee crust that carried a desired bitterness to offset the sweetness.
• It was quite fiberous and it almost came across as a peach, and likely because it wasn’t in season.
• I’m not sure if it was the best choice although it made the dish memorable and unique.

• The pork was absolutely heavenly! It was creamy and very soft and falling apart with the touch of my fork, but it wasn’t juicy although moist.
• The skin was perfectly crispy and there were dots of truffle puree to accompany the pork.
• The dollops of truffle puree were intense with black truffle and likely truffle oil too. It was extremely delicious, but there was so little of it that it was almost pointless and more like garnish.
• The crispy shaved potato on top and strand of pickled kohlrabi (turnip) gave nice crispy and crunchy textures to the dish and the few herbs made for colour more than flavour.
• There was an orangey caramelized pork au jus that was sweet, smoky, aromatic, sticky and very well reduced and the pork absorbed it all very nicely. They poured this over the dish upon serving.
• There was also random bites of spicy and tangy green onion slices to ease the richness of it all.
• There were many small details for this labour intensive dish, but it was very well delivered although again quite pricey.
• I probably wouldn’t order it again, but I certainly savoured every moment and would recommend it as a main if you visit.

Chocolate Cinnamon Tarte – 4/6

• Honey lavender ice cream, citrus, orange caramel $10
• This sounded like a whirl wind of flavours and I had no idea how they would complement, but I was very curious since I liked each component.
• The chocolate tarte was rich, but the fruit was a nice contrast and it was almost a play on chocolate fondue.
• It was a sweet, thin and crispy sable cookie crumb tart shell filled with a warm bittersweet flourless cake and chocolate sorbet on top.
• The lid was almost like an almond fortune cookie sugar crisp with crunchy toasted almonds.
• The juicy bursts of fresh citrus fruit included honey tangerine, grapefruit and orange segments so there was that orange and chocolate dynamic.
• The honey lavender ice cream was floral, icy and light with lavender flowers infused into the cream, but it wasn’t actually that strong with lavender flavour.
• The ice cream was delicious and I love lavender, but it was slightly random with the orange and chocolate aspect since those flavours are so much bolder and stronger. I felt like it should have been either orange or chocolate. I’m not sure if honey and chocolate was necessary either.
• The orange caramel wasn’t as well executed or presented, but it was the bridge to the chocolate tarte and it helped tie the two components together.
• Usually it’s spiced chocolate, floral chocolate or fruity chocolate, or a combination of the two, but this just threw everything in one pot and there was a lot going on.
• It was still very good, but the combination took away from each other and I almost couldn’t appreciate any of the flavours unless I ate them individually.

Complimentary Pistachio & Sour Cherry Cake & Pate des Fruits

• Pistachio & Sour Cherry Cake – It was a very nutty and moist ground almond and pistachio tea cake with a tart sour cherry and a sweet caramelized glaze. Since it was so thin and small, it baked up a bit chewy and it also tasted like marzipan, which I love.
• Strawberry Pate des Fruits – It was on the sweet side for me, but intense with real strawberry fruit flavour.

Complimentary Chocolate Raspberry Truffles

• It was a bitter sweet creamy truffle made with fresh seedless raspberry jam puree.
• It was light, but obvious with raspberry flavour and a nice way to end the meal.

Restaurant: Anatolia’s Gate
Cuisine: Turkish/Halal/Middle Eastern
Last visited: July 1, 2011
Location: Burnaby, BC (Burnaby South)
Address: 7084 Kingsway
Price Range: $10-2

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

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

• Authentic Turkish cuisine
• Turkish family owned/operated
• Fire wood clay oven
• Famous for lavash bread
• Home made sauces/dips/marinade
• Extensive menu
• Hidden gem
• Hole in the wall
• 100% Halal
• Healthy options
• Popular to locals
• Quick/casual
• Affordable
• Family friendly
• Under $10 lunches (wraps)
• Dine in/Take out
• Accepts MC/Visa/Interac
• Monday to Thursday 11am-9pm
• Friday to Saturday 11am-10pm
• Closed Sundays

**Recommendations: Lavash Bread, Mixed Plate, Lahmajun, Beef Iskender Kabob, Idana Kebab, Chicken Guvech

In a city known for its diversity and multi-cultural cuisine, there’s still some areas where Vancouver lacks. Turkish cuisine is one of them. It’s kind of sad that the extent of Turkish food really goes as far as kebabs and fast food donairs in downtown Vancouver. It’s barely a representation of Turkish cuisine, and actually it’s not even really since many are Persian.

Quite often it’s summed up into one umbrella category of “Middle Eastern” or “Mediterranean” cuisine, but to group Lebanese, Persian, Armenian, Greek, and Turkish in one category is barely fair. Sure there are similarities, and if you like one, you’ll likely like the other, but the styles are quite different and it’s worth exploring each one individually.

So where can you find authentic and traditional Turkish cuisine? I introduce to you Anatolia’s Gate in Burnaby, BC! Make the drive, it will be worth it. There’s nowhere else that I know of yet that can bring you homestyle Turkish cuisine like this. (There’s also Divan Kitchen in North Vancouver, but I haven’t been yet). I’m not Turkish, so I don’t know how “authentic” Anatolia’s Gate is, but for what’s available in Metro Vancouver, it’s closer than a fast food donair shop (but those are still very good, and not necessarily less authentic either).

It’s a hole in the wall eatery that’s owned and operated by a Turkish family. It’s been around for about four years and I discovered it when it first opened, but for some reason I always let it slip from my radar. Well I couldn’t wait any longer, and to make up for putting it on the back burner, I actually ended up going twice that day! Once for lunch, and then again for dinner. That’s how much I couldn’t wait to go back! I enjoyed lunch so much that I was way too curious to try the rest of the menu! The menu is extensive, and I’ll keep coming back for more.

This is what they’re known for. This is the famous Lavash bread (famous gigantic ballooned Turkish flat bread) making station. The fire wood clay oven is required to bake the bread and it was once listed as part of the “Hundred Things to Try in Vancouver Before You Die” list. You pretty much can’t find it anywhere else in the city, at least not made like this. They also make Turkish style pizza here, but that’s not what I’d come here for personally.

This is the other item they’re most popular for. The Beef Iskender! It’s not something you likely haven’t seen before, but they’re known to make it really well here. I only saw it rotating like this during lunch time, but when I came back for dinner it wasn’t there, although still available. I don’t know if that means it’s fresher during lunch… ?

Despite the empty room, it actually has okay business during lunch, but dinner time is when it gets pretty busy. Having Turkish families fill up the room in the evening is certainly convincing that it’s a good find for Turkish food. It’s just really satisfying when there’s actually people of that culture dining there too. It wasn’t even on this one occasion when I’ve witnessed it, but if you drive by it in the evenings it’s usually quite busy. It’s truly a hidden gem and neighbourhood favourite and it’s popular with every culture in general.

This is authentic Turkish decor and it represents the traditional activities in Turkish culture.

This place may be a secret, but there’s no secret how I feel about it. I mean who goes to a restaurant twice in one day?! Well actually lots of people might, but it’s not common for me when I usually like to try out a new place. I had maybe a five hour break in between and I filled that space with three frozen yogurts at Metrotown…

Anyways, not everything I ordered was amazing, but most of it was great and very affordable. The mom makes the curries, dips and vegetables, dad makes the bread, and father and son take charge of the meats. I don’t have much to compare to, but they offer some Turkish specialties you won’t find anywhere else in Metro Vancouver. I also think they hold back on some of the items and I bet they make it better at home, but whatever, I’ll take it as is!

It’s great for family style eating so bring a team of people… or just me! I can hold my own. The food is relatively healthy, but filling. All the meat, starches and bread will put you straight to bed… or send you to frozen yogurt…

On the table:
**Lavash Bread (Whole Wheat) – 5/6

• White or whole wheat $2/$4/$6 (Depends on size, most mains will come with it)
• This is what they’re famous for and it’s a must try.
• It’s a massive, oval shaped, airy light, handmade, puffed pita bread baked in the fire wood clay oven.
• It’s drizzled with olive oil and topped with sesame seeds, although I wish there were more.
• It’s pretty much as good as tandoori baked roti at an Indian restaurant, but it’s visually more exciting.
• It doesn’t particularly taste amazing, but it’s incredibly fresh, excellent for what it is, and just impressive to look at.
• It’s also the only place in Metro Vancouver that makes it like this, so for that reason alone it’s a treat and must try!

It’s thin, pliable, soft, and chewy and tastes like home made pita with some crispy edges. The inside is hollow.

Cacik Dip

• It comes complimentary with the mains and I think the lavash bread too.
• The dip is often compared to the Greek tzatziki, and although similar, they are different.
• It’s much thinner and more like a diluted yogurt, however I think this was a short cut recipe.
• This one is more like a dressing than a thick and creamy dip and it doesn’t have cucumber, but instead dill.
• Traditionally it would have cucumber, dill and mint leaves, but this one just tasted like yogurt and dill.
• It’s nice and tangy and it’s an “all-purpose” dip. It’s especially great with kebabs and the lavash bread.

**Lavash Bread (White) - 5/6

• White or whole wheat $2/$4/$6 (Depends on size, most mains will come with it)
• I had to try both for comparisons sake.
• If you want flavour go for white, but the whole wheat is obviously healthier and a bit nuttier in flavour.
• The textures are very different and the whole wheat one is thicker, a bit denser, tougher and chewier. The white one was soft and somewhat fluffier.

Mixed Plate (clockwise from 12 o’clock): Babaghannush, Barbunya, Carrot Salad, Stuffed Grape Leaves, Eggplant Salad, Humus, Ajuka (Acuka), Stuffed Grape Leaves, and Olive Medley and Feta Cheese in the centre.

**Mixed Plate – 5/6

• A mixed potburry of cold salads. Small $11.95 Large $15.95
• I ordered the small, and it’s a great sample of everything I wanted to try.
• Some things were mediocre, and most of it you just know they make better at home, but it’s still a must order.
• I still thoroughly enjoyed the plate and they’re great condiments with the mains too.

Left to right: Ajuka (Acuka), Humus, Eggplant Salad

• Ajuka (Acuka) – 4/6
  • Roasted eggplants, red pepper with walnuts $5.95 a la carte
  • It tasted like pureed roasted red pepper dip and it was sweet initially, nice and smoky, and a bit spicy at the end.
  • It’s the only spicy dip and it’s not that spicy, but the heat catches up and it’s a mild spicy.
  • There are little crumbs of walnuts and I could have used more, but I liked the nutty texture and flavour it brought to the dip.
  • This was great with the kebab and I think traditionally they have it spicier.
• Humus - 3/4
  • Chick peas, tahini, garlic, lemon, etc. $5.95 a la carte
  • The hummus was good, a bit smoky, but just nothing particularly special.
  • It was quite standard, but not that lemony or garlicky and I missed a bit of the tang.
  • I wished they drizzled it with olive oil, and they might if it’s ordered separately.
• Eggplant Salad – 3/6
  • Oven roasted eggplants, tomato, parsley $5.95 a la carte
  • This really reminded me of a Russian eggplant salad that tastes almost the same.
  • It was pureed creamy smoky eggplant with roughly chopped tomatoes and it was actually quite refreshing and light despite the smokiness.
  • It was almost like a light salad and it was bright in flavours with parsley and I enjoyed it. It tastes better than it looked.

Left to right: Carrot Salad, Barbunya, Babaghannush (Eggplant Dip)

• Carrot Salad - 2.5/6
  • Shredded carrots lightly panned & mix with olive oil mayonnaise $5.95 a la carte
  • This was a very wet salad and it tasted better than it looked. It’s quite good, but I wouldn’t order a bowl of it either.
  • It was shredded carrots smothered in a watery mayo like dressing. It was a bit tangy and it was tastier than I expected.
• Barbunya - 2/6
  • Giant Lima beans or Red Kidney beans with olive oil, tomato sauce & lemon $5.95 a la carte
  • This one tasted exactly like the description – a kidney bean salad.
• Babaghannush (Eggplant Dip) - 4/6
  • Eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon, etc. $5.95 a la carte
  • This was delicious, but a very basic recipe for baba ghanoush. I generally prefer the Persian Kashke Bademjoon better, although it’s comparing apples to oranges.
  • This was very creamy, completely smooth and incredibly smokey throughout. I prefer my baba ghanoush a bit chunkier.
  • It actually wasn’t that tangy or garlicky, and it tastes like hummus, but it was much smokier than the hummus. It was heavy with the tahini.
  • I’d order this alone because it went well with other dishes too.

Centre: Olive Medley & Feta cheese

• Olive Medley – 3/6
  • Different kinds of olives from Turkey mixed with grape tomatoes, feta cheese, olive oil. $6.95 a la carte
  • It’s two cubes of salty feta cheese and a variety of salty Turkish olives. It was what it was and it was good.

• Stuffed Grape Leaves- 1.5/6
  • $5.95 a la carte
  • I’ve never been a fan of these and I found them a bit mushy here. They’re similar to Greek dolmades.
  • The rice was very mushy and infused with mint leaves so there was a pretty strong minty flavour.
  • They sometimes have currants and pine nuts in them, but these ones were plain.
  • It wasn’t that lemony and it was a bit too oily and wet for me.
  • You just know they make these better at home.

Soup of the Day – 1.5/6

• Red lentil soup $4.95 (without meat)
• I didn’t really care for this and it was a bit watered down and runny. I bet it’s usually pretty good, but just not a specialty here.
• It was just a plain lentil soup and it was really thin and one dimensional and there’s no other flavours really going on.
• It wasn’t sweet, tangy, or spicy, but just a lentil soup with perhaps a bit of smoky cumin in it.

**Lahmajun – 5/6

• Anatolia’s ground meat spread on a thin crust. Served on a bed of salad. $9.95
• This is one of their really authentic Turkish appetizers, so I had to order it.
• It looked like a Turkish pizza or flat bread, but it was the way you ate it that made it unique.
• It was almost like a baked pita salad roll and I love it! It’s much better hot, so eat it right away.
• It’s a thin and crunchy home made pita baked with a juicy minced beef spread that’s mixed with I think paprika, chili, cumin, parsley, garlic and other Turkish spices.
• There was also pureed tomatoes to give it some acidity and juiciness.
• It tasted like a juicy garlicky sausage spread and it had some heat, but it’s not quite spicy.

• The salad in the middle is not just garnish.
• It’s a very crunchy pickled red cabbage salad treated with olive oil and lemon and there’s also raw white onions, romaine lettuce and diced raw tomatoes.
• Traditionally there should be parsley too.

You squeeze fresh lemon over the “pizza”, top it with salad in the middle, and roll it up in a wrap to eat it.

• It was very crunchy, refreshing from the tangy pickled cabbage salad and still savoury and juicy from the creamy meat puree.
• I found this good if you put a layer of the baba ghanoush or humus in it.
• It was also good with the yogurt dip, but it didn’t need it as it’s tangy enough already.

Cheese Lovers Pide – n/a

• Anatolia’s Feta cheese mix with mozzarella $9.95
• Okay, I did it again. The table behind me ordered it so I asked for a photo. I haven’t tried it though, that’s why I ordered the Meat Pide later this evening.

Meat Lovers Pide – 4/6

• Anatolia’s ground meat, Turkish pastrami, tomatoes, cheese & egg $10.95
• This reminded me of a Turkish style open faced pizza pocket. It was very similar to a flat bread pizza and it was very good, but maybe not as special as other things they offer.

• It was a super thin and crunchy whole wheat lavash bread crust.
• The middle was layered with a little bit of minced beef spread, a layer of Turkish pastrami, egg and lots of melted mozzarella cheese. I could taste each layer, except for the egg, and also a lot of unexpected leek flavour.
• I could taste the cheese the most and the egg got lost. I think the egg was lightly mixed before it was baked underneath the cheese, but I couldn’t taste or really even see the yolk. It just blended in.

• The Turkish pastrami tasted like cured meat, or chewier and thicker prosciutto. It’s obviously not pork though, it’s made out of turkey.
• It’s not crispy, but a bit tougher since it was baked too, and it’s quite lean.
• It brought bacon like flavours to the “pizza” and nice salty bites, but overall the pita was very juicy with a strong leek flavour. I don’t think there’s any leeks in it though.

The bottom had some okay leoparding and their oven just makes for a good pizza oven – hence their Turkish pizza menu.

**Iskender Kabob – 5.5/6

• Freshly sliced beef marinated with Anatolia’s special spices cooked on a vertical broiler with yogurt and tomato sauce, rice & salad. $11.95
• This is their star of the show and most recommended item. I loved it!
• Iskender is usually made with lamb, but I prefer beef anyways.
• It’s thin slices of incredibly well marinated grilled beef and it’s drizzled with tomato sauce and hot butter oil which really does the trick!
• The hot butter oil is the traditional way of serving it. It keeps it so moist, tender and flavourful and it wasn’t too oily or greasy.
• The beef could be more naturally juicy, because at times it’s a bit dry, but mixed with all the sauces, it’s certainly overlooked.
• The beef has a mild game flavour and you’ll only taste it if you’re extremely sensitive to game. I’m not sure why there’s a game flavour since it’s not lamb, but it’s very faint, but there.

• The beef slices sit on top of cubes of homemade pita bread that were soft and spongy and very juicy and absorbent. They were soaked and smothered with tomato sauce and yogurt and I loved them! It taste like tangy melted cream cheese sauce. It was delicious!
• The yogurt might have been goat’s or sheep’s yogurt and that might have been giving that very mild game flavour.
• The salad is ordinary and the rice is chewy as Turkish rice is, but there is better Turkish rice than this one.

**Adana Kabob – 4/6

• Anatolia’s special ground beef mix grilled in a skewer, served on top of Anatolia’s Lavash Bread with salad, rice and yogurt sauce $11.95
• This was also highly recommended and it was also delicious. It’s named after the city Adana.
• Traditionally it’s supposed to be made with ground lamb and a little bit of ground fat from lamb tail, but this was 100% beef. Now I’m really curious to try an authentic one though. They do have lamb kabobs as well.

• It was very well marinated and incredibly moist and juicy that the juices oozes out as you cut the kebob.
• It was almost sausage like with ground beef and it was a bit smoky and aromatic from garlic, cumin, paprika(?) and herby from some parsley.
• There was also heat, but it wasn’t spicy. I think there’s a bit of chili powder or red pepper in it too.
• The flavours weren’t that complex, and it’s generally savoury, but it was well flavoured and just good!
• The salad is ordinary and the rice is chewy as Turkish rice is, but there is better Turkish rice than this one.
• For this type of food and that size of kabob it’s actually considered quite pricey.

Shepard’s Guvech – 4/6

• Beef strips with oven roasted veggies, tomato sauce & cheese baked in oven served with lavash $11.95
• This was recommended along with the Chicken Guvech, which I ended up ordering later on that night for dinner.
• This is pretty much a casserole, but it’s supposed to be a stew. I think it’s modernized, but it’s still good!
• Although the rotisserie beef is the specialty here, it was the best to try it on their Beef Iskender Kabob when you could taste its flavours the most.

• This was good, but I found the beef dried out with the additional baking process so that’s why I preferred the Beef Iskender Kabob.
• It was a layered stew like dish, but the sauce is light and a bit runny and also a tad oily.
• It was a baked casserole with a layer of pre-sauteed eggplant, zucchini, minimal mushrooms, and very minimal red bell pepper, topped with a layer of beef strips and then covered with mozzarella cheese.
• I actually found this dish better as it cooled down (to the point of even room temperature) because I could taste the flavour of the beef much more.
• It was very good, but I enjoyed it more when I used it as filling with the lavash bread and topped it with hummus, salad, or the other spreads and dips.

You eat the Guvech with lavish bread.

**Chicken Guvech – 4.5/6

• Chicken breast pieces with oven roasted veggies, tomato sauce & cheese baked in a oven served with lavash $11.95
• Again it’s supposed to be a stew, but it’s made like a casserole and I think it’s “Westernized”, but I still enjoyed it a lot.
• I really thought the beef one would be better since the beef is their specialty, but the chicken was unassumingly awesome! It was also recommended.

• This tasted just like a chicken parmigiana or a chicken and eggplant parmigiana, except instead of Parmesan cheese it was mozzarella cheese.
• It almost tasted more Italian than it did Turkish to me, but it’s not as rich, heavy, or strong as Italian food.
• The chicken was incredibly moist, juicy, and tender and there was a decent amount of them.
• It’s marinated overnight in paprika and I wouldn’t have minded more of a lemony tang, but it was a bit peppery from black pepper that was infused into the meat.

• It’s a very wet and almost watery dish and the sauce is just tomato sauce with the natural juices that release from the vegetables.
• It tasted like a bed of pre sauteed zucchini, eggplant, and a couple mushrooms and minimal red bell pepper, layered with chicken and mozzarella cheese and baked in the oven.
• It was almost like a vegetable and chicken casserole and it was a very home style dish.
• I liked the chicken version better than the beef because the chicken didn’t dry out and it was just really tender.

Baklavah – 1.5/6

• Sweet Turkish pastry made of thin dough sheets & walnuts $4.95 (1/2 order $2.95)
• I found this pretty expensive for baklava, but I think they’ll give it complimentary sometimes. They’re nice people.
• It depends when you get it, if it’s fresh or a few days old. I’d just ask and hope they’re honest. Day old baklavah is best.
• I had a batch for lunch and I think a fresher batch at dinner. Either way they weren’t too my liking, and I normally do like baklavah.
• I found these too soggy and too wet and they lacked pistachios and a walnut filling.
• They were also oily and overly soaked in syrup so they were sweeter than I like and I couldn’t taste much cinnamon or warm spices.

Turkish Tea – 2.5/6

• Special blend of imported Turkish Tea $1.95
• It’s brewed in house and it’s traditional to finish any meal with tea, so I had one.
• It tasted like Chinese black tea and it was similar to Bo Li tea, a traditional tea ordered during dim sum.
• It was good, but nothing I feel like I never had.

Restaurant: Mis Trucos
Cuisine: Mediterranean/Tapas/Small Plates/Eclectic
Last visited: May 18, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Downtown/West End)
Address: 1141 Davie Street
Price Range: $20-30+

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

Food: 5
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 4.5
Additional comments:

• Specializes in Mediterranean tapas
• Modern style tapas
• Innovative/eclectic
• Seasonal menu
• Quality ingredients
• Restaurant/bar/lounge
• Hidden gem/neighbourhood gem
• Good for groups
• Shared plates dining
• Casual/cozy/quaint
• Great for drinks & tapas
• Large patio at the back
• Only Spanish wines
• Wed-Sun 5pm-late
• Mis Trucos – Review/Visit 1

**Recommendations: Come for the small plates especially the Sezmu Beef Flatiron Steak. Sangria Pitchers, Pintxos, 64 Degree Free Range Egg, Sezmu Beef Flatiron Steak, Pan Seared Striped Bass, Mis Trucos Chocolate Bar are also solid choices.

Ah Mis Trucos… I can’t help but to smile every time I think about it. What can I say? I really like this place. It’s one of those places that leaves a lasting impression on me, although it always flies under the radar because of its odd location. It’s hard for me to revisit places, since I always want to try something new, but this is one I feel really passionately about and I’d recommend it to locals and tourists.

I was invited to the media dinner of their new summer menu and when I heard that they changed the menu, I was a bit shocked. I thought it was great before so I wasn’t sure what they would do to make it better. But when I heard chef was taking it up a notch, I was very excited to see what he had prepared. If you’ve had a bad experience, I really recommend coming again.

There’s nothing really fancy about this neighbourhood gem, but it’s effortlessly quaint in style. It’s unique because it’s located inside a heritage house, but it actually has a very homey feel that’s cozy and intimate despite its bare ambiance and Ikea like furniture. Other restaurants in Metro Vancouver with this homey feel also include: Le Gavroche, Lupo Restaurant + Vinoteca, The Hart House Restaurant, Le Belle Auberge and Old Surrey Restaurant.

Okay, so if you haven’t guessed, I have a soft spot for small plates and tapas. I love them, providing that they’re good and the portions aren’t ridiculously small and overpriced. That’s the only thing that bothers me, is that they add up so quickly and it’s not really any different here. However at least the food quality and execution is one I could taste, so I can justify the price. I’m the kind of diner that likes variety and to try everything, so I’m all for places like these. It reminded me of Juda’s Goat Taberna, but I prefer Mis Trucos overall.

For me the “small plates” (which are more like big plates) I tried at Mis Trucos rides on the same level of “excellent” as Cru Restaurant, Bin 941 Tapas Parlour, and the formerly known Tapastree, which are some of my favourites in Vancouver. Those are award winning casual fine dining restaurants that are more sophisticated and refined than Mis Trucos, but some of the things I had here can rival what those restaurants offer. For me Mis Trucos is the underdog that belongs right up there with them.

When I really like something I really like something, and I thoroughly enjoyed everything I had here. It was all different levels of good to excellent and I really want to see them do well because they deserve it. The food is honest, with high quality ingredients and the chef is passionate and you can taste it.

Mis Trucos really offers something for everyone, but chef doesn’t go beyond what he can do. From meat and cheese to simple tapas and elaborate “small plates”, it has a very diverse and solid menu with few options in each category. It has a selection of meat and seafood choices, light and hearty dishes and a nightly 6 course chef’s tasting menu for $35 too. I’m personally not too keen on meat and cheeses, and I haven’t tried them here, but I certainly had a memorable meal with what was on the table.

Simplicity does play a factor here, especially in the tapas, but it doesn’t stop Chef from being creative and showcasing innovative Mediterranean flavours with classic French techniques in his small plates. What I love is the attention to details and levels of flavours he brings to each component of every dish. The flavours are familiar, but presented in new light, and his execution will keep your palate captivated even after everything is gone.

On the table:

**Sangria Pitchers – 4.5/6

• $15
• Dangerous! Oh gosh it was so dangerous. It was nice and sweet, and noticeably juicy and fruity. It almost tasted like a berry punch and it was so full of flavour.
• There was more orange flavours going on than lemons and limes and I could have used more real fruits because I only saw orange slices.
• There was perhaps a hint of cinnamon, but it was very subtle.
• The wine they used was great to start off with, so there wasn’t much else required when you start with a solid base.

Gazpacho Shot - 3/6

• Gazpacho shot, avocado, prawns $4
• This was good, but I probably wouldn’t order it again unless the prawns were BC Spot Prawns. **Apparently they are BC Spot Prawns. So now that I know, it doesn’t really make a difference and I actually wouldn’t order it again although good.
• It was nice and refreshing as an amuse bouche, except it was on the menu as a tapas.
• It came with 2 medium sized prawns and then it was topped with diced avocado and freshly cracked black pepper.
• The tomatoes were fresh and I could feel the pulp in the texture, but it’s not powdery. It’s bright and had the slight heat of black pepper.
• I’m really happy it didn’t taste like cocktail sauce and it held up well with the richness of the avocado.
• The prawns weren’t seasoned and I found them a bit random in a gazpacho shot, but they were tender with a crunch.
• It wasn’t really fluid enough to be a “shot”, but I did like the drizzle of fruity olive oil on top to help bind the flavours together.
• I would recommend this being mixed up before shooting it because the flavours need to mix.

Buffalo Ricotta - 3.5/6

• Buffalo Ricotta & fresh herb stuffed piquillo peppers, pine nut oil $7
• This was perfect for the summer. The flavours were simple, yet high in quality.
• It was surprisingly light since it was filled with mild yet full flavoured buffalo ricotta rather than a rich creamy goat’s cheese.
• It was a melt in your mouth sweet, tangy and smoky piquillo pepper with a light, fluffy and creamy lemon herb ricotta drizzled with fruity olive oil and topped with toasted buttery pine nuts. I couldn’t tell that the oil was infused with pine nut though.
• I could taste parsley, lemon zest and a desired bitterness from the rind that helped mellow out the smokiness and cut the richness of the cheese.
• I loved the addition of pine nuts, which were plentiful, and if anything I just wanted a sweet note with some sticky dates or a drizzle of honey.

Coca (Crispy Flatbread) – 4/6

• Crispy flatbread, chorizo & Puttanesca things (olives, capers, chilies, anchovies) $8
• Another delicious appetizer, but this can be considered a bit pricey since it’s not going to fill you up at all. However there’s a lot of labour involved in each component and you can taste the effort.
• It’s a Catalan flatbread that was crispy and thin as a cracker and the chorizo is home made.
• The Puttanesca sauce was made with salty bites of coarsely mashed ingredients, but the salt was coming from the sauce more than the “Puttanesca things”, and I wish it was the other way around. I could have used more olives and anchovies, but I can see people being sensitive to it’s fishiness. I love it though.
• I actually liked the tomato paste for this as opposed to the fresher tomato sauce, or perhaps one made with sun-dried tomato, because the chorizo needed something a bit denser.
• It was a smoky with a sharp tang and topped with soft chorizo sausage that didn’t taste very cured. It was more like a regular sausage than a cured authentic Spanish chorizo, which would have been a redder colour and made with fattier meat.
• There was a moderate spice from the chilies, but it wasn’t that spicy although it did linger a flavourful heat.
• They used to make this with the chorizo chopped up and the whole anchovy on top (see here) and now they switched it around. I like the switch, but I still could use more anchovy.

**Pintxos (Six little bites) – 5/6

• Chef’s inspiration. Changes daily. The ones featured were Truffle Tapenade & Pickled Beech Mushrooms, Steelhead Trout Tartare, and Quail Egg, Candied Garlic Goat Cheese $8
• These increasingly got better and I highly recommend to eat them in this order.
• Truffle Tapenade & Pickled Beech Mushrooms – 4/6
  • It looked boring, but the flavours were bold and it tasted better than it looked.
  • It was bright, salty, tangy and smooth olive tapenade paste with pickled slippery and somewhat slimy Beech Mushrooms on a crunchy crostini.
  • I could smell the truffle, but I couldn’t taste the truffle oil.
  • I just wanted one more aspect to this crostini. Perhaps a coarsely ground tapenade may have done the trick, although I did like the creaminess of a smooth one.

• Steelhead Trout Tartare - 5/6
  • The trout was incredibly well marinaded and it was very simple and very good.
  • It was a nice salty bite with the classic capers, some fresh lemony parsley, and topped with tangy creme fraiche.
  • It was the perfect ratio of everything without being too rich or overpowering the salty trout flavour.
  • A quail’s egg on this would be superb too!

• **Quail’s Egg, Candied Garlic Goat Cheese – 6/6
  • This was one bite of freaking delicious! I loved this and I could have eaten six… teen.
  • It was incredibly smokey and I’m not sure if that was celery salt or bacon salt sprinkled on top, but it tasted like bacon salt and it was delicious!
  • It tasted like bacon and eggs with creamy cheese and it was rich and indulgent and so full of savoury smoky flavours and a hint of sweetness from the candied garlic.
  • The goat cheese was mild and almost like a mousse and the egg yolk acted as a sauce adding that richness to bind everything together.
  • It was simply a marvelous one bite and Philadelphia Cream Cheese has nothing on this. THIS is “a little taste of heaven” if anything!
  • They used to make a Wild venison tartar, brioche, truffle + quail’s egg which was just as delicious. I’ll actually miss that.

**64 Degree Free Range Egg - 5.5/6

• 64 degree free range egg, piperadda, serrano ham, cloud of cheese $9
• I love eggs and I love seeing them used so much in today’s culinary scene – see my post on “The Egg Yolk Series” – a tribute to the egg.
• This reminded me of Poached Egg at L’Abattoir, but I liked that one even better because it had a crispy texture, which was the only thing missing in this one.

You crack the egg yolk and mix it all up. I would have preferred the egg yolk a little less cooked though.

• It was a sloppy mess of amazing! It was bacon and eggs Mediterranean style.
• It was silky, creamy, rich and saucy with the egg yolk making for a natural sauce.
• I loved the salty strips of Serrano ham and in combination with the egg it reminded me of buttery prosciutto. I wanted some of the Serrano to be fried crispy too.
• The strips of Serrano ham was wrapped around a warm mixture of sweet onions, stewed tomatoes, and roasted red peppers or piquillo peppers.
• It was sweet from the veggies and savoury from the ham and the feathery shavings of cheese were too mild to make much of a difference, but had it been mixed with nutty toasted Parmesan shavings or crispy Serrano ham bits… oh god, this would have been trés excellent!
• This is a very saucy dish and you will want to lick your plate… so order bread (although it should really just come with a couple pieces)

Baguette – 4/6

• I’m pretty sure it’s made in house and it was served warm.
• It was very good bread with a crusty exterior and soft, fluffy, chewy and somewhat cakey centre.
• It wasn’t as chewy as a baguette, but it did get chewier as it came to room temperature.
• I would keep this bread around if you’re planning to order the small plates too because the sauces are just too good to be wasted.

Small Plates

The small plates are actually quite large, although I’d need two of them to be full. I’m usually always more impressed with tapas, but in this case it was the opposite. The small plates I tried were divine! The dinner increasingly got better and there is nothing remotely boring about any of these small plates I tried.

Everything was well executed, well seasoned, well balanced with attention to detail, textures, colours and presentation. I actually wasn’t expecting something this gourmet and I love how much credit chef gives to sauces without having them overwhelm the main ingredients. He knows how to make you drool and I can’t ask for anything more.

**Pan Seared Striped Bass – 5/6

• Pan seared striped bass, sweet pea puree, crispy ham, olive oil potatoes, oyster mushrooms, romesco sauce $17
• The fish was perfectly seasoned and nice and crispy with flaky, tender juicy moist meat.
• I loved the colourful purees it was served with although I’m not sure where the crispy ham came into play.
• I absolutely love Romesco sauce, which is a Spanish sauce made with roasted red peppers, tomatoes, and mixed nuts including pine nuts and almonds.
• This one was coarsely ground and mild on the garlic, but I loved the crunchy nutty aspect it brought to the dish and it suited the fish perfectly with some lemony tang as well. On the other hand it was more nutty in texture rather than flavour, but I still liked it.
• The pea puree wasn’t actually that sweet and it carried its natural flavour. I would have loved to see some whole sweet green peas on the plate as well.
• The combination of the purees played with a sweet and tangy aspect and it kept everything light and bright despite them having somewhat creamier textures. Together they almost liquefied and made for a very fluid sauce.
• The olive oil potatoes were creamy, tender and buttery with skins that just popped off upon biting into them.
• The oyster mushrooms were a lovely complement although a bit under seasoned.
• It was a perfect main for the summer and I’d definitely recommend this.

**Sezmu Beef Flatiron Steak - 6/6

• Sezmu beef flatiron steak, artichokes, piquillo peppers, carrot puree, creamed barley, beef essence $18
• When you want to lick your plate clean, you know you’ve hit a 6/6.
• This was definitely the most memorable dish of the night and a must try item. It’s been a few days and I’m still thinking about it.
• The steak was medium rare and well seasoned and there were a lot of slices. It was juicy, tender and buttery and the dish was actually quite hearty and reminded me of gourmet comfort food.
• I loved the play on textures and all the different components and it was a silky, saucy, and rich mess of deliciousness! Foodgasm dish for sure! I can barely look at the picture without drooling!

• The highlight was the creamed barley which I thought was creamed Israeli cous cous at first. It was ultra creamy, rich and indulgent and almost like a pommes puree with al dente barley throughout. It was almost like grits, but 100x’s better and I’m sure there was lots of butter in it to get it that silky rich texture.
• The carrot puree gave the dish a nice sweetness and its creaminess just melted right into all the other textures of this dish.
• Every component just melted in your mouth and the cream of barley and carrot puree just absorbed all the syrupy sweet and savoury beef au jus and fruity olive oil.
• I could taste a good dry red wine in the reduction and all the sauces went together incredibly well. It was like mashed potatoes and gravy 2.0. It was so saucy and addicting!
• I loved the tender roasted artichokes which gave it that Mediterranean flavour and the tang that helped break everything up.
• The smoky tangy and sweet piquillo peppers and fresh lemony parsley just marinated the artichokes and added that extra dimension of summery flavour to what would have been an otherwise wintery dish.
• Some deep fried crispy capers or buttery pine nuts would be nice too, but there was nothing wrong with this plate.
• Everything on this plate was heavenly and it’s definitely something you want to wipe clean with your tongue, finger, or fork… or if your classy an extra order of baguette!

**Mis Trucos Chocolate Bar – 5.5/6

• Mis Trucos chocolate bar, fruit jellies $7
• How cute is this?! One of the most creative presentations I’ve seen for a dessert. For having no pastry chef in house, I’ve always been impressed with the desserts here – see previous dessert post here.
• I was reminded of the playful presentation of the Lindt Single Farm Chocolate and Soil dessert from The Apron, which was also the last restaurant I had a home made chocolate bar at – see Apron Chocolate Bar.
• This was a full size chocolate bar and it’s quite indulgent, rich and sweet.
• I loved that it was served with a few home made blueberry sour gummy worms to contrast the sweetness of the chocolate bar. They were very tart and very soft and almost melted in your mouth. They reminded me of Soda-licious, but much softer… wow I just realized that “Soda-licious” was “so-delicious”…

• If that marshmallow layer had been replaced with a layer of vanilla bean ice cream this would have been a 6/6 hands down.
• I don’t mind marshmallows, but I don’t really prefer them in a chilled chocolate bar.
• The marshmallow was homemade but it was a bit spongy and it reminded me of Viva Puffs so it cheapened the quality of the chocolate bar a bit. It did carry a very strong vanilla bean flavour and I’m quite sure there was real vanilla beans in it, which I loved, but it almost just separated from all the other ingredients.
• It was a soft, creamy and tender bar with lots of good quality bitter sweet chocolate.
• My favourite part was the contrasting bottom layer of nutty praline which was crispy and crunchy and I think made with hazelnuts.
• This was simply delicious to look at, playful to eat and a perfect way to end the meal.

Restaurant: Frasers Bistro & Lounge
Cuisine: Pacific Northwest/West Coast/Italian/Pizza/American
Last visited: April 5, 2011
Location: Surrey, BC (Guildford)
Address: 408-16033 108 Avenue
Price Range: $10-20, $20-30+

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

Food: 2.5
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 2.5
Additional comments:

• Restaurant/Lounge
• Casual fine dining
• Relaxed atmosphere
• Fresh/Local ingredients
• House made sauces/dressings
• House made bread/soups
• House made pizza crusts
• Gluten free pasta/pizza available
• Vegetarian/Vegan friendly
• $15 Pasta Tuesdays
• $12 Pizza Wednesday
• Family friendly
• Lunch – Friday & Saturday
• Lounge open in mid-afternoon
• Dinner Tues-Sun from 5pm
• Sunday brunch 10am-2pm
• Closed Mondays

**Recommendations: Pasta Tuesdays. The mushroom ravioli, braised lamb fettuccini, Caesar Salad (surprisingly), Crispy Calamari, and Roasted Corn Chowder Soup if available.

Fine dining in Surrey… okay well it’s not quite fine dining, but it’s casual fine dining. I want to give Surrey the credit it deserves, I really do, but for “nicer” West Coast restaurants, I haven’t found anything I’ve fancied in Surrey yet. Mind you I haven’t tried them all, but so far I haven’t been too impressed. I’d compare this to my experience at The Vault, where it was decent and good for the area, but that’s kind of as far as it went for me.

On this occasion I was joined with friends including Sherman, who I have to thank for the photos. One of my friends knew the owner and chef of the restaurant so we ended up deciding on a multi-course family style dinner for a set price. The restaurant is really accommodating to parties of any size so I’m sure anyone would be able to arrange this, and the price will vary accordingly.

Frasers Bistro & Lounge is located in a strip mall in Surrey, BC and the inside is actually quite nice and also family friendly. The service and some of the food was a lot fancier than I expected. They offer complimentary amuse bouche every Thursday and Friday and they even had a palate cleanser in between a couple courses. I did appreciate the small details and the food is all made in house with fresh ingredients, but unfortunately I’m not as eager to go back.

I was a bit confused with the menu and some things were very average offerings of a family style restaurant, while others were quite representable of fine dining. I felt it was very hit or miss; so it just requires a bit of selective ordering and wishful thinking that the specials I enjoyed will be reoccurring. On another note the pastas were very good and I think their $15 pasta Tuesdays and $12 Pizza Wednesdays are a great deal, and if I lived closer to that area I would consider going back for the pastas.

On the table:

Gazpacho – 2.5/6

• The tomatoes were a bit powdery and very pulpy, but I could smell the freshness of them as soon as they hit the table.
• It was refreshing, sweet and tangy and the minced cucumber on top made it a nice palate cleanser.
• It was a bit pulpy for a gazpacho, but it was more than just pure tomato juice which was nice.
• I like the flavour more so than the texture.

**Caesar Salad – 4.5/6

• Parmesan Cheese, housemade Caesar dressing, bacon, croutons & fried capers $8.95
• This was actually a pretty good Caesar salad thanks to the crispy fried capers, big shavings of salty nutty Parmesan cheese and freshly toasted focaccia croutons.
• It was very lightly dressed and they used quality ingredients so I was getting more flavour from that than the dressing, which I didn’t mind one bit.

**Crispy Calamari – 4/6

• Lightly hand floured, flash fried, served a top greens with spicy aioli $12.95
• This was almost like a Spanish influenced calamari salad with a nice heat and a few sauces to keep it interesting.
• The squid was very lightly battered, crispy, tender and not greasy, and they were intensely seasoned with a savoury and smoky seasoning salt.
• I really liked the addition of the red pepper aioli which was savoury, sweet, smoky, tangy and spicy and it had great flavour. It was almost creamy and textured with real roasted red pepper puree.
• The buttermilk dressing overly dressed the salad and it helped cut the spice of the red pepper aioli, but in the end it needed to be creamier and tangier.

Focaccia – 4/6

• House made with olive oil and balsamic for dipping $3.95
• It has a nice toasted crispy exterior and light and soft centre with lots of herbs. It was brushed really well with olive oil.
• It didn’t even require the olive oil and vinegar, because it had enough flavour alone, although I didn’t mind having the dip there.

Southwest Chicken Salad – n/a

• Spicy chicken, greens, tomato, roast corn, tortilla strips, salsa, and sour cream $15.95
• I didn’t try much of it to really say, but it was standard for what it was.
• The chicken was a bit dry but it was nicely charred and quite spicy with a smoky Cajun like rub and the heat lingered.
• The tortilla strips were deep fried and would be better if they were thinner and more like a crispy topping than a nacho.
• The dressing was sour cream like, but thinner.

Thai Coconut Curry Salt Spring Mussels & Fries - 2.5/6

• $13.95
• This was a very rich, creamy, indulgent and thick Thai coconut red curry sauce. It was a bit too rich for me and almost like a sauce for pasta.
• The sauce was heavy in coconut and quite sweet followed by a mild-medium heat.
• It was a pre-made red curry paste so the flavour was a bit flat without the fresh flavours of basil, lemongrass, ginger or fish sauce. I get that it’s not a Thai place, but the addition of basil and ginger is not difficult to incorporate.
• The mussels were fresh, plump, sweet and tender, and the sauce was good, but just not comparable to what it could be if you’re used to Thai flavours.
• The fries were soggy and limp and they seemed like creamy potato fries, but I think they were just Russet potato fries that had soaked in oil too long. They weren’t really greasy, but they were wet, so they didn’t absorb the sauce from the mussels.
• The flavour of this sauce was stronger than the tomato and bacon one, but the tomato and bacon one was closer to what it should be than this curry one.

Bacon & Tomato Salt Spring Mussels & Fries - 3/6

• $13.95 (Missed the photo)
• It was a tangy slightly sweet tomato based cream sauce with perhaps some white wine with a slight smokiness from the bacon in the background.
• The tomato was stronger than the bacon and it wasn’t too creamy, but it really let the flavour of the mussels come through.
• Tomatoes just enhance the seafood flavour in the mussels, which were plump, sweet and tender.
• I couldn’t actually see or taste any bacon, but you could tell it was in there, or at least the bacon drippings were used.
• The fries were soggy and limp again so it didn’t serve its purpose in soaking up the sauce.

Butternut Squash Ravioli Teaser – 2.5/6

• It was good, but just not what the menu name suggests.
• The ravioli skins were made in house and they were great. They weren’t sweet though, considering it was “butternut squash”, but at least they were cooked al dente with a bite.
• It was stuffed with a creamy goat’s cheese and lots of sun dried tomato and those were the main flavours. I couldn’t taste the basil and I wish the sage on top was crispy.
• It was swimming in a butter sauce which wasn’t browned yet so it was just oily rather than nutty, it also needed salt.
• The ravioli stuffing was salty though and tangy enough from lots of sun-dried tomato. I was actually very surprised at how much there was, but it overshadowed pretty much everything else.
• The skins were made with butternut squash and I think it should have been used in the filling with the goat’s cheese melted into it.

Housemade Italian Sausage & Mushroom - 3.5/6

• Hand made, thin crust, Tuscan style $14.95 (12” only, available from 5pm)
• It was a house made marinara sauce with spicy crumbled Italian sausage and very few Shiitake mushrooms.
• There were also some button mushrooms, but basically it needed a better balance of toppings.
• It was good, and quite artisan for a pizza, and something like this would be hard to find in the area I think.

• The crust is hand tossed and it was very rustic and thin which I liked, but it wasn’t crispy at all except for the edges.
• The bottom just wasn’t charred enough and had no leopparding from the baking process.
• It was made with 80% semolina so it had a crisp grainy texture, but it just wasn’t cooked crispy and it had more potential.

Pesto Pizza with Roasted Red Peppers – 2/6

• Hand made, thin crust, Tuscan style $14.95 (12” only, available from 5pm)
• I would have never guessed this was a pesto pizza because the pesto sauce was quite bland and not nutty.
• There was a lot of stringy Mozzarella cheese on top and sweet bell peppers, but it just wasn’t pesto in flavour.
• There was as much cheese as there was crust, but again the crust was only crispy around the edges.

Frozen Grapes

• Palate cleanser
• I thought I was at Kingyo! I loved the frozen grape palate cleanser which is something so simple that all restaurants of this style should provide.

**Smoked Salmon Fettuccini - 4/6

• Capers, cream sauce. Tasting size shown. ( $15 Pasta Tuesdays)
• It was basic, but it was well executed and well flavoured although the noodles were slightly over cooked.
• It was creamy, buttery and and cheesy with sweet and salty cured smoked salmon, salty capers and creamy pieces of feta.
• It doesn’t look heavily sauced, but the sauce was thick in flavour and almost more buttery than creamy in texture and it didn’t require a lot to coat each strand beautifully.
• I would assume their Alfredo sauce would be promising from this.

**Braised Lamb Farfalle – 4.5/6

• Olives, lamb jus, pine nuts and spinach. Tasting size shown. ($15 Pasta Tuesdays)
• I actually really enjoyed this one too.
• It was juicy and tender braised lamb that wasn’t gamey. It had salty bites of olives and a nutty crunch of buttery toasted pine nuts which enhanced the richness of the lamb jus.
• The sauce was light, but it had the natural lamb flavour and each ingredient just shined as it complemented each other as well.
• It was a bit reminiscent of a deconstructed pesto or tapenade, but it was gravy based and it just tasted effortless and delicious.

**Mushroom Ravioli – 5/6

• Cream sauce with truffle oil. Sample size shown. ( $15 Pasta Tuesdays)
• This was my favourite pasta and it was a solid house made mushroom ravioli.
• The ravioli skins were al dente and very well made.
• They were stuffed with pieces of sweet and juicy Shiitake mushrooms coated with a creamy sauce and the hint of truffle oil just intensifies the mushroom flavour and brought it all together.
• The sauce was buttery and creamy with dried oregano spices infused throughout.
• It’s incredibly well flavoured and exceeded my expectations.

**Roasted Corn Chowder Teaser – 6/6

• Daily featured soup made from scratch $8.95 (Sample size shown)
• My favourite of everything!
• This was delicious! If I came here and ordered a bowl of this soup with their house made mushroom ravioli I would have been a happy camper for sure.
• The soup was fantastic and it tasted like a rich, creamy, thick, savoury, smoky and sweet Middle Eastern or Indian roasted corn chowder.
• It was thick like a gravy with maybe some potato puree and hints of cumin, curry and coriander just tantalized my palate.
• Absolutely beautiful, rich in flavour and texture and a meal in itself. Sign me up for when it’s next available!

Grilled Portobello – 1.5/6

• Special vegetarian option of the day. Tasting size shown.
• This was very not good. The portobello was smoky and char grilled but it seemed marinated in vinegar and it was very sour and lost its natural sweetness and flavour.
• It was served with tangy roasted red peppers and a tangy cilantro dressing which tasted like a balsamic vinaigrette that had absorbed into the mushroom completely.
• I really love portobellos, but this one wasn’t as well balanced and just too tangy all around.

Fish of the Day – Pan Seared Halibut – 1.5/6

• Market price. Sample size shown.
• Served with rice or roast potatoes or mashed potatoes or fries, and seasonal vegetables.
• The halibut was very fresh, moist, tender, flaky, with a nice crust and it was well seasoned and well prepared, and that part was good. 4/6 for that.
• It was the sauce that was not good. It tasted like a vanilla creme anglaise and it was almost like a dessert. I swear there were specs of vanilla bean seeds in it.
• It was very sweet and custard like sauce so I felt like I was eating a sweet custard rice pudding with halibut. It just didn’t work.

Special Entree of the Day – Pan Seared Duck – 2.5/6

• “House made with love, just like mom’s” $17.95 (Tasting size shown)
• Served with rice or roast potatoes or mashed potatoes or fries, and seasonal vegetables.
• The duck was served with pan fried spaetzle and a red wine reduction.
• The duck was a bit chewy and the skin was very chewy and I wish it had been crispy or at least tender.
• The red wine reduction was slightly tangy, quite sweet and tasted a bit berry like.
• The spaetzle were a a bit flat and chewy and slightly under seasoned.
• The potatoes were tender, nicely seasoned and presented.

Grilled Certified Angus New York Striploin - 2.5/6

• Hand cut to order, demi glace 5 oz $24.95, 8 oz $28.95 (Tasting size shown)
• The steak was good (3.5/6), but the demi glace didn’t taste like demi glace at all. It was almost like a brown gravy sauce meets tangy BBQ sauce rather than a demi glace.
• The steak was well charred, medium rare and tender. It was easily seasoned and I thought it would have more of a rub, but it didn’t really need it either.
• The roasted fingerling potatoes were also crispy, tender and well seasoned, but the sauce was just not happening as a demi glace.

Desserts

The dessert menu varies, but we had a sampler platter of the ones they offered that day. They’re all quite traditional and okay, but made in house so I appreciated that.

Upside Down Lemon Cake – 2/6

• $7.99
• I was most excited about this one, and it was served warm, but it was simply a moist lemon sponge cake topped with whipped cream.
• It was quite sweet, but not very tangy and I missed the fresh lemon scent, zest and zing.

Bailey’s Creme Brulee – 3/6

• $7.99
• It was sweet, smooth, creamy, and well made with an obvious rich and creamy Baily’s flavour coming through, but the alcohol taste was cooked out.
• It had a well torched brulee crust and it was enjoyable, but a bit too much on the sweet side.
• I could taste some vanilla and there were real vanilla bean seeds being used, but they all sunk to the bottom because the custard wasn’t viscous enough.

Cheesecake – 1/6

• $7.99 I think. I’m not sure if this is representable of the actual portion, since we had a sampler platter, but I hope not because I’d consider $8 expensive for this cheesecake.
• I have no idea what flavour it was supposed to be. Espresso or chocolate it didn’t really taste like either.
• I think it was baked in house and it was curdled, or at least there were mini chunks of cream cheese pieces throughout and it was quite poorly executed unfortunately.

Restaurant: El Barrio Restaurante Latino
Cuisine: Latin American/Mexican/Spanish
Last visited: March 5, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Commercial Drive/Grandview)
Address: 2270 E Hastings St
Price Range: $10-20, $20-30

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

Food: 4.5 (based on what I tried)
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 4.5
Overall: 4.5
Additional comments:

• Locally owned
• Latin/Spanish/Mexican cuisine
• Latin owner/chef
• Authentic, and fusion items
• Contemporary style
• Busy/popular to locals
• Home made sauces/spice blends
• Paella needs to be ordered in advance
• Cocktails/wine/beer
• House made desserts
• Moderately priced
• Vegetarian options
• Gluten free options
• Live entertainment
• Tues – Wed 4pm – 10pm
• Thurs – Fri 4pm – 11pm
• Saturday 12pm – 11pm
• Sunday 12pm – 9pm

**Recommendations: Tostada Carnitas, Chorizo tacos with homemade chipotle sauce and guacamole, and Pollo En Mole. The desserts are pricey, but the Tres Leches Cake and Flourless Chocolate Chili Cake are very good.

From the outside, it doesn’t look impressive. In fact, it almost looks a bit divey, but let me just say this is a hidden gem and local favourite. It’s not even that hidden, but it’s definitely not that known unless you frequent the area or live in the neighbourhood. Give it a chance though and I almost guarantee you’ll come back for seconds sooner then you think.

It’s a casual, spacious and modern bar that can be quite energetic and entertaining with live music on occasional nights. It’s opened by Chef Luis Montalvo who grew up in El Salvador, but also lived in Mexico. Therefore the food here incorporates Spanish, Latin and Mexican flavours. It’s traditional in offerings and ingredients, but modern in execution.

I keep going back to the idea of authenticity, but to be honest you can only get so authentic without going to the actual country and having the food there. Even so, I’ve had bad Mexican food in Mexico, so it just depends on where you go. Sourcing authentic ingredients can also be a challenge, so I won’t stress about authenticity.

On the other hand, I didn’t find the cuisine at El Barrio really authentic to any of the cuisines it serves because everything was so unique and stylized. It was in a cateogry of its own, which is what may be determined as “fusion”. However, there is respect to ingredients and techniques and the restaurant is quite original to the Vancouver culinary scene. I found it more Mexican than I did Latin, although “Latin” is a big enough category on its own that it still varies from country to county. Nonetheless I’ve never been to Latin America, so I’m basing it in the context of Vancouver and Vancouver standards.

On this occasion I came to tackle the menu with Sherman, whom I thank for the photos as well. We had recently tried Mochika’s Peruvian Cafe, an amazing hole in the wall serving Peruvian food, so we wanted to explore more within the theme. Latin and Mexican restaurants are limited in Vancouver since we don’t have the population. Consequently the cuisine for it isn’t known to be great either. So I put myself up for some foodie research hoping to trump my own assumptions.

I know there are folks that don’t see the value in expensive Mexican food, and I feel the same way about Vietnamese food; however what you’re getting at El Barrio is finer than the usual for this type of cuisine. Part of this meal was comped, but as a paying customer I could see that a couple dishes were overpriced. On the other hand you are paying for home made sauces and quality ingredients which manages to come with an unpretentious atmosphere and service.

So was I impressed with El Barrio Restaurante Latino? Let me just say, that I’ve already made reservations to go back!

On the table:

Sangria - 3/6

• Glass $6.95 Pitcher $22.95
• For a sangria is was lacking a bit of depth for me. It had some lemons and limes, but I missed the apples and oranges and all the other fun fruits that go into it.
• It was good, not too sweet, but quite standard with a very basic recipe and wine that was on the dry side.

**Tostada Carnitas – 6/6

• Deep fried corn tortilla layered with creamy beans, pulled pork and curdito $10.95
• This was freaking delicious and my favourite dish of the night. I’d be completely satisfied having 2 orders of these as a main!
• This will be available on their spring menu, however at the moment it’s available in soft taco form.
• It was a crunchy and crispy deep fried tortilla loaded with a generous amount of soft, juicy, smoky, savoury and well marinated pork. It was topped with a crunchy pickled red and green cabbage slaw (curdito) that carried quite the refreshing yet sharp vinegar tang which cut the grease from the pork.
• It was savoury and tangy and slightly sweet and smoky from the layer of creamy beans which also kept the crispy deep fried tortilla from being soggy.
• There was also some pickled jalapeno peppers in the curdito that brought a very mild heat at the end.
• Carnitas is a Mexican style pulled pork and this one was so tender, moist and soaking in its own natural pork juice. Traditionally it’s braised and fried, but this one just seemed braised, but regardless it was all delicious!
• The carnitas meat here is wrapped in a banana leaf and marinated overnight for 10-12 hours in spices and orange juice.
• It was nicely braised and chunky, yet easily shred and well flavoured with smokiness from ground cumin, slight acidity from some tomato sauce and also the orange juice. It had a natural sweetness from perhaps some natural aromatics of carrots, onions and celery, although they were not seen, but I’m guessing.
• The flavours of the spices and aromatics just infused into every crevice of the meat.
• It was very well balanced and naturally saucy alone, but it did come with a side of home made hot sauce. the hot sauce was quite mild, very smoky and it tasted like a tomato based chili sauce with a bit of red pepper flavour in the background.
• Carnitas is my favourite meat for ataco and this was definitely Follow Me Foodie approved!

**Chorizo Tacos - 5/6

• Choice of beef, chicken, carnitas or home made chorizo, served on corn tortillas with onions and cilantro $9.95
• These were delicious! I’ve never had chorizo in this texture and I usually have it in cured sausage form.
• The chorizo was so finely grounded and almost nutty and the flavour was so bold, earthy, deep and complex. I could tastes smokiness from cumin and paprika and it was a bit sweet from perhaps some carrots used in the aromatics.
• It was extremely well seasoned and marinated, nice and garlicky, saucy, moist, with a nice heat to follow and almost like a Mexican sloppy joe in taco form.
• I loved the brightness of the lime juice and onions which helped to cut through the smokiness.
• Follow Me Foodie Tasty Twist: I’d highly recommend you to order these with their homemade chipotle sauce and guacamole. Sherman discovered the chipotle sauce combo, which was delish and I drummed up the guacamole idea.

Plantains - 3.5/6

• Available on Spring ’11 menu.
• Crisp plantains served with homemade garlic aioli and home made chipotle sauce ($9.95 I think)
• I can’t say I’m a huge fan of plantains, a popular Latin appetizer or side. It’s just a deep fried starchy and fiberous unsweetened banana that’s similar to a potato.
• For what it was, it was great, but for me it’s 3.5/6, because I’m not crazy about them.
• These ones were quite dense, well fried, crispy and crunchy with a naturally drier inside, but they were well prepared.
• What made these plantains delicious and different than all other plantains was the chipotle sauce, which was AMAZING!
• The chipotle sauce was so fresh, creamy and almost chunky. I was eating it by the spoonfuls as is.
• It was sweet in the initial notes from freshly roasted red bell peppers and I think there was some tomato paste and limes which gave it a nice tang. I could really taste the freshness and it had a very flavourful heat to follow and was somewhat very refreshing at the same time. This with the guacamole would be insane.
• The garlic aioli wasn’t anything particularly special although I could taste the slight garlic spice and roasted flavour. It was more tangy and it didn’t taste like a home made aioli even though it was.
• Follow Me Foodie Tasty Twist: I recommend mixing the homemade garlic aioli with the chipotle sauce to give it double the flavour although the chipotle sauce is good enough on its own.

Flautas – 3/6

• Three corn tortillas rolled and baked, stuffed with huitlacoche (corn truffle), spinach and corn. Topped with guacamole and served with curtido. $9.95
• These reminded me of taquitos, without the cheese, or even Mexican style spring rolls with a crunchy baked corn tortilla.
• It’s a very traditional Mexican dish, but it didn’t really do anything for me and I found they needed a lot more filling to be able to taste it.
• The corn truffle is a Mexican delicacy and it’s actually the fungus that grows on the ears of corn. In this case it was probably canned since the fresh version is near impossible to get here. It was mixed with sweet corn kernels, but it tasted like an earthy and smoky black bean paste with corn and it was a bit dried out rather than creamy.
• It seemed more deep fried and baked, although not greasy, and I find the filling especially overpowered when I ate it with the guacamole and pickled cabbage slaw salad (curtido).
• The highlight was definitely the guacamole which was surprisingly very refreshing, zesty and almost very cooling. I think there’s sour cream mixed into it. There were no chunks of avocado and most of it was fresh tomato, onions, cilantro and fresh lime juice, but it was still great!
• It was a very bright guacamole, and although creamy, it wasn’t rich. It tasted excellent, but then I’d rather order it separately.
• The flautas were a bit like eating smoky, charcoal flavoured deep fried wonton wrappers with a damn good guacamole.

Pastel Azteca - 3/6

• Layers of tortillas, cheese, spinach, huitlacoche (corn truffle) with salsa verde, salsa roja, and crema fresca $15.25
• This is an authentic Mexican casserole that is usually made with chicken. In this case it was vegetarian and it was a Mexican style vegetarian lasagne or casserole.
• It’s pretty hefty, filling and the portion is quite large and it’s almost like a lasagne pie.
• The 3 components were all great, but they were all starches so I could have used vegetables as one of the sides.
• The side of house made refried black beans are amazing here! They’re ultra creamy and almost like a smoky sweet potato mash and there could have been more than black beans used.
• The poblano pepper rice wasn’t particularly special or flavourful, but it does change on occasion to other types of Spanish or Mexican style rices.
• This is my first time trying Pastel Azteca, so I have nothing to compare it too.

• There was a lot of layers and tons of ingredients, but I found they all got very muddled together and I couldn’t taste each layer of ingredients.
• I found the flavours actually quite one dimensional and the texture was very soft, creamy and almost sponge like throughout and at times a bit soggy.
• The tortillas were soft and then the bottom layer I think was a Cotija cheese that was mild and spongy, like ricotta meets tofu.
• I didn’t get much spinach flavour as I did flavours and textures of sauteed green leaf lettuce and maybe even romaine.
• There was some of that corn truffle again which tastes like black bean paste and corn, but the sweetness of the corn kernels got lost for me.
• It was quite creamy and it’s not that cheesy and I needed more crema fresca (sour cream) for more tang. I wouldn’t have minded a chunkier salsa verde and salsa roja as well, but overall I found it a bit mild in flavours and it was bit like eating a casserole of sauces and condiments.

**Pollo En Mole - 5.5/6

• Local free range chicken breast served with a blend of Mexican chilies chocolate sauce $15.95
• It was half a bone in chicken and I wish it didn’t come precut. I think it needed to rest a bit more before being cut because the meat wasn’t as moist as it could have been.
• The skin had a smoky dry rub and it’s not crispy, but when it’s covered with rich and decadent mole sauce you really barely notice it.
• The mole sauce was intense and it’s made in house with 18-19 ingredients.
• The mole was one of the best mole sauces I’ve come across, and it had to do with complex deep flavours as well as the creamy rich texture it had.
• It was thick and creamy and almost paste like and I could taste the texture of the house roasted chilies in combination with fresh spices such as cumin and cinnamon.
• It was bitter sweet with sweet chocolate flavour in the initial notes and then an earthy, deep and slightly bitter flavour at the end. It was smoky and it tastes like there’s some espresso rub, but there wasn’t.
• The sauce was also nutty and there must have been either/and/or ground sesame seeds and almonds to achieve that type of consistency. (It’s peanut free, but there are also ground pumpkin seeds in it).
• It was smoky, sweet, bitter and very warm with a mild heat and it complemented the smoky and savoury chicken perfectly.
• It was served with a side of sauteed bell peppers, onions and cactus. It was nice and sweet and it was my first time trying cactus, but it tasted like slimy okra in the form of a long strand of bell pepper. It’s crunchy and tastes like a slimy jelly like green bell pepper.

Paella - 3/6

• Seafood: shrimps, mussels, clams and squid $18.95/person
• Meat: Chorizo, chicken and snails $16.95/person
• All of the above, but snails $18.95/person
• 12 hour reservation required and 2 people minimum.
• This is something that requires a pre-order because Chef Luis is extremely particular with the quality control of his specially prepared paella.
• We ordered the all of the above paella and it’s pretty good value with the ingredients and portion, but the flavour wasn’t as impressive for me.
• It was fresh and made with fresh seafood, but it lacked the flavour of an authentic paella. I’m using that “authentic” word very lightly as I’m not expecting it to taste as good as the ones in Spain, but I know it could be better. For Vancouver standards this one is still quite good.
• It was loaded with seafood, but the prawns were overcooked and a couple mussels seemed a bit watery.
• The chorizo wasn’t a house made cured Spanish chorizo and it was more like a slightly spicy sausage, so that was different from the paellas that I’m used too.
• The chicken were cubes of chicken breast and they were moist, but could have been more seasoned.
• The rice was al dente, moist, separate and not soggy and it had some seafood flavours with a touch of tomato paste. I wish the seafood and chicken stock it was made with was more intense though.
• It would also be nice to get those smoky chorizo flavours and natural juices of the vegetables in there as well.
• I also couldn’t get much saffron flavour although I could see a lot of saffron threads on top. I just couldn’t actually taste its perfume like floral flavour and I felt like the spice was dead or too old.
• The peas were also a bit dry and starchy rather than sweet too, so the quality of those weren’t great.
• I just found the rice a bit one dimensional in flavour and it lacked the spices, herbs, lemon tang, smokiness and depth of a great paella.

Desserts

All desserts are made in house, and for me, Latin or Mexican food requires a little sweet to finish off. Who am I kidding? That’s my criteria for all my meals! Anyways the ones here are all made in house and they’re quite gourmet. However I do find them overpriced considering desserts at fine dining restaurants such as Cioppino’s (see here) and Cin Cin (see here) have their desserts for almost the same price. The desserts were excellent, but even so, it was hard to justify their value even considering the labour and ingredients.

**Tres Leches Cake - 5/6

• Vanilla Torte infused with three types of milk, and served with seasonal fruits $8.95
• It’s a traditional Spanish cake, served room temperature and it’s very light tasting, yet very dense with a tight crumb.
• It’s not a pound cake, and it’s not fluffy, or airy like a sponge cake, but almost loaf like. It’s not buttery either, so it’s not rich and surprisingly not that filling since it’s so moist.
• The cake is completely soaked with a mixture of evaporated and condensed milk so it’s nicely sweetened and very juicy.
• It’s very runny in texture and every bite is like a sweet burst of milky syrup, but it’s not too rich or overly sweet.
• The cake itself is a milk and egg based cake and it just absorbs the two types of milk poured onto it. It’s not really soggy either, but just incredibly moist and busting with liquid in every bite. Together it tastes like a very custard like cake and it’s like a juicy sweet dessert.
• Traditionally it should be topped with a fresh whipped cream, but in this case it was a regular whipped cream sprinkled with cinnamon served on the side.
• The cake was excellent, not too sweet, yet very much a dessert and the piece was large so it’s easily shared.
• For what it is, I still think it’s overpriced because it’s pretty easy to make, but it was still really really good.

**Organic Flourless Chili Chocolate Cake - 4/6

• Almond meal cake made with organic chocolate and mixed chilies $9.95
• This was a very small portion, but it can still be shared since it’s a bit rich, however still not overly sweet.
• The ice cream makes it not as sweet and I love the warm and cold contrast.
• The chocolate cake was incredibly moist and it was a cross between a bittersweet lava cake, without the molten centre, and a light cake like brownie.
• It was very soft and creamy, yet it had an almond like crumb, so it wasn’t as pastey as some flourless cakes can be. It’s not very nutty though.
• It seemed like there was a hint of espresso in the background and the chili was very very faint and it only came after I completely finished the bite. It wasn’t that spicy at all and I could have used more. Eaten with the ice cream I especially couldn’t taste the chili.
• The fresh raspberry coulis was a nice contrast with the rich chocolaty cake and it was a delicious cake, but I still think it’s a bit pricey considering the size. The ingredients are pricier and gourmet, but so are the ones from Thomas Haas and those cakes are almost half the price and double the size – see here.

Restaurant: Judas Goat Taberna
Cuisine: Tapas/Mediterranean/Spanish/Italian
Last visited: March 12, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Gastown)
Address: 27 Blood Alley
Price Range: $10-20, 20-30

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

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

• Tapas style
• Mediterranean tapas (modern)
• The Heather Group Restaurants
• Popular to locals
• Hidden location
• Seasonal menus
• Busy on weekends
• Small selection of wine/beer
• Small/limited seating
• Quick, casual modern dining
• 1.5 hour seating time
• Reservations recommended
• Tues-Sat 5pm-late

**Recommendations: Duck Confit & Foie Gras Terrine, Foie Gras on Toast with Green Apple, Gambas al Ajillo, Marinated Beets with Spice Ricotta & Rosemary Honey

We weren’t even hungry after a very full day of eating. We started with dim sum which included Peking duck and sea bass at Red Star Seafood, which was followed by an intense cupcake tasting and then a friendly stop at Bella Gelateria. But when two passionate food bloggers come together there’s no end to it… until one of them has to call it quits in order to get to hockey practice… yeah and that wasn’t me.

Sherman (thank you for the photos) and I were always curious about Judas Goat and my interest peaked even more when I hosted a $100 give away for The Heather Group Restaurants – see here. Out of their five restaurants in Gastown I had only tried the Long Table Series at The Irish Heather (see here) so I wanted to see how their other restaurants stacked up.

I’ve only driven by Judas Goat on one occasion since it’s hidden away in Blood Alley, so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I was actually quite surprised to discover it was so tiny and only seated a maximum of thirty people. It got full pretty fast so I would highly recommend making reservations especially on weekends, although I’d assume it’s quite busy with locals living in the neighbourhood on weeknights.

The service is quick and casual and so is your stay. They make that clear right on the menu where it says “The Rules: As intended with this style of eating, our seatings are short – you’ve got an hour and a half!” So there are really no surprises although the ambiance seems a bit cozier and inviting than what the menu suggests. I felt like I was at “Western” dim sum with a “dim sum” like order form as a menu which offered a good variety of meats and a handful of seafood items.

The menu is seasonal and it changes frequently, but it’s more or less modern Mediterranean style tapas that are meant to be shared. It’s mainly Spanish and Italian, but there’s a lot of West coast influences as well. Even though I was expecting tapas/small plates, I wasn’t expecting the portions to be as small as they were. At times I found they were quite overpriced for what they were, and in this case I saw more value and satisfaction in Mis Trucos, which is very similar in concept and style.

Overall the food at Judas Goat Taberna was good, but also not as impressive or satisfying as I thought it would be. I saw it as a place for pre dinner drinks or after dinner drinks more so than an actual dinner place, but with the time limit, I’m not sure if I would really come for either.

On the table:

Bacon and Egg – 3/6

• $3/each
• It was a home made baguette, tomato relish, quail’s egg and crispy prosciutto.
• These were good, but literally bite sized so you have to order one per person. I found them pretty pricey for what they were.
• The baguette was crispy and it was quite tangy from what tasted like tomato paste rather than “tomato relish” and I wish the egg wasn’t as cooked as it was.
• It was a nice and crunchy with a crispy salty bite from the prosciutto and then the tang from the tomato, but it wasn’t anything surprising either.

Braised Beef Tongue with Salsa Verde – 3.5/6

• $8
• I shared BEEF tongue with Sherman! Don’t let him convince you otherwise! Thank god my post will likely go up before his.
• I’m kind of torn between this tapa because I was expecting a Mexican or Spanish style salsa verde rather than an Italian one, which is what it was.
• It was a very tangy and sharp Italian salsa verde and it tasted like it was made with soft pickles and vinegar and it really hit your nose even before biting into it.
• It almost tasted like a pickled parsley sauce with some salty anchovy, maybe some smashed capers and perhaps a little mustard. It didn’t have a crunchy texture, but it carried a very bold and sour flavour which killed any natural herb flavours that it was also made with.
• The whole thing was a bit oily, but the tongue was incredibly tender and soft. If you’ve never tried beef tongue it’s incredibly lean, not gamey and very smooth. Since this one was braised it was ultra soft too.
• It was very flavourful and I did like the contrast of crunchy baguette and soft beef, but I just found the tang on the salsa verde a little too strong and I just wanted something to pull it back a bit. I think a garlic aioli or something to that degree would have worked.

**Duck Confit & Foie Gras Terrine – 4/6

• $10
• This is one of their popular tapas and I actually did like it and see its value, although the foie gras was the size of a quarter.
• It came with about 5 crostini and the terrine was actually quite large.
• There was also an onion marmalade with some spiced fleur de sel served along side.

• The duck was nicely cured and quite savoury with a flaky quality that wasn’t dry either.
• There were actually plump raisins in it and some black peppercorn, but it could have used more of both since I wouldn’t have known it was in there until I dissected it.
• I couldn’t taste the sweetness of the raisins or the spice of the black pepper and it was basically savoury throughout.
• The onion marmalade added great texture and crunch and also made the duck confit less heavy and salty.
• They said it was pickled onions but it was much more sweet than it was tangy. It worked really well bringing out the natural sweetness of the duck and creating great balance with the richness and salty cured flavours of the terrine.

**Foie Gras on Toast with Green Apple – 4/6

• $8
• This is another house favourite. As simple as it was, it was damn good and I enjoyed it.
• It wasn’t even made with the described “green apple”, but I still liked it although I could imagine it being even better with the green apple. Green apples just add that extra crunch and tartness.
• Each crostini, or toasted home made baguette, was generously topped off with rich creamy and thick foie gras pate.
• It was ultra smooth with a strong foie gras flavour and the julienne apples just cut through the richness and added a nice sweetness to the savoury pate.
• I love the sweet and savoury contrast and creamy, crunchy and crisp textures and I saw the value in this as well.

Cold Smoke Salmon, Pear Relish – 1.5/6

• $6
• I really wanted to love this, and I really love pear, but it really didn’t work.
• The cold smoke salmon was was too salty and no matter how much pear relish I tried eating with it, the salt was the only thing I could taste. I just think the scallions needed to be mixed into the pear relish as well and it needed another ingredient to help fight the saltiness.
• The pear relish was actually quite sweet and honey like in flavour. It was a grainy unripened Bartlett pear so it carried quite a crunch and texture. It was marinated with a nice vinegar tang, but it didn’t do anything for the salmon.
• It was trying to play with the sweet and salty balance, but it was really unbalanced because the main ingredient (salmon) was just too salty in the first place.
• It kind of brought me back to the House Cured Gravlax dish which suffered a similar problem at Commune Cafe.

Maple Sugar Sablefish – 2/6

• $10
• I love Sablefish, but this one was very underwhelming and overpriced for the size and execution. I’d say it’s meant for two people, but easily finished by one as well.
• I found it a waste to have it sitting on a baguette and it would have done better sitting on a bed of creamy white beans or pureed yams, or something similar to that in starch.
• For some reason the Sablefish was almost pasty without the moist flakiness it usually carries. It’s a near impossible fish to mess up, so I’m not sure what happened to the texture.
• It was seasoned well with salt and pepper and the yellow colour just tasted like olive oil and I actually don’t think any Maple or sugar was used on the actual fish.
• It was served with a side of Maple sugar that you sprinkle on top before eating.
• The maple sugar mimicked the idea of a seared crust and it was actually okay to use liberally because it was mixed with what I think was toasted bread crumbs so it wasn’t too sweet at all. It was finely ground to almost a crispy powder, but it just didn’t make sense to use it on a Sablefish that was sitting on top of a crunchy baguette.

**Gambas Al Ajillo – 3.5/6

• $9
• These were really unique and different from anything I’ve ever tried of this nature.
• It was cold water prawns rolled in citrus aioli with a garlic and shallot crust served room temperature.
• The first one I had I thought the texture was really weird. The second one I had I actually really liked it. The last one I had I found it was good, but the unique qualities had kind of worn off.
• The texture was very unexpected and the crust was semi crispy and almost powdery, and I was surprised it didn’t become pasty.
• At first it tasted like a semi-soggy powdery crust that was replicating a “deep fried” quality, but since the prawns were wet and somewhat cold, it just came off as a bit odd.
• The crust was a bit nutty and wonderfully savoury. I think they deep fry the shallots and garlic and then turn it into a finely grounded powder to roll the prawns into.
• The citrus aioli acted as the binder and it added a bright tang yet it didn’t overpower the sweetness of the prawns or the aromatic salty qualities of the crust.
• These were again slightly overpriced for a room temperature tapa.

**Marinated Beets with Spices Ricotta & Rosemary Honey- 4/6

• $8
• I think I saw about ten of these come out in the hour I was there for. It’s definitely the favouite in the salads section and maybe even just in general.
• The portion was quite generous and there was a good amount of each component to make up the dish.
• The beets were tender and sweet and the sweetness was enhanced by being marinated in aromatic Rosemary infused honey. The Rosemary was quite mild and it added a floral like quality to the beets, but it played more in the background of the dish more so than as the accent of it. It left that je ne sais quois quality if you didn’t know it was in there.
• The spiced Ricotta I’d say was the accent, but it didn’t taste spiced at all. It was actually very light and fluffy and I found it literally and figuratively refreshing from the usual “goat’s cheese & beet” idea.
• I think the mild and slightly sweet ricotta actually played in favour of the beets as well, allowing the beets to really shine.
• It was a very light and summery salad and the natural flavours of the ingredients were really the highlight of the dish.
• I just wanted to top it off with some pine nuts or walnuts, for some crunch, but it was enjoyable as is.

Restaurant: Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill
Cuisine: Italian/Mediterranean/Fine Dining
Last visited: February 17, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Yaletown)
Address: 1133 Hamilton St
Price Range: $50+

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

Food: 5.5 (based on this occasion)
Service: 6
Ambiance: 5
Overall: 5
Additional comments:

• Fine dining Italian-Mediterranean
• Executive Chef Giuseppe “Pino” Posteraro
• Award winning restaurant
• “Cucina Naturale” cooking
• Focus on natural ingredients
• Seasonal/Daily specials
• Voted “Best Italian”
• Voted “Best Chef 2008″
• Voted “Restaurant of the Year 2009″
• Extensive wine list (bible, one of largest in Vancouver)
• Zagat rated
• Patio seating
• Open kitchen
• Private rooms
• Ocean Wise (except for Dover Sole)

**Recommendations: Pacific Octopus, Pappardelle, Olive Oil dessert

It’s taken me quite a while to try one of Vancouver’s most famous, or perhaps even the most famous fine dining Italian Mediterranean restaurants, Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill. I’ve had my read of his recipe book so it’s no doubt I was a bit star struck when I saw him wondering around the restaurant floor. As great as it was to see him in his actual restaurant, it would have been great to see him in the kitchen as well. I know. It’s Pino. Pino can do whatever he wants, but for me I just love seeing a chef hands on in the kitchen, although I definitely felt his presence when he walked into the room. Who knows, maybe he was taking a break that night, but I’d really like to come back and try something directly from Pino’s talented self.

On the occasion I was joined with good friend and fellow food blogger Mr. Food and Tell. I guess you could say it was in celebration of a joint business deal that we decided to “ritz” it out a bit. Cioppino’s is one of the finest Italian restaurants in town and it boasts itself on its extensive 62 page wine list and premium ingredients. We decided to pass on the $15,000 bottle of wine, and I hope the restaurant didn’t take offense to that… maybe next time

I must say that the service here does not go unrecognized. On the other hand I don’t know if I just happened to entertain the server enough that he was extra excited to serve us. It was all very charming though, with all their European accents, and it didn’t feel as pretentious as I thought it might. I loved the open kitchen and young staff that appeared to be running it, and there was a level or respect and professionalism in the ambiance of the room.

The philosophy behind the food at Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill is “Cucina Naturale” which emphasizes “cooking natural” or “natural cooking”. The whole theory is the classic “let the ingredients speak for themselves”. This is something I come across very often, but the thing is everyone has a different interpretation of what that means. A lot of the times I can find this to mean under seasoned, but it’s not the case here.

I find Pino inserts this philosophy in the technique of his cooking more so than in the end result. What I mean by that is that I couldn’t tell all the fine details (such as reducing amount of fats and oils) that went into preparing the dishes, and the end result didn’t taste as “natural” as the process that went into making it. I usually find this tends to happen when there’s a fusion of techniques and cultures.

In this case Cioppino combines Italian dishes with Mediterranean flavours and even some West Coast influences. Don’t get me wrong, the food is still exceptional, and Pino pretty much nails the idea of natural while still bringing something new to the table, but “natural” isn’t the first thought that comes to mind if I were to describe the food. It’s not meant to be authentic and traditional Italian cuisine and it lacks the fresh herbs of the Mediterranean, but it speaks of West Coast style, which was still excellent.

For a fine dining restaurant the menu is extensive. I think I was most shocked that the daily features was as long as their in house menu. There’s definitely a focus on fresh ingredients and I’m not joking when I say the server listed about 15 daily features before asking what type of water we’d like to start off with. Overall Cioppino’s is fit for any wine and food enthusiast, offers top notch service and a dining experience (and price tag) you’re sure to remember.

On the table:

Complimentary Bread & Hummus

• No butter on this table, say hello to hummus! Hello hummus, I love hummus. This was quite unexpected and it definitely led me towards a Mediterranean feel.
• The hummus was incredibly smooth, creamy, made with great olive oil and a lemon tang. There’s nothing really fancy with the recipe, but the texture was great as well as quality of ingredients.
• The baguette was very crusty with a chewy centre and it had the flavour of sourdough.
• The best complimentary bread at an Italian restaurant it still probably Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina for me.

**Pacific Octopus – 6/6

• Served as a warm mosaic with potato-tomato vinaigrette $18.95
• This was pretty much culinary brilliance. I’ve never had anything like it.
• I was expecting pieces of octopus, but instead what came was thin slices of octopus. It was almost like an octopus carpaccio or salami.
• The octopus was fully cooked (yes it can be eaten raw and alive – see me trying it here).
• At first I didn’t know where the octopus was because the plating was so unexpected. I would have never interpreted it this way and it was almost like a warm octopus salad. I absolutely love it though and it will change the way I look at any future octopus dishes I try at a fine dining restaurant.

This is a better photo. The octopus dish is featured in the back.

• The octopus was almost interpreted like cured meat, but it’s not cured. I felt like they had compressed it in a sausage and then sliced it paper thin. It was so tender but it still had a firm bite which wasn’t chewy at all. The method of execution was almost like a scallop meets squid slice.
• The dish had so much going on, but none of it overwhelmed the octopus and it tasted fantastic all together.
• It was savoury, but noticeable tangy and sweet with lemon hints and every bite was something new to be explored.
• The “toppings” to this octopus carpaccio included salty bites of Kalamata olives, juicy tomatoes, tender potatoes, cauliflower florets and then some micro greens.
• The whole dish was very fresh, delicate and perfectly seasoned. It was very Mediterranean in style although a stronger herb might have been nicer.
• The octopus did speak for itself and everything else just kept it juicy and interesting.
• The play on textures with meaty vegetables and thinly sliced octopus made it so that you finished chewing everything at once. That’s why I didn’t mind that the octopus pieces I had originally expected were somewhat replaced with vegetables. Using only slices of octopus worked out perfectly with his intentions.

Canadian Diver Scallops – 4.5/6

• Seared, roasted porcini, black truffle vinaigrette $22.95
• This dish was definitely good, but it wasn’t  memorable for some reason… which I will obviously explain.
• The scallops were perfectly seared on both sides with a nice crust that was well seasoned. They were nice and sweet and they almost tasted sous vide. The texture was just ultra buttery and almost too soft, but still delicious.
• The dish was quite smoky from the mushrooms and scallops and the vinaigrette added a tang that made the dish come alive.
• The black truffle oil wasn’t as obvious, but I could still smell it although it wasn’t as powerful as some of the other black truffle dishes I’ve had.
• Together the dish was quite silky from the ingredients, but I think it needed perhaps one more ingredient to make it shine. I think a dollop of truffle aioli or the use of some dried mushrooms would have elevated the flavour. Or even better a truffle tapenade might have been nice!
• I’m actually not sure what the foam was and it was hard to dissect since the cloud disappeared as the server plated it for us.
• The dish was just quite literal in translation and I just think I wanted to be more blown away by it.
• The most memorable scallop dishes I’ve had were from Redd and Hart House Restaurant.

Porcini and Chestnut Soup – 3.5/6

• Low fat vanilla Chantilly (Gold Medal Winner) $14.95
• This is probably the dish I knew I had to try from the start, and I have to say it was the most overrated. I was just expecting so much more from their “Gold Medal Winner”.
• Essentially it was a soup served in what seemed like a podium, but I didn’t think it deserved its gold medal.
• I was hoping to re-experience the best soup I’ve had that was similar in style, which is the Roasted Chestnut and Apple Soup at Redd in Napa Valley.
• I was expecting a creamy rich velvety velouté, but I shouldn’t have since it did say “low fat”.
• I really think it has to do with the low fat vanilla Chantilly. This soup really needs fat, because the flavour was somewhat thin and the flavour fell flat. The low fat thing just jeopardized the potential it had. I mean even if it’s “low fat” it doesn’t have to taste like it.
• It didn’t taste bad or anything, but it was also a “when’s the next course?” kind of soup.
• It was the texture of a frothy cappuccino with the flavour of a low-fat mushroom gravy soup.
• It was creamy, but not thick and I know Pino tries to use less cream, but the alternative of using chestnuts as the thickener wasn’t taken all the way. I can’t say the chestnut was obvious and I would say it was stronger in mushroom flavour.
• The mushroom flavour was very apparent and almost made it one dimensional. I could taste a slight tanginess from what seemed like creme fraiche which probably replaced the heavy cream.
• I really couldn’t get the hints of vanilla and actually totally forgot that the vanilla flavour was supposed to be in there. I do expect sweetness if vanilla Chantilly (common for desserts) is being used and I really think it could have made a bigger impact if it was stronger… and full fat.
• The end notes are actually quite tangy rather than sweet, and I would have appreciated more depth in the soup.
• It was topped with these intense salty Parmesan croutons that were very dry in texture but ultra pungent with very aged Parmesan flavour.
• A drizzle of truffle oil would be nice as well.

**Pappardelle – 6/6

• 4 hour-braised veal cheeks and porcini mushrooms $25.00
• For what it was, it’s pretty much perfect. The portion is shareable as an appetizer for 2.
• This was probably one of the more authentic Italian dishes offered and I thought it was fabulous.
• It’s a Pappardelle that definitely requires a good amount of Parmesan cheese, which they will kindly offer, recommend and grate at your table as well. It just adds the creaminess of the dish while contributing a nice salty and nutty flavour.
• It’s not heavily sauce but so full of flavour that you don’t want it to end. The sauce was also gelatinous enough to hold onto the house made pappardelle noodles that were perfectly cooked to al dente with a firm bite.
• 4 hour-braised veal cheeks. How can you go wrong? There’s no word in that description that doesn’t scream TENDER!
• As if the cheek wasn’t tender enough, but it was also VEAL, and BRAISED… for FOUR hours! That’s pretty much trying to reach the highest level of “tender” and they sure achieved their goal.
• The meat literally melted in your mouth. It was nice and stringy and incredibly well sauced in its own natural juices. It was still meaty in texture but just buttery in flavour and each shred of meat was packed with flavour.
• It was a meaty pasta with a natural creaminess, but I actually don’t recall the porcini mushrooms playing a significant role in the dish.
• If this is what Elvis meant by “Love me tender”… I could sure agree. As a foodie, THIS was my Pappardelle King of Tender.

Duck…Duck… – 5/6

• Spit-roasted breast, its leg confit, savoury orange sauce $40.00
• It was a delicious main that I laid eyes on from the start. It was also highly recommended and our server’s favourite.
• C’mon “duck confit” is pretty much a sure sell at any table I’m sitting at.
• The dish seemed more French than Italian to me, and the portion is quite decent.
• It’s a very rich and indulgent dish although at times the sauce can get a bit salty if you don’t find the right balance in your bites.
• The duck breast was actually sliced up which was unexpected. The texture and quality of it reminded me of ham before it did duck. It had a very pork like quality and ham like texture. The duck fat almost seemed like a pork rind especially in the way in which was prepared, which was spit-roast, common method for pork.
• The indulgent juicy and firm duck fat layer or “rind” on the breast was incredibly caramelized and sweet with a crispy charcoal smoky crust. It wasn’t quite melt in your mouth fat, but the gelatinous quality wasn’t distracting either. I’m not one for chewy gelatinous fat, but this skin was almost like a new kind of meat in texture. It was juicy yet firm, not chewy and similar to an ultra meaty sweet smoky bacon.
• The duck confit leg on the other hand was 100% melt in your mouth tender and moist with the skin and all. It was a combination of crispy skin and the rest was buttery, creamy and melted skin that was impossible to separate from the duck meat itself. As a unit they were heavenly.
• The vegetables in the dish was almost like a ratatouille. It was sweet and tangy with zucchini, eggplant, carrots, peas and onions. It was noticeably tangy from maybe tomato and actually quite peppery as well.
• I’m so pleased that the duck had an orange sauce that was perhaps reduced with some red wine and vegetable stock. As rich as it was I don’t think he used a demi glace for the sauce. It wasn’t really oily as much as it was syrupy and the sweetness from the fruit, vegetables and wine was a natural technique I can only praise (especially if that’s what he really did).
• The sauce was very well reduced, but not necessarily meaty in flavour. I could definitely tell there was orange in it even if I didn’t know the menu description. It was sharp, sweet, savoury and tangy and the orange flavour added a zing to the whole dish.
• The duck was topped with a grapefruit champagne foam that actually did its job to brighten everything up. There wasn’t really enough of it, but the little bit it had was much appreciated it. The scent it brought to the sweet duck and tangy vegetables almost lightened up the richness of the fatty meat and enhanced the orange flavour.

Desserts

*Rub eyes*. Is that a two page dessert menu I see? Yes it is! Any restaurant with a TWO PAGE dessert menu deserves to have its photograph taken. So I’m doing the honours. All the recipes are Pino’s, but it would still be nice to see pastry chefs showcasing their talents.

I have to say that when it comes to desserts at a fine dining Italian restaurant in Vancouver, Cin Cin takes the win. Next to chocolatier Thomas Haas, my favourite pastry chef in Vancouver has to be Chef Thierry Busset at Cin Cin – see my post for his desserts here and his chocolates here. If I’m going to be paying top dollars for dessert I would glad do that at Cin Cin, whereas I felt it was a bit of a pinch at Cioppino’s. The dessert variety is fantastic at Cioppino’s but the portions are very small, even smaller than expected. I can only judge from the two I had, but from that I would prefer Cin Cin. More approachable and still gourmet are the Italian desserts at Quattro (Q4) that are actually very good – see here.

**Olive Oil – 5.5/6

• Warm tender cake with dried fruit, white chocolate-olive oil custard, Laudemio ice-cream $12
• I could have eaten 3 plates of this. The portion was pretty tiny in the first place, but the flavour of each component was larger than life… or the portion at least.
• I loved the interpretation and would expect nothing less. It’s definitely one of the best desserts I’ve had in Vancouver to date.
• The olive oil cake was delicious! It was warm and soft, but slightly under baked so I could taste a a bit of the flour batter still, which was the only fault.
• The cake was incredibly moist and creamy and I think made with some ground almonds or marzipan as well. It was nutty and fruity with a very crispy exterior.
• I could definitely taste the olive oil in the cake and it was a very young olive so it wasn’t salty at all and very light and fruity. There were some pieces of apricot in the cake and that just brought the sweetness out in the olives. It wasn’t too sweet and eaten with the olive oil ice cream I was in foodie heaven.
• The Laudemio ice cream was insane. It’s a a potent and premium extra virgin olive oil that’s very perfume like. Similar to truffle oil, it’s used only for finishing.
• It was so aromatic, creamy, fruity and almost grassy in flavour. It was the richest in olive flavour of the three components and it almost tasted soapy, but in the most delicious way possible. I think there was white chocolate in the ice cream as well to bring out the sweetness. This ice cream was so full of flavour and perfectly executed and well balanced.
• The olive oil cannoli-like dessert in the centre was also delicious. However it was almost like a Chinese egg roll made out of phyllo pastry. it was light and crispy and the inside was filled with an ultra creamy velvety smooth white chocolate olive oil custard.
• The initial notes are quite sweet from the white chocolate, but the end notes are actually quite salty. It’s quite eggy in flavour overal, but it was still very enjoyable and it worked well with the other componants.

Dark Chocolate Tanzanie 75% – 4/6

• Layers of compressed cocoa, orange crisp, light mousse and raspberries $15
• Probably not the best choice for dessert, however if I didn’t order it I would have missed out on a major foodgasm. Hello shiny chocolate gelato on the side that wasn’t even mentioned in the menu description… you are beautiful.
• The compressed cocoa was totally unexpected and I found it very hard to appreciate. It was my least favourite component and reminded me of a dry bitter sweet powdery jello or pudding. It was compressed, but not what most people’s idea of “layered” would be.
• Essentially it probably was a jello or gelatin made out of cocoa powder and that’s also what it tasted like. It had a very dry texture and flavour and it’s the opposite of a silky jello or pudding.
• With 75% chocolate it’s going to be quite bitter, but for me the darker the better. On the other hand the fresh caramel sauce added the sweetness that the compressed cocoa really needed.
• Within the caramel sauce there was also little white tapioca pearls that tasted like they were infused with rose water. It was aromatic and unexpected, but the tapioca eaten with the compressed cocoa didn’t really work in terms of texture. It was just dry cocoa gelatin with chewy sweet aromatic tapioca and it just felt really bitty all together.
• The orange crisp was filled with a very light mousse that wasn’t too sweet at all. It was still creamy but it tasted light and had a beautiful earthy dark chocolate flavour.
• I’m usually not a huge fan of mousse because I find it too much of one texture, but in this case it was wrapped around a caramelized orange crisp which was delicious.
• Even the idea of chocolate and orange isn’t too appealing to me, but this was done so well with caramel notes that anyone could be convinced to like the combination.
• The cone was crunchy and creamy, but you needed the right balance of chocolate and cone to get the orange flavour. The orange was there but it was easily overpowered by the mousse at times.
• The best component was by far the mound of chocolate gelato served on the side. It was bittersweet dark chocolate, extremely creamy, stick to your throat thickness, ultra rich and simply perfect!
• It was almost stringy and definitely comparable to Bella Gelateria (except Bella is half the price). It was incredibly fresh and almost chewy. One of the best, if not the best I’ve had.
• I seriously want to lick my screen and if I wasn’t fine dining I would have used my finger to squeegee the plate…. or did I actually do that? No, I’m classier than that! Well actually the dessert spoons are designed to have a flat edge so you can really squeegee the plate down. I almost stole one! It’s the perfect Follow Me Foodie tool.

Restaurant: Nove Italiano
Cuisine: Italian/Fine Dining
Last visited: January 24, 2011
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada (The Palms)
Address: 4321 W Flamingo Rd
Price Range: $50+

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

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

• Fine dining Italian
• Contemporary Italian cuisine
• Executive Chef Geno Bernardo
• Fresh handmade pastas
• Fresh fish/seafood
• Famous for steaks
• Full wine bar
• Energetic/posh atmosphere
• Restaurant/Bar/Lounge
• Weekdays 5:30pm-10pm
• Weekends 5:30pm-11pm
• Lounge 5pm 7 nights a week

**Recommendations: Pesce Crudo, Raviolo, Shrimp Francaise, Death by Potatoes, Duck and The Veal Nove is excellent, but I don’t know if I would order it again. The Strawberry Carpaccio and Raspberry Granita for dessert.

This is perhaps the most food for the least amount of people I’ve ever experienced in my life – in non-buffet circumstances. I don’t know though because “The Fullest I’ve Ever Been Moments in 2010” were quite epic. Nonetheless I had a very memorable dining experience at Nove Italiano at The Palms in Las Vegas. I don’t think I would have easily discovered this fine dining Italian restaurant on my own, but I am very pleased to have been introduced to it. It’s not really a popular restaurant so it has been regarded as a “hidden gem”, it has pretty solid reviews and I was told it was one of “the best Italian restaurants”. The praise for it was high, so naturally so were my expectations.
It was hard to capture the ambiance of the restaurant and it was a lot nicer than what my photo shows. The chandeliers were made of Swarovski crystals, but I kind of felt like I was having dinner in Cher’s dining room, waiting for Purple Rain to come on and a guest appearance from Prince. It goes for that energetic and trendy atmosphere, but at times it can feel a bit dated, although the view from the restaurant is incredible.

A portion of the restaurant has these unique… okay I’m sorry, I can’t defend them. Edward Scissorhands could have done a better job at hedge sculpting, but I guess they certainly made a statement in not one… but 3 ways. I’ll give you a minute to think about that one.

Executive Chef Geno Bernardo & I

Now here comes my several biases. The occasion was special and we had a lot of “royal treatments” that were greatly appreciated throughout the night. Contrary to what you may be assuming, these “special favours” we’re NOT because of me (not to sound pretentious, but just taking into consideration the food blogger gig).

We were actually celebrating the birthday of a very special lady and I was honoured to be one of the guests. My friend, I’ll call him “Mr. Seeds”, had a personal connection, so Executive Chef Geno Bernardo went above and beyond to make the evening unforgettable. Wow, calling him “Mr. Seeds” makes him sound like a drug dealer, but he’s not… and if he was he’d be in prison after this post. Anyways the restaurant was aware that I was a food blogger as well. We were treated to lots of special off the menu appetizers, but I will try my best to approach Nove Italiano from a neutral perspective. After all, honesty is the best policy.

Nove Italiano is inventive Italian dining and for me it was more modern American-Italian in style and flavours rather than authentic Italian. Taking that into consideration I have to look at it from an angle of “does it taste good” and “was it worth it” rather than how close it comes to traditional Italian cuisine. Generally I did enjoy most of the food, although at times I felt it was a bit too salty or on the heavy side. Since I was able to make a massive dent in the menu I can say that a few of the flavours do get a bit repetitive, although still good. The dishes are rich and there’s not really a trick to ordering because even the light dishes are still quite rich. It’s a meal where I’d say to myself “I need a break after this”, but I never really mean it. I would still recommend the restaurant for certain dishes in particular, and I would come back to try other things with or without the special favours. So as the story goes… on to the food… or the table!

On the table:

Prosecco

Veal Calzone

• Off the menu special, compliments from the chef.
• Basic, but good. It was a very soft and buttery pie pastry with well seasoned ground veal filling and a simple tangy marinara topping as the sauce.
• It’s not a traditional pizza crust calzone, but the dough was more like a dessert pastry.

Fried Polenta

• Off the menu special, compliments from the chef.
• A very crispy panko crusted deep fried polenta (boiled cornmeal).
• The texture was great and the inside was a creamy soft polenta filling made of what I think was Parmesan cheese and perhaps Mascarpone. Again, very simple, but still good.
  

**Pesce Crudo – 5/6

• The Italian version of sashimi and this one was a salmon crudo. This is offered on the menu, but varies daily.
• I don’t know how I missed this on the Antipasti menu, but I would have ordered it if I saw it, luckily chef showcased it anyways.
• It was very fresh and I loved the salty juicy bites of creamy salmon roe with the hint of lemon zest and then crunch of a white caviar that looked like tobiko. It was my first time trying this white caviar, although it reminded me of cod roe, so it could have been that.
• It was very simple, but caviar doesn’t need much to shine anyways, so the hint of lemon was perfect.

Foie Gras Crostini

• Off the menu special, compliments from the chef.
• Very rich and buttery slices of chilled foie gras with a sweet onion jam topping on a very crunchy crostini.
  

Complimentary Bread and Butter

• I know I always comment on the bread and butter, but at this point I had to conserve stomach space so I barely touched it… but of course I still touched it!
• It was crunchy pretzel sticks and the Ciabatta was sesame crusted, super soft, but not chewy. It was nutty and almost a bit cheesy, but not really a Ciabatta as much as it was a regular soft and fluffy bread with a rubbery crust rather than crunchy one.

The focaccia could have used more love. It was soft and fluffy with some fresh Oregano leaves baked on. I have to say the complimentary focaccia at Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina in City Centre, also in Vegas, is amazing.

Caprese – 5/6

• Oven roasted roma tomatoes, pesto, pine nuts, mozzarella di bufala $15
• If you like Caprese, this is an excellent one.
• The flavours are bold and the pesto is fresh, but lighter than usual and more fruity and herby than it is nutty and cheesy. The only thing is that I wish the pine nuts were pureed into the pesto sauce as well as being sprinkled on top. I’m assuming it was done for people with allergies… boo.
• The olive oil was noticeably fruity and rich in flavour intensifying the aromatic herbs, and the sweet tang of balsamic glaze gave the juicy tomatoes and pesto a nice contrast.

Onion Soup – 2.5/6

• Pancetta, poached farm egg, baccala $11
• I was a bit confused since this is a French soup, so I was hesitant on the order, but still curious to try it.
• This was a very chunky version of French Onion Soup and it was loaded with caramelized onions and a rich stock possibly made with veal.
• It was very intense in flavour but too salty, and I have a high tolerance for salt. It was also very sweet and it was just a bit too much of both that the natural flavours of the ingredients were overpowered.
• The pancetta was a nice Italian touch and so was the baccala (Italian salt cod), but both those items are so salty already that the flavour of them was lost and wasted in a salt battle.

• The egg was a brilliant idea, and if you like eggs, you’ll love Chef Bernardo.
• The egg was gorgeous and perfectly poached. It made the already rich soup so much richer but I still loved the concept.
• It added a creamy thickness to the soup and it made it less salty, but the soup base could have been lighter especially with the added egg.

**Raviolo – 5.5/6

• Egg yolk filled, truffle butter, pecorino pepata $14
• Alright, Chef Bernardo must have been Asian in his past life because he knows the secret of putting an egg on anything and making it taste good… not to say it wouldn’t have tasted good without the egg, but this dish was excellent!
• This is pretty much the most delicious version of bacon and eggs you can enjoy for dinner.

• Food porn right there! I don’t even know how he did this. Brilliant execution and concept and something I’ve never seen done before.
• The egg yolk acted as the sauce for this raviolo and it made for a very rich and indulgent appetizer. It did over power the truffle butter, although I could taste more butter than truffle in the first place.
• Along with the poached egg filling there was also a thick and creamy rich ricotta filling that was almost mousse like at the same time. It could have been a combination of Mascarpone and ricotta whipped up, and the silky texture of the poached egg white was an excellent complement in flavour and texture.
• The inside was nice and cheesy and it was topped with crispy pancetta and salty cheese which carried a bit of heat, but it’s not spicy.
• The raviolo skin was a tad overcooked, but the rest of it was so good I didn’t care. The only thing missing was that truffle oil flavour.

Burrata – 4/6

• Housemade bresola, roasted beets, local honey, flatbread $16
• The Burrata cheese is really making itself comfortable on every menu on the West Coast, however the quality will vary.
• It’s pretty much impossible to get authentic Burrata cheese unless you’re in Italy because the real stuff would expire before it arrives. It’s traditionally served in leaves, but it’s unlikely you’ll come across it being served this way in any North American restaurant.
• It’s very similar to Mozarella, but it’s made from Water Buffalo milk. The texture is much different and it’s stringy, and almost like an ultra creamy poached egg. The Burrata here was okay, but more spongy and less stringy and creamy.
• I’ve only tried 5 varieties of Burrata cheese and I still like the one from Trattoria the best – see here. See here for my recipe on how to replicate it at home.
• I did love the warm flat bread, honey, candied beets, and sweet thick and tangy balsamic onion syrup they served it with. It was a fun platter with well thought out ingredients that were new to an Italian meat and cheese platter.
• The housemade bresola is cured beef and it’s firm and jerky like. It was well aged and its natural meaty flavour really came through.

**Shrimp Francaise – 6/6

• The best you ever had $18
• If I’m going to have “the best [I've] ever had” for $18, you better bet it’ll be on my table!
• Do I have anything to compare to? No. This was my first time trying Shrimp Francaise, and if this is the standard that is now set on my palate, then any other Shrimp Francaise I order from now on will have a lot of work to do.
• I take it that it is a super simple dish from the flavours I got, but nonetheless I am waiting for it to be exposed and picked up by many more Italian restaurants because it’s delicious!
• It was butterflied prawns that were dipped into a lightly beaten egg batter and pan fried until crispy, so it tasted like fried eggs as well.
• The prawns are served in one of the best lemon garlic butter sauces I’ve had to date. It was rich and savoury and tangy with the hint of lemon and fresh from the chopped parsley. You can’t go wrong with lemon garlic butter sauce, and god knows how much of this sauce I’ve consumed, but this was one of the best versions of it I’ve had.
• The prawns were crunchy, tender and juicy with a crispy fried egg exterior and then the sauce was a “don’t waste it sauce,” where you call dibs on table bread just to soak it up and not see it go to waste.

Pastas

I’m really glad that they offer the pastas in half order portions because they are quite rich and I would rather order two different pastas than one big potion of the same thing.

Ravioli – 4.5/6

• Ricotta, walnut pesto, tomato sauce (Photo above is half order, full order $22)
• This was very rich and buttery, but very flavouful.
• There was a combination of fruity olive oil, very herby pesto sauce and then a tangy fresh tomato sauce with the richness of a salty creamy ricotta stuffing.
• The pesto sauce was the same one used on the Caprese and again I wish the walnuts were incorporated into the pesto sauce as well as being sprinkled on top.
• I could taste a nice balance of fresh parsley, oregano and basil used in the pesto, but no strong garlic flavours or even any Parmesan cheese, so it was a house version of Pesto sauce, just like in the Caprese.
• I loved the nutty crunch of the walnuts and I could taste every layer of ingredient.
• The quality of olive oil was not to be overlooked because it intensified the flavours of everything else and made them merry well together.

**Pansotti – 5/6

• Nana’s recipe, braised short rib, spinach, brown butter, hazelnuts (Photo above is half order, full order $22)
• It was still an excellent pasta and my favourite pasta dish of the night. Thank goodness, because it was my side.
• “Braised short rib” are magical words to me, but the filling didn’t seem like braised short rib.
• It was like the Italian version of the Shanghainese XLB aka xiao long bao or “juicy pork dumplings”.
• It came across as braised shredded pork shoulder mixed with coarsely ground pork. It was more like a meatball, but the textures were interesting and overall the pansotti does have a predominant pork flavour. It was delicious, but just not what I expect when I see “braised short rib”.
• Besides the nutty savoury brown butter sauce, most of the sauce actually came from the natural au jus of the pork filling.
• This pork filling was incredibly tender and juicy and I feel like it was braised in duck fat. It also had little bits of melt in your mouth fat throughout the mixture and you can taste the continuous flow of incredibly rich and meaty pork juice.
• Initially you’re hit with the nutty sweet aroma of hazelnuts first, followed by this juicy liquid of pork confit juice, and then the final flavours go back to the hazelnuts. The salty bite of brown butter sauce comes at the end and it enhanced the nuttiness of the overall dish as well.
• I could have used more hazelnuts and I think crispy sage would be a nice alternative to fresh parsley, which seemed a bit tiring at this point, but overall I’d still highly recommend this dish as a side.

Sunday Gravy – 3.5/6

• Braciole, sausage, meatballs, pork gravy (Photo above is half order, full order $25)
• YES! That is a HALF order! It was definitely the biggest half order for the pastas and more than enough for a main course.
• This was a very hearty Americanized version of Italian food. It was heavily sauce, very rich and meaty, but not in the way I was expecting. I didn’t feel like it suited the theme of the restaurant and it seemed a bit too “family style” for a fine dining place.
• The meats were good, but the sauce and pasta didn’t do much for me.
• It was a bit underwhelming for “Sunday Gravy” and I was expecting more of a traditional pork gravy made with pork au jus and a cream sauce rather than a thick housemade tomato sauce. I also thought the meats would be more incorporated into the dish rather than being served whole, as is, on top of the pasta.
• The highlight was the braciole which is a pan fried Italian beef but it’s as tender and flavourful as pulled pork. It’s cooked in its own juices, and it was a bit unfortunate it was covered by the house made pesto as well as the tangy tomato sauce because its natural flavour is something to look forward to.
• The meatball was one giant meatball (hiding behind the white cloud) and it was delicious, but more like a meatloaf. I think there was a mixture of carrots, onions and celery so it had a slight sweetness and very soft and tender texture.
• It was actually a spicy meatball so it was nice to have the large cloud of what I think was creme fraiche (perhaps mixed with Mascarpone) because the creamy tang helped cut the spiciness and it was almost a palate cleanser for the meats. It tasted like a whipped semi melted yogurt.
• The sausage was about a 1/4 of a link and it was quite substantial, and placed beside the meatball. It was a juicy thick sausage link that tasted similar to spicy salami and it was almost like an Italian bratwurst, but very meaty with fatty pork flavour.

Tortellini – n/a

• Prosciutto, black truffle cream sauce, arugula (Photo above is half order, full order $22)
• For one of the few cream based dishes of the night, and what I expected to be the richest, it was actually on the lighter side compared to everything else.
• This is surprising, but I actually felt it lacked flavour and I couldn’t taste the black truffle, although I didn’t have enough to say, so I’m not rating it.
• The filling was light pink and it looked salmon filled and the flavour wasn’t strong enough for me to pick out what it was. I just know that it wasn’t worth my stomach space so I moved on.

Saikou Salmon – n/a

• Shellbean risotto, gremolata butter $34
• The salmon was a huge portion and it had a beautiful crispy skin and the meat was falling apart juicy and tender. It was well seasoned and I could taste a nice infusion of fruity olive oil. I didn’t get to taste the gremolata butter though and it was used very sparingly, hence my reason for not rating it.
• The risotto was al dente with a firm bite but because it was made with beans it ended up building up a starchy texture rather than a creamy one. It was made with a tangy lemon cream sauce, crisp green beans and some freshly cracked black pepper that gave it a nice aromatic heat.
• I didn’t find it necessarily worth it and I think the execution could have been better. A nice drizzle of a well infused olive oil would have brought the silkiness back in the risotto and I feel like it was missing an ingredient. Maybe I was so addicted to the strong bolder flavours of all the dishes that this one just seemed a bit unfinished.

Chicken Parmigiana – n/a

• Oven roasted, tomato, mozzarella $29
• That is a 6 foot 4 giant holding that dish! That’s how big this chicken parmigiana was!
• I did have some, but not enough to rate it.
• The chicken was tender, super cheesy with tangy tomato sauce.  It was the most “what you would expect” dish.
• The ingredients were fresh, but it was what it was.

**Veal Nove – 5/6

• Thinly sliced scaloppine, prosciutto, arugula, lemon $42
• This is a house specialty and if you like the Shrimp Francaise appetizer, chances are you’ll enjoy this. It was almost the same, but just different proteins.
• The veal was delicious and it had this shallot, garlic and lemon butter with white wine sauce that was amazing.
• It’s so buttery and oily that it’s almost like a cream sauce and it’s incredibly rich and well worth the many many calories.
• I could taste the fruity olive oil and they must be using an excellent quality of wine to get that flavour in a butter sauce.
• The prosciutto was a bit weak and I though it was going to be wrapped around the veal or just presented better.
• It comes with 3 veal cutlets that are pounded flat and melt in your mouth tender. It’s a bit pricey, but very shareable.
• Arugula and lemon salad… I had no room for salad, so I passed.

**Duck – 5.5/6

• Pan seared breast, crispy leg, lentils, roasted grapes $32
• This reminded me of a duck confit. It was very contemporary and I wouldn’t have categorized it as “Italian” as I would contemporary French.
• This was a massive portion and well worth it!

• I know the menu said “pan seared breast” but I still expected that would mean crispy and it wasn’t. I was really disappointed because duck needs to be eaten with the fat, but when it’s all chewy the texture just doesn’t fly with me. It needs to be crispy and therefore I personally enjoyed the duck leg much more. The meat of the duck breast was very tender though and I did ask for it medium, which was perfect.
• This duck was quite sweet but it had a nice tangy balsamic drizzle and actually reminded me of the one from Redd in Napa Valley, but I prefer this version.
• The lentils were also sweet with perhaps some honey and they were rather firm and almost crunchy rather the creamy. It had a very nutty quality and there were also some sweet carrots, onions and celery to help build the flavours.
• I loved the several sweet and savoury combinations all throughout the dish and juicy bursts of sweet grapes to lighten everything up. The balsamic glaze was a great contrast and it was a sophisticated ensemble that I look forward to ordering again.

Filet Mignon – 5/6

• 8 oz $43 Il Forno style (garlic, parmigiano, ravioli) +$10
• Nove is owned by the N9ne Group who are famous for their steaks, so I was told that steaks were the hot item.
• The ravioli was a bit dry and nothing really special and I think it was just a simple ricotta cheese filling with baked Parmesan cheese on top.

;

• The steak was pretty perfect. I’m not sure how long they age them for, and it’s not the best steak in my life, although still excellent and well prepared.
• The topping was just a crispy garlic and melted Parmesan Cheese crust and it was very delicious, but the steak would have been good with or without it.
• I’m not so sure that the extra $10 for “Il Forno” style was worth it. I’d rather skip it and order this next item!

**Death by Potatoes – 6/6

• $11 (Side)
• Those are the hands of another 6 foot 3 giant holding that dish! It was a huge portion and I’d gladly order this as an incredibly indulgent main as well!
• It tastes like the best version of a delicious melted baked potato pie.
• The texture was so silky smooth and creamy that it seemed like a baked potato sauce! DE-LICIOUS!
• It’s creamy potatoes mashed with a whole lot of  butter, olive oil and truffle oil. There’s also melted Parmesan cheese, a Mascarpone cheese centre, crispy cubes of salty Pancetta, green onions and a crispy Parmesan gratin crust. This was heaven and if I could marry it I would. Til death do us part potatoes… you didn’t kill me, but you were close.

Chinese Broccoli with Grilled Baby Octopus

• Side
• I bet chef looked at our order and came to the smart conclusion that we needed some vegetables besides “Death by Potatoes”. So this side came unexpected, but much appreciated.
• It was sweet and savoury with smoky and spicy grilled octopus. The legs were jerky like and they reminded me of the delicious charred sweet and crispy bits of BBQ ribs.
• It did make me very curious to want to order the Grilled Baby Octopus from the appetizers. It’s on my list for next time!

Branzino Neck

• Our server came out and said “Chef wants to know if you’d be interested in trying fish neck?” My immediate answer – yes please! (Off the menu special, compliments from the chef) 
  
• I’m not sure if this was a Branzino fish and I’m not too familiar with its flavour, but I know the head looks like that.
• I ate the cheeks and part of the neck and called it quits… after returning to a bit more potatoes of course.
• I wish this was on the menu though because it was excellent.
• It was a very aromatic fish with that delicious fruity olive oil, an herb pesto and a wonderful lemon scent. It was almost like a fruity lemony perfume marinade and the grilling technique just intensified the strong aroma of ingredients.
• The sauce was made from lobster shells so it was so infused with shellfish flavour and he served it with pan fried lobster and cuttle fish. I felt like I was in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Dessert

Oh sweet lord! In the most literal sense. This was definitely the most grand entrance I’ve ever experienced with dessert. The desserts were okay, but the highlights were in the dinner. I question if Nove has their own in house pastry chef because I get the feeling that they might not. They’re fun desserts, but they bounce around from French to Italian, but nonetheless this was a special treat, so I’m biased.

**Strawberry Carpaccio – 4.5/6

• Sliced strawberries, aged balsamic vinegar reduction, candied Panko crumbs and creme fraiche ice cream
• I loved this dessert, and more so for its creativity, but the flavours were also excellent.
• It was thin slices of sweet and tart strawberries, with sweet and tart syrupy balsamic glaze, and then a refreshing tangy and creamy creme fraiche ice cream with crispy bits of candied Panko crumbs.
• The textures and flavours matched incredibly well and the Panko crumbs were such a smart idea! As much as I love nuts (insert joke here), this would be a great alternative to anyone with nut allergies.

Dessert Platter

• This was in honour of our special guest of the evening, so it was a special favour. They had 2-3 servers come out carrying this stone platter!
• I don’t even know where to start! Oh wait yes I do! Granitas – melts first and good palate cleansers!

Granitas – 4/6

• Shaved Italian ice: lemon and raspberry
• The lemon was much too tart and sweet, and I think it would be good to make it with Prosecco.
• The raspberry one was perfect! It was well balanced and it tasted like it was made from real raspberry puree, which is likely.

Cheesecake – 2.5/6

• I’m not a huge cheesecake fan, but I love Tiramisu… which is what I was crossing my fingers for. Tiramisu is a standard dessert I’d expect at any Italian restaurant so I was a bit bummed out.
• It was a very light, fluffy and mousse like cheese cake, but the graham cracker crust was a bit soggy.
• The cheesecake likers at the table thought it was good, but they weren’t fighting for another helping, although we were pretty full at this point.

Nutella Tower Chocolate Mousse – 3.5/6

• It was like a Kashi cocoa puff rice crispy cake on the bottom and then chocolate nutella mousse on top finished with whipped cream.
• The bottom wasn’t really a rice crispy, but it was similar. The rice cereal was a the puffy kind so it wasn’t as crispy but more airy like rice cakes. It was still molded together with a sticky sweet candy syrup.
• It was a bittersweet chocolate with equal parts nutella mousse and I could appreciate the idea, but I wasn’t floored by it.
• I think the incorporation of actual hazelnuts somewhere would have been great.

“Do-it-Yourself” Cannolis - 5/6 for idea, 2/6 for flavour

• I haven’t had enough cannolis in my lifetime to say if these were authentic, but I loved the idea behind it!
• The cannoli shells tasted like over fried tortilla shells so it was almost savoury and not sweet at all.

• It came with an assortment of toppings, so you got to pipe your own cannoli and I felt like I was at a kid’s birthday. Very fun and still suitable to the youthful atmosphere the restaurant tries to capture.
• The pastry cream was delicious and I loved that part! It was a bit grainy like frosting, but definitely not as sweet and therefore more like pastry cream.

Profiteroles – 3/6

• Pistachio custard with raspberry sauce, chocolate custard with chocolate sauce, vanilla custard with butterscotch sauce.
• Great concept and flavour combinations, but the flavour and technique in the pastry shell was a bit off. It was just slightly dry although light and airy.
• My favourite was the pistachio and raspberry sauce and I actually really loved the pistachio filling.

Cookies - 2.5/6

• The cookies were cute and random. The biscotti was great, but the pink macaron was very flat and a bit sad, despite the happy face.
• nonetheless it was a special occasion and everything was much appreciated on this dessert platter, so I’ll just stop here.

Geez, that was the longest post ever. Good night!

Restaurant: Absinthe Brasserie & Bar
Cuisine: French/Californian/Mediterranean/Eclectic/Fusion
Last visited: November 10, 2010
Location: San Francisco, California (Hayes Valley)
Address: 398 Hayes St
Price Range: $20-30, 30-50+

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

Food: 4
Service: 5 (I had a knowledgeable server)
Ambiance: 5.5 (although a bit pretentious)
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Upscale French bistro & bar
• Casual fine dining
• American-European cuisine (fusion)
• Popular to locals
• Ages 30-50 hot spot
• Very eclectic/creative menu
• Lively/cosmopolitan atmosphere
• Extensive wine/cocktail/beer list
• Seasonal menu
• Oyster bar
• Busy/reservations recommended
• Tues-Wed: 11:30 am – midnight
• Thur-Fri: 11:30 am – midnight (bar open til 2 am)
• Sat: Brunch: 11:00 am – 3pm; 3:00 pm – midnight (bar open til 2 am)
• Sun: Brunch: 11:00 am – 3pm; 3:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Closed Monday

**Recommendations: French Onion Soup, Beef Tartar, Broccoli Risotto

With the red traffic light it really looks like the Red Light District too… where’s the green fairy?!

I was in San Francisco for the Food Buzz Food Bloggers Food Festival and had decided to stay a few extra days to partake on my own dining adventures. My foodie experiences pretty much peaked when my cousin and I took a day trip out to Yountville and Napa Valley. I have to mention Redd once again, because after that experience, nothing seemed to impress me as much as it could have.

All completely different restaurants and not comparable, but of the fine dining restaurants I covered on this trip I would have to say my overall favourite was Redd, followed by Incanto, Absinthe and then Morimoto Napa, which doesn’t really count considering I didn’t try enough.

The thing that caught my attention with Absinthe was Executive Chef Adam Keough’s creative menu that fuses European and American cuisine. It pays attention to technique but uses new and innovative ingredients. The menu is seasonal and offers a few staple French items. But on the whole it is very contemporary with Californian and West Coast influence.

The food is intricate and eclectic and I have to give credit to the chef for taking chances and experimenting. Although a few of the items sounded better on the menu and some things were just trying too hard, I can at least it was original and unique to the restaurant.

I actually spent half a year living in The Netherlands and exploring Europe, and Absinthe Brasserie & Bar brought me back to those times. Absinthe breathes old European feel with new traditions. It was very reminiscent of the late night European cafes tucked away in alley ways in Amsterdam, or even the late night hot spots and French Bistros in France. I truly loved the experience and atmosphere probably more than the food, although the food was pretty good overall. On this occasion I was with my cousin again and thank goodness we have similar tastes which made the ordering easier.

On the table:

Complimentary Bread

• It was cold, but they do serve it cold in France. It tastes like a sourdough Rye bread. Not really an amazing bread or anything.

Spicy Fried Chick Peas – 4/6

• Berbere spicy, parsley $4
• I enjoyed the Crispy Ceci at Vancouver’s very own Campagnolo more.
• A good snack to start off with.
• These weren’t that crispy but they had a great smoky and spicy flavour with whole toasted cumin seeds and cayenne chili spice.
• It tasted very Indian to me and the fresh parsley was a nice addition to freshen up the flavours a bit.

French Onion Soup Gratinee - 6/6

• $4/7
• I can’t say I order French Onion soup too often, but I do enjoy it.
• Our server was a huge fan of French Onion soup and highly recommended this as the best in the city. She was honest and didn’t say everything on the menu was good either, so I trusted her. I’m glad I did too!
• For French Onion soup it was probably the most perfect I’ve had, but not my most memorable dish from this dinner.
• There was so much flavour in this French Onion soup and it was nice and sweet with lots of stringy caramelized onions and ooey gooey stringy Gruyere cheese on top.
• I could taste caramelized sliced garlic and it was made with incredible veal stock and had the perfect balance of savoury and sweet.
• There was also a crispy crouton that had absorbed all the oils of the soup and cheese which was delicious!

Cauliflower-Roasted Almond Soup (Seasonal special) - 2.5/6

• Celery, micro mint, brioche croutons $6/10
• This was one of my reasons for coming to Absinthe, all the ingredients are right up my alley and I was super excited to try it, but it sounded more creative than it tasted.
• It was quite normal and tasted like a standard semi creamy cauliflower soup. It was a bit tart from what I believe was creme fraiche to make it a bit richer.
• It was almost foamy and there was a very small hint of almond, but no mint flavours, besides it being used in the decor.
• There were little cauliflower florets and I was expecting them to be more caramelized and sweet rather than tangy.
• The almonds weren’t used as much as the cauliflower and I missed their aroma.
• It wasn’t really sweet, savoury or nutty and it fell flat from being a bit under seasoned and one dimensional in flavour.

**Beef Tartare – 5.5/6

• Violet mustard, green apple, red onion, cornichons, quail egg yolk, crostini $14
• This was a memorable dish for sure. It lived up to the description! It was a beautiful build up of flavours and I could taste every ingredient listed.
• This was a very unique interpretation of beef tartare and so not overdone like the typical beef tartar with truffle aioli, capers and balsamic vinaigrette… still good but it gets tiresome.
• The beef tartare had a nice spice, but it wasn’t spicy, although it did have heat. The beef was very fresh and buttery and the egg yolk gave it a creamy richness.
• It was nutty and smoky from paprika and cumin seeds and I could taste a hint of mustard when I looked for it.
• There was some nutty deep fried garlic chips and salty bites of capers and tangy minced pickles that kept the flavours interesting.
• The apples gave it a tart and refreshing crunch although I could have used more of them to contrast the capers and pickles.
• It was very aromatic and floral tasting and I could actually taste the violet even under all those sharp flavours. It made it almost delicate and I’ve never experienced violet used in this way and it was beautiful. It enhanced the fruitiness and sweetness of the apples in a very natural way and I loved it!
• There was a ton of tartar and I could have used more crunchy crostini, but overall it was well worth it. It’s an absolutely lovely and innovative dish!
• Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie in Vancouver actually does a Euro-Asian version with the quail egg as well – see here.

Main Scallops – 3.5/6

• Butternut squash, brussels sprouts, caper-brown-butter hollandaise $15
• This was my third scallop dish of the trip. I had the Seared Scallops with Bonny Doon Vineyard Verjus Beurre Blanc on Day 2 of the Food Blogger Food Festival and the Caramelized Diver Scallops at Redd Restaurant, which were the best I’ve had in my life to date! I was almost on a scallop hunt so I continued with the theme here.
• The scallops were nicely caramelized, tender and juicy with a crispy seared crust on both sides.
• The capers were deep fried, which took the salty edge off so it wouldn’t overpower the scallops.
• The rich, buttery, ultra thick and creamy hollandaise was more like a tangy aioli that could have been more salted, but it was well balanced with the milder capers.
• My issue was that the dish didn’t go together. The scallops were an item and the then the sauteed vegetables were another. I don’t want the “side” to overwhelm the scallops but at the same time I want it to compliment them.
• The butternut squash was mixed with apples which intensified it’s sweetness, but it was very basic and simply sauteed in butter with brussel sprout leaves and a few broken capers.
• Unfortunately, I didn’t see the value in this dish.

**Broccoli Risotto - 5/6

• Guanciale, matstake mushrooms, bottarga $15
• Guanciale is unsmoked Italian bacon made from pork jowl (cheek) rather than pork belly.
• Bottarga is a preserved and salted fish roe.
• This was fantastic, and the texture was perfectly creamy with al dente risotto.
• As creamy as it was, it actually wasn’t too rich because there was some lime juice and zest to break it up. It was an unexpected contrast that worked incredibly well.
• The salty bits of guanciale weren’t crispy and they were almost like lean crumbs of bacon shavings, but held the flavour of pork.
• The dish reminded me of a zesty broccoli, cheese and bacon cream soup without the smokiness.
• It was very fragrant and had flavours of home made gourmet mac and cheese as odd as that sounds. It was almost like a grainy puree of broccoli and cheddar cheese made into a sauce.
• The only thing is that I don’t think I’ve tried Bottarga and I wanted to try it, but there was barely any and it was just used for decor.
• Also the Japanese Matstake Mushrooms weren’t used enough to make much of a difference, but mushroom flavours in this dish would have brought it up a notch for sure. Overall, still an excellent dish.

Dessert

I must say that every single item on the dessert menu made me salivate. Everything was so creative and intricate with a few desserts using very unexpected savoury ingredients. The dessert menu matched the philosophy of the savoury dishes very well.

These kind of desserts are incredibly appealing to my tastes and I was super impressed by the pastry chef at that time. However the new Executive Pastry Chef is Bill Corbett. He’s actually a Canadian native from Toronto (**see comment) and regarded as one of the best pastry chef’s in the nation. Unfortunately I did not get to try his desserts. On another note, on this trip, I really did get to try the desserts of the actual best pastry chef in the nation at Redd Restaurant – see her desserts here.

I knew which desserts I wanted to order from the start. I probably ordered the most out of the ordinary desserts, but unfortunately they didn’t work that well. I love savory and sweet and unusual combinations, but the balance wasn’t well mastered here. It wasn’t really sweet and not really savory and the flavours were too mild and they came off as “wimpy” desserts, for lack of better word. Our wonderful server warned us that the traditional desserts were better, but I didn’t listen again… :S

Pecan Puff Pastry – 2.5/6

• Shaved & brulee Asian pear, candy cap mushroom ice cream, mint $9
• See to me, that description sounds so exotic and exciting. I mean “candy cap mushroom ice cream”… when will I ever come across that again?
• It was incredibly small, but considering the labour intensive execution, I have to see value in the $9.
• There was way too much puff pastry and not enough pecans. The pastry wasn’t layered and flaky but doughy and compressed so it was chewy.
• There was very little creamy pecan filling but it was mushy and paste like and more buttery than sweet with no pecan pieces in it. I did like the candied crunch of the sweet sugar crusted whole pecans on top though.
• The ice cream was pretty good and it carried a piney and woody mushroom flavour with a slight hint of caramel. It was quite aromatic but I think it should have been sweeter and they could have caramelized the mushrooms even more.
• The brulee Asian pear was almost completely unnoticed since it was only a thin slice made more for presentation.
• Overall it was all a little bland and although the mint did enhance the earthy flavours of the mushroom ice cream it didn’t do much for anything else. The pecan puff pastry and ice cream didn’t really do anything for each other either.
• I felt like the flavour was sacrificed for the intricate details, although I do appreciate the creativity behind the recipe.

Ode to the St. Honore Tart – 2.5/6

• Chocolate-pistachio crisp, pistachio mousse, chocolate profiteroles, pine ice cream $9
• Again it was incredibly small, but the value is in the labour.
• I love the combination of chocolate and pistachio, and I was hoping to get this delicious Mascarpone & Chocolate Brownie with Pistachio I had at Coast in Vancouver, but it was wishful thinking.
• The pistachio mousse wasn’t sweet and almost tasted floury and doughy with hints of rose and pine. It had a mucky off taste and it was like putting floral accents in mud.
• The chocolate pistachio crisp was a salty hazelnut and toffee chocolate wafer crisp which was quite enjoyable alone, but ruined with the pistachio mousse, which defeats the purpose of the whole dessert.
• The chocolate profiteroles were the most enjoyable, but gone in a matter of seconds because it was so small.
• The pine ice cream worked well in the context of a profiterole because with the chocolate it was actually sweet, and thus it became more like a dessert. It gave an earthy flavour to the chocolate yet it was refreshing because it was ice cream. The profiteroles proved what I mean when I say “ingredients working together successfully”.

Restaurant: Tapenade Bistro
Cuisine: West Coast/European/Mediterranean/Seafood/Pacific Northwest
Last visited: December 19, 2010
Location: Richmond BC (Steveston Village)
Address: 3711 Bayview Street
Price Range:$30-50, $50+

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

Food: solid 5 for appetizers, 4.5-5 based on what I tried overall
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 3.5
Overall: n/a
Additional comments:

• Since January 2003
• West Coast/Pacific Northwest
• Executive Chef Alex Tung
• Casual fine dining
• Seasonal menus
• Innovative cuisine
• Attention to detail
• Lots of seafood options
• Voted “Best in Richmond”
• Boutique wine list
• Ocean Wise
• Brunch/Lunch/Dinner

**Recommendations: Beef Striploin Carpaccio, “Chanterelles & Toast”, Dungeness Crab Cakes, House Made Charcuterie, “Coq Au Vin”

If you follow me on Twitter it’s no secret that I tweet back and fourth with Executive Chef Alex Tung at Tapenade Bistro. Our first in person introduction was at the Tourism Richmond Steveston Village Seafood Feast in September this year. Other than that time I also dined at Tapenade Bistro for Mother’s Day brunch and since then I’ve been trying to make a visit back for dinner. On this occasion I came for dinner with my parents, it was rather last minute, but chef knew I was there. He kindly provided complimentary appetizers, but there are no expectations for the outcome of this post. On that note, I will still speak truthfully of the food from this evening, however I will not “rate” the service under the circumstances. Honesty is the best policy and I’m pretty sure Chef Tung would agree, considering he’s the only chef I know that writes his own restaurant blog – see here.

Tapenade Bistro in Steveston Village offers contemporary West Coast and Pacific Northwest cuisine. It’s not categorized as “fine dining”, but the food speaks of fine dining although the ambiance does not. It’s a bit dated and it doesn’t match the food, and in this case you really are paying for the quality of ingredients and intensive preparation behind it. Be expected to pay downtown prices, but it’s worth it, and the seafood is 100% sustainable and Ocean Wise. I would call it casual fine dining and a place fit for foodies and wine enthusiasts.

Chef, Menu & Food

The menu and food is undeniably Chef Alex Tung. I actually got to know his personality better through the dishes I ate rather than through our Twitter encounters. A chef that’s truly passionate about cooking and actually hands on in the kitchen. That makes for major bonus points in my books. From what I tasted I will assume that he has a spot for hearty comfort food, appreciates seafood, but is downright a refined carnivore and lover of rich sauces. He also plays a lot with the savoury and tangy balance more so than the savoury and sweet. The food is rather rich and hearty with many innovative details and components, and impressive culinary techniques that speaks of professional. It probably helps that he has trained under culinary legends like Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Daniel Boulud and Christian Delouvrier. The menu is seasonal and the plates are artistically presented, but I found most of my favourites in the appetizers more so than the mains or desserts.

In a way, I actually found it comparable to Ebo Restaurant, a fine dining restaurant in Burnaby. When it comes to West Coast casual fine dining in Richmond, the options are limited and Steveston Village is the easy go to answer. However, Tapenade Bistro doesn’t win merely by default because the food is actually very good and at times even gastronomic and tres excellent! I haven’t tried the whole menu, but generally speaking, I find Tapenade Bistro a solid choice especially if you order the right items. Food and taste is personal, but I’m pretty confident that any foodie will be satisfied with my favourites of the night, which are probably Chef’s favourites as well.

On the table:

Complimentary Bread

• I doubt it’s made in house and I didn’t see Chef in this at all. I bet if it were up to him he’d make it in house.
• It would have been better served warm and it’s really soft and fluffy inside with a decently crispy crust. Not a big deal though.

**Beef Striploin Carpaccio – 5/6

• Parmigiano-Reggiano, pickled beech mushrooms, grape tomato, fried capers, herb salad, remoulade sauce, extra virgin olive oil $11
• I don’t order beef carpaccio too often, and I always forget how much I actually like it.
• This one was almost like a beef carpaccio pizza! In concept and size! I did thoroughly enjoy it, but I did feel like I lost some of that natural beef flavour.
• The carpaccio was melt in your mouth tender and it was quite tangy from all the sauces and acidic toppings.
• It had a very feathery texture from the frisee, fresh parsley and deep fried crispy capers. Deep frying them actually takes the salty tangy bite off them, which is good for this dish.
• The flavour is similar to eating beef carpaccio with tartar sauce, and that was due to the combination of remoulade (tartar like sauce), capers and pickled beech mushrooms.
• The pickled beech mushrooms were very sharp, and I wish the remoulade was a garlic or truffle aoili because the creamy tang of the remoulade with the pickled mushrooms was a bit too tangy. The salad was a nice way to lighten things up and I love sauce and toppings, but I couldn’t taste the cheese at all.
• There were 4 tangy ingredients (remoulade, mushroom, tomato, capers) and I could have probably done with one less, or maybe just a little less of all of them to showcase the flavour of the beef more.

**”Chanterelles & Toast” – 6/6

• Roasted Vancouver Island chanterelles, 63 degree egg, fried baguette, baby arugula, Parmigiano-Reggiano, marinated grape tomatoes, red wine demi glace $12
• As much as I love the concept of eggs, toast, and mushrooms, I probably wouldn’t have ordered it because I wouldn’t think it would get as good as this. Thank goodness it was on Chef Tung’s selection of appetizers or I would have seriously missed out. This is a must try dish!
• This is the definition of an appetizer that leaves you wanting more. It was like a dinner version of a gourmet eggs benedict.
• How to eat: the concept is to break the egg and mix it all together… Asian style! I get incredibly excited at the thought of  a runny egg yolk whether it’s on toast, Pasta Carbonara and of course rice!

3 seconds later… freaking DROOL!

6 seconds later… deliciousness! 30 seconds later… done!

• It was savoury, sweet, crispy and nutty pan-fried Chanterelle mushrooms, creamy egg, tangy juicy fire roasted grape tomatoes, crispy buttery crustless toasted baguette and fresh peppery arugula to “lighten” things up. It was the most perfect balance of everything good.
• The 63 degree egg was the definite highlight! It was actually a sous vide poached egg and it was my first experience with one. It’s like a 2.0 version of a poached egg and it’s incredibly silky smooth with a creamy jelly like texture. The egg white is almost bubbly and soupy like a silky liquefied cloud that melts in your mouth, and it cradles this rare egg yolk that’s actually still warm.
• The egg yolk definitely adds to the richness of the mushroom gravy which is enhanced with some meaty demi glace. However I could have used a bit more demi glace, and although excellent, it wasn’t as flavourful as the one from Ebo Restaurant.
• The toasted baguette acts as a sponge and it gets all soft after the egg yolk is cracked. All I wanted was more toast to soak up the remaining egg yolk drippings on my plate. I used the complimentary bread to wipe down my plate it was so good.
• I would most definitely order this again and highly recommend it.

**Dungeness Crab Cakes – 5.5/6

• BC Dungeness crab, fennel, cucumber, pink onion and tomato relish, tomato jam, rouille $14
• This is something else I would have overlooked because the description doesn’t really explain everything this dish has to offer.
• This appetizer totally brought me back to the special appetizer Chef Tung prepared for us at the Steveston Village media dine around tour. He created a dish called Last of the Season Sardines, and originally I was disappointed that I was being served something that wasn’t offered on the regular menu. However now I understand that it was a play off of the Dungeness Crab Cakes that is on the menu. So now you too can enjoy! All the better and you will enjoy this!
• The crab cakes were a little small, but the flavour was not and the presentation was exceptional.
• Each crab cake was crispy and made of pure juicy chunks of crab rather than finely shredded pieces. I enjoyed the chunks much more because I can taste more of the seafood flavour this way and it retains its juices. There were also some chives and other herbs, but there was no sign of any “fillers”.
• It was savoury crab, yet it still had some buttery and custard like flavours from probably egg which would be used as the binder.
• As many components as there were, all of them went together in any combination I tried. It’s one of those dishes where I was scraping the remains on my plate with the edge of my fork.
• The intricate details of each gourmet home made condiment was the most memorable part. Every sauce had its place and was distinct from the other.
• The herb puree streak on the side was thick, creamy and earthy yet fresh in flavour.
• The red pepper rouille are the dollops in the back that look like Thousand Island dressing. It’s actually a rich sauce that tastes like a spicy chili garlic aioli, in simplest terms it tastes like chili mayo, but refined and more aromatic in flavour.
• The tomato relish tastes like the freshest and purest form of homemade creamy tomato puree paste.
• The crab cakes were delicious with all the sauces and every component was also excellent alone.
• The salad was very tangy and it had some pickled onions and pickled cucumbers which came off as Japanese Oshinko carrots. I enjoyed the salad more alone.

Feature Soup - Potato & Leek (sample size portion shown) – 3/6

• Daily soup inspired by the season and whimsy of the Tapenade Bistro kitchen $8
• This was a Potato and leek soup with crispy ham, chives and truffle oil essence.
• I was expecting a lot from the soup, but I was slightly underwhelmed.
• I could smell the truffle oil as it was arriving even before it hit the table, but I surprisingly lost that truffle taste after it was all mixed in.
• I actually enjoyed the toppings of the soup more than the broth itself. The toppings included crispy potato, savoury bits of crispy smoky ham, which was almost like bacon, and chives.
• It seemed like a baked potato soup, but the flavour was surprisingly lighter and thinner in texture relative to say a bisque.
• It looks really heavy and rich, but the potato base was a bit thinned out in flavour and texture by the leeks. It was a bit bland and mild if it wasn’t for the toppings and I would have liked it either more savoury or more sweet.
• Not comparable, but the best soups I’ve had are from Redd in Napa Valley and Hastings House Country House Hotel in Salt Spring Island.

This is something I ordered at Mother’s Day brunch this year, but I never got to write about it. This was not complimentary.

**House Made Charcuterie – 5/6

• All charcuterie served with cornichons, filone baguette, olive oil and sea salt crostini. One choice $9 three choices $25.
• I loved the presentation and it is one of the best charcuterie platters I’ve experienced. The house made charcuterie will change seasonally, but it’s always something creative and unique to Tapenade Bistro.
• Duck Rillette
  • Traditional shredded duck pâté, grainy mustard, saffron cucumber, rhubarb vanilla confiture.
  • This was my favourite, mainly because I love duck pate. I just remember not being able to taste the rhubarb vanilla confiture which I was most excited about.
• Pate de Campagne
  • Country style terrine, apricot thyme compote, Cognac Dijon mutsard.
  • I’m not a fan of country style terrines, so this was a bit too dense and gelatinous for me. It was quite meaty with lots of herb flavours.
• Chicken Liver Parfait
  • Bruleed parfait, Port onion jam, pickled pink onion.
  • I loved this one as well. The concept was so creative and memorable with the sweet caramelized sugar brulee crust. I loved the savoury and sweet contrast yet it was still distinct with chicken liver flavour. it was creamy, rich, smooth and indulgent and it was a beautiful spread on crostini.

Bouillabaisse – 4/6

• Provençal fish stew, fresh fish, prawns, diver scallop, Salt Spring Island mussels, clams, shellfish and tomato broth, rouille $27
• It’s served with a red pepper rouille “crouton” which was a slice of their standard baquette.
• This was a very generous portion of bouillabaisse loaded with fresh sustainable seafood.
• I liked it because there was so much seafood, however as a bouillabaisse it wasn’t my favourite. It was also less exciting than everything else we ordered.
• The broth was light and tangy with a tomato base and I could taste the crustaceans of prawn shells, clams and what tasted like lobster shells – although there is no lobster.
• The saffron flavour was subtle and it wasn’t that rich in seafood nectar flavour for a bouillabaisse, but it was still decent. I wanted more of a fresh fish flavour in the actual broth since Bouillabaisse is traditionally a fish stew.

• The fish was salmon and ling cod were under seasoned but at least not overcooked. The prawns did get a bit overcooked though.
• I would have preferred the fish with skins and bones, but this is not marketable to the clientele unfortunately. That would have given much more flavour though.
• The scallop was jumbo and tender and the mussels and clams were fresh but not as meaty, perhaps due to the season.
• I did like it more than the one from Shore Club, but not as much as the one from dB Moderne, although that one is now off the menu. The best was the one I had in Marseille, France, the origin of Bouillabaisse, but I’m not about to jump on a plane to get one anytime soon.

Diver Scallops – 4.5/6

• Pan seared, eggplant puree, eggplant caponata, eggplant “frites”, roasted pepper relish, caper raisin emulsion $28
• Beautiful presentation.
• I’ve been on a mission to find the best scallops, and these ones have always appealed to me on the menu, especially since I love eggplant. However I found it sounded better on the menu although I appreciate the creativity behind it.
• The eggplant in 3 forms reminded me of a scallop dish I had at C Restaurant with pea shoot in multiple textures – see here.
• The scallops were JUMBO! And I’m so happy that they seared the scallops on both sides! It really bothers me when it’s only on one side. The scallops had a nutty crust, but I could have used a bit more salt and pepper to enhance the flavour.
• The sauce for the scallops was an eggplant puree, but it tasted like an eggplant mayo and heavier on the mayo flavour than the eggplant. It was just a bit too rich and creamy with mayo and I wanted a more savoury eggplant taste or even a thinner eggplant puree sauce. It just needed something else in it because the flavour wasn’t there yet. I have the same problem when I make eggplant dips and I found I have to use Parmesan cheese to make it work.
• The eggplant “frites” was the best form of the eggplant. It had the most eggplant flavour, but I wish it had a panko crust because they weren’t that crispy. It was more like strips of tender pan-fried eggplant rather than “frites”.
• The eggplant caponata was almost like an eggplant relish or antipasto. I didn’t mind that it was so tangy with onions, capers, and mushrooms, but then I really didn’t want the eggplant puree to also be tangy and compete with it. One tangy, the other more savoury, or even savoury and sweet, and that would create a better balance.
• I’m not sure where the caper raisin emulsion was but that would have been GREAT with the eggplant puree. That would have done it I think! The roasted red pepper relish was also MIA.
• The dish was very good, but I just thought it sounded better and I was expecting more from it.
• The scallop dish to beat is still the Caramelized Diver Scallops from Redd.

**”Coq Au Vin” – 6/6

• Bradner Farm Cornish hen, roasted breast, bacon wrapped leg, fleur de Dijon spaetzle, ragout of double smoked bacon, mushroom, peas and pearl onions, Burgundy jus $26
• This is one of the famous dishes, and for excellent reason too! I haven’t had another “Coq Au Vin” in Vancouver yet, but my standard is now set and it’s going to be tough to beat.
• The hen was served in 2 potions and I thoroughly enjoyed each one. The breast was as flavourful as the leg, and it wasn’t dry at all.
• The leg was crispy with smoky bacon and the meat was incredibly tender and juicy.
• The breast seemed like it was also wrapped in crispy bacon as well and I would have thought it was sous vide for sure! It was flattened and coated with a strong lemony and herby Thyme mixture before it was rolled, wrapped and oven roasted. It was the most juicy and tender “chicken breast” with tons of flavour and delicious coating of savoury red wine reduction. At times the skin was a bit fatty and chewy and I wasn’t a fan of that part… but that’s the only part.
• The red wine reduction was incredibly strong and the wine wasn’t cooked out all the way, but it worked well and I think it was intended. It was syrupy, thick, sweet an tangy and made for the perfect glaze on this beautiful hen.
• Spatzel is pretty much a doughy noodle and this one was crispy and well seasoned. It was savoury and nutty and an exciting side that went well with the mushroom, peas and tangy pearl onions. I feel really lucky when I get a main with either spatzel or gnocchi as the side.
• The other side was a cauliflower puree and it reminded me of pommes puree but it was less rich, thinner and almost like a creamy grainy sauce. It’s the texture of apple sauce and the flavour of almost turnip meets cauliflower puree.
• I love pommes puree, but this cauliflower puree did a duly job at absorbing the sauces. It was nice to have something lighter anyways considering the protein was so rich with the heavier sauce and there was already a starch in place too.

Desserts

I have a feeling Chef Tung isn’t a dessert person, I appreciate that they’re all made in house though. He seems super rich and indulgent with his savoury dishes, but when it comes to sweets he plays the concept up, but the flavours down. The desserts weren’t really sweet at all and he experiments with the savoury and sweet combination. I was a fan of the idea more so than the actual desserts.

White Pepper Panna Cotta – 2.5/6

• Red wine poached pear, pear and red wine consommé, walnut strusel, chervil $7.50
• This is not for everybody and it’s not for anyone with a major sweet tooth. I have a sweet tooth, but I also have an appreciation for creative desserts and admire chefs who attempt to take on the challenge of using savoury ingredients in them. It was no question I was going to order this.
• It’s not the best sweet and savoury combination I’ve had, but it’s not a failed attempt either.
• It was a very light and refreshing dessert, but it needed to be accented with something stronger.
• Panna Cotta is a cooked cream and here it’s served in a pool of cooling red wine pear consomme that’s not that sweet at all. It’s actually incredibly mild, lighter than pear juice and not syrupy. The red wine is fully cooked out, yet decently absorbed in the diced pear pieces.
• The Panna Cotta was a bit dense and jelly like rather than creamy and the chill needed to come off before you could enjoy it and really taste the aromatic white pepper. It’s not spicy, but not really that sweet either.
• I’m indifferent about the walnut strusel topping. I love the concept, but not necessarily the execution of it and it wasn’t that sweet either. It was a simple flour coating, which would have worked better for a traditional oven baked dessert, but I would have preferred them candied here.
• Another ssavoury sweet Panna Cotta is the Douglas Fir Panna Cotta from Incanto.

Sticky Toffee Pudding – 3.5/6

• Spiced date cake, frozen vanilla chantilly, Ambrosia apple and lemon compote, toffee sauce $7.50
• This dessert is a seasonal special.
• I love sticky toffee pudding, but I would prefer this with traditional vanilla ice cream rather than the vanilla chantilly (which is basically frozen whipped cream).
• The spiced date cake could have used more dates, but it was moist and warm and decently sweetened. It was almost like a carrot cake in flavour. The texture was more like a muffin and although it was moist, it wasn’t pudding like and I wouldn’t call it a bread pudding as much as I would call it a bundt cake.
• I liked the tangy crunchy apples which were well coated with a tangy sweet lemon compote. This fruit combination went really well with the spiced cake and reminded me of a pannetone. Most of the sweetness came from the toffee sauce and overall it was quite suitable for Christmas/Winter season.